And yet you neither do nor can name any article of the Roman faith which hath not beene euer intertained as a point of faith in former times or els defined not in Rome but in some generall Councell 20. The second vntruth in greatnes equalleth the first in malice surpasseth it This vntruth standes recorded in your 24. page where you say that you left the Church of Rome ranne away fearing the ordinary sequells of hatred that are poysoning stabbing For to this passe say you matters are brought in this age that at Rome by authority frō Rome the controuersies of the Church are committed no longer to Deuines nor to Councells but to racke-maisters to hang-men to cut-throats to bloud-suckers to parricides Here Antony you are seene to be in a fury and to haue your hart imbued with the bloudy disposition of the men you haue named The Church of Rome doth not practise that which you hatefully charge her with she referred the Church-controuersies of this age not to be maintained with poysoning stabbing by bloud-suckers and parricides but to be treated of and decided by Fathers by Bishops by graue and learned Deuines in the Councell of Trent Such as obstinatly defend doctrines accursed by Councells such as reuiue the controuersies that haue been already decided such men I say being conuicted of the crime and confessing themselues to be contemners of the Churches Councells she deliuers vp to be punished not to bloud suckers nor to Parricides but to Christian Princes and to the Iudges by them appointed she doth not reproue the endeauours of Deuines who discusse points of doctrine that are yet vndefined but the temerity of Heretikes whose labours are as S. Leo saith to seeke for the things that already are found Epist 60. to reuiue controuersies that are ended to repeale the doctrines that haue byn formerly established You lay to our charge Antony the cruell demeanour of your Caluinists who with swordes and weapons do not defend Decrees of Councells which were laudable do not put an end to controuersies that were neuer before determined which were an euill not altogeather so vntolerable but the doctrines that Councells haue builded and set vp they with their poyniards swordes and lances beate downe the beliefe which the tradition of Ancestours which the Decrees of generall Councells haue rooted in Christian breasts togeather with their bowells they draw out and cast into the fire 21. The third vntruth is page 16. that We Romanists haue contracted the Church Catholike to which Christ promised the perpetuall assistance of the holy Ghost to be the very Court of Rome What Catholike euer wrote spake thought or so much as dreamed of this fond conceite The particuler Church of Rome we tearme the principall Church with which all Churches must haue agrement and accesse vnto in regard of her more powerfull Principality we tearme the Church of Rome the head of that Catholike Church to which Christ promised perpetuall infallible assistance but we say not that the sole Roman is the vniuersall Catholike Church taking the Roman by it self without the rest of the Christian Churches adhering vnto her 22. The fourth vntruth is in the same 16. page where you say that It is exacted of vs that we belieue firmely as an article of our Faith that the whole spirit of Christ is resident in the Court of Rome only yea in the Pope only What greater falshood can be vttered or deuised The spirit of Christ is indeed but one nor is he in any one man in whome he is not whole if we respect his substance and in this sense we say that the spirit of Christ is whole in the Pope yea in euery Christian But this one and same spirit worketh very different and diuers things according to which he is not whole in euery one and in this sense to say that we beleeue the whole spirit of Christ to be abiding in the Pope only is a great vntruth First the spirit of Christ assisteth the Elect whome through the dangerous miseries of this life he guideth by sure meanes to the land of the liuing Do we make this spirit resident in the Pope only Do we not acknowledge that there be others Elect besides the Pope Secondly the spirit of Christ is the spirit of adoption in whome we crye Father Father Do we teach that this spirit is in none but in Popes that the Pope only is Iust Holy and the Sonne of God Thirdly the spirit of Christ signeth and sealeth the hartes of euery one that is faithfull and annointeth them that they may belieue And is this spirit also made by vs proper to the Pope only Do we say that there is not any true beleeuing Christian besides him Fourthly the spirit of Christ teacheth his Church so that the whole Church can neuer erre And do we not place this spirit infallible in the whole Church So that whatsoeuer hath byn in any age receaued by the vniforme beliefe of the whole Church that without doubt as being a most certaine Christian verity we imbrace Fiftly the spirit of Christ decideth the controuersies which concerning faith in euery age may arise in the Church neither do we make fast this spirit to the Pope only but we teach that the same is abiding in the rest of the Catholike Bishops who be the Iudges of Faith and togeather with the Roman Bishop their Head do determine assuredly the cōtrouersies of the Church Wherefore I wonder where your forehead was when you did not blush to write that we make the whole spirit of Christ to be abiding in the Pope only 23. The fift vntruth is in the 26. page That whatsoeuer hath byn formerly fortould by the Prophets for the honour of the vniuersall Church we by extreme violence and wronge draw it all to the Roman Court only It is certayne that some sayings of Prophets do particulerly concerne the Church of Rome and haue byn accordingly performed in it But that whatsoeuer is sayd glorious of the Church in the ancient Prophets we turne it all to the Church yea to the Court of Rome only you speake it indeed in your splene against the Pope but in speaking it your knowledge cannot choose but giue a checke to your tongue 24. The sixt vntruth is That the Roman Court hath now a longe while suppressed the holy Councells so hath put out the eyes of the Church If you speake of the Councells that haue byn celebrated already none do more Religiously obserue their Decrees then the Church of Rome If you meane of Councells that should be gathered that she hinders that they cannot be now assembled did not the Church of Rome I pray you call of late the Councell of Trent to say nothing of Nationall Prouincial and Episcopall Councells which are very frequently held And if your accusation be limited to General Councels you must know that to gather so great and vniuersall assembly is not an easy thing nor necessary for the
That you would cite before your Tribunall as guilty of Schisme as well the Latin Church as the Greeke no lesse the Roman whereof you were a member then the Lutheran I would say you faine haue knowne the cause of the diuision and Schismes of all Churches and find out some meanes to bring them vnto the true ancient vnity A great piece of worke Antony and hardly to be dispacht in a generall Councell of the Church much lesse are the shoulders of a puny Clergy man as you were then able to sustaine the burthen thereof But what necessity was it for you to intrude your selfe into the search of this cause Generall Councells had already heard this controuersie of schisms they had before hand condēned both Greeks and Lutherans Cyprian l. 4. Epist 6. they had concluded with Cyprian That Schismes Heresies do and haue euer sprunge vp from no other cause then this that the Bishop which is one and gouernes the Church by the proud presumption of some is set at naught and the man by Gods ordinance honoured by most vnworthy men is adiudged nor that there is any other way of vnion and of extinguishing heresies then that they returne to the fountaine of vnity and imbrace that Catholike proofe a short an easie way of belief cōteyning the Epitome of truth which our Lord appoynted Matth. 16. when he spake to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this Rock will I build my Church That he that forsaketh Peters Chaire whereupon the Church is founded cannot be of the Church This is the only cause of Schisme this the only way to vnity this the definition of the Fathers and of the Church This you being then a Iesuite and a Clergy man could not be ignorant of nor doubt of being a Catholike if you were so indeed why therefore did not this iudgment of the Church quiet you Why did you vexe your selfe in the search of another cause of Schismes and another way of vnion 3. Certainly you then beganne to breed that which you haue now at last brought forth or at least you leaue the Church to the end you may bring it forth which is a certaine strange and wonderfull deuice to vnite all the Churches in one whereby all Christian societyes although differing in Religion among themselues from Peters Seate are thrust vp into one Body of a Church without any vniuersal Head or Prince to gouerne them This is the speciall new doctrine you come to preach this the great supposed light wherein you now exult a glimps wherof Sathan transfiguring himselfe into an Angell of light long ago presented vnto you And what was this else but to make your selfe wiser then all Catholikes besides then Councells Fathers and the vniuersall Church yea which is more wiser then Christ himselfe who when he saw that the peace of his Church could not otherwise stand without a Gouernour Leo ep 84. he made Peter the chiefe of his Apostles That in fellow-ship of honour there might be a certaine difference of power Hier. cont Iouin and that by appointing a head the occasion of schisme might be vtterly taken away 4. If as you would make vs belieue you had byn inflamed with the true zeale of soules you would neuer haue so anxiously searched into new causes of schismes but rather haue laboured to remoue those which are now already discouered by Fathers and Councells pestering the world to the ruine of many You would not haue byn so prodigall of your vaine and proud teares for the Christian Churches and for the Roman it self with the rest whose child you were but rather taking compassion of nations wādring from the Roman Church you would haue studied to reduce them to the head-spring of vnity by word example writing labours perills and lastly with your life laid downe in pawne for testimony therof This had beene the part of a wise man of one burning in Charity of a Iesuite But whilest your fellowes the Iesuites with other Preachers of the Faith sweat out their bloud for the vnion of Churches and the vtter racing of schisme you forsooth burning with zeale innated not infused humane not diuine at home in your idle and imaginary trauelles discouer new found wayes of conuersions such as were neuer trod on by any foote before Thus you vanished away in your owne cogitations whilst you toyled your selfe in seeking out new and vnused wayes you lost the auncient and ready way whilest in the Catholike way with the foote of pride you stroue to go beyond the rest from the Catholike truth were you cast away could not stand The second degree Secret Infidelity FOR whiles you sit in your throne vmpiere of Churches you begin your selfe to stagger in the Catholike faith that you might at last become an Apostata it was needfull that you should first doubt of your faith that so the saying of Hilary might stand for good Hilar. l. 6. de Trin. Well may heresy tempt an vnperfect man but it cannot supplant the perfect Cyprian saith Let no man thinke Cyprian de vnit Eccles ca. 7. that good men can departe from the Church The wind blowes not away the Corne nor doth the tempest ouerthrow the Tree that is well rooted in the ground The slighter chaffe is carried away with the winde the weaker trees by force of stormes are ouerthrowne These are those whom the Apostle Iohn noteth Ioan. 2. cap. 19. saying They went out from vs but they were not of vs For had they beene of vs they would no doubt haue stayed with vs. It is so indeed Antony you were none of ours euen when you seemed most to be ours you were euer of a doubtfull Faith and of a wit propense to heresy This those that know you testify this you seeme not to deny of your selfe and this will I demonstrate with a double argument out of your owne speaches 6. First in your eight page you write that continually you felt temptations which now you terme sparckles of the inward spirit about certaine supposed doctrines of the Roman faith wherwith say you I could neuer rest satisfied nor free my selfe wholy from a vehement suspition which euer held me perplexed as I grew more auncient in the studies of sacred diuinity What those temptations were and against what articles of the Roman faith you set not downe you leaue it to our choyce to thinke that you allways had a doubt of the mysteries of the most holy Trinity of the Incarnation and the Eucharist with others for these also are the articles of the proper Roman faith which it constantly manteynes against the old heretikes and many of the reformed or deformed rather of this vpstart Ghospell Nor can you say that you signified your temptations only but gaue no assent or consent thereunto For this is confuted out of that which you write in the same pag. 8. I haue truly alwaies thought it say you a matter not voyde of suspition as
at Rome without all lawfull foundatiō there were innumerable new articles of faith dayly coyned and thrust vpon vs. And do you not yet perceaue your selfe to be blind that you see an vntruth that you see that which hath no being at all that you see a most huge nothing that at Rome there are new articles of faith coyned not in ech age in ech yeare or in ech day one but euery day many without number and yet vouchsafe you not to name vs one But rightly S. Ambrose Anger waytes on Enuy it festereth the mind Precat 2. ad Missam it dulles the senses it doubles the tongue it dims the eyes it disquiets the whole body especially if the Anger be so impotent as yours is a gainst the Pope which most intemperatly you bewray in these words The Maiesty say you of our Roman Pope is not so great that it ought to be feared that temporall and statly Maiesty is merely counterfait vsurpt it is t' is nothing So do you make shew to contemne the dignity you cannot reach to rather then any man should enioy it but your self You would haue it not to be at all seing you cannot ouerthrow it with your deedes You seeke to beate it into nothing by contemptuous speach This is the nature of Enuy and the property of enraged displeasure The Maiestie of the Roman Pope affrights you nothing So you professe yet S. Hierome borne in the same Dalmatia with you a farre more learned man more holy lesse timorous of to yes and humane vanities then your selfe was afraid of this maiesty Your greatnes saith he speaking to Pope Damasus dothterrify me but your curtesie inuites me Let the ambitious greatnes of the Roman dignity be laid a side whilest I speake with the successour of a Fisher man But it booteth not to stand refuting of sayings which only malice venteth That is now cleere which we intended to shew That you haue wel trodden the steps of contention and enuy which is the sixt downefal of your soules hasty running into Apostasy The seauenth Degree of Apostasy Contumacy and Contempt of the Supreme Pastour FROM the contumacy and contempt of the Pope men do easily fal into heresies which S. Cyprian affirmes do spring from no other head then that one Priest in the Church for the time being and one Iudge the Vicar of Christ for the time likewise being is not regarded nor is obeyed according to diuine precept by the whole fraternity To you Antony as you were yet sparkling flames of enuy a fit occasion was offered to passe to this degree and make a nerer approach vnto Apostasy For no sooner was the knowne difference betweene the Pope and the Venetian Cōmon wealth risen but straight you bewrayed your secret hardly concealed malice against the Pope by open contumacy Thus do you lay the matter forth before our eyes in your 14. page Shortly after came forth the Venetian Interdict There was no end of Roman libells oppressing vexing and reuiling vs Venetian Bishops as so many beastes rude fellowes men ignorant of no conscience Hence new occasions were offered me of new and more burning endeauours as well to make our defense as to cleere the truth in the Venetian cause So do you set forth the busines and togeather do lay open the increase of your flames you burned but too much before and were ouer hoate yet you tell vs that new fires and ardencyes seyze vpon you You perchance affect the stile of Arch-heretike and you would faine haue vs apply vnto you the sentence of S. Ierome No man can plot an heresy In Ose c. 10. that is not of a fiery witt Such kind of Apostles doth most please and cōtent this vpstart Ghospell of our age which the Kinges Maiesty of Great Britany testifies in his Basilicon Doron to haue beene brought into Scotland in these later dayes by Preachers that were of a fiery temper and seditious fellowes You delight belike and would willingly be still more and more enraged against the Romans and that you may burne more hoatly you faigne your selfe and your fellow Bishops to be reproachfully intreated to be called beastes rude and ignorant men of no conscience I haue read diuers of the Roman books written in the controuersie of Venite for the Pope but these disgracefull and contumelious speeches you charge them with I could neuer find in those books But I may thinke that to the end you may heate your selfe the more against the Pope you conceaue by imagination iniuries done you meerly deuised by your self wherein you are like the Lion who to whet himselfe to the fight laies loade on himselfe with his owne taile 27. But seeing you desire to be thought feruent I will not contentiously deny that you were more eager in the Venetian Contention then any man els that in your priuate contempt of the Pope you might exceed the publike I make no doubt but to the flame with which that most flourishing Common-wealth wealth to their owne perdition was set on fire you added oyle and pitch by your writings and Sermons to increase it which yet was quenched by the Popes wisedome benignity and patience His Fatherly piety preuailed ouer the Maiesty of his power He chose rather to yeald a litle to his childrēs stoutnesse and to leaue the heate of their courage to be allayed with time then to master their stubbornesse pull downe their stomackes with violent or irreuocable punishment The calme of this Peace liked not you very wel whos desires were now sayling towards Rome presaging to the Republique victories against the Pope You with a false and deceiptfull hope such as Lunacy is wont to breed had in your idle fancye perhaps set the Papall diademe on your owne head But this composition did not only thrust you out of your present hope and imaginary Popedome but for euer excluded you as a discouered enemy from Roman dignities Wherfore the Republike being quietted and friend with the Pope the flames of your anger ambition also in outward shew were somewhat slaked but inwardly they were no lesse quicke and ardent then before You intermitted not your earnest and feruent endeauours which you had taken in hand for defence of disobedience you studied still priuatly to find senten̄ces of Fathers and Councells for your purpose Ten years you spent in this passionate study hoping the Venetians would againe breake with the Pope which not succeding a vehement terrour assailed you and made you hasten your reuolt For now you began to feare least the league betweene the Pope and the Venetians dayly increasing you at last should be turned ouer to the Pope to yeild him account for all your forepassed misdemeanours This feare gaue new fewell to your former fire which now for these ten years had closely burned and made it breake forth at last into the publike spectacle of Apostasy Let vs heare your self declare the euēt of your studying of the Fathers whilest blinded
with passion you read them ten yeares togeather In these say you I fully found out what I sought for much more then I sought for How wel you set downe the māner of your fal You hated Heresie but affected Cōtumacy against the Pope and whilest you will not leaue what you loued you are falne into that which you abhorred You would faine without losse of your religion haue remained an obstinate and stubborne Catholike but behould you haue made wracke of your faith and are become a rebellious heretike You sought for Catholike contumacy contempt of the Pope a thing not to be found but in lieu therof you haue found heretical perfidiousnes Verily that haue you found which by such an inquiry you deserued to find Lib. 3. ep 9. which al that haue sought in this same māner haue found For the beginning of Heretikes saith S. Cyprian is to take delight in themselues with a swelling pride to contemne their Superiours Hereupon they rush into schismes and prophane Altars are reared vp out of the Church Malignant feuers neere neighbours to the Pestilence when the Plague is rife alwayes turne to this mischief so neere of kinne vnto them so when Heresies abound the Contempt of the supreme Pastour a sin neerly allied to Heresie can scarcely be conteined but that at least it will empty it selfe into Heresie Let them learne by your exāple that go about to be rebellious what they are like to find at last And let this be the conclusion That very orderly you descended on the steps of the ladder of Apostasy which I set you in the beginning You grow more sinfull one day then other you still more and more fleet away from the Church and euery step you make brings you neerer to Hell The eight Degree Presumption of proper Iudgment against the Church THERE now remaines the eight and last degree in the ladder of your descent a degree and step not only neighbouring vpon heresy but also neere allied vnto it which it doth not only touch immediatly but is the very beginning and head thereof This is too much presuming of your owne learning and wit aboue the Church S. de vera Relig cap. 16. Augustine saith excellently That no errour can be in the Christian religion did not mans soule worship her selfe for God For it were impossible that a Christian should be an Heretike did he still submit himselfe and inthrall his vnderstanding to God and giue him leaue by the voyce of his Church to ouersway their wits which are blind rashe erroneous not only when they wander without diuine Scriptures through the works of Nature but thē also when within the boundes of sacred Writ they discourse according to their owne fense arbitrement Hitherto before you openly fled from vs were you fallen Antony and being in that case you did not so much tend towards Apostasy but rather were you arriued at your iourneyes end You cannot abide Subiection of vnderstanding to the obedience of Faith euery where you impugne it and at last conclude I am no child now whome being nigh threescore yeares of age euery man should perswade what he listeth without weight of reasons This your girding at the Roman Church contaynes either a grosse calumniation or a vast arrogancy For if you meane to taxe the Roman Church as though she did vse to propose to be beleeued of her children with true submission of their vnderstanding whatsoeuer a priuate man or Doctour or Prelate listeth to teach truly you hatefully charge her with that she neuer doth But if by whatsoeuer listeth any man you meane those points of doctrine which you call proper decrees of the Roman Church namely the Supremacy of Peter and his Successour the doctrine that most of all offends you If by euery one you vnderstand the witnesses authours vnto whose iudgment the Romā Church would haue her childen submit the supposed weight of their reasons If I say you meane this doctrine and intend to shew your cōtempt of the authorities that are by the Church alleadged for it refusing to submit your iudgment to them then are you come to this last step which consumates an Apostata For you know all Catholikes all Bishops through out the world and the vniuersall Church now spread through Europe and the new found Indies acknowledge the Romā Supremacy I will not presse you with the old Councells I wil not vrge you with any thing that you may or will deny Only I say that this doctrine was defined by the Tridentine Councell by the Florentine by the Lateran which Lateran for the generall concourse of all Christendome and for the number of Bishops that were in it was the greatest of all Christian councells that haue beene hitherto assembled Will you then submit your iudgment to the censure of these councells You will not The assembly of so many so great and so worthy men by you is tearmed quisque euery one ordinary fellowes Their iudgmēts you accompt no more then quod quisque libuerit you reckon them as trifles Behould now appeares the arrogancy of your speach which though you harboured in your mind yet you sought to cloake with ambiguous words 29. You say that euery man shall not make you belieue what they list being a man as you are of almost three score yeares of age you say that you haue reasons of weight that the Church shal giue you better or as good before you will beleeue her O craft of Heresy what doth not she inuent to saue her selfe she sees that if the matter come to be tried by authority she will not be able to stand nor shew her selfe in comparison with the Catholike Church that her vpstart paucity will blush to appeare before the Catholike authority which in former ages was and now is spatiously enlarged ouer the world What shift then doth Heresy make With full mouth she cryes that she hath weighty reasons on her side hoping by the promise of reasons to counterballance the Churches authority If you will not credit me that this is the tricke of heresie then heare S. Epist 56. Augustine that long ago noted and discouered this fraud Heretiks saith he perceauing that they are vtterly ouerthrowne if the authority of their Conuenticles be brought to compare with the Catholik authority they endeauour by making shew promises of reason in some sort to ouercome the most graue and grounded authority of the Church For this kind of boldnes is the common and ordinary tricke almost of all Heretikes So S. Augustine which in truth toucheth your right who go about to poise the weight of your reasōs against the authority of the Church Nor do I captiously intend to wrest your words to a sense perhaps from your own meaning as if before you will beleeue you demaund of vs weighty reasons drawne out of Philosophy naturall Knowledge I deale not so hardly with you for you meane perhaps reasons grounded on Scriptures but
readier to praise the truth and so much the safelier condole the ruines of the Church which it susteynes at the hands of the Roman Marke I beseech you your wordes What is this els but so say let the bands of the diuine Law be broken let soules redeemed by the bloud of Christ perish all is well so that I with my ten stringed Psalter may get liberty to chaunt out the praises of Truth or to deplore the wretched state of Schisme You hold belike the teares you spend for the Roman Church at so high a rate that the Bloud of soules the Law of God must be set at naught and contemned for them Yf you had such a pleasure to singe mourne why would you be a pastour Why entred you not into some Religious family deuoted to the quire and solitude and there haue giuen your selfe to songes and teares Lastly what greater crime then to dissemble in matters of Religiō with body to approach that Church whose faith in your hart you approue not Is not this wickednes Now tell me Antony haue you so soone vomited forth all those Roman doctrines wherewith you were once imbued or haue you suddainly swallowed vp all the articles of the English Faith that you haue so without guide of Conscience imbraced their Communion I cannot thinke it but rather that you dissemble in many points to giue them satisfaction of whom you expect your hire and to get the Kings Protection and assistance for the priuiledge of your Booke that what you could not publish in the light of Christianity you may at last set forth in the darcknesse of Heresie 32. It is reported of a certaine Zoilus that was wont to keep his bed like a sick man when in truth he was not so that he might thereby take occasion to shew forth a purple Couerlet of his wherin he was much delighted Such a kind of languour is it wherein you languish with desire to publish your writings which that you might the better bring to passe you feigne your selfe an Heretike in the English Church you lay your selfe downe at the feet of the Kinges Supremacie ouer the Church as though you were sicke of that Parlamentarian Maladie and all this to get leaue to print your Bookes and shew them to the view of the world and yet alas when these your so highly by you esteemed treasures of learning shall haue passed the print which by committing so many sinnes you haue found out at last there will not want diuers I say not Catholiks but Protestants that hauing read your so much expected Booke will apply to you that which was spoken to Zoilus These riches are but vaine Which make the sicknesse fayne I wish you would rather follow the counsaile that the Angell gaue vnto Agar Genes 16. being great with Child which was Returne home to thy Mistresse againe and humble thy selfe vnder her handes Returne I say home againe to the Church which you haue forsaken Cast prostrate at her feet your selfe your wit your learning your bookes Submit them to the Catholike and Roman Censure As Rachels seruant deliuered her children into her Mistresse lap so do you offer vp your Bookes to the pleasure of the Church But me thinkes I see you turne your head aside at this and say This is base this is seruile this is to become againe a little child It is so indeed But oh noble basenes and high humility whereby a Christian transcending himselfe and his naturall wit comes to be vnited to God reuealing mysteries that surpasse mans capacity by the mouth sometimes euen of vnlearned Prelates Oh happy seruitude that tieth makes men bondeslaues of the Truth which only affoardes true Liberty Oh huge littlenes which only art capable of heauen which only canst intertaine God! So that Antony though you be welnigh threescore yeares of age you shall neuer enter into the Kingdome of Heauen vnles you be conuerted and become as a little child They that scorne to be little ones grow to be great ones indeed not in wisedome but in malice and folly which shal be further demonstrated in the second part of this Suruey of your Apostasy THE SECOND PART OF THE SVRVEY OF MARCVS ANTONIVS de Dominis his Apostasy CONCERNING The state wherein now he is WE will not there being no need vse circumlocutions but plainly set downe the misery of your present state By the former eight degrees not of beatitudes but of maledictions you are falne into eight bottomles Gulfes which within the compasse of Heresy are contayned I will first tell you what they are and then shew that you lye plunged in them These they are Forsaking of the Church of Christ Not to be certaine of any religion Hypocrisy Mendacity against the Church Contumelious speach Arrogancie Inuenting of new flattering doctrine Vayne and idle talking That you are swallowed into these pits belonging to Heresy I will make playne and by no other arguments then such as your owne booke affoardeth This booke now pleadeth against you but more dreadfull euidence will it giue in at the day of doome against your obstinate perseuerance Wherefore Antony rise out of this mayne deep of Heresy wherein as yet you lye not so low but repentance may reclayme you The first Gulfe of Apostasy The forsaking of the Church of Christ TO abandon the Church of Christ and the Catholike Communion is the first though not the shallowest gulfe of Hereticall peruersity All Heretikes saith S. Hierome are Apostata's that is Reuolters The Apostle tearmeth the Heretike peruerse Tit. 3 11. because no man is an Heretike that hath not auerted himselfe and swarueth from the way of Truth wherein once he walked He saith also that the Heretike delinquit proprio iudicio condemnatus that he is a delinquent condemned by his owne iudgment That you are in this Gulfe Antony is a thing so cleare that it need not to be proued yet seeing you deny it I will proue it not by common arguments but such as shall leaue you conuicted out of your owne words 2. He that forsaketh the Church of Christ and the communion of Saintes is peruerse a delinquent an Apostata This you will not deny and that you do it your selfe most manifestly affirme For that you fly from the Roman Church that you depart out of it in the pag. 34. you openly professe This my departing say you this my going out of Babylon or flight I will haue to be cleare from all suspition of schisme You depart then out of the Roman Church which you stile Babilon but the Roman Church is the Church of Christ the Society of Saintes therfore you impiously go from it impiously you call it Babylon If you aske me how I can proue the Roman Church to be the Church of Christ the society of Saintes I answere euen by your owne words which are registred in the 28. page I may not say you be wanting in my charge I being a Bishop in the Church
promise de vtilitate credend cap. 14. you barke But know that you barke against that Church which as S. Augustine saith by succession of Bishops from the Apostolike Sea hath obteyned the height of authority Heretikes her enemyes round about her barking in vayne against her Sampson sent foxes into the corne of the Philistines with their heads loose but with their tayles tied which signifies saith S. Hierome that Heretikes haue tongues free to barke but for performing they be shackled and cumbred They barke fiercely but they beat but the ayre sooner may they breake themselues then fright and remoue the Roman Church from the imbracing of the faith that hath byn deliuered vnto her She cleauing to the diuine promises as it were fixed in the firmanent being on high secure despiseth her rayling aduersaryes as the moone doth the dogges Who barke but winde drowneth their clamours base Diana chast holds on her heauenly pace The sixt Gulfe Arrogancy of Doctourship and Authority ouer the whole Church THE power which from the Roman Bishop you would faine take you challenge to your selfe so making your selfe the vniuersall curate of the Church in the 29. page To euery Bishop so is a particuler Church committed that he must know that also when need is the vniuersall Church is by Christ commended to him In the 30. page you add that any Bishop by his owne proper authority may remoue to other Churches that are afflicted and oppressed Thus you make a conueyance of power ouer the whole Church for your selfe yet you do it subtilty thinking you should not be seen You offer that vniuersall power to euery Bishop knowing aforehand that out of modesty they will refuse it that so this authority reiected by the rest may retourne to your selfe the first authour therof as being properly and peculiarly yours Yea say you it is most of all properly belonging to my office to succour as farre as in me lieth the Roman Court that makes a schisme and diuision by it selfe and teareth in peeces the flocke of Christ You are the new Atlas you will support the Heauen the vniuersall Church with your shoulders For which enterprise you thinke your selfe so sufficient that if the Pope and the rest of Catholike Bishops will yield to rely vpon your aduise what will follow I hope say you that shortly it will so fall out that full peace and concorde and that so necessary vnion of the holy Churches will thereupon ensue so that we shall beleeue all the same and all abide in the same rule Your hopes are vayne poore soule you take to much vpon you 33. Heresies were before you were borne and will be when you shal be dead the number of Heretiks you now make greater by one through Pride which deserues to be pittied rather then confuted For what Put the case the Roman Bishops would become your subiects and remit the busines of vnion and reconciliation to your wisedome do you thinke the matter ended and that the Sects opposite to the Roman Church Grecians Lutherans Caluinists Anabaptists will also without more ado become obedient to you at a becke Such is your vanity that you seeme not to doubt but that all the rest of Christian companyes besides the Roman will in this affaire of peace beare humble duty and respect towards you You know not Antony and little do you imagine what fierce and furious windes I meane proud and peremptory sects rage in the Northern parts which if you can assemble to a generall Councell or keepe them when they are there in peace verily you shall be more omnipotent then Aeolus But afore-hand I tell you they will not set a rush for you Maydes and Boyes will laugh you to scorne they will preferre their skil of Scripture before yours with sentences flowing thicke and threefold from their tongues vttered with one breath they will ouerload you If you dare but mutter against what they say you shall be stiled Papist if you do not straight yield to beleeue them they will take pitty of your eyes that hauing beene so many yeares togeather accustomed to Popish darkenesse cānot now behold the cleere shining light of the Gospel This is the Caluinian nature which if you be ignorant of you will learne to your cost 34. But to returne to the care of the vniuersall Church which you presumptuously take vpon you togeather with authority to visit any Church at your pleasure which you shall iudge to haue need of your assistance Herein you commit a double errour The first is to thinke that a Bishop to help other Churches that are afflicted may abandon his owne and in such manner adandon it as to leaue it destitute of the meanes of saluation to be rauened deuoured by wolues For this in your conceit you do and this you thinke that lawfully you may do to succour the Roman But what ancient holy Bishop can you name that did so Which of them hath left written that such practise is laudable Euen those Bishops whome you pretend to imitate your selfe confesse that they went to assist other Churchs leauing their owne well appointed and prouided of sufficient persons to teach and instruct them 35. The second errour is to thinke that euery bishop at his owne good liking and by his owne authority may visit other Churches that are in need put them in order though the proper Bishops of such Churches be vnwilling Which doctrine were it brought to practise would breake and vtterly ouerthrow the peace and concord of the Church as any man of iudgment may soone foresee For if euery Bishop may whensoeuer he shall thinke it needfull passe into the boundes of anothers Iurisdiction there sit as Iudge of cōtrouersies and pronounce finall sentence vpon them it cānot be but Bishops will very often encounter and be beaten one against another by mutuall discord nor can I imagine what other deuise can be thought of de vnit Eccles c. 4. or feigned so fit to trouble the quiet of Churches There is as S. Cyprian saith but one Bishopricke whereof a part is wholy possessed by euery one yet so is the Bishopricke one as the body of man is one which hath an Head that commandeth the rest of the members In this manner the one Bishopricke of the world hath one Sea supreme aboue the rest l. 3. ep 4. which the same S. Cyprian tearmeth the principall Sea from which Priestly vnity and concord floweth to which perfidiousnes can haue no accesse The authority of this Sea spread and diffused ouer the rest is that Glew of concord which ioyneth them all togeather in peace and charity This Sea hath care to prouide for the necessityes of the vniuersall Church and to send as Legats other Bishops whose Churches be well prouided to giue succour to others that are in need By this Sea were Osius Athanasius Eusebius Bishop of Vercells Lucifer of Calaris and others sent whome you name and affirme but as your manner
is without any proofe that they put themselues into the busines of visitation of Churches vpon their owne head and authority 36. Theodoret writeth that Lucifer Bishop of Calaris Eusebius Bishop of Vercells went about visiting the Churches of the East Lib. 3. c. 4. and namely the Churches of Antioch and Alexandria to see whether the Decrees of the Nicen Councell were kept That Lucifer at Antioch ordayned Paulinus Bishop that Eusebius at Alexandria togeather with Athanasius called a Councell to which Lucifer sent a Deacon by whome he signified that he would agree to the things that that Councell should ordayne These things you thinke that those two Bishops but of meane Seas did performe by their owne proper authority that you haue sufficient authority of your selfe to do the like when and whersoeuer you shal iudge it expedient Lib. 6. aduersus Iulian I may with reason exclayme with S. Augustine What dares not the pride of rotten flesh presume You should Antony haue known what S. Gregory Nazianzen writeth Monod in S. Basil that Eusebius Bishop of Vercells and Lucifer of Calaris were sent ex vrbe Româ from the Citty of Rome into the East particularly to appease a sedition and tumult at Cesaraea De viris illustribus in Lucifero and that which S. Hierome left recorded of Lucifer that he was sent Legat into the East to Constantius Emperour from Liberius the Roman Bishop Whence you may gather that by power delegated to them from the Roman Bishop they were able to commaund the East and ordaine such great affaires and not by their owne proper authority Wherefore you haue not Lucifer the Bishop of Calaris but Lucifer prince of Pride for your patterne and president when you go about to rayse your selfe a throne in the coasts of the North that as Christ in the South by the Bishop of Rome gouerneth the Vniuersall Church so in the North he that seeks to be like to the highest may by you as Head send forth and display his counsells and deuises vpon all Christendome 37. And what meant you to match your selfe with those most holy and famous Bishops Worthyes of the Church Contrary things layd togeather deserue to set forth mutually ech other In the practise of these Saintes as in a glasse we may behold how opposite all your proceedings are to the rules of sanctity They going left their Churches prouided and well commended to other pastours You leaue your Church wholy destitute to be deuoured as you conceiue by wolues They either went to the Roman Church for succour and counsell or were sent by the Roman to giue succour and counsell to others you fly from the Roman Sea you detest blaspheme it They being men renowned in the whole Church for their learning and sanctity being earnestly inuited by diuers Bishops and by the secret suffrages of the whole Church for that interprise designed went to put an end to the Church Controuersies you being neither for the dignity of your Sea eminēt aboue the rest nor commendable for Knowledge and Holynes of life a man vtterly vnknowne who by your Apostasy now beginne to haue fame You I say offer your selfe for vniuersal Superintendent and Curate to the world which before this your offer had neuer so much as heard of your name They laboured for that faith which had byn settled and defined by Councells you seeke to bring in Doctrine which you know to haue byn many ages ago condemned by the authority of Councells They stroue against Heretikes that seing they had bin accursed in Coūcells they might likewise be reiected from the Catholike Communion your labours are in fauour of damned Heretikes that though they be proscribed by Councells yet they may be reteyned in the Church if so be that they will professe Christ by the essentiall Creedes as you speake And you seeme to be of the same mind that some Donatists were Epist 48. whome S. Augustine condemns that it is no matter in what part or side a man be a Christian nor do you consider that it is sitting that God should be serued in vnity Thus by comparing your selfe with the ancient holy Bishops your sanctity appeares The seauenth Gulfe New flattering doctrine THIS Gulfe imbraceth two vices and both of them properly belong to Heretiks the one is to coyne new doctrines the other to flatter their auditours specially Princes Lib. 1. ca. 1. Of the first S. Irenaeus saith That later Heretiks do day by day inuent some new thing which neuer any man had thought of before Of the second S. Hierome writeth Lib. 1. cōt Pelag. That flattering properly agreeth to Heretiks and to them that study how to deceaue soules according to the saying of the Apostle such persons serue not Christ our Lord but their owne belly and by sweet speaches and benedictions seduce the harts of the innocent 39. Many new doctrines you haue in your booke Antony as are these 1. That a Bishop for feare of persecution may forsake his flock and leaue it wholy destitute 2. That to euery Bishop is giuen the care of the vniuersall Church so that by his owne proper authority he may intermeddle in the affaires of other Bishoprikes 3. That none who professe Christ by the Creeds essential of the ancient Church are to be repelled from the Catholike Communion 4. That Schisme is a farre greater sinne then Heresy These your new conceits haue been mentioned and refuted already 40. Other foure sayings you haue wherin you make fayre with Kings by depressing the authority of the Church The first is That Kings can do many thinges in the Church The second That the Church can do nothing at all in temporalls specially towards Kings The third That all iurisdiction is to be remoued from the Church These three propositions you haue in the 28. and 29. page In the first the English Parlamētarians agree with you The two other be new not only repugnant to the ancient Fathers but also to the Heretikes of this age to Puritans and Protestants and to the eager defenders of the late English Oath For these deny not the Churches authority ouer Kings yea they graunt that euen in temporalls the Church may commaund them though they mantayne that Kings obstinate rebellious against the Church may not be deposed from their gouernement And what is Iurisdiction but power to appoint what is right to enact Lawes to call the transgressors of their lawes before them to sit vpon them and punish thē being conuinced of punishable offences Now that the Church did in former times exercise this power as deriued to her from Christ is so cleere that he that is ignorant therof or so impudent as to deny it I thinke him not worthy to be disputed with 41. The fourth doctrine I dare say is new and properly yours then which scarse any more base can be deuised to flatter Kings Which doctrine you may seem to haue coyned of purpose that therby