downe in holy writ what there is deliuered that they beleeue what there is cōcealed lieth without the circumference of their beliefe Alas poore ignorance What heretike beleeueth not so much certainly few or none so that by this means al damned hereticks which beleeue the scriptures beleeue alike and they beleeue as much as our Protestants and ours no more then they But the Protestant will replie that hee beleeueth the Scripture in a true sense truely expounded and all other heretikes in an erronious sense and falsely interpreted And they will say as much of their Religion and beleefe and hold you◠exposition hereticall and theirs orthodoxall Againe are you not bound to beleeue the canticles or song of Salomon as a part of your faith and where finde you in the scriptures deliuered that such a booke is Gods word and as such an one ought by faith to bee beleeued That Sunday should bee kept holy-daie and Saterdaie the Iewes Saboth prophained in Gods word is not reuealed and yet by Protestants beleeued Moreouer to beleeue whatsoeuer is contained in the scripture is a generall confused folded implicitie faith when wee demaund what a man is bound to beleeue wee aske what hee is obliged to beleeue expresly distinctlie explicitlie To beleeue all the scripture distinctly explicitly cannot bee preformed by all Protestants since it supposeth a perfect and distinct knowledge of all the scripture wherevnto neuer mortall man attained the Apostles perhaps excepted Some will limit their beleefe to their creed saying that nothing ought to be beleeued which is not in the Apostles creed But then I would demaund of them whether that wee ought to beleeue that the scripture is the word of God that baptisme is a sacrament that in the Eucharist is the bodie of Christ by faith to what article should these be reduced seeing they are not contained in the creed or how shall we know infallibly how these be matters of faith since they are not contained in the creed others denie some articles of their creed also for the Protestants denie three articles of our creed and the puritans fiue The first is the Catholike Church Credo ecclesiam sanctam Catholicam I beleeue the holie Catholike Church the which in very Math. 26. Isa 60. deede they doe not beleeue because Catholike is vniuersall and so the Church of Christ which wee are bound to beleeue must bee vniuersall for all time comprehending all ages and vniuersall for place comprehending all nations but that Church which the Protestants beleeue was interrupted all the ages betwixt the Apostles and Luther which was 1400. yeares or in verie deed was neuer seene before Luthers daies therefore that Church they beleeue cannot bee Catholike Neither is it vniuersali in place beeing contained within the narrow bounds of England which is accompted but as a corner of the world for the Lutherans in Germanie the Hugonotes in France and the Gues in Flanders detest their Religion as much as the Catholikes neither will they ioyne issue with them in diuers essentiall points And therefore the Protestants Church which they beleeue can no more be called Catholike or vniuersall then England the vniuersall world or Kent the Kingdome of England or apruned bough a whole tree or a dead singer a man or a rotten tooth the whole head The second article is the communion of Saints the which they many waies deny First by not beleeuing that Christ hath instituted seauen Sacraments wherein the Saints of the Church communicate and especiallie the true and real presence of our Sauiour Christ in the Eucharist by which all the faithfull receiuers participating of 1. Cor. 01. 17. one the self same body are made one bodie as all the partes of a mans bodie are made one liuing thing by participating one soule Secondly they deny the communion of the Church militant Gen. 48. v. 16. Apoca. 1. v. 4. and triumphant by exclaiming against inuocation of Saints by which holy exercise the blessed Saints in heauen and wee in earth communicate we by prayer glorifying them and they by meditation obtaining our request Thirdly they deny the communion of the Church militant and the soules in purgatory bereauing them of that Christian charitie which charitable compassion and merciful pitty requireth and by natural affection the members of one body helpe one another The third article is remission of sinnes for they acknowledge no such effect in the Sacrament of Baptisme but onely count it as an external signe or seale of a prereceiued grace or fauor of God Ad Tit. 3. by his external predestination against the expresse word of God which therefore calleth this Sacrament the lauer of regeneration Ioh. 20. for that in it the soule dead by sinne is newly regenerate by grace Moreouer they allow not the Sacrament of pennance wherein all actuall sinnes committed after Baptisme are cancelled that which exceedeth all in absurditie is to deny that our sinnes are all perfectly forgiuen but onely not imputed and as it were veiled or couered with the passion of Christ all the botches and biles the filth and abhomination of sinne still remaining and as it were exhaling a most pestiferous sent in the sight of God for let them shift themselues as they list and scarfe their sores according to their fancies yet no veile nor mantell can couer their deformitie of sinne from the piercing eyes of Jo◠8. ver 24. Ioh. 16. v. 13. And D. Bu◠ley contendeth to proue it in his answer to this article albeit he vnderstandeth not the reason here alledged for if he did hee were to absurd to deny it Isa 66. ver 24. Gods perfect vnderstanding from which nothing can be concealed Fourthly the Puritanes in effect deny that Christ is the Sonne of God for they peremptorily affirme that Christ is God of himselfe and not God of God So that he receiued not his diuinitie from his father The which position flatly taketh away the nature of a sonne for the nature of a sonne is to receiue his substance of his Father and it implyeth contradiction that the Sonne receiueth his person of his Father and not his substance and essence for the substance of God is essentiall to euery person in trinitie Fiftly finally they deny the descension of Christ into hell and desperately defend that he suffered the Paines of hell vpon the Crosse wherby they blaspheme most horribly that sacred humanitie as if Christ had dispaired of his saluation as if God had hated him and he had hated God Marke 9. 48. Math. 25. 41. as if he had bene afflicted and tormented with anguish of mind for his offences for which he was depriued of the sight of God and eternally to be depriued all which horrible punishments are especially included in the paines of Hell and whosoeuer ascribeth them to Christ blasphemeth more horribly then Arius who denied him to God for lesse absurditie it were to deny him to be God then to make
of it but wil expect a syllogisme to bee made of it for the proofe of Purgatorie and then I shall further consider what to say vnto it Wee do beleeue that they onely be members of that bodie whereof Christ Iesus Coloss 12. ◠is the head which bee either triumphing with him in heauen or be fighting for him against Sathan sinne and the world here vpon earth Saint Paul saith that Christ came to make peace by the bloud of his crosse and to reconcile the things which are in earth and the things which are in heauen That is to say his whole vniuersall Church whereof part was alreadie in heauen and part remained behinde vpon the earth They therefore that bee in Purgarorie bee no members of his bodie nor are to bee deliuered by him but being the Popes creatures are either by him who can at his pleasure emptie and scoure Purgatorie to bee deliuered or else still in that fained fire to be tormented Neither hath true Christian charitie so much as the cursed couetousnesse of Priests beene the bellowes to blow that forged fire for the heating of their kitchens Now that I haue answered your reasonlesse reasons of our denying this article of Christian faith the communion of Saints I will briefly shew what is our beleefe of it Wee beleeue that all the Saints of God and members of the holie Catholike Church haue communion and fellowshippe with Iesus Christ and are partakers of all his benefits Of this communion Christ speaketh I am the vine yee are the Joh. 15. 5 branches hee that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruite Of this speaketh S. Paul God is faithful 1. Cor. 1. 9. by whom yee are called vnto the fellowship of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. This communion or fellowship is wrought by faith by the which Christ dwelleth in the hearts of all Ephes 3. 17. his elect and faithfull people and by which wee be graffed into him to receiue all grace and goodnes from him as the branch doth from the vine or stocke And we beleeue that all the faithfull and Godly bee knit togither in loue as the Coloss 2. 2 Apostle speaketh whereby they are to communicate those graces and gifts which God hath bestowed vpon them to the edifying and helping of others in such sort as GOD hath appointed Yea wee beleeue that all the faithfull haue communion and fellowship together in that they haue all one heauenly father one Iesus Christ their redeemer and mediator one holy Ghost their sanctifier are iustified by one faith common to all the elect dedicated to GOD by one baptisme called by one Gospell to bee partakers of one kingdome of glory This is the summe of our beleefe concerning this article wherein wee would know what fault you can finde But your communion and vnion consisteth in being vnder one Pope of Rome vnder whose obedince whosoeuer is not you thinke he cannot be saued as is before shewed neither will you haue communion with him And therefore whereas Christianity hath continued as I said before in Greece Russia Aethiopia Armenia and other countries amongst whome no doubt but God hath had and now hath his elect and chosen people yet you haue no communion or felloship with them because they be not vnder your one Pope And much lesse haue you communion with the Saints in heauen because you haue not the faith of Gods elect For did the faithfull Patriakes Prophets Apostles and others beleeue to bee deliuered from the fire of hell by the merits of Nicholas Titus 1. 1. or to ascend into heauen by the blood of Thomas Becket Nay Iesus Christ is the onely mercy seate into the which the two Cherubins did looke that is as I take it both the faithfull before his comming in the flesh and they that be after doe looke only vpon Christ in him onely to seeke and finde mercy Now let vs see the third article of our Creed which you say we deny which is Remission of sinnes Here I beseech the Christian reader to consider who they bee that deny this article containing a principall point of Christian religion and saluation whether we or this accuser with his partners Wee beleeue that whereas we be children of wrath vnprofitable seruants and prodigall children that haue sinned against heauen and our heauenly father and are so deepely indebted to God that we be neuer able to make payment for the which he might iustly throw vs into the dungeon of damnation for euer wee I say beleeue that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer Job 3. 16. Ephes 17. beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life by whome wee haue redemption through his blood euen the Coloss 2. 14. 1. Ioh. 2. 12. forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace and that our sinnes are forgiuen vs for his names sake And we beleeue that God of his great mercy in Iesus Christ doth forgiue vs not onely our sinnes but also the punishment due vnto them and which we haue deserued by them accepting vs for vessels of his mercy and heires of his glory Now this accuser of vs and his companions doe first beleeue that they doe make satisfaction to Gods iustice for their sinnes For whereas our sinnes be called debts and satisfaction is a payment it followeth that if we doe make satisfaction for them then we neither need nor can haue forgiuenesse of them For our satisfaction and Gods forgiuenesse cannot stand together For euen as if I owe a man a hundreth pounds and I pay him he doth not forgiue it and if he forgiue it I do not pay it So if we by satisfaction make paiment to GOD for our sinnes then hee doth not forgiue them if he forgiue them then wee doe not make satisfaction for them Now let vs see what is the doctrine of these men concerning this their satisfaction whereby they make paiment themselues to God for their debts Bishoppe Fisher whome I suppose the Pope hath fainted for standing so John Fisher in Psa 1. poenitent stifly in his cause writeth hereof thus Thirdly some there be which by grace in this life haue so punished them-selues for their offences that they haue made a sufficient recompence for Jbidem them Againe So doth hearty weeping for sinne expell sinne is a sufficient iust recompence for it And againe But wheras In Psa 2. poenitent any creature hath made due satisfaction in this life he neuer after that shall suffer more paine and also is cleane out of debt and nothing after that shall euer bee claimed of him Againe They bee called recti corde that haue made satisfaction so Jbidem plentifully that God can aske no more of them And in his Latine booke against Luther he hath these words Secundo supponimus quod quanquam nemo sit cui non cumulatius praemium in coelis Deus largiatur quà m hic in
vnitate ecclesie Adulterari non potest sponsa Christi incorrupta est puaica vnam domum nouit vnius cubiculi sanctitatem casto pudore custodit Haec nos Deo seruat haec filios regno quos generauit assignat The spouse cannot bee defiled shee is vncorrupt and chast shee knoweth one house and keepeth with chast shamefastnesse the holinesse of one chamber she keepeth vs to God she assigneth the children whome shee hath borne vnto this kingdome Saint Hierome saith Ipsa Hieron in Iob cap. 28. ecclesiae quae est Sanctorum omnium congregatio pro aeterna sibi in Domino stabilitate columna fundamentum dicitur veritatis The Church which is the congregation of all Saints by reason of her eternall stedfastnes in God is called Chrysost in Ps Hom. 114. the pillar and ground of truth Chrysostome saith Ecclesia est tabernaculum à Deo fixum non ab homine ab vno lcco in alium fugit sed non à pietate ad impietatem fugit The Church is the tabernacle which God hath pight and not man shee flieth from one place to another but she neuer flieth from Ambros in Ephes cap. 1 Godlines to impietie and wickednes Ambrose Apostolus omnem ecclesiam dicens summatim totum comprehendit quod in coelo est in terra The Apostle meaning all the Church briefly comprehendeth the whole which is both in heauen Bern. in Cant. serm 78. Clem Alexand. Strom. lib. 7. pag. 35. Bedain Cant. 6. and in earth Ternaâ—d saith Electi Dei sunt ecclesia Dei The elect of God be the Church of GOD. So saith Clemens Alexandrinus Non nunc locum sed electorum congregationem appello ecclesiam I call not now the place the Church but the congregation of the elect So saith Beda vna est columba perfecta mea vna est inquit catholica elâ—ctorum omnium multitudo peromnia et mundi Loca et tempora seculorum deo patri subiecta 1. my perfect doue is one hee saith that there is one Catholike multitude of all the elect by all both places of the world and ages of times subiect to God the father Yea Friar Lyra saith Lyra in Mat. 16. Ex quo patet quod ecclesia non consistat in hominibus ratione potestatis vell dignitatis ecclesiasticae vel secularis quia multi principaes summi pontifices alii inferiores inuenti sunt apostatasse à fide propter quod ecclesia consistit in illis personis in quibus est notitia vera et confessio fidei et veritatis Whereby it appeareth that the Church consisteth not in men in respect of their ecclesiasticall or secular power or dignitie for many Princes and Popes and others of lower Popes Apostates degree haue bene found to haue bene Apostates and to haue fallen away from the faith Wherefore the Church consisteth in those persons in whome is true knowledge and the confession of faith and truth So saith the Fryar Alphonsus de castro Ecclesia ex omnibus fidelibus constat Aduers Hares lib. 1. cap. 5. fol. 11. non solum presentibus verumetiam preteritis et in posterum futuris 1. The Church consisteth of al the faithful not onely them that bee now present but also heretofore haue bene and hereafter shall be This is that holy Catholike Church which wee in the Creed confesse and beleeue euen the whole number of them whom God hath elected and chosen to eternall life whom God hath had in all ages and of all nations Of which Church euery true and faithfull man and woman must beleeue him-selfe to bee a true and liuely member whereof hee may bee assured if hee finde and feele that GOD hath lightened his minde with the knowledge of his truth hath wrought in his heart an vnfained faith to trust in his mercies and to beleeue that his sinnes be forgiuen him for Christes names sake and that God hath sanctified his soule and body to hate sinne and to haue a care and conscience to serue him in true holines righteousnes all the eaies of his life This being our confession and bâ— liefe with what conscience truth can this man say that the Church which the Protestants beleeue hath been interrupted al the ages betwixt the Apostles and Luther and in very deed was neuer seene before Luthers daies or that we imagine the same to bee comprehended within the narrow bounds of England I can say no more but that a false witnes shall Prouerbe 19. 5. not be vnpunished and he that speaketh lyes shall not escape But now lette vs see what this man and his fellowes hold beleeue and call the Catholike Church forsooth the companie of all them that receiue and professe the religion and doctrine of the Church of Rome submit themselues to be ruled and gouerned by the Bishop Pope of Rome They that do not this be Heretikes Schismatikes out of Noahs Arke and out of the Catholike Church And herevpon it followeth that the Christians in Graecia Muscouia Armenia Ethiopia c. where Christianitie hath continued vnto this day and among whom no doubt but some haue been of Gods elect and chosen people yet bee they no Catholikes nor of the Catholike Church nor in the state of saluation and why because they neither haue been nor be subiect to the Pope of Rome For so it is with many words sollemnely defined determined by that holy Pope Bonniface the 8. Subesse Roman opontifici omni humanae creaeturae Extra de maior obedien unaÌ„ sanctam declaramus dicimus definimus pronuntiamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis that is We declare say define and pronounce that it is altogither of necessitie of saluation to be subiect to the Pope of Rome Where the Glosse helpeth out the matter with these wordes Quicquid saluatur est sub Gloss ibidem summo ponitfice Whatsoeuer is saued is vnder the Pope And on the other side All they that professe the religion of Rome and submit them-selues to the Bishop thereof bee Catholikes and of the Catholike Church how prophane wicked or vngodly soeuer they be Pope Iohn the 8. the whore Iohn the 12. or as some reckon him the 13. who was an adulterer and of two Cardinals did cut out the tongue of the one the hand of the other and at dice-play would call vppon the Diuell and made the Pallace of Laterane a stewes of strumpets as Luithprand lib. 6. cap. 7. Luithprandus Ticinensis writeth Syluester the second a coniurer who gaue himselfe to the Diuell to be made Pope Gregorie the 7. a coniurer and monster Bonniface the 7. Platina in Syluest 2. who robbed Saint Peters Church and put out the eyes of Iohn a Cardinal Bonniface the 8. who entred into his Popedome like a foxe raigned like a wolfe and died like a dog Jdem Alexander the sixt Iulius the second and al they whome
sola sacrameÌ„ta in EuaÌ„gelio manifestè tradita legimus i We read that these only 2. sacraments are plainely deliuered to vs in the Gospell yet did hee not deny this article of faith Your owne doctor Alexander de Hales flatly affirmeth yâ— neither Christ nor his Apostles did Alexand. de Halis par quest â—4 men 1. institute ordain the Sacrament of Confirmation but yâ— it was afterward ordained in the councel called Meldense yet he denied not this article And therfore you ouershot your self in saying that they which beleeue not yâ— Chtist did institue 7. sacraments deny this article of faith The coÌ„munion of Saints But to proceed with you concerning the true reall presence of Christ in the Eucharist we deny the same not to the faith of the godly worthy receiuer but to the mouth teeth of the carnal eater We beleeue say that Christs body bloud in as much as they were offred vpon the crosse for our redeÌ„ption are the spiritual food of our soules without which wee can neither liue vnto God heare nor liue with God hereafter and that the same is offred to vs partly in the promises of the Gospel partly in the sacrameÌ„ts of Baptisme Christs supper is in both appreheÌ„ded of vs by faith without which neither the word nor Sacraments can profit vs. But here I must put you in mind that you corruptly alleage a place of S. Paul 1. Cor. 10. 17. foisting in this word Body for Bread S. Paules words be thus we that are many are one bread and one body because we are partakers of one bread This shifting of the words of the holy Ghost is too vsual with your companions Bounderius a Louaine Frier alleaging Compend concept titul 21. act the words of Saint Paul in the next chapter verse 27. Quicunque manducauerit panem hunc c. Hee that eateth this bread c. putteth out the word panem and foisteth in the word carnem flesh alleaging it thus Qui manducat carnem bibet calicem Domini indigne c. He that eateth the flesh drinketh the cup of the Lord vnworthily c. D. Harding in his confutation of the Apology intreating Confut. Apolo cap. 16. diuis 1 of Purgatory alleaging the words of S. Paul 2. Cor. 7. 1. to proue satisfaction for sinnes by that fained fire putteth out Sanctification and in place thereof putteth Satisfâ—tation alleaging it thus making perfect satisfaction in the feare of God Cardinall Hosius changeth the words of Saint Paul alleaging them thus Neque ferre possunt vt per verbum Deisigno Consâ— Petri 10 cap. 13. crucis vlla creatura sanctificetur They cannot abide that any creature should bee sanctified by the word of God and signe of the crosse Hee putteth out prayer and putteth in the signe of the Crosse as a more holy thing The foresaid Bunderius doth most shamefully alleage a Ibid titul 3. 0. arti 5. place of the Apostlein this sort Nam si cinis vâ—tâ—lae conspersas populum sanctificauit atque mundauit quantò magis aqua sale conspersa diuinis precibus sacrata poulum sanctificat atque mundat If the ashes of an heifer sprinkled haue sanctified and cleansed the people how much more shall water sprinkled with salt being hallowed with diuine prayers sanctifie and cleanse the people c. The words of the Apostle bee these If the bloud of bulles and goats and Heb. 9. 13. the ashes of an heifer sprinkling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternal spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Is not this horrible handling of Gods word and blasphemous attributing that to their salt water which is proper and peculiar to the bloud of Christ I could shew in like manner how they haue clipped the coine of Gods word in leauing out words of purpose which serue not their turne but I will omit them only this I say yâ— if they which counterfet clip the kings coine deserue haÌ„ging what do they deserue yâ— counterfeit clip the word of the eternall God king of all kings but corrupt doctrine caÌ„not be maintained without corruptioÌ„ of Gods word But to returne to S. Pauls place he there disswadeth the Christians of Corinth from going to Idolatours feasts by a reason taken from the supper of our Sauiour Christ shewing that as the faithfull by eating that bread which there is broken and drinking that Cup are made partakers of Christ Iesus so they that did eate those feasts ordained to the honoring of Idols were partakers of Idolatrie there committed or rather of the Diuell that was there serued And as the faithfull by being partakers of that bread haue communion togither and bee made one body to wit the mysticall body of Christ so they that receiue those Idol bankets haue communion together and shew themselues to be of one bodie videl of the Diuil Now as there needed no transubstantiation of the one no more there doth for the other Also this bread which Saint Paul calleth the coÌ„munion of the body of Christ is broken yet I trust they wil not say that Christs body is broken although Pope Nicholas De consecra distinct 2. Eâ—o Berenga caused that excellent man Berengarius so to confesse But of the grosse and absurd doctrine of transubstantiation I will speake no more at this present You say moreouer that wee deny the communion of the Chuch militant and triumphant by exclaming against inuocation of Saintes by which holie exercise those blessed Saints in Heauen and wee in earth communicate wee by praier glorifying them and they by meditation I thinke it should bee mediation obtayning our requests Herevnto I answere first that this inuocation of Saints is vnlawfull and cannot bee prooued by the holie Scriptures And this offer I do make you that if you can bring one plaine place out of all the holy scriptures wherein it was euer commaunded or of any faithfull man or woman vsed I will yeeld vnto you not onely in this but also in matters of Religion You quote in your margent Genes 48. 16. and Apoca. 1. 4. which make asmuch for proouing inuocation of Saintes as Tityre tu patule doth The words of the place of Genesis be these The Angell which hath deliuered mee from all euill blesse the children and let my name bee called or named vpon them and the name of my fathers Abraham Isaac that they may grow as fish into a multitude in the midst of the earth Out of this place the Papists take two arguments to proue praier to Angels and to Saints The first out of these words The Angell which hath deliuered me c. The other out of those let my name be called vpon them c. But yet let the reader note this that of the Papists some doe finde