pure elegancy of Cicero do seeme in his iudgement childishe stammerers in vayne haue Augustine Ierome Ciprian Ambrose Gregory Bernard in vayne haue the Romish Prelates and all other expositours both of the Greéke and the Latine Churches in vayne haue Angrensis Dalmata Alphonsus Turianus Andradius bestowed great and paynfull labours in writiÌ„g whose style and forme of phrase if be throughly viewed and considered peraduenture the more part of them will be found to differre as farre from the finesse of Cicero as Haddon doth That I may be so bolde to make no mencioÌ„ at all of Scotus Sotus LoÌ„bardus Gratiane Thomas de Aquino Raphaell Gabriell and such like trasshe yea how many may a maÌ„ pyke out from amongst the most famous and true Christian deuines who of sett purpose haue abased their stile not because they could not write so loftely of the thinges that you esteéme of so gaâ—ly but because they were of this minde that this hawty loftinesse of affected Eloquence woulde not agreé with the naturall simplicitie of the Gospell Whereupon Ierom writing to Pammachius seemeth in this respecte to haue him in the more estimacioÌ„ because he despised Cicero in respect of Christ and farther also is of this Iudgement that in the expositioÌ„ of scriptures the nycetye of speache ought not onely to be dissimuled but also vtterly eschued because it might be more profitable for all ingenerall Christ our sauiour accompteth the high and great thinges of this worlde to he execrable and abhominable in the sight of God And the Prophet Esay doth with wonderfull manacing threaten Manasses the day of the Lord agaynst all things that be fayre beautifull florishing things of this world Paule in enlarging the knowledge of the Euangelicall doctrine durst not beginne the same with high and lofty Rhetoricall speache nor furnishe his wordes with humayne Eloquence not because it was hard for him to do so if he listed but chose rather to refrayne least the Crosse of Christ sayth he might be made voyde and of none effect I speake not this because I would haue men tyed to such a necessitie now a dayes by his example namely sithe the Gospell of Christ doth so florish euery where as though it might not be lawfull in these dayes with what soeuer ornamentes yea of greattest estimatioÌ„ to beautifie the speache to applye the same to the vse of Christes congregatioÌ„ But yet must modest discretioÌ„ be vsed here Truely if Plato were of opinion that the last end of Eloquence was that we should deliuer vtter things acceptable to God how much more theÌ„ is the same to be required in a Deuine Aud therefore as concerning the Grace and dexteritie of Cicero whatsoeuer it be that eyther Nature did emplant in him or Industry did attayne as I despise it not but rather very well like of it and do wonder at so excellent a gift of God in him so agayne do I not reprehend in any man to immitate him so that his imitation be ioyned with Christian simplicitie so that it be done not to hawke after the proud estimation of the worlde nor to the vayne glorious ostentation of witte nor for anye priuate glory finally so that it be so applyed that discret imitation may be clearely voyde of vayne affectation Nowe what shall we say to them who reiecting all other teachers of maners and doctrine do employ all their endeuour to file vpp their tongues so addict themselues altogether to Cicero alone and so amazedly dote vpon him onely that thinke it a lesse fault not to be a Christian almost then not to be a Ciceronian nor iudge hym scarse worthy the reading though he be neuer so Christian a wryter that doth not frame hys stile after Ciceroes patterne and sauor altogether of hys delicate speache And that is the cause as I suppose why Osorius doth recken that Haddon doth wryte nothing purely and nothing playnly Not because he hath corruptly or fasly written but that it seémeth to Osori that he hath not written like a Ciceronian because hee doth not throughly resemble his dexteritie loftines although in deéde he be not very farre behinde hym And therfore this sweete man doth woÌ„der what waywardnes of minde forced him to be so bold as to wryte agaynst Osorius and coÌ„maundeth him to learne of him if it please the Muses how hawty and vehement interrogations must be applyed in place fitte for the same Last of all in steade of a Rhetoricall acclamation concluding with a Satyricall skoffe he doth aduertize hym To procede in writing franckly as hym listeth and because he will encourage hym to wryte more franckly and freely he telleth him that he may freely wryte without daunger because no man of any iudgement or skill will blame him in this respect that he is addicted to Cicero more then is needefull If there were any sense or feélyng of right or wrong in all your body or if there were any reason in all these your vnmanerly tauntes and rascallike scoffes Osorius I could acquite you with the lyke and could be contented to space them vnto you in Haddons behalfe But now for as much as this your speach is so aboundauÌ„tly replenished with vanitie and folly what were better for me to doe then accordyng to the counsell of the wise man To aunswere a foole accordyng to his foolishnesse Briefly therfore and bycause I make hast to the end of your booke to auÌ„swere not to your Argumentes which in deéde are none but to aunswere your scoffes and nyppyng conceiptes not altogether vnpleasauntly yet neuerthelesse somewhat truly Surely I do geue you harty thankes Osorius not for myne owne cause onely but in the publicke name of all the learned generally for the thynges wh you haue taught vs hetherto in these your notable books For so haue you taught as we all can not but be merry and receaue singuler delight at your doynges For what is he that can absteine from laughing that shall heare you disputyng vpon those matters in wh you seéme to behaue your self no more aptly then as though a blind man should discerne betwixt colours and a Camell Iudge of dauncing You take vpon you to determine franckly betwixt true and false ReligioÌ„ very hautely and proudely but yet much more impudently And yet it shal be as easie a matter for a maÌ„ to finde as much Relligion in Tullies Offices yea and as true as this your Relligion is which you haue so gloriously painted out in these your bookes hetherto a fewe sparckles onely except Likewise also throughout the whole course of the rest of your discourse how often haue your friuolous and confused Argumentes moued me to myrth and laughter As where you thrust your selfe to stoughtly into the matter of Iustification Predestination in all which kinde of doctrine notwtstaÌ„dyng you seéme as meére a strauÌ„ger as though you came new froÌ„ India neither dare once so much all the while in all your
kynde of mans vtteraunce For it is one thyng for a Deuine to debate vpon holy mysteries and an other to play the Mynstrell As Musonius spake sometyme of a certeine Philosopher And therfore I doe not differre much from his Iudgement herein who although attributed enough vnto Cicero yet did so much of set purpose absteine froÌ„ affectation of his speache that although he could haue attayned thereunto gaue him selfe rather yet to a more souÌ„de more proportionable more pitthy lesse effeminate more naturall lesse fleshly a more spirituall kynde of speache And yet doth no man diminish any thing of the commendation of those excellent giftes of Tullies eloquence But perhappes it seémeth more vnseémely in Osorius IudgemeÌ„t not to speake like a Ciceronian then not to speake like a Christian. And therefore this Portingall Pasquill doth giere at Haddon by way of mockage saying That no maÌ„ of sounde IudgemeÌ„t will euer blame him for this that he is more then enough addicted to Cicero c. As though if that Haddon had applyed him selfe to Ciceroes phrase more then was neédefull that wise men would haue geuen him any commendation for the same and not rather haue turned it to his reproche aâ—d condemned him of follye But how much Haddon gaue him selfe to the affectatioÌ„ of Cicero or how much he did not neither do I greatly regarde nor am I well acquainted withall Which neither knew the man nor the maner of his studies but that considering the man by the viewe and conference of his bookes and writyngs he seémeth to my Iudgement more addicted and lesse cleare from this Ciceronian scabbe then I could haue wished him What Iudgementes of others you presse vs withall I know not but if they be Ciceronians I doe not greatly regard them If they be blinde and like vnto your selfe such I can not tearme to be Iudgementes but foreiudgementes rather such as are wont to be of those whose Iudgementes are not grounded vpon reason but vpon affectioÌ„s Ierome in a certeine place doth say that the â—udgemeÌ„tes of Louers be blind but I dare affirme that enuy and malice be much more daungerously blinde But if you tell me of curteous and Christian Iudgementes I make no doubt of these at all but that they will Iudge right well of all Haddones cause For he pleadeth in the most necessary quarell of the Churche and the most commendable defence of his Countrey Moreouer he so handleth his matters with Argumentes and Reasons as that he seémeth not onely to haue coÌ„futed Osorius But also to haue crusht him all to peéces Let other men Iudge of his stile and the disposition of his writyng as shall like them best I will not gaynsay them As for me truly if I may be so bold by the leaue of the iudifferent Reader so subscribe to other mens Iudgementes though it be of no great estimation that I shall speake yet will I speake neuerthelesse franckly as I thinke not of Haddon onely but so for Haddon as I will withall aunswere vnto Osorius Haddones Pasquill For this I Iudge of them both vnlesse your grosse and Heathenishe Iudgement Osorius did much more differre from Christ and from all Christian modestie then Haddones maner of writyng in my Iudgement truely doth differre from Ciceroes commendable vertues you would neuer haue set forth your selfe your blinde ignoraunce nor your rayling bookes to the open gaze of the world to be mocked derided and hissed at in this so great and cleare lightsomnesse of the Gospell of Christ. ¶ The thyrd Booke HAuyng striken of two heades of this monstruous Hydre already and mangled the same in gobbettes reasonably well the terrible Serpent neuerthelesse beyng not as yet throughly vanquished there remaineth yet one head more or booke Wherein this vgly vermine besturreth him selfe to freshe assaultes betaketh him to new threateninges casteth out new poyson yea whole flouddes of slaunderous reproches and lyes agaynst our new Gospell as he tearmeth it like as the old Serpent did long sithence agaynst the woman and her child but chiefly agaynst our litle England And yet he doth so vse the matter as that he would not seéme to enuemine all the whole Ilande with this contagious fleing infectioÌ„ For he doth know as he sayth that in this laÌ„d are very many good and Catholicke meÌ„ which neuer shronke away froÌ„ their vowes and othes made to the Pope of Rome and that many of our Englishe Nation haue willyngly runne out of their countrey as also not a few in nomber that tarry still at home who persistyng neuerthelesse in the same opinion of Romish Relligion are restrayned from vtteryng their conscieÌ„ces more for feare then for any zeale they beare to this new Gospell Moreouer also that there be many noble meÌ„ yea many whole shyres in England as he is enformed by a certeine Portingall Marchaunt a frend of his that are not coathed as yet with this Lutheran moraine And therfore that this his accusation in not bent agaynst whole EnglaÌ„d neither agaynst those particular persons places as Haddon doth misconster of him but agaynst those Lutheranes and those new Gospellers onely From which sort of people he doth louyngly aduertize Queene Elizabeth of very good will and harty affection that she take very good heede and be warely circumspect And to the end she may foresee the same more prouidently he will foreshewe vnto her certeine markes and tokens by the which beyng guided as by Theseus clewe of threede she shall not mysse to discerne the difference betwixt true Relligion and false betwixt true Prophetes and false Prophetes and by what markes the one may be easily discouered from the other You haue now the proposition of this booke All the rest that is patched together in the processe of the whole worke tendeth euen to this effect almost First he maketh promise to set downe certeine signes and tokens by the which he will make manifest the difference betwixt true Relligion and false and betwixt true Prophetes and false Afterwardes annexing a description of his Church he doth display the same abroad very curiously in the maner of a very fayre and beautyfull picture painted out as it were in a Table to be viewed Next vnto this he maketh a coÌ„parison betwixt the two Churches so magnifieng his owne Church with wonderfull prayses and coÌ„mendations that it is not possible to aduaunce it more highly agaynst so embasing thrustyng downe vnder foote the pâ—stiferous sectes of the Lutheranes that all meÌ„ may worthely hate them and detest them Of the which by Gods permission shal be spoken hereafter in place fitte for the same And first of all commeth to hand an infringible Argument of Osorius now once agayne repeated out of his letters written to Queéne Elizabeth Which bycause he braggeth was not confuted by Haddon so much the more behoueth vs to note aduisedly his wonderfull skill vttered in knittyng vppe the knotte therof So that if we be no more able
thynges are construed The callyng of the Apostles was equall one maner of function amongest them all the authoritie indifferent one selfe same holy Ghost poured vpon eche of them at one tyme the promises generall the reward proportionall The which though I doe knit vp briefly makyng hast foreward yet if any man will behold euery seuerall parcell and withall enter into a deépe consideration of the most pure and vndefiled Church of Christ and his Apostles as he shall perceaue an enterchaūgeable communion in that strickte societie of Apostleshyp so shall he soundly iudge of that Monarchie and superioritie in possessiōs in giftes and other functions and all other priuiledges of dignitie especially That they were vtterly renounced of Peter and of all that sacred Brotherhood These former positions therefore beyng now thus well fenced your cutted Apishe Sophisme is cut of by the rumpe wherewith you conclude so ridiculously If it be euidēt say you yea more apparaūt then the sunne in mid-day that Peter was aboue all the other Apostles in superioritie of degree then is it most manifest that the same honour and preheminence in dignitie is due to all them that suceede him in place O leaddagger Argumēt in which what shall I blame first If Peter you say were a Prince It is all one forsooth as if this our holy father had wynges perhaps he would flye like a Wildgoose But admit that Peter were placed in Pontisicalibus as you would haue it though it be quyte contrary as I haue already proued But we will graunt it vnto you for a tyme. What will you gayne hereby That the same dignitie is due to the Successours wherfore I pray you The priuiledge of the person is not extended beyond the person And therefore if the Maiestie of Peter were peculiar to Peter euen so it ended in him selfe But if you had no leysure to learne the Ciuill Law can not common reason teache you that whatsoeuer priuiledge is geuen to one person alone may not bee translated to his successours vnlesse it bee limited by name But if these two crooches deceaue you come of and learne of our Sauiour Iesu Christ him selfe what kinde of superiority that was wherof Christ made mentiō to Peter Blessed art thou Symon Bariona for fleshe and bloud haue not reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Thou art Peter c. Which wordes doe playnly conuince that flesh and bloud were not partakers of this promise nor that any especiall choise was made of the person of Peter but of his fayth and confession onely For God doth not accept the person of any man In like maner neither flesh nor bloud may challenge any succession in this promise whether it be Iuly Boniface or any other But the fayth and confession of Peter is the true succession of Peter For if his succession were due vnto personages then should this dignitie be oftentymes committed to Sorcerors and heretiques but this is altogether repugnaunt to the sacred institution of our Sauiour Christ to builde his Churche vpon so stinkyng a puddle Therfore cast away this your patched conclusion lame and haltyng of euery legge For without all question Peter obteined no such interest in Principalitie or if he did it was but in his confession of fayth onely And therfore can no man clayme any other succession as lineally from him vnlesse perhaps you may cōmaunde God to loue an Italian Prelate because he is borne in Italic better then an English or Spanish Byshop or that ye will locke fast the holy Ghost to the Citie of Rome But the Spirite will blow where him listeth and the tyme commeth and is euen now already come that neither in this Mount nor in Ierusalem nor in any appointed place God shall be worshipped God is a spirite and his true worshippers shall worship him in spirite and truth But will ye come nearer home harken to your own Doctour Ierome whose iudgement I haue here noted worthy surely to he engrauen in letters of gold If authoritie bee enquired for the world is greater then a Citie whersoeuer a Byshop be either at Rome or at Eugubium or at Rhegium or at Constantinople or at Alexandria all be together equall of like merite and of like Priesthoode The power of riches or basenes of pouertie maketh not a Byshop higher or lower They all are the successours of the Apostles wheresoeuer they sit and of what estate so euer they be c. To the same effect writeth Cyprian in these wordes The same thyng verely were the Apostles that Peter was endued with like partakyng of honour and power But the begynnyng first entered by vnitie to the entent that the vnitie of the Church might be shewed to be one Is it euen so Cypriā is this thy verdite that all the Apostles were endued with like partakyng of honour and power But you my Lord affirme cleane contrary That Peter was appointed chief of all the Apostles and that this is more manifest then the Sunne in midday and that hereunto agree the Scriptures auncient fathers and that generall cōsent of antiquitie Truly you speake many wordes but no mā besides your fraternitie will beleue you not of any pleasure of gaynesaying but bycause you alledge nothyng that may enduce to yeld And bycause you seéme somewhat tymorous of the successe of your Diuinitie in this deépe principall cause of Monarchie you catch hold fast of a Sophistical target That in the church wiche is but one ought to be one chief Ruler vpon whom all men may depende by whose authoritie troubles may be appeased and outragious opinions may be suppressed c. There is in deéde but one Church generally as there is but one confession of Christian fayth yet this generalitie of the Church is distributed into many particular congregatiōs as all Nations haue their seuerall administrations of Iustice. Now therefore as euery dominion is deuided into seuerall distinctions of gouernement so to euery particular Church are ordeined seuerall Pastours and yet in the meane whiles finde no lacke at all of your new vpstart Monarchie whereof was neuer question moued in the golden age of the primitiue church But you Reply with pretie poppet reasons That contentious can not bee calmed nor outrages suppressed except some one be ordeined chief and head of the Church This fonde distinction the common course of humaine actions doth vtterly extinguish For euery seuerall Prince doth gouerne his common weale with wholesome distinct ordinaunces and yet make not so great aduauncement of this stately Monarchy as you do phantastically dreame But perhappes this is neédefull in matters of Religion why I pray you more then in temporall regiments The gouernement of Rome it selfe for the singularitie wherof you play the champion wil minister examples vnto vs of either part Augustus was an honorable Emperour Vespasian indifferent but Caius Caligula and Nero were horrible monsters who did not onely
it quoth Cicero for if you had bene taught any thyng at all you would neuer haue written so absurdely Euen in like maner may I beleue no man better theÌ„ Osorius him selfe that he neuer had any other Schoolemisters besides Confession For of a wicked and corrupt Schoolemysters is hatched a proude and hautie sholer standyng in his owne light a despiser of all others an importunate brauler a prattlyng Sophister a shamelesse rayler an vnmeasurable slauÌ„der and a peruertour of holy Scriptures and true godlynes How much better had it bene for you if you had had lesse conference with Massemongers and bene more acquainted with S. Paule Hee would haue instructed you in all sobrietie modestie iustice pietie fayth charitie patience and meckenesse Whereof you seéme to haue leâ—rned no title in all your sweéte confessions nor so much as heard whether any such matter be or euer haue bene So farre and wyde doth both your speach your reason dissent and disagreé as altogether estrauÌ„ged from them Yet ye proceéde notwithstandyng in this desperate trauaile of Confession which beyng staggeryng and ready to fall you doe vnderproppe with workes least it fall to the grounde For thus ye write Yet notwithstandyng we doe not so content our selues with this Confession of sinnes but that we exact fruites of RepentauÌ„ce which we vse to name Satisfactions a word that you scorne at most insoleÌ„tly Behold this fine scholer of Confession so well poolished in the schoole of his Massemongers that hee hath learned that Christians are required to bryng foorth fruites worthy of Repentaunce O deépe and profounde doctrine as though any Cobbler or Carter did euer deny or were ignoraunt in this point but you haue coupled hereunto an other new companion a meare straunger to ChristiaÌ„ eares For you say that the fruites of Repentaunce are named of you by this name SatisfactioÌ„s I do know very well that your MassemoÌ„gers Friers schoolemen haue thrust into the church this new wicked name of Satisfaction but I know this also that you haue done this to your great shame and reproch For it is a manifest vntruth contrary to all holy Scriptures contrary to the doctrine of the sacred and Apostolicque Church contrary to the iudgements of the approued auncient fathers But we do heare Iohn say you exhorting them which had confessed their faultes to bryng forth fruites worthy of Repentaunce and you adde that the same wordes were repeated by that great maister of righteousnes the Redemer of mankynd I doe confesse this Osorius what conclude you hereof we must bryng forth fruites worthy of Repentaunce Ergo fruites worthy of RepentauÌ„ce must be named SatisfactioÌ„s Cursed be your Confessours Osorius that could instruct you no better in Logicke Osorius hath suckt out of Confession the rules of good lyfe Ergo he must do nothyng els A very like conclusion a fit whelpe of that schoole where you were trayned vp But let vs seé if your Satisfactions be not vtterly ouerthrowen with the same Scriptures wherewith you thinke to establish them Iohn pointyng vnto Christ with his finger Behold quoth he the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world If Christ take away the sinnes of the world how caÌ„ workes satisfie but harken vnto Christ him selfe whom you do worthely name the great Schoolemaster of righteousnesse When you haue done all sayth hee that are commaunded you say yet we are vnprofitable seruauntes we did no more then we ought to doe Behold we are vnprofitable seruauntes in the chiefest perfection of our workes Ergo your Satisfactions are cold nothyng worthe That pure and chosen vessell of God Paule doth teache in this maner I am not guiltie of any thyng yet am I not iustified hereby If Paules vndesiled conscience cleare of all crimes were not auaylable to iustification then of very necessitie all your owne and the SatisfactioÌ„s of all your sect are lame and cripled But let vs learne of the same Paule from wheâ—ce true Christians ought to fetche full Satisfaction and absolute perfection Christ sayth he hath by one onely oblation made perfect for euer them whiche are sanctified This one onely Sacrifice of Christ offred vp in the Altar of the Crosse is our Satisfaction our perfection and our witnessing and shal be for euer not ours onely but of all those also which shal be made perfect in tyme to come We doe beleue Paule we doe beleue Iohn and we doe beleue Christ. If you do not beleue those there be other companions fit for you to company withall namely the Pharisies whiche scorned Christes preachyng vnto whom he sayd You be they which iustifie your selues before men but God knoweth your harts for that whiche is glorious in the sight of men is abhomination before God Take heéde Osorius take heéde I say that you be not of the nuÌ„ber of those Pharisies lest God abhorre you turne his face froÌ„ your glorious SatisfactioÌ„s shyne they neuer so gorgiously in the sight of meÌ„ You cauill after your old maner I can not tell what agaynst the vanitie of me and our Deuines wherein I will not braule with you lest I fill whole Uolumes with superfluous matters as you do but I will meéte with you in those thynges onely wherein seémeth some matter of coÌ„trouersie You bryng a very sit and elegant cause surely whereby you would shewe why we should not confesse to God alone but rather fleé out to your Confessours For that God you say can not be so easily perceaued of vs hee hath appointed his Vicares on the earth whiche should exercise his authoritie so that who would refuse them would refuse God him selfe c. First of all ye deny that God caÌ„ be clearely perceaued as though the sight of God were necessarie to the daÌ„nation of sinners This is to to lumpish Osorius more fit for that Cowled Asse your companioÌ„ then for you No maÌ„ euer hath sene God nor caÌ„ seé him and yet through Christ we do offer vnto God the father the sacrifice of thankesgeuyng and magnifie his holy name This matter apperteineth not to the sight of the eyes it apperteineth to the mynde and inward seélyng of the soule which clyming vnto God in harty sorrow and sighyng is neuer throwen downe from the beholdyng of his infinite goodnesse I liue sayth the Lord and take no pleasure in the death of a sinner but rather that the wicked conuerte from his wicked way and liue be ye conuerted therfore be ye conuerted from your wicked wayes wherfore will ye dye O ye house of Israel With like geÌ„tlenes doth our Sauiour Iesus Christ call vs vnto him Come vnto me all ye that are laden and I will refresh you I will geue to them that are thirstie of the well of life freely And yet Osorius beleueth that bycause of the absence of Christ Uicares must be substituted Paule taught vs farre otherwise saying The Lord is neare vnto all them that call vpon
with examples of such as haue runne headlong into vtter dispayre which haue gaynesayd or withdrawen them selues from the doctrine of Luther As touchyng Frauncisce Spira who reuolted from the participation of the doctrine whiche he had once receaued by Luthers preachyng bycause the Recorde thereof is somewhat old I will for this present omit what remaineth in history of him I will more willyngly vse fresher examples of our later age and yet not all ingenerall for it neédeth not neither is any one man able so to doe But I will rehearse some of the most notable And first of all a certeine mā called Iacobus Latomus a man sometymes wellbe seéne amongest the Deuines of Louayne I can not tell whether you your selfe knew him Osorius when he liued This mā mainteinyng the same quarell wherein you do now turmoyle your selfe agaynst Luther is reported to departe this life in the selfe same Desperatiō whereof you make mention who at his very last gaspes brayeng out most horrible and feareful roaring noyse vttered none other sounde in the eares of all men that heard him but that he was vtterly damned and forsaken of God and had no hope of Saluation layed vp in store for him bycause hee did wilfully resiste the manifest truth which he knew before to be most true I will couple two others with hym of the same fraternitie Guarlacke Reader of Diuinitie Lecture amōgest the Gertrudianes and Arnolde Bomelye Scholer to Tilman of the first of whō it is sayd that euen in the last panges before his death he spake in this maner that he had liued desperately could not endure the Iudgemēt of God bycause he did acknowledge his sinnes to be greater then that they could obteyne for geuenesse The other hauyng fully gorged him selfe with the doctrine of Desperatiō wherein he was instructed by his Schoolemaister of distrust surprised at lēgth with intollerable gnawyng of conscience practised first to kill him selfe with his owne Dagger at the last beyng wholy swallowed vp of Desperation dyd cut his owne bowelles out of his body with an other mans knife It shall not be amisse to ioyne vnto those Sadolet Cardinall of Rome who after sondry disputations mainteined agaynst Luther gaue vp the ghost not without horrible trembling and torment of conscience I suppose also that you are not ignoraunt of the like that happened to Cardinall Crescentius Legate of the Apostolique Seé and President of the Tridentine Councell beyng astonyed with sodeine horrour and troublesome abashement of mynde in the same Citie 1552. of whom Iohn Sledan hath made relation in his Commentaries What shall I speake of Castellane Archbyshop of Aurelia of Ponchere Archbyshop of Turone who procured to them selues Gods indignation and vengeaunce as appeared by the wonderfull fearefull passiōs wherewith they were oppressed at the tyme of their death not bicause they did heare Luther and read his bookes but bycause they did cruelly persecute his doctrine In the same Beadroll may be reckoned the remēbraūce of Iohn Eckius whose whole course of lyfe as was nothyng els but a continuall mortall combate agaynst Luther so his yeldyng to nature was so altogether voyde of spirituall consolation that euen in the last gaspes hee vttered no other wordes but of money and certeine thousand of crownes And what neéde I here rehearse out of the Recordes of aūcient Chronicles Minerius Cassianus Renestenses Martinus that miserable Mōcke called Romanus Prattes Lysettes Rusius Morines who beyng horribly plagued by the seuere Iustice of God may be sufficiēt Presidentes to teach you what it is insolently to kicke agaynst the pricke of Gods vnsearcheable prouidence The History of the French kyng Henry the second is yet but freshe in memory and deépely emprinted not in the myndes onely but in the eyes also of all men who extremely boylyng with inward hatred agaynst the same doctrine receaued his deathes wounde in the selfe same eyes wherewith he was determined to view the execution of others and was forced him selfe to become a manifest spectacle of Gods Iustice to all the world before he could bathe his eyes in the bloud of the innocēt And not long after the sayd Henry followed also the kyng of Nauarre who procured vnto him selfe most iust cause not onely of Desperation but of death also through none other occasion but by persecutyng this doctrine which you doe slaunderously reproche to be the doctrine of Desperation I could here make a Register of an infinite nōber not in Englād onely but of other Regions also which after they had receaued wonderfull cōfort out of the sweéte iuyce of this doctrine which you call Lutherane fell headlong into miserable anguishe and gnawyng of conscience by reuoltyng from this doctrine who could neuer attayne one sparckle of quyet mynde before they had reclaymed them selues from their first Apostasie Last of all how many thousandes of men wemen and children young and old can this our age truely recorde who haue shewed them selues more willyng to yeld their carcasses to fier fagottes sword rackyngs and all maner of horrible Torture rather then they would recante and renounce that comfortable doctrine where with they were enstructed which I suppose they would neuer haue done if they had suspected neuer so small embres of Desperation to haue lurked therein But I perceaue what Osorius doth meane by this word Desperation If he could either expresse his mynde aptly and distinctly or were willyng to deale simply and playnly To the ende therefore I may frame myne aūswere hauing regarde to the meanyng of the man rather then to his speach I will examine the maner of his disputyng somewhat more aduisedly Luther doth teach sayth he that no mā ought to place affiaunce of his righteousnes in merites and good workes Goe to and what is concluded hereof Therfore Luther doth teach the doctrine of Desperation A very new founde and straūge maner of Argument framed perhappes after the rule which concludeth from the staffe to the corner I suppose men of Syluane vse this kynde of arguyng in their wooddy forrests But I make this aunswere to the Argument If God had determined that our Saluation should haue bene purchased through godly actions and vertuous endeuour of mans life it were not altogether without reason that Osorius doth speake But for as much as our hope and confidence is limited within the boundes of the fayth of Christ and the foundation thereof builded vpon this Rocke onely I suppose surely that the person which doth allure vs home vnto Christ from confidence of workes and teacheth vs to repose our whole trust in him as in the onely Sanctuary and shoteanker of our Saluation doth declare rather the true way to assured hope then abolishe the same Neither doth he by and by rende in sunder the sinewes of mans endeuour who doth but embace and disable that part from mās power which doth properly apperteine to the sonne of God I thinke that he discouereth rather the well
Onely fayth doth not Iustifie This conclusion is altogether false and the subteltie therof transposed frō that which is not the Cause to ȳe which ought to be the Cause In deéde the inheritaunce of heauē is geuen to them which doe good deédes but not in respect of those good deédes whiche they doe But there is a certeine other thyng whiche doth both Iustifie the persons the good workes of the persons also That is to say which doth make the persons and the workes good also And therfore you do confounde those thyngs very vnskilfully which ought of necessity haue bene distinguished If you will make this the grounde of the question to enquire of what behauiour those persons ought to be whiche are called to the inheritage of euerlastyng lyfe Luther will neuer deny but that they ought to be such as must be conuersaūt in this world godly holy vnblameable as much as may be possible But if the state of the question tende to this end to shew what maner of thyng amongest all the good giftes of God that one thyng is in vs whiche doth procure our Iustification in the sight of God Luther will boldly pronounce that is Fayth Onely yea and approue the same with inuincible testimonies of Gods scriptures Neither will Osorius deny it without great reproch of errour Afterwardes he proceédeth to his accustomed trade of lyeng Workes do follow fayth as the Lutherans say not bycause they prepare a way to saluation for they shall not of them selues be cyted to iudgement but bycause they are deriued from faith as by a certeine way of procreation for as the tree bryngeth forth fruite by force of nature so doth fayth of necessity engender good workes which both propositions are false Or els Osorius doth lye for that wanted to make vp the periode But go to let vs seé what those two false propositions be which the Lutheranes do teach The first is that workes do prepare no way for vs to obteine Saluatiō bycause of them selues they shall neuer be cited to Iudgemēt The second is That workes do follow fayth of necessitie none otherwise then as fruite by force of nature is engendred of the treé Upon these he hath geuen sentence that they are both false But what reason alledgeth hee thereto Forsooth bycause workes sayth he do either procure vnto vs Saluation or Damnatiō vndoubtedly And yet Osorius ceaseth not to keépe his old wōt to lye And hereof no mā ought to be in doubt but that our deedes shal be throughly examined apart by thē selues by Gods sharpe Iudgemēt Yea say you so Osorius What shall they stād apart by thē selues what naked vnclothed of all succour of Christ of the promise of mercy Go to what shal be come of fayth thē Shall she stād ◠the meanes whiles with her finger in a hole like a Mome in a corner vnprofitablye whiles mercy being banished mēs deéds shal by thē selues be arrained before gods iudgemēt seate If this be true why do we not rase scrape cleane out of all bookes that saying of S. Paule Not thorough the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to the greatnes of his mercy hath he saued vs For if saluatiō be yet to be measured by the law of workes to be wayed after that Standard of Iudgemēt what place thē remayneth for fayth or for mercy And by what meanes is that hādwrityng of the law blotted out by the Crosse and bloudsheadyng of Iesu Christ if as yet we be holden fast yoaked vnder the curse of the law and not deliuered by grace for what doth the law elles if we dare beleue S. Paul but engēder wrath and procure to be accursed not bycause the law is of it selfe vneffectual if it might be accomplished but bycause we are all vnprofitable seruauntes vnable to performe the law And for your part doe ye thinke any mans workes to be of such valew as beyng throughly examined after the vttermost exaction of Gods Iustice can either endure the immeasurable horrour of Gods wrathfull indignatiō or by any meanes escape it Surely Dauid that godly Kyng and great Prophet perceauyng that there was no mortall creature but was ouerpaised and pressed downe with this heauy burden and weight of Iudgement beseécheth of God nothyng more earnestly then that he would not way his seruaūt in the ballaūce of his Iudgement And therfore in an other place he addeth If thou examine our iniquities Lord who abyde it Of this mynde was he euen then when he was a most trusty seruaunt of God As for Osorius I know not whose seruaunt he is neither am I hereof any thyng Inquisitiue but what Lord soeuer he serue I doe not a litle marueile at this in what place of heauen this Gentlemā shall stand whenas his wordes deédes yea all his thoughtes when so many his lyes slaūders errours blasphemies reprochfull speaches furies impieties whiche as it were to discharge his gorge he hath belched out in his bookes without measure or end shall come forth into brightnesse of Iudgement and shal be seuerely measured by the playne and streight squyer of Gods exact Iustice But let vs now ponder by the rules of the Scriptures the pretie reasons taken out of the same whereupon hee buildeth his defence And first of all that sentence offereth it selfe vouched out of the mysticall Psalmes where the holy Ghost doth witnesse that God will render to euery man accordyng to his workes This sentence I suppose is to be foūde in the 62. Psalme for Osorius had no leysure to note the place And I know not whether him selfe euer cited the same out of the very founteines them selues or rather scraped it out of the mustie Ambry of Hosius sinisterly applyed by him there and so this Marchaunt would wrest the same crookedly to fitte his owne drift After this S. Paule is vouched of a witnesse but no place noted where the Apostle doth affirme that all men generally and euery of vs particularely shal be summoned to Iudgement where euery one shall render accompt of the life that he hath lead and receaue reward accordyngly You shall finde this in the second Chap. to the Romaines Hereunto is annexed an other testimony of the same Paule All shall appeare and be arraygned before the Iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receaue reward according to the deserte of his life and euery mans peculiar worke may bewayed and measured in the iust and vpright ballaūce of seuere Iudgement Where is this Osorius Thou must seéke for it Reader The place is extaūt in the second to the Corinth the v. Chap. Here withall is also coupled that faying of Christ with like vncited place They that haue done well sayth he shall come forth into resurrection of life but they that haue done euill to the resurrection of death He had many other places to this effect besides these saith he
if he lifted to prosecute euery of theÌ„ but bycause they were beyond number the maÌ„ beyng otherwise occupied in other studies pardy seémeth well enough furnished with these few whiche he hath piked out of Hosius if I be not deceaued and so thought good to rehearse no more Well now Let vs seé what peéce of worke hee meaneth to frame out of these places of Scriptures so raked together and whereunto to he bendeth his force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of Christ. This is true Euery person shal be clothed agayne with his own body Those that haue done well shal be crowned with immortall felicitie and those that haue done euill shal be throwen into euerlastyng torments This is also vndoubtedly true Agayne the most iust and vpright Iudge shal be present which shall reward euery one accordyng to his workes and deseruynges I heare it and confesseâ—t to be true For who is ignoraunt hereof But what hereof at length what will Osorius Logicke conclude vpon this Ergo not fayth but workes sayth he doe iustifie which shall purchase for vs Saluation or Damnation But this ilfauored shapen consequent which you haue most falsely deriued from true thynges and confessed we doe vtterly deny vnto you and not we onely but the holy Scripture doth deny coÌ„demne all holy write doth reiect the whole fayth of the Euangelistes and doctrine of the Apostle and all the promises of God with generall consent do crye out agaynst hisse at it If out of these places of Scripture you would haue framed an Argument a right and accordyng to the true meanyng of the holy Ghost ye should more aptly haue concluded in this wise For as much therfore as there remayneth for euery of vs such a Iudgement wherein euery one must yeld an accoumpt of his lyfe speÌ„t there is no cause why any maÌ„ should flatter and beguile him selfe with a vayne promise that his wicked deédes or wordes shall escape vnpunished after this lyfe but rather that euery man so behaue him selfe in this transitory world that neither his good workes may appeare without fayth nor his faith want testimony of good workes Truely this conclusion would haue bene preached to them the number of whom is infinite not onely amongest the Papistes but also euen amongest the professours of the Gospel who professing the name fayth of Christ liue notwithstandyng so dissolutely as they bryng the name and doctrine of Christ into open obloquy And as though it sufficed them to professe Christes most sacred Religion in wordes onely or as though there should be no Iudgement at all to come make no accompt of their callyng but are caryed headlong agaynst equitie conscience into the gulfe of all licentious filthyues to the great dishonour of almightye God and the manifest ruine of their owne Saluation Surely I am of opinion if you had directed your conclusion in this maner agaynst those persons and others lyke vnto them which do so wilfully rash and throw them selues carelessely into manifest abhominations without all respect of equitie and conscience the consequent would more aptly haue bene applyed and of more force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of the hygh Iudge where accoumpt shal be made of the whole course of our lyfe Ergo who that wil be carefull for his Saluation let him haue especial regard to the vttermost of his abilitie that his life be agreable to his professioÌ„ and stand assured as much as in him lyeth in the testimony of a good conscience knit together with a true fayth voyde of all hypocrisie For otherwise we doe heare what the truth it selfe speaketh And those that haue done euill shall goe into the resurrection of Iudgement We shall likewise heare what Paule sayth Euen for these thynges sayth he the wrath of God doth come vpon the children of disobedience But to what purpose Osorius is this alledged agaynst the Iustification of fayth in them who hauyng receaued the fayth of Christ doe ioyne withall fruites of obedience as companions if not altogether pure and absolutely perfect yet do yeld their endeuour and abilitie at the least such as it is after the small proportion and measure of their weakenesse This trauaile endeuour though it be farre distaunt from that exact requireth perfection of the law is yet neuertheles accepted in place of most full and absolute Iustification in the sight of God who doth supply the want of our workes with his owne freé Imputation for the fayth sake in his sonne onely whiche is not Imputed for righteousnesse to them that do worke but to them that do beleue in him For what although the horrible rebellion of the vngodly whiche walke not after the spirite but after the fleshe doe procure vnto them selues most iust Iudgement of condeÌ„nation yet shall this saying stand alwayes inuiolable notwithstandyng and remayne assured for euer The righteous shall liue by fayth And he that beleueth in me shall not dye for euer Iohn 11. But yet that promise say you doth abyde most euident and vnuanquishable whiche doth promise resurrection of lyfe to them that do liue godly and good deédes Goe to and what conclude ye hereof Ergo Faith onely doth not iustifie vs say you Nay rather neither Faith Onely nor fayth any way els taken doth Iustifie a man or auayle any thyng at all to Iustification if workes accordyng to your interpretation bee examined by them selues by the waightes and ballauÌ„ces of Gods Iudgement shall make full satisfaction But ye conceaue amisse of the matter Osorius and therfore your coÌ„clusion is as ilfauoredly shapen Doe ye expect a reason Forsooth bycause you fayle in the rule Topicke whereby we are taught to apply true proper Causes to true effectes And therfore your consequent is faultie and a Sophisticall cautell deriued from that which is not the cause to that which is the proper cause Let vs discusse the very order of your wordes And they which haue done well What they shall come sayth he into the resurrection of life c. First of all ye perceaue that the workes alone are not treated of simply but the persons that doe the workes Surely in Iudiciall Courtes is no small obseruation vsed chiefly of the difference betwixt the circumstaunces of the Causes and circumstaunces of the persons As when a Seruaunt shall commit the very same which a Sonne shall doe although the factes be of all partes equall yet I suppose that the Sonne shall finde more mercy in his cause of his Father being Iudge then the seruaunt of his Maister being Iudge especially where the Iudge is not constreined to yeld Iudgement by any coaction or expresse rigour of Statute and Law but is at libertie to vse consideration of the trespasse accordyng to his own discretion EueÌ„ so neither do I thinke it all one if a Christian maÌ„ I say a true Christian man shall mainteine his cause before Christ his Redeémer as
his mouth But for as much as no man can enterprise any good action vnlesse he doe first utterly cut of the kyngdome of Sinne. But the kyngdome of sinne can not be vtterly cut of if it be true that Luther teacheth It remayneth therefore that no man is able to worke any good deede As touchyng the forme of this Argument perhappes the punyes in Sophistey may somewhat allow but if ye behold the matter thereof Certes the Doctours of Diuinitie will reiect the same as faultie Vnlesse sayth he the kyngdome of sinne be first vtterly cut of c. Truly I would not much stand with you here Osorius If you will first expresse vnto vs apely and distinctly what you meane by this worde kyngdome For whereas Deuines do agreé that there are two sortes of sinne whiche we call actuall sinne whiche also they doe distinguish two maners of wayes into Sinne reigning and Sinne rebelling you must teach vs whether of those two you meane For it is not all one thyng to suffer thy selfe to be carryed away with sinne to yeld thy selfe willingly captiue into his Tyranny as to be vanquished of sinne through weakenes For the first cōmeth of will the next of Infirmitie We are all many tymes ouercome of sinne neither liueth any in this flesh but offendeth sometymes sondry wayes Yet are we notwithstanding ouercome agaynst our willes and drawyng backe as it were The most chosen seruaunts of God are sondry tymes cast down through Sinne reigning in their mēbers But neuer yeld ouer wholy as subiectes to his kyngdome Uery well therfore doth S. Paule counsell vs Let not Sinne reigne in your fleshly bodies Rom. 6. And yet the same Paule did not alwayes bring to passe the good that he would But did worke many tymes the euill that he would not Not he now but Sinne dwellyng within him These thynges beyng thus opened Let vs search out the pythe of the Argument Hee denyeth that vertue hath any place there where the kyngdome of Sinne is not vtterly rooted out If Osorius do meane the kyngdome of Sinne as a kyng or a tyraunt doth reigne ouer his subiectes The Maior proposition is true but the Minor most false For Luther did neuer teache no not so much as dreame otherwise then that Sinne should bee suppressed as much as were possible But if his meanyng tende to this end That no man can enterprise any good worke vnlesse the tyranny of Sinne beyng first brought vnder yoke he haue so tamed the fleshe that no motion so much may bee felt to rebell within that may wounde or infect the conscience how can Osorius make proofe of that which he verifieth in his Maior or confute that which he doth obiect agaynst Luther in his Minor Or where shall he finde that conquerour of Sinne who hauyng throughly mortified Sinne and vtterly vanquished the ragyng Rebellion of naturall corruption dare promise rewarde of perfect righteousnesse vnto him selfe Iob a man of all other famous for his vprightenesse of lyfe was yet so displeasaunt with him selfe that hee seémed to stand in doubte of all his workes Esay doth condemne all his righteousnesse to be more lothsome then a menstruous cloute Who was more holy or more acceptable to God then Dauid And yet besides that he dare not presume to offer him selfe to Iudgement as beyng dismayed with feare of his secret conscience he doth not spare franckely to pronounce That no fleshe liuyng can bee founde righteous in the sight of God The greate Prophete Daniell doubted not to make his humble Confession together with the people saying That he had Sinned with his forefathers What shall I speake of Ionas and the other Prophetes And to let passe the other Apostles what shall I say of Paule and Peter S. Iohn declaryng That we all are Trespassours in many thinges doth not exempt him selfe out of the same number Next to the Apostles ensued the Age of auncient Antiquitie and learned Fathers who although with all their power might did valiauntly mainteyne cōtinuall battell agaynst the assaultes of sinne yet could they neuer so surely encampe gard them selues in so firme a grounde but they should be vndermined with the countermoyling of her outragious Pyoners that lyke dastardes mistrustyng their owne strēgth they should feéle them selues enforced sometymes to forsake their standyng and fleé for rescue to the onely mercy and forgeuenesse of God as to the onely vnpenetrable rocke of their Saluation And therfore S. Ierome in playne wordes doth note truly that though man did atteine to perfection hee should yet stand in neéde of Gods mercy and that mans full and perfect perfection did depend vpon grace and not vpon deseruynges c. No lesse effectually Augustine writyng to Boniface touchyng perfect righteousnesse or rather of the imperfection of our righteousnesse Uertue sayth he whiche is now in a righteous man is sayd to be so farreforth righteous as vnfayned acknowledgement and humble Confession of his owne imperfection doth admitte the same to bee perfect Agayne the same Augustine in an other place doth accompt that man to haue profited much in this life who by profityng doth feéle in him selfe how farre he is distaunt from true perfection And bycause the Latin Church shall not seéme to want the testimonies of the Greékes Let vs heare the wordes of Basile treatyng of mans righteousnesse This is full perfect reioysing in God when as a man is lifted vp not with any righteousnes of his own but knoweth him selfe empty and naked of true righteousnesse and so to be iustified by Faith Onely in Christ Iesu. Whereby Osorius may perceaue what estimate is to be made of our owne righteousnesse though it seéme neuer so beautyfull which Augustine him selfe adiudgeth worthy of execrable curse if it bee examined besides the mercy of God But bycause sayth he thou doest not narrowly sharpely searche our offences we doe hope assuredly that we shall obteyne some place for pardon in thy sight It is not neédefull to make a Register of all the testimonies of writers the matter especially beyng so euident and so strongly fenced with multitude of authorities whenas the consent and agreément of all writers is in no one thyng more generall and stedfast then in the abacyng of perfection of workes and humbly crauyng pardon of our owne imperfection Whereupon Augustine stand not in Iudgement sayth he agaynst thy seruaūt requiryng of me all thynges that thou hast taught and commaunded For if thou enter into Iudgement with me thou shalt finde me guilty I had neéde therfore of thy mercyes rather thē thy seuere Iudgement I demaunde now what you cōceaue of the wordes of Augustine Surely although I doe not thinke that the man was voyde of wonderfull willyng endeuour yet if he had bene of all partes endued with that integritie of vndefiled lyfe and had vtterly rooted out the whole kyngdome of Sinne with the
more quieted but hauing pyked together a fresh supply of skiptacks do rush vpon the grace of predestination with a new Hooboube agayne for the maynteinaunce of Freewills quarrell For with these shuttlecocks do these Redshankes with their Colonell Osor. set vpō vs for to Admitte say they that God doth make choyse but of a few and passe ouer an infinite nūber of others this seemeth to argue no small repugnācie in Gods mercy a wonderfull crueltie in hym neyther is it consonant to Reason For if he suffer the more number to perish because he will not saue them he is cruell if he cannot saue them he is not omnipotent Moreouer if he cast them of without iust cause of offence or deserte he is vnrighteous if in equall cause he make vnequall distributione of hys Election he shal be iudged an acceptor of persons But the almighty and most mercifull God doth nothing now that is not in all respectes most consonaunt to reason no cruelty no vnrighteousnes finally no one thing that is not replenished with goodnes Albeit this mowsy and drossy chaffe long sithence blowne abroad in the eyes of Augustine by the Pelagianes hath bene sufficiently fanned away in hys booke entituled De articulis falso impositis Yet following Augustine herein more then I neéde somewhat to please Osorius withall least he exclayme agayne that his argumentes are not throughly resolued I will auswere in few wordes on thys wyse It cannot be denyed that few are chosē and many called yet is not the goodnes of God any ioate impeached in this respect nor his cruelty encreased First in that he did choose few or any at all was an especiall work of his goodnes Then in that it pleased hym to proclayme a generall calling to the participacion of hys Gospell for all men vniuersally was also a poynt of great clemency but in that those that are called do not come proceéded not of any cruelty in God no nor yet is any fault thereof to be layd to hys charge but vnto mens disobedience but how can it be sayd to be mans fault say you seéing that not their willes but Gods predestination withstandeth them so that they cannot be able to come In deede that mens will is no obstacle vnto them to come this doth no man affirme for hereof springeth all the faulte that is in man Agayne to saye that Gods eternall Predestination is no preiudice to them that fall away surely no man can deny this likewise but how this predestination of God is an Estoppell must be seene not by powringe in new poyson for that neédeth not but by forsaking the olde thus therefore the will of man is an obstackle but not alone So is Predestination also an obstackle but not without the will of man So that here both mans will worketh and Gods predestination worketh ech one in hys owne kynde but after a seuerall maner of operacion in the difference whereof because Osorius will seeme so bussardly blinde we will not refuse to open it vnto hym And first Gods Predestination in deéde hath her operation according to the infallible will of hys most freé decreé not so much in the thinges themselues as most inespeciall in the wils of men and expresseth in this their will such a kynde of operation that it felfe in the meane tyme is forced of none and doth alwayes goe before the actions of mans will and doth guyde and gouerne those wills whiche direction and conduct mans will doth attēd vpon which withall worketh also in things subiect vnto it and after a certaine maner of her owne doth moue it selfe freély that is to say doth with earnest affection bēd it selfe willingly of her owne accord and voluntary inclination to the thinges which it embraceth or despiseth for it doth neyther choose any thing but that it willeth nor refuseth any thing but that it selfe willeth not finally attempteth nothing at all but willingly that is to say of her owne accord and with a very willing minde And yet not altogether so freély as Osorius surmiseth whiche is in very deéde cause of Osorius hys error herein and drowneth hys iudgement most in this question For as often as he heareth mencion made that will doth vse her certaine freé choyse in consenting or dissenting he dreameth by and by that the same will is such as is subiect to the direction of none other but is at her own libertie and is endued with full and absolute power in her selfe whiche power the Greékes do call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to eschew the thinges that it willeth and to do the thinges that it willeth so that it doth nothing of Necessitie but which it might otherwise do according to it owne pleasure if it will Agayne if a man make neuer so little motion of the purpose of predestination he doth by and by so interprett thereof as though nothing were left for man at all to be able to conceaue with reason or deliberate with iudgement or make choyse of through any voluntary motion of will but to be enforced to all thinges by a certeine externall coaction as it were by vnauoydeable and fatall Necessitie Both wh are vtterly false to speake directly the very dotage of Osorius For as we do not despoyle will of her libertye nor banysh it out of the worlde nor raze it out of our writinges so doe we not magnifie it like an Idoll we do not root it out of nature but we make it subiect to God nor do deny that it is freé after a certayne maner but do declare in what sort it is freé for then it is freé when it is made free we do not so derogate from it as though in attempting or Relenting it had no feeling or sense but we do neyther esteéme it of so great a price as though it acchieued any thing of her own strength without the speciall conduct of Gods predestination Moreouer we doe neyther so establishe thys same Predestination working in mens willes as though it enforced them agaynst their willes and violently to do the thinges they would not For will cannot chose but will yea willingly alwayes and freely what soeuer it doth nor can do any thing but that it willeth Or els will were no will at all whether it did wel or otherwise But to will well and to do well she is not able of her selfe but boroweth her abilitie thereunto from els where And yet to do euill hath it more then enough in it selfe yea without any helpe at all which she doth both will of her selfe and doth of her self bring to passe freely albeit not altogether so freely yet but that this freedome is alwayes captiuate with miserable thraldome and bondage For will beyng left destitute of heauēly assistance is so subiect seruile to her naturall lust ouerwhelmed with backward affectiōs that when it doth euill it cā do no better of it self though it
determineth to be done The Logitians that haue described the fourme of a Sorites doth deny that this kinde of arguyng is of any substaunce vnlesse the parts of the true properties and differences do accord and aunswere eche other with a necessary coupling together of the kyndes and the formes and that the proper effectes be applied to the proper causes Of all which there is not one so much obserued in all this heape of wordes and sentences wherein if I might as lawfully vtter some follishe skill by creeping forward after the same sorte with follish childish degrees of propositions it would not be hard for me to conclude out of gramtyng the freédome of mans will That there were no Predestistation nor prouident of God at all in heauen which we proued before out of Augustine â— was once concluded vpon by Cicero First such as doe affirme that God is the chief and principall cause of all thyngs and do graunt all things to be subiect to his will do not erre except Augustine do erre who discoursing vpon the will of God The will of God sayth he is the first and Soueraigne cause of all formes and motions for there is nothing done that issueth not fromout the secrett and intelligible closett of the highest Emperour according to vnspeakeable Iustice for where doth not the omnipotent wisedome of God worke what it pleaseth hym which mightely stretcheth hys power from one ende of the worlde to the other and ordereth all thinges most sweetely Thus much Augustine And yet this cause doth not therefore enduce such a Necessitie of coactione as Osori doth imagine as that no freédome of will should remayne in man that he should do nothing of hys own accord that he should deserue nothing worthy of punishment but should serue in steede of an Instrument as it were enforced through fatall coaction should be gouerned by an others power that it selfe should bring nothyng to passe wherefore it ought to be punished Now for asmuch as Luthers Assertion doth maintayne none of all these what is become of that horrible accusation wherein Luther is sayd to accuse God of vnrighteousnesse It is not agreable with Iustice sayth he that such as are onely instrumentes of wickednesse should be punished But according to Luthers doctrine men in doing wickedly seeme nothing els then instrumentes of wickednes Where finde you this M. Doctour where haue you it who euer besides Osorius spake on this wise either waking or sleéping sometime Gods prouidence doth vse the seruice of man to punish euill doers Euen so did God auenge hym vpon the sinnes of owne people by the Babilonianes Agayne to take vengeaunce of the Assirianes was Cirus the Duke of Persia raysed vppe So did God vse also the malice of the Iewes to finish the worke of our redemption for vnlesse that Natione had conspired agaynst the sonne of God we had not bene redeémed And what is the deuill himselfe but the Rodde of correction in the hand of God and as it were an Instrument of vengeaunce ordayned to punishe the outragies of euill doers yet doth it not therefore follow that deuils and wicked persones when they are called Instrumentes of Gods wrath are nothing els but Instrumentes as though they were forced onely and themselues did nothing at all and as though by doyng nothing themselues deserued no wrath For neyther do we so imagine meÌ„ to be like vnto stoanes as I haue sayd before as though we left vnto them no abilitie in action euen as the mynde of man vnlesse it be ayded can of it selfe do nothing but sinne so doth no man sinne at any tyme but by hys owne voluntary motione which sinne albeit he doth not commit without the will of God yet because he doth commit it contrary to the will and commaundement of God he is not acquired of hys fault As when a murtherer killeth men albeit he seeme after a certeine maner to exeâ—uute the will of God yet because he doth not the deede onely beyng of the minde simply to serue hys God but rather to follow the rage of his malice therfore is he neyther excusable as beyng not faulty nor is God to be accused for vnrighteous because he executeth hys wrath Wherfore it is false and slaunderous which Osorius doth conclude vpon the Assertion of Predestination For he coÌ„cluded two absurdities chiefly but with a farre more grosse absurditie The first That God is the cause of destruction and reprobation The secoÌ„d That they which offend are punished vnworthely Both which are vnmeasurably vayne For albeit the decreé of God be the first and soueraigne cause in all actiones by the which all other second and inferiour causes are gouerned and although there is condemnation to the Reprobates without the same decreé Yet neuerthelesse this same condemnation is both adiudged righteous and floweth also from their own will properly not properly froÌ„ the decreé of God For many thinges be done agaynst the will of God by a certayne wonderfull and vnspeakeable maner as I haue sayd whiche come not passe notwithstanding without hys will He ruleth ouer the mindes of men as Augustine reporteth and worketh in their hartes to encline their will whither him listeth eyther vnto good thinges for hys great mercyes sake eyther to euill thinges according to their deseruings after the proportioÌ„ of his owne IudgemeÌ„t sometymes manifest sometimes secrett but alwayes most iust and righteous bringing to passe by a certayne merueilous operation of hys owne power that in the things which men do agaynst the will of God it cannot be but that the will of God must needes be fulfilled Therefore the will of God as you seé is the first and soueraigne cause of all causes and motiones whiche neuerthelesse must be so vnderstanded that thys first cause respect properly nothyng but the last ende Now this ende is the glory of God and the most excellent commendation of hys Iustice and mercy In the meane tyme the other middle endes do depend vpon their owne middle and proper causes and are referred vnto the same Whereby it commeth to passe that betwixt Gods decreé and the condemnation of the Reprobate many causes of condemnation doe come betwene to witte Infidelitie the Inheritable corruption of Nature defiled and whatsoeuer fruites spring thereof Now the proper efficient cause of this Infidelitie and naturall corruption is mans will not Gods predestination which corruption and Infidelitie notwithstanding are so gouerned by Gods decreé so subiect there vnto that although they be not executed by the decree of God yet chaunce they not at any tyme besides hys decree nor without hys decreé whereof God as Augustine sayth is not the cause efficient but the cause deficient Now therefore where is that fatall and euerlasting Necessitie Osorius which as you say doth thrust men maugre their heades by violent coaction without any their owne will into all kynde of wickednes where are the vndescrued
seély flock of Christ when as Paule breathed out threatninges and slaughters no man will deny but these were haynous horrible factes of all which notwithstanding no one wanted the singuler counsell of God and hys especiall prouidence whereupon it could not possible be otherwise but that the thinges which he had determined before should so come to passe in the ende For neyther doth enter into mans thought any thing that God doth not will before that mā shoulde will neither doth mans will purpose any thinge which is not both foreseéne and foreordained of God What thē shall we therefore accuse God as Author of the wickednesse of the vngodly because these thinges chaunce of Necessitie which God hath purposed shall come to passe and can by no meanes be altered For so seemeth Osori to conclude hys argument But I argue agaynst hym in this wise and with two reasons First If this preordinaunce of God whereof I speake do bryng such a Necessitie of externall coaction vppon men as Osorius doth speake of as that no man could sinne voluntaryly but cōpelled thereunto by God it might not seeme altogether perhaps from the purpose to impute the fault thereof to God But what is he now or what mā hath euer bene so horribly wicked at any time who in performing his treacherous deuises can say that he was constrayned agaynst hys will to commit the facte that he would not haue done being neyther led thereunto of any motion of him selfe nor blynded with any hys owne affections Moreouer although the will of God doth work together with mans will or as Augustine liked rather to speake whether God do worke in the hartes of men to apply their willes whervnto it pleaseth hym eyther to godlines for hys good mercies sake or to wickednes and vyce according to their owne deseruinges or whether man be afflicted with any crosse of persequution yet doth God bring all these to passe according to his own iust Iudgement sometimes open and manifest but alwayes most righteous for what sitteth more with iustice thē to punish offenders then to tame and suppresse the outragious pryde of rebellious Nature But forasmuch as all the workes of GOD are directed chiefly as to one ende from whence then may man take a more large occasion to magnifie and extoll the Iustice of God then out of hys owne works And therefore though weé confesse that it is one selfe work which is wrought by God and by man yet because in the selfe same worke God worketh by an other way and to an other ende Namely putting in vre the worke of hys Iustice and because men do the workes of pryde of Luste of wrath and of couetousnes hereupon it commeth to passe that sinne is worthely imputed vnto them the will of God remayning alwayes righteous and good notwithstanding For this rule is to be holden alwayes vnshaken That all the works of God are wrought for the best So the fall of our first parent Adam the hardening of Pharaoes hart the treasō of Iudas the persequutiō of Paule tended to as good purpose as the perseueraunce of Noah in fayth The humblenes of Dauid Peters denyall of hys maister and the conuersion of Paule For what soeuer is wrought by God doth alwayes tourne to the glorifiing of hys power and magnifieng hys Iustice of hys Iustice because by sinne he doth punish sinne and that most righteously of hys power whē with hys mighty hand and onstretched arme he doth aduaunce and deliuer them for his wonderfull mercies sake and of hys free liberalitie it pleaseth hym to vouchsaue But Osorius is a wylypye and will not be destitute of a starting hoale but will seéke to escape through some chynk or moushoole And because he doth perceaue that Gods power cānot be vtterly sequestred from the Actions of men he like an olde tryed shifter will collour the matter and applye the workes of God which we haue rehearsed to Gods foreknowledge For this is the subtill distinction whereunto our aduersaryes flee for their defence They say that no prouidence of God that may enduce any Necessitie doth go before to cause men to sinne Onely that God did foreknow that they would so do that they were such in deed not for that God did foreknow that they would be such but rather that he did therefore foreknowe that they should be such through their own inclination Where the Aduersaryes make mencion of the foreknoweledge of God they doe not altogether lye in this poynte For it is most true that the Maiestye of God doth behold as it were with present view all thinges that are haue bene and shal be as though they were present in hys eye but herein they go amisse where they practize to establish the foreknowledge and permission of God so firmely that they would haue hys vnchaungeable prouidence seuered from the same which cannot possibly be by any meanes for what may a man thinke if God doe foreknow and permitte wickednes to raigne which he is not able to turne away where is then hys power if he be able and will not where is then his mercy what father is so hard harted that seéing his childe ready to receaue some harme will not call him from the perill if he may But say they he that doth wickedly he also that doth consent thereunto are both in one predicament Therfore as it is an absurde thing not to confesse God to be omnipotent or that any thing is done that he cannot do so is that as false also to say that any thing with God will not is permitted wtout hys knowledge and agaynst hys will For howe shall we conceaue that God doth permitte any thing to be done but because hys will is that it shall so be done whereupon we may frame an argument agaynst those persones who reiecting the necessary doctrine of predestination flee onely to Gods Permission on this wise If God do permitte sinne that doth he eyther with hys will or agaynst hys will But he doth not permitte it agaynst hys will for there can nothing be done agaynst the will of God Then followeth it that God doth willingly permitte sinne and will not stay nor hinder it Which beyng graunted their obiection hath a dubble error First because they take away sinne altogether from the will of God casting the same wholy bpon hys Permission Next because they do feare least Gods Iustice should be blemished beyng of this opinion To witte if God do worke in the hartes of the wicked when they do sinne Then must it be taken for confessed that the cause of sinne shal be forthwith imputed to God and withall that men shall hereof take iust occasion to excuse thē selues Both which are easily confuted For first of all whereas it is sayd that GOD worketh in the hartes of men to encline their willes whereunto it pleaseth hym eyther when he doth thrust vpō men outward calamities as straunge diseases cruell Warres flames of
the Fathers and Elders which did apperteine to the well ordering and gouernmēt of outward discipline Yet euen in these was such a moderation consonauncy obserued as should nether extinguishe the glory of the Gospell nor entāgle consciences with combersome charge but serue onely for preseruation of necessarye orders For due obseruation of the which was graunted to the Church a certayne authoritye and power to dispose and determine according to the nature of places and necessitye of tymes such thinges as might seéme most agreéable and couenable for their assemblies But this authority hedged in as it were within her certein limits and boundes as was but humaine so forced it not such a necessitye of obseruance as did those other commaunded immediately from God For lyke consideration may not be taken of humaine precepts commaunded by men onely as must be had of thordinaunces of God Hereof commeth it that the breach or not performaunce of that one being done without arrogant cōtēpt or reprochful disdayn is not punishable as mortall deadly sinne In lyke maner the godly ministers of the Church were not without their due honor and authority yet such it was as exceéded not the appointed lymittes and measure For as then function ecclesiasticall was a Ministery and seruice not a Maistry or Lordshippe which consisteth in two thinges chiefly In preaching the worde and ministring the Sacraments and in directing outward discipline and ordering maners and misdemeanours In which kinde of ministery although cōmaundement be geuē to yeald due obediēce vnto the pastors yea though we heare these wordes spoken of Ministers He that heareth you heareth me Yet tend they not to this end that they may after their owne wittes and pleasures make new innouations frame new fashions of doctrine and coyne new Sacraments thrust in new worshippings and new Gods or thereby to erect a kingdome in the Church But their whole power and authoritye is restrayned to the prescript rule of the Gospell not to dispence and dispose thinges after their owne luste but to be the dispensors and disposers of the misteries of God Wherevpon in matters appertayning to Gods Lawe conscience is bound to yealde due obediēce to the pastoures according to this saying He that refuseth you refuseth me In other thinges that concerne the Tradicions of men or that haue no assurance of their creation by any principle of doctrine herein ought speciall regard to be had First to what end they are commaunded then also by what authoritye they are brought into the Church For the ordinaunces which are thrust in vnder such maner and condition as may enfeéble true confidence in the Mediator as may dispoyle cōsciences of their freédome and ouerthrowe the maiestie of gods grace or are linked together with a vayne opinion of righteousnes of worshipping of remission of sinnes of merites of Saluation or of vnauoydable necessitye Such I say ought without all respect to be hauished and abandoned as pestilent batches from the communion and congregation of the Church Consideration also must be had of the difference betwixt these thinges which the Church doth charge mens consciences withall by mans authoritye onely and the thinges which are established and proclaimed by the expresse word and commaundement of God For although the Church may of duety require a certein subiuection to the ecclesiasticall ministers as that we ought to obey the ordinaunces that are instituted for preseruation of ciuill societye and couenable decency Yet must the ministers be well aduised least vnder pretence and colour of ecclesiasticall authoritie they eyther commaund the things that are not expedient or oppresse the simple people with vnmeasurable Burdeines or thinke with them selues that the Church is tyed of neccessity to any Lawes established by men Euen so and the same that hath bene spoken of mēs Constitutions may in effect be applyed to Iudicall Courts Iudgementes For although authoritye be committed to the Church to iudge and determine of doctrines and outward misdemeanours although the resolution of doubtfull cōtrouersies the discouerie and opening of matters obscure the declaring and debatyng of matters confuse the reformation and amendement of matters amysse be left ouer to the Censure and iudgement of the Church many tymes Yet is not this ordinary authoritye so arbitrary and absolute but is also fast tyed to the direct rule of the worde So that in matters of controuersie this Authoritie came conclude commaunde nothing but that which the word of the Gospel must make warrantable Neither hath this authoritye any such prerogatiue to make any alteration of Gods Scriptures or to forge false and vntrue interpretations which may auaile to establishe an authoritye of men or of orders or to make any new articles of fayth or to bring in straunge Inuocations which are directly repugnant to the manifest authoritye of the Scriptures And therfore we creditt the Church as a Mistres and a teacher foreshewing the truth yet after an other maner altogether then as we be bound to obey the word of the Gospell preached in the Church by the mouth of Gods faythfull ministers which authoritye when they put in execution according to the authoritye of Gods word we doe beleue them yet so neuerthelesse beleue them as that our creditt is not grounded now vpon the testimonie of the Church nor vpon men but vpon the worde of God namely because their iudgemēt is agreable and consonant with the rule of the sacred scriptures and with a free confession of the Godly iudging directly accordyng to the voyce and worde of God The Church therfore hath authoritie in decyding controuersies of doctrine Yet so that it selfe must be ouerruled by the authoritie of the word Otherwise the Church hath neither authoritye nor iudgement contrary to the consonancy of the Scriptures In lyke maner in discipline and reformation of maners the Church may determine and iudge But here also consideration must be had of the differēce For the censures ecclesiasticall are of one kinde but Iudgements temporall of an other kinde For in forinsicall and temporall causes when Iudgementés are geuen although they receaue their authoritie from the word of God yet are they in force in respect of the authoritye of the Prince and the Magistrate And therefore they minister correction with punishment corporall according to the qualitye of the trespasse But the iudgements of the Church are farre vnlyke For in those maner of offences which appertayne to the ecclesiasticall Consistorye the Church hath her proper iudgements and peculiar punishments Wherewith it doth not afflict or crucifie mens bodyes notwithstandyng nor pursue vnto death but cutteth of from the congregation onely and common society of men such as doe wilfully and stubburnely sett themselues agaynst the Ministerye and such as doe harden themselues and obstinately perseuer in wickednes agaynst order and conscience and continue in errors and other notorious crimes contrary to the prescript rule of sound doctrine
latter dayes All which to be farre from all possibility of trueth many probable reasons doe offer matter of proofe First when as God rested from all hys works the seuenth day It followeth that this new forged worke of Purgatory was neuer begonne by God after that seuēth day but made and deuised in the Popes Shoppe There is besides also an other matter as full of absurdity as this is For if God were the author of this skalding house of Purgatory and if it haue continued euen from the first foundation of the Creation it is maruell how after so long preaching of the gospell of grace it could be found now first by these Deuines being so long before hidde from so many great Prophettes of God so manye Patriarches Kings Iudges Apostles and Euangelistes or if the knowledge thereof were kept from them because there was no vse of any such purging or necessity of satisfiyng by Fyre before the fayth of the Gospell receiued then was the case of the Christians much more miserable then of the Iewes and circumcised people which is abhominable to be spoken with toung or to be imagined in thought Many other like questions might be moued on this wise cōcerning the kingdome of Purgatory whether it be a Kingdome of darcknesse whether it lye in the compasse of the Popes Iurisdiction and by what title it is subiect to his Iudiciall consistory whether it be a materiall place or a spirituall place whether it be attended vpon with Deuils or Aungels whether the fire of hell and the fire of Purgatory be all one or whether the place be all one as seémeth to Thomas Aquinas what passable way there is for the efficacy of the Pardons and Prayers to discend to the soules that are there or by what messengers it is carried thither Moreouer considering those Tormentes are not sayed to be eternall but transitory and withall the Releases of punishmentes determinable by certayne numbers and spaces of dayes monethes and yeares as the Popish Bulles do assure vs what measure or space of time may be apportioned there where the Sonne hath no course where the Starres haue no rising nor going downe which do measure the proportions and distinctions of tymes These and such like questions as might be somewhat tedious to the Reader that were somewhat wauering in fayth so had they neéd haue bene resolued euery one in order by Osorius first if he would haue vttered his skill handsomely herein and as the matter it selfe required But he turmoyles himselfe now to geue some colour to his Purgatory by force of the scriptures whereof he neuer hath redde one title so much in the whole Scriptures nor cann make any euident Demonstration what maner of place it should be or where it should be But it is well yet Osorius for so much as after so long skolding after so much brabling with Rhetorical termes we shall heare somewhat at the last out of the Scriptures yea vouched by Luther himselfe that shal be able to mayntayne the credit of Purgatory And this is the poynt of an old beaten and expert Souldiour in deéd not onely to be able by his owne prowesse to repulse the Enemy at the push of the Pyke but also to recouer his Enemyes Pyke out of his hands and with the same to thrust him through kill him which is happened to Luther now in this Combate Go to then And what is it at the last that Luther speaketh But Luther did say and that not once onely affirmed also that there was a Purgatory and that he did not onelye conceaue so iudge so beleue so but knew it to be true of a very certenty Where finde you this by what reason doe ye proue this By the place of Mathew which speaketh of the sinne that shall not be forgeuen in this world nor in the world to come whereby is to be noted that in the world to come God hath gently reserued a place for many to hope vpon pardon Moreouer by the place of Machabees treating of the offerings that Iudas made for the sinnes of the dead c. Where these sentences are to be foūd in Luther doth not our Osorius shew vs place nor booke But this must suffice vs for Osorius can not lye Howbeit in mine opinion he seémeth to haue pyked this out of Roffensis or out of the skrappes of some other rather then out of Luthers bookes agaynst the which he will more willingly make a whole volume of Inuectiues then peruse ouer any of them himselfe For so doth Roffensis report of Luther in the very same wordes almost that Osorius doth rehearse here You do say sayth Roffensis in the expositiō of the 37. Arti. that ye beleue there is a Purgatory that you aduise and persuade others to beleue so likewise But much more openly amongest the conclusions In the 15. conclusion I am say you well assured that there is a Purgatory Thus much Roffensis And what will this brawler frame hereof at the length Ergo Luther doth make on our syde for Purgatory So also did Luther being once a Mouncke make for Moncks So did August say that he wrate as one gladd to learne yet being an old man recanted many things that he wrate when he was a young man So also Pope Pius the 2. did not write the same being Pope which being a young man he published before of the councell of Basile And who euer of the most famous and learned men haue so circumspectly and aduisedly framed themselues to wryte in whom age vse or experience hath not supplied oftentimes somewhat afterwardes whereof theyr youthe had no perseueraunce And therefore it mattereth not so much what a man writeth at any tyme but it must be considered of what iudgement he is and how he doth persist and continue therein Wellaway surely may Purgatory sing if it haue no better Proctor to vphold it then Luther But let vs seé how Osorius goeth foreward the cause why Osorius doth cite Luther is not because he geueth any great creditte to his testimony but because he may by this occasion bring his name the sooner into obloquye and withall may make Haddon affrayed to deale any further in Luthers defence by this too forked argumēt or subtil Sophisme so craftely framed of all partes that whether part so euer Haddon shall confesse he shal be ouerthrowen in his owne Trippe For if there be no Purgatory sayth he Luther doth lye if he do lye he was not sent from God and Haddon also doth lye that doh affirme him to be sent from God And here forsooth as though the spurs were wonn Osorius beginneth forthw t to pranck vpp hys Tryumphant pageant Geuing vnto Haddon free choyse to take which part him listeth As though a man might not as easily ouerthrow this challenger with his owne collers here if it might be lawfull in matter of Diuinitye to dally with such quirkes and Sophisticall shiftes
any such thing at any time no more can you make that iustifiable that you doe now by any approued testimony of the scripture or lawfull example of antiquitye But here will some one vrge agayne what did not Melchizedech offer bread and wine then I doe not deny it was he not a Priest Yes surely and a king also For he was both the king of Salem and the Priest of the most high God But he was not therefore a Priest because he did offer bread wine Nor did he geue bread and wine being a King because he would make a sacrifice thereof No more did he offer his presentes vnto God but vnto Abraham neither yet of any priestly duety but of a kingly magnificence moreouer he did not onely geue giftes which was the poynt of a princely hart but he blessed them also which was part of a priestly function For Priestes are wont to blesse men sometime but they do neuer accustome themselues to offer sacrifice to men The wordes of the History are playne and well knowne Therefore lett vs returne to the very springhead and originall according to the â—ounsell of Cyprian if it may please you After the olde TraÌ„slation the wordes be thus Melchizedech King of Salem bringing forth bread and wine for he was the Priest of the highest did blesse him c. Although here be not so muche as a word of Sacrificing Yet in this translatioÌ„ is no litle difference from the very originall whereas chaunging the copulatiue Hebrue sillable for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Moyses expresseth thys sentence after an other sort for he doth vse not the word of Sacrificing but hath Hozia which word what it signifyeth according to the verye naturall proprietye I referre me to the iudgement of the learned After the same maner also doth the chaldean expositor interpret the same And Iosephus an especiall witnesse hereof doth expound it after the same sence For Melchizedech sayth he did Banquet the souldiours of Abraham suffering them to lack nothing necessary for their sustenauÌ„ce and withall inuited Abraham to be a Guest of his owne Table Wherein the courtesy of the King is commended that disdained not to make Abraham a Guest of his owne Table Whereupon you seé that it is most false which they do assume in the Minor touching the oblation of Melchizedech who being both a Pryest and a Type of Christ is not called therefore a Pryest neuerthelesse in the history because he brought forth bread and wine as is declared before But agaynst this is there a strong countermure raysed namely the Authority of the Tridentine councell with a very horrible cursse annexed thundring out after this sort Whosoeuer shall say that the Masse is onely a sacrifyce of prayse and thankesgeuing or a bare memoriall of the Sacrifice performed vpon the Crosse and not a propitiatory sacrifice or that it auayleth to the Receiuer onely and ought not to be offered for the quick and the dead for sinnes for punishmentes satisfactions and other necessityes let him be holdeÌ„ accursed If he shall be holden accursed whosoeuer shall so say surelye the very same haue all the auncient Deuines before mentioned spoken and affirmed All the Doctors especially of the primitiue Church haue both sayd so and taught so neither did the whole Greéke Church almost teach otherwise not exempting out of the same beadroll all the Apostles of Christ no nor Christ himselfe vnlesse perhappes the Tridentine Lordinges will esteéme themselues to be of greater creditt and authoritye then Christ and the Apostles that so it may be lawfull for them to coyne a newfaÌ„gled Gospell wherew t Christ his Apostles were neuer acquainted First what the opinion of the doctors is herein hath bene expressely set downe before Surely Christ himselfe and the Apostle Paule do require nothing els in this celebratioÌ„ but onely a memoriall and an expressing and shewing forth of the Lordes death nor doth seéme to determine vpon any other end of this Sacrament then a remembraunce with a thankesgeuing This do ye sayth Christ in remembraunce of me And Paule deliuering to the Corinthians the same which he receiued of the Lord doth commaund them to shew forth the Lordes death whensoeuer they do celebrate this Supper vntill he come agayne Now I beseéch thee geÌ„tle reader doost thou heare any thing els in these wordes of Christ and his Apostle then the shewing forth of the Lordes death onely And what els will the Tridentine councell exact of vs Forsooth that we shall agayne and agayne offer the sonne of God for a sacrifice to God the Father for the remission of sinnes world without end a sacrifice I say not sacramentall onely but very propitiatorye which may helpe and be profitable not for the receiuer onely but may procure saluation for the quicke the dead also and wh thought to be offred of very necessity for the ease of punishmentes of satisfactions and of all other miseries afflictioÌ„s of this present lyfe But by what authority do they proue this where do they finde this of Christ of his Apostles or of any prescript word of Gods gospell No truly I am not of that mind But why do I demauÌ„d this of theÌ„ what warrant they haue by the word of God Lett it suffice me rather to admonish theÌ„ to beware lest through the selfe same Sacrifice wherewith they iudge themselues able to satisfy for their owne and other mens punishmentes and sinnes without all warrant of Gods word yea rather most wickedly requgnaunt to the expresse word of God they procure and heape vpon themselues lust damnation for this their shamelesse and horrible Idolatrye which they shall neuer be able to redeéme with all their massings and Iuggling Sacrifices It might seéme that we had alleadged sufficiently for thys matter and euicted the controuersy throughly if we were not pestered with such brawlers that dyd not delight rather to contend and striue for theyr owne victory then for the glorye of Christ or with such as would be satisfied with any authoritye of scriptures in the discouery of the truth of the question But they being now pressed downe and quyte ouerthrowen with the multitude of testimonies out of the sacred scripture fleé to the testimonies of men As though Diuinity as Tertullian sayth ought to be valued by the deuises of men or that the touchstone should be tryed by the golde and the golde not by the touchstone or that the course of the Sonne should be apportioned after the will of Iohn Clockekeéper and Iohn Clockekeéper not ruled rather by the course of the Sunne And on this wise now our catholicks bend their force with Testimonyes and Consent The Catholicke Churche hath alwayes hitherto from the age of the Apostles ratified those obseruaunces this doctrine of the sacrifice of the Masse whiche it would neuer haue done vnlesse this doctrine had bene agreable with the
or all the holy ordinaunces and benefices of Ministers But if you vnderstand of the personages of men that is to say of the Ministers themselues and of Byshoppes by whom those holy thynges are frequented If you do exempt those persons from the lawfull gouernement of theyr owne Prince herein you shew your selfe no lesse iniurious to our Queéne then a manifest rebell to S. Paule who geueth a farr other commaundement in the scriptures To witt That euery soule ought to submitt it selfe to the power of their owne Magistrates Upon which place of Paule Chrisostome making an exposition doth so exempt no kinde of people from this subiection that he spareth not to comprehend vnder the gouernement of the higher powers all persons by one law aswell Apostles themselues Prophettes and Euangelistes as Mounkes But lett vs peruse the Argumentes wherewith this gentle and obedient childe of the Popes good grace doth make his wordes warrantable Tell I pray you if you please fayth he where did you euer reade that a Christian Prynce dyd take vpon hym the office of the Pope Truely to confesse the trueth I did heare neuer of any For there was neuer any Christian Prynce so shamelesse to presume to take vpon him so grat a function to professe himselfe to be the head of the vniuersall Church to challenge the prerogatiue of the consistory in common with God and to vsurpe both swordes spirituall and temporall to compell all humayne creatures vpon payne of damnation to sweare him allegeaunce and to yelde all power and authority vnder him And therefore that I may be so bolde to demaund a like question of you in as few wordes I pray you tell vs if it may please you Osorius where did you euer discerne so shamelesse an Impudency in any mortall creature at any tyme that would presume so arrogaÌ„tly to entrude vpoÌ„ the onely possession and inheritauÌ„ce of almighty God and challenge an interest therein in his owne right besides this onely high Byshopp of yours But lett vs heare Osorius how he doth prosecute his argumentes Nay rather all Princes sayth he which did embrace godlynesse and iustice did reuerence the iudgementes of Priestes did obay the Byshoppes without any refusall and did most wiselye accompt it the greatest part of theyr honour to be subiect to theyr commaundementes And because his saying shall not be voyd of creditt for want of examples and witnesses there is vouched agaynst vs Englishmen our owne Countreyman Constantine the singuler ornament of our English Nation The Emperour Theodosius Lodowicke the French Kyng Princes aboue all other most famous All which besides that they were notably renowmed for theyr worthy actes and Princely exploytes yet deserued they not so great commendation and renowme for any one thing more then in that they did shew themselues so humble and obedient to the commaundementes of the Popes We are taught by the rules and principles of the ciuill law that matters of equity are not determinable by examples but by Law what Princes haue done or what they haue not done doth not make so much to the purpose But if right must be decided by law to witt what ought haue bene done I do auÌ„swere that there hath bene many and mighty Monarches whose ouermuch tendernesse and lenity towardes Popes and Byshoppes hath procured the destruction and vtter ruyne of theyr owne esâ—ate and theyr Realmes withall Whenas Rodolph Duke of SwelaÌ„d reuolted against his owne Emperor HeÌ„ry the 4. by the instigation of the Pope what successe his obedience to the Pope came vnto let Historyes report Henry the fifth became a Traytor agaynst the Emperour his owne Father by the procurement of the Pope he did obay the Pope vanquished his Father and famished him in Pryson Osor. is not ignoraunt what ensued vpon that obedieÌ„ce Phillipp the french Prince french Kinges sonne was teazed to lead an army agaynst Iohn King of England by the commaundement of the Pope he obayed and bidd him battell what he wann at the length by that submission obedience besides many miserable calamities appertayneth not for this place to make report There was a truce takeÌ„ with Amurathes the Turkish Emperour for tenn yeares by the HuÌ„garianes not long after league being broken contrary to the law of Armes by the abetting of the Pope Ladislaus King of Hungary is brought forth into the field to encounter with the Turke and ouerthrowen in the conflict In which battell the King was not onely bereft of life but Christendome also lost almost all Hungary withall I could make a great Register of the warres of Henry the 4. and Henry the v. agayne of Fredericke the first Fredericke the secoÌ„d After those of the battell of Ludouicke Prince of Bauiere Fredericke Duke of Austriche withall of the slaughter of many Christian Princes and Dukes But for as much as hath bene treated sufficiently hereof before it shall suffice to haue touched these fewe by the way by comparison whereof the Readers may vnderstand what kynde a thyng this obedience towardes this notorious Seé hath bene which hath bene the nourse of so many treasons conspiracies tumultes and vproares emongest Emperours Kynges Princes and Subiectes and which doth dayly inuade the Christian commoÌ„ weales with horrible outragies doth rende a sunder Ciuill societie doth disturbe the quiet calme of Christes Church with seditious Bulles and cruell curses doth entangle the most mighty Monarches of the world with vnappeasable mutynes vproares tumultes finally doth ouerwhelme the whole state of the world with vnrecouerable perniciousnes destruction dissipation For as it is a neédeles matter to reuiue the remembraunce of the old broyles of the late scattered world which doth flicke fast in our skyrtes yet scarse able to be shaken from the shoulders of all Chistendome euen yesterday almost in the fresh beholdyng of vs that are liuyng what one other grudge did prouoke the late Emperour Charles the v. to inuade the Germaines enflamed the Spaniardes to the bloudy spoyle of so many of their own bowels In EnglaÌ„d likewise what one thing did procure so many rebellions of the subiectes agaynst their liege Lordes Henry the 8. and Edward the 6 What thing teazed Mary the Queéne to so sauadge a cruelty agaynst her owne naturall subiectes rakyng together â—o many Fagottes loades of woodes to the broylyng of so many Martyrs finally what one thyng at this present doth captiuate and deteigne the whole Realme of Fraunce in such an vnentreatable massacre but this Popishe obedience wherewith Princes as Osorius doth suppose do most circumspectly thrust their neckes vnder the Popes gyrdle But I am of a contrary mynde and beleéue veryly that Princes might haue demeaned them selues much more wisely and prudently if in steéde of this childish submissioÌ„ seruile subiectioÌ„ they would with Princely seueritie haue snaâ—â—led the outragious insoleÌ„cy of so shameles arrogaÌ„cy in that proude Prelate folowyng the President of our most gracious
142. Osori ExpositioÌ„ vpoÌ„ the Epistle of S. Paule to the Romaines Pag. 142. Wherin the sauetie of a Christian consisteth accordyng to Osorius Pag. 142. Phil. 3. The true vnderstaÌ„dyng of iustification accordyng to S. Paule Rom. 7. Rom. 4. Rom. 3. Ephes. 2. Pag. 143. Deut. 4. 5. Rom. 2. A double obseruation of the law Deut. 27. Gallat 3. Iames. 2. Galat. 3. Wherefore the law iustifieth not What workes doe signifie by Paule Rom. 4. 5.2 3.7.9.13 The righteousnesse of the Iewes Pag. 143. The fayth and righteousnesse of Abraham Rom. 4. Gene. 15. Rom. 4. The fayth and righteousnesse of Dauid Psal. 142. The righteousnesse of Iob. The fayth and righteousnesse of Paule Phil. 3. The fayth and righteousnesse of Cornelius before god The riche young man in the Gospell The Pharisie praying in the temple Nathaniell the true Israelite The scope of Paules disputation to the Romaines Workes of the Ceremoniall and Morall law both are excluded froÌ„ IustificatioÌ„ Osori doth take the workes excluded froÌ„ Iustification for the Ceremonies of the law Pag. 142. â— 140. â— Fayth hath no place almost with Osorius Pag. 143. Osori obiection confuted Osori doth erre in the rules of Logicke Osori Paralogisme from the insufficient enumeration of partes The Ceremonies of the law very hardly abrogated in the primitiue church Actes 15. The morall law abrogated not in respect of the vse but in respect of IustificatioÌ„ Psal. 142. Galat. 3. Rom. 4. Osori Iudgement of IustificatioÌ„ The fruite of good workes betwixt the Papistes Protestates to be wayed indifferently The markes of true righteousnesse among the Papistes An exhortatioÌ„ to the Readers The prayse of Cicero and other auÌ„cieÌ„t Philosophers discoursing vpoÌ„ vertue The difference betwene Morall and Christian Philosophy The end of Christian Philosophie Whom Osorius doth chiefly imitate Vertue to be embraced of all men True innocencie in mankynde loste long sithence Osor. obiection coÌ„futed By what meanes we doe recouer true innocencie Psal. 31. How the grace of God doth geue righteousnes to men Bern. in Sermo 23. super Cant. Basil. in Psal. 32. Orig. ad Rom. Lib. 9. Cap. 12. Aug. Epi. 105. Ad Sixtum BauÌ„l in Psal. 32. Aug. de Ciuit Lib. 19. Cap. 27. Aug. Retra Lib. 1 Cap. 19. Ierome Our saluation consisteth not in our owne righteousnesse but in the free mercy of God Iob. Euen the most perfect workes of men of no valew with God Paule Dauid August in Psal. 94. Ier. in Esay Cap. 64. Luther defended agaynst Osorius Osori pag. 141. Cicer. Tuscul Lib. 3. Osori accuseth Luther to be an Epicurean Pag. 141. How absurdely Osorius doth coÌ„pare Luther with Epicurus Osorius Rom. 3. Luther falsely accused to bee the Authour of wicked boldnesse The opinioÌ„ of SchoolemeÌ„ and Papistes touchyng the waye of righteousnes is false wicked Hosius Osorius Rosfenfiâ— against Luther Congruum CoÌ„dignum Conueniencie and worthynes Pag. 141. â— â— Thess. 5. Osori ibid. Oâ—or cauill agaynst the Lutherans workes A threefold lye of Osorius Disablyng of workes DesperatioÌ„ ConfideÌ„ce After what maner Luther teacheth Confidence and DesperatioÌ„ and how not Pag. 141. marg The marke of Osorius accusation coÌ„sidered Pag. 145. Two lyes vttered by Osorius Onely faith doth Iustâ—tie The testimonies of most auncient writers touchyng Onely Fayth An Argument from the propositioÌ„ exponent to the exclusiue The vocable Onely Ambr. in 1. Cor. 1. Chrisost. in Epist. Paul ad Galat. Cap. 3. Chrisosto Homel 4. in Timoth. Basil. in Homel De Humilit Basil. in Psal. 32. Theophil in Epist. ad Rom. Cap. 3. Thom. Aquin in 1. Tim. 1. Lect. 3. Rom. 3. Pag. 145. Osori his Obiection framed out of the Epistle to the Galat. Cap. 5. The Aunswere Bernarde Rom. 2. The summe of Paules disputation compreheÌ„ded in one Syllogisme Gallat 3. Rom. 4. Galat. 2. Right of inheritauÌ„ce is not promised to workes as Paul affirmeth Osori takeÌ„ tardy That is â—o say a scourger Fallacia a dicto secunduÌ„ quid ad Simpliciter Fallacia a non Causa vt Causa Fayth doth iustifie both the persons and the workes Pag. 141. 146. A double lye made by Osorius Pag. 146. Workes are not examined a part by theÌ„ selues in gods IudgemeÌ„t Tit. 3. Collos. 2. Rom. 3. Dauid terrified with the terrour of the law Pag. 146. Osor. obiection in the behalfe of righteousnes by workes agaynst righteousnes of faith Rom. 2. 2. Cor. 5. Iohn 5. Pag. 146. Collos. 3. Iohn 11. The Obiection coÌ„futed Fallacia a noÌ„ causa vt causa The words of Christ expounded The person accepted not for the workes sake but the workes for the persons sake An Obiection The Aunswere * Pag. 146. The words of Christ not wel vnderstoode but crookedly wrested by Osorius Osor. fallax a Concreto ad Abstractum Mercy forgeueth our ill deedes Imputation acknowledgeth our well doynges for good An other ObiectioÌ„ of Osorius In what wise Osori doth ascribe SaluatioÌ„ of Gods mercy Hosius August de temp 49. August de Spirit Liter Cap. 33. Basil. in Psal. 32. Ephes. 1. In what thyng our redemption chiefly consisteth Remission Bernard Serm. 23. in Cant. August in prima quinquagena in Prolog Psal. 31. ImputatioÌ„ The defeéco of mercy doth not abolish Iustice Ill workes whom they do condeÌ„ne and whom not Iohn 3. How christ is called a Iudge how a Redemer Luce. 21. Iohn 5. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 1. Gods iudgement two fold according to August De Consens Euang Lib. 2. Cap. 30. The Innocencie of Christ is the righteousnesse of Christians Gods Imputation in respect of Christ and in respect of vs. Of the reckonyng to be made in the last Iudgement The diuersitie of theÌ„ which shal reÌ„der an accompt is distinguished In Osorius writynges order wanteth and in distinguishyng thinges Methode Accordyng to workes For the works sake Osori doth deny that good works to followe Luthers fayth Pag. 146. What maner of workes doe follow Osori fayth Pag. 146. Luthers fayth yeldeth no good workes accordyng to Osorius Pag. 146. Ibidem The fayth and workes of Osorius A shewe of Osorius fayth Iohn 6. Iohn 1. 3. Math. 9. Math. 8. Mar. 5. A comparison betwixt the fayth of Osorius and Luthers Fayth The righteousnesse of sayth accordyng to the Scriptures Osori doth neuer name in his booke this worde ImputatioÌ„ A playne demonstration that Osori geueth small credite to the wordes of Christ. 2. Thess. 2. Apoc. 13. Pag. 146. Osori doth discusse the sayth of Luther Note here the cauill of Osorius The doctrine of Luther touchyng good workes Rom. 14. Aug. in prima quinqua gena ex Prologo Psal. 31. August Workes are not in any other respect accoÌ„pted for good in the sight of god then in respect of Christ thorough faith Good workes are Iustified by fayth Pag. 146. The Argument recoyleth backe vpon Osor. him selfe Pag. 146. Pag. 147. Osori Argument faultie in the forme A twosold kyngdome of Sinne. Rom. 6. The substaunce of the Argument is discussed Iob Esay Dauid Daniell
say that he vttereth nothing purely nothing playnely nothing pitthily nothing substancially or with good grace if any man els besides Osorius should speake this perhappes he might be credited But as now what shall any discrete or indifferēt man iudge of your opiniō herein for what merucile is it if a mā practise by all meanes possible to deface the credite of the Aduersary agaynst whom he writeth And yet here men may easily seé that as you haue no great stoare of modesty discretion so you are not ouerladen with the rules principles of Rhetorick For the skilfull in Rhetoricke are wont to extoll and aduaunce the power excellency of the Aduer agaynst whō they mayntaine quarrell to th end to make thēselues more famous thereby if happely they gett the victory I come now to that part of thaccusacion which concerneth the forme and phrase of hys style wherein I cannot but wonder enough at your exceeding childish pardō me I pray you Osor. and more then womanishe malepartnes for in this sorte hoyes wont to brawle for nuttes And women as Ierome reporteth when they are a goshipping speake ill of them that are absent and crake lustely ouer men as if they were stronger then they you take it to be a goodly matter to resemble Cicero in Eloquence and finesse of phrase or at least to come very neere it And think it not inough to treate of Christ of the Gospell of holy thinges and sacred religion aptely soundly and learnedly vnlesse a man paynt it out with the glorious brauery of Ciceroes Eloquence And bicause Haddons style doth not rayse it selfe to Ciceroes loftynes sufficiently as you Iudge therfore he is not accompted worthy to sitte amongst the punyes no nor yet fitt to be a scholler in Ciceroes schoole as one that vttereth nothing purely nothing playnly nothīg pitthily nothīg loftely c. whē wise men I say shall read these words of yours this your Iudgemēt cōcerning Haddō how will they esteéme of you in their secret conceiptes think you Will they smile in their sleaues at this your folly or will they laugh openly at it will not all men clapp their hands and spitt at that singuler inhumanity of thys Portugall wrangler will they not abhorre his detestable shamelessenesse for why do ye say that Haddon speaketh nothing purely nothing playnly c. is there anye man that hath euer read any of Haddons writinges so vnshamefast besides Osorius onely that would say so Are yee nothing ashamed of this your so manifest vanity Are ye so altogether dispoyled of feéling of modesty and humanity as you are barraine in scriptures and voyde of Iudgement that whereas ietting at your own shadow you can be contented so bountifully to bestow the best and the fayrest vpon your selfe that ye will finde in your hart to empart nothing but poore ragges to others For to confesse in deede that Haddon did not reache to that grace and dexteritie of phrase that was in Cicero Will ye therefore yelde him no commendation of the latine style nor so much as anye meane knowledge therin nor yet will suffer him in your cōpany to beare the name of a poore scholler in Ciceroes schoole And who hath made you vsher I pray you or pepositour of Ciceroes schoole that no man may be admitted into that fellowship vnles you allowe of hym And yet in respect of this friuolous title what matter maketh who beare the name But what kynde of discourtesy is this so to embase Haddon of all ornamentes of an artificiall Rhethorician so to throw him down amongest the Apsy boyes as to leaue him nothing but babishnes and stammering of speache and withall condemne hym for so doltish and rascall a wryter that yee cannot choose but meruayle also what collpixe had so bewitched hym to make him a writer But ye ought to haue marueled at this O meruelous man in others rather and posted ouer this taunting check to them rather ouer many of whose pelting workes are flowne abroad out of your cloysters into the worlde so Mosy vnsauory harshe vnpleasaunt that the learned are enforced many tymes to turne ouer their stomackes in reading thē the vnlearned suck nothing out of them but smoake and puddle In which notwithstanding I would not be so squeimish at their rudenes barbarous grossenesse of speach if euen in their most excellent writinges they might be found to cary any resemblaunce of any sound doctrine or sauoring of wholesome knowledge at the least and were not more disorderous in the substance of the matters then they are grosse of speache For otherwise as concerning that exquisite excellency of Eloquence for asmuch as neyther Cicero that graund captayne of Eloquence himselfe doth at all times speak so exquisitely neither forceth so much if it be not altogether artificiall in a Philosopher so that his maners and doctrine be substanciall what cause is there to the contrary but if there be some defect thereof in a deuine that he may as well beé borne withall so that the simplicitie of hys speach agree with the truth and be cleare from barbarous grossenesse and so that the want of Eloquence be supplyed with the soundnes of the truth But as now how vnreasonable is your communication Osorius that can so courteously allow of those your vnsauory and vnpleasaunt Ianglers and shew your self so whotte a Censor against Haddon onely as that ye affirme him to write nothing eloquently nor yet able to expresse his meaning any thing playnely But yet truely whereunto soeuer Haddon is fitte or vnfitte or whatsoeuer Haddon can do or cannot do This is most certayne and true That the want of Eloquence is not the matter that rubbes you on the gall so extremely Haddon is not therfore expelled from Ciceroes Colledge because he cannot expresse Ciceroes finesse liuely enough which your selfe cannot do more finely though ye would burst asunder Osorius But there is an other thing yea an other thing in deede there is an other padde in the straw for who cannot easily perceiue out of what puddle this bubling froathe doth issue and whereunto this tendeth that Haddō may not seeme worthy to be named a Ciceroniane not because he is not a Ciceroniane but bicause he is not a Romayne not because he writeth scarse plainely nor connīgly with the Orator of Rome but bicause he taketh not part with the Bishop of Rome because he will not blindfolde himselfe with Osorius not because he doth not sufficiently expresse the elegancy of the Romanes eloquence but because he would attempt his penne agaynst Osorius and against the doctrine of Rome and take vpon him to fauour the cleare veritie of the gospell and apply his minde to the defence of true religion hereupon ariseth the reproche of the stammering tongue of the childish speach and of the vnskilfull style In the which I cannot well conceaue the meaning of Osor. For if according to this rule all wryters that do not attayne the cleane and