certaine external meanes and helpes are required yet those moue vs nothing without the working of Gods holy spirit And he much misliketh of them that teach that our faith must rest vpon that point That we beleue that the church is true or cannot erre For therevpon he gathereth this absurditie that our faith should be grounded vpon the truth not of God but of man He also plainly affirmeth that if a man should aske how the faithfull do know that God hath reuealed that which they beleeue they cannot answere by the authoritie of the Church but it is by the inward light of Gods spirit that they know the same If now thou aske me how I know the Scriptures to be the Scriptures I answere out of Canus not by the authority of the Church but by the motion of Gods spirit and witnesse thereof If thou vrge that place of Augustine Canus telleth thee that they who are become Christians are not so brought to beleeue the Scriptures but onely Infidels and Nouices in religion So that this place serueth nothing to obiect against vs who professe Christianitie alreadie and beleeue the worde which the Manichies did not of whom and to whom Saint Augustine there writeth But we had neede out of that place to admonish you that in respect of that reuerence which with one consent al that professe Christianitie doe yeeld vnto the scriptures you would be ashamed so to depraue and despise them so to abuse and reiect them at your owne pleasure as you alwayes haue done You make vnlawfull that which God hath mad lawfull as for example It was lawfull in the Apostles time for euerie Priest Dion Carth. 1. Tim. 3. Bishop and Deacon to haue one wife but now by the appointment of the Pope they may not haue a wife sayth a friend of your owne a bird of your owne nest So that not the scripture or the will of God but the worde of the Pope must be the rule of our life so that whereas Augustine for the Church beleeued the scriptures you for your Churches sake controll the scriptures and disobey them And for the establishing of that vndue honour which they would bestow vpon the most happie mother of Christ the virgin Mary Marke the boldnesse of Durand a great piller in the Popish Church Rathon◠di◠li. 4. rub 6. who writeth thus Although it is said in the Scriptures that Christ rising did first appeare to Marie Magdalen yet it is more truly beleeued that first of all he appeared to his mother Is it not plaine how that to establish their foolish toyes he giueth the lie to that word that is onely true O grosse boldnesse Seeing therefore this worde hath not onely testimonie within vs which is the strongest witnesse but also with so great consent is knowne to be Gods worde be ashamed now to call it into question or to put it to the triall of the Church by which the Papists alwaies vnderstand the Romish Church whether it shal be allowed for currant or not For in deede this blasphemous sense which as I haue shewed euen their owne friends can in no wise like of is now the cōmon exposition of those words of S. Aug. I will not beleeue the scriptures vnlesse the Church of Rome do allow the Bookes for Canonicall and expound them as she shall thinke good And thus much to answer this their common obiection What the Catholike Church is that is mentioned in the Creede CHAP. 6 THE PROTESTANTS VVE say with the Apostle Saint Paul that the catholike church which is spoken of in the Creede s. Tim. 3. Is the house of God the pillar and ground of truth And with the fathers that it is the companie of all the faithfull of all times and of all places And with Saint Iohn The Bride of the Lambe Apoc. 21 9. and the bodie of Christ And therefore that the wicked and faithlesse are not of this Church nor can be counted of this companie THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome to get a Catholike Church admit good and bad to be of their Church namely reprobates wicked Bellar. de Eccle. li. 3. cap. 2. and vngodly ones Neither do thinke that they neede any inward vertue to bee of their Church but onely that they professe religion and be vnder the Pope Well may they in some sort seeme to haue a Catholike Church because all is fish that comes into their net but holy apostolike it shal not be nor Catholike as in the Creed is meant Wherein this is worthie to be reproued in them that whereas they crie out in worde and writing The Catholike church of Rome and vnlesse you beleeue the Catholike Church you cannot be saued And for proofe hereof they alledge this article I beleeue the Catholike church yet when they should tell vs what this Catholike church is wherevnto we must so necessarily be subiect they onely paint vnto vs I know not what Romish Church The catholike church in the Creed and the Romish contrary which is no more like the true Catholike church than that church of Israel when it was started aside from the true worship of God was like to the true church of God that remained amongest the people of the Iewes as by these few reasons may appeare The catholike church is One One that is to say one companie and vnited and knit togither by one spirite and the selfe same graces but the reprobate and vngodly who fill vp a place in the Romish catholike church neither are one company with the Saints nor vnited to them by the same spirit and graces to be partakers of the communion of Saints Therefore that catholike and the Romish catholike Church are not all one Secondly that Church is Holy Holy and that not in part but perfectly euen without spot or wrinckle Ephe. 5.26.27 For in our Creed we doe not speake of the church that is but that shal be not that which we see with our eye but by faith not that which is perfected but hoped for which we shall not in deede behold with our eyes Reuel 21 vntill it come downe from heauen as saint Iohn speaketh of the heauenly Ierusalem Apoc. 11 which as witnesseth saint Ambrose doth represent the Church that shall bee after the ende of the world Apoc. 21 Of which minde is also saint Augustine But the Romish catholike church is of omnigatheroms as people goe to faires or markets of all sorts and qualities And although a man haue not one good thing in him not one crum of honestie hee is good enough to make vp a number in the Church of Rome but such a church is not holy and therefore not that that is mentioned in the Creede Thirdly that church is catholike Catholike that is as all the godly haue acknoledged it the mother of all Christians the companie of all the saints both in heauen and vpon earth But the Romish catholike church receiueth
also that they may be visible If he meane it of the catholike Church which is the thing in question why is hee afrayed to say so Surely euen his owne conscience tolde him that of all the arguments that he hath in that place there is not one out of which he may conclude That the Catholike Church catholike I say in that sense that I haue proued it to bee taken in the Creede is or can bee visible to vs in this world And therefore craftily he leaueth the question and falleth to other matters I therefore see no cause why I may not truely and boldly conclude Apoc. 21 2 9 that that Heauenly Ierusalem and bride of the Lambe that spouse of Christ mentioned in the Apocalips which in deed Saint Iohn sawe but by vision onely is the same catholike church that we speake of in the Creede but whilest wee wander here wee can not see it but by faith onely But when Christ our head and captaine shall haue put downe all rule and all authoritie and power 1. Cor. 15.24 then shall the glorie of the Church in deede appeare then shall shee be exalted aboue the mountaines In Apoc. Hom. 18 as Saint Augustine confesseth Yea then shall the Church be made perfectly catholike when no member shall be wanting vnto it Then shall the godly not by faith as now but euen with their renued eyes see her and her beautie The Church here militant vpon the earth may erre CHAP. 8 THE PROTESTANTS ALthough that part of the catholike Church which is alreadie entred into her Masters ioy Mat. 25.21 cannot erre yet this part that is here vpon the earth because it consisteth of men who are subiect to infirmities neither are they endued with the spirit but in some measure neither is it conuersant or remaining but in the vally not of misery only but of ignorance also it therfore may be subiect vnto errors for a time although it shall neuer be quite ouercome of the same For their errors shall be either of small importance or short cōtinuance THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome would make vs beleeue their garden wil bring forth no weedes And that the ignorant might with reuerence receyue and beleeue whatsoeuer they say with great confidence they sound it euerie where that the church of Rome cannot erre And by the church they doe not meane all for they will not so much esteeme of the lay people but the Bishops yea the Pope himselfe although hee but one man yea and many times a most vile and lewde man yet they will in no wise that hee may erre speaking iudicially in matters of fayth Now for the Arguments whereby they would vphold their errour the first sort is grounded vpon some places of Scripture wrested and abused for their purpose as when the Scriptures promise the assistance of Gods spirit to teach vs or direct vs. And of these some are more particular than other Argument Luke 22.32 Christ said to Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy faith should not fail therfore Peter could not erre And if Peter could not erre neither his successours as they surmise Ver. 57 58 60 Answere And yet verie soone after the very same Apostle did not denie onely his maister and that three times but also began to curse and sweare that he knew him not Mat. 26.74 Shall we then say that Christ was not so good as his promise God forbid Christ therefore prayed not that Peter might not erre at all or that his faith might not any thing faint but that it might not altogether faile Or to vse the wordes of Theophilact Theo. Lu. 22 That if the leafe of his faith did fall yet the roote should not die Christs prayer therefore was not that Peter should not erre but that he should not continue in errour and so it preuailed And therefore here is no priuiledge for the church of Rome or the Pope that they may not erre because wee see Peter himselfe had no such priuiledge Neither was this prayer of Christs for Peter onely as is most plaine by the Euangelist saint Iohn Iohn 17.20 I pray not for them onely but for all that through them shall beleeue in my name It was therefore for all the Apostles yea for all the beleeuers Although Christ spake there particularly to Peter as Theophilact sayth perchaunce because he was bolder than the rest In Luke 22 and proude because of that was said vnto him And by this that hath beene said appeareth the answere to the other places of the scripture that seeme more generall Argument When Christ promiseth to giue vs his spirit to teach vs and direct vs they inferre therefore the church cannot erre Answere Wherein they commit two absurdities First in robbing a great number of Gods people of that comfort that belongeth vnto them in that they make the promises which generally belong to all the faithfull to be spoken but to some few for by the church they vnderstand either the pope or the bishops Secondly that they beare the world in hand that Christ prayed for that which he did not or that he promiseth vs that which he neuer meant or that he spake of such perfection as it is vnpossible men should attaine vnto Yea In Iohn 16 Theophilact in my iudgement most notablie sheweth that when Christ had promised to send the holy Ghost which should lead into al truth least any body should thereby imagin that the holy Ghost is greater than Christ if it can make vs partakers of greater and mo things than Christ can he addeth Hee shall not speake of himselfe that is he shall speake nothing of his owne but that is mine For he that sayth he shall speake whatsoeuer he hath hard doth signifie that he shal teach nothing but that which Christ hath taught And these are the verie wordes of Theophilact whereby he doth not onely say that the holy Ghost can adde nothing of his owne to that which Christ hath taught and so may not bring into the church any new doctrines as the church of Rome doth vnder this colour but also that it is a diminishing of Christs glorie and a preferring of the holy Ghost before Christ to suppose that the holy Ghost can or may teach any thing in Gods church that hath not bin taught by Christ himselfe Wherin he mightily beateth downe that proude bragge of the church of Rome wherby they seeke to exempt themselues from all errour because they falsely chalenge vnto themselues that their doctrines and traditions are vnwritten verities and to be beleeued as well as Gods worde as comming from this spirit whereas they are nothing consonant to that which Christ taught and therefore the spirite had no commission to teach the same Yea in vaine they say they are directed by Gods spirite when as they teach that that Gods spirit neither can nor will teach because Christ hath not taught it before Neither doe
only them that acknowledge the bishop of Rome to be their head If then they dare not affirme the pope to be the head of them that are in heauen I trust they will not from henceforth charge vs to be iniurious to the church of Rome if we affirme it not to bee the true catholike church If they reply that the church may bee called catholike in other respects than in that only which I haue mentioned I graunt it But the question amongst vs in deed is whether the church of Rome be the true catholik church which euen by our creed we are bound to beleeue Which the papists affirm therfore would haue the world to imagine that we despise the catholike church which is mentioned in the creede when we vpon iust causes depart from that Romish church which hath set it selfe these many yeares against Gods church As for the principal arguments wherby they would proue that they say do nothing touch the catholike church which is the thing in question but only the state of the church in this life and therefore are not worthie the repeating But among other absurdities which they are forced to grant for to defend this their vntrue assertion this is blasphemous although they all defend it That some of the members of Christes bodie shal not be saued As though there were not vertue inough in Christ to quicken all them that are grafted into him whereas in truth He that hath the sonne hath life That is also absurd that if the wicked and reprobate bee of the church of Christ as they say theÌ„ they are members of two bodies for they are of the church malignant as they must needs confesse which is as false as that one hand may belong to two men Lastly how absurd is it that the catholike church should acknowledge the Pope for her head Shee is a citie or house she can therefore haue but one foundation shee is a fruitfull Vine shee can haue but one roote she is a Doue she can haue but one mate shee is Christs bodie she can haue but one head shee is the Lambs bride she can haue but one husband The fouÌ„dation of this house the roote of this Vine the mate of this Doue the head of this bodie Eph. 1. 5. the husbande of this wife is Christ Although most impudently the Bishop of Rome and most blasphemously doe take vppon him to be the husbande to that wife also C. quoniam de Immunitate 6. or else to take Christs wife from him We saith hee being vnwilling to neglect the vpright dealing or iustice of vs and of the Church our spouse What greater blasphemie than this can there be Saint Paule sayeth 2. Cor. 11.2 I haue prepared you for one husbande not for two and he nameth him to be Christ who though he bee absent yet is he also present absent in flesh but present in power and spirite and so will he bee alwayes with his Math. 28.20 Iho. 14.16.17.18 euen vnto the end of the worlde So that the church hath no neede of that ministeriall head that cannot bee but in one place at one time seeing Christes spirit is his Vicar in his church Ter. prescipt which can be in all places at once as the church is scattered in many places through the whole world That the catholike Church mentioned in the Articles of our beliefe is not visible or to be seene CHAP. 7 THE PROTESTANTS BEcause the Catholike Church mentioned in the Creed is that heauenly Ierusalem that is mother of vs all Gal. 4.26 and comprehendeth as S. Augustine saith not onely that part that wandreth vpon earth Enchir. ca. 56. froÌ„ the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same but that also that is in heauen And the company of Christians for the time in earth is not the vniuersall Church but is only a smal part therof In the preface to his booke of Images as Sander a papist coÌ„fesseth It followeth that that Church which is spoken of in the Creed is not that small flocke that waÌ„dreth here in this world And so consequently that that catholike Church because the farre greatest part thereof is in heauen and so not to be seene cannot bee seene of vs. And for that cause are wee taught to say I beleeue the holy Catholike Church but things that are seene are not nay cannot be beleeued For faith is the ground of things that are hoped for Heb. 11.1 and the euidence of things that are not seene Therefore either must we denie I beleeue the holy Catholike Church to be an Article of our faith or else must it bee confessed that the Catholike Church is inuisible THE PAPISTS BVt that whorish Romish Church which hath nothing to commend hir but an outward painting that consisteth of worldly glory wher as the glory of Christs true spouse is chiefly inward and a shew of succession in the chaire of them that were knowne to be good men Psal 45 5â— but not in their faith and godlinesse least that men should seeke to know the Church by the word which is that only infallible mark that our sauior Christ giueth Iohn 10.3 4 5.27 Ephe. 2.20 De vnitate Eccles cont Petil. ca. 10 and likewise Saint Paule to the Ephesians and Saint Augustine doeth highly commend the same so that if hee erre from the true Church seeing Christ hath giuen him so good a marke of her he confesseth himselfe to bee too blame for it Least that I say men should occupie them selues in this word written seeking to finde the Church there this seducing sinagogue doth beare vs in hand that the true Church must be glorious to the eye and easie to be seene and that there is no other Catholike Church but such a one And then they knowe that there is not in all the worlde such a one that maketh so faire a shewe to bee found but onely that of Rome which is liuely described by Saint Iohn Reuel 17. in the Apocalips And although this is a common principle in the Catholike Church and in euery bodies mouth That the Catholike church is visible which Campion in his third reason and Turrian against Sadeel Camp rat 3. doe manifestly affirme Yet I know not how it commeth to passe that euen the greatest pillars of poperie do not so much as define the Catholike church and deale as I thinke in this question verie fearefully as may appeare not onely by Melchior Canus in his fourth booke Loc. Theolo de eccle milit â—â— b. 3. cap. 12. but especially by Belarmine who appointing a whole Chapter for proofe of this point yet dareth not in the verie title of the Chapter set downe that is in question that is to say that the catholike Church is visible for so they say but onely this is the title of that chapter that the Church is visible Which if he meane it of particular Churches we say
But themselues thinke it only at certaine times vnlawful Admit it be so If they wil not goe in the rancke with the old heretickes let it then be an heresie deuised in such sort as now it is by popish heretickes De violandis virginibus For if heresie be Whatsoeuer sauoureth against the truth although it be euen an olde custome as Tertullian very wel defineth it then doubtles this popish forbidding of certaine meats for conscience sake wil be found heresie For the truth saith that they who commaunde to abstaine from meates which God hath created to bee receiued with giuing of thankes 2. Tim. 4.1.2.3 depart from the faith giue heede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of diuels and that they speake lies through hipocrisie and haue their consciences burned with an hote iron But the church of Rome teacheth that this is a catholike doctrine a sounde religion And they that teach it are good catholickes The church of Rome then sauoureth against the truth as in manie other articles so in this also and therefore it is hereticall But I knowe their answere that Saint Paul speaketh against the Eâ—bionites Tatianites and such heretickes as did vtterlie condemne flesh as an vncleane thing of it selfe It is true hee doth so but not against them onlie but rather against the popish heresie than against anie other And that for these reasons First the circumstance of the time moueth me to it 1. Tim. 4.1 For he saith that these men shal be in the latter time Nowe it were absurde to thinke that he that speaketh heere by the spirite of prophesie of this false doctrine should account for the latter times the times of those heretickes the world induring so long after as now it hath done And Ebion that was the first as I remember that deuised that heresie liued in the daies of the apostle and did sow his seede of that heretical doctrine verie soone after the apostles death Yea and Tatian also taught the same heresie about some seuentie yeares after Saint Paul If therefore had saint Paul ment of that heresie especially he woulde neuer haue pointed so farre as to haue tolde vs of the latter daies but rather woulde haue said that it were at hande The apostle therefore had respect chieflie to more dangerous heretickes than they were that could carry the matter more cunninglie than wholy to condemne the creature His wordes also are verie plaine if wee marke them well For he doth not saie that they shal condemne or dispraise meates which God hath made which was the heresie of those olde heretickes But they shall commaunde others to abstaine from them to refuse them not to receiue them and this is flat the heresie of the papists And the apostle confuting this heresie doeth not commend the goodnesse or purenesse of the creature as it had beene needefull for him to haue done if hee had chieflie ment his wordes against them but hee sheweth the lawful vse of the creature that it is to bee receiued and it is not to be refused Which especially armeth vs against the Romish infection for to speake as Saint Ambrose doeth vppon these wordes Ambrose vpon these words When such doctrines are hearde we maie knowe the diuel hath deuised them Thirdly the apostle seemeth to haue regard vnto such as shoulde teach the doctrine vnto that ende that some in his daies did among the Colossians to put some religion in these outward and bodily exercises exhorting them thus Touch not tast not handle not which all perish with the vsing Coloss 2.21.22 and are after the commaundements and doctrines of men And thefore the apostle saith by and by after 1. Tim. 4.8 that Bodily exercise profiteth little Amongst which bodily exercises saint Ambrose counteth fasting And thus in deed doe the papists vse their fasts thinking that a little pinching of their body should satisfie for their sinnes Against which foolish persuasion it is a sufficient confutation to saie with the apostle Coloss 2.16 Let no man iudge you in meates and drinke Let no man thinke you worse for eating or better for not eating Rom. 14.17 1. The. 5.22 For the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnes and peace and ioie in the holy ghost Now I cannot but maruel seeing the apostle willeth vs to abstaine from all appearance of euil what is the reason that our aduersaries wil come so neere those heretical opinions which are so condemned by the godly of al ages Iohn 4.24 and doe not rather seeke to worship in spirite and truth as our sauiour Christ telleth vs we must doe than to put any holinesse in these external obseruances which wee see so many heretickes haue delighted in I would therefore exhort our aduersaries to be more wise in that point for they get them an euil name by hauing so great a smacke of such corrupt opinions and haue had lucke in the choice of their obseruances wherein they notwithstanding repose a great piece of holines For those two things wherein they suppose they commend themselues very much vnto the world which is forbidding of marriage to some sort of men and meates at some times to al and at al times to some men doe most euidently bewray their superstitious religion Wherein they are not only noted before of the apostle and pointed at to be had teachers but also almost al those heretickes that condemned flesh as vnholy were also enemies to marriage as in part at the least the papists are And thus whilest they will seeme more holy then others in not vsing holily and with thankes giuing Gods good ordinance and creatures they come so neare those prophane and wicked heretikes that haue gone before them that al good men take them to be a branch out of that roote and water of the same spring Bellar. de bonis operibus in part li. 2. cap. 5. But what arguments haue they to iustifie this their doctrine Master Bellarmine can affoorde vs but one that maketh any shewe of proofe that flesh is more vnlawfull to be eaten than other meates and that but a simple one Dan. 10.3 It is out of Daniel where he saieth I haue not eaten any pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth Master Bellarmines arguments are like to fruit that sheweth faire at the first but is rotten at the heart For what can hee prooue out of this Daniel abstained from flesh therefore no man that will chastice his body must eate flesh First that that Daniel did is no lawe to vs because it is not commanded vnto vs. Secondly he did it but for a time namely for three weekes what is this to prooue that it must be a continuall lawe for fasting He did it voluntarily what warrant can that be to force other men to it But to come to the very point I would aske of our aduersaries whether they thinke that Daniel commendeth vnto vs his fast in that
lay people And still there are that in corners seeke to perswade ignorant men and women that there can be almost no greater daunger vnto their soules than to reade the scriptures Wherein they shew themselues to be nothing of the minde of Phillip Acts 8.31 35 who forbade not the Eunuch to reade the scripture but taught him neither like to the fathers of the church some hundreds of yeares after Christ whose care was to exhort and drawe the people to the diligent reading of the same And whosoeuer they are that with diligence humilitie and prayer doe continue in the reading of the scriptures as wee see in sundry by experience shall be able in reasonable manner to auoyde and passe through those sixe impediments that I before alleaged out of Bellarmine and shall haue mindes exercised as the Apostle to the Hebrewes speaketh Cap. 5.14 and that not without great fruit to discerne good and euill And thus wee may see how litle the fathers make for that which the church of Rome teacheth in this point For the fathers say thus The scriptures are hard therefore you must reade them diligently The church of Rome cleane contrary The scriptures are hard therefore you must not reade them Therefore let vs detest as a most pestilent position that daungerous doctrine of the church of Rome knowing that whosoeuer be hee neuer so ignorant with reuerent reading seeketh to finde and with deuout prayer asketh knowledge of God shall finde much knowledge and comfort in his godly and christian exercise For Hieron ps 147. The word of God is most fat and fertile It hath in it all delicates And thus to conclude seeing the scriptures onely are Gods word and they are so sufficient and plentifull that in them the hungry may haue foode the poore treasure the rich direction the sicke physicke the whole diet the sorrowfull comfort the ignorant knowledge and the foolish true wisedome to be short seeing there for all wants we finde a remedy and seeing that rule is so true that it cannot deceiue so straight that it can not be crooked so constant to it selfe that it changeth not lastly seeing it is so easie that by diligence and prayer the godly may not learne onely but grow and increase daily from knowledge to knowledge let vs account them as deadly enemies to our soules who seeke to drawe vs from this sufficient and certaine written word of God to the doctrines or traditions of men what glorious names soeuer they giue them What shall wee then account of the popish crew that are not ashamed to teach the Scriptures to be daungerous because euill men abuse them so doth the drunkard drinke the glutton meate the prowd apparell the couetous riches and the euill men all Gods graces yet all these thinges are good and so is Gods word holy and vndefiled But nowe to the second point That only the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament are this written word or Scriptures CHAP. 5 THE PROTESTANTS SEing that the rule of the Catholike faith must be knowen De verbo dei lib. 1. cap. 2. and certaine for if it be not knowen it can not be a rule vnto vs if not certaine it is no rule at all as Bellarmine hath very wel noted only those scriptures which we according to the ancient vse of the Primitiue church and the common consent of those purer times do call Canonicall are that sure rule that can not deceiue for therefore haue they that name because they are for triall of doctrines as the rule or line for triall of workes it is certain that no other word can be that infallible word of God certaine rule of faith and religion but only the Canonical Scriptures These onely haue beene of the godly Fathers accounted to haue beene written by those whom God indued with his spirite for that cause Concil Laodicenum ca. 59. Hieron ad Paulinum prologo Galeato Out of these onlie the Fathers permit matters of controuersie to bee tried And in expounding of these that wee call Canonicall they haue bestowed their godly labours yea and them onely to bee certaine and such as were neuer doubted of among Catholike men De verbo dei lib. 1. cap. 4. Bellarmine himselfe confesseth and it is a ground or principle acknowledged of all men THE PAPISTS NOtwithstāding this name Canonicall which the ancient fathers haue giuen to these Scriptures onely to testify that they are only the certaine canon and rule of faith notwithstanding also such preheminence and excellency Bellarm. de verbo Dei li. 1. ca. 2. compared with that cap. 4. as not the Fathers onely but themselues also doe yeelde vnto the Canonicall scriptures to be of all other the most certaine rule and most infallible touchstone in all matters of controuersie the Councel of Trent is not ashamed to commaund and that vnder paine of beeing accursed to receiue these bookes that are contained in the Bible with like reuerence and deuotion and to make them of as good credite as the canonicall Scripture I say euen those Apocryphaes in which are many things absurd and whose very name sheweth them to be vnknown from whence they came who were not found in the Hebrew nor accounted by the Iewes to be Canonicall And so they doe match that word that all men alwayes and euen themselues acknowledge to be lesse certaine with that which they knowe that no good man euer doubted of Argument But lest they should seeme thus to dote without reason they vse in effect these arguments for proofe heereof The first is that these bookes which we call Apocrypha are alledged sometimes of the Fathers in their writings Answers But the answere is easie For the alledging of them doth not prooue that they who alledged them did hold them for canonicall for then should it followe that poets philosophers and such like who are often alledged by the ancient writers should so be But this rule must stand alwayes good which S. Hierome hauing reckoned vp those bookes which now in our Bibles are accounted canonicall and no other ◠rologo in lib. Reg. qui Galeatus dicitur Ruffinus in symbol prolog in Prouerb hath Whatsoeuer is besides these must be put amongst the Apocrypha Yea to be short they do alledge them because they may bee read to the edifying of the people but not to confirme the authoritie of any ecclesiasticall doctrine as saint Hierome saith of Tobie Iudith and the Machabees and Ruffinus also vppon the Creede De doct◠ina christian lib. 2. cap. 8. The second argument is taken out of Augustine because he reckoneth vp the books which we call Canonicall and also the Apocrypha and calleth all Canonicall So doth the third councell holden at Carthage also Cap. 47 with some other ancient writers Answere Admit that this were the meaning of saint Augustine and of those Fathers shall their bare authority without reason be heauy enough to weigh
that that these things merit or deserue Gods wrath to be turned away He cannot proue it We denie not but God looketh vpon these things but not for the merit of them but for his owne mercies And therefore master Bellarmine hath not yet prooued that fasting doth merit And this is the thing that hee should proue But on the contrarie A true vse of fasting in our fasting we acknowledge our selues to bee vnworthie of Gods creatures and that by our sinnes wee haue depriued our selues of the vse of his benefites and deserue not euen these his ordinarie graces which the verie beastes themselues maie freely enioy And in this heartie acknowledging of our owne vnworthinesse wee prostrate our selues before Gods mercie seate seeking for mercie not pleading but fearing and refusing our merit Now of this popish opinion of merit by fasting hath sprung vp another abuse in fasting Of popish fasting dayes That the papists haue dedicated these their fasting dayes not onely to the seruice of God for they supposed that they could by such meanes please him whereas it is all one to him whether wee come full or fasting so that wee come so as our hearts may bee most sitte to serue him but also to the honour of their Saints imagining thereby to deserue some fauour at their handes And for this cause did they deuise to fast vpon their Saintes Euens and at such other times as wee see the Popish Church vseth not so much to tame the flesh for that fasting we also affirme to be necessarie neither yet in any politike respect which belongeth not to our question but euen because they foolishly thinke that in so doing they worship God and the Saints and do a thing acceptable to him And to this ende is also appointed their lent fast their wednesdaie and fryday fast saterday fast embar fast the fasts of aduent and cogation weeke But that these cannot be accounted times of necessitie to be kept and obserued for fasting in respect of any religious obseruation of the same it cannot better be proued than by that diuersitie of opinions and iudgement which M. Bellarmine himselfe is forced to confesse to be in the ancient fathers De bonis operibus in part li. 2. As they shall vnderstand that reade of the book before alleadged the fifteeneth the seuenteenth eightteenth and nineteenth chapters As for their fastes vppon saintes eues they come after al the rest Seeing therefore there is herein such diuersitie it is plaine enough that neither any certainty of doctrine can heere be gathered neither can they cal it a catholicke religion that is like Iacobs coate of many colours farre from vnity of faith But with saint Hillary I maie say In ps 118. A It is most hard for a man by the doctours of this world to vnderstande the meaning of heauenly precepts And this I could wish that at al times we would striue by this and other good meanes to tame our rebellious flesh and that we also would prepare our selues vnto the holy exercises of our religion either by this or anie other way that maie further therein but that fasting it selfe doth make vs acceptable to God wee must not thinke And out of this their opinion of the merit of fasting ariseth another most absurd doctrine of binding the conscience to their lawes of fasting Their lawes of fasting bind not the conscience Li. 2. de bonis operibus in part ca. 7. Ierem. 5.6 as the church of Rome teacheth with one consent as M. Bellarmine confesseth And he wil proue it by the example of the Rechabites who vpon the commandement of Ionadab their father abstained from drinking of wine A weake proofe The Rechabites obeied the politicke lawe that their father Ionadab gaue them therefore the church may binde mens consciences with the law of fasting It is one thing to bind the conscience another thing to require external obedience The fast and holie daie which is commaunded to be continued in the storie of Hester is like vnto it Hester 9.31 for a day of remembraunce of Gods great benefit towardes them but not to binde the conscience Such also is the fast mentioned in Zachary of the fourth fifth seuenth and tenth monethes which although it might perchance vppon good and godlie consideration be taken vp and we debarre none but exhort all persons to humble themselues vnto the Lord yet how little their conscience is bound thereto it partly appeareth because God faith in the former Chapter that they did not fast vnto him and willeth them to harken vnto the ministerie of prophets and to execute true iudgement and shewe mercy and compassion euery man to his brother not to oppresse for these are in deede good workes that God regardeth in comparison of which hee little esteemeth those their fastes Partlie also because God wil turne their fasting into feasting into ioy and gladnes and prosperous high feastes as there he saith Act. 15.29 And lastly he bringeth that law that the apostles set downe of not eating the bloud and things strangled A law I saie made by the direction of Gods spirite as there is witnessed for a lawe whereof they can finde no such praise A law that was made according to the necessity of that time to auoide diuision and for the better vniting and gathering of the church of the Iewes and gentiles as M. Bellarmine confesseth and therefore such a law as lawfully might be made For in thinges indifferent the church maie take order for the quietnes or anie other waie for the benefit of the fame Whereby they would establish a law for euer to binde the conscience A law I say which themselues wil confesse we are not bound vnto but doe against that law that the apostles made But how could we breake that law if it bound the conscience Or if it doe not binde the conscience why doth M. Bellarmine bring it to proue that the church may tie or bind the consciences of the faithfull vnto their lawes of fasting Thus we see that not one of all the places alleadged by him out of the scripture doth prooue the necessity of these lawes of fasting which so straitly they command Therefore by the weakenes of their proofe we may see the falsenes of their doctrine Difference of meates Now I come vnto the last point of their doctrine which we mislike which is the difference of meats that they make Wherein if they doe not conspire with the Ebionites and sundry other hereticks that did condemne flesh as a thing vnpure yet it seemeth that they haue bin brought vp in the schoole of the heretickes called Apostolici Serm. 66. in Cantica of whom S. Bernard reporteth that they would eate no whit-meate milke and whatsoeuer came of it or whatsoeuer was ingendred But our aduersaries tel vs that the Ebionites Tatianites Maniches Priscillianists and such other heretickes doe vtterly condemne flesh as vncleane or vnlawful to be eaten at any time