Scripturas then did hee open their vnderstandinges to vnderstand the Scriptures Can these be the Protestants vvho euen in their very Commentaries vpon the old Testament take their vnderstanding out of the blind commentaries of the obstinate Iewes professed enimies to our Sauiour Iesus Christ and therefore make they very few Prophets very few Scriptures and in very few places to speake of him euen so much in maner as hath pleased the Iewes their masters and not all the Prophets as S. Peter saith nor all the Scriptures Act. 10. almost in all places to belong to him so as he himselfe declared and so as both his Apostles and his Church to whome hee gaue the gift to vnderstand the Scriptures haue euer taught still doe teach vs. It is our Church I say whose very Seruice doth this very well declare It is our Church that by her very Seruice doth euery yeare Praedicare annum Domini acceptabilem Luke 4. preach the gracious yeare of our Lord by yearely recording at most conuenient times all that he did and suffered for vs any yeare and all his yeares that he was with vs vpon earth his Precursour and Baptists Natiuity his owne Conception his Aduent his Natiuitie his Circumcision his Manifestation too and adoration of the Gentiles his Presentation his Baptisme his Fasting his temptation his Preaching his Miracles his Passion his Death his Burial his Resurrection his Ascension his sending of the Holy Ghost to be with vs for euer and againe his Aduent besides the birth dayes not into this world but into Heauen of his Apostles Martyrs Confessours Virgins and other most Holie witnesses By all which thinges the Church maketh her Spouse and Redeemer with all his Misteries euen to be seene felt and palpate of all his people Was this the Protestantes vvorke Or is not that Christes Church which hath done this for Christ Looke to the very names of these Feasts see whether they speake not our Church Candlemas day Corpus Christi day Al-soules day Al-hallowes day Ash-wensday Tenebre-wensday-Maunday-thursdaie Passion-sondaie Passion-weeke Goodfriday Holyroode day Shroue or Shrief-tide fastinges Eaue This is Ember that your blind Apostls do boldlie say to haue bin the Popes Lemman Lent Ember-dayes or according to the Dutch the root of our English Temper-dayes Quatuor Temporum Palmesondy Dâ—minica in Albis Sondaie in whites with many more speake they Protestancie or speake they as you call it Papistrie Or were not these Feastes by the same Church ordained that appointed vs to keepe Christmas Easter Whitsonday Trinity sonday the TraÌ„sfiguration of our Lord and the rest All these to haue bin by our Church instituted it wil be easily proued if need shal be and the Protestants doe manifestly declare while that in many of their places infected specially where their Puritans doe raigne they keepe no better Christmas day it selfe nor any Sonday then they doe Ash-wensdaie Which they declare againe most plainly in laying away not only all the dayes of Saints which were not Holy daies but manie also that were Holy daies as still in the Catholike Church they are For was not Saint Laurence day brought in and euer obserued by the same Chruch that commaunded Saint Steuens daie Was it not the same Church that honored our B. Lady Gods Mother with holydaies vvhich made holie the Apostles dayes Of that same one Church therefore are not the Protestants who haue put downe S. Laurence day all the dayes of our B. Ladie with very manie moe all the dayes I say of our Ladie euery one none excepted For the Annunciation of our Ladie is the Conception of our Lord the Purification of our Lady is the Presentation of our Lord neither of them more properly our Ladies day then Christmas day is our Ladies day Christ being that day borne she deliuered But the proper dayes of our Lady are her Conception her Natiuity her Visitation specially her Assumption which the Protestants haue laid all away as though Christ were worshipped by keeping his Precursors or Baptists Natiuitie and dishonored by keeping his Mothers Natiuitie honoured by keeping his other Saints Assumpting out of this life to heauen dishonored by keeping his mothers Assumption a faulte most absurdly by them committed that whereas in all Saints we keepe specially their Natalitiae or taking hence vnto Christ his owne mothers day that shee was by death assumpted in soule onely as other Saints or in body also although it be certaine I doe not here say that this day of Gods Mother the Lady of Saints and Angels they keepe not it is I say for them an intollerable foule absurditie So do they many waies as I haue said manifestly declare that which also in it selfe is euident that they be not the Church vvhich vvith such daies obseruations hath commended all christendome for to be Regnum Sacerdotale a Kingdome Priestlike 1. Pet. â— and heauen vpon earth Christ with his Saints Angels being by such meanes continually seene here by representation remembrance as there in face and fruition but that they be the Rebelles of that Church the defacers of christendome the coolers of deuotioÌ„ in christian harts enuiers of the honour remembrance of Saints and of Christ himselfe That and if they might or would be but present once at the Reuerend solemne doing of the foresaide Catholike Seruice specially at Christmas Easter such other more festiuall times I doubt not but that most of their stony harts would melt for ioy with the loue of Christ so as Saule also himselfe did Prophecy 1. Reg. 10 19. comming in place where the Prophets were if I say they would come in and leaue their standing without with him in the Parable Qui audiuit symphoniam choruÌ„ Luke 15. c. nolebat introire who heard the singing melody c. and would not come in And much more would the colde hearts of many Catholikes be enflamed therewith which now for feare of the world for lacke of the feare of God doe to their owne damnation appeare at this new paltrie Wherewith how wel God is pleased they may learne of Saint Ierome saying thus In Amos. 5. Haeretici quotiescunque sub nomine Domini fuerint congregati detestatur faetorem eorum claudit nares suas c. Whensoeuer Heretikes be gathered together vnder the Lords name he abhoreth their stinking and stoppeth his nose c. Iudaeorum quoque oratio Psalmi quos in Synagogis canunt Haereticorum composita laudatio tumultus est Domino vt ita dicam grunnitus suis clamor AsinoruÌ„ c. Also the Iewes praying and Psalmes which they sing in their Synagogues and the Heretikes fine composed praysing is a great disquieting to our Lord and that I may so say a grunting of Swine and a braying of Asses c. The cause thereof is for that he hath appointed only the Catholike Vnitie to be serued in Ephes 4.
waies to the ground they fell and there did lie so as if they had beene dead Ioan. 18. But he that at the time of his Passion first laid them on the ground with his mightie word after suffered them to rise againe now likewise permitting them to receaue their strength vp they rose againe with much feare and trembling not knowing what to doe At last they agreed thus to doe to bid to a banket an old woman named Katharine a Iew borne but then a Christian to warme her well with wine and so to hire her for money to conuey the said bloody Hoastes away to the Iewes of Colē for feare least the matter should come to the eares of Christian men at Bruxelles She agreeing to their request taking home with her the Pixe and minding the next day after to take her iourney was the same night in her sleepe admonished by an angel to leaue off her enterprise to deliuer the Pixe to her Ghostly Father the Curate of the Chappel Church Which she did on the morrow in the presence of two other Priests And sone after the matter being knowē all abroad there came in solemne Procession the Bishop of the Dioces the Canons of Saint Gudilaes Church the Duke of Brabant his wife and Nobles all the people to the Chapel Church to translate from thence those three Sacred Hoastes to the great Church of S. Gudila where to this day they are reuerently kept openly shewed deuoutly honored with great dayly concourse of people but most singularly vpon the Sonday after Saint Margarets day in the moneth of Iulie To omitte here the Dukes iust seueritie shewed vpon that wicked rable for their manifold villanies and to returne to our Countriwoman She now lyuing at Bruzelles with the foresayd infirmitie befallen vnto her there both hearing much of others concerning this B. Sacrament of Miracle and seeing also herselfe the great seeking of people vnto it conceaued her foresaid sure hope that God Almightie by it would helpe her But then againe considering with her selfe that such as loke for mercy at Gods handes must with his grace prepare themselues so as mans poore fragylitie will permitte she laboured all that shee myght to flie from sinne to approche vnto God and to that purpose she serued him euery day very deuoutlie at his Altar in the Church as the people doe gyue her verie good testimonie But speciallie the last yeare at Shroftide shee gaue herselfe most earnestly to all spiritual godly exercises An. 1573. For then did she take order with herselfe to fast weekely from that time forward wednesday Friday and Saturday and that in bread and water taking also thereof a verie small quantitie to come likewise in no bed at al but to lie on the ground which she yet obserueth vntil at least the yeare of her healing be first expired to vse moreouer no linnen next her body to goe euery weeke to Confession and as often also to receaue the blessed Sacrament And as she proceeded further further in the exercise of these most godly workes so Gods goodnes drawing nearer and nearer vnto her shee grew likewise more more in hope in so much that a few dayes before her healing she said plainely both to her ghostly father and to diuers her familiars that shee had novv no doubt at all but that her healing was so neare at hand that shee looked for it euery day that the more assuredly because the great solemnity of the blessed Miraculous Sacrament vvas now likewise at hand Wel the Saterday came and that Solemnitie should be the Sonday after The same Saterday shee went a great league out of Bruxels not regarding her exceeding paine in going to her accustomed Ghostly Father who a little afore vvas gone so farre out of the towne to dwell and she very loth at that time to goe to any other Confessor but to him onely vvho by long hearing of her Confession knew so well the state of her soule And being come home againe the same Fuening it chaunced her in talking with a certaine vvoman that ought her money to be angry with her for disapointing of her and besides to threaten her that she would haue her in the Law for it Where in suspecting afterward that she had brokē her patience and therefore fearing to receaue on the morrow the B Sacrament without confessing of herself againe Againe to confession she went on the Sonday morning to the Pastor of the Chapel Church her Parish-Church a verie singular good man Lord Suffragan to the Archbishop of Mechlin and Orderer both of me most vnworthy and of other Englishmen for the most part that in these Countries are made Priestes Hee giuing her as it may seeme by reason that she was at confession the day before but short Pennance rose vp out of hand leauing many gentlewomen which waited at his stoale as they doe ordinarilie euery Sondaie to be confessed of hym leauing them all I saie hee rose immediatly for her cause and came himself to minister the Blessed Sacrament vnto her being neither desired thereto of her nor loked for nor yet accustomed to cōmunicate any both because he is otherwise detained by reason of the great nūber of them that resorte euerie Sondaie to Shrift vnto him and also bycause one of the Chaplaines giueth alwaies attendaunce to serue the Communicantes as they come Hauing in this order receaued the Blessed Sacrament afrerward heard the Sermon shee went her then forthwith to S. Gudilaes Church to heare the solemne Masse of the B. Miraculous Sacrament which was there to be song that day by the saied L. Suffragan as in place of the Archbishop after Masse to go with the generall Procession in which the saied B. Sacrament should be carried about the streates as the maner is there euerie yeare as vppon that Sonday So it vvas that the euening afore shee determined vvith two vvidovves sisters good vertuous women with whom shee dwelled in house togeather to go that night three times the Procession-way in pilgrimage as deuout people doe there commonly vse to doe But when she had one of the three times so gone behold so wearie she was and sore in her body that she was forced to goe home to rest her the two sisters laughing at her for so doeing and saying merrily why Margeret what is thys you said that you doubted not but God would this time of this great Procession make you that you shold not nede your staffe at al which semeth so farr off from happening vnto you that it is rather nedefull for you to vse yet one ffaffe mo to that one which you haue already She notwithstanding this new acccident of greater lamenesse ryseth early vpp the Sonday-morning and vsing as it were violence vpon her selfe goeth the Procession-way yet once againe the second time Well being come as I said afore to heare the solemne masse kneling within the Quiere nere to the Altar
131. b Emperours other powers of our Religion also as their first conuersion 55. b 155. a 159. b 160. a. Englandes first faith and Apostles 80. b England hath by Parliament excluded Peter Paule and other Apostles and Christ 156. b all Christendome 158. a it ioyneth with Christs enimies against Christendome 159 a England beware Destruction 152. b. 169. b. an English woman miraculouslie cured of late by the blessed Sacrament 19. a. Excommunication 31. b. 153 b. Exorcisme and Exulflation in Baptisme 49. b. 51. b F FAith only 41. b. 101. b Fasting-dayes 44. a. 165. a The Fathers of what religion and authoritie 63. b. 66. a 157. a. Foxes Martyrs 72. b Fries preaching in India 103. a G S. GRâ—egorie of our Religion 35. b. H HEad of the Church 76. b. 157. b Heluidians 43. b Henricians 29. a Heresies reuiued by the Protestants 13. a 29. a Heretikes condemne themselues 4. a. That very name a certaine mark of very Heretikes 9 a â—hey are not Christians 12. b. They are Idolatâ—â— is 135. b. Apes 143. a. Their Seruice not to be frequented â—33 b. Nor their Sermons 138. a. Their bookes not to be read 240. a. Condemned by the See Apostolike holden for heretikes 55. b S. Ierome of our religion 44. a 56. b 47. a 53. b 57. a 107. a His Motiues Name as of Protestants c 11. a The Church alwaies lasting or Succession 47. a 94. a Holy bread 30. a Holy water 26. a Homousiâ—m 11. b Hus was not a Protestant 162. a. I IDolatrie destroyed by our religion 81. a 105. a Idols heresies 135. a Iesuites preaching in India 103. a Iewell vnwares testifieth the Romaine Religion to be Catholike 7. a When by him the Church of God died 45. b his chalenge 1. b 66. a 67. b his ignorant error about Christs Priest-hood 127. a Iewes how and what religion they impugne as the religion of Christ 21. a 159. a to their Religion immediatly succeeded ours 117. a. 124. b. Images confirmed by Miracles 29. a 81. a S. Irenees Motiues Rising after 88. a Gainsaid of them in vnity 89 a Succession of the Bishops of Rome 99. a the Churches store 125. a 127. a Iubilei annus 1575. fol. â—36 a. L LActantius Motiue vertue of the signe of the Crosse 113. a our Lady-dayes 132. a Lay-heads of the Church against the Magdeburgenses 76. b. against Caluin 78. a S. Laurence day 132. a Laurence Humphreyes Troiane horse 7. b his Pseudocatholici 8. a. his opinion of Iewels chalenge 67. b Of the Fathers 68. a Of the Saints in the Calendare 69 b his Wicklef condemned by Melanchton 162. b Lawes Ciuill and Temporall be Christian by being of our religion 153. a Lent 44. a. Luciferians aliue againe in Protestantes 46. b Luthers conscience the Catholike Church to make against him 7. a. and his side to be heretikes 10. a. how he condemneth our Protestants 74. b by him true Christianity is vnder the Popedome 80. a he was a false Prophet 170. b. M MAgdeburgenses against our Protestants 76. b Manichees 40. b the Martyrs were of our religion 69. a 107. a. 132. a. Masse made by S. Paul 44. b confirmed by Miracles in Afrike 16. a in England 17. a 81. b. in Brabant 19. a in Italy 115. a by visions 56. a said euery day 35. a 36. b said to driue away diuels 16. a for the dead 18. a 35. a 36. a 44. a effectious to redemption both of soule and body 18. b. Miracles a marke of true doctrine 15. a. and of true Doctors 27. a. Miracles for the Masse 16. a 17. a 29. a 114. a. for Images 29. a for Churches 29. a for the Reall presence 19. a 29. a for Transubstanâ—iation 29. a for Purgatory 18. a 29 a for praying to Saints 29. a. 71. a for Holy bread 30. a for the signe of the Crosse 30. a 113. a. 115. a 139. a for our Martyrs 73. a for Relikes 54. a 71. a 107. a. for necessity of Childrens baptisme 71. b for our whole Religion 29. a 80. b 81. b 103. b. S. Monica the Mother of S. Augustine her visions religion 34. a. Monkes and Monasteries 17. b 29. a 35. b 144. b Monkes the first Apostles of English men 80. b. N NAme of Catholikes 5. a 12. a of heretikes 9 a of Protestantes c. 10. a of Franciscans c. 11. a of Papists 12. b of Christians 12. b of the Church 46. b Nicolaites 10. b O OBedience of Catholikes to theyr superiours both Ecclesiasticall Temporall 120. b. 153. a S. Optatus Motiues Going out 84. b. succession 94. a the Bishops of Rome 99. b. Orders 90. b. P PApists a name of late put on vs by heretikes 11. b Parlament religion 60. a 79. a 145. a 156. b 158. a. Saint Paule of our religion 44. b 49. a 104. a He might not write Ad Anglos for the Parliament 158. b Pelagians aliue againe in Protestants 14. a. 68. a 49. b 55. b S. Peter excluded out of England by Parliament 156. b Pilgrimage 25. a 52. b 53. b 70. a 112. a 136. a Pius Quintus worketh Miracles 31. b Prayer for the dead denied by Aerius hee therefore by the whole Church holden for an Heretike 13. b 157. a. confirmed by a Miracle 17. a by a vision 36. a by scripture 40. b by the Apostles Tradition 44. a vsed alwaies 35. a. 52. b 102. a the ground of building Christian MonumeÌ„ts 146. a the Priestes that say the new seruice an admonion 136. b Prophecies for our religion 37. a 47. b 82. a 106. a 163. a Protestants driuen from their bold chalenge to the refuge of proclamations 1. b In their owne conscience they be both against the Church 46. b and alâ—o Heretikes 9. b 65. a They be Aerians 13. b 164. a Pelagians 14. a Donatists 45. b Luciferians 46. b and of many other old Heresies 101. b 161. b They be possessed of Diuels 106. b contrarie to themselues 157. b Vsurpers of other mens liuings 142. b Maligners of higher powerâ— 154. b their inconstancy 79. a 119. b 175. a their ignorance 126. a and that the cause partly of so many Atheists in England 128 a. their discord 74. a 103. a 119. a they be condem y their owne Doctors 78. a by Luther 75. a by Magdeourgenses 76. b by Caluin 78. a their seruice to be refrained 133. b 39. a they allow better of our orders then of their owne 90. b Saints dayes by them laid downe 132. a they haue shut out of England by Parliâ—ment Peter Paule c. 156. b Christ 157. a all generall Councels and all Christendome 158. a barred also S. Paul and his felowes for writing Ad Anglos 158. b they were neuer before this time 161. b their seede afore time in what ground it grew 163. b vvho now be their followers 151. b they be ashamed of their Fathers 65. a 147. b 161. b why they deny not all the Scriptures 38. a what Scriptures they deny 40 b. 124. a they doe decay and shall come to nothing 58. b 68. a 89. a 167. b 169. a. R REall presence of Christ in the Sacrament 22. a 29. a 34. b 41. b 52. a 75. a 114. a Rechabites 11. b the Religion of the Apostles of S. Paule S. Steuen the Martyrs the Fathers S. Augustine S. Cyprian S. Hierome S. Gregory saint Chrysostome saint Augustine our Apostle saint Bede saint Bernard saint Theodoret aint Monica al the saints of the first Christian Emperours of lawes ciuill and temporall Vide in initiali cuiusque litera Relikes of saints 52. b 53. b 70. a 107. a 160. a Romaine Church the Catholike Church 55. b 100. b the Apostolike Church 95. b 100. b. 55. a it lasteth for euer 95. a 167. b Romaines neuer chaunged their religioÌ„ 100. a. nor neuer shall 168. b the communion of the Bishop of Rome to be kept of all Christians 55. a 94. b 96 a. S SAcrament of the Aultar sticked by the Iewes bleedeth 22. a to be wâ—â—ped vvith religion 34. b Sacrifice of the Masse 16. a. 18. b. 29. a. 34. b. 35. a. 36. a. 117. a â—â—0 a. the Saints were of our religion 132. a. 146. a. See more in Martyrs Inuocation and interceâ—sion of Saints 29. a. 37. b. 40. b. 52. b. 70. a. 309. b. 110 b. 160. a 165. b. Scriptures denied by Hereâ—â—ks 39. b. 124. a no Scripture against the Catholikes but al for them 42. 47. a. 124. b. 163. a. 171. a. the vnderstanding of them in the Church 130. a. 175. 48. a. See Apostolike 55. a. 94. b. 96. a. Seruice of the Catholike Church to be embraced 130. a. Seruice of Heretikes to be refrained in paine of damnation 133. b. Sermons likewise 138. a. Signe of the Crosse worketh Miracles 30. a. 31. b. 113. a. 139. a. S. Steuen of our religion 70. a. Succession 47. a. 93. a. 96. a. 100. a. 157. a. 161. b. T TErtulianus Motiues Rising afterward 87. b. Succession 95. b. 96. b. 67. a. Apostolike Churches as the Romaine 96. b. S. Theodoret of our ReligioÌ„ 56. a. his Motiue Honor and vertue of the Saints and of their Relikes 122. a Traditions 42. b. Transubstantiation 29. a Trent Councel 61. a. b. Trinitaries â—23 a. 126. b. 166. a V VIgilantiuâ— aliue againe in Protestants 107. a. Visions for our religion 22. b. 36. a. 38. a. 50. b. 70 a 82. a. 139. a. and they a marke of true doctrine Doctors 32. b. Vnitie 84. b. â— 117. b. 133. b. Vniuersities of Heretiâ—es and Catholikes 127 a. 142. a. 146. a. they are no degrees that are taken in Vniuersities of Heretikes 127. a. Water mingled with Wine in the Chalice 44. b Wicklet was not a Protestant 162. a Y Yâ—â—â— of Iubilee 1575. fol. 136. a Z Zwinglians condemned by Luther 75. â— FINIS
to make against this third note For that it is no good exception you may hereby perceaue because the Fathers make both notes as I haue declared Wherefore the one destroyeth not the other but they stand both well together The cause thereof is this for that christians and catholikes are both but one name and so of the Fathers vsed and accompted who therefore commonly deny Heretikes to be Christians because they are not Catholikes that is to say Christians of all Christendome but only of some peece The difference only is that the name Catholike is plainer in this case and inuented to be ioyned as a very singular Epitheton vvith Christians so to put all out of doubt in saying Catholike Christians For if they were not all one a man might as vvell say Heretike Christians which no man vseth to say And so haue I by the verie common names both of them and vs made three most easie most certaine probations vnpossible of them to be coÌ„trolled that we are of the truth and they out of the truth Old Heresies TO proceede now to another like probation whatsoeuer was Heresie in time past the same is Heresie now also and the holders of it Heretikes as they were of old vnlesse any man be so vnfaithfull or rather mad to thinke that truth of Religion chaungeth with the time and that it is false vvhich Saint Paule saith Christ Iesus yesterday and to day the same also for euer Heb. 13. As certaine therefore as this is that Christ truth chaungeth not so certainely shall it be proued in this part that these men be Heretikes and their doctrine Heresie Which may be done and God willing shall be done hereafter if need be in very many points of their doctrine But because anie one point is sufficient to shew that we must auoide them as in the Arrians Sabellians and in manner all other olde Heretikes it is manifest who alwaies for only one point were accounted damnable it shall be enough specially in this my breuitie to bring forth one or two examples Well then Heresie it was aforetime to deny as these men doe that praier or offering may be made for the dead And that we plainly shew out of all Recordes of Heresies left vnto vs by the writing of most approued Notaries For the Greeke Church let Saint Epiphanius Epip her 75. Aug. haer 53. bee seene for the Latin Church Saint Augustine who both haue recorded it for the Heresie of a certaine Arrian named Aerius Saint Augustines wordes are these In Arrianorum haeresim lapsus propria quoque dogmata addedit nonnulla dicens orare vel offerre pro mortuis oblationem non oportere c. This Aerius being fallen into the heresie of the Arrians ioyned also thereunto certaine positians of hys owne saying that we must not pray or offer oblation for the dead c. Our men therefore hauing the same Position it followeth plainly that they are Heretikes as holding that which before was heresie so accompted in al Churches both Greeke and Latin And this were they neuer nor neuer shal be able to answere For another example I chuse that cruell Heresie of theirs against the necessitie of Childrens Baptisme through the which they haue suffered and stil do suffer to perish many thousands of those poore soules not able to helpe theÌ„selues It was of olde the Heresie of the PelaÌ„gians that children might come to lyfe euerlasting without the Sacrament of Baptisme Aug. haer 88. de pec mer. lib. 3. ca. 5 Cip. lib. 3. Ep. 8. de iâ—fant baptizaÌ„d as Saint Augustine in sundrie places witnesseth mightily by the scriptures confuting the same allegeing also against it the testimonie of Saint Ciprian with a Councell of 66. Bishopps in his tyme that they which suffer children to die without Baptisme Deny Gods mercie and grace to men and destroie soules Wheras Filius hominis non venit animas hominum perdere sed saluare Luke 19. The Sonne of man came not to destroy soules of men but to saue them And in another place S. Augustine sayeth De orig can lib. 3. cap. 8. Ep. 28. that if a man wil be a Catholike he must not so beleeue speake nor teach Againe in another place that whosoeuer so saith Tanquam pestis communis fidei detestandus est he must be detested as the pestilence of common faith Qui profecto contra Apostoli praedicationeÌ„ venit totam condemnat Ecclesiam Hee verelie both goeth against S. Paules preaching and condemneth the whole Church Therefore our Protestantes and Puritans for this their vnmercifull opinion are not Catholikes they are contrarie to the Apostle they condemne the vniuersall Church of GOD they are to be detested as corrupters of our Faith as Heretikes as Pelagians and in deede farre worse than Pelagians For vvee reade not that they vpon their Heresie leaft anie child vnbaptized as these doe great numbers because they although they promised them without Baptisme life euerlasting falslie yet not the kingdome of heauen also foolishly for they thought that one might be in life euerlasting without the kingdome of heaueÌ„ therefore thought they good to baptize them for the getting of that kingdome though not for euerlasting life whereas our Heretikes much more falsly than those promise them both life euerlasting and the kingdome of heauen all and therefore suffer them very often to goe awaie vvithout Baptisme as a thing for them at all vnnecessary O vnmercifull and cruell Heretikes All good people for the loue of God for pitties sake see better vnto them be euerie man vvith his acquaintance vvho so hath anie amongst them diligent earnest instant that their poore babies die not vnchristened Thus haue I by two examples of old Heresies most vndoubted prooued most plainely that they are Heretikes being both able and readie as I haue said if need be to doe the like by many examples moe Which examples for this time omitting leauing them to the remembrance of euerie man that is but meanely read in Diuinitie I will now shew forth some other waies Miracles Dogmaticall TWo waies therefore most plaine and readie will I shew by miracles vvhich are all for vs and none for them Wherein although I might be so copious as of this only matter to make great Volumes for our defence to their confusion yet will I say very little as my purpose and yet sufficient as my promise requireth Being then for vs as it hath pleased God our Lord two sortes of Miracles the one that may be called Dogmaticall the other Personall Of the first sort I set this Conclusion whosoeuer haue at any time set them-selues against any Doctrine confirmed by Miracle they haue beene against the truth There can to this no instance be giuen So that if it be shewed our Doctrine vvhich these men resist to haue beene so confirmed plaine it is that they are enimies of the truth But that can I easily shew in
conclude that it was the truth vvhich they preached Hereunto what can they answere truely nothing but only that which the blasphemous Pharisees answered of our Sauiour Luke 11. that by the Diuell hee worked his Miracles no man being able to put any difference betweene the miracles of Christ with his Apostles and of these holy men the one sorte to be defended with no reason but with the same reason the other sort may be likewise defeÌ„ded For that these holy men were of our side it is so well knowen that they confesse it that they were of God wonderfully coÌ„mended by the gift of Miracles euen to the healing of desperate disseases by the touch of their gâ—rments skirts and to the raysing of the dead also it is so manifest in all stories that it cannot be denied One example will I here alledge of Saint Bernard but that such a one as may rather be called many aâ—d as may suffice for all being both Personall and Dogmaticall so commending his person that it also directly confirmed his doctrine and the same our doctrine and that not in one or two pointes but in all almost that at this day the Heretikes haue called in question So it was that in Saint Bernardes time there were certaine Heretikes named Henricians of one Henrie vvho of a Monke became an Apostata Pet. Clun in opere suo con illos Ber. in CaÌ„ Ser. 66. These Heretikes burned Images destroyed churches denied the reall presence of Christs Bodie in the Blessed Sacrament Transubstantiation of the Bâ—ead into the same the Sacrifice of the Masse praying for the dead praying to Saintes and many other articls which also the Protestantes and Puritans doe now denie They raigned much in the Countrie about Tholousa in Fraunce For vvhich cause Saint Bernard being desired often and at length brought thither to preach against them did the same with great working also of most wonderfull Miracles De vita S. Ber. lib. 3. cap. 5. as writeth Godfridus a Monke and Disciple of Saâ—â—t Bernards Amongst many others of that which I would aleage thus he writeth Est locus in regione eadem Sarlatum nomen est illi vbi sermone completo plurimos ad benedicendum panes sicut vbique fiebat Dei famulo offerebant Quos ille eleuata manu signo crucis edito in dei nomine benediceÌ„s in hoc inquit scietis vera esse quae a nobis falsa quae ab haereticis suadentur si infirmi vestri gustatis panibus istis adepti fuerint sospitateÌ„ Timens autem venerabilis Episcopus Carnotensium magnus ille Gaufridus siquidem praesens erat proximus uiro Dei si bona inquit fide sumpserint sanabuntur Cui pater sanctus de domini virtute nihil haesitans Non hoc ego dixerim ait sed vere qui gustaâ—erint sanabuntur vt proinde veros nos veraces Dei ministros esse cognoscant Tam ingens multitudo languentium gustato eodem pane conualuit vt per totam prouinciam verbuÌ„ hoc diuulgaretur vir sanctus per vicina loca regrediens ob concursus intolerabiles declinauerit timuerit illo ire A place there is in the same countrie of Tolousa the name of it is SarlatuÌ„ where after the Sermon was done they offered to the seruant of God as euery where the vse was many loaues to blesse Which he by lifting vp his hand by making the signe of the Crosse in Gods name blessing saide thus In this shall you know Miracles by Holie Bread that the things are true vvhich we and that the things are false which the Heretikes labour to perswade you if your diseased persoÌ„s by the tasting of these loaues shall get their health Whereat fearing the Reuerend Bishoppe of the Carnotians that same great GAVFRIDVS for hee vvas present and stoode next to the man of God If quoth he they take it with a good Faith they shall be healed To vvhome the Holy Father nothing doubting of our Lordes power said It is not this that I vvould say but verilie whosoeuer they be that tast it they shall be healed that thereby they may know vs to be the very and true Ministers of God And there so huge a multitude of diseased persons by tasting the same bread recouered that ouer al the countrey this word was talked and the holie man returning ouer the places vvhich were there by was faine to goe out of his way for intollerable concourse of people and feared to goe thither Ep. 241. And of the same doth Saint Bernard himselfe in his Epistle afterward to those Tolousians make mention in these wordes Wee thanke God for that our comming to you was not in vaine Our tariance in deede vvas short vvith you but not vnfruitfull Veritate nimirum per nos manifestata non solum in Sermone sed etiam in virtute deprehensi sunt Lupi The truth being by vs made manifest not only by preaching but also by working the Wolues were deprehended c. In which his writing hee imitateth S. Paule to the Thessalonians 1. Thes 2. where hee saieth Euangelium nostrum non fuit ad vos in Sermone tantum sed in virtute c. Our Gospel was not vnto you in preaching onelie but in working of Miracles c. And vnto the Corinthians he saith touching their false Apostles Veniam autem ad vos cito si Dominus voluerit 1. Cor. 4. cognoscam non sermonem eorum qui inflati sunt sed virtuteÌ„ c. I will come vnto you quicklie and if it be Gods will and then will I consider not of the preaching of those proud Masters but of their power in working c. For these true Ministers of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Saint Paule and Saint Bernard knew well that the same our Lord had giuen such a token to know his Ministers saying Signa autem eos qui crediderint haec sequentur Mar. 16. In nomine meo daemonia eijcient linguis loquentur nouis serpentes tollent si mortiferum quid biberint non tis nocebit These Miracles shall follow such as beleeue in me In my name they shall cast out Diuels they shall speake new languages they shall take vp Serpents and if they drinke any poison it shall not hurt them For which cause Saint Paule in his second Epistle to the Corinthians threatning to come againe vnto them and then to Excommunicate the offenders without sparing of anie 2. Cor. 13. Praedixi praedico vt praesens nunc absens iâ—s qui aâ—te peccauerunâ— caeteris omnibus quoniam si venero iterum non parcam proueth this authority of his to excommunicate with the power of Christ vnto such as would perhaps not feare it by his working of Miracles amongst them with the power likewise of Christ An experimentum quaeritis eius qui in me loquitur Christus qui in vobis non infirmatur sed potens est in vobis What
will they nil they a false point this is and to be found as I haue saied in none but Heretikes And therefore they doe well to be good to their companions in the case of S. Iames Epistle Saint Lukes Gospel and others moe bycause they are plainly vnder the same iudgement themselues specially for the bookes of the Machabees We on the other side most obediently receaue and beleeue all Scriptures Canonicall Whereby to any reasonable man yt may be manifest which in it selfe is most certaine that of the same there is no part to our doctrine repugnant but all without exception to vs agreing all against heretikes vndoubtedly and that in some partes so openly that they haue no other shift but by denying Traditions most certaine THE true Church alwayes hath together vvith the whole Scripture beleeued and embraced Traditions and vvhatsoeuer companie there euer vvas vvhich was faine to crie for onlie Scriptures and to denie most certayne Traditions of the Apostles theyr doctrine for whose defence they were fayne so to doe vvas euer Heresie and they most surely Heretikes and for such at length holden by all Christendom what so euer deceaued followers for a vvhyle they had For this cause saith Saint Paul to the Church of the Corinthians Laudo autem vos fratres 1 Cor. 11. quod per omnia mei memores estis sicut tradidi vobis praecepta mea tenetis I commend you brethren that in all things you remember me and euen as I deliuered vnto you you keepe my Traditions Tas paradoseis And to the Church of the Thessalonians Itaque fratres 2. Thes 3. state tenete Traditiones quas didicistis siue per sermonem siue per Epistolam nostram Therefore be constant brethern hold fast the Traditions which you haue byn taught either by our word or by our Epistle And for the same cause saith Saint Basile Dogmata De Spiritu san ca. 27. quae in Ecclesia praedicantur quaedam habemus e doctrina scripto tradita quaedam rursus ex Apostolorum traditione in mysterio id est in occulto tradita recepimus quorum vtraque parem vim habent ad pietatem Nec his quisquam contradicet quisquis sane vel tenuiter experous est quae sunt iura Ecclesiastica The matters of doctrine and preaching vvhich in the Church are kepte some of them vvee haue by teachyng committed to wryting some againe we haue receaued by the Apostles tradition in mysterie that is to saie in secret delyuered vnto vs both which are of like weight touching Gods seruice Neyther will anie man gaine-say these whosoeuer surely hath any sight in the Churches orders And that Saint Basile herein is not singular it is manifest by thys besides much els that might be sayed that the vvhole Church Aug haer 84. Epiph. haer 78. and the Protestantes also them-selues holde for Heretykes the Heluidians for the denying the Apostolicall Tradition of our Blessed Ladies Euer-more remayning a Virgin to say nothing of many other lykevvise condemned Heretikes for the like denying of Traditions So then hath the Church bysides Scripture certayne Traditions and them alwaies in great estimation But Heretikes contrariwise haue had the custome to make exceptiō against Tradition allowing nothing but only Scrypture Thereupon saied Maximinus a Bishopp of the Arrians to Saint Augustine Con. Max. li. 1. Si quid de diuinis Scripturis protuleris quod commune est cum omnibus necesse est vt audiamus Hae vero voces quae extra Scripturam sunt nullo casu a nobis suscipiūtur c. If thou bring any thing out of the Diuine Scriptures vvhich is common with all we must needes heare it But these wordes which are without Scripture in no case are of vs receaued And to the same effect did Constantius the Arrian Emperour gyue out an Edict Epiph. hae 72. Hila li. con Const Vt Episcopi nihil praeter diuinas Scripturas Ecclesiasticae fidei adderēt That Bishops should besides the diuine Scriptures put nothing to the Churches faith Many other Heretikes might here be brought forth vvith the lyke sayings but that my purpose is here rather to set short Conclusions plainly directing the meeke and humble into the truth and mightily cōfounding the stubborne enimy than with heaps of exāples to make great Volumes Now then that these Traditions be with vs and against the Protestants although it be manyfest ynough by this that we obediently embrace Traditions and they vnfaithfully refuse them and also otherwise vvell knowen to most men neither of themselues denied yet to satisfie all men it may for examples sake be remembred that S. Chrysostome saieth Ho 69. ad populum Antiochenum Ab Apostolis haec sancita fuerunt vt in tremendis Mysterijs defunctorum agatur commemoratio c. It hath byn by the Apostles decreed that at the dreadful Misteries so he calleth the holy Canon of the Masse there should be made a commemoratiō of the dead c. And that Saint Ierome calleth it Munus quod necessitate offertur Ep. 54. an oblation which we are bound to offer vnam quadragesimā secundum Traditionem Apostolorum toto anno ieiunare to fast one fourtie dayes in the yeare according to the Apostles Tradition And that Saint Ciprian saieth it is Dominica Traditio Li. 2. ep 3 our Lords Tradition that in offering the Chalice the wine be mingled Epi. 118. cap. 6. And that Saint Augustine saith of Saint Paul Totum illum agendi ordinem quem vniuersum per orberi seruat Ecclesia ab ipso ordinatum esse c. That by him was ordayned this order of doyng vvhich through the whole world the Church doth keepe in doing of Masse with sundrie other Traditions which I omitte plainly witnessed by antiquitie to haue come from the Apostles and in our Church to this daie vsed and of the Heretikes quite reiected A plaine Argument that ours is the Church that foloweth the steppes of Christ and his Apostles and theirs to be the heire of the Arrians and other damned Heretikes a lymne and Messenger of that lost sonne Antichrist The Churches Commaundement ALwaies since Christes Ascension who-soeuer haue at any tyme resisted the common knovven Visible Church graunting that in the beginning it was to be seene and to be obeied for that is so plaine in the Holy Scripture it selfe of the Acts of the Apostles that they cannot denie it but that afterward it became inuisible and fell from Christ and therefore no longer to be obeied who soeuer I say haue thus done and spoken they were euer Schismatikes and Heretikes and in the end forsaken of all Christian men one and other how soeuer for a time they deceaued the world Let our aduersaries bring forth if they can one example to the contrarie sure it is that they can not And therefore they are themselues such as I haue sayd Schismatikes and Heretikes and for such no doubt at length will generally
be taken notwithstand-the heards of beastly followers that now they haue That such is their talke of the Church vvho knovveth not vvho is ignorant hovv they labour to shevv hovv long endured the Visible Church by the Apostles gathered and vvhen it fayled some of thē setting the age of it at two hundred some at three hundred some at fiue hundred yeares and Iewell more large then his fellowes at six hundred yeares And therefore by the Church that then was they will say they be tried and not by that which was afterward for a thousand yeares together vntill the rising of Luther and which yet holdeth on still against Luther and his Adherents By this Church in no case vvyll they be tryed bycause it is not they saie the same vvhich vvas before in the begynning and vvhich lasted onlie a certayne tearme of yeares and vvhich now is restored agayne by Luther This very same was of old the talke of the Donatistes whose maner was as S. Augustine writeth to gather ignorantly or deceitfully certaine places out of the Scriptures De vnit Ec. Cap 12. ea detorquere in Ecclesiam Dei vt tanquam defecisse ac perijsse de toto orbe videatur and them to wreast against the Church of God to make it seeme that she had as it were failed In ps 102 con 2. and out of the vniuersall world perished And in another place they say Apostatauit perijt Ecclesia de omnibus Gentibus the Church hath played the Apostata and is perished out of all Nations Hoc dicunt qui in illa non sunt saith Saint Augustine This say they vvhich are not in the Church O impudentem vocem c. Vocem abominabilem detestabilem praesumptionis falsitatis plenam nulla veritate suffultam c. O impudent saying c. A saying abominable and detestable full of presūption and falsehood staied vpon no truth c. Such was the saying of those Heretikes than therefore such is the same saying of these our Heretikes now They Heretikes then for it therefore these Heretikes now for it On the contrary syde therefore as the Church was not fayled then before Donatus rose so was it not fayled now before Luther rose And therefore as Saint Augustine and the rest that then withstood those Heretikes were of the Church so we that now vvithstand these Heretikes be likewise of the Church and they against the Church And therefore vnto euery one that will heare Christs voice must they be sicut Ethnicus Publicanus Mat. 18. as Ethnikes Publicans no credit to be giuen vnto them no cōpanie to be kept with them It was also the familiar saying as Saint Hierome witnesseth Adu Lucif of the Luciferians Factum esse de Ecclesia lupanar that the Church was become a stewes VVhich was as reasonably sayed of them by Saint Hieromes iudgement as if one would say Christum sine causa mortuum fuisse that Christ dyed in vaine Sundrie other Heretikes myght be here brought forth vvith the like blasphemous saying as in deede yt must needes of all Heretikes so be sayd who if they should say well of the Church should euer speake against them-selues And therefore we maruaile the lesse at the feare they haue to name the Church Castaleon therevpon in steed of Dic Ecclesiae Mat. 18. Tell the Church translating vnto vs dicito Reipublicae tell the common wealth others in theyr common talke for the Church hauing in theyr mouths the Congregation as in our countrie it is common VVe meruaile not at thys theyr feare I say For Gods Church is most certainly alwaies that which commonly in the world is knowē by the name of the Church as they alwaies most certainly be Heretikes vvho are commonly called Heretikes And so euermore is the aduise of S. Hierome to be followed of them that wil be saued Ibidem In illa est Ecclesia permanendum saith he quae ab Apostolis fundata vsque ad diem hanc durat In that Church must vvee keepe our-selues vvhich once being founded of the Apostles endureth euen to this daie For certayne it is by the Holie Scripture that as Christ fayleth not hym-selfe so neyther hys Church euer fayleth Psal 2. being his Inheritance of God hys Father giuen once vnto hym and hee neuer deseruing againe to leese it Vpon these two Christ I say and his Church Read S. August de vni ec runneth all the Scriptures of the olde Testament either by Promises or by Figures or by Prophecies and plainer vpon the Church then vpon Christ As worthylie hath Saint Augustine noted Puto proterea quia videbantin spiritu In Psal 30. contra Ecclesiam homines facturos esse particulas de Christo non tātam litem habituros de Ecclesia magnas contentiones exitaturos ideo illud vnde maiores lites futurae erāt planius praedictum apertius prophetatum est vt ad iudicium illis valeat qui viderunt fora◠fugerunt I thinke for this cause saieth he bycause they the Prophetes savv in spirit that against the Church men would make partes and of Christ they would not haue so much strife but of the Church they woluld raise great contentions Plainer Prophecies for the Church then for Christ therefore that whereupon greater debates would be was more plainlie forespoken and more openly prophicied that it might serue to their damnation that saw and yet ranne out And this may he easily perceaue that wil begin at Genesis Gen. 22. where God saying to Abraham In semine tuo benedicentur omnes Gentes In thy seede shal be blessed al Nations in the Seede vvee haue Christ in the Blessing of all Nations wee haue the Church and so go on to the end of that part Then the Scryptures of the nevv Testament specially that be historicall what be they els but certayne recordes of the fulfilling of the sayde former Promyses Figures and Prophecies touching Christ the Gospels touching the Church the Actes of the Apostles And all this so plainly that as the Ievves not seeing of Christ therein so the Heretikes not seing of the Church in the same can not possibly be to any thing els imputed but only to wilful blindnes for damnable lacke of lightsome fayth And therefore as the Iew to haue hys blindnes taken away must turne to our faith Cum autem cōuersus fuerit ad Dominum 2. Cor. ◠auferetur velamen so must the Heretike likewise turne him to the Catholike faith then shall hee see vndoubtedly as plaine Scriptures for the Church as the faithfull Iew shall see for Christ and plainer to as before Saint Augustine vvitnessed Such as we that be Catholikes doe see for both in euery leafe almost so manie so mighty so euident that we perceaue the Iew and Heretike to see no more then a man that seeth not the Sunne at noonedaies Psal 88. nor the Moone in the ful VVell
ioyne vvith mee issue vpon this who will They were alwaies Schismatikes and Heretikes I say that pretended the common knowen Church at any time to haue failed and that stubbornely resisted the same And therfore Protestants and Puritans be such and for such of our Countrie and of all the world wil one day be takē Which God graunt of his mercy spedily that they bring no more poore soules to hell The Churches Practise TO this former obseruation of finding out the truth by the Churches iudgement as well vvhich novv is as which was in the first beginning being both but one Church no lesse then one Tree it is that vvas planted 16. hundred yeares ago and euer since that time groweth vp and spreadeth it selfe vpon euery side abrod may be ioyned another no lesse infallible and more sensible way by obseruatiō of the churches vse and practise Which way is so certaine and so vndoubted 1. Cor. 11. that S. Paule himselfe after that to proue that women should not be bare headed and vncouered in the Churches hee had vsed all kinds of arguments taken out of theyr creation of significations of similitudes of Scriptures of naturall reason to put the matter out of all peraduenture if any man perhappes would contentiously denie the said his arguments to this inuincible Fort hee recoyleth saying Si quis autem videtur contentiosus esse nos talem consuetudinem non habemus neque Ecclesiae Dei But and if any man doe seeme to be contentious wee haue no such custome for women to pray vncouered nor the Church or Churches of God And conformably to this said S. Augustine likewise for the same cause Ep. 118. cap. 5. Si quid tota per orbem frequentat Ecclesia hoc quin ita faciendū sit disputare insolentissimae insaniae est If the whole Church throughout the world doe vse any thing only to cal it in question whether that thing should be so done is a point of most proude or most straunge madnesse And therefore against the Pelagians hee maketh verie commonly his argumentes out of the Churches Practise Ep. 105. prouing that childrē be borne in sinne because the Churches Practise is to Baptize them for remission of Sinnes And this Practise he calleth Pondus veritatis weight of truth apertissimam molem veritatis a most plaine huge great bignes of truth Because likewise by the Churches practise exorcizantur exufflantur infantes in the ceremonies of Baptisme children are exorcized blowen vpō quiae Diabolus eis dominatur per quid nisi per peccatū because the diuell hath power ouer them by what but by sin And of this practise he boldly sayeth Secundum suam calliditatem non inueniunt quid ad hoc respondeant the Pelagians with all theyr craft finde not what to this to answere Non audent dicere haec in Ecclesia mendaciter geri they dare not say that these thinges are done in the Church fainedly He proueth likewise against them by practise of the Churches praiers that a mā can neither come to Christ our Lord in the beginning nor cōtinue in him till the ending by his owne power De bo pers cap. 23. but by the grace of God Quando enim non oratum est in ecclesia pro infidelibus atque inimicis eius vt crederent For when saith he was not prayer made in the Church for Infidels and for her enimies that they might beleeue Quando fidelis quisquam amicu proximum coniugem habuit infidelē ei non petiuit a Domino mentem obedientem in Christianā fidem When had any christian a friend a kinsman a wife that was an Infidell asked not for him of our Lord a minde obedient vnto our christian faith Quis autem sibi vnquam non orauit vt in Domino permaneret And who euer praied not for himselfe that hee might continue in our Lord Aut quis Sacerdotem super fideles Dominum inuocantem si quando dixit Da illu Domine in te perseuerare vsque in finem non solum voce ausus est sed saltem cogitatione reprehendere ac non potius super talem eius benedictionem corde credente ore confitente respondit Amen Or the Priest making inuocation of our Lord vpon the faithfull if at any time he saied giue thē O Lord to continue in thee vnto the end vvho hath dared not onely in worde but as much as in thought to reprehend him and hath not rather vpon such his benediction both with hart beleeuing and with mouth confessing answered Amen As if we now should against the Heretikes of this time reason out of priuate mens beades and out of the publike praiers vvhich are in the Portuise or Breuiary in the Missal other Church bookes Eus Ec. hist lib. 8. ea 24. 27. Amb. de virgin li. 3. Hier in Iou 1. Aug. de Ciui Dei li. 1. ca. 6. Note they this that for causes nothing so iust contemne other Saintes of the Church I omitte for desire of breuitie vvhat many of the auncient Fathers haue written of certaine holy women which in time of persecution being sought for to be abused killed themselues constantly and vniformely holding them for Martyrs because of the Churches practise in most solemne honouring of them and thinking rather that the Church did know the said women to haue had some plaine reuelation from God so to doe then that she erred in her practise But and if any man here be so folish to say or to thinke or to feare that now the case is altered because wee liue so long after the saying of those wordes by Saint Paul and S. Augustine let him consider first that S. Augustine also liued almost foure hundred yeares after S. Paule and yet so thought he not the case then to be altered that hee vttered the matter vvith more weight of wordes by a great deale as you see Secondly that if it were a case which by any space of time might be altered then had both Saint Paules Saint Augustines foretresse beene pregnable and not inuincible as they made it therefore would neyther Saint Paule in all the Churches of God nor Saint Augustine in the whole Church throughout the world haue put more confidence then in any one particular Church of some speciall place Or let any man giue me a reason why they did sticke to say as much of euery particular Church which they did see then to be in the right way but only because that although such a particular Church were then in the right way no lesse then the whole Church yet did they knowe that the particular Church might afterward stray out of the way but the whole Church might neuer goe astray Thirdlie let him consider that no Aduersarie of ours is able well to charge the Church sith Saint Augustines time with any alteration made all this while but we will shew that the same pretensed alteration was not an alteration
a thing is the Churches Practise that the olde Heretikes neuer ventured for to chaunge it as the Arrians the Nestorians Pelagians c. But all their Heresies consisted only in some matter of erroneous iudgement false opinion but the face of religion they neuer changed Wherby who seeth not that the Protestants who are conuinced so plainely by the practise of the Church both that now is and that euer was who haue chaunged the whole practise the whole forme face of religion are of all other Heretikes most grosse and palpable altering the whole vse of the Church almost in all points whereas onely to call in question but any one point is as you haue heard S. Augustine say the point of a most straunge kind of very madnesse And wil they not yet see acknowledge confesse and repent their fault to returne home againe and to be saued Or will people take no warning of them well that they may haue yet more warnings although these are enough and more then enough let vs in Gods name proceed to others See-Apostolike VVHOSOEVER at anie time were for their doing or teaching condemned by the definitiue Sentence of the See-Apostolike and stubbornely contemned the same they were Schismatikes or Heretikes and so in the end they alwaies proued And contrariwise all Catholike men kept themselues euer in the vnitie of that See labouring if they were for anie cause cut from it to be reconciled againe vnto it yea and if there had beene but any suspition conceaued by that See against them neuer ceasing vntill they had eyther by their Letters or by their presence and that out of all partes of Christendome Greeke and Latin farre and neare East and West made therevnto their purgation Example can there be none to the coÌ„trarie well alleaged but for it there are in all ages and countries examples most certaine and innumerable As in S. Augustines time the Doctrine of the Pelagians being by that See condemned was then and euer Sithens of all Catholikes accounted Heresie In so much that Saint Augustine saith thereupon Ep. 106. Ipsum nouellum perniciosum erroreÌ„ sic Ecclesiastica authoritate compressum vt multum miremur adhuc esse quosdam qui per quem libet errorem Gratiae Dei conentur obsistere That new pernicious error is so restrained by the Churches authority he speaketh there of the Bishops of Rome that wee meruaile much to see certaine as yet that folow the same In vita Augustin cap. 18. And touching the same Possidonius writeth Et hoc tale de illis Ecclesiae Dei Catholicae prolatum iudicium etiam pijssimus imperator Honorius audiens ac sequeÌ„s suis eos legibus damnatos Note the Romaine Church the Catholike Church inter haereticos haberi debere constituit Also the most deuout Emperour Honorius hearing and folowing this iudgement of the Catholike Church of God giuen vpoÌ„ them by his lawes condemning them did ordaine that they should be counted in the number of Heretikes Which S. Augustine himselfe very wel allowed saying De pet or ca. 17. 10. 7. In tam nefandi erroris authores Episcopalia Concilia Apostolicam sedem vniuersamque Romanam Ecclesiam Romanumque Imperium quod Deo propitio Christianum est rectissime fuisse commotum Against the Authors of so wicked an Error very iust indignation did there take Councels of Bishops and the See Apostolike and the whole Romaine Church and the Romaine Empire which through Gods mercy is now Christian Then for example of Catholikes purging themselues vnto that See vvhen they had of their enimies bin infamed making supplication withall that vniust sentences of their deposition by it might be reuoked there are to be seene the Epistles of Saint Chrisostome Patriarch of Constantinople in Greece to Saint Innocentius Bishop of Rome and of S. Theodoret Bishop of Cyrus also in Greece to S. Leo Bishop likewise of Rome and manie others the like Theodoret there saieth Epist ad Leon. Ego autem Apostolicae vestrae Sedis expecto sententiam supplico obsecro vestram sanctitatem vt mihi opem ferat iustum vestrum rectum appellanti iudicium iubeat ad vos accurrere ostendere meam doctrinam vestigia Apostolica sequentem I expect the sentence of your See Apostolike and I make supplication and beseech your holines to help mee appealing to your iust and right iudgement and that you will commaund mee to come ouer vnto you and shew my Doctrine to follovv the steppes Apostolike Supplicationem meam quaeso ne respuatis nec miseram meam caniciem despiciatis quae post tot labores affâ—cta est contumelijs Ante omnia autem rogo vt sciam a vobis an in iniusta hac depositione me oporte at acquiescere an non Vestram enim expecto sententiam si iudicatis me stare iusseritis stabo nec vlli deinceps homini molestiam exhibebo sed quod flecti non potest Dei Seruatoris nostri expect tabo iudicium My supplicatioÌ„ I beseech you refuse not neyther despise my miserable hoarenes which after so much paines taken for the Catholike Faith is now misused And first I desire to know of you whether I must agree to this vniust dispositioÌ„ or not For I expect your Sentence and if you commaund me to stand vnto that which hath bin iudged against me I will stand vnto it neyther any man wil I here-after trouble about it but the inflexible iudgement of our God and Sauiour will expect Whereunto S. Leo sayeth in his answere Benedictus Deus noster In fine operum Theodoret et Leo ep 63. cuius inuincibilis veritas ab omni haereseos macula mundum te secundum Sedis Apostolicae iudicia demonstrauit Cui dignam retribues pro tot laboribus gratiam si talem te qualem probauimus ac probamus pro vniuersalis Ecclesiae defensione seruaueris Blessed be our God whose inuincible truth hath according to the iudgement of the See Apostolyke declared you to be cleane from al spot of Heresie To vvhom you shall render vvorthie thankes for so much paynes if vvhat a one we haue taken do take you to be such a one you kepe yourself for defence of the vniuersal Church To this purpose also may be seene the short learned and notable Epistle of S. Hierome to Pope Damasus written by him to Rome out of Syria To. 2. a Countrie very far distant in the East Church to know the Popes pleasure whether he should saie three Hypostases to be in God whereunto certayne suspected persons did there require him to subscribe hee not sticking to say three Persons but fearing some Hereticall poyson to lye hidd in three Hypostases Bycause saith hee by meanes of Diuision of people here in the EAST it is hard to vnderstand vvhere is the true Church Ideo mihi Cathedram Petri fidem Apostolico ore laudataÌ„ censui consulendam Therefore I thought it good or
haue beene in error but that it needeth not being a thing otherwise well known to all such as heare their Sermons or be in place to heare them talke boldly and familiarly together amongst themselues where they are not afraide plainely to confesse that the Fathers all were Papistes as I haue already sufficiently proued and vvill with the help of GOD more largely proue hereafter if it be required desiring the Reader for this time to holde himselfe content with this one fresh saying of Laurence Humphrey Libel de vita Iewel speaking of Iewels famous chalenging Sermon afore-mentioned vvherein he prouoked the Catholikes to trie vvith him the mater by the Scriptures Councelles Fathers and examples of the first sixe hundred yeares of Christes Church Thereupon thus saith Humphrey Nimium largitus est vocis plus aequo concessit sibi nimium fuit iniurius c. Et seipsum Et Ecclesiam quodammodo spoliauit Siquidem Daemoniacorum quaestio est Quid nobis tibi est Iesu fili Dauid Sed interrogatio Sanctorum est Quid nobis rei cum Patribus cum carne sanguine Too much he gaue to you hee graunted more then vvas meete and to himselfe hee was too iniurious c. Both himselfe and the Church after a sort he spoiled For it is the question of men possessed what haue we thou to doe O Iesus the Sonne of Dauid But the demaunde of Saintes it is what haue wee to doe with the Fathers with flesh and blood Such Saints as you heard a little afore were not S. Ambrose not Saint Augustine nor anie other Saint of Heauen but the Saintes of this Canonizers nevv Calendare such as Saint Paulus Samosatenus Saint Nestorius and other Heretikes of accursed memorie vvho were in their life time Ranae Cyniphes Exod. 8. Muscae moriturae quales sunt Pelagiani Frogges and Gnats Libel aduersus prophanas omnium haeresum innouationes and Flies that shall not last such as be the Pelagians as Vincentius Lirinensis for this theyr croking against the Fathers verie aptlie termeth them in that passing fine book of his written by him aboue a thousand yeares agoe of the same argument that this our treatise Nobis inquiunt authoribus nobis principibus nobis expositoribus damnate quae tenebatis tenete quae damnabatis reijcite antiquam fidem paterna instituta MaioruÌ„ deposita c. Take vs say they to the Catholikes for your Authors vs for your Leaders vs for your Interpreters vpon our word condemne yee the things that you held hold yee the thinges that you condemned cast away the old faith the fathers teachinges the thinges that your Elders left you to keepe c. This I say with him was the croking of those Egyptiacall frogs while they were liuing which now are quackling yalping with the Diuels in Hell froÌ„ whence they came as Saint Iohns Apocalips beareth witnesse Cap. 16. Now therfore let any reasonable maÌ„ anie that would saue his soule yea anie that thinketh himselfe to haue a Soule weigh consider with himselfe what he hath to doe whether to venture his soule with such frogs of Hell men vtterly destitute of all things wherwith preachers of Truth should be commended and found to haue all the marks of false Masters Heretikes or to bestow it in the way of the old Holy Fathers men most learned most gratious most miraculous their way so sure that it hath brought them vnto heauen where they be novv Saints most glorious by the confession of all men most vndoubtedly Certaine it is that none euer haue left their vvay but only Heretikes and therefore Protestantes and Puritans be Heretikes Their followers then can not looke for any other place after this life but that which is prepared for Heretikes which by the witnes of S. Paul himselfe cannot be the Kingdome of HeaueÌ„ Gal. 1. For aduouterers saith he murderers sorcerers heretiks such like regnuÌ„ Dei non consequentur shall not possesse Gods kingdome Martyrs NEXT of all let it be well considered what Church that is which hath in the roll of her owne children so manie which both wee and our Aduersaries acknowledge to be true Martyrs in deede that here I say nothing of other orders of Saints in heauen confessed by vs both consider I say whether all those which by our Church are enrolled in the number of Martyrs in the common Calendare who to Laurence Humphrey now that Iewell hath in learning life and Miracles so farre passed them al are al but Sanctuli hold heauen by any Church but ours Or whether any one of them all were of any other faith then ours Name any one of them all and prooue it by good record that he was of your Church or of your faith and let my name be blotted out of heauen for euer But the contrarie that they were not of your Church vndoubtedly thus I proue most euidently presupposing first that no man will doubt but that they were all of one Church so that it shall be sufficiently proued that none of them all were Protestantes if I proue that some one of them were not a protestaÌ„t which I may easily do by many kindes of strong arguments and will hereafter with Gods help if need be But now may one plaine argument well suffice and that common to all the old vndoubted martyrs but it will I onely in one exemplifie This it is All those holie martyrs were of the same Religion that they were of which prayed vnto them which worshipped their Relikes which went a Pilgrimage to their Churches and that whether it were our Religion or the Protestantes who knoweth not my example shall be S. Steuen himselfe of whose true martyrdome no man can doubt that beleeueth Saint Luke S. Paule the Scriptures Act. 6.7 8. 22. and God himselfe Now that he as all other Holy martyrs was and is of the same Religion that the persons aforesaid it is manifestly and inuincibly prooued by this that hee as all other holie martyrs did with the power of God Almightie heare and helpe those persons that in maner aforesaid sought vnto him to the same purpose also reuealing by visions the place where his Relikes were hidden with the Relikes of Saint Gamaâ—iel Gennad in Catalogo Saint Nicodemus and others to Lucianus a Priest of Ierusalem who wrote in Greeke the Historie of his inuention to the same purpose I say for these are the very wordes of S. Gamaliel appearing the third time vnto Lucian Exurge igitur vade In Ep. Lucia â—i dic illi vt aperiat nobis faciat locum orationis vt intercessione nostra misereatur Dominus populo suo Vp therefore and goe to the Bishop and say vnto him that he open vnto vs and make a place of prayer that by our intercession our LORD may haue mercy vpon his people And all this may be proued by such certaine witnesse of so many
afterwardes LET this also be considered that no man is able to name any time since the Apostles time wheÌ„ our Church first arose nor any certaine Author and first beginner of the peculiar Articles of our Faith and Religion but CHRIST and the APOSTLES onelie Name the Article the time and person and if I shew not the same Article to haue beene yet more auncient afore that time and afore that person let me then be accouÌ„ted one that promise more then I can performe And theÌ„ let it be farther considered wether that euer there was anie companie other then Schismaticall that can by good record be proued long after that they were christians to haue had their beginning the Author whereof is knowen the time of his rising recorded in Histories the Articles of his Doctrine before vnheard of Consider well with your selues of all such Companies as the Arrians the Sabellians the Eutychians the Pelagians the Donatists and brieflie of all the like that we can tell when they first arose who began them Is it not manifest that they were all Schismaticall and their Articles Hereticall Neither can it euer otherwise be because the holy Scripture can not be false wherein our Sauiour his Apostles doe giue vs this selfe-same marke to know such Masters Multi pseudoprophetae surgent saith our Sauiour Mat. 24. seducent multos Many false Prophets shall arise and shall lead many out of the way S. Paul likewise to the Bishops Priests of Ephesus Ego scio quoniam intrabunt post discessionem meam lupi rapaces in vos non parcentes gregi Et ex vobis ipsis exurgent viri loquentes peruersa vt abducant discipulos post se Propter quod vigilate c. I know that after my departure there will enter in rauening Wolues vnto you not sparing the flocke and out of your selues vvill arise men teaching peruerslie to the end to draw away the Disciples or Christians after themselues Mat. 13. And for the same cause our Sauiour in the Parable likeneth himselfe to a man that sowed good seed in his field homini seminanti bonum semen in agro suo and the Diuell with his Ministers to the enimie that came afterward whiles men were asleepe and sowed cockle amongst it Cum autem dormireÌ„t homines venit inimicus eius superseminauit Zizania in mediotritici where the Latine very aptly expresseth the sense making superseminans to answere vnto Seminans although the Greeke haue not that agnomination Euen so doth Tertullian gather of this Parable Tert. de praescrip Haerot in that fifth book of his written vpon the same matter that this our treatise how to stoppe the mouthes of Heretikes Thus hee saith Principalitatem veritan posteritatem mendacit ali deput andam ex illius quoque Parabolae patrocinio quae bonum sâ—â—en frumenti a Domino seminatum primo constituit auenarum autem sterilis foeni adulteriuÌ„ ab inimico Diabolo postea superducit Former doctrine is truth that which after riseth is lying so we are taught by the Parable which first setteth good seed of wheat to haue bin sowen of our Lord and bringeth after vpon that by the spite of the Diuell the corruption of baren cockle Ita ex ipso ordine manifestatur id esse Dominicum verum quod sit prius traditum id autem extraneum falsum quod sit posterius immissum So by the very order is that declared to be true and of our Lord which was before deliuered that againe to be false of the enimy which was after brought in The Protestantes then and Puritans rising of late vvith Luther Zuinglius Melanchthon Caluine and Sampson are as you see by our Sauiour by Saint Paule by Tertullian marked for Heretikes Let them if they can bring vs one example for exception But no doubt they cannot and therefore Saint Irenee also tooke vpon him boldly to know by the same badge all the Heretikes that were afore his time Lib. 3. cap. 4. Valentinus enim venit Romam sub Hygino increuit vero sub Pio prorogauit tempus vsque ad Anicetum For ValeÌ„tinus saith he came to Rome vnder Hyginus and he encreased vnder Pius and he lasted vnto Anicctus Then of another he saith likewise Cerdon autem qui ante Marcionem hic sub Hygino qui fuit octauus Episcopus c. Cerdon vvho vvas before Marcion came also thither vnder Hyginus that was the eighth Bishop of Rome c. And againe of another Marcion autem illi succedens inualuit sub Aniceto decimuÌ„ locuÌ„ Episcopatus continente MarcioÌ„ that succeeded to Cerdon waxed vnder Anicetus who did hold the tenth place of the Bishoprike Furthermore the like he noteth there of the Heretikes also named Gnostici And then of them all he concludeth together Omnes autem hi multo posterius mediantibus iam Ecclesia temporibus insurrexerunt in suaÌ„ Apostasiam All these much later the Church hauing now bin a certaine time in the meane while did arise into their Apostasie Beginning with wondering and gainesaying of Christians then in vnitie CONSEQVENTLY consider mee this whether at any time the Christian people wondered at our Religion and Doctrine or any point thereof as then first appearing and afore not heard of and whether the Pastors Doctors of the Church then presently controlled the same as new and diuerse from the Doctrine that was before And whether that all Heresies were not so wondred at and so controlled at their first apearing Whether also that which seemed so strange to them that stood in Vnity which was so gainesaid and resisted by them that had the charge of the Church of Christ were not alwaies heresie without exception The Arrians were resisted by Saint Siluester Saint Iulius of Rome Osius of Corduba Saint Athanasius of Alexandria the whole Councel of Nice the Macedonians by the Councell of Constantinople the Nestorians by the Ephesine Councell the Eutychians by that of Chalcedon Finally all others by some others And by the same marke doth S. Irenee point out vnto vs Cerdon for an Heretike saying Liâ— 3. ca. 4. Ab aliquibus traductus in bis quae docebat male abstentus est a religiosorum hominum conuentu Of some he was controlled in the points that he taught amisse and commaunded to absteine froÌ„ the Church or excoÌ„municated As our doctrine therefore which eueÌ„ from Christ his Apostles is come quietly to our hands without such contradiction is sure Catholike so that of the Protestantes and Puritans vvhich vvas streight with the sword of Gods Church sticked in Luther and neuer synce hath ceassed to be by learned Catholike men confuted and hath binne by a Generall Councel also examined accursed nor neuer shal be able to get one day of quiet possessioÌ„ but euer oppugned assaulted vntil it be quite again dispatched as haue al other Heresies byn before it is most certainly without al doubt Heretical
no exāple of no time being possible to be aleged to the cōtrary For this doth S. Paul number amongest the singular gifts which Christ ascending gaue vnto vs Eph. 4. Pastors I say and Doctors alwaies to the end of the world Vt iam nō simus paruuli fluctuantes circumferamur omni vento Doctrinae in nequitia hominum in astutia ad circumuentionem erroris so doing their duty euermore that wee be not now lyke children wauering and carried about with euery puffe of Doctrine blowen by naughtie men that haue craftie waies to deceaue vs with their errors The same vigilant zeale of our spirituall Fathers and Mother the Church against all Heretikes straight to note them and cut them of did God also fore tell by his Prophet Zacharie Et erit in die illa 3. Zac. dicit Dominus exercitum disperdam nomina idolorum de terra non memorabuntur vltra pseudoprophetas spiritum immundum auferam de terra Et erit cum prophetauerit quispiam vltra dicent ei Pater eius Mater eius qui genuerunt eum non viues quia mendacium locutus es in nomine Domini Et cofigent eum Pater eius Mater eius genitores eius cum prophetauerit And in that day shal it so be saieth the Lord of hostes I will destroy the names of Idoles from of the earth and they shal not be any more remembred And False prophets and vncleane spirites will I take away from the earth And so shal it be when any man shall any more play the Falseprophet there shal say vnto him his Father and his Mother that did begett him Thou shalt not liue by cause thou hast spoken a lie in the name of our Lord. And there shal stick him his Father his Mother euen his owne parentes when that hee playeth the false-prophet Finallie hee gaue to Peter and to his Successors for euer the charge and the gift alwaies so to doe whensoeuer nede should be thereof saying Lu. 22. Confirma Fratres tuos Confirme thy Brethren For which cause also the Church is of Saint Paul called 1. Tim. 3. Columna firmamentum veritatis the Piller and proppe of truth for that it doth continually hold vpp and mainteine the truth against all such as at any time goe about to pull it doune So hath it alwaies done against all Heretiks afore time and they against whom it hath bene faine so to doe at any tyme were euer Heretikes The Protestantes therefore and Puritans against whom it so doth at this time are likewise Heretikes and for the same cause wee that neuer were for any poynt of our Doctrine by men of the Church gainesaid are without al doubt true Catholikes Vnsent ANOTHER demonstration that ours is the true Church you shall haue if you consider vvhat Church is that whose Priestes and Bishopps come in by ordinarie calling of other Bisshops that were before them of whose right ordering and lawfull power of ministery the Sects themselues make so litle doubt that they esteme one so called and ordered very fitte euen for their own Ministerie yea much more requisit then one of their own making seeking as much as they can possiblie to be consecrated by one of our Order least their might some danger or doubt aryse afterward of their right institution In figure of which their so doing and others the like the Historie of Michas the Idolatrer may be remembred who sayed Nunc scio Iud. 17. quod benefaciet mihi Deus babenti Leuitici generis sacerdotum Now doe I know that God wil prosper me hauing a priest of the Leuiticall kind Contrariely what Church that is whose Ministers are but very laie men vnsent vncalled vnconsecrated and therefore executing their pretended office without benefit or spirituall comfort of anie man yea to the certaine and great damnation of themselues and others vnfit vnworthy by that only they be called to that fond function of any seruice in the Church of God holding therefore amongst vs when they repent and come againe none other place but the place of laimē in no case admitted no nor loking to minister in any office vnlesse they take our Orders which afore they had not Is not this very practise both of vs and them a playne confession on their parte that ours is the true Church of Christ euen that same Church vnto the which after his Resurrection hee sayed Sicut misit me Pater Ioan. 20. ego mitto vos As my Father sent me so I send you And consequently is it not a plaine declaration that they are out of Christes Church What company can they shew vs at any tyme synce Christes Ascention to this day that toke vpon them to preach and minister not sent nor called thereto by their Aunciēts in those offices but they were Heretikes or Schismatikes We haue in the Actes of the Apostls described vnto vs of purpose the forme of Christes Church that the Apostles planted there doe the Apostles themselues notifie vnto vs false preachers not only by the marke of going out whereof I haue spoken afore but also by this that they vvere not sent saying thus Audiuimus Act. 15. quia quidam ex nobis exeūtes turbauerunt vos verbis euertentes animas vestras quibus non mādauimus we haue heard that certaine going out frō vs haue troubled you with their preaching goeing about to ouerturne your soules to whom wee gaue no commission Saint Paul likewise proueth the same out of Esaie the prophet that Preachers I say must be sent Rom. 10. Quo modo vero praedicabunt nisi mittantur sicut scriptum est Isa 52. Quam speciosi pedes euangelizantium pacem euangelizantiū bona And how shal they preach vnlesse they be sent as it is written O how faire be the feete of such as preache peace of such as preache good thinges In the worde feete vnderstanding that they be sent as messengers And therefore as he sent himselfe Tite and Timothee so hee appointed them for to send others Whereupon he saieth vnto Timothee 2. Tim. 1. Gratia Dei est in te per impositionem manuum me arum The grace of GOD is in thee by the Imposition of my handes Grace was giuen vnto thee 1. Tim. 4. cum impositione manuum Presbyterij vvith the Imposition of Priestes handes And touching others he saith vnto him 1. Tim. 5. Manus cito nemini imposueris Giue thou Impositon of handes to no man rashly To Tite likewise Huius rei gratia reliqui te Cretae Tit. 1. vt constituas per ciuitates Presbyteros For this cause left I thee in the I le of Crete that thou shouldest make Priestes in euerie city Such then was the order of Christes Church which the Apostles founded Priestes to be sent by Priests and not by the letters Patēs of King or Queen nor Priuilegio Altissimi c. And such hath bin the order of
the same euer since that time no exaÌ„ple being able to be brought vnto the contrary Wherefore the Protestants and Puritans bycause they are not sent but come of their owne heades are but as all other Heretikes they are not of Christes Church they are as hee of whom Saint Paul in a brief description of a false-apostle said 2. Cor. 11. Si is qui venit If he that commeth They are as Christ hath said Ioan. 10. Qui non intrat per ostium in ouile ouium sâ—d ascendit aliunde ille fur est latro vvho so entreth not by the dore into the shep fold but getteth himself vp another way he is a stealer and a robber And therefore must the shepe beware of them not heare them flee from them remeÌ„bring that fur non venit nisi vt furetur mactet perdat The theefe commeth not but to steale and to murder and to destroy Vnto this they neuer were nor neuer shal be able for to answere no exaÌ„ple being to be giuen in al this time of Christes Church but that the Preachers stil were sent in such order and by such persons as I haue saied no exâ—mple of any sent our of order al this while finally no exaÌ„ple also of any aforetime that vvas sent out of order that had not withall giuen vnto him the grace of Miracles or Prophecie or of both as Moyses and some others in the old Testament our Heretykes being of those graces altogeather destitute therefore by no meanes to be accompted Gods ministers namly in this time of the nevv Testament where neither they worke Miracles neyther any haue bin euer sent but only by order Succession COnsider moreouer vvhat Church is that which can giue you in plaine authenticall vvriting the lavvfull orderly intiere without any breach and sound notorious Succession of Bishopes Pastors and Priestes with theyr whole and seueral flockes euer synce the Apostles tyme. Can not ours thus doe Or can the Protestants thus doe Or was it euer the true Church that could not so doe Or was it not euer the true Church that could so doe What one of al these things can be denied or with any exception be disproued Who readeth in the new Testament the Actes the Epistles and other writings of the Apostles with the Ecclesiastical Histories of the tymes that folowed which can be ignorant of this that the Church once begonne by and in the Apostles did afterward grow on and spread it selfe ouer al places and through al ages by this Succession So that whosoeuer will say at this day them-selues to be the true Church it is as necessarie for them to be come of the Apostles by a certaine Order of Bisshoppes continually succeding one another from that time to this time as it is necessarie for vs that now are Adames children to be come of Adam by a continual petigrew of our Fathers GraÌ„dfathers and other progenitors euen till his time So likewise as it is necessarie for the feete to be referred to the head by certaine articles ioyntes one after another ouer al the whole body and not enough to say that they hang and hold with the head bycause they come of the neck vnlesse they also haue their depeÌ„daunce by the shoulders and so douneward ouer al the body eueÌ„ by the knees legges and ancles And in this doth S. Hierome note all Heretikes to faile where he saith In Mic. â— Haeretici non habent diuitias de paterna hareditate venientes Heretikes haue not such riches as come to men by plaine inheritance from their Fathers And namely to the Donatists vpon the same saith Optatus De dotibus Ecclesiae Cathedra est prima Lib. 2. quam probauimus per Petrum nostram esse Vestrae Cathedrae vos originem reddite quivobis vultis sanctam Ecclesiam vindicare Missus est victor ex Africa Romanâ— Erat ibi filius sine patre sequens sine antecedente Of the Churches dowries the Chaire or See of Rome is the first which we haue proued by Peter to be ours now the origine of your chair giue you that will challenge to you the holy Church Sent in deed by you out of Afrike was Victor to Rome that you might say you had also on your syde a B. of Rome but he was there as a sonne without a Father a Successor without a Predecessor vvherby he gathereth that the Church of Rome was not for the Donatistes bycause this Victor whom they sent thither to lurke in a corner as their B. of Rome vvas there the first of that sort came not from S Peter by succession For so did only Syricius the true B. of Rome at that time and bycause hee so orderly succeeding to S. Peter vvas with Optatus and the other Catholikes in Afrik not with the Donatists thervpon concludeth Optatus that theyrs was the holy Church not the Donatists for al their fatherlesse apish Bisshopp Victor by them sent thither So sure an argument of the true Church was it euer to haue the B. of Rome Saint Peters Successors societie and so sure an argument of a false Hereticall Church was it euer to sitte without succeding And therefore doth S. Augustine amogest other most certaine Motiues that most iustly kept him in the lap of the Catholike Church giue this for one Con. ep Maenâ— ca. 6. Tenet ab ipsa Sede Petri Apostoli cui pascendas oues suâ—â— post resurrectionem Dominus comendauit vsque ad praesentem Episcopatum Successio SacerdotuÌ„ There kepeth me in the said Church the Succession of Priestes from the very sitting of Saint Peter to whom our Lord after his resurrection coÌ„mitted the feeding of his shepe euen to this present Bishop And the same cause so mouing him he proposeth to the consideratioÌ„ of the people of the Donatists as a cause most certaine why they should forsake those heretikes and returne vnto the Catholikes Thus he saith Venite fratres si vultis vt inseramini in vite Dolor est In ps con parteÌ„ Den. cum vos videmus praecisos ita iacere Numerate Sacerdotes vel ab ipsa Petri Sede in ordine illo Patrum quis cui successit videte Ipsa est Petra quam non vincunt superbae inferorum portae Come Brethren if you will that you may be grafted in the vine It is a greife to see you so lie cut of Number the Priestes eueÌ„ from the very sitting of Peter and in that order of Fathers see who suceeded whom That is the rocke which the proud gats of Hel doe not ouercome The verie same likwise giueth TertulliaÌ„ for a most vndoubted prescription agaynst such Heresies as dare vaunt them-selues to haue bene in the Apostles time Quae audent interserere se aetati Apostolicae This is his saying De praescri haer Edant ergo origines Ecclesiarum suarum euoluant ordinem Episcoporum suorum Let them then shew forth the origines of
their Churches Let them vnroll the Succession of their Bisshopps Finallie it is without contradiction by the witnesse of Scriptures Doctors and Historyes a most vndoubted way to know at al times vvho be Heretikes and who be Catholikes and therefore of such as wil not desperatly cast them-selues into Hell deeply and earnestly to be considered Apostolike Church VPON this poynt of Succession is inferred another very vvorthie consideration that whereas not only we in the holy Masse but also the Heretikes in theyr communion professe both to beleeue Vnam Sanctam Catholicam Apostolicam Ecclesiam One Holy Catholike and Apostolike Church according to the Crede of the first Constantinopolitan Councel it is our Church that is Apostolike bycause it agreeth in the faith with the Church of Rome in which is the See of an Apostle holding on to this day by Succession and to which was written an Epistle by an Apostle What caÌ„ they here deny doth not our Church the Catholikes I meane of England agree in faith with the Romain Church It is both confessed by the Heretykes who for that cause do call vs Papists and knowen to all men bysides Doth not the Bishop of that Church succeede an Apostle in his See S. Peter was an Apostle and Prince of the Apostles and the first Bishop of Rome which is as euident in it selfe and as certainely may be proued by vndoubted witnesse and as sensibly is sene vvith our very eies as that there hath bene so long and is at this present such a citie in the world named Rome Had not the Church an Epistle writteÌ„ to it by an Apostle S. Paules Epistle to the Romains is extant Are not these the causes why a Church is called Apostolike Heare Tertulâ—ians definition De Pres Haeret. Age tam qui voles â—uâ—iâ—sitatem melius exercere in negotio salutis tuae peâ—â—urre Ecclisias Apostolicas apud quas ipsae adâ—uc Cathedrae Apostolorum suis lâ—cis praesidentur â—pud quas ipsae authenticae literae corum recitantur sonantes vocem repraesentantes facieÌ„ well now thou that wouldest vse yet more curiosiâ—ie in the matter of thy saluation runne ouer the Apostolike Churches at whom the very Chairs of Apostles are yet in their places sitten in at whom the very authentical letters of them are recited sounding their voice representing their face Examples there hee putteth of the Churches of the Corinthians of the Philippians of the Ephesians and specially of the Romains saying of the same Videamus quid dixerit quid docuerit CuÌ„ Aphricanis quoque Ecclesiis contestatur Let vs consider what it the Romain Church hath said what it hath taught Mary with our Aphrican Churches also it holdeth Which he there declareth in al points by the Heretikes of that time denied by himselfe with other Catholikes of that countrie beleeued Wheâ—eupon he will haue it to follow that their African Churches are Apostolike although not so as the Romaine Church other like yet in another right good sense bâ—cause they agree with those Apostolikes And in this hee putteth so strong an argument of the truth that hee â—gâ—ine againe prouoketh Heretikes to shew the like Edant origines Ecclesiarum suarum euoluant ordinem Episcoporum suorum ita per successiones ab initio decurrentem ut primus ille Episcopus aliquem ex Apostolis vâ—l Apostâ—â—icis viris qui tamen cum Apâ—stolis perseuerauerit habuerit authorem antecessâ—rem Hoc enim modo Ecclesiae Apostolicae census suos deferunt Sicut Smyrnaeorum Ecclesia Polycarpum ab Iohanne collocatum refert Sicut Romanorum Clementem a Petro ordinatuÌ„ id proinde vtique caeterae exhibent quos ab Apostâ—lis in EpiscopatuÌ„ constitutos Apostolici seminis traduces habeant Let the Heretikes bring sorth the origines of their Churches let them vnfold the rew of their Bishops so from the beginning running downe by successions as that first Bishoppe of theirs haue had for his author and predecessor some one of the Apostles or Apostolike men which also with the Apostles perseuered For after this manner doe the Apostolike Churches bring down their substance to our time As the Church of the Smyrnians sheweth Polycarpus placed by S. Iohn as the Church of the Romains sheweth Clement ordered by Saint Peter And so verily doe the rest also shew whom by the Apostles ordained Bishops they haue for the drawers vnto them of the seed or doctrine Apostolike So as our naturall progenitors haue deriued or passed vnto vs the naturall seede of Adam Confingant tale aliquid Haeretici Let the Heretikes faine any such thing if they can saith hee But no doubt they cannot and therefore be they not Apostolike and ours most certainely which manifestly so doth is Apostolike God graunt them therefore once in heart also to beleeue with vs that which with vs in mouth they professe to beleeue I say One Holy Catholike and Apostolike Church Neither it is the Motiue only of Tertullian Saint Augustine also in the greatest matter that can be touching the very Canon of the Scriptures sendeth vs to those Churches speciallie aboue all others Quae Apostolicas Sedes De doct Christ lib. 2. cap. 8. Epistolas accipere meruâ—runt which to haue Sees Apostolike and to receaue Epistles Apostolike found the fauour Finallie many others of the holy Fathers teach vs the same vvay vnto the Truth and no one of them all did euer disproue it In whome this is yet further to be coÌ„sidered that whereas there were in their time standing yet manie other Churches Apostolike besides the Romaine they for all that did euer principallie and singulaly direct men alwaies to the Romane so also calling it by prerogatiue the Church Apostolike or See Apostolike that by that name it was no lesse knowen from all others as all can beare me witnesse that read antiquity then I say when there were also many other Churches or Sees Apostolike than now at this time it is when we haue none other Apostolicke See remaining After which manner also we know Virgil from all Poetes by the name of Poeta and Aristotle from all other Philosophers by the name of Philosophus S. Paule from all the other Apostles by the name of Apostolus Which thing well considered of anie indifferent man may giue him easily to vnderstand that the holy Fathers of the Constantinopolitan Councell in their Creede bidding vs to belieue the Church Apostolike did not only meane the RomaÌ„ Church but also none other but the RomaÌ„ well that I leaue to the consideratioÌ„ of such as be indiffereÌ„t But that which afore I saide is certaine as it is also most worthy to be considered that the Fathers in their times hauing manie Sees Apostolike yet chieflie looked themselues and directed others to the Apostolike See of Rome And now at this time when as there is none other of that sorte remayning in the worlde but onely the Roman and yet neuer none of them all more
impugned then this no none of them all euer the thousandth part so much impugned so much barked at so much sifted as this and yet they gone and this remaining by which very euent of thinges Christ hath plainely declared vnto vs what he meant when hee said to Peter first concerning all his Aposâ—les Simon Zuke 22. ecce Satanas expetiuit vos vt cribâ—arâ—t s cut triticum Simon behold Sâ—tan hath desired that he might siâ—t you lâ—ke wheaten meale all the flowre of truth out of the sieue nothing to remaine within but bran of Heresie and error then concerning Peter himselfe Ego autem rogaui pro te vt non deficiat fides iua tu aliquando conuersus confirma fratre tuos But I haue made petitioÌ„ for thee that thy faith may not faile and thou once turning confirme thy brethren all this I say notwithstanding the Heretikes of this time will haue vs now to be so blockeheaded so mad not to take our light of the Apostolike Church of Rome that Church I say whose Bishoppes from Peter vnto Eleutherius of his time twelue in number Ireneus reckneth vp saith that it is plenissima ostensio Lib. 3. ca. 3. a most ample declaratioÌ„ of the Apostolike truth to be of his side a confouÌ„ding of all false maisters That church againe whose Bishops from Peter vnto Siricius of his time seauen and thirtie in number Optatus reckeneth vp saith that he is Schismaticus peccator Lib. 2. a Schismatike and a sinner that against this one singular chaire setteth vp another That Church also whose Bishops from Peter vnto Anastasius of his time eight and thirtie in number Epist 165 Saint Augustine reckoneth vp and saith that this is Certo vere salubriter numerare Surelie to number and to our soules health in verie deed Who now that haue care of their saluation wil not folow the example the rule of these Holy Fathers Saintes in heaueÌ„ reckning vp likewise the Bishops of the same Church from Peter to Gregorie of our time the thirteenth of that name being two hundred thirtie and three in number and there seeke find beleeue the Doctrine which the Apostles taught Mat. 16. rather then with the Donatists Protestants Puritans other gates of Heâ—l fight against the rock all in vaine so foolish to thinke that he can with theÌ„ leape at one iumpe from Luther to the Apostles hauing not one place to rest his feet in all that long space of fifteene hundred yeares which is betweene Catholike men you see were neuer wont so to leape to proue their Church to be Apostolike Heretikes haue none other but that impossible way Wherfore the Protestants Puritans be not Catholikes and Apostolikes they be Schismatikes and Heretikes with such guides or companions they walke that vvalke with them whither who seeth not whither els but to perdition God giue my deare friendes and Countrimen better eyes and take from them their vvilfull blindnesse The Romains neuer chaunged theyr Religion ANIE man that vvill may by this that I haue said easilie and plainely vnderstand that the Roman Church is still as it euer was Apostolike For the which true vnderstanding Quod Romana esset Catholica Apostolica Ecclesia that the Romaine was the Catholike Apostolike Church Hist Angli Lib. 3. Cap. 29. Saint Bede our Countrie-man much commendeth in his time King Oswy But to make it yet more plaine I adde this other consideration that whereas the Romaines faith was once the true faith of S. Paule himselfe commended where hee saith Gratias ago Deo meo per Iesum Christum pro omnibus vobis Rom. 1. quiae fides vestâ—a annunciatur in vniuerso munâ—â— I giue thankes to my God through Iesus Christ for you all because your faith is reported in the vniuersall vvorâ—d And vvhereas theyr Church vvas once Catholike and Apostolike which the Heretikes themselues neither câ—n nor wiâ— deny it cannot possibly be shewed that they euer changed their faith or any part thereof Wherefore their Chuâ—ch doth still remaine as it was Apostolike and their faith Catholike Or let them shew if they can what Pope changed it in what Articles or pointes of Faith it was chaunged at what time vvith what tumultes in the world rising thereupon vvhat Doctors withstood it what Councels accursed it or such other circumstances vvhich we can shew in all innouations both great and small that euer by Heretikes were attempted as namely by the Arrians Sabellians Donatistes Pelagians with other of old and now presentlie of the Protestantes and Puritans We see in what Princes dayes they began what Captaines they had what pointes they chaunged what Catholike men haue set against them what places or countries haue chaunged Religion with theÌ„ what countries againe keepe still the old Religion These things and others the like can neuer be shewed in the Romaines because they neuer were and therefore most certainlie neuer was there by the Romains any change made Or if any man will say that the Romains made their change not al at once but secretly by little little he can not so escape but he must shew vs those seuerall little changes in forme also aforesaid As we doe shew not only the totall chaunge made now by the Protestants but also how in the former ages at sundrie times their misterie of iniquitie did worke by litle litle or by one one For example Aerius preparing to their handes theyr doctrine against Purgatorie Nouatus theyr doctrine against forgiuenes of sinnes by a Priest Iouinian their doctrine of Priests and Nunnes mariage Vigilantius theyr Doctrine against praying to Saintes Manicheus theyr Doctrine against free-will Pelagius theyr Doctrine against the necessitie of childrens Baptisme Simon Magus their Doctrine against saluation for good vvorkes Eunomius also theyr Doctrine of onely faith to be sufficient with many others that here I could recite They must shew the like of the seuerall points in their imagined Romaine chaunge Which most sure it is they can not doe For name they what point of faith they will at such or such a time to haue beene chaunged and wee will plainely shew the contrarie that the same point which they will say to haue beene brought in by the chaunge vvas euer afore by the Romaines and other Christians beleeued vp to the Apostles time What points will they name but such as euen now I touched of Purgatorie Confession Saintes vowed Nunnes with the rest But those you see were so not brought in by any Romaine change that we haue by the FATHERS noted vnto vs vvhat Heretikes would haue brought in theyr contraries by some chaunge Whereby it is inuincibly proued that in those very pointes also the Romaine Church remained vnchaunged And so doe the Holy Fathers witnesse as much that euen then when as wee can shew the Romaines prayed for the dead c. they did yet keepe still vnchaunged the Faith
may by this Motiue see that as without controuersie our Religion it is to which belongeth these Relikes Crossing Images and Massing so the same is the onely true Religion of God the displacer of all other Religions both Heathenish Iudaicall the ouerthrower of Idols the quailer the tamer the caster out of Diuels and that so certainely so plainely that no doubt the Diuell it is that hath possessed the blasphemous tongues of Heretikes Vnitie THESE thinges being thus vvell considered that our Religion hath beene planted first and last in all Natitions and that with the vtter extirpation of their seuerall Religions by them so many hundreds yea and thousandes of yeares vsed aforetime you shall haue next of all to consider this that our Church euer sithence so many hundred yeares againe through so many Nations in such variety of vvitts such diuersitie of manners and fashions such multitude of tongues and languages such distance of places such difference of opinions amongst learned men such number of matters to be beleeued yet all this while hath and still doth remaine and continue in most peaceable vnity Which thing most euidētly declareth that as the Apostles were they for whom our Sauiour prayed to his Father and was heard of him where hee thus saide Pater sancte serua eos in nomine tuo Ioan. 17. quos dedisti mihi vt sint vnum sicut nos Father that art holy keepe them in thy name whō thou hast giuen vnto me that they may be one as wee also be one so that we and our Church be they for whome in the vvordes following hee prayed and was heard likewise when hee saide Non pro eis autem rogo tantum sed pro eis qui credituri sunt per verbum eorum in me vt omnes vnum sint sicut tu Pater in me ego in te vt ipsi in nobis vnum sint vt credat mundus quia tu me misisti Et ego claritatem quam dedisti mihi dedi eis vt sint vnum sicut nos vnum sumus Ego in eis tu in me vt sint consummati in vnum cognoscat mundus quia tu me misisti dilexisti eos sicut me dilexisti Not for them doe I aske onely but also for them that shall beleeue by their preaching in mee that all may be one as thou Father in me and I in thee that also they in vs may be one that the world may beleeue that thou haste sent me Vnitie of the church a Motiue to beleue in Christ And the glorie that thou hast giuen me haue I giuen them to be one as also we be one I in thee and thou in me that they may be perfect in vnitie and that the world may know that thou hast sent mee and haste loued them as also thou haste loued me Our meruailous diuine Vnitie declareth I say that we are these which here are meant For on the cōtrary side if you looke to Heretikes what Schismes Dissensions Sects Diuisions were alwaies amongst them For example the Arrians Donatistes Eutychians Nestorians Simonians Valentinians were all into many contrary parts deuided as in the Ecclesiastical Histories may be seene And is there any better Vnitie amongest the Heretikes of our time Yea is there not far more discord in sentences bloudshed in fighting multiplying of Sects without hope of vniting Luther had scarce begunne his part in the yeare 1517. or rather 1519. but by and by in the yeare 1522. his Disciple Zuinglius made peeces of him and him againe soone after did Caluin hew Finally of Anabaptists Suenkfeldians Trinitaries Libertines Maioristes rough Lutherans soft Lutherans Protestants Puritans and an hundred more all with them is full in so much that the very names of their Sects doe make great tables which are common to be seene In our owne small countrie and that ruled by one all thinges diligentlie looked vnto the Catholikes dispersed euery where amongst them to marke to see to reprehend their doinges yet all this notwithstanding that I say nothing how they were vnder King Harry scarce Lutherans then vnder King Edward both Lutherans first and after Caluinistes in this time within very few yeares all men see their manifest Diuision the mutuall hatred of Protestants and Puritans theyr standing one against another euen to death if it should be offered Into how many partes would they haue bin runne thinke you if they had stood so many hundreds of yeares as wee haue done by their owne confession Of them therefore no lesse then of the foresaid Heretikes the Psalme speaketh Psal 54. Contaminauerunt Testamentum eius diuisi sunt ab ira vultus eius Because they haue once defiled Gods testament peruerted his Gospell forsaken his Truth hee hath in his anger for to punish theyr sinne with another sinne suffered them to cut themselues into Diuisions Sicut Donatus Christum diuidere conatus est sic ipse a suis quotidiana concisione diuiditur As Donatus Luther or Caluin went about to diuide Christ and his Church Aug. de Ago Chr. ca. 29. so is he himselfe of his own followers diuided by dayly cutting of him mangling saith Saint Augustine Mat. 5. In qua mensura mensi fueritis remetietur vobis In what measure you meate you shall againe be meated vnto And consequently they are not those for whom Christ our Sauiour asked obtained and gaue vnto them that perfect vnitie before mentioned Whereupon it is further necessarily inferred that they must forsake themselues returne to the vnitie of the Catholike Church and so must all their followers if they will be comprehended in our Sauiours wordes that in the same place doe follow Pater quos dedisti mihi Ioan. 17. volo vt vbi sum ego illi sint mecum vt videant claritatem meam quam dedisti mihi Father such as thou haste giuen me my will is that where I am also they may be with me that they may see my glorie which thou haste giuen mee Which I pray him who full dearely bought them to graunt vnto them both this vnitie and that Glory Iudges infallible in cases of Controuersie TO knowe the meanes whereby the Holy Ghost God of peace not of dissention 1. Cor. 14. hath giuen alwaies vnto our Church and still maintaineth in the same this precious grace of inseparable vnitie the causes also wherefore all Heretikes both old and new doe lacke it and the onely way for them with vs to haue it you shall haue in the next place to consider what companie of Christians in the earth there is vvhich hath most certaine vvaies and remedies to compose their Controuersies discretion of Spirits sensible and liuing Iudges of truth most infallible meruailous orders quietlie to rule euerie singular persons sense and vnderstanding and vvithall in them that be of the saide companie the vvill and humilitie to submit themselues to their ordinarie powers by God ordained to decide theyr doubtes
God doe either flatly denie or call in question and leaue in doubt as a thing indifferent for any man to affirme it or to deny it which the learned know to be so and I will by Godds grace shew to be so when it shal be required And therefore it is not the Protestants Church whereof Saint Augustine there speaketh but a Church it is that the protestants do impugne a Church that no lesse biddeth vs not to beleue the protestants and to beleeue those Scriptures than it did bid S. Augustine not to beleeue the Manichees as hee there doth say and to beleue those Scriptures Storehouse of the Scriptures FOR furder declaration hereof consider againe what Church it is ours or the Protestantes which hath had the custodie and construing both of the forsaied and of the other Bookes of the holy Bible euer since the Apostles tyme into the vvhich the olde Testament dyd fall by iust descent and alteration of the spirituall State from the Ievves vvhich hath noticed to the vvorld the Autoritie and Canon of the holy Books of the new Testament also which hath so many worldes and in such alterations of mortall thinges saued from destruction and corruption of all Heretikes Iewes and Infidels the whole autentical Corpes of Scripture which no Heretike aliue can charge for adding or minishing any iot thereof Will any man doubt therefore whether this be the true Church which is the olde and only Treasure-house of so precious a Monument which hath kept the iust possession of it these fiftene hundred yeares and hath lost neither leafe nor line thereof Or wil any man be so mad to thinke that to be the true Church which occupied no Bible nor had not to doe with holy Scripture as they cōfesse themselues for a thousand yeares together which now forcibly and violētly plucking it out of the iust possessours handes hath in little more then fortie yeares of their restlesse spoiling raigne robbed vs of so many vvhole Bookes thereof and of many a particular portiō more Tantae igitur ostensiones cum sint haec Iren. li. 3. cap. 4. non oportet adhuc quaerere apud alios veritatem quam facile est ab Ecclesia sumere cum Apostoli quasi in depositorium diues plenissime in ea cōtulerint omnia quae sint veritatis vti omnis quicunque velit sumat ex ea potum vitae Haec est enim introitus vitae omnes autē reliqui fures sunt latrones Propter quod oportet deuitare quidem illos quae autē sunt Ecclesiae cum magna diligentia diligere apprehendere veritatis traditionem Being therfore these so great so many demonstrations a man must not yet saith S. Ireneus seeke the truth amongest any other which it is easy of the Church to take because the Apostles haue in her as in a rich storehouse laid vp most plentifully al that true is so that euery one that listeth may out of her take drinke of life For shee it is that is the doore of life all other are theeues and robbers Wherefore a man must auoyde them I say but the Churches thinges he must most earnestly loue take hold of her Tradition of truth Studying and teaching of all diuine truth AND better yet to know both the plentie of this rich Storehouse and the Emptines of the beggarly Dennes of Heretikes consider againe vvhat Church it is whose maisters teach and children study the whole body of Christian truth taking no lesse paines to seeke out and to know what God hath reuealed about the Blessed Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and yet their vnity equalitie consubstubflantialitie in one Godhead about the Incarnation of Godds Sonne ioyning two most different natures of God and Man both intiere both complete no commixion no confusion into the vnitie of one Person about all the same one persons in his humaine nature perfections and defects doings and sufferings for our sakes about the creation of the world in the beginning of things visible and inuisible of men and Angels what they were both made by God and what they made themselues by sinne about the Resurrection and Iudgement that shal be in the ending and state of things both in earth and hel and heauen for euer afterward finally about all parts of faith Religion no lesse then about the Questions of this time And againe who they be on the other side that know very little euen of their owne Questions that they haue moued vnto our Church in these their dayes as they can not possibly knovv much being occupied rather about wyning then in studying and taking vpon them to be teachers before they haue bin lerners husbandes and Ministers both so sone as they can get them wiues and benefices so yong fathers so yong Doctors that the common Wealth is forsooth greatly strengthned by their multiplying and the Church substantially edified by their preaching But in other questions of our beleefe such as before I rehearsed so ignorant they be that they are scarse euer heard and very few of them to preache or teache vpō them the people thereby remaining vtterlye vnskilfull of Mysteries that they are bound to know vpon paine of damnation Yea Caluin himselfe the learnedst of them al and their master of masters compelled also to study the Mysterie of the Trinity for to answere his Polonion Trinitaries yet is hee found so ignorant therein that his errors are intolerable as that Gods Sonne is autotheos God of himselfe and not GOD of his Father Iust li. 1. cap. 13. nu 23. 24. Vide Geneb de Trin. li. 1. pag. 43. as the great Nicene Councell hath professed Deum de Deo Deum verum de Deo vero God of God very God of very god whereof it ineuitably foloweth that they are two Gods not one God vnlike in substance not consubstantiall beside many other his ignorant errors Such was Iuels ignorance also that Christ is a priest according to his Godhead being yet I say studied in the matter What then must be the blindes of our Countrie Heretikes that neuer trouble their braines about those Mysteries Loke to theyr Vniuersities and see vvhether there be any appointed publicke Readers or Teachers of such matters any that priuatly make them their studye whether they doe not all in maner study nothing at all but the arte of speaking or els but certaine new bookes of common places for a few pointes of their new Doctrine and them so lightly that the cōmon sorte of Catholikes are able to answere all there argumentes and to say also more for them then they can say for themselues and yet it serueth them to be Doctours there of Diuinitie a Goddes name how be it both in lawe and truth they are no Degrees that men seeme there to take Is such a Church trovv you that Rich Storehouse Li. 3. c◠4. in the which the Apostles laid vp for euer most plentifully al truth
and knowledge for euery one vvhen hee lifteth to take vvhat he vvill as Saint Ireneus hath saied Or is that the Company where is discarged the charge that Saint Paule gaue to Timothee 2. Tim. 2. Quâ—e audisti a me per multos testes haec câ—mmenda fidelibus hominibus qui idonâ—i erunt alios docere The things which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses theÌ„ commend thou againe to trusty persons such as againe shall be able to teach others also and so from hand to hand from mouth to mouth continually till the worldes end Are men amongst them prepared instucted and made able to defend the Faith of Christ in all pointes against Iewes against Turkes against Arrians Manichees Nestorians and all other Heretikes what soeuer haue beene or may be The very Foundation of our Faith and in deed al in all is that Iesus is Christ who knoweth not and graunteth the very point that is betwene vs specially and the Iewes and which Saint Paule ful often and ful mightily proued to and against those trayterous infidels as in many places of the Actes S. Luke hath noted Act. 9. 17. 18. 26. 28. Now if in England any of our newe Maisters should meete vvith such a Iewe would hee be very readye thinke you to oppose him to replie vpon him to make answere vnto hym Or if hee should light vppon any there that thinketh there is no God or that beleueth not the immortality of the soul should reason so with him in the hearing of others were he not like to betray the truth for lacke of learning rather then to roote out the error The multitude of that threefolde cockle in our Countrie against Iesus against God against the soule declareth vvell vvhat husbandes they are And wil there yet be any man so folish to thinke theirs to be the Church that S. Paule doth call Columnam fâ—mamentum veritatis 1. Tim. 3. the Piller and vpholder of truth Or is there any man of experience that knoweth not that our Catholike Church it is wherein most learnedly most substantially most lightsomely most orderly most vniuesally all truth Christian is studied taught and learned Looke the Summes of Diuinity written by our Maisters as Saint Thomas and others Consider our Pulpits Catecheteries Monasteries and Vniuersities such Readers such Lectures such Orders that in a short space a man may learne the groundes of all euery truth that vnto Faith belongeth In the Vniuersities on this side the sea that I haue bene in and the like I heare of others shall he heare in foure or fiue yeares the whole Course of Diuinitye and all in Dictates vnder two or three Readers twise or thrise ouer in the same tyme also the Controuersies of these dayes by another Reader seuerally by themselues examined by another al the new Testament very learnedly and very profitably expounded all this besides aboue a hundred publike disputations euery yeare euery disputation being of some whole matter as of all Baptisme all the Eucharist the Trinity the Incarnation the Supremacie the Angels the Creation of man Originall sinne c. euery one continuing for three houres at euery one foure or fiue Opponentes besides many Doctours sitting by and replying where and when they list all this againe besides priuate Disputations little inferiour to the other in sundrie places euery weeke finally besides all this the whole Bible red ouer at Table euery yeare and alwaies after dinner supper two Chapters of it one of the old Testament another of the new diligently examined as it were by familiar conference betweene the better learned and the younger sort as Doctors Licentiates Bachelers and Scholers of Diuinitie In this Church I say are the Treasures of the wisdome of Christ knowledge of God This is the Church of whose learning and wisedome S. Augustine often writeth himselfe to haue bin in vvonderfull admiration De vtil cred ca. 4. and calleth it Syncerissimam Sapientiam De mor. Ecc. Cat. cap. 30. con Epist fun ca. 4. most sincere wisedome alleaging it to the Manichees for the first Motiue holding him in the lap of the Catholike Church And therefore of this Church I say to euery one of my deare friends Countryemen as he did to his friend Honoratus Diu te affectum vides si iam satis tibi iactatus videris De vtil cred ca. 8. finemque huiusmodi laboribus vis imponere sequere viam Catholicae disciplinae quae ab ipso Christo per Apostolos ad nos vsque maenauit abhinc ad posteros manatura est You see that you haue beene long troubled with these broyles of parties in the world And if now you thinke your selfe to haue beene tossed and turmoiled inough would haue at length an end of these vexations follow the way of the Catholike Discipline which from Christ him selfe by the Apostles to vs is come and from hence shall not faile to come to our posteritie This Catholike continuall Discipline and euerlasting teaching sufficient to settle all that labour for the truth and to shew them all that they seeke is euident to be ours and that it can be none but ours Annuall celebrating of all Christes Mysteries THIS being done and considered that our Church it is which hath so put in course and order all Christian Doctrine for the ready and sure defence of our Sauiour Christ against all his enimies consider you consequently what Church it is that for the due worship of GOD for the thankefull and liuely rememberance of our Redemption hath driuen the Christian Seruice to such a Maiestie order and decencie in all Countries of Christendome most vniformely that it hath beautified sanctified all Christian common wealthes with the obseruation of Feastes and of Fastes with Rogations and other solemne Supplications vvith varietie of sundrie seasons with Histories to be remembred most apt and fit for euery season so exactly applying out of the Old Testament all shadowes figures promises Prophecies to the manifold and seuerall Truthes of Iesus Christ our God Lord that the Iew may be confounded the christian confirmed al Heretikes of theÌ„selues ashamed to see that done by Christes Church euery yeare coÌ„tinually without ceasing which Christ afore did himselfe to his Disciples Luke 24. Incipiens a Moyse omnibus prophet is interpretabatur illis in omnibus scripturis quae de ipso eraÌ„t Beginning at Moyses and all the Prophets he did vnto them interpret declare throughout all the Scriptures the matters that to him belonged as his Passion his resurrection c. his Catholike Church to begin at Ierusalem and to goe thence ouer all Nations by preaching pennance and forgiuing of sins Was it the Protestants Church that hath so done Or is it not euen so done in the seruice of our Church Who then are they of whom it is written Tunc aperuit illis sensum Luke 24. vt intelligereÌ„t
because they must and doe confesse that Saint Bede in our Countrie Saint Bernard in another and such like are of all most surelie saued who yet had not this ignorance but knew right well this new doctrine and condemned it for moste wicked heresie And will men of this time be then so folish so wilfully cast away themselues to forsake that sure faith that sure maner of seruing God which by the very confession of those that would haue it forsaken serued well the turne so many hundred yeares together to saue men from hel to bring men to heauen Who is so sure that this new Faith and new Seruice hath all this vvhile brought any one to heauen Yea how certaine that is which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of Saint Paule hath spoken Ephes 4. Vna fides vnum Baptisma one faith one Bapisme so certaine it is by that aforesaid that whosoeuer in this new faith and seruice hath ended this life is in Hel most certainely the very first fathers open teachers of it condemned by God and all good men when they were aliue and euer since theyr death remayning in so cursed memorie that their owne followers dare not for shame and feare once name them to their honour nor any true Christian man thinke otherwise of them then as of most damnable creatures The onelie knowen and vndoubted Mother of Christes children for a thousand yeares togeather VVHEREVPON consider you next of all what Church was that which for these thousand yeares togeather throughout the whole vvorld was called Christes Church and stoode and encreased and brought forth both Children to Christ as his only wife all that while and Spouse and innumerable Saintes to heauen and Pastours for the people and vvas accepted in humble peace and quietnes for the Mother of al faythful folke so long togeather and before euer any of these Sectes had to doe or appeared in the world Was either that a false Church by whose only wombe and none others al men so long time were regenerate Or can that be the true Church which so many worlde 's togeather either vvas not at all as we say and as it is certaine or was so obscure and hidd that it could not be sene nor knowen and that in the gloriouse time of the new euerlasting Testament which is the time of Christes Churches Raigne in heigth aboue the topp not only of al Iereboam and other Idolatrers Excelsies and Hillockes 3. Reg. 3. Excelsa colles but also aboue the mountes and Hilles them-selues of both Temples Ioan. 4. false Samaritan and true Iudaicall Is 4. Mic. For so say the Prophets Erit in nouijsimis diebus praeparatus Mons Domus Domini in vertice montiū eleuabitur super colles In the last dayes shal be cunningly set the Mountaine of our Lordes howse on the toppe of the hilles and it shal be exalted aboue the hillockes whereas contrarywise by the Protestantes saying Christs Church should be more obscure then the Synagogue of the Ievves not only afore but also in this very time of their vtter desolation In vvhich tyme the Church of Christ is sette in such cleare light bright shining that both the Prophet saieth Scietur in gentibus semen eorum germen eorum in medio populorum omnes qui viderent eos cognoscent illos quia isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus In Nations shal be knowen their seede Is 61. and their issue in the middest of peoples al that see them shall know them that these are the seede which our Lord hath blessed Mat. 5. And also our Sauiour calleth it a Citie that cannot be hid being set vppon a mountaine that cannot be hid he saith And yet shall you haue some youths which please themselues so much in their owne inuentions that they feare not to say Yes but it may be hid because the highest hilles haue sometimes mistes about them In deed with their mistes they hide for a time this Citie how high as it standeth and how plaine in sight from some weake-sighted persons that be without it to their owne damnation But from such as are within it and there will keep themselues no mist can hide it For which cause our Sauiour saith in the same place Mat. 5. Vt luceat omnibus qui in domo sunt to giue light to all that be in the house God open the eies of people euen of the mist-casters also to see where they are and where they should be where they shall be if they goe blindly forward as they haue begunne to see that those wits and tongues of theirs vvhich now they count lucra Phil. 3. for bringing vnto them so manie Church-liuinges and so much vaine glorie are in verie truth nothing but stercora and detrimenta for beraying them all with sin and leesing vnto them the glorious Cittie of Christ both here and hereafter A long time it were for a mist to haue lasted aboue a thousande yeares together and much for it al that while not only to haue hidden but also to haue quite choken vp such a Cittie set vp by Christ to be seene and to last for euer In this time of Christes glorie and his new Testament so long togeather was not at all the Protestantes Church say we and otherwise also must they themselues confesse that all that time it had no vse of her owne Sacraments nor any help to saluation but by another company which vvas contrarie vnto it and in which only vvas then all the practise of all christianitie and which therefore was the Church of Christ so high so bright so fruitfull as promise was made afore it should be Celebration and operation of Christes death VVITH this consider you at once vvhat Church is that which now and euer is so blessed of God so embrued with Christs blood and Passion issuing out of his precious side vvhen vpon the Crosse it was opened that she onely hath in her the highest only proper worship of God consisting in Sacrifice and in her Sacrifice the liuely and sensible celebrating of Christs Death whereby his holy Bodie and precious Blood were done asunder that she hath moreouer grace in her Sacraments merite in her workes force in her vvord vertue power and efficacie in her teaching that she breedeth deuotion conuerteth sinners turneth to religion and to the search of life and saluation strangely altereth the heartes of men Christ being in her not weake feble but strong and mighty as S. Paule said to the Corinthians Christus in vobis non infirmatur sed potens est in vobis 2. Cor. 13. and she in Christ Iesus being by God created in good workes who loued her Eph. 2. 5. gaue himselfe for her that hee might sanctifie her and purifie her with the lauer of water in his word to present her vnto himselfe at the last day a glorious Church without spot or wrincke or any blemish
Contrariewise can that vngratefull company be the true Church which offereth not to God but abhorreth the high Soueraigne office and honour due vnto him by Sacrifice which hath not in sacrifice the coÌ„memoration of Christs death that infirme and beggarly companie vvhich graunteth she hath no sacraments to giue grace vvhich of her owne accord giueth ouer the right order of Priesthood vvhich confesseth she hath no rite of Ceremonie no power of vvorde to sanctifie any creature in Christs name no vertue to bring vnder and coniure away Diuels from her Childrens bodies cattell houses and other thinges no blessing no spirituall gift no grace yea which cannot beare more theÌ„ the Diuel himselfe any externall monument of deuotion nor benediction but feareth superstition in obeisance at the name of Iesus misdoubteth Idolatrie in the figure of Christs Crosse and findeth in good workes nothing of Gods spirit nothing of Christs Passion no grace no merite nothing finally but finne and hipocrisie Teaching the narrow waie and liuing after it TO that same afore-said ioyne this consideration that followeth what Church that is vvhich as it hath Gods grace and Christs blood mightily working in it and vvith it to the wonderfull breaking chaunging imprinting and ingrauing of hearts so againe it preacheth Pennance Iustice Gods iudgement Hell fire Restitution Satisfaction Discipline and great austeritie of life whose followers and children for those causes be the saddest sort of people men of best order vprightest in gouernment honestest of conditions deuoutest in Gods seruice readiest to workes of mercy and pietie most carefull of their consciences most studious of the life to come most peaceable in al families charitable takers vp of matters and quarels that fall out betweene their neighbours worthiest members of coÌ„mon wealthes best beloued both of God and man On the other side what Church is that whose preachers preach pleasauntnes be meale mouthed make open profession to ytching eares and hold a common Schole of sinne and flattery holde sacriledge to be Gods seruice vnfaithfulnes and breach of promise to God to giue it to a strumpet to be a vertue abandon fasting abhorre confession mislike vvith pennance like well of vsury charge none with restitution finde no good before God in single life nor in no well working but haue in all thinges smothed and planed with sweet wordes of false peace and deceitfull security the rough vvaie of Heauen and saluation Whose followers for those causes are easily to be noted by theyr naughty coÌ„ditions the vnbridled youth that seeke for licence and liberty the carnall swine that wallow in sinne the vnruly ruffians that count order a prison discipline a torment the pirates robbers oppressors both Masters and Ministers that like best of that Church vvhich is furthest from grace vnpriuiest of consciences nearest to Atheisme vniust Bankrupts cruell Vsurers that would haue it lawfull to enrich them-selues vvith other mens goods delicate Merchantes wanton women that in this world serue their lustes both at borde and in bed lading themselues vvith all kindes of sinne and yet presuming of heauen to find it wide open finally all persons as they fal from order and godlines more nere they be to this profession or religion a common rule and generall obseruation that all men as they returne to our Church bettered and amended as they fall to their Sinagogue much worsed and more then afore corrupted For proouing whereof I neede not bring in the common knowen testimonies of Erasmus and Luther himselfe Eras Epi. in pseudo Euang. ad frat inf Ger. Luth. in post dom 1. AdueÌ„t It is in our Countrie most euident to all men both in particular persons and in the multitude and in the State neuer in people lesse fidelitie lesse friendship lesse charitie lesse humilitie lesse simplicity lesse goodnes neuer more pride as in apparrell c. more double dealing more swearing more forswearing more whoredome more theeuing secret and open personall and generall more sin more vice more naughtines that by all examples of former times nothing is to be looked for but vniuersall destruction vtter desolation And of all most ill most wicked and therefore euery where most despised most contemned most irrided most scorned the Superintendents and Ministers themselues that if a book should be made of their seuerall behauiours as it would presently be confessed so would it of posteritie be scarcely beleeued That and if they had such enormities to lay to our Clergy as wee can lay to them innumerable and intollerable O how should all pulpits and places ring thereof Giue me teares O Lord yea a floud yea a Sea of teares O Lord I pray thee to bewaile my sinnes and the sinnes of my Nation giue them O Lord thy grace to repent theyr sinne the very cause of all theyr wicked Heresie that our poore Countrey may vvith Niniue find thy mercy escape thy wrath and by preuention turne away her miserie Obedient Subiectes THAT this may in Goddes name be so done not only by particular persons but also if it be possible by the very Gouernours and State it selfe which I wish and pray God of his mercy that they may vvith his good fauour both here and here-after stand for euer vvith and besides the former Motiues it may please them this to consider further what Church that is wherein first and formest as Saint Augustine saith Ipsae quodam modo etiam humanae leges Christianae sunt De vtil cred ca. 7. the very humaine lawes also be Christian as is euident in the learned Ciuil law as they call it of the Romaines and also in the sage Temporall Law of our owne Countrie both being Christian according to the Christianitie of the Catholike Church only which the Students and Readers of them doe well know that they are both made to serue our Sauiour Christ as he is serued in our Church giuing in most thinges playne witnesse against these destructions and innouations of the Protestants And wherein againe her owne Ecclesiastical lawes be the life continuance of all good commonwealthes by which the Princes and Powers haue good and obedient Subiectes the people againe haue iust louing Gouernours whose children be folowers of peace and tranquilitie be taught order and obedience to their ordinary powers of whom temporal Princes for God and conscience-sake be they neuer so euil are in al lauful cases duely serued if at any time it happen after long toleration humble beseeching and often admonition of very wicked and notorius Apostates or heretikes no other hope of amendment appearing but the filthy more more daily defiling himselfe and others to the huge great heape of their own damnatioÌ„ that after al this the soueraigne authoritie of our common pastor in religion for the sauing of souls doe duely discharge vs from subiection and the Prince offeÌ„der from his dominioÌ„ with such grieâ—â— oâ— heart is it both done of the Pastour and taken of the people as if a man
knevv Yea a Religion that should compel their Maister and ours Christ himselfe God aboue all to be blessed for euer if he had chosen this time and our Countrey for to teach and worke in it mans saluation to haue held his peace and leaft his medling like a Foreiner as hee was and in no wise to haue behaued him-selfe like the Head of his owne Church vnlesse hee would haue also saied that he had bene the natural king of England and displaced the lawfull heires of the Kings afore-time and chaunged his talke to Pilate when he saied Regnum meum non est ae hoc mundo Ioan. 28. my kingdome is not of this world to haue sayed My Kingdome is of this world and thy Maister Cesar doth me wrong This must hee needes haue done I say by our nevv mens doctrine or not haue bin Head of his Church because by their saying that Headship cannot be seperated from the Kingship being as they say a real naturall and an essentiall part thereof Which their own saying themselues yet againe destroy by another saying of their own contrary to the former whiles that they professe as truth is our Prince to be King of France as well as of England and of Ireland and yet say not that he is Head of the Church of France but only of the Church of England and Ireland as euery man doth see in the King or Queenes vsuall Style Wherefore if any man thinke that Company vvhich breedeth and nourisheth such monsters such absurdities to haue any resemblance of Christes Church horribly blinded in his sight and his vnderstaÌ„ding fouly darkened Communion of Saintes SVCH you see is the new inuented Church of England so streightnyng and coarctyng it selfe into the limittes of one Kingdome or Countrey that in it one Christyan man to another euen in Spirituall affayres is a stranger that in it an Ecclesiastical and Apostalicall povver erected by Christ is deemed a Foreiner that in it any General Councel that euer was or euer can be gathered of the Bishoppes of other Natyons of all Christendome yea or of theyr own confederates can take beare or haue no whit of authoritie that in it epistles directed from beyond the sea by Saint Paule himselfe such as his Epistles to the Romains Corinthians Galathians c. could beare no sway that in it all the Apostles togeather writing from theyr Synod of Hierusalem as they did to the Antiochians might beare no stroke that in it Christ himselfe without the King and the Parlaments consent might not dispose of his own Churches Into such wonderfull narrow straightes haue these men laced and pinched vp them-selues besides their precise dealing also about communion with the soules in Purgatory and the Saints in Heauen Consider then whether this be the Catholike and Vniuersall Church of Christ spread ouer all Nations descending vnto vs throughout al ages one the same both in earth and vnder earth and aboue earth and not that Church much rather yea most certainly by which euery faithfull man communicateth in all offices of Relygion with all others be they neuer so farre asunder be it in time or be it in place in which there is a perfitte participation and societie of all spirituall commodities and commandementes where seruing and obeying praying and working desiring and deseruing lacking and abounding trouble and comfort goeth in common The Church that all Christs enimies fight against CONSIDER againe what Church that is ours or the Protestantes which the tyrannicall Romaine Emperours of olde before their christendome did vexe and persecute and which to this day the Heathen the Turke and the Iewe doe acknowledge themseulues to be annoyed by VVhat company honoring Christ do they feare but ours What Church beareth off theyr brunt from the neck of Christendom but only ours Of what Church was our owne Countrie wheÌ„ it in such holy warres ioyned with other countries of Christendome and got thereby immortal glorie And now that it is reuolted from the same Church what aide haue Christian Princes of it toward such warres Yea doth not all the world see that these go togeather them that fight against Heretikes the same to fight against Turks and they againe that maintaine Heretykes the same to fauour Turkes to be sory for theyr ouerthrowes to be glad of theyr preuailing for Christian Princes good successe to faine false bonefires for TVRKES good successe to shew forth mery heartes Of our Church I shewed afore that those Emperours afterward receaued theyr Baptisme therefore ours it vvas that they afore did persecute For so witnesseth the Prophet Esay that it is one Church Esa 60. and the same which they did first afflict and after adore Et venient ad te curui filij eorum qui humiliâ—ueâ—â—t te adorabunt vestigia pedum tuorum omnes qui detrahebant tibi vocabunt te Ciuitatem Domini Sion sancti Israel And there shal com vnto thee creeping and crouching the sonnes of them that afflicted thee and there shal adore thy footestepes all that blasphemed thee and they shal cal thee the Citie of our Lord the Syon of the holy one of Israel Seing it is euident I say that those Potentates neuer to no Church did this honour and Seruice but only to ours euydent also it is that our Church it vvas which afore they persecuted that Church Christes Church by the confession of al men therefore our Church Christes Church to the eye of such as are content to see Which yet again may be more plainly seene by this Motiue of S. Augustins by him proponed amoÌ„gst many others to the Heathens to moue them to be Christians Vidâ—tis Epist 42 ipsas huius saeculi potestates quae aliquando pro simulachris populum Christianum persequebantur victas domitas non a repugnantibus sed a morientibus Christianis â—â—ntra eadem simulachra pro quibus Christianos occidebant impetus suos legesque vertisse Imperij nobilissimi emineÌ„tissimuÌ„ culmeÌ„ ad sepulchruÌ„ piscatoris Petri submisso diademate supplicare You see the very Potestates of this world which once for Idolles did persecute the Christian people ouercome and tamed not by the resisting but by the dying of Christians both against the same Idoles for which they killed the christians to haue turned their forces and their lawes and also the highâ—st top of the most noble Empire at the Sepulchre of Peter the fisher submitting his Croune to mak supplication By this it is euident I say that our Religion it is to which from their former Paganisme those Emperours were conuerted and to which S. Augustine would haue those other Heathens to conuert And farder yet in the same kind of motiue you may coÌ„sider what church it was which all HERETIKES likewise euer impugned but neuer preuayled Which very note of his Church our Sauiour giueth Mat. 16. Portae inseri non praeualebunt adueâ—sus eam The gates of Hel shall not preuaile against it Was it then against the
considered what grouÌ„d it was alwaies vvhere at those sundrie times did grow the sundry points of the Protestants doctrine which at any time before our time chaunced to appeare what manner of meÌ„ they were eyther for lyse or for doctrine to whom happened to be showen some glimce of this great light which now the Protestantes Gospell hath brought vnto vs. For a few examples because my purposed breuity permitteth not many as in deed very many there are which the learned may here remember One kind of the Protestants seed is that wee must not pray for the dead another that wee must not keepe the Lent and other accustomed times of fasting another that wee must not pray to Saintes another that a Bishop and a Priest be equall But where grewe those seedes afore-time Some in one Aerius that liued in the time of Saint Epiphanius some in certaine that named themselues Apostolici in S. Bernardes time and at other times in others Now if you vvill know what manner of ground that was Aerius was an Arrian Apostolici vvere Anabaptistes Of Aerius thus vvriteth Saint Epiphanius Lib. 3 coÌ„ Haer. her 75. Hic Aerius in hunc vsque diem viuit in carne superest in vita Arianus quidem in totum aliter enim non sentit quam velut Arius adhuc vltra amplius quae Arij sunt perscrutatur acutus lingua armatus labijs in hac parte This Aerius liueth to this day being an Arian altogether For otherwise thinketh he not then euen as Arius and yet furthermore doth hee search than the thinges that belong to Arius hauing his tongue whetted sharp his lips armed in this behalfe And in another place he was a Priest of Bishop Eustathius who for an Arian was accounted and depriued And because Aerius himselfe vvas not made Bishop in his place multa contra Ecclesiam docuit In Anace phaleosi fide quidem existens Arianus perfectissimus many things he taught against the Church being in beleefe a most perfect Arian Verum amplius docet non oportere offerre pro his qui obdormierunt But further he teacheth that wee must not offer for them that are departed Si quis vero ex discipulis ciusieiunare vult Ne in diebus ordinarijs hoc facito inquit sed quando volueris He forbiddeth to fast on Wensday Friday and in Lent and the holy weeke before Easter The Church hath released wensdaies fast long sithens But and if any of his folowers wil fast doe it not saith he on the dayes appointed but some other day when thou wilt Assâ—rit idem EpiscopuÌ„ Presbytero non esse excellentiorem Hee saith also that a Bishopp is no better then a Priest All the same doth S. Augustine likewise witnesse of him Haer. 53. that these were his owne Heretical assertions and that hee was besides an Arian and the occasion of his fall to haue beene the very same because he might not be made a Bishop Of the Heretykes named Apostolici S. Bernard vvriteth In. Cant. ser 66. that they likevvise would haue no praying to Saintes nor for the dead and that withal they laughed at the Catholikes for Baptising of Infantes Anabaptistes as they were I would haue it therefore considered why these seedes of the Protestantes were so sowen vpon the ground of Arians and vpon the grond of Anabaptistes Let them tel vs why vnto such wicked men they were so deare Why were these caÌ„dels of theirs as they accompt them lighted to Aerius a perfitte Arian and a proud Ambitious fellow rather then to S. Athanasius S. Epiphanius Saint Augustine and other holy men of God that stood with the Church against the Arryans Why to those false Apostolykes who were wicked Anabaptistes Bern. ep 240. de Henrico and to others that were dicers and hoorehunters rather then to Saint Bernard and other holy and Catholike men of the same time Is it not playne by this vvho is the sower of such seede the lighter of such candels Euen hee that sowed vs the Seede of Arianisme that lighted vs the candell of Anabaptisme not GOD our Lord but the Diuel himselfe the Lord of Heretikes Such seede it is as wee see that any ground will beare it if it be not the Catholike be it AriaÌ„ be it Anabaptist And not those only but also at this time whereas there are in the world very many Sectes which also the Protestants themselues condemne as well as we doe yet what one is there of them all vvhich with the same agreeth notright wel Yea eche one of them in his falling from the Catholike Church what soeuer vvere the sinke to the which hee fell yet in his way tooke he not with hym the doctrine of the Protestants and the light of their Gospell to be his direction The very worst sort of Heretykes of this tyme as the Anabaptistes the Trinitaries or who soeuer els they be yea and all the sortes that be one and other yea the very Epicures also and Atheistes vvho knoweth not that first they were Protestants yea and that such they be and wil seeme to be still The opinions of theyr owne and of the Protestantes standing all in maner so well togeather vnlesse peraduenture I should except the Atheistes whereof yet I doubt very much that they neede not to lay avvay scarse any one point of the protestants commoÌ„ doctrine as being contrary to their own no not the Atheists themselues I thinke but of al the rest it is certayne of those general negatiue points I say that properly are the Protestantes and for the which they so cal themselues and wherin they be from vs departed troubling therefore the Catholikes in our Country for them and tolerating and mainteining all Sectes how many soeuer and diuers they be That Seede therefore which euer is found amongest such cockle and that lyght which sheweth the way and leadeth vnto such headlong downe-falles and which light also they no lesse se that be in such Egyptiacal darkenes then our Protestants them-selues who soeuer is content to take it for the right seed and the true light litle careth he as he plainly declareth vvhat seede grovv in his soule or into what darknes hee be lead and therefore shall he be sure at the later day to be gathered by the reapers togeather with the Arians the Anabaptistes the Atheistes and all other darnell that the parable speaketh of in these wordes Mat. 13. In tempore messis dicam Messoribus colligite primum zizania alligate ea in fasciculos ad comburendum At Haruest tyme I will say to the reapers gather ye first the Darnelles and bind them in bundelles to be burned where there shal be weepyng and gnashing of teeth For being here found with Arians and other cockell aforesaid how can he be but there bound vp with them in the same buÌ„del Sure therefore shall he be likewise from this wilfull darknes to be throwen yet into further
darknes into the which he would not with hym that another Parable speaketh of wher it saith Mat. 22. Tunc dixit Rex ministris ligatis manibus pedibus eius mittite eum in tenebras exteriores ibi erit fletus stridor dentium Then said the King to his seruantes Bind him hand foote and cast him into more outward darknes there shall be weeping gnashing of teeth Sure To Continue Novv to go on your way in the vvhich vvee were before this last Motyue by the same places of Holye Scriptures there mentioned are vvee admonished agayne of another consideration what Church that is which as it hath so manifestly and gloryously lasted euer vnto this time so is it most sure and certayne from this time to last agayne euen continually till the world shall end And what Church that is on the other side which as it is lately start vp so is it most sure and certayne quickly agayne to fall to nothing Of the first was Saint Augustine bolde to say to his frind Honoratus a Manichee De vtili cred ca. 8. Si finem laboribus vis imponere sequere viam Catholicae disciplinae quae ab ipso Christo per Apostolos ad nos vsque manauit ab hinc ad posteros mana tura est If thou desire to make an end of al thy troubles folow the way of the Catholike doctrine vvhich from Christ himselfe by the Apostles euen to vs is descended and from hence to Posterity shal descend And againe to his coūtreymen the simple people of the Donatists Psal con Par. Don. shewing them the sure way to be againe grafted in Christ Numerate Sacerdotes vel ab ipsa Petri Sede Et in ordine illo Patrum quis cui successit videte Ipsa est Petra quam non vincunt superbae inferorum portae Count the Priestes hardly from the very See of Peter And in that order of fathers consider who to whom succeded That same is the Rocke which the proud gates of Hel do not ouercome If any man at that tyme or at any time had beene bolde so to haue said of any other Apostles See had he not by this time bene proued a lyer And were those other Sees more impugned I pray you by Tyrants and Heretikes thē vvas the See of Peter Yea hath not Peters See vvith all kindes of engyns by all sortes of enimyes ten thousand folde bene more impugned But all in vayne De. vtili cred .. 19. Frustra circumlatrantibus Haereticis saith Saint Augustine In vayne is the barking of Heretykes all about it All is in vayne And for what other cause Let them if with al their wits and wysdomes they can giue vs any other but only because Christ our Sauiour God Almighty hath said the word Tu es Petrus Mat. 16. super hanc Petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam portae inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam Thou art Peter or a Rock vpon vvhich Rocke I wil build vp my Church and that spite of Hel gates they shal not preuayle against it be they neuer so manie neuer so mighty neuer so politike neuer so eloquent neuer so hardie and vvhat soeuer els can be thought or named Vpon this most plaine and most sure word of him that is truth and might it selfe haue our Fathers bin alway bold to say that the See of Peter should neuer faile neyther in succession neyther in faith And vpon the same word be wee much more bold if more may be because we see that it hath held on almost two hundred forty Bishops whereas they say not forty And wee againe besides the fighting against it that they saw haue seen an infinite deale of more Therefore be we bold to say with them that neuer shal hell gates ouer come this Rocke but that both the Successiō shall endure also the very same faith of it endure Who can say so of the B. of Cāterbury of London or any other or either of these either I say that alwaies there shall be a Bishop or that for the time he is he shall not chaunge his faith These Heretikes all the world seeth how soone they fade faile one alwaies eating vp another as a great morsell of Luther eaten vp by Zuinglius of Zuinglius by Caluin of the Protestantes by the Puritans c. And so in themselues euery one vvonderfully diminishing in the meane time the Catholike vnitie meruailouslie increasing For example whereof wee need not to goe to India where the multiplication is miraculous nor to other Countries of Europe verie manie persons and partes vvhereof doe daylie repent theyr Heresie and returne to vnitie Euen in our owne Countrie vvho seeth not the gracious and incredible increase of Catholikes so that now after sixteene yeares preaching of the Heretikes as long silence of the Catholikes all libertie maintenaunce help and law for the one all restraint persecution and oppression of the other yet at this day thankes be to God there are innumerable moe Catholikes and they more godlie more learned more zealous more constant then they were what time Pharao first arose that knevv not Ioseph Whereby anie vvise man may coniecture what will be their increase within few yeares yea although the commādement of exponing the men children should continue specially then when it shall be free for all to depart them out of the house of bondage and to heare Moyses preach vnto them at libertie which by the grace of God to be quickly these wonders that hee worketh both in heauen and in earth and specially in the hearts of men vnlesse I be deceaued doe seeme to promise God graunt if it be his blessed will that whensoeuer it be it be with the Egyptians own saluation that they indurate not their owne hartes euen to the destruction of their Primogeniti Well be that generall deliuerie when God will euer or neuer easily may the Heretikes see by this that the people of themselues do see their follies that much more plainely much more generally would they see it if the Catholiks might be suffered for to shew it Which sufferance although God hithervnto for the infinite sinnes of vs and our Countrie would not haue to be yet hath hee by other meanes wee see and daily doth more more declare that they be such as S. Paule speaketh of where hee saith Sed vltra non proficient 2. Tim. 3. insipientia enim eorum manifesta erit omnibus But they shall not still proceed for theyr folly shall be manifest to all men at the length as was the folly of Iannes and Mambres the Magitians of Pharao who for a while with theyr sorcery withstood Moyses For so wee see that partly Catholike mens writinges and Councels of Bishops partly time it selfe all with the helpe of God hath and doth make knowen theyr folly euen there where by all reason of man they should haue rooted in themselues for euer and
dispositions read depositions fol. 125 b line vlt. for consubstubflantialitie read consubstantialitie fol. 128. a. line 23. for vniuesallie read vniuersallie A TABLE OF THE MOTIVES conteined in this Treatise 1 NAme of Catholikes fol 5. a. 2. Name of Heretik 9. a 3. Name of Protestants Puritans c. 10. a 4. Oâ—d Heresies 13. a. 5. Miracles dogmaticall 15. a 6 Miracles personal 27. a. 7. Visâ—â—â—s 32. b 8 Scriptures 39. b 9 Traditions most certaine 42. b 10 The Churches iudgemeÌ„t 45. a 11 The churches practise 48. b 12 See Apostolike 55. a 13. Councels 59. a 14 The Fathers 63. b 15. Martyrs 69. a 16 Their own Doctors 74. a 17. The Catholike Faith in England mightily planted and lightly chaunged 80. b 18 Going out 84. b 19. Rising afterward 86. a 20 Beginning with wondring and gainsaying of Christians then in Vnitie 88. b. 21. Vnsent 90. b 22 Succession 93. a 23. Apostolike Church 95. b 24 The Romaines neuer chaunged their religion 100. a 25 Conuersion of Heathen Nations 102. b 26 By what Religion hath Idolatrie beene destroyed 105. a 27 Vnitie 117. b 28 Iudges infallible incases of Controuersie 120. b 29 Protestants themselues take things vpon our Churches credit 123. a 30 Storehouse of the scriptures 124. b 31 Studying and teaching of all Diuine truth 125. b 32 Annuall celebrating of all Christs Mysteries 129 b 33 Ecclesiasticall Monuments and Liuings 142. a 34 Apes 143. 35 States of perfection 144. b 36 The state of our Predecessors 145. b 37 The only knowen and vndoubted Mother of Christs childreÌ„ for one thousand yeares togeather 147. b 38 Celebration and Operation of Christs death 149. b 39 Teaching the Narrow way and liuing after it 151. a 40 Obedient subiects 153. a 41 The Church to whom Princes doe homage 155. a 42 The Parlament Church 156. b 43 Communion of Saints 158. a 44 The Church that all Christs enimies fight against 159. a 45 Euer visible and Catholike 161. a 46 Where grew the Protestants seed before our time 163. b 47 Sure to continue 167. a 48 How to make plaine demonstration that the Heretikes haue no euidence and that we haue all 171. a A TABLE OF THE MORE PRINcipall matters touched in this Treatise A AN Admonition to Catholikes that frequent the new Seruice Fol. 133. a To Priestes likewise that say it 136. b Aerians aliue againe in the Protestants 13. b Aultus 34. b 52. a 112. b S. Ambrose Motiue the Fathers 64. a Anabaptistes 165. b 166. a Antichristes side against the Pope 58. a Apes of the Catholikes are Heretikes 143. a The Apostles were of our religion 44. a. b 60. a 102. a 104. a 156. b Apostolike Church 95. b Apostolike See 55. a 94. b Assumption of our Lady 132. b Atheistes why they be so many in England 128. a. 152. a 166. a Motiues against theÌ„ See here in the word Christ and in the Preface S. Augustine of our religion 16. a 34. b. 35. a 44. b 45. b 47. b 49 a 51. b 54. a 55 b 108. a 117. a 160. b. brought therunto by God 34 b. How he should be vsed in England by the ParlameÌ„t law if he were there liuing 157. a His Motiues Name of Catholikes 5. b Name as of Protestants c. 12 a Councels 63. a the Fathers 64. b Succession in the See Apostolike 95. a 99. b 167. b the Churches authoritie pâ—e pa. 5. fo 123. b the Churches continuance 95. a 129. a 167. b the Churches wisedome and learning pref page 8. fol. 129. a Apostolike Churches as the Romaine c. 98. a 99. b. The honour and vertue of Saints and Relikes 110. a. Emperours turned from their Idols and praying at Peters Sepulchre 160 a. Christianity of humane lawes 153. a. 160. a S. Augustine the Apostle of Englishmen of what Religion and authoritie 80 b. B S. BAbilas Relikes 108. b Baptisme necessary for saluation of Children 14. a. 49. b. 71. b. 165. b. S. Bede of our Religion 17. a. 81. a 100. b. His storie to be read diligently of Englishmen 81. a. his Motiue the Romaine Church 100. b S. Bernard of our Religion and with what Miracles he confirmed it 29. a 115. a Bishops of England vnitie constancy 86. a A Bishop aboue a Priest 165. a Bookes of Heretikes not to be read 140. a C CAluin against our Prorestants about the Head of the Church 78. a His Legats in India 103. a His errors about the Trinity 126. b. Caluinists condemned by Luther 75. a Carolostadius condemned by Luther 75. a Catholikes haue the truth 3. b. that very name a certaine marke of right Catholikes 5. a Catholikes Romaine 55. b Chalenges turned into Proclamations 1. b Change of religion neuer made by vs. 51. a 100. a what an impudeÌ„t attempt it is 54. b. 80 b 135. b the Iewes religion chaunged into ours by Christ 117. a 124. b Christ to be beleeued for these Motiues Authoritie of his Church pref page 5. fol. 47 b Vnity of his Church 118. b Miracles 30. b 110. a Visions 33. b vertue of his Saints and of their Relikes 110. a. vertue of the signe of his Crosse 113. a 139. a Conuerting of Emperours and Powers from theyr Idols to serue his seruants 160. a the Scriptures of the old Testament as they be vnderstood in the Church 130. b Christ excluded out of England by Parliament 157. a Christendome shut out of England by Parliament 158. a Christians and Catholikes all one 12. b Christianity of humaine lawes in what Church 153. a S. Chrisost of our religioÌ„ 44. a 56. a. 109. a. b the Churches iudgement alwaies infalible 45. a 120. b. 123. a her practise likewise 84 b the Church euerlasting and visible 47. a 93. a 104. a 129. a 148. a 160. b 161. a 167. a. Her learning and wisdome 124. b 128. a 130. a 143. b Her seruice 130. a Churches the worke of Catholikes 142. a confirmed by Miracles 29. a. 54. a 107. a 109. a 111. a by visions 70. b Churches of the Heretikes to be refrained 133. b. Communion booke an apish imitation of our Masse booke 144. a burned in a vision 38. b. In another vision the Communion receaued by a blacke dogge 39. a against Communicating with Heretikes in their seruice c. 133. b Confirmation of Children 72. a Conuersion of Heathen Nations by our Church 102. b Councels 59. a 158. a Crosse 30. a 31. b 81. a. 113. a 115. a 139 a Custome or practise of Gods Church 48. b 72. a S. Cyprian of our Religion 39. b 44. b 116. a D DEgrees taken in vniuersities of Heretikes are annullated 127. a Diuels expelled with the Masse by a Priest of Saint Augustines 16. b. By S. Bernard 115. a with the signe of the Crosse by S. Bernard 115. a by Pius Quintus 31. b with Relikes 107. a Diuels in the Protestants 107. a Donatistes aliue againe in Protestants 45. b E EBionites 40. a Ember dayes
necessarie for mee to aske counsell of Peters Chayre and of the fayth praised by Saint Paules mouth c. Noe sticking at the monstrous space of sea land that is betwene Vbicunque fuerit corpus Mat. 24. illuc congregantur aquilae Wheresoeuer is the carkase thither vvill the egles gather c. Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens Beatitudini tuae id est Cathedrae Petri communione consocior I following none but Christ first am ioyned in communiō to your Blessednes that is to the Chaire of Peter Super illam Petram aedificatam Ecclesiā scio Vpon that Rock I know the Church is builded c. And because I am so far of from you Ideo hic Collegas tuos Aegiptios confessores sequor therefore here I follow them of your syde the Confessors of Egypt c. Quicunque tecum nō colligit spargit hoc est qui Christi non est Antichristi est Who soeuer gathereth not with you he scattereth that is to say who so is not of Christes syde he is of Antichrists syde c. Obsecro Beatitudinem tuam per Crucifixū mundi salutem per homousion Trinitatem vt mihi epistolis tuis siue tacendarum siue dicendarum hypostaseon detur authoritas I beseech your Blessednes for hys sake that vvas crucified the Saluation of the vvorld and for the Consubstantial Trinities sake that by your Letters authoritie may be gyuen me to say or not to say these Hypostases Read the whole Epistle Finally true it is I saie generallie without exception that alwaies as Catholikes haue earnestly kept and dilygently sought the vnity and communiō of the See of Rome so were they euer Heretikes or Schismatikes that cōtemned the same especially after that they were by it condemned for such were they at the length by the whole world taken if they continued wilfull and obstinate in the said rebellion Therefore the Protestants and other Sectaries of this time vvho haue binne by so many worthy Bishops of that holy See accursed and haue notwithstandyng so many yeares desperatly continued in their disobedience are Schismatikes and Heretikes and so wil they one day be accompted of all Christian men when as in al Heretikes that were afore our time so in these shal be fulfilled Saint Paules most certaine Prophecie 1. Tim. 3. Insipientia eorum manifesta erit omnibus their folly shal be knowē of al men as thanks be to God it hath of late yeares wel begonne to be and namely in our Countrie where notwithstanding their continual preaching for these sixtene yeares and the Catholikes all that while beyng put to silence yet haue they now fewer folowers without comparison then they had whē they began for no other cause but for that the folly of Heresie as Saint Paule hath told vs is such that through Gods working men of their owne accord in time wil see it and seeing wil forsake it Which when as by the mercy of God Catholikes shall haue there againe their liberty will no doubt much more and in short time generally of al men be done For certaine it is as I haue saied that none haue bin from Christes Ascention to this our age by the Apostolyke See condemned in maner aboue-sayed but they haue binne also after-ward by all Chtistian men with one consent abhorred and detested howsoeuer they haue for a time abused their vile tongues against the said See for condemning thē calling it Cathedram pestilentiae the Chaire of pestilence as did the Pelagians Augustine con lit Petil li. 2. cap. 51. or the seat of Antichrist or by such like termes of blasphemie Councels VVHOM so euer any Councell of Bishopps Generall or Prouinciall confirmed by the See Apostolyke hath at any tyme condemned as Heretykes they were Heretykes in dede as such they were at length forsaken of all men howsoeuer for a tyme Emperours Kinges or Queenes multitude of folowers shew of learning opinion of holines or any other mā or thing did vphold them Neither against thys can there be brought any exception Remember all the times who so that will that were before vs. The Nycene Councell condemned the Arrians for denying the Godhead of Gods Sonne the Constātinopolitan condemned the Macedoniās for denying the Godhead of the holy Ghost the Ephesine Councel condemned the Nestorians for diuiding Christs own person into two the Councell of Chalcedon condemned the Eutichians for making but one of Christs two Natures an other Councell of Constantinople condemned the Monothelits for leauing in Christ but one wil only other Councels condemned others And the end alwayes vvas that the Councell preuailed the Heretykes were suppressed For those Heretykes which I haue rehearsed which in theyr time raigned each one very farre infected meruaylous great multitudes of sinful vnconstant soules yea many Emperours also and Empresses Kinges and Queenes States Countries c. novv at thys tyme and many hundred years before this time what one folower haue they had Haue they not bin generally forsakē Haue not those Councels which condemned them of al Christēdome bin embraced Yea by the verie Parlament lavv Si Dijs placet of our Protestants in England haue not foure of them bin allowed with the Scriptures for good touchstoanes of Heresie So mightie is the authoritie so vndoubted is the verytie of such a Councell And that wel worthie as being a thing wonderfully commended vnto vs by the Example of the Apostles and first Christians in the acts of the Apostles where we haue the first lineaments of Christes Church and the orders of the same There wee see how that a very great Question being raised by certaine Prechers saying Act. 15. that wee Gentiles without circunciding of our selues after the maner of Moyses lavve can not be saued although wee beleeue in Christ the matter was referred vnto a Councell of the Apostles and other priests at Ierusalē Who after great searching debating of the matter determined it vvith Visum est Spiritui sancto nobis it hath pleased the holy Ghost vs that Christian men of the Gentils should not be bound to the law of Moises making also certayne Decrees of such to be obserued And after this what effect toke the Councell Mary S. Paule and Silas vvent ouer many Countries and Cities Act. 16. preaching and deliuered vnto them to kepe the Decrees that vvere decreed by the Apostles and Priests that vvere at Hierusalem And this same order euer since that time in like cases hath the Holy Ghost the guid leader of the Church into all Truth caused the Church alwaies to obserue making by his diuine power Councels to be assembled to be furdered to be agreed to be finished to be receaued That we doe worthily refer this proceeding prospering of Councels in the Catholike Church to God almyghty any reasonable man wil sone cōfesse that cōsidereth out of how many countries languages maners wits persōs about how many matters