fathers how downe to grauen images or worship them the i Exod. 20. commandement of God is direct against such images thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. thou shalt not bow downe vnto it nor worship it k Lib. 2. institut c. 19. Lactantius saith that there is no religion where grauen images are religio nulla est vbîcunque simulachrum est The papists therefore that make the images of God and worship them are no catholicks nor haue any good religion neither can it auaile them that they say they worship not the matter of the image for so did the gentils answere in excuse of their idolatry as testifieth l Institut lib. 2. c. 2. Lactantius argument 22 True catholicks beléeue that by the law we know sinne and that m 1. Iohn 5. all vnrighteousnesse is sinne and thirdly that n Deut. 27. Galat. 3. he is accursed that abideth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to doe them if then the papists teach that all is not sinne that is repugnant to Gods law as the Iebusits doe in the censure of Coleine fol. 26. and as others doe that it is not sinne in this world not to loue God withall our heart and all our soule which is commanded by the law of God then are they no catholicks argument 23 Catholicks holde that we haue but one lawgiuer and iudge that is able to destroy and to saue vnus est legislator index saith Saint o Iacob 4. Iames qui potest perdere liberare that the transgression of the popes lawes is sufficient to condemn vs and the obseruance of them to iustifie vs as papists holde was neuer generally taught or holden argument 24 Catholicks holde that Gods law is perfect and that nothing is sinne but that which is repugnant to the law of God but papists beléeue that it is sinne not onely to neglect the precepts of the church as they are called but also the lawes and decretales of popes as appeareth by the enchiridion of Nauarrus and other books of cases of conscience argument 25 The law of God p Exod. 20. saith directly Thou shalt not couet and catholikes doe expound this law so that it bindeth the regenerat aswel as the vnregenerat as appeareth by the words of the apostle Rom. 7. I should not haue knowen sinne saith he but by the law for I knew not concupiscence but because the law said Thou shalt not couet and this sinne he confesseth to be mortall Who saith he shall deliuer me from the body of this death S. q Lib. 2. contr Faustum Manich c. 27. Augustine also teacheth that whatsoeuer is desired or coueted against the law is sinne and very absurd it is to surmise that baptisme should sanctifie concupiscence and of sinne in the vnregenerate to make no sinne The conuenticle of Trent therefore that r Sess 5. determineth that concupiscence in the regenerate is not sinne and all adherents vnto it are no catholikes argument 26 The scriptures teach vs that euen the iust man falleth seuen times a day and as the apostle saint Iames saith that we offend all in many things our Sauiour Christ taught his apostles to pray for remission of sinnes and to confesse when they had done all they could that they were notwithstanding vnprofitable seruants so likewise teach catholike fathers Saint ſ Lib. 1. aduers Pelag. Hierome saith that then we are iust when we confesse our sinnes and saint t De spirit lit Augustine signifieth that in the frailtie of this life we can not perfectly performe Gods law we shall then saith he performe the law of God with all our soule and all our heart and loue our neighbour as our selfe when we shal see God face to face the papists therefore that teach first that the regenerate are able to performe the law of God perfectly and secondly that they are also able to performe more then is commanded and to doe works of supererogation are no catholikes nor shall they euer be able to prooue that this doctrine of theirs was generally holden by the fathers and by all Christians or by any man of note argument 27 The apostle teacheth vs that the law is the minister of death and u Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 20. Irenaeus affirmeth that the law being spirituall doth onely manifest sinne and not kill it the papists therefore that hold that all our life and saluation doeth consist in the law as appeareth by the censure of Coleyn are no catholikes argument 28 The councell of x Sess 6. c. 10. Trent condemneth those that say they are iustified formally by Christes iustice and their meaning is that we are formally iustified by charity and by the works of the law but the catholike church teacheth vs farre otherwise no flesh faith the y Galat. 2. apostle is iustified by the works of the law he denieth also that z Rom. 4. Abraham was iustified by the works of the law and saint a Lib. 1. aduers Pelag. Hierome saith that our iustice doeth not consist in our merits but in the mercy of God this also is prooued by an inuincible reason for that none are iustified by the law but such as performe the law and are not to be accused of sinne by the law but if our aduersaries will say that all that shall be saued are such they will bring the number of them into a small compasse for as b De inter pellat Dauid Ambrose saith Dauid doeth acknowledge his sinne and Paule doeth acknowledge himselfe guiltie who is then innocent argument 29 The apostle c Rom. 5. teacheth vs that through the offence of one all men were subiect to condemnation and that is the doctrine of all catholikes but the d Bellar. lib. 4. de amissi grat c. 15. papists exempt the holy virgine Mary from originall sinne as appeareth by the determination of Sixtus 4. and conuenticles of Trent doctrine sess 5. some of them also hold that the prophet Heremy and saint Iohn Baptist were sanctified from this sinne and so borne without originall sinne at the least argument 30 Catholikes hold that original sinne is a great sinne as infecting all by ordinary course descending from Adam excluding them out of the kingdome of heauen and which could not be purged but by Christes passion but the papists hold that it is the least of all sinnes as hauing the least force of our fréewill and that it deserueth not sensible paines in hell which in effect is as much as if they should deny that all men sinned originally in Adam or néeded to be saued from sensible paines by Christ argument 31 The e Th. Aquin. dd in 2. sent dist 33. Bellar de amis grat lib. 6. c. 4. papists also teach that children departing without baptisme and with originall sinne onely shall not be punished with hell fire nor with sensible
grant that any is saued iumbling catholike and Romane together as appeareth by the confession of the Iebusites of Burdeaux by Canisius Catechisme translated into Spanish by Hierome Campos Bristowes 12. motiue in the margent the cardinall of Cusa epist 5. ad Bohemos Cochlaeus hist Hussit lib. 11. argument 15 The papists also to fit their new fantasies haue coined a new definition of the church h De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine defineth the church to be a company of men conioined in one profession of faith and communion of sacraments vnder the gouernment of lawful pastors and especially of the bishop of Rome which definition is neither to be shewed in any authenticall writer nor prooued by any good argument for neither is it sufficient to professe the faith outwardly and to communicate in sacraments and to liue in subiection vnder lawfull pastors to make a man a true member of the catholike church nor can it be shewed that all christians haue euer liued in subiection of Romish bishops not that for that most wicked persons and atheists and heretikes may make an externall profession of their faith and receiue the sacraments as did Iudas and liue in outward subiection to their pastors which notwithstanding the ancient fathers doe not acknowledge to be true members of the church not this for the Easterne and Africane churches in time past were neuer gouerned by the popes decretales If Robert Parsons thinke otherwise let him produce thrée or foure decretales of popes whereto these churches yéelded obedience argument 16 The ancient fathers beléeued that the catholike church is a communion of saints and a multitude of true beléeuers the first is proued by an article of our creed and so proued that it may appeare that the fathers accounted no licentious liuers true members of the church Non ideo putandi sunt mali saith S. i Lib. 2. contr lit petil c. vlt. Augustine esse in Christi corpore quod est ecclesia quia sacramentorum eius corporaliter participes sunt the second is proued for that faith is the life of Christans Ecclesia est domus Dei saith k In Psal 51. Hilary omnes euangelicae fidei sectatores likewise l Lib. 1. de sacrament Ambrose saith that the first thing that is required in a Christian is faith and both these points I haue at large prooued against m Lib. de eccles part uat sedec 6. 7. Bellarmine but the papists if any credit be to be giuen to n Lib. de eccles miâ—it c. 2. Bellarmine do hold that a man may be a part and true member of the true church albeit he haue neither faith nor charitie nor any inward vertue so that by his confession the Romish church may consist of infidels atheists sodomites and abominable persons argument 17 The ancient church was wont to reuerence the apostles canons but the late Romish church doth not much regard them as is apparent by the the 5.9 and 31. canons which are not now obserued Ex 84. apostolicis canonibus saith o Lib. 5. de sacror hom continent c. 105. Michael Medina quos Clemens Romanus pontifex eorundem apostolorum discipulus in vnum coegit vix sex aut octo Latina ecclesia nunc obseruat likewise Martin Perez de tradit part 3. c. de autorit can apost saith that many things are conteined in the apostles canons which through the corruptions of times are not fully obserued argument 18 The ancient church neuer vsed to confesse their sinnes to angels saints and to the virgine Mary neither were Christians inioined in time past to say Confiteor Deo omnipotenti beatae Mariae semper virgini beato Michaeli archangelo beato Ioanni Baptistae sanctis apostolis Petro Paulo omnibúsque sanctis as the papists say in euery masse nay in ancient p In missa Jacobi Marci Basilij Chrysostomi missals this forme is not found argument 19 Neither did the priests clerke in ancient time giue absolution to the priest as it is in the missale of Rome nor say Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus dimissis omnibus peccatis tuis perducat te ad vitam aeternam for that is nothing els but to giue the keies to boies and preferre the scholar before the master argument 20 The confession of faith also set out by q Bulla Pij 4. super forma profess fidei Pius the fourth wherein all that take degrées in schooles or take charge of soules professe that they beleeue and admit ecclesiasticall traditions and constitutions and the scriptures according to the Romish sense the seuen sacraments and the doctrine of the councell of Trent concerning originall sinne iustice of works the sacrifice of the masse transubstantiation and other points there established is new and no where to be prooued out of the ancient fathers of the church argument 21 In the rehersall of the tenne commandements the ancient fathers neuer vsed to leaue out that commandement that concerneth the making of grauen images like to God and the worshipping of them But the Romish church knowing it selfe guilty of the breach of this commandement in their litle catechismes put before the office of the blessed virgine and diuers other r Catechism de Hieronymode campos bookes doe leaue the same quite out argument 22 In ancient time Christians beléeued that all was sinne that was contrary to the commandements of God for so they collected of the words of the law that pronounced all accursed Å¿ Deut. 27. Galat. 3. that did not abide in all things t 1. Iohn 5. that are written in the booke of the law to doe them and Saint Iohn saith expresly that all vnrighteousnesse is sinne and if it were not so then were the law of God a most imperfect and vncertaine rule but the u Consur colon f. 46. papists of late time affirme that all that is repugnant to the law is not sinne and that concupiscence is not sinne in the regenerate and finally that it is no sinne not to loue God withall our hart and all our soule argument 23 Ancient Christians beléeued that concupiscence euen in the regenerate is sinne for that is prohibited by the law of God that saith thou shalt not couet the apostle also doth call concupiscence in himselfe being now regenerate sinne and necessarily it must be so séeing we are by the x Deut. 6. law of God bound to loue God withall our hart all our soule all our strength Saint Hierome y In Amos 1. saith that it is sinne to thinke things that are euill and Saint z Lib. 2. contr Faust Manich. c. 27. Augustine teacheth vs that whatsoeuer is desired or coueted against the law is sinne but the late conuenticle of Trent decréeth that concupiscence in the regenerate is no sinne argument 24 The apostle Iames teacheth that we doe all of vs sinne and that in diuers things and Saint Iohn saith that he
that saith he hath no sinne deceiueth himselfe and that there is no trueth in him the scriptures also teach vs that euen iust men offend and fall neither may we thinke that these sinnes are trifling and veniall and without breach of charity but sometimes heauy and against the law of God but the papists teach contrary and a Censur Colon holde that the regenerate doe not sinne argument 25 The ancient church of Christ taught that the law was a minister of death and a schoolemaster to Christ but the b Censur Colon f. 22. papists of late teach that we are iustified by the works of the law and that charity is the formall cause of our iustification argument 26 The apostles and ancient fathers taught that we are not able to fulfill the law perfectly in this life no flesh saith the c Galat. 2. apostle is iustified by the workes of the law Saint d Aduers Pelag lib. 1. Hierome saith we are then iust when we confesse our sinnes Saint e De spirit litera Augustine likewise teacheth vs that we shall then performe the law of God withall our soule and withall our hart when we shal see God face to face but the papists of late do teach that we are able to performe the whole law of God perfectly and not that only but also that we are able to do works of supererogation and more then is commanded in the law argument 27 In olde time Christians neuer could beléeue that iustice consisted in the obseruance of holydaies and abstinence from flesh and such like ceremonies but that is a principall point of popery now to beléeue that men are no lesse iustified by obseruance of the popes commandements then of the law of God and to Gods law the papists adioine the precepts of the Romish church argument 28 Papists also accoumpt it mortall sinne to beléeue or doe against the popes lawes as appeareth by the enchiridion of Nauarrus throughout but he that should goe about to proue that doctrine to be receiued by the ancient fathers should be much puzzeled argument 29 Ancient catholicks beléeued that originall sinne passed ouer all and f Rom. 5. that through the offence of one all men were subiect to condemnation but the papists g Decret Sixti 4. sess 5. concil Trid. exempt the virgine Mary from this sinne and commonly teach that Hieremy and Saint Iohn Baptist were sanctified from this sinne in their mothers wombe and by consequent not borne in originall sinne argument 30 Saint g Lib. 1. de Orig. animae c. 9. Augustine saith there is no middle place betwixt the kingdome of heauen and damnation h Lib. de fide c. 3. Fulgentius likewise doth plainly affirme that children dying without baptisme shall susteine endlesse punishments i Lib. 8. c. 16. Gregory in his Morals also saith they shall endure perpetuall torments of hel but the papists make places in the midde-way betwixt the place of ioy and place of paine and will not grant that such children shall endure sensible paines argument 31 k Bellar. de purgat lib. 1. Papists hold that Christians are able to satisfie for the temporall penalty of all sinnes but contrarie to the ancient faith of Christians who depended wholy vpon Christes satisfaction and beléeued that the blood of Christ clensed them from all sinnes and that his sacrifice onely was propitiatorie for the sinnes of the whole world argument 32 Thomas Aquinas and other papists say that veniall sinnes are done away with holy water but contrary to antiquity argument 33 The ancient fathers did not beléeue that any rule was more absolute then the Gospell or that perfection consisted in the rules of Benet of Nursia Francis Dominike Ignatius Loyola and such like fellowes rather than in the doctrine of the Gospell but the papists say that the life of monkes and friers is a state of perfection and that their rules doe teach perfection which praise they will not allow to the Gospel argument 34 The ancient Christians beléeued the doctrine of Christ Iesus who taught vs l Iohn 3. that hee that beleeueth in him should not perish and of the m Rom. 5. apostle that saith that being iustified by faith we haue peace with God but the late papists speake basely of faith making it a bare assent and teaching that the diuels and wicked men haue true faith which is not onely new but also strange for if they haue faith then are they iustified further they should beléeue remission of sinnes and eternall life which I doe not thinke that our aduersaries will grant argument 35 We doe not reade before Gregory the 7. his time that any pope tooke on him to dispence with subiects othes of allgeance or taught that it was lawfull so to do for his n Lib. 2. regest Ioseph vestan deoscul pedum pontif determination it seemeth to be quod papa à fidelitate subiectos possit absoluere but since that the popes haue taught this doctrine and Pius the fift that lousie companion not onely discharged her Maiesties subiects from their obedience but o Bulla Pij 5. contra Elizab. threatned excommunication against such as would still obey her argument 36 The apostles and ancient bishops of Rome did neuer canonize saints but now popes doe not onely canonize saints very impudently but also hire their proctors as impudently to defend it p Op. Catechist de 3. praecept c. 11. Canisius teacheth that vnder the commandement of sanctifying the Sabaoth is conteined the obseruation of holidaies and feastes of Saints and no doubt but he meaneth all the feasts of saints whom the pope hath canonized argument 37 The precepts of the Romish church as they are called are but new deuises for first if we séeke all antiquity we shall not finde where the church of Christ hath commanded vs to kéepe this popes day or that popes day this saints day or that saints day and that it is sinne to worke vpon holy daies dedicated to saint Dominike saint Francis or other such like good fellowes daies secondly Christs church neuer enioined Christians to heare popish masses and such like idolatrous seruice for how could the ancient church enioine men to heare that which of late onely was coined nay contrariwise the q Can. apost 9. 10. ancient church forbad Christians to depart from the church before they had receiued the communion which quite ouerthroweth priuate masses thirdly it is not to be prooued that the ancient church commanded Christians to fast lent by absteining from flesh and white meats after the Romish fashion or to absteine from meat the imber daies or vigiles of saints for saint r Epist 86. ad Casulanum Augustine directly affirmeth that the apostles neuer made law concerning fasting and when Christians obserued lent they were not forced either to absteine from flesh or to fast euery sunday in lent nor were permitted to drinke wine and
in the definition of sinne and that they ioyntly holde that a man may be without sinne and that both maintaine that concupiscence is sanctified after baptisme after a sort and diuers other points of Pelagianisme he onely snatcheth at thrée or foure places of S. Augustine and so with a maske on his broade face passeth on to play the Zanni in other matters Where I say that Saint Augustine holdeth against the Pelagians that the Gentiles sinned in all their actions he saith I belie S. Augustine and maliciously peruert the sence and scope of his writing Afterward he denyeth that it is Pelagianisme to holde that Infidels sinne in all their actions Againe he saith that this point is forged by me and falsely fathered vpon S. Augustine And so he runneth on in a vaine of rayling led on as it séemeth by his dictates and not reading the place alleadged for otherwise he would neuer so impudently haue faced out an vntruth nor ignorantly denyed that which is to plainly and in diuers places of the chapter quoted by S. Augustine affirmed And of this I wil make any indifferent man iudge Lib. 4. contr Iulian. c. 3. Cum non ad suum finem saith S. Augustine referuntur dona dei hoc ipso mali his vtentes efficiuntur iniusti He saith that wicked men vsing Gods gifts are made sinners and vniust for that they referre them not to the right ende And afterward si gentilis qui non viuit ex fide nudum operuerit periclitantem liberauerit aegri vulnera fouerit diuitias honestae amicitiae impenderlt ad testimonium falsum nec tormentis potuerit impelli quaero abs te saith Augustine to Iulian the Pelagian vtrum haec opera bona bene faciat an male Si enim quamuis bona malè tamen facit negare non potes eum peccare qui malè quodlibet facit He saith plainly that Gentiles sinne in all their actions though the act be good Againe bonum malè facit qui infideliter facit qui autem malè facit profectò peccat Againe he saith that Infidels sinne in doing that which of it selfe is good Hée doth also prooue it out of the Apostles wordes because that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne If then the Archpriest haue any power ouer this rayling fellow he may doe well to giue him some discipline that hath maintained Iulian the Pelâ—gians opinion and denyed S. Augustines doctrine and like an ignorant dolt crieth out that I haue forged these words and fathered them vpon S. Augustine But saith he S. Augustine doth not note this error in the Pelagians viz. that Infidels sinne in all their actions but reproueth the heretike for a different matter to wit for maintaining that Infidels had true vertues and to this point he reporteth a sentence out of S. Augustin But therin he doth also bewray his ignorance for as S. Augustine disputeth this point in the beginning of the chapter so he disputeth the other in the latter ende of the same chapter But either our aduersarie had not so much learning as to vnderstand latin or els he tooke this quotation out of Bellarmine or out of his dictates Againe our aduersarie sheweth himselfe to be blinde not séeing that what I say doth follow of that which himselfe alleadgeth For if Infidels haue no true vertues then doe they sinne in all their actions vnlesse our aduersary wil haue their morall actions neither to be good nor bad Furthermore if the will of Infidels be like an euill trée then can it bring foorth nothing but euill fruit And if whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne then if the actions of Infidels doe not proceede of faith it followeth that Infidels sinne in all their morall actions and this is the conclusion of S. Augustine Was not Owlyglasse then a wise fellow trow you to auouch an vntruth so impudently and doe you not take him to be a simple disputer that alleadgeth words that conuince him of folly ignorance and pelagianisme Sect. IX That man is not able now in this frailtie of nature to performe the lawe of God perfectly THis point hath also heretofore béen debated it resteth therefore now that we examine onely Saint Augustines opinion herein I say that this is the Pelagians argument to prooue that man is able to performe the lawe of God because that God would not say they commaund things impossible And this I prooue by Saint Augustines wordes lib. de gratia c. 16. Magnum aliquid se scire putant Pelagiani quando dicunt non iuberet deus quod sciret ab homine non posse perfici His words are cleare that the Pelagians vsed so to say and argue as I haue set downe What is then the reason that moued my aduersarie to charge me with falsification Forsooth saith he because he leaueth out these wordes following of S. Augustine quis haec nesciat As if euery one that leaueth out wordes following were to be charged with falsification Beside that albeit words following were to be rehearsed yet purposing only to rehearse the argument of the Pelagians I had no reason to ioyne Saint Augustines words with theirs But saith Owlyglasse S. Augustine â—eprehendeth not the Pelagians for bringing this reason But therein he sheweth his ignorance if not malice For what reasonable man cold euer haue imagined that S. Augustine disputing against the Pelagians did either allow their opinions or their grounds But if a man cold haue imagined so yet S. Augustines wordes that follow would haue taught him that he disputeth against the Pelagians argument For saith he God doth command vs thinges that wee cannot doe that we may learne what to aske of him For faith by prayer obtaineth that which the law commandeth His words are ideo iubet aliqua quae non possumus vt nouerimus quid ab eo petere debeamus Lib. de grat lib. arb c. 16. ipsa est enim fides quae orando impetrat quod lex postulat Now what can be more contrary then that which the Pelagians say Viz. That God would not commande if man were not able to performe And that which S. Augustine teacheth Viz. That God commandeth vs some thinges that we cannot doe Furthermore if man were able to performe the whole law because God would not els commande it then were it possible for iust men to liue without all sinne which Saint Augustine in his bookes against Pelagius and where he setteth downe the Pelagians heresies doth note to be flatte Pelagianisme with Saint Augustine also doth Herome accorde Fateberis saith Critobulus Lib. 3. contra Pelag. that susteineth the part of the Pelagians eos qui Christi baptisma consecuti sunt non habere peccatum si absque peccato sunt iustos esse That is thou wilt I trow acknowlege that such as are baptized haue noe sinne and if they haue noe sinne that they be iust But if man be able to kéepe Gods commandements then may he also be perfectly iust and without
reproued for their diligence in making proselytes and drawing nouices to like of their sect circuitis mare aridam saith our f Matth. 23. sauiour vt faciatis vnum proselytum cum factus fuerit facitis illum filium gehennae duplo plus qùam vos estis the pharises also stood much vpon externall ceremonies but setretly they deuoured widowes houses Furthermore they are noted for that they loued preheminence in meetings and destred to be called Rabbi affecting a strange kinde of singularity Dicebantur pharisaei saith g Haeres 16. ante Christum Epiphanius eo quod separati essent ab alijs propter spontaneam superfluam religionem apud ipsos receptam h Ibidem finally they are taxed for their vowes of continency for their sléeping on thorns and boords for their superstitious fashions in praying and for their allowing of fatum or destiny In all which points the papists séeme much to resemble this pharisaicall sect for first by their traditions they frustrate the law of God God he forbiddeth vs to make grauen images to worship them but they say the making of images and the worshipping of them is a tradition descended from the apostles and is very profitable Saint Paul he teacheth vs obedience to princes but papists say this holdeth no longer then during the popes pleasure or at the least vntill such times as he shall excomunicate them for then they say it is lawfull to cutte their throtes and so de facto they doe it if they can as appeareth by many precedents Our sauiour Christ in the institution of the Lords supper commanded his desciples to take and eat and deliuering the cuppe said drinke ye all of this yet by their traditions the papists haue frustrated Christ his institution for in lieu of taking and eating they content themselues with gaping and fasting and in the end they put vp the sacrament into a boxe worship it and where Christ said drinke yet all of this their tradition is drinke not all of this nor looke for the cuppe secondly the Iebusites friers and priests trauell land and sea to reconcile men to the pope and to make of good subiects obstinate recusants and proselyts to the sinagogue of Rome and when they haue inuegled simple people they make them as vnnaturall and disloyall traitors as themselues thirdly no sect euer stood more vpon externall ceremonies then the papists whose whole religion standeth in ceremonies fourthly the Iebusits haue deuoured many widowes houses and haue empouerished many orphanes intercepting by singular fraud that which was due vnto them as Arnold in his pleading and the secular priests in their discourses doe particularly charge them fiftly the priests and friers looke for great preheminence and desire to be saluted by the name of fathers begetting children to the pope and bastards to their hostes as the Iesuits catechisme saith sixtly these friers pretend that they are in the state of perfection and condemne other christians as carnall and secular They doe also weare hairecloth somtimes and lash themselues with whips and in the maner of their superfluous religion they are very singular finally both they and the i Th. Aqu. 1. p q. 116. art 2 3. 4. schoolemen doe in some sort allow fatum and subiect all second causes vnto it and is not this trow you pharisaisme argument 3 The scribes were reputed sectaries and hereticks for that they brought in a superfluous and sophisticall exposition of the law k Haeres 15. ante Christum Ephphanius doeth call it supersophisticam expositionem they were likewise condemned for their often washings and purifyings and for that they accounted themselues more holy then others why then should not the popish schoolemen and the frapling friers be likewise accounted scribes sectaries and hereticks séeing neuer any deuised more vaine and sophisticall expositions vpon the word of God nor more contrary to the meaning of the holy ghost then they Further doe not the l See the rubicks of the masse priests often wash themselues at masse and doe not all papists continuallie wash themselues and others with holy water thinking thereby to cleanse themselues from veniall sinnes and to m Missale Ro. in fine driue the diuell from them doe they not also purifie and hallow altars churches vestements and other vtensiles of their prophane priesthood finally who can account themselues more holy then those that will needs be intitled holy fathers and professe themselues to liue in a holy and perfect state of life argument 4 The n Epiphan in haeres 17. ante Christum Hemerobaptistes for their continuall washings and for that they imagined that they were thereby clensed from their sinnes are numbred among Iewish heretikes let it therefore be imagined whether the papists doe not resemble them both in their washings and opinions when they sprinkle themselues continually with holy water and imagine that thereby they are clensed from veniall sinnes yet as o Ibidem Epiphanius saith neither can drops nor riuers nor the whole ocean wash away sinnes argument 5 The p Epiphan haeres 13. ante Christum Dositheans were a sect of heretikes among the Iewes and so reputed for their affect at virginity and abstinence from the vse of mariage although they were maried they were also noted for their voluntary fastings and for that diuersly and voluntarily they afflicted their bodies what then are wée to thinke of papists that allow these voluntary whippings and lashings of their bodies and what may be thought of the Iebusites chambers of meditations papists also allow extraordinary fastings and thinke thereby to satisfie for sinne and to merit heauen some of them also account it great holinesse for maried couples to liue a sunder and to creepe into monasteries and such dennes of superstition and idolatry for which cause they deserue to créepe if not to runne into the catalogue of heretikes for the apostle doeth condemne those which vpon a superstitious conceit q Colos 2. spared not their bodies argument 6 Among the heretikes that first shewed themselues vpon the first plantation of Christian religion Simon Magus and his followers are commonly reputed the ringleaders of him we reade r Act. 8. that he thought it no sinne to buie the gifts of the holy Ghost and thereupon those that buie and sell orders benefices churches and masses and barter for spiritual things and account such chaffaire sailable are accounted Simonians and this simonie as ſ Petitiones R. Vllerston Vllerston who wrote about the time of of the councell of Constance affirmeth is haeresis practica but if men imagine it to be lawfull it is truly an heresie according to rules of speculation the papists in both these points are guiltie for nothing can be more infamous then the church of Rome for buying and selling of palles miters churches and such like chaffaire Venalia nobis saith t Lib. Calam. 3. Mantuan Templa sacerdotes altaria sacra
shewed sculptile conflatile reor saith r In Abacus 2. Hierome dogmata esse peruersa quae ab his quibus facta sunt adorantur but neuer did any sect more stifly defend their errors then papists for they holde the popes sentence to be infallible neither will they abandone any of his errors though neuer so plainly demonstrated argument 35 ſ Arg. 35. Neither can they excuse themselues that t C. satis dist 96. call the pope their god and worship him with more strange worship then that which Peter refused Act. 10. the canonists woonder at his excellency u In proaem Clement saying papa stupor mundi non deus non homo sed vtrunque that is the pope is the wonderment of the world not god not man but both for so saith Mosconius in his booke de maiestate ecclesiae lib. 1. part 1. c. 1. in the councell of Lateran one called Leo the tenth his sauiour But Hierome in his Commentaries vpon the third of Daniel estéemeth them to be idolaters that giue such worship to earthly princes argument 36 x Arg. 36. Furthermore God is a spirit and therefore he will bée worshipped not in externall images but in spirit he is a iealous God and therefore admitteth no copartners in his worship he is so one God that he will admit no other creature to haue any part of his worship giuen to him according to the law of God thou shalt haue no other gods but me and al this is signified to teach vs how much God detesteth idolatrie but the papists worship God as they say in his image they giue diuine worship to stockes stones and to the sacrament they make vowes to saints and angels and call vpon them they put their trust as much in saints as euer the Gentiles did in Hercules Aesculapius Apollo and other idoles they haue transformed the Psalmes vttered in praise of God to the praise of our lady how then can they excuse themselues from idolatry argument 37 y Arg. 37. Finally the law of God condemneth all images and similitudes of things both in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath and in the waters vnder the earth that are worshipped the same also z Rom. 1. reprooueth those that change the glory of the incorruptible God into the likenesse of an image of a corruptible man and that offer incense or spirituall sacrifices vnto any but God and all this tendeth to the abolishing of idolatry but the papists worship the likenesses and images of God and change his glory into the shape of a corruptible man they offer also to creatures their praiers and vowes manifest therefore it is that in diuers points they are guiltie of grosse idolatry Neither can they by any meanes excuse themselues if they say they doe not worship the image a Per se propriè for it selfe and properly with that worship that is due to the originall as b Lib. 2. de imaginib c. 24. Bellarmine teacheth the heathen could alledge so much for themselues for they did not worship the image as they worshipped their gods themselues nor did they sacrifice to the wood and stone but to the things represented If they alledge that they doe not worship images as gods as c Ibid. c. 5. de eccles triumph lib. 2. c. 24. Bellarmine and Gregory de Valentia doe oftentimes thinking by that meanes to shift off the blot of idolatrie from themselues and the church of Rome yet will not that serue for the very heathen could say that they tooke not their idoles for gods non ipsa inquiunt timemus saith d Instit diuin lib. 2. c. 2. Lactantius speaking of the excuse of idolaters sed eos ad quorum imaginem ficta quorum nominibus consecrata sunt that is we doe not feare or worship images say the heathen idolaters but those after whose likenesse they were made and to whose names they were consecrated likewise saint Augustine in Psal 113. sheweth that the heathen were woont to say that they did not worship that which was visible but onely the inuisible diuinitie that was represented and manifested in the image non hoc visibile colo sed numen quod illic inuisibiliter habitat and againe they said nec simulachrum nec daemonium colo sed per effigiem corporalem eius rei signum intueor quam colere debeo doe you not then plainly see that the idolaters spoke like the papists for they say also we worship not images with latria properly nor doe we worship diuels but by bodily shapes we are brought to sée and remember the things which we ought to worship If they deny that they worship creatures and change the trueth of God into a lie saint Augustine will tell them e In Psal 113. conc 2. that while they call their images by the names of the things represented as for example when they say to the crucifixe thou hast redeemed me and call the images or pictures our lady or S. Peter or Paule they change the trueth of God into a lie effigies à fabro factas saith saint Augustine appellando nominibus earum rerum quas fabricauit deus transmutant veritatem dei in mendacium If f Lib. 2. de imaginib c. 10. Bellarmine alledge that images are not only profitable as reporting matter of story but also effectuall to enflame vs to the loue of God and imitation of holy men and diuers other vses he must be told that Augustine teacheth vs farre otherwise ducit affectu quodam infirmo rapit infirma corda mortalium formae similitudo saith g In Psal 113. conc 2. Augustine membrorum imitata compago he saith againe that the outward forme of things doth bring foorth sordidissimum erroris affectum a most filthy affection to error he saith also that images doe effectually peruert vnhappy soules plus valent simulachra saith he ad curuandam infaelicem animam quod os habent c. If they say that their images are no idoles because they are representations of true things and not false representations as doeth Bellarmine lib. 2. de imaginib c. 5. saying quod idolum est falsa similitudo it may be answered that the Gentiles might answer so likewise and yet say nothing to purpose for the image of Romulus of the sonne of Hercules and Aesculapius were true representations and yet idoles for that they were worshipped by idolaters why then should we not iudge the like of the images of Peter and of our ladie If they say that idolaters are condemned because they put their trust in their idoles and images as the conuenticle of Trent h Sess 25. saith and hopeth thereby to put away the infamie of idolatry from the Romish church it may be replied that the Gentiles did neuer trust more in their god Iupiter and Iuno and Fortuna or in their idoles then the papists doe in our lady in saint Denis saint Iames and in
in respect of righteousnesse it selfe Bellar. lib. 3. de grat lib. arb c. 3. saith that free will is a free power of things tending to an end to choose one before another He saith also Lib. 5. de lib. arbit c. 13. that by force of freewill man without grace hath power to choose that is good and to auoide that is euill to obserue precepts of manners or to transgresse them He holdeth further that the regenerat is able to fulfill all the lawe of God Ibidem consequently not to sinne And that he prooueth by the words of S. Iohn qui natus est ex deo non peccat which he expoundeth so as if no regenerat man did sin or transgresse Gods lawe If then man hath such a power as they say and may fulfill all the lawe and abstaine from all sinne then I trust I doe the Papists no wrong to say that they hold that the regenerat may liue without sinne And although they denie not that a iust man hath veniall sinnes yet of their doctrine it followeth that he may liue without veniall sinnes for if he be able to performe the lawe of God perfectly and to loue God with all his heart and all his soule and hath free will to doe whatsoeuer is good and to eschew whatsoeuer is euil then may the regenerat liue also without venial sinnes The Tridentine conuenticle granteth Sess 6. c. 23. that a man by speciall priuiledge may be without all veniall sinnes Whether we speake then of great or small sinnes true it is that the Papistes hold that the regenerat may be without all sinne and our aduersarie denying this point neither vnderstandeth the doctrine of his consorts nor the sequele of it But saith he this is not contrarie to al antiquitie that the regenerate may liue without mortall sinnes And his reasons are because Gods commandements may be kept and are not heauy Our Sauiour Christ saith also that his yoake is sweete and his burthen light and S. Luke affirmeth that Zachary and Elizabeth were iust before God walking in all the commandements and iustifications of our Lord without blame The second councell of Arausica C. Vlt. teacheth that by grace receiued in baptisme Christ helping and working with them all that are baptized may and ought to fulfill such thinges as pertaine to saluation if they will labour faithfully Saint Basill saith it is a wicked thing to say that the commandements of Gods spirit are impossible Saint Hierome maketh no doubt but God hath commanded thinges possible Finally Saint Augustine Ser. 191. de tempore detesteth the blasphemy of them that say that God hath commanded any impossible thing to man Let vs therefore sée what antiquity saith and what is the meaning of the fathers in this point Luk. 11. Our Sauiour Christ taught his Disciples and the most holy men to pray forgiue vs our trespasses But that néeded not if they did not commit any sinne And S. Iames saith we offend all in many things Iames 3. The Apostle Peter signifieth that neither the Disciples of Christ nor the fathers were able to beare the yoke of the law Act. 15. that which was impossible to the law saith the Apostle Rom. 8. He saith also that the flesh is not subiect to the law nor can be We know also that the flesh euermore lusteth against the spirit the scriptures teach vs that no mans heart is so cleane that he can say that he hath loued God with all his soule and with all his heart Saint Ierome epist 62. affirmeth that charity which cannot be increased as longe as a man liueth heere is in no man tanta mandata sunt saith Saint Ambrose In Galat. 3. vt impossibile sit seruare ea Hierome likewise writing vpon the 3. to the Galathians saith the Apostle teacheth vs that noe man can fulfill the law and doe all that is commanded nullus legem impleuit saith Saint Chrysostome in Gal. 2. Bernard vpon the Canticles Serm 50. saith that in this life the law cannot be fulfilled of any And experience teacheth vs as much For the blessed virgine called Christ her Sauiour But what néeded shée a Sauiour if shee had not sinned Neither can any be found that can say he is without sinne The aduersaries also confesse it sometimes Implere totam legem saith Thomas Aquinas in galat. 3. lect 4. est impossibile As for the reasons of our aduersary they are trifling Gods commandements may be keept as S. Iohn signifieth 1. Epist 2. but in part and in some imperfect sort Secondly our Sauiour also saith that his yoake is not heauy But Christs yoake is not the law but his mercy and grace Thirdly his commandements are not greeuous because euery one that is borne of God ouercummeth the world 1. Iohn 5. And this is the vâ—ctory that ouercummeth the world euen our faith To the councell of Arausica Orat. in haec verba attende tibi and the testimonies of Hierome S. Basill and S. Austine Ser. 191. de tempore one answere will serue for we doe not say absolutely That the law in it selfe is imposs ble but that man in this life cannot performe it by reason of his infirmity neither doe we say it is impossible to performe the law in part and imperfectly or that the law is impossible to be performed because man if hee had continued in grace might haue performed it Lib. 3. ad Bonifac c. 1. and now as S. Austine saith Omnia mandata dei facta deputantur quando quicquid non fit ignoscitur and as he saith lib. 1. retract c. 19. If now we cannot yet sometime we shall performe the law of God But none of these say that wee can performe the whole law and that perfectly or that we can be without sinne posse omne vitare peccatum S. Hierome doth signifie to be the opinion of the Pelagians Lib. 3. aduers pelag If then Owlyglasse will auoyde Pelagianisme let him forbeare to charge mée with vntruth for saying that the auncient fathers beleeued not that a man regenerat might liue without sinne Againe if he deny that Papists teach that a regenerat man may be without venial sins the councel of Trent Sess 6. c. 23. wil giue him the lye He also in the latter end of the chapter doth contradict himselfe where hée saith That whether we speake of veniall or mortall sinnes we abuse the reader where we say the fathers hould not that a regenerate man may be without sinne for he himselfe confesseth regenerat men haue veniall sins But if he dispute no better of mortall and veniall sinnes hée will giue a mortall wounde to his owne cause Sect. X. That the forme of confirmation now vsed by the Romanistes is newe LIkewise in the cause of the sacrament of confirmation as he calleth it he talketh very idlely and weakely and is not able to confirme any thing which he saith nor to disproue that which I haue written although after his wonted fashion he scoreth vp vntruths I
Nazianzen Chrysostome Hierome Cassian Sozomenus Isidorus and Bernard But this is a notarious vntruth consisting of diuers parts For first this number is farre from almost all the fathers Secondly Nazianzen in the place quoted doth not speake so much as one word of monasticall life In laudem Basiliâ— much lesse of the vowe of Iohn Baptiste Thirdly Chrysostome and Hierome speake not of cloyster monks but of ermites that liued in the wildernes Fourthly Cassian collat 18. c. 6. doth make Paule and Antony and not Iohn B ptiste the founders of ermites life Fiftly Sozomen lib. 1. c. 12. speaketh of Ermites and that not according to his owne but according to other mens opinions Sixtly Isidore and Bernarde doe not say that Iohn Baptist was the first founder of eremitical and monkish life but rather that Eremites went into the wildernes after the example of Elias and Iohn baptist Finally I. Baptist in nothing was like to monks for he was not shut vp within a cloyster nor did he forswere mariage nor obserue a certaine rule but was the forerunner of our Sauiour the minister of baptisme and a greate prophet and a most excellent good man Furthermore he had course clothing and a thin diet and was no tamperer in matters of state Contrariwise the Iebusites other monkes liue in gorgeous houses fare dayntily are cladde richely drinke wine and albeit they be a sorte of locusts yet neither care to eate locustes nor wilde hony Further they obserue a certaine rule forsweare mariage and disturbe states and common welthes and are neither Préestes nor Prophets nor any way profitable for the Church or common welth falsification 3 Speaking of Tertullian Cyprian he saith that both of theÌ„ spoke of religious wemen or nuns and such as by soleÌ„ne vowe had consecrated theÌ„selues to God Vterque loquitur saith he de virginibus religiosis Lib. de monach c. 5. pâ—r solennem professioneÌ„ deo consecratis A matter most vntrue for albeit Tertullian wrote de virginibus velandis Cyprian de habitu virginum yet the vele and habit was such as those fathers thought fitting for all christian wemen For no man doth thinke it fit that all christian women should become nonnes and religious women Secondly neither of those fathers talketh of any solemne vowe or denieth liberty to those Virgines to mary or thought it fit they should be shut vp in cloysters or gouerned by peculier orders or rules But popish nunnes make solemne vowes and after them may not mary Beside that they liue in cloisters and are subiect to rules and yet which is most strange are not so good maydes as those which Tertullian and Cyprian talketh of though no votaryes falsification 4 Speaking of the Apostles verè primi fuerunt monachi Christiani saith Bellarmine that is most truely the Apostles were the first monkes among Christians But it is not the first lye Ibidem that he made among the Romanistes Howbeit a lye it is and that very apparent For Christ sent his apostles abroade into the world to teach baptize and not to liue in eremitages or cloysters Secondly the Apostles neuer tooke bond of vowe vpon theÌ„ nor liued vnder monkish law But saith he they had all thinges common So had also all the first christians yet it is ridiculous to say that all Christians of those times were monkes He alledgeth also Saint Augustines words lib. 17 de ciuit dei c. 4. hoc votum potentissimi vouerunt but by votum there he vnderstandeth no monkish vowes of obedience chastitie and pouerly but of leauing all for Christes sake which manner of vow not only the Apostles but all christians also doe make and perfourme as oft as occasion requireth falsification 5 In his booke de monachis c. 5. speaking of Luther asserit mulieres saith he non nisi ad matrimonium creatas fuisse that is he affirmeth that wemen were created for no other purpose but for mariage but this is a most impudent vntruth For Luther hath no such words nor meaning In. 1. câ—… 7. For he affirmeth only viros mulieres ad generandaÌ„ sobolem creatos esse that is that both men and wemen were created for bringing of children into the world So it is apparent that he foisteth in his words non nisi and turneth that to women which Luther spoke both of men and wemen and finally maketh Luther to exclude all other endes of the creation of women where hée speaketh of one ende and excludeth none besides that one falsification 6 In the same place he auoucheth that Luther taught that it was all one to consult whether a man should mary a wife as if he should consult whether he should eat and drinke dicit saith Bellarmine idem esse consultare sit ne duceÌ„da vxor sit ne comedendum bibendum But Luthers words do playnly discouer his packing lying In procem exeg in â— cor 7. Stultum est dubitare saith hée an mulieres copulandae sint matrimonio vel an aliqua in vxoreÌ„ dâ—cenda sit perinde enim quaeri posse an edendum vel bibendum sit And his meaning is that when a mans frailty will not permit him to conteine it is then all one to aske whether a man shall mary a wife or whether hee shall eat and drinke Now betwene these words which are ascribed to Luther by Bellarmine the words written by Luther there is great difference for Luther speaketh indefinitly First saith that it is a folish thing to doubt whether wemen are to be ioyned in mariage or not and then in case he cannot containe whether a man is to mary a wife or no and Thirdly he talketh of doubting and not of consulting betwixt which there is no small difference for of things which we are to resolue according to our owne knowledge it is folly to consult with others yet may we doubt before we resolue so it appeareth that Bellarmine leaueth out the indefinit proposition of Luther and expresseth not Luthers case where he reporteth his words and falsely and leudly changeth doubting into consultation falsification 7 He doth also affirme that Luther taught that Moyses commanded all the Iewes to marry so that it was not lawfull by any meanes to be without a wife in the old testament De monachis c. 6. dicit saith Bellarmine Moysem praecepisse omnibus Iudaeis matrimonium ita vt nullo modo licuerit in vetere testamento carere vxore But the words of Luther doe playnly conuince him to haue vttred vntruth In. 1. cor 7. For he saith only in Iudaismo neminem non coniugatum esse oportuisse that is that the Iewes ought to be maried But he doth not say non licuisse vllo modo in veteri testamento carere vxore as Bellarmine affirmeth Nor doth he absolutely deny all exceptions to the ordinary rule course Finally he talketh of the custome of Iewes and not of an expresse written law whereas Bellarmine notwithstanding maketh
him to speake of a written law falsification 8 Hée affirmeth that Athanasius telleth how Antony the ermite did heare holy Angels in a vision to saye that all his sinnes were remitted when first he entred into a monasticall life Lib. de monach c. 6. Testatur Athanasius in vita Antonij saith Bellarmin B. Antonium in visione audiuisâ—e sanctos angelos dicentes omnia peccata sibi remissa fuisse quando monasticam vitam suscepit A notorious vntruth notwithout some touch of forgery also for first the very discourse of Antonies life that passeth vnder the name of Athanasius is forged Secondly that counterfect fellow saith no more but that Antonies former sins by Christs bounty were sopited or couered quod priora peccata Christi bonitate fuissent sopita of remission of siâ—… by vertue of a monasticall Coule which Bellarmine intendeth to proue there is no inkeling falsification 9 In his booke de monachis c. 13. He hath these words Augustinus Bernardus Thomas existimant hoc praecepto diliges dominum deum tuuÌ„ ex toto corde tuo simul imperari medium indicari finem ideo docent non posse impleri perfectè hoc praeceptum in hac vita tamen non esse praeuaricatorem Lib. de perfect iustitiae qui non perfecte illud implet And againe docet idem Augustinus motus inuoluntarios concupiscentiae licet hoc praecepto prohibiti sint tamen adeo non esse peccata vt non sit opus dicere pro eis dimitte nobis debita nostra But in these words he laypeth vp together diuers round lyes For first false it is-that Saint Augustine saith that such as fulfill not the lawe whereby we are to loue God with all our soule and all our strength are not thereby made transgressors de spirit literaâ— c. vlt. but rather the contrary for he sheweth that it is necessary for euery man to giue that he may receiue to forgiue that it may bee forgiuen him in the latter ende of the booke de perfectione iustitiae hée teacheth vs necesse esse dicere dimitte nobis debita nostra that it is necessary for vs to say forgiue vs our trespasses Secondly Saint Augustine doth not deny that motions troubling vs against our willes are sinnes Thirdly he speaketh not one word of shewing the end and commanding the meanes Finaâ—ly neither doth Bernard nor Thomas Aquinas so write as Bellarmine affirmeth would his cardinalship therfore proue what he written and verifie his assertion by their words he should deliuer himselfe from a note of great falshood and vntruth falsification 10 Expounding a testimony out of the first to the Corinthians 9. chapter Lib. de monach quo toto capite saith he Paulus conatur ostendere se plus fecisse quà m sibi esset praeceptum propterea singularem gloriam apud deum meruisse And afterward he saith ita exposuerunt omnes patres that is the fathers do also expound the Apostle viz. that it may appeare that he taught workes of superogation But neither doth Paul in the whole chapter nor in any part of the chapter shewe that he did more then was commanded nor doth he signifie that therefore he merited any singular glory Secondly it is vntrue that all the Fathers doe so expound the Apostle as Bellarmine reporteth for he citeth none but Chrysostome Ambrose and Augustine whereof Ambrose in 1. cor 19. doth not so much as once mention workes of supererogation Chrysostome commenting vpon the same chapter talketh of workes done ouer and aboue the thing commaunded But hee speaketh not of the whole lawe which requireth all that we can doe but of some one particular precept Saint Augustine lib. de opere Monachorum c. 5. saith that Paul did erogate more erogasse amplius because he did remit that stipend which hee might haue exacted So it appeareth that he speaketh of doing more then was required at his hands by one particular precept but not more then the whole lawe required Finally none of these fathers that he speaketh of mentioneth singular glory nor saith that the same is due for workes of supererogation falsification 11 Where he citeth Iustine Martyr Apolog. 2. and Tertullian Apologet. c. 9. he telleth vntruth of them both Iustinus ait saith he apud nullam gentem coli Caelibatum vt apud Christianos vbi sunt plurimi vtriusque sexus vsque ad senectutem in virginitate permanentes quod idaem scribit Tertullianus But neither doth the one nor the other speake de Caelibatu in which state of life both widowers and hoore-mongers maye liue but de virginitate that is of chastitie and virginitie a matter with which the Romanists haue not much to doe albeit their monkes friers and priests be Caelibes falsification 12 He mistaketh also Hieromes wordes in epist ad Eustoch de virginitate for Hierome saith not fuisse suo tempore in coenobijs homines omnis aetatis pueros viros senes as Bellarmine reporteth lib. de monachis c. 35. for he mentioneth no boies but deuideth the whole company into senes paruulos that is into the elder sort and such as were nouices and paruuli By which not children are to be vnderstood but those that were newly entred albeit men of ripe yeares falsification 13 In his booke de nocis ecclesiae c. 9. he signifieth that wee confesse that the doctrines taught by the Papists were also holden by the fathers He saith directly that Caluin in diuers places of his Institutions confesseth that he dissenteth from all antiquitie Finally speaking of the Centuriastes in singulis Centurijs saith he ad finem quarti capitis annotant omnes fere doctores illius seculi docuisse ea dogmata quae nos tuemur All which thrée points are so many vntruthes for neither do we confesse that the doctrine of the papists wherein we dissent from them is auncient nor doth Caluin in any place affirme that he dissenteth from all antiquity nor doe the writers of the centuries either in so many places or any one place confesse that all the doctors of euery age almost did teach the doctrines maintained by papists Nor finally doth it follow because Caluin and they of Magdeburge or other priuat men doe holde strange points of doctrine that all our Churches concurre with them or because in some one point or two they differ from vs that therefore they maintaine the whole doctrine of the papists Wherfore as his premisses be false so his collections vpon them are fond foolish and foppish falsification 14 In the same chapter he saith that the Eunomians taught that no sins could hurt a man so he had saith And that this was Simon Magus his heresie to holde that a man was iustified by grace and not by workes Eunomiani docebant non posse homini vlla peccata nocere modo fidem habeat vt testatur Augustinus lib. de haeresib c. 54. And againe haec erat impijssima haeresis Simonis qui dicebat hominem saluari per gratiam non per operas
great ostentation Now to proue this to be true Baronius is not ashamed to test a greater lye affirming that Gregorius Thaumaturgus did remoue not a house but a mountaine Which if he cold doe it were to be wished that he would remoue the 7. hils of Rome together with the Pope and this lying cardinall and place them at the foote of mount Tabor for whence Baronius beleeueth that our Ladyes house did flye ouer the Seaes into Dalmatia first and then into Italie falsification 36 Of Augustus he saith Ibidem 97 that he made lawes against such as liued single and yet honored those that kept themselues continually true virgins which containeth a notorious contradiction beâ—…de that it is absurd to proue vowes of virginity froÌ„ heathen emperous very preiudicial to the Romish church that he alloweth not fictum caelibatum nor any but those that indéede are true virgins of which he shall find very few among his fellow cardinals and not many among priestes monkes friers nunnes falsification 37 Where Pilate as Iohn chap. 19. saith wrote the title ouer the crosse in Hebrew Ibidem Pag. 103. Greeke and Latine letters and as Luke testifieth chap. 23. in Hebrew Latin and Greeke Baronius supposeth that the order is changed and that the Latin inscription ought to be first But this is nothing but to contradict the euangelistes and to respect neither the apostles nor their writings so the Church of Rome may winne any preheminence aboue other churches He alledgeth I confesse the testimony of pope Nicholas in epist ad Michaelem But it is a poynt of blasphemy to beléeue that Nicholas knew those matters better and did report them more truely then the euangelists Beside that it may well be doubted whether Nicholas wrote that epistle to Michael or some other in his name that without all truth and modesty aduanceth the priuiledges of the Romish Sée falsification 38 Where Luke doth expresly set downe that Iohn Baptiste began to preach Pag. 113. when Annas and Caiphas were highe preistes Baronius saith that only Caiphas was high preist in the soccession of Aaron And that he is forced to hold for feare least hée should ouerthrowe the monarchy of the Church of Rome Annas he saith was chéefe priest as head of his ranke and one of the principall heads of the Sanedrin But if he were not high préest why should he be named before Cayphas or why should Luke so call him if he might not be high preist as contrary to law he must vnderstand that at this time neither the law of Moyses nor the order of succession was rightly obserued falsification 39 Talking of Saint Iohn Baptist he saith hee dwelt in the wildernesse Ibidem p. 114. and keept in a denne called Sapsas And that our Sauiour Christ did visit him oftentimes in this denne And this he proueth by the testimony of Sophronius and one Iohn a monke to whome Saint Iohn appeared as he beléeueth in this hole and told him all this story matters fabulous and ridiculous For who will grant that Saint Iohn Baptist whose soule was with God kéept in this denne it is as like that he dwelt there being dead as being aliue yet this is also a Romish tradition but whether Locustes that S. Iohn Baptist did eate were liuing creatures or no as yet Baronius hath not found out any certaine tradition Isidorus of Pelusium holdeth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the gospell signified the tops of herbes and plantes falsification 40 Pag. 110 he saith that S. Iohn Baptist did lay the foundation of monasticall life and that all Catholikes confesse it to be so A lye notorious as appeareth by my answere to Bellarmines treatise de monachis Furthermore this his assertion may be conuinced first for that Iohn Baptist neither made vow nor liued after any certaine rule nor forswore mariage Secondly for that this manner of life was but for a time for after a while he left his habitation in the desert of Iudaea and came to Iorden and into cities Thirdly Iohn was ordained to be a forerunner of Christ and is commended as a singular prophet but monkes and friers are rather the forerunners stafâ—…ers of Antichrist then of Christ Neither is there any mention of them in scriptures but in generall termes Apocalyps 9. where we reade of locustes issuing out of the bottomelesse pit and such like places Prophets certes they are not vnlesse we giue the name of prophets to false teachers Fourthly if Iohn séeme in his manner of life to haue giuen any example to Eremites yet that serueth other monks and friers nothing that liue in most frequent cities and are in continuall action Finally albeit Chrysostome and Hierome say somewhat of Iohn Baptist as if he first had shewed an example of solitary life yet neither doth that serue to prooue that he was a precedent to other monkes nor doe other fathers or catholike authors affirme that he laid the first foundation of monasticall life I hope Rob. Parsons will not say that Iohn Baptist was like his father Ignatius Loyola that madde maranicall Spaniard and swaggring compagnion the first author founder and foundation of the hispaniolized Iesuites falsification 41 Pag. 117. he saith Christ was baptized the sixt of Ianuary and this he would prooue by the testimony of a letter of Eusebius ad Marinum whose fragments are in the edition of Christopher after the history of Euagrius as he writeth But séeing the holy scriptures haue concealed the exaâ—t day he sheweth not himselfe wise curiously to dispute of this point Beside that he should doe vs a fauour to shew who this Christopher was that set out Eusebius otherwise his followers will beléeue that he tooke Christopher for Christopherson Finally there is no credit to be giuen to such vaine fragments set out vnder the names of auncient writers In the historie of Eusebius we read not that he had any thing to do with this counterfeit Marinus so that this tradition séemeth to be built vpon a rotten foundation falsification 42 Gregorius Turonensis telleth how leprosie is cured by washing in water where our Sauiour Christ was baptized and Baronius beléeued he said true But yet was this Gregorie no good witnesse in this case writing nothing but by hearesay We are taught by holy scriptures that baptisme was ordained a sacrament of remission of sins and not that Iordane was made a medicine to purge lepres falsification 43 Pag. 119. he supposeth that he hath soundly confuted those that say that it was not said to Peter tu es Petra sed tu es Petrus but either must he lye or must he charge the Euangelist Matthew with vntruth which is a point blasphemous He saith also that such as translate the word Cephas and say it doth signifie a head are not to be reprehended But if he had had either head or braine hauing taken vpon him to relate histories and things done in auncient time he would haue omitted all curious disputations for the
heathen more superstitiously worship Diana at Ephesus then the Romanists worship the image of our lady at Loreto falsification 17 Speaking of fastes in Lent on ember daies and on the vigiles of saints he saith that antiquitie is plentifull viz. of testimonies in this case and yet the wooden fellow doeth not bring any one testimony for the fastes vpon vigiles of saints nor can he prooue the practise of the Romish church by any one testimony alledged by him precisely falsification 18 Pag. 28. chap. 2. he denieth that papists hold that Christian men may live without sinne an impudent vntrueth and wherein he contradicteth himselfe for if Christians can fulfill all the law of God as he goeth about with all his little skill to prooue and that by diuers arguments then doeth it necessarily follow that they may liue without all sinne falsification 19 Pag. 31. he affirmeth that the forme of confirmation is as ancient as the apostles a lie of great length reaching to the apostles times thereof to conuince him no man néedeth to go farther then his own confession who is not able to alledge either the testimony of the apostles or any ancient father for this forme of confirmation signo te signo crucis confirmo te Chrismate salutis falsification 20 In the same place very impudently he blusheth not to say that the forme of consecration practised by the Romanists hath alwaies beene holden and would therefore prooue it to be a constituion apostolicall but his assertion is refuted both by histories and fathers and especially by his owne silence that speaketh more in a line then he will prooue all his life falsification 21 Pag. 34. he saith papists grant that there is but one mediator of redemption but doubteth not to hold that there are many mediators of intercession but he lieth in both these points for in the masse the priest is said in plaine tearmes to offer pro redemptione animarum and sure if they offer vp Christ Iesus properly and really then are they mediators of redemption the second point I haue declared to be a notorious lie in my former discourse falsification 22 Pag. 43. he hudleth vp diuers lies vpon a heape first hée saith auricular confession was ordeined by Christ secondly that by the law of God men in mortall sinne were bound to repaire to the sacrament of auricular confession thirdly that mortall sinnes are not remitted without auricular confession the first lie is refuted by the testimony of scriptures wherein neither forme nor institution of auricular confession is to bée found The second is conuinced by the booke of Gods law wherein we finde no colour of such an ordinance the third is manifested by diuers testimonies of scripturâ—s which declare Galat. 3. that we receiue the promise of the spirit through faith that Act. 15. faith purifieth our hearts that we are washed by Christ his blood whom we put on not by outward confession but by our faith and inward conuersion to God Furthermore all these lies may be refuted also by the silence of Oulyglasse that is not able to iustifie any one of his assertions by any text of scripture beside that all papists hold that confession is a sacrament of their new law and not established vnder the law of Moyses as Oulyglasse would insinuate finally the decretale of Innocentius vpon which auricular confession dependeth being long after the times of the apostles and ancient fathers is a plaine conuiction of Oulyglasses false dealing for how can that be either instituted by Christ or authorized by the law or déemed necessary that before Innocent the thirds time was neither established nor déemed necessary falsification 23 Most impudently he affirmeth Pag. 49. that saint Iames maketh mention of the sacrament of extreme vnction but that may appeare to be a lie both for that there is no mention of a sacrament there and for that sacraments are not to be instituted by men but by God finally no ancient father did euer expound these words of popish extreme vnction falsification 24 Pag. 113. he saith that I deny that the matter of the reall presence concerneth any fundamentall point of faith but if hée cannot prooue it out of my words I hope he will not deny but that after his woonted fashion he hath told vntrueth The rest of his lies you shall finde noted in my answere to his exceptions to my challenge if then he hath begun to lie so fast what are we to looke for if he continue his course of writing and if his clients doe commend him for these lies what will they if he procéed on as he hath begun I for my part will giue my voice to haue him canonized for lying CHAP. XIII Corollaries and conclusions gathered out of the former challenge and the answeres to the exceptions taken to the same I Néed not as I suppose make any large discourse in drawing out particular conclusions out of the former challenge and answer for he is very simple that doth not perceiue whereto they both do tend Beside that I haue héeretofore touched some principall points which especially séeme to deserue consideration but séeing Robert Parsons in his relation sent vs from Rome beside the report of matters then passed began first to draw out certeine idle obseruations and perceiuing well that his woodden scholar Owlyglasse doth second him and hath likewise endeuored to make obseruations and to draw great conclusions out of his slender and misshapen premisses I haue thought it not amisse to encounter him although not in so weake maner with the very like course and for his obseruations to send him likewise other obseruations and conclusions being very loth to be behinde him in any course that may serue either to manifest the trueth or to correct the error and trechery of such leud companions observation 1 First then I doe obserue if the Iesuites and their adherents be false prophets and false teachers that then they are most diligently to be sought out and punnished the sequele is grounded vpon the law of God Deut. 13. Moyses speaking of false prophets saith propheta ille aut fictor somnioruÌ„ interficietur quia loquutus est ut auerteret vos à domino deo vestro that is that prophet or dreamer of dreames shall be slaine because he hath spoken to disturne you from the Lord your God where it is to be noted that false prophets and teachers are fitly ioined with dreamers of dreames for that he that teacheth doctrine not grounded vpon the infallable word of God is no better then a dreamer of dreames Christian kings they ought to be nurses of Gods church and haue the sword committed vnto them not onely to represse seditious persons and wicked malefactors but also such idolatrous massepriests as disturbe the peace of the church and séeke to disturne men from the trueth by their false doctrine with princes also all true Christians ought to concurre in the detecting of such wicked members If thy brother
saith Moyses or the sonne of thy mother or thy sonne or thy daughter or thy wife that lieth in thy bosome or thy friend whom thou louest as thy soule would perswade thee saying let vs go and serue other gods which thou knowest not nor thy fathers thou shalt not yeeld vnto him nor heare him nor shall thy eye spare him nor shalt thou pity him or conceale him but shall cause him to be slaine for it is not sufficient for a Christian man to know and follow the trueth but he must also auoid false doctrine and the seruice of Baal Christes sheepe as Iohn 10. he saith they follow the true sheperd and a stranger they will not follow neither may we regard their faire pretences of reconciling men to the catholicke Romish church as they call it for euen wolfes though rauenous yet now and then come vnto vs in shéepes clothing but our sauiour Christ giueth vs a caueat to beware of them Beware saith Matth. 7. he of false prophets which shall come vnto you in sheeps clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues these will smoothly tell you that they come to saue your soules and pretend to come from Christes vicar but they are the ministers of antichrist and the idolatrous priests of Baal and come to destroy your soules by their fruits you shal know them their study is sedition alteration of state their religion heresie and superstition their life full of filthinesse and abomination neither doe we read of any that haue harkened vnto the Iesuites of late yéeres but they haue béene vtterly ruined by them examples hereof we haue diuers and the truth which I affirme appeareth by the Scottish Catechism de Iesuitis Queene ruined by the wicked counsell of Sammier that came disguised vnto her all in yelow satin by the duke of Guise and the leaguers of France brought to destruction by Claude Matthiew by king Phillip the 2. of Spaine intricated by the most wicked counsels of Parsons by the king of Poland that standeth in danger to loose his kingdome of Suethland by the death and ouerthrow of Sebastian king of Portugall in Barbary by the prince of Transiluania that is now by their means dispossessed of Transiluania Ferdinande of Croatia who together with his armie was ouerthrowen by a few Turks listening to these presumptuous fellowes consultations by the emperor that is weakened by their seditious practises losing the aid of diuers princes of religion by the importunity of these trouble-states as for inferior lords and gentlemen that haue béene drawen into practises by Iesuites and so haue ouerthrowen themselues and their houses the number of them is infinit observation 2 Secondly if masse priests be idolaters then no man that is zealous for the honour of God and his true religion may endure them for the law of God that so rigorously pursueth a false prophet doeth therefore adiudge him worthy of death because he went about to draw men from the true worship of God quia voluit abstrahere te saith Deut. 13. Moyses speaking to the people à domino deo tuo and because he sought to perswade men to serue idoles and false gods saying eamus sequamur deos alienos let vs goe and follow other gods the 2. Cor. 6. apostle doeth teach vs that there is no consent betwixt the church of God and idoles qui-consensus saith he templo dei cum idolis if it be the church of God then it admitteth no idoles if idoles be erected in any place then that is not the church of God 1. Cor. 10. he saith also that Christians cannot both drinke the Lords cup and the cup of diuels and by the cup of diuels he vnderstandeth the cup consecrated in honour of idoles The prophet Dauid therefore speaking of idolaters professeth like a good king that Psal 16. he would not offer their offrings of blood nor make mention of their names within his lips 2. King 18. Hezekias ouerthrow the high places brake downe the images out downe the groues and remooued away all monuments of idolatry Iosias did likewise and executed to death such as had burned incense to Baal 1. King 18. Helias enflamed with zeale would not suffer one of Baals prophets to escape contrariwise God doth shew himselfe highly displeased with such as winke at idolaters the spirit of God speaking to the bishop of Pergamus Apoc. 2. habeo saith he aduersus te pauca quia habes illic tenentes doctrinam Balaam qui docebat Balac mittere scandalum coram filijs Israel edere fornicari likewise he reprooueth the bishop of Thyatira sharpely for permitting idolaters and false seducing teachers I haue against thee Apoc. 2. saith he some few things because thou doest permit the woman Iezabel to teach and to seduce my seruants to commit fornication and to eat of things sacrificed to idoles finally no man can call himselfe a Christian that can be content to sée either Gods commandement openly broken in worshipping of idoles or else secretly frustrated by secret practises and subtile euasions of Baals priests and as idolaters shall be punished in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone so shall they not escape grieuous punishments that either mainteine them or winke at them let no man therefore blame her Maiestie and the State that cannot endure these idolatrous slaues of antichrist and wicked masse priests of Baals order observation 3 If the papists be heretikes then are not either the popes priests to be suffred to broch their hereticall doctrine in secret corners nor their adherents openly to maintaine their peruerse opinions the emperors Gratian Valentinian Theodosius L. omnes Cod. de haeret put all heretikes to silence omnes vetitae legibus diuinis imperialibus constitutionibus say they perpetuò quiescant Valentinian and Martian L. quicunque ibidem decréed that false teachers should be put to death Vltimo supplicio afficiantur say they qui illicita docere tentauerint Constantine did gréeuously punish such as kept or concealed any books of heretikes as is testified by Sozomen lib. 1. hist cap. 20. Saint Augustine doeth greatly commend the emperors lawes made against the Donatistes and Hierom writing vpon the fift to the Galathians séemeth much to mislike the remissenesse of diuers in their procéedings against the heretike Arius as for priuate men they are to follow the apostles counsell 2. Tim. 4. and to auoid these heretikes saint Epist 2. Iohn would not haue Christians so much as once to bid them God spéed nolite iugum ducere saith the apostle 2. Corinth 6. cum infidelibus be not yoked with infidels for what coniunction is there betwixt iustice and iniquitie it is a hard matter to touch pitch and not to be defiled and hereticall bookes and companions seduce simple soules that are not able to iudge finally if reason persuade not blinde papists yet the iudgements of God denounced against idolaters may persuade euery man that is studious of his saluation to beware of their entisements and
altaria saith the text quae erant in Hierusalem atque vniuersa in quibus idolis adolebatur incensum subuertentes proiecerunt in torrentem cedron would not then such masse priests as burne incense to their idols and cense their idolatrous altars be repressed and their altars ouerthrowne and their strange fire be throwen out of the church argument 22 p Arg. 22. The apostle act 17. doth plainely declare that God neither dwelleth in temples made with hands nor is worshipped with mens hands non habitat in templis manufactis nec manibus humanis colitur those therefore that worship God in images and images with their owne deuises as the papists doe doe decline to gentilisme and idolatry argument 23 q Arg. 23. Finally the scriptures doe signifie that it is idolatry to expresse God by any similitude or figure and to worship the same for that is expresly forbidden in the commandement against idolatry and the holy scriptures to recall Gods people from this idolatrous humor doth diuersly declare that he cannot be expressed or figured by any likenesse cui similem fecistis deum saith the r Isai 40. prophet aut quam imaginem ponetis ei numquid sculptile conflauit faber aut aurifex auro figurauit illud laminis argenteis argentarius he doth plainely expresse that no image can be made like to God and that neither the grauer nor smith can resemble him with their grauen images and againe non debemus existimate saith Å¿ Act. 17. Saint Paule auro aut argento aut lapidi sculpturae artis cogitationis hominis diuinum numen esse simile we ought not to imagine that God is like to gold or siluer or stone grauen by art or deuise of man those therefore that by grauing and painting resemble God the father to an old man or the holy ghost to a doue and make shapes of the holy Trinity repugne manifestly against scripture and worshipping those images shew themselues to be grosse idolaters neither is it any excuse that they say they doe not goe about to expresse the diuine nature for if they doe not that then doe they expresse nothing but a fancy and worship a fancy and so proue themselues to worship idols that is as Bellarmine confesseth false images or resemblances idolum saith he est falsa similiiudo id est representat id t Lib. 2. de imaginib c. 5. quod reuera non est but God is not like to these resemblances therefore they must néeds be false and they that worship them true idolaters by the confession of Bellarmine argument 24 u Arg. 24. The fathers also minister vs good arguments not onely to reproue the papists false worship but also to proue them idolaters Quis tam amens erit saith x Praeparat euangel lib. 3. Eusebius vt dei formam imaginem statua viro simili referri perhibeat that is who will be so mad as to auow that God may be expressed and resembled by an image like to a man Athanasius in orat contra Sabellij gregales calleth them fools and mad men that made God like to things that haue bodies quam imaginem ponetis ei saith Hierome in Isaiae c. 40. qui spiritus est in omnibus est what image will you erect for him which is a spirit and is in all things y Stromat lib. 1. 5. Clement of Alexandria saith that Moyses taught vs that neither in the shape of man nor any other thing God is to be represented and Origen likewise in his 7. booke against Celsus denieth that Christians are to make any resemblance or likenesse of God Tale simulachrum saith saint z De file symbolo Augustine speaking of God made in shape like a man deo nefas est Christiano in templo collocare It is a wicked thing saith he to make the image of God and to place it in the church a In deuter q 1. Theodoret teacheth vs that the law of Moyses forbiddeth vs so much as once to attempt to frame an image or similitude of God Ne tentemus vnquam saith he diuinam imaginem effingere Damascene lib. 4. de fide c 17. saith it is a point of great folly and impietie by figures and similitudes to represent God The Audeans were condemned for that they taught that God had a shape like to man b Haeres 70. Epiphanius disputing against them quomodopossibile est saith he visibile simile esse inuisibili quomodo corporale incorporali c Lib. hist 18. c. 53. Nicephorus reckoneth those among heretickes that made the images of God the Father and God the holy Ghost imagines patris spiritus sancti effigiant saith he quod perquam absurdum est Finally it appeareth by the testimony of Agrippa in a certeine epistle to Caligula of which d In legat ad Caium Philo maketh mention that it was accounted a thing impious amongst the Iewes either in picture or grauen or embossed worke to represent God that is inuisible inuisibilem deum pingere aut fingere saith he nefas duxerunt maiores nostri If then the papists make the images of God the father and the holy Ghost and of the holy Trinitie and worship them with diuine worship according to the schoole doctrine then doe they by the iudgement of the fathers not onely transgresse Gods law and offend most foolishly and wickedly but also commit most grosse idolatrie but it cannot be denied either that they make such pictures and images or that they worship them that they make them the common practise of the Romish church and the front of Sixtus quintus his bible and diuers popish monuments doe teach vs that they doe worship them the decrée of the e Sess 25. councell of Trent concerning images the common schoole doctrine and practise of papists doth teach vs. Suares in 3. p. Thomae Aquin. tom 1. disput 54. sect 4. 5. doeth affirme it and Bellarmine in his disputes doeth not deny it how then are they able to excuse themselues from palpable and grosse idolatry f Lib. 2. de cultâ—… imag c. 8. Bellarmine where he disputeth that it is lawfull to make the images of God and namely the image of the holy Ghost saith that the images of God may be made or painted if not to expresse the perfect likenesse of God yet to expresse histories and to expresse the nature of God by a certeine analogie and by metaphoricall and mysticall significations afterwards he saith g Ibid. c. 25. that images are to be worshipped with the same worship that is due to the original imperfectly analogically but the first is sufficent to shew and that most perfectly that he speaketh impudently against the law of God and all the fathers that vtterly denied all vse of pictures of God either in stories or in mysticall significations the second declareth him and his consorts to be idolaters and that perfectly albeit be surmise it to
be imperfectly and analogically argument 25 Saint Ambrose teacheth vs that to worship the crosse or crucifix is plaine idolatry and paganisme Inuenit Helena crucem domini saith h De qbitu Theodosi ◠he regem adorauit non lignum vtique quia hic Gentilis est error sed adorauit illum qui pependit in cruce he saith that Helene finding the crosse did adore her king that is Christ Iesus and not the wood because this is the error of the heathen idolaters he addeth also that she worshipped him that hung on the crosse i In epist ad Ioan. Hierosolym apud Hieron Epiphanius also sheweth that the image of Christ is not to be worshipped nor hung vp in churches for that he tore a vaile wherein such an image was figured and that contrary to scriptures as he saith inueni velum pendens in foribus eiusdem ecclesiae tinctum atque depictum habens imaginem quasi Christi saith Epiphanius and afterward cum hoc vidissem in ecclesia Christi contra authoritatem scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem scidi illud the papists therefore by the iudgement of Epiphanius place Christ his image in the church contrary to scriptures and like to the heathen idolaters worship the crosse giuing to it latria as to Christ Iesus himselfe argument 26 The worship also of angels which the papists practise is idolatrous for they pray vnto them k In litanijc saying sancte Michael sancte Gabriel sancte Raphael omnes angeli archangeli orate pro nobis they l In itinerario ad finem Breuiarij pray likewise to vnknowen angels they confesse their sinnes to them saying confite or beato Michaeli archangelo they set them out in imagery and bow to them and burne incense to them and kisse them finally they erect churches and altars and say masses in honour of angels all which to be idolatrous not onely the scriptures but also the fathers teach vs. non oportet Christianos say the fathers of the m Can. 35. councell of Laodicea derelicta ecclesia abire adangelos idolatriae abominandae congregationes facere Christians say they ought not to leaue the church of God and to assemble themselues idolatrously to worship angels they do also excommunicate such as worship angels as idolaters n In summa concil Laod. c. 35. ◠Carranza to wipe away this blot from the papists turneth angelos into angulos but Chrysostome and Theodoret in their commentaries and homilies vpon the epistle to the Colloss c. 2. 3. doe plainly shew that the councell condemned the worship of angels which they also condemne synodus quae conuenit Laodiceae saith Theodoret in epist ad Coloss c. 3. lege prohibuit ne precarentur angelos Nos non dico martyrum reliquias saith o In epist ad Riparium Hierome sed ne solem quidem Iunam non angelos non archangelos non cherubim non seraphim omne nomen quod nominatur in praesenti seculo in futuro colimus adoramus ne seruiamus creaturae potius quam creatori qui est benedictus in secula he saith p Haeres 79. that Christians do not worship or adore angels and signifieth that such worship is idolatrous as sauoring of seruice of creatures honoramus eos charitate saith saint Augustine lib. de ver relig c. 55. speaking of angels non seruitute nec eis templa construimus angelos adorari non vult that is God will not haue vs saith l Epiphanius to adore angels and againe angeli non capiunt talem glorificationem Augustine doeth therefore condemne the Angelikes as heretikes for that they worshipped angels Angelici saith he de haeres c. 39. in angelorum cultu inclinati argument 27 The papists worship the sacrament of the altar in the rubrike of the Romish misial after the words of consecration the priest is enioined to worship the sacrament hostiam consecratam genu flexo adorat likewise calicem genu flexo adorat the people also knocke their brests and adore it neither doe the papists deny but that the sacrament is to be adored latriae cultu that is with such worship as is due to God but the sacrament is a creature therefore they are plaine idolaters that worship it and this is prooued by the testimony of Epiphanius stultum est saith q Haeres 69. Epiphanius creaturam deificare reprobat autem primum praeceptum quod dicit dominum deum tuum adorabis ipsi soli cultum praestabis he saith it is a foolish thing to worship a creature as God and therefore prooueth that Christ is God and no creature because he is worshipped and for that the church doeth not worship a creature vnlesse therefore Christ be hypostatically and personally vnited to the sacrament those that worship the sacrament are idolaters as for those that worship vnconsecrated hostes the papists themselues deny not to be idolaters argument 28 They are also idolaters that worship the images and pictures of the virgine Mary of angels and saints departed this life the councell of Eliberis to auoid this idolatry r Can. 36. decréed picturas in ecclesijs esse non debere ne quod colitur aut adoratur in parietibus depingatur that is that pictures should not be in the church least any thing that is worshipped or adored should be painted on walles Non est dubium saith ſ Lib. 2. instit diuin c. 18. Lactantius quin religio nulla sit vbicunque simulachrum est nam si religio ex diuinis rebus est diuini autem nihil est nisi in caelestibus rebus carent ergo religione simulachra quia nihil potest esse coeleste in ea re quae fit ex terra he teacheth vs that there is no religion where images are worshipped as being earth and not sauoring of any heauenly or diuine quality or substance Inueni velum pendens in foribus eiusdem ecclesiae tinctum atque depictum saith t Ad Ioan. Hierosolym apud Hieronymous Epiphanius habens imaginem quasi Christi vel sancti non enim satis memini cuius imago fuerit cum ergo hoc vidissem in ecclesia Christi contra authoritatem scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem scidi illud and afterward Precor vt iubeas presbyteros eiusdem loci suscipere velum à latore quod à nobis missum est deinceps praecipere in ecclesia Christi istiusmodi vela quae contra religionem nostram veniunt non appendi he doth plainly shew that to place pictures images in churches is contrary to scriptures religion neither doth he only condemne heathen idoles but images in churches also Vnto this place our aduersaries answer that these words were not written by Epiphanius but soisted in by some other but in his booke against heresies he sheweth himselfe to be of the same opinion and doth strongly confirme that which is héere said Writing against the Collyridians haeres 79.