they built all vpon Christ Iesus and taught that which immediatly they receiued from God but the Pope receiueth nothing immediatly from God nor doth he now preach Christ as did saint Peter argument 2 Further the true church of Christ is built vpon a rocke most solide and vnmouable against which the gates of hell can neuer preuaile but the church of Rome is built vpon the popes and their see against which the gates of hell both haue already and may further preuaile as appeareth by the Ch. Si papa dist 40. where it is supposed that the Pope may draw with him innumerable soules into hel and m In Matth. 16. Lyra confesseth that diuers popes haue proued apostataes from the faith and that finally is proued by diuers particular examples as of Marcellinus that sacrificed to idoles of Liberius that fell into Arrianisme of Honorius condemned for a monothelite and diuers other popes that fell into diuers heresies and forsooke the true faith neither doe I thinke the papistes will denie but that some of their popes for diuers impieties and wickednesses are damned and cast downe to the nethermost hell How then can that be the true church of Christ which is built vpon a foundation against which the gates of hell haue preuailed argument 3 n Arg. 3. The true church of Christ is neuer without her head for Christ Iesus who is the head of the church was yesterday and to day and the same for euermore he is the head of the church and shall alwaies so continue and of him his church hath continuall dependance but the church of Rome is often without her head the pope and hath no such dependance on him but that she may well subsist without him as the continuall vacation of the papacy doth shew and p Lib. de auferribilitatâ— papa Gerson doth confesse the church of Rome therefore cannot be the church of Christ vnlesse we will grant that the church of God may be without a head or that the church of Rome neuer wanteth a head argument 4 q Arg. 4. The church of God also hath but one faith for as there is but one Lord r Ephes 4. so there is but one faith and one baptisme but the faith of the church of Rome is not that one faith which was professed in the apostles times and in the primitiue church as appeareth by the doctrine of faith published in the wicked conuenticles of Constance and Trent and by ihat profession which Pius the 4. decreed to be exacted of all that are promoted in schooles for neither did the first christians admit all the traditions which the church of Rome now calleth apostolicall nor the 7. sacraments and vsuall rites practised by the church of Rome in the administration of them nor the sacrifice of the masse or transubstantiation or the rest of the doctrine therein contained if any papist thinke otherwise let him shew me either any such like faith or proue me any such doctrine to haue bene in the ancient church of Rome or else we must needs beleeue that this doctrine was first published by the conuenticle of Trent and by Pius the 4. by name but a wicked man for doctrine and life and by other popes confirmed argument 5 Å¿ Arg. 5. The grounds also and foundations of the catholike christian faith are diuers from the grounds foundations of the faith of the church of Rome the t Ephes 2. apostle saith that the houshold of God and citizens of saints are built vpon the foundations of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ being the chiefe corner stone neither doeth he admit any other foundation Saint u Apocal. 21. Iohn sheweth that the wall of the city of God hath twelue foundations and in them the names of the twelue apostles and this because vpon that doctrine which they deliuered the faith of the church is built for as x Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Ireneus signifieth the canonicall scriptures which she apostles left vnto vs are the foundation of our faith neither may we thinke that Peter was more the foundation of the church then Paule or the rest of the apostles at dicis super Petrum fundatur ecclesia saith y Lib. aduers Jâ—uiâ— Hierome licèt id ipsum in alio loco super omnes apostolos cuncti claues regni coelorum accipiant ex aequo super eos ecclesia solidetur Theophylact also without giuing any prerogatiue to one saith z In Ephes 2. the church is built vpon the apostles and prophets neither doe the auncient fathers either allow or mention any foundation beside Christ Iesus and the apostles and prophets who in all their writings doe preach Christ Iesus But the faith of the Romish synagogue is now built vpon a diuers foundation for first they acknowledge vnwritten traditions to be a foundation equall to the written word of God a Sess 4. concil Trid. traditiones ipsas tum ad fidem tum ad mores pertinentes tanquam vel oretenus à Christo vel à spiritu sancto dictatas continua successione in ecclesia catholica conseruatas pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia scilicet ac scripturas sacras suscipit ac veneratur the conuenticle of Trent maketh traditions as well concerning faith as maners to be equall to the written word of God whereof it foloweth that we must as well beléeue the fashions and ceremonies of the Romish church as the written word of God Demonstrate conabimur saith b Lib 4. de verb. dei c. 4. Bellarmine scripturas sine traditionibus nec fuisse simpliciter necessarias nec sufficientes he denieth also the scriptures to be a perfect canon or rule of our faith without traditions next they receiue the popes decretals and vpon their determinations doe they build their faith as c C. inter dist 19. c. sancta dist 15. appeareth by their decretals though counterfeit and d Jn praefat in relect princip doctr Stapleton sticketh not to affirme so much in expresse words Alij nunc à Christo missi saith he eorumue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locum habebunt and e ibidem againe Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud We haue saith he another foundation of Christian religion diuers from the writings of the apostles and prophets can then the Romish congregation be the church of Christ that euen in the maine foundation of religion is departed from the church of Christ argument 6 f Arg. 6. The principles likewise of the doctrine of the Romish church are diuers froÌ„ the grounds principles of Christs true church for we haue shewed in our last argument that the true church hath no canon or rule of faith or certeine principle of faith beside the canonicall scriptures but the church of Rome admitteth the books of Iudith Tobia Ecclesiasticus Wisdome of the Machabees by the
they professe their religion will neuer prooue ancient nor catholike not ancient for that diuers doctrines and traditions which they hold are new and vnheard of in the ancient catholike church argument 1 First they teach vs that the holy canonicall scriptures are no perfect canon of our faith for this doctrine is gathered out of the decrée of the councell of Trent that with equall affection embraceth vnwritten traditions and canonicall scriptures e Lib. 4. de verbo Dei c. 12. Bellarmine saith that scriptures are a part of the canon or rule of faith and not a whole rule dico secundò saith he scripturam etsi non sit facta praecipuè vt sit regula fidei esse tamen regulam fidei non totalem sed partialem f De doctrin princip li. 7. c. 1. Stapleton beside scriptures frameth a new rule which he calleth the order of tradition but this doctrine is new and contrary both to scriptures and fathers The g 2. Tim. 3. apostle he teacheth vs that the scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect and furnished for euery good worke he teacheth vs also that they are able to make vs wise to saluation likewise the fathers testifie that the scriptures are a perfect canon sufficiunt sanctae ac diuinitus inspitatae scripturae saith h Lib. contr idola Athanasius ad veritatis indicationem Basil in serm de fid confess saith it is an argument of infidelity and pride either to reiect scriptures or to bring in matter not conteined in scriptures he meaneth in questions of faith cum habeamus omnium exactissimam trutinam gnomonem regulam diuinarum legum assertionem saith i In 2. ad Corinth homil 13. Chrysostome oro vos omnes vt relinquatis quid huic vel illi videatur de his à scripturis haec omnia inquirite Tertullian writing against Hermogenes saith that he adoreth the fulnesse of scriptures And saint k Lib. 2. de doctr Christian c. 9. Augustine teacheth that all things concerning faith and maners are found in scriptures clearely propounded to conclude this point most derogatory it were to Gods diuine wisedome if any man should suppose the scripture to be an imperfect canon or halfe a rule or maimed doctrine as the papistes lately haue begun to teach argument 2 They haue made the bookes of Tobia Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Machabeies and such fragments of bookes as are in the old Latin interpreter and not in Hebrew equall to the bookes of Moyses and other prophets and to the writings also of the apostles this is the determination of the councell of Trent and the common doctrine now of the Iebusites and papists but new and no way approoued by the ancient church for these bookes were neuer allowed by any prophets or by the church of God before Christs time nor did the ancient fathers allow them Gregory in his morals lib. 19. c. 16. directly affirmeth the bookes of Machabeis not to be canonicall sicut ergo Iudith Tobiae Machabaeorum libros legit quidem ecclesia saith l In Prouerb Solomon Hierome sed eos inter canonicas scripturas non recipit he saith m In praefat in lib. paralip also where controuersie is concerning Apocryphall writings we must haue recourse to the Hebrews neither doth Augustine so make them canonicall as he reputeth them equall to other scriptures as appeareth by his words lib. 18. de ciuit dei c. 36. conrra Gaudent lib. 2. c. 23. nay Sixtus Senensis albeit he make all these bookes canonicall yet doeth he not giue to all equall authoritie let vs therefore sée any ancient writer that alloweth the decrée of the councell of Trent if the papists will not haue all men sée that they haue innouated the very canon of the Christian faith argument 3 They haue also made the old Latin translation authenticall contrary not onely to reason séeing it differeth not onely from the originall bookes but also is contrary to it selfe as may appeare by the editions of Sixtus Quintus and Clement the 8. but also to antiquity which as appeareth by the testimony of Hierome and Augustine alwaies preferred the originall bookes in matter of difference before translations argument 4 Concerning the interpretation of scriptures the conuenticle of Trent n Sess 4. determineth that no man shall interpret them against that sense and meaning which the holy mother church holdeth to whome it belongeth to iudge of the true meaning and interpretation of scriptures end by the church they vnderstand the the pope and church of Rome but this act is altogether new for we do not finde that euer the easterne or African churches were forbidden to interpret scriptures as well as the church of Rome or that the fathers of the church were tied to expound scriptures after the opinions of the bishop of Rome nay we finde that no interpretations are more absurd then theirs or more contrary to the meaning of the holy ghost as for example may appeare in these two points In the law of Moyses we are expresly forbidden to make grauen images to worship them but the church of Rome interpreteth these words so galantly that men may both make grauen images and worship them our sauior Christ saith bibitē ex hoc omnes but the Romanistes turne it contrary and will haue no communicantes to drinke of the Lords cuppe but the priest onely argument 5 In time past o Dist 15. c. sancta Romana Christians were forbidden to read the legends of Quiricus Iulitta and George the 8. books of Clement the acts of Tecla and Paul the booke of the assumption of the virgine Mary and such like The acts also of Siluestre bishop of Rome and writings concerning the inuention of the holy crosse and of the head of Saint Iohn Baptist were doubted of but now these legends for the most part are the grounds of Romish traditions which the church of Rome placeth in equall ranke with holy canonicall scriptures is it not then apparent that the very grounds of Romish traditions are laid vpon fables and of late inuention argument 6 The foundation of the ancient apostolicke faith was laid vpon the scriptures as is euident for that the city and church of God is built vpon the prophets and apostles Christ Iesus being the corner stone p Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Ieremy saith that the apostles first preached the gospell and afterward by the will of God deliuered the same in scriptures that they might be a foundation and piller of our faith but now Bellar. teachech vs that the pope is the foundation of the church and Stapleton doubteth not to q De doctr princip in praefat say that the pope is the chiefe subiect of ecclesiasticall authority and r Cancanonicis dist 19. Gratian like a shamelesse fellow vnder the name of Saint Augustine doubteth not to recken the popes decretale epistles among the canonicall scriptures argument 7 Stapleton
argument 10 The Romanists n C. ad abolendam de haeret adiudge all to be hereticks which teach and hold otherwise of the sacraments then the church of Rome determineth and holdeth and commonly they condemne all that receiue not the popes determinations concerning faith but catholiks make the doctrine of Christ to be the squire of our faith Our o Matth. 28. Sauiour Christ gaue his apostles in charge to teach what he had commanded them the apostle likewise pronounceth him accursed that should teach otherwise than the Galatians had receiueth So it appereth that not those that taught other doctrine than the bishops of Rome but such as taught contrary to the apostles doctrine yea albeit they were bishops of Rome were condemned and accursed argument 11 The Romanists doe aswell build their faith vpon p Concâ—l Trid. sess 4. vnwritten traditions as the written word of God so the papists must aswell receiue the traditions of the legends as the holie scriptures aswell must they beléeue the wounds of S. Francis as Christ his passion and the miracles of S. Dominike and other braue Romish saints as the miracles of Christ and his apostles for these as they holde are traditions and the wounds of S. Francis are confirmed by diuers decretales of popes To this effect writeth q C. sancta dist 15. Gelasius and saith Gesta sanctorum martyrum recipimus but true catholikes haue more certeine grounds of their faith and would be much ashamed to beléeue such fables nay some of the papists haue much misliked these fabulous legends as may appeare by the testimony of Dante an Italian poet Cant. 29. and Laurence Valla in his treatise contra Donationem Constantini argument 12 The papists allow the legends of S. George S. Christopher S. Catherine Abgarus of the inuention of the crosse of S. Iohn Baptists head and diuers such like as conteining olde traditions but true catholikes will not allow any such fables to be read in the church nay Gratian himselfe vnder the name of r C. Sancta dist 15. Gelasius doth condemne the legend of George of Cyricus and Iulitta Abgarus of the inuention of the crosse and such like argument 13 Alij nunc à Christo saith Å¿ In praefat in relect princip doctrin Stapleton eorúmue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locum habebunt that is others beside Christ together with their doctrine preaching and determination shall be accounted of me as a foundation The rest also beléeuing that the popes can not erre in their determinations concerning faith must néeds rest vpon them as the foundation of their faith but true catholiks build their saith onely vpon Christ and his doctrine deliuered by the apostles and prophets argument 14 The church of God and all true catholikes kéepe the doctrine of the apostles and holy fathers without addition and alteration and auoid all prophane nouelties The t Galat. 1. apostle pronounceth him accursed that teacheth any other Gospel than that which he had taught Catholicorum hoc ferè proprium saith u Aduers hares c. 34. Vincentius deposita sanctorum patrum commissa seruare damnare prophanas nouitates sicut dixit iterum dixit apostolus si quis annunciauerit praeterquam quod acceptum est anathematizare If then the church of Rome and papists haue altered the apostolike and ancient fathers faith and haue added diuers points of new doctrine vnto it as I haue verified in the chapter going before he doth greatly wrong the catholike faith which calleth them catholikes argument 15 True catholikes beléeue in God onely Faith saith the x Rom. 10. apostle is by hearing and hearing by the word of God y De diuin non inib. c. 7. Dionyse saith that faith hath for his obiect the most pure and euer being trueth and euery catholike rehearsing his beliefe saith he beleeueth in God the Father God the Sonne and God the Holy Ghost but the papists after a sort beléeue in the virgine Mary in angels and saints and pray and confesse their sinnes vnto them for if they beléeue not in them how doe they call vpon them séeing the z Rom. 10. apostle saith how shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued and why doe they confesse their sinnes vnto them if they beléeue not that they do vnderstand the secrets of their hearts and know that their confession is sincere and true if they doe not beléeue in saints yet I hope they will not denie that they beléeue the determinations of the pope and of the Romish church a In oâ—usc contra errores Gracorum Thomas Aquinas saith it is a matter of faith to beleeue the determination of the pope ad fidem pertinct saith he inhaerere determinationi pontificis fummi in his quae sunt fidei imò in his quae spectaÌ„t ad bonos more 's with him also concurreth b Summa Siluest in verb. fides Siluester Prierius He saith also further that we are to beleeue whatsoeuer is taught by the church of Rome Ad fidem pertinent omnia saith he quae sunt in doctrina ecclesiae argument 16 True catholiks beléeue that Christ Iesus as he was true God so was he also true man and had a body like to ours in height bredth and thickenesse and that he filled the place where his body was as do our bodies We must beleeue saith S. c De essentia diuinitatis Augustine that the Sonne of God according to his Deitie is inuisible incorporeall and incircumscriptible but according to his humane nature that he is visible corporeall and locall d Contr. Eutychem lib. 4. c. 4. Vigilius saith that Christ is conteined in a place according to his humane nature and that this is the catholike faith Illud corpus saith e Dialog 2. Theodoret habet priorem formam figuram circumscriptionem vt semel dicam corporis substantiam so likewise saith f Ad Thrasymund lib. 2. c. 5. Fulgentius Si verum est corpus Christi loco potest vtique contineri If then the papists doe assigne to Christ such a body as is neither visible nor palpable nor circumscriptible in the sacrament nor hath the dimensions of height bredth and depth such as a mans body by nature hath nor is continued to it selfe as all bodies are but wanteth all the properties of a true bodie then are the papists neither catholikes nor Christians for how can they be either that erre in things so materiall argument 17 Euery catholike Christian beléeueth that our sauior Christs true body is ascended into heauen and that he there remaineth and shall remaine vntill his comming againe he g Iohn 16. told his disciples before his passion that he must leaue the world and goe to the father he saith also in another h Iohn 12. place that they should not alwaies haue him with them In the first of the Acts we reade that his
ancient church accounted apocryphal as g In epist ad Paulin. in prolog in prouerb Hierome h In Synops Athanasius and diuers of the ancient fathers 〈◊〉 witnesse It alloweth also the old latin translation of the bible though different from the originall bookes the same also admitteth for principles of faith the sentences of popes the doctrine of the Romish church that now is the traditions of the Romish church the consent of fathers and diuers other grounds as Stapleton disputeth in his bookes De doctrinalibus principijs argument 7 i Arg. 7. Neuer certes did the church of Christ speake euill of scriptures k Lib. 3 aduersus haeres c. 2. Irenaeus saith It is the property of heretikes when they are conuinced by scriptures to fal into dislike of them and to accuse them as for the children of God they cannot either calumniate or lightly estéeme their heauenly fathers testameÌ„t or refuse to heare his voice but the scriptures conteine a declaration of the eternall testament of our heauenly father and therefore they are rightly called his testament in the scriptures also God speaketh vnto vs. and therefore if we be Christs sheepe we caÌ„not but hearken to his voice My sheepe saith our l Iohn 10. Sauiour heare my voice but the Romish church is still carping at scriptures as if they were neither sufficient nor perspicuous m Lib. 4. de verl die c. 4. Bellarmine saith they are neither necessarie nor sufficient without traditions n Praefat in reâ—act princip doctr Stapleton denieth them to be a sufficient foundation or rule of our faith the authors of the annotations vpon the Rhemish testament doe call them most blasphemously a killing letter and signifie that the reading of them is pernicious o Censur coloâ— others slander them as if they were a nose of waxe or a matter and subiect of contention argument 8 The church of God neuer called the bishop of Rome either a god on the earth or Christes vicar generall or vniuersall bishop but the church of Rome admitteth all this the canonists exalt him like a god p Epist ad Gregorium 13. ante princip doct Stapleton calleth him supremum numen in terris generally they call him vniuersall bishop and condemne all that hold contrary argument 9 The church of God doth kéepe the doctrine of the apostles and prophets q Gal. 1. without addition alteration or corruption and the apostle pronounceth him accursed r Aduers haeres c. 34. that teacheth any other Gospel than that which he taught Vincentius Lirinensis saith that this is the propertie of catholicks to kéepe the faith and doctrine of the fathers committed to them in trust and to condemne prophane nouelties CatholicoruÌ„ saith he hoc ferè proprium deposita sanctorum patrum commissa seruare damnare prophanas vocum nouitates sicut dixit iterum dixit apostolus si quis annuntiauerit praeterquam quod acceptum est anathematizare but the papists kéepe not entire the originall writings of the olde and new testament nor allow them as authenticall neither will they yéeld the canonicall scriptures to be a perfect and sufficient rule of faith nor doe they allow the law of God to be a perfect law nor doe they kéepe Christes institution in the Sacrament of the Lords supper distributing the kinds of bread and wine to the communicants but haue vnto this rule added vnwritten traditions and the determinations of popes concerning matters of faith they haue also encreased the numbers of Sacraments and added many precepts and rules not receiued in the Apostolicke church argument 10 The true Church can not endure hereticks and false apostles that teach doctrine contrary to the faith of Christ and doctrine of Christes apostles Christ Iesus speaking of his shéepe saith They will not follow a stranger but flie from him for that they know not the voice of strangers The apostles gaue vnto Christians a speciall charge concerning this point If there come any vnto you saith S. Å¿ Epist 2. Iohn and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither salute him Tantum apostoli horum discipuli saith t Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 3. Irenaeus habuerunt timorem vt neque verbotenus communicarent alicui eorum qui adulterauerant veritatem Let vs separate our selues saith Cyprian as farre from them as they separate themselues from the church The true church certes can not embrace erroneous doctrine neither can any heretiks be accounted Christians Si haeretici sint saith u De praescrip aduers haeret Tertullian Christianiesse non possunt But the Papists communicate with hereticks as Liberius Felix Vigilius Honorius Iohn the 22. and 23. whom in my treatise De pontifice Rom. I declared to be heretiks they do also embrace the heresie of Angelicks in worshipping angels of the Collyridians in worshipping the blessed Virgin of Marcion Valentinus and others in denying Christes true bodie in the Sacrament to be solide and palpaple of the Pelagians in magnifying their merits and the force of frée will of the Carpocratians in burning incense and worshipping the images of Iesus and Paul and diuers others as we shall héereafter particularly declare argument 11 The true Church of Christ admitteth not the apocryphal legends of S. George Cyricus and Iulitta for these are condemned by the censure of Gelasius who testifieth that the olde Church of Rome receiued not any such legends but the latter Church of Rome and papists of our time doe admit these legends and out them they gather their traditions which they make equall to the word of God argument 12 The Church of God is the mistresse and teacher of trueth and admitteth no falshood nor vntrueth the apostle doeth call her the pillar and ground of trueth Est fons veritatis saith x Instit diuin lib. 4. c. vlt. Lactantius speaking of the church hoc est domicilium fidei that is she is the fountaine of trueth she is the house where true faith dwelleth but the church of Rome that now is is not only a receptacle of leud opinions but also the mother and mistresse of lies and vanities and so Petrarch for aboue two hundred yéeres doubted not to call her Madre d'errori e tempio d'haeresia saith he which authoritie albeit they regard not yet the same which he auoucheth is prooued first in that the church of Rome auoucheth lying traditions as for example the tradition concerning Ember fasts and fasts vpon Saints vigiles concerning the ceremonies of the masse concerning the words aeterni mysterium fidei thrust into the words of consecration of the challice and such like secondly the same approoueth lying and forged decretals as for example C. Constantinus dist 96. and c. ego Ludouicus dist 63. and c. quis nesciat dist 11. infinit more of that nature thirdly the same giueth credit to Caesar Baronius his most lying and fabulous narrations and the popes haue commended them
by solemne decretals although we doubt not but to make the vanitie of them appeare partly in this discourse but farre more at large hereafter finally the same admitteth most lying legends and now and then permitteth them to be read publikely in the church as for example the legends of Catherine Clement Gregory called also Thaumaturgus Peter Martyr a dominican S. Catharine of Siena S. Christopher and diuers others in the legend of S. Catherine y In breuiaer Ro. in festâ— Catharinae they write that she was a maiden of Alexandria and so well learned that at the age of eighteene yeeres she passed the most learned and in dispute ouercame fiftie Philosophers and that also she conuerted Faustina the empresse and Porphyrius a captaine of the emperors to the faith they say also that she broke the tormenting wheele with her praiers that after her death her body was buried in mount Sinah by angels in the feast of S. Clement in the Romish breuiary we read that Clement Peters successor was by Traian sent into the wildernesse of z Let Parsons tell vs where this is Cersona and that there he saw a lambe make a well to sally out of the top of the mountaine and that he being cast into the sea with a millstone about his necke the sea fled three miles from the shore and that in the very same place a little chappell was found in the sea where his body was bestowed On the festiuall day of Gregory of Neocesaria the church of Rome a In breuiar Rom. appointeth his legend to be read where it is said that he caused the riuer of Lycus to keepe within the chanell by planting his staffe on the banke and that his staffe grew presently into a great tree in the rituall books of Sarum we read that Gregory the first deliuered Traians soule out of hell which if it were true why is it now crossed out of the new bookes if false how hapeneth it that the church of Rome so long beléeued that tale b I'n breuiar Rom. in fest Petr. Mart. Peter Martyr one of Dominickes order as they write I thinke beléeue did keepe his virginity both in body and minde and in that sort that he neuer felt himselfe defiled with any mortall sinne they tell vs also that he did fast so long that he could scarce open his mouth to eat They tell vs further many wonders of Saint Nicolas Valerian and Tiburtius Lucia Christopher and other saints in the c Historia Louâ—bard del volto santo italic legend of Ieames of the colepit for else I cannot tell how to English Iacobus de Voragne we read that a certaine picture of our sauiour did lift vp his foot and cast off his slipper to a certaine pilgrime that deuoutly stood before it and would haue offred somewhat having nothing to offer Of Saint Catherine of Siena they say that she was betrothed to our sauiour Christ all which points are very incredible and not to be found in any authenticall writing If then the church of Rome publish and teach these fables and lies then is she no mistresse of trueth but of lies if Robert Parsons will say they are no lies I would pray him to declare vs the trueth out of authenticall histories argument 13 The faith of Gods true church cannot be built vpon any vncertainty or vntrueth for faith is an argument certaine or an euidence of things not seene est fides saith the d Hebr. 11. apostle sperandarum rerum substantia argumentum non apparentium and it is built on Christ Iesus that is trueth and on a rocke that is unmouable neither neede we long profes for this point for the aduersaries themselues confesse this to be true Nihil saith Thomas Aquinas cadere potest sub fide nisi inquantum stat sub veritate prima sub qua nullum falsum stare potest and afterward he saith quod fidei non potest subesse aliquod falsum if then the faith of the church of Rome be grounded on falshood then is it no true faith and if that churches faith be no faith then is not that church the true church but that the faith of the church of Rome is built vpon diuers false positions it may easily be proued for first the same beleeueth that the traditions of the church of Rome are either descended from Christ or the apostles for the most part and namely such as concerne the canon and ceremonies of the masse fastes praiexs for the dead praiers to saints and such like secondly it beleeueth all the determinations of popes concerning faith and manners to be true and infallible as for example that it is necessary for euery christian to be subiect to the Pope that he hath power to depose kings to giue power to cutthrotes to kill kings to dispense with the vncle to marry his neece with the brother to marry his brothers wife and such like thirdly that church beléeueth what is contained in the breuiary and missale as for example the stories or rather legends of Saint Christopher Saint George Saint Catherine and such like finally the same must beléeue whatsoeuer the Pope shall determine to be de fide But among such traditions determinations and legendes there are diuers both false and ridiculous fables neither can it be denied but that the Pope hath determined and may also determine falsely and contrary to the faith and this is shewed in my bookes de Pontifice Rom. at large e Lib. 4. de pontif Rom. and cannot be denied unlesse Robert Parsons can prooue vnto vs that all the Popes decretales concerning matters of faith and maners and all the traditions of that church and all legendes are true which to him will be a matter of some difficulty argument 14 The church of Christ is bounded within the limits of the holy canonicall scriptures habet vrbes legis prophetarum euangelii saith Saint f In Mich. lib. 1. c. 1. Hierome and againe non est egressa de finibus suis id est de scripturis sanctis he g Ibidem c. 7. saith also that it is the property of heretickes to flie to mens commandements and the leauen of the pharisees S. h Lib. 19. de ciuit Dei c. 18. Augustine also concureth with him and saith that the city of God beleeueth the holy scriptures that are called canonicall but of other reports he saith she doubteth but the church of Rome will not be bounded within the limites of holy scriptures neither will she acknowledge the canonicall scriptures to be a perfect rule of faith the same also from scriptures flieth to vnwritten traditions and is much soured with the leauen of the pharisées and mixture of Popish and Iewish ceremonies deuised and established by men finally the same doth rather or at the least as soone beleeue the determination of the Pope as the letter of holy scriptures for in the Pope Stapleton placeth the chiefe authority of the church
idolatries and whose doctrine is confirmed by scriptures most certeine traditions councels fathers and practise of the ancient church and which teacheth the narrow way and maketh subiects obedient and is sure to continue but neither is the church of Rome catholike nor apostolike which embraceth vncerteine traditions and apocryphall scriptures with equall affection to canonicall scriptures and which receiueth all the popes decretales concerning matters of faith albeit they conteine doctrine neither apostolicall nor general secondly it will be an easie matter to shew that the Romish church abhorreth neither heresie nor idolatrie nor noueltie thirdly in diuerse discourses against Bellarmine I haue shewed that popish doctrine hath neither ground of scriptures councels nor fathers thereby also it may appeare that popish traditions are most vaine vncerteine and superstitious fourthly the way which that church teacheth is broad and easie for what is more easie than to heare masses and to eat fish and to confesse sinnes and to obserue diuers externall ceremonies and yet by these small things papists hope to be saued fiftly we finde that all the rebellions of England Ireland and France haue wholly procéeded from the church of Rome and the doctrine of the seditious Iebusites and Cananites and masse priests neither will euer rebellion be rooted out vnlesse the tyrannicall vsurpation of popes be repressed and their parasites taught to submit themselues to their liege princes sixthly what certeinty in iudgement can the papists haue that depend vpon the resolutions of blinde vnlearned and wicked popes finally we sée Antichrist to be reuealed and the city of Babylon to fall to confusion who then doth not expect and beléeue the vtter ruine and desolation of Antichrists state Further Bristow telleth vs that euery church that is risen after the first planting of religion and gone out of the catholike church and from apostolike doctrine and is not the communion of saints nor euer visible and which is not the teacher of all diuine trueth and the vndoubted mother of Christes children is not the true church But the church of Rome as it is now visible in the pope and cardinals in the officers of the popes chamber in popish prelates sacrificing priests monks friers and nunnes and their officers and adherents whose faith is built on popish decretals and mincing scholasticall distinctions as fine wouen as any spider webbe rose out of the earth long after the apostles times and first planting of religion and that the Romish church crept out by little and little out of the catholike and apostolike church for apostolicall doctrine embracing apostaticall and light fancies and traditions and for the maintenance of mens bellies and the popes authoritie is departed from Christ and hath made war vpon the saints in the same also whores are openly mainteined cutthrotes by rewards incited to kill and poison princes and a way to all periuries and vices by the popes indulgences opened how then can any call this a communion of saints finally he that expecteth trueth at the popes hands shal be gulled with fables and he that calleth Rome a mother can be content for gaine to call the whore of Babylon and mother of errours his mother argument 70 The church of Christ neuer allowed the decretals of popes or the extrauagants or rules of Chancery concerning the popes authoritie and procéeding but in these lawes the church of Rome hath diuers rules of the Romish faith and thereby gouerneth her procéedings argument 71 In the church of Christ clerks were not exempt from the subiection of princes The apostle saith Let euery soule be subiect to higher powers But in the church of Rome all clerks are quited and exempted from the princes power as Bellarmine in his booke of that argument by the popes canons and all his wit endeuoureth to proue argument 72 The true church neuer baptized belles nor held monkes coules to be equall to baptisme but the popish church as the l Grauam 51. Germanes in their grieuances declare baptizeth belles and compareth the entrance into monkish profession with baptisme argument 73 Finally neuer was Christes church or any part of Christes church within any kingdome gouerned by an archpriest and certeine seditious Iebusites masse priests and such like vermine Howsoeuer then they deny it in others yet can they not deny but that the papists of England are not members of Christes church but rather of the synagogue of Satan CHAP. II. That the doctrines and traditions of the Romish church which the church of England refuseth are mere nouelties and late deuised fancies IF when the papists doe recommend vnto vs their old religion they meant nothing els but the religion of Christ Iesus which the apostles first taught and which the apostolicall and most ancient Christians receiued and deliuered to posterity we should not much contend with thim for that is the religion which we professe not varying in any thing from the apostles créed and other créeds either set out by Athanasius or the most ancient generall councels of the church nor denying any thing that is expressed or proued out of the holy canonicall scriptures But when they talke of old religion they meane the religion of the church of Rome which was either established by later popes or taken vp by lewd custome and vncerteine tradition the which though it séeme to some ancient yet in very truth is new and no way to be compared to the religion that was first deliuered by Christ and his apostles neither doth it deserue the name of old religion for as Ignatius said a Epist ad Philadelph sometime antiquitas mea Christus est so we may say that Christ is the top of our ancestry that the apostles doctrine is both ancient most true id verius quod prius saith b Lib. 4. contra Marcion Tertullian id prius quod ab initio id ab initio quod ab apostolis if thē the papists as they bragge could prooue their religion to be deriued from the apostles then would we indéed confesse it were ancient if they cannot then we must say to them as c Epist 65. ad Pammach Ocean Hierome said to one in his time cur profers in medium saith he quod Petrus Paulus edere noluerunt why doe they produce articles of faith vnknowen to the apostles nay why doe they teach vs points of religion which in times of the ancient fathers of the church were vnheard of will they haue that accounted old which the fathers of the church which were long after the apostles neuer knew nor the ancient church euer receiued they would so d Contra. haeres c. 35. but Vincentius Lirinensis doeth call him a true catholike that doeth onely beléeue and hold whatsoeuer the ancient catholike church did vniuersally beléeue quicquid saith he vniuersaliter antiquitus ecclesiam catholicam tenuisse cognouerit id solum sibi tenendum credendumque decernit if then the papists will hold all the religion which now
relect princip doctrin man intreating of the sure grounds and principles of Christian religion doeth leaue the scriptures quite out of the reckoning but Athanasius in Synopsi doth call the canonicall Scriptures the anchor and stay of our faith a Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus saith that the apostles first preached and afterward deliuered the Gospell in Scriptures that they might be a foundation and pillar of our faith the church saith b Homil. 6. in Matth. Chrysostome is Hierusalem whose foundations are placed vpon the mountaines of the scriptures and with them doe consent all true catholikes condemning the error of the papists falsely called catholikes argument 5 The papists call the scriptures a killing letter as appeareth by the Remish annotations vpon the 3. chap. of the 2. epistle to the Corinthians as if God had deliuered his will in writing to the entent to kill them that read them they c Annot. Rhemens in Ioan. c. 5. slander them also as if they were darke and hard to be vnderstood finally they disgrace them d Ibidem in c. 4. Matth. saying that the diuell and heretikes alledge scriptures others call them a nose of waxe Inken diuinitie and matter of strife and contention and condemne the reading of scriptures as pernicious and hurtfull but true catholikes had alwaies a reuerent regard of holy scriptures as the grounds of faith and directions of holy life e Lib. 3. aduers hares c 2. Irenaeus saith that it is the property of heretikes when they are conuinced by scriptures to fall into dislike of them and to accuse them the papists therefore in this point are rather heretikes then catholikes argument 6 The papists among canonicall scriptures reckon the decretales of popes inter canonicas scripturas decretales epistòlae connumerantur saith the rubrike dist 19. c. in canonicis and this Gratian goeth about to prooue by a place of saint Augustine which he there falsifieth this also séemeth by Gregory the 13. to be approoued in his edition of the canon law neither doe I thinke that any papist will deny that the popes decretales in matters of faith are to be receiued of all men but ancient catholikes neuer had the decretals in this estimation nor thought them to be canonicall scriptures or grounds of faith or infallible as the papists call them nay Thomas Aquinas albeit no catholike f 2. 2. q. 1. art 1. confesseth that the ground of Christian faith is the first trueth or God himselfe and not onely Cyprian tooke exceptions against Cornelius Ireney against Victor the councell of Carthage against Sozimus but also diuers catholikes against the decretales of diuers popes argument 7 The conuenticle of g Sess 4. Trent vnto the canon of scriptures of the olde testament hath added not onely the books of Tobias Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and of the Machabeies but also such additions as are found in the olde latine translation albeit they be not found in the originall text and these they place in equall ranke and degrée with the books of the prophets and apostles which is contrary to the faith of the catholicke church as appeareth by the testimony of Hierome in his preface to the prouerbs of Salomon in his epistle to Paulinus and in his generall prologue before the bible which he calleth prologum galeatum of Athanasius in synopsi of Epiphanius in his booke of waightes and measures of Melito of the councell of Laodicea can 59. of the canons of the apostles can 84. and diuers others neither is it materiall that Augustine lib. 2. de doctr christ c. 8. and a certaine councell of Carthage doe reckon the books of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabeies among the canonicall scriptures for by canonicall scriptures they vnderstand such books as by order of the church were read publickely and commonly ioined together in one booke and were rather for some part a canon and rule of maners then of faith for that may be gathered out of the words of Saint Augustine and the councell that speake rather of the books as they were read then as they were authenticall Ruffine speaking of these books saith legi voluerunt in ecclesiis non tamen proferri ad authoritatem fidei ex his confirmandam Augustine also lib. de ciuit dei 18. c. 36. speaking properly of canonicall scriptures excludeth the books of the Machabeies though some churches receiue them for canonicall Athanasius in Synopsi accounteth the 3. and 4. of Esdras as canonicall as these books and Sixtus senensis doth not accounpt them equall to the rest of canonicall scriptures finally no one catholicke writer can be produced that alloweth the fragments and additions that in the olde latine interpreter are added to the originall text to be canonicall scripture are the papists then catholicks that haue no catholicke grounds of their faith argument 8 Papists allow no interpretations of scriptures against that sense which the church of Rome holdeth contra eum sensum h Concil Trid. sess 4. quem tenuit tenet sancta mater ecclesia but true catholicks neuer allowed such senses and interpretations as the church of Rome doth make as for example the church of Rome beléeueth that Christ when he said to Peter pasce oues meas gaue power to the pope to depose princes Againe where God saith to Hieremy chap. 1. ecce constitui te hodie super gentes regna Boniface the 8. concludeth that the pope hath power to iudge all earthly princes and these words ecce duo gladij hic he k C. vnam sanctam de maior obed expoundeth so as if the pope had two swords giuen to him the words deus fecit duo magna luminaria the pope interpreteth so as if the pope were meant by thy sonne and the emperor by the moone and as if the pope did so farre excell the emperor as the sonne is greater then the moone bibite ex hoc omnes they expound thus drinke not all of this and these words scrutamini scripturas they interpret as if lay men might not search the scriptures without license of the inquisitors infinit such like interpretations the church of Rome hath deuised but all contrary to the expositions of the fathers and the catholicke church argument 9 The conuenticle of Trent doth adiudge the old vulgar latin translation of the bible to be authenticall and preferreth it before the originall text but catholicks haue alwaies preferred the originall text before the latin translation Saint l In Epist ad Suniam Fretel ad Damasum Hierome saith that in the olde testament in matters of doubt concerning the translation we must haue recourse to the Hebrew as to the fountaine and in the new to the Greeke ad exemplaria Hebrea Graeca à latinis recurratur saith m Lib. 2. de doctr Chr. c. 10. Augustine Hilary also writing vpon the 118. psalme confesseth that the latin translation cannot satisfie the reader
apostles did not commit all things necessary to saluation to writing cum ex scripturis arguuntur saith e Aduers hares lib. 3. c. 2. Ireney in accusationem conuertuntur scripturarum quasi non rectè habeant neque sint ex authoritate quia varie sunt dictae quia non possit ex his inueniri veritas ab his qui nesciant traditionem norrenim per literas traditam illam sed per vinam vocem ob quam causam Paulum dixisse sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos Tertullian saith it is a tricke of heretikes either to falsifie or by false interpretations to peruert scriptures alius manu scripturas saith f De praescript aduers haeres he alius sensu expositiones interuertit he saith againe that hereticks cannot stand if they be brought to try their cause by scriptures aufer haereticis saith g De resurr caernis he quae cumque ethnici sapiunt vt de scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant stare non possunt in these points therefore these two fathers haue stricken the papists albeit generally they speake of hereticks for first h Bellar. de verb. Dei non scripto they deny that the scriptures containe doctrine sufficient to saluation or that we can learne all trueth necessary out of them without their traditions secondly they speake euill of scriptures as before hath bene shewed thirdly they say that scriptures receiue authority from the church fourthly they accuse them of vncertenty Turrian aduers Sadeelem lib. 1. doth call them Delphicum gladium and others call them a nose of waxe fiftly they allow no sence but such as the synagogue of Rome authorizeth sixtly either Sixtus Quintus or Clement the 8. hath corrupted the scriptures for both pretending to set our the olde latine translation the one is in diuers places contrary to the other finally they will not haue the scriptures to decide controuersies about matters of faith argument 42 i Lib. 8. Orig. c de haeres Isidore doth declare them to be heretikes that doe otherwise vndeâ—stand the scriptures then the meaning of the holie Ghost requireth quicunque saith he aliter scripturam sacram intelligit quam sensus spiritus sancti flagitat a quo conscripta est licèt de ecclesia non recesserit tamen haereticus potest appellari if then we list to reade the popes decretales or the writings of the popish faction we need not doubt but they are tresgrand heretikes hauing so notoriously peruerted the Scriptures and turned them to sences neuer intended by the holy Ghost as for example these words of the k Isai 1. prophet à planta pedis vsque ad verticem non est in eo sanitas which he spoke of the people of Israel being then most sinfull Clement the sixt in the chap. vnigenitus extr de poenit remiss doeth turne to our Sauiour Christ as if our Sauiour had béene vnsound from the foot to the head or that the prophet had ment that our Sauiour had shed all his blood that the pope might make sale of the frute of it at his pleasure God by his prophet l Hierem. 1. saith I haue appointed thee ouer nations and kingdomes ergo saith m C. vnam sanctam ext de maior obed Boniface the 8. if earthly princes goe out of the way they must be iudged by the pope Againe out of these words of the apostle the spirituall man iudgeth all things he n Ibidem o Ibid. collecteth that the pope hath no superior iudge thirdly because Christ saith to Peter put vp thy sword into the sheath he concludeth that both Peter and his successors ought to haue a temporall sword fourthly of these words ecce duo gladij hic p Ibid. he inferreth that the pope is to command and exercise both the swords The q Isai 8 28. prophets and r Rom. 9. 1. Pet. 2. apostles by the corner stone placed in the foundation of the church doe vnderstand Christ Iesus but Bellarmine in his preface prefixed before his bookes de potifice Rom. draweth these words to the pope and forceth them to serue to make him to be a corner stone and a foundation also of the church he will also haue these words super hanc Petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam to be ment of the pope these words of our Sauiour drinke yee all of this the papists expound in such sort as if Christ had said drinke not all of this the words of our Sauiour to Peter when he said pasce oues meas they appropriate to the pope that féedeth not as if none were to féed but the pope The apostle saith mariage is honorable among all men yet will they not allow that mariage is honourable among nunnes and monks and friers and masse priests and the rest of the Romish clergy where our Sauiour Christ saith scrutamini scripturas they say contrary search not the scriptures the apostle saith they are profitable they Å¿ Index libror. prohibit regul 4 say they are pernicious our sauiour saith that those doe in vaine worship him that teach doctrines of men these doe teach humane traditions and yet doubt not but that God is well pleased with them The spirit of God commandeth that praiers be made for princes and willeth euery Christian man to submit himselfe to the magistrate and to higher powers but the papists doe so expound these words as if it were lawfull for the pope to curse Gods annointed to excommunicate kings and emperors to massacre them if they can to raise rebellion against them It were infinite to reherse all the false interpretations of Scriptures deuised by papists beside that in this place it is not necessarie séeing by these few which we haue alledged already it may in part appeare that neuer any heretikes alledged Scriptures more peruersly nor more direct contrarie to the meaning of the holy Ghost then they argument 43 As the t Damascene de haeres Herodians gaue the name and honour of Christ to Herode so the papists doe giue the names and honour of Christ to the pope allowing these words of Bernard to Eugenius vnctione Christus es they cal him the foundation rocke of the church the head and spouse of the church the monarke of the church and Christes vicar generall u In epist dedic ante princip doctrin Stapleton doth call him supremum numen in terris some teach that he and Christ haue but one consistory betwéene them x Lib. Caerem others saie that all power is giuen to the pope in heauen and earth which words our Sauiour Matth. 28. speaketh of himselfe if then the Herodians deserue for honouring Herod with Christs titles to be reputed heretikes who can cleare the papists from the note of heresie that farre more impudently and wickedly giue Christs honour to the pope argument 44 y De haeres c. beicetae Damascene numbreth those
obseruation againe desire me to procure him a free conference but what shall that néede when I yéeld him more then is desired Notwithstanding if he thinke to winne any thing at my hands by conference let him procure me first a frée conference at Paris and Salamanca and I doe promise to procure him a frée conference at Cambridge and Oxford In the meane while I pray him I prouoke him I by all means vrge him to answere in writing such lies as I auerre his consorts to haue made and to cleare the Church of Rome and her principall proctors of such notorious falsifications as I say they haue committed If he be not able as indéede I take him to be altogither vnsufficient let Robert Parsons Frier Garnet or the Archpriest answere and maintaine the quarrell which this idle compagnion hath begun And let them set their names to their writings and come foorth with bare faces that wee may know what they are we deale with and not as hitherto fight with N.D.E.O. and such like hollowe fellowes and meere shadowes If not let them assure themselues I wil by publike writing discouer such a packe of impostures lies falsifications villanies and treasons committed by Rob. Parsons and his consorts that they shall wish Owlyglasse hanged that first prouoked me and beganne this quarrell I will also make it knowne that they are so guiltie that they cannot answere His second obseruation is that no credit is to bee giuen vnto me concerning matter of fact because in matters of faith and learning as he saith I make no scruple to corrupt and vse broad falsification But his collection is so childish and foppish that his owne clients if they list may sée that he knoweth not what concerneth fact and what concerneth faith and learning that distingusheth learning from matter of fact as if no learning were required of Ro. Parsons to discusse matters of fact and would make fâ—ith and learning both one as if his consorts that take themselues to be learned were also faithfull christians and teacheth that the controuersie concerning falsifications and vntruthes obiected by him toucheth faith and not fact as if we did not as well contend about matter of fact as faith in this idle quarell begonne by our aduersarie and wherein the state of the mayne controuersie is whether I haue spoken vntruth or not and whether I haue falsified any authors alledged by me or not Secondly if no credit be giuen to those that tell lyes and falsifie authors as Owlyglasse affirmeth then by his sentence we are not to beléeue either the pope of RoÌ„e or his agents the most notorius lyers falsifirrs that euer the world sustained Againe if no credit be to be giueÌ„ vnto my discourse concerning the packing trechery of his consorts why doth he not answere me and conuince mee of vntruth And what reason hath he to desire his readers not to beleeue that which himselfe is not able to controule Is not such a bald compagnion ashamed to take to him as much authority as the Pope that all the generation of antichriste is to beleeue vpon his owne bare word Thirdly if all his idle obiectioÌ„s concerning pretended corruptions and falsifications he so cleared as that I looke for no more answere of so nastie a disputer as this Owlyglasse is then it can be no credit for him to cry so loud or to vse these odious and slaundrous termes of corruptions and falsificatioÌ„s but he ought rather to looke downe vpon his owne and his consorts filthy factes then to pinche at others meÌ„s faultes Fourthly if the papistes his clients be so cleare as he maketh them why doth he not answere for them playnly and honestly refuting euery point of my charge If they be guiltie why doth he not rayle a spirt at Rob. Parsons that so foolishly brought them forth to this triall and there left them to speake for themselues Fifthly if he list not to excuse any Papist for the cariage of his life as he confesseth what reason hath he to blame me if I vpon so iust occasions giuen me by that rinegat and false traytor Rob Parsons haue toulde them some parte of their faultes Sixtly if he will not haue my verdict admitted against his clients though conuinced by playne euidence witnesse he hath no reason to require that the verdict of Robert Parsons a most notorious and infamous libeller and a knowne and professed traytor and an infamous person conuicted by his owne wicked and treasonable writings and by the testimony of his owne consorts or the accusations of such libellers as Owlyglasse and such worthlesse and namelesse fellowes should be admitted or receiued Againe if he wil haue nothing to be affirmed without authenticall testimony proofe then must he and his malicious mates forbeare to send forth so many vaine and fabulous pamphlets 7. Further if hee charge me hereafter with wilfull and witting falsification as he sticketh not very boldly and often to doe then must he proue first falsification then this quality of wilfull knowledge wherof hytherto he hath done neither againe if I obiect that to him which he cannot deny then modesty would require that he should confesse shame force him not to defend any more matters knowne notoriously to be false 8. If hee take to himselfe and his consorts the name of Catholike Church and will néedes charge me with a setled malice and desperat resolution against the Catholike Church he must proue two thinges First that Popish religion is the ancient catholike religion and next that I oppugne the catholike faith Vnles he doe this his reader will take him for a lewd begging compagnion that taketh that for granted that is in controuersie and we must accompt him for a paltry fellowe that is not able to answere our arguments whereby we proue that Popish religion which we refuse is neither catholike nor ancient 9. If boldly and falsely he will denie that our faith hath had continuance and succession from Christs time and challeng both to himselfe he must then deny that the faith taught in the Apostles créede and established in the fowre first general counsels and contained and grounded vpon the holy canonicall scriptures hath alwayes continued since Christs time and hath had continuall succession vntill our dayes And to prooue the Popish faith he must shew that the Apostles taught and that the holy fathers beléeued First that Christ had a body inuisible and impalpable and that might be in heauen and earth and many distant places all at one time secondly that Christs body did not fill the place wherein it was 3. That accidentes may subsist without foundation or subiect 4 that préestes may celebrate masse without communion 5 that the préestes may take away the cuppe of the newe testament from Gods people 6 that christians are to worship the crosse and the sacrament with Latria or diuine worship 7 that the préest doth offer vp the true body and bloud of Christ to God the
act of the conuenticle of Trent and so receiued of as many as liked that conuenticle So I may say likewise that the paradoxe of the Romish church concerning the subsistence of accidents in the sacrament without subiect was prated of and debated in schooles before the conuenticle of Constance but yet I may say also that it was not receiued generally nor by solemne act confirmed before the coÌ„uenticle of Constance where Pope Iohn the 23. was deposed for Sodomitrie Atheisme and other grieuous and enormous crimâ—s in the actes of that assembly recorded Secondly he would gladly finde some contradiction in my wordes for that pag. 21. I say as he setteth it downe that the opinion of Luther concerning the real presence concerneth not any fundamentall point of faith and yet pag. 54. of my Challenge affirme that the Papists holding transubstantiation doe bring in Eutychianisme teaching that Christs body is in the sacrament without visible shape or true dimension or circumscription which as Leo teacheth serm 6. de ieiunio 7. mensis is flat Eutychianisme But he striueth in vaine to force contradiction out of these wordes for papists may wel be Eutychianists and yet not Luther as I beléeue they teaching that the substance of bread is abolished in the sacrament of which followeth Eutyches his errour and Luther holding the contrarie For if the bread be abolished and the sacrament is like to the person of Christ consisting of two natures then it followeth that as bread remaineth not in the sacrament after consecration so Christs humanitie is abolished after the vnion of the two natures which is flatte Eutychianisme Further he was a simple fellow to leaue a charge of Eutychianisme vpon the Papists vpon a smal hope of taking me in contradiction Indéede I confesse he denyeth it in termes and saith that Christs body in the sacrament is not without shape and true dimensions He should also haue said circumscription if he would haue auoided the note of Eutychianisme but if that be so he dischargeth me of contradiction But in the meane while he sheweth himselfe to be ignorant of the state of his owne cause and very impudent to say that Christ his body hath all his true dimensions and shape in the sacrament which at large is disprooued in my treatise de missa against Bellar. Finally going about to take me in contradiction like a falsarie hee doth alter my wordes and peruert my meaning For I say onely Reply pag. 21. that Luthers and Caluins priuat opinions concerning either princes soueraigne authoritie or the real presence concerne not fundamentall points of faith And my reason is first for that our faith is not built on priuat mens opinions as the faith of the papists that are bound to beléeue all the determinations of euery Pope that doe concerne the faith And secondly for that Luthers opinion is not hereticall in it selfe and as it may be expounded but by inference of such conclusions as follow of it His thirde supposed contradiction is forced out of my wordes where I say that the Fathers make against Bellarmine and yet séeme to make Gelasius and Gregorie Papists that liued aboue a thousand yeares agone But herein is neither contradiction nor repugnance For first it will not be proued that either Gregorie or Gelasius maketh for Bellarmine in their authenticall writings Secondly these two are not for antiquity or learning to be compared to Hierome or Augustine or the Fathers that liued in their time and before Finally albeit the dialogues that go vnder the name of Gregorie or the decrée of Gelasius C. sancta dist 15. did sauour of the pumpe of Poperie and fopperie yet that maketh nothing for the papists For it shall neuer be proued that Gregorie did write so foppish fables and lies as are contained in his dialogues nor that Gelasius did indéede set downe all that decree that is reported C. sancta dist 15. especially that of lying and fabulous legends Neither if in any one point or ceremony Gregorie or Gelasius doth differ from vs is he therefore to be reputed to speake wholy for the papists But saith Owlyglasse we may as truely inferre that seeing the protestants doe with great applause admit the actes of their holy Martyres written by M. Foxe they receiue fabulous martyrologies and lying legends as it is inferred that Papists receiue fabulous martyrologies and lying legends but the case is so vnlike as Owlyglasse though a ridiculous fellow is vnlike to Gelasius for neither doe we reade our martyrologies in churches as the papists doe their legends nor doe we beléeue them as grounds of faith as the papists doe their legendicall traditions nor doth M. Foxe report any such abominable and ridiculous fables as are contained in the Romish legends But all this notwithstanding if Owlyglasse will impudently still compare our martyrologies with the lying legends let him shew if he can where M. Foxe telleth tales of men walking without heads talking without tongues passing the sea without shippes going inuisible restoring of birdes to life of a cowe bellowing being boyling in a cauldron of remoouing mountaines and such like as are in the legends very common and must be beléeued as ecclesiastical traditions His fourth obseruation is that it were a point of some cunning to guesse by my writings of what religion I am But it is a point of small cunning to guesse that Owlyglasse is a man of no religion making no conscience to snatch at any thing that may serue his turne though neuer so false to lie to falsifie to rayle at all that are not of his damned humor If any religion he haue it is some reliques of poperie which he notwithstanding is neither well able to vnderstand nor any way to defend A religion if we may call faction a religion most fond foppish absurd vaine superstitious false and impious as partly in this treatise is declared and shall God willing more at large be declared other-where As for my selfe I doe him to wit that I am a Christian and a true Catholike beleeuing the Apostolike faith and professing the same as it is set downe in the Apostles créede in the confessions of faith published in the foure first generall councels and in the créede of Athanasius I doe also beléeue whatsoeuer is expressed in holy canonicall scriptures or may be deduced out of them and I doe detest all popish superstition blasphemy hereticall abhominations and all other heresies and this Owlyglasse might well haue vnderstood by all the course of my writings if he had read them or would or could vnderstand them But saith Owlyglasse Page 110. on the one side reason there is to thinke him a conformable protestant c. Afterward he talketh his pleasure of new Geneua Iigs and of harmony puritanicall Which course of rayling if he doe continue there is good hope that to accorde with this Iigge he may ere it be long sing a base de profundis at Tiburne To the matter I answere that in England albeit
and last resolution for matters of faith argument 15 The Church of Christ neuer burned the scriptures no albeit there were errors in the Gréeke translation of Theodosion and Symachus and the seuentie interpreters and in all the Latin translations the vulgar and olde edition not excepted z yet did the true church neuer burne the scriptures for that was practised by Dioclesian and other persecuters of the church and by heathen men rather than by any that carried the name of Christians but the church of Rome hath caused Gods holy word to be burnt vnder pretence of false translations which notwithstanding she was neuer able to prooue to be false she doth therefore plainly declare her selfe to be the synagogue of Satan and not of Christ argument 16 The true Church did neuer prohibit the scriptures to be publikely read in such tongues as the people of God were able to vnderstand nor did she euer condemne them and burne them for hereticks that read them in vulgar tongues for our sauior commanded his apostles to teach all nations and no question but it was lawfull to teach them as well by writing as by word In Psal 86. S. Hierome saith that scriptures do not only belong to priests but also to the people Non scripserunt saith he speaking of the holy apostles paucis sed vniuerso populo and our sauiour where he commanded his auditours to search the scriptures meant that it should be lawfull for all to read them finally what is more vnreasonable séeing the scriptures conteine Gods holy lawes and his eternall testament than that the lawes of God should not be red in a knowen tongue and that it should not be lawfull for children to vnderstand their heauenly fathers testament and last will but the Romish congregation prohibiteth the scriptures to be publikely read in vulgar tongues and i Index libr. prohib à Pio 9. prohibiteth all translations but such as themselues set forth which are most wicked peruerse The bloody inquisitors haue also burned diuers poore people for reading scriptures in English as appeareth by the Registers of Lincolne and London in king Henry the eighth his daies Finally Nauarrus a braue Romish doctor teacheth that it is mortall sinne for a lay man to dispute of religion Laicus disputans de fide saith k In primum praecept c. 11. Nauarrus peccat mortaliter argument 17 Our sauior Christ l Iohn 4. teacheth vs that all true worshippers do worship God in spirit and trueth Venit hora nunc est saith our sauior quando veri adoratores adorabant patrem in spiritu veritate And God by his prophet m Isay 29. Matth. 15. Isay doth condemne his people that honored him with their lips their hearts being farre from him The apostle also Coloss 2. would not haue Christians condemned in respect of meat drinke and holy daies and reprooueth those that make decrées concerning touching and tasting and such like ceremonies he doth also vtterly n 1. Cor. 14. condemne praiers in a strange language and not vnderstood of those that vse them but the worship of God which the papists vse and most commend doth wholly consist in externall ceremonies as knocking lifting vp of the Sacrament censing lights and such like they also rather honor God with their lips then their hearts not vnderstanding what they say thinking that to gaze on the masse is to serue God finally they haue many decrées concerning meats drinks saints daies and also concerning touching and tasting and such like is it not then apparent that they are no true worshippers argument 18 The Church of o Exod. 20. Christ doth worship but one God according to this commandement Thou shalt haue no other gods but me and according to the words of p Matth. 4. Christ Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serue but the papists worship the images of God as God himselfe and giue as much honor to the image as to the originall Cum Christus saith q P. 3. q. 25. art 3. Thomas Aquinas adoretur adoratione latriae consequens est quod eius imago sit adoratione latriae adoranda Séeing as Christ is honored with diuine worship saith he it followeth that his image is also to be worshipped with diuine worship and friers in their sermons speaking to the crucifix are wont to say to it Thou hast redeemed vs thou hast reconciled vs to thy father which r Bellar. de cult imag lib. 2. c. 23. Bellarmine himselfe can not deny he confesseth also that images may be worshipped with that honor that is due to the originall Admitti potest imagines posse col◠improprie vel per accidens eodem genere cultus quo exemplum ipsum colitur they also worship the Sacrament with diuine worship and fall downe before it but neither are images gods nor is the Sacrament God Finally they confesse that the worship of seruice or doulia is due to saints and this they wil not deny how then can they shew that they worship and serue one true God argument 19 The catholike church only saith ſ Instit 4. c. vlt. Lactantius doth reteine the true worship of God neither can any society be termed Gods church which reteineth not Gods true worship but the papists doe not reteine Gods true worship for first they worship God according to the doctrines and commandements of men which our Sauiour t Matth. 15. Christ condemneth secondly they giue diuine honor to creatures as we shewed in our last argument thirdly their worship consisteth principally in the sacrifice of the masse which is nothing els but a masse of many superstitions impieties and blasphemies as I haue shewed particularly and largely in my treatise of the masse against Bellarmine argument 20 The true church of Christ beléeueth that Iesus Christ is perfect God and perfect man and that Christ Iesus is ascended vp into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of his father for these two points are articles of our faith the first being in termes conteined in the créed of Athanasius the second being expressed in the apostles créed but the papists attributing to Christ in the sacrament such a body as is neither visible nor palpable and can neither sée nor féele nor helpe himselfe nor others being oftentimes deuoured by mise and other brute beasts cannot shew how these qualities can be in a perfect man neither can they shew that a perfect man is both in heauen and in earth and in many places at once or that the flesh of Christ can be properly in heauen and earth and not onely beléeued but also apprehended with mens hands and téeth u Cōtr. Eutyth lib. 4. c. 4. Vigilius saith that the flesh that is in heauen is not in earth Fulgentius writing to Thrasimundus saith that the bodie of Christ hath the properties of a true body x De resur carn Tertullian teacheth vs that the body of Christ
is in the pallace of heauen neither may we suspect that he supposed that Christs body might at the same time be in earth Saint y Lib. 10. in c. 24. Luc. Ambrose saith that we touch not Christ with corporall handling but by faith and that we are not to seeke him on the earth nor after the flesh if we will finde him finally the scriptures and fathers do teach vs that Christ is so ascended into heauen that we doe not enioy him héere on the earth according to his bodily presence as I haue declared at large in my treatise against Bellarmine concerning the reall supposed presence of his body in the sacrament argument 21 The true church beléeueth that we are iustified by faith in Christ Iesus and not by the works of the law arbitramur iustificari hominem saith the z Rom. 3. apostle per fidem sine operibus legis Rom. 4. si qui ex lege haeredes sunt exinanita est fides this is the faith likewise of the fathers a Dial. 1. contr Pelag. tunc ergo iusti sumus saith Hierome quando nos peccatores fatemur iustitia nostra non ex proprio merito sed ex dei consistit misericordia and that we are not iustified by charitie or by our works it may be prooued by the testimony of saint b Epist 29. ad Hieronymum Augustine plenissima charitas saith he quae iam non possit augeri quamdiu hîc homo viuit est in nemine quamdiu autem augeri potest profectò illud quod minus est quà m debet ex vitio est ex quo vitio non est qui faciat bonum non peccet neither may we suppose where the fathers doe speake of iustice of workes that they meane any other iustice but such as declareth vs iustified and which without remission of sinnes cannot stand before God but the papists both beléeue and teach contrary as appéereth by the c Sess 6. actes of the Trent councell and friuolous disputes of d Lib. 4. de iustific c. 10. seq Bellarmine who endeuoureth to shew that man is able to fulfill the law and that our works doe iustifie vs. whereupon it followeth that contrary to the apostles intention we are iustified by the law if he say truely argument 22 The true church also beleeueth that we are not to boast or glory of our works and that the reward of sinne is death and that eternall life 's the gift of God Si Abraham ex operibus iustificatus est saith the apostle Rom. 3. habet gloriam sed non apud deum and Rom. 6. stipendium peccati mors gratia autem dei vita aeterna in Christo Iesu domino nostro likewise the scriptures shew that when we haue done all we can we are to acknowledge our selues to be vnprofitable seruants and that our sufferings are not woorthy of the glory that is to be reuealed and this the church of Christ also beléeueth and hath from time to time beléeued tua peccata sunt saith Augustine in Psal 70. merita dei sunt supplicium tibi debetur cum praemium venerit sua dona coronabit non merita tua and Hilary in Psal 51. non illa ipsa iustitiae opera sufficenrent ad perfectae beatitudinis meritum nisi misericordia dei etiam in hac iustitiae voluntate humanarum demutationum motuum non reputet vitia but the papists hold that we may trust in our works as appeareth by Bellarmines dispute lib. 5. de iustific c. 7. and say that all sinnes doe not deserue death and that eternall life is due for our works argument 23 The true church doth acknowledge no head of the vniuersall church but Christ alone which is also the Sauiour of his body Christ saith the e Ephes 2. apostle is the head of the church he is sauior of his body neither is the title of head of the vniuersall church due to Peter Peter the apostle saith f Lib. 4. epist 38 ad Joan. Constantinop Gregory is the first member of the holy catholike church and Paul Andrew and Iohn what are they but heads of diuers parishes and yet all are members of the church vnder one head Saint g De agon Christ in Psal 9. Augustine saith that Christ Iesus that is the mediator betwixt God and man is head of the church but this title of mediatour onely belongeth to our sauiour Yet the Romish church doth acknowledge the pope to be her head and h In gloss in c. vnam de maior obed Bertrand blasphemously saith that Christ had not beene discreet if he had not left a vicar generall behind him and this doth i Praefat. in lib. de pontif Rom. lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 31. Bellarmine very well allow and prooue it to be due to the pope is that congregation then the true church that hath either two heads or a head beside Christ Iesus argument 24 The true church is not built vpon the pope for the church was before there was either pope of Rome or chiefe priest among the Iewes but the church of Rome doth acknowledge the pope to be her rocke and her foundation as appeareth by Bellarmines preface before his treatise de pontifice Rom. and doth take the pope to be her foundation k Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 31. Bellarmine among other the popes titles doth reckon this for one that he is fundamentum aedificii ecclesiae that is the foundation of the building of the church argument 25 The true church is Christs faithfull spouse Oseae 2. God speaking to his church saith sponsabo te mihi in fide the church also being Christes spouse harkeneth to him alone and of him is most dearely beloued en dilectus meus saith the l Cantic 2. church loquitur mihi surge propera amica mea columba mea formosa mea veni Cyprian saith that the church cannot be drawne to like of an adulterer adulterari non potest saith m De vnit ecclesiae he Christi sponsa incorrupta est pudica but the n Turrecrem lib. 2. c. 28. Aquin. in 4. sent dist 38. church of Rome doth acknowledge the pope of Rome to be her spouse and o Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 31. Bellarmine doth mainteine that the pope is iustly entituled the spouse of the church and that this is not without the allowance of the pope it may appeare by the popes owne p C. intercorporalia de translat episc c. quoniam de immunit ecclesiae wordes where he challengeth this title of spouse to be due vnto him and yet I hope he will not say of the church sponsabo te mihi in fide nor propera amica mea columba mea nor doth the true church say of the pope en dilectus meus what then resteth but that the church of Rome should be the whoore of Babylon Apocalyp
of one onely massacre committed anno 1572. variis in locis per illud tempus trucidata fuisse dicta sunt in Gallia and so extraordinary was the fury of the papistes that they spared neither age sex nor quality vel puberes vel impuberes saith he trucidati sunt neque vllius sexus vel aetatis vel dignitatis habita est ratio neither may we thinke that they haue shewed lesse cruelty against christians in Spaine Italy or Germany as for the realme of England it hath sufficient experience of the aduersaries extreme rage and cruelty by the short and bloody raigne of Queene Mary And can any christian man notwithstanding endure to nourish vp yong wolues and tygers within our bosomes The r Apocal. 17. Romish harlot is drunke with the blood of the saintes and hath her garments made red with the slaughter of innocentes that therefore which Optatus lib. 2. contr Parmen saith of the Donatistes may with good reason be applied to papistes Iacerati sunt viri tractatae sunt matronae in fantes necati abacti partus ecce vestra ecclesia episcopis ducibus cruentis morsibus pasta est for by the Romanistes many innocent christians haue bene tormented and murdered women haue bene abused infantes haue bene cut in péeces women haue bene forced to loose their children and they haue fedde themselues with cruelty and the popes of Rome and their agentes haue bene ringleaders in these cruell executions they are therefore professed enimies rather then members of Christes church argument 53 The catholicke church neuer shewed more fauour to Iewes and infidels then to Christians that misliked the pompe tyranny and corrupt doctrine maners of the popes or bishops of Rome for with her children the church dealeth like a kinde mother most mildely she correcteth them if they offend genly and instructteth them carefully contrariwise she auoideth those that will not heare her admonitions and conuerseth not with them Christian emperors Å¿ Hac valitura C. de Iudaeis Caellâ—olis excluded the Iewes from all gouernment and authority in the common wealth t ibidem they did also restraine their insolencies with diuers sharpe lawes the like u Cod. de paganis sacrif templ course also they tooke with pagans and infidels shutting vp their impious temples and forbidding their sacrifices and idolatries but the Romish sinagogue doth procéede by a contrary course for she massacreth and murthreth christians resembling that vnnatural whore that before Salomon would haue the childe in controuersy cutte in peeces but the Iewes and wicked atheistes she nourisheth so they meddle not with the popes scuruinesse the popes by their inquisitors and executioners torment christians and receiue tribute of Iewes that dwell quietly in Rome x Onuphr in Alexandr 6. Alexander the sixt receiued Turks and Maranes into Rome when the Spaniardes could not endure them in Spaine and all popes shew more fauour to Turks than to such Christians as come within the reach of the Spanish or popish inquisition argument 54 The true church neuer sought either by forgery and falsification of mens writings or by lying and slandering to aduance the cause of religion for trueth is sufficient and strong enough of it selfe and néedeth not to be supported with falshood and lies Among ancient Christians false witnesses and slanderers were so fare from being estéemed in the church that they were quite excluded out of the church as appeareth by the acts of the councell of Agatha c. 27. and councell of Eliberis in Spaine c. 73. 74. but the church of Rome perceiuing that she cannot preuaile by plaine trueth and honest dealing goeth now about by suppressing of trueth and forging of counterfeit canons and false writings and by all maner of vntrueths and slanders to abuse the ignorant and simple multitude the scriptures as much as she can she suppresseth in vnknowen languages and corrupteth by making the olde Latin translation authenticall she deuiseth and spreadeth abroad false traditions and setteth out falshood vnder the names of false canons and constitutions vnder the name of the apostles false canons of councels counterfeit treatises set out vnder the name of Origen Athanasius Ambrose Nazianzene Hierome Chrysostome Augustine Epiphanius and other fathers forged decretale epistles vnder the names of Clement Anacletus Euaristus and other ancient bishops of Rome that were neuer acquainted either with such matters or such a stile Of late time most audaciously the Popes agents haue taken vnto them power to put out and to put in and to change what they list in mens writings of which forgery their expurgatorie indexes do plainly conuince them Bellarmine he with all his witte wresteth scriptures and fathers to serue his cause Caesar Baronius out of Simeon Metaphrastes Iacobus de Voragine Surius and such like fabulous legends hath sent vs from Rome whole cartlodes of lies To help him Alanus Copus or rather Harpsfield Alfonsus Ciacone and diuers popish companions haue set out diuers notorious and ridiculous fables finally to disgrace the trueth by slanderous accusations of such as haue shewed themselues forward in defence of it the popish faction hath hired Sanders Robert Parsons Creswel Cope or rather Harpesfield Genebrard Surius Cochleus Stapleton Allen Ribaldineira Bolsecus Laingius and other such like sycophants to raile aswell against princes as inferiour ministers can this company then be the true church that delighteth in lying slandering railing cogging and plaine forging argument 55 That cannot be the true church that offereth sacrifice to other then the true God that made heauen and earth qui sacrificat dijs eradicabitur praeterquam domino soli saith y Exod. 22. God to Moyses S. z De ciuit Dei lib. 10. c. 4. Augustine saith that God only is to be serued with sacrifices of praises and thankesgiuing and to haue the worship of Latria done to him Iohn Apocalyp 22. fell downe vt adoraret ante pedes angeli that is that he might worship before the feet of the angel but the angel forbad him and said vide ne feceris see thou do it not and afterward Deum adora The papists also confesse that the worship of sacrifices is due to God alone Sacrificium saith a Lib. 1. de missa c. 2. Bellar. est externa oblatio facta soli Deo he addeth superfluously the word externa for if we may not offer externall sacrifices to creatures much lesse may we offer our internal deuotions and sacrifices vnto them But the Romish church doth offer the sacrifices of incense of praiers and thanksgiuing not only to God but also to angels to the virgin Mary and to other saints In their Letanies they call vpon the virgin Mary vpon the angels vpon saints they confesse their sinnes to them and yéeld them thanks for benefits receiued neither do they offer incense only to saints but to their images either planted on the altar or néere vnto it finally they confesse that they say masses in the honour
call Rome vnder the popes false and wicked Babylon Gia Roma saith he hor ' Babylonia fals'eria his opinion is likewise confirmed by the bishop of Salzburg Auentin lib. 7. Michael Cesenas Petrus Blesensis and others and so guilty are the Romanists in their owne conscience that either they can not endure the interpretation of the Reuelation of S. Iohn or els they giue out such vaine constructions of it as neither satisfie themselues nor others argument 63 The true church of Christ did neuer worship S. Peter nor the ancient bishops of Rome nor did S. Peter suffer himselfe to be worshipped or carried on mens shoulders or to haue his pantofle kissed but the Romish church doth worship the pope and call him a god on the earth and Christes vicar and the foundation and spouse and head of the church the bishop of Modrusa in the councell of Lateran cried out to Leo the tenth te beatissime Leo saluatorem expectauimus others beare him on their shoulders others crie out to the pope to haue mercy on them others leade his palfrey others kisse his féet argument 64 The true church did alwaies reuerently thinke of the holy mysteries of Christian religion and accordingly did she vse them it is a common saying that holy things are respectiuely and reuerently to be vsed But the Romish church neither thinketh nor beléeueth reuerently nor vseth the mysteries of Christian religion so respectiuely as the holinesse and grauity of such things require one pope cast the eucharist into the fire Hildebrandus saith x In vita Gragor 7. Beno sacramentum corporis Domini responsa diuina contra imperatorem quaerens iniecit igni Pius Quintus cast one Agnus Dei into the water of Tybre y In vita de Pio 5. and another into the fire Cresciuto il Teuere saith Hierome Catena Pio vi gittò vn ' agnus Dei il fuoco appreso in vna casa piena di fieno vi si gitto vn altero All papists for the most part affirme that if a dogge or hogge or mouse eat a consecrate host he eateth the body of Christ really and properly the conspirators that were suborned by Sixtus Quartus to kill Laurence and Iulian de Medici were commanded to do it in the church and at the instant of the eleuation of the sacrament Dato signo saith z Lib. Geograph 5. Volateran cum eucharistia tolleretur When the pope rideth abroad he sendeth his corpus Domini before with the baggage and with the basest seruants of his house as Mouluc in a treatise directed to the Quéene mother of France declareth finally albeit the papists teach that the crosse is to be worshipped with latria or diuine worship yet doe the popes make crosses on their slippers to shew what base reckoning they make of their religion argument 65 The church of Christ is a society of beléeuing and faithfull people and a communion of saints this is an article of our faith that is proued by the definition and nature of the church but the Romish church requireth in her followers no more to make them her true members but that they professe the Romish faith outwardly and communicate with the church in sacraments and be subiect to the pope vt aliquis aliquo modo dici possit pars verae ecclesiae de qua scripturae loquuntur non putamus requiri vllam internam virtutem saith a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine so by his account the church may consist of hereticks and most wicked persons so they make an externall profession of Christianitie and holde with the pope but such can not be parts or members of Christes church without true faith and charity argument 66 b Matth. 18. Whosoeuer heareth not the church is to be accounted as a heathen man or publican but he that heareth not the church of Rome that excommunicateth Christian princes and stirreth vp subiects to rebellion and debaseth holy scriptures and setteth vp vncerteine and false traditions and mainteineth false doctrine idolatry and heresie is neither to be accounted a publican nor a heathen man but a true Christian and follower of Christ Iesus the papists will denie perhaps the church of Rome to be guilty of this crime but the wicked excommunications of Paul the third denounced against Henry the 8. K. of England of Pius 5. Sixtus Quintus against her Maiesty and of other popes against other princes and the stirres that haue ensued of them doe prooue them to be authors of rebellion the rest we haue already touched and shall more at large proue hereafter argument 67 c Lib. de notis ecclesiae Bellarmine confesseth and all papists agree with him first that the true church of Christ is the catholicke church and maintaineth catholicke doctrine 2. that the same is most ancient sine dubio saith he vera ecclesia antiquior est qùam falsa 3. that the same shall alwaies continue ecclesia dicitur catholica non solum quia semper fuit sed etiam quia semper erit saith Bellarmine 4. that it shall be enlarged to the endes of the earth ecclesia catholica saith he non solum debet amplecti omnia tempora sed etiam omnia loca omnes nationes omnia hominum genera 5. that it hath a succession of bishops certaine and continuall 6. that it consenteth with the apostolicke church in the doctrine of faith sexta nota saith Bellar. est conspiratio in doctrina cum ecclesia antiqua 7. that it be vnited to Christ Iesus and haue the partes vnited among themselues septima nota saith he est vnio mēbrorum inter se cum capite 8. they confesse also that the doctrine of the church is holy 9. that it is effectuall 10. that the authors of the docttrine of the church are holy ecclesia enim saith Bellar. habet doctores sanctos 11. that the same is adorned with miracles prophecie 12. that the aduersaries of the church confesse the doctrine thereof to be true and finally that such as haue fauored the church haue prosperous successe and such as disfauour it euill successe and vnhappie endes but the Romish church is neither called catholicke of all nor is it catholicke in respect of place or doctrine nor is the same ancient the doctrine of popery being not established but since the councell of Lateran vnder Innocent the third the first father of transubstantiation enacted for the most part by the conuenticles of Constance Florence Trent nor hath the Romish church any assurance that it shall alwaies continue seing the same dependeth on the Pope and his determinations in neither of which is there any certainty for the pope may be taken away as saith d De auserribilit papae Gerson and his decrées doe oftentimes alter e Epist 2. ad Bohemos Nicholas of Cusia saith that the scriptures are to be fitted to the time and that they are diuersly to be vnderstood and that God doth
laieth 7. principles or grounds of Christian doctrine ſ Lib. 1. doct◠princip c. 1. whereof the first concerneth the church of Rome the second concerneth the pope the third the meanes that the pope vseth in iudgement the fourth the popes infallible iudgement the fift his power in taxing the canon the sixt his certaine interpretation of scriptures the seuenth his power in deliuering doctrine not written Which principles are not onely new but the most rascall deuises that euer procéeded out of the mouth of a diuine or man of learning for among all these principles neither the scriptures nor ancient rules of faith are numbred nay in plaine termes he doubteth not to affirme that Christian religion is built vpon the popes authority in hac docentis hominis authoritate saith t In praefat ante relect princip doctrinal he in qua deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentū necessario poni credimus but if this be the foundation of popish religion then before Stapletons time that religion had no foundation for no man euer heard of either such principles or such a foundation so laid argument 8 We finde that the religion of papists concerning the masse and transubstantiation and diuers other points of faith is founded vpon the decretales of popes but these decretales were not collected into forme nor established for law before Gregory the 9. Boniface the 8. Clement the 5. and Iohn the 22. by whose authority as appeareth by the seuerall prefaces of Gregory the 9. Boniface the 8. and Iohn bishop of Rome that published the Clementines secondly it appeareth for that in all these bookes there is but very few constitutions of ancient bishops of Rome thirdly for that by the lawes of the Code and canons of councels it appeareth that the church for aboue a thousand yeares was gouerned by the lawes of Emperors and generall councels fourthly for that Aeneas Syluius confesseth that before the councell of Nice the church of Rome was not respected and finally for that he that maketh the collection of the Popes lawes and Bulles that were authenticall u In Bullari◠beginneth with Gregory the 7. that was a thousand yeares after Christ which he would not haue done if he could haue found any lawes more ancient than his Indéed I confesse that now and then our aduersaries produce the decretales of Clement Anacletus Euaristus and others but the matters conteined in those epistles and the stile doth so much differ from those times that euery modest and learned papist is ashamed to say these epistles were those whose names they cary argument 9 The power and authoritie likewise of popes in receiuing appeales granting rescripts aswell of fauor or iustice dispensing in cases reserued electing and translating of prelates and all other matters dependeth vpon the decretals of late popes and this appeareth not only by the decretals of Gregory the 9. Boniface the 8. Clement the 5. and Iohn the 22. but also by the rapsody of decrées which Surius collecteth in his first tome of councels for albeit he alledgeth the names of Anacletus Zepherinus Calixtus Fabianus and others yet they speake onely great words and vse generall termes for the particulars of the popes authoritie he can not alledge them albeit such counterfeit and rifferaffe stuffe would aduantage him nothing if they were truly alledged argument 10 The foundation of the ancient church is strong being built vpon the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles our Sauiour Christ being the chiefe corner stone but the church of Romes foundation being laied on the pope and his decretales is weake and not durable Videtur nostra ecclesia saith x Lib. 5. de prouident Dei Saluianus ex vna scriptura foelicius-instituta aliae habent illam aut debilem aut conuulneratam habent veterem magistrorum traditionem corruptam per hoc traditionem potius quà m scripturam habent the foundation therefore of papisticall religion is both new and weake being grounded vpon men both subiect to errors and other grosse sinnes argument 11 Scriptures in the apostles times and long after were neuer forbidden to be translated into tongues that could not be vnderstood of the vulgar sort but now the papists suffer them not to be so translated y Index libr. prohib reg 4. that euery man may vse them Cum experimento manifestum sit z Ibidem say they si sacra biblia vulgari lingua passim sine discrimine permittantur plus inde ob hominum temeritatem detrimenti quam vtilitatis oriri they punish also both the bookesellers and the readers that haue vulgar bibles without licence albeit translated by themselues argument 12 In ancient time the gouernors of the church exhorted Christians to reade the scriptures our Sauior a Ioan. 5. Christ speaking to the people exhorted them to search the scriptures and the Beraeans were b Act. 17. commended for searching the scriptures S. Paul writing to the Colossians c Coloss 3. wished that the word of God might dwell in them plentifully in all wisdome the fathers also teach that the reading of Scriptures belonged also to lay men S. Hierome writing vpon the third chapter to the Colossians Hic ostenditur saith he verbum Christi non sufficienter sed abundanter etiam laicos habere debere docere se inuicem monere and Chrysostome homil 9. in epist ad Coloss Attend saith he as many of you as are secular persons and gouerne wife and children how the apostle doth command you also to reade the scriptures aboue all and that not lightly and carelesly but with great diligence d In Isai homil 2. Origen finally wisheth that all Christians performed that which is written of searching the scriptures but the papists haue a contrary spirit speaking of the vulgar bibles translated by their owne side they say thus Qui absque tali facultate ea legere e Index libr. prohib reg 4. seu habere praesumpserit they punish also the booksellers f Ibidem that haue such books without licence argument 13 In the times of the ancient fathers we do not reade that any holy bishop condemned bibles translated into vulgar tongues or burnt them albeit some errors were conteined in the translations neither did they repute lay men to be heretikes and burne them because they read the scriptures in their mother tongue but now the papists burne the holy scriptures vpon pretence of errors which notwithstanding they are not able to proue to be errors they haue also burned Christians for reading scriptures as appeareth by the register of Bishop Longland in king Henry the 8. his daies g Index libr. prohib reg 4. and now they punish both such as reade bibles and such as sell them argument 14 The ancient fathers of the church beléeued the church to be catholike but our papists now beléeue no church but the Romane church and without the Romane church they will not
spred thorowout the world and conteineth not only those that now liue but those also that are past and are yet to come The catholike faith is the faith of Christ Iesus which the apostles first taught and which all true Christians both haue holden and do holde and shall holde to the worlds end In this catholike church saith b De haeres c. 3. Vincentius Lirinensis we are to hold that which alwaies hath beene beleeued of all Christians for that is truely and properly catholike he c De haeres c. 34. teacheth vs also that the property of catholiks is to keepe the doctrine committed to them and left with them by the ancient fathers and to auoid profane nouelties finally he determineth that those onely are truely and rightly called catholikes which onely beleeue and holde that which the catholike church in olde time did vniuersally holde Saint d De vera relig c. 5. Augustine doth take catholikes to be nothing els but Christians and true beleeuers which mainteine the sincere faith and follow that which is right Apud eos solos saith he quaerenda est religio qui Christiani catholici vel orthodoxi nominantur he doth also oppose catholikes against heretikes e Epist 81. ad monach palaest epist 95. Leo saith also that there is one true only perfect and inuiolable faith whereto nothing can be added and from which nothing can be taken If then the papists be hereticks and no true beléeuers then are they no catholikes if they holde a faith grounded vpon priuate opinions of men and not alwaies nor vniuersally holden then doe they not holde the catholike faith but that they holde diuers heresies and false opinions shall be shewed in the chapter following that they hold many new points altogether vnknowen in ancient time and when the Gospel began first to be preached we haue alreadie proued and demonstrated in the last discourse f That papists hold points of doctrine not catholike It resteth then now that I héere declare that the papists mainteine diuers points of doctrine neuer generally holden of all Christians nor vniuersally taught in the church of Christ and that may appeare first by the doctrine of the church of Rome concerning the foundations of Christian religion next by the doctrine of that church that cōcerneth both the law and the Gospell thirdly by the faith of the Romish church concerning the sacraments fourthly by their faith concerning praier and the whole seruice of God fiftly by their doctrine concerning repentance ordination of ministers marriage almes and fasting and finally by their doctrine concerning the church and the gouernment of it argument 1 Concerning the foundations of religion they teach first that scriptures are an g Bellar. lib. 4. de ver◠Dei c. 12. vnperfect rule of faith as hath béene declared in the chapter going before and h Bish of Eureux some of them haue not feared to write books of the insufficiency of scriptures but the i 2. Tim. 3. apostle saith they are able to make the man of God perfect and wise to saluation and true catholikes alwaies held the canonicall scriptures to be a perfect rule both for faith and maners Saint k Lib. 2. de doct Chr. c. 9. Augustine saith that all things necessarily belonging to faith or maners are conteined in plaine places of scriptures argument 2 The papists will not allow the scriptures to conteine all that word of God which we are now to follow for albeit they do not in expresse termes say so much yet it is necessarily inferred of their doctrine where they l Bellar. de verb. Dei teach that we haue one word of God written and another vnwritten and m Sess 4. concil Trid. determine that we are with equall affection to embrace vnwritten traditions and the holy scriptures but the catholike church neuer taught that after the writings of the prophets and apostles once perfected and published we had a word of God vnwritten which is to be placed in equall ranke with the holy scriptures n Aduers gent. Athanasius saith that the holy and diuine scriptures are sufficient to instruct vs in all trueth S. o In Mich. 1. Hierome calleth the scriptures the limits or bounds of the catholike church Non est egressa de finibus suis saith he id est de scripturis sanctis What saith p Regul 80. Basil is the propertie of a faithfull man forsooth to beleeue with certine fulnesse of minde whatsoeuer is conteined in scriptures and neither to reiect any part thereof nor to adde any new thing vnto them Saint q Lib. de paradis c. 13. Ambrose saith we may no more adde to Gods commandements than take from them and S. r In Ioan. tractat Augustine electa sunt quae scriberentur quae saluti credentium sufficere videbantur that is those things are chosen out and thought fit to be written which séemed to be sufficient for the saluation of the faithful and albeit the fathers mention traditions which were sometime vnwritten yet if they were necessary they signifie that now they are written Si aut in euangelio praecipitur saith * In epist ad Pompeium Cyprian aut in apostolorum epistolis aut actibus continetur obseruetur diuina haec sancta traditio he signifieth that no tradition is to be admitted vnlesse it be conteined in scriptures argument 3 The papists also teach that the pope and his Sée is the foundation of the church est Petri sedes saith ſ In praefat ante lib. de pontif Rom. Bellarmine lapis probatus angularis preciosus in fundamento fundatus these words also he applieth to the pope whom he calleth Christes vicar in another t Lib. 2. depont Rom. c. 31. place he calleth the Pope the foundation of the church and Sanders in his Rocke of the church disputeth that the pope is that rocke is not then the Romish church a weake building that in euery vacation is without foundation and relieth wholly vpon one man true Catholikes certes neuer applied the words of Isay ch 8 28. to the pope nor thought him to be an approoued stone or corner stone or a precious stone laid in the foundation of the church the u 1. Cor. 3. apostle teacheth vs that no man can lay any other foundation then that which is laid that is Christ Iesus and in another place he x Ephes 2. saith that the church and citizens of saints are built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ being the chiefe corner stone with him also consenteth all the company of true catholikes argument 4 Stapleton in plaine tearmes denieth the scriptures to be the foundation of his religion aliud hodie saith he y In praefat ante relect princip doctrin Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus and afterward ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud the same z In analysi ante
paines as if at the last iudgement all that stand on the left hand as it is written in the 25. chap. of saint Matth. shall not by the sentence of the iudge be adiudged to euerlasting fire or as if that sinne that brought condemnation vpon all should not be punished with sensible paines or as if there might be a place in hell without sensible paines or finally as if there were a middle state betwixt heauen and hell fire Saint f Lib. 1. de orig animae c. 9. Augustine certes saith there is no middle place betweene the kingdome of heauen and the place of the damned g Lib. de fide c. 3. Fulgentius likewise doeth plainely affirme that children dying without baptisme shall susteine endlesse punishments and h Lib. 8. moral c. 16. Gregory the first holdeth that such shall endure the perpetuall torments of hell argument 32 Martin ab Aspilcueta in his Enchiridion writing vpon the first precept of the law chap. 11. saith that it is mortall sinne for a lay man to dispute of matters of faith but catholikes doe not acknowledge any such matter to be mortall sinne argument 33 The papists teach that men haue grace conferred on them by their owne acts ex opere operato and that they are iustified ex opere operato by the sacraments of the new law whereupon it followeth that by the signe of the crosse in confirmation by orders matrimony and extreme vnction men receiue charitie for that is the grace they speake of and are iustified exopere operato for this doeth Bellarmine dispute lib. 2. de effectu sacrament cap. 3. and 14. and other chapters following which doctrine if they doe prooue then ex opere operato let him take the grace of the popedome if he doe not prooue he must néedes confesse that the doctrine of papists is not catholike argument 34 The Iebusites in the censure of Colein teach that the regenerat after baptisme haue no sinne and it followeth necessarily of their doctrine of iustification by the works of the law for by them a man can not be both vniust and iust at one time but the cathotike faith is otherwise S. Iohn saith that they deceiue themselues that say they haue no sinne and other scriptures signify i Prouerb 20. that no man can say his hart is cleane neither is this to be vnderstood of veniall sinnes which the papists say may be done away without repentance for S. k Lib. 2. aduers Pelagian Hierome saith that the most iust man in some things standeth in need of Gods mercy and it is apparent for that euery man transgressing the law of God which is the case of all men maketh himselfe subiect to the curse of the law and to the wrath of God argument 35 Papists teach that some sinnes are done away with holy water and without repentance and deserue not death but no catholike euer taught or thought so for the apostle teacheth vs that by Christes blood we are purged and that wée are made partakers of remission of sinnes by faith In the sixt to the Rom. he declareth that the wages of sinne is death and Galat. 3. that such as transgresse Gods law are accursed by the sentence of the law argument 36 They l Censur Colon. f. 204. teach also that this is the proper doctrine of the Gospel if thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements but catholikes know that those that so teach confound law and gospel and ouerthrow the doctrine of the apostles for he m Rom. 1. teacheth that the gospel is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth their doctrine doth take from vs all hope of saluation for how can we hope to be saued by the gospel if that promise life to none but such as perfectly fulfil Gods commandements argument 37 They doe also much derogate from the gospell of Christ Iesus where they teach that the rules of Benet of Nursia Francis Dominike Ignatius Loyola and diuers other founders of monkish and frierlike orders doe shew vs the way to perfection and holde not that the gospel of Christ Iesus is sufficient of it selfe to do it true catholikes certes neuer mainteined any such fantasies nor allowed any such order which may also appeare by this that all these orders of monkes and friers haue their approbation and allowance from the popes of Rome argument 38 Of saith they speake thinke and write very basely for they holde first that faith is onely a bare assent and requireth neither firme hope nor holinesse of life to make it truely Christian secondly that not onely wicked men but also the diuels of hell may haue true faith thirdly that faith is not only grounded vpon holy canonicall scriptures but also vpon traditions and determinations of the pope which if they firmly holde and vary not then must they confesse that we are no lesse to giue credit to lousie legends and lying and erronious decretals of popes than to the eternall word of God But true catholikes haue alwaies beléeued otherwise The apostle n Rom. 1. saith that the iust shall liue by faith and the church beléeueth that o Iohn 3. whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall not perish but haue euerlasting life and p Rom. 5. that being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God further the apostle q Rom. 10. teacheth that faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God but there is great difference betwixt the word of God and traditions of men betwixt the infallible trueth of Gods word and the deceiuable doctrine of popes decretals argument 39 They teach that charity is the forme of faith but catholiks haue alwaies taken this doctrine to be erronious for how can one vertue be the forme of another againe séeing matter and forme be parts in natural bodies is it not absurd to apply these words to qualities that rather resemble forme than matter thirdly if iustifying faith were alwaies formed with charitie then could not faith worke of it selfe for it is the forme from whence actions procéed and not matter but the apostle r Rom. 1. saith that the iust liue by faith and Ephes 2. that wee are saued by grace through faith hereupon ſ Lib. 2. epist 3. Cyprian saith that whosoeuer doth beleeue in God and liue by faith he is found to be iust argument 40 They t Bellar. lib. 1. de fid c. 13. attribute our first iustice to faith and other preparations as for example feare hope loue repentance a purpose of new life and such like but the principall forme and beauty of our iustice they place in charitie and works of the law and that they call our second iustice but true catholikes doe otherwise thinke and speake of iustice The u 1. Cor. 1. apostle saith that our Sauiour Christ is made iustification vnto vs and x Rom. 3. Gal. 2. 3. that we are not iustified by the workes of
Carranza and others in the canon of Laodicea before recited for angelos write angulos and so hope to hide their filthinesse in corners But Theodoret doth plainly conuince them both of heresie and falshood also Synodus saith he x In epist ad Coloss c. 3. quae conuenit laodiceae lege prohibuit ne precarentur angelos that this worship of angels is superstitious Chrysostome commenting vpon the epistle to the Colossians declareth and especially in his ninth homily vpon that epistle argument 17 The Seuerians were noted as heretikes for their miracles either vainly forged or by the diuels helpe effected their prophetesse y Augustin de hares c. 24. Philumena through a narrow mouthed glasse would put in a prety bigge lofe and draw it out againe without breaking the glasse the Mirabiliaries were likewise condemned for that by miracles and prophecies they sought to confirme their opinions and what doe the papists doe not they likewise confirme all their superstition false religion and idolatry with counterfect miracles doe they not tell vs tales of z Laurent Vall. contra donat Constanim images speaking of men headlesse walking of dead men reuiuing they will not deny it nay Bellarmine maketh these miracles a marke of his church but if they prooue false their church must néeds prooue a false church by a very good consequent argument 18 The Tatians and other heretikes absteined from mariage as a state of life impure and imperfect The Romish priestes therefore together with monks friers and nunnes haue abiured mariage as not compatible with their pretended monkish perfection a C. proposuisti dist 82. Syricius or at least Gratian or some other falsary vnder his name calleth mariage fleshly pollutions In Capgranes legends the Romish saints no otherwise talke of mariage then as if it were vncleannesse sinne and abomination diuers of our aduersaries haue written that it is lesse sinne for priests to commit fornication than to marry argument 19 The papists also agrée with the Manicheyes in diuers points sauoring of heresie for as the Mancheyes condemned mariage in their priests which for their excellency they called electos so likewise doe the papists in their monks and greater orders of their clergie secondly as the Manicheyes abstained from the cuppe in the Lords supper and receiued one kinde onely as appeareth by the testimony of Leo Serm. 4. de quadrages and of the chap. relatum and c. comperimus dist 2. de consecrat so likewise doe the papists diuiding if Gelasius say true one and the selfe same sacrament most sacrilegiously thirdly both Manicheyes and papists destroy Christes humanity the Manicheyes giuing him no true flesh nor solide body and the papists giuing him a body neither visible nor palpable nor indued with the right dimensions and true properties of a body both of them also say the body of Christ may be in many places at once lastly the Manicheyes in their fasts albeit they abstained from flesh yet vsed diuers other exquisite and dainty meates and this is also the rigorous fast of most papists which the rest will not deny to be a good fast after the popes law and a good feast as Christians say argument 20 Montanus did first b Apollonius apud Euseb lib. 5. c. 17. establish lawes of fasting as is recorded in the history of Eusebius and appeareth also by the practise of the church that had no law concerning that matter in his time the same also may be proued by the testimony of Augustine who denieth that any law concerning fasting was made by Christ or his apostles quibus diebus c Epist 86. ad Casulan saith he non oporteat ieiunare quibus oporteat praecepto domini vel apostolorum non inuenio definitum Montanus also began first to d Epiphan in haeres 48. dispute that the scriptures were not perfect and that they were to he supplied by his new paracletus that as he said was to teach all things necessary his e Augustin de haeres c. 26. followers had the prophecies of Prisca and Maximilla in great reuerence both he and his disciples did beléeue Limbum Patrum to be in hell f Lib. de anima in fiâ—t Tertullian hauing learned of Montanus taught that small sinnes after this life were to be purged and that his paracletus did often recommend that doctrine further by the testimony of vnwritten traditions and his paracletus he g Lib. de coron milit proueth that the suffering daies of martyrs were to be kept holy and that sacrifices should be offered for soules departed the doctrine therefore of the church of Rome concerning set fasts the imperfection of scriptures vnwritten traditions legendary prophecies of Brigit and other Romish saints and concerning Limbus Patrum in hell and remission of sinnes after this life and the oblations for soules departed séemeth rather to procéed from Montanus then from Christ or his apostles finally the Montanistes did not more'vant of their Prisca Maximilla then the papists of their Brigit Hildegardis and Mechtildis nor did Montanus offer for the soules departed otherwise then the papists argument 21 As the Pepuzians did honor their towne Pepuza and call it Hierusalem or the metropolis of their religion so doe the papists honor Rome and both papists and Pepuzians suffer wemen to minister the sacrament or baptisme should not then the papists haue great wrong if they were not made equall in ranke with Pepuzians herein they also surpasse them for we doe not read that any woman among the Pepuzians was made pope of Pepuza but Martin Polonus Marianus Scotus Chronicon Chronicorum Platina and diuers authors of great credit report that a woman was made pope of Rome and her picture is to be séene in the dome of Siena among other popes if it be not latele defaced finally the Iebusites contending to shew the contrary shew nothing but their owne impudency and the hardnesse of their faces argument 22 The Catharistes boast much of their merits purity and perfection Mundiores se ceteris praedicant saith h Lib. 8. orig â— de haeres Isidore they doe also deny absolution in somes cases to the repentant and rebaptize those that are already baptized and is not this also the case of papists they cannot well deny it for they say that all monks and friers are in state of perfection and deny that any iust man doth commit a mortall sinne they deny also to hereticks relapsed as they call them all fauour and absolue none in cases reserued to the pope finally the histories of France and Flanders doe shew that the popish priests haue there rebaptized many and in England albeit they doe not rebaptize yet they change the names and vse a number of greasie ceremonies frequented in the Romish church to supply our baptisme as they say argument 23 The Iacobites and Armenians were condemned for hereticks for that they made the images of God the father and God the holy ghost Imagines
sciret ab homine non posse fieri so likewise the papists say if we had not fréewill that then God would not command vs to doe things but he confuteth both their reasons in the words following quis hoc nesciat saith he sed ideo iubet aliqua quae non possumus vt nouerimus quid ab illo petere debeamus he saith not that we haue frée will to doe good works because God commandeth vs to doe them but rather sheweth that God commandeth vs to doe things which we are not able of our selues to doe that we may learne what to craue and begge at Gods hands we may therefore well conclude that the papists are farre declined towards Pelagianisme and that long before vs did o Lib. 1. de grat aduers Pelag. Thomas Brandwardine perceiue declare and therefore doubteth not to call the popish schoolemen Pelagians totus mundus saith he post pelagium in errorem abiit exurge deus iudica causam tuam this man wrote about 300. yeares agone but now our aduersaries are growne woorse and woorse argument 34 The Donatists as saint p De haeres c. 69. Augustine writeth beléeued that the church was onely conteined in Afrike and consisted in the obedience or part of Donatus quod ecclesia Christi saith hée in Africa Donati parte remanserit they did also rebaptize catholike Christians if this then be heresie the papists may not escape scot frée that beleeue the catholike Romane church onely and take none for Christians but such q Geronymâ— Campos catetechism Brist motiut 12. as take the popes part and liue vnder his obedience they doe also presume sometimes to rebaptize such as haue béene baptized in our churches argument 35 The Circumcellions shought it a matter meritorious to kil those that were contrary to their sect immania facinora perpetrando as S. r De haeres c. 69. Augustine saith nay that holy man himselfe did hardly escape their ambuscadoes laid for him like to them also doe papists teach that it is lawfull and meritorious to kill princes excommunicate by the pope both pope Pius the fift and Sixtus the fift vpon paine of excommunication commanded her Maiesties subiects to take armes against her Sixtus quintus that shamelesse frier did Å¿ La fulminante highly commend Iames Clement the Dominican frier that murdred his liege prince Henrie the third king of France Iohn Ghineard a Iebusite did mainteine this doctrine of murdring princes and was therefore by arrest of the parliament of Paris condemned executed by these desperate Assassines and hired murderers the papists killed the prince of Orenge and Iames the regent of Scotland and poisoned diuers others Alphonsus Diazius did most wickedly murder his owne brother and yet was protected by the pope finally by diuers meanes they haue sought to murder the Queenes Maiestie king Henry the 4. of France Graue Maurice and all that stand in their way farre passing not onely the hereticall circumcellions but also the Turkish assassins argument 36 The Audaeans or Anthropomorphites did imagine God to haue an humane shape parts like a mortall man Cogitatione carnali saith t De haeres c. 50. Augustine Deum fingebant in similitu dinem hominis corruptibilis The papists likewise cannot imagine but that God is like man when they expresse God the father in likenesse of an olde man or at the least imagine such images to be like God they doe also make the image of the incomprehensible trinity let the people be taught say the men of u Sâ—ss 25. Trent that the Godhead is not therefore figured as if it could be seene with corporeall eies or expressed wirh colours or figures it appeareth therefore they meant it should be represented though it could not be well expressed by figures argument 37 Origen beléeued that sinnes might be purged and done away after this life and therefore x Augustine de haeres c. 43. imagined that euen the damned after some long time might be saued he delighted also to draw scriptures to serue allegoricall sences if then it be heresie to say that great sinnes are to be remitted after this life why is it not heresie to holde that small sinnes may be then remitted seeing we haue but one meanes to obtaine remission of sinnes againe why should allegoricall interpretations be more allowable in papists then in Origen finally why should not other damned soules be as well saued as Traians soule and the soule of Falconilla an idolatresse at the intercession of Gregory as Damascen and the papists beléeue argument 38 Eunomius taught that so a man were of his religion it skilled not greatly what sinnes he committed asseuerabat saith y De haeres â— 54. Augustine quod nihil cuiquam obesset quorumlibet perpetratio ac perseuerantia peccatorum si huius quae ab ipso docebatur fidei particeps esset vnto which heresie the papists come very nere for the pope to all his followers promiseth heauen if they beléeue as he doth and will come to confession his canonists teach that the pope albeit he draw innumerable soules to hell and continue in all wickednesse yet he is Christes true vicar and the head of the church z Lib. de eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine requireth no inward vertue in the true members of the church which he defineth so they professe outwardly and communicate with the pope let the world then iudge what church the papists build when they admitte Piers Lacy Tirone the white knight and such wicked rebels to be true parts and members of their society argument 39 The a 1. Tim. 4. apostle condemned them as hereticks that forbad men to marry and to abstaine from certaine meates whereupon saith b In 1. Tim. 4. Theodoret rectè posuit prohibentium contrahere matrimonium neque eum Caelibatum aut continentiam vituperat sed eos accusat qui lege lata ea sequi compellunt if then the papists by sharpe lawes forbid priests and monks to marry and to eat certaine meates are they not within the compasse of these false teachers argument 40 The hereticks called Anomi were condemned as heretiks for that they either contemned or corrupted the law of God is it not then some blemish to papists that they make the law of God to be vnperfect and c Sess 4. concil Trid. make their owne traditions equall to Gods law and is it not heresie to make a new lawgiuer as the papists doe c. translato de constitutionibus and to cut off the second commandement concerning the making of grauen images finally doe they imagine that it is no error to d Concil Trid. sess 5. say that concupisence is no sinne which is direct contrary to the apostles doctrine Rom. 7. and to the law of God argument 41 Ireneus and Tertullian doth range them among hereticks which flie from scriptures and when they are conuinced by them fall to accuse them affirming that the
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
founders falsification 2 Gregorie the fourth saith that all bishops causes and the discussing of matters of religion belōgeth to the apostolike Romane See as the head of all Churches the place frō whence the Church tooke her beginning cum nulli dubium sit saith hée quod non solum pontificalis causatio C. praeceptis dist 12. sed omnis sanctae religionis relatio ad sedem apostolicam quasi ad caput ecclesiarum debeat referri inde normam sumere vnde sumpsit exordiū Anatorious lye For the law went out of Sion and not from Rome and bishops causes were handled in times past in councels and not before the bishops of Rome There also were matters of faith decided and not by the Romish bishops as this lying Pope affirmeth Nay the causes of the bishop of Rome himselfe as wel as of all other bishops were handled in councels falsification 3 Vnder the name of Athanasius the Church of Rome c. Septuaginta dist 17. teacheth that the counsell of Nice published 80. canons which were reduced afterward to the number of 70. according to the number of 70. disciples and that the copie brought to Alexandria was burnt by heretikes But authenticall stories doe refute this lye and shew that there were onely 20. Canons established in that councell Beside that Luke 10. Luke saith that Christ sent 72. disciples As the old latin transtation hath Thirdly if the canons were 80. it were a méere falsity to cut of or reduce 80. to 70. Finally of the burning of the canons of the Nicene counsell there is no recorde in any authenticall writer falsification 4 Marcellus saith that these words Psal 81. ego dixi dij estis are spoken of Preestes And thereby would proue them to bée aboue magistrates Si seculares in publicis iudicijs saith he C. synodum dist 17. libellis vtuntur appellatorijs quanto magis sacerdotibus haec eadem agere licet de qubus dictum est ego dixi dij estis The Pope therefore may bee conuinced of notorious lying and forging by all interpreters and not only by the text it selfe falsification 5 Vnder the name of Leo. c. ita dominus dist 19. They teach that Peter was assumed into an inseperable bond of vnitie with Christ hunc in consortium indiuiduae vnitatis assumptum id quod ipse erat voluit nominari a matter vntrue and blasphemous and vnworthy to be vttred by Leo. For albeit Christ consist of two natures yet no man euer yet sayed beside this counterfect◠Leo that Christ and Peter made one person falsification 6 Anacletus saith that Peter was made bishop when Christ sayd to him thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church and the gates of hell shal not preuaile against it C. innouo dist 21. and I will giue thee the keys of the kindome of heauen He saith also that the rest of the Apostles made Peter their prince ceteri vero apostoli cum eodem pari consortio honorem potestatem acceperunt ipsumque principem eorum esse voluerunt But this second poynt is refuted by the whole tenor of the euangelical history and the actes of the Apostles recorded by Saint Luke For in no place we finde where the Apostles did ordaine or make Peter their prince or gouernor Nay we rather finde where Christ made all the Apostles equall The first point is contradicted also by the words of Christ who in the future tence said Dabo tibi and not Do tibi Bellarmine also holdeth that Peter in this place receiued nothing but a promise quorum verborum saith he planus obuius sensus est lib. 1. de pontif Rom. 10. vt intelligamus sub duabus metaphoris promissum Petro totius ecclesiae principatum Hee speaketh of the sence of the words rehersed by Anacletus and by his exposition it appeareth that Anacletus sayd vntruely that Peter was made bishop by christs words vttred Mat. 16. which may also be proued by Turrecremata in his treatise de ecclesia Finally all the Popes agents hold that Peter receiued the primacy from Christ and not from the Apostles falsification 7 Gelasius saith that the Church of Rome obtained the primacie not by any ordinances of synodes C quamuis dist 21. but by Christes owne words in the Gospell A matter most vntrue For the scriptures speake no where of the primacy of the Romish Church neither can it be proued out of the wordes tu es Petrus alledged by Gelasius Neither doth euery prerogatiue of Peter belonge to the Church of Rome Nor had the apostle Peter any such high primacy As the Pope nowe claymeth and practiseth falsification 8 Pope Nicolas saith that Dioscorus was not condemned for matter of faith C. in tantum dist 21. but for denouncing an excommunication against Leo bishop of Rome But the actes of the 2. councell of Ephesus being in fauour of Eutyches and the councell of Chalcedon do reproue him and playnly conuince him of vntruth The same also may be gathered by the chapter Canones dist 15. And therefore the glosse to salue this lye saith we must so vnderstand Nicolas his words as if he had sayd that Dioscorus was not condemned for matter of faith onely which was no part of Nicolas his meaning falsification 9 Omnes siue patriarchij cuiuslibet apices siue metropoleon primatus aut episcopatuum Cathedras vel ecclesiarum cuiuslibet ordinis dignitates C. omnes dist 22. saith Nicolas the Pope instituit Romana ecclesia But he telleth a grosse vntruth for the scriptures tell vs that the Apostle Paule ordeined bishops in Crete Ephesus and diuers places both in Europe and Asia and ecclesiasticall histories tell vs that neither the Church of Ierusalem nor Antioch nor other easterne Churches nor their dignities were founded by the Church of Rome Finally the actes of councels tell vs that councelles did appoynt the seuerall limits of bishops diocesses did enlarge their dignityes according to diuers occasions and that emperours and the dignities of greate cityes did adde dignity to the bishops falsification 10 The same Nicolas also affirmeth that Christ gaue to Peter terreni simul caelestis imperii iura that is the right both of the kingdome of heauen and kingdome of earth Ibidem But our Sauiour Christs words shew that he gaue him no earthly kingdome but promised him onely the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Nay if he be Christes vicar then he must clayme no earthly kingdome For our Sauiour Christs kingdome was not of this world falsification 11 Anacletus affirmeth that Peter and Paule were both crowned with Martyrdome in one day and at the same time C. sacro sancta dist 22. a matter denyed by Prudentius peri steph hym 12. Arator in Act. Apost lib. 2. and the author of the 18. Sermon de sanctis that goeth vnder Saint Augustines name and diuers others falsification 11 Pope Nicholas saith that Constantine called the bishop of Rome God Constat à pio principe
falsification 14 He saith that the church of Ara coeli in Rome was built by Constantine in memoriam dei genitricis Mariae In apparat ad annal eccls and so called for that Augustus the emperor being admonished by a Sybille did there see the virgine Mary high aboue in the aire with christ in her armes and built an altar in that place where he sawe the vision Matters very fabulous for neither doth any authenticall story affirme that Christ was made knowne to Augustus nor is it likely that the blessed virgin and her sonne should be transported out of Iudea to be shewed to Augustus at RoÌ„e nor did any Sybille liue in Augustus time nor could he learne when our Sauiour Christ would appeare in the ayre by the bookes of the Sybilles nor doth there appeare any such matter in the Sybilles writinges It should seeme therefore that Baronius was abused with some idle tale of the friers of hara poreorum that dwell in the house called Ara coeli the rather I do beléeue it for that no churches were built in the honor of the blessed virgin in the time of Constantine neither was shee then in playne termes called dei genitrix falsification 15 Vpon the credit of Orosius he is bould to tell vs that in the place where now the Church of our lady standeth beyonde Tibre a certaine founteine ran oile a whole day together and not content herewith he affirmeth that Callistus bishop of RoÌ„e who liued long before the councell of Nice built there a large Church in the honor of the mother of God Meruit locus saith he nobilissima memoria illustrari ecclesia nimirum amplissima dei genitricis titulo à Callisto pontifice prima omnium Ibidem quarum extet memoria olim erecta Matters not only false but incredible For what probabilitie is there that in the times of persecution when Christians did hide themselues from their enemies Callistus should erect so braue a fabrike as that Church is or what reason had Nestorius and other heretikes to deny the blessed virgin to be the mother of God if so be in Rome so many churches had beene built in honorem dei genitricis as Baronius reporteth falsification 16 Out of apocryphall writings he telleth vs how many sisters Anna the mother of Mary had Ibidem and that shee was but once maried and bore Mary in her hold yeares after shee had made a vowe to consecrat her to the Lord. And these are the braue traditions that Sixtus quintus commendeth vnto vs as comming from most pure fountaines But if we are to giue no more credit to scriptures then to such traditions according to the determination of the conuenticle of Trent with a little helpe this cardinall will discredit the scriptures For neither are these things to be found other where then in legendes nor was it a fashion in the ancient time to consecrat nonnes to God nor doe we reade of many such vowes falsification 17 Out of Epiphanius he doth likewise alleadge a certaine tradition how an Angell told Ioachim the father of Mary being in the desert that his wife had conceiued Ibidem and out of Gregorius Nyssenus in orat in Natal domini that Anna the mother of Mary went into sanctuÌ„ sanctoruÌ„ there prayed séeing mothers had more honor then those that were barren that she might not be depriued of the benefit of lawe but might bee a mother And that then shee did vowe that shee would consecrat vnto God that which should be borne vnto her but we doe not reade that Angels did in scriptures foretell the birth of any but of great and singular men Againe the law telleth vs that women might not come into sanctum sanctorum Thirdly we finde not what seruice women did in the temple that the holy virgin should be consecrated to Gods seruice Finally those which report these strange things doe not agrée together as may appeare by the conference of the reporte of Epiphanius haeres 79. aduers Collyrid with Gregory Nyssens oration in Natali domini and Hieromes epistle ad Chromatium Heliodorum tom 9. falsification 18 Of the blessed virgin he bringeth a report out of Euodius that she was presented into the temple at the age of three years Ibidem and there liued eleuen yeares and was afterward by the hands of the priests deliuered to Ioseph to be kept Trimula cum esset saith he in templum praesentata ibi in sanctis sanctorum traduxit annos vndecim deinde verò sacerdotum manibus Joseph ad custodiam est tradita Matters deuised by idle fellowes not without the suggestion of Satan as it should séeme for when he could not discredit the gospell then he deuised other fables which being either false or improbable might bring the truth of christian religion into question That the virgin Mary should remaine in sanctis sanctorum is against the lawe Exod. 30. Hebr. 9. for thither went the hâ—gh priest onely once a yeare That she should be presented at three yeares of age into the temple is against reason for what seruice could a childe of those yeares do againe where are women commanded to serue in the temple Thirdly the priests kéeping her eleuen yeares as a thing consecrated to God they had no reason to deliuer her ouer at the time of most danger to be kept by Ioseph Finally the treatises set foorth vnder the name of Euodius Gregorius Nysseâ—us Damascenus Germanus Andreas Cretensis Georgius Nicomediensis and Cedrenus alleadged by Baronius are counterfeit and differ much one from another Is it not therefore much better to content our selues with the history of the gospell that reporteth that which was necessary to be knowne concerning the birth of our Sauiour and the holynesse of the blessed virgin and to omit such vaine fables as both to Iewes and gentiles make christian religion contemptible and ridiculous and yet haue no sufficient testimony either of the Apostles or other authenticall writers falsification 19 Whereas a brasen lauer and the base of it is said to be made of the glasses of women Exod. 38. that watched at the doore of the tabernacle Baronius doth gather of it that there were certaine women which renouncing the pompes and delightes of the world did together with the things they possessed especially such as were intisements to sinne mancipate and consecrate themselues to the seruice of God and giuing themselues to continuall prayers did watch at the doore of the tabernacle But séeing God appointed all the ministeries and seruices of his tabernacle and appointed no seruice to be done of women at the gate thereof it is a most ridiculous conceit of an idle braine to beleeue that these women did any such imagined seruice at the gate of the tabernacle Beside that it were very strange if so many women were employed to the seruice of the tabernacle as that a lauer and a base for it might be made of the trimming or cases of their glasses that we should finde
no mention of them in scriptures Finally the description of the tabernacle tents and orders of the Israelites which doe not import or giue any signification of such an order of women but rather the contrary doth cléerly refute this vaine fiction deuised without colour of reason or testimony of good authors falsification 20 He telleth vs further a tedious fable of the holy virgins vow of virginity but if he will make his report good Pag. 33. 34. hée must shew first that women among the Israelites did vowe virginity and the rather for that we reade that it was a reproach for women of that nation not to be mothers of children Secondly he must shew that young women before the age of fourtéene did make such vowes Thirdly he must answere and cleare those places of scripture that say she was betrothed to Ioseph for after solemne vowes Nunnes neither marry nor are betrothed Finally he must bring vs better proofes then supposals of Epiphanius and Augustine and a counterfeit tale vnder the name of Gregorye of Nyssa For S. Augustine or at least he that lurketh vnder that holy fathers name saith that vowes of virginity did not then stand with the fashions of the Israelites Lib. de virginit c. 4. He signifieth also that the holy virgin thought it impossible hauing once vowed her maidenhead to God that she should know a man But that sheweth that all the Romish Nunnes are most vnlike to this holy virgin for albeit they vow and sweare and are walled vp so that none come at them yet they neither think it a matter impossible nor difficult to know men as experience and diuers witnesses can testifie and the Romanistes know very well if they durst speake it falsification 21 Diuers auncient fathers testifie that Ioseph the spouse of the blessed virgin had by his first wife diuers children and namely Hyppolytus as witnesseth Nicephorus hist lib. 2. c. 3. Origenes in Matthaei c. 13. Eusebius hist lib. 2. c. 1. Epiphanius haeres 28. 51. 78. Nyssenus homil de resurrect Christi homil 2. Chrysostomus homil de annunt Virg. Euthymius in Matth. c. 2. Hilarius in Matth. can 1. Ambrosius in epist ad Galat. And yet all this notwithstanding Baronius saith this is but an apocryphall fable Why then should we beléeue his apocryphall fables testified by one or two witnesses only and that in writings very doubtfull séeing he will not beléeue this narration that is confirmed as himselfe confesseth by many fathers Further why should we beléeue him that Iohn Baptist was conceiued in September in the time of the solemne fast or in that forme which he reporteth And why should he desire any to giue credit to his narration concerning the city of Zachary S. Iohn Baptists father and the sanctification of S. Iohn Baptist in his mothers wombe for which he alleadgeth no proofe séeing he will not beléeue others that bring testimonies of fathers falsification 22 Saint Luke sheweth that Christ was baptized going vpon the thirtéeth yeare of his age Luc. 3. Iesus erat incipiens saith he quasi annorum triginta and so doe most fathers and other learned men expound Lukes words But Baronius to maintaine the credit of the Romish ordinall will haue Lukes wordes to be so expounded as if he were going vpon the age of one and thirty when he was baptized But if this were so then would Saint Luke haue said quasi annorum triginta vnius falsification 23 In the accompt of years from the beginning of the world vntill Christs time he followeth the tradition of the Romish church that séemeth to allow the translation of the seuenty interpreters rather then the Hebrew text But what is this else but to digresse from the canon of originall scriptures to follow either corrupt translations or vnwritten traditions falsification 24 The scriptures say that our Sauiour was borne in Bethlehem and in a stable and that he was laide in a manger and albeit the place was very meane for the king of heauen and earth to be borne in yet it is very much to be presumed that there was neither Oxe nor Asse in the roome for they are no fit compagnions for men and women especially for a woman being with childe But Baronius by vnwritten traditions issuing from that pure fountaine which Sixtus quintus speaketh of hath found that our Sauiour Christ was borne in spelunca that is in a caue within the ground Saint Matthew calleth it a house but he findeth it was no house but a denne or caue He findeth also that Christ was borne in this caue which is some prety way out of Bethlehem for so Burchard in his description of the holy land part 1. c. 7. testifieth He saith further that our Sauiour was laid in a manger cut out of the rocke and proueth it by the testimony of Hierome albeit we reade but of few mangers cut out of rockes and although afterward he saith it was of wood and so must he say vnlesse he will deny that to be the manger that is shewed in the Church of our Lady ad praesepe in Rome He alleadgeth Chrysostome also that saith the manger was of earth or clay Finally he beareth vs in hand that there was an Oxe and an Asse tyed in that stable and thinketh it sufficiently proued because Hierome alluding to the words of the prophet saith that when Christ was borne the Oxe knew his owner and the Asse his masters crybbe and this he alleadgeth out of the third of Abacuck where no such thing is to be found Of all which traditions the sole reason is this that he may maintaine the credit of the manger which together with hey they shew at Rome as a holy relique He endeuoureth also by these fables to vpholde the pilgrimage to the holy land where little is remaining to be séene but holes dennes rockes and mountaines But if he beléeue these traditions as well as the gospell a man of small learning may see that he is a man of a strange faith falsification 25 He telleth that the swadling clouts wherein our Sauiour was first wrapped are religiously kept and that a church was built in honour of them and a holyday assigned to keepe the memoriall of them But his best witnesse of them is Lipomanus a man whose lies a man may feele with his hands The Apostles certes neuer taught vs to kéepe such reliques or ragges rather neither doth any authenticall sâ—…ry report any such thing Nay whosoeuer will examine them narrowly shall soone sée the notorious impostures of the Romanists that deuise and maintaine these superstitions not for any other purpose then for their owne credit and gaine falsification 26 The wisemen that came from the East if we will beléeue him were three kings but he maketh kings without kingdomes and like his holy father the Pope by â—…is charter or testimony giueth kingdomes away at his pleasure Very vnlike it is certes that thrée kings should consort together and take such a iourney putting
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