euery one may iudge them by the same CHAP. V. NOw seeing then that they do doubt that the Scripture is not on their side let vs beare at their hands that they refuse it and that they slander it as much as they can let vs also see now whether they can allowe of any other Iudge besides it I would demaunde of them if of all the auncient doctors they would chuse any one which hath bene free from those refusals which they propounde against the word of God or els whether they wil allowe al Concerning any one alone they cannot for in euery one of them there may easely be found either one error or an other but they haue so many errors to defend that to defend all all the errors of all times ages would not suffice Moreouer they would be ashamed to denie that their style is more obscure then the style of the Scripture Also they know in their owne conscience that in the most principal points they are on our side and yet there is not any one of them which they will accept in through al things for as much as they condemne in Irenee the error of the Chiliasts and the interpretation which he made of the Apocalypse concerning the church of Rome in Cyprian Anabaptisine in Tertullian the heresie of Montanus in S. Austine predestination and so like wise of others Will they then receiue all alike for Iudges but then who shal be president in the contrarieties of their doctrine and interpretations For euery one knoweth that there shall be found some euery where If it be the holy Scripture that is the thing which we desire But if they refuse the Scripture as partie or partiall by a more strong reason then we will not accept them for Iudges which are parties against vs In like maner shall it be with the schoolemen if they take them for Iudges although that they be the principall authors of the errors of the Church of Rome for betweene Thomas and Scotus and theyr armies set in battel raye and fighting one against an other who shall be iudge It remaineth then that they chuse eyther one of the Councils or els all the Councils together If they chuse one we knowe that in euery one lightly there is hādled as yet but one thing as for example in the Councill of Nice the matter of Arrius in the Councill of Ephesus and of Chalcedon the matter of Nestorius and Eutyches and so likewyse of others but of these pointes there is no contention betweene vs If they will haue all I demaund who shall be president in the errors which the auncient fathers confesse and in the contrarieties which they nomber who shall redresse them The seconde Councill of Ephesus approueth Eutyches the Councill of Chalcedon condemneth him The second Councill of Nice mainteyneth the worshipping of Images but that of Frankford assembled about the same time by Charles the great pulleth them downe The first Councill of Nice according to the vse of the primitiue Church permitteth the marriage of ministers the Councilles of Neocesaria Mentz and the seconde of Carthage forbiddeth it The Councils of Constance and of Basill doe subiecte the Pope vnder the Church yea they make him equall with other Bishops those of Florence and of Trent vpon paine of the blacke curse haue set him aboue all To be short the Councill of Carthage excommunicateth and curseth him to the deuill that calleth him selfe vniuersall Bishoppe or chiefe Priest and the Councill of Trident excommunicateth all those which hold not the Bishop of Rome for such a one I demaunde then in these contrarieties and a thousand others of like consequence who shall determine the matter shall it be the Church Nowe the Church is that which hath saide sometimes one thing and sometimes another for they holde that the Church is represented by general Councils and those for the most part are such as we haue spoken of These are then Churches contrarying one an other or rather one contrary to it selfe Moreouer if it be the Church yet we deny that it shoulde be the Church of Rome for it doeth not belong say they to a particular Church to iudge of the vniuersall which is represented by generall Councils It remaineth then that they prooue the supremacie of the Church of Rome aboue the vniuersall Church of Christ but if they cannot prooue it by the holy Scripture none of the other Churches will beleeue them for they did not beleeue Christ himselfe bearing witnesse of himselfe but God whom they by the holy Scriptures knewe to haue sent him And seeing other Churches haue their Doctors Councils and Traditions aswell as the Church of Rome It must followe that the Church of Rome must prooue her prowde prerogatiue title by the Scriptures And if the Scriptures must be iudges of the Church of Rome and her prerogatiue the which pretendeth beareth men in hand to iudge all other Churches then there can not be a more competent Iudge then the holy Scripture without which the Church of Rome is nothing more then others and from whom whatsoeuer she hath she must will shee nill shee fetche her pretended preheminence and authoritie Nowe if they obiect that there is no more neede to iudge of our controuersies and that they haue bene oftentimes iudged alreadie by Councils Saint Augustine teacheth vs that Councils may erre and that the former Councils were amended by the latter and therefore he presseth not the Arrians with Councils Secondly yf this point haue any place what will they say then vnto vs why they haue derogated from the first Councill of Nice which is the first Decomenicall Councill in the marriage of Ministers and in the supremacie of the Pope who there was made equall with the other Patriarches And wherefore after the matter was so decided would they haue it yet pleaded agayne in the Councill of Carthage c. Why woulde they haue the Pope to be declared the Vicar of God in earth in the Councill of Trent seeing that the Councill of Carthage had already pronounced him excommunicated out of the Church which would call himselfe the chiefe Bishop and head thereof Moreouer in the most approued Councils the greatest part of the pointes which we dispute of were not yet set out for errors were not hatched but by litle and litle and they began to growe and increase after that the tyrannie of the Pope was brought into the Church who in like maner also played the tyrant ouer the Councils Moreouer we make a great difference betweene Councils and Councils for we willingly accept the first Councill of Nice and such like because that the worde of God gouerned there the which worde God alwayes accompanieth with his Spirite But we doe not so receiue the second Councill of Nice where Idoles were established were the holy Scripture was alledged as it were in mockerie and which by consequent coulde not be accompanied with any other then the spirite of
shoulde say to the ende it should be deliuered vnto the posteritie so as we haue it there registred by foure sworne Notaries of the holie Ghost and expounded in many Epistles of the Apostles Finally these Registers of the kingdome of heauen haue gathered them together by the common care of the Churches wherein they haue bene kept the which haue witnessed that this worde proceeded from them and thereto haue put to their seale and to the ende that no Scripture myght be made equall vnto them and to take away also the foundation of all heretikes which euery where alledge it and bring in to serue euery turne the traditions of the Apostles the Churches haue brought them into one booke which they call the Canon that is the rule and the Canonical Scriptures See then that in the Christian Church we haue now as was vnder the lawe one rule to iudge the right from the crooked a squire to direct our buylding a compasse to guyde our barke a lawe to iudge controuersies and a God in his woorde to determine all matters which shall arise in the Churches All that is agreeable to this word of God is of God for that it is his owne word All that is not agreeable to this worde is of man and no man hath any voyce in the Churche to make any lawes concerning the seruice of god The sonne of mā alone God and man hath onely this power of whom it is onely sayd Heare him Al then that is ouer and besides this ought to haue no place in the Church By this worde thus limited within the bookes of the Canonicall Scripture the primatiue Church hath taken away an infinite nomber of traditions which heretiks haue made to passe vnder the name of the Apostles allowing nothing but that which they haue found contained in the foresayde bookes By the same also they haue stopped the mouth of heresies which sprong vp of the noughtie and vnsound interpretations thereof to be short they neuer complained when they had any thing to doe with heretikes who agreed of this Iudge accompting their matter wonne but rather when they vanquished them which refused the same worde forasmuch as it is impossible to finde a Iudge to them that refuse to be iudged of God. Our aduersaries alwaies cry with open mouth The Fathers Fathers Fathers but beholde whereby the Fathers woulde bee iudged and before whome they would pleade This controuersie sayeth S. August requireth a Iudge let Christ then be Iudge himselfe and tel vs himself wherefore he dyed Let the Apostle also be iudge together with him for in the Apostle also Christ himselfe speaketh It is sayde that he hath not spared his owne sonne c. but hath giuen him to the death for vs See then the Iudge before whome he calleth the Pelagians from whome our aduersaries haue borowed their doctrine Against the Donatistes his ordinarie wordes are We haue founde Christ in the scriptures there also must wee finde the Church Also let it not be heard any more betwene vs I say this thou sayest that but rather see what the Lord sayth for we haue saith he the bookes of the Lord to which we both giue consent we both beleeue and keepe Againe the canonicall Scripture is the rule of all The epistles of Bishops gyue place one to an other and Councels are amended and corrected one by an other but that must correct all Also where shall wee feede the sheepe of the Lorde Vpon the mountaynes of Israel these mountaines of Israel are the altars of the Scriptures of god When any man shall preach according to that from thence take taste thereof and all that is not from thence cast it awaye for feare of straying in the mystes And when the Donatistes alleadged Saint Cyprian vnto him of whome notwithstanding hee maketh a great accompt in all his workes and specially through whome he myght haue ouercome them in many matters I sayeth he allowe not the wrytings of Saint Cyprian for canonicall And yet herein I doe him no wrong for not in vayne was this so healthfull a Canon made in which are comprehēded the bookes which we dare not iudge and through which notwithstanding wee iudge of all bookes as well of infidelles as of Christians That which I finde there agreeable with Scripture I accept it with prayse that which I finde not agreeable to the Scripture by his good leaue I reiect it And there is no doubt sayeth hee in another place but that nowe he seeth all more cleare and bryght then when he was conuersant in darkenes that he will rather be glad to know how comfortable it is for vs that in the writinges of Christian orators and learned preachers a man may finde things to be reproued and that in the writings of those poore fishers that is to say of the Apostles a man shall finde no such thing in them Alledge not therefore to me sayeth he in this case their writings but the Lawe the Prophets the Psalmes the Gospell and the Apostle For from hence it is that I holde the Church is spread ouer all and is not tyed vnto any certayne place And the rule which hee gyueth vs out of the bookes of Cyprian he hath also gyuen out of his owne and out of all the rest and the places also repeated by Gratian in his Decretalles I knowe very wel that Gratian to get credite to himselfe gyueth no lesse aucthoritie to the decretall Epistles of the Pope then to the Canonicall bookes of the scripture impudently corrupting a place taken out of the bookes of Christian doctrine where he speaketh the quite contrarie But this is not worth the confutation And Alfonsus de Castro himselfe who is one of the chiefe pillars of the Papacie doth acknowledge this fault very liuely reproueth him for it The Arriās in a more high matter of the Christian faith woulde escape by the Councilles but he alwayes draweth them to this Let vs not alledge saith he disputing against Maximine their Bish neither thou the Council of Ariminium nor I the Councill of Nicee for neyther I am bound to the aucthoritie of that there nor thou to the aucthoritie of this here but let vs dispute by the aucthoritie of the Scriptures which are common witnesses to vs both cause against cause and reason against reason c. All his bookes are ful of such places especially against the Manichees who denyed one part of the Scriptures following the example of Christ who vanquished the Sadduces in the matter of the resurrection specially by the bookes of Moses because they reiected all the others And yet this is he that so astonished all the heretikes of his time that he put them to vtter silence But to the end that they condemne him not for an heretike whome they haue already so sore suspected it is necessarie to see what others doe holde concerning this matter Basil the great woulde that wee examine all doctrines
by this argument as much or more aucthoritie ouer the Scriptures then it I aske of the indifferentest amongest them who shal iudge but the Scriptures And if they iudge the Scriptures who shall pronounce sentence ouer them If the Easte Churches shall then the Romishe Churche hath loste her Cause If the Church of Rome then thys shall hee in another respecte then of keeping the Scriptures If they saye it bee by their pretended prerogatiue of Saynt Peters Seate it is meete that they prooue it by the Scriptures And therefore marke Peters Sea which doeth take vpon it to iudge the Scriptures beyng yet subiecte to the Scripture it selfe Furthermore I praye euerye man to examine this conclusion The Church of GOD hath kept the Scripture The Church beareth witnesse of the Scripture Ergo shee is aboue the Scripture The edictes of a Prince are registred in all his Countries The lawes are gathered together and written by Clarkes All Contractes and bargaines are subsigned by witnesses And yet for all that he that woulde saye that they were aboue the Kinges aboue the lawes contracts hee shoulde make him selfe a laughing stocke If they say that the Lawes of God haue no place neyther more nor lesse then edictes of some Princes except they be agreeable to the worde of God I answere them that it is not the Church of God that hath this priuiledge for shee is the Spouse of Christ and hath learned to obey her husbande without anye examination of his commaundement and must by and by holde her peace assoone as shee heareth his woord For she knoweth also that the wisedome of her husband whose will is the rule of doctrine is not like that of Princes which it is necessarye to examine whether it bee honest and profitable Ciuile or vnciuile but if they be so stiffe for the obteyning of this priuiledge yet let them agree with mee herein that this is that assemblie which hath lyfted vp it selfe aboue all that is called GOD which fearing to bee discomfited by the Spirite of his mouth woulde therefore moussell and stoppe vp hys mouth all that it might The place of Saynt Augustine which they alledge maketh nothing agaynst that which hath bene sayde before I woulde not sayeth hee beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the aucthoritye of the Church constrained or moued me Ni me Ecclesiae Catholicae commoueret authoritas where it is specially to be noted that according to the style of Affricke Commoueret is taken for commouisset that is to say I had not beleeued the Gospell vnlesse the consent of the vniuersall Church had moued mee thereto hee meaneth not that the holy Ghost had not such a style as myght make it selfe sufficientlye knowen from other wrytings of men For he him selfe instructeth vs in this matter in many places Much lesse meaneth hee that the Church shoulde be aboue the Gospell For it is by the Gospell that hee examineth all the Churches of his tyme but rather that the vniuersall consent of the Churches the which receiued such such bookes for the Gospels of Christ made that he could not doubt but that they were so and that the apostles whose names thei did beare were true authours of them No otherwise then as the consent of manye ages acknowledging such and such bookes to be Ciceroes Hippocrates and Platoes doe assure vs that they were theirs These were his very words against the Manichees themselues who denyed part of the holy scriptures in another place Oh vnhappie enemies saith he of your owne soules What Scriptures shal be had in price if the Euangelicall and Apostolicall bee not Of what booke shall men hold the certaine authour if a man doubt that those holy books which the Church holdeth were of the Apostles shoulde not be theirs Who shall knowe whether the bookes of Plato Hippocrates Aristotle Cicero were theirs vnles it be for that frō their time euen vnto ours alwayes mē haue bene perswaded that they came frō hand to hand c. Like as then I beleeue that the books of Manichee are his because men haue beleeued that they came thence frō hand to hand so also I beleeue the booke of S. Matth. because euē vntil vs the church hath so held The questiō is not thē in this place whether the writings of the Apostles haue any voice to determine matters in the church for as we haue already shewed S. Aug. teacheth vs that in a M. places but only whether such and such scriptures were the Apostles yea or no. For the heretikes denied not but that the books of the Apostles had such authority as they must be obeyed but they denyed that they were theirs because that if they had once allowed thē they knew that they must of necessity rest in them And yet they pretēded that they were neuer a whitte lesse the church then the Romane church doth For they helde that Manichee the chiefe of their secte was the holy Ghoste him selfe But this was a blasphemie not yet knowen to the most damnablest heretikes that euer were that the holye Scripture was subiect to the Church and that without her as one of the Popes Chāpions of our time saith it hath no more aucthority thē Esops fables The Iewes haue taught the Gentiles that the Olde Testament was the worde of God and manye of the Gentiles beleeued it better thē the Iewes The Gentiles haue kept for the Christians many good and auncient bookes and haue taught them that such and such were the authours of them and yet for all that they haue not giuen anye credyte vnto them The bookeseller will teach vs that such a booke is Hippocrates woorke and yet for all that hee shall not be a physitian as Hippocrates was For it is one thing to beleeue the word of any some man an other thing to be the authour of a booke This is that which was saide long agoe by a great learned man That the Church is true or vndouted but as we say by occasiō because she beleeueth the trueth of the Scripture but the holye Scripture is simplie true of it selfe For it is the trueth it self There foloweth another argument that the Church is before the Scripture Ergo it is aboue the Scripture When we speake of the Scripture we vnderstand the word of God the which at the first was not written and afterward was written aswell by Gods owne finger as by the pennes of his seruants inspired by his holy spirite as we haue before declared But now I would demaund of them from whence they fetch the beginning of the Church If from the creation of man and before sinne entred immediatly after they were created God gaue them a commaundement that they should not touche the tree of knowledge of good and euill and we must not dispute whether they had authoritie aboue this word for why they hauing disobeyed it all the world from man to beastes sighes and grones for it But will they not
denie that the old and new testament had equall authoritie with this commaundement If they take it after sinne entred God blameth and conuinceth our first parents of their faulte and this is the Lawe And after he promiseth vnto them the seed which shall bruise the head of the serpent this is the Gospell Beholde them then dead in sinne by the Lawe and as it were newe borne by the promise of Christ to come in whome they hoping after this woorde were made the beginning of the Church without this they had bene lost with all their posteritie Wherefore whether we fetche the Church from before the fall of man she hath no power aboue the word of God but is iudged by it and therefore the cōclusion is false Or whether we deriue it after yet the word is before the regeneration of the Church that is to say before the Church and that antecedent it selfe shal be false Moreouer this is an ill argument It was the first in time Ergo the first in authoritie For we haue a hundred Cities in Fraūce more auncient then our first kings and yet notwithstanding without any gainesaying they obey their lawes And the word of God of it selfe is giuen to commaunde wheras the Church is placed in the world but to obey And though it be so that the word of God be in power eternall yet it is most certeine that it must be last in this action because that before he commaund it must needs be that it should first create some men whom it might commaund This then is nothing but plaine sophistrie which is not worthy to be heard in the Church Moreouer I demaund of them whē they make this argument whether they meane to speake of the whole Church comprehending al the states and particulars of the Church into one or whether they speake of particular Churches or of the church of Rome alone If thei vnderstand the whole Church as it is like they do then they speake nothing that makes for them for the church of Rome the whole Church are things farre differing before that Rome was or any Wolfe there gaue suck more then 700. yeres the law of Moses was published in the Church If they speake of particular Churches the Cast churches wil demand the same prerogatiue and by the self same argument they wil set themselues aboue the church of Rome For they are before them in time as euery man knoweth If the church of Rome alone by the vertue of the institutiō of Christ yet they are to bring forth the titles and right thereof and then they cannot bring forth one that hath so much as any outward shewe To be short all this is nothing els but a manifest dotage for if they looke to the beginning of the Church they shall finde neither Rome nor the Pope neither the See of S. Peter nor consequently any authoritie aboue the word of god If they looke to the beginning of Rome they shall there finde the word the law the prophets expositors of long time before and therefore an authoritie farre aboue their church But in this a man may see the poore defence of their Church when for the establishing thereof the word of God must fall downe which is the foundation of the pure Church Now in this whole disputation they can not finde one onely word out of the auncient doctors for there was neuer yet any heretike so mōstrous which durst set it forth till the Councill of Constance where it was first set out by the doctors of the Church of Rome There was the question moued concerning the taking away of the cup of our Lord from the people expresly against the institution of the Sonne of god There could not one place be found out in the Scriptures which might fauour directly or indirectly plainly or darkely so damnable a sacriledge Iohn Hus called them to the holy Scripture and they knewe well that that was full against them Then first they began to aduise of those goodly Maximes or groūds which they haue mainteined euen vntil this day that the Church is aboue the holy Scripture that the Scripture hath no other authoritie then that which the Church giueth it that the Scripture is as they say De bene esse of the wel being but not of the essence or being of the Church that such should be the interpretation as seemeth good to the Church to be short that the word of God was more long and large then the word written and that the Church is more worthie thē it to which some haue sithens added that the Church should be in better case if there were no Gospell written These are the intolerable blasphemies which sprang vp in this councill who also were authors of one other goodly canon forsooth that ouerthroweth al christianitie That we must not keepe faith or promise with heretikes Iohn Hus notwithstanding presseth them yet somewhat more neerely Though it were so saith he that the Church should be aboue the word of God to which you shal neuer haue me to agree Shew me yet that the minde of the auncient Church was euer so that it euer so ordeyned or so interpreted Name me one onely auncient doctor which is not wholly and plainly against it That it is so yea our owne canons do excommunicate all those which cōmunicate not vnder both kinds therefore to communicate vnder one is not to be partaker of the communion but of excōmunication To this argument they yet find another shift more mischieuous then the former that albeit that of one commandement of the Gospel there be at this day another interpretation then was in the auncient Church notwithstanding that that meaning which is receiued in the Church must be accepted as the way to saluation in asmuch as the holy Ghost hath inspired it to the Church That is to say that the Pope his mainteyners according to their good pleasure may cry downe all the auncient interpretatiōs of the Scripture as coynes are and put them into the Mint to make theirs currant Also that as the iudgement of the Church is changed in the Scripture so we must presume that the iudgemēt of God is changed And therefore when that good man Iohn Hus could not content himselfe with these horrible blasphemies their last argument was the halter the hang man to cast him into the fire To make Gods spirit chāgeable his word a nose of waxe God himselfe inconstant in his purpose changing himselfe according to the vanitie ambition of men wil there be founde in the traditions of the Pharisees in the speculations of the Cabalists and Thalmud in the Alcoran of Mahomet any such execrable blasphennes as these are I leaue to the iudgement of euery one whether the spirit of God or the spirit of Satan ruled there in those coūcills That there can be founde no other Iudge of the controuersies of this time but the holy Scripture and how
might haue burned all the primitiue Church By this one onely rule therefore comprised in a fewe wordes and easie for euery one to vnderstand wee cutte of the Masse Purgatorie prayers for the dead inuocation of Saints the Pope his pardons indulgences and almost all that hath troubled Christendome for this long time But to defeate this rule they would drawe certaine places by the haire to the end to make vs to finde therein their lewd inuentions As for example It shall not be forgiuen in this world nor in the world to come Ergo there is a purgatorie which must be vnderstood as S. Marke hath expounded it by these words It shal neuer be pardoned according to the Hebrew phrase Also if Moses and Samuel were before me to pray for this people I would not forgiue them Ergo say they we must pray vnto Saints Whereas quite contrary by the plaine words of the text a man shall rather gather that it is a vaine thing to call vpon them and the meaning of the Prophet is cleare that as God saith If Moses and Samuel were aliue and should intreat as sometime they did for the sinnes of that people they were become so heinous that yet he would not forgiue them To be short euen altogether like as it was that Ieremie in the chapiter aforegoing when he had made earnest prayer vnto God for the people he answered him that if Moses himselfe who was most deare vnto him should praye vnto him for this people he would not heare him Againe sometime they haue certaine Allegories to proue these matters by But we demaunde of them whether these doctrines are necessarie to saluation yea or no If they be necessarie then we haue another certaine rule That the word of God is cleare to saluation For that same light it selfe is come downe from heauen for to teach vs that hath it not done darkely or about the bush The holy Ghost came downe vpon Christ in the likenes of a doue and vpon the Apostles in great brightnesse their doctrine therefore was plaine and euident and they were not doctors or teachers of darknes Let them therefore alledge one plaine and manifest place not bring places wrested from their proper meaning and altogether from the purpose and we are readie to yeld vnto them And this is the rule which S. Hierome gaue That Allegories darke places proue nothing And S. Augustine saith That al that perteyneth to saluation is plainely and clearely set downe in the Scripture and that that which is darke in one place is plaine and cleare in another Now as concerning the third point we haue a rule which all the auncient fathers haue giuen vs That the holy Scripture is the light to it selfe And that which is darke in it is plaine by it selfe in another place and that therefore the determination of all matters must be drawne from the conference of such places where they are handled Besides we haue two markes to direct our selues by to which the whole Scripture tendeth and they are the glorie of God and charitie towardes our neighbour Moreouer we boldly admittte all the doctors of the auncient Church for the interpretation of matters belonging to this thirde kinde namely in the places and treatises where they expresselye handle them And wheresoeuer they are or shall seeme to be contrary we willingly referre therein our selues to euery man according to his owne common sense and meaning that shal haue readde the holy Scripture As for example there is a controuersie betwixte vs whether these wordes This is my body be a figuratiue speache or no. First of all I conferre or waye together the places of the Euangelistes and I finde in Saint Luke This Cuppe is the newe Testament in my bloud which cannot be expounded without a figure and I knowe that flesh and bloud are both of like importance in the Sacrament Further I consider that the question is here of a Sacrament and that this is the accustomable maner of speaking common to all Sacraments The rocke vvas Christ this is one place Baptisme is regeneration that is another c. Finally I finde in S. Augustine these words In figuratiue speaches saith he alwayes keepe this rule If it be a maner of speach that according to the letter commaundeth thee to do that which is good or forbiddeth thee to do that which is euil streight way thou mayest iudge that there is no figure For thou hast found there the scope and butt of the Scripture to wit the glorie of God charitie But if thou shalt take it according to the letter and it seemeth to commaund thee to do that which is euil or to forbid that which is good then thou shalt streight way iudge that in very deede there is a figure For example saith he Except you eat my flesh and drinke my blood you haue no life in you According to the letter it seemeth that Christ commandeth vs a foule an heinous thing This therefore saith he is a figuratiue maner of speache by which he commandeth vs to communicate with the passion of the Lord thorowly to fixe in our memorie that his flesh was pierced and crucified for vs When I see then that it is in such sort figured that S. Augustine himselfe alledgeth it vnto vs for example of figuratiue speaches I resolue my selfe that this with other textes of Scripture conferred in like sort together proue such maner of speaches in the matter of the Supper cannot be otherwise taken but figuratiuely Nowe by these rules then shal the matter of the supper iustification of faith and workes free will and such other be determined which stand vpon the interpretation of the textes of Scripture which both the one and the other would drawe to their owne meaning and intention I demaunde then of euery Christian man what we may iustly attribute more to the iudgement of the auncient fathers for where we haue a plaine forbidding from God euery one will agree vnto vs that men can doe nothing and that there neede no interpreters Againe where we haue no cōmaundement from his mouth there it lesse behoueth for where there is no text there can be no glose Those matters then remaine out of which these commaundements are taken and interpreted diuersly in which we most gladly admit the interpretations of the doctors of the primitiue Church and the most notable in all ages To conclude then this article we say that the infallible marke of the pure Church is the pure doctrine therof duely administred and the vndoubted touchstone of pure doctrine is the pure worde of God conteyned in the holy Scripture which God hath deliuered to be the rule of his Church That the same is perfect and to be vnderstood of those that desire their saluation yea aswell of it selfe as conferred with it selfe albeit for the decyding of controuersies founded vpon the same we wyllingly admit the interpretations of the most auncient Briefely
chased the Emperour to Constantinople and setteth himselfe in full libertie of all that quarter And in deede then ceassed the Exarchates that is Dukedomes so called that had endured sixe hundred yeeres that were as the lieutenants of the Emperor in a part of Italy The Emperors of Constantinople driuen away the Lombards thereupō did inuade the kingdome of Italie The Pope more feared them then those whom he had driuen away because that they were his more nie neighbours At that time there gouerned in Fraunce the race of Martel very desirous to aspire The Pope therefore putteth himselfe into the protection of the Frenchmen against the Lombards and Pepin the sonne of Martel he passeth into Italie with the powers of France who vanquisheth them The issue was that Pope Zacharie in recōpence dispenseth with the Frenchmen for theyr othe made to theyr natural prince Chilperick who left the gouernement to the Martels more subtil then himselfe and crowned Pepin chiefe of the palaces of the king of France forbidding the princes and people of France vpon paine of excommunication to choose any other then of Pepins race Contrariwise Pepin giueth vnto him the dukedome or lieutenantship of Rauenna Pentapolis which contained 29. Cities onely reseruing vnto himself the soueraigntie and the power to choose the Popes the which lawes were afterwardes released by Lewys the sonne of Charles the great although that some Emperours put them in practise afterwards as the histories are ful thereof And so likewise behold him the head of the spiritualtie because he mainteyned the murtherer of his master and temporall Lord because he crowned a subiect in the place of his natural prince this beginning of the temporaltie grewe vp by the controuersies of the houses of Aniou and Arragon in Italie and afterwardes of the Emperours of Germanie and of the kings of Fraunce till it came to that state wherein we nowe see it in these last times This was after the time that the key of knowledge which Christ promised to S. Peter was changed into the key of power the ecclesiastical censure was employed to excōmunicate all princes peoples kingdomes which would not obey them vntill they had left them for a pray and cut them of from saluatiō without acception of any persons This was in that time that these gaye interpretations were bred That all povver vvas giuen to Christ by the father asvvel in heauen as in earth Therefore the Pope absolutely commandeth both one other Also God translateth kingdomes from one nation to another Ergo the Pope hath power to establish and to put downe as it seemeth good vnto him whereupon Kings and Emperours of blinde zeale began to kisse his feete both present and by their letters and to hold his stirrop This was in that time also that Pope Boniface the eighth caused this to passe as an article of faith That the Pope is soueraigne both of the spiritualtie and temporaltie shewing himselfe in a Iubilie with a key in one hand and a sword in another that Pope Clement the fift his successour not content to commaunde Kinges and Emperours tooke vpon him by an expresse Bull to cōmaunde Angels that they should execute his will. To be short one hath concluded and decided at Rota that is to say in the Parliament of Popes at Rome that God holdeth for wel done all that is done of the Pope that his will is the rule of all right and righteousnes that he can absolutely do in this world all that God can do seeing he is all and aboue all thinges That if he change his purpose it is to be presumed that God changeth his that when he sendeth thousands of his brethren to hell none may therein reproue him that his power extendeth it selfe to heauen and earth yea and to hell that none maye appeale from him to God that he may ordeine against the epistles of Saint Paul as greater then Saint Paul and against the old Testament as greater then any authors thereof And yet one man hath gone further for one hath disputed whether he may ordeine any thing contrary to the Gospell Whether he haue not yet more power then S. Peter Whether he were simplie a man or as god To be short the deuil hath passed so far in this mysterie of iniquitie that one disputed in the schooles a litle before Luther came and somewhat after whether the Pope participated not with both natures the diuine humane with Iesus Christ And what could the deuil say more if he had come in the flesh to haue destroyed the Church And yet notwithstanding the people do worship this monster the princes of the earth do clap their hands at him destroy their kingdomes to serue his lust sacrifice yet euery day their poore subiects for a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauor at his feete Who would haue beleeued this except the Spirite of God had foretold it and who will beleeue it after vs when the selfe same spirite shall haue destroyed him But which is more marueilous when the power of the bishop of Rome was intolerable he neuer durst alledge in the councills and in the face of the old Church one only text of Scripture to groūd his supremacy on And now that it is so much beyond the bounds that it spurneth the earth vnder feete thereof that it threatneth heauen that it aduaunceth it selfe so farre that it may be aboue God himselfe they are so impudent and so shamelesse but so she must be that is an harlot that they alledge S. Peters See and the word of God and the keyes which were promised to him as though there were no more eyes in the world to reade nor sense in men to iudge Let them not therefore ground their tyrannie vpon this Dabo tibi I wil giue thee which Iesus Christ spake to S. Peter For betwene the kingdome of Christ and the tyrannie of the Pope there is no likenes or agreement But rather if they wil ground themselues vpon some text of Scripture let them alledge that Tibi dabo I will giue thee which sathan vsed to Iesus Christ I wil giue thee saith hee all the kingdomes which thou seest if thou vvilt worship mee That is for worshipping the deuil they haue that they haue and not for any other title they can alledge But I suppose that nowe with the licence of all the Readers I maye conclude by these proofes conteyned in these two chapiters that which followeth That the essentiall head of the Catholique Church is Iesus Christ our Lord That vnder him all the Apostles were equal in dignitie and power That after them the bishops are equall amongst themselues euery one in his Ministerie occupieth the place of Christ That none may be the Ministeriall head of the Church That the Pope of Rome can pretend this title neither by Gods law nor mans That the first roume that he had was by reason of
more against Christ for this same vndoubtly is the true Antichrist Let vs begin at the person of the Pope Christ hath declared that his kingdome was not of this world that he fledde when they would haue made him a kyng that he rendred obedience euen vnto the least magistrates and commaunded all those that were his to doe after his example Contrariwise the Pope sayth that he is king of the whole earth disposeth of all Empyres treadeth Emperors vnder his feete burneth with fyre and condemneth to hell all those that wyll not acknowledge him for such a one And all this because Christ hath said Al power is giuen to me of the father aswell in heauen as in earth I aske of any one what similitude and likenes there is betweene these two and if this be not in alleadging Iesus Christ to mocke Christ himselfe Againe Christ being God and the sonne of the eternall God vouchsafed to abase himselfe lower then Angels and vnder men themselues to worke the saluation of the worlde and a man quite contrary lyfteth vp himselfe aboue kyngs and aboue the Angels and aboue the heauens of heauens and hath caused men to dispute that he is not simply a man but a partaker of the diuine nature with Christ and that he hath the fountaine and roote of the spirite of Christ in him To be short whereas Christ submitted himselfe vnder heauen earth and hell he will commaund Kings Angels and deuils and all this vnder colour of the key of the word which Christ hath deliuered to his ministers I aske God being made man for the saluation of the worlde howe it can be that this man which maketh himselfe God shoulde be any other then that sonne of perdition come for the perdition of the worlde But we must see howe he hath asmuch as laye in him made voide the comming of the Messiah the crosse of Christ and the saluation we haue by the same We feele in our selues that man continually doeth nothyng but offend God and that it is as possible for vs of our own nature to keepe our selues therefrom as to stay our pulse or to holde in the winde of our breath These offences also are so infinite being and blasphemeth more against his cōming who in the chaire of Christ is more against Christ for this same vndoubtly is the true Antichrist Let vs begin at the person of the Pope Christ hath declared that his kingdome was not of this world that he fledde when they would haue made him a kyng that he rendred obedience euen vnto the least magistrates and commaunded all those that were his to doe after his example Contrariwise the Pope sayth that he is king of the whole earth disposeth of all Empyres treadeth Emperors vnder his feete burneth with fyre and condemneth to hell all those that wyll not acknowledge him for such a one And all this because Christ hath said Al power is giuen to me of the father aswell in heauen as in earth I aske of any one what similitude and likenes there is betweene these two and if this be not in alleadging Iesus Christ to mocke Christ himselfe Againe Christ being God and the sonne of the eternall God vouchsafed to abase himselfe lower then Angels and vnder men themselues to worke the saluation of the worlde and a man quite contrary lyfteth vp himselfe aboue kyngs and aboue the Angels and aboue the heauens of heauens and hath caused men to dispute that he is not simply a man but a partaker of the diuine nature with Christ and that he hath the fountaine and roote of the spirite of Christ in him To be short whereas Christ submitted himselfe vnder heauen earth and hell he will commaund Kings Angels and deuils and all this vnder colour of the key of the word which Christ hath deliuered to his ministers I aske God being made man for the saluation of the worlde howe it can be that this man which maketh himselfe God shoulde be any other then that sonne of perdition come for the perdition of the worlde But we must see howe he hath asmuch as laye in him made voide the comming of the Messiah the crosse of Christ and the saluation we haue by the same We feele in our selues that man continually doeth nothyng but offend God and that it is as possible for vs of our own nature to keepe our selues therefrom as to stay our pulse or to holde in the winde of our breath These offences also are so infinite being committed against him which is infinite that they deserue an infinite punishment whereto all the men in the world together are not able to satisfie It must needes be therefore that the sonne of God in person must descend from heauen to satisfie by his infinite merite for our infinite demerites and not one man coulde euer hope for the mercie of the Father if his iustice had not bene executed vpon his owne sonne This is that which all the holy Scripture teacheth vs that Christ was sent for the saluation of the worlde that he is the onely and alone Sauiour thereof that he was slaine from the beginning of the worlde for the saluation of those that beleeue in him c. And this is it wherein consisteth all the benefite of the comming of Christ and all the treasure of the Church But see howe this good gouernour of the Church dispenseth with this First of all he hath buried the scripture in forgetfulnesse forbidding the readyng thereof vnto the people leauing them nothing but Rosaires Legends of Saints and such other baggage that is to say asmuch as lyeth in him he hath put out the light to the ende that his illusions might be the more of force amiddest the darkenesse And we haue seene many burned onely and simply for hauing read it Moreouer whereas the lawe was giuen to conuince a man of sinne and the Gospel to teache him the remedie in Christ the Popes doctors haue taught that a man as he is of his owne nature can loue God aboue all thinges that it is possible for him to fulfill the lawe and that at the first man was saued by keeping the naturall law afterwards by fulfylling the lawe of Moses now Christians by keeping the Gospel If it be so what shall become of that S. Paul sayth That the law engendreth sinne that it is come vpon vs to multiplie transgressions c. Also what shal the Gospel haue aboue the law Christ aboue the shadowes And wherefore shall not his cōming change the lawe into grace Nowe to turne away the people from theyr Physition there is no shorter and readier meane then to perswade them that they are whole or if they felt in any sort theyr disease that they might cure them selues without any Physition This is that from whēce are sprung these goodly pharisaicall propositions that all the acte of charitie absolutely deserueth euerlastyng lyfe that a man may worke his owne saluation in this
they who haue nothyng but theyr boasting and vaunting although they haue the greatest titles honors in the world to be on theyr side If therefore our aduersaries aske vs what was the calling of our first Ministers which refourmed the Church in these last times we answere that it was the same vocation and succession whereof they themselues doe bragge but the same vocation which they abused our men haue endeuoured to vse will and to that vaine succession wherewith they decked themselues they haue added the succession of true doctrine which they had corrupted without which all succession is nothing els but a continuing of abuse and error Wickleife Iohn Hus Luther Zwinglius Decolompadius Bucer and others of that schoole from whence the Ministers which haue gathered Churches from vnder Antichrist are descended were Priests as they cal them and doctors in diuinitie As Priests Pastors they had charge to preach the trueth vnto the people to minister the Sacraments vnto them according to the institutiō of our lord As doctors they were called to expound diuinitie in their readings in theyr bookes and they were bounde by the ordinary othe of al vniuersities to declare the trueth vnto the Church to confute al doctrines repugnant against the word of God and what then might to expell it Now in their time they found that the word of God was hid vnto the people that the honor which was due to God alone was turned to men to Images that the blood of Christ was troden vnder foote that the sacrament of the supper was partly turned into Idolatry partly denyed to the poore people To be short that all the holy scripture was prophaned poysoned with the Popes gloses popish interpretations And when they shewed these thinges to the Bishops and Metropolitans according to the order of their Church they made no rekoning of thē they were the first that persecuted thē because they themselues were the infected parte of the Church I aske therefore if theyr vocation commaunded them not to goe farther to witte to preach the trueth vnto the people and purely to administer the holy Sacraments And if they had done otherwyse whether they had not bin forsakers of theyr calling contenmers of theyr othe made vnto God and abusers of the people Both two therefore say I both our aduersaries and our first ministers had one and the same ordinarie outward calling But herein is the difference that that which ours haue followed the other haue forsaken that which ours haue done of duetie by reason of their charge the other haue cōcealed Ours haue ledde their sheepe vpon the mountaines of Israel into good pastures the others haue deuoured them or els left them for a pray to the beastes of the field or els driuen them to the fennes and marishes where they haue starued A magistrate shall be called to the gouernment of a common wealth where he shall finde the good lawes corrupted by the negligence or malice of those that went before his Courts full of iniustice the offices subiect to factions briberies and corruptions and he would reforme all this and bring it to the censure of the lawes He that will further nowe aske him by what right he doth this should he not make him self a laughing stocke because he followeth steppe by steppe his calling He hath not sworne to mainteyne abuses but rather to mainteyne the lawes and to prouide euery way that he can for the good and preseruation of the Common wealth Nowe contrarywise if he wincke at that which is euil he should doe directly contrary to his calling Euen so likewise haue our first Ministers done first requiring reformation and afterwards putting to their handes according to their duetie And if we could aske of the Apostles who are their true successors they would not tel vs Such as haue a triple crowne or such a cope or such a miter but those that preach the word of God after our example For so had they learned of the true master That he which doth the wil of God his father is his mother his sister and his brother At the preaching of these first men the pastors of the Churches were awakened in England in Bohemia in Germanie in Scotland in Denmarke in Swedenland and afterwardes many in Fraunce in Spaine and in Italie it selfe and these were sent to bethinke them of their duetie Consequently some whole Realmes were reformed the bishops themselues that there had preached lyes preached the trueth in the selfe same Church pulpit Of these for the most part if our aduersaries will demaund succession it is on their side for they haue succeeded from bishop to bishop frō the first which preached there the Gospell If they aske a vocation why it is euen their owne for they were called to be bishopps and pastors and they haue performed the office which they had forsaken The difference therefore as we haue said is in this onely point that they feede the people with pescod shales and the others in the pasture of life they defile their flockes with the filthinesses of Antichrist and these wash them in the blood of Iesus Christ Beholde then concerning the calling of our first Ministers which hath whatsoeuer may be good in the pretended calling of our aduersaries and this point further That our men lawfully exercise it and the other do but withhold it in vnrighteousnesse And although some of our men as in so corrupt a state of the Church as we haue seene it in our time without wayting for their calling or allowance of them that vnder the title of pastors oppressed the Lords flocke were called by those Churches to which they vowed their ministery yet this ought no more to be thought straunge then in a free common wealth where the people without wayting either for the consent or voyces of those that playe the tyrants shal haue chosen according to the lawes good and lawful magistrates Concerning the vocation of Ministers which were sent by the former and since by vs we haue herein obserued the example of the Apostles and the canons of the primitiue Church If the question be of their persons we haue lawfully examined both their doctrine and maners And this is the rule of Saint Paul That a bishop must be apt to teach and blamelesse If of the persons which make this examination why it was not one man alone but many ministers bishops and elders duely called before to this Church that is to say the Presbyterie or eldershippe as Saint Paul calleth it or as Saint Cyprian calleth it the ecclesiasticall Senate During this examination whereupon dependeth the election the Church continueth in prayer and fasting as we reade in the ordeining of elders in the Acts. Being found meet they are published to the people to the end that if any man hath ought to say against their election he might repaire before the assemblie as we reade was practised
by the Scriptures which were giuen vnto vs by the holie Ghost reiecting whatsoeuer is not agreeable to them as enemie to our saluation And against all heretikes he demaundeth that onely the Scripture be vmpire Chrysostom calleth it the most exact balaunce the squire the rule and iudge of all doctrine And in a certayne other place the same sayeth that the Scripture is the accomplishment of the holie Ghost as Christ is of the lawe and that without it we may not alledge the spirite Irence calleth it the foundation and pillar of our faith Tertullian sayeth Take from heretikes the bookes of Ethnikes and winne so much of them that they will rest vpon the Scriptures and they can not stande Also let the shoppe of Hermogenes shewe that it is written if they cannot let them feare the curse which is appoynted for them that adde to or diminishe To bee short they all dryue to this poynt that to examine all doctrine to maintayne the true to vanquishe the false we must haue no other touchstone no other Buckler or sworde but this And this was the cause in the thirde Councill of Carthage it was forbidden to read any thing in the Church but the Canonicall Scriptures And the Imperiall lawe distinguisheth Catholikes from heretikes by the Apostolicall and Euangelicall doctrine and Constantine the great the first Christian Emperour hauing assembled that famous Councill of Nicee wherein there were three hundreth and eyghtene Fathers to dispute agaynst the heresie of Arrius he prescribed them this rule We haue sayeth he the bookes of the Euangelistes Apostles and Prophetes which instruct vs in the holie lawe By these bookes then it behooueth vs to resolue all doubtes and questions And this rule also was there so exactly kept that one Minister alone Paphnutius by name alleadging the Scripture made all the rest to chaunge their opinion who without any grounde of the Scripture for certayne politike and humane considerations were readie to haue abolished the marriage of Ministers To be shorte Gerson and Panormitane euen when the Popes thunderbolts and lyghtning excommunications were most hotte durst yet say and write that one poore lay man alleadging a text of the olde or newe Testament ought to be preferred before the Pope yea and before a generall Councill erring through ignorance or of malice against the text of Gods worde which ought to bee thought no more straunge then if they had sayde that the worde of God alone hath more wayght then all the Doctors of the worlde together who are nothing else with all their knowledge but ignorance and vanitie I haue bene long in this poynt because nowe a dayes they alwayes speake vnto vs of the fathers and I pray the readers to take a little payne to reade the places themselues because they shall finde them yet more playne and full then the desire that I haue to be short suffereth me to write at large With Isaie the Prophete therefore we call our aduersaries to the Lawe with Abraham to Moses and the Prophetes with Christ to the Scriptures with all the fathers and Christian Doctors to the olde and newe Testament If this Iudge then which heretofore hath decyded all cōtrouersies which hath bene so reuerently accepted euen of the greatest parte of heretikes themselues can not please thē either they must alledge great causes of refusall against it or else all the worlde will holde their doctrine more suspect then the doctrine of al the heretiks that euer were Their first cause of refusing the holie Scriptures is for that they are imperfect But I demaunde of them if they will require any other perfection then a doctrine sufficient to saluation If they content themselues to be saued Saint Iohn hath tolde vs that that which he hath written is sufficient to beleeue in Christ and to haue lyfe in his name and as concerning the things which are omitted S. Augustine pronounceth that he is rash which presumeth to ghesse what they are Saint Paul also sayth that the holy Scriptures are sufficient to make the man of God perfect and wise to saluation That they comprehende sufficiently the rule of faith and whatsoeuer belongeth to the seruice of god Beholde then sufficiently wherewithall to saue them If they wil not cōtent thēselues with saluation but call the Scriptures imperfect because they finde not there the determination of certaine curious questions which they handle in their schooles and yet they doe the Scriptures wrong for there they shall finde their condemnation Moreouer I demaunde of them from whence this imperfection can come Is this of Christ nay rather he is perfection it selfe And seeyng he came to accomplishe our saluation it must needes bee he of whome the Church must wayte for the reuelation of all things He then coulde beyng perfectly wise and woulde beyng perfectly good teache his Church whatsoeuer myght belong vnto her saluation Or is this imperfection of the Apostles but they receyued this woorde of lyfe from his mouth and after hee sent vnto them his holie Spirite to recorde it and to put them in minde thereof in such sorte that they preached saluation to all nations and as Ireneus sayeth that which they preached by mouth they haue left vnto vs by wryting to be the pillar and foundation of our fayth The whole faulte then commeth not that wayes it remayneth then that the whole imperfection bee in men who not fynding in the Scriptures their imperfections they esteeme it imperfect as they that haue swilled in the snowe waters from the mountaynes call those imperfect which haue not wyde and hanging throtes like themselues for that they haue not their superfluous imperfection We finde in the Scriptures the inuocation of one God alone by meanes of Iesus Christ alone but they would find there the inuocation of Saints We there finde that purgatorie cleansing is in the onely blood of Iesus Christ they woulde finde there that purgatorie which they haue taken out of Virgill and Plato We there finde one onely Mediator but they would finde as manie there as there are saints in their kalender They call these things imperfections in the Scripture which are rather so manie infections in their Church Furthermore I demaunde be it that a man thinke that there wanteth something who shall be so hardie after such a workeman to put to his hande to make it perfect If a man saye the Doctors why then quite contrarie finde it onely perfect in it as in a glasse they acknowledge the imperfections both of others and of themselues If they will bryng in the Church through her traditions why it is shee that hath taught vs to cut of by the bookes of this Canon all that we finde not therein and further shee is forbidden to serue God according to her traditions and commaunded to be a scholer of this word and we knowe that this is not the parte of a scholer to vsurpe aboue
of all our thoughtes and that wee conclude that if wee see nothing the faulte thereof is in our eyes and not in the light They alledge that the Scripture is doubtefull because that Satan alledged it vnto Iesus Christ I aunswere that there is no lawe that a man may not reiect by this argument for all lawes are subiect to be alledged both by good bad But let them also marke that by the same Iesus Christ stopped his mouth Also your Sauiour Christ hath spoken in parables and similitudes we know that similitudes are to make cleare and not to darken and I make their owne consciences iudges whether those parables of Christ so expoūded as we haue them in the scriptures tend to any other end When he would teach vs who is our neighbour he maketh it playne by the similitude of the man descending from Iericho what the kingdome of heauen is by the similitude of the sower what the vocation of the Gentiles is by the prodigall childe and so likewise of other I aske if by these parables we may iudge more clearely or more darkely whether all the gloses or long cōmentaries of the Pharises were able so clearly to expound this matter But they will say you cannot deny but the there are manye darke places for S. Peter himself saith that there are such in the epistles of S. Paul nay but rather we may say that forasmuch as there are only certaine places darke it followeth contrariwise that the Scripture is not darke For this is an euill argument to reason from some to all and hee that sayeth that vpon a garment there are blacke spottes he sayeth by consequence that that garment is not all blacke And as concerning those we say that the light of the Scripture is sufficient for to giue them such light as they neede not dwell anye more in darkenesse vnlesse it be those whome the God of this worlde hath blinded in their vnderstanding as Saynt Paul sayth to the end they should perish that the lyght of the Gospell shoulde not shine vnto them or as Saynt Peter sayeth in the selfe same place which they alledge to the vnstable and vnlearned which peruert the Scriptures to their owne destruction This is the sentence of all the auncient fathers with whome wee conclude thys poynte There are sayeth Saynt Augustine handling this matter certaine harde places in the Scripture and yet notwithstanding there is no other thing but that which is expounded in most expresse wordes in other places whereby the holy Ghoste hath wonderfully measured and tempered the holy Scriptures to the ende that those cleare places shoulde serue healthfully to satisfie the hunger of the readers and those darker places shoulde encrease their appetite to take away all contempt but in that that is spoken clearly in the Scriptures they shall finde all things which conteyne fayth and the waye to liue well to witte hope and charitye And hee that will haue more examples hereof in the foresayde places he alledgeth more Saynt Ambrose There is sayth he much obscurity in the Propheticall writings he speaketh namely of the Prophets but if thou knocke at the doore of the Scriptures with the hand of thyne owne vnderstanding thou shalt gather the sense of the darke places and the woorde of God it selfe shall be that that shall open it vnto thee The most obscure and darke then that is therin may be made plain by it selfe S. Basill If wee be commanded to doe any thing and we knowe not howe let vs take the LORD for our guyde who sayeth vnto vs Searche the Scriptures and let vs followe the Apostles who asked him selfe of the interpretatiō of those thinges which hee had spoken vnto them and of those thinges which hee hath spoken to vs in one place let vs learne to vnderstand those things which he hath spoken in another This is that which Marsilius of Padua disputed against the Pope 300. yeeres agoe that the Lawe of the Gospell is sufficient perfect and plaine of it selfe immediatly to direct vs to euerlasting saluation and to turne vs away from the path of miserie But to thē which finde nothing in the light but darknes I feare that it is to no purpose to alledge plaine places out of the auncient doctors The mischief is that we finde not in the Scriptures in any place neither the Masse nor Purgatory neither the papacie nor the power of one man alone ouer the whole Church and such other inuentions of the prince of darkenesse and therefore we accuse Gods worde to be darke to the ende we may fetch these goodly doctrines from thence by meane of some colde Allegorie that wheresoeuer this light shineth not vnto vs in the Churche wee shoulde knowe that there is nothing but darkenesse But yet see a farther matter then the former for it is so farre of that they will accept the Scriptures for their iudge that they them selues will bee Iudges ouer the Scripture If the Churche saye they had not kept the Scriptures and witnessed of them they had bene of no more authoritye then any other writing Therefore the Churche is Iudge ouer the Scripture and not the Scripture ouer the Churche First I demaunde what that Churche is which hath kept the Scriptures whether this bee onelye the Christian Churche or the Iewish Churche also Nowe wee knowe that the Olde Testament was deliuered from hand to hande vnto vs by the Iewes and therefore the auncient doctours called them the booke keepers of the Churche For they were so curious that they would enter euerye tittle and poynte both the accentes and letters and made a Register of them Therefore the Iewishe Churche was iudge of the Olde Testament when Iesus Christ came and therefore to verye euill purpose our Sauiour Christe sendeth the people to the Scriptures who might more safely haue bene sent to the high Priestes and Pharisees But these Iudges of the Scriptures they iudged Christe to death the Schollers and Students of the Scriptures acknowledged him for their lyfe And at this daye euen by this argument the Iewes shoulde winne the victorye It followeth then whether they renounce this Sophistrye or whether they will mainetayne it that they renounce their Saluation Consequentlye I demaunde of them Whether the Church of Rome aloue haue kept the Scriptures or other Churches also They can not saye that it was the Churche of Rome or the Latine Churche alone For the Ecclesiasticall storye wytnesseth that the Primitiue Churche gathered the Canon of the Registers of those Churches which were founded by the Apostles and to which the same Apostles had written Nowe there is but one Epistle written to the Romaines and all the rest are written to the Easte Churches In like maner the Gospell of Iohn was kept at Ephesits and that of Saynt Marke at Alexandria c. If then the Easte Churches had a greater parte in keeping the Scriptures then the Romaine and therefore
he which made it to be set vp Vnder Manasses Idolatrie was so monstrous so publique and so smitter sall that there appeared not any face of the people or Church of God and the cause thereof is by and by added as before to wit that the lawe of God had beene a long time hidden and buried in such sort that none coulde knowe any more what it was And if men marke what was the state of the Church of Israel he shall see that it was nothyng but publique continuall Idolatrie euen from the beginning of their schisme vntill theyr vtter ouerthrowe These impieties then in the visible Church of that time were not as a folly or sicknesse which passeth lightly away but rather which is here clearely seene vnder the raigne of three or foure Kinges the true seruants of God was tanquam lucida quaedam in furiosis interualla that is to say were as certaine good modes and seasons of right reason in a common rage folly This is that time of which the Prophets cried out You you are called by the name of Israel and you sweare by the name of the Lorde but you serue him not in trueth and in righteousnesse You haue said vnto a piece of wood thou art my father to a stone thou hast begotten me You you haue prostituted your selues vnder euery greene tree You haue abandoned me by the space of innumerable dayes and you haue gods according to the number of your Cities c. To be short all the Prophets which were sent euen vntill the comming of Christ and in all the Prophets all the Chapters are in a maner nothing els but testimonies of the idolatries and adulteries of the Church with strange gods who for the same threatten her and signifie vnto her a diuorce if she do not returne vnto the lord In meane while he that shal marke what maner of band companie that was in this time which our aduersaries call the Church vnderstanding the Cleargie the Priests the Scribes the ordinary prophets a man shal find that the true Prophets which were sent frō God had no greater enemies then they were that they were these that imprisoned them put them to death as troublers of the Church yea so farre foorth that our sauiour Christ sayth that it could not be that a prophet must be murthered out of Ierusalē And whē they said vnto them Turne you vnto the law of the Lord reforme the Church forsake your Idolatries burden not the people with so many of your vaine traditions c. they had the selfe same answere that our aduersaries haue We are the temple of the Lord we are the Church we are the watchmen of the people the law shall not perish from the Priest nor the counsell from the wise nor the word from that Prophet our Church whatsoeuer they say cannot faile Come then let vs strike them with our tongue and let vs not harken to their words But the Prophets shew them very wel how the promises of God ought to be vnderstoode Say ye not Here is the temple of the Lord for I haue abandoned Silo which I haue chosen and I wil reiect you also if you continue c. Say ye not that the lavv shall not perish frō the priest c. for for a lōg season Israel and Iuda was without the true God without a Priest without a Teacher c. Seeke therfore the Lord c. Your Priests saith the Lorde haue broken my lavve and they haue defiled my holy places They haue not saide Where is the Lorde thei vnderstood not my word thei haue not knowē me Your Prophets haue prophecied lies saying The Lorde hath saide thus wheras the Lord neuer spake it They haue prophecied in Baal haue gone after the things that are vaine Your watchmen are blind your prophets are snares of the fouler Thou vvilt demaund a vision of the prophet but the lavv shall perish frō the Priest and the counsell from the auncient the night shal be vnto you for a vision c. The Sunne shall go dovvn ouer the prophets the day shal be darke ouer thē They shal all couer their lips because they shall receiue no answere from god Seeke therfore the Lord you shal find him c. Beholde how the true Prophets who in comparison of these prelats were accompted the of scouring and muck of the world beate backe all their vaine presumptions that they had of not being deceyued To be short the Church of that time was throwen downe farre beneath that of Samaria and of Sodom Her prelates were called the princes of Gomorrha her Councils and assemblies conspiracies and coniurations against the Prophets of God her sacrifices whorish and adulterate And of all those that the Lorde sent to exhort them to reformation there can hardly be found any one that a little while escaped the crueltie of this assemblie which drewe all the titles and prerogatiues of the Church to it selfe In the middest notwitstandyng of this horrible confusion God knew his Church For if the Lorde sayth Esai the Prophet had not restored euen a small remnant they had bene as Sodom and should haue ben like vnto Gomorrha And he saith in another place Behold me Lord my children that is to say the disciples that thou hast giuen me Finally when the Iewes would not hearken to the wholesome exhortations of the Prophetes God would euen constraine them by his mercy and therefore sent them euen saluation it self from heauen to witt Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our lord But the Church behaued it selfe towards him euen likewise He had no greater enemies then the Priestes the Scribes the Doctors the Pharisees that is to say as our aduersaries speake the cleargie and those which had the Lawe committed vnto them and those which seemed to be the light of the Iewishe Church If he spake any thing of the reformation of the Church then said they he would destroye the Temple if of the grace of God by the Messias then he blasphemed against the Lawe if of the kingdome of heauen then he strooke at the maiestie of Cesar if he wrought any miracles that was by the deuil if he alledged the Scriptures then they demaunded of him where were the letters of his Doctourship reproching him that hee was a Carpenters sonne To be short all their arguments against Christ are euen the same that our masters vse against vs We are the children of Abraham we are the keepers of the Scriptures It belongeth to vs to expounde them and not to you who haue not receyued holy orders as we haue done And yet notwithstanding all this these were they that with their gloses traditions and vnwritten verities with their successions interpretations and councills most cruelly persecuted him euen to the snatching him out of the hande of the heathen magistrate who iudged him innocent that
the dignitie of the citie but that all that was more was from the deuill and by vsurpation Whereupon it followeth that in regard of the ministerial head of the Church he could not pretend to be lesse subiect to error then other bishops and patriarkes neither the latine Church lesse then those of Greece others of the East And so we returne notwithstanding their exception to our former cōclusion That the articles grounded vpon the authoritie of the Pope and the church of Rome are ouerthrowne and al their traditions inuentions subiect to the examination of the holy Scripture as are the doctrines of all other Churches That the Pope in affirming himselfe to be head of the Churche and not being so in deede is the Antichrist in the Church and that he cannot be receiued vvith any other then the papistical doctrine CHAP. IX THE Pope not being head of the Church as he saith he is and hauing no other titles to prooue this generall Lieutenant shippe which he so proudly exerciseth we saye that he is the plague of the whole body a tyraunt in the common weale Antichrist in the church And for to prooue this I will not enter into the particular explication of those predictions which are in Daniel in the epistle to the Thessalonians in the Apocalypse which in times past were darckened but now are made cleere For also many learned men not onely of our time but 300. yeres agoe haue made those bookes plaine amiddest the ignorance of the world crueltie of the Pope But I saye that although he were not so liuely painted out vnto vs as he is in those foresaid places yet his doctrine ought to make vs knowe that he is the very Antichrist with whom the Church was threatned and that there could not be in Christēdome any thing more pernicious then that doctrine which he hath brought in First to take away al doubt the Scripture speaketh vnto vs of many Antichrists For euery hereticke which setteth himselfe against the truth he is in very deed an Antichrist but it speaketh vnto vs of one amongst others who shall haue his seate in the Church of God and shall vsurpe Gods place who as Origen saith must be the great Antichrist among other Antichrists This is he of whom we haue now to speake Secondly when the Scripture speaketh of Antichrist it saith that it shal be an Apostacie or a falling backe from the faith Also that that mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in Paul his time and that it should no otherwise be destroyed but by the comming of Iesus Christ Againe that he must builde his greatnes vpon the ruine of the Romane Empire and giue life to that lost beast that is to say as all the auncient fathers haue expounded to this Empire and namely S. Augustine in the xx booke of the citie of God Chrysostome vpon that place where S. Paul handleth this matter And we knowe that the Romane Empire fell by litle litle and peece by peece It foloweth then that Antichrist is not one man alone which must come at one instant of time but is an estate seat and succession of men an Empire lifted vp against Iesus Christ as we see the Scripture vnder the name of certaine beastes to describe Empires And this also is the interpretation of S. Augustine vpon that place Thirdly Antichrist is called that false prophet vomiting out blasphemies against the most highest His Empire therefore consisteth in false doctrine not in armes he is called a woman an whore he shall therefore wind in himselfe and come in by pleasaunt wayes sleightes and flatteries deceyuing men through his crafte drawing them to his spiritual whordome which is idolatrie He is also called the sonne of perdition as Iudas Againe he shall not assayle the Church by open force but he shall betray her with a kisse and shall not enter by the breach or by a strong scaling ladder but by counterfaiting the keyes by painted Emblemes and secretly like a thiefe And in very deede the Empires which consisted in forces and armes they are figured in the scriptures vnder the name of Wolues Lyons Beares and such other rauening beastes whereas for this ye haue but women whoredomes cuppes drinckings enchantments that is to say deceipts crafts and subtilties whereupon the schoolemen themselues haue concluded that this chiefe Antichrist which is here described can neither be Mahomet nor the Empire of the Turkes Fourthly he is properly called Antichrist and not Antithee that is to say contrary to Christ the Mediator and not simply against God therefore particularly he shal be against Christ Iesus our Lorde And all the doctrine of Christ consisteth in the office of the Mediatorship in the benefit of his death and passion This then shall be the speciall doctrine that he will chiefely labour to abolish It is oftentimes saide that he shall sitte in the Church of God being there acknowledged as god Nowe it is certaine that if he shoulde say that he were Christ or shoulde preach directly against Christ the Church would not suffer this in the middest of her nor suffer him to raigne It is likewise said That he shall haue tvvo hornes like to the lambe speaking notvvithstanding as the Dragon that is to say he shall counterfaite the doctrine and holinesse of Christ although he speake nothing but impieties as Satan doeth It foloweth therefore to make these markes to agree together that it must be that Antichrist of whom nowe the controuersie is that he must speake in shewe as Christ but in deede and in effect against Christ and honoring him in wordes and yet as much as lieth in him robbing him of his glorie And that he is the true Antichrist of whom the question is who vnder the shadowe of Christ shall ouerthrowe his doctrine and put him selfe in Christ his place Saint Augustine handling this matter doeth no otherwyse vnderstande it Let vs not regarde saith he the tongue but the deede Antichrist is a lyer which maketh profession of Christ and yet denieth him in effect And a litle after Howe sayest thou that I denye him in effect Because Christ sayth he is come in the flesh to the ende that he should die for vs. Chrysostome sayth That he must be knowen by his doctrine and neyther by titles miracles nor wordes of holinesse Saint Hilary sayth That Antichrist shal be contrary to Christ vnder opinion of an hypocriticall and faigned godlinesse And in another place O ye fooles who are mooued and rauished and caught in loue with woordes and gorgeous seelinges of Churches Doe ye doubt that this shall one day be the seate of Antichriste It behooueth vs nowe therefore to consider who it is that sitteth in the Church who speaketh more of Christ and leaste esteemeth him who more honoureth him with trayterous kysses and blasphemeth more against his cōming who in the chaire of Christ is