after this discourse I wil referr the reader to mine answere to D. Sand. booke against images c1 13. or 12. after y e error of his print where Calfhil thinketh it not meete y t should be restrained to that whereof there is no precept in scripture nor they them selues yeld lawful cause Marti telleth him y t he must be restrained if he will be good Christian. For there is no precept in expresse scripture to beleue three persons one God in y e blessed Trinitie y e equalitie of substance of Christ with his father in his godhead c. The pertual virginitie of Marie y e keping of y e Sunday y e sacrament receiuing fasting y e baptisme of infants c. you see what an Atheist he is y t can find no more certaintie in y e scriptures for y e blessed Trinitie then for S. Maries virginitie for the godhed of Christ then for receiuing y e Cōmunion before other meates If Papistes haue no ground to their faith out of the scriptures yet we can proue what so euer is necessarie for vs to beleeue It he dalie vpō y e word expresse scripture either he answereth not to y e same thing wherof he is demanded or else he knoweth not y t an argument rightly concluded out of holy scripture is as good as y e very words of y e scripture as when I say if Peter beleued was baptized ergo he was saued is as true as these words whosoeuer beleueth is baptized shall be saued To y e second demand whether y e ancient fathers did attribute such vertue to the wagging of a finger y t the holy Ghost could be called downe y e diuell driuen away by it Mart. answereth it is most euident that as soone as praier is duly made the signe of the crosse made the holy Ghost according to the promise of Christ commeth downe sanctifieth c. and the diuel is driuē away This is Mart. euidence other reason he bringeth If he referre the promise and comming of the holy Ghost to prayer he playeth the palterer that being demanded of the crosse answereth of praier Otherwise let him shewe what promise Christ hath made to the signe of the crosse or to prayer with the signe of the crosse more then without it If he can not you may easily see his pouertie To the thirde whether they would haue refused the Church and sacraments for want of a crosse He beleeueth verily they would not for the sacraments lacketh not the vertue if the signe of the crosse be omitted yet the fault is great when the tradition of the Apostles is wilfully reiected Whether it be like they deliuered any needlesse or vnprofitable ceremonie let wise men iudge After this followeth a long and foolish dialogisme about the interpretation of Cyprians wordes What so euer the ministers of the sacraments be what so euer the handes are that dippe those that come to baptisme what so euer the brest is out of which the holy wordes proceede the authoritie of operation giueth effect to all sacraments in the figure of the crosse and the name which is aboue all names being called vpon by dispensers of the sacraments doth all Martial so scanneth these wordes as though M. Calfhil knewe not the difference betweene the power of God and the ministerie of man in the sacraments whiche Cyprian doth plainly distinguish in these wordes But to the purpose Cyprian seemeth to make the figure of the crosse a meane by which God worketh in the sacraments But in deede hee meaneth that all sacraments take their effect of the passion of Christ as a bare signe and token whereof they vsed the figure of the crosse and not as a meane whereby God worketh seeing it is confessed by Martial that the sacraments if the signe of the crosse be omitted lacke not their vertue An other foolish brable and vsherlike construing he maketh of Cyprians words de baptismo Verborum solemnitas sacri inuocatio nominis signa attributa institutionibus Apostolicis sacerdotum ministerijs visibile sacramentum celebrant For reprouing Master Calfhil for translating signa attributa institutionibus apostolicis signes attributed to the institutions of the Apostles he teacheth him to conster signes attributed by the Apostolicall institutions through the ministerie of the priestes Wherein I maruell that such an auncient student will nowe suffer the word attributa to goe without a datiue case which I thinke he would not haue done in his pettite schoole at Winchester But if I might be bolde vnder y e correction of such a grounded grammarian to conster the lesson ouer againe I would giue the Latine this English The solemnitie of wordes and inuocation of the holy name and the signes appointed by the institutions of the Apostles for the ministerie of the priestes doth make the visible sacramēt And what be those signes By M. Martials leaue the elements as water breade and wine But then M. Grindal whom I laugh to see this wise Dialogue maker to bring in swearing once or twise in this deuised talke as though out Bishops vsed that veine as commonly as Popish prelats M. Grindal I say must send me to Saint Anthonies schoole bicause the elements of the sacraments be of Christes owne institution and not of his Apostles wherfore those signes must be other goodly ceremonies and the signe of the crosse must not be lest But if Martial euer were a scholler in that schoole or any other of any value he might haue learned long agoe that institutio signifieth not onely the first beginning of an ordinance but also a teaching or doctrine and so doth Cyprian meane that by the doctrine of the Apostles y e Priestes are appointed to vse those signes which if Martials Vshership will not admit Cyprian in telling what maketh y e visible sacramēt hath left out the principal part thereof namely the element and that which in deede in it is onely visible for the solemnitie of wordes and inuocation are audible rather then visible But in this foolish Dialogue is cited Iustinus Apol. 2. to proue that the olde Fathers vsed the signe of the crosse in all sacraments Iustinus Martyr saith he in the place of M. Grindal talking of the crosse biddeth vs viewe in our mindes and consider with reason all thinges that are in the worlde and see whether sine haec figura administrentur they may be done without this signe How like it is that M. G. shold say Iustinus biddeth vs when he biddeth y e Gentiles I leaue to speake of But that he speaketh of our sacramentes how will Martiall prooue When both he speaketh to the Heathen and of Heathenishe customes and ceremonies or els ciuill and naturall matters As of sayling plowing digging and all handie craftes whose tooles had some figure of the crosse in which the Gentiles did so fondely abhorre and despise Christ for it Whereas it was to be found euen in the shape of man in the trophees and standerdes
hand But I pray you sir where learned you this signe vsed by Christ How proue you that it hath bene vsed ever since It is inough for Martiall to say that all the learning in English Doctours will neuer be able to proue this assertion of his to be friuolous But seeing he is so Greekish to teach M. Calfhil to conster Saint Paules wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and findeth fault with him for giuing the aoristes the signification of the present temps let him looke in his lexicon where I weene al his Greeke is how he will abide by this saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Paule haue relation to the bread and wine and answere to the question whom or what seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no verbe transitiue although the Christian writers as Iustinus Martir hath fayned a passiue vnto it Again in the saying of Chrysostom Ho. 24. in 1. Cor. Cap. 10. where Martiall will haue vs marke that the body of Christ is seeene vpon the altar let him his felowes marke that if it be none otherwise there then as it is seene it is present onely to the faith by whose eye it is seene After this tedious treatise of bleassing and thankesgiuing he commeth to his olde petition or principle that the signing with the crosse is a tradition of the Apostles and angry he is that he should be called on to proue y t it is a tradition of the Apostles whereof he can finde no mention in Ecclesiastical writers before y e Valentinian heretikes And wheras Cyprian Ad Panpeium calleth all traditions to the writings commandement of the Apostles he crieth out y t Cyprian is slandered because he him selfe alledgeth the tradition of Christ for mingling of water with y e wine If Cyprian breake his own rule who can excuse him But if he had ben vrged as much for the necessitie of water as he was for the necessitie of wine in y e sacrament he wold haue better considered of the matter FroÌ„ this matter he descendeth to proue the number of sacramentes to be seuen because matrimony is of some olde writers called a sacrament when they meane not a sacrament in y t sense that baptisme is a sacrament but generally a mistery And because M. Calfhil saith that sacramentes were signes ordeined of God to confirme our faith he wil proue y t we haue no sacraments at all because baptisme if it be ministred to men of yeares confirmeth not their faith for they must haue their faith coÌ„firmed before they be baptised so must they that receiue y e communion But when infantes be baptised they haue no faith but the faith of the Church therefore their faith can not be confirmed Did you euer heare such a filthy hogge grunt so beastly of the holy sacraments that they shold be no helps of our father We beleue y t infants although they haue no faith wheÌ„ they are baptised yet haue their faith coÌ„firmed by their baptisme eueÌ„ to their liues end And y t they which come to y e Lordes â—able w t a true faith in Gods promises haue y e same coÌ„firmed by the seale of his word which is that holy sacrament Martial calleth for scriptures Among a thousand texts this one shal serue AbrahaÌ„ receiued y t signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousnes of faith which he had being vncircumcised Rom. 4. v. 11. Tell vs Martiall by thy lawe wherefore a seale serueth if not for confirmation But what should I talke with them of faith which as they haue none in the promises of God so they knowe not what in meaneth To that reason of Master Calfhill that Matrimonie bath no promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes he answereth denying that euery sacrament hath a promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes annexed and afterward he asketh where hath the supper of our Lorde a promise of remission of sinnes for sinnes are forgiuen before the sacrament be receiued Is this y e diuinitie of Louaine is the holy supper auayleable neither for confirmation of faith nor to forgiuenesse of sinnes Wherfore saith Christ of the cupp This is my bloud of the newe Testament which is shed for many vnto forgiuenesse of sinnes Nay sayth Martiall if there be a remission of sines then is it a sacrament propitiatorie contrary to your owne doctrine Nothing the sooner so long as remission of sinnes be not tyed to the work wrought according to your heresie but sealed vnto the faith of the worthie receiuer Likewise he quarrelleth against that reason that Matrimonie conferreth no grace which is easily proued by this that Matrimony is good being contracted among Gentyles heathen persons And whereas he bringeth in the blessing of God to married persons either they be such as pertein to all men in general so proue no grace of mariage in y e church or else to y e faithful only so pertaine to faith not to marriage as y t the faithful woman shall be saued by bringing forth of children The questioÌ„ of marriage after deuorcement because it pertaineth not to y e Crosse I wil not meddle with it M. Calfhill hath sayd more then Martial can answere Touching the popish sacrament of penance which Martiall and not S. Hierome calleth the second table after shipwracke M. Calfhil hath likewise proued effectually that it is no sacrament of Christs Church Against which Martiall bringeth nothing but certein sentences of scripture to proue how necessary repentance is after men haue sinned to obteine remission of sinnes Whereof S. Hierome speaketh and not of Popish penance consisting of contrition confession and satisfaction with their blasphemous absolution Concerning extreme vnction that it is no perpetual sacrament of the Church it is plaine by scripture because the gift of healing which was annexed vnto y e annoynting of oyle spoken of in S. Iames hath long agoe ceased Wherefore it followeth that the same ceremonie of annoynting was temporall euen as the promise of bodily health that was ioyned to it was temporall Finally touching the Councel of Trent that hath allowed all these for sacraments how lawfull it was wheÌ„ he that was accused for heresie should be the onely Iudge I thinke Martiall by his lawe could discusse if he list And as for the saueconduit graunted to the Protestants they haue learned by the case of I. Hus and Hierom of Prage to trust the faith of Papistes as much as they like their religion To conclude there is nothing prooued in this article which pretended that the crosse was alwayes vsed in the sacraments And it is confessed that when it is vsed it is but a ceremonie and such as the want therof taketh not away the effect of the sacraments wherfore seeing the sacraments are perfect without it they are not to be condemned which vpon good grounde and sufficient authoritie haue refused it The fifth Article That the
Homely lately translated into English and imprinted The diuersitie of opinions concerning the sacrament maketh no alteration of faith in them that agree in al other necessarie articles Besides that it is most false which he saith that Luther of the Protestants is counted a very Papist 5 Their Apostles taught such a faith as putteth thinges by the beleefe and practise whereof we may be saued The faith of the Protestants is a deniall of Popish faith and hath no affirmaâ—iue doctrine but that which Papistes had before The Protestantes faith affirmeth that a man is iustified by it only That the sacrifice of Christes death is our onely propitiatorie sacrifice That Christ is our onely mediatour of redemption and intercession c. Generally it affirmeth what so euer the Scripture teacheth and denieth the contrarie Then followe 39. differences in doctrine 6 Their Apostles saide Masse which the Protestantes abhorre The Popish Masse was not then all made therefore they could not say it They ministred y â— communion which Bede and other writers called Missa they saide no priuate Masse such as the Papistes nowe defend 7 In the Masse is an externall sacrifice offered to GOD the father the blessed body and bloud of Christ him selfe lib. 5. cap. 22. This doctrine is expresly reported This seemeth blasphemie to the Protestantes The wordes of Bede according to M. Stapletons owne translation are these out of the Epislte of Ceolfride to Naitan king of the Pictes All Christian Churches throughout the whole world which al ioyned together make but one Catholike Church should prepare bread and wine for the mysterie of the flesh precious bloud of that immaculat lambe which tooke away the sinnes of the world when all lessons prayers rytes and ceremonies vsed in the solemne feast of Easter were done should offer the same to God the father in hope of their redemption to come Here is no sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ but of bread and wine for the mysterie thereof no sacrifice propitiatorie for sinnes but of thankesgiuing and remembrance of the propitiation made by the lambe himselfe in hope of eternall redemption No oblation by by the priest only but by the whole Church and euery member thereof as was the oblation of the Paschall lambe wherevnto he compareth this sacrifice interpreting those wordes of Exod. 12. Euery man shal take a lambe according to their families and housholdes offer him in sacrifice at the euening That is to say saith Ceolfride all Christian Churches c. as before By which wordes it is manifest that the Papistes nowe adayes are departed euen from that faith of the sacrament and sacrifice thereof that Augustine brought from Rome 8 This sacrifice is taught to be propitiatorie lib. 4. c. 22. which Protestants abhorre There is no mention of propitiatorie sacrifice in that chapter but there is told a tale of a prisoner that was loosed from his bonds so oft as his brother which was a Priest saide Masse for his soule supposing he had bene slaine in battel by which many were persuaded that the wholesome blessed sacrifice was effectuous to the euerlasting redemption and ransoming both of soul and body So were they worthie to be deceiued that would build a doctrine without the word of God vpon the vncertaine report of men who either deuised this tale as being false or else if it were so could not discerne the illusions of Sathan seeking to mainteine an errour contrarie to the glorie of Christ. 9 Confession of sinnes made to the priest lib. 4. cap. 25. 27. This sacrament of the Protestantes is abolished In neither of these chapters is mentioned the Popish auricular confession as a sacrament necessarie to saluation In the 25. mention is made of one which being troubled with conscience of an haynous sinne came to a learned priest to aske counsell of remedie and shewed what his offence was In the 27. chapter it is expresly saide that all the people did openly declare vnto S. Cutbert in confession the things that they had done Such confession as either of both these were the Protestants haue not abolished although they number not confession among the sacraments 10 Satisfaction and penance for sinne enioyned appeareth lib. 4. cap. 25. which the Protestants court admitteth not There is no word of satisfaction for his sinnes but of fasting and prayers as fruites of repentance wherevnto he was first exhorted by the priest according to his power and abilitie but he not content herewith vrged the priest to appoint him a certaine time of fasting for a whole weeke together to whose infirmitie the priest somwhat yelding willed him to fast two or three dayes in a weeke vntill he returned to giue him farther aduice Euery man may see broad difference betwixt this counsel and Popish satisfaction and penance 11 Merite of good workes in this storie is eftsoones iustified lib. 4. cap. 14. 15. which the Protestants count preiudidiciall to Gods glorie In the 14. chapter there is no mention of the merite of good workes but that after the brethren had fasted and prayed God deliuered them of the pestilence We neuer denied but that God regardeth our praier and fasting though not as meritorious but as our obedience which he requireth of vs and saueth vs onely for his mercy sake The 15. chapter scarse toucheth any matter of religion and therefore I knowe not what he meaneth to quote it except it be a error of y â— Printer 12 Intercession of Saints Protectants abhorre the practise whereof appeareth lib. 1. cap. 20. lib. 4. cop 14. In the former place Beda supposeth that God gaue the Britaines victorie at the intercession of S. Albane but where learned he this kinde of intercession out of the holy scriptures In the latter place a boy being sicke of the plague reporteth that God would cease the plague at the intercession of S. Oswald as the Apostles Peter and Paul declared to him in a vision But seeing the Apostles haue taught no such doctrine in their writings they haue admonished vs to beware of such fantasticall visions Gal. 1. 2 Thessa. 2. 13 The Clergie of their primitiue Church after holy orders taken doe not marrie lib. 1. cap. 27. Nowe after holy orders and vowe to the contrarie priestes doe marrie The Counsell of Gregorie to Augustine is this If there be any among the Cleargie out of holy orders which can not liue chast they shall take wiues These wordes coÌ„maund some of the Cleargie to take wiues they forbid not the rest to marrie For what shall they that are in holy orders doe if they can not liue chast Againe the histories are plentifull that Priestes were married in England three or foure hundreth yeares after Augustine 14 In their primitiue Church the vow of chastitie was thought godly and practised now they are counted damnable broken Such vowes as were made without consideration of mens abilitie to performe them are iustly accounted rash and presumptuous Such
Christ these many hundreth yeares he alledgeth the sayinges of some Protestants miserably wrested from their meaning that Latimer was our Apostle that Luther begat trueth that the Gospel doth arise in the first appearing of the Gospel c or as though by these sayings such like they should deny that euer there had ben any Churche in the worlde before these times whereas euery childe may vnderstand they speake of the restitution of the truth of the Gospel into the open sight of the world in these latter days Likewise where some haue written that the Pope hath blinded the world these many hundreth yeares some say a thousand yeres some 1200. some 900. some 500. c. And the Apologie affirmeth that Christ hath saide the Church should erre he cauilleth that all the Church for so many yeares is condemned of all error Whereas it is euident to them that will vnderstande that although some erronious opinions haue preuailed in processe of time haue increased in the greatest part of the Church for many hundreth yeares yet so long as the only foundation of saluatioÌ„ was reteined the vniuersall Church of Christe so many hundreth yeares is not condemned But when Antichrist the mysterie of whose iniquitie wrought in the Apostles time 2. Thess. 2. was openly shewed and that apostasy which the Apostle foresheweth was fulfilled then and from that time whensoeuer it was not the vniuersall Church of Christ is condemned but the general apopasie of Antichrist is detected THE ARGVMENT WHEREVP-on this first part of the vawmure of this Fortresse is builded is thus framed by the builder himselfe The knowen Church of Christ doth continew and shall continue alwayes without interruption in the true and vpright faith But papistrie was the onely knowne Church of Christ all these nine hundreth yeares Ergo papistrie all these nine hundreth yeares hath continued and shal continue alwayes euen to the worldes end without interruption in the true and vpright faith This argument hath neuer a legge to stande vpon for vnderstanding as he doeth the knowen Church to be that which is knowne to the world to continue without interruption so knowne to the worlde the maior is false For although the Church shall continue alwayes without interruption yet it shall not continue alwayes so knowne but as in the dayes of Elias be hid from the outward viewe of men Againe the minor that Papistrie was the only knowen Church vnderstanding as he doth that it was only reputed taken and acknowledged so to be it is vtterly false For the Greeke Orientall Church which is not the Popish Church hath beene reputed taken and acknowledged to be the Church of Christ by as great a nomber of professors of Christianitie as haue acknowledged the Popish Church So that where he thinketh and saith al his labour remaineth to proue y e maior you see that if he could proue it yet al his labor is lost But to follow him in his maior he deuydeth it into two partes The one that the Church doeth alwayes continue in a right faith The other that this is a known Church Both these he promiseth to proue by Scripture And the first truely he shall not neede but yet it followeth not but that the church may erre in some particuler points not necessary to saluation although it continue in a right faith concerning all principall and necessarie articles CAP. III. Euident proofes cleare demonstrations out of the Psalms that the Church of Christ must continue for euer without interruption sounde vpright He is plentifull in prouing that which needeth no proofe that the Church of Christ shall continue alwayes and first out of the 88 Psalme which he rehearseth and interpreteth of the Church out of Augustine lest he should trust his owne iudgement as he fantasieth that our preachers do altogether refusing to read interpreters Wee affirme that the Church of Christ hath and shall continue to the worldes ende but we deny that the Popish Church is that which could not be before there was a Pope before their heresies were brought out of the bottomlesse pit which were not breathed vp all in 600. yeares after Christ no not in 1000 yeares after Christ and some not almost in 14. hundreth yeares after Christ I meane the sacrilegious taking away of the communion of the blood of Christ from the people in the councell of Constance What impudencie is it of Papistes to vrge the perpetuall continuance of Christes Churche without interruption and then to begin at 600. yeres after Christ and not to be able to shewe a perpetuall course of all their doctrine from Christ his Apostles and the primitiue Church But to proue that the church of Christ cannot possibly as Protestants wickedly do fable haue fayled and perished these many hundreth yeares he citeth the 61. Psalme with Augustines exposition thereupon But what Protestant so fableth M. Stapleton you had neede to make men of paper to fight against the paper walles of your fantasticall fortresse The Papistes when they cannot confute that we say they wil beate downe that we say not How saye the Protestantes that these 900. yeares and vpward the Church hath perished it hath beene ouerwhelmed with Idolatrie and superstition The Protestants neuer sayde so M. Stapl. The Church hath not perished though the greatest part of the worlde hath beene ouerwhelmed with idolatrie and superstition God can prouide for his chosen that they shall not be drowned when all the worlde beside is ouerwhelmed Another testimonie to the like effect and with the like conclusion he bringeth out of y e psal 104 thereupon a pithy syllogisme We proue the Catholike Church by the continuance of Christianitie The continuance of Christianitie only in Papistry is cleare ergo Papistry is only the true Church of Christ. Nego tibi minorem M. Stepl When will you proue the continuance of Christianitie only in Papistrie when Papistrie began since Christ his Apostles and if you meane Christianitie for the externall profession of Christes religion then will you proue the Orientall Churches to be papistrie which defye the authoritie of your Pope Last of all out of the Psalm 101. and Augustines application of the same against the Donatistes which sayde that the church was perished out of al the worâ—d except Affrica where they were he would compare the Protestants to them whereas in deede the Papistes are more like to them For they holding that there is no Church of Christ but the Romish church affirme in effect as the Donatistes that the Church of Christ for many hundreth yeares hath perished out of all partes of the world beside Europa where onely yet not in all partes thereof they haue borne the sway Whatsoeuer therefore Augustine writeth against the Donatistes for shutting vp the Church of Christ onely in Affrica may be rightly applyed to the Papistes for restraining it onely to a part of Europa But contrary to the Papistes and
from the beginning to the ende of the worlde which is in deede a proper adiunct of the Church of Christe not to be found in any heresie nor in papistry the greatest of all heresies But M. Stapleton which cannot proue that Papistrie hath continued alwayes will argue vppon that it hath continued a certeine time The Church saith he hath continued a certeine hundred yeares in that faith and doctrine onely which Papistes do teache But in those very hundreth yeares the Church neither could lacke neither coulde haue a wrong faith or be seduced with damnable doctrine Therefore Papistes had all that time the true faith and their faith and doctrine is true sound and vpright The maior of this argument he affirmeth to be our confession which is nothing else but an impudent lye of his owne confiction For which of the Protestantes euer confessed that the Church hath continued so many hundreth yeares in that faith and doctrin onely which the Papistes teache If he haue the wit to drawe such confessions from vs he may proue what he list against vs. But he promiseth to proue abundantly the continuance of Popish doctrine from the beginning which wee so stoutly denye In the meane time he returneth to Caluine whome he chargeth to haue learned his opinion and doctrine of the Donatistes concerning the markes of the Church Taking to witnesse the Ep. 48. of Augustine ad Vincentium where the Donatistes answered the argument of vniuersalitie that the Church was called Catholike Not because it did communicate with the whole worlde but because it obserued all Gods commaundementes all his sacraments But what a vaine quarell this is he him selfe doth sufficiently declare when he bringeth in Augustine immediatly confessing the Church to be called Catholike because it holdeth that veritie wholly and throughly whereof euery heresie holdeth a parte or peece onely and addeth thereunto the coÌ„munication with all nations videlicet that holde that veritie wholly and throughly And lest this might seeme to be borrowed of the Donatistes onely Augustine him selfe affirmeth as much de Genesi ad literam imperfect Cap. 1. Constitutam ab eo matrem ecclesiam 〈◊〉 Catholica dicitur ex eo quia vniuersaliter perfecta est in nullo claudicat per totum orbem diffusa est That by him the Church is appointed our mother which is called Catholike for that it is vniuersally perfect halteth in nothing and is dispersed throughout the whole worlde Whereas Augustine requireth vniuersall perfection in all true doctrine and administration of the sacramentes with vniuersalitie the Papistes take vniuersalitie alone which Augustine neuer sayde nor taught to be a sufficient note of the Church After this he chargeth Caluine to denye the perpetuall continuance of the Church because he sayde that the pure preaching of the worde hath vanished away in certeine ages past by which he meaneth not as this foolish cauiller taketh him or rather mistaketh him that true preaching had vtterly perished out of the whole worlde but out of the Popish Synagog which in Europe boasted it selfe to be the onely Church of Christe when in the chiefe articles of Christianitie it derogated from the glorye of Christ and was subiect to the doctrine of the man of sinne the aduersary and enemy of Christ. And if malice had not blinded him he woulde haue so vnderstoode Caluine alledging his saying immediatly after wherein he confesseth that the Church of Christ neuer fayled out of the worlde Whereupon he demaundeth whether the Church of the Protestants is that which hath neuer fayled If wee saye it is he demaundeth further where those markes of preaching and ministring of the sacraments haue beene these many hundreth yeares which question he hopeth some disciple of Caluine will assoile him I aunswere those markes were to be seene in such places where the Churches were gathered that had separated them selues from the Church of Rome If he vrge mee further to shewe him the particuler places let him resort to the booke of Actes and monumentes which it seemeth he hath read ouer If that will not satisfye him by example of our Sauiour Christ I will refell his vaine question with another question Where did those 7000. that GOD preserued in the dayes of Elias assemble for prayers preaching and sacrifice If he cannot tell no more am I bounde to shewe him in what particuler places they preached and ministred the Sacramentes And therefore neither neede the Apologie to recant nor the Harborough be reuoked nor M. Foxe call in his booke nor M. Nowell his reproofe It will not suffice a wrangling cauiller an hundreth times to affirme that the Church hath alwayes continued euen when Papistrie moste preuailed and euen vnder the tyrannie and persecution of Papistrie like as the Church was among the idolatrous Baalites in the dayes of Elyas or among the wicked Iewes that persecuted the Prophets But hereto he replyeth that though the assemblies of the Iewes were no Churches yet their temple sacrifices ceremonies lawe and doctrine was good I aunswere so much of these as they reteyned according to Gods lawe was good and so I confesse of the doctrine and sacramentes of the Papistes As Baptisme concerning the substance of the sacrament the historicall faith of the Trinitie of the incarnation passion resurrection of Christ c. But if these and many more pieces of trueth might be sufficient to make them the Church of Christ many heretikes might challenge the Church which haue confessed practised a great number of truthes more then they which erre but in one article as the Arrians Pelagians c. Where as the Papistes erre in many yea in the whole doctrine of iustification by faith and the worship of God And therefore Papistrie is not onely a schisme errour or heresie But as Caluine out of Daniel 9. and Paul 2. Thessal 2. rightly concludeth an apostasie defection and antechristianitie not abolishing but reteining the names of Christe of the Gospell of the Church but the true vertue power and strength of the same vtterly forsaking denying and persecuting CAP. VI. Other prophecyes alledged and discussed for the continuance of Christes Churche in a sounde and vpright faith Diuerse textes of Scripture are cited some rightly some strangely applyed to proue that wee deny not namely the perpetuall continuance of the Church of Christ in a sounde and right faith in all matters necessary to saluation Vppon euery one of which he inferreth howe could Christe forsake his Church these â—00 yeares as though wee saide that Christe hath had no Church in the space of nine hundreth yeares which we neuer doubted of CAP. VII Proofes out of the Gospell for the continuance of Christes Church in pure and vnspotted doctrine When M. Stapleton commeth to proue that which wee denye his proofes will be neither so plentifull nor so sufficient His counterfait painted Fort must haue puppets made to assaile it The Church of Christ concerning the substance of
point at it with his finger Let him I say point out with his finger what Kinges in euery age for the space of the first three hundreth yeares did walke in the brightnesse of the Churches arising It will not serue him to name Algarus of Edessa or Lucius of Britaine But he must shewe a continuall succession of Kinges for all that time or if he can not let him confesse that the externall glorie and brightnesse of the Church is not in all ages to be seene as the spirituall magnificence and light thereof is euerlasting His nexte reason is of the continuance of Pastours and teachers in the Churche which he imagineth to haue fayled in our Church for nine hundreth yeares but he is altogether deceiued For when the state of the Romishe Churche was growen to be such a confuse Babylon that it was necessary for GODS people to goe out of it Apoc. Chap. 18. verse 4. Which came not to the full ripenesse of iniquitie vntill a thousande yeares after Christe GOD sent Pastours and teachers to his Churche so departed out of Babylon in these partes of Europe which continued by succession euen vntill GOD restored his Gospell into open light of the worlde againe Beside that a great number of Easterne Churches haue continued euen from the Apostles time vnto this day though not in soundnesse of all opinions yet in open profession of Christianitie among whome doubtlesse some reteyned the foundation alwayes which were neuer obedient to the see of Rome neither partakers of a greate nomber of her horrible heresies so that if it were graunted that the Churche must alwayes be visible yet the Papistes are neuer the neare to proue their faction to be the Church because the Greeke Church for outward shewe of a Churche hath bene alwayes as notorious in the East as the Latine Church in the West Finally where Augustine sayeth although vpon a text wrongly interpreted that the Churche is placed in the sunne that is a manifest place of the worlde not in a corner like the conuenticles of heretikes He meaneth not that the Church is alwayes seene of all men but that it seeketh no corners or couerture of darkenesse as heretikes doe to shrowd their falshoode in although in the time of persecution it be driuen into streightes and is content to be hidden from the aduersaries thereof except in some cases where the glorie of CHRISTE requireth an open confession The same Augustine would haue the Churche to be known onely by the Scriptures De vnitate Ecclesiae Cap. 16. Sed utrum ipst Ecclesiam teneant non nisi divinarum scripturarrum Canonicis libris ostendunt But whether they holde the Church let them shewe by none otherwayes but by the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scriptures If the Papistes were able to proue their doctrine by the scriptures they would not labour so muche for the title of the Church which of necessitie would followe them if they taught nothing but that and all that which the holy Scriptures doe teache CAP. XIIII Three reasons why the Church of Christ ought of necessitie alwayes to be a cleare euident visible and knowen Church In the seconde of which reasons a sensible disputation is made to trie whether our countrie among other might possiblie haue attayned to the right Faith without the helpe of a knowne Church in all this pretensed time of Papistrie The first reason is that except the Church and true pastors thereof might be openly knowne the infidell seeking for Christianitie shall come from paganisme to heresie c. the grace and gift of Christ shoulde bee vnprofitable as a riche treasure fast locked vp c. which were inconuenient in many respects c. therefore the Church must be openly knowne and euident c. I aunswere this reason sauoreth of Pelagianisme which is enimie to the grace of God presupposing that Infidels of their owne good motion without the grace of God may seeke Christianitie But if wee remember what our Sauiour Christ saith No man commeth vnto me except my father drawe him Ioan. 6. ver 44. Wee must acknowledge that as it is the onely grace of God that moueth in infidels a desire to seeke Christ so the same grace and no outward appearance to be iudged by carnall reason shall directe them whom he hath chosen to eternall life among so many sectes in the worlde to finde see and acknowledge the onely true Church and piller of trueth out of which there is no saluation Wherefore this reason hath no grounde but vppon a supposition of Pelagianisme that GOD hath onely reuealed his trueth vnto men of the worlde and lefte men to their owne reason to find it out by external notes such as Infidels not lightened by Gods grace by the light of naturall reason may descerne The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because faith leaneth vpon authoritie and authoritie is strong in a multitude although in the primitiue Church by miracles euident giftes of the holy ghost the authoritie of a fewe drewe whole countryes to the faith yet miracles ceasing to keepe the Church alwayes in a knowen multitude whose authoritie might drawe the simple persuade the learned and keepe out the heretikes If this carnal reason were good there were smal or no vse of the scriptures at all The authoritie of the Church and that alwayes knowne might suffice for all matters But Augustine saith hee in his booke de vxilitate credendi ad Honoratum Cap. 14. vseth this reason to bring Honoratus from the Manichees to the Catholikes out of whome he citeth a long discourse to this effect That as the common multitude and fame moueth a man to beleeue that there was such a one as Christ and that his writings and scriptures are to be credited so of the head rulers of that multitude and not of any priuie and newe sect such as the Manichees was he must learne the vnderstanding of this booke and scriptures This he taketh vppon him to exemplifie by the state of our countrey at the firste conuersion thereof by Augustine Although this carnal reason might haue some shew with Honoratê° a straunger from the Church and one not lightened with the spirite of God yet howe vaine it is being applyed to the Papistes you may easily see by this that since the Church of Rome hath been the Church of Antichrist as great a multitude which might and hath moued many infidels to receuie the profession of Christianitie hath beene seperated from it as hath cleaued to it Put the case then of an infidell in the East which moued by the fame and consent of many nations hath thought well of Christ hath giuen credite to the Scriptures to what head rulers shoulde be resort for instruction in the Scriptures to the rulers of that multitude by which he was first moued to beleeue then shoulde he neuer become a Papist For all the Patriarches
the Greeke and Easterne Churches from him which they count to be a schisme and heresie The third reason No heresie can continue and ouergrowe the true Church Papistrie hath continued Ergo Papistrie is no heresie The minor of this syllogisme is false for Papistrie hath not continued from the time of Christe but hath had her beginning long since and was not growne to a ripenesse of all her heresies in more then a thousand yeares after Christ as I haue shewed in the table of differences Therefore what so euer he saith to proue the maior is to no purpose when the minor is manifestly false CAP. XX. The third reason of the former chapter is fortified out of the aunicient and learned Fathers Nowe he taketh in hand a goodly piece of fortification and like a worthie surueior of the Popes buildings he bestoweth great cost out of Hilarius Chrysostome and Clemens Alexandrinus for defence of such a point as none of his aduersaries would euer offer to assaile Nameley the continuance of the Church and true religion which can not be ouercome not kept downe by any tyrannie or heresie but the more it is persecuted and oppressed the more it will flourish and increase And for this cause the true Church and faith of Christ although it haue bene long troden downe and afflicted by the tyrannie of Antichrist euen to such time as God had appointed that Antichrist shuld rage in the world for the sinnes thereof and especially for the contempt of the trueth 2. Thess. 2. yet hath it in the end preuailed encreased and flourished and by no craft or crueltie of Antichrist could any longer be suppressed or kept vnder Let not Papistes therefore bragge that they haue preuailed so long but let them nowe behold their ouerthrow by the increase of Gods Church and looke for their finall destruction at the glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ. We doubt not therefore but determine with Augustine De vtilitate credendi to rest in y e bosome of that Church which from the seate of the Apostle by consent of mankind hath continued by succession of Bishops and hath obtained the height of authoritie all heretikes barking about it which partly by the iudgement of the people partly by the grauitie of Councels partly by the maiestie of miracles haue bene condemned But we vtterly denie the Popish Church to be this Church which hath had no continuance of succession from the Apostles seate in faith and doctrine though it claime neuer so much the succession of persons and places with the Donatistes Symon Magus Martion Eunomius and other heretikes we haue nothing to doe If trueth in Aerius and Vigilantius was condemned for errour not by the scriptures but by the tradition of men such condemnation can be no preiudice to them or their opinion when being called againe into iudgement they are found by sentence of Gods word the iudgement of the more ancient Fathers to haue ben wrongfully condemned To conclude Papistrie hath not preuailed against the church of God which hauing sought by all meanes so long time to roote her out of the earth yet was neuer able to bring to passe her wicked deuice but that the Church of Christ and the true religion thereof hath at last in the sight of al men gotten the vpper hand in despight of the Pope and Papistrie and all Papistes THE SECOND part of the Fortresse CAP. I. CErtaine demaundes to Protestantes putting the case that Papistes these many hundreth yeres haue liued in a wrong faith all which the case so put they ought of necessitie to satisfie WHat so euer the Protestantes can say for them selues as their credite is not great with him except they can proue one of his two demaūds he thinketh no godly or wise man will regard any thing they can say The first demaund is where or vnder what Pope or Emperour Papistrie beganne I aunswere Papistrie being antichristianitie the mysterie of that iniquitie began euen in the time of the Apostles 2. Thess. 2. Claudius being Emperour of Rome and so contiuned increasing in Apostasie vntill the time of Sigismund the Emperour who procured the Councel of Constance in which the lay people were robbed of the cup of the Lordes bloud Stapleton must beare with me if I can not name the Pope bicause at that time there were no lesse then three Popes at once and no man then liuing but as he was affectionate to one of those three could determine which of them was Pope This Stapleton though he haue a brasen face will not denie He requireth vs further to shewe the complaint of other Churches against Papistrie First for the beginning of the mysterie of iniquitie S. Paul complaineth 2. Thess. 2. And for the proceeding of that which was y e chiefe point therof namely the tyrannie of y e Bishop of Rome alwayes as it shewed it selfe some there were which complained of it Victor is the first Bishop of Rome which discouered the hid mysterie of iniquitie in vsurping against his fellowe Bishops in the time of the Emperour Seuerus against whome complained sharply reproued him Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons Polycrates and many other Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 25. Afterward in the dayes of Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius the Emperours when the Bishops of Rome Innocentius Bonifacius Zosimus Anastasius and Celestinus vsurped more openly in so much that they forged among them a decree of the Councel of Nice whereby they claimed their authoritie they were complained of by the Bishops and Church of Africa in open Councel the forgerie detected and decrees made that none in Africa should appeale to any Bishop ouer the Sea And that the Bishop of the first See should not be called prince of Priestes nor by any such name of pride but onely Bishop of the first See Conc Mileuit c. 22. Conc. Carth. 6. cap. 4. Conc. African c. 92. Ep. Concil ad Bonifac. Caelestinum Afterward in the dayes of the Emperour Mauritius when Iohn of Constantinople vsurped the title of vniuersall Bishop as the forerunner of Antichrist Gregorie him selfe Bishop of Rome complained of him and pronounced that he was the forerunner of Antichrist Wherefore Stapleton lyeth shamefully when he saith we make him the first Antichrist for as I haue testified before although there was in him a superstitious affection vnto ceremonies and that he was infected with certaine olde errours that had preuailed before his time yet bicause he helde the foundation of saluation by Christ onely and detested the vsurpation of that Antichristian title we account him for a member of the true Church of Christ. But after him when in the dayes of Phocas Bonifacius by pride and symonie had vsurped the same Antichristian authoritie and procured that the Church of Rome should be counted head of all Churches he was complayned of by the Church of Rauenna in Italie which would not acknowledge that Antichristian title neyther would submitte her selfe vnto the whore of
Babylon before the time of Donus the Pope which was almoste seuentie yeres after that Maister Stapleton misnameth Martianus in steede of Mauritius I will impute it to no ignorance although if such a faulte escape any of vs we are by and by cried out vpon to be ignorant in all antiquity c. Thus haue I aunswered Maister Stapletons demaunde concerning the principall foundation and rocke of Papistrie although no necessitie suche as hee supposeth doeth moue mee For albeit the precise time of the entring of any heresie can not be named yet it followeth not that the same heresie is a trueth therefore The second demaunde is when and by whome Luther was called when he begunne to preache the Gospell I aunswere if calling of the Popishe Churche be lawfull as the Papistes will not denye Luther had suche ordinary calling as the Churche where he liued did allowe for he was called to be a publike teacher before the Popes pardoner came into Saxony against whose moste impudent blasphemies and shamelesse errours he first inueyghed in his publike sermons Wherefore concerning his vocation the mouthes of Papistes ought to be stopped But Stapleton will not be so satisfied for he sayeth that the Popish Churche would neuer call him to preache against her selfe that is not materiall the Popishe Churche gaue him such authority as she had to preache whiche he vsed first to seeke her reformation if she had bene reformable but when he sawe her oppose her selfe against the manifest trueth he had iust cause to departe from her vnto the Catholike Churche of CHRISTE It sufficeth not Stapleton that hee learned by the Scriptures that the Churche erred bycause all heretikes abuse the Scriptures as thoughe there were no certainty of trueth to be founde in the Scriptures which blasphemie derogateth all authoritie from the holy Scriptures inspired of GOD whiche the Apostle sayeth to bee able to reprooue all errours that the man of GOD may be perfecte prepared to all good workes 2. Tim. 3. ver 16. Againe where hee affirmeth that he had the interpretation of the Scriptures from heauen Stapleton vrgeth that then he must shewe some miracle as if the ordinary inspiration of Gods spirite without the which no man can vnderstand any of Gods mysteries of necessitie requireth confirmation of miracles But Luther him selfe he sayeth requireth miracles of Muncer whiche boasted of Reuelation and so ought we to doe of Luther No sir Muncer boasted of an extraordinary Reuelation and taught a doctrine directly contrary to the worde of GOD written and therefore the case is nothing lyke After this hee telleth a slaunderous fable out of that runnagate Baldwine of the conference at Poissie that Beza and Martyr could not agree whether their calling was ordinary or extraordinary the conclusion whereof was this that Beza was ordeined of Caluine and Caluine as Beza sayde of none Which how impudent and shamelesse a lye it is that Beza should reprote of Caluine it is manifest to all men that knowe the storie of that Churche and citie of Geneua that Caluine was called and ordeyned by the Churche there when he was altogether vnwilling to remaine in that Citie but in a manner compelled by the earnest obtestation of Farellus Cal. in Praefa in Psalm Beza in vita Caluini And yet more monstruous is that lye that Beza should grant the rebellion that followed to be a signe of his vocation when the worlde knoweth that the beginning of these ciuill warres came altogether from the Papistes the Duke of Guise giuing the occasion by the Diuelishe slaughter and buchery of Vassie But to the principall matter in question that Luther and some other hauing an extraordinary calling from God to teach and reforme the Church need not to conâ—irme their calling by miracles when they teach nothing but that is confirmed by manifest authoritie of holy Scriptures in the consciences of all men that wilfully oppose not themselues against the trueth either y â— they will not knowe it or that they will not obey it It is euident by so many prophets as God stirred vp in the olde time which had no extraordinary calling of the Church being not of the tribe of Leui yet being only interpreters of the lawe needed no signes or miracle to confirme their calling Our Sauiour Christ himselfe confirmeth the extraordinary calling of the Scribes and Pharisees when he willeth them to be heard sitting in Moses chaire of which yet a great number and almost all were no Leuites nor Priestes therefore had no ordinary calling Yet Gregory himselfe in the history of Bede at the first planting of the particular Church in Englande alloweth extraordinary ordeyning of Bishops Lib. 1. Cap. 27. Wherefore if Luthers calling were altogether extraordinary as Papistes can not say except they deny the calling of their owne Churche he is not bound to approue his calling by miracles when his doctrine and all things in which hee departeth from the Church of Rome is proued true and agreeable to the word of God The third demaunde is that we must shewe a succession from the Apostles as the Scripture witnesseth the Churche to haue and the auncient fathers exacted of Heretikes The Scripture requireth no succession of names persons or places but of faith and doctrine and that wee prooue when we approue our faith and doctrine by the doctrine of the Apostles Neither had the fathers any other meaning in calling vpon newe vpstart heresies for their succession but of a succession of doctrine as well as of persons Which is manifest by Tertullian De praescript Ita per successiones c. So comming downe by successions from the beginning that their first bishop haue for his authors and antecessours one of the Apostles or Apostolike men but yet such a one as hath continued with the Apostles These wordes of Tertullian are manifest that succession of Bishoppes euen to the Apostles helpeth not excepte there be a continuance in the doctrine of the Apostles whiche when the Papistes can shewe we will gladly yeld vnto them In the meane time it is not the continual succession of persons in any place which teach contrary to their antecessours which haue taught in that place that can carry away the credite of the whole doctrine and religion of Christe CAP. II. An Introduction to the proofes which followe in the seconde part of this fortresse Repeating what he fantasieth he hath fortified before which howe weake it is I haue sufficiently discouered in this Chapter hee promiseth first to declare by diuerse sure and necessary tokens whiche protestantes doe lacke that the faith then planted was a right faith which in many principall pointes we doe not denye but that it was a right faith Secondly repeating the difference in doctrine gouernement ceremonies course and consequence of both the religions he will prooue all that they had differring from vs partly by Scripture and partly by the faith of the first sixe hundreth yeares To which I replye
First that what so euer was then taught contrary to that we teache for matter of faith can not be prooued by Scripture Secondly that although some errours which then were taught may be prooued to haue bene helde within the sixe hundreth yeares yet they can not bee prooued to haue bene helde alwayes especially in the oldest times and therefore can make no preiudice against our cause which take not vppon vs to allowe all thinges that were helde in sixe hundreth yeares no more then the Papistes themselues doe Finally I haue shewed as many differences of that time from the Papistes as he is able to shewe of vs from them and yet some of his differences are impudent forgeries CAP. III. Fiue apostolicall markes found in our Apostles and wanting in Protestantes who must be our Apostles if the other were not The Protestantes take not vppon them to be Apostles but professours and teachers of the Apostolike doctrine And therefore they boast of no miracles which is with him the first note of Augustines Apostleship which miracles if they were testified to vs by an Euangelist we might well beleeue them but seeing they are written by a credulous man y t recordeth euery fable that was tolde him we haue small cause to credite them Bedes history is no Gospell Beside that y e bryttish histories vtterly deny those supposed miracles reporting Augustine to be a minister of Sathan rather then of God But admit that he did some of those things as are reported of him it might please GOD in respecte of Christian faith which he planted among the English nation to woorke some miracles by him and yet not to allowe all thinges that he taught Shall not the very workers of iniquitie saye in that daye Lorde wee haue wrought miracles in thy name Matth. 7. vers 22. As for the miracle supposed to bee done by Master Lane of Westchester whiche hee scorneth at I see not but it is as good as the best done by Augustine and yet for mine owne parte I thinke it was no miracle but a naturall worke the mayde perhaps being affected with the mother or some such like disease The lyes he telleth of Luther and Caluine out of that vngodly rascall Staphylus I thinke not worthy to be spoken of although he make him selfe witnesse of the one and the other is a monstrous inuention of Sathan which being reported to be done in a noble citie and before so manye witnesses can finde none that had the brasen face like Staphylus to saye he sawe it Which making and louing of lyes sheweth Papistes to be the right begotten children of the diuell the father of lyes The miracles reported by Master Foxe the shamelesse beast when he cannot denye being testified by witnesses aboue all exception he can make affirmeth to be esteemed of his owne fellowes but as ciuile things and such as may happen by course of reason I saye not this as though I woulde haue our doctrine the rather to be credited one iotte more for anye such miracle but to shewe the shamelesse dogged stomacke of this Popishe slaunderer which when hee had none other aunswere to make as concerning such miracles forgeth that wee our selues denye all such to haue beene miracles which he is not able to prooue although he woulde burst for malice against the trueth The seconde marke and difference is that there was one heart of the beleeuers Augustine his company neuer disagreed The Protestants are at great variance among them selues not for learnings sake as the Concurrents in Italye nor vppon quirkes and subtilties in matters indifferent as the schoolemen that holde positions but vpon the weightiest articles of our beleefe as heretikes are wont to holde opinions I answere among them that haue departed from y e Church of Rome vnto y ◠Church of Christ there hath beene some variance about the Lordes supper but yet in no greater matters then hath beene betweene two godly martyrs of the primitiue Church Cornelius of Rome and Cyprian of Carthage about baptisme although not handled with like modestie on the one part as was then of both yea no greater then as yet remaineth vndecided among the Papistes touching y ◠authoritie of the Pope and the Popish generall Councell although they all like Pilate and Herode the Pharisees Saducees can agree together to put Christ to death and to persecute the trueth Finally if in the first restoring of the truth some matters to some men were not so apparant what marueile when your Augustine and ours also as farre as he was Christes was doubtfull and ignorant euen in very small trifling matters which argued some dissention of opinion in him and his monkes or else those questions might haue beene determined without sending to Rome li. 1. Cap. 27. c. The thirde marke is an ordinarie vocation which Luther lacked I denye that Augustine had an ordinarie vocation to preach in Englande or that the Bishop of Rome hath any ordinary authoritie to sende Apostles into the countries of any Infidels which if he had they should be the Bishop of Romes apostles and not the Apostles of Christ. For they be his apostles which hath authoritie to send them But if Augustine had ordinary vocation by the Bishop of Rome why had not Luther ordinary vocatiō of that church which authorized him to preach If you say he could haue no ordinarye vocation because he was an heretike I aunswere It followeth not for euen heretikes haue had ordinary vocatiō namely so many bishops and priestes of Rome Alexandria and other places as after their calling haue fallen into heresies Wherfore leaue his vocation which against you is good ynough and trye his doctrine If his doctrine be found true and agreeable to the worde of God who hath stirred him vp to discouer openly the heresies of Antichrist let not his doctrine be refused for his extraordinarie calling The slaunders and vnlearned conclusions against Luther I omit as vnworthie any aunswer being either false lyes of Staphylus or inconsequent collections of Stapleton The fourth Apostolicall marke is the continuance of 900. yeares whereas the Protestants doctrine hath continued but 30. yeares or as the blockheaded Papist scorneth at M. Haddon 30. yeeres except 6. with Gamaliels counsell vpon the matter which with this Popish priest is good diuinitie If this Councell or worke be of men it will come to nought c. whose antecedent being true the conclusion is stark naught To this I aunswere I haue shewed by many differences that the religion brought in by Augustine hath not continued without alteration in many pointes these 900. yeares And albeit it had yet it is not therby proued true because diuerse heresies haue continued much longer time which are not thereby iustified as of the circumcisers Nestorians c. yea Mahometisme hath continued 900. yeares begon with fained miracles commended by Sergius a monke which had ordinary vocation to teache continued with great cōsent these 900. yeres which
are 4. of Stapletons apostolik marks also techeth many things that before were vnknowen which is the fifth marke Whereas Protestants haue added nothing to the faith of Christ but taken many things away from it I answere if Augustine with him brought in all trueth and besides that some errours which haue encreased in processe of time thicke and threefolde Protestants were worthie of thankes for remouing the errours though they brought in no new matters of faith as he is thankes worthie which weedeth a garden or feelde although he sowe no newe seedes therein But it is most vntrue that Papistes had all trueth before we discouered their errours for the doctrine of iustification of the worship of God of the vse of good workes and of the sacraments was either almost or altogether lacking in Popery which by the doctrine of the Gospell is restored But now let vs see what Protestants haue taken away Forsooth From the quicke from the dead from faith from the Church from Saints from God From the quicke free will state of perfection and all merite of good workes Yea sir Pelagian the Scripture sayeth No quicke man shalbe iustified in the sight of God Psalm 143. v. 2. which taketh away all that you haue giuen him From the dead all prayer intercession for them When you can allow the dead these things out of the Scripture we will not denye it to them From the faith an article of Christes discention into hell A lewd lye of a slaunderous Papist From the Church as it is the whole bodye fiue sacraments Three more then Christ instituted The continuall assistance of Gods holy spirite promised by our Sauiour A shamefull lye And the visible sight in this world assured vnto vs by holy scripture That Scripture is yet to shewe whereby the Churche should be promised alwayes to be in open sight of y ◠greatest parte of the worlde From the Church as the spirituall parte they haue taken supreme gouernement in matters Ecclesiasticall None other then such as is against the Scripture Let euery soule submit it selfe to the higher powers Rom. 13. ver 1. Authoritie of making that which Christ had them to make in his last supper If you saye you make the body of Christ in such sence as you affirme the sacrament to be the bodye of Christe Gods cursse light on you The doing of all that Christe commaunded to be done in remembrance of him we take not away The power of binding and loosing with most of the authoritie due vnto that estate and vocation A very slaunder From the Church they take Altars crosses Images c. Because the temple of God hath nothing to doe with Images 2. Cor. 6. ver 16. From God him selfe an externall sacrifice the true proper seruice due to God onely and continually as Saint Augustine prooueth at large De ciuitate Dei A slaunder of Augustine which lib. 10. Cap. 20. calleth the Lordes supper a sacrament of the oblation of Christe the onely singuler sacrifice so that nowe there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne for by one sacrifice once offered he hath made perfect for euer those that are sanctified Heb. 10. ver 14. by which only sacrifice there was forgiuenesse of our sinnes and where there is forgiuenesse of sinnes there is no more sacrifice for sinne Heb. 10. 18. You see what sure and stedfast apostolike markes these are which are founde in Mahomet as much as in Augustine so that if Augustine had not the worde of God to warrant the principall partes of the faith which he preached in Englande by these fiue markes he might neither be proued to bee an Apostle nor yet a true preacher CAP. IIII. Differences in doctrine betweene the primitiue faith of Englande and the heresie of Protestants And first of Masse of the propitiation thereof of intercession of Saintes of their commemoration at Masse time of confession of sinnes and of merite of good workes Concerning the differences I haue written alreadie in answere to his table of differences Nowe must we see how he proueth them by testimonye of y ◠firste 600. yeares The first in this Chapter and sixth in number is the Masse whose name he may in deede finde within the compasse of 600. yeares although otherwise taken then it is of papistes but yet frō Christ vntill 400. yeares be complete the name of Missa is not founde in any auncient authenticall writer And therefore he beginneth with Ambrose in his Epistle E. 33. which place you shall finde discussed in mine aunswere to Heskins lib. 3. Cap. 32. letting you to vnderstande by the way that he citeth the wordes otherwise then they be and so doeth M. Heskins and yet neither of thē both as they be in Ambrose by which it appeareth that neither of them both read them in Ambrose Stapleton citeth them thus Missam facere caepi Dwum offerrem nuntiatum est c. I began to say Masse whyle I offred worde was brought to me c. Ambrose saith somewhat otherwise The next testimonies he citeth are out of Augustine Ser. 251. 237. de tempore which all learned men knowe to be none of Augustines but if they were they be after 400. yeares beforesaide The next is Leo Ep. 81. Cap. 2. which in mine answere to Heskins before quoted you shall finde handled at large After this followe the Canons of 7. or 8. councels prouinciall in which the name of Missa is found but all kept aboue 400. yeares after Christ and therfore proue not a perpetuall continuance of that name from Christ vntill the first 600. yeares ended Besides that the Masses so named were neither informe nor matter that which the popish Masse is For concerning y ◠forme it was patched together in many partes long after the first 600. yeares as their own Pontificall and other histories witnesse Concerning the matter it was not the Popish Masse for that there was in it a Communion and the naturall bodye of Christe was not offered therein which within the first 600. yeares was not beleeued to be really and corporally in the Sacrament The seuenth difference is that the Masse is a propitiatorie sacrifice and was so beleeued in the first 600. yeares Whereof he reporteth him to Cyprian Ser. 5. De lapsis who sayth The conscience of sinners is purged with the sacrifice of the priest But Cyprians words are not so he speaketh of them which being fallen in time of persecution made hast to the communion without dewe repentance and publike satisfaction to y ◠church and prayer of the priestes made for their sinnes Ante exomologesin factam criminis ante purgatam conscientiam sacrificio manu sacerdotis before confession of their offence being made before their conscience be purged by sacrifice hand of the Priest c. These words do shewe y t he meaneth none other purging of their conscience by sacrifice then by imposition of y ◠priests hands which can be no propitiatorie
Apostles haue preached vnto vs be he accursed Here the quarreling lawyer findeth fault with his translation because Euangelizauimus may be referred as well to the Disciples as to y e Apostles so that y e Disciples preachings are to be credited as well as y e Apostles No doubt if they preach the doctrine of the Apostles of which the controuersie is and not of the persons that preach it But these quarels sir Bacheler are more meete for the bomme courtes where perhaps you are a prating proctor then for the schooles of diuinitie Wee are gone out you say and that we confesse in our apologie Yea wee are gone out of Babylon but not out of the church of God but abyde in the doctrine of Christ. And you are gone out of the Church of God which remaine in the synke of Rome that is departed frō that which was heard from the beginning and was sacrosanctum apud Apostolorum Ecclesias moste holy in the Apostles Churches You cannot abyde to be charged with the saying of Christ. They worship mee in vaine that teache the doctrine and precepts of men First you saye the Apostles were men whose traditions the Church must receiue yea sir but they deliuered no doctrine of their owne Secondly Christ speaketh of the Scribes Pharisees and their fonde traditions and not of the Church and her Catholike traditions and customes And they be Scribes and Pharisees which euen in the Church teach a false worshipping of God according to the doctrines and traditions of men disanulling the commaundements of God as the Popish teachers in their doctrine of Images communion in one kind priuate Masse c. That Augustine framing a perfect preacher willeth him to conferre the places of Scripture together you say it is a profounde conclusion to inferre that he sendeth him not to doctours distinctions censure of the Church Canons of the Popes nor traditions of the fathers but onely to quyet and content him selfe with the worde of God And these last wordes you saye are not found in Augustine de doct Chr. Cap. 9. sequentibus as though Master Calfhil recited the words not the sense for which he referreth you not only to that Chapter but to the rest following in al which there is no mention of doctors distinctions Popes Canons c. But this is an argument ab authoritate negatiuè Make as much and as little as you will of Augustines authoritie Master Calfhill hath rightly inferred vppon Augustines iudgement that if conference of Scriptures wil make a perfect preacher which you graunt he needeth neyther doctors distinctions nor Church censures c. but may quyet and content him selfe with the onely worde of God But it would make an horse to breake his halter to see howe Martiall prooueth out of Augustine that God teacheth vs by men and not by Angels and that knowledge of the tongues and instructions of men is profitable for a preacher yea the consent of moste of the Catholike Churches and the interpretations of learned men as though all those were not to be referred to the dewe conference of scriptures where onely resteth the substance of doctrine and the authoritie of faith and not in doctours distinctions Church censures Popes Canons c. which haue no grounde in the Scriptures or else be contrary to them Where Master Calfhill sheweth that as before the newe testament was written all things were examined according to the wordes and Sermons of the Apostles so after the newe testament was written all thinges ought to be examined according to their writings because there is none other testimonie of credite extant of their sermons writings Martiall replyeth out of Saint Augustine that wee haue many thinges by tradition which are not writen which being vniuersally obserued it were madnesse to breake Ep. 118. But Augustine speaketh not of doctrine but of ceremonyes or obseruations Out of Hierom ad Pam. he obiecteth that our Creede is not written in the Scriptures which is vtterly false although the fourme of the symbole be not set downe as wee rehearse it Thirdly out of Epiphanius contra Apostolic li. 2. Heres 61. that wee must vse tradition because all thinges cannot be taken out of the holy Scriptures Therefore the holy Apostles deliuered certeine things in writing and certeine things in tradition c. But they deliuered nothing in tradition contrary to their writinges neyther omitted they to write any thing that was necessarie for our saluation The matter whereof Epiphanius speaketh is that it is a tradition of the Apostles that it is sinne to marry after virginitie decreed and yet he holdeth that it is better to marrye after virginitie decreed then to burne contrary to the doctrine of the Papistes But Martiall frankely graunteth that no doctour is to be credited against the Scripture and the content of the whole Church Yet where Master Calfhill sayde that no man in any age was so perfect that a certeine trueth was to be buylded on him bringing examples of Aaron and Peter the one the high Priest of the Iewes the other affirmed by the Papistes to be the same of the Christians He quarreleth at his induction because he sayeth not sic de singulis where as his argument followeth not of the fourme of induction but of the place a maiore ad minus After this as he doeth nothing but cauill hee chargeth Master Calfhill for corrupting Saint Augustine saying Truth mee not nor credite my writings c. Proem lib. 3. de Trinit For Saint Augustine sayeth not trust mee not But he confesseth that he sayeth Do not addict thy selfe to my writings as to the Canonicall Scriptures See what a corruption here is when Master Calfhill rendereth not the words but the meaning of Augustine Againe saint Basil he sayeth is vilely abused because Master Calfhill sayeth Saint Basil setteth forth by a proper similitude with what iudgement the fathers of the Church should be read Conc. ad Adol wheras Basil speaketh of prophane writers As though Basils similitude may not serue to shewe howe both should bee read because he speaketh but of one sorte Likewise he cryeth out that Saint Hierome is not truely alledged because the Printer in the English translation of Hieroms words hath omitted this word not which he hath set downe in the Latine The 4. pretie persons he putteth vppon Master Calfhill as foolishe and childishe I omitt onely the slaunderers persons I will touche In saying that the fathers declyned all from the simplicitie of the Gospell in ceremonies He chargeth M. Calfhill to be a slaunderer Because God hath not suffered all the fathers to declyne lest hell gates should haue preuailed against his Church Although M. Calfhill speake of those fathers onely whose writings are extant yet the gates of hell in ydle ceremonies did but assault they did not preuaile against the Church And these fathers departed not from the Gospell but declined from the simplicitie thereof But you Papistes haue departed
Deuill against whome it is needefull to vse all weapons that be of any force The quarrell of altering Saint Peters wordes I omitte as childish Maister Calfhill rehearseth his meaning and not his wordes The other argument that followeth of heretikes resembling Antichrist in denying you shall finde answered in my confutation of D. Sanders Rocke Cap. 18. in the eleuenth mark of an Antichristian But Martial is not content that his error in citing the 39. question for the 38. of Athanasius Ad Antiochum should be noted In deede the errour of number is a smal matter but when a man will followe wilfully a corruption for a truth it cannot be excused That diuels flie when they see the crosse is question 15. in the best reformed printes whatsoeuer Martiall doth followe But to the purpose except Martial can declare vnto vs with what eyes the diuelles beholde the crosse he shall haue much a doe to perswade vs that this author speaketh of his signe of the crosse in this place Otherwise I doubt not but when diuels consider the conquest of of Christ vpon the crosse they tremble and flee away and are miserably tormented as Athanasius saith but not when so euer they see the crosse borne in procession or set vp in the market place or pointed in the aire either by a superstitious Papist or by a diuelish coniurer Saint Antonies councel as great and as good as you make him may well be suspected seeing it hath no ground in the holy scriptures That Chrysostome aloweth signing with y e crosse in the body is confessed but that he accounteth it an idle ceremony where faith in the crucified is not Martial can not deny Nor yet y t faith in the death of Christ is sufficient without the signe of the crosse in the body yet wil he not graunt it to be superfluous but resembleth it to the incarnation and passion of Christe without whiche we might be saued by the absolute power of God to the vse of ministers good workes c. Whereas we ought to say y t all these thinges are necessary because God hath so ordeyned them but the crossing of the body is no ordinance of God but of men That Origine in cap. 6. Ad Rom. li. 6. speaketh not of Martials crosse but of the passion of Christ the whole cōtext of his words proueth as M. Calfhil sheweth But Martiall replyeth that he saith So great is the vertue of the crosse of Christ that if it be set before our eyes and faithfully reteyned in our minde so that we looke still vppon the death of Christe with the eyes of our minde no concupiscence c. can ouercome vs. These words saith he proue two crosses one before the eyes the other before the minde but if he would shore vp his eyes he might see that Origen speaketh not of the eyes of the body but of the eyes of the minde As for the tantologie that he would auoyde it may please his wisedome to vnderstand that the explaning of a Metaphore is not tantologie or vaine repetition That Cassiodorus and Lactantius speake of the signe of the crosse it is granted but because they speak of it beside the Booke of God Maister Calfhill doth well to disprooue their reasons as where Cassiodore compareth that signe of the crosse vpon the faithful to the Princes stampe on the coyne the comparison is naught for the signe of the crosse which is vpon hypocrites sheweth them not to be Christes seruaunts Neither did Christ giue any such outwarde signe by which they should be knowen that would professe to be his seruantes but baptisme How good Christians the Friers that are the greatest crossers be I will not stande to discusse their hypocrisie is too well knowen in the worlde Againe where Lactantius ioyneth the signe of the crosse with the name of Christ to be of force to driue away deuils he doth as if a man should ioyne a strawe with a speare to runne at tilt withall For the name of Christ is sufficient and needeth none assistance of the signe of the crosse to cast out deuils where Christe hath giuen that power and faith Yet Martial obiecteth that the name of Christ was not sufficient to cast out some kinde of deuils as in example of the mans sonne Matt 17. But it was not for want of the signe of the crosse but for want of faith which must be obteyned at the handes of God by prayer and fasting He would haue scripture whereby the signe of the crosse is forbidden to be vsed as though euery indifferent thing that may be abused is expressed by name To make a signe or figure of the crosse is an indifferent thing to make it for a defence against deuils is a superstitious thing and forbidden by all such textes of Scripture forbidde superstition and confidence reposed in any thing sauing in God onely by such meanes as he hath appointed That young nouices in the faith were crossed before they were baptised in Augustines time it neede to be no question and yet it followeth not that those wordes of Augustine which Martiall citeth De Symb. ad Catech. lib. 2. cap. 1. were spoken of the signing but of that which was signified by the signe as Maister Calfhil answereth The rest of this article is spent in friuolous quarrels in which is no argument to vphold the superstitious vse of the crosse but that deuils are afraide of it as in the story of Iulian and a Iewe in which God declared what force it had Ex opere operato of the worke wrought euen without faith but this he maketh extraordinarie A simple force that the Deuill should seeme to flie from them in whose heartes he dwelled still But Martiall would knowe how Maister Calfhill is assured that the Deuil did counterfet feare and was not afraide in deede Verily I thinke there neede to be no better reason giuen then that in outward appearance he pretended to flie from their bodily presence from whose heartes he departed not at all or rather for their wicked coniuring entired with greater force How little the diuel is afraide of the signe of the crosse where faith is not the story of the seuen sonnes of Sceua declareth Act. 19. where the Deuil being coniured by the name of Iesus whome Paule preached fel vpon the coniurers and tormented them vnlesse Martiall thinke it was because they lacked the signe of the crosse which would haue made them flie away when the name of Iesus and Paule preuailed not against thē To conclude it cānot be denied but diuers of y e ancient fathers affirm more of y e signe of y e crosse then they can iustifie by the holy Scripture and yet they are abused oftentimes by Martial and such as he is as though they spake of the signe when they had respect onely to the death and passion of Christ as before is shewed and more remaineth afterwarde to be shewed The second Article That the crosse of Christ was
it was laide wherevppon as soone as it touched her she recouered This report of Rustinus seemeth to be vncertaine first because Ambrose sayeth the crosse was knowen by the title without speaking of any miracle secondly because the reporte of other writers is that the miracle was of a dead woman and some of two dead persons wherof to see more I referre the reader to mine answere to D. Sanders booke of Images cap. 13. or 12. Concerning the rest of the Miracles reported by Paulinus Epiphanius Augustine and others let thē haue such credite as their authors deserue which is not to build faith or doctrine vpon them or their writinges let it be that some were true and wrought by God yet followeth it not that al that haue bene since reported in the Popishe Legendes were either true or not wrought by the deuil whereabout Martiall maketh much wrangling but neither affirmeth nor concludeth any thing vniuersally None vse more crossing then witches and coniurers the deuil seemeth to be afraide to come neare them certaine strange works are brought to passe by them Let Martial affirme any vertue included in the crosse or signe thereof absolutely then we may deale with him accordingly For while he telleth vs what may be done by faith y e signe of y e crosse and what God hath done by good men with that signe it is nothing to the authorizing of that signe seeing the deuil by credulitie in wicked men hath don the like by the same signe And this is a true position of M. Calfhil though Martiall will not vnderstand it That it is not a sufficient proofe to make a thing good or to shew it to be good because he cauilleth like a calfe a◠the worde of making to say that miracles were wrought by it Martial asketh first whether the miracles of Christ were not a sufficient proofe of his diuine power Where he flyeth from the position which speaketh not of the principal efficient cause out of a ceremonie a meane or instrument More pertinently he asketh of the hemme of Christs coate Saint Paules napkins whether they had not a vertue by his body I answere no. No more then Iudas lippes that kissed Christe and Peters shadowe which could neither be holy nor efficient of any thing because it was nothing but the priuation of the light by comming betweene of his body So I say of coates napkins ashes of Martyrs and signe of the crosse if any miracles were done by meanes of them they are not thereby holy neither haue they any vertue in them The Lord hath giuen vs a generall rule to examine all miracles and miracle workers by the doctrine they teache Deut. 13. If there arise among you a prophet or dreamer of dreames and giue thee a signe or wonder and y ◠signe the wonder which he hath told thee come to passe if he say let vs goe after other Gods which thou hast not knowen and let vs serue them thou shal not hearken vnto the words of that prophet or vnto that dreamer of dreames for the Lord your God proueth you to know whether you loue the Lord your God with al your heart and with all your soule Ye shal walk after the Lord your God and feare him and kepe his cōmandements and hearken vnto his voyce and ye shall serue him and cleaue vnto him By this scripture we are taught to examine all miracles whether they tende to the honour of the only true God and the maintenance of his true worshippe according to his worde whiche Martiall him selfe in a manner confesseth saying that miracles done by heretikes are not able to commende a thing But he findeth great fault with Maister Calfhil for coupling the generation of a childe in adultery or feeding by stollen breade to be miracles because they be not extraordinarily miracles and yet he can not deny but they be great wonders and the reason of the meanes is all one in both Nowe let vs see howe he aunswereth those three reasons of Maister Calfhils why miracles make not for the crosse And first he aunswereth to a question Why the durt in the streete by whiche Christe wrought a miracle should not be honoured as well as the crosse on the altar He aunswereth because the crosse was an instrument by which all the worlde was saued So was Iudas so was Pilate The second He saith the crosse is a liuely representation of Christes death Nay a dombe and dead idoll which is good for nothing Abacuc 2. The thirde The crosse is effectuous euer since A deed efficient The crosse is commaunded of God to be made and vsed by diuers Reuelations from heauen Nay by the diuell from hell and yet if Angels from heauen had taught the crosse to be made and vsed as another Gospell as it is accounted of the Papists as great as circumcisiō was of y e Iewes not preached by the Apostles not conteyned in the Scriptures we might safely accurse them But now to the reasons the first is Why should not such external meanes as Christ and his Apostles vsed scripture mentioneth be had in administration rather then the idle deuice of man of which there is no lawfull president Martiall answereth the crosse is no idle deuise but a tradition of the Apostles whereof they haue lawful presidentes But seeing no president is lawfull to builde our faith vpon but the holy scriptures which the Papistes haue not for their crosse the reason standeth vntouched The second reason If miracles were done by the signe of the crosse yet not onely by it therefore the crosse should not only be magnified without the rest Martial affirmeth that hee would not haue the crosse magnified without the rest as prayer and faith How doeth he then magnifie the crosse in Iulians storie which was without prayer and faith The third reason If miracles were done by the crosse yet it should not be had in estimation except all other thinges by which miracles were wrought as the he◠of Christes garment the spitle and clay the shadowe of Peter and napkins of Paule were likewise honoured and esteemed Martial aunswereth this is but his assertion for which he hath neither scripture councel nor Doctor As though an argument A paribus were not good except the conclusion were expressed in Scriptur doctor or councel Yet he replieth that the crosse is the principall meane by which miracles haue ben wrought But the Scripture is against that for Christ wrought no miracle by the signe of y ◠crosse Nay I slander him for he reasoneth not ad idem but the crosse is the cheefe and principal instrumente of our redemption yet not holier then the speare the reede and the sponge as Athanasius affirmeth Ad Antioch que 16. But euen the hemme the spettle and clay if he had them Martial would honor worship esteeme for his sake whose pretious body they touched Then let him worship the sunne that touched him with his beams of light or
serue their God Deut. 27. 3. But as for images and pillers he vtterly forbad them to set vp any for any vse of religion Deut. 12. 1. 16. ver 2. The ninth Article What commoditie euery Christian man hath or may haue by the signe of the Crosse. Whereas M. Calfhil detesteth the Idolatrous councell of Nice the 2. by the example of Ambrose who abhorred the hereticall councell of Ariminum Martiall willing to iustifie y t rable of Idolators assembled at Nice wold shew great difference not only between the councels but also betwene him Ambrose saying y t he was a catholike bishop acknowledging obedience subiection to the Popes holynes As though the bishop of Rome in his time either required such obedience subiection or y ◠Ambrose acknowledged any But concerning that assembly of Nice and y e authoritie thereof how they determined contrary to the worde of God not onely in the matter of hauing and worshipping of images but also in other things I referre y e reader to mine answer vnto M. Sanders booke of images Cap. 15. or 14. Of all y t M. Calfhill saith against that councel of Nice Martial chooseth but one saying of Germanus to defend wherin he picketh two quarels against M. Calfhil one y t he should misvnderstand the saying of Germanus as though he meant y t grace were dispensed by Images where he sayth an image is a figuring of holy vertue dispensation of grace But if grace be not dispensed by images whether Germanus said so or no I pray you to what purpose are they set vp in the churches or what profit may a Christian man haue by the signe of the crosse when Martial denyeth y t any grace is dispensed by images The seconde quarel he picketh is y t M. Calfhill denyeth y ◠the vertues of saints can be seen in their images which could not be seene in their persons Martial sayth this reason condemneth the scripture as well as images for the ynke and paper hath no mynde or sense to hold the power of Christ vertue of the Apostles more then images haue As though the scripture were nothing but ynke paper or as though y t all things y ◠may be learned vnderstood by hearing may be discerned by the eye which conceiueth only bodily shapes of things cannot attain to see faith holines vertue c. wherof no images can be made When M. Calfhill sayeth that the image of Mars or S. George Venus or the mother of Christ cannot be discerned asunder Martial hath nothing to reply but that we must not suppose to finde any images among the Christians but of Christ his saintes so that images be wise bookes which cannot teache their schollers what or whereof they are but they must learne of the common opinion how to esteeme of them That images be teachers of pride auarice wantonnesse c. as the Prophet sayeth they are the doctrine of vanitie lyes Abac. 2. Martiall sayth blasphemously y t images giue no more occasion of vices then the holy scriptures of which some wicked men take occasion of dronkennes whoredome vsury c. But seeing the scripture directly plainly condēneth al these other vices as occasion is giuē by thē howsoeuer any is taken by vngodly persons whereas images which teach no goodnes but being gorgeously whorishly decked with golde precious stones otherwise then the saintes delighted euen as in holy scripture they are counted as stumbling blocks so they teach men vainly affected to delight in such things as they see to please the saints But Martiall sayeth that gylded images make men thinke of the ioyes of heauen O ridiculous fantasie They may sooner make men thinke of the vanitie of the worlde to delight in it But when the holy ghost by y e mouth of his Prophets hath determined that images are the doctrine of lying vanitie it were lost labour to dispute any longer what good thinges they can teache Ier. 10. ver 8. Abac. 2. ver 18. The examples of Ezechias Iosias Salomon he sayth are brought to no purpose against images amōgest Christians As though it were more lawfull for Christians then for Israelites to commit idolatrie But y ◠Christians saith he direct their hearts offer their prayers to God therfore there is no mistrust of idolatry amongest them Why Martiall haue not y e Papistes in England made do they not yet still in other places make vowes to the images that are in such a place and such a place Do they not trauaile thither and offer vp both prayers and sacrifice of candels money Iewels and other things vnto the Images Haue not your idols giuen aunswer haue they not wagged their heades and lips c. O shamelesse dogges blasphemous idolaters The Lord so deal with you as you know in your own consciences y ◠the ignorant people haue made their prayers euen to the stockes stones thinking them to haue a life diuinitie in them and yet you say there is no mistrust of idolatrie lest you should be driuen by exāple of Ezechias to destroy break your images although otherwise they were not against Gods cōmandment but euen made by his appointment as y e brasen Serpent was That fond quarell of yours that Salomon was not abused by images but by women I leaue to women to laugh at your vanity when they reade that by women he was brought to be an idolater and worshipper of images And euery childe that readeth Chrysostome Hom. 54. in 8. Tom. can vnderstand that although occasioned by obstinate Iewes yet he speaketh generally of al obstinat minds whether they be professors of Christianity or no. Animo desperato c. There is nothing worse thē a desperate mind although he see signes although miracles be wrought yet he standeth still in the self same frowardnesse For an obstinate sinner that hath professed Christianitie is no more moued with miracles and the signe of the crosse then a Iewe or Pharao was It hath more colour but not more trueth that Athanasius ascribeth not all effectes of conuersion of wicked men c. wholy and solie to the faith of Christe when he saith who hath done this c. but the faith of Christ and signe of the crosse Martial confesseth that faith is able to do it w tout the crosse but y ◠God would haue y ◠signe of the crosse common with faith if ye aske in what scripture God hath reuealed this will he hath nothing to say Only he denieth M. Calfhils exposition of Athanasius that the signe of y e crosse was ioined to faith not as a fellow worker but as a witnesse signe of y ◠faith against the Gentiles bicause he hath neither scripture Doctor nor Councel for it Wherin he lieth shamefully for y e scripture shewing y ◠faith onely as y e instrumēt by which we apprehend Gods mercy our
iustificatioÌ„ by which God purifieth our harts sufficiently proueth that the signe of the crosse is no worker in these cases Chrysostome speaking of our conuersion c. saith Hom. 14. in Ep. ad Rom. Vnum hoc c. We haue offered this one only gift of GOD that we giue credite to him promising vs thinges to come and by this onely way we are saued This Doctor ascribeth all to faith therefore nothing to the signe of the crosse Whether the Parisiens approue Erasmus his censure it is not materiall the censure is true and approued by as wise and well learned as they Touching the next quarell that Cyrillus acknowledgeth it no fault of the Christians to make the signe of the crosse at their doores it is very foolish as all the rest be for although he defend it as a good deede and in his time tollerable yet if any did worship the wood of the crosse as Iulian charged them it was a fault which Cyrillus doth excuse and seeke to couer but of that matter you may reade more in mine aunswere to D. Sanders booke of images cap. 4. or 3. after the errour of his print That S. Basil alloweth images in Churches he citeth his sermon vpon Barlaaâ— where he exhorteth painters to set foorth the valiant conflictes of the martyr by their art but of setting vp those tables in Churches there is no word Neither do I perceiue he speaketh of other Painters then eloquent Rhetoricians For immediately before he saith Quin magnificentioribus 〈◊〉 ipsius lingâ—is Cedâ—â—us Sonantiores doctorum tubas ad illius praeconia aduocemus Exurgite nunc ô praeclari athleticorâ—m gestorum pictores c. But let vs giue place to more magnificent tongues vtterers of his praises Let vs call hether the lowder sounding trumpets of learned men Arise nowe ô ye noble Painters of the valiant actes of champions c. And it is vsuall among learned men to compare good Orators to cunning Painters The counterfet oration of Athanasius brought in the idolatrous Councel of Nice we reiect as a matter forged by heretikes and idolaters The other Doctors places whome he quoteth are all considered and aunswered in seuerall places of mine aunswere to Doctor Sanders booke of images before mentioned Whether an image may be made of Christ which is both God and man you shall finde it more at large intreated in my saide aunswere cap. 7. or 6. That the crosse in the time of Cyrillus had none image vpon it it is to be proued by this reason 〈◊〉 Iulian would not haue omitted to obiect the worshipping of images vnto Christians which they condemned in the Heathens if any images had bene vpon their crosses which he charged them to haue worshipped Concerning the calling of Churches by the name of Saints we haue spoken alreadie That S. Paul ioyneth not pictures with scriptures to be our instruction and comfort it is an argument of better force then Martiall hath wit to aunswere For if any such instruction comfort or commoditie had any wayes come to Christians by pictures he would not haue written that the scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes 2. Tim. 3. vers 17. Articl 3. The tenth Article The adoration and worship of the crosse allowed by the ancient Fathers Martial thinketh it not reason that he should proue the adoration of the crosse by some testimonie of scripture bicause God hath not so tied him selfe to the written letter of the scripture that nothing can be taken for trueth which is not written in scripture But God hath so tied vs to the written letter of the scripture that we are bound to beleeue nothing but that which may be proued thereby The baptisme by heretikes the baptisme of infants the authoritie of the Epistle to the Hebrues of Saint Iames and Iude and of all the canonicall scriptures haue proofe and approbation out of the holy scriputres and are not receiued of vs by the onely tradition and authoritie of the church which yet we doe not refuse when it is warranted by the holy scriptures inspired of God The auncient Fathers Athanasius Chrysostome c. were not exempted from the infirmitie of men that they could so order their termes as no heretikes shuld take occasion of error by them when euen the termes of holy scripture are often times abused by theÌ„ cleane contrarie to the meaning of the spirite by which they were written But Martial like a proud foole disdaineth to be called to define adoration bicause euery terme is not necessarie to be defined And yet I suppose he would claw his poll twise or euer he could make a true definition of it or a description either At the least wise seeing the word of adoration is taken so many wayes but that he would walke vnder a cloud of ambiguitie he shuld haue expressed what manner of adoration he doeth speake of But he is content to take adoration for bowing downe prostrating putting off the cap c. which he thinketh may be done to a sensllesse image as well as to the Queenes cloth of estate her priuie seale c. as though there were no difference betweene ciuil reuerence and religious worship and yet I weene no man doeth this honour to those senslesse things although he shewe reuerence to the Prince at the sight of them The second coÌ„mandement Exod. 20 he saith toucheth not Popish images more then politike images of Dragons Eagles Owles c in armes or other pictures So good a lawyer he is that he can not interprete the lawe according to the matter wherevpon it is made namely religioÌ„ but fantasieth that bicause images out of the vse of religion be not forbidden to be made by a lawe of religion therefore they be not forbidden to be made no not in the vse of religion The Prophets he saith cry out against the images of Gentiles and by his leaue against the images of the Israelites also The image of the brasen Serpent was a figure of Christ and yet the Prophets condemned and Ezechias destroyed the worship of the brasen Serpent For the examination of the sentence of Ambrose de â—bitu Theodosij I referre the reader to mine aunswere to D. Sander of images cap. 13. or 12. Augustine in Ioan. T. 36. sheweth howe reuerently y e crosse was esteemed of the Romaines that now malefactors were no more punished vpon it least it should be thought they were honoured if they sâ—ffered that kinde of death which our sauiour Christe died As among vs if rascall theeues should be beheaded at the Tower hill where only honourable persoâ—ages vse to suffer it might be saide they were honoued with that kinde of execution Herevpon Martial both foolishly and lewdly dreameth that if theeues had bene put to death vpon the crosse the people were likely to haue honoured them for the crosses sake Hierome saith that Paula worshipped lying before y e crosse as though she had seene Christe hanging