by the authoritie of Scripture So saith the b August l. de natura grat c. 39. Credamus quod legimus quod non legimus nefas credamus ad struere quod de cunctis etiā dixisse sufficiut Pelagians in the same Authour Let vs beleeue saith Pelagius vvhat vve reade and vvhat vve reade not let vs beleeue it vnlavvfull to be established Let this suffice in all other matters So the c Aug l. post Collationem Nos sola portamus Euig lia Item concio 1. in Psal 32. Nos sola offerimus Euangelia Donatists in the same Authour saying vve bring vvith vs and present the Ghospells onely This was that which Eranistes aymed at whom a Apud Theod. in Dialog immutabilis Ego enim soli diuinae scripturae fidem habeo Theodoret brings in in his Dialogues where condemning all reasons he saith For I beleeue in the Ghospell onely So b Lib. 2. cont ipsum cap. 1. Fratribus nobiscum constitutisin sancto Euangelio Petilianus writing to his brethren vnder this title to our brethren constituted together vvith vs in the holy Ghospell So the Maximianists expressing them selues in these termes fighting with vs in the truth of the Ghospell Finally so the Arians Apud S. Aug. In veritate Euangelij nobiscum militantibus who were so wedded to the Scripture that they would not onely admit no sense but euen no word which was not comprised therin reiecting this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was not found there Concil Nicenum All these auncient Heresiarkes condemned by the Church and by your selues had the Scripture as frequently in their mouthes as you They tearmed themselues Euangelicall men like you They made the Scripture the onely rule of their Faith as you doe yet wheras they did it in words not in deede as was fitting but in publishing its name they abused the authoritie therof they were cōdemned by the Church their doctrine was iudged worthy of hatred as yours also is and will be I am confident by the iudgement of the whole world when I shall haue made manifest that you abuse the scriptutes to your owne ends It is truly worthy of hatred because vnder pretext of scripture the writen word of God almightie 1. it doth reiect his word not written 2. a great part of the written word 3. it clearely contradicts in many passages that which it doth admitt 4. corrupts it in diuers parts 5. and lastly it makes the word of men passe for the word of God yea euen the word of euery Idiot establishing vpon them the principall articles of your Faith 1. Vvorthy of hatred because it reiecteth the vvord of God not vvritten If he be worthy of hatred who in establishing a thinge destroyes that without which it cannot subsiste and which is also commanded by it your doctrine is by a iust title hatefull for the Scripture which whilsts it extolls it destroyes the Traditions commanded by the same Scripture and without which it can in no sort subsiste That holy writ cānot subsiste without Traditions it is most cleare since by them onely we know that the bookes of Scripture which we haue came vnto our hands pure and intire such as they proceeded from the mouth of the holy Ghost You beleeue as an article of Faith that you haue those bookes pure and intire wherfore ether the written word affirmethit which indeede is not so or not affirming it it followes that some other word not written doth teach it vs or els we beleeue that with a diuine Faith which God neuer spoke a thing most absurde seeing that the word of God is the onely fundation of our Faith That Traditions are commanded by the Scripture the second to the a Cap. 2. Tenete traditiones quas didicistis siue per sermonem siue per Epistolam nostram Thessalonians makes manifest where the Apostle speakes so clearely of Traditions of Faith not written that euen b Vvhitat controu 1. q. 6. c. 10. Respondeo Noui Testamenti Canonē non fuisse tune editū at que constitutū cum Paulus hanc Epistolā scriberet .... nō sequitut ergo quando Apostolus scripsit ad Thessalon tum omnia necessaria non sunt scriptae ergo nec postea your owne men confesse that at he tyme when S. Paule wrote there were such like traditions which since are inserted in holy Vvrite A thing indeede easily said but hardly persuaded especially to such as consider that it is not to be found in all holy scripture that those things which were not yet written while S. Paule wrote that Epistle were afterwards put downe in writing 2. Vvorthy of hadted because it reiects part of the Vvrittē vvorde of God Conc. Carthag 3. Can. 47. Trullan can 2. Rom. sub Gelaesio Trident By what authoritie doe you reiect many of the bookes of Scripture which the Church at diuerse tymes in diuerse Councells in diuers parts of the world in Greece Italie Afrique and Germanie defines to be canonicall and diuine Vvhat a senselesse thing is it that you of your owne head should establish canons hauing nether Father who doth declare nor Councell that doth define which is to be noted the Canon of the bookes of holy scripture according to your way The presumption which you vse in opposing your iudgement against the iudgement of the auncient Fathers and the authoritie of the Church is truly worthy to be hated 3. Vvorthy of hatted because it contradicts the scripture He that opposeth what he ought religiously to follow is he not worthy of hatred And ought not all men to follow the scripture You make profession of doing so and yet directly to deney what it affirmes and beleeue the contrarie to that which it teacheth in expresse termes as I haue proued in the precedent Chapter is not this to contradict it If a man can be said to esteeme him whom he often belyes you esteeme the scripture and if one can hold that for a Rule to which he frequently opposeth his iudgement you doe vndoutedly hold the scripture for the rule of your saluation For plainely to affirme that a thingis not wheras the scripture saith it is what other thing is it then to giue the lye to the scripture and to haue a iudgement opposite to the iudgement therof 4 Your corruptions in the scripture are so perfp cuous Vvorthy of hatred because it corrupis the Scripture that euen your owne men doe reprehend them Did not Charles du Mullin who is famous amongst you for this cause say that a Molinaesus in suatranslatione Noni Testaementi Caluinus in sua Harmonia textum Euangelicum desutare facit sursum versum vt res ipsaindicat vim infert literae Euangelicae illam multis in locis transponit in super additlitterae Caluin in his Harmonie puts the text of the Ghospell topsie turuie as the thing it selfe makes manifest violates the letter of
the Ghospell transposeth it in many places addes to it And speaking of Beza his translation saith he not b Idem Molinae ibidem de facto mutat textum that indeede he changeth the text And doth not c Castalio in defensione suarum translationum ait Quo omnes eius Bezae errores noiarentur magno volumine opus esse Castalion going on in the same sense affirme that it would require a great volume to put downe all his errour To conclude that Great kinge whose witt did as far surpasse yours as his person did indignitie all his subiects the king of great Britaignie whose iudgement ought to be taken for the whole Church of England both because you esteeme him the heade therof and for that it is not credible that he would publish opinions which that Church holds not Saith not this Prince in the conferēce at Hampton Court that the verie worst version of the Bible was that of Geneua and further that he found the notes of the Geneua Bible vvonderfull partiall false seditious and too much smelling of the designes of a most dangerous and peruerse mynde 5 That you haue the true canon of scripture Vvorthy of hatred because it makes the vvord of men passe for scripture That the bookes which you allow of are not corrupted That the body of Iesus-Christ is onely figuratiuely in the Euchariste are not these the principall articles of your Faith And that your onely and absolute Faith that is the Faith by which euery one of the Faithfull beleeues to be iustifyed by the apprehension of the iustice of Iesus Christ doth iustifie you is it not the ground worke and soule of your Religiō And yet whereate these tenets found in the holy Scripture Formall and expresse passages such notwithstanding the ratification of your confession doth oblige you to produce there are none Toutes lesdites Eglises Françoises approuuēt ratifient la susescrite confession on tous ses chefs articles comme estant entieremēt fondee sur la pure expresse parole de Dieu You haue recourse to consequences which yet are not grounded vpon two diuine Principles contayned in the Scriptures but vpon two Principles wherof of the one is drawen from your owne braine which doth clearely demonstrate vnlesse I deceaue my selfe that you propose the word of men for the word of God which is found in holy Vvritt since that according to your owne tenet your faith can haue no other fundation then scripture Le ts see whether I be a Liar In the third Article of your Conf. you put downe for an article of Faith that the canon of scriptures is the onely rule of Faith you further accnowledge that all the bookes contayned in the said Canon proceeded from the mouth of the holy Ghost and are conserued in their originall puritie besides those you accnowledge none But by what syllogisme conclude you this in the margent of the next Article you cite sundrie passages of this nature The pure and vnspotted vvord of God Psal 12. v. 7. Psal 19. v. 8. The Lavv of God immaculate The Testimonie of God Faithfull giuing vvisdome to litle ones The Precept of our Lord cleare enlightening the eyes Out of these passages which doe not affirme in expresse tearmes that the bookes you admit of are canonicall you would by consequence inferre it you forme the maior of your argument as followeth The Law of God say you is immaculate pure and vnspotted But all the bookes which we hold for Canonicall and no others are immaculate pure and vnspotted Ergo They alone and no others are the Law of God Whence I pray you doe you draw your Minor Doth the Scripture affirme that these bookes and no other are pure and immaculate verily no. Vvho doth auerre it then You of your owne brayne This proposition therfore is humane and withall false which yet I will not now prosequute being sufficient for my present purpose to shew that this principle is but the words of men Vvhence it followes that ether your word passeth for Gods word or that your Faith in this point which vertually compriseth all the rest since now the question is touching the Scripture which you will haue to be the onely fundation of Faith is not diuine but onely humane whence it clearly followes that it is of no other kind euery conclusion being of the same nature with the more imperfect part of its cause But now let vs speake of the Euchariste You hold as an article of Faith that the words of consecration ought to be vnderstoode figuratiuely so that the body of Iesus Christ is not really vnder the species of bread as we sustayne it is The proofes that you bring of your Faith are diuers passages of holy Scripture which teaching as you dreame things that are incompatible with the reall presence of Christ in the Eucharist doe clearely shew that the words of consecration are figuratiue Let vs see some of your Arguments One body cannot be in two places by Gods omnipotencie to witt in heauen and in the Eucharist which is in earth But the scripture teacheth that the body of Christ is in heauen till the day of Iudgement Ergo it is not in the Euchariste The Maior not being found in all the scripture it is the word of men and consequently it is cleare ether that you make it passe for the word of God or els that your conclusion cannot be diuine and infallible for the reason I haue touched aboue Now let vs examine what your Faith is You beleeue that euery one of the faithfull is iustified by that faith wherby he certanely persuades him selfe that he is iustified in Christ Iesus Paraeus l. 3. de iustif c. 1. l. 1. c. 10. One of your moderne Authours formes this syllogisme Vvho so euer beleeues in the sonne of God shall be saued But I beleeue in the sonne of God Ego I shall be saued Not to dispute of the Maior suppose that it were in the scripture though in deede in your sense it is not The Minor can in no sort be found therin for it is not said in any place that Luther for example Caluin Beza Pereus and others beleeued whence it is euident euen according to your selues that it is the word of men and not of God whose whole word you will haue to be written Now hauing made manifest how you vse the scriptures all men I dare assure my selfe will greatly wonder with what face you dare so highly magnifie the scripture in words which in deedes you so horribly wronge But they will cease this admiration if they call to mynd how ordinarie a thing it is for heretikes to serue them selues of the scripture and to wrong it withall nay which is worse they are in some sort necessarily constrayned to doe both To serue them selues of the scripture because the true religiō being grounded vpon the word of God it is necessarie for euery sect that pretends a true religion
the people to heare and reade the holy Scripture in a tongue knovven to all and that publike seruice should be done in your subiects Vvlgaire tongue that they might be instructed therby And that henceforth God should not be suspected by men as though his word were a dangerous booke from which the people ought to abstayne For France stands obliged vnto vs in this that we haue published holy Vvrit in the french tongue which formerly was an vnknovven booke and that we haue giuen the children a sight of their Fathers Vvill which was hertofore hidden from them ANSWERE YOu continue the guiles which you vsed in the precedent Chapter while you represent your selues as men loaden with hatred for certaine considerations which in your conceipt might purchace you loue Hauing insinuated your selues into the harts of the people by pretending Christs interest you haue recourse to their owne with more facilitie to intice and gayne them to your selues You promis them wondres and make shew of great obligations while yet you doe but delude deceaue and leade them to their perdition impose vpon vs manifestly contradict your selues condemne in vs what your selues practise bragge of things which belong not to you and affect nouelties a A vvord is not a vvordexcept in as much as it signifieth and expresseth the conceiptes of him that speaketh and for this reason the scripture to speake properly is not the vvord of God but by reason of the senses vvhich makes vs knovv the conceits or counsels of God Hieron Basil alij Patres passim Vvhit ad rationem And since reason the Fathers and the comon consent euen of your owne men 2. Campiani Ipsa vis res quidammodo anima Sacrarum literarum in sententia consistit Rectè Hieronymus non in legendo sed in intelligendo scripturae câ—nsistunt Et alibi non in verbis Scripturarum est Euangeliâ—m sed in sensu doe vrge you to grant that the holy scripture doth principally consiste in the sense not in the bare letter though it contayne the one and the other I shall with facilitie make manifest vnto all the word that you doe but deride the people Because while you proteste to permitt them the full and intire knowledge therof you grant them no more libertie in point of sense then the Catholike Church doth her children for though all yours haue perminion to reade the Scripture yet is it not lawfull for any of them to explicate it in any other sense then that of Caluine or your owne as is made manifest by sundrie examples and peculiarly by that of the institution of the Euchariste where none can explicate these words This is my body otherwise then figuratiuely Vvherin you resemble those that promising a great treasure giue onely the sight of the coffer wherin it is kept Nay you giue not yet so much for doubting of the translation of the scripture and ingeniously b Vvhit cont 1. q. 2. c. 7. Nullam nos editionem nisi Hebrateam in 〈◊〉 Grae câ—in nâ—â—o Tesâ—un ento authentiâ—am faâ—â—â—us coÌ„fessing that there is no version at all authenticall that is of sufficient credit the people haue iust reason not onely to doubt of the sense of the scripture which you deliuer but euen of the verie letter of the version which you propose vnto them and consequently of their saluation it being a cleare case that they can haue no greater assurance of that then they haue of the meanes wherby you would conduct them thither He that promiseth children fruite to eate and yet giues them onely Amands which they cannot crake doth but mocke them yea he mockes them doubly when the Amands are not true but conterfeit onely So doe you doubly delude those who beleeue you in a matter of importance since that the letter of the Scripture which you giue them is not authenticall not doe you permitt them of themselues to gather out of it the true and naturall sense which in their iudgement it contaynes You mocke them verily and deceaue them both at once You deceaue them because vnder the name of the word of God you present vnto them the word of men sithens you deliuer them the scripture changed by mans inuention and interpreted against the sense which the words beare as I haue alreadie shewen and that as a In 1. Gal. Interpretatione peruersa de EuaÌ„gelio Christi hominis fit Euangelium aut quod peius est diaboli Luther lib. de Missapriuata S. Hierome notes The Gospell of Iesus Christ is made the Gospell of men by a peruerse interpretation yea which is worse the Gospell of the Diuell because will I adde vse is made of it to establish vntruth and errour wherof he is the father And this may be more iustly auerred of yours then of any other because in certaine passages you obserue the sense which Luther receaued of the Diuell in a visible shape You delude the people by persuading them that of all the exteriour meanes vsefull for our saluation the reading of the Bible is the onely certaine one which is manifestly false for otherwise the blind which cannot reade simple and ignoraÌ„t people who haue no learning could not be amongst the number of the faithfull They that were Christians before the Gospell was written they that beleeued in the tyme of a Lib. 3. c. 4. S. Ireneus as he himselfe is witnes in Carist Iesus without paper and inke were not of the faithfull They againe who vnderstand not the hebrew and greeke tongue were not capable of faith since according to you no version is authenticall nor can faith be attayned vnto but by a meanes which is infallible But if you reply that such people may receaue it from the mouth of their Pastours who doe faithfully preach vnto them the word of God it followes then that the Scripture is not the onely externe meanes to obtayne Faith since you your selues adioyne this second which cannot be sufficient for some vnlesse it were so for all the rest And in deede what reason is there so to ty and restrayne the word of God to paper to the character and letter that it can no further be a meanes of saluation then it is contayned vnder these signes Haue they any force of their owne nature If not why is not the word of God in the hart and mouth of the Church and her Pastours an assured meanes of saluation You deceaue the people not onely by persuading them that the reading of Scripture is the sole meanes of saluation but moreouer in teaching them that it is a sufficient meanes and that none ought to looke after any other which is euidently false for two reasons first because the Scripture teacheth that faith cometh by hearing and that it hath so absolute a dependance of it that without it faith cannot be had How saith a Rom. 10. v. 14. Quomodo credent ei queÌ„ non audieruÌ„t Quomodo autâ—m audient
that since God doth promisse remission of sinns to conuerted sinners such as feele no remorse of conscience which may make them esteeme their repentance defectiue ought to haue peace of mynd and are morally certaine of their saluation And therfore it is not true simply to affirme that your doctrine is hated for teaching men to die with peace of conscience and assurance of saluation well might you auerre that it is worthy of hate for teaching that this certaintie of saluation which the faithfull may haue is not onely morall but euen infallible as proceeding from diuine faith which is the doctrine that the Church condemneth and you sustayne None can know saith the a Sess 6. c. 9. Councell of Trent by certaintie of Divine faith which is not subiect to deceiâ—t that he hath obtayned the grace of God Behold sirs I pray the true reason for which we may say vnto you with b In Ezech. 11. Vae his haeresibus hisque doctrints quae requiem pollicentes omnem aetatem sexumque deci piuni S. Hierome accursed be the heresies and doctrine which promiseng repose deceaue all ages and sexes Aud with the c Ierem. 4. scripture that which it affirmes of false Prophetes that hauing peace in their mouth in effect they haue it not Peace Peace and there is no peace For one may truly say that you deceaue the people seeing you doe assure them that this certaintie is of Faith and yet following your owne principles it hath not in scripture sufficient groundes For tell me ô Miristers I beseech you to you Ispeake in your owne particular where doe you find in scripture in expresse termes that one of you for example Peter du Moulin is assured of his saluation If you find it not how doe you beleeue it as an article of faith since you doe not hold the word of God barely but the expresse word of God to be the fundation of Faith as appeares by the testimonies of many a Calu. Epist contra Prâ—centorem Lugd. Nihil eredendum est quod non expressum sit in scripturiâ— Vvhital controu 1. quaest 4. c. 1. Omntae quae sunt ad salutem necessaria apertis verbis in scripturis pro. poni nostrum axioma est Luth. lib. cont Reg. Ang Nullum articulum sciat a me admitti nisi apertis scripturae verbis munitum The King of Eugland in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First Assure your conscience vpon the faundation of the most expressevuord of God Sadol desacrif c. â— Nos expressa seripturae sacrae testimonia efflagita mus of yours and particularly by the b The Ratification of the ffrench Confession All the ffrench harches approoue and ratifie the aboue mentioned Confession in all these heads and articles as being vuholy grounded vpon the pure and expresse vuord of God ratification of your confession of faith signed by the most famous men of your religion and the most learned Ministers that were then amongst you wherin you say that your faith is grounded intirly vpon the pure and expresse word of God You will easily grant that this which I demand is not expressy contayned in scripture but that you draw it thence by consequence This answere will appeare friuolous for diuers reasons First I aske you out of what passages of the scripture you proue that it is sufficient to make a thing to be beleeued by diuine faith that it be inferred out of scripture by discours and consequence as though forsoth faith were discursiue and not a simple habit like to that of Principles becausé as it giues present consent to its obiect by reason of the euidence therof so faith without reasoning doth forthwith imbrace the word of God which is its obiect by reason of infallible authotihe of him who doth reveale it If you find this supposition in scripture we are in the wrong if not you are ill grounded in your faith for it is euident that this Principle to witt that it is sufficient to make a proposition to be an Article of faith that it be inferred out of seripture is purely humaine and noâ— diuine Further put case it weretrue and made good by scripture that an inference were a valide fundation of faith yet according to your selues this would onely haue place in consequences drawen out of two diuine Principles which are both contayned in the scripture seeing it is euident that one of them being humane the certaintie of the coÌ„clusion cannot be diuine seeing that euery conclusion is of the same nature with the more imperfect part of its cause and that that wherby a thing is knowen ought to be better knowen then the thing it selfe So that if the Principle wherby a conclusion is knowen be onely knowen by a humane knowledge the conclusion cannot be knowen by a more perfect knowledge Wherfore albeit that euen an inference of this nature and kind might serue for a valide fundation of our faith yet were it nothing to your pourpose since in the sillogisme by which you conclude the assurance of your saluation euen admitting of your owne ac count there is but one of the Premises diuine contayned in the scripture that who soeuer beleeues is iustified the other which affirmes that you beleeue being meerly humane as not being mentioned in all the scripture nether in expresse termes nor yet by consequence I adde that though it were granted which yet is false that a conclusion drawen out of two principles the one diuine the other humane might be a sufficient motiue to oblige vs to beleeue yet should not that be but in regarde it were drawen by a companie of wise and learned men no man being of so weake a discourse as to thinke a conclusion drawen by an ignorant person or an Idiote who knowes not what belonges to a good inference drawen I say from a Principle which he alone tinowes is a sufficient and valide fundakon of diuine and infallible faith And yet in these termes are you A poore plough man vpon his death-bed can not be sure of his saluation vnlesse he inferre it by consequence on t of a Principle knowen to himselfe alone sith none but himselfe knowes whether he haue truly faith Nor doth it suffice to say that in this behalfe he is interiourly guided by the holy Ghost who assures him of faith Because in that case we were to admitt of another word of God not written and giuen not to the Church but onely to euery particular man whoÌ„ by that meanes you make solewittnes and Iudg in his owne cause Which you cannot with any appearance sustayne since contrarie to your owne principles you should admitt of another rule of saluation besids the scripture wheras also there is none but will confesse that though the expresse words of scripture were not necessarie to ground an article of faith yet in all reason should they be requisite to ground that by which you beleeue you haue faith since that is the onely fundation
of your saluation the end and scope of all those articles which are expressed in holy scripture which doe onely ayme at the iustification of man Is it likely that God who made the scripture to teach vs therby the meanes to become iust in his sight would expressly haue put downe an hundred articles for example the beliefe wherof iustifies vs not and which according to you might be beleeued by the Diuells and by Hypocrites and yet would not expresly put downe that by the beliefe her of walone you teach that we are iustified and that wherin you place the essence and fundation of your religion and which is the crooke the a Calu. 3. instit c. 2. §. 16. Hicpraecipuus fidei cardo vertitur sterne and b Vvhitaâ— contro 2. q. 6. c. 3. Articulus iustificationis nostra vide tur omnium praecipuus maxime fundamentalis vipote in quo salutis nostrae prorae puppis consist it Caluinus respons ad Sadolet pag. 125. sublatae eius fidei iustificantis cognitione Christi gloria extincta est abolita religio spes salutis penitus euersa dogma ergo istud quod in religione suÌ„mum erat dicimus a vobis fuisse deletum puppe therof to vse your owne words but left it to the discourse and inference of euery man be he learned or ignorant be he an I diote or such an one as hath no knowledge of the rules which he is to follow to make a good consequence Let vs see your arguments Who euer doth seriously repent conuert himselfe to God and beleeues in Iesus-Christ is iustified and shall not perish I Peter doe seriously repent and beleeue in Iesus-Christ Ergo I am iustified and shall not perish Suppose the Maior to be in scripture yet the Minor is not found in it since no mention is made of Peter in it since no mention is made of Peter in thew scripture hobeit it is onely knowen to Peter sole wittnes in his owne cause And therfore the certaintie of the conclusion which imports that Peter is saued for two reasons cannot be in fallible both because it depends of a medium which is humane and fallible of its owne nature and againe because this medium depends vpon the knowledge of an ignorant fellow Nay further it followes by this argument that euery one beleeues by diuine faith that he is iuste before he knowes that God doth say so which cannot possibly be Gods ' word which is the onely obiect of Faith That this followes I shew it Peter for example knowes not that God calls him iuste but onely by meanes of a syllogisme drawen out of scripture now the Minor of this syllogisme supposeth Peter both to repent and to haue saith which faith consistes in beleeuing that he is iustified by the apprehension of Christ his iustice true therfore it is that Peter beleeues that he is iust before he knowes that God saith so It is therfore manifest out of your owne principles that your faith is not infallible but humaine and vaine too Nor haue you any thing by whâ—h you may distinguith it from the faith of a reprobate for though according to you he can haue no faith yet he beleeues as well as you that saith is in him and that therby he is iustified Let vs now see what the scriptures and Fathers say vpon this subiect a 〈◊〉 Rom. 11. Tâ—â—â—â—tem fiae stasâ— sed 〈◊〉 force 〈◊〉 tibi parâ—as Thost standest by faith saith the Apostle be not too wise but feare least God may not spare euen thee b Câ—m meru tremâ—re 〈…〉 And againe with feare and trembling worke your saluation Which doth plainly shew that we are not sure by assurance of diuine faith of our saluation for otherwise the Apostle should incite vs to infidelitie in exhorting vs to feare least that might not happen of which we were certaine as though he should say seare that there may be no resurrection or that there is no life euerlasting which yet diuine faith doth oblige vs to beleeue Now as for the Fathers since that in diuers places and diuers formes of speach they doe clearly deliuer what we sustayne against you if your doctrine be true you must needes accuse them of errour Thou oughtest not be secure that thy sins are remitted saith S. a Greg. l â— Ep. 22. Secura esse non debes deâ—peccatis demissis Gregorie We know not saith S. b Amb. serm 5. in Psal 118. nescimus v. trum peceata nostra maneant Ambrose whether our sinns remayne We doe greatly offend through ignorance saith c In Constiâ— Monast c. â— Muâ—â— peccamus quandâ— nescimus S. Basile We know not our owne workes saith d Cheysost Hom. 11. in 1. Corinth Non scimus operae nostra S. Christome We know not whether our iustice remayne e Aug. in Psal 48. Quod non iustitia nostra maneat aut an habeamus bonam conscientiam saith S. Augustine or whether we haue a good conscience The iust are vncertaine of perseuerance f Aug. 11. de ciuit c. 12. Iusts sunt iucertide perseuerentia as the same Doctor affirmes in diners places and with him S. Ambrose Who of the faith full dare presume that he is of the number of the predestinate g De Correp gratias 13. Quis fidelium praesumaise esse in numero praedestinatoruÌ„ saith the same in another place The opinions of all these fathers condemne you Yet if all these suffice you not giue care to h Bernard serm 1. de 70. Scriptura reâ—lamat vt quis dicat Ego de electis sum quod Deus praestet fiduciam neget certitudinem quod impossibile sit nosse quales futuri sumus Epist. 107. Quod habeamus spem de beatitudine non securitatem Et serm 2. de Oct. Pasâ—â— nemâ— scit vtrum sit dignus amore certitudo omnino nobis negatur S. Bernard who you i Illyric in Catalo uest verit l. 14. Bernardus fuit a Deo exs itatus say was raysed by God The scripture saith he will haue no man to say I am one of the elect He addes further that God giues vs confidence but denyes vs assurance And that it is impossibile to know what shall become of vs that we hope for Beatitude but are not sure to attayne vnto it in fine that none knowes to vse the Apostles words whether he is worthy of loue and that certaintie is altogether denyed vs. What more expresse words can be produced to establith our Beliefe and to ouerthrow yours then those which that great sainte and glorie of France vseth We will now onely make your owne condemnation proceede from your owne mouth by shewing you to your aduantage that you haue certaine lucide interualles which argue you to be true Heretikes that is following a Ad Tit. 3. proprio iudicio condemnatos S. Paules phrase condemned by your owne
The Emperour Basilius doth also intimate this when speaking to the layetie c In 8. Syn. nullo modo vobis licet de Ecclesiasticis causis sermonem mouere haec inuestig are quaerere Paetriarcharum Pontificum SacerdotuÌ„ est qui regiminis officium sortiti sunt Ecclesiastic as adepti sunt claues non nostrum qui pasci debemus c. he saith It is no way lawfull for you to medle with Ecclesiasticall causes to sound and examine them belongs to Patriarkes Bishopes priests who haue the gouerment and keyes of the Church It appertaynes not to vs who are to be fedd to be sanctified to be bound vnbound Of the same sense was Constantine in the Councell of Nice Gratiane in the Coun of Aquilea Theodosius the younger in the Ephesine Councell and diuers other Emperours in many other places In contemplation wherof a Lib. 5. epist 25. Scimus piisamos Dominus Sarerdoâ—â—â—tòus negottis non se immiscere S. Gregorie saith we know that our most pious Lords doe not meddle in the affaires of preists And that the Princes if they had any such pretention were not well grounded S. b Epist adsolit â—iâ—aÌ„ agentes Quandoae conatio aeuo anditum est quod indicium Ecclesiae authoritateÌ„ suaÌ„ ab Imperatore accepit Plurima antea Synodi fucre multa iudicia Eecâ—esiae habitae sunt sed neque Patres isliusmodires principi persuadere conati sunt nec Princeps se in Ecclesiasticis causis curiosum praebuit Athanasius doth witnesse Vvas it euer heard saith he from the creation of the world that the iudgment of the Church had authoritie from the Emperour Many Councells haue bene celebrated the Church hath often past her iudgment but nether would the Fathers persuade the Prince to any such thing nor did the Prince shew himselfe curious in causes of the Clergie and a litle after c Quis videns eum in decernendo principeÌ„ se facere EpiscoporuÌ„ praesidere iudiciis Ecclesiasticis â—â—on merito di â—at eum illam ipsam desolaetioneÌ„ esse quae a Daniele praedicta est who is he that seeing him he speakes of Constantius the Arian Emperour take vpon him to be Prince of Bishops to decree and preside in Ecclesiasticall iudgmeÌ„ts that will not say with iust reasoÌ„ that he is the desolation of abomination foretold by the Prophet Daniel S. Ambrose doth the like when writing to Valentinian the yonger who being corrupted by the Arians would iudge in matters of faith he vseth these words a Ambros l. 2. epist 13. Si vel scripturaruÌ„ se rieÌ„ diuinaruÌ„ vel vetera teÌ„porae retractemus quis abnuat in causae inquam fidei Episcopos solere de Imperatoribus Christianis noÌ„ Imperatores de Episcopis iudicare Eris Deofauente etiam insenectutis maturitateprouectior tunc de hoe censebis qualis ille Episcopi â—â— sit qui I aicis ills Sacerdotale substernit .... si confereÌ„dum de fide Sacerdotum debet esse istae collatio sicut factâ— est sabâ— onstaÌ„tino Augusta memâ—riae I 〈◊〉 cipe Et Tract de Basil non tradend Quid honorificentius quam vt Imperator Ecclesiae filius dicatur If we ether reflect vpon the order of Scripture or tymes by-past who will deny but that in points of faith in points of Faith I say the Bishopes were accustomed to iudge of Emperours not they of Bishops Vvith the helpe of God goes he on tyme will ripen thee and then you wilt iudge what kind of Bishope he is who will subiect Priestly right to laymen if a conference be to be had of faith it belongs to the Preists as it happened vnder Constantine Prince of sacred memorie Vvhat hath an Emperour more honorable then to be stiled the sonne of the Church That that which the Fathers say herin is verified by the Scripture the punishment which befell those who would needs lay hand vpon the Thurible doth confirme Further it would not b 2. Agg. 2. v. 12. command that things belonging to the law should be demaÌ„ded from the mouth of the Preist without making any mention at all of kings if both were equally lawfull It would not c 2. Paralypom say that Amarias should preside in things belonging vnto God marrie in those that apperi ayne to the office of a king Zabadias if their Courts were not distinguished To conclude d Ephes 4. v. 11. S. Paule making a long list of those who haue power in the Church had not begun with the Prophetes Euangelists Pastours and Doctours not mentioning kings if their authoritie had extended so far Againe put case the king had power to medle in such causes would you be content he should sitt vpon yours with obligation to stand to his iudgment Yes euen as the Donatists who appealed to Constantine stood to his you will stand to it if it fauour and like you appeale from it if it dislike or goe against you God saith e Vvhitak controu â— q. 5. c. 4. Iudicium sibi Deus reseruanit nulli hominum permisit one of your prime Authours following therin the donatists reserued the iudgement of religion to himselfe alone and did not grant it to any man why then will you haue the king to iudge But le ts see whether you haue a hart to enter into the lists as you make a flourish None will beleeue in my opinion that he that will not admitt of ordinarie weapons hath a desire to fight though otherwise he proclaime a loode chalance and who knowes not that in reiecting the authoritie of the Church Fathers Councells and Traditions you refuse the ordinarie weapons which are vsed in combats of Faith But oh you will admitt of the scripture and we also most willingly admitt of it yet not as it is in your hands that is Scripture not authenticall maymed corrupted interpreted according to your owne braine and most ordinarily against the true sense but the scripture preached and interpreted by the Church the pillar and rock of truth wherby we are to be deliuered from all errour Vvho could away with him that in a ciuile cause in a difficultie of importance would onely stand to the text of written lawes reiecting the explication of Doctours the credit of the historie practise and common custome in fine the authoritie of the Iudges who are appointed to doe iustice to all men But were he not yet more insupportable who onely admitting of written lawes should reiect those that are directly against him and interprete the rest following his owne fanticie In these termes are you wherby it well appeares that though you make shew to desire a conference yet indeed you flie it contenting your selues to haue occasion to bruit abroad amongst your friends that you offered a disputatioÌ„ concealing from them in the interim that you refused the iust and reasonable conditions therof apprehending that you haue done sufficiently in putting out some smale pampletes which decide nothing at all
à place seeing the extraordinarie Mission of your Ministers is an arlicle of your Faith which coÌ„sequently ought to be verifyed by the expresse word of God And shew me Ibeseech you à formall text of Scripture which saith that Luther Caluin and the rest of your Ministers were sent extraordinarily Shew it not me but those that follow you who without this haue no assurance that they are in the way of saluation sithens saluation there is none out of the Church nor can the Church subsiste without Pastours If my humble petition be not powerfull enough to purchace my demande grant it at least for that Luther and your owne confession doe oblige you vnto it c Luth. in Galat Populus maxime opus habet â—ertitude vocationiâ— nostrae Luther teaching the people that it doth greatly coÌ„cerne them to haue assurance of their vocation And your a Art 31. Confess Gall. Confession deliuernig in expresse tearmes that euery Pastour is b Art 31. Credimus semper sequendam esse hanc normam vt omnes Pastores c. Suae vocationis testimonium habeant to haue à testimonie of his calling to the office You are to begin there ô Minist for what euer doctrine you deliuer though it were cuen true would be of no profit to the people vnlesse they be within the bosome of the Church where yet they cannot be you not being true Pastours What saith c l. 1. de Baptis c. 18. Quid prodest homini vel sana fides vbi lethalt vulnere schismatis perempta est sanitas charitatis S. Augustine doth à sound or intire Faith profit à mare where Charitie is extinguished by the mortall wound of Schisme Now hauing clearely shewen that you are Schismatikes I will produce certaine passages which will make euideÌ„t to all the world that your doctrine euen in that name is worthy not onely of hatred but euen of horrour It is manifest saith d Epist 76. Apparet aduersarios Domini Antichristos omnes esse quos constet à charitate atque ab vnitate Ecclesiae Catholicae recessisse S. Cyprian that such are Antichrists who haue fortaken the Charitie and vnittie of the Catholike Church S. Optatus e Opt. l. 1. cont Parmen Doth proue the horrour of schisme out of the greeuousnes of the punishments therof and sustaynes that of all euills it is the greatest f Aug. lib. 2. de Bap. c. â— S. Augustine assures vs that schisme is à more haynous cryme then idolatrie because idolatri is onli punished by the sword wheras the g Num. 6. earth gapes to swallow vp the Authours of schisme and fire descends from heauen to consume their followers Who can doubt h Aug. lâ—co citquis dubitauerit hoc esse scelerarius commissum quid grauius vindicatum saith he but that the fault is more detestable where the punishmeÌ„t is more greeuous In another place a lib. 1. cont Parmen c. 4. he saith that it is à sacriledge which doth surpasse all other wickednes And S. Chrysostome b Chrysost hom 11. in Epist ad Ephes c. 4. Nihil DeuÌ„ aeque irritat atque diuisaem esse Ecclesiam is of opinion that nothing doth so much draw God almighties wroth vpon vs as the diuision from his Church But that I may search no further into the Fathers whose workes are full of like passages I will onely to discouer vnto you the horrour of schisme put before your eyes your owne Catechisme and Caluin c The 16. Sunday All those Who seperate themselues from the communitie of the faithfull for to make sects à part ought not to hope for saluation Your Cate chisme which hath in plaine tearmes that they are depriued of all hope of saluation who diuide themselues from the body of Iesus-Christ and by faction cut in peece his vnitie while they doe liue in this diuorce d Calu. Ep. ad Sodolet Sed omnium teterrimumest illud crimeÌ„ quod Sponsam Christi discerpere conat sumus Id si verum esset merito tibi orbi vniuerso haberemur pro deploratis Caluin who saith that of all the crymes that euer were obiected against him the most horrible was that he had rent and torne by schisme the Spouse of Iesus-Christ for which reason if it were true he and all his might be held for lost and without hope of recouerie Now I leaue to the Reader to iudge whether by the testimonie of your owne mouth you be not in à desperate case and cut of all hope of saluation as being seperated from the Church wherin it is onely to be found That the religion which they call reformed doth renewall the old heresies CHAP. XVI I Could present the Reader with à great number of points wherin you call à foote againe old heresies but to auoyd prolixitie I will onely produce foure 1. Point The principale article of your faith consists in beleeuing that man is saued by onely faith and that we are not iustified by our workes We beleeue saith your a Art 20. Conf. that we are made partakers of this iustice by onely faith We teach saith b Art 116. Docemus hominem iustificari per fidem in Christum non per vlla opera bona that of Suise by those of Geneua that man is iustified by faith in Iesus-Christ and not by any good workes That this is the principale point of your beleife is easie to be knowen since on it alone depends your saluation and also because the c Praefatio ad Syntagma Confess At vero hic articulus de iustificatione est basis forma anima religionis EuaÌ„gelicae summa c. Preface of your confessions and many of d Whitak controu 2. q. 6. c. 3. your writers say that it is the basis forme and soule of Christian religion and the abridgement of the doctrine of the gospell Now it is well nigh 1600. yeares since this opinion was condemned in Simon the Magician as hereticall as S. Ireneus doth iustifie who was scholler to S. Polycarpe one of S. Iohn the Euangelists disciples as also Theodorete who relates it so to haue bene He taught saith S. Ireneus a lib. c. 20. Docuit homines non saluari secundum operas iustas that men are not saued according to their iust workes b lib. 1. Fab Haereticorum c 1. Non per bonas actiones sed per gratiam eos esse saluiem consequutos he teacheth saith Theodorete in his booke of hereticall fables that men are not saued by their good workes Nor can you auoyd the force of my argument by saying that Simon the Magician was condemned for other errours For as it followes not that à man was not condemned to death for à murther because he was also found guiltie of theft Euen so for that Simon the Magician called himselfe à Prophete and sustayned that men were saued by his grace it doth not follow
is iustified by onely faith which is found in no part of the scripture Doe you not then contradict the Scripture you doe it so openly in this point Confess Heluet c. 15. docemus peccatorem iustificari sola fide Luth. in cap. 22. Gen. Iacob delirat Deuteron 30. circumcide cor tuum cor seminis tui vt diligas DominuÌ„ DeuÌ„ tuum in toto corde tuo in tota anima tua Psal 118. Dauid ait in toto corde meo exquisiui te Et 3. Reg. 14. sequutus est me in toto corde suo Et 4. Reg. 23 dicitur de losia quod reuersus est ad Dominum in omni corde suo in tota anima sua in vniuersa vitasua Cal. 2. Inst c. 7. §. 5. neminem Sanctorum extitisse dico qui corpore mortis circundatus ad eum dilectionis scopum pertigerit vtex toto corde ex tota mente ex tota anima ex tota potentia Deum amaret Paraeus lib 4. de iustif c. 11. Talem dilectionem ex tota anima ex tota mente ex omnibus viribus nemo sanctorum habuit vel habere in hac infirmitate potest manet quidem in Sanctis aliquid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hypocriseas Math. 26. Marc. 13. Luc 22. 1. Cor. 11. that Luther not being able to reconcile the place of S. Iames with that which he taught saith that this great Apostle dotes The scripture saith that we may loue God with all our hart you say that none can loue God with all his hart This is not found in all holy writ Doe you not then contradict the holy scripture The scripture saith that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Iesus-Christ En la forme d'administrer les SacremeÌ„s Contentons nous d'auoir le pain le vin pour signe tesmoignage Et en leut Ca techisme au traité de la Cene. Tu n'entends pas done demaÌ„de le Ministre que le corps soit enclos dedans le pain le sang dedans le Calice Non respoÌ„d l'enfant mais au contraire Et cap. 1. Pet. 3. v. 21. saluos facit baptisma and that with addition of such words as designe the true body and true blood You say that it is not the body and blood of Iesus-Christ but onely the figure the signe and testimonie which is not found in any part of the holy pages Doe you not then contradict the scripture The scripture saith that baptisme saues vs that we are washed regenerated by the lauer of water You say that baptisme doth not saue doth not clense doth not regenerate but that it is onely a Symbole of our saluation clenseing and regeration which is not found in all the bible doe you not then contradict the scripture 5. The scripture saith that Preists remitt sinns you say Ephes 5. v. 26. Vt illam sanctificaret mundans lauacro aquae Ioan. 3. v. 5. Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua Melancthon in locis cap. de signis Non iustificant signa vt Apostolus ait circumcisio nihil est ita baptismus nihil est participatio mensae Domini nihil est sed testes sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuinae voluntatis erga te Calu 4. Instit c. 14. §. 17. Cauendum ne in errorem nos abducant quae ad amplificandam sacramentorum dignitatem paulò magnificentius à veteribus scripta sunt vt scilicet arbitremur latentem aliquam virtutem Sacramentis annexam affixamque esse quo ipsa per se Spiritus sancti gratiam nobis conferant cum hoc tantum illis diuinitus iniunctum sit munus testicari nobis acsancire Deiin nos beneuolentiam Matth. 18. v. 18. Quacumque ligaueritis super terram erunt ligata in caelo quacumque solueritis super terram erunt soluta in caelo that they doe not remitt sinns but onely that they beare testimonie that they are remitted which is found in no place of the holy scripture doe you not then contradict the Scripture 6. The scripture saith that if a virgine marrie she sinns not you say that the iuste man offends in all his workes Ioan. 20. v. 23. Quorism remiseritis peccata remiâ—tuÌ„ti eis quorum retinuericis retenta sunt which is not found in all holy writt Doe you not then contradict the Scripture 7. The Scripture saith that there be some of the wicked and reprobate Calu. Instit 3. cap. 4. §. 23. Absolutio quae fidei seruit nihil aliud est quà m testimoniuÌ„ venia ex gratuitae euangelij promissione suÌ„ptum 21. Corinth 7. si nupserit virgo non peccauit Luth. art 2. Iustus in omni opere binopeccat idem Calu 3. Instit c. 12. §. 4. Omnia hominum opera si su a dignitate cense antur nihil nisi inquinamenta sunt sordes quaiustitia vulgo habetur ea apud Deum mera est iniquitas Ioan 12. v. 42. multi crediderunt in eum sed propter Pharisaeos non confitebamtur vt è Synagoga non ei cerentur dilexerunt enim gloriam hominum magis quà m gloriam Dei Act. 8. v. 13. Tunc Simon ipse credidit Calu. 3. Instit. c. 2. §. 9. 10 talibus fidei testimonium tribuitur sed per catechesin Item verum haec fidei seu vmbra seu imago vt nullius est momenti ita indigna est fidei appellatione Luc. 8. v. 13 Quia ad tempus credunt in tempere tentationis recedunt who beleeue in Iesus-Christ you say they beleeue not but that they haue onely a shadovve of Faith which is not found in all the scripture doe you not then contradict Scripture 8. The Scripture saith that ther are some Calu. 3. Instit c. 2. § 11. NuÌ„quam disperit semen vitae electorum cordibus insituÌ„ in harmon Matth. 1 v. 20 fidem quam semel insculpsit piorum cordibus euanescere perire impossibile est who for a tyme haue faith and beleeue not in another tyme you say that there are none who beleeue for a tyme and loose their faith in another but that he that beleeues once neuer looseth his faith which is not found in all holy Scripture doe you not then contradict Scripture 9. The scripture saith if thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements you say there is no neede to keepe the commandements Matth 10. v. 19. Si vis ad vitaÌ„ ingredi serua mandata yea that euen to say so is to deney Iesus-Christ and to abolish his Faith which is not in all the holy scripture Luth. 2. Gal. Papistae docent fides in Christum iustificat quideÌ„ sed simul seruare opertet etiam praecepta Dei ibi statim Christus negatus fides abolita est Heb 6. v. 4. Quisemel illuminatisunt gustauerunt etiam donum caeleste participes factisunt Spiritus S. v. 6. Et prolapsi sunt rursus renouari ad paenitentiam
rursus crucifigentes sibimetipsis filium Dei Calu. 3. Inst c. 2. §. 11. cit nunquam disperit semen vita electorum cordibus insitum yea that euen to say so is to deney Iesus-Christ and to abolish his Faith which is not in all the holy scripture doe you not then contradict the scripture 10. The scripture saith that some being once illuminated and hauing tasted the heauenly guift doe fall crucifying againe to themselues the sonne of God You say that those that are once partakers of the holy ghost cannot fall from his grace which is not found in all scripture Ioan. 1. v. 29. tollit peccatuÌ„ Isa 44. v. 21. deleui vt nubeÌ„ iniqnitates tuas quasi nebulam peccata tua doe you not then contradict the scripture 11. The scripture saith that God doth take avvay and blot out sinne as a cloud remoues our iniquities from vs as far as the East is from the west makes vs more white then snow you say Psal 10.2 v. 12. Quantum distat ortus ab occideute longe fecit à nobis iniquitates nostras that he nether takes avvay nor blots out sinne but onely doth not impute it that he doth not make vs more white then snow but that be leaues in vs the fault and filth of sinne which is not found in all holy scripture Psal 50. super niuem dealbabor doe you not then contradict the scripture Luth. art 2. aliud est omnia peccata remitti aliud omnia tolli baptismus omnia remittit sed nullum penitus tollit 12. The Scripture saith that Beatitude is a salarie are vvarde the day-pennie of the workemen a crovvne of Iustice you say that it is a meere liberalitie and no revvarde Calu. in antid sess 5. manet verè peccatum in nobis Apostolus fideles his verbis non eximit à cu pâ— sed taÌ„ ùm reatu liberat Paraeus de amiss grat cap. 7. Plurima peccata etiam mortaâ—ia manent in iustificatis Kemnitius 1. part tit de reliquiis peccati immundities peccati etiam in renatis haeret Confessio Gallica art 11. affirmamus concupiscentiam etiam pest baptismum esse verè peccatuÌ„ quod ad cuipam attinet Catechismus Palati quaest 126. Omnia peccata nustra in nobio etiam nunc haerent Vnitak lib. 3. de Concupisc c. 3. remissio non omneÌ„ actu tollit culpam Matth. 5. v. 12. Merces Philip. 3. v. 14. Brauium Matth. 20. v. 9. Denarius Primo Cor. 9. Coronam incorruptam 2. Timot. 4. v. 8. corona iustitiae Calu. 3. Iustit c. 15. §. 4. ipsa beatâ—tudo mera est Dei benificentia in antid sess 6. c. 17. Quod vitam aternam faciunt mercedeÌ„ in eo abillis dissentio which is not yet found in any passage of holy scripture doe you not then contradict the Scripture Certainely you doe as I could make appeare by a number of other places Paraeus 4. de iustif c. 11. 13. if I did not iudge it sufficient to haue showen it in these twelue points Prescript c. 38. lib. de haeresi which doe appeare in the eyes of all the world as the true Symbole of your faith Vvhat will you say Sirs to these manifest contradictions That they are no contradictions because the scripture is to be vnderstoode figuratiuely will you fly to that fraude remarked by Tertullian in the Valentinians by S. Augustine in the Priscillianists by other Fathers in other Heresiarkes by your selues in the Anabaptists If you doe so S. August lib. contr FaustuÌ„ l. 3. de doctr Christ c. 10. si animuÌ„ praeoccupauit alicuius errerts opinioquicquid alater assernerit scripturae figuratum homines arbitraÌ„tur I will say vnto you with S. Augustine Vvhat when we read scripture doe we forgett the knovvledge we haue of our ovvne tongue doe we loose the memorie of our manner of speaking Ought the scripture to speake to vs in any other manner then that which is knovven vnto vs and which is ordinary amongst vs I will adde further with the same sainte that as soone as the opinion of any errour hath once prepossessed their mynds they esteeme all to be figures which the scripture saith to the contrarie Moreouer without touching those places in particular wherof ther is question I will make manifest to all men by two generall argumeÌ„ts that your euasion is of no force both because there is none who doth not accnowledge that it is impossible that God should teach vs so many and so greate misteries of our Faith not by that which they are but contrariwise by that which indeede they are not it being onely the part of an impostor to speake the contrarie to that which is indeede in a matter of importance and also because you cannot inferre out of scripture that which you beleeue in the points which we handle saue onely by the addition of a humane principle as we shall see herafter which is altogether vniust since in that you preferre your owne reasoÌ„ before scripture not beleeuing what it expressely teacheth but the contrarie which it saith not saue onely by a discourse grounded vpon a principle drawen from your owne braine to wrest that to your owne sense which you accnowledge in truth to make for vs. Vve haue sufficiently examined these points S. Aug. serm 9 inter Parisienses Meletiani apud Epiphan haer 68. vide Baron an Christi 2.5 August lib 2. contra Petil. c. 23 Non baptizantur san guine suo nis qui occiduntur prepter iusti tiam te prius est quaerendum propter quid paetimini postea quiae pa timini Caprian l. de vnitate S Aug. Epist 61. l. 3 contra Cresc c. 4â— MatryreÌ„ nonsa â—â— poena sed causa let vs passe to your persequutions None can be ignorant that the diuell hath his Martyrs and Lyes haue so Zealous Aduocates that they will powre out their bood in their defence wherfore I will not stand to verifie it it shall suffice onely to note by the way that since none can pretend glorie for his sufferance for a religion vnlesse he first proue that it is true and that as reason and all the Fathers doe teach vs it is not the paine but the cause which makes the Martyre while it is not yet proued that yours is the true Religion but contrariwise being a thinge manifest that it is false you can draw no aduantages from your persecution vnlesse it be to discouer your selues to stand attainted of a double crime to witt errour and obstinacie Your sufferances nether giue testimonie for your pietie nor for your courage but contrariwise following S. Augustine that you are cowardly S. Aug. lib. 1. contra Gaud. c. 33. Quisquis pro parte Donati vel simbriam vesti menti perdiderit cor non habet Cyprian l. de vnit Eccles Non erit illa fidei corona sed poena perfidiae They are not crovvnes of your
sine pradicante ergo fides ex auditu saint Paule shall they beleeue him whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher Therfore faith is by hearing Vvherby we see that reading onely is not a sufficient meanes of faith since according to the Apostle no man can haue assurance ether of the letter or of the sense of the Scripture vnlesse he learne of the Church how it is to be vnderstoode Secondly because if this meanes be sufficient for all the world the Fathers of the Church the Lutherans Anabaptists and others who with great care and diligence made vse of it erred not in the fundamentall points of faith as in your writings you vpbrade them But if you affirme that reading alone is onely sufficient in qualitie of an externe meanes and that there is further required an inward illustration of rhe holy Ghost which is not in them that erre I demand a text of holy Scripture affirming that Caluine and his followers had this interiour illustration rather then the others if you can produce no such text I demand why you beleeue it without Scripture Againe I demand by what exteriour or interiour signe you can be assured to haue this illustration of the holy Ghost in the vnderstanding of these words This is my body more then the Catholikes or Lutherans Finally since reading onely is not sufficient without this internall illustration of the holy Ghost if you cannot by some infallible argument proue that you are assured of this illustration I beseech you to accnowledge that you haue no certaintie of the sense of Scripture nor consequently of your faith Finally why doth the Eunuke who had the holy Ghost and readd diligently that place of Isaye where the passion of our sauiour is cleary foretold being asked by Philippe one of the Deacons whether he vnderstood what he readd answere a Act. 8. Et quâ—modo possum si non aâ—â— quis ostenderit mihi how can I vnlesse some shew it me If to vnderstand the Scripture a man be to rely vpon the interiour illustration of the holy Ghost you cannot say as some tymes you doe that your meaning is not that euery one should vnderstand all the Scripture but b Vvhit de perspicuit script c. 1. Nostrum axioma est omnia quae sunt ad salutem necessaria opertis verbis in scripturis propâ—â—â— onely that which is necessarie vnto salutation because the passage which the Eunuke confesseth he vnderstandeth not concernes not the passion of our sauiour Iesus Christ which is the fundation of mans saluation Nor will you affirme that the Eunuke was ignorant sith the simple are as well to vnderstand that which is necessarie to saluation as the learned Nor indeede ought he to be rancked amongst the ignorant whom a Hieron ep 103. Ego nec sanctior sum hoc Eunucho nec studiosior tantus amator legis diuinaeque scientiae cum libruÌ„ teneret ignorabat eum quem in libro nesciens venerabatur saint Hierome represents so studious and so great a louer of the law that he himselfe was not more addicted thervnto That the Scripture is not easie to all men it selfe doth witnesse and the Fathers doe teach It selfe doth witnesse b 2. Petr. 3. In quibus sunt quaedam difficilia intellectu quae indocti instabiles deprauant sicut caeteras scripturas ad suaÌ„ ipsoruÌ„ perditionem for saint Peter sayth that in saint Paules Epistle there are certaine things hard to be vnderstood which the vnlearned and vnstable depraue as also the rest of the Scriptures to their ovvne perdition The Fathers doe teach vs the same The Scriptures of the law saith a Aug devtil ered c. 6. An istae scripturae legis planisssmae sunt in quas isti quasi zulgo expositas impetum faciunt saint Augustine are they most cleare And when a certaine person told him that he readd and vnderstood the Scripture of himselfe he said Is it so Thou darst not aduenture vpon Terentianus Maurus Without the helpe of a Master An infinitie of Authours are required to the vnderstanding of each Poete and yet thou darst interprise the reading of holy Vvrite without a Guide and passe thy indgement vpon it without a Master For the same reason b Et cap 7. Terentianum Maurum sine Magistre attingere non auderes Asper Ceonutus Donatus alij innumerabiles requirunturvt quiesbet Poetae possit intelligs tu in eos libros qui sancti diuinarumque rerum pleni sunt sine duce irruis de his sine piaeceprere audes ferre sententiam saint Hierosine apprehends it verie pernicious that an old Trott a Dotterell a sophisticall pratter any one aduentures vpon the Scripture Weares it out begins to reach before they haue yet learnt it And c Hieron Epist 103 ad Pauli Hanc scripturam garrula anus banc delirus senex hanc vniuersi praesumunt lacerant docent antequam discent Cap. 1. 2. Duplici modo munire fidem suam Domins adiuuante deberet primum scilicet diuinae legis authoritate tum deinde Ecclesiae Cathoiteae traditione quiae videlicet scripturam laeramproipsasua altitudine non vno ecdemque sensu vniuersi acciptunt saint Vincent Leir saith that to auoyd heresie and to be established in the true faith it is necessarie to adioyne the Tradition of the Church to Scripture because the Scripture by reason of its depth is not vnderstood of all in one and the same sort Therfore it is euident that the Scripture alone without the explitation of the Church doth but afford vs a part of the rule of faith and that you who promis euery one the knowledge of his saluation of himselfe doe promis him to speake with the a 1. Timot. 6. Apostle a knovvledge of a false name and push him on to know more then is behouffull in steede of contayning him within the termes of a modest knowledge and teaching him with b Contra Epistolam fundam cap. 2. CateraÌ„ quippe turbam non intelligendi viuacitas sed credendi simplicitas tutissimam facit saint Augustine that the simplicitie of beleeuing not the viuacitie of vnderstanding is the peoples assurance You haue words at will but your proofes are thinnesowen And indeede you doe nothing els but delude the people as I haue said and is euident deceaue them leade them to perdition He that finding a blind man in a bad and rockie way takes from him his staffe and Guide not furinshing him with another doth plainly discouer that his designe is the poore mans destruction Euery one then must needs clearely discerne that you deceaue the people and leade them to their ruine because depriuing them of their ordinarie guide which is the Church you prouide them not of another And it is manifest that you committ them to no sufficient Guide both because the blind simple and ignorant can make no vse of the Scripture for their
persons consists in this that we permit such onely to reade scripture as are able to turne it to their owne profit not such as would vse it to their owne damage The exceptions which we make of tymes and places consists in this that we easely permit it in tyme of heresie and in places that are pestered with it as in Germanie France England Scotland Polonie where it is lawfull for Catholikes freely to reade Scripture marrie in places wher errour hath not gotten footing there is no such libertie To those it is freely permitted both because being dayly and hourely assalted with Scripture reason would that the vse of it should be permitted them that they might defend themselues with the same weapons wherwith they are opposed while the Scripture well vnderstoode doth heale the wounds receaued by the euill vnderstanding therof as the Scorpion is a cure for her owne stinging and also because since notwithstanding the persuations and ill examples of errour they stand firme in point of Faith it is to be hoped they will not abuse this reading especially sith questions of Faith being dayly handled in sermons they vnderstand the explication of passages which are abused to the disaduantage of truth But to these to witt the contries where this necessitie hath no place licence is not easely granted because the people not being iustructed by the Preachers touching the sense of Scripture in points controuerted they may more casely be mistaken And in this The Church imitates her Spouse Iesus Christ who reuealed misteries and secretes to his Apostles S. Aug-Concio 1. inpsal 36. Non solum sicut magister aliquid docuit sed sicut magister aliquid noÌ„ totum tanquaÌ„ magister enim sciebat docere quod proderat non docere quod aberat so far forth as he iudged necessarie As Master saith saint Augustine he taught some things not all things as Master he knew how to teach that which might be profitable and not that which might be hurtfull In like manner the Church permitts some thing not all she distributes the sense of Scripture which doth profit to all men but to some prohibits the letter which might hurt And in this againe she followes the example of the good mother who crakes the nutt for her children that they may eate the kirnell or feedes them with her milke till they be able to disgest more solide meates But you in steede of imitating these good examples follow the Pharisies who as Isadore Pelusian obserues though they cared not whether they accomplished the law of Moyses or not yet they would make shew of it and would haue euery one to haue the booke in their hands You resemble a lewde woman who speakes so much more of chastitie by how much she doth lesse practise it You imitate the serpent who threw Eue out of Paradice persuading her Genes 3. that she should be so farr from dying by eating of the forbidden tree as it is written that contrariwise she should be like vnto God knowing good and euill for you persuade the people that they will be so far from falling into heresie by reading the the holy scripture which yet the Church doth teach them that they will by that meanes become greate Diuines And by their owne helpe alone find out their owne saluation therin which drawes many headlong into errour This is all the obligation that the people haue vnto you which is like to that of a mother who through negligence or malice leaues a knife wherwith her child doth kill himselfe Now let vs see whether you doe not contradict your selues Your contradictions are manifest for after you haue licenced all sorts of people to reade the bible and taught them that it is easie to be vnderstoode euen by the simple people and that they may clearly know their saluation therby without any other assistance then that which the holy Ghost imparts vnto them interiourly yet you teach in other places that the scriptures are difficult that the comon people must consult with the learned and referre themselues to their Pastours not being capable of themselues to make vse of the holy Scriptures Pride contempt or enuey saith a l. 4. Instit c. 1. § 5. Multos impellit superbia vel fastidium velaemulatio vt sibi persuadeant priuatim legeÌ„do meditaÌ„do seposse satis proficere Caluin moues some to persuade themselues that they may make sufficient profitt by reading the scripture priuatly and b Item Nobis quodex Paulo citauimus tenendum est Ecclesiam non aliter edisicari quam externa praedicatione a litle after we must obserue that which we cited out of S. Paule that the Church is onely edified by externall preaching Ther is saith he in c Calu l. 1. Inst c. 14. Nostri officijest libonter ignorare quae non conducunt Et 3. Instit c. 21. §. 2. Neque vero nos pudeat aliquid in eare nescire vbi est aliqua docta ignorantia another place a certaine learned ignorance Vve doe not say saith d Vâ—hitak coÌ„trou 1 q. 4. c. 1. Non dicimus quod scriptura per seita aperta sit et sine interpretatione sufficiat ex se ad omnes controuersias fidei dirimendas whitakere that the scripture is of it selfe so cleare that without interpretation it is sufficient of it selfe to end all controuersies of Faith because the ignorant saith the e Ibid. q. 5. c. 9. Imperiti quia non possunt vti rectè his mediis debent illi alios peritiores adire same authour are not able to make vse of those meanes which he mentionned before they must haue recourse to the more learned Is not this to aggree with vs and to contradict your selues Is not this to condemne in vs what your selues doe pactise Is it lawfull for you to teach that the Church and her Pastours ought necessarily to be heard that the Church is not edifed but by preaching while you iudge vs blame worthy for holding the same thing Why doe f Capito ad FarelluÌ„ in ep Cal. ep 6. Fraeprorsus excussit-multitudo quae assueta est educata propemodum ad licentiam Nam clamant teneo satis Euangelij ipse scio legere quorsum mihâ— tua opera praedica volentibus audire c. you preach if credit be not to be giuen to the Church and her Pastours why doe you impose vpon vs that we affect a voluntarie ignorance seeing we teach no other thing in this point but that which we are taught by the holy Scripture and Fathers and your owne authours confesse You doe continually blame vs yea euen in those things in which we are laudable according to your owne Principles and if the crimes wherwhich you loade vs be crymes indeede they are found in you not in vs. You say we bring God into suspition with men but it appeares that we are innocent and you guiltie of this accusation for how could one make God more
But if you replie that you are bound to obserue the essentiall parres of the misteries done by Iesus Christ yet are permitted to chaÌ„ge that which he did in indifferent things it rests that you proue out of scripture why these things which you change are more of that nature then those which you condemne vs for changing Or if you cnnnot doe it Lib. 2. contr aduersa legis Hoc vanitas non ueritas dicit confesse that your words are as S. Augustine saith vanitie and not veritie and that vniustly accusing vs you iustly condemne your selues True it is we ate in tirly and throughly to followe our sauiours example in that which is intrinsicall and substantiall in the misteries in this all disputes and contention being layd aside we are bound to contayne our selues with in that sobrietie and moderation which he prescribed and are to doe and speake as he did And. I would to God you did so then should you confesse that the substace of the Euchariste is the body and blood of our sauiour Iesus-Christ Matth. 62. Accepit Iesus panem benedixit acfregit deditque dicipulis suis att accipite comedite Hoo est corpus meum and not a meere energicall figure of them both For to what end doth the a scripture deliuer in words most expresse not once onely but foure tymes by the mouthes of three Euangelists and one Apostle that the Eucharist is the body and bloode of Iesus-Christ Marc. 14 Accepiâ— Iesus panem benedicens fregit dedit eis ait sumite Hoe est corpus meum without euer saying in any one place that it is not his body but onely a figure if it intend to haue vs beleeve the oue which it saith not and not the other which it affirmes If scripture ought to be the rule of faith Luc. 22. Accepto pane gratias egit fregit dedit seis aâ—cens Hoc est â—â—rpus meuÌ„ quod pro voâ—is datur hoc â—atise mmed â—ommemerationem 1. Corint 11. Dominum Ieumin qua nocte tradebatur accepit panem gratias agens fregis dixst accepite manducate Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis â—â—adetur we are necessarily bound to beleeue that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ which it so often affirmes nor ought we to beleeue that it is not the body and blood of Christ since that is not found in all scripture nor yet doe we euer find that it doth frequently and clearly affirme that a thing is that which it is not with out expressing in somme other place that it is not the said thing If the scripture be instituted to teach vs the connsells of God and of his sonne Iesus-Christ who by it speakes vnto vs who will euer be induced to beleeue that the scripture to teach vs that the sacrament of the Euchariste is bread and wine not the body and blood of Christ who I say would euer imagine that to moue vs to this beliefe it should so frequently inculcate that it is the body and blood of Christ and yet neuer once pronounce that it is nether of them Who will euer frame this iudgement of it vnles such as hauing their braynes inuerted will haue euery thing to be vnderstood preposterously and aganist the sense one contrarie by another and the negation of a truth by the affirmarion of the same Christ is no moâ—ker of men nor is he ignorant of the vsuall manner of their speach he tells them not one thing to moue them to beleeue another Wherfor seeing he doth so planely tell the Apostles that what he gaue them in the Eucharist to eate was his body nor could he find words in which he could more clearly deliurer himselfe there can be no doubt made but he deliuered his owne verie body vnto them other wise it must needes be said that ether he deludes men Aug. l. 33. contr ffaust c. 7. Quid ergo eum legimus obliuiscimur quemadmodum loqui soleamus Anscriptura Dei aliter nobiscum fuerat quam nostro modo loguutura yea and that in a matter of greatest moment to saluation or verily that he was ignorant how to expresse his mynd vnto them Whervpon you will giue me leaue to make that demande to you in this occasion which as I noted aboue St Aug made to the Donatistes in the like occurrence Why when we reade doe we forgett how we are wonte to speake aught the scripture of the Almightie to vse any other maÌ„ner of speach to vs then our owne And wheras Iesus Christ doth say plainly and expresly that he giues vs his body deliuered for vs then which words we can desire none more significatiue none more cleare to moue vs to beleeue that it is his owne true body what can hinder you to beleeue that it is his true body which he giues vnto vs Would you haue him to haue said this is truly really properly substantially my body If some one of these aduerbes were necessarily to be added to manifest the truth of the thing affirmed we should not be obliged to beleeue the most part of the principall misteries of our faith which notwithstanding you beleeue as well as we to witt that Christ was borne of a virgine that he suffered and dyed for in deliuering these truthes the scripture makes vse of none of those Aduerbes nor had it any more expresse termes then those which it vsed to signifie the presence of the body of Christ in the Euchariste As therfore if one doubted whether a thing appearing a far of were truly a man it were not necessarie to giue assurance of the same to adde these words truly really but it were assurance nough to say absolutly it is a man for as the Philosophers hold this word true Verum non additenti addes nothing to the thing so likewise that Iesus-Christ might shew his body truly to be in the Eucharist it is sufficient to affirme it in plane words taken in their owne signification Which was especially to be done here where he doth not onely say this is my body but also my body giuen and deliuered for you which words doe designe the true body of Christ which alone was deliuered for vs. Howbeit it is euident that the nature and beeing of a thing is more clearly expressed by such words as affirme directly what it is then by others which doe onely point at it vnder a certaine name without affirming expresly that it is that thing vnder whose name it is signified and consequently we haue more reason to beleeue that the Euch râ—st is the body of Iesus-Christ because the scripture saith directly that so it is then to beleeue that it is breade because the scripture signifies it vnder the name of breade especially sith it addes Epâ—â—hites to this name of breade which remoue it from its owne signification and contrariwise when it affirmes that the Eucharist is the body of
Iesus-Christ it saith it with restrictions which doe confine as it were and straigâ—ly ty the word body to signifie the true body of Christ The names of things doe not inferre the things themselues vnlesse they be imployed to expresse the beeing of the things For example Christ is said to be a Apoc. 5. v. 5. a Lion a b 1. Corinth 10. v. 4. Rocke a c Ioan. 15. v. 1 vine a d Ioan. 10. v. 7. doree by analogie and similitude onely for as much as the effectes not the nature of these things are in Christ e Psal 175. Manna is tearmed breade in holy scripture though it contayne not the substance of breade If in one place the scripture commande vs to communicate and in another it propose vnto vs the fruite of communion and in some pass g s also declare the end were it not an affected blindnes to vndertake to inferre out of those places what the Eucharist were and not rather to draw it out of the places where the institution therof is contayned I meane out of these expresse words this is my body which God pronounced of set pourpose planly to declare what the Eucharist was Lib. de Religio cap. de Eâ—â—dâ—â— and yet Zuinglius openly professeth that he depends not vpon these words this is my body but vpon this onely proposition the flesh auayleth nothing If I should propose these two propositions a man is a reasonable creature and this a man is borne to serue God I loe more clearly expresse the nature of a man by the first then the second for by the first I doe distinctly explicate his beeing by his essentiall partes Wheras by the second I doe onely declare to what that beeing hath relation and to what end it is produced Yet you will needes run the contrarie way sustayning contrarie to all reason that Iesus-Christ did more clearly expresse what the Eucharist is when he did onely declare a Luc. 22. Hoc sacite in meam commâ—â—orationem Frâ— Coriâ—th 11. Quottes cunqueman ducabitis panem hune calicem bibetis morâ—en domini â—â—nunciabitis its end then when he did establish and expresse it nature and beeing Nay you doe yet worse For you doe not onely choose rather to gather your beliefe out of the words of the scripture which â—hew the b Ioan. 5. Qui manducat hunc parem viuet in aeâ—ernum effect the c Luc. 22. 1 Corinth 11 cit end or the d Panis â—uem ego daâ—e â—aro meâ— est promises of the Eucharist then those wherin are taught the first institution therof by which notwithstanding all the rest which concerne this misterie ought to be explicated but you doe euen ground your faith vpon discourses which make no mention therof As for example when you inferre that Iesus-Christ cannot be really in the Sacrament because the scripture teacheh vs e Ephes 4â— that he is ascâ—nded into heauen and that we ought not to looke him vnder the symboles of the Eucharist because it is written that f Marc. 14. Ioan. 12. we shal not alwayes haue him with vs. What reason I pray you nay what apparence or shew of reason is there to say that the scripture speakes more clearly what the Eucharist is when it speakes not of it at all or at least but indirectly then when it vndertakes expressly to explicate its nature and beeing If diligent notice be taken of the large difference which is betwixt your manner ef proceeding and ours I doubt not but by comparison we should haue quickly gayned our cause by the iudgement of the whole world For why should we rather beleeue that Christ is true God that he assumed hamane nature that he suffered death and passion and other the like mysteries vpon the scriptures simple affirmation therof then that the true body of Christ is in the Eucharist it being confirmed by the expresse word of God and that with such restrictions as doe oblige vs to vnderstand by this word body the true body of Iesus-Christ Why should not credit rather be giuen to the words of the sonne of God then to the conclusions which you gather out of two principles wherof the one indeede is scripture yet speakes not of the Euchariste nor of its substance and the other is purely humane destitute of all probation A man must nether haue eyes nor braynes in his heade to giue more credit to your imaginations then to the words of Iesus-Christ and follow rather your deceipâ—fall infereÌ„ces then the expresse words of the Gospell In things that belong vnto God saith a Lib. 1. de pâ—ccâ—t merit c. 20. In Dei râ—bus dominum audiamus non â—oniecturas suspiciouesque mortâ—lâ—â—â— S. Aug. let vs giue eare to our Lord and not to the coniectures and dreames of mortalls Hauing now handâ—ed this first truâ—h now let vs heare the Pastors of Gods châ—rch those especially of the first ages Doe not they say that the Euchariste b Anâ—â—â—s l. 6. de â—aâ—ram c 1. Si ut Chriâ—lus verus Deut iâ—a veâ—â—aro Cyâ—â—s A 〈…〉 saluie is the true and proper body of Christ truly and properly the c Hâ—lar 8. de Trints Sieâ—im vere verhum caro factam est nos vere verbum carnem cibo dominico sumimus Iustinus in Apolog. Theophyl in Matth. 26. blood of Christ That d Hilar. 8. de Trinit in nobis carnalibus manentem per caâ—neÌ„ Chriâ—tum habemus Christ iâ— in vs by his flesh That the e Cyril Hiâ—rosol Catechis 4 hic qus viâ—eâ—ur a nobis non est nobissed corpus Christi vinum non vinum sed sanguis Christi Ambro l. 4. de Sacrament Damasc 4 defide c. 14. Nec vero panis vinum corporis Christi sigurasunt aebsit enâ—m hoc verum ipsummet domini corpus Eucharist is not bread wine a figure but the body and blood of Christ That the f Cyrillus tract 10. in Ioan. Non negamus recta nos side charitateque symera Christo spiritualiter coniungi sed nullam nohis naturalis coniunctionis rationem secundum carnem cum illo esse id profecto perâ—â—â—amus idque diuinis scripturis omnino alienum 〈◊〉 Auguâ—â— lâ— â— conâ—â—â— aduersa seg c. 9. Fidelt corde atque oxe susâ—pimus mediatorem 〈◊〉 hominum Christum Iesum body of Christ is not onely recâ—aâ—ed by faith and Charitie but euen with the mouth That Christ is g Ambros l. 3. de spirit sancto c 12. Carnem Christi in mysterijs adoramus quam Apostoli in domino Iesu adorarunt Aug l 10. contra sfausâ—am c. 13. adored in the Euchariste That his h Chrys l. 3. de saerdot O â— â—raculum◠ô Dâ—â— beâ—ignitatâ— inqus sursuÌ„ sâ—dâ—â— cum Patre eodem temporis momento omnium manibus perâ—ractatuâ— body being in the Eucharist is also in many other places How is it possible that they should posituely say what
nor are good for any thing but to giue a false alarme and content such as please themselues to heare calumnies cast out against the Church This moues you to cry out that Catholike religion is made a traffike and that Prelates intrench vpon the liuing and the deade Is it to intrench vpon the deade to doe that which we see hath bene practised in the primitiue Church in the tyme of a Tert. â—l de cer mil. c. 3. Oblationes pro defunctis pro natalitiis annua die faci mus Item l de Monoga pro anima eius offerat annuis diebus Tertul. b Cyprian ep 66. refert vt si quis frater clericum tutorem nominas set non offeretur pro eo nec saecrificium pro dormitatione eius celebraretur S. Cyprian and others and the contrarie to which is condeÌ„ned for heresie in the persoÌ„ of Aerius by the relation of a Aug haec 53. Epiphan har 75. S. Augustine and S. Epiphanius As your beliefe resembles that of the auncient Heresiarkes condemned by the Church so your manner of proceeding is not vnlike to theirs for the Manichees did vpbraide S. Augustine Vigilantius and S. Hierome that for their owne profit and interest they defeÌ„ded the doctrine of the Church which is the verie same which now you obiect against vs. The Prelates nether intrench vpon the liuing nor the deade but doe greatly assiste the one and the other wheras you abuse them both They assiste the liuing by instructions and Sacraments the liuing and the deade by their prayers and their sacryfices wheras you doe altogether neglect the deade and the care which you haue of the liuing hath no other effect then the death of their soules You say that the Pope for some ages past hath hindred kings to read the Scriptures Where doe you find that prohibition The Popes would alwayes exceedingly reioyce that kings who are learned and are addicted to reading should exactly reade them being confident that by the assistaÌ„ce of learned men who are able to explicate the sense vnto theÌ„ they will clearly discouer that the gouerment of the Church is not built vpon the ignorance of the word of God as you calumniate but that your religion is grounded vpon the corruptions and bad interpretations of that sacred word They will also see that the Pope makes not himselfe the supreame iudge of faith but that he was constituted such by God and the Church which is the pillar and rocke of truth seeing God did constitute Peter a Petra or rocke vpon which it is built And indeede S. Hierome though most conuersant in all holy Scripture did yet beseech Pope Damasus that he would decree whether we ought to say one or thee hypostases professing that he would hold as an article of faith what he defined Had not S. Bernard also the Scripture before his eyes when he wrote to Pope Innocent the II. that all the dangers and scandalls which rise in the kingdome of God ought to be referred to his Apostleshippe especially things concerning faith Vvas the Scripture vnknowen to IustiniaÌ„ the Emperour when he saith in his Epistle to Pope Iohn the II. we suffer nothing to passe which belongs to the state of the Church vnknowen to your Holines who is the heade of all the holy Churches Vvhy did the Ecumenicall Councells held in the primitiue Church demand the confirmation of their Decrees of the Pope if they knew not by holy write that they were obliged therunto Vvas not the Scripture both in the east and west Church when as S. Hâ—erome relates the Synodicall consultations of both those parts of the world were sent to Pope Damasus to be confirmed Kings meete with nothing in Scripture but your condemnatioÌ„ And if they daigne to cast an eye vpon historie they shall find that the Popes whose greatnes is represented as preiudiciall to this our France hath not bene a litle aduantagious vnto it But if any haue raysed themselues to the detriment of France alwayes most Catholike and with the diminution of the most Christians kings dignitie you are the men who being enemyes to the Catholike Church and Christian religion like true children of darknes had your birth and groth by meanes of their obscuritie CHAP. XIV MINISTERS THe neglect of these things hath for the space of many yrares drawen great inconueniencies vpon France and hath made it a Theater wherupon bloodie Tragedies haue bene acted while God punisheth the contempt of his word and the oppression of his children The ripenes of your witt dread Soueraigne euen in the spring of your yeares and the tymelynes in princelike and Christian vertues which discouer themselues in your Maiestie makes vs hope for a more happie age vnder your raigne God who besto wed your Maiestie on France in his benediction will by his prouidence conserue you and will settle and confirme your scepter in your hands making vse of it to the establishment of his sonns kingdome who is king of kings so that God raigning by you may raigne also in you to the end that you may raigne with him for euer But if contrarie suggestions hinder our humble supplications from being receaued of your Maiestie with wished successe yet will we neuer cease while God grants life to instruct your people in obedience and loyallie to Wards your Maiestie and we will pray to God for the conseruation of your person and the prosperitie of your Kingdome as it becomes such as are c. ANSWERE IT is not at this present onely that the professours of a false beliefe impute the calamities which happen in their tymes to the contempt of their errours for euen Tertull. Arnobius S. Cyprian S. August and diuers others doe witnesse that the Pagans ascribed all the disasters of their tymes to the honour in which Christian religion was held and to the contempt of theirs In this you imitate these old PagaÌ„s and indeede since the end doth crowne the worke it was fitting that your writing which is full of the imitations of ancient heretiques condemned by the Church should be crowned with the imitation of Pagans condemned by all christian societies If the calamities of France did proceede from the contempt of your religion it had not so much florished in the tyme oâ— the Albigeois whom you accnowledge to be your brothers seeing it did persequute them in open warre And without doubt it had bene oppressed with miseries vnder the raigne of Pepin Charlemagne who religiously honored the Popes and the Roman Church wheras it was neuer more florishing then in their raigne Againe Italie and spayne where your errours are not currant whence those that professe them are banished and where the holy sea is as much honored as in any place of the world should be most miserable contries But your assertions haue no grounde of reason It is true indeede as the Fathers doe obserue that temporall felicitie doth follow religion marrie not yours but that onely
but smale the other verie great For the rest though it were true that you could compt your selues by millions that you were spreade ouer all France yet should you get no greate aduantage S. c S. August serm 2. in Psal 36. Augustine compareing you by good reason to smoake which doth vanish so much the sooner by how much it is greater and more dilated abroade From the multitude of your brethren you make a passage to the antiquitie of your religion professing it to be Christian and such as Iesus-Christ did institute it and as the Apostles did publish and put it downe in writing vpon which I will obserne foure things First I say that ether your meaning is that you haue the ancient doctrine of the Church though receaued of new or that you had and conserued il from all ages by an vninterrupted succession If the first albeit indeede it is false suppose it were granted you it were yet vnprofitable the auncient and true doctrine being insufficient if a man haue not the Church which haue he cannot vnlesse he haue continually retayned the true doctrine If the second after you shall haue spent much labour to proue your assertiō yet shall you gather no other fruite ther of then to shew your antiquitie bounded with the terme of one age wheras that of the Church of Iesus-Christ hath sixteene ages vpon its heade It is true that your religion is auncient in a certaine sense sith as we shall se hereafter it is compounded of diuers heresies which were condemned in the primitiue Church yea euen from the tyme of the Apostles but you cannot stile it auncient as though the body of your beleife all the substance of your faith had from former ages bene beleeued it being euident that the Article of iustification by speciall faith which is a part of the life of your religion was vnknowen before the age in which we liue I adde this word speciall because though Eunomius and other more auncient a Apud S. Aug. haeres 54. Et lib. de fid oper c. 14. Heretiques said that man was iustified by onely faith speaking of dogmaticall Faith yet none before Luther held that this iustifying Faith did consiste in the speciall apprehension that each one of the faithfull made of the Iustice of Iesus Christ which is applyed by the beliefe they haue to be iustified For the rest you being able to name none who before b Luth. tom 7. Primus fui cui Deus ea quaevobis praedicata sunt reuelare dignatus est Luther made profession of your whole beliefe Luth. tom 2. in formula Missae ait Nostram rationem colen de Deum per Missam fuisse velerem inolitā suam verorecentem insuetam Luth. tom 2. ad Princip Bohem. Deus hoc tempore lucem sui Euāgelij rursus accendit Luth. tom 5. in cap. 1. 1. ad Corinth Absque sua opera nullum verbum neiota quidem de Euangelio fuisset auditum and that great prophete of your Law boasting in plaine termes that he was the first to whom God vout safed to reueale what he preached and further clearely accnowledging the manner of seruing and honoring God in the Masse to haue bene auncient and to haue taken roote and confessing his of the contrarie side to be now and vnaccustomed saying moreouer that God in his tyme had lightened of nevv the light of the Ghospell which without him one iota had not bene heard of And Againe a Caluine assureing vs that it was he that first vndertooke the cause of the Ghospell which is the first who shevved the way to others who can affirme that your religion hath more then an hundred years of antiquitie None as I conceaue Calu. in 2. defens contr Vuestphal ait de Luthero quod causam Euangelij agere caeperit viam primus demonstrauerit will dare to thinke it especially if they reflect vpon that which one of your brethren of the same Age with Luthere secretarie of the Elector of Saxonie first Abettour saith such a confession was neuer made not onely within these thousand yeares b Spalat in relat confess August Cont. Epistolam fundamentalem cap. 4. but euen since the worlds creation nor is the like confession found in any historie in any Father in any Authour Secondly I say that imitating Luther who puts the word Catholique out of the Creede you doe not in this place attribute it to your religion knowing in your consciences that the name Catholike a name of so greate waight that it euen retayned S. Augustine in the Church doth in no sorte appertayne vnto you It appertaynes not-vnto you as it doth determine that of all Christian societies which contaynes the greatest multitude as I haue alreadie shewen Nor yet as it signifies vniuersalitie and diffusion whether we regard tymes or places it being euident both because you deriue not your origine from Iesus Christ and his Apostles by an vninterrupted succession of your predecessours who haue subsisted in all tymes and withall for that you are reduced to so narrow bounds that you cannot be said to be spread ouer the greatest part of the world Thirdly I say that since you are no Catholikes you cannot be tearmed Christians if the Fathers may be beleeued for a Pacianus Epist 1. Christianus mihi nomē est Catholicus cognomen illud me nuncupat istud ostendit S. Pacian saith that the name of Catholike is the surname of Christians and b Catholica Ecclesia nomen propriū est huius sanctae Ecclesiae matris omniū nostrum S. Cyrille the proper name of the holy Church of Iesus-Christ You cannot trulie be Christians because as we haue shewen your beliefe is hereticall and consequently wholy opposite to Christian religion which cannot be such for which cause Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Athanasius S. Augustine and others affirme Lib. de pudicitia Lib. 4. ep 2. Serm. 2. cont Arr. Lib. de grat Christs c. 11. that an heretike is not to be tearmed Christian Fourthly I note that you doe impertinently sustayne that your religion was instituted by Iesus-Christ published and put downe in writing by the Apostles sithence being hereticall as I haue alreadie said and as shall be made manifest in the 16. Chap. of this booke it is contrarie to the institution of Iesus-Christ and that seeing at manifestly contradicteth the scripture in diuers points as I will presently iustifie though it be easie for you to affirme that it is conformable to that which the Apostles left in writing yet will you find it impossible to verifie the same or to hinder a man to accnowledge the contrarie The scripture saith that a Iacob 2. vers 24. Operibus iustificatur homo non ex fide tantū Confession Françoise article 20 Nous croyous que nous sommes faits participans de ceste Iustice par la seule foy a man is not iustified by faith onely you say that he
c Philip. 2. v 7. he did for vs exinaniee himselfe taking the forme of a seruant That of the greater or lesse honour which doth accrue vnto God is but a bad way to establish one article of Faith and destroy another Vvher vpon d Hil. l. 1. de Trinit Religiese impius l. 4. irreisgiosam de Deo selt â—tudinem S. Hilarie tearmes the Arians who vse that way of proceeding Religiously vvicked people who doe irreligiously serue God Other grounds are necessaire Vve must know what the Church teacheth vs and those that are so carefull of Gods honour ought to be verie carefull to be in structed in it least they iniure him in deedes whom they honour in words which they doe in expressing things otherwise then they are indeede it being certaine as saith a Cassian l. 1. de Incarnat Quod non dicitur it ae vt est etiamsi honor videatur contumelia est Cassian disciple of S. Chrysostome that that vvhich is not exprest as it is though it seeme honourable is indeede a true contumelie That which is true be it of what kinde it will honours God because he would haue it so and that all his wills are to his owne aduantage But what is false though in apparance aduantagious turnes to disaduantage And though many things beare no proportion with the greatnes of the Almightie yet haue they connection with the infinite perfectioÌ„ of his loue and Charitie which appeares somuch the more perfect and accomphished by how much in vertue therof he descends to things more lowe and abiect And therfore it is an abuse to alledge gods honour to dazle and blinde the people Yet this you doe while you represent your Religion hated for fiue points which you esteeme honorable for him as being honorable in your opinion to Iesus Christ which is but yet so in apparance onely Hereupon I am forced to tell you with a Tertul. l. de pudic c. 2. talia tantae sparsilia eoruÌ„ quious Deo adulentur sibi lenocinantur effoeminantia magis quam vigoraÌ„tia disciplinaÌ„ Tertullian that those litle shiftes by vvhich you become flatterers of God and your selues doe rather vveaken then strengthen discipline So considering Religion in the shape you represent it me thinks I see not a chaste wife but a strumpet set out with sundrie adulterate colours to seduce the world and kill you come from you and become mistresse of your life which moues me to the end I may deliuer the people from errour to vndertake to wash her face vnmaske her and discouer her deformitie following the example and foot stepps of the Prophete who speaking of an Idolatrous b Nahu 3. Propter mu. titudinem fornicationuÌ„ meretricis speciosa gratae habeutis maleficiae quae veÌ„didit gentes in fornicationibus suis faemiliaes in maeleficiis suis Reuelabo pudenda tua in facie tua ostendam gentibus nuditaetem tuam regnis ignominiam tuam nation vseth these words For the abundance of the fornications of a faire charmeing and mischieuous strumpet vvho hath sold nations in her formcations families in her diuelish prankes I vvil discouer thy shame in thy face and vvill shevv thy nakednes to all nations and thy ignominie to kingdomes Which I will doe so much the more willingly because I haue learnt of b Concil in psal 36. Tanto magis debemus commemorare vanitatem haereticorum quanto magis quaerimus salutem eorum S. Augustine that by how much more we desire the saluation of Heretikes by so much more we ought to indeuour to make the vanitie of their errour appeare SECTION II. VVe vvould make it clearely appeare vnto him that our religion is hated because it admitts no other rule of saluation then the vvord of God contayned in holy scripture ANSWERE IT is false that your Religion is hated for that it admitts no other rule of saluation then the scripture but true it is that it is worthy of hatred for the diuers abuses which it committs in Scripture That we teach no other rule of saluation then scripture will be manifest to any that knowes that these words an other rule doe importe in proper speach a Rule of a diuers kind as I will hereafter proue in the ensuing Section and withall an intire rule as I will presently make appeare following your owne tenets who will not admitte the Ghospell of S. Mathew to be an other rule then that of S. Marke considering they are but two parts of the same Rule and that this word rule simply taken signifies a compleate rule for as S. Basile saith a Rule admitts no addition but things that are imperfect are neuer rightly instiled by the name of Rule Now we nether admitt Rule of any other king then the scripture nor yet any compleate rule other then it yea we call it the compleate rule of our saluation for two reason both because it contaynes immediatly and formally the substance of our Faith all the articles necessarie necessitate Medij for mans saluation and also because it doth mediately comprehend all that we are to beleeue in that it doth remitt vs to the Church to learne the same which it assures vs is infallible Hence it followes that we draw that truth out of the scriptures which we receaue by the mouth of the Church if reason may preuayle which teacheth that whoso euer deputes another to speake for him speakes mediatly by his mouth and if a Aug. lib. 1. cont Cresco c. 33. Quamuis huius rei certè de scripturis Catholicis non proferatur exemplum earundem tameÌ„ scripturarum etiam in hacre à nobis tenetur veritas cum hoc facimus quod vniuersae placuit Ecclesiae quam ipsarum scripturarum commeÌ„dat authoritas Etsimi lia lib. de vnit Eccles c. 22. S. Augustine who deliuers it in expresse termes may gaine beleife Albeit saith he one can produce no example of scripture concerning this matter yet hold vve in it the truth of the same scripture since vve doe that vvhich is conformable to the vniuersall Church vvhom the authoritie of the selfe same scripture doth commend vnto vs. Behold in what esteeme the Scripture is with vs for which cause we also are to be esteemed Now we will see whether by reason of it you deserue not hatred though not in that sense in which you say you are hated for it But before we come to that point permit me I beseech you to extenuate a litle the glorie you hunt after in establishing the Scripture the onely rule of your saluation by making you share it onely with diuers Here tikes who before your tyme sustayned the same opinion So said the Manichies I can in no sorte saith Fortunatus in a Aug. l. cont Fortunatum Nullo genere rectè me credere ostendere pessum nisieaÌ„dem sideÌ„ scripturarum authoritate firmauerim S. Augustine make appeare that I rightly beleeue vnlesse I confirme my Faith