But to those wordes of our Sauiour S. Basill doth aunswere saying Nihil aliud ijs recepi verbis intelligi Bas in Ethicis quam quod humanis traditionibus ad mandatum Dei reprobandum obsequendum non sit that nothinge else is meante by those wordes then that wee ought not obey such traditions as are repugnant to Godes lawes as many obseruations of the Iewes and alsoe of the pharisies were then and the like traditions of heretiques are nowe yet we ought to obey the custome of the church otherwise wee should be counted by the wordes of Christe as Ethnicks and Publicans But the traditions deliuered to vs by the pastors and fathers thereof which are the foundation of our faith and which are not repugnant to Godes precepts nor to his lawes or scriptures but doe rather confirme the same are not meant by those wordes for Godes worde doth not consiste onlie of the scripture Vppon what occasion heraesie did growe but also of tradition for such as were old heretiques did not gainsaie the written word but because they did not beleue the tradition of the church and the definition thereof they were soe counted and accursed 2. That the sonne is of the same substance with the father the catholique fathers haue defined by godes word but because the heretiques did not finde the same written they would not beleue the church which did grant it was nor written but deliuered by tradition Soe as you may see the difference betwixt the heretique and the catholique Felix Pontifex writinge to Benignum 130. yeares before the councell of Nyce saith that it was an Apostolicall tradition that the sonne was of one substance with the father and that the holie Ghoast is to be adored as the father and the sonne and that he is of the same substance with the father and when the same heretiques did aske where it was written the church did answere them that it was deliuered vnto them by tradition which two pointes continued afterwardes by the 2. councell of Nyce and Constinople Articles of faith by traditions Also in the councell of Ephesus that the blessed Virgin Marie should be called the mother of God In the councell of chalcedon that there are two natures in Christe In the 3. councell of Constantinople that there are in him two wills and two operations In the second councell of Nyce against heretiques that the church should vse Images In the generall councell of florence that the holy ghoast proceedeth from the father and the sonne And when heretiques did relie all vpon the scripture the catholique fathers did conuince their interpretation of scriptures by tradition of the successiue doctors and fathers in all ages The tradition also that easter daye should be obserued vpon the sondaie next after vnto the 14. daie of the new Moone as some doe write S. Peter and S. Paule ordained so as in all pointes of doctrine wee recurr to the tradition of our ancestors and when you teache that all thinges are â—on by necessitie not by the free will of man wee recurr vnto the successiue age and wee find out that the first author was Symon magnus next vnto him was Marcion next vnto Marcion was Manichaeus next vnto him was Petrus Adelhardus Next vnto him was Iohn Wicklief Next after whome followed your great master Martyne Luther so that we find in all antiquitie of tymes that this doctrine was detested by the holy doctors that liued in those ages 3. Againe when you obiect vnto vs your tradition of your imputatiue iustice where you say that our faith is imputed vnto vs by the iustice of Christ as if it had bene our owne iustice as also that euery one vnder paine of damnation is bounde to beleue Tradition of protestantes and to be certaine that his sinnes be forgiuen him that he should not mistrust his proper infirmitie therein also that not any one is iustified but he that beleues for certaine that he is iustified and that his iustification and absolution of his sinnes is effected by faith onlie without any relation to the Sacraments and that euerie one is bound to beleue that he is in the number of those that are predestinated and that by all infallible certitude he hath the guifte of perseuerance to be the true seruante of God vnto the last gaspe of his life this and such like wee can not find in the scriptures nor in the fathers nor in the doctors of the churche but rather the contrarie and that which the holie catholique churche calles pennaunce All things peruerted by the protestants you call terror of conscience and that which she calles Sacraments and sacrifice you call it the Lords supper wee search the fathers and wee can finde noe such wordes and although somtimes they make mention of the supper yet more often doe they call the same a sacrifice Did not S. Paule wish Timothy to keepe his depositum to auoide the prophane nouelties of voices and oppositions of false tearmed knowledge For the scripture is not subiecte to loftie skill or arrogant or presumptuous mindes who I pray hath greater skill or knowledge and vnderstandinge of the scriptures then the deuilles and yet it auaileth them nothinge because their mindes are possessed with malice and their hartes are emptie of charitie soe as men doe not sinne so much by the ignorance of the vnderstanding as by the malice of the will Aug. de doctrina Christi an cap. 35. and accordinge to S. Augustine the summe scope of all the scriptures is charity whosoeuer saith he that seemes to vnderstaÌ„d the scripture or any parcell thereof soe that his vnderstandinge doth not edifie that knott I meane the loue of God and our neigbors he hath not as yet vnderstoode the scriptures 4. Now all your manner of administration and ministerie is your owne tradition and inuention without scripture or warrant of godes worde but the traditions of the Apostles and ancients and all the preceptes of holie churche were comauÌ„ded to be kepte and they are not prescribed by man only but are made by the holie ghoast ioyninge with our pastors in the regimente of the faithfull Luc. 2.37 Matt. 18. where Christe saith he that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me they are made by our mother the churche which whosouer obeieth not wee are warned to take him as a heathen 2. Cor. 3. S. Paule willed the people to keepe the decrees that were decreede by the Apostles and auncientes at Ierusalem he commaunded the people to keepe the precepts of the Apostles You are saith he written in our hartes not written with Incke but with the finger of the holy ghost S. Paule wrote many thinges not vttered in any epistle as some of the Apostles wrote the christian religion in the hartes of their hearers Wherfore Ireneus saith Iren. l. 3.4 what if the Apostles also had lefte noe scriptures ought wee not to followe
the order of the tradition which was then deliuered vnto them to whome they comitted the church to the which many nations of those barbarous people that haue beleeued in Christe doe consente without letter or inke hauinge saluation written in in their hartes and keepinge diligentlie the tradition of our elders and soe S. Hier. saith cont Heres 9. The creede of our faith and hope which beinge deliuered by tradition from the Apostles is not written in paper and Incke but in the tables of the hearte and this is in the church booke also wherby wherein shee keepeth faithfully all trueth in the hartes of those to whome the Aposles did preach And therfore S. Paule saith 2. Thes 2.15 Brethren stande hold the tradition which you haue learned whether it be by worde or by epistle not only the thinges written and sett downe in the hollye scriptures but all other truethes and pointes of religion vttered by worde of mouthe and deliuered and giuen by the Apostles to their schollers And so S. Basil saith thus I accompte it Apostolique tradition to continue firmlie euen in vnwritten traditions and to proue this he alleadgeth this place of saint Paule â—n the same booke cap. 17. and saith if wee once goe aboute to reiecte vnwritten customes as thinges of no importance wee shal ere wee beware endamadge the principall partes of our faith and bringe the preachinge of the ghospell to a naked name and so example of these necessarie traditioÌ„s he named the signe of the Crosse prayinge towardes the easte the wordes spoken at the eleuation or shewinge of the holy Euchariste with diuers ceremonies vsed before and after baptisme with three immersions in the fonte the wordes of abrenunciation and exorcismes of the partie that is to be baptised and what scripture saith he taught these and such like None trulie all cominge by secret and silent traditions c. S. Hierome reckneth vpp diuers such like traditions Hieron in dialogo Lucife c. 4. epist com Luci 28. willinge men to attribuit to the Apostles such customes as the Church hath receaued by Christians of diuers Countrie 5. S. August ad Genn saith Let vs holde faste those thinges that are not written but are deliuered vnto vs which beinge generally obserued in all places of the worlde wee must thincke them to come from the Apostles or from the generall councells which oughte to be of greate authoritie in the churche of God and whosoeuer will dispute hereof ought to be counted of most insolent madnes S. Hier. ad Luc. wee must obserue the traditions of our Ancestors S. Paule comaunded vs to submitt our selues to our pastors and teachers S. Augustine saith wee learne by tradition that children in their infancie shoulde be baptized de gen ad liter 101. 23. Tradition caused him to beleeue that the baptized of heretiques should not be rebaptized by tradition onlie he and others condemned Heluidius the heretique for denyinge the perpetuall virginitie of our Ladie and without this noe Arrian noe Macedonian noe Pelagian noe Caluin will will yealde Wee must vse tradition saith Epiph for the scripture hath not all thinges and therfore the Apostles deliuered certaine thinges by tradition S. Iren. lib. 3. 14. saith that in all questions wee must haue recourse to the traditions of the Apostles teachinge vs withall that the waie to true apostolicall tradition and to bringe it to the fountaine is by the apostolicall succession of Bishoppes but especially of the apostolicall church of Rome declaring in the same place that there are manie barbarous people simple for learninge but for constancie in the faith moste wise which neuer had scriptures but learned onlie by tradition Tert. lib de corn reckoneth vpp a great number of christian obseruations or customes as S. Cyprian in mannie places doth whereof in fine he concludethe of such and such If thou require the rule of scriptures thou shalt finde none tradition shal be alleadged the author custome the confirmer and faith of the obseruer Orig. he mil. 5. proueth the same Dyonisius Areopag referreth the oblation and prayinge for the death in the lyturgie or Masse to an Apostolicall tradition Soe doth Tertull Aug. Chrys Damasc alleadge Also wee mighte add that the scriptures themselues euen all the bookes of the Byble be giuen vs by tradition else should wee not take them as they be indeede for the infallible worde of God noe more then the worcks of S. Ignat. S. Aug. S. Dion and the like 6. The true sense alsoe of the scriptures which Catholiques haue and heretiques haue not remayneth still in the Church by tradition the Creede is an Apostolicall tradition Ruff. in expo simb ad principium Hier. Epist. 61. cap. 9. Ambr. ser 38. Aug. de Simb ad Cath. lib. 3. cap. 1. Alsoe it is by tradition wee hould that the holie Ghost is God therfore Macedonius was condemned in the 2. Naz. lib. â— Theol. councell of Constantinople for an heretique for that he denyed the same because in the scripture this name is not giuen vnto him for in the scriptures manny thinges are said to be such by Metaphors which are not soe indeede as that God is a sleepe that he is angrie that he is sorrye although noe such thinge is in God as alsoe manny thinges that are such and yet are not mentioned in the scriptures God to be ingenitus with manny such attributes as Trinitie parson consubstantialitie hypostasis vnto hypostatica homousion and because the Arrians did not yelde vnto the same not findinge them in the scriptures they were in the councell of Nyce condemned for heretiques And althoughe the verie wordes be not in the scripture yet they be collected of the sence of the scriptures And soe S. Cyrill Cyrill l. 1. dialogoruÌ„ de trinit of that place of scripture Ego sum qui sum I am the same that is doth gather that the sonne is consubstantiall with the father although the worde consubstantiall is not founde in the scriptures So the catholique Church in all ages out of the sense of the scripture doth gather that wee oughte to pray vnto Sainctes to pray for the deade that there is a Purgatorie althoughe the verie wordes themselues be not there And when S. Paule did speake of the holy Eucharist he broughte noe scriptures to proue it I haue receaued of our Lord saith he that I deliuered vnto you he alleadged nothinge but tradition which he had receaued from our Lorde that a woman ought not teache in the Churche that a womaÌ„n ought to be couered that the man oughte to be bareheadded that the Bishoppe ought to be husband of one wife he alleadginge nothinge but the custome if any man would be captious or contentious he did oppose against theÌ„ the custome of the Churche saying wee haue noe such custome nor the Church of God and whosoeuer despiseth these thinges he doth not despise man but God And therfore wee are referred by the holie
God which is readie to be offred to euery one that will imploie his best endeuour Soe auoucheth S. Augustine and S. Gregorie Ozius and other holie fathers To the intent therfore that you may take awaie all good indeuours from man in the buysines of his saluation and that wee should doe nothinge therin you take away all cooperation of man with godes grace and that grace it selfe without which wee can doe nothinge in the worke of our iustification you take it quite awaie sayinge that man hath not this grace inherent in him 2. lib. de capt To this purpose you say with Luther in his second booke of the captiuitie of Babylon that to teach that good workes are necessarie to saluation is deuilishe You say also with Caluine Calu. 3. de instit c. 19 that neuer any good workes were done of any saincte which did not deserue reproache And a little before he said that all our workes are pernitious and whosoeuer doth them is cursed And the said Luther in the 30. articles condeÌ„ned of Leo the Tenthe saith all the euill that wee doe is by the inspiration of God and that by sinninge wee doe well God beinge the cause of all euill as Caluine saith lib. 1. inst cap. 28. in so much saith he that not to sinne is sinne and to restraine any appetite or motion of any thought is to resist God and to sinne And so Luther saith in his booke Lib de ser arbit the more wicked you be the neerer you are to purchase godes fauour How damnable these articles be lett any Christian iudge that will open his eares to heare them I would euerie one would stoppe his eares from hearinge such horrible blasphemies so contrarie to holie scriptures and all honestie Noe prophane Philosopher or wicked heretique though neuer so damnable euer said the like And therfore these blasphemous and wicked articles are condemned by the whole Senate of Christianitie in the councell of Trent most worthilie Con. Trid. sess c. 11. cano 28. 21. because they be against comon honestie and against the holy scriptures in which many tymes the workes and endeuours of good people are comended and praysed as good and holie in which works there was noe sinne as it is said in Iob. In all these thinges Iob hath not offended Iob. 1. Lutae 1. and in the Ghospell of S. Luke it is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth that both of them were iust before God walkinge in godes comandements and righteousnes without grudge And as S. Paule saith 1. Cor. 7. if a virgin should marrie therein shee shoulde not sinne and in many other places wee are comaunded not to comitte sinne therfore the holie scriptures doe meane that wee may doe many good works by godes grace without sinne 5. Hereticks answere vnto these scriptures sayinge that the cause wherfore the scriptures saies that there are many good works of iust persons is because it is not imputed vnto them to damnation for the faith of Christ although say they they be sinfull I replie against that for the scriptures doe distinguish betwixt this which is to sinne and that which is to remitte sinnes or not to impute vnto vs the sinne which wee haue comitted as it is playne Scribo vobis vt non peccetis 1. Ioh. 2. Conc. Auranc c. 9. 18. 20. Hier. li. 3. contra Pelag. In Proemio super epist ad Philomen Ephes 1. Aug. sup Luc. 1. Amb de Spiritu litera cap 36. De natura gratia reg super CoÌ„c Trid. I write vnto you that yow should not sinne for if any man shall sinne wee haue an aduocate with the Father c. this trueth is confirmed by the tradition of the Church and the holie fathers It is also defined against Pelagius that without the grace of God a man cannot liue iustlie without sinne yet saith the councell by the grace of God wee may liue without offence Therfore S. Hierom saith Hoc inquit nos dicimus posse hominem c. And this selfe same wee saie also that a man maye liue without sinne if it please him accordinge to the tyme and place accordinge to the frailtie of his nature as longe as his mind is well disposed c. And the same he teacheth vpon that place of S. Paul Vt essemus saÌ„cti immaculati as S. Amb. sup Luc. S. Aug. and other saincts doe teach the like Protestants saie that a Christian though neuer so vertuous or so acceptable to God hath noe grace or vertue inherent in him because they would haue noe good acte to come from mâ—n by reason of that grace CHAPTER II. 1. THe generall Councell of Trent against this your heresie saith CoÌ„c Trid. sess 6. c. 7. The onlie formall and intrinsicall cause of our iustification is the iustice of God not by which he is iust himselfe but by which he makes vs iust by which wee beinge endued and inuested wee be renewed by the spiritt of our soule and not onlie that wee be soe reputed but that wee are trulie iust not only by name but by deede and the said holy councell hath these words Whosoeuer shal saie that men are iustified either only by remission of our sinnes or only by the imputation of the iustice of Christ excludinge takinge away grace and charitie which is diffused in their hartes by the holie Ghost which is giuen vnto them and by which the same grace doth lodge in them Anathema sit let him be anathema Thus farre the councell This also is proued by reason for when wee see a man to change his wicked life and vngodlie custome of sinne and to putt on the newe man which accordinge to God was created in sanctitie and iustice wee see so palpable a change in him that wee say Haec est mutatio dextrae excelsi From the right hand of the highest comes this alteration from bad to good from impietie to iustice from spirituall death to spirituall life but this true alteration and mutation cannot be without some feelinge or sparke of grace in man inwardly inherent in him The Maior proposition is proued by the gospell Wee are translated from death to life 1. Ioh. 3. Ezec. 36. and Ezeech I will giue vnto you a newe harte and I will put into the middest of you hart a newe spiritt and I will take away a stonie harte Coloss 3. and S. Paule saith Spoile yourselues of the old man with his actes and putt one the newe that is renewed in knowledge accordinge to the Image of him that created him And to the Ephesians 4. Ephes he said be renewed in the spiritt of your minde and putt one the newe man which accordinge to God is created in iustice and holynes of trueth I meane in true holynes and iustice and not in feined imputatiue iustice Iohn 4. This is proued by S. Iohn of whom it is said of the grace and iustice by
quod in eis non bene intelligitur etiam temerè audacter asseritur heresies and other peruerse opinions infectinge and intanglinge our soules euen to the deepe pitt of confusion doe springe of noe other roote then when good scriptures are ill vnderstoode and the badd vnderstandinge therof is bouldly and rashlie applied S. Ambrose doth likewise declare the same sayinge Ambr. 3. ad TituÌ„ S. Hil. in lib. ad Const Haeretici per verba legis legem impugnant by the wordes of the lawe it selfe the heretiques doe impugne the lawe S. Hillarius also saith Neminem haereticorum esse qui se non secundum sacras scripturas praedicare eas quae blasphemat mentiatur there is noe heretique that doth not alleadge falsy the scriptures for his blasphemies Also he saith de intelligeÌ„tia heresis sit Lib. 20. de Trinit non de scriptura sensus non sermo fiat crimen heresie is of the vnderstaÌ„ding not of the scripture the fault is in the sense and not in the word Hiero ad Lucif vnto which agreeth S. Hierom Neque sibi blandiantur c. Lett them not flatter themselues if they alleadge or affirme any thinge of the scriptures when euen the deuill hath alleadged the scriptures for his purpose The scriptures saith he doe not consiste in readinge of them but in vnderstandinge of them Origines also declareth the same Orig hom 9. in Exo saying Non rarò c. Somtimes the diuill doth wreast godes wordes from many for that there is nothinge soe holie but the enemie of mankinde doth abuse the same to the destruction of man Tertulian also saith de scripturis agebant De prefâ—cript her de sciptuâ—is suadebant c. They pleade the scriptures they persuade the scriptures they inculcate the scriptures vnto this they moue some at the first dashe they wearie the stronge they coÌ„nfound the weake and men of indifferent iudgment they dismisse with scrupules Thus far Tertulian soe the Arian heresie the Macedonian the Nestorian Eutichian and all other old heresies would allowe nothinge but scripture and last of all these newe phantasticall heresies doe grounde all their turbulent spirittes and singuler maleperte and headie deuises vpon holie scriptures 2. For example Luther in his first booke against Zâ—uinglius saith that amoungest Zuingilans the Zuinglians themselues concerninge these 5. wordes there arose tenn seuerall sects of different religion I meane 270. sects of heresies in this time Lib de here fabulis hoc est enim corpus meum Stanislaus Rescius hath deuided the hereticall sects of this tyme into two hundred and 70. different heresies euerie one alleadginge scripture for his owne fancie Theodorus did reckon 76. heresies in his owne tyme. Aug. lib. de heres S. Augustine also did reckon 88. heresies vnto his owne tyme. And vnto Luther his tyme there were 290 sortes of heresies all which did alleadge scriptures Yea was there euer any heresie that did alleadge more scriptures for herselfe then that of the Arians did not the Iewes alleadge scriptures against Christ that he should not be holden for a Prophett saying Iohn 7. Scrutate scripturas vide quia a Galilea propheta non surgit search the scriptures saie they and behould that a prophett doth not arise from Galile and by scripture they did endeuour to proue that he was worthie of deathe Iohn 19. Wee haue a law say they and by our lawe he ought to die because he made himselfe the sonne of God Did not Iulian the apostate alleadge scripture as S. Cyrill saithe lib 10. in Iulianum for visitinge Martyrs Reliques alleadginge that place of S. Mathewe 23. that the Scribes Pharisies and Hipocritts are like to white monuments and they ought not to visitt them c. Also he alleadged many places of scripture as Math. 5. Ro. 12.1 Cor. 6. Math. 10. against the christians for repininge against him for takinge away their goodes but to beare all tyrannicall oppressions patientlie Did not Osiander a cheefe secretarie alleadge 20. different opinions touchinge the article of Iustification and at last he cited his owne opinion contrarie to them all 3. Of all these sectes it is saide Obscurum est insipiens cor eorum dicentes se esse patientes stulti facti sunt Their foolish hearte is darkned sayinge themselues to be wise but they be made fooles for heretiques can neuer haue the knowledge of the scriptures In maleâ—olam animam non introibit sapientia Sap. cap. 1 nec habitabit corpore subdito peccatis true knowledge shall not enter into a wicked soule nor lodge in a bodie subiect to sinne Therfore the prophett saithe Discam in via immaculata I will learne in an vnspotted waie and when heretiques through pride and malice haue most maliciouslie opposed theÌ„selues against the catholique church the piller and foundation of all trueth and haue sought by all wicked and malicious meanes to deface the same wee must not thinke they haue had any true knowledge or perfect wisdome for if once a foundation of a house or a rocke vpon which are builded manie chambers do fall all those chambers cannot stand vpp the catholique church is the firme rocke vpon which the faithe of euerie christian is builded if he once fall from the church he hath no faith nor any vnderstandinge of the scriptures and therfore S. Augustine saith he would not haue beleeued the ghospelll without the authoritie of the church which beinge inspired by the holie ghoast hath taught thinges which the scritures haue taught the contrarie as that wee should not obserue the old lawe nor obstaine from thinges suffocated or straungled and such like for the letter saith S. Paule killeth 1. Cor. 3. but the spiritt quickneth And as the letter in the old lawe not trulie vnderstoode nor referred to Christ did by occasion kill the carnall Iewe so the letter of the newe testament not truly taken nor expounded by the spiritte of Christe which only is in his church killeth the heretique who also being carnall and voide of spiritt gaineth nothinge by the scriptures but rather taketh hurte by the same Aug. to 10. de teÌ„pore li. de Spiritu litt c 5. 6. 2. Pet. 3. 2. Tim. 3. as S. Augustine auoucheth for in the newe testament saith S. Peter are certaine thinges hard to be vnderstoode which the vnlearned and vnstable depraue as also they do the rest of the scriptures to their owne perdition of whom S. Paule himselfe saith alwaies learninge and neuer attayninge vnto the knowledge of the truth men corrupte in mind reprobate concerninge the faith but they shall prosper noe further for their folly shal be made manifest to all and as Iames and Mambres resisted Moyses soe they alsoe resiste the truethe 4. If Daniell after that God had reuealed vnto him thinges to come concerninge the militant church saith Ego audiui non intellexi I haue heard but I vnderstood not the Angell said vnto
Daniell vade quia clausi sunt signatique sermones vsque ad praefinitum tempus Goe your wayes for these speeches are shutt vpp and sealed vntill the time appointed if soe great a Prophett heard and vnderstoode not what he heard what will heretiques and wicked arogant presumptuous people make glosses vpon euerie â—illable of holie scripture Aug. Con. ep c. 4. Wherfore S. Augustine saith Sacra scriptura c. The holie scripture are not knowen to the proude nor manifest or playne to boyes in the begining therof it is easie but when you enter into it it is loftie and couered with misteries and I was not of that capacitie that I might intermedle therin Aug. lib. de vtil cred c. 7. And in another place he perswaded a yonge man learned in humanitie and Philosophie and other liberall sciences that he should not rasâ—lie reade holie scriptures sayinge to set vpon Maurus a Comedian or TereÌ„ce because thou hast noe skill in poetrie thou darest not without a master and to vnderstand him beinge a comon poett thou searchest the commentaries of Asper Cornutus Donatus and infinitte others and darest thou without a guide or iudge venture vpon holie scripture which as S. Paule speaketh in â—js qui pereunt velatum est 2. Cor. 4. in them that perishe is hidd in quibus Deus huius seculi excaecauit sensum incredulorum in whome the God of this worlde hath blinded the myndes of the infidles that the illumination of the ghospell of the glorie of Christe might not shine in them and as S. Iohn saith Ioh. 1. the light shined in darcknes and the darcknes did not comprehende it the heretiques hauinge not the light of Christes spiritt which is giuen to the church not true humilitie by which they should obeie the same cannot haue the shininge light of Christ his ghospell nor the true vnderstandinge thereof Credite intelligetis saith the Prophett beleue the church and you shall vnderstaÌ„d the scriptures Esa 7. vnto whom almightie God hath giuen the true interpretation thereof and to noe particuler spiritt 5. S. Hierom beinge soe well learned as he was and furnished with the knowledge of all the tongues did stumble in many thinges Lib. 1. de Doctr. chr c. 6. for he sweateth in explayninge the prophetts the same difficultie S. Augustine had as he himselfe declares when he would expounde that place of scripture of the sinne against the holie ghoast and when he alleadged many places he was not satisfied in them all so he saith that many obscure places be in the scriptures almightie God ordayninge the same to abate the pride and arrogancie of man and to submitt his priuate spiritt to the vniuersall spiritt of Christ his church therfore Tertul. saith Fides te saluum fecit non exercitatio scripturae it is thy faith that saueth thee and not the readinge or exercise of scriptures the misteries wherof are hidden from the wicked for they be like Margarittes and pretious stones and which ought not to be giuen to swine noe more ought they to be common to euerie one and as a holy man saith Non intelligendi viuacitas sed credendi simplicitas te saluum fecit it is not the quicknes of vnderstandinge but simplicitie of beleeuinge that shall saue thee Omnis prophetia saith S. Hierom in Ezech 45. prophetts are obscure what the disciples doe heare inwardlie the comon people knowes not what is said in them and accordinge to this the prophett saith tenebrosa aqua in nubibus aeris obscure water in the cloudes of the aier the ordinarie gloss in that place hath obscura doctrinae in prophetis the prophets are full of darke and difficult doctrine 6. Was not the Eunuch Threasurer to the Queene of Ethyopia exercised in the scripture and yet he confessed he could not vnderstand them Act 8. Did not Christe interpreate the scriptures to the Iewes and his disciples Luc. vlt Act. 8. Luc. vlt. S. Iohn Chrisostom vpon that place scrutamini scripturas Christus saith he Iudeos c Christe did not referr the Iewes vnto the bare and naked readinge the scriptures but vnto the diligent examination and inuestigation thereof S. HieroÌ„ saith Lib. 1. praef comment in epist. ad Alga q. 2. that all the Epistles of S. Paule to the Romaines be verie obscure and intricate Luther himselfe vpon the Psalme 88. Thronus eius sicut dies caeli his throane is like the daie of heauen saith I would haue noe man to presume in my behalfe that I can vnderstand the Psalmes in their lawfull sense which was neuer performed of anie though neuer soe learned or soe holie for the scriptures must be considered either litteralie in themselues or accordinge to their methode and sense for in themselues they speake and containe things supernaturall and misticall which are hidden from the capacitie of the vulgar sorte or if they should be considered accordinge to their methode or sense they should be deuided into foures kindes of senses vnderstandinge as sensus Anagogicus which is called the celestiall sense The scripture hath 4 senses or vnderstanding Allegoricus which is the spirituall sense Tropologicus which is the morall sense and Historicus which is the litterall sense Therfore the prophett cried out vnto God sayinge da mihi intellectum c. giue me vnderstandinge and I will searche into thy lawe faciem tuam illumina super seruum tuum Domine Illuminate my vnderstandinge with thy grace ô Lord that I may vnderstand thy word sacrae scripturae saith Hylarius non in legendo sed intelligendo Lib. ad Constan. non in praeuaricatione sed in charitate the holy scriptures doe not consiste in readinge of them but in the true sense and meaning of them not in corruptinge or in preuarication of them but in the charitable interpretation of them And when S. Augustine did see the manifest and false applyinge of them by the PellagiaÌ„s he did appeale to the Bishopes both of the east and weast 7. Caluine saith of the protestantes that they would haue the scriptures to patronize and support their errours sayinge In praefat ad lectores ex Phyco Ibi quid non â—nuertunt quid non deprauant what is there but they peruert and depraue Lutherus in hist Sacrament foll 22. Luther would not admitt any translation of scripture but his owne translation noe more would Zuinglius his aduersarie Zuingl to â—2 resp ad Luth. Luther was offended with the printer that did send him Zuinglius his translation who would not once peruse it and so Zuinglius with Luther Kinge Henry the 8. after he made himselfe head of the Church he caused the scriptures to be translated into English which afterwards he suppressed and inhibited Fox in Henri 8. in fine hist. Afterwardes he caused another translation to be made by the authoritie of the parlament Anno regni sui 34. and proclaymed vnder paine of death that noe other translation should
and tremblinge at his wordes and speeches Whether euery man ought to be iudge of the scripture and to rely altogether vpon his owne iudgment touching the interpretation therof being inspired by the holly ghoast concerning the same CHAPTER V. 1. THis is the assersion of William Whitakers in his booke against Cardinall Bellarmin for that saith he councells fathers and popes be men And the scripture auerreth all men to be lyeares and so no man can be assured his faith to be certaine and infallible Wherto I answer that no priuat man can be assured of the certitude of an infallible faith and therfore nott of the good spiritt rather then of the badde by whose suggestiō many are intoxicated with dangerous and damnable opinions for according to the Apostle 2. Corint Sathan often times transfigureth himselfe into an Angell of light and the fore the holy scripture willeth vs 1. Ioh. 4. Th 4. to be very carefull in discerning of the spiritts and nott to beleue euery spiritt for it is the holy catholicke church that wee ought to beleue and obey 1. Tim. 3. which the scripture beareth wittnesse to be the piller and firmament of trueth but it giueth no certitude or euidence of any priuat spiritt or pecular iudgment of any one in particuler and therfore the holy councell saith It seemeth good to the holy ghost and to vs Act. 15. which holy ghoast is said to be nott with euerie particuler man but with the church in generall and with those that haue charge and direction therof Ero vobiscum vsque ad consummationem seculi euen to the consummatiō of the world Matt. 28. And vnto S. Peter his successors is said I haue praid for you that your faith may not fayle Luc. 22. and seeing this priuiledg is giuen to S. Peter for the good of the church as the first and cheefe pastor therof vnder Christ and to no other in particuler as long as the church shall continewe the praiers and intercession of Christ shal not be frustrated And therfore S. Cypriā affirmeth the fountaine of all heresies to haue proceeded for that one priest for the time being one iudg for the time being vnder Christ is not regarded For which way saith he can heresies be preuented that they spring nott or being sprong already that they be nott extended or encreased wher there are so many masters as disciples so many iudges as barristers And for this cause S. Hierom saith against Iouinian amoungest 12. one is chosen that a cheef being ordained occasion of scisme should be taken away 2. The tables of both the testaments referred vs ouer to no particuler iudgment but altogether to the small decree and arbitrement of the high priest Deut. 17. as it is saied If there be any hard or doubtfull iudgment amongest you goe to the priest of the Leuiticall stocke and to the iudge that shall be ordained for that time and he shall enforme you of the trueth Whose lippes according to Malachias Mal. 2. shall keepe wisdome because he is the angell of the Lord of hoastes if he will not hearken vnto the Church Matt. 18. lett him be vnto you an ethnick and a publican And in the newe testament our Sauiour appointed one pastor aboue the rest vnto which he hath committed the feeding of his flocke which should haue beene friuolous if the flocke would nott receaue food from him Ephes 4. Afterwards he ordained pastors and doctors in his church which should be also a friuolous ordinance if euerie one should be a proper pastor and doctor to him self And although councells fathers and popes are men so the testimonies of the scriptures may also be taxed with the imputation of humane errors so were the Apostles and prophets men also yett wee ought to beleue them because the holly ghost was not a lyar that spake in them And so the ecclesiasticall councells fathers and popes being lawfully assembled together and assisted by the holly ghoast Matt. 28. which in such a case is promised vnto them did not erre 3. Another obiection they bring Ioan. 14. saying S. Peter was nott promised vnto the Church to direct the same butt the holly Ghost which should direct and instruct all the Apostles and nott S Peeter I answer that God promised the holie ghoast as an inuisible and internall doctor and director S. Peter his visible and externall doctor he left in his church And therfore S. Augustine saith Aug. in Ioh. 14. after promising the holly ghoast lett no man thincke that he shall so giue the holly ghoast vnto his church in his owne place is though him self also would nott be with the same for he auowtched he would nott leaue them orphanes but would come vnto them 4. And althoughe the holy ghoast was promised to instruct the Church in all trueth yett not without the Father and the sonne for their externall worcks are indiuisible for there is but one indiuisible substance and because the Church is a visible body so it ought to haue a visible viccar vnder Christ the inuisible head therof And therfore he saide vnto S. Peter Ioh. 11. Simon of Iohn louest thou me more then these feed my lambes which he repeated thrise first commending vnto him his lambes afterwards his litle ones the third time his sheepe and so expoundeth S. Ambrose in cap. vlt. Luc. 5. Nowe the power and iurisdiction which was promised vnto S. Peter Math. 16. that the Church should be builded vpon him that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen should be also giuen vnto him is accomplished and performed in the 21. of S. Iohn feed my sheep of whom he is actually made the generall pastor and viccar 6. And although the rest of the Apostles were lightes and priests and had authoritie also in the 20. of S. Iohn yet theirs was extraordinary which should end with them selues and whatsoeuer authority they had was by the sacraments by which they remitted sinne S. Peter had authoritie to bind and loose immediatly and by him the the Apostles as depending vpon him as S. Thomas saith in 4. dist 19. q. 1. art 3. and so he maketh a distinction of the two powers videl of order and iurisdiction the first was equally giuen to all the Apostles Iohn 20. and consequently to all priests but the secōd power was principally giuē to S. Peeter and from him to be deriued vnto the rest of the Apostles How heretiques would faine take awaie all tradition alleadginge for their purpose that of S. Math. 15. In vaine you worshipp me teachinge for doctrine mens precepts CHAPTER III. 1. THis is it saith S. Augustine that all heretiques doe bragge of Lib contr Maximū if I should aunswere all such trifles I should neuer make an ende saith he soe as he would not aunswere to this place for he saith that the traditions of the Apostles ought to be of as great force as the holie scriptures
Christe before the ghospell was written sith none of the Euangelists did write vntill 18. yeares after Christs assention With Abraham Isaacke Iacob was a true Churche in the faith of one creator and redeemer to come when there was noe scripture Moyses the first that wrot Euseb li 9 c. 4 li. 10 cap 3 praeparationis Euangelicae for Moyses was the first that comitted the word of God to inke and paper hauinge written the same in the Hebrewe tounge which was the first that inuented characters or letters as Eusebius doth wittnesse c euen by the testimony of prophane writers themselues and haue taught the people beinge rude and ignorante to vse them Moyses beinge dead Cadmas in the daies of Iosue did firste inuente greeke characters 10. The holy scriptures doe testifie as also prophane histories Ioseph 1 â—pionem grammaticam Iosue c. 15 Iudic. 1. that learninge and philosophie came from the Phenicians Assirians Chaldeans and Aegipte vnto Greece and the same doth Iosephus teach The first vniuersitie that euer was was Cariath Sopher in the lande of Canaan in Asiria it was called the cittie of learninge neere vnto the cittie of Hebron longe after the Gretians begann to haue lettres and learninge and Origines saith none amoungest the Grecians did register or write any thinge of the actes or monuments of the Grecians before Homer and Hesiodus which were 400. yeares after Moyses and if there were any thing written of the Assyrians or of the Phenicians before Moyses they did perishe the holie scriptures by godes diuine prouidence beinge reserued safe and before any scripture there was the Church for betwixt Moses and our first Father was more then 2. thowsand yeares in all which time there was noe lawe written but the lawe of nature the word of God which he signified vnto Adam Noe Abraham or what otherwise he did inspire into the hartes of the Patriarches by tradition onlye it came to the posteritie and to Moyses himselfe soe as tradition was before the scripture more then 2000. yeares the lawe of grace which was by a liuely voice deliuered by Christe to his Apostles was not written by him nor commaunded by him to be written and therfore shall not the Christians beleue the same because he commaunded not it should be writteÌ„ or should the Christians which did beleue the Apostles before the same lawe was written be reputed fooles for beleeuinge the same before it was written For our Sauiour did not say Scribite Euangelium sed praedicate Euangelium omni creaturae write the ghospel but preach the ghospel to all creatures how many thowsandes be there in the worlde that cannot write nor read the scriptures and yet shall they not beleue them deliuered vnto them by the tradition and preachinge of the church sicut praedicauimus sic credidistis 1. Cor. 15. saith the Apostle as wee haue preached soe you haue beleued he did not say as wee haue written 2. Tim 3. Tu vero c. Doe you abide in those thinges that you haue learned knowinge or whome you haue learned them Act 15. 1. Cor. 11 soe it seemeth good to the holly ghoaste and vs if any man be contentious wee haue noe such custome He did not obiect scripture but custome and tradition 2. Thes 2 Horm in diacetis Cap 25. q. 1. therfore he said state in side stande fast to your faith and keepe the traditions Therfore it is inserted in the Cannons of Hormista prima salus est rectae fidei regulam custodire in constitutis patrum nullatenus deuiare it is the beginning of our saluation to obserue and keepe the rule of right faith and not to goe one steppe away from the decree and ordinance of our ancestors Certaine obiections answered against traditions taken out of the first Chapter of S. Paule to the Galathians CHAPTER III. 1. ALthough saith S. Paule wee Galat. 1. or an Angell from heauen euaÌ„gelize beside that which wee haue euangelized to you be he anathema or accursed This verie place is cited by S. Athanasius in the defense and confirmation of traditions sayinge If any man will cite out of scriptures any texte againste the decree or determinations of the churche and councells let him be accursed and although he alleadge all the scripture in the worlde against that which alreadie wee haue receaued wee must not beleeue him for children as Athanasius saith ought not to iudge of the decree of their parentes vnles they would haue themselues to be bastardes 2. Yet notwithstandinge wee must distinguishe the wordes of S. Paule which may be vnderstoode two manner of wayes as S. Augustine hath vnderstoode the same saying Aug. trac 96 super Iohn Aliud est euangelizare preterquam quod accepistis aliud est euangelizare plusquam accepistis euangelizare preterquam accepistis est transgredi regulam fidei recedere a via euangeliij semel per Apostolos praedicata for it is not all one to say to euangelize otherwise then you haue receaued and to euangelize more then you haue receaued for to euangelize otherwise theÌ„ you haue receaued is to transgresse the rule and limittes of faith and to departe from the decree of the Apostles which is a detestable thinge and therfore to euangelize more then you haue receaued is not S. Paules meaninge otherwise he should be repugnante to himselfe who desired to come to Thessalonica that he might supply what was defectiue and lackinge of other mens faith For when the Apostles vttered these wordes from Ephesus to Galatia the ghospells of the 4. Euangelistes were not written and specially the ghospell of S. Iohn For it is not all a like the ghospell and the writtinge of the ghospell the first that was written was the ghospell of S. Mathewe and S. Luke did supplye what was wanting of the same and S. Iohn in his ghospell did add in many thinges which was not writen in the other 3. Euangelistes And soe S. Paule himselfe in his Epistles did expresse many thinges which were not soe plaine in anye of the â— Euangelistes 3. Lastlie accordinge to the declaration of alâ— the doctors of the church especially Ireneus Tertulian Cyprian Hierom Augustine and others many thinges were deliuered vnto vs by the tradition of the Apostles which are not expreslie and maninifestly in the scriptures Basil in homil Sabel Arc. And therfore S. Basil saith Te paratum reddat traditio Dominus ita docuit Apostoli praedicauerunt patres custodierunt confirmauerunt martyres c. Let tradition please thee wee are soe taught by our Lord the Apostles haue soe preached vnto vs the fathers haue soe kepte the same and the same was confirmed by the Martyrs And in another place he further saith Basil ep ad Antiochenum Ecclesiae Fidem nos neque ab alijs scriptam nobis recentiorem susceptimus neque ipsi mentis nostrae germina tradere audeamus wee neither receaue a later faith written for
giuen also to others but Christ did not forbidd those to whome he comitted the gouernment of his church to denie it also to other some as it is said in the scripture Genes 9. that God hath giuen all cattle and beastes to the vse of man yet by that graunte or donation he hath not forbidden the superiors for disciplines sake to forbid their subiects in certaine tymes the vse of certaine meattes as God in his lawe by speciall commaundemente did forbidd the children of Israell all vncleane beastes and such that were strangled which neuerthelesse the church nowe doth teach and preach not that herein shee doth against Gods lawe or his precepte but that beinge taught by the holy ghoast shee doth interprete godes meaninge in the lawe For the positiue lawe of the church is nothing else then a certaine prescription of godes lawe and a certaine determination of that which is giuen in common God almightie commaunded vs in generall to praie to doe pennaunce to receaue the Eucharist but the church according to her wisdome and discretion respectinge rather the intente of the lawe-giuer then the lawe it selfe did prescribe both the tyme manner wherein and by which wee ought both to receaue the blessed Sacrament and to doe pennance and praie for the vulgar sorte yea and men of great learninge and science vnlesse they had bene endued with great charitie without these particuler determinations and comaundements of the Church would not keepe these generall comaundements Luther saith Luth. in lib. de formula missa lib. de Cōfessione parte 3. para 14. that the had noe other cause or any sufficient motiue to giue the Chalice to the laytie but that the church and the fathers did comaund the contrarie And in another place he dissuaded Christians from confession and from the Euchariste in time of easter because that the Pope commaunded it I will not obey his commaundemente saith he I will doe it saith he another tyme accordinge to myne owne pleasure but not accordinge to his precepte But Luther and all his malitious and turbulent followers ought to embrace the counsell that the Angell gaue to Agar the woman seruante Genes 16. Reuertere ad domum tuam humiliare suv◠manu illius retourne to thy house and humble thie selfe vnder her power This was spoken litterallie of Agar that shee should obey Sara and returne to her house which is allegorically spoken of the church vnderstoode by Sara and of the congregation of heretiques meante by Agar as S. Augustine doth teach vs. Whether the Catholicke Church doth add to this Sacramente in makinge it both a sacrifice and a Sacramente CHAPTER II. Cypr. epist 66. Chrysost hom 11. Damasc serm de cana 1. I ' Answere that the Catholique church doth add nothinge nor inuente any sacrifice but that which Christe instituted for a Sacramente which is our spirituall foode and may be said to be our daylie bread as also the great sacrifice of the newe testamente and soe Christ is said to be offered for vs two manner of wayes videlicet bloodilie and vnbloodilie In the first manner he offered himselfe for vs in ara crucis vpon the alter of the crosse which oblation the paschall lābe without spott which was offered by the Iewes did signifie In the second Cyrill ad Hebr. 9. Hier. cap. 9. ad Titum he offred himselfe in his last supper and nowe his priests doe offer him vpon the alter for the quicke and for the dead that accordinge to S. Cyrill the oblation of Melchisedech who did offer bread and wyne should be accomplished and that he should remayne a true priest accordinge the order of Melchisedech and that his priest hoode which is according to his humanitie and not accordinge to his diuinitie might endure for euer Soe as the Eucharist amongest other Sacraments of the old testamente hath this priuiledge How the Eucharist is a sacrifice and a Sacramēt and prerogatiue that it is a Sacramente when it is receaued by the faithfull and a sacrifice in asmuch as it is dailie offred for our offences to the eternall father And although euerie sacrifice be a Sacrament because it is a sacred thinge religiously instituted to sanctifie our soules notwithstādinge euerie Sacrament is not a sacrifice because it is not offred vnto God vnto whome sacrifice is offred and a Sacramente is ordained for men Soe as the Eucharist is of greater value and vertue as it is a sacrifice then as it is a Sacramente as Ioannes Roffensis saith in his articles against Luther and vpon this place related by Alfonso Salmeron Salmer tracta 16. in Ioannē That the Eucharist is a sacrifice of the newe lawe it is proued most aboūdantlie both by scriptures fathers and by councells 2. The first is by Malachias the prophett who did prophesie of this sacrifice after this manner Mal. c. 1. Psal 112. Non est mihi voluntas in vobis c. I haue noe likinge of yow and I will not receaue a gifte from your hand ab ortu solis vsque ad occasum c. from the risinge of the sunne vnto the goinge downe thereof magnum est nomen meum in gentibus in omni loco sacrificatur offertur nomini meo oblatio mūda quia magnum est nomen meum in gentibus my name is great amoungest the gentiles and in all places they doe sacrifice and offer vnto my name a cleane oblation This said the Lorde of hoasts he said that his name should be great amoungest the gentiles of whome this oblation should be offred for before the ghospell of Christe was preached vnto them noe oblation of theirs was lawfull neither the oblatiō of the Iewes was cleane it selfe but accordinge to the faith and deuotion of him that did offer the same besides they could not offer but at Hierusalem onlie and consequentlie it was not in all places of the worlde as it is mente heere from the easte to the weaste Neither can it be meant of a spirituall sacrifice either of prayers faith mercie or a contrite harte which in scriptures are called sacrifice as the Augustane Apologie doth interprete for manie reasons because that all these be not one sacrifice but many sacrifices as also because they doe not scceede the old sacrifices for in the old testament there was vse of those kinde of sacrifices as with vs and moreouer because they were not properlie called sacrifices but metaphoricallie neither are they offered in all places because they be spirituall thinges which needes noe place And much lesse are they vnderstoode of the preachinge of the ghospell as Bucerus writinge to Latonius doth interprete because preachinge is not properly called a sacrifice neither succeedeth it the olde sacrifices Neither the conuersion of the gentiles by the preachinge of the ghospell is this sacrifice as Aecolampadius doth expounde vnto the Senate of Basil for this is called an improper sacrifice neither one sacrifice but many
was ouerthrowen by the water of baptisme the same was restored By a dreame Ioseph was made a slaue and abused by a dreame he was sett free and aduaunced to the highest dignitie of Egipt By a woman the whole stock of Adam fell by a wooman the same was raised vpp againe By meat the whole world suffred death as it is written In quacunque die comederis ex ea c. Whatsoeuer houre you shall eat thereof you shall die the death by meate the same obteined life himselfe pronouncinge the same qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum whosoeuer shal eate this bread which he plainly affirmeth to be his fleshe shall liue for euer which fleshe is the only remedie vnto Virgins against the frailtie and raginge concupiscence of fleshly desires although matrimony after the fall of Adam was secondarily ordained against the furious passions therof beinge a secondarie effecte of the same yet in the lawe of grace when a sacred Virgin brought foorth a Virgin withoute the carnall operation of voluptuous sensualitie this virginall immaculate and vnspotted fleash brings foorth soe many millions of Virgins which haue bene and shal be in his church vnto the worldes ende and because you tast not of this fleash makinge it but a bare figure yow cannot liue either chaste or continent much lesse Virgins for it is a cheefe paradox in your doctrine that noe man can liue chaste 17. Lastly this is proued by the infallible trueth of Christs promise Iohn 6. who performed whatsoeuer he promised but he promised plainlie and euidentlie to giue his trewe flesh truely therfore he did performe the same The maior is knowen vnlesse yow will charge Christe with a lie The minor is proued in the 6. chapter of S. Iohn The bread that I shall giue is my fleshe for the life of the world and soe he performed it when he said Hoc est corpus meum And in that place he saith Caro mea verè est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus and also he saith vnto the Iewes vnlesse yow eate of the fleash of the sonn of man yow shall not haue life in yow And when he said trulie he did exclude figuratiuely for the one taketh awaie the force of the other But here perhaps an heretique will obiect that if wee adore the Euchariste for beinge the bodie of Christe the people adoringe the same beinge not consecrated by the iniquitie of the prieste should comitt idolatrie Wherto I aunswere that as Laban causinge Lia to lie with Iacob insteede of Rachell was not any imputation to the saide Iacob he beinge ignorant thereof for that he thoughte her to be his proper wyfe soe it should not be idolatrie for the people ignorantly adoringe Christe in an hoaste not consecrated euen as it is not an offence before God if one should reuerence a false brother for a supposed or pretended vertue though otherwise he were a dissembler for he doth not honnor the impietie of hypocrisie of the said dissembler but the religion and sanctitie that is thought to be in him Or as if a blinde man should saie vnto S. Peter Iesu the sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me thincking him to be Christ should not comitt Idolatrie Euen soe the Church should not be deceiued or be conuinced of Idolatrie if a wicked priest would not consecrate through his malicious intent for the catholique faith holdeth it for an assured beleefe that Christe is not in anny hoaste but in that which is rightlie consecrated nor euerie one lawfully regenerated or with God reconsiled that is not lawfully baptised and orderlie and rightlie reconsiled That there is a purgatorie which is proued aswell by Scriptures and auncient Fathers as also euen by the testimonies of Protestant theÌ„selues CHAPTER I. 1. THis is proued by reason for if you grant that God is merciful and iust as indeed he is yow must alsoe proue purgatorie For if a man doe liue most wickedlie all his life without any remorse of conscience or any other pennaunce and at his death doth aske for mercy I thinck yow will not saye he shal be condemned vnto the euerlastinge paines of hell because he sought for godes mercie nor yet shall he enioye presentlie euerlastinge blisse for that God is iust in punishinge the sinnes of wicked people for as S. Gregorie sayes as the shadowe doth followe the bodie soe pennaltie and paines doth followe sinne but he shall not haue euerlastinge paines therfore he must be lyable to a temporall which was not inflicted vppon him in this life tyme therfore in some other place which is purgatorie 2. Although God doth remitt sinne quantum ad reatum culpae which is the guilt of sinne yet he doth not remitt temporall paines as may appeare by Dauid who although his sinnes were remitted vnto him yet he suffred temporall punishment as likewise Ezechias the Niniuites and others who notwithstandinge their sinnes were forgiuen them yet they suffred temporall paines and pennalties in this life as the Israelits whose pennance was that they should not enter into the lande of promise S. August tract c. 24. in Iohn saith productior est pâ—ena quam culpa and therfore the church imposed pennaunce after the absolution as wee may see in Conc. Nyce cap. 12. Laodic c. 1. Dionys Areop de eccl Hier. ca. 5. Tertull. lib. de poena qua nihil prodest de poenitentia d. 3. Hieron epist ad Ocea Amb. lib. 5. ca. 10. Orig. homil 15. in Leuit. August epist 54. Bulleng decad 4. serm 10. Bullenger a great protestant doth acknowledge the old doctors of the Church to haue prayed for the dead I knowe saith he that the great Doctors of the Churche S. Augustine as also S. Chrysostome Aug. ser 32. de verbis Apostoli and other great and emâ—nent doctors haue written of this matter I knowe saith he that the fathers doe say that to pray for the dead is an apostolique tradition alsoe that S. Aug. did say that to offer sacrifice for the dead was obserued in the vniuersall Church And Aerius was condemed for reprouinge prayers for the dead thus farre Bullenger This Aerius for beinge refused of a Bishopricke as S. Augustine said Aug to 6. de haeresibus ad quod vult Deum haeres 53. Musc cap. de orat pag. 515. Zuing. to 1. Epicheresis caminusae Caluinist li. 3. ca. 2. tomo 5. Conr. in TobiaÌ„ c. 4 Vrba in Baruch 3. Brent in apol conf VVitteÌ„b cap. 5. de bapt 1. parte fell to Arianisme and reproued prayers for the dead Musculus also another Protestant doth testifie the same Zuinglius said that the Apostles did vse the same Caluine saith that this was vsed in the church aboue 1300. yeares a goe Also Conradus Pellicanus the cheefe protestant at Tigur did alleadge that Tobias did allowe the auncient custome to sacrifice for the dead Vrbanus Regius another great protestant saith that Baruch the prophett did praye for the dead Brentius
althoughe that poore priests that serue at the Alter accordinge to the scripture must liue by the alter S. Thomas saith that indulgence may proffit one two manner of wayes D. Thom. Supple 3. p. q. 61. artic 10. scip q. ar 1. q. 16. ar 3. First principally and directly it proffits him that receaues the indulgence vid. when he doth that for the which indulgences are graunted as when he visitts the sepulcher of some Saincts Secondarilie and indirectly the indulgences doe proffitt one when for his sake one performed that which was the cause of grauntinge the indulgence But if the forme of the indulgeÌ„ce be such as whosoeuer that will perfourme this or that he that accomplisheth the same shall haue the indulgence he cannot transfer the fruit of the indulgence vnto another because he cannot applie the vniuersall intention of the church by which all comon and vniuersall suffrages are comunicated and applied but if the indulgence be of that fourme that whosoeuer doth this or that 〈◊〉 for his father or any other that he thinckes good that is detained in purgatorie shall haue so much indulgence such an indulgence is not onlie available for the liuinge but also for the dead for the church hath asmuch power to conferr and bestowe the fruict of her comon suffrage vnto which the indulgence doth relie vppon the dead as vpoÌ„ the liuing thus far S. Thomas as aforsaid And soe saint Augustine saith that the suffrages doe proffit those that are in a meane betwixt good badd but such as S. Thom. saith are in purgatorie for the paines of purgatorie are to supplie the satisfaction which was not fully accomplished in this life and soe the worke of one may satisfie for another whether he be dead or aliue Greg. lib. moralium c. 23. for as S. Gregorie saith God doth change his sentence but not his councell as may appeare of the Niniuites Achab and Ezechias against whome Godes sentence beinge giuen was changed and reuoked by his mercie Whether it be against the lawe of God to forbid Priestes to marrie and whether vowes and votaries are rather the inuention of men then the ordinance of God CHAPTER III. IOuinian aboue 1000. yeares a goe 1. Tim. 4. alleadged S. Paule as protestants doe now saying that time should come when men erringe in faith should prohibit marriadge by which doctrine many Nunnes at Rome as S. Hierom against Iouinian and S. Aug. Aug. lib. de haeresib in his booke affirmeth were mislead and brake their vowes and rann headlonge vnto all turpitude of sensualitie But this text of holie scripture Tertul. li. Praescrip Chrys 12. in 1. Tim. Irene lib. Aug. heres 25. 40 Hiero c. 1. conâ—ra Iouini Epha 5. Ele. 1. ep 17. Ber. serm 60. in caÌ„t is expounded aswell by those fathers as by others that he meant of such as should say that mariadge in his owne nature should be euill as the old hereticks said Tatian Marcian Manicheus with their disciples Eucratites Patricians Eubionites Priscilianists and others Yea the Church doth reuerence matrimonie beinge one of her 7. SacrameÌ„ts more then protestantes for they make noe Sacrament thereof and shee doth only forbidd breach of profession and violatinge of a vowe made once to Christe 2. Another place they alleadge against the vowe of Chastitie 1. Cor. 7. which is that of S. Paule Melius est nubere quam vri it is better to marrie then to burne but this is spoken of such as are free persons and not of professed persons as all writers doe expound Soe Saint Gregorie saith if they cannot suffer the tempestuous waues of tentation without wreake of their saluation let them betake them to the porte of marriadge for it is written Melius est nubere quam vri it is better to marry then to burne S. Ambrose vpon this place hath these woordes Vri est desiderijs agi vinci ne vincamur autem in nostra potestate est per Dei gratiam to burne is to be vexed with concupiscence but that wee may not be ouercomme is in our owne power by Godes grace But this is noe new practise of malignaÌ„t heretiques to mantaine detestable luxurie vnder the coller of lawfull matrimonie For as Eusebius saith of the heretick Cerinthus because he was giuen to the bellye and sensualitie he framed and coined scripture accordinge to his vitious fancie The said Iouinian saith Raro â—eâ—unate crebrius nubite fast seldome marrie often He and Vigilantius said that there was noe difference betwixt virginitie and marriadge Iulian the Apostate setteth downe by lawe as our Apostates set forth by preachinge the rauishing of virgins the deflouringe of sacred Nunnes the breaking of vowes made vnto God the compellinge of votaries dedicated to his sacred seruice to forsake and leaue of what they haue solemly promised and firmlie purposed 3. But S. Mathewe saith that the Apostles forsooke all and followed Christ yet our newe ghospellers forsooke Christ and tooke the word only vppon these wordes Melius est nubere quam vri better it is to marrie then to burne I would they would vse S. Paule his medecine against their burninge concupiscence 1. Cor. 9. Castigo corpus meum c. I chastice my bodie and I reduce my fâ—esh in the seruitude of the spiritt least that preachinge pennaunce vnto others I should become reprobate my selfe Dauid also did vse the same when he said Psal 68. Operiam in ieiunio animam meam posui vestimentum meum â—ilicium I couer my soule with fastinge and my bodie with a heare cloathe doe you but so and yow shall haue godes grace to resiste all the occasions of the world temptatioÌ„s of the deuill and asurementes of the flesh as S. Paule had vnto whome God said Sufficit tibi gratia mea 2. Cor. 12. it sufficeth to haue my grace God is faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strenght for as Christ saith the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and none can gett it but by force nemo coronabitur c. none shal be crowned vnlesse he shall fight lawfully Therfore S. Gregorie saith Fortitudo iustorum est carnem vincere c. The fortitude of the iust is to master his fleshe to resiste the appetites of his proper will to extinguish and despise the delightes of this life I would they had taken example by the serpent who to cast off her old skin fasteth three dayes and then doth wreast her bodie through a narrowe hoale and soe doth cast away the old rugged and withered skinne and a newe presentlie doth growe and so S. Paule bids vs to doe the like when he saith Induite nouum hominem put on the new man which was created accodinge to Godes Image in iustice and sanctitie of life for he said in another place that our sanctification is the will of God that we should abstaine from fornication and that by the narrowe way of pennaunce wee must enter into
Ierusalem but the vniuersall church cannot erre therfore the generall councells cannot erre For Atha S. Epipha Euseb S. August doe call the generall councells the congregation of the whole world and the consent of the vniuersall churche All such places of scripture as doe proue that the Pope cannot err in the definition of faith proues also that the generall or nationall councell assembled by his authority cannot erre Also such places of scripture as proues and teaches that wee ought to reuerence Bishopps as Pastors to heare them as maisters followe them as captaines he that heareth yow heareth me c. obey your rulers be subiect vnto them and imbrace their doctrine with many such places all which doe argue that they cannot deceaue vs or if they doe wee may attribut the blame to our Sauiour that bids vs to obey them and imbrace their doctrine Atha epi. Epist. Epiph heres 77 Aug. 162. Nemo ca. de summa trinit fide catho Gela ep ad Episc Sardinia 5. This same is proued by the fathers that the difinition of a generall councell is the last iudgment of the church from which there is noe appellation as Athana and Epiphanius and others with S. Augustine doe affirme and soe Leo the Pope requested the Emperor Martianus saying that the definition of the generall councell should neuer be brought in question which the said Martianus established by lawe The same also Gelasius the Pope decreed in the councell of Ephesus circa finem and in the councell of Calchedon Act 5. Canone vlt. Moreouer the fathers and all councells doe teach that they are excomunicated and ought to be countted heretiques that doe not rest themselues vpon generall councells and therfore all generall councells doe pronouÌ„ce Anathema I meane the sore censure of excommunication against such as doe contradict the finall decree of generall councells as Athanasius doth wittnesse of the couÌ„cell of Nice Athan in epist ad Episcopos Afriâ—ae S. Grâ—gor Nazianz. in epistola priori ad ClidoniuÌ„ Leo epist ad Anatâ—lium and soe it is in all other councells Grego Nazianz. doth write when the Apolinaristes denied that they were not heretiques and that they were receaued in a catholique councell said let them shewe this and wee wil be contented S. Leo writinge to the emperor or Leon said they ought not to be accounted catholique that doe resiste the councell of Calcedon And soe he writes the like to Anatolius and S. Basil writes that they ought to be suspected of heresie Basil ep 78. that doe cal in question the determination of the councell of Nice S. Augustine did excuse S. Cyprian of heresie Aug. li. 1. de bap ca. 18. because noe generall councell defined any thinge to the contrary towchinge the baptisme of heretiques Also S. Gregorie pronounced excommmunicatioÌ„ against all that would not receaue the decree of generall councells Greg. li. 1. epist 24. Constantine the great in his epistle to the churches Apud Euseb l. 3. de vit Const Atha ep ad Episc Africanos Cyrill l. 1. de trinit Leo epist 53. ad AnatoliuÌ„ 54 ad MartianuÌ„ ep 37. ad LeoneÌ„ Auâ— Gre. lib. 1. ep 14 Nice epist ad MichaeleÌ„ Ambros epist 32. called the decree of the councell of Nice celestiall preceptes Athanasius also said that the decree of the church was the diuine precept which should remaine for euer S. Cyrill calles it the diuine iuste and holie oracle S. Leo saith that the Canons thereof were ordained by the holie ghoast and that the councell of Calcedon was assembled by the holy spiritt S. Gregorie also saith that he reuerenceth the first 4. generall councells as the 4. Euangelistes Nicholaus the first also saith that the decrees of generall councells are inspired by the holy ghoast S. Ambrose doth affirme that wee should rather die than wee should departe from the definitions of generall councells I will saith he followe the decree of the councell of Nice from the which neither death not sword shall separat me S. Hillarie suffred banishment for the faith of the councell of Nice Hilar. in fine lib de Synod Victor in libris trib de perâ—ec Vandalic Hier. lib. cont Luciferanos Victor Africanus describeth many worthy martires which suffred for the decree and definition of the faith sett downe and explicated in the councell of Nice S. Hierom also speakinge of Athanasius and S. Hillarie and other holy confessors saie How could they doe any thinge against the councell of Nice for the which they suffred banishment 6. This is proued by reason for first if the generall couÌ„cells should err ther should be noe certaine or setled iudgment in the church by which controuersie should be determined and descided and by which the vnitie and concord of the church should be preserued for which generall councells were ordained Secondly if there were not an infallible iudgment of these generall councells then the Arians had not bene condemned for heretiques for sayinge the councell of Nice did erre nor Macedonius for an heretique for sayinge the councell of Chalcedon did err nor Nestorius for an heretick for sayinge the councell of Ephesus did err nor Eutiches for sayinge the councell of Chalcedon did erre Thirdly wee should haue noe certaintie of many bookes of the holie scriptures as of S. Paule to the Hebrewes the 2. epistle of S. Peter the third of S. Iohn S. Iames his epistle S. Iude and the Apocalipes they beinge called in question vntill the trueth of them was made knowen by generall councells That the catolique church in those thing shee doth propound to the christians to beleeue whether they be contained in the Scriptures or not cannot erre CHAPTER II. THis is proued by scripture Ad Tim. 3 Ephes 5. Apoca 21 Psal 79. Isa 2. Matt. 13. 1. Cor 12. Ephe. 1. for that the church of Christe is the firmament and piller of truethe the spouse of Christe the holly cittie a fruitfull vineyarde a highe mountaine a direct way the only doâ—e the kingdome of heauen the bodie of Christe and multitude vnto whome the holie ghoaste is promised is gouerned of Christe beinge her head and of the holy ghoast beinge her soule as it is sett downe by S. Paule saying Ephe. 4. He gaue him as a head aboue euerie church which is his bodie And in another place he said one head and one spirite and he said as the husbaÌ„d is the head of the wife soe also Christ is the head of his church for if the church had bene impeached of error that imputation should be saide on Christe and the holie ghoaste therfore Christ did instruct her by his said holie spirite sayinge the spirite of trueth shall teach yow all trueth Ioh. 16. Againe wee are bounde vnder paine of excommunication to beleue the church in all things as may appeare by S. Math. If he will not heare the church Matt. 18. let him be vnto you as an ethnick and a
the sepulchers of sainctes to be reuerenced and worshipped and said moreouer that the praiers of the holy martyrs profitts nothinge after this life imitatinge herin wicked Porphiry and Eunomius by callinge them the sorcerie of diuills Aug. de ecclesiasticis dogma tibus c. 73. therfore S. Augustine did condemne VigilaÌ„tius Aerius did barcke against prayers and suffrages of the dead and maketh noe difference betwixt priestes and Bishopps The Peputians would haue women to be priestes vnto whome they haue attributed all principalitie August de haeres 27. as the Protestantes haue done to Queene Elizabeth Anno 1. Parl. c. 1. Luther tomo 2. li. de captiuit Baby Aug. Homil 50. de Socrat. hist l. 4. Cap. 23. Ambr. de penit li. 1. cap. 2. Of the same heresie also were condemned Eunomius as the said S. August de heresi heres 54. de haeres ad Luther Nouatus was condemned for an heretique by saint Augustine and saint Ambrose for denyinge poure of absoluinge sinnes vnto the priests and confirmation to Bishopps as saint Cyprian doth wittnes lib. 4. epist. 2. Theodoret. lib. 3. de haereticis The Pelagians denyed original sinne in infantes and taught that baptisme is not necessarie for them as saint Augustine writeth Aug. here 's 88. 3. S. Augustine and saint Optatus doe putt the Donatistes in the rancke of heretiques Aug. de heres 69. de vnitate eccle lib. contlitteras Petul. Opta lib. â— Cal. inst l. 4. cap. 15. Optat l. 2. Theod. Dra. 5. for sayinge that the churche fayled in the whole world and that it remayned amoungest themselues in Affrique the like Caluine saith of the Catholique churche Those Donatistes did cast the blessed Sacrament vnto doggs burne churches and breake alters tooke away all church ornamentes as you doe they abolished the sacrifice of the Masse as you doe of which kinde of people Ignatius sayeth there hath bene some that would not away with sacrifices and oblations because they confessed not the Euchariste to be the flesh of our Sauiour Iesu Christe Arrius Nestorius S. Aug. lib. contrâ— MaximuÌ„ Atha p. 488. ExempluÌ„ Synodale Dioscorus Eutiches as saint Augustine and saint Athanasius saye and as it is alleadged in the 7. generall councell act 1. denied all traditions and the wittnesses of the fathers they said alsoe they would allowe nothinge but the scriptures sayinge What scripture doth proue that the sonne is consubstantiall or coessentiall with the Father the same alsoe did Simon Magus saye 4. With Symon Magus Valentinus Aug. here 's 4.6 Clemens Alexandrinus li. 3 recognitionum Tertul. de prâ—script and Manicheus you denie free will With Flornius and with Symon Magus you affirme God to be author of all euill as S. Augustine Clemens Alexandrinus Tertulian saye of the said Symon Magus With Constantius you saye that euerie Ciuill Prince ought to be head of the churche accordinge to Euseb lib. 3. Atha epi. ad solitariam vitaÌ„ degentes Hilar. lib. ad ConstaÌ„tium ex li. qui incipit tempus est loquendi Wherfore S. Athanasius called him antechrist and the abhomination of desolation of whome alsoe S. Hillarie saith these woordes I tell you when I shall speake vnto you that I speake to Nero that Decius Maximianus shal heare me you fight against God you thunder against the church you persecute the Saincts you take awaye the Religion of Christe you are not onlye the Tyrant of men but of God you doe preuent antechrist and worcke his misteries you coyne faith liuing without faith thou of all men the most wicked this he spoake to him in his life time 5. With Marcius and Manicheus and other heretiques you condemne manny bookes of the scriptures which would not receaue the scriptures Nisi cum adiectionibus detractionibus factis but with cuttinge maÌ„glinge of them You take away Chrisme with Nouatus who denied the holye ghoaste With Iouinian as S. Augustine saith of him you take away pennaunce from the church who said also that all sinnes were equall Also with Pelagius yow take away the Sacrament of orders and priest-hoode with Petrus Abalardus Wicleffe and Hus all vocall prayers And with the Armenians you say that matrimonie is noe Sacrament You take away generall councells with the Arians that would not obey the councell of Nice With Nestorius that would not obey the councell of Ephesus with Eutiches and Dioscorus that would not obey the councell of Chalcedon Aug lib. de haeresibus With Iouinianus as saint Augustine wittnesseth you eate all meates euerie daye without any obseruation of dayes or difference of meate you doe the like obseruinge noe faste Caluine tooke away singinge from the church with the heretique Hillarus Aug. li. 11 retract Ambr. in quadam orat cont MaxentiuÌ„ de Basilicis tradeÌ„dis quae ponitur in lib 5. sententiaruÌ„ as saint Augustine and saint Ambrose say when Christe is praysed the Arrians are madd With Iouinian you say that all which be in heauen are equall in glorie because all iuste persons are equall in this life in merittes and all sinners are equall in sinnes With the Catharies you denie all sacraments With the heretiques called Lamprini you take away vowes and votaries With the Eustachians yow take away churches and alters dedicated to martirs 6. Againe Epist 75. with the Eutichian heretiques yow take away oblations sacrifice and chrisme as Leo the Pope complained by his letters to Martianus the Emperor epist 75. where he saith Intercepta est sacrificij oblatio desecit chrismatis sanctificatio The oblation of the sacrifice is intercepted and hallowinge of the chrisme faileth And as in the time of Antechriste as that auncient holy father and constant Martyr Hipolitus that liued in the yeare of our Lord 220. saith Ecclesiarum aedes sacrae tigurij instar erint praetâ—osum corpus sanguis Christi in diebus illis nâ—n extabit c the church shall be like cottadges the blessed body and blood of Christ shall not be seene the Masse shal be vtterly defaced soe as yow seeme to be the precursours of this beast For with the Donatists as Optatus writeth yow giue the blessed Sacrament to dogges the chrismatorie with the sacred chrisme yow violentlie cast vpon the grounde with them also yow breake alters with them also and with the Arrians of Affricke as Victor saith yow ouerthrowe churches monasteries and chappels and as they made shirtes and briches of the â—estimentes and alter cloathes burned bookes spoiled churches of their ornamentes as appeared in an epistle by the bishoppes of Egipte to Marcus the Pope and as Nazianzenus saith misteria verterunt 〈◊〉 commedias the misteries of our religioÌ„ they turned to playes and comedies euen soe doe you the like 7. Againe you refuse with these heretiques to come to the generall councells to giue an accompte of your doinges as saint Augustine saith of them With 〈◊〉 buchodonozer the kinge of Babilon and
vs all feare of God or of hell and soe giueth a scope to all mischeefe That the comaundements pertaines not to the christians That there is noe sinne but incredulitie and that all are deceaued if they thincke to be saued by good woorcks with many such vild and absurde doctrines which make a man careles of his saluation rechles of his behauior and nothinge willinge to doe anny good when neither he that doth them is not recompensed or rewarded or God offended or displeased by the saide doings For as by the catholique religion Christ reformed the wicked inclination of man gaue hoalsome precepts and councells to amend his desolute misdeamenor instituted also SacrameÌ„ts to cure all diseases of our soules and to purge our conscience from all filth of sinne now by these carnall and wicked doctrine all ragged conuersation and discomposed misbehauiour is reuiued and as Ouid saieth Iâ— quorum subiere locum fraudesque dolique Metamorphose Insidiaeque vis aâ—â—â— sceleratus habendi In place of simple dealinges and honestie Were brought into the world by heresie â—eceite couetousnes and leacherie 18. The 12. note is the perfecte rule that the Catholique church Io. 20. Luc. 10. Matt. 23. Matt. 19. Iacob 4. and Catholiqueâ— haue to direct them in their faith for the church of Christe hath the holy ghoaste to instruct her in all trueth and to guide her from all errors Iohn 14.16 and wee Catholiques beleeuinge the church as wee are taughte in the Creede when wee saye I beleeue in the holy Catholique church obeyinge her in all thinges as wee be comaunded by our Sauiour wee cannot be deceaued by her nor is it possible we can offend God in submittinge our selues to her doctrine Matt. 18.3 Reg. 4. Actor 15 beinge comaunded by God to hearcken to her and as Rebeca vnder tooke for Iacob to rid him of his fathers malediction if he should followe her aduise soe the Catholique church which Rebecca figured shall deliuer vs from the enormitie of godes malediction if wee shall obey her But the protestants haue noe rule of their faith for they doe not beleeue the churche neither the traditions and generall councells thereof neither the auncient holye doctors of the same The onlie rule they as themselues saie is the scripture But this is noe certaine rule for that wee are bounde to beleeue manny thinges which be not in the scripture Matt. 13. Hebr. 13. yea that which the scripture doth teach the contrarie as the obseruation of the saboath daye and thinges strangled Againe in many places the holy scripture doth wante explication of manny thinges 2. Petr. 3. for saint Peter saith that the epistles of saint Paule are verie hard to be vnderstoode which the vnlearned and vnstable depraue as alsoe the reste of the scriptures to their owne perdition Alsoe all heretiques doe alleadge the scriptures for themselues as saint Augustine sayes Aug. li. 1. de Trin. Hier. aduersus Lucifer for as saint Hierom saith the scripture doth not consiste in readinge but in the sense and vnderstandinge thereof and as for the vnderstandinge and sence of the same there may be a thowsand controuersies as for the trewe sense of these woordes Hoc est corpus meum this is my bodie I am sure Luther and Caluine are against one another touchinge the sense a and meaninge of those woords Therfore S. Augustine saith he would not beleeue the ghospell had he not bene moued therunto by the auctoritie of the churche 19. Soe as these protestants forsakinge the church they haue noe rule of their faith as may appeare by the deadly contention and debate which is daily betwixt them as betwixt Lutherans Caluinists and Anabaptistes for they charge on an other with heresies soe as each of these sectes is diuided into manny sectes for there are 13. sects of Lutherans differinge in opinions one from the other Also amoungest the Caluinists there are many as the world can tell for some of them would haue the kinge to be supreame head of the church others doe repine against it as the puritans doe The Anabaptistes are diuided vnto 14. sects and eche of them haue seuerall and contrarie opinions touchinge the principall pointes of their faith how can two lawiers pleadinge one against the other and ech of them alleadginge lawe for himselfe determine the righte of the cause and the sincere meaninge of the lawe without there were some iudge vnto whome they should referr the controuersie to be decided and debated And because these sectaries will haue noe other iudge but the scripture ech one alleadginge and interpretinge the sense thereof accordinge to his priuate opinion and corrupt affection their controuersie can neuer be decided nor their faith can neuer be setled or made certaine 20. The 13. note is the lawfull authoritie and mission of catholique pastors and preachers whereof the Protestants are wholie destitute no heretique being euer able to shew his next predecessor For as the holie doctors affirme There is no accesse to God but by Iesus Christ No accesse to Iesus Christ but by the church No accesse to the church but by the Sacraments No accesse to the Sacraments but by a Priest None can be a Priest vnles he be ordained by a Bishopp Neuer was there lawfull Bishopp ordained out of the catholique roman church Wherfore as saint Ierom said vnto his aduersarie you are out of the communion of the church of Iesus Christ because you haue not a priest of the order of the Mediator This marke of the vocation and perpetuall succession of pastors in the church of Christ hath euer ben most terrible vnto all heretiques for euen as Baptisme is the only doore to enter into all other Sacraments a Sacrament not reiterable and whose character is indellible euen so this Sacrament of holie Orders and of entring into steward-ship ouer the flock of Iesus Christ was ordayned by our Sauiour as necessarie for distinguishing and discerning such as be vsurpers and robbers from true and lawfull pastors then the other of Baptisme to knowe and discerne sheepe from Wolues and Christs flock from the troupes of infidels 21. This argument doth so gaule and pinche the Protestants that they are forced to fetch all the authoritie they haue for their vocation only from the temporall prince alledging the wordes of saint Paul that all authoritie is from God then saint Matth. that wee must giue vnto Cesar that which is Cesars then saint Peter that wee should be subiect to euerie humaine creature for godes sake all which places aswell the puritantes as the Catholiques doe interprete and vnderstand of temporall authoritie only for gouerning the common weaâ—th and not of spirituall direction and instruction of our soules in articles of our faith and saluation for that all Princes and kinges were then and 300. yeares after Christs passion infidels and especially the Romaine Emperor of whome this was principally intended Otherwise saint Peter and the Apostles who were
vs by others neither doe wee presume to deliuer euerie phantasie that springes out of our owne braine least matters of religion should be thoughte to be mens fictions or inuentions Whether we prohibit the scriptures to be translated into the vulgar tounge CHAPTER IV. 1. TRulye the Catholique Church doth nott altogether forbide vulgar translations of holly Scriptures althoughe shee would not haue euerie bodie at his pleasure to read the same or to make glosses thereon The councell of Trentt in the table of prohibited bookes and 4. rule permitted the vse of the vulgar translations to them whome the Bishopp or inquisitor with the licence of the pastoure shall thinke to be such as will reade them to their edification and not to their damadge Malmsburie affirmeth out of S. Bede that there was somtimes permitted vulgar translations in Englande The French alsoe had their French Bibles a long time and soe the Englishe catholiques by permission from Rome had the newe testamente in English 2. After the retourninge of the children of Israell from Babylon the diuine office the holly scriptures were read vnto the people in the Hebrewe tounge not withstandinge the Siriac or the Chaldean language was their vulgar tounge for the Hebrewe was not al that time vulgare otherwise the people should not haue had neede 2. Esd 8.13 of an interpretor when the lawe was read of Esdras as alsoe when Moyses and Iosias did propose the same vnto the people Againe the Apostles did write their ghospell in noe other languadge but in Hebrewe Greeke and Latine for Peter and Iames did write vnto the Iewes dispersed throughout the whole world in the greeke tounge as S. Iohn did write vnto the Persians 3. In Affricke as longe as the Christian religion was there the latine tonge was in vse as S. Aug. and S. Cyprian doe wittnesse Aug. de doctrina Christiana who also say that the psalmes were sounge in that languadge and in the Masse Sursum corda habemus ad Dominum gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro c. Isid lib. 2. de diuinis officijs cap. 2. Conc. Toll 4. Bed lib. 1. hist suaegent VVal to 3. de sacramentalibus Rab 2. de instit Cler. Rup de diuinis officiis That the latine tonge was vsed in Spaine in their churches it is wittnessed by S. Isidorus aboue 900. yeares a goe it was also decreed in the councell of Tollet that order should be obserued in singinge the spalmes In englande aboue 1000. yeres the seruice was in latine as Beda and Thomas Waldēsis doe wittnesse In Fraunce also the same tonge was in vse in their churches as Alcumus de diuinis officijs doth witnesse and Amallaricus Treuirēsis de officijs ecclesiasticis who saith that in all the weast the office of the church was in latine In Germanie the same also was obserued as Rabanus doth wittnesse and Rupertus 4. The Apostles as Iustinus Martyr doth obserue did celebrate and singe the psalmes to the gentiles conuerted to the faith in the greeke tonge notwitstandinge there were diuers tounges as of the Parthiās Medes Elamitans and such like neither yet in the vulgar greeke but in the Atticke which was the more common and more learned soe that the languadge which the greeke priests doe vse at Masse sacrifice is not the same that the vulgar sorte did vse Gregorie the 7. denied the kinge of Bohemia licence to translate the holy Bible into the vulgar tonge soe denied Innocentius the 3. longe requested therunto by the Bishopp of Mentes for these good fathers would not haue such profound misteries of the scripture to be in contempte and subiect to the crosse sense of the vulgar sorte for some simple religious persons readinge the holy scriptures did read of godes eyes armes and feete and such like which indeede ought to be vnderstoode not litteraly Cassiod colla 10. c. 2. 3. 4. 5. but metaphoricallie and therupon thought God to be a corpulent bodye or palpable subiecte 5. Dauid George the Hollander by readinge the scripture alsoe in the hollandish languadge found that the trewe Church should neuer fayle and because he found by experience that noe other church continewed soe longe as the Church of Rome he denied Christ to be the true Messias so that beinge subuerted and carried away by the sectaries of these daies he thought the Church of Rome not to be the true churche vnto which rather then he would yelde any beleefe he denied Christ to be God and soe denied the church of Rome to be true the churche And a certaine wooman in Englande hauinge heard the 25. Chapter of Ecclesiasticus read by the minister against women said it was the word of the diuill and not the word of God Bell. to 1. l. 2. c. 15. 6. Who can giue greater euidence of the inconuenience of readinge the scriptures more then the heretiques of this time euery one groundinge their heresies and absurdities vppon scriptures falslie applied and ill vnderstoode wherfore reason it self without other aucthoritie should perswade the church to haue the scriptures and her seruice in a certaine languadg otherwise there could be noe vnitie or communication of churches for none either learned or vnlearned should frequent any churches or heare seruice but in his owne Countrie where he should heare his owne vulgare languadge neither could there be generall councells for all the fathers that comes thither haue not euerie one of them the gifte of tonges and therfore this is the cause that the Apostles for the moste parte did write all in greeke for that at that tyme it was the commonest languadge of all as Cicero saith Oratione pro Archia poeta the greeke tounge is read almost amoungest all nations but the latine is restayned within her smale bondes and limittes but when the Romaine Empire beganne to florish the latine alsoe florished especially amoungest the learned as in Italie France Spaine Affrique and in other nations and therfore in respect that it is now the commō language the scriptures and seruice of the Church ought to be in the same 7. If any reason should moue the church to haue the scriptures in the vulgar tonges it is for that the simple people should vnderstande them but they cannot vnderstande the psalmes nor the prophetts nor many other bookes of the scripture neither by readinge them take much fruite thereby but rather great harme for if they should read in the prophett Osee Goe and make vnto yourselues children of fornications the adulterie of Dauid the incest of Thamar the lies of Iudith and how that Ioseph made his brethren druncke and how that Sara Lia and Rachell gaue their hand-maides as concubines to other men they would ether despise the Patriarches or imitate them in those thinges and when they should see soe many contradictories accordinge to the litterall sense which the rude cannot resolue they woulde be in a confusion or bringe the scriptures to manifest contempt 8. Also in