obedience to parents and subiects from obedience to princes a Lib. 2. regest f. 109. apud Ioseph Vestan de oscul pâ—d pontif Gregory the seuenth in his dictates began first to broch these fancies and to declare Quod papa â fidelitate subiectos possit absoluere The canonistes continued and increased this wicked doctrine And now the Iesuites defend it and themselues drawe children to forsake their godly and Christian parents to créepe into a Sodomiticall cloister of monkes 12 Wée do now lately learne that vnder the commandement of sanctifying the Sabaoth is conteined the obseruation of all the feasts of saints canonized by the popes of Rome For so doth b Op. catech de 3. praeâ—â—p c. 11. Canisius teach and that is now a common doctrine but certes very new 13. The precepts of the Romish church as they are called are but new deuises For if wée seeke all antiquitie wée shall not finde where the church of Christ hath coÌ„manded vs to kéepe this popes day and that popes day and to abstaine from worke on saint Francis and saint Dominikes and other canonized friers daies or where the same hath enioined Christians to heare masse or to faste Lent and imber daies and vigiles of saints and other tides according to the fashion of the church of Rome or to confesse our sinnes to Romish friers and priests or not to solemnise mariage on daies forbidden which now the c Short Catechisme and Canisius church of Rome doth kéepe more deuoutly then the lawes of God For these are those humane doctrines and voluntary worships deuised by mens owne fancies which our d Matth. 15. Sauiour Christ and the e Coloss 2. apostle condemneth The f Dâ—ut 4. law of God also forbiddeth any such additions 14. It is not long since the Franciscane friers began to dispute That the virgin Mary was conceiued without original sinne which if they had affirmed of other saints they had runne into flat Pelagianisme Lately also haue papists begun to diminish the guilt of originall sinne In the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth they first determined albeit couertly that it deserued not Poenam sensus but onely Poenam damni and that is now their common opinion 15. They haue of late deuised a multitude of new sinnes as appéereth by the enchiridion of Nauarrus which are nothing but transgressions of their newe lawes And yet they doubt not to affirme that the regenerate may liue without sinne albeit contrary to all antiquitie Nay they make it sinne ofttimes to obey the lawes of God condemning those that will not worship saints stockes and stones and rotten bones and rags and which obey lawfull princes vnlawfully excommunicate by the pope 16. It is but a late fantasie that all men are to satisfie for the guilt of actuall sinnes for which they haue not satisfied in this life in purgatorie For Gregory the Dialogist albeit hée allow purgatorie for veniall sinnes yet hée hath not one word of these satisfactions Neither were the same determined before the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth 17. The rules of monkes and friers whereby they pretend that they follow euangelical counsels are also very new Hée that first brought in the orders of monkes into the westerne church was Benet of Nursia The friers were founded by Francis and Dominike The Iesuites had their patron Ignatius his rule allowed first by Paul the third And he is their founder and the ground of their antiquitie 18. The scholasticall diuinitie which is a mixture of fathers authorities philosophicall subtilties and papall decretals began from Peter Lombard some eleuen hundred yéeres after Christ The canon law began from the time of Gregory the ninth and this is the originall of their late diuinitie and lawe 19. a De verbo Dei Lib. 1. c. 3. Bellarmine saith That the new testament is nothing else but the loue of God shed in our harts by the holy ghost Which sheweth that the gospell and new testament of papistes is a new gospell differing from that of Christ Iesus For Christes testament was b Matth. 26. established by his bloud and is a couenant concerning remission of sinnes most especially but charity is wrought by the holy ghost in those that are already reconciled by the blood of the testament Chrysostome Theodoret and others writing vpon the second to the Corinthians chap. 3 Say That the spirite quickning is the grace of God that remitteth our sinnes And if charity were the new testament then Christ died in vaine For charity might then haue satisfied for all and established this new testament albeit Christ had not died which is most vntrue and blasphemous The perfection of the gospell they place In c Bellar. de monach c. 7. 8. 9. voluntarie pouerty abstinence from mariage and obedience to monasticall rules But this is a new perfection and a new gospell For Christes gospell neither commaundeth nor counselleth any to liue vnder monasticall vowes nor wilfully to make himselfe poore nor to forsweare mariage Neither did Christ euer account widowers or vnmaried men or wastefull giuers of their goods to monasteries or monkes more perfect then his apostles or other Christians 20. The holy apostle doth a Rom. 3. teach vs that we are iustified by grace and faith in Christ without workes and this he b Rom. 4. prooueth by the example of Abraham who albeit he was faithfull and the father of the faithfull yet was he not iustified by workes But the Iesuites and papistes speake of philosophicall iustice and say that none is iustified nor obteineth eternall life but by his workes and by charity 21. The distinction and doctrine of our First iustice and Second iustice and of Explicit and Implicit faith and likewise of Faith formed and Informed is all new and borowed rather from Philosophers then diuines Nay a great part of their faith standing vpon new decretals and the determinations of their Romish church is new and scarce yet setled séeing they are bounde to beléeue the future determinations of the church as well as those that are alreadie passed c Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 12. Bellarmine saith It is a matter of faith to beleeue that the pope hath succeeded Peter in the gouernment of the vniuersall church The which the church neuer receiued albeit the popes flatterers haue gone much about to perswade it 22. That by congruitie a man may deserue grace and that men vnregenerate may dispose themselues to receiue grace by force of their frée will is both new and false if wée looke backe to Christes true religion The apostle saith that Without faith it is impossible to please God And Saint d De vocat gent. lib. 1. c. 3. Ambrose saith That without true religion that which seemeth to be vertue is sinne Saint e De vera innocentia c. 56. Augustine saith That the whole life of Infidels is sinne And the councell of f Can. 6.
the churches interpretation then by séeing the same confirmed by scriptures For which cause the Bereans red the Scriptures and are therefore commended Secondly if the men that went to a Luc. 24. Emaus and the Ethiopian b Act. 8. red the Scriptures albeit they vnderstood them not at the first why shoulde Christians bée barred from reading such scriptures as they vnderstand What more simple argument can be deuised then this because an interpreter is necessarie that we may not read what hée interpreteth in a toong which we vnderstand Thirdly Philip that taught the eunuch was not the apostle Philip as the Noddy our aduersary supposeth shewing by example of himselfe that scriptures are not much to be red but Philip the deacon Lastly it is a matter most ridiculous because some places are hard to be vnderstood to debarre the people from the whole body of scriptures especially séeing many thinges are plaine and easie Nay this reason may better be retorted vpon our aduersary because diuers places are hard to be vnderstood that wée should diligently read them and heare them expounded that we may both by these and other places reape profit And thus it may appéere that euen simple women whome this scoffing mate calleth proud protestant people and scorneth at them for reading holy scriptures would be much ashamed if they could not reason better of these matters then this great popish Rabbin that taketh on him so boldly to determine matters Hauing thus fondly reasoned of reading of scriptures he cōcludeth forsooth very wisely that falsehood heresie is engendred of reading of scriptures And goeth about to prooue it first by the example of William Hacket William Ieffrey and Ioan Burcher thē by experience for that as he beléeueth more heresies are sprung vp within these 50. or 60. yeeres since scriptures began to be red in vulgar toongs thē in many ages before But his conclusion is nothing but a wicked calumniation of gods holy scriptures and his proofes consiste of a packe of lies both declare him to be a sclanderous lying enymy of Gods truth For it is not reading of scriptures which he stileth rash reading béeing vsed by lay people but neglect of scriptures that bringeth foorth error and heresie Philosophers therefore that contemned scriptures were called patriarkes of heretikes and heretikes by a De resur carn Tertullian are called Lucifugae scripturarum for that they fly from the light of scriptures And that is proued euen by the examples produced by the aduersary For those blasphemous heretikes did not fall into their impieties and heresies by reading scriptures but by gyuing héede to fond reuelations and renouncing scriptures experience also teacheth the same for while the light of Gods word was couered and scriptures neglected and héede giuen to popish decretalles and Mahomets reuelations all the heresies of papists and impieties of Mahomet and many other errors haue béene receiued by people ignorant of scriptures And that reading of scriptures is not cause of heresies it appeareth first for that not simple people reading scriptures but great clerkes reading philosophie and popish Decretalles and schoole Doctors haue béene authors of heresies Secondly in the Apostles times when all might reade scriptures then fewest heresies sprung vp That Ioan Burcher conueied bibles into the court or had any acquaintance with Anne Askeugh which this fellow reporteth is a lie deuised by himselfe Let him shew his author if he can that which he talketh of Anne Askeugh is impertinent But such is his blindenesse hée will needes haue all the world sée the cruelty of papists that burnt that innocent woman for denying their transubstantiation which if hée were wise he would haue either denyed or dissembled albeit some other should haue spoken of it And so it appeareth that Sir Francis Hastings had reason to charge the papists with hiding the scriptures from the peoples eyes and kéeping them as it were couered in toonges vnknowne contrary to Christs doctrine precedentes of antiquitie And no lesse reason haue christians to detest the boldnesse of this frapling frier that calleth preaching reading and reasoning of scriptures clouting of scriptures And thus much may serue to shew that the papists deale iniuriously in taking away translations of scriptures out of the hands of the multitude It is also most apparent that they rather perswade ignorance as fit for their blind deuotion then knowledge neither is this Rabbin able to shew the cōtrary He alledgeth Thomas of Aquine for his warrant and saith that he disputing of deuotion maketh ignorance neither to be mother nor daughter nor sister of deuotion But what if Thomas of Aquine doth not so teach doth it therefore follow that no other teacheth ignorance to be mother of deuotion who would reason so simply and ignorantly but he beside this albeit his master Thomas doth not directly teach it yet in effect he teacheth as much For first he sheweth a 2.2 q. 82. art 3. that deuotion doth most abound in simple people and in women And secondly he b 2. 2. q. 2. aut 6. teacheth that it is inough for the simpler sort to haue fidem implicitam and to beléeue as the church or as their superiors beléeue which is a meanes to bring in ignorance Finally I haue shewed that diuers others haue gone further in commending ignorance He saith further that all hold what Thomas holdeth and so beginneth to make a long speake of the nature cause and effectes of deuotion But first albeit we graunted that all held that which Thomas holdeth yet it doth not hereof follow that the papists hold no more nor otherwise then he holdeth For then what néeded so many later bookes and therefore this answere is not to purpose Beside that it is false For the Scotistes in most points dissent from him and in many points of schoole Diuinitie later doctors do contradict him as namely in his opinions of the procéeding of the holy Ghost principally from the father of the conception in originall sinne of the virgine Marie of the tormenting of soules in purgatorie by diuels of Christs locall being in the sacrament and infinite other matters Hée alleageth also a saying of Saint Augustine concerning deuotion and To make the wilfull malice of these good fellowes appeere saith hée Thomas of Aquine maketh this obiection to himselfe As if either Thomas of Aquines obiections to himselfe or else saint Augustines wordes could ascertaine vs what these fellowes hold or hold not séeing they dissent from Saint Augustine in many things and in all things doe not iumpe with Thomas and haue infinite nouelties more then either of these Wherefore vnlesse this fellow can shew that doctors Cole neuer vttered any such saying and that the practise of papists is not to nouzell their people in blindenesse and ignorance hée doth but trifle and sheweth himselfe fitter to sit in the alehouse among the goodfellowes he speaketh of then to dispute in schooles Lastly hée braggeth much of the learning
e Matth. 28. gaue them in charge To teach what he had commaunded them The f Gal. 1. apostle pronounceth him Accursed that should teach otherwise then the Galatians had receiued By the law of Moses the Sanedrin or chiefe tribunal in Hierusalem had soueraigne authority in iudgement yet might not those iudges pronounce sentence g Deut. 17. But according to the law of God The which doth argue that popish religion is built vpon groundes most absurd and contrarie to religion Finally some do stand much vpon ancient fathers and councelles and the first churches practise and haue not doubted to attribute much vnto them But now finding by experience that these do not much make for them and that the fathers themselues do wholy relie vpon the scriptures they flie wholie to the authority of the pope and to the late church of Rome and perceiue that vnlesse they may sit iudges in their owne cause the same cannot stand But héerein it may plainly appeare that they are no catholikes For ancient catholikes attributed most to scriptures and vsed the testimony of fathers and of the ancient church to declare the true sence and meaning of scriptures But a Sâ—ss 4. conciâ— Trâ—d these admit no sence But that of holy church as they call it which is nothing but the priuate fancy of soâ—e foolish pope Fourthly as in the foundations of Christian religion so likewise in diuers points of faith the papists do plainly declare themselues to bée no catholikes For first in the obiect of faith they mainly differ true catholikes beléeue in God onely Faith saith the b Rom. 10. apostle is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God c De diuin nomin c. 7. Dionyse saith That faith hath for his obiect the most pure and alwaies being truth that is God And euery Christian rehearsing his faith confesseth That he beleeueth in God the father the sonne and the holy ghost and in no creature But the papists beléeue in angels and in saints and call vpon them For as the d Rom. 10. apostle saith How shall they call on him on whom they haue not beleeued To them also they make confession of their sinnes and from them they looke for helpe and all things necessary as may bée shewed by infinite particulars Further they beléeue the determinations of the pope to be true and trust in him as in the rocke of the church e In opusc contra error Graecor Thomas Aquinas saith that it is a matter of faith to beleeue the determination of the pope Ad fidem pertinet saith he inhaerere determinationi pontificis summi in his quae sunt fidei imò in his quae spectant ad bonos more 's And this is also the opinion of f Summa Siluest in verb. fides Siluester Prierius They beléeue also whatsoeuer is taught by the church of Rome Ad fidem pertinent omnia quae sunt in doctrina ecclesiae saith g Ibidem Siluester Prierius and hée gathereth the same out of h 2.2 q. 5. art 3. Thomas Aquinas and that is their common opinion holding the traditions of the church in equal estimation with the worde of God all which can neuer bée prooued to haue béene beléeued by true catholikes For neither can it bée shewed that in publike liturgies they haue called on saints and on angels as the church of Rome teacheth or confessed their sinnes to them or beléeued in the pope or church of Rome Againe true catholikes beléeue that Christ Iesus was true man and had a body like to ours in height bredth thicknesse and that he filled the place where hée was as do our bodies We must beleeue saith a De essentia diuinitatis Augustine that the sonne of God according to his deitie is inuisible incorporeall and incircumscriptible but according to his humane nature that he is visible corporeall and locall b Contra Eutych lib. 4. c. 4. Vigilius saith That Christ is contained in a place according to his humane nature and that this is the catholike faith Illud corpus saith c Dialog 2. Theodoret habet priorem formaÌ„ figuram circumscriptioneÌ„ vt semel dicam corporis substantiam So likewise saith d Ad Thrasimund li. 2. c. 5. Fulgentius SiveruÌ„ est corpus Christi loco potest vtique contineri But the papists do assigne him a body inuisible impalpable and such a one as is incircum scriptible and without the dimensions of height bredth depth A bodie that may be conteined in infinite places at once yet not continued to it selfe as is the nature of Continua quantitas Finally a mans whole body that is without all qualities of a body may be contained in euery little part of a consecrate hoste increasing and diminishing at the priestes pleasure Further euery catholike Christian beléeueth that our Sauiour Christes true body is ascended into heauen and there remaineth e Ioan. 16. Hée tolde his disciples before his passion That he must leaue the worlde and go to the father And in another place f Iohn 12. That they should not alwaies haue him with theÌ„ In the first of the Acts we learne That hee is taken vp from vs into heauen And the apostle S. g Act. 3. Peter doth plainely declare That the heauens must conteine him vntill the time that all things be restored And this also the fathers plainely teach vs According to his diuine nature saith h In Matth. tractat 33. Origen he is not absent froÌ„ vs but he is absent according to the dispensatioÌ„ of his body which he tooke i Lib. 10. super Luc. 24. S. Ambrose saith That neither on the earth nor in the earth nor after the flesh we ought to seeke Christ if we will finde him Saint Augustine saith k Tractat. 50. in Ioan. Hee hath caried his bodie into heauen although he hath not withdawne his maiestie from the worlde l Homil. 21. in euangel Gregory the first doth plainly affirme That Christ is not heere by the presence of his flesh The flesh of Christ saith Vigilius writing against Eutyches lib. 4. c. 4. when it was in earth surely was not in heauen and now because it is in heauen certainly it is not in earth Neither did euer any ancient father teach otherwise But the papists do teach that Christes true body and flesh is both in heauen and earth and vpon euery altar at one time and that hee is touched and receiued not of men onely but also of mise and dogs and other beasts which to true catholikes séemeth not onely absurd but also abominable All true catholikes firmely beléeue that thâ—â—r sinnes are forgiuen them for Christ his sake and that they shall atteine eternall life according to these two articles of the créed which euery one professeth saying Credo remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam God he Hath promised and sworne as the a Heb. 6.
church neuer taught nor thought so basely of the most holy body of our Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesus that they imagined that a mouse a dogge a hogge or other brute beast did eate it and presse it with teeth and swallow it downe For they beléeued as wée beléeue that Christ is in heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God and is farre from those pressures and contumelies But the synagogue of Rome beléeueth that a brute beast may eate Christs body If a dogge or hogge saith a Part. 4. q. 45. Alexander Hales shoulde eate the whole consecrated host I see no cause but the Lords body shoulde go therewithall into that dogs or hogs bellie Some haue said as it is in b Part. 3. q. 8. art 3. Thomas Aquinas his summe that Assoone as the sacrament is taken of a mouse or a dogge straightway the body and bloud of Christ cease to bee there but this is a derogation to the truth of this sacrament And where the master of c Lib. 4. dist 13. sentences abhorreth from this position saying that it may bée well saide that the body of Christ is not receiued of brute beastes the masters of Paris put this in the margent that d Hîc Magister non tenetur Heere the master is not beleeued 22. The true catholike church did neuer sell the holy sacrament nor beleeue that it was a meanes to satisfie for sinnes both of quicke and dead Nor did the same promise health to the sicke sigâ—t to the blinde gaine to merchants husbands to maidens being present at the sacrament But the Romish synagogue doth sell Christ Deteriores sunt Iuda e C. 23. saith the author that made Onus ecclesiae alleaging the authoritie of saint Bâ—git Qui pro solis denarijs me vendidit illi autem pro omni mercimonio And no traffike is more coÌ„mon in the Romish church then the traffike for masses They make men beléeue that this sacrifice of the masse is expiatorie both for the sins of quicke and dead Hoc sacrificium saith f De valore missae parad 12. Guernerus est expâ—atiuum debitae poenae tam hîc quam in futuro exoluendae Hée g Ibid. parad 9. sheweth also that It hath miraculous effects against thunder danger of enimies and all other dangers and that he that frequenteth the masse shall bee directed in all thinges Neither can any man desire any thing that priestes by their masses will not promise to obtaine for him 23. The true catholike church did neuer vse to make holy water nor to consecrate paschal lambes nor oyle nor candles nor such like thinges Nor did the same beléeue that by holy water veniall sinnes were remitted or that it was good to driue away mise or make barren women conceiue or that the other hallowed thinges haue such effectes as the schoolemen teach But the Romish church doth h Missal Rom. in fin consecrate holy water and paschall lambes oyle candels and other creatures and hath a great opinion of these consecrate thinges Non mane institutâ—â—â—n est saith i In lib. Numer c. 19. Augustin Steâ—chus quod aquas sale orationibus sanctificamus vt ad â—orum aspersum delicta nostra deleantur a In dialog Alane Copus telleth vs that holy water is good to driue away mise and to make barreine women to conceiue 25. The true church standeth not much vpon externall ceremonies as in the time of Moyses law The b Coloss 2. apostle writing to the Colossians would not haue men condemned In respect of meate or drinke or of holy dayes Nor would haue them burdened with traditions As touch not tast not handle not And c Iohn 4. Christ saith that in his church True worshippers should worship God in spirit and truth But the seruice of the Romish church for the most part consisteth in externall obseruances as for example in absteining from certaine meates and drinkes and widowhoode and abstinence from mariage in singing ringing going on pilgrimage painting knocking greasing kéeping feastes and holy daies and worshipping the sacrament and externall signes 26. The true church of God neither made the image of the godhead nor set vp images in churches to be worshipped knowing that the same is directly contrary to the commaundement of God d Aduers Gentes lib. 8. Arnobius saith That the first Christians had no altars nor temples nor images worshipped in open shew Ne simulachra quidem veneramur saith e Contra. Celsum lib. 7. Origen quippe qui dei vt inuisibilis ita incorporei formam nullam effigiamus f Lib. 2. Diuin instit c. 19. Lactantius saith There is no religion where there is an image The councell of g C. 36. Eliberis forbad pictures in churches Arnobius saith that Christians do not worship the crosse Cruces saith he nec colimus nec optamus lib. 8. aduers gentes h Lib. 9. ep 9. Gregory himselfe would not haue images worshipped albeit he would not haue them broken downe De cultu imag lib. 1. Ionas Aurelianensis writing for images condemneth the popish manner of worshipping them Creaturam adorari eÃque aliquid diuinae seruitutis impendi proh nefas ducimus huiusque sceleris patratorem detestandum anathematizandum libera voce proclamamus But the popish church doth make the images of God the father and the holie Ghost and worshippeth them with diuine worship Likewise do the papists worship the crucifixe and crosse and with seruice kissing and crouching do they worship the images of Saints 27. The ancient church did alwaies serue God in a toong vnderstood of the people The Gréekes had their Liturgie in the Gréeke toong the Italians in the Italian toong the Syrians in the Syriake the Armenians in the Armenian language the Slauonians in the Slauon toong a Lib. 8. contr Celsum Origen saith That God that is Lord of all toongs heareth those that praie in any toong and that euery one praieth in his natiue and mother toong b In Epitaph Paulae ad Eustochium Hierome saith that Psalmes were song at the buriall of Paula not onely in Hebrew Gréeke and Latine But in the Syrian toong In an other Epistle of his written to c Epist 17. Marcella he sheweth That euery nation that came to Bethlehem had their seuerall languages in their church seruice For as the apostle saith d 1. Cor. 14. Hee that praieth in a toong not vnderstood profiteth nothing But the papists and church of Rome will haue no other toong vsed in the common Liturgie of the Westerne churches but the Latine of which the vulgar people scarce vnderstand one word 28. The true church is the kingdome of Christ and there hée onely raigneth by the scepter of his worde Transtulit nos saith the e Coloss 2. apostle in regnum filij Dei The apostle Saint Iames saith that hée alone is our law-giuer and our iudge There is one law-giuer
apostle saith That we should haue firme comfort And saint b 1. Iohn 5. Iohn saith These thinges write I vnto you that beleeue in the name of God that you may know that you haue eternall life And whosoeuer beléeueth not this as he c Ibid. testifieth Maketh God a lyar The apostle saint d Rom. 5. Paul saith That he that is iustified by faith hath peace with God But that cannot be vnlesse we beléeue that our sinnes are remitted and that we shall assuredly obteine eternall life The sacramentes that are deliuered to euery christian are seales of remission of sinnes and of the promise of life For by baptisme We put on Christ that is we are made members of his body and partakers of his merites And in the Lords supper we heare that the cuppe is the new testament and that Christ his body was deliuered for euery true receiuer Of Abraham it is said e Rom. 4. That he doubted not of the promise of God and that the Same was imputed to him for righteousnesse The apostle saint f Rom. 8. Paul saith that he was perswaded That nothing should separate him from the loue of God Si iustus es fide viuis saith g Serm. 4. de mortalit Cyprian si verè in Christum credis cur non cum Christo futurus de domini pollicitatione securus amplecteris Againe he saith h Ibid. We are not to wauer or doubt for that God hath promised vs immortalitie i Serm. 28. de verbis dom Saint Augustine writing vpon these wordes Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee saith It is faith and not pride to acknowledge what we haue receiued k Serm. 2. de annunt Bernard saith That we haue no promise but by Gods fauour and that the spirite of God worketh this in vs that we do beleeue remission of sinnes Neither do any teach cōtrary but Nouatians Pharisies and such like heretikes But the papists will haue men onely to hope for remission of sins eternall life and that not without doubting The doctors of l Sess 6. Trent pronounce them Anathema That shall say that a man must certainly beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen And Pighius Andradius and others teach that Christians must doubt of eternall life and of their saluation as if faith were onely conuersant about generall promises and were not appliable to him that rehearseth his faith and truely beléeueth Finally all true catholikes beléeue that the faithfull presently vpon their departure out of this life are happie and enter into ioies that neuer shall haue end as the wicked and vnbeléeuers are presently throwne into euerlasting fire and begin to suffer endlesse paines These shall go into euerlasting paine as our a Matth. 25. Sauiour saith and the righteous into life eternall The b Rom. 8. apostle plainly testifieth That there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus And the c Apoc. 14. spirite of God pronounceth them Blessed that die in the Lord and saith that they rest from their labors d Eccles Hierarch c. 7. Dionyse commonly called Areopagite saith That the godly shall test in Abrahams bosome when they come to the end of their liues and that there shall be no griefe sadnesse nor sighing Iustin Martyr e Quaest 75. saith That the soules of good men shall presently be caried into paradise Both f Lib. 1. aduers haeres c. 2. Ireney and g Serm. de mortalit Cyprian make onely two sortes of soules departed whereof the first are in blisse the second in paines And that is the common opinion of the fathers Onely Augustine in this point standeth doubtfull and Gregorie affirmeth that certaine small sinnes are remitted in purgatorie But the papists teach that all that haue not satisfied for their sinnes in this life must bée plunged in purgatorie and there suffer paines not to be tolde contrarie to the opinion of all the fathers They also grant h Stationi di Roma indulgences for many thousandes of yéeres as if the paines of purgatory were so long to continue In Saint Marie maior and other churches of Rome there are many thousand yéeres of pardon granted by diuers popes Pope Siluester when hée consecrated Saint Iohn of Laterans church as is saide Gaue as many yeeres of pardon as fell drops of raine that day when it was consecrated which were innumerable for that it rained all that day And when hée doubted least hée had béene too lauish in his grant he heard a voice from heauen as it is saide in the booke Of the pardons of Rome that hee had power enough to grant what hée woulde They beléeue also that out of purgatorie soules are deliuered by indulgences and pardons all which is contrary to catholike faith and neuer beléeued of anie true catholike Fiftly they haue diuersly corrupted the law of God which is contrary to the practise of ancient catholikes The seconde commandement or as they reckon that part of the first commandement that concerneth the worship of images they haue either razed out or left out of their short catechismes Nay albeit Canisius in his catechisme where he rehearseth the ten Commandements doth mention grauen images yet Hieronymo Campos in his Spanish translation of the same doth leaue it out Full well they know how much their idolatrous worship of images is contrary to Gods commandements The Iesuites teache a Censur Colon fol. 46. That all is not sinne that is repugnant to the law of God As if it were lawfull to transgresse any part of Gods law when mans lawes may not be broken without offence The b Deut. 27. Gal. 3. law doth pronounce a curse vpon him That abideth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of the law to do them And saint c 1. Iohn 5. Iohn saith expressely That all vnrighteousnesse is sinne And if the transgression of the law were not sinne then were the law of God a most imperfect and vncertaine rule which no catholike will affirme The doctors assembled in the conuenticle at Trent d Sess 5. determined That concupiscence in the regenerate is no sinne and pronounce them accursed that say or thinke otherwise Yet the law of God saith directly Thou shalt not couet Which law bindeth aswell the regenerate as the vnregenerate and the apostle doth expressely call it sinne in the regenerate Rom. 7. and necessarily must it be so séeing we are by the law of God bound e Deut. 6. To loue him with al our hart al our soule all our strength Saint f In Amos 1. Hierome saith That it is sinne to thinke thinges that are euill And saint g Lib. 2. contr Faust. Manich. c. 27. Augustin saith That whatsoeuer is desired or coueted against the law is sinne So that it appeareth that papistes in this point are no catholikes The h Censur Colon. f. 309. Iesuites do teache that there are certaine
worship the crosse with diuine worship or the images and reliques of saints with all deuotion and seruice Nay this worship is contrary to the second commandement and condemned by the councell of Eliberis by Epiphanius and all ancient fathers 40. The Romish missals breuiaries offices and psalters of our Lady primers and other rituall bookes wherein the whole worship of the Romish church is conteined receiue all their authoritie from Pius quintus Gregory the 13. corrected the Calendar and published the same after his owne fashion neither agréeing with truth nor with antiquitie 41. It is not long since the popes of Rome tooke vpon them to a De reliq venerat sanct c. 1. 2. in gloss canonise saints and after a heathen fashion to put them in the calendar of popish demy Gods Neither the apostles nor the auncient fathers did euer know anie such thing 42. The b Manual di Geronymo Campos rosaries and beades of our Lady conteining 63. Aue mariaes and .7 Pater nosters which are now much reckoned of in Spaine and Italy are but a new tricke of some late pope to get mony 43. The manner of the sanctifying of the paschall lambe as it is prescribed in the Romish missall is very strange in the church of Christ All ancient fathers condemne it as an odde tricke of Iudaisme 44. Ancient Christians had no mediators but Christ Iesus neither did they pray to our lady or to saintes or to angels but to God in the name of Christ Iesus 45. Neither had they any priests consecrated to sacrifice for quicke and dead as haue the papistes Nay as the apostle saith they beléeued that Christ was a priest after the order of Melchizedech without succession and that the sacrifice which he made was not to be reiterated 46. The doctrine of penance which the schoolemen first began to talke of was not setled before the councell of Florence and Trent If our aduersaries will néedes maintaine the contrary let them shew first where the ancient fathers teach that priuate penance consisteth of thrée parts to witte Contrition Confession and Satisfaction and how these are nothing without Absolution which they account to be the forme of penance Secondly let them shew that auriculer confession was receiued in the Westerne church before the c C. omnis vtriusque sexus de Poenit. remiss constitution of Innocent the third that first established that order Thirdly that certaine cases were specially reserued to the bishop of Romes absolution in time of the ancient fathers Fourthly that all Christians did make satisfaction to God for their actuall sinnes Lastly that in times past either contrition differed from satisfaction or absolution went before satisfaction or that noâ—e were reconciled to God but such as were confessed to priests and did satisfie according to their pleasures 47. The councell of Trent did likewise innouate diuers things iâ— the ordination of bishops and priests For the friers there determined that there were 7. orders and euery of these a sacrament and yet but all one sacrament which séemeth very enigmaticall They decréed That priests should be shauen and greazed that by the act of ordination there was a print made in their soules which they call An inuisible character matters very new and strange 48. In ancient time neither were monkes permitted to execute the office of priests nor were any ordeined bishops but such as did feede their flockes The dumbe bishops and boy-cardinalles and prelates of the Romish synagogue are but new creatures of the pope brought in onely to confirme and establish his new tyranny 49. Purgatory was not established before the late councels of Florence and Trent Neither was any part of it knowne in ancient time Saint Augustine began first to talke of purgatory for veniall sinnes and after his time Gregory that made the dialogues beléeued that veniall sinnes were indéede remitted in purgatory The schoolemen added that satisfactions for penance inioyned and not accomplished in this life were there to be performed They also haue of late begun to talke much of the popes power and of the merites of masses in purgatory but as yet they are not agréed about the same nor about many other such like matters 50. The yéere of Iubiley was a Constit Pauli 2. ordeined first by Boniface the eight and afterward altered by Clement the fift and last of all brought to twentie fiue yéeres by Paul the second But not borrowed from Christians but either from the heathen that euery hundred yéere had Luâ—os seculares or from the Iewes that euery 50. yeeres celebrated a Iubiley and now agréeing neither with Iewes Gentiles nor christians 51. That the popes indulgences depend vpon the late popes authoritie without proofe out of Scriptures or fathers the patrons of them that are ingenuous do confesse b Artâ— 18. aduers assert Lutherâ— Fisher sometime bishop of Rochester saide That before purgatorie was feared no man sought for indulgences and that in the beginning of the church there was no vse of them Quamdiu saith hée nulla fuerat de purgatorio cura nemo quaesiuit indulgentias And afterward In initio nascentis ecclesiae nullus fuerat earum vsus Such indulgences as are mentioned in the booke of Pardons of Rome are meere forgeries and fooleries In the church of Saint Paule at Rome saith the booke Yee haue 48. thousand yeeres of pardon on the day of his conuersion a hundred yeeres of pardon on Childermasse daie fower thousand yeere of pardon For kissing two iron crosses at S. Peters church doore fiue hundred yeeres of pardon On the feast day of Saint Peter 1000. yeeres of pardon And for looking on one of the pence for which our Sauiour was solde 1400. yeeres of pardon In the church of Saint Marie maior yee haue fowerteene thousand yeeres of pardon And Blessed be the mother saith our author that beareth the childe that heareth masse on Saturday at Saint Iohn of Lateran For he deliuereth al them that he desireth out of purgatory to the number of 77. soules Hée saith further That on the tower of the church standeth a double crosse that was made of the sworde that Saint Iohn was beheaded with and that at euery time that a man beholdeth that crosse hee hath 14000. yeeres of pardon and as many karines of all penance And infinite such indulgences are granted by popes in that booke Pope Gregory the 13. a In Constit Gregor per Petr. Matth. sent ouer his indulgence of Iubiley into England and no doubt but that this pope either hath or will do the like O simple creatures that buie such trash and suffer themselues to be abused with such nouelties and fooleries as beséeme neither christian religion nor common reason 52. The popes penitentiaries taxe which conteineth the rates of absolutions For murders Parricides Rapines Periuries Adulteries Incests Sodomitry yea and Apostacy and Turkish blasphemies I thinke our aduersaries will not denie but that it is most new 53.
earnest of future graces and the communication of Christ his passion Againe hée saith Non vt dicunt amentes Messaliani baptismus nouaculam imitatur quae praecesserunt peccata auferens hoc enim ex superabundanti largitur Likewise the Messalians did mumble ouer their praiers with their lips hauing their hart otherwhere and beléeued that they were heard for their much babling Which custome the papists do so well like that they rehearse infinite Aue Mariaes Pater nosters and Creedes and the popes giue great indulgences to those that say the Ladies rosary and pray vpon blessed beades albeit the poore soules vnderstand nothing what they pray or rather prattle The Caians were reputed heretikes for worshipping angels and praying to them Vnusquisque eorum saith h Epiph. haeres 38. Epiphanius vniuscuiusque angeli nomen inuocat For the same cause the Angelickes were condemned both by the a Epiph. de angelic Augustine de haeres c. 39. Isid lib. 8. Orig. fathers and by councels Non oportet Christianos say the b Can. 35. fathers of the councell of c In 3. ◠epist. ad Coloss Laodicea derelicta ecclesia abire ad angelos idololatriae abominandae congregationes facere What then are wée to thinke of papists that pray to angels and say masses in honour of angels To auoide this blemish in that canon of the councell they haue turned Angelos into Angulos But d Theodoret doth plainly conuince them both of heresie and falsehood Synodus saith he quae conuênit Laodiceae lege prohibuit ne precarentur angelos That this worship of angels is superstitious Chrysostome commenting vpon the Epistle to the Colossians declareth and especially in his ninth homilie vpon that Epistle The Seuerians were noted as heretikes for their myracles either vainly forged a Augustine de haeres c. 24. or by the diuels helpe effected Their prophetesse e Philumena through a narrow mouthed glasse would put in a pretie bigge lofe and draw it out againe without breaking the glasse The Mirabiliaries were likewise condemned for that by myracles and prophecies they sought to confirme their religion And what do the papists Do not they likewise confirme all their superstition idolatry and false religion with counterfeit miracles It cannot be denied and if it were yet are the lying legends of the Romish church sufficient to conuince them The Tatians and other heretikes f Epiph. hares 46. absteined from mariage as a state of life impure and imperfect Which heresie the popish monkes haue embraced estéeming wedlocke contrary to perfection g C. proposuisti dist 82. Syricius calleth mariage Fleshly pollutions In Capgraues legend Romish saints no otherwise talke of mariage then as if it were vncleannesse sinne and abomination Diuers of our aduersaries haue written that it is lesse sinne for priestes to commit fornication then to marry Nay as if mariage were contrarie to the cleannesse and holinesse of priesthoode they admit none to priesthood but such as abiure mariage The papists also agrée with the Manichées in diuers points of heresies For as the h Augustin epist. 74. Manichées condemned mariage in their priestes which for their excellency they called Electos so likewise do the papists in their monkes and greater orders of the clergie The Manichées in the sacrament of the Lords supper a Leo serm 4. de quadrag c. relatum c. comperimus dist 2. de consecrat vsed to minister in one kinde as do the papists Both of them destroy Christes humanitie the Manichées giuing him no true flesh nor solide body and the papists giuing him a body neither visible nor palpable nor endued with the dimensions and qualities of a body Nay they say that his one body may bée in infinite places at once The b Augustin de morib eccles Manich. lib. 2. c. 31. de morib Manich. c. 13. Manichées in their fastes albeit they abstained from flesh yet vsed diuers other exquisite and daintie meates And this also is the rigorous faste of most papists which the rest also allow Montanus did first establish lawes of fasting as is recorded in the historie of c Hist eccles lib. 5. c. 17. Eusebius and appéereth also by the practise of the church that had no law concerning that matter in his time The same man began first to giue credite to vnwritten traditions to d Epiphan in haeres 48. dispute that the scriptures were not perfect and that they were to bée supplied by his new Paracletus that as he said was to teach all things necessarie His e Augustin de haeres c. 26. followers had the prophecies of Prisca and Maximilla in great reuerence Both hée and his disciples did beléeue Limbum Patrum to bée in hell and that sinnes were to bée purged after this life They also first ordeined that the birth daies or suffring daies of Martyrs should bée kept holy and that offrings should be made for men departed and all this f Lib. de corona milit de anima Tertullian now pleading for Montanus his heresies doth prooue by the testimonie of his Paracletus and of vnwritten traditions So likewise hath the synagogue of Rome of late established many new fastes and new lawes of fasting The g Synod Trid. sess 4. same doth also place traditions in equall ranke with Scriptures and say that Scriptures teach not all thinges necessary for saluation The doctors of that schoole affirme likewise that Limbus of the fathers is in hell and that sinnes may bée remitted after this life for this cause offer for the dead Both papists and Montanistes boast much of the sufferings of their martyrs and no lesse do they estéeme the prophecies of Brigit Hildegardis and Mechtildis then do the Montanistes of their Prisca and Maximilla As the h Pepuzians did honour their towne Pepuza a Augustin de haeres c. 27. as the mother church of all Christendome so do the papistes honor Rome Both papistes and Pepuzians suffer women to minister baptisme Should not then the papists haue wrong if they were not made equall to the Pepuzians Herein they also far surpasse them for that among the papists a a Martin Polon Plat. chronic chronicor Marian. Scotus in Ioan. 8. woman was once pope and chiefe president of their church which I doubt whether the Pepuzians can shew in their sect The Catharistes do boast much of their merites Mundiores se caeteris praedicant saith b C. de haeres lib. Orig. 8. Isidorus They do also deny absolution in some cases to the repentant and rebaptize those that are already baptized Which is also the case of papistes For among them the monkes and friers count themselues more perfect and cleane then others and all of them do hope to be saued by their merites The inquisitors punish with death all that relapse into heresie as they call it without remission and in France and Flanders our aduersaries haue baptized many most
places and altars as the sacrament is Who doth not perceiue that Christes humanitie was abolished if as the fathers holde the vnion of the natures was like to the vnion of Christes body in the sacrament especially if the substance of bread wine be quite abolished This is most certaine that both a Vbi supra Theodoret and b Contra Eutychen Gelasius do confute Eutyches by this reason for That the substance of the bread remaineth in the Sacrament which being denied by the papists it is plaine that they bring in Eutychianisme The papists also in many points conspire with the enimies of the grace of God the Pelagians First both Pelagians and papists define sinne to bée not whatsoeuer is repugnant to gods law but that is committed of frée will and by him that vnderstandeth what hee doth Propriè vocatur peccatum saie the Pelagians quod libera voluntate à sciente committitur This is the grounde of Pelagius going about to ouerthrow the traduction of originall sinne in the posteritie of Adam as appéereth by Saint Augustines disputations against him concerning this point And that also the c Censur Colon. fol. 44. Iesuites of Collein expressely do hold The Pelagians do teach that a iust man in this life may be without sinne Hoc Pelagiani audent dicere hominem iustum in hac vita omnino nullum habere peccatum saith Saint d De bono perseuerant lib. 2. c. 5. Augustine The papists likewise beléeue that the regenerate are cléere of mortall sinne and not onely that but also may liue without sinne The Pelagians teach That concupiscence by baptisme is sanctified and being before euill afterward beginneth not to be euill which doctrine Saint e Contra Iulian. lib. 6. c. 6. Augustine calleth very absurd yet is that the doctrine of the councell of Trent and of all papists Both papists and Pelagians do builde vpon one foundation and say that therefore concupiscence after baptisme is no sinne for that the guilt is remitted in baptisme The Pelagians would not grant that the Gentiles and Infidels sinned in all their actions nor that their actions were sinne as done without faith as Saint f Contra Iulian lib. 4. c. 3. Augustine sheweth proouing the contrarie The same doctrine the papists receiue for catholike The Pelagians sometimes were a Augustin contra 2. epist Pelag. c 19. woont to say In omni bono opere homineÌ„ semper adiuuari à gratia b Ibidem lib. 4. c. 6. gratiam adiuuare bonum euiusque propositum But their meaning was that God gaue his grace to them that disposed themselues and whose frée will was ready to receiue grace Which is also the doctrine of preparations and dispositions commonly taught by papists so that notwithstanding their faire pretenses of grace they yéeld a great part of the glory of our conuersion to our owne frée will The papists say That sinne is subiect to our will so likewise the Pelagians say c Augustin lib. 1. de gratia Christi c. 28. Nos forte firmum habere ad non peccandum liberum arbitrium And saint d Lib. 2. de baptis Augustine teacheth vs that this doctrine is Pelagianisme The papists say that God is ready with his grace if hée sée a mans soule readie and prepared to receiue it They also beleeue that a naturall man may desire his owne conuersion But Saint e Contr. epist Pelag. lib. 4. c. 6. lib. 2. c. 5. 8. de Gratia lib. 1. c. 14. Augustine teacheth vs that these were the propositions of the Pelagians They also both do vse the same reasons to prooue the strength of frée will as first that wée are commaunded to choose secondly that God woulde not commaund vs thinges impossible Magnum aliquid se scire putant Pelagiani quando dicunt non iuberet Deus quod sciret ab homine non posse perfici as Saint f De Grat. c. 16. cont epist Pelag. lib. 2. c. 10. Augustine testifieth Therefore Thomas Brandwardine doubteth not to call the popish schoolemen Pelagians Totus penè mundus g Lib. 1. de Grat. aduers Pelag. saith hée post Pelagium in errorem abijt exurge Deus iudica causam tuam Hée wrote about thrée hundred yéeres agone The Donatistes as Saint h De haeres c. 69. Augustine writeth beléeued that the church was onely conteined in Afrike and in the obedience or part of Donatus quod ecclesia Christ in Africa Donati parte remanserit as he saith They did also rebaptize catholike Christians So likewise the papists beléeue that to be the church that continueth in the obedience of the pope and reteineth communion with the church of Rome and of late time haue not doubted in France and Flanders to rebaptize children before baptized The Circumcellions thought it meritorious to kill those that were contrarie to their sect Immania facinora perpetrando as S. a De haeres c. 69. Augustine saith Nay that holy man had much a doe to escape their handes So likewise the papists teach that it is meritorious to kill princes opposite to the popish faction Sixtus quintus that shamelesse frier did highly commend b La fulmiminante Iames Clement that killed Henry the third of France Iohn Ghineard a Iesuite did maintaine this doctrine and was therefore by arrest of the parliament of Paris executed By these desperate assassins the papists haue diuers waies sought to murder the Quéenes Maiestie haue most shamefully murdred the Prince of Orenge Iames the Regent of Scotland and diuers other christian princes Alphonsus Diazius did most wickedly murder his owne brother trauailing as farre as froÌ„ Rome into Germany to commit that act and for the same was by the pope not onely defended but commended The Auâ—â—ans or Anthropomorphites did imagine God to haue a humane shape and partes like a mortall man Cogitatione carnali saith c De haeres c. â—0 Augustine Deum fingebant in similitudinem hominis corruptibilis And likewise do the papists imagine when they make the images of God the father and the holy ghost and the whole Trinitie The d Sess 25. councell of Trent doth permit the diuinitie to bée figured Diuinitatem ex primi figurari But how can this bee done vnlesse they beléeue either their god to bée like their images or their images like their god Origen beléeued that sinnes might bée purged and done away after this life and therefore e Augustin de haeres c. 43. imagined That euen the wicked after a long time shoulde bee saued And certes if sins may bée purged by fire why shoulde not mortall sinnes as well bée washed away as veniall And if man bée able to satisfie for the guilt of mortall sinne after this life and so bée quited from them why shoulde not euery one satisfie in hell for his sinnes And why shoulde a debt bée exacted when satisfaction is made In this