master to rule the sterne medling not with that he hath no skill of right so when preuy rebells or open apostatas of Christen religion sowe seditious schismes and preache hereticall doctrine troubling thereby the quiet and settled consciences of true and vpright beleuers euery Christen man especially such as are of the laye and inferiour sorte ought to cleaue vnto their heades and rulers in Christ his church medling not with the determination of any point called then in controuersy but looke to be directed as they haue allwaies ben by their catholike pastours and ouerseers to whom they are commaunded by the Apostle to obey and submitte them selues truly no lesse then the souldiar to his Capitain or the passanger to his master Therefore oure Sauiour biddeth the people to beware and Take hede of false prophets nor to beleue euery spirit but trie and discern whether they be of God or no. But this lo howe maye it be Howe shal the ignorant and laye man trie false doctrine from the true It hath ben put in to mens heads of late yeares that euery man for this purpose ought to reade holy scripture and thereby to trie and discern truthe from falshood It were perhaps to be wished if it had so pleased God that as holy scripture is the true triall thereof so it were open and euident to all men that seke the triall therein but what haue lerned men iudged in times past of holy scripture Many things saieth S. Augustin are darke in scriptures and it hath so ben prouided of God to the entent that our pridemight be tamed by trauail and our knowledg not cloyed with facilite which quickely contemneth that easely hath ben lerned In like maner S. Hierom. All prophecy or interpretation of scripture contayneth the truthe in darcknes and obscurite to the entent that the scholers and lerners within may vnderstande but the rude people set without may not knowe what is saied Orels we shall cast precious stones before hogges iff we open the treasure of holy scripture to euery man Epiphanius likewise The Scripture saieth he telleth all truthe but we haue nede of good intelligēce and perceiuerance to knowe God and his word There is in the ghospell saieth Origen the letter that killeth for the destroying letter is not only in the olde Testament but also in the newe Testament to him that vnderstandeth not spiritually that which is saied Tertullian speaketh yet more vehemently hereof I am not afeared saieth he to saie that the scriptures them selues haue ben so disposed by the will of God that they mought minister matter vnto heretikes seing that I reade that heresies must be which without scripture coulde not be This is the iudgement of the lerned fathers who haue trauailed more in holy scripture then any new preacher of oure time and yet can espie no greate facilite in it but rather do complaine of the maruailous difficulte thereof And doth not S. Peter write plainly that in the epistles of S. Paule Certain thinges were very harde to be vnderstanded which the vnlerned and inconstant depraued euen as other parts of scripture to their owne destruction Doth not S. Paule write that The ghospell is vailed and couered from those that perish Are we not commaunded to serch holy scripture doth not this serching importe a diligence and difficulty more then laye men can either attend vppon or attaine vnto The Eunuchus vnderstode not the prophet vntill the Apostle had expounded it vnto him And Christ after his Ascension opened the vnderstanding off his disciples that they might vnderstand the scriptures And thincke we oure selues able to vnderstand all that we reade This then being so howe shall the laye and vnlerned man perfourme the commaundement of the ghospell bidding him To beware of false prophetes and to discern the sprits whether they be of god or no Euery secte nowe a daies chalengeth the worde of god and the right vnderstanding thereof The Catholike likewise by prescription out of memory standeth in possession thereof and will not be brought from it for all the bragges the heretike maketh Howe then shall the vnlerned man hearing bothe tales conclude with him selfe which to folowe Were it not nowe good readers much to be wished that some clere and euident doctrine were taught by what meanes and howe the holy worde of God maye rightly be vnder standed and the false prophets preachers and protestants of oure time might be auoided Truly as the sauegarde of the soule passeth all worldly interest so euery Christen hart ought aboue all thinges tender the same and with all diligence possible procure spedy remedies for the pestiferous venim off heresy which crepeth on like a cancre and corrupteth the whole estat of our saluation Hauing therefore sene and perused a certain booke of Fridericus Staphylus writen first in the Allemain tongue and after translated in to Latin wherein he first teacheth the vnlerned laye man howe to beware of false and wrong interpretation of holy scripture which is no lesse necessary then the reading off scripture it selfe secondarely detecteth certain false translations of the Bible by Luther in to his mother tongue laste of all declareth the maruailous dissension and variaunces of the Lutherans in their doctrine and chiefest articles of our faith which is a most euident argument of the sprit of dissension the diuell him selfe speaking in thē and a clere proufe of hereticall doctrine for the truthe is but one I haue thought good to translate the whole in to our mother tongue trusting in almighty God to profit hereby many a Christen soule of my dere deceined countremen which as God is my witnes was my only respect in this smal labour The first part of this booke is a very necessary lesson for the vnlerned laye man For without the true and right interpretation of holy scripture such as the church teacheth he can haue no right faith and so hazardeth his soule and euerlasting life which he ought aboue all worldly respect tender and procure For as our Sauiour saieth What auaileth it a man to winne the whole worlde and lese his soule The second parte is a good admonition for al such as are not sene in the tongues to beware of newe translations of holy scripture falsely forged for a vauntage Our english bibles sette forth these last yeares lack not such foisting in of false termes In the epistles of S. Paule as ofte as the worde Idoll is founde in the greke and latin text so ofte they turne it Image as though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greke idolum and imago in laten or idol and image in english were all one When God saieth in holy scripture Let vs make man according to our image will these men saie that God hath an idoll according to the which man was made and howe be they not ashamed to call couetousnes worshipping of images
perilous dissēsion amonge the papistes If our doctours and diuines should vse suche arguments against them howe woulde they scoffe and scorne at it But these ghospelling preachers vsing such must not onely not be founde faute withall but must be highely praised and commended therefore as men of excellent vertu and knowleadge Whiche allthough it be very iniurious and may well be complained of yet sence that it liketh them so to vse vs we must take it in good parte and beare it But as touching the matter euen as in our Christen religion we haue lerned of S. Paule to acknowleadge and beleue in one God euen so we must professe one faith and one baptim Although therefore among religious men and womē there be diuers orders and sundry rules likewise betwene the clergy and the laite diuers professions and vocatiōs and that by the sure and certain prouidēce of almightie God yet among these al there is but one God one faith one Christ one church one and the selfe same interpretation of holy scripture We by the true vnderstanding of Gods worde haue lerned in the churche the difference betwene the Catholike faythe of all men and the priuate hope of eueryman First in the articles of oure belefe we beleue al one thinge and al after one sort But to euery man priuately it is permitted that vpō right cōscience and due consideration for the encrease and cōfirmation of his hope which lacketh not his sure rewarde he maye take and chose vnto him some such honest trade of life and cōuersation as is agreable to his nature though he differ hereby from the common life and vocation of other men Therefore as concerning the agreement of our faithe we reade in the Apostle If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if there be any comforte of loue if there be any feloweship of the spirit if there be any compassion and mercie fullfill ye my ioye that ye be like minded hauing one loue being of one accorde that no thing be done through strife or of vaine glory And againe Neuertheles vnto that whiche we haue attained vnto let vs procede by one rule that we may be off one accorde Many such sentences are in holy Scripture whereby we are admonished that the doctrine of our faithe and belefe ought not to be referred to any one state or person but to the whole communite off Christ his churche Wherefore S. Iames commaundeth That we esteme not the faith of our Lorde Iesus Christe in respect of personnes Whereof it appeareth euidently that the vnite consent and agreement of our faith is builded and grounded vppon the communite off Christes Catholike churche Whereby all schismes and particular heresies are excluded But that the diuersite of grace of giftes and vocatiō is to be referred to the condition of euery man And what is the reason hereof Bicause as we haue many membres in one body but all membres haue not one office so all Christen men are one body in Christ but euery one hath his singular and peculiar giftes grace and vocation And this blessed Apostle saithe also in an other place Let euery man trie his owne doing and so he shall haue glorie in him selfe onely and not in an other For we shall all stande before the iudgment of Christe that euery man maye receaue the workes of his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Seing thē these two pointes the agreement of faithe and diuersite of vocations are in the Catholike churche by due reason to be waighed and eche in his place to be osberued I can not sufficiently maruaill at the sutle shifte and wily deceit off these Lutherans forcing the Catholikes to suffer amonge them heretikes beleuing as they list and sowing schismes at their pleasure bidding them withall dissemble and winke at the matter whereas yet them selues will not suffer the like liberty in diuersite of vocations amonge the Catholikes but will persuade Princes and Magistrates to force their subiects bothe temporall and Spirituall and Religious of all sorte to forsake their godly vocatiō and perfit professiō and to take such a frame of faith as it shall please the Prince or Magistrat to prescribe them What other thinge is this then to make that diuers and different in the Catholike faith whiche should be one and vniforme and that one and vniforme in persons and vocations whiche should be diuers and different O horrible confusion If there were not beside this point manifest and outragious impietes of the Lutherans repugning bothe to right reason and to the worde of God whereby we might iudge howe pestiferous abominable and wicked the doctrines and doings of these Lutheran preachers and protestant Ministres are yet of this only matter it might appeare euident while they confunde Vniformite and Diuersite Teaching that which ought to be in our belefe consonant and agreable that it maye varie and be diuers and cōtrairely those things whiche in euery mans peculiar vocation shoulde be proper and distinct maie in no wise varie or differ Whereof spronge the insurrection of the commōs in Germany the sedition of the Anabaptistes in West phalia and the rebellion against their highe rulers and magistrats Surely of no other roote then that Luther and all protestant preachers haue taught and do yet teache and write to that seing There is no respect of personnes before God therefore there ougth to be no difference of persons no magistrat in the church but that all Christen men are fre and therefore all other distinct estats dignites and qualites as well greate as small ought to be all one and all a like And whereof arise these greate and enormous dissensions in religiō but only of this occasiō that the Lutherās take awaie from the Catholike faithe all vnite and agreement and teache that euery man may be saued by his owne priuat faith which he forgeth him selfe and that he maye for his owne person frely beleue what he listeth Thus they would force the Catholikes to a certain dissembling deceit such as neuer was heard of As that they should suffer euery man to beleue as he list and set vp newe factiōs and schismes against the vnite and agrement of our faith But the difference of vocations qualites and degrees as is betwene lowe and high tēporall and spirituall priuat and publike they should no more suffer but make all estates cōmon all vocatiōs aequall al trade of life one and vniforme If this be not to confounde heauen and earthe surely I knowe not what heauen and earthe meaneth Colde which procedeth of water is of this nature that it knitteth and fastneth together diuers thinges in to one masse and substaunce and cōserueth them also in the same as golde siluer bras tinne leade claie also durte and wodde But heate contrairely resolueth and seuereth all these substaunces So likewise the property of faithe is to knitte ioyne
continuall succession of time vncorrupted whole and perfite whiche maketh me more to maruaill what wicked and malitious sprit moued these protestants to terme them selues only ghospellers and professours of Gods worde calling the Catholikes papistes and enemies of the worde of God seing that bothe nowe and in all ages we reade the ghospell in our churches we preache the worde of God in our pulpits and interpret it to the people we expresse it by outward ceremonies rites and gestures such as we haue receaued of our forefathers euen from the primitiue church and the Apostles time And this Luther knewe him selfe well inough But why dissembled he it then forsothe to deceaue and entrappe the easier the simple people in to his preteÌ„ded religion For Luther and all his ministers knowe very wel that in the ghospel and worde of God two thinges are to be considered First that the text be sownd and not corrupted then that the same text be expounded Catholikely and not heretically For as S. Bernard saieth looke with what sprit the scriptures were writen with the same must they be read and vnderstanded Seing then the text by the instinct of the holy ghost hath ben geuen vs true and perfit the vnderstanding also and interpretation thereof coming of the holy ghost must be true and perfit so that one shall be as true and of as much force as the other It is not inough therefore to reade holy scripture perfitly but to vnderstande it well also For as S. Hierom sayeth The scriptures consist not in reading but in vnderstanding All this Luther was not ignorant of But to depraue and corrupt the right interpretation of holy scripture and to bring in place his owne hereticall and forged expositions he maketh no mencion off the text but crieth still the worde of God calling the dreames of his braine pure and holy scripture For if ye aske of the Lutherans when they preache that God coÌ„straineth men to do euill that God was the cause of Iudas his reprobation and obstinat desperation that good workes are hurtefull to saluation and such like matters what maner of doctrine that is they will incontinently awnswer you that This is the pure ghospell the sincere worde of God and holy scripture it selfe But then if ye go farder and desire them to showe yow these very wordes and propositions in holy scripture there they hush Yet will they tell you that the wordes in dede them selues be not in the Bible but the meaning of them is there To the which if ye replie agayn and vrge them farder it will soone appere that the controuersie betwene the protestants and vs is not of holy scripture it self but of the true vnderstanding of the same And so S. Hilary hauing to do with heretikes in his time pronounced Heresie sayth he is in the vnderstaÌ„ding not in the scripture And truly all heretikes neuer cried other thing theÌ„ the holy scripture the worde of God and we that are Catholikes also haue holy scripture allwaies in our mouth Nowe then a man may maruaill and aske howe cometh it to passe that the Lutherans and the Catholikes the protestants and the papistes striue and contend so one with an other where as yet bothe haue the ghospell bothe loue and embrace it bothe cleaue vnto it and bothe are ready to spende their good and their life for it Here I beseche the Christian reader marke and perceaue well that this is not the coÌ„trouersie whether the Catholikes or the Lutherans haue the worde of God but which of them doth truly rightely and sincerely expounde that worde off God For this is the Lutherans common saying The papistes vnderstand not the Bible but we haue founde the right interpretation thereof and the kaye of all truthe And to set a good coulour vppon this holy protestation they saye farder That all bisshops prelats priestes and Monkes be all without lerning all incoÌ„tinent all of euill life geauen to couetousnes to pleasure and to the bely But they theÌ„ selues that is the Lutherans be learned chaste sobre liberall deuowte and of perfit life and such as haue done great miracles and yet do Neither are these impudeÌ„t heretikes ashamed of these lowde lies although all the worlde well knoweth it is nothing so while they see Churches hospitalls religious houses of all sorte colledges and bishoprickes of these men partly cleane ouerthrowen partly rifled all taken into their handes and conuerted into palaces armories barnes cole houses shops of Marchaundrise yea and in some places in to stables These lo be the miracles of this new ghospell abundantly practised all this fourty yeares As for other miracles not one of these new ghospellers was euer able so much as to cure a lame colte or a halting biche so farre is it that these meÌ„ could euer cast out deuils heale the lame cure the blinde restore the deafe or raise vp the dead all which miracles many holy fathers of the olde ghospell as I may so speake which these men call Papistes haue wrought from time to time in Christ his churche as right approued histories do manifestly declare Now as for the good and perfit life of these men and excellent lerning all the worlde seeth it An olde sorte of heretikes called Donatistes obiected in times past to S. Augustin the very same argumeÌ„t saying that their church only was vpright holy pure and lerned But the Catholike churche was nothing so And therefore the doctrine of the Donatistes was vndoubtedly souÌ„de and perfit but that of the Catholikes false and vntrue But what awnswered theÌ„ here S. Augustin The argument saieth he that proueth mens doctrine by their life is false But let vs suppose that these holy protestants passed al the vniuersall Catholike church of Christ sens the time of the Apostles bothe in godlines of life and excellency of lerning Which I thinke in good sothe they wil not al together affirme But if it were so it wil not yet thereuppon ensue that only the Lutherans vnderstande holy scripture and the Catholikes neuer vnderstoode it For if the right intelligence of holy Scripture be only to be sought amonge such as will stoutely affirme of them selues to passe all the rest of men in vprightnes of life and excellency of lerning then in very dede must we nedes leaue this great treasure of the right meaning of holy scripture vnto heretikes For in all ages heretikes allwaies craked of their great lerning and perfit life as the ecclesiasticall histories well declare of the Arrians the Manâ—ches the Pelagians and such like And what other thinge dothe Luther in many of his workes especially in his booke against the pope Then call the olde Catholike writers and holy fathers fooles asses rude and vnlerned babes of the pope hermaphrodites and such like Neither contemneth he only the Catholikes but euen his owne coÌ„panions and felow heretikes also as Zuinglius
Oecolampadius and other of that batche Yea this mā father of all this bessed broode of protestāts so highely extolleth him selfe so presumptuousely dispiseth all the worlde like an other Lucifer that the protestants them selues of Zurich write plainely that now no more the holy ghost but the spirit of pride and presumptuousnes speaketh in M. Luther Illiricus also and his companions crake they not likewise of their vertu and great lerning especially Illiricus how boasteth he that he was perfitly sene in Aristotle and had writen maruailouse much vppon him But what doth holy scripture speake to these proude boasters S. Peter saieth God resisteth the proude and geueth grace to the make and humble And the prophet saieth of god Thou arte he which poorest out the fountaines in the lowe vallies not in the toppes of hilles Againe in an other place Euery vallie shall be exalted and euery highe hill shall be plucked downe It is therefore a great vanitie of them to iudge and pronounce so proudely of thē selues seing that the Apostle of such men saieth Saying them selues to be wise they haue proued fooles and their foolish hart hath ben darkned But nowe touching the integrite of life and vertuous behauiour of the Lutherans I would be lothe to reporte thereof my selfe Surely I see Luther to doute very much thereof For in his great postill vppon the ghospell of the first Sonday in Aduent he crieth out and complaineth That by his ghospell men were become farre worse then they were before vnder the Pope For wickednes and vice had so farre growen in his ghospellers that they semed allmost become deuills And truly this is a sure token of false prophets For Of thornes who gathered grapes or of brambles who gathered figges at any time For looke what the tre is such is the frute such master such scholer such doctrine such liuing Now where as they againe obiect vnto vs the euill and disordinat life of the prelats of the church and of the clergy as that they be gloutons dronckards ambitious horehunters and so forthe I will not here presently defend them that are such It is surely much to be lamented that the life and behauiour off the reuerēt priesthood awnswereth not to their godly and highe profession but is very scandalouse to the worlde euen in such places as the church is by heretikes corrupted and persecuted Notwithstanding I doubt not although in many of the clergy it be founde true that the Lutherans saye of thē touching euil life yet there are a great numbre of vertuous and lerned bishops and priestes of deuowte and perfit religious men such as amonge the Lutherans were harde to find But it were better in this case and more semely for Christen charite that eche part looked in his owne wallet and first Tooke out the beame of their owne eyes for so shall they see better to take out the mote off their neighbours eie And herein whatsoeuer the iudgement of man saie God knoweth who are his and who are in dede vertuous or contrary Wherefore our faith and belefe must not be pinned to the life of the clergie or preachers For by this reason we are not sure of the due administration of any Sacrament neither can we truste any preacher of the worde of God seing that we are not able to iudge whether the priest or the preacher be a mā of vpright life or otherwise But our Sauiour Iesus Christ to take awaie this doubt and to assure vnto vs the verite of his Sacraments duly administred by the clergy thereunto chosen and the preaching of his holy worde by their mouthe he hath left vnto vs a sure and certain rule to knowe the false preachers and prophets from the true and to discerne the doctrine from the person that teacheth And this rule hathe thre parts The firste is when the doctrine is good in it selfe but the life of the teacher is euill and fauty The secōd whē the life of the teacher is good and vertuous but his doctrine false and vitious The thirde is to knowe howe the doctrine may be tried by the life off the teacher and howe the life of the teacher may be tried by his doctrine As for the first part Christ geueth vs a very good lesson what to do whē the doctrine is good and the life is naught saying The scribes and pharises sitt in the Chaire of Moises What soeuer they shal saie vnto you kepe it and do it But do not according to their doings By the which wordes of our Lorde we see that the lerner ought not so much to regard the life of the teacher as the doctrine For it may be that his doctrine be sownde and good wose life is euill For although that as well in the former ages as now a daies we finde many of right good lerning whiche haue preached and taught the worde of God sincerly yet some of such liue not accordingly Neither is there at this daie any point wherein the people more grudgeth against the clergy then that many of thē leade their life cleane cōtrary and repugnant to their owne Canons and constitutions For many of them can tell a trim tale in the pulpit exhorte the people very demeurely to a sobre and perfit life but will not ones moue a foote to liue well them selues And now alas it is to true that our lorde sayeth by the prophet of his church I haue longe looked that my vineyarde shuld haue brought forth grapes but lo it hath brought forthe brambles and a litle after Wo be vnto you which rise vp early to folow dronknes and to drinke vntell the euening that they be set on fire with wine In your companies are harpes and lutes tabrets and pipes but ye regard not the worke of the lorde Can this be denied it is alas to true But what then is this their liuing accompted vertuous is this Catholike No Catholike nor Christen man wil saie so The doctrine of our religion vtterly forbiddeth these thinges and the Catholike church condemneth them Neither cā al this preiudicat in any point to the doctrine of the Catholike church For as our Sauiour saied Do all that they shall saie vnto you but do not as they do and againe First cast out the beame of thy owne eye and then thou shalt see to cast out the mote of thy brothers eye And in an other place Who so euer of you be without sinne let him cast the first stone against her Agayne We must carye one an other his burden that we may be all saued We must not rashely iudge other least we be iudged to The second part now is cleane contrary to this as when men of good and sobre behauiour preache false and hereticall doctrine of these our Sauiour geueth vs warning in these wordes Take ye hede of false prophets which come vnto you in shepes
God but by his propre will and operation yea and whensoeuer men labour to do well that then they sinne deadly Of this tre haue growen all mischef fornication aduoutrie ryot dronknes extorsions robberies rebellion periuries deceites lies all contempt of honesty and vertu procliuite to all vice beside blasphemies of Gods holy name backbiting slaundering reproches iniuries and all kinde of wickednes frely and without grudge of coÌ„science practised Be not these noble and faire frutes of Luthers ghospell May not well the rule of Christ here take place By their frutes ye shall knowe them For looke what the tre is such is the frute and looke what the frute is such is thetre Although therefore we can not denie but amonge vs Catholikes much enormite is and much euill life yet no man can saie that we teache and allow these vices or that our doctrine is the cause off oure naughty liuing no man I saye can charge the Catholike doctrine to prescribe any thing against holy scripture against ciuill policie or publike magistrates as the newe forged ghospell of Luther doth Exacting therefore the Lutherans vnto this rule of Christ we worthely iudge them of their frutes to be false prophets and daungerous deceiuers The like they caÌ„ not do of vs for that the euill frutes that are in vs procede of oure selues not of our doctrine of swaruing from the precepts and godly constitutions off our faith not of obseruing them But the Lutherans naughty life procedeth euen of their doctrine as we haue in some certain pointes for example before declared Yet as touching the life of spirituall teachers and rulers god hath prescribed to the laitie and common people a perfit and absolute rule to discerne true doctrine from the false saying The scribes and Pharises sit in the Chaire of Moyses Do as they commaunde you to do not as they do theÌ„ selues in the which saying of Christ euery Christen man that regardeth his soule helth ought diligently waie two pointes First to know which is the lawfull chaire of Moyses and which is not then how the laye and common sort of people ought to beare them selues towardes the euill life of the clergy Let vs then first speake of the first point Sithen the time that these newe doctrines of Luther hath ben putin the peoples heads and so many diuers and contrary opinions hathe ben taught that the simple and vnlerned know not all most which waie to turne them selues many are brouht to that point that they reiect all religion at ones and think oure Christen faith to be but prety policies of mens inuention or rather olde wyues tales to feare childreÌ„ and with this imagination are become worldly Epicures terming their felicite in present pleasure as a great number do nowe in Germany Whereof truly we haue great cause to feare vnles these cursed heresies be spedely extinguished that almightie God of his dreadfull iustice will sturre vp the Turke or some cruell tiraÌ„ to rippe vp the belies of these fleshely swine and gredy gloutons destroying also with the wicked whiche God of his tender mercie forbid the good and vertuous But to thentent that all good and vertuous people may beware of such infidelite and wiâ—ked cogitations despering vtterly of all religion S. Paule hathe forewarned his scholer Timothe and in him vs all writing All scripture inspired froÌ„ God is profitable to teach to improue to amend and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be perfit and prepared vnto all good workes These are not mens imaginations but the very wordes of God pronounced by the holy ghoste in the mouthe of the Apostle And this is an expres commaundement of God that we beleue vndoubtedly in holy scripture that we seke our saluation therein walking and continuing vprightly in the pathes of that holy write not swaruing either on the right hande either on the left But that we maye so do it behoueth vs not only to reade the bare and literall text of holy scripture but to enquire also for the true and right vnderstanding of the same For the letter killeth but the Spirit geueth life Wherefore our Lorde speaking to the Iewes saieth Searche the scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life But it is one thinge to reade another to serche They are therefore much deceaued which crie now a daies that nothing must be receiued but holy scripture that all other interpretations being but the imaginations of man are not to be beleued If the protestants speake herein as they thinke I woÌ„der why the Lutherans and the Zuinglians haue writen so many and so large interpretations vpon the olde and newe testament and caused them to be printed abrode yea why make they suche continuall sermons to the people wherein they recite not allwaies expresse scripture but talke much beside the text adding their interpretations and expositions vnto it commaunding also and charging the people to take those their interpretations for the very worde of God And is not this a maruailous impudent and proude presumption of these protestant preachers When we on our part alleage the expositions of the holy fathers vpon holy scripture they as if it were in a rage crie out incontinently The holy fathers were but men the church hath erred in many pointes the expositions of those fathers are but their imaginations and deuises not the worde off God And therefore we nede not geue any credit vnto them But when they them selues preache vnto the people the commauÌ„de and persuade the people that if they tender their soule health they must vndoubtedly beleue that which is there preached vnto them and the interpretation of holy scripture which they bring is the pure and sincere worde of God the ghospell it selfe Is not this as I saied a a maruailous impudent and proude presumption of these protestant preachers Is it not an horrible arrogancie to terme their owne fantasies holy scripture their imaginations the ghospell the meaning and sens of their owne inuention the very worde off God condemning withall and reiecting the vniforme true and receaued interpretations of all olde holy fathers and writers approued hitherto in the Church of Christ by whom the same church hath ben from time to time gouuerned directed and instructed in all truthe sens the time of the Apostles this thowsand fiue hundred yeares and more vnder whose doctrine and godly instructions so many blessed martirs holy confessours and infinit thousands of other Christen soules haue attained to euerlasting life Whereas contrary wise by the expositions and interpretations of these newe preachers horrible schismes diuers and hainous heresies dissolute and licentious liuing strifes contentions and rebellions haue spronge vp and all most ouergrowen the garden off Christes church well planted before and tended by the holy fathers rulers thereof what can be more impudently and arrogantly presumed Yet these newe preachers to wrappe and entrappe the people more and
time which is in the night Christ was borne takē beatē mocked and scorned At the prime which is in the morning he was presented to Pilate and falsely accused At the same time he appeared after his resurrectiō vnto Mary Maudelen At the third howre he was whipped crowned with thornes mocked cōdēned and bearing his crosse was lead to the place where he should be crucified At the same time also the holy ghost was geuē to the Apostles At the vj. howre he was crucified geuen to drinke with gall and vineger and reputed amonge theues At the ninth howre he rendred vp his Spirit in to the handes of the Father At Euensong he was takē downe from the Crosse at last in the Complin time he was anoynted and buried This laudable godly and deuoute custome of daily setting forthe the passion of Christ by seuen distincted howres of praier the Apostles and their successours haue allwaies from time to time reuerently obserued But Luther to the greate reproche of Christes church and inestimable dōmage of Christen soules hath in many places vtterly extinguished and abolished it placing for it the olde cursed heresie of Vigilantius Which his purpose lest it should in any point be staied such expresse scripture as declareth this maner of praier he thought good by his false translation to depraue In the actes of the Apostles according to the graeke and latin text thus we reade Peter and Ihon went vp in to the temple at the ninth howre of praier In all languages these wordes at the ninth howre of praier be so translated that they signifie some certain determinat and appointed time of praier which Luther being desirous to abolise interpreteth that place thus Petrus vnd Johannes gieugen hmauff in den Tempel vmb die neund stund zu veten that is Peter and Ihon wente vp in to the temple about nyne of the clocke to praie as though that the Apostles had by chaunce and not of a set and prefixed order praied at nine of the clocke And as though it were all one to reade in scripture the howre of praier or in some howre to praie But if a man list to see what greate desolation and confusion hath ensued of so litle an alteration of the text in churches and other place of godly foūdatiō let him remēbre with him self the nūber of religious houses Monasteries Nunneries Chappels Hospitals Almes houses yea and cathedral churches where God hath in times past ben honoured and serued at distinct and sundry times for the continuall remembraunce of his blessed passion bothe daie and night and nowe no seruice there at all but are become either prophane dwelling places or schismaticall conuenticles And all this vnder pretence of abuses which though they had crepte in and blemished that most godly institution and order of Christes church the abuse should haue ben corrected the good vse should haue remained In the same chapter of the Actes of the Apostles S. Peter when he had healed the same man he spake thus vnto the people Ye men of Israel why maruaile you at this or why looke ye so on vs as though by our owne power or vertu we had made this man goe that which the Latin text hathe pietatem the Greke hathe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is well translated vertu or godlynes Luther hath translated it merit as though the Apostles had denied merit But there is great difference betwene vertu or godlynes and merit or desert Yet Luther to take away all loue of vertu and good workes laboured all that he could to persuade men That good workes haue no merit dejert or rewarde before God and that they procure nothing but goddes wrath Wherefore all merites seming to Luther vaine and superfluous for the maintenaunce of this his heresie scripture must be corrupted seing directly it would not serue him In like maner behaued he him selfe in the Sacrament of holy Orders to the entent he might take awaie all priesthood out of the church and set in their places rennagat prentices and vnthrifty seruaunts such as had spent their owne and robbed their masters to gouuerne the newe church by him erected For this his purpose scripture must be wrethed and peruerted lest the holy ghospeller might perhaps seme to saie somewhat without scripture Therefore whereas S. Pause admonisheth his disciple Timothe whom he had then ordained bishop of Ephesus to vse well those giftes and graces of God as had ben geuen him with laying on of the handes of the priest hood that is in taking his holy Orders vising to him these wordes Despise not the gift which is in the which was geuen the thourough prophesy with the laieng on of hādes by the authorite of priesthood for the worde priesthood Luther hath translated Der altisten that is of the elders Persuading thereby the people that holy orders is no Sacrament and that it is not necessary that those which must minister the Sacraments preache and gouuerne churches be ordained of bisshops which haue the authorite of priesthood but that it suffiseth to be called to the ministery by the elders of the people as of the mayre the shrifes and other temporal rulers Whereof we see it hath happened that in Cites townes and Villages where the Lutherā ghospel taketh place showe makers and sadlers poticaries and pedlers taylers and tinkards butlers aud bakers and such other rif raf neuer admitted to holy orders men of no lerning nor sobriete take vpō them the holy office of priesthood preache their pleasure to the people to the vtter destruction of many a soule and ministre the Sacraments without authorite thereunto But Luther and Melanchthon perceauing at the last this cōfusion proceding by reason of this false interpretation to growe on so farre that euery light and seditious knaue as for example Thomas Muntzer in Turinge Bernard Rotman in Westphalia Matthias Illyricus in Saxony and diuers other in other places toke vppon them not being called nor ordained nor admitted by the masters of Wittenberg to preache and gouuerne the people sowing newe heresies and sondry schismes in the congregation sodenly they chaunged their tune For Luther to refraine a litle his euill translation that it may serue for the Sacrament of order in his last edition of the Bible vppon the worde Altisten of the elders he made this glose in the margin That is of the priestes or of the priesthood Melanchthon for the like consideration though at the first he counted all the Sacraments to be but the inuention of man and forged deceites yet in his booke of common places he reakeneth holy Order amonge the Sacraments charging expresly that it should be taken and vsed for a holy Sacrament But this recantation of Luther and Melanchthon neither serued then to any purpose nor is nowe off any force For the brethern stande stoute◠in that which Luther and Melanchthon taught first that holy order and priesthood was no sacrament at all
flesh and bloud off Christ yet he meaneth nothing so But why did he thus dally and delude the world a man maye demaunde Forsothe as I suppose euen for this cause Caluin being lerned and knowing the truthe wel if he had listed to vtter it perceaued right wel by the expresse wordes of scripture in sundry places that Christ of his passing mercy and goodnes woulde be ioyned to man not onely Spiritually and by grace but euē really and truly by the participation of his body and bloud Caluin knewe all this and acknowledged it as you haue heard in his wordes before for expresse scripture moued him thereunto Notwithstanding being vndoubtedly malitious and selfe willed and in dede a very heretike desirous to plāte a newe doctrine to bringe the churche in cōtēpt pricked with malice against the clergy which in his workes he vttereth many times though he graunted that man receaued whole Christ bothe in body and Spirit as he writeth in the 18. chapter of his Institutions yet he would not graunt the reall presence off Christ his body which the church teacheth and all holy fathers haue acknowledged as a most necessary consequent to the reall receauing but as you see imagineth a communion of Christ his fleshe to be deriued vnto vs by the Spirit off Christ as by a pipe Bicause therefore truthe and falshood can not possibly agree he falleth often in to open contradictions sayeng one thinge as truthe and conscience taught him and then saieng an other thinge as pride malice ▪ and enuy moued him the walking mates of heresy Hereof rise the sundry and manifold contradictions in his writings not onely aboute this most holy mistery but in the doctrine off baptim and of fre will especially as we shall in parte note hereafter vnto you And truly it hath so pleased God to confounde the counsell of these Achitophels rebelling againste their Liege Souerain the churche of God that not onely one against the other teacheth most contrary but also eche one with him selfe disagreeth And this mercifull prouidēce of God hathe ben allwayes a souerain meanes for the vtter cōfusiō of heretikes Let vs returne to the wordes of Caluin aboue alleaged and see why Caluin graunting first a reall and true receauing of Christ his body and bloud afterwarde denieth the reall presence thereof whiche is to denie that he saied before He saieth that Scripture speaking of oure partaking with Christ referreth the whole power thereof vnto the Spirit for S. Paule saieth he writing to the Romanes in the eight chapter teacheth that Christ dwelleth in vs no otherwise then by his Spirit Marke here well good Readers and see the truthe off Caluin S. Paule saieth in that eight chapter that the Spirit of god dwelleth in vs and againe that the Spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from deathe dwelleth in vs and that he whiche raised vp Christ from deathe shall quicken oure mortall bodies bicause of his Spirit that dwelleth in vs. In all these wordes S. Paule teacheth the Spirit off god god him selfe to dwell in vs to quicken oure mortall bodies that they die no more in sinne but liue to god Other thē this S. Paule in all that chapter speaketh not touching the dwelling of the Spirit of god in vs. Reade the chapter and see Nowe is this to saie that Christ dwelleth in vs no otherwise then by his Spirit Marke the saieng of S. Paule and the consequence of Caluin S. Paule saieth the Spirit off god dwelleth in vs. and Caluin saieth Christ dwelleth in vs no otherwise then by his Spirit is this a good consequence The spirit of god dwelleth in vs. Ergo he dwelleth in vs no otherwise then by his Spirit Euē as good as this VVe are iustified by faith ergo by only faith These wordes no otherwise then are the wordes of Caluin fathered vpon S. Paule not the wordes of S. Paule they are the limitation of a prowde heretike set vpon holy scripture not the wordes off holy scripture He folowed herein his father Luther who translating the wordes of S. Paule per legem cognitio peccati By the lawe cometh the knowledge of sinne turneth it thus By the lawe cometh naught els but knowledge of sinne which texte to what purpose he so peruerted you haue sene in the seconde parte of this Apologye But what will some scholer of Caluin saie though S. Paule saie not expressly so yet perhaps he meane so seing that no scripture beside expresseth any other dwelling of Christ in vs thē by his Spirit I awnswer All were it true that scripture expressed no other dwelling of Christ in vs then by his Spirit yet were it not true that S. Paule saied so in that chapter as Caluin saieth he doeth But the Scripture saieth plaine that we are ioyned to Christe not onely in Spirit but also in body heard you not before that S. Paule sayed that we are membres of Christ his body bones of his bones and fleshe of his fleshe And dothe not Caluin saie that this can not be perfourmed onles whole Christ bothe in Spirit and in body cleaue vnto vs they are his wordes before alleaged oute of his Institutions in the. 18 chapter And dothe not Caluin here ones againe write a plaine contradiction he tolde vs euen nowe that Christ dwelleth in vs no otherwise then by his Spirit and that S. Paule taught so Nowe he telleth vs that whole Christ must cleaue vnto vs bothe in Spirit and body and that bicause S. Paule teacheth so sayeng that we are membres of Christ his body bones of his bones and fleshe of his fleshe Lo you see him in cōtrary tales nowe truste his euidence who liste Thanked be god Caluin hath turned the weapon vpon him selfe minding to strike the churche of Christe Againe Caluin disputing against the Catholikes that the euill men receaue not Christ in the Sacrament maketh his argument of the body of Christ whiche if euill men receaued seing they receaue no life but damnation they shoulde saieth Caluin receaue a dead body and the body of Christ without the Spirit of Christe If this reason of Caluin be good thē the good and worthy receauer muste nedes receaue the body of Christ not onely the Spirit of Christ he muste nedes haue Christ dwelling in him bodely not onely Spiritually as he saied before His wordes are these in his commentaries vppon S. Paule to the Corinthians Ego hoc axioma teneo neque mihi vnquam excuti patiar Christum non posse a Spiritu suo diuelli vnde constituo non recipi mortuum eius corpus neque etiam eum otiosum aut disiunctum a Spiritus sui gratia virtute that is I holde this principle and will neuer be brought from it that Christ can not be diuided from his Spirit wherefore I determin that his dead body can not be receaued nor he also vnfrutefull seuered from the grace or vertu off his Spirit Here Caluin
the Iewes were as verely and as truly baptised in the clowde vnder Moyses whiche Caluin most impudently affirmeth as we are in the fonte vnder Christ and his minister why were they baptised againe of S. Ihon or of the Apostles when they came to the faithe of Christ What a numbre of baptims dothe Caluin teache vs beside the one onely baptim of Christ whiche the Catholike church hathe lerned in holy scripture Circuncision the clowde the sea the baptim of S. Ihon and al these the very same and of the selfe same effect and force as the baptim of Christ. Is not Caluin trowe ye a ioyly Anabaptiste Nay dothe he not farre passe the Anabaptistes They go aboute to repete one twise Caluin maketh vs fyue for one off the which euery Christned Iewe by his doctrine hathe foure and euery vnchristened Iewe hathe three I woulde nowe passe from his heresies to his contradictions But I muste nedes put you in minde off one ioyly tricke of Caluin which he practised in the planting of this heresy In his commentaries vpon S Paule where he teacheth this doctrine after longe labour and strife seing he coulde bringe forthe no true childe but that it proued to a mōster and ougle vnnatural thinge and perceauing one foule faute in it which he thought most of all those of his generatiō would abhorre he goeth aboute to cloke it and colour it as wel as he maie The greate faute that he espied him selfe in this doctrine is that it had no expresse scripture for it You shall heare him finde the faute and see howe he will remedy it These be his wordes Sed rursum obijcitur nullum de his verbum extare I d ego fateor sed neque dubium hoc est quin Deus spiritu suo defectum externae praedicationis suppleuerit that is But they will obiecte againe That there is no worde extant hereof That do I confesse but it is not to be doubted but that God by his Spirit hath supplied the lacke of external preaching Lo Caluin nowe is glad to runne to the refuge of the holy ghoste for his doctrine whē scripture faileth him But when the Catholike churche directed allwaies and assisted by the holy ghoste teacheth vs any thinge that is not expressed in holy scripture Caluin can not abide it Hereupon in his Institutiōs he raileth at the adoratiō of Christ in the blessed sacrament bicause in holy scripture saieth he Nulla eius mentio ostendi potest quae tamen non fuisset pretermissa si deo accepta foret that is No mentiō there of cā be showed which notwithstāding had not bē omitted if it had liked god And in the matter of reseruatiō though he graūt that the primitiue church vsed it yet bicause it is not expressed in scripture he wil none of it Thus whē it pleaseth Caluin scripture is requisit and whē it pleaseth him not scripture may be lacked and the spirit of god maie supplie it In like maner though he crie vpō scripture alwaies and as we noted you before oute of his Institutitiōs wil not allow the church no farder thē she bringeth expresse scripture for her yet not only in this place he teacheth beside scripture and cōfesseth it to but also in many other places In the matter of the blessed sacrament of the aultar you haue sene in howe many and sundry pointes his doctrine repugneth to holy scripture while he laboureth to persuade men that to be but bread and wine which oure Sauiour pronounced to be his body and bloud It cometh nowe to my minde howe impudenly he shifteth awaie the authorite of expresse scripture where with he sawe him selfe pressed You shall heare his wordes In his Institutions the 18. chapter thus he writeth Vtcunque verborū Christi tangi se religione quiritentur quo minus figuraté intelligere ausint que sunt tam aperté dicta non est tamen hic satis iustus praetextus cur omnes quae contra obijciuntnr rationes ita respuāt that is Howesoeuer they crie and cōplaine that for the reuerence of Christ his wordes they dare not take it for a figure which was so plainly spoken yet this is no sufficient pretēce why they shuld refuse al such reasons as we bringe against thē This he writeth against the Lutherās which will not go frō the real presence of Christ in the Sacramēt And see we not here the vncredible arrogancy of this proude heretike Doth he not showe him felfe to be a very Antichriste For what can Antichriste require more off men then to haue the expresse wordes of Christ yelde to suche reasons as he will obiect against And dothe not Caluin require the very same Doth he not bidd the Lutherans beleue his reasons against the expresse wordes of Christ And where as the Lutheran alleageth that bicause the wordes of Christ are plaine saieng This is my body he can not be brought to make it a figure as Caluin dothe what other shifte hathe Caluin then to saie that this is no sufficient pretence why they shoulde refuse his reasons for the contrary Which is as much to saie Though Christ speake plainely yet you must harken also what we can saie against it and ye must geue eare to suche reasons as we can laie against him and then folowe my reasō what soeuer Christe or the ghospel telleth you Nowe what cā Antichriste require more Verely as S. Iohn saied of the heretikes of his time Antichristi multi sunt there are many Antichristes so may we most truly say of our time there are many Antichristes but none a more righter Antichrist thē this heretike Calui You haue sene good readers what heresies and howe diuers Caluin hathe partely renewed partly forged of his owne in his doctrine aboute these two Sacraments which onely he acknowleadgeth and taketh for Sacraments If we woulde vse the like diligence in other points of his doctrine we coulde be longe and should be I feare tedious And truly it were to be wished that neither the heresies of this man neither any heresie at all were knowen to the common and vnlerned people But bicause this suttle heretike hathe so wined him selfe in to mens hartes that he hathe trained them not onely from the Catholike churche of Christ but also from the Lutherās and Melanchthonistes which before bore all the swaie of this new gospell I thought good to discouer his heresies and other abominable doctrine aboute these two Sacraments as two of the waightiest articles nowe in controuersy and most of all other touching oure saluation to the entent that not onely the Catholikes and suche as god of his goodnes hathe hetherto staied in the faithe of the churche may as they do vtterly abhorre his doctrine neither yelde by the wickednes of the time to any one point thereof but also oure dere deceiued countremen that so gladly reade his workes and so gredely deuoure his diue lish doctrine maye lerne of
laste confession writen against the Sacramentaries saieth that faith is like to a bell which as longe as it is whole kepeth his true sounde but when it is anything crased or cleft it iarreth and leseth cleane his proper tune like as an ear then vessel as longe as it is whole and sounde is called a pot a crocke or some like thing but ones broken or cleft it leseth his name and is called a potsheard Let no man therefore comforte him selfe with this vaine hope that although their preachers and ministres erre in some pointes yet are good Christians in other pointes for that auaileth nothing You must be saued within the arke of Noe or be drowned with out it There is herein no middle waye Therefore you must take very good hede that you be not deceaued lest that while wantōly and negligently you harken to euery newe doctrine and forged interpretation of scripture that one or two newe preachers teache you lese youre soules in good earnest Remembre rather what the prophet saieth Euery man is a lyar He meaneth not al men together For I for my part and you for youre part and euery man a part may lie erre and be deceaued But all good men together that is the whole Catholike churche of Christ can not erre in any article of faith For it is builded vpon the rocke of truthe and vpon that consideration is called the piller and grounde of al truthe Therefore when the simple and vnlerned man heareth sundry and cōtrary expositions of holy Scripture let him haue recours to his faith and fully determinat with him selfe for that he is not lerned in holy scripture not to take any other waie or folow any other guide then the article of his Crede I beleue the holy Catholike church persuading him selfe vndoubtedly that to be the only true interpretation of scripture which is Catholike That is which together with the writen text hath by the Apostles and their successours ben spred trough the whole worlde and continued vniforme and vncorrupted euen to our time And this only rule may serue as a buckler for the vnlerned mā that as ofte as newe preachers set a broche any newe doctrine and straunge then to thinke this with him selfe I am a man vnlerned I can not perceiue the drift of their disputing I can not iudge of their cōtrouersie But seing that my Crede teacheth me to beleue nothing but that which is Catholike and hath allwaies ben kept and receaued in Christēdom what shall I do to knowe whether these newe preachers doctrine be Catholike or no Here this vnlerned man must remembre the counsell of Moyses saying Aske of the daies that are past which were before the sence the daie that God created man vpon the earthe and aske frō one side of the heauē vnto the other and in an other place Remēbre the daies of the worlde that is past Consider the yeares from time to time aske thy father and he will showe the thy elders and they well tell the. For this is the true guide of a blinde man and ignorant to aske and enquire what his forefathers what his neighbours what the townes and countres about haue allwaies obserued and beleued sence the time they were first traded in Christen religion and haue so many yeares continued in This is the faith of that cooliar which being at point of deathe and tempted of the deuill what his faith was awnswered I beleue and die in the faith of Christes church Being againe demaunded what the faith of Christ his church was that faith saied he that I beleue in Thus the deuil getting no other awnswer of the simple man was ouercomed and put to flight By this faith of the cooliar euery vnlerned man may trie the spirits of men whether they be of god or no by this faith he may resist the deuill iudge the true interpretation of scripture from the false and discerne the Catholike preacher from the hereticall Minister the true doctrine from the forged But to set this whole matter before your eies as it were in a glasse take this example Suppose there came to some greate cyte fiue different and contrary preachers as by name Caluin a Zwinglian Longinusa Swencfeldiā Functius an Osiandrin Illyricus a Lutherā and some Catholike doctour suppose the magistrates of the cite graunted these fiue euery one to preache and defend openly his owne priuat doctrine what shal the vnlerned laie mā do here that he folowe not a blind guide and so fall bothe in to the dike surely as we haue saied before so must he do he shall aske first of Master Caluin whether his doctrine be the pure and very worde of god when he writeth that in the Supper of the Lorde not the true body of Christ but only the figure of his body is there and is geuē Againe that originall sinne is but a naturall infirmitie of the minde not giltie of eternall dānation Or els that God is the cause of the sinne of man that god compelleth and forceth men to wickednes blasphemies horedome theft lyeng deceites and such other Here of Caluin awnswer that al this is the pure and cleare worde of god let him aske him againe in what place of the Bible he readeth expresly these wordes In the Supper is not the true body of Christ but the figure only Originall sinne is but an infirmitie not giltie of eternall damnation laste of all that men are constrained of God to sinne To this Caluin will surely awnswer that although this his doctrine be not founde in scripture expresly in these wordes or termes yet that this sentence and meaning is there Marke here then that the doctrine of Caluin is not the expresse worde of God but the meaning and interpretation of it And this lo is their first deceite Let the laye man go yet farder with Caluin and aske whether this his interpretation be Catholike whether that Christen religion began with this doctrine in Germany Fraunce Italy England or any other where whether this his doctrine was preached of the Apostles and their successours receaued and vsed in the Catholike churche and deriued from our forefathers to vs through out al these countres For I maye the laye man saie haue asked here of my elders which denie they euer heard any such thing I haue enquired of the cytes and countres here about they knowe it not but saie it is newe and very straunge vnto them And here Caluin can not denie but that it is so and our men are not ashamed to sai◠that these thousand yeares all truthe hath ben loste therefore the vnlerned man may here boldly saye vnto him Well Sir if it be so fare you well I entend not to medle with you nor your doctrine any more So Athanasius writeth to Epictetus the bisshop that it is inough to awnswere an heretike after this sort The Catholike Church neuer taught this the
daily more and more vnlesse God of his mercie stretch forthe his helping hande Howbeit whatsoeuer befall of me I am ready to lese body and life honour and goods for the furderaunce of the auncient Catholike religion And I wish to my dere countre of Germanie that minde also For sure I am whosoeuer is no Catholike he must nedes be an heretike Seing therefore that holy write aduertiseth vs to flie from heresies euen as from present poison I be seche all good men to marke wel this example which I knowe to be true and wil here recite to showe what it is to be ones fallen in to heresie A certain young man of my acquayntaunce very well lerned and sometime preacher in Misnia being according to the doctrine of Melanchthon and Maior an Adiaphoriste that is of that secte of Lutherans which take good workes and constitutions of the church to be thinges indifferent c. departed in to Saxony vppon hope of some ecclesiastical liuing there Being then demaunded of what religion he was he awnswered that he was of the opinion of Philip Melanchthon and Georgius Maior Then saieth vnto him the Illyrican Superintendent it semeth thou arte an apostat heretike And withall asked him whether he thought good workes to be pernicious vnto saluation Whereunto this poore preacher awnswering he beleued that they helped rather then hindered saluation the Superintendent strait saith vnto him Seing you are an heretike of the ghospell you maye not abide in this cite nor countre and therefore get you hence With this awnswer he departed and went in to Prussia where meting with an Osiandr in Superintendent and desiring some ecclesiasticall seruice he was demaunded whether he beleued That man ought to be made iuste by the essentiall iustice of God and whether he iudged those for heretikes which thought or taught the contrary Whereunto awnswering that he could not so thinke seing that Melanchthō and Illyricus interpreted the scripture otherwise incontinently he was thrust backe like an heretike and commaunded to depart out of all the dominions of that countre After this he came in to Pole and meting with certain Caluinistes being of thē examined and founde that he agreed not with the Zuinglians he was repelled also of them for an heretike Seing then he could not spede there passing on furder by the waye he came to the Picardi hoping that he might be receaued in to their secte But when he refused to abiure all other sectes and religions and beleue onely them he was faine to departe thence also After which he came to a Noble man of Silesia requiring seruice of whom being required howe he liked the doctrine of Swenck feldius whether he beleued That the externall ministerie or preaching was but superfluous and that the internall worde or rather the power and operacion off the worde being preached were the Son of God him selfe he awnswered that this doctrine semed vnto him an olde heresie confuted thouroughly of Illyricus Melanchthō Caluin and diuers other writers Which awnswer nothing pleasing that Noble mā our poore Minister was forced to get him packing Seing therefore that he loste his labour and spent his time in vaine he stroke ouer to Morauia where the Anabaptistes beare rule Not that he minded to tary and abide with them but to trie and knowe their religion But they craftely preuēting him asking him first of what religion he was though he went about the bush with them thinking to coulour the matter yet they perceauing that he liked not their rebaptising he was also chased from thence as an heretike At the last after longe and wery trauail and trouble this poore Minister came vnto Vienna where he happened vpon a Catholike lerned man vnto whom he declared his trauaill aduersites and diuersites off heresies that he chaunced vpon beseching him for the loue of God to helpe him and instruct him howe he might attaine to some sure and certaine doctrine and interpretatiō off holy scripture Then was it tolde him that he should folowe such doctrine and embrace such interpretation of Gods worde as was Catholike and vniuersally receiued in all places and at al times casting awaie all priuat opinions and propre interpretations of this secte or that secte For it was impossible that any priuat secte could admit the Catholike exposition of scripture whiche is commō to all or that the sectes could euer agree among them selues eche one setting forthe his owne opinion and condemning all the rest As it is writen in the prophet Ezechiel Wo be vnto these foolish prophetes which folowe their owne sprit and see nothing Therefore if he would be a Christen man and in all places be taken for such he should embrace and folowe the Catholike vnderstanding of scripture such as in Catholike doctours and writers we find From the which Catholike and vniforme expositiō of scripture although many in diuers countres haue failed and departed yet before our time it was in all places without contradictiō or gainesaieng receiued and beleued and many thousands of soules haue in that belefe ben saued Beside that there are also yet diuers Christen Countres and kingdomes diuers natiōs and people which acknowledg no other doctrine or interpreation of holy scripture then the Catholike and olde accustomed which they haue receaued of the Apostles and their first founders of religion Wherein if any doubt nowe a daies ariseth or any cōtrary interpretation be brought it is most expedient to seke of the first and most auncient teachers of Christen religion the truthe thereof For so Scripture willeth vs to do and all auncient and approued doctours as in S. Irenee a writer very nie vnto the Apostles you may see whose wordes are these These thinges then being so euident we ought not to seke the truthe at other mens handes which we maye easely haue of the Church For the Apostles left vnto the church and layde vp in her as in a riche aumerie all truthe that whosoeuer listeth may drawe of her the drinke of life For the Church is the gate of life all other are theues therefore we must auoide them but loue all that the Church teacheth vs and embrace the traditiō of truthe For what if there were but a small matter called in controuersie ought we not to haue recourse to the most aūciēt Churches in the which the Apostles haue liued and enquire of them the truthe and certainte of our doubt And what if the Apostles had not left vnto vs scripture at all ought we not to haue folowed the order of tradition which they deliuered vntothē whom they left to gouuerne the Churche after them the which order many nations of Barbarous people such as beleue in Christ do folowe hauing their saluation without paper and ynke by the holy ghoste writen in their harte and keping diligently their olde traditions Thus farre S. Irenee With this good lesson and information the Lutheran Minister being somewhat amended afterward in shorte time
dissension For truthe is allwaies vniforme and agreable with it selfe And as the philosopher saieth of vertu so in truthe there is but one waie to hitt the marke a man may shoote aside diuers waies Wherefote two contrary sayings maye bothe be false and vntrue but truthe can neuer stand with a contrary Who then teacheth contradiction as he must nedes teach some falshood so possibly he may teach al false and beside the marke euen as it happeneth with all heretikes that leaue the common highe waie of their forefathers and seke out by pathes of their owne inuentioÌ„s wherein the faster they runne the farder they straye and the harder they finde the right waie againe Secondarely as touching the repugnaunce that is in Caluins doctrine against the expresse worde off God I will also by two maner of waies declare First by a number of his propositions and assertions coÌ„trary to the expresse wordes of Christ and his Apostles next by the auouching of such doctrine as concurreth with olde heresies condemned aboue a thousand yeares past in that state and time off Christ his church as Caluin him selfe doth in sundry places especially vpon the prophets and in his epistle to Sadoletus allowe and reuerence We recited you before diuers olde carren heresies that Luther stirred vp but Caluin beside all those hath nouseled yet a litle farder and digged deper then Luther did For euen as a a bestly sowe coming in to a faire garden sett with diuers swete flowres and pleasaunt herbes if in some corner thereof she espie a donghell or heape of rotten wedes or other filthe cast aside will straite nousell there and tomble her selfe in the filth and carren thereof not medling with the swete floures or pleasaunt herbes so truly these bestly heretikes of our time especially Luther and Caluin liuing in the church of Christ compared in scripture to the garden of the bridegrom wherein are bothe swete herbes of heauenly doctrine and most delectable floures of vertuous liuing lacking not yet her spottes and wrincles of euil life wich she alloweth neuer but tolerateth of necessite and lamenteth hauing also not in her but by her and cast oute of her a nuÌ„ber of olde coÌ„demned heresies they like bestly swine nether embrace the vertuous liuing that she vseth but raiseth at the infirmities whiâ—h she is constrained to suffer nether folow the steps of her heauenly discipline and vpright belefe but getting them to the donghell nouâ—ell them selues in the olde condemned heresies and veÌ„t them abrode to the world But nowe to come to the matter it self let vs considre first the absurde doctrine that he leaueth vs in his writings I entend not to discourse vpon all the pointes of his hereticall doctrine but for a taste off the rest I will examin his assertions about the blessed SacrameÌ„t of the aultar bicause this article doth most nearest touche the glory and maiesty off oure Sauiour being the most precious iewell that he left vnto his church After also we wil note diuers heresies bothe olde and new in his doctrine vpon the sacrament of baptim Last of all a fewe notable contradictions aboute his doctrine of the fre will of man But now to the first point Caluin in his Institutions in his treatise of the Lordes Supper teaching howe by his imagination we receiue Christ in the Sacrament after long dalying as though he would graunte a reall receiuing off Christ his body at the length he concludeth in these wordes Corporis communionem Spiritus sui virtute Christus in nos diffundit that is Christ pooreth downe vpoÌ„ vs the communion of his body by the vertu of his Spirit Which is as much to saie Christ communicateth vnto vs his body by the vertu of his Spirit This is in fewe wordes the communion of Caluin and all the Sacramentarieâ—â— denieng that we eate in dede the body of Christ otherwise then by faith Nowe let vs see what absurdites folowe thereof First no scripture hath this doctrine And how absurde a thing it is to folowe any doctrine without Scripture Caluin him him selfe telleth vs. In his institutions thus he writeth I ought not to seme to any man coÌ„tentious that I staie so earnestly vpon this point that it is not lawfull for the Churche to make any new doctrine that is to teache or deliuer for truthe any more then the Lorde hath reueled by his worde For wise men do see howe great a danger that is if so much authorite were graunted to men They see what a windowe is opened to the mockes and scoffes of wicked men if we sayie that to be taken for truthe among Christians which men shall thinke good Let now then any scholer of Caluin showe in all Scripture where it is writen that Christ by the vertu of his spirit pooreth downe vppon vs the communion off his body For Caluin as he writeth in his Harmony vpon the ghospelles thinketh it an absurde thinge to saie that the flesh of Christ it selfe should be deriued vnto vs. But he sayeth the communion of Christ his flesh is deriued vnto vs which he interpreteth to be a quikening vertu out of Christ his flesh correcting Christe promising vs his very flesh Now as I saied of the deriuation of any such communion of Christes fleshe no Scripture mencioneth But it is a sophisticall suttelty of Caluins imagination not reueled in any place by Gods worde This is lo then one dangerous absurdite by the confession off Caluin him selfe onles perhaps he haue some priuiledge more then the whole Churche hathe For in the Churche he alloweth nothing beside the expresse worde off God Againe let vs consider what is the communion of Christ his body poored downe vpon vs. It is saieth Caluin vis quaedam viuifica ex Christi carne in nos diffusa that is a certain quickening power poored downe vpon vs out of the flesh of Christ. Christ saieth in S. Iohn that his flesh is meat in dede and biddeth vs eate his flesh and drinke his bloud and in the other thre Euangelistes he saieth Eate this is my body but Caluin saieth we eate the bread and haue a certain quickening power out of the fleshe not as in his Harmony he saieth the flesh it self and that we haue a communioÌ„ of his body poored downe vpon vs which is not to eate the body as Christ badde vs. This lo is not only beside scriture but expresly against holy Scripture Thirdly where Christ biddeth vs eate his fleshe saying he that eateth my fleshe abydeth in me he teacheth an action on oure part touching the receiuing of Christ But where Caluin telleth vs that a communioÌ„ of Christ his body is deriued vnto vs he putteth no action on oure part touching the receiuing off Christ but only touching the eating off the bread For we eate not the body of Christ by Caluins doctrine but a coÌ„munion of the same body is deriued vpon vs and poored downe
bloud And after he concludeth thus I saie therefore that in the mistery of the Supper by the signes of bread and wine Christ is geuen vnto vs truly yea his body and bloud to the entēt that first we maie be made one body with him then being made partakeners of his substaunce we maie also receaue the vertu thereof for the enioieng of all his benefits All this he saieth against thē which acknowledging a certain communiō with Christ in this Sacramēt make vs onely partakners of the Spirit of Christe as in his wordes somewhat before he expresseth Woulde a man desire any more Catholike doctrine then this is truly it semeth no. But you shall see within fewe lines he marreth all that he made before For when he cometh to declare after what maner we receaue the body and bloud of Christ for by euidence of scripture he was forced to confesse that we receaue it thē lo he stretcheth him selfe and calleth his wittes aboute him how he may defeat the real presēce of Christes body and bloud He graunteth we do truly and as he writeth vpon S. Paule really receaue the body and bloud of Christe But he will not haue it as the church teacheth really present Howe then shall we really receaue Christ We nede not saieth Caluin imagin any presence of place to receaue Christ by Howe then This benefit saith he Christ geueth vs by his Spirit By ▪ the Spirit of Christ we are coupled and ioyned to Christ. and the Spirit of Christ is as a certaine cundite pipe by the whiche whatsoeuer Christ is and hathe is deriued vnto vs. for if we see the Son shining on the earthe with his beames for the engendring and quickening of thinges geue as thoughe it were his substaunce vnto the earthe why should the Spirit of Christ be inferiour or of lesse force then the shining downe the son for conuaying vnto vs the communion of Christ his fleshe and bloud Wherefore scripture speaking of our partaking with Christe referreth the whole power thereof vnto the spirit One place shal suffise for all For S. Paule writing to the Romanes in the eight chapter teacheth that Christ dwelleth no otherwise in vs then by his Spirit Whereby yet he taketh not a waie the communiō of fleshe and bloud that we nowe speake of but teacheth vs that by the onely spirit we possesse whole Christ and haue him dwelling in vs. These lo hetherto are the wordes of Caluin euen as they lie in his Institutiōs the 18. chapper The effect of his whole tale is this That by the Spirit of Christ onely we receaue the body and bloud of Christ. And is not this cleane repugnant to that he saide before blaming them whiche taught that in this Sacrament we were partakners of Christ in Spirit onely For howe receaue we the body and bloud of Christe by the Spirit of Christ onely but spiritually only The fleshe and bloud of Christ are no spirituall thinges Valentinus and Marcion were condemned for suche doctrine Howe then receaue we thinges of a corporall substaunce not mere spirituall onely by the Spirit This is a mere imagination of Caluin as we haue before declared you No scripture termeth the Spirit of Christ a cundite pipe No scripture telleth vs that the Spirit of Christ cōuaieth vs his fleshe and bloude It is beside scripture and against all reason and therefore not to be admitted by the only warrant of Caluins mouthe We must not leaue the doctrine of the churche though it had no reason to defend it for the bare assertion of Caluin being against all reason For this is against all reason that we should really eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ being not really present though Caluin to sett a gaie colour on the matter attributeth this straunge meanes and order to the operation of the Spirit of Christ God him selfe For as we haue before proued god him selfe worketh no contradiction as it is to receaue that which is not present to be receaued Therefore notwithstanding all the shiftes that Caluin maketh it is no real communion of Christ his body and bloud that he teacheth as he would it should seme to be but a mere spirituall which before he blamed As touching the Son if Caluin speake like a philosopher it is no body mixte and made of the elemēts as the natural flesh and bloud of Christ is but a pure simple and celestial body and so we graunte the substaūce thereof is deriued to the earth by the shining thereof For that substaunce is a lightsom and shining substaunce and differeth no whit from the light and clerenes thereof Now Christ toke very fleshe in all conditiōs like to our flesh except the corruptiō that sinne bringeth This fleshe of Christ is so endued with diuinite that it loseth not his natural substaūce Therefore the substaūce of the Sō and the substaūce of Christ his body are thinges farre differēt Againe if the substaūce of the son quickeneth the earth that substaūce is really present with the earthe By this reason therefore Christ also should be really present with vs feding vs with his substaunce Which we do confesse but Caluin denieth How thē dothe that similitude make for him Truly nothing Farder ▪ The Son by the meanes of his shining saieth Caluin geueth his substaunce to the earthe and so Christ by the meanes of his Spirit geueth vs the communion of his flesh and bloud Marke that Caluin saieth the communion of the fleshe not the fleshe it selfe to be deriued vnto vs. For by the communion of the fleshe of Christ he meaneth as vpon S. Paule h◠writeth Vim ex Christi carne viuificā a certain quickening power oute of Christ his fleshe Nowe this quickening power of Christ his flesh is not the fleshe of Christ it selfe VVhich by Caluins doctrine in his institutions of it felfe is not quickening or geuing life But it is the Spirit onely of Christ which geueth life and quickeneth saieth he Lo then againe you see notwithstanding all his faire wordes before his doctrine is nowe that we haue but a spirituall foode onely in this sacrament conuayed vnto vs by the Spirit as the son by his shininge conuaieth his substaunce vnto the earthe Is not this ones againe a plaine contradiction to that whiche he wrote before blaming those that make vs partakners of Christ in Spirit onely is not his doctrine the very same is not the communion that he imagineth to be conuaied vnto vs a spirituall thing dothe he not call it a certain quickening vertu oute off Christ his fleshe this quickening vertu is it not by the doctrine of Caluin a mere spirituall thinge seing that he teacheth blasphemousely with the olde heretike Nestorius that the flesh of Christ notwithstanding it is Propria Verbi one person with the Son of God is not of it selfe quickening I trust you see nowe euidently that though Caluin write we receaue truly and really the
vvhich is vp and dâ—vvne Suinglians heresie A questioÌ„ of the ghospellers disproued â—y Melanchthon Ioan. 15. Ioan. 14. The vvordes of Staphylus O the impudency of MelaÌ„chthon for these fathers do al teache the contrary * No nor your authorite MclaÌ„chthon * This is a lovvd lie * Is not the doctrine of Melanchthon nevve the felovve raueth Ergo it is nevve Hoc videlicet est Synâ—retisare Melanchthon a dissembling ghospeller Se the x. article of D. Hardinges avvnsvver to Master Iuells chalenge fol. 124. Fiue sectes among the Lutherans of the Sacrament Thirten heresies among the protestaÌ„ts touching the blessed SacrameÌ„t Nicolaus Gallus libr. cui titulum fecit Fundamenta Nic. Galli etiaÌ„numperstaÌ„t in Thematibussuis The seueÌ„th testimony Illyricus Fol. D. 3. The ghospellers doubt vvhat the ghospell preacheth Esaiae 41. Libello contra trimem brem Theologiam fol. 80. Fol. o. 3. The eight testimony In epistolis Petri Statorij Galli Pincâ—â—uiae aeliâ—is anno 1560. In praefatione libelli contra Staphylum A brief recapitulation of the schisines and dissensions amoÌ„ge the protestants Epistola Illyrici ad M. VVerneruÌ„ Barben Caluinus de pre destinatione et Illyricus in articulis ineundae coÌ„ cordiae etalij plerique omnets Illyricus in libro suae informationis Gallus in exceptionum libro cae Anisdorfius lib. opera bona esse perniciosa Illyricus contra Mentum et aliâ—i Caluinus in institutione Christiana MelanchthoÌ„ in vltimis locis commuÌ„nibus Lutherus libro de capt Babylonica ZuingliuscoÌ„tra VrbanuÌ„ Regium de Baptismo Lutherus in postrema coÌ„ fessione Illyricus in suae informationis libro Gallus in exceptionibus â—ontra acta VVitteÌ„ bergensium ProfessoruÌ„ Lib. contra 9. sectas Li. coÌ„traâ— sectas The seconde part off this booke De materia Lutheranae Theologiae Theologiae Lutheranae trimembris epitome Lib. de capt Babyl titulo de matrimonio Note here the modesty of protestants Sexto Tomo germanico Fol. 172. A holesome lesson for the Lutheran dames The mariages of nevve ghospellers Note the iustice of Luther Tom. 9. fâ— 177. A spiritual lesson for the protestant husband Ester 1. Matth. 19. Marci 10. The incoÌ„stancy of the Lutherans In locis communibus medijs vltimis The Lutherans haue corrupted the Crede Children are taught a corrupted Crede Protestants are proued to be heretikeâ— Smidelinus extrema parte libri contra Sâ—a phylum Dissension destroieth heresies Lutherus in 5. psal Iudic. 9. Genes 11. Dissension allvvaies accompaneth heresy Vide historiam tripar titam lib. 9 cap. 40. Nicephorun lib. 12. cap. 29. li. 13 cap. 1. lib 18. cap. 45 50. Mat. 7. Apoca. 16. Apocal. 16. Sap. 11. 1. Ioan. 5. Ioan. 19. Apo. 16. The late rebells in Fraunce are of this secte The sectes of Anabaptistes The Sprit Bernardin Ochin Peter Martirs scholer defendeth this secte by scriptures Tom. 6. fo 177. an 53. * Transsiluania O hotte communi cants Zelous Ciuill The zelous Lutherans O blessed frutes of the nevve ghospell Certain LutheraÌ„s denie an article off our crede * Ratispâ—na ciuill Lutherans Colloss 2. Geâ—e 3. Melanchthon is a baker Certain protestaÌ„ts call bapti abathe for svvine 1 Ioan. 4. Vide Micha elis Rotlingis ludimagistri NoreÌ„ bergensis li belluÌ„ coÌ„tra OsiandruÌ„ * Regiemons Suinglius is a Pelagian Our nevv protestaÌ„ts are nevve Manichees Detestable doctrines off Caluin Horrible blasphemies of a ghospelling Minister Note the grounde of nevve heresies novveadaies The Issue of Luthers â—hospell Luthers doctrine to haue naught but expres scripture cause off all heresies Aboue in the leafe 16. Basill Zu rich Berna Schafusa Clarona It appeared vvel of late in Fraunce Holsatia Ratispona Vratislauia Aâ—gusta vindelicorum Transsiluaâ—ia In libello contra Staphylum The ghospel of Luther decayeth daily This sory shift oure Apologie of EnglaÌ„de alleageth also in defence of their dissensioÌ„ Libro coÌ„tra Catalogum Faithe in one in all but trade of life ciuers Heb. 2. Philip. 2. Philip. 3. Iacob 12. Rom. 12. Galat. 6. Ro. 2. 14. 2. Cor. 5. A vvily deceit of the LutheraÌ„s The protestants coÌ„founde vniformite and diuersite The frutes of this confusioÌ„ The late rebellion also in Fraunce Ephes. 6. 2. Cor. 6. Lutherans do chaunge faith in to hope and confidence Smid soundeth in the germain tongue Smith A prety similitude Ro. 13. 1. Cor. 15. Philip. 2. The cause of diuers professioÌ„s of religioÌ„ in the catholike churche Luther reacheth this in his booke de saeculari potestate in the 6. German tome fol. 602. and in many other places Hereticall rebellion neuer proueth In the yeare 1325. VVe haue late examples of oure ovvne countre The triuÌ„phes of late heretikes ouer the Catholikes Vide prodrâ— muÌ„ Staphyli A good lesson for oure countre also Euen so it is vvith vs. Vide Carionem So did S. Augustin the first Apostle of English men Vide BedaÌ„ The first Apostles of the highe Allemans Bedurum Ratispona Herbipolis Constantia Argentina VVormatia Moguntia Countres loste in Germany by heresy * Aboue thre hundred of oures * Tvvo huÌ„dred of our miles Prussia loste by Luthers heresy H. Mutiâ—s Cuspinianus in vita Henriâ—i V. alij Liflande lost by Luthers heresy Gala. 5. Colloss 3. The frute of only faithe Lutherus in epist. ad Gallum Amsdorfium 1. Cor. 4. Hungary loste by Luthers heresy Lactan. lib. 7. cap. 16. Rupertus Taitien super 20. cap Apocal. The destruction of grece through heresy Note and bevvare in time Oure state in EnglaÌ„d touchinge religion is the same The cyto of Hierusalem destroied by schismes Lib. 2. cap 7. de bello Iudaico Matth. 21. Luc. 20. Reade Vil legaignon agaâ—nst Caluin and oure discourse 1. Cor. 15. In 〈◊〉 li. 4. ca. 14. et sequeâ—â— Iosephus de bello Iudaico li. 6. c. 1. The miserable estat of Lifland through heresy Iosephus lib 6. ca. 7. de bello Iudaico De fide operibus serm 181. de tempore Ezech. 18. Ephes. 4 Epist. 54. Luther calleth him selfe an euaÌ„gelist in the sixtetome of his vvorkes Luc. 17. â—ere 25. An example of the pride and presumption of Luther Rom. 13. 1. Pet. 3. Rom. 13. Luthers penaunce Luther is become a papist for a vauntage O cleanly spirit of Luther Psal. 143. Psal. 143. At Smalâ—â—ldium * This day the Duke of Saxony vvas taken * The â—aÌ„t graue submitted him selfe Math. 16. Ephes. 3. * The Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue by Charles the Emperour * Note the Luthe rans God The praiers of the Carholikes Ioan. 11. Psal. 7. 3. Reg. 20. Fol. E. 4 F. 1. O the ciuilite of Luthers sprit Tom. 6. fo 612. in lib. num milisint in statâ— salutis Orat. 2. coÌ„tra Philip. A counsel good and necessary for vs also Deute 13. Matthae 7. 1. Ioan. 4. Deuter. 18. Ioan. 8. Luther is a false prophet Luther is a murderer and a stronge thefe in the church In tomo 6. germanico Fol. 602. Luther proueth contempt of princes by scripture Luthers counsell