of truth concerning religion and saluation We haue learned and godly Bishops and Pastors to teach the truth of Gods word to confute both by preaching and writing errors and heresies And we haue Synodes although not generall yet prouinciall wherein controuersies may be decided and heresies condemned as heretofore the truth hath beene maintained and heresies confuted and confounded in some prouinciall Councels as that called Gangrense and some other Africane Councels as well as they haue beene in some generall I would faine know of you what other and better meanes the Church of God had for the space of three hundred yeeres after Christs in carnation then these to determine controuersies and abolish heresies Generall Councels they had not before Constantines time which therefore your fellow Papist Fighius counteth to haue been an inuention of his but your great Rabbin Rob. Bellarmine therein controlleth him and saith it is false So well these men be setled in vnitie of beleefe And to your great Master of Rome whom you now would make the Oracle of the world there was before that time but small respect and regard had as your owne Pope Pius 2. in these words confesseth Ante Concilium Nicenum sibi quisque viuebat ad Romanam Ecclesiam paruus habebatur respectus i. Before the Councel of Nice euery one liued to himselfe and there was small regard had to the Church of Rome Shew vs therefore what meanes the Churches of God then had for maintenance of vnitie of faith which we want You say that Christ willed vs to heare his Church if we would not be accounted for Ethnicks and Publicanes The which place your said Rob. Bellarmine Reader full wisely alleageth to proue the Pope and his Councel to be the supreme Iudge of controuersies As though our Sauiour Christ there spake of deciding of controuersies in doctrine or of expounding the Scriptures or by the Church meant the Pope and his Councel and that euery man against whom his brother trespasseth must goe to the Pope and his Councel to make his complaint These be vanities and follies which nullo impellente ruunt and neede no confutation You further alleage out of Ioh. 14. 17. that Christ promised vnto the Church the assistance of the holy Ghost where by the Church you meane the Pope and his Councell as your Master Bellarmine hath taught you who writeth vs Sed hîc in genere dicimus iudicem veri sensus Scripturae omnium controuersiarum esse ecclesiam id est Pontificem cum concilio in quo omnes Catholici conueniunt that is Wee generally say that the Church is the iudge of the true sense of the Scripture and of all controuersies that is to say The Pope with the Councel wherein all Catholikes doe assemble or rather dissemble together But our Sauiour Christ made this promise to his disciples saying I will pray the Father and he shall giue you another Comforter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you This promise pertaineth not to all the successors of the Apostles but to all them that truly feare God and beleeue and obey the holy doctrine which Christ deliuered to his Disciples and which they preached the which when you shall soundly proue that your Popes Councels do then we wil grant that this promise of Christ belongeth to them In the meane time wee will follow Chrysostomes good counsell Si videris aliquem Euangelica repetentem profecto spiritum sanctum habet Venidt enins spiritus sanctus vt recordari vos faciat eorum quae docui Si quis igitur corum qui dicuntur habere spiritum sanctum dicat aliquid a scipso non ex Euangeliji non crodite meam doctrinam sequimini that is If thou see any man speaking out of the Gospell surely he hath the holy Ghost For the holy Ghost shal come to put you in remembrance of those things which I haue taught you If therefore any of them which are said to haue the holy Ghost doe speake any thing of himselfe and not out of the Gospels beleeue him not but follow my doctrine Whereas you say that you beleeue certainly that the Church cannot erre that the generall Councels cannot deliuer false doctrine c. I answere that you foolishly begge that which is in question For as wee acknowledge Councels assembled of godlie learned and modest men which simply seeke the glorie of God and the profit of his Church are good meanes to suppresse errors and heresies and to abolish abuses and enormities so to affirme that generall Councels cannot erre or deliuer false doctrine is most false absurd as by many both reasons and examples might be prooued But for shortnes sake I will touch but a few examples The councell of foure hundred Priests of Israel erred and Santan was a false spirit in the mouth of them all to the destruction of Achab that cursed king of Israel The councell of the Priests of Iuda erred in cōdemning Iesus Christ to death The Councell of the high Priest and other Priests Rulers Elders and Scribes erred in forbidding Christs disciples to speake or teach in the name of Iesus The councel of Neocaesarea erred in iudging hardly falsly of second marriages which Gods word alloweth Rom. 7. 3. 1. Cor. 7. 39. the words of the Councell be these Presbyterum conuiuio secundarum nuptiarum interesse non debere maxime cum praecipiatur secundis nuptijs poenitentiam tribuere that is A priest ought not to be present at the feast of second mariages especially because he is commanded to appoint penance to second mariages This Councell although it were prouinciall was confirmed by Pope Leo the fourth as appeareth by Gratian and the Papists hold that prouinciall councels confirmed by the Pope cannot erre The Councell of Ariminum wherein were assembled aboue foure hundred Bishops horribly erred in maintaining the blasphemous doctrine of Arius The like did the Councels of Millaine Seleucia and of Tyrus The second Councell of Ephesus erred and maintained the false doctrine of Eutyches These Councels the Papists confesse to haue erred and why because they were not allowed and confirmed by the Bishop of Rome A simple and shamelesse shift as though the Bishop of Rome had in those daies power either to call or confirme Councels any more then the other Patriarks had In that second Councel of Nice most vnlike vnto the first not only the wicked worshipping of Images was allowed and the Scriptures for the confirmation thereof most shamefully abused and detorted as appeareth by the said corrupt councell and Caluin and Mart. Chemnicius haue largely shewed but also in the same was decreed that the Angels haue bodies and that the soule of man is corporall and therefore they may bee
c. If any shall say that it is necessarie for euery man to the obtaining of remission of sinnes to beleeue certainly and without doubt of their owne infirmitie and indisposition that their sins be forgiuen them be he accursed But more plainly and pregnantly doe the Doctors of Louaine lay downe this doctrine of doubting Fides qua quis firmiter credit certò statuit per Christum sibi remissa esse peccata seque possessurum vitam aeternam nullum habet in Scripturis testimonium imo eisdem aduersatur that is The faith whereby a man doth firmely beleeue and is certainly assured that his sinnes by Christ be forgiuen him and that he shall possesse eternall life hath no testimonie in the Scripture yea is contrarie vnto them Hereupon I conclude by this writers owne reason that the Papists in maintaining this doctrine of doubting teach infidelitie But whereas these Louainian Doctors say that this doctrine of the certaintie of forgiuenes of our sinnes by Christ and of our possession of eternall life is not testified in the Scriptures but contrarie to them how false this is I referre it to be tried by these places here following They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which cannot be moued but remaineth for euer Being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also through faith we haue had this accesse vnto his grace wherein wee stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The same spirit beareth witnes with our spirit that we are the children of God Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is Christ that iustifieth Who shall condemne c. Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword c. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come neither height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. It is God which stablisheth vs with you in Christ and hath annointed vs who hath also sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of the spirit in our hearts In whom also ye haue trusted after that ye heard the word of truth euen the Gospell of your saluation wherein also after ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance c. Let vs therefore goe with confidence or boldnes vnto the throne of grace that wee may receiue mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede So God willing more abundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenes of his counsell bound himself by an oth that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lie we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to lay hold vpon that hope that is set before vs which hope we haue as an ancre of the soule both sure and stedfast and it entreth into that which is within the vaile c. Let vs draw neere with a true hart in assuraÌ„ce of faith our hearts being pure from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering for he is faithfull that promised Therfore by faith that by grace the promise might be sure to all the seede And he not weake in the faith considered not his owne bodie which was now dead being almost an hundred yeeres old neither the deadnes of Saraes wombe neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in the faith and gaue glorie to God being fully assured that he which had promised was able to doe it and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnes Hereunto I will adde to the confuting of this doctrine of doubting two or three sayings of the Fathers Chrysostome saith Spes humana subinde intercidit sperantem pudore afficit Nostra verò eiusmodi non est sed firma immobilis perdurat c. that is The hope that is had in man sundrie times falleth away and shameth him that hopeth but our hope is not such but abideth firme and vnmoueable Augustine saith Gaudium ergo nostrum fratres nondum est inâ—e sed iam in spe Spes autem nostra tam certa est quasi iam res perfecta sit 1. Our ioy O brethreÌ„ is not as yet in possession but in hope And our hope is so certaine as though the thing were alreadie done Bernard saith Ergo aut dixi fides ambiguum non habet aut si habet fides non est sed opinio Faith hath no doubting or if it haue it is not faith but an opinion Hereby the indifferent reader may see both how false this desperate doctrine of doubting is against the which Ambrosus Catherinus an Archbishop a great doer in the Councell of Trent did earnestly write and also that the Papists by this principle of their doctrine teach infidelitie And withall let him consider whether is a more true godly and comfortable doctrine to beleeue by faith our saluation or to be vncertaine and to doubt therof as they teach But now let vs see how S. Paul exhorteth vs as this man saith to doubt of our saluation He saith Cum timore tremore salutem vestram operamini which is thus translated With feare and trembling worke your saluation This text was alleadged by hearesay and not by sight For this worthie writer who so highly thinketh of himselfe and so greatly disdaineth others quoteth in the margent 1. Cor. 2. whereas it is not in that chapter nor in all that Epistle but it is Philip. 2. 12. But the fault hereof will be laid vpon the Printer Yet that the Printer should so much erre and set 1. Cor. 2. for Philip. 2. it is not likely And that this error is not of the Printer but of this mans fine memorie it may hereby appeare y t it is not in the vulgar editioÌ„ which they both do and are bound to follow cum timore but cum metu Hereby the reader may see with what care these men alleage the Scriptures not looking vpon the words nor considering the simple sense and meaning but snatching at the words and wresting them contrarie to the purpose and meaning of the Apostle Whose intent is not to teach the Philippians that they be saued by their workes which is contrarie to his doctrine in many other places but to disswade them from carelesse securitie and to exhort them to walke in good workes and to runne on the race of their life in the feare of God vntil they
of deuotion as Doctor Cole at Westminster said and who to this day haue not published the whole Bible in the English tongue for the instructing inlightning of Gods people although they writ eighteene yeares past that they had long before that time translated it and yet to this day they haue wanted meanes to publish it They haue had meanes since that time to print and publish D. Stapletons great booke de Principijs doctrinalibus and many such others on the like sort but they can or will find no meanes to publish the blessed Bible and booke of God for it serueth not so well for the defence of their doctrine and doings as the others doe But to conclude this matter I also doe both pray with the Prophet Dauid and say Open our eyes that we may see the wonders of thy law and with Saint Paule The Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all things that the eyes of our vnderstanding being lightned we may know what the hope is of Gods calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in the Saints c. and also exhort this man and his fellowes to take heede they be not of the number of them of whom our Sauiour Christ said If ye were blind ye should haue no sinne but now ye say we see therefore your sinne remaineth The Pamphlet The copie of a Letter written by a Catholike to a worshipfull Protestant Gentleman his speciall friend concerning certaine reasons why the Protestants Religion is false and absurd LOued and relouing friend I haue receiued your courteous letter wherein you greatly wonder that I wondred so much in our last discourse that any man in England endued with a good iudgement conioyned with a religious conscience could either accept or affect the Protestants new coyned Gospell You request me to set downe briefely such reasons as induced me thereunto the which suite I could not deny for both religion and affection vrged me to satisfie so iust a desire For I must confesse I loue you as a man and as an honest ciuill Gentleman and most gladly I would haue occasion to loue you as a Catholike Gentleman for it is great pitie that such a multitude of detestable errors and heynous heresies should lodge in so rarely qualified a soule I haue penned them after an vnaccustomed manner following the fashion of schooles in most of them after a syllogisticall method to the intent that if you should shew them vnto your Ministers which swarme about you they might not haue such free scope and libertie to range abroad with their idle discourses as they vse to take veiling their confused conceits with a multitude of affected phrases thereby more easely to deceiue the simple and loathe the learned Wherefore I beseech you if any such itching spirit shall attempt an answere to intreate him to performe it briefly orderly and seriously This I request for that I perceiue that Protestants cannot answere with breuitie because their Religion lacketh both certaintie and perspicuitie And extreame hard or impossible it is to replie without perplexitie where there is no truth nor veritie And therefore I request you as you loue me to will them to consider well before they answere ill and not to replie with rashnes least they retract with deliberation to their vtter shame and confusion And that you may perceiue how my wonder rather deserued approbation then admiration and for that order is a fauorite of memorie I thought good to reduce all my reasons into two heads wit and will knowledge and affection faith and good life because the nature of heresie hath euer been such as did not only inueagle the wit with errors but also seduce the will with occasions of inordmate affections I say the that no excellent goodwit linked with a religious conscience can accept nor affect the Protestants new coyned Gospell for good wits and iudgements assisted with Gods grace may easily conceiue the truth yea by the force of their very naturall faculties they may iudge credibly of the truth once proposed and without great difficultie discorne the absurdities of an vntrue religion Vertuous and well inclined affections which are the base of quiet secure and religious consciences abhor and detest such principles as either dishonor God abase mans nature occasion sinne fauor iniquitie or any sort diminish deuotion or pietie And therefore all the insequent articles shall stand vpon these two foundations to wit that the Protestants religion debarreth the wit from right vnderstanding the true faith and the will from following of any vertue or godlinesse Answere YOu wonder that any man in England endued with a good iudgement conioyned with a religious conscience can either accept or affect the Protestants new coined gospell But why do you not shew what is the new coined gospell which the Protestants preach and professe The Gospell is the good and ioyfull message of our saluation through Gods mercies purchased vnto vs by Iesus Christ This Gospell God preached to Adam that Iesus Christ the seed of the woman should breake the serpents head This he renued to Abraham saying in thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed This Gospell was preached by all the Prophets who beare witnes vnto Christ that through his name all that beléeue in him shall receiue forgiuenes of sinnes Now if you can prooue that we preach or maintaine any other gospell then this then you may well call it a new coined gospell if otherwise take heed you do not belch out blasphemie in calling this old and true gospell of Iesus Christ a new coined gospell And let the Christian reader which tendereth his owne saluation well consider who they be that coine a new false and counterfeit gospell Do not they which teach vs to ascend into heauen by the bloud of Thomas Becket coine a new and false gospell Tuper Thomae sanguinem c. which they englished in Queene Maries dayes thus By the bloud of Thomas which he for thee did spend make vs Christ to come whither Thomas did ascend Againe Iesu bone per Thomae merit unt nostra nobis dimitte debita O good Iesus for the merits of Thomas Becket forgiue vs our sinnes Do not they which teach vs to seeke to be deliuered from the fire of hell by the merits and prayers of Saint Nicholas mainetaine a new coined gospell Thus they prayed Quaesimus vt eius meritis precibas à gehennae incendijs liberemur Graunt we beseech thee that by his merits and prayers we may be deliuered from the fire of hell Do not they which say and beleeue of an Agnus dei that is to say a peece of waxe and balme consecrated by the Pope Tollit omne malignum peccatum frangit vt Christi sanguis angit It taketh away all euill it breaketh and strangleth sinne as doth the bloud of Christ do not they I say coine a new false and blasphemous Gospell Yes
surely for to attribute remission of sinnes or any part of saluation to the merits of any other but only of Iesus Christ crucified is to coine a new and false gospell for it is not that gospell of God which he promised afore by his Prophets in the holy scriptures which is concerning his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord c. To conclude this point I say woe woe vnto them that accept or affect any new coined gospell And whereas you wonder that men indued with iudgement and a religious conscience could affect or accept the gospell that we preach which you falsely call a new coined gospell we may well wonder that any man that hath any sparke of knowledge or conscience should beleeue these foresaid false gospels We may also wonder that men indued with reasonable soules and senses being the handy worke of God should bow downe and worship a stone and stock which hath neither soule nor life hath eyes and seeth not eares and heareth not c. and is the workemanship of mans hands especially being so plainely and expresly forbidden in Gods commaundements infinite places of the scriptures We may wonder that any man should be so mad as to worship and thinke that which he doth eate to be his God and maker which is so absurd that euen Tully not without reason could say sedecquem tam amentem esse putas qui illud quo vescitur deum credat esse Doest thou thinke any man so mad as to beleeue that to be his God which he doth eate yet into this madnes by a spiritual phrensie be these men fallen We also may wonder that they should beleeue such false fables and lying miracles as abound in poperie as for example to cast the dung of their abominations vpon their faces That Images did speake did sweate did roll their eyes did bleede that the head of a dog being cut off from the body by theeues which vpon Saint Katherines day came to rob a Priest who was a deuout worshipper of her did still barke That the virgin Mary did for many yeares in a Nunnery keepe the keyes and supply the place of one Beatrix whilest she went away and played the whore These and many such absurd fables were preached published printed and beleeued as may appeare by Sermones discipuli Antoninus the Archbishop of Florence stories Mariale Summa praedicantia the festiuall Vitas patrum and that monstrous booke the Legend written by Iacobus de Varagine Archbishop of Genua Which yet was in so great reputation with them that it was published in print in the English tongue when the holy Bible was suppressed and had this title set before it The golden Legend for as gold excelleth all other mettals so this booke excelleth all other bookes to the which title that worthy and right worshipfull Knight Sir Andrew Corbet of blessed memory did adde these words In lying and so of a false and blasphemous title made it a most true title Yea I haue a booke in English in Folio translated out of French and printed in London in King Henry the 8. dayes Anno 1521. intituled The flower of the Commaundements fully fraighted with such sottish and worse then old wiues fables which yet in those dayes were preached and beleeued And we may wonder that men of any wisedome knowledge or iudgement should be deluded and mocked with such false fained reliques as were and are in Popery as with Saint Peters finger at Walsingham as big as if it had been of some Giant and also the virgin Maries milke there which seemeth by Erasmus to haue been the white of an egge and chalke mingled together and a vessell of the same at Rome as writeth Blondus the bloud of Hales the which was proued and declared at Paules Crosse by the Bishop of Rochester in King Henry the 8. dayes to haue been clarified honey coloured with saffron In Geneua there was worshipped for the arme of Saint Anthonie that which afterward was proued to be the pisle of a Stagge for a peece of S. Peters scull that which was found to be a pumish stone But this will not be beleeued of this writer and of his fellowes because Caluin did write it But why Caluin should write and publish euen in the French tongue in Geneua such a thing of Geneua vnlesse it were true which the Inhabitants thereof might know to be false I see no reason it could purchase no credit to him or to his doctrine But why might not that as well be true as the things before alleaged or as that which Gregorius Turonensis who liued sundry hundreth yeares past writeth that there was found in a boxe of reliques of a certaine Sainct rootes of trees the teeth of a Mole the bones of Mice and the clawes of Beares which were worshipt for holy reliques But of these iuglings I will write no more at this present God may giue occasion hereafter more largely to intreate of them At these things we may wonder but yet we do not ouermuch meruaile and wonder at them for that the spirit of God by Saint Paule hath foreshewed vs that the time would come when men should turne away their eares frō the truth and be giuen to fables and that the comming of Antichrist should be by the effectuall working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes among thē that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued therefore God should send them a strong delusion to beleeue lyes that all they might be damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes Whereas you request that he that shall answere this your pamphlet will do it briefely orderly and seriously I will indeuor to do the two last as God shall inable me But concerning breuitie I will vse my libertie and peraduenture more largely lay downe your absurdities then you would be willing I should do But whereas you say that you make this request for that you perceiue that the Protestants cannot answere with breuitie because their religion lacketh both certaintie and perspicuitie I say that with one breath you do vtter two vntruthes or to speake plaine English lyes The first that we cannot answere with breuitie which how vntrue it is let it be tried first by the briefe and pithie answeres of that great learned man Doctor Fulke who answering many of their bookes which yet to this day stand vndefended how briefely and pithily he answered the same let any man that hath but a graine of indifferent iudgement consider and iudge And particularly I referre them to his answere to Rishtons challenge and to Allens booke of Purgatorie both in one volume yea many times in his writings he called them from long and impertinent discourses to short syllogismes whereunto he could neuer bring them How closely that pretious Iewel and excellent ornament of this
quod bonum rectum est in oculis vestris facite mihi Nota quod dum aliquis dux propter suos captiuus tenetur non dimittitur nisidet magnam pecuniam Sic nec nos Christum captiuum dimittere debemus nisi remissionem peccatorum nobis tribuat regnum coeleste ab eo accipiamus Eleuat ergo sacerdos Corpus Christi in altari q. d. Ecce quem totus mundus capere non potest captiuus noster est Ergo eum non dimittamus nisi quod petimus prius obtineamus that is Seuenthly the body of Christ is lifted vp to shew the goodnesse of Christ for what greater goodnesse is there then that Christ vouchsafeth to be prisoner vpon the Aultar whereupon he saith in the person of Hieremie the Prophet Behold I am in your hands that which is good and right in your eyes doe yee vnt me Note that when any captaine is kept prisoner for his people he is held prisoner and not let goe vnlesse he giue a great summe of money So also we ought not to let Christ our prisoner goe vnlesse he giue vnto vs forgiuenesse of sinnes and that we receiue of him the kingdome of Heauen Therefore the priest doth lift vp the body of Christ vpon the Aultar as though he should say behold hee whom the whole world is not able to containe is our prisoner therefore let vs not let him goe vnlesse we doe first obtaine of him that which we require This place I thought good the more largely to lay downe that the reader may see what diuine doctrine these Romish Saints haue deliuered and how finely they haue applied the Scriptures By this doctrine Christ is prisoner in the Masse and he must not be let goe vntill he haue paied his ransome And this is substantially proued out of Ieremie chap. 26. where Ieremie hauing preached the word of God and denounced his fearefull plagues against Iuda and Ierusalem the priests and people tooke him and went about to kill him to whom Ieremie spake saying The Lord hath sent me to prophecie against this House and against this Citie all the things that yee haue heard therefore now amend your wayes and your workes and heare the voyce of the Lord your God that the Lord may repent him of the plague that he hath pronounced against you As for me behold I am in your hands doe with me as you thinke good and right But know yee for certaintie that if yee put me to death yee shall bring innocent bloud vpon your selues and vpon this Citie and vpon the inhabitants thereof For of a truth the Lord hath sent me vnto you to speake all these words in your cares Is not this place finely expounded and applyed and doth it not substantially proue that Christ is in the priests hands at Masse when he holdeth him ouer his head and belike goeth about to kill him as they did Hieremie In deede by their doctrine they teare him with their teeth and deuoure him Thus we see how these Romish diuines and Saints haue handled and expounded the word of God of whom that may be well said and verified which Polidore Virgil fauorer of the Romish religion writeth of the popish lawyers and canonists videl Non secus isti iurisconsulti aliquoties detorquent sacras scripturas quo volunt ac sutores sordidas solent dentibus extendere pelles that is See how these lawyers we may say diuines yea and Saints doe sometimes no otherwayes wrest the holy Scriptures then coblers vse to stretch out with their teeth their filthie leather or skinnes And that also which Theophylactus saith Ita exponere scripturas manifestè delirare est that is So to expound the Scriptures is to dote or be madde I might shew infinit other places which they haue most falsely expounded and applyed yea and also which they haue corrupted mangled and altered which I mind hereafter somwhat to doe but this shall suffice at this present to let the reader see who they be which follow priuate and false expositions of the Scriptures and consequently be infidels And if the author of this pamphlet or his companions can charge vs with the like then they may truely say that we haue followed priuate expositions and be Infidels But it is the vsuall manner of these men to make many vehement accusations and to bring few sound proofes Where you say that we reiect Saint Augustine and other Fathers who bring Scripture to proue prayer for the dead I answere that we refuse not the alledging of Scriptures by any but vpon good and sound reason which we will be readie to iustifie and maintaine If you thinke either Augustine in that booke de cura pro mortuis which you quote which is more full of doubtes then of sound proofes out of the Scripture or other Fathers haue any plaine places of Scripture to prooue prayer for the dead you may produce them vrge them and make syllogismes of them and we will answere them But you speake many things generally and proue few particularly and pithily For vs to proue and examine by the Scriptures the expositions of the Fathers is no fault For if the spirit of God commend that good people of Berea for examining Pauls preaching by the Scriptures we cannot be worthily blamed for examining the writings and expositions of the Fathers by the Scriptures as long as it cannot be proued that we doe otherwayes then accept the good and reiect the euill So Saint Augustine speaking of the writings of godly Fathers saith Hoc genus literarum ab autoritate canonis distinguendum est c. This kinde of writing is to be distinguished from the authoritie of the canon of the Scriptures For they be not so read as though a testimonie were so alleaged out of them that we may not thinke or iudge otherwise if they haue any where otherwayes thought then the truth required For we are of the number of them which doe not disdaine to accept to our selues that which was said of the Apostle If you be otherwise minded God shall reueale the same vnto you The like he writeth in his 111. epistle to Fortunatianus and in his 112. epist and in his second booke against Cresconius cap. 31. 32. which I forbeare to alledge To conclude if you can produce any expositions of the ancient Fathers whom we reuerence and whose workes we reade as diligently as you doe which we reiect if we doe not shew good reason for the same let vs beare the blame and shame of it Neuerthelesse we doe not allow euery paltrie companion as you terme them either to be an expositor of Christs word or to preferre his exposition there of before all ancient fathers Neither doe I know any man so to doe but we allow all men to reade and heare Gods holy word and as they may be much edified and comforted by the things that be plaine so if they vnderstand not some places we exhort them
in your margent Genes 48. 16. and Apoca. 1. 4. which make asmuch for prouing inuocation of Saints as Tityre tu patule doth The words of the place of Genesis be these The Angell which hath deliuered me from all euill blesse the children and let my name be called or named vpon them and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac that they may grow as fish into a multitude in the midst of the earth Out of this place the Papists take two arguments to proue prayer to Angels and to Saints The first out of these words The Angell which hath deliuered me c. the other out of those let my name be called vpon them c. But yet let the reader note this that of the Papists some doe finde the one saying and some the other so weake that some alledge the one and some the other and I haue not read any one that doth vse them both T. W. in a discourse of this matter alledged the former words of the Angell and Ecchius the latter To the which I wil briefly answere By the Angel is ment Iesus Christ the Angell of the couenant as Malachie calleth him and the Angell of the great counsell of God So doth Aloisius Lipomanus that great Catholike Bishop of Verona both out of Cyrillus and of himselfe expound it in these words Cyrillus Iacob pueris benedicens deum patrem nutrientemse Angelum liberantem nominat illum nempe Angelum qui Angelus magni consilij ab Esaia dicitur quia omnis benedictio omnis gratia non aliter quà m à deo per Iesum Christum in homines descendit Considerandum quòd dictio hagoel vel redimens vel qui redimit propriè reddi potest quo loquendi modo clarissimè filius dei mundi generalis redemptor denotatur Et si diligenter aduerteris tacitè propheta domini sanctissimam inuocat trinitatem patrem scilicet spiritum S. sub nomine dei bis repetiti vnigenitum verò dei filium sub nomine Angell Angelum verò intelligit redemptorem verbum diuinum saluatorem nostrum vel auxilij dispensationis diuinae ministrum ipse inquam ille benedicat pueris istis That is Cyrill Iacob blessing thy children doth name God both the father which did nourish him and the Angell which did deliuer him to wit that Angell whom Esay calleth the Angell of great counsell because all blessing and all grace descendeth no other wayes from God vpon men but by Iesus Christ We must consider that the word Hagoel may be translated either redeeming or he that redeemeth by which phrase of speech the sonne of God the generall redeemer of the world is most manifestly signified and if thou diligently marke thou maist perceiue that the prophet in secret sort calleth vpon the most holy Trinitie to wit the father and the holy Ghost vnder the name of God twise repeated and the onely begotten sonne of God vnder the name of the Angell For by the Angell he vnderstandeth the redeemer the word of God our Sauiour or the minister of Gods helpe and dispensation euen he I say blesse these children Hitherto Lipomanus who with that ancient Father Cyrill truely vnderstand by this Angell Iesus Christ and not any other ministring spirit or created Angel And therefore this place proueth the inuocation of Christ but not of other Angels By the other words Let my name be called vpon them c. Iacob meant nothing else but that Manasses and Ephraim Iosephs sonnes should be counted amongst his sonnes to make vp the twelue tribes of Israel And euen so Frier Lyra doth truely expound it in these words Inuocetur super cos nomen meum quia vocati sunt filij adoptiui Iacob facti sunt capita duarum tribuum sicut alij filij Iacob that is Let my name be called vpon them because they were called the adopt sonnes of Iacob and were made the heads of two tribes as were his other sonnes This phrase of speech is so vsed in other places of Scripture as Isa 4. 1. In that day seuen women shall lay hold of one man saying we will eate our owne bread and we will weare our owne garments onely let thy name be called vpon vs and take away our reproch Whereby is meant that he should be their husband and they counted and called his wiues The like phrase is 2. Sam. 12. 28. Hierem. 7. 10. c. And therefore that this exposition of this place whereby they go about to proue inuocation of Saints is a priuate and false exposition any man may easily perceiue And this is the more euident for that some great papists are forced to confesse that inuocation of Saints is not commended nor commaunded in al the Scriptures There is one Francis Hamilton a Scot a papist and fugitiue prior of S. Iames at Herbipolis in Germanie who in a discourse concerning inuocation of Saints writeth thus Porro lihic concedimus disertis scripturarum verbis ipsam inuocationem sanctorum non commendari Quibus enim cuius authoris cuius libri cuius instrumenti Noui an veteris commendantur Sancti commendatur oratio quam pro nobis ad deum faciunt vt ipsos inuocemus atque vt pro nobis orent rogemus nullo loco commendatur Vbi consulatur locus demonstrari non potest Sed neque conueniebat vt aut commendaretur aut consuleretur nascentis maxime ecclesiae exordijs ne plures sibi deos more gentium fingere aut constituere existimarentur christiani quando etiam in suspicionē Idololatriae venerunt dū sub specie panis vini verum deum colerent 83. praecepta ne est Non est praecepta c. that is Moreouer we doe heere willingly graunt that inuocation of Saints is not commended to vs by expresse words of the Scriptures For by what words of what authors of what booke of which testament the new or the old Saints are commended prayer which they make to God for vs is commended but that we should call vpon them and that we should intreate them to pray for vs is in no place commended No place cā be shewed where it is counselled Neither was it couenient that it should be either commended or counselled especially in the beginning of the Church arising lest christians should be thought to make vnto themselues after the maner of the gentiles moe Gods seeing they were suspected of Idolatrie for worshipping the true God vnder the forme of breade and wine 83. Is it commaunded It is not commaunded Hitherto the words of this Papist Hamilton by which it appeareth that inuocation of Saints is not commaunded nor counselled in the Scriptures and therefore they doe wrest them and bring a priuate and false exposition to them which seeke to proue it by them You quote also in the margent Apoc. 1. 4. where at a man might well wonder that you would quote a place so impertinent for this purpose but that it is euer
in his elect and chosen people doe by his holy spirit regenerate them by lightning their blind reason and reforming their wicked wils This we proue by these places of Scripture here following The Lord saw that the wickednes of man was great vpon the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were euill continually And that the imagination of mans heart is euill from his youth Flesh and bloud hath not reueiled it vnto thee but my Father which is in Heauen That light shined in the darkenes and the darkenes comprehended it not Which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh but of God Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit A man can receiue nothing except it be giuen him from Heauen No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Therefore I said vnto you that no man can come vnto me except it be giuen vnto him of my Father Without me ye can doe nothing The wisdome of the flesh is death The wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned What hast thou that thou hast not receiued No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost By the grace of God I am that I am Not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God It is God that worketh in you both the will and the deede euen of his good will and pleasure The God of peace make you perfit in all good workes to doe his will working in you that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ our Lord. Whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne If the sonne shall make you free ye shall be free indeede By these sayings let the Christian reader consider of what value and force our wit and will is in heauenly matters vntill the one bee lightened and the other reformed by Gods grace and spirit Hereunto I will adde a few places of the ancient Fathers Saint Augustine saith Quid boni operari potest perditus nisi quantum fuerit perditione liberatus Nunquid libero voluntatis arbitrio hoc absit Nam libero arbitrio male vtens homo se perdidit ipsum Sicut enim qui se occidit c. that is What good can he that is lost doe but in as much as he is deliuered from perdition Can he be restored by his free will God forbid For man vsing ill his free will lost both himselfe and it also For as one killing himselfe doth kill himselfe whilest he liueth but hauing killed himselfe doth not liue nor can raise and restore himselfe being dead so when man sinned by his free will sinne hauing gotten victorie his free will was lost Againe Quid tantum de naturae possibilitate praesumis vulnerata sauciata vexata perdita est vera confessione non falsa defensione opus habet Gratia ergo dei non qua instituatur sed qua restituatur quaeratur that is What dost thou presume so much of the power of nature it is wounded maymed vexed and lost it hath neede of a true confession not of a false defence Therefore the grace of God not whereby the will is ordained but whereby it is restored is to be sought Many such other sayings he hath in his workes against the Pelagians which I omit But this man saith that man may dispose and prepare his soule to receiue Gods grace and this he proueth not by Scripture but I will not say Assedly by the similitude of a sicke Asse that cannot dispose nor prepare himselfe to seeke for his medicine By this diuinitie men preuent Gods grace and it doth not preuent them men first seeke God and not God them For answere whereof I would aske this man whether it be not with all the of spring of Adam as it was with Adam himselfe after his fall Now whether did Adam seeke God first or God him the Scripture saith that God called vpon Adam and that he was so farre from seeking God that he and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the Lord God So that if God in mercie had not sought them and called vpon them it seemeth that they had neuer sought nor called vpon God And euen so it is with all his posteritie as our Sauiour sheweth by the lost sheepe whom the Shepheard seeketh and bringeth home the sheepe nothing disposing nor preparing it selfe to seeke to the Shepheard or to returne to the fould So God saith I was found of them that sought me not Did Peter repent vntill Christ had looked on him and the Cock had crowed What disposition and preparation was in Paul to seeke the grace of Christ Therefore I may truly say that as Lazarus prepared himself being dead in graue to be raised vp by Iesus Christ so doe men dead in sinne dispose and prepare themselues to receiue the medicine of Gods grace Saint Paul saith God which is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickned vs together in Christ by whose grace ye are saued To this doctrine the auncient Fathers beare witnes Saint Augustine saith Vt totum Deo detur qui hominis voluntatem bonam praeparat adiuuādam adiuuat praeparatam that is All is to be giuen to God who both prepareth the good will of man to be helped and helpeth it being prepared Againe Nolentem praeuenit vt velit volentem subsequitur ne frustra velit that is God preuenteth him that is not willing that he may be willing and he followeth him that is willing that he may not will in vaine Now if this our doctrine concerning the will of man be the truth of God confirmed both by the word of God and by the testimonies of the most learned Fathers then without blasphemie it cannot be said to tend vnto loosenes of life or carnall libertie it teacheth vs both true humilitie in acknowledging our owne miserie and wants and to attribute all to Gods grace and mercie and to arrogate nothing to our selues and doth it tend to carnall libertie and careles securitie We are both to exhort others and also to stirre vp our selues to feare and serue God in holines of life And yet we must acknowledge that God worketh those things in vs whereto he exhorteth vs. And therefore the same spirit that saith Turne vnto me with all your hearts saith also Turne vs O Lord and we shall be turned He that saith Make you a new heart and a new
who was Deane of the Church of Mentz in Germanie in y e time of Charles the 4. about Anno 1370 in these words Recessit lex à sacerdotibus c. 1. The law is departed from Priests iustice from Princes counsell from the Elders faithfulnes from the people loue from parents reuerence from subiects charitie from Prelates religion from Monkes honestie from young man distipline from Clâ—rkes learning from teachers studie from schollers eqeitie from Iudges concord from Citizens feare from seruants fellowship from Countrimen truth from Marchants vertue from Noblemen chastitie from Virgins humilitie from widowes loue from the married and patience from the poore O times O maners most troublesome and miserable times reprobate and wicked maners both of the Clergie and of the people Here by this man others who so much accure our manners these times may see what hath bin the estate of the Church manners both of the Priests people heretofore when Poperie most florished therby may discerne with whom dissolution loosenes of life do most raigne The Pamphlet The Protestants make God the author of sinne the onely cause of sinne that man sinneth not that God is worse then the Diuell 5. Article WHosoeuer defendeth that God commaundeth perswadeth vrgeth impelleth to sinne maketh God the cause of sinne But all Protestants say that God commaundeth perswadeth vrgeth impelleth to sinne Ergo. The Protestants make God the cause and author of sinne The Maior I proue for if God perswade or impell men to sinne as for example Iudas to sell Christ Saint Peter to deny Christ the Iewes to crucifie Christ questionles he intended the sacriledge of Iudas the negation of Peter the murder of the Iewes and this much more effectually then Iudas Peter or the Iewes For who can resist his impulsion or who can frustrate his intention Voluntati eius quis resistet Who is able to oppose himselfe against his will yet what man is he that in conscience were not bound to conforme his will vnto the will of God who is the author of all good wills and the first rule and square of all regular wils Iudas Peter and the Iewes if they bad followed the motions of God who could haue blamed them for following him who could not erre in impelling nor sinne in perswading them But some will say that God moued them for a good end videlicet the redemption of man and they intended an ill end to wit Lucre reuenge or some other sinister effect Yet this shift will not salue the sore for euill may not be done that good may follow Non sunt facienda mala vt inde veniant bona For otherwise a man might steale to giue almes be drunke for a meriment commit aduontrie to beget children Moreouer why might not Iudas Peter or the Iewes intend that good end which God intended and yet haue sould denied and crucified Christ conforming their intentions to his they being instruments and he the first moouer Againe it cannot be said but that God indirectly and most effectually intended their sinnes for he that intendeth any effect wherewith another effect is necessarily conioyned consequently intendeth it as for example He that intendeth to burne a ship in the midst of the sea intendeth consequently the death of all the men which be in her In like manner if God intended that Iudas should sell Christ vnto which action sinne was necessarily adioyned consequently God intended the sinne as well as the selling The Minor is to too euident For the Protestants deride Gods permission they say that all his actions are energeticall or effectuall they desperately auer that Paules conuersion and Dauids aduoutrie were in like manner the workes of God And as he elected some to glorie before the preuision of workes so he reiected some from glorie before the preuision of sins Here hence I infer that according to the Protestants principles God is most properly the author of sinne because he impelleth most effectually thereunto Next that he is the only author of sinne for that he inforceth men vpon necessitie to sinne and they as instruments follow the motion of their first cause Againe that man sinneth not for where there is necessitie of sinning there is no sinne for sinne is free or no sinne besides how can man sinne in conforming his will with Gods will Finally God is worse then the diuell for that the wickednes of the diuell principally consisteth in moouing perswading and inducing of men to sinne the which by the Protestants confession God performeth more effectually then the diuell because the motions of God are more forcible and lesse resistable then the illusions or suggestions of the diuell Many sinnes moreouer are acted without the temptations of the diuell some of ignorance some of passion but none without the motions of God so that God is worse then the diuell both in causing a greater multitude of sinnes then the diuell and in the forcible manner of causing sinnes which the diuell cannot attaine vnto The which doctrine is as good a ground for Atheisme as euer hell could deuise for were it not much more reasonable to say there were no God at all then to beleeue there were such a God as commaundeth perswadeth vrgeth impelleth men to sinne and yet for the same sinnes will torment them with the inexplicable paines of hell Answere THis man sheweth himselfe to be like to the vnrighteous iudge who neither feared God nor reuerenced man or rather like him that is a slaunderer of Gods Saints and a lyar and the father of lies For the Minor or assumption of this syllogisme that all Protestants say that God commaundeth perswadeth vrgeth and impelleth men to sinne is as true as that is that Catholikes in England be wrapped in beares skinnes and cast vnto dogges to be deuoured which was published in Rome by a printed booke and set out in tables confirmed with Pope Gregorie the 13. priuiledge The which as all men know to be a false malitious slaunder to discredit our gracious Queenes mercifull and good gouernment so is this also to defame the teachers of Gods truth For if this man or any of his partners can proue that either all Protestants or any learned Protestant doth say that God commaundeth perswadeth vrgeth and impelleth to sinne then will I yeeld vnto him not onely in this but in all other matters of religion If this cannot be shewed as most certainly it cannot what a shameles man is this to vtter such a grosse and palpable lye as euen a blind man may as it were feele it with his fingers and in what miserable estate be those simple ignorant soules which credit such lying spirits But this is the iust iudgement of God against them that receiue not the loue of the truth that they might be saued to send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lies As touching the matter we beleeue with our hearts and confesse with our mouthes that