Tertullian did not so much as dreame of any incense there and it is so placed that it must needes expound how he vnderstandeth that cleane sacrifice spoken of by Malachie The next commeth in Cyprian who saieth That the olde sacrifice is abolished and the new celebrated and then sayeth Bellarmine he citeth this place of Malachie Ad Quirin lib. 1. ca. 16 Esay 1.11.12 Psa 50.14.15 23 It is true but first he citeth Esay and the 13. verse of the 50. Psalme or as he doeth recken it of the 49. for reiecting of their externall sacrifices and then out of the same Psalme hee teacheth that prayer and prayse are the true sacrifices and also out of the 4. Psalme Psal 4.6 hee speaketh of the sacrifice of righteousnesse And then followeth that of Malachie whereby it is most manifest that Cyprian vnderstandeth by the sacrifice mentioned in Malachie no other than that which out of the Psalmes he learned And in all these places Bellarmines euill dealing is notorious For hee will not so much as see the wordes that are before his eyes but onely picketh out that which hee thinketh serueth for the establishing of his errour and concealeth that which would giue light to the trueth And it were too tedious to answere to euerie testimonie especially seeing that which hath beene saide of the places before alledged doth sufficiently testifie what was the iudgement of the auncient fathers concerning this place of Malachie nowe in question I will therefore returne to his generall arguments Argument 5 Maister Bellarmine his fift principall argument Ioh. 4.21.23 is taken out of saint Iohn where he sheweth that the true worshippers shall worship in spirit and truth but this worship must needes be saieth he the offering of sacrifices propely so called Therefore the true worshippers in the daies of Christ shall offer these sacrifices properly so called In Iohn Hom. 32 But Chrysost vpon that place can find no such sacrifices but expoundeth this place by the 12. to the Romans of our spirituall sacrifices with whom also Theoph. seemeth to agree In. Iohn Tract 15. And S. August thinketh not that this kind of worshipping needeth to be performed in any materiall temple but that our selues are Gods temple yea and that his holy temple and therefore that this worship must bee in our selues therefore spirituall Hitherto haue we heard some reasons to proue in the Eucharist that there is a sacrifice properly so called gathered partly of the figures of the old law of the which I may truly complaine De vnit Eccl cap. 19. as S. August did of the Donatists You stay saith he vpon those dark points least you should be forced to grant that which is plaine or else forced out of some other doubtfull sentences whereof also with the same father against the same heretikes I may say Alledge something that needeth no interpreter Cap. 16 that cannot be prooued to be spoken of some other thing and you indeuour to draw it to your owne meaning And therefore out of such vncertaine allegations a certaine conclusion cannot be gathered But now let vs see what is alledged out of the verie institution it selfe for if any thing worth hearing can bee brought out of it it must needs be forcible Therefore thus he reasoneth Argument 6 Bel. de missa li 1 ca. 12. Christ in his last supper offered himselfe vnder the forme of bread wine to God the father and commaunded that to be done of the Apostles and their successors to the end of the world But this is to offer a sacrifice properly and truly so called and to institute that it should be offered Therefore the Eucharist is a sacrifice properly so called For the maior in this argument wherof all the doubt is it is a plain fallacie for he beggeth to haue that confessed that is denied to haue that granted that is in question For if he could proue that Christ did offer himselfe in his last supper to God the father we would easily confesse it to be a sacrifice true and proper So that on the contrary I may as well reason thus Christ cōmanded nothing to be don but that which himself did in his last supper but himselfe did not sacrifice and therfore he commaunded no sacrifice in the last supper Wel his first proof of this vntrue proposition is that which he hath said of Melchisedech the paschal Lambe the blood of the couenant of which I trust I haue spoken sufficiently in the iudgement of any indifferēt man in my answer to his 3. first principall arguments Luke 22.19 20 1 Cor. 11.24 His second reason is this These words Is giuen is broken is shed which are words of the present time do signifie that he was giuen broken shed vnto god for a sacrifice M. Bellar. seemeth to me to be hopshakled that he cānot wel step forward He hath taken vpō him to proue out of these words that christ offred his body in his supper to his father for a sacrifice how doth he proue it because the words shew that he is giuen broken and shed for a sacrifice to God is not this a good leape thinke you And yet his proposition that he should prooue and his reason whereby hee doeth it are all one But if hee stand vpon these wordes Is giuen broken and shedde therefore it is an act that then was done and therefore done in the Supper what will hee say to their owne translation which translateth Shall bee shed in Matthew and Marke and Luke also and also of the bread This is my bodie which shal be giuen for you It seemeth when that translation was first set foorth that peece of scripture was not so taken as it is now but that those words of the supper Math. 26.28 mar 14.24 luk 22.20 1. cor 11.24 were taken for a promise of that which Christ performed the next day as in truth they were I but master Bellarmine telleth vs that al these readings are good because there may be a good reasō of either of them I confesse that to be true and therfore M. Bellarmins reason is not strōg whose force hangeth vpon these wordes onely which may well be translated otherwise But by the way what if I should thus reason A representatiue sacrifice is not a protiatorie sacrifice but Christs sacrifice that in his supper hee offred vnto God was representatiue saieth Bellarm. in this place therefore not propitiatorie and much lesse then is the Masse a propitiatorie sacrifice Neither do I see to what end Christ should represent to God the sheding of his bloud which should be afterwards vpō the crosse although M. Bellar doth say it because he is loth to tell the true reason which I haue alreadie touched why their cōmon Latin translation did not precisely follow the Greeke in translating of these words shal be giuē broken shed His third reason out of the words of the institution to proue his sacrifice
certaine external meanes and helpes are required yet those moue vs nothing without the working of Gods holy spirit And he much misliketh of them that teach that our faith must rest vpon that point That we beleue that the church is true or cannot erre For therevpon he gathereth this absurditie that our faith should be grounded vpon the truth not of God but of man He also plainly affirmeth that if a man should aske how the faithfull do know that God hath reuealed that which they beleeue they cannot answere by the authoritie of the Church but it is by the inward light of Gods spirit that they know the same If now thou aske me how I know the Scriptures to be the Scriptures I answere out of Canus not by the authority of the Church but by the motion of Gods spirit and witnesse thereof If thou vrge that place of Augustine Canus telleth thee that they who are become Christians are not so brought to beleeue the Scriptures but onely Infidels and Nouices in religion So that this place serueth nothing to obiect against vs who professe Christianitie alreadie and beleeue the worde which the Manichies did not of whom and to whom Saint Augustine there writeth But we had neede out of that place to admonish you that in respect of that reuerence which with one consent al that professe Christianitie doe yeeld vnto the scriptures you would be ashamed so to depraue and despise them so to abuse and reiect them at your owne pleasure as you alwayes haue done You make vnlawfull that which God hath mad lawfull as for example It was lawfull in the Apostles time for euerie Priest Dion Carth. 1. Tim. 3. Bishop and Deacon to haue one wife but now by the appointment of the Pope they may not haue a wife sayth a friend of your owne a bird of your owne nest So that not the scripture or the will of God but the worde of the Pope must be the rule of our life so that whereas Augustine for the Church beleeued the scriptures you for your Churches sake controll the scriptures and disobey them And for the establishing of that vndue honour which they would bestow vpon the most happie mother of Christ the virgin Mary Marke the boldnesse of Durand a great piller in the Popish Church Rathon◠di◠li. 4. rub 6. who writeth thus Although it is said in the Scriptures that Christ rising did first appeare to Marie Magdalen yet it is more truly beleeued that first of all he appeared to his mother Is it not plaine how that to establish their foolish toyes he giueth the lie to that word that is onely true O grosse boldnesse Seeing therefore this worde hath not onely testimonie within vs which is the strongest witnesse but also with so great consent is knowne to be Gods worde be ashamed now to call it into question or to put it to the triall of the Church by which the Papists alwaies vnderstand the Romish Church whether it shal be allowed for currant or not For in deede this blasphemous sense which as I haue shewed euen their owne friends can in no wise like of is now the cōmon exposition of those words of S. Aug. I will not beleeue the scriptures vnlesse the Church of Rome do allow the Bookes for Canonicall and expound them as she shall thinke good And thus much to answer this their common obiection What the Catholike Church is that is mentioned in the Creede CHAP. 6 THE PROTESTANTS VVE say with the Apostle Saint Paul that the catholike church which is spoken of in the Creede s. Tim. 3. Is the house of God the pillar and ground of truth And with the fathers that it is the companie of all the faithfull of all times and of all places And with Saint Iohn The Bride of the Lambe Apoc. 21 9. and the bodie of Christ And therefore that the wicked and faithlesse are not of this Church nor can be counted of this companie THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome to get a Catholike Church admit good and bad to be of their Church namely reprobates wicked Bellar. de Eccle. li. 3. cap. 2. and vngodly ones Neither do thinke that they neede any inward vertue to bee of their Church but onely that they professe religion and be vnder the Pope Well may they in some sort seeme to haue a Catholike Church because all is fish that comes into their net but holy apostolike it shal not be nor Catholike as in the Creed is meant Wherein this is worthie to be reproued in them that whereas they crie out in worde and writing The Catholike church of Rome and vnlesse you beleeue the Catholike Church you cannot be saued And for proofe hereof they alledge this article I beleeue the Catholike church yet when they should tell vs what this Catholike church is wherevnto we must so necessarily be subiect they onely paint vnto vs I know not what Romish Church The catholike church in the Creed and the Romish contrary which is no more like the true Catholike church than that church of Israel when it was started aside from the true worship of God was like to the true church of God that remained amongest the people of the Iewes as by these few reasons may appeare The catholike church is One One that is to say one companie and vnited and knit togither by one spirite and the selfe same graces but the reprobate and vngodly who fill vp a place in the Romish catholike church neither are one company with the Saints nor vnited to them by the same spirit and graces to be partakers of the communion of Saints Therefore that catholike and the Romish catholike Church are not all one Secondly that Church is Holy Holy and that not in part but perfectly euen without spot or wrinckle Ephe. 5.26.27 For in our Creed we doe not speake of the church that is but that shal be not that which we see with our eye but by faith not that which is perfected but hoped for which we shall not in deede behold with our eyes Reuel 21 vntill it come downe from heauen as saint Iohn speaketh of the heauenly Ierusalem Apoc. 11 which as witnesseth saint Ambrose doth represent the Church that shall bee after the ende of the world Apoc. 21 Of which minde is also saint Augustine But the Romish catholike church is of omnigatheroms as people goe to faires or markets of all sorts and qualities And although a man haue not one good thing in him not one crum of honestie hee is good enough to make vp a number in the Church of Rome but such a church is not holy and therefore not that that is mentioned in the Creede Thirdly that church is catholike Catholike that is as all the godly haue acknoledged it the mother of all Christians the companie of all the saints both in heauen and vpon earth But the Romish catholike church
out of the treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill It is then most certaine that where the spirite of regeneration is not to sanctifie the heart as in the infidels it is not wee can looke for no workes but such as proceede from that bitter roote of sinne which must needes bee euill and vnsauourie before God It may iustly be wondered at why they who take vpon them the name of holy catholicke church such as account themselues the members thereof doe so stifly and stubbornely maintaine so bad a cause and defend yea commend the actions of such godlesse men For not only the particular writers among them excuse from sinne the actions of Infidels Sess 6. can 57. but also the councell of Trent doth hold them all accursed that dare say they are truly sinne But their feare is least if the nature of man be set forth in her owne colours and duely considered of the doctrine of merite by workes will seeme more absurd But if the workes of gracelesse and godlesse men may be thought to be voide of sinne how much the rather maie we thinke that the works of the faithfull may be so perfect that they may merite at Gods handes And in truth no man can denie but that there is no comparison betweene the workes of the godlie and the vngodly Therefore that they may prepare a way for their doctrine of merites they would first make vs beleeue that euen in the wicked there may be good workes And least men should condemne the corruption of this our nature being not renued by the spirit of God as it iustlie deserueth and so sincerely confesse that we haue in vs no good but that it commeth wholy from God the councell of Trent doth not any thing mislike those opinions that commend the works euen of infidels yea attributing some merit vnto them as doe some of the scholemen but onlie accurseth them that accompt them to be sinne Sleiden comment li. 23. An. 1552. And a Franciscan frier reading vpon the second chapter of the epistle to the Romanes did most blasphemouslie teach in the hearing of manie of them that were at the councel and in the time of the councell that They who had no knowledge of Christ and yet liued honestly were saued Which his vnchristian doctrine was so farre from being condemned by that Antichristian councell that the diuines that were sent from the protestantes to that councel made their complaint to the emperours Ambassadours that he was heard with great liking And indeed the councel did not accurse that doctrine or him that taught it No the councel did not determine but as Andradius telleth vs Orthodoxarum explicat li. 3. hath left it free for euery man to thinke as they wil of the workes of them that are not regenerate this only that councel will not permit vs to thinke that they are sinne because they are not of faith That therefore that the scripture teacheth vs wee maie not once thinke of but all other absurd opinions of men are very tollerable Is not this strange dealing that the spirit of truth only must not speake and the lying spirits of foolish men may saie what they will But let vs see what reasons they alleadge to induce them to this persuasion I wil saie nothing of that which maister Bellarmine nothing like a graue deuine which should with all diligence and praier search out and with all humility submit himselfe to the trueth but rather like a foolish wrangling sophister whose care were onely to contend to make good that which he saith most impudently affirmeth enquiring what knowlege of moral vertues men may haue by the powers of nature Gods general help De gram libero aâ— bit li. 5. cap. 1. Of two opinions he preferreth one and why So much the more gladly saith he we doe embrace and defend it howe much the more our aduersaries mislike it I see now it is no great maruel though these pretended catholickes doe manifestly and wilfully gainsaie and withstand manie thinges most consonant to the infallible word of God For I perceiue that if we like of it it is cause good inough for them to mislike of it Only this will I saie that because this persuasion is foolish and dangerous Iam. 2.1 Saint Iames giueth a good caueat to all that are of such an humour My brethren haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons But to like or mislike in respect of the man is to haue it in respect of persons But hee hauing thus professed that generall reason whereby he is setled in his persuasion commeth afterwardes in the same booke to other particular reasons His first reason is this Cap. 9. God is saide manie times to rewarde the workes of the Infidels but God will not reward that which is sinne The first argument to proue that all the infidels works are not sinne therefore not all the workes of Infidels are sinne If I should examine the particular proofes that hee bringeth of his first proposition the weakenesse thereof will soone appeare For he must proue that the workes of infidels are rewarded of God For proofe whereof his first example is of the midwiues Exod. 1.21.17 that came to the women of Israel in their trauel in Aegipt of whom the Scripture giueth testimony that they feared God hath in that verie place and before also Why then doth he reckon them amongst infidels Then also the rewarde which he saith was promised to them the best learned in the Hebrew tongue apply not to the Midwiues but to the Israelites of the increase of their families Ezech. 27.18 19. The second example is out of Ezechiel where God promiseth to giue Nabuchad-nezar and his army as their wages Aegipt for their seruice which they did against Tyre Which seruice against Tyre if maister Bellarm can commend in Nabuchad-nezar as a good worke wherein hee had only regarde vnto his owne cruell and proud affection he will hardlie finde anie euill His third and last place out of Daniel Daniel 4.24 wherein Daniel giueth councel to Nabuchad-nezar to redeeme his sinnes by being good to the poore it is not very pertinent to the purpose and I shal God willing haue more fit place afterwards to speake of it Although therefore it doth easily appeare that his maior is not proued by him yet I will confesse that God is saide to rewarde such men in respect that he giueth good successe to them and prospereth them to set forth by them his owne glorie Alluding vnto the wages that seruantes haue for their worke Who although they bee not alwaies of the best yet good reason they should haue their wages for their worke The minor is that God will not rewarde sinne I grant in that respect that it is sinne hee will not But in euerie action there are to be considered manie things First the deede as in this that Nabuchad-nezar did
But themselues thinke it only at certaine times vnlawful Admit it be so If they wil not goe in the rancke with the old heretickes let it then be an heresie deuised in such sort as now it is by popish heretickes De violandis virginibus For if heresie be Whatsoeuer sauoureth against the truth although it be euen an olde custome as Tertullian very wel defineth it then doubtles this popish forbidding of certaine meats for conscience sake wil be found heresie For the truth saith that they who commaunde to abstaine from meates which God hath created to bee receiued with giuing of thankes 2. Tim. 4.1.2.3 depart from the faith giue heede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of diuels and that they speake lies through hipocrisie and haue their consciences burned with an hote iron But the church of Rome teacheth that this is a catholike doctrine a sounde religion And they that teach it are good catholickes The church of Rome then sauoureth against the truth as in manie other articles so in this also and therefore it is hereticall But I knowe their answere that Saint Paul speaketh against the Eâ—bionites Tatianites and such heretickes as did vtterlie condemne flesh as an vncleane thing of it selfe It is true hee doth so but not against them onlie but rather against the popish heresie than against anie other And that for these reasons First the circumstance of the time moueth me to it 1. Tim. 4.1 For he saith that these men shal be in the latter time Nowe it were absurde to thinke that he that speaketh heere by the spirite of prophesie of this false doctrine should account for the latter times the times of those heretickes the world induring so long after as now it hath done And Ebion that was the first as I remember that deuised that heresie liued in the daies of the apostle and did sow his seede of that heretical doctrine verie soone after the apostles death Yea and Tatian also taught the same heresie about some seuentie yeares after Saint Paul If therefore had saint Paul ment of that heresie especially he woulde neuer haue pointed so farre as to haue tolde vs of the latter daies but rather woulde haue said that it were at hande The apostle therefore had respect chieflie to more dangerous heretickes than they were that could carry the matter more cunninglie than wholy to condemne the creature His wordes also are verie plaine if wee marke them well For he doth not saie that they shal condemne or dispraise meates which God hath made which was the heresie of those olde heretickes But they shall commaunde others to abstaine from them to refuse them not to receiue them and this is flat the heresie of the papists And the apostle confuting this heresie doeth not commend the goodnesse or purenesse of the creature as it had beene needefull for him to haue done if hee had chieflie ment his wordes against them but hee sheweth the lawful vse of the creature that it is to bee receiued and it is not to be refused Which especially armeth vs against the Romish infection for to speake as Saint Ambrose doeth vppon these wordes Ambrose vpon these words When such doctrines are hearde we maie knowe the diuel hath deuised them Thirdly the apostle seemeth to haue regard vnto such as shoulde teach the doctrine vnto that ende that some in his daies did among the Colossians to put some religion in these outward and bodily exercises exhorting them thus Touch not tast not handle not which all perish with the vsing Coloss 2.21.22 and are after the commaundements and doctrines of men And thefore the apostle saith by and by after 1. Tim. 4.8 that Bodily exercise profiteth little Amongst which bodily exercises saint Ambrose counteth fasting And thus in deed doe the papists vse their fasts thinking that a little pinching of their body should satisfie for their sinnes Against which foolish persuasion it is a sufficient confutation to saie with the apostle Coloss 2.16 Let no man iudge you in meates and drinke Let no man thinke you worse for eating or better for not eating Rom. 14.17 1. The. 5.22 For the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnes and peace and ioie in the holy ghost Now I cannot but maruel seeing the apostle willeth vs to abstaine from all appearance of euil what is the reason that our aduersaries wil come so neere those heretical opinions which are so condemned by the godly of al ages Iohn 4.24 and doe not rather seeke to worship in spirite and truth as our sauiour Christ telleth vs we must doe than to put any holinesse in these external obseruances which wee see so many heretickes haue delighted in I would therefore exhort our aduersaries to be more wise in that point for they get them an euil name by hauing so great a smacke of such corrupt opinions and haue had lucke in the choice of their obseruances wherein they notwithstanding repose a great piece of holines For those two things wherein they suppose they commend themselues very much vnto the world which is forbidding of marriage to some sort of men and meates at some times to al and at al times to some men doe most euidently bewray their superstitious religion Wherein they are not only noted before of the apostle and pointed at to be had teachers but also almost al those heretickes that condemned flesh as vnholy were also enemies to marriage as in part at the least the papists are And thus whilest they will seeme more holy then others in not vsing holily and with thankes giuing Gods good ordinance and creatures they come so neare those prophane and wicked heretikes that haue gone before them that al good men take them to be a branch out of that roote and water of the same spring Bellar. de bonis operibus in part li. 2. cap. 5. But what arguments haue they to iustifie this their doctrine Master Bellarmine can affoorde vs but one that maketh any shewe of proofe that flesh is more vnlawfull to be eaten than other meates and that but a simple one Dan. 10.3 It is out of Daniel where he saieth I haue not eaten any pleasant bread neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth Master Bellarmines arguments are like to fruit that sheweth faire at the first but is rotten at the heart For what can hee prooue out of this Daniel abstained from flesh therefore no man that will chastice his body must eate flesh First that that Daniel did is no lawe to vs because it is not commanded vnto vs. Secondly he did it but for a time namely for three weekes what is this to prooue that it must be a continuall lawe for fasting He did it voluntarily what warrant can that be to force other men to it But to come to the very point I would aske of our aduersaries whether they thinke that Daniel commendeth vnto vs his fast in that