Iohn Baptist and as it followeth in the common confessiō But if they did not beléeue that Angels and Saints can forgiue sinnes they would not so pray vnto them Fourthly they make their vowes to saints as appeareth by the common formes of vowes of such as enter into Religion Bellarmine also lib. 3. de cult sanctor c. 9. confesseth that vowes may be well made to saints But the scriptures teach vs that this is an honor due vnto God Pay thy vows to the most high saith the prophet Psalm 50. and Deuter. 23. when thou shalt vow a vow to the Lord thy God Finally they pray to the crosse saying Auge pijs iustitiam reisque dona veniam that is increase iustice in the godly and graunt pardon to sinners as if a stocke could encrease iustice or pardon sinners We are therefore herein to acknowledge Gods fauour and continually to praise him for his goodnes who gaue vs such a Queen as with al her heart sought to pul downe the altars and groues of Baal to root out idolatry and superstition and to restore Gods true worship In the beginning of her reigne the holy scriptures were restored to the people in their mother tongue and Gods true worship established in the Church according to that rule God was serued in spirit and truth and the seruice of the Church brought back to the auncient forme of Christs primitiue Church CHAP. V. Of the translations of Scriptures into vulgar tongues and reading them publikely in tongues vnderstood HE that doth euill hateth the light No maruel then Ioh. 3. if the Pope his crue of Masse-priests shun the scriptures their workes and doctrine being euill and the scriptures being compared to light Psalm 119. and to a candle shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1. they would if they durst plainely prohibite scriptures as appéereth by the practise of the begging Fryers in the time of William de sanct amore who hauing brought all their fancies and traditions into one volume Doctores Paris de penc nouis temp and calling the same the eternal Gospel preached that the Gospel of Christ should cease and that their eternal Gospel should be preached and receiued to the end of the world The Pope also could hardly be enduced to condemne this blasphemous booke of the Fryers In the end I confesse he was forced for shame to abolish it yet he conceiued infinite displeasure against the Doctors of Paris and fauored the Fryers as much as he could And now albeit he hath not simply prohibited the translation of scriptures and reading them in vulgar tongues yet he hath so limited the same as in effect they are as good as prohibited For first he will not permit that scriptures translated into vulgar tongues shall be read publikely in the Church as both the Trent conuenticle and the practise of the Romish Church declareth Secondly Regulae Ind. lib. prohib Pope Pius the fourth doth simply forbid all translations of scriptures into vulgar tongues such onely except as are made by his adherents and followers which are not onely false and absurd in diuers points but also corrupted with diuers false and wicked annotations as the Rhemish annotations vpon the new testament being examined do manifestly declare Thirdly we do not find that the Papists are hastie in setting forth translations of scriptures in vulgar tongues nor can I learne that the Bible is hitherto translated into the Spanish Italian and Dutch tongue by them Fourthly they will haue no Booke-sellers sel Bibles though translated into vulgar tongues by them selues without leaue Fiftly they wil not permit any man to read Bibles so translated by themselues without leaue Sixtly they graunt leaue to none to reade scriptures in vulgar tongues albeit allowed by themselues but to such onely as they suppose to be resolued or rather drowned in the dregges of Popish errors and to lay men seldome or neuer do they grant the same I do not beleeue that Robert Parsons albeit well acquainted in Spaine and Italie can name a doosen lay men of either nation that haue licence to reade Scriptures in vulgar tongues or that had licence in England in Quéene Maries time to reade Scriptures translated into their mother tongue If he know any such he may do well to name them If he name them not his silence wil bréed suspition if it be not taken for a plaine confession Finally if any among the Papists be taken with other translations then such as themselues allow or not hauing himselfe obtained licence according to the foresaid rule he is presently taken for suspect of heresie and seuerely punished if he acquite not himselfe the better So we sée that among them it is lawfull to reade all prophane bookes if they fall not within the compasse of their prohibition and to tumble ouer the lying legends of Saints and the fabulous booke of Conformities of Saint Francis with Christ and that without leaue But Scriptures translated into vulgar tongues no man may reade without leaue Now how contrarie this course is to the word of God to the practise of Gods Church and to all reason we may easily perceiue by these particulars God would haue the words of the law not onely a continuall subiect of our talke and meditations Deut. 6. but also to be written at the entrances and doores of our houses Our Sauiour Christ preaching to the Iewes willed them to search the Scriptures But how can this be done if Scriptures be not translated into tongs which we vnderstand and if no man may reade them without leaue In the primitiue Church they were publikely read in the Syrian Egyptian Punicke other vulgar tongues By the testimonie of Bede hist Angl. lib. 1. it appeareth they were translated into the British tongue and into other vulgar tongues the mysteries of religion being made common to diuers nations by the meditation of Scriptures Lib. 2. aduers haeres cap. 46 Irenaeus speaking of all the Scriptures saith They may be heard alike of all Hierome in an Epistle to Laeta and in another to Celantia exhorteth them to reade Scriptures But how can they be heard alike if they may not be translated nor read publikely in vulgar toungs And why should it be more lawfull for Laeta and Celantia to reade Scriptures then for other men and women In his Commentaries likewise vpon the 86. Psalme he saith that Scriptures are read to all that all may vnderstand Scriptura populis omnibus legitur vt omnes intelligant But how can the common people vnderstand a strange toung Chrysostome homil 9. in Epist ad Coloss teacheth that the Apostle commandeth lay men to reade scriptures and that with great diligence The Apostle teacheth vs that the word of God is the sword of the spirit And before I haue shewed that it is light Our Sauiour saith that the word of God is food to our soule Basil homil 29. saith That the old and new Testament are the treasure of the Church
vpon the Church and the Church is a societie of mē then the Papists beléeue Scriptures with humane faith and depend vpon men But that they do plainely teach Thirdly if the Church ought to consigne canonicall Scriptures and the Pope ought to rule the Church then if the Pope either determine against canonicall Scriptures or make fabulous scriptures equall with canonicall Scriptures the Papists are to beléeue either doctrine contrarie or diuers from Scriptures at the least they are vncertaine what they shall beléeue But the Pope may both erre in denying Scriptures and adding to Scriptures To answer this the Papists are driuen to affirm that the Pope cannot erre in these determinations But this sheweth the vncertaintie of their faith that dependeth vpon one little rotten goutie Pope whose learning is not worth two chips and whose pietie is lesse then his learning Fourthly if the Popes consignation be necessary to make Papists beleeue Scriptures then is their faith most vncertaine and rather humane then diuine Especially considering that of this Popes consignation of Scriptures there is not one word in Scriptures But that is their doctrine Fiftly the doctrine and practise of the Church of Rome being the rule of faith the Romish faith must néeds proue vncertaine and variable The consequence of this proposition is proued for that both schoole-men differ from schoolemen and late writers from the auncient and also Popes from Popes as I haue shewed in my bookes De pontif Rom. That the rule of faith is as I haue said it may be auerred by Stapletons words Sixthly if faith be grounded vpon traditions as well as vpon Scriptures then haue the Papists no certaine faith The consequence is plaine for that diuers ancient traditions are new ceased and neither Caesar Baronius nor any man is able to set downe which are authentical traditions which not Finally if the faith of Papists rest vpon the Popes determinations or else vpon the supposed Catholicke Churches decrees then is their faith a goutie fraile and rotten faith or rather a most doubtfull opinion For neither are they certaine who is lawfull Pope nor that his determinations are vnfallible nor is it an easie matter to know which are the Catholicke Churches determinations the Papists themselues contending and varying continually about them These arguments do shew that the Papists haue either a vaine faith or else no faith at all And this Robert Parsons notwithstanding his obstinacie and peruersenesse must needs confesse For simple Papists haue only these meanes whereby to direct themselues viz. Scriptures Fathers or their owne Priests Scriptures they neither heare read in a tongue knowne nor do they much regard them The Fathers they vnderstand not The priests do often tel lies and too farre they dwell from the Pope to know of him the truth To omit to talke of ruder persons and to talke of spruce Robert Parsons gladly would I know of him how he is assured that the religion he teacheth is true Scriptures he denieth to be the rule of faith and will not beléeue them to be authenticall without the Popes determination The Pope is but one man If then he rely wholy on the Popes determination his faith is nothing but a foolish fancie grounded vpon one man If vpon the Church yet he knoweth not the Church but by his owne reason and sence as I thinke he will confesse Ward-word pag. 6. Rule of faith he acknowledgeth none but the vniuersall Church which is not onely absurd but maketh much against him Absurd it is for that the Church is ruled and is not the rule no more then the Carpenter is his rule It maketh against him for that it is more difficult to know the Catholicke Church of all times and places then Scriptures or any proofe of faith else For to know that it is necessary to be well seene in the historie of all times Churches and countries And if he refer himselfe to others and beléeue humane histories his faith is still grounded on men This being the case of Papists and of their agent Robert Parsons we may estéeme our selues happie that are deliuered from this great vncertaintie and taught to build our faith vpon Christ Iesus and the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets 1. Cor. 3. Other foundation can no man lay beside that which is laid that is Christ Iesus saith the Apostle And Eph. 2. Ye are built saith he vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone We know that faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. and hearing by the word of God We beléeue that the Scriptures are a perfect rule and therefore rightly called canonicall The Apostle speaking of the rule of faith 2. Cor. 10. Gal. 6. and Phil. 3. meaneth no other rule but that which was to be found in holy Scriptures The Fathers also procéeded by the rule of Scriptures both where they sought direction for themselues and also where they brought arguments against Heretikes Ireney lib. aduers Haeres cap. 1. calleth the Gospell deliuered in Scriptures the foundation and pillar of our faith Tertul. writing against Hermogenes saith He abode not in the rule of faith And why Inter Scripturas enim Dei colores suos inuenire nō potuerat He could not find his colours or fancies in Scriptures Athan. saith Orat. 2. contr Arian that Heretikes are to be stoned with arguments out of Scriptures Out of Scriptures the Arians in the Councell of Nice other Heretikes in other Synods were confuted And generally antiquitie doth call Scriptures the canon or rule of faith Agréeably therefore to Scriptures and Fathers the Church of England in the beginning of Quéene Elizabeths raigne acknowledged the canon of Scriptures and thence tooke the articles of our Christian faith And therefore I call Scriptures and that which is necessarily deduced out of Scriptures the rule of faith not separating the rule from scriptures as Parsons 1. Encontr cap. 15. of his Warn-word doth cauill but in the rule comprehending whatsoeuer is either expressed in termes or by necessarie consequence deduced out of scriptures And this I did to auoide the cauils of the aduersary which inferre because this word Trinitie or consubstantiall or baptisme of children is not found in Scriptures that scriptures are not a solide and entire rule of faith Against this Parsons in his Warn-word 1. Encontr c. 15. alleageth first certaine names of Fathers then certaine words out of Ignatius his Epistle ad Phil. Irenaeus lib. 3. 4. aduersus Haeres Tertullian de Praescript aduersus Haeretic and Vincentius Lirinensis But he spendeth his labour in vaine and abuseth his Reader Lib. 3. aduers Haerel cap. 4. For none of these Fathers speake of other matters then such as are to be proued out of Scriptures as the places themselues shew Ireney by Tradition proueth God to be the Creator and the mysterie of Christ his incarnation But Parsons will not deny this to be contained in Scriptures Tertullian de
he sayth that the vniuersal Church was the direct rule and squire which we ought to follow and in the Warnw. Enc. 1. c. 15. nu 10. he teacheth that it is the summe and corpes of Christian doctrine deliuered at the beginning by the miracles and preachings of the Apostles Where I omit to tell Robert Parsons that it is absurd to make the same thing to be a rule and a squire the rule being direct and the squire being square It is also ridiculous though I do not tell him of it to say that Christs doctrine was deliuered by miracles for it was deliuered by writing and preaching and confirmed by miracles But I cannot forbeare to tell him that there is great difference betwéene the Catholike Church and the Catholike doctrine How then can these two make one rule Next he taketh exception to my words where I say that the Church of England hath a certaine rule to follow in matters of faith as if the canon of scriptures and those conclusions which are to be drawne out of them were no certaine rule or else as if traditions that are no where certainly described or set downe were a more certaine and authenticall rule then scriptures and necessary deductions out of them Fourthly he giueth out Warnw. 1. encont cap. 17. that we despaire of all certaine rule or meane to trie the truth which is a most desperate and impudent kind of dealing For directly I told him before and now I tell him againe that our rule is most certaine being nothing else but the canonicall Scriptures and the conclusions necessary drawne out of them Nay this rule may in part be confirmed by Parsons his owne confession For if the corps of Christian doctrine preached by the Apostles be the rule of faith as he saith VVarnw 1. encont c. 15. where are we to find it but in holy Scriptures He holdeth percase that it is to be found in the Popes bosome But if he say so in schooles he shal not want a greater plaudit then he had when hauing ended his comicall dealings in Bayliol colledge he was rung and hissed out of the house For who knoweth not that scabs and villany are rather to be found in the Popes bosome then any corpes of Apostolicall doctrine for that is very rife with them With the corpes of Apostolicall doctrine the Italian atheisticall Popes are litle acquainted We tel him further that for trial of any point of doctrine we are not to run to the Popes sea which is as much able to resolue vs as his close stoole but to the word of God reuealed in Scriptures and if there be any difference about a place of Scriptures we are then to compare the same with other places to search the resolutions of Councels of auncient and later Fathers of the Church of England and learned men Prouided alwayes that nothing be receiued as a ground of faith which is not to be deduced out of the word of God Whether then S. Augustine or Hierome or Ambrose or Luther or Caluin or any preacher among vs bring vs the word of God it is to be receiued But if they teach without that we are not necessarily to credit them nor to beléeue them in grounds of faith Out of the Scriptures we learne that Christ hath giuen some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some pastors and teachers albeit all particular matters are not precisely set downe So likewise we are taught that these words this is my body are most true that the sacramēt is Christs body in a mysterie or sacramentally albeit how the Sacrament is called Christs body there may be some differences Likewise out of Scripture we are taught that the King is the most principall man in his Realme and not to be subiect to any other in externall gouernement albeit euery one percase vnderstandeth not the seuerall points of his supreme authority These differences therefore notwithstanding our rule of faith is most certaine Fiftly he would insinuate that as vertue houskéeping true dealing is much decayed since her Maiesty came to the crowne so pride in apparel gluttony drunkennes lechery swearing and other vices are much increased But the man should shew that these vertues are decayed and vices increased in men that are truly of our Religion If he say so then let him name the men that are guiltie of these faults If the men that are guilty be Papists that for the most part are knowne to be carnall and cruel and most vitious he striketh himselfe and not vs. If they be Atheists or hypocrites then his allegation maketh not to purpose This I will speake to his téeth that if our Ministery be no more honest and vertuous then the Popes Cardinals Friers and Masse-priests and our true professors then zelous Papists it were pitie they should liue on the face of the earth Some proofes I haue brought before and more I shall alleage herafter Let Parsons do the like against vs and leaue his hypocriticall ostentation and generall declamation that maketh men rather to wonder at his impudency then to beléeue that he dealeth truly or sincerely Wardw. p. 3. Warnw. 1. encoutr cap. 18. Sixthly he very impudently imputeth all the troubles wars and calamities that haue happened in Scotland Ireland Flanders France to alteration in Religion and wold lay the blame wholy vpon vs. But if he looke into their immediate causes he shall find that the mint of this money was the Popes consistorie and that he and his agents are the onely firebrands of all mischiefe In Ireland Gregorie the thirtéenth stirred vp rebellion by the traitor Saunders his legate in England Pius Quintus by his agent Ridolphi and by Morton his messenger moued the two Earles to rise in the North Anno 1569. The same Pope animated the Spanish King to make warres against the Quéene of England and against them of the Low countries The same Pope sent not onely his agents to stirre the French but ayded them both with men and mony Gregorie the thirtéenth likewise sent ayde to Irish rebels The wars of Germanie were enflamed by that butcherly Pope Paule the third To make short all massacres trecheries warres and troubles haue wholy procéeded from their malice against the truth If the Pope and his adherents therfore haue bene troubled so was Herode and all Ierusalem with him at the birth of Christ If they blame vs for their troubles so did the Pagans impute all their troubles to Christians and their religion But the true cause was not religion but the hatred of impious Papists against religion Finally he saith that if her Maiestie had not altered religion then her kingdome had bene flourishing and secure and that she would haue had issue and her succession certaine and continued in friendship with the Pope and auncient confederates and neither had wars abroad nor treason at home and insinuateth that by reason of alteration of religion al is fallen out contrarie But if Wil Sommer had
spiritualem salutem earum sunt facienda corrigenda That is Thou doest rauish and take from me innumerable soules for thou sendest to hel almost al that come vnto thy court because thou attendest not those things that belong to my court Because thou art a prelate and a shepheard of my sheepe therfore it is thy fault that thou doest not discreetly the things that for their soules health are to be done and performed And againe Papa qui clamare deberet saith Brigit venite inuenietis requiem animarum vestrarum clamat 6. Brig 96. venite videte me in pompa ambitione plusquam Salomonem Venite ad curiam meam exhaurite bursas vestras inuenietis perditionem animarum vestrarum The Pope which ought to crie Come and you shall find rest to your soules cryeth come and see me aduanced in pomp and ambition aboue Salomon Come vnto my court and emptie your purses and you shall find the destruction of your soules Occham in the second booke of the first part of his Dialogue confesseth the ignorance and vnskilfulnesse of Popes in Scriptures and sayth that no Popes since Innocent the thirds time were excellent in the knowledge of them Few Popes studie the law of God many studie the laws of men some study neither but giue themselues to worldly delights Quotidiè perstrepunt in palatio leges Lib. 1. de consid saith Bernard sed Iustiniani non Domini Dayly lawes sound in thy pallace but the lawes of Emperors not of the Lord. But now it is far worse For neither law nor reason is there to be heard but all is gouerned by the Popes will Is it not then a ridiculous thing that the Pope should be called the chiefe pastor that feedeth not all and that he should be made the chiefe Iudge that in matters of faith hath neither learning nor iudgement Likewise the Cardinals popish Bishops and prelates are both vnlearned and negligent For their learning I refer my self to experience and to diuers histories that record their notorious ignorance Their defect in preaching is notoriously knowne There be few of them but would take great scorne of it So far are they departed from the steps of their auncesters Lois Mersilius an Augustinian Frier as sayth Poggius being asked what the two points of a Bishops miter signified answered the old and new testament Being asked further what the two strops meane that hang downe from the miter on the Bishops backe said that the Bishops knew neither old nor new testament In ore Episcoporum saith he that wrote the treatise titled Onus Ecclesiae est lex vanitatis pro lege veritatis The law of vanitie is in the mouth of Bishops in stead of the law of truth They should build the Church of God 2 Brig 10. but as Brigit saith they build the diuel two cities Catherine of Siena cap. 129. saith that vnprofitable pastors do not driue the woolues from the sheepe for that they want the dog of conscience and staffe of iustice She saith also that they feed not their sheepe in the pastures of saluation nor leade them the way of truth Quid hodiè erant Episcopi Syluius de gestis concil Basil lib. 1. saith the Cardinall of Arles in the méeting at Basil nisi vmbrae quaedā Quid plus eis restabat quà m baculus mitra What are Bishops of our time but shadowes What remaineth to them more then a staffe and a miter If any be more studious then other yet it is not in Scriptures but in laws and matters of state and storie The Masse priests in time past vsed not to studie Scriptures nor to preach It was sufficient for them either by themselues or by others to expound in English the Créed Law and some few things more and that onely at foure times in the yeare as appeareth by the chapter Ignorantia sacerdotum de officio Archipresbyteri in our prouinciall constitutions Now to do this litle learning was required and lesse vnderstanding Clerkes saith Math. Paris in the life of VVilliam the Conqueror were then so vnlearned that those that vnderstood grammer were a wonderment to their fellows Adeo literatura carebant vt caeteris esset stupori qui grammaticam didicisset The Friers were then the onely preachers vpon whose teaching the edification of the popish Church wholy relied vnlesse percase some will suppose that faith may come by gazing on the priest at Masse or on the crucifixe and dumb images which as the prophet saith are teachers of vanity But these Friers were for the most part vnlearned as the sermons of Menot Maillard Bromeyard others wil testify Secondly they preached onely in Aduent and Lent some few extraordinary times And thirdly the ground of their sermons were either fables or else philosophicall positions or idle questions litle tending to edification or matters for their owne profit And finally they came without lawful mission to teach lies rather then the truth to destroy rather then to build to make a schisme and diuision rather then to reduce men to loue vnitie and concord Dante sheweth Ca. 29. parad that the Friers of his time wrested scriptures and litle regarded them Quando e posposta la diuina scrittura quando e torta Againe he sayth they desired their owne glorie and preached their owne inuentions hiding the Gospell in silence Per apparer ciascun s'ingegna face Sue inuentioni quelle son trascorse Da predicanti è l uangelio si tace He telleth vs that they tel fables and feede ignorant and simple people with wind No ha in Fiorenza tanti Lupi Bindi Quante si fatte fauole per anno In pergamo si gridan quinci quindi Si che le pecorelle che non sanno Tornan dal pasco pasciute di vento Agnellus generall of the Minorites Chronic. Citizent Long. hearing the Doctors dispute whether this proposition there is a God be true exclaimed against this maner of dealing and detested such questioning Cornelius Agrippa speaking of schoole doctors sayth De vanit scient c de Theolog scholast that for the Gospel and the word of God they preach meere toyes and humane words preaching a new gospel and adulterating the word of God Pro Euangelijs pro verbo Dei meras nugas humana verba crepant praedicantes euangelium adulterantes verbum Dei Likewise doth Orthuinus Gratius in Praefat. ante lib. Petri de Alliac de reform Eccles speake against scholasticall Diuinitie saying that the same is ingenious to lay burthens on mens soules and againe cunning in deuising excuses for sinne Est ingeniosa cum ad aggrauandas conscientias tum rursus adinueniendas excusationes in peccatis multo solertissima Robertus Gallus vis 34. saith that the Friers preaching idle and curious questions were designed by a vision wherin a man appeared loaden with bread but gnawing a long stone with a snakes head appearing at either
end Which resemblance is not altogether vnfit séeing those that leaue the instructions of Scripture to scanne such endlesse questions leaue bread to gnaw a stone being in the end stung with their owne curiositie Seeing then that the preaching of popish Doctors is so mixed with idle tales endlesse questions and philosophicall discourses what profit can thereof redound to the people of God Quid Athenis Hierosolymis saith Tertullian de praescript aduers haeret quid Academiae Ecclesia What concord is there betweene Athens and Hierusalem betweene Philosophers schooles and the Church Decret c. 36. Cardinall Prat Archbishop as he calleth himselfe of Sens in Fraunce in his visitation made a law against such preachers as like vile buffons rehearsed ridiculous old wiues tales to moue their auditorie to laughter which sheweth that this was wont to be a common fault Their preaching was also very contentious and full of quarrels one calling another hereticke schismaticke sacrilegious false Prophet and rauening wolfe and endeuouring to proue the same by Scriptures and arguments as appeareth by the testimonie of the Waldenses in their confession to Ladislaus Vbertinus affirmeth that the locustes mentioned in the Apocalypse of S. Iohn do signifie the begging Friars because they are scurrilous and light skip-iackes liue carnally and gnaw the Scriptures Quia scurriles leues volatiles carnales rodentes sacras literas Commission for their preaching these Friars can shew none The Apostle where he talketh of pastors and teachers and other Ministers of the Gospell Schol. Paris apud Matth. Paris leaueth no roome for such vermine The Doctors of Paris say that Friars come without canonicall mission that they preach against the truth of Scripture that they bragge of their knowledge and preach for gaine How then is it like that such fellowes can build the Church of God Can we looke for truth at the hands of false Prophets or edification by them that come without calling In the prophesie of Hildegardis we reade that the principall studie and indeuour of these false teachers shall be to resist true teachers and to bring them to the slaughter by their intelligence with great men Séeing then the Papists haue no other teachers then these false Apostles or rather seducers and heare nothing but tales and idle questions it is not possible they should profit by such Sermons Much lesse therefore is it likely they should grow in knowledge séeing neither their leaders are desirous to teach them nor they to learne of their teachers Linwood speaking of the articles of the Créede saith C. ignorantia de sum Trin. in Gloss It is sufficient for lay and simple men to beleeue them with an implicit faith that is to beleeue as the Catholike Church doth beleeue them Alijs saith he qui sunt simplices vel laici sufficit quod credant eos scil Articulos fidei implicitè id est sicut docet credit sancta Ecclesia catholica He saith also that such knowledge is sufficient for Clerkes that haue no meanes to maintaine themselues at schoole as some suppose But suppose they could say the articles of faith and beléeue them and the rest which Peccham in the constitution ignorantia de officio Archipres doth require at their hands yet should they be very ignorant For a man may beléeue as the Church beléeueth and yet know nothing nor be able to answer to any point of faith Thomas Aquinas 2. 2. q. 2. art 6. compareth Gods people to asses and their teachers to oxen holding that it is sufficient for them in matters of faith to adhere to their superiors because it is said Iob 1. Quòd boues arabant asinae pascebantur iuxta eos Whereby it appeareth he requireth no great knowledge at lay mens hands but would haue them beléeue as their teachers do without further enquiring He fetcheth his proofe out of Gregorie But whence soeuer he draweth it he vseth Gods people very rudely that compareth them to asses and oxen Yet thus much I am content to yéeld that the Masse-priests and their followers are like oxen and asses firmely linked together by the Popes cow-heards and muleters for the diuell their maisters seruice The same man 2. 2. q. 2. art 5. teacheth that lay men are to beléeue all the articles of the Creed and no more explicitè The which is no point of deep learning yet his scholer Siluester in sum in verb. fides 6. will not allow so much saying that it is not necessarie for a lay man to beleeue all the articles of the faith but as much as is sufficient to direct vs to the last end Nec tamen necesse est cuilibet saith he explicitè credere omnes articulos fidei sed quantum sufficit ad dirigendum in vltimum finem Apud Siluest in verb. fides The author of Summa Rosella saith that it is sufficient for simple people and percase for lay men comming to yeares and discretion to beleeue that God is a rewarder of all good and a punisher of all euill And that other articles are to be beléeued implicitè that is beléeuing all to be true which the catholike Church teacheth Simplicibus fortè omnibus laicis discernentibus adultis sufficit credere Deum esse praemiatorem bonorum omnium omnium malorum punitorem alios autem articulos sufficit credere implicitè credendo scil verum quicquid Ecclesia catholica docet But beside that this is an argument to proue the aduersaries allowance of the peoples extreme ignorance it is false and blasphemous to say that any man may be saued without notice or beléeuing in Christ as the author of Summa Rosella his words imply Loth the Pope is that the people should know too much and therefore he forbiddeth Scriptures to be either translated or read in vulgar tongues without licence In publike Liturgies it is not the fashion of Papists to suffer the people to heare Scriptures read in vulgar tongues The Papists also that vnderstand not Latine pray with their lippes but not with their vnderstanding and spirit For the Popes pleasure is that the publike Liturgie of the Church shall not be read in vulgar tongues whereupon the people must néedes grow dull and ignorant Iohn Billet in prolog lib. de diuin offic complaineth of this abuse Quid nostris tēporibus est agendū saith he speaking of reading of Latin seruice vbi nullus vel rarus reperitur legens vel audiēs qui intelligat videns vel agens qui animaduertat iam videtur impletum quod à Propheta dicitur Et erit sacerdos quasi de populo vnus He saith that there are few or none that reade or heare that do vnderstand or marke what is read or heard and that the saying of the Prophet is fulfilled That the priest shall be like one of the people Costerus saith In Enchirid. c de precib Lat. recitand That God and the Saints vnderstand all languages and therefore that it is sufficient
is inuisible or impalpable or that there are iust seuen sacraments and neither more nor lesse and that Christians receiue Christs flesh with their téeth and mouth or that the Pope is the head and spouse of the Church or that he hath two swords or that any images are to be worshipped with latria or that diuels torment soules in purgatory or that the Popes indulgences deliuer soules frō those torments or such like points of popery Now what I pray you is more absurd then to beléeue that a man can eate himself as the Masse-priests say Christ did at his last Supper nay that a dogge or a hogge can eate Christs body or that a spider can be drowned in his bloud which saueth all destroyeth none that can receiue it Againe what is more senselesse then to adore crosses and dumbe images which neither see nor heare nor moue and whose honor is not séene or knowne of those saints to whō they belong for ought we know Thirdly what is more inconuenient then to make a blind Pope that is ignorant of all matters of religion for the most part supreme iudge of controuersies of religion Can blind men iudge of colours or ignorant atheists of religion Fourthly what is more blasphemous then to teach that the Scriptures to vs are not authenticall vnlesse the Pope consigne them vnto vs Shall not truth be truth vnlesse it please the Pope to say it Finally seeing faith ought to be most certaine and built vpon grounds most certaine the popish religion must néedes be an absurd faith and a false religion that is built vpon traditions as well as Scriptures of which traditions the papists can yéeld no certaine proofe but are driuen to alleage either lying legends or old motheaten missals or vncertain customes It were an easie thing to alleage infinite such like absurdities of which this surueying K. hath very foolishly offered vs occasion to discourse at large He doeth also very simply talke of the sacrifice of the Masse Suruey li. 4. c. 2. For if Papists say truly that Christs body and blood is really offered in the Masse and that euery externall sacrifice requireth a reall destruction then it followeth that these masse-mongers do really destroy Christs body and blood Bellarmine lib. 1. de missa c. 2. sayth that an externall sacrifice doth require a reall destruction Requirit realem destructionem Was then this fellow wise trow you to talke of this braue sacrifice Further do we thinke him wise that in a booke offered to the king doth rayle on the kings religion saying That it leadeth vnto atheisme Finally it is a note of desperate folly to affirme That our religion leadeth to Atheisme for want of a Pope or for want of the Popish masse or sacrifice The contrary hereof rather is to be gathered against the Popish religion wherein as we may collect out of the aduersaries owne confession in c. si Papa dist 40. the Pope may lead with him thousands of soules into hell The masse also is a masse and sinke of superstition and idolatry Neither is any thing more repugnant to Christs only sacrifice then the priesthood and sacrifice of the masse Modesty he sheweth none with a face as hard as a lopster affirming That we teach that God is the author of sin That we despoyle Christ of his diuinitie That we wrong him in his office of redemption and bereaue him of his title of lawgiuer and priest And doubt not to say that Christ dispaired Now what greater impudency can be imagined then to ascribe that to vs which we vtterly deny and disclaime Nay we pronounce him accursed whosoeuer shall hold any of these points But the Papists in some things rub very néere vpō these rocks namely where they giue to euery man power to satisfie for the temporall paine of his sins and yéeld that others beside Christ may be called redéemers and make the Pope a law-giuer able to bind mens consciences and giue power to the priest to intercede for Christs body and blood that God would be pleased to accept it as he accepted the sacrifice of Melchisedech Impudently also he belieth vs raileth vpon vs saying that we make euery priuate mans spirit supreme iudge of controuersies and that we reiect Fathers auncient Councels and ouerthrow all religion and worship of God Neither doth he onely raile vpon vs but also vpon scriptures where he sayth that founding our selues only on scriptures we open a gate to all heretikes and heresies As if the Fathers and auncient Councels which founded their faith vpon holy scriptures only opened a gap to all heresies Or as if this could be spoken without disgrace to holy scriptures that he that relieth vpon the word of God deliuered in scriptures doth open a gate to all heresies Finally he taketh vpon him the title of the legate of the great monark of heauen being but a base fugitiue renegued companion set on by Antichrist and his supposts to raile at religion and the professors thereof and lying without rule or order His want of learning doeth euery where appeare throughout his whole Suruey The Scriptures he citeth very rarely The Fathers he mistaketh and misalleageth In Ecclesiasticall histories he is but a nouice Nay albeit he talketh much of our Religion yet he vnderstandeth not what we professe what we reiect Finally although the fellow be but a poore translator and collector of other mens slanders yet could he not well relate that which is translated out of others His principal witnesses are Staphilus Cochleus Bolser Nicol Borne Stapleton Surius and such like railing and base authors Was it then likely that he should shew learning that is wholly conuersant in these trifling authors deuoyd either of learning or else of all religion and honestie And all this God willing shall by many particulars be verified by those who already haue vndertaken to controle his Suruey and to examine euery article of this leud libell Not that such an asses head deserueth any curious washing but because such a barking cur dog would be silenced with a sharpe censure It resteth now that I speak a word or two more of Walpool his cōfutatiō The man is a special friend of mine albeit vpō very smal acquaintance a cunning triacle seller also a mōtbank a master empoisoner as before is declared This onely I forgot to tell you that his braine is full of quicksiluer his memory like an old leather budget his crowne like the posterior parts of an ape and his head like the knop of the handle of a gittern with two strings If you méete any such fellow in the kitchin of the Romish colledge of English boyes commend vs to him and tell him that we haue at leisure perused his Mirificall confutation and therfore now he may bestow it vpon the cook to stop his bottels The stile biteth like pepper and therfore may do some good seruice there Onely thus much I must tel him that his words are too high