of Iudas not Iscariot did say what is the cause that thou wilt shew thy selfe to vs and not vnto the world In this sense I may grant that the world hath not had these gifts of Gods grace these thousand yeares and put another thousand and more vnto them But if we take the world more generally for this great globe and all the inhabitants thereof then proue by the testimonie of all antiquitie that the doctrine which we teach and professe hath not been these 1500. yeares in the world and we will yeeld and you shall winne the victorie But it is vsuall with you and your fellowes to make great and braue bragges to amaze the simple and ignorant and to bring small and poore proofes as you doe here none at all to perswade the wise and learned great braggers are no great doers In deede we confesse that the Church is well compared by Saint Augustine to the Moone For as the Moone receiueth her light from the Sunne so doth the true Church receiue her light from Iesus Christ the sunne of righteousnes And as the Moone is sometimes in the full and shineth in full brightnes and sometimes is in the waine and sometimes is eclipsed and doth little appeare euen so the Church is sometimes in the full and shineth in full brightnes and glorie as in the Apostles times and diuers hundreth yeares after it did sometimes it is in the waine and eclipsed as for many hundred yeares last past it hath been in which that Apostasie from the faith is come which Saint Paul by the spirit of God foreshewed and the euent hath proued by Mahometisme in the East and Papisme in the West During which time although the Church hath been driuen into the wildernes and the light of true doctrine which is the soule of the Church hath been eclipsed yet they haue neuer vtterly perished For in all ages God in mercie hath reserued a remnant according to the election of grace by whom the light of his truth hath been preserued and in whom those admirable promises of his mercie haue been performed These haue been not proude Popes treading vpon Emperours neckes deposing them from their Crownes and Kingdomes raysing bloudie battels and pouling and spoyling Christian countries with greeuous and horrible exactions and deuises as might be shewed not carnall Cardinals Princes peeres hauing 200. and 300. benefices apeece as Gerson and Clamangis Parisian Doctors before named doe affirme not popish blinde prelates Abbats Monkes priests c. wallowing in all worldly wealth and for the most part in great filthines of life as hereafter I will shew but such as the Apostle speaketh of that haue been tried by mockings and scourginges yea by bondes prisonment which were stoned hewen asunder tempted slaine with the sworde wandred vp and downe in sheepe-skinnes and in goates skinnes destituted afflicted and tormented whom the world was not worthie of which wandred in wildernesses and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth Such were those good people in the time of the foresaid apostacie the Waldenses and Pauperes de Lugduno dispersed in diuers countries as namely Calabria Sauoye Prouence in Fraunce of whom many both long agoe in sundrie places and diuers times were burned as it is written in the old booke called Fasciculus Temporum and also of late yeares were most cruelly and vnmercifully perse cuted in Merindoll the valley of Angrone Luserne and Saint Martin Such were they that were called Begardi of whom to the number of 114. were burnt at Paris as the foresaid booke Fasciculus Tempo sheweth Such were they that were called Albingenses inhabiting especially about Tholossa in Fraunce of whom by the procurement of that false Frier and superstitious Hypocrite Dominicus an hundreth thousand were destroyed as writeth Bernardus Lutzenburgus and an 180. were together burned as both Antoninus the Arch-bishop of Florence writeth and Bellarmine himselfe confesseth Such were they of whom Albertus Crantius writeth which in Sueuia publikly preached that the Pope Bishops and prelaces were heretikes and Simoniakes that the begging Friers did peruert the Church with their false preachings for the which they were persecuted and some burned Such were they in Bohemia and Morauia in great number with whom Aeneas Syluius who was Pope called Pius the second hauing had conference writeth thus of one of them Finitis sermonibus istis assurrexit vnus de primoribus Thaboritarum animo satis inflato quid tu nobis inquit apostolicam sedem tot verbis amplificas Nos Papam Cardinales anaritiae seruos nouimus impatientes inflatos tumidos ventri ac libidini deditos ministros scelerum diaboli sacerdotes Antichristi praecursores quorum deus venter est pecunia caelum That is when these speeches were ended there did rise vp one of the chiefe of the Thaborites and with an hautie minde said What dost thou amplifie to vs in so many wordes the Apostolicall seate we know that the Pope and the Cardinals be slaues to couetousnes imputient proud arrogant giuen to the bellie and filthie lust the ministers of wickednes the priests of the diuell and the forerunners of Antichrist whose God is their bellie and whose heauen is money Such also was Arnoldus Brixianus persecuted by that proud English Pope Adrian the fourth anno 1155. Iohn Rochetailada burnt at Auinion by Pope Clement the sixt 1345. Michael Cesenas burnt 1322. Iohn Wickliffe who died 1387. and after his death his body was burnt Two Franciscan Friers burnt at Auinion by Pope Innocent the sixt 1354. Two others burnt at London 1357. William Swinderby burnt 1401. William White burnt 1428. Peter Clarke and Peter Paine 1433. persecuted and forced to flee into Bohemia Thomas Rhedonensis burnt at Rome 1430. Mattheus Palmerius burnt at Florence as witnesseth Sabellicus Dulcinus of Nouaria and Margaret his wife burnt about the yeare of our Lord 1304. Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage burnt at Constance 1415. 1416. Hieromus Sauonarola burnt at Florence 1499. These and many such other that might be produced with their faithfull fauourers and followers were the true Church of God in whom his mercifull promises were performed These are they that haue mourned in Zion that haue lamented and cryed for all the abominations that haue been don in Ierusalem or rather in Rome that were killed for the word of God and for the testimonie which they maintained and which came out of great tribulation and haue washed their robes in the bloud of the Lamb. But these now haue beautie for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnes for the spirit of heauines and are trees of righteousnes the planting of the Lord in whom he is glorified they be now vnder the altar and are in the presence of the throne of God and serue him day and night in his temple and he that sitteth
the mother of vs all which is the holy Catholike Church that we beleeue Hereunto I will adde a few sayings of the Fathers to them which I haue before alleaged Saint Augustine saith Corpus huius capitis Ecclesia est non quae hoc loco est sed quae hoc loco per totum orbem terrarum nec illa quae hoc tempore sed ab ipso Abel vsque ad eos qui nascituri sunt vsque in finem credituri in Christū totus populus sanctorum ad vnam ciuitatem pertinentium quae ciuitas corpus est Christi cui caputest Christus that is The bodie of this head is the Church not which is in this place onely but that which is in this place and through the whole world neither that Church which is at this time but that of them which from Abel shall be borne vnto the end and shall beleeue in Christ euen the whole companie of Saints pertaining to one citie which citie is the bodie of Christ whereof Christ is the head And in another place Ille caput est nos membra sumus tota ecclesia quae vbique diffusa est corpus ipsius est cuius est ipse caput Non solum autem fideles qui modo sunt sed qui fuerunt ante nos qui post nos futuri sunt vsque in finem seculi omnes ad corpus eius pertinent cuius corporis ipse caput est qui ascendit in coelum He is the head wee are his members the whole Church which is dispersed euery where is his bodie whereof he is the head And not onely the faithfull which be now but also they which haue been before vs and which shall be after vs vnto the end of the world all pertaine to his bodie of which bodie hee which hath ascended into heauen is the head Againe Caelestis Hierusalem ciues sunt omnes sanctificati homines qui fuet unt qui sunt qui futuri sunt that is All sanctified men which haue been which are and which shall be citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Cyprian saith Ecclesia nunquam à Christo discedit ijsunt ecclesia qui in domo Dei permanent that is The Church neuer departeth from Christ and they be the Church which continue in the house of God Againe Adulterari non potest sponsa Christi incorrupta est pudica vnam domum nouit vnius cubiculi sanctitatem casto pudore custodit Haec nos Deo seruat haec filios regno quos generauit assignat that is The spouse cannot be defiled she is vncorrupt and chast she knoweth one house and keepeth with chast shamefastnes the holines of one chamber she keepeth vs to God she assigneth the children whom she hath borne vnto his kingdome Saint Hierome saith Ipsa ecclesia quae est Sanctorum omnium congregatio pro aeterna sibi in Domino stabilitate columna fundamentum dicitur veritatis The Church which is the congregation of all Saints by reason of her eternall stedfastnes in God is called the pillar and ground of truth Chrysostome saith Ecclesia est tabernaculū à Deo fixum non ab homine ab vno loco in aliū fugit sednon à pietate ad impietatē fugit that is The Church is the tabernacle which God hath pight and not man she flieth from one place to another but she neuer flieth from godlines to impietie and wickednes Ambrose Apostolus omnem ecclesiam dicens summatim totum comprebendit quod in coelo est interra that is The Apostle meaning all the Church briefly comprehendeth the whole which is both in heauen and in earth Bernard saith Electi Dei sunt ecclesia Dei The elect of God be the Church of God So saith Clemens Alexandrinus as I haue before alleaged Non nunc locum sed electorum congregationem appello ecclesiam I call not now the place the Church but the congregation of the elect Yea Frier Lyra saith Ex quo patet quod ecclesia non consistat in hominibus ratione potestatis vel dignitatis ecclesiasticae vel secularis quia multi principes summi pontifices alij inferiores inuenti sunt apostatasse à fide propter quod ecclesia consistit in illis personis in quibus est notitia vera confessio fides veritatis that is Whereby it appeareth that the Church consisteth not in men in respect of their ecclesiasticall or secular power or dignitie for many Princes and Popes and others of lower degree haue bin found to haue bin Apostates and to haue fallen away from the faith Wherefore the Church consisteth in those persons in whom is true knowledge and the confession of faith and truth This is that holy Catholike Church which we in the Creede confesse and beleeue euen the whole number of them whom God hath elected and chosen to eternall life whom God hath had in all ages and of all nations of which Church euery true and faithfull man and woman must beleeue himselfe to be a true and liuely member whereof he may be assured if he finde and feele that God hath lightened his minde with the knowledge of his truth hath wrought in his heart an vnfained faith to trust in his mercies and to beleeue that his sinnes be forgiuen him for Christs names sake and that God hath sanctified his soule and bodie to hate sinne and to haue a care and conscience to serue him in true holines and righteousnes all the daies of his life This being our confession and beliefe with what conscience and truth can this man say that the Church which the Protestants beleeue hath been interrupted all the ages betwixt the Apostles and Luther and in very deede was neuer seene before Luthers daies or that wee imagine the same to be comprehended within the narrow bounds of England I can say nomore but that a false witnes shall not be vnpunished and he that speaketh lyes shall not escape But now let vs see what this man and his fellowes hold beleeue and call the Catholike Church forsooth the companie of all them that receiue and professe the religion and doctrine of the Church of Rome and submit themselues to be ruled and gouerned by the Bishop and Pope of Rome They that doe not this be Heretikes Schismatikes out of Noahs Arke and out of the Catholike Church And hereupon it followeth that the Christians in Graecia Muscouia Armenia Aethiopia c. where Christianitie hath continued vnto this day and among whom no doubt but some haue been of Gods elect and chosen people yet be they no Catholikes nor of the Catholike Church nor in the state of salnation And why because they neither haue been nor be subiect to the Pope of Rome For so it is with many words solemnely defined and determined by that holy and vertuous Pope Boniface the 8. Subesse Romano pontifici omni humanae creaturae
declaramus dicimus dofinimus pronuntiamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis that is We declare say define and pronounce that it is altogether of necessitie of saluation to be subiect to the Pope of Rome Where the Glosse helpeth out the matter with these words Quie quid saluatur est sub summo pontifice Whatsoeuer is saued is vnder the Pope And on the other side All they that professe the religion of Rome and submit thomselues to the Bishop thereof be Catholikes and the Catholike Church how prophane wicked or vngodly soeuer they be Pope Iohn the 8. the whore Iohn the 12. or as some reckon him the 13. who was an adulterer and of two Cardinals did cut out the tongue of the one the hand of the other and at dice-play would call vpon the diuell and made the pallace of Laterane a stewes of strumpets as Luithprandus Ticinensis writeth Syluester the second a coniurer who gaue himselfe to the Diuell to be made Pope Gregorie the 7. a coniurer and monster Boniface the 7. who robbed Saint Peters Church and put out the eyes of Iohn a Cardinal Boniface the 8. who entred into his popedome like a foxe raigned like a wolfe and died like a dog Alexander the sixt Iulius the second and all they whom Platina calleth monstra portenta monsters and wonders for their wickednesse were not only Catholikes but also heads of this Catholike Church And he that married as I said before his owne sister and Ferdinando a king Naples who maried his Aunt king Philip of Spaine that maried his Neece because they did these things by y e dispēsations and allowing of holy Popes of Rome were Catholikes and good sonnes of the Catholike Church Now whether of these doctrines concerning this article of our faith I beleeue the holy Catholike Church be the sounder truer let the Christian reader vprightly iudge I doubt not but wisdome shall be iustified of her children And whereas you would make men beleeue that the Church whereof we are is contained within the narrow bounds of England and that the Lutherans in Germanie the Hugonotes in France and the Guines in Flanders as you terme them will not ioyne issue with vs in diuers essentiall points of religion you doe to the offending of God deceiuing of your ignorant reader vtter two notorious vntruths For we as I haue said before confesse our selues to be members of that holy Catholike Church which hath beene in all ages and is dispersed ouer the world and we haue communion and fellowship with all them in all nations that feare God and obey his truth especially in the fundamentall doctrines of religion and saluation But how do you truely confesse the Church to be Catholike that is vniuersall comprehending all nations in restraining it to the religion and subiection of the Pope of Rome and so consequently to a small part of Europe vnlesse you will now of late adde the West Indians where the Spaniards haue committed moe horrible murthers then they haue madagood proselytes And what an absurd speech is this that you call the Church of Rome the Catholike Church as if a man should call the Church of Corinth or Ephesus the Catholike Church which if they were holy are but members of the Catholike Church This is therefore that which you vntruly attribute to vs to call England the vniuersall world or Kent the kingdome of England c. But the Church of Rome now committing fornication with stocks and stones is so farre from being the Catholike Church that it is no true member thereof as M. Doctor Raynolds hath learnedly proued And that these whom you contemptuously call Lutherans Hugonotes and Guines do dissent from vs in essentiall points of religion you may easily affirme but shal neuer be able to proue Some indeed in Germanie whom you call Lutherans do dissent from vs in one point concerning the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud howbeit you cannot be ignorant but that manie Churches and countries in Germanie ioyne with vs in that matter And let the reader reade and examine the confessions of faith set out by the Churches in France and in the lowe countries they shall see both how great their agreement in doctrine is with vs and also what a shamelesse slaunder this is which this authour hath according to his accustomed maner auouched but not proued And moreouer I will offer this issue to this man who thinketh so highly of himselfe that whereas he shall proue that there is dissension among vs in one essentiall point of religion and doctrine I will proue that there is in three at the least among them And this much for this article The second article of the communion of Saints you say we many waies denie First by not beleeuing that Christ hath institnted seuen Sacraments wherein the Saints of his Church communicate But why do not you bring some plaine proofe y t our Sauiour Christ instituted these seuen Sacraments seeing you say that the denying of the is the deniall of this article of our faith Saint Paul going about to terrifie the Christians of Corinth from going to idolatrous feasts by the example of Gods fearefull iudgements and plagues poured vpon the Israelites for the like sinnes to preuent an obiection which the Christians of Corinth might haue made that the Israelits were not the Children of God so much as they and had not such Sacraments of Baptisme and of Christs supper as they had and therefore God would not deale so hardly with them as he did with the Israelites to take away I say this obiection he sheweth that they were Gods people as well as the Christians of Corinth were and had the same sacraments in substance that we haue For the fathers were vnder that cloud and al passed through the sea and were all baptized by Moses in that cloud and in that sea and did all eate the same spirituall meat and did all drink the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spiritual rocke that followed them the rocke was Christ Where Saint Paul making mention of the Sacraments which are tokens of Gods grace and markes of his people nameth but these two Baptisme and Christs supper Saint Augustine also writing of the Sacraments whereby Christ hath tied his people together maketh mention but of the same two in these words Primum itaque tenere volo quodest huius disputationis caput dominum nostrum Iesum Christum sicut ipse in Euangelio loquitur Leui iugo suo nos subdidisse sarcinae leui vnde sacramentis numero paucissimis obseruatione facillimis significatione praestantissimis societatem noui populi colligauit sicut est baptismus Trinitatis nomine consacratus communicatio corporis sanguinis ipsius si quid aliud is scripturis canonicis commendatur c 1. First therefore I would haue thee hold that which is the head of
as enuy and hatred moueth men to contention and to blow abroad the faults of their brethren to their infamie so loue and charitie should moue vs to couer and hide their faults and infirmities and rather seeke to amend them then to defame them and therefore these words are not ment of satisfying for our sinnes or couering them before God but of the couering of them before men And so doth D. Bayne Bishop of Lichfield in Queene Maries daies expound them What should I shew how priuatly or rather falsly they expound the places of Gen. 14. 18. touching Melchesedeck bringing forth bread and wine and that of Malachie 1. 11. of the incense and pure offering which in euery place shall be offered to God by which they seeke to maintaine their Masse and the false forged sacrifice thereof I would haue passed these places ouer in silence but that D. Harding doth so hardly handle vs and so grieuously charge vs for them in these words The Scripture it selfe ministring euident proofe for the oblation of Christ to his father by the Priests of the new Testament in the institution of this holy Sacrament in the figure of Melchisedeck and in the prophesie of Malachie the Prophet the authorities of the Fathers needed not to be alleaged were not the same Scriptures by the ouertwhart and false interpretations of our aduersaries wrested and turned to a contrarie sense to the hereticall seducing of the vnlearned These be Master D. Hardings modest words Let it therefore be examined and tried who they be that thus ouertwhart these places and turne them to a contrarie sense As touching the first place out of Genesis they expound it that Melchisedeck offered bread and wine for he was the Priest of the most high God and that was a type and figure of the sacrifice of the new Testament wherein Christ is offered vnto his father vnder the forme of bread and wine Pighius Controuers 5. Hosius Confess Petriconiensi cap. 41. Who saith that this is the opinion of all the holy Doctors of the Church that this bread and wine was offered for a sacrifice to God and not for a refection to Abraham But this both exposition and assertion is false for both Tertullian contra Iudaeos and also Epiphanius Haeres 55. expound it of his bringing forth of bread and wine to Abraham Epiphanius saith Abraham fuit 88. aut 90. plus minos tunc Melchisedec ipsi obuiam venit proposuit ipsi panem vinum i. Abraham was about 88. or 90. yeeres old when Melchesedeck met him and brought forth bread and wine vnto him So doth Iosephus expound it Melchisedec milites Abrahami hospitaliter habuit nihil illis ad victum deesse passus simul ipsum adhibuit mensae Melchisedech vsed hospitalitie to Abrahams Souldiers and suffered them to want no victualles and did take Abraham to his Table That this is the true sense it appeareth by the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth neuer signifie to offer and sacrifice but to bring forth and the force of truth forceth some of their owne side to confesse this to be true Cardinal Caietanus vpon this place writeth thus Nihil cribitur hic de sacrificio seu oblatione sed de prolatione seu extractione quam Iosephus dicit factam ad refectionem victorum Quod autem in vulgata editione subditur vt causa oblationis erat enim sacerdos dei altissimi in Hebraeo non habetur vt causa sed vt separata clausula that is There is nothing here said of sacrifice or oblation but of bringing forth which Iesephus saith was done to the refection of them which had gotten the victorie And that which in the vulgar edition is put after as a cause for he was the priest of the most high God in the Hebrew is not set as a cause but as a clause separated from it Andradius also the Iesuit doth herein forsake his friends and acknowledgeth this to be the true exposition his words be these De offerendi autem vocabulo non est Kemnici quod digladeremur cum in correctioribus latinis exemplaribus sanctis patribus qui locum hunc Eucharistiae accommoundat extet proferens atque ego cum illis sentiam qui lassos Abrahae milites diuturna pugnafractos Melchisedecom pane vinoque refecisse aiunt that is We neede not Kemnicus to striue about the word of offering seeing that both in the best corrected Latine coppies and also in the holy Fathers which apply this place to the Eucharist it is proferens brought forth and I in iudgement agree with them which say that Melchisedech refreshed Abrahams souldiers wearied and fainted with long fight Their exposition of the other place of Malachie is as absurd in applying it to the sacrifice of the Masse which is neither a pure sacrifice nor is offered in all places And the Fathers Tertullian Hierome and others expound it of the spiritual sacrifices of the faithfull which they offer in all places to God Tertullian in three places doth so expound it whereof I will set downe but one Et in omni loco sacrificium nomini meo offeretur sacrificium mundum scilicet simplex oratio de conscientia pura that is and in euery place a sacrifice shal be offered to my name and a pure oblation to wit simple prayer from a pure conscience S. Ierome expoundeth it thus Dicit orationes sanctorum domino offerendas esse non in vna orbis prouincia Iudaeae sed in omni loco à . He saith that the prayers of the Saints shall be offered to God not in Iudea one only prouince of the world but in euery place But I wil forbeare to write any more of the peruerse exposition of this place and wil refer the reader to that most learned conference of that excellent ornament of this Church of England Master Doctor Reynoldes with Iohn Harte where he shall finde this place fully discussed and Cardinall Allens reasons which he braggingly calleth valida planè bona that is strong and very good fully confuted Which booke I meruaile that neither this challenger nor any other of our Iesuites could as yet finde leasure to confute I might alledge many moe places most falsely expounded by these Romanistes but I will forbeare them and will shew you one place out of the 26. of Ieremie trimly applyed by Bonauenture a Seraphicall Doctor a Bishop a Cardinall of Rome and a Saint canonized by Pope Sixtus the fourth who did as holy an act in Saincting of him as he did in building nobile admodum Lupanar a noble stewes in Rome as Agrippa a papist writeth Bonauentures words be these Septimo eleuatur Corpus Christi ad ostendendam bonitatem Christi Quae enim maior bonitas quà m quod Christus dignatur captiuus esse in altari vnde ipse dicit in persona Hieremiae prophetae Ecce ego in mambus vestris sum
to doe as the noble man the Queene Candaces Treasurer did to seek to a faithful Philip that is a godly and learned man by him to seeke to haue them opened and expounded so did Fabiola other godly women to Saint Hierome So Augustine saith Scripturarum expositio ab ijs petenda est qui earum doctores se esse profitentur that is The exposition of the Scriptures is to be sought of them which professe themselues to be doctors and teachers of them Yet with Saint Paul we say that as we are not to despise prophesying that is the expounding of Gods word so we are not rashly to receiue whatsoeuer is deliuered to vs but we are to proue all and to hold that which is good and to abstaine from all apparance of euill for the eare trieth the words as the mouth tasteth meate So also Saint Basil saith Quod in edulijs est sensus qualitatis vniuscuiusque edulij hoc in verbis sanctae scripturae est intellectus Gula enim inquit cibos gustat mens verba dijudicat that is That which in meates is the tast of the qualitie of euery meate the same is the vnderstanding or minde in the words of the holy Scripture For the throate saith he tasteth the meates and the minde iudgeth the words Now I will retort your argument vpon you in this manner Whosoeuer buildeth his faith vpon priuate and false expositions of the Scripture is an infidel The Papists build their faith vpon priuate and false expositions of the Scripture as I haue shewed before and can proue in many places moe ergo the Papists be infidels And thus much to your second article of faith The Pamphlet All Protestants who are ignorant of the Greeke and Latine tongues are Infidels 3. Article WHosoeuer relieth his faith vpon the ministers credit and fidelitie hath no faith at all But all those in England who are ignorant of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues rely their faith vpon the ministers credit Ergo. All those in England who are ignorant of the Greeke and Hebrew tongues haue no faith at all The Maior is manifest because they themselues confesse that euery man may erre and doth erre neither haue they any warrant why the ministers doe not erre since they constantly doe defend that whole generall councels yea and the vniuersall Catholike Church may erre and hath erred The Minor I proue for all such Protestants ground their faith vpon the Bible translated into English the which translation they know not whether it be true or false whether the minister Tindall for example erred or no either vpon ignorance as Broughton one of the greatest linguists among the precisians affirmeth in an epistle dedicated to the Lords of the Counsell or vpon malice to induce the people to protestancie or to cause them to leaue the Catholike Religion as Gregorie Martin in his discouerie most pregnantly prooueth These errors I say they know not and consequently cannot discerne a true translation from a false and therefore must needes rely their faith vpon the sillie ministers faithles fidelitie which conuinceth that they haue no faith at all Answere I Deny the Minor or second proposition of this Syllogisme and say that we rely not our faith vpon the Ministers credit and fidelitie but vpon the word of God translated the which we know to be true and holy not so much for that it is by publike authoritie and generall assent of men allowed as for that it containeth most holy doctrine agreeable to true faith and godly life whereby any that readeth or heareth it may behold the Maiestie of Gods spirit appearing in it As for example I beleeue these sayings to be true that Iesus Christ came into this world to saue sinners that he is the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world that the grace of God which offereth saluation to all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we deny vngodlinesse and worldly lust and liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world c. not for that this or that man hath translated them but because the spirit of God doth beare witnes vnto my hart that most holy pure and diuine doctrine is contained in them And therefore to say that those which vnderstand not the Hebrew and Greeke tongues because they vse the word of God translated to them into other languages doe rely their faith vpon the Ministers credit and fidelitie and haue no faith is most foolish and absurd And let the Christian reader marke and consider how this sottish reason tendeth to the discrediting not only of vs but also of the most part of all godly and faithfull Christians in all ages yea and to the most of the godly Doctors and Fathers of the Church who were almost all ignorant of the Hebrew tongue and some of the Greeke also The holy Scriptures were translated into many tongues in the which the people of God did reade and heare them As Theodoritus writeth Hebraici verò libri non modò in Graecum idioma conuersi sunt sed in Romanam quoque linguam Aegyptiacam Persicam Indicam Armenicamque Scythicam adeoque Sauromaticam semelque vt dicam in linguas omnes quibus ad hanc diem nationes vtantur that is The Hebrew bookes be translated not onely into the Greeke tongue but also into the Romaine Aegyptian Persian Indian Armenian and Scythian and also the Sclauonian tongues to say at a word into all languages which the nations vse vnto this day Did the ancient faithfull Christians which read and heard the holy Scriptures in these sundrie languages rely their faith vpon men that did translate them or vpon the diuine doctrine and precious promises of God contained in them And let this cauiller shew sufficient reason why we are not either to be acquited with them or they condemned with vs. They could no more iudge of the truth of the translations then our people can yet they did to their great comfort and godly instruction and edification reade and heare the holy Scriptures grounding their faith not vpon the translators who might be and sometimes were euill men but vpon the sound holy and heauenly doctrine therein contained Saint Hierome exhorted ladies and gentlewomen not onely to reade the Scriptures themselues but also to bring vp their young daughters when they were but seuen yeares ould in that holy exercise They were not able to iudge of the translations otherwayes then to discerne and perceiue that the doctrine by them deliuered was pure and holy agreeable to true faith and godly life And euen so they that be godly in these dayes although they hauing not the knowledge of the Hebrew and Greeke tongues cannot iudge so exactly of translations and of the truth of them as those that vnderstand them can yet they may discerne whether the translations deliuer sound and holy doctrine consonant to true faith good manners and the generall heads and
vsuall amongst you and your fellowes in such sort to abuse the word of God The words of Saint Iohn be these Iohn to the seuen Churches which are in Asia Grace be with you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seuen spirits which are before his throne and from Iesus Christ c. What meaneth this man to alledge this for inuocation of Saints will he by these seuen spirits vnderstand the Saints either he knoweth little or he cannot be ignorant that this is expounded of the holy Ghost who although he be in person one yet by the communication of his vertue and demonstration of his diuine workes in those seuen Churches doth so perfectly shew himselfe as though there were so many spirits euery one working in his peculiar Church Ambrose set out by Doctor Tunstall Bishop of Duresme writeth vpon these words thus Hic tota trinitas demonstratur that is heere the whole Trinitie is shewed and a little after Per septem autem spiritus spiritus sanctus eò quod sit septiformis intelligitur that is By the seuen spirits the holy Ghost is vnderstoode because he worketh seuen manner of wayes And hard it were or rather absurd to pray for grace and peace from Saints and that before Iesus Christ But vpon this I will not stand onely the reader may consider how barren this cause is which hath no plainer proofes and driueth this man to such priuate and false exposition of Gods word Now whereas you say that by prayer you glorifie the Saints in heauen I say that by prayer we doe glorifie God Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me But that by prayer we should glorifie Saints I doe not finde in all the holy Scriptures If this man can why doth he not shew it I finde that God will not giue his glorie to any other and that the Saints with Dauid say Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glorie for thy louing mercie and thy truths sake And that the Angell would not be worshiped or glorified but said vnto Iohn worship God As touching the Saints mediation when Iesus Christ shall cease to be our mediator and to sit at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs then we will seeke to your mediation of Saints In the meane time take you heede that in attributing that to the Saints which is proper and peculiar to the sonne of God yea which he hath bought with his bloud you doe not deny the Lord which hath bought vs and that you doe not horribly dishonor those Saints and make Idols of them Furthermore you say that we deny the communion of the Church militant and the soules in purgatorie c. Whereunto I answer y t when you shal plainely and pithily proue this your fayned fire of purgatorie which the Greeke Church alwayes hath denyed then we wil yeeld vnto you and graunt our selues to be to blame in not helping these seely soules with dirges masses c. out of the paines of this forged fire You quote in your margent for proofe thereof 1. Cor. 3. v. 15. 15. v. 29. Alas poore purgatorie that hath no better proofes The words of S. Paul in the first place be these If a mans worke burne he shall lose but he shall be saued himselfe neuerthelesse yet as it were by fire Here is mention of fire and therfore it must needs be the fire of purgatorie for such is the great iudgement of these worthie writers that if they reade in the Scriptures or Fathers this word fire it is none other but the fire of purgatorie if sacrifice it is the sacrifice of the Masse if confessiō it can be nothing but auricular confession to the priest if tradition it is vnwrittē verities or vanities But touching these places of S. Paul because the author of this Pamphlet doth not alledge them but barely quote them I will but briefely touch them To the first I say that S. Paul there speaketh not of all men but onely of teachers and preachers which be builders of Gods house and Church which euen Bellarmine confesseth Secondly he speaketh not of all their workes but onely of their doctrine whereby they build the Church of God Thirdly he speaketh not of the purging of workes or persons but of the probation of doctrines Fourthly the works are said to be proued and not the persons Lastly if this place should be vnderstood of purgatorie then euery man should bee throwne into it for it is said the fire shall try euery mans worke of what sort it is but this is contrarie to the doctrine of the papists who will not haue all men come into purgatorie These things plainly shew that this place cannot be vnderstoode of purgatorie Saint Augustine in many places doth vnderstand it of the afflictions and troubles sustained in this life and not of the paines of Purgatorie after this life Enchir. ad Laurentium cap. 68. de ciuit Dei lib. 21 cap. 26. de side operibus cap. 16. in Psal 80. But S. Paul speaketh of triall of doctrine shewing that as the fire trieth mettals so the light of Gods truth trieth doctrines and as gold and siluer abide in the fire and hay and stubble be consumed so true sound and holy doctrines abide the light and triall of Gods word when either vntrue doctrines or vaine speculations perish and be consumed So doth S. Ambrose expound it Mala doctrina in igne omnibus apparebit nunc enim quosdam fallit that is Euill doctrine shall appeare vnto all in the fire for now it deceiueth some Againe Mala enim adultera doctrina idcirco in ligno foeno stipula significata est vt ostenderetur ignis esse esca that is Euill and counterfeit doctrine is therfore signified by wood hay and stubble that it might be shewed that it is but meate to be consumed of fire And againe Ignis ergo hic Christi sermo est bonus ignis c. This fire is the word of Christ and it is a good fire which warmeth but burneth not but onely sinnes By this fire that gold of the Apostle laid vpon the good foundation is tried By this fire that siluer of manners or workes is proued By this fire those pretious stones are lightened but the hay and stubble is consumed Therefore this fire clenseth the soule and consumeth error Hitherto S. Ambrose whereby we may see y t neither S. Augustine nor S. Ambrose expound this place of Purgatorie much lesse the Greeke Fathers who neuer acknowledged it Therfore to expoūd it of Purgatorie as the Papists do whether it be not a priuate false exposition let y e godly reader vprightly iudge The words of the other place here quoted are these Else what shall they doe which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why
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
spirit for why will ye dye O house of Israel saith also I will put a new spirit within their bowels and I will take the stonie heart out of their bodies and will giue them an heart of flesh And againe Create in me a cleane heart O Lord and renew aright spirit within me The same spirit that saith Wash you make you cleane saith also Purge me with Hyssope and I shall be cleane Wash me and I shall be whiter then Snow And againe I will power cleane water vpon you and a new spirit will I put within you and ye shall be cleane yea from all your filthines and from all your Idols will I cleanse you The same spirit that saith Be ye holy for I am holy saith also the God of peace make you holy And so we must come to that saying of Saint Augustine Da quod iubes iube quod vis Giue vs O Lord that which thou commaundest vs and then commaund vs what thou wilt And therefore they reason like doltish Asses which inferre vpon the exhortations to grace and godlines which be in the Scriptures that there is a power and abilitie in vs to performe those things whereunto God in his word exhorteth vs. Exhortations be Gods instruments and meanes which he vseth to worke his heauenly graces in vs. I would here end this matter but that I must tell you that you write improperly and falsely in charging vs that we say all goodnes proceedeth so farre from grace that it lieth not in mans power neither to haue it nor to refuse it but of necessitie it must haue effect Improperly you write in putting hauing Gods grace in steede of obtaining and getting it We say it is in man to haue it when God doth giue it without which gift it is not in mans power to get it But it is in man to resist it For the grace of God offereth saluation to all but it is resisted and reiected of many in that their hard and stony hearts will not admit it The grace of God is offered to men when his word is preached and they be called to repentance but it is with many and namely you as Zacharie saith They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare Yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone least they should heare the Law and words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by the ministerie of the former Prophets I know no man that denieth but such men doe resist the grace of God which yet is receiued of them that are written in the booke of life whose wils it reformeth and of euill wils maketh good wils willing and couering those things which be acceptable in Gods sight Finally I thought good for the better satisfying of the reader in this matter to let him vnderstand that wheras Erasmus a man as all men must needs confesse of great learning was had in ielousie of the Papists as too much leaning to Luther and his doctrine he was at the last prouoked and set on by them to write against him who chusing this matter of free will and writing in defence thereof yet afterward he retracted and reuoked his former opinion and writing and was not abashed to confesse the truth as appeareth by these his words Verum vt ingenuè dicam perdidimus liberum arbitrium illic mihi aliud dictabat animus aliud scribebat calamus that is But simply to speake my minde We haue lost our free will in that matter my minde did indite to me one thing and my hand did write another I come now to the second doctrine of ours which you vntruely charge and falsely slander to tend to loosenes of life and carnall libertie that men be iustified by faith alone which you scornefully call a solifidian portion and falsely say but doe not proue that it flatly ouerthroweth true repentance sorrow for sinnes mortification of passions and all other vertues which tend to the perfect reconciliation of the soule with God c. Where first I would exhort you if the same might any thing preuaile with you to take heed that by scorning in this manner at Gods truth you shew not your selfe to be one of them that sit in the seate of the scornefull Salomon saith that iudgements are prepared for the scorners and stripes for the backe of fooles Secondly as this doctrine which you deride is true godly and comfortable confirmed by the word of God and ancient Fathers so doth it not exclude much lesse ouerthrowe repentance or any other good worke but sheweth the true and right vse of them Saint Paul saith We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law And in the fourth chapter he reasoneth thus from Abraham the father of the faithfull If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce or glory But Abraham hath not wherein to reioyce or glorie before God Ergo Abraham was not iustified by workes And after saith To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse We know that a man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe but by the faith of Iesus Christ euen we haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the lawe because that by the workes of the lawe no flesh shall be iustified This doctrine was neither scorned nor denied by the auncient godly Fathers of some of whom I will set downe a few sayings Origene speaking of the theefe that was hanged with Christ saith Pro hac sola fide ait ei Iesus Amen dico tibi Hodie mecum eris in paradiso that is For this his onely faith Iesus said vnto him Verely I say vnto thee this day shalt thou be with me in paradise And of the woman that had the issue of bloud Ex nullo legis opere sed pro sola fide ait ad tam. Remittuntur tibi peccata that is For no worke of the law but for faith onely he said vnto her Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Hilarie saith Solafides iustificat that is Only faith doth iustifie Ambrose saith Iustificati sunt gratis quia nihil operantes neque vicem reddentes sola fide iustificati sunt dono Dei that is They are iustified freely because working nothing nor rendring any recompence they are iustified by faith onely through the gift of God The like he writeth in Rom. 4. and 10. and vpon the 1. Cor. 1. Praefat. ad Galat. and vpon chap. 3. Saint Hierome saith Conuertentem impium per solam fidem iustificat Deus non opera bona quae non habuit God doth by faith only iustifie the wicked man conuerting not by good workes which he had not Many such other sayings I might alleage out of Hierome