A Disswasive FROM POPERIE CONTAINING TWELVE EFFECTVAL REASONS BY VVHICH EVERY Papist not wilfully blinded may be brought to the truth and euery Protestant confirmed in the same written by Francis Dillingham Master of Arts and fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge necessarie for all men in these times Lactant. lib. de vero dei simulachro cap. 20. Quid facies maiores nè an potiùs rationeÌ„ sequeris What will thou doer follow thy ancestours or reason PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1599. The summe of the booke 1 The first reason of Antichrist 2 The second of truth 3 Of haeresie in generall 4 Of particular haeresies 5 Of popish dissolute and discomfortable doctrine 6 Of Idolatrie 7 Of popish blasphemies 8 Of the Papists owne confession 9 The ninth of the Practise of the primitiue Church 10 Of Scripture 11 Of popish Contradictions 12 Of the originall of Poperie ⧠TO THE right Honorable and my very good Lord Oliver L. S. Iohn Baron of Bletsoe Grace and peace with increase of honour c. II is not vnknown Right honourable and my singular good Lord that man is not borne for himselfe but for the benefit of others To this principle agreeth the Apostles precept Rom. 12. 1. Pet. 4.10 that euery man according to his gift should indeauour himselfe to do good And to this precept the practise of nature is answerable in Similitud Vt luna saith Erasmus quod luminis accepit à sole mundo refundit ita donum à deo acceptum in commodum aliorum est conferendum As the moone giueth that light to the world which it receiueth from the sunne so euery gift receiued from God ought to be bestowed to the profit of others All which excellent sayings are spoken of euery good and therefore by consequent of knowledge of which Seneca writeth thus Nulla me res delectabit licet eximia sit quaÌ„ mihi vnus sciturus sum I delight not in any thing which I my selfe know and none other And againe Nullius boni sine socio iucunda possessio est It is no pleasure to possesse any good without a companion The consideration of these and like speaches haue caused me to set pen to paper against the mysticall and secret impietie of Popish religion although vnfit for so great a worke in many respects as namely in regard of my health For I may truly say with Seneca Nulla mihi secura lux affulsit Jn Thebaid I haue had no good day This beeing a most certen truth how vnable I am to vndergoe this busines the similitude vsed by Tully may declare Quemadmodum scalarum gradus si alios tollas alios inâ—â—â—â—s nonnullos malè haerentes relinquas ruinae periculum struas non ascensum pares sic tot malis tùm victum tùm fractum studium scribendi quid dignum auribus aut probabile potest afferre If thou take some rounds of the ladder away and cut other and leaue the rest loose thou endangerest a downefall and causest not an ascension so the endeauour of writing beeing vanquished with so many miseries what thing caÌ„ it bring forth worthie and worth hearing and reading This miserie hath another attendant namely pouertie and want which as one saith is onus miserum grave a woful and a grieuous burthen The renowmed Philosopher could say that felicity needed outward good things For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is impossible Ethic. 1.8 or very hard for him that wanteth instruments to doe any famous worke But not too much of this matter least I seeme to be impatient being my selfe a preacher of patience Onely this I feare that the cause why many are peruerted by Papists and diuerted to poperie is the hope of preferment which is not wanting in that religion Sublatis studiorum pretijs ipsa studia pereunt saith Cornelius Tacitus Take away the rewardes of learning Annal. l. 11. and learning it selfe decaieth But I leaue this complaint beeing a miserie incident to the despised estate of Gods Church in the sight of the world howsoeuer most glorious in the sight of God Thus Right Honourable you see the cause that mooued me to set forth this treatise Now in that I dedicate it vnto you I haue many reasons For to omit priuate respects as namly your honourable and singular fauour towardes me and all my friendes such is your desire to further Christs kingdome such is your care of religion your loue to learning that for these causes you are most worthie of this dutie And in these singular and admirable graces of Gods spirit may you more reioyce then in any worldly thing Aristotle as Plutarch writeth writte to Antipater concerning Alexander that he should not be proud because of his kingdome because he that knewe God hath as much cause as he his meaning is this that the knowledge of God is better then worldly honour The Lord blesse you and your wise vertuous and honourable Ladie with all heauenly and worldly honour Your L. euer bounden Francis Dillingham A preface to all English Papistes whatsoeuer Rhe. act 11. IT is not my purpose to vse any long discourse vnto you that please your selues in the name of Papists yet I pray you let me first craue an answer to this my dissuasiue or els submit your selues to gods truth Secondly I would bee certified vvhat should cause you to continue in the Romish religion Doth the vniuersalitie of which you vvere wont to vaunt your selues why then doe your Rhemists in their annotations vppon the 20. chap. of the Reuel proue the Pope not to bee Antichrist because his kingdome is daily lessened and Antichrist during the time of his raigne shal be greater then Christs flock yea some of you haue vvritten that the Church in his time shall vtterly perish as your selues know Againe if vniuersality chalketh out the church why did the Arrian Emperour say to Liberius Theodoret. lib. 2. cap. 16. Quota pars tu es orbis terrarum qui solus facis cum homine scelerato orbis terrarum mundi totius pacem dissoluis What part of the world art thou that onely takest part with the wicked man and dissoluest the peace of the whole earth Liberius answereth Non diminuitur solitudine mea verbum fidei nam olim tres soli fuère qui edicto resisterent In that I am left alone the word of faith is not diminished for in times past there were onely three that resisted the kings edict But it may be your vnitie is of some force with you for your satisfaction in this point see my motiue of your dissentions Also consider that ther may be some diuersitie of opinions in lesser matters and yet a true church for els the auncient Christians should haue beene no church amongst whome there vvere many dissentions as you may see in the 8. booke of the tripartite historie and 12. chap. Themistius wrote to Valens that he should
mors before man is life and death These three arguments are all answered by Aquinas and yet they are the papists pillers of free-wil as euery man knoweth if it were needfull I might quote the authors that vse them The 19. Contradiction Alexander de Hales parte 4. quaest 24. denieth that confirmation was instituted by Christ his reasons are these two Quia Christus quando instituit aliquod Sacramentum determinat elementum when Christ doth institute any sacrament hee determineth of the element and matter of the Sacrament but hee hath not done so in this Sacrament Ergo it was not instituted of him Secondly in Sacramentis vna forma est in the Sacraments there is one forme of words but in this there is not one forme of wordes for in diuers churches they haue diuers formes Ergo it was not instituted of Christ Hence it may be concluded that it is no sacrament because all Sacraments were ordained by Christ Iesus as Aquinas holdeth 3. parte quaest 72. art 1. resp adprimum where also wee may see that some held as Alexander de Hales holdeth namely that it was not instituted of Christ and by consequent it is no Sacrament The 20. Contradiction The Contradictions about the Sacrament of the alter and reall presence are so manie that I will not enter into them because I eschew tediousnesse onely I will set downe Aquinas his opinion in his supplement 83. quaest art 3. responsione ad quartum namely that on body cannot bee locally in two places at one time for it implyeth a Contradiction but now the Papists care not for Contradiction so they may make the bodie of Christ present locally in the Sacrament Many more Contradictions might I haue set downe as namely the certaine knowledge that a man is in grace and such like taught by Papists but it shall suffice to haue proued that in the weightiest points of controuersie the Papists are on our side Let them now bragge no more of vnitie for the spirite of dissention is sowen amongst them Did euer the Caluinists teach the weightiest points of poperie as the papists do the greatest opinions of Caluinisme I know they doe not Thus leauing this reason to the indifferent reader to iudge of euery man may see what cause there is to disclaime and renounce the Romish religion The twelue reason of the Originall of many things taught held in Poperie FOr asmuch as in one of my former reasons I haue by sufficient testimonies proued the practise of the primitiue Church to bee repugnant to Poperie in many weightie matters I shal not need to be long in the Original of the Romish religion certaine it is that it was not all hatched at once Teâ— de pâ—escâ—â—p and that it it not a thing necessarie to shew the beginning of euerie point in poperie seing that ipsa Papistarum doctrina cum Apostolis comparata ex diuersitate contrarietate sua pronunciabit neque Apostoli alicuius authoris esse neque Apostolici The Popish doctrine it selfe being compared with the Apostles will by the varietie and contrarietie that is in it pronounce that neither Apostle nor any Apostolicall man was the author of it Notwithstanding both because it helpeth much for the satisfying of some and also because diuerse abuses are noted by Papists theÌ„selues I will set downe some things concerning the Originall of poperie and first heare what Bucchingerus an arch Papist in his Ecclesiastical history writeth pag. 217. Res est plena horroris vel legere vel meminisse tantam tyrannidem inter se exercuisse mutuò Pontifices Romanos ô quantum degenerarunt à maioribus suis fieri non potuit in tanta crudelitate vt pietatis Christianae ratio haberetur ne cui mirum sit interim siqui abusus perversae opiniones in Ecclesiam irrepsêrunt It is a thing full of horror either to reade or to remember the great tyranny the Bishops of Rome haue practised one toward another ô howe are they degenerate from their auncestoures and it cannot be that in such crueltie their should be had any regard of Christian piety let no man then marueile if some abusâ—s and badde opinions haue crept into the church Loe here three things noted by a Papist him selfe First the cruelty of the Romish Bishops 2. their degeneratioÌ„ from their auncestours and thirdly that certaine badde opinions by this meanes are crept into the Church For proofe of this last point I will beginne with purgatory because that it hath warmed the popes kitchin Concerning which let Roffensis a papist speake artic 18. contra assert Lutheri fer in iniâ—sed Graecis etiam adhunc vsque diem non creditum est purgatorium esse legat quicunque velit Graecorum veteruÌ„ commentarios nullum quantum opinor aut quà m rarissimum de purgatorio sermonem inveniet Sed neque Latini simul omnes huius rei veritatem concepêrunt rursus non absque maxima spiritus sancti dispensatione factum est quod post tot annorum curricula purgatorii fides indulgentiaruÌ„ vsus ab orthodoxis generatim sit receptus quandiu nulla fuit de purgatorio cura nemo quaesivit indulgentias nam ex illo pendet omnis indulgentiarum existimatio The Greeks to this daie doe not beleeue that there is purgatory reade who list the Commentaries of the auncient Graecians and he shall finde either very seldome mention of purgatory or none at all Neither did the Latin Church conceiue the trueth of this thing at one time And againe neither was it done without the great dispensation of the holy ghost that after so many yeares Catholikes both beleeued purgatory and receiued the vse of pardon generally so long as there was no care of purgatory no man sought for pardons for of it dependeth all the aestimation that we haue of pardons Out of this testimony I gather first that the Greeke Church acknowledgeth no purgatory Secondly that the auncieÌ„t Latin Church did not beleeue it Thirdly that these opinions grewe by little and little in the Church Fourthly and lastly that pardons depende vpon purgatorie and so are newe deuises of mans braine Therefore let pardons purgatory pickpurse goe From purgatory I passe to the Popes primacy which is an after invention as I prooue out of Socrates in the 7. booke of his Ecclesiasticall historie and the 11. chap. Episcopatus Romanus non aliter atque Alexandrinus quasiextra sacerdotii fines egressus ad saecularem principatum iam erat ante delapsus The Bishops of Rome and Alexandria going beyond the limits of priesthood vvent into a secular worldly dominioÌ„ For proofe of this when Victor as Eusebius writeth lib. 5. cap. 23. Ecclesiastic histor would haue excommunicated the Churches of Asia he was resisted by Iraeneus To passe ouer that Policarpus would not yeeld to Amcetus We know that before Boniface the first no Bishop of Rome was called vniuersal bishop Lastly as testifieth Fasciculus temporum anno 704
this thing most clearely confirmed what then caused Bellarmine to teach that temporall prosperitie is a note of the church Christ and his Apostles are much beholding to him who suffred exquisite torments and therefore by his diuinitie are to bee exempted from the number of Gods Saints but they that haue better learned Christ hold otherwise Now to returne to the matter Read the booke of Martyrs haue not the Papists bin drunken with the blood of Gods Saints so I come to the sixt and last property of truth The 6. Propertie Idverum quodcunque primum id adulterinum quodcunque posterius Tertullian adv Prax. That is true which is first that is adulterous which is an after intention but their opinions are not first but latter deuises did not the lay people receiue the cup in the Apostles time no Papist although he hath lost his forehead can denie it To wind this vp in a word Master Iewell that reuerend and renowned bishop his challenge in the 27. articles is not answered Totis iam triginta annis Catholici omnes Iuello nostro nondum fatisfecerunt that is All the Papists in thirtie yeeres space and vpvvard haue not satisfied M. Iewell And therefore I constantly conclude all these 27. opinions are new and no auncient doctrine thus they that cannot shew 27. of their opinions in the compasse of six hundred yeares are mainteiners of new doctrin but the Papists cannot do this therfore they maintaine a new doctrine and by consequence a false doctrine Now as in the former circumstances of Antichrist so likewise in these sixe seuerall notes of truth I desire thee to combine theÌ„ thou maist be able to maintaine this that truth is not lodged in the Popes breast The third reason of haeresy in generall AS touching the definition of haeresie I might spend many wordes and much time Lib. de veili taâ—e cred but I referre thee to Augustine come to particular notes and markes of haeretickes which I doubt not but most euideÌ„tly to prooue that they agree to papists after a kind of Excellencie Aristoâ— iâ— Metap for so I haue learned to speake by metaphysicall philosophie The first note The first note or badge of haereticks is to mayme the sayings of Fathers Counc 8. Constant Juelius act 4. The eight Counsell of Constantinople and the eight act hath these wordes Non conuenit orthodoxis ita circumtruncat as saÌ„ctorum patruÌ„ voces deflorare haereticorum potius hoc proprium est Is it not meete to mayme the sayings of Fathers it is the point of haeretiks to doe so That the Papists doe mayme the sentences of Fathers I might shewe by many examples Duraeus in his tenth page citing Augustine his testimony out of his booke de fide operibus and the 14. chap. leaueth out these words which plainely ouerthrow his defence namely opera sequuÌ„tur iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum that is Works follow him that is iustified they go not before iustification Harding so dealeth with the testimony of Gregorie in the article of the popes primacy but I will conuince them by their owne testimony out of their Index expurgatorius page 11. Although say they we make no great account of this booke viz. Bertramius and therefore we would not greatly care if either it were no where extant or vtterly lost yet seeing that in other ancieÌ„t Catholik writers we beare very many errors extenuate excuse theÌ„ yea very often by devising some pretie shift we denie them and doe faine some commodious sence vnto them when they are opposed against vs in disputations or in Conflicts with the Aduersaries we doe not see why Bertram doth not deserue the same equity Thus farre the papists themselues whose owne words declare that they are voide of al truth and honestie What should I speake of Cyprian who to establish Peters primacy is falsified by Pamelius contrarie to the auncient editition in print yea the very argument of the place is directly contrary vnto it The second note The second note of Haeretickes is not to stand to onely scriptures so saith Tertullian aufer haereticis quae cum ethnicis sapiunt vt de scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant Lib. de resurrect carnis stare non poterunt take from the haeretickes that which is common to the heathen with them that they propound their questions only out of scripture and they cannot stande Out of which testimony I reason thus they that dispute not out of scripture alone are either haeretickes or Ethnickes but the Papists do no so dispute Ergo they are either Haeretickes or Ethnickes I will conclude this propertie with the Historie recorded by Master Sleidon in his sixt booke at the disputation at Berne when Conradus Tregerus an Augustinian prooued that he must dispute out of nothing but scripture he by and by fled and so in that place poperie was destroyed so Lord let papistrie perish in euery place The third note The third note of haeretickes is to accuse the scripture of vncertainty Haereticks saith Iraeneus cum ex scripturis arguuÌ„tur in accusationem ipsarum scipturarum conuertuÌ„tur quasi varie sunt dictae quia non possit ex his inveniri veritas ab bijs qui ne sciant traditionem non enim per literas traditam illam sed per vivam vocem c. When they are convicted out of the scriptures they fall to accusing of the scriptures themselues as though they were diuersly vttered and that the trueth could not be found out of them which knowe not the traditon for that was not deliuered in writing but by word of mouth Besids in the same place he hath these wordes they accuse the scriptures quasi non rectè se habent neque sunt ex authoritate as though they were not right an a perfect or not of authority sufficient Whether the papists hold not all these points mencioned I appeale to their own conscience though I knowe it to be corrupt Did not Syluester affirme that Sleidan lib. 1. fol. 3. ab authoritate papae vis omnis scripturae pendet all the authority of the scripture dependeth on the pope Doth not Cusanus write that the scriptures vna cum tempore mutantur are chaunged with time Epist 2. vid. Whitak cont Duraeum p. 161 117. Who but Wolfangus HermaÌ„nus blasphemed that the scriptures without the church are of no more worth then Aesops fables and as touching traditions do not they teach that we haue not the fence of holy writ because we doe not embrace the truth of their traditions so then gather of all these that they are haeretikes as well as those against whome Iraeneus did write The fourth note The fourth note is to conceale their doctrine from the people dicunt as testifieth Iraeneus noÌ„ opportere ip sorum mysteria effaeri sed in abscondito contineri per silentium Lib. 1. c. 23. They affirme that their mysteries and
secrets are not to be vttered but to be concealed which is directly contrarie to our sauiviour Christ his wordes Matt. 10.27 who commaundeth those thinges which he taught to be published on the house toppes to which place Bellarmine answereth si opus est if it be needefull de tradit I doubt not but if he had beene furnished with a better answer we should haue had it but pardon errour which hath but figge leaues to hide her filthinesse may not the Atheist say when he is commanded to beleeue and keepe gods commandemēts si opus est If it be requisite I will doe them To shewe nowe that the papists conceale their secrets from the people is needelesse seeing it is confessed by Bellarmine in his tractate of Traditions And why is their seruice in an vnknown tongue why are the scriptures forbidden the laye people Clem. Alex. lib. 3. cap. 2. but to hide their errors so that I may fitly cōpare the Romish religion to the temples of Aegypt which without were deckt with gold but within had most loathsome sights The 5. note The fift note is to vaunte and to boast themselues of their pretended and falsely called knowledge 1. Tim. 6.20 dicunt se saith Iraeneus non solum presbyteris Lib. sed etiam Apostolis existentes sapientiores synceram invenisse veritatem they say that beeing wiser then the auncient and Apostles they haue found out the syncere truth 1. Tim. 6. This note is so euidently eminent in all haereticks that the Rhemists themselues haue made made it a badge of an haereticke but howe shall we prooue that the papists like empty vessels make the lowdest the greatest soūd Cap. 5. The maker of their Apologie doth it for me advance their fellowes in this insolent māner Our wits saith he are from God in as plentifull manner as theirs our foundation in all kinde of faculties requisite for the studie of Diuinitie is as deeply laid as theirs our diligence rather more then theirs our times both for age and studie more complete then theirs commonly can be Our order method and course of Diuinity much more profitable then theirs we haue more disputations lessons conferences examinations repetitions instructions catechizings resolutions of cases both of conscience and controuersie methods and manners to proceed to the conuersion of the deceiued and such like exercises in our two Colledges then they in their two Vniuersities containing neere hand 30. goodly Colledges as for the Masters and Professours in our Colledges specially the Romane readers we may be bold to say they be in all kinde the most choyse and cunning men in al Christendome for vertue learning c. Would not this odious and arrogant comparison rather beseeme boies in the schoole then diuines in the church thus the Papists themselues haue made both the proposition and assumption so that if so bee they bee not wilfully blinde they may inferre the conclusion Tht 6. Note The 6. note is to refuse the common name of Christians and to choose themselues seuerall names Hierom in dialogo contra Lucifir Sicubi audiueris eos qui dicuntur Christi non à domino Iesu sed ab alio nūcupari vt puta Marcionitas Valentinianos scito non Ecclesiam Christi esse sed Antichristi synagogam If thou hearest any where such as bee said to be of Christ not to haue their names of our Lord Iesus Christ as Marcionites Valentinians knowe thou that they belong not to the Church of Christ but to the synagoge of Antichrist Haue not the Papists peculiar names as Dominicans Franciscans Iesuites Thomistes and Scotistes maintaining al one grand heresie of Poperie yet hauing their diuerse opinions among themselues each sect enuying other and swelling against the other which caused Anselmus as Heerbrandus reporteth to break out into this speach Quis non contemnat religionem tot varietatibus subiectam Who would not despise a religion subiect to so many sects The 7. Note The heretikes in all ages haue by allegories vpholden their errours and allegories haue bin their strōgest instruments to work withall Epiphanius maketh mention of a beastly kinde of heretikes who by allegories defended the sinne of the Sodomites not onely as a thing that might be suffred but as a duetie that must be done most shamefully racking to the defence of that shameles opinion these wordes of Christ Verely I say vnto thee Matt. 5.26 thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast paid the vttermost farthing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is they say that what soeuer are thought euill amongst men are not euill indeed but naturally good for nothing is naturally euill The heretiks called Priscillianistae did auoid by allegorizing whatsoeuer was brought against them August de Haere In suos sensus allegorizando vertunt quicquid in sanctis libris est quod eorum euertat errorem vvhatsoeuer is found in the Scripture that ouerthrovveth their errours by an allegoricall exposition they make it to maintaine the same So do the Anabaptistes and Familistes now in our daies As for the Papistes haue not they plucked their purgatorie out of the same text aboue named by an Allegorie Doe not they prooue their free-will by allegorizing the parable in the tenth chapter of S. Luke which is concerning the man halfe dead By which wee see it common to heretikes and not peculiar to any one by allegories to abuse the holie Scriptures to be abbetors of their absurdities Many moe places might I haue alleadged out of the Papistes to prooue this Vide Dur. de sopis but the trueth is so cleare and manifest that they cannot denie it The 8. Note The eight note is to enioyne the lay people those things that are to bee performed by the Ministers Tertul lib. de praescrip Laicis sacerdotalia iniungunt ipsae mulieres haereticae quà m procaces quae audent tingere ordinationes eorum leues inconstantes c. they command the people priests duties their women are so bold as to baptize their ordinations of ministers are light and inconstant These properties doe liuely paint out the Papistes Their Mid-wiues vse to baptize their ordinations and consecrations are they not of the basest of the people I would wee had not had experience of this cursed practise of Ieroboam Ordo sacerdotum fatuo turbatur ab omni Labitur passim Religionis honos Euery foole with the Papists are priested by which religiō commeth to ruine nay I dare avouch that they haue consecrated shriuelings that are not borne ad Aram but ad Haram not to serue at the altar but at the swine-stie Here I might haue added moe properties of heretiks confessed by the Rhemists themselues Vpon Iud. as contempt of authoritie the crueltie of Cain the couetousnes of Balam which aptly agree to the Papists for the Pope will be subiect to none no not to a generall Councell witnesse Martine the 5. and Eugenius the 4. who would not stand
to the decrees of the Councels of Constance and Basill As touching murthers the streetes haue ouerflowen with the blood of Gods Saints For couetousnesse let Erasmus speake Chiliad 1. Cent. 9.12 Non datur Baptismus non licet fieri Christianum nisi numeres non comprobant Matrimonium nisinumeres nō audiunt poenitentium confessiones nisi sperent praemium sacrificant cōducti non psallunt gratis non orant gratis non impertiunt corpus Christi nisi numeres quin vendunt sepulturam idque in alieno solo In English it is thus much It is not lawfull for thee to be baptized except thou pay Matrimonie without money is not ratified the Confessours heare no Confessions without reward O inexplebilem auaritiā they sacrifice for hire they neither sing nor pray nor giue names freely No they will not minister the Sacrament without wages they sell sepulchres in another mans soyle O the exceeding dropsie of couetousnes Aulular may I not cry out with Plautus Tenaces dominos nostra aetas tulit quos Harpagonas Harpyas Tantalos appellare soleo in medio Oceani gurgite sitibundos Non Midae non Craesi non omnis Per sarum copia tartaream eorum ingluviem explere potest This age hath gripple Lords which I am accustomed to cal Harpagons e These were Monsters Harpyes Tantalusses thirstie in the midst of the Ocean sea their hellish gorge is not satisfied with the money of Midas with the coyne of Craesus nor with the pomp of the Persians Ob. But they will here obiect that they haue not beene condemned by any generall Councell and therfore are not for these properties though all laid togither to be accoūted heretikes Sol. which obiection how friuolous it is I hope to make manifest Were the heretikes in thappostles time condemned by a general Councell they might haue defended thēselues by this obiectiō aswel as the Papistes Ebion and Cerinthus against whome Saint Iohn wrote his gospell who dare denie them to be heretikes Tertullian in his booke de praescriptione and Irenaeus aduersus haereses mention multitudes of heresies not then condemned by any generall Councell I dare not alleadge the authoritie of Iewes who call the Christians minim and cophrim bagnikkar that is Heretikes and denying the foundation though not condemned by a generall Councell least they accuse me of Iudaisme as they doe the Protestants because wee doe denie Images Lastly how can it bee of the essence of heresie to be condemned by a generall Councell seing as Augustine confesseth that former plenarie Councels may be amended by latter which must needs bee vnderstood of errour for the condition which Saint Augustine repeateth in the first endureth to the last Si quid fortè à veritate deuiatum est If in ought they swerue from the truth and except that be vnderstood he answereth not the thing that was obiected by the Donatistes they opposed the Councell of Cyprian in a matter of doctrine not of discipline S. Augustine replieth Bishops might be deceiued and so might Councels in what then but in matters of doctrine And so I proceed to the fourth Reason taken from particular heresies with this admonition that this was the verie obiection of the Pelagians as may be seene in Augustine tomo 7. lib. 4. contra duas epis Pelag. in fine libri to whome hee answereth Quasi nulla haeresis damnata sit c. as if no heresie were condemned without a Councell The fourth reason of particular heresies IN the recitall of particular heresies considering that I aime at no lōg discourse in this my treatise I will beginne briefly with Pelagianisme making this sillogisme they which hold the same opinion with Pelagius and vse the same argumēts that Pelagius did are Pelagians but the Papists hold with Pelagius and vse his arguments Ergo they are Pelagians The assumtion I prooue out of Hieroms workes against the Pelagians who hold as he testifieth ad Ctesiphontem that Mandata dei are possibilia Hierom. lib. 2 Gods commandements are possible to be kept and prooue the same by our sauiour his saying Iugum meum suaue est my yoke is easie mandata eius non sunt grauia and his commaundements are not grieuous to which the learned father answereth Levia sunt ad comparationem Iudaicae superstitionis they are light in respest of the Iewes superstion Secondly they thus dispute Si in operibus meis deus mihi adiutor extiterit non mihi debetur merces sedei qui in me operatus est if my good things come frō god then there is no revvard for me c. To which he answereth thus Contra Deum arma linguam tuam arme thy tongue against God and so forth are not these the very arguments of Papists Reade the Rhemistes vpon the places remembred also vpon the second of the Corinth 5. cap. 10. where thou shalt finde this blasphemy that heauen is as vvell the reward of good workes as hell is the stipend of evill workes which is the drift of the argument of the Pelagians I will adioyne some other sayings of the same Father by which euery one may further see the truth of this my charge Facilia dicis dei mandata tamen nullum proferre potes qui vniuersa compleverit thou affirmest the commandements are easie and yet thou canst not bring forth any that hath kept them Againe Tunc iusti sumus quando nos peccatores fatemur iustitia nostra a non ex proprie constat merito sed ex dei misericordia dicente scriptura Iustus est accusator sui in principio sermonis Then are we righteous when we confesse our selues sinners and our righteousnesse consisteth not of our merits but of gods mercie seing the scripture saith The righteous is the accuser of himselfe To let passe the rest of his most excellent sayings I come to the heresie of Montanists The 2. haeresie of Montanisme The Church in Tertullians time taught that fasting was restrained neither to certaine daies nor to certaine meates which opinion Tertullian beeing a Montanist confuteth in his booke aduersus Pseuchicos That the Church so taught I prooue out of his second chapter where he setteth downe the arguments vsed against Montanus and confuteth them The Church is brought in speaking thus Indifferenter ieiunandum ex arbttrio pro temporibus causis vniuscuiusque sic Apostolos dicunt obseruasse nullum aliud imponentes iugum certorum in commune omnibus obeundorum ieiuniorum We must fast as the cause of euery one requireth and the Apostles did thus obserue it laying no yoke of certaine and determined fasts vpon men You see how the Church plainely speaketh against the restraining of fasting to certaine daies and as plaine is her speech immediatly after against the restraining it to certaine meates Xerophagius verò novum affectati officii nomen proximum Ethnicae superstitioni The eating of certain drie meates is a newe name of straunge and affected office
maius gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere by reason of the danger of pride and vaine glorie it is safest to put our whole confidence onely in the mercy of God not in our merites or good workes And this he prooueth out of the 9. chap. of Daniel we pray not in our righteousnes but in thy manifold mercies and out of the 17. of Luke when you haue done all that you can you are vnprofitable seruants nay out of their owne praiers Deus qui conspicis quia ex nulla actione nostra confidimus O God thou seest that vve trust not in any of our actions or vvorkes and least these his proofes should not be waightie enough he quoteth Chrysostome in diuers places as namely in his 3. homily vpon Matthew writing thus Noli mercedem poscere vt accipias mercedem require no reward that thou maiest receiue a rewarde Next followeth Ambrose Non sic vixi vt me pudeat vivere nec mori timeo quia bonum Dominum habemus I haue so liued that I am not ashamed to liue neither am I afraide to die because I haue a mercifull Lord. After Ambrose followes Augustine Gregorie and Bernard and lastly he vseth this reason vel homo habet vera merita vel non habet man hath good works in truth or els he hath thē not in truth but in appearance onely if onely in appearance then is he dangerously deceiued if in truth then he looseth nothing for his trust is onely in God This is to disanull all his former doctrine for before he prooued that a man might put his confidence in good workes because they deserue eternall life but now he confesseth that it is best to put no cōfidence in works but only in Gods mercie out of which I conclude that it is safest to disclaime our owne merits in the attaining to saluation and by consequent to be a Protestant The syllogisme shall be thus framed It is safest to put no confidence in workes but this is the Protestants constant doctrine ergo it is safest to be a Protestant and indeede it hath beene alwaies iudged the part of a wise man to encline in eam partem quae cautior est into that defence which is best but our defence is best by the aduersaries own confession ergo it is the wisest part to holde with the Protestants So now I may iustly vse the Orators exclamatiō in his oration pro Coelio ô magna vis veritatis quae contra hominū ingenia colliditatē solertiā c ô mighty power of truth who doth defend it selfe against the wit craft subtiltie of men I will end this reason with some sayings of Hieron because his authoritie hath not bin yet vsed in this matter in his 3. book against the Pelagians he writeth thus Nec in sapientia nostra nec in vllis virtutibus confidendum sed in solo domino We trust neither in our wisdome nor in any vertues but onely in the Lord and in his dialogue against the Luciferians Credo tamen secundum fidem meam fieri nolo si etenim sit peribo I beleeue yet I vvould not haue it be according to my beleefe for then I perish So must euery Christian say if it be according to our workes wee perish but we trust onely to the mercie of God therefore looke and waite for saluation To this confession of Bellarmine I might likewise haue adioyned Steuen Gardiners but Bellarmine being the papists Pythagoras shal serue in stead of all And now for a conclusion of this point and reason let any papist answer me what harme can come of the Protestāts doctrine if they say good works are come to a downefall by it I would haue yeelded but that S. Paul in the 2. of the Galat. ver 17. many hundered yeares agoe hath answered this rotten and stale obiection If vve that seeke for iustification by Christ be found sinners in Christ is Christ the minister of sinn God forbid c. by which place of holy Scripture this friuolous cauill is so plainely confuted that the Papists except they cannot resolue the Apostles argument might as well haue charged Pauls doctrine with dissolutenes as they do ours therfore I desire all men to holde that which is safest which is the part of a wise man to doe But it is safest to hold as we hold and it is the part of wise men to defende the best part which is ours Ergo it is safest to hold with and why was the Pharise cōdemned vs but for putting his confidence in workes he acknowledged them to come from God Luk. 18. v. 11 saying I thanke thee that I am not as other men are I fast twise in a weeke I giue tith of all that I haue If we giue thanks to god for those his good actions and workes then by necessarie consequent it may be concluded that he ascribed thē not to himselfe but to the giuer fountaine of all good things yet hath he Christs owne testimony against him for what thē but for his affiance in his workes Thus the Papists by their owne doctrine of confidēce in workes become Pharisees also I see not why they may not say to god as the Iewes did why do we fast thou doest not regard vs why doe we afflict out soules and thou doest not acknowledge vs Better it is to pray with the Prophet Dauid Enter not into iudgement O Lord with thy seruants Psal 143. v. 3 for no flesh is righteous in thy sight To which place of Scripture Bellarmine answereth that it is to be vnderstood Tom. 1. lib de Mona cap. 13 ad comparationē Dei in comparison of God and so contenteth himselfe with the answer of Pelagius as I prooue out of Hierom in his booke ad Ctesip Non iustificabitur in conspectu Dei omnis vivens quod testimonium sub nomine pietatis eludunt aiunt enim ad comparationem dei nullum esse perfectum quasi hoc dicat scriptura quando enim dicit in conspectu tuo hoc intelligi vult quod etiam qui hominibus sancti videntur dei scientiae atque notitiae nequaquam sunt sancti No mā liuing shall be iustified in thy sight which testimony vnder the pretēce of piety they delude for they say that no man is perfect in respect of God as if this were the meaning of the scripture for whē it saith in thy sight it giueth vs to vnderstand that those which seeme holy to men in gods sight and knowledge are not holy Out of this testimony it appeareth that the papists accepting of Pelagius his answer ioyne not onely with the Pharises in this point but also with the Pelagiās of whose heresie I haue spoke before I dare not stay any longer in this reason lest I forget my selfe promising to haue ended it before but the laying open of the Papists Phariseisme and Pelagianisme I hope will ad some weight