folowe by that that it is not of god For by that reason one mighte saye that GOD was not the authour of the priesthood of Aaron seing that Dathan Abyron and Ozias tooke it vpon thē of their owne boldenes the which is not true And as touching this that he saieth that our order of priesthood is not of God we will proue that false in some other place but at this time we must treat of our vocation to aunswere him his complices howe and by what vertue we exercise our ministerie We are called to this estate according to the ordinarie way that is to saye by the right succession of Bisshops and Pastors and by the continuance of one Catholique faith deriued from the Apostles to our dayes without the interruption of it vniuersallye for in diuers places of the worlde it hath bene euer cleere and certaine manifestlye shining like the light set on the table to geue light to all those of the house and not vnder the busshell to be shadowed with darknes S. Paule after that he had recited by order the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie I meane of the Apostles Prophetes and Euangelists he doth declare at the last the cause why they were instituted being for the edification of the misticall body of Christe the which is the Catholique Church vntill saith he that in the vnitie of faith we go to meete him He taketh his similitude of many that come frō diuerse wayes and meete all in one waye And thus he meanes that the spirituall edification of the Churche ordeined of Bishops Pastours and Doctours shall endure vntill that the Gospell be preached through all nations By the effecte of the whiche Gospell both Frenche Spanish English Greeke Persian Arabian Latines and Barbares with manye other nations which were to tedious to name haue met together hauing of great antiquitie all one kinde of Catholike faith by the Apostles and their successors for euer As the sonne of God before he suffered did attaine and arriue to the perfection of his age euen so his misticall body of the Churche shall continue in this world vntill it be perfect in his members and that the number of the chosen be accomplished And euē as a materiall building cannot be perfectly atchieued without continuance of workemen and Masons euen so the spirituall building of the Churche cannot be atchieued without the succession of Bishops and Pastors preaching or causing the worde of God to be preached which is the verye spiritual building the which hath bene euer common and visible in the Churche according to the prophecie of Esaye Sap. 61. who meaning to declare the care that God taketh as touching the preseruation of his Churche he did saye as it were representing the state of Hierusalem I haue established and ordeined watchemen vpon the walles the whiche shall neuer holde their peace neither daye nor night These watchemen are those that haue announced to vs our saluation They are the trompettes of Iesus Christe which neuer haue left their sounding in the true Churche of God from the Apostles time vnto this present daye ¶ The .2 Chapter SAint Paule foloweth this discourse in the fourth Chapiter vnto the Ephesians where as he doeth declare vnto vs the fruit that doth procede of this succession of Pastors and of the perseuerance of the reasonable sheepe in one kinde of spirituall doctrine called the vnitie of fayth For he sayeth that God established this order to that ende that we shoulde not be like light childrē caried away with euerye blast of false doctrine through the subtilitie of men their craftie wordes full of deceipte In these wordes you doo see howe the Apostle doeth declare vnto vs the counsaile and the intention of the holye Ghoste I meane that we should be constant in our fayth the which is grounded vpon the worde of God interpreted and declared vnto vs by the Doctours and Pastors that successiuely haue continued in one kinde of faith and Catholike religion from the firste time that it was preached without turning with euery winde but rather that we ought to stande firme and stable Here is to be noted that when the Apostle doth tell how he hath lefte vs pastors and doctors to warne vs of the subtilitie of false teachers he doth vse a certain greeke worde very apte for this purpose the which hath in Englishe the signification of the playing or cogging at dise And euen as he that hath no great skill if he playe with suche a one he will soone loose his money because the other can cast what he wil Euen so if a simple man being vnlearned doo chaunce to talke with such a one as can cog or to speake plainely falsly interprete the Scriptures he may soone be deceaued as we see it dayly happen to many that playe awaye and put in hazarde the rest of al their spirituall inheritaunce I meane the faith which hath beene lefte to them by their fathers from age to age since Christes time Thus haue the Arrians the Nestorians and diuers other heretikes deceiued many a mā as I will shewe more at large hereafter The .3 Chapter THe place that I haue quoted of the Apostle doth shew howe dangerous a thinge it is to fall into the handes of such Coggers of the scriptures and likewise howe certaine a thinge it is to folowe the interpretation of the auncient Doctours standing to that that euer the Catholike Churche hath taught and not to turne at euery blast Vpon this matter one Vincentius Lyrinensis who florished aboue a thousande yeres agone he saith thus If anye man perchaunce demaunde saying Since that the rules of the Scripture are certaine and sufficient of them selues And what neede haue we then of the authoritie of the Churche He aunswereth For that sayeth he that the secretes and misteries of the holye Scriptures are such that euery man doeth not vnderstande them and interprete them after one sorte but that of one place this man and that man shall seeme to mainteyne their opinions being cleane contrary one to another so that looke howe manye men so many interpretations For one way it is interpreted by Nestorius another waye by Arrius another way by Sabellius and so forth according to diuers heresies that haue risen from time to time And therefore it is necessarye for the knowledge of the trueth among so manye errours to drawe the right line of the Propheticall and Apostolicall interpretation according to the rule and true sense of the Catholike Churche This is the learned opinion of this auncient father Vincentius Lyrinensis ¶ The .4 Chapter WHose discourse doeth make me remember the Complaynt that the Soule doeth make vnto her Spouse IESVS CHRISTE being both represented by Salomō and his legitimate spouse I praye thee saith she O my dere frende tell me in what place thou doest lye and rest at noone dayes for I woulde be very glad and desirous to folowe the flockes of thy felowes The which is as
saye that we oughte to folowe those that conforme them selues moste vnto the pure worde of God that will come to one ende for if I doo demaunde of you how we shall know whiche do conforme theym selues moste vnto the truthe you aunswere me that it must be done by the grace of the holye Ghoste sent by the Lorde yf with a true hearte he is inuocated of the faythfull Seeing you knowe so well the way how to agree together howe comes it to passe that you haue not vsed it this fortie or fiftie yeres which are the precinctes of the time since your auncient Churche beganne seeing that you haue assembled so manye times together why haue ye not prayed vnto the Lorde to sende the spirite of truth to make peace amongst his Apostles I thinke that you are not so vnshamfaste that you will denye the quarels and debates that haue risen amonge you I doo not saye in light wordes but in great battailes in rayling processes in horrible excommunications sent from the Churches of the Lutherans vnto the Caluinists and from the Caluinists vnto the Lutherans as I haue set foorth at large in the booke that I made of the Sacrament and therefore ye are greatlye ouerseene that ye haue not inuocated the spirite of the Lorde as Caluin hath taught you in his Cathechisme to the ende that you may come to some accorde ¶ The .29 Chapter NOwe to turne againe to our former purpose if it were so that of our owne free deliberation we were minded to forsake our Catholike religion the iniurious disputations that you vse amonge your selues were sufficient to make vs to suspende oure iudgement without leaning to anye of both parties vntill that we coulde see you more resolute in youre opinions being the hardest matter the knowing in what countrey the residence shoulde be kepte for that matter You haue geuē absolute sentence saying that the Catholike Churche hath erred euen from the Apostles time vnto this present in praying to God for the soules of those that are deade constituted in a thirde place called Purgatorye You shoulde me thinke at the least allowe a thirde place although it be not that to receaue the soules of those whose consciences you haue so troubled that they knowe nowe neither what is their faith nor of what religion they should be for whē they reade Luthers workes they are Lutherans whē they meete with Caluins workes they are Caluinists and at the last they do not know which side in deede is the truest being both false and therfore I think it were good that a sequestration were made that neyther God nor the Deuill might haue parte of their soules till there were a farther inquirye made of suche a number of sects and that some good and honest arbitratour might geue iudgement as concerning which partie hath moste right And in the meane while I beseeche God to open so the eyes of the people that they maye see both youre errours and their owne and that through the aboundaunce of their sinnes he permit them not to fall into an Heathenisme vnto the which you doo seeke to drawe them with so manye contrary Gospels ¶ The .30 Chapter IT doth appere well by that that I haue saide howe the assuraunce of your vocation to the ministerie is but founded vpon sande forasmuche as you doo seeke particulerly a contrary meaning euery one to his owne perticuler sense being not this the waye that an extraordinarye minister sent from God shoulde vse to confyrme his doctrine for this hath beene the custome of all olde heretikes as I haue alreadye sayde There is a verye great difference betweene setting foorth the Scripture to refourme ones religion to reforme ones conditions for when there is any questiō of the refourming of ones maners there is no neede to regarde whether the doctrine be newe or olde for as the Apostle sayth let euery man take it to his owne sense but when it is to be talked of as touching ones fayth the Catholike ought greatlye to beware of singuler interpretations and to holde them as very suspitious He ought to folowe the sentence that is holden and taught by the auncient Catholike Churche without making any accompt of all these new deuises for euen as when one will repaire an olde house he dares commit it to anye Mason although his cunning be but small but if the foundation must be touched he will seeke the best masters he can fynde Euen so when one will correct me for my euill life or conditions although that it be so that he that seeks to reforme me be not of the wisest of the worlde and that he alleage to me some place or figure of the Sceipture not altogether to the purpose yet all this ought to turne to me to one effect for I know his meaning although he cannot well expresse it the which is to haue me chaunge my naughtie life and to leaue my yll conditions But when he shall come to touche my fayth and to perswade me from that that all my auncetours did euer holde frō that that the Catholike Churche deriued from the Apostles hath holden and doth holde and from that that both the Scripture and the generall Councels and all the auncient doctours teache and affyrme In the repayre of this foundation I ought to trust none but euen the verye best I meane not one or two but all these that I haue named And now if you say that they maye all erre I praye remember the olde prouerbe that saith He is a foole that thinkes that he onely is wise and all the other fooles and that it is more agreable to reason that one onely should erre then one great multitude for as thei say commonly two eyes see more then one and fowre more then two ¶ The .31 Chapter OVr Sauiour Christe did approue his vocation after another sort thē you doo yours Searche saith he the Scriptures for they beare witnes of me he doth not say that they ar Iudges as you saye for you will haue none other arbitrator but the word of god You knowe that they are two different thinges to beare witnes and to be a Iudge yet the scriptures of the old Testament doo conteine not only the veritie of the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ but therwithall the very sufficient probation of his person to teache vs the true worde of God to ouerthrow destroy the whole kingdome of Sathan as it is plainlye seene by those that list to looke vppon the oracles of the olde patriarchs and Prophetes It is written in the third of Genesis that God saide vnto the woman that her seede shoulde breake downe the serpents head And likewise in the said booke ther is mentiō made of this diuine seede of Abraham in the. 15. and. 53. Chapters of Esay in the. 2. Psalme Dauid doth talke of it And in like maner Daniell Moyses Aaron with al the rest of the prophets in their sacrifices haue very
woulde be mercifull to them because their error proceeded of ignoraunce and so that he will haue pitie of vs because of ours But I knowe that you will say that we are nowe vnexcusable because that wee do refuse the truth that you do preach By the selfe same reason our auncesters can alleage before God no good excuse forasmuch as they do make no accompt of the receauing of such ministers as you are and that haue preched the like Gospell that you doo announce vnto vs S. Hierome and al the Christians of his time are then condemned because they woulde not receaue the Gospell of Vigilantius who did euen as you doo preache that we shoulde not allowe the exposition of the doctours nor honour the relicques of Martyrs S. Augustine is likewise condemned because he wrote preached against the Arrians who taught as you do that it is an offence to pray for the dead And to be briefe if that which you doo preach ought to be called the Gospel and true word of God since the Apostles time ther hath bene neuer a Christian Doctour in the Church for they haue all taught the contrarye to your forged Gospell as euery man may see that will take the payne but to looke in their workes or to reade those places that are quoted by me and diuers others that haue confuted your heresies manye a hundred yeere agone by their authorities Let them then that haue any eyes beholde the hazarde that ye runne into and so manye others throughout the worlde which folowe your opinion If one shoulde come to accuse another of falsehoode and that before he be assured of this matter wherewith he did seeke to attaynt the defendaunt woulde not one thinke his matter verye great or his knowledge very small to run headlong into the daunger of that crime which if he could not proue he shoulde be condemned for himselfe What then shall become of you O most simple sheepe which seeke with fayned arguments to condemne not one or two but all the Christians and Catholikes that haue bene in this worlde since the Passion of Christ the which haue refused and reproued your doctrine as hereticall haue taught vs this that wee holde at this day But now to aunswer vnto that that was mentioned a litle before and that which a number of your flocke haue told me when I haue cōferred with them which is that the errour of our predecessours was not imputed vnto thē forasmuch as these good simple people went to worke after the grossest sort thinking to doo well and that as then they did not vnderstande well the truth which is nowe brought to light through your Gospell I saye that in this ye are deceaued more then halfe the value of your religion for before some of them dyed they had forgotten more then euer you haue learned for all that that you know you haue learned it of their bookes or stollen it to say the truth interpreting both their workes and the Scriptures contrary to the truth of their meaning And although it were so that they had al erred your colored excuse of simplicitie could auaile them nothing for the worde of God would accuse them If the Gospell saith S. Paule had bene hidden it hath bene hidden to those that haue perished the spirites of the which the God of this world hath blinded then if that those vnto whom the truth hath beene hiddē haue perished wherfore doth your excuse serue them This being true as it is moste like I meane that they haue not erred nor that you onely shal be saued and they all condemned To my iudgement our auncesters with all their simplicitie did neuer erre so muche as your disciples doo to folowe such masters as condemne that faith that the catholike church hath taught mainteyned these 1500 yeres to mainteyn those heresies that haue bene buried in hel many an hundred yere agone and nowe are called vp againe by Martin Luther Caluin and his felowes ¶ The .40 Chapter YF that by a good and a right title your disciples call them selues the children of god this makes me beleue that the saying of our Sauiour is fulfilled in them the which is The childrē of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light To proue this true we see this daily experience for a wise worldly man when he doth put out his money to gayne he will not trust the promise so soone of one or two or three as he will doo the bondes of a whole Towne or Citie that should warrant or assure his gayne But you nor your disciples haue not done thus but rather the contrarye It had bene better for you to haue fyrste put youre fayth and truste in God beleeuing that he hath geuen his holye spirite and declared the meaning as touching the Scriptures vnto the Catholike Churche and not to hazarde the hope of your saluation putting it into the handes of Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius and three or fowre other such pelting merchantes which haue newly set vp shoppes at Wittemberge Geneua and Losane which one of these dayes we shall see bankruptes as their predecessours haue bene before them the which after that they had deceaued the poore simple Catholikes and gayned some of their soules for the deuill they haue at the laste solde all theyr their honestie and credite so that at this daye except that it be those that reade the auncient historyes no bodye els doth remember that euer they liued in the world You are come now last of al to make vp their merchaundise but your credite can hardlye be good before God for you shall haue against you all the auncient Catholike Churche which hath continued visible since the comming of Christe vnto this daye all the doctours of all the vniuersities all the Empires Kingdomes and priuate state throughout all the worlde which haue receaued honoured this doctrine that you call Papistical And if you saye that you will not trust men but the very word of the Lord we agree to the like that we ought all to beleue the Scripture but we vary about the interpretation for you interprete it after one sort and we after another you expounde it after a new sort and the Catholike Churche doth folowe the olde exposition of the auncient Doctours and traditions which you haue forsaken or to saye the truth your Ministers haue led the sheepe astraye from the olde flocke at the departing from the which they haue bene all scatered abroade some folowing Luther some Caluine some the Anabaptists and so forth for the which the Popes and kinges and others that haue had the gouernment of the Churche shal answere at the last day of iudgement for as much as while they slept you haue come and sowed weedes among the good corne Then seeing you are the sheepe that rome astray what excuse can they make before God that wilfully folowe your steppes We confesse that we are the poore sheepe of God
much to say as if she meant thus I see many sheperdes in these mountains which haue great aboundance of sheepe I see those of the Romane Church I see Donatistes I see Nouatians or to speake of our time I see one flocke folowe Luther another flocke folowe Zuinglius another folow Caluin another the Anabaptists another the Sacramentaries and so forth diuers others of whom when I demaunde particulerly Whose is this flocke they doo al aunswer me It is of Christ and euery one saieth this is the Catholike Churche euery one doeth saye that he is his felowe that is to saye as touching the guyding of his flock Now it is not possible that they doo all teache the truth considering howe they vary amonge them selues therfore I do desire thee to tell me where thou doest rest thy selfe at noone dayes that is as much to saye teache me which is the true Catholike Churche which doth celebrate the true misterie of the Crosse which is the place where thou wast nayled at noone dayes being nayled both handes and feete Heare nowe the aunswer of Iesus Christe If thou doest not know the place where I rest O moste beautifull among all women folowe thou the pathe that thy flocke hath made before thee setting thy tabernacle or thy lodge hard by the tabernacle of thy Shepherds If we well note and vnderstande this aunswere it will learne vs that that shal suffise to kepe vs frō rūning euer astray The sense is this O thou Christian which art troubled in thy conscience not knowing because of so many heresyes which waye thou shalt goe or howe thou shalt decerne the true religion from other false doctrine take my counsaile the which is to folowe steppe by steppe the flocke that went before thee If that a thousande or two thousand sheepe runne ouer a plaine those that come afterwarde doo not they know well the path that is made before them doo not they discerne the waye that the firste went Yes surely although there be no Sheperd to guide them And if thou doest aunswere that this doth not suffise for I doo see diuers pathes I see the pathe of the Caluinistes the path of the Lutherans and the pathe of those of the Romane Churche but yet doo not I knowe which flocke I should chose To this I answere thus Set thy Tabernacle by the Tabernacle of the Shepherdes and of thy Pastors I mean that I woulde haue thee to leane to that flocke that can leade thee from age to age and from yere to yere vnto the Crosse of Iesus Christ on the which he was nailed at noone dayes and there it is where thou oughtest to quiet thy selfe and thy conscience Then to beginne If thou doest aske the Caluinistes Where is the true fayth the which as they saye doeth consiste in the true preaching of the worde of the Lorde and in the administration of the Sacramentes according to the institution of Iesus Christe they will aunswere It is at Geneua the Lutherans will aunswere At Wittemberge and the Anabaptistes will aunswere at Monasterium The Vbiquitaries they will aunswere At Tubinge and the Trinitaries At Petricone and so consequently of the rest And then pursue and aske farther where it was twentye yeares agone They will say in the saide Cities but if thou come to demaunde of them wher it was a hundred or two hundred yeres agone if they are ashamed anye thing at all to lye they will not aunswere at all for there is none of them that can deny but that Luther who beganne to preache his newe Gospell the yere 1517. was the firste beginner of all these troubles the father of all those that teache this reformed religion Then is it farre frō that place where thy frend was nailed at middaie or where he was crucifyed aboue 1500. yeres agone before the newe Churche was dreampt of And therefore thou maiest easelye perceaue that this flock cannot leade thee to the place that thou doest desire and consequently that is not the flocke that we shoulde folowe Then let vs com vnto the Romane Church demaund where was this flock an hundred yeres agone They wil aunswere thee In Fraunce Spaine Englande Germanie and so ouer all Christendom And if thou aske where it was 500. yeres agone they will say In the saide places And a thousande yeres agone likewise and likewise a thousande and fiue hundred yeres agone This flocke then will not leaue thee by the waye as the others doo but it will leade thee vnto the very time of the death and passion of Christe by continuaunce of one doctrine and by succession of pastors which Salomon doth call the tabernacle of the Shepherdes And therefore this is the place where thou must seeke thy Tabernacle and quiet thy conscience to the ende that thou be not a lost sheepe and that thou be not readie to turne at euery blast of newe doctrine that our newe Coggers of the Scriptures doo set forth to deceaue the simple sheepe ¶ The .5 Chapter THe like vnto this is confirmed by Vincentius Lyrinensis of whom we haue spoken before for he saith in the booke aboue named that that person ought to be estemed a true Catholike that hath nothing in greater commendation then the true religion of the Catholike faith yea although it were the wisest man in the world and the greatest Philosopher the fairest speaker that euer was if he came to speake against the olde doctrine that hath bene taught vs of our forefathers time out of mind we ought saith he to disdaine that learned Clarke with all his philosophie cunning and to hold our selues to the auncient opinion of the Churche the which hath continued vntill this present day And if that nowe one should bring a newe doctrine that was not hearde of before contrary vnto that that hath euer ben taught in the Churche say that it doth not apperteine vnto the state of the Catholike faith that it is no religion but a temptatiō And therfore if we wil be saued we ought to liue and dye in that faith that hath continued by succession of Pastours euen from Christes time vnto these dayes S. Irenaeus a very famous writer in his fourth booke against heresies the. 65. Chapter who was within a fewe yeres of the Apostles Archbishop of Lions writeth the veri like saying that the true faith and the true knowledge of God is the doctrine of the Apostles and the auncient estate of the Church throughout the world according to the succession of those Bishops vnto whom only the Apostles committed the custodye of the Churche throughout the worlde the which sayeth he is come to vs This sayde Irenaeus doeth write in his thyrde booke and seconde Chapiter that he and his felowes did withstande the Valentinians and the Marcionistes which were great heretikes by the traditions of the Apostles that is to saye the doctrine not written but receued from age to age of the Apostles and so continued till
their time He saith likewise vnto the Traditions which are of the Apostles and that by succession of pastors haue bene vsed in the Churche we do persuade prouoke those that speake against Traditions He writes as much more in the thirde Chapter of the saide booke Forasmuch sayth he as it were to tedious to set forth in one booke the Successours of all the Churches and to tell them one by one we doo ouerthrowe those that for vayne glorie doo seeke to gather disciples together teaching them contrary to that that doth apperteyn vnto the Traditions of the Apostles the which we doo shewe to them by the saide Traditions and by the faith that hath bene taught and is come to vs by succession of the Bishops of the great and auncient Church of Rome the which was founded by the two glorious Martyrs and Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule These are his wordes in his thirde booke aduersus haereses the fyfth Chapter And at the beginning of the saide Chapter he saith thus All those that will vnderstand the truth may presently regard the traditions of the Apostles which are manifest throughout the world and we cannot coumpt the number of those that haue bene instituted and ordeyned Bishops in the Churche their Successoures till our dayes which haue neither knowen nor taughte anye thing like vnto the fables and tales that these doo preache vnto vs c. Not without cause wee may nowe a dayes say the like of the Lutherans Caluinistes other sectes of our time After this he doeth set forth all the Popes of Rome from S. Peter vnto Eleutherius which was Pope in his time And he did affirme that that number did suffise to proue that the doctrine of Marcian and Valentinian was false and very hurtfull because that it was vnknowen or at the least not receaued or approued by the Churche being vnder the gouernaunce of any of those Popes Then with greater reason ought prescriptiō to take place against a new doctrine which hath beene vnknowen this 1500. yeres or at the least if any bodie sought to publishe it he was condemned as a false pernitious heretike ¶ The .6 Chapter S. Augustine in his Epistle 365. about the like matter doeth set forth all the Popes by order which haue bene from S. Peters time vntil Anastasius which was pope in his time and by his continuall succession he doeth proue that the doctrine of the Donatists is heretical because that none of those popes which he did recite nor no part of the Churche did receaue it I pray you maye not we saye the like by the Caluinistes and other heretikes The saide S. Augustine in the Epistle that he doth call Epistola fundamenti Cap. 4. doeth write the reasons that did keepe him vnder the obedience of the Catholike Romane Church And amonge other he doeth alleage the common consent of all nations and the continuall succession of Bishops And in his booke which he made against the aduersarie of the olde and newe lawe he doeth name the succession of the bishops as most certain to answer to that that we sayd before of S. Paul I mean that he would not haue vs to be wauering doubtfull in our doctrin but that we should be firm stable the which stablenes is obteined by the knowledge and intelligence of the Scriptures according to the traditions of the Churche and the succession of the Apostles and Bishops The Churche saieth S. Augustine frō the Apostles time hath continued through the certaine succession of the Bishops vntill our dayes ¶ The .7 Chapter YOu doo studie as muche as you canne to reiect our succession and not without cause knowing that this onely doeth suffise to ouerthrowe all the heresies of those new reformed Gospellers Caluin as the moste apparant doth seeke to proue that our reason is of no force because that the Greekes haue had euer succession of Pastours and yet we doo not holde them as Catholikes But if the Reader doo well note that that we haue alreadie sayde he shall finde the aunswere vnto this obiection I meane because that the Greekes haue not had succession and continuaunce of doctrine called vnitie of fayth by the Apostles the which ought euer to be ioyned to the continuaunce of the Pastors to shew the true recognisaunce of the Catholike religion There is none that doo study reade of those matters but that doo know the vnconstant faith of the Greekes as touching the proceeding of the holye ghoste the which errour they had abiured at the last Councell of Florence and yet notwithstanding they did turne to it againe besides diuers other light thinges to speake moderatelye which are not approued by their auncient fathers S. Iohn Chrisostome S. Cirill S. Basil and Athanasius nor yet by our aduersaries at this present time The which errours I haue no neede to set foorth in this booke for my intent is but to speake of that that prickes vs at hande because of ill neighborhood Some doo alleage vnto vs the negligence of our pastors and their ill liues for the which cause they say that the mētioned succession cannot take place But this argument is of no force For althogh that the carelesse liues of some Bisshops and ecclesiasticall persons haue bene so great and so hurtfull vnto the blud of our Sauior Christ I mean to the soules bought with it yet notwithstanding that the Churche hath not lost the succession continuaunce of one doctrine as touching the administration of the Sacramentes by those that were deputed by the Bisshops If one should see a Prelate doing nothing and his lieftenant doing all which of those two woulde you take to be Bishop they haue both deuided their charges the one receueth the profite the other takes all the payne If they be both content what losse doo you feele he that hath anye interest let him valewe the damage And although that the negligence of the Bishop be not excusable before God with the diligence of the deputie nor his conscience cleere yet this ought to suffise that though his faultes be through negligence or through euil liuing yet that ought not to perturbe the assurance of our doctrin the which wee haue taught vs by the word of God interpreted by the true doctours that haue bene before vs agreing in vnitie of faith as I haue alredie said For neither the naughtines of Achas Num. 1. nor of Ioram nor of diuers other great sinners which are inrolled in the booke of the generation of Iesus Christe were not able to withstande the fulfilling of the promise of God made to Abraham that is to sai that he would be borne of this line Euen so the ill liues and conuersatiō of diuers wicked Popes that haue folowed after Saint Peter haue neuer beene able to moue Christe to breake his promise that is to saye that the fayth of his Churche shoulde neuer fayle Math. 16. and that the gates of hell that is to saye of
Anotomie of the Masse at my request make another of the ministerie of your congregation If you should see such another as Apelles that would paint a man and that he had drawen his head and without painting the rest of his bodye he had set his feete vnder his eares what would you say to suche a Table Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici Would you not thinke that he was a simple painter or els a great Iester Euen so doo you deserue that one should laugh at youre ministerie For you will ioyne youre Churche if it may be so called vnto the Churche of the Apostles without setting forth any members betweene them You take but scant measure when you will cut of al the Bishops Pastors and doctors that haue bene from the Apostles time til our dayes they being the members that folowe the head of the Churche This maye well be called a newe Religion or to say the truth it is a meere presumption to flye without winges or to clymbe without a ladder And I say to you againe that this is not the waye to folowe the Counsell of the great Shepherde that I mentioned before who doth say to vs that if we will not misse the way of the Catholikes we ought to folow the flocke of those shepe that haue gone before vs that is to saye that we should recken by succession the Pastors that haue succeeded in continuance of one kind of doctrine the which as we haue shewed the Catholike Churche doth and hath euer done ¶ The .12 Chapter AS touching the rest you haue accustomed in your ministerie to vse the imposition or laying on of hands and you saye that it is an auncient and honest Ceremonie In this you say the truth For as we reade of great antiquitie this Cerimonie hath beene vsed aswell in the olde lawe as in the lawe of grace And vnto that did redounde the imposition of handes laid vpon the Wether that was brought to the immolation of the Sacrifice of Moyses lawe to declare that those that are ordeined vnto the seruice of God and vnto the ministerie of the Church ought to retaine the like Ceremonie so the Israelites did laye their handes vppon the Leuites and Moyses likewise did laye his handes vpon Iosua whē he was made a captain of the Israelites who did represent the Church of Christ The apostles haue vsed the like as we find wher we read that S. Peter and S. Iohn did lay their handes vpon the Christiā people of Samaria S. Paule vpon the Ephesians and likewise the Apostles vpon the seuen Deacons vpon S. Paule and Barnabas S. Paule doeth admonishe Timothe not to despise the grace that he had receued by the impositiō of handes that he should set forth the gifte of God that he had receiued with the imposition of the handes of S. Paul vpō him He doth likewise cōmaunde him not to vse this impositiō of hāds without discretiō to the end that he do not cōmunicat with the sin of another Caluin according to these authorities in his institutiō booke Ar. 8. ca. 50. of faith doth cōmaund the like to be vsed in his Churche It doth appere saith he that the Apostles haue vsed no other Ceremonie in the vocation to the ministery but this imposition of handes Now I thinke that thei tooke this custom of the Iewes who did present vnto god by the imposition of hands that that they wold blesse cōsecrate After this sort Iacob Gen. 48. whē he would blesse Ephraim and Manasses he laide his handes vpon their heades Our Sauiour did the like vppon the litle children when he did praye Math. 19. And as I thinke it was all to one ende ordeined in the lawe and therefore the Apostles by the imposition of handes did signifye that they did offer vnto God him that they did receaue into the ministerie althoughe they did vse it likewise with those vnto whom they did distribute the visible giftes of the holy Ghost How so euer it be they haue vsed this solemnitie as many times as they did ordeyne any body to the ministerie of the Churche as we see by example aswell touching the Pastours and doctours as the Deacons Now although there be no special commaundement as touching the imposition of handes yet notwithstanding seeing that we reade that the Apostles did vse it continuallye that which they did vse so diligently ought to be vnto vs as a precept And surely it is a profitable thing to set forth to the people the dignitie of the Ministerie by suche a Ceremonie and to make him know that is thus ordeyned minister that he apperteyneth no more to himselfe but that he is dedicated to the Seruice of God and of his Churche c. Thus seing that Caluin doth confesse the imposition of handes to be so necessary for the ministerie of the Churche and that it is approued aswell by the lawe of nature as by the lawe of Moyses or of the Gospell Answere vs then who was he that laide his handes vpon Caluin to safe conduct the charge of his conscience You will aunswere me Zuinglius or Oecolampadius or the others of his time And if by chaunce one would be so curious as to pursue this demaund mounting a litle higher I meane to know of whom these abouenamed haue receued their blessing and imposition of handes I thinke you will not name the Apostles if you will not haue euery man to laughe at your follye for there is none so simple but doeth knowe that they died aboue 1500. yeres agone And seing that your patriarch hath made vs so goodly an oration as touching this imposition of handes affirming it to be necessarye both by the lawe of Nature the lawe of Moyses and the lawe of Grace howe doeth it come to passe that Zuinglius hath not vsed it to confirme his ministerie ¶ The .13 Chapter If that the good doctour S. Ciprian had bene in these our dayes might he not well haue saide against youre Schollers that which he did write against Nouatus there needed no other but in steede of Nouatus to put in Caluinus or Zuinglius et nomine mu tato de vobis fabula narrabitur Seing that the saide S. Ciprian doth holde affirme that Nouatus oughte to be accompted as no Bishop because he succeded no bodie but rather that he did make himselfe a Bishop without anye imposition of handes Then to what purpose I praye you are ye of the opinion that Caluin and Zuinglius are such faithful ministers considering that they are as far from prouing that confirmation of their ministerie as euer was Nouatus You wil answer me that you haue no nede of the impositiō of hāds of the Papists superstitious Idolaters Infidels But this maketh your cause neuer the better for if you are so scrupulous by nature that it goeth against your cōsciences to come to kneele to our Bisshops you shuld I say in times
he praysed among the worldlings for a wise man who will not suffer himselfe to be ouertroden and made a laughing stocke to euery Rascall With such vayne glorious prayses be suche proude Thrasoes extolled and magnifyed of the more parte and no small number are geuen to flatterie and enhausing of Clawbacks that neuer could that saying of Terence be better verifyed then it is nowe Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit To holde vp mennes yea and their naye in holding with the hare and running with the hounde getteth a man frendes but he that will lay flattery aside and tell the playne truth shall get nothing but hatred Thus in these dayes vice is extolled and vertue contemned Ill rule is made of and good rule neglected O heart dissimuled which vnder coloure to be iust and true canst cloke vnto vs hipocrisie for deuotion ambition for gentlenes couetousnes for competencie crueltie for zeale bolde babling without learning for eloquence florishing Rhetorike without fruite or reason follye for grauitie wilines without wit and fleshly wanton libertie for libertie of the Gospell This is nothing els but the deuils drifte alway couering his poyson vnder some taste of sugar Fallit enim vitium specie virtutis vmbra For the summe and ende of all their false doctrine is nothing els but malice with murther to the ouerthrowe of Christes religion and the true ministers thereof This is their shéepes clothing for an vnhappie reformation Nam impia sub dulci melle venena latent Vnder swéete honye is deadly venome hid O blinde ignorance and ignorant blindnes O cruell damnable mischiefe comming frō the bottomles pit of hell O intolerable furiousnes and heresie more detestable then it may any longer be suffered The great displeasure the extreme vengeaunce the cruell plagues of God hange ouer our heades if this horrible heresie be not shortly remoued from mens mindes O good God howe long wilt thou suffer this intolerable abhomination It shameth me it abhorreth me to thinke that these shamelesse beastes are not ashamed to speake of the moste belssed Sacramentes of Christes Churche who is able to expresse eyther by tonge or penne their wicked abhomination whye haue we a pleasure to forsake the true vnderstanding of Gods moste sacred worde and become folowers and bondslaues of the deuils coūterfeite ▪ and deceiptfull expositions and carnall reasons set out by his ministers who in religion are so deuided that nowe they dreame one thing and now another this day they like to morowe they mislike and one is against another of them euen in the highest misterie of Christe his religion And no meruaile for the deuill is their chiefe head whom they serue and he is full of lyes variaunce diuision and discorde and vnder him their Schoolemasters were Hus Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Bucer Melancthon and the Archeheretike Caluine whose heresies are confuted in the Discourse hereafter ensuing These with the rest of that rable did neuer agrée one with another in their doinges there is no vnitie no certaintie at all and therfore such masters such scollers come of them And this diuision this vnconstancie of doctrine was a manifest tokē that they were not the children of our true mother the catholike Churche nor ministers of of Christe but the children of the deuill and ministers of Antichriste yea very Antichristes For whosoeuer sayth S. Augustine is gone from the vnitie of the Catholike Churche he is become an Antichriste These Antichristes haue borne a great stroke nowe too longe time in our Realm of England in whō is no constancie no stedfastnes of religion and doctrine These are they that haue damnably deceued you haue with their damnable preachinges intised you from Churche to Churche from an heauenly Churche to a malignant Church from a louing mother to a flattering harlot from the condition of grace to the state of perdition from truth to falshood from faythfull beléeuing to carnall reasoning from sauing Christe to deceauing Antichriste But good Reader beware be not deceaued and be not ashamed to arise that haste so shamefullye fallen be not ashamed to come home to your mother the Churche sith she is not ashamed to receaue you Let not follye lose the thing that grace hath so preciously offered purchased Let not wilfulnes and blindnes put out so great light as is nowe shewed vnto thée but embrace moste humbly the doctrine of our Mother the Catholike Church so shall you sit in the lappe of so tender a mother which will cherish you into life euerlasting Choose the best whiles choyse lyeth in lot A notable discourse plainly and truely discussing who be the right ministers of the Catholique Churche ¶ The firste Chapter CAluin your Patriarch doth laie to our charge a great and an outragious boldnes saying according to his opinion that we haue introduced or taken in hande the ministerie of Iesus Christe without being called to it by him that did institute Aaron in the saide estate And because that he himselfe can better then I expresse his complaint or accusation I thinke it beste to set foorth his owne writinges which according to his disciples opinions are of great force and vertue His wordes as you may reade are these Seing that the Papistes heare S. Paule saye that no person ought to take vpon him or vsurpe the name and the honoure of Priesthoode but he that is called to it as Aaron was And that Iesus Christe tooke it not vpon him selfe but did obeye the vocation of his father either they ought to shewe that God is the Author and institutour of their priesthood or els they must confesse that they are not called of God seing that of their owne boldenes they haue taken it in hande These are Caluins wordes by the which the reader maye gather that Caluin doeth enioyne vs to render him an accoumpt of oure vocation And although that it be so that by the Ciuill lawe one ought to trye the righte of the possession before he come to demaunde it and the spoyle as we are to him and his felowes as touching oure Temples and Reuennues in manye places ought to be restored agayne before the sute proceede Yet releassing this that the lawe doeth alowe vs we are content to aunswere to his demaund adding this request therto that both you that are his disciples and he doo make readie your papers to aunswere vs the like as touching yours But before I proceede in mine aunswere vnder correction of a man that thinkes to haue suche good eyes me seemeth that his argument is but very simple to sai that of we cannot shewe that God is the Authour of our Priesthood that we should be constrained to confesse that it is not of God seeing that without being called we take it vpon vs For what reason is there I praye you in this for although it were so that of our owne priuate power and authoritie without being called wee shoulde take it vppon vs it shoulde not
other goddes and therefore that he did counsel the sayde Caesar quietly to retyre himselfe and to make no more adoe the verses are these Me puer Hebraeus diuos deos ipse gubernans Cedere sede iubet tristemque redire suborcum Aris ergo dehinc tacitus abscedito nostris ¶ The .21 Chapter THus you see that Iesus christ was anounced among the gentiles before the cōming of the Apostles who notwithstanding this dyd not let to set forth the doctrine that they wer sent to preache with many notable miracles although they did not reach but that doctrine that was verye ancient And although that their doctrine was newe and vnknowen to the Gentiles yet you cannot alleage that it was so vnto the Iewes for they being studied learned in Moyses lawe they hearde nothing of the Apostles but had bene prophecied by the Prophetes Doeth not S. Paule say at the beginning of his Epistle to the Romanes that he was seperated to preache the Gospel the which God promised by the holye Scriptures S. Peter talking with the Iewes doeth geue them plainelye to vnderstande that his was no newe doctrine because that he did preach Iesus Christe of whom Moyses had prophecied longe before saying thus God shall rayse a Prophete among your brethren you shall obey him as you doo me and he that doth refuse it shal be put to death S. Peter saith afterwarde All the prophetes that haue beene from Samuell vnto this time doo announce vnto you these dayes that is to saye the doctrine that we doo preache That that the Apostles did preach vnto the Iewes that is to wit the remissiō of their sinnes by the death and passion of Christe it was no newe thing for as S. Peter sayde vnto Cornelius All the Prophetes haue witnessed that these that beleue in him shall obteyne remission of their sins for it had bene so prophecied by Esay cap. 55. vnto the people aboue .800 yeres saying that he had layed vpon his sonne all oure iniquities as it doeth appere in his booke in the which he doth shew him selfe more an Euangelist then a Prophete for there he doth write the torments of our Sauiour euen as if he had bene present at his passiō Dauid likewise doth talk of the like where he doeth mention the extreme affliction of our Redeemer and of the gal the Isope and the Vinager Daniel did not onely discrye the death of our Sauiour but therewithall the verye time that he shoulde come And to be briefe all the Prophetes haue announced vnto the Iewes that that the Apostles did preache vnto them Nowe if we desire to knowe why this olde doctrine preached aswell to the gentiles as to the Iewes by the Apostles was confirmed with many miracles which they did in the name of God who sent them the cause is this the deuill had so obscured and hidden the truth ouer all nations that superstitious Idolatrye had taken place in steede of the true seruice of God so that the poore Painims did not put their trust in one God but in a multitude of goddes And in like maner the true religion geuen by god to the Israelites had ben troubled and almoste cleane abolished by the traditions of the Scribes and Pharises in the which they did truste for the iustification and remission of theyr synnes The like doo you reporte of vs and of your great curtesye yee are content to matche vs with the superstitious Iewes and Idolatrous Paynims plating your selues in the degree of the pure Gospellers and the true children of God taking vppon you the Succession of the Apostles and calling youre Congregation the true Catholike and Apostolicall Churche This soundes notablye well but seeing that youre cause is absolutelye to refourme the Churche as they didde preaching the auncient doctrine of God as they did and dealing with superstitious Idolaters that cleaue more to the traditions of menne then vnto the pure worde of god as the Iewes Seing thē that our case is reported vnto the similitude of the Iewes and yours to the Apostles Prophetes howe comes it to passe that you doo not as they did seeing that you are sent from one master Why doo ye not make your commission appere by signes and miracles seeing that God hath euer done the like heretofore when he hath sent the like Commission to yours ¶ The .22 Chapter YOu doo coniure vs by the name of the liuing God to receaue youre Gospell and pure word of God or els you doo threaten vs that you will shake off the dust of your feet in testimonie against vs because that wee will not beleue your wordes But in this matter ye doo alleage a wronge text for we were very simple if we shoulde forsake or remoue the foundation of our Churche vppon suche an occasion as I will shewe by this discourse that doeth folowe I am sure that you are not ignorant howe that Luther after he began to preache his Gospell was not founde barren for immediatlye after his beginning he did ingender another Gospeller that is to wyt Andrew Coralstadius and from thence was produced another called Zuinglius of Zuinglius Oecolampadius Then Thomas Muncerus considering that he had no lesse the gifte of the spirite then the rest he began to forge a newe Gospell of the Anabaptists with the which he thought to gratifye the Towne of Milhouse who had receaued alreadie the Gospell of Luther But the Senate of that Towne being weried alreadye with to many straunge Gospels they aduertised Luther your fyrste Apostle of it And he wrote to them againe that Thomas Muncerus ought not to be receaued if he could not proue his vocation by some miracle And if you demaunde where I haue founde this I saye to you not in the workes of some lying Papist but in the Commentaryes of youre deere Historiographer master Sleydon who hath so good a grace in his writing and is so moued with the trueth of his spirite that he doth omit nothing in his Historie but that that doeth go agaynst himselfe and the professours of his religion I doo wishe those that doo vnderstande the Latine to reade this aunswere of Luther in the Commentaries them selues and for the rest I will set it forth translated not by me but by a minister of youre owne sect called Robert Preuost who dwelleth in a segnorie of Berne According to his translation the wordes are these Luther was of opinion that the Senate of Milhouse should do very well and wisely to demaunde of Muncer who had geuen him commission to teache and who had called him vnto it If he say that it is God let them demaunde of him to shewe some signe or miracle to proue his vocation and yf he could not do it that they should banishe him for it is common to God to declare his will by some miracle at any time when he will haue the common custome and order chaunged These are the wordes of Luther We ought to yeelde that
iust a quarell Did not Michaell Seruet who was once master Caluins derling rather desyre to suffer at Geneua then he wold confesse that Christe was God and yet notwithstanding his great patience or to say the truth deuillishe obstinacie cannot be sufficient to make him a Martyr nor to perswade you to beleeue his doctrine There is a certaine minister of the Lutherans called Ioachim Westphall who in a woorke of his doth mocke at Caluin who did vaunt that within these fyue yeres aboue an hundred had suffred death to sustayne the Gospell of Geneua he doth aunswer him at large prouing that the sect doctrin of the said place ought not to be approued for the multitude of false martyres for the Anabaptists whom he doth iustly condemne haue had of their sect a great many more for in lesse then three yeres there hath suffred a great number more thē euer there did suffer of Caluinistes in fyueteene And to conclude this matter the sayde Westfal doth say that the diuel hath his Martyrs euen as wel as god with whom like a good Sergeant he doth marche geuing the vauntward vnto the martyrs of the Caluenistes that haue suffered at Geneua So that if one demaund of the Lutherans whyther goe those that dye in the religion of Caluin of Beza or of the Anabaptistes they saye To the Diuel And if one demaund of the Caluenists in like maner Whither go the Anabaptists and the Lutherans they say in likewise To the diuel And who would put the like question to the Anabaptists I am assured they would say as the others To the Diuel For my part I beleeue you I assure you all three And seeing that ye agree so wel that one serue for an others harbēger we were very fooles if we should stay your passage but let you go al to the diuel for companie for I thinke if you were al gone our debates would cease and hel would be so ful that the diuel would long for no more ¶ The .33 Chapter THere is a certayne minister of the Lutherans called Heshusius the which within these three yeres hath made a booke agaynst Caluine Peter Boquin Theodore de Beza and Guliel mus Elcimalcius he sayth amongst other things that Carolstadius Zuen feldius Caluine and Beza doo shewe wel the vncertayntie of their fayth by the diuersities of opinions that there is amongst thē the which fault saith he doth proceede of this that they haue forsakē the true sense of the scripture to folowe the opinions of their owne heades And in that very booke the sayde Author doth giue the lye to Caluin because that in that he wrote agaynst the abouenamed Westphal he sayth that Martin Luther and his adherentes did acknowledge him as their brother the which thing he mainteynes to be false Thus seeing ye agree together like dogges and cattes and that al these sects haue confirmed their false doctrine with the shedding of their owne blood it is best to conclude as we haue said before That it is not the payne nor the torment that doth make the righteous martyr except we should say that diuers contrary messaungers are sent from one master the which is notoriously false for that good king from whom the truth doth come in deede hath so good a memorie that he doth neuer send contrary messangers but rather his faythful seruauntes doo al with one voyce and one accorde honour him as the father of our Sauiour Iesus Christe ¶ The .34 Chapter SOme of your godly sect to verifie that the vocation of your ministery doth come of God doo set before our eyes the holynes of those newe Christians that is to say how they neuer sweare but yea for yea and no for no that they do no wrōg to no man that they do neither rob nor steale but that they are cōtent with that that god hath sent thē that they ar very charitable to the poore then seeing that our Sauior doth say that one shal know the tree by the fruit we ought to cōfes sai they that the tree being good the fruit is good that is to say their religion is good seing that by the grace of god it doth produce such swete pleasant fruit I answer you first to this that our sauior doth not geue general rules but that that most commonly doth happen as when he sayth that of the abundāce of the hart the mouth speaketh woulde you affyrme by this that his meaning was vniuersally God forbid that he that is the author of al truth should meane so starke a lye Do you not remember what speach he did vse to the Phariseys when he said This people do honor me with their mouthes but their harts are farre from me you see that this sentence is contrarie to the other if you do not vnderstand it as I haue said that is to say that many times a mā doth vtter that that is in his hart as a Ruffian takes great pleasure to talke of quarels a proude person to talke of hautie enterprises a couetous man to talke of ryches or gaynes and so it is of al other sinnes But with al this a man may not affyrme truly that hypocrisie doth neuer reigne in their harts whose mouthes are ful of Gods word The Iudges of S. Susan had not they God and his lawes in their mouthes and the diuel in their hartes We haue a law said the Iewes and Pharisees agaynst Christ and according to this lawe giuen vs by Moyses he ought to dye The zeale of Iustice did sound in their mouthes and hatefull enuy did dwell in their hartes And therefore you see many times that man doth speake contrary to that that he thinketh and euen so it is of the sentence of our Sauiour whē he sayth that by the fruite one shall know the tree For many times naturally the fruite is good although the tree be worth nothing as the famous liues and workes of diuers heathen Philosophers doo witnesse of whom the holynes and scrupulositie of conscience was suche that I do beleeue assuredly that at the day of Iudgmēt a great number of Christians which leade Paynims liues wil be confounded with the example of those men that knew not god Thus of the first the fruite is good but the trees are worth nothing for their religion was false Idolatrous applying as S. Paul doth say the trueth of God to vnrighteousnes And as for the secōd the trees are good beeing graft vppon the true Catholique Religion but the fruites doo degenerate from the stocke ¶ The .35 Chapter IF that the sence of this Prouerbe be harde for you to disgest I am content to stay vntill your stomacke be somewhat better assuring myself that you can interprete it no waye vnto your aduauntage There is nothing more certaine then the good tree to beare good fruite if one doth not make him change his owne nature but if one doo graffe vpon it some Crabstocke