be caried away with false doctrine But if the pastors all haue erred as you would haue vs to beleeue then in vaine did God giue pastors to his Church to preserue vs in the trueth For they that should haue taught the trueth did euen themselues swarue from the trueth and so they became vnfit instrumentes to doe the will of God The answere I say first that albeit Gods wil be one as himselfe is one willing by his owne essence and by one eternall and immutable act whatsoeuer he willeth yet is his will said to be manifold aswel of the holy fathers as of the schooledoctors And this is done for two special considerations The former is for the varietie of the thinges which God willeth The latter is for the varietie of the maner by which God seemeth to will thinges Hereupon arise many diuisions of Gods will assigned by learned writers for explication sake Some deuide Gods will into antecedent and consequent Some others diuide it into the will of signe and will of good pleasure Others into the will reuealed and will not reuealed Others into the will absolute anâ— will conditionate and the like I say secondly that though Gods will consequent and will of good pleasure bee euer accomplished vndoubtedly yet is his will antecedent and will of signe oftentimes neglected and left vndone Of the former wil the prophet speaketh in these words whatsoeuer pleased y e Lord that did he in heauen and in earth and in the Sea and in all the depthes And the Apostle saith for who hath resisted his will Of the latter we haue many examples in the holie Scriptures First God commanded Pharao by Moses to let his people go but Pharao would not obey Secondly God would haue gathered the Iewes togither euen as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings but they would not haue it so Thirdly God would haue all men to be saued as Paul beareth witnesse and yet we know by the holy gospel that the greater part shalbe damned I say thirdly that Gods will mentioned in S. Paule and now obiected against my resolution is only voluntas signi his will of signe and not voluntas beneplaciti his will of good pleasure and therefore it can neuer be effectually concluded out of this text which hitherto hath euer been reputed the strong bulwarke of poperie and either dissembled or lightly passed ouer by the grauest writers that the pastors of the visible church alwaies teach the trueth and neuer swarue from the same Thus more plainly for the simple and ignorant sort When the apostle saith that God placed pastors and doctors in the church that the people be not carried away with false doctrine he neither meaneth that the pastors shall alwaies infallibly teach the trueth nor that the people shall alwaies constantly embrace the truth I proue it because the apostle speaketh indefinitely and indifferently of all teachers and of al hearers of al shepheardes and of all sheepe neither excepting one nor other and yet both ye know and we know that many preachers preach false doctrine and that many hearers embrace the same Whereupon it followeth necessarily that if the Apostle meant as ye woulde haue him to meane then Christes intent and purpose shoulde be frustrate indeede which yet is it that your selues impugne The apostle therfore meaneth only this to declare voluntate signi what he would haue his shepheards and sheepe to doe albeit voluntate beneplaciti the same be not euer accomplished This my explication of S. Paules meaning is confirmed not only by the holy Scripture but also by the expresse testimonies of renowmed popish writers Touching the holy Scripture First it is euident that God would haue al men saued for so saith the apostle Deus vult omnes homines saluos fieri Gods wil is that all men shalbe saued and come to the acknowledging of the trueth Whereby we see that Gods wil and intent is to saue all and yet doe we know assuredly that al shal not be saued For the gospel saith plainly Multi vocati pauci verò electi Manie are called but few are chosen Secondly it is cleere that God appointed good workes to this end that men should walke in them for so saith holy writ Ipsius enim sumuâ— factura creati in Christo Iesu in bonis operibus quae praeparauit deus vt in illis ambulemus For wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them And yet we see by daily experience that it is farre otherwise Thirdly God gaue vs his holie lawe to the intent that wee shoulde accomplish it for so the scripture telleth vs and no papist doth or can denie the same and yet haue we infallible knowledge out of the same scripture that none liuing can keep fulfil the law in al points For if we could haue kept the lawe in al pointes wee shoulde haue been iustified by the obseruation thereof and so Chrâ—stes passion and his satisfaction had been needlesse In all these places therefore and the like Voluntas signi must be vnderstood but not voluntas beneplaciti Touching the popish Doctors the Iesuite Bellarmine hath these words At fine dubio singuli episcopi errare possunt aliquando errant inter se quandoque dissentiunt vt nesciamus quisnam eorum sequendus sit But without doubt all bishops may erre seuerally and doe erre sometime and sometime dissent one from another insomuch that we cannot tel whom we should follow Out of which wordes I note first that God who caused Balaams asse to speake hath enforced our Iesuite to confesse the trueth I note secondly that there is no Bishop in the worlde but hee both may erre and sometime doth erre and consequently that the pope of Rome is either no bishop at all by his owne Iesuites graunt or els that he both may erre and doth erre indeed Which point I haue prooued copiously in my booke of Motiues I note thirdly that by our Iesuites confession euery bishop hath so many errours that the people cannot tel whom to follow and consequently that S. Paul meant nothing lesse then that the pastors and doctors of the churche shoulde alwaies teach the trueth I note fourthly that since euery auncient father both may erre and doth erre and that by popish graunt there is no reason why the papistes should vrge vs as they doe to stand to the censure of the fathers in euery thing Their owne Cardinall Panormitanus hath these wordes Nam in concernentibus fidem etiam dictum vnius priuati esset praeferendum dicto papae si ille moueretur melâ—oribus rationibus noui veteris testamenti quam papa Nec obstat si dicatur quod concilium non potest errare quia Christus orauit pro ecclesia sua vt non deficeret quia dico quod licet concilium generale
repraesentet totam ecclesiam vniuersalem tamen in veritate ibi non est vera ecclesia vniuersalis sed repraesentatiue quia vniuersalis ecclesia coÌ„stituitur ex collectione omnium fidelium Vnde omnes fideles orbis constituunt istam ecclesiam vniuersalem cuius caput sponsus est ipse Christus Papa auteÌ„ est vicarius Christi non verè caput ecclesiae vt notat glossa in Clem. Ne Romani de elect quae notabiliter dicit quòd mortuo papâ ecclesia non est sine capite ista est illa ecclesia quae errare non potest Vnde possibile est quòd vera fides Christi remaneret in vno solo ita quod verum est dicere quod fides non deficit in ecclesia Sequitur Christus ante passionem orauerat pro Perro vt noÌ„ deficeret fides sua ergo non dicitur deficere nec etiam errare si remanet vera fides in vno solo For concerning matters of faith euen the iudgement of one that is a meere lay man ought to be preferred before the sentence of the pope if that lay person could bring better reasons out of the old and new testament then did the pope And it skilleth not if one say that a councel cannot erre because Christ praied for his church that it should not faile For I say that although a general councel represent the whole vniuersall church yet in trueth there is not truely the vniuersall Church but representatiuely For the vniuersall church consisteth of the collection of all the faithful Whereupon all the faithfull in the world make this church vniuersall wherof Christ himself is the head The pope is the vicar of Christ but not truely the head of the church as noteth the glosse vpon the Clementines which saith notably that when the pope is dead the Church wanteth not an head and this is that Church which cannot erre Whereupon it is possible that the true faith of Christ might remaine in one alone and so it may truely be said y t the faith faileth not in the church Christ before his passion praied for Peter that his faith should not faile therefore the church is not said to faile neither to erre so long as the true faith abideth in one onely Out of these wordes I note first that by the opinion of the great Papist Panormitan a meere lay mans iudgement euen in matters of faith ought to be accepted and receiued before the popes constitution if the lay man bring better reasons out of the scriptures then the pope doth Which saying doubtlesse is the foundation of the doctrine this day established in the church of England in all other reformed churches throughout the world Neither doe we craue more of the papistes then their owne doctors will affoord vs. I note secondly that a generall councell may erre because it is not the catholike or vniuersall church indeed I note thirdly that that church which cannot erre is not the visible companie of pastors and doctors but the inuisible societie of all the faithfull in the worlde Where by inuisible I meane not that any of the elect is inuisible in his corporal consistence but that the vniuersall congregation of the faithfull as vniuersall is inuisible that is to say that no one mortall man seeth or knoweth all true beleeuers in the church In which sense is truely verified the saying of Elias when hee cried out that he only was left alone For albeit it be true that there was a visible church in Iudea vnder the good kinges Asa and Iosaphat euen when Elias made his complaint that he was left alone and although also that Abdias had told Elias that hee had hid an C. prophets by L. in a caue so as Elias could not be ignoraunt of a visible church in the worlde yet is it most true with all this that the vniuersall church as vniuersall was inuisible to Elias and that there were many thousandes of true beleeuers euen then in Samaria whom â—lias neither saw nor knew And therefore did God answere him saying I haue reserued to my selfe seuen thousand men which haue not bowed the knee to Baall I note fourthly that howsoeuer the visible bishops and pastors erre yet doth not the vniuersal church erre so long as the faith remaineth in any one whosoeuer I note fiftly that as in the time of Elias there were seuen thousand faithfull persons whom he knew not euen so were there in those daies when Martin Luther began his reformation many thousandes among the papists that sincerely beleeued the gospel whom hee neither saw nor knew The 6 replie The scripture telleth vs that the church cannot erre For as the Apostle saith it is the house of the liuing God the pillar and ground of trueth Therefore either Gods apostle teacheth false doctrine or els doubtlesse the trueth must euer be in the church The answere I answere that the true church of God which is the mysticall body of Christ doth neuer erre wholly and generally in the fundamentall pointes of religion and such as are necessary for our saluation I say first the true church of God because the societie of the visible pastors are not euer the mysticall members of Christ. I say secondly wholly and generally because albeit the trueth may faile for a time in the pastors of the church yet shall it neuer perish in the elect and true members thereof For though particular churches may erre in particular pointes yet shall the whole church neuer erre in the articles of necessary doctrine Though the elect may erre in part and at sometime yet shal they neuer erre either all generally or any one finally For whom and in respect of whom the church is rightly called the pillar of trueth This my exposition is made good by the testimonie of S. Austen whose words be these SecundaÌ„ ergo Sabbathi non debemus intelligere nisi ecclesiaÌ„ Christi sed ecclesiaÌ„ Christi in sanctis ecclesiam Christi in his qui scripti sunt in coelo ecclesiaÌ„ Christi in â—is qui mundi huius tentationibus non cedunt Ipsi enim digni sunt nomine firmameÌ„ti ergo ecclesia Christi in his qui firmi sunt appellata est firmamentum quae est in quit ecclesia dei viui columna firmamentum veritatis Therefore we may not vnderstand the second of the sabboth to bee any other then the church of Christ yet the church of Christ in the saints the church of Christ in those which are not ouercome with the tentations of this wicked world for they are worthy the name of firmament therefore the church of Christ is called the firmament in those that are firme which is saith hee the church of the liuing God the piller and firmament of truth The like saying hath S. Augustine in many other places but especially where he writeth against the Donatists Saint Chrysostome expoundeth this place of the veritie it selfe
and the people was of no force at all in those dayes vnlesse the Emperours or their lieutenants had confirmed the same This was done 637. yeares after Christs incarnation Concerning the creation of Benedicte Platina hath these words Ad hunc Constantinus imperator sanctionem misit vt deinceps quem clerus populus exercitús que Romanus in pontificem delegisset eundem statim verum Christi vicarium esse omnes crederent nulla aut Constantinopolitani principis aut Italiae exarchi expectata auctoritate vt anteà fieri consueuerat id enim ratum erat in creando pontifice quod princeps confirmasset vel qui eius vices in Italia gerebat The emperour Constantine sent a decree to this Pope that whomsoeuer the clergy people and Romane souldiers should hencefoorth chuse for their bishop all people should by and by beleeue him to be the vicar of Christ scilicet if they would Bartholomeus Carranza a dominican Frier hath the verie same assertion ad verbum Anastasius and Onuphrius haue these expresse words pontifices qui deinde fuerant creati consecrati sunt sine Constantinopolitani imperatoris iussione The Popes that liued afterwards were made and consecrated without the Emperour of Constantinople his commaundement as if they had saide in the olde time and in the auncient Churche no Bishoppe of Rome coulde haue beene admitted at anie time vnlesse hee hadde brought letters patents from the Emperour though now the practise bee farre otherwise Out of which doctrine I gather these three euident and most necessarie corollaries First that the vulgar and common sort of people are grossely deceiued when they terme papistrie the olde religion and repute them for the Catholikes For wee indeede are the true and auncient Catholikes and the Papistes are nothing else but flatte Heretikes For this Benedict coulde not bee made Bishoppe of Rome without the Emperours Letters Patents This primacie of the Emperour ouer the Bishoppe of Rome was sixe hundred foure score and foure yeeres after the incarnation of Christ. For at that time was this Benedict made the Pope So then the Bishop of Rome for the space almost of seuen hundred yeres after the incarnation of Christ Iesus acknowledged the Emperour for his superiour and Lorde as wythout whose Letters Patentes hee coulde haue no Iurisdiction For as in ciuill causes many are debarred from their lawfull inheritance and that by the violent dealing of mightie men euen so we catholikes haue beene many yeares excluded from our own churches our ancient and lawfull possessions and that by the force violence and tyrannie of the bloudy Romish antichrists And as temporall men are in time restored vnto their auncient right by iust and godly magistrates euen so were we and are we by the goodnes of God and most christian princes king Henry the eight and king Edward the sixt of famous memory our most gratious soueraigne Elizabeth restored to the old christian catholike and apostolike religion and placed againe in our owne churches the spirituall birthright of vs and our ancestours I gather secondly that our Bishops in England are made and consecrated according to the ancient christian catholike and Romaine manner that is by the Letters patents of the Prince I gather thirdly that Christian Emperours vppon a certaine zeale not grounded vppon knowledge yeelding vppe their soueraigne rights to the Bishops of Rome opened the window to all antichristian tyrannie For in short time after the Romish Bishops became so arrogant and lordly that they tooke vpon them to depose the Emperours to translate their Empires and to dispose at their pleasures of their royall scepters and regalities The third replie The church of God cannot bee without Bishoppes and priests as you haue already granâ—ed and as I haue proued out of Saint Paul but so it is that when yee first reformed the church as you tearme it yee neither had any Byshoppes nor any priests of your owne neither coulde you find any but with vs and in our church when Martin Luther went out from vs. Our church therefore and none but ours is the true church of god This reason is so strong as it can neuer be truly answered The answere I saie first that this reason seemeth to carrie a maiestie with it and a verie plausible shewe of truth and therefore did it a long time fascinate and seduce my selfe yet I trust by Gods holy assistance so to solue it as no papist shall haue cause any longer to glorie therein I say secondly that if our bishops or our lay-brethren had gone at any time to the greeke and East churches they shoulde haue found as good a materiall succession at the least as that of yours at Rome but there was no neede to take so long and so painefull a iourney in hand I say thirdly that our bishops and priests of late yeares were indeede consecrated by such as were sometimes in your church But thereupon will it not follow I assure you that the true church of God was with you and not with vs for no more can be inferred vpon your reason but that there remained a certaine externall face of the visible church still with you that is to say a mingled materiall succession of place and persons without the formall Euangelicall succession of trueth and doctrine The fourth replie How can the pastors of the church be without the doctrine of the church for the church cannot bee without the pastors as I haue proued and you also admitted this is it that I desire to learne The answere The reason hereof is this because God promised to giue alwaies pastors to his visible church but he neuer promised this to put the truth alwaies in their mouthes For this cause saith Saint Paule that God hath giuen pastors and teachers to his church vntil the end but he neuer said that he gaue them his holy spirit alwaies to preach and teach the truth no no he neuer promised any such thing You brag of your succession you say you are the church representatiue that your pope cannot erre but whatsoeuer he defineth iudicially that must be as true as the holy gospel Euen so did the wicked Iewes boast when the Prophet of God reproued them come said they let vs imagine some deuice against Ieremy for the law shall not perish from the priest nor counsell from the wise nor the worde from the prophet Thus did the Iewes boast then and thus doe the papistes boast now But what saith God by his Prophet to these your arrogant and Pharisaical conceites doubtlesse cleane contrary to wit but the law shall perish from the priest and counsell from the elder as if hee had said notwithstanding your great bragges of your priuiledges yet shall ye be infatuated and spoiled of all counsel trueth and doctrine The fift replie The Apostle saith that God gaue pastors and teachers to his church for this end that they shuld not
seculi consummationem futura est quis non intelligaâ— sicut eis iliud ait quod ad eos omnino non pertinet tamen sic dictum est tanquam ad solos etiam pertineret cum videritis haec omnia scitote quia propé est in ianuâ—â— ad quos enim hoc pertinet nisi ad eos qui in carne tunc erunt eum omnia complebuntur It is not therefore so said to the Apostles ye shalbe my witnesses in Hierusalem and in al Iurie and in Samaria euen to the vtmost parts of the world as if they onely to whom he then spoke should haue accomplished so great a matter but as he seemeth to haue said onely to them that which hee said in these words behold I am with you to the worlds end Which thing neuerthelesse euery one perceiueth that he spoke it to the vniuersal church which by the death of some and by the birth of other some shall continue to the worlds end euen as hee saith that to them which doth nothing at all pertaine to them and yet is it so spoken as if it onely pertained to them to wit when yâ—â— shall see these things come to passe knowe that it is neare 〈◊〉 the doores For to whome doth this pertaine but to those who shall then bee liuing when all thinges shall bee accomplished In these words Saint Austen proueth plainly that this obiection wherin the papists glory so greatly make th◠〈◊〉 for them for saith hee these words alreadie recited one spoken to the whole congregation of the faithfull which are or shall be to the worlds end and this Saint Austen sheweth by two reasons First because not onely the Apostles but others together with them should be his witnesses in Hierusalem and Samaria albeit Christ spoke that of them touching the bearing witnesse of him as he spoke this to them concerning his spiritual presence And therefore as hee spoke the other to all the faithful so did he also this that is promised his inuisible presence not onely to the Apostles or pastors of the church but euen to all the faithful in the world Secondly because Christ spoke that to his Apostles as pertaining onely to them which for al that did nothing at al concerne them as if he had saide it is not a good reason to denie Christs presence to the whole church because hee vttered the words onely to the Apostles For since hee spoke that to the Apostles which pertained nothing to them but onely to others much more might he speake that to them which belonged to them with others The eight replie Christ himselfe saith that the holy ghost shal teach the Apostles al trueth euen many things whereof they were not capable then and therefore did he be serue those things till the comming of the holy ghost The answere I answere that the holy ghost after Christs ascension taught the Apostles al truth euen such things as Christ had reserued and that by reason of their â—uditie and imperfection in conceiâ—â—â—g heauenly doctrine yet those things so reserued and the truth so taught was nothing else but a manifest explication of the selfe same veritie which they in briefe before had heard For the holy ghost did coyne no new doctrine nor reueale anie new articles of faith but onely taught the Apostles the true sâ—nse of Christs words which before for their dulnesse they were not able to perceiue which sense they being directed by the instinct of the holy ghost deliuered to the whole world first by word and afterward by writing Al this I proue by two euident demonstrations first because Christ himself doth so expouÌ„d himself in these words folowing He shal teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I haue told you which saying must bee wel noted because the latter words are a plaine declaration of the former as if Christ had said all things which the holy ghost shall teach the apostles after my departure are no newe doctrine but the very same things which they heard before of me and they differ onely in this that the Apostles doe more plainely vnderstand them by the assistance of the holy ghost Secondly because the best learned popish doctors do holde the same opinion For Melchior Canus hath these words Nec vllas in fide nouas reuelationes ecclesia habet for the church hath no new reuelations in matters of faith Thus saith Christ himselfe and thus teacheth their owne doctour and yet would the papists enforce vs daily to admit new doctrines from the church of Rome The ninth replie Peter is the rocke of the church against which hell-gates shall neuer preuaile therfore Saint Peters successors can neuer erre The answere I answere that not Saint Peter but the confession which he made is that rocke of the church against which hell gates shal not preuaile And this is not my opinion onely but Saint Beda Saint Austen Saint Chrysostome Saint Hylarie and sundrie verie learned papists doe teach the same doctrine constantly These are Saint Austens wordes Tu es Petrus super hanc petram quam confessus es super hanc petram quam cognouisti dicens tu es Christus filius Dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam Id est super meipsum filium Dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam super me edificabo te non me super te thou art Peter saith Christ and vppon this rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this rocke which thou hast acknowledged saying thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God will I build my church that is vpon my selfe the sonne of the liuing God will I build my church vppon my selfe will I build thee not my selfe vpon thee Saint Chrysostome writeth thus Columnae quidem quoniam virtute sua ecclesiae robur sunt fundamentum quòd in confessione insorum fundata est ecclesia dicente domino Tu es Petrus super hanc petram fundabo ecclesiam meam The Apostles are the pillers because by their vertue they are the strength of the Church they are the foundation because the Church is built in their confession when the Lorde saieth thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church Loe this text vpon which the Papists build their popish primacie is vnderstood of all the Apostles not of Peter alone neither is the church built vpon any of their persons but vpon the ioynt confession of them all for Peter made the confession in the name of them all as Saint Chrysostome truely saith which confoundeth the Papists vtterly S. Hylarie hath these words Haec fides ecclesiae fundamentum est per hanc fidem infirmae aduersus eam sunt portae inferorum haec fides regni caelestis habet claues this faith is the foundation of the church by this faith hell gates shall not preuaile against it this faith hath the keyes of heauen The receiued popish glosse vpon this text doth
thy footstoole he meaneth not that Christ shall sit no longer on his right hand No no God auert The 7. obiection If any man build on this foundation golde siluer pretious stones timber hay or stubble euery mans worke shalbe made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shalbe reuealed by the fire and the fire shall trie euery mans work of what sort it is This fire the holy fathers doe vnderstand of purgatorie Ergo it ought not to be denied The answere I say first that all the fathers as well old as latter writers confesse that S. Paules discourse is altogither metaphoricall consequently y t no doctrine of faith can be grounded thereupon I say secondly that the old writers dissent one from another in the exposition of his text For S. Chrysostome vnderstandeth it of hell fire S. Hierome of Gods examination in the day of general iudgment S. Gregorie of the fire of tribulation in this life S. Ambrose and S. Theodoret of the fire of Gods iudgemēt others otherwise Gregorius Magnus hath these expresse words Quamuis hoc de igne tribulationis in hac vita nobis adhibito possit intelligi albeit this place may be vnderstood of the fire of tribulation which we suffer in this life Out of which words I note that although this Gregory thought there was a purgatory of small sins after this life yet did he confesse y t this place could proue no such thing Hereunto I adde that if either this text or any other had been a sufficient warrantize for purgatory aswel the Greekes as the ancient fathers would haue receiued it both which their own Roffensis denieth as is already proued I say thirdly that it cānot possibly be vnderstood of purgatory and I proue it effectually First because al martyrs go straight to heauen as al papists confesse Secondly because al such as haue plenary pardons frō the pope escape purgatory go the ready way to heauē Thirdly because Ieremy Iob. Ioh. Baptist the blessed virgine sundry others in whose passions of supererogation they build the treasure of the church and popish pardons could neuer come in purgatory and yet doth the text say that all aswel good as bad must be tried by that fire whereof the apostle speaketh in this place I say fourthly y t the apostle here speaketh of y e fire of probation but not of purgation as y e papists would haue him to doe These are y e words vniuscuiusque opus quale sit ignis probabit the fire shal trie euery ones worke of what sorte it is Which S. Austen well obserued when he wrote in this maner Ignis de quo locutus est eo loco apostolus Paulus talis debet intelligi vt ambo per eum transeant id est qui aedificat supra hoc fundamentum aurum argentum lapides pretiosos qui aedificat ligna foenum stipulam The fire whereof the apostle Paul speaketh in that place must be vnderstood to be such an one that both sorts may passe through it that is aswel he that buildeth vpon this foundation gold siluer or pretious stones as he that buildeth wood hay or stubble I say fiftly that all thinges spoken of in this text are taken metaphorically gold siluer and pretious stones doe signifie sound doctrine timber hay and stubble signifie false doctrine the builders are such as teach that doctrine the day signifieth time the daughter of trueth and the fire signifieth Gods spirit which reuealeth all trueths maketh false doctrine knowen This exposition is gathered out of the circumstances of the text it selfe out of S. Ambrose and S. Austen and out of late popish writers For their owne Hofmeisterus if my memory faile me not and their Gagnaeius also haue this interpretation in flat and expresse termes It is long since I read them and I haue not now their bookes at hand otherwise I would haue alledged their wordes I say sixtly that al such as would ground popish purgatory vpon this text are enforced to confesse and admit manifold absurdities And for triall hereof togither with that which is already said these wordes of our Iesuite Bellarmine may suffice Respondeo nos cogi ab ipso textu ad aequiuocationem non vnam sed duas admittendas I answere that the very text doth compell vs to admit more then one equiuocation The 8. obiection What shall they do which are baptised for dead if the dead rise not at all Why are they then baptised for the dead out of this place as our Iesuite Bellarmine supposeth nay as hee braggingly boasteth is popish purgatorie prooued vndoubtedly The answer I say first that great is the impudencie of our Iesuit who glorieth so much in his late Romish exposition which neither any one of the ancient fathers approueth neither yet sundrie of his owne fellowes will admit For Epiphanius Theodoretus Chrysostomus Tertullianus Ambrose Sedulius Anselmus Oecumenius Haymo and Theophilactus do expound it flatly against our Romish Iesuite and so doe also his owne deare fellowes Aquinas and Caietanus I say secondly that S. Paul vnderstandeth by those that are baptised for dead such as are at the point of death and are reputed as dead or for dead this saith S. Epiphanius is the true meaning of the Apostle and that he saith truely I appeale to the true iudgement of the indifferent reader These are the words of Epiphanius Alii rectè hoc dictum interpretantes dicunt quod morti vicini si fuerint in pietatis doctrina instructi ob hanc spem ante obitum lavacro digni fiunt ostendentes quod qui mortuus est etiam resurget ob id indiget remissione peccatorū per lauacrū Others interpret this saying of the apostle truly say that such as are at the point of death if they be instructed christiāly are for this hope worthie of baptising before they die thereby signifying that he which is dead shall rise againe and for that ende hath need of remission of his sins by baptisme This then is the true meaning of S. Paul in this place what shall they do which are baptised for dead that is which are rather reputed for dead then for liuing Wherefore are they baptised if the dead rise not againe for since they cannot be baptised for anie commoditie of this life which presently they must forsake being so extreamely sicke their baptisme prooueth the resurrection of the dead And where our Iesuit listeth to wrangle vpon the words pro illis for them it shall suffice to tell him that their latin so magnified edition is false and that in the originall and Greeke copies it is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the dead and so his cauill is not worth a figge The ninth obiection S. Paul saith that in the name of Iesus euery knee voweth both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth but the
shall ye truely vnderstand that his grace is not consumed with the bit of the mouth Againe thus In principio cauendum est ne figuratam locutionem ad literam accipias Et ad hoc enim pertinet quod ait apostolus litera occidit spiritus autem viuificat Cum enim figuratè dictum sic accipitur tanquam propriè dictum sit carnaliter sapitur Sequitur ea demum est miserabilis animae seruitus signa pro rebus accipere supra creaturam corpoream oculum mentis ad hauriendum aeternum lumen leuare non posse Before all thinges thou must take heede least thou vnderstand that literally which is spoken by a figure For to this end is that which the apostle saith The letter killeth but the spirite quickeneth For our wisedome is then carnall when we vnderstand that properly which is spoken figuratiuely To conclude that is a miserable bondage of the soule to take signes for the things signified and not to lift vp the eye of our minde aboue the corporall creature so to behold eternall light Againe thus Possum etiam interpretari praeceptum illud in signo esse positum Non enim dominus dubitauit dicere hoc est corpus meum cum signum daret corporis sui I may also interprete this precept to be figuratiue For our Lord doubted not to say This is my body when he gaue the signe or figure of his body Againe thus Cum adhibuit ad conuiuium in quo corporis sanguinis sui figuram discipulis coÌ„mendauit tradidit When he admitted Iudas to the banquet in which hee commended and deliuered to his disciples the figure of his bodie and his bloud Againe thus Illi manducabant panem dominum ille panem domini contra dominum They ate the bread that was our Lord he ate not our Lord but the bread of our Lord against the Lord. Againe thus Quomodo in coelum manum mittam vt ibi sedentem tenâ—am fidem mitte tenuisti parentes tui tenuerunt carne tu tene corde quoniam Christus absâ—ns etiam praesens est nisi praesens esset à nobis teneri non posset sed quoniaÌ„ veruÌ„ est quod ait Ecce ego vobiscum sum vsque ad consummationem seculi abijt hic est redijt nos non deseruit Corpus enim suum intulit coelo maiestatem non abstulit mundo Howe shall I reache vp my hand to heauen that I may take holde on him sitting there Reache thither thy faith and thou hast hold on him Thy fathers held him in the flesh holde thou him in thine heart because Christ being absent is also present for if hee were not present hee coulde not be holden of vs but because it is true that hee saith Behold I am with you till the end of the world both he is gone and he is here he is returned and hath not forsaken vs. For hee carried his body vp into heauen yet hee tooke not his maiestie out of the worlde Againe in another place thus Secundum praesentiam maiestatis semper habemus Christum secundum praesentiaÌ„ carnis rectè dictum est discipulis me autem non semper habebitis Habuit enim illum ecclesia secundum praesentiam carnis paucis diebus modo fide tenet oculis non videt According to the presence of his maiestie wee haue Christ alway but according to the presence of the flesh it was rightly saide to his Disciples but ye shall not haue me alway For the Churche had him in the flesh a few daies but now she holdeth him by faith she doth not see him with her eyes Againe thus Sicut ergo secundum quendam modum sacramentum corporis Christâ— corpus Christi est sacramentum sanguinis Christi sanguis Christi est ita sacramentum fidei fides est As therefore in a certaine sorte the Sacrament of Christes bodie is Christes body the sacrament of Christes bloud is the bloud of Christ euen so the sacrament of faith is faith In these manifold testimonies Saint Austen prooueth aboundantly that the popishe carnall imagined presence in the Eucharist is blasphemous and most execrable For first he telleth vs that these words of Christ This is my bodie This is my bloud must needes be vnderstood figuratiuely That is to say that the bread and wine are but the sacraments or figures and signes of Christes body and bloud Secondly hee telleth vs that Christ is ascended and that therfore his bodie cannot be eaten with the bit of mouth as the papistes teach blasphemously Thirdly he saith that the soule is neuer in greater bondage then when shee grossely and carnally taketh the figures and signes for the thinges signified by the same Fourthly he telleth vs that since the signes of thinges be vsually termed by the names of the things signified our Lord doubted not to say This is my bodie when hee gaue but the signe of his bodie Fiftly hee saith that the bread which the other Disciples receiued was our Lord yet that which Iudas receiued was but the bread of the Lord. Which assertion is wonderfull if it bee well noted For if our Lord and maker bee present carnally in fleshe bloud and bone vnder the accidentes of bread and that so long as the same accidentes remayne vncorrupte as the Popishe detestable Faith auoucheth Then doubtlesse Iudas shoulde haue receiued his Redeemer Then perforce Iudas shoulde also haue receiued Panem Dominum Then Iudas coulde not by any possibilitie haue barely receiued panem Domini which yet S. Augustine affirmeth most constantly For first if it were true that after consecration the substance of bread were transubstantiated into Christes naturall bodie as it consisteth of flesh bloud and bone and againe if it were also true that the selfe same bodie remained vnder the forme of bread vntill it were corrupted then let all the papistes in England or els where in Europe tel me how Iudas could receiue panem Domini but not panem Dominum as S. Austen saith that is how Iudas coulde receiue the forme of bread with the fleshe bloud and bones of Christes organicall and naturall body hâ—dden vnder the same and for all that not receiue Christ himselfe and panem Dominum as the other apostles did Let them I I say tell me this and I promise to subscribe If they wil not this doe because they cannot for if they can doe it all the worlde must thinke they will doe it then if the feare of God be before their eies they will acknowledge the trueth that I now defend which God graunt they may doe Amen Sixtly he telleth vs that albeit wee cannot reache with our handes to Christes body which is nowe in heauen yet may we by faith take hold vpon the same Which is the flat doctrine that the church of England this day teacheth of the eucharist For we teach that the eucharist is Christes true body spiritually and sacramentally
traditions Out of these words I note first that the vaine curious distinctioÌ„s of the schoole doctors haue brought much mischeif into the church of god which if a papist had not spoken it wold seeme incredible to the world I note secondly that it is impossible for a papist to make his confession according to the popish law consequently that al papists by popish doctrine must perish euerlastingly Marke wel my words gentle reader The papists teach vs to hold for an article of our beleef that we are bound to make our confessions as the popish lawe prescribeth that is as Aquinas and Scotus haue set towne the same And for al that Geâ—lerius a papist himselfe and a great diuine complained often to his friendes that no man coulde possiblie performe the same Nowe then since on the one side the popish confession must bee made vnder paine of damnation and since on the other side none possibly can make the same as is required it followeth of necessitie by popish doctrine that all papists must be damned eternally O miserable poperie confounded by thy selfe Thine owne doctors O popery such force hath the truth haue bewrayed thy trecherie to the world It is to vs his great mercy for the merits of Christ Iesus and to you papists his iust iudgement for the punishment of your sinnes If you wil in time repent and embrace his holy gospel his mercie is open towards you if you will still continue in your wilful obstinacie God doubtlesse wil reuenge the bloud of his innocents at your hands For with your beggerly vnwritten traditions you deuour the soules of many thousands I note thirdly that many liuing among the papists doe externally obey the popish law who in their hearts detest a great part of their late hatched Romish religion This is euident by the secret complaint of this learned man Geilerius who tolde that to his trustie friends which hee durst not disclose to others I say thirdly that in S Cyprians time some were so zealous and so esteemed the sacred ministerie that although they did not denie the faith publikely in time of persecution yet bicause they had some doubts therein were troubled in their minds they voluntarily disclosed their secret griefes to Gods ministers humbly desired their godly aduise and submitted themselues to do what they thought expedient by reason whereof they sometime had publike penance inioyned them and confessed that in the face of the congregation which they before disclosed secretly to the ministers which thing was appointed for edification sake by the ministers and of deuotion voluntarily performed by the penitents This my answere is fully contained as well in the words of Origen as of Saint Cyprian Saint Cyprian hath these words Quanto fide maiores timore meliores sunt qui quamuis nullo sacrificij aut libelli facinore constricti quoniam tamen de hoc vel cogitauerunt hoc ipsum apud sacerdotes dei dolenter simpliciter confitentes exomologesin conscientiae faciunt animi sui pondus exponunt salutarem medelam paruis licet modicis vulneribus exquirunt How much sounder in faith and better in holy feare are they who neither hauing offended by sacrificing to the Idols nor by exhibiting libels to the magistrates yet because they sometime thought of these matters do simply penitently confesse the same to Gods ministers doe lay open their conscience and do disclose the griefe of their minds and seeke for wholesome medicine though their wounds be small and easie to be cured Out of these words I note first that all generally made not their confessions of secret faults but onely certaine zealous deuout persons I note secondly that as al people did not confes their secret faults so neither did these deuout penitents confes al their secret faults but only their secret cogitations concerning y e denial of their faith in persecution I note thirdly that these deuout persoÌ„s perceuing theÌ„ that did the facts openly to be inioyned to confesse the same in the face of the congregation withal doubting what themselues were bound to doe for their secret thoughts of the same matters came voluntarily to Gods ministers confessed the griefe of their mind vnto them and desired their godly counsell All which may be gathered out of S. Cyprians words and more plainely out of Origens words following Origen hath these expresse words Tantumodo circumspice diligentius cui debeas confiteri peccatum tuum Proba prius medicum cui debeas causam languoris exponere qui sciat infirmari cum infirmante flerecum flente qui condolendi compatiendi nouerit disciplinaÌ„ vt ita demum si quid ille dixerit qui se prius eruditum medicum ostenderit misericordem si quid consilii dederit facias sequaris si intellexerit praeuiderit talem esse languorem tuum qui in conuentu totius ecclesiae exponi debeat curari ex quo fortassis caeteri aedificari poterunt tu ipse facilè sanari multa hoc deliberatione satis perito medici illius consilio procur andum est Onely looke about thee diligently to whom thou maist confes thy sinne Trie first the Phisition to whom thou must disclose the cause of thy disease such a one as knoweth to be infirme with him that is imfirme to weepe with him that weepeth and hath learned to sorrow and take compassion that so at the length if hee shall say any thing who before hath shewed himselfe to be a skilfull merciful Phisition if he shall giue thee any counsell thou maiest do and folow the same If he shall perceiue and foresee thy disease to be such that it must be disclosed in the assemblie of the whole congregation so be cured wherby perhaps both others may be edified thy selfe made whole then this must be done with great deliberation by the skilful counsel of the said phisition Out of these words I note first that the penitents made election both of that they did confesse and of the priest also to whom they did confesse Where this day by the law of poperie wee must confesse euery sin by compulsion and also to our parish-priest only I note secondly that we must confesse to none but to such as we first know to be discreet and learned so by your fauour we must this day confesse to few parish priests in Europe For they are commonly sir Iohns lacke-latine as wise as none of theÌ„ al. I note thirdly that when such things as were voluntarily confessed to the priest seemed to be such as might edifie the people then the priests exhorted to confesse the same againe before the whole congregation Which point conuinceth plainely that such their confessions were voluntarie and not by constraint of law I prooue it because the priest may not for the safegard of his life nor for to saue the whole world reueale any one sinne of auricular