not your nature be estraunged neyther goe yée about to thrust into this land for reine power such people as curse not only y â— ground wée tread vpon but also our bodyes and soules and are ready to cut all English throates if they might haue accesse vnto vs. Yée say ye haue vowed yet heare what your law saieth In malis promissis rescinde fidem in turpivoto muta decretum quod incuatè vouisti ne facias impia est promissio que scelere adimpletur In euill promises breake thy fayth in a shamefull vowe alter thy minde which thou hast vnaduisedly vowed doe not that vowe is wicked which is performed with mischiefe The rules of your order are not as yet come to my hands but the oth which all you take that professe the Romish religion I may not conceale from the reader and reading it I cannot chuse but lament to sée your flauerie and bondage and the liuely caracter of Antichrist therby imprinted not onely in the hand of the labourers but in the forehead of professours and consciences of all those y â— buy and sell traffike in his countries dominions In english thus I. N. do firmly admit embrace the Apostolike and Ecclesiasticall traditions and the rest of the obseruations and constitutions of the same church Also I doe admit the holy scripture according vnto that sense which the holy mother the Church hath and doth hold it to whome it appertaineth to iudge of the true sense and interpretation of the holy scriptures neyther will I euer receaue or interpret it but according vnto the vniforme consent of the fathers I doe also professe that there are truely and properly seauen sacraments of the new law ordayned by Iesus Christ our Lord and for the saluation of mankinde though not all to euery one necessary To wit baptisme confirmation the Lords supper penance extreame vnction order and matrimonie and that they conferre grace and of them baptism confirmation order without sacriledge may not be reiterated I doe also receiue and admit the receiued and allowed rites of the catholike church in the solempne administration of al the aforesaid sacraments I doe embrace and receiue al euery the things which of original sinne and iustification haue beene defined and decreed in the holy synode of Trent I professe in like sorte that in the masse there is offered vnto god the true proper propicia tory sacrifice for quick dead And that in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist there is truely really and substantially the body and blood together with the soule and diuinitie of our Lord Iesus christ and that there is a conuersion of the whole substance of bread into the bodie and the whole substance of wine into blood the which conuersion the catholike church calleth transubstantiation I confesse with all that vnder one onely kind whole and perfect Christ and the true sacrament is receiued I doe constantly hold purgatory and that the soules there detayned are relieued by the prayers of the faythful and in like sorte that the Saintes raigning to-together with christ are to bee honoured and callled vppon and that they pray vnto God for vs and that theyr relyques are to bee worshipped I doe firmely auouche that the Images of Christ and the mother of God alwayes a virgin and also of other Saintes are to bee had and retayned and that we are to giue them due honour and worshippe I doe affyrme that the facultie of pardons hath beene left by Christ in the church and that the vse of them is very wholsome to christian people I doe acknowledge the holy catholike Apostolike church of Rome for the mother and mistresse of all churches I doe promise and sweare true obedience to the Byshop of Rome successour of blessed Peter prince of the Apostles Vicar of Iesus Christ I do also vndoubtedly receiue and proâ—esse al that haue beene delyuered defined and declared by the holy cannons generall councelles and specially by the holy Synode of Trent and withal al things contrary and haeresies whatsoeuer haue by the church beene condemned reiected and accursed I also doe condemne reiect and accurse This true catholike fayth without the which none can be saued the which I doe presently willingly professe and truely holde the same wholy and imaculate vnto the last gaspe most constantly to retaine teach and preach as much as in me shall lye I the same N. do promise vowe swere so God me helpe the holy Gospels of God New commeth Pope Impius 4. with his farewell Let it not be lawfull therefore for any man at all to infringe this page or leafe of our ordinaunce inbibition derogation will statute decree and commaundement or with rash enterprise to contrary the same if any therfore presume to attempte the same let him knowe that he incurreth the indignation of almightie GOD and of blessed Peter and Paule the Apostles Dat. Rom. apud 5. Petrum Anno 1569. Id. Noâ—em Pontific nostri annâ— 5 Good God what periurie Idolatrie heresie blasphemy there is contained in the aforesaide oth And the spirit of Antichrist is plainly reuealed in the cursed conclusion folowing after In trueth such traditions as are contrary and besides the word of God though they be called Apostolike are not to be receiued that sense and exposition of the scriptures which the Church of Rome deliuereth is not the right and perfect vnderstanding the Church and especially as you deliuer it the Church of Rome is not iudge of the scriptures there are but two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lordes supper the rest by you added art of an other kinde and nature in which sense wée may say as Ierome saide of the Reuelation Looke howe many wordes we finde there so many Sacramentes there are The Sacraments confer not grace as you imagine Ex opere operato the rites in the administration of the Sacraments retained in the Church of Rome are childish superstitious and impious that doctrine of originall sin and iustification lately decréed in the councell of Trent is plasphemous and abhominable The Masse is an Idoll and the sacrifice there pretended for quicke and dead is a deceiuing of the people the Eucharist is not reall substantiall with the soule and diuinitie of Jesus Christ neither transubstantiated the Sacrament is not perfect when it is deliuered vnder one kinde Purgatorie is a fable neyther are the soules of the departed relieued by the prayers of the lyuing the Saintes are not to be inuocated their reliques are not to be worshipped neither Images to be adored Popes pardons are to no purpose but a deluding of Gods people and the filling of the poke Rome is neither catholike apostolike nor the Lady and mistresse of al other Churches the Pope is not the true successour of Peter neither the Uicar of Jesus Christ to receiue what Rome receiueth and condemne what shee condemneth is â—o deliuere Barrabas and crucifie Christ to embrace
renouncing of the world the passing excellencie of the spirituall life wherwith this conuersation excelling all other kindes of humane trade of lyfe maketh the professours and embracers thereof like vnto Angels vnlyke vnto men yea it reformeth the Image of God in man conformans nos Christo instar baptismi coÌ„forming vs vnto christ like baptisme And we are as it were the seconde time baptized whilest by mortifying our earthly members which are vpon earth we again put on christ being set a new after the similitud of his death And withall as in baptisme we are pulled out from the power of darknes and translated into the kingdome of eternall light so by a certaine new byrth of this holy vow or order wee passe in like sorte out of the darkenesse not of one orginall but of many actuall sinns into the light of vertues When the professed solemnlie doweth the Byshop answereth And I promise thee the kingdome of heauen and life euerlasting if thou obserue these thinges Againe in the monasticall absolution it is sayde The rygor of the vow the merit of the order be vnto thee for remission of sinne and rewarde of euerlasting life Bernardinus de Busto is of this opinioÌ„ The irreligious man alwaies when he remébreth that he hath vowed and is therwith quiet and would do it afresh if hee had not done it before for euery such turne he obtaineth full remission of all his sinnes Albertus Pighius hath thought no lesse and of late Petrus a Soto who left both life and lewde opinion at the councel of Trent hath written the like in his catholike confession We may iustly with Alfonsus de Castro call this dealing blasphemie for if S. Paule pronounced as concerning the workes of the law which were commaunded from aboue If righteousnesse come by the law then Christ died in vaine How much y â— more with griefe we may not only coÌ„plaine but cry out if vowes and religious orders haue no warrant froÌ„ aboue but y â— deuises of mans braine be a ful satisfaction for al sinne and deseruing a plenarie remission for so they write of originall and actuall misdéedes then Christ dyed vnto them in vaine Again of the vowes and orders of Monkes and Fryers be equiualent or of lyke force with baptisme for the purchasing of remission a pana culpa as they would make vs belieue then fayth is to no purpose the preaching of the word is in vaine and the vse of the Sacramentes is done away I cannot but stomacke them sayth Alfonsus de Castro who to sette forth theyr order are not ashamed to bragge in open audieÌ„ce and to auouch that he which once taketh vpon him the weede of that order cannot erre in fayth neither fall from the trueth Is not this open blasphemie when as hereby hee seemeth to attribute more vnto the weede wherewith he is clad then to the fayth or grace of God! Is that cloth or garment of more vertue then the grace of God or fayth the deuill goe with so great a madnes Yet neither fayth neither grace receiued in baptisme doeth so preserue man but that he may fall into heresie How commeth it to passe then that the habite preserueth if any will refer this to the profession and not to the weede that he affirme the profession which in that order he vowed hath power and effycacie who is it but seeth that we all vowed christianitie in baptisme yet doth not that vow keepe vs so secure neyther make vs so free but that we may fall into heresie neither will there be any man so impudent that he can denie but that the vow in baptisme is more glorious and of greater force then any that is made after Let such then goe with a vengeaunce and leaue those toyes for Poets to prate of and let them preach better stuffe vnto the people I call God to witnesse I lye not a certaine fryer in my hearing in open audience vppon the Saintes day that founded that order preached that whoe so woulde put vpon him the habite of that order could in no wise be an heretike I hearing it abhorred the boldnesse and impudencie of the man So farre Alfonsus It lyketh you not that your Romish orders and irreligious sectes of Monkerie and fratrie should be so contemned and disgraced among the godly through out the militant Church here on earth and therfore to vphold their credit to cloke their late hypocrisie and superstition you alleadge the fathers of olde Augustine Athanasius Basil Nazianzen Chrysostome Cassianns Seuerus Sulpitius who as you thinke may stand you in some stéede as a bare shifte to sâ—â—e out so had a matter and with theit here 〈◊〉 to bleare the eie of the simple â— â—â—â—t wée speake of the religious men in the dayes of the aforesaide auncient fathers of the Monkes inhabiting Nytria and the deserts of Alexandria of their rules and orders in the time of Pachoimus the Monâ— of the worshippers in Aegypt in the dayes of Philo and of the Christians which were so first called at Antioch uâ— the time of the Appostles all your Romish orders if they be brought to the touthstone of Gods word they are no golde but copper and counterfet metall if they be brought to the balance of puritie in profession though laden with traditions and Jewishe ceremonies yet light in trueth and auncient integritie and if with the young Egles for certeintie of issue and oâ—â—prnig they be brought to behold the golden beams of the bright sunne they wil close vp their eie liddes they wil be found bastardes and such as haue degenerated from God their father and fallen from the word which his son Christ our Iesus hath deliuered vnto vs. Many of your own authors of no small credit amongst you will auowch the same I reporte me to the visions shewed to your holy people so tearmed among you to wit Briget Elizabeth Hildegar Vguentinus Robertus de monte Ioachim Liecthenem Methodius with others and the terrible cominations and threatnings of vengeaunce shewed them ready to light vppon the westerne Babylon and the Romish Antichrist together with the swarme of Locusâ—es and troupes of Monkes and Fryers with other their irreligious orders Your Abbot Barnard complayneth Non omnes sunt amici sponsi quos hodie sponsae hincinde assistere cernis They are not al friendes to the bridegroome whome nowadayes thou seest on ech side to assiste the spowse Againe all desire to be successours but few to be followers And to the Pope hée saith An other manner beside that of old is now in vre the dayes are now otherwise and men haue now other manners the perillous times are not nowe at hande but presently expired In an other place hee woondreth at the alteration in orders saying Quis in principio cum ordo cepit Monastious ad tantam creder et monachos mertiam deuenire O quantum distamus ab hijs qui in
to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes Search the scriptures sayeth Christ for in them ye thinke to haue eternall lyfe What soeuer thinges are written before time are written for our learning that we through patience comfort of the scriptures might haue hope Iohn the Euangelist closeth vp y â— whole where he seaseth to write saying Many other signes also did Iesus in the presence of his disciples which are not writâ—eÌ„ in this booke but these things are written that ye myght beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue lyfe thorow his name As much to say though other miracles were wrought by Christ and not here layd down yet as much as is thought necessarie for yée to beléeue is here written Whereby wée gather the sufficiencie of holy scripture to saluation And whereas the woman of Samaria confessed the opinion then generally receiued saying I knowe well that Messias shall come which is called Christ when he is come he will tell vs all thinges Iesus sayd vnto her I am he that speake vnto thee In an other place to his Disciples hée saide All thinges that I haue heard of my Father haue I made knowne vnto you Againe where hée promiseth his Disciples to sende them an other comforter which shoulde teach them all thinges and shoulde bring all thinges to their remembraunce that hée had tolde them the same after the the ascention of Christ rested vppon the Apostles in the forme of fire tongues and was plentifully shed in the heartes of the faythful and continueth vnto the end assuring the children of God that they are his and dayly opening lighting vnto them y â— laÌ„tern caÌ„del of his word Lastly least any should surmisse any fradulent dealing or imperfection to rest after the departure of the Apostles that they spéed not their commissioÌ„ in so ample a maner as they were inioyned by our Sauiour saying Goe teach all nations c. Teach them to keepe all thinges that I haue commaunded you Their own protestations shall stand for sufficient euidences Paule for himselfe and his fellow labourers saieth The thinges which eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neyther came into mans heart c. GOD hath reuealed them vnto vs by his spirite Againe wee haue the minde of Christ In an other place taking his leaue of the Elders of Ephesus hée saieth Ye know from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I haue beene with you at all seasons and how I kept back nothing that was proffitable but haue shewed you and taught you openly and throughout euery house In a while after hée saieth Wherefore I take you to recorde this daye that I am cleare from the blood of all men For I haue kept nothing back but haue shewed you al the counsel of GOD. The conclusion is this Séeing that the holy scriptures of the olde and new testament which we imbrace are vndoubtedly the worde of GOD séeing the holy men of olde haue deliuered none other to the posteritie séeing that the sufficiencie thereof and euery parcell therein contayned is such as the premisses declare to make the man of GOD perfect séeing that the Messias is come and reuealed all things séeing that the promised comforter is become our guide and assureth the faythfull consciences séeing the Apostles and Disciples of Christ haue receiued the sense and meaning of Christ and deliuered the same simply and fully as their Euangelies and Epistles doe testifie wée are to reiect the Iesuiticall opinion receiued at Rome and to confesse in the trueth of Gods spirite that the holy scripture is no nose of ware no leaden rule no lame maimed neyther vnperfect doctrine but a perfect sounde sufficient absolute and contayning all thinges necessary to saluation I neede not stand confirming the same with testimonies of fathers the scriptures themselues are copious enough in this behalfe 2 The Iesuites doctrine THe want that is in holy scripture must be supplied by peecing therevnto traditions Censur Colon. This doeth Andradius the Iesuite defend allowing of the former sentence where hée writeth The brethren of the Societie of Iesu meaning the Censurers of Colen haue defined both godly and wisely that the traditions of the church are necessarily to bee annexed vnto the holye scripture Oâ—hod explic lib. 2. pag. 101. The late councell of Trent hath most blasphemously made traditions of equal authoritie with the scriptures Their wordes are these All the bookes of the old and new testament yea and also the traditions appertayning as well vnto fayth as manners as if they had beene vttered by Christ and endited by the holy Ghost conserued by continual succession in the catholike Church this Synode doeth receiue and honour with lyke affection of pietie and equall reuerence Sub. Paul 3. sess 4. cap. 1. The same also is found in the Censure of Colen and in the Catechisme of Canisius allowed in the councell of Trent 2. The Catholikes doctrine THe holy scriptures are perfect sufficieÌ„t of theÌ„selues and neede not to â—e pâ—â—ced with traditions This dependeth vpon that which goeth before therefore it requireth not so large a discourse There are too wayes to attaine vnto the knowledge of GODS worde the one inward by inspiration of the holy spirite the other outwarde by reading and hearing of the scriptures the thirâ— place I finde not for traditions toâ—â—â—d neyther may they bée ioyned as 〈…〉 to drawe in the viâ—â—eyarde of the Church Israel was charged not â—â— plâ—we with an Oxe and an Asse not to make their garmentes of linsie wolsie the Passoâ—er was to be eaten with swéet bread the leuen of the phariâ—aicall traditions being sayde aâ—â—â—â— The Prophet complayneth that the fountaine of the water of lyfe was leâ—t and that the people had dâ—gged them broken cesterâ—â—s Ieremy would haue the chaffe of mens dreames seuered from the wheat of Gods word S. Paule woulde not haue the faythfull ioyned with the infidell righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse light and darkenesse Christ and Belial the temple of God and the groue of Idolles as much to say in the whole the worde of God may not bée linked with the traditions of man To this effect are the iniunctions of the holy Ghost so oft repeated in holy scripture Beware of false Prophetes beware of the leuen as the Disciples vnderstand it the doctrine of the Pharises and Saduces Become not the slaues of men O Tymothy keepe that which is committed vnto thee and auoyde prophane and vaine bablings Persistin those things which thou hast learned For other foundation can no man laye then that which is layde which is Iesus Christ Euery plant saieth Christ which my heauenly Father hath not planted shalbe rooted vp He turneth him vnto the forfathers of these Iesuites saying Why doeye transgresse
the commaundemente of God by your tradition Hâ—e applyeth vnto them the complaint of olde made by the Propet Esay In vaine they worshippe me teaching for doctrines mens preceptes The shéepe of Christ will follow him A stranger they will not follow for they are commaunded the contrary Ye shall put nothing vnto the worde which I commaund you neyther shall ye take ought there from Againe Take heede that yee doe as the Lord your God hath commanded you turne not aside to the right hand nor to the left Again ye shall not doe after al the things that ye doe heere this day that is euery man what seemeth him good in his owne eyes Put nothing saieth Solomon vnto his wordes least hee reproue thee and thou be found a lyer A mans will or couenaunt saith S. Paule when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it or adde any thing thereto Much lesse may the will of God be abrogated or adde any thing thereto The coâ—â—â—ation is terrible in the end of the Reuelation where Iohn saieth I proteste vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophecie of this booke if any man shal adde vnto these thinges GOD shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke and if any man shall diminish of the wordes of the booke of this prophecie God shall take away his parte out of the booke of lyfe and out of the holy citie and from those things which are written in this booke Who then dareth offer straunge fire before the Lord with Nadab and Abihu which the Lorde hath not commaunded I dare not saieth S. Paule speake of any thing which Christ hath not commaunded I dare not saith Saint Paule speake of any thing which Christ hath not wrought by me Ha protesteth vnto the Galathians that hée preached not the doctrine of man neither the Gospell of Jesus Christ after the manner of man that is as it may be gathered by mingling the same with traditions To be short the holy Ghost hath commaunded vs to lay aside traditions with the leauen of the Pharises God hath threatned plagues to light vpon them that adde or diminish his word the Apostles and Saintes of God durst not presume to doe it the word of God is perfect and néedeth no péeceing the Authour is omnipotent and his word mightie in operation then is the Romish opinion to be reiected and the trueth as it appeareth in the premisses in humility of spirit to be embraced 3. The Iesuites doctrine ALl and euery the thinges contayned in holy scripture are so wrapped in obscurities that the best learned can gather thence no certeine knowledge wherefore for the preseruation of religion they must altogether and that in the whole forbidde the laitie the reading of Gods word Censur Colon. That this is the generall opinion of that societie I reporte mée to Andradius the Iesuite who saieth The Iesuites of Colen doeth shew that the holy scripture containeth so many and so great difficulties that it may euidently appeare not to be the wisest way to admit al sorts to the reading therof Orthod expliâ— Lib. 2. pag. 12. His owne iudgement is this Many places of the holy scripture written in the vulgar tongue are no lesse obscure vnto vs then the Hebrew vnto the ignoraunt in the same Pag. 128. Againe Many hauing tyred themselues through continual laboures in the studie of holy scripture coulde neuer attaine vnto certaine misteries of the holy Ghost the which are liuely seene to be painted out in the life of holy men pag. 58. His discourse tendeth to perswade men that by the working of miracles visions and reuelations there is more good done then by the reading of the worde where in mine opinion hée shaketh handes with the Anabaptists who wilbe fedde from aboue by the spirite as they say and not by direction of the written word Againe least any doe denie the latter parte of the former opinion to bée Jesuiticall hée saieth The Iesuites of Colen doe forbid the vnlearned laitie the reading of holy scripture I doe confesse it pag. 125. They nouzell vp in ignoraunce this sorte of people and defende with Cardinall Caietan that if an ignoraunt man bée an Heretike and haue learned that opinion of such as hée thought to bée catholike hée is not to be charged with heresie for the fayth of the church doeth saue him pag. 149. Caietan 2 a. 2 a. quast 2. artic 3. 3. The Catholikes doctrine ALl and euerie the thinges contained in holy scripture are so vnfolded and opened by the comming of Iesus christ that the simplest christian may finde there sure and certein knowledge for the edifying of his soule and therfore for the preseruation of religion and enlarging of Gods kingdome the laitie must not be barred from reading the same if our Gospell be hidde saieth S. Paule it is hidde to them that are lost in whome the GOD of this world hath blinded the eies of the infidelles that the light of the glorious gospell of Christ which is the image of GOD shoulde not shine vnto them Againe It is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth To them that perish it is foolishnes but vnto vs that are saued it is the power of God In another place Seeing then that we haue such trust we vse great boldnes of speech And not as Moses which put a vaile vpon his face that the children of Israel should not looke vnto the ende of that which shoulde be abolished Therfore their mindes are hardened for vntill this day remaineth the same couering vntaken away in the reading of the olde Testament which vayle in Christ is put away But nowe in Christ Iesus ye which once were farre off are made neere by the blood of Christ For he is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the stop of the partition wall S. Danle had to deale with wauererâ— and scrupulous people and such as depended vpon treditions and the woorkes of the law and were loth to admit the light burthen and caste yoke of Christ where hee writeth The righteousnes which commeth by fayth speaketh on this wise say not in thine hearte who shall ascend into heauen that is to bring Christ from aboue or who shall descend into the deepe that is to bring Christ again from the dead but what sayth it the word is neer thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart this is the woord of faith which we preach We haue saith S. Peter a most sure woord of the Prophets to the which yee doe well that ye take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place Wisedome standeth in the streeses to receiue all those that will embrace her Christ would haue all them that are loden to come vnto him here the yong man is to learne his way héere is milke for the yongling and sound meat for the strong Into such as the