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A18055 An ansvvere made by Oliuer Carter, Bacheler of Diuinitie: unto certaine popish questions and demaundes Carter, Oliver, 1540?-1605. 1579 (1579) STC 4697; ESTC S108169 79,017 198

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●e Lord we will not heare them of thee ●ut we wil doo whatsoeuer thing goeth ●orth of our owne mouth as to burne ●ncense vnto the Queene of heauen and ●o poure our drinke offerings vnto her as we haue doone both we and our fathers our kinges and our princes in the ●itie of Iuda in the streetes of Hierusalem Whereas in deede they woorshipped sacrificed to the Sonne Moone and Starres and committed grosse Idolatrie against god Euen as you haue learned by that idolatrous people and grounded I thinke vppon this place to call the Virgin Mary Queene of heauen and to sing Salue Regina and againe Regina coeli laetare Reioyce O Queene of heauen And euen from this same time wherein Ieremie liued and for the most parte vntill the time of our Sauiour there were false Prophets and men of greate learning which preached idolatrie in steed of Gods lawe yet imagined that they serued God shal we say that these were of Gods church because their religion continued so long a time woulde that excuse them or the Pharisees in pleading that they were the true successors of Moses the children of Abraham and that they taught the Lawe of God when as in deede they had corrupted the Lawe Euen so albeit you boaste neuer so much of succession or that your Church hath continued thus manie hundre● or thus many thousand yeeres or that your Churche is the knowne Catholike Church if that you be not able to prooue by the woord of God that your Church is the true Church and the religion and doctrine of your Church is fully and wholy in euery point grounded vppon the Gospell of Christ which you shall neuer be able to doo then you boaste and bragge in vayne The Turke himselfe by this argument of succession and continuance may approue the Alcaron and religion of Mahomet and this to be as true a Churche as yours This reason might the Aegyptians the Persians the Romanes and all Esawes broode haue alleadged for themselues So that to ende this matter it is neither the title or name of a Churche neither the succession of Officers or the continuance of the same or the aucthoritie of anie man that maketh the difference betwixte the true and false Churche but onelie the true worde of God which discetneth them Papist 14 MOreouer let anie Protestant shewe how that can be the piller of truth whiche durst not for a thousande yeares together claime either the preaching of Gods worde or ministring the Sacramentes or woulde vtter her selfe against falshood and superstition Let any man shew that all the giftes of the Spirite and functions of the holie Ghoste haue been taken from her for a thousande yeares together and onely practised for the peoples vse by the adulterous Churche Let it bee declared how the gates of bell haue not preuailed and Christes woordes promise and warrant for her hath not bene voyde and frustrate of a bastarde churche exercising perpetuall idolatrie as they say hath spoyled the true churche of all holie actions and of the whole gouernement and of the whole name of Christianity almost euer since Christes time Let me see therefore howe the onely dareling and spouse of Christe shoulde be neglected so long of him so long let the Aduersarie shewe that the Churche should euer by superstition and falshood committ adulterie or deserue to be deuorced from him or that Christ shoulde euer want his spouse in earth or that he shoulde be either a heade without a bodie or of such an vnknowen and small bodie or that Christ his onel●e kingdome should become so contemptable or that his spouse in earth shoulde euer lacke the singuler prerogatiue of Gods spirit Shewe me these things and I recant Answeare 14. COncerning the principal matter comprised in this your demaunde it is sufficientlie answeared before howe that all the Christians in Greece and Asia haue euer refused to agree with your Churche in faith and doctrine that God hath raised vp from time to time since your Churche declined from the true and Apostolike faith some which haue inueighed against your superstitious traditions euen as it is recorded by a learned writer who affirmeth That there hath bene some in euerie age which haue honored and embraced the Gospell but that within the space of these foure hundred yeares the zeale therof hath decaied in manie men And whereas you aske Howe the holie Ghost coulde be kepte so long from this close ●hurche how the gates of hell haue not pre●ayled against it howe Christes dearling ●ould● be neglected howe Christe shoulde ●e head of suche a Churche as hath either ●o bodie at all or else a very small and ●tle bodie ▪ I answeare that albeit to your ●do ●mea● the Churche of God whiche ●s the congregation of the faithful be con●mptible and despised yet neuerthelesse ● God 's eyes it is precious The holie Ghost commeth not in visi●le forme vnto the children of God as the Owle or Howlet presented himselfe in the ●ytime and stared your Pope Iohn in ●e face when he and his Cleargie were ●t in a general Councell holden at Rome by which occasion the Councel was dissol●ed ▪ but he is the comforter which shall ●wayes remaine with the church of God ●hich dwelleth with suche as be faithful ●hich guydeth and ruleth their mindes ●hich doth sāctifie them inwardly whiche ●pirite doeth breathe his graces where ●e listeth and when he pleaseth And there●ore it is a great fault in you to vtter suche ●ashe iudgement and to propounde suche vayne questions or rather as you seeme to define where Gods spirite remayneth as though you had him in a string or that he should be at your becke and appointment The wordes of Christ be true That Hell gates which is the power of Sathan Antichrist which standeth in crafte and violence shall not preuaile against the Churche of God. For you may burne their bodies racke them in peeces teare them in sunder with wilde Horses boyle them in cauldrons roaste them on spittes broyle them vppon gridyorns stabbe and prodde them in with bodkins or penkniues throwe them vnto wilde beastes or other waies to torment them as your Church o● Rome hath vsed the children of God euen this close Churche whiche you so often do skoffe at Neuerthelesse their names are written in the booke of life When yo● haue consumed the bodie you haue no further power you haue done all that you ca● for Christes Churche is Christes darling in deede whom he wil not forsake because he is alwayes faithfull and sure in his promises The mouth of God hath promised them helpe whiche cannot lie Christe i● deede is the true andonelie heade of his Churche whiche be the faithfull children ●f God truely called the temple of God ●ecause that GOD is resident in them by ●is holie spirite and these faithfull are the ●tones of the new Ierusalem which is the ●niuersall Churche of God of
this parte You aske moreouer whether the religion or faith of the Protestantes was euer taught to anie nations in steede of true Christianitie I beseeche you examine well the doctrine of the Protestants and compare it with the doctrine of Christ of the Apostles of the primitiue churche and with the religion set foorth by the godlie writers whiche wrote about the time of Constantine or shortly after And if you can proue that we doe not in al pointes agree with the religion of Christ of the apostles as it is set down in the old and new Testament Choose what translation you will or that we consent not in all thinges concerning faith and the substance of the true doctrine which the auncient fathers as appeareth in their bookes a few erroures by them mainteined onelie excepted then wee will willingly yeelde 〈◊〉 you As for example I will note a fewe capitall pointes of religion because I will not wander in generalities First we confesse with them one waye to ●e iustified and saued by which is by ●●● free mercies of God graunted vs by th● onely death passiō of Christ our onely Lord and Sauiour and that faith is the onely meanes and instrument to apprehend this our iustification and saluation That Christ is our Mediator both of redemption and intercession that we ought ●● pray onely vnto God not to anie Saints ●● parted and that in the name of Christ and not in the name of anie Angell or ●●int whatsoeuer To praye for those that be aliue and not for those which bee deade That in the Lordes Supper according to his institution we doo spiritu●●ly by faith feed vpon the body of Christ and that Sacrament truely and faithfully receiued as the remembraunce of the ●eath and passion of Christ is a spirituall foode and sustenaunce vnto our soules and a pledge of eternall life to satisfie our consciences We say further that Christ his naturall body fleshe blood and bone is no● in the Sacrament vnder the fourme of breade it being onely in heauen on the right hand of God according to the articles of our faith where in body he shall remaine vntill the day of iudgement though Christ our Sauiour as he is God in his diuine nature filleth all places and is with his children powring daily the abundance of his graces vpon them Lastly we say that man hath no free will of himselfe to doo anie good thing no not anie good thought but that it is God that worketh in vs both the will and also the deede according to his good pleasure euen of his free grace If you will either giue eare to the doctrine which we do preach or peruse the bookes which wee haue and doe write you shall see that the Protestantes did neuer vary one ynch from these pointes of true religion which I haue recited But because you make mencion of a knowne catholike Church it behoueth for that an Harlot may haue the countenaunce of an honest woman to distinguish betwixt the true church of God the counterfeit Church and to shew howe they both may be discerned and knowne Wee must needes auouch with the holy spirit of God that the true Church of Christ being the congregation and companie of the faithfull dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth is discerned and knowen by the woord of God For the true Sheepe doo heare the voice of their Pastor Christ Neither is there anie other signe or marke to knowe the Church of God sauing onely the Scriptures of God which are the treasurie of all truth For the citie of the Saintes and houshold of God as the Apostle saith is builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe Corner stone So then that is the true Catholike Church consecrated a spirituall Temple 〈◊〉 God which is guided and ruled by the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Therefore the Church of God is called the Spouse of Christ for that shee ought in al ●inges to harken vnto the voyce of the ●idegroome In like manner the church ● as a piller which the Lord God hath ● in the earth amongst men therein so to little his truth that all stormes and Tempests euen the gates of hell and all the fernall powers fighting against it yet sh● they not preuaile because shee stayeth ● selfe onely vppon the woord of God a● thereby stayeth others and therefore a g●ly father saith The piller and strength ● the Church is the Gospel and the spi● of lyfe Likewise Saint Agustine sa●ther be certain books of our Lord vn● the authoritie whereof ech part agreeth there let vs seeke for the Church therb● let vs examine and try our matters An in the same Chapter I will saieth hee haue you to shew me the church not b● the doctrines of men but by the woor● of God. Saint Chrisostome saith it cannot by any means be known what is the true church but only by the scriptures ▪ what the counterfeit Church is it appereth by the promisses truely euen that Church which consisteth onely in outwarde shewe challenging authoritie ouer the woord and spirit of God prescribing a rule of woorshiping of God by her owne deuise without anie warrant of the woord of GOD which deuiseth other meanes to be saued by then onely Christ which feigneth that her faith can neuer faile notwithstanding ●●e neuer aspired vnto the true faith of Christ but hath persecuted the same keeping the sonne of righteousnesse as vnder ●●●ile or cloud not suffering him to shine in simple mens mindes and hartes by his holye Scriptures which are the keyes of knowledge the very power of God to saluation to as many as beleeue If we cānot vnderstād the scriptures the fault is in vs and not in them As no man may cōdemne the brightnes of the sonne because his eye is not able to sustaine the clearenes therof so the hardnes of the mistery which we can not sometimes cōpasse or perfectly vnderstand in the scriptures ought not to take away frō vs the vse of the scriptures Now ●●●ing you depende much vppon the aunci●●● doctors fathers I purpose for the satisfying of the reader to knit vp this diffe●●●ce betwixt the church of God and the counterfeite Synagogue of Sathan with these woords of S. Augustine Whether they haue the church or no let thē shew ● the Canonicall bookes of the holy ●riptures we must knowe the Church of ●hrist euen as we likewise know Christ ●hich is the head of the church in the ca●nical scriptures And what can be more ●laine then that which is spoken by the Euangelist Iohn disseuering the t●●● Church from the false the true Christia● from hipocrices and the faithful ministe● and preachers of the Gospell from fa● prophets and counterfeit teachers in th● fewe woordes Hereby shall ye kno● the spirit of God euery spirit which c●fesseth that Iesus Christ is come in th● flesh is of
Church of God by as though Christes Church shoulde bee alwayes knowne and disceened by outwarde offices and functions I haue shewed before at large that the true church of God might be so hiddē the t●ue religion so suppressed that it might in mans iudgement seeme that god had no church at al or else a very smal Church ▪ yet neuerthelesse God hath from time to time sent some Moses some Elias some Ieremie some Baruch or some one or other to represent his true Church to publish his true law gospel to waken the people from sinne that the world might thereby be without al excuse as I haue named some whiche liued in the time of ignorance which diligently preached the Gospell and reprooued the idolatries of your Church There was moreouer certaine godly preachers in Sueuia in the yeare of our Lorde 1240. which preached against the Pope affirming his authoritie to be vsurped and the doctrine of the Churche of Rome to bee corrupt Arnoldus de noua villa a Spanyarde complained that Sathan had seduced the world by your Church of Rome from the truth of Iesu Christ and said That there ought to be no sacrifice for the deade Which your Churche earnestly mainteineth At Brugis were 36. citezens of Moguntia burned for the doctrine of Christ affirming the Pope to be Antichrist Militius a Bohemian a famous and godlie Preacher inueighed against the Churche of Rome saying That Antichrist was alreadie placed Marcilius Patauius Gulielmus Ockam Iohannes Gandauensis Luitpoldus Andraeas Laudensis Aligerius Gregorius Arminensis Andraeas de castro Buridianus mainteined all the Gospell against the Popes proceedinges Dante 's an Italian writer in his booke called The canticle of Purgatory declareth the Pope to be the whore of Babylon Tauterus a Preacher of Germanie preached against mans merites and Inuocation to Saintes Franciscus Petrarcha about the same time did write an Italian meeter affirming Rome to be the whore of Babylon the schoole and mother of errour the temple of heresie the nest of al trecherie Iohannes de Rupe scissa Anno 1340. did write that Rome was Babilon and the Pope the minister of Antichriste Conradus Hager taught twentie foure yeares togeather the masse to be no sacrifice that monie taken for Masses was verie robberie and sacriledge Iohannes Mountziger Rector of the vniuersitie of Vlme disputed in open schooles against your Popishe doctrine And at the same time Nilus Byshoppe of Thessalonica preached and also wrote a booke against the Pope and the Churche of Rome whiche booke is now extant in English Truely there passed no age since Christ as it appeareth by the histories in which Christes Gospell hath not bene preached by some one or other either priuately in the times of persecution or publikely in the peaceable times and tranquilitie of the Churche when propheciyng of whiche Paule speaketh and other godlie exercises hath beene vsed But howe the true Churche may be knowen it is manifest surely euen in the Scriptures of God in whiche we learne Christ in which we may learn the church by which we may know the difference betwixte the true and false Church S. Chris saith At this time all Christians ought to flee vnto the Scriptures Because since heresies inuaded the Churche there can be no triall of true Christianitie neither can Christians which be willing to know the true faith haue anie refuge sauing the Scriptures Againe he saieth he that coueteth to knowe which is the true Church howe shall he know it but onely by the Scriptures The Church of God I meane euerie faithfull congregation in the time of peace and quietnesse doth vse preaching Christian and profitable exercises and discipline as Gods name be thanked wee haue at this day especially in all reformed Churches and we haue had since Christes ascention your Churche hath alwaies persecuted the true Churche by fire and faggotte and other exquisite tormentes If I may be so bolde I woulde aske one question of you Whether the true Churche of God did euer from the beginning persecute or that it hath bene persecuted You will I thinke confesse with me that Caine a figure of the malignant church did murder his innocent brother Abell an image of the true Churche that Ismael persecuted Isaac Esawe Iacob Saul Dauid the false Prophetes the true Prophetes the vngodlie Pharisies Christe the Messias the false Apostles the true Apostles the cruell tyrantes in the primitiue Churche the faythfull Christians and to conclude your Romishe Churche the true Churche and professoures of the Gospell And this thing was forewarned by our sa●iour Christe That in the worlde his churche shoulde haue tribulation that the worlde shoulde reioyce and his children shoulde be sadde that if the false Churche had persecuted the Lorde it shoulde in like manner persecute the seruaunt and that they whiche shoulde persecute the Churche of God shoulde perswade themselues that they do God good seruice Saint Augustine speaking of the persecution in the primitiue Church saith They were bounde they were imprisoned they were beaten they were ●acked they were burned and yet they multiplied And Iustinus Martyr sheweth what he thought of those whiche suffered being yet an Ethnike When saith he I herd that the Christians were accused and reuiled of all men and yet sawe them goe to their death and to all manner terrible and cruell torments quietly and without feare I thought with my selfe it was not possible that suche men shoulde liue in anie wickednesse But to returne to your Churche we may say truely that you neuer had nor vsed in your Churche rightly according to the worde of GOD either preaching prophesiyng or discipline as for prophesying vsed by the Apostles and all other godlie reformed Churches your Church of Rome neuer vsed If you meane by the spirite of prophesiyng which you chalenge as of right to your church the forewarning of thinges to come which office was ceased in the Church then take heede least by your owne confession you bewraye your church to bee that Sinagogue of Sathan of which our Sauiour Christ geueth vs warning that with signes and wonders if it were possible shoulde deceiue the electe You preached very seldom not in time and out of time as Paule admonished his scholler Timothie and when you preached you preached not Christ and his death to bee the onely raunsome for our sinnes but your owne workes and meritorious deedes not Christes Gospell but your Legend of lyes and your vaine and supersticious traditions for whiche you had no warrant in Gods booke The law of God and his true worship was either altogeather abolished or else most wickedly corrupted before the times of king Iosias Helias did also renue the same beeing before his time decaied ●t seemeth in like māner that the people of ●e Iewes were fallen from God when ●s they said vnto Ieremy The words that ●ou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of
the Scriptures of God onely which are called by Godly writers and Fathers the Pastures for the Children of God to feede in it dooth teache Christ onely to be our Sauiour And no name to be giuē vnto men vnder heauē in which we may be saued but onely the name of the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Christ that his blood doth purge vs from all sinne Your Church of Rome dooth tell the people that they must seeke their saluation in Trentalles of Masses in pardons in their owne woorkes in the bloode of Hales in the blood of Thomas For these be your owne wordes Tu per Thomae Sanguinem quem pro te impendit Fac nos coelum scandere quò Thomas ascendit Which is as much to say O as Christ make thou vs euen for the bloode of Thomas whiche he shed for thy sake to climbe vp into heauē whether Thomas is ascended Seeing therefore that your Church dooth not vpholde and manteine the truth of God but hir owne inuentions and deuises howe can your Church be called The piller of truth Howe can your Church be called the Citie of God or you Citizens of God sith that you wil not submit your selues vnto the Lawes of God set forth by his worde Howe can your church be called The spouse of Christ seing as a bloodie mother you deuide the child and do persecute and crucifie a freshe Christe in his members These titles alledged by you are no doubt to bee vnderstanded of the inuisible Church of God whiche is the number of Goddes electe and faithfull children scattered abroade throughout the whole worlde neither can they be applied vnto your church of Rome whiche is no parte or parcell of Goddes Church for that as I haue saide before she neither holdeth the true doctrine of the Gospell nor heareth the voyce of the onely begotten sonne of God the true and onely pastor and teacher as hee himselfe sayth My sheepe doe heare my voyce and do follow me neither ministreth the Sacramentes truely according to the institution of Christ neither obserueth the voyce in veritie powred foorth by the spirit of God into the heartes of the faithfull true ●embers of Christ neither doeth im●race the true Catholike and Apostolike ●aith as necessarily the true church of God ●oth with full consent and agreement Wherefore to conclude this my answeare I wishe you not to claime and chalenge ●hese glorious names and titles vnto ●oure Churche vnlesse you were able to ●o proue the same by the holy word of God ●or the trueth of Gods Gospell shall pre●ayle will you nill you yea in spite of Mahomete and Antichrist your Pope ●ud the more that you shall spurne agaynst ● the greater harme shall redownd to your ●lues Though I am vnknowen vnto you ●et this good will I doe beare you that I ●oste heartily doe pray vnto God for you ●hat your eyes may be opened to vnder●ande what his will is set foorth in his ●oorde and knowing the same that you ●ay imploy all your studie to aduaunce ●nd extoll the glorie of God whiche God graunte you for his Christes sake To whom with the holie spirit be all honour and glorie now for euer Amen 1. Sam. 5. 3. Io. 5. 3 9. Io. 17. 17. Gal. 1. 8. Chrisost in epist. ad Gallat cap. 1. August cont lit Petilian lib. 3. cap. 6. Gene. 19. 16. 2. Cor. 6. 2. ●●ech 33. 11. Aug. Ste●chus in lib. Num. cap. 19. Platina Esai 53. 5. Ioh. 1. 29. Act. 4. 12. 1. Ioh. 1. 7. Apoc. 1. 5. 1. Ioh. 2. 1. Heb. 10. 14. 1. Cor. 10. 14. Ioh. 5. 24. Apoc. 14. 13. 1. Cor. 1. 30. Luke 23. 44. Luke 16. 22. Deut. 5. 32. Apoca. 22. 18. Mat. 24. 9. Iohn 15. 18. Iohn 16. 1. 1. Pet 1. 7. 〈◊〉 9. 41. Esa. 8. 20. Ierem. 8. 9. Esa. 64. 6. 〈◊〉 3. 21. 2. Tim. 3. 16. 1. Tim. 4. 3. 〈◊〉 59. 21. Mat. 18. 15. Colos 1. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 1. Ephe. 4. 11. Ioh. 10. 1. Gal. 4. 13. Esai 50. 1● ●se 2. 2. 3. 4. Apoc. 14. 8. Mar. 16. 15. Tertul. cont Iudaeos Phil. 1. 13. 3. Reg. 18. 3. Tertul. in Apologetico Act. 17. 18. Phil. 2. 13. Iohn 10. 3. Ephes 2. 20. Iraene lib. 3. cap. 11. Aug. de Vinitate Eccle. cap. 3. Chrisostom in opere imperfecto hom 44. Rom. 1. 16. Aug. de venitat● Eccle. cap. 16. 1. Ioh. 4. 2. Pigghius Libro 3. Cap. 3. Hetarchia Eckius De Ecclesia Hosius in confessione Petri. cap. 80. Hosius De Expresso Dei verbo Nicholaus Cusanus de autoritate ecclesiae et concilio supra et contra Scripturam Gen. 3. 14. 1. Cor. 15. 51 1. Cor. 15. 53. Concil Triden Extra de constitutionibus statuta Canon felici Ierem 36. 23 Gal. 18. 1. Barnat in synod Ramensi Parali Vspergens pag. 396. Barnar in concilio Ramensi Petrarch Tho. Becket ad Episco Moguntinum Cornel. Bitonti●●s in c●ncilio ●ridentino Luke 22. 38 ●e maiorit et o●ed vnam sanc●am Psalm 8. 6. Antoni in sum ma. p. 3. Titul 22 cap. 5. Psal 91. 13. Ambrosi Catharin concil Tri. Session 2. Bemb Cardi. in epist. ad Charol Act. 24. 5. Act. 24. 14. Ioh. 9. 34. Ioh. 16. 1. Apoc. 13. 15. 1. Cor. 1. 3. 1. Tim. 1. 20. Ambros in 1. Ti. ca. 5. Cyprian lib. 3. epist. 19. Lib. 4. sent dist 18. Luke 12. 32. Iohn 16. 20. Iohn 16. 20. Ephe. 4. 11. Paulus Aemilius Io. 8. 33. Io. 9. 28. Luke 20. 4. Acs. 20. 28. Rom. 10. 17. Rom. 10. 17. Mat● ●4 15 ▪ ●ira in Matth. cap. 16. Platin. in Rom. 1● Adrian 4. Aug. cont Donatist lib. 6. Aug. cont Donatist lib. 6. Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 43. Cyprian lib. 2. epist. 3. August de Doct. Christian lib. 3. cap. 9. Paschasius de coena domini Hierom. in Chro. Onomasticon Sozomen lib. 1. Cap. 17. Act. 3. 21. Platin. in Bonis 3. Sabellicus Gregor lib. 4. epist. 36. August Abbas vrsperg Anno. 1083. 1215. Sentenc 4. dist Si autem Gabriel Biel. in canon lect 40. Luke 16. 22. Apo. 14. 13 Io. 16. 23. 1. Io. 2. 1. Esai 63. 16. Aug. lib. de cura pro mortuis agenda Cap. 14. 1. Cor. 14. 8. 1. Cor. 14. 19. Reinulph C●●● Sabellicus Anno. 1131 ▪ Sabellicus Platina Anno. 1133. Anno. 1280. Anno. 1178. Roger Houeden Laziardus Anno. 1170. Reinerius Co●cil constan Platina ●enno Cardinalis Auentinus 2. Thes 3. 4. 5. Apoc. 18. 3. Platina Agrippa devanitate scientiarum Irenaeus Ancelm 2. thess. 2. Gregorie in Iob. lib. 25. cap. 14. 1. Cor. 11. 23. Act. 2. 42. Ex primo Tom. Conciliorum Anno. 810. Ra●●lphus Ces●●iens I aurentius vall● de donatione Constantini Bonifacius Athanasius in epist. ad sol●taria●● vitam agendam Augu. ad Bonif● cium epist. 50. Math. 26. 26 ▪ 1. Cor. 10. 21. Aug. contra Anabaptists B●llinger ▪ contra Anabaptistas Ephe. 1. 4. Aug ad Fortuna●ianum ●pist 3. Gal. 2. 11. Platina in Stephano Romano
God euery spirit which c●fesseth not Iesus Christ to haue come ● the flesh is not of God wherfore the sam● is not of God which denieth either the d●uine or humaine nature of Christ and t● true vniting of them both or derogateth any thing from the office of Christ beeing● king who onely hath all spirituall rule an● authoritie committed vnto him beeing Prophet who onely is appointed to del●uer vnto vs his fathers minde and will● and to teach vs all truth being a Priest● who hath offered a sweete smelling Sacrifice for vs vnto God the father euen his owne body vppon the Crosse once for all which onely Sacrifice is of force and value to purge and clense the sinnes of all those that beleeue But who be they which denie Christ in person or in office ▪ euen that Church that woulde haue Christ as hee is ●n to be in any other shape fourme then that which he receiued of the virgin Ma 〈◊〉 in sundry places at one time contrary the nature of a true body or affirmeth ●at mankinde lost through Adams fal and ans●ression could be saued by any other lea●es then onely by Christ whether it be ●y mans merits and works or by the par●ons and indulgences of the Pope or by ●nie other deuise of man Finally that Church which teacheth anie other media●●● betwixt God and man either of re●emption or intercession then onely Christ ●he same Church denieth Christ to haue ●ome in the flesh and therefore is not the 〈◊〉 Church of god The bare name or title of the Church is not sufficient but as gold is tried by the Touchstone so we must prooue the Church by the woorde of 〈◊〉 which is the Touchstone of all truth This Church by the preaching of the Gospell by the Lodestarre of Christ his holy ●ord hath from time to time brought the ●le of God from Gentilitie from Iu●me from the grosse Idolatrie whiche ● haue vsed in your Church and from ● darke dungeon of ignorance and blindnes into the cleare light shining brightnes of true knowledge Yea this same r●ligion and doctrine which nowe we d● teach was deliuered first by Iesus Chri● vnto the Apostles then preached by them afterwardes yet not without bloodshed taught from time to time for the space ● sixe hundred yeares as the writings of a● the auncient Fathers doo witnesse● and so forwarde vntill by little and little your superstitious patched religion increased by fire and Fagot and other extrem● tortures and cruelties These thinges being manifest I tendering your saluation ● which doo call your ●elfe a Catholik or Papiste doo most earnestly admonish you that according vnto your promise yo● would yeeld your self vnto the eternal God who knoweth all secrets and abhorreth all hipocrisie Let Christ Iesus by the scepter of his woorde rule your conscience and direct your hart in his trueth suffer the holy spirit of God to instill the sweete tast of Gods holy woord into your minde that you may hate your owne ignorance and blindenesse and study to attaine the true light and to bee guided by the motions of the same comfortable spirit of God which the Lord graunt to you for his Christs sake Papist Aske of him what Church it was which ● hath induced the Christian people tho●row out the whole worlde to giue most ● humble credit in all pointes to the holy ●●●kes of the Byble what Church hath had 〈◊〉 discerning and seuering them from o●●● writinges of all sortes what Churche ●●th had the custody of them and most safe●● hath preserued them for the necessarie vse of Gods people and from the corruption of aduersaries aswell Iewes as Heretiks of all sortes and let the Protestant declare vnto me that this congregation hath had from time to time or euer had any right herein ●● anie other Church sauing the catholike Church and I recante Answeare I Do merueile with what face you can ●rrogate vnto your Church that you haue moued the people throughout the ●orlde to giue credit vnto the scriptures 〈◊〉 that your Church hath deterred the ●●●ople from reading them affirminge ●●●m to be harde and difficult daunge●●●us to the simple and vnlearned a nose 〈◊〉 waxe a shippmans hose a dead letter and either of enuie vnto the poore sou● whom you call dogges and hogges a● sing this text giue not that which is h● vnto dogges or of hate vnto the scriptur● you haue kept the key knowledge wh● is the holy woorde of God vnder a va● in an vnknowne tounge fearinge a● iudge lest the misty cloudes of your persticious deuises would vanish aw● if the bright beames of Christ his G●pell might shine in simple mens mind● What humble credite do you giue vnto Scriptures seing that one of the piller● your Church saieth That the Scriptur● are not autenticall or of credite b● onelie by the warrant and aucthori● of your Churche of Rome an other your Doctoures hath these woorde● The Apostles saith he when they deliu●red the Creed neuer said I beleue t● holy Byble or the holy Gospel but the saide I beleeue the holy Churche A● likewise in an other place he saith ● any man haue the exposition of th● Church of Rome touchinge any plac● of the Scriptures although he neithe● knowe nor vnderstand whether or how● it agreeth with the wordes of the Scriptures yet he hath the very word of God. ●nd how doubtful vncertain al your in●●●pretations be Cusanus a Cardinall 〈◊〉 the Churche of Rome sheweth It 〈◊〉 no meruaile saith he though the practise of the Churche expounde the ●●●iptures at one time one way and at ●●●other time another way For the vnder●●●nding or the sence of the scriptures run●●●h with the practise and that sence so agreeinge with the practise is the quic●●ninge spirite And therefore the scrip●●res followe the Churche but contra●iewise the Churche followeth not the Scriptures And whereas in verie ●eede the scriptures be the light that ge●●●th sight to the blinde and rightly called 〈◊〉 candle whereby the theefe is taken the truth which doeth disclose all errours 〈◊〉 rule to square and frame mans lyfe 〈◊〉 power of God vnto saluation I muse ●●●uely howe you da●● presume to keepe his hid treasure from Gods inheritance ●nd yet pretēd that you do perswade them ●●●stantly to giue most humble credit there●●●to And forsomuche as you do challeng ●●●e discerning seuering the Scriptures ●●●om other writinges of all sortes you haue in verie deed not onely corrupted the tr● sense of the Bible but also abased the authoritie of the scriptures and haue mad● equall or rather preferred your owne decrees and constitutions before the hol● Bible the errours in your old translatiō o● the Bible which you falsly ascribe vnt● S. Ierome be so manifest so grosse tha● euery childe may easily espy them as i● the third chapter of Genesis these worde● are to be found Ipsa conteret caput tuu● She shall breake