A REPLIE to a Censure written against the two answers to a Iesuites seditious Pamphlet By William Charke 1. Reg. 20. 11. Let not him that gurdeth on his armour boast as he that putteth it off ⧠Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie ANNO. DOM. 1581. To the Christian Reader AS there haue risen vp in the Church from time to time false Prophets teachers which oppose them selues to the holye Prophets of God and true teachers of his worde so among the people where such contrarietie of doctrines hath bene deliuered like contrarietie of hearers hath alwayes followed not onely in iudgement but also in their affection For as some through the mercie of God and the sincere preaching of the Gospel haue yeelded obedience to his worde so many caried away with corrupt teachers haue for want of iudgement embraced errour in place of trueth and carnall worshippings in steade of the pure worship of God which euermore consisteth in spirit and trueth Against this so dangerous infection of false teachers the holy Apostle Saint Iohn hath giuen vs a most wholesome counterpoyson willing vs not to beleeue euery spirit but to trie and examin the spirits whether they be of God But to speake of our times this examination and trial may seeme very hard seeing the teachers on both sides are thought learned and al pretend to teach the trueth For it is not denyed but both sides haue had their education in schooles of learning they haue also laboured in the liberall artes to furnish them selues to greater matters wherupō they al bring very good words some shewe of reason seeme to haue no small force of perswasion Howe then shall the simple people iudge howe shal they discerne whose iudgement and discretion should be framed by their teachers and setled by their sownd and plaine doctrine To this I answere S. Iohn in that place maketh the matter more easy then it appeareth at the first shewe For exhorting vs not to beleeue euery spirit he doeth drawe our consideration to the spirit and doctrine of the teachers and not to these outwarde giftes of an eloquent stile or a sweete sownde of pleasing wordes which may be common to good and euil yea wherein the euil for want of a good cause labour to excell and from which the godly absteine for the sufficiencie of their cause without it are also restrayned lest our faith should stande in the wisedome of men and not in the power of God But Saint Iohn to make this his trial of spirits yet more ful plaine addeth that euery spirit which confesseth Christ Iesus to haue come in the fleshe is of God and euery spirit which confesseth otherwise is of Antichrist Now therefore let vs see bowe the Apostle frameth vs to a spirit of discretion to discerne the spirits of true and false teachers If any man shall teach and consesse that Christ was made man and ordeyned of God the Father a Prophet alone to teach a King alone to rule and a Priest alone to sanctifie vs and to reconcile vs to his Father by the obedience of faith this confession and doctrine is of the holy spirit of God and to be receiued what spirit soeuer shall mightily or cunningly perswade the contrary On the other side if any spirit shall teach that Christ is not our only teacher by his holy Gospel but that we must admit vnwritten beleefe and traditions from we know not whom to be of like authoritie with the written worde secondly if any spirit make not Christ alone our King and head to rule vs by his holy spirit but teache that a mortall and sinfull man must sit in our consciences and for hatred or gaine which is his practise bynde or loose at his pleasure lastly if any spirit impeach the alsufficiencie and entier vertue of Christs sacrifice offered vp once for euer teach that themselues must renforce it from day to day by the continuance of their dayly sacrifice of the Masse offered for the quick dead it appeareth manifestly that such spirits are not of God nor their doctrine to be receiued though it be deliuered with neuer so much perswasion of eloquent speach or offered to vs with neuer so much expectation of worldly honour For to denie the most absolute vertue and effects of Christes offices is in effect to denie the authoritie of his person and to lose the benefite of all his graces because they withdrawe a part To this examination of spirits without regard of persons the godly Reader is to be exhorted For the doctrine that giueth al glorie to God is of God the doctrine that attributeth some glory and ascribeth some merites to man is of men the religion also that is agreeable to flesh and blood making an acceptable sounde and shewe to the outward senses is carnall and vayne finally what religion so euer is not ioyned with the knowledge and exercises of the worde of God that is no true religion but a disguised and blinde maske full of deuilish superstition The aduersaries take a contrary course in making triall of their doctrine for they woulde haue this examination of spirits vtterly suppressed and vnder one title of that falsly named Catholique Church of Rome they would bind all men to receiue for vndoubted true religion what corruptions so euer they teach without any further question Which being graunted them the examination of spirits neede not for if Rome affirme it the matter is sufficient and must not be denied Also these enemies of the trueth leaue the touchstone which tryeth al metalles namely the doctrine and for it they drawe the teachers into examination supposing that if they can discredit or disgrace the men they shall easily vndermine and ouerthrowe their doctrine For triall of this long practise there are so many bookes that I neede not alleadge any but this late Censure written as in defence of popish religion but the authour shifting his hands very cunningly of the direct and plaine maintenance of the questions in controuersie doth but offer at them or giue some false fire his leauell and batterie is against their persons and credit that maynteining the trueth cannot but assaile the doctrines and put in hazarde the authoritie of the popish Church Therefore I am in the name of the trueth to craue it of the good Reader to lay aside respect of men the regard of those giftes that may please him much and deceiue him more and if it be his desire not so much to see the fight as to beholde the issue enioy the victory then let him imbrace that doctrine most that attributeth least to the broken arme or blinde iudgement of man that in the Church al the power and wisedome of our saluation may be ascribed to God alone through Christ Iesus our Lorde Amen W. Ch. A Replie to a Censure written against the two answers to a Iesuites seditious Pamphlet IT
soule and incourage him to the hope of mercie if hee shall consider the promise of God made towarde him of which promise Martin Luther saith it is vnpossible it should lie being entire and not changed or change able through any of our sinnes And hereupō he declareth what armour we haue in respect of Gods true promise how to answere when sin troubleth the conscience Afterwarde speaking of the riches of a beleeuer he concludeth saying Thus thou seest a Christian man or one baptised howe rich he is who though willing yet cannot lose his saluatiō through his sinnes howe great soeuer except hee wil not beleeue for no sinnes can damne him but incredulitie alone if faith in the promise of God made to the baptised returne and stand all other vices are swallowed vp in a moment by the same faith yea by the trueth of God that can not denie him selfe if thou confesse him and cleaue faithfully to him that promiseth In which wordes Martin Luther speaketh not of a faith separated from good workes or accompanyed with sinne onely but of that faith which bringeth foorch as fruites and effectes those good workes which God hath prepared that wee shoulde walke in them This is the true and comfortable doctrine of Martin Luther to proue it impossible that the elect shoulde bee deceiued or fall awaye or that the multitude of their sinnes shoulde barre the grace and promyse of God Wherefore seeing Martin Luther sayth Incredulitie is the greatest sinne and you say he affirmeth there is no sinne but incredulitie Seeing hee sayeth in respect of Gods promyse all the sinnes of the righteous man without want of faith can not condemne him and you vtter it most corruptly as if he saide a man can not damne himselfe do what sinne he can Lastly seeing Martin Luther speaketh of the elect and you vtter it as spoken of all euen of the wicked the godly reader may beholde your malicious and false reportes that haue in this first place hainously charged Martin Luther with a doctrine which was neuer in his hearte to embrace much lesse in his purpose to publish by writing Yet I confesse this his found doctrine of our certaine saluation is against your Trent doubtfulnes in so vndouted a couenaunt as is that which the Lorde hath confirmed to his children with an othe that cā neuer be repealed 2 In the second place out of his sermon touching Moses misreporting the title as I thinke you cite these wordes The ten commandements apperteine nothing vnto vs. Wherin you would bring the reader vnto an opinion that Martin Luther altogether reiecteth the morall lawe of God setting men free from the obedience or regard thereof If you could proue but this one article against him without your furder reproches it were sufficiēt to bring his honour to the dust But I dare auowe in your name that you are not so ignorant as not to know his cleare doctrine to the contrarie both in other bookes and in that from whence you drewe out these wordes leauing the sense behinde I graunt he hath such words but neuer laid downe so nakedly or to proue such an error as your report importeth For speaking against such as vrged the policie of the Iewes and layde the yoke of Moses Law vpon christians he resisted this doctrine expounding the differences betweene the two couenantes of God one in the ministerie of Moses which is the perfect obedience af all the Law the other in the mercie of Christ apprehending righteousnes by faith The first as he teacheth apperteyned for a time to the Iewes alone y t seconde afterwarde both to Iewes and Gentiles as many as beleeue Wherupon he proueth at large that the law doth not apperteyne vnto vs as it did to the Iewes the yoke and ceremonies thereof lie not vpon vs to obserue in such sort as it pressed them All which doctrine is as largely taught by the Apostle proouing that wee are not vnder the Lawe but vnder grace and in another place that the lawe was giuen because of transgression til the seede came which was promised againe in the same place the Lawe was our schoolemaster to Christ that we might be made righteous by faith but after faith is come we are no more vnder the schoolemaster Which places do cleerely shewe y t Moses Lawe apperteineth not to vs as to the Iewes wee are not vnder it as they were the yoke and condemnation thereof doth not binde vs as it did them which is al that Martin Luther teacheth distinguishing our time from their time and our estate vnder Christ and the Gospell from their condition vnder Moses and the Law according to that excellent distinction of S. Iohn The lawe was giuen by Moses but grace trueth came by Iesus Christ Wee are vnder Christ and vnder grace not vnder Moses and the yoke of his lawe we haue the trueth and not the multitude of shadowes and ceremonies that were vnder the Mosaical administration Now that Martin Luther did acknowledge the doctrine of the lawe profitable to vs though the yoke and former mynisterie thereof be taken away it appeareth by his exposition of the Lawe and by his wordes out of the same sermon which you alleadge where he saith We receiue and acknowledge Moses for a teacher in deede whence we learne much wholesome doctrine as a lawegiuer or gouernour we do not acknowledge him Also afterwarde hauing repeated the commaundementes he demaundeth saying Is it not necessarie for vs to keepe these are they not vniuersally commaunded to all men I answere saieth he they are to be kept of all and apperteyne vnto all Thus it is cleere although M. Luther acknowledgeth not the yoke the curse the Mosaicall gouernment which were proper to the Iewes and appertayne not vnto vs yet in other respectes hee is plentifull in shewing the profite and vse thereof to Christians for it is as Dauid saith a lanterne to our steppes and a light vnto our path Therefore you shall doe well to regard your steps least your selfe seeme to neglect the lawe of loue and trueth as apperteyning nothing to you if you thus misreport misconster any mans wholesome doctrine 3 Your thirde report of Luthers doctrine is that it is a false opinion and to be abolished that there are foure Gospels Touching this third place I find the effect of your report els where for these first and chiefe wordes but the latter wordes concerning Iohns Gospell that it is the onely faire true and principall gospell I cannot finde I thinke there was neuer any such preface written in latin by Luther as you cite for your defence You haue in many places vsed the auouch at large which Lawiers thinke vnlearned in their cases and oftentimes you cite bookes not to bee gotten as this preface and that booke de missa angulari and laide downe one title for an other with such like practises
your common obiection that our faith began with Martin Luther I answere you may asâ—el say the religion of the Iewes and knowledge of the Lawe began in Iosias time and that Hilkia was their progenitour because hee founde the booke of the Lawe in the house of God who notwithstanding found no new thing but onely the authenticall booke of Moses whereupon the king and his people by a diligent reading and regarde thereof were wonne the rather to a notable reformation For our faith is the same that hath bene euermore laid and builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ Iesus being the chiefe corner stone which hath also continued from age to age although sometimes with small shewe to the world because of many persecutions and great falling away both in life and doctrine Wherefore it is your euill speach so basely to speake and bitterly to deface the religion of Iesus Christ that hath receiued in the eyes of all the world so great testimonie from God to proue the worke is his owne worke and the Gospell his owne euerlasting trueth the power wherof is stil dedlared from day to daye in many wonderfull issues for the inlargement of his kingdome and most of all by adding to the Gospel dayly such as appertaine to his holy election Concerning the praise you giue to Iesuites as reformers of vice in my answere I haue prooued that your religion must first be reformed and your intolerable dispensations and indulgences taken awaye For so long as these marchandises are to be bought so commonly and for so small a price sinne must needes abounde and the complaint of the Lord will bee most iust against you which was made against the couetous and vncleane priestes in Israel They eate the sinnes of my people and lift vp his minde euery one to their iniquitie The Iesuites abandoning of all worldly pleasures possibilities of preferment in the same so farre forth as none of that societie hath or may take any spirituall or temporall liuings or commodities whatsoeuer is nothing els but a superstitioâ—s worship without commandement as hath bene declared inuented by themselues being moreouer against the order of the prâ—mitiue Church and sauouring not a little of Anabaptistrie in condemning the prâ—pertie or priuate poâ—â—ession of earthly blâ—ssings But howsoeuer you sound a trumpet one before another to shewe the Iesuites contempt of worldly riches and that they receiue not the preferrements wherwith mightie Princes haue pressed them yet I thinke your meaning is not â—ut y â— if the Pope intreat them they wilbe sone intreated The humilitie of their spirit was noted in y â— answere They can be content in hâ—pocrisie to abase themselues as to the duâ— but it is that afterward they may rule oâ—â—r all estates in the lande as he did whose 〈◊〉 was to the Pope I my king So also I proued that the Iesuites come to meet meddle with matters of estate offered them 〈◊〉 wrong therin as shal appeare in a â—â—tter place wheÌ„ you assay to proue the contraâ—y The Censurer in the next place commeth to a discourse of three leaues touching Ignatius Layolas Martin Luther but altogether from the purpose for proofe whereof let his two arguments be examined the one for Layolas and the Iesuites the other against Martin Luther and the professors of the trueth For the Iesuites he bringeth this reason Whosoeuer leauing his former calling shall betake him selfe to a votaries lyfe and therein winne soules may be fâ—ther of a Societie Layolas did so therefore Layolas may be father of a Societie The first propositioÌ„ is omitted by the Censurer but without it â—e can proue nothing for the Iesuites For if any man leauing the fielde or the like calling maye not begin a newe order as Layolas did howe can Layolas his broode â—ustifie their Societie The second proposition y â— Layolas leauing his former calling proued so good a man and wonne soules is more then doubtfull Thus it appeareth that vpoÌ„ two former propositions the one false the other doubtfull the Censurer can make no true or cleare conclusion that the Iesuites haue a good warrant for their newe Apostleship Against y â— professors of the Gospell there is another argument made but with aâ— ill arte and successe For thus the Censurer doth reason If Luther were a wicked man taught many beastly doctrines the Protestantes may be ashamed of their progenitor but Luther was such a one therefore the protestantes may bee ashamed of their father and religion The first proposition is altogether false for Luther is not our progenitour nor the father of our faith If he had offended yet the trueth and professors thereof are not guiltie or thereby iustly touched in credit The seconde proposition is also false for howsoeuer false witnesses come in one vpon another to sweare against him Martin Luthers worthy praise shall continue in all ages the Lord hath shewed him a token of good they that hate him shal see it and bee ashamed Wherefore these two propositions being false must needes bring forth a false and sâ—auÌ„derous conclusion Thus the Censurer appeareth much more carefull smothely to deliuer foule reproches then to bring a good reason for maintenance of his cause His arguments being thus layde open it remaineth to consider the particular speaches whereby he setteth such colours vpon his slaunders deliuered against that holy and learned man Martin Luther and vpon his praises for Ignatius Layolas And first for the life of Ignatius Layolas I passe it ouer as a thing from the matter and hauing in it nothing to bee answered when it commeth into the Legenda it may haue some credit in your Church but as it is nowe reported I see no honour that coÌ„meth to you by the tale nor harme to vs. But to you this harme maye growe that hereafter by so slender an example other Fryers may bee brought in as much to raygne ouer you as you woulde raygne ouer all the Monkes and Fryers that haue bene before you 〈◊〉 maruel howe in this storie of Layolas you left out y t which if it had bene true would haue made more for you then al his life beside It is his wonderfull vision when in a traunce he did behold Iesus receiuing him and his fellowes into protection You knowe that without a myracle your newe creatures of the Pope haue neyther lyfe nor soule For Martin Luther what may truely bee sayde fâ—r his iust honour that shall appeare afterward nowe I am to answeare vnto your reproches against him And first howesoeuer you thinke your credit discharged by alledging them Hosius Cochleus Lindanus Xaintes haue no voyce where trueth or reason are admitted for witnesses For in this action they are specially sworne and forsworne agaynst Martin Luther the ruine of their estate beyng all agreed to lende and borowe lies and in one tale to conspire the death and detestation of his name
Although the sentence were true yet woulde you not censure him that should giue sentence against your vnholie father according to Martin Luthers testimonie Why then doe you thinke that we will any more admitte Lindan and his fellowes against Martin Luther then you will admit him against the Pope Therefore in alledging Lindan Cochleus Hosius and Xaintes with some others you commit many faultes without any gayne to your cause First you abase your selfe more then needeth in not thinking your owne credit as sufficient with vs to proue any thing against vs as their credit is For although these witnesses are dashed in to make a shewe in the margent and to deceyue the ignorant readers that knowe neyther their names nor their weake authoritie yet the Censurer if his name were well knowen hath against vs as much credit in his owne cause as Lindan hath or Hosius albeit hee was your great president in the Councill of Trent Secondly in citing your owne partiall men more carryed I thinke with malice against Luther and these causes then your self their sentence can haue no more authoritie then when a man doth stande out to beare witnesse in his owne cause or when one thiefe giueth in euidence to acquite an other Wee goe not about to ouerbeare you in the like causes with the bare authoritie or reportes of Martin Luther of Iohn Caluin of Peter Martyr or other like men for these are all parties and the law alloweth no such for sufficient witnesses in their owne causes Therefore howe vnequall is your measure how insufficient is your trial in bringing such testimonies against vs as your selues would hisse at if the lyke or better were brought against you 〈…〉 Lastly in alleadging such partiall and forsworne witnesses you bewray an euill cause that can not otherwise bee maintayned then by such vnlawfull insufficient proofes But seeing there can be had nothing from you and your witnesses but slauÌ„ders let vs examine how small cause you haue so bitterly to slaunder those that are gone before and for so wicked purposes to infect the iudgement of such as shal come after Entring into the slaunders of Martin Luther you giue a note that he was the beginner of the newe Gospel Doe you not still bewray Campions spirit in charging the religion nowe established in this lande with nouelties and most scornefully calling the Gospel of Iesus Christ which we preache a newe doctrine This is not vpon good grounde to speake against a fewe Fryers but in a blasphemous spirite to speake against God But before I answere the particular slaunders layde downe against Martin Luther I must againe adde that which you haue left out namely howe Luther was begotteÌ„ of a deuil Surely this is as true as the rest and Proteolus as much to be beleeued as the others Therefore the same sparke of modestie which made your paper blush to receiue this as a thing incredible as offensiue to euery mans eares and as bewraying your vnsatiable malice myght also haue refused to tell the other slaunders of lyke bitternesse and no lesse vntrueth Nowe that Martin Luther was stroken with a thunderbolt in a medow though you easily dare report it from an enemie yet you shall hardly â—â—nde a wise man that will beleeue you the matter being of it selfe so incredible A thunderbolt woulde haue taken awaye lyfe or lefte a marke behinde it for a manifest and sure note of that which otherwise can not bee proued I will no more beleeue Lindan in this then in his large and wonderfull tale of a madde dogge pursued with a multitude of armed men whose venemous teeth Lindan himself escaped by the helpe of Saint Hubert as they call him for the which deliuerie he and all his house were afterwarde dedicated to the worshippe of the same Hubert I will beleeue him no more against Martin Luther then agaynst our owne countrey men of whom he writeth that they of the religion in Englande whom he calleth Caluinists doe worship the image of y e deuil Of like credit is your other tale of y e deuil horribly crying out of Martin Luthers mouth and as much to be beleeued from Cochleus alone as froÌ„ him and a thousand such making no conscience to cast out in their writings so malitious and so intollerable libels You adde these wordes that vpon a certaine emulation contention betweene him and the Fryers of Dominiks order hee left his religion cast away his habit broke his vowes maried a Nunne and by litle and litle began to preache strange newe doctrines especially tending to all libertie and carnalitie Howe roundlye are these things written and howe calme doth the floud of malicious wordes seeme to flowe partly to disgrace that y t was lawfully done partly to charge him with that euill which he neuer thought For when the Lord did open his eyes to see as many before haue seene the abhominable hypocrisie and superstition of your religion and orders no otherwise then for hatred thereof he left his former superstition which you call religion he cast away also his superstitious order the pharisaicall habit thereof and thinking him selfe no longer tyed to his vnaduised and superstitious vowe he maried in the Lorde and all this was lawfull That by litle and litle he began to preach straÌ„ge and newe doctrines especially tending to all libertie and carnalitie it shalbe founde an vntrueth deliuered against the man and a malice agaynst the doctrine which hee taught your owne examples shall make the proofe First therfore you charge him to teach there is no sinne but incredulitie neither can a man damne himselfe doe what mischiefe he can except he will refuse to beleeue I will not here measure vnto you as you haue measured vnto me I wil not disgrace you first and then examine the matter for therein you haue offered me great wrong as shall appeare when I come to answere those places But I may plainely pronounce that in this place you doe in wordes and matter report an opeÌ„ vntruth For Martin Luther hath no such doctrine First it was farre from him to thinke there was no sinne but incredulitie and therfore he woulde neuer write so manifest an vntruth He is vehement in condemning many other sinnes as beside infinite other places it appeareth in his expounding the xv Psalme and more largely in his briefe exposition vpon the tenne commaundementes This it is that you haue wonderfully peruerted Martin Luther saith Incredulitie y t is not to beleeue the promise of God doth argue the promise of God to be a lying promise which is a most high sinne of all other Againe he doth not saye as you report a man can not damne him selfe for that is against all knowledge either of mans iniquitie or of Gods iust iudgementes but he speaketh of the baptised which beleeue of the trueth of Gods promise who cannot denie himself Wherin he sheweth that it doth woÌ„derfully comforte a mans
Censurer hath brought his cole to set his markes vpon my translation which is neuer thelesse so faithfull that no one of y â— fiue words by him so marked as wickedly added can wel be wanting without some iniury to the text or to the propertie of our language in expressing the same In translating the propertie of euery tongue is to be obserued for as tongues differ in language so they differ in their peculiar forme order of words That which may be well vnderstoode in one tongue must needes be supplied in an other And to translate word for worde is to haue the wordes English or Frenche when yet the phrase shall remaine Greeke or Hebrewe and be as litle vnderstoode Yet this is that obscure and fruitelesse translation which the Censurer exacteth at my hand But let vs see how iustly All scripture is not so plaine as All y â— scripture and the Censurer afteÌ„ saith the scripture The verbe is must be supplied whether you regard the English tongue or Lâ—gicke for the copulatiue coniunction following in y â— Greeke doth make the whole proposition compound and not simple Otherwise what sense or sentence were it to say all scripture giuen by inspiration of God profitable to teach c. The addition of this verbe was so necessarie that the vulgar translation addeth it in the seconde place but by no better reason then why it should be added in both The first and was childishly and vnlearnedly noted as superfluous being expressed in the Greeke text and corruptly left out by the olde translation which deceiued you The wordes and throughly were added the one to ioyne the sentence and the other to expresse the force of the compound word which Paule vseth signifying throughly or perfectly perfect In this signification is the compound vseâ— in many other places also Thus you see I misuse not the Scriptures in this place for my translation is sufficiently approoued and some faultes be wraied in the old translation and ignorance in your Censure Neuerthelesse I must remember you that it was your ouersight to leaue out y â— note of a third and which might aswell haue bene set vpon your score with the rest and raised the number vp to site Also you that so exact a strayght translation of worde for word why did you not Censure me for adding v. wordes at one clap in this sentence to expresse one Greeke worde Paul hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is word for worde Godinspired I haue to expresse it vsed v. wordes giuen by inspiration of God But your Censurers eye may without blame passe ouer the sight of such small matters I craue pardon of my Reader that I haue bene drawen on into so trifeling poyntes But he hath beene exercised in sifting and shifting to finde somwhat y â— may serue his turne and yet greatly misseth of his purpose if he were so searched perhaps hee would not easely answere it Now against my translation he vseth words that should be by a new worde called raileciue speache in me saying If I had vsed such audacitie in translating Acsopes fables it woulde haue bene tollerable but in translating the Scripture it is impious Surely if the Censurer had bene well censured and exercised in translating Acsopes fables when 〈◊〉 went to the Grammer schoole hee woulde haue bene better acquainted with Greeks phrases and the translation of the new Testament But it may be he hateth the kingdome and skill of Grammarians Thus much to answere my translation which you haue so vnlearnedly marked and so vniustly coÌ„demned Now it foloweth to consider what you bring agaynst the alleadging of that place to reproue the Iesuites doctrine and your vnwritten verities Your first reason y â— this place is not full ynough to proue y â— sufficiencie of y â— Scripture for which it is alleaged standeth vpon and word in y â— text where the Apostle saith the Scripture is profitable and hath not the worde sufficient But you say these are two diuers thinges to bee sufficient for a purpose and to be profitable for it as may appeare in meate which is profitable for our lyfe yet wee cannot saye it is sufficient because it alone without naturall heate clothes and other meanes sufficeth not Whereupon you leaue the reader to conclude that this place is too slender for my purpose The force of which your reason is of the difference of these two words affirming that profitable is not so much as sufficient Whereunto I answere that as sometimes it is true which you affirme and as it appeareth in your example so of the other part it is true that many times a thing may be saide profitable for a purpose where profitable shal import sufficient and not barely profitable as for example when some reason is adioyned why it shoulde be profitable and nothing else applyed or seruing to that effect For proofe hereof when the Apostle writeth that Godlines is profitable to all things hauing the promises of this life of the life to come it can not be denyed but by profitable here he meaneth it is sufficient for all things that is for the obteyning of all good thinges which sense of this worde is prooued by that which followeth of the effect hauing the promises of both lyues For if godlinesse bryng all good things of this lyfe and of the lyfe to come it must needes folowe that the Apostle saying it is profitable to all things vnderstoode it was so fully sufficient that hee which hath it needeth not the supplie of any thing else For like reason in this place I say the Apostle speaking of the Scripture as profitable for doctrine for confutation for correction and reformation by profitable vnderstandeth sufficient If your example were of the like it woulde proue the same If as meate and drinke are profitable to nourish so they were profitable also to cloth to giue rest and to make a man perfectly healthie and strong to euery good action I woulde also conclude vpon such causes that it were both profitable and sufficient to mayntaine life But you stande in neede of an other Censurer to Censure your comparisons and examples so often brought in easily to dereyue the reader that doth not see howe vnequallie they are yoked as like thinges to make like proofe being in deede vnlike and of vnlike effectes To returne vnto the text the sufficiencie of scripture is moreouer prooued by the wordes which got before and followe Before the Apostle had sayde that all the Scripture is inspired of God whereupon he inferreth and is profitable to teach for doctrine and confutation as if he had sayde it is profitable to teache the trueth and reproue errour The strength of which reason lyeth in this that the light of knowledge which sometime was in man by his creation is damped and gone out so that nowe wee haue no meanes except God by his holy Spirite doeth inspire vs to discerne betweene trueth and vntrueth or
betweene good and euill Nowe this heaueÌ„ly knowledge which as Saint Peter sayeth was vttered by the holy men of God inspired with the holy Ghost is recorded in the bookes of holie Scripture Whereupon it foloweth that these bookes of the holy worde and no other being the authenticall words of the heauenly knowledge which God inspired the holy Prophets and Apostles withall are so sayde to be profitable to teache the trueth as it noteth this to bee proper to the holy Scripture and not to agree to any other whatsoeuer Therefore if these bee the writings which contayne the wisedome wherewith God hath inspired his holy men for such vse of the Church as is here spoken of it must needes followe the knowledge which God hath reuealed being sufficient for vs that these holy Scriptures conteining the same knowledge is lykewise sufficient Whereby it appeareth that this cause here noted to witte of inspiration from God being the proper cause of the holy Scriptures and not common to any other writings whatsoeuer doeth implie the effect also folowing in this place of teaching disprouing and making perfecte the man of God to be likewise proper vnto them and which I vndertoke to proue profitable in this place to signifie as much as sufficient To this I adde an other reason out of the wordes which followe wherein because not some things onely which may in parte make a man perfect are attributed to the scriptures and some other thinges left to bee supplied by other meanes but all things whatsoeuer may bee needefull for vs are sayde to be perfected by the Scriptures it must needes follow that the scripture alone is sufficient For that which is profitable to al the partes which may be required to perfection cannot be but sufficieÌ„t for the perfection of the whole but that the Scripture is profitable in such maner the Apostle doth fully declare both in rehearsing all the particular partes which are necessarie and adding also after generally that the man of God may be perfect To this purpose the Apostle hath so set his wordes as hee could not more effectually by any other speach For he teacheth that it is profitable to make perfect which yet is made more full by the compound worde adioined the grace and force of which composition as was noted before is to note perfection added to perfection and to signifie throughly or perfectly perfect and that as hee addeth for all good workes This is yet made more full and more waightie by that hee speaketh not here of the coÌ„mon perfection of all men but of the perfection of the man of God that is of the Minister If the scripture conteine knowledge to make the Minister throughly perfect for euery part of his office both in doctrine soundly to teach the trueth and to confute and remoue error and in life to reforme and correct that which is amisse and to instruct in that which is righteous and holy how much more is it sufficient for the coÌ„mon knowledge of other men in whom like perfection of vnderstanding is not so much required To these two reasons because the question is of importance I will yet adde one other out of the verse next going before There the Apostle vseth an argument to perswade Timothy to abide in y â— doctrine of the holy Scriptures for proofe of which argument this seueÌ„teenth verse is immediatly adioyned His argument is takeÌ„ from the effect of these holy writings wherein Timothie had been brought vp froÌ„ a child Which effect is this that through faith in Christ Iesus they are of abilitie or of power or of sufficiencie to make him wise to saluation For the Apostle sayeth expressely that the Scriptures are able or of power or sufficiencie for all these speaches I take to bee of one signification whereunto to make him wise how farre euen to saluation that is to teache him all wisedome needeful to saluation Whereupon as I sayd the Apostle immediatly bringeth in this sentence that All the Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine c. Which must either be sayde to bee impertinent to the former matter of the power or sufficiencie of the Scripture to saluation which I thinke no man of any reason will affirme or els it must be confessed that the Apostle added it for greater plainnes or for an other proofe For whether of both it be brought in it is absurde to bring the lesse to set out or proue the more And seeing the Apostle had spoken in the former verse of the sufficiencie of Scripture to saye nowe it bringeth but some profite to that purpose were to saye lesse then he had said before Wherefore he saying it is profitable setteth it out as alone and sufficiently profitable being inspired of God and sanctified by his promise and ordinance to make perfect the man of God to al heauenly wisedome Finally the Apostle hauing put into Tiniothies hande al compleat necessarie and sufficient furniture speaketh neuer a whit of your churchreuealed verities but onely of the scripture inspired of God Therefore either he teacheth and concludeth insufficiently or els the Scripture is sufficiently wholly powerfully and in trueth onely profitable For your second reason I denie that the newe Testament is therefore super fluous because the olde was sufficient For this bountifull addition or accesse of scripture by the Newe Testament is not to impeach the perfection and profitable sufficiencie or sufficient profitablenes of the olde Testament seeing the Fathers were aswell faued as we are now vnder the Gospell but for a more full euident and cleare reueâ—ation of that which though to saluation it was sufficient before yet could not shewe the infinite riches of Gods goodnesse toward vs so plainely so fully as these doe Iob had sufficient in his greatest want and no superfluitie in his greatest aboundance A morning light is sufficient for a man to doe his worke by yet the brightnesse of the sunne is not therefore needelesse and superfluous for it serueth to giue a clearer a more certaine and more comfortable direction then the other For your by matter that the wordes omnis and tota differ in Greeke and Latine for proofe wherof you appeale to all Logicioners I dare warrant you they will all condemne your opinion For omnis homo signifieth euery man but omnis populus which is the Vulgar translation doth not signifie euery people neyther can you translate the woordes of Saint Luke concerning the taxing that euery earth or euery worlde should bee taxed in which places the Euangelist vseth the same worde the vse wherof in y â— greeke you did not vnderstand Therefore if you can salue this matter of manifest errour I will acknowledge my selfe to deale deceitfully as you charge me An other point followeth like the rest already answered But the Censurer thus repeateth Saint Paul must vnderstand part of the scripture and not the whole because all was not then
people in that Citie Did he note your two Popes two P 〈…〉 s together at 〈◊〉 time yea somtime three somtime foure Popes who 〈◊〉 the Chatre sometime at Rome sometime at 〈◊〉 sometime in other places Did hee euer consider that they which 〈◊〉 the storie of these men can not agree either in the number nor in the succession of these your Popes Any one of all these or of many other matters written by your selues being well coÌ„sidered might haue bene a weightie cause to keepe him from that fall For these bishops many of them succeeded with such wicked conditions and for so wicked purposes that their succession may shewe out matter to proue them rather the race of Antichrist and the spirit of fornications which long agoe beganne to worke the mysterie of iniquitie but hath nowe made vp all the measures thereof so that the prophesie is fulfilled that Antichrist in the succession of his ministers exalteth him selfe against all that is called God or is worshipped and sitteth in the Temple boasting him selfe that he iâ— God This is that succession of Antichrist which is glorious in the eyes of flesh and bloud and therefore made Woodeman depart from Christ whom whosoeuer wil folowe must euery day take vp his Crosse and folow him 3 As for his third reason of miracles in the Popishe Church I leaue it as very false insufficient Notwithstanding some I graunt wil beleeue if a man come from the dead which wil not beleeue Moses and the Prophets The kingdome and Church of Christ was planted in the power of doctrine and miracles and also by the power of the holy Ghost while Christ and his Apostles liued Now it is against faith if any looke for miracles to confirme the Gospell againe which is already so confirmed that an Angel from heauen or any miracle worker perswading otherwise must bee accürsed By miracles it is an easie thing to deceiue and bee deceiued seeing Satan to that purpose changeth himselfe into an Angell of light Such were many of the lying miracles not onely printed from Rome but receiued and registred at Rome and thrust vpon mens consciences to beleeue being matters that might easely drawe them headlonges into all error and idolatrie as was prophesied of this kingdome of Antichrist and hath no we appeared by the lamentable effect Therefore his third reason was to weake to haue drawen him froÌ„ the Church of Christ if he had bene tied to it but with one bande of loue to the trueth and power of doctrine 4 Xilanders fourth reason dath huâ—â—â—e vp and confound many reasons As that he was moued with the authoritie of the vniuersall of the visible and of the Catholique Church where like a good plaine dealer he left out that which he founde not in the Romish Church namely holinesse And what are all the rest without this holinesse Againe of those three notes that moued his falling off two are all one in worde and sense For the worde vniuersal and the word Catholique are as these two wordes Wodeman and Xilander which do not signifie two but one and the same thing That the Church of God must alwaies haue a visible and glorious Maiestie vpon the earth is not yet proued Also that the Church of Rome was neuer Catholique or vniuersall as it pretendeth the Churches of y â— East while they florished the Greeke Churches such as remayne at this day doe make sufficient proofe Againe we receiue the Scriptures from God hee by inspiration hath giuen them and hath alwayes kept them in his arke and the Philistins could not keepe the Arke from vs. The pretended victorie ouer heresies must be proued before it be admitted for a reason I graunt the Romish Church hath had a victorie and a tryumph in outwarde shewe ouer many thousand Saints most cruelly murdered for the trueth But ouer heresies it tryumphed not but in the time of her chastitie before the Lorde had giuen her a bill of diuorce after which time shee embrewed her selfe in the bloud of the Saintes and became the mother of all fornications With his other reasons hee linketh Saint Augustines saying so often misalleadged to proue the authoritie of the Church aboue the Scriptures that he woulde not beleeue the Gospel but onely vpon the Churches authoritie By these wordes his minde was not to determine which had greater authoritie the Church or the Scriptures but to declare against the Maniches in his owne practise what brought him first to esteeme the worde at his conuersion from inâ—â—deâ—tie The authoritie and consent of the Church may in such a case perswade one to receyue the worde which being receyued is of it selfe founde to be greater then that which first perâ—â—â—ded Thus of many reasons heaped vp together in y â— fourth place there is not founde one good The Romish Church was neuer vniuerfall or Catholike but particular and of â—ne â—erritorie though by vsurpatioâ—it enlarged her selfe by litle and little and the visiblenes therof is nothing for the true Church of the elect is inâ—isible Moreouer as I declared it neuer triumphed ouer heretikes it hath not any peculiar custodie of the Scriptures neyther dorth the authoritie of the Gospel depende vpon hir ratification being authenticall of it selfe Therefore al these reasons and put them together coulde not open the least dore for his departure if he had euer beene placed within the Church 5 The fift reason is that the Romish Church is the true Church because many that liued there are nowe Saintes in heauen and namely Dominic and Frauncis as Xilander doeth imagine I say as before there was a time when Ephraim spake there was trembling he exalted him selfe in Israel but he hath sinned in Baal and is dead Neuerthelesse seeing Xilander went so farre for a fift reason let vs examine what he hath brought There is no doubt saith he but Dominiâ— Fraâ—ncis and others are Saintes in heauen therefore it cannot bee that they liued in errour Who hath made it out of doubt to vs that they are in heauen seeing there are writte 〈…〉 many 〈…〉 dent lyes and blasphemies of them in the Legenda and that most detestable Alcaron called the booke of confo 〈…〉 who will beleeue that Dominic raysed the dead which you teach Who can heare or reade those your blasphemies in making Fryer Frauncis an other Iesu in type and figure matching him w t Christ froÌ„ poynt to poynt and his miracles with Christs myracles If the Censurer had not menâ—ioned Frauncis the Fryer among his saints it myght haue beene hoped the Iesuites would refourme that booke or rather condemne it to the pit of hell But to returne to Xilanders argument it is a very bad one prouing the lesser doubt by the greater For it is not so great a doubt what those famous Fryers taught as whether they be in heauen Neuerthelesse if it were out of doubt they are in heauen yet