c Philip. 2. v 7. he did for vs exinaniee himselfe taking the forme of a seruant That of the greater or lesse honour which doth accrue vnto God is but a bad way to establish one article of Faith and destroy another Vvher vpon d Hil. l. 1. de Trinit Religiese impius l. 4. irreisgiosam de Deo selt â—tudinem S. Hilarie tearmes the Arians who vse that way of proceeding Religiously vvicked people who doe irreligiously serue God Other grounds are necessaire Vve must know what the Church teacheth vs and those that are so carefull of Gods honour ought to be verie carefull to be in structed in it least they iniure him in deedes whom they honour in words which they doe in expressing things otherwise then they are indeede it being certaine as saith a Cassian l. 1. de Incarnat Quod non dicitur it ae vt est etiamsi honor videatur contumelia est Cassian disciple of S. Chrysostome that that vvhich is not exprest as it is though it seeme honourable is indeede a true contumelie That which is true be it of what kinde it will honours God because he would haue it so and that all his wills are to his owne aduantage But what is false though in apparance aduantagious turnes to disaduantage And though many things beare no proportion with the greatnes of the Almightie yet haue they connection with the infinite perfectioÌ„ of his loue and Charitie which appeares somuch the more perfect and accomphished by how much in vertue therof he descends to things more lowe and abiect And therfore it is an abuse to alledge gods honour to dazle and blinde the people Yet this you doe while you represent your Religion hated for fiue points which you esteeme honorable for him as being honorable in your opinion to Iesus Christ which is but yet so in apparance onely Hereupon I am forced to tell you with a Tertul. l. de pudic c. 2. talia tantae sparsilia eoruÌ„ quious Deo adulentur sibi lenocinantur effoeminantia magis quam vigoraÌ„tia disciplinaÌ„ Tertullian that those litle shiftes by vvhich you become flatterers of God and your selues doe rather vveaken then strengthen discipline So considering Religion in the shape you represent it me thinks I see not a chaste wife but a strumpet set out with sundrie adulterate colours to seduce the world and kill you come from you and become mistresse of your life which moues me to the end I may deliuer the people from errour to vndertake to wash her face vnmaske her and discouer her deformitie following the example and foot stepps of the Prophete who speaking of an Idolatrous b Nahu 3. Propter mu. titudinem fornicationuÌ„ meretricis speciosa gratae habeutis maleficiae quae veÌ„didit gentes in fornicationibus suis faemiliaes in maeleficiis suis Reuelabo pudenda tua in facie tua ostendam gentibus nuditaetem tuam regnis ignominiam tuam nation vseth these words For the abundance of the fornications of a faire charmeing and mischieuous strumpet vvho hath sold nations in her formcations families in her diuelish prankes I vvil discouer thy shame in thy face and vvill shevv thy nakednes to all nations and thy ignominie to kingdomes Which I will doe so much the more willingly because I haue learnt of b Concil in psal 36. Tanto magis debemus commemorare vanitatem haereticorum quanto magis quaerimus salutem eorum S. Augustine that by how much more we desire the saluation of Heretikes by so much more we ought to indeuour to make the vanitie of their errour appeare SECTION II. VVe vvould make it clearely appeare vnto him that our religion is hated because it admitts no other rule of saluation then the vvord of God contayned in holy scripture ANSWERE IT is false that your Religion is hated for that it admitts no other rule of saluation then the scripture but true it is that it is worthy of hatred for the diuers abuses which it committs in Scripture That we teach no other rule of saluation then scripture will be manifest to any that knowes that these words an other rule doe importe in proper speach a Rule of a diuers kind as I will hereafter proue in the ensuing Section and withall an intire rule as I will presently make appeare following your owne tenets who will not admitte the Ghospell of S. Mathew to be an other rule then that of S. Marke considering they are but two parts of the same Rule and that this word rule simply taken signifies a compleate rule for as S. Basile saith a Rule admitts no addition but things that are imperfect are neuer rightly instiled by the name of Rule Now we nether admitt Rule of any other king then the scripture nor yet any compleate rule other then it yea we call it the compleate rule of our saluation for two reason both because it contaynes immediatly and formally the substance of our Faith all the articles necessarie necessitate Medij for mans saluation and also because it doth mediately comprehend all that we are to beleeue in that it doth remitt vs to the Church to learne the same which it assures vs is infallible Hence it followes that we draw that truth out of the scriptures which we receaue by the mouth of the Church if reason may preuayle which teacheth that whoso euer deputes another to speake for him speakes mediatly by his mouth and if a Aug. lib. 1. cont Cresco c. 33. Quamuis huius rei certè de scripturis Catholicis non proferatur exemplum earundem tameÌ„ scripturarum etiam in hacre à nobis tenetur veritas cum hoc facimus quod vniuersae placuit Ecclesiae quam ipsarum scripturarum commeÌ„dat authoritas Etsimi lia lib. de vnit Eccles c. 22. S. Augustine who deliuers it in expresse termes may gaine beleife Albeit saith he one can produce no example of scripture concerning this matter yet hold vve in it the truth of the same scripture since vve doe that vvhich is conformable to the vniuersall Church vvhom the authoritie of the selfe same scripture doth commend vnto vs. Behold in what esteeme the Scripture is with vs for which cause we also are to be esteemed Now we will see whether by reason of it you deserue not hatred though not in that sense in which you say you are hated for it But before we come to that point permit me I beseech you to extenuate a litle the glorie you hunt after in establishing the Scripture the onely rule of your saluation by making you share it onely with diuers Here tikes who before your tyme sustayned the same opinion So said the Manichies I can in no sorte saith Fortunatus in a Aug. l. cont Fortunatum Nullo genere rectè me credere ostendere pessum nisieaÌ„dem sideÌ„ scripturarum authoritate firmauerim S. Augustine make appeare that I rightly beleeue vnlesse I confirme my Faith
But if you replie that you are bound to obserue the essentiall parres of the misteries done by Iesus Christ yet are permitted to chaÌ„ge that which he did in indifferent things it rests that you proue out of scripture why these things which you change are more of that nature then those which you condemne vs for changing Or if you cnnnot doe it Lib. 2. contr aduersa legis Hoc vanitas non ueritas dicit confesse that your words are as S. Augustine saith vanitie and not veritie and that vniustly accusing vs you iustly condemne your selues True it is we ate in tirly and throughly to followe our sauiours example in that which is intrinsicall and substantiall in the misteries in this all disputes and contention being layd aside we are bound to contayne our selues with in that sobrietie and moderation which he prescribed and are to doe and speake as he did And. I would to God you did so then should you confesse that the substace of the Euchariste is the body and blood of our sauiour Iesus-Christ Matth. 62. Accepit Iesus panem benedixit acfregit deditque dicipulis suis att accipite comedite Hoo est corpus meum and not a meere energicall figure of them both For to what end doth the a scripture deliuer in words most expresse not once onely but foure tymes by the mouthes of three Euangelists and one Apostle that the Eucharist is the body and bloode of Iesus-Christ Marc. 14 Accepiâ— Iesus panem benedicens fregit dedit eis ait sumite Hoe est corpus meum without euer saying in any one place that it is not his body but onely a figure if it intend to haue vs beleeve the oue which it saith not and not the other which it affirmes If scripture ought to be the rule of faith Luc. 22. Accepto pane gratias egit fregit dedit seis aâ—cens Hoc est â—â—rpus meuÌ„ quod pro voâ—is datur hoc â—atise mmed â—ommemerationem 1. Corint 11. Dominum Ieumin qua nocte tradebatur accepit panem gratias agens fregis dixst accepite manducate Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis â—â—adetur we are necessarily bound to beleeue that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ which it so often affirmes nor ought we to beleeue that it is not the body and blood of Christ since that is not found in all scripture nor yet doe we euer find that it doth frequently and clearly affirme that a thing is that which it is not with out expressing in somme other place that it is not the said thing If the scripture be instituted to teach vs the connsells of God and of his sonne Iesus-Christ who by it speakes vnto vs who will euer be induced to beleeue that the scripture to teach vs that the sacrament of the Euchariste is bread and wine not the body and blood of Christ who I say would euer imagine that to moue vs to this beliefe it should so frequently inculcate that it is the body and blood of Christ and yet neuer once pronounce that it is nether of them Who will euer frame this iudgement of it vnles such as hauing their braynes inuerted will haue euery thing to be vnderstood preposterously and aganist the sense one contrarie by another and the negation of a truth by the affirmarion of the same Christ is no moâ—ker of men nor is he ignorant of the vsuall manner of their speach he tells them not one thing to moue them to beleeue another Wherfor seeing he doth so planely tell the Apostles that what he gaue them in the Eucharist to eate was his body nor could he find words in which he could more clearly deliurer himselfe there can be no doubt made but he deliuered his owne verie body vnto them other wise it must needes be said that ether he deludes men Aug. l. 33. contr ffaust c. 7. Quid ergo eum legimus obliuiscimur quemadmodum loqui soleamus Anscriptura Dei aliter nobiscum fuerat quam nostro modo loguutura yea and that in a matter of greatest moment to saluation or verily that he was ignorant how to expresse his mynd vnto them Whervpon you will giue me leaue to make that demande to you in this occasion which as I noted aboue St Aug made to the Donatistes in the like occurrence Why when we reade doe we forgett how we are wonte to speake aught the scripture of the Almightie to vse any other maÌ„ner of speach to vs then our owne And wheras Iesus Christ doth say plainly and expresly that he giues vs his body deliuered for vs then which words we can desire none more significatiue none more cleare to moue vs to beleeue that it is his owne true body what can hinder you to beleeue that it is his true body which he giues vnto vs Would you haue him to haue said this is truly really properly substantially my body If some one of these aduerbes were necessarily to be added to manifest the truth of the thing affirmed we should not be obliged to beleeue the most part of the principall misteries of our faith which notwithstanding you beleeue as well as we to witt that Christ was borne of a virgine that he suffered and dyed for in deliuering these truthes the scripture makes vse of none of those Aduerbes nor had it any more expresse termes then those which it vsed to signifie the presence of the body of Christ in the Euchariste As therfore if one doubted whether a thing appearing a far of were truly a man it were not necessarie to giue assurance of the same to adde these words truly really but it were assurance nough to say absolutly it is a man for as the Philosophers hold this word true Verum non additenti addes nothing to the thing so likewise that Iesus-Christ might shew his body truly to be in the Eucharist it is sufficient to affirme it in plane words taken in their owne signification Which was especially to be done here where he doth not onely say this is my body but also my body giuen and deliuered for you which words doe designe the true body of Christ which alone was deliuered for vs. Howbeit it is euident that the nature and beeing of a thing is more clearly expressed by such words as affirme directly what it is then by others which doe onely point at it vnder a certaine name without affirming expresly that it is that thing vnder whose name it is signified and consequently we haue more reason to beleeue that the Euch râ—st is the body of Iesus-Christ because the scripture saith directly that so it is then to beleeue that it is breade because the scripture signifies it vnder the name of breade especially sith it addes Epâ—â—hites to this name of breade which remoue it from its owne signification and contrariwise when it affirmes that the Eucharist is the body of
rursus crucifigentes sibimetipsis filium Dei Calu. 3. Inst c. 2. §. 11. cit nunquam disperit semen vita electorum cordibus insitum yea that euen to say so is to deney Iesus-Christ and to abolish his Faith which is not in all the holy scripture doe you not then contradict the scripture 10. The scripture saith that some being once illuminated and hauing tasted the heauenly guift doe fall crucifying againe to themselues the sonne of God You say that those that are once partakers of the holy ghost cannot fall from his grace which is not found in all scripture Ioan. 1. v. 29. tollit peccatuÌ„ Isa 44. v. 21. deleui vt nubeÌ„ iniqnitates tuas quasi nebulam peccata tua doe you not then contradict the scripture 11. The scripture saith that God doth take avvay and blot out sinne as a cloud remoues our iniquities from vs as far as the East is from the west makes vs more white then snow you say Psal 10.2 v. 12. Quantum distat ortus ab occideute longe fecit à nobis iniquitates nostras that he nether takes avvay nor blots out sinne but onely doth not impute it that he doth not make vs more white then snow but that be leaues in vs the fault and filth of sinne which is not found in all holy scripture Psal 50. super niuem dealbabor doe you not then contradict the scripture Luth. art 2. aliud est omnia peccata remitti aliud omnia tolli baptismus omnia remittit sed nullum penitus tollit 12. The Scripture saith that Beatitude is a salarie are vvarde the day-pennie of the workemen a crovvne of Iustice you say that it is a meere liberalitie and no revvarde Calu. in antid sess 5. manet verè peccatum in nobis Apostolus fideles his verbis non eximit à cu pâ— sed taÌ„ ùm reatu liberat Paraeus de amiss grat cap. 7. Plurima peccata etiam mortaâ—ia manent in iustificatis Kemnitius 1. part tit de reliquiis peccati immundities peccati etiam in renatis haeret Confessio Gallica art 11. affirmamus concupiscentiam etiam pest baptismum esse verè peccatuÌ„ quod ad cuipam attinet Catechismus Palati quaest 126. Omnia peccata nustra in nobio etiam nunc haerent Vnitak lib. 3. de Concupisc c. 3. remissio non omneÌ„ actu tollit culpam Matth. 5. v. 12. Merces Philip. 3. v. 14. Brauium Matth. 20. v. 9. Denarius Primo Cor. 9. Coronam incorruptam 2. Timot. 4. v. 8. corona iustitiae Calu. 3. Iustit c. 15. §. 4. ipsa beatâ—tudo mera est Dei benificentia in antid sess 6. c. 17. Quod vitam aternam faciunt mercedeÌ„ in eo abillis dissentio which is not yet found in any passage of holy scripture doe you not then contradict the Scripture Certainely you doe as I could make appeare by a number of other places Paraeus 4. de iustif c. 11. 13. if I did not iudge it sufficient to haue showen it in these twelue points Prescript c. 38. lib. de haeresi which doe appeare in the eyes of all the world as the true Symbole of your faith Vvhat will you say Sirs to these manifest contradictions That they are no contradictions because the scripture is to be vnderstoode figuratiuely will you fly to that fraude remarked by Tertullian in the Valentinians by S. Augustine in the Priscillianists by other Fathers in other Heresiarkes by your selues in the Anabaptists If you doe so S. August lib. contr FaustuÌ„ l. 3. de doctr Christ c. 10. si animuÌ„ praeoccupauit alicuius errerts opinioquicquid alater assernerit scripturae figuratum homines arbitraÌ„tur I will say vnto you with S. Augustine Vvhat when we read scripture doe we forgett the knovvledge we haue of our ovvne tongue doe we loose the memorie of our manner of speaking Ought the scripture to speake to vs in any other manner then that which is knovven vnto vs and which is ordinary amongst vs I will adde further with the same sainte that as soone as the opinion of any errour hath once prepossessed their mynds they esteeme all to be figures which the scripture saith to the contrarie Moreouer without touching those places in particular wherof ther is question I will make manifest to all men by two generall argumeÌ„ts that your euasion is of no force both because there is none who doth not accnowledge that it is impossible that God should teach vs so many and so greate misteries of our Faith not by that which they are but contrariwise by that which indeede they are not it being onely the part of an impostor to speake the contrarie to that which is indeede in a matter of importance and also because you cannot inferre out of scripture that which you beleeue in the points which we handle saue onely by the addition of a humane principle as we shall see herafter which is altogether vniust since in that you preferre your owne reasoÌ„ before scripture not beleeuing what it expressely teacheth but the contrarie which it saith not saue onely by a discourse grounded vpon a principle drawen from your owne braine to wrest that to your owne sense which you accnowledge in truth to make for vs. Vve haue sufficiently examined these points S. Aug. serm 9 inter Parisienses Meletiani apud Epiphan haer 68. vide Baron an Christi 2.5 August lib 2. contra Petil. c. 23 Non baptizantur san guine suo nis qui occiduntur prepter iusti tiam te prius est quaerendum propter quid paetimini postea quiae pa timini Caprian l. de vnitate S Aug. Epist 61. l. 3 contra Cresc c. 4â— MatryreÌ„ nonsa â—â— poena sed causa let vs passe to your persequutions None can be ignorant that the diuell hath his Martyrs and Lyes haue so Zealous Aduocates that they will powre out their bood in their defence wherfore I will not stand to verifie it it shall suffice onely to note by the way that since none can pretend glorie for his sufferance for a religion vnlesse he first proue that it is true and that as reason and all the Fathers doe teach vs it is not the paine but the cause which makes the Martyre while it is not yet proued that yours is the true Religion but contrariwise being a thinge manifest that it is false you can draw no aduantages from your persecution vnlesse it be to discouer your selues to stand attainted of a double crime to witt errour and obstinacie Your sufferances nether giue testimonie for your pietie nor for your courage but contrariwise following S. Augustine that you are cowardly S. Aug. lib. 1. contra Gaud. c. 33. Quisquis pro parte Donati vel simbriam vesti menti perdiderit cor non habet Cyprian l. de vnit Eccles Non erit illa fidei corona sed poena perfidiae They are not crovvnes of your
we beleeue and that in so diuers kinds of speaches aâ—â— of them expresse cleare and directly opposite to the words which you vse to destroy it if they had beleeued what you beleeue That cannot be said vnlesse one would imagine that the holy fathers to deceaue vs would say one thing and beleeue another Nay none dare so much as thinke it but contrariwise we haue greate occasion giuen to accnowledge the diuine prouidence because wheras it is sufficient to teach a truth to affirme and auerre it to be so in ordinarie termes according to the customarie manner of expression God to whom all things are present foreseeing the extreame assaults which would be made against his Church in the dreadfull misterie of the Euchariste thought it not sufficient that the holy Fathers should onely simply affirme the reall presence of the body of Iesus-Christ therin but further he would haue them to teach it in a forme of speach quite opposite to that by which he foresaw this truth would be denyed Epist ad Argentin which is so cleare that though Luthere imployed sixe yeares to inable himselfe to explicate the words of the institution of the Euchariste figuratiuly as he him selfe confesseth yet he accnowledgeth that he was not able to doe it condemnes those that doe it as heretikes and confesseth the reall presence of the body of Iesus-Christ wherin he is followed by the CoÌ„fession of Ausbourg the first of all yours SECT 2. OF THE SACRIFICE THe truth of the body of Iesus-Christ being thus established the truth of the sacrifice which you reiect cannot be called in question For if Iesus-Christ be truly present in the Eucharist as I haue sufficiently though succinctly proued it followes that he is truly sacrificed as presently I will demonstrate and you your selues confesse Granting saith vrsimus the opinion of the corporall presence the papisticall adoration and oblation with the romish masse must also be granted Sacrifice is no other thing then a reall oblation offered to God alone of a thing permanent and subiect to sense changed withall and ordayned to testifie and professe that we accnowledge his soueraigntie ouer vs. But the celebration of the Eucharist which Iesus-Christ instituted vnder the shape and liknes of a thing without life is such an oblation Therfore such an oblation is a sacrifice Now that the oblation wherof â—e speake is a thing permanent and subiect to sense is easily proued since the body of our saniour is offered vnder a shape which is within the reach of sense But if you contend that Christ is not visible because he cannot be seene I reply with the Fathers Chrysostom hom 84. in Matth. Ipsum vides ipsum tangis ipsum comedis Et l. 3. De Sacerdot Qui cum Patre sursum sedet in ipso temporis momento manibus omnium pertrectaiur that we see him we touch him though not in his owne shape and species Whence is rightly concluded that we cannot discerne him not that we cannot see him which is manisest by the example of a man wholy couered with a Lions skinne whom indeede we should not discerne marrie see him and touch him euery man might Now that the thing is changed in this kind of oblation so far forth as is requisite to professe and publish Gods supreame power and that it is instituted to that end is the thing I am to proue which I will distinctly and planely verifie The mutation which is made in the Eucharist consists in this that Christ who subsists in hâ—auen in his owne liuing forme is placed in earth as a deade man vnder the shape of bread and wine That he is put vnder the species of bread and wine is alreadie shewen and that in that state he existes vnder the species and liknes of a deade man is euident for that diuers wayes he is depriued of apparence of life nor doth a man discouer any virall action in him and also because by the force and vertue of the sacramentall words his body and blood is put vnder seperated species as by the death which he suffered on the Crosse they were really seperated Finally because the species vnder which he is vayled are commestible nor is it the custome to eate flesh which is not deade And that this mutation doth sufficiently declare Gods soueraignetie ouer vs I proue The mutation which happened by the true death of Christ had such prower as is manifest by the sacrifice of the crosse Therfore that mutation which is made in the Eucharist hath the same force The consequence is verified because all those things are found in the Euchariste for which the mutation which happened in the sacryfice of the crosse did publish the soueraigne authoritie which God hath ouer vs. I will indeuour to make it as plane and intelligible as the difficultie of the matter will permit It is certaine then that sensibilitie and the nature or essence of a signe are annexed to accidents and species not to substances which of their owne nature are not subiect to sense that is what soeuer doth signifie signifies by the fauour and meanes of accidents For example a man is not knowen but by speach motion and other accidents Now it is euident that sacraments and sacryfices are of their owne nature visible signes and that their essence consists in signifying hidden misteries sensibly to men Wherfore it is manifest that it imports not whether Sacraments and sacryfices whose nature is to signifie be placed in species adioyning to their substances or els in species seperated from them for wheras euery thing can subsiste when it hath all that is essentiall to it they will easily conserue their beeing without the helpe of substances which contribute nothing to their Essence Whence it followes that death is no otherwise apte to signifie the supreame dominion of God then in regard of its externall species in so much as one discouers no accident testifynig life Now Christ as he is in the Eucharist appeares to be deade as he was vpon the Crosse and consequently hath all that he had vpon the Crosse in point of a sensible signe apte to make demonstration of the soueraigntie of God which is all that is required to a sacryfice For it is certaine that as a liuing body in appearence by the vertue of some charactere might be made capable to signifie as much as a liuing body indeede could signifie so a liuing body appearing deade by the vertue of Christs words may be a signe of all those things which a creature truly deade were apt to represent And indeede it is a thing which nether Catholikes nor you can doubt of Not Catholikes because the Eucharisse vnder the species of bread is no lesse a Sacrament then though the substance of breade were ioyned with its species Ioan. 3. v. 14. Not you since that brasse vnder the species of a serpent was as proper a signe of the death of Christ as though the true substance of a
of the sacryfice by the same reason I would also inferre that an hundred yeares after the decease of a king or Magistrate there charge were permaneÌ„t in their owne persons since the fruit of their gouuernement doth suruiue And therfore this fruite serues to no other end but onely to testifie that I. C. had preisthoode and that by vertue therof he had offered a sacryfice of an infinite value but in no sort to shew that he hath preisthood as yet That I. C. saues vs for all eternitie imports that hes is an eternall sauiour not a Preist since saue vs he could without being a Preist Decumenius ncap 6. ad â—ebraeos And this truth was so familiarly knowen to the Fathers that some of them doe expresly deny that the eternitie of preisthoode doth agree with I. Christ by reason of the sacrifice of the Crosse teaching that it aggrees vnto him by reason of the sacryfices which he dayly offers and dayly shall offer till the end of the world by the hands of his Ministers If no more then the fruite of a sacryfice be required to the eternitie ef priesthoode it followes that the fruite of a sacryfice is the essence of preifthoode nay more that nothing els is essentiall vnto it which is most absurde In conclusion this truih of the sacryfice is taken ether for the vertue which the sacrifice hath to iustifie or for the effect of this verue which is our iustificatioÌ„ In the first acception it is a qualitie of a sacryfice in the second it is an effect of this qualitie and therfore howsoeuer you take it of the essence of preisthoode it cannot be since it is the effect of the same in so much as it is the effect of the sacryfice and that no effect can be the essence of its cause It cannot be of the essence because what so euer is essentiall to a thing becomes the same thing with that of whose essence it is which cannot be said of the effect and the cause which are necessarily distinguished Finally it cannot be of the essence because the cause doth preceede its effect wheras a compound preceedes not its esseÌ„tiall partes Preisthood is not the vertue and force of the facrynce but the vertue and force of facryficing As for example Royaâ—tie is not the fruite and commoditie which we receaue by gouerment but the power to gouerne And therfore sith I. C. inioyes preisthood for euer he hath also power to sacryfice for euer It being a thing most euident that the preisthoode cannot be erernall while the power of sacryficing which is essentiall vnto it is temporall Nor will it be to the purpose for you to say that wheras Christ doth continually offer vp his payers to God for mankind he doth also continually offer sacrifice for since the conditions necessarily required to the essence of a true sacryfice cannot suite with prayers as we haue shewed out of the definition the oblatioÌ„ of prayers cannot be a true sacryfice And this is so cleare and manifest that when as the scripture calls Christ an eternall preist it ascribes that dignitie vnto him by reason of a true sacryfice Wherfore the fathers also of the primitiue Church would haue the Eucharist wherby preisthood doth now appertayne to Christ to be a a Cyp. Epist. 51. vtique I le Sacerdos clea Christi uero sungiur qui id quod Christus fatit mitatur â—aerificium â—erum â—lenum tunc offert in Ecclesta Deo Fatâ—â— si sic ineeptat offerre secunduÌ„ ipsum Christum videat obtulisse true a b Aug. l. 10. cent ffaust cap. 20. Huit â—â—mo veroque sacrificio falsa cesseruÌ„t most true a c Aug. l. de sp lit c. 11. In iplo verissimo singulari sacrificio Alisse demino Deomosteo gratias agere admonemur greatest a d Aug. l. 10. cent â—â—aust c. 10. cit full e Nazian 〈◊〉 Apeâ—â—â— Quaian dem modo externuÌ„ illuc sacrificium magnorum mysteriorun antitypuÌ„ ips Deo offerry aeuderem externall and f Aug. l. de spir lit â—â— 11. cit singular suerisice and g Aug. l. 20. de ciuit c. 10 inillud Apocalyp 20. erunt sacer dotes Dei Christs 〈◊〉 preists to be true preists in the proper and naturall signification of the word Nor would they affirme this vnlesse they accnow ledged this truth to haue bene deliuered by Christ his Apostles and holy scripture But of this since none can doubt we will passe to another point SECT III. OF THE ELEVATION OF THE HOSTE IT it be lawfull to offer sacryfice as I hope I haue sufficiently proued why should it be vnlawfull to ereuate the hoste since that this eleuation doth properly signifie the oblation therof In the old law as is to be seene in the 8. of Leuit. and els where the preist did eleuate what he offered and we haue it by a cleare collection our of a Basil lib. de Spir. S. c. 27. Dogmata quae in Eccle sia praedicantur quaedam habemus doctrina seriptorum prodita quaedam ex Apostolotum traditione in mysterio id est in occulio tradita recipimus quoruÌ„ vtraque parem vim babent ad pietatem Inuocationis verba quum ostendum nis Eccleâ—â— popuâ—m bâ—neâ—tionis quis actorum in ipto nobis liquit Lib. 4. hist Drat. 20. S. Basile the great his liturgie who was instiled by b Theadorete and S. c Gregorie of Naziancene the light and sunne of the world that we hold this custome from the Apostles tyme for in his said Liturgie mention is made of this eleuation in words of this nature when the Deacon saw the Preist extend his hands and touch the sanctified breade to make the holy Eleuation he saith let vs attend Which thing also is diligently obserued by those authours which haue made expositioÌ„s vpon the liturgies as by Nicholas Cabasilas who saith And he also approching vnto the Table hauing taken into his hands and showen the quickning bread he calls those that are worthily about to partake of it as it were saying Behold the bread of life which you see And Germane the Patriarche of Constantinople saith thus vpon the same subiect and that the preist doth lift vp the heauenly bread and make the signe of the crosse thrice in the aire with the venerable and quickning breade it doth intimate And indeede what cause was there of calling this eleuation in questioÌ„ since it is mentioned in the ancient liturgies of S. Basile and S. Chrvsostome and S. Denys also the Apostle of our France deliuered the same In a word this point is so cleare that you haue no other cause to coÌ„test against it but onely in so much as it is sustayned by the Catholike Church which you loue to impugne which is manifest by the testimonie of one of yours â—spinian histo saâ—â—im affirming that Luthere for no other reason did impugne the Eleuation but for hatred of Catholikes
by his idle permission They that doe teach in expresse tearmes that God by his pure will of his owne free motion without all consideration of merite doth predestinate to dānation and damnes man doe they not speake yet more detestably then when they make God the Authour of sinne And yet this you doe God of his owne accord saith Luther d Luth. lib. de seru arbitrio Deus mera sua voluntate homines deserit indurat damnat abbandons hardens and damnes men In damning them saith e Et ibid. Non respicit merita en damnandis Et ib. Immeritos dānat itam seuerit atem spargit in immeritos he in another place he respects not merits be damnes those that haue not merited it He powres out his wroth and seueritie vpon such as haue not merited the same And yet in another passage he saith f Hic est sidei summus gradus credere illum esse iustum qui sua voluntate nos necessario damnabiles facit that the soueraigne degree of faith consistes in beleeuing that he is iust who by his sole will make vs necessarily damnable God saith he a Ibid. Deus absconditus operatur vitam mortē omnia in emnibus multa vult quae verbo suo non ostendit sese velle sic non vultmortem peccatoris verbo scilicet vult autem illam voluntate imperscrutabili wills many things which yet by his word he shewes not to will so he willeth not the death of sinners to witt in word but he wills it by his inscrutable will By his onely will saith Caluine b Calu. 3. Instit c. 23. §. 2. Nudo etus in arbitrio citra propriū meritum in aeternam mortem prae destinantur and without cōsideration of their owne merits they are predestinated to eternall death Caluine saith Paraeus c Paraeus li 2. de Grat. lib. arb cap. 16. ait Caluinus Apostolum sequutus praedestinationē peccati praeuisione priorem facit following the Apostle makes Predestination preceede the foresight of sinne How can you now purge your selues of blasphemie wherof you stand indited in making God Author and cause of sinne especially being conuicted therof by so many expresse testimonies of your owne principale Authours To what pourpose shoald you deny with your mouth so detestable à doctrine since it lyes still at your hart and since your writinges wch you should haue waighed in the waightes of the Sāctuarie ought rather to winne credit thē your words For if not to auouch ones crime were à sufficient meanes to be purged of it ther would none be found criminall though they stood conuicted of the fact What will you say to this that our senses deceaue vs and that we see what is not we appeale to your owne eyes which I dare be bold to say will aggree with ours if you will please to take the paines to open thē and looke vpon your booke to see therin the passages which I haue most faithfully coted You will say peraduenture that their meaning is onely that God is cause of sinne not that he is Authour therof But this answere is no defence for you since your Doctours doe say againe and againe that he is Authour of sinne ether in expresse tearmes or in words equiualent Adde that though there is indeede à difference betwixt these words Authour and cause in that the one doth signifie more then the other Authour signifying à first cause which doth moue of it selfe yet light you of nothing which can free you from crime since it it is blasphemie not onely to make God Authour of sinne but euen to hold him to be the cause therof You say that when yours doe make God the Authour and cause of sinne they speake of the acte not of the malice of sinne But you cannot haue recourse to this answere because you vse this reduplication sinne as sinne tearming him cause of the euill of saulte mali culpae and making him the fountaine whence flowes the efficacie of errour What haue you then to reply That though you deliuer in your writings that God is Authour of sinne yet doe not you beleeue it you will not gaine credit in this nether and againe which is yet worse it is à part of the Diuell and his disciples whose ayme is the destruction of soules to speake one thing and beleeue another in matter of saluatiō You condēne in one place what you professe in another or rather you blush vpon some occasiōs to make that good which you are not ashamed to beleeue at all tymes Indeuour your vtmost you shall neuer be able to persuade euen the most ignorant that those truthes which you miscall calumnies in your writings are calumnies indeede for euery one will easily discouer that if there be any calumnie and iniurie it is that which you impose vpon the Saints the B. Virgine Iesus-Christ good workes God him selfe Which calumnies and iniuries doe indeed make your religion odious for which yet you can iustly blame none but yourselues seeing it is euident that you are so far from refuting those blasphemies by your writings sermons and liues that contrariewise your writings preachings and liues doe teach them In this extreamitie and being reduced into these straights whither are you to betake your selues certes if you stand to your word you are to depart out of humane societie and to retire your selues into same corner of the world not yet inhabited Yet if you will please to let me haue credit with you you shall doe yet beter You shall accnowledge your faulte forsake your errours and then in steede of seperating your selues from the societie of men the Church shall receaue you againe into the societie of her children which you abandoned and in which onely saluation is to be found CHAP. VIII MINIST BVt principally we could make knowen to your Maiestie that we are hated and hardly dealt withall because we maintaine the dignitie of your crowne against vsurping strangers who doe defile and bring it into slauerie For your Maiestie may call to mynd that in the late assemblie of the states at Paris the question was handled whether the Pope Could depose our kings and whether it is in the Popes prower to dispose of your crowne and that by the faction of the Church-men who drew à long with them à parte of the Nobilitie you lost your cause Wherupon the Pope dispatched vnto them letters triumphant and full of prayse A thing which we and diuers of your Catholike Romane subiects would neuer endure knowing that we owe our liues and fortunes to the defence of the dignitie of your crowne especially to the defence of à right which God bestowes vpon your Matie and which is grounded vpon his word Hopeing that one day God will open your eyes to discouer that vnder this specious name of Romane Church the Pope doth establish vnto him selfe à temporall Moniarchie vpon earth and hath withdrawen from your obedience
is nothing in all this which is not most conuenient you wrong vs in vpbrading vs with it and in striuing to bring our holy Father into hatred as though forsooth by vertue of that letter he would haue made some aduantage ouer this state which is altogether ridiculous Your strife in this is to make the Popes power be suspected by all the kings of the earth But regall dignitie and the dignitie of the Church haue noe repugnancie the duties which we render to the holy Sea doe no wayes hinder vs to make appeare by effects what you professe in words to wit that a subiect owes his life and all his fortunes to the defence of the dignitie of his king's crowne In this you shall continually haue vs not for companions onely but euen for Guides And doubtlesse if you second vs as I beseech God grant and giue credit vnto vs France shall conserue her peace which hitherto hath bene too much troubled by yours But with what face can you affirme that the Pope hath the thirds of the the territories of France that he hath seduced the fift part of the knigs subiects from their obedience to him and that out of the kingdome we haue another soueraigne in pointe of temporalities It is false that the Pope hath the third part of France seeing he hath onely the Countie of Amgnion which his Predecessours bought of the Counts of that Prouince It is false that he withdrew the Clergie from their obedience to their king sith they preach obedience vnto and will preach it all the dayes of their life in word and worke It is false that we doe not esteeme our selues the kings subiects sithens in subiection to him we are readie to spend our liues for his seruice It is false that we did not submitt our selues to temporall iurisdiction as though to pretend exemptions in certaine cases by the concession and grant of our Princes whose authoritie is in question were to franchise our selues from their iurisdiction and to inioy a benefit granted by a king in vertue of his Grant were not rather an accnowledgment of his authoritie then a withdrawing from it It is false that we accnowledge any other soueraigne in our temporalls then our king It is false that the Pope pretends to haue authoritie to put kings to death False that he practised this pretended power false that he holds this kingdome to be a fief which holds on and owes homage to his chaire false to conclud that the king liues but at his discretion Kings would be immortall if their conseruation depended vpon Popes who wish their good as parents the good of their children Vvhy did he who to the great happines of all Christen dome sits now in the chaire of Peter The censure of Ianuarie 1613. cause Becanus to be censured who had put out seditious propositions and with all importing danger to kings but to prouide for their safetie Vvhy did he approue that the Clergie of France in the assemblie of the states and that Sorbone at other tymes did renew the publication of the article of the Councell of Constance which pronunceth a curse vpon those that doe attempt vpon kings vnlesse their liues were as deare to him as his owne You passe ouer these truthes in obliuion and not without reason seeing they discouer to all men that it is false to affirme that the Popes and Clergie of France doe not affect the kings prosperitie they doe and will alwayes doe in such a measure that the Pope will not omitt to indeuour any thinge which may tend to their good nor will the Clergie-men of France euer spare their owne liues to assure the life of their saueraigne If accusations were enough to make a man culpable none would be found without faulte innocencie would not be exempt You are bold in laying aspersions but that which is your disgrace is that you fall short in your proofes You make vs criminall in point of our dutie towards our France while to you she stands bound for benefits as though forsooth her defence were onely found in your hands and your weapons were her warrant against the vsurpations of strangers You doe wisely to tearme them strangers least your owne enterprises might be comprised which are so frequent and palpable that the weakest witt will with facilitie deserne that it is not your affection to your king which makes you so zealous of their greatnes but your hatred to the Pope and the vniuersall Church And that it may not seeme that I impose vpon you I will make clearly appeare that you grant a far greater power to the people then that which you deny the Pope which is exceedingly disaduantagious to kings for there is no man that doth not esteement a thing far more perilous to be exposed to the discretion of the rude multitude which doth easily though falsly esteeme it selfe oppressed and which is a many headed Hyder which is ordinarily gouerned by its owne passions then to be subiect to the correction of a tender Father whose hart is full of affection for his childrens aduantage The common people a Lib. de iure regni Popule ius est de sceptro regni disponends pro libito suo saith Bucanan whom b Epist. 78. Beza accnowledgeth to be excellent and a man of great merit haue right to dispose of the scepters of kingdomes at their will and pleasure Bad Princes saith an c In Apolog. Godman English man who was d Epist 306. Caluins intimate friend and whom he called brother according to the Law of God ought to be deposed and in case the Magistrates neglect to doe their dutie the people hath also as free libertie to doe it as though ther were no Magistrate at all and in those circunstances of tyme God enlargeth them with leaue to vse the sword a Goodman in Apolog. Reges ius regnandi à populo habent qui occasione data illud reâ—ocare potest The same Authour in the reigne of Marie Queene of England composed a booke intitled of obedience printed at Geneua approued by Beza and Caluine wherin these words are found Kings haue right to raigne from the people who vpon accasion can also reuoke it Nor are you content with saying that kings may be deposed you steppe on further teaching that they may be punished condemned and slayne That a reward is to be giuen to the executioners of so horrible and execrable crimes The People saith Vvicklefs followers as b Osiander in Epist centur art 17. Vulgus provoluntate sua punire potest principes peccantes Osian relates may as they shall please punish their Princes which offend The c Goodman in Apolog. Protestant booke wherof I made mention aboue printed at Geneua in the Raigne of Queene Marie of England saith that if Magistrates transgresse the law of God and oblige others to doe the like they fall from the dignitie and obedience which otherwise is due vnto them and
them vnto a gentleman of our religion to bring them vnto vs. ANSWERE SInce Euery man vnderstands his owne busines best I haue nothing to say vpon this paragrafe which toucheth F. Arnould he hauing in his replie answered it himselfe onely this I will say he that knowes his merits learning Zeale and moderation of mynd will easily iudge him to be a man of greater performance then vndertaking and more prone to render your soules gratefull to God then your persons hatefull to men CHAP. XIII MINISTERS THis Soueraigne Lord did oblige vs to make answere for this confession hauing bene made to giue an accompt of our faith to our Soueraignes and to that effect being presented to king Henry the II. your predecessour we thought fitt to addresse the Defence of the same confession to his successour in whose presence it was calumniated And I wish to God we were licenced to propose our defence verbally in the presence of your Maiestie and were authorised publikly and in presence of the king which God hath bestowed vpon vs to mantayne the truth of the Gospell against those that doe diffame it which is a thing which your Maiestie ought also to desire For seeing a dissension amongst your subiects in point of religion what is more conuenient then that he who is the common father of vs all should know in what the difference consistes and see the ground of the processe and to this effect he should looke to the head of the fountaine to discouer what Christian religion was in its source For he that is established on earth to see that God be serued ought exactly to know the rule of Gods seruice he who in his charge represents God's royaltie ought in his actions to imitate his iustice which how can it be done without knowing the soueraigne rule of Iustice which is the word of God Vvher vpon it is that God commands kings continually to haue before their eyes the booke of the law therin to read all the dayes of their life But if they permitt themselues to be hood winked and be content to follow without seeing the way before them the Popes and Prelates haue faire occasion to accommodate religion to their priuate lucre and crect their owne greatnes vpon the ruines of the Ghospell For now religion is made a trafike and those our great Masters haue inuented rules of pietie which doth intrench not onely vpon the liuing but euen vpon the deade To no other end haue the Popes for some ages past probibited the kings your Maiesties Predecessours to read the holy Scripture but that their Empire is grounded vpon the ignorance of Gods word Neuer had it bene permitted to haue growen so great with the diminution of the greatnes of our Kings if they had not wrought vpon the aduantage of an obscure age wherin few people discouered their designe He could not haue made himselfe soueraigne Iudge in points of faith if the people had had the rule of faith before their eyes which God long agoe pronounced with his owne mouth ANSWERE IT is a great art in him that is feable and fearefull to fayne himselfe bold and valourous you put a good face vpon it and beare it boldly to make the world beleeue that you haue a great desire to appeare before the king to make good in his presence and in publike the truth of your new Gospell Your words which sound no other thing but a chalance wherby you prouoke all the Clergie of France to a publike disputation makes me call to mynd the Troian wherof mention is made in Homere Iliad 7 who boldly prouoked to combate marrie when it came once to blowes he stood in neede of a cloud to couer his flight and shame Vve could with facilitie if we pleased refuse to giue you battaile without the disaduantage of our dishonour or affording you occasion of complaint For Luther doth sustayne that we are not to dispute with such as renew old heresies which were long agoe condemned But we will not proceede so rigorously with you the Church of France by Gods prouidence being prouided of store of Prelates wherof I am the least and of an infinite number of Doctours who vpon all occasions will make appeare the veritie of her doctrine the vanitie of your errours The onely shadow of that great Cardinall will alwayes be able to defeate you for the same reason for which the Picture of Alexander made him quake vnder whose powerfull hand he had somtymes sunke to the grouÌ„d Is it not a mere flatterie to inuite a king to discerne differences in religion Vvill you haue princes to assume to themselues the authoritie of Iudges in such causes Though you would yet would not your brethren consent therto Princes themselues haue no such pretension The Holy fathers giue testimonie and the Scriptures teach that iustly they cannot doe it That your brethren will not haue it so they themselues shall speake Princes saith a Bezainconfess c. 5. art 15. Principes Synodo intersint non vt regnent sed vt seruiaÌ„t non vt leges condant sed vt ex Deiverbo per os ministrorum explicatas sibi aliis obseruandas proponant Beza are present in synods not to rule but to serue not to inact lawes but to propose those to be kept by themselues and the people which according vnto the word of God are explicated by the mouth of the Minister The Prince saith b Controu 5. lib. 2. c. 18. De sensu fidei mec cognoscit Princeps nec cognoscere officio Principali potest Iunius nether doth nor can by vertue of his charge iudge of the meaning of faith Vve say saith c Controu 1. q. 5. c. 4. Dicimus lites Ecclesiasticas decernendas esseex lege diuina per Ministrum Item cap. 6. Respondeo Martinum Ecclesiae vindicare iudicium de genere doctrinae non coÌ„cedere Imperatort c. Vhitakere that Ecclesiasticall differences are to be decided by the Minister in vertue of the diuine law In another place I answere that Martine doth ascribe the iudgement of points of doctrine to the Church he doth not grant it to the Emperour and who will deny that this iudgment appertaynes to â—ishopes Finally it belongs not to kings and Princes to confirme euen true doctrine but they are to be subiect to and obseruant of it saith Luthere That Princes doe not pretend to make themselues Iudges in matters of Faith the a Apud Soz. l. 6. c. 7. Mihiquisum de sorte plebis fas non est talia perserutari Sacerdotibus ista curae sunt Emperour Valentinian doth confirme in these words It is not lawfull for me who am of the ranke of the people to sound and search into those things they are committed to the Preistes care It belongs me not saith the same as b Epist 32. noÌ„ est mecum iudicare inter Episcopos S. Ambrose relates to iudge of the differences which rise amongst Bishops
himselfe from it without schisme and without straying from the Pathes of saluation but now the tymes are changed the circunstances we are in are others corruption hath so crept into the Romane Church that she is no more to be tearmed à Church and hence it was that you both could and ought to depart out of it But this euasion will not serue your turne for the Fathers did not dispute of the truth of the Churches doctrine and thence inferred that the Donatists were scismatikes because they were seperated from the Church who had the true doctrine though indeede it was true but they disputed about the Chaire of S. Peter of Pastorall authoritie brought downe from him by an uninterrupted succession concluding the Donatists Schismatikes because they were diuided from this Chaire and from S. Peters successours sitting in the same No otherwise then one would conuince subiects to be rebelles who should seperate themselues from the Royall throne and from the successour of the first Instituters of this Throne and as in the old law the Samaritans may be concluded to haue bene heretikes because they withdrew themselues from the Chaire of Moyses or Aaron That the Principle whence the Fathers drew their arguments was pastorall authoritie and the Chaire of S. Peter and not the truth of the doctrine it doth manifestly appeare in that S. Cyprians a De Gnitat Eccles Ep. 55â— citat reason is because the Chaire of Peter is the fundation vpon which the Church is built and from whence preistly vnitie takes its origine And that of Optatus b lib. 2. Cisat because in this onely Chaire of S. Peter the vnitie of the Church is conserued And S. Ireneus c lib. 3.5.3 cis son that Peters Chaire enioyes the cheifest power S. Hierome d Epist 57. cit becaus the Chaire of S. Peter is that upon which the Church is built And to conclude because S. Augustin e Contrae Epist fundam c. 4. Tenet me ab ipsa sede Petri Gsque ad praesentem EpiscopataÌ„ successio Sacerdotum saith that the succession of Preists which descended from the Chaire of S. Peter held him in the Catholike Church and that this f In Psal contra partem Donati ipsa est Petra quam non Ginâ—uÌ„t superbia inferorum portae succession is the Rocke against which the Gates of Hell shall not preuayle Nor will your reply be any more to your purpose to witt that albeit the Fathers did indeed argue as we say yet had their argument force and efficacie from the truth of the doctrine which then was adioyned to this authoritie to this Chaire seeing that the Donatistes and Nouatians against whom they disputed did directly deney the truth of the doctrine to be in the Roman Church The a Ambr. lib cont Nouatian Nouatians improuing hir doctrine touching remission of sinns and the b August l. de hare haeres 69. Donatists condemning her opinion of baptising heretikes and admitting the wicked liuers into the Church Which makes à cleare demonstration that the Fathers did not make the truth of the doctrine the Principle of their arguments because that was as doubtfull both to the Donatists and Nouatians as the conclusion it selfe which they were to deduce from it for they deneyed both the one and the other Wherfore S. Donatus doth sufficiently make appeare that he argued from their owne confessions and that which they could not deney to witt that the chaire of Rome was S. Peters chaire c Opt. lib. 2. contra Parmen titat Thou canst not deney vnto me saith he but that thou knowest that S. Peter was the first vpon whom in Rome the Episcopall chaire was conferred in which onely Chaire vnitie was to be obserued by all Furthermore you cannot affirme that they formed their argument from the truth of the doctrine because you doe not allow it to haue bene pure at that tyme which is manifest in that d Beza in Rom. 8. Witat l. 7. contra Durae scit 26. you doe condemne the doctrine of Pope Siricius touching celibate or imgle life as the doctrine of the diuell aÌ„d that yet the Donatists were reputed Schismatikes euen for seperating theÌ„selues from communion with him e Opt. l. 2. For the rest though to proue â man schismatique it were indeed necessarie to make good that he were seperated froÌ„ the Church as true Church yet should I not faile of my purpose being à most facile thing to conuince euen by the testimonies of your owne men that you accnowledge the Romane Church then to haue bene the true Church when you came out of it You accnowledge it both by the verie confession of a Caelu 4. instit c. 2. §. 11. 12. Epist 104. Du Plessis in the treatise of the Church c. 12. Osiander in Epito p. 2. your owne Authours and because b Du Plessis au trascté de l'Eglise chap. 81. Osiander loco citato you your selues deriue your authoritie from it whence it manifestly appeares thar you hold it to be true since otherwise you should deriue your power not from the Church of God but from à societie of the Diuell After all this there rests so litle for you to say that if your tongue would but faithfully interprete your conscience we should without doubt heare you condemne your selues the thing being so cleare and perspicuous that vnlesse you were more then blind or that seeing light you would not see it it were impossible but your soules casting the errour which they row professe should win their cause For if the Nouatians and Donatists vere by the Fathers sufficiently conuinced of schisme for that they were seperated from the Chaire of S. Peter and his successours therin you are also conuinced by the same argument since you are seperated from vs who haue alwayes keept the possession of the same Chaire without interruption of succession Your are certainly coÌ„uinced I speake to all your church and to you Ministers in particular who are not onely Schismatikes as are your flocke but withall Schismaticall Pastours for of your owne authoritie you haue established your selues Pastours not hauing receaued power froÌ„ those whose successours you should be Whence it followes that you are a Opt. l. 2. de â—ictore primo Episcopo DonatistaruÌ„ erat Filius sine Patre tyro sine Principe discipulus sine Magistro sequens sino antecedente Children without Fathers soldiers without Captaines successours without Predecessours Wherupon you shall giue meleaue to say vnto you with the Fathers b Tertul de praescript c. 32. Edant ergo Origines Ecclesiarum suaruÌ„ euoluant ordinem Episcoporum suorum c. Opt. l. 2. cont Parm. Vestrae Catbedrae Gos originem reddite c. Shew vs the origin of your chaire nor returne vs barely for answere that you are extraordinarily sent but bring à place of scripture to verifie your assertion You are obliged to produce such
oblige consciēces which is à doctrine detested by the Catholike Church and ought to be so by all the world sithens it layes open à broad gate to disobedience ther being no more efficacious meanes to teach the contempt of the authoritie of the Church Kings and Magistrates and to violate their lawes and ordonnances then by openly persuading all men that none of them oblige in conscience Now there remaynes nothing but that I earnestly beseech you to enter into your owne harts to dispose your selues to enter into the way of saluation What will you remayne in à religion which braging of much can proue nothing who knowes not that it is now 1600. Yeares since Iesus-Chr established his Church with promisse of perpetuitie how can that then which was but hatched within the tearme of 100. yeares be his who sees not that the names CATHOLIKE and CHRISTIAN being the Church her proper names the religion to which they belong not and to which the qualities which they signifie cannot agree cannot iustly boast that it hath the true Church Who sees not that à Religion which manifestly contradictes the Scripture in many principall points of its beleife is not that which was left vs by Iesus-Christ and his Apostles Who sees not that they who vnder pretext of Gods honour iniure him who in words pretend holy Scripture and in in deedes foist in place of it that of men and rely vpon it as the fundation of their faith who sees not I say that those men carrie not the torch which we are to follow Who will beleeue that he who denyes the greatest part of the misteries because they are burdensome vnto him who forsakes them to follow his owne wayes and fancie who will haue no visible Heade of the Church that they may liue free from obedience vnto him who to exempt himselfe from labour and painstaking will not haue the blood of Iesus-Christ to render our actiōs purgatiue propitiatorie or merirorious who in à word banisheth all paine to passe to heauē in à feather bed who I say will beleeue that such an one is in the way of saluation nay who doth not see that he runs the straight way to his Erernall perdition Is any so silly as not to discouer that they who promis the people full and intire libertie to use the Scripture and yet giue them no other but to looke upon the letters and receaue into their eares the sounds of words and who put the Bible into their hands as the way of saluation which yet they accnowledge not to be authenticall yea depraued and corrupt are but meere mockers and impostures in things of importance towards saluation Who will not planely see that à man hath no assurance in à religion wherin all the assurance of saluation depends vpon the warranty of mens opinions and of each one in his owne cause in à religion the authours wherof die desperate Shall one follow those who professe punctually to follow Iesus-Christ yet doe the contrarie to that which he did in that most sacred misterie which he instituted before his death Shall one iudge that à true religion which banisheth all sacryfice without which neuer yet religion was Who will not iudge that the true way not to follow the saints is to follow their enemyes and such as vomit out à thousand blasphemies against their honour and puritie Will any deeme it the readie way to Christ to loade him with blasphemies and contumelies issuing out of à sacrilegious mouth And will not euen blind men see that to make God authour of sinne and man's perdition is to perish in ones iudgment and to adiudge ones selfe to eternall flames And verily following the Father's iudgment he is lyable to à more greeuious cryme who diuides the misticall body of Christ then though he should teare in peeces his true body Who then will not hold your religion abominable which stands conuicted of so great and detestable à schisme And who is he that will not condemne it when he obserues it to be patched out of the horred heapes of old heresies and consequently condemned by it owne iudgment since it is condemned by the primitiue Church which it doth accnowledge to be the true Church Can à louer of vertue and hater of vice follow that societie which shuts vp all passages to vertue And will he not planely discerne that to lay open the way to all vice is no other thing then to lay open the broad way to Hell In fine who sees not that that societie which will submitt it-selfe to no lawes spirituall or ciuile cannot be subiect to the lawes of God They are worse then blind men that cannot discouer this light Let euery one open his eyes and beware of being misledd by the comō errour of many to witt that the desire they haue to be saued puts them in assurance where euer they be They may please to know that if our desire were sufficient to iustifie vs then they that thought they did seruice and sacryfice vnto God in putting to death the Apostles wrought their owne saluation and not the damnation of their soules Let them know that though one haue an intention to goe to Rome and yet holde on the way to Geneua they shall neuer arriue at Rome Let them learne of the Fathers that there is no saluation out of the Church none is assured against the wroth of God who is not sheltered vnder that couert Let not the simple deceaue themselues by thinking that their Ministers would not haue the face to preach with such assurāce what they were not assured of because if it were enough for heretikes for the approbation of their doctrine to publish it as good and all contrarie to it as worth nothing one could not accuse the impietie of the greatest Heresiarkes that euer liued for with the pretended assurance of truth they defended their blasphemies I know indeede that the conuersion of à soule is à difficult thing I know that as an impoysoned hart as the report goes cannot be consumed by fire so God who is à consuming fire doth hardly inflame harts infected with the poyson of errour by reason of the obstacles which he finds therin Yet can he and will he doe it if euery one putting of his passion put on à fitt disposition and imbrace the meanes prescribed by the holy Fathers If thou desirest saith a Lib. de vtilit credendi c. 8. Si iam tibi satis iactatus Sideris finemque huiusmodi laboribus vis imponere sequere viam Catholicae disciplinae quae ab ips◠Christo per Apostolos ad nos vsque manauit optime ad posteros manatura est S. Augustine speaking to one that seekes his owne saluation to put à periode to thy miserie put thy selfe into the way of Catholike discipline which by the Apostles descended vpon vs from Iesus Christ and which shall be continued in our posteritie That is to say follow the Roman Church which alone descended by an vninterrupted succession from Iesus Christ To this Church it is that you ought to repaire whither S. August by another more expresse place inuites you b Idid c. 17. Dubitamus nos eius Ecclesia condere Doe we feare saith he to betake our selues into the A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS and Sections contayned in this booke Chap. j. MInisters pag. 1 Answere pag. 2 Chap. ij Ministers pag. 4 Answere pag. 6 Ch. iij. Sect. j. Ministers pag. 32 Answere pag. 32 Section ij pag. 37 Answere pag. 38 Sect. iij. Ministers pag. 54 Answere pag. 54 Sect. iv Ministers pag. 76 Answere pag. 78 Sect. v. Ministers pag. 84 Answere pag. 58 Sect. vj. Ministers pag. 94 Answere pag. 94 Ch. iv Sect. j. Ministers pag. 108 Answere pag. 109 Sect. ij pag. 126 Ch. v. sect j. Ministers pag. 129 Answere pag. 130 Sect. ij Of Indulgences pag. 147 Ch. vj. Sect. j. Ministers pag. 155 Answere pag. 156 Sect. ij Of the Sacrifice pag. 169 Sect. iij. Of the Eleuation of the Hoste pag. 187 Sect. iv Of masses where the assistāts doe not communicate pag. 189 Sect. v. Of Communion vnder one kind pag. 194 Ch. vij Ministers pag. 202 Answere pag. 202 Ch. viij Ministers pag. 221 Answere pag. 222 Ch. ix Ministers pag. 241 Answere pag. 243 Ch. x. Ministers pag. 254 Answere pag. 254 Ch. xj Ministers pag. 257 Answere pag. 257 Ch. xij Ministers pag. 260 Answere pag. 261 Ch. xiij Ministers pag. 262 Answere pag. 264 Ch. xiv Ministers pag. 276 Answere pag. 277 Ch. xv The Religion Pretended to be reformed is worthy of hatred because it makes à schismè in the Church pag. 282 Ch. xvj That the religion which they call Reformed doth renewall the old heresies pag. 299 Chap. xvij The Religion pretended to be reformed doth banish all vertue pag. 314 Chap. xviij The Religion pretended to be reformed layes open the Gate to all vices pag. 318 Chap. xix The Religion pretended to be reformed doth teach that nether temporall nor spirituall laws of Princes doe oblige in conscience pag. 326 FINIS