Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	call_v	ground_n	pillar_n	2,288	5	9.7053	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13160	A challenge concerning the Romish Church, her doctrine & practises, published first against Rob. Parsons, and now againe reuiewed, enlarged, and fortified, and directed to him, to Frier Garnet, to the archpriest Blackevvell and all their adhærents, by Matth. Sutcliffe. Thereunto also is annexed an answere vnto certeine vaine, and friuolous exceptions, taken to his former challenge, and to a certeine worthlesse pamphlet lately set out by some poore disciple of Antichrist, and entituled, A detection of diuers notable vntrueths, contradictions, corruptions, and falsifications gathered out of M. Sutcliffes new challenge, &c.	Sutcliffe, Matthew, 1550?-1629.; Sutcliffe, Matthew, 1550?-1629. Briefe replie to a certaine odious and slanderous libel.	1602 (1602)	STC 23454; ESTC S117867	337,059	440

ancient church accounted apocryphal as g In epist ad Paulin. in prolog in prouerb Hierome h In Synops Athanasius and diuers of the ancient fathers 〈◊〉 witnesse It alloweth also the old latin translation of the bible though different from the originall bookes the same also admitteth for principles of faith the sentences of popes the doctrine of the Romish church that now is the traditions of the Romish church the consent of fathers and diuers other grounds as Stapleton disputeth in his bookes De doctrinalibus principijs argument 7 i Arg. 7. Neuer certes did the church of Christ speake euill of scriptures k Lib. 3 aduersus haeres c. 2. Irenaeus saith It is the property of heretikes when they are conuinced by scriptures to fal into dislike of them and to accuse them as for the children of God they cannot either calumniate or lightly estéeme their heauenly fathers testamēt or refuse to heare his voice but the scriptures conteine a declaration of the eternall testament of our heauenly father and therefore they are rightly called his testament in the scriptures also God speaketh vnto vs. and therefore if we be Christs sheepe we cānot but hearken to his voice My sheepe saith our l Iohn 10. Sauiour heare my voice but the Romish church is still carping at scriptures as if they were neither sufficient nor perspicuous m Lib. 4. de verl die c. 4. Bellarmine saith they are neither necessarie nor sufficient without traditions n Praefat in re●act princip doctr Stapleton denieth them to be a sufficient foundation or rule of our faith the authors of the annotations vpon the Rhemish testament doe call them most blasphemously a killing letter and signifie that the reading of them is pernicious o Censur colo● others slander them as if they were a nose of waxe or a matter and subiect of contention argument 8 The church of God neuer called the bishop of Rome either a god on the earth or Christes vicar generall or vniuersall bishop but the church of Rome admitteth all this the canonists exalt him like a god p Epist ad Gregorium 13. ante princip doct Stapleton calleth him supremum numen in terris generally they call him vniuersall bishop and condemne all that hold contrary argument 9 The church of God doth kéepe the doctrine of the apostles and prophets q Gal. 1. without addition alteration or corruption and the apostle pronounceth him accursed r Aduers haeres c. 34. that teacheth any other Gospel than that which he taught Vincentius Lirinensis saith that this is the propertie of catholicks to kéepe the faith and doctrine of the fathers committed to them in trust and to condemne prophane nouelties Catholicorū saith he hoc ferè proprium deposita sanctorum patrum commissa seruare damnare prophanas vocum nouitates sicut dixit iterum dixit apostolus si quis annuntiauerit praeterquam quod acceptum est anathematizare but the papists kéepe not entire the originall writings of the olde and new testament nor allow them as authenticall neither will they yéeld the canonicall scriptures to be a perfect and sufficient rule of faith nor doe they allow the law of God to be a perfect law nor doe they kéepe Christes institution in the Sacrament of the Lords supper distributing the kinds of bread and wine to the communicants but haue vnto this rule added vnwritten traditions and the determinations of popes concerning matters of faith they haue also encreased the numbers of Sacraments and added many precepts and rules not receiued in the Apostolicke church argument 10 The true Church can not endure hereticks and false apostles that teach doctrine contrary to the faith of Christ and doctrine of Christes apostles Christ Iesus speaking of his shéepe saith They will not follow a stranger but flie from him for that they know not the voice of strangers The apostles gaue vnto Christians a speciall charge concerning this point If there come any vnto you saith S. ſ Epist 2. Iohn and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither salute him Tantum apostoli horum discipuli saith t Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 3. Irenaeus habuerunt timorem vt neque verbotenus communicarent alicui eorum qui adulterauerant veritatem Let vs separate our selues saith Cyprian as farre from them as they separate themselues from the church The true church certes can not embrace erroneous doctrine neither can any heretiks be accounted Christians Si haeretici sint saith u De praescrip aduers haeret Tertullian Christianiesse non possunt But the Papists communicate with hereticks as Liberius Felix Vigilius Honorius Iohn the 22. and 23. whom in my treatise De pontifice Rom. I declared to be heretiks they do also embrace the heresie of Angelicks in worshipping angels of the Collyridians in worshipping the blessed Virgin of Marcion Valentinus and others in denying Christes true bodie in the Sacrament to be solide and palpaple of the Pelagians in magnifying their merits and the force of frée will of the Carpocratians in burning incense and worshipping the images of Iesus and Paul and diuers others as we shall héereafter particularly declare argument 11 The true Church of Christ admitteth not the apocryphal legends of S. George Cyricus and Iulitta for these are condemned by the censure of Gelasius who testifieth that the olde Church of Rome receiued not any such legends but the latter Church of Rome and papists of our time doe admit these legends and out them they gather their traditions which they make equall to the word of God argument 12 The Church of God is the mistresse and teacher of trueth and admitteth no falshood nor vntrueth the apostle doeth call her the pillar and ground of trueth Est fons veritatis saith x Instit diuin lib. 4. c. vlt. Lactantius speaking of the church hoc est domicilium fidei that is she is the fountaine of trueth she is the house where true faith dwelleth but the church of Rome that now is is not only a receptacle of leud opinions but also the mother and mistresse of lies and vanities and so Petrarch for aboue two hundred yéeres doubted not to call her Madre d'errori e tempio d'haeresia saith he which authoritie albeit they regard not yet the same which he auoucheth is prooued first in that the church of Rome auoucheth lying traditions as for example the tradition concerning Ember fasts and fasts vpon Saints vigiles concerning the ceremonies of the masse concerning the words aeterni mysterium fidei thrust into the words of consecration of the challice and such like secondly the same approoueth lying and forged decretals as for example C. Constantinus dist 96. and c. ego Ludouicus dist 63. and c. quis nesciat dist 11. infinit more of that nature thirdly the same giueth credit to Caesar Baronius his most lying and fabulous narrations and the popes haue commended them

relect princip doctrin man intreating of the sure grounds and principles of Christian religion doeth leaue the scriptures quite out of the reckoning but Athanasius in Synopsi doth call the canonicall Scriptures the anchor and stay of our faith a Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus saith that the apostles first preached and afterward deliuered the Gospell in Scriptures that they might be a foundation and pillar of our faith the church saith b Homil. 6. in Matth. Chrysostome is Hierusalem whose foundations are placed vpon the mountaines of the scriptures and with them doe consent all true catholikes condemning the error of the papists falsely called catholikes argument 5 The papists call the scriptures a killing letter as appeareth by the Remish annotations vpon the 3. chap. of the 2. epistle to the Corinthians as if God had deliuered his will in writing to the entent to kill them that read them they c Annot. Rhemens in Ioan. c. 5. slander them also as if they were darke and hard to be vnderstood finally they disgrace them d Ibidem in c. 4. Matth. saying that the diuell and heretikes alledge scriptures others call them a nose of waxe Inken diuinitie and matter of strife and contention and condemne the reading of scriptures as pernicious and hurtfull but true catholikes had alwaies a reuerent regard of holy scriptures as the grounds of faith and directions of holy life e Lib. 3. aduers hares c 2. Irenaeus saith that it is the property of heretikes when they are conuinced by scriptures to fall into dislike of them and to accuse them the papists therefore in this point are rather heretikes then catholikes argument 6 The papists among canonicall scriptures reckon the decretales of popes inter canonicas scripturas decretales epistòlae connumerantur saith the rubrike dist 19. c. in canonicis and this Gratian goeth about to prooue by a place of saint Augustine which he there falsifieth this also séemeth by Gregory the 13. to be approoued in his edition of the canon law neither doe I thinke that any papist will deny that the popes decretales in matters of faith are to be receiued of all men but ancient catholikes neuer had the decretals in this estimation nor thought them to be canonicall scriptures or grounds of faith or infallible as the papists call them nay Thomas Aquinas albeit no catholike f 2. 2. q. 1. art 1. confesseth that the ground of Christian faith is the first trueth or God himselfe and not onely Cyprian tooke exceptions against Cornelius Ireney against Victor the councell of Carthage against Sozimus but also diuers catholikes against the decretales of diuers popes argument 7 The conuenticle of g Sess 4. Trent vnto the canon of scriptures of the olde testament hath added not onely the books of Tobias Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and of the Machabeies but also such additions as are found in the olde latine translation albeit they be not found in the originall text and these they place in equall ranke and degrée with the books of the prophets and apostles which is contrary to the faith of the catholicke church as appeareth by the testimony of Hierome in his preface to the prouerbs of Salomon in his epistle to Paulinus and in his generall prologue before the bible which he calleth prologum galeatum of Athanasius in synopsi of Epiphanius in his booke of waightes and measures of Melito of the councell of Laodicea can 59. of the canons of the apostles can 84. and diuers others neither is it materiall that Augustine lib. 2. de doctr christ c. 8. and a certaine councell of Carthage doe reckon the books of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabeies among the canonicall scriptures for by canonicall scriptures they vnderstand such books as by order of the church were read publickely and commonly ioined together in one booke and were rather for some part a canon and rule of maners then of faith for that may be gathered out of the words of Saint Augustine and the councell that speake rather of the books as they were read then as they were authenticall Ruffine speaking of these books saith legi voluerunt in ecclesiis non tamen proferri ad authoritatem fidei ex his confirmandam Augustine also lib. de ciuit dei 18. c. 36. speaking properly of canonicall scriptures excludeth the books of the Machabeies though some churches receiue them for canonicall Athanasius in Synopsi accounteth the 3. and 4. of Esdras as canonicall as these books and Sixtus senensis doth not accounpt them equall to the rest of canonicall scriptures finally no one catholicke writer can be produced that alloweth the fragments and additions that in the olde latine interpreter are added to the originall text to be canonicall scripture are the papists then catholicks that haue no catholicke grounds of their faith argument 8 Papists allow no interpretations of scriptures against that sense which the church of Rome holdeth contra eum sensum h Concil Trid. sess 4. quem tenuit tenet sancta mater ecclesia but true catholicks neuer allowed such senses and interpretations as the church of Rome doth make as for example the church of Rome beléeueth that Christ when he said to Peter pasce oues meas gaue power to the pope to depose princes Againe where God saith to Hieremy chap. 1. ecce constitui te hodie super gentes regna Boniface the 8. concludeth that the pope hath power to iudge all earthly princes and these words ecce duo gladij hic he k C. vnam sanctam de maior obed expoundeth so as if the pope had two swords giuen to him the words deus fecit duo magna luminaria the pope interpreteth so as if the pope were meant by thy sonne and the emperor by the moone and as if the pope did so farre excell the emperor as the sonne is greater then the moone bibite ex hoc omnes they expound thus drinke not all of this and these words scrutamini scripturas they interpret as if lay men might not search the scriptures without license of the inquisitors infinit such like interpretations the church of Rome hath deuised but all contrary to the expositions of the fathers and the catholicke church argument 9 The conuenticle of Trent doth adiudge the old vulgar latin translation of the bible to be authenticall and preferreth it before the originall text but catholicks haue alwaies preferred the originall text before the latin translation Saint l In Epist ad Suniam Fretel ad Damasum Hierome saith that in the olde testament in matters of doubt concerning the translation we must haue recourse to the Hebrew as to the fountaine and in the new to the Greeke ad exemplaria Hebrea Graeca à latinis recurratur saith m Lib. 2. de doctr Chr. c. 10. Augustine Hilary also writing vpon the 118. psalme confesseth that the latin translation cannot satisfie the reader

idolatries and whose doctrine is confirmed by scriptures most certeine traditions councels fathers and practise of the ancient church and which teacheth the narrow way and maketh subiects obedient and is sure to continue but neither is the church of Rome catholike nor apostolike which embraceth vncerteine traditions and apocryphall scriptures with equall affection to canonicall scriptures and which receiueth all the popes decretales concerning matters of faith albeit they conteine doctrine neither apostolicall nor general secondly it will be an easie matter to shew that the Romish church abhorreth neither heresie nor idolatrie nor noueltie thirdly in diuerse discourses against Bellarmine I haue shewed that popish doctrine hath neither ground of scriptures councels nor fathers thereby also it may appeare that popish traditions are most vaine vncerteine and superstitious fourthly the way which that church teacheth is broad and easie for what is more easie than to heare masses and to eat fish and to confesse sinnes and to obserue diuers externall ceremonies and yet by these small things papists hope to be saued fiftly we finde that all the rebellions of England Ireland and France haue wholly procéeded from the church of Rome and the doctrine of the seditious Iebusites and Cananites and masse priests neither will euer rebellion be rooted out vnlesse the tyrannicall vsurpation of popes be repressed and their parasites taught to submit themselues to their liege princes sixthly what certeinty in iudgement can the papists haue that depend vpon the resolutions of blinde vnlearned and wicked popes finally we sée Antichrist to be reuealed and the city of Babylon to fall to confusion who then doth not expect and beléeue the vtter ruine and desolation of Antichrists state Further Bristow telleth vs that euery church that is risen after the first planting of religion and gone out of the catholike church and from apostolike doctrine and is not the communion of saints nor euer visible and which is not the teacher of all diuine trueth and the vndoubted mother of Christes children is not the true church But the church of Rome as it is now visible in the pope and cardinals in the officers of the popes chamber in popish prelates sacrificing priests monks friers and nunnes and their officers and adherents whose faith is built on popish decretals and mincing scholasticall distinctions as fine wouen as any spider webbe rose out of the earth long after the apostles times and first planting of religion and that the Romish church crept out by little and little out of the catholike and apostolike church for apostolicall doctrine embracing apostaticall and light fancies and traditions and for the maintenance of mens bellies and the popes authoritie is departed from Christ and hath made war vpon the saints in the same also whores are openly mainteined cutthrotes by rewards incited to kill and poison princes and a way to all periuries and vices by the popes indulgences opened how then can any call this a communion of saints finally he that expecteth trueth at the popes hands shal be gulled with fables and he that calleth Rome a mother can be content for gaine to call the whore of Babylon and mother of errours his mother argument 70 The church of Christ neuer allowed the decretals of popes or the extrauagants or rules of Chancery concerning the popes authoritie and procéeding but in these lawes the church of Rome hath diuers rules of the Romish faith and thereby gouerneth her procéedings argument 71 In the church of Christ clerks were not exempt from the subiection of princes The apostle saith Let euery soule be subiect to higher powers But in the church of Rome all clerks are quited and exempted from the princes power as Bellarmine in his booke of that argument by the popes canons and all his wit endeuoureth to proue argument 72 The true church neuer baptized belles nor held monkes coules to be equall to baptisme but the popish church as the l Grauam 51. Germanes in their grieuances declare baptizeth belles and compareth the entrance into monkish profession with baptisme argument 73 Finally neuer was Christes church or any part of Christes church within any kingdome gouerned by an archpriest and certeine seditious Iebusites masse priests and such like vermine Howsoeuer then they deny it in others yet can they not deny but that the papists of England are not members of Christes church but rather of the synagogue of Satan CHAP. II. That the doctrines and traditions of the Romish church which the church of England refuseth are mere nouelties and late deuised fancies IF when the papists doe recommend vnto vs their old religion they meant nothing els but the religion of Christ Iesus which the apostles first taught and which the apostolicall and most ancient Christians receiued and deliuered to posterity we should not much contend with thim for that is the religion which we professe not varying in any thing from the apostles créed and other créeds either set out by Athanasius or the most ancient generall councels of the church nor denying any thing that is expressed or proued out of the holy canonicall scriptures But when they talke of old religion they meane the religion of the church of Rome which was either established by later popes or taken vp by lewd custome and vncerteine tradition the which though it séeme to some ancient yet in very truth is new and no way to be compared to the religion that was first deliuered by Christ and his apostles neither doth it deserue the name of old religion for as Ignatius said a Epist ad Philadelph sometime antiquitas mea Christus est so we may say that Christ is the top of our ancestry that the apostles doctrine is both ancient most true id verius quod prius saith b Lib. 4. contra Marcion Tertullian id prius quod ab initio id ab initio quod ab apostolis if thē the papists as they bragge could prooue their religion to be deriued from the apostles then would we indéed confesse it were ancient if they cannot then we must say to them as c Epist 65. ad Pammach Ocean Hierome said to one in his time cur profers in medium saith he quod Petrus Paulus edere noluerunt why doe they produce articles of faith vnknowen to the apostles nay why doe they teach vs points of religion which in times of the ancient fathers of the church were vnheard of will they haue that accounted old which the fathers of the church which were long after the apostles neuer knew nor the ancient church euer receiued they would so d Contra. haeres c. 35. but Vincentius Lirinensis doeth call him a true catholike that doeth onely beléeue and hold whatsoeuer the ancient catholike church did vniuersally beléeue quicquid saith he vniuersaliter antiquitus ecclesiam catholicam tenuisse cognouerit id solum sibi tenendum credendumque decernit if then the papists will hold all the religion which now

you haue caried about the tabernacle erected to Moloch the image of your idole gods the starre of your god which you made to your selues what then may we thinke of papists if we scanne their false worship of God according to this rule doe not they also place their corpus domini which they call their lord and god in a pixe or tabernacle doe they not carie him also about in procession and with him for company other idoles of wood and mettall doe they not also worship the holy virgin Marie and salute her and call her a starre and say aue Maris stella haile thou starre of the sea alluding percase to Venus whom poets faine to haue her beginning of the sea and doe not the Spaniards call on her at sea as if God had made her a commander there argument 10 The prophets words of the heathen mens idoles do most excellently fit the popish images the l Simulachra images of the Gentiles saith m Psal 114. he are siluer and gold the worke of mens hands they haue mouthes and speake not they haue eies and see not they haue eares and heare not they haue noses and smell not hands they haue and handle not feet haue they and walke not neither doeth any voice passe through their throat apply then this to the great image of great saint Christopher as you enter our ladies church at Paris for albeit the same be great and large yet he neither séeth nor féeleth nor smelleth nor speaketh nor walketh onely the priests are sory that he is not of siluer and gold that they might cut him in pieces and make money of him our lady of Loret also albeit women be more talkatiue then men speaketh not a word diuers images also they haue of siluer and gold and other mettals but all without sence and motion vnlesse by engins the false masse priests be able to make them mooue the p Chap. 15. author of the booke of Wisdome sheweth that the sight of such images and pictures well shadowed out in colours doeth delight sencelesse and brutish folke which doe also loue the shape of dead images without soule but that the godly are not abused with such idolatrous inuentions and pictures or labour without frute non in errorem induxit nos saith he in the person of godly men hominum malae artis exogitati nec vmbra picturae labor sine fructu effigies sculpta per varios colores cuius aspectus insensato dat concupiscentiam diligit mortuae imaginis effigiem sine anima are not then the papists more blockish then the old idolaters that take such delight in their painted tables and in their images without soule yea oftentimes without good or decent shape and are not our masse priests madde that runne to the pope and for loue of his idolatrous religion are content to breake their necks in England practising for his seruice argument 11 p Argu. 11. The offrings of the Gentiles are immolated and offred to diuels and not to God as the q 1. Cor. 10. apostle teacheth vs quae immolant Gentes saith he daemoniis immolant non deo it cannot therefore serue the papists turne that they say they worship God in his image improperly secundum rei veritatem saith r De imagin lib. 2. c. 22. Bellarmine non potest dici adorari latria imaginem nisi per accidens vel improprie per se autem propriè nullo modo this I say albeit contrary to all the best schoolemens doctrine can not excuse the papists from idolatry for albeit the Gentiles did not per se and properly immolate sacrifices to idoles and diuels yet because they sacrificed before idoles and in other sort than God had commanded the apostle calleth this the diuels sacrifice I would therefore exhort all simple papists to beware how they come at the idolatrous masse for albeit their priests tell them that they offer vp the bodie and blood of the sonne of God yet in trueth they offer the diuels sacrifice and say masse in honor of their idoles and before images and can no better excuse themselues than heathen idolaters that might aswell as they say they worshipped not their images with latria per se and properly but in a certeine sort improperly the apostle doth plainly declare that both heathen men they sacrificing in this sort offer to diuels not to god argument 12 ſ Arg. 12. God signifieth them to be idolaters that built high places which he neuer commanded them nor thought of any such matter Quae non praecepi nec cogitaui in corde meo saith t Hierem. 7. he and this because they thought that God was to be serued according to their owne inuentions and humors he doth also directly charge them with idolatrie that made vowes to the Queene of heauen that sacrificed vnto her and serued her saying faciamus vota nostra quae vouimus vt sacrificemus reginae coeli And do not papists build their altars in high places ascend vnto them by steps doe they not also worship God in images and formes which God neuer commaunded nor thought vpon doe they not further call the holy virgine reginam coeli and poli reginam that is the Queene of heauen doe they not finally say masses in honor of her and offer consecrated hosts for her swéet seruice euery Saturday argument 13 u Arg. 13. The papists also giue the honor due to God vnto grauen images teaching that the same worship is due vnto the image and to the originall and that as Thomas and the olde schoolewen holde absolutely and without distinction and as Bellarmine beléeueth improperly and as he termeth it by an accident but this is contrary to scriptures and can not be déemed lesse than plaine idolatry I am the Lord saith x Isai 42. God by his prophet and my glory I will not giue to another nor my praise to grauen images Ego Dominus saith he gloriam meam alteri non dabo laudem meam sculptilibus gladly I would therefore haue Rob. Parsons to shew how grauen images may be worshipped with diuine honor yet without repugnance to scripture or derogation to Gods honor or touch of idolatrie argument 14 y Arg. 14. Like to the Babylonians the papists deale with their images the images also of papists are not much vnlike to the idoles of the Babylonians the Babylonians carried their golden siluer wooden and stone gods on their shoulders Videbitis saith z Baruch 6. Baruch in Babylonia deos aureos argenteos lapideos ligneos in humeris portari The papists likewise they haue images which they worship as God some of golde some of siluer some parcell gilt some of wood some of stone and in processions they carry them about triumphantly on mens shoulders Inaurata inargentata falsa sunt non possunt loqui saith Baruch of the idoles of the Babylonians so likewise there is

shewed sculptile conflatile reor saith r In Abacus 2. Hierome dogmata esse peruersa quae ab his quibus facta sunt adorantur but neuer did any sect more stifly defend their errors then papists for they holde the popes sentence to be infallible neither will they abandone any of his errors though neuer so plainly demonstrated argument 35 ſ Arg. 35. Neither can they excuse themselues that t C. satis dist 96. call the pope their god and worship him with more strange worship then that which Peter refused Act. 10. the canonists woonder at his excellency u In proaem Clement saying papa stupor mundi non deus non homo sed vtrunque that is the pope is the wonderment of the world not god not man but both for so saith Mosconius in his booke de maiestate ecclesiae lib. 1. part 1. c. 1. in the councell of Lateran one called Leo the tenth his sauiour But Hierome in his Commentaries vpon the third of Daniel estéemeth them to be idolaters that giue such worship to earthly princes argument 36 x Arg. 36. Furthermore God is a spirit and therefore he will bée worshipped not in externall images but in spirit he is a iealous God and therefore admitteth no copartners in his worship he is so one God that he will admit no other creature to haue any part of his worship giuen to him according to the law of God thou shalt haue no other gods but me and al this is signified to teach vs how much God detesteth idolatrie but the papists worship God as they say in his image they giue diuine worship to stockes stones and to the sacrament they make vowes to saints and angels and call vpon them they put their trust as much in saints as euer the Gentiles did in Hercules Aesculapius Apollo and other idoles they haue transformed the Psalmes vttered in praise of God to the praise of our lady how then can they excuse themselues from idolatry argument 37 y Arg. 37. Finally the law of God condemneth all images and similitudes of things both in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath and in the waters vnder the earth that are worshipped the same also z Rom. 1. reprooueth those that change the glory of the incorruptible God into the likenesse of an image of a corruptible man and that offer incense or spirituall sacrifices vnto any but God and all this tendeth to the abolishing of idolatry but the papists worship the likenesses and images of God and change his glory into the shape of a corruptible man they offer also to creatures their praiers and vowes manifest therefore it is that in diuers points they are guiltie of grosse idolatry Neither can they by any meanes excuse themselues if they say they doe not worship the image a Per se propriè for it selfe and properly with that worship that is due to the originall as b Lib. 2. de imaginib c. 24. Bellarmine teacheth the heathen could alledge so much for themselues for they did not worship the image as they worshipped their gods themselues nor did they sacrifice to the wood and stone but to the things represented If they alledge that they doe not worship images as gods as c Ibid. c. 5. de eccles triumph lib. 2. c. 24. Bellarmine and Gregory de Valentia doe oftentimes thinking by that meanes to shift off the blot of idolatrie from themselues and the church of Rome yet will not that serue for the very heathen could say that they tooke not their idoles for gods non ipsa inquiunt timemus saith d Instit diuin lib. 2. c. 2. Lactantius speaking of the excuse of idolaters sed eos ad quorum imaginem ficta quorum nominibus consecrata sunt that is we doe not feare or worship images say the heathen idolaters but those after whose likenesse they were made and to whose names they were consecrated likewise saint Augustine in Psal 113. sheweth that the heathen were woont to say that they did not worship that which was visible but onely the inuisible diuinitie that was represented and manifested in the image non hoc visibile colo sed numen quod illic inuisibiliter habitat and againe they said nec simulachrum nec daemonium colo sed per effigiem corporalem eius rei signum intueor quam colere debeo doe you not then plainly see that the idolaters spoke like the papists for they say also we worship not images with latria properly nor doe we worship diuels but by bodily shapes we are brought to sée and remember the things which we ought to worship If they deny that they worship creatures and change the trueth of God into a lie saint Augustine will tell them e In Psal 113. conc 2. that while they call their images by the names of the things represented as for example when they say to the crucifixe thou hast redeemed me and call the images or pictures our lady or S. Peter or Paule they change the trueth of God into a lie effigies à fabro factas saith saint Augustine appellando nominibus earum rerum quas fabricauit deus transmutant veritatem dei in mendacium If f Lib. 2. de imaginib c. 10. Bellarmine alledge that images are not only profitable as reporting matter of story but also effectuall to enflame vs to the loue of God and imitation of holy men and diuers other vses he must be told that Augustine teacheth vs farre otherwise ducit affectu quodam infirmo rapit infirma corda mortalium formae similitudo saith g In Psal 113. conc 2. Augustine membrorum imitata compago he saith againe that the outward forme of things doth bring foorth sordidissimum erroris affectum a most filthy affection to error he saith also that images doe effectually peruert vnhappy soules plus valent simulachra saith he ad curuandam infaelicem animam quod os habent c. If they say that their images are no idoles because they are representations of true things and not false representations as doeth Bellarmine lib. 2. de imaginib c. 5. saying quod idolum est falsa similitudo it may be answered that the Gentiles might answer so likewise and yet say nothing to purpose for the image of Romulus of the sonne of Hercules and Aesculapius were true representations and yet idoles for that they were worshipped by idolaters why then should we not iudge the like of the images of Peter and of our ladie If they say that idolaters are condemned because they put their trust in their idoles and images as the conuenticle of Trent h Sess 25. saith and hopeth thereby to put away the infamie of idolatry from the Romish church it may be replied that the Gentiles did neuer trust more in their god Iupiter and Iuno and Fortuna or in their idoles then the papists doe in our lady in saint Denis saint Iames and in

no part of my meaning but I say that the true Church cannot longe want true bishopes and teachers and that therfore the Romish Church is not the true Church hauing no bishops nor préestes at all but in name And that I proued for that they wanted true priesthood and true ordination and were ordayned and sent by antichrist by heretikes and simoniacall persons and such as had no authority to ordayne or sende forth bishops and preestes He answereth finally that I haue no reason to carpe at the Romish clergie for their bad life and lacke of learning seeing Pag. 96. our Church as he saith admitteth most base lewd vnlearned artisās this he indeuoureth to proue by M. Parries words in his preface before Vrsinus his catechisme But he lyeth like a lewde and base fellow if he suppose that such are admitted by our Church they do thrust in I confesse by the abuse of sōe on or more but the church alloweth thē not nay there are canōs made that none is to be ordained minister but bachilars of art or men otherwise well qualified and knowne to be able to teach If any doe otherwise by indirect meanes come into the ministery which abuse Master Parry noteth yet I hope they are not so rude or so lewde as masse Preests which are the scumme of all vileny for the most part as those that trauell Spayne and Italy knowe by practise and our rinegat English masse Preestes by their lewdnesse and insufficiency playnly proue Hauing answered according to his best skill and broken as he thinketh all our bonds like Dalilaes cords though some of his friends say that a certeine Dalila hath strong hold of him he goeth about to retort this argument vpon vs and saith if the true Church hath alwayes true bishops and preests that the Church of England Pag 100. is not the true Church as wanting true preestes and bishops And with this argument hee hopeth to giue vs such a drie shauing as he doubteth not but he will marre the whole beauty thereof but he sheweth himselfe to be but a simple barber and a worse drie shauer for nowe he cannot shew but that we haue true bishops hauing both lawfull ordination and our bishops exequuting the office of bishops loyally and orderly Before this reformation also our bishops had all that which our aduersaries thinke necessary in the outward calling of bishops Besides that there fayled not among our bishops and préestes at all times diuers men which detested the abominations of the Romanistes as Robert Grosted bishop of Lincolne Richard Vllerston that liued about the councell of Constance Iohn wicleffe and diuers others But saith he who layd hands on bishop Parker He séemeth also to make the like question of Luther and Zuinglius I answere that bishop Couerdale and Skory and others which were bishops in King Edwardes time layde hands vpon bishop Parker I confesse also that bishop Cranmer Luther and Zuinglius had an externall calling though corrupt in a corrupt state yet such as Owlygalsse dare not deny to be sufficient And beside that externall calling it pleased God to reuele to them his will extraordinarily and to call them out of Babylon to the knowledge of his truth our aduersary therefore of all men hath least reason to challenge them for their calling Beside that he cannot conclude because that externall calling was then thought sufficient that now the popish Church hath a calling sufficient For albeit the préestes of the Iewes that worshiped Baal had an externall calling which was not disabled when they returned to the true worship of God yet was not their Idolatrous seruice doon to Baal nor that preesthood lawful the like wee may say of masse préests They should haue serued God aright yet whē they serued at their massing alters they worshipped strange Gods But when they left their Idolatrie then their calling tooke effect they doing that for which they were principally called Furthermore he cannot say because now all Idolatry and superstition being abandoned we are the true church that the papists that reteine still their superstitiōs are the true church for the true church is tryed by true faith true worship and seruice of God not by externall rites and ceremonies and succession without Gods true worship or the true faith Owlyglasse would also gladly haue me to set down the names of those bishops that gouerned our Church euer since Christ As if all bishops that mayntained the Apostles créede and catholike faith were not our bishops If they digressed from the faith we are not to séeke for a new ranke of bishops but to acknowledge them to be true bishops that professed the true faith He talketh also of my being at Cales but it is more honesty for me to goe in the seruice of my Prince and contry against forreine enemies then for him with forreine enemies like a disloyal traytor to fight against his prince and contry and like a base slaue to serue the popes turne And this may serue to iustifie my argument against the popish préesthood It resteth now that I answere his friuolous obiections concerning some points which he supposeth to conteine matter of contradiction which he vanteth that hee will handle to the little commendation of my learning as he saith But if he would indéede haue disgraced me he should haue taken in hand the aunswere of some latine treatise which I haue published against Bellar. For therein he might haue shewed lerning whereas this discourse concerning falsifications and vntruthes is nothing but a little fardle of foolery and a vaine bable for his clients to sport themselues with all Well in the meane while let vs know his worships pleasure concerning these supposed contradictions First he chargeth me with saying that the number of seuen sacraments was not certainly established nor receiued before the late councell of Trent and this he supposeth to be contrarie to that which I affirme in another place viz. that the iust number of seuen sacraments and neither more nor lesse was first deliuered by the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth and afterward confirmed by the councell of Trent But the poore ideot doth rather bewray his owne ignorance that knew not how this doctrine of seuen sacraments crept into the Romish church and great dulnesse that could not distinguish betwixt instructions and canons talking or mentioning matters and confirming them by solemne act and decree To reforme his errour therefore I must let him vnderstand that the conuenticle of Florence did not by any solemne canon establish the iust number of seuen sacraments but certaine idle Friers or others in that conuenticle or at the least vnder the credit thereof deliuered this doctrine of seuen sacraments to the Armenians Furthermore not all Churches but the Armenians had this doctrine deliuered vnto them I speake therefore warily where I say that albeit that doctrine was talked of perhaps and deliuered to the Armenians yet it was first confirmed by solemne