eyght of Genesis where God doth saye Increase and multiplye and replenishe the earth If you doo saye that this is a foolishe opinion I confesse it to be so but that very Churche which hath condemned this heresye of theirs doeth likewise condemne yours When the deuil determined to fight with Christe he thought he could in no wise ayde him selfe so well as with the holy Scripture perswading him that the best way for him to shewe him selfe to be the sonne of God was to breake his necke castinge himselfe downe from the Pinnacle of the TemTemple And he did alleage this text saying as it is written That the Angels of God shoulde so preserue him that he shoulde not hurt his foote against the stones folowing that Dauid saide And if I should go about to write al the places of Scripture that the heretikes haue alleaged to mainteyne their horrible errours I thinke surely I might make a bigger booke then the Bible ¶ The .24 Chapter YF that the sonne doo hate the father or the father the son or if the wife doo hate the husband or the husband the wife they may take the word of God yll vnderstoode to defende their cause for he doth cōmaunde vs that we shall hate those that are neerest vnto vs as vnder the payne of not entring into Paradise if we doo contrarye But this ought to be vnderstoode that we ought not to preferre the loue of any creature howe neere soeuer they be to vs before the loue of god In like maner he that will saye that we shoulde not eate of the blud of those beasts that ar smothered he may soone alleage the Scripture for it which doeth saye That at the Councell that the Apostles helde at Ierusalem being present the holye Ghoste this ordinance was made as we reade in the .15 Chapter of the Actes And if that one should take in hande to bring all the places of scripture that the heretikes haue alleaged to mainteyne their opinions I dare boldly saye that he shall fynde it an endlesse piece of worke For amonge so great a number of false prophetes there hath bene very fewe or almoste none but they haue sought to mainteyne their opinions by Scripture drawing the places as it were by violence to a depraued and a corrupte sense being this the maner of interpreting of the Scriptures called at this day the pure worde of God by those that haue professed to be as long as they liue enemies to the trueth The learned and auncient Doctour Epiphanius in his fyrst booke against heresyes doeth alleage as touchinge this matter a verye familier example saying that if some good Caruer had made the Image of a king adorned with manye Iewelles and precious stones and that another should come afterward and should take the same Iewels precious stones and make with them the Image of a Foxe or a Dogge and that he should saye Beholde here is the Image of a king woulde not euery body laugh him to scorne and say that he did it in mockerie or els that he were mad Yes surely for although they be the same Iewelles and that very stuffe wherewith was made the Image of the kinge yet because that this other workeman hath taken them awaye and fashioned them after another sorte it ought no more to be called the Image of a king but the picture of a foxe or a dogge Euen thus is it with the holye Scriptures whiche were lefte vs by the Apostles and Prophetes for to paint in riche coulours the Image of the great kinge of glorye but seeinge that you take those precious stones from the Image of this kinge and doo appropriate them vnto the Image of a foxe making them serue to cloake youre heresyes withall it ought no more to be called the worde of God nor the holye Scripture but the woorde of menne and false doctrine And therefore yf you will haue it to beare the fyrste name you must set it in the fyrst estate that is to saye that it ought to be interpreted by him that did firste indite it It is not by the will of man sayth S. Peter epist. 2. Ca. 1. That the prophecie was brought but by the inspiration of the holy Ghoste that holye persons haue spoken c. I knowe well that you attribute the intelligence of the Scripture vnto your Sinagog But howe shall we beleue that the holy Ghoste doth dwell more in you then in all the vniuersall Churche which hath continued from the passion of Christ vntil this time I pray doo so much as aunswere me if you my masters be the lodging of the holye Ghoste where did he make his residence before ye were borne I know already your aunswere the which is In the heartes of the faithfull And where were those faythfull Marye where the holy Ghoste was Answer thus still and ye shal be sure that ye shall not be ouertakē for it is as good as to playe Handie dandie and so ye shall accomplishe the olde Prouerbe the which sayeth It is as farre from Douer to Caleys as from Caleys to Douer But to the ende that all the worlde may see the great hazarde of eternall damnation that those runne into that are so ready to beleue euery body thinking that they are assured of their health forasmuche as those that seduce them say beholde there is the Scripture it is the pure worde of God and the verye Gospell I will set forth some heresyes that haue bene in times past condemned by the Catholike Churche the which notwithstanding haue bene aswell yea and more largelye confyrmed by Scripture then you can confyrme anye of yours ¶ The .25 Chapter THe Catholike Church continually hath faythfully holden and doeth hold that our Sauiour Iesus Christ is true God and man hauing taken naturall fleshe in the wombe of the virgin Marye whollye like vnto ours as touching the corporal essence that is to saye excepted onelye sinne the which bodye he did fourme of the verye fleshe and substaunce of his mother by the operation of the holye Ghoste who hath wrought so notable and excellent a woorke that two contrary or diuers natures are miraculouslye ioyned and vnited in one person without confusion or conuersion of the one substaunce into the other but by coniunction and vnion of them both called by the diuines Hypostatique This doctrine hath euer beene receaued and holden by the Churche in equall degree of trueth and reuerence with the rest of the poyntes of religion which nowe you seeke to abolishe And notwithstanding this diuers Ministers and Preachers deriued from the sacred consistoryes of Valentinus Photinus Manes Theodorus Nestorius Apollinaris Eutichus Macharius Eutiocheus besydes a great number of other famous heretikes that I cannot here name haue sought to teache the contrarye saying that they were sent from him that sent the Apostles to refourme the Churche not by the Traditions of men which you call Papisticall but by the pure worde of god For euen like you
he praysed among the worldlings for a wise man who will not suffer himselfe to be ouertroden and made a laughing stocke to euery Rascall With such vayne glorious prayses be suche proude Thrasoes extolled and magnifyed of the more parte and no small number are geuen to flatterie and enhausing of Clawbacks that neuer could that saying of Terence be better verifyed then it is nowe Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit To holde vp mennes yea and their naye in holding with the hare and running with the hounde getteth a man frendes but he that will lay flattery aside and tell the playne truth shall get nothing but hatred Thus in these dayes vice is extolled and vertue contemned Ill rule is made of and good rule neglected O heart dissimuled which vnder coloure to be iust and true canst cloke vnto vs hipocrisie for deuotion ambition for gentlenes couetousnes for competencie crueltie for zeale bolde babling without learning for eloquence florishing Rhetorike without fruite or reason follye for grauitie wilines without wit and fleshly wanton libertie for libertie of the Gospell This is nothing els but the deuils drifte alway couering his poyson vnder some taste of sugar Fallit enim vitium specie virtutis vmbra For the summe and ende of all their false doctrine is nothing els but malice with murther to the ouerthrowe of Christes religion and the true ministers thereof This is their shéepes clothing for an vnhappie reformation Nam impia sub dulci melle venena latent Vnder swéete honye is deadly venome hid O blinde ignorance and ignorant blindnes O cruell damnable mischiefe comming frō the bottomles pit of hell O intolerable furiousnes and heresie more detestable then it may any longer be suffered The great displeasure the extreme vengeaunce the cruell plagues of God hange ouer our heades if this horrible heresie be not shortly remoued from mens mindes O good God howe long wilt thou suffer this intolerable abhomination It shameth me it abhorreth me to thinke that these shamelesse beastes are not ashamed to speake of the moste belssed Sacramentes of Christes Churche who is able to expresse eyther by tonge or penne their wicked abhomination whye haue we a pleasure to forsake the true vnderstanding of Gods moste sacred worde and become folowers and bondslaues of the deuils coūterfeite ▪ and deceiptfull expositions and carnall reasons set out by his ministers who in religion are so deuided that nowe they dreame one thing and now another this day they like to morowe they mislike and one is against another of them euen in the highest misterie of Christe his religion And no meruaile for the deuill is their chiefe head whom they serue and he is full of lyes variaunce diuision and discorde and vnder him their Schoolemasters were Hus Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Bucer Melancthon and the Archeheretike Caluine whose heresies are confuted in the Discourse hereafter ensuing These with the rest of that rable did neuer agrée one with another in their doinges there is no vnitie no certaintie at all and therfore such masters such scollers come of them And this diuision this vnconstancie of doctrine was a manifest tokē that they were not the children of our true mother the catholike Churche nor ministers of of Christe but the children of the deuill and ministers of Antichriste yea very Antichristes For whosoeuer sayth S. Augustine is gone from the vnitie of the Catholike Churche he is become an Antichriste These Antichristes haue borne a great stroke nowe too longe time in our Realm of England in whō is no constancie no stedfastnes of religion and doctrine These are they that haue damnably deceued you haue with their damnable preachinges intised you from Churche to Churche from an heauenly Churche to a malignant Church from a louing mother to a flattering harlot from the condition of grace to the state of perdition from truth to falshood from faythfull beléeuing to carnall reasoning from sauing Christe to deceauing Antichriste But good Reader beware be not deceaued and be not ashamed to arise that haste so shamefullye fallen be not ashamed to come home to your mother the Churche sith she is not ashamed to receaue you Let not follye lose the thing that grace hath so preciously offered purchased Let not wilfulnes and blindnes put out so great light as is nowe shewed vnto thée but embrace moste humbly the doctrine of our Mother the Catholike Church so shall you sit in the lappe of so tender a mother which will cherish you into life euerlasting Choose the best whiles choyse lyeth in lot A notable discourse plainly and truely discussing who be the right ministers of the Catholique Churche ¶ The firste Chapter CAluin your Patriarch doth laie to our charge a great and an outragious boldnes saying according to his opinion that we haue introduced or taken in hande the ministerie of Iesus Christe without being called to it by him that did institute Aaron in the saide estate And because that he himselfe can better then I expresse his complaint or accusation I thinke it beste to set foorth his owne writinges which according to his disciples opinions are of great force and vertue His wordes as you may reade are these Seing that the Papistes heare S. Paule saye that no person ought to take vpon him or vsurpe the name and the honoure of Priesthoode but he that is called to it as Aaron was And that Iesus Christe tooke it not vpon him selfe but did obeye the vocation of his father either they ought to shewe that God is the Author and institutour of their priesthood or els they must confesse that they are not called of God seing that of their owne boldenes they haue taken it in hande These are Caluins wordes by the which the reader maye gather that Caluin doeth enioyne vs to render him an accoumpt of oure vocation And although that it be so that by the Ciuill lawe one ought to trye the righte of the possession before he come to demaunde it and the spoyle as we are to him and his felowes as touching oure Temples and Reuennues in manye places ought to be restored agayne before the sute proceede Yet releassing this that the lawe doeth alowe vs we are content to aunswere to his demaund adding this request therto that both you that are his disciples and he doo make readie your papers to aunswere vs the like as touching yours But before I proceede in mine aunswere vnder correction of a man that thinkes to haue suche good eyes me seemeth that his argument is but very simple to sai that of we cannot shewe that God is the Authour of our Priesthood that we should be constrained to confesse that it is not of God seeing that without being called we take it vpon vs For what reason is there I praye you in this for although it were so that of our owne priuate power and authoritie without being called wee shoulde take it vppon vs it shoulde not
much to say as if she meant thus I see many sheperdes in these mountains which haue great aboundance of sheepe I see those of the Romane Church I see Donatistes I see Nouatians or to speake of our time I see one flocke folowe Luther another flocke folowe Zuinglius another folow Caluin another the Anabaptists another the Sacramentaries and so forth diuers others of whom when I demaunde particulerly Whose is this flocke they doo al aunswer me It is of Christ and euery one saieth this is the Catholike Churche euery one doeth saye that he is his felowe that is to saye as touching the guyding of his flock Now it is not possible that they doo all teache the truth considering howe they vary amonge them selues therfore I do desire thee to tell me where thou doest rest thy selfe at noone dayes that is as much to saye teache me which is the true Catholike Churche which doth celebrate the true misterie of the Crosse which is the place where thou wast nayled at noone dayes being nayled both handes and feete Heare nowe the aunswer of Iesus Christe If thou doest not know the place where I rest O moste beautifull among all women folowe thou the pathe that thy flocke hath made before thee setting thy tabernacle or thy lodge hard by the tabernacle of thy Shepherds If we well note and vnderstande this aunswere it will learne vs that that shal suffise to kepe vs frō rūning euer astray The sense is this O thou Christian which art troubled in thy conscience not knowing because of so many heresyes which waye thou shalt goe or howe thou shalt decerne the true religion from other false doctrine take my counsaile the which is to folowe steppe by steppe the flocke that went before thee If that a thousande or two thousand sheepe runne ouer a plaine those that come afterwarde doo not they know well the path that is made before them doo not they discerne the waye that the firste went Yes surely although there be no Sheperd to guide them And if thou doest aunswere that this doth not suffise for I doo see diuers pathes I see the pathe of the Caluinistes the path of the Lutherans and the pathe of those of the Romane Churche but yet doo not I knowe which flocke I should chose To this I answere thus Set thy Tabernacle by the Tabernacle of the Shepherdes and of thy Pastors I mean that I woulde haue thee to leane to that flocke that can leade thee from age to age and from yere to yere vnto the Crosse of Iesus Christ on the which he was nailed at noone dayes and there it is where thou oughtest to quiet thy selfe and thy conscience Then to beginne If thou doest aske the Caluinistes Where is the true fayth the which as they saye doeth consiste in the true preaching of the worde of the Lorde and in the administration of the Sacramentes according to the institution of Iesus Christe they will aunswere It is at Geneua the Lutherans will aunswere At Wittemberge and the Anabaptistes will aunswere at Monasterium The Vbiquitaries they will aunswere At Tubinge and the Trinitaries At Petricone and so consequently of the rest And then pursue and aske farther where it was twentye yeares agone They will say in the saide Cities but if thou come to demaunde of them wher it was a hundred or two hundred yeres agone if they are ashamed anye thing at all to lye they will not aunswere at all for there is none of them that can deny but that Luther who beganne to preache his newe Gospell the yere 1517. was the firste beginner of all these troubles the father of all those that teache this reformed religion Then is it farre frō that place where thy frend was nailed at middaie or where he was crucifyed aboue 1500. yeres agone before the newe Churche was dreampt of And therefore thou maiest easelye perceaue that this flock cannot leade thee to the place that thou doest desire and consequently that is not the flocke that we shoulde folowe Then let vs com vnto the Romane Church demaund where was this flock an hundred yeres agone They wil aunswere thee In Fraunce Spaine Englande Germanie and so ouer all Christendom And if thou aske where it was 500. yeres agone they will say In the saide places And a thousande yeres agone likewise and likewise a thousande and fiue hundred yeres agone This flocke then will not leaue thee by the waye as the others doo but it will leade thee vnto the very time of the death and passion of Christe by continuaunce of one doctrine and by succession of pastors which Salomon doth call the tabernacle of the Shepherdes And therefore this is the place where thou must seeke thy Tabernacle and quiet thy conscience to the ende that thou be not a lost sheepe and that thou be not readie to turne at euery blast of newe doctrine that our newe Coggers of the Scriptures doo set forth to deceaue the simple sheepe ¶ The .5 Chapter THe like vnto this is confirmed by Vincentius Lyrinensis of whom we haue spoken before for he saith in the booke aboue named that that person ought to be estemed a true Catholike that hath nothing in greater commendation then the true religion of the Catholike faith yea although it were the wisest man in the world and the greatest Philosopher the fairest speaker that euer was if he came to speake against the olde doctrine that hath bene taught vs of our forefathers time out of mind we ought saith he to disdaine that learned Clarke with all his philosophie cunning and to hold our selues to the auncient opinion of the Churche the which hath continued vntill this present day And if that nowe one should bring a newe doctrine that was not hearde of before contrary vnto that that hath euer ben taught in the Churche say that it doth not apperteine vnto the state of the Catholike faith that it is no religion but a temptatiō And therfore if we wil be saued we ought to liue and dye in that faith that hath continued by succession of Pastours euen from Christes time vnto these dayes S. Irenaeus a very famous writer in his fourth booke against heresies the. 65. Chapter who was within a fewe yeres of the Apostles Archbishop of Lions writeth the veri like saying that the true faith and the true knowledge of God is the doctrine of the Apostles and the auncient estate of the Church throughout the world according to the succession of those Bishops vnto whom only the Apostles committed the custodye of the Churche throughout the worlde the which sayeth he is come to vs This sayde Irenaeus doeth write in his thyrde booke and seconde Chapiter that he and his felowes did withstande the Valentinians and the Marcionistes which were great heretikes by the traditions of the Apostles that is to saye the doctrine not written but receued from age to age of the Apostles and so continued till
to that that is outwardlye written For if so manye men of great learning and excellent vnderstanding haue found such great rocks in this rough sea which haue manye times ouerthrowen their ships howe daungerous then must it needes be vnto those that will take it in hande so doubtfull a nauigation hauing litle skill or none at all But as for you my masters of the contrarye syde you canne sayle with all tides and al winds geuing the gouernance of the ship or the guiding of the sterne without consideration to all kinde of people We haue at this daye in Fraunce I will not say in Englande many that haue the holy spirite Interpreters of the Scriptures And forsooth what are they Mary Pedlers Cobblers Tanners Bankrouts Runnegates and suche others which hauing no other liuing sue to my Lorde Bishop and he makes them ministers being not one of them but hath the holy spirite for assoone as they can saye the Lorde and rayle vpon the Pope the Bishops and al the learned men that haue bene in times past Oh these are great doctors no place of Scripture to them is harde all the auncient doctours were men and the generall Councels did erre I knowe that you doo mainteine your opinion with the saying of Christe alleaging it as other heretikes haue done the whiche is That the heauenly father hath hid these high and profound things from the great Clerkes and hath reuealed them vnto the meeke and humble This is true but it ought to be vnderstoode to the humble and meeke of spirite and not to those which trust so much to their owne wittes beinge puffed vp with arrogant ignoraunce that they thinke to knowe more in three dayes reading then the Doctours coulde in fyftie yeres studie faining themselues to be like the Apostles as if that god gouerned by their appetites did sende euery month the feast of Pentecost ¶ The .28 Chapter I Praye Syrs since you are so absolute aunswere me to this obiection Is it good to beleeue all maner of people that doo alleage the Scriptures or no If ye saye yea why doo not you beleue the abouenamed Valentinus Apollinaris Hebion Cherintus and Nestorius with diuers others that haue sought to mainteyne their errours with the newe and olde Testament If you saye no but that we ought rather to folowe the counsell of S. Iohn in his fyrste Epistle cap. 4. The which is not to beleue euery spirite but that we ought to proue whether it be of God or no What proufe will you shewe vs of yours Shewe the priuiledge that you haue by the which God doth enioyne vs to beleue your Gospell rather then the Gospell of the Pelagians Nouatians Nestorians and other suche false Apostles considering that they haue alleaged the Scriptures aswell as you If you saye that they were heretikes abusers of the people and rauishing wolues cloathed in lambes Skins and false Interpreters of the Scriptures all this is certaine But what though the like reporte goeth of you Ye saye that ye are sent from God to refourme the Churche They saye as muche They preached that the Pope was Antichriste shewinge themselues verye eloquent in detracting and rayling against the Catholike Romane Churche you doo the like At euery worde they did alleage the Scriptures in their Sermons to confyrme their doctrine as you do for yours That that they preached was called by them the Gospell and the pure worde of the Lord these are the very tearmes that you vse amonge your holye prophetes they haue beene condemned as heretikes by the generall Councels you are so likewise They did appeal vnto the pure word of God you doo the like Yet are they proued to be false cogging knaues and so shall you Then seing there is so great an vniformitie betweene you vppon what grounde shall we confyrme that reason that shoulde condemne theym as heretikes and allowe you for Catholikes S. Augustine in his Epistle .161 did put vnto a Donatist called Honoratus this probleme We desire thee not to think it much to aunswere vs to this what cause doest thou knowe or what thing hath there bene done that hath made Christ lose his inheritance spred ouer all the worlde to come to be contayned only in Affrick there only to remayne We put the like question to Caluin Beza Virett and the rest that it may please them to tell vs if that by chaunce they haue ben aduertised through what occasion our Sauiour Christ hath lost his inheritaunce that is to saye the Churche spread ouer all the worlde to remaine nowe in the latter dayes with a company of rude Swizers or in two or three corners besydes and not among the rest for there is a great number of good Catholikes what badge can ye shewe or what signe to make vs know that you are the successors of the Apostles of Christe If that the Scriptures that you alleage ought to be a sufficient proufe we are content to accepte it if you will be content to graunt the like vnto the abouenamed heretikes whiche haue fortifyed their campe with as manye places more then you doo alleage Nowe if that notwithstanding the Scriptures by them alleaged you doo condemne them as heretikes because that they did interprete them contrary to that that the Churche doth teache and to say truth you can imagine no other excuse to what purpose doo you take vpon you the names of Catholikes seeing that you commit the like offence The diuersities of those old heresyes grounded vppon the Scriptures yll interpreted doo teache vs that we shoulde not permit the noyse of youre reformed Gospell that soundeth so shrill to make vs reele from our auncient fayth and without going so farre to seek that that we haue so neere at hande Let vs talke of the present time howe many contrarye sectes doth there reigne howe many heades of heresyes Some are Lutherans some Anabaptists some Puritans some Protestants some Precisians and all these do fortifye their campes with Scriptures to fight one against another The Zuinglians and the Caluinists on the other syde doo write that all these doo erre and they proue it by Scripture The Anabaptists laughe at all the rest The Prophetes Celestes which is another secte doo no lesse grounding theym selues vppon their reuelations because that Dauid sayeth Heare what the Lorde doeth speake in me The Deists or Trinitaries which are come last of all crye out and saye that all they are heretikes and they proue it by the olde and newe Testament I praye nowe tell me which of al these shall I receaue seeing that they doo all alleage the holye Scriptures If we receaue some and not all those that are refused will saye that we offer them wronge for they haue their shoppes stored with as good stuffe of the Scriptures and as wel alleaged as all the rest If we receaue them all it will be a renewing of the olde confusion of Babilon through the neglecting of so manye Gospels If you
the best of the worlde yea whollye without spot or sinne as some of you doo affyrme yet were not they sufficient to moue vs to chaunge our religion nor to forsake that that our forefathers haue taught vs for although it be so that our Sauiour Christe was as iust and as innocent as any can be hath beene or euer shal be yet neyther his holy life nor the Scriptures that he did alleage to proue his comming by the authoritie of the Prophetes nor the testimonie of S. Iohn Baptist all these thinges together wer not sufficient to perswade the Iewes to forsake their old lawes and to receaue the Gospell without the testimonie of the great miracles that he did in their presence He doeth confesse this plainely where he sayth If I had not done in their presence the workes and miracles that neuer any had done they should haue no sin This sentence is moste notable and woorthy to be grauen in the heartes of all Catholikes to assure their consciences which are troubled with such diuersitie of opinions For although it were so that you my masters were the honestest men of the worlde sent from God to teache and preache a true doctrine yet shoulde we be excusable before God for not receauing of your commission euen as the Iewes had bene for not receuing of our Sauiour Christe if he had not done so manye miracles For we knowe no cause why you shoulde be more priuileged then Christe And seing that you haue shewed nothing to verifye it this waye and that the Scriptures make no mention of your vocation nor you shewe no miracles and that your liues are at the least as yll as ours what moues you to be so bolde and so vnshamefaced as to threaten vs with eternall damnation if we receaue not your hereticall doctrine the which is so full of discordes and diuisions that one maye easilye gather by this from whence it came and whither it doeth leade one although yee haue nothing in your mouthes but the Gospell the worde of the Lorde and as S. Augustine sayde vnto your semblables Sola personat apud vos veritatis pollicitatio I say no more at this time but that I beseeche God to drawe you as nere to vs as you are farre from vs and to inspire youre mindes to turne to the flock of Christ the which both to your owne harme and ours you haue forsaken FINIS ¶ An offer made by a Catholike to a learned Protestant wherein shall appere the difference betwixte the open knowen Churche of the Catholikes from the hidde and vnknowen congregation of the Protestants FIrste seeing it cannot be denyed that our Sauiour Christe before his departure and Ascension did commit the charge and gouernment of his Churche the testimonie of his word the truth of his Gospell the ministration of his Sacramentes to his Apostles and Disciples that not only for them selues but to their successors Bishops and priests to none other saying onely vnto them Euntes docete omnes gentes Goe ye and teache all people and nations of the worlde baptising them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghoste teaching them to obserue and keepe all thinges which I haue commaunded you Further Thapostle S Paule being at Miletum in executing of his charge and gouernment gaue this admonition to the bishops and priestes there assembled before him saying Attendite vobis et vniuerso gregi Take hede vnto your selues and vnto the whole flocke of Christe in the which the holy ghoste hath ordeyned you bishops Regere ecclesiam dei to gouerne the church of God. And in the thirtenth Chapiter of his Epistle to the Hebrews he doth commaunde al other sortes of men without exception of Emperours kinges Queenes princes to obey their bisshops and priestes saying Obedite Praepositis vestris et subiacete eis ipsi enim peruigilant quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri Obey your Prelates and doo what they appoynt you for they doo watche as men that shall render accoumptes for your soules Seeing that by the testimonies before alleaged it can not be denyed but that the charge and gouernment of Christe his churche the preaching of his doctrine the administration of his Sacraments was by him committed to his Apostles disciples and to all Bishops and priestes as Successors of them to plant christian fayth and religion in his catholike churche vniuersally throughout all nations coastes and quarters of the worlde Seeing this is by the playnnes of the sayde Testimonyes of suche an vndoubted truth that it cannot be denyed Nowe let the learned Protestant affyrming princes to be the supreme heades of the Church eyther shewe by some suche other like playne testimonyes of the scriptures that our Sauiour Christe did committe the chiefe charge and supreme gouernment of his Churche to Emperours kinges Queenes and princes to plant christian fayth religion in the same or that anye one of Christe his Apostles or disciples did conuert any people lande or countrey from their Idolatry Ethnike kinde of liuing to Christian fayth religion by preaching the doctrine of the Protestantes as of onely fayth to iustifye the contempt of good workes and that they be all vncleane in the sight of God the denyall of free will of the reall presence of Christes bodye in the holy Eucharist of the sacrifice of the moste blessed Masse the abolishing of Christe his Sacramentes of all grace and goodnes by them cōferred vnto vs then I shal yeelde and recant and not before Seconde Christe his Catholike Churche being on this wise planted by Thapostles disciples of Christe by Bishops and priests the successors of them had at all times a special care and regarde not onelye of preaching Gods worde but also of the preseruation of the same worde and Gospel by writing of the sacred Bible and holy Scriptures and did discerne iudge them from all other writinges prophane or authentique of all sortes What Churche hath had from time to time the custody of the sacred scriptures and moste safely hath preserued them for the necessary foode of Gods people and from the corruption of the aduersaries aswel Iewes and Gentiles as schismatikes and heretikes of all sortes but onely the common knowen Catholike Church of Christ When therefore the learned Protestantes shal be able to bring proufe to the contrarye that their priuate conuenticles and congregations were the firste bringers forth of this sacred Bible and the worde of God written the chiefe preseruers and defenders of the same in all times and ages from all Iewes Gentiles heretikes and schismatikes Then I will as I saide before reuolte and recant Thirde shew me good reason why ye protestants doo beleeue our catholike churche enfourming and telling you this to be the word of God written the true Bible and sacred Scriptures and doo refuse to credite her in the true sense and vnderstanding of the same Scripture she being
in authoritie per quem reges regnant by whom kinges doo reigne who had Peter if he loued him to féede his shéepe who hath also constitute vnder him féeders vpon the earth some spirituall some temporall O I say that they would diligently looke vpon these wordes A good shepherde geueth his life for the sheepe seriouslye ponder in their minde what a charge is hid in this short sentēce how many thinges princeps pastorum the prince of shepherdes as Peter calleth him doth require of them whom he hath made herdsmen vnder him whose duetie is to be good pastours and faythfull féeders like to their master O that they wold call to their mind that they must at length depart hēce come where it shal be said to euery one of thē Redde rationem villicationis tuae Geue accompt of thy bayliwike Come forth and shew how thou hast fed my flock that I cōmitted to thy handes Thou Bishop howe haste thou visited thy diocesse what Parsons what Vicares haste thou admitted Thou Archedeacon howe often haste thou visited séene euery curate to do his duty how hast thou redressed al enormities and slaunders within thy iurisdictiō Thou parson thou vicare thou curate how hast thou fed thy flock with good ensamples of charitie vertuous liuing with kéeping of hospitality to thy power by preching holsome doctrine in reuerently ministring my Sacramentes Thou king howe haste thou ruled thy Realme What lawes lawes haste thou made for the setting forth of my glorye for the extirpation of heresyes for maintenaunce of equitie for punishment of wronge for prouision that thinges may be solde at a competent price that couetous men make no dearth to their condemnation when I geue plentie Thou Lorde howe haste thou gouerned vnder thy prince Thou man of woorship howe haste thou indeuoured to haue quietnes kepte and the princes lawes to be obeyed Thou Iustice how haste thou ministred right indifferently to all persons Thou Maior or head officer in anye Citie or Towne howe haste thou kept thy selfe cléere from periurie howe haste thou séene good order obserued and al ydlenes dissolute maners to be banished Finally thou whatsoeuer officer or Magistrate thou be howe haste thou regarded the common wealth and preferred it afore thy priuate lucre or commoditie O that these thinges were considered for as sure as God liueth these accomptes will he call vpon straytly None shall escape Cui multum datur as S. Gregorie sayeth multum ab eo quaeretur He that hath muche geuen him shall make a great accompt thereof and muche shall be of him required And at that daye percase he shall recken him selfe moste fortunate and happie that had leaste in this worlde and least to doo And he peraduenture moste infortunate that hath moste to doo in this worlde vnlesse he order it well vnlesse he order it righteously iustly and ordinately Nowe good Reader thou haste hearde that Christe sayeth Bonus pastor animam suam dat pro ouibus suis And to put thée out of doubt who is this good shepherde he sayeth Ego sum pastor bonus cognosco oues meas cognoscunt me meae I am the good shepherde which will geue my lyfe for my shéepe by my death to purchase thē lyfe that as I will rise and dye no more so shall they after their bodily death arise at the last day neuer to dye any more but to liue alwayes with my father and me I knowe my shéepe not all onely that they be mine but I so knowe them for mine that I wil be their succour in their tribulations I will strengthen them in their persecutions I will receaue them into my ioye and glorie I knowe them and they knowe me This is then required of the shéepe that they knowe their shepherde Thrée properties must be in euery man or woman that shall haue this worthy name to be called a shéepe of Christe The firste propertie is that our Sauiour sayeth that his shéepe doo know him This knowledge haue Christes shéepe of him that by his godhead he is their father by his manhood he is their brother and by his benefites he is their louing lorde and master They knowe it is he and none other that hath made their peace with God his father Ipse enim est pax nostra for he is our peace Ad Ephesios secundo he hath gotten vs forgeuenes of our sinnes he hath deliuered vs out of the bondage of the deuill he hath purchased heauen for vs he is to vs Turris fortitudinis the Tower of our strength The seconde propertie of Christes shéepe is to heare their shepherdes voyce and to geue no eare to the voyce of any straunger You will aske me peraduenture how you shoulde heare him which although he be verily and bodily héere with vs in the Sacrament of the Aultare yet in his humane forme he is ascended vp into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of his father Wherevnto I aunswere that we must heare his voyce sounding by the mouth of his Churche which is the verye true spouse of Iesus Christe Quam sanctificauit mundans eam lauacro aquae in verbo vitae whom he hath sanctified and purified with the bath of water in the worde of life vt exhiberet ipse sibi gloriosam ecclesiam non habentem maculam aut rugam to make it a glorious Churche to himselfe without spot or wrinkle Ad Ephesios 5. If we heare the church we heare Christe for as the holy Bishop and Martyr Irenaeus writeth in the fortie Chapter of his thirde booke Vbi ecclesia ibi spiritus vbi spiritus dei illic ecclesia omnis gratia spiritus autem veritas where the Churche is there is the spirite of God and where the spirite of God is there is the Churche and all grace and the spirite is truth Wherefore as the same godly father writeth in the forty and thrée Chapiter of his fourth booke we be bounde to be obedient to the Prelates of the Churche his qui successionem habent ab Apostolis to them that haue their successiō from the Apostles Reliquos verò sayth he qui absistunt a principali successi quocunque loco colliguntur suspectos habere quasi haereticos oportet As for all other that go away from the principall succession we ought to suspect them as heretikes These are Ireneus wordes in the place nowe alleaged And Christ sayth him selfe Qui vos audit me audit He that heareth you heareth me Wherfore if we wil heare Christ as his father hath commaunded vs Ipsum audite Heare him Math. 17. then must we heare the Churche The Churche is our moste holy Mother whom we ought to haue in great reuerence and to commit our selues wholly vnto her to heare her and like obedient children to do what she biddeth vs What the Churche holdeth in matters of religion that must we holde what the Churche prescribeth it is our duetie to folowe what the Churche forbiddeth
that are we bound vnder paine of damnation to auoyde in any wise S. Iohn in the fourth Chapter of his firste Epistle biddeth vs be ware that we beléeue not euery spirite but to trye the spirites whether they be of God or not Then how can they be of God whiche go from the Churche S. Augustine in the exposition of this Epistle of S. Iohn tractatu primo writeth thus Qui ecclesiam relinquit quomodo est in Christo qui in membris Christi non est Quomodo est in Christo qui in corpore Christi non est He that leaueth the Churche howe is he in Christe that is not in the members of Christe howe is he in Christ that is not in the body of Christ By the which S. Augustine affirmeth that the Churche which is the spouse of Christ is also the misticall bodye of Christe and Christe is the heade of the Churche As many therefore as be Christe his shéepe they heare their shepherdes voyce in the Churche They will not heare the voyce of straungers as of Luther Oecolampadius Zuinglius Caluine like heretikes which for all their gaye wordes and crying still Christe and the Gospell maye haue euerye one of them these verses of Persius in his fifte Satyre worthely spoken to him Pelliculam veterem retines fronte politus Astutam vapido seruas sub pectore vulpem Thou kéepest still thine olde hyde vppon thée and bearing a fayre face thou wrappest a wylye foxe vnder thy vaporous brest These be they of whom S. Peter speaketh in the seconde Chapter of his second Epistle Magistri mendaces qui introducunt sectas perditionis Lying masters bringing in sectes of perdition and denying the God that bought them Howebeit sithen it is so as Paule sayeth There will be alwayes rauening wolues non parcentes gregi not sparing the flock And among our owne selues will men arise speaking peruerse thinges And suche is our frayle nature that as the wittie Horace sayeth Decipimur specie recti We be soone deceaued vnder the colour of truth It behoueth vs to folowe the counsel of our head and principall master Iesus Christe whiche teacheth vs an excellent document of heauenly philosophie saying Attendite vobis à falsis Prophetis Take yée héede to your selues and beware of false Prophetes which come vnto you in vestimentis ouium in shéepes cloathing but inwardly they are Lupi rapaces Rauening wolues We must I say beware that we be not deluded and vnder colour of Euangelicall veritie be made to receaue pernitious and damnable heresyes as alas the more pitie hath miserably chaunced to our noble Realme of Englande vnder colour of bringing vs to truth leading vs awaye from the truth to the vtter decaye of all godlines and setting vp of counterfaite religion The wéede hath nowe ouer growen the corne euill hurtfull and soulequelling wéedes of heresie haue ouergrowen oppressed pulled downe to the grounde and vtterly choked the good corne of christen religion and all ecclesiasticall constitutions All you therefore that haue bene seduced and taken wéedes for wholsome flowers beware least with the stenche of suche rotten wéedes yée infecte your soule to euerlasting damnation The infallible truth is dayly opened vnto you The falshood is mightily conuinced as shall plainelye appeare in the Discourse héere folowing Stande no more in the defence of that which you may easily knowe and sée with your eyes if ye will not be wilfullye and obstinately blinde to be nothing but deceipt What doo I call it deceipt naye I cal it a most venimous poison to the soule yea and an hellishe draught of endlesse death Playe not the parte of a mad man of whom Horace writeth in the seconde booke of his Epistles that he was angrye with his frendes for that they had caused him to be healed of his phrenesie and restored to his wittes agayne Be not angrye that you may if you will be brought out of the fowle miste into the cléere ayre from darkenes to light from an horrible phrenesie to godly wisedome Folowe the wholsome counsell of Saint Paule in the fourth to the Ephesians Vt non simus amplius pueri qui fluctuemus circumferamur quouis vento doctrinae per versutiam hominum per astutiam qua nos adoriuntur vt imponant nobis That we be no longer children and fléete too and fro caried hither and thither with euerye blast of doctrine by the wilines and craftines of men wherwith they set vpon vs to deceiue vs There haue béene a great manye suche sprongen vp in our Realme of late which haue taught vs wronge Lessons Emendemus ergò in melius Let vs amend therfore The thirde propertie is that the shéepe doo folowe their Shepherde This propertie is of so great importance that without it the other two cannot auayle It is not ynough to knowe Christe to be our refuge our helpe and succoure It is not ynoughe with that also to heare Christe speaking to vs in his Churche except we folow Christ and his Churche and shewe our selues willingly to doo that which the Churche commaundeth vs We must fast when the Churche commaundeth vs and as it biddeth vs We must pray as the Churche instructeth vs We must doo those good woorkes that the Churche teacheth vs to doo In obeying the Churche we obey God if we be disobedient to the Churche we disobeye god For as Chrisostome sayeth vpon the firste Epistle to the Corinthians vt corpus caput vnus est homo ita vnum est ecclesia Christus As the body and the head is but one man so is Christe and his Church one thing Doo therefore as the wise man biddeth thée Audi disciplinam patris tui ne dimittas legem matris tuae Heare the discipline of thy father and forsake not the lawe of thy mother I meane thy mother the holye Churche whom as manye as forsake they forsake God also For as holy Ciprian writeth de simplicate praelatorum Habere non potest deum patrem qui ecclesiam non habet matrem He can not haue God to be his father that knoweth not the Churche for his mother Yée may sée here euidentlye that this holye man would haue vs to be obedient vnto and diligently to kéepe the ordinaunces of our fathers not to institute euery day newe fashions as men moste vnconstant and full of newe fangles The Lacedemonians are praysed that they suffered no straunge ware to be brought into their Citie whereby the Citizens might be effeminated and corrupted in their maners and for the same cause they extoll greatlye Licurgus which made the same law Now if the Lacedemonians were so serious obseruers of their olde lawes and customes what a shame shall this be to vs Christian men which were not taught of Licurgus but of Christe himselfe dayly to alter and chaunge not content with those rites and Ceremonyes that were ordeyned of auncient time out of memorie Irenaeus teacheth in his thirde booke against the
their time He saith likewise vnto the Traditions which are of the Apostles and that by succession of pastors haue bene vsed in the Churche we do persuade prouoke those that speake against Traditions He writes as much more in the thirde Chapter of the saide booke Forasmuch sayth he as it were to tedious to set forth in one booke the Successours of all the Churches and to tell them one by one we doo ouerthrowe those that for vayne glorie doo seeke to gather disciples together teaching them contrary to that that doth apperteyn vnto the Traditions of the Apostles the which we doo shewe to them by the saide Traditions and by the faith that hath bene taught and is come to vs by succession of the Bishops of the great and auncient Church of Rome the which was founded by the two glorious Martyrs and Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule These are his wordes in his thirde booke aduersus haereses the fyfth Chapter And at the beginning of the saide Chapter he saith thus All those that will vnderstand the truth may presently regard the traditions of the Apostles which are manifest throughout the world and we cannot coumpt the number of those that haue bene instituted and ordeyned Bishops in the Churche their Successoures till our dayes which haue neither knowen nor taughte anye thing like vnto the fables and tales that these doo preache vnto vs c. Not without cause wee may nowe a dayes say the like of the Lutherans Caluinistes other sectes of our time After this he doeth set forth all the Popes of Rome from S. Peter vnto Eleutherius which was Pope in his time And he did affirme that that number did suffise to proue that the doctrine of Marcian and Valentinian was false and very hurtfull because that it was vnknowen or at the least not receaued or approued by the Churche being vnder the gouernaunce of any of those Popes Then with greater reason ought prescriptiō to take place against a new doctrine which hath beene vnknowen this 1500. yeres or at the least if any bodie sought to publishe it he was condemned as a false pernitious heretike ¶ The .6 Chapter S. Augustine in his Epistle 365. about the like matter doeth set forth all the Popes by order which haue bene from S. Peters time vntil Anastasius which was pope in his time and by his continuall succession he doeth proue that the doctrine of the Donatists is heretical because that none of those popes which he did recite nor no part of the Churche did receaue it I pray you maye not we saye the like by the Caluinistes and other heretikes The saide S. Augustine in the Epistle that he doth call Epistola fundamenti Cap. 4. doeth write the reasons that did keepe him vnder the obedience of the Catholike Romane Church And amonge other he doeth alleage the common consent of all nations and the continuall succession of Bishops And in his booke which he made against the aduersarie of the olde and newe lawe he doeth name the succession of the bishops as most certain to answer to that that we sayd before of S. Paul I mean that he would not haue vs to be wauering doubtfull in our doctrin but that we should be firm stable the which stablenes is obteined by the knowledge and intelligence of the Scriptures according to the traditions of the Churche and the succession of the Apostles and Bishops The Churche saieth S. Augustine frō the Apostles time hath continued through the certaine succession of the Bishops vntill our dayes ¶ The .7 Chapter YOu doo studie as muche as you canne to reiect our succession and not without cause knowing that this onely doeth suffise to ouerthrowe all the heresies of those new reformed Gospellers Caluin as the moste apparant doth seeke to proue that our reason is of no force because that the Greekes haue had euer succession of Pastours and yet we doo not holde them as Catholikes But if the Reader doo well note that that we haue alreadie sayde he shall finde the aunswere vnto this obiection I meane because that the Greekes haue not had succession and continuaunce of doctrine called vnitie of fayth by the Apostles the which ought euer to be ioyned to the continuaunce of the Pastors to shew the true recognisaunce of the Catholike religion There is none that doo study reade of those matters but that doo know the vnconstant faith of the Greekes as touching the proceeding of the holye ghoste the which errour they had abiured at the last Councell of Florence and yet notwithstanding they did turne to it againe besides diuers other light thinges to speake moderatelye which are not approued by their auncient fathers S. Iohn Chrisostome S. Cirill S. Basil and Athanasius nor yet by our aduersaries at this present time The which errours I haue no neede to set foorth in this booke for my intent is but to speake of that that prickes vs at hande because of ill neighborhood Some doo alleage vnto vs the negligence of our pastors and their ill liues for the which cause they say that the mētioned succession cannot take place But this argument is of no force For althogh that the carelesse liues of some Bisshops and ecclesiasticall persons haue bene so great and so hurtfull vnto the blud of our Sauior Christ I mean to the soules bought with it yet notwithstanding that the Churche hath not lost the succession continuaunce of one doctrine as touching the administration of the Sacramentes by those that were deputed by the Bisshops If one should see a Prelate doing nothing and his lieftenant doing all which of those two woulde you take to be Bishop they haue both deuided their charges the one receueth the profite the other takes all the payne If they be both content what losse doo you feele he that hath anye interest let him valewe the damage And although that the negligence of the Bishop be not excusable before God with the diligence of the deputie nor his conscience cleere yet this ought to suffise that though his faultes be through negligence or through euil liuing yet that ought not to perturbe the assurance of our doctrin the which wee haue taught vs by the word of God interpreted by the true doctours that haue bene before vs agreing in vnitie of faith as I haue alredie said For neither the naughtines of Achas Num. 1. nor of Ioram nor of diuers other great sinners which are inrolled in the booke of the generation of Iesus Christe were not able to withstande the fulfilling of the promise of God made to Abraham that is to sai that he would be borne of this line Euen so the ill liues and conuersatiō of diuers wicked Popes that haue folowed after Saint Peter haue neuer beene able to moue Christe to breake his promise that is to saye that the fayth of his Churche shoulde neuer fayle Math. 16. and that the gates of hell that is to saye of
the right and auncient Catholike fayth For we that are the sheepe of Christe doo folow as touching our religiō the steppes that our fathers led before vs and as it were going vp vppon the ladder of Iacob Gen. 28. we mount by degree and degree I meane from yeere to yeere and from age to age vntill that we come to S. Saturim S. Denice S. Marcial and S. Gratian which were those that did firste teache the Catholike faith in Tholose in Paris and to those of Guyenna and Lorayne and so consequently to all the rest of the Saintes that firste did teache the Catholike fayth through all Christendome whom we doo call in iudgement before God to defend that fayth which they haue geuen vs from hande to hande they may call vppon the Apostles which sent them and the Apostles may direct thēselues to Christe who by the mouth of his moste louing Apostle doth commaunde vs to continue in that that was taught vs at the beginning 1. Ioan. 2. And so we shall continue and rest with the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And if any body doth come to teache vs anye other doctrine then that which hath bene taught vs at the beginning I doo not saye written in booke but printed in our hearts that he be holden as an Anathema or an excommunicate person yea although it were an Angell of heauen The which doeth perswade vs not to receaue your newe doctrine or Gospell but to keepe our selues vnder the gouernaunce of our olde Pastours and Bishops without hauing any respect to their euill or good liues for as touching our faith and saluation that doth unport nothing The good and holye liues of Iesus Christe and his Apostles hath profited nothing neither to the obstinate Iewes nor to the vnbeleuing Gentiles Nor in the like case the depraued life of manye euil Bishops that haue bene at Rome and in other places haue not shut the dores of heauen against those that are true Catholikes and leade perticuler liues the which are two principall poyntes that doo quiet our consciences I meane the one that we beleue that that our Pastours the vniuersall Church haue beleued these thousande and fiue hundred yeres and the other that their euill liues cannot hurt vs For as the Apostle doth saye Euery man shall beare his owne bundell ¶ The .10 Chapter NOwe to turne vnto the taking of your accompts may it please you to shewe vs howe you haue folowed the steppes of the flocke of Christ according to the counsell that we gaue to his reasonable sheepe as we haue sayde before Who hath taught you the way that you doo folowe what doctours were your first tutors who hath taught you that the precious body of our Sauiour is not really in the Sacrament of the Aultare who hath taught the doctrine or if it be not grief vnto you heresy which you wold haue vs to receiue as a Gospel I know before hand that you wil alleage me Iesus Christe and his holy Apostles whose steppes you doo professe to folow preching euery wher that there is no difference betweene your Church or to say truth Sinagog the church of the Apostles But I pray Let me vnderstand by what means you canne ioyne your selues vnto the Churche of the Apostles seing that you condemne and cut off all the Christians that haue beene and are betweene you and them For to verifye this I will alleage no other but your owne workes for Caluin in his Institutions at the Treatise of the Supper of the Lord speaking of the oblation of the body of our Sauiour Christe as it was offered in olde time he doeth write punctually these wordes Caluinus in sua institutione tradita de Coena Domini I finde sayth he that those of olde time haue chaunged this fashion otherwise then the Institution of our Sauiour did require seing that their supper did represent a certaine spectacle of a straunge Inuention or at the least of a newe maner There is nothing more sure vnto the faythfull then for them to holde them selues vnto the pure ordinance of the Lorde by whom it was called a supper to the ende that onely his authoritie may be our rule Yet it is true that when I consider their good meaning and that their intent was neuer to derogate from the onely sacrifice of Christe I dare not condemne them of folye and yet I thinke that one cannot excuse them that they haue not somewhat fayled in the exteriour forme for they haue folowed more the Cerimonies of the Iewes then the order of Iesus Christe did permit And this is the point in which they ought to be resisted for they haue conformed to muche vnto the olde Testament not contenting themselues with the simple institution of Christe they haue to muche inclined themselues vnto the shadowed Ceremonies of the Iewes lawe These are Caluins words The Reader may by them see well howe this noble Reformer of the Gospell doeth correct al ages and Churches be they of Martyrs Confessors Doctours Interpreters Preachers or anye others from the Apostles time vnto our age yet doth he not deny but that hauing some regard of their simple ignorāce he is content to be so good to them as for this time not to condemne their error or impietie because that which they did was with a good intent but yet fearing that the bearing thē to muche fauour woulde trouble his conscience he geueth sentence against them saying that they ought to be resisted because they were not content with the onely institution of Christe but rather that in this case they haue folowed the shadows of the Iewes Nowe for my part I thinke Caluin and his felowes so scrupulous that they would not ioyn themselues vnto persons that are spotted with Iewish Ceremonies And because that all maner of people howe wise soeuer they were frō the Apostles time vntil our dayes haue fallen into this error he doth counsel my masters his deformed folowers according to his sentence to folowe none of them at all but only the pure worde of the Lord preached by Iesus Christe and by his aboue mentioned Apostles ¶ The .11 Chapter YOu doo knowe very well that S. Paule doth compare many times the misticall body of the Churche vnto a natural body seing that Iesus Christ is the head vnto whō the body is ioined by ioints bones sinews If one should then demaund of you howe the feete are ioined to the head you wil answere me by the legs which are next vnto the feete And if I aske you how the legs are ioined to the hed you wil answere by the ioints and by the reins of the back so consequently frō member to member I do beleue that we are al of one accorde that the ende of the world is at hande and so consequentlye that we are the lowermost part of the body so that we are the feete or the legges Then my masters you that haue made so fine an
Anotomie of the Masse at my request make another of the ministerie of your congregation If you should see such another as Apelles that would paint a man and that he had drawen his head and without painting the rest of his bodye he had set his feete vnder his eares what would you say to suche a Table Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici Would you not thinke that he was a simple painter or els a great Iester Euen so doo you deserue that one should laugh at youre ministerie For you will ioyne youre Churche if it may be so called vnto the Churche of the Apostles without setting forth any members betweene them You take but scant measure when you will cut of al the Bishops Pastors and doctors that haue bene from the Apostles time til our dayes they being the members that folowe the head of the Churche This maye well be called a newe Religion or to say the truth it is a meere presumption to flye without winges or to clymbe without a ladder And I say to you againe that this is not the waye to folowe the Counsell of the great Shepherde that I mentioned before who doth say to vs that if we will not misse the way of the Catholikes we ought to folow the flocke of those shepe that haue gone before vs that is to saye that we should recken by succession the Pastors that haue succeeded in continuance of one kind of doctrine the which as we haue shewed the Catholike Churche doth and hath euer done ¶ The .12 Chapter AS touching the rest you haue accustomed in your ministerie to vse the imposition or laying on of hands and you saye that it is an auncient and honest Ceremonie In this you say the truth For as we reade of great antiquitie this Cerimonie hath beene vsed aswell in the olde lawe as in the lawe of grace And vnto that did redounde the imposition of handes laid vpon the Wether that was brought to the immolation of the Sacrifice of Moyses lawe to declare that those that are ordeined vnto the seruice of God and vnto the ministerie of the Church ought to retaine the like Ceremonie so the Israelites did laye their handes vppon the Leuites and Moyses likewise did laye his handes vpon Iosua whē he was made a captain of the Israelites who did represent the Church of Christ The apostles haue vsed the like as we find wher we read that S. Peter and S. Iohn did lay their handes vpon the Christiā people of Samaria S. Paule vpon the Ephesians and likewise the Apostles vpon the seuen Deacons vpon S. Paule and Barnabas S. Paule doeth admonishe Timothe not to despise the grace that he had receued by the impositiō of handes that he should set forth the gifte of God that he had receiued with the imposition of the handes of S. Paul vpō him He doth likewise cōmaunde him not to vse this impositiō of hāds without discretiō to the end that he do not cōmunicat with the sin of another Caluin according to these authorities in his institutiō booke Ar. 8. ca. 50. of faith doth cōmaund the like to be vsed in his Churche It doth appere saith he that the Apostles haue vsed no other Ceremonie in the vocation to the ministery but this imposition of handes Now I thinke that thei tooke this custom of the Iewes who did present vnto god by the imposition of hands that that they wold blesse cōsecrate After this sort Iacob Gen. 48. whē he would blesse Ephraim and Manasses he laide his handes vpon their heades Our Sauiour did the like vppon the litle children when he did praye Math. 19. And as I thinke it was all to one ende ordeined in the lawe and therefore the Apostles by the imposition of handes did signifye that they did offer vnto God him that they did receaue into the ministerie althoughe they did vse it likewise with those vnto whom they did distribute the visible giftes of the holy Ghost How so euer it be they haue vsed this solemnitie as many times as they did ordeyne any body to the ministerie of the Churche as we see by example aswell touching the Pastours and doctours as the Deacons Now although there be no special commaundement as touching the imposition of handes yet notwithstanding seeing that we reade that the Apostles did vse it continuallye that which they did vse so diligently ought to be vnto vs as a precept And surely it is a profitable thing to set forth to the people the dignitie of the Ministerie by suche a Ceremonie and to make him know that is thus ordeyned minister that he apperteyneth no more to himselfe but that he is dedicated to the Seruice of God and of his Churche c. Thus seing that Caluin doth confesse the imposition of handes to be so necessary for the ministerie of the Churche and that it is approued aswell by the lawe of nature as by the lawe of Moyses or of the Gospell Answere vs then who was he that laide his handes vpon Caluin to safe conduct the charge of his conscience You will aunswere me Zuinglius or Oecolampadius or the others of his time And if by chaunce one would be so curious as to pursue this demaund mounting a litle higher I meane to know of whom these abouenamed haue receued their blessing and imposition of handes I thinke you will not name the Apostles if you will not haue euery man to laughe at your follye for there is none so simple but doeth knowe that they died aboue 1500. yeres agone And seing that your patriarch hath made vs so goodly an oration as touching this imposition of handes affirming it to be necessarye both by the lawe of Nature the lawe of Moyses and the lawe of Grace howe doeth it come to passe that Zuinglius hath not vsed it to confirme his ministerie ¶ The .13 Chapter If that the good doctour S. Ciprian had bene in these our dayes might he not well haue saide against youre Schollers that which he did write against Nouatus there needed no other but in steede of Nouatus to put in Caluinus or Zuinglius et nomine mu tato de vobis fabula narrabitur Seing that the saide S. Ciprian doth holde affirme that Nouatus oughte to be accompted as no Bishop because he succeded no bodie but rather that he did make himselfe a Bishop without anye imposition of handes Then to what purpose I praye you are ye of the opinion that Caluin and Zuinglius are such faithful ministers considering that they are as far from prouing that confirmation of their ministerie as euer was Nouatus You wil answer me that you haue no nede of the impositiō of hāds of the Papists superstitious Idolaters Infidels But this maketh your cause neuer the better for if you are so scrupulous by nature that it goeth against your cōsciences to come to kneele to our Bisshops you shuld I say in times
saye that we oughte to folowe those that conforme them selues moste vnto the pure worde of God that will come to one ende for if I doo demaunde of you how we shall know whiche do conforme theym selues moste vnto the truthe you aunswere me that it must be done by the grace of the holye Ghoste sent by the Lorde yf with a true hearte he is inuocated of the faythfull Seeing you knowe so well the way how to agree together howe comes it to passe that you haue not vsed it this fortie or fiftie yeres which are the precinctes of the time since your auncient Churche beganne seeing that you haue assembled so manye times together why haue ye not prayed vnto the Lorde to sende the spirite of truth to make peace amongst his Apostles I thinke that you are not so vnshamfaste that you will denye the quarels and debates that haue risen amonge you I doo not saye in light wordes but in great battailes in rayling processes in horrible excommunications sent from the Churches of the Lutherans vnto the Caluinists and from the Caluinists vnto the Lutherans as I haue set foorth at large in the booke that I made of the Sacrament and therefore ye are greatlye ouerseene that ye haue not inuocated the spirite of the Lorde as Caluin hath taught you in his Cathechisme to the ende that you may come to some accorde ¶ The .29 Chapter NOwe to turne againe to our former purpose if it were so that of our owne free deliberation we were minded to forsake our Catholike religion the iniurious disputations that you vse amonge your selues were sufficient to make vs to suspende oure iudgement without leaning to anye of both parties vntill that we coulde see you more resolute in youre opinions being the hardest matter the knowing in what countrey the residence shoulde be kepte for that matter You haue geuē absolute sentence saying that the Catholike Churche hath erred euen from the Apostles time vnto this present in praying to God for the soules of those that are deade constituted in a thirde place called Purgatorye You shoulde me thinke at the least allowe a thirde place although it be not that to receaue the soules of those whose consciences you haue so troubled that they knowe nowe neither what is their faith nor of what religion they should be for whē they reade Luthers workes they are Lutherans whē they meete with Caluins workes they are Caluinists and at the last they do not know which side in deede is the truest being both false and therfore I think it were good that a sequestration were made that neyther God nor the Deuill might haue parte of their soules till there were a farther inquirye made of suche a number of sects and that some good and honest arbitratour might geue iudgement as concerning which partie hath moste right And in the meane while I beseeche God to open so the eyes of the people that they maye see both youre errours and their owne and that through the aboundaunce of their sinnes he permit them not to fall into an Heathenisme vnto the which you doo seeke to drawe them with so manye contrary Gospels ¶ The .30 Chapter IT doth appere well by that that I haue saide howe the assuraunce of your vocation to the ministerie is but founded vpon sande forasmuche as you doo seeke particulerly a contrary meaning euery one to his owne perticuler sense being not this the waye that an extraordinarye minister sent from God shoulde vse to confyrme his doctrine for this hath beene the custome of all olde heretikes as I haue alreadye sayde There is a verye great difference betweene setting foorth the Scripture to refourme ones religion to reforme ones conditions for when there is any questiō of the refourming of ones maners there is no neede to regarde whether the doctrine be newe or olde for as the Apostle sayth let euery man take it to his owne sense but when it is to be talked of as touching ones fayth the Catholike ought greatlye to beware of singuler interpretations and to holde them as very suspitious He ought to folowe the sentence that is holden and taught by the auncient Catholike Churche without making any accompt of all these new deuises for euen as when one will repaire an olde house he dares commit it to anye Mason although his cunning be but small but if the foundation must be touched he will seeke the best masters he can fynde Euen so when one will correct me for my euill life or conditions although that it be so that he that seeks to reforme me be not of the wisest of the worlde and that he alleage to me some place or figure of the Sceipture not altogether to the purpose yet all this ought to turne to me to one effect for I know his meaning although he cannot well expresse it the which is to haue me chaunge my naughtie life and to leaue my yll conditions But when he shall come to touche my fayth and to perswade me from that that all my auncetours did euer holde frō that that the Catholike Churche deriued from the Apostles hath holden and doth holde and from that that both the Scripture and the generall Councels and all the auncient doctours teache and affyrme In the repayre of this foundation I ought to trust none but euen the verye best I meane not one or two but all these that I haue named And now if you say that they maye all erre I praye remember the olde prouerbe that saith He is a foole that thinkes that he onely is wise and all the other fooles and that it is more agreable to reason that one onely should erre then one great multitude for as thei say commonly two eyes see more then one and fowre more then two ¶ The .31 Chapter OVr Sauiour Christe did approue his vocation after another sort thē you doo yours Searche saith he the Scriptures for they beare witnes of me he doth not say that they ar Iudges as you saye for you will haue none other arbitrator but the word of god You knowe that they are two different thinges to beare witnes and to be a Iudge yet the scriptures of the old Testament doo conteine not only the veritie of the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ but therwithall the very sufficient probation of his person to teache vs the true worde of God to ouerthrow destroy the whole kingdome of Sathan as it is plainlye seene by those that list to looke vppon the oracles of the olde patriarchs and Prophetes It is written in the third of Genesis that God saide vnto the woman that her seede shoulde breake downe the serpents head And likewise in the said booke ther is mentiō made of this diuine seede of Abraham in the. 15. and. 53. Chapters of Esay in the. 2. Psalme Dauid doth talke of it And in like maner Daniell Moyses Aaron with al the rest of the prophets in their sacrifices haue very
woulde be mercifull to them because their error proceeded of ignoraunce and so that he will haue pitie of vs because of ours But I knowe that you will say that we are nowe vnexcusable because that wee do refuse the truth that you do preach By the selfe same reason our auncesters can alleage before God no good excuse forasmuch as they do make no accompt of the receauing of such ministers as you are and that haue preched the like Gospell that you doo announce vnto vs S. Hierome and al the Christians of his time are then condemned because they woulde not receaue the Gospell of Vigilantius who did euen as you doo preache that we shoulde not allowe the exposition of the doctours nor honour the relicques of Martyrs S. Augustine is likewise condemned because he wrote preached against the Arrians who taught as you do that it is an offence to pray for the dead And to be briefe if that which you doo preach ought to be called the Gospel and true word of God since the Apostles time ther hath bene neuer a Christian Doctour in the Church for they haue all taught the contrarye to your forged Gospell as euery man may see that will take the payne but to looke in their workes or to reade those places that are quoted by me and diuers others that haue confuted your heresies manye a hundred yeere agone by their authorities Let them then that haue any eyes beholde the hazarde that ye runne into and so manye others throughout the worlde which folowe your opinion If one shoulde come to accuse another of falsehoode and that before he be assured of this matter wherewith he did seeke to attaynt the defendaunt woulde not one thinke his matter verye great or his knowledge very small to run headlong into the daunger of that crime which if he could not proue he shoulde be condemned for himselfe What then shall become of you O most simple sheepe which seeke with fayned arguments to condemne not one or two but all the Christians and Catholikes that haue bene in this worlde since the Passion of Christ the which haue refused and reproued your doctrine as hereticall haue taught vs this that wee holde at this day But now to aunswer vnto that that was mentioned a litle before and that which a number of your flocke haue told me when I haue cōferred with them which is that the errour of our predecessours was not imputed vnto thē forasmuch as these good simple people went to worke after the grossest sort thinking to doo well and that as then they did not vnderstande well the truth which is nowe brought to light through your Gospell I saye that in this ye are deceaued more then halfe the value of your religion for before some of them dyed they had forgotten more then euer you haue learned for all that that you know you haue learned it of their bookes or stollen it to say the truth interpreting both their workes and the Scriptures contrary to the truth of their meaning And although it were so that they had al erred your colored excuse of simplicitie could auaile them nothing for the worde of God would accuse them If the Gospell saith S. Paule had bene hidden it hath bene hidden to those that haue perished the spirites of the which the God of this world hath blinded then if that those vnto whom the truth hath beene hiddē haue perished wherfore doth your excuse serue them This being true as it is moste like I meane that they haue not erred nor that you onely shal be saued and they all condemned To my iudgement our auncesters with all their simplicitie did neuer erre so muche as your disciples doo to folowe such masters as condemne that faith that the catholike church hath taught mainteyned these 1500 yeres to mainteyn those heresies that haue bene buried in hel many an hundred yere agone and nowe are called vp againe by Martin Luther Caluin and his felowes ¶ The .40 Chapter YF that by a good and a right title your disciples call them selues the children of god this makes me beleue that the saying of our Sauiour is fulfilled in them the which is The childrē of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light To proue this true we see this daily experience for a wise worldly man when he doth put out his money to gayne he will not trust the promise so soone of one or two or three as he will doo the bondes of a whole Towne or Citie that should warrant or assure his gayne But you nor your disciples haue not done thus but rather the contrarye It had bene better for you to haue fyrste put youre fayth and truste in God beleeuing that he hath geuen his holye spirite and declared the meaning as touching the Scriptures vnto the Catholike Churche and not to hazarde the hope of your saluation putting it into the handes of Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius and three or fowre other such pelting merchantes which haue newly set vp shoppes at Wittemberge Geneua and Losane which one of these dayes we shall see bankruptes as their predecessours haue bene before them the which after that they had deceaued the poore simple Catholikes and gayned some of their soules for the deuill they haue at the laste solde all theyr their honestie and credite so that at this daye except that it be those that reade the auncient historyes no bodye els doth remember that euer they liued in the world You are come now last of al to make vp their merchaundise but your credite can hardlye be good before God for you shall haue against you all the auncient Catholike Churche which hath continued visible since the comming of Christe vnto this daye all the doctours of all the vniuersities all the Empires Kingdomes and priuate state throughout all the worlde which haue receaued honoured this doctrine that you call Papistical And if you saye that you will not trust men but the very word of the Lord we agree to the like that we ought all to beleue the Scripture but we vary about the interpretation for you interprete it after one sort and we after another you expounde it after a new sort and the Catholike Churche doth folowe the olde exposition of the auncient Doctours and traditions which you haue forsaken or to saye the truth your Ministers haue led the sheepe astraye from the olde flocke at the departing from the which they haue bene all scatered abroade some folowing Luther some Caluine some the Anabaptists and so forth for the which the Popes and kinges and others that haue had the gouernment of the Churche shal answere at the last day of iudgement for as much as while they slept you haue come and sowed weedes among the good corne Then seeing you are the sheepe that rome astray what excuse can they make before God that wilfully folowe your steppes We confesse that we are the poore sheepe of God
them Let the learned protestant bring foorth and shewe suche a Communion booke or anye leafe lyne or worde of any suche doctrine or any churche or congregation that euer had any authenticall seruice or ministration of the Sacraments other then that which is yet daylye openly practised in the cōmon knowen catholike churche of Christe And I shall then recant and not before Twelfth I demaunde of the learned protestant to knowe cause reason why their congregations do admit and receaue all Bishops priests deacons and other officers spirituall ordered by our catholike Churche as men lawfull and sufficient to preache the worde of God to minister the sacramentes and to exercise al spiritual Iurisdiction in no lesse wise but rather more then if they had bene ordered in their owne priuate congregations whereas the catholike churche of Christ doth not acknowledge any man of their ordering calling to be any whit the more fit for any spirituall function in Christ his church then other cōmon lay men When therfore the learned Protestant shal be able to shewe good cause and reason whye our Catholike Churche hauing by their owne consent and approuing lawfull priestes Bishops and spiritual ministers not to be also the lawful true and catholike churche of Christe I will then recant and not before Thirtene I require of the learned protestant to expresse what furniture furtherance or commoditie to the honor and seruice of God did christianitie or any part of Christendome receaue by his Churche or congregations what temple or churche did you build at any time for your assemblies and seruice of god what Bishopriks for the better gouernment of the church did you founde or procure what vniuersities schooles or colleges did you at any time erect for the maintenaunce of christian doctrine fayth and religion When the learned Protestant shal be able to proue by ecclesiasticall histories and olde auncient writers these thinges to be the monumentes of their conuenticles and priuate congregations of their fayth and religion and not of the common knowen fayth religion and catholike Churche of Christe Then I shal in like maner yeelde and recant and not before Fourthtene Let the learned Protestant name anye one felowship or companye of beleeuers in the whole christian worlde that in all Articles of faith and religion be in one vnitie in one meaning and beliefe and contented also to captiue submit their seuerall meaninges to the iudgementes of their prelates and spirituall gouernours and of one chiefe head and pastor among them in all ecclesiasticall thinges and causes Let I saye the learned protestant name any one company thus agreing among them selues and thus humblye affected in Christian fayth and religion sauing onely the holye and blessed felowship of the common knowen catholike churche of Christe And I will then recant and not before Fyftene Againe I doo demaunde of the learned protestant whether the Lutherans Zuinglians Illirians Caluinists Confessionists Swenkfeldians Anabaptists and suche like be al of one church and congregation or no And if he be able to proue these sectes being of such diuersitie in fayth and religion to make one church and that euery one of them may geue saluation to their felowes being so disagreable one with another in high misteryes and poyntes of fayth and religion or that I ought to beleeue all those rather then the one true catholike churche of Christe or yet anye of these more one then another all of them making such a bolde chalenge of the truth of Gods worde and Gospell When the learned protestant shall be able by good reason or drifte of argument to satisfye these my requestes Then I shall yeelde and recant and not before Sixtene when the protestant shall be able to proue that those persons which in their departure made from the catholike churche of Christe haue more desyre to beare the name of Sectaryes as of Lutherans Suinglians Illyrians Caluinists Swenkfeldians and Anabaptistes then the name of Christians or Catholikes are the true members of Christe his Churche and not heretikes and schismatikes nor yet folowers therein of their forefathers the Arrians whiche toke their names of Arrius the Maniches of Manes the Nestorians of Nestorius the Nouatians the Vigilians the Iouinians Pelagians Eutichians and others Then I shall yeeld recant and not before Seuenthtene I demaunde of the learned protestant whether if the whole space of that thousand yeres of blindnes wherein their Churche laye hid and vnknowen suppressed by papistrie superstition and Idolatrye as they terme it whether they whiche were then baptized and openly professed Christ wer saued or not If the Protestant doo aunswere yea consequently it foloweth that they were saued without the Church of Christe liuing in all ignorance superstition Idolatry as they say If he aunswer no and that there was no saluation out of their hid vnknowen Church then all men of all degrees yong and olde for the whole space of the foresayde thousand yeeres by the Protestants iudgement perished without all hope of Gods mercye and were damned When therefore the learned Protestant shall be able to proue by good reason and argument eyther that ther is a way to saluation without the Churche of Christe or that all people professing Christe perished for so many hundreth yeeres together Then I will recant and not before Eightene Let the learned Protestant make prouf vnto me how their hid vnknowen and secrete churche not hauing in it the doctrine of Christ his Gospell openlye taught no ministration of Sacramentes no spirite of prophecying no discipline of rod or correction no ordering of Bisshops priestes and ecclesiasticall ministers nor yet anye other spirituall function executed in the same for the space of one thousand yeres together Let him proue their hid vnknowen Churche with the lacke of all these thinges to be the true spouse and Catholike church of Christe And I will recant and not before Ninthtene Againe on the other side let the learned protestant proue that it is not the true Churche of Christe that hath in the face of the world for the space of fiftene hundred yeres past exercised preaching the cōuersion of nations to the obedience of the Gospell that hath alwayes had the administration of Sacraments the hearing of matters in controuersie the orderlye succession of Bishops the vniformitie of solemne Ceremonies and the vnitie of fayth that hath in her selfe all holye functions of the spirite as working of miracles remission of synnes the true sense and interpretation of Gods word that is beautifyed with diuersitie of states commended by Christe as with martyrs with confessors holye virgins such other Let the protestant proue vnto me that this is not the true churche and that we are not bound to obey beleue this church none other in all controuersies doubtes vprising eyther by the difficultie of scripture or by vain contention pride of heretikes and I wil yeld recant not before Twentie Moreouer let the
learned protestant proue that the true and catholike churche of Christe may at any time be voyde of Gods spirite which he hath promised to be with his churche for euer saying Et ego rogabo patrē et alium paracletum dabit vobis vt maneat vobiscum in aeternum or falsly to interprete any sentēce of holy scripture or to induce any error among the people or approue vnprofitable and hurtful vsages among the christians or that she suffereth any damnable abuse in her religion without open reprehension thereof Let the learned protestant proue anye of these poyntes And I will then yeelde and recant and not before One twentie If vnitie in faith austeritie of life sharpe discipline great penance muche fasting large almes godly deuotion obedience to higher powers grauitie and true charitie be not more euidentlye exercised and vsed in our common knowen catholike church then in the protestants congregation And contrarywise if discord in religion licentiousnes in liuing contempt of discipline reiecting of penaunce lothsomnes of fasting lacke of zeale and deuotion disobedience to Magistrates Sacrilege Apostacie breaking of vowes vnlawfull lustes wantonnes in all life and maners doo not agree better and more cleere to the protestantes then to the catholikes being the playne signes and fruits of a false churche Then wil I recant and not before Two and twenty Let the learned protestant proue vnto me that their churche congregation might rightlye be called catholike which for the space of a thousande yeres together was so particuler that no man could name any certaine place where their churche was or that it might be called holye which had for so longe time and space neyther the doctrine of Christes Gospell taught in it neyther Baptisme nor anye other Sacrament of Christe vsed to sanctifye them withal or that it could be called one church which assoone as it grew vp and shewed it selfe to the worlde was deuided into so many sundry sects of Lutherans Zuinglians Illiricans Caluinists Swenfeldians Anabaptists and such other or that it might be called Apostolike whiche coulde neuer make an accompt by orderly succession and discent from any one of Christe his Apostles or any other Apostolike man or that their secrete hid and vnknowen congregation was euer of that maiestie or authoriti that it had at any one time or season the true obedience of all christian nations or that it was euer able to assemble and gather vniuersall and generall Councels of all nations christian people or to exercise any discipline or correction vppon offenders throughout all kingdomes and regions professing Christe or that these titles folowing properly applyed by the Scriptures and doctors to the true churche of Christe could euer be chalenged by any right to their hid vnknowen congregation I mean these titles namelye Corpus Christi The body of Christe Sponsa Christi The spouse of Christe Amica Christi The louer of Christ Vnice dilecta Christo Dearely beloued of Christ Columba speciosa The beautifull doue Domus dei The house of God Columna veritatis The piller of truth Ciuitas dei The Citie of God Ciuitas super montem posita A Citie set vppon an hill Fons signatus A spring or fountayne surely signed and sealed Sponsa Agni The spouse of the Lambe Mulier amicta sole A woman clothed with the Sun Habitatio fratrū inuicē a dwelling of brethren all together Mons dei The hill of God Sacra Anchora The holye Anchore Vinea Domini Our Lordes vineyarde Terra viuentium The lande of the liuing Ecclesia magna The great and mightie Churche Archa Noe Noes Arche Vna Sancta Catholica et Apostolica Ecclesia One holye Catholike and Apostolike Churche Domus pacis The house of peace Domus refugij The house of refuge Domus veritatis The house of truth Societas Sanctorum The felowship of holy Saints Nutrix Christianorum The Norishe of the Christians Vxor de latere Christi The Spouse out of Christe his syde sicut Eua de latere Adam like as Eue was out of the syde of Adam Let the learned Protestant make proufe that these moste excellent propertyes and peculier Denominations and Callinges maye possiblye agree to their hid and vnknowen congregations and priuate societies or to any other knowen societie of the whole worlde but onely to the holy societie moste blessed companye and felowship of the common knowen catholike Church of Christ And I will then relent yeelde and recant and not before Last of all when these notes folowing being most certayne and sure signes and tokens of Antichristians false Prophetes heretikes and schismatikes mentioned and manifestlye expressed in diuers partes of the scriptures shall by the learned protestant be proued more aptly and truely to agree vnto vs of the common knowen catholike Church of Christe then vnto the protestants of so many sundrye and diuers sects and congregations I shal submit yeelde and recant and not before First signe and token appropriated to Antichristes false Prophetes heretikes and schismatikes in the scripture is their departure from the cōmon knowen catholike churche of Christe wherein they were baptised and first receaued christian faith and religion of the which sygne and token speaketh Thapostle S. Iohn saying Ex nobis prodierunt sed non erant ex nobis nam si fuissent ex nobis permansissent vtique nobiscum They departed from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs and of our Churche they woulde sayeth Thapostle S. Iohn haue continued with vs still and not haue departed from vs And here nowe the learned protestant not being able to denye that they haue departed from our cōmon knowen catholike church from our fayth and religion wherein they were fyrste baptised and not we departed from them but still remaining in the profession of the same fayth religion that we fyrste receaued he must needes by the dryfte of argument and reason graunt also that this fyrste signe and token of false prophetes heretikes and schismatiks was before spoken of the Apostle S. Iohn onely of them and not of vs. Second sure marke sygne and token of false prophetes heretikes and schismatikes is that they being thus departed from the Catholike church doo of themselues and of their owne authoritie without warrant beinge not sent set vp a newe Gospell a new fayth and religion by preaching of a newe doctrine to assemble and set vp a newe churche and congregation Of this signe and token and great presumption speaketh thapostle S. Paule Quomodo enim praedicabunt nisi mittantur How shall men preach except they be sent And in his Epistle to the Hebrewes he sayeth Nec quisquam sibi sumit honorem nisi qui vocatur a deo quemadmodum et Aaron Let no man take vnto himselfe honoure except he be called of God like as Aaron was Certayne it is that Aaron was called vnto the office and dignitie of a Bishop ordinarily by Moyses and by externall and