opposition which doth seeke to destroy Catholike faith Sorâ— no lesse then the Arrian heresie to destroy Christ and Christian faith â—or it is as manifest in Scripture that the Church â—annot erre against the ProtestaÌ„ts as it is true that Christ is God against the ArriaÌ„s For it s proued out Scripture that Christ vvas true God consubstantiall and coequal vvith his Father and no vvaye inferior as God but as man only so it is as manifest in scripture that Christ promised to be vvith his Church vnto the end of the vvorld and that hee vvould send the holy Ghost to his Apostles and consequently to their successors and that this Church should instruct and teach the people all truth both in doctrine maners and in good life And that S. Paule doth assure vs that the Church is columna firmamentum veritatis the Pillar and foundation of truth and from her vve haue receaued the scripture and the true meaning and sence thereof infalliblie vvithout errour Wherefore as the Arrian heresie sought to destroye Christ and Christian religion in denying the Godhead of Christ so Protestanisme in seeking to ouerthrovv the infaillabilitie of the Church indeauour to disable Catholike faith and religion And as the Arrians labored might and maine to infect the Roman Church and to make a Pope of their profession yet fayled in the purpose For Pope Foelix whom they promoted and preferred to the Papacie condemned them as heretikes defined against them and dyed a Martyr O prouidence of God yea they so afflicted the Church that the most part of the vvorld vvas ouer-clouded and darkned vvith this filthie cloud of ArriaÌ„ heresie yet praeualebit veritas truth preuaileth insomuch that novv in the hartes of Christian Catholike people nothing is more odious then this heresie of the ArriaÌ„s by Protestants condemned to the pit of hel So the Protestants haue labored omnibus vijs modis but not able to make a Protestant Pope yet to sovv this seede of Cockel and Darnel that the Church of Rome may erre that they haue infected and caused a great reuoult in these partes of Christendome that almost all Almanie and a great part of Germanie is ouercome vvith this seede of infection all England and Scotland gone A great reuoult in Christendome by Protestatisme Ireland strongly assalted all Holland reuolted from God Church and Prince Braband and the Lovv Countries made to stagger but God be thanked they haue ouercome A great part of France in tumultuous rebellion against their King although he vvould giue them libertie of their conscience yet they vvill not yeeld him devv Temporall gouernement and subiection The Swissards euen to the confines of Italie stand stubborne in their obedience to the church of Rome sed praeualebit veritas truth vvil preuaile and this heresie of ProtestaÌ„ts that the Church may erre vvill be as odious in future ages as Arianisme is novv If vve argue vvith the Protestants Protestant flye from antiquitie traditions and primatiue church to free the Church of Rome of imputation of error as manie great Schollers haue vvritten many learned Treatises concerning this poynt and doe prooue by antiquitie by practise of the Primatiue Church by Traditions from the Apostles concerning those differences in Religion controuerted betvvne the Protestants and the Catholikes they flye off and saye they are not demonstratiue arguments to conuince in matters of doctrine but only probable proofes If vve vrge them vvith the decrees of Popes From decrees of Popes they care not for them if vvith the doctrine of the Fathers and Saincts of the Primatiue Church as for example if vve alleadge S. Augustine that hee prayed for the soule of his Mother Monica departed that the Sacrifice of the Altar Prayers Almes From Doctors S. Ave. Oblations of the liuing may profite the dead that he vvrit a vvhole booke De cura pro mortuis augenda of the care to be had of the dead and that the vvhole Church did supplicat and pray for the soules departed they vvill ansvvere he vvas a particular man it vvas his errour and the errour of that time Aerius vvas condemned for an Heretike in apposing against the Church Epipha haer 65. Aug. hae 15. in the 4. age concerning Prayer and Sacrifice to be offered for the soules departed Caluins answere is Lib. 3. inst c. 5. § 10. that the auncient Fathers were destitute of warrant from God to authorize prayer for the dead Alleadge S. S. Hillar Hierome against Vigilantius a condemned Heretike for inuocation and veneration of Saints for reuerencing of holy Relickes for visiting and celebrating the memories of their sepulchers and burning of waxe tapers for obseruing the fasting dayes and vigils determined by the Church and Ecclesiasticall authoritie for profession of Virginitie and chastitie among Clergie men they answere â— Ambrose lib. 4. de sacr c. 4. it vvas his errour Bring Saint Ambrose for the Real presence of Christs bodie in the Sacrament saying that before Consecration it vvas bread but after Consecration his verie true bodie and blood it vvas his errour If vvee allow the example of S. S. Basil Basil and S. Benedictus for monasticall life they vvill vvith the SabelliaÌ„ heretikes coÌ„demne it for a crime and reprooue it for a meere impietie and say it vvas their errours and so of the rest of the ancient Fathers they were men and might erre Generall Councels Proceede vvith them to generall Counsels which doth represent the bodie of the Church and alleadge the foure first vvhich all the vvorld receaue and S. Gregorie highlie commended and the modeâ—â—e Protestants doe not dare to denie yet vvill the Puritans refuse them and the Protestants accept of them no farther then in their imagination they shall agree vvith them or serue their turnes And as for the foure last generall Counsels I vvill name the last first the venerable Councell of Trent the Councell of Florence of Constance and Lateran the Protestants absolutely auerce that they haue gone awrye and were deceaued in the principles of faith and Religion A newe â—urse and vvhy because they haue particularly censured and condemned them and defined their positions as hereticall So did the Arrians in like maner instance against the Counsell of Nyce for the same cause because it defined against them Wherefore in this Treatise vvee haue excogitated and thought vpon another course Only Scripture to Vncase the Protestants to laye open their contradictions to alleadge their ovvne authorities and writers to expresse the absurdities of their inferences and consequences to see vvhither they vvill runne then No doubt they vvill crye out The Scriptures the scriptures onely shall be our guyde our Iudge our gouernour our vvarrant in matters of controuersie Although vvee know that some contrauersies cannot be decided by expresse scripture according to the vvritten vvord but vvee must haue our varrant from Tradition and the Church which vve call the vnvvritten wordes
of Iohns in Oxford he was a Priest in Queene Maries time and dyed in the latter time of Queene Elizabeth a prisoner in the Citie of Hereford If I should vndertake to capitulate or reakon all our renowned Confessors and Priests now laboring in England or detayned in prison or dead I should be ouer-long O Oxford Oxford thou that hast had so manie worthie men that haue fledde from the seate of Pestilence and nurse of schisme and heresie into forraine nations and countries and haue for their learning pietie and deuotion bene heighly aduanced abroad Consider also how many Martyrs haue dyed how manie Confessors how many Priests haue bene and are imprisoned at home for profession of Catholike Faith and Religion And thou vvhich should be the lanterne of the Land the Pillar of light the schoole of learning the mother of peace the nurse of pietie art now become the darke cloud of heresie the foggie mist of Aegypt the mayntaine of schisme the strength of Puritanisme and mistrisse of ignorance c. Wherefore this liitle Treatise is addressed vnto you Maisters and students of Oxford and you who are in purple robes as Senators and Sages of the land that you may vncase your selues cast off your viseards expel the rauening Wolfes And know your selues and acknowledge your errours schisme and heresie and returne to your mother Church benigna mater est she is a louing mother to receaue you Hell gates cannot preuaile against her she hath the holy Ghost to assist and direct her in all truth of doctrine and maners and good life You know the Arch-bishop of Spalata a learned Prelate as you all confesse Archbishop of Spalato he conuersed vvith your prime Prelate visited your Vniuersities enformed himselfe of your doctrine wayed your Church Congregation in his prudentiall ballence and found you minus habens to want wayt to be schismaticall he retyred himselfe with desire to returne home againe not for that he mislyked his entertaynement for he was highly esteemed of his Maiestie much honoured of your Prime Prelate welcomed by the Nobilitie he had large maintenance 800. or a thousand pounde reuenew per annum whereby hee might commaunde all the delicates delites and pleasures that the land could yeeld yet not satisfied in conscience nor content in minde labored to get licence of his Maiestie to returne which he obtained His departure or else was commanded by him to depart the Realme Why did he thus but reflecting vpon his estate being aged to prouide for death to forsake schisme to saue his soule I am credible imformed being vrged to declare his minde His censure of the Church of England what he thought concerning the Church of England he clearely answered that it was but a schismatical Church a part diuided from the bodie mysticall of Christ a congregation that had forsaken the mother Church of the world Consider and ruminate well you worthie students the sentence and censure of this learned Prelate Out of all doubt there is no saluation but in the true Church There is not the meanest among you if he doe but read the Annales of M. Iohn Stowe but he shall clearly vnderstand how when the schisme began in K Henrie 8. Schisme begon by K. HENRIE the 8. his time vvho after he had raigned 20 yeares in peace with the Church of Rome seeking a diuorce from his lawfull wife Q. Katherine which the mother Church of the world neither could nor would graunt or permit the King being much discontented desirous to obtayne his purpose beganne his schisme made himselfe head of the Church of England and by acte of Parlament vnited the title to his Emperiall Crowne a thing in auditum and neuer by any Christian Prince practised before vnlesse Iulian the Apostata attempted it After hee had thus diuided himselfe from the Church of Rome and established his authoritie of headshâ—pp he presently quarrelled with the Cardinal Bishops and Cleargie and conuicted them of a preminire He conuicted the Cardinal Cleargie of preminire so that they were forced to compounde with him for a hunder thousand pounds which some they payde euerie pennie and not content with this but by Parlament also confiscated all the landes and goodes of the religious in his Kingdome and so like a wilde bore depopulated and destroyed the Vineyard of our Lord. and ouerthrew ten thousand Churches and Chappels Ouerthrowed all the Religious houses which were erected buylded and maintained by his Predecessors and auncestors and by the deuotion of his Nobilitie and pietie of the people of this land And within some yeares after he spoyled the sepulchers and shrines of the Saints and what was gold and siluer and pretious stone Spoyled the sepulchers of Saints either by oblations offerings or other waies not fearing sacriledge a whitte he tooke without scruple And from one Chapple of S. Thomas of Canterburie were nine or ten waynes loaden awaie with the wealth of that one place Put downe al Pilgrimages He also put downe and robbed all the holy places of pilgrimages frequented and vsed by deuout people in former ages in this land And to omitte other of his good vvorkes in the 38 and last yeare of his raigne a thing vvorth the noting hauing had warres vvith France and peace being concluded it vvas proclaimed by Harralds vvith sound of trumpet the 13. of Iune being Whit sonday and the same day a general Procession commanded in vvhich vvere borne all the richest syluer Crosses in London of euerie Parish one and the Priestes in their richest Coapes This Precession came from Paules Church through Cheape and Cornehill vp to Leaden Hall and so vvent backe to Pauls againe This vvas the last shevv of rich Crosses and Coapes in London for shortly after all those Crosses and Coapes vvith other the Church plate vvere commaunded called for Robbed all Churches in LondoÌ„ and taken by the Kinges Officers into the Kinges Treasure and Wardrope and neuer seene aftervvard And so vvere cunningly all the Churches of London robbed on a daye This vvas one of the last good vvorkes this Church-robber did For in Ianuarie after he dyed an excommunicated person vvhich excommunication vvas published by Pope Paule the 3. thus beganne the schisme in England Then succeeded Edward the sixte a childe a boye of nine yeares of age vvho continued the schisme he had the title of supreame head immediatly in earth vnder God of the Church of England and Ierland He had two Vnckles the Sâ—imers by the mothers side the one L. Protector the other L. Admiral of England K. EDWARD established the schisme both infected in German heresie Presently the first yeare they beganne to alter the face of Catholike Religion which K. Henrie his Father left commanding the Rood the Crucifixe and all Images of Saints in Churches to be pulled downe forbidding beades holy vvater and other ceremonies repelling the statute of the sixe articles made by Henrie the eight
tract 121. in Iohn Ambrose l 10. in Lucam Hilarie l. 3. de Trinitate Leo Magnus ser 1. de ascens Augustine ser 6. 7. de ascensione ser 49. 146. de tempore li. 2. de symbolo c. 7. epist 146. See Feuardentius in theomach Cal. l. 6. c. 11. errore 17. Caluin in c. 24. Lucae Church also euer taught and beleeued that Christ shall haue the scarres of his woundes appearing in his body when he commeth to iudgement but Caluin saith that it is a foolish and old wiues dotage to beleeue that Christ shal haue the markes of his woundes when he commeth to iudgement Lastly for a Iudge to force a man to do euill after to punish him for it all men must needs acknowlegd to be horrible iniustice and tyrannie Now the * See the first Article Caluino-Protestants generally teaching as was before shewed in the first Article that God doth not only permitt See also in the last chapter but predestinate all our acts whatsoeuer that the most wickedst persons that euer were were of God appointed to be wicked and that the sinnes which men commit through the force of Gods decree are altogether vnauoidable it must needes follow according to their doctrine that Christ whom they should acknowledge to be God and consequently goodnes and Iustice it selfe either will not come to Iudge both the quicke and the dead or that in adiudging any to hell he is a most tyrannicall and vniust Iudge ARTICLE VIII I beleeue in the Holie Ghost TO beleeue a right in the holy ghost Iohn 15.26 1. Ioh 5. n. 7 according to expresse Scripture and the Nicene Creed is to maintaine and teach that he proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne and is of the same essence with the Father and the Sonne of equall Maiestie and coeternal but the chiefe Doctors of Protestancie as was formerly shewed in the second article teach that the essence of the Father is incommunicable and that both the Sonne and the Holy Ghost haue distinct essences frō the Father by which they make them distinct Gods as was there prooued Yea the Protestants are so farre from beleeuing aright this Article that Feuardentius a Catholike Author in his Treatise entituled THEOMACHIA CALVINISTICA conuinceth them as guiltie of heresie against the Holy Ghost in at least seuen and fiftie points as you may see in the seuenth chapter of the said THEOMACHIA in the first nine Chapters of which he sheweth Feuardentius theomachia Caluin l. 7. per totū how they deny the Holy Ghosts proceeding from the Father and the Sonne giue him a distinct essence from the Father make him vnequall to the Father and the Sonne deny that he is to be adored together with the Father and the Sonne c. and in the rest of the Chapters that follow they make him the Author of all sinnes and wickednesse and blasphemously detract from his goodnes sanctitie prescience and infinite power take al Godhead from him and transforme him into a meere diuell ARTICLE IX I beleeue the Catholike Church the Communion of Saints THe ninth Article is I beleeue the Holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints Which Article all sortes of Protestants are farther from beleeuing a right then any of the former For first as touching the word Catholike Luther quite blotted it out of the Creed See Iurgeinicius in bello quinti euangelij quart C. 7. and placed insteed thereof the word Christian fearing least the word Catholike duly considered might discouer his Protestanticall Church whose foundation he had then newly laide to be but a new and Antichristian Synagogue Secondly concerning the Church it selfe whereas Christ calleth it the Pillar and firmament of truth and further promiseth that the Holy Ghost should guide it to all truth to the end of the world and that the gates of hell should not preuaile against it the Protestants imitating their hereticall Gransires the Donatists * 1. Tim. 3.15 Mat 16.18 cap. 5. v. 20. Ioh 14. v. 16. c. 16 v. 13. Mat 28. v. 20. Iohn Rainold in his thesies § 9. in praefat § 9. D. White in his way to the Church § 26. and Whitaker lib. 2. contra bellarm de eccles q. 4. p. 322 generally teach that the Church both may and hath erred euen in fundamentall points Againe God speaking of the Catholike Church saith (b) Isay c. 2. v. 2. c. 60. 61. 62. per totum psal 19. v. 4. Ephes 4.11 that he would make her an euerlasting glorie and a ioy from generation to generation that her gates should be continually open that her watchmen should neuer cease day nor night that her Sunne should neuer goe downe nor her Moone be hid that it should neuer be said of her forsaken or desolate that she should be placed on the hill and that all nations should flow vnto her and that there should be Pastors in her to the end of the world but the * See in the former Chapter Protestants because they cannot shew their owne Church from the Apostles time till Luthers apostacie contend that the Catholike Church may be inuisible and that it was de facto INVISIBLE for aboue a thousand yeares no true Pastor at least of the Protestant Religion being any where to be found Lastly to omit other notes and properties of the true Catholike Church which the Protestants vtterly denie that thereby they may the better be able to support their Antichristian Synagogue whereas the * Concilium Tol. 8. cap. 9. Concil Gangrēse cap. 19. in praefat Concili generale 6. can 56. canones apostolor can 68. Church vnder paine of ANATHEMA commandeth all men whom sicknesse and impossibilitie of age doe not exempt to fast the Lent the foure Embers all Fridaies and Saterdaies and the Eaues of our B. Ladie and the Apostles from flesh the doctors of Protestancie generally affirme that fasting is a worke indifferent and doe ordinarilie eate flesh in Lent and other fasting dayes yea they commonly make their greatest feasts on the sollemnest fasts and hold him a superstitious fellow that maketh a difference of meates on such dayes which they could not doe if they beleued the Catholike Church or credited our Sauiour where he affirmeth that whosoeuer refuseth to heare the Church should be as a heathen and a publican Luther tom 4. de Ecclesia c. 9. Cal. l. 3. Inst c. 20. n. 24. and Musculus in locis communibus ca. de decalogo praecept 5. and thus you see how farre the Protestants are from beleeuing aright the Catholike Church which is taught in the first part of this ninth article And as touching the Communion of Saints which is the second part of this Article in teaching that the Saints cannot heare our Prayers yea that such as be dead doe so sleepe that they vnderstand nothing and that the liuing haue no fellowship with the dead