truth and were it contrary to the saying of all the Saints yet to be preferred before them nay if an Angell of heaven were opposed against him yet the Popes determination were to be preferred This man the Pope they style the visible head of the Church and affirme to bee alwayes so infallibly directed by the Spirit of God as that wheÌ„soever either of himselfe alone with a purpose to enforme the Church or affisted with an assembly of the learned hee shall resolue any question concerning faith or the service of God it is i The Pope is the master of our faith and cannot but attaine the truth of faith nor can be deceived or erre if as chiefe Bishop or master of our faith he set downe his determination Zumel disput Var tom 3. pag. 49. impossible he should bee deceived If you aske of anie one of my masters of Rome what he meanes by the Church which he proposeth to you to bee the rule of your faith hee will mannerly define it at the first to consist of the Pope with a Councell but if you shall further vrge him to confesse what you must doe in case the Pope shal dissent in iudgement from the Councell howsoever he faulter in his speech a while he must acknowledge at the last k Capistranus de autor Papae p. 105. That if the Councell and the Pope publish constitutions that be different that of the Popes must bee preferred as being of greater authoritie l Alvar. Pelag. de Planc Eccl. lib. 1. Artic. 6. To whose iudgement alone if wee may beleeue another of that crew wee are rather bound to stand then to the iudgement of all the worlde besides who himselfe as m De Christo lib. 2. cap. 28. Bellarmine mainetaines without any Councell may decree matter of faith So that by this deare Mother if you weigh it wel you may plainely see that howsoever my masters of Rome dazell your eyes with the Churches name the Pope alone beareth away the game in such sort that the fairest certainety you can haue to secure your conscience in the religion you professe must wholly depend vpon him yet is it worthy of your obâ—ervation to note how the learned amongst theÌ„ descant vpon this visible head and infallible director of their Church They will acknowledge that the Pope may be as wicked a man in life as any other in the world and by experience it hath bin found that sundry of them hauescarse had matches in this kind as for instance of one Pope Alexander the sixt whom Guicciardine though himselfe a Papist doth thus decypher His manners and customes were dishonest little sinceritie in his administrations no shame in his face small truth in his words little faith in his heart lesse religion in his opinions all his actions were defaced with vnsatiable covetousnesse immoderate ambition barbarous crueltie he was not ashamed contrary to the custome of former Popes who to cast some colour over their infamie were wont to call theÌ„ their nephewes to call his sonnes his children and for such to expresse them to the world n Guicciards lib. 3. The bruite went that in the loue of his daughter Lucretia were concurrent not only his two sons the Duke of Candy and the Cardinall of Valence but him selfe also that was her father who as soone as he was chosen Pope tooke her from her husband and married her to the Lord of Pesare but not able to suffer her husband to be his corrival he dissolved that mariage also and tooke her to himselfe by vertue of Saint Peters keyes o Lib. 6. It was amongst other graces his naturall custome to vse poysonings not onely to be revenged of his enemies but also to dispoile the wealthy Cardinals of their riches And this he spared not to doe against his dearest friend till at the last having a purpose at a banquet to poison divers Cardinals and for that end appointed his Cup-bearer to giue attendance with wine made ready for the nonce who mistaking the bottle gaue the poisoned cup to him was thus himselfe dispatched by the just judgement of God that purposed to murder his friends that he might be their heire Thus far the historian Now as in life so is it not denied by my masters of Rome but that the Pope may erre in his private opinions Nay Bosius though most affectionate to the Sea of Rome confesseth p Tom. â— de signis eccles lib. 28. cap. vlt. That hee may be an Heretike as was Pope Honorius whose heresie is condemned of record by q Sinod 6. act 4.12.14 Sinod 7. act vlt. Sinod 8. act 7. three lawfull Councels Pope Iohn the 23. was condemned in the Councell of Constance for maintaining the opinions of his master Epieurus r Concil Constant Ses 11.12 That there was no eternall life no immortality of the soule nor resurrection from the dead Yet if Pope Alexander the sixth at leasure from his lewdnes or Pope Iohn with his fellow shal from their privat follies transforme themselues into publike teachers and pronounce a resolution in any question that may be moued of any article of Christian religion purposely to direct the Church In this case by the doctrine of my masters of Rome you shall bee bound to beleeue them no lesse theÌ„ if God himselfe had taught you To which purpose Stapleton the Priest hath left this for a principle Å¿ Stapleton praef princip â—â—d doctrin That the foundation of our religion is of necessitie placed vpon this mans teaching in which we heare God himselfe speaking To this fallacie vnder the Churclies name they adde another whereby they endevour to delude you framed vpon a false position namely this That all our forefathers haue embraced the same religion in every point which theÌ„selues professe and teach you from whence they prepare a question the which they recommend to their schollers to oppose adomnia Shall we thinke our selues wiser then all our forefathers If a professor of Mahomets impieties which haue bewitched a great portion of the world for many hundreds of yeares now past being perswaded by my masters of Rome to become a ChristiaÌ„ should question thus shal I thinke myselfe wiser then my forefathers for these thousand yeares now past haue bin I know their judgement would serve them to reply that he must not follow his forefathers vnlesse they had beene followers of the truth of God My masters of Rome will tell you that this holds no resemblance with them who dare giue you their words for assurance that every article of their doctrine is derived from our Saviour Christ and his Apostles Questionlesse their art of begging is but a vagrant fashion but if it shal please you to see some trial of the truth of this I dare presume it shall be made evidently to appeare vnto you in the presence of any that would oppose it that their principle coÌ„cerning the Popes spirit of infallibility being the
the compasse of this written law this charge is giuen f Deut. 4.2 That wee put nothing to the Word which hee commands vs nor take ought therefrom that wee may keepe the Commandements of the Lord our God which are commanded And although the Prophesies were penned after at sundrie times by men vndoubtedly directed by the holy Ghost yet shal we find no new article of doctrine delivered in them but they serue many times to explaine the law They Prophesie of Christ to come the accomplisher of the law and generally they are all Gods Heraulds to denounce his iudgements and heavie wrath against the transgressors of the law of Moses But in the fulnesse of time when Christ came into the world of whome Moses and the Prophets wrote the Gospell was published which was no other but a cleare declaration of the prophesies and the law whereof a learned Father aptly giues this note g August de Carichisand Rud. That in the olde testament the New is hidden and in the new is the manifestation of the olde And this Gospel was first preached but after as one other of the Ancients observeth well h Iren. advers haeres l. 3. c. 1. was by the will of God delivered in the Scriptures to be the pillar and foundation of our faith And in this sacred booke is wonderfully set foorth vnto vs the infinite wisdome of the supreame Law-maker of the world for as in the civill government of earthly Kingdomes those lawes are ever commended most that leave least to the discretion of the Iudge and never hath any common-weale had laws so exactly framed but with time they haue bin sound sensibly defectiue in this point so certainely this perfection is peculiar only to the written laws of the Lord of heaven so farre foorth that for the ministers of this law to adde or alter any one thing respecting the religious dutie and service wee owe to God though but in offering strange fire before the Lord as did Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron makes them liable to his wrath and malediction for their presumption This moued Saint Augustine that reverend Father alluding to the words of the blessed Apostle confidently to pronounce i Contra Lit. Petilian lib. 3. cap. 6. That whether concerning Christ or concerning the Church of Christ or concerning any thing that pertaineth to our faith and life we will not say if we but if an Angell from heaven shall preach vnto you but what you haue received in the Scriptures of the Law and the Gospell accursed be hee The consideration of this gaue me occasion to forsake my communion with the Church of Rome in whose bosome I receiued the first instruction for matter of my salvation as you your selfe deare Mother can well remember But after divers yeares when by accident this principle had taken impression in me k Rom. 10 1â— That faith commeth by hearing of the word of God and then calling to mind that many points of the religion I haue embraced were not to bee found within the volume of Gods sacred booke I began to question with my masters of that Church whom I did then reverence and admire as men wholly composed to devotion and sinceritie by what authority they could approve theÌ„ where after many paffages with the relation wherof I thinke not fit to trouble you their resolution was That a great portion of Gods word was not l Little of Gods word is committed to writing the greatest part of it is come to vs by tradition Hosius Confess Polon pag 383. contained within the holy Scriptures but delivered in safe custodie to passe from hand to hand by tradition for the truth and certainty whereof they tolde me I must depend vpâ—n the credit of their m Alphons 2 Castro advers haeres l. 1. c. 5. Church the which after much debate they resolved at the last into the bosome of the n Mater Ecclesia per osâ— summi pontificis loquens Bellar. Apol. contra praef monito serenissi Reg. Iac. pag. 78. Romane Bishop when I considered this and perceiued in the end the weaknesse of the grounds that must warrant the truth of these vnwritten verities as they style them I thought it no longer safe-to commit my selfe for direction to those guides my masiers I meane of the Church of Rome of whom in my conscience we may complain as the Prophet Ieremy did of the false teachers in his dayes o Ierem. 8.9 They haue reiected the word of the Lord and what wisedome is then in them For although it caÌ„not be denied but they reteine and publish some principles of our Christian profession according to the truth of Gods holy word yet even those truths they recommend vnto vs vpon as perillous false a ground as if a man should therfore beleeue Christ Jesus to be the Sonne of the living God because the Divell did confesse it To this purpose deare Mother I beseech you to note that whereas Gods sacred word is left vnto vs to be the rule and foundation of our faith and religion my masters of Rome intending to build a new thinke it proper first to lay a new foundation in place of the holy Scriptures to be the rule direction of our faith they advaÌ„ce their Church the which neverthelesse being rightly vnderstood holds no resemblaÌ„ce with the Church in truth And the rather to invite vs to pin our faith vpon this their Church they tender vs some formes of truth the which when wee haue embraced vpon their Churches authority shee will not leaue vs so but this Church that teacheth vs to worship God by like authority wil then require vs to worship p Seeing Christ is to be adored with divine worship his Image also is to be adored with the same adoration Tho Aquin part 3. q. 25. art 3. Images Shee that teacheth vs to pray to God wil command vs likewise to pray trourblessed Ladie and the q The new Creed published by Pope Pius the fourth Saints Shee that teacheth vs that Christ by one offring of his body once made in sacrifice vpon the Crosse hath purchased remission for our sinnes requireth vs likewise to beleene that she offers dayly vnto God the same reall body of Christ in sacrifice which himselfe offered vpon the Crosse as a r I consesse that in the Masse is offered to God a true proper and propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead ibid. propitiation for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead She that teacheth vs that Christ hath madesatisfaction for his sin by blood-shedding and bitter passion will teach vs withall that our selues must make satisfaction for some sort of our sins by our workes of penance the which if wee neglect that then wee must satisfie Gods justice for them after this life by suffering paines in a purgatory fire vnlesse this holy Mother out of compassion shall free vs by her indulgence á favour she
thus q De tradit p. 45. shall no bounds be set to popular rude and carnal men shall old men before they haue put off the filth of their minds and young men that yet speake like children bee admitted to read the Scriptures I suppose verily my opinion fayles me not this ordinaÌ„ce vnder the pretense of piety was invented by the divell Another of the same plume to feare vs from reading Gods holy word tels a story of certaine men that were possessed of a divel r Thirrac de demoniacis c. 21. th 157. because being but husbaÌ„dmen they were able to discourse of the holy Scriptures Å¿ Index lib. prohibi Pij 4. Reg. 4. It is true that by the rule of Pope Pius the fourth such of the Laitie may read the Scriptures as haue licence from their lawfull Ordinary so to doe t Ibid. But if any Lay person shall presume to looke into the holy Scriptures without such licence he must knowe his penaltie to bee no lesse then to be dented the pardon of his sinnes The late Pope Clement the 8. better belike considering how well it went with their triple crowne when they kept the Laity wholly from searching into the book of God as in u Linwood in const t. prov l. 5. titulo de Magistris § quin. times past they indeavoured carpeth at the rule of his predecessour and resolueth at the last x The observaâ—â—â—â—s of Pope Clement the 8. 〈◊〉 the râ—le of Pope Pâ—â—â— the 4. that notwithstanding this constitution of Pope Pius Bishops haue no power at all to grant any such licence to the Laitie of reading Gods holy words Neverthelesse betweene the enterfiering of these holy Fathers it passes in priat by my Masters of Rhemes y In their â—â—eâ— to their translaâ— of the new Testament That such of the Laitie may be readers in Gods word as are permitted by their Ordinaries vpon certificate from their parish Priest or Confessour that they be humble sober and discreet persons c. But I beseech you note the vpshot of all First this discreet Lay reader must admit this for a principle z Hosius Confess Polon p. 385. That little of Gods word is coÌ„mitted to writing That the greatest part of it is come to vs by tradition the which we must receaue from ours Catholike Mother declaring her selfe by the mouth of our holy father the Pope of Rome The next rule this discreet Lay reader must learne to follow is a Concil Trident Sess 4. That no man must giue any other exposition of Scripture then such as might agree with the doctrine of the Crurch of Rome a reason whereof Andradius that great defendor of the faith of Trent can giue vs because b Defens sid Trident. l. 2. All power to interpret the Scriptures and reveale the hidden mysteries of our religion is giuen from heaven to the Popes and their Councells Where though the Councells be placed as a page to attend the Pope yet the resolution of all is this as before I haue noted that if the Councell shall dissent in iudgement from the Pope c Sententia Papae praeferenda est sententiae omniuÌ„ aliorum Turrecremata sum de Eccle l. 3. c. 64. concl â— The iudgement of the Pope is to be preferred before the iudgement of all others saith the Cardinall Turrecremata Of whom another writer of the Roman Church in plaine toarmes affirmeth d Zumel disp var tom 3. pag. 49 That he is the master of our faith and cannot but attaine the truth of faith nor can be deceaued or erre if as chiefe Bishop and master of the faith he set downe his determination From all which it is evident if you marke it well that although these e Paulo 5. Vicedeo c. a dedication to the prefet Pope Vicedet of Rome could never compasse wholly to suppresse the sacred Scriptures as with good discretion possibly they might haue bin coÌ„tented considering how eagerly this holy word pursues theÌ„ still with hue cry which was well obserued by Pope Leo the 10. when in his familiar discourse with his friend the Cardinall Bembus he vttered this vnsavory speech f Quantum lucri apportavit nobis Curiae nostrae fabula ista de Iesu Christo Baleus de act Rom. pontif in Leone l. 7. what profit hath this fable of Iesus Christ brought to vs or our court yet by vnspeakeable sleights and art accompanied in these later ages of the world with strange successe by Gods permission they haue indevoured to bring the sence of the holy scriptures in safe custody to themselues alone then locking it fast with a rabble of grosse inventions styled the Churches traditions in the closet of their breasts of both together they haue ingeniously framed the ladder wherby they haue mounted into the throne of their vsurped soveraignety in spiritual and earthly dominion then taking vpon themselues alone to be the only never-erring oracles of Christian religion wheÌ„ their children haue come to craue bread of them in place of that they haue given theÌ„ stones wherewithal neverthelesse for g Although the Pope being negligent of his own and others salvation drawe with him innumerable soules to hell there to bee tormented for ever yet may no mortall man repraue him for it for that he is to iudge all men himselfe to bee iudged of no maÌ„ dist 40. si Papae manners sake their hungry soules must rest contented although in the meane time they pine to death for want of the true food of life Possibly you wil thinke I write in humor and misreport them O that I might be so happy as that you would giue me leaue to avow the truth of these things before you in the presence of any one of my masters of Rome that would oppose it They wil tel you they may not be seene without peril of their liues as the case stands with theÌ„ at this day in England and it is true that the lawes sound out severity against them but in execution they finde them remisse enough for my part I know froÌ„ my first acquaintance with them they can equivocate in apparel as wel as language and seeme to bee any thing saving what they are for this purpose I would surrender my iudgement to mine eies and take them for such as their habit should declare theÌ„ God is witnes with me I mallice not their persons I will coÌ„fesse I cannot but condemne their craft and pitty such as are inchaunted by them The truth is they are cruel Iaylors and mure vp your vnderstanding in these things as their close prisoner wel knowing that if once they giue you but libertie to heare freely what might be said against them they are sure to loose you I beseech you deare Mother for the loue you beare to God to thinke maturelie of this great affaire It concernes your soule that for eternitie and your day of preparation by the course of nature is far declining Certainly the fault of my masters of Rome who mislead you is inexcusable yet wil not their fault proue your excuse The account for your soule wil be required at your own hands ignoraÌ„ce without questioÌ„ will prove no answere at the judgement day It is not only a feareful sin when it misleads vs from the way of our salvation but a grievous punishment that pursues mankind for the first transgression I know your zeale to the service of God is great but zeale without knowledge carries with it in the holy Scriptures a just reproofe I cannot expect you should vpon my saying abaÌ„don the religioÌ„ you haue so long embraced this only shall be my humble request that for his loue that suffered a bitter ignominious death to bring vs to a life of glory and eternity that you would resolve speedily to lend an indifferent eare to some debate of this point by persons learned of either side for which purpose although the meanenes of my coÌ„dition may chalenge nothing froÌ„ this state of merit yet would I hope to finde the favour for so charitable a worke as the good of a soule which a kingdome cannot redeeme that some learned Priest of the Romish fashion without perill of the lawe might be suffered to haue accesse to you so that you would be willing to admit with all the presence of some moderate graue and learned man of the contrary part betweene whom if it might please you to stand but attentiue with a mind free of preiudice my hope would be and my vnfained prayer should concurre with it that God would bee pleased to open your heart as he did of Lydia that good woman and make you able to discerne betweene his truth delivered in his holy word and the impostures of the present Church of Rome If you should coÌ„sult herein with any one of my masters of Rome I know he would disswade you from this course he would sing Syrene-like pretending this care that it is not now safe for you to disquiet your conscience with questions of this kind wheras in truth his aime only would be to hold you stil a captiue in the boÌ„ds of error ignoraÌ„ce security But God I trust in his good time wil disappoint their drifts to whom froÌ„ my heart I will daily pray as charity conscience and duty binds me that in mercy he wil be pleased to direct your good intention with a true vnderstanding of his will that so your commendable desire of salvation being accompanied with a right endeavour in the way may carry you through this pilgrimage of sorrowes into the place of everlasting joyes FINIS
sometimes affords to her zealous children if my masters of ſ Rhem annot in Lue cap. 23. v. 24. Rhemes bee not deceived Shee that teacheth vs to doe good workes wil make vs beleeue they are t The heaven'y blessednes which the Scripture calleth the reward of the iust is not give them of God gratis and freely but is due to their workes yet God hath set forth heaven to sale for our workes Andraed Orthodox expl ◠lib. 6. meritorious ex condigno and so turne our Christiā duties into glorious sins Shee that teacheth vs that Gods written Word is true will haue vs beleeue withall That it containes u Can loc l. 3. c. 3. not all the doctrine of our salvation and commaunds vs not to x Index libit proh Pij quarti Reg. 4. reade it without her leaue nor vnderstande it but according to the sence y No man may giue other exposition of the Scriptures there such as might agree with the doctrine of the Church of Rome Concil Trid Sess 4. she giues vs. So that if we marke it well shee doth no more then the enemy of mankind is observed to doe who many times for a vantage vtters truth that after he may finde the fairer passage to delude with error And if the grosse absurdities now currant in the Roman Church apart from these formes of truth were laide open to the view of all men I am perswaded in my conscience there is not so simple a Christian living at this day that makes any care of his dutie to God but would abhorre them But herein my masters of Rome declare themselues ingenious in their craft who wel foreseeing that this coine cannot passe for currant in the light vent it ever in the darke so that of many thousands that receiue it scarse any one doth vnderstand it in particular and if any Lay-person more curious then others come by chance to know it yet admitting the principles which he must learne withal it is no more possible for him to judge of it thē for any man in the darke to discerne of colors for as the eye of the body is not vseful at al but in the light no more is our vnderstanding enabled to distinguish betweene truth and errour in the doctrine of christianity but in the glorious light of the holy Scriptures The ignorance of these is assigned by Christ our Saviour z Mat. 22.29 to be a reason of error and we are taught by the Prophet David That the a Psal 119. vers 130. enterance of Gods word giueth light that it giueth vnderstanding to the simple With him the blessed Apostle accords b Tim. 3.15 and tels vs that the holy Scriptures are able to make vs wise vnto salvation This wisedome my masters of Rome approue not in the Laytie they like best that scholler that soonest learnes and contents himselfe with the c Recorded and commended by Staphylus Hosius and others Colliars Creede To beleeue in grosse as doth their Church without being able to render a reason of any article of the religion hee professeth It is gravely delivered by the Rhemists in their annotations vpon Saint Lukes Gospell d Rhem annot on Luk 12.11 That if a Catholike man being called before the commission answere that he is a Catholike man and that he will liue and die in that faith which the Catholike Church teacheth and that this Church can giue them a reason of al the things which they demand of him hee answeres enough and defends himselfe sufficiently Now the better to prepare the Laytie to this sufficiencie they permit them not to reade the Scriptures but with licence and never but with this caution to admit no other sence of what they reade in them but such as these my masters vnder the name of the Catholike Church shall recommend vnto them By which wily sleight they deprive them of al vse of their judgement in the matter of their salvation and of the Scriptures both at once and in place thereof leave them furnished only to maintain the doctrine they haue embraced with the pretended name and authoritie of the Catholike Church For instance in this giue me leave deare Mother without your offence to appeale to your selfe if it were demanded of you by what warrant you hold it lawfull to pray to Saints to worship Images to pray for foules departed and the like your answere I presume would be that herein you follow the doctrine of the Catholike Church which being ever directed by the holy Ghost cannot deceive vs. I must confesse the authority of the Catholike Church rightly vnderstood ought much to moue vs consisting in a generall sence of all that cōpany which in all ages places of the world haue joyned in profession of al the principles of the true religion But if to chalenge to our selues the name of the Church were of it selfe enough without question it would follow that God should haue as many Churches as there haue bin heresies in the world For never haue there been any authors of those impieties but haue endeavoured to giue them countenance vnder the shadow name of the Catholike Church I wil not enter here into any discussion of the doctrine mainetained at this day in the Roman Church which were but to weede in a field of tares the absurdity of it is made visible to the world by the learned labours of many reverent and worthy Pastors of our Church I will only in this place declare in what sence my masters of Rome vnderstand the Catholike Church with the sound whereof they continually fill your eares as being the maine supporters of al they teach you And first this principle is worthy to be noted well which we learne from the most eminent writer of the Papacie at this day e Bellarm de effect sacram lab 2. cap. 25. That the truth of all ancient Councels and of all points of faith dependeth vpon the authoritie of the present Church where if we desire to know what he meanes by the Church the Cardinals interpreter plainely tels vs f Gretser defens Bellarm com 1. pag. 1450. B. That when they affirme the Church to be iudge of al controversies of faith by the Church they vnderstand the Bishop of Rome who for the time governes the shippe of the militant Church and by liuely voice doth clearely and expressely expound his iudgement to them that seeke to him To this purpose another great Rabbin amongst them delivereth plainely g Gregor de Valent. in Tho. 22. tom 3. Disput 1. punct 7. q 5. That the Apostolike Church is therefore faid to be infallible because he is over it who by himselfe hath infallible authority And if wee would knowe who that He is that hath this infallible authoritie we may learne from the Jesuite Swares h Suares in 3. Thom. tom 1. disput 44. sect 1. pag. 677. That it is the Pope whose determinatiō he affirmes to be the
maine supporter of all religion at this day in the Church of Rome is not so ancient by many ages in the world as is the Alcoran of that accursed Mahomet If the foundation be proved new what rule can they propose to secure your conscience for the antiquity of the building their coÌ„tinued Priesthood their daily sacrifice their satisfactions for sinne their workes of merit their reall change in the Sacrament their adoration of it their mangled communion their worship of Images their prayers to Saints their Auricular Confession their Purgatory fire with all that trumperie besides which they tender vnder the name and disguised habite of Church traditions Certainly all these are terrae filij If they seeke to the Scriptures for their originall they will be sent packing with we know you not Possibly it may be demanded what I thinke of our forefathers who liued in the latter ages of the world while these mists of Popery lay thicke vpon the face of the visible Church in these Westerne parts Were they damned all God forbid that any man should be so savage to write or think so I verily beleeve and haue beene alwaies taught so that as well the Church of England as other of forraine parts when the tyranny and corruptions of the Papacie did most oppresse them were neverthelesse portions of Gods vniversall Church and sent many soules to God For even in these when they were most obscured with errour and ignorance yet all essentiall points of Christian doctrine were to bee learned touching the invocation and worshippe of God touching our redemption by Christ Iesus crucified touching our observation of Gods commandements so the rest so that concerning out forefathers this may suffice that as wee are bound in Christian charitie to hope the best of their salvation that before vs embraced the faith of Christ though possibly divers of them might approue in grosse some errors of the time wherein they liued never apprehending in particular the scope meaning of them so yet is it no way safe for vs to make our forefathers our rule of faith In the Church coÌ„sisting of the Iewes before Christs comming into the world the holy Prophets of God were so farre from making their forefathers a rule to follow as that to the contrary we shal finde nothing more familiar with them then to warne the people of God That they walke not in the ordinances of their fathers t Psal 78.8 Not to be as their forefathers a faithlesse stabborne generation a generation that set not their heart aright c. and to like purpose in sundry places But for resolution of this point it is our part to follow the direction of Saint Cyprian that holy Martyr of the Church u Lib. 2. Epist 3. If Christ onely bee to bee heard not to listen what any man before vs hath thought fit to be done but what Christ hath done who is before all for that wee are not to follow the custome of men but the truth of God My masters of Rome if there be no remedy will assent to this position of Saint Cyprian marry then you must giue them leaue to begge and assume this truth of God to bee the proper inheritance of the Bishop and Church of Rome but if you shall deale so vnfriendly with them as to presse them to shew their evidence they wil trouble you with much discourse but in the end for your satisfaction this answere must content you or none at all dixit Ecclesia themselues will tell you so The Pastors of the prosent Church of England will likewise make claime of this truth of God to rest with them but herein they wil deale more ingeniously with you then the other they will desire you to beleeue them no farther in this point then by plaine demonstration out of Gods holy word they shall be able to make good their claime In this confusion and difference betweene our teachers pretending of either side to haue the Church and truth of God and yet impossible but that in so direct a contrarietie as resteth betweene them of one side they must needs abuse vs possibly deare Mother you will aske what meanes are left for vs that are but learners in the schoole of Christ to discerne betweene them To censure their doctrine by their liues and actions were an vncertaine way a reason whereof wee learne from Saint Chrysostome an ancieÌ„t Father of the Church x Homil. 49. in Matt. oper imperf Because whatsoever kinde of holines the servants of God haue in truth the servants of Satan may have in likenes for the divell hath his that be meeke and humble that be chast and giue almes that fast and doe every good deed which God hath appointed for the salvation of mankinde and these formes of godlines hath the Divell brought in to seduce vs that a confusion being made betweene good and counterfeit simple men which know not the difference betweene goodnes indeed and goodnes in shew while they seeke the good servants of God might light vpon the Divels seducements Of this mind are likewise the learned of the Church of Rome y Part. 6. pag. â—9 You know saith Master Harding in his confutation of Bishop Iewels Apologie it is no good argument to reason from manners to the doctrine who would not hisse and trample you out of the schooles if you make this argument The Papists liues be faultie Ergo their teaching is false I know that howsoever my master of Rome like not as you see to haue their doctrine measured by the line of their liues and actions yet themselues will offer crooked measure in this kind there is nothing more familiar with them in their publike writings or private discourse with their schollers that admire them then to traduce and vilifie the Pastors of the Church of England of whom certainly many there haue beene and are of excellent merit and example in the Church and no doubt but some in so great a number may be found scandalous in their places who can expect no other but a feareful judgement in the end But if this were an argument wee need not seeke for proofe from any adverse to the Church of Rome but from their own records as for instance in one I pray you deare Mother note what Aventine a learned historian of their owne discloseth z Annal. lib. 6. in initio The Pope setteth over the flocke of Christ goates wolues lustfull persons adulterers ravishers of Virgins and Nunnes cookes muleters thieues bankers vsurers drones game hunters lecherous perfidious periured ignorant asses He committeth the sheep to wolues and hypocrites which only provide for their own bellies Nay hee setteth boyes and wantons to rule the lambes I am ashamed to say what manner of Bishops we have with the revenews of the poore they feede their hounds horses whoores they quaffe they loue the fly learning as infection c. thus farre the Historian But my masters of Rome will
tell you they haue an vndoubted way to assure you of the doctrine they teach you to bee the truth of God which is by meanes of the miracles they boast to be frequent with them I wil confesse if we may beleeve them it hath been as easie and familiar with them to worke a wonder as it hath been with the Pope to make a Saint and yet I must tell you some doctors of his owne a Canus loc l. 5. c. 5. q. 5. Concl. 3. Cajetan likewise make doubt whether al be Saints in heavē that the Popes have canonized for such and thrust into the Romane Calender But to the miracles which they can chalenge as proper to their Church since their Bishops of that Sea haue ascended into the seate of their Vniversall Soveraignetie if they were all true as for the most part questionlesse they are but fables impostures such as those of the Legend are observed to be by men judicious and learned among themselves as Canus that plainly stiles the writer of them b Canus loc l. 11. c. 6. a man of a brasen face and a leaden heart Espenceus that affirmes c 2. Tim. 4. digr 25. No stable to be so ful of dongue as the Legends are ful of lies yet could this prove no certaine meane to assure vs of the truth to be with them seeing as Stapleton one of their Priests confesseth d Stapleton prompt mor part astiu in Dominic 24. post Pentecost For the more triall of the godly not only Antichrist himselfe and his forerunners but all heretikes also may doe true miracles by the permission of God as the Sorcerers of Pharaoh did And greater I presume my masters of Rome cānot boast of in these later times then Baronius the Cardinall hath recorded to be done by Simon Magus that instrument of the divel e Anno 63. num 22. That he made Images to walke and would lye in the fire without hurt that hee would flye in the ayre and make bread of stones that he could open doores fast shut vnloose bonds of iron that hee had many shadowes following him as it had bin men c. The like we may reade of others of that kinde But for resolution of this point I will here set downe a discourse of a learned Father the which is well worthy of your observation f Chrysost oper imperf num 49. Since Heresies have gained place in the Church there can bee no proofe of true Christianitie neither refuge for Christians willing to know the truth but the holy Scriptures Hereto fore it was by many means declared which was the Church of Christ and which was Gentilisme but now there is no way for those that are willing to know which is the true Church of Christ but by the Scriptures only wherefore because all those things that properly belong to Christ in truth Heresies likewise haue in schisme they haue churches they haue the holy scriptures they haue Bishops other orders of the Clergie they have Baptisme the holy Eucharist and all other things yea Christ himselfe whosoever therfore is willing to know which is the true Church of Christ how shal he know it in the confusion of so great resemblance but by the Scriptures only Heretofore it was knowne by miracles which were true Christians which false by what means The false either could not work signes as the true Christians did or at least not such as true Christiās could But now the working of miracles is wholly ceased and it is observed that counterfeit signes are more wrought with them that are false Christians Nay Peter in Clement hath foreshewed that Antichrist shal haue power giuē him to work true miracles Heretofore by the outward cōversation the Church of Christ might be knowne when the lives of Christians either all or the most part were holy such as it was not with others but now Christiās are become as bad or worse then heretikes or Gentiles nay there is a better outward carriage many times observed amongst those that are in Schisme then amongst Christians Hee therefore that would know which is the true Church of Christ how should hee know it but only by the Scriptures Our Lord therefore knowing that so great confusion of things would happen in the last dayes commands Christians that desire to receiue assurance of true faith to fly to nothing but the holy Scriptures If they looke to other things they shall be scandalized and perish not vnderstāding which is the true Church and thereby shall light vpon the abomination of desolation which shall stand in the holy places of the Church c. Thus far St. Chrysostom My masters of Rome howsoever they glose it like not the language of this learned Father To wish thē to expose their Church and doctrine to bee judged by the holy Scriptures were a hard saying with the Capernaites g Ioh. 6.60 in good reason they may tell you they cannot beare it But if St. Chrysostome had dealt so friendly with them as in place of onely Scriptures to haue named the word of God defining that word to consist as well of vnwritten traditions as the written word had withall assigned the Church of Rome with her supreame Pastor to be the trustie treasurer of vnwritten verities and the only infallible interpreter of the written word whereof the Cardinals conclusion might haue beene made good h Hosius de express Dei verbo pag. 38. That which pleaseth the Church is Gods expresse word and at the last resolving this Church into the Pope i Vnder the name of church we vnderstand her head that is to say the Rom. or bishop Greg. de valent in Tho. tom 3. disput 1. quaest 1. punct 1. alone questionlesse they would haue taken it as a kindnes at his hands But if he will insist vpon only Scriptures they will never giue over cavelling at this point First they will tell him k Canus loc l. 3. c. 3. that many things belong to Christian faith which are contained in the Scriptures neither openly nor obscurely St Chrysostome it seemes was of another mind who affirmeth l In Mat. hom 45. That whatsoever is required to salvation is all accomplished in the Scriptures neither is any thing wanting there that is needfull for mans salvation which mooues another of the antients to advise m Isidorus Pelusiota lib. 1. ep 369. That we refuse whatsoeuer is taught vnlesse it bee contained in the volume of the Bible a reason whereof Cyril a learned Father giues n lib. 72. in Ioh. haec autē scriptasunt c Because such things are written as the Apostles saw suffïcient for our faith and manners Possibly if they be intreated much in good nature they will acknowledge at the last as Bishop the Seminarie doth in his Tract against M. Perkins of Traditions o The scriptures containe not the resolution of difficulties which the learned must beleeue if they
will be saved Bishop the seminary of traditions against Mr Perkins That the doctrine of salvation at least so much as every simple Christian is bound to beleeue vnder perill of damnation is contained in the holy Scriptures though not so for himselfe and his learned brethren but then will they taxe the Scriptures with obscuritie discourage you from medling with them vnder that pretense affirming that they cannot be comprehended by the capacitie of the vulgar vnlearned reader To this I oppose the iudgement of S. Austin who plainely tels vs p Enarrat i◠Psal 8. That God hath howed downe the Scriptures even to the capacitie of babes and sucklings That when proud men will not speake to their capacitie yet himselfe might To like purpose S. Chrysostome q Homil. 3. de Lazaro That God hath penned the Scriptures by the hands of Publicans Fishermen Tentmakers Shepherds Neatherds and vnlearned men that none of the simple people might haue any excuse to keep them from reading and that so they might bee easily vnderstood of all men the Artificer the Housholder and widows woman and him that is most vnlearned c. thus he To the resolution of these learned Fathers my Masters of Rome will reply with a question If the doctrine of salvation be so plainely proposed in the holy Scriptures how it should come to passe that it is so diversely vnderstood Arrius reads it denies the divinitie of Christ Eutiches reads it and denies his humanitie the Graecians read it and esteeme it folly The Jewes read it and are offended at it It is read at this day in the Church of Rome as likewise in the Church in the communion whereof wee liue and different opinions are collected from it yet of either side it is true there are men of excellent gifts both for wit learning As if my Masters of Rome were ignorant that wit and learning if not guided by the holy Ghost were so farre from being means to further vs to a right vnderstanding of Gods word as that the more they abound in any man apart from grace the more irrecouerable many times they plunge him into errour delusion for as the light of the Sunne though visible yet is not discerned by a blinde man even so although it bee true which S. Austin teacheth r De doctr Christ lib. 2. cap. 9. That those things which concerne our faith conversation yea all things necessarie are plainely and manifestly set downe in the holy Scriptures yet the doctrine of salvation contained in them being the obiect of faith not of witte and humane learning which faith is the speciall worke of the holy Ghost in man and never rightly and vsefully vnderstood beleeved of any but such only as sincerely applying themselues to the outward meanes of seeking instruction by hearing and reading Gods holy word obtaine withal by hearty prayer the direction of Gods blessed spirit ſ 1. Cor. 2.14 for the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are discerned spiritually as the Apostle tels vs. My masters of Rome wil heere be carping with a question whether every reader or hearer of the scriptures may assure himselfe to haue the spirit of God I say not so spiritus vhi vult spirat but this I say and am assured that I say the truth t Rom. 8.9 that he that hath not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his and in an other place we are plainely taught u Rom. 8.14 That they that are governed by the spirit of God they are the children of God from al which this conclusion wil cleerly follow that as it is impossible for vs vnlesse by hearing or reading we acquaint our selues with the language of the holy scriptures to distinguish with the sheep of Christ between the shepheards voice and the voice of strangers so it is our part seriously and from the heart to seeke to God to enlighten our vnderstāding by the gift of his holy spirit without which this everlasting word of life proues to none but the savour of death to their eternall destruction My masters of Rome I presume will be intreated to acknowledge this that there is no true servant of God but hath in this life the holy Ghost for a pledge of his adoption e Rom. 8.15.16 which testifieth to his spirit that he is the child of God and shame I thinke will not suffer them to make it questionable whether this spirit of God that was so powerfull with the blessed Apostles as from vnlearned Fishermen as diverse of them were to enable them for teachers of the world may likewise bee now of power to prepare the heart of the simplest hearer or reader of Gods holy word truely to apprehend therein the mysteries of his salvation But how shall any man say they be certaine that he hath the spirit of god I must confesse the truth of this is felt before it can be learned yet as the man that hath his bodily sight being demanded how hee can bee certaine that bee hath his eyes could giue no other answer but that by seeing he is assured that he hath his eyes and by his eyes he is assured that he sees even so the spirit of God being the eye whereby the soule discerneth in spirituall things the inward light of vnderstanding in Gods faithfull seruants apprehending and beleeuing the grounds of faith deliuered in the holy Scriptures assures them that they haue the spirit of God abiding in them and by the same spirit revealing vnto them out of Gods holy word which is infallible the doctrine of salvation their consciences are secured that they vnderstand and beleeue the truth Yet would I not be thought to hold that every faithfull Christian in this life did attaine to a perfect knowledge of all the deepe mysteries that are to be found within the booke of God I knowe there is depth for the Elephant to swimme and safe place for the Lambe to wade in and it is most certaine that since the Apostles Evangelists left the world the holy Ghost to hold the children of God in humility to moue them the more carefully to attend the subordinate meanes prescribed for the gaining of Christian learning as fervēt prayer with diligence in hearing Gods word preached taught by the pastors of his Church and seeking to them for their helpe and instruction vpon all occasions of doubt hath tempered their knowledge with such measure as that they shall but vnderstand in part yet shall they never faile to vnderstand so much as shal suffice to bring them to a sauing faith But here a question may be moued seeing it is true as in part I haue noted that God by his ordinance hath assigned the ministery of the Church I meane the instructions of her Pastors both private pub-like to bee one meane to bring his children to the knowledge of his truth whether it be imposed