c Philip. 2. v 7. he did for vs exinaniee himselfe taking the forme of a seruant That of the greater or lesse honour which doth accrue vnto God is but a bad way to establish one article of Faith and destroy another Vvher vpon d Hil. l. 1. de Trinit Religiese impius l. 4. irreisgiosam de Deo selt â—tudinem S. Hilarie tearmes the Arians who vse that way of proceeding Religiously vvicked people who doe irreligiously serue God Other grounds are necessaire Vve must know what the Church teacheth vs and those that are so carefull of Gods honour ought to be verie carefull to be in structed in it least they iniure him in deedes whom they honour in words which they doe in expressing things otherwise then they are indeede it being certaine as saith a Cassian l. 1. de Incarnat Quod non dicitur it ae vt est etiamsi honor videatur contumelia est Cassian disciple of S. Chrysostome that that vvhich is not exprest as it is though it seeme honourable is indeede a true contumelie That which is true be it of what kinde it will honours God because he would haue it so and that all his wills are to his owne aduantage But what is false though in apparance aduantagious turnes to disaduantage And though many things beare no proportion with the greatnes of the Almightie yet haue they connection with the infinite perfectioÌ„ of his loue and Charitie which appeares somuch the more perfect and accomphished by how much in vertue therof he descends to things more lowe and abiect And therfore it is an abuse to alledge gods honour to dazle and blinde the people Yet this you doe while you represent your Religion hated for fiue points which you esteeme honorable for him as being honorable in your opinion to Iesus Christ which is but yet so in apparance onely Hereupon I am forced to tell you with a Tertul. l. de pudic c. 2. talia tantae sparsilia eoruÌ„ quious Deo adulentur sibi lenocinantur effoeminantia magis quam vigoraÌ„tia disciplinaÌ„ Tertullian that those litle shiftes by vvhich you become flatterers of God and your selues doe rather vveaken then strengthen discipline So considering Religion in the shape you represent it me thinks I see not a chaste wife but a strumpet set out with sundrie adulterate colours to seduce the world and kill you come from you and become mistresse of your life which moues me to the end I may deliuer the people from errour to vndertake to wash her face vnmaske her and discouer her deformitie following the example and foot stepps of the Prophete who speaking of an Idolatrous b Nahu 3. Propter mu. titudinem fornicationuÌ„ meretricis speciosa gratae habeutis maleficiae quae veÌ„didit gentes in fornicationibus suis faemiliaes in maeleficiis suis Reuelabo pudenda tua in facie tua ostendam gentibus nuditaetem tuam regnis ignominiam tuam nation vseth these words For the abundance of the fornications of a faire charmeing and mischieuous strumpet vvho hath sold nations in her formcations families in her diuelish prankes I vvil discouer thy shame in thy face and vvill shevv thy nakednes to all nations and thy ignominie to kingdomes Which I will doe so much the more willingly because I haue learnt of b Concil in psal 36. Tanto magis debemus commemorare vanitatem haereticorum quanto magis quaerimus salutem eorum S. Augustine that by how much more we desire the saluation of Heretikes by so much more we ought to indeuour to make the vanitie of their errour appeare SECTION II. VVe vvould make it clearely appeare vnto him that our religion is hated because it admitts no other rule of saluation then the vvord of God contayned in holy scripture ANSWERE IT is false that your Religion is hated for that it admitts no other rule of saluation then the scripture but true it is that it is worthy of hatred for the diuers abuses which it committs in Scripture That we teach no other rule of saluation then scripture will be manifest to any that knowes that these words an other rule doe importe in proper speach a Rule of a diuers kind as I will hereafter proue in the ensuing Section and withall an intire rule as I will presently make appeare following your owne tenets who will not admitte the Ghospell of S. Mathew to be an other rule then that of S. Marke considering they are but two parts of the same Rule and that this word rule simply taken signifies a compleate rule for as S. Basile saith a Rule admitts no addition but things that are imperfect are neuer rightly instiled by the name of Rule Now we nether admitt Rule of any other king then the scripture nor yet any compleate rule other then it yea we call it the compleate rule of our saluation for two reason both because it contaynes immediatly and formally the substance of our Faith all the articles necessarie necessitate Medij for mans saluation and also because it doth mediately comprehend all that we are to beleeue in that it doth remitt vs to the Church to learne the same which it assures vs is infallible Hence it followes that we draw that truth out of the scriptures which we receaue by the mouth of the Church if reason may preuayle which teacheth that whoso euer deputes another to speake for him speakes mediatly by his mouth and if a Aug. lib. 1. cont Cresco c. 33. Quamuis huius rei certè de scripturis Catholicis non proferatur exemplum earundem tameÌ„ scripturarum etiam in hacre à nobis tenetur veritas cum hoc facimus quod vniuersae placuit Ecclesiae quam ipsarum scripturarum commeÌ„dat authoritas Etsimi lia lib. de vnit Eccles c. 22. S. Augustine who deliuers it in expresse termes may gaine beleife Albeit saith he one can produce no example of scripture concerning this matter yet hold vve in it the truth of the same scripture since vve doe that vvhich is conformable to the vniuersall Church vvhom the authoritie of the selfe same scripture doth commend vnto vs. Behold in what esteeme the Scripture is with vs for which cause we also are to be esteemed Now we will see whether by reason of it you deserue not hatred though not in that sense in which you say you are hated for it But before we come to that point permit me I beseech you to extenuate a litle the glorie you hunt after in establishing the Scripture the onely rule of your saluation by making you share it onely with diuers Here tikes who before your tyme sustayned the same opinion So said the Manichies I can in no sorte saith Fortunatus in a Aug. l. cont Fortunatum Nullo genere rectè me credere ostendere pessum nisieaÌ„dem sideÌ„ scripturarum authoritate firmauerim S. Augustine make appeare that I rightly beleeue vnlesse I confirme my Faith
nor are good for any thing but to giue a false alarme and content such as please themselues to heare calumnies cast out against the Church This moues you to cry out that Catholike religion is made a traffike and that Prelates intrench vpon the liuing and the deade Is it to intrench vpon the deade to doe that which we see hath bene practised in the primitiue Church in the tyme of a Tert. â—l de cer mil. c. 3. Oblationes pro defunctis pro natalitiis annua die faci mus Item l de Monoga pro anima eius offerat annuis diebus Tertul. b Cyprian ep 66. refert vt si quis frater clericum tutorem nominas set non offeretur pro eo nec saecrificium pro dormitatione eius celebraretur S. Cyprian and others and the contrarie to which is condeÌ„ned for heresie in the persoÌ„ of Aerius by the relation of a Aug haec 53. Epiphan har 75. S. Augustine and S. Epiphanius As your beliefe resembles that of the auncient Heresiarkes condemned by the Church so your manner of proceeding is not vnlike to theirs for the Manichees did vpbraide S. Augustine Vigilantius and S. Hierome that for their owne profit and interest they defeÌ„ded the doctrine of the Church which is the verie same which now you obiect against vs. The Prelates nether intrench vpon the liuing nor the deade but doe greatly assiste the one and the other wheras you abuse them both They assiste the liuing by instructions and Sacraments the liuing and the deade by their prayers and their sacryfices wheras you doe altogether neglect the deade and the care which you haue of the liuing hath no other effect then the death of their soules You say that the Pope for some ages past hath hindred kings to read the Scriptures Where doe you find that prohibition The Popes would alwayes exceedingly reioyce that kings who are learned and are addicted to reading should exactly reade them being confident that by the assistaÌ„ce of learned men who are able to explicate the sense vnto theÌ„ they will clearly discouer that the gouerment of the Church is not built vpon the ignorance of the word of God as you calumniate but that your religion is grounded vpon the corruptions and bad interpretations of that sacred word They will also see that the Pope makes not himselfe the supreame iudge of faith but that he was constituted such by God and the Church which is the pillar and rocke of truth seeing God did constitute Peter a Petra or rocke vpon which it is built And indeede S. Hierome though most conuersant in all holy Scripture did yet beseech Pope Damasus that he would decree whether we ought to say one or thee hypostases professing that he would hold as an article of faith what he defined Had not S. Bernard also the Scripture before his eyes when he wrote to Pope Innocent the II. that all the dangers and scandalls which rise in the kingdome of God ought to be referred to his Apostleshippe especially things concerning faith Vvas the Scripture vnknowen to IustiniaÌ„ the Emperour when he saith in his Epistle to Pope Iohn the II. we suffer nothing to passe which belongs to the state of the Church vnknowen to your Holines who is the heade of all the holy Churches Vvhy did the Ecumenicall Councells held in the primitiue Church demand the confirmation of their Decrees of the Pope if they knew not by holy write that they were obliged therunto Vvas not the Scripture both in the east and west Church when as S. Hâ—erome relates the Synodicall consultations of both those parts of the world were sent to Pope Damasus to be confirmed Kings meete with nothing in Scripture but your condemnatioÌ„ And if they daigne to cast an eye vpon historie they shall find that the Popes whose greatnes is represented as preiudiciall to this our France hath not bene a litle aduantagious vnto it But if any haue raysed themselues to the detriment of France alwayes most Catholike and with the diminution of the most Christians kings dignitie you are the men who being enemyes to the Catholike Church and Christian religion like true children of darknes had your birth and groth by meanes of their obscuritie CHAP. XIV MINISTERS THe neglect of these things hath for the space of many yrares drawen great inconueniencies vpon France and hath made it a Theater wherupon bloodie Tragedies haue bene acted while God punisheth the contempt of his word and the oppression of his children The ripenes of your witt dread Soueraigne euen in the spring of your yeares and the tymelynes in princelike and Christian vertues which discouer themselues in your Maiestie makes vs hope for a more happie age vnder your raigne God who besto wed your Maiestie on France in his benediction will by his prouidence conserue you and will settle and confirme your scepter in your hands making vse of it to the establishment of his sonns kingdome who is king of kings so that God raigning by you may raigne also in you to the end that you may raigne with him for euer But if contrarie suggestions hinder our humble supplications from being receaued of your Maiestie with wished successe yet will we neuer cease while God grants life to instruct your people in obedience and loyallie to Wards your Maiestie and we will pray to God for the conseruation of your person and the prosperitie of your Kingdome as it becomes such as are c. ANSWERE IT is not at this present onely that the professours of a false beliefe impute the calamities which happen in their tymes to the contempt of their errours for euen Tertull. Arnobius S. Cyprian S. August and diuers others doe witnesse that the Pagans ascribed all the disasters of their tymes to the honour in which Christian religion was held and to the contempt of theirs In this you imitate these old PagaÌ„s and indeede since the end doth crowne the worke it was fitting that your writing which is full of the imitations of ancient heretiques condemned by the Church should be crowned with the imitation of Pagans condemned by all christian societies If the calamities of France did proceede from the contempt of your religion it had not so much florished in the tyme oâ— the Albigeois whom you accnowledge to be your brothers seeing it did persequute them in open warre And without doubt it had bene oppressed with miseries vnder the raigne of Pepin Charlemagne who religiously honored the Popes and the Roman Church wheras it was neuer more florishing then in their raigne Againe Italie and spayne where your errours are not currant whence those that professe them are banished and where the holy sea is as much honored as in any place of the world should be most miserable contries But your assertions haue no grounde of reason It is true indeede as the Fathers doe obserue that temporall felicitie doth follow religion marrie not yours but that onely
owne direction and also because your versions not being authenticall as you confesse the Scripture which you vse can be no sufficient rule of saluation euen to the learned That the Church is the true Guide if saint Augustine be beleeued whom a Luther in defensio verbo Caenae Meosaneiudicio post Apostolos Ecclesia now habuit meliorem Augustino Calu. 3. Instit cap. 3. §. 10. Ex Augustino sumant lectores si quid de sensu antiquitatis certi habere volunt you accnowledge to be a faithfull witnes of antiquitie it is a cleare case b August epist 16. Ait rectissimā discipli namesseveimperiti nitātur authoritate Ecclesia It is a most orderly discipline saith this great light that the ignorant should rely vpon the authoritie of the Church There is nothing so behouffull for a soule as to obey a Cone 2. in Psalm 70. Nihil tamexpedit anima quam obedire he adds in another place b Contra Eplani fundam cap. 5. Egovero Euangelio nen crederem nisime Catholicae Ecclesia commoueret authoritas .... qua infirmatae iamnec Euangelio credere potero And againe I would not leleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authoritie of the Catholike Church did moue me thervnto and after that which authoritie being thaken I should not giue credit to the Gospell where it is manifest that he speakes of himselfe as a Catholike not as a Manikie These words doe make a cleare demonstration that the Church is the true guide of the faithfull nor indeede can it be called in question if we consider that the holy Ghost declared it the pillar and strength of truth that the Fathers c August contra Epistolam fundam c. 5. Epist 118. l. De vtilitate cred c. 15. altbi passim Iren. l. 3. c. 3. 4. Hieron contra Luciferi doe accnowledge it to be infallible and that d Calu. 4. Instit c. 1. §. 10. Neque enim parui momentiest quod vxcatur columna fundamentum veritatis domus Dei quibies verbis significat Paulus ne intercidat veritas Deiin mundo Ecclesiam esse fidem eius custodem Etc. 2. §. 2. Verè Ecclesia columna est ac firmamentum veritatis Vvhitak cont 2. q. 4. c. 1. Nos dicinsus eam quae est Christi Ecclesia In absolute necessariis non posse errare Id. contra 1. quaest 3. c. 5 7. Fateor nos haraticos cogi conuinciposse authoritate Ecclesia necasio argumento externo validius ac fortius premi hareticos yours also allow it to be such in points necessarie to saluation And who would now say that a child were not to heare and follow the documents of a mother most louing to her children and who in things concerning their saluation can teach them nothing but truth Vve are bound to heare the Church I will shortly bring your owne Authours to make it good Now let vs examine whether as I haue said you doe not impose vpon vs. You doe openly impose vpon vs while you make your followers beleeue that we make a generall prohibition of the scripture as being a dangerous booke It is true we are not of those wherof a Tertul. Prascript c. 41. Omnes tumēt omnes scientiā pollicētur ipsa mulieres haveticae audent docere contendere c. Tertullian speaketh they are all puffed vp with pride they all promis knowledge yea the verie hercticall Women dare vndertake to teach and dispute Vve are not of that sort of people of whom b Traet 47 in Iean Nihil sic amant isti ac scientiam promittere sidem rerum verarum quas parunls crede we pracipiuntur velut imperitiam deridera saint Augustine affirmes that they are taken with nothing so much as to promis knowledge and laugh at the beleife of true things which the children were taught to beleeue as though it had bene a meere ignorance Vve haue no affinitie with Pelagius who will haue women to reade Scripture as a Hieron dial 1. contr Pelag. saint Hierome doth note and condamne him for it Vve are not of your humour who iudge the scripture so easie to be vnderstode that you make no difficultie to command all the world to reade it In a word we cannot allow of your wayes in making Idiots ignorant persons and women their owne Doctors and Prophetes Yet is it false to affirme that we prohibite the scripture as a perilous booke we doe not so far forgett the respect which we owe to the spirit that did dictate it nor disaccnowledge the happines and truth which it proposeth vnto vs. Marrie we doe boldly affirme that the Scripture such as you propose it that is changed or taken according to the letter without giuing its true sense the knowledge wherof depends vpon the Church her declaration is dangerous for those who ether by ignorance vanitie or malice would rashly make vse of it And in this we doe nothing to which we are not moued by the Scripture the Fathers and your owne men By the Scripture a 2. Corin 3. Litera occidit 2. per 3. Quae indocti instabiles deprauant ad suam ipscrum perditionem saying in expresse termes that the letter doth kill and that the vnlearned doe depraue it to their owne perdition By the Fathers b Lib. de resurrect carn c. 40. Haereses esse non perpe vam scriptura intelligi possent Hilarius l. 2. de Trinit Vigiltus Martyr l. 2. contr Eutych Tertullian saying that there could be no heresies at all if the Scripture could not be ill vnderstoode and saint Hilatie shewing by sundrie examples that they sprung from the false interpretation of the scripture By your owne Luther confessing that the scripture is the Heretiques booke If it be commendable in a carefull mother to take the knife out of her childs hands with which through want of yeares and discretion he might hurt himselfe and to giue it to one of more ripnes to vse you ought rather to prayse then blame vs sithens we prohibite the Scripture in a vulgaire tongue to some that might abuse it and permit it to such as may reape commoditie by it That we permitt it to some it is apparent by the verie confessions of a Vvhit controu 1. q. 2. c. 13. Papista hac in re certam exceptionem rationemque temporum locorum personarum haberi volunt Item Status quaestionis huiusmodiest vtrum vernacule versiones scripturarum sint omnibus promiscuè praponendae permittendae vel non illinegant nos affirmamus your owne men who doe accnowledge that in this we make exception of persons tymes and places and that the question berwixt you and vs is not whether any can reade them or not but whether we doe indifferently permitt all to reade them or no which we affirme saith whitakere and they meaning Catholikes deney that it ought to be done The exception which we make of
But if you replie that you are bound to obserue the essentiall parres of the misteries done by Iesus Christ yet are permitted to chaÌ„ge that which he did in indifferent things it rests that you proue out of scripture why these things which you change are more of that nature then those which you condemne vs for changing Or if you cnnnot doe it Lib. 2. contr aduersa legis Hoc vanitas non ueritas dicit confesse that your words are as S. Augustine saith vanitie and not veritie and that vniustly accusing vs you iustly condemne your selues True it is we ate in tirly and throughly to followe our sauiours example in that which is intrinsicall and substantiall in the misteries in this all disputes and contention being layd aside we are bound to contayne our selues with in that sobrietie and moderation which he prescribed and are to doe and speake as he did And. I would to God you did so then should you confesse that the substace of the Euchariste is the body and blood of our sauiour Iesus-Christ Matth. 62. Accepit Iesus panem benedixit acfregit deditque dicipulis suis att accipite comedite Hoo est corpus meum and not a meere energicall figure of them both For to what end doth the a scripture deliuer in words most expresse not once onely but foure tymes by the mouthes of three Euangelists and one Apostle that the Eucharist is the body and bloode of Iesus-Christ Marc. 14 Accepiâ— Iesus panem benedicens fregit dedit eis ait sumite Hoe est corpus meum without euer saying in any one place that it is not his body but onely a figure if it intend to haue vs beleeve the oue which it saith not and not the other which it affirmes If scripture ought to be the rule of faith Luc. 22. Accepto pane gratias egit fregit dedit seis aâ—cens Hoc est â—â—rpus meuÌ„ quod pro voâ—is datur hoc â—atise mmed â—ommemerationem 1. Corint 11. Dominum Ieumin qua nocte tradebatur accepit panem gratias agens fregis dixst accepite manducate Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis â—â—adetur we are necessarily bound to beleeue that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ which it so often affirmes nor ought we to beleeue that it is not the body and blood of Christ since that is not found in all scripture nor yet doe we euer find that it doth frequently and clearly affirme that a thing is that which it is not with out expressing in somme other place that it is not the said thing If the scripture be instituted to teach vs the connsells of God and of his sonne Iesus-Christ who by it speakes vnto vs who will euer be induced to beleeue that the scripture to teach vs that the sacrament of the Euchariste is bread and wine not the body and blood of Christ who I say would euer imagine that to moue vs to this beliefe it should so frequently inculcate that it is the body and blood of Christ and yet neuer once pronounce that it is nether of them Who will euer frame this iudgement of it vnles such as hauing their braynes inuerted will haue euery thing to be vnderstood preposterously and aganist the sense one contrarie by another and the negation of a truth by the affirmarion of the same Christ is no moâ—ker of men nor is he ignorant of the vsuall manner of their speach he tells them not one thing to moue them to beleeue another Wherfor seeing he doth so planely tell the Apostles that what he gaue them in the Eucharist to eate was his body nor could he find words in which he could more clearly deliurer himselfe there can be no doubt made but he deliuered his owne verie body vnto them other wise it must needes be said that ether he deludes men Aug. l. 33. contr ffaust c. 7. Quid ergo eum legimus obliuiscimur quemadmodum loqui soleamus Anscriptura Dei aliter nobiscum fuerat quam nostro modo loguutura yea and that in a matter of greatest moment to saluation or verily that he was ignorant how to expresse his mynd vnto them Whervpon you will giue me leaue to make that demande to you in this occasion which as I noted aboue St Aug made to the Donatistes in the like occurrence Why when we reade doe we forgett how we are wonte to speake aught the scripture of the Almightie to vse any other maÌ„ner of speach to vs then our owne And wheras Iesus Christ doth say plainly and expresly that he giues vs his body deliuered for vs then which words we can desire none more significatiue none more cleare to moue vs to beleeue that it is his owne true body what can hinder you to beleeue that it is his true body which he giues vnto vs Would you haue him to haue said this is truly really properly substantially my body If some one of these aduerbes were necessarily to be added to manifest the truth of the thing affirmed we should not be obliged to beleeue the most part of the principall misteries of our faith which notwithstanding you beleeue as well as we to witt that Christ was borne of a virgine that he suffered and dyed for in deliuering these truthes the scripture makes vse of none of those Aduerbes nor had it any more expresse termes then those which it vsed to signifie the presence of the body of Christ in the Euchariste As therfore if one doubted whether a thing appearing a far of were truly a man it were not necessarie to giue assurance of the same to adde these words truly really but it were assurance nough to say absolutly it is a man for as the Philosophers hold this word true Verum non additenti addes nothing to the thing so likewise that Iesus-Christ might shew his body truly to be in the Eucharist it is sufficient to affirme it in plane words taken in their owne signification Which was especially to be done here where he doth not onely say this is my body but also my body giuen and deliuered for you which words doe designe the true body of Christ which alone was deliuered for vs. Howbeit it is euident that the nature and beeing of a thing is more clearly expressed by such words as affirme directly what it is then by others which doe onely point at it vnder a certaine name without affirming expresly that it is that thing vnder whose name it is signified and consequently we haue more reason to beleeue that the Euch râ—st is the body of Iesus-Christ because the scripture saith directly that so it is then to beleeue that it is breade because the scripture signifies it vnder the name of breade especially sith it addes Epâ—â—hites to this name of breade which remoue it from its owne signification and contrariwise when it affirmes that the Eucharist is the body of
It is the part of a subiect to serue without voyceing his seruices leauing the accnowlekgment and publishing therof to the Prince If the Prince come short of our iust expectation yet hath a man no actioÌ„ of coÌ„plaint against him If a man coÌ„playne he is blameworthy and coÌ„sequently much more if he complaine while he hath cause to commend The Reader shall iudge whether those that haue bene admitted by their kings to establish a new Chaire in a state to erect a new ministrie who ly coÌ„trarie to that which they accnow ledge to be the tiue Ministrie of the Almightie who haue full libertie to make profession of a Belief directly opposite to theirs who are admitted to offices dignities and estates who by the benefit of the kings bountie inioy no smale number of townes and Castles for their safetie though all the rest of the French doe absolutely relie vpon his faith the true and sole Refuge of subiectes finally if those who haue large pensions who receaue grate benefits in whose fauour verie aduantagious Edicts are made and inuiolably kept the Reader I say shall iudge whether such people haue cause to complaine of their kings and tacitly to accuse them of ingratitude while they declare them selues loaden with iniuries for reward of their seruices If the Anabaptists had afforded as much assistance to some one of your Princes for the recouerie of his Estats as you pretend to haue afforded to Henry the Great would you counsell him to permit them more libertie then you inioy in France Or inioying so much would you admitt of their complaintes for that they did not iaioy equall libertie with you To conclude I appeale to your owne coÌ„sciences not onely whether all the Princes which professe your beleife but whether euen any of theÌ„ doe so treate curs in their States no I will demande yet lesse I aske not whether ours receaue benefits whether they beare offices whether they be preferred to any degree of honour it is too much I will yet fall lower and onely aske if they haue libertie giuen to professe our religion not openly but euen in secrete with assurance of their life Bezae Epist 4. Non dubitamus Magistratus optimoiure in praefatos Anahaptistas gladiuÌ„ strinxisse Bezade haeret puniend lib. integro Idem Epist. 1. est hee merè diabolicum dogma sinendum esse vnuÌ„quemque vt si voler pereat After you shall haue wellpondered the question which I haue put vnto you you will be able to returne me no other answere saue onely that some grace they receaue in such States to witt that of Martirdome which we doe most highly prise And indeede your authours doe teach that Heretiques are to be bainshed and punished and that libertie of conscience is diabolicall whence you doe prohibite it vs in all places wher you haue power While yet there is a faire differeÌ„ce betwixt your conditioÌ„ and ours you are Nouellists and consequently they whose possession you impeach might iustly haue hindred the exercise of your new beleife Luther and your owne Authours teaching Luth in 1. ad Galat. Luth. â—puâ— S. eâ—d l. 5. that so it ought to be done and practising accordingly Vve are possessours possessing a doctrine which the Apostles left vs by an vninterrupted transmission from hand to hand and therfore we cannot be lawfully repelled vnlesse we be first condemned by a generall Councell which is so far from euer hauing bene done that euen the Princes which imbrace your religion haue not yet condemned vs with any show of iustice since we haue neuer yet bene heard herin you vse their cunning who hauing giuen occasion of complainte complaine first Colloque de Poissy Conference de Fontainebelleau making show of aggreeuance in the same thinge although indeed this libertie is not denyed you and we are exceeding glad that it is giuen you knowing well that as many combats as we fight shall be as many Lawrells for vs and victories for the Church And desireing nothing more then by diligently obseruing the Edicts made in your fauour to meete with the occasions wherin we may bring a way to the aduantage of Truth new spoyles ouer your errours CHAP. III. Section I. MINISTERS FOr if this vvere permitted vs vve vvould make him clearely see that our religion is hated because it admitts no other rule of saluation then the vvord of God contayned in holy vvritt nor other head of the vniuersall Church then our Sauiour Iesus-Christ nor other Purgatorie for our sinnes then his bloode nor other sacryfice propitiatorie for our sinnes then his death and passion nor other merite before God then his obedience offered vp for vs to his beauenly father ANSWERE THe first thing which we are to marke in this point is the Art by which you vse to gaine mens harts and to alienate them from the Catholike Church in which we liue You represent your beleife hated for many reasons by which notwithstanding you pretend to make it commendable before God and man You will haue it to be hated for sustayning in points controuerted betweene vs that which makes most to Gods honour and for condemning in our Faith that which you hold vnworthy of his perfection In this you imitate the old Heresiarkes who opposed the principall points of Catholike religion vnder pretext of conseruing Gods honour more intire For this reason the Schismatikes as S. Cyprian deliuers Apud Cyprian ep 55. Hilar. l. 2. de Trinit solicite nimium ne patrem filius ab eo natus euacuet Marc. 2. Quis potest demittere peccata niss solus Deus Matthae 9. vnder collour of exalting God his mercy communicated with the christians who had sacrificed to Idolls before they had shewed a lawfull repentance For the same cause the Arians as we reade in S. Hilarie denyed that the sonne was consubstantiall with the Father least the dignitie of the Father might haue bene exhausted by this honour of the sonne For the same the Iewes would not haue Christ to haue power to absolue from sinne rendring that honour to God that it might be reserued to him alone For the same as we find in S. a Amb. l. 1. de poenit cap. 2. Aiunt Nouatiani se Domino deferre reueremiaÌ„ cui solt remittendorum criminum potestateÌ„ resernent Ambroise the Nouatians denyed that the Church had the same power For the same saith S. b August l. 32. contr Faust Quiae ta ia ibi sunt quae Christa gloriam decolorent Augustine the Manichies denyed certaine bookes of the scripture which they said contayned thinges which stayned the luster of the glorie of Iesus Christ To be short diuers others tooke this colourable cloake yet were they all condemned by the Fathers and most iustly because God in the establishing of christian Religion did not search that which was most honorable vnto him selfe especially in our iudgement but that which was most profitable vnto vs as we see planely in these words
by the authoritie of Scripture So saith the b August l. de natura grat c. 39. Credamus quod legimus quod non legimus nefas credamus ad struere quod de cunctis etiā dixisse sufficiut Pelagians in the same Authour Let vs beleeue saith Pelagius vvhat vve reade and vvhat vve reade not let vs beleeue it vnlavvfull to be established Let this suffice in all other matters So the c Aug l. post Collationem Nos sola portamus Euig lia Item concio 1. in Psal 32. Nos sola offerimus Euangelia Donatists in the same Authour saying vve bring vvith vs and present the Ghospells onely This was that which Eranistes aymed at whom a Apud Theod. in Dialog immutabilis Ego enim soli diuinae scripturae fidem habeo Theodoret brings in in his Dialogues where condemning all reasons he saith For I beleeue in the Ghospell onely So b Lib. 2. cont ipsum cap. 1. Fratribus nobiscum constitutisin sancto Euangelio Petilianus writing to his brethren vnder this title to our brethren constituted together vvith vs in the holy Ghospell So the Maximianists expressing them selues in these termes fighting with vs in the truth of the Ghospell Finally so the Arians Apud S. Aug. In veritate Euangelij nobiscum militantibus who were so wedded to the Scripture that they would not onely admit no sense but euen no word which was not comprised therin reiecting this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was not found there Concil Nicenum All these auncient Heresiarkes condemned by the Church and by your selues had the Scripture as frequently in their mouthes as you They tearmed themselues Euangelicall men like you They made the Scripture the onely rule of their Faith as you doe yet wheras they did it in words not in deede as was fitting but in publishing its name they abused the authoritie therof they were cōdemned by the Church their doctrine was iudged worthy of hatred as yours also is and will be I am confident by the iudgement of the whole world when I shall haue made manifest that you abuse the scriptutes to your owne ends It is truly worthy of hatred because vnder pretext of scripture the writen word of God almightie 1. it doth reiect his word not written 2. a great part of the written word 3. it clearely contradicts in many passages that which it doth admitt 4. corrupts it in diuers parts 5. and lastly it makes the word of men passe for the word of God yea euen the word of euery Idiot establishing vpon them the principall articles of your Faith 1. Vvorthy of hatred because it reiecteth the vvord of God not vvritten If he be worthy of hatred who in establishing a thinge destroyes that without which it cannot subsiste and which is also commanded by it your doctrine is by a iust title hatefull for the Scripture which whilsts it extolls it destroyes the Traditions commanded by the same Scripture and without which it can in no sort subsiste That holy writ cānot subsiste without Traditions it is most cleare since by them onely we know that the bookes of Scripture which we haue came vnto our hands pure and intire such as they proceeded from the mouth of the holy Ghost You beleeue as an article of Faith that you haue those bookes pure and intire wherfore ether the written word affirmethit which indeede is not so or not affirming it it followes that some other word not written doth teach it vs or els we beleeue that with a diuine Faith which God neuer spoke a thing most absurde seeing that the word of God is the onely fundation of our Faith That Traditions are commanded by the Scripture the second to the a Cap. 2. Tenete traditiones quas didicistis siue per sermonem siue per Epistolam nostram Thessalonians makes manifest where the Apostle speakes so clearely of Traditions of Faith not written that euen b Vvhitat controu 1. q. 6. c. 10. Respondeo Noui Testamenti Canonē non fuisse tune editū at que constitutū cum Paulus hanc Epistolā scriberet .... nō sequitut ergo quando Apostolus scripsit ad Thessalon tum omnia necessaria non sunt scriptae ergo nec postea your owne men confesse that at he tyme when S. Paule wrote there were such like traditions which since are inserted in holy Vvrite A thing indeede easily said but hardly persuaded especially to such as consider that it is not to be found in all holy scripture that those things which were not yet written while S. Paule wrote that Epistle were afterwards put downe in writing 2. Vvorthy of hadted because it reiects part of the Vvrittē vvorde of God Conc. Carthag 3. Can. 47. Trullan can 2. Rom. sub Gelaesio Trident By what authoritie doe you reiect many of the bookes of Scripture which the Church at diuerse tymes in diuerse Councells in diuers parts of the world in Greece Italie Afrique and Germanie defines to be canonicall and diuine Vvhat a senselesse thing is it that you of your owne head should establish canons hauing nether Father who doth declare nor Councell that doth define which is to be noted the Canon of the bookes of holy scripture according to your way The presumption which you vse in opposing your iudgement against the iudgement of the auncient Fathers and the authoritie of the Church is truly worthy to be hated 3. Vvorthy of hatted because it contradicts the scripture He that opposeth what he ought religiously to follow is he not worthy of hatred And ought not all men to follow the scripture You make profession of doing so and yet directly to deney what it affirmes and beleeue the contrarie to that which it teacheth in expresse termes as I haue proued in the precedent Chapter is not this to contradict it If a man can be said to esteeme him whom he often belyes you esteeme the scripture and if one can hold that for a Rule to which he frequently opposeth his iudgement you doe vndoutedly hold the scripture for the rule of your saluation For plainely to affirme that a thingis not wheras the scripture saith it is what other thing is it then to giue the lye to the scripture and to haue a iudgement opposite to the iudgement therof 4 Your corruptions in the scripture are so perfp cuous Vvorthy of hatred because it corrupis the Scripture that euen your owne men doe reprehend them Did not Charles du Mullin who is famous amongst you for this cause say that a Molinaesus in suatranslatione Noni Testaementi Caluinus in sua Harmonia textum Euangelicum desutare facit sursum versum vt res ipsaindicat vim infert literae Euangelicae illam multis in locis transponit in super additlitterae Caluin in his Harmonie puts the text of the Ghospell topsie turuie as the thing it selfe makes manifest violates the letter of
persons consists in this that we permit such onely to reade scripture as are able to turne it to their owne profit not such as would vse it to their owne damage The exceptions which we make of tymes and places consists in this that we easely permit it in tyme of heresie and in places that are pestered with it as in Germanie France England Scotland Polonie where it is lawfull for Catholikes freely to reade Scripture marrie in places wher errour hath not gotten footing there is no such libertie To those it is freely permitted both because being dayly and hourely assalted with Scripture reason would that the vse of it should be permitted them that they might defend themselues with the same weapons wherwith they are opposed while the Scripture well vnderstoode doth heale the wounds receaued by the euill vnderstanding therof as the Scorpion is a cure for her owne stinging and also because since notwithstanding the persuations and ill examples of errour they stand firme in point of Faith it is to be hoped they will not abuse this reading especially sith questions of Faith being dayly handled in sermons they vnderstand the explication of passages which are abused to the disaduantage of truth But to these to witt the contries where this necessitie hath no place licence is not easely granted because the people not being iustructed by the Preachers touching the sense of Scripture in points controuerted they may more casely be mistaken And in this The Church imitates her Spouse Iesus Christ who reuealed misteries and secretes to his Apostles S. Aug-Concio 1. inpsal 36. Non solum sicut magister aliquid docuit sed sicut magister aliquid noÌ„ totum tanquaÌ„ magister enim sciebat docere quod proderat non docere quod aberat so far forth as he iudged necessarie As Master saith saint Augustine he taught some things not all things as Master he knew how to teach that which might be profitable and not that which might be hurtfull In like manner the Church permitts some thing not all she distributes the sense of Scripture which doth profit to all men but to some prohibits the letter which might hurt And in this againe she followes the example of the good mother who crakes the nutt for her children that they may eate the kirnell or feedes them with her milke till they be able to disgest more solide meates But you in steede of imitating these good examples follow the Pharisies who as Isadore Pelusian obserues though they cared not whether they accomplished the law of Moyses or not yet they would make shew of it and would haue euery one to haue the booke in their hands You resemble a lewde woman who speakes so much more of chastitie by how much she doth lesse practise it You imitate the serpent who threw Eue out of Paradice persuading her Genes 3. that she should be so farr from dying by eating of the forbidden tree as it is written that contrariwise she should be like vnto God knowing good and euill for you persuade the people that they will be so far from falling into heresie by reading the the holy scripture which yet the Church doth teach them that they will by that meanes become greate Diuines And by their owne helpe alone find out their owne saluation therin which drawes many headlong into errour This is all the obligation that the people haue vnto you which is like to that of a mother who through negligence or malice leaues a knife wherwith her child doth kill himselfe Now let vs see whether you doe not contradict your selues Your contradictions are manifest for after you haue licenced all sorts of people to reade the bible and taught them that it is easie to be vnderstoode euen by the simple people and that they may clearly know their saluation therby without any other assistance then that which the holy Ghost imparts vnto them interiourly yet you teach in other places that the scriptures are difficult that the comon people must consult with the learned and referre themselues to their Pastours not being capable of themselues to make vse of the holy Scriptures Pride contempt or enuey saith a l. 4. Instit c. 1. § 5. Multos impellit superbia vel fastidium velaemulatio vt sibi persuadeant priuatim legeÌ„do meditaÌ„do seposse satis proficere Caluin moues some to persuade themselues that they may make sufficient profitt by reading the scripture priuatly and b Item Nobis quodex Paulo citauimus tenendum est Ecclesiam non aliter edisicari quam externa praedicatione a litle after we must obserue that which we cited out of S. Paule that the Church is onely edified by externall preaching Ther is saith he in c Calu l. 1. Inst c. 14. Nostri officijest libonter ignorare quae non conducunt Et 3. Instit c. 21. §. 2. Neque vero nos pudeat aliquid in eare nescire vbi est aliqua docta ignorantia another place a certaine learned ignorance Vve doe not say saith d Vâ—hitak coÌ„trou 1 q. 4. c. 1. Non dicimus quod scriptura per seita aperta sit et sine interpretatione sufficiat ex se ad omnes controuersias fidei dirimendas whitakere that the scripture is of it selfe so cleare that without interpretation it is sufficient of it selfe to end all controuersies of Faith because the ignorant saith the e Ibid. q. 5. c. 9. Imperiti quia non possunt vti rectè his mediis debent illi alios peritiores adire same authour are not able to make vse of those meanes which he mentionned before they must haue recourse to the more learned Is not this to aggree with vs and to contradict your selues Is not this to condemne in vs what your selues doe pactise Is it lawfull for you to teach that the Church and her Pastours ought necessarily to be heard that the Church is not edifed but by preaching while you iudge vs blame worthy for holding the same thing Why doe f Capito ad FarelluÌ„ in ep Cal. ep 6. Fraeprorsus excussit-multitudo quae assueta est educata propemodum ad licentiam Nam clamant teneo satis Euangelij ipse scio legere quorsum mihâ— tua opera praedica volentibus audire c. you preach if credit be not to be giuen to the Church and her Pastours why doe you impose vpon vs that we affect a voluntarie ignorance seeing we teach no other thing in this point but that which we are taught by the holy Scripture and Fathers and your owne authours confesse You doe continually blame vs yea euen in those things in which we are laudable according to your owne Principles and if the crimes wherwhich you loade vs be crymes indeede they are found in you not in vs. You say we bring God into suspition with men but it appeares that we are innocent and you guiltie of this accusation for how could one make God more
of the sacryfice by the same reason I would also inferre that an hundred yeares after the decease of a king or Magistrate there charge were permaneÌ„t in their owne persons since the fruit of their gouuernement doth suruiue And therfore this fruite serues to no other end but onely to testifie that I. C. had preisthoode and that by vertue therof he had offered a sacryfice of an infinite value but in no sort to shew that he hath preisthood as yet That I. C. saues vs for all eternitie imports that hes is an eternall sauiour not a Preist since saue vs he could without being a Preist Decumenius ncap 6. ad â—ebraeos And this truth was so familiarly knowen to the Fathers that some of them doe expresly deny that the eternitie of preisthoode doth agree with I. Christ by reason of the sacrifice of the Crosse teaching that it aggrees vnto him by reason of the sacryfices which he dayly offers and dayly shall offer till the end of the world by the hands of his Ministers If no more then the fruite of a sacryfice be required to the eternitie ef priesthoode it followes that the fruite of a sacryfice is the essence of preifthoode nay more that nothing els is essentiall vnto it which is most absurde In conclusion this truih of the sacryfice is taken ether for the vertue which the sacrifice hath to iustifie or for the effect of this verue which is our iustificatioÌ„ In the first acception it is a qualitie of a sacryfice in the second it is an effect of this qualitie and therfore howsoeuer you take it of the essence of preisthoode it cannot be since it is the effect of the same in so much as it is the effect of the sacryfice and that no effect can be the essence of its cause It cannot be of the essence because what so euer is essentiall to a thing becomes the same thing with that of whose essence it is which cannot be said of the effect and the cause which are necessarily distinguished Finally it cannot be of the essence because the cause doth preceede its effect wheras a compound preceedes not its esseÌ„tiall partes Preisthood is not the vertue and force of the facrynce but the vertue and force of facryficing As for example Royaâ—tie is not the fruite and commoditie which we receaue by gouerment but the power to gouerne And therfore sith I. C. inioyes preisthood for euer he hath also power to sacryfice for euer It being a thing most euident that the preisthoode cannot be erernall while the power of sacryficing which is essentiall vnto it is temporall Nor will it be to the purpose for you to say that wheras Christ doth continually offer vp his payers to God for mankind he doth also continually offer sacrifice for since the conditions necessarily required to the essence of a true sacryfice cannot suite with prayers as we haue shewed out of the definition the oblatioÌ„ of prayers cannot be a true sacryfice And this is so cleare and manifest that when as the scripture calls Christ an eternall preist it ascribes that dignitie vnto him by reason of a true sacryfice Wherfore the fathers also of the primitiue Church would haue the Eucharist wherby preisthood doth now appertayne to Christ to be a a Cyp. Epist. 51. vtique I le Sacerdos clea Christi uero sungiur qui id quod Christus fatit mitatur â—aerificium â—erum â—lenum tunc offert in Ecclesta Deo Fatâ—â— si sic ineeptat offerre secunduÌ„ ipsum Christum videat obtulisse true a b Aug. l. 10. cent ffaust cap. 20. Huit â—â—mo veroque sacrificio falsa cesseruÌ„t most true a c Aug. l. de sp lit c. 11. In iplo verissimo singulari sacrificio Alisse demino Deomosteo gratias agere admonemur greatest a d Aug. l. 10. cent â—â—aust c. 10. cit full e Nazian 〈◊〉 Apeâ—â—â— Quaian dem modo externuÌ„ illuc sacrificium magnorum mysteriorun antitypuÌ„ ips Deo offerry aeuderem externall and f Aug. l. de spir lit â—â— 11. cit singular suerisice and g Aug. l. 20. de ciuit c. 10 inillud Apocalyp 20. erunt sacer dotes Dei Christs 〈◊〉 preists to be true preists in the proper and naturall signification of the word Nor would they affirme this vnlesse they accnow ledged this truth to haue bene deliuered by Christ his Apostles and holy scripture But of this since none can doubt we will passe to another point SECT III. OF THE ELEVATION OF THE HOSTE IT it be lawfull to offer sacryfice as I hope I haue sufficiently proued why should it be vnlawfull to ereuate the hoste since that this eleuation doth properly signifie the oblation therof In the old law as is to be seene in the 8. of Leuit. and els where the preist did eleuate what he offered and we haue it by a cleare collection our of a Basil lib. de Spir. S. c. 27. Dogmata quae in Eccle sia praedicantur quaedam habemus doctrina seriptorum prodita quaedam ex Apostolotum traditione in mysterio id est in occulio tradita recipimus quoruÌ„ vtraque parem vim babent ad pietatem Inuocationis verba quum ostendum nis Eccleâ—â— popuâ—m bâ—neâ—tionis quis actorum in ipto nobis liquit Lib. 4. hist Drat. 20. S. Basile the great his liturgie who was instiled by b Theadorete and S. c Gregorie of Naziancene the light and sunne of the world that we hold this custome from the Apostles tyme for in his said Liturgie mention is made of this eleuation in words of this nature when the Deacon saw the Preist extend his hands and touch the sanctified breade to make the holy Eleuation he saith let vs attend Which thing also is diligently obserued by those authours which haue made expositioÌ„s vpon the liturgies as by Nicholas Cabasilas who saith And he also approching vnto the Table hauing taken into his hands and showen the quickning bread he calls those that are worthily about to partake of it as it were saying Behold the bread of life which you see And Germane the Patriarche of Constantinople saith thus vpon the same subiect and that the preist doth lift vp the heauenly bread and make the signe of the crosse thrice in the aire with the venerable and quickning breade it doth intimate And indeede what cause was there of calling this eleuation in questioÌ„ since it is mentioned in the ancient liturgies of S. Basile and S. Chrvsostome and S. Denys also the Apostle of our France deliuered the same In a word this point is so cleare that you haue no other cause to coÌ„test against it but onely in so much as it is sustayned by the Catholike Church which you loue to impugne which is manifest by the testimonie of one of yours â—spinian histo saâ—â—im affirming that Luthere for no other reason did impugne the Eleuation but for hatred of Catholikes
the fift part of your subiects to witt the Church men who hold not themselues to belyable to the lawes of your Court yea for their temporallities they haue another whom they accnowledge soueraigne out of your kingdome To which adde that which the Pope pretends and that which he hath alreadie practised yea euen in our tyme to witt that he hath authoritie to depriue your Ma. of life and crowne what remaynes dread souueraigne but that your kingdome is held in homage to the Pope and that you liue and raigne at his discretion onely ANSWERE It is an old trike of craft when one is guiltie of à fault to put it vpon another Yet I stand astonishd to thinke how you dare make vse of if it against the whole Clergie of this kingdome whom you striue to make the king suspect accusing them of faction wherof they are wholy innocent and you generally knowen to be stickers in The nature of your Ministerie deptines you of credit in point of accusing priests for S. Augustine a Hareticorum accusationes coÌ„tra Catholicum prebyterum admittere nec possumâ—â— nec debemm doth teach vs that your accusations nether ought to be nether indeed can be admitted and that it is the trike of heretikes b Aug. Epist 137. Hoeretici non hahendo quod in causa sua defensionis defendant non nisi hominuÌ„ crimina colligere affectant ea ipsa plurafalsissime iactant vt quia ipsam diuine scripturae veritatem qua vbique diffusa Christi Ecclesia commendatur crimiuari obscurate non possunt homines per ques pradicatur adducant in odium de quibâ—â— fingere quitquid in mentem Generit possunt when they haue nothing to say to defende them selues in point of their diuision from the Catholike Church to make à list of meÌ„s faults and following their owne fancie falsly to inlarge them selues thervpon to bring them into hatred who teach the truth which they are notable to find faultie or to obscure Hauing alreadie sufficiently manifested in what manner you susteyned the dignitie of this crowne and how litle occasion you had to draw pride or vanitie from it I will onely obserue in this place that you doe too too far swarue from truth and modestie in saying that you are ill vsed in this kingdome and by assuring yourselues that if you were not hated and hardly treated for maintayning the dignitie therof you should for euer after be exeÌ„pt from all hatted and hard vsage To what purpose did you taxe the two first Orders of State accusing the one of factioÌ„ the other of weaknes preiudiciall to the kings Maiestie but to let the world see that when you beare à splene against any one wtih à wonderfull boldnes you faigne faults to diffame him though withont all fundation for none can beignorant but that if there were any faction it gott entrie by their meanes who out of tyme aÌ„d seasoÌ„ would needs moue à question wherof the Church Nobilitie and the greater part of the three states striue to stoppe the course moued therto by diuers reasons which in à few wonds I will deduce First because the questioÌ„ being meerly spirituall whether God had giueÌ„ power to the Church to depose kings in cases of heresie and in fidelitie when they doe not onely make profession of them but doe also shew theÌ„ selues persequutours of the name of Christ aÌ„d the true faith as also whether this power did aggree with the word of God or no finall whether it were lawfull to vrge all the people to take an oath wherby they should affirme that it was not according to Gods word which being handled in the assemblie a body composed of lay-persons could not intermeddle in it without sacriledge without intrenching vpon the liberties of others mounting into Moyses his chaire laying hand vpon the incensoir and consequently without exposing themselues to the desasters which are wont to follow such impious and sacrilegious enterprises Nay euen the Clergie it selfe of a particular Church as of the Church of France could not decide this point since it belongs to the vniuersall Church onely to define Articles of Faith Secondly because all the kings and states in Christendome hauing interest in this cause one onely kingdome could not iudge of it without the appouall and authoritie of all the rest Thirdly because the holy Sea being interressed in this matter your adherents who haue sworne its destruction and who esteeme the ruine therof their establishment could not be held impattiall iudges though some of them indeuoured to deale in it Fourthly because out of the definition which you aymed at there followed a most euident schisme by establishing an article of faith particular to the Churches of France not Catholike or common to the vniuersall Church whence there followed a diuision in faith Lastly because the decision of this question was not onely of no effect to the health and securitie of kings which was yet the sole end of the question but was euen preiudiciall vnto them as may be seene by that which that great Cardinall and honour of his age wrote vpon that subiect who doth most amply handle this matter with eloquence equall to the profunditie of learning which all the world admires in him These reasons being coÌ„sidered without passion will leaue no doubt in any man but that the Clergie-men were worthy of praise not of blame for refusing to decide a question which was proposed vnto them to a bad end nor did the decision therof belong vnto them And therfore it carries no colour but is quite contrarie to truth to accuse them of faction adding that they and a part of the nobilitie made the king loose his cause For how doe you not blush for shame to affirme this since it is notorious to the word that in all the articles of the Clergie and nobilitie there was no proposition made much lesse any determination of any thing that tends in any the least measure to the diminution of the soueraigne power of our kings and the dignitie of their crowne and that the article presented by the aduise of some of the third order was onely reiected without euer deliberating vpon the contents therof it is a grosse impertinence to say that we caused the king to loose a cause where no iudgment was past and to make his Maiestie a partie in a cause where he onely interposed himselfe by his authoritie to conserue things in the same state in which they stoode If any were cast in their cause it is you who vnder pretext of maintayning the authoritie of kings would haue brought inn a schisme amongst Catholikes As for the letters which the Pope wrote vpon this matter if it be a fault in a father to write to his children to receaue their fathers letters his holines is blame-worthy to haue done that honour to the two orders wherof we speake and they culpable in receauing them Marrie seeing common sense doth teach vs that there
take not vpon thee to iudge the commands of thy betters Finally so b Greg. l. 2. c. 4. in 1. Regum Vera obedientia nec Praepositorum intentionem discutit nec praecepta discernit quia qui omne vitae suae iudicium maiori subdidit in hoc solo gaudet si quod sibi praecipitur operatur Nescit enim iudicare quisquis perfeclè didiceris obedire sainc Gregorie in these tearmes That true obedience doth nether examine the intention of Superiours nor discerne their commands because he that hath submitted all the iudgement of his whole life to one greater then himselfe hath no fairer way then to execute what he is commanded and he that hath learnt perfect obedience knowes not how to iudge Therfore the Iesuites are not to be blamed for making and obseruing a vowe which the Fathers of the primitiue Church doe not onely approue but euen ordayne as a thing necessarie for religious people You say further that they promis this blind obedience to a Generall who is alwayes subiect to the king of Spayne If you had informed your selues well of the truth of the busines you had learnt that it is false that their Generalls are ought to be or were alwayes such for euen Father Vitelesque who at this present is deseruedly possessed of that charge is a Romane borne and the last before him who lately deceased was a Liegois Next you vpbraid them with the Decrees which were made against them but it is sufficient that they were restored and established by the Edict of Henry the Great approued by all the Courts of Parlement in France Vvhich doth sufficiently iustifie the zeale of this order towards kings the affection therof towards the state and the profite which youthes reape of the care they take to instruct them Concerning their doctrine in point of power which they attribute to Popes ouer kinges you had spoken otherwise and more to the purpose if insteed of gathering it out of the writings of some particular men you had receaued it from the mouth of their Generall who in the yeare 1610. made a publike declaration wherby he doth not onely improue and disallow but absolutly prohibite those of his Order vnder most greeuous paines to maintayne vpon what pretext of tyrannie soeuer that it is lawfull to attempt vpon the persons of kings and Princes As touching the secrete of confession I haue not yet vnderstood that they hold any other opinion then that which the vniuersall Church holdeth But it is no wonder since you quarrell with the Sacrament that you imploy all your craft to make this become odious therby to hinder them whom you hold your enemyes because you are the enemyes of Gods Church from hauing accesse to kings persons and from the knowledge of secretes of their consciences wherat you ayme as the last words of your paragrafe doe testifie As for the Equiuocations which you say they vse and teach others to vse before their Iudges I referre you to the Answeres which they so often haue returned you vpon this subiect it shall suffice me onely to shew that blaming equiuocation in in them you practise it your selues nay euen most manifest lyes in matter of faith Vvicklef In the 2. booke on the life of â—videf by whom your french Martyrologe saith it pleased God to awake the world which was buried in the dreame of humane traditions being demanded an accompt of his faith did not he and his vse tergiuersations if we may credit your said Martyrologe who speakes of them in these words Striuing onely to find out tergiuersations and friuolous excuses therby to escape through ambiguitie of words Did not your Augustana Confessio vse equiuocation when it said Cap de Missa Our Churches were falsly accused of abolishing Masse for we doe yet retayne Masse and celebrate it with greatest reuerence Did not Melancton vse equiuocation Apud Hospiman part 2. hister an 25 41. when he did confesse that he and his had made the Articles at Asbroug ambiguous and easie to be turned To what end doth he say that the Articles made at Asbroug were to be changed and to be suted to occasions if he condemne equiuocation They framed ambiguous and guilefull formes of Transsubstantiation saith Caluine Epist 12. speaking of him and Bucere He indeuoured saith Chauaterus to setle a certaine concorde in an ambiguous kind of speach An. 1538. meaning Bucere Vve haue met with a confessing aduersarie For he himselfe teacheth vpon Erasmus that it is lawfull in the affaires of the Gospell to vse colours and clockes Bucere therfore and his fellowes when they grant to Luthere that the body of Christ is truly and substantially in the Eucharist and also that the vnworthy doe receaue it doe they not without compulsion for their owne pleasure yea and euen in matter of faith vse tergiuersatioÌ„s and equiuocations Doth not the same say that the Zuinglians differe from Luther though indeede it is false but in words onely Hospinian part 1. hist Sacram. Doth not Luther vpon this occasion tearme him a sower of words as saith Hospiniane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doe not the same Hospiniane and Simblerus swethish authours relate that Martir did vse for a tyme obscure and ambiguous words in the matter of the last supper In a word your Authouâ—s confesse that your inuisible Church for the space of many ages did professe our religion though with hart and mouth they beleeued yours which they could not doe not onely not without equiuocation but euen not without denying God And yet where is any of ours who doth not accnowledge that he is rather a thousand tymes to dy then to vse equiuacatioÌ„ in matter of Faith or to deny him not onely in hart but euen in word whom we are bound to confesse with both Touching their bookes if cortaine particular men composed any which were burnt what need you to stirre in their ashes Doe not the same Decrees which adiudged them to the fire iudge many of yours worthy of the same flames since they handle the same argument The picture which you mention cannot any way aduantage you since you and they aggree not in the fact for they sustayne that he whom you esteeme conuicted of a conspiracie against his king is wholy innocent of the fact and hold that he dyed for the sole defence of the Catholike religion Vvhence in comes to passe that if there be any errour in this it is errour of fact de facto not of right non de iure of Fact as beleeuing he dyed for his vertue not for his vice not of right as though they sustayned that it were lawfull to murther kings and that to suffer death for that cause were martirdome Now to conclud this Chapter it onely remaynes that we beseech God to shewre downe vpon you the waters of the fountaines of his Grace because being the nature of calumnie to obscure and blacken its owne authours not him
The Emperour Basilius doth also intimate this when speaking to the layetie c In 8. Syn. nullo modo vobis licet de Ecclesiasticis causis sermonem mouere haec inuestig are quaerere Paetriarcharum Pontificum SacerdotuÌ„ est qui regiminis officium sortiti sunt Ecclesiastic as adepti sunt claues non nostrum qui pasci debemus c. he saith It is no way lawfull for you to medle with Ecclesiasticall causes to sound and examine them belongs to Patriarkes Bishopes priests who haue the gouerment and keyes of the Church It appertaynes not to vs who are to be fedd to be sanctified to be bound vnbound Of the same sense was Constantine in the Councell of Nice Gratiane in the Coun of Aquilea Theodosius the younger in the Ephesine Councell and diuers other Emperours in many other places In contemplation wherof a Lib. 5. epist 25. Scimus piisamos Dominus Sarerdoâ—â—â—tòus negottis non se immiscere S. Gregorie saith we know that our most pious Lords doe not meddle in the affaires of preists And that the Princes if they had any such pretention were not well grounded S. b Epist adsolit â—iâ—aÌ„ agentes Quandoae conatio aeuo anditum est quod indicium Ecclesiae authoritateÌ„ suaÌ„ ab Imperatore accepit Plurima antea Synodi fucre multa iudicia Eecâ—esiae habitae sunt sed neque Patres isliusmodires principi persuadere conati sunt nec Princeps se in Ecclesiasticis causis curiosum praebuit Athanasius doth witnesse Vvas it euer heard saith he from the creation of the world that the iudgment of the Church had authoritie from the Emperour Many Councells haue bene celebrated the Church hath often past her iudgment but nether would the Fathers persuade the Prince to any such thing nor did the Prince shew himselfe curious in causes of the Clergie and a litle after c Quis videns eum in decernendo principeÌ„ se facere EpiscoporuÌ„ praesidere iudiciis Ecclesiasticis â—â—on merito di â—at eum illam ipsam desolaetioneÌ„ esse quae a Daniele praedicta est who is he that seeing him he speakes of Constantius the Arian Emperour take vpon him to be Prince of Bishops to decree and preside in Ecclesiasticall iudgmeÌ„ts that will not say with iust reasoÌ„ that he is the desolation of abomination foretold by the Prophet Daniel S. Ambrose doth the like when writing to Valentinian the yonger who being corrupted by the Arians would iudge in matters of faith he vseth these words a Ambros l. 2. epist 13. Si vel scripturaruÌ„ se rieÌ„ diuinaruÌ„ vel vetera teÌ„porae retractemus quis abnuat in causae inquam fidei Episcopos solere de Imperatoribus Christianis noÌ„ Imperatores de Episcopis iudicare Eris Deofauente etiam insenectutis maturitateprouectior tunc de hoe censebis qualis ille Episcopi â—â— sit qui I aicis ills Sacerdotale substernit .... si confereÌ„dum de fide Sacerdotum debet esse istae collatio sicut factâ— est sabâ— onstaÌ„tino Augusta memâ—riae I 〈◊〉 cipe Et Tract de Basil non tradend Quid honorificentius quam vt Imperator Ecclesiae filius dicatur If we ether reflect vpon the order of Scripture or tymes by-past who will deny but that in points of faith in points of Faith I say the Bishopes were accustomed to iudge of Emperours not they of Bishops Vvith the helpe of God goes he on tyme will ripen thee and then you wilt iudge what kind of Bishope he is who will subiect Priestly right to laymen if a conference be to be had of faith it belongs to the Preists as it happened vnder Constantine Prince of sacred memorie Vvhat hath an Emperour more honorable then to be stiled the sonne of the Church That that which the Fathers say herin is verified by the Scripture the punishment which befell those who would needs lay hand vpon the Thurible doth confirme Further it would not b 2. Agg. 2. v. 12. command that things belonging to the law should be demaÌ„ded from the mouth of the Preist without making any mention at all of kings if both were equally lawfull It would not c 2. Paralypom say that Amarias should preside in things belonging vnto God marrie in those that apperi ayne to the office of a king Zabadias if their Courts were not distinguished To conclude d Ephes 4. v. 11. S. Paule making a long list of those who haue power in the Church had not begun with the Prophetes Euangelists Pastours and Doctours not mentioning kings if their authoritie had extended so far Againe put case the king had power to medle in such causes would you be content he should sitt vpon yours with obligation to stand to his iudgment Yes euen as the Donatists who appealed to Constantine stood to his you will stand to it if it fauour and like you appeale from it if it dislike or goe against you God saith e Vvhitak controu â— q. 5. c. 4. Iudicium sibi Deus reseruanit nulli hominum permisit one of your prime Authours following therin the donatists reserued the iudgement of religion to himselfe alone and did not grant it to any man why then will you haue the king to iudge But le ts see whether you haue a hart to enter into the lists as you make a flourish None will beleeue in my opinion that he that will not admitt of ordinarie weapons hath a desire to fight though otherwise he proclaime a loode chalance and who knowes not that in reiecting the authoritie of the Church Fathers Councells and Traditions you refuse the ordinarie weapons which are vsed in combats of Faith But oh you will admitt of the scripture and we also most willingly admitt of it yet not as it is in your hands that is Scripture not authenticall maymed corrupted interpreted according to your owne braine and most ordinarily against the true sense but the scripture preached and interpreted by the Church the pillar and rock of truth wherby we are to be deliuered from all errour Vvho could away with him that in a ciuile cause in a difficultie of importance would onely stand to the text of written lawes reiecting the explication of Doctours the credit of the historie practise and common custome in fine the authoritie of the Iudges who are appointed to doe iustice to all men But were he not yet more insupportable who onely admitting of written lawes should reiect those that are directly against him and interprete the rest following his owne fanticie In these termes are you wherby it well appeares that though you make shew to desire a conference yet indeed you flie it contenting your selues to haue occasion to bruit abroad amongst your friends that you offered a disputatioÌ„ concealing from them in the interim that you refused the iust and reasonable conditions therof apprehending that you haue done sufficiently in putting out some smale pampletes which decide nothing at all
himselfe from it without schisme and without straying from the Pathes of saluation but now the tymes are changed the circunstances we are in are others corruption hath so crept into the Romane Church that she is no more to be tearmed à Church and hence it was that you both could and ought to depart out of it But this euasion will not serue your turne for the Fathers did not dispute of the truth of the Churches doctrine and thence inferred that the Donatists were scismatikes because they were seperated from the Church who had the true doctrine though indeede it was true but they disputed about the Chaire of S. Peter of Pastorall authoritie brought downe from him by an uninterrupted succession concluding the Donatists Schismatikes because they were diuided from this Chaire and from S. Peters successours sitting in the same No otherwise then one would conuince subiects to be rebelles who should seperate themselues from the Royall throne and from the successour of the first Instituters of this Throne and as in the old law the Samaritans may be concluded to haue bene heretikes because they withdrew themselues from the Chaire of Moyses or Aaron That the Principle whence the Fathers drew their arguments was pastorall authoritie and the Chaire of S. Peter and not the truth of the doctrine it doth manifestly appeare in that S. Cyprians a De Gnitat Eccles Ep. 55â— citat reason is because the Chaire of Peter is the fundation vpon which the Church is built and from whence preistly vnitie takes its origine And that of Optatus b lib. 2. Cisat because in this onely Chaire of S. Peter the vnitie of the Church is conserued And S. Ireneus c lib. 3.5.3 cis son that Peters Chaire enioyes the cheifest power S. Hierome d Epist 57. cit becaus the Chaire of S. Peter is that upon which the Church is built And to conclude because S. Augustin e Contrae Epist fundam c. 4. Tenet me ab ipsa sede Petri Gsque ad praesentem EpiscopataÌ„ successio Sacerdotum saith that the succession of Preists which descended from the Chaire of S. Peter held him in the Catholike Church and that this f In Psal contra partem Donati ipsa est Petra quam non Ginâ—uÌ„t superbia inferorum portae succession is the Rocke against which the Gates of Hell shall not preuayle Nor will your reply be any more to your purpose to witt that albeit the Fathers did indeed argue as we say yet had their argument force and efficacie from the truth of the doctrine which then was adioyned to this authoritie to this Chaire seeing that the Donatistes and Nouatians against whom they disputed did directly deney the truth of the doctrine to be in the Roman Church The a Ambr. lib cont Nouatian Nouatians improuing hir doctrine touching remission of sinns and the b August l. de hare haeres 69. Donatists condemning her opinion of baptising heretikes and admitting the wicked liuers into the Church Which makes à cleare demonstration that the Fathers did not make the truth of the doctrine the Principle of their arguments because that was as doubtfull both to the Donatists and Nouatians as the conclusion it selfe which they were to deduce from it for they deneyed both the one and the other Wherfore S. Donatus doth sufficiently make appeare that he argued from their owne confessions and that which they could not deney to witt that the chaire of Rome was S. Peters chaire c Opt. lib. 2. contra Parmen titat Thou canst not deney vnto me saith he but that thou knowest that S. Peter was the first vpon whom in Rome the Episcopall chaire was conferred in which onely Chaire vnitie was to be obserued by all Furthermore you cannot affirme that they formed their argument from the truth of the doctrine because you doe not allow it to haue bene pure at that tyme which is manifest in that d Beza in Rom. 8. Witat l. 7. contra Durae scit 26. you doe condemne the doctrine of Pope Siricius touching celibate or imgle life as the doctrine of the diuell aÌ„d that yet the Donatists were reputed Schismatikes euen for seperating theÌ„selues from communion with him e Opt. l. 2. For the rest though to proue â man schismatique it were indeed necessarie to make good that he were seperated froÌ„ the Church as true Church yet should I not faile of my purpose being à most facile thing to conuince euen by the testimonies of your owne men that you accnowledge the Romane Church then to haue bene the true Church when you came out of it You accnowledge it both by the verie confession of a Caelu 4. instit c. 2. §. 11. 12. Epist 104. Du Plessis in the treatise of the Church c. 12. Osiander in Epito p. 2. your owne Authours and because b Du Plessis au trascté de l'Eglise chap. 81. Osiander loco citato you your selues deriue your authoritie from it whence it manifestly appeares thar you hold it to be true since otherwise you should deriue your power not from the Church of God but from à societie of the Diuell After all this there rests so litle for you to say that if your tongue would but faithfully interprete your conscience we should without doubt heare you condemne your selues the thing being so cleare and perspicuous that vnlesse you were more then blind or that seeing light you would not see it it were impossible but your soules casting the errour which they row professe should win their cause For if the Nouatians and Donatists vere by the Fathers sufficiently conuinced of schisme for that they were seperated from the Chaire of S. Peter and his successours therin you are also conuinced by the same argument since you are seperated from vs who haue alwayes keept the possession of the same Chaire without interruption of succession Your are certainly coÌ„uinced I speake to all your church and to you Ministers in particular who are not onely Schismatikes as are your flocke but withall Schismaticall Pastours for of your owne authoritie you haue established your selues Pastours not hauing receaued power froÌ„ those whose successours you should be Whence it followes that you are a Opt. l. 2. de â—ictore primo Episcopo DonatistaruÌ„ erat Filius sine Patre tyro sine Principe discipulus sine Magistro sequens sino antecedente Children without Fathers soldiers without Captaines successours without Predecessours Wherupon you shall giue meleaue to say vnto you with the Fathers b Tertul de praescript c. 32. Edant ergo Origines Ecclesiarum suaruÌ„ euoluant ordinem Episcoporum suorum c. Opt. l. 2. cont Parm. Vestrae Catbedrae Gos originem reddite c. Shew vs the origin of your chaire nor returne vs barely for answere that you are extraordinarily sent but bring à place of scripture to verifie your assertion You are obliged to produce such