styl that parcel but most vvanted it and manifest it is that the Ievves nether in our time keepe so honorably the translation of the 70. in their sinagoges much lesse did they keâ—pe it in S. Iustines daies vvhen as appeareth by the vvhole discours and manifest vvordes of this author in this same place they much more detested it The third a ligno is vvanting in al greeke and hebrevv bibles is only reserued in our ecclesiastical Breuiarie certaine Doctors as Tertullian Lactantius Cassiodorus and S. Austin vvho notvvithstanding so readeth it as though it vvere the common reading in the churches of Africa in his time and maketh no mention of any other reading vvhere those vvords should be leaft out And from S. Hieroms time vntil our daies very probable it is that these errors and corruptions haue multiplied not only for the general and particular reasons already touched but for this especially that whereas since that time the Iewes obstinacie barbarousnes impietie and ignorance in their owne tonge hath much increased the Christians notwithstanding haue not had any great occasion to handle much or exercise that language therefore haue had smaler regard to bookes written therein without which as first of al they perfectly receaued the Christian faith and planted it in these partes of Christendome so without it haue they as perfectly continued in the same and now enlarged it euen to the extreme corners of the world and without the which they haue for these thousaÌ„d yers liued most christiaÌ„ly as Saintes christianly as Saintes finished their teÌ„poral liues after liued with Christ for euer And now touching M. W. question demaunding how the Church hath faithfully conserued the bookes of scriptures who thus findeth fault with the hebrew bibles as corrupt I answere as before that the Church hath most faithfully conserued the scriptures albeit not in this or that tonge which the wanton curiositie of euery fantastical heretike coueteth We haue the true word and gospel of Christ though perhaps we haue not ten words in that laÌ„guage which our Sauiour spake And then why may we not haue the law the prophetes though there were neuer an hebrew bible in the vvorld Againe vnreasonably demaundeth he of our church for hebrevv bibles vncorrupt vvhich perhaps neuer had any such and neuer vndertooke to keepe the vvord of God in that language more then in Arabike or Syriake no more then she vndertooke to keepe S. Matthevves Gospel in hebrevv or S. Paules epistle to the hebrevves But if she deliuer faithfully to the Christians that vvhich she receaued of Christ and his Apostles touching al parts of Christian faith and religion be it vvritten or vnvvritten in one language or other she performeth that vvhich Christ committed to her charge and vvhich is sufficient for the saluation of euery Christian and vvhereby she proueth her selfe to be the House and Church of the liuing God the sure Piller and ground of truth the Spovvse of Christ and faythful mother of al Christians M. D. Whitgift thinketh it vntolerable that the English ministers should appoint vvhat maner of apparel is coÌ„uenient for them selues to vveare vvhat ceremonies or rites should be vsed in their poore Seruice He by many arguments taketh from them al authoritie in such matter vvil haue the vvhole Ministerie altogether to depend be directed by the superior magistrates the Quene and the Lordes of her CouÌ„cel Then hovv much more vntolerable is it that some one or other single minister should appoint the vniuersal Church gouernours thereof in what maner and fashion the word of God must be kept in what language as it were in what kind of paper or parchement he wil haue it written As if some busye headed felow in a coÌ„mon welth not contented to be ruled preserued by his Prince in true religion iustice and quiet possessioÌ„ of his owne should farther take vpon him to prescribe vvhat maner priestes hovv qualified and in vvhat Vniuersitie brought vp should preach vnto him the vvord of God minister the sacraments vvhat sort of men should exequute vnto him iustice and examine his cases of law by what capitaynes of vvhat byrth countrie and experience by vvhat kind of defence open force or secret policie fight by sea or rather land strength of horsmen or footemen he vvil be mainteined in peace and quietnes And vvhat meaneth he to require for pure bibles in any language of our Church vvhich he holdeth for Antichristian and the prelates thereof and al other Catholikes for members of Antichrist For vvhiles he thus thinketh vvhat soeuer bibles hebrevv or not hebrevv Greeke or Arabike vve offer him he can by reason yelde no more credite vnto them then to our latin no more then to our traditions or any other thing proceeding from vvarrant and credite of such professed enemies of Christ as vvel and learnedly proueth S. Austin in his booke de vtilitate credendi Much more agreable to reason ChristiaÌ„ diuinitie is it for him and his to resort to their ovvne church of elect predestinate or hovv so euer he list to terme them vvhich hath so florished these many hundred yeres by vvitnes of their ecclesiastical stories by report of M. Fox in his Actes and monumentes Let him resort to the brethren of Lions to VVycleffe and the VVycleffisâ—es to Robert Rigges Iohn Puruey Henry Crompe Iohn of Chlum Iohn Scut William Havvlam Richard VVich Iohn Hus alias Iohn Goose the Hussites and Thaborites of Bohemia and such other vvho as they tel vs vvere glorious pillers doctors and maintainers of their church and Protestant-gospel and like glistering starres shined in the face of the ChristiaÌ„ world And that I tye him not to particular meÌ„ or one only prouince of Bohemia in many other prouinces and kingdomes of the world hath their church continued as most confidently writeth D. VVhitgift against T. C. who framing an argument against the Archbishops authoritie draweÌ„ from this supposition VVhat if the vvhole church be in one prouince or in one realme vvhich hath bene and is not vnpossible to be againe M. D. VVhit answereth it thus To your supposition if the vvhole church c. I say that if the skie fal you may catch larkes as the common prouerbe is making it as vnpossible a case to haue the church of Christ in one only kingdom as it is vnpossible for the skie to fal And presently in the same page Do you not knovv that the church of Christ is dispersed thorough the vvhole vvorld and can not novv after Christs ascension be shut vp in one kingdome much lesse in one prouince except you vvil become Donatistes He that is not vvilfully blinde may see in to vvhat straightes you are driueÌ„ vvhen you are constrained to vse such impossibilities for reasons And M. VV. in this booke telleth vs that there neuer wanted mightie
shaken Alleage the auncient fathers not one or other but al together affirming one and the self same thing they answere If you argue from the vvitnesse of men be they neuer so learned and auncient vve yelde no more to their vvordes in cause of faith and religion then vve perceaue to be agreable to scripture Nether thinke you your self to haue proued any thing although you bring against vs the vvhole consent and svvarme of fathers except that vvhich they say be iustified not by the voice of men but of God himself And it is their common maner as to make smale accompt of any author that is against them so least of al of the old auncient fathers whom some of them are not ashamed in most despiteful sort to cal Pillorie doctors But this their behauiour towards the auncient fathers and Doctors that be of our Church may seeme in the iudgement of many to stand with reason For why may it be said should they be bound to our Austins HieroÌ„s and Cyprians more then we wil be bound to their Luthers Caluins and Melanchthons At the least then say we they ought to be ruled by doctors of their owne such as they cal and honour for Apostles Euaâ—geâ—istes of their new church and beleefe Yet when the authoritie of such is pressed against them it weigheth no deeper then of those other whom they cal pillorie doctors For how freely contemne they Martin Luther how freely reiect they Hulderike Zuinglius VVe receaue M. Caluin saith T.C. and vveigh of him as of the notablest instrument that the lord hath stâ—rred vp for the purging of his churches and restoring of the playne and sincere interpretation of the scriptures vvhich hath bene since the Apostles time And yet vve do not so reade his workes that vve beleeue any thing to be true because he saith it but so far as vve caÌ„ esteeme that that vvhich he saith doth agree vvith the Canonical scriptures The very self same answere geueth the contrary part wheÌ„ the same mans iudgement is obiected against him I reuerence M. Caluin saith D.W. as a singular man and a vvorthy instrument in Christes church But I am not so vvholy addicted vnto him that I vvil contemne other mens iudgmentes in diuers points not fully agreing vvith him c. vvhen as in my opinion they come neerer to the true meaning and sense of scripture then he doth And because the course of this new diuinitie is now brought to rest most of al on the credit of these reuereÌ„d fathers and doctors and in steede of the auncient forme of alleaging T. us saith S. Chrysostom thus S. Augustin thus S. Basil the fashion is now to alleage Thus saith M. Caâ—uin thus M. Bucer thus M. Bullinger therefore thorough varietie somewhat to avoyde tediousnes and not greue to much the eares of their auditors by flat denyal diuers wayes and reasons haue they to passe ouer when they please the authoritie of such their owne doctors and maisters One way and the same very playne is to refuse them because they were men As for example If you presse me vvith M. Martyrs and M. Bucers authoritie I first say they vvere men and therefore though othervvise very vvatchful yet such as slept somtymes A second way is because they had some other error as M. Bucer you say allovveth priuate baptisme and consequently the baptisme by vvomen It may be that as M. Bucer although othervvise very learned hath other grosse absurdities so he may haue that A third because some other doctor of as good credite and estimation is of a contratie opinion as M. Musculus a learned man is of your iudgement and M. Caluin as learned as he and diuers other are of that iudgment that I haue alleaged This is no great profe on your side nor reprofe of ours A fourth and the same most sure is to chalenge the libertie of the gospel and therefore not to admitte their verdict but at pleasure as Touching M. Bucers M. Bullingers Illyricus allovvance of holy daies if they allovv them in such sort as M. Doctor vrgeth then that good leaue vvhich they geue the Churches to dissent from theÌ„ in that point I do take it graunted vnto me being one of the same church Although as touching M. Bullinger it is to be obserued that since the time he wrote so there are aboue 35 yeres since vvhich time although he hold stal that the feastes dedicated vnto the lord as of the Natiuitie Easter and Pentecost may be kept yet he denieth flatly that it is lavvful to keepe holy the dayes of the Apostles If these serue not the turne a man would thinke their martyrs those who were so ful of the spirite that they willingly shead their bloud and suffered death by fier for confâ—irmation of their faith these mens testimonie should be irrefragable for iustifying of those pointes especially for which they lost their liues But nether want they their old ordinary meanes to shift of the authoritie of these martyrs were they neuer so glorious For although they vvere excellent personages say they yet their knovvledge vvas in part and although they brought many thinges to light yet they being sent out in the morning or euer the sunne of the gospel vvas risen so high might ouersee many thinges vvhich those that are not so sharpe of sight as they vvere may see c. And if they had died for this or that article yet the authoritie of their martyrdome could not take avvay from vs this libertye that vve haue to enquire of the cause of their death Martyrs may not be said to seale their errors vvith their bloud or vvith the glory of their martirdome preiudice those which vvrite or speake against their errors For this is to oppose the bloud of men to the bloud of the sonne of God What remayneth now for the last cast but the maiestie not of one or other doctor or of a few martyrs but of great and ample reformed churches as of France of Germany of Zurike or Geneuâ— yet euen these also passe with like maner of answere And they haue as general a rule to reiect such as they haue the poorest doctor that commeth in their way As for exaple when other reformed churches are brought to reforme the disorders of the English church To vvhich reformed church saith the ansvverer vvil you haue the church of England framed or vvhy should not other reformed churches as vvel frame them selues vnto vs For vve are as vvel assured of our doctrine and haue as good groundes reasons for our doing as they haue except you vvil bring in a nevv Rome appoint vs an other head church and create a nevv Pope by vvhom vve must be in al thinges directed And againe I haue told you and novv I tel you againe that there is no cause vvhy this church of England
apostasie from Christ these later hundred yeres vpon which as I haue said dependeth the verie substance of this his booke is an absurditie in Christian religion so foule monstruous and abominable that it can not be defended of any man except he first of al deny the very incarnation of Christ his preaching his death and passion his eternal kingdome priesthod the sending of the holy Ghost the entier summe of all whatsoeuer hath bene written by the Apostles or foretold by the prophetes For to what end was Christes incarnation but to ioyne him selfe vnto a Church from which he would neuer be separated To what end was his preaching but to erect and instruct such a Church To what end his death and passion but to redeeme sanctifie such a Church leaue vnto it an euerlasting remedie to blot out her sinnes and offences How is he an eternal king who hath not an eternal people obeyng him and obseruing his lawes how an eternal priest whose priesthod and sacrifice for so many hundred yeres was applied to none auailed for none and to what puâ—pose was the holy Ghost sent but to remayne vvith the church for euer and leade her into al truth And vvhat is the summe of the gospels but a declaration that Christ by him self by the holy Ghost by his Apostles founded such a church in vvhich his wil should euermore be openly preached his sacramentes rightly euermore ministred true faith and religion alvvaies preserued a certain vvay for conuerting infidels to the faith for coÌ„futing errors and heresies be continued and al true ChristiaÌ„s maintained by lawful pastâ—rs in vnitie of his true faith against al blastes of vaine doctrine euen vntil his coming to the general iudgement Finally that such a citie and common welth it should be so coÌ„stant so stroÌ„g so vnmoueable that it should vpholde the glorie and name of Christ â— gainst Princes against Potentates against Kings and Emperours against al the force of the world the deuil though they al with might and mayne applyed their whole power to the suppressing and rooting out of it And the self same is the effect of al the auncient Prophetes that the preachers of Christes catholike church should neuer cease day nor night to preach the truth that howsoeuer darknes couered al other nations yet the light there of should neuer be extinguished that the spirite of God and truth of doctrine should neuer depart from it but remayne in it froÌ„ one generation to an other euen for euer that it should neuer be brought in to a narow roume as was the synagoge of the Iewes but should be diffunded thorough al prouiÌ„ces of the earth that the course of heauen of the sunne of day and night should rather faile then priests and preachers of the new testament that albeit other monarchies had an end were altered as the Assyrians the Persians the Macedonians the Romanes yet this should neuer suffer any such a teration but should stand vnchangeâ—ble for euer Wherefore to affirme that this Church hath failed is to affirme that Christ his Apostles Prophetes are al liers that what soeuer is written in the old and new testameÌ„t is all vaine and fabulous For touchâ—ng the straunge deuise of an inuisible church which some of them haue of late imagined it is nothing els but a mere poetical fansie a fansie vvhich consisteth only vpoÌ„ their ovvne vvord and credite for profe vvhereof they neuer yet brought any scripture couÌ„cel father doctor chronicler or writer nor euer shal be able a fansie by which any sect neuer so horrible may defend them selues to be a Church as wel as they a fansie framed and patched together of mere contrarieties and contradictions a fantastical opinioÌ„ which being long since abandoned of the learned protestants in other countries as most vvicked and pestileÌ„t is novv I knovv not vpon vvhat miserie and necessitie receaued of our English Diuines VVhensoeuer vve thinke of the church saith Melanchthon let vs beholde the company of such men as are gathered together vvhich is the visible church nether let vs dreame that the elect of God are to be found in any other place then in this visible societie For nether vvil God be called vpon or acknovvledged othervvise then he hath reuealed him self nether hath he reuealed him self els vvhere saue only in the visible church in vvhich only the voice of the gospel soundeth Nether let vs imagine of any other inuisible church but let vs knovv that the voice of the gospel must sound openly amongst men according as it is vvritten Psal 18 Their sound is gone forth in to al the earth Let vs knovv that the ministery of the gospel must be publike and haue publike assemblies as it is sayd Ephes 4. Let vs ioyne our selues to this company let vs be citizens and members of this visible congregation as vve are commaunded in the 25. and 83. Psalme VVhich places and other the like speake not of Platoes Idea but of a visible church c. And in sundry other places refelling this mad fansie he euer concludeth Necesse est fateri esse visibilem Ecclesiam de qua filius Dei c. It is of necessitie that vve confesse a visible church whereof the sonne of God saith Matth. 18 Dic ecclesiae Tel the church vvhereof Paule saith 1. Cor. 4 VVe are made a spectacle to the vvhole vvorld to angels and to men VVhat a spectacle I beseech you is that vvhich is not seene and whereunto tendeth this monstruous speach vvhich denieth the visible church Delet omnia testimonia antiquitatis abolet iudicia facit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infinitam illam Cyclopum politiaÌ„ in qua◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vt est apud Euripidem It abolisheth al testimonies of antiquitie it taketh avvay al iudgementes it causeth an endles confusion and induceth a common vvelth of vnruly ruffians or Atheists vvherein no one careth for an other And Caluin interpreteth the article of our creede Credo Ecclesiam CatholicaÌ„ of the Catholike visible Church saith furthermore that the knowledge therof is so necessary that there is no hope of life by grace in this world except we be conceaued brought forth nourished aâ—d ruled by her so long as we liue Adde quod extra eius gremium nullae est spâ—randa peccatoruÌ„ remissio neque vlla salus teste Iesai c. 37. vers 32. Ioel. ca. 2. v. 32. Ezechiel ca. 13. v. 9. psal 106. v. 4. Adde here vnto that out of the lap of this visible church no pardon of synnes is to be hoped for nor any saluation as vvitnesse Isaie Ioel Ezechiel and the Prophete Dauid And OecolaÌ„padius writing vpoÌ„ the Prophete Isaie and those wordes ca. 2. Fluent ad eum omnes gentes Create is the dignitie saith he of the Christian church aboue the synagoge of the Ievves in that it shal
that it svvarueth from the Apostolicall doctrine and teacheth cleane contrarie to S. Paule and all scriptures if Luther flatly expresly deny it to be Apostolical and affirme it to conteyne no one title or letter of such matter as the Apostels are wont to haÌ„dle if WolfgaÌ„gus Musculus vse him so contemptuouslie as though he were some poore rascall not worth the naming and teache him what he should say and sette him to schole this being euident then F. Campions conclusion standeth strong that Luther with his complices contemne that parte of scripture howsoeuer he calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strawen or wodden And therefore ether let M. VV. lyke a good childe confesse with Luther vvhom gladlie he vvorshippeth as his father and vvith the Lutherans vvhom he embraceth as his most deere brethren in Christ that this epistle is no more worth then his father and brethren make of it or if he mislike such consanguinitie as sure I am they abhorre him let him then detest them as profane and wicked men who so impiouslie reiecte the written worde of God that is the foundation as they say whereon is buylte their newe congregation and so may the reader note downe one more capital and substantiall point of dissension betwene those two churches lutheran zuinglian then heâ—herto he hath consâ—dered although nether can he so doe precisely but rather note it as a diuision amonge the zuinglians also for so muche as it appeareth by Musculus that the Zuinglians of SuitzerlaÌ„d no lesse then the LutheraÌ„s of Germanye disagree from the Englishe churche in their Canon of scripture yea the Englishe church within it self as shal appeare in the nexte chapiter CHAP. II. Of the Canonical scriptures and that the English cleargie in accepting some and refusinge others are ledde by no learning or diuinitie but by mere opinion and fantasie AFTER S. Iames foloweth a questioÌ„ proposed by M. Martin how it chauÌ„ceth that the English church doth admit S. Iames epistle which sometime was not admitted and yet wil refuse Tobias Ecclesiasticus the books of Machabees which were no farther disproued then that of S. Iames. The reason in truth is the same in effecte geuen by M.VV. because these later contayne such proofe of the Catholyke religion as by no sophisticatioÌ„ can be eluded S. Iames they thinke is not so flat but shifts they haue to ridde their handes of him well inough So much writeth Caluin Some there are that thinke this epistle not vvorthie of authoritie but I because I see no sufficiente cause vvhy it should be reiected gladly vvithout controuersie embrace it for vvhereas the doctrine of free iustification semeth to be refuted in the second chapiter in his place I shall easelie ansvvere that matter As if he had sayd that therefore he admitted it because he had found out a quidditie to auoide that hard obiection agaynst only faith which answere notwithstaÌ„ding because it is false peeuish sophistical and cannot abide the tryall as wel proueth Illyricus Pomerane Musculus they therfore thought the other way more cleanlie rather vppoÌ„ preteÌ„ce of some doubte made in the primitiue churche cleane to shake it of with the rest then vppon a vaine toy which must in fine shame it selfe make hazard of their solifidian iustificatioÌ„ which must needes come to the grounde if this Apostle retaine his old credite This I say in deede is the reason but because thus to haue spoken plainlie had geuen a sure demonstratioÌ„ to the reader that they make no more account of scriptures then of fathers no more reckning of Iames or Peter then of Gregorie or Austin if they be against their conceaued heresies therefore M. VVhit semeth to shape a more cleanlie answere and this yt is All the church saith he reproued not the epistle of Iames and they that reproued it vvere moued so to doe by no sure reasons but these bookes vvhich you name Tobias Ecclesiasticus the Machabees the vvhole churche of old reiected nether vvere they vvritten in the Hebrevv tounge vvhereas no bookes of the old testament vvere Canonicall but onlie those vvhich the lord commended to the old churche Two reasoÌ„s he seemeth to geue the first that no bookes in the olde TestameÌ„t are Canonicall but such as were written in the Hebrew the proofe wherof consisting onlie in M.VV. authoritie without ether reason or probabilitye or Doctor or Councell if I oppose against him S. Augustine with the catholike churche of that age I trust the reader wil not greatlie stagger which syde he ought to take and if this reason hold I marueile what shall become of Daniel a great parte wherof is held of them for Canonical yet is not writteÌ„ in the Hebrew His other argument is of more force that the vvhole primitiue church refused the bookes of Machabees Iudith Tobie but certaine onlv that vppon no good reason refused S. Iames. These two partes if he proue and shew this difference he sayth somewhat I wil be of iudgement as he is if not whereof I assure my self then as before so here styll lust and fantasie ruleth them in mangling thus the scriptures not reason diuinytie let vs see how he proueth that the whole churche reiected the former S. Hierom sayth the church readeth the bookes of Iudith Tobias the Machabees but reckeneth theÌ„ not amongst canonicall scriptures This for them how may we fynd now that not the whole churche but some particuler men and they not vppon any good reason refused S. Iames For this part we must credit M.VV. vppon his worde for besyde his worde reason or coniecture he yeldeth none but coÌ„trariwise to disproue this his distinction and approue that without reason or conscience he and his fellowes haue made choyse of the one with condemnation of the other thus to do M.VV. him selfe ministreth vs mattet abundant for thus he wryteth in his first booke in iustifiynge frier Luther against S. Iames. Luther vvas not ignorante vvhat the aunciente church iudged of Iames his epistle Eusebius doubted not to vvrite of that epistle expresslie I vvold have all men to knovv that the epistle vvhich is ascribed to Iames is a bastarde epistle vvhat could be writteÌ„ more plainly but perhaps Eusebius pleaseth you not geue me a reasoÌ„ vvhy heare then Hierome vvhom you knovv to have bene a Priest of the Romane Church The epistle of Iames is auouched to have bene set forth by some other in his name the one affirmeth it to be a counterfeite the other saith it is supposed to have bene published not by the Apostle but by some other vvhy then are you angrie vvith Luther vvhom you see not suddenlie or rashlie first to have begon to doubâ—e of that epistle but therein to folovve the iudgement â—â—stimonie of the auncient Church Let vs now ioyne together these two proofes of M. VV. with consideration what thence
no wiser then they who in so shorte space haue falleÌ„ out with your self altered your iudgmeÌ„te and now esteeme that for apocriphal which then was to yow canonical that is now iugde that to be the moone which then you thought to be the sunne Our lorde geue his people grace to thinke of you as you proue your selues that is so fantastical inconstant that you know not what to say and whyles you seeke to keepe your selfe aloofe from the Catholike churche the sure piller grouÌ„de of truâ—he you plunge your selues ouerhead and eares in such foule absurdities as neuer did heretikes before you For what is the reason of al this because besydes the written word or scripture yow wil not acknowledge any traditioÌ„ of the Church wherevnto by this question yow are enforced of necessitie For if we are bound to beleeue certaine bookes as for example the Gospel of S. Matthew S. Marke S. Iohn and S. Paules Epistles to be Canonical that is heaueÌ„ly and peÌ„ned by diuine inspiration and yet the same can not be proued by scripture theÌ„ cleare it is that we are bound to beleeue somewhat which by scripture caÌ„ not be proued and so the tradition of the Church is established And marueyle it is that yow perceaue not how grosly yow ouerthwart your self and plainly refel that which yow would seeme most earnestly to confirme For if yow march your beleefe of scripture with knowledg of the Sunne and Moone and such like as are knowen by only sense the light of nature then you deny it to be any article of your faith For these two are directly opposite and the apostle confirmeth this reason wheÌ„ he defineth faith to come by hearing and hearing by the vvord of God ergo fides ex auditu auditus per verbuÌ„ Dei And therefore if you beleeue not with humaine faith as yow beleeue Tusculanes questions to haue bene written by Cicero but with Christian diuine faith as yow beleeue Christ to be your sauiour if thus you beleeue the Gospel which beareth S. Matthews name as likewise that of S. Marke and S. Iohn to haue bene written by them then yow beleeue so because so yovv haue heard it preached and so yovv haue receaued and consequently by the Apostles authoritie that verie matter so preached vnto yow is the vvord of God which word of God whereas yow find not in the scriptures hereof it foloweth manifestly that somewhat is the vvord of God which is not scripture and therefore yow and your fellowes beleeuing only scripture beleeue not al the vvord of God but only a peece thereof and so did the worste heretikes that euer were yea so do at this day the verie Turkes and Mahometanes But to end this special matter with yow M. VV. touching your distinction betweene S. Iames and Tobias Iudith the Machabees c. where you make this to be the difference that S. Iames vvas refused but of a fevv and the other generally of the vvhole Churche tota Ecclesia repudiauit say you for declaration of your truth herein I referre you to the moste euident testimonies of the same auncient Churche S. Augustine setting downe the Canonicall scriptures as they were read and beleeued in his time placeth S. Iames I coÌ„fesse in order with the Gospels Pauls epistles yet not excludiÌ„g those other but in the selfe same place numbringe Tobie Iudith and the Machabees with the bookes of Moses and the Prophetes his saith he 44. libris veteris testameÌ„ti terminatur authoritas In these fourtie and foure bookes is concluded the authoritie of the old testament Likewise the Councel of Carthage approueth for Canonicall S. Iames but in the same CanoÌ„ it approueth as far the other forenamed and teacheth of them as directlie as of the other that they are Canonicall scriptures Somewhat before S. Augustines daies they were not by publike decree of the Church receaued as appeareth by S. Hierome and the Councel of Laodicea but then when there was as greate doubte of S. Iames epistle S. Paule to the Hebrewes and the Apocalyps touchinge the first it is manifest by that which hath bene said by you and your felowes Of the secoÌ„d there was more question then of the first and S. Hierome seldome citeth it but he geueth a note signifyinge that it was not in his time taken for Canonical In the Epistle to the Hebrevves vvhich the custome of the Latine Church receaueth not saith he it is thus vvritten Againe the blessed Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrevves although the custome of the Latin Church receaueth it not amongst Canonicall scriptures Againe this authoritie the Apostle Paule vsed or vvhosoeuer he vvere that vvrote that Epistle In catalogo he saith that euen vnto his time it vvas not accounted the vvritinge of Paule and that Caius an auncient writer denyeth it to be his and in his epistle to Paulinus sette before the Bible he saith that a plaerisque extra numerum ponitur of the more part it is put out of the nuÌ„ber of Paules vvritinges The like might be declared by S. CipriaÌ„ Lactantius Tertullian Arnobius and S. Austine if it were needefull and the Apocalyps was yet more doubtful then ether of these two as wee see by the Councel of Laodicea leafte oute of the rolle of Canonicall writinges when both the other of S. Iames and S. Paule were put in Wherefore as false that is which M.VV. constantlie auoucheth of the auncient Church touchinge the seueringe of these sacred volumes so hath he not yet nor euer shalbe able with reason to satisfie M. Martins demaund why they of England haue coÌ„desceÌ„ded to admit the one rather then the other And here the reader may consider esteeme as it deserueth of that glorious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in fine he singeth to him self settinge the crowne of triumphe vppon his owne head and his felowes Nothing saith he is novv more vulgar then the Papists arguments against vs. Quicquid afferri a quoquam potuit vidimus diluimus protriuimus vvhat so euer could be said of anie of them al vve haue seene it refelled it and trode it vnder foote he may consider I saie how like this man and his companions are to worke such maisteries who as yet knowe not what those weapons are which they should vse in atchiuing such conquests For whereas they vaunt to doe this by the written worde yet are not resolued amoÌ„gest them selues what that written word is and how farre it extendeth it is as fantastical a parte to bragge of victorie as if a mad man should ruÌ„ne into the field to slea his enemie and when he commeth there knoweth not with what weapon to begin the fight Wherefore wel may he and his felowes heare and see the Catholike doctrine as Esai speaketh of the Iewes concerninge the doctrine of Christ hearing shal you heare shall not vnderstand and seeing shal yovv
scriptures and Caluine more execrable then the rest addeth that the aūciēt Church expressed the verie forme and type of the Aaronical Leuitical sacrificing eo excepto quòd panis hostia loco animalis vtebantur sauing that insteed of a beast they vsed bread all which proueth that in propre maner of speache they sacrificed and therefore by your owne definitiō in propre speache were priestes And finallie doth not Illyricus with his companions confesse in worde proue by deede that sacrifices were ordinarelie offered to God in the flower of the primitiue Church in the middest of the persequutions for the soules departed in the honor of Saintes for general and particular necessities as is now vsed in the Churche of Rome Thus write they To this end S. Cyprian in his third booke and sixte epistle to the priestes of Rome willeth those dayes diligentlie to be noted wherein the martyrs departed this life In the same place he speaketh of oblations sacrifices obserued in the memories of martyrs Let vs be informed sayth Tertullian vvhat be those dayes vvherein our blessed brethren by glorious death passe to immortalitie that vve here may celebrate oblations and sacrifices in remēbrance of thē And there is verie cōmon mētion of oblations in Tertullian as in his booke de corona militis vve offer sacrifices yerelie for the dead and for byrthdayes S. Cyprian saith that oblations and sacrifices vvere yerelie made in the remembrance of martyrs lib. 3. epist 6. lib. 4. epist 5. li. 1. epis 9. he speaketh of sacrifice for the dead And to end with one sentēce of S. Cyprian by them alleaged thus they cite him Our lord Iesus Christe sayth S. Cipriā lib. 2. epist 3. be is the high priest of God the father and sacrifice to God the father he first offered and commaunded the same to be done in remembrance of him And that priest trulie executeth Christs steede or roome vvho doth imitate that vvhich Christ did and thē in the Church offereth he a true and full sacrifice to God the father if he begin so to offer as he seeth Christ himself to haue offered Thus ascēding from our time vp to the primitiue and most pure and vncorrupte age of the Church yet we finde not the performance of that promise order set by Christ that his Church should be gouerned by pastors that were not priests And here by the waye to put you in minde because in this preface so freshlie you prouoke M Martin now departed and renew M Iewels challenge may it please you being put a litle besides his byas of comparing phrases together which was the verie bones and marrow of M. Iew. diuinitie to waigh how wel you can make his challenge agree with the manifest confessions of these your own doctors and if it lyke you to vew Caluine in the booke before quoted yow shal there find fiue Doctors within M. Iewels compasse by name S. Ireneus Arnobius S. Athanasius S. Ambrose and S. Augustine not the least or meanest of the fathers ether for ātiquity or holines or learning reproued and checked by Caluin for this great ouersight forsooth because to proue the vnbloudie sacrifice of the church which they beleued els would they neuer haue applied the scripture to confirme it they misinterprete and falsly applie the scriptures ita vidiculè these are his wordes vt dissentire cogat ratio et veritas so ridiculously as both reasō and truth constraineth me to dissent from thē whereas if he had lyued vntil this time and had bene acquainted but with half those phrases which in the 17 article M. Iew. hath raked together of which benefite by your labours he might now haue bene partaker he neuer neded to haue runne into that desperate vaine of bidding plaine defiance to al the primitiue church And thus much being spoken by the way through occasion of M.I. challēg renewed by you let vs returne to conclude if it may be our former matter from this age vnto the primitiue church we find not as you see pastors without priests then it foloweth say we that Christ neuer appointed anye such For then surelie in some age yea in euerie age they would haue appeared And how you wil lose this knot I muche doute yet I feare you wil take Alexanders sworde and cut it a sunder and now applie that to your self which before you yelded to Luther that when your iudgment agreeth with scripture you set more therby then by a thousand Augustines a thousand Ciprians and al the churches If you thus say as I thinke you haue nothing els to say yet remember that besides these many Augustines and Ciprians and churches you haue one Christ standing against you who promised and apoīted as you confesse far otherwyse But passe we on what scripture haue yow against priestes S. Paule vvho saith that Christ is an eternal priest after the order of Melchisedec and hath his priesthode 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what gather you of this you leaue the word in greeke as though it were so much the more terrible and able to confounde al priestes then if it were in latin Our old interpreter translateth it sempiternum Beza perpetuum Caluin immutabile Castalio nunquam transiturum the Englishe bible of one yere vnchangeable of an other euerlastinge make the best of it and take which you list or all if ye please The sense of the Apostle is easie inough by the comparison which he there prosecuteth that as Christ had many excellent prerogatiues aboue the priestes or priesthode of Aaron so amonge many other this was one that whereas the priesthode of Aaron passed from one to an other from father to sonne by reason of death Christ neuer dying but euer lyuing neuer departeth from his priesthode but reteineth it for euer To make the reader better conceaue this which though it be many times read in your congregations yet is perhaps neuer or seldome wel vnderstoode of the minister himselfe the priesthode of Aaron is brieflie to be recalled to memorie In the booke of Numbers God thus speaketh vnto Moyses Take Aaron and his sonne vvith him and leade them into the mountaine Hor. And vvhen thou hast taken from Aaron his priestlie vesture thou shalt put it on Eleazarus and Aaron shal die there Moyses did as our lord commaūded c. And vvhen he had spoiled Aaron of his garments he put them on Eleazarus and Aaron died there In this short storie is noted the nature and state of the leuitical priesthode passing from father to sonne and ending in the first by death in lyke sort as any other facultie of life or bodie ciuil or naturall endeth But in Christ it is not so who euer liuing keepeth euer his priesthode as wel as his life neuer departing with it to anie other as did Aaron to Eleazarus he to Phinees and so one to an other in course of succession So
and it is no reason that any one should take to him selfe that vvhich by equal right agreeth to al. This being the true meaning of such places and this being verie often times geuen by S. Gregorie him selfe saepe et in multis epistolis you see how iustly we accuse both M. Iewel you of wilfulnes and blindnes how iustly we obiect vnto you a verbal and talkatiue diuinitie who could not or would not see that is which so commonly repeted againe and againe in so many epistles But maketh S. Gregorie ether in this word or in al his words or workes ought against the primacie of that church This writer proceedeth on thus Verumtamen ex aliis constat c. notvvithstanding by other places it is euident that Gregorie thought that the charge and principalitie of the vvhole church vvas committed to Peter by the voice of our Lord. And thus much he vvrote plainely almost vvord for vvord lib. 4. epistola 32. to the emperour Maurice and confirmed it by testimonie of scripture It is manifest saith Gregorie to al men that knovv the gospel that by the voice of our Lord the care of the vvhole church vvas cōmitted to holy S. Peter Prince of al the Apostles For to him it is said feede my sheepe Iohn 21. To him it is said I haue prayed for the that thy faith fayle not Luc. 22. To him it is said thou art Peter and vpon this rock I vvil build my church c. Mat. 16. Behold he receaueth the keys of the kingdom of heauen povver to bind and loose is geuen to him to him is committed the charge principalite of the vvhole church And yet for this cause Gregorie thought not that Peter vvas the forerunner of Antichrist Thus he prouing both by scripture by reason that S. Gregorie though he disliked and condemned that proude name of vniuersal bishop both in him selfe and others as doth also Pope Gregorie the 13. at this day yet he nether disliked nor condemned the supreme charge and gouernment of the church for Antichristian which him selfe exercised nether could he so do except he first cōdemned for Antichristian S. Peter the Apostle who receaued it and Christ our Sauiour who gaue it So tha◠M. Iew. hath hetherto shewed smal wit learning faith or honestie in making these mē S. Gregorie Leo Xistus Anacletus his maisters in that heresie against the supremacie who haue not only no one word or sillable against it but contrariwise haue whole and long epistles chapters discourses examples and factes arguments reasons scriptures to proue it And here the reader may gesse how like I were to cloy him with abundance and store if I would in like sort go thorough with the other articles which I might do as wel and with as great aduantage But I wil not cast more water into the sea and therefore nether wil prosequute in this order the other two questions but only touch them in a word and so proceede to other matter As here against the Pope so against the real presence for the zuinglian imagination M. Iewel likewise chalengeth al the fathers vnto him namely those aboue rehearsed S. Gregorie S. Leo c. and besides S. Austin S. Hierom and S. Chrisostome then which I thinke he could not haue picked out amongst al the fathers more heauy and deadly enemies to him touching any parte of his false faith and those two partes of the real presence and sacrifice especially For was there euer besides this wicked man any Luther or Bucer or who so euer was worse then other so desperate in lying that would say S. Gregorie was a minister and ministred the holy communion as now is the fashion in England when his bookes in so many places shew him to haue bene a prieste and a prieste to celebrate masse and not to minister communion vnto whom other protestants commonly attribute the framing of the masse because of two or three rites which he ordeined therein Whom for this cause Theodorus Bibliāder scornfully nameth patriarcham caeremoniarum the Patriarch of ceremonies Melanchthō that he horribly prophaned the Communiō allovving by publike authoritie the sacrifice of Christes body and bloud not only for the liuing but also for the dead Flacius Illyricus that by miracle he cōuerted a faithles vvoman vvho beleeued not that the body of Christ vvas substancially in tbe Sacrament ex Paulo Diacono lib. 2. cap. 41.42 and that euery vvhere be doth inculcate sacrifices and masse and by diuers miracles confirmeth the same against whom Petrus Paulus Vergerius for authoritie place and estimation as great a Protestant as any in our dayes hath written a whole booke entituled de nugis fabulis Papae Gregorii primi and finally to passe by many others when your owne English writers protest him to haue bene a perfite and absolute Papist that therefore your first Apostles and Euangelistes in bringing in this your Gospel did directly oppose them selues vnto him and rooted out that which he and his Legate our Apostle S. Austin had planted Gregorie the first saith your Chronicler Iohn Bale the yere of our lord 596. sent Austine the monke to plante in our churches his Romane religion But Latimer is much more vvorthie to be called our Apostle then Austine For Austine brought nothing but mans traditions masse Crosses litanies c. vvhereas Latimer vvith the hooke of truth cut of those superstitions vvhich he had planted and cast them out of the Lords vineyard And doth not M. Horne the late called bishop of Winchester in playne termes reuile this glorious Apostle and name him most ethnically a blinde bussard because he was ignorant of your Alcoran and knew nothing els and therefore induced our forefathers to no other Gospel then to the auncient Gospel of Christ and religion Catholike And doth the other S. Austin make more for you in this point of your vnbeleefe then doth this later S. Austin or S. Gregorie I know you alleage him much more but with what honestie I had rather you should heare of your owne father Luther then of me In my iudgement saith Luther after the Apostles the church hath not had a better doctor then vvas S. Austin And that holie man hovv filthilie hovv spitefullie is he mangled and disfigured by the Sacramentaries that he may become a defender patrone of their venemous blasphemous and erroneous heresie Verely as much as in me lieth so long as I haue breath in my body I vvil vvithstand them and protest that they do him iniury vvhich thing any man may do vvith an assured and confident mynde because the Sacramentaries only pul teare his vvords into their ovvne sense prouing their applicatiō by no reason but only by vayne boasting of their most certaine truth And concerning the rest of the fathers whereas M. Iewel affirmeth that they all taught as he did against the real presence Luther contrarywise
question Elizeus might haue and had no doubt his minde in heauen with Elias by your commentarie and sense far greater was the facte of Elias then that of Christ For the cloke was a far better and more liuely figure of Elias then youre bread and wine is of Christ By it Elizeus receaued greate grace strength as writeth S. Chrisostome as by the which he fought agaynst the deuill and vanquished him That your bread should geue any grace it is agaynst your whole doctrine and Zuinglius laboureth to proue it at large in sundrie places callinge it papisticall to say that any sacrament euen baptisme doth aliquid momenti conferre ad sanctificationem aut remissionem peccatorum profite any iote to sanctifie or take avvay synne Elizeus by that cloke wrought straunge miracles so did you by your figuratiue bread neuer nor neuer shall so longe as the worlde standeth Briefly whereas Elizeus cloke cariynge with it such vertue and power was a thing surmounting the abilitie and reach of man and could not be done but by the omnipotencie of god your bread being nothing but a signe or banner as it were a may-pole or token of a tauerne by Zuinglius his owne confession the king of Fraunce or Spaine can make ten thousande as good And the truth is they can make much better because theirs do no harme wheras yours leade men the hye way to damnatioÌ„ Wherefore youre answere to this place of S. Chrisostome is to to fond and childish And hereby we may haue a gesse how substanciallye you are like to deale with the next which is taken out of the same father I must needes write it doune somewhat at large for the readers better vnderstanding of vs both It is in his thirde booke de sacerdotio where he setteth forth the high estate of the priestes of the new Testament and that acte wherein priesthode especiallye consisteth that is the sacrifice thus he writeth This priesthode it selfe is exercised in earth but is to be referred to the order and revv of thinges celestiall and that for good reason because no mortall man no angell no archangell no creature but the holy Ghost him self framed this order Terrible vvere the thinges dreadfull vvhich vvere before the tyme of grace in the lavv of Moyses as vvere the litle bells pomegranats pretious stones in the breast of the prieste the mitre golden plate sancta sanctorum c. But if a man consider these thinges vvhich the tyme of grace hath brought to vs he vvil iudge all those thinges vvhich I called terrible and dreadfull to be but light and though glorious yet not comparable vvith the glorie of the nevv testament as S. Paule saith This being laide before as it were a preface or preparatiue to that which foloweth he then coÌ„meth to that place out of which M. W. culleth certaine wordes For sayth he vvhen thou seest our Lord sacrificed and the prieste earnestlie intent to the sacrifice and pouring out his prayers and the people about him imparted and made red vvith that pretious bloud thinkest thou thy self to conuerse amongest mortall men and remaine on the earth And immediatly ô miraculum ô Dei benignitatem ô miracle ô singular goodnes of God he that sitteth vvith his father aboue at the self same moment of tyme is handled vvith all mens handes and deliuereth him self to those that vvill receaue and imbrace him and this is done playnlie in the sight of all men vvithout any deceate or illusion Of this place M. Martin inferreth that M.W. reasoning Christ is in heauen ergo not in the Sacramet is wicked refuted by the old fathers But M.W. replyeth no. And I vvil geue you your ansvvere sayth he out of the same place for here Chrysostome affirmeth that vve see our Lord sacrificed in the supper and the people imparted and made red vvith the bloud and that this is done in the open sight of all that are presente But vvho seeth ether our Lord truâ—y sacrificed or one droppe of bloud vvith vvhich the people are made red so as all see it as Chrisostome vvriteth Therefore as vve see Christ sacrificed and the people embrued vvith his bloud so vve receaue him in our handes In these vvordes Chrysostome vvould both amplifie the dignitie of priestes vnto vvhom Christ gaue povver to minister the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud and make the people afrayde that they vvhich come to this supper should bring vvith them godlie and religious myndes as though they should take Christ him selfe in their handes The substance of the answere is this Chrysostome in the same place sayth we see Christ offered which in truth is not so but by a figuratiue speach therefore when he saith Christ is in heauen and in the Sacrament it is not simplie true but by like phrase and figure But whereunto then tende al these great wordes and perswasions of this father to honour the priests office and make the people afrayed and were there priestes in the church in those days No. but by priestes you must vnderstand mâ—nisters and then a simili by the sacrifice he speaketh of that is the masse you must vnderstand the CommunioÌ„ that is by Catholike relâ—gion you must vnderstande heresie and by light darkâ—es But I wil go thorough the branches of this answere in order First whereas you make that a thing most assured and certaine that no man seeth Christ offered except you meane in your English supper you are greatly deceaued For in the church Catholike we see Christ offered and that not in phrase of speach only as the protestaÌ„ts may be said to do iniurie to Christ when they abuse his image but in veritie and truth of doctrine And S. Chrysostome with the rest of the fathers neuer thought or spake otherwise How oft hath S. Chrisostome quâ—d summo honore dignum est id tibi â—n terra â—stendam That vvhich deserueth most honor that vvil I shevv thee on earth and in the same place The royal body of Christ is in heaueÌ„ vvhich novv in earth is set before thee to be seene I shevv vnto thee not angels not archangels not heauens not heauen of heauens but I shevv thee the verie Lord him selfe of al these Perceauest thou not hovv not only thou seest in earth and touchest but receauest also the soueraine and principall thing that is And in the same place This body vvhich thou seest on the altar the vvise men adored in the manger But it were tedious to note out such places which are common in euery booke This rather I would wishe M. W. to vnderstand that where it hath pleased God in certaine creatures to exhibite his presence after a more special and singular sort there in a more special and singular maner truely we may ought to beleeue that we see our Lord. God is by essence power and operation present in euerie creature yet in seing a
in his owne forme partly because the sacrament is a figure vvhich hath the veritie ioâ—ned vvith it and therefore may wel haue his denomination of the principal partly because beyng inconuenient ether in respect of gods wisedome or of our infirmitie to receaue that glorious body in his owne forme which reason Theophilacte S. Damascene S. Cirill S. ChrisostoÌ„ and other fathers geue god hath appoynted these externall sacramentes for instrumâ—ntes by mâ—anes whereof we mâ—ght truly be made partakers of that which otherwise we shoulde abhorre But graunt we now to M.W. that it is only a phrase of speach to say vve see Chrâ—st or his body and bloud how foloweth his reason therefore it is also but a phrase of speach to saye the body is there at all Suppose a man may stand in argument that the Apostles seing the humanitie of Christ sawe not the sonne of god sawe not the creator of the world will your philosophie or diuinitie serue you to infer ergo that person or man whom they beheld was not the sonne of god Agayne what logicke what wit permitteth you from one particular to conclude as many as you liste It is a figure when we reade in scripture god hath hands face nosetrils ergo it is a figure when we reade that Christ tooke flesh of the virgin It is a figure when Christ said that he descended from heauen ergo his ascension is not true but imaginarie It is not possible for vs in the height excellencie of the diuine misteries and the basenes of our vnderstanding and barrennes of our tonge scarce to thinke much lesse to speake of them but we shal fall in to some vnproper termes as appeareth by the whole course of diuinitie From which necessitie he that taketh this licence which M. W. alloweth to him selfe from one word spoken figuratiuelie at his pleasure will deduce the like of an other he will make Christian religion as variable as is the raynebowe as vnconstante as the wethercocke And yet this lose kinde of talking for who can call it reasoning is the verie roote and mother of the Zuinglian gospell for vpon this piller was erected the sacramentarie heresie in Zuricke as Zuinglius him selfe signifieth for thus he reasoned When Christ sayd this iâ— my body he spake tropically because when Moyses sayd the lambe is the pasouer which notwithstanding is a text of his owne coyning as Luther proueth against him this is a tropical speache Agaynst which Luther replying and scorning sayth it is as valiant wyse a proufe as if a man would argue that Sara or Rebecca brought forth children and remayned virgins because our Ladie did so or that Pilate and Herode vvere tvvo glorious Apostles of Christe because Peter and Paule vvere But see you not saith M. W. that S. Chrisostome is full of vehemencie and amplification He is vehement I confesse perhaps amplifieth But wherein is he vehement or what doth he amplifie a lye or a truth a truth to witte the dignitie of priests say you Then there were priests and so there was a sacrifice by your owne definition and playne it is that S. Chrysostome so much advaunceth the priest in regarde of the sacrifice Now this amplificatioÌ„ must rise vpon a true grounde othervvise he may rather be said to magnifie a lye then to amplifie a truth Then gather me out of S. Chrisost any one truth vvhere vpon he doth thus enlarge and vse his vehemencie Nay consider by your opinion and faith vvhether almost euery vvorde in this place be not a lye VVe see Christ sayth he that is a lye and novv refuted by you VVe see him offered that is a lye and a blasphemous lye The priest beÌ„t earnestly to the sacrifice that is a lye for there vvas no such sacrifice within six huÌ„dred yeres after Christ The people receaue the pretious bloud that is a lye for no man beleeued the reall presence vvithin six hundred yeres nether O miracle saith S. Chrysost ô singular goodnes of god he that sitteth vvith his father aboue at the selfe same momeÌ„t of tyme is receaued in the church at the priests hands that is a lye for so should the body of Christ at one tyme be in a thousand places vvhich is agaynst M. Ievvels sixt article there fore needes it must be false so to speake or thinke What truth novv remayneth for S. Chrysostome to amplifie vvhereas euerie vvord he speaketh beyng taken as it standeth according to your religion is false Belike he mâ—aÌ„t to aduauÌ„ce such dealing of bread and vvine as you vse in your congregâ—tions and consequently your ministerie vvhich is promoted to so vvorthie a vocation But vvhat sentence vvhat vvord vvhat sillable hath he to that purpos yet graunt it be so TheÌ„ your faith and religion being all one vvith S. Chrisostomes as you tel vs let your ministers vse such amplification to their people and you neede not to be ashamed to borovve or learne of so excellent a doctor and see vvhether both the people vvill not crye out vpon them as false prophetes and the Commissioners bring them vvithin the Premunire for preaching agaynst the pure gospel receaued and authorised by parlament Let them preach that they offer and sacrifice their lord and maister that they are earnest lye beâ—t to performe that dutie of priesthode that at their hands the peopâ—e receaue the pretious bloud of Christ let such preachers be brought before you M. W. as thâ— publike professor of diuinitie and I appeale to your conscience vvhether you vvill allovv such preaching as an amplification of their mâ—nisterio not condemne it as vvicked and detestable and blasphemous against the gospel Finally M. W. could in no place more vndiscreetly haue vsed this maner of ansvvere then here For S. Chrysostome so placeth the sacrifice of the church betvvene tvvo notorious sacrifices and maketh the comparison betvvene all three so nighly and exactly preferring alvvayes ours by infinite degrees of excellencie that a man vvith halfe an eye may see that M. W. thrust it in rather because he had so read in M. Ievvel then because he coÌ„siderately perused the place him selfe Before the vvords pertayninge to the sacrifice of the church S. Chrysostome thus speaketh of the Leuiticall sacrifice All thinges vvere terrible and dreadfull about that sacrifice and priesthode but if you match it vvith this sacrifice and priesthode vvherein by the priest our lord himselfe is sacrificed all that is nothing as in the vvords set dovvne in the beginning appeareth Immediately after thus he proceedeth vvilt thou see the excellencie of this holines by an other miracles put before thy eyes Elias and that infinite multitude aboute him and the sacrifice lâ—yd vpon the altar the prophete pâ—vvring forth his prayers suddenly fyer descending from heauen and consuming the sacrifice all straunge and full of admiration Ab illis sacris ad nostra sacra te transfer
hebrue nor yet the hebrue bible true by which she might once againe mende and correct the latin And here let the reader waigh whether we thinking of the Church as we doe thinking of Christes promise and the assistance of the holy Ghost as christian faith teacheth vs whereby we are most assuredly perswaded that she neuer erreth nor euer can erre damnably whether we I say haue not great reason to support our opinion which here we defend Caluin in his Institutions recounting certaine causes why the auncient writers speake so reuerently and yeld so much to the Romane church amongst other putteth this for one That vvhereas the churches of the East part and of Greece as also of Africa vvereful of tumultes and dissensions amonge them selues the Romane church vvas more quits then other and lesse troublesome For as the vvesterne people are lesse sharp quick of vvit then they of Asia and Africa so much lesse desyrous are they of nouelties This therefore added very much authoritie to the Romane church that in those doubtful times she vvas not so vnquiet as vvere the other and the doctrine once deliuered to her she held and retayned more fast then did all the rest This grace of constancy in the faith and truth once receaued when as the aduersaries yeld to the Romane church and reproue the Oriental and greeke church for lightnes inconstancie mutabilitie in the same kind we who beleeue the same grace of god to haue stil remained haue iust occasion to thinke that she was as tenax as constant in preseruing the truth of the bibles as of other parts of religiō wherein by Caluines verdite she excelled al churches vnder the sunne And if the greeke churches then in that prime flower were so mutable and incōstant and so far inferior to the latin in this respect especiallie of holding fast matters of religion once deliuered vnto them with what iudgement or conscience can we magnifie the later ages of those Greekes who much more haue deflected from the Catholike Apostolike faith haue more decayed in learning vertue and al good qualities haue degenerated almost in to a barbarisme and are now fallen in to such miserie ignorance and slauery as euerie man seeth much lesse can we mention in this comparison the Iewes Synagog who hauing the maledictiō of god vpō them as many times our Sauiour foretold in the gospel are not only quite destitute of the graces of god but also for the most part seeme altogether void of the giftes of nature of vvit iudgement policie and ordinarie humane discourse But al this vvil M.W. say is but coniecture and as probablie he disputeth against it for the contrarie part that in the hebrue and greeke there is no corruption For if it be so that the Ievves and heretikes haue laboured so much herein vvho can doubt but they haue attempted this especially in these places and sentences of scriptures vvhich the Church of Christ most vsed for confirmation of her faith and religion There are most euident testimonies of scriptures by vvhich the Ievves and all heretikes are refuted tel vs vvhat in them haue those men peruerted but that they remaine vnto vs safe and sound Neuer vvould other Ievv or heretike corrupt the scriptures except he thought that might be to him some vvaie commodious for the mainteining of his monstruous opinions VVherefore seing those places are safe by vvhich the Ievves are refelled and the heretikes of al times are killed this must needes seeme a fained tale vncredible and false vvhich you bring that the fountaines are corrupted To satisfie M.W. longing who would so faine know wherein the Iewes or heretikes haue falsified the bibles I wil seuerally geue him examples some sithence S. Hieroms tyme and some before and acknovvledged by S. Hierom him self from whom M. W. taketh most in commendation of the hebrue fountaines And that those fountaines are somewhat infected and degenerated from that puritie which they had in S. Hieroms time and before I proue by euident reason manifest experimentes plaine confessions of our more learned aduersaries First touching the hebrue S. Hierom read and translated according to the ordinarie reading and pointing of his time Esaie 9. Puer datus est nobis et filius natus est nobis et vocabitur nomen eius admirabilis consiliarius Deus fortis pater futuri saeculi princeps pacis A child is geuen to vs and a Sonne is borne to vs and he shalbe called Admirable a Counseller God Strong Father of the vvorld to come Prince of peace And in his commentarie expressing euerie word he maketh no doubt of any other reading Forsake the latin and go to your Iewes and their hebrue fountaines now and what find you pro thesaur◠carbones Thus. Puer datus est nobis et filius natus est nobis et vocabit nomen eius qui est admirabilis consiliarius deus fortis et pater aeternitatis vel futuri seculi principem pacis VVhereby is taken from Christ as principal a testimonie of his diuinitie as any we find in the old testament And whence cōmeth this alteratiō but from the iniquitie of the Iewes who haue altered the passiue vocabitur into the actiue vocabit geuē other pointes then were vsed or read in S. Hieromes time And this Luther confesseth manifestly Totus hic textus miserè sceleratè saith he a Iudaeis est crucifixus c. This vvhole text is miserably and vilanouslly crucified depraued and corrupted by the Ievves For as the child him self vvas crucified of them so by the same men both this place and his scripture or scripture appertayning to him is daily crucified The prophete attributeth six names to the child and sonne the Ievves reade the first fiue in the nominatiue case the sixt in the accusatiue and they al expound it of Ezechias vnder whom God gaue that great victorie against Sēnacherib And in the same place The text seemeth to haue bene corrupted by those that put to the points The letters vvhether ye reade them vvith pointes or vvithout pointes are alone and the grammer doth beare it vvel but the Ievves most pestilent men oft tymes corrupte sentences of the prophetes by their pointes distinctions But let it suffice vs that the Chaldee interpreter and the 70. thinke as vve do Thus Luther condemning of vile corruption on your pure originals geuing withal this general rule that the Iewes most pestilent men haue no conscience in that foule abusing and altering and crucifying the scriptures no more then they had in crucifying Christ and that therefore he preferreth the Septuaginta and Chaldee interpreter before al the hebrew copies VVhich reason touching Luther and the Protestantes is nothing at al. For the Chaldee interpreter is no more the hebrevv original then is Luthers translation And the translatiō of the 70. which is now extant besides that it is ful of diuersitie
not of the Catholikes esteemed to be altogether autentical is much more of Luther and the Protestants condemned For of them thus he writeth in the same commentarie 70 interpretes digni sunt odio c. The 70. interpreters are vvorthie of hatred for I can not beleeue it is false that they translated and turned the bible by the holy Ghost for there appeareth in them manifest vanitie impietie studie to corrupt it Thus Luther VVhere in though he rayle to fowly yet hereof appeareth how much he esteemeth of the 70. And the true ground whereby both Luther and the Protestants hold this so singular a peece of scripture against the Iewes is nether the Chaldee interpreter nor the 70. as Luther pretendeth nor the hebrew fountaine which is worse but that whereby we retaine al scriptures that is the churches authoritie and warrant who testefieth vnto vs that this is the letter of the prophete as Lyra from whom Luther borowed his answere teacheth Thus he writeth In this place of Esaie is proued the humanitie and diuinitie of Christ but the Ievves ansvvere sayng it is not in the hebrue He shal be called but he shal cal and so that vvhich directly expresseth the diuinitie is not referred to the child borne but to the true god calling him and the name of the child is put in the end of the place that is Principem pacis prince of peace But they that thus say corrupt the text therefore vve must run to the translations And first that this is false is proued by the 70. vvho translate vocabitur he shal be called and by S. Hierom. And thus it is read in the office of the masse vpon Christemas daie and that office for the most part folovveth the traÌ„slation of the 70. And by this translation it is cleare that the hebrue should not be vocabit but vocabitur as these vvil haue it corrupting the text And the same is proued by the Chaldee translation VVhere the churches authoritie is the supreme grouÌ„d staye for in deede the other coÌ„uince nothing as shal better appeare heareafter An other example of like corruption and in as high and great a point as this against the diuinitie of our Sauiour I geue you Ierem. 23. where S. Hierom did reade and translate according to the hebrew thus Ecce dies veniunt dicit dominus et suscitabo Dauid germeÌ„ iustum er regnabit rex et sapiens erit et hoc est nomen quo vocabunt eum dominus iustus c. as in our vulgar translation Behold the daies come sayth our lord and I vvil raise to Dauid a iust branch and he shal raigne as a king and shal be vvise this is the name by vvhich they shal cal him Our iust lord or the lord our iustice where the name Tetragrammaton attributed to our incarnate Sauiour proueth that he is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or lord god of Israel wherein the two natures diuine and humane appeare most euidently S. Hierom in the text putteth a double reading one after the hebrew an other after the 70. Vpon the place in his commentarie he writeth thus If vve reade according to the 70 Vocauerit euÌ„ Dominus the sense is he shal be called Iosedech a iust lord if according to the hebrue nomen eius vocabunt then the sense is He shal be called the lord our iustice The thing which I note is the word vocabunt they shal cal him which in S. Hieromes time was the hebrevv reading and touching Christ his diuinitie is of that consequence as hath bene said In the hebrew text now it is cleane otherwise and vpon one point and letter chaunged thus it is to be translated God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvho is our iustice shal cal him whereby is lost al the proofe of Christs diuinitie which that so pregnant a place otherwise should yeld And that this fault is likewise committed by the like malice of the Iewes and the true reading is to be taken from our latin translation Lyra in the place aforesaid sheweth in these wordes Other names of God are communicable vvith creatures but the name Teâ—ragrammaton is not so vvhich signifieth the diuine essence pure simple in it selfe vvithout relation to external vvorks or creatures and therefore vvhereas Christ is called by this name in the place of Ieremie it folovveth that he is true God But the Ievves ansvvere by corrupting the letter sayng that thus it is in the hebrevv Et hoc est nomen eius qui vocabit eum Dominus iustus noster And this is the name of him that shal cal him Our iust lord so that the name TetragraÌ„maton vvhich in our translatioÌ„ is turned Dominus is not referred to Messias the sonne of Dauid but to the true God who called Messias to deliuer his people And how goeth Lyra against this distinction saith he the Iewes are honest men haue kept their bibles pure and vncorrupted and in respect of them al the latin bibles are most contaminate after the paterne of M. VV Nay far otherwise notwithstanding he knew the hebrew bibles and tong in an other maner of degree and perfection as being him selfe a natural borne Iewe then M. W. or any of his great clearkes who vaunt so much of a litle yet he replieth thus Contra istam solutionem non potest argui c. Against this solution a man can not argue but by shevving them that here they corrupt the true letter and deny the truth because they vvil deny Christs diuinitie And this might best be done by old bibles vvhich vvere not corrupt in this passage and in others in vvhich mentioÌ„ is made of Christs diuinitie if a man could come by any such And thus our forefathers disputed against them out of this place and the like And although I neuer yet savv any bible of the Ievves vvhich is not corrupted in this place yet I haue heard of men vvorthie of credit by reason of their life conscience and knovvledge vvho haue svvorne that they haue seene it so in old bibles as it is in S. Hieroms translation But if a man can not get any such bibles vncorrupt then must vve runne to other traÌ„slations vvhich the Ievves vvith reason caÌ„ not deny And the 70. reade as doth S. Hierom as appeareth by our Ecclesiastical office Here againe M. W. may see the foule monstruous corruptioÌ„ of the Iewes in these fountaines and originals vniuersally in al their hebrew bibles Vniuersally I say for if in our daies some one or other print be corrected that correction hath bene made in respect of the latin Church which hath kept the truth of doctrine therefore preserued the true letter not in respect of the Iewes vvho altogether as witnesseth Lyra corrupted the true letter because they vvould deny Christs diuinitie One exaÌ„ple more I geue him in an other kynd which neuertheles importeth vs as much as
States Princes and nations who withstoode the bishop Sea of Rome as they do now Nullis temporibus defueruÌ„t sayth he nec Episcopi nec Presbyteri nec Imperatores nec populi c. There neuer vvanted at any time nether Bishops nether Priestes nor Emperours nor nations nor Priuate men vvhich had not rather be condemned of your church for heretikes then to mainteine the Catholike communion of your Apostasie wherefore hauing so large a scope let him repayre to that his owne church and succession of Protestantes and of them seeke for the true written bible of whom he receaueth the sense and meaning of the same not to our church and succession of Catholikes whom he chiefly condemneth for erring in the true sense and then reproueth as bitterly for corrupting the true text The conclusion of al is this if as a Christian as an obedient child of the Church and willing to learne if thus he demauÌ„d of the Church for true bibles she can serue him with more varietie of such in mo languages then it wil stande with his ease to reade If he demaund this as an heretike as a rebellious Apostata as to picke quarels and maintaine strife the Church hath nought to do with him She answereth as our sauiour answered the Pharisees Quid me tentatis hypocritae as he taught his Apostles Nolite dare sanctum canibus She sendeth him to his owne scattered and diuided coÌ„gregation in to whose communion he hath thrust him selfe vnder whose false banner he fighteth against her vvhom the vniuersal Christian vvorld in al times and ages vntil our daies hath acknovvleged for the only true catholike apostolike church of Christ And hitherto of the hebrevv fountaines and originals vvherein I haue staâ—ed somevvhat the longer first of al that the reader may see that not vvithout iust cause I charge M.W. vvith a manifest lie in saing vve flee the hebrevv for that vve knovv it to containe the assured bane and destruction of our cause He may here perceaue in part vvhat reason vvhat argument vvhat conscience moueth the Church thus to prescribe and vs to folovv the Churches ordinance herein That vve nether feare nor contemne nor refuse it but for the vnderstaÌ„ding of the true sense studie and honour it as much as he though vve hange not our faith vpon it so as if the Ievves depraue a text touching Christs diuinitie vve therefore vvil denie him to be God and if they raze out the only text that foreshevveth the maner of his passion and crucifying vve vvil not for al that geue ouer our faith that in such sort he vvas crucifyed for vs. Secondarely thus I haue done to satisfie M· VV. dâ—maund who chalengeth vs so confidently to shevve any error in the originals vvho affirmeth so peremptorily those places to be safe and vntouched which appertaine to the proofe of our Christian religion Which how true it is he now seeth if he wil beleeue ether reason or his owne maisters Besides that his argument is ouer slender when he wil conclude those originalles to be pure because there is no corruption in matters of coÌ„trouersie as though there could be no errors but those which proceede of wilfulnes and malice against Christian religion as though the Iewes could not erre by negligence ignorance and other humane infirmitie by which Caluine Beza the rest of that knot can imagine very many and the same very grosse errors to haue crepte in to our latin bibles But true is the old prouerbe Graculus graculo Like wil to like as I haue said Of the Iewes for neare alliance and brotherhode they iudge so diuinely as though they were halfe goddes who neuer erred ether of malice ether of wilfulnes or ignorance or slowthfulnes or want of due consideration or thorough any kind of like ether sinne or imbecillitie But of the Christian Catholike Church of the Bishops and Pastors by whom they haue that peece of Christianitie which yet they retaine they deeme most wickedly them they accompt more dissolute more irreligious more careles negligent in matters diuine then the worst people that liue vnder the cope of heauen These in the same kind haue erred both of malice and of wilfulnes and of contempt and of negligence by al maner of faulting voluntarie inuoluntarie wherevnto a man may possibly fal Thirdly some reason mouing me thus to doe was because nether M. Martin in his Discouerie much lesse the preface of the new testament handling only such thinges as were incideÌ„t to that booke that is geuing reason why in that translatioÌ„ the latin vulgar edition vvas folowed before the common greeke testamentes had any occasioÌ„ to treate of this matter For albeit M. Martin proueth errors in matters historical to be in our coÌ„mon hebrew bibles yet he maketh no stay therein but rather presupposing the hebrew text to be altogether true as the aduersaries pretend he so much the more discouereth their wilfulnes and peruersitie who in their translations depart sundrie times froÌ„ those hebrew originalls which they seeme to magnifie as altogether faultles and vnspotted One principal corruption of great moment and importance he obiecteth out of the 21. psalme where the prophet saith in the person of Christ They haue pearced my handes and feete which by the Iewes being maliciously altered by mutation of one or other letter in to As a lyon my hands and feete without wit reason or common sense whereby is euacuated the best and clearest prophecie in the whole body of scripture touching the maner and fashion of Christs crucifying who besides M. W. would so blindly haue dissembled it yet stil sing vs the old song of the pure fountaines It is written that not long sithence certaine euangelical Anabaptistes lately conuerted from Iudaisme reading that place of S. Peter in Castalios translation Iesum Nazarenum scelestis manibus comprehendistis et ad palum alligatum sustulistis Iesus of Nazareth you haue apprehended and binding him to a post or stake so made him avvay vpon this text fel to a great and daungerous contention among them selues in their congregations whether Christ were pearced hand and foote with nailes as the Church beleeueth or were only bound hand and foote to a gibbet as the fashion among the Turkes is now a daies as the other two theeues were done to death which were crucifyed with him And remoue the traditioÌ„ of the Church which these good felowes care not for and this place of Dauid and certainly out of the old testament it can not perhaps nether out of the new be clearely proued to a contentious heretike that he was crucified in such sort as the truth is and we beleeue For as the heretikes now a daies at home in our couÌ„trie gladly abhorre the name of the crosse al signes or memories there of both in priuate talking publike preaching and writing rather vse the name of
Paris Louane and other catholike Vniuersities And if there be any fault in our english translation it is this that this parcel was not added in the margeÌ„t as it was in the latin which we folowed Wherefore this proueth no corruption but rather great fidelitie in our latin testament that it agreeth with S. Hierom consequently the greeke examples which he interpreted with S. Ambrose S. Austin S. Bede Haymo S. Anselmus and the rest of the latin writers which in a matter not doubtful and otherwise in no respect preiudicial to any veritie of Christian profession are of that authoritie that Beza him self in this case would not disallow our doing and M.VV. him self also in iustifying his english translations for pure and perfit doth consequently approue and iustifie ours so anâ—wereth â—im self in this obiection for the later clause before noted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the lord said they haue added to their english testaments after Beza vpon the only authorite of our latin against al the auncient greeke albeit now it is thrust in to the coÌ„mon greeke prints of Geneua Basile Zuricke therefore he should not be offeÌ„ded if we attribute so much to our testament who professe to honour it seing he his felowes do as much who professe a perpetual hatred against it And this I trust may suffice for these few words to quitte our testament of any faulte considering that first they coÌ„cerne not any controuersie theÌ„ that the sense of it is in worde and deed fully euideÌ„tly coÌ„prised in the same place againe if we preferred our latin before al greeke we do no more then doth Beza then doth M.W. then do al the English and Scottish congregations in their owne pure and immaculate bibles Last of al our reading is coÌ„firmed not only by al the later ages of the church these seuen or eight hundred yeres as by S. Anselmus Haimo S. Bede and others nether only by the more auncieÌ„t latin fathers S. Austin S. Ambrose S. Hierom but also it was according to the greeke copies which S. HieroÌ„ had the same agreing in substaÌ„ce with S. Chrysostome no doubt many other and therfâ—re hath sufficieÌ„t ground to defend it self although vve confesse the other reading to be vsed of many fathâ—rs which vve therefore mislike not yet rashâ—y presume not to thrust it in to our text And this is the only fault and yet al the faultes vvhich M.VV. findeth in our latin testament The rest he supplieth vvith a lustie bragge that there are at the least Six hundred other vvherein against the faith of al the greekes and their perpetual coÌ„sent the errors of the latin traÌ„slatioÌ„ are retained of vs. Of which reckning I dare at first without any farther stay strike out fiue huÌ„dred yet the suÌ„me vvhich remaineth is sufficieÌ„t to conuince him of a maine lye But for a farther refutation he turneth vs ouer to Benedictus Arias Montanus a good priest one that serueth in the Catholike Kinges court and submitteth al his labours to the iudgmeÌ„t censure of the Vniuersitie of Loâ—ane and therefore very vnlike it is that ether he vvil bestovv so vnfruitefully his labours as to vvrite against the Sacred TrideÌ„tine CouÌ„cel or that that Vniuersitie vvil approue his endeuours if he should so heretically employ theÌ„ whatsoeuer shal become of him hereafter in his hebrew bibles alreadie set forth we see that in the places before noted he altereth not the latin according to the hebrew but letteth it stand as autentical VVhat speake I of him a catholike man and a priest whereas your selues though otherwise most obstinate and stonie harted against the truth yet dare not alter it according to the hebrew but leaue it as you found it in our bibles And therefore why you cal vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bible-beaters I wonder and muse what brainsicke conceite you haue therein or what reason moueth you thus to raile Because we defend the sinceritie of our bibles against your peeuish and vnlearned and fantastical and contemptible talking for what one tolerable argument bring you because we defend the inheritance left vs by our forefathers because we prefer the Church Spouse of Christ before the sinagoge of the Iewes because at their wicked appointment vve vvil not raze out so many places touching our Sauiours honour and the truth of our religion is this the cause why your wisedome termeth vs Bible-beaters Nay let the reader consider and the world iudge whether sith Christs time or before Christs time there were euer any beaters and circumciders and gelders and manglers and defacers and corrupters of those holy bookes comparable to you and your sect Who haue rent out of the bible so many partes which our auncient fathers deliuered vs and we hold fast as sacred and canonical Who haue reiected out of the old testament so many entier books as I haue noted in the beginning the prophecie of Baruch the storie of Iudith of Tobias of Hester of the Machabees and Ecclesiasticus who in the new testament haue cut out S. Paules epistle to the hebrews S. Iames one of S. Peters two of S. Iohns S. Iude and the Apocalips and the whole gospel of S. Luke who in those other which you pretend to keepe haue lopt of great peeces so many as pleased your arrogant and heretical spirit peeces of S. Iohns gospel peeces of the prophete Ieremie peeces of the prophete Daniel peeces of the booke of Cronicles or ParalipomenoÌ„ besides many lesser parcels pared away both in the epistles and gospels and al the rest by your traÌ„slations miserably corrupted Who by the same reason authoritie by which you iudge and condemne these bookes geue like authoritie libertie to euerie phantastical minister to contemne and condemne the rest For thinke you a lying reason may not be found against the gospel of S. Iohn as wel as against the gospel of S. Luke Or may not a man pretend as good arguments of humane spirit to be in the second epistle to the Corinthians or to Philemon as in that of S. Iames or to the hebrewes Or may M. VVilliam Charke oppose him selfe against the vniuersal Church of Christ by the mouth of those most holy and Apostolical fathers gathered together in the great CouÌ„cel of Nice acknowledging for Canonical the booke of Iudith and may not any other minister of like qualitie and learning do so by like example Because the booke of Tobie maketh expressely for the patronage of angels may you say disdainfully VVe passe not for that Raphael mentioned in Tobie nether acknovvledge vve those seuen angels vvhereof he maketh mention Al that differeth much from Canonical scriptures which is reported of that Raphael and sauoureth of I knovv not vvhat superstition Nether vvil I beleeue free vvil although the booke of Ecclesiasticus affirme it a hundred times c. and may not a
much and the reader much more Because I must be driuen to talke of titles and pointes and rules of the Rabbines and readings of the Massoreth and such other obscure matter troublesome for me to laie together and vvrite out and not intelligible for a common reader I vvil therefore put dovvne only certaine propositions exemplifying theÌ„ in one or tvvo vvordes vvhereby the learned shal vnderstand how true that is which I affirme and the vnlearned shal be able to conceaue somwhat I say therefore that of the hebrew far lesse hold can be taken in binding a contentious heretike then of any other language The reason is first because their tonge hauing in it no great store of words euery word almost is vsed in verie diuers significations farre more then is found in latin or greeke or many vulgar languages and therefore if you presse him with one translation or sense he forthwith hath sundry and diuers senses to flee vnto Hence coÌ„meth that diuersitie in the Psal 54. Extendit deus manum suam in retribuendo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the 70. God hath stretched forth his hand to revvard or recompence as the church readeth which place the catholikes both of late and auncient times vse to proue the reward and recompence of good workes The english bibles turne it thus He hath laide his hands vpon such as be at peace vvith him the more common Protestant translation as it appeareth by Marlorate Misit manus suas in paces suas He hath laid his haÌ„ds vpon his peaces This diuersitie riseth of the same hebrew word but hauing diuers senses An other reason is because their substantiues being in maner al deriued of verbes often times one substantiue may haue diuers deriuations from diuers verbes which bringeth as great varietie as is possible So the church readeth ps 59. Dedisti metuentibus te significationeÌ„ vt fugiant a facie arcus Thou hast geuen to those that feare thee a signe that they flee from the face of the bovve according to the 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so vvas the hebrew in S. Hieroms time as vve see by his translation The Protestants Luther Bucer Caluin as vve see by Marlorate vvil haue it Dedisti metuentibus te vexillum ad vexillaÌ„dum propter veritatem Thou hast geuen to them that feare thee a flagge to flagge for truth the english of one yere thou hast geuen a token for such as feare thee that they may triuÌ„phe because of thy truth of an other Thou hast geueÌ„ a baÌ„ner to them that feare thee that it may be displaied because of thy truth This differeÌ„ce in one part coÌ„meth of the 2. radical hebrew verbes the old church the 70. S. HieroÌ„ folowing one the new congregation of the ProtestaÌ„ts rather liking the other The difference in the other part bovv and truth no doubt came thence that the old hebrew bookes had that vvorde vvritten vvith one kinde of T the later vvith an other Againe touching the literal seÌ„se of the hebrew words what masters shal we follow The old Rabbines Dauid Kimhi Aben Ezra and such other Thus to say Beza Munster Caluin Castalio the Protestants commonly induce vs. But Master D. Humfrey holdeth the contrary and not without reason if we had a good pilote to rule the sterne and containe vs in mediocritie VVe ought not to credit saith he in my iudgment the Rabbines touching the very exposition deriuation of the hebrevv vvords Christ pronouÌ„ceth of them that they are blinde guides of the blinde Therefore this is not the vvay to interprete rightly nether may vve folovv them except vve vvil preferre darknes before light errors before truth doubtful things before assured daungerous before safe and vvicked and blasphemous before Godly and Catholike By which rule al your new hebrew translations are called in to question yea are pronounced to be darkesome erroneous doubtful daungerous wicked blasphemous For your best and greatest translators whom did they folow in the sense of the hebrew wordes but their common dictionaries And out of whoÌ„ are they drawen looke vpon the title of Munsters Dictionarium Hebraeum vltimò ab autore Sebastiano Munstero recognitum et ex Rabbinis praesertim ex radicibus Dauid Kimhi auctuÌ„ et locuplet a tum This hebrevv dictionarie is novv last renevved by SebastiaÌ„ Munster and encreased and enriched out of the Rabbines especially out of Dauid Kimhi And Munster in his translations which is accompted most exact to the hebrew protesteth that he regarded therein no Christian fathers but only the Iudaical Rabbines Nobis saith he in animo fuit talem parare aeditionem scripturae quae per omnia hebraismo esset coÌ„formis ideo solos hebraeos coÌ„suluimus scriptores And here perhaps I might propose vnto you an Insoluble an argument that you wil neuer aunswere sauing the honour of your maisters doctors Your maister Beza correcteth the new testameÌ„t generally and draweth the greeke citations in the same and al doubtful wordes to the sense of the hebrew and the Rabbines Doctor Humfrey on the coÌ„trary side wil haue the hebrew words of the old testament drawen to signifie as the Apostles cite them according to the 70. in the new testament and condemneth your translators for doing otherwise and namely whereas in the 2. of the Actes your English bibles after Beza translate Shâ—ol Graue he acknowledging that in hebrevv and according to the Rabbines It may so signifie many things besides as pitt the state of the dead and damned death a ditch the east or birth and hell this last saith he must vve folovv by authoritie of the holy Ghost Act 2. interpreting a place of the psalme 15. Where you see one wil haue the hebrew word in the psalme translated Hel because so it is in the greeke Act. 2. the other will haue the greeke Act. 2. traÌ„slated Graue because so may be the signification of the hebrevv ps 15. et sic in caeteris vvhere by the way you may note that your pure and vndefiled bibles are not altogether so iudged by this vvriter a man of such credit and name in your coÌ„gregation yea that he iudgeth them corrupt in so great a matter as a principal article of our faith commeth vnto And yet al this vvhich hetherto I haue spoken is nothing touching the true controuersie vvhich is about the hebrevv originals that is whether vve must take them as novv vve haue them geuen vs vvith the ordinarie pointes and vovvels put to by the Ievves and Rabbines or vvhether vve must take the consonantes only and put to the points or vowels by our owne discretion If the first then al those horrible absurdities must stande which before I haue noted against Christs Diuinitie Humanitie Passion Incarnation If the second then must the Protestants fal to translate a freshe for al their bibles hitherto are litle worth
because they generally though not in euery place haue folowed the cōmon points and vowels according to which they frame vs their common Gloses Commentaries and Dictionaries But this very pointe is a sea of disputation and writing and therefore for a final conclusion to shew that the Protestants appealing to the hebrew vvil shortly fal to very plaine Atheisme I demaund of M. Whit. this question whether he thinke it flat Atheisme and Turkerie to denie that Christ vvas borne of a virgin I trust he wil cōfesse vvith vs that this denial is the denial and abnegation of al Christianitie For though they care not greatly vvhether mē thinke our Lady to haue remained a virgin in Christs birth or after Christs birth yet they seeme to beleeue most assuredly that she vvas a virgin vvhen she conceaued him That being graunted that this denial is plaine apostasie I require of him vvhat scripture he hath to proue that veritie for church Traditiō Fathers such other I know he contemneth and vve are bound to beleue nothing say they but that which is in plaine scripture The only place that may serue the turne is the first of S. Matth. for the allegories of Ezechiel conuince not vvhere it is said Ecce virgo concipiet c. Behold a virgin shal cōceaue bring forth a sonne But this place proueth nothing by M. W. ovvne rule by Bezaes common kinde of scanning such citations and by the Protestants interpretation of this place ether because the translation is framed according to the 70. not the hebrevv and so it is no scripture by M. W. or if it be then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 virgin accordinge to the hebrew must signifie a yonge vvenche adolescētula siue virgo siue maritata by Beza his rules and so saith Munster as vvel virgin as not virgin or because the most precise Iudaical Protestants translate it so to put the matter out of doubt So for example translateth Oecolampadius in the bibles of Basile which Bullinger in the preface so much commēdeth Ecce adolesentula illa praegnans et partens filium Beholde that yonge vvenche great vvith childe and Munster precisely according to the hebrevv as he sayth Ecce virgo illa impraegnata Beholde that virgin gotten vvith childe And hovvsoeuer M. W. may cauil vpon the later the first is mere Iudaical no wayes Christian and the peruersion rather of a monster then of a man as Luther pronounceth against Erasmus for the like cause and yet I acknovvledge according to the heretical maner of examining citations the hebrevv vvord may beare that sense vvhich Oecolāp yeldeth so did those old renegates and enemies of our religion Aquila Ponticus and Theodotion translate that vvord vpon which translation aftervvards the beggerly Ebionites founded their beastly opinion touching the maner of Christs incarnation And here Christian reader I haue to request thee not so to interpreete me in any thing which I haue spoken as though I coueted to disgrace the study of greeke and hebrew as this man would haue thee to conceaue of vs condēned those languages which I cōfesse to be great helpes to the attaining of the true sense in sūdrie places of scripture condemne my selfe for knowing so litle as I do in ether of them both And manifest it is what paine the Catholiks haue taken in setting forth the bible most perfitly and diligently in the Hebrew Chaldee Greeke and Arabike languages what labour they haue taken about the Greeke translation of the Septuaginta How continually and at this present most honorable Prelates and Cardinals other men of great name employ them selues in the same kinde of study to the end they may procure al helpes so far as is possible for the perfite vnderstādinge of the sacred scriptures How in most Catholike Vniuersities mē excellent for skil in these languages florish and are maintained to the great aduauncemēt of the faith Church Catholike with the liste or cataloge of whose names I thinke it needeles to trouble the reade◠because otherwise they are wel knowen to the Christian world But this I say thou shalt finde it true when soeuer thou commest to examine these matters with that aduisednes and maturitie of iudgement as the thing it selfe requireth that who so wil goe about to picke his faith out of the greeke and hebrew testaments without a setled and constant forme of faith before and from which he must not be drawen by any pretense of greeke hebrew his greeke hebrew wil neuer make him a Christian wil neuer establish him in any true faith Aquila Ponticus first a Christian after a Iewe was very perfect in the hebrew and translated the bible so as S. Hierom calleth him to his praise Diligentissimum verborum hebraicorum interpretem A most diligent interpreter of the hebrevv vvords and yet howe good a Christiā he was is noted before The Arrians Trinitarians Anabaptistes and Lutherans of our time want they greeke or hebrew No dout their arrogancie and pride which for their greeke hebrevv they cōceaue is a great cause of their continual alteration from one heresie to an other as vve see in the stories of Melancthon Blandrata Bernardinus Ochinus c. Before vve vvere Grecians or Hebritians or in deede Englishmen or vnderstoode any letter of any lāguage first of al vve were Christiās we were graffed into the Catholike Church the mystical body of Christ and made members of the same and by solemne vowe we bound our selues to honor loue reuerence and cleaue to her as the piller firmament of truth the spouse of Christ our diuine mother the arke of Noe and kingedome of God without which there is no way but death and damnation Let vs hold this fast and then our greeke and hebrevv may doe vs some good Let vs depart from her talke vve so longe as vve list of our greeke and hebrevv as S. Peter sayd of Simon Magus money so that vvil be to vs In perditionem To our euerlastinge destruction it vvil neuer doe vs good And as S. Austin sayth in the meane season vvhile the vnlearned rise get possession of heauē Nos cū doctrinis nostris ecce vbi volutamur in carne et sanguine We vvith our greeke hebrevv vvhat other learning so euer shal alwaies be tumbling in flesh bloud in continual braules and contentions vvhich vvil set vs the right vvay to hell CHAP. XV. Hovv M.VV. inueigheth against the nevv testament lately set forth in this colledge vvith a cleare refutation of such faultes as he findeth in the translation thereof Here now is the place to speake of our late English trāslation set forth in this colledge For though M. W. vpon passion and heate disorderlye before he had spoken of the originals and in respect of them condemned our latin reproued vs for translating according to the latin
that she vvil in short time leaue this zeale in preaching the Catholike religion and thereby that your congregatiō shal gather strength and stabilitie and vvise men vvil fal in good liking thereof then your ignorance is great vvho knovv nether the nature of our Catholike Church religiō nor of your ovvne heretical faith and congregation Not of ours because you may learne or remember that from Christs time hitherto nether by persecuting Emperours nor by vndermining heretikes othervvise qualified thē are the Lutherās or Zuinglians of these days it vvas or could euer be subuerted but rather the more it vvas assaulted the better irresisted the more it vvas gainsaid the more it florished vvhē suttle heretikes vpō temporal fauour vvere most insolent then she most excellently did defende her self Examples you haue of the times of S. Augustine against Pelagius the Manichees S. Hierō against Iovinian and Vigilantius Lanfrancus against Berengarius and al the Primitiue church against Constantius Valēs and Arrius Ignorant you are of your ovvne faith and gospel because you may remember that nether had it euer any stay or stabilitie since it vvas first begotten nether can it haue so longe as it endureth the very pillers vvhich vnder proppe it being such rottē matter as of it self quickly corrupteth falleth in to dust For when in king Henries raigne it first set foote in our realme vpon occasions which I am content to passe ouer though M. Fox to the euerlasting shame both of such a gospel and such gospellers haue recorded them and committed them to eternal memorie hovv variable a state it had your elders know he much complaineth Euē as the kinge vvas ruled saith he gaue care sometime to one sometime to an other so one vvhile religion vvent forvvard at an other season as much backvvard againe sometime cleane altered and chaūged for a season as they could preuaile vvhich vvere about the kinge So long as Q. Anne liued the gospel had indifferent good successe And not only Queenes but very meane gētlemen and doctors of phisicke were then able to craze your gospel and set it backward or forward as pleased them For so much also is recorded in M. Foxes storie in the ende of king Henries life Thus writeth he So long as Quene Anne L. Cromvvel B. Cranmer M. Denny D. Buts vvith such like vvere about the King and could preuayle vvith him vvhat organe of Christes glorie did more good in the church thē he Againe vvhen sinister vvicked counsel had gotten once the foote in thrusting truth veritie out of the princes eares hovv much as religion and al good things vvent forvvard before so much on the contrary side al reuolted backvvard againe And this gospel as M. Fox calleth it which King Henrie left established as he thought most assuredly by Acte of Parlament in his sonne King Edwards daies went cleane vpside doune In Q. Maries daies came a new alteration vnder the Q. Maiestie that now is an other cleane contrarie And at this present finde you not a general murmuring euen amongst the Protestants against the Communion booke and state of religion which in the beginning of hir Maiesties raigne was brought in If the Catholikes said nothing haue you not the Puritans most eagerly detesting your faith and were it not for the Princes sword like to dispossesse you of chayrs and churches And what stabilitie can that gospel haue which altogether dependeth of the good allovvance of the Prince and her councel in Parlament which we know within these fiftie yeres so often to gaine said one an other And if it should please God to turne the Quenes hart to the catholike faith for which we incessantly pray vvere not the face of your religiō streightvvaies altered turned quite vpside downe must nor the inferiour partes of the body turne and frame them selues according to the head would not the same statutes which now are vniustly executed vpon Catholikes without alteration of any one word be much more iustly executed vpon the Ministers Superintendents if so be they called her Maiesty Scismatike or Heretike Wherefore litle reason haue you to imagine that wisemen wil fall in liking of your new deuised fansie which as it altogether dependeth vpon the Fauour of Court and Courtiers so for this very reason must needes euer remaine as chaungeable as the Court and Courtly beneuolence is And your father Luther who best knew the nature of his children and qualitie of your religion geueth such a sentence of it as I doubt not at this present is allowed of al the wisest of our Realme and much confirmed by your maner of writing The arguments and reasonings of the sacramentaries saith he are such vaine vvordes vvithout witte that I can not maruaile sufficiently hovv learned men can be moued vvith such lyes truly they do their matters vvith so fearful a conscience that they seeme to vvish they had neuer taken them in hand Equidē opinor si eis esset potestas de integro cōsulēdi quòd nūquam inciperent Verily I suppose if they vvere to consulte of the matter a fresh they vvould neuer begin their sacramētarie heresie And I verely suppose if the wise gouernours of our Realme who now may see the issue of your gospel what wickednes and iniquitie in lyfe confusion and Atheisme in faith contempt of God and man it hath brought with it if they were now to consult of the matter a fresh I beleeue verily with your father Martin Luther that amongst al heresies of name at this time currant in the Christiā world they would least of al haue admitted yours as being the most grosse most licentious and most vnprobable of al others But come we to the particular faultes historical committed by vs. Things alvvays accompted false or suspected vve set forth as most true articles of the Romane religiō as that the vvise mē vvhich came from the East vvere 3 kinges and had such names That S. Iohn Baptist vvas father of monkes That a stone vvith vvhich Steuen vvas stoned to death is reserued at Ancona c. Before I come to make āswere I wish the reader to carie in remembrance first the greatnes of his accusation against vs That neuer any thing came forth in print More contaminate then these annotations That vve haue shevved herein great desperatenes and importunitie That things alvvays accōpted false or suspected vve affirme as most true articles of the Romane religion c. Then what we promised in these ānotations Touching which in the preface of the new testament thus we write In these annotations vve shevv the studious reader the Apostolike tradition the expositions of the holy fathers the decrees of the Catholike church and most auncient Councels vvhich meanes vvho so euer trusteth not for the sense of holy scriptures but had rather folovv his priuate iudgment or the arrogant spirit of these Sectaries he shal
tradition vvithout scripture the names of Pharaos vvicked sorcerers Iannes and Mambres vvhy thinketh he not this much more likely that the Church vvould keepe in remembrance the names of these such excellent men vvho vvith so great daunger came so farre to adore our Sauiour in his infancie and are called Primitiae gentium in vvhom the Church of the gētiles first begāne But hovvso euer the exacte truth be in this case it is a very smale point of desperatnes for vs to vvrite that their names are said to haue bene such most false it is that we set this forth as a most certaine article of the Romane religion and whatsoeuer ether in general or in special shal be obiected hereafter in the meane season the annotation grounded vpon good reason gathered out of the scriptures the psalmes of Dauid Esai Esther Tobias besides other authoritie sacred and prophane S. Ambrose S. Chrysostome Theophilact Cicero and Plinie in any iudgment I trow is able to coūteruaile the bare worde of so seely a man as M. VV. shevveth him self Touching S. Iohn thus we say Mat. 3. v. 1. Desert Of this vvord desert in greeke Eremus commeth the name Eremitages Eremites that liue a religious austere life in deserts and solitarie places by the example of S. Iohn Baptist vvhom the holy doctors therefore cal the prince and as it vvere the author of such profession S. Chrysost hom 1. in Marcum et hom de Io. Baptista Hierō ad Eustach de eustod virg Isid l. 2. c. 15. de diui off Bernardus de excel Io. Baptistae vvherevvith the protestāts are so offended that they say S. Chrysost spake rashly vntruly And no marueil for vvhereas the Euangelist himselfe in this place maketh him a perfecte paterne of penance and Eremitical life for desert or vvildernes for his rough and rude apparel for abstaining from al delicate meates according to our Sauiours testimonie also of him Mat. 11.8 Luc. 7.33 they are not ashamed to peruert al vvith this straunge commentarie that it vvas a desert ful of townes villages his garment vvas chālet his meate such as the countrie gaue and the people there vsed to make him thereby but a common man lyke to the rest in his maner of lyfe cleane against scriptures fathers and reason Here Christian reader to proue that S. Iohn was a monke thou hast as before reason plainly deduced out of the scriptures thou hast the auncient fathers deducing the same with vs S. Hierom S. Chrysostom S. Isidorus S. Bernard Against these scriptures and aūcient Doctors thou hearest the bare word of this new Doctor who had he euer bene a good scholer would neuer so boldly without face or forehead haue abused thy patience as to oppose his only word against these reasons Doctors and scriptures Touching the stone which is reserued at Ancona and the comming of Elias before the day of iudgment thus we say Of the first Reade a maruelous narratiō in S. Augustine of one stone that hitting the Martyr on the elbovv reboūded backe to a faithful mā that stood neere vvho keeping carying it vvith him vvas by reuelatiō vvarned to leaue it at Ancona in Italie vvherevpō a Church or Memorie of S. Steuen vvas there erected and many miracles done after the said martyrs body vvas found out and not before Aug. tomo 10. Ser. 38. de diuersis in aedit Paris Now of al these miracles Church built in memory of Martyrs Reuelations Stone reserued M. W. digesteth wel the rest only he seemeth to wonder that a stone could be kept so long As though that were so wonderful a case or there were not both in scripture as Aarons rod and the Manna and out of the scripture as al Churches through Christendome are witnes many things preserued as long time far more vnlike to continue then stones which may wel endure fifteene hundred yeres fiue times told if they be kept as wel as that at Ancona And whatsoeuer fault he find in the storie let him scoffe at S. Austin who so seriously rehearseth it not at vs who refer only the reader to S. Austin and speake neuer a worde of our selues And the like I answere for the second of which these are our wordes Christ distinguisheth here plainly betvvene Elias in person vvho is yet to come before the iudgement and betvvene Elias in name to vvit Iohn the Baptist vvho is come already in the spirit and vertue of Elias So that it is not Iohn Baptist only nor principally of vvhō Malachie prophecieth as our Aduersaries say but Elias also him self in person which annotatiō conteineth nothing els touching this point but the very wordes of our Sauiour and the prophete Malachie That Elias shal come which wordes when our Sauiour spake S. Iohn Baptiste who was Elias by some resēblāce figure and office was past and dead This truth els where we approue by the authoritie of S. Aust Tract 4. in Ioan. li. 1. de pec mer. ca. 3. and the rest of the latin Doctors as S. Hierom ad Pammach epist 61. ca. 11. et in psal 20. S. Ambr. in psal 45. S. Hilar. can 20. in Matth. Prosper lib. vlt. de promiss ca. 13. S. Greg. lib. 14. Moral ca. 11. et homil 12. in Ezech. Beda in 9. Marci The Greeke fathers also as S. Chrysost hom 58. in Matt. et hom 4. in 2. Thess et hom 21. in Genes et hom 22. in epist ad Hebr. Theophilact and Oecumen in 17. Matth. S. Daemas lib. 4. de Orthodoxa fide ca. 27. Finally by the vniuersal consent of al Christians where of S. Austin is witnes in these wordes Heliam Thesbitem vltimo tēpore venturum ante iudicium celeberrimū est in sermonibus cordibusque fidelium That Elias the Thesbite shal come before the day of iudgement it is a most notorious thing in the mouthe and hartes of faithful men And now the Prophet foretelling so our Sauiour affirming so the auncient fathers both Greeke Latin teaching so faithful and christian men alwaies beleeuing so this is the questiō which I wil not dispute but leaue it at large and M. W. may do wel to put it to his thesis of Antichrist for they are both iust of like probabilitie and handle it at the next comencemēt vz whether we must rather credite him vpon his bare word telling vs one thing or the vniuersal consent of Christendome the primitiue Church rising vpon the expresse wordes of the prophete and our Sauiour him self teaching vs the contrarie And these touching matters historical be the horrible faultes of our Annotations for which he accuseth vs of Desperatnes and them of such absurditie that neuer any thing more contaminate and corrupt vvas set abrode in the sight of the vvorld Our errors in making arguments are far more at least in number and shew how soeuer they proue in substance and truth I wil folow the
the mysterie and their incredulitie or feeblenesse to vvhom he vvrote yet it is euident in the iudgment of al the learned fathers vvithout exception that euer vvrote either vpon this epistle or vpon the 14 of Genesis or the psalme 109 or by occasion haue treated of the sacrifice of the altar that the eternitie and proper act of Christs priesthod and consequently the immutability of the nevv lavv consisteth in the perpetual offering of Christes body and bloud in the Church VVhich thing is so vvel knovven to the aduersaries of Christs Church Priesthod so graunted that they be forced impudently to cauill vpon certaine Hebrevv particles that Melchisedec did not offer in bread and vvine yea and vvhen that vvill not serue plainely to deny him to haue bene a priest vvhich is to giue checkemate to the Apostle and to ouerthrovv al his discourse Thus vvhiles these vvicked men pretend to defend Christes only priesthod they in deede abolish as much as in them lieth the vvhole order office and state of his eternal lavv priesthod Arnobius saith By the mysterie of bread and vvine he vvas made a Priest for euer And againe The eternal memorie by vvhich he gaue the soode of his body to them that feare him in psal 109.110 Lactantius In the Church he must needes haue his eternal priesthod according to the order of Melchisedec Li. 14. Institut S. Hierom ep 126. to Euagrius Aarons priesthod had an end but Melchisedecks that is Christes the Churches is perpetual both for the time past and to come S. Chrysostom therefore calleth the Churches sacrifice Hostiam inconsumptibilem An host or sacrifice that can not be consumed ho. 17 in 9 Hebr. S. Cyprian Hostiam qua sublata nulla esset futura religio An host vvhich being taken avvay there could bene religion de coena Domini nu 2. Emissenus Perpetuam oblationem perpetuò currentem redemptionem A perpetual oblation and a redemption that runneth or continueth euerlastingly ho. 5 de Pasch And our Sauiour expresseth so much in the very institution of the B. Sacrament of his body and bloud specially vvheÌ„ he calleth the later kind The nevv Testament in his bloud signifying that as the old lavv vvas established in the bloud of beastes so the nevv vvhich is his eternal Testament should be dedicated and perpetual in his ovvne bloud not only as it vvas shed on the Crosse but as geuen in the chalice And therefore into this sacrifice of the altar saith S. Augustine li. de Ciuit. 17. c. 20. S. Leo ser 8 de Passione and the rest vvere the old sacrifices to be translated See S. Cyprian ep 63 ad Cecil nu 2. S. Ambrose de Sacram. li. 5. c. 4. S. Augustine in psal 33 Conc. 2. and li. 17. de Ciuit. c. 17. S. Hierom ep 17. c. 2. ep 126. Epiph. haer 55. Theodoret. in psalm 109. Damascene li. 4. c. 14. Finally if any of the fathers or al the fathers had either vvisedom grace or intelligence of Gods vvord and mysteries this is the truth If nothing vvil serue our aduersares Christ Iesus confound them and defend his eternal Priesthod and state of his nevv Testament established in the same In vvhich vvords of ours if thou marke wel and conferre them with his thou shalt find that in this short paragraph he hath povvred out together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fovvle and stinking heape of lyes errors ignorances and contradictions to him selfe and his brethren For first vvhere say vve that Of al those things vvhich are proposed by the Apostle it folovveth not that Christs priesthod is eternal say vve not the cleane contrarie when vve auouch that Al the fathers gather not of them selues or their ovvne vvittes but of this deepe and diuine discourse of the Apostle the eternitie of his priesthod Is this to vvrite flatly that of al the things proposed by the Apostle it folovveth not that Christs priesthod is eternal when we write flatly that not one or other but al the fathers teach that eternitie grouÌ„ding them selues vpon this discourse of S. Paule and hovv could they ground them selues vpon S. Paules discourse if no such thing vvere to be fouÌ„d there This perhaps he might haue gathered and vve vvould haue graunted that this deduction can hardly or neuer be perceaued of a Luther of a Beza of a Stancarus or such other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 damned in their owne iudgement vvhom for punishment of their Apostasie from Christ his Church God hath geuen vp into a reprobate sense Vt videntes non videant et audientes non intelligant sed credant mendacio That seing they see not and hearing vnderstand not but beleeue lyes because they would not beleeue hold fast the truth when they had it but to a S. Ambrose to a S. Chrysostom S. Primasius S. Beda or any other directed by the spirit of God these things which are proposed by the Apostle ministred sufficient matter to find out the eternitie of Christs priesthod as by their commentaries vpon these very places we learne For albeit expresse mention of the Sacrifice of the Church be not here made for reason geuen in the annotation and by the Apostle him selfe cap. 5. v. 11. yet the truth there of is inuincibly concluded out of this very disputation and that so pregnantly that vvho soeuer denieth the Churches Sacrifice he consequently denieth al the Apostles drift argument he denieth the vvhole state of the old and nevv TestameÌ„t This therefore is the first maine and capital lye and in vvhich he inueigheth not against vs alone but also against al the Fathers without exception Arnobius Lactantius S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Hierom S. Austin and the rest named in the annotation From this lye he draweth out 4 other as that we say The Apostle proueth not that vvhich he meant that we prefer the Fathers before the Apostle that we find fault vvith him and finally repreheÌ„d the holy Ghost Al which is nothing els but lye vpon lye no one of which is or euer was in word or sense vttered or in thought or cogitation coÌ„ceaued of vs. No saith M. VVhitaker make you not the oblation of bread and wine a principal part of Christs eternal priesthod we do so with al the Fathers of Christs Church Yet the Apostle maketh no expresse mention thereof VVe graunt Then he proueth not that which he intended This is a lying and ignorant conclusion lying because the Apostle proueth most abundantly his purpose by sundry other meanes though he vrge not that point ignorant because you knovv not what the Apostle would conclude or wherevnto he applieth his argumeÌ„t which being deliuered most euidently in sundrie places of the 7. 9 10. chapter and repeated againe and againe I wil not hâ—re make a new tâ—eatise thereof Thus much the reader that knoweth a litle diuinitie may coÌ„sider of him selfe that whereas the Apostle
obiecteth and so maketh an end His wordes are The like boldenes they vtter in that most goodly place of S. Paule vvhere thus he vvriteth to the Romanes Stipendia peccati mors donum autem Dei vita aeterna The stipend of sinne death but life eternal is the gift of God Here the Sorbonists of Rhemes haue noted that the sequele of speach required that as he sayd the stipend of sinne is death so on the contrarie part he should haue sayd the stipend of iustice is life eternal And this to be true they plainely affirme vvhereas it is manifest that S. Paule spake in this sorte that he might leaue no place to merites and he vseth such a vvorde as vtterly excludeth al respect of stipend for that vvhich is a free gift can in no case be a stipend and repa◠to merites To answere this as al the rest there needeth nothing els but to compare our wordes with his Thus we say Rom. 6. vers 23. The sequele of speach required that as he said death or damnation is the stipend of sinne so life euerlasting is the stipend of iustice and so it is and in the same sense he spake in the last chapter That as sinne reigneth to death so grace reigneth by iustice to life euerlasting But here he chaūged the sentence somevvhat calling life euerlasting Grace rather then Revvard because the merites by vvhich vve attaine vnto life be al of Gods gift and grace Augustin epis 105. ad Sixtum Because the sense and summe of the annotatiō is takē out of S. Austin I wil set downe his owne wordes although they be somevvhat long because they may help the reader both to vnderstād the truth of this point vvithal discouer M.W. notorious ignorāce Thus vvriteth S. Austin in the place quoted Eternal life vvhich in fine vve shal obteyne for euer is repayed to merites going before yet because those merites vnto vvhich it is repayed are not gotten of vs by our ovvne abilitie but vvrought in vs by grace therefore life eternall is called grace for no other reason but because it is geuen gratis not because it is not geuen to merites but because those merites are geuen to vvhich life is geuen That eternal life is called Grace vve find in S. Paule Rom. 6. The stipend of sinne is death life eternal is the grace of God See hovv vvarely he put these vvordes For vvhen he had sayd The stipend of sinne is death vvho vvould not haue thought he should haue sayd most aptly and conueniently The stipend of iustice is life eternall And true it is For as to the merite of sinne death is rēdered as the stipēd so to the merite of iustice Life eternal is rendered as the stipend Vnde merces appellatur plurimis sanctarū scripturarum locis Quod est autem merces operanti hoc est militanti stipendium Sed Apostolus aduersus elationem c. And so it is termed merces vvages in very many places of scriptures For that vvhich is called Stipendium Stipend to a souldiar that is called merces vvages to a labourer But the Apostle vsed that vvord against the pride of men c. Thus far S. Austin of vvhose vvordes our note is only a short sūme abbridgment and so vvhatsoeuer sport M. VV. maketh to him self of the Sorbonists of Rhemes it nothing toucheth vs but good S. Austin the Sorbonist of Hippo. And yet not to rest there S. Austin quitteth him selfe vvel inough frō that drye iest vvhen he affirmeth the same to be taught Plurimis sanctarum scripturarum locis In very many places of holy scriptures For if they be Sorbonists that say Vita aelerna est stipendium iustitiae or vvhich is the selfe same Vita aeterna est merces bonorum operum then not only S. Austin is a Sorbonist vvhich to say perhaps you streine not greatly for in this place so you cal vs in word S. Austin in deede but long before him the Prophetes were egregious Sorbonists in whom both in sense and word this proposition is cōmonly founde Salomon was a Sorbonist Dauid a Sorbonist Esay a Sorbonist Ieremie a Sorbonist S. Peter a Sorbonist S. Iohn a Sorbonist S. Paule a notable Sorbonist who hath it more oft then the rest that I name not our Sauiour for honors sake who notwithstanding in the gospel many times teacheth his Christians this Sorbonical conclusiō But as for M.W. if he continue in this simplicitie or rather stupiditie that he suppose eternal life not to be the stipēd of iustice or good workes because it is the grace or gift of God I wil geue him a quittance for euer deseruing the name of a Sorbonist For I thinke there is scant any boy frequenting the Sorbone schole that is so dul and ignorant as to doubte but that heauen is the gift and grace of God though he trust to atteine it by his good workes I meane that knoweth not how to reconcile these two propositions together heauen is the stipend of good workes and heauen is the gift of God which in deede to euery lad wel catechised is no harder then it is to beleeue that the father is God the sonne God and the holy Ghost God yet there is but one God Christ is God and yet Christ is man our Lady was a mother and yet a Virgin our bodies are corruptible and yet shal liue for euer and almost any other article of our religion But hereof I haue spoken more at large before to which place I refer the the reader And this is the last intolerable blasphemie vvhich M. W. hath found in the Annotations common to vs vvith Christ him self and euery prophet Apostle Euangelist Father and good man that since Christs time liued in the vnitie of his Church THE CONCLVSION AND thus haue I examined and I trust answered sufficiently whatsoeuer faultes M. W. hath found ether in the Testament of late set forth by vs or the Annotations adioyned or M. Martins booke of the Discouerie vvherein I haue bestowed somwhat longer time then ether so smale a trifle required or my self at the beginning intended partly for the more cleare defense of truth and fuller instruction of the reader partly also because in the diligent perusing of his discourse his manifold errors and ouersightes multiplied far beyond my expectatiō And withal I vvould not haue him or his brethren so far deceaue them selues as to suppose they may set forth against this Colledge freely hand ouer head what they list without controle or gainsaing For howsoeuer we be loth to spend our time in such contentious disputes and gladly vvould imploy it otherwise to our better commoditie yet the zeale of God and honour of his Church regard of truth and loue of our countrimen vvhom vve see so pitifully seduced and due obedience to Superiors vvil and must enforce vs to take some paines that
vvay though in part against our vvilles especially vvhen vve are prouoked by aduersaries so insolent and ful of brauerie in vvordes and the same most feeble impotent vnable to performe any thing in deedes and therefore lying verie open to receaue a blovv of any scholer be he neuer so meane and indifferent And albeit no heretical opinion can lightly be defended vvithout many foule shiftes and inconueniences yet M.VV. hath brought him self vvithin harder straightes thē any other by reason of most straunge paradoxes which he hath taken vpon him to maintayne for vvhat man bearing the name of a Christian vvere he othervvise as excellent as euer vvas Cicero or Demosthenes can possibly without increase of infinite absurdities defend Luther against the Apostle S. Iames Beza against the Euangelist S. Luke Illyricus against S. Cyprian and al fathers of the primitiue Church And which in truth is more false wicked more vnreasonable and vnpossible then the rest M Iewels Challenge made at Paules crosse against al men liuing which long since is knowē for a mere shameles proud lying vaunt to Catholike and Protestant Lutheran and Zuinglian learned and vnlearned lippis tonsoribus and in effect notified for such by publike proclamation of the prince and Realme And therefore if he finde in this treatise some wordes more sharpe rough thē he is vsed to heare let him attribute that not to hatred of his person whom I neuer saw and for whose good and amendmēt in Christ God is my witnes I would refuse no paynes how soone I may fall into his handes our Lord knoweth but to hatred of his heresie and his immoderate heate ostentatiō vttered to colour and saue such things as can neuer stand but with open iniurie of Christ disgrace of his Apostles and ruine of Christian religion Our aduersaries Christian reader are now proceeded beyond their ordinarie beyond that which at first they pretended They pleade not now for scripture against fathers for the liuelie word of the Lord against mans traditions which a few yeres sithence was their common songe they are gone far beyond that note and oppose them selues not against S. Hierom S. Austin S. Gregorie but against the self same scripture the self fame liuelie word which they seemed so to honor against S. Iames S. Paule S. Luke against the Apostles and Euangelistes against the verie Gospel of our Sauiour And what can be their next steppe but to cal Christ him self in question to doubt whether he be the true Messias and redeemer of the world And if any of their brethren do moue that doubt as infinite there be that do yea that denie it vtterly what way in the world remayneth for profe thereof al other authoritie besides the written word as the old Fathers Coūcels Tradition Church being by these men quite abandoned and novv the vvritten vvord it self being reiected as far and vvhat Christian talking of these matters and seing these horrible mischeefes not intended in thought surmises cogitations and secret vvhisperings but practised and put in vre by vvriting defenses publike bookes open disputations manifest violences and most vniust murtherings of those which withstand it who I say though he were as pacient as Iob and as voyd of galle as the doue but would be moued Scriptū est saith the Apostle credidi propter quod locutus sum et nos credimus propter quod et loquimur It is vvritten I haue beleeued and therefore I speake vve also beleeue constantly therefore we speake boldy And as saith S. Hierom Quod simpliciter creditur simpliciter confitendum est And if Spiridion that reuerend and auncient Bishop in a great assemblie of Bishops were wel allowed for that he sharply rebuked in publike audience an other in learning his superior in vocation his equall who in citing a text of the gospell altered of finenes and curiositie one only word and the same of no great moment grabatum into lectulum what rigor and vehemencie of speach deserue not they who in Sacramentes chief pointes of faith in the Sacrifice in Baptisme in Priestes in Bishops in Church in Apostles in Angels in Christ him self haue made most prophane innouations and reduced all to the first ethnical termes But of this hitherto The rest which remaineth is only touching Luther Caluin whom M. W. singularly commendeth wherevnto he addeth certain ordinarie wordes of course concerning him self and his felowes how heroically they haue alwaies gotten the victorie ouer vs our forefathers Of these matters somwhat hath bene spoken before and therefore here I wil not say much Luther and Caluin if they were such notable good men they finde it now the better they were the better it is for them if otherwise M.W. commendation standeth them in smale steede Neuertheles certain it is both can not be so excellent as he would make thē being continually in opinion faith in word and worke in the whole trade of their lyfe and maners so opposite so contrary such deadly enemyes as their bookes testifie the world knoweth And M.W. doth verie vnwysely so oft and so painfully to range abrode in praise of that man who is so far abhorring from him and his secte that if Luther be right they are surely out of the way if Luther be a restorer of the gospel they are enemies and destroyers of the gospel if Luther be in heauen they continuing as they do are certain of hel For so Luther euery where pronounceth of them As for the other I meane that vulgar bragging and boasting it proueth not much It is a common itching humour of most kind of heretikes Omnium haereticorum quasiregularis est ista teme ritas saith S. Austin And S. Peter long before gaue it as a general marke of them that they shal be superba vanitatis loquentes speaking provvde arrogant vaine thinges Howbeit it seemeth in our dayes more proper in some special sort to M. VV. sect then to any other as iudgeth that excellent man of whom we last spake Martin Luther who reporteth of them and that by experience that they wil say any thing boast of any thing confidently affirme any thing bur proue nothing by any sound reason or argument nisi gloriatione inani de certissima veritate saue only by friuolous craking of the most cleare truth And if once they fal in to that veyne then is there no ende In suis libris gloriandi finem et modum nullum faciunt But against al such kind of talkatiue vanitie he geueth a very general and resolute lesson vvhich if I professe to take from him and commend the same to others M. w. can not be offended because he extolleh the man for so peerles a maister And this it is Nemo eorum obtestationibus et iactationibus quicquam cred at saith he Nam eos mentiri et dupliciter mentiri certissimum est Let
Christs diuinitie 303. confessed by Luther 304. cōfessed by Lyra. 306. Item in Ieremie 307. confessed and proued by Lyra. 308.309 in Isai against Christs passion 310.311 confessed by Luther 312.313 item in the psalmes 355. folowed by the Tigurine Translators 358. and Bucer 357. item in Daniel 313. General reasons why the hebrue text can not be so sincere as the heretikes pretend 317.318 c. Many bookes of the Prophetes and histories of the old Testament lost pa. 317.318 Great difference in the hebrue by mistaking one letter for an other pa. 322.323.325 That the hebrue bibles are faultie confessed by Castalio pa. 326.327 by D. Humfrey 327. by Conradus Pellicanus 327. It is a Iewish opinion to thinke them altogether faultles 327. They haue great diuersitie of reading 331.332 somewhat wanteth in them 332.333 Although S. Hierom appealed from the latin to the hebrue yet the like reason is not now pa. 333.334 He confesseth and proueth the hebrue to be faultie 334.335.336 An argument commonly made for the puritie of the hebrue pa. 338.339 answered 339 340. c. S. Iustine proueth the Iewes to haue corrupted their bible pa. 341.342.343.344 Hebrue knowledge much aduaunced by Catholikes pa. 352.440 The hebrue tonge much subiect to cauilling pa. 431.432.433 See Rabbines A man must haue a setled faith before he confer greeke and hebrue textes pa. 441.442 best Hebritians are not best Christians pa. 441. our first Apostles planted perfite christianitie without hebrue pa. 345. Heretikes generally geuen to scorning pa. 511. S. Hierom condemned as ignorant of al diuinitie pa. 371. I S. Iames epistle refused by Luther Lutherans Zuinglians pa. 8.9.10.11.12 et 17.22.23 Caluin mangleth it 288.289 M. Ievvels challenge pa. 133.138 The true image thereof 133. vsque ad 138. It is grounded vpon no reason or learning 138.139.140.141 It cōtaineth in effect only three articles the primacie of the Sea Apostolike the real presence and the sacrifice 133.136.137.138 See of them in their seueral places M. Ievvels passing vanitie in bragging and lying pa. 460. his maner of ansvvering D. Harding pref 75.76 Reuerence done to the name of Iesus pa. 513.514.515 The Ievves corrupt the text of scripture pa. 304. in despite of Christians 314.329 negligent in conseruing their scriptures 328.329 their malice against the Sea of Rome 329.330 Very probable that Christ reprehended them for corrupting the scripture 339. See Hebrue S. Iohn Baptist liued a monastical life pa. 492. K That the vvise men vvhich came to worship Christ were kings pa. 485. vsque ad 489. that they vvere three 489. 490. their names 490.491 L S. Lukes gospel called in question pa. 27.28.29.32 Luthers vvorkes altered and corrupted by the Lutherans pa. 5 6.13 by the Caluinists 7. He denieth S. Iames epistle p. 11. his immoderate bragging 42. his extreme hatred of the Sacramentaries 43.44.45.46 his iudgment of their religion 52.53.483 he refuseth their bibles 45. singularly honoured by the English church 18.191 preferred by M. W. before al doctors 47. most absurdly 48.50 He derideth the Zuinglians fond arguments 258. Luther a shameful corrupter of scripture 377.378 Lucians true histories praef pa. 4.5 M Heretical martyrs damned pa. 117. S. Matthevv vvrote his gospel in hebrue pa. 290. the protestants hold the greeke translatiō more autentical 291. The protestants reason against the Machabees is as forcible against S. Luke S. Paul 506.507.508 Melchisedech did sacrifice pa. 57. graūted by M. W. denied by al other protestants pa. 58.59.60 acknovvleged by the auncient fathers 60. vvhy not expressed by the Apostle 61.537 c. Melanchthon for the real presence pa. 190. Merite of vvorkes See in Heauen and vvorkes N Noueltie of vvords daungerous in Christian religion pa. 266.267 exemplified 268.269 it induceth contempt of faith 270. and leadeth to paganisme 276.277.278 O Only faith See Faith P Penance what it is by the Protestants doctrine 86.90.91 It reiecteth external workes of fasting discipline ibid. which are required by the scripture 87.88.89 90. by S. Cypian and the primitiue church 124.125 the Catholike doctrine touching the value of them 92. the Protestantes contradictory argument against them 91. 93.94 S. Peters being at Roome denyed most absurdly pa. 130.131.132 his primacie 498.510 Pilgrimage to holy places pa. 502. 503.512.513 Primacie of the Romane Sea proued euidently by those fathers whom M. Iewel nameth his maisters to the contrary pa. 143. by Anacletus and Xystus 143.144 by S. Leo 146 147. S. Leo gouerneth in al partes of Christēdom 147.148.149 his authoritie ouer the bishop of Constantinople 148. he summoneth general Councels 152. he is head of them 153. no lawful Councel without his approbation 152. This primacie is grounded vpon Christes words and the Apostles ordinance 143.144.153 S. Gregorie accompteth the Romane Church head of al other pa. 156.158 his authoritie ouer the bishop of Constantinople 156. ouer the bishops of Europe Asia and Africa 156.157 158.162.163 The Protestants common obiection taken out of S. Gregorie answered pa. 159.160.161.162 the name vniuersal in what sort and sense disliked by S. Gregorie pa. 160.161.163 Priestes properly so called were appointed by Christ pa. 64. S. Austin such a priest 64.65.66 So was S. Leo and S. Hierom. 69. The church of Christ was neuer ruled but by such priests 67.68.69 Such were the orderers of our Ecclesiastical state and builders of our churches in England 68. S. Paules discourse of Christs eternall priesthod Hebr. 7. maketh nothing against the priesthod of the church pag. 74. vsque ad 79. The name of Protestants praef pa. 88.90 It agreeth not properly to our English gospellers ibi In their faith there is no stay or certaintie praef pa. 7.24.37 Exemplified by the Supremacie of princes ibid 9.10 by baptisme 11.12 Confirmation 13. Christs descending into hel 14. Christs diuinitie 14.15 Rebellion against princes 15.16 Regimēt of women 18. great difference in their Communion bookes 11.12.13 the diuers chaunges of religion in England since the time of schisme 20.21.22 In the Protestants vvriting and disputing there is no ground pref pa. 8. exemplified by their refusal of scriptures ibid. pa. 26. Apostolical Traditions and general Councels ibi Auncient fathers 27. Apostles Doctors of their owne 28.29.30 Martirs and whole Churches of their owne 30.31.32 They reduce al to priuate fansie 35.36.37.38 They passe the auncient heretikes in denial of al things pa. 38.39 their manifold Popes 33.34 The forefathers of the Protestants church pa. 349. of whom they must looke for the true scripture 348.351 a true confession of a principal protestant 407. their churches voyd of al truth and knowledge 407.408 they perswade Atheisme by scripture 408.409 al their preaching and writing tendeth therevnto 410.411.428 their vaunting of the cleare light of the gospel sensibly refuted 408. The Protestants maner of ansvvering the Catholikes pag. 412. They deny al Doctors 413. They deny sundry partes of scripture 413.414 They pretend the greeke 415. They falsely translate the greeke 416. They refuse the ordinary sense of the greeke
418. They leaue corrupte the greeke 420. vsq ad 427. They interprete at pleasure greeke latin and euerie tong els 429.430 their straunge interpretations of scripture pa. 324.382.429.430.424 of fathers 217. Their maner of arguing 225. of one figuratiue speach they conclude as many as they list ibi et 226. The foly thereof 226.251.252 The agrement betwene the Protestants of our time and old heretikes pa. 430.431 they are most desyrous of noueltie 455.456.457 they mocke at the Prophetes and sundry writers of scripture 458. their preaching a verie mockery of scripture 458.459 they proceede to infidelitie pa. 2.3 559.560 et pref pa. 21.22 they make thēselues supreme iudges of scripture al other authoritie pa. 54 pref p. 19 20. c. they are obstinate in what soeuer absurditie they once take 237. they honour the Iewes more thē S. Paul 325 326. or the Church of Christ 353. like to the Iewes in malice against the Sea of Rome 329.330.331 they vse more reuerence to the images of beastes thē of Christ 514.515 Be they neuer so cōtrarie they are all assured of the truth pref 32. The Protestants allow all Sectes to rebelle for their seueral heresies pref pag. 16.17 R The Rabbines of the Ievves not to be folowed in the sense of the hebrue wordes pa. 434. the Protestants translating after them translate wickedly 434.435 They corrupt the text of scripture by mispoynting it 314.315 Power to Remitte sinnes geuen to the English ministers by act of Parlament pa. 79.80 M. Iewels chalenge touching the real presence artic 5. answered pa. 182. vsque ad 196 the Zuinglians most vsual and popular argument against it 178. answered at large 179. c. the first heretikes of the English church approued it 182. Many things in scripture as vncredible as that 183.184.186 the Zuinglians argument against the sacrament is the roote of Paganisme 184.185.193.199 It ioynerh them to the Anabaptistes Ebionites Nestorians 185.187 It is reiected by the auncient Fathers 188.198.199 Condemned by the Lutherans 189.190 answered at large by Luther 191.192 he supposeth it to proceede rather from Turkes then Christians 194.195 In the sacramēt al humane philosophical reason must yelde to faith p. 188.189.190.192.198.199.201.202 Scriptures and fathers for the real presence S. Luke 235.236 Ieremie 342.343 S. Chrisostom S. Leo. 238. S. Ciril 200. Heretikes for the real presence Melanchthon 190. Westphalus 190.191 Luther 221. Caluin 223. The ground of the Sacramentarie diuinitie p. 191. The Sacramentaries infidels 193. Infidels their forefathers in mocking Christians for their beleefe in the sacrament 222. how they deale with the fathers 193.194 no one father euer was of their religiō 167. See more in Supper The sacrament a figure ioyned with the veritie pa. 223.224 The Romane Church constant in holding fast the doctrine once deliuered pa. 300.301 pure for six hundred yeres after Christ in pref pa. 47. It can not be proued that she euer changed her faith ibid. 47.48.49.55.56 S Christ sacrificed at his last supper pa. 62. the sacrifice of the Church deduced thence 62.63 sacrifice offered by S. Austin for the dead 66. sacrifice for the dead and in the honour of Saints was vsual in the primitiue church 70.71 Christ a priest in respect of the churches sacrifice 530.531.532 In the church we see Christ sacrificed 217 218.219.220 True sacrifice in the church 214.215.229.230 Melchisedechs sacrifice See Melchisedech M. Ievvels chalenge touching the sacrifice artic 17. ansvvered by the chiefe protestants pa. 70.71.72 Saintes heare our praiers pa. 500.501 Sundry bookes partes of scripture denied by the protestants pa. 26. vsque ad 32. et 401.402 they refusing the authoritie of the church beleeue not the scripture 33.34.35.36 they open the vvay for euery man to deny vvhat he listeth 402.403 A part of S. Iohns gospel doubted of 364. S. Peters second epistle 441.415 the epistle to the Hebrues denied ibidem See S. Iames. S. Luke scripture made ridiculous vvhē it commeth to profane handeling 498. somevvhat is the vvord of God besides scripture 36.37 Scripture corrupted by heretikes in fauour of their heresies 176.177 in Genes against the sacrifice pag. 59.60 in S. Peter against freevvil and good vvorkes 416 417. Christs vvordes in S. Luke notably corrupted for the same purpose 420.421.422 Esai translated detestably agaistn Christs incarnation 439. S. Peter corrupted to make God the author of sinne 451.452.453.455 S. Paul against Christs diuinitie 315. Act. 3. against the real presence 174.179.180 against the immortalitie of the soule 273.274 scripture falsly interpreted by heretikes is the vvord of the Deuil 180.50 The protestāts by their exāple make the text of scripture very vncertaine pa. 241.242.243 one yere canonical the next yere not 366. It is not to be altered vpon one doctors reading 244.245 the partialitie of heretikes choosing precisely one or other reading because it best serueth their heresie 246.247.248.249 they apply scripture to proue any thing be it neuer so vnreasonable 255. to proue Atheisme 408.409 Bookes of scripture faithfully kept by the church though the hebrue text be false 346.347 heretikes may not prescribe the church in what tonge to keepe them 347.348 Stancarus iudgement of the principal Protestant writers pa. 96.97 The Septuaginta interpreters condemned by Luther pa. 305. The Zuinglians true opinion of their Supper p. 209. it differeth nothing from common breakfasts 209.210.211.213 it is no more the body of Christ then a paynted scutchion is king of France 210. only bread 210.214.222 the Supper of the Sacramentaries hath no vse of Christs wordes 257. their arguments against the words of Christ in S. Luke foretold answered by Luther 258.259 T Tradition of the Church necessary pa. 36. S. Hierom author of the common Translation of the nevv Testament vsed in the Church p. 294.295 by appointemēt of Pope Damasus 294. it is approued by the Councel of Trent 281.389 It agreeth with the auncient greeke 372.373 commended for synceritie by the Protestant writers 374.375 defended by them preferred before al nevv 383.387.388.389 preferred before the greeke 393. not to be corrected by the reading of some doctor 394.395 M.W. argument against the same 391.392 the answere 392.393 c. English translations of the nevv Testament al approued by M.W. pa. 262. his wickednes therein 263.264 Such translations leade men to Atheisme 271. are condemned by the learned Protestants 271.272.273.274.275.436 for Hel they trāslate Graue most wickedly 272. thereby mouing men to thinke that the soule is mortal 273.274 A briefe sūme of damnable faultes cōmitted by those translators 278.279 English Translations made in schisme al naught 385. English Translations leaue the hebrue 312. differ notably one from an other 321. Protestante Translations of the new Testament all partial in fauour of their peculiar heresies pag. 365. Luthers condemned by Zuinglius 376.377.378 Al Zuinglian translations condemned by Luther 378.379 that of Basile condemned by Beza 379. item Castalios 380. Caluins corrupteth the text 381. Bezaes most variable and
Whitg Trac 2. p. 112 The aunciâ—t fathers pillorie doctors New Euangelistes Apostles doctors of their owne church denyed a D Whitg defens c. Tract 4 c â—â— p. 230. Vide ibid. pa. 217. Vbi supra Tract 2. c. 4. pag. 111. So far as we â—an esteeme Ibi. Tract 3. ca. 7. pa. 201. When as in my opinion A great fal in diuinitie from the authoritie of Saintes to the authoritie of these Maisters Ibid. pa. 291 Ibid. Tract 9 pag. 522. Ibi. Tract 1. pag. 67. Vbi supra Tract 10. c 6. pag 549. It is to obserued that protestants seldome abyde 35 yeres in one opinioÌ„ Martyrs of their owne faith and gospel denyed D. VVhitg Tract 21. c. 1. pag. 710. Martyrs may not take froÌ„ any protestant his libertie to be supreme iudge Whole churches of their owne religion denied Ibi. Tract 9. ca. 1. pa. 481. Al protestaÌ„t churches be they neuer so contrary are assured of the truth Ibid cap. 2. pag. 491. Ib. Tract 20. pag. 704. a Orthod coÌ„fess Eccles Tigur fol. 105.106.107 b Cal. admonitio tertia ad Westpha p. 114. Zuin. tom 2 in Exegesi ad Luth. fo 327 c Histo de la vie de Calu. c. chap. 12. d Calu. vbi supra pag. 5. e Collo Altemburgense fol. 404. Nouum Antichristi dominium Redolent Papatum Ibi. fol. 535. f Apud D.W. Tract 18. pa. 685. g Ibi. Tract 11. pag. 559. Ibi. pag. 560. In stede of one true lawful Pope the protestants haue many tirannical popes The protestants can neuer haue any general Councel The protestants maner of answering reducing al to their owne singular arbiterment An apt comparison declaring that the protestaÌ„ts nether haue nether can haue any stay in their religion The protestants of our age in bold denyal of al things far exceede the heretikes of auncient time a Aug. de vtil cred ca. 17. contra epis Fundament ca. 4 contra Crescon li 4. cap. 61. alibi passim b August de pec orig li. 2. cap. 7.8.9 epist 90.92.95.106.157 vide Possid in vita Aug. lib. 1. ca. 18. c Aug. epist 165.166 Psal contra partem Donati Tom. 7. in principio d Aug. coÌ„tra â—ulian lib. 3 c. 1. con Donatist lib. 4. cap. 7. e Aug. cont epis Funda ca. 4 Trac 32. in loan f See Beza in praef test noui an 1565. dicat princ Condensi and Musculus in praefatio Io corum communium The protestants at defiaÌ„ce with the name Catholike Colloq Altemb in res ad excusat corrup fol. 154. The protestants admit not the very scriptures See after cha 13. 14. Ciprian epist 55. Aug. de vtilit cred cap. 17. How the protestants fel to cal the Pope Antichrist 2. Thess 2. 1. Iohn 2. v. 18. Ibi. 5. v. 2.3 The forme and maner of M. W. answering Pag. 2. Al the fathers vniuersally folowing ther in the tradition of the Apostles say that Antichrist is one certaine man pag. 21. They al erre 〈◊〉 so sayng Patrâ—â— etiaÌ„ simul vniuersi Al the fathers waÌ„ted wit and learning in comparison of the protestants A special marke of Anchrist 2. Thess 2. v. 4. Pag. 25. The second demonstration that the successioÌ„ of Popes can not be Antichrist The aÌ„swere pa. 35.36.37 38.39.40.42.43 Marke this wel A veritie manifest confessed pag. 4â— pag. 32 pag. 33. A falsitie euident which neuer was neuer wil be proued Beggerly stuffe pag. 34. pag. 35. pag. 3â— pag. 37. pag. 38. pag. 40. Reason Rayling pag. 44. Ibid. pa. 44. If other kinds of protestants vse the like libertie no heresie can euer be repressed The third demonstration Ibid. pag. 54. Matth. 16. Luc. 22. See the annotations in the new Test vpon these places Pag. 61.62 Pag. 54. pag. 6â— The impossibilitie of M. W. paradox that the Pope is Antichrist pag. 66. A wonderful chaunge vpon the sudden in al the ChristiaÌ„ world and yet more wonderful that no man should note it That the Romane Church of the later thowsand yeres hath not chaunged the faith which she had the first fiue huÌ„dred Before pag. 47. Chap. 4.7.10.11 Cal. insti li. 4. c. 18. ¶ 18. Omnes reges terrae populos à summo vsque ad nouissimum â—â—â—briauit To affirme with the protestants that the vniuersal church hath failed is to deny Christs incarnation and al scripture Ose 2. v. 19.20 Eph. 5. f. g. IoaÌ„ 17. v. 19. Eph. 2. v. 14. c. Ps 2. v. 6. 1 Tim. 6. v. 15. Hebr. 7. Act. 2. IôaÌ„ 24. v. 16. Mat. ca. 28 v. 20. Marc. 4. v. 32 1. Cor. 11 v. 26. Mat. 5 v 14.15 1. Tim. 3. v. 15 Luc. 24. v. 47 Act 15. 2. Timoth. 3 v. 9. Ephes 4. b c Mat. 10. v. 17 Mat. 16 v 18. Apoc. 20. v. 9. Esa 62 v. 6. Esa 60 v. 2.3 Ibid. v. 20. c. 62. v 4. c. 59. vers 21. Ibi. c 60. a b ca 2. v 2. Psal 2. v. 8. psal 71. v. 8.11.17 Ierem 33 c. d. e. psal 88. v. 34.35 c. Daniel 2. v. 44. Tower disputations the second day The inuisible church a poetical fansie Melanch in locis com c. de Ecclesia aedit 1561. The scripture knoweth no church but the visible Idem in praefat lib. Corpus doctrinae Christianae in Ecclesiis Saxon. Misnicis principis electorâ—s Saxon. impress Lipsiae anno 1561. Vide eundeÌ„ in Repetit Confes August offerendae Sinodoâ— Tridentinae anno 51. ca. de ecclesia Et in resp ad impios articulos Bauaricae Inquisitio quest 3. The protestants inuisible church Calv. institut lib. 4. ca. 1. ¶ 2. No saluatioÌ„ out â—f the visible church Ibid. ¶ 4. OecolaÌ„p in Isa c. 2. v. 2. Idem in Ieremiam ca. 33. v. 29. Kinges and Priestes neuer fayle in the church Illyr glossa in Math. ca. 1. v. 1. Some such stories of the Protestantes church what state it had 600. or 700 yeres agoe were worth the seing BreÌ„t in Luc. c. 17. hom 19 Lauath in Ezechiel ca. 20. v. 39.40 Luth. Tom. 4 in Isa ca. 9. c. 52. 53. 60. Bul. in Apo. Concio 62. 87. Notable forgetfulnes and contradiction See after pa. 177.178 After pa. 349.350 Cal libel de necessit reformandae ecclesiae To say that the church hath fayled is to make Christ a lyer and deceauer ab an 1544. ad 1556. Yere 1559. The storie of Dauid George set forth by them of Basile If Christ had bene the true Messias his church had neuer fayled Castalios discourse that Christ is not the true Messias The light of the church shal neuer be extinguished Quò magis libros sacros considero eo minus hactenus praestitum video vtcumque illa oracula intelligas An argumeÌ„t worthy to be consydered Caluin in Daniel ca. 2. v. 44. Lut. To. 7. li. de Iudaeis c. The Protestants vnder pretence of more puritie driue men to Iudaisme and Turkery Esa 49. per tot ca. 2. v. 3.4 Esa 54. v.
then our auncieÌ„t Note this Few faultes are fouÌ„d by any protestants in our old translation which by other Protestants are not iustsied Bulling decad 5. serm 5. Bez. in praefatio noui testamenti an 1556. Supra Our old translation better then any of the protestants Beza The Councel of TreÌ„t The later translatioÌ„s of heretiks as likewise al other their procedings are worse then the former according to S. Pauls prophecie proficieÌ„tes in peius 2. Timo. c. 3. v. 13. In approuing our old translation we are warranted by the Protestants theÌ„ selues Pa. 17.18 M. W argumeÌ„t against the old traÌ„slation The answere 1. Cor. 15. v. 53.54 Beza in Luc. ca. 20. v. 28. Beza praeferreth our latin translation before al greeke examples Ibi. c. 7. v. 31 Testament of the yere 1577 1579. and 1580. the Scottish great bible of the yere 1579. S. Hieroms translatioÌ„s more auteÌ„tical then the reading of many docâ—ora Beza in praefat nouâ— testamen an 1565. S. Chrys iustifieth our latin reading Chrysost in 1. Cor. ho. 15 S. Ambrose vntruly cited Ambros in 1. Cor. 15. Beda in 1. Cor. ca 15. pag. 18. pag. 20. Benedictus Arâ—as Montanus a Catholike priest Bible-beaters Neuer since Christes tyme were there such manglers defacers corrupters of the bible as are the protestaÌ„tes of our age See example before pag. 288 The protestaÌ„ts lay the way open for any man to deny the scripture at his pleasure Hier. prefat in Iudith M. Charke hath a deeper insight in scripture then al the bishops fathers of the great Nicene Councel Whit. coÌ„tra Camp pa. 17 Light reasoÌ„s to disauthorize receaued parts of scripture Before pag. 364. S. Hier. ad Edibiam quaest 3. Beza in IoaÌ„ ca. 6.18 19 Luc. 22. The protestates bible is no more a bible then a headles maÌ„ is a man Castalio in praefat ad Edouardum sextum Angliae regem A true confession of a principal protestant The protestate church drowned in grosse ignorance A sure proofe thereof The protestaÌ„ts voyde of the spirite of God and al truth Their light of the gospel is the night of the gospel The end of their religion is Atheisme eeuery maÌ„ to beleeue what he listeth Vbi supra Marke this plaine confession approued by so manifest reason against their common vaunting of the cleare light of the gospel Scripture applied to proue Atheisme 1. Mach. 4. Num. 15. Act. 5. Rom. 14. Mat. 7. D. Whitg defen tract 3. c. 6. pa. 178 The protestants maner of preaching the right way to Atheisme See the preface Impossible to do good with any kind of heretike so long as he may haue libertie to flee to diuers translations and interpretations Antinomi a sect of protestants Sleid. li. 12. anno 1538. fol. 199. The true coÌ„clusion of only faith iustifying The protestaÌ„ts maner of aÌ„swering the Catholikes Al fathers Councels contemned Concil Trident sess 6. cap. 9. See before chap. 3. in the praeface S. Iames refused Before c. 1. Caluin Beza in coÌ„mentar ad Hebr. in argumento ca. 2. v. 3. Cent. 1. li. 2. c. 4. col 328. S. Paules epistle to the hebrewes reiected Iew. defeÌ„ce of the Apolog par 4. c. 19.20 ¶ 1. 2. Pet. 1. v. 10 S. Peters second epistle may be denyed The fourth dayes conference see before cha 2. A place of S. Peter refused â—â—cause it waÌ„teth in many greeke priâ—â—es Luth tom 5. in 2 Pet. ca. 1. fol. 487. Testamentâ— of the yeres 1577.1570.1580 the Scottish bible Vergerius dialog 1. de Ofio â—0 27 1. Pet. ca. 1. v. 22. Ibid. v. 17. Luther tom 5. in 1. Petri ca. 1. fo 451. Illyricus Tâ—gurine translation Yere 1561. S. Peter notably corrupted in the later protestants translations against freewil good workes Testament of the yere 1556 1565 yere 1579. yere 1561. yere 1579. S. Peters words cleane inuerted Cone Trid. sess 6. ca. 4. â—hisi 1. v. 28 Sophistical quarelling Beza annot in illum locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testament of the yeres 1577. 1579. 1580. 1561. â—ood works the cause of our saluatioÌ„ Theod. in Philip. ca. 1. Before ca. 5. pa. 98 in sequentib Luc. 7. v. 47. Beza transl anno 1565. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoniaÌ„ because The yeres 1579. 1580. a 1553. b 1547. c 1536. 1540 1543. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christs words clean inuerted Beza in Luc. 7. vers 47. Intolerable pride malice in abusing the scripture to helpe only only fayth The sense of Christs words according to the auncieÌ„t fathers Chrys hom 6. in Mat. Sinnes purged by workes of penance claritie Greg. hom 33. in EuaÌ„g Ambros in Luc. lib. 6. c. 7. de mulicre peccatrice Aug. hom 23. inter 50. An example of singular notorious wrangling Good grouÌ„des to expound and correct scripture vpon Musculus in locis coÌ„munibus ca. de Iustificat num 5. Luc. 7. v. 47. Yet S. Luke tooke it otherwise dilexit Note the wonderful tearing and renting of this short sentence No spirite but the spirite of SataÌ„ could teach the protestants this desperate maner of interpretation Protestant shiftes to auoide scripture when it is plaine against theÌ„ Zuing. to 4. in Luc. 7. Propre expositions dilexit id est credidit works that is faith the sunne that is the moone vertul de praescripti num 5. The agreement betwene the protestants of our time and auncieÌ„t heretikes touching their behauiour about scriptures Not possible to do good with an heretike hauing this liberty to discourse The hebrew tonge open to infinite cauillinge and so vnfie to bind a coÌ„tentious heretike Hebrew words haue great diuersitie of significations Psal 54. v. 21. Marlorate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence coÌ„meth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 59. v. 6. The yere 1577. 1579. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A hard difficulty what masters we must folow touching the true signification of the hebrew words Humf. lib. 2. de rat int pa. 219.320 The protestaÌ„ts folowing the Iewish Rabbines translate wickedly Dictionariâ— Munsteri printed at Basile the yere 1564. Munster in praef bibli tom 1. Humf. vbi sup pa. 225. Before chap. 12. Bez. in praef Test noui ann 1565. principi Cond dicaâ—i Molinae in a. Luc. Christs incarnation of the virgin can not be proued by scripture according to the protestantes maner of expounding it Mat. 1. v. 23. Before pag. 286.287 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Munst in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecolamp in Esa ca. 7. Translation Iudaical Antichristian Luth. tom 2 ad Amsdorf de Eras fol. 485. Iren. lib. 3. cap. 24. vide Euseb li. 5. ca. 8 Epiph. haer 30. Iustin in dialog eum Triphoâ—e The hebrew and greeke knowledge much aduaunced by Catholikes A man must haue a setled faith before he come to coÌ„ferre greeke and hebrew els shal he neuer haue any faith Vide Aug. de Gen. ad lit lib. 1. ca. 21. tract 18. in Ioan. Hier. ep 138 Marcellae
ether for truth of doctrine sinceritie of publike diuine seruice and other policie should geue place to any church in Christendome England is not bound to the example of ether France or Scotland I say truely that vve are not bound to their examples These be al the places and corners of argumentes vvhich â—n their diuinitie by any search vve can find out For although they haue amongst them Popes I meane such ministers as affect and vsurpe Papal and more then Papal authoritie as the Tigurines against Luther and other Zuinglians against the Lutherans commonly inueigh for such arrogant behauiour and the gouernours of Berna being them selues Sacrâ—mentaries vsed to cal Caluin Pope of Geneua for his lordlynâ—s and sway which there he bare and Caluin writeth of Ioachim Westphalus that in sending forth condemnations and excommunications against the churches of his sect he passed al the Popes officers Omnes Papae scribas et datarâ—os superat and the Germane Lutheranes of one fashion accuse their felow Lutherans of an other fashion that they play the Popes and practise ouer them a nevv dominion of Antichrist and that al their doings sauour of a very Papacie and the Puritanes commonly name the Archbishop of Canterbury the perie Pope of England and D. Whitgift sheweth wel that euery Puritane minister laboureth to haue in and ouer his owne parish more then Papal iurisdiction yea that they seeke to transfer the authoritie both of Pope Prince Archbishop and Bishop to them selues bring the prince and nobilitie into a very seruitude so as the Protestant churches want no Popes but haue them after an other sort and in far more abundance then haue the Catholikes yet because these Popes of theirs differ nothing from the doctors of whom before I haue spoken no seueral or distinct kind of argument can be drawen from their primacie And as for general Councels so far are they from euer hauing any that I verely suppose they can not so much as in their fansie and imagination conceaue how any one should be euer gathered For hauing no one head amoÌ„gst them who should take order for any such assembly hauing no consent and vnitie among the members who should labour to the helping forward of such a coÌ„pany being diuided into so many churches sectes and congregations they can neuer resolue ether who should be the President in such a CouÌ„cel or who should be the actors or disputers or of what strength the Canons should be or who should haue the execution of them And when al coÌ„meth to al the libertie of the gospel which maketh euery man iudge of other fathers doctors and auncient Councels wil geue like freedom to euery particular man to take like iudgement and controle ouer the fathers of such a Councel Wherefore these being al the meanes and waies which we haue to reason or write against them and these being their fashions of answering as we find in euery Germane Zuitzer or French Protestant albeit for the readers ease and more facility of iudgement I haue exemplified the same by two or three of our English writers such as I take to be common in most mens hands if now a man list to draw these their answeres into a certaine methode we shal find that they containe for euery vnlearned bold â—angler an vniuersal forme and art of reiecting whatsoeuer Theological argument he may be pressed withal and of reducing the supreme conclusion and resolution to his owne singular fansie and wilfulnes Against many bookes of Scripture he is taught to say that they are superstitious and therefore he vvil not beleeue vvhat they teach though it be affirmed in them a hundred times Against CouÌ„cels that they are not to be admitted because by them the principal groundes of his faith are shaken Nether yet the auncient doctors vnto whom he yeldeth no more in cause of faith and religion then him self perceaueth to be agreable to scripture And touching the late doctors and writers of his owne church and gospel although in courtly and honorable termes he magnifie them far aboue the other yet nether to their iudgment wil he stand farther then he can esteeme that which they teach to agree with the canonical scripture when as in his opinion they geue the true sense and meaning thereof And vvhereas to refuse any it is sufficient to say that he vvas a man or he had some other error or some other is of a contrary iudgement which neuer wanteth amongst doctors guided by so contrary spirites or they geue the churches leaue to dissent from them vvhich I take graunted vnto me being one of the same church vvho can be so simple as to be tyed to one or other doctor hauing so manifold reasons to refuse them al And as for their martyrs whose names should be most reuerend and iudgement most weighty they also are reduced in to the same order and obedience with the rest For their martyrdom may not take avvay from the Protestant this libertie that he hath to enquire of the cause of their death or preiudice him in speaking against their errors for this is to oppose the bloud of men to the bloud of the sonne of God And those martyrs being sent out in the morning before the sunne of the Gospel vvas risen so high ouersaw many thinges which these men see now which liue as it were at noonetide in the most cleare beames light of the same gospel Which comparison expressing most apâ—ly their continual proceeding and running forward to new pointes and articles of faith alâ—o before hand instructeth their after coÌ„mers to keepe on the like course which they see these their predecessors to haue begoÌ„ne For as those Protestants who liued twenty yeres since and bragged then of the cleare light of the gospel are now cast backe by these men in to a darksome kynd of twylight vnto whoÌ„ the sunne was not yet risen so the posteritie who shal liue ten or tweÌ„ty yeres after these are by like example informed to turne ouer this present age vnto that obscuritie of the day dawning and chalenge vnto them selues the brightsomnes of the noone light And the same may euery age and sect say as it marcheth farther farther on in newnes of heresie last of al the authoritie of whole Churches and prouinces is as lightly shaken of as any of the rest for so much as England is not bound to folovv France or Germany more then France or Germany is bound to folovv England ech Sect of Protestants is as vvel assured of his doctrine and hath as good groundes and reasons for it as hath any other to chaleÌ„ge such authoritie to the church of any prouince is to bring in plaine papistry and make that Church Romish and Antichistian Iudge thou now Christian reader what hold or stay we haue in disputing with these felowes whom thou seest to cast away and refuse al