should the Byshop of Rome haue done if wormyng out this ragyng ringworme of madd ambition and keépyng him selfe within his owne limittes and boundes of Scriptures modestly he would endeuour to bring to passe to become faultlesse him selfe and voyde of all iust reproche of deserued infamie Now beyng so pestered with botches blaynes on all partes what maruell is it if he complaine of pinching at the least touch of an vlcer Moreouer neither should our Osorius also demeane him selfe in any respect lesse discretly if laying aside this foule fashiō of flattering he would more simply and plainly deale herein with Authorities and testimonies of Scriptures rather then with disordered affections nor would enter into so contentious a brablyng about the Popes Authoritie before he had by good and warrantable proofes made manifest to the world by what right the Pope were able to mainteyne his challenge touchyng the sayd Authoritie Concernyng the ouerthrow of Mōckeries and Nunneries and their goodes and possessions scattered and spoyled although I can not deny but that they might haue bene in some places cōuerted to better vses yet are there no small nomber of Regiōs and freé Cities where those goodes and Selles are conuerted into Schooles of learning hospitals for Straungers and sicke persons and other good vses farre more seémely and profitable then when they were receptacles and dennes of idlenes slouth I dolatry and superstition I speake not now of the liues of these Caterpillers I touch not their hypocrisie I sturre not out the stenche of that puddle Bycause these are externall and incident to mās nature As for these beyng naturall diseases of the belly and the flesh I leaue to thē selues But I enter now into the due consideration of the very inward and best part of Monckish profession to witte the Rules of the order their ordinaunces their Statutes and the very foundations of their Religion I meane the whole course of Monckery which I do altogether accuse Agaynst this I do with full mouth exclame from the very bottome of my hart professe that this order of Monckery is wicked and detestable finally such and so wicked that if all thinges els within the same were founde yet this their very lurking in dennes after that maner of liuing can haue no maner of partaking with the kyngdome of Christ. Of other Monasteries other may Iudge better then I but of such as were in England I can speake fully of myne owne knowledge the first foundations erections wherof if a man behold it will euidently appeare that they were instituted for none other end and purpose then for the redeémyng of soules out of Purgatory for Remission of sinnes and for obteinyng of life euerlasting And what could haue bene deuised more cruell agaynst Christian Relligion or more repugnaunt to Christes Gospell Therfore as touchyng these Temples Dennes and buildyngs of Relligious houses I do not so much maruell that they are thus razed to the grounde as I maruell more at this that they could so long cōtinue to so great preiudice cōtumely and reproche of the Sonne of GOD. But it is euen the selfe thyng wherof the Lord him selfe did long sithence Prophecie Euery building that my heauēly Father hath not planted sayth he shal be pluckt vppe by the rootes But what holynes of Ceremonies do you tell vs of here Osorius If ye meane those old shadowes of Ceremonies prescribed in old tyme by God surely these vanished quite away immediatly vpon the discouery of the cleare light and bright beames of the Gospell And yet they did not so vanish away as I supose That ceremonies for ceremonies shadowes for shadowes or newes shapes should supply the old for what had this bene els then frō Iewishnes to reuolt backe agayne to Iewishnes But if you meane of Ceremonies deuised by men surely of such you may read the Scriptures greuously complatnyng euery where They do worship me in vayne teachyng the Doctrines traditiōs of mē And in an other place The houre cōmeth and now is whēas the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth And how often do we heare Paule the Apostle callyng vs backe from those hungry elementes of ceremonies and that very feruently If you be dead with Christ sayth he from the elementes of this world why are you then holden backe with ceremonies as though you were liuing in the worlde And to the Galat. How is it that you turne agayne to the weake and beggerly ceremonies whereunto agayne ye desire to be in bondage a fresh Now by what reason can you ascribe holynes to those thinges which are called in Paule Beggerly Elementes and are onely corporall exercizes scarse profitable to any thyng and which do rather make a Iew then a Christian man For what is Christianitie els then a spirituall life and worshipping Euen as God him selfe whom we do worship is a Spirite And the armour wherewith we mainteyne his warfare is spirituall our inheritaunce and countrey is sayd to be heauenly and not earthly For although we be clogged yet with infirmities of the flesh we do not liue as bondslaues to the flesh But are risen agayne together with Christ in Fayth Spirite and Truth seékyng not the uisible thinges of this world but heauenly neither betrayeng the freédome wherein we were called and agayne not abusing the freédome wherein we do dwell to the lust of the flesh But what fréedome of Religiō is this if we be holdē as yet bōdslaues to the Traditions of men Paule crieth out That one of vs should not Iudge an other in meate and drinke or in the part of the holy day or new moone or of Sabbathes And will Osorius tye necessity to the keépyng of these Be I not here taken at the worst I speake not this as though I thought simply that no constitutions of men nor ceremonies are tollerable in the Church without the which there can be no Congregations nor Churches of Christians in this life But this present treaty concerneth those ceremonies not which are brought in by any kynde of necessitie but by way of superstition not which come in for decency or order but are instituted as especiall matter of piety godlynesse In the which many men haue grounded their hope of Saluation the chief foundation of Relligion and hauen of affiaunce wherein they flatter thē selues and condemne others vpon the which the greater part of Catholickes now a dayes do fawne ouer greédely nor do onely dwell vpō them but euē bury thē selues aliue in thē And euē these Ceremonies do so nothing at all agreé with the pure and sincere Relligiō of Christ as that no pestilent botche can be more deadly cōtagious vnto it Of that which many famous godly men haue sundry tymes complayned bitterly and not without cause For wise men and men of experience did perceaue this to be true as it is most true that the effectuall force of the Gospell was
are sequestred froÌ„ all felicitie euen so farre seéme we to be cut of from all freédome without the Grace of the Redeémer For shyppe wracke beyng once made of vniuersall blessednesse I can seé none other remedy but that freédome must be drowned withall Therefore the selfe same thyng whiche doth open Paradise beyng shut fast agaynst vs must of necessitie restore freédome agayne which can not by any meanes be brought to passe through force of nature or through any power of our owne It consisteth onely in the Grace of the Redeémer As our Redeémer him selfe witnesseth in S. Iohns Gospell If the Sonne shall make you free then shall you be free in deede Notyng vnto vs this one thyng chiefly by those wordes the state of our bondage to be such as except it be renewed with Grace of the Redeémer that in all this nature of ours is nothyng freé Moreouer as concernyng the vsuall maner of speach that men are called good holy and wise I know that men haue bene accustomed to bee tearmed so But what is this to the purpose The question here is not by what name meÌ„ are called but of what value euery thyng is in the sight of God And yet do I not doubt at all but that many men may bee in their kinde good holy and wise euen so to be esteémed well enough But howsoeuer this holynesse godlynesse and wisedome of meÌ„ seémeth in mans Iudgement yet is nothyng whatsoeuer it be if it proceéde not from the grace of God For what hast thou that thou hast not receaued After the same sorte do I aunswere touchyng freédome whiche beyng once lost through Freewill must of necessitie sticke fast cloyed in the puddle of thraldome vnlesse it be renewed agayne by Gods grace WhereupoÌ„ August very aptly Freedome sayth he without grace is no freedome but coâ—tumacle And as in this place August denyeth that to be liberty which is seuered froÌ„ grace so in an other place he will not graunt that to bee named will except it be conuersaunt in good things Will sayth he is not will but in good thyngs for in euill wicked thinges it is properly called Luste not will Wherfore if there be neither freédome where Gods grace is not present nor will where wickednesse is practized by what meanes then will Osorius mainteyne that Freewill is in euill thinges whenas in that respect there is neither freédome nor will There is also in the same August in the same his Epistle to Hillary that may well be gathered and framed into an Argument on this wise The lyfe of libertie is the perfect soundenesse of will But in doyng euill mans will is not sounde Ergo In doyng euill mans will is not freé For euen so are we taught vp Augustines wordes The lyfe of libertie sayth he is the soundenesse of will and by so much euery man is more free by how much his will is most sound Albeit I will not striue much about the contention of tearmes If any maÌ„ be minded to name the choyse of will applyable towardes good or euill to be voluntary rather then freé he shall not erre much in my Iudgement Neither will I be offended if a man do say as Augustine doth that maÌ„s will is freé towardes euill thinges so that he hold the meanyng of Augustine as well as the wordes For I am of this mynde that when Augustine doth name mans Freewill couple it to grace he calleth it freé in this respect bycause beyng freé froÌ„ all forcible constrainte it beÌ„deth it selfe through voluntary motioÌ„ that way whereunto it is directed be it to goodnes through Grace or to euill through naturall lust And in this sense accordyng to August meanyng the ConfessioÌ„ of Auspurgh doth expouÌ„de maÌ„s will to be freé that is to say yeldyng of his owne accord The selfe same do Bucer and Melancthou also this also doth Caluine not deny who doth neither striue much about this tearme of freédome doth learnedly also professe that the originall cause of euill is not to be sought elles where then in euery mans owne will But as concernyng Luther for that he doth vpon some occasion sometyme expresse his minde in writing somewhat roughly wherein afterwards he discouereth his meanyng in a more mylde phrase of speach it was not seémely in my conceite to racke out those thynges onely whiche might breéde offence cloakyng meane whiles those thynges fraudulently which do wipe away all mislikyng He doth set downe in his Assertion thus That it is not in mans freé power to thinke a good or euill thought Agayne in the same Assertion the same Luther doth not deny that all mans imaginations of their owne inclination are carried to all kynde of naughtynesse that Freewill can do nothyng of it selfe but Sinne. On this wise with lyke heate of disputation rather then of any errour he calleth Freewill sometyme a fayned or deuised tearme not to bee founde in deéde any where makyng all thynges to be gouerned by vnauoydeable necessitie Which vehemencie of speach many men do cast in his teéth reprochfully now and then And yet in other places agayne expâ—undyng him selfe he doth grauÌ„t without all Hyperbolicall speéche that in inferiour causes Freewill can do somewhat and withall doth franckely affirme that it can do all thynges beyng assisted with Grace And why is hee not holden excused as well for this as snatcht at for the other why doe the aduersaries shut fast their eyes and blindfold them selues willyngly at matter well spokeÌ„ and neuer looke abroad but when they liste to carpe and cauill Was there euer any so circuÌ„spect a writer whose latter diligence more attentiue heédefulnes might not alwayes amend some ouersight escaped at the first either in Exposition or Iudgement of thynges The more that Solon the Sage grewe in yeares the more he increased in knowledge and may it not bee lawfull for vs to encrease vnderstaÌ„dyng with our age likewise Surely August could not excuse the errours of his youth neither shamed he to confesse in his age the ouersight that escaped his penne in youth vnaduisedly not onely to reforme them by ouerlickyng them as the Beare licketh her whelpes but also to reuoke them openly with an open graue and grayheaded retractation and to pray Pardon of his errours franckly nor doth in vayne permitte those bookes to be preiudiciall vnto him whiche hee wrate beyng a young man saying very modestly of him selfe that hee began then to write like a learner but not aâ— grounded in Iudgement Neither was such perfection to be required in Luther who albeit vttered somewhat at the first in wordes otherwise then common custome of Schooles were acquainted with it had bene the partes of graue Deuines not to prye narrowly into the vnaccustomed phrase of wordes so much as to sift out the substaunce of the doctrine how agreably it accorded with the Scriptures in truth and sinceritie And if
man hath Freewill that may not bee founde either to bee geuen of Gods liberalitie or required to set forth the assistaunce of his grace This much Augustine Briefly to knitte vp the matter in a word or two if you will know to what end commaundementes couenaunts and exhortations are deliuered by God Learne this out of S. Paule if Augustine caÌ„not satisfie you That is to say Bycause after the knowledge of good euill is once receaued we are therfore vnder the law of Necessitie bycause also we are vnder the law whether we be able or not able to performe the law speaketh vnto vs of Necessitie that if we be able to performe them we should lyâ—e by them and that if we despise them euery mouth should be stopped and all the world be culpable before God And withall that such as are not yet regenerate in Christ vnderstandyng how much is coÌ„maunded beyond their habilitie power may fleé to prayer and seéke for the Mediatour and call vpon him for assistaunce of Grace on the other side such as the holy Ghost hath endued with more bountyfull giftes of his gracious liberalitie may with more earnest bent affection yeld them selues thankefull to God who hath geuen them strength to be able to walke in his wayes Whereby it is come to passe that neither the Necessitie of the commaundement is made frustrate by our imbecillitie nor mans endeuour any thyng weakened by the Necessitie of infallible certeintie nor yet freédome or will disabled by Gods prouidence all which you do most falsely reporte to ensue vpon the doctrine of Luther I come now at the last to that great and most haynous matter the very chief and well-spryng of all the other absurdities To witte Wherein Luther maketh God to be the Authour of all mischief and chargeth him with vnrighteous dealyng in this ArgumeÌ„t for sooth For where as Luther doth attribute the successes of all things be they good be they euill to God as to the chief and principall originall and doth conclude all thynges vnder the absolute Necessitie of prouidence hereupon the aduersary doth gather threé moustruous inconueniences The first that by this meanes men haue not freédome vpon their owne willes The second that men are not Authours of their owne sinne The thyrd that God doth execute his Iudgementes vpon men vniustly for the Sinnes whereof they be not the Authours but God Whereupon Simme Suttle argueth from destruction of the consequent on this wise Osorius Argument God doth not take away freedome from mans will nor is Authour of euill but euery man is Authour of his owne euill Neither is God iniurious to any man in executyng his punishment vpon him for his offence Ergo Luthers doctrine is wicked and haynous whiche teacheth absolute Necessitie of doyng good or euill by the foreknowlede of God and whereby he imagineth God to be the Authour of wickednesse There are extant in the Scriptures many famous and notable testimonies touchyng the truth of Gods Praedestination and foreknowledge of thynges to come which neither Osorius nor all Portingall are able to gaynsay Whereupon Necessitie of al the actions which we do must neédes ensue in respect of the Hypothesis as SchoolemeÌ„ tearme it But as touchyng his glorious assumption of the haynous inconueniences concurraunt withall that is most false For first neither doth the freédome of mans will perish so but that men may alwayes willyngly voluntaryly chuse that whiche they will Neither is any man charged with such Necessitie as the force of coÌ„straint may compell him to doe that whiche he would not And it may come to passe as is mentioned before that the thinges which be Necessary vpoÌ„ the Hypothesis beyng done without the same Hypothesis may seéme to be chauÌ„ceable and not Necessary And by what meanes then is will bereft of freédome vnlesse paraduenture bycause God seyng mans wil inclinable to all wickednesse doth not restrayne it when he may for this cause he may be sayd to take away freédome from will But this withstandeth our disputation of Necessitie nothyng at all For although this freédome be holpen to good yet remayneth the same neuerthelesse freé to wickednesse in the sense spoken of before But he might haue holpen you say In deéde nothyng was more easie For what caÌ„ not his omnipoteÌ„cie bryng to passe wtout any difficultie but what then I pray you Ergo God is vnrighteous bycause wheÌ„ he could geue grace he would not Truth in deéde if god did owe this grace to any maÌ„ of duety but by what law will you auerre that God was bouÌ„de to geue this grace of duetie First God did at the first creatioÌ„ endue the whole nature of mankynd with Freewill So also if he did suffer mankynd aftewardes to be directed by the same Freewill I pray you what vnrighteousnesse was there in him hitherto as yet But ye will say that this Freewill is spoiled and vneffectuall to worke spirituall good thynges through whose default I pray you through Gods default or mans default If it were maÌ„s default for what cause then is God accused as either vniust for not geuyng assitauÌ„ce or cruell for punishyng the Sinne which euery of vs doe committe of no coaction but of our owne voluntary will But besides this he chargeth GOD to be the originall cause of all mischief If that be true then must this needes follow whiche were execrable to be spoken that wicked meÌ„ are vnrighteously damned as whom him selfe had created to the end they should be damned and so doth punish them for the offences whereof him selfe was Authour and procurer at the first For this is Osorius obiection For remedy whereof I perceaue that I had neéde to goe circumspectly to worke least God be disabled in any thyng that is due to his omnipotencie or that more be ascribed to his power then is agreable with his Iustice. Moreouer as there want not testimonies in the Scriptures which in vtter apparaunce may seéme very well inclinable to either part so I thinke it not amysse to vse herein some ayde for the better discouerie thereof Besides this must be had no small consideration of the simple and vnlettered multitude who once hearyng God to bee named the Authour of wickednesse and not vnderstandyng the matter aright will forthwith interprete thereof as though it might bee lawfull for them forthwith to rush into all disorder whatsoeuer that they are vniustly punished if they doe the euill which God doth both will and cause to be done Whiche kynde of people I wishe to be aduertized when they heare the direction and orderyng of all thynges good or euill to be ascribed vnto God that they Imagine not these wordes to be so spoken as though God were willyng to haue iniquitie committed That is to say as though GOD were either delighted with wickednesse or as though wicked men when they do wickedly did therein accomplishe Gods will simply
you call them is this therefore by and by a good consequent that whatsoeuer blemish or reproche be in mens conuersations shal be forthwith imputed to the reproofe and reproche of doctrine Did holy Diuinitie teache you to argue on this wise or doth your Mistres Dame Slaunder rather teache you so to doe And thus much hitherto of your Epistle not much vnlyke hereunto are all the rest that follow in all your Inuectiues against Haddon which if any man will take the paynes to examine exactlye by the common rules and principles of Logick as he shall finde in them many wordes nothing to the purpose so shall he want two things chiefly and especially required in a deuine namely Trueth and Charitye Which two vertues the farther they be estraunged from your writinges so much the more causelesse was your choler agaynst Haddon for his good counsayle that he gaue you and his iudgement whereby he accompted you more lyke a Cobler then a foreman of the shopp vnapt and vnskilfull yet to cutt such large thonges out of other mens leather And yet meaning nothing lesse herewith then to dryue you frō touching the testament of Christ whether because he conceaued that the labor which he employed vpon this kinde of exercise was either very small or altogether fruitlesse but hauing regard rather to make manifest what the right consideration of that doctrine is and how much you were short yet of a true and perfect knowledge in the true doctrine of Diuinitye For if this be a true definition of Dyuinitye that it be a profession of Gods heauenly wisedome and trueth what one thing is more contrary and repugnaunt to Gods trueth then your opiniōs wherin you doe enterlace vntruethes for verityes newfanglenesse for auncientye mens traditions for true Dyuinitye None otherwise then as false Pedlers are wont to choppe and chaunge false deceitfull wares for good or as some our horse-coursers in England vse to bring into open fayres and markets outrydden Iades pampered vp in fleshe fayre braue and smoathe to the eye garnished with fine Saddle and trappers being otherwise full of windegalles stuft with glaunders yelowes and hundred horse euills vnprofitable and vnapt to hackney and to draw or to carry Sauing that this one difference is betwixt you and them whereas they by crafty dissimulation and artificiall Conueyaunce doe beguyle the simple and such as be without skill but you as you seéme vtter your wares not as of any sett purpose or skilfull craft but because you haue no better wares in stoare and withall seéme not willing to buye any better But I will presse you no further onely this one thing will I say If your industry had bene employed in the study of holy Scriptures as much as you would haue it seéme to be truely I must neédes accompt you a very vnciuill and vngentle person who couering your knowledge as it were vnder a Bushell will vouchsafe to expresse out of that sacred treasury of holy Scriptures so litle and out of auncient Doctors scarse one sentence through out all this your whole discourse But hereof enough It followeth now that I touch somewhat of the manaces and threatninges of Haddon with the force whereof he would make you dismayd as you say in these wordes wherewith you bring him selfe in place speakyng and threatning you in this wise If you be determined to make a shew of your skill to some of your owne faction by rushing so rudely vpon vs any more from henceforth I tell you before hand come heareafter better furnished then you be now Further where you declare that it will come to passe that if you happen to dye there will not want some that will breake of my force These be the wordes of Haddon as Osorius doth cyte them wherein I doe perceaue that he doth not conceaue so much as by any probable coniecture what the meaning of Haddon is For what doe these wordes emport els then to sturre you vpp and sett you on edge as it were by this frendly admonition to make you more earnestly bent to the reading of holy Scriptures that if you did determine with your selfe to offer any freshe skarmish in this kinde of conflict you might feéde your owne humour herein as you lifted but yet you should foreseé to be better prouided with more skilfull and more warrantable reasons yea much more defensible and armed as it were with armour of proofe for that you be perhappes to greéne a souldiour as yet not able to endure the force of this Combat with so slender prouision Well now what kynde of threatninges be these good Syr that may geaue you any cause of terror After this Haddon proceadeth because he would not haue you deceaue your selfe with this vayne perswasion as though there were not in England besides Haddon onely any other which in this defence of the Euangelicall veritye both would and could skilfully enough encounter with you by the helpe of Christ herein lykewise hys meaning was to geue you to vnderstand That you should finde here in England not one or two onely but very many not onely in our Churches and vniuersityes also but euen emongest the Courtyers which did farre excell him in learning and knowledge and were in all respectes comparable with you These be Haddons wordes wherein I seé a certein comparison made but no threatninges at all as yet Wherefore comfort your selfe Osorius there be no bugges here to make you affrayd And surely I can not choose but commend you for your naturall countrey courage which lyke a lusty Portingall Prelate will not be dasht out of countenaunce for any bygge lookes of any of all those men whom Haddon doth compare you withall And in deéde there is no reason why you should For why should Osorius be agast of seély English dwarfes or babish wretched Haddons And yet though you be without all feare of men it will not be the least commendation of your wisedome to feare the Lord your God Osorius and to stand in awe of hys threatnings For being so studious a Reader of holy Scripture you can not be ignoraunt of the plagues which the Lord doth threaten to the Enemies of his Gospell for how sharpely and greuously he will be auenged of such the dayly and continuall examples of his wrath may be good lessous and warnynges vnto you Lett the recordes of Historyes be perused if your memory comprehend it not what happened to the Emperour Sigismund and his whole forlorne houshold not long after the death and Martyrdome of Iohn Husse what chaunced also to Iulian the Cardinall and to themperour Albert sonne in law to Sigismund after the Tyranny executed agaynst the Bohemians what fortuned to Henry the 2. the French King what also to Francisce the 2. his Sonne lykewise also what happened to Charles the 9 his other Sonne after the great murther and slaughter in Fraunce Were not Syr Thomas Moore and Roffensis after they had burned Iohn
in the remembraunce of Christes death and perseuered in the same Custome The Fathers name it Bread and a Sacrament a mysterie and a figure of Christes body And yet Pope Innocentius commyng lately out of hell with a detestable superstition horrible Sacriledge doth Transubstantiate this mysticall Bread into our Sauiour Iesus Christ. There followed him certeine phantasticall Schoolemen which did most wickedly defile the pure Supper of our Lord with durtie schoole dregges And now at the length starteth by our Osorius a braue champion of this Schoole tromperies Ierome Osorius I say that great Maister in Israell a deépe and incomparable Deuine whō no man exceédeth in witte nor surmounteth in learnyng if a man may beleue him as hee reporteth him selfe Wherfore I would now aske one question good maister Proctour of you of this Transubstātiation whether our Lord Iesus Christ when hee did first institute the Sacrament of the Euchariste did make any mention in his speach of any remouing of the substaunce of Bread of the accidentes that should remayne or whether the substaunce of his body should supply the substaunce of Bread Did Paule touche any of these did the primitiue and Apostolique Churche receiue any such thyng haue the auncient Fathers made mention of any such matter in their bookes Sithence therefore this your wonderfull conuersion of the Substaunce of Bread into the body of Christ whiche your Schoolemen by a more grosse name call Trasubstantiatiō hath bene shapen forged out of these Monasteries whereof not so much as one title can be founde in the holy Scriptures in the Custome of the Apostles in the bookes of auncient Fathers it is a wonderfull straunge matter that a bishop so exquisite in diuinity as you are or would seeme to be would yet vndertake so desperate a cause and obtrude vpon vs such cold schoole dreames in steéde of most apparaūt knowen thynges Ye seé now how pitthily my Peter Martyr hath aunswered you in all thyngs whose soule you would not haue teazed to quarell if you had had any witte For he was worthely esteémed an excellent Deuine amongest the chiefest Deuines of our age whose Scholer you might haue bene in all knowledge and litterature except your eloquence onely in the Latine tounge But you do leaue our Peter now at that length whō if you had neuer prouoked you had done better so neéded you not to doe me so great iniurie as to challēge me for my familiar acquaintaunce with him For if you thinke that ye may with your honesty keépe company and vse frendly familiaritie with that doltish Calfe Angrence hauyng no vtteraunce no witte no sence no vnderstādyng why should not I rather acquainte my selfe with a man not onely excellēt in learnyng but replenished with all comlynesse ciuilitie of maners Make choise of your familiars Osorius as you please Suffer me to enioy myne owne neither is it reason that you should limitte me or I you in this kynde of affaires humanitie cōmon course of mās life requireth that choise be made of frendship as liketh eche mans owne iudgement best not to be ruled by others phantasies Be not you squeymish therfore at the cōmēdations of godly learned men my especiall frendes Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr I loued thē when they lyued I will not forget them beyng dead I frequēted their familiaritie whiles they lyued as much as I might their names remēbraūce of thē though they be dead I will defende as much as I may and if they were now alyue I would esteéme more of a whole yeares conference with them then of one day with you for their conuersation had a certeine discreéte pleasauntnes their conference had a wholesome wisedome the whole course of their demeanour was a most absolute paterne of honestie and godlynesse And I am throughly persuaded that nothing could haue aduaunced my estimation such as it is more then myne acquaintaunce and familiaritie with these two godly Fathers You come at the length to our Church the orders whereof you do captiously snatch at but this ye do so disorderly stāme ringly that all men may iudge that ye did roaue at it in your dreame rather then dispute beyng awake I affirmed that fayth came by hearyng What say you is it no so I sayd also that our Preachers are sent abroad into all the coastes of our Realme to teach the cōmon people their duties in all thynges what will you deny this to be done You can not the matter is manifest But you exclaime and say that our Preachers are Lutherans Bucerans and Caluinistes First of all how know you this to be true then if it be so let the names goe confute their doctrine if you can But this lesson you learned of your Cowled Coockowes to braule alwayes with bare names whē you cā not ouerthrow a sillable of their doctrine Your Maister shyp will not allow that our Parliamēt and publicke assemblie of the Realme should entermedle with matters of Religion for herein ye suppose that the dignitie of Priestes is empayred First what thyng can be publiquely receaued vnlesse it be proclaymed by publique authoritie Then our Prelates and Ecclesiasticall Fathers do propoūde the rules of Religion after that the Prince with the consent of the whole estates do ratifie the same What may be done more orderly or more circumspectly This custome was obserued in the tyme of the kynges of Israell This vsage preuayled in all Counseils vntill that Romishe Ierarche had burst in sunder these lawes with his false ambitious picklockes and had commaūded all thyngs to be subiect to his absolute power I wrate also that there was great reuerence geuen to the holy Scriptures in our Churches and that vnitie and the bonde of peace was wonderfully preserued You demaunde on the other side From whence so troublesome contentions in opinions are raysed in our Churches Shew what contentions there be and we will satisfie your request But if you will not or cā not hold your toūg most wicked rayler require not to be beleued for your onely affirmatiues sake Deale in this maner with your charge of Siluain for ye shall obteine nothyng here but by meare force of Argument I did affirme likewise that our deuine seruice is ministred with vs in the mother and vulgare toūg accordyng to Paules doctrine the approued custome of the Apostolicke Churche what say you to this forsooth you can not like of it bycause it is repugnant to the ordinaūce of Rome and yet you can not well deny so manifest a truth for S. Paule did establish this doctrine of the holy Ghost with so many and so strōg Argumētes as though hee did euen then foreseé in mynde that some such erronious botches would infect our Religion that by such meanes they might blot out vtterly extinguish out of our Churches this most fruitefull worshyppyng of God beyng the very foundation of all Christian godlynes And therfore this godly mā
any good workes How know you this to bee true For I am assured that in Porting all and in Spayne good prouiso is made that no maÌ„ be so hardy to touch any of Luthers bookes if you referre your Assertion to England or Germany I doe not a litle marueile how this monstruous Spynx can cast his eyes ouer so many Seas so many high mountaines and so great distauuce of Countreys and so curiously behold the lyues of men and prye so precisely into their maners vnlesse some Phebus haue cloured vpon this Mydas head not the eares of Osorius but the eares of some lolleared Asse in the truncke wherof he may catche euery blast whatsoeuer any where blowen abroad or deuised in secrete through the reportes of whisperyng Talebearers like a credulous soole beleue the same forthwith But howsoeuer those Lutheranes in EnglaÌ„d and in Germany do exercise them selues in no good workes it goeth very well in the meane tyme with Porting all and Spayne that men lyue there holy and Angellike For I do beleue surely that men in those Countreys do so glytter in sinceritie of life and brightenes of vertues that their very shadowes do shyne in the darke and glyster more lyke Aungels then men that they are such men as plante their feéte no where but that they leaue behynd theÌ„ a certeine wonderfull fragrant sauour of modestie curtesie singular chastitie so make the very heauens in loue with their puritie sweétenes of their vertues But goe to Osorius tell vs at the length a good fellowshyp what the cause should be that such as doe geue eare to Luther will not apply them selues to doe good workes Truely I suppose that bycause he teacheth that meÌ„ are Iustified in the sight of God by fayth onely and not by workes therfore it must be an infallible consequent That whosoeuer attende to Luthers doctrine will forthwith abandone all thought to lyue vertuously and yeld him selfe carelesly ouer to all idlenesse and filthynesse As though with honest and well disposed persons fatherly clemencie shall cause the children to be sluggish to do their duties or as though the voyce of mercy doth at once vtterly abolish all Morall vertues To what ende therefore doth Christ so much not commende vnto vs that fatherly affection in the mercyfull father mentioned in the Gospell towardes his prodigall sonne but also painte him out vnto vs for an example if that doctrine of the freé mercyfulnesse of God be not true or if it be true that it ought not therefore be published bycause many vnchast and corrupt persons will abuse the same Nay rather why ought net the truth of God of greater reason be generally and openly preached for the necessary comfort of the godly Neither behoueth vs to be inquisitiue how much this doctrine doth worke in certeine particular men but rather to know how true this doctrine is of it selfe And accordyng as we doe finde the same to be true and constant so to preach the same accordyng to the capacitie of the hearers But Osorius doth vrge vs agayne with threé Argumentes chiefly as it were with a threé square battell lyke a threé headed Cerberus doth rushe vpon Luther with threé sondry assautes attemptyng to proue by his Logicke that this Luther of whom we speake doth exâ—irpe and roote out all vertue honestie and godly endeuour First by his disablyng of workes secondly through desperation of honestie thirdly by Confidence of false righteousnesse In threé wordes as it were threé lyes And first of all touchyng Desperation and CoÌ„fidence I thinke we haue spoken enough before where we haue so proued both to be falsely imputed to Luther as that we doe yet acknowledge them both in Luther For Luther doth describe CoÌ„fidence but the same which is the true Confidence he teacheth also Desperation I confesse it but the same very comfortable And therein teacheth nothyng els but the same that the EuaÌ„gelistes and Apostles haue alwayes taught For what can be more true and assureâ— Confidence or more comfortable Desperation or more â—onson unt with the Gospell of Iesu Christ and his Apostles then that we beyng in full dispaire of the righteousnesse of our owne workes doe shroude our selues wholy vnder the mercy of Christ and in his freé bounty and elemency That is to say not in workes whiche the grace of Christ hath wrought in vs but for vs As touchyng the brablyng that he maketh about the despising of good workes by what Logicke will hee proue his cauillatioÌ„ And now pause here a whiles good Reader note the passing pearcyng witte nurtured not in the Schoole of Stoicke Philosophy but nooseled by rather I suppose in some swynesty Luther doth strippe our merites and workes naked froÌ„ all Confidence Ergo Luther rendeth in peeces the very sinewes of all godlines setteth at nought and vtterly abolisheth all the efficacie and dignitie of good workes And though Osorius haue not placed his wordes after this order yet the bent of his conclusion tendeth to the same effect For what did Luther els in all his writynges and Sermons but cut of all hope of workes and so by that meanes allure vs to take ankerhold in the onely ayde helpe of the Mediatour if this be the waye to choake vp vertue and to bury her vnder grouÌ„de I confesse that Luther was an abolisher of vertue and S. Paule also as well as he But Osor. doth many tymes deny this Assertion of the Lutherans to be true that our righteousnes hope of our saluation so depeÌ„deth vpoÌ„ Christ as that the same should be Imputed to vs of God accouÌ„ted our own by ImputatioÌ„ through fayth onely For he supposeth this way to be ouer easie and that it will hereof come to passe that no man wil be carefull studious or desirous to accomplish any good worke In deéde I thinke Osorius is of the mynde of many persons whiche vnlesse be continually beaten pricked foreward lyke dull Oxen with goades and cudgels will neuer yeld their bodies to labour but forced as it were with threatenynges and stripes are drawen to the yoke quyte agaynst their willes But this neuer happeneth in natures of mylde and good disposition but rather the contrary so as by leâ—â—ie and remembrauÌ„ce of receaued benefites they are rather encouraged chearefully to doe their duties The bountifulnesse of almighty God is not to be measured after the proportion of mans imagination Neither ought we regarde how the wicked doe interprete thereof but rather what Christ doth coÌ„maunde to be preached how much the will of God will permitte and what thynges true discipline will allow of I know that there hath bene euer great store and that we shall neuer want to great a number of that sorte of people which will wickedly abuse all thynges that otherwise of their owne nature ought chiefly bee embraced Neither is it reason to defraude vertuous personages of their right for the abuses of
euill and peruerse disposed persons Yet such is the maner of of Osorius disputation as though no man could be founde that would amende his life or embrace godlynes at the preachyngs of the Gospell And as though nothyng ensued therof els but vnbrideled licentiousnesse and outragious boldnesse to rushe and range headlong into all vnpunishable libertie and lust the decay and ouerthrowe of all vertue the subuersion and drownyng of all godly discipline finally the very sinke and receptacle of all abhomination whiche as is most falsely belyed vpon him so I can not yet gesse to what end it is alledged vnlesse he meane thereby to persuade vs to abandone and banish the preachyng of the freé mercy of the Gospell and so to slide backe agayne to old Iewishnesse with the Scribes and Phariseés and that in steéde of Christ Paule Moyses may rule ouer our consciences agayne Cicero may be preached in our Churches Truely this is the marke that Osorius or rather in Osorius the auncient enemy of mankyng seémeth to shoot at who hauyng now spent all his shot and pouder vnable at the last to enfeéble or resiste the glory of Christ any longer practizeth by subtill engynes of crafty lyeng and slaunderous cauillations to vndermyne and batter his doctrine and to bryng this deuise to passe findeth none so fitte an instrument as Osorius chief champion of his garde I haue now set out vnto theé gentle Reader the substaūce of Osorius Diuinitie the grauitie of his doctrine and the forme of his accusation Whereby thou mayest perceaue the poysoned fistula whereof he would empeache Luther For this is his practize to enduce men to beleue that Luther doth teach extreme Desperation boldnesse to sinne and contempt of good workes Now remaineth to discusse by the sequele of his discourse what force of Argumentes and sleight of deuise he is furnished withall to mainteine his challenge And therefore Paule doth not in any wise promise inheritaunce of the kyngdome of heauen to those persons who rest them selues vpon the onely fayth of Luther but vnto them which do exercize them selues in good workes and do direct all their labour and trauaile to set forth the glory of Christ through the whole course of their lyfe c. In one sentence two euident lyes the one imagined agaynst Luther the other deuilishly deuised agaynst S. Paule First of all wheras hee burtheneth Luther to be the founder of this doctrine of Onely Fayth it is as false as there is no truth in Osori mouth In deéde Luther wrate much touchyng Fayth onely but neither he alone nor he the first nor taught he other doctrine then many famous Doctours of aūcient antiquitie did teache besides him Who did not onely excell him farre in learnyng but lyued many hundred yeares before he was borne And namely amongest all other S. Paule who through all his whole Epistles doth with a wonderfull vehemencie harpe as it were alwayes vpō this one string That true righteousnes cōmeth to no man by the law nor by the workes of the law but through the fayth of Christ freely without workes and so without workes as it hath often bene spoken before that if any mā will take hold of workes he is excludeth forthwith from Fayth But Osorius will say That no mention is made any where in S. Paule of this exclusiue word Onely Whereupon these Lutherans doe stand so much In Letters perhaps as you say Osorius or in sillables But why prye we after sillables when we hold the substaunce of the worde or to what purpose striue we about wordes when we are assured of the matter First of all I suppose no man will deny but that Paule doth denounce men to be Iustified by fayth Now hee that doth tye righteousnesse so fast to fayth that he vtterly abandoneth the law and all the workes of the law from Iustification what doth he meane els thereby though he professe it not in bare wordes then that fayth is the chief yea and onely foundation and builder of Iustification vsing herein the very same rule that Logicians doe vse in their Schooles framyng a sounde probable Argument from the proposition Exponent to the Exclusiue Euen as if a man disputyng with you would proue by Argument That Christ is the knowen and assured head of the Churche would argue thus that besides Christ is none other head of the whole Church vpon earth I beseéch you Syr what meaneth he elles that argueth so then that Christ onely ought to be acknowledged the head of the whole Church If it be so that this word Onely seéme so haynous to you and others of your fraternitie that it may not be admitted as in any respect tolerable yet can ye not accuse Luther for the same but you must withall endite guiltie of the same crime the best and most approued Doctours and interpretours of elder age who to expresse the meanyng of the Apostles doctrine more liuely haue not onely accustomed them selues sundry tymes to this word Onely in their Commentaries but also deliuered the same to the posteritie to be vsually frequented so that Luther now shal be founde to coyne no new thyng herein but rather make report of the studious carefulnesse and carefull trauaile of the auncient Father in this behalfe And first of all we will begyn with Ambrose vnto whom I pray you geue eare what he writeth herein who as it were one of the same number whō Osorius doth reproch to be wholy bent to this doctrine of Luther many hundred yeares before the name of Luther was knowen hath written in this maner God hath decreéd from eternitie sayth hee that the beleuyng man shal be Iustified by Fayth Onely Whereby appeareth that this word Onely came not first from Luther but from Ambrose rather But bycause the truth shall not want substaunciall witnesse and authoritie worthy the same witnesses we will adioyne to Ambrose the like testimony of Ierome whose wordes if may obteyne any credite with Osorius will be of such force efficacie for our present purpose as that they will seéme to haue bene written for none other entent then to cōuince this Iewish opinion of Osorius And these are his wordes The Iewes sayth he did affirme that he which trusted to Fayth Onely was to bee abhorred But Paule on the contrary part doth auerre that whosoeuer trusteth in Fayth Onely is blessed c. I beseéche you tell me for your Myters sake what can be spoken agaynst you more substaūcially Let vs now conferre your saying with Chrisostome You do adhorre them as Lutherans which doe rest them selues vpon Fayth Onely bycause Paule doth promise the kyngdome of heauen as you say to them that worke good deédes on the contrary part Chrisostome doth note them for Iewes especially and accompteth them execrable which deny that men ought to trust to fayth vsing this reason bycause Paule sayth hee doth professe those men blessed that trust to Fayth
but by the Mediatour the Sonne through whom righteousnesse is Imputed not purchased by workes neither to him that worketh saith hee but to him that beleeueth in Christ that Iustifieth the wicked And yet you seémyng not to bee so much as acquainted with this righteousnes by Imputation as that ye dare not once name this worde Imputation doe notwithstandyng stand so much in your owne conceite as though Christ at his commyng should finde all fayth in Osorius but no fayth at all in Luther If a man might be so bold with you it were no vneasie matter to pike out diuers other sentences out of Scripture whiche would quickly cracke the credite of your fayth As where the Apostle writyng vnto Timothe doth so manifestly Prophecie That it should come come to passe before the end of the world That many should departe from the faith beleeuing lyeng Spirites and doctrines of Deuilles forbidding Marriadge and the eating of meates which the Lord hath prepared to be receaued with thankes geuing These doctrines of Deuils for as much as the lying spirite of Osorius doth so stoutely mainteine bende all his force to vphold in this latter age of the world as besides him no man more obstinately what may be thoughe els but that either he is departed from the fayth or that the Apostle is an open lyar Agayne Where the same Apostle writeth touchyng Antichrist paintyng him out in his colours as it were so liuely expressing him to the apparasit view of the world his Throne his wickednesse his iuggling his lyes his pride his immesurable arrogancie vauntyng him selfe beyond all hautynesse of mans Nature What may a man Iudge of these sentences the meanyng of the whiche can by no meanes possible be applyed to any thyng els thē to the Romish Sée 2. Thess. 2. Agayne in the Reuelatiō of S. Iohn where the same Antichrist is set in open stage hauing the shape and countenaunce of a meeke Lambe whiche vnder the visour of false hornes should resemble the true Lambe and restore the Image of the wounded beast to lyfe and speache Whiche place of Scripture bycause can not be wrested any other wayes then to that Romishe Ierarchie whiche bendyng to ruine at the first was restored by that great Archeprelate of Rome yet in this most apparaunt Text of Scripture if Osorius faith he demaūded whether it may be applyable to the Bishop of Rome we shall finde him as farre dissentyng from the purpose of this Prophecie as if he were demaunded the way to Canterbury he might aunswere a poake full of Plummes We haue hitherto sufficiently enough declared I suppose that Osorius for all his bragges is voyde of all ayde to defende his Fayth And so for this tyme I will commit the cēfure of those gay workes which flowe so plentyfully out of that glorious Fayth to that Iudge which shall display the hidden corners of darkenesse and to the consideration of them who by the view of his bookes haue skill to discerne a Lyon by his pawes or rather an Asse by his lolieeares Now remayneth at length to discouer briefly that which he barketh agaynst Luthers fayth Now let vs see Luthers fayth sayth hee whether it can bryng forth any liuely fruite It cā not by any meanes c. Lye on yet more a Gods name First of all bycause hee teacheth that all workes appeare they neuer so godly are desiled with sinne Nay rather but that you were by nature of so corrupt a Iudgement that ye can not frame your selfe so much as to speake the truth you would neuer haue patched this lye amōgest the ragges of your leasings Luthers disputation cōcerning faith good workes tendeth to nothyng els but that which the Scriptures euery where the sacred spirite of truth and S. Paule inspired with the holy Ghost doe by all meanes and reasons confirme which we all ought of very duetie to embrace For Luther endeuouryng to make euidēt the doctrine of Iustification comparyng our good workes with the lawe of God is enforced to confesse the very truth of the matter that is to say That there is nothing so holy in workes but beyng of it owne nature in some respect vncleane and defiled must néedes be vnsauorie in the sight of God if without Christ it bee racked with exact scrutyne of Gods seuere Iudgement And hereof quarell is pyked forthwith agaynst Luther as though he should affirme that whatsoeuer workes the very regenerated engraffed in Christ them selues did worke were nothyng els but méere sinnes and wickednesse And bycause he doth abbridge good workes in that part onely wherein they be falsely adiudged to be of valew to Iustifie before God Osorius doth argue agaynst him in this wise as though he did vtterly roote out of mans lyfe all Ciuill and Morall vertues and vertuous conuersation Wherein a mā can not easilye determine whether he doth shewe him selfe more iniurious to Luther or bewray rather his owne blockish grosenesse No man euer taught more soundly no man more highly commended good workes then Luther did beyng separated a part from the doctrine of Iustification And whereas he doth extenuate the force of workes in the treatize of Iustification he doth not therein so altogether derogate from workes as rather frendly aduertize them whiche through vayne Confidence of workes doe challenge to them selues righteousnesse in the sight of God and do depende so much vpon the deseruynges of workes as though there were none other foūteine from whence our Saluation might be deriued Luther therfore vsing Argumēt agaynst those persons doth boldly auow that all our workes are defiled yet not simply but in respect of their application beyng considered without the fayth of the Mediatour Whiche beyng most truely spoken by Luther is as sinisterly wrested by Osorius as though he had spoken it simply that there is no good or commendable thyng in workes nothyng in them acceptable to God though neuer so duetyfully or vertuously performed And for this cause hee concludeth at last as with an vnuanquishable Argument That by no meanes possible Luthers fayth could bryng forth any frutefull workes like as that barren figge tree growyng neare vnto the high way whereupon grewe nothyng but leaues But this is Osorius his owne conclusion not Luthers a Sophisticall cauill concludyng falsely If S. Paule doubted nothing at all to esteeme all thinges sinnefull which were done without faith Rom. 4. If it were lawfull for Augustine to write in this wise Thy workes are examined sayth he and are foūde all defiled Why doth he rage so furiously agaynst Luther bycause he doth professe that the déedes which we call good are in none other respect to be daémed for good thē as they bee valued by the fayth of the Mediatour The consideration of this doctrine as is of it selfe most assured so doth it not tende to that end that Osorius imagineth to discourage godly myndes from vertuous endeuour Rather well disposed
the matter would admitte some other interpretation yet ought Assertiō haue bene compared with Assertion and place with place Finally consideration ought to haue bene had of the entent and meanyng of the writer then also of the first originall scope of his doctrine whereunto it tended and what it emported And if ye would examine vprightly the opinions and assertions of mē accordyng the true touchstone of Gods truth and not sinisterly for eiudge them whether opinion I pray you seémeth in your cōceite most sounde of those which doe aduaunce the Maiestie of Gods grace or of those whiche doe enhaunce the weakenesse of mans nature of those which doe make mens merites workes the effectes of Saluatiō or of those which do ascribe it to Gods freé imputation through Iesu Christ of them which doe determine that righteousnesse commeth by fayth or of them which say it is obteyned by the workes of the law of those whiche spoyle Freewill of all matter to glory vpon or of them which do call mē backe to a true and humble acknowledgement of them selues of those whiche razing out the euerlastyng and vnchaungeable decreé of Gods Predestination doe committe the successes of thynges to happe hazard and blynd chaunce and to freé affectiō of mans will or of them whiche settyng aside all chaunceable euentes of fortune and all power of mans will doe referre all things to the assured gouernaunce of Gods infallible foreknowledge guidyng all thyngs after his own pleasure in most stayed and stable order And yet doth not Luther so roote out all Free-will altogether and all chaunceablenesse of fortune but that he doth admitte the vse of them in some respect to witte in respect of inferiour causes although in respect of hygher causes in those thynges whiche concerne saluation or damnation he beleueth surely that no force of Freewill ne yet any chaunceablenesse of fortune doe preuayle any thyng at all For as much as this is the chief grounde of Luthers doctrine what els may the well affectioned indifferent Reader I pray you cōceaue of this his Assertiō then that which may magnifie the glory of God extoll his omnipotencie may establishe the sauetie of the faythfull dependyng vpon the freé promise of God through fayth not vpō the worthynes of merites through Freewill may terrifie the wicked with a wholesome feare of God may restrayne them frō outrage may comfort vs agaynst death with lyfe that is in God agaynst miserie with grace against infirmitie with strength agaynst destruction with Gods mercy may rayse vp the godly to loue and embrace their God The fruite of all which thyngs as the godly Reader may easily reape by this doctrine let vs seé now on the other side what poyson Osorius doth sucke out of the fame as one that seéth nothyng in this Assertiō but horrible wickednes as he fayth shamelesse arrogācie detestable maddnes execrable outrage And now would I fayne heare how he will confirme this proude affirmatiue so vehemētly vttered For sayth he this beyng graunted I doe say that lawes are abolished decrees put to silence sciences rooted out learnyng extinguished peace and trāquillitie disturbed and vtter confusion made of all right and wrong without all order If Osorius require this at our handes that whatsoeuer his lauishe tounge shall rashly roaue at large be coyned for an vnreproueable oracle thē is this matter soone at an end But that world is gone long sithēce Osor. wherin this Pythagoricall Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was takē for a law We thinke it not now enough to harken to all that a man will speake but to cōsider what vpon what groūde a mā speaketh Well what say you vnto vs at the lēgth Osorius That lawes will decay statutes be put to silence sciences rooted out learnyng extinguished trāquillitie disturbed and right and wrong confounded together Certes you haue heard of this man here many hygh and absurde speaches gentle Reader but heare yet much more absurditie I say furthermore that hereupon doth follow that mā is spoyled of sense bereft of aduise and depriued of reason and driuen to that passe as no difference may seeme to be betwixt him a stone throwen out of a mans hād And yet haue you not heard all Osori crauleth forward still is come now as it seémeth into some mayne playne where he purposeth to make vs a course of his harysh eloquence I say also that the holy cōmaundements of God his preceptes statutes his exhortatiōs and threatnyngs rewardes promised for well doyng and punishmēt threatened for malefactours were all in vayne prescribed to the posterity by Gods word O Heauē O Earth O Sea of Hercules But is there any more yet tush all these be but trifles yet For ouer and besides this ensueth so haynous a fact more horrible then toung can speake or hart cā thinke so vnspeakeably filthy so monstruously straūge that all the rest beyng layd together may in respect of this be accompted scarse worth the speakyng And what is it a Gods name Forsooth that Luther or Melancthon Bucer or Caluine or whosoeuer were the first foūder of this doctrine besides that he doth thereby turne all states and cōmon weales quite vpsidowne he breaketh yet further into such vnmeasurable impiety as that he doth imagine God him selfe the most holy of holy ones our most deare Father to whō no iniquitie can by any meanes be imputed to be the author of all wickednes and cruelty We haue heard a tedious Catalogue of haynous absurdities which as he sayth must needes ensue vpō Luthers doctrine And if it be not true He requireth vs to make him a lyar as that either Luther neuer spake so or els to teach him that Luthers doctrine may well be mainteined As though there were any such pitthe in all this your rayling M. Osorius that might not easily be confuted or any such weakenes in Luther that might not much more easily be defended yea so defended as that neither he may seeme to haue taught the doctrine of Necessitie without good cōsideratiō nor you able to deface the same without great perill of cōmittyng horrible sacriledge I speake now of Necessitie not that Necessitie that is called violēt coactiō but of that which is named of vndoubted assuraūce absolute infallibilitie not that Necessitie which the schoolemen call Consequēti◠but which is called Consequētia or ex Hypothesi For Necessitie is neither takē after one onely significatiō amongest the Deuines nor yet amōgest the Logiciās Philosophers wherof of I suppose you be nothyng ignoraunt at the least you ought not be ignoraunt therof surely Therefore they that haue employed their studyes somewhat more carefully about the scannyng of this matter haue defined Necessary after this maner to be such a thyng as can not bee altered a certeine settled and firme vnmoueablenes which can not be chaūged by any meanes from that
the Apostles doctrine ye may now at the last I warrant you learne of this Portingall Thales the pure and sincere Interpretation of Paules discourse touching the Predestination of the Gentiles and the reiection of the Iewes whereof he debateth in all those his three Chapters 9.10.11 The vnderstanding whereof because neyther Luther himselfe nor any of all the rest of Luthers Schoole were able to conceaue it is good reason that we not onely attentiuely harken vnto but also without controlement beleue this new pyked caruer not of sentences onely but a planer of wordes also whiles he do lay open before our eyes the very naturall meanyng of that place to be sensibly felt euen to the vttermost tittle thereof And for as much as there be two thinges chiefly handled by Paule in these three chapters First wherein he reioyseth with the Gentiles for that their calling and most prosperous knowledge of the light of the Gospell Secōdarily wherein he lamenteth the lamentable fall of the Iewes their most sorowfull blindenes and taking occasiō hereupon doth forth with enter into a discourse of fayth and the infallible certeintye of Gods promises For whereas that blessednes was promised to the posterity of Abraham here might some scrupule haue troubled his minde as there wanted not of the Iewes some that pyked hereout matter to cauill vpon as though God had broken the promise that he once had made as one that hauing obliged hymselfe before with so many couenauntes and promises to this generation did now contrary to his othe cast them of and despise them S. Paule valiauntly impugning the disorderous reproches and cauillations of these with sondry forcible reasons doth fortifie this his defence with iiij Argumētes chiefly First that this promise of the blessing was made in deede to Abraham and Israell and to their posteritie but this promise in as much as is spiritually to be taken did not so restrayne it selfe onely to that externall Family alone after the kinred of the fleshe as that it noted not vnder the same fellowshyppe and kinred of Israell the Gentiles also such especially as were endued with like sincerity of fayth He addeth furthermore that albeit the same promise did concerne those Gentiles chiefly which ioyned themselues to Christ yet the same was not so wholy translated to the Gentiles the Iewes beyng forsakē but that a great portiō of these also remnaunts as it were of that lamētable shipwracke beyng preserued should be partakers of the same promise and blessednes together with the Gentiles In the third place that it came to passe through their own villany vnbelief not of any inconstancie on Gods behalfe that this promise of God did so much fayle them but that they did exclude themselues rather from the benefite of Gods promise Lastly that neyther this reiection shoulde continue so for euer but that it should once come to passe as the Apostle prophecieth that the fulnes of the Gentiles beyng accomplished the whole nation of the Israelites recouering at the length the former grace of their auncient promise shoulde be restored agayne to the benefite of their former blessing Uerily I do confesse that this interpretation of Osorius is not altogether amisse wherein I seé nothing yet false or newly deuised moreouer nothing spoken of here that hath not long sithence bene spoken yea and with a farre more playne lightsomnesse by our expositors for we beyng long agoe sufficienly enstructed in Paules schoole haue vnderstood well inough without Osorius schooling the that promise was peculiar to the seede of Israell beyng the children of promise and not to the Children after the flesh Moreouer neither are we ignorant hereof that that blindenes happened not to all Israell but in part onely not of any inconstancy on Gods behalfe but that they fell themselues from true righteousnes by their owne default as people following the righteousnesse whiche came not by fayth but flattering themselues in obseruing the workes of the lawe Furthermore that whiche Thapostle doth prophecie shall come to passe concerning the restoring agayne of that whole nation at the length as we all hartily wish for so no man I suppose is so blockishe but doth vnderstand sufficiently all whatsoeuer Paule hath spoken of this matter by his owne writing though Osorius did neuer interprete it And agayne touching the examples of Isaac and Iacob set downe by Paule whom Gods election would should be preferred before their brethren though elder in birth in the deuision of the Fathers patrimonye We are neither ignoraunt nor forgetfull thereof whereupon we do nothing disagreé frō Osorius in conceauing the same thing vnder the types and figures of those persons and doe professe in as many wordes that neyther the prerogatiue of kinred nor workes nor yet the lawe but that Gods election calling and grace doth make the true Israelites Forasmuch therefore as our expositours in all these poynts of doctrine haue nothing at all hitherto swarued from the truth of Paules doctrine or your interpretation what corrupt exposition is that at the length of these our Interpretours wherewith you are so much offended forsooth say you because they doe not sufficiently enough conceaue the very ende whereunto Paule did referre those argumentes Goe to then sith you prouoke vs hereunto Let vs first seé what argumentes those be of Paule then to what ende they be applied Because the Iewes did challenge to thēselues a title of righteousnes through the obseruaunce of the law which neuerthelesse they did not obserue in very deéde partely because swelling w e pryde for the Nobilitie of their race they did promise vnto thēselues a certaine peculiar election with God before all other nations Paule entending to treate very sharply agaynst the insolent arrogancie of them doth argue agaynst thē with most forcible argumentes taken out of holy Scriptures namely That the substance of Gods election neither did hang vpon the works of the Law neyther vpon the roialtie of race not yet vpon auncient of parentage but did depend vpon the onely freemercy of Gods compassion and Fayth of the Gospell And to make the same appeare more euidently he putteth foorth vnto them the example of Isaac and Ismaell whereof the one though by byrth were yonger yet obtained through grace to be the first and was thereby aduaunced to the dignity of inheritaunce where as they both were generall issues of one and the same father Abraham though they had not both one mother And to auoyde the daūger of scrupule that might ensue by reason of the two mothers hee doth yet confirme the same with a more notable exāple Namely the example of the two brothers that were twinnes Iacob and Esau who issuing of one Father of one mother and one birth and before they had done any thing good or euill God did translate the honour of birthright and blessing to the yonger to beare rule ouer the elder And whereof came this but from the freé
maugre their beardes not onely submit their heades and shoulders to their oppression and tyranny but also lyke miserable bondslaues must with all reuerence and humilitie prostrate them selues to kysse their feéte In this Imperiall throne is enthronized chief aboue all others triumphyng ouer all other estates the most mighty potentate and Monarch the Byshop of Rome Next vnto him as the principall stayes and proude pillers of this Ierarchy aduaunce them selues the Cormoraunt Cardinalles Then follow in order the Roystyng route of Mytred Prelates of the Scarlet crew of Rochettes shauelynges I speake not here of good vertuous Byshops nor of true Ministers of Christ but of such as hang onely vpon the becke of the Bysh. of Rome Last of all after those â—olly ChaÌ„pioÌ„s whole droues of Monckes Friers come tumblyng in heapes together a rable of rascals as of all other people the most lazy and lewde so surroundyng the whole world in such vnmeasurable warmes issue as it were and broode of the earth that the earth it selfe is scarse able to foster vppe her owne generation And therefore if your meanyng concerne the ouerthrow of this sorte of people in this pointe I do agreé with you Osorius That Luther trauayled in deéde earnestly herein but atchieued not so much as was neédefull for the Christian common wealth For albeit he could not vtterly raze out the rakyng Regiment of those Romishe roysters most inordinately raysing them selues not onely aboue all Empires and Regimentes of the earth but also beyond all whatsoeuer is called God yet did he pretely shake them he pluckt of the vysours of those Apish stagers discouered their fraude made the world acquaynted with their subtill sleyghtes and lyeng doctrine and confuted them with the manifest force of the truth finally albeit by openyng the light of the Gospell he could not vtterly â—ende in peéces the shryne of the beast which so many huÌ„dred yeares had suppressed drowned in darkenes the knowledge of Gods word yet was his industry and labour not vnprofitably employed to the defacyng therof And I would to God he had bene able not onely to haue defaced the power and outrage of the Seé but also to haue plucked the same vppe by the rootes and brought the memory therof to vtter confusion and vanished it cleane out of the myndes memoryes of men Nations for euer in so doyng truly he could not haue done any exployte more acceptable to God and more profitable to the state of Christianitie Certes many thousandes of men and womeÌ„ had bene wonderfully preserued thereby who through the more then barbarous vnspeakeable cruelty of this consumyng gulfe haue bene miserably swallowed vppe and deuoured within a very few yeares in EnglaÌ„d Fraunce Spayne Scotland Flaunders Germany and other Christian Nations for as yet can not this vnsatiable CormorauÌ„t be sufficieÌ„tly englutted and fully gorged with ChristiaÌ„ goare And yet for all this poore seély Luther is accused which durst so boldly presume to vnlade and cure ChristiaÌ„ consciences of so cancred a Fistula of so poysoned in impostume and so raunging a carbuncle And bycause he did dare to vndertake the patronadge and defence of the truth agaynst manifest heresies and more then palpable errours there is no lesse layed to his charge then hygh treason as though he practized the vtter ouerthrowe not onely of all Christian societie but of the state of the whole world also And why may not the Wolfe with as good reason condenme the seély Lambe for troublyng his water Let Isaack also be accused bycause he restored to the Philistines the Welles pure and cleansed from filthe baggage whiche them selues had maliciously dammed vppe before Let the Phisition likewise be endiâ—ed of murder who ministring wholesome potion to his patient agaynst the pestilence or phrensie hath preserued lyfe Furthermore let it be lawfull for Osorius him selfe to barke agaynst the shynyng of the Sunne bycause it reneweth the gladsome countenaunce of the pleasaunt dawnyng by driuyng away the dazelyng darkenes of the vgly night Finally let him quarrell with Christ himselfe his most sacred spirit who did not onely himselfe rayse vp Luther for this purpose but also by playne foretellings did so many yeares before prophesie of the darcknes decay ouerthrow of the self same Seé And he poured out hys vyall sayth he vpon the seate of the beast and hys kingdome was couered with darckenes and they did gnawe their tongues for sorrow c. Which prophesie for asmuch as can not by any probable allusion be applyed eyther to the Iewes or to the Turckes Let the Romish Seé bethinke it selfe well what kynde of kingdome at the length is foreshewed here by the words of the holy Ghost And to the same end do the wordes of Saint Paule tend likewise where he declareth in what maner the Reuealyng of the Sonne of perdition should come to passe But after the proper phrase of speéche nothyng is sayd to be Reuealed but that which before did lye close hidden in couert And therfore if of very necessitie the Deuine spirite of Christ must be had to the discoueryng of this couert Enemy which could not otherwise be espyed by the pollicy and witte of man Certes it could not be but that this Antichrist whatsoeuer he be must lurke shadow him selfe wonderfull couertly and craftely and that much people should be deceaued in him before he could be Reuealed and detected to the world What Person this Sonne of perdition is I doe not at this present trouble my braynes about surely for my part I know no one person els neither by application of the signes notes or circumstaunces and playne demoÌ„strations wherewith S. Paule doth painte him out vnto vs can I gesse vpon any other whom this counterfaite may resemble in any proportion besides this one Prelate onely who so lustely vauÌ„teth him selfe in the Temple of God And therefore these thunderboltes great flashes of Osori lightning touching the ouerthrowe of the state of Christianitie do no more touch Luther then the lying cauillation of Amasias the Priest of Bethell did concerne the Prophet Amos to be a seditious person when he accused hym in the presence of Ieroboam the king behold sayth he Amos hath conspired agaynst thee euen in the middes of the house of Israell Euen such like lieger de mayne doth our Osorius vtter here very finely expressing vnto vs the wonderfull and singuler sleightes of the Papisticall subtelties which those catholick counterfaytes seéme long sithence to haue sucked out of the crafty wyles and practizes of that olde Comicall Phormio who being chiefly to be detected for some crafty conueyaunce steppe forth lyke call fellowes first and become accusers of others supposing they shall hereby acquite theÌ„selues cleare of all suspicion of crime if they caÌ„ first accuse others of the fault whereof they ought themselues be impeached And here in myne opinion the very selfe
punishmendes of oftendours where is the ouerthrow of the coÌ„mon weale where is that haynous accusation of the vnrighteousnes of God And where are now those Protagoristes and Diagoristes and men farre more wicked then any of those of whom you preache so much what aunswere shall I frame to this your malapere and currishe slaunderinge O some of Iemini If God haue coÌ„maunded you to lye so shamelesly without controlement and to backbite vertuous personages in this sort what remayneth for them but that they patiently endure this generall grief of the godly and recomfort theÌ„selues by the example of Dauid If peraduenture the Lord will behold their affliction and will render vnto them good thinges for this cursed slaunder In the meane space this one thyng delighteth not a little that whereas his fellow doth counterfayte and lye in all thinges yet he doth the same so openly that no man can choose but laugh at hym and withall so Impudently that euery man may detest hynm and agayne so blockishly that euery man may despise and deryde him for it Wherby it commeth to passe that he doth not so much preiudice to Luther by euill speaking as he doth bewray hys owne ignoraunce to the worlde by worsse prouing hys false and forged lyes seeing heé hath neyther seemed to haue learned any thinge of the truth as yet nor proued those lyes which he hath forged nor euer shal be able to proue any of them Go to and what gaine think ye haue you made by these your slaunders and lyes when as ye accuse Luther amongest the nuÌ„ber of Atheistes Diagoristes Protagoristes and farre more wicked also then any of these as one that doth condemne God of vnrighteousness affirmeth him to be the Author of euill dispoyleth man of Iudgement reason bryngeth in fatall Necessitie excludyng all action and operation of Will compelleth men to do wickedly agaynst their willes teacheth that men may freely be euill and go vnpunished couereth their naughtines with an excuse These and other vnspeakeable treacheries when ye lay to Luthers charge do ye beleue that ye shall make any man geue credite to your talke And doe ye not think that some one or other will ryse vppe vpon the sodayne which by readyng Luthers bookes will espye thys your manifest falshood in lying Let euery man that will peruse Luthers writinges ouer and ouer which he hath left behynde hym as pledges and testimonyes of hys fayth who hath euer iudged or written more honorably of Gods Iustice who hath euer with more vehemency reproued mans vnrighteousnes or condeÌ„ned it more sharpely so farre is he of from shadowyng the wickednes of naughtipackes with a cloude of excuse And where then hath thys man affirmed that God is the Author of euill Or where doth he tye men to a Necessitie of sinnyng such a Necessitie especially as Osori dreameth of This doth he affirme That Nature being left destitute of grace caÌ„not but sinne of very Necessitie which Necessitie notwithstaÌ„dyng proceedeth froÌ„ no where els then froÌ„ will it selfe beyng corrupted But Osori doth so snatch and wrest this senteÌ„ce into a cauillation as though Luther did bryng in such a Necessitie as should leaue no freédome to man at all moreouer such a Necessitie as should so abolish all libertie as though will could vndertake nothing at all of his own voluntary choyse but should be forced and whirled as it were to all thinges through â—oaction and constraint Such indifferency vseth Osorius here both to make an open lye himself and to charge Luther with a lye also In the first wherof the vayne error of Osorius is easily espyed in the second hys vnshamefast impudeÌ„cy discouereth it selfe Now to make the same appeare more euidently it will not be impertinent in this place to make a short collection of all the sentences and argumentes of ech partie touching the whole cause of Freewill and Predestination which beyng compiled into certayne brief places it will not be amisse likewise to expouÌ„d the same That by this meanes the Reader may more easily coÌ„ceaue and more substancially discerne betwixt the doctrine of eche party aswell of them that are of Luthers opinioÌ„ as also of theÌ„ that hang vppon the Popes sleaue what is truth and what is false and how slaunderous a toung Osorius hath what soeuer therfore hath bene taught by Luther Melancthon Bucer Caluine and other Deuines of sounde Iudgement of Freewill and PredestinatioÌ„ are to be reduced for the most part into this brief ¶ A Breuiate of all Luthers doctrine of Free-will and Predestination gathered out of his bookes And withall the contrary Argumentes of the aduersaries and the solution of the same FIrst as coÌ„cerning maÌ„s corrupt nature thus they teache That man is so wholy and altogether defiled that he is not able of him selfe or of any part of him selfe to atteyne vnto God But they deny not but man may come to GOD by the helpe of Grace 2. That it is not in maÌ„s power to prepare him selfe to receaue grace but all maÌ„s conuersion to be the gift of God in the whole and of euery part 3. That the Grace of God is not so offered as that it resteth in our choyse afterwardes to take or refuse 4. That the grace of God is not so geuen nor to thus endonely that by his aide onely it shold helpe our weakenes as though there were otherwise somwhat within vs but that the worke and benefite hereof is his owne that our stoany hartes may be conuerted into fleshly hartes that our wills be not bettered but wholy renewed That being regenerated in harts and myndes first we may will that which we ought to will 5. That maÌ„kinde hauing lost that freedome which he receaued in his first creation fell into miserable bondage And they deny that man being in this seruile estate is endued with any free abilitie to do good or euill as that he may applie him selfe to whether part him listeth And here they expounde freedome to be that which is opposite to bondage 6. Touching the effectuall operation of Gods grace thus they doe affirme that our will is not so raysed vppe by the conduct therof that it may be able of it selfe if it will but that it is renewed and drawen so that it must follow of necessitie neither that it can be able otherwise but to will 7. They denie that in perseueraunce man worketh together with God as that of his owne power it may obey the guiding of God moreouer in reÌ„dring reward they denie that the latter grace is geuen to euery maÌ„ in steede of recoÌ„pence as though by well vsing the first grace man had deserued the last grace 8. That maÌ„ caÌ„ do nothing at all especially in the things which apperteine vnto God but so much as God himself vousafeth to geue And that God doth geue nothyng according to his good pleasure but the same is altogether free without all respect of any mans deseruinges Finally that God
say that he vttereth nothing purely nothing playnely nothing pitthily nothing substancially or with good grace if any man els besides Osorius should speake this perhappes he might be credited But as now what shall any discrete or indifferēt man iudge of your opiniō herein for what merucile is it if a mā practise by all meanes possible to deface the credite of the Aduersary agaynst whom he writeth And yet here men may easily seé that as you haue no great stoare of modesty discretion so you are not ouerladen with the rules principles of Rhetorick For the skilfull in Rhetoricke are wont to extoll and aduaunce the power excellency of the Aduer agaynst whō they mayntaine quarrell to th end to make thēselues more famous thereby if happely they gett the victory I come now to that part of thaccusacion which concerneth the forme and phrase of hys style wherein I cannot but wonder enough at your exceeding childish pardō me I pray you Osor. and more then womanishe malepartnes for in this sorte hoyes wont to brawle for nuttes And women as Ierome reporteth when they are a goshipping speake ill of them that are absent and crake lustely ouer men as if they were stronger then they you take it to be a goodly matter to resemble Cicero in Eloquence and finesse of phrase or at least to come very neere it And think it not inough to treate of Christ of the Gospell of holy thinges and sacred religion aptely soundly and learnedly vnlesse a man paynt it out with the glorious brauery of Ciceroes Eloquence And bicause Haddons style doth not rayse it selfe to Ciceroes loftynes sufficiently as you Iudge therfore he is not accompted worthy to sitte amongst the punyes no nor yet fitt to be a scholler in Ciceroes schoole as one that vttereth nothing purely nothing playnly nothīg pitthily nothīg loftely c. whē wise men I say shall read these words of yours this your Iudgemēt cōcerning Haddō how will they esteéme of you in their secret conceiptes think you Will they smile in their sleaues at this your folly or will they laugh openly at it will not all men clapp their hands and spitt at that singuler inhumanity of thys Portugall wrangler will they not abhorre his detestable shamelessenesse for why do ye say that Haddon speaketh nothing purely nothing playnly c. is there anye man that hath euer read any of Haddons writinges so vnshamefast besides Osorius onely that would say so Are yee nothing ashamed of this your so manifest vanity Are ye so altogether dispoyled of feéling of modesty and humanity as you are barraine in scriptures and voyde of Iudgement that whereas ietting at your own shadow you can be contented so bountifully to bestow the best and the fayrest vpon your selfe that ye will finde in your hart to empart nothing but poore ragges to others For to confesse in deede that Haddon did not reache to that grace and dexteritie of phrase that was in Cicero Will ye therefore yelde him no commendation of the latine style nor so much as anye meane knowledge therin nor yet will suffer him in your cōpany to beare the name of a poore scholler in Ciceroes schoole And who hath made you vsher I pray you or pepositour of Ciceroes schoole that no man may be admitted into that fellowship vnles you allowe of hym And yet in respect of this friuolous title what matter maketh who beare the name But what kynde of discourtesy is this so to embase Haddon of all ornamentes of an artificiall Rhethorician so to throw him down amongest the Apsy boyes as to leaue him nothing but babishnes and stammering of speache and withall condemne hym for so doltish and rascall a wryter that yee cannot choose but meruayle also what collpixe had so bewitched hym to make him a writer But ye ought to haue marueled at this O meruelous man in others rather and posted ouer this taunting check to them rather ouer many of whose pelting workes are flowne abroad out of your cloysters into the worlde so Mosy vnsauory harshe vnpleasaunt that the learned are enforced many tymes to turne ouer their stomackes in reading thē the vnlearned suck nothing out of them but smoake and puddle In which notwithstanding I would not be so squeimish at their rudenes barbarous grossenesse of speach if euen in their most excellent writinges they might be found to cary any resemblaunce of any sound doctrine or sauoring of wholesome knowledge at the least and were not more disorderous in the substance of the matters then they are grosse of speache For otherwise as concerning that exquisite excellency of Eloquence for asmuch as neyther Cicero that graund captayne of Eloquence himselfe doth at all times speak so exquisitely neither forceth so much if it be not altogether artificiall in a Philosopher so that his maners and doctrine be substanciall what cause is there to the contrary but if there be some defect thereof in a deuine that he may as well beé borne withall so that the simplicitie of hys speach agree with the truth and be cleare from barbarous grossenesse and so that the want of Eloquence be supplyed with the soundnes of the truth But as now how vnreasonable is your communication Osorius that can so courteously allow of those your vnsauory and vnpleasaunt Ianglers and shew your self so whotte a Censor against Haddon onely as that ye affirme him to write nothing eloquently nor yet able to expresse his meaning any thing playnely But yet truely whereunto soeuer Haddon is fitte or vnfitte or whatsoeuer Haddon can do or cannot do This is most certayne and true That the want of Eloquence is not the matter that rubbes you on the gall so extremely Haddon is not therfore expelled from Ciceroes Colledge because he cannot expresse Ciceroes finesse liuely enough which your selfe cannot do more finely though ye would burst asunder Osorius But there is an other thing yea an other thing in deede there is an other padde in the straw for who cannot easily perceiue out of what puddle this bubling froathe doth issue and whereunto this tendeth that Haddō may not seeme worthy to be named a Ciceroniane not because he is not a Ciceroniane but bicause he is not a Romayne not because he writeth scarse plainely nor connīgly with the Orator of Rome but bicause he taketh not part with the Bishop of Rome because he will not blindfolde himselfe with Osorius not because he doth not sufficiently expresse the elegancy of the Romanes eloquence but because he would attempt his penne agaynst Osorius and against the doctrine of Rome and take vpon him to fauour the cleare veritie of the gospell and apply his minde to the defence of true religion hereupon ariseth the reproche of the stammering tongue of the childish speach and of the vnskilfull style In the which I cannot well conceaue the meaning of Osor. For if according to this rule all wryters that do not attayne the cleane and
agreéd vpon confirmed and published before the whole Councell after the Testimony of Rob. Gagni in hys 10. booke Whereunto Constant. Phrigio addeth further saying which I would to God fayth he had bene hitherto obserued and kept But whatsoeuer hath any smack of sounde doctrine is abolished Thus much he To this also may be annexed that which Thom. Rhedonēs a Frenchman a Carmelite Frier and a Martyr wrate hereof who because he sayd that in Rome were many abhominations and that the Church needed much reformation and the vnlawfull cursinges of the pope ought not to be feared was after many tortures burned at Rome in the tyme of this same Eugenius in the yeare 1436. out of Antonine and other partes 3. title Cap. 10. I suppose that there is no man now that doth not very playnely perceaue and see though I would surcesse here to prosequute any more how men may duely and vprightly esteéme of all this whole Seé and pontificall religion whiche seémeth for no other purpose erected but to some discorde and rayse vppe vproares and Tumultes Whereupon it seemeth so much the more straunge to me that Osorius dare be so shamelesly Impudent to obiect sectes and sedicious troubles to our Churches sithence himselfe cannot with honesty deny so many cruell and mortall diuisions of factions so many contentious Seditions and mutines to haue sprong vp and continued euen in the innermost bowells of that most sacred Seé being also of so lōg continuance and which himselfe cannot by any meanes blotte out to speake nothing in the meane time of those sectes of errors and wicked doctrine moyling and turmoyling one agaynst an other in such an vnmeasurable quantitie skattered abroad that there is skarse any one thing wherein they agreé amongst thēselues and differ from vs but that in the same they flee cleane away not from vs onely but from Christ himselfe also But to let passe these sectes and factions of the Romanistes I will tourne agayne to the obiections that do properly touche vs. For thus doth Osorius contend agaynst vs accusing the Gospell that we professe on this wise as though it yelded none other fruits but sectes troublesome cōmotiōs And thys he affirmeth commeth to passe for none other cause but because we haue shaken of the authoritie of the pope which if had neuer bene banished or if might be restored to her auncient estimation in our Churches These Tumultes either had neuer bene or els might haue easily bene pacified All which tend hereunto at the laste to witte that we should humbly submit our selues to the Bondage of the Pope for this is the pleasaunt bayte whereat Osorius would haue vs fayne to be hooked this is his whole practise and endeuour But before hee shall be able to allure vs to that he must furnishe hys hookes agayne with fresher bayte somewhat more handsomely couched For with this touchangle he may fishe a good while catch a foole at the last But go to Let vs eyther imagyne and confesse vnto him that these sectes and Diuisions of opinions do waxe somewhat rawe in many places after that this romish Authoritie is neglected what shall he winne thereby doth he surmise this to be matter sufficient to make vs forsake the Gospell of Christ and to knitt the romishe halter vpon our neckes agayne or doth he iudge it a reasonable matter because there want not some in some places that are ouer greedely geuen to sectes and deuisions that it may not therefore be lawfull for others which teache sound doctrine to professe boldly before the people the rules and order of good and honest lyfe But where hath Osorius gone to schoole for this Logick or Sophistry rather to frame an argument from that whiche is not the cause as though it were the verye cause and to conclude a meere fallaxe of the Accident for a true and a knowne matter which maner disputation if may be admitted I seé no cause to the contrary but by the same reason the Orator Tertullus might seeme to hane had as good a challenge long sithence agaynst the Apostle as this our Tullian Rhetorician doth now mayntayne agaynst the Lutheranes For in the Apostles tyme neither wāted stoare of false Apostles and false brethren dogges euill workmen Philetians Hermoginistes Simonistes and Nicholaitans neyther was there any lack of faccious Fyrebrāds amōgst the Corinthians which did practize to withdraw the Galathians from the simplicitie of the engraffed word fayning themselues to be Iewes when as in deéde they were nothing lesse After them ensued Chorinthians which denyed that Christ was come in the flesh many Antichristes Libertines Seuerianes Nouatianes Sabellianes Nepotianes Manicheans Arryans Pelagianes Cataphrigianes Donatistes And yet for all this Christiā Religiō ought neuer the worsse to be esteemed by reason of these sects troublesome faccions wherewith it was entangled what one Age of the Church was euer without some such as entruding themselues among the other godly teachers and ministers of the Church would not now and then minister much matter of discention and deuision for as one maner of wheate doth not fructifie alike in euery soyle so can there none so pregnaūt an earth be found in the which the good carefull husbandman shall sow the pure and cleane corne of the Euangelicall wheate neuer so carefully but that the same Enuious man will forthwith creépe in and throw amongst the same noysome Darnell and hurtfull weédes Neither doth the wheate cease therefore to be any more wheate because it is intermedled with Chaffe and Darnell Euen so no more hurtfull is this wilfull and ouerthwart waywardnes of cōtrary sectes to the sound doctrine of the pure truth Nay rather it could not appeare to be a true Church at all vnlesse it were assaulted now then with such kynde of Batterye If it were so that these dissentions of opinions did but nowe onely peepe abroad eyther by Luther as author or by anye hys allowance your obiection perhappes might serue to some purpose But who hath euer more earnestly or more effectually oppugned those Phanaticall faccions of opinious then Luther hath done Let not this accusation of Osorius be filed vppe amongst the other hys false reproches and lyes vnlesse all the writinges and speaches of Luther euery where yea and experience it self do Iustifie my saying to be true Who did euer more sharpely rebuke the seditious vproares of Mūster then Luth. did who did more seriously zelously confute the frantick articles and vnreasonable requests of the Boores of Germany whēas not one of all your generation opened his mouth to the contrary then Luther did who appeased and pacified their Tumultes but the Protestantes Lutheranes what writing can be of more emportaunce then that of Luther agaynst the confederates of Mūster After these sprong vpp also the secte of the Laweles which through Luthers industry trauell and wryting was by and by husht vppe the Author thereof being reclaimed And it
much more stoughtly and couragiously then for the law it selfe and the commaundementes of God And so runnyng lightly ouer those Ceremonies he presseth foreward to the Sacramentes of Confession first and next of the Euchariste But wheÌ„ we fall sayth he First what meaneth this word Falle For if the consideration of all your righteousnesse be settled in an interrupted course of liuyng well in the giftes of holynes and righteousnesse powred into you euen by Christ him selfe as your AssertioÌ„ doth emporte by what reason can these Falles and spottes of filthy life stand together with so great and so many ornamentes of righteousnes receaued of Christ him selfe or in so great righteousnesse what neédeth any confession But for as much as you be men let vs ascribe this to the frayltie of mans natuâ—e that as men you may lumper and trippe Go to then to what Sanctuary do ye afterwardes fleé for reliefe Forsooth to a rotten plancke that may saue a man amyddes the swallowyng gulfe beyng throwen ouer boorde into the Sea To the Iudgement of the Priest say you And why not vnto Christ rather Forsooth bycause in his absence entreaty is made by Proctours and Aduocates But was Christ absent whenas Iohn doth send vs backe agayne vnto him notwithstandyng speakyng on this wise And if we haue sinned we haue an Aduocate with the Father Christ Iesu and he is the propiciatory Sacrifice for our Sinnes Why did he not say we haue a Priest vpon the earth if there were either any first or second Table besides Iesus Christ onely In deéde he worketh by his Embassadours as he sometyme taught by the mouth of his Apostles and by them wrought miracles and euen now also proclaimeth his Gospell by his godly Ministers yet doth he neuerthelesse worke in heauen continually though he worke by his Ministers here on earth Furthermore neither doth he so vse the seruice of those Seruauntes and Ministers in all thynges whose externall Ministery he necessaryly employeth to many thynges as though he could of him selfe doe nothyng without their seruice Lastly all be not his true Embassadours which by forreine badge and cognizaunce doe vaunt them selues to be his Embassadours But let vs proceéde and what doe ye now when ye tumble in heapes together to confesse your selues to the Priest as to an honorable vmpier what doth he geue you at the length Making first a straight Inquisition of the Sinnes he doth by force of his wisedome searche out the wounde which beyng disclosed he applyeth a playster thereunto accordyng to the qualitie of the grief as seemeth most conuenient But what if you happeÌ„ vpon such a Priest as be now a dayes ouer many not much vnlike vnto them whoÌ„ Plautus doth describe in a certeine place Fooles wittlesse naturalles blockisse doltishe asses dronckardes c. But let vs admitte that there is no Priest but such as is most worthy of this function This Priest then accordyng to the capacitie of his wisedome considering the qualitie of the trespasse what plaister doth he apply to the soare a very wholesome one I warrauÌ„t you For accordyng to the dignitie of his person for he representeth the person of Christ he pardoneth absolueth the offendour cleane of all sinne yet so as enioyning certeine penaunce to the new clensed soule so that the trespassour may vnderstaÌ„d that he is bounde to make satisfaction for the trespasse In which doyng I can not maruell enough at your manifest giddynesse of idle brayne beyng so barreine not onely of discretion but voyde also altogether of common sence and feélyng almost The offendour say you is acquited by the absolution of the Priest Undoughtedly to be absolued by a Priest is a very gay Iewell if it be true as it is true in deéde that God doth geue absolution first But to assure vs that you tell truth what do ye alledge out of the Scriptures Forsooth the wordes of the Gospell He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me I do heare you and do acknowledge these wordes to be the wordes of Christ. But we must returne againe to the principall pointe of the questioÌ„ how shall I be assured that this Priest of yours is trnly of that nomber whom Christ doth point vnto vs by this pronowne you You will say that the shauen Crowne ought to be a sufficient warraunt vnto vs. Ueryly neither doe I reiect this outward vocation which is made by men neither ought we to expect the same maner of Embassadours to be sent by Christ now as he fent his Apostles heretofore And yet for as much as the Beast mentioned in the Apocalips hath his proper peculiar marke which Christ doth curse will you shew me no better marke for your Priest then a bald scraped scalpe sithence Christ sendeth vs to the coÌ„sideration of fruites and Spirituall markes of Doctrine and Truth But I will not much striue with you here Let all Crowes be white for me and let the absolution of the marked Priest be an vndoughted Oracle for me also This is the pointe that I stand vpon and demaunde Whenas the Trespassour doth obtaine of your Priest this absolutioÌ„ wherof you spake before From wheÌ„ce doth this absolution receaue the effectuall operation from the priests marke or from the Fayth of the Repentaunt rather If from the priests marke onely then what doth Fayth and Baptisme worke in vs or whereunto serueth the Article of the Creéde I do beleeue Remission of Sinnes Agayne if it depend vpon the onely Fayth of the Repentaunt to what purpose is this Priestly Confession But if you will couple both these together as that in your imagination the one can be of no force without the other how will this kynde of couples agreé with your doctrine who makyng so curious exact a distinction of all the other partes of penaunce will in all that Sacrament leaue no chinker at all for Fayth to peépe through no nor will be acquainted with the name of fayth in any part therof And what if a Iew or a Turke do with a sorrowfull coÌ„trite hart ioyne the Confession of his mouth withall satisfaction of the guilt as you terme it be his Sinnes washed cleane away therfore I do not thinke so what if a ChristiaÌ„ man beyng endued with a pure fayth bewaylyng his offences vnfaynedly and withall his hart lookyng vpon Christ with the eyes of Fayth as vpon the brasen Serpent do craue pardon of him without any hochpotte of priestly ConfessioÌ„ shall he obteine no salue for his soare If you deny this as your Lombardine questioners do Then would I fayne learne where was that priestly Confession before it was first instituted by Innocent 3. and thrust into the Church to be frequeÌ„ted .1215 where was this so vnaduoydeable necessitie then wheÌ„ Christ spake vnto the woman thy faith hath saued thee And in an other place speakyng of an other woman Where he forgaue her many sinnes
discrete man admitt any such person to be Iudge And yet I stand not so much vpon a Iudge herein This one thing doe I wishe onely that with the obiections of our aduersaryes our aunsweres may be heard with indifferency And I assure you if I could preuayle with wishing I would desire nothing more hartely then that the renowned king of Portingall Sebastian a prince of excellent Maiesty sith I suppose verely that the arbitriment detreminatiō iudgement of this cause doth concerne Christian Princes chiefly would vouchsafe of his singular clemēcy according to the aunciēt Lawes of Athens to geue eare indifferently to both cause and to lend his princely eares but euen a litle whiles not vnto me but to the cause it selfe whereof I shall entreate I would not doubt his highnes being iudge but that I would easely iustify that all whatsoeuer the Catholickes doe alledge at this day for their antiquitye are but bare bragges And that with vs remaineth nothing wherein they may iustly condemne vs of Nouelty And in this behalfe I can not wonder enough what came into Osorius minde to exact of vs a warrant of our Nouelty seing that of his owne Antiquitye he can yeald vs no manner of warrant at all But let vs harken a while to those notable reasons of our aduersaryes wherewith they doe defend their Antiquitye which being throughly confuted we will presently proceéde to the argumentes which they doe obiect agaynst our new masters of this new Gospell as they terme it There is a principle in the ciuill Lawe The lawes sayth they are fauorable to the party in possession in a title of prescription Yf prescription of fifty yeares doe cleane cut of all chalenge what shall be sayd then of them which affirme their continued possession in doctrine a thousand yeares and more By the same prescription of time say they the priestes of the old lawe did chalenge vnto themselues a lawfull right to sit in Moyses chayre Ergo Mans lawe doth adiudge no man a wrōgfull dissensor being able to prescribe fifty yeares possession Aunswere The priestes of the old lawe doe chalenge a right to sitt in Moyses chaire in respect of the continued prescription of time I doe confesse this to be true in deede And yet this prescription notwithstanding the Lord did call the very same priestes theéues and murtherers Agayne touching their allegation of the wrongfull disseisor by lawe and prescription of time I doe aunswere In the ciuill lawe this is true in deéd but not so in Gods lawe And yet there is also a rule in the ciuill lawe A wrōgfull disseisor shall not ohtayne though he prescribe neuer so long continuance of possession Agayne An ordinaunce begunne wickedly at the first is not sayd to be allowable for prescriptiō of tyme. But as concerning Gods lawe there be many notable testimonies of most worthy personages which disproue the same for an vntrueth Namely emongest all others the saying of Augustine chiefly The veritye being discouered custome must geue place to trueth let no man preferre custome before reason and trueth because reason and trueth doe alwayes exclude custome And Gregory Yf you pretend custome sayth he you must note what the Lord sayth I am the way the trueth and the lyfe He doth not say I am custome doughtles euery custome though neuer so auncient though neuer so generall must geue place to the trueth Emongest whome also heare what Cyprian doth say If Christ onely must be harkened vnto sayth he we may not regard what any other did thinke conuenient to be done before our time but what Christ hath done first who is aboue all other For we ought not to followe the custome of men but the trueth of God for as much as the Lord spake by the month of his Prophet Esay and sayd They worshippe me in vayne teaching the doctrines and tradicions of men Moreouer whereas themselues knowe this rule to be infallible that no custome shall prescribe agaynst the prince how much rather ought it be sayd no time or custome shall prescribe agaynst God Otherwise what shall we say of Antichrist which because he hath possessed his Seé more then an hundreth yeares shall he therfore not be accounted for Antichrist for his title of prescription Hitherto therefore the reasons wherewith the Catholickes do maintayne their Antiquitye are declared It remaineth now that we purge our selues of the cryme of Nouelty fasly obbraydid agaynst vs by Osorius especially sith Osorius doth vrge vs so earnestly thereunto wherein I would gladly conferre with that indifferent and vpright reader whome earst I spake of or with any other Catholicke man who hath any sparke of sound and vpright iudgement And I would enquire of him first his iudgement vpon this poynt of doctrine whereas we beleue and professe that our nature euen from our first creation is so vtterly lost and forlorne that in our selues remaineth no helpe at all to rise agayne without Christ agayne that Christ the sonne of God taking our nature vpon him hath made so perfect satisfaction for our sinnes that there remayneth nothing wherein his deseruings haue not sufficiently enough satisfied for all generall yea for the sinnes of the whole world Moreouer that these his merites are so by wonderfull dispensation spread abroad with ouerflowing plenty vppon all mankinde through the singuler and inestimable benefitte and mercy of God that a freé passage is made wide open for all miserable wretches penitent sinners being endued with fayth to haue freé accesse vnto Christ and so layd open as that freély through fayth without all merites of ours without all the works of the lawe they be pardoned and accepted vpon this poynt I say I would fayne heare the opinion of the godly and Catholicke Reader whether this Assertiō hane any maner of Nouelty in it which hath not proceéded from Christ himselfe from Saynt Paule frō the holy Ghost and from the sacred word of God I thinke no man will say so What meaneth this That where the same scripture doth teach vs to repose all our affyaunce not in workes but in Christ onely grounding our selues in the meane space assuredly vpon the infallible promise of God whereof we haue no mistrust but that he which promised freely the same will performe most faithfully not for any our sake but for hys Sonnes sake onely in whom we do beleue so that now there be no reason els of any our righteousnesse in the sight of God then through fayth onely Let the Godly and vpright Reader iudge here agayne with me what Nouelty or Sacriledge is in this manner of Doctrine If according to the authority of Tertullian that thing ought to be preferred that was first diliuered I will aske again of any indifferēt Reader whether this custome were receyued in the Church first namely that we should acknowledge one onely Aduocate and Mediator of God and men the man Christ Iesus Or
whether we should seéke vnto many Aduocates and Mediators for the ease of our miseries Of Inuocation adoration and worshipping this is not a new but an auncient comaundement Thus shalt worshippe the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue And agayne thou shalt make to thy selfe no grauen Image nor the likenes of any thing c. And with what face then do you accuse them of innouation who obserue these thinges according to the prescript rule of the auncient commaundement God did institute in his Church two Sacramentes as appeareth euidently which he commaunded vs to obserue very carefully and deligently If we do not frequent these in that sincerity of Religion as we ought to doe Let vs be condemned But if we doe herein according to duetye and simplicitye of true Religion I pray you what Noueltye is in thys our doinge If we measure the auntient Fathers and Authors of true doctrine by number of yeares we say with Iustine Paule is the Father of Fathers whose authority is of such credite that if an Aungell of heauen would bring any thyng contrary to that which Paule hath taught let him be holden accursed But the same Paule gaue freé liberty to all persons ingenerall to take wyues and did dignify the Mariage bedde by this tytle honourable And called the forbidding of Mariage the doctrine of Deuils And there were amongest the Apostles some which did not only marry wiues but did lead them about with them also according as was lawfull for them to do And how is this contrarye to the auncient custome examples of the Elders If ministers who are appoynted to the ministery in Churches marry wiues for the necessary comfort of theyr liuelyhood We read the scriptures to the vnlettered people in their mother toung we do cōmunicate with them also vnder both kindes both bread and wyne If the Apostles did not vse the same Lett Osorious haue the prise I will further debate thus with this vpright and frendlye Reader desire him that he will vouchsafe to peruse all the parts of our doctrine and view with his eyes euery angle and corner of our Churches Peraduenture he seéth no portrayctes of Images blazed abroad to be worshipped for pence he beholdeth Bare wals and iudgeth them more like vnto Barnes then vnto Churches Yet was the most Auntient Temple of Salomon euen such an other Barne yea such a Barne also was the Tabernacle of God more auncient then the other in the Law carnall may not we wante the gaze of Images in the spirituall Law He seéth no tapers lighted at high noone no palmes no Reliques no belles no oyle no spittle no consecrated fire nor water he seéth not the Sacramentall bread lyfted vppe aloft worshipped he seéth no markette of pardōs no Iubiles no sacrificatory Masses no shauelinges nor beardlesse Priestes no differences of dayes of monethes yeares garemēts meates and colors no stately and pompeous supplications and Processions besides innumerable other Byshapes of frameshapen Ceremonies all which whether ought to be tollerated in Christian Churches I do not at this time discusse Yet this I deale with and enquire of my Reader whether our Churches which doe lacke all these trumperies deserue rather to be condemned of nouelty or do more neérely resemble the liuely and perfect patterne and countenaunce of the most true and most auncient Church But Luther doth teach that freéwill hath no power at all that whatsoeuer a man doth is sinne that whatsoeuer good or euill we do commeth of absolute and vnauoydable necessity c. And what can be spoken so sincerely but by sinister construing may be depraued For how deépely doth not the deadlye sting of Momus wound if it may freély pearce without resistaunce Luther doth embase the power of freéwill in deéde but in that man onely that is not yet regenerate but in thinges appertayning vnto God wherin he weakeneth the effectuall force of freéwill he doth strengthen and establish it with the accesse of Gods grace Of the greatnesse of Sinne and distinction of necessity hath bene spoken so much already that it is neédelesse now to redouble the same agayne All which notwithstanding the indifferent Reader shall finde nothing to be spoken by hym that was not spoken before his time and drawen from the very fountaines and most auntient springes of the Prophettes and Apostles as hath bene declared before both out of the Prophette Esay who recoūteth all our righteousnesse no better worth then a foule menstruous clothe out of Moyses Paule the Prophets who haue taught this doctrine to be most assured That it is God that doth harden the hartes that doth deliuer ouer into reprobate mindes which hath created the wicked man the euill day and that there is no euill in the City that the Lord hath not wrought c. All which if a man should preach in these dayes in the same wordes there is no doubt but Osorius would accuse him of hereticall nouelty Of the iustifyng fayth Luther did discourse very aboundantly and profoundly and with all no lesse faythfuly and truely Whose iudgement we do all embrace gladly and ioyfully And render vnto God most harty thanks for this his inestimable benefite finding nothing in this doctrine that is not throughlye approued most true not onely by the testimony of the Apostles but by the generall consent and agreément of the most auntient Prophettes Paule doth teach that man is iustified in the sight of God by fayth without workes Luther doth teach that we are iustified by fayth onely what difference is there here I pray you Osorius ascribeth rewardes to workes Paule doth openlye take away all rewarde from workes Whose Iudgement is more true or more auntient And what kinde of new doctrine is there here now If Luther agreéing with Paule excludynge workes do establish fayth onely in the doctrine iustification and yet not so altogether excluding workes as that he woulde haue no workes practized but so and in such wise as they may not be sayd to iustify so that now godly and carefull endeuour in faythfull workes should not be sequestred but wicked confidence and vayne superstitious glorying vpon merites vtterlye cutte of rather With which kinde of doctrine if Osorius be offended as with a certayne new fangled Gospell whether is it more reasonable that the euerlasting truth of GOD shall geue place to Osorius persuasiōs or that Osorius should reuoke his errour according to the rule of the trueth In this therefore that Luther teacheth that fayth onely doth iustify in the sighte of God is no new doctrine but the doctrine of Paule But that the minde and meaning of Paule may the better be conceaued it might haue bene added out of S. Iames the best Interpretor of Paule as the which doth more fully expresse the meanyng of Paule what manner of men they be whom onely fayth doth iustify not wicked obstinate Sinners
some glymering of dawning day and to refresh the razed Rent of his ruynous Church and to restore a recouery of his auncient recordes of written veritye the Braynesuck beastes of Romyshe rowte ganne fret aud fume and our sweéte shauelinges seéke at the length that we render them a reason of our Noueltye And because veritye Euangelicall oppressed with Tyranny through the Reuell of Sathās raunging abroad these few yeares eyther durst not shewe it selfe into the open world or could not be heard to plead for it selfe through their outragious vilaines being now quickened from aboue beginneth to display her oryent beames she is called to corā before these cloisterers as though Christe and the doctrine Apostolicall were some straunger in the world and commaunded to Iustifie her chalenge of Antiquitye to them which are neither able to render any reason of theyr counterfayt Antiquitie nor Iustify the trueth of their own cause by any recordes or reportes of probable auncienty or by any testimonie or president of the prymatyue Churche whatsoeuer Wherein me seémeth they behaue themselues no more modestly and shamefastly then theéues and murtherers which breakyng in by nyght into an other mans house hauing by violnce and wrong either slayne or thrust the true owner out of dores chalenge vnto themselues a title of possession And so pleadyng in possession by wrongfull disseisin for tearme of certeyne yeares doe plead occupation and prescription of time agaynst the lawfull heire that hath right by lawe to recouer and demaund Iudgement thrusting the true heire out from his true inheritaunce who in ryght equitye demaundeth restitution For what other thing doe they herein who finding their cause to be no way bettered by vouching of Scriptures which make nothing for thē at all fleé ouer forthwith to yt. Fathers Custome continued of olde by long prescription of time crying out agaynst vs with full mouthes that they haue enioyed their possession in the Church more then xv hundreth yeares and commaund vs to tell them where our Church was litle aboue xl yeares sithence And because they aske it I will tell them conditionally that they will distinctly tell me first what they doe meane by this worde Church If they meane the people perhappes we were not all borne then if they vnderstand the Roofes Walls and Tymber of the Churches they stand euen now in the same place where they were wont to stand are enuironed with the same churchyardes where they stood of old But yf they speake of the doctrine verely it was in the word of God and in the Scriptures discernable enough where also it resteth now rested euer heretofore and shall rest hereafter for euer If they demaund of the forme of gouernment It was in the primitiue Church and many yeares after in Asia Greece Affrick Europe dispersed abroad in all Churches at what tyme euery particular Church was gouerned by theyr peculiar Patriarches and not pente vppe and straighted into one hole vnder the commaundement of one man onely when also neither was any Byshoppe called vniuersall Byshoppe no nor my Lord Byshoppe of Rome called as then vniuersall Byshoppe I haue now told where our Church was before these fourtye yeares It remayneth that I be so bold to demaund agayne of them but especially of our Osorius that he vouchsafe to declare vnto vs where this fine Ciceronisme thys braue poolyshed speach where thys exquisited eloquence of writyng and speaking where this gorgeous furniture of fyled toūges this pyked and straunge statelynes of style was fourty yeares agoe where this wonderfull increase of Artes and Mathematicall sciences was will he eyther say that it is newely found out now or restored agayne rather and deliuered long sithence from olde auncient teachers If he will confesse that they be not new nor speciall deuises of our proper wittes but renewed and reuiued rather out of auncient authors let him then so account him selfe satisfied in his question touching the state of the Church not that it is a newe vpstart but reuiued from olde not garnished with new Coapes but returning agayne in her old Fryse gown For we doe not now build a new Church but we bring forth and beautifye the olde Church But now if any man will seéme to maruell what the verye cause reason should be that these artes and disciplines do rather in these dayes now florishe agayne at length after so long scylence and so long continuaunce in exile and banishment and would neédes know the very true naturall cause hereof What better aūswere shall I make him then that it is done by the speciall prouidence of GOD who of his inestimable goodnesse vouchsafed in these latter dayes to discouer abroad into the world the famous Art of Emprinting By meanes wherof aswell the seédes and principles of all liberall sciences as the knowledge of Diuinitye are extant and in dayly exercise not newly begon now but sproughted vppe of the olde Rootes and recouering their olde beauty So that you haue lesse cause to wonder Osorius that our Deuines beyng enlightened thus with so opē a light of the manifest scriptures and furnyshed with so great store of bookes and helpes of learning doe seé much more in matters of Diuinitye than many our Elders haue done Which helpes and furnitures of bookes if had bene so plentifull in those aūcient yeares of Gregory 7. Nicholas 2. and Innocent 3. for the exercise of wittes as we seé them now dayly and hourely handled and frequented beleue me Osorius The Pope of Rome had neuer so long lurcked in his lazye denne nor so long had bewitched the senses of selly ones with his leger demayne and crafty conueyaunce Nor had Osorius euer sturred his stumpes so stoughtly in this quarell agaynst Haddon Nor had Haddon bene forced to this streight to make defence of his Noueltye at this present But here some one of Osorius Impes will say peraduenture For as much as the state condition of the Church is such that wheresoeuer it be it must neédes be visible and apparaunt to be seéne not thrust vnder a bushell but set on hygh vpon an hill that it may shyne clearely vnto all and for as much also as the Churche of Rome was euer euē from the very swathlyng cloutes of Christian Religion of that excellency as to be able to Iustifie her dignitie and renowme by the whole and full agreable consent of all estates times and places euen vnto this day and that none other Church besides this one alone can mainteyne so lōg a continuaunce of yeares and so great a title of authoritie who may dought hereof but that this Seé of Rome is the onely Seé where onely is refiaunt a true face and profession of the true Church And that on the contrary part the Lutheranes Church beyng but of a few yeares continuaunce and neuer heard of before must therfore be accoumpted not worthy of place or name of a Church
For this is almost the whole strength substaunce of their defence And I am not ignoraunt how plausibly this probable shew glittereth in the eyes of vnskilfull and vnlettered people For so do Philosophers define Probabilitie to be such as seémeth probable either to all men or many or at the least to wise personages But in heauenly thyngs ought a farre other maner of cōsideration be had For if we grounde our selues vpon many we are taught by Christ himselfe That many are called but few are chosen And agayne in an other place That his flocke is a very litle flocke And afterwardes he demaundeth If when the Sonne of mā shall come whether he shall finde any Faith vpō the earth Neither are those thyngs alwayes best wt delight many Agayne if we shall depend vpon the Iudgemēt of the wise we heare likewise the same Lord him selfe geuing thākes vnto his Father that he had hiddē those thinges frō the prudent and wise of this world and reuealed them to litle ones And agayne we read in Paul The wisedome of this world is very foolishnes with God And therfore where as they would haue the Church to be placed on high apparaūt to the view of all the world truly they Iudge not amysse herein namely if they meane of the preaching of the word And yet this is no good Argumēt notwithstādyng that euery Citie vaūced on highest hill shall be forthwith esteémed the true church of God or els what shall be sayd to that famous great City mētioned in the Apocalips Which was foreprophecied should be built not vpon the Toppe of on hill onely but vpon seuen hills Or what shall we Iudge of that exceédyng wondering and worshyppyng of so many Nations so reuerētly hūbled to that Beast whose marcke it is sayd that small and great young and old riche and poore freemen and bondmen yea and those in noumber not a fewe but vniuersally all shall be marked withall in their right handes and in their foreheades Uerely if common sence and consent of people do make a Church where was euer a greater consent or more well likyng and greater admiration of fautours and frendes But they say that the cōsent cōmunitie of their Church is vniuersall Catholick which may not erre by any meanes Now let vs seé how they proue it The Apostle say they in his Epistles did greatly cōmēde the fayth of the Romaine Church This is true Peter also did both consecrate the same to be a See and instruct it in the Fayth I am in dought of this But what hereof After the Apostles tyme many of the Apostles Disciples say they learned Doctours and holy Martyrs Ignatius Irenaeus Cyprian Tertulliā Augustine and all that auncient age of graue Fathers did alwayes most gloriously esteeme of this Church Is there any more yet In the tyme of Basile Nazienzene Chrisostome the Church of Rome was not onely had in highest estimation but also was diuers tymes sought vnto for counsell and ayde neither will I deny this to be true couple herewith if you will that whē other Churches were tossed and turmoyled euery where with Schismes and rent in sunder with seditious factions no one Church besides stoode so long in so quiet a calme not assaulted with any such contētious sectes or variable opiniōs which did not a litle aduaunce the estimation of the Church and gate it no small authoritie Go to and what shal be concluded at the last out of all this For sooth The Church of Rome whiles it reteigned the sounde doctrine and simplicitie of the Fayth was commended of the holy Fathers by the name of a Catholicke and an Apostolicke Church Ergo The Church of Rome is the head and Metropolitane Church of all other Churches which hath neuer hetherto swarued from the true tracke of the truth nor shall euer erre vnder the which all other Churches must be subiect of very necessitie the cōmaundement wherof is an haynous obstinacie to disobey From the which to depart is manifest Schisme agaynst the which to resist and stand is playne heresie all the cōmaundements whereof to sweare obedience vnto is the surest way of sauety moreouer also a very necessary Article of eternall Saluation You do seé I suppose the whole force and subtiltie of your Catholicke cutted Enthymeme Whereof if you will seé a right proportion it is this The Church of Rome was allowed of the holy Apostles or the most auncient Fathers and all the most approued Doctours of the Church for Catholicke and Apostolicke But our Church is the Church of Rome Ergo Our Church is approued for Catholicke and Apostolicke by the consent of all the godly First we aunswere to the Maior proposition The auncient primitiue Church of Rome was approued by the famous cōsent of the learned for Catholicke and Apostolicke Peraduenture it was so yet was not this Church of Rome accompted so alone nor yet to this end so accompted bycause it should be the vniuersall Church of all other Churches For this will forthwith be gayne sayd by the Councels of Nice Mileuitane and by Pope Gregory and all the learned Deuines of that age vntill the cōmyng of Boniface 3. Moreouer neither was it for that cause so famously commended with so great consent bycause it was the Church of Rome but bycause it was a Christian Church Neither for any prerogatiue of the place though Peter sate there a thousand tymes For euen this also will an aūcient Pope Gregory deny as appeareth euidently by the Decreés Neither the places nor the dignities do make vs more acceptable to our Creatour but either our good deedes doe couple vs vnto him or our euill deedes do exclude vs frō him Moreouer not bycause it can prescribe an ordinary Succession of Byshops For Ierome also will not admit this They be not children of holy ones forthwith sayth he that occupie the possessiō of the holy ones but they that practize the workes of the holy ones But bycause with the Succession of Byshops they did ioyne agreable profession in true Religion bycause they did apply them selues to imitate the Fayth Religion and order of worshyppyng instituted by the Apostles bycause they did not varry frō well ordered Churches in any part of sounde doctrine For this cause I say namely for their sincere vnstayned Fayth and constaunt vprightenes of Religion not defiled with filthy stenche of erroneous doctrine the Church of Rome obteined of the auncient godly Fathers to haue a place amongest the Catholicke Apostolicke Churches But what is this O ye Apostolicke Princes to this your Romish Church in the state that it is now in the disorderous order whereof as it is at this day reuelyng with Cardinalles riotyng in Court glorified with this title of Uniuersall head garnished with tripple Crowne garded with the double sword magnified with Patriarches and innumerable other titles of dignitie armed with Abbottes mounted with Mounkes saluted
foretold the people of God good and gladsome tidings yet I thinke you will not nūber him emongest the Godly Prophets of God The Spirite that was raysed by Saul in the name of Samuel to foreshew what should become of the successe of the battell dyd not tell otherwise then as it came to passe afterwardes Lykewise also in the Acts of thapostles The Prophetisse at Phillippos dyd prophecye many things of Paul and Timothe which were true and maruailous yet will no man assigne her a place emongest the true Prophetisses What shall we say of the Deuil himselfe which dyd foretell to Siluerster the Pope that he should neuer dye before he came vnto Ierusalem what was not the sequel aunswerable to hys former tale How then Osorius are those then to be accōpted the true Prophets of God which doe foretell the thinges that shall come to passe I thinke not so Neither doth the Scripture affirme the same to be true The true Prophets of God doe pronounce truely from out the true treasures of the hart And not contrarywise all they that doe tell true thinges altogether ought alwayes to be takē for true Prophets of God But whatsoeuer he be that teacheth false Doctrine and is found a lyar it is most certein that he is not sent of God Telling trueth therfore namely in Successes humaine doth not alwaye asrgue him that doth foretell the same to be a true Prophet of God But lying doth alwayes bewray a false Prophet And this is it wherof the Scripture would haue vs to be forewarned in this place For the wordes of the Scripture doe not so directly determine that euery person whosoeuer foretelleth the trueth of euery thing is therefore sent from God But it setteth downe this speciall marke That yf any Prophet haue foretold any thing in the name of the Lord which doth not afterwades come to passe By thys marke sayth the Scripture shall you know that a man hath spoken it and not the Lord Then which signe say you no thing can be more sure nothing more euident nothing more commodious for our sauetye And thys also doe we confesse as well as you doe And so much hitherto for the Maior But to aūswere the Minor now what is any of all this to Luther Melancthon and their companyons Because they haue promised say you so largely and so lowdly whereas they gaue so great a hope of themselues by their glorious promises that it should come to passe that they would call backe agayne the decayed lyfe of the Christians and the dissolute maners of the Church to the auncient purity of the Gospell they did so performe nothing of that they promised that they left all thinges in far worse case then they receaued them I will aunswere to both And first your allegation of their promises we haue shewed already how it is altogether vntrue to the iustyfying of which flaunder agaynst thē you haue not brought forth one sillable so much hitherto out of all the writinges of Luther or Melancton wherewith you are able to charge thē Whereas on thother side it will be no matter of difficultye for me to conuince you for an open lyar by innumerable places out of Luther himselfe Emōgest many I will cyte one by the which the Reader may easily vnderstand how farre of Luther was from that glorious kinde of braggery of Reformation wherewith you doe slaunder him most Impudently For after this manner doth he make a reporte of himselfe writing vpon the Psalmes of degreés I doe gladly vse sayth Luther mine owne experience for what is it or how much is it that he hath geuen to me alone I did desire no thing els then that this abuse of pardons might be taken away But behold what an vnmeasurable Sea of Gods marueilous bounty and liberality ensued therupon So that it is generall true that no man dare wishe so much as God is ready to geue The cause is the mistrust fulnesse of our hart the lacke of hope and weakenes of fayth Thus much Luther Go to now and where is now that glorious hope promised and bragge of promise whereas himselfe cōplaineth of wāt of hope of mistrustfulnes of hart and weakenesse of fayth or vpon what confidence could he dare promyse so largely and boldly to others that which him selfe confesseth playnely he durst not be so bold as to wish for But put the case they promised all that you haue spoken what then you adde forthwith But they dyd not performe their promises◠what they performed or what they did not performe in the reformation of manners I doe not so much stand vpon Nor do I speake all here that I could But leaue it to the iudgement of him that shall iudge the quicke and the dead Euery person canne iudge himselfe and his owne cause best but of others it is very hard to determine any certaynty Malice is alwayes a blinde iudge Malepart slaunder is a lying witnesse It had bene more sittyng for you and your modesty beginning at your owne home to haue first purged your owne faultes to haue pluckt the beames out of your owne eyes before you had vttered such insolent waywardnesse in troubling of other mens studies Admitte that it may be freé for a man to proclaime openly to the world the notorious faultes and offences of others which either himselfe doth seé or doth gather vpon common report yet this iudgement as it may be frée so ought it be vpright iust But you enflamed with I know not what outragious insolency of minde not of any iudgement but of a certayne franticke fury do so handle your cause as though he were no good man nor could be a good man whosoeuer doth beare the name of a Lutherane that is to say a professed Christian and as though neuer any such abhominations could haue infected the world if Luther had nener taught at all thē which slannderous maner of speéch what could impudency it selfe haue spoken more impudently or more vntruely But not to tary long vpon this poynte and to graunt you also that you Assume so impudently For this I suppose you assume as matter most certayne that these men did performe no part of that which they promised Goe to and when weé yelde you all that you will to witte that they entred into large promises and that they performed nothing and that all things became worsse to what end tēd all these at the last what doe these mountaynes of Gilboe bring forth at the length Come of Luther now with all thy Lutheranes and take a full con̄clusion of all and goe hang your selues Ergo You be false Prophets deceitfull and fraudulent seducers not onely to be eschued of men but by Gods law worthy to be burnt also The Cocke crewe and it was day all abroad But that weé may be so bolde to sift out this rusticall Logicke what doe I heare Osorius Is it so ought all such as breake theyr promises and couenauntes
To witt if there be not a Purgatory Osorius doth lye if he be a lyar Ergo he is not sent froÌ„ God but from the Deuill the father of lyes Which counterbuffe is so much the more probably applyable agaynst Osorius then agaynst Luther by how much he persisteth more obstinately in the maintenaunce of that filthy quauemyre of Purgatory For as much as although Luther did erre somewhat in that matter at the first yet afterwardes knowing the trueth did reduce himselfe to a more sound iudgement so that now he neither maketh for the Papistes in affirming Purgatory neither by that his former vntrueth error sinneth agaynst God at all Therefore as touching his forked and double horned argumeÌ„t wherein the first part of Osorius his Position If there be no Purgatory Luther doth lye If Osorius here doe vnderstand of a lye Formaliter Luther doth not lye but Osorius doth lye But if Luther be adiudged according to that which he once thought and taught once why should he be more reproched with a lye in affirming Purgatory then commended in the trueth in denying Purgatory afterwardes Moreouer if a lye be such a kinde of thing as you doe affirme in your other Position wh doth separate vs from God surely he is to be accoumpted a lyar not that reuoketh the error which he maintayned before but he that still persisteth obstinately in his ouerthwart opinion manifestly agaynst the trueth But the Scholemen that in their Schooles dispute somewhat more subtilly of the nature of a lye do ioyne together to the full proportion or making of a lye the will also of him that doth make the lye to speake the schole tearmes with the part of the false surmise In the one whereof they ground the matter or substaunce in the other the forme or qualitye Therefore for asmuch as there is no sinne but that which is voluntary if we will speake after the proprietye of speéch he that in teaching or disputing doth mainteyne a falshoode thinking that he doth maintayne a trueth he is to be sayd that he erreth and is deceaued in opinion but doth not make a lye properly but per accidens as the schoole men speake and materialiter And therfore touching the one horne of your sophisme If there be not a Purgatorye Luther doth lye If you meane it formaliter as I sayd it is vntrue and a deuise of Osorius Now remayneth thother horne whereof we must be well aduised how wee doe aunswere it If he did lye say you Ergo He was not sent from God If this be true that neuer any man was sent from God that did make any kinde of lye at any tyme Lett Osorius looke well to the matter how he may be able to crack me these two nuttes that I will lykewise geue vnto him as euidently in ech respect agaynst him If Sara were not Abraham his sister then did Abraham lye If Abraham did lye then was he not sent from God Yea further also to adde hereunto an intent of deceauing Here is yet an other matter If Iacob were not the first begotten sonne of Isaack by Rebecca his wyfe both Iacob lyed and the Mother also If the Myddwyues did not drowne the young sucklings of the Hebrues then did they make a lye vnto Pharao If king Saul gaue vnto Dauid no commaundement by worde of mouth commiâ—g to Achimelech then did Dauid make a lye 1. Kinges Chap. 21. If all these of whom I haue spoken Iacob Rebecca the Middwiues Dauid did lye Ergo they were not sent from God which if Osor. will not deny to be a most arrogant vntrueth what remaineth but that this cruell Sauadge two horned beast together with Luther goare the holy Patriarches also with his hornes or casting away his hornes acquite Luther and the Patriarches also both together Now I put Osorius to his choyse to take which he will Howbeit I speake not this to acquite Luther cleare from all spott of error NotwithstaÌ„ding it is not all one to hold an error and to maintayne a lye It is one thing to be vnskilfull and ignoraunt and an other thing to reuoke in season assoone as a man doth know his error The first whereof is a speciall poynt of humaine infirmitye thother a singuler benefite of Gods mercy Both which we haue seéne to haue chaunced euen in the most holy ones of all We reade of the most holy messenger and forerunner of the Lord speaking on this wise And I sayth he knew him not Neuerthelesse in an other place we heare the same speaking on this wise Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world And what maruell was it if Luther were ignoraunt in some thinges a whiles which were discouered vnto him afterwardes And where hath euer bene so quicksighted a Spinx that was able to seé all things at once which prerogatiue the Barnardines dare not geue vnto Barnard himselfe But Osorius will not leaue of his handfast And would gladly know as he sayth Whether senteÌ„ce of Luther Haddon will determine vpoÌ„ to be true seing Luther is Author of both Of the first wherein he affirmeth a Purgatory to be or the last wherein he denyeth the same thing agayne That I may passe ouer in the meane space whose Cartloades full of Tauntes Mockes and Mountaynes of lyes which he vomiteth out in the bosome of the good man most brutishly euen to the ridding of his gorge almost I will aunswere to the matter and the reprochfull Taunt it selfe briefly without Tauntes As concerning the very trueth and naturall substaunce of Doctrine howsoeuer mens opinions and Iudgements be carryed hither and thither in wauering vncerteynty yet trueth is neuer vnlyke it selfe but remayneth alwayes one and the same also vnchaungeable which suffreth not it selfe to be toste to and fro after the whirling variablenes of mens imaginations but standeth alwayes sound and vnshaken builded vpon the vnpenetrable Rocke of the Scriptures of God Now if Luthers rule be agreably apporcioned accordyng to the infallible squarier of that holy staÌ„dard whether it be first or whether it be last why should it not be worthely embraced not because it is the last but because it is the truest On the other side if in all his doctrine be any assertion that deserueth to be reprehended as repugnauÌ„t or varying from the true touchestone of Christian profession there be extant the holy Scriptures of God manifest and layd open there be auÌ„cient ordinauÌ„ces of the Primitiue Church There be approued Testimonies of learned men There be groundes and principles of doctrine wherewith ye may lawfully conuince him Yet orderly notwithstanding and courteously that the Readers may finde you to be a learned Deuine or skilfull Logician not a rayling Slaunderer and fryuolous brabbler Now to what purpose serueth so much cursed rayling no lesse vnseasonable then vnreasonable so many Tauntes so many slaunders so many subtiltyes and so many bitter skoffes what neéded
estimation of his speaches without yeloyng any reason or demonstration of the thynges which he vttereth in good sooth then haue you spoken enough Osorius and crackt the creditt of all the poore Lutherans vtterly as you say But if in decidyng of controuersies trueth must be tryed not with bare speéches but with substantiall matter certes either you must gett a better visor for your glorious persuation or els in my iudgement you were better hold your peace altogether You doe oppresse vs in a glorious braggery of speéch with the speéches of the Apostles and with the tradicioÌ„s of the Apostles disciples And yet out of all the Apostles writings can not any man hitherto force from you no not by violence one title so much which will auaile any ioate to the creditt of those your Assertions but will rather deface them discouer your packing Upon the neck of them you do force vpon vs also the authoritye of auncient Fathers and the generall consent of the vniuersall Church cleare from all maner of variablenes and disagreéing What a iest is this As though there were any one of those auncient Fathers euer borne as yet that euer vttered one sillable so much of purging the sinnes of the faythfull after they were once departed this lyfe or of the Popes Pardons of the Propiciatory Sacrifice of the Masse of Transubstantiation of Merite Meritorious of Merite of CoÌ„gruum and Condignum or that euer durst presume to make the Sacrifice of the Altar comparable with the Sacrifice of the Crosse or durst affirme that Christ himselfe was really in the consecrated hoast with all the dimentions and liniaments of the same body which suffred death vpon the Crosse or would euer ascribe to a pelting Priest full power to Merite and offerr Sacrifice for the quick and the dead Now if euer you haue chaunced vpon any such Doctrine in the writings of the auncient Fathers gentle Syr Byshopp why doe yoe not vouch the same boldly wherby you may seéme to haue confuted vs not with babling but with trueth and substaunce of matter But if you haue not so done as yet nor seéme euer able to doe it where is then that generall consent and agreément of the whole Church Where be these Records and Monuments of auncient Antiquitye and of all foreages Where be those inuincible Arguments Where be those irreproueable Testimonyes and vndeceiueable examples wherevpon you crake so lustely perhappes you will empart them vnto vs in your next bookes at your better leysure For hitherto as yet you haue hadd no leysure to muster that your braue guarison that you beare your selfe so stought vpon and to leade them into the fielde being otherwise surcharged with farr more weightie affaires And now to deteigne theé no longer geÌ„tle Reader thou hast heard heretofore howe this Portiugall hath powred forth his prattling Rhetorick for the vpholding of his Purgatory his Uowes his Supplications and Prayers for the safety of the dead and also of that most holy oblation of all other the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ offred for the reconcilemeÌ„t of Gods wrath and displeasure There remayneth behinde the knitting vp of all this geare Wherein purposing to make an end of his whole discourse he rusheth vpon Haddon with all the bent of his Eloquence Dare you be so bold sayth he to call this holynes of Religion this ardent endeuour of Loue this comfortable oblation offred not for vs alone but for our bretheren also wherewith we are knitt together in an euerlasting amitye to be defacinges disgracements of Religion A very haynous offeÌ„ce verily to call a Boate by the name of a Boate and a Mattock by the name of a Mattock But here was one sharde left open which must neédes be slopt vp with some brambles and Bryars Is not this foolishnes Is not this vnshamefastnes Is not this Madnes For if Osorius Eloquence were not furnished with these flashing flames surely it would be very colde But how more commendable yea how much more seémely and sittingly for his personage in my conceipt should he haue done if surceasing these outragious exclamations which preuaile not to the creditt of his cause the value of a pinne he hadd discreetly and with sober reasons debated the matter first and examined thoroughly whether Haddon hadd spoken trueth or falshood If he haue vttered the trueth then is Osorius frendly dealt withall If he haue spoken any untruethes there be scriptures there be arguments meéte and couenable Reasons wherwith Osorius might easily both defend the truth of his ReligioÌ„ and preserue it from to be impeached by others Spightfull reproching Skornefull taunting Cotqueanelyke rayling Rascallyke raging and Barbarous exclaming further not the defence of his cause If Osorius be so fully settled and so throughly wedded to his Church that no persuasion will seduce him to thinke that his Churche may straye by any meanes from the right course and that in all his Religion is no wrinkle or spott that may be amended surely he is herein very much deceaued Conferr who so list the whole face shape of the Popes ReligioÌ„ to witt his adoratioÌ„ his SacrameÌ„ts his Masses his breadworshipp his Imageworshipp his Sacrifices his ApplicatioÌ„ his TransubstantiatioÌ„ his Releasing of sinnes his Merits his Ceremonyes his Pardons sixe hundreth lyke papisticall truÌ„peries with the pure cleare founteines of the sacred Scriptures with the Institution Euangelicall and the expresse rule of the doctrine Apostolique and he shall easily perceaue that Haddon did vse an ouer myld maner of speéch wheÌ„ he called theÌ„ disgracements Some other man perhappes would haue blazed abroad these dreggs with some grosser tearmes Truely if the Apostle Paul hadd heard these profound opinions and these deépe deuises of the Romish Religion and hadd seéne their decrees their Cannons their Clogges of Ceremonies snares of consciences I he liued now and beheld these obseruations of dayes Monethes times these vowes and restraintes of meÌ„ forbidding Marriage denying the lawfull vse of meates which are now dayly frequented in the Church would any man dought whether he would call these disgracements of Religion or the Doctrines of Deuils rather But because we haue spoken hereof sufficiently before It shall be lesse neédefull to take this dounghill abroad any more But Osorius goeth forward and because HaddoÌ„ shall not escape sâ—â—tfreé for naming his pontificall pilfe to be disgracements of Religion Osorius acquiteth him with the like beadroll of the Lutherans corruptions in a long raggemarow of wordes that so comparing both partes one with an other to witt Luthers nakednes and beggery with the maiestie glory of the Catholickes he may make them to grow into the greater obloquy and hatred It remaineth therefore that we geue eare a whiles vnto the gallaunt brauery and loftines of Osorius Eloquence To abaÌ„don dutifull obedieÌ„ce to the Magistrate to disturbe the auncient ordinaunces of the Church to defyle the virginitie of sacred Nunnes
Queéne despising those franticke furies of broylyng Bulles and crauyne curses would banish this proud Tarquine from out their kyngdomes territories Which if they did it were not to be doughted but that the publique tranquillitie of all Christian Nations would enioy a farre more ioyfull countenaunce of freédome and concorde And yet I speake not this to the end that I would haue godly Prelates dispossessed from their dignitie or would wish their authoritie empayred the value of a rush S. Paule doth not in vayne admonish vs to yeld double honour to Byshops and Rulers of the Church but with this prouiso annexed to witte if they rule well if they do labour mightely in doctrine and preachyng But what prerogatiue can the Romish Byshop clayme from hence more then any other particular Byshop The Pope hath his owne Prouince lett him guide that as well as he caÌ„ lett him not encroche vpon others nor hawke for hawtyer Titles of honour then beseémeth his function The Ecclesiasticall dignitie is a ministery not an Empyre a charge and a burden rather then a Lordlynes or superioritie wherein he that will presume to rule the roaste ouer others must looke aduisedly to him selfe first that he gouerne well that he labour mightely in the word doctrine If the Byshops and Priestes be not negligent and retchelesse in their owne dutyes they shall neuer be defrauded of their due honour and dutyfull obedience nor euer were denyed therof For eueÌ„ for this cause that valiauÌ„t kyng of England Constantine that noble Emperour Theodosius that famous Ludouicke Pius the French kyng and other like Princes did esteéme highely of good and godly Christian Ministers and obeyed them which instructed them in the word of God did enure them selfes to their godly exhortations as the Emperour Valentinian doth report euen as to wholesome potioÌ„s and medicinable restoratiues Euen so Theodosius beyng excluded from partakyng the holy Communion by Ambrose did most modestly obay The same Theodosius also beyng determined to exercize cruell reuenge against the Thessalonians and beyng counsayled by Ambrose that in geuyng sentence vpon lyfe and death he would take breath pause by the space of xxx dayes least in rage and fury he should accomplish that whereof he might afterwardes repent him did willyngly and obediently submitt him selfe to the graue exhortation of the godly Father Semblably many other notable Potentates also in many great and weighty matters did humbly yeld to the sweéte persuations of such as were farre their inferioursâ— Princes for the preseruation of their health do obay the direcâ—â—â—n of their Phisitions In the lawes positiue they be guided and ledd by the conduct of the Lawyers And yet for all this such subiectes do not cease to be subiectes still neither refuse their due obedience to their liege Lordes and Gouernours It happeneth oftentymes that the maister will be aduised by his seruauÌ„t and the husband guided by the discretion of the wife yet ceaseth not therefore the Maister to be Maister nor the Husband to be head ouer his Wife As in all well ordered common weales be Maior alties Bayliwickes and many degreés of Officers which doe seuerally employ their functions for the preseruation of common societie yet must there be one onely soueraigne emongest them of some greater couÌ„tenaunce who by his wisedome and authoritie may guide the inferiour Magistrates and bridle the insolency of the rude multitude But the Catholickes doe deny that the Catholicke Church ought to be subiect to this authority If vnder the name of Church they do comprehend the ordinaunces and ceremonies wherewith the Church is administred they do speake truly In deéde the word of God the Articles of doctrine and of fayth the administration of the Sacramentes and the discretioÌ„ of byndyng and excoÌ„municatyng is not attempered by the regiment and commaundement of Princes nor doth the Ciuile Magistrate entermedle with the administration of any of these thyngs But if they meane the personages of men who are exercized in this holy function or the charge dispositioÌ„ of particular matters that are incideÌ„t to the Ministery they do say vntruly for as much as there is no Ciuile potentate vnto whoÌ„ is not coÌ„mitted the order gouernement of all members of the coÌ„mon weale indifferently as well Ministers Preachers of the word as all other inferiour Magistrates Subiectes Otherwise the doctrine of Paule were in vayne Let euery soule submit it selfe to the higher power the truth whereof is to be Iustified by the most approued exaÌ„ples of both the old and new Testamentes If we begyn at Moyses who supplyed the office of a Ciuile Magistrate and from him descend to all the Ages of our owne Emperours Potentates Emongest all which Magistrates we shall finde none but hath receaued by Gods commaundement the gouernement of Ecclesiasticall persones aswell as of Ciuile Magistrates as inferiour Subiectes It would require a long discourse to treate throughly of all the names and gouernementes of Emperours and Ciuile Potentates To make a brief rehearsall of the chiefest First in the old Testament how many examples are extaunt of such Princes â—s do prescribe ceremonies for the Tabernacle which doe fetche backe agayne the Arke of the couenauÌ„t which make holy Sonettes and Psalmes Rule ouer Priestes builde Churches moreouer do cleanse them agayne after they were defiled do ouerthrow Temples Altares reforme abuses which also sometymes doe pronounce exhortations to the people touchyng the worshyppyng of God do aduertise the Priestes of their dutyes and ordeyne lawes for them to guide their lyues by which appoint Orders and obseruations in the Church which doe kill wicked Prophetes yea and many tymes also doe prophecy in their owne persones In the new Testament lykewise how many examples are to be seéne in the recordes of the best ages of kinges and Monarches who within their owne Territories and dominions haue ordayned godly and learned Byshoypes to rule ouer prouinces and haue deposed such as haue bene vnworthye haue suppressed the riott and insolencye of Priestes who haue not onely Sommoned Synodes and Councells of Byshops but do sitt emongest them geue sentence with them yea prescribe orders vnto them which they shall obay are presidents ouer their Councells doe depose hereticall Byshoppes which geue iudgement vpon matters of Religion which doe sett downe articles pronounce sentence disanull the opinions of heretiques and ratifie the Doctrine of the Catholicke fayth If the most auncieÌ„t and most Christian kinges Emperors did not entermeddle heretofore in all these causes the report of Historyes is false If our kinges and Queénes doe the lyke at this present what cause hath Osorius to frett and fume If the charge of Religion and Religious persons doe not pertayne to the ciuill pollicye in any respect surely Constantine did not behaue himselfe discretely who in his owne person decyded the causes and controuersies of Byshopps which did appeale to his Maiestye entermedled his authoritye in
of the Euangelicall doctrine to glister and shyne farre and wyde abroad ouer all Christendome at this tyme which because was not so resplendisaunt and lightsome in the tyme of certeine of our forefathers of late yeares whereas neuerthelesse Christ did alwayes preserue embrace his Church with lyke mercye and fauour therefore he accompteth this Gospell of Christ to be a new straunge Doctrine contrary to Christ and this also not Osorius alone supposeth to be so but many other Deuines wandring inlyke error who are maliciously wroth agaynst Luther as though he a few others were the first deuisours and coyners of this Gospell Thē which vntrueth can nothing be more vntrue Nay rather if Luther had neuer bene borne if Bucer or Caluine had neuer taught yet could your ignoraunce and shamelesse errors haue no longer lurked in darknes through one singuler and especiall prouidēce of God not that whereby Luther was sent abroad into the world but by that inestimable benefite of Gods blessing prepared for the behoofe of his Church I meane the singuler and most excellet Art of Emprinting By this meanes it pleased Gods good mercy both to prouide for the weaknes of his Church withall auēge himselfe vpon your Tyrannous cruelty by a certein secret vnsearchable maner For imediately after Iohn Husse Ierome of Prage the most holy Martyrs of God were by your horrible fury and wickednes consumed to ashes and the veritye of the Gospell suppressed by your Tyranny could neither be suffred to speake franckly nor shew her face abroad boldely nor eskape your rauenous gaping freély skarse x. yeres were come gonne before that in place of two poore Prophetts almighty God had raysed vpp all the holy Prophetts Patriarches Apostles Euangelistes and all the holy doctours of the Church Martyrs Confessours and Interpretours of holy Scripture as it were a certeine army of heauenly knightes armed at all poyntes to encounter your outragious assaultes who because could not be permitted to speake openly in the Church through your tyranny begann to presse forth boldly now in the open Printers shopps and to leape into euery mans bosome and handes and withall to bewray your ignoraunce and Tretchery and to discouer not new wellsprings of Doctrine but to skoure and make cleane the olde fountaines and Conduyt pypes of the Gospell of grace stoppt vp by the popish Philistines And hereupon begann to spreadd abroad with glystering beames the large encrease of this gladsome Doctrine which if be so combersome a block in your way you may not therefore wreake your anger vpon Luther but deuise make some prouiso for these Printers for these bookes for learning and for Languages and to tell you as the trueth is you must excommunicate God himselfe Who durst be so hardy to bestow his vnspeakable mercy vpō this later and declining age of his Church in relieuing comforting her long and werysome trauaile with so many and so plentifull graces and aydes of true Doctrine and sound vnderstanding that would prouide for her sicknes so many learned Phisitions and Doctors not Luther Zuinglius Bucer and Caluine but Moses the Prophetts Apostles Euangelistes and cannonicall Scriptures through the reading and dayly perusing of the which if Christian hartes being better enlightened doe now feéle and perceaue sensybly that which our forefathers were forced to groape after in darkenes you ought not to muse thereat at much lesse to enuye and maligne it Wherefore as touching the grayheadded age of this Doctrine whereat you doe barke so impudently with your currish snarling for as much as we doe professe nothing els then the same that is comprehended within Gods booke and which before our tyme was taught by Moses aucthorized by the Prophetts Apostles what meaneth this your I will not say reason but vnreasonable insensibilytye with such vnsauery subtlety so to wryth wrest that to the defacing of this Doctrine which Haddon did conceaue of the outward lybertye and freédome of the Preachers only as though this doctrine were of no better creditt and no longer continuaunce then these last thyrty yeares and so shamelesly by many hundred yeares to preferre the auncienty of Mahumets sect before the knowledge of this Gospell But it had bene more conuenient for you good syr to haue learned by diligent enquirye whether this comparison of sectes doe not serue more fittly with that your pampered Papane for asmuch as that heathenish Paganisme and your prophane Papacye were both whelped nere about one tyme and almost within the compasse of one yeare which yeare we doe accompt by the reueled computation in S. Iohn to be the sixe hūdreth sixty and sixe Now that this deépe Deuine hath reasonably well beaten his braynes about matters of Diuynitye he doth beginne to cast a new floorish about and will haue a cast at the prosperitye and stayed estate of Princes presuming vpon his politique wisedome to councell kinges and Queénes and chiefly aboue others our gracious Queéne Elizabeth with what modesty she ought to attemper the prosperous successes and happy tranquillitye of her estate That she trust not to much to fawning fortune that there is nothing certeine in the course of this lyfe and many perills are to be feared in matters most pleasaunt and prosperous to the viewe and that no thing is more daungerous then carelesse securitye because as after light followeth darkenesse and after Calme come Clowdes euen so the whole course of this lyfe hath his continuall enterchaunges Ioy sometymes surprised with sodeyne sorrow agayne heauinesse chaunged into honour that all thinges are carryed about in a certaine vehement whyrling vnstablenesse as it were the fleyng vanes of a windemill forced about with Boreas blastes The thinges that are now aloft be sodenly throwen downe and contrarywise the things that be simple base doe at an instant mount aloft And that it commeth oftē to passe that whom God is most displeased withall those same he will ouershadow with more fruitfull aboundaunce of vertue grace and endue them with happy assuraunce not of fyue yeares onely but of many yeares continuaunce that so the greater that their fall is the deeper may their wound be according to the old prouerbe the higher wall the greater fall Briefly that there is no state of honour so firme so sure garded wherein a man may assure himselfe of a minute in safetye which doth euidently appeare by the example of Craesus who being vanquished of Cyrus and prepared vpō a pyle of wood ready to be bourned did cry vpō Solon with a lowd voyce and being demaunded by Cyrus who that Solon was Craesus doth declare the councell that he long before had receaued of that Solon whereupon Cyrus commaunding him to be taken downe from the stacke of wood after that he had thereby learned to bridle his Choler did not onely preserue him on lyue but hadd him in great reuerence and estimation This farre forth Osorius euen out
Sacrament of bread and wine is called the body and bloud of Christ. August to Boniface 13. Episto August vppon the psalme 89. August agaynst Adimant 13. The circumstaunces about the Supper of the Lord are to be considered August vpon the wordes of the Lord in Lake Ser. 33. August in Ioh. tractar 25.26 The abseÌ„ce of the body of Christ more profitable for vstheÌ„ his presence An Argument in respect of the profit therof Antichrist An argument from Impossibilitye Contradictiories cann not be together not so much as by miracle A great diuersitie betwixt the auncient Church of Rome and this vpstart Church The lynes and couersatioÌ„ of the auncieÌ„t Fathers of the primitiue Church The first age of the Church Deut. 12. Gala. 1. Math. 7. In processe of time the maners and ordinaunce of ChristiaÌ„s were chauÌ„ged The middle age of the Church How sure forth humayne authoritye doth binde Ecclesiasticall function consisteth in two thinges chiefly How farre ecclesiasticall power doth extend it selfe In matters appertayning vnto God dew obedience ought to be geuen to the Pastors and Ministers How farre forth obedieÌ„ce ought to be geuen or not geueÌ„ to Pastours of the churche in matters of mens constitutioÌ„ What ministers ought to consider in makyng new ordinaunces Of iudiciall power of Churches The difference betwixt Ecclesiasticall temporall IudgemeÌ„ts Ecclesiasticall discipline in the primitiue Church The first institution of the primitiue church compared with the tymes of the latter Church The foundation of the christiaÌ„ Church The foundation of the Romyshe Church The Popes doctrine coÌ„uinced by foure principall pointes The popes Church more like an earthly kyngdome then the kyngdome of Christ. A smale discription of the Romishe Ierarchye A comparison betwixt the kingdome of the Pope and the kingdome of this world Iohn 20. A comparison betwixt the popes kyngdome and Christs kyngdome Luke 20. Mar. 10. Luce. 12. 2. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 4. 2. Cor. 1. 1. Pet. 5. Rom. 12. The shape of the Romish Ierarchy The counteâ—faite authoritie of popes The church wickedly defined by the papistes How the Romishe stagers doe counterfayt olde Antiquitye A manifest declaration of the Romish church as it is now to be nothing at all Gregor 4. booke 30. Epistle The order of Cardinalles The electioÌ„ of the pope of Rome Cyprian 4. booke Epistle 2. The auncient authoritie of Emperours in sommoning Councelles and in chusing popes A Decree of Charles the great Otto Distinct 6 3. The olde Canons do abhorre priuate Masses Canon 8. The power of both swords coÌ„trary to the old CanoÌ„s The thyrd CouÌ„cell of Carthage Cap. 47. In the new Constitutions 123. 146. Cap. 3. Antiquitie agaynst Images in Churches Origene vpon Leuit. Cap. 16. Chrisost. vpon Math. 1. Homel 2. Vpon Iohn Homel 31. August de opera Monach Malburiensis de pontificibus Lib. 1. An auncieÌ„t law of EnglaÌ„d against pluralities All thynges altered by the pope Out of the Tridentine Councell Generall Councels accordyng to the old constitutioÌ„s aboue the pope The Church of Rome as it is now is conuinced of Nouelty The Councell of Laterane A new doctrine first instituted in the same vnder Pope Innocent 3. Cap. 1. Of the sacrifice of the Masse Of priuate confession The Laterane councell vnder Innocent 3. Cap. 21. Chrisost. in his fourth Sermon of Lazarus Chrisost. vp on the psal 50. hom 2. Chriso vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues homi 31. Tripart histo lib. 9 Cap. 35. Erasmus iu his Apolo The Sacraments of the Romish Church Out of Huntington the 7. booke Out of the Chronicles of Monumetensis Councell of Gangren Cap. 4. Out of the 2. councel of Arelaten 2. cap. Pope Lucius decree distinâ— 81. Ministri The greatest part of the Romish doctrine newly fouÌ„d out and brought in within thâ—s 500. yeares Apoc. 21. Trueth suffereth violence A figure called Hypotiposis Whereby the state of the RomaÌ„s Church and the Reformed Churche is expressed In the question of the Churche many things are conteined People buildyng doctrine forme of gouernement Where the Churche of Lutheranes was fourtie yeares ago A Similitude betwixt the restitutioÌ„ of Religion the finest of the tounges Reason reÌ„dered why Religion is more pure at this tyme in the Churches then it was in many yeares before The Arte of Emprintyng The reason and obiection of the Catholicks in the defeÌ„ce of their Church Probable with Deuines Rome built vpon seuen hilles Apocal. 13. The reason of the papistes touchyng the consent and proofe of their vniuersalitie The captious conclusion of the Catholicks The aunswere to the Argument Distinct. 40. Non loca Distinct. 4. Non est A fallax in the Equiuocum which is of diuers significations The Rom. Church doth combate against the true Church of Christ vnder a coulour of christian name Origen vpon Mathew cap. 17. Irene 3. book cap. 4. The trueth is the life of the church Lactant. 5. institu cap. 30. ArgumeÌ„tes made from consent and multitude of authors are weake Math. 10. Eccle. 1. Ieremy 8. Osorious accusation which was properly bent against Doctrine is transposed to maners To what end tendeth the force of Osorius Accusation Osorius doth deny that Luthers doctrine hath any affinitye with the Apostolique Scriptures Pag. 181. Osor. pag. 182. Osorius lying Rhetorick The Argument of Osorius The Aunswere to the Argument Osorius quarell of lyfe and maners Tit. 1. Ill may the Snight the Woodcock twight for his long bill The lyfe of the Lutheranes compared with the Catholickes The vices of maners are not to be imputed to his doctrine The fruites of Luthres doctrine Osor pag. 182. The confutation of hisl aunder Artic. 21. The scoffe of Luthers doctrine Luther offeÌ„ded with the life of his countrey men Osor. pag. 187. Deut. 18. The argument of Osorius 1. Kinges Act. 1â— A true difference betwixt the false and the true Prophett Luther vpon the 130. Psalme Mens iudgemeÌ„ts in findyng faulte may be free so that they be vpright Out of Valer Ansel. Iohn Stella Out of BeÌ„uo a Cardinall Of couenauntes and promises not alwayes holden true emoÌ„gest the papistes Iere. cap. 23. Osorius argument out of Ieremy Aunswere to the argument The fallax of the consequent The aunswere to the Maior The reason to discerne betwixt false and true Prophetes accordyng to Osorius The aunswere of the Minor Osori pag. 190. The place of Ieremy expounded Iohn Husse The prophecy of Iohn Husse touchyng the doctrine of the Gospell to be restored by Luther A small coÌ„trouersy betwixt Luther and Zuinglius Osor. pag. 191. Of diuisioÌ„s of the churche Dissentions in the Papane church Dissentions amoÌ„gst the most godly A full consent of doctrine in reformatioÌ„ of Churches The Articles of the chief grouÌ„des of Religion wherin the Ministers of the Church do well agree together How great a concord is ctetwixt many Churches in the matter of the Sacrament Papistes murtherers of Martyrs Osori pag. 192. Osori doth beleue fame Authour of all his vntruthes A prouerbe