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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13964	The trial of trueth or a treatise vvherein is declared vvho should be iudge betvvene the Reformed Churches, and the Romish in which is shewed, that neither Pope, nor Councels, nor Fathers, nor traditions, nor succession, nor consent, nor antiquitie of custome: but the onely written worde of God, ought to determine the controuersies of religio[n]: wherin also is declared which is the true religion, and Catholick church. Written for the pleasure of the Popes, Cardinalles, prelates, abbots, monkes: and speciallie the Iesuites, which of late were driuen out of Transyluania, by the states there. Published in Latine by a certaine Hungarian, a fauourer of the trueth: and translated into English by Richard Smith.; Oratio de constituendo iudice controversiorum religionis. English.	Smith, Richard, tr.	1591 (1591)	STC 24274; ESTC S100745	49,352	68

themselues for iudges of the controuersies of the Churche For otherwise the Gospellers say that they will make the Popes that answere which long since Pope Iohn the 23. receiued from the Grecians vnto whom when he had written that he alone was the head of the Church and Christs Uickar they replyed thus bréefely We doe throughly beleue thy power to be soueraigne ouer thy Subiects Thy great pride we cannot brook thy vnsatiable greedines we are not able to satisfie The Deuill be with thee because God is with vs. It remaineth that the gospellers shewe why and how far foorth they acknowledge not the councels for iudges And they say that they do this moued thereunto with most waightie causes For first there haue béene many councels which haue wonderfully erred not onely in manners but also in poynts of doctrine And thereof it came that not afewe times prouinciall councels were amended by generall councels and contrarie wise Generall councels corrected by national councels Moreouer euen the best councels that haue béene haue not handled all the articles of the faith but onlye a few controuersies which specially were tossed beaten in their daies Besides this it is manifest out of stories that euen in those goldē times such was partlye the pride partlye the wilynesse partlye the ignorance and partly the wickednes of some Bishops that not the spirit of God but the spirite of discord may séeme to haue béen president in their councels Finallye we read that in these last times such councels haue been held wherin wicked opinions and either vnprofitable or hurtfull ceremonies haue béen brought in established not by reasons or authoritie of the woord of God but by force armes The which things least any man might say to be spoken slaunderously and falsely it may be shewed by a breefe bedroule of the councels For if a man shall peruse the stories of olde times he shal finde this to be most true that euen as according to the old tradition of the house os Elias the whole time of the vistble world is deuided by two thousands For there shall be sixe thousand yeeres and then the burning of all thinges two thousand voide two thousand vnder the Lawe two thousand the daies of Messias and for our sins which are manye and great there shall be wanting the yeeres that shall be wanting So likewise is the time of Messias deuided into thrée Circuits or portions within the which also almost all Kingdomes do féel an alteration Within these thrée circles the true religion and Catholick Church is found to weare and waxe like to the Moone For for the space of fiue hundreth yéeres after Christ although there fell out great contentions about the Sonne of God and other weightie matters by Ebion Cerinthus and others yet did the trueth preuaile and for the space of whole fiue hundred yéeres the Church flourished and continued as it were at the full moone For within this compasse there fel the four first Sinodes or assemblies of the Apostles and afterwards the foure generall councelles Wherof the first being called togither by Constantine the great condemned Arius The second helde at Constantinople assembled by Theodosius confuted the Macedonians The thirde kept at Ephesus summoned by Theodosius the second the Sonne of Archadius condemned Nestorius The fourth celebrated at Chalcedon commaunded by Martianus condemned Eutiches The créedes of these foure generall councels as expositions of the faith the reformed Church dooth willingly imbrace For they are grounded vpon the foundation of the holye Scriptures themselues But in the fiue hundred yéers next following errour did so wrastle with trueth that assoone as men had once stepped somewhat aside from the path of the Scriptures by and by many buddes of false opinions and hurtful ceremonies sprung vp and grew more and more For in the first general councell held at Constantinople assembled by the Emperour Iustinian they were confuted that said that the body of Christ was incorruptible In the sixt which Constantine the first surnamed Barbatus called together in the same place the Monothelites were condemned But the councels that afterwardes followed almost all of them decréee matters either childish or else flat contrarie to the word of God For in the seuenth general councel which at the commaundement of the Empresse was adiourned from Constantinople to Nice it was decreed not by the word of God but by mayne force of an armie leuied out of Thracia that images should be honoured and worshipped And in they eighth general councel which when Basilius was Emperour was assembled at Constantinople when Adrian Bishoppe of Rome had sent his deputies or Leuetenants thither and commaunded that the Church of Rome should be the head of other Churches and that the common people should be debard from all choise of their ministers there grew an inward grudge betwéene the Latin and Gréeke Churches for the supremacie which continueth euen vntill this day But in the other fiue hundred yeares that remayne there followed such councells wherein we see almoste no good thing but all wicked and fonde thinges rather established At the councell of Ments for let me out of each of these hundreds picke and cull foorth one sinod a péece for the manifesting of the matter whereat both the Pope and the Emperour were present with an hundred and thirtie Bishops there was consultatiō for the forbidding of priests marriage In the councel held at Brixia which was called by the Emperour Henry Gregorie the seuenth for his villanies before mentioned was deposed In the councell of Papia when the Emperour Fridericke would haue refourmed the election of the Popes there arose a schisme of twentie yeares continuance which lasted till the Pope had troad vpon the Emperours necke at Uenice In the councell of Lions Innocentius the fourth made an act against the Emperour Henrie the second and authorized the Cardinals to were red Caps and ride on horses At the counsel of Uienna in France Clemens the first did solemnly publish his Clementine constitutions which although at his death he had cōmaunded to be burned as those wherein he knewe there were many snares and errours yet Iohn the two and twentieth his successour did againe confirme and rati●●e them Sigismund the Emperour called a generall councell at Constance wherein Iohn the thrée and twentieth was deposed There were mooreouer burned at it contrarie to solemne promise Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prage because they held the opiniō of Iohn wickliefe the Englishman who taught both many other pointes agréeable to the word of God and also that the Lordes supper should be ministred whole without the dreame of consubstantiation There was a councel assembled at Basil when the same Sigismund was Emperour wherein it was decréed that the Popes ought to be subiect to the councels Which whē it disliked Eugenius hee remoued the councell first to Bononia and then to Ferraria and

THE TRIAL OF TRVETH OR A TREATISE WHEREIN is declared vvho should be Iudge betvvene the Reformed Churches and the Romish IN WHICH IS SHEWED THAT NEIther Pope nor Councels nor Fathers nor Traditions nor Succession nor consent nor antiquitie of Custome But the onely written worde of God ought to determine the controuersies of religiō wherin also is declared which is the true Religion and Catholick Church WRITTEN FOR THE PLEASVRE OF THE Popes Cardinalles Prelates Abbots Monkes and speciallie the Iesuites which of late were driuen out of Transyluania by the States there Published in Latine by a certaine Hungarian a fauourer of the trueth● and translated into English by RICHARD SMITH Imprinted at London for Robert Dexter are to be sold in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Brasen Serpent 1591. VIRO OPTIMO ACINTEGERRIMO GVILIELMO PERIAM ARMIGERO TRIBVNALIS SIVE BANCI COMMVNIS AC COMITIORVMIVDICIALIVM VVL GO ASSISARVM IVSTICIARIO REGIO RICHARDVS SMITHVS GRATI ANIMI TESTIFICANDI CAVSA HANCSVAM QVALEMCVMQVE OPELLAM DICAT CONSECRATQVE A TREATISE CONCERNING THE APPOINTING OF A IVDGE OF THE CONTROVERSIES both of the Popish and Reformed Religion HOw not onlie odious and disdainful but also dangerous a matter it is in thes● daies to meddle with the controuersies of religion Gentle Reader both the crueltie of many mightie ones and also the broiles stirres betwéene man and man doe too too much declare For such is the blindenes of men and so great is their rashnes to runne and rush on to their own destructiō that as there was neuer any nation so rude but would haue taken it in euill part to be instructed in religion So at this day a man shall finde many which haue so hardened themselues in that religion wherein they were borne which their forefathers haue obserued which they see to make for their dignities and aduauncement and which they perceiue to be mainteyned by the greater part of men that they wil not endure once to heare the iudgement and doctrine of the contrarie side but contrarie to all law both of God and man doe condemne shunne and abhore it being neither heard nor vnderstoode by them Moreouer certaine Epicures and graceles men also do not a little trouble the godlie which growe to such outrage that they thinke they deserue great commendation if they can conceale and hide their owne iudgement in the matter of saluation and scoffe and frumpe at all religion of other men Hereunto is added the presumption of the Popes Cardinals Bishops and other Prelates who although they sée that many corruptions both of doctrine and also of ceremonies and discipline are crept in yet they accounte it an hainous offence if any man not content with their generall and confused faith dares to examine the doctrine of men by the rule of the Prophets and Apostles writinges and by searching the Scriptures to séeke out the way of saluation in them Which things although they thus stande yet ought all the godlie to be strengthened in minde and encouraged against so many offences to yeelde a reason of their beléefe to the ende that both the wicked maie be made vnexcusable before Gods iudgement seate and that those which not so much vpon froward malice as by reason of their first trayning vp or following of their forfathers or finally through loue of preferments haue condemned sincere doctrine that such I say may not sticke to let themselues be ouercome with the mightie worde of God For Ezechias a most religious prince is commended because neither by the example of his father Achas professing a contrarie religion neyther by that bringing vp which he had from his cradle nor by the highnes of his Royall state nor finallie by the president of other kings and multitude of men following an other contrarie religion hee could be withdrawen and discouraged from learning himselfe the sincere religion out of the wel-springs of Israel that is to say out of the word of God conteined in the writings of the Prophets or from enioyning his Subiects to obserue and practise the same when he had learned it himselfe and caused it to be purged from all corruptions For he had learned the commaundement of the Lord wherein he geueth in charge that all the faithfull be bound not to walke in the commandementes of their fathers nor to doe their iudgements but to walke in the precepts of the Lord only and to kéepe and do his iudgements Neither ought the credite either of traditions or of Councels or Fathers or myracles or succession no nor of an Angell from heauen to withdrawe any man from this searching and perusing of the word of God for it was no lesse wiselie then rightly said More credite is to be geuen to one skilful in the Scriptures and alleadging the catholique authoritie of the Canonicall Scripture then either to the exposition of the Pope or to a generall Councel By all this therefore it is manifest how not onelie harde but also dangerous a thing it is to deal in the matter of religion Which charge if I had taken vpon me being not forced with any necessitie to speake but moued thereunto eyther with vaine-glorie or foolish rashnes doubtlesse I could not auoide iust reproofe But now sith I haue stepped foorth to speake not voluntarilie but by constraint addressed thereunto not with ambition but with loue of the trueth not vnaduisedly but vpon good deliberation not with slaunders and cauilles but with authoritie of the word of God Truely I nothing feare that this my honest meaning to mainteine the trueth should be imputed to me as a faulte Onely this I request you gentle Readers whosoeuer are desirous of eternall life that you bring not hether any preiudice or forestalled opinion that you condemne not a cause vnheard contrarie to all lawe both of God and man and that you leane not to any authoritie or excellencie of men but compare matter with matter reason with reason argument with argument by the rule of the worde of God neither doe you consider the person that speaketh but the matter that is spoken with a godly desire to learne out the truth And then I will not sticke to abide the curteous censures of the good that if it be prooued that these thinges are agréeable to the trueth of God yee may yéeld vnto the Lord if not ye may refusé them as things contrarie to the heauenlie oracles or testimonies of the word But that I may not séeme to roue from the matter I wil prescribe certaine bounds which neither I in speaking nor you in reading may ouer-passe But before this be done I will first set downe the whole state of the matter Hearken ye kings and Princes and all ye inhabitants of the world There is a great controuersie in hand For almightie God the most gracious father of all the faithfull hath promised to all men that beleeue as to his children beloued in his onely begotten sonne he hath promised to them I say

bread and wine in the Sacrament doth so remaine and not ceasse as there remaineth in Christ the Lord the nature of man ioyned to the diuine nature Augustine saith that it is rashnesse without plaine and manifest testimonies of the Scriptures to determine on either side matters of Rellgion that are doubtfull Calixtus deliuered the Sacrament to the whole church kept backe notorious wicked persons from it and condemned those which being present did not communicate Cyprian saith that the Christian people were not to be denyed the bloud of their Lord for the confessing of whom they were commaunded to shed their owne bloud Apollo amongest other herestes obrayded Montanus with this that he was the first that had prescribed the people lawes of fasting Paphnutius denied that y e Ministers of the church were to be forbidden mariage And auouched that the mutuall performance of mariage dueties betwéene man and wife was chastitie Cyprian sayd that onely Christ was to bee heard of whom it was said heare him and that it was not to be reregarded what others before vs haue either saide or doone but what Christ who was before all hath commaunded Augustine stoutly maintaineth that the Church ought not to prefer her selfe before Christ because he alwaies iudgeth truely but the Iudges of the Church as being men are oftentimes mistaken Ambrose saide that holy things néeded not golde neither were those things acceptable by meanes of gold which wree not bought with golde Acatius said that our God did neither eat nor drink and that therfore he néeded not cuppes or bowles Spiridion saide that he did therefore fréelye eate fleshe on that day wherin others did abstaine because he was a Christian Augustine saide that it was not lawfull for Monkes to liue at other mens cost although they were dayly occupied in meditations praiers and studies Epiphanius said that it was a horrible abhomination to sée the Image either of Christ or any other painted in the Churches of Christians These and other such bounds of the auncient Fathers sith the Sée of Rome her selfe hath ouer●strided by what right she maye enioyne others to keepe that which she her selfe neglecteth to doo all men may easily iudge Sith therfore neither the Popes neither the councels nor the Fathers can end this dissention is there any at last I pray you vnto whose iudgement we must stand Are they Traditions that must strike the stroke Why by the name of Traditions they must either vnderstand ceremonies or doctrines and as for ceremonies although they be auntient yet if they be either hurtfull or néedlesse and superfluous or repugnant to the woord of God or haue been abrogated at a certain time they are not to be suffered For the Lord giueth expresse commaundement that men woorship him not with doctrines deuised by mens braines and as for the traditions that are doctrinall they must either containe in them the written word of God it selfe Créedes and expositions gathered by necessary collection out of the foundations of the scriptures against Heretickes or else those things which either directly or indirectly are either put to or taken from the word of God If you meane the former who will not receyue such traditions If the later who may not without any breach of Godlines reiect them And how much Traditions doe auaile to appease and ceasse the contentions of the Church olde Stories doe plainly shew For when as in the most auncient times there arose a sturre in the Church concerning the feast of Easter with so great a doo that the whole world was shaken therewith both sides had recourse to the traditions of the Apostles which are not expressed in any certain Booke But when each side alleadged that they kepte the feaste of Easter on that time which was appointed by tradition of the Apostles the matter grew to this passe in the end that there was a flat fréedome for the Church in all such manner of matters vntill tiranny preuailed Loe what force traditions haue to determine the controuersies of Religion Will miracles then make manifest which is the better cause or the Catholick church Why the vse of miracles is now ceased For there is not now any new Eospell or new doctrine broached but that which Christ and the Apostles haue already confirmed with miracles and wonders Againe we doe not reade that all those that restored and as it were reformed Religion were famous for their myracles In the which number Iohn Baptist Asaph Ethan Iedithun Heman Core and other Prophets are to be reckonned Moreouer except the gift of miracles be lefte to the wise disposition of God they cannot confirme any doctrine For it is manifest that the miracles of Christ which otherwise were full of power did either nothing at all or very litle further the obstinate Iewes to faith and Godly nesse Finally how could miracles be necessarie signes of true Religion of themselues when as it is manifest that Antichrist and false Prophets shall excell with many miracles wherefore those miracle-mongers ought themselues to be taken for miracles and wounders who when the date and vse of miracles is past doe yet require miracles although the true doctrine is not euen at this day altogether destitude of great miracles What then can the perpetuall and continuall succession of the Bishops of Rome serue to discerne betwéene true and false Religion Surely no man will deny that there is one succession of true doctrine and another of persons wherefore if the succession of Persons be ioyned with the succession of the Prophets and Apostles doctrine it is manifest doublesse that the weight thereof is not small For in this sense the Fathers did alleage succession against the Hereticks For he that professeth the same doctrine saith Nezianzen is partaker of the same chaire also but hee that holdeth a contrarie doctrine ought not to bee counted a Successour and truely this later hath the name in déede but that former hath the trueth of succession Except perhaps a man call it succession in that sence that we say sicknesse succéedeth health light darknesse a storme fayre weather madnesse reason dregges wine and in a word Nero Augustus or Cambyses Cyrus Sith therfore the succession of the Prophets and Apostles doctrine was broken off long agoe in the popish Church surely the ordinarie continuance of Pope after Pope is of no force to shew which is the true religion But it may be they will demaund of the Gospellers the time and person wherein the succession of doctrine was altered Unto this the Gospellers answere that the Popes of Rome are to be distinguished into thrée especiall rankes or companies For they deny not that from Linus to Milchiades there were one and thirtie true Pastours of them in number who laboured in the Lords haruest euen vnto martirdome and therefore may well be called Starres in the right hand of

Christ But from Sluester the first vnto Sabinianus Thuscus there were thrée and thirtie mytired Bishops who although they were not the woorst yet by traditions and constitutions they prepared a seate for the great Antichrist All the rest euen vnto this present Pope they call Antichrists yet so that nine and thirtie of them from Boniface the third and fourth vnto Leo the fourth are reckoned to be in the Kingdome of the great beast one and thirtie of them from Iohn the eight to Iohn the eightéenth are numbred in the Kingdome of the great whore nine and thirtie of them vntill the time of Celestine the fourth belong to the Kingdome of the Dragon And from Innocentius the fourth vntill the present Pope that now is about threescore and foure of them are counted in the Kingdome of Locusts according to the order of the Prophecie which God would haue to be expressely set downe concerning the Kingdome of Antichrist Loe what force and authoritie succession hath Will agreement then in publick doctrine and outward woorship shew which is indéed the catholicke Church why if méer agréement did proue the true Church doubtles neyther the Iewes nor the Turkes nor Hereticks or Heathen of any other such litter would be kept out from the title of the true Church sith we sée that euen they also doo marueloustie agrée amongst themselues And we sée that oftentimes great men in the church haue fallen into hoat contentions amongst themselues Between Barnabas and Paule there arose such strife that they brake of companye one from another So Peter of Alexandria and Meletius so Epiphanius and Chrisostome so Ierome Augustine and Ruffinus So finally Cyrill Iohn of Antioch and Theodoret were at open variance and iarres one with another And in déed Clemens Alexandrinus writeth that the Iewes did vpbraid the Christians with their dissentions amongst themselues By all which it is moore cleare than the noone dayes that as a bare agréement and vnitie cannot prooue the truth of Religion so neither doe all dissentions proue a Religion to be false so that the foundation be not broken by the discorde Can the common Custome then of many ages direct vs where to séeke the true church Nay but God hath forbidden the faithful to suffer his euerlasting truth to be ouer ruled by any compasse of yeares any custome or at a word by any conspiracie of the whole world So Noye with his small family when he sawe that the whole world had conspired and agréed to the same wickednes confirmed by the custome of many ages before past yet chose rather to ioyne with a fewe in the true doctrine of God than to take parte with the whole world in wickednes Shall the Church then decide these controuersies of the Church yea but wee must first seuere the true Church from the Synagogue of the Malignant which can be done by no other meanes but by the word of God Shall then the holie scriptures be Iudge in this controuersie of heires at variance So in déede the Gospellers would haue it For they affirme with Austine Chrisostome and other of the Fathers that all things are contained in the written word of God that might suffice for the saluation of them that beléeue For as Augustine saith in another place To the bookes of the holy Scriptures onlye which are now called canonicall doo we owe this reuerence and honour that we assuredly beléeue that none of the writers therof could erre at all in writing them but as for others we so reade them that how excellent soeuer they be either for holines or learning we doo not therfore think it true because they thought so but because they haue béen able to assure vs therof either by the said Canonicall Scriptures or by probable reason notdisagréeing from the trueth Therfore saith he in an other place to the holy Scriptures alone doo we consent without gainsaying from other writings we may dissent but to the canonicall Scriptures euery man must yéeld euery man must subscribe whether he be Layman or teacher or King or Emperour let him giue place to the holy Scriptures then the which there is nothing in this world set foorth more deuine and more necessary What can be more religious what more cléer then these testimonies of Augustine And if the Gospellers can obtain thus much once that God may be iudge of the controuersies of religion by his woord comprehended in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles why then they doo not stick to admit either councels or Fathers or miracles or other such like for sworne witnesses so that first the true Church be distinguished from the Sinagogue of Sathan Fathers of sound credit from fond fellowes and heretickes lawfull councels from tirannicall couenticles right Bookes from counterfeits true miracles from coyned and forged ones the succession of Doctrine from the disguised succession of persons true agréement from obstinate conspiracie and finally the traditions of the Apostles from the inuentions of men Yea but saith the See of Rome how can this be doone by the written woord of God sith there is no heretick that doth not alleadge the Scriptures for himselfe The Gospellers aunswere that heretickes wresting the the Scriptures cannot be better confuted then by the written word of God which onelie is able to decyde all controuersies For Augustine sayd verie well that we in no case presume to iudge the bookes of the Prophetes and Apostles but y ● by them we iudge all other writtings both of Christians and Paganes So Christ by the Scriptures confuted the Phariseis Sadduces yea and the deuill him selfe 〈…〉 isalledging the Scriptures So Stephen and Apollos confounded the Iewes and Philippe conuinced the Eunuke of Quéene Candace by the Scriptures So the Apostles confirmed the Gospell by the writinges of the Prophetes The Iewes of Berea examined Paules doctrine by the doctrine and writing of the Prophetes So finallie the Councell of Nice cut downe Arrius the Councell of Constantinople Macedonius the Councell of Chalcedone Eutiches the Councell of Ephesus Nestorius Augustine Pelagius Tertullian Praxeas and all the Catholicke authours fanstaticall fellowes with the sword of the word of God Wherfore as Augustine saith let no man in controuersies too proudly obiect the writinges either of Fathers or of Councels bycause we take them not as Canonicall but rather examine them by the Canonicall writinges and that which in thē agréeth with the authoritie of the holy Scriptures we receiue with their commendation that which agréeth not we reiect with their leaue But say they the Scripture is heard darke doubtfull Augustine aunswereth that mē walke farre more safely by the Scriptures then by traditions which being ouershadowed darkned with figuratiue spéechs whē we go about to search out either let that be collected thence which is out of question or if it be in questiō let it be defined by testimonies gottē and