Tertullian did not so much as dreame of any incense there and it is so placed that it must needes expound how he vnderstandeth that cleane sacrifice spoken of by Malachie The next commeth in Cyprian who saieth That the olde sacrifice is abolished and the new celebrated and then sayeth Bellarmine he citeth this place of Malachie Ad Quirin lib. 1. ca. 16 Esay 1.11.12 Psa 50.14.15 23 It is true but first he citeth Esay and the 13. verse of the 50. Psalme or as he doeth recken it of the 49. for reiecting of their externall sacrifices and then out of the same Psalme hee teacheth that prayer and prayse are the true sacrifices and also out of the 4. Psalme Psal 4.6 hee speaketh of the sacrifice of righteousnesse And then followeth that of Malachie whereby it is most manifest that Cyprian vnderstandeth by the sacrifice mentioned in Malachie no other than that which out of the Psalmes he learned And in all these places Bellarmines euill dealing is notorious For hee will not so much as see the wordes that are before his eyes but onely picketh out that which hee thinketh serueth for the establishing of his errour and concealeth that which would giue light to the trueth And it were too tedious to answere to euerie testimonie especially seeing that which hath beene saide of the places before alledged doth sufficiently testifie what was the iudgement of the auncient fathers concerning this place of Malachie nowe in question I will therefore returne to his generall arguments Argument 5 Maister Bellarmine his fift principall argument Ioh. 4.21.23 is taken out of saint Iohn where he sheweth that the true worshippers shall worship in spirit and truth but this worship must needes be saieth he the offering of sacrifices propely so called Therefore the true worshippers in the daies of Christ shall offer these sacrifices properly so called In Iohn Hom. 32 But Chrysost vpon that place can find no such sacrifices but expoundeth this place by the 12. to the Romans of our spirituall sacrifices with whom also Theoph. seemeth to agree In. Iohn Tract 15. And S. August thinketh not that this kind of worshipping needeth to be performed in any materiall temple but that our selues are Gods temple yea and that his holy temple and therefore that this worship must bee in our selues therefore spirituall Hitherto haue we heard some reasons to proue in the Eucharist that there is a sacrifice properly so called gathered partly of the figures of the old law of the which I may truly complaine De vnit Eccl cap. 19. as S. August did of the Donatists You stay saith he vpon those dark points least you should be forced to grant that which is plaine or else forced out of some other doubtfull sentences whereof also with the same father against the same heretikes I may say Alledge something that needeth no interpreter Cap. 16 that cannot be prooued to be spoken of some other thing and you indeuour to draw it to your owne meaning And therefore out of such vncertaine allegations a certaine conclusion cannot be gathered But now let vs see what is alledged out of the verie institution it selfe for if any thing worth hearing can bee brought out of it it must needs be forcible Therefore thus he reasoneth Argument 6 Bel. de missa li 1 ca. 12. Christ in his last supper offered himselfe vnder the forme of bread wine to God the father and commaunded that to be done of the Apostles and their successors to the end of the world But this is to offer a sacrifice properly and truly so called and to institute that it should be offered Therefore the Eucharist is a sacrifice properly so called For the maior in this argument wherof all the doubt is it is a plain fallacie for he beggeth to haue that confessed that is denied to haue that granted that is in question For if he could proue that Christ did offer himselfe in his last supper to God the father we would easily confesse it to be a sacrifice true and proper So that on the contrary I may as well reason thus Christ cōmanded nothing to be don but that which himself did in his last supper but himselfe did not sacrifice and therfore he commaunded no sacrifice in the last supper Wel his first proof of this vntrue proposition is that which he hath said of Melchisedech the paschal Lambe the blood of the couenant of which I trust I haue spoken sufficiently in the iudgement of any indifferēt man in my answer to his 3. first principall arguments Luke 22.19 20 1 Cor. 11.24 His second reason is this These words Is giuen is broken is shed which are words of the present time do signifie that he was giuen broken shed vnto god for a sacrifice M. Bellar. seemeth to me to be hopshakled that he cānot wel step forward He hath taken vpō him to proue out of these words that christ offred his body in his supper to his father for a sacrifice how doth he proue it because the words shew that he is giuen broken and shed for a sacrifice to God is not this a good leape thinke you And yet his proposition that he should prooue and his reason whereby hee doeth it are all one But if hee stand vpon these wordes Is giuen broken and shedde therefore it is an act that then was done and therefore done in the Supper what will hee say to their owne translation which translateth Shall bee shed in Matthew and Marke and Luke also and also of the bread This is my bodie which shal be giuen for you It seemeth when that translation was first set foorth that peece of scripture was not so taken as it is now but that those words of the supper Math. 26.28 mar 14.24 luk 22.20 1. cor 11.24 were taken for a promise of that which Christ performed the next day as in truth they were I but master Bellarmine telleth vs that al these readings are good because there may be a good reasō of either of them I confesse that to be true and therfore M. Bellarmins reason is not strōg whose force hangeth vpon these wordes onely which may well be translated otherwise But by the way what if I should thus reason A representatiue sacrifice is not a protiatorie sacrifice but Christs sacrifice that in his supper hee offred vnto God was representatiue saieth Bellarm. in this place therefore not propitiatorie and much lesse then is the Masse a propitiatorie sacrifice Neither do I see to what end Christ should represent to God the sheding of his bloud which should be afterwards vpō the crosse although M. Bellar doth say it because he is loth to tell the true reason which I haue alreadie touched why their cōmon Latin translation did not precisely follow the Greeke in translating of these words shal be giuē broken shed His third reason out of the words of the institution to proue his sacrifice
we derogate anie thing herein from the power of the spirit whose direction if we could follow we should neuer do amisse but impute it to our owne weaknes ignorance corruption whereby it commeth to passe that euen the godly many times grieue Gods spirit and suffer him not to haue his perfect worke Other arguments also they haue but they haue scarce any shew of truth and therefore I thinke them not worthie answering for their places out of the fathers doe commend the faith of Rome that then was and their constancie in the same but what is that to this degenerate church of Rome that now is of the church whereof we may say as one saith of their citie that a man will seeke Rome in the midst of Rome So a man will seeke the church euen in the midst of their most shewe of religion and yet not finde it Of the markes of the Church or how wee may know the true Church CHAP. 9. THE PROTESTANTS WE must iudge of the tree of the church by the fruits that she bringeth foorth that is by the faith or religion that shee teacheth the confession or profession of the same that she maketh the exercise of the same that she vseth but we cānot iudge truely of these her fruits but only by the scriptures as in the fiue first chapters hath beene shewed therfore the true and infallible tokens or markes of the true church are to be had out of the word of God or the Scriptures THE PAPISTS NOwe the Papistes will haue their church to bee the true church because shee hath by vniust claime a good name to bee called Catholike Name catholike Antiquity Continuance Greatnesse Succession because shee is ancient and hath lasted long she is great and hath alwayes borne fruit such as it was for these are the first fiue notes reckoned vp by Bellarmine Lib. 4. de notis eccles and indeede their chiefest which especially they rest vppon And may not an euill tree haue all these properties Yes verely And as for the rest of his marks in the iudgement of an indifferent Reader they will neuer be accounted true markes of the Church excepting those notes wherein he seemeth to consent with vs to try the church by the word namely by holinesse of doctrine Because I haue in another treatise shewed I trust sufficiently that those markes of the church which they make greatest account of neither are any true markes and that we may make as good claime to them as they can it shall now be sufficient briefly to passe ouer this point and with one or two arguments to answer this question The scripture the true note of the true church Those markes of the church whereby wee may truely know the church and not be deceiued those I say onely are the true markes of the church But the scriptures onely are such Therefore they onely are the infallible markes The maior or first proposition no man will deny And that the Scriptures are such may appeare by infinite testimonies De pec merit remiss lib. 1. cap. 22. Saint Augustine saith it can not deceiue nor be deceiued And against the Donatists de bapt lib. 2. cap. 6. calleth the Scriptures the holy wey-scales or ballances Cap. 1. And in his booke de bono viduitatis he saith that the holy scripture doth set him his rule how to teach And to be short writing vpon saint Iohns Epistle he saith that Against deceitfull errours In Ioh. epist tractatu 2. God would set a strength or stay in the scriptures And Chrysostome saith vpon Genesis Hom. 12. in Genes that the Scripture wil not suffer him to erre or go astray that heareth it And therefore Gregory Nazianzene sometimes calleth the Scriptures The Kings high way Matth. 24. And our sauior Christ although he foretold the danger of error a litle before he suffered yet doeth hee not giue the Disciples any such markes whereby they should know the true Christ or true church as the Papistes speake of but he earnestly commendeth his word vnto them Ioh. 14.15 23. 15.7 And feruently prayeth vnto his father to sanctifie them with his trueth Ioh. 17.3 17 namely with his word for he knew that to be the way to keepe them from errour By all which it appeareth that the scriptures onely are accounted that perfect rule not only by the iudgement of the fathers but also by the practise of our sauiour Christ But most plainly S. Chrysost saith Opere imperf hom 49 That the true Church can be knowen only by the Scriptures I know that Bellarmine answereth this place in his 4. booke de verbo Dei ca. 11. after two sorts First that the booke sauoureth somwhat of Arianisme But in these words what Arianisme can Bellarmine finde Yea Bellarmine himselfe doth in other places alleage this booke But his second answer I confesse is very forcible For he telleth vs that in a booke printed of late that place is left out Haue they not thinke you answered the place strongly when they haue thrust it quite out of the booke If they had vsed Chrysostome onely in this sort yet were it too bad dealing but it may appeare by Franciscus Iunius his preface before the booke called Index Expurgatorius that they haue left few of the Fathers vncorrupted I would to God therefore that this and such other gelding and falsifying of the fathers by that deceiuing church of Rome which seekes to make them al say as she doth could stir vp the christiā princes that professe religion in a godly care to prouide for the safetie and maintenaunce of religion and the trueth thereof in time to come Which in my iudgement can not well be perfourmed except that to preuent the credite of those falsified copies which within short time are almost onely like to remaine because the ancient which are the truest wil be worne out the godly Princes by common consent woulde take some speedy order for printing of al the fathers according to the ancientest and most pure copies that might be found The second argument is this Whatsoeuer notes do not teach it to be euidently true that the church whereof they are the notes is the true church of God may deceiue and therefore are not certaine notes of the true church But such are the notes that the Papists would haue vs to beleeue therefore they are but deceitfull notes De verbo de◠lib. 1. cap. 2. The maior or first proposition is most true and may well bee prooued out of that axiome or rule that Bellarmine setteth downe saying De notis eccles li. 3. ca. 3. That the rule of the catholike faith must bee sure or certaine The minor or second proposition is Bellarmines owne confession euen in the selfe same words that I haue set downe Therefore it followeth necessarily that we must not trust the notes of the catholike church set downe by them CHAP. 10. Before I beginne
there is no sacrifice vpon a table but onely vpon an altar De missa lib. 1. cap. 17. Yet master Bellarmine roueth againe with his vncertaine proofes The fathers saieth hee speake of priests therefore they will haue a sacrifice in the eucharist And why may not the fathers vnderstand priests as wee doe in our booke of making of ministers and in our booke of common prayer who succeede in the publike ministery in the church the priests of Leui Leuit. 10.11 Deut. 17.5 mal 2.7 not in sacrificing for the sacrifices are ended but in teaching for that was also the priests office and is now the office of them that we sometime call priests And yet we although we vse the name do not alow that popish sacrifice which Bellarmine would haue And why then should this be holden for a good argument The fathers speake sometimes of priests Therefore the eucharist is a reall sacrifice or a sacrifice after the proper signification of that word As for that which hee hath in the eighteenth chapter of that his first booke of the masse is almost all one with that which hee saide in the fifteenth chapter and therefore it is answered before But his last proofe Chap. 19 whereby hee will out of the fathers prooue a sacrifice is as himselfe saith vnanswerable vnlesse we do vtterly reiect the fathers The fathers desire not to be credited against the trueth They were men they might erre Onely Gods word is perfectly true And therfore as wee do them no wrong to trie and examine their doctrine by that rule and square that cannot deceiue How the fathers are to be receiued so if it be not agreeable to that word of trueth wee must rather confesse all men to be liars than swarue one iote from that perfect way And therefore it is not absurd if wee leaue the fathers when they goe without their guide of Gods written word or speake without their warrant of Gods infallible trueth So that although wee are content to shew how the father 's wrested by them either must or may be vnderstoode that by that meanes wee may pull from them that visard of antiquitie consent of fathers wherewith they cloke and colour their dangerous and deceitfull heresies yet we receiue the fathers but as men and therfore no masters to giue vs new lawes but yet men of excellent gifts in their time and alwayes worthy of much reuerence and honour But yet this is not a good argument The fathers haue somctime written this or haue done this Therefore it is true or it is good But let vs view his vnanswerable argument If the eucharist were not a sacrifice the fathers would not haue offred the same for peace safety and sundry such things but they did therfore it is a sacrifice Marke howe hee prooueth that they did offer the eucharist for such things Hee first alleageth Chrysostome in his homilies to the people of Antioch Hom. 79. Hom. 7â— and then also vpon Mathew most notably belying that father as though he spake thereof the sacrifice in the eucharist whereas the first whole Homily is altogether of praier and Chrysostome there sheweth that they pray in deed for the whole world and for sundry persons but of standing at the altar not a word And therefore master Bellarmine belieth that father And in the second place Wee pray first for them that are possessed the second for the penitent c. Is this good dealing to auouch that that ancient father saith in those places that the Eucharist was offered for such things Other falsifications of these very places I omit as not much materiall When I heard his great cracke I imagined this shot would haue made a great breach but it is like to doe no hurt at all Then for that which he alleageth out of same Augustine that the Eucharist was offered by one for freeing a certaine house from euill spirites De ciuit Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. It is true that he reporteth such a thing and addeth That hee prayed as earnestly as he could that that vexation might cease First it is not saint Augustine himselfe that doth this but another and this fact is not either commended or allowed to be wel done of saint Augustine But they wil answere The euill spirits left the house And therefore the euent prooueth the fact to be good Not so but it is an argument of Gods might and mercie that can and will by euill or the abuse of good meanes bring to passe good things Secondly it may iustly be doubted whether saint Augustine did impute this effect vnto that sacrifice that he speaketh of or the earnest prayers that were made for it Yea it seemeth rather that he imputeth it vnto the sacrifice of prayer than any other sacrifice Moreouer it seemeth that as in the dayes of saint Paul there were that were baptized ouer the dead either to declare their hope of the resurrection or to testify their dying vnto sinne or for such other considerations so in these dayes of S. Augustine some vpon such occasions would celebrate the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ by that assurance and pledge of Gods loue to stirre vp and confyrme their faith that with more earnestnesse and faith they might craue Gods helpe But if master Bellarmine would haue this to be a catholike doctrine that hath but one or few examples he will haue Vincentius Lirinensis flat contrary to him Confess li. 9. cap. 12. So that also that is alleaged of the oblation for his mother it can not bee denied that there were at that time some such abuses creeping into the church of God concerning that charitable superstition that I may so terme it of prayer for the dead of the which some had good liking some liked not But out of them it is hard to establish a strange doctrine in Gods church and such as Gods word is not acquainted withall But euen by that booke of S. Augustine it is plaine and namely by the next chapter to the place alleadged that S. Augustine did not once thinke of any propitiatory sacrifice that was in the masse And I would also desire the indifferent Reader to iudge how litle such matters sauour of the maiestie of that spirit which is seene in the scriptures Bellarmines last sort of arguments are drawen from reason The first is grounded vpon this principle De missa lib. 1. cap. 20. there is no religion without an externall sacrifice which is most false for God when he seeth his people to whom he commanded those external sacrifices to repose themselues too much vpon them doeth not onely reiect those sacrifices which himselfe appointed but also teacheth wherein true religion consists Isa 1.15 16. and Mich. 6.8 Yea marke the whole scriptures it wil appeare that faith obedience are the especiall things that god requireth of vs that the sacrifices directed therto His second argument taken from reason is this The
alleadge M. Bellarmines reasons though not alwayes because he is accounted learned amongest vs and also commeth after others so that he hath seene what others haue and hath taken out of them what he liketh And as in all this treatise my endeuour is to proue I trust with some good effect that the doctrine of the church of Rome is not catholike so that it may the better appeare I haue towards the end set downe an abridgement of Vincentius Lyrinensis whereby I trust the meanest that seeth it shal be able to iudge how they make an vniust claime to the catholike religion And although I know my own wants and could rather submit my selfe to be a scholer vnto many than a teacher almost of any yet because I know not how my minde giueth me that this manner of writing may do some good especially among the vnlearned that are desirous to be taught I thought my duetie forced me to take this in hand though I want many helpes and meanes that other haue And to whom should this my labour such as it is be due rather than vnto you next after that place where I did sucke as it were my first milke of learning and laid almost the foundation of that knowledge such as it is that God hath indued mee withall By your good liberalitie I confesse my selfe to be the better inabled to do any good be it neuer so little that I can do in the church of God To your Worships therefore I confesse this my trauell to be due as a simple token of my sincere heart which would haue yeelded a better remembrance if my abilitie could haue affoorded it And the rather do I dedicate this Booke vnto your W. Company that you seeing the meaning of bestowing your exhibition which is to bring vp Labourers in Gods haruest teachers in his church to be in some part performed in me who first in Oxford receiued your liberalitie as I doubt not but you haue seene much more plentiful fruit in many other you may the more willingly continue your godly course and not be weary of your wel-doing Accept in good part I pray you this simple gift and if you see in it but my desire to doe good giue glo◠y to God to whose good grace I commit you and yours and my selfe to your good prayers From my house at Ryton in the Bishoprike of Durham Anno 1595. ⧠A necessarie Table of all the principall matters contained in euery chapter of this Booke THAT the Scriptures or word written is onely Gods word and not traditions Chapter 1 That this word is sufficient Chapter 2 The Scripture a sure rule Chapter 3 Scriptures easie Chapter 4 That onely the canonicall bookes of the old and new testament are this written word or Scriptures Chapter 5 What the catholike church is that in the creede is mentioned Chapter 6 That the catholike church mentioned in the articles of our creede is not visible or to be seene Chapter 7 The church here militant vpon the earth may erre Chapter 8 Of the markes of the church or how we may know the true church Chapter 9 What a sacrament is what is the effect of it or what it worketh how many sacraments there are Chapter 10 Of the sacrament of Baptisme Chapter 11 Of Confirmation Chapter 12 Of the Lords supper and Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ and namely of transubstantiation Chapter 13 That the wicked receiue not in the sacrament Christs body and bloud Chapter 14 That the cup ought not to be denied to the lay people which thing the papists do Chapter 15 Against their sacrifice of the Masse or of the altar as they call it Chapter 16 Of true and christian repentance and of the Popish Sacrament of penance Chapter 17 Of lawfull calling into the ministerie and against the sacrament of Orders as they call it Chapter 18 Of matrimony that it is not a sacrament and that it is lawfull for all Chapter 19 Of anoiling or extreme vnction that it is not a sacrament Chapter 20 Of originall sin what it is and whether concupiscence be sin or not Chapter 21 Of the works of infidels and such as are not regenerate Chapter 22 Of Baptisme whether it doe extinguish and kill in vs originall sinne or not Chapter 23 That we haue not of our selues free wil or power to deliuer our selues from sinne Chapter 24 That by our workes we cannot bee iustified and against the doctrine of merites Chapter 25 Of iustification by faith and what faith is Chapter 26 That good works are necessary duties for all christians to perfourme Chapter 27 Of prayer to whome and how we should pray Chapter 28 Against Images in churches or anie where else for religions cause Chapter 29 What fasting is and of the true vse of fasting Chapter 30 Of Purgatorie Chapter 31 An Abridgement of Vincentius Lyrinensis with obseruations vpon the said Author Chapter 32 An exhortation to christian magistrates for to defend this truth Chapter 33 FINIS That the Scriptures or written word is onely Gods Word and not traditions CHAP. 1 THE PROTESTANTS The rule of faith life BEcause it is confessed of al that gods worde must bee the rule and square of our faith and life of our religion and conuersation It is very meete that first wee enquire what is this word of God And wee affirme What is gods word that that onelie which is contained in the Bookes of the old and new Testament is the very true word of God First bicause we are so often earnestly charged not to adde any thing to it or to take any thing from it Secondly this is prooued by the practise of the godlie of all times The Iewes most religiously kept the word written with great sinceritie and made it the Touchstone to try their actions by and by it they reformed such things as were amisse in religion especially As in Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias and others it may appeare Christ also and his Apostles confirmed that which they taught out of the Scriptures yea they confirmed and expounded the Lawe Mat. 5. and preached no other gospell thā that which before was promised by the Prophets Rom. 1.2 And accounted them accursed that shoulde preach any other Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Lastly the Fathers of the purer times of the Church did not only with open mouth submit their writings and doctrines to the iudgement of the Scriptures but also they tried doubts established all trueths and confuted all heresies onely by this word written THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of ROME not suffering herself to be hemmed in within so narow lists Prou. 22.28 hath remoued the ancient bounds which their fathers made and faineth that God who hath hitherto had but one voice now in our dayes shoulde speake with two tongues What is gods word in the Ro. church For they make Gods word to consist of two partes namely of the word written which we
the Apostles Nowe what commaundement hath it which is the thirde thing that is set downe by Bellarmine De effect sacram lib. 2. cap. 24. Lib. 2. cap. 2 de sacram confirm without which a Sacrament cannot be Bellarmine flatly confesseth that it hath no expresse commaundement in the scripture but in stead of a commaundement he deliuereth vs the execution or practise of it for so himselfe saieth Why then I may thus reason A sacrament must haue a promise of grace a visible or sensible signe and a commaundement from God or else it cannot be a sacrament as Bellarmine confesseth but confirmation hath neither promise of grace nor visible signe nor commaundement from God therefore it is no sacrament Their arguments out of the fathers make a greater shew It is well yet that they cannot presse vs but with the authoritie of men Notwithstanding this may be briefly said for their authorities from the fathers that either they are such as haue no writings extant but onely such scraps as they for their owne purpose haue gathered togither and therefore are witnesses of vs worthily suspected or such as haue no sound credite of any indifferent man or lastly such as make nothing for them or against vs in this questiō For the Papists will haue their Confirmation to bee a sacrament the matter whereof must bee Oyle and Balme but neither doe the most learned fathers make mention of the Balme neither are the Schoole-men agreed amongest themselues that it is needful for this sacrament Lib. 2. de sacram Confirm cap. 9 as Bellarmine confesseth Yea they thinke it absurde that a sacrament should be appointed by our sauiour Christ the matter whereof should bee so rare to finde so vncertaine whether we haue the true thing or not and so costly as hardly it can bee gotten and it is doubted of some whether there be nowe any true Baulme or not And this their sacrament is built vpon so vncertaine foundations that Alexander Alensis and Bonauenture two olde pillars of Poperie cannot find that it was instituted before the counsell at Melda Out of all which it is easie to vnderstande that as this Confirmation hath not in Gods worde any shew of warrant to make it a sacrament so neither out of the fathers can anie certaine argument be gathered for the same But such are all heretikes Iren. lib. 5 and such as imagine they can find out somwhat beside the truth following those things that are spoken diuersly and in sundrie sorts and walking weakly not being alwayes of one minde are led about like blind men by blinde guides they shall and that worthily fall into the hidden pit of ignorance euer seeking the truth but neuer finding it Which iudgement of God here mentioned against the heretikes we see to be fallen vpon the Papists who had rather wander in such vncertaine and blinde wayes than be ruled by the infallible word of God Of the Lordes Supper or Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of our Sauiour Christ and namely of Transubstantiation CHAP. 13 THE PROTESTANTS WE teach that by those visible signs of bread and wine the bodie and blood of our sauior Christ is so liuely and effectually represented and offered vnto our faith that the faithfull receiuers in the same Supper doe as truly receyue by faith Christ himselfe with all his treasures and graces to the comfort and foode of their soules as they receiue the bread and wine with their mouth to the nourishment of their bodies And that this our spirituall nourishment maye bee the more liuely represented the substance of the bread wine must needs remaine for our bodilie nourishment as in Baptisme likewise the water remaineth vnchanged to signifie our spirituall washing So that as we chāge not the substance of these creatures without which they cannot bee a Sacrament so we teach Christ to be receiued spiritually and therefore most truly of the faithfull receiuer THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of Rome not content with this spirituall and true receiuing of Christ do teach that by the wordes of consecration as they cal them the very bread and wine haue their substance chaunged into the bodie and bloud of Christ So that Christ whome in the Creed we confesse to be ascended into heauen and that he shall come from heauen to iudge the quick and the dead is by that means brought into euery Pix which ouerthroweth the nature of man which hee tooke of the Virgin Marie for man can bee but in one place Wherby also there follow such inconueniences that it is with them a great question whether the Mouse that eateth the host Hom. par 3 quaest 80 artic 3. do eate Christes bodie or not some affirme it and some answer to say shee doth Glos dist 2 de consec cap. Qui bene Durand ra◠diu lib. 4 rubr 41. is not greatly absurd because the most wicked men doe eate it Others say that it miraculously ceaseth to bee Christes bodie But seeing the first miracle is wrought by the words I pray you howe hath the Mouse wrought this second miracle in making it cease to be Christs bodie and said nothing Seeing this doctrine of Transubstantiation doth bring with it so grosse or rather so monstrous absurdities a man would thinke that no Christian would stand in defence of the same For how can we not abhorre such teachers as indeuour to make vs beleeue that the most wicked persons may eate the flesh of Christ Iohn 6. Which whosoeuer eateth shall liue for euer as our Sauiour Christ doth often tell vs. And yet to defend their Transubstantiation Bel. de euch lib. 3. ca. 9. they defend this as a good and fruitfull opinion Who will folow such guides as lead vs into such marishes as themselues know no way to get out Such is the question which before I touched whether the Mouse doe eate the bodie of Christ if he eate the host A question not mooued by vs as Bellarmine would seeme to make men beleeue De Ecuhar lib. 3. cap. 14. and therefore would make vs like the Iewes Pagans and Heritikes but moued and disputed by themselues as may appeare by the master of Sentences lib. 4. dist 13 in dist 2. de consecrat cap Qui bene and also in the place before alledged out of Durand Yea Bellarmine is not a little troubled about this matter in the place next before alledged For first hee setteth downe flatly That although Christ be truly in the Sacramēt yet can he not be hurt and therefore not eaten with Mice but the formes onely of bread may be eaten The absurditie hereof I will not stand vpon in this place But Bellarmine will shewe vs this by a demonstration The Diuinitie sayeth hee is euerie where yet not cōsumed by fire nor defiled by filth Is this good diuinity to make the body of Christ not subiect to corruption because the godhead is not Glorified it is and therfore not corruptible but
sacrifices wherein he striueth much to proue Howe 〈◊〉 talked 〈◊〉 that our spirituall sacrifices of prayers thankesgiuing yea of our selues and all ou◠obedience cannot bee cleane Wherein although he saith truly of our workes as they are in themselues considered yet are they also called Cleane first in respect of the fountaine of regeneration from whence they proceed in regard whereof although they bee not simpl◠e cleane yet in comparison of the workes of them that are secure in their wickednesse they are cleane Secondly because God accounteth them as cleane for Christs sake Thirdly in respect of that whereunto the workes of the regenerate doe tende for though they cannot attaine to perfection yet doe they firme for it And 〈◊〉 this sort Dauid confesseth some may be Cleane Psa ◠4 3◠Who shall climbe vp into the hal of the lord or who shal stād in his holy place He that hath innocent hands and a cleane heart To this Esay Esay 1.16 1. Tim. 2.8 exhorteth Be you cleane And of this speaketh the Apostle Saint Paule In euerie place lifting vp pure hand or cleane hands And if M. Bellarmine do not content himselfe with this cleannesse he will find that euen the sacrifice of the Masse it selfe for which he striueth so in this place seeing the vertue therof must somewhat depend vpon the goodnesse and deuotion of the Priest as he saith wil not be found verie cleane De Missa li. 1. cap. 4 because the sacrificer is manie times verie vncleane His third reason is taken out of the words that are in the beginning of the text alleaged Out of which he will proue that it must bee a new sacrifice and such as was not before but our spirituall sacrifices haue beene alwayes therefore the Prophet cannot meane of our spirituall sacrifices It will neuer be proued that the Prophet speaketh of such a sacrifice as neuer was But the Iewes trusted too much in their externall Sacrifices yea though they were not such as God commaunded that they should be But on the contrarie God telleth them that euen among the Gentiles whom they despised thinking that no good could be amongst them I say among them should be offered not such polluted and vncleane things as the Priests were content to take of the Iewes to offer to God but a Cleane offering euen such an offering as was the bodie of their shadowes the truth of their figures and the substāce of their ceremonies in respect of him that brought the offering that is they should serue the Lord with a sincere and single heart And this is the cleane sacriffce that Malachie meaneth which was acceptable alwayes and alwayes shall be Fourthly Bellarmine imagineth that God by Malachy setteth the contempt and dishonouring of God done by the Leuiticall Priests against the honour that he shall haue among the Gentiles Be it so What then The Iewes sayth he dishonoured God in a visible sacrifice therefore the Gentiles also must honour him by a visible sacrifice otherwise the dis◠onor done by the Iewes is greater than the honour done by the Gentiles I denie his consequence for they dishonored God but in a corner of the world but the Gentiles worshipped him from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same and herein standeth the force of the comparison as by the wordes plainely appeareth Fifthly he supposeth that the Priestes of the olde lawe are compared with the Priestes in the Gospel but there is no such matter as the wordes declare But to wring and force wordes to see what may be gathered out of them rather than to search what their true meaning is doth bring but small credite to their cause and weake proofe to their doctrine His last argument to prooue this place of Malachie not to belong to a spirituall sacrifice is out of the fathers where in my iudgement hee sheweth his weakenesse more than in his other reasons or else a worse humour For although that Iustinus Martyr whom hee first alledgeth Col. cum Tryph. Iudaeo doeth in trueth affirme and wee denie it not that Malachie sayeth that the Eucharist is a sacrifice yet that hee speaketh not of a sacrifice properly so called Bellarmine must needes confesse except he speake agaynst his owne conscience if hee consider what hee sayeth long after in that booke namely that Euerie one that is called by the name of Iesus Christ are in deede made Priests to God as God doth testifie saying In euerie place cleane and acceptable sacrifices shall bee offered Which sacrifices also what they are he afterwards testifieth prayers and thanks giuings What can be more plaine But this especially is to be remembred that not Priests only but euery Christian doth by Iustines wordes offer vp these cleane offerings and therefore that hee speaketh of spirituall sacrifices Irene his second witnesse maketh little for his purpose for euen immediately before the words whereby Bellarmine woulde prooue the Eucharist to bee a sacrifice after the proper signification of the worde hee sheweth that God hath no delight in sacrifices or burnt offerings but in Faith obedience and righteousnes And after that he taught his disciples to offer to God the first fruits out of his creatures Iren. lib. 4. cap. 32 not that hee needed any thing but that they should neither be vnfruitful nor vnthankfull And so he tooke bread and gaue thanks and eat as is by Bellarmine alledged Can any thing be more plaine He first sheweth that God regardeth not those reall sacrifices that I may so terme them then he sheweth that the Eucharist is a sacrifice of thankesgiuing And as in the words alledged by Bellarmine it is an offering of the first fruits of his gifts Cap. 33. that giueth vs our nourishment and in the next chapter he expoundeth the incense so alledging the wordes of Malachie In euerie place incense shal be offered vp by that place of the Apocalips Apoc. 5.8 that the incense was the prayer of the Saints so we see that prayers and praises are the sacrifices that he speaketh of these are spiritual and not reall sacrifices And as for Tertullian Tertul. whom in the 3. place he bringeth forth as he hath nothing for him in the place by him alledged Tert. cont Marcion li. 4 so yet he plainly expresseth in another place what hee vnderstandeth by that cleane sacrifice that Malachie speaketh of Exam. Con. Trid. 2. part namely Sincere praier out of a pure conscience Which place being alledged by Kemnitius against the councel of Trent Bellar. to shift it off as boldly as vntruly he affirmeth that Tertul. doeth not expound Malachies place where he nameth the cleane sacrifice but where he nameth the incense But the place of Tertullian plainly sheweth the vntruth of his answere for Tertullian speaketh thus In euerie place a sacrifice shal be offered in my name and a cleane sacrifice euen sincere prayer out of a pure heart So that
2. I haue spokē in the answere vnto his secōd argument But heere it appeareth that such heretikes did then trouble the church Last of al not al the vehemēt speeches of the fathers are to be taken or vnderstoode as they sound but they must be warely red and wisely examined by the touchstone of Gods word And then it will appeare that the Fathers either may well bee taken or iustly refused And thus hauing I trust in the iudgement of the indifferent Reader sufficiently confirmed the trueth answered the Scriptures alleadged to the contrary and shewed some causes why the fathers should in this point be read with good aduise and iudgement it now onely remaineth that I lay open the absurditie of that shift wherein they trust much and which indeede is the chiefe strength of their cause For being pressed with the testimonies out of scriptures especially out of saint Paul which plainely testifie that we are iustified by faith Rom. 3.28 without the workes of the law first they deuised this answere that S. Paul speaketh of the ceremoniall laws that we are iustified without them but not without doing the works of the law morall or of the commaundements But this being so vntrue an answere that master Bellarmine himselfe is ashamed of it De iustificat lib. 1. cap. 19. and reasoneth against it Master Bellarmine bringeth another answere namely that the Apostle speaketh of the workes before faith So that he would haue the wordes of the Apostle thus to sound Wee are iustified by faith without the works of the law that were done before we beleeued And for the credit of this interpretation he would faine father it vpon S. Augustine and S. Ierome De gr lib. arb ca. 7. de praedest sinctor cap. 7. In praefat ps 31 Ier. ad Ctesiphontem contra Pelagianos but most vntruely as he that examineth those places shall easily see that S. Augustine and S. Ierome in those places doe not so expound those wordes of saint Paul neither giue vs anie rule so to expound them Neither yet doe Chrysostome Ambrose Theophilact or Primasius vpon those words either in the third to the Romans or second to the Galathians so expound it Rom. 4.4 Or yet S. Ierome vpon the Galathians And in the Epistle that he writeth against the Pelagians to Ctesiphon he denieth that those words may be vnderstood of the law ceremoniall but concerning this exposition which master Bellarmine bringeth there is no word As for the reason that Bellarmine hath out of S. Paul to prooue this his exposition let vs consider of it Vnto him that worketh saith S. Paul the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt Therefore saith M. Bellarmine he speaketh onely of those workes that are done by the power of free will without grace How little S. Paule dreamed of free will hath in the former chapter beene declared And that hee doeth not in these wordes expound what he meant before by the workes of the lawe the text it selfe prooueth For hauing said that Abraham beleeued God and that was counted to him for righteousnes therevpon the Apostle inferreth that if he had beene iustified by workes his iustification had bin of debt not of grace So that he doth not heere expound his former wordes but beginneth in this fourth chapter an other argument by the example of Abraham being already iustified and a holie man to prooue iustification by faith without workes euen by forgiuenesse of sinnes or couering them And as I haue shewed master Bellarmines interpretation to stand vppon no good ground but that the place aledged maketh against himselfe so that which we gather out of S. Paules words to be the most true meaning namely that workes neither before nor after our first iustification as they call it can merit the circumstances of the place do proue the whole course of his doctrine He instructeth the Rom. Galath in this doctrine who were already become christians already were iustified He doth not only shew that the works of the law do not iustifie but telleth vs that the nature of the law is to make vs to know sin Rom. 7.7 Rom. 4.15 to cause wrath euen after we be iustified And S. Paul himselfe teacheth so much in that he counted al that was in him to be but losse yea dung That he might win Christ Philip. 3.8 9 be found in him not hauing his own righteousnesse which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through Christ Marke heere how the Apostle saint Paul in these wordes which were written almost thirty yeeres after his conuersion still relieth vpon the righteousnesse that is by faith and he calleth it Gods righteousnesse and refuseth that which commeth by workes and that he calleth mans righteousnesse Now of this which is said I trust I may thus reason Saint Paul excludeth from iustification not only the works that are done before we beleeue but also the works which we afterwards doe therefore master Bellarmines interpretation is not true If then workes cannot iustifie as hitherto I haue taught wee may say with saint Augustine Wo bee euen to the commendable life of man Confess lib. 9. ca. 13. if thou Lord setting mercie aside examine it For Enarrat psal 109. as he saieth in an other place Whatsoeuer God hath promised hee hath promised to them that are vnworthie that it shuld not be promised as wages for good works but grace according to the name of it should be freely giuen Confess lib. 9. cap. 13. O therefore that all men that with Saint Augustine I may wish that godly wish would know themselues and they that reioyce Ad Ctesiphontem contra Pelagianos would reioyce in the Lord. For this onely perfection is left to men that they knowe themselues to be vnperfect as truly and godlily saint Hierome writeth Of iustification by Faith and what Faith is CHAP. 26 THE PROTESTANTS ANd this Iustification which by our workes we can not deserue yet by faith we do obtaine Not because our faith can of it selfe worke any such effect What faith is But it beeing a liuely and certain perswasion of our heart and conscience that God for Christ Iesus his sake forgiueth vs al our sinnes and in him accounteth vs holie and righteous doeth thus iustifie vs not as that that worketh our iustification but as that which apprehendeth and taketh holde of that righteousnes that Christ hath wrought for vs. And so by faith he being made ours is vnto vs wisdome 1. Cor. 1.30 and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption And being thus iustified by faith Rom. 5.1 wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ THE PAPISTS BVT our aduersaries because they like not that Christ shoulde bee the onely salue for our sores neyther will they haue faith to bee the hande that applieth this soueraigne medicine
how to iudge betweene truth and falshode in the holie Scriptures Interpreting scripture euen by interpreting the same according to the traditions of the vniuersall church and the rules of the catholike doctrine and the consent that hath beene at all times and in all places amongst the teachers And yet not euery question must be thus decided This way is to be vsed onely in the greatest matters but only matters of faith such as the very foundation of catholike doctrine resteth vpon for so he saith after fol. 50. neither are al heresies thus to be confuted and at al times but only new heresies euen at their first beginning And lately sprung vp heresies Before they haue falsified the rules of the ancient faith and the writings of the fathers But old heresies which haue had long time to steale away the truth must be coÌ„uinced if need be Stealing the truth such thenâ—â— are the papistes as their coorupting the fathers proueth When the fathers must be heard by the only authority of scripture or must be shuÌ„ned as being condeÌ„ned in the old councels As for heresies newly sprung vp they by the iudgements of the fathers are to be reiected of those fathers I say that continued in the faith so that al or most of them haue set it down in one and the self same meaning plainly often continuing in it as it were in a councell of such masters agreeing in one And such a ful consent must not be despised Then he maketh a recapitulation of that which he hath said in these two caueats and induceth the example of the councel of Ephesus wherein the iudgement of the ancient fathers being examined Nestorius was found to be against the catholike old faith and Cyril to agree with holy antiquitie And to make the matter more plaine he setteth downe the names of those holy fathers by whose vniforme consent and iudgement both the testimonies of Gods lawe were expounded and also the rule of the holy doctrine was established And so reckoneth vp sundry of the Greeke church then also of the Latine and west churches wherein he maketh mention of certaine leters written vnto some from Foelix and Iulius two bishops of Rome And Bellarm. de Roman pontif lib. 2. cap. 16. endeuoureth by this testimonie to prooue the Pope to be head of the church But consider I pray you how negligeÌ„tly he performeth it Vincentius saith that the city of Rome was the head of the world and we confesse whilest the empire flourished it was so called as by the stories appeareth Now he proueth by this that the pope is head of the church by a strange Metamorphosis changing the citie into the Pope and the world into the church contrary to the Author his words or meaning that not only The head of the worlde but the sides also might yeelde their testimonie to that iudgement Cyprian and Ambrose consented thervnto And lastly he confirmeth this by the iudgment of Capreolus bishop of Carthage who endeuoured to ouerthrow newnes and to defend antiquitie Which was also approued by Cyrils testimonie who would haue the doctrines of the ancient faith confirmed New doctrine condemned and that which is new and superfluously inuented and wickedly published to be reiected and condemned wherunto the whole councell agreed And though there were many in that Councell The councell of Ephesus â—â— rst deuise no new doctrine men of singular great learning in such sort gathered togither which might haue imboldned theÌ„ to decree somwhat of their owne yet would they alter nothing but tooke all heede possible that they deliuered nothing to their posteritie but that they had receyued of their predecessours leauing also to them that example Ancient faith the onely good faith He inueigheth against the pride of Nestorius in defence of antiquitie alledging that of Xistus bishop of Rome Let not newnesse doe any thing because it is not fit any thing should bee added vnto antiquitie And that of Caelestinus who would not haue Newnesse to trouble antiquitie Whose meaning is not that antiquitie should cease to ouerthrow newnesse but that newnesse should cease to molest antiquitie Which thing whosoeuer will not yeeld vnto he must despise the authoritie of Celestinus Xistus Cyril Capreolus the councell of Ephesus who all had learned of God to decree that not any thing should bee deliuered to their posteritie but that onely that sacred antiquitie of the holie fathers and agreing with it selfe in Christ did holde yea not to yeeld vnto this is to iustifie Nestorius by them condemned and to despise the whole Church of Christ The praise of the church to keepe the faith deliuâ— red to her not to inuent a new and the teachers therein the Apostles and Prophets but especially the Apostle saint Paul The Church of Christ I say that neuer yet departed from a religious reuerencing and adorning of the faith deliuered to her by saint Paul who said O Timothie keepe that which was committed to thee auoyding newnesse of wordes And Ifanie preach to you any other thing than that you haue heard let him be accursed And if neither the lawes of the apostles nor decrees of the church are to be broken according to which heretikes are worthily condemned it behoueth all men that will bee accounted the true children of their mother the church to sticke euen to the death True children of holy church vnto the sacred faith of their holy fathers and to hate that that is newe Thus haue I set downe I trust truly and faithfully the summe of this whole treatise of Vincentius Lyrmensis especially whatsouer may be thought pertinent to the matter for which the Papists so triumphingly alledge him And as I endeuoured to be short yet so that I omit not any materiall poynt by him touched so that his meaning may the better appeare I haue as neare as I could kept his owne wordes yea I haue set downe euen his most materiall sentences that his whole minde and intent may the better bee knowne vnto the Reader Iudge nowe I pray thee Christian Reader what Catholike and auncient faith it is that the Church of Rome so much braggeth of Compare it with this that Vincentius commendeth If they bee any thing like I desire no credite I will but giue thee a taste hereof euen out of one of their chiefe poyntes of their Religion Cap. 2. I haue shewed before euen by their owne confession that traditions must needes bee admitted or else the Church of Rome must needes faile in proofe in many articles of their Religion Their Religion therefore in such poynts cannot be Catholike It cannot be that which was Committed to Timothie which was Once deliuered as Vincentius speaketh often whose growing is without change whose perfection is without addition so that their doctrine of traditions is a strong argument to proue that their faith is not Catholike according to Vincentius rules Then also we see how plainly he
nor withdraweth other from the truâ— worship of God Yea there are who for religion being imprisoned haue inriched themselues and increased their reuenues We only seeke to reforme them not to torment them and to lay vpon them gentle chasticements to amende them not cruell punishments to destroy them But yet as I saide before of lawes that they would bee made for a restraint for all sorts of men and women so the punishment would be inflicted vpon all in like sort that offende in like maner And although I will not take vpon mee to define whether princes may beare with recusants or not because they are enemies to God namely such as despise wilfully Gods worde and contemne his Sacraments yet I may be bolde to affirme that the magistrates who will suffer vnpunished the breaking of the first table of the commaundements doe shewe therein no great zeale to their high Lord and master And here would I wish this one poynt to be considered vpon whether it be not verie conuenient and necessarie that wheras God by his law expresly hath set downe that Idolaters should be stoned to death Deut. 17.2 3 4 5 7. whether I say the papists whose seruice and ceremonies are almost nothing else but Idolatry and superstition should bee iudged according to that law concerning that point of their religion wherein they defend and practise the worshiping of Images and praying to those that are no Gods Heereby two commodities I doubt not would insue First that the papists should be knowen to be as they are Idolaters and worshippers of false gods which sinne if the people did know that they were subiect vnto they would neuer be so deceiued by them Secondly thereby many would be afraied to call vpon stockes and stones as now they doe For to defile the lande with their manifest idolatries why should not wee account it a sinne worthie of death seeing it is a breach of that commaundement which especially concerneth the honour of God Which how feruently and sincerely we should maintaine we may among manie other notable presidents learne of the children of Israel who with full consent Iosh 22 did gather themselues to fight agaynst the tribes of Ruben and Gad and the halfe tribe of Manasseh because they had thought that an altar which they built for a memoriall and witnesse that the tribes beyond Iordan worshipped the selfe same God and professed the same Religion that the other did they thought I say it had beene built to offer sacrifices vpon and so to dishonour God Which thing rather than they would suffer vnreuenged they would venture their liues So zealous they were and wee should be of Gods honour For euen to that ende were we created and that dutie we must as louing and obedient children zealously performe to our heauenly father Yea seeing they account vs as heretikes in whose doctrine neither they neither yet their fathers could euer or yet can proue by the worde of God the least suspition of heresie to the end that themselues may be knowen what they are that thus dare slaunder the professours of the trueth without iust cause Why should not they whose doctrine and doings beeing examined by Gods written worde doe plainly proue themselues to be idolaters why should not they I say be called idolaters as in trueth they are Well seeing it is before plainly proued that godly princes did make lawes to restraine and reforme the sinnes of the people yea and that in matters of Religion and haue as it were watched all oportunities to serue the Lord in such sort and this I take to be that seruing of the time Rom. 12.11 whereunto the Apostle exhorteth for so many do read it I trust it cannot be denied but that it belongeth vnto the dutie of Christian magistrates to doe the like And if they may make lawes may they not also punish the breakers of the same I haue before shewed that it is necessarie if we consider our estate that they should And that it is their part so to do it cannot be denied Rom. 13.4 For He is the minister of God to take vengeance of them that doe euill And what Nehemiah did herein is worthie to be remembred whose authoritie was not very great being but as it were a captain yet did he not onely make decrees as of other matters so also concerning the breach of the Sabboth day Nehe. 10.17 a sinne too common in England and too lightly accounted of but also did execute the same 20 21 yea and threatned to lay hands vpon them that were cause of it if they made that fault againe Yea did not Asa commaund them vpon paine of death to turne from their Idols and false gods â— Chr. 15.23 making this couenant nay taking this oath of all Iudah and Beniamin that Whosoeuer will not seeke the Lorde God of Israel shall bee slaine whether hee bee small or great man or woman Marke there is in this no respect of kinde or kinred yea he suffered not his owne grandmother to be regent neither thought her worthie to bee a gouernour Because shee had made an Idoll in a groue and hee brake downe her Idoll and stamped it and burnt it at the brooke of Kidron Christian princes and Magistrates should alwayes set such examples before their eies comparing that which they did and Gods spirit commendeth in them with that which they doe to prouoke themselues thereby in godly zeale to serue the Lord. Nowe therefore seeing I haue indeuoured as God hath inabled mee to stirre vp all christian magistrates more watchfully to regard and more speedily to redresse than of late especially hath beene done the state of religion growen I knowe not by what negligence almost into contempt amongst many I would wish that a chiefe care shoulde bee taken among many other to auoyde two verie daungerous conceytes which are as Scylla and Caribdis 1. Tim. 1.19 at one of the which it is an easie matter for all them to make shipwracke of fayth Rom. 1.18 that striue not to holde fast a good conscience but withholde the trueth in vnrighteousnesse The one is poperie the other is Atheisme Of papists and recusants I haue sayde alreadie somewhat They are too many and vpon euery small occasion of hope of their bloudie day verie bolde whereby we may consider what subiects they are They are dangerous snakes to carrie in our bosome If inquirie should be made how many haue beene presented that were neuer called before authoritie and howe many called that haue beene sent home againe as free as before they came to the magistrate and yet as bad also as euer they were I suppose they will be found manie And for them that are imprisoned it is manie times more for the gaine of their keepers than the reformation of themselues So that they are almost in no place more free to doe or say what they will than in their prisons whereby they corrupt many This