Her teachers venting that which was concredit to them not invented by them which they receaved not excogitate and not anie brood of their owne ingyne but the bread of heavenlie doctrine which is not of private vsurpation but of publicke deliverie or traditioÌ„ brought to them not broached by them wherein they should not bee Authors but keepers not instituters but observers not leaders but followers teaching the same thinges to others by word which themselues had from the Apostles by WRIT So that tho they speake after a new manner of speaking or expression yet they should speake no new thing for matter observing that as in the growth of our bodies there is no increase of new members in number but augmentation of the same in measure So in the Churches knowledge that the growth there-of should bee in the same doctrine of Fayth alreadie delyvered but no new Article of doctrine afterward to bee broached For preventing whereof therefore did that holie Apostle lyke BONARGI or a sonne of Thunder throwe that dreadfull Thunderbolt agaynst all Novelists saying Tho we or an Angell from Heaven preach vnto you {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} beside that which wee haue preached let him bee accursed So that it did not suffice sayeth Lyriâ—ensis for keeping sound that doctrine of Fayth which was once delivered to make mention of man altho it were peter Andrew Iohn or all the companie of the Apostles except that hee comprehended in lyke-manner the verie excellencie of Angelicall powers And which speach of the Apostles Augustine explayneth thus If wee or an Angell from Heaven preach vnto you anie thing concerning Fayth and Lyfe besides that which yee haue receaved in the Legall and Evangelicall Scriptures sayeth hee let him bee accursed limiting so what the Apostle preached in the matter of Fayth or manners within the pale of the written word and leaving no place therein to vnwritten traditions Thus it beeing cleare that the true Religion is onelie most Ancient and that the most Ancient Religion lykewyse is onelie most true as having it whole Origen from CHRIST and His Apostles and from that warrand of holie Scripture which they haue left behinde them which made Tertullâ—an to say Doubtlesse that is to bee helde sayeth hee which the Church hath receaved from the Apostles and the Apostles from CHRIST and CHRIST hath receaved from GOD It followeth necessarilie that that Religion or Doctrine what-so-ever that wanteth this Antiquitie and is of later invention is neither true nor Catholicke The first propertie of Catholicisme beeing that of time to wit which hath beene ever and from the beginning taught in the Church therefore sayeth the fore-named Vincentius Lyrinensis In the Catholicke Church a speciall care must bee had that wee holde that which was ever everie where and by all believed so that that Doctrine which is deficient in the verie first poynt to wit the vniversalitie of tyme and was not semper or ever in GOD'S Church but whereof it may bee sayde as our Saviour sayeth of the Iewish Bills of Divorce From the beginning it was not so the same is no wayes sound and Catholicke Doctrine but lyke that later Supersemination of Tares after the good Seede in the LORD'S Field neyther is anie person who professeth the same verus genuinus Catholicus a true and vpright Catholicke but on the contrarie a giddie and prophane Novelist whose lust as it were of prophane and new hatcht Curiositie sayeth the same Father can not contayne it selfe within the chaste limites of sacred and vncorrupt Antiquite CHAPT. II. The Noveltie of Poperie instanced in 14 particular poyntes of Erronious Doctrine THis challenge then of Noveltie and consequentlie of an vnjust vsurpation of the name of Catholickes wee justlie lay to the charge of the Romanistes of these tymes which the better that wee may cleare and confirme wee shall instance the same first in 14 particular poyntes of Doctrine as making vp a sufficient Dittie the Noveltie where-of severallie next shall bee God willing proven by the witnessing of their owne mouthes vt ex ore suo judicetur servus nequam or by the vndenyable recordes of venerable Antiquitie The Poynts are these that follow THat beside Scripture there are sundry doctrinall vnwritten traditions which men are bouÌ„d no lesse to reverence and belieue than GOD'S written Word and as Articles of Fayth vnder payne of damnation That people should not bee permitted to reade the holie Scriptures That beside CHRIST the Church is also built vpon the Bishop of Rome as S. Peter's successour so that hee is both the foundation and head there-of as vniversall Bishop That by vertue of the same prerogatiue hee is over and aboue all the members there-of even in temporall thinges That Prayer in the Church should or may bee in an vnknowne Tongue That beside prayer to GOD wee may lawfullie lyke-wyse pray both to Sayncts and Angels That beside the worshipping of GOD wee may also worship Images Reliques and such lyke with a Religious Adoration That beside CHRIST'S meriting our good workes are also meritorious causes of the Kingdome of Heaven so that GOD were vnjust if for their condignitie Hee bestowed not the same vpon vs That beside Hell and Heaven there is a third place also after death for the soules in Purgatorie That beside CHRIST'S satisfaction there are also satisfactions of the Saynctes whereof with the sufferings of CHRIST is made vp the Churches Treasure of indulgences That beside Baprisme and the LORD'S Supper there are also fiue other Sacramentes of the Gospell properlie so called That the Bodie and Blood of CHRIST is not onelie truelie and reallie present in the Sacrament of the Supper but lykewyse that the verie visible Elements are transubstantiate into the verie substance of CHRISTS Bodie and Blood That the Cup in the Communion should not bee permitted or given to the people That beside CHRIST'S Sacrifice of Himselfe once vpon the Crosse forever there is also a daylie proper propitiatorie and reall sacrificing of Him vpon the Altar for the quicke and the dead and this is the sacrifice of the Masse CHAPT. III. Of the Noveltie then first of the doctrine of vnwritten traditions whereon the mayne bodie of Poperie is built altogether THE first vrgers then of vnwritten Traditions in the Christian Church wee finde to haue beene some Heretickes who arose in IRENEVS dayes Anno 180 of whom hee wryteth thus When they are convinced by the Scriptures they fall out into the accusation of the Scriptures sayth hee as if they were not rightlie alleadged or of authoritie of themselues and because they are ambiguouslie set downe and that the trueth can not bee found out of them by those who knoweth not Tradition which was not delyvered by writ but by word for which cause Paull himselfe sayde Wee speake wisedome amongst these that are perfect In which wordes is not onelie set downe what Armour onelie the Orthodox
Fathers then vsed for convincing of Heretickes to wit the holie Scriptures but also in these ancient Heretickes is seene the true picture of our new Romanistes who when they are in lyke-manner convinced by Scripture they fall out lyke-wyse into the accusation of the Scriptures that they are not rightlie translated by vs and are not of sufficient authoritie of themselues without the Churches declaration that they are also ambiguous and obscure and that the trueth in all poynts of Doctrine can not be had out of them without vnwritten Tradition bringing also for the mayntayning thereof this same place of Scripture adduced by these ancient Heretickes The same doeth Tertuâ—â—ian lykewyse testifie of the Heretickes in his tyme who would not graunt sayeth hee that the Apostles revealed all thinges to all men but some thinges they taught secretlie and to a few even as Bellarmine speaketh which were to bee preserved from age to age by vnwritten Tradition for which cause the Apostle sayeth to TIMOTHIE O Timothie keepe that which was committed to thee The Author also of that Booke de Vnitate Ecclesie thought to bee Waltram Bishop of Naâ—â—â—rg showeth that this â—aven spâ—ed most and prevayled in the Romane Church wâ—en the Papacie came to an hight in Hildibrandes tyme about the yeare 1072 by the monasticall sort of that age of whom hee beeing living in that same age sayeth That despysing these doctrines that are of GOD to wit in holie Scripture they affect other doctrines sayeth hee and bringeth in into the Church commandementes of humane institution And agayne hee showeth why they suffered not their Novices as they ought to exercise themselues diligentlie in Scripture to wit that their vnpolished myndes might bee fedde with the huskes of Devils which are sayeth hee the customes of the traditions of men And which thing was so farre contratie to the ancient custome vsed at first in Monasteries that their owne Duarenus testifieth they were nothing else but Seminaries of Divinitie wherein they studied sayeth hee diligentlie the Scriptures and out of which as out of a Seminarie these were chosen and taken out for vndergoing Ecclesiasticall charges who were amongst them of best lyfe and learning Whence it is lyke-wyse that venerable Beda testifieth that this was the exercyse of those who were in that Famous and Religious Monasterie of our Land called Colmekill to wit that they might onelie learne these Doctrines which were in the Propheticall Evangelicall and Apostolicall Scriptures sayeth hee Which thing is farre different from the Doctrine of the Romane Church now who teacheth that the Scripture is the least part of revealed trueth and the farre greater part of the Gospell is come to vs by vnwritten tradition as sayeth Hosiâ—s of which sort Petrus à Soto granteth these to bee to wit the sacrifice of the Masse invocation of Saynctes the Popes Supremacie Prayers for the Dead the fiue Sacramentes beside Baptisme and the LORD'S Supper Wherevnto their Canisius joyneth worshipping of Images and their Bishop Lâ—ndanâ—â— addeth Transubstantiation the Communion vnder one kynde Indulgences and Purgatorie so that by their owne confession the mayne bodie of Poperie is not built vpon the sure foundation of Propheticall and Apostolicke writ as on the Rocke but vpon the sandie and vnsure foundation of pretended vnwritten tradition CHAPT. IV. That these Doctrines of Fayth for which the Romanistes pretende onlie vnwritten tradition as their warrand are not onelie beside but also plainly contrarie to the written word by their own confession and so can not bee but the latter sowne Popple in the Lord's Field BELLARMINE in his fourth Booke of the Word of God professeth in the name of all Romanistes saying That such traditions as are repugnant to Scripture we never doe defende sayth hee seeing there-fore hee renounceth such and abdicateth them both from his profession and patrocinie Let VS inquyre concerning some poynts of Poperie by their owne confession whether they bee Babels babes or the brood of such a bastard birth And first wee know that publicke prayer and performing of divine worship in an vnknowne tongue to the People is a doctrine and practise of Poperie having no ground but vnwritten tradition But if it bee asked whether this bee agreeable to Scripture 1. COR. 14. or contrarie thereto their owne Cardinall Cajetane on that place will tell vs saying By this doctrine of S. Paull it is to bee helde that it is farre better for the edifying of the Church that publicke prayers which are vttered in the hearing of the people bee said in a language common and knowne both to the Clergie and people And agayne sayth their owne Benedictus Montanus altho the Apostle would haue prayers sayde in a language that is vnderstood yet notwithstanding it is to bee helde that the Church to wit of Rome for most just causes hath decreed and ordayned the contrarie Heere then wee see that the Romane Church can decree clean contrarie to the doctrine of the written Word Agayne wee know that the prohibition of people to reade the Scriptures is a doctrine and practise of Poperie having no warrand but the Churches tradition but if it bee asked whether this bee agreeable to Scripture or no and especiallie to COLOSS. 3. 16 their owne Bishop Espenceus will tell vs saying It is manifest by the doctrine of the Apostle to the Colossians 3. 4. and by the practise of the Church sayeth hee that of olde the vse of the Scriptures was permitted to the people Therefore sayeth the Iesuit Azorius wee confesse that in S. Ierome and Chrysostomes tymes the Laicke people were exercysed in reading of the Scriptures because they were written in these Languages which they did vnderstâ—d and so sayeth also their Alfonsus à Castro Agrippa and others Lyke-wyse wee know That the making the Image of GOD the Father after the likenesse of an olde man is a doctrine and practise of Poperie having no warrand but the tradition of the Romane Church But if it bee asked whether this bee agreeable to Scripture EXOD. 20. 4. and DEVT. 4. 15. a clowde of witnesses of their owne Doctors will tell vs the contrarie as Bellarminâ— confesseth Abulensis to bee Durand and Perésius to whom wee may joyne also the late Iesuit Vasquez and others Wherefore Iohannes Ragusius in his Oration at the Councell of Basil is forced to confesse That altho in the olde Law the visible Images of GOD and of his Saynctes were forbidden by the Law of GOD and no libertie was graunted since eyther in the Olde or New Testament to make anie such yet the Church taught forsooth by the holie Ghost sayeth hee hath not onelie permitted but decreed and ordayned the contrarie Where wee may see a strange libertie assumed by the Church and a farre stranger inspiration of her by the holie Ghost hee to bee contrarie to himselfe and shee to trangresse GOD'S expresse command in Scripture by his
proper Sacramentes of the Gospell as having Christs institution and beeing visible signes of invisible justifying grace conferred on the receavers in the right vse thereof then their owne Cardinall Bessarion and Bishop of Tusculum will tell vs saying In the Gospell wee reade that â—nelie these two Sacramentes sayeth hee were delyvered to vs plainlie Or if wee will aske at their Paschasius an Abbot who lived about the 800 yeare of CHRIST which are the Sacramentes of CHRIST to bee found in His Church hee will show vs That these are they onelie to wit Baptisme and the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of CHRIST without mentioning moe which therefore Fulbertus Bishop of Chartres calleth duo vitae Sacramenta or the two Sacramentes of lyfe and salvation Lyke-wyse beside their owne Doctoures if wee ascende higher to inquyre of the ancient Fathers what are the proper Sacraments which the Church then acknowledged Augustine will tell vs That Baptisme and the LORD'S Supper are these saying Haec sum Ecclesiae gemina sacramenta or these are the two Sacramentes of the Church lyke two twinnes In lyke-manner doeth Cyprian speake saying Then at last men may bee sanctified and bee the children of God si vtroque sacramento nascantur that is If they bee borne anew by both the Sacramentes to wit Baptisme and the LORD'S Supper And if wee consult with Bellarmine himselfe hee will showe vs the reason why both the auncient Fathers and manie of their owne Doctoures countenance no other Sacramentes as properlie so called saying The holie thing it selfe which the Sacramentes of the new Law doeth signifie is three-folde 1. justifying grace which is demonstrate as present 2. the suffering of CHRIST as the cause of that grace and which is commemorate as bygone and 3. eternall lyfe the effect of that grace and which is prefigured as to come and concerning Baptisme and the LORD'S Supper the matter heerein is most evident but concerning the other siue Sacraments it is not so evident sayeth hee Wherefore justlie did their owne Cassander say as touching the seaven Sacramentes It is certayne that the Schoole-men and Romane doctoures sayeth hee never thought that all of them should bee called alyke properlie Sacramentes Therefore as to confirmation Alexander of Hales showeth That it is no Sacrament of the Gospell properlie because it wanteth CHRIST'S institution and is of no greater Antiquitie than the Councell of Milda Next concerning Marriage as Cassander reporteth Lombard denyeth that grace is thereby conferred and Durand affirmeth that it is nowayes properlie a Sacrament Thirdlie as for pennance and confession Hugo de sancto Victore in expresse tearmes excludeth it from beeing a Sacrament properlie of the new Law Fourthlie touching ORDOVRS Bellarmine himselfe telleth vs That Episcopall Ordination which Durand showeth to bee all one with Presbyteriall is denyed to bee a Sacrament propâ—râ—â—e so called not onelie by sundrie auncient Schoole-men and Doctors of the Romane Church but by these also who are more recent as Dominieus à Soto and others whence hee concludeâ—h saying Wherefore if Episcopall Ordination bee not a Sâ—cramâ—nt wee cannot pâ—oue out of Scripture sayeth hee that Ordination is a Sacrament at all Last as for extreame vnction the lesuit Suarez declareth That Hugo Peter Lombard Bonaventure Aleusis and Altizidorus fiue Famous and learned Doctors in the Romane Church denye playnlie that it was instituted by CHRIST and consequentlie that it is no true Sacrament The peremptorie tyme then and author when this doctrine of seaven sacraments got foot in the Church their owne Cassander specifieth sâ—ying Heerein surelie there is no contraversie that there are two speciall Sacramentes of our salvation wherein speciallie our salvation consisteth and is apprehended by vs as speaketh Robertus Tuitiensis and Hugo de Sancto Victore to wit Baptisme and the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of CHRIST neyther shall yee finde anie who rashlie before Peter Lombards tyme did set downe anie certayne and definite number of Sacramentes which tyme was about the 1140 yeare of GOD and so the same iâ— but a verie late Noveltie CHAPT. XVIII The Novelty of Transsubstantiation BEfore wee come to the discoverie of the Noveltie of this lurde errour wee will show first how grosse not onelie the Romaniâ—tes of olde haue beene therein but lyke-wyse their verie late lesuits First then to vse the wordes of the Councell of Rome helde by Pope Nicolas Anno 1060 wherevnto they caused Berengarie by way of recantation to subscrybe The Bread and Wine which are set vpon the Altar after consecration say they are not onelie the Sacrament of CHRIST'S Bodie and Blood but are the verie true Bodie and Blood of CHRIST and sensiblie in the verie trueth is handled by the hands of the Priest and kroken and chawed by the teeth of the faythfull A late lesuit lyke-wyse Cornelius à Lapide sayeth vpon these wordes of ISAI Beholde a Virgine shall conceaue and beare a Sonne In this venerable Sacrament this mysterie sayeth hee is truelie performed and daylie in verie deede renewed which heere ISAIAH fore-telleth and which was performed when the Word was incarnate for by the wordes of consecration as the Bread is truelie and reallie transsubstantiate so CHRIST is brought foorth and as it were begotten vpon the Altar as powerfullie and efficaciouslie as if CHRIST were not as yet incarnate yet by these wordes This is my Bodie Hee should bee incarnate and assume an humane bodie as graue Divynes doe teach there-fore sayeth hee the Priest is as the Virgine that bare him the Altar is the Manger the little Emmanuell which hee beareth is Christ brought foorth vnder the little Hostâ—e by vertue of the Highest and over-shadowing of the holie Ghost which made their Postelluâ— to call Transsubstantiation nativitas mâ—diatoris vltima or the last birth of our Mediator CHRIST For detection of the Noveltie of which blasphemous errour if wee first inqâ—yre of the Antiquitie thereof in Scripture a clowde of their owne witnesses will tell vs that it is not expressed in Scripture nor can bee proven thereâ—y aâ— all and that it may bee justlie doubted sayeth Bellarmine himselfe whether these wordes This is my Bodie bee cleare anough to inforce it seeing the most sharpe witted and learned Doctors of the Romane Church such as Scotus wâ—s haue thought the contrarie sayeth hee Next if wee aske for the Antiquitie thereof in the writs of the auncient Fathers or if it was believed in the primitiue Church then one of their schoole-men will tell vs saying In the primitiue Church it was not believed as a poynt of fayth that the substance of bread was converted into the bodie of Christ Next of the Transsubstantiation of the bread into the bodie of CHRIST sayeth Alfonsuâ— Ã Castro in the auncient wryters there is verie seldome mention Yea sundrie auncient Divynes doe aâ—â—irme that the bread is not Transubâ—tantiâ—te sayeth their
trueth and her former estate when shee was once the faythfull Citie it beeing our duetie as sayeth Lyrinensis to receaue true teachers with the Church but not with false teachers in the Church to desert the true fayth of the Church and embrace Novelties For if anie man follow him sayeth Ignatius who haue departed form the trueth hee shall never inherite the Kingdome of GOD and hee who departeth not from a teacher of lies shall bee condemned to Hell fire for neyther must wee depart from them who are godlie teachers nor must wee haue fellowship with these who are wicked Let her therefore with Ephesus returne to her first loue renounce her Whoredomes quyte her Erroures reject her Novelâ—ies forsake her Idolatries and from Babell turne Bethâ—ll else wee solemnlie protest that wee would haue cured Babell but shee would not and as LYRINâ—Nâ—IS speaketh That our care is heereby to reduce the seduced multitude of the woâ—ld stricken with the cruell tempest of repentiue Heresie from new broached errour to the auncient fayth from the phrenesie of Noveltie to their wonâ—ed health and from the blindnesse of former darknesse to the primitiue light of most sacred Trueth that so GOD may haue 〈◊〉 ie the Church her luster Satan an over-throwe BABELL a downe-fall the Saynctes may haue joye and Veritie the victorie AMEN Glorie to Him who giveth abilitie to the faynt increaseth strength in them who haue no might ISAIAH 40. 29. AN APPENDIX To this Treatise Of the Noveltie of Poperie Clearlie showing next The antiquitie of the Protestant Religion HAving thus singled out Poperie from the profession of true Christian Religion as Chaffe from the Corne or Popple rather from the good Wheat and having showne the Noveltie thereof as of a disease which hath overtaken a bodie which was sound and healthfull at first but lyke BABELL had neede of cure at last it will not bee amisse to set downe the points of the true Christian Religion which is that onlie Auncient Catholicke and Apostolicke Fayth Which was once sayeth S. IVDE delyvered to the Saynctes and which in all the positiue poyntes thereof wee at this day contende for and professe and wherein also our verie adversaries doe not dissent from vs Which thing doeth serue 1. to show the great advantage that wee haue of them heerein to wit that what are the positiue poynts of our Religion therein they agree with vs and cannot say but the same is the trueth but in all the former poyntes of Poperie which they doe professe wee justlie disagree from them because of the proven Noveltie thereof and disagreement from the Word of GOD Next this shall serue to answere two ordinarie and customable questions of theirs to wit 1. whereby they aske where was our Religion befor Luther and 2. what became of the soules of our fore-fathers who dyed before the reformation First then this Catholicke antiquitie of our doctrine wee shall proue GOD willing by the playne inâ—uction onelie of the positiue poyntes thereof wherein as is sayde our verie Adversaries the Romanists themselues doe agree First therefore concerning the Scriptures wee say according to Scripture that they are the sure and safe rule of fayth and so sayeth Bellarmine Bell. l. 1. de verbâ— c. 2. with vs The Scripture is the rule of our fayth most sure and most safe sayeth hee 2. Wee say that all doctrines of fayth and manners which are simplie necessarie for all men are playnlie set downe in Scripture and so doeth Bellarmine professe Bell. l. 4. de verbo c. 11. vltimo that as this was the doctrine of Augustine so it is true of the doctrines of fayth sayeth hee which are simplie necessarie for all men to salvation 3. Next to the word to come to the Sacramentes wee say that Baptisme and the LORD'S Supper are the two proper Sacramentes instituted by CHRIST vnto our salvation Bell. l. 2. de effectâ— sacrâ— c. 24â— and this Bellarmine also confesseth saying Of Baptisme and the LORD'S Supper there is no question at all 4. Wee say that in the Lords Supper the bodie and blood of CHRIST is present not onelie in a signe or figure but truelie and reallie yet spirituallie and mysticallie Bell. l. â— de Euchar c. 20. §. 30. vegula and so doeth Bellarmine confesse as Bernard teacheth in his sermon of S. Martine where hee sayeth That in the Sacrament is exâ—ibite vnto vs the true substance of Christs flesh but yet spirituallie not carnallie sayth he 5. From the word and Sacraments to come to the Church we say that the Rocke whereon the same is built Bell. l. 1. de Rom. pont â— 10. is CHRIST and so granteth Bellarmine saying No man doubteth but Christ is that Rocke 6. As Hee is the Rocke and Foundation wee say in lyke-manner that Hee is the onelie Head and King of His Church and so sayeth Bellarmine Bell l. 2. de Rom. pont c. 31. Onelie Christ is the head of all the Churches and all others vnder Him are not heads nor Princes thereof 7. As Hee is onelie King so is Hee the high Priest thereof whose righteousnesse and sufferinges in our justification is made ours so that wee may offer vp the same vnto the Father as ours for the remission of our sinnes and so sayeth Bellarmine That Christ is called our righteousnesse Bell. l. 2 de â—ustif â— 10. bâ—cause Hee hath satisfied the Father for vs and so gifteth vnto vs 〈◊〉 satisfaction sayeth hee and communicateth it to vs when Hee justifieth vs that it may bee called our satisfaction and righteousnesse and this way it is not absurde for anie man to say that Christs righteousnesse and merites are imputed to vs sayeth hee seeing they are so given and applyed to vs as if wee our selues had made satisfaction to GOD 8 Wee say that good workes are necessarie to salvation as Bellarmine acknowledgeth Bell. l. 4. de justif. c. 1. saying Calâ—in and Luther doe teach That good workes are to bee done and in some sort are necessarie ††Ephes. 2. 10. seeing they affirme that it is not true fayth which bringeth not foorth good workes and so saye the Romanistes jumping heerein with vs 9. Yet notwithstanding that wee affirme them to bee necessarie wee saye That to obtayne salvation it is the onelie safe way to put our whole confidence in the onelie mercie of GOD and merites of CHRIST onelie and so sayeth Bellarmine For the vncertayntie of our owne righteousnesse Bell l. 5. de â—ustif c. 7. and danger of vaine glorie sayeth hee it is safest to repose our whole confidence in the onelie mercie and free favour of GOD 10. Lyke-wyse for religious worship wee say that the holie Trinitie is to bee so worshipped and to GOD onelie wee should pray as the authour and giver of all good thinges Bell. l. 1. de Sâ—nct c. 20. and so sayeth Bellarmine That this most divyne excellencie is to bee worshipped and