whosoeuer doth credite and beleue he must needes be found with them vvhen the day of iudgement cometh But as for the most part they make these foul and open shiftes by disgracing and discrediting as much as in them lieth the Church and Councels and cheefe Pastors because of the scandals and faults of a fevv so sometimes they do it more closely and therfore more deceitfully vvhich their dealing is also much vvorth the noting For vvhē Sectaries pretēd to trust and obey the foure first or any other Coūcel general vvith this clause of exception so far as they determine according to expresse Scriptures Canonical there is a double deceit in their meaning First they vvould make the people beleeue that they reuerēce Councels secondly that they do the cheefe honour to the Scriptures vvhere in deede they dishonour both and make them selues iudges of both For to credit the Councels so far as they bring expresse Scriptures is no more but to trust the Scriptures vvhich if the simplest person in earth do euidently alleage he must be beleeued but vvhether the Scriptures alleaged by the Councels make for the purpose or cōuince that for vvhich they are cited that them selues vvil iudge no lesse then if the poorest tinkar in England had alleaged them Vvhich is no more as is plaine but to make them selues iudges of the Councels vvhich the simple people thought they had respected much by so solemne mētion and promises made of them Againe they purposely in naming the Scriptures adde Canonical that if an euident place be alleaged against them out of the holy Bible they may at their pleasure deny the booke to be Canonical and so escape Vvhere also they seeming to do honour to the Scriptures do in deede make thē selues iudges of the Scriptures deciding vvhich be Canonical Scriptures ād not graunting so much authoritie to the Councels and Church vvhich haue determined such things already to their hands So they bring al to their priuate fansie from the general truth and spirit of Gods Church An other vvay they vse also of like deceit to bring al to their priuate iudgement vvhen they pretend sometimes rather to be tried by Councels and Popes or Priests past many hundred yeres sithence then by the Councels See Apostolike and other iudgements of their ovvne daies pretending that they vvil yeld to the foure first Councels or See Apostolike and Popes vvhen they vvere good vvith an exception yet for their more security so far as they agree vvith Gods vvord for that they knovv that the Popes and Councels of old dealt not directly vvith their opinions though vvhen any came obiter in their vvaies they condemned them of heresies but vvith other Sectes and false Prophetes proper to those times Vvhereas in deede the old Councels and their decrees are rather instructions and recordes to vs and to the Councels in these daies thē iudgements or iudges of our actions or persons tovvards vvhom they proceeded not directly nor iudicially but the See Apostolike Prelates and Coūcels of our time vnder vvhose povver and iurisdiction al Christian men are be our iudges and may resolue define and determine iudicially in our cases of Controuersie and vve are bound to obey these as the former Christians those in times past God in the Scriptures plainely cōmaunding in doubtful cases to go to the Priestād Iudge for the time being ād vve are vvarned to obey the Church present not onely past the old fathers Popes and Councels being recordes of truth but the other being iudges of our causes and hauing iurisdiction of our persons Vvhich to auoid they feine an appellation to the former onely esteeming in deede of both alike as of men deceiued as of humane traditions and so forth as in their vvritings is most euident vvhere from Peters time dovvnevvard they make the cheefest fathers the ministers and furtherers of Antichrist Al this is no more but both to barke and flee at once for ansvvers be they none Let them obiect any thing against vs vve say to it roundly this must needes be the sense by comparing other Scriptures to the same thus such and such a Doctor expounde it thus the fathers interprete it thus such and such a general Councel vnderstande it If they obiect against praying for the dead vve giue them S. Augustines ansvver to Aerius and his vvhole booke de cura pro mottuis if they argue against the honouring of holy Relikes and Pilgrimage vve ansvver vvith S. Hieroms vvordes against Vigilantius if they dispute against the inuocation of Saints or vvorshipping the holy Crosse ād other memories of Christ or his Martyrs vve giue them S. Cyrils solution against Iulian the Apostata if they dispute against the holy Sacrifice vve appoint them to S. Chrysostoms solution vpon the Epistle to the Hebues if they contend against the corporal presence of Christes body and bloud in the Sacrament vve referre thē to Lateran Councel against Berengarius and to the iudgement of al antiquity if they alleage against sacred Images vve lay dovvne vnto them the ansvver and resolution of the second Councel of Nice of S. Gregorie to Serenus of S. Damascene in his 3 bookes of that argument if they stād vvith vs against the povver of Priesthod to remitte sinnes vve ansvver them as S. Ambrose and others did the Nouatians and so forth in al cases And yet they vvil not yeld but flee from al Councels and Fathers to their ovvne imaginarie sense of Scriptures pretending to be tried onely by them and by conferring the sense vvhich liketh thē to the like sence of other places conceiued alike in their ovvne imagination Vvherein they are like to the forgers of false coynes that vvould not haue their money tried by the touchstone but by some other peeces either of true and fine metals or of some such like forged vvare as their ovvne So that it falleth out betvvixt vs and the Protestants in such things as it did by Plutarchs report about tvvo famous vvrestlers in the games of Olympus of vvhich the one being both strōger and nimbler then the other did often and easily giue his felovv a faire fall but yet being laid on the ground he vvould neuer confesse that it vvas a fall but by vvordes gestures and shuffling to and fro so dasled the senses of the standers by that the victor could not get sentence of his side and therfore he vsed to say that he could easily ouerthrovv his companion but not stop his mouth or cause him to confesse so much Euen so vve can easily thankes be to God ouerthrovv the Protestants but vve can not tie their tonges Of vvhich kind of men S. Hierom also had this experience Facilius eos vinci posse quà m persuaderi that they may more easily be ouercome then persuaded And againe cùm disputare nesciāt litigare tamen nō desinunt vvhen they can not dispute yet they cease not to vvrangle
Logician in the Vniuersities or schooles of Sectaries but he vvil oppose him self boldly against al the Church vvith this pretext alvvaies that Gods mere vvord so they call their Bible falsely corruptly and deceitfully translated together vvith as foul fantastical and false suppositions deduced out of the same must be folovved before al mens doctrines and inuentions And generally al Sectmaisters to abuse the people them selues shamefully deceiued before make the state of the controuersie betvvixt them and the Catholikes their aduersaries to be this Vvhether they grounding their doctrine on Gods mere vvord are to be beleued rather then their aduersaries founding theirs vpon mans traditions and fantasies Vvhere that is not the poynt of the doubt but this vvhether the vvord and vvritten letter being redde acknovvledged and common to both they haue the true sense and vnderstanding of it rather then vve and vvhether they folovv fansie that be ledde by their ovvne priuate spirit or vve that leane to the Spirit of the Church Novv then al men must knovv that as it is the propertie of the Protestants and such others to call the sense that them selues of pride and ignorance make choise of Gods mere vvord so also to terme the holy Churches sense or interpretation mans fansie or inuention Vvheras euer the priuate singular nevv and particular spirit is fansie and the common vniuersal old and Catholike interpretation is the true and mere vvord of God vvhervpon our doctrine and trayning vp the Studēts in these Catholike Colleges are grounded And the very drift of Catholike schooles in these daies must be to dravv men from phantasie priuate imagination and liking of their ovvne iudgement to the trusting of al the learned fathers of al ages to the beleefe of the Catholike Church according to a Christians profession to obey in doubtes of doctrine the holy Councels and other authentical Iudgements vvhich Christ hath left in his Church for that purpose to vvhich end vve do svveare al that take degree according to the ordinance of the holy Councel of Trent that they shal during their life in al their preaching teaching disputing vvriting and othervvise expound the holy Scriptures as neere as they can secundum vnanimem consensum Patrum according to the vniforme and agreable sense of the Fathers This is not to bring vp men according to fansies but according to the promised Spirit of truth This is to auoid the particular presumptiō of Heretikes vvho are vvholy so caried avvay vvith the priuate spirit of pride and contention that they frame to them selues certaine platformes of doctrine according to euery of their particular Sectes vvhich they call their analogie of faith and dravv Gods vvord vnto it making it to sovvnd and say vvhatsoeuer they dreame of And therfore S. Augustine noted this to be the propertie of Faustus the Manichée and the like so to handle the matter by much talking of Scriptures that al the authoritie therof might be subiect to them selues and yeld no other meaning then their fansie allovved of To auoid therfore these partial spirits vve imitate in our learning and teaching as neere as the time and opportunitie of things do suffer vs holy S. Basil and S. Gregorie Nazianzene of vvhom thus Ruffinus vvriteth For the space of thirtene yeres they studied only the bookes of holy Scripture and the vnderstanding of the same they folowed not of their owne presumption but of the vvritings and anthoritie of their forefathers vvho also them selues vvere vvel knovven to haue receiued the rule of vnderstanding by succession from the Apostles Vve teach and learne humility and obedience to our Prelates vve teach all ours to knovv and keepe those traditions vvhich the Apostle commendeth to his flockes both vvritten and vnvvrittē those precepts of the Ancients and the like of our Superiors that the faithful in the Actes vvere cōmaunded to obserue according to the difference of things and times prescribed by the gouernours of our soules In al doubtes vve resolue our selues by the definition of holy Doctors Councels and See Apostolike to vvhich Christ hath giuen the Spirit of truth the right sense of holy Scriptures and the grace of discerning the false priuate spirits of errour from the true common Spirit of Christian Catholike people Vve teach them that such precepts and traditions as be in Scriptures commended vnto vs and al other holy Churches decrees are vntruely called the traditions or commaundements of men in the sense of Heretikes for that they be the Ordinances of the holy Ghost vvho continually assisteth our lavvful Pastor in the due regiment of our soules Vve teach them that the Scriptures be hard and high and many vvaies misconstrued to damnation that Manes Arius Macedonius Eutyches Sabellius Pelagius though they redde the Scriptutes and as much vaunted thē selues therof as the Caluinists novv do yet erred and misconstrued them shamefully and that the Protestants therfore may so do and in deede do folovving the like particular contentious and disobedient spirits as they did Vve tel thē of S. Augustines experiēce That Heretikes by daily contentions and fightes raise vp mistes and smoke vnto them selues that they can not conceiue the truth vvhich is hardly seen euē of a stil and quiet mind And againe Heretikes piking out such sentēces and chapters of Scripture as simple men vnderstand not by them do deceiue the ignorant soules which by curiositie are easily misledde because euery vnlearned soul is curious But he that hath well learned the Catholike faith spred throughout the vvhole vvorld and is armed vvith good maners and true pietie can not be deceiued Vve teach our Scholers that the ancient fathers of al ages agreing together are more like to vnderstand the Scriptures then the Protestāts and that if humility make any thing in this case as it doth al they vvere more humble then the Protestants if studie and diligence be required they passe them if great knovvledge in al sciences our good felovves be not comparable if the tonges diuers had the cheefe of them naturally vvherof ours get but a smal tast by art if much exercise of reading conferring comparing expounding the Scriptures help to vnderstād them hovv far they excel our delicate Doctors their vvorkes and infinite treatises do vvitnesse if prayer serue any thing for attaining truth and Gods spirit vvithout vvhich no such verities cā be knovven surely to cōpare onely their deuotions vvatchings fastes sacrifices to these companions endeuours vvere a great iniurie and ridiculous if to be void of vvordly distractions to liue single and chast vvhich to the onely studie of Philosophie vvas of old thought conuenient profit to the knovvledge of Diuinitie the Protestants haue no great aduantage if Gods great graces and vertues euen to the vvorkes of miracles and sustaining Martyrdom and so high holines of life that they are beleued of al Catholike men and not denyed of Heretikes to be in heauen help to the vnderstāding of
Countrie Of vvhich though al take not so much good as they might do yet none feare hurt nor make lavves against his holy and charitable actions but vve The best is that vve haue to do vvith a most benigne father that vvil struggle no othervvise vvith our vnnatural affections but by continual benefites not doubting but he shal gaine that in heauen of God vvhich his immortal merites do deserue and of our posteritie vvhich shalbe void of these preiudicial humors perpetual memorie prayer and benediction And this much by occasion of a certaine clause in the Proclamation of Ianuarie concerning the erection of the said Seminaries in forraine partes ⧠That we liue not in them against the lawes of God and our Countrie with a duetiful exhortation to the Q Maiestie CHAP. IIII. AND vvheras in the same Proclamation vve be charged to liue contrarie to the lavves of God and the Realme if it vvere meant in matters of our life and cōuersation as vve trust it is not our purgation might easily be made hauing so many vvitnesses of our demeanour both for common and priuate vvheresoeuer vve haue liued and vvanting not publike testimonie of diuers Princes and cities for the same vvhich shalbe forth coming as neede requireth But meaning as it is like they do of our regiment and behauiour in doctrine religion and subiection to the lavves of our Countrie vve desire in this point if euer els most benigne Readers both for your ovvne sake and ours that fauorable attention and indifferencie vvhich the vveight of the cause touching both parties so neere doth chalenge and require Vve ansvver then that if the lavves of God and the lavves of the Realme did alvvaies consent and concurre in deede as in this clause and other common vvtitings and speaches proceding from authoritie they be lightly in vvordes couched together against vs hardly could vve defend our doctrines and doings from errour and vndutiefulnes tovvards our Prince But seing the lavves of kings and Countries are not euer consonant but may be contrarie to Gods commaundemēts vve may iustly mislike the one vvithout disloyaltie to the other VVhen Emperours saith S. Augustine be in errour they make lawes for their errour against the truth by which iust men are tried and crowned for not doing that which they commaund because God forbid deth it If our Prince or Realme had the promis that their faith should not faile that Hel gates should not preuaile against thē that Christ vvould be vvith them to the end of the vvorld that vvhen so euer they meete together in consultations him self vvould be in the middes of them that the holy Spirit should perpetually direct them into al truth that he vvould be in their mouth and the mouth of their childrē and the mouth of their childrens children euerlastingly if in doubtes of doctrine vve vvere by the Scriptures referred to them if the States there assembled might iustly vse this clause of ancient Councels It hath pleased the holy Ghost and vs then should our Statutelavves euer cōcurre vvith Gods lavves and the breach of one sort should condēne vs of trāsgression of both Vvherof novv vve neede not feare knovving that no temporal king nor Common-vvealth hath such priuileges of Gods protection being the special prerogatiues of the Churches tribunals vvhose lavves therfore neuer svvarue frō Christes commaundements as our Parliaments haue done by our Aduersaries iudgement al these vvorldes past together and vve are sure that these later haue done and that al other presuming to determine of matters Ecclesiastical must needes do And it vvere the pitifullest hazard and vncertainty of our faith and saluation that could be so to hang on the Princes vvill or the lavves commonly vvholy thereon depending that there could be imagined no neerer vvay to religion then to beleeue vvhat our tēporal Lord and Maister list And it is the turpitude of our Nation through the vvhole vvorld vvhereat vve blush before strāgers that sometimes fall into discourse of such things that in one mans memorie and since this strange mutation began vve haue had to our Prince a man vvho abolished the Popes authoritie by his lavves and yet in other pointes kept the faith of his fathers vve haue had a child vvho by the like lavves abolished together vvith the Papacie the vvhole ancient religion vve had a vvoman vvho restored both againe and sharply punished Protestants and lastly her Ma. tie that novv is vvho by the like lavves hath long since abolished both againe and novv seuerely punisheth Catholikes as the other did Protestants and al these strange differences vvithin the compasse of about 30 yeres Neither may vve looke for more securitie or rest in religion in the times to come so long as our soules saluation and damnation depend vpon our temporal lavves and Princes Vvho if they should for the peoples sinnes either by errour in iudgemēt or for any vantage and aduancement of their state vvhich often leadeth such mens consciences fall to Arianisme or apostasie as great Emperours haue done and Princes are in no lesse peril of such miseries but much more then others be vvith as great facilitie may they force their subiects to folovv them and prouide lavves for them vvhich alvvaies in such cases must be counted Gods mere word as they haue done in points aforesaid specially vvhen the resistance of the vvhole Clergie both superior and inferior shal not be therein any vvhit regarded as late experience in the first Parliament of the Q. Highnes reigne teacheth vs. In vvhich Parliament the determination decision and definition of truthes or of heresies and errours of the true vvorship of God and the false is attributed to that Court of the States no lesse or rather more then to the foure first or any other general Coūcel to vvhich the deciding of such things is there graunted vvith this limitation so far as they can vvarrant their doings by the expresse vvordes of Canonical Scriptures and no further but to the Parliamēt absolutely decreing at the same time that nothing there determined should be counted heresie errour or schisme vvhat order decree sentence constitution or lavv so euer vvere to the contrarie the holy Scriptures them selues not excepted Al this that Parliamēt did and vvithal abolished al the rites of the Catholike Church and the right vse of ministring the holy Sacraments and Sacrifice prescribing a nevv forme in most things agreing vvith Zuinglianisme in some vvith Lutheranisme al the Bishops of the Realme most graue learned and honorable Prelates present as hauing principal place and voice by the lavves of our Countrie in the same dissenting and dissuading vvith al their povver possible the inferior Clergie then also gathered in Conuocation by most humble remonstrance opposing it self therevnto as also many vvise men both of the said Parliament and abrode did signifie their much mislike of the same Thus yet did the sentence of the Laity consisting onely of Noblemen
They vvere ouercome in Aërius Vigilantius Iouinian Imagebreakers Berengarius and others by many iudicial sentences and by plaine learning refuted before our daies they are condemned by the like meanes in our time yeld they vvill not til God miraculously cōfound their cheefe preachers And for further trial of our doctrine vvould God it might please our Prince to cōmaund some of vs her Catholike subiects abrode or of them vvhich be at home either in prison or at libertie to appeare before her Ma. tie or any indifferēt iudges in scholastical cōbat vvith any one or any number of Protestāts of her dominions or any other part of the vvorld Vvhich men though they durst not shevv their faces in the late General Councel vvhich is the proper place of such disputes vpon trifling and vnvvorthy pretences refusing the same blaspheming that holy assembly and barking at it in bookes a far of vvhen they durst not come neere it as the Heretikes condēned in the first foure great Councels did also tovvard the same yet their causes of feare or exception vvould cease in this case if it pleased her Highnes by her vvisdom and clemēcie to giue order for the libertie and saftie of both partes therein Neither neede our Aduersaries be curious in the case the personal feare or danger being on our side but the shame and confusion vve trust in God shal be on theirs Once there vvas a conference in deede but vvithout al order and indifferēcie and at that time vvhen there vvas such a greedly desire of nouelty and chaunge that vvil and affection forcibly ouerruled al the matter Novv so many yeres hauing both vvel cooled the inordinate heat that the people lightly haue in such cases and giuen good experience of the Sect vve doubt not but God vvould prosper the matter to the great good of the Realme and contentmēt of her Ma. ties and al doubtful consciences For though such disputes vvith the Catholike Churches Aduersaries out of Councels and fit places be not in them selues alvvaies so allovvable nor profitable yet oftentines they haue done good and haue been thought necessarie both of late and of old as vve see by the diuers conferences of S. Augustine and others vvith the Manichées Arians and Donatistes in Afrike and some in France and Germanie vvith the Caluinists and Protestāts And that this vve also might do vvith our Superiors liking vve most hartely desire trusting that our doctrine vvhich novv is condemned of fansie and humane tradition should then be inuincibly proued to be most agreable to Gods sacred vvord and holy Scriptures Thus also further being bold and of duety to his Holines vvho also is charged to haue instituted these Colleges to traine vs vp in erroneous doctrine bound to say as the truth is that in these his Colleges there be vsed as many meanes to attaine to the knovvledge of the Scriptures and Gods truth reserued in them and his holy Church as in many mo of theirs Our vvittes be of God as theirs are and alloted to vs by his goodnes in as plentiful measure as theirs our absence from our Countrie the aduersity and pouerty incident to the same being not excessiue is as fit for studie as the more plentiful and delicate state of our English Vniuersities at home being othervvise for that thing and for al vvorldly splendour the noblest Schooles in Christendom Our foundation in al kind of faculties requisite for the studie of Diuinitie is as deeply laid as theirs our diligence rather more then lesse our time both of age and studie more complete then theirs commonly can be that are for the most part in our daies so timely called out of the Schooles to pulpits and promotions Our order methode and course of Diuinitie kept and ruled by obedience and the Superiors prescription much more profitable then theirs that is mere voluntarie Vve haue mo disputations lessons conferences examinations repetitions instructions Catechizings resolutions of cases both of conscience and controuersies methodes and maners to procede in the cōuersion of the deceiued and such like exercises specially for daily practise in the Scriptures vvherein the Protestāts vainely pretend their cheefe praises to cōsist because they can promptly alleage the leafe and the line of their booke in our tvvo Colleges then are in their tvvo Vniuersities cōteining neere hand 30 goodly Colleges And as concerning Sermons no Sunday nor Holy day in the yere vvanteth one and tvvise a vveeke besides for the exercise of yong preachers declamations in matters of Diuinitie For the tonges also notvvithstanding so many their publike and priuate lessons and great vaunting of the same I vvould vve might haue opportunitie to shevv vvhether they or vve haue more commoditie of them either to the knovvledge of Diuinitie or to the aduantage of our cause As for the Maisters and Professors of our Colleges specially the Romane Readers of vvhom vve may vvith better reason and respect of our shamefastnes speake then of our ovvne here vvhom yet I trust our Aduersaries shal find sufficiēt vvhen God shal put them to the proofe vve may be bold to say they be in al kind the most choise and cunning men in Christendō for vertue learning gouernemēt and al education of youth vvherof vvould God our Nation at home might once take triall Novv for that part of education vvhich pertaineth to Christian life and maners because knovvledge and learning be obtained specially by prayer and godly behauiour impure persons being not so apt to receiue and obey the faith our cheefe endeuour is in both the Colleges to breede in our Scholers the feare of God deuotion and desire of saluation Vvhich is done by diuers spiritual exercises as daily examinations of their consciences often Communicating or Receiuing the B. Sacrament often confessing much praying continual hearing and meditation of holy things deepe conceiuing and compassion of their Countries state and danger of their deerest frendes soules Al vvhich things to tell in particular vvere to long Neither this much vvould vve haue said of such matters had not our necessarie defense driuen vs therevnto For vvhich and principally for the honour of God and his Holinesse eternal commendation vve haue touched the maner of that education vvhich our Aduersaries haue persuaded her Highnes Councel to be disagreable to Gods vvord Humbly thanking our Lord God that for our further vvarrant therein he hath giuen to these endeuours such effect that many haue found eternal good thereby in our Countrie and that he neuer suffered any as far as vve could perceiue and do remember vouchsauing to conferre vvith vs one moneth to go hēce not persuaded and contended in conscience though many yerely resort to both the Seminaries either vvholy doubtful or plaine Protestants Vvhereby vve find it certaine that many a good soul perisheth in our Nation onely for lacke of hearing and seeing the Catholike faith and practise therof The sensible comfort vvherof is so vnspeakable to al that truely do