thynges are construed The callyng of the Apostles was equall one maner of function amongest them all the authoritie indifferent one selfe same holy Ghost poured vpon eche of them at one tyme the promises generall the reward proportionall The which though I doe knit vp briefly makyng hast foreward yet if any man will behold euery seuerall parcell and withall enter into a deépe consideration of the most pure and vndefiled Church of Christ and his Apostles as he shall perceaue an enterchaūgeable communion in that strickte societie of Apostleshyp so shall he soundly iudge of that Monarchie and superioritie in possessiōs in giftes and other functions and all other priuiledges of dignitie especially That they were vtterly renounced of Peter and of all that sacred Brotherhood These former positions therefore beyng now thus well fenced your cutted Apishe Sophisme is cut of by the rumpe wherewith you conclude so ridiculously If it be euidēt say you yea more apparaūt then the sunne in mid-day that Peter was aboue all the other Apostles in superioritie of degree then is it most manifest that the same honour and preheminence in dignitie is due to all them that suceede him in place O leaddagger Argumēt in which what shall I blame first If Peter you say were a Prince It is all one forsooth as if this our holy father had wynges perhaps he would flye like a Wildgoose But admit that Peter were placed in Pontisicalibus as you would haue it though it be quyte contrary as I haue already proued But we will graunt it vnto you for a tyme. What will you gayne hereby That the same dignitie is due to the Successours wherfore I pray you The priuiledge of the person is not extended beyond the person And therefore if the Maiestie of Peter were peculiar to Peter euen so it ended in him selfe But if you had no leysure to learne the Ciuill Law can not common reason teache you that whatsoeuer priuiledge is geuen to one person alone may not bee translated to his successours vnlesse it bee limited by name But if these two crooches deceaue you come of and learne of our Sauiour Iesu Christ him selfe what kinde of superiority that was wherof Christ made mentiō to Peter Blessed art thou Symon Bariona for fleshe and bloud haue not reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Thou art Peter c. Which wordes doe playnly conuince that flesh and bloud were not partakers of this promise nor that any especiall choise was made of the person of Peter but of his fayth and confession onely For God doth not accept the person of any man In like maner neither flesh nor bloud may challenge any succession in this promise whether it be Iuly Boniface or any other But the fayth and confession of Peter is the true succession of Peter For if his succession were due vnto personages then should this dignitie be oftentymes committed to Sorcerors and heretiques but this is altogether repugnaunt to the sacred institution of our Sauiour Christ to builde his Churche vpon so stinkyng a puddle Therfore cast away this your patched conclusion lame and haltyng of euery legge For without all question Peter obteined no such interest in Principalitie or if he did it was but in his confession of fayth onely And therfore can no man clayme any other succession as lineally from him vnlesse perhaps you may cōmaunde God to loue an Italian Prelate because he is borne in Italic better then an English or Spanish Byshop or that ye will locke fast the holy Ghost to the Citie of Rome But the Spirite will blow where him listeth and the tyme commeth and is euen now already come that neither in this Mount nor in Ierusalem nor in any appointed place God shall be worshipped God is a spirite and his true worshippers shall worship him in spirite and truth But will ye come nearer home harken to your own Doctour Ierome whose iudgement I haue here noted worthy surely to he engrauen in letters of gold If authoritie bee enquired for the world is greater then a Citie whersoeuer a Byshop be either at Rome or at Eugubium or at Rhegium or at Constantinople or at Alexandria all be together equall of like merite and of like Priesthoode The power of riches or basenes of pouertie maketh not a Byshop higher or lower They all are the successours of the Apostles wheresoeuer they sit and of what estate so euer they be c. To the same effect writeth Cyprian in these wordes The same thyng verely were the Apostles that Peter was endued with like partakyng of honour and power But the begynnyng first entered by vnitie to the entent that the vnitie of the Church might be shewed to be one Is it euen so Cypriā is this thy verdite that all the Apostles were endued with like partakyng of honour and power But you my Lord affirme cleane contrary That Peter was appointed chief of all the Apostles and that this is more manifest then the Sunne in midday and that hereunto agree the Scriptures auncient fathers and that generall cōsent of antiquitie Truly you speake many wordes but no mā besides your fraternitie will beleue you not of any pleasure of gaynesaying but bycause you alledge nothyng that may enduce to yeld And bycause you seéme somewhat tymorous of the successe of your Diuinitie in this deépe principall cause of Monarchie you catch hold fast of a Sophistical target That in the church wiche is but one ought to be one chief Ruler vpon whom all men may depende by whose authoritie troubles may be appeased and outragious opinions may be suppressed c. There is in deéde but one Church generally as there is but one confession of Christian fayth yet this generalitie of the Church is distributed into many particular congregatiōs as all Nations haue their seuerall administrations of Iustice. Now therefore as euery dominion is deuided into seuerall distinctions of gouernement so to euery particular Church are ordeined seuerall Pastours and yet in the meane whiles finde no lacke at all of your new vpstart Monarchie whereof was neuer question moued in the golden age of the primitiue church But you Reply with pretie poppet reasons That contentious can not bee calmed nor outrages suppressed except some one be ordeined chief and head of the Church This fonde distinction the common course of humaine actions doth vtterly extinguish For euery seuerall Prince doth gouerne his common weale with wholesome distinct ordinaunces and yet make not so great aduauncement of this stately Monarchy as you do phantastically dreame But perhappes this is neédefull in matters of Religion why I pray you more then in temporall regiments The gouernement of Rome it selfe for the singularitie wherof you play the champion wil minister examples vnto vs of either part Augustus was an honorable Emperour Vespasian indifferent but Caius Caligula and Nero were horrible monsters who did not onely
should the Byshop of Rome haue done if wormyng out this ragyng ringworme of madd ambition and keépyng him selfe within his owne limittes and boundes of Scriptures modestly he would endeuour to bring to passe to become faultlesse him selfe and voyde of all iust reproche of deserued infamie Now beyng so pestered with botches blaynes on all partes what maruell is it if he complaine of pinching at the least touch of an vlcer Moreouer neither should our Osorius also demeane him selfe in any respect lesse discretly if laying aside this foule fashiō of flattering he would more simply and plainly deale herein with Authorities and testimonies of Scriptures rather then with disordered affections nor would enter into so contentious a brablyng about the Popes Authoritie before he had by good and warrantable proofes made manifest to the world by what right the Pope were able to mainteyne his challenge touchyng the sayd Authoritie Concernyng the ouerthrow of Mōckeries and Nunneries and their goodes and possessions scattered and spoyled although I can not deny but that they might haue bene in some places cōuerted to better vses yet are there no small nomber of Regiōs and freé Cities where those goodes and Selles are conuerted into Schooles of learning hospitals for Straungers and sicke persons and other good vses farre more seémely and profitable then when they were receptacles and dennes of idlenes slouth I dolatry and superstition I speake not now of the liues of these Caterpillers I touch not their hypocrisie I sturre not out the stenche of that puddle Bycause these are externall and incident to mās nature As for these beyng naturall diseases of the belly and the flesh I leaue to thē selues But I enter now into the due consideration of the very inward and best part of Monckish profession to witte the Rules of the order their ordinaunces their Statutes and the very foundations of their Religion I meane the whole course of Monckery which I do altogether accuse Agaynst this I do with full mouth exclame from the very bottome of my hart professe that this order of Monckery is wicked and detestable finally such and so wicked that if all thinges els within the same were founde yet this their very lurking in dennes after that maner of liuing can haue no maner of partaking with the kyngdome of Christ. Of other Monasteries other may Iudge better then I but of such as were in England I can speake fully of myne owne knowledge the first foundations erections wherof if a man behold it will euidently appeare that they were instituted for none other end and purpose then for the redeémyng of soules out of Purgatory for Remission of sinnes and for obteinyng of life euerlasting And what could haue bene deuised more cruell agaynst Christian Relligion or more repugnaunt to Christes Gospell Therfore as touchyng these Temples Dennes and buildyngs of Relligious houses I do not so much maruell that they are thus razed to the grounde as I maruell more at this that they could so long cōtinue to so great preiudice cōtumely and reproche of the Sonne of GOD. But it is euen the selfe thyng wherof the Lord him selfe did long sithence Prophecie Euery building that my heauēly Father hath not planted sayth he shal be pluckt vppe by the rootes But what holynes of Ceremonies do you tell vs of here Osorius If ye meane those old shadowes of Ceremonies prescribed in old tyme by God surely these vanished quite away immediatly vpon the discouery of the cleare light and bright beames of the Gospell And yet they did not so vanish away as I supose That ceremonies for ceremonies shadowes for shadowes or newes shapes should supply the old for what had this bene els then frō Iewishnes to reuolt backe agayne to Iewishnes But if you meane of Ceremonies deuised by men surely of such you may read the Scriptures greuously complatnyng euery where They do worship me in vayne teachyng the Doctrines traditiōs of mē And in an other place The houre cōmeth and now is whēas the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth And how often do we heare Paule the Apostle callyng vs backe from those hungry elementes of ceremonies and that very feruently If you be dead with Christ sayth he from the elementes of this world why are you then holden backe with ceremonies as though you were liuing in the worlde And to the Galat. How is it that you turne agayne to the weake and beggerly ceremonies whereunto agayne ye desire to be in bondage a fresh Now by what reason can you ascribe holynes to those thinges which are called in Paule Beggerly Elementes and are onely corporall exercizes scarse profitable to any thyng and which do rather make a Iew then a Christian man For what is Christianitie els then a spirituall life and worshipping Euen as God him selfe whom we do worship is a Spirite And the armour wherewith we mainteyne his warfare is spirituall our inheritaunce and countrey is sayd to be heauenly and not earthly For although we be clogged yet with infirmities of the flesh we do not liue as bondslaues to the flesh But are risen agayne together with Christ in Fayth Spirite and Truth seékyng not the uisible thinges of this world but heauenly neither betrayeng the freédome wherein we were called and agayne not abusing the freédome wherein we do dwell to the lust of the flesh But what fréedome of Religiō is this if we be holdē as yet bōdslaues to the Traditions of men Paule crieth out That one of vs should not Iudge an other in meate and drinke or in the part of the holy day or new moone or of Sabbathes And will Osorius tye necessity to the keépyng of these Be I not here taken at the worst I speake not this as though I thought simply that no constitutions of men nor ceremonies are tollerable in the Church without the which there can be no Congregations nor Churches of Christians in this life But this present treaty concerneth those ceremonies not which are brought in by any kynde of necessitie but by way of superstition not which come in for decency or order but are instituted as especiall matter of piety godlynesse In the which many men haue grounded their hope of Saluation the chief foundation of Relligion and hauen of affiaunce wherein they flatter thē selues and condemne others vpon the which the greater part of Catholickes now a dayes do fawne ouer greédely nor do onely dwell vpō them but euē bury thē selues aliue in thē And euē these Ceremonies do so nothing at all agreé with the pure and sincere Relligiō of Christ as that no pestilent botche can be more deadly cōtagious vnto it Of that which many famous godly men haue sundry tymes complayned bitterly and not without cause For wise men and men of experience did perceaue this to be true as it is most true that the effectuall force of the Gospell was
through swiftenesse of opinioÌ„ doe affirme her to be such a Church as cann by no meanes goe astray and whatsoeuer this Church doth denouÌ„ce and commaunde the same they doe most greedely catche after with the whole bente of their fayth and defende it with tooth and nayle Out of this sincke were plumped at the first mens traditions and sundry preiudiciall opinions as certein vnreproueable determinations they call them Vnwritten Verities which by leysure they do coÌ„ferre with the Scriptures but in such sorte that whatsoeuer shall seeme to serue for their purpose they Canonize the same as inuiolable but if ought be founde contrary to their expectation then either they submitt it to the IudgemeÌ„t of the Church or with violent wrestyng do racke the same to colour their suggestions And hereof sprang all that Darnell and Cockell of errours and dissensions bycause many men did fashion their fayth after this frameshapen chaungelyng and not after the simple conduct of the word In which Church when they perceaued those and such other doctrines to be embraced as these to witte that the Romish See ought to be supreme Empresse ouer all other Churches that Purgatory must be beleeued That Pardons were necessary that vowes made to remayne vnmaried were meritorious That Mounckery and cowled profession hadd a certein wonderfull perfectioÌ„ That Images ought to be worshipped Sainctes prayed vnto and that the Grace and deseruynges of Iesu Christ could not of it selfe suffice to the attaynement of Saluation That no man could obteyne righteousnes through fayth without workes That Christ him selfe flesh bloud and bones was conteined and sacrificed in the Masse vnder bare accidentes That lay persons should be denied the vse of readyng the Scriptures participatyng the cuppe of the Lord. All these and many other like drugges though they neuer could finde in the liuely wellsprynges of holy Scriptures yet bycause they perceaue them to be shryned in the Decrees and Decretalles of Rome they doe constauntly beleeue that they must be of as autentique aucthoritie as if they were so many Oracles letteÌ„ downe from heauen Hereby cometh to passe that vnder the vysour of the Churche sondry deformed byshapes of doctrine are fostered vpp in the Church and vnder the pretence of Christ the true Gospell of Christ is in no small daunger to be vtterly defaced So that the lamentable complaynte vttered by Chrisostome could neuer so aptly be applyed as to this our Age Many doe walke sayth he vnder the name of Christians but very fewe in the trueth of Christ. But bycause we haue debated these matters with Osorius hereafter at large I will not deteigne your Royall Maiestie with any further Register thereof It remayneth that we make humble intercession to almightie God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that of his immeasurable mearcy and loue wherewith he disdayned not to disclose him selfe vnto mankynde by his Sonne he will vouchsafe to beautifie and establishe and with his mighty power and outstretched arme to defende and make permanent from all errours and bloudy bootchery the true light of his holy Gospell the bright beames whereof hath allready enlightened the earth We beseeche him likewise that by the Trompett and dewe administration of his Gospell the kyngdome of darkenesse may dayly more and more be subuerted and the Church and kyngdome of his Sonne Iesu Christ may be dispersed abroad ouer the face of all the earth and preached thorough our all Nations and tounges Lastly we pray that he will endue all Christian Kynges and Princes beyng sett in aucthority and especially the puissaunt and victorious Sebastian Kyng of Portingall with all Princely ornamentes to enriche him with all perfect and absolute clemency in vertue and true godlynesse and to enlighten him with the knowledge of his glorious countenaunce and establishe his throne to the settyng forth of his glory and aduauncement of his Church through the merites of the same our Lord Iesus Christ who graunt you in this world millions of his grace and in the world to come lyfe euerlastyng Amen ¶ Faultes escaped in them printyng with correction of the same Wherein note that the figures direct to the Foland and A. B. to the first and second Page FOl. 3. b. President Presidentes ibidem is verified which is verified 15. b. lyfe hereof lyke hereof 15. b. groundewordes groundeworkes 16. a. endyng enduyng 23. b. iugglyng ianglyng 4.2 a. you say lay you 43. b. can vvith can not with 46 b. slaunder slaunderer 56. b. in a by a. 61. a. knowen an vnknowen ibidem to the of the. 66. b. was no litle was litle 96. b. with which 97. a. pitie pictie .105 a. of him in him .106 b. ofter after 10â— b. that may that we may .111 b. excludeth excluded .112 a. in other in an other 114 b Sophistically a Sophisticall lye ibidem rather of the rather the .116 a. of a. for a .117 a. requireth required .118 a. geauen be geauen .122 b. they do they that do ibidem the sentence these sentences .130 b. not one no not one .135 b. obiect obiecteth .136 a. of Luthers owne workes he alledgeth Luthers owne wordes .136 b. deny denyeth .137 b. do to to do 137 b nature the nature .151 a. frameth frame .165 a. do thteach doth teach 177. a. iudged be iudged .190 a. deliuered be deliuered .195 a. to onely to the onely 208. a. eare are .231 a. is it not .237 b. may be not may not be .239 b. includeth included .258 b. finally which finally in which .259 a. not but wonder not wonder .266 a. agaynst agayne .275 a. is neither as neither .278 b. to the by the .280 a. to credite no no credite to .285 a. Minister Minster 286. a. fourth a fourth .292 a. yee he .293 b. circumuerted circumuented .300 b. agaynst agayne .303 b. passe to passe .305 a. successours predecessours .313 a. pardon pardoned .329 b. nevves nevv .336 a. same the same ibidem yea yee .357 b. Romeo Rome do .360 b. this these .373 b. dot do not .379 a. hundred hyndred .392 a. by be .426 b. proued prouided .430 a. our your .437 a. sword word .446 a. seduced enduced .446 b. I he it he .462 b. this these 504. b. herefore there hereof therefore To the godly Reader Walter Haddon sendeth greetyng in our Lord Iesu Christ A Few yeares past a certeine Portingall named Ierome Osorius wrate a tedious Epistle to the Queenes Maiestic In the which he imagined many monstruous errours to bee frequented in our church with reprochful rayling most vnreuerently depraued the professours of the Gospel This publicke quarell against my nature countrey troubled me not a litle To some particular pointes wherof I thought good to aunswere although not to all in generall Partly bycause I wated tyme thereunto partly bycause I supposed that Osorius was deluded by some malicious report of our aduersaries therefore I hoped the man would haue bene somewhat satisfied with myne aunswere There passed ouer one yearâ—
painted vnto vs there may the eyes of the soule behold him in them doth hee breath in them doth hee lyue in them doth hee reigne and triumphe My Dylemma or double Argument doth not content you wherein I did conclude agaynst Images to witte that hauing life there was no want of them wantyng breath there was no vse nor profite in them How you say theÌ„ hereunto may not 〈◊〉 parcell be iustified by the Scriptures Why doest thou cry vnto me sayth God the father vnto Moyses And yet Moyses in his prayer opened not his mouth Therfore the spirite beyng present doth present the prayers vnto God though all the sences els be silent On the other side If the hart be otherwise occupyed God will not accept the prayers though neuer so many and neuer so laboursome For after this maner the Lord Iesus doth recite out of Esay the Prophet This people doth honour me with their lippes but their hart is farre awaye from me but they worshyp me in vayne c. Behold here worshyppyng is to no purpose the spirite beyng absent Why doe ye therefore spurne agaynst matters so manifest â—ay but you presume to contend agaysnt the holy Ghost in these wordes saying The spirit being present Images do no hurt and being absent they do very much auayle Amiddes our prayers thynges may not be enterlaced that do not hurt good Syr but matter wherewith our prayers may haue accesse vnto God But whereas you would haue Images to bée auaylable being without spirite This is very straunge monstruous in a Deuine to affirme that our prayers can be commended vnto God by Images or by any other way els without the spirit God is a spirite sayth our Lord Iesus Christ and it behoueth his worshippers to worship in spirite and truth The Lord Iesus doth pronouÌ„ce that the true worshippers ought to worshyp in spirit Our Prelate doth contend that pictures may auayle to prayer without spirite Away Osorius Away For euen on this wise and in the same cause the Lord Iesus did put SathaÌ„ to flight We assuryng our selues vpon the authoritie of God the father and of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ wil together with the Prophetes and Apostles honour the Lord God the father and him onely will we worshyp the Lord Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost makyng intercession vnto him for vs. As for you if you be so altogether persuaded raunge on in this your crooked procession together with these gorgeous titles of Councels Fathers and with that filthy raggemaâ—oll of your schoolemen There will come a day when this matter will be more déepely sifted before the IudgemeÌ„t seate of our Sauiour Iesu Christ. Then shall we know whether part haue more safely and more duetyfully profited in the worshyppyng of Gods Maiestie And so now at the last your first goodly Inuectiue is come to an end from out the whiche if a man will plucke awaye your outrage in cauillyng your venemous scoldyng your superfluous sentences surely very litle will remayne wherein the learned Reader may be desirous to spend any tyme. The second Booke I Am ashamed you say to vse so many wordes in the confutatioÌ„ of your Booke It is modestly done of you to confesse your fault But your vnmeasurable braulyng hath altogether weryed me of the same opinion are all others also that haue séene your writyng who with one coÌ„sent do woÌ„derfully condeÌ„ne this your idle superfluitie of toung in an old man Yet can we sée no amendement in you for the further ye procéede so many the more Fables you do vtter wherby all men may perceaue that you are not induced to writyng of any iudgement or discretion but enflamed with excessiue malice violeÌ„t outrage with neither of that which your person and grayheaded yeares ought in any wise bee acquainted But whereas you reporte that I seeme to haue taken wonderfull pleasure in that my litle booke Herein you follow the example of wayward men whiche estéemyng other mens affections by their owne be of opinion that scarse any maÌ„els can be well disposed bycause they bee vndiscréete them selues You begyn to quarell at the ouerthrowe of the Sacramentes wherewith you say also that I do séeme somwhat displeasaunt and therfore you commend me with a scoffe no lesse vnpleasaunt then vnsauory But mocke on spare not You do trauayle with your contumelious wordes to bryng this noble Iland my deare beloued couÌ„trey into obloquie with all men with an abhominable lye doe exclame that our Deuiâ—es haue vtterly subuerted all Sanctuaries Ceremonies and Sacramentes This your infamous shamelesse and reprochfull Hiperbolycall speach I haue scattered abroad crusht in péeces and brought to nought haue so déepely emprinted your flesh with an S. for a slaunderour to your perpetuall shame that neither you nor any of all your feet shal be euer able to wipe it out agayne You do accuse Luther Carolostadius OecolaÌ„padius Zuinglius and my Peter Martyr as men that do vnreuerently rende asunder the Lordes Supper First of all I haue sundry tymes heretofore protested that your controuersse concerned vs and not them For your quarell was agaynst our English Deuines whom I vndertooke to defend you slaundered our England I stoode to the defence of the same And therfore I might well haue referred all this contention touchyng their doctrine to them selues so I do yet I will presume to say this much by the way that you deale very vngently herein to scold so importunately agaynst the good name of them which can not now plead their owne cause I do adde hereunto that the rest except Carolostadius onely of whom I can say nothyng bycause I doe not know him all the rest I meane were men of such excelleÌ„cie not onely in the knowledge of toungues and other liberall sciences but also such singular Deuines as that Ierome Osorius might haue bene scholer to the meanest of them I say this withall that you vtter your vnskilfulnesse herein to couple Luther and Zuinglius together in matter of the Sacrament whose opinioÌ„s were somwhat discrepaÌ„t in the same Lastly touchyng the matter it selfe I aunswere briefly That those famous and worthy patrones of the Gospell and true Religion whose names you rehearse in reproch did reuerently and religiously treate of the SacrameÌ„t of the body and bloud of our Lord if they may be tryed by the true touchstone of the scriptures in whoÌ„ likewise you can finde no iust cause of repreheÌ„sion coÌ„cernyng the other Sacraments vnlesse you suppose that with your naked clamorous affirmatiues ye may expell them out of the Church as meÌ„ are wont to driue common players from the Stage with hissing and clappyng of handes But they can not be so quayled Osorius They haue obteined better footyng and déeper roote in the harts of meÌ„ by their learnyng vertue theÌ„ you can be able to remoue with your penne though it bee neuer so cruell whom the bootcherly crueltie
any good workes How know you this to bee true For I am assured that in Porting all and in Spayne good prouiso is made that no maÌ„ be so hardy to touch any of Luthers bookes if you referre your Assertion to England or Germany I doe not a litle marueile how this monstruous Spynx can cast his eyes ouer so many Seas so many high mountaines and so great distauuce of Countreys and so curiously behold the lyues of men and prye so precisely into their maners vnlesse some Phebus haue cloured vpon this Mydas head not the eares of Osorius but the eares of some lolleared Asse in the truncke wherof he may catche euery blast whatsoeuer any where blowen abroad or deuised in secrete through the reportes of whisperyng Talebearers like a credulous soole beleue the same forthwith But howsoeuer those Lutheranes in EnglaÌ„d and in Germany do exercise them selues in no good workes it goeth very well in the meane tyme with Porting all and Spayne that men lyue there holy and Angellike For I do beleue surely that men in those Countreys do so glytter in sinceritie of life and brightenes of vertues that their very shadowes do shyne in the darke and glyster more lyke Aungels then men that they are such men as plante their feéte no where but that they leaue behynd theÌ„ a certeine wonderfull fragrant sauour of modestie curtesie singular chastitie so make the very heauens in loue with their puritie sweétenes of their vertues But goe to Osorius tell vs at the length a good fellowshyp what the cause should be that such as doe geue eare to Luther will not apply them selues to doe good workes Truely I suppose that bycause he teacheth that meÌ„ are Iustified in the sight of God by fayth onely and not by workes therfore it must be an infallible consequent That whosoeuer attende to Luthers doctrine will forthwith abandone all thought to lyue vertuously and yeld him selfe carelesly ouer to all idlenesse and filthynesse As though with honest and well disposed persons fatherly clemencie shall cause the children to be sluggish to do their duties or as though the voyce of mercy doth at once vtterly abolish all Morall vertues To what ende therefore doth Christ so much not commende vnto vs that fatherly affection in the mercyfull father mentioned in the Gospell towardes his prodigall sonne but also painte him out vnto vs for an example if that doctrine of the freé mercyfulnesse of God be not true or if it be true that it ought not therefore be published bycause many vnchast and corrupt persons will abuse the same Nay rather why ought net the truth of God of greater reason be generally and openly preached for the necessary comfort of the godly Neither behoueth vs to be inquisitiue how much this doctrine doth worke in certeine particular men but rather to know how true this doctrine is of it selfe And accordyng as we doe finde the same to be true and constant so to preach the same accordyng to the capacitie of the hearers But Osorius doth vrge vs agayne with threé Argumentes chiefly as it were with a threé square battell lyke a threé headed Cerberus doth rushe vpon Luther with threé sondry assautes attemptyng to proue by his Logicke that this Luther of whom we speake doth exâ—irpe and roote out all vertue honestie and godly endeuour First by his disablyng of workes secondly through desperation of honestie thirdly by Confidence of false righteousnesse In threé wordes as it were threé lyes And first of all touchyng Desperation and CoÌ„fidence I thinke we haue spoken enough before where we haue so proued both to be falsely imputed to Luther as that we doe yet acknowledge them both in Luther For Luther doth describe CoÌ„fidence but the same which is the true Confidence he teacheth also Desperation I confesse it but the same very comfortable And therein teacheth nothyng els but the same that the EuaÌ„gelistes and Apostles haue alwayes taught For what can be more true and assureâ— Confidence or more comfortable Desperation or more â—onson unt with the Gospell of Iesu Christ and his Apostles then that we beyng in full dispaire of the righteousnesse of our owne workes doe shroude our selues wholy vnder the mercy of Christ and in his freé bounty and elemency That is to say not in workes whiche the grace of Christ hath wrought in vs but for vs As touchyng the brablyng that he maketh about the despising of good workes by what Logicke will hee proue his cauillatioÌ„ And now pause here a whiles good Reader note the passing pearcyng witte nurtured not in the Schoole of Stoicke Philosophy but nooseled by rather I suppose in some swynesty Luther doth strippe our merites and workes naked froÌ„ all Confidence Ergo Luther rendeth in peeces the very sinewes of all godlines setteth at nought and vtterly abolisheth all the efficacie and dignitie of good workes And though Osorius haue not placed his wordes after this order yet the bent of his conclusion tendeth to the same effect For what did Luther els in all his writynges and Sermons but cut of all hope of workes and so by that meanes allure vs to take ankerhold in the onely ayde helpe of the Mediatour if this be the waye to choake vp vertue and to bury her vnder grouÌ„de I confesse that Luther was an abolisher of vertue and S. Paule also as well as he But Osor. doth many tymes deny this Assertion of the Lutherans to be true that our righteousnes hope of our saluation so depeÌ„deth vpoÌ„ Christ as that the same should be Imputed to vs of God accouÌ„ted our own by ImputatioÌ„ through fayth onely For he supposeth this way to be ouer easie and that it will hereof come to passe that no man wil be carefull studious or desirous to accomplish any good worke In deéde I thinke Osorius is of the mynde of many persons whiche vnlesse be continually beaten pricked foreward lyke dull Oxen with goades and cudgels will neuer yeld their bodies to labour but forced as it were with threatenynges and stripes are drawen to the yoke quyte agaynst their willes But this neuer happeneth in natures of mylde and good disposition but rather the contrary so as by leâ—â—ie and remembrauÌ„ce of receaued benefites they are rather encouraged chearefully to doe their duties The bountifulnesse of almighty God is not to be measured after the proportion of mans imagination Neither ought we regarde how the wicked doe interprete thereof but rather what Christ doth coÌ„maunde to be preached how much the will of God will permitte and what thynges true discipline will allow of I know that there hath bene euer great store and that we shall neuer want to great a number of that sorte of people which will wickedly abuse all thynges that otherwise of their owne nature ought chiefly bee embraced Neither is it reason to defraude vertuous personages of their right for the abuses of
if he lifted to prosecute euery of theÌ„ but bycause they were beyond number the maÌ„ beyng otherwise occupied in other studies pardy seémeth well enough furnished with these few whiche he hath piked out of Hosius if I be not deceaued and so thought good to rehearse no more Well now Let vs seé what peéce of worke hee meaneth to frame out of these places of Scriptures so raked together and whereunto to he bendeth his force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of Christ. This is true Euery person shal be clothed agayne with his own body Those that haue done well shal be crowned with immortall felicitie and those that haue done euill shal be throwen into euerlastyng torments This is also vndoubtedly true Agayne the most iust and vpright Iudge shal be present which shall reward euery one accordyng to his workes and deseruynges I heare it and confesseâ—t to be true For who is ignoraunt hereof But what hereof at length what will Osorius Logicke conclude vpon this Ergo not fayth but workes sayth he doe iustifie which shall purchase for vs Saluation or Damnation But this ilfauored shapen consequent which you haue most falsely deriued from true thynges and confessed we doe vtterly deny vnto you and not we onely but the holy Scripture doth deny coÌ„demne all holy write doth reiect the whole fayth of the Euangelistes and doctrine of the Apostle and all the promises of God with generall consent do crye out agaynst hisse at it If out of these places of Scripture you would haue framed an Argument a right and accordyng to the true meanyng of the holy Ghost ye should more aptly haue concluded in this wise For as much therfore as there remayneth for euery of vs such a Iudgement wherein euery one must yeld an accoumpt of his lyfe speÌ„t there is no cause why any maÌ„ should flatter and beguile him selfe with a vayne promise that his wicked deédes or wordes shall escape vnpunished after this lyfe but rather that euery man so behaue him selfe in this transitory world that neither his good workes may appeare without fayth nor his faith want testimony of good workes Truely this conclusion would haue bene preached to them the number of whom is infinite not onely amongest the Papistes but also euen amongest the professours of the Gospel who professing the name fayth of Christ liue notwithstandyng so dissolutely as they bryng the name and doctrine of Christ into open obloquy And as though it sufficed them to professe Christes most sacred Religion in wordes onely or as though there should be no Iudgement at all to come make no accompt of their callyng but are caryed headlong agaynst equitie conscience into the gulfe of all licentious filthyues to the great dishonour of almightye God and the manifest ruine of their owne Saluation Surely I am of opinion if you had directed your conclusion in this maner agaynst those persons and others lyke vnto them which do so wilfully rash and throw them selues carelessely into manifest abhominations without all respect of equitie and conscience the consequent would more aptly haue bene applyed and of more force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of the hygh Iudge where accoumpt shal be made of the whole course of our lyfe Ergo who that wil be carefull for his Saluation let him haue especial regard to the vttermost of his abilitie that his life be agreable to his professioÌ„ and stand assured as much as in him lyeth in the testimony of a good conscience knit together with a true fayth voyde of all hypocrisie For otherwise we doe heare what the truth it selfe speaketh And those that haue done euill shall goe into the resurrection of Iudgement We shall likewise heare what Paule sayth Euen for these thynges sayth he the wrath of God doth come vpon the children of disobedience But to what purpose Osorius is this alledged agaynst the Iustification of fayth in them who hauyng receaued the fayth of Christ doe ioyne withall fruites of obedience as companions if not altogether pure and absolutely perfect yet do yeld their endeuour and abilitie at the least such as it is after the small proportion and measure of their weakenesse This trauaile endeuour though it be farre distaunt from that exact requireth perfection of the law is yet neuertheles accepted in place of most full and absolute Iustification in the sight of God who doth supply the want of our workes with his owne freé Imputation for the fayth sake in his sonne onely whiche is not Imputed for righteousnesse to them that do worke but to them that do beleue in him For what although the horrible rebellion of the vngodly whiche walke not after the spirite but after the fleshe doe procure vnto them selues most iust Iudgement of condeÌ„nation yet shall this saying stand alwayes inuiolable notwithstandyng and remayne assured for euer The righteous shall liue by fayth And he that beleueth in me shall not dye for euer Iohn 11. But yet that promise say you doth abyde most euident and vnuanquishable whiche doth promise resurrection of lyfe to them that do liue godly and good deédes Goe to and what conclude ye hereof Ergo Faith onely doth not iustifie vs say you Nay rather neither Faith Onely nor fayth any way els taken doth Iustifie a man or auayle any thyng at all to Iustification if workes accordyng to your interpretation bee examined by them selues by the waightes and ballauÌ„ces of Gods Iudgement shall make full satisfaction But ye conceaue amisse of the matter Osorius and therfore your coÌ„clusion is as ilfauoredly shapen Doe ye expect a reason Forsooth bycause you fayle in the rule Topicke whereby we are taught to apply true proper Causes to true effectes And therfore your consequent is faultie and a Sophisticall cautell deriued from that which is not the cause to that which is the proper cause Let vs discusse the very order of your wordes And they which haue done well What they shall come sayth he into the resurrection of life c. First of all ye perceaue that the workes alone are not treated of simply but the persons that doe the workes Surely in Iudiciall Courtes is no small obseruation vsed chiefly of the difference betwixt the circumstaunces of the Causes and circumstaunces of the persons As when a Seruaunt shall commit the very same which a Sonne shall doe although the factes be of all partes equall yet I suppose that the Sonne shall finde more mercy in his cause of his Father being Iudge then the seruaunt of his Maister being Iudge especially where the Iudge is not constreined to yeld Iudgement by any coaction or expresse rigour of Statute and Law but is at libertie to vse consideration of the trespasse accordyng to his own discretion EueÌ„ so neither do I thinke it all one if a Christian maÌ„ I say a true Christian man shall mainteine his cause before Christ his Redeémer as
the matter would admitte some other interpretation yet ought Assertiō haue bene compared with Assertion and place with place Finally consideration ought to haue bene had of the entent and meanyng of the writer then also of the first originall scope of his doctrine whereunto it tended and what it emported And if ye would examine vprightly the opinions and assertions of mē accordyng the true touchstone of Gods truth and not sinisterly for eiudge them whether opinion I pray you seémeth in your cōceite most sounde of those which doe aduaunce the Maiestie of Gods grace or of those whiche doe enhaunce the weakenesse of mans nature of those which doe make mens merites workes the effectes of Saluatiō or of those which do ascribe it to Gods freé imputation through Iesu Christ of them which doe determine that righteousnesse commeth by fayth or of them which say it is obteyned by the workes of the law of those whiche spoyle Freewill of all matter to glory vpon or of them which do call mē backe to a true and humble acknowledgement of them selues of those whiche razing out the euerlastyng and vnchaungeable decreé of Gods Predestination doe committe the successes of thynges to happe hazard and blynd chaunce and to freé affectiō of mans will or of them whiche settyng aside all chaunceable euentes of fortune and all power of mans will doe referre all things to the assured gouernaunce of Gods infallible foreknowledge guidyng all thyngs after his own pleasure in most stayed and stable order And yet doth not Luther so roote out all Free-will altogether and all chaunceablenesse of fortune but that he doth admitte the vse of them in some respect to witte in respect of inferiour causes although in respect of hygher causes in those thynges whiche concerne saluation or damnation he beleueth surely that no force of Freewill ne yet any chaunceablenesse of fortune doe preuayle any thyng at all For as much as this is the chief grounde of Luthers doctrine what els may the well affectioned indifferent Reader I pray you cōceaue of this his Assertiō then that which may magnifie the glory of God extoll his omnipotencie may establishe the sauetie of the faythfull dependyng vpon the freé promise of God through fayth not vpō the worthynes of merites through Freewill may terrifie the wicked with a wholesome feare of God may restrayne them frō outrage may comfort vs agaynst death with lyfe that is in God agaynst miserie with grace against infirmitie with strength agaynst destruction with Gods mercy may rayse vp the godly to loue and embrace their God The fruite of all which thyngs as the godly Reader may easily reape by this doctrine let vs seé now on the other side what poyson Osorius doth sucke out of the fame as one that seéth nothyng in this Assertiō but horrible wickednes as he fayth shamelesse arrogācie detestable maddnes execrable outrage And now would I fayne heare how he will confirme this proude affirmatiue so vehemētly vttered For sayth he this beyng graunted I doe say that lawes are abolished decrees put to silence sciences rooted out learnyng extinguished peace and trāquillitie disturbed and vtter confusion made of all right and wrong without all order If Osorius require this at our handes that whatsoeuer his lauishe tounge shall rashly roaue at large be coyned for an vnreproueable oracle thē is this matter soone at an end But that world is gone long sithēce Osor. wherin this Pythagoricall Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was takē for a law We thinke it not now enough to harken to all that a man will speake but to cōsider what vpon what groūde a mā speaketh Well what say you vnto vs at the lēgth Osorius That lawes will decay statutes be put to silence sciences rooted out learnyng extinguished trāquillitie disturbed and right and wrong confounded together Certes you haue heard of this man here many hygh and absurde speaches gentle Reader but heare yet much more absurditie I say furthermore that hereupon doth follow that mā is spoyled of sense bereft of aduise and depriued of reason and driuen to that passe as no difference may seeme to be betwixt him a stone throwen out of a mans hād And yet haue you not heard all Osori crauleth forward still is come now as it seémeth into some mayne playne where he purposeth to make vs a course of his harysh eloquence I say also that the holy cōmaundements of God his preceptes statutes his exhortatiōs and threatnyngs rewardes promised for well doyng and punishmēt threatened for malefactours were all in vayne prescribed to the posterity by Gods word O Heauē O Earth O Sea of Hercules But is there any more yet tush all these be but trifles yet For ouer and besides this ensueth so haynous a fact more horrible then toung can speake or hart cā thinke so vnspeakeably filthy so monstruously straūge that all the rest beyng layd together may in respect of this be accompted scarse worth the speakyng And what is it a Gods name Forsooth that Luther or Melancthon Bucer or Caluine or whosoeuer were the first foūder of this doctrine besides that he doth thereby turne all states and cōmon weales quite vpsidowne he breaketh yet further into such vnmeasurable impiety as that he doth imagine God him selfe the most holy of holy ones our most deare Father to whō no iniquitie can by any meanes be imputed to be the author of all wickednes and cruelty We haue heard a tedious Catalogue of haynous absurdities which as he sayth must needes ensue vpō Luthers doctrine And if it be not true He requireth vs to make him a lyar as that either Luther neuer spake so or els to teach him that Luthers doctrine may well be mainteined As though there were any such pitthe in all this your rayling M. Osorius that might not easily be confuted or any such weakenes in Luther that might not much more easily be defended yea so defended as that neither he may seeme to haue taught the doctrine of Necessitie without good cōsideratiō nor you able to deface the same without great perill of cōmittyng horrible sacriledge I speake now of Necessitie not that Necessitie that is called violēt coactiō but of that which is named of vndoubted assuraūce absolute infallibilitie not that Necessitie which the schoolemen call Consequēti◠but which is called Consequētia or ex Hypothesi For Necessitie is neither takē after one onely significatiō amongest the Deuines nor yet amōgest the Logiciās Philosophers wherof of I suppose you be nothyng ignoraunt at the least you ought not be ignoraunt therof surely Therefore they that haue employed their studyes somewhat more carefully about the scannyng of this matter haue defined Necessary after this maner to be such a thyng as can not bee altered a certeine settled and firme vnmoueablenes which can not be chaūged by any meanes from that
the Apostles doctrine ye may now at the last I warrant you learne of this Portingall Thales the pure and sincere Interpretation of Paules discourse touching the Predestination of the Gentiles and the reiection of the Iewes whereof he debateth in all those his three Chapters 9.10.11 The vnderstanding whereof because neyther Luther himselfe nor any of all the rest of Luthers Schoole were able to conceaue it is good reason that we not onely attentiuely harken vnto but also without controlement beleue this new pyked caruer not of sentences onely but a planer of wordes also whiles he do lay open before our eyes the very naturall meanyng of that place to be sensibly felt euen to the vttermost tittle thereof And for as much as there be two thinges chiefly handled by Paule in these three chapters First wherein he reioyseth with the Gentiles for that their calling and most prosperous knowledge of the light of the Gospell Secōdarily wherein he lamenteth the lamentable fall of the Iewes their most sorowfull blindenes and taking occasiō hereupon doth forth with enter into a discourse of fayth and the infallible certeintye of Gods promises For whereas that blessednes was promised to the posterity of Abraham here might some scrupule haue troubled his minde as there wanted not of the Iewes some that pyked hereout matter to cauill vpon as though God had broken the promise that he once had made as one that hauing obliged hymselfe before with so many couenauntes and promises to this generation did now contrary to his othe cast them of and despise them S. Paule valiauntly impugning the disorderous reproches and cauillations of these with sondry forcible reasons doth fortifie this his defence with iiij Argumētes chiefly First that this promise of the blessing was made in deede to Abraham and Israell and to their posteritie but this promise in as much as is spiritually to be taken did not so restrayne it selfe onely to that externall Family alone after the kinred of the fleshe as that it noted not vnder the same fellowshyppe and kinred of Israell the Gentiles also such especially as were endued with like sincerity of fayth He addeth furthermore that albeit the same promise did concerne those Gentiles chiefly which ioyned themselues to Christ yet the same was not so wholy translated to the Gentiles the Iewes beyng forsakē but that a great portiō of these also remnaunts as it were of that lamētable shipwracke beyng preserued should be partakers of the same promise and blessednes together with the Gentiles In the third place that it came to passe through their own villany vnbelief not of any inconstancie on Gods behalfe that this promise of God did so much fayle them but that they did exclude themselues rather from the benefite of Gods promise Lastly that neyther this reiection shoulde continue so for euer but that it should once come to passe as the Apostle prophecieth that the fulnes of the Gentiles beyng accomplished the whole nation of the Israelites recouering at the length the former grace of their auncient promise shoulde be restored agayne to the benefite of their former blessing Uerily I do confesse that this interpretation of Osorius is not altogether amisse wherein I seé nothing yet false or newly deuised moreouer nothing spoken of here that hath not long sithence bene spoken yea and with a farre more playne lightsomnesse by our expositors for we beyng long agoe sufficienly enstructed in Paules schoole haue vnderstood well inough without Osorius schooling the that promise was peculiar to the seede of Israell beyng the children of promise and not to the Children after the flesh Moreouer neither are we ignorant hereof that that blindenes happened not to all Israell but in part onely not of any inconstancy on Gods behalfe but that they fell themselues from true righteousnes by their owne default as people following the righteousnesse whiche came not by fayth but flattering themselues in obseruing the workes of the lawe Furthermore that whiche Thapostle doth prophecie shall come to passe concerning the restoring agayne of that whole nation at the length as we all hartily wish for so no man I suppose is so blockishe but doth vnderstand sufficiently all whatsoeuer Paule hath spoken of this matter by his owne writing though Osorius did neuer interprete it And agayne touching the examples of Isaac and Iacob set downe by Paule whom Gods election would should be preferred before their brethren though elder in birth in the deuision of the Fathers patrimonye We are neither ignoraunt nor forgetfull thereof whereupon we do nothing disagreé frō Osorius in conceauing the same thing vnder the types and figures of those persons and doe professe in as many wordes that neyther the prerogatiue of kinred nor workes nor yet the lawe but that Gods election calling and grace doth make the true Israelites Forasmuch therefore as our expositours in all these poynts of doctrine haue nothing at all hitherto swarued from the truth of Paules doctrine or your interpretation what corrupt exposition is that at the length of these our Interpretours wherewith you are so much offended forsooth say you because they doe not sufficiently enough conceaue the very ende whereunto Paule did referre those argumentes Goe to then sith you prouoke vs hereunto Let vs first seé what argumentes those be of Paule then to what ende they be applied Because the Iewes did challenge to thēselues a title of righteousnes through the obseruaunce of the law which neuerthelesse they did not obserue in very deéde partely because swelling w e pryde for the Nobilitie of their race they did promise vnto thēselues a certaine peculiar election with God before all other nations Paule entending to treate very sharply agaynst the insolent arrogancie of them doth argue agaynst thē with most forcible argumentes taken out of holy Scriptures namely That the substance of Gods election neither did hang vpon the works of the Law neyther vpon the roialtie of race not yet vpon auncient of parentage but did depend vpon the onely freemercy of Gods compassion and Fayth of the Gospell And to make the same appeare more euidently he putteth foorth vnto them the example of Isaac and Ismaell whereof the one though by byrth were yonger yet obtained through grace to be the first and was thereby aduaunced to the dignity of inheritaunce where as they both were generall issues of one and the same father Abraham though they had not both one mother And to auoyde the daūger of scrupule that might ensue by reason of the two mothers hee doth yet confirme the same with a more notable exāple Namely the example of the two brothers that were twinnes Iacob and Esau who issuing of one Father of one mother and one birth and before they had done any thing good or euill God did translate the honour of birthright and blessing to the yonger to beare rule ouer the elder And whereof came this but from the freé
ioue Peace yea and mainteyne Peace amongest them selues yet good men onely good Syr haue not Peace alone How glorius acceptable a thyng soeuer Peace is accoumpted to be in her owne nature yea though it be chiefly embraced and hadd in greatest price with good men Yet is not Peace alwayes and altogether conuersaunt amongest good men onely nor the entoyeng of Peace alone doth make men to be good For there is a certeyne Peace amongest the wicked Yea Pirates Theéues Robbers haue their certeine Peace and agreément in willes Neither is it to be doughted but that false Catholiques and such like heretiques haue their seuerall Conuenticles and peacyble bandes of concorde and consent euē as the false Apostles and false Prophetes had in tymes past They that worshypped the Golden Calfe and they that conspired took counsell agaynst the Lord cryeng Crucifige agaynst him did represent a certeine forme of the Churche and were firmely knitte together in mutuall Peace and agreément of myndes If it be an haynous matter to dissolue the bandes of Peace and knittyng together of fellowshyppes concluded and determined vpon for euer occasion whatsoeuer we must neédes thinke that Cicero dealt very wickedly who at the tyme of Catelynes conspiracie did breake a sunder and sparckle abroad the false treatheries of this detestable cōspiracie beyng linked together with a certeyne wonderfull agreément of willes and affections yea and affyed together sworne in one by drinkyng a cup of bloud So also did Elias very naughtely who detected so great a nūber of the Priestes of Baal agreéing together so constaūt in errour and in so great a tranquillitie causing them to be slayne And therfore it is not enough to pretend the names titles of Peace and of the Churche onely if their effectes be not aunswerable Peace sayth Hillarie hath a glorious name and truth is had in great admiratiō but who doughteth of this that the onely vnitie and peace of the Church and of the Gospell is that which is of Iesu Christ alone c. Now as the Peace of Christ and Christes true Churche doth alwayes lyue in a perfect vnitie so together with vnitie doth it alwayes enioy perfect truth and veritie On the contrary part that Peace and Churche whatsoeuer is not grounded vppon the Rocke of Christes infallible truth is not Peace but Battell rather is not the Churche of Christ but a conspirary of naughty packes And therfore we do seé many tymes come to passe that vnder the name of Peace very naturall dissentiōs are fostered and many persons are deceaued by the paynted vysour of the title of the Churche yea they are many tymes accumpted seditious persons which doe vphold and mainteyne Peace and tranquilitie most After this maner Tertullus the Oratour did accuse S. Paule to be a seditious fellow so was Christ him selfe also and his Apostles exclaymed vpon as seditious by the Phariseés the holy Martyrs were likewise charged with treasō procuring of vprores by that vnbeleéuyng Emperours and miscreant infidels Euen so fareth it now a dayes with Luther the Lutheranes Luther sayth he doth rende a sunder the Peace and tranquillitie of the Church with his writynges and preachynges doth teare in peeces Christes Coate that is without seame rayseth tumultes and vprores doth entāgle whole Christēdome with dissentions and varieties of opinions And why so Osorius I pray you From sooth bycause he doth discouer the liuely well-springes of sounde doctrine bycause he doth enstruct men to cōceaue the most wholesome and souereigne Grace of God in his Sonne and declareth vnto them the true rule of righteousnes and the true Peace which is in Christ Iesu bycause be allureth all men to the onely mercy of GOD excludyng all mans merites and vayne confidence of Freewill Now bycause their bleare eyed dulnes could not endure the sharpenes of this light from hence flush out all these fluddes of complaints from hence rush out all these Tragicall scoldinges exclamations wherewith these Rhetoricall Becons haue conceaued so greéuous a flame ragyng out on this wise Is not this mōstruous wickednesse is not this horrible maddnesse is not this intollerable presumption what feuer doth make thee so frantike Haddon what furies doe possesse thee Luther what paynes of haynousnesse doe pursue thee And such like pleasurable ornamentes of whotte eloquence which scarse any man can read without laughyng For who can endure to heare common outlawes complainyng of Sedition Truly I suppose Osorius that with the very same wordes and euen in the same maner of outrage or surely not much vnlike Herode and the whole Nation of Phariseés did crye out whenas the fame of Christes byrth being bruted abroad it was sayd that Herode the king was exceedingly troubled and with him all Ierusulem also And therfore accordyng to this Logicke and Rhetoricke of Osorius Let vs condemne Christ him selfe for a seditious fellow bycause vnlesse that child had bene borne and that Sonne had bene geuen vnto vs those troubles had neuer arisen amongest the Iewes What shall we say to that Where the same Christ afterwardes beyng now of well growē yeares did declare in playne open wordes That he came not to send peace in the earth but a sword but diuision but fire and that he desired no one thyng more earnestly thē that the same fire should be kindeled Wherfore if it be so much to be feared least breach of Peace and concorde breéde offence Let this Portingall aduise him selfe well whether Christ shal be here accused as farre forth as Luther bycause in the Gospell he is sayd to sturre vppe the Father agaynst the Sonne the daughter agaynst the mother the stepmother agaynst the daughter inlawe and the daughter in lawe agaynst the stepmother two agaynst three and three ogaynst two or whether Luther ought to be acquited with Christ for as much as in this accusation he can not duely be impeached with any one cryme which may not also aswell be charged vpon Christ. If the Peace of the Catholickes be disturbed in these our dayes through Luther the same also happened to the Phariseés in old tyme by the meanes of Christ and his Apostles yea not to the Phariseés onely but also in sturryng vppe all the Natiōs of the earth in an vproare wherein yet no fault can be layed vpon Christ who is himselfe the Prince of Peace and can by no meanes be vnlike him selfe In lyke maner and with lyke consideration Luthers doctrine is to be deémed as I suppose For what a sturre soeuer the Papisticall generation keépe in these our dayes yet surely is not their Peace hindered by Luther or if it be yet ought not he to be accused that ministred wholesome playster to the wound but the fault was to be imputed rather to them whose cankers were so vncurable that could not endure the operation of the Medicine And therefore as touchyng the crime of sedition and troublesome disturbaunce
But when a man may be without sinne and by whom that is the thyng that is in question If thou wilt say in this present life and in the body of this death how then do we pray in this life forgeue vs our sinnes If maÌ„ can of him selfe be without Sinne. Ergo Christ dyed in vayne c. But Osorius vnderproppeth his Freewill here with this crooch in couplyng the grace of God with it disputyng on this wise By the assistaunce of Gods Grace nature may subdue Sinne. The grace of God doth assiste them that be his owne Ergo In the thynges apperteinyng to God all Necessitie of Sinnyng is quyte excluded Least Osor. may not seéme to differre nothyng at all from the Pelagians he doth vphold the cause of Freewill with an addition of Grace And yet for all this he doth not so catche the thyng that he gapeth for but that a Necessitie of sinnyng shall alwayes be resiaunt euen in the holy ones of God Grace assistyng sayth he Nature may exclude Sinne. If he meane the perfect assistaunce of grace by the wh all infirmitie of nature is taken away the Maior is true but that Minor is false For to confesse as truth is the riches of Gods graces to be wonderfull and his blessyngs which God powreth into his Elect to be magnificent yet this Grace of God doth not make any man of such a singuler perfection in this world but that the best of vs all many tymes offende in many thynges and do pray dayly that our trespasses may be forgeuen The grace of God in deéde doth helpe our infirmities that they may be lessened and pardonable but to be cleane cutte away that I do vtterly deny it doth in deéde helpe out infirmities yet leaueth it vs neuerthelesse in our infirmities that he may alwayes help vs. How plentifully the Grace of Christ was powred vpon hys holy Apostles no man is ignoraunt which Grace notwithstanding did not make perfect their strength to the full measure but the same grace rather was made perfect through their infirmitie In part fayth S. Paule we do know and in part we do perceaue But when that is come which is perfect then shall that which is vnperfect be abolished For now we behold as by a glas in a darck ridle but then shall we see face vnto face nowe doe I know in part but then shall I know as I am knowne And therfore to aunswere at one word If Osorius do meane that assistaunce of Gods Grace which may make absolute and perfect obedience in this life Augustine will immediately deny the same who discoursing vpon the first commaundement whereby we are commaunded to loue God withall our hart and our neighbour as our selfe We shall fulfill that commaundement sayth August when we shall see face to face And immediately after And therfore the the man hath profited much in this lyfe in that righteousnes which ought to be accomplished who doth knowe by profiting how farre he is distaunt from the full perfection of true righteousnesse Lastly whereas it is argued from the power of Gods grace that sufficeth not to exclude Necessitie of sinning for it may come to passe through Grace and the absolute power of God that a man may not sinne at all And that the fire may not burne also And it might haue come to passe likewise That the punishment of the whole corrupted masse in Adames loynes should not haue bene deriued into the posterity if it had so pleased God Yet are not all things done that may be done vnlesse the decreéd Will of God do ioyne together with his power Not vnlike vnto this is the very argument of Celestius the Pelagian agaynst Augustine If God Will it may come to passe that man may not sinne in wordes nor in thought But Gods will is that no man should sinne Ergo Nothing withstandeth but that man may not sinne in wordes nor in thought The forme of this argumeÌ„t should rather haue bene framed on this wise If God Will and do minister help withall it may come to passe that man shall not sinne at all but God willeth helpeth withall that a man shall not sinne at all in worde nor in thought Ergo c. I doe aunswere with Augustine vnto the Minor That it is true in deéde that God willeth and helpeth agaynst the force of sinne I doe adde ouer and besides that no man is holpen but he that willeth and worketh somewhat himselfe also But two things are to be noted here both who they be that are holpeÌ„ how God doth help them Forsooth such as call vpon him such as beleue in the Sonne such as are called after the purpose of hys Will and such as whose will is sâ—irred vppe to this end to craue earnestly for assistaunce Because whom he hath foreknowne theÌ„ hath he also predestinate to be made like vnto the Image of the Sonnes of God c. Furthermore it must be coÌ„sidered by what meanes he doth helpe not to the ende that no more dregges of sinne should from thenceforth cleaue fast in the flesh but to the end that sinne should not raygne in the mortall bodyes of them whom himselfe hath sanctified through Grace What thing so euer God will haue to be done must of Necessitie be done God will haue all men to be saued Ergo It is of Necessitie that all men shal be saued I do aunswere vnto the Maior all things that God will haue done must be done of Necessitie so that God yelde hys helpe also together with hys will that they may be brought to passe Then I thus annswere to the Minor That it is true that God would haue all men to be saued with this addition annexed All to witte All that beleéue in the Sonne For without the Mediator he will haue no man saued But now sithence it is not geueÌ„ to all men to haue fayth nor that all men do repayre to Christ for helpe The fault hereof is their own vnbeleéuingnes not the will of God But some of Osorius pupills will vrge agayne Forasmuch as fayth is the gift of God and hys will that all should be saued is an vniuersall promise and that the greatnes of his mercy is prepared ready and set forth to all indifferently why then is not geauen to all indifferently to haue fayth is it because God will not geue it but so should he seeme an vnrighteous distributour and so should he offend in Iustice distributiue Or is it because men will not embrace the kingdome of GOD But this doth argue that men may take holdfast of the gift of fayth if they will And how then is the power of Freewill suppressed I do aunswere first out of the scriptures then out of August And they beleeued as many as were foreordeyned to lyfe euerlasting Actes 13. Augustine Two thinges are to be holden to be resiaunt alwayes in God That there is
of God do loue do wish and earnestly desire to be saued But yet we do call these the effectes not the causes of mercy who beyng now made the Uessells of mercy could neuerthelesse not haue bene able of thēselues to bryng to passe that they should haue attayned the first primitiue Election of God August sayth that men are worthely cast away for sinne Ergo On the contrary if men are reiected for their sinnes why should they not aswell be predestinate for their good workes Augustine doth not meane here that reprobation that is cōtrary to predestination but vnder this reprobation he doth vnderstand the last end effect of Reprobation namely damnatiō And in this sence it is true that men are dāned for their sinnes not forsaken as they are neyther predestinate for their good works Luther and Caluine doth deny that it is in mans power before grace receaued to seeke and desire it But Augustine affirmeth the contrary Nay rather what is more common in Augustines mouth then these speaches Couldest thou be conuerted vnlesse thou were called Did not he that called thee back agayne bring to passe that thou shouldest be cōuerted And agayn do not presume vpō thy cōuersion for vnlesse he had called the back agayne thou couldest not haue bene conuerted And in an other place God doth not onely make willing of the vnwilling but maketh also obedient of such as are stifnecked and stubborne The doctours of the popish faction although deny not that nature is very much corrupted in originall sinne yet yeald they not thys much that man can do nothyng els but sinne Neyther that any thing els is taken away from Nature besides the supernaturall gift onely whereby Nature might haue bene made more perfect if it had not fallen And therefore that Nature was beautified with those supernaturall giftes of the which she is now spoiled the naturall power and abilitie of will remayning in her force notwithstanding This is most vntrue whereas Nature and will it selfe not by alteration of Substaunce but by accesse of sinne and disposition is so depraued and reuolted from God so weakened and spoyled through it own operation as that it may be not conuerted but by the onely grace of God hauing of her self no part in thys work but as farre forth as it is preuented by God Whereupon Augustine doth witnes That will doth not goe before but is handmayd to well doyng Wherefore the same Nature and substaunce of will remayneth still not chaunged into a new shape by Gods creation but defiled with the corruption and filthe of Nature The same affections also do remayne that were before in respect of their substaūce but in respect of their disposition they be so putrified and stincking that nothing can be found in them now that bringeth not with it some matter of filthines Who soeuer is holpen he doth worke somewhat together with hym that helpeth hym and suffereth not him self to be applyed meerely passiuely Will beyng not renued is holpen of Grace Ergo Freewill euen sithence the first creation seemeth to bring much to passe and not to be altogether applyed passiuely In the Maior proposition should haue bene added perse by it selfe For what soeuer worketh by it selfe hauing the help of an other is not altogether plyed passiuely but with this exception the Minor must be denyed for freedome of choyse when as it selfe neuer preuenteth grace following her but is altogether holpen of Grace goyng before according to the testimony of Augustine what can it bryng to passe at all of it selfe Or if it can do any thing at all by it selfe that whiche it is able to doe it doth in morall good thinges externall and ciuill exercises certes to deserue eternall lyfe to purchase the fauour of God Saluation Iustification and the euerlasting kingdome Freéwill is altogether vneffectuall but is a meere sufferer onely nor hath any thing but that which it hath receaued and is altogether vnprofitable yea when it hath done all that it can possibly do And this is it that Luther seemeth to stand vpon Let hym be accursed that will say that God commaundeth thynges impossible Melancton doth aunswere what soeuer were the occasion of this saying surely those wh vouch the same so busily vrge it seéme voyde of vnderstanding in the causes why the law of God was geuen worldly wisedome supposeth that lawes are published onely because they should be obserued But the Lawe of the Lord was ordayned for this cause chiefly that the Iudgement and wrath of God should be layd open agaynst sinne that it should conuince vs of wickednes and increase the horror therof that wickednes might be restrayned from to much licensiousnes that putting vs in remēbraunce of our own weakenes frayltie it should in steed of a schoole master enstruct vs to Christ as it is declared before And there was no lye found in their mouthes Apoc. 14. to this August maketh aunswere aduertising vs how man may be in this sorte sayd to be true of hys worde through the grace and truth of God who otherwise of hym selfe without all doubt is a lyer As is that saying You were sometymes darcknesse but now are ye light in the Lord when he spake of darcknesse he added not in the Lord but when he spake of light he annexed by and by in the Lord. But Osorius will vrge agaynst vs here Ergo Nature beyng holpen through grace sayth he may eschew all lying and sinning To aunswere hereunto agayne out of Augustine he that will speake so let hym be well aduised how he deale with the Lords prayer where we say Lord forgeue vs our Trespasses which we needed not to say except I be not deceaued If our consents neuer yelded to false speaking nor to the lust of the flesh Neyther would the Apostle Iames haue sayd We are trespassers all in many thinges for that man doth not offend but he whom flattering lust hath allured to consent contrary to the rule of righteousnes Thus much Augustine Out of the wordes of Ieremy If I speake of any Nation that I may destroy them and they do repent them c. And if I say the word that I may plant them and they tourn away from me c. vpon this the Romanistes do build as followeth Euen as men behaue themselues such shall the potters vessels be afterwardes Ergo it is false that the Lutheranes teach that the regard of worke doth fight agaynst Freedome and the power of God in chusing or refusing The Prophet doth treate here properly of the punishment rewardes which do follow mens workes at the last Iudgemēt and not of the maner of eternall Electiō which doth preceéde all our workes either goyng before as August reporteth which were none at all or comming after which were not as yet If the aduersaries of Luther shall wrest these words of the Prophet to the cause of Electiō as though
c. First I would fayne learne what it was that these men did take vpon them to doe To call backe the life and most corrupt maners of men of that age to the perfect rule of the Gospell Truely they vndertooke a very hard charge farr exceeding all humayne power and abilitie Go to and where did Luther Zuinglius or any of the rest make any such promise of themselues by word or sillable of word so much at any time Surely I haue perused many of their works yet could I neuer finde any such thing hitherto If you haue glaunced vpon anye such thing by chaunce why do you not set down the place openly that the reader may perceaue that you deale not with forged lyes but with good matter not of any desire to cauill but of an vpright Iudgement not coldly and lyengly but simply and playnely not keeping a Iangling with vnsauory speaches and forged vntruthes which many men do blame you for but so and in such wise as you may seeme to haue made plaine demonstration of a true and iust reporte with as true and vpright a minde to haue the truth knowne by true proues and testimonies and not to mock and delude men with fables Surely it were to be wished of all good men that all Christians by profession and name would by all meanes possible leade their lyues truely Christianlike in all poyntes agreable with the doctrine which they professe And it is not to be doughted but that these new Gospellers as you call them did wishe this with all theyr hartes if wishing could haue auayled But to bryng the same to passe as was neuer in their power so did they neuer enter into any such couenaunt nor euer obliged themselues by any promise priuy or aperte that they would accomplishe the same Wherin how much you were not only deceaued in Luther but how much ye speake also against your self do ye but coniecture hereby For whereas Luther did professe that the substaunce of mans saluation did consist not in the life maners of men but in the onely fayth of the Sonne of God how doth this agree together that he whom a little earst you accused to be the subuertour of all honest accions and vertuous endeuour should nowe take vpon him to stoare and enriche the lyues and conuersacions of Christians with aboundance of vertuous plantes and seedes of godlines Albeit there neuer lacked in them a certayne Godly carefullnesse to exhort to all honest endeuours yet were they neuer so franticke as to make so glorious bragges of reformation of lyfe They trauelled earnestly euery one according to his abilitie as beseémed godly and well disposed personages if not as much as they could haue wished yet as much as was geuen them by the holy ghost And if they attayned nought els yet this they atchieued surely that though they coulde not restore the pure simplicitie of the EuaÌ„gelicall life yet they brought to passe that men by reading and comparing the holy scriptures beganne to haue a very euident feeling and a thorough taste of the corrupt and stincking matter of your absurde and filthy pernitious doctrine the durty puddle wherof albeit they mistrusted that they should not be able to clense throughly for the vnmeasurable tyranny of your aucthoritie and power Yet thought they not conuenient for the credite and function that they bare to suffer the same to be any longer cloaked and dissembled wtall And therefore stept forth amongst the rest Martine Luther and yet he was neyther the first nor yet so long agoe neyther so much of his owne voluntary will as necessarily of relieng duety not for hope of lucre ne yet to pamper vp the paunch as Hosius belieth him neyther of any hope at all to purchase any authority as Osorius mistaketh him but forced thereunto by the importunacy of others yea and that not without manifest perill of his lyfe Whereupon if any thinge chaunced afterwardes contrary to your expectations ye can iustly accuse no man but your selues which were the first authors of this flaming Beacon the heate whereof doth parch the very skinnes of your backes And what the very cause and occasion thereof was neither are the histories so obscure but that they tell playnly nor is the tyme so farre spent but you may easily call to minde the very time and season whenas Leo the Pope of Rome sending abroad hys commissioners of receipt and plaÌ„ting his treasories throughout all the Dominions of Europe appoynted a generall marte as it were of raking hys Marchandize together Whereupon diuers holy cloyster Marchauntes arriued into Germany And amongst them a certayne Fryer of S. Dominicks order named Tetcelius but in very deéde a mony marchaunt and a Regrator of the Popes markett laden with pardons and Bulles and proclayming generall fayres for the vtteraunce of them wherein remission of sinnes the kingdome of heauen and freé liberty to feede on fish or flesh were to be bought for a few pence Which proclamation seeming not a little iniurious to the people and tending to the ouerthrow of the Gospell of grace and mouing godly consciences to no small griefe and displeasaunce of mynde and that not without iust cause Luther a man continually exercized with inward agonyes and vnquiet passions of consciences thought it not in any wise tollerable for his part to permit such horrible erroneous impietie so directly a agaynst conscience and the manifest truth of the gladsome Gospell to be husht vppe and past ouer in tymerous and fearfull sâ—ilence Albeit he was well assured that this stincking and contagious weed could not be touched without present perill of life Wherefore he beganne to make a show of himselfe meaning to defend the quarrell of the Gospell but by a very sleÌ„der slight attempt as it were And first he propoundeth certayn propositioÌ„s onely and principles of questions agaynst these gainefull marketts of pardons and Bulles not of any vayne desire to concontend or dispute nor without an humble maner of submission of the cause thincking nothing lesse then that the successe thereof would be such as we now see is come to passe If the contrary part had with like moderation tempered their affections and eyther coÌ„tented themselues by saying nothing to haue yealded to the truth or to haue sought the aduauncement of Christs glory rather then to haue serued the Popes pompe and ambition these smale sparckles had neuer burst out into so great flames But now by the meanes of their owne waywardnes it came to passe in them as for the more part it falleth out with common brabblers who hauing many tymes the worst ende of the staffe and hauing no right in deéde to any part thereof striue so long till at the last they lose euery inche thereof and at the shutting vppe catch a rappe for their labour Agaynst these propositions of Pardones Tetcelius vnmeasurably ragyng not contented with no lesse intollerable arrogancie and insolency to aunswere them him selfe but sturred
your stoughtnes herein But because I neuer chaunced to see anye such Gospelles I do earnestly desire you O holy father for the loue ye beare to S. Fraunces to S. Bruno Finally for the loue of that fifth and euerlasting Gospell which the Dominick Fryers not long sithence beganne at Paris in the yeare of our Lord 1256. in the tyme of Pope Alexander the iiij That your holines will not be squeimish to acquaynte me what maner of gospells those be of Luther Melanchton Bucer Caluine c. whereof you make mencion If you can shewe none such it remayneth therefore that we hang vppe this accusation also vpon the file of your other staūderous lyes so long vntill in your next false inuectiues you acquite you of this cryme We haue heard touching the Gospelles Let vs now seé the fayth of hys Church Which he vaunteth franckly not to be of many coates but one Vniforme not lately risen vp and ioyned with vayne confidence but deliuered from the Apostles themselues not depraued with any peeuish interpretation or corruption of madde or franrick usage Go to and what if in like phrase of speeche I make euident that Luthers fayth was one and vniforme yea the same that all the Catholicke fathers of the primitiue churche did professe not start vppe yesterday or for a few dayes agoe not grounding vpō any variblenes nor toste to and fro by any vnsteadfast assurance but proclaymed by the Apostles themselues and wholly cleared from all madnesse and outrage What if I shall shewe playnely that all these quallities be in Luthers fayth what shall remayne then but that Osorius shall become a Lutherane whether he will or no if it be one vniforme fayth that he so much esteémeth or if he hold a contrary fayth then must he needes proue an open lyar But Osorius will not credite my wordes which I shall speake touching Luther and why then shall I creditte Osor speaking for his owne fayth namely sithe he voucheth nothing in proofe but bare wordes But if the truth thereof shall be decyded not with wordes but with substanciall matter by howe many euident demonstrations shall I be able to Iustifie that there is nothing in Luthers fayth but is agreable with the truth and the Auncient age of the primitiue Church in euery poynt And that in Osorius fayth be many thinges whiche do not onely vary cleane frō thē both but are also manifestly repugnaunt and contrary to them both But let vs drawe neere to the matter The fayth that you professe is vniforme you say If by this generall word Fayth you meane the Articles of the common Creéde forasmuch as there is no Churche of the Lutheranes but doth professe the same as well as you I seé no cause here why you should challenge a more speciall prerogatiue in vniformitie in this poynt then the Lutheranes And I would to God the Fayth of your Church would stay it self with the Lutheranes vpon those Articles onely where doughtles is matter sufficient enough for our saluation But now how many by hangers do you couple to this vniforme common Creéd how many new straunge stragglers bussardly blynde and vnknowne Raggmalles to the Auncient fathers And so couple them together as thinges most necessary to mans Saluation and for these also keepe a greater coyle then for the very articles of the Creéde Wherof we shall treate more at large in place fitt for it by Gods grace And therefore whereas you say that you obserue one vniformitie of fayth I would first learne what poynts you do ground this vniformitie vpon For although I may not deny but that in certayne Decrees and Decretalles is a certeine consent and agreément of conspiring doctrine such a one as it is yet if a mā will thoroughly sist many of thē wherein Luther doth dissent frō you he shall easily perceaue that Luth. hath not so much swarued from your vniformitie as your fayth is raunged altogether out of the right pathe of the true Christian fayth from the doctrine of both Testamentes from the Apostles and Prophetts yea and from the footsteppes of the Fayth of your owne predecessors of Rome whereby appeareth euidently that this fayth which you so gloriously vaunt is not auncient but new fangled not deliuered from the Apostles but patched together with mens Tradicious not grounded vpon any certaynty but full of vayneglorious braggery finally not vniforme but of many shapes and vtterly a Bastard vnlike the true vniformitie of Fayth Such as procure to themselues so many hyreling aduocates patrones and intercessours in heauen besides the onely Sonne of God Such as do worhip God otherwise then in spirite and truth with alters superalters Images Pictures Signes Formes and Shapes grauen in wood and in marble Such as before God do hunt after true righteousnes by other meanes and merytes then by onely fayth in the Sonne of God or do apply to themselues the effectuall grace of his great liberalitie otherwise then by this only Fayth Such as do promise Remission of Sinnes by any other meanes to themselues or to others but through the onely bloudshed of the Immaculate Lambe Such as with the price of pardons do sel that to others which Christ gaue freely Such as do dayly sacrifice him for the quick and the dead who by one onely oblation once for all did make attonement for all things in heauen and in earth such as make to thēselues a way passable to the kingdome of God life euerlasting by any other meanes and wayes to witte thorough the merites of Saintes through vowes Masses orders and Rules and through straightnes of profession by the merite of holy orders humble confessions mens absolutions and satisfactions through building of Abbyes and such other trumpery barganing as it were with God for merite meritorious and not for the onely death of Christ crucified for vs Such as do thrust into Churches other Sacramentes then Christ dyd euer Institute and commaund to be kept Such as robbe that lay people of one part of the sacrament contrary to the ordinaunce of the church and in the other part leaue nothing but that which can be no where els then in heauen and which if were present naturally ought not to be ministred as meate according to the veritie of the scriptures All these I say and an infinite table more of the same hiewe cleane contrary to the scriptures Such as do retayne in fayth mayntayne in vse clogge consciences withall and proclayme to be obserued in their Temples how dare they be so shamelesse to vaunt an obseruing of one vniforme Fayth agreéing with the Prophettes and Apostles vndefiled and cleare from all spotte of Noueltie or wrinckle of deformytie Wherfore you must either cōuince all these patcheries to be falsly burdened vpon your Church as I haue rehearsed them or els you must needes confesse that your fayth is neyther vniform nor Auncient nor sprong vppe with the Apostles nor yet consonaut to sound
measure without end raging vpon the bodyes vpon the goodes vpon all ages indifferently young and olde men women and children and all sexe and degrees of people yea of them also which doe confesse and professe the same Christ the eternall Sonne of God whō they do why do they broyle moyle and turmoyle all thinges with such cankred Ranckor with such furious outrage with so many dead corpses pilladge polladge as that all peacible tranquillitie beyng now vtterly taken away from out of al Christian natiōs there is no part thereof be it neuer so small which is not eyther crusht downe with more cruell and sauadge persecution then any Turke would haue vsed or at least that had not rather lyue vnder the Tyranny of the Turk then vnder the Iurisdiction of such a church What can it possibly enter into anye mans thought that these are the fruites of the holyghost or are guyded to the leading and conduct of our most meeke Sauiour Iesu Christ If you haue grounded such an indefesible confidēce vpon the truth of your cause if you stand so defensible by the protection of the holyghost agaynst all assaultes and attemptes of heretiques why then with a safe conscience and vndaunted courage do ye not committe your cause to the Lord the protector of the same and rest your selues assured vnder his sauegard following herein the good and godly councell of Gamaliell If the doctrine sayth he be not of God it will easely shiner in peeces though all the world seeke to vphold it Now this so great slaughter bootchery so great horror of Sauadge brutishe crueltie so execrable Phalarisme and Tyrāny from whatsoeuer authour it raungeth so rudely it sauoreth nothyng at all of the sweéte and amyable countenaunce of the holy Ghost surely nor of the naturall lenitie and humilitie of the Euangelicall doctrine But which he addeth last of all is of all the rest most magnificēt and Triumphaunt promising assuredly of the euerlastyng victory of his Churche that it shall remayne inuincible for euer For euen thus he speaketh wherein he seémeth in my conceite to differre very litle from that foolishe reioysing of a people mentioned in the Apocalipse who worshyppyng that same very Romishe Beast vndoughtedly did ascribe vnto her that vnuanquishable power of continuaunce euen by a like phrase of speach Who is like to the Beast say they and who is able to fight agaynst her And this much hitherto of the fayth the Church of Rome It ensueth next in order that we heare henceforth of the great Uicare of Christ somewhat and of the high and chief gouernour of the Church Bycause sayth he by the Gospell and testimony of Martyrs and the fayth and agreement of all holy Fathers Is there any more yet Finally we haue knowe the same by experience and proofe of thynges c. Goe to And what is it that you did know good Syrs That it could not possibly be that the Churche should be one vnlesse it haue one chief head the same highe Vicare of Christ. It is well and what doe ye conclude vpon this strong Reason at the last Forsooth that for this cause we yelde most humble obedience to the Byshop of Rome who is Christes Vicare vpō the earth c. Good GOD what doe I heare Osorius haue you pyked such a kynde of doctrine out of the Gospell and the Recordes of the Martyrs that there must neédes be one Churche on the earth wherein also of necessitie much be such a head as must beare chief principallitie rule and superioritie ouer all the rest In deéde if you meane this of Christ I am wholy on your side For he in very truth is the onely husbād of his onely spouse and Prince of Princes and the very head of all thynges without exception he onely is the highest and greatest of all But whereas you prouide two Princes for the Churche at one tyme together as it were an office committed vnto two persons wherof the one may supply the place of the other as though the other might in the meane tyme lye vpon one side doing nothyng I pray you good honest men did you euer learne this rule in the Scriptures Nay rather doth not the Gospell of Christ whereas it cōmaundeth all men to obedience and subiection prescribe that the Ministers of the Church aboue all others chiefly should cast away all Souereigntie and Lordlynes and should be contented with pouertie in so much that amongest the Apostles them selues it would admitte to superioritie Moreouer doth not Christ him selfe also throughout the whole Euangelistes very earnestly stirre vppe his Ministers to follow his example who was him selfe so farre of from desiryng any superioritie as that he refused the same vehemētly when it was offered would he thinke you Osori like well of such brabbling as we make now a dayes amongest our selues for Lordshyps and dignities And can you so boldly now take vpon you to be Proctour for this high Monarchy to be established in your Church cōtrary to the example of Christ defendyng the title therof by the Gospell and the Recordes of Martyrs contrary to the example of Christ him selfe and the prescript rules of his Gospell and yet in the meane tyme not vouch so much as one text out of the Gospell or the Histories of the Martyrs to make your party good Although I am not ignoraunt altogether that you haue certeine Sentences and wordes in the Gospell which by wringyng wrestyng you doe accustome to force to your purpose whether the Gospell will or no yet for as much as Haddon hath sufficiently enough aūswered those places in the first booke sith also nothyng can be superadded hereto that hath not already bene spoken it shal be but neédelesse to rubbe that gall my more But what he meaneth by Martyrs or what kinde of Martyrs he vnderstandeth I can not well perceaue If his meanyng respect those first auncient Martyrs of the Primitiue Church surely we haue ouer fewe monumentes of them left vnto vs yet none at all makyng ought for that Romishe Sinagogue But if you conceaue of the Martyrs of this later age in our dayes I am well assured that not onely the monumentes but the very bloud of thē also doth long sithence cry vnto the heauēs for vengeance against that vnconquerable Ierarchy of yours I speake here of true Martyrs And as to the Fayth and agreément of holy men vnlesse ye ioyne also hereunto a perpetuall consent of places and tymes generally and the truth also withall ye shall no more preiudice our cause then if you tell me of the consent and agreément of the Iewes cryeng out agaynst Christ Crucifige Crucifige And therfore in my conceipt your shall doe farre better if in steéde of this consent of men whereupō you bragge so lustely ye follow the counsell of Augustine Let not this be heard amongest vs sayth he This say I this say you but thus sayth
the Lord and there let the Church be sought out Now what the experience of Osorius doth seé let him selfe looke thereto Sure I am that Cyprian seémeth to haue experimented an other kynde of experimeÌ„t where he writeth Hereupon grow all maner of Scismes sayth he bycause the head is not sought for meÌ„ come not to the wellspring it selfe neither are the ordinaunces and rules of the heauenly Maister kept nor obserued Wherein I thinke you seé matter sufficieÌ„t enough by how much the testimony of this Martyr doth differre from you whereas you do racke all thynges to humaine authoritie onely he calleth all men backe to the very founteines of the Scriptures rather And yet doe I not deny but that humaine authoritie doth many tymes auayle very much to bridle the vnruly raungyng of sectes if Osorius would limitte this authoritie humaine within certeine measurable boundes But he raketh all thynges now to the authoritie of the Romishe Seé onely as though there were none other authoritie elles that might stay sectes and Schismes besides this Romishe Pope onely Which Assumption is altogether vntrue And therefore to make the same appeare more euidently Let vs note the wonderfull Logicke of Osorius somewhat more aduisedly The Authoritie of the Romishe See beyng taken away sayth he will be an occasion that heresies will grow in vse How shall this be knowen bycause Osorius doth seé it for such are the strongest pyllers of Osorius buildyng for the more part Thus sayth Osorius Thus is well knowen to the world who doth not see this Experience teacheth all men this But what if some meéry conceipted Carneades of the Academickes schoole will deny your bare Affirmatiues to your teéth what if he will geue no credite to your opinions no nor yet to your wapper eyes that are bleared dimme with raÌ„cour malice as it is a kynde of Philosophers you know well enough very hard laced scarse applyable to credite any maner of bare Affirmatiues Nay rather what if some other hauyng bene enured to contrary experieÌ„ce will contend with you on this wise say That he doth seé with his eyes that this Romish Seé wherof you speake is the chief Metropolitane of all sectes and heresies what shall become of this your notable defeÌ„ce The thyngs which are seene with the eyes say you whiche are knowen which are notorious in all mens mouthes which experieÌ„ce witnessing also doth ratifie to be true which are sensibly felt with eares and eyes to call these thynges in question whether they be true or no is meare ignoraunce but to deny them is a point of most shamelesse impudency Not so Osorius we do not deny the thynges that men do seé with their eyes But the thyngs that you do Assume falsely for thinges certeine concludyng false and slaunderous cauilles for meére truth those thynges we do constantly deny to be true not bycause we trust not mens senses which be of souÌ„de IudgemeÌ„t but bycause we geue to credite no Osorius lyeng But goe to Let vs moue forewardes a litle that we may seé the thyng at the length that this sharpe sighted Lynx doth so easily seé Forsooth he doth see sayth he that noysome sectes and troublesome controuersies would forthwith raunge in the Churche if the authoritie of the Romishe see should be cleane put downe I beleéue it in deéde But with what eyes doth he seé this with that left eye I thinke which is couered with a pynne and webbe of desire to slaunder But if he would vouchsafe to open agayne that right eye I would not dought but that experience wherof he speaketh would teach him a new lesson For if this Romish authoritie were vtterly abolished he shall by experience proue that this will forthwith ensue which many of vs through the inestimable benefite of God haue proued to be most true in all places namely that common weales shall recouer their auÌ„cient priuiledges consciences shall possesse their wonted freédome men shall be restored to the sauetie of their lyues all Christendome shall enioy peace and tranquilitie he shall seé horrible fiers quenched whole pyles of Fagottes and fier coÌ„sumyng â— bodyes of Christians to Ashes to be extinguished stockes to be set wyde open imprisonmentes rackynges recantations and Fagottes to be shaken from mens shoulders he shall seé the lyues and goodes of many thousands to be saued out of the â—awes of death and froÌ„ the bloudy bootchers knife he shall seé pilladge polladge confiscations of goodes Popish exaction deceiptfull buyng and sellyng of Pardons fayres and gaynefull marketts of dispensations taxes of Citizens spoylinges of the CoÌ„mons tenthes first fruites of benefices yearely contributions of Byshops great impositions of Monasteries payementes of pentions for Palles for mysters for ringes for liberties for exemptions Finally for whores and concubines to be diminished and vtterly abolished he shall seé their drousie superstitions and ceremonies and their triflyng traditioÌ„s geue place to the Orient bright Sunne shynne of the truth Temples cleansed agayne from filthy Idolatry Kynges to become Kynges and Lordes of their own and once agayne at the last to beare their sword theÌ„ selues which before bare nothyng but bare titles and scarse titles onely he shall seé Citizens and Subiectes deliuered from straunge Tyranny and subiect to their lawfull authoritie â—o them onely to yeld obedience vnto whom they ought to doe Finally he shall seé coÌ„moÌ„ weales begyn to take breath agayne after a certeine sort now at the length and the hartes of the faythfull to rayse them selues vp at the ioyfull countenaunce of their auncient sauetie and to geue most humble thankes to almightie God for their most happy peace and deliueraunce Certes Osorius if the chaunges and chaunces of thynges which men seé with their eyes feéle by practize and dayly experience may without checke be open to the viewe of the worlde you should playnly discerne and seé all those thynges if you were here in England and not in England onely but in Germany in Denmarke Sweuland Scotland Polande and the more part of FrauÌ„ce in SwitzerlaÌ„d finally throughout all incorporatioÌ„s and freé Citties this authoritie vtterly abolished Goe to And where now are those sectes Schismaticall dissentions which you do obiect agaynst vs If you know not this to be true Osorius or if happely you be ashamed to confesse the thynges that you know I will confesse the same for you and will speake the same as frankely as truely If I shall say that euen with you in the very Court of Rome in your Churches in your Monasteries Colledges Rules and Orders of Friers briefly wheresoeuer that shauelyng marke of the Romish Prelate is emprinted or wheresoeuer that authoritie is of most force that there are whole swarmes and sectes most outragiously raungyng I feare nothyng lesse least that my wordes may seéme to emporte more then the truth Nay rather I am sure I haue yet spoken very litle I should haue spoken in this maner
much more stoughtly and couragiously then for the law it selfe and the commaundementes of God And so runnyng lightly ouer those Ceremonies he presseth foreward to the Sacramentes of Confession first and next of the Euchariste But wheÌ„ we fall sayth he First what meaneth this word Falle For if the consideration of all your righteousnesse be settled in an interrupted course of liuyng well in the giftes of holynes and righteousnesse powred into you euen by Christ him selfe as your AssertioÌ„ doth emporte by what reason can these Falles and spottes of filthy life stand together with so great and so many ornamentes of righteousnes receaued of Christ him selfe or in so great righteousnesse what neédeth any confession But for as much as you be men let vs ascribe this to the frayltie of mans natuâ—e that as men you may lumper and trippe Go to then to what Sanctuary do ye afterwardes fleé for reliefe Forsooth to a rotten plancke that may saue a man amyddes the swallowyng gulfe beyng throwen ouer boorde into the Sea To the Iudgement of the Priest say you And why not vnto Christ rather Forsooth bycause in his absence entreaty is made by Proctours and Aduocates But was Christ absent whenas Iohn doth send vs backe agayne vnto him notwithstandyng speakyng on this wise And if we haue sinned we haue an Aduocate with the Father Christ Iesu and he is the propiciatory Sacrifice for our Sinnes Why did he not say we haue a Priest vpon the earth if there were either any first or second Table besides Iesus Christ onely In deéde he worketh by his Embassadours as he sometyme taught by the mouth of his Apostles and by them wrought miracles and euen now also proclaimeth his Gospell by his godly Ministers yet doth he neuerthelesse worke in heauen continually though he worke by his Ministers here on earth Furthermore neither doth he so vse the seruice of those Seruauntes and Ministers in all thynges whose externall Ministery he necessaryly employeth to many thynges as though he could of him selfe doe nothyng without their seruice Lastly all be not his true Embassadours which by forreine badge and cognizaunce doe vaunt them selues to be his Embassadours But let vs proceéde and what doe ye now when ye tumble in heapes together to confesse your selues to the Priest as to an honorable vmpier what doth he geue you at the length Making first a straight Inquisition of the Sinnes he doth by force of his wisedome searche out the wounde which beyng disclosed he applyeth a playster thereunto accordyng to the qualitie of the grief as seemeth most conuenient But what if you happeÌ„ vpon such a Priest as be now a dayes ouer many not much vnlike vnto them whoÌ„ Plautus doth describe in a certeine place Fooles wittlesse naturalles blockisse doltishe asses dronckardes c. But let vs admitte that there is no Priest but such as is most worthy of this function This Priest then accordyng to the capacitie of his wisedome considering the qualitie of the trespasse what plaister doth he apply to the soare a very wholesome one I warrauÌ„t you For accordyng to the dignitie of his person for he representeth the person of Christ he pardoneth absolueth the offendour cleane of all sinne yet so as enioyning certeine penaunce to the new clensed soule so that the trespassour may vnderstaÌ„d that he is bounde to make satisfaction for the trespasse In which doyng I can not maruell enough at your manifest giddynesse of idle brayne beyng so barreine not onely of discretion but voyde also altogether of common sence and feélyng almost The offendour say you is acquited by the absolution of the Priest Undoughtedly to be absolued by a Priest is a very gay Iewell if it be true as it is true in deéde that God doth geue absolution first But to assure vs that you tell truth what do ye alledge out of the Scriptures Forsooth the wordes of the Gospell He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me I do heare you and do acknowledge these wordes to be the wordes of Christ. But we must returne againe to the principall pointe of the questioÌ„ how shall I be assured that this Priest of yours is trnly of that nomber whom Christ doth point vnto vs by this pronowne you You will say that the shauen Crowne ought to be a sufficient warraunt vnto vs. Ueryly neither doe I reiect this outward vocation which is made by men neither ought we to expect the same maner of Embassadours to be sent by Christ now as he fent his Apostles heretofore And yet for as much as the Beast mentioned in the Apocalips hath his proper peculiar marke which Christ doth curse will you shew me no better marke for your Priest then a bald scraped scalpe sithence Christ sendeth vs to the coÌ„sideration of fruites and Spirituall markes of Doctrine and Truth But I will not much striue with you here Let all Crowes be white for me and let the absolution of the marked Priest be an vndoughted Oracle for me also This is the pointe that I stand vpon and demaunde Whenas the Trespassour doth obtaine of your Priest this absolutioÌ„ wherof you spake before From wheÌ„ce doth this absolution receaue the effectuall operation from the priests marke or from the Fayth of the Repentaunt rather If from the priests marke onely then what doth Fayth and Baptisme worke in vs or whereunto serueth the Article of the Creéde I do beleeue Remission of Sinnes Agayne if it depend vpon the onely Fayth of the Repentaunt to what purpose is this Priestly Confession But if you will couple both these together as that in your imagination the one can be of no force without the other how will this kynde of couples agreé with your doctrine who makyng so curious exact a distinction of all the other partes of penaunce will in all that Sacrament leaue no chinker at all for Fayth to peépe through no nor will be acquainted with the name of fayth in any part therof And what if a Iew or a Turke do with a sorrowfull coÌ„trite hart ioyne the Confession of his mouth withall satisfaction of the guilt as you terme it be his Sinnes washed cleane away therfore I do not thinke so what if a ChristiaÌ„ man beyng endued with a pure fayth bewaylyng his offences vnfaynedly and withall his hart lookyng vpon Christ with the eyes of Fayth as vpon the brasen Serpent do craue pardon of him without any hochpotte of priestly ConfessioÌ„ shall he obteine no salue for his soare If you deny this as your Lombardine questioners do Then would I fayne learne where was that priestly Confession before it was first instituted by Innocent 3. and thrust into the Church to be frequeÌ„ted .1215 where was this so vnaduoydeable necessitie then wheÌ„ Christ spake vnto the woman thy faith hath saued thee And in an other place speakyng of an other woman Where he forgaue her many sinnes
Asscention day and Whitsonday and the Feast of all Saintes be passed ouer with no lesse brauery if besides this outward shew vayne glorious pompe nothing be ministred els to rayse vppe Fayth to the contemplation of matters of farre greater importaunce For what may we thinke when Christ was first Circumcized when he was first named A Sauiour wheÌ„ in floud Iordan he was Baptized of Iohn and manifested agayne to be the Sonne of God by a most excellent voyce from heauen when as he was tempted of the Deuill after sixe weékes fasting whenas hauyng finished that triumphe of his Resurrection asscended into heauen he powred vpon his Apostles clouen fiery tounges may we thinke I say that all these were done to none other end but that we should in remembrauÌ„ce of them keépe idle holy dayes in pastyme play And yet we do not much finde fault with the memorials of those thyngs in godly affected myndes wheÌ„as they be rightly taught vnto them as certeine helpes and aydes of godly exercizes eueÌ„ so also we do not vtterly reiect those holy dayes approued of auÌ„cient tyme by vse and custome yea rather we do in many places reteigne and keépe the same Holy dayes as they doe albeit not with like ceremony as farre as we may without reproche of superstition For euen we also do assemble our selues together and come to the Church celebratyng the memory of the byrth of Christ his Resurrection and Ascention and the Feast of Peâ—therost also but not as a memoriall alone whereof we ought to be myndefull euery day and euery houre but seékyng an occasion of the day to heare somewhat that may conduce to sounde and pure Religion and the edifieng of our fayth vnto saluation And therfore we doe not simply deny and reiect these holy dayes but the maner of solemnizyng the same the stinking abuses superstitious worshyppyng the multitude of holy dayes your soâ—ges and sonnettes for the most part idolatrous your prayers and inuocations most manifestly repugnaunt and iniurious to the glory of Christ those we do vtterly abolish and not without cause The Iewes had their solemne holy dayes in tymes past though in nomber not so many yet prescribed by God him selfe They had also their bloud offringes and Sacrifices Fastynges Easter Solemnities and the brasen Serpent wherof as loÌ„g as they folowed the lawfull vse as beyng certeine signes and meane instruments shadowes leadyng to the endes whereunto they were instituted they were acceptable enough vnto God But after that by turnyng catte in the panne they placed the chief worshyppyng of God and principall marke of true Religion in those thynges which of their owne nature were the last and of least valew how horrible and execrable they became in the sight of God no man can tell you better then Esay yâ— Prophet What haue I to do with the multitude of your sacrifices ' I am full of them the Burnt offring of your Rammes and fatte of your fattlinges the bloud of your Calues of your Lambes and of your Goates I would not haue when you come before my presence who sought for these thinges at your handes to walke so in my Courtes offer no more any Sacrifice in vayne your Incense is abhominable in my fight your new Moones and Sabbathes and other holy dayes I will not away with your assemblies are wicked my soule hateth you Kalendes and solemne Feastes I am greeued with these things and ouerladen with them And when you stretche forth your hands vnto me I will turne away my face from you and when you multiplie your prayers I will not heare you c. And yet God him selfe ordeined all these thynges in his owne law What then Doth God condemne the thynges which he commaunded No truly but bycause they wrested forced those thynges to an other end then they were instituted for bycause they were fastened wholy to those and had settled the chief foundation of ReligioÌ„ in these Rites neglecting in the meane tyme the greater and high matters of the Law this now was it that the Lord could not away withall Go to Le ts vs also now take a through view of your notable Feastes and solemne worshyppynges and let vs compare your ordinaunces who liue now vnder the Spirituall law with that people that liued vnder the carnall Law For they neither worshypped their Sacrifices nor burnt offringes at any tyme they neuer painted the resemblaunce or counterfaite of Gods couÌ„tenauÌ„ce in table or picture they neuer bedecke their TeÌ„ples with Images they did neuer set downe any visible signes or portraictes of Patriarches or Saints to be gazed vpoÌ„ neither did they euer gadde on Pilgrimage to visite theÌ„ to their Psalmes Prayers they had nothyng patched els nothyng intermixt froÌ„ els where they made no intercessioÌ„ to Saintes Sainctesses they neuer made inuocation to the dead In their Lessons was neuer any thyng heard but Gods scripture onely nor any thyng pronounced out of the Scriptures that was not in their mother toung intelligible enough of all sortes young and old indifferently Briefly there was nothyng exercized but by the expresse prescript and commaundement of Gods law so that the state and condition of the Iewish Feastes may seéme to be farre more â—afie and tollerable then yours if we haue respect to the onely outward forme superstition of myndes And yet as I sayd before I do not stand so much in this point but that ChristiaÌ„s may haue their holy dayes and solemne Feastes wherein they may refresh them selues be raysed to the remembraunce of Gods benefites and manifold mercyes bestowed vpon vs so that the same be obserued wtout preiudice of fayth in simplicitie of vnfayned piety Neither am I so curious to haue that comely traditions of our elders to be abolished so the true ReligioÌ„ remaine meane whiles vndeffled the vse wherof coÌ„sisteth not in outwards ceremonies nor in corporall exercises nor in places and times but in spirit truth so that false preposterous hipocriticall deuotion be abandoned wherewith God waxed wroth and was highly displeased For how many christiaÌ„s may a man seé which do measure the chiefe worshyppyng of God by any other endes almost then by their dayly frequenting churches often hearyng of Masses keéping the euens and holydayes orderly fasting the Ember dayes carefully reiterating their Paternosters and Aues often and solemnely powring out their Synnes into theyr priestes bosomes in Lent treatably croochyng and kneélyng to the Crucifixe barefooted and barelegged humbly Receiuyng the very body and bloud of Christ vnder the formes of bread wyne once a yeare yea euen in their death beddes deuoutly and that besides there remayneth nought to be superadded to attain perfect saluation beleuing stedfastly nor that they be ought indepted to Christ vdoubtedly but suppose vnfaynedly that they ought forthwith for these causes receiue heauen for theyr meéd of very duety I besech you If Esay the Prophet liued now
For this is almost the whole strength substaunce of their defence And I am not ignoraunt how plausibly this probable shew glittereth in the eyes of vnskilfull and vnlettered people For so do Philosophers define Probabilitie to be such as seémeth probable either to all men or many or at the least to wise personages But in heauenly thyngs ought a farre other maner of cōsideration be had For if we grounde our selues vpon many we are taught by Christ himselfe That many are called but few are chosen And agayne in an other place That his flocke is a very litle flocke And afterwardes he demaundeth If when the Sonne of mā shall come whether he shall finde any Faith vpō the earth Neither are those thyngs alwayes best wt delight many Agayne if we shall depend vpon the Iudgemēt of the wise we heare likewise the same Lord him selfe geuing thākes vnto his Father that he had hiddē those thinges frō the prudent and wise of this world and reuealed them to litle ones And agayne we read in Paul The wisedome of this world is very foolishnes with God And therfore where as they would haue the Church to be placed on high apparaūt to the view of all the world truly they Iudge not amysse herein namely if they meane of the preaching of the word And yet this is no good Argumēt notwithstādyng that euery Citie vaūced on highest hill shall be forthwith esteémed the true church of God or els what shall be sayd to that famous great City mētioned in the Apocalips Which was foreprophecied should be built not vpon the Toppe of on hill onely but vpon seuen hills Or what shall we Iudge of that exceédyng wondering and worshyppyng of so many Nations so reuerētly hūbled to that Beast whose marcke it is sayd that small and great young and old riche and poore freemen and bondmen yea and those in noumber not a fewe but vniuersally all shall be marked withall in their right handes and in their foreheades Uerely if common sence and consent of people do make a Church where was euer a greater consent or more well likyng and greater admiration of fautours and frendes But they say that the cōsent cōmunitie of their Church is vniuersall Catholick which may not erre by any meanes Now let vs seé how they proue it The Apostle say they in his Epistles did greatly cōmēde the fayth of the Romaine Church This is true Peter also did both consecrate the same to be a See and instruct it in the Fayth I am in dought of this But what hereof After the Apostles tyme many of the Apostles Disciples say they learned Doctours and holy Martyrs Ignatius Irenaeus Cyprian Tertulliā Augustine and all that auncient age of graue Fathers did alwayes most gloriously esteeme of this Church Is there any more yet In the tyme of Basile Nazienzene Chrisostome the Church of Rome was not onely had in highest estimation but also was diuers tymes sought vnto for counsell and ayde neither will I deny this to be true couple herewith if you will that whē other Churches were tossed and turmoyled euery where with Schismes and rent in sunder with seditious factions no one Church besides stoode so long in so quiet a calme not assaulted with any such contētious sectes or variable opiniōs which did not a litle aduaunce the estimation of the Church and gate it no small authoritie Go to and what shal be concluded at the last out of all this For sooth The Church of Rome whiles it reteigned the sounde doctrine and simplicitie of the Fayth was commended of the holy Fathers by the name of a Catholicke and an Apostolicke Church Ergo The Church of Rome is the head and Metropolitane Church of all other Churches which hath neuer hetherto swarued from the true tracke of the truth nor shall euer erre vnder the which all other Churches must be subiect of very necessitie the cōmaundement wherof is an haynous obstinacie to disobey From the which to depart is manifest Schisme agaynst the which to resist and stand is playne heresie all the cōmaundements whereof to sweare obedience vnto is the surest way of sauety moreouer also a very necessary Article of eternall Saluation You do seé I suppose the whole force and subtiltie of your Catholicke cutted Enthymeme Whereof if you will seé a right proportion it is this The Church of Rome was allowed of the holy Apostles or the most auncient Fathers and all the most approued Doctours of the Church for Catholicke and Apostolicke But our Church is the Church of Rome Ergo Our Church is approued for Catholicke and Apostolicke by the consent of all the godly First we aunswere to the Maior proposition The auncient primitiue Church of Rome was approued by the famous cōsent of the learned for Catholicke and Apostolicke Peraduenture it was so yet was not this Church of Rome accompted so alone nor yet to this end so accompted bycause it should be the vniuersall Church of all other Churches For this will forthwith be gayne sayd by the Councels of Nice Mileuitane and by Pope Gregory and all the learned Deuines of that age vntill the cōmyng of Boniface 3. Moreouer neither was it for that cause so famously commended with so great consent bycause it was the Church of Rome but bycause it was a Christian Church Neither for any prerogatiue of the place though Peter sate there a thousand tymes For euen this also will an aūcient Pope Gregory deny as appeareth euidently by the Decreés Neither the places nor the dignities do make vs more acceptable to our Creatour but either our good deedes doe couple vs vnto him or our euill deedes do exclude vs frō him Moreouer not bycause it can prescribe an ordinary Succession of Byshops For Ierome also will not admit this They be not children of holy ones forthwith sayth he that occupie the possessiō of the holy ones but they that practize the workes of the holy ones But bycause with the Succession of Byshops they did ioyne agreable profession in true Religion bycause they did apply them selues to imitate the Fayth Religion and order of worshyppyng instituted by the Apostles bycause they did not varry frō well ordered Churches in any part of sounde doctrine For this cause I say namely for their sincere vnstayned Fayth and constaunt vprightenes of Religion not defiled with filthy stenche of erroneous doctrine the Church of Rome obteined of the auncient godly Fathers to haue a place amongest the Catholicke Apostolicke Churches But what is this O ye Apostolicke Princes to this your Romish Church in the state that it is now in the disorderous order whereof as it is at this day reuelyng with Cardinalles riotyng in Court glorified with this title of Uniuersall head garnished with tripple Crowne garded with the double sword magnified with Patriarches and innumerable other titles of dignitie armed with Abbottes mounted with Mounkes saluted
Moyses Howbeit it was so much the lesse to be marueled That the same should be obiected agaynst Paule in that tyme especially when as the Iewes were yet chiefe rulers of the Temple it selfe and Moyses ordynaunces were as yet in their chiefe force and authoritye What and haue we profited this farre now at the length after so great and long labors employed after so many aduertizements of thapostles after so many instructions of the holy ghost after so many examples of the Church after so many miracles so many bookes so many testimonyes of learned men so many helpes of sownd doctrine that we must after all these neédes â—unne back vnto old Iewishnes agayne may we not now skarcely open onr mouthes to preach Iesus Christ the Sonne of God but we must seéme Iniurious to Moyses For what els did Luther meane Whereunto els tended all his doctrine trauaile endeuour and thought but that the gracious mercy of God discouered in the Gospell might through his minystery he commended to weakâ— and aflicted consciences and glorified of them In which maner of doctrine yf any thing seéme displeasaunt to your minde let your owne minde and Imagination offend you rather then Paule or Luther For there lurketh a plague or pestilence not in the Doctrine but in the minde which in my iudgement seémeth to be such as that if you had liued in the tyme of Christ with the Scribes and Pharises being of the same mind wherewith you gnaw this doctrine so viperously now you might haue bene fellow mate with them which cryed out Crucifige Crucifige agaynst Christ. Not so say you but the wickednes and abhominations of this age doe much displease me with that am I worthely offended And what good or godly man is not throughly displeased herewith Peruse who will the writings of Luther Melanckton Bucer Zuinglius Martyr Caluine and he shall easely peceaue that this deadly decay of Godly lyfe was no lesse greuous to euery of them then to your selfe that I neéde neuer speake of this besides to witt that Luther being very oftentymes disquieted with the maners and vnthankefulnes of his own countrey men did long before with a very propheticall vehemencye foretell that the same lamentable slaughter should befall them for their vngratefull contempt of Euangelicall lyfe wherewith not long after they were greuously pinched And how then may any reasonable man credit you Osorius that lye so impudently vpon these men whom you make to be Authours and standerbearers of all those mischyeues and Tumultes But here is yet another argument clowted vppe and patcht together with the lyke stuffe whereby he would proue vpon trust of hys Rhethoricke That these false Prophets Lutherans were not sent from God Let vs first note the wordes which he citeth out of the Scriptures Marke well sayth he What the Lord spake of a false Prophet The Prophet that is puft vp with pride and will speake in my name the thing that I doe not commaund him to speake or in the name of any other straunge Godds let him be slayne And if in your secret conceypt you thinke with your selfe how shall I vnderstand that it is not the word of God that he hath spoken Take this for a signe Whatsoeuer that Prophet shall Prophecy in my name and it come not to passe that hath not the Lord spoken but the Prophet himselfe hath imagined it through the pride of his owne hart and therefore thou shalt not feare him c. Where is this Seéke for it Reader in the old Testament or in the new for eyther it pleased not Osorius to note the place or perhappes it serued not for his purpose so to doe But the place is to be found in the 18. Chap. of Deut. Go to and what is it that this wonderfull Philosopher of this world hath pyked out of these words Forsooth hauing vttered this much first by way of preamble It followeth now sayth he that we see what Luther Melancton Bucer Caluine and the other iolly companions haue promised and vndertaken to doe what hope they haue geuen of their glorious promises to witt that it should come to passe that they would call home agayne the discipline of the Gospell to her auntient sinceritye restore Religion hold vpp the Church that was ready to fall downe That is to say that they would fully restore the decayed fayth of the Church restore lenitye Chastitye Concord Vnitye Modestye Obedience Charitye together with godlynes and great bountye of godly loue All these things wherof they promised largely and in many wordes to bring to passe it lacketh so much of thacomplishment of their promise that they haue left all things in farre more worse case more peruerse more filthy and more deformed by the meanes of their goodly trauayle as men that haue placed Sacrilege in stead of Religion Crueltye in stead of Lenytye Tumults in stead of Peace Ciuill warre in stead of Concord Licentiousnes of lyfe in stead of chastity Contempt of Magistrates in stead of Obedience Pride in stead of Modestye Finally in stead of Charitye and Pietye Enmitye and hatred amongest good men Monstruous wickednes and vtter ouerthrow and confusion of all common weales The matters being so to conclude at the last who can thinke that any man may doubt that these men were sent from God or moued by his holy spirite Breéfly passing ouer all friuolous circumlocutions of words to gather the whole matter agayne together into a shorte breuiate Behold here a full sillogisme after this maner and forme The Prophets which doe prophecie in the name of God yf it come not to passe as they haue prophecied are not sent from God It is so farre of that Luther Melancton Bucer or Caluine haue performed the thinges that they promised that all haue proued in farre more worse case Ergo. Luther Melancton Bucer and Caluine were not sent from God but are lying Prophets and therefore according to Gods lawe worthy of euerlasting death I am in doubt whether I may aunswere or laugh Thone of both paraduenture the Reader will looke for t thother the fondnes of the argument doth perswade me to doe For what can be spoken more senselesly what can be more crookedly wrested out of the whole Scriptures what could haue bene attempted more cruelly and falsly agaynst godly personages what could haue bene concluded more absurdly First there is a place vouched out of the Scripture wherein the people is taught how they may discerne a false Prophet froÌ„ a true namely by the true successe euent of thinges as farre forth as the thinges foretold doe happeÌ„ or not happeÌ„ And yet in this behalfe also speciall consideratioÌ„ of choyse ought to be hadd some secret inspiration of the holy ghost For although Caiphas be sayd to haue foretold as the trueth was Yet will you not geue him a place emongest the holy Prophets So also neither did Balaam lye altogether when in a Propheticall speach he
foretold the people of God good and gladsome tidings yet I thinke you will not nūber him emongest the Godly Prophets of God The Spirite that was raysed by Saul in the name of Samuel to foreshew what should become of the successe of the battell dyd not tell otherwise then as it came to passe afterwardes Lykewise also in the Acts of thapostles The Prophetisse at Phillippos dyd prophecye many things of Paul and Timothe which were true and maruailous yet will no man assigne her a place emongest the true Prophetisses What shall we say of the Deuil himselfe which dyd foretell to Siluerster the Pope that he should neuer dye before he came vnto Ierusalem what was not the sequel aunswerable to hys former tale How then Osorius are those then to be accōpted the true Prophets of God which doe foretell the thinges that shall come to passe I thinke not so Neither doth the Scripture affirme the same to be true The true Prophets of God doe pronounce truely from out the true treasures of the hart And not contrarywise all they that doe tell true thinges altogether ought alwayes to be takē for true Prophets of God But whatsoeuer he be that teacheth false Doctrine and is found a lyar it is most certein that he is not sent of God Telling trueth therfore namely in Successes humaine doth not alwaye asrgue him that doth foretell the same to be a true Prophet of God But lying doth alwayes bewray a false Prophet And this is it wherof the Scripture would haue vs to be forewarned in this place For the wordes of the Scripture doe not so directly determine that euery person whosoeuer foretelleth the trueth of euery thing is therefore sent from God But it setteth downe this speciall marke That yf any Prophet haue foretold any thing in the name of the Lord which doth not afterwades come to passe By thys marke sayth the Scripture shall you know that a man hath spoken it and not the Lord Then which signe say you no thing can be more sure nothing more euident nothing more commodious for our sauetye And thys also doe we confesse as well as you doe And so much hitherto for the Maior But to aūswere the Minor now what is any of all this to Luther Melancthon and their companyons Because they haue promised say you so largely and so lowdly whereas they gaue so great a hope of themselues by their glorious promises that it should come to passe that they would call backe agayne the decayed lyfe of the Christians and the dissolute maners of the Church to the auncient purity of the Gospell they did so performe nothing of that they promised that they left all thinges in far worse case then they receaued them I will aunswere to both And first your allegation of their promises we haue shewed already how it is altogether vntrue to the iustyfying of which flaunder agaynst thē you haue not brought forth one sillable so much hitherto out of all the writinges of Luther or Melancton wherewith you are able to charge thē Whereas on thother side it will be no matter of difficultye for me to conuince you for an open lyar by innumerable places out of Luther himselfe Emōgest many I will cyte one by the which the Reader may easily vnderstand how farre of Luther was from that glorious kinde of braggery of Reformation wherewith you doe slaunder him most Impudently For after this manner doth he make a reporte of himselfe writing vpon the Psalmes of degreés I doe gladly vse sayth Luther mine owne experience for what is it or how much is it that he hath geuen to me alone I did desire no thing els then that this abuse of pardons might be taken away But behold what an vnmeasurable Sea of Gods marueilous bounty and liberality ensued therupon So that it is generall true that no man dare wishe so much as God is ready to geue The cause is the mistrust fulnesse of our hart the lacke of hope and weakenes of fayth Thus much Luther Go to now and where is now that glorious hope promised and bragge of promise whereas himselfe cōplaineth of wāt of hope of mistrustfulnes of hart and weakenesse of fayth or vpon what confidence could he dare promyse so largely and boldly to others that which him selfe confesseth playnely he durst not be so bold as to wish for But put the case they promised all that you haue spoken what then you adde forthwith But they dyd not performe their promises◠what they performed or what they did not performe in the reformation of manners I doe not so much stand vpon Nor do I speake all here that I could But leaue it to the iudgement of him that shall iudge the quicke and the dead Euery person canne iudge himselfe and his owne cause best but of others it is very hard to determine any certaynty Malice is alwayes a blinde iudge Malepart slaunder is a lying witnesse It had bene more sittyng for you and your modesty beginning at your owne home to haue first purged your owne faultes to haue pluckt the beames out of your owne eyes before you had vttered such insolent waywardnesse in troubling of other mens studies Admitte that it may be freé for a man to proclaime openly to the world the notorious faultes and offences of others which either himselfe doth seé or doth gather vpon common report yet this iudgement as it may be frée so ought it be vpright iust But you enflamed with I know not what outragious insolency of minde not of any iudgement but of a certayne franticke fury do so handle your cause as though he were no good man nor could be a good man whosoeuer doth beare the name of a Lutherane that is to say a professed Christian and as though neuer any such abhominations could haue infected the world if Luther had nener taught at all thē which slannderous maner of speéch what could impudency it selfe haue spoken more impudently or more vntruely But not to tary long vpon this poynte and to graunt you also that you Assume so impudently For this I suppose you assume as matter most certayne that these men did performe no part of that which they promised Goe to and when weé yelde you all that you will to witte that they entred into large promises and that they performed nothing and that all things became worsse to what end tēd all these at the last what doe these mountaynes of Gilboe bring forth at the length Come of Luther now with all thy Lutheranes and take a full con̄clusion of all and goe hang your selues Ergo You be false Prophets deceitfull and fraudulent seducers not onely to be eschued of men but by Gods law worthy to be burnt also The Cocke crewe and it was day all abroad But that weé may be so bolde to sift out this rusticall Logicke what doe I heare Osorius Is it so ought all such as breake theyr promises and couenauntes
the Iles of Calecute I suppose For I doe verely thinke that this Osorius was not begotten vnder our clymate nor made of the same mould chat other frayle men are made of but composed of the very pryme and blossome of pearle and framed of the fragrant flowers of Narde and his Eloquence nursed with the pure milke of the very Muses engendred as it were of the finest filme of Cicoroes braynes as the Poets haue fayned Pallas to be borne and nourished in Iupiters Bosome And except that rotten braine of this doating dotterell recouering now some freshe sappe hadd discouered him now to be twise a childe and a very Babe surely he would haue bene a notorious Goliath ouer these litle moathes and simple shrimpes Perhappes that stately tooforked Myter vaunced on highe vpon his hoary heares making him seéme higher in stature then other men doth rayse the crest of that glorious Combe And hereupon hangeth that hawtye houering of this heroycall Gyant from aloft from out the fiery firmament as it were despising and loathing these small snigges of Babish Haddons But enough now of Haddons childishnes let vs therefore seé what it is that is raked out of Cyprian agaynst Haddon And first all that which Haddon doth very learnedly and truely discourse in prayse of the godly Martyrs who by their exile emprisonments losse of goodes yea of lyfe also did with sheadding their bloud confirme and enseale the true and vndoughted sinceritye of the Gospell all this glorious renowme of commendation and prayse purchased with their paynefull labors and trauell this glorious Thrsonicall Osorius doth transpose wholy from them vnto others and this also not without a pretye nypping skoffe To witt Vnto Roffensis More Byshops Priestes and Charterhouse Mounckes men as he sayth endued with singuler pietye and Religion Whereof some yea not a few of them dyed here in England many flying out of England and Ireland as outlawes and Banished men hadd not escaped the axe or the halter vnlesse they in running away hadd preserued their liues more happely then the courtesy of our men would haue done And vpon this by and by is Cyprian chopt in place his wordes being neuerthelesse not noted as either vnknowen vnto him or craftely cloked whereunto we are commaunded to geue our attendance Now what sayth Cyprian Whosoeuer sayth he as a without the bowndes of the Church though they suffer death for the testimonye of Christ the same doe not deserue the crowne of Martyrdome but the punishment dew for treason rather Where finde you this Osorius for sooth in Cyprian looke for it Reader peradueÌ„ture after you haue perused Cyprians booke ouer you may finde it The place perhaps is extant in his 4. Booke and 2. Epistle Where he speaketh on this wise Although they be slayne afterwardes for the name of Christ being remoued from the Church and diuided from vnitye and Christian Charitye they caÌ„ not be crowned as Martirs at the time of their death For those are the very wordes of Cypryan which no man deâ—â—â—th to be most true For who doughteth hereof that the Church is the euerlasting kingdome of Christ where all the hope and treasure of our saluation is fast lockt vpp and enclosedâ— from whose pleasaunt habitatious yf we willingly exclude our selues we must worthely perishe But thus goeth the matter Osorius that Cyprian in deéde hath spoken very well but you out of Cyprian haue forged a foolish fable For in all the his discourse of the vnity of the church neither do we rend asunder nor passe beyond the bowndes thereof But you Osorius doe not measure those bowndes and lymittes aright and withall doe wrongfully and vntruely define the Church of Christ. In this pointe therfore lurketh all the errour not in our variaunce and DissentioÌ„ but in your false DefinitoÌ„ For let there be a true Church graunted yea such a Church as was in the tyme of Cyprian and we will quickly yeld to that vnity CypriaÌ„ could in no wise disgest such as forsaking the Church of Christ like stragglers went an other way namely to the Gentiles as he sayth to worldly delightes and pleasures to heretiques Schismatiqués And Osorius is a great deale more squeymish at those which fleing froÌ„ Iewishnes from heretiques schismatiques do dedicate theÌ„ selues to the true Church of Christ. For if a man may tell troth what els do Luther Melancthon Caluine Bucer and others their lyke agaynst whom this cruell scourgemuttoÌ„ chauseth so extremely They are fallen sayth he from the vnitie of the Church To whom Osorius I pray you Are they not come home to Christ to Paule to the Gospell to the Apostles to the Law and to the Prophetes what is this to turne vnto and partake with heretiques and schismatiques or to turne away and forsake heretiques and schismatiques rather If you be of that mynde beware least you bewray your selfe to be one of Antichristes lymmes before you proue Luther an hereticke If to depart froÌ„ them whose wicked opinions are manifestly contrary to true Religion and do seduce from the truth which is in Christ Iesu be accoumpted a pointe of Schisme why then is the people commaunded in the word of the holy Ghost and that not in one place onely to depart from out amyddes of theÌ„ Addyng thereunto also the daunger thereof least ye become partakers of their Sinnes sayth the holy Ghost And therfore you seé perill not in departyng but in tarryeng rather there froÌ„ whence we ought to depart Now what maner of people that is from the which the holy Ghost doth call away I leaue to your Iudgement Osorius and to others that can Iudge therof But in the meane space say you Unitie and the peace of the Church is torne a sunder I do aunswere Woe be to that peace woe be to that Vnitie which wageth warre agaynst Christ. If you will enter into Vnitie and amitie with him you shall haue no discorde emongest your selues I do know and coÌ„fesse this to be most true that Cyprian speaketh Who soeuer he be sayth he and whatsoeuer he be if he be not within the Churche of Christ be is not a Christian bycause without the precinctes of Christes Church is no sure roade of sauetie And wherfore then doe Luther and these Lutheranes say you teare abroad these hedges of the Churche and withdraw them selues from the Vnitie thereof I do aunswere in the behalfe of the Lutheranes They haue not forsaken the Vnitie but you haue crackt a sunder the veritie of the Church They haue not offended in forsakyng the Church but you haue greéuously erred in definyng the Church For if a man should argue with you at this present in wordes and speaches as I doe deale with you in writyng and would vrge vpon you to define vnto him this Church which you mainteyne in her true and naturall substaunce what auÌ„swere would you make I wis the very same DefinitioÌ„ I suppose that all your Catholicks haue imagined
to witte That the Church is a multitude of people such as is bounde to obey the Pope of Rome seuered from other Nations by certeine Ceremonies which the Popes haue ordeyned fast tyed to the ordinary cōtinued course of Succession of Byshops and to that onely interpretation of Scriptures which the Byshops and Councels doe deliuer And this is the true proportion and full Definitiō of your Church if I be not deceaued But this Definitiō the learned in Logicke will deny to be good sounde where the thyng defined is not of all partes equiualēt with the Definitiō Which rule is not obserued here For to admitte this vnto you that in the true Church of Christ must be Popes Byshops who must be obeyed who also must haue an ordinary outward succession and who may challenge vnto them selues a speciall prerogatiue in the interpretation of the holy Scripture yet is not this by and by true that all Popes Byshops which are entituled by the name of Popes and Byshops which do pretende a continuall succession which do carry the countenaunce of consentes which do challenge a right in the interpretatiō of Scriptures are the true sheapherds of the Lordes flocke And why so forsooth bycause that thyng wāteth which makyng specially for the purpose you haue specially left out namely the truth of sounde doctrine which may be able to treade downe and crushe in peéces errour and hypocrisie That is to say That Byshops do truly and vnfaynedly become the same in the sight of God which in vtter shew they would fayne seéme in the sight of men Agayne that Succession be not of persons onely but a speciall Succession of Fayth vertuous lyfe that the obedience of the people may not proceéde so much of feare of punishment as of harty affection and willyngnesse of mynde that the interpretation of scriptures be not wrested to the maintenaunce of errour and mens sensualitie but be directed and aunswerable to the meanyng of the holy Ghost and the true naturall sense of the Scripture For these be the true markes Osor. whereby a true Church is discernable from a false not the title and name of a Church not the authoritie and Succession of Byshops not the opinion of a multitude besides the truth of Gods word But the very Rule of the word must be kept which will so describe vnto vs a true Church by true markes tokēs boundes and foundations That it be a Congregation dispersed abroad euery where ouer the face of the whole earth vnited agreéyng together in soūd◠doctrine of Fayth and the true worshyppyng of God which beyng sanctified by the holy Ghost and admitted by partaking the Sacramentes do truly beleéue in God through the Sonne of God Iesu Christ accordyng to the doctrine of the Gospell although some be enlightened with more spiritual graces gifts and some with lesse By this standard and Rule let vs measure now the Argumentes of Osorius Luther and Melancthon are fallen away from the Pope of Rome and his Cardinalles Ergo Luther and Melancthon haue rent in sunder the vnitie of the Church The onely Church of Rome hath an ordinary succession from Peter Ergo The onely Church of Rome is the true Church The great part of Christendome doth acknowledge the Church of Rome Ergo The Churche of Rome is the Mother Churche and Queene of all Churches The Churche of God hath a promise that it shall neuer erre Ergo He that doth interprete the Scriptures otherwise then after the meaning of the Church of Rome or that doth not acknowledge him selfe obedient to the Romish Decrees in all thynges is an heretique and doth sequester him selfe from the boundes and communiō of the Church To this aunswere shal be made briefly and logically These be meére fallacyes and deceites of the Equiuocation deriued from a false description of the Church and the succession thereof and from false markes For as touching the names and Tytles as touching the long pedigreés of neuer interrupted course of Succession as touching the consent of the multitude and the promises made by God if the other tagges were tyed to these poyntes and made suteable namely sound doctrine true godlynesse surely it would seéme somewhat to the purpose that Osorius mayntayneth But now whatsoeuer they bragge and vaunt of tytles and other reliques without the especiall coupling and cōioyning of the Euangelicall and Apostolicall doctrine is altogether nought els but smoake and winde nothing auayleable to establish the true vnity of the Church First as concerning the name of the Church we do heare Christ himselfe speaking Many shall come in my name Touching Successiō we heare out of Ierome Not they that sitte in the places of Sainctes c. Touching the multitude Augustine doth teach vs. That the consentes of voyces must be weyed and measured not numbred Touching Gods promise made for perseuerance in the trueth harken what Iohn Baptist speaketh Do not say we haue Abrahā to our Father For God is of power to rayse vppe sonnes to Abraham out of these stoanes If Osorius will argue after this maner why should not these arguments be of as great force The high Priest of the old law in the Iewish Regiment did beare the face and name of the Church with full allowaunce and cōmon consent of all the multitude yea euen in the tyme of Esay Ieremy Amos Elias and Christ. The same also did conuey theyr Succession from the priesthood of Aaron And did vouch also theyr authority seat lawe and the promise agaynst Ieremy agaynst the Prophettes and agaynst Christ. The Law say they shall not perish from the Priestes Ergo Those high priestes did enioy a true Church nor coulde possibly erre at any tyme. But if Osorius shall thinke with him selfe that these Argumentes were not forcible enough in the olde Church why should they be more effectuall in the new Churche In the olde lawe it was lawfull to examine the very prophettes themselues if they spake the word of the Lord yea certayne infallible tokens were set downe whereby they might be discerned In like maner euen in the new testament we are commaunded to proue the Spirites if obey be of God being forewarned by the spirite of God that we beleue not euery spirite And what kinde of people then be these Popes and Cardinals of Rome which of a more then Imperious Lordlynesse doe commaund and require all men to receaue and reuerence their Satutes Ordinaunces Ceremonies opinions and all theyr wordes and deédes ingenerall without exception and contradictiō vpon greéuous paynes and Penalties that shall ensue agaynst him whosoeuer dare presume to make a question of the right of their authoritye or to make any doubt of any theyr deuises and imaginations And so geuing the slippe to all those he commeth downe againe to our Church with a maruailous blaff of windy words but with no reason at all imagining to proue
is no redemption at all but by the Popes Pardons Although the last part of this doctrine by monstruously absurde yet yf they would graunt the former part throughly and wholy the matter were somewhat more tollerable But now they are in this their partition so parciall and vneuen dealers that they will not leaue to Christ the whole cleansing of the guilt but will herein also ioyne a topemate with him that Romish vicar For this is their assertion to witte That the Pope of Rome being the vicar of Christ doth by power of his keyes bring to passe both that he may release from guilte and punishment both at once with his Bulles of PardoÌ„s That is to say From guylt through the Sacrament of Penaunce and from punishment by the Popes satisfactions and pardons If this be true lett vs bidd the bookes of the Euangelistes and Apostles adiew Farewell also Gods promises lett fayth and the Church pack vpp their trunckes and gett them to Cattai and lett vs with solemne procession receaue into the Church of Christ most holy Pardons and Indulgences and tourne Christ out at the Belfrye Sithence these pardons alone without Christ doe dispatch all matters cleare through the authoritye of the Pope No say they not so without Christ but partly by the superabouÌ„daunce of Christes merites partly by the bloud of Martyrs partly by the merites of Sayntes partly by charitable almes workes of supererogacion by the obeying the couÌ„celles and partly by seueritye and straight keéping the charge of holy orders or Indulgences doe stand in force and are auaylable The fourme of which absolucions forged by the Mounckes and Fryers to the behoofe of the common people followeth on this wise God be mercifull vnto thee good Brother THe merite of our Lord Iesus Christ and of the blessed Mary the perpetuall virgine and of all Saintes the merite of holy orders the heauy burdeine of Religion the humblenes of confession the contrytion of harte and the good workes that thou hast done and shalt doe for the loue of our Lord Iesu Christ grauÌ„t vnto theé remissioÌ„ of sinnes to the increase of merit grace and to the reward of lyfe euerlasting Amen There be also other formes of absolution extant which others graunted by the Popes Bulles as when hospitalls and brotherhoodes doe communicate with others the participation of all good workes on this wise We doe testifye that we haue receaued into the Beaderoll of the holy Brotherhood of S. Aâ—â—â—â—ny those persons graunting vnto them full partaking of all the good workes that haue bene done are to be done by our brethren from the beginning of our foundation euen to the end the foresayd order day and night in threé hundreth sixty iiii Monasteries and hospitalls c. Lyke as Apothecaries doe compound their Tryacle of many simples and drugges mixt together Euen so the Popes by gathering together the merites of Christ of the blessed virgine of the Martyrs of Saincts Mounckes as it were speciall spices and herbes do make vppe their hochepott of Pardons of which Pardous they do make portesale as parcell of the treasory of the Church to hospitalls Churches Chappell 's Brotherhoodes Monasteries Selles not for shillings or crownes but geue theÌ„ vnto euery of them gratis very hountifully If we may credit Osorius herein But in the meane space I would very fayne learne this of Osorius how we are sayd to be made perfect and for euer sanctified if the onely oblation of Christ once offred be not sufficient to saue vs without the merits of Saints and heapes of good workes Moreouer whereas out of this vnmeasurable treasory of the Church there is such an ouerflowing plenty of gracious Pardons I would also know this by what reason the Pope of Rome doth chalenge himselfe to be onely Porter keybearer of this precious Treasory excluding all other ministers and Byshoppes of the Church but such onely as whom by his power Apostolique he hath authorized to playe fast and loose what now Are not the merites of Christ open to all and singuler indifferently without exception or otherwise then as they be receaued by euery ones perticular fayth Or what kinde of power is that of one Byshop in the Church which is not also generall and common to all other Byshopps together with him Doe ye not seé Osorius how filthy and how absurde these reasons of yours be what an horrible deceite to the people what a great iniury is this to all other Byshoppes and how full of sacriledge what a monstruous reproche it is agaynst Christ him selfe And yet for all this you can not but maruell in the meane tyme what moued vs to abandone this prowd prelate with all his pelfe as a pestilent viper of the Church of Christ and why we cutt our selues away from him as farre as we may whome your selfe Osorius yf you were endued with any dropp of Christian bloud would neuer take vpon you to defend with such a prophane targett of Tullies Paganisme But would rather geue an onset vpoÌ„ him as the generall Enemie of all mankinde yf your hart were as well enlightned with the true and sincere knowledge of Christ as your fickle braynes are lewdely incensed with the bayne and heathenish admiration of Ciceroes eloquence And to say the truth I know not by what mishappe this happ hath happened that all these vntimely sproughtes of Ciceroes plants are by a certeine secrett yet most iust iudgement of God infected with this generall lurcking cancker and coÌ„tinually pestered as it were with a falling sicknes Which I haue specially noted in very many If question be moued of the proportion and qualitye of framing the speéch delicately If matter must be debated of the most excellent and finest phrases of Eloquence of the dignitye and chiefe ornament of an exquisite Orator that is to say of playne humaine toyes and earthly trifles good Lord what a glorious maiestie of wordes what hawty loftines of speéch what a childishe and foolishe stroaking and flattering of themselues diriding and skorning all others besides themselues perking ouer theÌ„ froÌ„ aloofe as it were vpon poore abiect shrimpes But yf they be requyred to shewe their conning to declame of Christ of the statelynes of his mighty Kingdome of the greatnesse of sinne of manâ—es forlorne nature of the power of fayth of iustification by grace of the naturall imperfection of mankinde of mans reconciliation a man can not but wonder how colde how astonied how voyd of reasoÌ„ how cowardly without any spirite at all almost Colourlesse huÌ„gry barrayne mute wretched hartlesse barbarous speachlesse senselesse they be vnable almost to vtter theyr mindes or open theyr mouthes Moreouer if these matters must be decided with the penne they behaue themselues therein as though they were raking after the Moone forreners straungers and altogether vnacquaynted with the cause As not long sithence a certayne person taking vpon him in Rome before the Pope and his Cardinalles
for asmuch as we also be made so freé from any guilte of Sinne and bondage of death by the one onely Sacrifice of the Lordes passion as that there is no neéde now of any Sacrifice from henceforth for the full redemption of Sinnes to vs now is this most blessed Supper Eucharist instituted for a perpetuall memoriall of that inestimable benefitt which albeit haue no power nor effectuallnesse of the oblation which it doth represent yet is it dignified with the name of that Sacrifice in respect of the honorable representation of the thing represented And thus much hitherto touching Malachy Now let vs seé what moates these Sophisters doe knitt together touching Melchizedech It behoued that the figure of Melchizedech should be fulfilled in the true Priesthood of Christ. Melchizedech did offer bread and wine vnto God which was a figure of the body and bloud of Christ vnder the formes of bread and wine Ergo Christ did offer at his last supper his body and bloud vnto God the Father vnder the formes of bread and wine As touching the necessary agreéablenesse of the things and the Types mentioned in the Maior we doe agreé together For it is vndoughted true that Augustine teacheth in his 10. booke De Ciuitate Dei the 5. Chap. That the thinges of the olde Testament be representations of the things of the new Testament But all that which is assumed in the Minor concerning the Sacrifice is of all partes false both in respect of Christ and in respect of Melchizedech For as much as neither of thē did euer institute any Sacrifice for sinnes in bread what then will you say did not Melchizedech represent the Type of Christ our Sauior there is nothing more true But we must cōsider wherin and by what meanes this agreéablenes may be correspondēt In the Priesthood I suppose and not in the Sacrifice For comparison is made of a Priest with a Priest not of a Sacrifice with a Sacrifice Thou art an euerlasting Priest sayth he after the order of Melchizedech which in mine opinion is in threé respectes First in the participation of kingly name For they were both called kinges of Iustice and peace 2. by reason of the Priestly kindred whereas both were Priests without knowing any Parentage of whom they came .3 according to the perpetuity of priesthood because the priesthood in thē both was wtout beginning without ending vnto whom in the Priesthood was neuer assigned Successor or predecessor The playne explanation whereof doth appeare in no place more euidently then in the very Epistle of Paul to the Hebrues Which making a collection of many braunches in comparing the Priesthood of Melchisedech together with the Priesthood of Christ yet in all the same maketh no mention at all of any Sacrifice of bread and wine But they take exception and say forasmuch as Melchisedech was a Priest by what reasō could he be a Priest without a Sacrifice And who doth exclude Melchisedech being a Priest from his Sacrifice But there is none other Sacrifice of his extant say they in the holy scriptures but in the bread and the wine which were offred as ornamentes of his Priesthood A deép reason as though he that so many thousād yeares agoe was a Priest without all beginning of tyme did not at any tyme during this whole entercourse of tyme offerr any Sacrifice vnto God besides this one Sacrifice onely Which being an vnreasonable absurditie yet not to contend long vpon this poynt I would fayne be resolued of these Catholickes in one question When Melchisedech did offer bread and wine whether he did Sacrifice for Sinnes yea or no I doe maruell what aunswere they will make hereunto If they say nay how then did he prefigure the Type of Christ if they say yea I aske agayne whether the Sacrifices that are ordayned for the clensing of sinnes must be done vnto God or vnto men If he did Sacrifice to Abraham a good fellowship tell vs what had Abraham to doe with our sinnes Moreouer I would learne this also for as much as there cann no expiation of sinnes consist in Sacrifices without shedding of bloud and whereas in all this preparation of Melchisedech was no bloudshed at all what force and efficacy of expiation could there be in that Sacrifice or how could it be accompted a Sacrifice at all Forsooth say you because these thinges offred did prefigure a certein resemblaunce of this to come But what resemblaunce might be there where no lykenesse could be appliable If in the Sacrifice of Melchizedech was nothing seéne but bread and wine onely what is this to the purpose to establish the Satisfactory Sacrifice of the Masse wherein is left no croome of bread nor droppe of wine But Melchizedech is called the Type of our Sauiour That is true in deéde But the Type is past and the veritye supplyeth the place Lett vs make a comparison betwixt the sampler and the trueth Melchizedech did bring bread and wine into the Armye which he did offerr to Abraham and not vnto God neither did he bring bread and wine to be gazed vpon nor to be worshipped not to release offences but he deliuered it to Abraham to refresh him and his Souldiors after their long and paynefull Iourney The same which Melchizedech did in the Army Christ hath perfourmed in his supper who taking the bread and the cupp in his handes did not offer there his body vnto his Father but did distribute the bread wine peécemeale in the name of his body and he commaunded them to eate where is there yet any Institution or any signification of a Sacryfice I doe behold in Melchizedech a figure but I acknowledge the veritye in Christ I doe conceaue also a participation made of bread and wine by them both yet all this while I seé no Sacrifice Both of them offred bread and wine to nourish namely Melchizedech vnto the Patriarche and to his souldiours and not vnto God Christ to his disciples not to the Father but vnto men after the vsuall maner of men that vse mutually to present eche other with giftes Besides this also the Patriarche with his people Christ with his disciples were altogethers pertakers of that which was geuen Goe to now and in what sense may all this be applied to the holy sacrifice of the Masse Surely if you deriue the reason of your sacrifice from Melchizedech he brought forth nothing but bare bread and wine but you retayne neither bread nor wine and in all the rest make no man partaker of your action But one man alone deuoureth vpp all the Supper yet not the supper for he maketh a sacrifice of the Supper rather the bread heé chaungeth into the body being chaūged he vaunceth it on high to be tooted vpon being gazed vpon throughly he doth sacrifice it for the quicke and the dead Truely I beleéue neither Melchizedech in his actiō nor Christ in his supper did
haue fabled of the Reliques of that man They of Amyens doe vaunt that they haue his visage with the wound that Herodiades made in it with her knyfe The very same part do the people of Saynt Angell shew forth The hinder part of the head from the forehead to the neck was sometyme to be seéne in the Isle of Rhodes but now it lyeth hidden I know not where The nape poll of the head is at S. Iohn of Nemoures the braynes at Noyon In the Church of S. Iohn of Morein a piece of his skull is preserued oue of hys Iawes is at Besanson in the Church of S. Iohn the great the other at Paris in the Church of S. Iohn of Laterane the hynder part of his eare remayneth at S. Flowers in Auuerne his forehead and his heare resteth at S. Sauiours in Spayne moreouer at Noyon a skalpe of his skull is shewed with great Pompe But how dare we beleéue all these to be true now forasmuch as at our mother Church of Rome in the Church of Siluester is shewed for an infallible trueth to be beleued the whole head of S. Iohn nothing thereof wanting Besides this the people of Sene doe affirme that they haue his arme which doth vtterly ouerthrow the creditt of the AuncieÌ„t historyes The finger of that holy man wherewith he poynted to Christ saying Behold the Lambe of God is at Besanson in the Church of S. Iohn the great the same is also a Tholouse an other at Lyons an other at Burges one more at Florence and one also at S. Iohn Aduentures neére vnto Mascoue And yet for this fhameshapen Relyques to witte for sixe fingers of one hand Osorius blusheth not to deale like a lusty proctor as if it were for great holy matters and most assured And although historyes do report that his Ashes were throwen abroad into the wind yet how he shameth nothing at all to professe that some of those Ashes be at Genes and some at Rome in the Church of S. Iohn of Laterane what will our religious Reliquary defend these for true being so manifestly false his Shoe is at Parys with the charterhouse Mounckes But what if Iohn Baptist did neuer were any shoe At Rome in S. Iohn of Laterane is vaunted to the gaze his shirt of heare whereof mention is made in the Euangelist which is also as false for the Gospell doth make mention of Camels skinnes and no word at all of any shirt of heare In the same Church is extaunt the Altar whereupon he prayd in the wildernesse as though that age of the world did vse manye altars At Ayr in Dutchland is the lynnen cloth that he kneéled vpon when he was beheadded At Auignon is the sword wherewith he was beheaded Now in their right rancke lett the Reliques of the Apostles be rehearsed The bodyes of Peter and Paule are religiosly visited by Pylgrimes in the Minster of Peter and Paule at Rome The church of Laterane hath both theyr heads S. Peters chawbone with his beard is to be seéne at Poytew At Tryers many bones of them both be extant At Argenton in Berry resteth the shoulder of Paule At the great Alter of Geneua was there a portion of Peters Brayne sometime which as long as lay somewhat close in the boxe was reuereÌ„ced for a singuler Relique but afterwardes being more narrowlye examined and vewed was espyed to be a very pumeyse To be short what Churches were euer dedicated to these Apostles wherein were not some Reliques of them to be found At Saynct Sauiours in Spayne is S. Peters slypper very glorious and beautyfull like a prelates pantable At Rome is to be seéne Peters chayre of State with all hys pontyficall vestimentes vsed at Masse and the very Altar wherupon he sayd Masse Yet the citizens of Pyse do shew the same Altar in theyr Suburbes that lead by the Sea side The sword wherewith he cutt of Malchus eare is in the possession of the Romaynes his Crosiar remayneth at Parys in S. Stephens of Greés The staffe that he was wont to walke withall not onely the citizens of Coleyne do challenge but the Citizens of Tryers also prouing themselues both to be open lyers The chayne wherewith Peter was bound is in his owne Church at Rome The blocke whereupon he was beheaded is to be seéne in S. Anastasius Church at Rome The Citizens of Tholosse doe beleue that they do enioy the bodyes of sixe of the Apostles namely the bodyes of Iames the more and Iames the lesse of Andrew of Phillipp of Symon of Iudas How true this Fable is like to be may hereby easilye appeare for at Memphys Andrew left one body behinde and hath an other in stoare in Rome at S. Peters there a shoulder at Grisogonus a ribbe at S. Eustath a shoulder at the holye ghost an other piece at S. Blase and at Ayre one foot Both the bodyes of Phillipp and Iames the lesse remayne with the holy Apostles at Rome likewise the bodyes of Symon and Iude be restaunt in saynt Peters Church there Mathias hath threé bodyes one at Padue an other at Rome at saynt Mary the greater the third at Tryers at Salerne is the body of Mathew And at Ortonne the body of Thomas About Naples is the body of Bartholomew And yet is the same shewed whole in S. Bartholomewes Church at Rome The citizens of Pyse did either fable or els haue his skinne and one of his handes one finger of hys remayneth at Frenes Like as Philippe is plentifull also in his Reliques one foot of whom is sayd to be at Rome in the church of Peter and Paule he hath other Reliques likewise in other places to witt at Rome in saynt Barbaras church and at Tryers Two citties do clayme the possession of S. Iohn the Euangelistes cupp from out the which he dranke poyson to witt Bonony one and Rome an other in the church of Laterane to speake nothing in the meane space of his coate of his chayne and his chappell But the pleasauntest Iest of all the rest is of the coller whereupon hang the twelue Apostles coambes It is sett forth in the church of Maria Insulana neére to Lyons S. Anne the mother of our Lord hath one bodye at Apte a citty of prouince an other at Maria Insulana neére vnto Lyons Moreouer one head of hers is kept in stoare at Tryers an other remayneth at Turene amongest the Friers Iuliackes the third at Turing in saynt Annes besides many other skrapps which are to be seéne more then in an hundred places I can not tell how many soules Lazarus hath sure I am he is beleued to haue 3. bodyes one at Merâ—els an other at AnthuÌ„ the third at Aualon Mary Magdalen as she is not equall in degreé with her brother so hath she lesse substaunce for she hath but two bodyes onely one at
you call them is this therefore by and by a good consequent that whatsoeuer blemish or reproche be in mens conuersations shal be forthwith imputed to the reproofe and reproche of doctrine Did holy Diuinitie teache you to argue on this wise or doth your Mistres Dame Slaunder rather teache you so to doe And thus much hitherto of your Epistle not much vnlyke hereunto are all the rest that follow in all your Inuectiues against Haddon which if any man will take the paynes to examine exactlye by the common rules and principles of Logick as he shall finde in them many wordes nothing to the purpose so shall he want two things chiefly and especially required in a deuine namely Trueth and Charitye Which two vertues the farther they be estraunged from your writinges so much the more causelesse was your choler agaynst Haddon for his good counsayle that he gaue you and his iudgement whereby he accompted you more lyke a Cobler then a foreman of the shopp vnapt and vnskilfull yet to cutt such large thonges out of other mens leather And yet meaning nothing lesse herewith then to dryue you frō touching the testament of Christ whether because he conceaued that the labor which he employed vpon this kinde of exercise was either very small or altogether fruitlesse but hauing regard rather to make manifest what the right consideration of that doctrine is and how much you were short yet of a true and perfect knowledge in the true doctrine of Diuinitye For if this be a true definition of Dyuinitye that it be a profession of Gods heauenly wisedome and trueth what one thing is more contrary and repugnaunt to Gods trueth then your opiniōs wherin you doe enterlace vntruethes for verityes newfanglenesse for auncientye mens traditions for true Dyuinitye None otherwise then as false Pedlers are wont to choppe and chaunge false deceitfull wares for good or as some our horse-coursers in England vse to bring into open fayres and markets outrydden Iades pampered vp in fleshe fayre braue and smoathe to the eye garnished with fine Saddle and trappers being otherwise full of windegalles stuft with glaunders yelowes and hundred horse euills vnprofitable and vnapt to hackney and to draw or to carry Sauing that this one difference is betwixt you and them whereas they by crafty dissimulation and artificiall Conueyaunce doe beguyle the simple and such as be without skill but you as you seéme vtter your wares not as of any sett purpose or skilfull craft but because you haue no better wares in stoare and withall seéme not willing to buye any better But I will presse you no further onely this one thing will I say If your industry had bene employed in the study of holy Scriptures as much as you would haue it seéme to be truely I must neédes accompt you a very vnciuill and vngentle person who couering your knowledge as it were vnder a Bushell will vouchsafe to expresse out of that sacred treasury of holy Scriptures so litle and out of auncient Doctors scarse one sentence through out all this your whole discourse But hereof enough It followeth now that I touch somewhat of the manaces and threatninges of Haddon with the force whereof he would make you dismayd as you say in these wordes wherewith you bring him selfe in place speakyng and threatning you in this wise If you be determined to make a shew of your skill to some of your owne faction by rushing so rudely vpon vs any more from henceforth I tell you before hand come heareafter better furnished then you be now Further where you declare that it will come to passe that if you happen to dye there will not want some that will breake of my force These be the wordes of Haddon as Osorius doth cyte them wherein I doe perceaue that he doth not conceaue so much as by any probable coniecture what the meaning of Haddon is For what doe these wordes emport els then to sturre you vpp and sett you on edge as it were by this frendly admonition to make you more earnestly bent to the reading of holy Scriptures that if you did determine with your selfe to offer any freshe skarmish in this kinde of conflict you might feéde your owne humour herein as you lifted but yet you should foreseé to be better prouided with more skilfull and more warrantable reasons yea much more defensible and armed as it were with armour of proofe for that you be perhappes to greéne a souldiour as yet not able to endure the force of this Combat with so slender prouision Well now what kynde of threatninges be these good Syr that may geaue you any cause of terror After this Haddon proceadeth because he would not haue you deceaue your selfe with this vayne perswasion as though there were not in England besides Haddon onely any other which in this defence of the Euangelicall veritye both would and could skilfully enough encounter with you by the helpe of Christ herein lykewise hys meaning was to geue you to vnderstand That you should finde here in England not one or two onely but very many not onely in our Churches and vniuersityes also but euen emongest the Courtyers which did farre excell him in learning and knowledge and were in all respectes comparable with you These be Haddons wordes wherein I seé a certein comparison made but no threatninges at all as yet Wherefore comfort your selfe Osorius there be no bugges here to make you affrayd And surely I can not choose but commend you for your naturall countrey courage which lyke a lusty Portingall Prelate will not be dasht out of countenaunce for any bygge lookes of any of all those men whom Haddon doth compare you withall And in deéde there is no reason why you should For why should Osorius be agast of seély English dwarfes or babish wretched Haddons And yet though you be without all feare of men it will not be the least commendation of your wisedome to feare the Lord your God Osorius and to stand in awe of hys threatnings For being so studious a Reader of holy Scripture you can not be ignoraunt of the plagues which the Lord doth threaten to the Enemies of his Gospell for how sharpely and greuously he will be auenged of such the dayly and continuall examples of his wrath may be good lessous and warnynges vnto you Lett the recordes of Historyes be perused if your memory comprehend it not what happened to the Emperour Sigismund and his whole forlorne houshold not long after the death and Martyrdome of Iohn Husse what chaunced also to Iulian the Cardinall and to themperour Albert sonne in law to Sigismund after the Tyranny executed agaynst the Bohemians what fortuned to Henry the 2. the French King what also to Francisce the 2. his Sonne lykewise also what happened to Charles the 9 his other Sonne after the great murther and slaughter in Fraunce Were not Syr Thomas Moore and Roffensis after they had burned Iohn
Sacrament of bread and wine is called the body and bloud of Christ. August to Boniface 13. Episto August vppon the psalme 89. August agaynst Adimant 13. The circumstaunces about the Supper of the Lord are to be considered August vpon the wordes of the Lord in Lake Ser. 33. August in Ioh. tractar 25.26 The abseÌ„ce of the body of Christ more profitable for vstheÌ„ his presence An Argument in respect of the profit therof Antichrist An argument from Impossibilitye Contradictiories cann not be together not so much as by miracle A great diuersitie betwixt the auncient Church of Rome and this vpstart Church The lynes and couersatioÌ„ of the auncieÌ„t Fathers of the primitiue Church The first age of the Church Deut. 12. Gala. 1. Math. 7. In processe of time the maners and ordinaunce of ChristiaÌ„s were chauÌ„ged The middle age of the Church How sure forth humayne authoritye doth binde Ecclesiasticall function consisteth in two thinges chiefly How farre ecclesiasticall power doth extend it selfe In matters appertayning vnto God dew obedience ought to be geuen to the Pastors and Ministers How farre forth obedieÌ„ce ought to be geuen or not geueÌ„ to Pastours of the churche in matters of mens constitutioÌ„ What ministers ought to consider in makyng new ordinaunces Of iudiciall power of Churches The difference betwixt Ecclesiasticall temporall IudgemeÌ„ts Ecclesiasticall discipline in the primitiue Church The first institution of the primitiue church compared with the tymes of the latter Church The foundation of the christiaÌ„ Church The foundation of the Romyshe Church The Popes doctrine coÌ„uinced by foure principall pointes The popes Church more like an earthly kyngdome then the kyngdome of Christ. A smale discription of the Romishe Ierarchye A comparison betwixt the kingdome of the Pope and the kingdome of this world Iohn 20. A comparison betwixt the popes kyngdome and Christs kyngdome Luke 20. Mar. 10. Luce. 12. 2. Cor. 10. 1. Cor. 4. 2. Cor. 1. 1. Pet. 5. Rom. 12. The shape of the Romish Ierarchy The counteâ—faite authoritie of popes The church wickedly defined by the papistes How the Romishe stagers doe counterfayt olde Antiquitye A manifest declaration of the Romish church as it is now to be nothing at all Gregor 4. booke 30. Epistle The order of Cardinalles The electioÌ„ of the pope of Rome Cyprian 4. booke Epistle 2. The auncient authoritie of Emperours in sommoning Councelles and in chusing popes A Decree of Charles the great Otto Distinct 6 3. The olde Canons do abhorre priuate Masses Canon 8. The power of both swords coÌ„trary to the old CanoÌ„s The thyrd CouÌ„cell of Carthage Cap. 47. In the new Constitutions 123. 146. Cap. 3. Antiquitie agaynst Images in Churches Origene vpon Leuit. Cap. 16. Chrisost. vpon Math. 1. Homel 2. Vpon Iohn Homel 31. August de opera Monach Malburiensis de pontificibus Lib. 1. An auncieÌ„t law of EnglaÌ„d against pluralities All thynges altered by the pope Out of the Tridentine Councell Generall Councels accordyng to the old constitutioÌ„s aboue the pope The Church of Rome as it is now is conuinced of Nouelty The Councell of Laterane A new doctrine first instituted in the same vnder Pope Innocent 3. Cap. 1. Of the sacrifice of the Masse Of priuate confession The Laterane councell vnder Innocent 3. Cap. 21. Chrisost. in his fourth Sermon of Lazarus Chrisost. vp on the psal 50. hom 2. Chriso vpon the Epistle to the Hebrues homi 31. Tripart histo lib. 9 Cap. 35. Erasmus iu his Apolo The Sacraments of the Romish Church Out of Huntington the 7. booke Out of the Chronicles of Monumetensis Councell of Gangren Cap. 4. Out of the 2. councel of Arelaten 2. cap. Pope Lucius decree distinâ— 81. Ministri The greatest part of the Romish doctrine newly fouÌ„d out and brought in within thâ—s 500. yeares Apoc. 21. Trueth suffereth violence A figure called Hypotiposis Whereby the state of the RomaÌ„s Church and the Reformed Churche is expressed In the question of the Churche many things are conteined People buildyng doctrine forme of gouernement Where the Churche of Lutheranes was fourtie yeares ago A Similitude betwixt the restitutioÌ„ of Religion the finest of the tounges Reason reÌ„dered why Religion is more pure at this tyme in the Churches then it was in many yeares before The Arte of Emprintyng The reason and obiection of the Catholicks in the defeÌ„ce of their Church Probable with Deuines Rome built vpon seuen hilles Apocal. 13. The reason of the papistes touchyng the consent and proofe of their vniuersalitie The captious conclusion of the Catholicks The aunswere to the Argument Distinct. 40. Non loca Distinct. 4. Non est A fallax in the Equiuocum which is of diuers significations The Rom. Church doth combate against the true Church of Christ vnder a coulour of christian name Origen vpon Mathew cap. 17. Irene 3. book cap. 4. The trueth is the life of the church Lactant. 5. institu cap. 30. ArgumeÌ„tes made from consent and multitude of authors are weake Math. 10. Eccle. 1. Ieremy 8. Osorious accusation which was properly bent against Doctrine is transposed to maners To what end tendeth the force of Osorius Accusation Osorius doth deny that Luthers doctrine hath any affinitye with the Apostolique Scriptures Pag. 181. Osor. pag. 182. Osorius lying Rhetorick The Argument of Osorius The Aunswere to the Argument Osorius quarell of lyfe and maners Tit. 1. Ill may the Snight the Woodcock twight for his long bill The lyfe of the Lutheranes compared with the Catholickes The vices of maners are not to be imputed to his doctrine The fruites of Luthres doctrine Osor pag. 182. The confutation of hisl aunder Artic. 21. The scoffe of Luthers doctrine Luther offeÌ„ded with the life of his countrey men Osor. pag. 187. Deut. 18. The argument of Osorius 1. Kinges Act. 1â— A true difference betwixt the false and the true Prophett Luther vpon the 130. Psalme Mens iudgemeÌ„ts in findyng faulte may be free so that they be vpright Out of Valer Ansel. Iohn Stella Out of BeÌ„uo a Cardinall Of couenauntes and promises not alwayes holden true emoÌ„gest the papistes Iere. cap. 23. Osorius argument out of Ieremy Aunswere to the argument The fallax of the consequent The aunswere to the Maior The reason to discerne betwixt false and true Prophetes accordyng to Osorius The aunswere of the Minor Osori pag. 190. The place of Ieremy expounded Iohn Husse The prophecy of Iohn Husse touchyng the doctrine of the Gospell to be restored by Luther A small coÌ„trouersy betwixt Luther and Zuinglius Osor. pag. 191. Of diuisioÌ„s of the churche Dissentions in the Papane church Dissentions amoÌ„gst the most godly A full consent of doctrine in reformatioÌ„ of Churches The Articles of the chief grouÌ„des of Religion wherin the Ministers of the Church do well agree together How great a concord is ctetwixt many Churches in the matter of the Sacrament Papistes murtherers of Martyrs Osori pag. 192. Osori doth beleue fame Authour of all his vntruthes A prouerbe
haue sucked this geare rather from Aristotle theÌ„ out of Christes Testament who teacheth in his 3. booke of Ethickes that Election which he calleth vnderstandyng Appetite is euer occupyed about good or euill And because in humaine actioÌ„s where choyse is made betwixt two or moe thinges preéminence is graunted to one of theÌ„ according to the difference of good and euill like as in coÌ„mon musters the Souldier that is most valiaunt in Maioralities and Baylywicks the richest Citizen in choyse of wyues the most beautifull in schooles of learning the most expert in sciences are vsually more esteémed and preferred formost the same surmyseth our Osorius to be betide with the Election of God and hys sacred decrees But here a distinction ought to haue bene made betwixt Gods choyse and mans choyse and the causes thereof likewise ought to be distinguished And therefore in this place especially Osorius doth notably bewray his singuler ignoraunce disputing of those thinges whiche lyke an vnskilfull Sophister he can neyther rightly deuide nor duely define But here perhaps some question will be moued whereas God and nature do nothing without cause what other cause els could there be here if God did not make choyse of the faythfull and of the Reprobates accordyng to the proportion of their workes foreseéne before But this reason can no man discusse better then Paule himselfe who after many his blasphemous persecutioÌ„s of Christ obtayning mercy at the length and yealding the reason of this great mercy doth franckly confesse that it was the onely clemency of God not any workes foreseéne in him before to the end that he might be a president to others of Gods mercy stretched out towardes them which would beleéue To be short if the naturall cause must be throughly searched out which are the very foundacion of Gods predestinatâ—on the Apostle Paule doth knit them vp altogether into iiij chiefe places first GODS POWER hath not the potter power of the clay 2. GODS PVRPOSE or GODS GOOD PLEASVRE for he doth vse both these speaches 3. GODS WILL. He will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and will harden whom he listeth 4. GODS MERCY OR LOVE It is not of hym that willeth nor of him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. So that you seé playnely that here is no mention made of works at all but that there be other much more weightie causes which will deliuer God cleare of all Rashnesse and vnaduizednes though foreseéne workes haue neuer anye place in the counsell of God I come now to the other argumentes of Osor. For after this sort doth this lumpish logician cauill agaynst Haddon that beautifull blossome of Bucer out of the 2. of Tim. 2. If any man purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessel of honor vnto the Lorde that is to say predestinated vnto honour and sanctified Euery man is of power of his own Freewill to purge him selfe Ergo Euery man is of power of his owne Freewill to be predestinate and made a vessell to honour The Maior must be vnderstanded that Paule treated not of the cause of predestination but of the execution and effect of predestination Neyther doth the wordes of the Apostle tend to this end to expresse the cause of predestination but to admonish vs by the effecte of predestination how weé ought to esteéme of the worthines and vnworthiness of persons in the congregation according to the saying of Christ by the fruites you shall know them c. Then the Minor is false for that which they inferre vpon these wordes of Paule as though it were in the power of our owne will to make our selues vessels of honour is not well concluded for it lyeth not in the will of the doer but of the caller not in the clay but in the potter who is of power to fashion the â—lay whereunto him listeth into a vessell of honor or of dishonor Furthermore neyther is our abilitie to be decyded by any hypotheticall proposition no more then if a man would conclude vp on thys hipotheticall proposition If you doe this or that or if you beleeue you shall bee saued Ergo to do this or that or to beleue we are of our selues sufficient inough And why then doth the Scriptures vse thys phrase of speech that men purge themselues if we haue no power of our own selues to purge our selues forsooth because God doth worke in men not as in stockes and stoanes whiche are not moued of any their own feéling or will WheÌ„ God worketh in men he doth so temper their mindes and willes whom himself doth regenerate that they willingly vndertake whatsoeuer they are commaunded After this mauner therefore are they sayde to to purge themselues by this very will not whiche is proper and peculiar to their owne nature but whiche is poured into them by grace And by this meanes at the length such as are regenerate are made afterwardes Gods together workemen and of their own accord leade a vertuous and holy life Finally God in his Scriptures commaundeth to purge our selues when notwithstanding it is he alone that purgeth So doth he commaund the people of Israell by the mouth of his Prophet Moses to sanctifie themselues whereas hee witnesseth of himselfe in an other place that it was he that doth sanctifie the people So also hee commaundeth vs to beleéue when as notwithstanding Fayth is the gift of God and not our owne nor is the cause of our predestination but the effect But let vs proceéde farther to your challenge Osor. wh challenge you haue vndertakeÌ„ to iustifie out of the depth of Diuinitie namely that there is nothing in gods eternall electioÌ„ but is accoÌ„plished vpon certeine conditions of reason and iudgement And yee suppose that the reason of Election is not to be sought els where but from the foreseene workes of the faythfull and reprobate And that if wee graunt not this that then ye think that our assertion of predestination cannot be iustified but that many thinges will ensue thereupon not onely erroneously false but also absurde to bee spoken incredible to be beleued First because Gods iustice cannot be acquired of iust reproche of parcialitie nor his mercy which is retched to all meÌ„ indifferently cleared of vnrighteous dealing You crye out afterwardes that it is both agaynst right reason that he should saue a very few in number and condeÌ„ne an innumerable company besides to destruction Moreouer euen in this choyse it selfe when coÌ„sideration is had why he should chuse these and why he should reiect the others the thyng it selfe doth seeme not to bee cleare of speciall acceptyng of persons nor of a certeyne extreme crueltie c. All which with others the lyke sithence be but weake sproughtes budding out of the sauadge woodbyne of the aduersary not issues of the true stocke will be so much the more easily cut of with the Razour and
Axe of the truth and vtterly rooted out with the vnuanquishable force of Gods scripture Therfore first Let vs heare what discourse he maketh of Gods Iustice and mercy against the Lutheranes For whereas Luther and all good men of Luthers opinion do professe that the regarde of merites is directly cōtrary to Gods libertie and power as touchyng his Election and Predestination Osorius on the cōtrary part doth enforce all his might possible to proue that it is not so vsing these Argumentes especially Whereas we were all wrapped vp in one brake of perdition so that beyng ones defiled with sinne we became all most worthy of euerlastyng destruction for our naturall hatred agaynst Gods law engraffed fast within the nature of our bodies subiect to the outrage of lust God in whō neither any rashnes not vnrighteousnes can fall beyng a most iust Iudge towardes all men indifferently could not of his vnuariable equitie with singular clemēcy so embrace some as he must hate others vnlesse there were some cause or reason to enduce him to extēde his mercy to some and to execute Iudgement agaynst other But God now doth perceaue the whole cause therof to consiste in the maner of liuing and workes not the workes which were already done but which God foresawe should be done For what is there that the wisedome of God in his infinite knowledge doth not comprehende euen as it were present though the same be to be done in the vttermost minute of ages And by this reason it may be that God accordyng to the seuerall conditions of men did of his clemency elect them to eternall life whō he foresawe would be obedient to his Cōmaūdementes And on the other side did exclude them from the fruitiō of his kyngdome which he foresaw would vnthankfully despise his heauenly benefites And by this meanes sayth he Gods Iustice may right well be defended all the defence whereof standeth vpon mercy which otherwise cā not by any meanes deliuered from due reproch What a mockery is this as though if God should follow his owne libertie and will in the order of Predestination without all workes foreseéne before his Iustice could not stand inuiolable nor garded safe enough from all slaunder or suspition of vnrighteousnesse I demaunde then what if God out of this huge lumpe hadd chosen no one man at all whiche he might lawfully haue done if him lysted what if he had duely Iudged to deserued damnation the whole masse of mankynde which did altogether deserue his indignation wrath to speake Augustines wordes could any man cōdemne him of iniustice Goe to May not he that oweth nothyng to any man of his owne meére liberalitie lawfully exempt vndeserued out of this corrupted loste masse whō him listeth or haue mercy on whō he will haue mercy could not hee indurate and reiect whom he would without respect of meritorious workes followyng whenas there was matter more then enough ministred by their former desertes to condemne all to destruction As for example Admitte that a mā haue two debtours whereof the one is indebted vnto him in an exceédyng great summe of money the other oweth not so much by a great deale and the bountyfull creditour vouchsafe to forgeue the greater summe to that first I pray you is there any iust cause here for the other to grudge agaynst the creditour If he doe shall not his mouth be forthwith stopped with that aunswere of Christ in the Gospell Is it not lawfull for me to doe as I will with myne owne is thyne eye euill bycause I am good The very same doth that place of Paule seéme in my simple capacitie to emply where treatyng of the Election of the yoūger and refusall of the elder and of hardenyng Pharaos hart withall he doth annexe immediatly vnto the same what shall we say then is God vnrighteous makyng this Obiection agaynst him selfe as vnder the person of Osorius after this maner If God did not worke after the proportion of foreseene workes and deseruynges Ergo God may seeme to be vnrighteous in his Election and should offend against Iustice distributiue This Argument the Apostle doth forthwith deny saying God forbyd and withall rendreth a reason of his illation negatiue namely that both propositions bee Iustifiable in God Both that God is not vnrighteous And also that God accordyng to the equitie of his Freewill doth take mercy on whom he will haue mercye not in respecte of anye mans deseruynges but of his owne freé bountyfulnesse benignitie and mercy And therfore for the better establishyng of this his defence he doth forthwith cite the same wordes that were spoken to Moyses I will haue compassion on whom I haue compassion and I will shew mercy to whom I do shew mercy So that hereby you seé good Syr that to the worke of Election and Predestinatiō the Apostle iudgeth Gods will onelye though there were no cause els matter sufficient to acquite his Iustice freé from all flaunder and reproch that in my Iudgement now the defence of Gods Iustice which you haue placed in Gods mercy seémeth more aptly applyed to his will For as he can will nothyng but that which is most righteous so nothyng is truly righteous in deéde but that whiche proceédeth from the will of GOD. So that now it shall not be neédefull at all to be inquisitiue accordyng to the coūsell of Augustine after any other principall causes besides Gods good will consideryng that no hygher cause can be founde of greater importaunce But what can be so well spoken but that some will be founde somewhat scrupulous without cause will not in most brightest Sunneshyne seé wtout a candle Therfore this cauillyng colcouerthwart creépeth yet foreward If it be true sayth hee that Gods Election is directed by his will onely in allowyng or makyng hardharted whom he will that no man cā resist his will It seemeth then that Pharao and others who of indurate contumacy of mynde are wicked whereas in that their wickednesse they do execute the will God that they are not the cause of their owne wickednesse nor that they can chuse but do the wickednesse whereunto they are violently thrust necessitie If it be so what iust quarell can God haue then agaynst those whom him selfe hath made to be stiffenecked wherefore he should condemne thē To be short The substaunce of the Obiection is for the most part knitte vp in this Argument If God do harden mens hartes then should not Pharao be the cause of his owne Sinne consideryng no man can resist the will of God Or to reduce this consequent into a Sillogisme No mā hath iust cause to blame him whom him selfe enforceth to offende God doth iustly finde fault with sinners Ergo God doth compell no mā to sinne nor doth make them endurate I do Aunswere First euen by the self same Obiections wh the Apostle vnder the person of the
word of God Ergo They are worthy to be accursed whosoeuer will spurne agaynst this Catholicke doctrine And because they may seéme to speake this not without some good ground they haue scraped together a few shreddes out of Auncient Fathers namely Cyprian Hesychius Ierome Ambrose Irene Oecumenicus wherewith they may bolster vpp not their credytt but their false packyng shuffled in among to delude the simple people withall Out of Cyprian is vouched first this sentence in an Epistle of hys For why rather sayth he the priest of the high God then our Lord Iesus Christ who did offer a sacrifice vnto God the Father and did offer the selfe same that Melchizedech did namely bread and wine to witt his body and bloud c. And immediately after As therefore it is sayd in Genesis that the representatiō of the sacrifice did goe before by Melchizedech consisting of bread and wine which thing the Lord performing and accomplishing did offer the bread and the cupp mingled with wine and he that it fulnesse it selfe hath fulfilled the verity of the prefigured representation Whereupon groweth this Argument We are commaunded to do the same that Christ did Christ did at his supper offer the Sacrifyce of his bodye and bloud Ergo We also ought to do the same if we beleeue Cyprian I do acknowledge the wordes of Cyprian I doe allow the authority neyther doe I sist out ouer narrowly how he doth agreé herein with the trueth of the hebrue letter because he sayth that Melchizedech did offer bread and wine and that vpon this offring hys Pryesthood was grounded because he did offer bread and wine As though Melchizedech were not a Pryest before he offered bread and wine Neyther doe I presume to take vpon me to aunswere herein as Augustine did aūswere Crescentius I am not bound to the authority of this Epistle because I doe not accompt the Epistles of Cyprian as canonicall but I do measure thē by the Canonicall scriptures And whatsoeuer I finde in him agreable with the authority of Gods word I doe allow of it and cōmend him therefore but whatsoeuer is contrary to Gods word I do by his patience refuse it c. And therefore lett those sayinges of Cyprian be true and autentick for me Goe to then and what aduantage hereof may be gathered for the ratyfiyng of the popish sacrifice wherein they do say that they do offer the sonne of God really for a propitiatory sacrifice which is auayleable not to the Receauer onely but to the quicke and dead also We are commaunded sayth he to do the same that Christ did at his last supper But he did not offer sacrifice for himselfe at his last supper as I suppose And how then doth the Pryest do the same thing that Chryst did yet neuerthelesse he did offer at his supper his owne body and bloud Did he offer it for sinnes yea or nay If you say yea The Apostle will deny it who did acknowledge none other sacrifice of Christ but onely one and doth likewise affirme that Christ was offered once onely to purge and wype away the sinnes of many If you say nay how then doe the Priestes the selfe same who do sacrifyce for sinnes as they say But I returne agayne to Cyprian Christ sayth he accomplishing in effect and trueth that which went before in a shadow dyd offer his owne body and bloud This is true in deéd But where did he offer it at his supper surely so say the Papistes But Cypriā doth not say so For whereas he speaketh of bread and wyne mixt together what he meaneth thereby he doth imediately declare in the same Epistle very playnely and doth interpret himselfe openly that it may appeare that this was not done at the tyme of hys supper but doth confesse that the same was performed at the passion and death of our Lord which was foreshewed and prefigured before And agayn a whiles after he shall wash sayth he his garment in wyne and his vesture in the blood of the grape Now when it is named the blood of the grape what els is declared then the wine of the cupp of the blood of the Lord And thus much Cyprian not meaning the supper surely but the crosse of Christ which doth appeare euidently by this that he annexeth forthwith in the same place denying that we are able to drinke the blood of Christ vnlesse Christ had bene troden and prest in the wine presse first and had dronken of the Cupp before of which Cupp he should haue tasted first to the beleeuers Which speéch of Cyprian forasmuch as can not be aptly applied to any other thyng then to the sacrifyce of the Crosse it may easily appeare hereby what aunswere ought to be framed to the Argument The same which Christ did must be imitated of vs. Christ did offer at his supper hys bodye and his bloud according to the Testimony of Cyprian But this is false For Cyprian throughout all that whole Epistle did neuer affirme that Christ dyd offer his bodye and bloud at hys supper but vpon the Crosse. If an Argument must neédes be framed from out the wordes of Cyprian we shall argue much more probably on thys wyse The same that Christ did offer we must offer also Christ did offer the same that Melchizedech did Ergo We must offer the same that Melchizedech did But Melchizedech did offer bread wine according as Cyprian doth witnesse Ergo We also must offer bread and wine Is there any sillable here that may helpe the Papistes cause or vtterly ouerthrow it rather Here is an other boane to pycke vpon raked out of Ierome where he sayth Melchizedech in the Type of Chryst dyd offer bread and wyne and dyd dedycate a Christian Mystery in the bloud and body of our sauiour c. This knott also is cleane cutt away with the very same two-edged Axe for I am not ignoraunt that the Ecclesiasticall writers doe make comparison now and then betwixt the presentes of Melchizedech which he gaue to Abraham and the sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse to witte that one figuratiuely this other truely and in veryty Be it now as they say Yet is thys no good proofe notwithstandyng to iustify that the Priest doth forth with offer the Sonne of GOD in the mysticall Supper really to God the Father in full remyssion of sinnes And yet here also do not all the holy Doctours agreé amongest themselues in all poyntes whereas some do compare the oblation of Melchyzedech with the Sacrifice of the Crosse Agayne other do compare it with the Celebrating of the holy communion yea and do make it equiualent therewyth Some do neyther agreé with thēselues applying the Allegory now this way now that way and many times both waies Finally though they should be vniforme in theyr Allegory yet how true that Argument is that is deriued from an Allegory accordyng to that saying which is commōly frequēted in
schooles which doth affirme that an Allegoricall Argument concludeth no trueth I referr me to the Logicians Of no greater valydyty is that Argument lykewyse which they rake out of Augustines wordes For on thys wyse is Augustine cited Melchizedech sayth he did deliuer to Abraham first as to thè Father of the faythfull the Eucharist of the body bloud of Christ. c. To graunt this vnto them as for confessed which neuerthelesse resteth yet vnproued That Melchizedech did represent the Euchariste in a type and vnder a veyle of likenesse yet whereas he offered nothing but bread and wyne this is not a good argument to proue that the Pryest which doth celebrate the Masse shall by and by offer vpon the Altar vnto God the Father the very same substaunce of his sonne for sinnes whiche suffered on the Crosse. Neyther is thys forme of argument allowable in Schooles Melchizedech did represent the Eucharist in a figure Ergo The flesh of the sonne of God is really offered for the quick and the dead in the Masse or Communion But lett vs proceéde to the remnaunt of our Aduersaryes Fragmentes There is also thrust in place a saying of Hesychius who writing vpon Leuiticus but as going before sayth he he did offer vpp himselfe in the Apostles supper Which they do know who be partakers of the efficacy of the misteries c. Nothing withstandeth but that Christ may be sayd after a certeine sorte to offer himselfe to the Father in his last supper euē by the same figuratiue speéch wherein the Lambe is sayd to be slayne from the beginning of the world Or as it is sayd in the old Testament that oblation is offered by Sacrifices in which phrase of speéch the same Hesychius in an other place in the same Chap. doth call Christ an Altar Christ being incarnate in the Uirgines wombe to be a soddē Sacrifice not in actuall veritye in naturall trueth of the thing in deéde but in power and vertue of a Mystery Whereupon lett vs heare what aunswere August doth make not vnaptly to these figuratiue speéches of Hesychius was not Christ once offred in himselfe sayth he And yet he is offred to the people not onely at euery solemne feast of Easter but euery day also Neither doth he lye that being demaunded shall aunswere that he was Sacrificed For if Sacraments hadd not a certain lykenesse of the thinges whereof they be Sacramentes they should not be Sacramentes at all Thus much Augustine whose authoritye if be not of sufficient creditt Lett vs annexe thereunto the Sentence of Lombard For thus speaketh he After this sayth he question is demaunded whether the action of the Priest may be called a Sacrifice properly or an oblation And whether Christ be dayly offred or whether he be offred once onely whereunto may be aunswered briefely That the thing that is offred and consecrated by the Priest is called a Sacrifice an oblatiō because it is a memoriall and a representatiō of the true sacrifice an oblatiō offred vpon the Altar of the Crosse. For Christ did suffer death vpon the Crosse once and was there offred in himselfe But he is dayly offred in the sacrament because in the same sacrament a memoriall is made of the same thing that was once offred c. And because we may not seéme to want witnesses lett vs couple hereunto the common Glosse differing nothing at all from the Maister of the sentēces which enterlacing a commentary vpon the place of Augustine where Christ is sayd to be Sacrificed De consecrat Distinct. 2. he doth expound the wordes of the distinction on this wise Christ is sacrificed That is to say the sacrifice of Christ sayth he is represented and a memoriall is made of his passion c. Now Syr how doe these hang together with the decreés of the Tridentine ghostly Fathers who are not satisfied to call the Masse by the name of Sacramentall Sacrifice wherein a memoriall and a representation may be made of the Lordes Sacrifice vnlesse it be accompted also a Satisfactory and Propitiatory sacrifice beyond all consideration and trueth of Scripture and besides all custome of the auncient Fathers But I retourne agayne to Hesychius who sayth that Christ did Sacrifice himselfe at his supper which saying I do admitt But Augustine doth playnely disclose what maner of Sacrifice that was De consecratione distinct 2. The very Sacrifice sayth he which is made with the Priestes handes is called the Passion of Christ his death his crucifying not in the trueth of the thing in deed but in a signifyeng mistery c. And agayne When the hoast is broken and the blood powred into the mouthes of the faythfull what is signified thereby els then the offering of the body of Christ vpon the crosse c. Therefore such as be of sound iudgementes will say that to deduct true and vnreproueable propositions frō the wordes that are spoken figuratyuely and after a certein sort is a shyft of subtle sophisters and not a poynt of sober Diuynes After this ensueth a place out of Irene very much and many times canuassed by our Aduersaries And he tooke sayth he that which is of the substaunce of bread and gaue thankes saying This is my body And the cuppe likewise which is of the creature of wine that is vsuall with vs he did confesse to be his bloud and did teach a new oblation of a new Testament which the Churche receiuing from the Apostles doth offer vnto God through the whole world of the which amongest the twelue prophets Malachy did prophecy on this wise I haue no pleasure in you sayth the Lord God of hostes and I will not accept an offering of your handes c. The place of Irene whereupon they beate their braynes so busily is chopt in here at this present according as the olde prouerbe sayth as good neuer a whitt as neuer the better as iust as Germaines lipps For whereas proofe ought to haue bene made that the same boyd of Christ which was once hāged on the Crosse thrust through the side vpon the Crosse is offered dayly in the Masse really and substantially in an vnbloudy Sacrifice for the redemption of sinnes for hereunto tendeth their inuincible Maxime they slipp away frō thēce now are come to shew that we are bound to offer vnto God the first fruites of all his creatures by the commaūdemēt of God least we may seéme vnthākefull vngratefull For besides this the wordes of Irene emporte nothing Now to graunt them all this that Christ tooke bread and the cupp of the Creature of wine that is vsuall with vs and did call the same his bloud what will all this preuaile to defend them in this lurking hoale for the question here is not whether we onght to make an oblation to God of the first fruites of all his creatures nor whether Christ gaue his commaundement to his Apostles which they did
EuaÌ„g lib. 1. cap. 6. Chrisost. to the Heb. Homil. 17. Eusebius demonst lib. cap. 10. Nazianzen Iustinus Martyr in Dialo cum Triphone Augustine contra aduers leg prophe August in lib. quest 61. August coÌ„tra Faust. 20. cap. 21. A comparison betwixt the passeouer and Christ. An Argument out of the Trident Councell Aunswere Aug. de ciuitat dei lib. 10. cap. 5 By what reasoÌ„ Melchizedech did represeÌ„t the Type of Christ. Melchizedech is denyed to offer bread wine for a Sacrifice A comparisoÌ„ betwixt Melchizedech and Christ. No lykenes betwixt the Sacrifice of the Masse and Melchizedech Melchizedech a king and a Priest The place of Melchizedech his offring is expounded Gene. 14. Iosephus libro 1. Antiquitat Cap. 10. The TrydeÌ„tine Councell Sess. 6. Can. 3. Aunswere Luk. 22. 1. Cor. 11. Tetullia in Apologetico ArgumeÌ„tes of the aduersaries by witnesses and coÌ„sent of Doctours Obiection out of Cyprian Lib. 2 Aunswere to CypriaÌ„s wordes August against Crescentius Heb. 11. Cyprian in the same Epistle In the 2. booke the 3. Epistle An Obiect out of Ierom out of hys Epistle written to Marcellus Aunswere An Allegoricall Argument doth conclude no truth The Obiection out of Augustine quest vete no. Testa quest 109. AuÌ„swere to the Obiection An obiection out of Hesychi writing vpoÌ„ Leuiti lib. 1 cap. 4. Aunswere out of August in the 23. Epistle Out of the Maister of the Sentences 4. book 12 distinct Glossa CoÌ„ment de Consecrat Distinct. 2. Semel An Obiection out of Iren. Lib. 4. Cap. 32. An Aunswere to the place of Irene The Sacrifice of the Masse expiatory and propitiatory Tridenti Councell Sess. 6. cap. 3. Out of Steuen Gardiner and other Irenaeus lib. 4. Cap. 32. Irenaeus Cap. 33. Ambrose treating vpon virgins Chrisost. in psal 95. Chrisost. in psal 26. August de tempore ser. 125. The second counsell of Nyce Euseb. demonst lib. 1. cap. 10. Cyrill us ad Reginas Cyrill agaynst Iulian lib. 10. The Eucharist doth not forgeue sinnes but doth represeÌ„t the memory of a true forgeuenesse Sinod Trident sessi 6. cant 3. Out of the Canon of the Masse Osort pag. 199. 202. 204. The Apostles ordinaunces Authoritie of Fathers Osor. pag. 209. Disgracementes of Religion 1. Tim. 4. Osori pag. 203. Osorius pag. 203. August coÌ„tra lib. 2. cap. 14. August in the same place The Authoritie of the Pope is denyed to be lawfull The kyngdome of Antichrist The cauillatioÌ„ of Osori of the Memory of vertue abolished A cauillation of Razyng of Church Chrisost. ad Rom. 23. Gregor Epist 64. lib. 3. Aug. contralite petilia lib. 2. cap. 33. Of Reliques The Maunger wherein Christ was layde The foreskin of Christ. The Altar whereupon Christ was Circumcised The swathling cloutes and Cradel of Christ. The Piller where vnto Christ did leane when he disputed in the temple Water pots The Shoes The Reliques of Christes bloud The Tables whereas Christ made his last supper The bread of the supper The knife that stucke the pascall Lambe The Cupp The platter The towell wherewith Christ did wash his disciples feete Broken bread The Reliques of the Crosse. The Title of the Crosse. The Nayles of the Crosse. The Speare head The crown of Thornes Christes coate without a seame The Vernycle of Veronica Christ wynding sheete The Reede The SpoÌ„ge The xxx pence The Grieces in Pilats Iudgement hall The Crosse which appeared to Constantine in the ayre The fotestepps of Christ vpon the earth Our Ladies heare Our Ladies Milke Our Ladies smocke Our Ladies kerchiefe Our Ladies kirtell Our Ladies girdle Her slipper Her Shoe Her Coambes The wedding Ring of our hady Iosephes hose and his boanes Monstruous pictures Images Out of Alanus Copus in his Dialogues The dagger the buckler of Michaell The feathers of the holy ghost The Coales of S. Laurence The Reliques of Iohn Baptiste Diuers scrappes of Iohn Baptistes head in sondry places His Iawes A peece of his eare The whole headd of Saint Iohn at Rome His Arme. His Finger His Ashes His shoe His heary shyrt His Altar A lynnen Cloath The sword that behedded him The bodies of Peter Paule Peters law Peters brayne Peters slâ—pper Peters Chayre and his massing vestmentes Peters sword The staffe wherewith he walked The blocke whereupon he was beheaded Sixe bodies of the Apostles The cupp of S. Iohn Anne the Mother of our Lady Three bodyes of Lazarus Mary Magdalen hath two bodyes S. Longius the blinde knight with his speare Three kings of Colleine S. Denis two bodies S. Stephens body His headd His bones The Stones wherewith he was Stoned to death S. Laurenceâ— body His Arme. His gredierne S. Laurence Coales His coate with long sleeues The bodies of Geruase and Protaâ—us S. Sebastian multiplied into iiij bodyes Petronilla the daughter of Peter S. Susans two bodies S. Helene Vrsula and the eleuen thousand Virgines Two bodies of Hyllary Two bodies of Honoratus Gyles Simphorianes many bodyes S. Lupus S. Ferreol The boanes of AbrahaÌ„ Isaac and Iacob August in in his book de opere MonachoruÌ„ cap. 28. Osor. pag. 204. Osor. pag. 204. Osor. pag. 205. Osorius pag. 206. Aristotel Hippodamus Milesius The principles and chiefe groundes of the Popish doctrine The cause of the first bâ—ildinges of Abbyes in England Ethelbert King of Kent Ealbalde sonne of Ethelbert Anno. 618. Ethelrede kyng of Mercia Anno. 681. Berthewalde For what cause Monasteryes were â—rected at the first Out of the Cronicle of Osberne vpon the lyfe of Dun stane and out of Malmes b. Roger HouedeÌ„ and others King Edgar Osori pag. 208. Osor. pag. 208. Osori doth exclude Princes froÌ„ Ecclesiasticall gouernement Chrisost. vpon the 13. to the Romaines Osor. pag. 208. Osor. pag. 209. How pernitious the obedience of the pope hath alwayes bene to ChristiaÌ„ Princes In the yere of our Lord 1404. To much lenitie of Princes towardes the Pope Tim. 5. Constantinus Theodosius Lndouicus Pius Ambrose did enstruct Theodosius the Emperor Rom. 3. It apperteineth to the Ciuill Magistrate to gouerne ecclesiasticall causes The Triper tite history 1. booke cap. 5. Socrates lib. 1. cap. 5. Socrates lib. 5. cap. 10. Action 2. Iustinian in cap. de Episcop Cleâ—isis Ierome Augustine Chrisostome Paule the Apostle Actes Cap. Osori pag. 209. Grego lib. 11. Epist 8. 2. quest 5. Out of the auncient recordes and Hystoryes of England AEsopes Crow Osori pag. 209. Osori pag. 209. Osor. pag. 210. Osor. pag. 211. The booke of Wisedome the first chap. Ex plutarcho de vitis The cruelty of the Portingalles agaynst Gardiner an Englishe man â—x Abbat vspergens Ex staurastico IohaÌ„ Francisci Pici Mirandule Apocal. 19. Osori pag. 211. The doctrine of the Gospell is not now first sprong vpp but is renewed froÌ„ out loÌ„g darkenes in to a more freedome of lightsomnesse Apoc. 11. The auÌ„cieÌ„t witnesses professours of the Gospell Rob. Grostred Byâ—h of Lyncolne The Gospell of Christ as it is true so is it not
newe What was the chiefe cause and meanes of the Restoring the trueth of the Gospell The Arte of Imprinting was a singuler gift of God The yeare of Antichrist 666. Osori pag. 212. 213. Osorius exhortation to Queene Elizabeth Osor. pag. 211. Pestiferous Councell The Troiane horse Osori pag. 214. In matters of Religion it is more meete to deale with mens cōsciences rather then with Princes only Osor. quarrell for the Popes Chayre Osori pag. 214. Osori pag. 214. A slaunderous cauillation agaynst Haddon Why Oso bookes treating of Religion haue no force to perswade The constācye of Queene Elizabeth in defending Christian Religion Osor. pag. 214. Osorius reproch against the Lutherans The wonderful prouidence of God in the preseruation of Elizabeth our Queene The tēpest of Queene Maries persecution Apoca. 18. Horace ser. lib. 2. satir. 3 The circumcision of the crowne amōgest the Papistes Osor. pag. 215. Osor. pag. 216. The knowledge of the Scriptures doth apperteigne to all men indifferently 1. Tim. 5. Osor. doth build Memphyticall Steeples In fewe wordes much matter In many wordes nothing at all Osor. wrytinges discussed A recapitulation of all Osorius Epistle to the Queene What doth want in Osorius bookes Osori pag. 216. Osori but a greene souldiour God doth auenge him of the persecution of his Gospell Pag. 216. English Papistes Osori pag. 216. Osori pag. 117. Ausonius Tit. 3. Osori pag. 217. Osorius Epistle to Queene Elizabeth how full it is of slaunderous reproches Osori pag. 217. Antithesis a figure whereby one contrary is ioyned for an other A Comparison betwixt Haddon and Osorius Osor. pag. 217. Osor. charity for our sauety Cicero in his 1. Booke of duetyes Psal. 140. Osori carefull of our sauety The way to saluatiō after Osorius Rule Osor. diuinity is Philosophicall Cicero in the dreame of Scipio Iohn 14. Faith is not coupled with Charitie in the Article of Iustificatiō Iohn 6. Actes 10. Actes 16. Galath The Triden tyne Counsayle Ses. 6. Cap. 7. The fallax from the Diuision to the Coniunction Onely faith worketh Iustificatiō but is not alone In what respectes Fayth hope and Charitie be coupled What fayth doth worke through loue A new kynde of obediēce but vnperfect The formall cause of Iustification accordyng to the Tridentynes The Councell of Trident Canō 11. Canon 12. Math. 13. Rom. 4. How much the merite of Christes death and passion may auayle vnto vs according to the Tridentyne Councell An Argument agaynst the Trydentines deriued from Abraham An Argumēt against the Tridentines deriued from the Type of Adam An Argumēt agaynst the Tridentines deriued from the Type of the Brasen Serpent An Argumēt against the Tridentines deriued from S. Paule 2. Cor. 5. An Argument of the Tridentine Councell agaynst righteousnesse of fayth An Aunswere out of Augustin◠New obedience is not the cause but the fruite of Iustification The Assertion of the Tridentines confuted It is proued that Iustification in the sight of God is nothing els then the Remission of Sinnes agaynst the Tridentines The state of the questiō Two kindes of questions Rom. 3. Galath 2. To lyue Through fayth When good workes be necessary Wherefore fayth onely doth iustify Fayth worketh by loue but not as effectuall to eternall life Apoca. 3. A Collect. for the kingdome of England Onely Christ is to be called vpon as a Mediatour The death of the body the soule swallowed by Christ onely The Conquest ouer the Empire of Sathan 2. Thes. 2. The Childe of Perditiō Apoc. 18. Apocal. 14. Be not light of beliefe Osor. lib. 2. de iustitia Pag. 31. Thou onely art holy