consciences In colloq mens Ger. fol. 458. b. 369. b. I Know that no man can see into another mans hart or conscience although Luther and his followers bragged that they could so doe and therfore we cannot iudge thereof by suspition only but yet wee may be bold to giue our censure of them by the plaine wordes and manifest deedes of the parties Wee dare not be so rash in this matter as the Protestantes are who by onely coniectures iudge the harts of one another and sticke not to write Tom. 1. IeÌ„ Ger. fol. 4. coll mens fol. 244. a. Tom. 2. Ger. Ien. fol. 9. b. that they speake and write against their coÌ„sciences knowledge whereby we may gather that they vse so to do for otherwise how could they suspect such a detestable fault in others for commonlie a man thinketh others to be as himselfe is Col. mens fol. 10. b. Luther confesseth that hee began this Tragedie against his conscience therfore he thought others to doe the like Zwinglius saith that he beleeued not the Reall Presence for manie yeares together before hee brake off from the Catholike Church but yet hee vvarilie dissembled his mind outwardly shewing himselfe a Papist Collo mens fol. 53. and in his opinion others doe the like Nenno openly telleth that before he was an Anabaptist hee sought after nothing but his bellie In admâ—nition ad do the desires of the flesh and therefore hee thought that all Catholicke Priestes did the like but you may aske me if Luther who first began the protestants Religion had at his entry such repugnance of conscience why did hee not leaue off that course returne to his Cloyster againe I answere for that he had proceeded so farre as he himselfe thought that by desperate necessitie hee must goe on howsoeuer the matter would fal out Euen as Iu. Caesar Suetonius in vita Caesaris who doubted much and had diuers CoÌ„bats with himself whether he shuld march forward with his army against the Romanes or no but at the length when he had proceeded so farre as that hee had passed ouer the riuer Rubicon hee burst out into these words Now is the chaunce throwne Col. mens fol. 241. now must we needs proceed wheather we will or no. In like manner Luther after he had gone further then his conscience woulde haue suffered him to haue done hee vtterly dispairing the recouery of his credit much like as one Thomas Bell who yet liueth in England hath done iustified his actions Col. mens fol. 158. b. 273. b. and so began his hell in this life hauing his conscience euer after vnquiet and still reproouing him causing him to repent as Iudas did for that he had proceeded so farre and to wish all his Bookes buried in the earth In praefat in tom 1. Germ. Ien. and was so troubled in disputations that as one ready to die he would goe out into the next chamber and there throw himselfe vpon a bed And yet for all this Melanct. in vita Luth. pag. 13. the Diuell at the last grew so big with him as that hee made him in all desperation to breake out into all malice against the Catholicke Church without any regarde of conscience Tom. 3. IeÌ„ Ger. f. 274 or honestie as you may see by that hee flatlie sayeth that if the Councell of Trent would allow Communion vnder both kindes which he theÌ„ taught to be instituted by Christ and therefore of necessitie must so be done yet he and his followers would in despite of the Councel either vse but one only or none at all and would plainelie account them accursed which should vse both kinds by the authority of the Councell And in like maner he saith that if the Catholicke Church should by any Councell decree that Priestes and Ecclesiasticall persons might lawfullie marrie which Doctrine he him selfe not only taught Tom. 2. Ger. f. 214. but euen practised the same by marrying a Nunne he would rather dissemble beleeue that that man was more in Gods fauor who all his life long should keepe one or two yea or three whoores then he who after the decree of the Councell should marrie yea he would coÌ„maund vnder paine of damnation that no maÌ„ by permition of the Councell should marry but either liue chaste or if he cannot so doe by keeping a who are he should not despaire So plaied he about the Eucharist for although he taught that the Eleuation of the Blessed Sacrament was wicked and horrible Idolatry and therfore would haue it abrogated Tom. 3. Ien. Germ yet after that he had vnderstoode that his aduersary Carolastadius did teach the same he to contradict to oppose himselfe against him retained kept the Eleuation in Wittenberge whole twenty yeeres togeather mauger the head of his said emulator Carolastadius Yea he openly protested that rather than hee woulde yeelde an haires breadth to him he would goe and be a Friar againe and obserue all orders in his Monastery as duely as euer he had done before The like course he toke about other things and namely about Transubstantiation Because the Papists saith he doe vrge Transubstantiation Tom. 2. Germ. fol. 225. we onely that we may be contrary to them insulte against them will beleeue that true Breade true Wine doe there remaine together with the Body Bloode of Christ Yet saide he of Transubstantiation against the Sacramentaries that he woulde rather beleeue it with the Papistes than he would denie the Reall Presence with them This maye you plainly see that this your first Apostle and generall Captaine of all you Protestantes had no conscience nor Religion at all but ledde by a spirite of contradiction he sought to be singular in himselfe and contrary to all others Neither did hee onely in this manner against his conscience but his companions and Schollers were also in the same predicament and had the same repugnance in themselues For Melancthon in the diet at Aspurge was so troubled in conscience Chytraeus in hist Aug. conf that he was altogeather sadde pusillanimous and doubtfull in minde and gaue him selfe so to weeping as that no comfortes nor encouragementes coulde preuaile or doe him any good And Carolastadius openly confessed that what hee did was cleane against his conscience Col. mâ—…ger f. 1 517. The like repugning conscience had Zwinglius in expounding the words of our Sauiour of the B. Sacrament Lib. de cae na page 216. a. as witnesseth Kemnitius and the Lutherans write that hee openlie shewed and declared in his manners gests and in all things that his conscience accused him of errours Ioannes Shutz in serp antiq fol. 19. but yet he had leifer forsake the truth then to loose his honour in yeelding to Luther The like write the same Lutherans of Oecolampadius And as for Bucer it is wel knowne that hee had no conscience nor religion at
be saide that they doe as the firste Christians did which denyed and destroyed the false and superstitious religion of the Heathens for that the Christians did that by manifest Commission from God himselfe by working of Miracles by planting Christian religion in place thereof but the Protestantes neither doe that which they do by any authoritie from God nor euer could work any one miracle as is afore-saide and insteede of that which they reiect pull downe they place iust nothing THE XV. REASON Diuinitie IF you looke into the Vniuersities of the Catholiks of Protestants you shal see in the one the whole corps of Diuinitie and of Christian trueth most pythelie and profoundly taught but in the other nothing but a number of pelting obiections taken out of Caluins Institutions or out of the Magdeburgenses or out of some Hereticall Pamphlet together with wrested interpretations of the new Testament which they haue learned of Beza or of some such like fellow in some they trouble themselues with nothing but onely with the Controuersies of this time that is all the Diuinity which they haue or meddle withall But the Catholike Diuines studie and teache in theyr Schooles most exactlie all thinges vvhich man may in this life know of God ALMIGHTIE of his Simplicitie Perfection Goodnesse Infinitie of his being in his creatures of his immutabilitie Eternitie Vnitie knowledge and seeing of him of his names Science Idees Life Will Loue Iustice and Mercie Prouidence Power Felicitie of the Blessed Trinitie of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost of theyr Equalitie Vnitie Consubstantialitie in one GOD-HEADE of the Creation of thinges of Angels of theyr substance Incorporcitie locall motion Knowledge Will Loue Production Goodnesse and Badnesse of mans Creation of his Bodie Soule of all the powers and parts thereof of his Propagation of the end whereunto hee is created of Vertue and Vice in generall and in particular of the Incarnation of Gods Sonne ioyning two most different natures of God and Man both entire both complete without cōmixtion or confusion into the vnitie of one person of the perfections defects assumpted by him of the Resurrection Iudgemēt and of many other profound pointes vvhich the Protestantes neuer beate their braines about and indeede they cannot possiblie studie these thinges throughlie beeing somuch occupied about wooing vvenching and wiueing taking vppon them to be Doctours of Diuinitie and Husbandes also And therefore if the learnedst amongst them should appeare in Catholicke Schooles or Vniuersities abroade hee would not once dare to open his mouth in matters of Learning among the great nūber of most excellent learned men which there are founde as wee haue vvell proued by such of your Protestants as nowe and then goe abroade to forraine VNIVERSITIES and are very quicklie brought to Confesse theyr inequalitie in this kinde for that they scarce vnderstand the verie ordinarie tearmes of the learned sciences which the others doe fullie possesse And I pray you what a learned Clargie was there in Queene Maryes time in our Countrie of England in respect of these pore creatures that occupy now theyr Prebends and sit in the sunne-shine of theyr new pretended Ghospell with theyr Wiues and Children rounde about them Were not one Tonstall one Watson one Christopherson for learning one Fecknā one Gardener one White for wisdome learning togeather able to set to Schoole all your ruffed Cleargie at this day for tearme of life and after as by their workes writings yet extant doth wel appeare This grosse ignorance of these newe Ghospellers is the cause that the people doe remaine vtterly voide of the knowledge of mysteries which they are bound to beleeue vppon paine of damnation and they cannot otherwise be when as their Leaders Doctours are altogether vnskilfull of the points afore-named But if they can speake a litle Greeke and a few words in Hebrew and vse some Inke horne Eloquence with rayling against Pope and Papistes then are they forsooth deepe Diuines Take the most learned Doctour of them all and set him to reason with an Heathen or with an Atheist and you shall see what goodly arguments hee will make nay you shall see him betray the truth for lack of learning for that he is vtterly ignorant as they are all of Schoole Diuinitie And hereupon it is that theyr Preachers comming to reason vvith the Turkish Priestes haue beene driuen to yeelde and haue become Mahometans for indeed one who taketh vpon him to be Doctor of Diuinitie ought to be so instructed furnished with Philosophie Morall Physicall and Metaphysicall with Logicke and with all humane helps with Councels Fathers Histories and such like and not only with the bare text of the Bible as that he may be able to defend the faith of Christ in all points against Iewes Turkes Heathens Atheistes not only against heretiks And here I cānot but admire the prouidēce goodnes of God towards his Church in furnishing it with all kinds of learning sciences whereby it may defend and maintaine it self against all sorts of enimies be they Iewes Turks Heathens Atheists or Heretikes vvhatsoeuer for in the Vniuersities thereof you may see most learnedly substantially orderly and vniuersallie taught all Christian truth and that in short space for in 4. or 5. yeares the whole course of Diuinity is taught vnder two or three readers in the same time the Controuersies by another reader by another all the new Testament is learnedlie foundly expounded besides an 100. publike Disputations euerie yeare of some whole matter as of Baptisme of the Eucharist of the Trinitie of the Incarnation of Angels of the Supremacie c. and withall the whole Bible read ouer at Table euery yeare alwaies after Dinner and Supper two Chapters of it one of the new and another of the old testament diligentlie examined vvith familiar conference betweene the learned and the younger sort And besides all this there are taught Cases of Conscience in which is set downe what is sinne and vvhat not the differences of sinnes which great which lesser c. which is a most fruitfull a most profitable kind of knowledge and therefore is much studied and practised by Catholike Priests Diuines who teach the people thereby to rule and to order their liues and actions Neyther doth the Protestant meddle with these matters of Conscience but fraighteth his ship only with Faith and neuer beateth his braine about sinnes for that he thinketh none to be imputed to such Predestinated as they all weene them-selues to be vvhich causeth the people theyr followers to be vtterly ignorant of the nature differences and quality of sins and consequently nothing fearefull or stayed by any conscience to committ the same THE XVI REASON Holinesse of Life ALthough vpon externall outwarde holinesse vve may not infallibly inferre true Religion for that among Iewes Turkes and other Infidelles some make great shewe of piety and deuotion yet we may truelie argue that
which were done in England in the coÌ„uersioÌ„ therof writteÌ„ by the same Greg. li. 9. ep 58. And by venerable Bede l. 1. hist Ca. 31. In the eight the miracles of S. Cutbert S. Iohn in England also Bede lib. 4. hist 5. In the ninth the miracles of Tharasius writteÌ„ by Ignat. Nicen. of others In the tenth the miracles of S. Romuald recorded by S. Pet. Damian of S. Wenceslaus of others which Surius writeth In the eleueÌ„th the miracles of S. Edward k. vir of S. Ans of others In the twelfth the miracles of S. Mal. S Barn of others In the thirteenth the miracles of S. Fran. S. Dom. S. Bonauent S. S. Celest of others In the fourteenth the miracles of S. Bernardine S. Kather. of Sieuna of others In the fifteenth the miracles of S. Vinc. S. Ant. of others And last of al in this our sixteenth age are the miracles of the glorious S. Fran. de Paula of the holy Iesuit Zauer Aug. de vtil cred cap. 17. lib. cont ep fund cap. 4. in the Indies of many moe And therfore I say vnto you out of S. Ang. I am bound tied in the Catholike Church by the band or chaine of myracles And I am bolde considering and moste steedefastlye beleuing these infinite glorious myracles of all times and ages in the Catholike Romane Church to crye out to Almighty God with Richard de S. Victore lib. 1. de trin cap. 2. Lord if it be not true which we beleeue thou hast deceaued vs for these haue beene confirmed in vs by such signes and woonders as could not bee wrought but by thee But on the contrary part neuer any Protestant coulde worke any myracle at all but assaying to make some shewe thereof to make their Doctrine the more probable to their followers felt the iust reuengement of God who turned all to their shame and confusion as hee did by Simon Magus Egesippus lib. 3. de excid hierosol ca. 2. by Cyrola the patriarke of the Arrians as witnesseth Grego Turones lib. 2. hist Franc. cap. 3. by the Donatists Optatus lib. 2. contr Parmen And in our daies by Luther endeuoring to dispossesse a wenche and by Caluin going about to delude his disciples as you may reade in Hierom Bolsec in vit Caluin cap. 13. Vid. Staph in abs resp And therefore they are most foolishe and miserably inconsiderate who beleeue these newe fellowes not beeing able to quicken a flea leaue the doctrine of the Catholike Church coÌ„firmed with innumerable miracles THE VII REASON Visions and the gifte of Prophecie AS TRVE Miracles neuer were wrought but by them who were of the true Church so heauenly Visions and the gifte of Prophecie were neuer founde to bee but in the same And therefore the holye Apostle amongest other thinges which he vseth to commend his Doctrine himselfe to the Corinthians against Heretickes 2. Cor. 12. and false Apostles he bringeth in this as one saying Now will I come to Visions and Reuelations of our Lord c. 2. Pet. 1. And S. Peter alleageth for confirmation of his preaching the traÌ„sfiguratioÌ„ of our lord in the mount which he sawe Mat. 17. Act. 10. 11. calleth it a Vision he had a Vision of a sheet with al kind of beasts in it wheÌ„ he was to deale with the Gentiles And for the trueth of Religion and confirmation of that which they did Act. 2. he alleageth the prophecie of Ioell Ioel. cap. 2 who sayeth amongst other thinges Your young men shall see Visions and to bee briefe of this sort is the whole boke of the Apocalyps So that to see these kind of heauenly Visions and thereby to foretel things most certainly is only amongst them who are of the true Church For although there haue beene prophecies amongest the Heathens yet were they not vndoubtedly true as the Oracles of Apollo such like illusions except they were for the confirmatioÌ„ of right Religion as the prophecies of the Sybills Euseb lib. 5. hist cap. 16. 18. and of Balaam And the same may be saide of heretikes as of Montanus of Luther of Muncer and of such like who loke vpon them to prophecie some to their vtter shame some to their own destruction But the Catho Romane Church hath had in it in all ages those which had true Visions Cochlaeus in actis Lutheri and the gifte of true prophecie as Agabus Act. 11. Gregory Thaumaturge so Basil li. de spiritu sancto Cap. 29. S. Anthony the Abbote Iohn of whom see S. Aug. lib. 5. de ciuit Cap. 26. S. Monica see Aug. lib. 3. Confes Cap. 11. S. Benedicte see Gregor lib. 2. dial Cap. 15. S. Bernard see in eius vita lib. 4. Cap. 3. S. Frauncis see in eius vita Bonauentura with many others for seldome was ther any who had the gifte of miracles but the same had this gifte also And in these daies I knowe diuerse and sundry Papists as you cal them who haue seen vndoubtedly wonderful Visions which perhaps you maye see recorded hereafter with sufficient and irrefragable testimony THE VIII REASON Scriptures NEither may here the Protestant reply and say that the Papistes builde vpon Miracles Visions Prophecies and vpon such like but not vpon the WORDE for al that they alleadge are most agreeable to the worde of God Neither doe they teach any Doctrine but such as is deriued out of the holy Bible for the maintaining thereof they are not compelled to denye certaine partes of Gods holy Booke as the Protestantes and their predecessours heretiks haue bin inforced to do The Manichees for that their heresies were so manifestly confuted by the Gospel of Saint Mathewe Aug. l 28. con Faust cap. 2. de vtil cred cap 3. and by the Actes of the Apostles as they coulde coine no aunswere nor other shifte they denyed them to bee Scripture The Ebinites because the Epistles of Saint Paul disproued most plainelye Cyrcumcision which they maintained denied them to be Scripture Luther reiected the Epistle of S. Iames because it was so plaine against the doctrine of onely Faith His ofspring refused the bookes of Tobias of Ecclesiasticus of the Machabees and of some others because in them is plainly taught the Doctrine of the custody of Aungells of Free-will of Praier for the Faithfull Soules departed and of Prayer to Saints al whâ—ch they deny and therefore must they needes denie those parts of the holy Bible For heretikes euer framed the Bible to their opinions chainging wresting paring sometimes flatly reiecting al which made ouerplainely against such Doctrine as they deuised and so doe most impudentlye the Protestantes nowe Whereas the Catholikes euer squared their Doctrine by the line and the leuell of the Worde of her Spouse and therefore neuer had cause to reiecte the least â—otte of the holy Bible and at one worde the Catholikes followe the Bible
but the Protestantes force the Bible to followe them THE IX REASON Councells THe Church of God hath euer bin accustomed when any heresie did spring vp therein to gather a Councell of Bishoppes Prelates and of other Learned Men in which the trueth was approued and the heresie condemned And whosoeuer were condemned by such Councells confirmed by the See Apostolike were euer deemed and in very deede were heretiks for such at length were taken of all men in the end vanished away So were the Arrians condemned in the Nyceene Counsel the Macedonians in the Councel of Constantinople the Nestorians in the Ephesyne the Eutychians in the Chalcedonian others in other Councels Al which heretiks although they flourished for a time and drewe manye people yea Emperours Kings States Countries after them yet in time they came to nothing the councels which condemned thē were vniuersally embraced And no doubt the late famouse councel of Trent which by the same autority order hath cōdemned the Protestants other sectaries for heretiks will in time be euery where receiued and these newe fellowes by it anathematized will vtterlye vanishe away For indeed if a man consider the matter throughly he shal plainly perceiue that these sects haue no likelihoode of continuance by reason they haue no meanes to gather a Councel much lesse to decide matters therein if it were gathered being without an head as they are euery one cleauing only to his own priuate opinion therfore can neuer all meete together or if by anye power they were compelled therunto they haue no means to agre in one for that they wil not yeeld to any iudgement but what is framed of their own braine therefore it must needs be amongst them as we see it to be Quot homines tot sententiae So many men so many opinions Lastly I would haue you here to marke the dealing of heretiks who play by generall Councels euē as they play by the scriptures for they take leaue as they luste as best serueth their turne There haue bin in all general Councels 18. Al gathered allowed confirmed by one the selfesame autority of which the Greeks receiue only 7. the Lutherans Concil Florent sess 5. 6. Magdebur cent 8. cap 9. cent 9. cap. 9. the first 6. the Eutychians which are in Asia onely the first 3. the Nestorians which are yet in the East onely the first 2. the Trinitaries which are in Hungary and Poleland receiue none at all Beholde the libertie of your Gospell THE X. REASON Fathers THE Catholike Romane Religion is most plainely taught by all the auncient Fathers of the first second third fourth fift and sixt hundred yeares after Christ and hath bin euer without al controuersie taught of the Fathers of euerie age since vntill this day That religion did Dyonysius Areopagita Saint Paule his Scholler so manifestly teach Causaeus dialogue 5 11. as Causaeus a french Protestant called him for his labour a doating old man much like as his Father Luther had said before him that Areopagita his vvorkes vvere like to dreames In Capt. Babilonica and most pernicious The same faith was taught of saint Ignatius Clemens Iustinus Tertullian Cyprian Irenaeus and in one word all the auncient Fathers not one excepted This is very plaine in that the Catholikes are put compelled by the Protestants to defend maintaine and vpholde the credit and authoritie of the saide Fathers for the Protestants rayle at thē the Catholiks defend them the Protestants refuse theyr authoritie the Catholikes hold it for good the Protestants will not be tried by them the Catholikes appeale to theyr iudgement and to be briefe the Protestāts make no more account of them longer then they can wrest them to serue their turne then thy doe of Beuis of Southampton or of Adam Bell. And in naming the Protestants I include all the Puritanes for I am not ignorant how the saide Protestants are driuen by the said Puritanes to defende the Fathers and also are called papists for theyr labour And hereby it is manifest that the Fathers are with the Catholikes and neyther with the Protestants nor Puritanes And whether all those auncients being men of excellent wittes of continuall studie of wonderfull learning feruent in prayer holie in conuersation greatlie in Gods fauour mightie in vvorking of miracles adorned with many such like giftes were more like to vnderstand the Scriptures freshly deliuered vnto them from the Apostles themselues who also no doubt taught their schollers the true sense thereof and they theirs from one age to another or these late foolish vnstudied vnlearned prophane and arrogant fellowes be iudges your selues But indeed it is no maruaile though the protestants doe contemne yea reuile the Fathers Luther in Capt. Bab. Causaeus vbi supra Centuriat centur 2. cap. 10. Caluin instit cap. 13 num 29. Centur. 2. cap. 5. Causaeus dialog 8. 11. 6 beza in act Apost ca. 23. in saying they taught thinges most like to dreames they were doating oldmen they had foule blemishes and tolde trifling tales they had weedes and dregges blasphemyes and monsters they were childish dull and destitute of God babled they knew not what they were bewitched of the Diuell as damned as the Diuell blasphemers naughty wicked for they who cannot endure certaine set times to fast in no meruaile though they reuile S. Basil S. Gregory Nazianzene S. Leo S. Chrisostome which wrote such notable Sermons of Lent and of other fasting dayes then vsed as they are now in the Catholike Church And they who be giuen to Lust to Gluttonie to Ambition to Couetousnes and doe teach such doctrine as necessarilie bringeth foorth such fruites must needes contemne S. Basil S. Chrisostome S. Hierome and S. Augustine who haue written so excellently of the Order Rule Vertues of Monkes And generally whereas the Doctrine of the auncient Fathers is cleane contrarie to the Doctrine of Protestants no meruaile though they be reiected by thē as they euer haue bin of Heretikes And although Iwell in his Sermon at Paules Crosse most impudently challenged the Catholiks to bring any thing for certaine points of theyr Religion out of the Doctours of the first sixe hundred yeares yet Laurence Humfrey his pue fellowe Humfridus in vita Iwelli confessed that hee gaue and graunted to the papists more than was meete and vvas to himselfe iniurious c. and so hee confessed against his companion that the FATHERS of the Primitiue Church were on the Papists side and consequently not on theirs And yet because they haue founde by experience that to teach Doctrine contrary to the auncient Fathers soundeth but badlie in the peoples eares in theyr Sermons they gladlie now then alleadge the authoritie of some Doctor or Father vvhen they can by anie meanes wring or wrest any peece of a sentence so as it may seeme to make for them And indeede hee vvho