thereof That wee affirme the Church may faile in faith Annot. Luk 18. Sect. 8. Wee say onely that the Church may erre in some points of doctrine but not finally fall away from the faith Fulk ibid. That we pretend that God draweth vs against our wil without any respect to our consent Iohn 6. 2. God of vnwilling maketh vs willing by changing our will to embrace Christ gladly and otherwise we teach not That wee affirme the Holie Ghost to be none other but the gift of wisedome in the Apostles and a fewe other for gouernment Annot. Act. 8. Sect. 7. But none of vs sayth so It is a meere slaunder That wee allow no fasting but morall temperance and spirituall fasting from sinne Act. 13. Sect. 5. Whereas we do acknowledge a Christian vse of fasting and abstinence from all meates and drinkes for the taming of the flesh and making vs more fit to pray not an abstinence from flesh onely as they do superstitiously imagine That wee should saye that the preaching of the lawe and iudgement to come maketh men hypocrites Act. 24. Sect. 2. Whereas wee hold the preaching of the lawe to be necessarie to bring men to repentance But iustificatiō by keeping the law which they teach we vtterly condemne That wee would haue all men to be present and giue voice in Councels Act. 19. Sect. 5. We say not so for that were impossible But we hold against our aduersaries that as wel the learned and discreete amongst the lay men as the Clergie ought to be admitted to consult of religion And that not only Bishops but other Pastors also and Ministers ought to haue deciding voices in Councels That wee condemne good woorkes as sinfull Pharisaicall hypocriticall Rom. 2. Sect. 3. Whereas we acknowledge them to be the good gifts of God the fruits of iustification the way wherein all Christians must walke to saluation We onely exclude them from being any cause of our iustification before God Annot. Rom. 2. Sect. 4. That wee affirme that God iustifieth man that is to saye imputeth to him the iustice of Christ though hee bee not indeede iust or of fauour reputeth him as iust when in deed he is wicked impious and vniust And that we thinke it is more to Gods glorie and more to the commendation of Christes iustice merites and mercie to call and count an ill man so continuing for iust than of his grace and mercie to make him of an ill one iust in deede and so truely to iustifie him This is a great slaunder For wee thinke and saie that God of a wicked man by his grace and mercie doth make him iust in deede by the iustice of Christ neither calling no◠accounting him iust that continueth wicked as he was before but giuing him also the spirite of sanctification whereby after he is made iust by grace he doth the workes of iustice and keepeth Gods commaundements though not perfectly in this life Fulk ibid. That wee gather of those termes vsed by the Apostle Rom. 4. couered v. 7. not imputed v. 8. That the sinnes of men be neuer truely forgiuen but hidden onely Annot. Rom. 4. Sect. 7. Wee say that our sinnes are truelie forgiuen vs for Christes sake and our conscience freely discharged of them Christ hauing satisfied the iustice of God perfitly for them That wee teach that the Sacramentes of the Church giue not grace and iustice of faith but that they be notes markes badges onely of our remission of sinnes Rom. 4. Sect. 8. Wee say not that they are only markes and badges but as the Apostle saith seales of God to assure our faith of iustification by remission of sinnes And yet it followeth not that the sacraments should giue or conferre grace That to establish our fiction of confidence as they not without blasphemie call it wee make no account of the Articles of the Faith the beleeuing whereof onely iustifieth they say Annot. Rom. 4. Sect. 9. Wheras wee affirme that we are iustified by none other faith but that which is declared in those Articles not by a bare knowledge or beleefe of them that they are true which the diuel hath many reprobates but by stedfast beleeuing of them with a sure trust and confidence in Christ whereby we are made partakers of his precious merites and assured of the remission of our sinnes That we should say Man hath no more free will than a piece of clay Rom. 9. Sect. 7. Whereas we onely saie that our free will hath no power or strength at all to will or doe the thing that is good without the grace of God That we say the faithfull be sure they shall neuer sinne Rom. 8. Sect. 9. We saie onely that they are sure to be preserued from that sinne which is irremissible which is the sinne against the Holie Ghost That where the Apostle saith It is better to marrie than to burne that the Protestants thinke to burne is nothing else but to be tempted because they would easilie picke quarrels to marrie 1. Corinth 7. Sect. 8. Wee do not so thinke that to burne is onely to be tempted but to be so continually inflamed with lust that the will doth consent desire quenching Fulk ibid. That wee will not haue men woorke well in respect of rewarde at Gods hande 1. Corinth 9. Sect. 7. Wee say not so but that men ought not to worke well onely as hirelings for hope of rewarde but chiefely and principally of louing obedience and duetie as of children to their father That wee seeme by abandoning other names of the Communion sauing this calling it supper to haue it at night and after meate 1. Corinth 11. Sect. 8. Wee retaine other names of this Sacrament beside as the Communion the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ the Eucharist and such like and it is but a vaine conceit that wee encline it to haue it at night when they see our vsuall and dailie practise to the contrarie They say wee professe that wee make no consecration benediction or sanctification of the bread and wine at all in the Sacrament but let the bread and wine stande aloofe and that wee occupie Christes wordes by way of report onely and narration applying them not at all to the Elements proposed to be occupied 1. Corinth 11. Sect. 9. All this is vtterly false for wee professe that by praise and thankes-giuing for the death of Christ and by prayer vnto God that we may be partakers of the bodie and bloud of Christ we consecrate blesse and sanctifie the bread and wine to be the holy blessed Sacraments of the bodie and bloud of Christ. And wee doe also apply the wordes of institution to the Elements though not after their Magicall fantasie praying thus That wee receiuing the secreatures of bread and wine according to Christes holie iustitution which is rehearsed out of the Gospell in remembrance of his passion may be partakers of his most blessed bodie and bloud This is who seeth
as they vse in their Eucharist not a spanne in breadth without destruction of the partes and dimensions of the bodie Fourthly that one and the same body of Christ in the same instant may bee sayd to bee Sursum deorsum Aboue and belowe Remotum propinquū Neare vnto the earth and farre distant from it that it may bee in motion in one place and yet rest and bee at quiet in an other as the soule in the body as it is in the feete is neere to the earth as in the head it is further off Bellarm. de sacram Eucharist lib. 3. cap. 4. These are absurdities contrary to the rule of reason that contradictorie speeches should in one instant be true of the same bodie or subiect And what is heresie if this bee not to resemble and compare the fleshe of Christ to a soule or spirit that as the soule is in the body in no certayne place but euery-where so the flesh of Christ should bee in the world for this followeth of the Iesuites comparison betweene the soule of man and the flesh of Christ. 5 Corpus Christi incipit esse in altari sayth Bellarmine per conuersionem panis in ipsum The bodie of Christ beginneth to be in the altar by the cōuersion or turning of the bread into his body Lib. 3. de sacram cap. 4. What great blasphemie is this to affirme that Christes fleshe is made of bread for these are their owne wordes that the bread is not annihilate that is turned into nothing but into the body of Christ. And Bellarmine also confesseth that Christes body in the Eucharist is made of bread as the wine was of water by our Sauiour Christ Iohn 2. But in that myracle it is certayne the water was the matter whereof the wine was made for otherwise Christ would not haue bid the seruauntes fill the water-pottes with water if hee had purposed to create wine of nothing rather then to chaunge water into wine Bellarm. de sacram Eucharist lib. 4. cap. 24. Thus Christ by popish diuinitie shall haue a breaden body 6 That after the words of consecration there remayne onely the accidentes of bread and wine as their colour taste roundnesse and such like the substances of thē being changed And so they confesse against the rule of nature and reason grounded vpon scripture that accidentes haue a being and substance of their owne without a subiect Harding defens apolog 305. pag. And it is the generall opinion of all papistes So in their opinion there may bee the whitenesse roundnesse and taste of bread and yet no bread the rednesse tartnesse and other properties of wine and yet no wine If a man then should aske what round or whyte or red thing is this they can not say bread or wine for there is none left Neither will they say that the body of Christ is eyther white or red and thus are they driuen to their shiftes Whereupon some of their schoole-men haue sayde Accidentia illa sunt in aēre tanquam in subiecto The accidents are in the ayre as in their subiect De consecrat distinct 2. Species in glossa 7 They are the accidents of bread wine which are eaten chawen or rent by the teeth Bellarm. lib. 1. de sacram Eucharist cap. 11. respons ad argum 5. And which goe downe into the bellie and nourish and feed the body Harding defens apolog pag. 305. Thus by popish philosophie the accidentes of wine make a man drunke the accidentes of breade may feede a man and make him fatte without eyther bread or wine 8 That Christ would not haue the externall figures and shapes of the elementes chaunged but remayne still because man woulde abhorre to eate humane flesh in the proper shape Bellarm. lib. 3. de sacram Eucharist cap. 22. But what an absurde thing is this as though Christ would commaund any vnseemely thing or contrarie to humanitie And how could the Apostles commaunde the Gentiles to abstaine from strangled and from blood Actes 15. when as by their doctrine they did cate daily in their assemblies the raw flesh and blood of Christ 9 If the consecrate host as they cal it chaunce to putrisie and corrupt or to be burnt with fire or deuoured of a Mouse or any other vermine by the negligence of the priest they say it ceaseth to bee the body of Christ and that God in that verie instant supplyeth some other matter Bellarm. lib. 3. de Eucharist cap. 24. ad argum 6. Or else it returneth into the nature and substance of bread againe as other papists affirme Fox p. 496. So there is no lesse myracle wrought by occasion of the priestes negligence then was before by the words of consecration And it is not enough for God to worke miracles for men but euen for Mise also yet Bellarmine telleth vs very soberly that all this is done Sine miraculo without a miracle But how I pray you can bread be turned into flesh flesh againe into bread without a miracle 10 Yea some of them are not ashamed to write thus Si Canis vel porcus deglutiret hostiam consecratam integram non video quare corpus domini nō simul traijceretur in ventrem canis vel porci If a Dogge or a Hogge shoulde deuoure a whole consecrated host I see no thing to the contrarie but the body of Christ may passe withall into the bellie of the dogge or hogge Alexander Halens part 4. quaest 25. memb 1. And the allowed Glosse sayth Corpus Christi potest euomi The bodie of Christ may bee spued or vomited vp agayne De consecr distinct 2. Si quis in Gloss. 11 They suffer not the lay people to bee partakers of the Cuppe but to receiue in one kinde onely alleadging these and such like weighty causes as the danger of spilling sheading and shaking the bloud out of the cup or the souring or else sticking vppon mens beardes and such like Bellarm. lib. 4. de Eucharist cap. 24. Fox pag. 1150. Are not these thinke you matters of great moment and importance to frustrate and make voyde the institution of Christ Vnto these and such like absurdities of pope-catholike Religion wee may adioyne also the profound and weightie questions and deepe discourses of popish Diuines as to begin with their captaynes and ringleaders and first fathers of superstition Austine the Monke that was sent into Englande by Gregorie the first sent vnto his maister to know his iudgment and resolution in these and such like weightie matters First whether a woman great with child ought to be baptized Secondly after how many daies the children that are borne ought to be baptized Thirdly if she be in her monthly course after the disease of women whether then she may enter into the church receiue the communion 4 Whether it be lawfull for the man after company had with his wife before he be washed with water to enter into the Church These and such like graue questions this
neuer bee blotted out Durandus sayth it is no reall thing distinct from the soule or any absolute qualitie but a certayne respect and relation onely Scotus sayth it can not bee proued by scripture Gabriell doubteth whether the Church hath determined it Yet Bellarmine holdeth his owne still that there is such an indeleble character which is but a meere deuise and hath no ground out of scripture as Scotus saith ex Bellarm. lib. 2. de sacram cap. 20. Some papistes haue held opinion that in baptisme it is sufficient to baptize in the name of one of the persons in trinitie and especially of Christ Sic Hugo de S. Victor Nicholaus papa Bellarmine holdeth as the trueth is that baptisme must be celebrated in the name of the whole Trinitie Some hold that Martyrdome doth not giue grace Nisi ex opere operantis but according to the affection and disposition of the martyr Sic Dominicus a Soto Martinus Ledesinius Others that it was auailable ex opere operato by the verie worke wrought Ita Thom. Gabriell Iohan. Maior and Bellarm. lib. 1. de baptis cap. 6. The first is the truer opinion for without loue if a man giue his body to be burned it is nothing 1. Corinth 13. And yet neither martyrdome nor any worke else can be the cause of grace Some hold that Iohns baptisme was a sacrament of the new lawe and that they which were baptized there with and did not put their trust therein but had knowledge of the holy Ghost needed not to haue beene baptized againe by Christ Sic Petr. Lombardus Others thought it was a kind of sacrament such as were the sacramentes of the lawe It a Magister Thomas But Bellarmine will haue it neither sacrament of the olde nor new de sacram Baptis lib. 1. 19. The scripture putteth all out of doubt that saith Iohn baptized vnto repentance for remission of sinnes Luk. 3. and so was in substance and effect one and the same with the baptisme of Christ. That Christ in the 6. of Iohn treateth not of the Eucharist it is the opinion of many papistes Gabriel Cusanus Caietanus Tapper Iausenius wherein they say as the trueth is But Bellarm. and generally the papistes now a daies doe apply it to the Eucharist though indeed it maketh more against them then for them Lib. 1. de Eucharist cap. 5. ex Bellarm. As touching the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist Durandus thinketh that the substance of Christ is there without magnitude or quantitie Others thinke that the bodie of Christ is there with the due quantity magnitude but there is no distinction nor order of the partes Sic Okam But Bellarmine and the rest do thinke that the bodie of Christ is in the sacrament in his due quantitie and distinction and order of partes Lib. 3. de sacram Eucharist cap. 5. of all these the first two opinions are more reasonable for how is it possible for the bodie of Christ in his due proportion and bignes to be contained in a thinne wafer cake But none of al these opinions are true for the bodie of Christ is no where else but in heauen til his second comming as S. Peter saith Act. 3. Some did hold that all the bread and wine in the Eucharist was not transubstantiate but so much onely as was receiued of the godly Others that the forme onely of the bread was chaunged not the matter Sic Durandus Some contrariwise that the matter was chaunged not the forme Others that the bread is assumed hypostatically vnto the word as the humane nature is sic Repertus Bellarmine with the rest that after the wordes of consecration the bread wine is transubstantiate wholly into the body of Christ the accidentes onely remaining Lab. 3. de Eucharist cap. 11. It is the general opinion of papistes that there ariseth no more spiritual fruit by receiuing in both kindes then by receiuing in one Yet there are some of the contrarie opinion Alexander Alens Gaspar Cassalius Ruardus And by a generall decree in the councell of Basile the vse of the cup was graunted to the Bohemians Bellarm. lib. 4. de Eucharist cap. 23. for if so the receiuing in one kinde were all out as full of comfort and as profitable as to doe it in both then were one superfluous and so they take vppon them to controule our Sauicur Christ who instituted both and vsed them at his last supper About the popish sacrament of extreame vnction arise these differences They haue but two places of scripture vpon the which they grounde that sacrament Mark 6. Iames. 5. About the former place they much disagree Some holding that when the Apostles annointed the sicke with oyle it was not the sacramentall vnction but an adumbration of it and a preparation thereunto Sic Ruardus Iausenius Dominicus a Soto Others that it is one and the selfe same kinde of vnction which is treated of in both places Sic. Thom. Waldens Alphons de Castro Bellarmine enclineth to the first opinion for no other reason but be cause the protestantes hold the vnctioÌ„ spoken of in both places to be the same Bellarm. de extrem vnction lib. 1. cap. 2. Some thinke that the corporall health of the body is the absolute and infallible effect of this their deuised sacrament Sic Dominic a Soto Others that it is but a conditionall effect if it be profitable for the soules health and that this ceremonie is not principally applied for the health of the bodie but for the health of the soule Concil Tridentin Sic. Bellarm. cap. 6. Some hold that in time of necessitie a lay-man may be the minister of extreame vnction Sic Thom. Waldens Others that a lay-man may annoint with holy consecrate oyle but without a sacrament Sic Dominicus a Soto A third fort thinketh that it is not lawful for the lay sort to do the one or the other Sic Iausenius Bellar. cap. 9. Now who will giue credite to these men that there is such a sacrament of extreame vnction when they cannot agree amongest them selues nor one beleeue another Some also thinke that to annoint the fiue senses together with the reynes and the feete is of the essence of extreame vnction and none ought to be omitted Some the contrary that none of them are of the essence but the annointing of any one may serue The third opinion is that the annointing only of the fiue senses is of the essence Sic. Thom. Aquin. Bellarm. ibid. cap. â—0 The Rhemistes hold the mixture of water wine in the Eucharist to be necessarie and say the protestantes in not vsing that ceremonie do most impudently damnably Annot. 1. Corinth 〈◊〉 sect 10. yet the Canonistes affirme that it is De honestate tantùm non de necessitate Of decencie onely not of necessitie De consecrat distinct 2 in gloss Scotus 4. sententiar distinct 11. quaest 6. Some denie that Episcopalis ordinatio the ordaining of Bishops to be a sacrament Dominicus a
well with the Ecclesiasticall function much more the care of one familie may The Iesuit is not wel aduised so soon to forget himselfe 9 That place in Zacharie Thou hast loosed thy prisoners out of the pit where there was no water Zachar. 9. 11. Bellarmine in one place expoundeth of Limbus patrum The dungeon of darknes from whence the Patriarkes were deliuered lib. 4. de Christi anima cap. 〈◊〉 In another place hee alleadgeth it to prooue purgatorie lib. 1. de Purgator cap. 3. But Limbus patrum and purgatorie are places among Papistes much different 10 Bellarmine in expouÌ„ding of that place 1. Cor. 3. 13. The fire shal trie euery mans worke and vers 15. He shalbe saued yet as it were by the fire is put to such trouble and busines that within the compasse of one Chapter hee admitteth contrarie senses of the same place in the first place by fire vnderstanding the iudgement of God in the seconde the flames of purgatorie de Purgator lib. 1. cap. 4. 11 Bellarmine in one place writeth thus In extremo iudicio duo tantum loca remanebunt Paradisus Gehenna At the last iudgement two places onely shall remaine Paradise and Gehenna heauen and hell lib. 1. 〈…〉 g. cap. 8. respons ad 5. obiect And yet not long after he confesseth that there are two places of eternal punishment Limbus infantum pro poena solius damni aeterna the dungeon of infants for eternal punishment of losse without smart and infâ—rnus pro poena damni sensus Hel for the eternall punishment both of losse and smart These then are two places that shall last for euer and Heauen is the third how then are there but two lib. 2. de Purg. ca. 6. 12 Bellarmine otherwhile beareth vs in hand that there are but two kindes of religious worship The higher kinde called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 due onely to God and an inferior sort called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proper to Saintes vnto the which kinde belongeth that which they call Hyperdouleiâ— a higher kinde of inferior seruice or worship proper to the virgine Marie and the humanitie of Christ so he maketh three kindes in all lib. â— de Sanct. cap. 12. But in another place he doubleth the number and maketh sixe seuerall sortes Latreia simpliciter and secundum quid the first due vnto God the second vnto his image Hyperdulia simpliciter and secundum quid and so likewise Dulâ—a simpliciter and secundum quid the first proper vnto the virgine Marie and other Saintes the other to their images lib. 2. cap. 25. 13 Bellarmine to proue amongst other reasons that those words of Christ This is my bodie are taken properly not figuratiuely alledgâ—â—h this for one verba legum perspicua propria esse debent the wordes of lawes and statutes should be perspicuous and proper And againe Dogmata praecipua non nisi proprijs verbis tradi solent in diuiâ—is literis principall precepts are wont in the Scriptures to be expressed in proper wordes therefore it is not like that Christ being now to prescribe a perpetuall lawe and forme of this sacrament would speake obscurely lib. 1. de Eucharist cap. 9. yet elswhere hee saith Necessariò fatendum est scripturas esse obscurissimas It must necessarily be graunted that the Scriptures are most obscure de Verb. lib. 3. cap. 1. And findeth great 〈◊〉 with vs for saying that the precepts of faith are euldently expressed in Scripture which is no more than hee himselfe affirmeth 14 Sometime Bellarmine telleth vs that Corpus Domini solo corpore 〈◊〉 fide acceptum nihil prodest That the bodie of Christ being onely receiued with the bodie profiteth not de Eucharist lib. 3. cap. 9. Wherein hee faith right Sometime againe hee would make vs beleeue that the Sacraments are auailable ex opere operato by the verie woorke wrought non ex merito agentis vel suscipientis not for the worthines either of the receiuer or Minister And againe Fides poenitentia non dant efficaciam sacramenti Faith and repentance doe not giue efficacie to the Sacrament lib. 2. de Sacrament cap. 1. How these things agree together I can not see that the Sacrament should not profite without the faith of the receiuer And againe that it should auaile ex opere operato without any respect had to the receiuer 15 Bellarmine saith opera bona sine fide non prosunt good workes profite not without faith de Sacrament Eucharist lib. 3. cap. 9. And yet els-where confesseth that there may be Meritum de congruo a merite of congruitie before iustification If then workes may merite then they are auailable and that without faith which cannot be had before iustification Bellarmine lib. 2. de Poenitent cap. 12. 16 Bellarmine in one place saieth Non solum res sed etiam verba in Sacramentis nouae legis a Deo determinata sunt vt non liceat quidpiam immutare The wordes and matter in the Sacraments of the newe lawe are so determined of God that it is not lawfull to change one iotte de Sacrament lib. 1. cap. 21. yet they haue presumed contrarie to their owne rule to change both As for the matter of the Eucharist they haue taken away the one halfe depriuing the people of the cup. And concerning the wordes they do shewe no lesse boldnesse in altering them They haue put in enim into the wordes of consecration saying hoc enim est corpus meum and in consecrating the cup they adde these wordes mysterium fidei The mysterie of faith and all this Bellarmine saith is well done and that these wordes which are not founde in the Gospell are supplyed by tradition from Saint Peter de Sacram. Eucharist lib. 4. cap. 14. Thus they offend against their owne rules for they adde vnto the wordes determined of God in his holye worde which is conteined in the Scriptures 17 Bellarmine sometime graunteth that the bodie of Christ is made of bread in the Eucharist vt ex aqua factum est vinum as of water Christ made wine lib. 3. de Eucharist cap. 24. But in another place he flatly denyeth it for that was a productiue conuersion of the water into wine which is when that beginneth to be which was not before but the changing of bread into Christes body is no productiue conuersion but onely adductiue not making a thing to be which was not before but onely bringing it to a place where it was not before De Eucharist lib. 3. cap. 18. 18 To saye that the Iewes did not eate the same spirituall meate with vs and that the Manna which they did eate had no spirituall effect which is affirmed notwithstanding by Saint Paul 1. Corinth 10. 1. 2. and yet to graunt that they which were then iust or righteous were so iust ob participationem sacrificiâ— crucis by the participation of the sacrifice vpon the crosse I thinke are plaine contraries to say they were not partakers of the same spirituall meate with vs
you spare neither Apostle pastor nor minister neither primitiue and auncient nor present and now being Church say on still as ye doe that the protestants tende euery day more and more to Atheisme and Antichristianisme Rhemist 2. Thessa. 2. sect 14. That the protestantes haue forsaken Christ the protestantes are become Iewes the protestantes wil be circumcised according to Moses law the protestantes require to haue the paschal Lambe the protestantes tell the people there is no hell at all the protestantes at their next proceeding wil vtterly denie God Har ding praefat ad defens apolog ex Iuello Well yee slaunderous mouthed hypocrites if Ieremies saying were not verified vppon you Thou hast a whores forehead thou wouldest not be ashamed 3. 3. ye might well blushe and shew al your blood in your face when you inuent such vnchristian slaunders against vs which the worlde crieth shame vpon and your owne consciences accuse ye of Wee haue no other shielde to holde vp against these iniuries of yours but the prophet Dauids saying with his words in the person of our Church As he loued cursing so let it come vnto him and as he loued not blessing so shall it be farre from him as he clothed him selfe with cursing like a rayment so shall it come into his bowels like water and like oyle into his bones Let it be vnto him as a garment to couer him and for a girdle wherewith he shall alway be girded Let this be the rewarde of mine aduersarie from God and of them that speake euill against my soule Psal. 109 vers 17. 18. 19. 20. Heare ye also what Bernard saith Gladius anceps lingua detractoris Nec verò huiusmodi linguam ipso mucrone quo dominicum latus confossum est crudeliorem dicere verearis haec enim non iam examine Christi corpus fodit sed facit examine fodiendo A slauderous tongue is a two edged sword And such a tongue we need not doubt to cal more cruel then the speares point that peirced our Lordes side for this doth not pierce or wound the dead bodie of Christ but slayeth and woundeth it to death serm de triplici custodia Thus yee papistes shew your selues greater enimies to Christ in slaundering his Church then if ye had thrust his body through that hanged vppon the crosse for then his bodie was first dead before it was pierced But you doe rent and wound the liuelie bodie of Christ now which is his Church I pray God giue you grace if yee belong vnto him to repente you of this wickednes And thus much also concerning the slaunders and malicious reportes giuen out by papistes against our Church The 3. part of the manifold vntruthes forgeries and bold denials of papistes of manifest vntruthes Part. 3. IT followeth now in the third place hauing alreadie sufficiently discoursed of their personal slaunders which they vomite and spue vp either against our Church in general or against some particular members thereof that now we lay open to the worlde their vntruthes and lies which in heapes are coyned and forged out of their shoppes that whereas they accuse vs of lying saying most scornefully That lies are as common with heretikes as lice with beggers Harding it may euidentlie appeare to the world whether of twaine be the greate lyers And first of their forgeries Neuer anie Heretikes were more cunning or had better dexteritie in forging of writinges and foisting bookes of their owne deuising and making vnder the name of other authors First the Canons of the Apostles as they call them which are fathered vpon the Apostles are but bastard writinges falsely going vnder their name for in the last canon the gospell written by S. Iohn is numbred among the bookes of the newe testament which is confessed by all to haue beene penned by the Euangelist after the death of all or most of the Apostles How could then these Canons as they affirme be deuised and published by the Apostles them selues assembled together Againe those Canons of the Apostles doe recken 3. bookes of the Macchabees amongest the canonicall scripture But the papistes them selues receiue but two if then they were perswaded them selues that they were the verie Canons of the Apostles how durst they disagree from them in opinion Plura apud Whitacher controu 1 de scriptur cap. 4. The constitutions also of the Apostles the collection whereof is ascribed to Clemens seemeth to be but a forged booke conteining many thinges false and friuolous as lib. 6. cap. 14. He bringeth in Iames the brother of Iohn writing and speaking with the rest of the Apostles many yeares after his death Lib. 6. cap. 7. he calleth Philip spoken of Act. 8. an Apostle but lib. 8. cap. 52. he maketh him but a Deacon Of the like credite are the counterfeit writinges which passe vnder the name of Abdias Ignatius Hippolytus Policarpus as it may appeare by the homely stuffe contained in them Abdias prescribeth a most superstitious obseruation of Lent fast not onely in abstaining from all flesh-meates but also from all carnall copulation betweene man and wife The same Abdias is also contrarie to himselfe for he affirmeth that Paule suffered 2. yeares after Peter And saith further that Paule after Peter was crucified remained in his custodie at Rome mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles which was as Hierome saith the 3. or 4. yeare of Nero so that by this account there must be 10. yeares space betweene the suffering of Paule and Peter for it is confessed by all writers that Paule suffered the 14. that is the last yeare of Nero. Ignatius saith in his epistle to the Philippians that if any man shal fast on Sunday or Saturday he is a murtherer of Christ so hoat this counterfeit father is about his counterfeit traditions Of the like authoritie is Policarpus epistle ad Philippen which is gathered out of the Apocryphall constitutions of counterfeit Clemens Hippolytus booke is too ful of fables then to be thought to be that auncient Martyrs worke for writing of Antichrist he saith he shalbe no man but a deuil in the shape of man that Iohn the Euangelist shal come with Henoch and Helias before the comming of Antichrist that Antichrist shal bring deuils with him in the shape of Angels and commaund them to carie him vp to heauen with other such stuffe Now commeth in that vncleane dunghil of decretals which are falsely attributed to those good Bishops of Rome that suffered in the great persecutions in the primitiue age of the Church for the testimonie of Iesus As wee may strongly coniecture by the matter and substance of those decretals The epistle fathered vppon Alexander doth euidentlie appeare to be counterfeit by the date which it beareth when Traianus and Helianus were Consuls But there was neuer anie Helianus Consull with Traianus Fulk 1. Tim. 4. 13. Euaristus Bishop of Rome is saide to haue decreed that no priest should be ordained without a title But it is not like that
from Idols 1. Iohn 5. 4. They doe vsually answere that the Apostle speaketh of heathenish Idolles not of theirs which are Images not Idols Answ. The scripture indifferētly vseth both the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated simulachrum an Idoll the other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imago an image Rom. 1. 23. So that both Idolles and Images are by the Scripture condemned The Apostle sayth that Christ hath appeared but once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe Hebr 9. 26. and that hee hath but offered one sacrifice for sinnes 10. 12. Yet they doubt not to say that Christ is dayly offered in sacrifice in their Masse contrarie to the scripture which sayth Hee neede not to offer himselfe often Heb. 9. 25. That all sinnes whatsoeuer may bee remitted by penance euen apostasie and wilfull forsaking of the trueth Rhemist Heb. 10. sect 11. And yet our Sauiour Christ sayth that blasphemie against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen S. Iohn sayth hereby shall yee knowe the spirite of God euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God 1. Iohn 4. 2. Here the Apostle giueth a generall note for all times to discerne false doctrine by But the Rhemistes contrariwise affirme That this marke will not serue for all times nor in case of other false doctrines but that it was then a necessarie note Rhemist in hunc locum That it is possible to keepe the law and commandementes of God in this life Rhemist Rom. 8 sect 4. But our Sauiour teacheth vs to say wee are vnprofitable seruantes when we haue done all that is commaunded vs. Luke 17. 10. They minister the Sacrament onely in one kinde to the people wherein their practise impugneth the institution of Christ who gaue both bread and wine at his last supper And saint Paul also rehearsing the institution sayth 1. Corinth 11. 25. After the same manner also he tooke the cuppe Where it is to bee noted that S. Paul writeth to the whole Church of the Corinthians both the pastors and the people prescribing an vniforme order for them all in receyuing the Lords supper That there remayneth in the children of God an awe and feare of God and his iudgementes with mistrust and feare of hell and damnation Rhemist 1. Iohn 4. sect 6. But the Apostle saith There is no feare in loue but perfect loue thrusteth out feare and maketh vs to haue confidence in the day of iudgement 1. Iohn 4. ver 17. 18. Where loue is then there remayneth no hellish feare where confidence is there can be no mistrust but such a feare as is ioyned with loue and hope That it is not vnlawfull by Moses law for the vncle or Auntes husband to marrie his niece Bellarm. de matrim cap. 27. Yet it is by name prohibited that the Nephew should marrie his Aunt the sister of his father or of his mother Leuit. 18. 12. 13. The like reason is of both The Scripture saith that Christ is the rocke 1. Corinth 10. 4. and that there can be no other foundation of the Church but Iesus Christ 1. Corinth 3. 11. yet they say that Peter is the rocke and that Christ founded and built his Church vpon Peter Rhemist Math. 16. sect 8. The scripture sayth that of the day and houre of Christes comming to iudgement no man knoweth neither the Angels of heauen nor the Son of man as he is man Mark 13. 32. But the papistes are bolde to assigne the verie day of his comming iust 45. daies after the death of their Antichrist who shall raigne as they imagine 3 yeares and a halfe before the comming of Christ Bellarm. de Rom. pontific lib. 3. cap. 9. And thus blasphemously they take vpon them to know more then either the Angels know or Christ himselfe as he is man The scripture saith when we haue done all that is commanded vs wee haue done but that which was our duetie to doe Luke 17. 10. Yet Bellarmine cleane contrary and that most blasphemouslie affirmeth Possumus facere plusquam debemus si consideremus legem nobis a deo impositam proinde possumus facere plus quà m reuera facere teneamur lib. 2. de Monachis cap. 13. Wee may or are able to do more then we ought if wee consider the lawe imposed vpon vs from God and therefore we may do more then indeede wee are bound to doe A great blasphemie ioyned with a notorious vntruth They denie that the sacramentes are seales of the promises of God Bellarm. de sacram lib. 1. cap. 17. And yet S. Paul doubteth not to call circumcision which was a sacrament of the lawe the seale of the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4. 11. Whereas Christ in the institution of the sacrament said after the giuing of the bread onely Take ye eate ye but after he had giuen the cup he said Drinke ye all of this Math. 26. 26. 27 They nothing doubt to affirme but that Christ said as well after the deliuering of the bread Eate ye all of this which they haue say they by Apostolike tradition as he said after the cup deliuered Drinke ye all of this And contrariwise they also affirme that Christ said onely once Hoc facite do this and that was after he had giuen the bread whereas S. Paul notwithstanding rehearsing the institution of Christ doth twise repeate these wordes Hoc facite both after the bread and after the cup as hauing bene twise vsed of Christ in the institution 1. Corinth 1◠24. 25. Bellarm. de sacram Eucharist lib. 4. cap. 25. And thus they will make Christ to speake that which the scripture saith not he spake only following blind tradition they wil denie Christ to haue vttered that which the Apostle notwithstāding witnesseth was spoken by him That all Christians are not priestes alike before God but some more properly priestes then other Rhemist Apocal. 1. sect 5. Whereas the scripture speaketh indifferently of all the faithfull He hath made vs Kinges and priestes to God his Father Apocal. 1. 6. For although there be a difference of orders amongest men some are teachers some to be taught some pastors some sheepe yet this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrificers or priests is indifferently giuē to al Christians in this sense none before God are more properlie priestes then others but all alike Christ Iesus an high priest for vs all In the Idolatrous sacrifice of the Masse they affirme and practise many thinges contrarie to scripture 1. The scripture maketh this notable difference betweene the priestes of the lawe and of the gospell that among them there were many because they were forbidden by death to endure but Christ because he dieth not but liueth euer hath an vnchaungeable priesthoode Heb. 7. 23. 24. Yet the papistes affirme that all their massing priestes are of Melchisedeckes order and so contrary to the scriptures they bring in a multitude of priests into the Gospel
lies in his historie de poenitent lib. 3. cap. 14. Likewise in another place the Iesuite refuseth Platina non publica authoritate vitas illas Pontificum scripsit He was not by publike authoritie allowed to write the liues of the Popes de poenitent lib. 3. cap. 13. Benno a Cardinal refused that wrote the storie of Gregorie the 7. And the Iesuites loose coniecture is that the booke was made by some Lutherane whereas it is manifest that the booke is more auncient by almost fiue hundred yeares than the name of Luther Bellarm. de sum Pontif. lib. 4. cap. 13. But thus they deale not onely with these latter writers but euen with the most auncient If Tertullian be alleadged against them not to their liking they crie out that he was an heretike and wrote this or that in defence of heresie Harding detect 238. In deede Tertullian had his errors but yet all that he wrote contrarie to them is not heresie Where wee cite that saying of Cyprian If the truth faint or faile in any point wee ought to returne to the originall of our Lorde and to the traditions of the Gospell Wee receiue this aunswere S. Cyprian vsed that saying in an euill case and therefore hee defending a falshood was driuen to the verie same shiftes whereunto all heretikes are driuen Defens Apolog. pag. 172. Harding See the boldnes of this man The counsell and commaundement of Christ Search the Scriptures is no better with him than an hereticall shift When wee affirme by Saint Hieromes testimonie that Pope Liberius subscribed to the Arrians wee are sent away with this scornefull aunswere that Hierome was deceiued by a rumour dwelling in the East Harding pag. 661. But that famous learned father Augustine is most vncourteously vsed at their hands of all the rest The Rhemistes refuse Augustines exposition of these wordes in the Gospel vpon this rocke c. Math. 16. which he expoundeth not of Peters person but of Peters faith Annot. Math. 16. Sect. â— They likewise refuse his reading Hebr. 11. Iacob worshipped leaning vpon his staffe but they will needs haue it Iacob worshipped the top of his staffe as though Iacob made an idol of his staffe Annot. Heb. 11. v. 21. Bellarmine also taketh the same libertie to reiect Augustines iudgemeÌ„t as where Augustine interpreteth that place of S. Paul 1. Cor. 3. He shalbe saued as through fire of the afflictions or tribulations of this life But the Iesuite wresteth the words to signifie Purgatorie de Purgator lib. 1. ca. 4. And in another place he doth not only refuse but confute at large Augustines interpretation of that place of Peter epist. 1. cap. 3. of the spirites now in prison which were sometime disobedient de Christo lib. 4. cap. 13. Yea he doth not onely reiect this learned father and by argument confute him but hee proceedeth yet further to father a lie vpon him thus writing Augustinus absurdissimum censuit quod haeresis Donatistarum post annum Domini 300 ex Carthagine esset propaganda in omnem terram Augustine thought most absurdly that the Donatistes heresie three hundred yeares expired after Christ should out of Carthage spring foorth and bee propagated or spread abroad into all the earth And the Iesuite quoteth the place in Augustine lib. de vnitat Eccles. cap. 14. 15. Bellarm. de notis Eccles lib. 4. cap. 7. But in Augustine read the place who will there is no such matter to be founde The Donatistes assertion was this that the Church was perished from the whole worlde and onely remained in Africa Augustine thus confuteth them How can the faith be perished from the worlde when the faith of the Gentiles is not yet fulfilled how can it be lost which they haue not yet receiued Nisi fortè dicatis earum reparationem ex Africa per partem Donati expectandam Vnlesse you will say that the faith of the Nations being decayed is like to be by the Donatistes sect repaired and then it followeth Puto quod ipsi etiam rideant cum hoc audiunt tamen nisi hoc dicunt quod erubescant si dicant non habent omnino quod dicant I thinke that they themselues will laugh when they heare this and yet vnlesse they affirme this which they may be ashamed to affirme they haue nothing at all to say See then Augustine is so farre from saying or thinking as the Iesuite chargeth him that he taketh it rather to be folly to be laughed at or an absurditie to be blushed at Who will not rather iudge the Iesuite most absurd in blemishing so falsly Augustines name with such an absurditie By this wee may coniecture that the Iesuite both in this place and in many other trusted to other mens readings rather than to his owne Doth not also Albertus Pigghius most vnreuerently saye of Augustine that he erred lied vsed false Logique in affirming matrimonie after a vow made to be perfite not to be vndone againe Distinct. 27. Quidam And as they deale with the auncient writers so they spare not their owne friends Harding sayth Wee take not vpon vs all that the Canonists or Schoole-men say or write Defens apol pag. 385. The like they say of others Wee binde not our selues to maintayne whatsoeuer Albertus Pigghins hath written Cardinall Caietanus hath his errours Erasmus and Agrippa be men of small credite Alphonsus de castro Beatus Rhenanus Platina appendix Concilij Basiliens are stuffe little worth Harding detection 307. b. a. Bellarmine also is so bolde as to checke Aeneas Sylvius who afterwarde was Pope of Rome called Pius 2. for whereas we alleadge that saying of his Ante Nicenum Concilium ad Romanam Ecclesiam paruus habebatur respectus Before the first Nicene Councell there was small regarde had to the Church of Rome The Iesuite aunsweareth Quae sententia Aenea Syluij partim est vera partem non est vera which sentence of Aeneas Syluius is partly true partlie false Bellar. de Rom. pontif lib. 2. cap. 17. Thus in their mood they neither spare old nor new writer neither Cardinall nor Pope friend or foe And no maruel for as Augustine wel saith Si diuina lâ—x persuadere non possit humana authoritas ad veritatem reuocare nequit If the word of God cannot perswade them it is not straunge that they are not mooued with humane authoritie Cont. Crescon lib. 1. cap. 3. and indeed they make as bold with the holy Scriptures as with the writings of men wresting mangling them altering changing the text at their pleasures As Bellarmine citing a text out of S. Luke 22. 19. addeth these wordes of his owne Câ—nantibus eis While they supped he tooke bread whereas the text is And when hee had taken bread because he would proue very fondly that the bread was distributed in supper while and the cup after supper not both together Bellarm. desacram Eucharist lib. 4. cap. 24. In an other place he quoteth Apocal. 14. v. 1. For
the signe of the crosse and whereas the originall onely hath Hauing his fathers name written in their fore-heads they put in this clause Hauing his name and his fathers name after the vulgare latine So in the canon of the masse they adde these words vnto the Gospel Mandueate ex hoc omnes Eat ye all of this whereas Christ said onely after the cup Bibite ex hoc omnes drinke ye all of this Bellarmine faith it is supplied by â—adition de sacram Eucharist lib. 4. ca. 25. So 1. Ioh. 4. 3. where the authentical Greeke hath Euery spirit which confesseth not Iesus they read after their corrupt latine text Euery spirit which dissolueth Iesus Without any senso whereas the text approueth the former reading for the 2. verse speaketh of spirits confessing Iesus so that consequently this verse must treat ofspirits not confessing Iesus Vnto this place may be added al the corruptions of the vulgar latine translation which are maintayned by the Church of Rome disagreeing from the true originall in Greeke Lastly they do not onely alter and chaung scripture but make scripture of their owne as one of their side prooueth the Pope to bee Dommus reruÌ„ temporalium Lord ofall worldly goods por illud dictum Patri dabo tibi omnia regna mundi by those words of Peter I wil giue thee al the kingdoms of the world These wordes notwithstaÌ„ding Peter neuer spake but they were spoken by the deuill a fit text sure to ground the popes Lordlike dominion vpon Archidiacon Florentin ex citation Iuel pag. 615. defens apolog More who list to see of our aduersaries maner of corrupting scripture I referre them to that which hath beene before said of this matter 1. Piller part 3. a loc 46. ad 5â— I say vnto them now as Augustine to certaine heretikes in his time Mortuus fine sensuiacet valent verba ipsius sedet Christus in coelo contradicitur testamento eius A man lieth deede without sense and his will remaineth in force Christ sitteth in heauen and dieth not yet his testament is gainsaid in Psal. 21. Thus wee see the weake answeres and beggerlie shiftes which our aduersaries through the weakenesse of their cause are driuen vnto Who may fitly be compared to vse Augustines comparison vnto subtle crafty foxes Vulpes solent habere tales foueas vt ex vnaparte intrent ex alia exeant Foxes are wont to haue such holes that they may goe in one way and goe out another Euen so doe our aduersaries seeke starting holes playing fast and loose with vs sometime denying the fathers sometime affirming with them sometime appealing to scripture otherwhile running from scripture to tradition so going in and out at their pleasure Sed ad vtrung foramen as Augustine saith captor vulpium retia posuit But the fox-taker seeing their craft hath laid his nettes in both holes that comming in and going out they are sure to be taken in Psal. 80. So God be thanked our Sauiour Christ this wise taker of foxes hath so armed the defenders of his trueth that whether these wilely foxes goe in or goe out pretend scriptures fathers or goe against them we doubt not buttheir feete shalbe caught with the snare of trueth Sophisticall distinctions and cunning sleightes deuised for the maintenance of popery Part. 3. VEe are now come by the grace of God to shake one of the principall pillers of papistrie for herein lyeth the very strength of their cause the very pith of popish schoole-diuinitie in deuising and inuenting subtile and sophistical distinctions thinking thereby to obscure the light of the trueth and to shift off most euident places of scripture The chiefe of their distinctions though not all yet some and the better part of them we will set down in their order and weigh them in the balance of Gods word that their lightnes may appeare Distinct. 1. I will beginne with that distinction concerning the authoritie of scripture they say that secundumse of it selfe the scripture and in it selfe is of sufficient authoritie but Quoad nos in respect of vs it dependeth of the approbation of the Church that we can not know neither are boundto beleeue the scriptures but because of the testimonie and allowance of the Church Bellarm. de concil lib. 2. cap. 12. Rhem. annot Galath 2. sect 6. Ans. This is but a subtile sleight to steale away the credit of the word of God for the scriptures were wholly written for vs our vse al the authority they haue is for the benefit of men in respect of vs If then they haue no authority with vs nor we bound to beleeue them vnlesse the Church doth approue them then they receiue their authority froÌ„ the Church for scripture was written for men not for God himselfe or Angels So this distinction is contrary to the word of God I receiue saith Christ no witnes of meÌ„ Ioh. 5. 34. But the scripture is the voice of Christ therfore it needeth not the approbation of men The spirit beareth witnesse that the spirite is the trueth 1 Ioh. 5. 6. That is the scriptures are discerned known by the same spirit the which they were written withal The Church in deed is to testify of the trueth but the trueth is to be beleeued for the truths sake although it haue no testimony of men for my sheepe saith our Sauiour heare my voice Ioh. 10. 2. Distinct. They distinguish of the word of God there is VerbuÌ„ Dei scriptuÌ„ the word of God writteÌ„ which is contained in the scriptures VerbuÌ„ Dei non scriptuÌ„ the word of God not written that is their traditions Bellarm. de scriptur lib. 4. cap. 2. Ans. This is a vaine distinction for the whole word of God reuealed is conteined in scripture as outof scripture we proue it thus The word written that is the holy scriptures are able to make a man perfect to euery good worke 2. Timoth. 3. 17. and so vnto saluation But whatsoeuer is ouer and beside that which is perfect is superfluous But no part of Gods word is superfluous therefore no part of the worde beside scripture 3 Distinct. The Church is built say they vpon Peter and Peters faith but faith here hath a double consideration for it may be eyther absolutely considered or with relation to Peters person But faith generally and absolutely respected is not the foundation of the Church but as it was in Peter Bellarm. de Roman pontif lib. 1. cap. 11. Rhemist annot Math. 16. sect 1. Ans. That Peters faith which was in Peter by Peter confessed as a portion IndiuiduuÌ„ of the general sauing faith of the Church is the foundation of the same Church wee denie not But Peters personall faith cannot be this foundation forthen when Peter died his faith being a particular accideÌ„t to his person going away with him the Church should haue wanted a foundation Againe in Peter these two thinges are respected his person faith
namely Christ and yet againe that they were yet Bellarmine affirmeth both the first lib. 2 de Sacram. cap. 17. resp ad argument 3. The latter lib. 1. de Miss ca. 20. 19 To say that faith goeth before repentance or as they terme it Penance and that repentance goeth before iustification is all one to say that repentance goeth before iustification and that iustification likewise goeth before repentance for by faith are wee iustified Roâ— 5. 1. As soone as faith commeth iustification doth accompanie it If faith go before so doth iustification and if iustification follow repentance so doth faith yet are they both affirmed by Bellarmine de Poenitent lib. 1. cap. 19. 20 Manie such contradictorie and repugnant sayings are easily to be found in Bellarmines volumes in the writings of other papistes so that they neither agree with others nor with themselues as the Rhemists sometime say that the meritorious workes of the Saints the verie ground of popish indulgences are to be disposed by the Pastors of the Church 2. Corinth 2. Sect. 5. Sometime that they are applicable by the sufferers intention Annot. 1. Coloss. 1. Sect. 4. Harding Sometime calleth their Legend storie an old moth-â—aten booke and confesseth that among many true stories it may haue some fables Defens Apolog pag. 166. And yet forgetting himselfe hee stoutly affirmeth that there are no fables nor lies in that booke pag. 750. Thus much of the personall contradictions among the papistes both olde and newe Nowe wee will set downe for a taste and tryall the repugnances and contrarieties which their religion hath within it selfe Popish Religion contrary within it selfe Part. 4. 1 IT is generally taught and beleeued in the popish Church that Baptisme is necessary to saluatioÌ„ which errour they would ground vpon those wordes Iohn 3. 5. That vnles a man be borne of water and the spirite he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen yet they themselues also affirme that baptisme was not necessarie before the passion of Christ but beganne in the day of Pentecost after to bee necessarie Bellarm. lib. 1. de baptis cap. 5. Yea and nowe also they make two exceptions of Martyrs and penitent persons who without baptisme may bee saued Bellarm. cap. 6. The Rhemistes adde vnto these a third exempt case of those that depart this life with vowe and desire of the sacrament of baptisme Annot. Iohn 3. sect 2. But if they ground the necessitie of baptisme vpon those words of our Sauiour it beganne to bee necessarie when those words were vttered and therefore was necessary before the passion of Christ. Secondly the wordes are general in so much that there is no priuiledge graunted to Martyrs or penitent persons if they stande strictlie vpon that place In this poynt therefore papistrie is not at vnitie in it selfe 2 Bellarmine with the rest do affirme that Christ gaue the cup onelie to his Apostles whom at that instant they say he made priestes and therefore priestes onelie not lay-men are bound by the word of God to receiue in both kindes Yet the practise of their Church is contrary For neither doe priestes if they communicate onely and minister not the sacrament receiue in both kindes according to the decree of the Tridentine chapter Bellarm. de sacram Eucharist lib. 4. cap. 25. 3 Againe in their priuate masses the priest saith Quotquot ex hac altaris participatione sumpserimus As many of vs as haue beene partakers of this altar When as there be no communicantes beside the priest himselfe how can this hang together ex canon missae 4 The priest also being at masse saith commaund these to be caried by the handes of thine Angels vnto the highest altar in heauen and anone he swalloweth downe the host into his belly that he would haue conueyed into heauen how can these thinges agree 5 The papistes generally make but seauen degrees of ecclesiastical orders as priestes deacons subdeacons Acolythistes or Attenders Readers Exorcistes doore-kepers Bellarm. de Cleric cap. 11. And yet Bellarmine the mouth of the rest affirmeth that Ordinatio episcopalis the ordaining of Bishops is a sacrament as the other ministerial orders be Ergo it is also a distinct degree from the rest and so there are eight in al Bellarm. de sacram Ordinis cap. 5. Further if there be eight distinct Orders euery one by it selfe is a sacrament as Bellarmine teacheth then haue we eight sacraments of Order beside the other six for al these seuerall orders cannot make one sacrament seeing they differ one from another both in forme of wordes in the externall signes or ceremonies that are vsed Consul Bellarm. lib. de Ordin cap. 5. 6. 7. 8. 6 In wordes and outward profession they affirme that matrimonie is a sacrament And yet some of them call it a pollution or prophanation of orders Gregor Martin And that the mariage of ministers is the worst sort of incontinencie fornication Rhemist 1. Cor. 7. sect 8. Haue not these men now a very reuerent opinion of their sacramentes 7 Againe they preferre continencie before matrimonie as a state far more excellent and meritorious before God Yet they hold matrimonie to be a sacrament and to conferre grace of iustification how then is it not more excellent then single life which is no sacrament neither a conferrer of grace 8 Bellarmine saith Bonum est a Deo petere tum vt sanctos pro nobis orare faciat tum vt illos pro nobis orantes exaudiat It is good for vs to craue of God that he would cause the Saintes to pray for vs and that then he would heare them entreating for vs De Miss lib. 2. cap. 8. Thus they make God a mediator between the Saintes and vs. And what an absurde thing is this to pray to God that the Saints may pray for vs whereas in thus saying they confesse that we haue accesse vnto God our selues without their mediation 9 It is the opinion of the schoolemen approued by Bellarmine that the fathers of the lawe were iustified by the merite of Christes passion as we are but herein to stand the difference that the merite of Christs Death is applied vnto vs by the sacramentes Hebrâ—is autem per solam fidem But vnto the Hebrues by onely faith Bellarm. de sacram lib. 2. cap. 13. I pray you now if they were iustified by faith onely who liued vnder the law which is contrary to faith The law is not of faith saith the Apostle Galath 3. 12. shal not we much more vnder the Gospel which is by S. Paule called the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. Who seeth not nowe the packing and iugling of papistes 10 Now coÌ„cerning the pope they euery where beare vs in hand that he is heade of the Catholike vniuersall Church And yet in the end being vrged they confesse that he is Christes vicar but in the regiment of that part which is on the earth Rhemist Annot. Ephes. â— sect 6. He is not then
not a manifest applying of the words to the matter proposed to be occupied That wee would make the simple beleeue that no punishment of a mans owne person for sinnes committed nor penance enioyned by the Church is necessarie but all such things to be superfluous because Christ hath satisfied ynough for al 2. Corinth 2. Sect. 2. This is a malicious slaunder Wee affirme in deede that no punishment laid vpon any mans person either by himselfe or by the Church is any satisfaction to the iustice of God for our sinnes because Christ onely was able and hath made such satisfaction yet temporall punishment for chastisement ecclesiasticall discipline for satisfaction of the Church and amendment of open offenders are necessarie by the ordinance of Gods worde and in our Church are practised Fulk ibid. They saye that Luther Caluine and such wicked Libertines as it pleaseth them to terme vs do teach that Contrition is altogether a meane to make sinners eyther hypocrites or to put them in despaire Annotat. 2. Corinth 7. Sect. 3. Wee speake onely against the Popish heresie of penance or sorrowe to be satisfactorie for sinne and not against such sorrow which worketh true repentance and true contrition for all their sinnes past That wee refuse all mans attestation and approbation and will bee tryed by Scriptures onely and that wee count it a great absurditie to haue the Scriptures approued by the Churches testimonie Galath 2. Sect. 4. But wee affirme no such thing neither doe wee refuse to bee tryed by men iudging according to the Scriptures The approbation of the Scriptures by the Church wee allowe but wee count it a great absurditie that the authoritie of the Scripture shoulde depende vppon the Churches approbation and tryall which is the thing in question betweene vs. That wee teach that the charge of the Apostles was so distinct that none could preach or exercise iurisdiction but in those seuerall places which by Gods appointment or their lot for more particular regard of peace and orders sake were limited to euery one Galath 2. Sect. 6. But we teach contrariwise That euery one of the Apostles had as large and as generall authoritie as the other and that any of the Apostles by their commission might lawfully haue preached at Rome as well as Peter or Paul But after this distinction was made by God it was not lawfull for the Apostles to leaue or forsake their special charges and to intrude them selues into anothers limits as Saint Paul saith wee do not stretch our selues beyond our measure 2. Corinth 10. 14. That we haue no other arguments against the reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament but such as wee borrow of Aristotle and his like concerning quantitie accidents place position dimensions sight taste and other straites of reason to the which they bring Christes mysteries Coloss. 2. 1. We haue other arguments out of holie Scripture and the auncient writers Neither haue wee any arguments out of Philosophie but such as are grounded vpon the Scriptures which teach the perfect humanitie of Christ and all essentiall properties of a true and naturall bodie They say wee applie that text of Saint Paul Hee that will not labour let him not eate 2. Thessal 3. 2. against the vacant life of the Clergie Annot in hunc locum But wee require no such thing as to labour with the hands of such of the Clergie as labour in studie and teaching Against the idle life of Monkes Nunnes Friers and the rest of that crue as also against idle Masse-priests this text is strong That we hold nothing to be necessarie to saluation but the Scriptures 2. Timoth. 3. Sect. 3. We hold no such thing for so wee should exclude Christ him selfe as vnnecessarie to saluation But we affirme that the Scripture containeth all things necessarie to be learned to saluation and this is the true state of the question That wee plainly denie Melchisedech to haue bene a Priest Hebr. 7. Sect. 8. Here without shame they slaunder vs. This wee neuer denied neither by Gods grace will euer though we affirme that his Priesthood consisted not in offering of bread and wine neither doth the Apostle or any text of Scripture so teach They charge vs with this heresie That Christ was not the first man that entred into heauen Hebr. 10. Sect. 1. They belie vs to say we holde that Christ was not the first man that entred into heauen with his bodie or whole humanitie as the text is Hebr. 10. 20. And that dedicated and prepared away for all his members to enter into heauen both with their bodies and their soules by vortue of whose death all the faithfull from the beginning were receiued into heauenly rest in their soules That we will haue no difference betweene the laitie and the Clergie 1. Pet. 5. Sect. 2. It is false which here they obiect against vs. Wee onely mislike their Popish difference who do in such sort set apart their Clergie from the rest of the people as though they onely were the Lords lot and inheritance the rest excluded That we say the Scriptures be so easie that they may be not only safely read but also expounded boldly of all the people as wel vnlearned as learned and consequently euery one by himselfe and his priuate spirite without respect of the expositions of the learned fathers or expectation of their pastors iudgement may determine make choice of such sense as himselfe liketh 2. Pet. 3. Sect. 1. All these are great vntruthes In deede we do hold that the people may safely be admitted to the reading of the Scriptures though we denye not but that there are certain places therein hard to be vnderstoode yet we giue them not libertie to expound scripture as themselues listeth not staying for the iudgement of their pastors For we plainly protest that whosoeuer despiseth the ordinarie Ministerie of the word which God hath established in his Church for the direction of vs in the truth shal neuer attaine vnto true knowledge As for the expositions of the fathers we are so far from reiecting them where they interprete according to the sense of the Scriptures that they do in a manner anow all our interpretations which you mislike That wee affirme that wee neither keepe neither possiblie can keepe Gods commandements 1. Iohn 2. Sect. 7. Wee say not so but that we can not keep them in such perfection as the iustice of God requireth though by his grace we doubt not but we are enabled in such measure to keepe them as his mercie in Christ accepteth Fulk ibid. Thus wee see with how many slaunders our countrimen of Rhemes doe vnkindly charge and load vs withal neither are these all more who pleaseth may collect out of that blacke booke of theirs The want of the rest which I haue not here set downe I will supply out of another countrey-mans booke of ours to whome we are much beholding for afoording of vs such plentie of so good stuffe First