of the Church all the Churches of Asia together with others adioyning and very bitterly inveigheth against them by his letters Which fact of Victor Irenaeus and other Bishops sharpely reprooved in their letters to the said Victor Which thing Ruffinus plainely testifieth in these words Sed hoc non omnibus placebat Episcopis quin potius è contrario scribentes ei iubebant vt magis quae pacis sunt ageret concordiae atque vnanimitati studeret denique extant ipsorum literae quibus asperius obiurgant victorem velut invtiliter ecclesiae commodis consulentem Yet this his dealing pleased not all Bishops but contrariwise they wrote vnto him bidding him to practise rather that belonged to peace and to studie for concord and vnitie Finally their letters are also extant in the which they sharpely chide Victor as one that respected vnprofitably the good of the Church Thus saith Ruffinus In like manner though with more modestie dissented Anicetus an other bishop of Rome from S. Polycarpe bishop of Smyrna Of which variance thus writeth Eusebius Neque tamen Anicetus Polycarpo poterat persuadere vt suum observandi morem deponeret neque Polycarpus Aniceto persuasit vt consuetudinem Asiaticam vllo modo observaret Neither could Polycarpus perswade Anicetus to keepe the custome and tradition of Asia Now gentle Reader what neede more to be said for the vncertentie of traditions 1 For first these Bishops that thought thus diversly of traditions lived within one hundred yeeres of Christ at what time the Church was in good estate and stained with very few or no corruptions at all 2 Secondly the one side doubtles was seduced with false traditions 3 Thirdly S. Polycarpe and other holy bishops of that age made no more account of the bishop of Rome his opinion or authoritie then of an other mans 4 Fourthly they were so farre from acknowledging him to be the supreame head of the Church that they all reputed them selves his equals and controlled him as sharply for his doctrine as S. Paul reprooved S. Peter for his conversation 5 Fiftly if S. Polycarpe had cause in his time beeing the flourishing age of the Church to doubt of Romish traditions much more have we cause in these latter daies to stand in doubt thereof For now hath iniquitie the vpper hande nowe are corruptions more frequent no we doe errours in every place more abound Let vs therefore follow S. Augustines advise let vs admit nothing rashly let vs examine all doubtfull traditions and doctrines by the touchstone of veritie the holy Scriptures And least any man thinke S. Augustine to be of another minde these are his owne expresse wordes Non audiamus haec dico haec dicis sed audiamus haec dicit dominus sunt certe libri dominici quorum ant horitati vtrique consentimus vtrique credimus vtrique servimus ibi quaeramus ecclesiam ibi discutiamus causam nostram Let vs not heare I say this thou saiest that but let vs heare this saith the Lord for our Lord hath bookes whose authoritie we both admit we both beleeve we both obey let vs there seeke the Church let vs there decide our cause But what neede many words For either popish vnwritten traditions are repugnant to the Scriptures or consonant to the same If they be repugnant then is there great reason to reiect them if they be consonant that must be tried by comparing them to the Scriptures which is the conclusion I defend But the Papists perceiving them selves to be convinced by the Scriptures tell vs plainly that they must have their cause tried by other meanes For so writeth my L. of Rochester in these expresse tearmes Contendentibus itaque nobiscum haereiic is nos alio subsidio nostram oportet tueri causam quam Scripturae sacrae When therefore heretikes he meaneth all not Papists dispute with vs we must vse other helpe in defense of our cause then the Scripture Loe they dare not be tryed by the Scripture Which if a papist had not spoken who would haue beleeved it The Corollarie FIrst therefore since the written Word conteineth in it selfe every thing necessarie for our salvation secondly since no traditions are to be admitted but such as are consonant to the holy Scripture thirdly since Papists load vs with huge numbers of traditions without warrant of the written word fourthly since popish traditions were in old time most doubtfull and vncerten I conclude that it is a sufficient motive for me to renounce the Romish religion as false erroneous and pernicious doctrine Thus much of the ninth Motive CHAP. ix Of Popish auricular confession ALthough popish doctours doe wonderfully magnifie their auricular confession perswading the vulgar sort that they can not attaine salvation without the same yet is it in deede a meere invention of man the bitter torment of conscience and the readie way to desperation For manifest probation whereof I proceede in this manner The first Conclusion ALL Christians must confesse their sinnes to God with internall contrition of heart with full purpose to amend their lives and with stedfast hope of remission by the mercie of God through the merites of Christ his Sonne our sweete redeemer Of this kinde of confession the Scripture speaketh abundantly Delictum meum cognitum tibi feci iniustitiam meam non abscondi dixi confitebor adversum me iniustitiam meam domino tu remisisti impietatem peccati mei I have made my sinne knowne vnto thee and mine iniustice I have not hid I said I will confesse to the Lord my iniustice against my selfe and thou hast forgiven the impietie of my sinne Qui abscondit scelera sua non dirigetur quiautem confessus fuerit reliquerit ea misericordiam consequetur He that hideth his offenses shall not be directed but who shall confesse and forsake his sinnes shall attaine mercie Sidixerimus quoniā peccatum non habemus ipsi nos seducimus veritas in nobis non est si confiteamur peccata nostra fidelis est iustus vt remittat nobis peccata nostra If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs but if we confesse our sinnes c. That this confession must be ioyned with hope of remission S. Chrysostome teacheth in these words Quid proderunt lachrymae confessio sinulla adsit abolitionis fiducia What shal teares confession availe if there be no hope of forgivenes And that we must adde herevnto amendment of life S. Hilarie teacheth vs when he saith Quid aliud est confessio erroris quam confessio desinendi ab errore What other thing is the confession of errour then to confesse that we will forsake errour So then when we be wayle our sinnes confesse them and purpose to amend our former lives with stedfast hope of Gods mercie through attonement made in Christes bloode wee shall doubtlesse have remission of our sinnes Then though our
purgatorie and yet by vvay of suffrage no such thing can bee assured no more then vvhen an other devoute papist shall offer vp his prayers for them vvhich thing seemed so to trouble Bellarminus that in his written dictates hee knovveth not vvell vvhat to holde or vvrite concerning romish pardons Thirdly because the pope can not applie Christs satisfaction more effectuallie to them by his pardoning then the same is applied to them by the saying of masse as vvhich by popish religion is the selfe same sacrifice reallie that vvas offered vpon the crosse and yet doth no papist saye or thinke that our saying of masse can or vvil deliuer his friends soule from purgatory For othervvise there vvould not be so many masses said so many times for the selfe same persons as hath beene and is daily seen amongst the papists For to this end doe they celebrate and obserue yerely anniuersaries for soules departed 10. 20. 30. 40. 60. yeares before vvhich the pope cardinals and monkes had taught the people to frequent as most necessarie for their friends soules in purgatorie Fourthly because it cannot be proued that after God hath pardoned our sinnes and the eternall paine due for the same there still remaineth some temporal paine remissible by the popes pardons Fiftly because al the three thinges required of papistes in popish pardoning are most firm certaine and readie in the soules of purgatorie to vvit auctoritie in thhe giuer charitie in the receiuer and the cause of pietie For first the soules of purgatorie bee in charitie as all papistes confesse as vvho othervvise could neuer be saued 2 Secondly it is mere crueltie not to helpe the faithful in such vvofull case Thirdlie if they denie the popes auctoritie I vvill vvillinglie denie it vvith them though he accurse me as hee hath alreadie done for my paines For I nothing doubt but God of his great mercie vvill conuert his curse to my greater ioy and blisse And here because the Seminaries neuer ceasse to boast in corners amongest the simple that none in this realme dareth to dispute with them I offer publique dispute with what seminarie in England soeuer he be no one or other excepted who soeuer so it may stand vvith the honourable licence and good liking of higher povvers whose mindes I am of dutie bound to obay in that behalfe For I nothing doubt if my option may bee graunted but that it will tend to the glorie of God the service of my soveraigne the honour of my countrie the edification of the auditours and the comfort of myne owne soule The reason is for that I know verie sufficientlie the foundations groundes auctorities and reasons of both sides and vvithal behold as in a glasse of christall the euident confutation of all whatsoeuer can possibly bee said in defense of papistrie which if I had not first seene I had neuer departed from popish doctrine The 7. Conclusion IF the popes pardons be not of so great force and worth so much as they are said and preached to be then is the popes religion vaine and of no credite at all This proposition both is and must be graunted of all papistes if they will defend their now professed Romish religion Thomas Aquinas whose doctrine and bookes divers popes haue approoved for good and godly writeth thus Ecclesia praedicando indulgentias non mentitur ita tantum valent quantum praedicantur sicut enim dicit Augustinus si in sacra Scriptura deprehenditur aliquid falsitatis iam robur authoritatis sacrae Scripturae perit Et similiter si in praedicatione ecclesiae aliqua falsitas deprehenderetur non essent documenta Ecclesiae alicuius autboritatis adroborandam fidem The Church preaching pardons doth not lie and so they are worth no lesse then they are preached For as Augustine saith if in holy Scripture any falshood be found euen then the full authoritie of holy scripture perisheth utterly And in like manner if in the preaching of the Church any falshood should be found the doctrine of the Church shoulde not be of any force to establish our faith These are the wordes of their canonized saint and renowmed doctour Aquinas which shewe unto us so plainely as more plainely nothing can be told that if the Church of Rome erre in any one point as in giving pardons or such like then must we giue no credit to it in other pointes of religion Neither is this the opinion of Aquinas onely but their other great Thomist Dominicus Soto singeth the same song These be his wordes Alij dixerunt indulgentias nihil prorsus valere nisi quantum unusquisque devotione sua faciendo quodindulgentia praecipit moeretur Attamen isti seu blasphemi non sunt audiendi sanè qui authoritatem Ecclesiae infringunt si enim de hac re nos Ecclesia seduceret nulla ei esset in reliquis adhibenda fides Some said that pardons were no more woorth at all then every man doeth merite by his owne devotion But these fellowes are to be reiected as blasphemous because they infringe the authoritie of the Church for if the Church should in this point seduce us then were there no credite to be given unto it in other pointes These are the expresse wordes of the Popes owne and best Doctors Aquinas and Soto whose testimonies with that which is said in other conclusions disable altogether the authoritie and religion of the Church of Rome For if the Church of Rome deceive us in her pardons as is sufficiently prooved that she hath done then is she not to be credited in other things as both Aquinas and Soto tell us whose doctrine the pope yea sundry Popes of Rome have confirmed THE COROLLARIE FIRST therefore since the Popes pardons be foolish and repugnant to common sence Secondly since the veritie and efficacie of pardons be so uncerten as the best learned Papistes can not tell what to say or write thereof Thirdly since to give pardons as the Pope doeth is a strange and new thing as which neither Christ nor his Apostles ever taught or practised Fourthly since the Popes manner of pardoning ordinarie popish practise considered is most absurd Fiftly since the Popes pardons in Romish doctrine are reputed aequivalent with holy martyrdome Sixtly since the Popes pardons be not such nor so forcible as they are preached to be Seventhly since the foundation of Popish pardons is blasphemous and derogatorie to Christes passion Eightly since the Pope taketh upon him by his pardons to deliver soules from purgatorie which he can not perfourme Nynthly since Aquinas Soto and Sylvester his owne renowmed Doctors doe affirme that if the Pope preach falsely in his pardons all his other doctrine is false and naught I conclude that it is a sufficient motive for me to renounce the Romish religion as false erronious and pernicious doctrine Thus much of the first Motive THE THIRD CHAP ter Of the Popes maners Faith and Religion ALbeit concerning Sanctimonie of life and honest conversation
sheepe So then that text of Scripture which with the Papists is the foundation of popish primacie to wit Feede my sheepe maketh no more for Peters superioritie then it doth for the supremacie of other Apostles For as you have heard out of S. Augustine it was as well spoken to all as to Peter Yea the grosse imagination of papists concerning the building of the Church vpon Peter is lively and evidently confuted of S. Augustine in an other place where he thus writeth Tu es inquit Petrus super hanc Petram quam confessus es super hanc Petram quam cognovisti dicens tu es Christus filius dei vivi aedificabo Ecclesiam meam id est super meipsum filium dei vivi aedificabo Ecclesiam meam super me aedificabo te non me super te Thou art Peter saith Christ and vpon this rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this rocke which thou hast acknowledged saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God will I build my Church that is vpon my selfe the Sonne of the living God will I build my Church I will builde thee vpon my selfe but not my selfe vpon thee Marke well these wordes gentle Reader with the other last rehearsed out of Saint Augustine and doubtlesse if plaine and manifest exposition of the Scripture will content thy minde thou canst not but nowe have thy desire The great generall Councell of Constantinople maketh the Church of Constantinople equall in Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction with the Church of Rome These be the words Renovantes quae à s. patribus 150. qui in hac regia vrbe convenerunt à 630. qui Chalcedone convenerunt constituta sunt decernimus vt thronus Constantinop aequalia privilegia cum antiquae Romae throno obtineat in Ecclesiasticis negotijs vt illa emine at secundus post illam existens We renewing the Canons which were set downe by the 150. holy fathers assembled in this royal citie by the 630. fathers gathered together in Chalcedon doe define that the See of Constantinople have equall priviledges with the See of old Rome and that it excell as Rome in Ecclesiasticall affaires beeing the second after Rome And long before all this that famous Councell of Nice distributing circuits and assigning determinate iurisdictions to the Patriarchall seates appointed to the Church of Rome prefixed limits as to the rest These be the wordes Mos antiquus perduret in Egypto vel Lybia Pentapoli vt Alexandrinus Episcopus horum omnium habeat potestatem quoniam quidem Episcopo Rom. parilis mos est Let the olde custome continue in Egypt or Lybia and Pentapolis that the Bishop of Alexandria may have power over them all because like custome hath the Bishop of Rome Which Canon is reported in the Councell of Carthage and there vttered in plaine tearmes Antiquiores obtineant qui apud Egyptum sunt Lybiam Pentapolin ita vt Alexandrinus Episcopus horum omnium exhibeat solicitudinem quia vrbis Romae Episcopo similis mos est similiter autem est circa Antiochiā in caeteris provincijs privilegia propria reserventur metrapolitanis Ecclesiis Let the auncient obteine which are at Egypt and Lybia and Pentapolis so that the Bishop of Alexandria may have the charge of them all because also the Bishop of Rome hath the like custome In like manner also let the proper priviledges be reserved to metropolitain Churches about Antioch and other Provinces By which wordes we see evidently that this auncient and famous Councell maketh no other account of the Church of Rome then it doeth of other Patriarchall seates Which Ruffinus himselfe though reputed a great Papist hath confessed bountifully in these wordes Vt apud Alexandriam vel in vrbe Roma vetusta consuetudo servetur vt vel ille Aegypti vel hic subvrbicarum Ecclesià rum sollicitudinem gerat That the old custome may continue and that the Bishop of Alexandria may have the charge of Egypt as the Bishop of Rome hath charge of the Churches nigh to Rome Loe in Ruffinus his dayes the Bishop of Rome had his iurisdiction limited which extended onely to certaine speciall Churches of Italie For which cause Saint Hierome a deare friend and great favourer of the Church of Rome confessed for all that the Bishop of Rome to be of no greater merite excellencie or auctoritie then other Bishops are as also that the custome of Rome could not over-rule other Churches These are S. Hieromes owne and expresse wordes Si auctoritas quaeritur orbis maior est vrbe vbicunque fuerit Episcopus sive Romae sive Eugubij sive Constantinopoli sive Rhegij sive Alexandriae sive Tanis eiusdem meriti eiusdem est sacerdotij potentia divitiarum paupertatis humilitas vel sublimiorem vel inferiorem Epi scopum facit caeterùm omnes Apostolorum successores sunt Sed dicis quomodo Romae adtestimonium diaconi presbyter ordinatur quid mihi profers vnius vrbis consuetudinem If we looke for authoritie the world is greater then one citie Where so ever a bishop shall be whether at Rome or at Eugubium or at Constantinople or at Rhegium or at Alexandria or at Tanis he is of the same merite and of the same priesthoode The magnificence of riches the basenes of povertie doth make him higher or lower but all are the successours of the Apostles But thou wilt say how is a priest made at Rome by the testimonie of a Deacon why doest thou alleadge vnto me the custome of one onely citie Thus S. Hierome agreeth with Ruffinus Ruffinus with the Councell of Nice and the Councell of Nice with other Councels fathers Scriptures And all ioyntly conclude the equalitie of other Bishops and Churches with the Bishop and Church of Rome The second Conclusion ALL the Apostles received their vniversall power immediately from Christ and not from Peter at all and consequently their iurisdictions were no lesse ordinarie then Peters was This to be so though this day much impugned by the Papists prooveth a great popish Doctour Franciscus a Victoria in these words Omnem potestatem quam Apostoli habuerunt receperunt immediatè à Christo. All power which the Apostles had they received it immediately from Christ. And in an other place the said Victoria hath these words Lex iniusta Episcopi non obligat ergo nec Papae Antecedens est notū concessum ab omnibus consequentia videtur not a quia nō habet maiorem auctoritatem Papa adinferendum iniuriam quam Episcopus circa ea enim quae sunt sui officij in proprios subditos non minus potest quà m Papa The vniust law of the Bishop doth not binde a man ergo neither doth the vniust lawe of the Pope binde a man The antecedent is knowne and graunted of all and the consequence seemeth manifest because the Pope hath no more auctoritie to doe an iniurie then hath the Bishop For in those things
the lawe eternall is that it is sinue to transgresse the rule And this is the common opinion as I haue proved out of Iosephus Angles Neither will it helpe the papistes to say as the Thomistes doe that veniall sins are praeter non contra legem besides the law but not against the law 1 First because saint Augustine defineth sinne generallie to be a gainst the law of God writing in this manner Peccatum est dictum vel factum vel concupitum contra legem aeternam dei Sinne is a saying or doing or coveting against Gods eternall lawe Secondly because as Iosephus Angles their owne doctor saith everie venial sinne is against right reason and to doe against right reason is to doe against the law of nature which commaundeth not to depart from the rule of right reason 3 Thirdly because we must give an accompt of euerie idle word in the general day of iudgement as Christ himselfe telleth vs for no-other end doubtlesse must this accompt be made but onely because everie idle word is against the law of God This the papistes can never denie and yet must they likewise confesse that idle wordes bee those sinnes which they tearme venialles and consequently that veniall sinnes be against the lawe of God Secondly that no mortall sinne can be forgiven in purgatorie is confessed of all papistes without contradiction Thus writeth Bellarminus Manet vltima sententia vera catholica purgatorium pro ijs tantum esse qui cum venialib culpis moriuntur rur sum pro illis qui decedunt cum reatupaenae culpis iam remissis The true and catholike opinion remaineth that purgatorie is only for those that die with veniall sinnes and againe for those that die with the guilt of sinne after their sinnes bee forgiven And with Bellarminus doe all other papistes agree that such as die in mortall sinne goe incontinently to hel Thirdly that sundrie having venial sinnes abide the paines of purgatorie appeareth by Bellarminus his wordes before alleaged and by Dominicus So to in these wordes Qui dixerit verbum contra spiritum sanctum nō remittetur ei in hoc seculo neque in futuro Vbi Gregorius lib. 4. di alogorum adnotavit aliqua leuia peccata remitti in futuro seculo per ignem purgationis He that shall blaspheme the holie Ghost shall neither be forgiven in this vvorld neither in the vvosld to come In vvhich place Gregorius pope of Rome noted certaine light sinnes to be forgiven in the world to come by the fire of purgation And their Aquinas saith thus Secundum enim quod peccata venialia sunt maioris vel minoris adhaerentiae vel gravitatis citius vel tardius per ignem purgantur For veniall sinnes are purged by fire sooner or latter according to their greater or lesser adherence or gravitie And for a full accomplishment of this conclusion Iosephus Angles vttereth the great perplexitie of papistes concerning this their purgative imagination These are his vvords Quo igitur modo remittuntur venialia in purgatorio varij sunt modi dicendi Scotus dicit in instanti mortis idest in primo non esse hominis propter merita quae homo habuit in vita Dur andus dicit remitti quoad culpam in purgatorio propter displicentiam quam habent illic animae venialium cum sint in charitate Soto asserit remitti quoad culpā in purgatorio propter actum chariiatis continuam patientiam quam dum cruciantur habent Hovv then are veniall sinnes forgiven in purgatorie diverse hold diversly Scotus saith they are forgiven in the instant of death that is vvhen man first beginneth not to be by reason of his merits in his life time Durand saith the fault is remitted in purgatorie for the displicence of venials vvhich the soules haue in that place and that because they be in charity Soto saith the sinne is remitted in purgatorie for the act of charitie and continuall patience vvhich they have in ther torments VVhom vvill not this discordant theologie vtterly dissvvade from papistrie The sixt Conclusion THe booke of Machabees which is the sole and onely foundation of popish purgatorie is of no force at all to establish the same This conclusion shalbe evidently prooved when I shall effectually disproove the authoritie of the said booke of Machabees wherewith many have a long time beene most miserably seduced Marke therefore my discourse herein To prove that the 2. book of Machabees out of which prayer and sacrifice for the dead and consequently purgatory is gathered is not Canonicall that is not penned by the assistance of the holy ghost I say first that it is not in the canon of the Hebrewes neither did the Iewes or Hebrewes at any time repute it as a part of holy divine scripture This S. Hierome witnesseth in these wordes Sicut ergo Iudith Tobiae Machabaeorum libros legit quidem Ecclesia sedinter Canonicas scripturas non recipit sic haec duo volumina legit ad aedificationem plebis non ad authoritatem Ecclesiasticorum dogmatum confirmandam As therefore the Church readeth the bookes of Iudith of Toby and of the Machabees but receiveth them not amongst the Canonicall scriptures so doth it read also these 2. volumes for edification of the people but not to confirme any Ecclesiasticall doctrine S. Cyprian hath the very same wordes in effect in Symb. expositione S. Augustine doth testifie the same when he thus writeth Hanc scripturam quae appellatur Machabaeorum non habent Iudaei sicut legem prophetas Psalmos quibus dominus testimonium perhibet tanquam testibus suis dicens oportebat impleri omnia quae scripta sunt in lege Prophetis in Psalmis de me Sedrecepta est ab Ecclesia non inutiliter si sobriè legatur vel audiatur maximè propter illos Machabaeos qui pro Dei lege sicut veri martyres à per secutoribus tam indigna atque horrenda perpessi sunt This scripture which is of the Machabees the Iewes repute not as they do the law the Prophets Psalmes to which the Lord gave testimonie as to his witnesses saying It behoved all things to be fulfilled which are written in the law in the Prophets and Psalmes of me but it is received of the Church not without profite if it bee read or heard soberly especially for those Machabees who for the lawe of God as true martyrs suffred of their persecutors so unworthy horrible torments And their owne deare fryer Bryton telleth vs that neither is it knowne who was the author of these bookes neither did the east Church ever receive them I say secondly that this second booke out of which purgatorie is collected was never in Hebrew and consequently never authenticall among the Iewes I say thirdly that many things found affirmed in the bookes of Machabees proove the same to be of no credit at
in the nature of the thing but only by the mercie of God in that it pleased the maiestie of God to assigne eternall paine for the one and temporall for the other For both of them deserve eternall paine of their owne nature because they are against God And in another place the same Iosephus writeth in this manner Durandus tamen alij permulti hanc sententiam impugnant affirmantes peccata venialia esse contra mandata haec opinio videtur modò in scholis communior But Durand and many others impugne this opinion auouching veniall sinnes to be against the commaundement and this opinion now adaies seemeth to be more common in the scholes where note by the way out of the word modo now adaies the mutabilitie of tomish religion THE NINTH ARTICLE of Dissention THe councell of Trent Thomas Aquinas Bellarminus and manie other papistes affirme matrimonie to be properlie a sacrament of the new testament and to conferre grace But Durand denieth it either to give grace or to be properlie a sacrament So Alphonsus a Castro and Petrus a Soto denie it to bee properlie a sacrament of the new Iawe And Melchior Canus having sundrie others of his opinion as he saith holdeth matrimonie to be a sacrament yet not everie matrimonie to be so but only that matrimonie which is celebrated a ministro ecclesiastico sacris et solennibus verbis by the minister of the church in sacred and solemne words The like dissention is among Papistes about the matter and forme of the said sacrament For Iosephus Angles reciteth fiue severall opinions for and concerning this one point of popish doctrine And Melchior Canus beholdeth such varietie in this matter as he reputeth him a mad man that wil beleeve their sayings whose words for better credite sake are these Lege magistrum D. Tho. Scotum Bonav Richard Palud Durand caetero sque scholae theologos nisi statim eorum pendentes ac vacillantes animos deprehenderis tum vero me aut stultum aut temerarium iudicato Nam cum quaerunt an matrimonium conferat gratiam id quod maxime eo loco finiendum erat non definiunt tamen sed in his referunt quae in hominum opinione sunt posita In materia item forma huius sacramenti statuenda adeo sunt inconstantes varij adeo incerti ambigui vt ineptus futurus sit qui in tanta illorum varietate discrepantia rem aliquam certam constantem exploratam conetar efficere Read the master S. Thomas Bonaventure Richardus Paludanus Durandus and other schoole divines if by and by thou doest not perceiue their wavering and doubtfull mindes then iudge me either a foole or a rash fellow For when they enquire if matrimonie confer grace that which was especially to be defined that define they not at all but onely tell what others thinke therein and in determining the matter and forme of this sacrament they are so unconstant and various so uncerten and ambiguous that he may be deemed a foole who in such their variety and dissent will establish any constant doctrine Here gentle reader thou maiest behold the dissention of papistes even in their sacraments and matters mostimportant The tenth Article of dissention PAnormitanus Abulensis Gerson Almaine Cusanus with all the fathers of the counsell assembled at Constance affirme every generall councell to be aboue the Pope as I haue proved in the 4. chapter and third conclusion But all our Dominicanes Iesuites and seminaries doe with open mouthes avouch the contrarie as their writings and experience this day teacheth vs. The eleventh article of dissension THe Iesuites and seminaries tell us that the Church consisteth in those popes who sit by materiall succession in Peters chaire at Rome how badde soever their lives be and how erroneous soever be their private opinions but their owne great doctour Nich. Lyranus doth sharpely impugne that their sottish assertion telling them that many popes have forsaken the christian faith and become atheists therefore that the church doth not consist in the materiall succession of men but in the faith of Peter and doctrine which he preached Read his words in the third chapter and fourth conclusion The like dissention is amongst papists about the popes dispensation in matrimonio ratonon consummato as is alreadie prooved in the fifth chapter read and peruse the chapter The twelfth Article of dissention MAny papists as Aquinas Richardus Paludanus Marsilius pope Gregorie all his canonists do hold that a simple priest by vertue of the popes dispensation may lawfully and effectually minister their sacrament of confirmation VVhich opinion Covarruvias recordeth and iustifieth in these wordes Tertio probatur simplicem sacer dotem posse ex Rom. pontificis dispensatione sacramentum hoc confirmationis ministrare auctoritate D. Gregorij qui permittit vere concedit licentiam presbyteris ubi desunt Episcopi ministrandi sacramentum confirmationis quod si fieri iure non posset vir doctissimus sanctissimus minime permisisset It is prooved thirdly that a simple priest may vpon the popes grant administer this sacrament of confirmation by S. Gregories authoritie who permitteth and indeed giveth license unto priestes where bishops want to doe the same But his opinion and practise is stoutly impugned by other great papistes to wit Bonaventura Alphonsus Durandus Scotus Maior and pope Hadrian who all avouch that pope Gregorie was a man and therefore might erre and erred indeed egregiously what greater and more important dissention can be then this for confirmation is a sacrament with the papistes The thirteenth article of dissention ALbertus Magnus Thomas Aquinas Ioannes Maior Bonaventura Almain Richardus and other papistes affirme that every of their 7. orders is a sacrament VVhereupon I might inferre right consequently that the papistes have by iustnumber 13. sacraments in all But their Durand doeth reiect this common opinion as foolish and improbable Yea Victoria Iosephus Angles Caietanus and Petrus Lombardus their master of sentences are no small patrones of Durandus his opinion Iosephus Anglus writeth thus Non est erroneum affirmare cum Dur ando solam or dinationem sacerdotis esse sacramentum ordinis reliquas vero ordinationes sacramentalia esse quia Ecclesia hactenus non declaravit oppositum neque eius opinio scripturae sacrae sanctorum auctoritatibus contradicit It is not erroneous to affirme with Durande that onely priesthood is a sacrament and that the sixe other are meere sacramentals because the Church hitherto hath not declared the contrarie neither is this opinion contrary to holy scripture or to the doctrine of the fathers Victoria hath these wordes Sienim aliqui ordines non sunt iuris divini ut certo constat deminoribus non est dubitandum quin collatio illorum committi possit non Episcopo For if some orders be not de iure divino as it is certen of
and do not conclude necessarilie For our faith is grounded vpon revelation made to the apostles and prophets who wrote the canonical scripture but not vpon revelation of anie other writers if anie were made vnto them Thus saith Aquinas Out of whose words I gather First that the authoritie brought from man is ever insufficient 2 I gather secondly that that ground whereupon we must build as vpon an vndoubted truth is onelie and solelie the authoritie of the scriptures 3 I gather thirdlie that mans reason may never be vsed to establish any point of doctrine 4 I gather fourthlie that the fathers are to be read reverentlie and their authorities to be vsed as probable reasons but not as necessarie demonstrations 5 I gather fiftlie that feined romish revelations are not authentical And consequentlie that all revelations divulged vnder the name of Saint Bridget and others are either meereillusions or of small force and which can yeeld no sound argument in matters of faith Victoria in verie briefe wordes vttereth this point effectuallie Licet in hoc omnes conveniant non est tamen mihi certum Although saith he all agree in this yet doe not I make it certaine Navarre singeth the same song in manie places whereof I will recite onelie one Tum quod fundamentum principale ipsius est quod communis tenet oppositum quodip sum etiam ipse assero sed non obstat quia a communi recedendum quum pro contraria est textus velratio cui non potest satis bene responderi Because also his principal ground is that the common opinion is to the contrarie which thing I my selfe also graunt But that is not of force for we must renounce the common opinion when there is either text or reason which can not be sufficientlie answered In fine their owne glosse in their decrees reiecteth saint Augustine roundlie in these words Cum enim salva sua pace Augustinus non bene opponit istis it a dormit avit hic Augustinus VVhere saint Augustine by his favour doth not well obiect against this and so Augustine here was a sleepe Loe when the fathers speake not placentia everie beggerlie popish glosse reiecteth them at pleasure And yet must wee vnder paine of excommunication admit their authoritie when they seeme to make for poperie albeit they speake never so flatlie against the holie scriptures yea their late councell of Lateran chargeth all preachers vnder paine of excommunication that they expound the scriptures according to the old doctors received in the church of Rome The Corollarie 1 FIrst therefore since the ancient fathers may erre and have also erred de facto 2 Secondlie since Saint Augustine admitteth the opinion of fathers no further then they agree with the scriptures 3 Thirdlie since that which is holden of the greater part of the fathers is often false and disagreeable to the truth 4 Fourthly since the papistes them-selves preferre the opinion of one before many Fiftly since Caietanus Canus Navarrus and others doe al roundly reiect the common opinion when it disliketh them 6 Sixtly since their owne glosse maketh no accompt of S. Augustine when he speaketh not placentia I conclude that it is a sufficient motive for me to renounce the romish religion as false erroneous and pernicious doctriue Thus much of the eight Motive The X. CHAP. Of Traditions vvritten and vnwritien THe Papistes beare the world in hand that many things necessarie for mans salvation are not conteined in the written worde and consequently that none can be saved but such as beleeve their unwritten traditions VVherein that trueth may plainly shewe it selfe after mine accustomed manner I put downe conclusions The first conclusion THe written worde or holy scripture conteineth in it selfe everie thing necessary for our salvation For proofe of this conclusion S. Paul writeth unto Timothie in this manner Quia ab infantia sacras literas nosti quae te possunt instruere ad salutem per fidem in Christo Ie su Because thou hast knowne the Scriptures from thy infancie which are able to instruct thee to salvation through faith in Christ Iesus Now if the scriptures be able so to instruct one as hee may thereby attaine his salvation it can not doubtlesse be denied with reason that euerie thing necessarie for mans salvation is conteined therein For which cause the Apostle addeth these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable to doctrine to redargution to correction to instruction which is in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect prepared to everie good worke In which wordes the holie vessell of God Saint Paul confirmeth that which he said before to wit that the holie scripture is able of it selfe to instruct vs fullie vnto salvation And the Apostle declareth this by an argument drawen from the sufficient enumeration of those partes which are required vnto our salvation and withall he commendeth the scripture of the sufficient cause end and vse thereof The cause is in that he saith the scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say given by the inspiration of God The vse is foure fold whereof the two former pertaine to doctrine the two latter to life and manners 1 For first it is profitable to the doctrine of faith and holie obedience 2 Secondlie to the refutation of errors contradictions and false opinions 3 Thirdlie for the correction of abuses as wel publique as private 4 Fourthlie for instruction vnto righteousnes that is to leade a godlie and holie life The end is that the man of God to wit hee that is the true worshipper of God may be sounde perfect and most absolute furnished in ail kinde of goodnes which being so we must needes confesse if we will not obstinatelie denie the manifest truth that the scriptures containe all thinges necessarie for christian doctrine and for the full accomplishment of eternall life Neither will it helpe the papistes to answere as their wonted maner is that the greek vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth everie not all so as the Apostle should say not the whole scripture but everie scripture For first everie scripture is not so copious or fruitfull as it can afford vs all those goodlie affects which saint Paul here rehearseth Againe the selfe same greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is vsed for the whole by saint Paules owne interpretation in another place of holie scripture where he hath these expresse words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if I have all and the whole miraculous faith so that I can remove mountaines but have not love I am nothing In which place the papistes can not possiblie interprete the selfe same greeke word though they would never so gladlie but for all the whole because otherwise the sense would be most absurd as which would prove saint Paul to speake of everie kinde of faith and consequentlie of
the iustifying faith with the rest albeit it is most cleare that he speaketh of the miraculous faith onelie which is often in the verie wicked The same greeke word in two severall places of saint Matthew is likewise taken for the whole For in the second chapter it is thus written When king Herod heard hee was troubled and the whole citie of Hierusalem with him VVhere if the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were interpreted everie and not the whole the sense would be absurd to wit everie citie of Hierusalem being yet but one onlie Hierusalem in all but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being taken for the whole the sense is plaine and easie to wit the whole citie of Hierusalem So in the sixt chapter it is thus written Neither was Salomon in all his glorie araied like one of these VVhere if the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee taken for everie the sense is not currant because Christ compareth his bountifull providence over hearbes and flowers not with a peece of Salomons glorie but with all and the whole For whosoever shal otherwise interpret the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall no litle derogate from the magnificence of Christ his providence as also frustrate his comparison Our holie father Abraham in matters of salvation doth not send vs to traditions but to the scriptures of Moses and the prophets For thus it is written Habent Mosen Prophetas audiant illos They have Moses and the prophets let them heare them As if he had said now the law is not studied now the prophets are contemned now God is not heard speaking in his word Some would haue angels come downe from heaven some desire miracles other some the dead to rise againe But to heare Moses and the prophets that is to read the scriptures is the true and only way to attaine eternal life And doubtlesse if the scriptures be meanes to bring vs to salvation which the papistes dare not denie then must they be sufficient for that end or else Christes workes should be vnperfect For which cause Saint Iohn writeth thus Haec autem scripta sunt vt credatis quod Iesus est Christus filius Dei vt eredentes vitam habeatis in nomine ipsius But these things are written that yee may beleeve Iesus to be Christ the sonne of God and that by beliefe yee may have life in his name Loe Saint Iohn affirmeth so much to be written as is sufficient for our beliefe through which we must be saved The popish glosse vpon the same text hath these wordes Haec quae fecit Iesus ante resurrectionem et post dicit se scripsisse vt fidem astruat qua vita habeatur The thinges that Iesus did before and after his resurrection hee caused to be written for the establishing of that faith which giveth life Nicolaus Lyranus their owne deare doctor confirmeth the same in these wordes In nomine eius i. per fidem nominis Christi quia secundum quod dicitur Act. 4. neque enim aliud nomen est sub coelo datum hominibus in quo nos oporteat salvos fieri In his name that is through faith of the name of Christ because as is said in the actes ther is no other name vnder heaven given vnto men in which we can be saved S. Hierome though so much liked of the papistes is not for all that dissonant from the rest For thus doth he write Ergo nec parentum nec maiorum error sequenáus est sed auctoritas scripturarum Dei docentis imperium Therefore we must neither follow the errour of our parents nor of our auncestours but the auctoritie of the scriptures and the commandemēt of God that teacheth vs. S. August that grave father that glistering beame that strong piller of Christs church doth avouch the same truth in words yet more manifest writing in this maner Cūmulta fecisset Dom. Iesus nō omnia scripta sunt electa sunt autem quae scriberentur quae saluti credentium sufficere videbantur where as our Lord Iesus did manie thinges all were not written but so much was appointed to be written as was thought sufficient for the salvation of the faithfull What more forceable wordes can be wished what more effectuall narration can be expected what more sensible speeches can bee vsed yet if it be possible to say more herein the selfe same Augustine will performe it in another place where he hath these expresse words In his enim quae aperte in scriptura posita sunt inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem more sque vivendi spem scilicet atque charitatem For in those things which are plainely set downe in the scripture are found all those thinges which conteine our faith and maners that is hope and charitie Loe all things that concerne faith hope and charitie are plainly found in holie scripture where it is diligently to be observed that Saint Augustine doth not onelie say that all thinges conteining faith hope and charitie are to bee found in the scripture but hee doth further say that all such thinges are plainlie set downe in the scriptures VVherevpon I inferre this notable document against popish doctrine that albeit manie thinges in manie places of the scripture bee obscure and intricate which I willinglie graunt vnto the papistes consequentlie that the same surpasse the capacity and iudgement of the vulgar sort yet are all thinges concerning our beleefe concerning our maners concerning our hope concerning our charity concerning our salvation so plaine and so manifest as everie one even of the meanest iudgement may easilie perceive and vnderstande the same and this the papistes must perforce graunt vnto mee neither will I require more at their handes This is confirmed by my Lord of Rochester their learned Bishoppe and reputed martire For these bee his wordes as hee himselfe hath vttered them Scriptura sacra conclave quoddam est omnium veritatum qua Christianis scitu necessariae sunt The holie scripture is a cellar parlour or storehouse of all truthes which are needfull to be knowen of Christians NOVV gentle reader by this bishops confession it is evideut that popish vnwritten traditions are not needfull or necessarie for christians and so with no reason can they be thrust vppon vs. Dionysius Areopagita who lived in the Apostles time is of the same mind These are his wordes Omnino igitur non audendum est quicquam de summa abstrusaque divinitate aut dicere aut cogitare praeter eaquae nobis divinitus scriptae divinae enuntiarunt In no wise therefore may wee make bold to speake or thinke anie thing of the most high and ineffable divinitie but that onelie which holie writ hath revealed vnto vs from heaven Melchior Canus albeit he labour with tooth and naile to prove the consent of the fathers to yeelde vs an vndoubted argument of the truth yet can hee not denie that
the scripture is perfect and most sufficient in everierespect These are his wordes Sedquaer at hic for sit an aliquis cumsit perfectus scriptur arum canon sibique adomnia satis superque sufficiat quid opus est vt ei sanctorum intelligentia iung atur auctoritas But some man happily here will demaund that since the canon of the scripture is perfect and most sufficient of it selfe to everie end and in everie respect what neede have wee to ioine with the same either the exposition or the authoritie of the fathers Thus saith Canus not denying the sufficiencie of the holie scripture but requiring the commentaries of the fathers for the better vnderstanding of the same whose opinion in that respect I doe not whollie dislike as is alreadie declared in the ninth chapter This being so it followeth by a necessarie consequent that neither yong nor old rich nor pore men nor women learned nor vnlearned ought to be debarred from reading of the scriptures which my doctrine was altogether practicall in the auncient and primitive church For confirmation whereof no greater testimonie can be had then the old vulgar translations of the bibles In which behalfe I savv verie latelie to my great comfort in the librarie of Emmanuell colledge in Cambridge an English Bible of such antiquitie as I could not vnderstand perfectlie the greater part of the wordes vvhich is an evident demonstration that bibles were in old time translated into the vulgar tongue so as the common people might reade them Thomas Aquinas whose person the church of Rome hath canonized for a saint and his doctrine for authenticall teacheth vs not to beleeue anie thing concerning God save that onelie vvhich is conteined in the scripture expresselie or at least significantlie These be his wordes Dicendum quod de deo dicere non debemus quod in sacrae scriptur a non invenitur velperverba velper sensum vve must answere that nothing is to bee verified of God which is not conteined in holie writ either expresselie or else in sense And in another place the same Aquinas saith thus Quicquid enim ille Christus de suis factis dictis nos legere voluit hoc scribendum illis tanquam suis manibus imperauit For vvhatsoeuer Christ vvould haue vs to reade of his doinges and sayinges that he commaunded his Apostles to vvrite as if hee had done it vvith his ovvne handes In vvhich vvords Aquinas avoucheth most plainlie that al things necessarie for our salvation are conteined in the scriptures For in Christes deedes are conteined his miracles his life his conversation in his sayings are conteined his preaching his teaching hic doctrine If then this be true as it is most true for the papistes neither can nor will denie Aquinas that whatsoever Christ vvould haue vs to knovv of his miracles of his life of his conversation of his preaching of his teaching of his doctrine the same is novv vvritten in the scriptures no man doubtlesse but he that vvill cum ratione insanire can denie all thinges necessarie for our salvation to be conteined in the holie scriptures vvith Aquinas agreeth their ovvne renovvmed professor and deare frier Franciscus Victoria vvhose vvordes are these Non est mihi certum licet omnes dicant quòdin scriptur a non continetur I doe not thinke it certaine albeit all vvriters say so because I can not find it in the scripture Againe in an other place he vvriteth in this maner Propter quas opiniones nullo modo debemus discedere a regula synceritate scriptur arum For vvhich opinions we must by no meanes depart from the rule and sinceritie of the scriptures I could say much more herein but nothing can be more effectuall against the papistes then to confute them by their ovvne approved doctors And my desire also is to avoide all superfluous words The second Conclusion ALL persons ought to read the scriptures diligentlie because out of them even the simplest of all may gather so much as shall bee necessarie for their salvation This I say against that popish ridiculous vnchristian and pestilent abuse in vvhich they deliver by vvay of tradition to the people the scriptures sacramentes and church service in a strange tongue to them vnknowen vvhich their vngodlie and intollerable dealing S. Chrisostome most sharplie reprooveth in manie places vvherof I vvill onelie alledge some fevv In his commentarie vpon Saint Paul he hath these vvordes Et vos itaque silectioni cum animi alacritate volueritis attendere nullo alio preterea opus habebitis verus enim est sermo Christi cum dicit quaerite invenietis pulsate aperietur verum quia plures exijs qui huc convenere liberorum educationem vxoris curam gubernandaeque domus in sesereceperunt atque ideo non sustinent totos se labori isti addicere saltem ad percipienda quae alij collegerunt excitamini tantum ijs quae dicuntur audiendis impendite diligentiae quantum colligendis pecunijs tametsi enim turpe sit non nisi tantum a vobis exigere tamen conenti erimus sivel tantum prestetis nam hinc innumera mala nata sunt quod scripturae ignorantur hinc erupit multa illa haere seon pernicies hinc vita dissoluta hinc inutiles labores quēadmodum enim qui luce ista privati sunt recta vtique non pergunt ita qui adradios divinarum scripturarum non respiciunt multa coguntur continuo delinquere vtpote in longe peioribus tenebris ambulantes quod ne nobis vsuveniat oculos ad spelndorem apostolicorum verborum aperiamus If therefore you vvil read the scriptures vvith alacritie of minde you shall neede no other helpe at all for Christes vvord is true vvhen he saith Seeke and yeee shall finde knocke and it shall bee opened vnto yov But for that manie of you are charged vvith vviues children and domestical regiment and so cannot vvhollie addict your selves to this stndie and yet at least be readie to heare vvhat others haue gathered and bestovv so much diligence in heering vvhat is said as you doe in scraping vvorldlie goods together for although it bee a shame to aske no more of you yet vvill I bee content if yee doe so much For this is the cause of infinite evils that you are ignorant in the scriptures From hence springeth the manifold mischiefe of heresies from hence dissolute life from hence vaine and vnprofitable labours For euen as they that are deprived of this light can not goe on the right way so they that doe not behold the beames of holie scripture are enforced incontinentlie to offend in many things as walking in farre greater darkenesse This is the censure of saint Chrysostome out of which I note 1 First that whosoeuer studieth the scriptures seriouslie and with alacritie shall finde therein and vnderstand so much as is necessarie for his salvation And consequently that our disholie father the pope debarreth
vs of the ordinarie meanes of our salvation when hee vppon paine of excommunication inhibiteth vs to reade the scriptures in our vulgar tongue vnlesse we have his licence and dispensation so to doe 3 I note secondly that if it be a shame for such as are charged with wives children and families only to heare sermons not to studye the scriptures vvithall much more is it a shame for others that bee more free not to read them diligently and greatest shame of al for a bishop to approve them that wil not so doe I note thirdlie that heresies dissolute life and all other evils proceede of ignorance and not reading the scriptures Againe the said Chrysostome in another place hath these vvordes Propterea obsecro vt subinde huc veniatis divinae scripturae lectionem diligenter auscultetis nec solum cum huc venitis sed domi divina biblia in manus sumite viilitatem in illis positam magno studio suscipite paulo post tantum igitur lucrum oro ne per negligentiam amittemus sed domi vacemus divinarum scripturarum lectiooni hic praesentes non in nugis invtilibus colloquijs temporis decoquamus I beseech you therefore that you come hither novv then and attend diligently the hearing of holie scripture neither onely when ye come hither but at home also take the holie bibles into your hands with great studie receive commoditie vvhich is in them conteined I pray you therefore let vs not negligently loose so great gaine but vvhen vve are at home let vs then apply our selues to read the holie scriptures and being here let vs not spende our time idlely vainly And in another place he speaketh in this maner Hoc igitur pacto si scripturas diligenter scrutari voluerimus salutem assequi poterimus sipenitus in eis ver sabimur doctrinam rectam vitam erudiemur Et paulo posi Non enim fieri potest vt qui Deum audiat alloquatur Deū assequatur vtilitatem sequitur vacemus ergo scripturis dilectissime et saltē evangelijs ea frequēter pertractemus By this maner then if we will search the scriptures diligentlie we shall attaine salvation if we shall be wholie conversant in them we shall be taught both right doctrine and good life For it can not bee but he shall get profite that both heareth and talketh with God Let vs therfore studie the scriptures my dearest and at the least let vs often read the holie gospels In and by which words as we see most evidentlie SaInt Chrysostome greatlie lamenteth that the people in his time were so negligent in reading the holie scriptures vvhat therefore would that holie father say if he lived in these our daies when the pope burneth such scriptures as the people vnderstand when the pope commaundeth all thinges to be done in strange tongues when the pope excommunicateth all lay persons be they never so well learned that reason in matters of their faith VVhat would he say if he heard priestes pronounce absolution in their popish sacrament of penance which neither the penitents nor the priestes themselves doe oftentimes vnderstand Nay what would he say if he were this day in romish churches where they doe not onely read their church-service in Latine but also Latine homilies or sermons vnto the vulgar sort which yet they teatme an exposition of the scripture VVhich thing is done in everie festivall day of nine Lessons in the tyme of Mattins In fine what would hee say if hee knew the rude vulgar sort commaunded to heare the gospell read in Latine and withall should see them listening with their eares least anie word should not be heard though impossible to bee vnderstood vvould he not and mighte hee not iustlie say with the holie Apostle that they were madde Ves doubtlesse Origen who lived above a thousand and three hundred yeares sithence doth not onelie exhort the people seriouslie to reade the scriprures but withall sheweth plainelie that in his time they were reade in the vulgar tongue These are his words Certe si non omnia possumus saltem ea quae nunc docentur in ecclesia vel quae recitantur memoriae commendemus Doubtlesse if we can not beare away all thinges conteined in the scriptures at the least let vs remēber those things which are taught read in the Church In which words he speaketh not onely of sermons but also of the gospels epistles praiers lessons and histories of the bible For sermons are conteined in the worde decentur which are preached and the rest in the word recitantur which are read or rehearsed And if such thinges had beene read in a strange tongue the vulgar sort could not haue committed them to memorie Saint Augustine doth not onely exhort to reade the scriptures but also giveth great encouragement thereto avouching that the scriptures may be vnderstood with all facilitie Magnifice igitur salubriter spiritus sanctus ita scriptur as sanctas modificavit vt locis apertioribus fami occurreret obscurioribus autem fastidia detergeret The holie ghost hath so magnificallie and healthfullie measured the holie scriptures that in the obscure places lothsomnes is taken away and with the places that be plaine and easie our hunger is satisfyed And his reason hereof followeth in these next wordes Nihil enim fere de illis obscuritatibus eruitur quod non plani ssime dictum alibi reperiatur For almost nothing is conteined in obscure places which is not most plainelie vttered in some other place so then by the testimonie of this holie father so auncient for antiquitie so holie for vertue so grave for auctoritie so profound for his iudgement so rare for his wit so renowmed for his learning that the papistes hitherto have admired his doctrine as an oracle from heaven the holie scriptures are easie to be vnderstood and whatsoever is obscurelie spoken in one place the same is plainlie told in another To conclude the practise of those godlie Christians of whom we reade in the Actes of the Apostles decideth this controversie sufficientlie as who beeing meere lay-men did notwithstanding studie the scriptures most seriouslie The 3. Conclusion TRaditions are to be examined by the holie scriptures the true touchstone of veritie and to be admitted when they are found consonant to the same This conclusion is evidentlie proved by the iudgement practicall of saint Cyprian For he being required by Stephanus then bishop of Rome to yeelde vnto traditions did not terme the said Stephanus by the title of Pope or holinesse as now the romish maner is but by the name of fellow or brother and calling him blind byarde not Saint Peters successour who could not erre did contemne vtterlie reiect that tradition which the said Stephanus requested him to yeelde vnto His verie owne words are these Nihil innovetur inquit nisiquod traditumest vnde est istae traditio vtrumne de
dominica evangelica auctoritate descendens an de Apostolorum mandat is atque epistolis veniens ea enim facienda esse quae scriptae sunt Deus testatur proponit ad Iesum Nave dicens non recedet liber legis huius ex ore tuo sed meditaberis in eo die ac nocte vt observes facere omnia quae scripta sunt item Dominus apostolos suos mittens mandat baptizari gentes doceri vt observent omnia quae cunque ille praecepit Si ergo aut in evangelio praecipitur aut Apostolorum epistolis aut actibus continetur vt a quacunque haeresi venientes non baptizentur sedtantum manus illis imponantur in paenitentiam observetur etiam haec sancta traditio Let nothing be renewed saith Pope Stephanus but let that bee done which was received by tradition from whence came this tradition whether doth it descend from the auctoritie of our Lord of his gospel or commeth it from the epistles or actes of the Apostles For God testifyeth that those thinges must be done which are written and propoundeth them vnto Nave saying Let not the book of this law depart out of thy mouth but meditate in it day night that thou maiest observe to doe all thinges that are written Our lord also sending forth his Apostles chargeth them to baptize the gentiles and to teach them to doe all thinges vvhich he commaunded them If therfore it be commanded in the gospel or in the epistles of the apostles or actes that such as came from anie herisie should not bee baptised but onelie receive imposition of handes for penance then let this holie tradition be observed Thus wee see that this auncient father canonized by the pope for an holie and blessed martir will indeede admit traditions as the wiser sort of protestantes do admit with him but yet no other traditions then are found constant to the scriptures By which scriptures saint Cyprian examineth the veritie of al traditions admitting those that be consonant and reiecting such as be dissonant from the same At vvhat time the Arrians vvould not admit the vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it vvas not found in the scriptures the fathers of the councel did not then alledge traditions for proofe thereof neither did they say that manie thinges must bee believed which are not vvritten But they answered simplie that though that word were not expteslie written yet was it virtuallie and effectuallie conteined in the scriptures which thing is evident by the testimonie of Athanasius who writeth in this manner Sed tamen cogno scat qui squis est studiosior is animi has voces tametsi in scripturis non reperiantur habere tamen eas eam sententiam quam scripturae volunt Although the wordes bee not founde in the scripture yet haue they that meaning and sense which the scripture approveth and intendeth as everie one that studieth the scripture seriouslie may easily vnderstand Origen giveth counsel to trie all doctrines by the scriptures even as pure gold is tried by the touchstone Thus doth hee write Debemus ergo ad testimonium omnium verborum quae proferimus in doctrina proferre sensum scripturae quasi confirmantem quem exponimus sensum sicut enim omne aurum quodquod fuerit extra templum non est sanctificatum sicomnis sensus qui fuerit extra divinam scripturam quamvis admirabilis videatur quibusdam non est sanctus qui non continetur a sensu scripturae quae solūet e sensum solū sanctificare quem habet in se sicut templum proprium aurum Non ergo debemus ad confirmandam doctrinam nostram nostram nostras proprios intellectus iur are quasi testimonia assumere quae vnusqui sque nostrum intelligit secundum veritatem aestimat esse ni ostenderit eos sanctos esse ex eo qui in scripturis continetur divinis quasi in templis quibusdam Dei Stulti ergo caeci omnes qui non cognoscunt quin templum idest lectio scripturarum magnum venerabilem facit sensum sicut aurum sacratum VVee must therefore alledge the sense of scripture for the testimonie of everie word vvee vtter in doctrine as which confirmeth the sense of our exposition For as all gold which is without the temple is not sanctifyed so euerie sense which is vvithout the holie scripture albeit it seeme to some wonderfull is vnholie because it is not conteined in the sense of scripture which onely sanctifyeth that sense which it hath in it selfe as the temple sanctifyeth the gold wee must not therefore for the confirmation of our doctrine sweare to the sense which everie one of vs vnderstandeth and conceiveth to be true vnlesse wee can shew it to be divine because it is conteined in the divine scriptures as in the temple of God Foolish therefore and blind are all those who know not that the temple to wit the reading of scriptures maketh the sense great and venerable as hallowed gold In another place the said Origen hath these words Querimus verba quae dicta sunt iuxta personae dignitatem exponere quapropter necesse est nobis scriptur as sanct as in testimonium vocare Sensus quippe nostri enarrationes sine ijs testibus non habent fidem VVee seeke to expound the wordes rehearsed according to the dignitie of the person wherefore wee must of necessitie call the holie scriptures to witnes For our iudgements and expositions without those witnesses are of no credite at all Thus wee see Origen his iudgement and that nothing can be of credite which is not grounded vpon the scriptures But what is Origen onelie of this opinion no verilie for all auncient grave and learned fathers are of the selfe same mind Saint Augustine writing against Petilianus hath these wordes Proinde sive de Christo sive de eius ecclesia sive de quacunque alia re quae pertinet ad fidem vitamque nostram nos aut angelus de coelo vobis annunciaverit preterquā quod in scriptur is legalibus evangelicis accepistis anathemasit VVherefore whether wee speake of Christ or of his church or of what other matter soever which apperteineth to faith or manners whether we or an angell from heaven shall announce otherwise thē yee have received in the scriptures of the law and the gospel accursed be that man The same saint Augustine in another place hath these wordes Nemo mihi dicat O quid dixit Donatus aut quid dixit Parmenianus aut Pontius aut quilibet illorum quia nec catholicis episcopis consentiendum est sicubi forte falluntur vt contra canonicas Dei scriptur as aliquid sentiant Let no man say to mee Oh what said Donatus or what said Parmenianus or Pontius or anie of them because we must not consent to catholike bishops if they chaunce to erre in anie thing and speake against the canonicall scriptures Sainte Chrisostome agreeth vniformelie
times greater then is the regalitie of the king Pope Gregory saith further in this expresse maner Intelligendum non est quòd Rex vel Imperator super bonos malos gladii acceperit potestatem sed in eos solummodò qui utentes gladio eius sunt iurisdictioni commissi We must not understand that the King or Emperour hath receiued power of the sworde over the good and the evill but onely over them who using the sword are committed to his iurisdiction Behold how the Scripture is tossed and wrested to take from kings that power which God hath given them The popish parasites the glossators of the Canons ascribe more magnificall and plaine divine titles unto the Pope even such as no way can be denied to be proper and peculiar to God alone These are their expresse words Sic Papa dicitur habere coeleste arbitrium ideò etiam naturam rerum immutat substantialia unius rei applicando alij de nihilo potest aliquid facere So the pope is said to have celestial arbitremēt and therefore doeth he alter the nature of things by application of the substantiall partes of one thing to another he can make of nothing something Thus verily do they write and yet no greater blasphemy can be uttered Ioannes Gerson though otherwise a great papist maketh rehearsal of intollerable dignities and titles ascribed to the pope which notwithstanding the pope himselfe hath acknowledged as pertaining to him but the said Gerson them reprooveth derideth These be his expresse words Consurgit ex adver so blandiens subdola adulatio ad aures Ecclesiasticorum praecipuè summi Pontificis insusurrans ô quanta quanta est sublimitas ecclesiasticae potestatis tuae quonians sicut Christo collata est omnis potest as in coelo in terra sic eam Christus omnim Petro suisque successoribus dereliquit Vnde nec Constantinus quicquam Sylvestro papae contulit quod non esset priùs suum sedreddidit iniustè detentum Porrò sicut non est potest as nisià Deo sicnec aliqua temporalis velecclesiastica imperialis velregalis nisià Papa in cuius foemore scripsit Christus Rex regum Dominus dominantium de cuius potestate disputare instar sacrilegij est cui neque quisquam dicere potest cur ita facis mentior si non inveniantur haec scripta ab illis etiam qui sapientes sunt in oculis suis. There starteth up on the contrarie side faire-spoken and craftie adulation whispering in the eares of Clergie men especially of the pope Oh how great how great is the Maiestie of thine Ecclesiasticall power for as all povver vvas given to Christ in heaven and on earth So Christ left all the same power to Peter and his Successours VVherefore the Emperour Constantine gave nothing to Pope Sylvester which was not his owne before but onely restored that which was uniustly deteined from him Further as there is no power but of God so is there neither any temporall or Ecclesiasticall Imperiall or Regall but of the Pope in vvhose thigh Christ hath vvritten the King of Kinges and Lord of Lordes of whose power to dispute is as meere sacriledge to whome no man may say VVhy doest thou so I am a lyar if these thinges be not written even of them who are vvise in their owne conceites These are Doctor Gersons wordes vvho though he vvere a great Papist yet could he not digest these Antichristian blasphemies neither hide or conceale them vvithin his breast Neverthelesse Pope Bonifacius did not onely acknovvledge them but vvith great pleasure practised the same as vvitnesseth the said Gerson in these vvordes Hanc existimationem habuisse visus est Bonifacius octavus in quadam decretali putatur ab alijs depositio unius Regis Franciae per Papam Zachariam hic esse fundata tanquam Papa sit qui trasferre possit Reges regna Pope Bonifacius the eight of that name seemeth in a certaine decretall to have had this opinion of his ovvn authoritie Others thinke that the deposition of Childericus the French King by Pope Zacharias vvas grounded in this Antichristian and godlesse conceit as if for soothe the Pope vvere he that coulde depose Princes and translate their kingdomes And our Iesuite Bellarminus is so farre from blushing at this most detestable fact of Pope Zacharie that he yeeldeth the reason si dijs placet for the iustification thereof Childericum inquit deposuit Papa in eius locum Pipinum Caroli magni patrem Regem creari iussit cuius causa fuit quia propter socordiam Childerici Religioni Regno in Gallia extrema ruina imminere videbatur The Pope saith our Iesuite deposed Childericus and commaunded to place Pipinus father to Charles the great in his throne The cause vvhereof was this because forsooth through the negligent governement of Childericus the Kingdome and Religion of Fraunce seemed to be in great daunger Thus saith the Popes vassall out of vvhose vvordes I gather first that so much may be truely verified of Popes as Gerson hath avovvched I gather secondly that the Pope chalengeth both svvordes and himselfe to be not onely universall Bishoppe but universall King also over all the vvorld I gather thirdly that the Iesuites hovvsoever they dissemble by their fondly imagined aequivocation thinke of our most gratious Soveraigne Queene Elizabeth and meane to doe vvith her most excellent Maiestie as the Pope thought and did vvith Childericus and for that end saltem secundariò are so many Iesuites sent seditiously into this land Secondly my L. Abbot their ovvne deare Bernard savve in his time such tyrannie and Antichristian dealing in the Church of Rome as hee vvas thereby and therevvith enforced to exclame in these wordes Tempus faciendinunc quia dissipaverunt legem bestia illa de Apocalypsi cui datum est os loquens blasphemias bellum gerere cum Sanctis Petri Cathedram occupat tanquam Leo paratus ad praedam It is novve high time to doe good for they have troden under foote Gods Lavve That beast mentioned in the Revelation to vvhome vvas given a mouth speaking blasphemies and to make vvarres vvith the Saintes sitteth in the chaire of Peter as a Lyon ready to take his praye Thirdly the Pope doeth not onely take upon him to depose kings and Emperours him selfe but he avovvcheth further that Subiectes may and are bounden to depose their dread Soveraignes vvhensoever they decline to infidelity which certes is by popish interpretation vvhen any King or Queene embraceth syncerely the holy Gospell of Christ and denyeth Romish poperie For thus vvriteth Bellarminus vvhose doctrine the Pope hath lately approoved At si isti ijdem principes conantur avertere populum a fide omnium consensu possunt debent privari suo dominio But if these Princes goe about to avert the people from the faith of the Church of Rome then by the consent of all
they may and must be dispossessed of their Scepters and Regalities Againe in the second Chapter he saith thus Quòd si Christiani olim non deposuerunt Neronem Diocletianum Iulianum apostatam ac Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia deerant vires temporales Christianis If the Christians in times past deposed not Nero Diocletian Iulian Valens and such like Emperours the cause thereof was for that they wanted povver and force and vvere not strong ynough for that attempt Againe a little after he hath these vvordes At non tenentur Christiani immò nec debent cum evidenti periculo religionis toler are Regem infidelom But Christians are not bounde to tolerate a King that is an Infidell or not a Papist nay they must not tolerate such a one vvith the evident daunger of Religion And our said Iesuite yeeldeth this reason hereof because forsooth saith he De iure humanoest quod hunc aut illum habeamus Regem For it is by the Lavve of man that vve have this or that man to our King This is the doctrine of our Popes and lately hatched Iesuites out of vvhich most disloyall and unchristian assertion I inferre first that the Pope and Iesuites vvould most vvillingly deprive our most gratious Soveraigne of her Royall throne and Regalitie if they vvere of force and povver so to doe I inferre secōdly that our Iesuite doth here approve peremptorily First the diabolical excommunication of Pope Pius Secondly the disloyal fact of Murton vvho brought the same into this Realme Thirdly the publishing thereof by Felton Fourthly the practising of the curse by Sanders Fitz-morice Ballard and others their seditious complices Fiftly the renevving of the print and dispersing of the copies in Rome by our Iesuites Persons and Campion as a compendious preparative for their commodious entrance into this land I inferre thirdly that all subiects are by this doctrine stirred up and encouraged to manifest rebellion to have no scruple of conscience therein The reason hereof is evident because if kinges receive their authoritie frō man as this Iesuit auoucheth then may kings indeed be displaced by man as Romish parasites and irreligious politikes beare the world in hand yet Salomon the vvise replenished vvith holie inspiration teacheth vs another doctrine Per me inquit reges regnant legum conditores iusta decernunt per me principes imperant potentes decernunt iustitiam By mee saith God in Salōmon kings reigne and princes decree iustice By me princes rule and all nobles and iudges of the earth And the Apostle saith Omnts anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit non est enim potestas nisia Deo Let everie soule bee subiect to higher powers for ther is no power but of God But hereof more at large in the sixt chapter and third conclusion of the second booke Fourthlie Sylvester Pryeras that great popish Thomist telleth vs roundlie and malepertlie that empires and regalities are not from God immediatlie but from God by meanes of the pope And he saith further that royall power is so subordinate to poperie or papacie as is the Moone vnto the Sunne These are his owne wordes Nec obstat quod potestas imperialis est a deo concessa secundum multa iura quia est a Deo mediante papa quia eam concedit non vt homo sed vt vicarius Det. Nec sunt sic distinctae potestates spiritualis scilicet temporalis quin vna alteri subalternetur ad instar lunae solis nec sunt distinctae quasi semper sint in diversis sed quia sunt ordinatae ad distincta scilicet spiritualia temporalia in vno eodemque summo pontifiee est vtraque in summo It skilleth not that manie lawes affirme imperiall power to be of God For it is from God the Pope being the meane who graunteth it not as man but as the vicar of God Neither are the two powers the spirituall and the temporall so distinct but that they remaine subordinate the one to the other after the resemblance of the sunne moone neither are they distinct as being alwaies in diuerse subiects but as ordeined to distinct thinges spiritual and temporall For they both are in one and the selfe same pope even in the highest degree Fiftlie such as is the ruler of the citie saith Bellarminus our Iesuit such are the inhabitants thereof But pope Boniface the eight entred into his popedome as a Foxe reigned in it as a woolfe and died out of it as a dogge as I haue proved in my 2. booke in the 3. chapter second conclusion ergo all the citizens of Rome in his time began as foxes continued as wolves and ended their daies as dogges and consequentlie the whole church of Rome during the time of Pope Boniface was wicked diabolicall and meere antichristian what shall I say of kissing the popes foote of bearing the pope vpon mens shoulders of the popes dispensing with the law humane the lawe of nature and the law divine these may suffice to teach vs to walke warelie to looke about vs withall circumspection to be verie carefull what doctrine we embrace and ever to set before our eies the admonitions and premonitions of our sauiour Iesus Christ. Attendite inquit Dominus a fermento Pharisaeorum quodest hypocrisis Beware saith our Lord of the leven of the Pharises that is their false doctrine infected and infatuated vvith the traditions of men as it is expounded in another place of the gospel VVe must therefore here observe that in the scribes and Pharisees rested in those daies the ordinarie externall face power regiment and iurisdiction of the church For so saith our saviour in another place of the gospell In cathedra Mosis sedent Scribae Pharisaei omnia ergo quaecunque praeceperint vobis servare servate facite The Scribes and Pharisees sit in the chaire of Moses therefore whatsoever they shall commaund you to keepe that keepe and doe VVherefore since our Lord commaundeth vs to beware of the hypocriticall doctrine of the Pharisees who had the primacie in the visible Church of that age and since Christ commaunded this for no other end but because they had corrupted the sacred pure word of God with the mixture of their owne foolish traditions for that Christ obiected against them saying Quare vostransgredimini mandatum Dei propter traditiouem vestram why doe you trāsgresse Gods commaundement for the accomplishment of your own tradition and in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in vaine doe they worship mee teaching doctrines the commaundements of men since I say our saviour thus commaundeth vs it followeth that we must refuse reiect and contemne all prelates all bishops all priestes and all whosoever have anie administration in the church by what name or title soever they be called if they deliver to vs the word of God impurelie or mixed
to be wished I haue charitably and faithfully penned it principally and chiefly for thy sake And I nothing doubt but through the power of God it will so sufficiently perswade thee to use the ordinary meanes of thy salvation that is humbly to read the holy scriptures which hath not heretofore bene thy custome diligently to frequent godly sermons which are nowe common in this Realme God be thanked and often to conferre with zealous preachers for thy better instruction and sound confirmation as thou wilt shortly be a greater enemy to popery then thou wast before a friend thereunto For in this small volume thou shalt perceive evidently that not only popish monkes fryers and Iesuites but also their schoolemen their Summists their Canonistes their Thomistes their Scotists their Abbots their Byshops their Archbishoppes their Cardinals yea and their greatest popes themselues haue all in their domesticall dissentions and ciuill warres so battered and made equall with the ground the bulwarkes of their popery as no forraine enemy shall henceforth need either to stand in feare of their fortresses or to make assaults against the same So surceasing to speak of their muttering upon beads their praiers in straunge tongues their consecrations of bells Churches altars chalices patines corporals copes vestments albes girdles tunicles chesibles miters their exorcismes or incantations ouer oyles chrismes ashes palmes candles salt water bread their sacrificing upon such altars in such Churches before such relikes to which their sacrifices such sanctimony and merits are ascribed as that seminary is deemed best disposed for English long intended invasion who hath occupied himselfe most busily in that their superstitious kind of doting their reservations of their bread-gods often putrified and now and then of myse devoured their idolatricall adoration of reliques especially of their so termed vultus sanctus surceasing I say from speaking of these and like popish deliraments and instantly wishing thy christian conversion in Christ Iesus I bid thee heartily fare-well The names of the auncient writers and holie fathers alledged in the treatise follovving DIonysius Areopagita Irenaeus Tertullianus Origenes Cyprianus Iustinus Lactantius Athanasius Hilarius Eusebius Caesariensis Basilius Ambrosius Hieronymus Augustinus Chrysostomus Beda Euthymius Ruffinus Platina The names of popish vvriters alledged in this volume who all are of great estimation amongest the papistes and highlie renowmed in the church of Rome Popes or Bishops of Rome Clemens Gregorius magnus Adrianus Innocentius Cardinalles to the popes or Bishops of Rome Caietanus Turrecremata These were popish archbishops of great learning Antonius Panormitanus Popish Bishops excellentlie wel learned Ioannes Roffensis Ambrosius Catharinus Melchior Canus Popish Abbots Rupertus Bernardus Popish Canonistes Gratianus Angelus Navarrus Covarruvias Popish summistes Sylvester Fumus These were popish monkes or Popish friers Alphonsus Victoria Dionys. Carth. Carranza Ioseph Ang. Bellarminus Popish scholemen Lombardus Albertus Alensis Richardus Bonaventura Aquinas Durandus Dom. Soto Paludanus Mayro Popish writers who though they were not equal in dignitie yet not inferiour in learning to the rest Lyranus Gersonus Almaynus Cusanus Abulensis Viguerius Snoygoudanus Burgensis Ben. Arias Matthias Thoring Ioan. de Combis Bryto These were popish Synodes Conc. Constantinopolitanum 6. Conc. Constantinop 8. Conc. Basiliense Conc. Lateranense 1. Conc. Later 2. Conc. Tridentinum Catholike Councels Concilium Nicaenum Conc. Chalcedonense Popish constitutions or bookes equall with popish synodes Decreta Decretalia Liber sextus Missale Romanum Popish commentaries of great accompt in the Romish Church Glossa decretalium Glossa decretorum Glossa ordinaria Glossa interlinialis THE FIRST BOOKE CONTEINING CERTAINE preambles for the better satisfaction of the simplie seduced Papistes as also that the motyues in the other booke following may be read with greater profite The first Preamble IN the church of Rome for many yeares together were learned and godly byshops vvho lived orderly preached the vvord of God sincerely and fed their flocke carefully but in successe of time by litle and litle the Romish bishops did degenerat from the godly life and holie doctrine of their auncestors and became vvolues vnto their flocks tirants vnto the vvorld This is prooved at large by the testimonies of approved popish doctors in the second booke and third chapter in the 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. conclusions The great popish scholeman and Spanish Frier Victoria vvriteth in this manner by litle and litle not all at once vve vvere brought to this in ordinat course and to this so miserable state that novv vve are neither able to endure our griefs nor such remedies as the church of Rome assigneth for the same but if vve had this day such good bishops or Popes as Clemens Linus and Sylvester vvere then might vvee commit all things safely vnto them but alas to say the best of them because I vvould not vvillingly reproove them the Popes novv are farre inferiours to the auncient bishops of Rome Read Victoria his ovvne vvordes in the fourth conclusion of the fift chapter in vvhich chapter the reader shall find much other vvorthie matter to the like effect as that the dissolute practise of the church of Rome is novv so intollerable that the vvorld is not able to endure it that not onely the simple sort but even the best of all are greatlie scandalized therevvith that none seeke for dispensations vvhether it be for mariages or for irregularities or for spirituall benefices but they roundlie obteine their suites that not so manie keepe the lavve as are dispensed to breake the lavv adde hereunto the seventh preamble for more perspicuitie The 2. Preamble BLinde Byardes that neither had anie thing neither knevv anie thing desirous to speake placentia and to flatter the Popes for their ovvne preferment began to vvrite glosses vpon the popish lavve and therein to ascribe lordlie and more then royall titles to the Pope so doubtles saith their religious Frier Victoria Reade his vvordes in the sixt chapter and third conclusion So then through ignorance and povertie our holie father aspired to his tyrannie The 3. Preamble THe Pope hath no povver coactive over anie king but is the Emperours subiect and ovveth him obedience Pope Gregorie surnamed the great doth confesse no lesse read the sixt Chapter The 4. Preamble POpe Iohn vvas enforced to recant his false doctrine before the king and the learned at Paris Read the third chapter and the fift conclusion ergo Peters faith failed in the Pope The 5. Preamble THe Pope in S. Cyprians time vvas esteemed but as fellovv and companion to other bishops for vvhich cause S. Cyprian contemned his opinion and reiected his determination though set dovvne by the consent of a provinciall councell vvhich doubtles S. Cyprian vvould never have done if hee had acknovvledged or graunted anie such authoritie to the Pope as the Pope this day chalengeth to himselfe Nay S. Cyprian thought himselfe everie vvay the Popes equall and the African counsel to be of as good authoritie as the Italian or Romish sinode and therfore reprooved the
Pope verie sharplie both of pride and ignorance read the third chapter and last conclusion The 6. Preamble ALl the Apostles had not onely the same povver and auctoritie but iurisdiction also as vvholly largely effectually and in all respectes as Peter had Read the sixt chapter and first conclusion The 7. Preamble POpish purgatorie vvas invented by Popes and Popish parasites neither vvas it ever admitted liked or beleeved of the greeke church vntil this day Read the 7. chapter and 2. conclusion and here I vvill alleage the verie vvordes of our Roffensis sometime bishop of Rochester a man so renovvmed not in England onely but through out the vvorld amongst papists as his vvords may carie credit sufficient vvith them thus he vvriteth I vvil not alter or change one vvord Sed graecis adhunc vsque diē non est creditū purgatoriū esse legat qui velit Graecorum veterum commentarios nullum quantum opinor aut quam rarissimum de purgatorio sermonem inveniet sedneque latini simul omnes ac sensim huius rei veritatem conceperunt paulo post nō absque maxima sancti spiritus dispensatione factum est quod post tot annorum curricula purgatorij fides indulgentiarum vsus ab Orthodoxis generatim sit receptus quumdiis nulla fuer at de purgatorio cura nemo quaesivit indulgentias nam ex illo pendet omnis indulgentiarum existimatio si tollas purgatorium quorsum indulgentijs opus erit his enim si nullum fuerit purgatorium nihil indigebimus contemplantes igitur aliquandiu purgatorium incognitum fuisse deinde quibusdam pedetentim partim ex revelationibus partim ex scripturis fuisse creditum atque ita tandem generatim eius fidem ab orthodoxa ecclesia fuisse receptissimam facillime rationem aliquam indulgentiarum intelligimus quum itaque purgatorium tam sero cognitum ac receptum ecclesiae fuerit vniversae quis iam de indulgentijs mirari potest quod in principio nascentis ecclesiae nullus fuerat earum vsus caeperunt igitur indulgentiae postquam ad purgatorij cruciatus aliquandiu trepidatum er at The Greekes to this day do not beleeue that there is a purgatorie read vvho vvil the commentaries of the auncient Grecians and he shal find either verie seldome mention of purgatorie or none at all for neither did the Latine Church conceive the veritie of this matter at one time but by leisure neither vvas it done vvithout the great dispensation of the holy ghost that after so manie yeares Catholikes both beleeved purgatorie and received the vse of pardons generallie so long as there vvas no care of purgatorie no mā sought for pardons for of it dependeth all the estimation that vve have of pardons if thou take avvay purgatorie to vvhat end shall vve neede pardons for if their be no purgatorie vve shall neede no pardons considering therfore hovv long purgatorie vvas vnknown then that it vvas beleeved of some by litle and litle partly by revelations and partly by the Scriptures and so at the last beleeved generally of the vvhole church vve do easilie vnderstand the cause of perdons since therefore purgatorie vvas so lately knovven and received of the vniversal church vvho can novv admire pardons that there vvas no vse of them in the primitiue Church pardons therefore began after the people stood in some feare of purgatory these are the vvords of this popish bishop vvhich vvordes if they be vvel marked vvith all the circumstances are able vvithout more adoe to persvvade anie man to detest the Romish religion for vvhich cause I have alleaged them at large 1 First therefore vvee learne here that the greeke church never beleeved purgatorie to this day 2 Secondly that the Latine church and church of Rome did not beleeve the said purgatorie for manie hundreds of yeares after S. Peters death vvhose successor the pope boasteth himself to be 3 Thirdlie that this purgatorie vvas not beleeved of all the latine church at one and the same time but by litle and litle vvhere note by the vvay that poperie crept into the church by litle and litle not all at one time vvhich is a point that galleth the papistes more then a litle I vveene 4 Fourthly that purgatorie vvas beleeved in the latter daies by speciall revelation of the holie ghost 5 Fiftlie that pardons came not vp till purgatorie vvas found out for in purgatorie resteth the life of pardons as vvhich there being no purgatorie are not worth a straw 6 Sixtly that purgatorie vvas a long time vnknovven 7 Seventhly that purgatorie could not be found in the scriptures of a long time 8 Eightlie that it vvas not vvholie found out by the scriptures but partlie by revelations 9 Ninthly that pardons vvere not heard of or knovven to the primitive church 10 Tenthly that then pardons began when men began to feare the paines of purgatorie Behold novv gentle reader vvhat a vvorthie fisher vvas my popish Lord of Rochester hee hath caught vvith his net at one draughtten goodly fishes that is to say ten vvorthy observations for Christian aedification Further then this out of the seventh and eight observations I gather three special documents by a necessarie and irrefragable consecution First that the second booke of the Machabees is not Canonical or penned by the holie ghost For if that booke vvere of canonicall authoritie vvhich the papistes purgatorie could not but haue bene knovven so soon as that booke vvas knovvn vvhich yet Roffensis denieth The reason is evidēt because purgatorie is verie effectuallie plainlie conteined therin Secondlie that the Church of Rome for of that church speaketh the Bishop reputeth the vvorkes of God vnperfect albeit Moyses avoucheth the contrarie Dei inquit perfecta sunt opera The vvorkes of God saith he are perfect I prooue this because as the Bishop saith the scriptures made purgatorie knovven to the church but vnperfectlie yet the truth is that if God make purgatorie knovven by the scriptures then purgatorie is made knovven perfectlie by them or else Gods vvorks that is the holie scriptures must be vnperfect but I vvil rather beleeue Moyses the holie prophet of God then my lord our fisher though the popes canonized martir Thirdlie this Bishop for this his doctrine must either come againe to retract his opinion or else wil he nil he condemne the pope and church of Rome This I wil proove by a most plaine and evident demonstration For the better vnderstanding vvherof I shal desire the gentle reader to observe three thinges vvith me First that the church of Rome preacheth novv and did in this Bishops time that the bookes of Machabees are canonicall scripture and penned by the holie ghost Secondlie that the church of Rome neither beleeued nor knevv purgatorie for manie years together after the receite of holie scripture and these bookes of Machabees Thirdlie that purgatorie is effectuallie and plainely conteined in the second booke of Machabees by popish
estimation in that their Latine vulgata edition vvhich their tridentine councell hath most straitlie charged all chistendome to observe as all papistes now a daies repute the same a stable bulwarke for their purgatorie the wordes are these sancta ergo salubris est cogitatio pro defunctis exorare vt à peccatis solvantur it is therefore a good and godlie consideration to pray for the dead that they may bee cleansed from their sinnes these wordes are so plaine and so easie as not onelie the vvhole church but my lord Bishop yea and euerie scholer that but meanlie knoweth the latine tongue must needes vnderstand the same And consequentlie must needes knovv purgatorie by them if hee can vse anie discourse at all as my lord of Rochester could doe right well vpon these observations then I inferre first that the church of Rome not knowing purgatorie for manie yeares after she had received the scriptures in which purgatorie was so plainlie and effectuallie conteined as they now graunt did not repute the bookes of Machabees for canonicall scriptures and consequentlie did not beleeue purgatorie mentioned therein For this indeed is most true of the old and good church of Rome as Roffensis hath proved against his vvill I inferre secondlie that the church of God never had or can haue other scriptures or other faith then the apostles had and beleeved in their time For the latter church neuer had nor ever shall haue authoritie to coine anie new scriptures or nevv faith The church of Rome therefore taught most wicked doctrine in my L. Bishops time vvhich he well perceiued and acknowledged in his ovvne conscience or els was in that point infatuated become a verie foole according to this saying of the Gospel Confiteor tibi pater domine coeli terrae quia abscondisti haec à sapientibus prudentibus revelasti ea parvulis I giue thee thankes O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and reuealed them vnto babes The 8. Preamble ALbeit the papistes doe reproue others bitterlie when they reiect some authotities though vpon important and grounded reasons yet themselves with all libertie reiect contemne authorities at their pleasures They reiect the fourth booke of Esaias as Bellarminus confesseth They reiect the last clause of the Lords praier as Arius Montanus witnesseth They reiect the 65. canon of the Apostles as graunteth Bellarminus in these wordes Respondeo canonem istum supposititium videri solum n. quinquaginta canones apostolorum ecclesia recipit I answere that this canon is a counterfaite for the church of Rome receiveth onelie 50. canons of the apostles Marke gentle reader that this canon reproveth the practise of the Church of Rome and so the church si dijs placet will not receiue it They reiect the sixt generall councell because forsooth it prescribeth limits to the bishop of Rome and denieth his vsurped iurisdiction That they reiect this solemne and vniuersall councel Bellarminus auoucheth stoutlie but pope Adrian reputed a most graue vvriter by the learned papists received and reverenced the said councell for these are his vvords cited in their ovvne canon lavve Sextam synodum sanctā cum om nibus canonibus suis recipio I receiue the sixt holie synode vvith all the canons thereof Loe the Pope himselfe and their ovvne canon lavv confirme this councel to be of good autoritie Reade the next chapter in the said canon lavy for there is large matter vttered for the approbation of the same They reiect that part of the councell of Constance vvhich Pope Martin vvould not allovv And vvhy vvould not hee allovv that part as vvell as he approued the other parts because for sooth it denieth the Popes authoritie to be aboue the councel but because I vvill not rip vp popish licentious libertie to the bottome I vvill rest vvith recitall of that onelie libertie vvhich Bellarminus vseth in defense of popish masse these are his vvordes Porro epistolae duae quae circumferuntur de hac re Damasi ad Hieronymum Hieronymi ad Damasum supposititiae sunt Furthermore the tvvo epistles vvhich are carried about of Damasus to Hierome and of Hierome to Damasus are counterfaite But the absurdest Epistles Canons and vvritinges that euer vvere or can be are verie authentical vvith them and most currant so they make for our holie father the pope his vsurped iurisdiction For proofe of this point I vvil content my selfe vvith tvvo examples for brevitie sake For by them and the disproofe thereof the reader may haue a sufficient coniecture of the rest The former example is taken out of S. Clements epistle to S. Iames. in this and the other epistles follovving put forth in the name of S. Clement is commended vnto vs auricular confession the sacrifice of the masse the subiection of kinges to bishops the primacie of S. Peter and such like for vvhich respectes the said epistles are currant and authenticall amongst the papistes but magna est veritas praevalet great is the truth and it preuaileth for the verie vvordes of the epistle betray and bevvray the same and make it manifest vnto all the world that it is a counterfait These therefore are the vvordes Clemens Iacobo domino episcopo episcoporum regenti Hebraeorum sanctam ecclesiam Hirosolymis sed omnes ecclesias quae vbique Dei providētia fundatae sunt cum patribus diaconibus caeteris omnibus patribus pax tibi sit semper Clement to lord Iames the bishop of bishops that governeth the holy church of the Hebrevves at Hierusalem as also that governeth all churches founded by Gods providēce throughout the vvorld vvith the fathers and deacons and all other fathers peace be to thee alvvaie Novv gentle reader thou hast heard the vvords and so beholdest no doubt the vanitie thereof for if S. Iames vvere not only bishop of Hierusalem but the bishop of bishops and the governor of all Churches in the christian vvorld as this epistle affirmeth then doubtles vvas S. Iames the pope and supreme head of the church not S. Peter and yet doth the selfe same epistle avouch that S. Peter vvas the head of the church and that S. Peter lying sicke in his bed called S. Clement vnto him and told him that his houre of death vvas at hand and that therefore he appointed the said Clement to be his successour and to sit in his chaire at Rome But S. Iames succeeded Christ himselfe at Hierusalem vvho vvas indeede the head of holie Church and therefore S. Iames should rather be Pope then S. Clement if there vvere indeed anie such pope at all the latter example is taken out of that vvorke vvhich is fathered vpon S. Augustine of true and false repentance vvhich booke because it seemeth to approove confession of sinnes to priests is good and authenticall vvith papistes but as God vvould haue it the selfe
one and the same hoste in and at that Masse when all the newly made priestes doe consecrate in their Romish Church Latheran for they are all appointed to consecrate they doe all pronounce the wordes they are all bounden to have intention and yet when the principall author to wit the Bishop is at the last sillable some of the rest be in the middest some in the beginning some in one place some in another never a one jumping with other in that instant in which they should their bread-god make for of this matter are three solemne dissonant opinions amongest the great Romish Rabbins Pope Innocentius holdeth that all doe consecrate Durandus avowcheth that that Priest onely consecratetth which with greatest speed first commeth to the end but Cardinall Caietan hath another consideration 5 Fifthly I demaund concerning their wordes of consecration what is in the priestes hand when he hath uttered all the wordes save one if they answere the bodie of Christ then doeth it followe that the principall worde of their consecration is needlesse that their wordes of consecration be uncerten and that their consecratorie wordes so called be not causative of their falsly supposed effect if they say it is pure bread or bread in substance but altered in qualitie then doeth it followe necessarily that the consecration consisteth of the last word onely and that all the rest are meere extrinsecall to their imagined transubstantiation if they say it is neither Christes bodie nor bread but an unknowen substance or as they tearme it sometime individuum vagum we may truely tell them that their certentie of their idolatrous sacrament is as uncerten as the weather-cocke 6 Sixtly I demaund of them how Christes natural bodie being large is contained in around cake being little since Christes bodie is a true organicall bodie which hath divers partes every one distant from another if they say that Christes bodie is there without dimensions their owne angelicall and famous Doctor Aquinas is against them if they say that though it can not be so by naturall power yet can God miraculously bring so much to passe to that I answere that so to say can not serve their turne for by the confession of all learned men yea even of all popish schoole-men and Doctors there be many things which God can not doe or rather many things which can no way be done for example God can not sinne God can not make time past not to be past God can not make that a blind man remaining blinde do not want his sight though he can give sight to the blind God can not make that a dead man remaining dead have life though he can restore life to the dead in fine God can do nothing that implyeth contradiction and yet doeth not this want of doing argue impotencie in God who is omnipotent but defect in the thing that should be done Nowe so it is that this imagined being of Christes body in a little round cake implyeth in it selfe contradiction consequently can not possibly be done For example no power can bring to passe that a bodie being sixe cubits long and two cubits broad remaining still so long and broad shall be contained in another body being onely three cubits long and one cubite broad and the reason hereof is because so to conteine and be conteined implyeth contradiction And this is the case novv put of Christes bodie in the round popish cake Let all the papistes in England or els where solve this reason and I will be their bondman And if they can not solve it which indeede is impossible to be done then must they perforce confesse vvhich they vvould not that their doctrine is ridiculous impossible and execrable Seventhlie I demaund hovv they can defend Christes bodie from being broken and devided when they breake and devide their round cakes since by their doctrine Christes bodie is reallie conteined in the same Eightly I demaund hovv they can distinguish division of the bread from consecration of the same or hovv they can denie it to be of equall force vvith consecration thereof for by consecration of one bread Christes bodie is but in one place but by division of one bread his bodie is locallie in manie places at once Here endeth the first Booke THE SECOND BOOK VVherein are confuted the principall groundes of all Romish religion CAP. I. Of the principall groundes of all Romish faith and religion TVVO thinges there be which mightily keepe all Papistes in a certaine externall uniformitie of Religion as all whosoever deepely ponder the same must perforce acknowledge with me Th'one is the severe punishment sharpe tortures executed upon all persons whatsoever without exception of what degree state or condition soever that doe but once whisper against the least jote of Popish religion for better successe and more free passage of the said Romish religion the laicall people are prohibited by Popish canon law under paine of excommunication not to reason at all in matters of faith and the learned not to examine or discusse howe farre the Popes power doeth extend whatsoever or howsoever he appoint them to beleeve which their owne Popish fryer Franciscus a Victoria did not dissemble when out of their owne Canon lawe he uttered these expresse wordes Non spectat ad subditos determinare aut examinare quid possit Papa aut quid non possit quomodo teneantur parere vel non quia sacrilegium est disputare de potentia Principis praecipuè Papae It belongeth not to Popish vassals to determine or examine what the Pope may doe or what he may not doe For his lawe hath made it sacriledge to dispute of the Popes power yea this their irreligious manner of proceeding is executed in such strict sort as neither any of the laytie nor of the Clergie can under paine of Popish excommunication reade either the Olde or New Testament translated into the vulgar tongue or any other booke of controversie or Divinitie set forth by any not professed vassall vnto the pope vnlesse such person or persons be specially licensed from the pope thereunto All which is confirmed by daily practise of the Romish church in so much as if anie vtter anie one vvord that may any vvay sound or be racked to the dislike of popish doctrine that man shal bye and bye be castinto their disholie inquisition and shortlie after be burnt with fire faggot vnlesse he both svveare and subscribe to euerie article of their erroneous romish religion And further vnlesse hee also protest by oath to disclose vvhom soeuer he knovveth then or shall knovv aftervvard to hold anie opinion against the said romish religion Nay though a man be neuer so sound a papist yet if he be but found in companie vvith his deare frend vvho in affection is opposite to the romish religion that selfe sound papist shal be put into the inquisition and there abide vvith hard vsage vntil he pay the last farthing this
hereticall because the church that is the pope hath not so defined it VVhich ansvvere of Bellarminus doth not defend that prerogatiue in decrees of faith vvhich the pope chalengeth vnto himselfe 1 For first this vvas a publique decree because the Bulgarians asked the popes iudgement as appeareth by the vvord consulitis ye require my counsel 2 Secondle he erred herein as Bellarminus is enforced to graunt and consequently in his publique decree 3 Thirdly this his decree vvas contrarie to the Gospell as pope Pelagius defineth in the said canon lavv therefore is Bellarminus his destinction friuolous vvhen he graunteth the popes definition to be false but not hereticall as if forsooth an opinon repugaant to christs gospel can not be heretical vnlesse the popes holines so appoint it 4 Fourthle it is enough that the pope hath erred in his decree of faith whether they graunt it to be hereticall or no. 5 Fiftly pope Pelagius pope Zacharie and a provinciall counsell of England holden in time of papistrie have decreed his sentence to be hereticall Pope Pelagius hath these wordes Multi sunt qui in nomine solummodo christiani vna etiam mersione se asserūt baptizare euangelicū vero praeceptū ipso deo et domino saluatore nostro Iesu Christo tradente nos admonet in nomine trinitatis trina etiam mersione sanctum baptisma vnicuique tribuere There be many that say they baptise onely in the name of Christ with one mersion also but the commaundment of the gospel delivered by God himselfe and our saviour Iesus Christ doth advertise vs to baptise euety one in the name of the trinitie vvith three mersions Pope Zacharie hath these words In synodo Anglorū decretū et iudicium firmissime praeceptū et diligenter demōstatū esse digno scitur vt quicunque sine invocatione trinitatis mer sus fuisset sacramentū regenerationis nō haberet quod omnino verū est quia silotus in fōte baptismatis quis fuerit sine inuocatione trinitatis per fectus christianus nō est nisi in nomine patris et filij et spiritus sācti fuerit baptizatus hoc quoque obseruari in praedicta synodo sacerdotes voluerūt vt qui velvnā de trinitate personā in baptismo nō nominaret illud baptisma esse verū nō posset quod pro certo verum est quia qui vnāex sancta trinitate confessus non fuerit perfectus christianus esse non potest It is wel knowen that it was decreed in a councel of England and that iudgement was giuen most constantly and exactly proued that who soeuer was baptized without the inuocation of the trinitie hee could not haue the sacrament of regeneration which is altogether true because if that any shalbe washed in the fountain of baptisme without the innocation of the trinitie he is no perfect christian vnlesse he be baptized in the name of the father of the son of the holy ghost This also the priestes in that synod would haue obserued that who so should omit but one person of trinitie in baptisme that baptism could not be true which thing is true for certainty because he that shall not confesse one person of the trinitie can not be a perfect christian by vvhich testimonies being not onely of popes but of english papists also assembled in councel we haue to note 2. things the one that the resolutiō of pope Nicholas was a publique decree no priuat opiniō the other that his decree was false erroneous cōtrary to the gospel of Christ Iesus Iosephus Angles a learned popish Frier in a booke dedicated to the pope sheweth this vvhole matter distinctly in these words Si baptismus modo in nomine Christitātum vel sanctissimae trinitatis implicite conferatur non erit sacramentum definita est a Gelasio papa in canone sirevera in canone si multi vbi dicuntur agere contra praeceptum evangelicū sic baptizantes baptismum esse reiterandum If baptisme this day be giuē in the name of Christ only or in the name of the holy trinitie but not expresly it shall not be the sacrament of baptisme this is defined by pope Gelasius in the canō sirevera in the canon si multi where they are said to doe against the precept of Christs ghospel that baptise in that maner that their baptism must be iterated and done againe in fine it is wonderful and almost incredible what grosse shamefull vnchristian cōstitutions many popes haue made aswel in decrees of faith as of maners But I surceasing from recitall of huge numbers wil content my selfe with onely 3. to wit Stephanus the 6. Iohn the 9. Sergius the 3. For first pope Stephanus made frustrate and of none effect the orders receiued of pope Formosus his predecessor but shortly after pope Iohn disanulled made frustrate the acts of pope Stephanus approued the acts of pope Formosus yet after all this pope Sergius vndid againe the acts of pope Formosus of pope Iohn approved the actes of pope Stephanus the sixt These shamefull and erroneous constitutions factes of these three popes are so true as not onely Baptista Platina a graue popish historiographer but Carranza also yea Bellarminus himself do al confesse the same wherin we haue first to consider that amongst the papists order is an holie sacrament impresseth in the receiuer an indelible character by vertue wherof once a bishop must euer he a bishop by popish doctrine how soeuer iurisdiction be taken away and consequently since For nosus was once a bishop to wit episcopus Portuensis as saith Platina and by vertue thereof had their indelible character and power to giue orders it was a most manifest errour in faith and most wicked fact in maners to decree as pope Stephanus and pope Sergius did that orders giuen by pope Formosus were not true orders but none at all and thereupon to commaund with the notorious scandall of all the world that all such as were made priestes by him should take orders againe as if they had beene of the meere laicall order The 6. Conclusion NOt onely the pope as pope may erre in his publique decrees when he alone defineth matters of faith or maners but also when hee so defineth vvith a prouinciall romish councell This conclusion is certaine and vndoubtedly true euen by the testimonies of best learned papistes And because Bellarminus dorh not denie this to be so I will alleage his words which be these Secunda opinio est pontificem etiam vt pontificem posse esse hereticum docere haeresim si absque generali concilio definiat de facto aliquando accidisse hanc opinionem sequitur tuetur Nilus in suo libro aduer sus primatum papae eandem sequuti sunt aliquot Parisienses vt Gerson Almain in libris de potestate ecclesiae nec non Alphonsus de Castro libro
primo capit 2. contra haereses Adrianus sextus papa in questione de confirmatione qui omnes non in pontisice sed in ecclesia siue in concilio generali tantum constituunt infallibilitatem dicij de rebus fidei 2 The second opinion is that the pope euen as pope may bee an heretique and teach heresie if he define without a generall councell and that this hath in verie deede sometime chaunced so this opinion doth Nilus follovve and defend in his booke against the popes primacie The same opinion haue some of the vniuersitie of Paris followed as Gerson Alma in in their books of the churches povver and of their opinion are also Alphōsus and pope Adrian vvho all do not ascribe the infallibilitie of iudgement to the pope but to the church or to a generall councell onely in all matters of faith out of vvhich vvords I note 1 First that the pope as pope may erre when he alone decreeth anie matter of faith 2 I note secondlie that the pope as pope may erre vvhen he defineth anie matter of faith vvithout a generall councell and consequentlie that he may erre vvith a prouinciall councell 3 I note thirdly that popes as popes that is as publique persons haue erred alreadie and de facto vvhen they haue decreed vvithout a generall councell 4 I note fourthlie that all this is testifyed by foure great learned papistes vvhereof one vvas pope himselfe These testimonies are important doubtlesse verie sufficient to establish my conclusion But I vvill alleage yet another proofe so excellent so evident and so irrefragable as more cannot be vvished The proofe standeth thus Pope Stephanus vvith a councell of all the bishops and priestes of Italie defined flatlie against rebaptization vvhich decree of councell vvith the popes assent thereto Saint Cyprian contemned after it defending his former opinion constantlie yea he vvas so far from acknowledging that prerogatiue in popes vvhich they of latter daies chalenge vnto them selues that he vvould not take pope Stephanus for his superiour or to haue anie iurisdiction ouer him but termed him superbum imperitum caeeae ac prauae mentis proud ignorant blind and naughtie as is euident to such as reade his epistle to Pompeius Out of vvhich I note 1 First that Cyprian vvas an holie martir novv a saint in heauen 2 I note secondly that he vvas a verie ancient father and a great learned clarke 3 I note thirdly that he knevv vvhat the pope and his councell had decreed 4 I note fourthly that he iudged a romish coūcel to be of no greater force than a Councell African I note fiftlie that hee iudged the Councell of Italie to bee of no greater force for the Popes consent then was the Councell of Afrike for his owne consent I note sixtlie that provinciall Councels are of no greater authoritie for the Popes confirmation than for the confirmation of another bishop all which pointes are necessarilie deduced out of Saint Cyprians fact and writings And Bellarminus answere hereunto is frivolous and not worth the rehearsall The Pope defined not the controversie as a matter of faith saith Bellarminus because he did not excommunicate Saint Cyprian A sweet dish of a messe of mustarde The Pope utterlie disliking Saint Cyprian his opinion and deeming it repugnant to Christes Gospell and for that ende convocating all the Clergie men of Italie did define the controversie but not as a matter of faith saith Bellarminus The controversie was about rebaptization which was either flatlie with the Gospell or flatlie against the same If it were flatlie with the Gospell then erred the Pope and his Councell egregiouslie If it were flatlie against the Gospell and the Pope decreed it then decreed he against it as against a matter of faith or els opinions against the Gospell are not against faith The Corollarie First therefore since the Popes lives have bene most wicked most notorious and scandalous unto the world secondlie since Popes have aspired unto their Popedomes by naughtie and ungodlie meanes thirdlie since Popes may not onelie erre and hold false opinions but also become notorious heretiques and for their heresies be deprived of their Popedoms fourthlie since manie Popes have de facto forsaken the Christian faith and become flat heretiques fiftlie since manie Popes have erred in their publike doctrine of faith and manners sixtlie since not onelie the Pope as hee is Pope may erre in his publike decrees when hee alone defineth matters of faith and manners but also when hee so defineth with a provinciall Councell I conclude that it is a sufficient motive for me to renounce the Romish religion as false erronious and pernicious doctrine Thus much of the second motive THE FOVRTH CHAPTER Of the authoritie of generall Councelles in these our dayes I Haue sometymes had the decrees of generall Councelles aswellatter as former in great admiration thinking them the determinations and resolutions of the holy Ghost but of late yeares I have changed my opinion upon sundrie waightie motives the chiefest whereof I will set downe by way of conclusions The first Conclusion THe decrees of generall Councels in these latter dayes are nothing els but a meere mockerie and sophisticall subtiltie to deceive Gods people withall For although there be before everie generall Councell solemne convocation sumptuous preparation and chargeable peregrenation and before the end long costlie and tedious abode yet neither doe or can the Fathers of the councels determine anie thing there which the Pope hath not before concluded sitting in his chaire at home This may seeme strange unto thee gentle Reader as sometimes ir did unto my selfe but I shall God willing unfold the obscuritie with such evident perspicuitie as never man henceforth can stand in doubt thereof This shall bee perfourmed if I prooue 4 things First if I proove that the decrees of Councels be of no force with papists unles the Popes Legates consent unto the same Secondlie if I proove that though the Popes Legates agree unto the decrees of Councels yet are the said decrees of no force if the legates shal consent unto anie one iot contrarie to the Popes appointment Thirdlie if I proove that the pope cannot delegate his authoritie unto the Legates whome he sen deth to the Councell Fourthlie if I proove that he wil not come to the Councels himselfe but determine everie thing at home in his chamber the proofe hereof shall be the flattestimonie of Melchior Canus a most profounde Schoolman in reasoning a most reverend Bishop in dignitie a most sound papist in opinion and sometime the chiefest and most excellent pofessour of Divinitie in Salmantica This Canus writeth in this manner Si Legatus contra instructionem agit non censetur ex potestate delegata agere atque adeo non est cur eo modo act a superioris auctoritate probata esse credantur Et paulò pòst Decreta igitur quae à Legato contra sedis
Apostolicae traditionem approbentur non habent Romanae Ecclesiae authoritatem nec aliter se habent quam sià Concilio sine Lega tis prodijssent paulò pòst Solidam auctoritatem quam in confirmandis fratribus dogmatibus Petrus habet in Legatos transferre non potest If the Legate doe anie thing contrary to instruction given him hee must not be deemed to proceede of power delegate and so there is no cause why the pope shall be thought to approve the decrees The decrees therefore which the Legate shall approove against tradition of the Church of Rome have no authoritie from the Church of Rome neither are they of anie more force than if they had proceeded from the Councell without consent of the Legates The sound authoritie therefore which Peter hath in confirming his brethren and decrees he cannot transferre unto his Legates These are the expresse wordes of Canus that great piller of popish doctrine Out of whose wordes I note first that decrees of Councels bee of no force without consent of the Legates I note secondlie that the decrees of Councels even when they have the consent of the Legates are yet of no force when the Legates condiscend to anie thing against the Popes minde I note thirdlie that the Pope cannot translate or give his authoritie unto the Legate and consequentlie the Pope greatlie abuseth the whole world when he calleth together all bishops in the Christian world and yet will allowe nothing that they doe unles it be the same that hee decreeth in his chaire at home Now that hee never commeth to Councels in his owne person Bellarminus recordeth in this maner Summus Pontifex nunquam interfuit Concilijs Orient alibus per se c. The Pope was never present at the Councels in the East Church in his owne person and why was not the Pope present at generall Councelles in the East Church Bellarminus giveth two reasons the one forsooth because it was not convenient that the heade should follow the members The other because the Emperour would ever sitte in the highest place which our humble Father the Pope coulde not endure Out of vvhose wordes I note two thinges the one that the highest place in Councels was in olde time reserved to the Emperour the other that the Greeke Church did never acknowledge the Popes primacie The second Conclusion IN these latter dayes since the Pope attained his usurped iurisdiction generall Councelles are so destitute of the holie Ghostes asistance though the Papistes never cease to bragge thereof that they decree altogether against the holie Ghost This is manifest by the solemne decrees of the late Councel of Trent as after due examination will evidentlie appeare First therefore the saide Councell decreed flatlie that to be no matrimonie which was approoved Matrimonie by the uniforme consent of the auncient Catholike Church and which is this day perfect Matrimonie by Christes institution These be the wordes of the Councell Qui aliter quam praesente parocho vel alio Sacerdote de ipsius seu ordinarii licentia duobus vel tribus testibus matrimonium contrahere attent abunt eos sancta synodus ad sic contrahendum omnino inhabiles reddit huiusmodi contractus irritos nullos esse decernit presenti decreto They that shall goe about to marrie otherwise than in the presence of the parish Priest or of some other priest by his licence or graunt of the Ordinarie and with two or three witnesses those the holie Counsell maketh utterlie uncapable of Mariage and defineth by this present decree such contracts to be frustrate and of no force By which words and by which decree we see plainelie that this day those persons are made uncapable of matrimonie and their mariage disanulled whom Christ pronounceth capable and whose marriage hee approoved For before this decree of the late Councell of Trent all papistes in the worlde approoved private and secrete matrimonies for true and perfect yea all learned papistes doe confesse constantlie such clandestine matrimonies to be true mariages in England albeit that such contracts be of no force neither in Spaine nor Italie by their religion The reason hereof is because promulgation of the said Tridentine Councels decree was not yet made in England as appeareth by the first Cannon in the eight section dereformatione This constant opinion of all Divines the Councell it selfe acknowledged in these wordes Dubitandum non est clandestina matrimonia libero consensu facta rata vera esse matrimonia quandiu Ecclesia ea irrita non fecit There is no doubt but clandestine and secrete matrimonies made with free consent were perfect and true matrimonies so long as the Church did not disanull the same Yea the Councell of Trent acknowledgeth matrimonie to be one of the seven Sacraments of the newe Testament instituted by Christ and yet accurseth all such as beleeve not the Church of Rome to have authoritie to dissolve the same These be the wordes Si quis dixerit matrimonium non esse verè propriè unum ex septem legis Evangelicae sacramentis à Christo domino institutum sed ab hominibus in Ecclesiam invectum neque gratiam conferre anathemasit If anie shall say that matrimonie is not truelie and properlie one of the seven Sacraments of the Evangelicall law instituted by Christ our Lord but brought into the Church by men neither to give grace accursed be that man And in another place it hath these wordes Si quis dixerit Ecclesiam non potuisse constituere impedimenta matrimonium dirimentia vel in ijs constituendis errasse anathemasit If anie shal say that the Church could not appoint impediments which dissolve matrimonie or that the Church erred in appointing them accursed be that man These bee the decrees of the holie Councell of Trent which as the Papists beleeue had the assistance of the holie Ghost and therefore could not erre Out of which decrees we have first that matrimonie is a contract instituted by Christ himselfe we have secondlie that it is an holie Sacrament with the Papistes Wee have thirdlie that it is now no Sacrament with the Papistes which by Christs institution is a Sacrament in their religion We have fourthlie that matrimonial contractes made without the presence of a Priest are true and perfect matrimonies by Christes law and institution We have fiftlie that such matrimonies to wit clandestine are disanulled and made no matrimonies by the Pope and his Tridentine Councell neither will it help to say as the wiser sort of Papists doeth that the Councell doeth not unmarie persons alreadie married but onelie disableth unmaried persons so as their prohibited marriages cannot be of force For first the Councell pronounceth that to be no Mariage by reason of mans prohibition which without such prohibition should bee perfect mariage by Christs institution as is alreadie prooved out of the said Councell Secondlie that
second part is prooved by the vniforme consent of all divines For Bellarmine saith Non autem essentialia matrimonia ecclesia vllo modo mutat aut mutare potest But the essentiall partes of Matrimonie the Church neither doth change neither can change And doubtles if the Church can not doe it á fortiori the Pope can not doe it which Bellarmine will not denie and Victoria doth witnesse no lesse in these words Communis schola theologorum negat maiorem scilicet quod Papa possit dispensare sed in contrarium sunt multi doctores Cannonistarum The common schoole of Divines denieth the maior to wit that the Pope can dispence with matrimonie but many Cannonists holde the contrarie Cov arru vias likewise saith thus Tutior ac verior est communis theologorum opinio quae probat matrimonium ratum nondum secut â commixtione carnis sic non consummatum minime posse dissolvi Rom. Pontif. dispensatione The common opinion of Divines is more safe and true which prooveth that matrimonie perfected by consent but not consummate by carnall copulation can not be dissolved by the Popes dispensation And the said Covarruvias addeth these words Ipse vero non auderem à communi theologorum sententia discedere I my selfe truely durst not forsake the common opinion of devines And no marvell for Christ himselfe putteth the marter out of all doubt when he saith Quod Deus coniunxit homo non separet That which God hath conioined let no man put asunder And in another place he saith thus Omnis qui dimittit vxorem suam alteram ducit maecatur Everie one that putteth avvay his wife and marrieth another committeth adulterie And Saint Paul vpon the same argument hath these wordes His autem qui matrimonio iuncti sunt precipio non ego sed Dominus Uxorem a viro non discedere quod sidi scesserit manere innuptam aut Uiro suo reconciliari vir vxorem non dimittat Those that are married commaund not I but the Lord that the wife depart not from her husband but if shee shall depart then to abide vnmarried or to be reconciled to her husband Thus saith Christ thus saith saint Paul that man and wife ioined by Christ must abide during life together or liue vnmarried and nor be seuered by the popes dispensation Neither will it helpe to say as Bellarm. doth others with him that Christ onely speaketh de matrimonio consummato and that matrimonium ratum with which the pope dispenseth is not de iure divino For first if matrimonium ratum were not de iure divino the greatest popish deuines would not denie the popes dispensation therein as who graunt him power over all lawes humane 2 Secondly Christ speaketh absolutely and maketh no mention of copularion or popish consumation vvhich is all one 3 Thirdly with papistes matrimonie is a deuine sacrament and so is perfect vvithout carnall copulation For as their owne Canus saith Sanctus spiritus sacramenti gratia per coitum non datur The holie ghost and grace of sacrament is not giuen by copulation 4 Fourthly it followeth hereupon that matrimonie is not fullie perfect in the popish Church because copulation followeth a good while after 5 Fiftly because it is absurd to say that it beginneth to be a sacramēt by carnall copulation and was not a sacramēt by the priests action 6 Sixtly it followeth hereupon that the marriage betweene the blessed Virgin and S. Ioseph was not perfect matrimonie For there doubtlesse wanted popish carnall copulation 7 Seauenthly it follovveth hereupon that there was not perfect matrimonie betweene Adam and Eue For their matrimonie was in the state of innocencie and before all carnall copulation 8 Eightly because if matrimonie be not de iure divine before copulation there is no cause why both parties agreeing together may not release the bargaine and quite dissolue the contracte For as the law saith Quisque potest suo iuri cedere Euery man may yeelde vp his right vvhich thing all both canonistes and devines admit for good in sponsalibus The 3. Conclusion AS the pope pronounceth that matrimonie dissolved by vertue of his dispensation vvhich remaineth true and perfect matrimonie by Christes institution So doth hee likevvise pronounce by like dispensation that to be true and perfect matrimonie which both by the law devine and law of nature is no matrimonie at all The former part of this assertiue proposition is proued in the conclusion going next before For probation of the second part I make this supposall that the pope hath dispensed vvith brothers in the marriages of their brothers vviues as the vvorld right vvell knoweth to be true This supposall made I proceed in this manner The lavv of Moyses vvas partly iudiciall partly ceremoniall and partly morall The iudiciall and ceremoniall partes vvere abrogate by Christes passion as vvitnesseth Saint Paule in these vvords Translato sacerdotio necesse est vt legts translatio fiat Translation of priesthood being made there must also be translation of the lavv but the morall and part natural is stil in force in so much as al Christians are this day bound to keepe the decalogue notvvithstanding the translation of the law of Moises euen as vvere the Gentiles before the said lavv vvas giuen For the gentiles vvere as much bound before the lavv and we novv after the law to absteine from Idolatrie theft adulterie the rest as were the Iews in time of the law For as Victoria hath wel observed the gospell is called the law of libertie because Christians after promulgation of the gospel are only bound to the lavv of nature of all such thinges as are conteined in the old lavv and all devines are of the same opinion as vvitnesseth the said Victoria in these vvords Receptissimum est apudomnes theologos necessarium est it a tenere ex omnibus precept is veteris legis sola moralia integra firma restitissein nova lege It is a generall opinion approved of all divines and it is necessatie so to hold that of all precepts in the old law onely morall abode firme intier in the nevv lavv Thus then is it plaine that that part of Moises lavv vvhich is moral or natural abideth still in full strength and vertue To vvhich I must ad two thinges for the exact and perfect probation of this my third conclusion 1 The one that the lavv of nature is immutable and indispensable by the power of man and consequently that the pope cannot dispense thervvith The other that al the lavves prohibited in the 18. of Leviticus especiallly that of marying the brothers wife are morall and prohibited by the lawe of nature For the former parte Victoria writeth in this manner In hoc genere decretorum aut Canonum papa nihil potest immutare dispensando multominus abrogando Conclusio est omnium theologorum absque controversia
keepe the law Secondly I see all that aske bring dispensations whom I marvell if they all haue lawfull causes that they may be dispensed withall in the impediments of matrimonie and of irregularitie and for the pluralitie of spirituall livings And in another place the said Victoria hath these words Et paultim adhanc intemperantiam dispensationum deventum est hunc talem statum vbi necmala nostra nec remedia pati possumus ideo necesse est aliam rationem excogitare adconservandas leges Da mihi Clementes Linos Sylvestros omniapermittam arbitrio eorum Sed vt nihil gravius dicatur in recentiores pontifices certe multis partibus sunt priscis illis inferiores By Title and litle wee are brought to these in ordinate dispensations and to this so miserable state where we are neitherable to endure our owne griefes nor remedies a sligned for the same And therefore must vve perforce inuent some other way for conferuation of the lawes Giue mee Clements Lines Silvesters and I will commit all things vnto their charge But to speake nothing grievously against these latter popes they are doubtlesse inferiour to popes of old time by many degrees I could all eage many other testimonies But this Victoria being of great credit among the papistes is a most sufficient witnesse in their owne proceedinges The Corollarie First therefore since the Pope dispenseth vsually with professed monkes against his owne canons and religion 2 Secōdly since the pope dissolueth by his dispensations such matrimonies as are indissoluble by Christes institution 3 Thirdly since the pope pronounceth that to be true matrimonie by vertue of his dispensation which both by the law deuine and law of nature is no matrimonie at all 4 Fourthly since the pope doth not onely dissolve Christes law but also turneth his owne lavv vpside downe by his vngratious and intollerable dispensations I conclude that it is a sufficient motiue for me to renounce the Romish religion as false erroneous and pernitious doctrine Thus much of the fourth Motyve THE SIXTE CHAPTER Of the Popes authoritie and Iurisdiction THe papistes boaste that the pope is Christes vicar generall that hee hath fulnesse of povver that all ecclesiasticall iurisdiction is dependent vppon him that hee canne excommunicate kings depose kinges and give their kingdomes vnto others concerning vvhich pointes I vvil proceed by way of conclusions The first Conclusion THe ecclesiasticall povver of all the Apostles vvas generall ouer all the vvorld equall with Peters and the selfe same that Peters vvas Christ himselfe proueth this conclusion when he saith Data est mihi omnis potest as in coelo in terra euntes ergo docete omnes gentes All povver is giuen mee in heauen and in earth goe therefore and teach all nations In an other place hee saith thus Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Doe this in the remembrance of mee And againe thus Quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis VVhose sinnes yee shall forgive are forgiuen them And in another place thus Amen dico vobis quaecunque alligaueritis super terram erunt ligata in coelo quaecunque solueritis super terram erunt soluta et in coelo Verily I say vnto you vvhat things soeuer ye shall bind vpon earth shall be bound also in heaven and vvhatsoeuer things ye shall loose vpon earth shalbe loosed also in heauen All vvhich sayings Christ spoke and vttered of and to his apostles all as vvell as to Peter making them al apostles as wel as Peter And as they vvere all apostles as vvel as Peter so had they all equall povver not onely of order but of iurisdiction also which their Victoria recordeth in these vvords Adofficium Apostolatus spectat potestas ordinis iurisdictionis To the office of Apostleship perteineth both the power of order and of iurisdiction And S. Cyprian decideth this matter in most plaine and evident words when he saith thus Loquitur Dominus ad Petrum Ego dico tibi quiatu es Petrus c. paulo post Hoc erant utique caeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis sedexordum ab vnitate profici scitur ut Ecclesia vna monstretur Our Lord speaketh vnto Peter I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church c. and a little after The same were the rest of the Apostles doubtles that Peter was endued with equall fellowship both of honour and of power but the beginning proceedeth from vnitre that the Church may be shewed to be one Covarruvias their famous Canonist albeit he would very gladly defend the Popes pretended power and have onely Peters power ordinarie and independent yet can he not denie our Saviour Christ to have given equall power to all the Apostles These be his very words Etenim iuxta catholicorum virorum auctoritates communem omnium traditionem apostoli parem ab ipso Domino Iesu cum Petro potestatem orainis iurisdictionis acceperunt it a quidem vt quilibet apostolorum aequalem cum Petro habuerit potestatem ab ipso deo in totum orbem in omnes actus quae Petrus agere poterat For according to the auctorities of Catholike writers and the common tradition of all the Apostles received from our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe equall power with Peter both of power and iurisdiction in so much doutlesse as every Apostle had equall power with Peter from God himselfe and that both over all the worlde and to all actions that Peter could doe Out of which testimonies I note first that all the Apostles had equall auctoritie with Peter I note secondly that all the Apostles had power over all the world even as Peter had I note thirdly that what acte so ever Peter could doe every other Apostle could doe the same I note fourthly that the iurisdiction of every Apostle did extende as farre as Peters I note fiftly that Christs speaches to Peter in the singular number did not argue superioritie of iurisdiction but did onely signifie the vnitie of his Church I note sixtly that all this is confirmed by the opinion of Catholike writers by tradition of all generally For all these sixe points are expressely conteined if they be well marked in the auctorities alreadie alledged The same are confirmed by the testimonie of S. Augustine in sundrie places of his workes Claves inquit Augustinus non vnus homo Petrus sed vnitas accepit Ecclesiae Not one onely man Peter received the keyes but the vnitie of the Church In an other place the same S. Augustine writeth in this manner Ecclesiae catholicae personam sustinet Petrus cum ei dicitur ad omnes dicitur amas me pasce oves meas Peter representeth the person of the Catholike Church and when it is said to him it is said to all Lovest thou me feede my
which perteine to his office and to his proper subiects he can doe as much as the Pope Loe this great learned Papist who for his learning is reverenced of all Papists in the world ascribeth no lesse auctoritie to every Bishop in his diocesse then to the Pope himselfe Againe he affirmeth that no bishops authoritie is dependent vpon the Pope but is immediately from Christ so that papistrie is still confuted and confounded by it selfe and that by the best doctours of greatest authoritie even in the Church of Rome Iosephus Angles though otherwise he flatter the Pope and advance his auctoritie yet hath Gods Spirit enforced him to testifie the same truth These are his wordes Si comparemus B. Petri aliorum Apostolorum potestatem ad gubernationem omnium credentium tantam alij Apostoli habuerunt potestatem quantam B. Petrus habuit it a quod poterant quemlibet Christianum totius orbis sicut modo Rom. Pont. excommunicare in qualibet Ecclesia Episcopos sacerdotes creare ratio est quia omnis potestas B. Petro promissa tradita fuit caeteris Apostolis collata hoc sine personarum loci vel fori discrimine If we compare the power of S. Peter and of the other Apostles to the government of all the faithfull other Apostles have even as much power as S. Peter had so that they could then excommunicate every Christian in the whole world as the Bishop of Rome doth now and also make Bishops and Priests in every Church The reason is because all power promised and given to S. Peter was also given to the rest of the Apostles and that without difference of persons place or consistorie This is the sentence of fiyer Ioseph who vnwittingly and vnwillingly such is the force of veritie doeth wonderfully advance the trueth even while he seeketh to oppugne the same 1 For first he graunteth that every Apostle had as much auctoritie as S. Peter 2 Secondly that every Apostle had then as much auctoritie as the Pope chalengeth now 3 Thirdly that every Apostle had auctoritie from Christ to create Priests and Bishops every where 4 Fourthly that all this their authoritie was given them without difference of person place or consistorie O mercifull God blessed be thy holy Name for ever such is the maiestie of thy holy Gospell that the enemies thereof iustly infatuated for their sinnes doe vnwares even then illustrate thy trueth when they thinke the most to obscure the same This I did not see O God when I was abandoned from thee this I nowe behold O God when thou of thy mercy hast called me to thee Graunt O sweete Father that all seduced Papistes may behold the same with me to the glorie of thy holy Name the honour of thy Church and the eternall solace of their owne soules For more then the Popes owne deare doctours doe teach vs we desire not at the Popes hands The generall Councels of Constance and Basil decreed this matter in these manifest tearmes Ipsa synodus in spiritu Sancto legitimè congregata generale concilium faciens Ecclesiam militantem representans potestatem immediatè à Christo habet The Synode lawfully assembled in the holy Ghost making a generall Councell and representing the Church militant hath power immediately from Christ. Thus saith the Councell and doubtlesse where power commeth immediately from Christ it can not be derived from the Pope Thirdly S. Paul had speciall auctoritie over the Gentiles and largely as much as Peter if not more and consequently since all Christians now were Gentiles then the Pope if he will needes have superioritie over his brethren Bishops must reduce his succession from S. Paul For thus saith S. Paul of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gospell of the vncircumcision was committed to me even as the Gospell of circumcision to Peter The third Conclusion KInges have power coactive over Popes but Popes have no coactive power over Kings albeit Popes of late dayes have not onely excommunicated Princes but deposed them also For proofe of this conclusion many texts of holy Scripture are consonant King Salomon deposed Abiathar and placed Sadock in his roome For so the booke of Kings saith Abiathar quoque sacerdoti dixit rex vade in Anathoth ad agrum tuum quidem vir mortis es sed hodie te non interficiam quia portasti arcam domini dei coram David patre meo sustinuisti laborem in omnibus in quibus laboravit pater meus eiecit ergo Salomon Abiathar vt non esset sacerdos domini paulò post Sadoc sacerdotem posuit pro Abiathar Then the King said to Abiathar the priest goe to Anathoth vnto thine owne farme for thou art worthie to die but I will not this day kill thee because thou barest the Arke of the Lord God before David my father and because thou hast suffered in all where my father hath beene afflicted Salomon therefore cast out Abiathar from beeing priest vnto the Lord and set Sadock the priest in the roome of Abiathar King Iosaphat appointed both Ecclesiasticall and secular Magistrates commanding them strictly to looke vnto their charge These be the words of holy writ In Hierusalem quoque constituit Io saphat Levitas sacerdotes principes familiarum ex Israel vt iudicium causam domini iudicarent habitatoribus eius Praecepitque eis dicens sic agetis in timore domini fidelitèr corde perfecto King Iosaphat appointed in Hierusalem Levites and Priests and Princes of the families of Israel that they should iudge the iudgement and cause of the Lord to the inhabitants thereof And he commanded them saying Thus shall ye doe in the feare of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart And it followeth in these wordes Omnem cau sam quae venerit ad vos fratrum vestrorum qui habitant in vrbibus suis inter cognationem cognationem vbicunque quaestio est de lege de mandato de caeremonijs de iustificationibus ostendite eis vt non peccent in Dominum Every cause which shall come vnto you of your brethren which dwell in their cities betweene kindred and kindred where soever question is of the law of commandement of ceremonies of iustifications tell them that they sinne not against the Lord. It followeth thus Amarias autē sacerdos Pontifex vester in his quae ad deum pertinent praesidebit porro Zabadias filius Ismaelqui est dux in domo Iuda super ea operaerit quae adregis officium pertinent Amarias the Priest and your Bishop shall beare rule in those thinges which perteine to God and Zabadias sonne of Ismael captaine in the house of Iuda shall be over those workes which belong to the office of the King These are the expresse words of holy Scripture which I have alleadged at large because if they be once applied effectually they can not but proove my opinion fully 1 First therefore as the Queenes
man to whome he was not subiect Most impudent therefore and intollerable is the Popes insolencie when he exalteth himselfe above Kings and Emperours threatning them that he can depose them from their scepters and regalties and dispossesse them of their Empires and dominions Which for all that Cardinall Allen is not ashamed to avovch with lying lippes in the Popes behalfe in that his disloyall pamphlet which he published without name in defense of the Seminaries But such flatterie of feyned titles a Pope of famous memorie shall confute Gregorie surnamed the great himselfe beeing Pope of Rome at what time as he was appointed by Mauricius the Emperour to publish a certaine law sent him from the Emperour did not refuse to accomplish the said Emperours assignment but acknowledged him by duetie bound to execute his commandement therein albeit he thought the law in some part disagreeable to Gods will This to be so the Popes owne words shall witnesse which be these Ego quidem iussioni subiectus eandem legem per diversas terrarum partes transmitti feci quia lex ipsa omnipotenti Deo minime concordat ecce per suggestionis meae paginam sereni ssimis dominis nunciavi vtrobique ergo quae debui exolvi qui Imperatori obedientiam praebui pro deo quod sensiminime tacui I subiect to your commandement have caused the same law to be sent through diverse parts of the lande and because the lawe doth not agree with Gods will behold I have intimated so much vnto your Maiestie by my epistle I have therefore discharged my duetie in both respects as who have yielded my obedience vnto the Emperour neither concealed what I thought in Gods behalfe These are the Popes words besides many others in the same epistle to the like effect Which being vttered by the chiefest Pope are most effectuall to proove the subiection of Popes vnto Kings 1 For first Pope Gregorie acknowledgeth the Emperour to be his lord 2 Secondly he confesseth him selfe to be the Emperours subiect 3 Thirdly he graunteth that he oweth loyall obedience to the Emperour for which duetie he durst not but publish the Emperours law though in some part it were very rigorous and that least he should have bin guiltie of distoyaltie towards his Prince Now that Romish pontificalitie and pompe of Poperie came vp first by beggerly Canonists who to advance them selves flattered the Pope and gave him more then princely titles the Popes owne deare Doctour who carieth therefore credite on his backe telleth vs who after he hath rehearsed many lordly titles and more then royall power ascribed to the Pope hath these expresse words Sed glossatores iuris hoc dominium dederunt Papae cum ipsi essent pauperes rebus doctrina But the glossers of the Popes law gave this dominion and these royall titles vnto the Pope when them selves were blind bayards and beggerly fellowes Thus saith the Popes Doctour and thus we see that povertie and ignorance were the beginning of Pope dome For by reason of povertie they flattered and sought to please and by reason of their ignorance they avouched many things which they did not vnderstand The fourth Conclusion THE Pope had no auctoritie to give dominion of the Indians to the King of Spaine albeit many defend the spanish invasion by vertue of that donation The latter part hereof Victoria sheweth in these wordes Secundus titulus qui praetenditur quidem vehementer asseritur ad instam possessionem illarum provinciarum est exparte summi Pontificis dicunt enim quod summus Pontifex est Monarcha etiam temporalis in toto orbe per consequens quod potuit constituere Hispaniarum reges principes illorum barbarorum it a factum est The second title which is pretended and earnestly affirmed for the iust possession of those provinces consisteth in the Popes graunt For say they the Pope is a temporall Monarch even of the whole worlde and consequently that he could appoint the Kings of Spaine Princes over those Barbarians and so it came to passe The former part of the conclusion Aquinas prooveth in these wordes Ad Ecclesiam autem non pertinet punire infidelitatem in illis qui nunquam fidem susceperunt secundum illud Apostoli 1. Cor. 5. quid mihi de his qui foris sunt iudicare But it belongeth not to the Church to punnish infidelitie in them who never received the saith according to that saying of the Apostle What have I to doe to iudge of those that be not in the Church Dominicus Soto is of the same opinion whose words are these Ad hoc autem respondetur in primis Pontificem neque concessisse imò vero neque vt cum omni reverentia obedientia de sanctissimo Christi vicario loquar concedere potuisse eorum suorumve honorum dominium quasi dominium in eos ipse haberet But to this I answer be it spoken with all reverence and obedience to the most holy Vicar of Christ that neither the Pope did graunt yea neither could he graunt vnto the King of Spaine dominion over those Indians or their goods as though himselfe had dominion over them It followeth in the same Soto Lex fidei dominium rerum ab infidelibus non aufert quod sibi natur a concessit The law of faith doth not take away dominion of possessions from infidels which nature hath graunted them Victoria accordeth to Aquinas and Soto in these words Ex quo patet quodnec iste titulus est idoneus contrabarbaros vel quia Papa dederit provincias illas tanquam dominus absolute vel quia non recognoscent dominium Papae Whereby it is plaine that neither this title is sufficient against the barbarians either because the Pope gave those Provinces as beeing absolute lord thereof or for that they doe not recognize the Popes authoritie Iosephus Angles likewise saith Hinc neque poterit alicui regi Christiano potestatem dare vt sibi Indorum regna v surpet non enim est orbis temporalis dominus For this cause he can not give any Christian king auctoritie to vsurpe the kingdomes of the Indians to himselfe for he is not the temporall lord of the world By which testimonies it is cleare that the Pope could not give to the Spanish King any iust title over the Indians because he could not give that which himselfe had not Yet â—hust Emperours hold his bridle and Kings be his footestoole if they will The Corollarie FIrst therefore since all the Apostles were equall with Peter in power authoritie and iurisdiction secondly since all the Apostles received their power immediately from Christ thirdly since all the Apostles had ordinarie calling and iurisdiction as well as Peter had fourthly since Kings have power coactive over Popes and not Popes over Kings fiftly since the Popes pretended power is controlled by his owne popish doctours I conclude that it is a sufficient motive for me to
that Valentinianus Theodosius and Satyrus were in heaven and enioied eternall rest and neverthelesse even then prayed for their eternall rest But doubtlesse his praiers had beene both vaine and foolish if he should haue praied for that vnto them which they had and enioyed alreadie Hee therefore praied as my observations declare not for the rest and blisse of the soules which thē possessed eternall rest and blisse but that the bodies also may bee pertakers of that place and rest which they wanted them and shall vntill the day of dome And for the better confirmation of this mine assertion saint Ambrose doth in expresse words so expound himselfe For thus he writeth Te quae so summe Deus vt charissimos iuvenes matura resurrectione resuscites immaturum hunc vitae istius cur sum matura resurrectione compenses O high and mightie God I beseech thee to raise vp most deare yong youthes with mature resurrection and to recompence the vnripe course of this their life with mature and ripe resurrection Loe here in plaine and briefe tearmes the compendious explication of that popish obiection and doubt vvhich so troubleth and seduceth many a one And so Saint Ambrose his prayer for the dead was even this and no other God give them a ioyfull resurrection The fourth Conclusion IF popish purgatorie were admitted to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet would it follow by a necessarie consequent that the soules tormented there should perish everlastingly This conclusion is thus proved There is no salvation to be expected out of the church as witnesseth their great councell of Lateran and the holie fathers accord thereunto But soules boiling in purgatorie papisticall bee neither in the church triumphant because there is no neede of purgation neither in the church militant because there is place for merite and satisfaction ergo they be out of the church And consequently without the state of salvation and in the state of eternall damnation And that the best learned papistes stand in doubt of their salvation it cannot with right reason be denied For in their Masses of Requiem the priestes are commaunded to pray in these expresse words Ne absorbeat eas tartarus That hell swallow not them vp and devoure them And doubtlesse if they bee assured of their salvation it is a vaine and ridiculous thing to pray that they be not swallowed vp of hell And consequently their holie Masse is farced with a bundell of vanities Neither wil it helpe the adversarie to say that though the soules in their purgatorie can not satisfy for themselves Yet may the living satisfy for them which is of as much force as if they did satisfy for themselves For as the transgression is personall so must the satisfaction also bee The reason hereof is evident because to accept ones satisfaction for another may well stand with acceptation or mercie but never with iustice For which iustice notwithstanding popish purgatorie was invented and this day is defended as their reverend professor of divinity Dominicus Soto plainly testifyeth in these words Respondetur quod licet tunc moriens satisfacere nequeat culpa sua fuit quod tempus adid antea non elegit ideo poena quae per contritionē nonfuerit ei dimissa in purgatorio est luenda vt ratio divinae iustitiae servetur I answere That although he that dieth can not satisfy for his sins yet was it his owne default because he chose not before time for it And therfore the punishment which was not remitted by contrition and confession must be punished in purgatorie that the order of Gods iustice may be observed The 5. Conclusion IT is euident even by the opinion of great papistes that manie soules in purgatorie shall abide there for ever and yet is that flat against popish religion This conclusion shall bee manifest if I prove three pointes 1 First that everie sinne is mortall 2 Secondlie that no mortall sinne can be remitted or forgiven in popish purgatorie 3 Thirdly that many depart out of this world not having their venial sinnes of the papists so tearmed before remitted or forgiven For first if everie sinne bee mortall and secondly if no mortall sinne be forgiven in purgatorie and thirdly if sundrie be in purgatorie whose sinnes be not all forgiven it must needes follow by a necessarie sequel that such persons must continue in purgatorie eternallie because they cannot come from thence vntill their sinnes be remitted wholy 1 First therefore that euerie sinne is mortall is confessed by three great papistes that is to say Roffensis Gersonus and Michael Baius For these three confesse plainlie that everie sinne is mortall of it owne nature and onely veniall through Gods mercifull acceptation and therefore may it be iustly punished everlastinglie Roffensis writing against Luther hath these expresse words Quod peccatum veniale solum ex Dei misericordia veniale sit in hoc tecum sentio That a veniall sinne is onely veniall through the mercie of God not of it owne nature therein doe I agree vnto you Loe my Lord of Rochester confesseth plainlie that euerie sinne is mortall of it owne nature And Ioannes Gerson sometime chanceler of Paris that famous vniuersitie though otherwise a great papist can not denie this veritie for these are his words Nulla offensa Dei est venialis de se nisitantum modo per respectum ad divinā misericordiā qui nonvult de facto quālibet offensam imputare ad mortem cū illud posset iustissime Et ita concluditur quod peccatū mortale veniale in esse tali non distinguuntur intrinsece essentialiter sed solum per respectum ad divinam gratiam quae peccatum istud imputat ad poenam mortis aliud non No offence of God is veniall of it owne nature but onely in respect of Gods mercie who will not de facto impute euerie offence to death although he might most iustlie doe it And so I conclude that mortal and veniall sinnes as such are not distinguished intrinsecallie and essentiallie but onelie in respect of Gods grace which assigneth this sinne to the paine of death and not the other Manie other sentences to the like effect the said Gerson hath but these may suffice to content anie reasonable mind Other papistes are of the same opinion in verie deed though they do not disclose their mindes in such manifest tearmes Thus writeth our father Iesuit Bellarminus Respondeo omne peccatum esse contra legem Dei non positivam sedaeternam vt Aug. recte docet omnis enim iusta lex siue a Deo sive ab homine detur ab aeterna dei lege derivatur est enim aeterna lex vt malum sit violare regulam I answere that everie sinne is against the lawe of God not positiue but eternall as Augustine rightly teacheth For euerie iust law whether it be made by God or by man is derived from the law of God eternall For
by equivocation denie them selves to bee Christians as their deare brother Iohn Mushe confesseth in his answere to my addition whose wordes Irehearsed at large in my counterblast against him and his adherents The sixt Article ALL the Romish Iesuites and other papistes now adaies avouch obstinately that matrimonie is a sacrament and conferreth grace ex opere operato but their owne Durandus and Gaufridus affirme boldly the contrary Durand hath these expresse wordes Praeter duo praedicta sunt alia duo circa matrimonium circa quae sine periculo haeresis licitū est contraria opinari quorum unum est theologicum videlicet vtrum in matrimonio confer atur gratia ex opere operato sicut in aliis sacramentis novaelegis Secundum est logicum videlicet vtrum matrimonium habeat plenam vnivocationem cum alijs sacramentis Besides these two there bee other two things to bee considered in matrimonie wherein we may without daunger of heresie thinke the contrary The one is theological to wit if in matrimony be conferred grace ex opere operato as in other sacraments of the new law The other is logicall to wit if matrimony be a sacrament properly and univocally so called And Durandus avoucheth Gaufridus with other Canonists to be of his opinion So then matrimony neither giueth grace nor yet is properly a sacrament THE SEAVENTH ARTICLE of their Dissention SYlvester Prieras hath these words Papa est imperatore maior dignitate plus quà m aurum plumho The pope doth more excell the Emperour in dignitie then gold excelleth leade Againe he saith thus Donavit Constantinus papae in vener ationem recognitionem Dominij administrationem temporalem imperij eandem immediatè Papa conceait imperatori in vsum stipendium officij pro gubernatione defensione pacifica ecclesiae The Emperour Constantine gave the pope temporall administration of the Empire in token of his reverence and homage and the pope gaue the Emperour the same againe as the stipend of his service for his peaceable protection of the church And a litle after he hath these wordes Vnde dico quod de plenitudine potestatis ex causa rationabili potest omnes leges civiles evertere alias condere nisi in quantum spectant ad ius naturale aut divinum nec imperator cum omnibus legibus populis Christianis possent contra eius voluntatem quicquam statuere VVhere vpon I saie that of the fulnes of power vpon reasonable cause the pope may dissolve all the ciuill lawes and make others neither can the emperor with all lawes and consent of Christendom determine anie one iote against his mind Archidiaconus and Augustinus de Ancona are of the selfe same opinion with Sylvester But other papists are ashamed now thus to hold and therfore write sharply against this opinion Bellarminus saith thus Christus vt homo dum in terris vixit non accepit nec voluit vllum temporale dominium summus autem Pontifex Christi vicarius est Christum nobis represent at qualis erat dum hîc inter homines vlveret Igitur summus Pontifex vt Christi vicarius at que adeo vt summus Pontifex est nullum habet temporale dominium Christ as man while he lived on earth neither had nor would haue any temporal dominion but the pope is Christes viear and representeth Christ to vs in such sort as he lived here among men therefore the pope as Christes vicar and consequently as pope hath no temporal dominion Victoria hath these words Potest as temporalis non dependet a summo pontifice sicut aliae potestates spirituales inferiores Et paulo post licèt assertores alterius partis communiter dicunt quòd papa instituit omnem potestatem temporalem tanquam delegatam subor dinatam sibi quod ipse constituit Constantinum imperatorem sedtotum hoc est fictitium sine quacunque probabilitate nec innititur vel ratione vel testimonijs vel scripturae vel saltem alicuius expatribus vel verè theologis sed glossatores iuris hoc dominium de derunt papae cum ipsiessent pauperes rebus doctrina Temporall power doth not depend vpon the pope as inferiour spiritual powers doe although others of the other part commonly say that the pope ordeined all temporall power as delegate and subordinate to himselfe and that he made Constantine emperoure But al this is a meere fable and voide of all probabilitie neither hath it any ground either of reason or of scripture or of ancient fathers or good deuine yet the glosses of the canons gaue the pope this preheminence because themselues were beggerlie followes and vnlearned Behold here the liuely originall of popedome euen by the testimonie of the best learned popish doctor The eight article of Dissention THe papistes this day do constantly hold and teach as a necessarie doctrine of faith that there be veniall sinnes which doe not dissolve the amitie betweene God and man because they are not say they contra but praeter legem dei which distinction Thomas Aquinas vttereth verie plainly in these words Peccatum veniale dicitur peccatum secundùm rationē imperfectam in ordine ad peccatū mortale sicut accidens dicitur ens in ordine ad substantiam secundum imperfectam rationem entis non enim est contra legem quia venialiter peccans nō facit quod lex prohibet nec praetermittit ia ad quod lex per praeceptum obligat sedfacit praeter legem quia non observat modum rationis quā lex intēdit A venial sin is termed sin after an vnperfect maner way to a mortal sin euen as accidens is called ens in order to substantia after an vnperfect reason of ens For it is not against the law because hee that sinneth venially doth not that which the lawe forbiddeth neither doth omit that to which the law by precept doth oblige but doth besides the law because it doth not observe the maner of reasō which the law intendeth But this opinion is sharply reproved and flatly confuted by many learned papistes For Michael Baius apud Bellar. Ioannes Gerson de vita spirituali lect 1. circa med Roffensis artic 32. cont Luther affirme that every sin is mortall of it owne nature therefore may iustly be punished eternally Durandus proueth by manie reasons that euerie sin is against the law of God Ioannes Gerson Almain hold the same For thus speaketh Ioseph Angl. of them Tertia opinio est Gerso Almaini asserentium venialia mortalia non differre ex natura rei sed tantum ex divina misericordia eo quod placuit divinae maiestati imputare ad paenam aeternam mortale veniale autem ad temporalē vtrumque tamen ex natura sua cum sit in Deum esse dignum poena aeterna The third opinion is Gersons and Almains affirming that veniall and mortall sinnes do not differ
the lesser orders there is no doubt but the collation thereof may be committed to him that is no bishop And in another place the said Victoria saith thus Opinio Durandi Caietani est probabilissima scilicet quod solum sacerdotium est sacramentum vel saltem quod quatuor minores non sunt sacramentum The opinion of Durand and Caietane is most probable to witte that onely priesthood is a sacrament or at the least that the foure lesser orders are not a sacrament And a little after he telleth us that pope Vrbanus and Innocentius are of the same opinion These be his wordes Innocentius vir doctissimus allegans Vrbanum papam dicit Vrbanus ait quod solum presbyteratus diaconatus sunt sacri ordines quodilli solum leguntur fuisse in primitiva Ecclesia Innocentius a very learned pope affirmeth with pope Vrbane that onely priesthood and deaconship are holy orders and that they only were in the primitiue Church The fourteenth article of dissention COvarruvias having alledged many writers touching the exemption of Clergie-men frō secular iudgements hath these wordes Quorum omnium ea est concors sententia quodhaec clericorum exemptio sit omnino iuris divini cut per humanam legem derogari non possit VVho all hold this opinion constantly that this exemption of Clerkes is wholly of the law divine from which mans lawe can not derogate Yet as saith the said Covarruvias in the same place the contrary opinion is defended of many other papistes to wit of Aquinas Medina Alciatus Innocentius and others so doubtfull is their popish doctrine The like dissention is about the conception of our Lady for the pope and his Iesuites hold that she was conceived without sinne and therefore doe they celebrate the day of her conception but Aquinas whose docttine sundry popes have confitmed defendeth constantly the contrary opinion And all Thomistes take part with him some few excepted The fifteenth article of dissention IT is a constant position with the papistes as which is lately defined bytheir councell of Trent that no man knoweth himselfe to be in the favour of God yet doth their religious bishop Amb. Catharinus oppose him selfe with tooth naile against the same as appeareth evidently to such as list to read them by the bitter invective treatises betwene Dominicus Soto him concerning morall good acts The Scotistes hold that we can keepe all the commandements quoad substantiam operis the Thomistes say wee can doe some but not all their great schooleman Gregorius holdes that we can doe none at all The sixteenth Article of dissention THat the Emperour Constantine was baptised at Rome by Sylvester then bishop there is constantly affirmed by Damasus Nicholaus Clemens Thomas Platina Marianus Sabellicus yea Nicephorus avoucheth it to be so certen as every one may thinke it and securely beleeue it yet is this opinion sharply impugned by many others with them deemed papistes Hieronymus Eusebius Socrates Theodoritus Zozomenus Cassiodorus and Pomponius The seventeenth article of dissension THe pope and his Iesuites tell vs that in the eucharist the substance of bread is transsubstantiated into the bodie of Christ so as accidents remaine there without their subiects but my L. Abbot their Rupertus saith that Christ is personally bread in hypostaticall vnion by force of consecration even as he is personally man by incarnation The eighteenth article of dissention THe pope and his Cardinals with the troupes of Iesuites tell vs that private Masse is lawfull and that the priest may devoure vp all himselfe but apostolicall canons appoint all to communicate or els to be driven out of the congregation and pope Calixtus affirmeth the very same The ninteenth article of dissention POpish dissention touching the production of a substance out of the accidents which papistes imagine to remaine without subiectes in the eucharist is incredible Innocentius holdeth one opinion Aquinas two the one repugnant to the other Richardus another Caietane another Scotus another The twentieth article of dissention THe Church of Rome teacheth it to be a matter of faith to beleeve Christes bodie to be in every part when one of their consecrated hostes is broken in many peeces but their schoole-doctour Iohannes Maior saith it is a probleme The 21. article of Dissention TOuching the quantitie of bread and wine how much may bee consecrated at one masse there are three opinions amongest the papistes Bonaventura holdeth one opinion Caietain another and the third is the common The 22. article of dissention COncerning the bread to be consecrated Albertus magnus holdeth that either wheat or barley bread will suffice Caietaine saith any bread what soever is vsed to be eaten in any countrie may be the bread of consecration 3 The thirde opinion holdeth that onely bread of wheat can suffice The 23. article of Dissention COnfirmation with the papistes is a sacrament and therefore can it not be omitted without sinne as Richardus Durandus and Sylvester affirme yet doe Aquinas and pope Adrian defend the contrarie The 24. article of Dissention IOannes Parisiensis affirmeth the substance of breade to be vnited to the bodie of Christ hipostatically Durande holdeth that the substance of bread is destroyed but the matter of bread abideth stil with Christs bodie Cardinal Caietain saith that nothing in the Gospel enforceth vs to vnderstand these words this is my bodie so grossely carnally as the papistes doe The councell of Trent avoucheth that the bread neither is annihilated neither abideth it stil in the sacrament quod qui potest capere capiat for if it neither abide in the sacrament neither is annihilated that is become nothing I would know what it is and where it abideth The 25. article of Dissention AQuinas and Caietanus affirme that the quantitie of a popish cōsecrate host may be corrupted naturallie Scotus saith that is impossible to everie naturall agent Iosephus Angles holdeth that a naturall agent may corrupt the whole quantitie by division of the partes thereof but neither by way of condensation neither by transemutation into another forme and that forsooth because the quantitie of popish sacrament is there without a subiect which subiect is the ordinarie obiect of everie naturall agent The 26. article of Dissention COncerning consecration of the chalice as the papists terme it Aquinas holdeth that all the wordes set downe in the romish missall are of the essence of the forme Alexander Alensis Bonaventura and Durandus affirme that more then the one halfe of the said words are meere extrinsecall and not of the essence thereof Scotus saith that the forme is not certainlie knowen vnto the Church of Rome and therefore none can be-secure but hee that pronounceth all the wordes Soto avoucheth that if the priest have intention to consecrate by the former words which Bonaventure Alensis Durand teach to be the forme then the saide priest consecrateth but committeth thereby
temeritate culpari I neither can nor dare denie but as in our auncestors so in my workes also are manie thinges which may iustly and without all temeritie be reproved yea the same saint Augustine opposeth only saint Pauls testimonie against all the writers Saint Hierome could alledge about the great controversie where saint Peter was reproved of saint Paul By which testimonie it is very plaine that S. Augustine did reverence the old writers but yet did think them men and to have their errors therefore would be not admit for truth what soever they wrote but only that which he fouÌ„d to be consonaÌ„t to the holie scriptures And because my L. of Roch. is so highly renowmed in the church of Rome he shal make an end of this conclusion where he writeth in this maner Nec Augustini nec Hieronimi nec alterius cuinslibet auctoris doctrinae sic ecclesia subscripsit quin ipsi locis aliquot ab ijs lice at dissentire nam in nonnullis ipsilocis se plane monstrarunt homines esse atque nonnunquam aberrasse sequitur quo fit vt tametsi propter aliquas humanas hallucinationes de multis quae dicti patre in commentarijs suis reliquerunt dubitare liceat sanctitatem tamen eorum haud licet in dubium revocare The church of Rome hath not so subscribed to the doctrine either of Augustine or of Hierome or of anie other writer but that we may dissent from their opinions in some places For themselves haue in certaine places shewed plainlie that they were men and wanted not their errours VVherefore albeit by reason of humaine frailtie we may lawfullie doubt of manie thinges which the said fathers have left behind them in their bookes yet may we not now call their holinesse into question In which wordes our great popish bishop teacheth vs three documents 1 First that their church giveth everie one libertie to dissent from Augustine Hierome and other writers whosoever 2 Secondlie that the fathers have plainlie declared themselves to be men and to haue had their imperfections accordinglie 3 Thirdlie that manie errours are to be found in the commentaries of the fathers So then our bishop is of my opinion and so also should the rest be if they would be constant in their owne doctrine which is published to the view of the world The 3. Conclusion NOt that which the greater part of the fathers or moe voices agree vnto is alwaies the vndoubted truth but often times that which the lesser part and fewer persons doe affirme For the proofe hereof Melchior Canus writeth thus Scimus frequenter vsu venire vt maior pars vincat meliorem scimus non ea semper esse optima quae placent pluribus scimus in rebus quae ad doctrinam pertinent sapientum sensum esse praeferendum sapientes sunt paucissimi cum stultorum infinitus sit numerus VVee know it often chaunceth so that the greater part prevaileth against the better vve know that those thinges are not ever the best which please the most we know that in matters of doctrine the iudge ment of the wise ought to be followed for wise men bee few and fooles infinite Iosephus Angles Thomas Aquinas and Petrus Lombardus affirme it to be the opinion of the old fathers of Basilius of Ambrosius of Chrisostomus of Hieronimus of Eusebius of Damascenus of Gregorius and of others that the world was created in 6. naturall daies successivelie as Moises recordeth the same yet this notwithstanding saint Augustine holdeth opinion against them all and saith that the 6. daies mentioned by Moises were metaphoricall not natural Moises dividing those things which were made by parts for the better capacitie of the rude and ignorant people to whom he spake which opinion of one onelie Augustine was ever preferred in the church as testifyeth Melchior Canus in these wordes At communis hic sanctorum consensus nullum argumentum certum theologis subministrat quin vnius Aug. opinio caeteris omnibus adversa probabilis semper in ecclesia est habita But this common consent of the holie fathers doth not yeeld any found argument to devines for the opinion of one onelie Augustine repugnant to the rest was ever thought probable in the church All the old writers Augustinus Ambrosius Chrisostomus Remigius Eusebius Maximus Beda Anselmus Bernardus Erhardus Bernardinus Bona ventura Thomas Hugo and all the rest without exception affirme vniformelie citing expresse textes of scripture for their opinion that the blessed virgin Marie was conceived in originall sinne yet doth the late hatched nest of Iesuits and sundrie other papistes avouche this day the contrarie for the truth Therefore saith their owne archbishop and greate canonist Panormitanus that we ought at all times to give more credite to one onelie prelate whosoever alledging the scriptures then to the resolution of the pope himselfe or of his counceil not grounded vpon the said scriptures The 4. Conclusion THe papistes themselues doe often reiect the generall and common opinion and follow their owne private iudgements never remeÌ„bring or litle regarding that they condemne the like in others This writeth their owne Melchior Canus Vbi ego si Thomistae omnes cum Scotistis existant sicum antiquis iuniores vellent contra me pugnare tamen superior sim necesse est non enim vt nonnulli putant omnia sunt in Theologorum auctoritate wherin though all the Thomistes stand with the Scotistes though the old writers with the yong fight against me yet shall I of necessity have the vpper hand ouer theÌ„ For al things rest not as some do think in the authoritie of divines Their owne Cardinal Caietain notwithstanding his zealous affection towards poperie his owne popish estate did for all that freelie acknowledge the truth in this point in so much that he preferreth a sense newly perceived but grounded vpon the scriptures before the old received opinioÌ„ of how many fathers so ever whose words because they are worthie the hearing and reading I wil alledge at large Thus doth he write Super quinque libris Mosis iuxta sesum literalem novumque scripturae sensum quandoque illaturus sub sâ—matris ecclesiae aec apostolicae sedis censura rogo lectores omnes ne precipites detestentur aliquid sed librent omnia apud sacram scripturam apudfidei christianae veritatem apud Catholicae ecclesiae documenta ac mores siquando occurrerit novus sensus textui consonus nec a sacra scriptura nec ab ecclesiae doctrina dissomus quamvis a torrente doctorum sacrorum alienus aequos se prebeant censores meminerint ius suum vni cuique tribuere solis scripturae sacrae authoribus reservata est authoritas haec vt ideo credamus sic esse quodipsiita scripserunt nullus itaque detestetur novum sacrae scripturae sensum ex hoc quod dissonat a priscis doctoribus sed scrutetur per spicacius textum ac
vnto the rest writing in this maner Cum videritis haeresim impiam quae est exercitus antichristi stantem in locis sanctis ecclesiae in illo tempore qui in Iudaea sunt fugiant ad montes idest qui sunt in Christianitate conferant se ad scripturas quare iubet in hoc tempore omnes christianos conferre se ad scripturas quia in tempore hoc ex quo obtulit haeresis illas ecclesias nulla probatio potest esse verae christianitatis neque refugium potest esse christianorum aliud volentium cognoscere fidei veritatem nisi scripturae divinae when you shall see wicked heresie which is Antichristes armie standing in the holie Church at that time they that be in Iurie must flee to the mountaines that is they that are Christians must flee vnto the scriptures And why commaundeth he at this time all Christians to flee to the scriptures because at that time when heresie hath yeelded vp the churches no proofe can be had of true christianitie neither anie other refuge is left to christians desyrous to know the veritie of faith but onlie the holie scriptures Againe the said Crisostome saith in an other place after this maner Neque enim quicquam dicere oportet sine testibus solaque animi cogitatione nam si quid dicatur absque scriptura auditorum cogitatio claudicat nunc annueus nunc haesitans interdum sermonē vt frivolum aver sans interdum vt probabilem recipiens verum vbi è scriptura divinae vocis prodijt testimonium loquentis sermonem audientis animum confirmat Neither must we say anie thing without witnesses and vpon our own cogitation onelie For if any thing be spoken without the scripture the cogitation of the auditors halteth sometime graunting sometime doubting sometime reiecting that which is spoken as frivolous and sometime accepting it as probable But when testimonie is brought out of the scripture of Gods word then it confirmeth both the wordes of the speaker and the mind of the hearer And yet the said Chrysostome hath an other place well worthie to be written in golden letters Thus he saith Quomodo autem non absurdum est propter pecunias alijs non credere sedipsas numerare supputare pro rebus autem amplioribus aliorum sentētiam sequi simpliciter presertim cum habeamus omnium exactistissimam trutinam gnomonem ac regulam divinarum inquam legum assertionem Ideo obsecro oro omnes vos vt relinquatis quidnam huic vel illi videatur deque his a scripturis haec etiam inquirite ueras divitias discentes eas sectemur vt aeterna bona assequamur How is it not absurd for money not to credite others but to tell the money our selves and yet for more important matters to follow simplie the iudgement and opinion of others especiallie vvhen we have the most exact ballance rule I mean the assertion of all divine lawes I therfore pray beseech you al that you let passe vvhat this mā or that man thinketh search al things out of the scriptures and learning true riches let vs follovv them that so vve may attaine eternall beatitude Behold here a most godlie exhortation and grave advise given vs by this holie father As vve vvill not saith he trust others to tell our money but tell it our selves much lesse should vve trust others depending vpon them in matter of our salvation but should our selves learne and knovv the same by diligent reading of the scriptures Neither must we beleeve and doe what this or that man saith but what wee find to be true by painfull studie of the scriptures For which cause vviselie and gravelie said Tertullian Idesse verum quodcunque primum id esse adulterum quodcunque posterius That is that to be true vvatsoever vvas first and that to be counterfait vvhatsoever came after And for the same end said the holie Prophet Lucerna pedibus meis verbum tuum lumen semitis meis Thy vvord is a lanterne vnto my feet and a light vnto my path As if he had said of our selves vve are but darknes and can not see except vve be lightened with Gods vvord And consequentlie if vve desire to have our sight our chiefest and principall sight the invvard and spirituall sight of our soules vvee must imploy our vvhole industrie in reading the holie scriptures and vvith all humblenesse of minde studie them day and night The fourth Conclusion POpish traditions are so vncertaine and doubtfull as the best learned papistes are at great contention about them and can not possiblie be accorded therin For the exact proofe of this conclusion that intollerable endlesse strife which was a thousand and foure hundred yeares sithence betweene Victor then bishop of Rome and other Bishops of Asia may suffice if nothing els were said For on both sides tradition apostolical was alledged and stoutlie avouched for and concerning the celebration of Easter Of this matter thus writeth Eusebius Caesariensis Episcopis autem in Asia coactis qui morem iam olim ipsis a maioribus troditum sedulo observandum constanter asseverabant praefuit Polycrates qui in ea epistola quam ad Victorem ecclesiam Romanam scripsit traditionem ad ipsius vsque tempora deductam his fere verbis exponit Nos diem paschatis integre in corrupteque recolimus neque addendo quicquam neque detrahendo The bishops of Asia assembled in councell Polycrates beeing president affirmed constantlie that that custome ought to be observed which they of old time had received by tradition which tradition to have beene continued vntill his daies the said Polycrates in his epist. to Victor and the church of Rome sheweth plainelie in these words VVee keepe easter entirelie and incorruptlie neither doe we adde or detract anie thing And in the same epistle hee telleth vs that Philip one of the seaven deacons Saint Iohn the Evangelist Saint Polycarpe Saint Papirius Saint Melito and others did all obserue the same tradition These bee his wordes Isti omnes diem paschatis 14. die lunae ex evangelij prescripto observarunt nihil ab eo instituto ac more plane digressi sed secundum regulam normam fidei eum assidue tenuerunt All these have observed Easter the fourteenth day of the moone after the prescripr of the Gospell declining nothing at all from that custome and ordinance but dailie reteined it according to the rule and analogie of faith But Victor and other bishoppes with him defended bitterlie a contrarie tradition For thus writeth the said Eusebius of him Uictor qui tum Rom. ecclesiae praeerat totius Asiae ecclesias cum alijs finitimis tanquam alterius fidei opinionis simul omnes vt complectar brevi à communi vnitate ecclesiae amputare conatur in eos per literas graviter invehitur Victor then governing the Church of Rome indeavoureth to cut off from the common vnitie
when they come to remembrance which yet al papists require as necessarie to salvation 5 Fiftly because it followeth herevpon that penitents are bound to confesse their sinnes very many times which the Popes law requireth but once in the yeere I proove it because if they stay any time from confession they may forget their sinnes through their owne default and so make frustrate their absolution 6 Sixtly because the priests are often so ignorant that they can not distinguish mortall and veniall sinnes which yet is necessarie in absolution 7 Seaventhly because the priest standeth often excommunicate and often dealeth with reserved cases and a thousand such like things chance in absolution Yea the archpapists this day perceiving this matter to be so intricate and dangerous partly by reason of the cases so reserved partly by reason of innumerable excommunications and partly by reason of ignorance in their priests have invented this poore shift for an helpe if it may be to wit that the Pope shall give to every seminarie priest full authoritie to absolve from all excommunications and reserved cases what soever so that now we have so many virtuall Popes in England as seminarie priests For every one of them hath plenitudinem potestatis and it is a world to consider how this power is vsed For because neither the penitent nor the priest can tell howe often the partie is excommunicate the priest for securitie pronounceth every time over every person these words I absolve thee from every bond of excommunication so farre foorth as I can and thou standest neede and this is done in latine All which frustrate the same and open to the penitent the gate of desperation That this manner of confession is neither commanded by Christ nor practised by his Apostles may be evidently prooved by their owne canon-law as their owne doctours testifie Thus writeth the great Thomist Sylvester Prieras Quarto vtrum ad confessionem teneamur divino iure vel humano dico quod canonistae videntur tenere quod sit de iurepositivo ad hoc est glossa de pen. dist v. in summa quae vult quod instituta sit à quadam vniversali traditione ecclesiae ideo infert quod confiterinon tenentur infideles nec similiter graeci ex quo non acceptaverunt huiusmodi constitutionem sicut nec votū castitatis It is demanded fourthly saith the great papist Sylvester whether we be bound to popish confession by the law of God or by the positive law of man and I say the canonists holde that we are but bound by the lawe of man And of this opinion is the glosse which is of this minde that confession was institute by a certaine vniversall tradition of the Church whereupon the said glosse inferreth that infidels are not bound to confession neither the Greekes in like manner since they did never approove such constitution no more then the vow of chastitie Yea the Popes own decrees admit no lesse for these are the words of his canōs Quibus authoritatibus vel quibus rationū firmamēt is vtraque sentētia satisfactionis confessionis nitatur in medium breviter exposuimus cui autem harum potius adhaerendum sit lectoris iudicio reservatur vtraque enim fautores habet sapientes religiofos viros Vpon what authorities of foundations of reasons either opinion is grounded I have briefly shewed Nowe to whether of them the reader should adhere I leave it to his owne discretion For either opinion hath wise and religious men for the patrons of the same Behold here gentle reader that not onely the Popes doctours but his owne canon-law and the commenters vpon the same doe all confesse that confession after popish manner is onely grounded vpon mans law Yea the glosse addeth that both wise and religious men doe so think though some others hold the contrarie Martinus Navarrus though he hold a contrarie opinion to the canonists confesseth plainly that their solemne glosse commonly received and approoved of all canonists holdeth confession to be commaunded by the Church The famous Canonist and honourable Archbishop Panormitanus was of the same opinion with the glosse as confesseth Covarruvias in these words Quam ex nostris plerique secuti sunt maximè Panormitanus ex ea asserentes confessionem sacramentalem quae sacerdotibus fit iure humano institutam esse Which glosse many of our canonists have followed especially Panormitan affirming out of that glosse that sacramentall confession which is made to priests was ordeined by the law of man This to be true S. Christome confirmeth in these words Non tibi dico vt te prodas in publicum neque apudalios te accuses sed obedire te volo Prophetae dicenti revela domino viā tuam antedeū ergo tua confitere peccata apud verum iudicem cum oratione delicta tua pronuncia non lingua sed conscientiae tuae memoria tunc demum spera te misericordiam posse consequi I doe not bid thee come forth in publike neither to accuse thy selfe before others but I would have thee to obey the Prophet when he saith reveale thy way to God Before God therefore confesse thy sinnes before the true iudge in prayer pronounce thine offences not with thy tongue but with the memorie of thy conscience and then hope to have mercie And in another place the same S. Chrysostome hath these words Peccata tua quotidie dicito vt deleas ea sed si confunderis alicui dicere dicito ea quotidie in animo tuo non dico vt confitearis ea conservo tuo vt tibi exprobet dicito deo qui curat ea Confesse thy sinnes daily that thou maist blot them out But if thou be ashamed to confesse them to an other confesse them daily in thine heart I doe not bid thee confesse them to thy fellow servant that he may vpbraide thee Confesse them to God who can cure the same Saint Augustine is very plaine in this point for these are his expresse words Quid mihi ergo est cum hominibus vt audiant confessiones meas quasi ipsi sanaturi fint omnes languores meos curiosum genus ad cogno scendam vitam alienam desidiosum ad corrigendam suam quid a me quaerunt audire qui sim qui nolunt à te audire qui sint vndesciunt cum à meipso de meipso audiunt an verum dicam quandoquidem nemo scit hominum quid agatur in homine nisi spiritus hominis qui in ipso est What have I therefore to doe with men that they must heare my confessiōs as though they shold heale al my diseases a curious kinde to know an others mans life and sluggish to correct their owne VVhy seeke they to heare of me what I am who will not heare of thee what them selves are And how know they when they heare me tell of my selfe that I say truely since no man knoweth what is done in man but
the spirit of man that is in him These are S Augustines owne words so plaine and effectuall against popish vnchristian foolish and execrable confession as nothing more needeth to be said therein The fifth Conclusion ALbeit Popish auricular confession be so magnified with Papistes that every one is commanded vnder paine of damnation to beleeve the same as instituted by Christ himselfe yet was it not an article of popish faith for the space of one thousand and five hundred yeeres after Christ. This conclusion because it is very important I shal desire thee gentle Reader to ponder deepely with me my discourse Iosephus Angles Valentinus a popish fryer and bishop of Bosana in the second tome of that worke which he dedicated to the Pope himselfe Sixtus Quintus hath these expresse words Ante concilium Later erat haereticum negare necessitatem confessionis negantes tamen non erant haeretici ratio est quia nondum erat ab ecclesia declaratum Before the councell of Lateran it was hereticall to denie the necessitie of confession but yet they were not heretikes that denied it The reason is because the Church of Rome had not yet declared it to be an article of faith Loe these words conteine effectually the exact proofe of this conclusion if they be well marked 1 We must therefore observe first that who soever beleeveth not stedfastly every decree of the Church of Rome in matters of faith is holden of that Church for an heretike 2 We must observe secondly that the councell of Lateran whereof this fryer speaketh was holden in time of Pope Iulius the second and Pope Leo the tenth that is 1500. yeeres after Christ. 3 VVe must observe thirdly that vntill fifteene hundred yeeres after Christ were expyred they that beleeved not popish auricular confession to be ordeined by Christ were no heretikes For so as you see this fryer teacheth and the Pope him selfe graunteth 4 VVe must observe fourthly that the Church of Rome hath no authoritie to coyne any new article of faith 5 VVe must observe fiftly that the Church of Rome hath no new revelations in matters of faith but the very same which it had in the Apostles time both which latter observations their owne deare Canus telleth vs in these words Omnia siquidem fidei dogmata ab Apostolis accepit ecclesia vel scripto vel verbo quoniam ij ministri fuere sermonis nee vllas in fide novas revelationes ecclesia habet For the Church received all doctrines of faith from the Apostles eyther by word or writing Because the Apostles were the ministers of the word neither hath the Church any new revelations in faith Now out of these observations which are evident it followeth necessarily that confession this day ought not to be an article of faith no not in the Church of Rome 1 For first during the time of fifteene hundred yeeres after Christ it was no article of faith in the Church of Rome 2 Secondly the Church of Rome can not make that an article of faith now which was no article of faith in the Apostles time 3 Thirdly the Church of Rome hath no new revelations in matters of Christian faith For so as you have heard hath their owne Melchior Canus avouched Neither will it helpe to say that auricular confession was an article of faith in the Apostles time but not then revealed to the Church For as Canus hath told vs plainly the Church receiveth no newe revelations of faith This doctrine is confirmed by their famous Cardinall Caietan who avoucheth two speciall grounds against popish auricular confession For first although Christ by his opinion instituted confession yet did he make it voluntarie and left it in mans election whether he would confesse or not confesse Againe he telleth vs that the manner of popish confession to wit to confesse secretly in the priests eare was not ordeined by our Saviour Christ. Out of which assertion I inferre a double conclusion against the Papistes The one that confession is not necessarie to salvation For that which is voluntarie as to be a Monke a Nunne a Priest a Iesuite is not necessarie to salvation as every papist graunteth but is as a counsell worke of supererogation The other that popish lawe vrging men to auricular confession is flat against Christs institution And thus I weene I have prooved this conclusion The sixt Conclusion IF Popish confession were ordeined by Christ as the papists falsely and grossely imagine yet would it followe by a necessarie consecution that every Pope should be in daunger of his salvation This conclusion may seeme somewhat strange but I proove the fame By popish doctrine every man and every woman of lawfull yeeres are bound vnder paine of damnation to the said confession and consequently the Pope beeing either man or at least woman as is thought of pope Iohn is strictly bound vnto the same Now syr how our Pope his holinesse shall come to confession and have absolution of his sinnes hoc opus hic labor est And that the reader may fully vnderstand the difficultie herein it is to be noted that no priest can absolve any person from his sinnes over whome he hath not superioritie and iurisdiction but his holines hath both the swords his power is above Kings and Emperiours and over him no mortall creature no not an Angel of heaven hath any iurisdiction at all as holdeth popish faith The Pope then being subiect to none must yet be absolved of some which some must haue iurisdiction over him standeth doubtles in great perplexitie and in no small danger of his saluation Let us therefore find some poore shift to helpe his holines if it may be What if we say that the Pope hath no mortal sinne so is not bound to popish absolution But alas all Popes are not Saints as is prooved and so some must perforce have absolution Let us say that he may absolue himselfe as well as he may graunt pardons to him selfe But alas that implyeth contradiction because so he remaining one and the same man should be both superiour and inferiour to himselfe superiour as he did absolve and inferiour as absolved Let vs say that he voluntarily submitteth himselfe and so receiueth absolution But alas so shall his holines still be inferiour to the silly priest because as S. Paul discourseth to the Hebrewes he that blesseth is greater then he that is blessed Let us say that the Pope giueth to the priest power ouer him for that time onely But alas that would be a rare and strange metamorphosis with an impossibilitie annexed therevnto For first by this meanes the simple priest should be Pope in time of absolution as having then greatest power upon earth Secondly after absolution he that was pope should cease to be pope and he that was not pope should without election or consecration be pope again Which is a thing impossible euen by popish proceeding Let vs say that some other
contextum scripturae si quadrare invenerit laudet deum qui non alligavit expositionem scripturarum sacrarum priscorum doctorum sensibus sed scripturoe ipsi integrae sub catholicae ecclesiae censura alioquin spes nobis ac posteris tolleretur exponendi scripturam sacram nisitransferendo vt aiunt de libro in quinternum Being now readie to write vpon the pentateuch of Moses according to the literall sense and purposing to bring now and then a new sense of the scripture vnder the censure of our holy mother the church and apostolike seate I desire all that shal read my commentaries to contemne nothing rashly but to ponder every thing with the scripture and the veritie of the christian faith and the doctrine of the catholike church And if at any time a new sense occurre which is consonant to the text and not dissonant from holy writ or doctrine of the church although it swarve from the opinion of never so manie fathers yet let the readers iudge thereof indifferently and according to equitie Let them remember to give everie one his right for this priviledge is onely graunted to the writers of the holie scriptures that wee must therefore beleeve it to be so because they haue written so Let none therefore loath a newe sense of holie scripture because it dissenteth from the old doctors but let him exactlie consider the text and context of the scripture and if he find it to agree let him praise God who hath not tied the exposition of the holy scriptures to the opinions of the old doctors but to the integritie of the scripture it selfe vnder the censure of the catholike church For otherwise neither wee nor our posteritie should have anie hope to expound the scripture but onelie to translate out of one booke into another Thus we heare the verdict of our Caietaine our Thomist our frier our Cardinall of Rome by whose resolution it is evident that no sense though never so new no exposition though never so strange no opinion though different from never so many fathers ought to bee reiected if it be agreeable to the scriptures and consequently it followeth by the said resolution that everie truth is to be tried by the scriptures and none by the fathers For first our Cardinall telleth us that he purposeth now then to bring newe senses new Glosses nevv expositions of the Scriptures Secondly he saith that such new senses must not rashly bee contemned but duely examined by the scriptures and then admitted if they be found consonant to the same Thirdly he teacheth us this golden lesson that God hath not tyed the exposition of the scripture to the iudgement of any auncient father or fathers whosoever Fourthly he telleth us that the Apostles and such as only penned the holy scriptures had this speciall prerogative that they coulde not erre All which important pointes are so learnedly so gravely so christianly observed by this Cardinall as more cannot be wished yea in the selfe same preface hee professeth constantly that hee will neither expound the Greeke nor the Latine text but the fountaine and the originall to wit the Hebrew And his reason is because the Hebrew onely is authenticall Where note by the way that the Latine edition which the papists tearme vulgata and which is so magnified by the late councell of Trent as both the Greeke and the Hebrew must give place unto the same is of small or no authoritie in respect of the Hebrew by Cardinall Caietanus his resolution Note secondly that this Cardinal did dedicate these his commentaries in which all these memorable observations are conteined to our holy father Pope Clement him selfe who perused them and difallowed no part thereof and consequently that this doctrine of Caietane is confirmed by the pope For so mightily hath God alwayes wrought for the truth of his Gospell as evident testimonies are set downe euen by the adversaries and remaine this day with them vncancelled for confirmation of the same Neither is this the opinion of the popes Cardinall onely but of Aquinas also his angelicall and best approoved doctour His wordes I will likewise alledge at large because albeit they belong yet can they not be thought tedious to such as loue the trueth as which are most significant and effectuall for the controversie now in hand Thus therefore doeth he write Licet locus ab auctoritate quae fundatur super oratione humana sit infirmissimus locus tamen ab auctoritate quae fundatur super revelatione divina est efficacissimus Vtitur tamen sacra doctrina etiam ratione humana non quidem ad probandum fidem quia per hoc tolleretur meritum fidei sed ad manifest andum aliqua aliaquae traduntur in hac doctrina Cum igitur gratia non tollat naturam sed perficiat oportet quod naturalis ratio sub serviat fidei sicut naturalis inclinatio voluntatis obsequitur charitati vnde apostolus dicit 2. Cor. 10. in captivit atem redigentes omnem intellectū in obsequium Christi Et inde est quod authoritatibus philosophorum sacra doctrina vtitur vbi per rationem naturalem veritatem cogno scere potuerunt sicut Paulus act 17. inducit verbum Arati dicens sicut quidam poetarum vestrorum dixerunt genus Dei samus sed tamen sacra doctrina huiusmodi auctoritatibus vtitur quasi extraneis argumentis probabilibus auctoritatibus autem canonicae scripturae vtitur propriè ex necessitate argumentando auctorit atibus autem aliorum doctorum ecelesiae quasi arguendo ex proprijs sed probabiliter innititur enim fides nostra revelationi apostolis prophetis factae qui canonicos libros scripserunt non autem revelationi si qua fuit alijs doctoribus facta Although the place of authoritie which is grounded vpon mans reason be most weake and infirme yet the place which is grounded vpon divine authoritie is most sure and effectuall neverthelesse sacred doctrine vseth also mans reason not indeede to establish faith for so faith should lose it merite but for the manifestation of some other thinges which are deliuered in this doctrine Since therefore grace doth not destroy nature but doth pervert the same it is expedient that naturall reason be servant vnto faith even as naturall inclination of the will is servant vnto charitie whervpon the apostle willeth vs to bring our vnderstanding captive to the obedience of Christ. And from hence commeth it that sacred doctrine vseth also the authorities of philosophers when they could by naturall reason haue knowledge of the truth as Saint Paul alledged the saying of Aratus yet sacred doctrine vseth such authorities as arguments which are externall and onely probable But vseth the authorities of canonicall scripture as argumentes that are proper and which conclude of necessitie as for authorities of the doctors of the church it vseth them as proper arguments but which are onely probable