the world condemned and burned to ashes bee an eternall witnesse Yea let their owne decree made in the saied Councell whiche was That no faithe nor promise is to bee kepte to any heretike nor that any manne by any promise standeth bound to an heretike for so thei call all those that dare speake against them bee a perpetuall testimonie of the same Thei saie wee are heretikes wee dooe deny it if our naie maie not defende vs why should their yea coÌ„demne vs Thei saie because thei bee the churche but wee deny the same shall here their yea secue for theÌ„ as it did before against vs and our naie neither touch theÌ„ nor helpe vs In some countreis if the partie accused pleade not guiltie and saie naie to the crime obiected if he by diuers tormentes enforced to confesse doo still maintaine his naie and passe through the appoincted tormentes constanly mainteinyng his naie he is discharged and let goe But it caÌ„ not healp vs accused as heretikes to denie the false accusation to mainteine our deniall in all tormentes and moste cruell deathes neither to bring good testimonie of our innocencie out of Gods woorde all these can helpe vs nothyng against their onelie bare saiyng that we bee heretikes for that is all their proofe In what case are we then How easily maie thei then bothe defende themselues coÌ„demne vs and maintaine what thei list be it right or wrong truthe or falshoode beyng accusers witnesses examiners and iudges theÌ„selues in the causes wherein thei bée parties and parties accused also Wherefore what can we dooe els but as did Christ our sauiour and his holie Apostles against the high Priestes against the Phariseis and Scribes appeale to God not absent not dumbe as M. Dorman deuiseth and saiyng nothyng at all for vs as he would haue it seme but to God yea and to our Sauiour Christe his soonne speakyng his minde moste largelie and plainly in the scriptures and beyng no partie but moste indifferent iudge betwéene them and vs. For if the controuersie be about true Religion and scruice of God what better triall can there be then Goddes woorde God hymself commaundyng vs that in his seruice we shall dooe that whiche he coÌ„maundeth vs that wee shall neither adde thereto nor take any thyng therefrom What better Iudge can there be in this worlde betwene vs then Gods woorde whiche as our sauiour Christ saieth shall iudge vs in the worlde to come If the controuersie bee aboute the true churche what better iudge can there bee then the Scripture writen by the Prophetes and the Apostles seyng it is testified to vs by the spirite of GOD moste plainelie that the true churche is builded and staied vpon the foundation of the Prophetes of the Apostles And though this dooe not like M. Dorman and suche as he is yet you shall heare that it did not misâ—â—ke the old and holie fathers of the auncient and true churche that suche controuersies should bee so quietted by the scriptures Sainct Augustine coÌ„tendyng against those who doo attribute Gods grace and giftes to the woorthinesse of mennes merites coÌ„cludeth thus Cedamus consentiamus autoritati scripturae sancte quae nescit falli nec fallere That is to say Let vs geue place and aagrée to th'autoritie of the holy scripture whiche caÌ„ not bee deceiued nor deceiue others The same S. Augustine contending with the Donatistes hath these woordes Nos nullam Cypriano facimus iniuriam cum eius quaslibet literas à canonica Diuinarum scripturaruÌ„ autoritate distinguimus neque sine causa tam salubri vigilantia Canon ecclesiasticus constitutus est ad queÌ„ certi prophetaruÌ„ ApostoloruÌ„ libri pertineÌ„t quos omnino iudicare noÌ„ audemus secundum quos de caeteris fideliuÌ„ infideliuÌ„ iudicamus mox ca. 32. Ego huius epistolÄ™ autoritate noÌ„ teneor quia literas Cypriani noÌ„ vt canonicas habeo sed eius ex canonicis considero quod iÌ„ eis diuinaruÌ„ scripturatuÌ„ autoritati coÌ„gruit cum laude eius accipio quod auteÌ„ noÌ„ congruit cuÌ„ pace eius respuo Whiche is to saie We doo Cyprian no wrong when we make a difference betweene euery letter and writing of his and the Canonicall autoritie of the holy scriptures Neither without cause thecclesiasticall Canon with so holsome care hath béen appoincted to the whiche the certain assured bookes of the Prophetes Apostles pertaine the which in no wise we presume to iudge and according to the which we iudge of all other bookes writinges both of the faithfull and of the infidels And straight waies after in the 32. chapiter I am not bound to the autoritie of this epistle because I hold not Cyprians letters and writynges for Canonicall but consider his writynges by the Canonicall what accordeth in them to the auctoritie of the diuine Scriptures I allowe with his praise and what disagreeth froÌ„ them by his leaue I refuse These are the woordes of S. Augustine You maie sée here how S. Augustine preferreth the scriptures before the doctours yea before S. Cyprian so often by you M. Dorman alleged who was in deede a blessed martyr is no doubt a sainct in beauen and who also is mosse against you euen where he is alleged by you You see S. Augustine will haue sainct Cyprians writynges and all other doctours and mennes saiynges and writynges examined and Iudged by the scriptures whiche you yet reiecte as no coÌ„uenient iudges and that the scriptures maie be iudged by no man Yea S. Cyprian hymself agreyng hereto sheweth the causes why heresies schismes corruption of the truthe and breache of vnitie dooe come into the Churche and why so many are deceiued by the deuill transformyng hymself into an angell of light by these woordes Hoc eò fit fratres dilectissimi dum ad veritatis originem non reditur nec caput quaeritur nec magistri coelestis doctrina seruatur Quae si quis consideret examinet tractatu longo at que argumentis opus noÌ„ est That is to saie This coÌ„meth to passe hereof moste beloued brethren for that wée dooe not retourne to the origene â—â— beginnyng of the truthe neither is the head sought nor the doctrine of the heauenlie maistor kepte The whiche thynges if a man dooe consider and examine it shall not neede any long treatiâ— orargumentes Thus farre saincte Cyprian Who calleth Christe originem veritatis caput vnum caput originem vnam magistrum coelestem c. To saie The beginnyng of the truthe the head the onelie head the onely beginnyng the heaueÌ„lie schole maister whose doctrine if we would obserue we should not saith S. Cyprian neede any longe treatie or argumenâ—es But for that this beginnyng of the truthe is not returned vnto this heade is not soughte for the doctrine of this hâ—auenlie schoolemaister is not kepte he affirmeth it to bee the cause of all heresies schismes endlesse contentions illusions
of the deuill other mischieues in the churchâ— in his tyme as we likewise prooue it now to bee in our tyme. And therefore thei that seeke other beginnynges beside this onelie beginnyng other heades besides this onelie heade other doctrines besides this doctrine of this onelie heauenlie schoole maister are the verie authours of the saied schismes heresies endlesse contentions and all other mischieues whiche trouble the Churche of God Now lette vs heare S. Augustine concernyng the scriptures and Councelles who contendyng with the Artians allegyng the Ariminense concilium for them hath these woordes Sed nunc nec ego Nicenum nec tu debes Ariminense tanquam prÄ™iudicaturus proferre concilium nec ego huius autoritate nec tuillius detineris scripturarum autoritatibus non quorumque proprijs sed vtrisque communibus testibus res cum re causa cu causa ratio cum ratione coÌ„feratur c. That is to say But neither I ought to bring foorth the councell of Nice nor thou the Councell of Ariminum as one thereby to preiudice the othâ—r neither am I bounde to th' authoritie of the one nor thou of the other By the authoritie of the scriptures not peculiar witnesses vnto either of vs but common and indifferent to bothe let matter with matter cause with cause reason bee coÌ„pared with reason Thus farre S. Augustine You sée that your Councelles by S. Augustines iudgemeÌ„t ought not to preiudice vs beyng at controuersie with you you se how your councelles are partiall to you as was the Ariminense councell to the Arrians yea and muche more too you see that S. Augustine would not in this case vse the authoritie of the Nicene councell whiche yet of all other had and hath the greatest authoritie and that therefore the authoritie of the Scriptures partiall to none but common and indifferent to all is to bee vsed of all and aboue all as iudge Sainct Chrysostome coÌ„cernyng the same writeth thus Grauior est scripturarum ac prophetaruÌ„ doctrina quaÌ„ siquid à mortuis resuscitati renuÌ„cient quà m si angelus è coelo descendat quae illi dicunt serui sunt qui loquuntur quae verò scripture loquuntur loquutus est Dominus Docet ergo nos DnÌ„s vt scripturis potiùs credendum existimemus quà m caeteris omnibus Whiche is to saie More weightie is the doctrine of the Scripture and the Prophetes then if suche as bee raised from the dead dooe reporte any thyng or if an Angell dooe descende from heauen as for the thinges that thei talke thei bee but seruauntes that speake them but whatsoeuer the Scripture vttereth the Lorde hath spoken it The Lorde therefore dooeth teache vs that wee should thinke creadite should be rather geuen vnto the scriptures then to all other thynges These are the woordes of Chrysostome in that place And in an other he saith Nemo vult ad scripturas attendere si enim aduerteremus non solum noÌ„ incideremus in fallaciam sed etiam alios deceptos inde liberaremus periculo abstraheremus That is to saie No man will geue heede vnto the scriptures for if wee did consider them wee should not onelie not fall into errour our owne selues but also therof deliuer other that are deceiued and pull them from perill So muche affirmeth Chrysostome Sainct Hierome also agreeth to the same who speakyng of a matter conteined in the writynges called Apocrypha saieth Hoc quia de scripturis non habet autoritatem eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur That is to saie This because it hath not the authoritie of scripture for it is as easely conteÌ„ned as proued The same saincte Hierome euen in an other place alleged also in the Popes owne Canonnes hath these woordes Non adferamus stateras dolosas vbi appendamus quod volumus pro arbitrio nostro dicentes hoc graue est hoc leue est sed adferamus diuinam stateram de scripturis sacris tanquam de thesauris dominicis in illa quid sit grauius appendamus Whiche is to saie Let vs not bryng deceiptfull balances wherein wee maie weigh whatsoeuer wee luste at our owne discreation saiyng this is heauie this is light but lette vs bryng the heauenlie balaunce of the holie Scriptures as from the treasure of the Lorde and therein lette vs weigh what is of more weight Thus muche concernyng the soueraintie of the Scripture I thought good to bryng out of the Doctours Nowe touchyng the expoundyng and sense of the Scriptures S. Augustine hath these woordes Vbi apertius ponuntur in scripturis sacris ibi discenduÌ„ est quomodo iÌ„ locis intelligantur obscuris c. Where thynges are more plainlie vttered in the scriptures there must we learne how thei are to bee vnderstanded in darke places These bee saincte Augustines woordes who dooth often in sundrie places of his woorkes inculcate and repeate the same Saincte Chrysostome agreeyng with saincte Augustine concernyng the same hath these woordes Ad ipsum diuinae scripturae scopum accedamus quae seipsam interpretatur mox Sacra scriptura seipsam exponit auditorem errare non sinit Whiche is to saie Let vs come to the leuell and marke of the holie scripture whiche dooeth expounde it self And by and by after The sacred scripture expoundeth it self and suffereth not the hearer for to erre Hitherto Chrysostome Now concernyng the authoritie of the scriptures and the Churche there is a moste notable and true declaration thereof in the auncient authour printed with Chrysostome and of long tyme taken for hym who vpon these woordes of our sauiour in the Gospell of sainct Mathewe Qui sunt in IudÄ™a fugiant ad montes That is to saie Thei that be in Iewrie let them flie to the mountaines saith thus Id est qui sunt in Christianitate conferant se ad scripturas Et quare in hoc tempore omnes Christiani conferre se ad scripturas debent Quia in tempore hoc ex quo obtinuit haeresis illas ecclesias nulla probatio potest esse verae Christianitatis neque refugium potest esse Christianorum aliud volentium cognoscere fidei veritatem nisi scripturae diuinae Antea enim multis modis ostendebatur quae esset ecclesia Christi quae gentilitas nunc autem nullo modo cognoscitur volentibus cognoscere quae sit vera ecclesia Christi nisi tantummodo per scripturas Quare Quia omnia hÄ™c quae sunt propriè Christi in veritate habet heresis illa in schismate Similiter ecclesias similiter ipsas scripturas diuinas similiter episcopos caeterosque ordines clericorum similiter baptismum similiter Eucharistiam cÄ™tera omnia denique ipsum ChristuÌ„ Volens ergo cognoscere quÄ™ sit vera ecclesia Christi vnde cognoscat iÌ„ taÌ„ta coÌ„fusione similitudinis nisi tantuÌ„modo per scripturas IteÌ„ ex moribus ipsis priùs iÌ„telligebatur ecclesia Christi quando coÌ„uersatio ChristianoruÌ„ aut omniuÌ„ aut multorum
erat sancta quę apud impios non erat Nunc autē aut tales aut peiores facti sunt Christiani quales sūt hęretici aut gentiles adhuc autem maior continētia apud illos inuenitur quamuis in schismate sint quà m apud Christianos Qui ergo vult cognoscere quae sit vera ecclesia Christi vnde cognoscat nisi tantummodo per scripturas Sciens ergo Dominus tantam confusionem rerum in nouissimis diebus esse futuram ideo mandat vt Christiani qui sunt ī Christianitate volentes firmitatem accipere verae fidei ad nullam rem fugiant nisi ad scripturas Alioqui si ad alia respexerint scandalizabūtur peribunt non intelligentes quae sit vera ecclesia That is to saie Let them that bee in Christianitie flie to the scriptures And wherfore ought al Christians at this time to flie to the scriptures Because in this time sith heresies possessed those Churches there can bee no proofe of true christianitie neither can there be any other refuge of Christians desiryng to knowe the true faithe but the diuine scriptures For before it was declared by many meanes whiche was the true churche and whiche was Gentilitie but now thei who would knowe whiche is the true churche can knowe it by no meanes but onelie by the scriptures Why so For all these thinges whiche are properly Christes in y e truth the same hath heresie also in schisme Heresie hath churches likewise and the diuine Scriptures likewise Bishops likewise and other orders of clearkes Baptisme likewise the sacramente of thankes geuyng likewise and all other thinges to conclude euen Christ himself He therefore that would knowe whiche is the true churche of Christ how can he knowe it in so greate cōfusion of likelihoode but onely by the scriptures Further the churche of Christ might be knowen before by the maners of it when the conuersation either of all or of the moste parte of Christians was holie whiche was not so emongest the wicked But now Christians are become either suche or woorse then be the heretikes or Gentiles yea there is greater continencie emongeste them though thei bee in schisme then is emongest the Christians He therefore that would knowe whiche is the true Churche of Christe how can he knowe it but onelie by the scriptures The Lorde therefore knowyng that in the last daies there would be so greate confusion of thinges dooeth commaunde that Christians whiche be in Christianitie willyng to haue the suertie of true faithe dooe flie to no other thing but to the scriptures Els if thei haue respecte to other thynges thei shall stumble or faile of the truthe and perishe not vnderstāding whiche is the true churche Thus farre that aunciente author whose sentence and verie woordes though for auoidyng of prolixitie alittle intermitted I haue truely rehearsed You maie see that this auncient writer will not allowe that you beeyng the one partie should claime to your self the name of Christians the name of the churche the names of bishops and the names of the cleargie and so to take vpon you as iudges to condemne the other partie but that bothe you and wee must be iudged and tried whether we be in Christianitie and in the true church by the scriptures You see the names of the churche of Bishops and cleargie whiche are common to heretikes with Christians can not prooue you to bee catholikes for that heretikes vse the same names but that bothe you and wee muste knowe by the Scriptures whether wee bee in the true faithe or no for that as he saieth in this confusion of thinges bothe the true churche and the true faith must bee knowen by the Scriptures onelie and by no other thyng and that whosoeuer goeth aboute otherwise to knowe them shall stumble and perishe Wherein this author dooeth agree with S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Chrysostome and with all the olde Doctours of the auncient churche Whereby al men maie well vnderstande that it is not our newe opinion as M. Dorman would haue it seme but the olde true perswasion of all the auncient doctors and godly fathers of the primitiue churche that the Scriptures as moste indifferent and certaine ought to be iudges in controuersies in religion rather then Doctours then Councelles then your Churche then dead menne then angelles yea that the scriptures should bee iudge and not thei And that the true sense of scriptures if doubte rise thereof maie bee and must be gathered by the conference of the scriptures who doo clearly expounde themselues For the declaration whereof the said doctors doo so often and largely write that the rehersall thereof would fil an huge volume but I did thinke that this much would suffice But you Papistes will neuer allowe the Scripture as iudge nor the sense thereof to be certaine vntill it come to the exposition of the Churche and you will bee that churche that must so expounde it your self that is you will graūt no sense to be true but your own sense But wee deny that you are the true Churche that hath this autoritie of determinyng of the sense of the scriptures And if you will saie still your are the churche neither will nor can proue it but onely by so saiyng we be not so voide of all sense and vnderstāding but that we perceiue you will haue no sense but your owne and that you will be still bothe parties and iudges in your own causes againste vs as the Iuishe high Prieste Phariseis and Scribes would needes be against Christ and his Apostles who did by your iudgemēt as it semeth allege the scriptures for themselues againste the saied high Prieste Scribes and Phariseis in vaine for that thei being the churche as you now be were the iudges of the sense of the saied scriptures by Christ and his Apostles alleged And I am sure that the high Prieste with his Iuishe churche was able to saie as muche for the ordinarie succession of the high Priestes his predecessours euen from Aaron vntil his time for antiquitie for consente and for vniuersalitie againste Christe and his Apostles so fewe in comparison and as it seemed latelie starte vp as you are able to saie for your churche or against vs. But yet we doo thinke that the woorde of God as it was alleged by Christe and his Apostles against the saied high priest and his churche so maie it and ought also to be alleged by vs against your high priest and your churche and that the same woords of God whiche shal iudge bothe you vs in the worlde to come as is saied ought also to be iudge betwéen you and vs here in this transitorie worlde for so dooeth our sauiour Christ teache so doo S. Chrysostome S. Augustine and S. Hierome with all the auncient doctors of the Churche teache also as hath been partely besore specified crie you neuer so muche to the contrarie and make you neuer so many exceptions to the scriptures and claime
Canterburie and the bishop of LoÌ„don what titles so euer your bishoppes when thei were in those roumes vsed or abused I am sure thei who bee now in place take it for their chief honour to bee and to bee called also Gods ministers in his churche And as you shall neuer prooue any one head in earth temporall or spirituall â—uâ—r all so dooe I affirme that I shall more easilie prooue the title of heades of particular churches to appertaine to kynges princes who haue by Gods lawe the offices of ruling by dominion appoincted theÌ„ then you shal be able to maintaine that any suche presumptuous title can appertaine to bishoppes who are forbidden dominioÌ„ and haue ministerie to their office as I doubte nothyng but it shall hereafter clearlie fall out betwéene you and me to the satisuÌ„yng of all godlie and discreate readers and withall as I truste to the confusion of all Romishe vsurpers of that false supremacie Yet denie I not but that Bishops maie be and haue been though improperlie named heades euen by good writers as the Scholemaister of a prince in that the prince is his scholer is his heade ruler and gouernour though otherwise in deede he be the princes subiecte by hym and his lawes where he offendeth to be punished Dorman fol. 10. But Christe hath no suche neede our aduersaries crie still to haue any man to be in his steede to succede him in the whole enheritaÌ„ce Nam Christum semper adesse ecclesiae fuae vicario homine qui ex asse in integrum succedat non egere these bee their verie woordes in their Apologie Nowell It is true the Apologie and wee all likewise saie that neither hath Christ neede of any suche one onelie head Vicar ouer all his churche whiche M. Dorman a little before dooeth confesse hymself Neither is it Christes will to haue any suche head vicar For though M. Dorman affirme that he so would yet shall he neuer by the holie Scripture wherein Christes will is declared be able to prooue it Thirdlie it is impossible for any earthlie man to haue and to execute any suche office of vicar generall vnder Christ And I am sure that M. Dorman with the aide of all Papistes in Christendome is nt able to prooue these three poinctes or one of them vntrue Whiche yet thei must doo els lieth all Romishe supremacie in the duste Dorman Fol. 10. Here would I like a friende aduertise them that for their poore honesties sake thei harpe not to muche on this stryng least by their so dooyng thei come as nere the heresie of Suenkfeldius as he whom in their Apologie thei falselie sclaunder there with is farre bothe froÌ„ that all other For Suenkfeldius emongest other his abhominable heresies hath also this in my opinioÌ„ the chiefest that we ought to banishe vtterly froÌ„ emoÌ„geste vs al scripture and as Hosius writeth of him this heresie of his to derogate froÌ„ the scriptures all autoritie he went also about to proue by scripture But how I praie you good readers By what reasoÌ„ thinck you would he haue proued this diuelishe moste absurde doctrine Beleue me or rather your owne iudgementes seyng perceiuing moste plainly that I lye not by the self same reasons that our aduersaries dooe vse to prooue that Christes Churche here in earth can haue vnder hym no head or chief gouernor to gouerne the same Thou must not be parfecte in the scriptures saieth this stinckyng heretike Swenckfield But why Because forsooth we must be taught at Gods mouthe because his worde teacheth truely the Scripture is not his woorde but dead letters and no more accompt to be made of theÌ„ then of other creatures amongeste the whiche thei are to bee reconed VVee muste looke to bee taught from heauen not out of bookes The holie ghoste vseth to come from aboue without the helpe of meanes as hearyng preachyng or readyng the scriptures Theise bee that wicked heretike his foolishe and vnsauery persuasions And what other thing is it I praie you good readers iudge indifferentlie to saie as the Huguenotes heretikes dooe then to leaue and reste apon the same groundes for the banishyng of the head of Christes Churche on whiche the Swenckfeldians dooe for the abolishyng of the scripture For the one saith we must haue no scripture because God can teache vs without the other we muste haue no heade of Christes churche because he is the head hymself and can rule vs without any other to be his vicair The one saieth the scriptures are but dead letters and no more accompte to be made of them then of other creatures the other saieth that the Pope is but a synfull manne as other are and that therefore there is no more accompte to bee made of hym then of other synfull men Finallie the Swenckfeldians barre God of all meanes to worke his will by and so doe the protestantes while thei alowe hym not a minister to gouerne his churche in external gouernment but tell hym that he is of age and able to dooe it hymself and that therefore there is no remedie but he muste needes come doune and geue answere to all our wise demaundes in his owne persone Nowell A friendlie man at neede and a trustie counsailer and as good and piththie a reasoner for the Pope as trustie friend to vs Who hath little regard to his own poore honestie and lesse to the cause whiche he maintaineth when of blinde malice harping vpon a wrong stryng woorse then euer did yet any blinde harper before hym he would haue vs séeme like to Suenkfeldius from whose vile heresies we be as farre as the Papistes be nere vnto them whiche shall I trust appeare euidentlie euen by M. Dorman his own harpyng vpoÌ„ this string Whiche string yet he confesseth here in his marginall note y t he learned of Harper Hosius to strike after this sorte no doubt but vpon respecte of his poore honestie he thought it meete once to confesse that he alwaies dooeth boldlie borowyng of other and braggyng thereof as of his owne whiche thyng is moste vsuall as well to his maister D. Hardyng as to al other the aduersaries now writyng But to the matter first that wee are moste contrarie to Swenkefcilde and his heresies by the bookes of our men written largely againste them is moste manifest and the same shall bee made more euident and manifest by M. Dorman hymself in this place Suenkfeldius saieth M. Dorman holdeth this abhominable heresie that wee ought to banishe vtterly from emongeste vs all scriptures Wee saie that wee ought aboue all thynges to reteine the holie Scriptures and that besides them there is nothyng but errour and darkenesse Thou muste not bee perfecte in Scriptures saieth this stinckyng heretike Swenckfield These be M. Dormans woordes of hym Wee saie euery Christian ought to bee studious of the holie Scriptures and to labour to attaine to as greate perfection therein as mortall menne possiblie maie
leaf of this booke before where this place is bothe alâ—eged by maister Dorman and consequentlie answered at full and as I truste to the satisfiyng of all reasonable readers Onelie this will I here againe rehearse seeyng M. Dorman calleth vs from the Scriptures to the Pope and would abuse this place thereto that the Iewishe high Priest hymself by the verie woordes of the same place is bounde to teache and Iudge accordyng to the woorde of God and not at his will and pleasure Pighius I knowe and Hosius also dooe here finde faulte with the olde translation for that it maketh againste their purpose But all other Papistes will allowe none but the olde translation onelie whiche M. Stapleton also earnestlie in his late Englished booke dooeth constantâ—ie affirme anclie to be allowed which might suffice Pighius Hosius I trowe But though nothing can suffice theÌ„ yet to the satisfaction of the good reader I doo trust that it caÌ„ not be denied but that the high Prieste as well as all others standeth bounde by other places of the Scriptures to the obedtence and folowyng of Gods lawes in all his teachynges and iudgementes accordyng as is by God commaunded to all menne without exception by these woordes Non declinabitis neque ad dexteram neque ad sinistram ab ijs quae praecepit Dominus Deus vobis Et non addetis ad verbum quod vobis loquor non auferetis ab eo That is to saie Ye shall not decline from the thyng whiche the Lorde your God hath commaunded you neither to the right hande nor the left Thou shalt adde nothyng thereto nor take any thing therefro I trust I saie that Pighius and Hosius with M. Dorman and suche others will confesse that these sentences and suche other like dooe binde as well the high priest as all other meÌ„ that he maie not dooe what he liste but accordyng as Gods woordes dooe leade els if he sitte iudgeyng accordyng to the lawe coÌ„maunde thinges to be dooen against the lawe as is vsual to the Pope to doo I beleue S. Paules curse wil light vpon him Percutiet te deus paries dealbate God will smite thée thou ouerwhited wall that we with S. Peter S. Ihon maie boldlie say to him his whether it be right in the sight of God to heare you rather then god iudge ye So y t consequeÌ„tly we be at libertie to disobete the coÌ„maundement of that high priest that shall geue in coÌ„maundement any thing contrary to Gods woorde commaundement to the obedience whereof as well the high prieste as any other dooeth slande bounden Now emongeste other profitable studies of the seriptures what can bee more profitable yea necessarie then by conserryng the textes and places of the scriptures together therby to gather the true sense of euery place Which though it sa misliketh M. Dorman yet hath it beste liked all the olde writers and doctours of the Churche hetherto Sainct Augustine emongest others whom I had rather like and folowe then 500. Hardynges and Dormans shewyng his likyng of that coÌ„serryng of places of scripture together hath these wordes Vbi autem apertius ponuntur ibi discendum est quomodo in locis intelligantur obscuris c. That is to saie Where thynges are more plainlie vttered in the scriptures there muste wee learne how thei are to bee vnderstanded in darke places For that can not be better vnderstanded which is saied of God in one place Take thine armour and shielde and rise to healpe me then of that other place where it is read Lorde thou hast crouned vs as it wer with a shielde of thy good will or fauour Thus farre saincte Augustine who in the .xxvij. and .xxviij. chapiter of the same booke prosecuteth that moste prositable way of collation of textes of scripture at large And the same sainct Augustine in an other place hath these woordes Quibusdam scripturarum locis apertius aliquid exponitur quod diligens pius lector etiam in alijs locis in quibus minus aperitur intelligat c. that is to saie In some places of the Scriptures a thyng is more plainelie expounded the whiche a diligente and godlie reader maie also vnderstande in other places in the whiche it is not so plainly opened For our God to the healthe of our soules hath by the holie ghoste so ordeined the diuine bookes that he would not onelie feede vs with plaine textes of scriputures but also exercise vs with darke places of them Thus muche in that place Sainct Augustine who calleth suche as so compare the scriptures together godlie and diligente readers whatsoeuer maister Dorman saieth of them and he saieth that suche dooynges are healthfull to our soules though M. Dorman thinke or saie otherwise and therefore by Saincte Augustines iudgemente it foloweth that M. Dorman with others perswaded as he is are no godlie nor diligente readers of the Scriptures neither dooe regard the healthe of their soules and therefore no marueile that thei applie the Scriptures so frowardlie and wreste them so violentlie and falselie as thei dooe whereof this booke is an euident exaÌ„ple Saincte Chrysostome also as before was noted agreeyng with saincte Augustine saieth that the holie scripture expoundeth it self and suffereth not the hearer to erre Wherefore we can not but with sainct Augustine and saincte Chrysostome and other aunciente and godlie doctours and fathers muche like and praise this moste profitable and holsome conference of diuers textes of the scriptures And no doubt but the Iewishe priest appoincted to resolue other men of their doubtes did hymself vse the saied confereÌ„ce of scriptures as did those moste godlie and learned priestes saincte Augustine and saincte Chrysostome bothe vse it themselues and also counsaile other so to dooe as beeyng the beste waie to them knowen whereby to attaine to the true vnderstaÌ„dyng of the scriptures But M. Dorman hath a greate desire to bryng vs from the Scriptures to the iudgemente of his high prieste the Pope and therefore this conference of the Scriptures together is so farre out of conceipte with hym that he vntruely chargeth vs for that wee like it verie muche as though wee did therefore mislike all instructids of gods ministers But though we dooe not receiue the Popes instructions for that he is neither Gods nor our ecclesiasticall minister yet it is well knowen to the worlde that we seeke instructions and explications of doubtes of Goddes ministers and preachers of his woorde continually wheras the Papistes vse it more rarelie and vntill of late thei were by vs a little stirred vp thei vsed it nothyng at all so that it seemed by their leauyng of preachyng and kepyng of Gods woorde vnknowen in a straunge language thei would neither haue the doubtfull questions of Gods lawe explicate by conferryng of textes of the scripture together nor by the voice of the priest nor minister neither but would haue had Gods holie woorde wholie
still But how soeuer Caluin and Luther agree in the exposition of these fewe woordes Hoc est corpus meum This is my bodie thei agree bothe in this that the Papistes expound them falsely For to vse the places by M. Dorman noted out of Hosius he nor all Papistes with hym shall neuer be able to showe cause why these woordes Ego sum vitis vera I am the true vine dooe not prooue as well a transubstantiation as Hoc est corpus meum This is my bodie Is not this as plainlie spoken and as piththilie I am a true or a verie vine as This is my bodie Naie if Christe had saied likewise this is my true and verie bodie as he saied I am a true or verie dine what a rule had we then had Christe saieth Ego sum panis I am breade and yet no transubstantiation of his bodie into breade Why should these woordes Hoc est corpus meum This is my bodie more transubstantiate bread into his bodie This is fondlie alleged saieth M. Dorman If wee saie likewise that all that he hath here said of the controuersie of the Sacramente out of place leauyng his purposed matter vnproued is verie fonde what hath he then wonne that I maie vse his owne phrase Dorman Fol. 13. The Anabaptistes who denie the Baptisme of infantes leane thei not thinke you to this grounde of yours Yea truelie and good reason it is that beyng all heretikes as you are although in some poinctes dissentyng yet all ioignyng and agreeing in one cancred hatred againste the Churche you should all vse the same rules principles For that I maie here passe ouer that reason of the Anabaptistes which belongeth to an other place that therefore infantes must not bee Baptized because it is not expressed in Scripture a principle also of your religion but deliuered vnto vs by tradition saie thei not also that thei haue the scripture plaine for them againste vs VVhere it hath Qui crediderit baptizatus fuerit saluus erit He that beleueth and is baptized shal bee saued and againe in an other place vna fides vnum baptisma one faithe one baptisme By whiche places saie thei it appeareth that faithe must go before and baptisme folowe after And when the Catholikes to represse and vtterlie ouerthrowe this brutishe and beastlie opinion answere that for infantes thus baptized the faithe of the churche is sufficient and accounted for theirs crie thei not as you doe that in this controuersie one place of scripture muste expounde an other And that therefore where as the scripture requireth in him that is baptized faithe that thei must haue it of their owne accordyng to the Apostles saiyng fides ex auditu faithe commeth by hearyng whiche infantes can not haue and according to the saiyng of the Prophete Iustus ex fide sua victurus est the iuste manne shall liue by his owne faithe Nowell First to M. Dormans false sclaunder we answere we bee no heretikes no Arrians no Anabaptistes we teache of Christes diuinitie and of Baptisme and all other thynges accordyng to Gods woorde Where he saieth the Catholikes doo represse and ouerthrowe the brutishe opinions of the Anabaptistes we aunswere that it is moste certaine well knowen to the worlde that our menne haue saied and written more againste them then euer did the Papistes Wherefore wee bee therein as in all other thynges in deede the Catholikes and not thei Dorman Fol. 13. I am sorie that in answeryng to this fonde reason I haue been compelled to make any mention of suche horrible heresies as these are whiche I had muche rather were with their firste authours buried in helle from whence thei came where neither thei nor their name mighte euer hereafter offende the conscience of any good Christian manne But as I haue necessarilie laied before your eyes theise that by a parte you maie iudge of the whole so haue I willinglie staied my selfe from rehearsyng whole swarmes of suche opinions as beyng of all menne taken for confessed heresies onelie depende vpon this one false grounde that wee neede here in earth no other iudge to decide and determine doubtes arisyng vpon the scripture then the scripture it self whiche beyng thei saie laied and conferred together one texte with an other will not faile to bryng vs to the right vnderstandyng thereof Nowell What other necessitie I praie you put the man to this sorowe he speaketh of or compelled hym to suche mention but onelie the defecte of proofes for his purposed matter of the necessitie of one heade ouer all the churche whiche lacke he is driuen to supplie with such digressions of the Swenkfeldians Arrians and Anabaptistes altogether impertinente to his purpose and with declaimyng against the scriptures and woorde of God Whiche distresse also droue him destitute of matter so often to repeate that one séelie similitude and euell likelihood betwene the Iuishe high Priest and the Pope And yet M. Dorman thus digressyng and swaruyng hymself is not ashamed to speake to the Bishop of Sarum after this sorte I moste hartelie praie you keepe you without straiyng from the matter or allegyng of prooues impertinente as close as you can c. This is M. Dormans requeste whereof hymself hath geuen an example as you here maie see Now if al heretikes and heresies were as M. Dorman wisheth buried in hell then should the Pope with all his Papistes be buried together with them and we might liue still and with quietnesse praise Gods holie name preache his blessed woorde whiche maister Dorman dooeth set so light by To the reste we saie that as for resoluyng of doubtes wee dooe with saincte Augustine as is before rehersed thinke the conference of scriptures to bée moste necessarie so dooe we not refuse any other helpe of learned bishops as our guides and directours by the same Scriptures to all truthe But suche a one onelie supreme heade or Iudge ouer all the Churche as M. Dorman would haue to bee consulted of all men of all countries and languages vpon all doubtes arisyng neither dooe we acknowlege neither is it possible any suche to be And we saie that suche as haue chalenged or pretended so to be are moste presumptuous moste false vsurpers Now where M. Dorman would proue the conference of Scriptures a vaine or euill thing bicause the Arrians and Anabaptistes vsed it and vs to be heretikes as thei be because we vse the same groūdes to witte cōferring of scriptures together he might aswell reiecte all allegyng of scripture because the deuill vsed it and conclude that we bee of the deuill because we vse the same grounde that he dooeth that is to saie the allegyng of Scriptures Yea and he maie by the same reason finde faulte with Christe our sauiour and his holie Apostles who dooe so muche vse the saied allegyng of scriptures And M. Dorman in so dooyng should bee as reasonable as he is in callyng vs heretikes and blamyng vs vsyng
woorde of God is the true light wherein wee endeuoure our selues to our power to walke Your vnwritten verities are more meeter for blinde Battes to flitter in Wee haue our heade and Iudge in heauen one Christe onelie and in earth one prince and other ministers bothe ecclesiasticall and ciuill to gouerne and Iudge vs accordyng to his holie woorde To iuggle and to coniure too bée your owne Popishe properties we haue nothing to doo with theÌ„ And thus I haue answered M. Dormans asseueratioÌ„s in this place by shorte poinctes which maie suffice seyng he onely saith his pleasure proueth nothing at al. Dorman Fol. 14. Tell them that you haue seen them thriue so euell apon that presumption of theirs so many heresies so many schismes and leude opinions broughte in thereby that you are at a poincte with your selues to leaue them and take that waie that Saincte Hierome in the like case hath doen before you who although his knowledge in the tongues were suche as by the reporte of moste men it passed any others in his tyme yet would not he take vpon hym in the discussyng of doutes to leane to that rule of theirs to laâ—e and conferre together one texte with an other but referryng hymself to the see of Rome he alwaies protested that by that seate and faithe praised by the Apostles owne mouth would he be counceled and ruled Beatitudini tuae id est cathedrae Petri communione consocior To your holines saieth he writyng to Damasus then the Bishoppe of Rome that is to saie to Peters chaire am I ioigned in communion and he addeth a cause whie Super illam Petram aedificatam ecclesiam scio I knowe that on that rocke Peters chaire the Churche is builded Nowell The Pope and Papistes haue thriuen so well vpon their striuyng againste the truthe of Goddes woorde that I trust all the worlde shortly will be at a poinct to leaue them Saincte Hierome saieth no where that he would not compare the scriptures together for the discussyng of doubtes as M. Dorman would beare vs in hande and S. Augustine saieth he would dooe it and exhorteth other to dooe the same S. Hieromes woordes to Damasus Bishop of Rome make nothyng againste vs nor with M. Dorman For what meruaile is it if that sainct Hierome borne in a coaste of Italie Christened at Rome brought vp at Rome and made priest at Rome would in the faith of the blessed Trinitie rather ioigne himself in communion with Damasus Bishop of Rome a learned and godlie man then with Vitalis and Meletius whom M. Dorman calleth Miletus and Paulinus who were Antiochian bishops and therefore straungers to him and also not cleare from the Arrian heresie What argument can M. Dorman frame hereof Hierome a Prieste of Rome c. ioigned hymself in communion to his owne bishoppe Damasus Ergo we Englishemen musie ioigne our selues likewise to the bishoppe of Rome that now is beyng bothe a forainer and an enemie Againe Hierome ioigned in communion with Damasus a godlie bishoppe of Rome Ergo we must submit our selues to a false vsurper and enemie of God and all godlinesse Naie it foloweth rather thus As saincte Hierome refused to ioigne hymself to Vitalis bishoppe of Antiochia and an Arrian bothe because he was a straunger and also an heretike and ioigned hymself to Damasus his owne Bishoppe and a godlie Bishop so ought wée to refuse the Pope beyng bothe a foraine vsurper and a false heretike to ioigne againste hym with our owne godlie bishops at home But will M. Dorman saie saincte Hierome addeth a cause whiche is the pith of the matter saiyng thus Super illam petram c. I knowe that vpon that rocke Peters chaire the Churche is builded whiche is the cause why S. Hierome ioigned with Damasus will he saie But he maie be ashamed had he any shame at al thus shamefully by a false parenthesis to intermingle these woordes Peters chaire in this sentence of S. Hierome and so to falsifie it as though S. Hierome had saied or ment in this place that the Popes chaire is the rocke whereon the Churche is builded And now maie ye see to what ende all M. Dormans long former drifte commeth to witte to bryng vs from the scriptures to Peters chaire that is the Popes consistorie there to bee iudged whiche now at the laste after so long suspensioÌ„ and delaie vnder S. Hieromes name but moste falsly he hath vttered For the more plain declaration wherof I will report here sainct Hieromes woordes a little more largely then M. Dorman hath dooen whiche are these Facessat inuidia Romani culminis recedat ambitio cuÌ„ successore piscatoris discipulo crucis loquor Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens Beatitudinis tuae id est Cathedrae Petri communione consocior super illam Petram aedificatam Ecclesiam scio Quicunque extra hanc domum agnum comederit prophanus est Si quis in Arca Nohae non fuerit peribit regnante diluuio That is to saie Let enuie auoide let the ambition of the height of Rome departe I speake to the successour of the fisher and a disciple of the crosse I folowyng no chief or head but Christ am ioigned in communion to your holines to saie Peters chaire vpon that rocke I knowe the Churche to bee builded whosoeuer eateth the Lambe without this house he is prophane or vnholie If one be not in the arke of Nohe he shall perishe when the floud is aloft Thus farre S. Hierome Now if a manne would aske of M. Dorman why he left out those twoo lines wherein S. Hierome admonisheth Damasus as the successour of the poore fisher Peter to laie aside all ambitioÌ„ whiche the greatnesse of the citie of Rome might mooue hym too and withall affirmeth that he will folowe no chief head but Christe whiche woordes are ioigned and by a participle dependyng to that whiche M. Dorman alleged whatsoeuer he shall answere thereto I knowe the true answere M. Dorman did of falsehood and corruption of the meanyng of sainct Hierome thus detrunke and mangle his sentence for he did sée that S. Hierome admonishing Damasus of humilitie and withall professyng hymself to folowe no chief or head but Christ not exceptyng Damasus case but rather affirmyng hym not to be Primum the chief maketh clearely with vs who in this controuersie of the Popes vsurped supremacie saie the same We folow no head but Christ we ioigne in communion with none but suche as folowe hym c. Furthermore he did see that the woordes of S. Hierome folowyng vpoÌ„ this rocke I know the church to bee builded might and ought to bee referred vnto Christe mentioned by S. Hierome so nere before and by Peter coÌ„fessed to be that rocke wheron the churche is builded and therefore M. Dorman left out of saincte Hieromes sentence the meÌ„tion of Christ that he might most falsly and blasphemously referre the rocke to Peters chaire as though Peters
onely but abroade also in foraigne countreis VVherefore whom so euer M. Dorman sheweth him selfe to be and how sclender an aunswere soeuer might best become him I thought it should become me not sclenderly to esteeme the honour of my prince my dâ—etie to my countrey and to the lawes of the realme but with earnestnesse to repell suche reproches as M. Dorman hath attempted to blemishe them withall Thirdelie for that the simple and vnlearned readers haue often best liking in bookes more boldely then learnedly written and are most in daunger to creadite most lewde and sclaunderouse lyes in so muche that a great many for the commendation of these vertues doo praeferre the Scholar before the Maister M. Dorman I meane before D. Hardinge suche is their iudgement I haue therfore in answering more at large applied my selfâ— to such as be of meane vnderstandinge to whom the guilefull dealinges of the Papistes can not with breuitie be made manifest For as a serpent at a touch thrusteth in his stinge and venime but the mischeafe in like wise can not be as sodeinlie cured but requireth longer time and businesse so can not the sclaunderous and venemous lyes by M. Dorman quickely tould be so quickely and brieflie answered with such plainenesse as is mete for such who are most in daunger to credite such false tales VVherfore good reader if I shal seeme to be too prolix and tedious yea and to careful too in answeringe so largely and diligently such a one as M. Dorman sheweth him selfe to be specially in the beginninge till I haue made thee acquainted with his kinde of writing I trust thou shalt the better beare with me therein if thou wilt beare these considerations in memorie Yet haue I laboured to serue also the learned and occupied readers turne For I haue in the conclusion of this mine answere in fewe wordes touched the summe of the whole processe before whereunto if it shall please them at the first to resort it may so satisfie them perhappes that they shall not neede to stay about the larger explication of mine aunswere in the formar processe of this booke And this for my earnest aunswere to so merie a mans booke as is M. Dorman Now as I haue not dealt with him in his facultie in the which I coÌ„fesse him to be inuincible and woorthy to be not onely Bachilar but double Doctour thereof so yet if M. Dormans outragious railinges and shameles lyes shall cause me sometime to shape him an answere meete for such a man as he is I trust the reasonable reader wil consider my not occasion but inforcement rather thereunto not onely looking vppon my saiynges and vewynge how meete or vnmeete they be for me but how meete they be for his saiynges and him to whom I doo make answere VVho doth so confidently affirme and solemnely aduouch that if our stomakes shall serue vs to replie he is sure that our euidence is so much that sixe lynes to speake with the moste wil receiue vvith ease all that vve haue to vvrite vvhich hovv truely it is spoken shall be tried I trust by this litle euidence that I haue here geuen in to thee good Reader against his counterfaite and false forged vvritinges vvherein is not of matter of truthe so muche as sixe lynes any vvhere to be founde FINIS Dorman THE ARTYCLES VVHICH THE AVTHOR HATH TAKEN APON HYM TO PROVE AGAINST M. IVELLES NEGATIVE That the Bishop of Rome is the head of Christes vniuersal churche here in earth and that within the firste six hundred yeeres after Christes departure hence he was so called and taken That the people was then taught to beleue that Christes body is really substantially corporally carnally or naturally in the Sacrament That the communion was then ministred vnder one kinde That there was Masse sayde at that time although there wer none to receiue with the priest Nowell 1 M. Dormans first article is the fourth with D. Hardinge fol. 75. 2 His seconde article is the fifte with D. Hardinge folio 96. 3 His thirde article is the seconde with D. Hardinge folio 3â— 4 The last article is the firste with D. Hardinge fol. 9. And thus as you sée M. Dorman diuers from his Maister in the order of the matters so shall you finde his Maisters reasons and allegations in his booke by like arte disposed that you may know that M. DormaÌ„ though bachiler of Diuinitie hath not yet forgotten all his Logike and that he hath his Rhetorike in perfect memorie A REPROVFE OF M. Dorman in prima fronte libri Augustinus contra literas Petiliani lib. 2. cap. 16. Si quaeras quibus fructibus vos esse potius lupos rapaces cognoscamus obijcio schismatis crimen quod tu negabis ego autem statim probabo Neque enim communicas omnibus gentibus illis ecclesiis Apostolico labore fundatis That is to say If thou demaundest he speaketh to Petilian the Heretike by what fruictes I knovv you to be rather the rauening vvolues I obiecte to you the fault of scisme vvhich thou vvilt deny but I wil out of hande proue For thou doest not communicate with all Nacions nor with those churches founded by th'apostles labour Nowell M. Dorman had either no greate store of choyse or some lacke of iudgement whan he did choose S. Augustines sentence vpon the woordes of our Sauiour of those false Prophetes who comming in sheepes clothing are in deede rauening woulfes you shall know them by their fruites c. For what sentence of all other in the Scriptures or Doctors dooth more liuely represent the aduersaries themselues who folowinge the olde Iuishe priestes Scribes and Phariseis of whom our Sauiour spake y e saide woords in walking grauely in longe garmentes pretending longe praiers preferring y e amiable titles of y e Spiritualtie of y e church that louing mother yea and of fauorable fathers too professing with their foresaid forefathers y t they may kill no man that they may not enter into the iudgement place for feare of pollution of that pure white fleese of their innocencie yea and whan a condemned person falleth into their handes to be committed to the fecular power they pitifully make request that the wretch suffer no losse of life nor limme And whan they haue so ouerspread and couered themselues with these and suche like sheepish white flieses more softer than lambes wull and haue so sheepishly bleated with woordes abhorring bloud than proceede they forwarde with their said Fathers than play they most the most rauening woulfes moste shew their insaciable thirst of murder and bloudsheading Let Hierusalem and the countreis about sprinkled with y e bloud of our Sauiour Christe and his holy Apostles and Disciples testifie this as moste true in their forefathers the Phariseis Scribes and high Priestes and let all partes of Englande Fraunce Italie Spayne Germanie yea of all Christendome ouerspread with the bloud of the
innocent sheepe of Christes folde men and wâ—men yea yonge striplinges and maydes those little lambes shead by these rauening and bloudthristie woulfes testifie the same moste aboundantly in our Phariseis Scribes and high priestes the successours and children of those their olde Iuish forefathers of whoÌ„ with their saide forefathers as this sentence was spoken so dooth it moste expressely represent and depainte them moste liuely in their naturall colours that ye maye well know them by their fruictes For that they spoile poore wydowes houses vnder y t pretence of their longe prayers their diriges Masses of Requiem Trentalles c. is but a trifle with them but the greatter shal be their damnation as our Sauiour saith Now concerning the schisme which M. DormaÌ„ shooteth at chieflie We answere we haue made none other schisme from you than did S. Paule make from the saide high priestes Scribes and Phariseis your predecessours from whom though he were from his childehood brought vp emongst theÌ„ he did wel vpon good grounde departe for that they had before departed made a schisme from God and his most holy lawe to the traditions of the mother churche of their Pharisaicall fathers as haue likewise you Papistes departed made a schisme from Christe and his Apostles doctrine and from the auncient churches founded by the Apostles labour to your mother the Romishe Sinagoge and haue by your poysoned Popishe traditions slayne moe soules than you haue by your crueltie murdred bodies of Christian men and wemen as we haue prooued and wyll dayly prooue more and more most euidently vnto the world vntill all godly in the worlde knowyng you by your fruictes dooe forsake you as did the godly before forsake the olde Phariseis Scribes and highe Priestes and folowed Christe and his holy Apostles as we haue partely already brought to a good forwardnesse Thus you may sée why we haue departed from you and returned to Christe and his holy Apostles and the churches by them founded from whom you haue departed Returne you to them and we will not swarue from you take away the schisme that you haue made from Christ our sauiour his holy Apostles and the churches founded vpon their doctrine and we wyll ioygne with you Otherwise as long as you shall thus swarue from Christe and his Apostles and their doctrine cry you out against schismatikes neuer so much we will neuer ioygne with you beinge the very schismatikes in déede And thus muche I thought to saye to the sentence of S. Augustine against Petilian by M. Dorman alleaged in the fyrst front of his booke as against vs but in déede moste directlie detectinge the schismaticall secte of all Papistes our aduersaries that I might leaue no one sentence of any olde doctour by M. Dorman though colourably and falsely alleaged vnanswered To the Reader I Doo vnderstande sith the first printinge of this booke that muche mutteringe and whisperinge is made by certaine Papistes about certaine places of my booke as false or faultie and namely that place of S. Cyprian De simplicitate Praelatorum as by me guilefully alleaged by omittinge that whiche maketh as they say for them and their Popes Supremacie This Popishe practise by mutteringe whisperinge poinctinge quarellinge and liynge to attempte the defacinge of the simple and plaine truthe and to the maintenaunce of their owne vntruthe is no new practise neither happeneth it to me vnloosed for at this time whiche they faile not to doo to al men and in all matters at all times But as I can not certainely answearevncertaine corner mutteringes so as soone as I shall see any certaine thinge set foorth in Printe to the worlde againste my booke I will God willinge not leaue it longevnanswered as well to the aduouchinge of my true dealinge as to the declaration of theirvniustquarellinge and consequently as I trust to the more full satisfaction of all reasonable Readers that doo looue truthe and sinceritie A. Nowell Dorman Fol. 1. A PRAEFACE OR INTRODVCtion to the first Proposition THE blessed Martyr of God S. Cyprian writyng to one Rogatianus a Bishop of his prouince hath thiese woordes Initia haereticorum ortus atque conatus schismaticorum malè cogitant ium haec sunt vt sibi placeant vt praepositum supèrbo tumore contemnant Sic de occlesia receditur sic alâ—are prophanum for is collocatur sic contra pacem Christi ordinationem atque vnitatem Dei rebellatur VVhiche is in Englishe thus muche to say The beginning of heretikes the first springyng vp and enterprise of schismatikes thinkyng a misse in matters of faithe groweth of pleasure that thei take in themselues of that that beyng puffed vp with pride thei contemne their head and gouernour appointed ouer theÌ„ By this meanes straie thei from the Churche Thus is a prophane altar placed without the doores and thus rebell thei against Christes peace gods ordinauÌ„ce and vnitie Nowell Saincte Cyprian writyng this Epistle to Rogatian one of his felowe bishoppes in Afrike who had a disobedieÌ„t deacon hath in the beginnyng of his letter these woordes Grauiter dolenter c. I and my felowe bishoppes here present were sore moued moste deare brother saieth saincte Cyprian when wee had redde your letters wherein you complaine of your deacon that he forgettyng your priestly place and his owne ministerie hath greeued you with his reproches and wronges Thus farre S. Cyprian By whiche wordes it appereth that the mattier was betwene Rogatian a bishop in Afrike and his deacon disobediente to hym and therefore nothing apperteinyng to the bishoppe of Romes supremacie at all Whiche might well haue appeared to the reader had maister Dorman written but the iiij lines next before the place by him alledged whiche are these Ideo oportet diaconum c. That is to saie Therefore it is mete that the Deacon of whom you doe write doe penaunce for his boldenesse that he acknowledge the honour of the priest and doo satisfie the bishop his superiour with full humilitie For the beginnyng of heretikes the springyng vp enterprise of schismatikes beyng euill minded are these that thei doo stand in their owne coÌ„ceite that thei despise their gouernour through swellyng pride c. As Maister Dorman hath out of saincte Cyprian alledged This declareth moste euidently that the sentence of S. Cyprian alledged by M. Dorman apperteineth to Rogatian and his deacon beyng Africanes and so generally to all other bishoppes their inferiours of what countrey soeuer thei bee and maketh nothyng for the Bishoppe of Romes supremacie at all If M. Dorman would proue hereby y t euery inferiour minister ought to be obedient to his owne bishop as his superiour or that the disobedience of suche is cause of schismes and heresies for so doeth S. Cyprian meane wee graunte the same But if he would haue it apperteine to the bishop of Rome or to make any thyng for the Popes supremacie as by that M. Dorman calleth this
an introduction to the proufe of his first proposicion whiche is of the Popes supremacie and by the processe of this his preface also it doeth plainly appere that he meaneth he abuseth shamefully the authoritie of S. Cyprian and thinketh all the worlde sauyng hymself alone asleape and blinde on bothe sides too Consideryng that that in all this Epistle there is not one woorde of the bishop of Rome or his supremacie nor he as muche as once named therein Dorman fol. I. And againe in an other place he writeth thus Vndè enim schismata haereses obortae sunt nisi dum episcopus qui vnus est ecclesiae praeest superba quorundam praesumptione contemnitur homo dignatione dei honoratus ab indignis hominibus indicatur Wherof saith he doo heresies and schismes spryng but of this that the bishop whiche is one and gouerneth the churche is through the proude and arrogant presumption of certaine contemned and set at nought and beyng the man by Gods approbacion allowed and honoured is of vnworthie men iudged Nowell M. Dorman trusted that as sone as these woordes The bishop vvhich is one and gouerneth the churche is despised the man by gods approbacion alowed is of vnvvorthie meÌ„ iudged should be redde or heard of the simple thei would nothyng doubte but that y e Pope of Rome despised by suche as we be was meant thereby But this epistle as it is written by S. Cyprian to one Pupianus so doeth it entreate of them twoo and their matters and nothyng concerneth the bishop of Rome For as before by the head and gouernour appoincted Rogatian was meante and not the Pope so in this place by the bishop vvhiche is one and gouerneth the churche by the man by Gods approbacion allovved and honoured and of vnvvorthie men iudged Sainct Cyprian hymself bishop of Carthage is meante who was abused by the saied Pupianus and to whom he did write this epistle reprouyng hym for his disobedience to his bishoppe S. Cyprian who was the onely manne allowed by Gods approbacion to gouerne the Churche of Carthage and so by the saied Pupian as his inferiour to be obeyed Wherefore this place is as impertinente to M. Dorman his purpose as was the former place For neither in this long Epistle is there as muche as one woorde of the bishop of Rome I conclude therefore that these places are by M. Dorman falsly and shamelesly alledged to make a shewe or as he calleth it an introduction to the bishop of Rome his authoritie wherevnto thei apperteine nothyng at all but onely to the euersion thereof And that M. Dorman hath thereby declared what credite he deserueth in the reste of his booke continued with like impudente lies Touchyng S. Cyprian his phrase of one bishop of the churche whiche M. Dorman taketh as signifiyng one bishop ouer the whole churche for that the falsenesse of that collection is at large explicated after in a more peâ—uliar place I pretermitte here to speake of it Onely this is moste euident in what sense so euer S. Cyprian taketh these woordes one bishoppe that ruleth the churche the bishop of Carthage is that one bishop and not the bishop of Rome and therefore that phrase of one bishop rulyng the churche can make nothyng for the bishop of Rome his supremacie but rather dooeth vtterly ouerthrowe it as apperteinyng specially to the bishoppe of Carthage in Aâ—rike not to the bishoppe of Rome in Italie and declaryng in deede the bishops of all places to be equall in authoritie and consequently ouerthrowyng the supremacie of one ouer all Dorman fol. â— The verie same thyng although in other woordes doeth S. Basile in an epistle written by hym to the bishoppes of Italie and Fraunce bewailyng therein the estate of his tyme moste plainely declare Whose wordes because thei doe liuely represent vnto vs the most miserable face of this our age I haue thoughte good to allege set before your eyes Ambitiones eorum qui dominuÌ„ non timent * praesidentias inuadunt et in propatulo de caetero impietatis praemiuÌ„ proposita est prima sedes Quare qui grauiores blasphemias protulit * ad populi episcopuÌ„potior habetur Perijt authoritas sacerdotalâ—s populi admoneri nolunt praesides dicendi libertatem non habent Silent piorumora permissumest autem dicere omni blasphemae linguae Prophanata sunt sacra That is to saie The pride â–ª and ambition of them whiche feare not our lorde doeth inuade and set apon their heades and openly the chiefeste place is proposed as a rewarde for wickednes And therfore he that can vtter against the bishop of the people moste greuous and slaunderous blasphemies is accompted of greatest price and had in moste estimation Th' authoritie of priesthood is lost The laite wil not be admonished The rulers be restreined of libertie to speake The mouthes of good menne kepe silence Euery blasphemous toÌ„gue is set at libertie Al holy thinges are made prophane Hetherto S. Basil Nowell M. Dorman dooeth not as he saied he would sette Sainct Basilles woordes before your eyes but dooeth goe aboute as muche as he can to bleare your eyes that you should not see the truthe For he is so desirous to make some shewe for the Popes supremacie that he would by false translation wrest places of the doctours moste impertinente to make them seme to sounde that waie and therefore in this place in stéede of these woordes praesidentias inuadunt thei dooe inuade the chiefe roumes he hath translated thei doe inuade and set vpon their heades And againe in stede of these woordes He that can vtter most greuous blasphemies to witte against Christ and the holie ghoste is accompted more worthy to be the bishop of the pople he hath thus translated he that can vtter against the bishop of the people moste greuous and slaunderous blasphemies is accompted of greatest price and had in moste estimatioÌ„ Thus hath M. Dorman translated this place whether negligently as halfe a sleape according to his name or ignorauÌ„tly as he that could not see though broad wakyng or maliciouslie wittyng and willyng did he falsifie it to make it seme as spokeÌ„ of the bishop of Rome whom he would haue to be taken for the head and the bishop of the people And vs he would haue to be taken for the inuaders of the said head and the blasphemours of that bishop as it were of God hymself against whoÌ„ properlie is blasphemie But let S. Basill hymself bee iudge betweene M. Dorman and me whose woordes in th'epistle folowing where he entreateth of the same matter and the whiche also M. Dorman hereafter allegeth are these Vnigenitus blasphematur non est qui contradicat Spiritus sanctus ignominia afficitur qui potest redarguere fugatur c. To saie The onelie sonne of God Christ is blasphemed and there is none to gaine saie it the holie ghost is reproched and he that is able to reproue it is
of the church whiche thei haue alwaies forseen to be to theim terribilis vt castrorum acies ordinata terrible as is the froonte of a battell well set in ordre and against the bishop of Rome appointed of God to be here in earthe the lawfull gouernour and head thereof not lackyng also therin greate policie that by strikyng the shepherde they might the easelier scatter the flocke Nowell You see here the conclusion gathered out of that whiche hetherto by hym hath been alledged out of S. Cyprian and sainct Basill And how the verie wordes written by sainct Cyprian in the places before mentioned for the maintenaunce of bishoppe Rogatian his authoritie and for his owne authoritie also thei being bothe Bishoppes of Afrike he is not ashamed here in his conclusion to place out of place and to apply them to the proofe of the bishoppe of Rome his supremacie whervnto thei apperteine nothyng at all and to frame thereof this leude argument The entrie into all heresies is to make open warres against the bishop appointed by God to bee the lawfull gouernour and heade of the churche This is the maior and is proued by S. Cyprian now foloweth his minor but the bishop of Rome is the bishop appointed by God to bee here in earth the lawfull gouernour and heade of the churche the conclusion ergo The entrie into all heresies is to make open warre againste the bishop of Rome I saiâ— the minor is false and a false conclusion doeth folowe of the same For the bishop of whom S. Cyprian speaketh appointed by God to be lawfull gouernour and heade of the churche is in Carthage S. Cyprian hymself and Rogatian in his owne Diocesse and not the Bishop of Rome otherwise then in his owne Diocesse onely And therefore open warre to bee made againste them in their owne Diocesse whereof thei be lawfull bishoppes is the beginnyng of heresies and not to resiste the bishop of Rome vsurpyng to be head of the vniuersall Churche ouer the whiche of right he hath no authoritie For these woordes the bishop appointed by God to bee the lawfull gouernour and head of the churche if thei make for any supremacie at all thei make for the supremacie of Rogatian and Cyprian bishops of Afrike of whoÌ„ S. Cyprian speaketh theim and not of the bishop of Rome of whom in those Epistles he speaketh not one woorde And if thei make not for the supremacie of Cyprian Rogatian thei make for none at all and if thei make for no supremacie at al they were here without all cause alledged by M. Dorman but onely to deceiue the simple by suche a guilefull and vntrue introduction to his firste false proposition of the Pope his supremacie Now if he thinke yet that he might make suche a simple collection of S. Cyprian and S. Basill his woordes as this That as the beginnyng of heresies in their time was the contempt of the inferiours towardes their owne Bishops for so S. Cyprian teacheth so in likewise is the contempte of the Pope as the highest of all bishops the beginnyng of heresies now First I denie the argument for that it foloweth not though it be euill for the inferiour to disobeie his owne bishop to whose obedience in all godlinesse he is bounden Therfore it is euill for a straunger not to obeie a straunge foraine vsurpar to whom he oweth no duetie of obedieÌ„ce Againe I saie though it be the beginnyng of heresie to disobey Cyprian Rogatian yea or Cornelius beyng godlie and catholike bishops yet is it not likewise the beginnyng of heresies to disobey any the late Popes of Rome who were not onely no godlie bishops as were Cyprian Rogatian and Cornelius but bothe moste wicked and in deede no Bishops at all but false vsurpers of worldlie tyrannie Whom for the subiectes of an other christiaÌ„ and lawfull soueraigne to obeie and not to disobeie is the beginning of heresies treasons and all other euils and mischiefes In the conclusion it is to be noted wheÌ„ Basill speaketh of all the Bishops of the Easte as the shepeherdes sufferyng persecution maister Dorman alteryng the number speaketh it of the Pope as the onely shephearde Remouyng the matter from many Greke pastours persecuted to one Romane depastor dispersyng the flocke and persecutyng not sufferyng persecution Dorman Fol. 2. Thus did in the tyme of S. Cyprian Nouatus that greate heretyke who as Nicephorus reporteth of hym holdyng betwene his handes the handes of suche as minded to receiue of hym the blessed Sacramente of th' altar vsed to theim these woordes A diura mihi per corpus et sanguinem domini Iesu Christi nunquam te a me discessurum et ad Cornelium Romanus is Episcopus fuit reredituruinesse Sweare to me ê™ he by the bodie and bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christe that thou wilt neuer forsake me nor retourne to Cornelius vvho vvas then bishop of Rome So did in our tyme the scholers and folovvers of Martin Luther So did Ihon Caluin vvith his congregacion at Geneua So doe euen at this time in our infortunate country those vvicked men apon vvhom I beseche almightie God to extende his mercie vvho occupiyng the places and roomes of catholike bishoppes beyng themselues indurate heretikes ceasse not daiely moste cruelly to practise that lesson learned of their auncestor Nouatus For vvhat manne admit thei to any liuyng of vvhom thei exact not first this othe VVhom suffer thei to coÌ„tinue in his liuing if he giue not this othe For the onely refusall hereof hovv many notable men of the clergie bothe for life and learnyng suffer they to pyne avvaie in prison I remembre not heare the greate nomber of gentlemen and other mere laye men not included in the statute of pooer young Scholers of bothe th'vniuersites vvho vvitheout all face of lavve for for the other theie pretended a colour beyng not so muche themselues spoiled of ther colleages as ther colleages vniuersities yea ther countrey self vvhiche had of the moste parte of them byn likely to haue receiued bothe help and comfort spoiled and robbed of theÌ„ vvander novv abroade in dispersion lamentyng th' estate of their miserable countrie Nowell As it is euident that we are moste farre from Nonatus heresie so is Nouatus his othe not onely vnlike but cleane contrary to our othes The controuersie betwixt Cornelius and Nouatus was not whether the bishop of Rome was the supreme head of the churche as it is now betwene vs and the Papistes but whether Cornelius or he was by right y e Bishop of Rome And Nouatus exacted of the Romaines or Italians an othe that thei should cleaue to hym as their bishop againste Cornelius who was their true Bishoppe in déede whiche was vnlawfull to require Our othes be of obedience to our naturall Prince due by Goddes lawe and of renouncyng of foraine vsurped power or authoritie ouer our Prince and countrey without the whiche we caÌ„ not be faithful to our owne
soueraigne But let vs consider his woordes Thus did Nouatus saieth M. Dorman as though Nouatus had made his first entrie to his heresies by makyng open warre againste the bishop of Rome appoincted by God to bee the lawfull gouernour and head of the churche and as though he made them renounce the said bishop of Romes supremacie For his woordes thus did Nouatus c. Whiche muste needes haue relation to that whiche goeth before doo importe no lesse And his appliyng of this othe of Nouatus to our othes inforceth the same But Nouatus made neither the beginnyng nor endyng of his heresies about any deniyng of Cornelius supremacie as bishop of Rome nor exacted any othe for that purpose For suche vsurped authoritie of the bishop of Rome was then vnknowen and vnheard of as shall hereafter moste plainly appeare But the othe whiche Nouatus required was that thei should acknowledge hym for their bishop and not Cornelius who was their Bishop in deede And further the saied othe concerned the maintenaunce of Nouatus his heresie whiche was that suche as for feare of tormentes had renounced the Christian faithe or had offered Incense to the Idoles of the Gentiles though thei repented therefore were not to bée receiued into the churche againe whiche cruell opinion as well S. Cyprian bishop of Carthage as Cornelius bishop of Rome with all other godlie bishops condemned and taught the cōtrary true doctrine that suche also vpon due repentaunce might bée receiued againe into the churche accordyng as wee this daie doo also moste earnestly beleue and teache Now as Nouatus beyng in Italie required an othe that their adherentes Romaines or Italiās should not turne to Cornelius bishop of Rome to acknowledge him for their bishop to be of his faith and to communicate with hym so did the professors of the same heresies trauell in Afrike with their disciples there beyng Africanes that thei should not returne to Cyprian Bishop of Carthage to communicate with hym Whiche as it maketh nothyng for any supremacie of S. Cyprian bishop of Carthage no more maketh the other for any supremacie of Cornelius bishoppe of Rome For though it be vnlawfull to exacte an othe of any to disobeie their owne godlie bishops what proueth that that one maie not sweare to refuse the obedience of an aliene and wicked vsurpar and to keepe hym in the obedience of his owne soueraine And where Nouatus began first his heresie in Afrik by striuyng against S. Cyprian as S. Cyprian hymself doeth witnesse and not by striuyng firste againste Cornelius bishop of Rome as M. Dorman vntrulie reporteth the beginnyng of heresies is rather to make warre and strief against the bishop of Carthage then against the bishoppe of Rome as M. Dorman would haue it But there was then neither striuyng nor any othe required concerning the bishop of Rome as head of the churche as by that whole processe in S. Cypriā Eusebius and Nicephorus it dooeth plainly appeare Wherefore M. Dorman maie bee ashamed to forge so manifest a lie as that Nouatus exacted an othe against the Popes supremacie or that we folowe Nouatus in exactyng like othe as he did And seyng that wee doo moste deteste that cruell heresie of Nouatus and doo firmelie beleue and earnestlie teache as did S. Cyprian and Cornelius it is as maliciouslie as vntrulie doen of M. Dormā not onely to applie to vs the example of Nouatus othe exacted for the maintenaunce of his heresies but also to call Nouatus our auncestor and our Bishops as his disciples indurate heretikes who doo moste abhorre bothe Nouatus and his heresie and moste earnestly and pithilie in all their writynges and Sermons doo impugne the same by settyng foorth to their power the vnspeakeable mercie of God towardes all sinners truely penitent Wherby it maie appeare to the discreate readers that M. Dorman and suche other malitious aduersaries passe not muche whether they lie or saie truthe so they maie bryng vs by hooke or crooke out of credite and into the hatred of the worlde I beleue also that M. Dorman in the alleagation of Nouatus his othe had a further respecte to that he maketh mention of the bodie bloud of Christ by the whiche because Nouatus caused thē to sweare M. Dormā thought belike thereby to proue or at least to make an insinuation to the simple that the bodie and bloud of Christe should bee corporallie presente in the Sacramente but the daiely othes of blasphemous men swearyng likewise in his corporall absence doo confute that collection And to the ende that M. Dorman should gaine nothyng in that matter of the Sacramente by this place I haue thought good to admonishe the reader that the said place of Nicephorus and Eusebius of whom Nicephorus had it is directlie against their transubstantiation and for our vsage now in the churche The woordes of Nicephorus a little before the place by M. Dorman alledged are these Quum enim oblationes offerret qui mos sacerdotibus est iam ad distributionem panis peruenisset data cuilibet parte sua pro eo quòd cum gratiarum eam actione percipere debebant iurare miseros coegit Vtranque enim percipientium manum comprimens non prius eas remisit quà m iuratū ab eis esset vtar autem verbis eius conceptis Adiura mihi per sanguinem corpus domini nostri Iesu Christi nunquam te à me discessurum ad Cornelium Romanus hic fuit episcopus rediturum esse Miseri autem illi non prius quod acceperant degustarunt quà m se illi deuouerunt That is to saie When Nouatus made his offerynges as the maner of Priestes is and nowe was come to the distribution of the breade he deliueryng euery one his parte in the steede of due thankes geuyng in the receiuyng of the same compelled the wretched menne to sweare for he laiyng holde on bothe the handes of the receiuers did not let them goe vntill thei had sworne for I will vse his owne verie woordes Sweare to me by the bodie and bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christe that thou wilte neuer forsake me nor retourne to Cornelius who was then bishop of Rome And those wretched mē did not taste that whiche they had receiued afore they had by othe assured themselues to hym c. Thus farre Nicephorus Eusebius who hath the verie same woordes calleth it bread also And so if M. Dormā thought this place by the waie might serue for their purpose in the matter of the lordes supper whiche he here calleth the sacrament of th' altar he was farre deceiued For both Nicephorus and Eusebius callyng it after the consecration as thei terme it bread and Nicephorus saiyng that thei tasted that whiche thei receiued that is to say bread and by the circumstances it appearyng that the vse of the primitiue churche than was agreable to our vse now in geuyng the Sacrament into the receiuers handes bothe is their transubstantiation
cleane euerted by twoo witnesses euen by M. Dorman hymself chosen and wee are declared by the same witnesses to bee the verie folowers of the primitiue churche in that vsage of deliueryng of the Sacramente into the receiuers handes For the whiche yet thei charge vs as horrible profaners of the holie Sacramente But to cloke these matters where Nicephorus calleth it the distribution of the breade M. Dorman calleth it the blessed sacrament of th' altar And where Nicephorus saith he gaue euery one his part before he caused theÌ„ to sweare M. DormaÌ„ saith he caused suche as minded to receiue of hym the blessed Sacramente of the altar to sweare where as in deede thei had receiued it of him into their handes before as is also in Nicephorus booke in the margente noted by Ioannes Langus the translatoure thereof and councelour to the late Emperour Ferdinandus that the custome of the Churche then was to deliuer the Sacrament into the receiuers handes But in deede this is M. Dorman his ordinarie custome in alledgyng of authours to passe ouer with silence that whiche is againste hym and to take that whiche maketh a shewe for hym and withall to adde that is not in the authour in suche sorte as the ignorante would thinke it to be the authours verie woordes I knowe it is impertinente to entreate of the matter of the Sacramente in this controuersie of the Popes supremacie but M. Dorman of purpose as it semeth doeth mingle suche thynges by the waie whiche if thei be there answered shal make a mingle mangle of diuers matters vnpleasaunte to the reader and if thei bee passed ouer not answered as impertinent to the present treatie he trusted it would serue to intaÌ„gle the simple and withall to bee an occasion to his fauourers to triumphe in the meane tyme as though wee dissembled the matter by silence for that wee could saie nothyng to it But to retourne to the purpose againe whereas M. Dorman hath here in one halfe leafe heaped a greate number of euidente lies as it were in a packet together I haue thought good to putte the reader in remembraunce of them in order as thei lie The first lie is that after his discourse out of S. Cyprian of the Bishop appoincted by God to be the gouernour and head of the Churche he saieth the bishop of Rome is that heade whereas by S. Cyprian the contrarie is euident and that hymself or bishop Rogatian is that head whereof he speaketh as hath been fully heretofore declared The seconde is that to make warre againste the Bishoppe of Rome is the firste entrie to heresie Whereas S. Cyprian teacheth that the contempte of euery godlie bishop in his owne diocesse by suche as are their inferiours is the beginnyng of heresies The third is that he saieth Thus did Nouatus to witte that Nouatus made hiâ—yrst entrie into his heresies by makyng open warrâ— against the bishop of Rome appoincted by God to be in earth the gouernour and head of the Churche whiche is a double lie and maiestande for twoo For Nouatus began his heresies firste in Afrike and contended with S. Cyprian before he troubled Cornelius at Rome as by the testimonie of S. Cyprian is euideÌ„t Wherefore his entrie to his heresies was his proclaimyng of open warre againste S. Cyprian appoincted by God to be the gouernour and head of the Churche as S. Cyprian hymself saieth The other parte of this lie is that he saieth Nouatus made warre against him as the gouernour and head of the churche for his wordes Thus did Nouatus must nedes be referred to that whiche wente before but Nouatus tooke not Cornelius but hymself to be bishoppe of Rome as doeth by the storie euidentlie appeare wherefore the strief betwene theim was not whether Cornelius as bishop of Rome was head of the churche as M. Dorman would haue it seme but whether he or Nouatus were bishop of Rome The fourth lie is a double lie also where he reporteth that Nicephorus saieth that Nouatus holdyng betwene his handes the handes of suche as minded to receiue of hym the blessed Sacrament of the altar vsed these woordes c. For Nicephorus hath no suche wordes but he saieth thus when Nouatus was come to the distribution of the bread he geuyng euery one his parte caused them to sweare c. And this doublelie the receiuyng of the blessed Sacramente of the altar in sâ—eede of the distribution of bread and thei that minded to receiue it where as thei had receiued it alreadie into their handes he made of purpose to saue their transubstantiation harmelesse and to keepe it secrete that our vsage in deliueryng the Sacrament into the receiuers handes is agreeable to thâ—â—rimitiue churche Theâ—ifte lie is that he saieth wee doo sweare men in suche sorte as Nouatus did and that no manne can either gette any liuyng or kept that he hath without makyng of this othe Meanyng suche as Nouatus exacted But Nouatus exacted an othe of the Romaines to cleaus to hym againste their owne Bishoppe whiche was vnlawfull Wée require an othe of subiectes Englishemen of obedience to their and our naturall Prince and of renouncyng all forraine and vsurped power Again Nouatus caused them to sweare that his heresie was the truth and that Cornelius true doctrine was heresie Wee haue no suche matters in hande but are on Cornelius side againste Nouatus teachyng the same doctrine that Cornelius did abhorryng the heresie that Nouatus taught Wherefore in this manifolde fable of M. Dormans amplified by his Rhetorike looke how often he saieth so did Luther so did Caluine so doo those wicked men in our countrey as ofte as he saieth Thei exacted this othe c. If he geue not this othe c. So many tymes as M. DormaÌ„ doeth repeate these woordes this and so so many loude lewde lies hath he made one vpon an others backe whereas in deede it is neither so nor so This M. Dormans deceiptfull dealyng moste vsual vnto hym was the cause why I saide once in publike place that I had not found any one authoritie by him as farre as then I had redde truely alledged besides his vntrue notyng of the places in y e margeÌ„t Which though it sometyme happen by negligence of Printers M. Dorman yet in this booke beyng otherwise so diligently printed maie seme of set purpose to haue doen lest suche as would be inquisitiue should to spéedely finde out the lewdenesse of his allegations seruyng nothyng to his purpose vnlesse perhappes maister Dorman did neuer vse his owne eyes in vewyng of these places but did credite his collectours therein altogether as in the processe of his doynges doeth credibly appere that he did For in one leaf or little more of foure onely places by hym alledged three thereof be noted vntruely that he might therein agree with his guilefull and vntrue appliyng of places of the doctors and authors altogether impertinente to the
vpon vs with the banishyng of that one Bishoppe and heade and onely saith so I doo saie the contrary is moste true and will also in place of this treatie coÌ„uenient not onely saie but proue that where the Pope hath had the greateste authoritie there hath he brought in with hym as well all miseries mischieues and destructions vpon the common wealthe as also all superstitions hypocristes errours and Idolatries into the Churche And for this present tyme it shall be sufficient to admonishe the reader that in all respectes wée bee now in farre better case without the Pope in more quietnesse peace securitie plentie of thynges c. then wee were of late vnder the Pope and that therefore M. Dorman doeth moste euideÌ„tly and falsly fable when he saieth that a thousande and more miseries haue rushed into this realme with the refusall of that one bishoppe and heade Dorman Fol. 3. And as this is confessed by the moste auncient fathers that haue written sence Christes tyme that by this meanes we firste reuolt from the churche by contemnyng and not acknowledgyng the heade so muste our retourne thither againe bee by the contrary that is by reuerencyng hym by acknowledgyng hym by humble submission of our self to hym Nowell It is none otherwise confessed by other moste auncient fathers then you haue alreadie heard it confessed by S. Cyprian and Basill whom he hath without all shame alledged for that purpose whereas thei speake not one woorde of that matter neither acknowledge any suche heade And as thei remained in the Churche of Christe neuer acknowledgyng the bishop of Rome as heade of the Churche so doo wee likewise reâ—ectyng his falsly vsurped supremacie nothyng doubt but wée remaine in the Churche of Christe whose sworne enemie we doo knowe that false vsurper to bée and therefore none of Christes Churche so farre of is it that he can be the heade of the same Dorman fol. 3. So did those that after their fall with Nouatus S. Cyprian receiued into the Churche againe apon their submission testified in these woordes Nos-Cornelium Episcopum sanctissimum Catholicae Ecclesiae erectum à Deo omnipotente Christo D. nostro scimus Nos errorem nostrum confitemur Circumuenti sumus perfidiae loquacitate factiosa amentes videbamur quasi quandam communicationem cum homine schismatico habuisse Syncera tameÌ„ mens nostra in ecclesia semper fuit Nec ignoramus vnum Deumesse vnum Christum esse dominum quem confessi sumus vnum Spiritum S. Vnum Episcopum in Ecclesia catholica esse debere VVe saie thei acknowledge Cornelius to bee erected by God almightie and Christe our Lorde to be the holy bishop of the catholike churche VVe confesse our errour we haue been circumuented ronnyng madde by the factious babblyng of treacherie wee seemed to haue communicated as it were with that schismaticall manne Nouatus yet was our sincere mynde alwaies in the Churche Nor wee are not ignoraunte that there is one onelie God and one Christe our lorde and that in the catholike churche there must be one holie ghost and one bishoppe Nowell Maximus Vrbanus and Sidonius whom M. Dorman meaneth neither reuolted from the Churche by contemnyng and not acknowledgyng this heade he speaketh of nor retourned to the Churche againe by acknowledgyng of any suche heade For in those daies Cornelius bishoppe of Rome was not acknowledged to bee heade of the Churche by any man liuyng suche ambition and false vsurpation of the bishop of Rome to bée heade of the Churche beyng vnknowen to Cornelius then bishoppe of Rome and to all other bishoppes of Christendome also But to make the truthe in deede knowen to the reader how these menne reuolted from the Churche and how thei retourned I shall out of saincte Cyprian and histories Ecclesiasticall declare the veritie of the matter After the death of Fabâ—anus bishoppe of Rome Cornelius was lawfully chosen by the cleargie and people to be his successour there Nouatus who was of that opinion that suche as for feare of tormentes and death had renounced the Christian saithe though thei repented therefore were not to bee receiued into the Churche againe made a greate stirre against Cornelius who with saincte Cyprian and all catholike bishoppes helde the contrary that is to saie that the Penitentes ought to be receiued after due discipline executed vpon them But the faction of Nouatus waxyng greater Nouatus or as saincte Cyprian saieth Nouatianus would haue intruded hymself into the Bishoprike of Rome and tooke hymself and was taken of his faction to bee lawfull successour of Fabian and the true bishoppe of Rome and Cornelius to be an vsurper as one that did communicate with suche as had renounced their faith Wherevpon grew this question and controuersie whiche of them twoâ— was a catholike bishoppe holdyng the truthe and truly and lawfully chosen by God and whiche was the intruder and not of the Catholike churche but an heretike And amongest others Maximus Vrbanus and Sidonius priestes of Rome ioigned themselues to Nouatus against Cornelius holdyng Nouatus opinion and takyng hym for their Bishoppe And thus thei reuolted by fallyng to heresie and refusyng Cornelius their bishoppe and by ioignyng themselues to Nouatus an vsurper and heretike and not by deniyng Cornelius as bishop of Rome to be the head of the churche â–ª as M. Dorman fableth But afterward Maximus and his felowes repeÌ„tyng their deede did forsake Nouatus as an heretike and vsurper and retourned to Cornelius againe as their true Bishoppe to ioigne in faithe and communion with him as with a catholike bishop or a Bishoppe of the catholike Churche whiche is all one And thei doo acknowledge that he was erected by God into that Bishoprike of Rome and so consequently Nouatus to be a false vsurper and heretike and so no bishoppe of the Catholike churche Wherefore it is euident that when M. Dorman saieth that those men retourned againe to the Churche by this waie that is to saie by acknowledgyng Cornelius to bee the heade of the vniuersall churche he saieth moste vntruly And hath corrupted and translated this place falsely remouyng the woorde sanctissimae from his place and in steede of Cornelium episcopum sanctissimae catholicae ecclesiae Cornelius a bishoppe of the moste holie catholike Churche as saincte Cyprian doeth write he hath Cornelium sanctissimum episcopum ecclesiÄ™ catholicÄ™ Cornelius the moste holie Bishoppe of the Catholike Churche to make a better shewe for his purpose as though Maximus Vrbanus Sidonius with others had acknowledged Cornelius to be erected by God almightie to bee the moste holy Bishoppe of the Catholike and vniuersall Churche and so to make for his supremacie ouer the whole Churche Whiche is neither written here nor els where neither euer was meante by Maximus or his felowes nor by saincte Cyprian hymself But this is the true sense of those woordes Nos Cornelium Episcopum sanctissimae Catholicae ecclesiae erectum à deo
omnipotente Christo Domino nostro scimus c. Wee acknowledge Cornelius to be a Bishoppe of the moste holie Catholike churche erected by God almightie and Christe our Lorde c. as if thei had said more at large where we before tooke Cornelius to be an vnlawfull vsurper and to communicate with those that had renounced their faithe and therefore to be no member of the moste holy Catholike churche now we acknowledge hym to be a Catholike Bishoppe by God erected and that we were deceiued before in ioignyng with Nouatus againste hym And that this is the true sense of that place saincte Cyprian hymself in his epistle to Stephanus sheweth writyng thus of that same matter Non potest à quoquam nostrum illi communicari qui episcopo Cornelio in Catholica ecclesia dei iudicio cleri ac plebis suffragio ordinato profanum altare erigere adulteram Cathedram collocare sacrilega contra verum sacerdotem sacrificia offerre tentauerit That is None of vs cā communicate with hym who hath attempted to erecte a profane altare and an vntrue chaire againste bishop Cornelius ordeined in the catholike churche by Gods iudgemente and by the election of the Cleargie and people and hath attempted to offer sacrilegious or wicked sacrifice against the true Prieste Thus farre sainct Cyprian Whereby you maie see that he calleth not Cornelius here the bishoppe of the Catholike churche but Bishoppe Cornelius ordeined in the Catholike churche by God his iudgemente and the election of the Cleargie and people And this is all one in sense and meanyng with the other For Episcopus Catholicę ecclesiae and Episcopus in catholica ecclesia be as muche to saie as Catholicus Episcopus a catholike bishoppe and not the Bishoppe of the Catholike or vniuersall Churche as M. Dorman would haue it For this beyng in controuersie whether Cornelius or Nouatus was the true and Catholike Bishoppe or Prieste and whiche was the vsurper and heretike here doo Maximus and Vrbanus with others confesse that Cornelius was the Catholike bishoppe Wherefore M. Dorman in translating the saied place so that it maie seme to make for the Popes supremacie and by the waie remouyng this woorde Sanctissimae from the Catholike churche to attribute it to Cornelius by like to make a shewe that the title of Sanctissimus was of olde appertsining to the bishoppe of Rome doeth herein like him self Now concernyng that whiche foloweth in their confession VVe bee not ignoraunte that there is one God one Christe our Lorde one holie Ghost and that there must be one bishoppe in the Catholike churche or more truely in this place in a Catholike Churche This M. Dorman did not doubte but that the simple sorte would take it to bee a moste plaine proofe not of Cornelius supremacie onely but ex abundāte that he alone was that one Bishoppe whiche ought to be onely in the whole Catholike Churche for so it semeth by his marginall note of one God one Bishoppe c. he meaneth But I trust that fewe will allowe M. Dorman euen of those that be of his own part if he would so wrest sainct Cypriā that as there is one onely God and none but he so there should bée but one onely Bishoppe and no mo but he Whereas nothing lesse was meant by them that made this confession nor by sainct Cyprian who maketh reporte thereof For firste Maximus and his felowes whiche had before ioigned thē selues to Nouatus who chalenged to bée a true catholike bishoppe and bishoppe of Rome also doo now acknowledge Cornelius to be the true bishoppe and because there can be no moe bishoppes in any one catholike churche but one therefore now affirmyng Cornelius to be that one Bishoppe thei doo reiecte Nouatus as no bishoppe but an vsurper and thereby acknoweledge that there ought to bee but one bishoppe in that catholike churche And so nothyng lesse is meant here by one bishoppe then one head bishoppe ouer all other bishoppes muche lesse is meant one bishoppe alone of all the Churche as there is one onely God ouer all as it maie seme that M. Dorman would gather For the declaration whereof it is to be noted that when sainct Cypriā speaketh of one bishop of the catholike churche he meaneth no one speciall Bishoppe ouer all but indifferentlie all and euery catholike bishop throughout the vniuersall churche for that thei haue euery of them the full possessiō of one onely bishoprike Whiche as it is but one throughout all the worlde so hath euery bishop the same wholie and fullie So that when sainct Cyprian speaketh of one Bishoppe onely to rule the Churche he meaneth the Bishoppe of that Diocesse whiche he then entreateth of who so euer and of what countrey so euer he be as here in this epistle he meaneth Cornelius and in his epistle to Pupianus by the said one bishop appoincted by God to rule the churche he meaneth hymself beyng bishop of Carthage For in bothe places he hath the same woordes of one bishoppe appointed to rule the Churche by the contempte of the whiche Bishop heresies doo spryng or arise This remaineth yet more fully to be declared as well by Cornelius as by saincte Cyprian hymselfe in other places First Cornelius writyng to Fabius Bishoppe of Antioche as Eusebius testifieth hath these woordes concerning this verie matter Vindex ille euangelij de Nouato loquitur ignorauit vnum esse debere episcopum ī catholica ecclesia in qua nescit quomodo enim sciret presbyteros esse 46. diaconos 7. hypodiaconos 7. acoluthos 42. c. that is to saie this defendour of the Gospell he speaketh of Nouatus was ignoraunt that there ought to be one Bishop in a Catholike churche in y e whiche he knoweth not for how should he know that there be 46. Priestes 7. Deacons 7. subdeacons 42. inferiour ecclesiasticall ministers or seruiters c. Thus farre Cornelius By whiche woordes it is euident that the Catholike churche whereof Cornelius and Cyprian doo speake and wherein there muste bee but one bishop is not the vniuersall churche throughout the worlde as M. Dorman would haue it vnlesse he thinke that 46. Priestes and 7. Deacōs maie suffice the vniuersall Churche for ministers as well as one onely bishoppe is sufficiente for the heade of the whole Churche for the one is as reasonable as the other but the catholike churche that Cornelius speaketh of here is the particular churche of Rome in the which as one bishop so also 7. Deacons might suffice Whiche particular churche is by Cornelius here by S. Cyprian and other auncient doctors of the churche in their writynges called Catholike because it professed taught the catholike faithe and to notifie it from schismaticall or heretical churches And any other particular church teaching the catholike faithe may in like maner be called a catholike churche or y e catholike churche of suche a citie or countrey Now cōcernyng S. Cyprian
he declareth in many places that euery Bishop in his owne diocesse hath the full possession of y e bishoprike whiche is one throughout all the worlde therfore is the onely bishop and head of that his owne Catholike church as namely in his epistle to Antonianus where he hath these woordes Vna est Ecclesia à Christo per totum mundum in multa membra diuisa item episcopatus vnus episcoporum multorum concordi numerositate diffusus c. That is to saie there is one churche from Christ throughout the whole worlde diuided likewise one bishoprike spread abroade in the agreable multitude of many Bishops But S. Cyprian declareth his minde moste plainly of this one bishoprike wholy and equally possessed of all and euery bishop in his booke De simplicitate praelatorum not farre from the beginnyng writyng thus Vnum corpus vnus spiritus vna spes vocationis vestrÄ™ vnus dominus vna fides vnum Baptisma vnus deus Quam vnitatem firmiter tenere vindicare debemus maximè episcopi qui iÌ„ ecclesia praesidemus vt episcopatum quoque ipsum vnum atque indiuisum probemus Nemo fraternitatem mendacio fallat nemo fidei veritateÌ„ perfida preuaricatione corrumpat Episcopatus vnus est cuius à singulis in solidum pars tenetur Ecclesia vna est quae in multitudineÌ„ latiùs incremento foecunditatis extenditur quomodo solis multi radij sed lumen vnum rami arboris multi sed robur vnum tenaci radice fundatuÌ„ c. Whiche is to saie There is one bodie and one spirit one hope of your vocation one Lorde one Faithe one Baptisme one God The whiche vnitie we must firmely hold and mainteine speciallie wee Bishoppes whiche doo gouerne in the Churche that we maie proue the bishoprike it self also to bee one and vndeuided Let no man by liyng deceiue the brotherhodde let no man corrupte the veritie of faith by false preuarication There is one Bishoprike parte whereof euery man hath wholie or more plainely there is one Bishoprike whiche euery bishop hath wholie for his part There is one churche whiche is spread abroade by increase of fruictefulnesse into a multitude as there be many beames of the suÌ„ne but one light many braunches of the tree but one bodie of it staied vpon a sure roote c. Thus farre saincte Cyprian with muche more processe to proue the vnitie of the churche and the vnitie of one bishoprike whiche euery Bishop wholie hath for his parte and so consequentlie all Bishops to be equall Wherefore maister Dorman hath in vain noted in the margeÌ„t of his booke in this place One God one Christe one holie Ghost one Bishoppe as though the Bishoppe of Rome were that one Bishop and none but he as there is one onely God and none but he Where as that place of sainct Cyprian as by conference with this place appeareth proueth that though there be one bishoprike throughout all the worlde yet are there many bishops and that euery one in his owne Diocesse hath the whole possession of that one Bishoprike and that therefore there is an equalitie of all Bishops and so consequently no superioritie of any one ouer all as M. Dorman would haue it For if euery Bishop haue in solidum that is to saie fullie and wholie that one Bishoprike or bishoplie function and office as S. Cyprian saieth no one caÌ„ haue more then the whole and therefore no one can be aboue all other Whiche maie appeare more plainlie by the comparisons of one faithe and one Baptisme whiche saincte Cyprian in the same place vseth For as there is but one faithe though there be many faithfull persones one Baptisme though many Baptised so there is by sainct Cyprian his iudgement but one Bishoprike yet be there many Bishops whiche one Bishoprike is equallie and wholie diuided emongeste all the said Bishops as faithe and Baptisme are equally and wholie diuided emongeste the faithfull Baptised and yet remaineth still but one Bishoprike as there doeth but one faithe and one Baptisme for that euery bishoppe hath that one bishoprike wholie as euery true faithfull hath the one christian faithe wholie and euery one that is duely Baptised hath that one Baptisme wholie And consequently it foloweth that as no one man hath any superioritie in Baptisme or faithe aboue other truely faithfull and Baptised so hath no one bishoppe any superioritie ouer other bishoppes for that euery bishop hath that one bishoprike wholie and therfore none hath it more then other but be all equall in office and authoritie This is S. Cyprian his minde of one Bishopricke whiche euery bishop hath wholie and equallie and is therfore in his owne Diocesse the one onely bishop in the catholike Churche to gouerne the same Whereby any manne but of meane vnderstandyng maie well perceiue that this saiyng of one bishoppe vsed by sainct Cyprian maketh nothyng for the bishoppe of Rome his supremacie but directlie againste it makyng all other bishops equall with hym as thei whiche haue in solidum wholie that one Bishoprike as well as he And therefore when sainct Cyprian nameth one bishop in the catholike church or of a catholike churche he meaneth the bishop of that speciall diocesse which he entreateth of of what countrey so euer it be as here he meaneth Cornelius and by the like wordes in other places he meaneth other bishops and of other diocesses Whiche is moste euident by the like wordes of one Bishop who gouerneth the church vsed by the same saincte Cyprian in this epistle to Pupianus His woordes be these Episcopus qui vnus eâ—â— ecclesiae praeest coÌ„temnitur c. The Bishop which is one and gouerneth the Churche is contemned and sette at nought c. Where it is moste euident that by that one Bishop who gouerneth the Churche and is contemned he meaneth himself beyng bishop of Carthage and by the saied Pupian despised as is at large alreadie declared Whiche place yet M. Dorman alittle before alledged for the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome as leudelie as he doeth this place here To conclude Maximus and his felowes had a controuersie with Cornelius altogether diuers from our coÌ„trouersies with the Popes of Rome and therefore their exaÌ„ple apperteineth nothyng to this case of the Popes supremacie then neither mooued nor knowen And it is no meruaile if that Maximus Vrbanus and Sidonius beyng priestes of Rome there hauyng with Nouatus beyng hymself Priest of Rome also made so great stirre and businesse against Cornelius recoÌ„ciled themselues to Cornelius the Romaine bishop beyng their own bishop whiche apperteineth nothyng at all to vs who haue nothing to doo with the bishop of Rome Dorman fol. 3. So did Vrsatius and Valens forsakyng the heresie of Arius offer vp their recantation to Iulius then Bishoppe of Rome By this meaneâ— good Christian readers retourned thei to the Churche by this muste you retourne that haue straied what
haue raigned but not by me thei haue been Princes and I haue not knowen them And if suche seueral testimonies of doctours maie not serus vs if we for further proufe bring a number of doctours ioinctly agreyng together forbiddyng bishops suche tyrannicall dominion ouer the churche of God as did saincte Cyprian in the Councell of Carthage with the allowance of the whole Councell then and with the approbation of saincte Augustine afterwarde and an other whole Councell also The woordes spoken by saincte Cyprian in the saied Councell and by so many Bishops and Doctours allowed are these Nemo nostrum episcopum se episcoporum constituit aut tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitateÌ„ collegas suos adigit quando habeat omnis episcopus pro licentia libeitatis potestatis suae arbitrium proprium tanquà m iudicari ab alio noÌ„ possit cum necipse possit alterum iudicare That is to say None of vs maketh hymself Bishop ouer Bishops or doeth by tyrannicall feare force his felowe Bishops to the necessitie of obeiyng seyng euery Bishop hath for his libertie power his free iudgement as he who can not be iudged of an other neither can himself iudge an other Bishop Thus farre saincte Cyprian and saincte Augustine Wee shall profite I saie no more by the allegations of Doctours yea or whole Councelles thaÌ„ by the allegation of the Scriptures themself againste the Popes saiynges or doynges what so euer thei bee Neither the texte of the scriptures nor the interpretation of Doctours nor iudgementes of Councelles can haue any credite againste hym For as Pighius the principall Doctour of the Popes part saieth In concilijs vniuersalibus vniuersis haud ferè aliud factum est quà m vt conuenientes ex toto orbe episcopi praeiudicatam iam Apostolicae sedis vnanimi consensu amplexarentur sequerentur sententiam nec in eis definitum aliquid quod non iam praeiudicatum antè definitumque esset à sede Apostolica That is to saie In all generall Councelles for the moste parte nothyng els is doen but that Bishops comyng together out of all partes of the worlde should embrace and folowe with agreable consent the foreiudged and afore determined sentence of the Apostolike see and that nothyng was defined in suche generall Councelles the whiche was not before defined and foreiudged by the Apostolike see Thus farre Pighius who also affirmeth in the same place that the onely iudgement of this one see is more sure then the iudgement of an vniuersall CouÌ„cell of the whole worlde Wherby it maie well be vnderstaÌ„ded what labour and coste euen by the Papistes themselues is loste and how in vaine their Bishoppes take suche paine to come to Councelles out of all partes of Christendome leauyng their cures vncared for and vnlooked tos and that sometyme a sorte of yeres together as of late thei haue doen in the laste Tridentine councell onelie to determine thynges alreadie determined and that therefore thei should like wise men keepe themselues at hâ—me and spare suche trauell and coste and onely herken what is pronounced out of that sacred mouth of the Pope at Rome and it to obeye absolutely And the same Pighius afterward in an other place saieth expresly Huic sedi authoritas componendi definiendi exortas i domo ecclesiastica vniuersas questiones controuersias ab eodem Christo est data tibi verò illius definitionibus iudicijs absque vlla discussione est imposita obsequendi necessitas That is to saie The authoritie of orderyng definyng and determinyng of all questions and controuersies risen in the Churche is geuen by Christe to this see of Rome and vpon thee is laied a necessitie of obeiyng all definitions and determinations of the saied see without any examinyng or discussing of y e same These be Pighius woordes also No meruaile therefore if you doo well coÌ„sider the premisses that M. Dorman calleth the Popes supremacie the fundation of al. Naie it is the fundation superstruction batilmentes garnishinges and all together it is all and all in all For were this one article of the Popes supremacie with the appurtenauÌ„ces as I haue said once obteined you neede not to trauell in writyng any more you neede not to bryng any proufes out of the scriptures Doctours or Councelles for you or againste vs any more for it were concluded at once that you be the Catholikes who doo acknowledge the necessitie of obeiyng the voice the determinations and definitions of that high Prieste without whattes or whies without discussyng or examinyng of them by your selues or with others and that we bee the heretikes who doo not obeye his voice beyng against Goddes voice but are so bolde to examine how his voices doo agree with Gods voice And therefore are we worthie to dye moste cruell death due to suche false heretiques Graunte this one proposition of the Popes supremacie with the appurtenaunces I saie and by and by all that M. Dorman hath hitherto most leudlie alledged or shall alledge hereafter for the Popes supremacie is to the purpose all lies he hath alreadie made and shall hereafter make for that purpose are truthes And whatsoeuer we saie to the contrarie what scriptures what Doctours what Councelles so euer we bryng all is to no purpose nor of any credite for he alone is iudge whose the cause is he alone as your greate Doctour Pighius saieth is more to be beleued then a generall Councell of the whole worlde assembled And therefore hath M. Dorman doen like a wise manne to entreate first of the Popes supremacie and in the treatie thereof to spende more paper ynke more oile and labour as thei saie yea twise as muche as he hath doen in the other three principall matters though otherwise the greatest of all other as touching euen the verie Masse it self whiche as it hath hitherto susteined the Pope and all his Cleargie so if the Pope doo not now by his supremacie and irrefragable authoritie susteined by maister Dorman like a friende at néede susteine the Masse againe it maie come to passe that bathe Pope and Masse will come to nought shortly Now foloweth the diuision of M. DormaÌ„s treatie Dorman fol. 4. In the handlyng whereof I purpose God willyng to take this order Firste before I come to the principall poincte that lieth in question betwene vs whiche is of the bishop of Romes supremacie to proue to you by moste plain and euident reasons that the Churche of Christe here militante in earth muste of necessitie for diuerse and sondrie vrgent causes haue one chief heade and ruler vnder Christe to rule and gouerne the same Secondarily that that one heade muste needes bee a Prieste Thirdlie so last of al that of all priestes the bishop of Rome is he whiche must supplie that place and that for so that is head ruler of the churche he hath byn of the auncient couÌ„cels olde fathers within the first sixe
hundred yeres after Christes departure taken Nowell And I folowyng your order M. Dorman doo affirme and will proue the contrarie to all and euery pointe of your diuision that is to witte Firste that it is not profitable muche lesse necessarie that the Churche of Christe here in earth should haue one chief heade and ruler vnder Christe to gouerne the same and that for diuers and sundrie vrgent and moste weightie causes Secondarilie that no prieste can bee any suche one heade of the Churche here in earth Thirdly that of all priestes the bishop of Rome can not be that heade for that he is no Bishop but rather a temporall vsurper and tyraunte contrary to Gods expresse woorde and that all suche places as are by you M. Dorman and others alledged out of the scriptures and doctours for the said bishop of Rome his supremacie apperteine nothyng at all to that purpose Dorman fol. 4. That Christes Churche here in earth must of necessitie haue one chief heade and gouernoure vnder Christe to rule the same Nowell M. Dorman doeth well begin with this part firste to proue that there must of necessitie be one chief heade and gouernour of the whole Churche vnder Christ for if there ought not to be suche an one heade and gouernour at all he did well perceiue that consequently the bishop of Rome could not be that head and gouernour Wherefore it being throughly proued and manifestly declared that M. Dorman faileth in the proufe of this first pointe as I doubt not but it shal bée so proued and declared I truste that all wise men shall vnderstande that this first and principall part and staie of the whole beyng ouerthrowen his whole treatie of the bishop of Rome his supremacie shall altogether fall to grounde with it without any further batetrie to y e same or vnderminyng thereof to be made Dorman Fol. 4. The truthe of this proposition good christian readers is not onely by the whole order and forme of the estate of Gods people in the olde lawe whiche was also the true churche of God long before the comming of our sauiour into this worlde but by the daiely experience also of câ—uile and politike gouernement most manifestly confirmed Nowell Of the estate of Gods people in the olde lawe who as thei were one seuerall people so had thei one highe prieste what can you gather further but that likewise in euery Diocesse or countrey it were good to haue one chief prelate or bishop to rule in the cleargie Whiche we denie not nor euer did deny But of this matter M. Dorman geueth vs occasion to saâ—e more hereafter Dorman Fol. 4. For who is there so blinde that he seeth not that in the whole frame of this worlde there is no kyngdome so mightie no realme so puissant no citie so populous no toune so wealthie yea on the contrary parte also no village so little no family so small finally no so cietie of men no not of those that haue wrapped them selues in league to robbe and spoile that can any while continue without a heade to gouerne them If therefore to liue vnder the gouernment of a heade be a matter of suche importaunce as without the whiche neither great nor little riche nor â–ª poore good nor badde can stande how muche more necessarie shall wee thinke it in Christes Churche here militant in earth where the diuell in his members is coÌ„tinually occupied in raising of schismes in stirryng vp discorde to vexe and molest the people of God to haue this wholesome prouision for the appeasyng thereof and the restoryng of the same beyng troubled to quietnesse againe Nowell This reason he had in D. Hardyng his booke who borowed it of Pighius whiche beyng taken out of S. Cyprian his epistle to one Pupianus thei haue violeÌ„tly wrested to a wrong sense For S. Cyprian maketh this reason directlie againste them for the proufe of his owne authoritie being bishop of Carthage and for the authoritie of euery Bishop in his owne diocesse Now to the matter VVho is so blinde ê™ M. Dorman now surely I truste no man is so blinde but he can see that M. Dorman reasoneth blindlie and without all reason gatheryng thus that because euery kyngdome hath his seueral kyng euery people citie toun village house yea euery companie of the eues robbers haue their seuerall gouernour or heade put to and you will also as dooeth saincte Cyprian out of whom D. Hardyng and M. Dorman vndiscreatly tooke the occasion of this argument euery hiue of Bees hath his capitain Bee therefore should it folowe that all Churches or the whole churche dispersed throughout the whole world muste haue one heade You should M. Dorman if you would haue reasoned reasonably haue taken aswell saincte Cyprian his conclusion as you haue taken his antecedent and haue concluded with him Ergo in like wise euery diocesse and euery Churche ought to haue their seuerall heade prelate or bishop who is to bee obeyed by all their owne cleargie and wee would haue graunted the coÌ„sequencie and consequent as thei saie For by this meanes saincte Cyprian concludeth that Pupianus did wickedlie in disobeiyng sainct Cyprian hymself who was his bishop But neither saincte Cyprian nor any other learned man doth vse these examples or similitudes any where to proue that there ought to be one head or gouernour ouer all churches or the vniuersall churche but hath the cleane contrary saiyng thus Singulis pastoribus portio gregis ascripta est quam regat vnusquisque gubernet rationem sui actus domino redditurus That is to saie A portion of the Lordes flocke is appointed to euery pastour by himself the which euery one ought to rule gouerne who shall geue accompte of his doyng to the Lorde And so foorth moste plainlie againste the supremacie of one and for that due gouernmente of euery bishop ouer his owne ture This is saincte Cyprian his reason this is his conclusion M. Dorman But if you like your conclusion so well that you will nedes coÌ„clude that there ought to bee one generall heade of all Churches you must thus begin As there is one generall gouernour or kyng ouer all the worlde one generall head ouer all people all cities tounes villages and houses one capitaine thief and robber ouer all thieues and robbers one kyng Bee ouer all hiues of Bees throughout the whole worlde so muste there bee one onely heade in earth ouer all Churches throughout the worlde But as no man is so blinde but he seeth the falsehood of this antecedent so is I trust no man so blinde but he séeth the absurditie and inconsequencie of your former conclusion of one generall heade ouer all Churches gathered out of an antecedent and vnlikely similitude of the seuerall gouernours that euery kyngdome countrey people citie and toune and euery companie of menne seuerally haue I merueile he alledged not Homer the Poete and Aristotle the Philosopher also for the
Christian readers you shall wel perceiue that this is no newe deuise or fantasie imagined by me I will here laie before your eyes the iudgemente of certaine notable menne whom God gaue to his churche to serue for a wall for the same against the incursions of the wicked Phylistines his enemies In whom you shall moste plainlie perceiue this order in Christes Churche to bee so necessarie that the onelie breach and lacke thereof hath been by theÌ„ taken to be the high waie verie path that leadeth to all heresies Nowell M. Dorman maie bee carelesse no man taketh the Popes supremacie to be his deuise and inuention it is knowen to bee the inuention of the ambitious Popes themselues whom the diuell hath set a woorke to trouble the quiete state of Christendome and to bryng all errours into Christ his Churche and to laie the foundation of the kyngdome of Antichrist Dorman Fol. 5. And firste to beginne with that blessed martyre of God sainct Cyprian hath he not concerning thiâ— matter in an epistle by hym written to Cornelius then bishop of Rome thiese woordes Neque enim aliunde obortae sunt haereses aut nata sunt schismata quà m indâ— quèd sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur nec vnus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos ad tempus tudex vice Christi cogitatur That is neither yet truely doo heresies arise or schismes growe of any other cause then thereof that menne obeye not the Prieste of God neither doo thinke that there is in the Churche in the steede and place of Christe one Priest and one iudge for the tyme. Nowell Either M. Dorman had not with sufficient diligeÌ„ce reade and noted that long epistle written by sainct Cyprian to Cornelius Bishop of Rome or els he deepely dissembleth that which he there perceiued For though the epistle be written to Cornelius yet it is for a great parte writteÌ„ of Cyprian hymself and many of the sentences in that epistle yea this verie sentence whiche M. Dorman here alledgeth for Cornelius his supremacie as Bishop of Rome by the tenure of the epistle appeareth to bee written speciallie of saincte Cyprian hymself Bishop of Carthage in Afrike rather then of Cornelius as afterward at large shal be declared And further it appeareth that this sentence and all other sentences of the authoritie of the Prieste or Priestes Bishoppe or Bishoppes for saincte Cyprian in that epistle doeth ofte chaunge the number and sometyme speaketh as of one sometyme as of many or all Priestes and Bishoppes doo indifferentlie appertaine as well to euery and all Bishoppes of all cities and diocesses as to either Cornelius or Cyprian For that he here saith Sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur The priest of God is not obeied is asmuche as Sacerdotibus dei the Priestes of God are not obeied As when the scripture saieth Regem honora honoure the Kyng is as muche as though it had saied Let subiectes of all places honour their kynges Touchyng these woordes Neque vnus in ecclesia ad tempus Sacerdos ad tempus index vice Christi cogitatur that is to saie Neither is one Prieste in the Churche for the tyme and iudge for the tyme in Christes steede thought vpon I haue declared at large before how that saincte Cyprian taketh all Bishoprikes to be but one Bishoprike as the faithes of all men are but one faithe Vnafides saieth sainct Cyprian vnum baptisma vnus episcopus cuius à singulis in solidum pars tenetur There is one faith one Baptisme there is one Bishoprike the whiche euery Bishoppe hath wholie for his parte So that wheÌ„ he speaketh of one Bishoppe one iudge in the churche for the tyme or of the bishop whiche is one and ruleth the Churche absolutelie he meaneth euery Bishop in his owne diâ—cesse without exception if he speake speciallie he doeth meane the Bishop of that citie or diocesse wherof he entreateth whether it be y e bishop of Rome Carthage or any other place For the moste manifest proufe whereof note these woordes of saincte Cyprian to Pupianus who was stubborne againste the saied Cyprian whereof it hath been before entreated Vnde enim schismata c. Whereof saieth sainct Cyprian doo heresies and Schismes spryng but of this that the Bishoppe whiche is one and ruleth the Churche is through the proude arrâ—gant presumption of certain contemned and set at nought and beyng the man by Goddes approbation allowed and honoured is of vnwoorthy men iudged And a little before this place Tâ— te episcopum episcopi iudicem iudicis ad tempus à deo dati coÌ„stituis Thou doest make thy self a Bishop ouer the Bishop and a Iudge ouer the Iudge by God for the tyme appoincted Thus muche saincte Cyprian to Pupianus who despised the saied Cyprian so appoincted by God to be the Bishoppe and Iudge for the tyme as he there saieth Now in his epistle to Cornelius he saieth thus Neque enim aliunde c. Neither doo heresies arise or schismes grow of any other cause but hereof that menne obeie not the Prieste of God neither dooe thinke that there is in the Churche in the steede and place of Christe one Prieste one Iudge for the tyme. Compare now these twoo places together and you shall finde them all one in effecte And that S. CypriaÌ„ nor any other could haue vttred in diuers places one sense more nearelie vnlesse he would haue vsed the same woordes altogether But it is moste manifeste to all men that will reade these epistles that in the first place by the bishoppe whiche is one and ruleth the Churche by the man by Goddes approbation allowed by the coÌ„temnyng of whom heresies and schismes doo spryng and arise by the Bishoppe or Prieste and by the Iudge for the tyme by God appoincted S. Cyprian hymself beyng Bishop of Carthage is ment and by hym that despiseth the saied Bishop is Pupian meant who did despise the saied S. Cyprian Wherefore either it muste folowe that saincte Cyprian is the heade of the vniuersall Churche seyng those woordes whiche by M. Dormans iudgemente appoincted that head apperteine to him orels as the truthe is in déede that any Bishop is called by saincte Cyprian the Bishoppe whiche is one and ruleth the Churche or the iudge for the tyme in the Churche in Christes steede or place for all is one and that then the speciall bishop of that place whiche is intreated of whether it be Rome Carthage or any other is meant and so consequentlie euery Bishop in his owne diocesse is that one Bishop that ruleth in the churche and that iudge for the time in the steede of Christe And that in this place saincte Cyprian meaneth no supremacie of any one Bishop but the equalitie of all Bishops it maie bee moste euident to them that will read the whole epistle and note how ofte he speaketh of all Priestes and Bishops As Sacerdotibus tantus honor conceditur so great honor is geuen to
a proude and slaunderous toungue Emongest other places he allegeth this texte He that saieth thou foole to his brother c. is guiltie of hell fire whereof he inferreth how can thei then escape the iudgemeÌ„t of God the aueÌ„ger who spake suche thinges not onelie to brethren but also to Priestes And so procedyng alledgeth out of the Scriptures againste those heretikes whiche had so railed on him as out of Deuteronomium the 17 chapiter and out of the first booke of Kinges out of the 8. of Mathewe and the 10. of Luke the 23. of the Actes of the obedieÌ„ce and reuerence due to the high priestes and to the Apostles And all this he writeth speciallie to confirme his owne autthoritie beyng so vnwoorthilie railed on behinde his backe as is moste euidente by the continuauÌ„ce of the processe After whiche foloweth the place by M. Dorman alledged of the priest of God who is not obeied and of one prieste and one iudge in the churche in Christes steede not regarded Whiche woordes he speaketh of hymself so abused by those heretikes so railyng on hym behinde his backe as by all that goeth before from the firste entrie of speakyng of hymself and his owne wronges and still continuyng the treatie of hymself and his owne matters and also by these woordes folowyng it doeth moste plainly appere Caeterum dico dico enim prouocatus c. But I saie saieth sainct Cyprian for I saie beyng prouoked to witte by suche railers vpon him as he began firste to speake of I saie beyng sorowfull I saie beyng coÌ„pelled when a bishop is placed in the roume of his predecessour beyng deade when he is chosen peaceably by the voice of all the people beyng in persecution defended by Gods helpe ioigned faithfullie to all his felowe bishops tried and allowed of his people in his bishoprike foure yeres sufferyng so many persecutions euen at this verie time in the whiche I doo write to you these letters cried for to be throwen to the Lions when such a brother is assaulted of certaine desperate and wicked persones it appeareth that thei whiche doo so assaulte him be the enemies of Christe Thus farre saincte Cyprian whereby it appeareth that he hath continued and doeth still continue to write of hymself by the verie woordes prouocatus dico I saie being prouoked c. and by the circumstances of his complaintes to Cornelius for suche vnworthie despisyng of him and railing vpon hym by suche his disobedient inferiours and by the circumstance of the matter time where he saieth that he who was of his people allowed foure yeres in his Bishoprike is the broother so assaulted beyng the Priest of God is so despised beyng the iudge in Christes steede for the tyme is not regarded as he saied before Whereby it is moste manifest that sainct CypriaÌ„ meaneth himself and not Cornelius who was bishop of Rome but thrée yeres or as Platina and others saie but twoo yeres So that these woordes of one priest one Iudge in the Churche for the tyme in steede of Christe whiche M. Dorman hath alledged for the supremacie of one heade of the vniuersall Churche can not possiblie be taken as spoken of Cornelius Bishop of Rome but are directlie spoken of S. Cyprian hymself Bishop of Carthage in Afrike as I doubt not but all learned and discreate men readyng the epistie will iudge Wherefore it falleth out by M. Dormans diligence that Carthage whiche is in Afrike and in the possession of the Infideles should bee the see of the supreme heade of the Churche and not Rome Now the truthe in deede is that as this place is here alledged by sainct Cyprian with a number of scriptures there like wise rehearsed for the mainteinaunce of his owne authoritie in his Bishoprike so doo thei likewise apperteine to the authoritie of euery other bishop in his own diocesse who is there th' one priest and the one iudge in the churche in Christes stéede for the tyme. And neither these nether any other suche places were euer alleged by S. Cyprian for the supremacie of any one Bishop ouer al the churche Let S. Cyprians woordes next before the very place by M. Dorman alleged proue this that I haue saied Cum haec tanta talia multa alia exempla praecedant c. That is to saie where as these suche and so greate examples with many other doâ—e goe before by the whiche the sacerdotal authoritie and power is by Goddes goodnesse established what maner of men thinke you bee thei whiche beyng the enemies of Priestes and rebelles againste the catholike Churche are feared neither by the threatnynges of the Lorde forewarnyng nor with the vengeaunce of the indgement to come For hereof rise heresies and schismes that the prieste of God is not obeied c. as maister Dorman hath alleged out of this place of S. Cyprian You maie see that where S. CypriaÌ„ saieth now The priest of God as speaking of one immediatly before he said The priestes as of many as it is all one to saie Obeie thy superiour and Obeie thy superiours Whiche also declareth that the woordes nexte folowyng of one Prieste and one Iudge in the Churche in Christes steede doo apperteine to all Bishops that is to euery one in his owne diocesse and not one to be ouer all the churche Concernyng the Apologie maister Dorman his owne example of ciuile gouernemente â— little before alledged plainlie declareth that he dooeth vniustlie finde fault with it For as the Apologie with vs denieth not but that euery king in his own realme euery meaner magistrate in his office is in Goddes steede or place a Iudge for the tyme so doeth it not denie but that euery Bishop in his diocesse is in Christes steede or place iudge for the time But as the Apologiâ— denieth that euery one Kyng is or can bee in Goddes place iudge ouer all the worlde to rule it but euery kyng is in Gods steede Iudge in his owne kyngdome or kingdomes as God doeth appoinct for he geueth to diuers kynges many kyngdomes but to none all so doeth it deny that any one bishop is or can be in Goddes place iudge in the vniuersall churche or in al churches throughout the worlde Wherefore the Apologie is herein vniustlie blamed of you M. Dorman neither dooeth S. Cyprian who died an holie martyr and is no doubt a sainct in heauen holde with you against the Apologie but with it against you most plainly in this and all other places whiche you haue vntruelie alleged and all reasons that you haue vnreasonablie gathered and violently wrested against it out of S. Cyprian And I trust that of this suche like vndiscreate allegations it will appeare to the wise reader how little cause M. Dorman had to triumphe as though S. Cyprian were of his side altogether and withall so insolentlie to raile vpon vs saiyng that it were better with S. Cyprian to liue and die in the obedieÌ„ce of this Priest
ecclesiaruÌ„ esse coÌ„suetudineÌ„ vt ad eos qui longè iÌ„ minoribus vrbibê° per presbyteros diaconos baptizati sunt episcopus ad inuocationeÌ„ sanctispuÌ„s manuÌ„ impositurus excurrat c. That is I doo not denie this to bée the custome of churches that y e bishop doeth come to those that be Baptised in lesser tounes by Priestes deacons to laie his hand vpon them with the inuocatioÌ„ of the holy ghost And shortly after he saieth Quòd si hoc loco quaeris quare in ecclesia baptizatus nisi ê‘ manus episcopi noÌ„ accipiat spirituÌ„ sanctuÌ„ queÌ„ oeÌ„s asserimus iÌ„ vero baptismate tribui disce haÌ„c obseruationeÌ„ ex ea autoritate descendere ê™ post ascensum dnÌ„i spuÌ„s sanctê° ad apostolos desceÌ„dit Et multis iÌ„ locis idem factitatuÌ„ reperimus ad honoreÌ„ potius sacerdotij quam legis necessitateÌ„ Alioqui si ad episcopi taÌ„tùm imprecationeÌ„ spuÌ„s sanctê° defluit lugeÌ„di sunt qui in viculis aut in castellis aut iÌ„ remotioribus locis per praesbyteros diaconos baptizati antè dormierunt quà m ab Episcopis inuiserentur Ecclesiae salus in summi sacerdotis dignitate pendet cui si non exors quaedam ab omnibus eminens detur potestas tot in ecclesiis effictentur schismata quot sacerdotes That is to saie If you aske in this place wherefore he that is Baptised in the Churche doeth not receiue the holie ghost but by the handes of the bishop the whiche holie ghost we all doo affirme to bee geuen in true Baptisme Learne this obseruation to come of that authoritie that after the ascension of our Lorde the holie ghost came doune vnto the Apostles And we finde that the same is dooen in many places rather for the honour of Priesthoode then of the necessitie of the lawe Els if the holie Ghoste come doune onelie at the praier of the bishop thei are to be lamented who being baptised by Priestes and deacons in little tounes and villages or places further of doo dye before thei be visited by the bishops The healthe of the church dependeth vpon the estimation of the chief Priest who if he haue not authoritie pearelesse and aboue all other ye shall haue in the churche so many schismes as there be Priestes Thus farre S. Hierome whose woordes I haue repeated at large and in the last place without any intermission haue ioigned the verie woordes by D. Hardyng and M. Dorman alledged to S. Hieromes woordes nexte before Whereby it is moste euidente that S. Hierome speaketh of euery bishop in his owne diocesse and of the priestes and deacons that bée vnder hym in his said diocesse And that the authoritie which S. Hierome saieth the Bishop hath is the authoritie of laiyng his handes vpon children or other lately baptised by inferiour ministers and curates in villages of the said diocesse whiche authoritie is apperteinyng to all bishops in their owne diocesse that bishops haue that authoritie geueÌ„ them aboue other priestes or deacons beyng curates of smaller tounes and villages in their diocesse not by the necessitie of Gods lawe but for the honour of their bishoprike For if euery priest of the diocesse should in all poinctes bée of equall authoritie with the bishop there would arise so many Schismes by the arrogancie of the priestes as there bée priestes And for this cause hath euery bishop an authoritie pearelesse as M. Dorman dooth translate it and aboue all other priestes in his diocesse For it is euident by the places before alledged that comparison is made betwene priestes deacons and cuvates in smal tounes and villages who haue authoritie to baptise beeyng many and betwene the Bishop of the diocesse who is one and the high prieste in the saied diocesse and hath authoritie pearelesse ouer all other priestes and deacoÌ„s in the same diocesse And that there is no comparison here made betwene the bishoppe of Rome as the high prieste or bishop ouer all other priestes and bishops as D. Hardyng and M. DormaÌ„ without all shame would wrest it whereas there is not one woorde from the beginnyng of that longe dialogue of S. Hieromes vnto this place by them alleged nor to the ende of the same either written or meante of the bishop of Rome but of euery Bishop in his owne diocesse And therefore this whole matter is altogether impertinente to D. Hardyng and M. Dormans purpose of one onely heade ouer the whole Churche vnlesse M. Dorman would frame vs therof this leude argument Sainct Hierome saith that euery bishop ought to haue authoritie aboue all other priestes of his owne diocesse ergo the Bishop of Rome ought to haue a preemineÌ„ce pearelesse aboue all bishops of all diocesses and ouer the whole churche throughout the whole worlde Whiche maie well bee M. DormaÌ„s reason but fure I am that no reasonable man beyng awake will so reason To conclude you see it is not without great cause that D. Hardyng in his booke calleth this place of S. Hierome a notable place and saieth that it maie not be lette passe whiche his maisters woordes M. Dorman well noting â–ª would not suffer it to passe vntill he had by the handelyng thereof declared his notable foolishenesse Wherein as I doo little merueil of M. Dorman whom the leudeâ— the writyng is the better it dooeth become hym so can I not but muche muse how it should come to passe that doctor Hardyng or any of any honestie and learnyng should so abuse hymself and the readers with the allegation of suche impertinente places and with what conscience and shamefastnesse thei can doo it Vnlesse thei thinke that this excuse maie serue in matters of religion also Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat which is to saie What matter maketh it whether you vse fine force plaine truthe or guile with an enemie And therefore thei deale with vs rather as enemies then as doeth become themselues beyng Christians or as apperteineth to the treatie of religion woorthie of al truthe sinceritie Dorman fol. 5. And againe in an other place speakyng of the apostles he writeth thus Quòd vnus posteà electus est qui caeteris praeponeretur in schismatis remâ—dium factum est ne vnusquisque ad se traâ—ens ecclesiam rumperet That is That one was afterwarde chosen to rule the reste that was dooen for a remedie against schismes least while euery man would chalenge to hymself the churche by suche halyng and pullyng thei might breake the same No well S. Hierâ—me in his epistle to Euagrius she weth that praesbyter and episcopus a Priest and a bishop bee all one by the firste institution and by the Lawe of God whiche he proueth by many testimonies of the scâ—ipâ—ures and withall he declareth that the Apostles themselues were called praesbyteri that is to saie elders or priestes So that all bishops whiche be the successours of the Apostles bee also praesbyteri that is to saie
priestes whereof it foloweth also that there is an equaliti◠emongest all bishops by Gods lawe as the equall successours of the Apostles And that this is S. Hieromes minde in that place all learned menne who haue redde the saied epistle doo well knowe Nowe to that plac◠whiche M. Dorman allegeth out of this epistle Quòd autem postea vnus electus est qui caeteris praeponeretur in schismatis remedium factum est ne vnusquisque ad se trahens ecclesiam rumperet That is to saie That one was afterwarde chosen to rule the reste that was doen for a remedie againste schismes least while euery man would chalenge to hymself the churche by suche halyng and pullyng thei might breake the same Thus farre hath M. Dorman alleged but S. Hierome proceedeth further to declare the same matter by these woordes Nam Alexandriae à Marco Euangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionysium episcopos praesbyteri semper vnum ex se electum in excelsiori gradu collocatum episcopum nominabant quomodo si exercitus imperatorem faciat aut Diaconi eligant de se quem industrium nouerint archidiaconum vocent Quid enim facit excepta ordinatione episcopus quod praesbyter non faciat That is to saie For at Alexandria from Marke the Euangeliste vnto Heracla and Dionysius beyng bishops there the priestes did euer place one chosen of their companie in the higher roume and named him bishop as if an armie should make a capitaine or deacons should choose one of their owne companie whom thei knowe to be actiue and diligent and call hym Archedeacon For what doth the bishop onely orderyng excepted that a priest maie not doo These are saincte Hieromes woordes Whereby it appeareth plainlie that the woordes of sainct Hierome One chosen afterward emongest them to rule the rest for a remedie of schismes doo appertaine to euery Bishop as head ruler of the Cleargie of his owne Diocesse For saieth S. Hierome suche an heade ruler was chosen at Alexandria in Aegipte where S. Marke the Euangelist Heracla and Dionysius were bishops to gouerne the priestes and cleargie there And withall whatsoeuer was doen afterward was not doen de iure diuino vpō the grounde of Gods lawe as you would haue the Popes supremacie to stande but of an ecclesiastical order and pollicie For that whiche was doen by Goddes lawe was not dooen afterwarde but first this whiche was thus doen afterward saieth sainct Hierome was doen rather for the honour of the priesthood then for the necessitie of the law For by the lawe of God which is first the priest as S. Hierome saieth maie doo asmuche exceptyng orderyng onelie as maie the bishop but afterwarde for order one was placed in the highest place for the auoidyng of schismes And if a prieste by saincte Hieromes minde maie doo asmuche as a Bishoppe I thinke one bishop also may by Gods lawe doo asmuche as an other bishop Further seyng this one afterwarde chosen to rule the reste was chosen aswell at Alexandria as at Rome or elswhere and the Bishop of Alexandria was that rular of the reste of his Cleargie as well as was the bishop of Rome of his owne cleargie it must nedes fall out that these woordes one chosen afterwarde to rule the reste either make for no supremacie of any one bishop ouer all the churche as apperteinyng to euery Bishop in his owne diocesse or if M. Dorman will needes inforce a supremacie by the saied woordes he shal be inforced to confesse the saied supremacie to be commō to the bishop of Alexandria where S. Hierome saith this one was chosen to rule the rest with the bishop of Rome as by the other place laste before alleged by M. Dorman out of S. Cyprian the said supremacie should appertaine to the Bishoppe of Carthage But bothe Carthage and Alexandria are nowe in the handes of Infideles and therefore can there bee no supremacie of the church there and yet aswel there as at Rome where Christ is as muche blasphemed as he is either at Alexandria or Carthage But it is in deede moste plaine by that epistle of S. Hierome that he doeth not meane that one bishoppe should be aboue an other muche lesse one heade ouer all other For he expresly saieth that all bishops be equall and none superiour nor inferiour to an other by Gods lawe Neither doeth it hurte our cause in case that wée graunt to M. Dorman that this place doeth appertaine to the Apostles and that one was chosen emongst the Apostles themselues to haue the chiefe place that is to speake firste to moderate other to staie contention and to remedie schismes Naie it maketh with vs directlie who doo graunt that as emongest those .xij. one was so chosen to bee ruler so it is good that in euery competente number of priests and cleargie one be chosen likewise to be ruler And if M. Dorman vpō this graunt would inferre suche a supremacie of one ouer the rest of the Apostles as the Pope claimeth ouer the churche Saincte Paule reprouyng Peter more sharplie to his face then is lawfull now for any bishop to deale with the Pope dooeth proue that Peter had no suche supremacie For though the Pope by his abominable dooynges dooe damne hymselfe and innumerable other yet maie no man be so bolde as to blame him therefore but let him goe vncontrouled to the deuill of hel Neither foloweth it though one man bee chosen so to bee ruler emongest xij therefore maie one also bee chosen to bee ruler ouer all the Cleargie of the worlde of all nations and languages and to farre of also to be well ruled No more dooeth it folowe for that S. Hierome dooeth saie that one was chosen of the companie of the Priestes of euery one Churche or diocesse to rule the reste as namelie was dooen at Alexandria the whiche ruler was called the bishoppe therefore ought there to bee one chosen to rule all bishops of all diocesses namelie at Rome the said one ruler to be called Pope or head of the vntuersall Churche For this kinde of collection vsuall to M. Dorman I haue by his owne former reasons and similitudes of seuerall gouernours or Princes necessarie to bee ouer euery citie countrey or kyngdome and that none can be ouer the whole worlde proued to be a vaine and leude collectiō And I haue also by his owne witnesses S. Cyprian and S. Hierome and by the verie places of them by him guilefullie wrested at large declared the same And I shall yet hereafter more plainlie declare that S. Cyprian and S. Hierome whom he hath alleged for the supremacie of one that is to wit the Bishoppe of Rome are of all other writers moste cleare against him and that in the verie same places by hym for his purpose alleged so that it maie bee iustlie meruelled whether M. Dorman were so ignoraunte that he should bring those for his witnesses who dootestifie moste against hym or so
witnesses sainct Cyprian and sainct Hierome brought in by hymself for the proofe of his parte and that whiche is more I will prooue it by the verie same places of sainct Cyprian and sainct Hierome whiche are by Doctour Hardyng and maister Dorman here alleged that is to saie by the thirde epistle of the firste booke of the epistles of sainct Cyprian and by the epistle of sainct Hierome to Euagrius And I doubte not but as of his three witnesses brought for hym one is no witnesse but suche as if one would saie aske my self whether I bee a theefe or no so the other twoo witnesses who bee moste woorthie credite shall proue my cause true I truste and maister Dorman a verie liar Wherein I doo thus proceade First I will putte the reader in remembraunce yet once againe of Saincte Cyprians owne woordes before touched written in the same epistle by maister Dorman alleged whiche are these Cum statutum sit omnibus nobis c. whiche maie bee thus translated whereas an order is taken or statute made emongeste vs all and it is also reasonable and right that euery mannes cause be there hearde where the faulte was committed and whereas a portion of the flocke is assigned to euery bishoppe by himself whiche euery one ought to rule and gouerne and must geue an accompte of his doynges to the Lorde these whiche bee vnder our gouernaunce ought not therefore to runne about to witte from one Bishoppe to an other neither to breake the agreable concorde of Bishoppes by their guilefull temeritie or rashnesse but ought there to make answere in their causes where thei maie haue accusers witnesses of their crimes excepte it seeme to a fewe desperate and caste awaie persones that the authoritie of the bishoppes that bee in Afrike is lesse then the authoritie of others whiche Bishoppes haue alreadie geuen iudgement of them their cause is alreadie heard sentence is alreadie pronounced against them neither dooeth it agree to the graue iudgemente of Bishoppes to be blamed of the leuitie of a mouable and inconstant mynde whereas our Lorde dooeth saie Let your speache bee yea yea no no. Thus farre saincte Cyprian M. Dormans owne witnesse euen in the same epistle by hymself alleged And this sentence of saincte Cyprian touchyng the determinyng of controuersies in the places where thei dooe rise and that no appellations shal bee made to any bishop of an other Prouince yea and that namely not to the Bishop of Rome nor that he shall sende any Legates Laterall to heare or determine foraine matters dooeth the whole Carthaginense councell approue and allowe wherein was saincte Augustine Drosius and Prosper with 217. moe learned and godlie Bishoppes assembled as I haue before noted The same sainct Cyprian euer agreyng with hym self in this veritie of the equalitie of al bishops which is the ouerthrowe of the supremacie of one dooeth applie many suche places of the scriptures as are customarelie but moste falsely alleged now a daies by this authour and other aduersaries for the proufe of the popes supremacie ouer all Bishoppes to the declaration of the equall authoritie of euery Bishoppe in his own diocesse as the place of Deuteronomium concernyng the obedience due to the high Prieste out of Numerie of the disobedience of Chore Dathan and Abyron against Aaron out of the Actes of the Apostles touching Saincte Paules woordes I wiste not that he was the high Bishoppe for it is written thou shalt not speake euill to the prince of thy people All these places I saie doeth saincte Cyprian allege for the authoritie of Rogatian an Africane Bishop and againste the disobedience of the saied Rogatians oeacon against his bishop And the same places dooeth sainct Cyprian likewise againe in an other place allege for his owne authoritie beeyng Bishop of Carthage and against the stubbornesse of Pupianus towardes hymself So that saincte Cyprian doeth in all places maintaine the equalitie of bishops and withal ouerthrowe the supremacie of one ouer all directlie againste this place by you as out of Pope Leo alleged But in no place is sainct Cyprian more effectuous and piaine concernyng this matter then in his booke intituled De simplicitate praelatorū where he hath these woordes Dn̄sapostolis oībus post resurrectionem suam parem potestatē tribuit mox Hoc erant vtique caeteri apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis That is to saie The Lorde after his resurrectiō did geue like orequall power to al his Apostles The other Apostles were the veric same that Peter was beeyng indued with like felowship both of honour and power Thus farre saincte Cyprian who beyng in so many places so directlie againste this vsurped supremacie of one and for the equalitie of all Bishoppes it is to be wondered with what face M. Dorman hath been so bold and busie with S. Cyprian in this his treatie of the popes supremacie Now let vs heare S. Hierome M. Dorman his second witnesse and euen in the same epistle by M. Dorman alleged also Where Saincte Hierome speakyng of the authoritie of Churches and Bishops and makyng thē all equall and none aboue an other hath these woordes Nec altera Romanae vrbis ecclesia altera totius orbis estimanda est c. Wée maie not thinke that the Churche of the citie of Rome is one and the Churche of the whole worlde an other Bothe Fraūce and Britaine now called Englāde Afrike and Persie lande the East countreis and Indie and al barbarous nations woorship one Christe and obserue one rule of truth If you seke for authoritie the worlde is greater then the citie of Rome wheresoeuer any bishoppe is whether he be at Rome or Eugubium at Constantinople or at Rhegium at Alexādria or Tanis he is of the same merite of the same priesthoode The power of riches or basenesse of pouertie maketh not a bishope either higher or lower But thei be al the successors of the Apostles But thou wilte saie how dooe thei at Rome a◠the testimonie of the deacon ordein the priest What dooest thou allege to me the custome of one citie what dooest thou chalenge for the lawes of the Churche the vsage of a fewe whereof presumptiō hath risen Thus farre sainct Hierome Vpon the which place Erasmus in his Scholies noteth that Eugubium Rhegium and Tanis were base and little tounes and that sainct Hierome matcheth in paires and couples a poore simple little toune with a noble citie to she we therby that the dignitie of the Bishop is not estéemed by the greatnesse of his diocesse or citie but that all bishops bee equall in office Now let vs compare these twoo sainct Cyprian I saie and saincte Hierome bearyng witnesse with the truthe with Leo onely bearyng witnesse to hymself Leo saieth In the holie Apostles themselues there was a differēce of power and that it was geuen to one to be aboue all the reste On
hym alleged moste euidentlie againste hym and that moste falsly vsurped supremacie of the pope You haue heard how contrary his witnesses be twoo against one and that one either not so writyng as is alleged by M. Dorman but falsified or forged as so writyng by the Popes commen corrupters and falsaries of al writers and writynges or if so writyng yet vnworthie credite euen by his owne lawe as partiall in his owne cause and otherwise to be suspected for that his testimonie is in diuers copies found not onely diuers but cleane coÌ„trarie vnlesse M. DormaÌ„ thought he might put in and out this woorde non not as a little sillable and nothyng materiall at his pleasure And further the saied witnesse who so euer he be beyng but one is confuted as you haue hearde by the veredicte of twoo witnesses moste worthie of creadite brought in with hym for testimonie of the same matter You se therfore not onely no necessitie but an impossibilitie of such an one onely head aswell of the churche dispersed throughout all the worlde as of one onely king or prince of all the worlde it self You sée there was no suche opinion muche lesse knowledge of any suche head emoÌ„gest the Apostles or in the primitiue churche but that it is a newe deuilishe deuise of the late ambitious Bishoppes of Rome who when thei were neuer able yet hitherto well to rule the churche of Rome one citie as by all histories and experience is euidente would yet of the worlde vsurpe the superioritie supremacie And if S. Paule didthinke he was not méete to haue charge of one Churche who could not well gouerne his owne house of what monstrous ambitioÌ„ and presumption is he trowe you who neuer yet able to gouerne one peculiar churche dooeth claime and would take vpon him the regiment of all churches throughout the whole worlde Wheras he is not able were he thereto required to tell the onely names of a small parte of the saied churches neither knoweth in what part of the world a great many of theÌ„ be Dorman fol. 6. I can not heare staie to examine curioussie euery worde in these auncient fathers but leauing that good readers to your discreatioÌ„ and not doubtyng but that in these graue witnesses in a matter of suche weight importaunce as wherevpon dependeth the healthe of the whole Churche you will be no lesse diligente then you would bee in examinyng the depositions of your owne witnesses or your aduersaries in a triall of landes or other temporall commoditie Nowell M. Dorman is in haste and lacketh leisure for the examination of these matters there is some plaie belike towardes and his parâ—e therein the busieste of all other and therefore you must examine these witnesses your selues and that with more diligence then you would dooe in controuersies about landes or worldie matters Now surely M. Dorman a little examinatioÌ„ will serue to trie out that you and all your felowe collectours and ouersears of this booke were either of hast shamefully ouerséene or so ignoraunte that you could not sée though you had had good leisure or moste impudeÌ„t and shamelesse so that you cared nothyng what or how you did write so it were some thyng or els all three together And had you doen well you should all haue bestowed your leisure and cunnyng together in some one piththie booke if any thyng can be piththilie written of suche leude and trifelyng matters as you take in hande to maintaine rather then by launcyng out suche hauocke of bookes like to this yours and moste méete for you in poste pase as though all speede were in the haste onelie to gette for the tyme the commendation of celeritie and readinesse either of your fanourers altogether blinded with partialitie or of such vndiscreate readers as delite moste in moste trifles and withall to obteine a perpetuall note and blotte of greate ignoraunce mixed with more shamelessenesse and impudencie in the opinions of all wise and learned men For it will fall out M. Dorman that you alone shall bee more able to write and sende vs ouer a doosen suche bookes at this is by the leisure and facultie that you haue sufficiente enough thereto then D. Hardyng and you with all your adherentes shall bee able to maintaine one little paâ—cell of this your or his booke as truelie and sincerely written So mucke harder it is either to write a little well and truelie or to defende a little of muche written lightlie and falselie then to write neuer so many and so greate bookes bothe lightly leudely and falsely too suche as I trust it shall appeare to the worlde this booke named woorthily yours is in deede M. Dorman Dorman fol. 6. I shall procede to the consideration of the seconde reason whiche before I touched of the people of Isâ—ael if I firste warne you to consider but this by the waie that ye maie truste those aunciente fathers by their woorde the better an other tyme how many schismes bee burste in apon vs in our countrey of Englande for one common receiued truth in the daies of our fathers when we remained in the obedieÌ„ce of one chief priest and iudge whiche shake nowe so miserablie the same how quietlie in one loue in one truth in one doctrine in one Churche in one heade thereof God almightie and his minister vnder hym appoincted ouer the same weliued then and other in other places dooe now Nowell Yet for all the haste M. Dorman hath he will by the waie warne you to credite the aunciente fathers by hym alleged The same dooe wee also desire of the discreate readers that thei will creadit those auncient fathers who though alleged by M. Dorman beyng directlie against hym doo declare that he is woorthy of no creadite at all And he doeth vniustlie charge England specially with so many schismes where it is well knowen that there is as muche consente in true doctrine in the churche of Englande at this tyme as euer was in any realme at any time And though there were not a perfecte consent of all men in all poinctes what marueile yet were it if that should happen emongeste vs whiche was not altogether lackyng emongeste the Apostles themselues Let the conteÌ„tion betwéene Paule and Peter and betwéene Paule againe Barnabas be a proofe thereof What woonder if that were emongest vs touching some poinctes that was not wanting in the primitiue churche emoÌ„gest the olde fathers Let the variaunce emongeste the bishops assembled at Nicene councell let the contention betwene the bishops of the Easte and of the Weste churche aboute the keepyng of Easter daie a matter not woorthie of suche variaunce bée a witnesse thereof Let the sharpe conteÌ„tion betwéene S. Chrysostome and Theophilus bishop of AlexaÌ„dria and Epiphanius bishop of Cyprus the bitter strief betwéene S. Hierome and S. Augugustine and betwéene the saied S. Hierome againe and Rufine and like contentions betweene the beste men of all
is most euident But now let vs heare S. Cyprian in his epistle to Rogatianus Habes inquit Cyprianus circa huiusmodi homines praecepta diuina cùm Dominus deus in Deuteronomio dicat â–ª Et homo quicunque c. Thou hast saith saincte Cyprian to Rogatianus his felowe bishoppe in Afrike concernyng suche men to witte disobediente as was his Deacon the commaundementes of God whereas the Lorde God in Deuteronomie dooeth saie And what man so euer shall bee so proude that he will not heare the priest or iudge who so euer he be in those daies that man shall die and all the people shall feare and shall doo wickedlie no more And we maie knowe that this voice of God proceaded with true and greate maiestie to honour and to auenge his Priestes by the horible destruction of Chore Dathan and Abyron who rebelled against Aaron Thus farre S. Cyprian Where you maie sée that bothe this lawe of Deuteronomium the example of Aaron the estate of the Iuishe Churche and all other places of scripture falsely wrested by D. Hardyng and M. Dorman to the proofe of the supremacie of one to witte the bishoppe of Rome are by S. Cyprian who died an holie martyr and is no doubt a sainct in heauen applied to the maintenaunce of euery Bishops authoritie in his owne diocesse and the obedience there due vnto hym And note withall that S. Cyprian saieth that this and like places of the scriptures apperteine to the honour of Gods Prtestes he saieth not to the honour of one high prieste head ouer all other Naie he confesseth in the beginnyng of this epistle that Rogatianus did but of curtesie not of duetie referre this matter of his disobedient deacon by complainte to S. Cyprian though he were the Metropolitane of Afrike beyng bishoppe of Carthage the chiefe citie thereof and graunteth that Rogatianus by the vigore of his bishoprike authoritie of his Chaire had power to order the matter hymself and for the vigore of this Rogatianus bishoprike and authoritie of his chaire and consequently of all other Bishoprikes and bishops chaires doeth S. Cyprian allege these and all other places of scripture falslie detorted by the Papistes to these of Rome and sainct Peters chaire there as thei call it Sainct Cyprian allegeth the same place of Deutero cap. 17. and all suche like for his owne authoritie against Pupianus despisyng hym beyng Bishop of Carthage whom saincte Cyprian chargeth to transgresse this law of God of obeiyng the high priest for that he maketh hymself Episcopum episcopi iudicem iudicis ad tempus à Deo dati a bishop ouer the Bishop and a iudge ouer the iudge appoincted of God for the tyme. Which is the verie propertie of that false vsurper of Rome who maketh hymself head bishop ouer al bishops and head iudge ouer all iudges by God in euery their iurisdictions appoincted to bee obeied of all their owne flocke and not to be vnder a foraigne vsurper And as he dooeth by saincte Cyprian his iudgemente transgresse this Gods lawe in makyng hymself iudge of the iudge by God appoincted so doubte I not but the iudgemente of the saied lawe He shall dye the death will light vpon hym for his pride arrogancie and tyrannie ouer his brethren and equalles by Gods lawe And though suche horrible Luciferian pride anâ— other wickednesse vnspeakeable as is in the Pope seeme to bee reserued to Gods euerlastyng iudgementes for that no worldly penaltie can bee sufficiente for suche desertes yet dooeth God in our daies not longe before the commyng of his sonne to iudgemente denounce the same moste manifestly and as it were peremptorilie to hym and his Dorman Fol. 7. For I remember a saiyng of Cregorius Nazianzenus Vbi nullum est imperium nullus ordo vbi multorum ibi seditio vt sic nullum imperium nullus ordo existat Vtrumque enim eôdem absâ—rditatis perducit VVhere is none to rule there is no order VVhere many rule there is sedition so that after that maner of gouernemente also there is no gouernement there is no order For bothe to haue none to rule to haue many leade vs to like inconuenieÌ„ce How shal we then saie Diligit dominus Syon super omnia tabernaculae Iacob Our lorde loueth Syon aboue all the tabernacles of Iacob Nowell You maie note that M. Dorman hath a good memorie who can and dare without the booke rehearse to vs sentences out of doctours for his proofes and publishe the same to the worlde and boldely in the steede of one God gouernyng all for of hym speaketh Nazianzene in that place to dashe vs in the teethe with one Pope to gouerne all the churche I would M. Dorman had enlarged his memorie somewhat to a fewe woordes of Nazianzene goyng next before and makyng all the matter moste plaine whiche M. Dorman therefore of purpose to blinde the reader hath omitted suche a shreude memorie hath the man The woordes of Nazianzene confutyng twoo false opinions that men had of God are these Prima opinio nullum Deum nullum Dei imperium alia Deos multos cuique suum imperium statuit c. Sed vbi nullum est imperium ibi nullus ordo c. That is to saie The firste false opinion of God is that there is no God no gouernaunce of God the seconde that there are many Goddes and that euery of them hath his gouernauÌ„ce by hymself But where no rule is there is no order where many rule there is sedition These are Nazianzene his woordes againste those that thinke that either there is no God or many goddes whiche M. Dorman out of his memorie reporteth as spoken against those who would haue no pope or many Popes But you sée it is not good trustyng to M. Dormans memorie who dooeth so readily without booke allege thynges neither against vs nor with himself but altogether impertinent to the purpose Now if M. Dorman list transferre the sentence from God gouernyng all the worlde to men vnder hym rulyng in the worlde and would thereof frame vs this argumente Nazianzene saieth there is one onely God who gouerneth all Ergo there muste bee one onely Pope or head bishop to gouerne all the Churche I deny the argumente and affirme that it foloweth no more then that there must be one onely Emperour to gouerne al the worlde And to bragge somewhat of memorie too as M. Dorman dooeth I remember that M. Dorman hymself hath alleged that for auoidyng of confusion in the worlde euery kyngdome euery countrey euery citie euery companie of menne muste haue an head to rule them Whereof I inferre that for auoydyng of schismes and explication of doubles euery churche of euery countrey and diocesse ought to haue an head and a iudge to resorte vnto And as there is no confusion in the worlde nor discorde for that sundrie partes of the worlde haue sundrie ciuill gouernours as is moste necessarie that thei haue and is
whole companie of Papistâ—s beeyng at so good leisure as thei are that thei haue not hitherto answered the Apologie so loÌ„g abroade in their handes as we are blamed of many for that your bookes lately set foorth are not foorthwith answered It is a pleasure for M. Dorman to shoote at rouers to range as he liste in railyng here and there and to call the Apologie a fardle of lies But it is not so easy for maister Dorman nor D. Hardyng to answere it piththilie to the satisfiyng of the learned readers Whiche neither thei bothe nor their whole Romishe cleargie shal euer be able to answere to any purpose But I maie iustlie replie to M. Dorman as the truth is that this his booke is nothing els but a fardell of lies ragyng railinges packed together as I truste I haue in deede notified to the discreate reader for that is passed ouer of it hetherto doubte not of like successe in the rest And I thinke that all honest and learned men in déede will so muche more like the saied Apologie when thei shall vnderstande that it so muche mistiketh M. Dorman and other of like honestie and learnyng as he is Dorman fol. 7. But because I haue perceiued that God in that people in their lawe and priesthoode shadowed out vnto vs like a cunning workeman the whole forme and proportion of his churche as witnesseth saincte Paule Lex vmbram habet futuroruÌ„ bonoâ—â— non ipsam imag inem rerum The lawe conteineth a shadowe of the good thynges to come but expresseth not manifestly the truth of thinges therefore I thought I might well reason from the shadow to the bodie from the resemblaunce image to the truthe thereto answering FroÌ„ the whiche kinde of reasonyng saincte Paule sometymes absteined not as when he laboured to proue that the lawe of the gospell would beare that thei whiche preached the gospell should liue thereby he reasoned after this sort Nunquid secundum hominem haec dico â–ª Speake I this as a man That is to saie proue I this by worldly reasons An lex haec non dicit Saieth not the lawe so toe And so goeth he forewarde and proueth yet by this texte of the olde lawe Thou shalt not moosell or binde vp the mouth of the labouryng Oxe as though he should haue saied it was so in the shadowe therefore it must be so in the bodie and in the truth signified by that shadowe Thus ye se good readers that I maie saie with saincte Paule haue I proued onely by reasons fetched from the dooynges of men by examples of all common wealthes and societies well gouerned that in Christes common weale there must be also one to rule Haue I affirmed this because sainct Cyprian saincte Hierom blessed and holy Leo so saied VVho yet were while thei liued here but men although now sainctes in heauen Nunquid non lex haec dicit Saieth not the lawe so toe Nowell You take to muche pain M. Dorman to prooue y t you may lawfully with S. Paule allege out of th' old testament for the proofe of good causes as he did We blame you not for that you allege out of th' old testament but for your guilefull vntrue application of places of the old testament of the doctors to suche purposes as thei apperteine nothyng vnto at all naie are moste contrary to the same I would you and all other aduersaries of the truth would as you saie with sainct Paule reason from the shadowes of the olde lawe to the truthe therby figured but you haue dooen otherwise For you dooe not with sainct Paule but with Pighius and Hosius vse this place not bringing vs by shadowes to the truthe as did S. Paule but by your shadowes of Ceremonies you haue darkened the truthe brought vs quite awaie from it You haue by this your reason so was it in the shadowe therfore it must be so in the bodie in the truthe signified by that shadowe not onely placed your Romishe head ouer the whóle Christian Churche but also of Christians you haue made vs Iewes and your selues of ministers of the Gospell haue you made Iewishe Aaronicall Leuites You haue on Aarons robes you vse his gestures you haue brought in his incense his censers his altars his candelles his candlestickes his belles and his banners his gold and his siluer into the seruice and Temple of God Of the whiche then beginning S. Hierome in his time muche coÌ„plained And would to God you had doen no woorse then thus made vs and your selues altogether Iuishe by your shadowes imitatyng and counterfaityng the olde lawe I would ye had not also by bringyng in of Idols by inuocations of dead menne by your charmes and witchecraftes contrary to all Gods lawe both old and newe made vs altogether moste wicked Ethnishe Idolaters and withall made a marte and set a sale all this your religion thereby to robbe séelie Christians both of their witte and money yea and of their soules health too whiche is moste of all as it is euidente to all the worlde you haue dooen But now to proceede with M. Dormans reason from the shadowe to the bodie from the figure to the truthe from the Iuishe churche to ours In the Iuishe churche all the people menne wemen and children had the Scripture in a language that thei did well vnderstande the Leuites and priestes in the Iuishe churche had wiues and children in the Iuishe churche there were no Images ergo it must be so now in our churche For God like a cunnyng workeman in that people in their lawe and priesthoode shadowed out vnto vs the whole forme and proportion of his churche now it was so in the shadowe therefore it must be so in the bodie and in the truthe These bee your owne woordes M. Dorman To proceede Maie it be proued by reason onely that thei who are bounden to obeie Goddes lawe oughte to vnderstande and knowe Goddes lawe Dooeth not the lawe saie so too Maie it bee proued by reason onely that ministers of the Churche maie haue wiues Maie not one reason with S. Paule Vnusquisque propter vitandam fornieationem habeat vxorem suam Et qui se non continent nubant Nam melius est nubere quà mvri That is to saie Let euery man for the auoiding of fornication haue his wife And suche as caÌ„not conteine let theÌ„ marie for it is better to marie then to burne Dooeth not the lawe saie so too Maie it bee proued by reason onely that Images ought not to bee in the temples and that men whiche haue life and reason ought not to boow and scoupe to insensible blockes or stones Dooeth not the lawe forbidde it to If you will denie my argumentes and thinke these reasons vnreasonable as I thinke you will yet I trust you doo against your own woords and forme of reasoning And good M. Dorman asâ—oile me of
vnto your selues as beyng the churche the interpretatiō thereof yet suche are both your doctrine and dooynges and so contrarie to the woorde of God whervpon the true churche is builded that we muste needes thinke that you are not the true church of God And whether you so bee or no seeyng it is in question and a greater doubte and controuersie emongest men I am sure then can bee about the sense of any place of the scripture you shall neuer bee able to make any exception vnto the Scripture as no competent iudge in controuersies but we shall be able tenne tymes more to make exception to your Pope and his churche as no indifferent nor meete iudge Wherefore cease once to bragge of that as the vndoubted iudge of all doubtes whiche is it self emongest men of all other doubtes the greatest doubt that is whether you be the true church of God or no. Whiche is with vs in deede no doubte nor with any that hath any vnderstandyng in Goddes woorde and iudgemente in true religion For we certainlie knowe by the woorde of God vpon the whiche as the true churche is builded so is it by the same to be knowen that you bee not the churche of God for that you so swarue from the woorde of God As for vs that wee are at your handes though we bryng so euidente scriptures for vs so reiected and condemned wee take it the better for that wée vnderstande that our sauiour Christe and his holie Apostles likewise allegyng the scriptures yea and further by their woonderfull woorkes and moste godlie life confirmyng the same were by the high Priestes Phariseis and Scribes reiected condemned and siaine an eternall documente that in this worlde no persone nor doctrine can satisfie al men or shall be taken for a iudge of controuersies aboue all exception and quarellyng seyng that Christe hymself so teachyng so woorkyng so liuyng was excepted vnto as a Daemoniake or one possessed with the Deuill as a friende to sinners as a wine drinker and seeyng that heade corner stone was as vnprofitable to the buildyng of Gods churche and his holie woorde also as false doctrine reiected by the high priestes Scribes and Phariseis who would needes be the iudges of all themselues And wee conceiue good hope that as our sauiour himself with his holie Apostles teachyng the truthe though reiected and murdered by the said high Priestes Scribes and Phariseis haue wonne vnto them the iudgementes of all godlie men and wemen against suche vnrighteous iudges so we likewise teachyng the same truthe of our Sauiour reueiled in his holie Gospell though of this high priest and Romishe Caiphas with his adherentes Popishe Scribes and Phariseis reiected condemned and murthered shall against suche vniuste iudges winne vnto vs the iudgement of all godlie menne and wemen as to the greate decaie of their false superstition successe of the truthe is this daie thankes bee to God partlie come to passe in a greate parte of the Christian worlde Dorman fol. 8. But of this I will entreate more largelie hereafter In the meane season that theie will haue of Christes Churche here in earth no other head but Christ hymselfe therein thei fare me thincketh not muche vnlike to a certaine felon of whom I haue heard that beyng areigned at the barre for a felonie when he had pleadid to the indictement not guiltie and was after the manner demaunded how he would bee tried he would suspectyng his owne case and knowyng that if he satisfied the lawe in putting hymself apon the triall of the coūtrey there were no moe waies with hym but one make thereto no other answere but onely that he would put hymself apon God the righteous Iudge of all ▪ who although he said truely that God was the chief iudge of all as the protestantes do in calling Christ the head of the church yet was ther in his case an other iudge here in this world vnder god by whō he must haue byn tried as there is in theirs an other heade here in the churche to order them and kepe thē vnder in whō Christ the chiefe head of all vseth in all necessarie knowledge to giue answere And as the felon knewe well that there was an other iudge beside god appealed not to him as though before him he should haue byn acquitted proued not guiltie but onely to gaine a longer time of life and libertie so doe I doute not our aduersaries the protestantes And truely to bothe theise kinde of men beyng bothe theeues the one sorte doyng violence to the bodie the other to the soule if suche pleas mighte be allowed how soeuer thei be coloured with the name of Christe betwene them bothe thei would freely rob the bodie and murther the soule Nowell Now proceadeth he pleasantlie and by a parable of a certaine felone all to shaketh vs out of our cloutes as he praied he might be suffered to dooe In the handlyng whereof it maie seeme he hath dealte as he was wonte when some of his felowes had forgotten their partes in the plaie to holde men occupied for the time by suppliyng that defecte with some pretie conceites or tellyng of some merie tale thereby to make the auditours to laugh and the lesse to marke the mased memorie of his mates and so to saue the matter from vtter marryng as muche as in hym might lye In like wise dooeth maister Dorman here for where he hath to proue that of necessitie there must be one onely chief heade here in earth ouer the Churche whiche is in deede the firste and moste necessarie parte of the whole treatie of the Popes supremacie and the verie foundation of all whiche not proued or els leudly proued all the reste commeth doune vpon their heades For the whiche so greate a matter little beyng as yet saied by M. Dorman and nothyng in deede and lesse remainyng behinde to bee saied the man beyng destitute of all carnest matter piththie reason and good authoritie turneth himself to his accustomed arte and by a pretie tale of a certaine felone all to shaketh vs as he before threatned he would dooe out of our masking cloutes as he termeth them and this he dooeth to supplie other defectes thereby and to make this first parte moste necessarie of all to be piththily proued by suche patchyng of i◠vp at the leaste a quarter as bigge as his seconde part of this treatie to witte that no prince or lay man maie be the onely head of the whole Churche for that priestes haue more to doo in ecclesiastical matters thā thei haue Whiche so long an impertinente parte had M. Dorman put vp in his purse and passed ouer with silence he had spared a greate deale of paper ynke and labour and of other mennes tyme also a greate deale more and had hurte his cause no more thereby then if he had lefte his dagger sheathe behynde hym when he came out in haste to plaie his parte in the pagiaunte But
Scholasticall distinction of caput absolutum and ministeriale healpe the matter nor yet Hosius declaration tendyng to the same ende how Bishops bee both seruauntes and lordes can in this case any thyng further you For there can not possiblie bee one onelie head minister in earth ouer all the churche throughout the whole worlde more then there can bee one vniuersall ciuill heade in earth ouer all the worlde it self But note the intollerable ambition of the Pope who when he saw he could not defeÌ„de the name of the Head of the vniuersall church rather then he would loose that onely sounde of this name Head of the church he qualiâ—ieth it with ministeriale to saie a seruing head of the church he might as good cheape haue been contente with the single title of a minister of y e churche And so he semeth sometyme colourablie in shewe to be contente callyng hymself seruum seruorum Dei the seruaunt of the seruauntes of God But he plaieth in deede Rex Regum dominus dominantium I knowe M. Dorman dooth so qualifie this the Popes supremacie terming him caput ministeriale the ministeriall head for that Christe is the absolute heade of all But yet in respecte of the whole churche as beyng vnder the Pope he will haue hym called caput the heade But I would haue hym to make that relation of caput and these woordes Seruus seruuorum to agree and to bee bothe caput and seruus or minister respectu eiusdem the head and the seruauÌ„t in one respecte specially claimyng suche a kinde of capitalitie as dooeth the Pope whiche can not agrée with the humble ecclesiasticall ministerie And I thinke he shall finde some difficultie and muche hypocrisie and more crueltie of suche a headie seruaunte and seruile head who if he be head he is a cruel and frantike head mangling his owne members as did Lyrurgus in his furious phrensie if he be a seruaunt he plaieth the false traitour murdering his felowe seruantes whose part at the commyng of the Lorde shal bee with hypocrites and homicides You might therefore as good cheape graunt the Pope simplie to bee minister ecclesiae a minister of the churche and therefore no head but an inferior to the Churche vniuersall But the truthe is in deede that the Pope is neither heade nor minister of Christes churche but a sworne enemie to bothe which he well declareth by his ragyng furie againste the true churche and members of Christ our head M. Dorman harpeth to muche vpon this one stryng out of tune for his purpose I meane the example of the Iewishe high prieste whiche as it declareth that it were good that euery seueral churche of euery seuerall nation had their seuerall head Bishop so dooeth it prooue nothyng that all churches of all nations must haue one onely heade in earth whiche is not possible to be That he saith as dooeth Hosius God would by this one earthly head the Pope shewe his exceadyng greate loue towardes maÌ„kinde is a manifest lie for it is euidente by experience that the Deuill the homicide the head of helle hath by this his principall minister the Pope shewed his murderyng malice againste mankinde more then euer he did by any Nerons Domitians Maximines or suche like bloudie tyrauntes And as the deuill hath vsed the Pope his ministers handes to al murders so hath that prince of darkenesse and father of lies by the Popes meanes moste darkened the light of Christes Gospell and hath vsed his polluted mouthe and tongue thereby to vtter all lies and blasphemies againste God and the truthe of his woorde Dorman Fol. 9. Because Christ is kyng of all kynges and lorde of all lordes because if it so pleased hym he could rule al this worlde muche better then it is ruled without the help of any other whereof he hath his absolute power coÌ„sidered no neede shall we therefore saie that there bee not nor neede to be any kynges here in earth VVhen sainct S. Paule called the man the head of the woman denied he therefore Christ to bee her head Kyng Saule when he was called by the Prophete Samuel caput in tribubus Israel the head of the tribues of Israel was God thinck you excluded that he should not be their head To vse examples more familier the archbishop of Cauntorburie is the heade of the Bishopricke and diocesse of London as he is of al the bishoprickes within his prouince and yet can not a man infer apon this that therfore the B. of LoÌ„doÌ„ is not the head of that his diocesse Nowell We dooe not sticke with you nor with Hosius your author about this name Head but that it maie be attributed to men as to the kynges and Iudges of Israel Saule Dauid and suche like But I praie you coÌ„sider by the waie when the scripture saieth that Saule was by God made head ouer the tribes of Israel whiche place Hosius and you dooe allege whether he wer appoincted heade ouer the tribe of Leui also that is ouer the Cleargie as well as ouer other tribes for that is to be considered We knowe that Christ is the onely heade ouer all and that he vseth kynges to bee seuerall heades vnder him vpon earth in their seuerall dominions as sigismunde in Polonia for Hosius vseth that example but we knowe aswell againe that God vseth no one kyng to be the onelie earthlie heade vnder hym ouer all the worlde whiche yet bothe Hosius and you should conclude M. Dorman if you would bryng in these examples to gather thereby that there oughte to bee one head in earth vnder Christe ouer all churches throughout the whole worlde dispersed for so should you haue prooued the saiyng of the Apologie vntrue and our argumente faultie But where the Apologie and we dooe thus reason Christe is the onelie head ouer the vniuersall churche Ergo he needeth not any other generall head in earth vnder hym neither can any mortall man be any suche head You like a good Logician stickyng to the matter dooe prooue that there bee diuers seuerall heades in the Churche vnder Christe whiche wée neuer denied no more then wée denie that there bée seuerall kynges rulers in earth vnder God though we denie that there is one onelie kyng or Emperour of all the worlde But neither by your Logike shall you euer prooue nor by your Rhetorike perswade to any reasonable men by suche vnreasonable reasonyng and examples impertinente that there is or can be any one head in earth vnder Christ either of all the worlde or of all the Churche dispersed thrâ—ughout the worlde For to gouerne the whole world or the whole Churche is the peculiar and onelie office of God and Christ and a thyng vnpossible to any earthlie manne who hath muche and to muche a dooe well to gouerns one little parcell thereof as I haue saied before And where you mingle kynges Bishops together whose offices are distincte and vse the examples of the Archebishop of
the highe priest or bishop as was Moises to Aaron To procéede Chore Dathan and Abyron rebelled against Moises and Aaron who were specially by God appointed to be their gouernours and his ministers but what apperteineth that to vs who doo obey our natural Prince appoincted by God to be our gouernour all as well ciuil magistrates as ecclesiastical ministers of god vnder our Prince And therfore dooe we as we must néedes renouÌ„ce the authoritie of y t foraigne vsurper of Rome sworne enemy to our prince and couÌ„trey who is not our gouernour nor the lawfull minister of almighty God but a foraigne false vsurper and the Diuels bailie generall chalenging suche a superioritie as none can holde by any tenure but from the Diuell him selfe It is you Papistes that are the successours of the rebelles Chore Dathan and Abyron who leauing the obedience due to your own natural Princes for the seruing of a foraigne false vsurper of Rome doo rebeli not onely against Moises that is to saie your gouernour by God appointed but against God himselfe also You rebell against God and his seruaunt Moises alwaies you set vp and mainteine Idolles and Idolatrie contrary to the manifest woorde of God geuen by his minister Moises You doo charge the Apologie vniustly For it saieth truely that Christe néedeth no suche one onely head ouer all his churche as the Pope would séeme to be neither can there be any suche but Christe him selfe onely as hath at large bene before declared But when M. Dorman so speaketh as though we would haue no gouernours at all in Christes churche for that we refuse that one vsurpar he dooeth deale deceiptfully with the simple and impudently with vs. For we acknowledge that as Moyses and Aaron were gods ministers by him appointed to gouerne his peculiar people Israel so hath God likewyse appoincted to euery seuerall countrey their Moyses and Aaron their owne Princes and pastoures or bishops whiche ought likewyse to be obeied as Moises and AaroÌ„ were to be obeied of the Israelites And that those who doo disobeye them doo sinne by rebellion as did Chore Dathan and Abiron This appeareth to be true by S. Cyprian who dooeth alleage this example of the rebellion of Chore Dathan and Abiron against suche as be stubborne and disobedient to their owne seuerall bishoppes as was one Pupianus to himselfe and as was the African Deacon against Rogatian his African byshop In the whiche epistle also S. Cyprian alleageth manie other places of the scripture falsely applied nowe adayes to the proufe of the Popes supremacie for the authoritie of euery bishop in his owne diocesse But this place of Douteronomium is neither by S. Cyprian nor any other but onely Papistes alleaged for proufe that the byshop of Rome is to be obeied by any sauynge onely Romaines or Italians his inferiours Concerninge the reason made by Chore Dathan Abiron that the people ought not to obey their gouernours because thei be al holy that therfore the magistrates ought not to lifte them selues aboue the Lordes people it is not our reason as M. DormaÌ„ saith it is the reason of the popish swarmes of their counterfeite hypocrites falsely called religious yea of the whole popish clergie who haue procured of their father of Rome immunities from all obedience to their naturall Princes appointed by God ouer them as was Moises ouer the Israelites It is therfore Chanon Chore Dathan Dane Monke and Abbot Abiron with their complices of false Friers and other hypocrites that were so holy shauelinges that they might not for any crime were it neuer so hainous bee tried by the lawes of their countrey nor aunswere before their naturall prince They cried as did Chore Dathan and Abiron they were the holy people of the great lorde of Rome and that no temporall lorde might lifte vp him selfe aboue them And thus they shewed themselues to be the very children of their forefathers Chore Dathan AbiroÌ„ as truely as M. Dorman dooth falsely obiect it to vs. Now whereas M. Dorman alleageth the apologie as thus reasoning that the churche hath no neede of any other ruler because Christ is vvith it Truthe it is if M. Dorman dooe meane one onely head of the vniuersall churche For Christ néedeth no such generall gouernour seyng he is both present himselfe continually by his spirite as he promised also for that he hath in euery peculiar countrey church his Moises Aaron that is to faie his seuerall deputies in his stéede euery where here in earth for that no one mortall man can possibly suffice to the gouernaunce of the whole worlde or churche whiche woordes followyng in the Apologie M. Dorman of his accustomed sinceritie omitteth vtterly For it is the especiall woorke of Gods omnipotent wysedome as first to haue created the whole worlde and instituted the whole churche so vniuersally to gouerne the fame reachynge mightily from ende to ende ouer all and swéetely disposing or gouerning all thinges where as séely man ouercharged with the goueruaunce of a little percell is euer founde guiltie when it shal be said vnto hym Redde rationem villicationis tuae ReÌ„der an accompt of thy Stewardship At the lasâ—e he concludeth with a terrible denuntiation as it were thunderyng in a kinderkinne and lightnyng out of a brighte Basen moste terribly that we must folowe Chore and his fellowes swallowed quicke by hell as rebellious wretches againste the Popes Monarchie vnlesse we repent But wee feare no necessitie of suche horrible damnation vpon M. Dormans Muste For as wee are moste farre from rebellyng againste our naturall soueraigne and other Goddes ministers appoincted to gouerne vs and therefore no partakers of Chore and his fellowes rebellion so trust we in God to be moste farre from their moste horrible destruction And wee geue warnyng to M. Dorman with his maister doctour Harding and all suche as thei bee who for maintenaunce of a forraine Pharao against their conscience as is to be feared doo disobeie their owne naturall prince and that vpon the pretence of holinesse and spiritualitie and are therein moste like to Chore Dathan and Abyron rebellyng againste their owne speciall gouernours by God appoincted as thei did that thei make speede by vnfeined repentaunce to mollifie Gods moste iuste wrathe that thei folowe not Chore Dathan and Abyron in horrible damnation as thei haue folowed them in damnable rebellion Dorman Fol. II. But yet let vs good readers that nothyng maie remaine that might in any wise seeme to blemis he this truthe goe one steppe farder For as yet will our aduersaries I know wel saie that I neuer came where it grew For our case saie thei is farre otherwise then you take it seyng that we vtterlie denie not that Christe woorketh by meanes but onely swarue from you in that we take those instrumentes and meanes to be other then you doe For the scripture wee saie whiche Christ hath lefte to vs is the
rotten chaire or ruinous Rome were the rocke whereon the churche of our sauior Christ is builded And to make the purposed wickednesse of these aduersaries of the verie rocke Christe and his truthe who care not what thei allege for the maintenaunce of their desperate cause of the Popes supremacie though theÌ„selues dooe knowe it serueth nothing for their purpose at all more manifeste to all the worlde I lette the reader vnderstande that Erasmus in his scholies or annotations vpon this epistle whiche M. Dorman were he not asleape muste needes see did warne him that he should not after this sorte so falsifie S. Hierome in this place For though he coÌ„fesse that S. Hierome might seeme by this place to thinke that all churches ought to be vnder the Romaine see or at the leaste not straungers from it yet when he noteth vpon these woordes I knowe the churche is builded vpoÌ„ that rocke he saieth Super illam PetraÌ„ c. Non super Romam vt arbitror nam fieri potest vt Roma quoque degeneret sed super eam fidem quam Petrus professus est quam hactenus Romana seruauit ecclesia qua non alia minus laborauit haeresibus That is to saie Vpon this rocke not vpon Rome I trow for it maie come to passe that Rome also goe out of kinde but vpon the faith whiche Peter professed and the whiche hither to the Romain churche hath kept then the whiche church no other hath been lesse infected with heresies Thus farre Erasmus cleane contrary to M. Dorman and all Papistes who would haue the Romaine see to bee the rocke wheron Christes churche is builded and that the said see can not possibly erre Yea and further the same Erasmus in the beginnyng of his argument vpon his treatie againste the Luciferians whiche is nexte to his twoo epistles to Damasus hath these woordes Nulla haeresis grauius afflixit totius orbis ecclesias quà m Arrianorum adeò vt Romanum quoque pontificem ipsos inuoluerit imperatores That is to say No heresie hath more greuouslie afflicted the Churches of all the worlde then the Arrians in so muche that it hath wrapped in the Bishop of Rome and the Emperours themselues Thus farre Erasmus It pleaseth M. Dorman sometyme to allege Erasmus against vs whose authoritie if it bee good doune goeth the Pope and all Poperie for if the bishoppes of Rome haue been infected with heresie their Chaire is not that vnmoueable rocke as M. Dorman would haue it Now if M. Dorman did not see these notes of Erasmus vpon the place by hym alleged out of S. Hierome I praise his diligence he maie of Dorman bee called Dormitantius as sainct Hierome whom he falsely allegeth called Vigilantius and more iustlie bothe by nature and sounde of name maie M. DormaÌ„ be so called then euer was Vigilantius by sainct Hierome But if M. Dorman did see Erasmus note and dissembled it as he did see these S. Hieromes woordes I folowyng no heade but Christe nexte and moste necessarilie ioigned to the sentence by hym alleged and yet of purpose cutte them of by the necke then is M. Dormans candor and sinceritie vsuall to hym throughout all his booke moste woorthie of plentifull Popishe praise But if Erasmus iudgemente and authoritie be nothyng woorthe but onelie when he seemeth to speake againste vs then I will yet in Christes quarell that he is the Rocke not Peters rotten chaire bring foorth one witnesse not onely greater then Erasmus but also equall with S. Hierome and aboue all Papistes in creadite and authoritie S. Augustine in his 13. Sermon vpon the Gospell of Mathewe hath these woordes Quia tu dixisti mihi inquit Christus Petro Tu es Christus filius Dei viui ego tibi tu es Petrus Simon quippe antè vocabatur hoc autem nomen vt Petrus appellaretur ei à domino impositum est hoc vt ea figura significaret Ecclesiam Quia enim Christus Petra Petrus populus christianus Petra enim principale nomen est ideo Petrus à Petra non Petra à Petro quomodo non à christiano Christê° sed à Christo christianus vocatur Tu es ergouÌ„quit Petrus super hanc Petram quam confessus es super haÌ„c Petram quaÌ„ cognouisti dicens tu es Chrstus filius dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam id est super meipsum filium dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam Super me aedificabo te non me super te NaÌ„ volentes homines Ä™dificari super homines dicebant ego quidem sum Pauli ego autem Apollo ego verò Cephae ipse est Petrus Et alij qui nolebant aedificari super Petrum sed super Petram ego autem sum Christi Apostolus autem Paulus vbi cognouit se eligi Christum coÌ„temni diuisus est inquit Christus Nunquid Paulus pro vobis crucifixus est aut in nomine Pauli baptizati estis Quomodo noÌ„ in Pauli sic nec in Petri sed iÌ„ nomine Christi vt Petrus edificaretur super PetraÌ„ non Petra supra PetruÌ„ c. That is to saie Because thou haste saied to me saieth Christe to Peter Thou art Christe the sonne of the liuyng God I dooe also saie to thee thou art Peter for before he was called Simon but this name that he should be called Peter was geuen him of the Lorde to th' ende that by that figure he might signifie y e churche For because Christe is Petra the Rocke Petrus is the Christian people For Petra is the principal name and therefore Petrus cometh of Petra and not Petra of Petrus as Christus Christe is not named à Christiano of a Christian but Christianus a Christian is named of Christus Christ Therefore saith Christ Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke which thou hast confessed vpoÌ„ this rocke whiche thou hast knowen saiyng Thou art Christe the sonne of the liuyng God I will builde my churche that is vpon my self beyng the sonne of the liuyng God will I builde my churche I will builde thée vpon me not me vpon thee For men y e would be builded vpoÌ„ men did saie I am of Paule I of Apollo and I of Cephas that is of Peter And other who would not bee builded vpon Petrum Peter but vpon Petram the rocke did saie I am of Christe And the Apostle Paule wheÌ„ he did knowe that he was chosen or preferred and Christ despised by some men saied is Christe diuided Was Paule crucified for you Or were you Baptized in the name of Paule And as not in Paules name no more were ye baptized in the name of Peter but in the name of Christ that Peter might be builded vpon the rocke not the rocke vpon Peter and so foorthe Thus farre S. Augustine And the same interpretation and defence that Christ is the rocke and not Peter doeth sainct Augustine againe in his Retractations repete and maintaine Wherefore you see maister Dorman
the moste blessed Trinitie to the Popes vsurped supremacie minglyng vs in lente vnguentum to witte matters moste impertinente together might moste iustlie bee blamed in this place therefore sauyng that he dooeth so in all places Finallie I would haue thee good reader to note that as S. Hierome would not knowe Vitalis and Meletius for that thei were forainers and not his owne bishops for that they taught false doctrine and therefore were not of Christ but of Antichrist and for that they were of a straunge language so haue we the same causes altogether not to knowe but to refuse the bishop of Rome and moe too as this specially that he being a forainer would vsurpe suche a supreame authoritie or rather cruell tyranny ouer vs with whom of right he hath nothing to doo Dorman fol. 14. Tell them boldely vvith S. Austen that yovv vvill ovve neither sute nor seruice to their chaire of pestilēce nor be a member of that body that either lacketh a head and is a dead tronke or hath many and is a liue monstre Novvell Be bolde and blushe not M. Dormā as boldly to belie S. Augustine as ye streight before haue dealt with S. Hierome For neither be the woords you doo reherse S. Augustines neither are the greatest part of them to be found in the place by you noted nor y e woordes which be in that place whiche you haue noted whose so euer they bee make ought for your purpose or against vs. You should haue done more simply had you alleaged a proufe for your headles trunke or liue monstre out of Pighius Hosius Pope Boniface his Extrauagants there shall you in déede finde for your purpose for much adoo is made there to saue the Popishe churche as hauing two heades one in heauen an other in earth as they say from being a liue monstre Erasmus being no simple iudge of the true and counterfeite writinges of the olde doctours in his preface before the booke De quaestionibus veteris noui testamēti intitled vntruly to S. Augustine doth by diuersitie of S. Augustines phrase and the phrase of that book probably and by very barbarous and false Latine vsuall in that booke vnaccustomed to S. Augustine certainly and by sundry doctrines in that booke most contrary to S. Augustines doctrine in his bookes vndoubtedly prooue that it is not S. Augustines worke so that it were to muche impudencie for any man but onely Hosius and M. Dorman to alleage it for S. Augustines The woordes of that authour who so euer he was a little more largely rehearsed by Hosius than by you M. Dorman leaste it myght appeare you had followed him to neere are these Eorum qui extra ecclesiam vel contra ecclesiam sedes suas instituerunt Cathedram pestilentiae dicimus Qui enim inconcessa praesumit c. We saye that the chaire of them whiche haue made them sees without or against the churche is the chaire of Pestilence He that presumeth vpon vnlawfull thinges is guiltie howe muche more if he also corrupte the tradition of him whose seate he vsurpeth For they trouble the order begunne of Peter the Apostle and kept to this tyme by the continuance of Bishoppes succeedyng chalenginge to themselues ordre without origine that is to saye professinge a bodye without an head Wherefore it is agreable their seate also to appeere to be the chayre of Pestilence Thus farre that incerteine author alleged by Hosius and nowe by M. Dorman for S. Augustine First if you woulde haue this place to make for you against vs you must proue your selues to be the true churche of Christe which you shall neuer be hable to dooe being in deede the Synagoge of Antichriste Further it appeareth by these woordes vvhose seate he vsurpeth meaninge Peters seate that this was writen in later times against some Antipope wrongfully chosen and intruding himselfe into the Bishoprike of Rome For it hath been no noueltie for these .iii. or .iiii. hundreth yeres to haue .ii. or .iii. Popes at once one chosen at Rome by some Cardinalles an other at Auinion by other some Cardinalles the thirde in a thirde place appointed by the Emperour and one to keepe his Papal see at Rome an other at Auinion in Fraunce the third at Rauenna in Italie or some where els And so some writer in fauour of him by like that was chosen and kept residence at Rome hath written this against some other that vsurped Peters seate and so they beynge many at one time troubled the order of the succession of one after an other begunne at Peter and so continued till such discorde came in by those who settinge vp an other chaire and so not sitting in Peters chaire sate as he saieth in the chaire of pestilence Howsoeuer it be the mater can not be applied to vs who doo not vsurpe Peters chaire Further what woord is there here to proue y e chayre of Rome to be the head of y e vniuersall church but rather to be the head of that peculiar church of Rome onely where Peters successours haue cōtinued Such kinde of head gouernour as we doo not denie euery bishop to be in his own diocesse so yet subiect to his prince as y e bishop of Rome ought to be to y e Emperour his lord To proceede we hauing Christ to be our head our church is no dead trunke as lacking an head and hauing him our head onely other his ministers our gouernours vnder him our churche is no liue monster as hauing many heades no more than our cōmon wealth hauing God the only head in heauen our prince his seruant our head gouernour in earth is therefore a liue monstre or the whole worlde hauing God to his head is therefore a dead truncke because it hath no one onely earthly head nor can haue any such no more can the vniuersall churche throughout the whole worlde haue any suche one earthly head Wherefore as M. Dormā would gather our church to be a dead truncke for that we will not graunt one onely head in earth ouer all the churche though we graunt Christe to be the onely head therof as in déede he is so let him gather in like wise that the whole world is a dead trūcke for that it hath no one onely head in earth though it haue God for his head in heauen and so he may cōclude that god and Christ the authours of life be no heades or no such heades as can saue the bodies whereof they be heades from being dead trunckes except the saide bodies haue a false vsurper from Rome to be their head besides and to geue them life And had M. Dorman had so muche leasure from his diuinitie matters as to haue looked better vpon his notes of the Canon lawe his peculiar studie he would haue bene better aduised than to haue called vs Acephalos headles and therfore dead trunckes who doo obey our owne Prelates seing Acephali as is there
head If the tyme I saie were for it thei would plainelie saie the Pope is Lorde and Monarche of the whole worlde and head of the whole Churche too For so it is recorded in the booke of his Canon lawe and that he hath as muche righte to all the Kyngdomes of the worlde as onelie Monarche as he hath to the whole Churche dispersed throughout all the worlde as the onelie head and in so saiyng maister Dorman might saie more truely then he is ware of For he hath like righte to bothe that is none at all to any of bothe But in all his behauiour riches pompe power Castelles souldiours armour gunnes and other artillarie of warre he shewith hym self more like a worldlie prince then in any one poincte like a godlie bishop or a bishop at all whereof he hath no token nor signe at all Wherefore he mighte with better reason plead for his Monarchie of the worlde as partlie in possession thereof then for his bishoprike of the world beyng cleane out of al possessioÌ„ of any bishoprike and without all showe of any bishop And as when the tyme serued hym in Kyng Ihons daies he made as greate title to the croune as to the Churche of Englande and named the prince his vassall aswell as the Priestes his subiectes so hath this Foxe chaunged his heare but not his maners And I praie God that he beeyng in deede but a false Romishe Foxe neuer haue oportunitie nor power so to plaie the Lyon or Beare rather againe in our countrey Dorman Fol. 14. Finallie if at that tyme thei flattered the kyng and gaue hym that whiche neither thei coulde geue nor he receiue and abused his good nature to the destruction of so many notable men as for the onely refusall to saie as thei saied by moste exquisite painfull tormentes lost their liues saie vnto them that thei yet at length acknowledge their faulte and admonishe that good Ladie our maistres that she consente not to vse that title whiche because it belongeth to Christe she maie not haue or if thei thinke and wil stande in it that she maie without offence that thei doe yet at the least confesse that reason of theirs to be verie weake and of no strength Christ is head of the churche therefore it maie haue none other Excepte thei will perhaps saie that he is heade of all other Churches and hath onelie left oures headlesse so that because he is not head therof wee are out of the feare of fallyng into that inconuenience of hauyng many and maie therefore choose some one emongest our selues whom we liste Nowell Who thei were that flattered kyng Henrie and abused his good nature I haue touched before who as thei moste deceipfullie dissembled with hym so did thei after moste cruelly by all exquisite and painfull tormeÌ„tes put to death such as did not slatter their prince but dealed sincerely with him and would not therfore geue his enemie a foraign false vsurper the title due to their said prince And in bothe these poinctes the false flattering of their soueraigne abusyng of his good nature and in murthering moste cruelly their felow subiectes thei did shewe the naughtinesse of their owne nature The Queenes maiestie vseth no title but suche as of good right she maie vse as shall in place conuenient be dâ—ely proued The reason of th'Apologie Christ is the onely head of the vniuersall churche therefore there is nor can bee no one earthly head ouer it is not weake but as good as is this reason God is the onely head ouer the whole worlde therefore there is nor can bee no one onely earthly head ouer it which as I thinke is no weake but a good and strong reason and well confirmed by perpetuall experience And againe this reason Though Christ be the onely head ouer y e whole church yet maie he haue and hath his ministers vnder hym head gouernours of seuerall churches is as good as is this Though God be head ouer all the world yet hath he seuerall kinges head gouernours vnder him in euery countrey whiche I thinke bothe reason experience will allowe as bothe reasonable true But that one man should haue the gouernaunce of al will trouble M. Dormans braine to make it seeme reasonable but onely to suche as is himsef as the Pope atteÌ„pting to put it in experience hath by his ambition crueltie auarice troubled oppressed and robbed all the worlde whiche M. Dorman suche as he is doo maintaine as reasonably and well doen Non quia honestuÌ„ aut probabile sed quia vtile not for that it is honest reasonable or probable but bicause it is profitable to Popishe prelates partakers of suche polling spoile of the worlde Dorman Fol. 15. â—â—â— Thus I trust good readers you see sufficientlie proued that Christes pleasure is for the repressyng of heresies calmyng of tempestuous schismes that there be one head of his churche here in earth suppliyng his corporall absence for the tyme his honor in the meane season nothyng thereby the more diminished then it is in other thynges wherein he also vseth the ministerie and seruice of menne Nowell Thus I truste good readers you see the insufficiencie or more truelie the leudenesse of M. Dormans proufes of the necessitie of one onelie heade ouer Christes whole churche here in earth you sée where he saith that he hath sufficientlie proued it to be Christes pleasure that there should be such an one head that he hath not nor could not for if he could he would allege out of the newe testamente where Christes will and pleasure is written and declared moste largelie and manifestlie as muche as one woorde sounding to that purpose so farre of is it that it is as he saieth sufficientlie proued You see that Schismes and controuersies by saincte Cyprians iudgemente and saincte Augustines also with 217. Bishoppes moe assembled in the African Councell with hym and by good reason and experience also maie bee beste quieted and decided in the countries where thei arise by the magistrates and Bishops of the same countreis You see that it becommeth man vnable well to gouerne a verie little thing to humble hymself and to yelde vp the honour glorie of gouernyng the whole worlde and Churche to God and to our sauiour Iesus Christe who alone are able to suffice to suche a charge For experieÌ„ce teacheth that those menne are the woorste of all gouernours whiche desire to haue most Also you sée that in this treatie hitherto as M. Dorman hath not one woorde out of the newe Testamente so hath he alleged but onelie twoo textes out of the olde Testamente one out of Deuteronomium cap. 17. whiche is as a speciall place often alleged and repeated an other out of Numeri 16. whiche bothe make directlie againste hym the one prouyng that euery nation countrey diocesse or churche ought to haue their seuerall head Bishoppe as had the nation of the Iewes