the VenetiaÌ„s yet he shold escape with safety only his fault was that by the sword he did not reforme and redresse the abuses of the Clergy at Rome In briefe he stil preached against the Romanists and wrote divers things excellently and learnedly which yet appeare But being such a scourge vnto them the Pope r Guiâ—…iard hist. lib. 3. excommunicated him and forbad him to preach where-vnto when he assented not they caused a tumult to be raised in the City apprehended him and imprisoned him put him to torture and gaue out such a confession of his as they listed but in the ende they burnt him where with singular patience he yeelded his body to the fire and his soule to God Almighty From all these many more I draw this Conclusion contrary to that of my adversary before vrged That if such as haue beene esteemed for Prophets in this last age haue had any such gift indeede and any matter may be built on them then the Church of Rome is a strumpet full of corruptions pollutions abominations as the very denne of Antichrist And so rest they with their Visions and sit they with their Prophecies THE EIGHTH REASON Scriptures T. HILL NEither may heere the Protestant reply and say that the Papists builde vpon Miracles Uisions Prophecies and vpon such like but not vpon the UUorde for all that they alleadge are most agreeable to the word of God Neither doe they teach any doctrine but such as is derived out of the holy Bible G. ABBOT HOw you build vpon the Scriptures and what account you make of the word of God we need no better man to declare then your selfe who do evidently shew to all the worlde in what reverende esteeme you haue the sacred Oracles of the Lords booke when you thinke this to bee a fit place to speake of the Scriptures after your false imputed name of Catholikes your Uanity and Cousening your Perverting of Consciences your lying Miracles and other your not base but most base and refuse stuffe And as you doe place it worthily so you insist vpon it largely in this your whole Pamphlet consisting of an 187. Pages allowing not full out one leafe vnto that which is the a Luk. 10 42 Unum necessarium the sole anker of our hope the foundation of our confidence the ioy of our harts VVherein you do as your graund Captaines do teach you who vse but meane speeches concerning this word of God yea and your Conventicle of b Session 4. Trent wickedly equalling and making of the same authority the traditions of men with the written Scripture which sacrilegious impiety and impure blasphemy while your auditours do not perceiue decline they shew themselues not only blinded but bewitched with the cup of the c Apoc 17 21 whores inchantments And even with the like reverence you do vse it here as it were casting it into an odde corner and naming it no otherwise but as to fill vp your nuÌ„ber so skirting by it or skipping over it as the d Pli l. 8. 40 Solin c 25 dogs in Egypt do by the river Nilus where they dare not stand and drinke but lap as they runne and runne as they lap for feare of a Crocodile So when you come to the Scripture you wil stand to nothing but touch and goe for fear least some thing should here start out which should devour you and your Popery If you had beene a man of mettal if there had beene ought in the Bible assuredly making for you you should from thence haue cleered some question as the sacrifice of your Masse the Supremacy of your Pope the lawfulnes of your Priest-hood or one thing or another questioned and controversed not haue dealt by it as one would handle thornes or take a coale of fire in his hand being glad when he is first rid of it Well we must beare with you for your brevity in this Chapter but for the manner of this your placing I cannot chuse but smile to thinke how you were troubled in this your short consultation whither you should now be beholding to Campian or to your old Master Bristow for borrow needs you must that is your profession Bristow you must not leaue no not for a little moment especially since e Motiv 8â—… somewhere he hath these very matters And yet notwithstanding some variety of stealing would do well not all out of Bristowe The resolution then grew that Campians concisenesse was fitter here for your humour and his very words you would vse But to set them as the f Cam. Rat. 〈◊〉 Iesuit did in the forefront of your booke were to lay your selfe too open for some body might haue taken his booke and first read it out of Latin and then your first Chapter if it had beene your first Chapter and read it in English To satisfie both then you took this honest course that the words should be Campians and the Methode should be Bristowes you placing the treatise of the Scripture behind as worthy Bristow had done before you This sheweth that you haue a prety wit of your own To come now to the matter our reply is in truth as you say that the sandy foundation of all your rotten building doth rest vpon vncertaineties your miracles are most fained your visions are forged your Prophecies false all of them out of date no inforcement of verity to be gathered from them And on the otherside you haue little acquaintance with the word of God neither by your good wils do you desire it That which you doe you are vrged vnto by vs and then you wrest you wring you straine you stretch to make some shew for that which originally is dravvne from your humane inventions And when it is once set vp then you labour to haue some colour to warrant it or at least to make some glose howe simple folke may take it for good payment Your workes of supererogation whereby a man may doe more then deserue heaven for himselfe and haue somewhat to spare for other your dispensatioÌ„ of the treasure of your Church by the Indulgences of your Pope your Canonizing of Saints your creating of Lumbus your forging of Purgatory a multitude more or rable rather of vpstart novelties since the age of the Apostles are derived froÌ„ the tricks of their wit who haue made their purse their belly and their worldly pompous honour to be their God their summuÌ„ solum bonuÌ„ As for the sacred word froÌ„ thence they are not taken vnlesse you meane that they be so derived out of the holy Bible as that they were never in it so we deny not but your superstition may be taken out of it But were these controversed matters but probably to be collected out of the sacred Oracles you would not runne to such beggerly shiftes as in this whole Pamphlet of yours you are driven vnto They must make a shew with Counters cary about theÌ„ a purse
meaning that of Saint Austen may be The Christiā faith i De moribus Eccles. Cathol lib. 1. 18. is not any where but in the Catholike discipline or instruction vnto which sence vse ordinary custome hath now brought the word Even so they are most farre from it For while they strive about the name they have lost the thing they keepe the shel but have parted with the kernel while they lay hould on the Candle-sticke some other is runne away with the light Their case is like that of the kings souldiours of k Socrat. l. 7. 20. Persia who keeping the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Immortales were wel proved to be otherwise whē by the Roman armies they were distressed slaine shewed to be mortal Let thē lay aside these verbal titulary gloses make plaine out of the Scripture that they maintaine the same faith which Christ and his Apostles taught then they do somewhat But they are fallen from it yea from the sound profession which was in the daies of the Fathers Doctors of the Primitive Church therfore that which was true of their times is not communicable now to Popery No not that of Saint Austen whervpon they have a maine desire to fastē The l De vera Religione cap 7. Christian Religiō is to be held by vs the cōmunion of that Church which is Catholike and is named Catholike not onely of her owne friends but also of all her enimies For wil or nil the very Heretikes favourers of schismes when they speake not with their owne but with strangers they cal the Catholik church nothing els but the Catholike church For they cannot be vnderstood vnlesse they distinguish her by that name wherby she is called of al the world This was spoken of the whole nūber of Christians in the world which embraced the right faith not of the Romane Church onely And those who nowe are devoted vnto Rome doe as much differ from the puritie and integrity of their olde predecessours as Babylon doth differ from Sion Then in oppositiō to Heretikes which were but in corners and fewe places the faith which either Rome or any right Christian citty helde might be called Catholike but nowe that which the Pope maintaineth may it selfe bee reckoned no better then Hereticall perfidiousnes which the farther it is spred the worse it is with Gods flocke 9 To set them therfore straight by bringing thē from such vizards painted shewes to the matter it is not any name wherevnto men are directed for finding out the truth but m Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures saith Christ for in them you thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee And as they testifie of Christ so do they also of his Spouse as we find in diverse of the ancient Fathers Cyprian saith n De Lapsis Hee is not ioyned to the Church vvho is separated frō the Gospell He who beareth the name of Origene on the Canticles o Homil. 3. A good purpose and the beleeving of right opinions doth make a soul to be in the house of the Church But S t. Chrysostome or the Auctor of the Imperfect worke vpon S t. Matthew doth yet speake more plainely p Homil. 49. He who will know what is or which is the true Church of Christ whēce should he know it but only by the Scriptures The Lord therfore knowing that in the last daies there vvould bee so great confusion of things doth therfore command that the Christians which are in Christianity being willing to receive the firmenes of a true faith should flie to no other thing but to the Scriptures Otherwise if they looke to other things they shall be scandalized and perish not vnderstanding vvhich is the true Church By which our Romanists may see that it is not a naked name nor any other matter of all that vncertaine rabble which the writer of this Pamphlet heereafter subioyneth that can bee our direction which is the Church or where is the truth but only the holy Scriptures And as Chrysostome hath q Homil. 33. in Act. If any agree to thē he is a Christian if any fight against them hee is farre from this rule The word of the Lord is the sure foundation he who buildeth on any thing besides this setteth his house but vpon the r Mat. 7. 26. sand and while he thinketh that he standeth for the Faith and for the Church he is enemie to both as those were to whom Leo sometimes Bishop of Rome wrote thus s Leo Epist. 83 ad Episcopos Palestinos you thinke that you deale for the faith and you goe against the faith You are armed in the name of the Church and you fight aganist the Church Let him who will farther be satisfied in this point reade what a learned man hath written vpon this Argument that s Ioh. Rainold Thes. 5. The Church of Rome is neither the Catholiks Church nor a sound member of the Catholike Church and if he bee not obdurate hee shall never neede to doubt farther in that behalfe t In praefat De triplici hominis officio UUeston a most vaine-glorious but shalowe fellow at Doway hath vaunted that if he had leysure he would beate that servant of God to dust I feare he wil never have leysure to grapple with him vnlesse it be heere and there to skulke out at some hole or corner and runne backe againe I meane heere and there snatch a saying of his falsely alleaged vnconscionably perverted as already he hath done But if hee bee the man that hee pretendeth to bee and I may request any thing of him let him first begin directly to answere the Thesis before named and we shall by his cariage therein iudge what is his true strength I woulde have VVeston fall about this worke for it is of too high a pitch for my good Doctour Hill THE THIRD REASON Vnitie and Consent T. HILL THe Catholike Romane Religion being received by so many Nations in Africa Asia Europa and in this last age in both the Indies hath notwithstanding such variety of wits such diversitie of māners such multitude of tōgues lāguages such distāce of places such nūbers of matters to be beleeved yet ever kept Vnity Concord in such peaceable consonāt māner as never any one in Englādor Irelād which are the vttermost parte of the VVest-world dissented or disagreed in anie point of doctrine cōcerning faith frō him which lived in the vtmost partes of the East But whosoever they be or in what place or Region soever they remaine in al the world if they be Catholikes or Papists if you wil cal thē so they all have one Faith one Beleefe one Service one number of Sacraments one Obedience one Iudgement in all with other like points of Vnion and Vnity which maketh a geuer all Vniformity also in the peace
Faith Valent the Emperour with deadlie pravity did send teachers of the Arrian sect The Gothes held the instruction of the first faith which they receaved Ualens had before the rule of the Catholike faith but leaving it hee did intangle himselfe vvith the perverse opinion of the Arrians Therefore by the iust iudgement of God they burned him alive who by reason of him when they are deade are to burne by the fault of their errour And that is the truth your owne conscience D. Hâ—…st telleth you which is manifest by the mincing of your words the greatest part of those Gothes were Catholike Christians before Not all but the greatest part Therefore some which is in truth the whole Nation of the Uese Gothes were first coÌ„verted to Christianity by Arrian Heretikes And so your owne Proposition that Heretikes cannot convert Infidels is made voide by your owne example Nowe wheras you say that such turning is not to make the converted better theÌ„ they were before we must confesse that if you speake of such as be Heretikes indeede and not those whom you onely call Heretikes being Gods good servants that the gaine theÌ„ is but this that formerly they knew not Christ at all and now they know him in some sort although it be not so rightly as they should If this bee to bee accounted but a little then your Indian Converts of whom you boast gaine but a little by you for you mingle to their handes the doctrine of the Gospell with many pollutions of vile Idolatry most horrible superstition like to that of the olde Heathens T. HILL FOR that they having indeede the Scripture in some sorte yet have not the true sence thereof which properly is the sword of the spirite and the wordes are rather the scabard in which the svvord is sheathed And therefore they fighting onely with the scabard vvithout the sword cannot wound the heartes of Infidels And no marveile though they perverte Catholikes for that men are proue to liberty and to loosenesse of life vvhich by such doctrine is permitted So that they are indeede most aptely by Saint Augustine likened vnto Partridges which gather togither Libr 13 cótr Faust cap. 12. youngâ—…ones which they begot not whereas contrarywise the Holy Church is a most fertle Dove which continually bringeth forth new Pigeons G. ABBOT 22 HEretiks you say have the Scripturs in some sort Certainly many of them have the wordes without any difference froÌ„ the Orthodoxe For whereas many of theÌ„ spruÌ„g vp in the Greeke Church they had for the Old Testament the Septuagint in Greeke the Newe Testament word for word in that language wherein it was writen But they want the sence thereof which is the sword of the Spirit for the wordes are but the scabard and the scabard cannot wound the hartes of the Infidels What mischiefe with the letter of the text and their owne perverse interpretation Heretikes may do to theÌ„ who were formerly vnbeleevers may bee gathered by that of the Arrians last named by the Pelagians by the Donatistes and many other But those have not the true sence What is that to vs vnlesse you can prove that we also want it which M. z Ration 〈◊〉 Campian in kindnesse would threape vpon vs. There is not in the world any fit meanes to come to the right sence of Scripture which our men doe not frequeÌ„t They seeke into the Original tonges wherin the booke of God was writen They conferre translations of all sortes they lay one text with another expound the harder by that which is lesse difficult they compare circumstances of Antecedents and Consequents they looke to the Analogy of of faith prescribed in the Creede of the Apostles They search what the first Councels did establish they seeke what was the opinioÌ„s of the Fathers concerning textes in question and refuse not therein to cope with you about the highest points as the Primacy of your Pope Transubstantiation or any other vvhatsoever Yea they looke over the interpretations of your vvriters to knovve if anie thinge there occurre vvorthy observation they conferre one learned man vvith another they praye to the blessed Trinitie to open and lighten their vnderstanding and in a vvorde they omitte no meanes vvhich either Saint a De doctr Chriist l. 3 4 Augustine or anie other good writer doth or can prescribe vnto them Only heere they lay a strawe that they are not perswaded that the Bishop of Rome hath all knowledge iudgment so in b Vide Platin in Paulo 22 Scrinio Pectoris that by his finall sentence all may be resolved no not that he with the c Bellar. de veth Dei li. 3. 3. Councell which he shall like to call is the only determiner of the true meaning of al controversed passages The Poes all of them are men and therefore may be deceived many of them are ignorant men in comparison of any great Clerk-ship and many of them haue entertained vnsound opinions as Liberius and Honorius and divers Councels haue grosly erred as that second Synode of Nice and therefore blame vs not if we pinne not our salvation vpon such weake or partiall mens interpretations 23 When you report that Heretiks pervert Catholiks by your owne second Reason before handled you must meane Papistes by your Catholikes or no body and then you are a right good Proctor to speake in their cause Their matter was bad enough before and in the telling you make it worse Your Catholike men for your words can touch no other are proÌ„e you say to liberty and loosenesse of life Would you haue a fee for this pleading We do not doubt but many of theÌ„ are very licentious great breakers of the Sabaoth swearers and blasphemers and much inclined to other viciousnes whereof if a man would see the spectacle of all spectacles let him but goe to Rome And who would forbeare this lasciviousnes when a pardon from a Pope and absolution from a Priest can make all as cleere as it had never beene But we on the other side teach our people that these your peccatillâ—… doe offend Almighty God and that they yea every d Mat. 12. 36 idle word must be reckoned for and our Church discipline doth bring notorious transgressours to the censure of excommunication and open pennance for their crimes They who haue turned vnto vs are some of the best and gravest of your sect and those which bee most vertuous of life wheras contrarywise many such as among vs haue beene wanton toyish people or deeply touched with suspition of lubricity haue bin observed to retire theÌ„selues to your shores as being the fittest harbour for such rotten vessels It were an easie thing to name many who leading liues as they do a maÌ„ rightly may say of them They are fit to be Papists We doe not envy you such persons although we could wish that even such would come to the truth and not amende their former vice with future
concerning whose appearance Esay did foretell that to s Cap. 2. 2. the mountaine of the house of the Lord c. all nations should flowe And many people should goe and say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lorde But that which you cite of Idols t Vers. 18. And the Idols will he vtterly destroy howsoever it may be applied vnto Christ yet if you looke againe it may well be disputed to belong in that Chapter to another time and matter and then you in referring the whole to the revealing of the Messias may very well be deceived I will not stand vvith you but that Esay and Daniel and David and the other sacred writers do give ample testimony of a copious confluence every way to the Church As also it must be yeelded that men longed for the comming of the fore-appointed Saviour since hee it vvas alone who should bring ioy vnto maÌ„kind Only by the way I do tell you that in delivering the words of Esay you are bould with the text when you put it Our Lord whereas no such word as Our is there to be fouÌ„d But that is your custome to hale in that word throughout the whole newe Testament it neither being in the Greeke nor in the vulgar Latine Onely the 〈◊〉 Rhemists doe enioyne In 1. Tim. 6. 20. it to their obedient children that they must not say The Lord but Our Lord as we say Our Lady for his mother not the Lady this they make to be a marke of difference betweene themselves so speaking and vs saying after the Scripture The Lord. And accordingly our English people doe practise it if they savour of Poperyâ—… so much that in all my life I have scant heard any in coÌ„mon speech alwaies saying Our Lord but that party hath more or lesse beene tainted that way 7 Furthermore when you name Heathenish Idolatrie doe you give it that Epitheton as meaning that Christ would put an end to the horrible superstitions of the Ethnicks but that there should stil be Idolatry in your Synagogue which by no meanes you wil forgoe Or is it rather your minde that all Idolatrie is heathenish and that there can bee none in the daies of the newe Testament Indeede so M r. Bristow your good maister woulde make vs beleeve saying x Motiv 32. So must wee everie vvhere vnderstand Idols in the olde Testament that they were figures of Heresyes in this time of the nevve Testament no other Idols being now but Heresies Ponitur Idolum quanâ—… do novum dogma constituitur c. An Idoll is sell vp when a newe Position or Heresy is erected saith Saint Hierome the most learned expert In Ier. 32. interpreter of the Scriptures Saint Paule also himselfe giving his voice thervnto where by Baal the Idoll that God did speake of to Elias Rom. 11. be teacheth vs to vnderstaÌ„d the erroneous wicked doctrin against Christ 3. Reg 19. of his incredulous Countrie-men the Iewes of his time This is good Logicke M r. Bristow and for the sweetnes of the conclusion fit to be studied in your Popish Vniversities An Idoll is set vp when a new doctrine is erected which is a figurative vnderstanding Baal may in some application signisie an erroneous doctrine Ergo there bee now no other Idols but Heresies neither have bin vnder the Gospell By this reckoning you doe well in your Catechismes to leave out the second commandement as not at al belonging to the newe Testament But why did Saint Iohn after Christs death and ascension too bidde y 1. Ioh 5. 21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Babes keepe your selves from Idolls And is it not saide else where speaking of times after the opening of the z Apoc. 8. 1. seventh seale and when the sixt a Cap 9. 13. Angell had sounded his trumpet that is to say towards the end of the world that men b Cap 9. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repented not of the deedes of their handes that they should not worship Devils and Idols of gold and silver and brasse stone and of wood which neither can see neither heare neither goe which being taken with al the circumstaÌ„ces is a most manifest convictioÌ„ that in the later daies there should be materiall Idols To which may be added the Idols destroied by CoÌ„stantine three hundred yeares after Christ the intolerable Idolatry which in this last age hath beene discovered to be committed in the East Indies America and many parts of Africa by diverse Ethnicks and Infidels which did do inhabit there Therefore you cannot so run away escape but that eveÌ„ now also Idolaters you may be This I note to shew how your Popery doth hang vpon gimols T. HILL NOw if the Religion of the Papists as these new men tearme them be false arronious then is it against the Messias and consequently it is a Religion of the Devils owne invention and hee the maister and inspirer thereof and so by it he is served and worshipped and then must it needes follow that the Prophets were false yea Christ himselfe saide not truely in telling his Disciples that the Prince of this world that is the Divell should then be cast out and that he would draw all to himselfe for that since his passion the Divell bath had a more large and ample dominion then he had before G. ABBOT 8 Very bluntly boisterously is your second PropositioÌ„ here connected to your former where we wil not be straight-laced toward you but readily yeelde you the tearme of Papists For if Christians be such as depend vpon Christ you may wel be called Papists as resting your summnÌ„ bonuÌ„ vpoÌ„ the Popes pleasure determination Neither shall you neede much to presse vs to grant that your Religion or rather SuperstitioÌ„ is false erronious yea against the Messias as far forth as the abuses of it stretch of the Divels owne invention For Saint Paule doth teach vs that it is c 1. Tim. 4. 〈◊〉 2. 3. doctrine of Divels to speake false in hypocrisie to forbid to marrie to abstaine from meates vvhich God hath created to bee receaved vvith giving of thankes the first wherof most of you pleÌ„tifully performe the second you inhibit to some men at all times the third to all men at some times and that not for state-governmeÌ„t but for Religion sake But the sequel of your inference doth prove to be a most discinct and dissolute thing for howe will it then followe that the Prophets were false and Christ saide not truely Marry in telling his Disciples that the Prince of the worlde that is the Devill should then bee cast out and that he would drawe all to himselfe Which doe you so expound as that all Nations of the world should immediately after his death resurrection and ascension be converted to the faith should alwaies so coÌ„tinue which your former words may wel seeme to import by
your inculcating of Al d Fol. 2. Nations having afterwards subioyned vnto it ever continue without interruption e Fol. 3. all Kinges people should acknowledge this Church againe all people which sate in darkenes in the shadow of death should be lightened delivered and set in the right way to Heaven If you take it thus you are pitifully out for our Saviour hath fore-told that into the f Math. 7. 13 wide gate broad way that leadeth to destruction many there be which enter but the straight gate and narrow way that leadeth vnto life few there be that finde And it was reveiled vnto Iohn that with the whore of Babylon the g Apoc. 17. 2. Kings of the earth committed fornication the inhabitours of the earth are drunken with the wine of her fornication And experience hath confirmed that not only the Saracene doctrin hath for almost these thousād yeeres possessed the shew face of many great countries but time out of mind very Gentilisme Heathenisme have raigned in the East West Indies in the Ilands neere adioyning in diverse parts of Africa in Lappia and many other countries the name of Iesus our Redeemer for ought that of certainty can be found till of late yeeres being scant ever heard of among them Or doe you rather vnderstand those speeches of all Nations cōming vnto him of all being drawne vnto Christ to carry this sence that the Gentiles nowe as well as formerly the Iewes should bee admitted and moreover that the word should bee spreade to the East and to the VVest and to the North and to the Southe so that before the day of iudgment God should have some faithfull in everie quarter and sometimes when his Church did flourish many thousands in diverse places and alwaies some servants some-where In this meaning if you take it we willingly ioyne with you the rather induced thervnto by the nature of the word All in the Scriptures and by the manner of the fulfilling of those Prophecies in the Church in such a sort as with reason cannot be gaine-saide For as All in holy writte doth evermore at least signifie many so it doth not cōtinually importe a generality without any sort of exception When it is saide that to Iohn the Baptist h Math. 3. 5. vvent out Hierusalem and all Iewry and all the region round about Iordan it is not meant that no individuall person did stay at home but many of all sortes rich and poore young and olde men and women such a company as if almost all the country had come in were partakers of his Baptisme So i T it 2. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grace of God hath appeared which bringeth salvation to all men saith Saint Paule to Titus Like to which is that to Timothy k 1. Tim. 2. 4. God our Saviour who will that all men shall be saved where All intendeth many or diverse of diverse sorts not vniversally every one He will have all to be saved saith Gregory l In 1. Reg. 14. because out of every sort of men hee chooseth those whome hee draweth to the ioye of everlasting salvation And Aquinas himselfe among other interpretations of that later place hath this m Part 1. q. 19. a. 6. It may bee vnderstood that the distribution must be made pro generibus singulorum and not pro singulis generum according to this sence God vvill have of every state of men to be saved males and females Iewes and Gentiles smal and great but not all of every severall state And who will say that in every particular countrie of Asia or the continent toward the South pole or many other quarters of the world the Church of Christ hath alwaies apparantly bin The Romanists of al other must not say so if they will have the cōgregation of Gods faithful to extēd it selfe no further thē their doctrine the Popes vsurpatiō doth goe For they cannot prove that ever those regions heard of the name of the Romane Bishop vntill this last age if now they doe or have lately done This thē we grant vnto you that Christ Iesus hath evermore a Church that variously dispersed vnder the cope of heavē not boūded within narrow precincts as that of the Iewes was The goodly titles also which in the word are givē vnto it are ever true in respect of the purity of religiō but especially for the fundamental points which finally cōcerne salvation And they are also as true for the visible glory of the church in time of peace the free course of the Gospel but are not perpetually without interruption to be vnderstood for the patent extent of the same that gloriously apparātly to be in any one countrey of the world as the defenders of the Romane Hierarchy would chalenge to themselves T. HILL FOR before the comming of the Messias the people of the Iewes many others also in other Lands which were of the Iewish Religion vvere in some sorte farre from the bondage of the Devill but since his comming both Iewes and Gentiles and almost all Nations Tribes and Kingdomes have bin ever in Lucifers thraldome vntill this our age in which Luther came to expell Lucifer and to ridde all the world out of his captivity And so the passion of our Redeemer availed little or nothing at all for the space of these fifteene hundred yeeres for a thousand yeeres together hee was so farre from drawing all vnto him as hee said hee would do that he drew not so much as one person that any mā can name And in Ioh. 12. our Country there of England it is most manifest that all were Papistes without exception from the first Christening thereof vntill this age of King Henry the eight G. ABBOT 9 YOV labour to proove that if you bee not the Church the Devils dominion since Christes time hath bin larger then ever it was before And your reason is that before the comming of Christ the Iewes and other of the Iewish profession in other lands were in some sort free from the bondage of the Devil which is true in all those who by the eies of faith did foresee the birth life death of the Messias did beleeve on him reputing him their Redeemer as 〈◊〉 Iob did call him but since his manifestation say you Iewes Gentiles almost all Nations Tribes Kingdomes 〈◊〉 Iob. 19. 25. have bin ever in Lucifers thraldome vntill this our age in which Luther came to expell Lucifer c. I wōder that you can suffer the name of Luther to passe so quietly without some egregious contumely but keeping it for him you only stay it a while anon he shall have it But being heere in the heigth of that argument which above all other pleaseth your side and the very rehearsing whereof as you woulde make your doating followers beleeve doth make vs all o Campian Ration
time doe depend vpon him 12 And that it may be seene what reason we haue of this our assertioÌ„ we first shew that the estate of the faithful was frequently so before the coÌ„ming of Christ. For when it lay as hid in some few persons within the single families of the old Patriarkes before and after the flowd what great boast could there be made of it Nay when the Common-wealth of the Iews was much setled into what straights was it brought when David complained c Psal. 12. 1. Helpe Lord for there is not a godly man lest for the faithfull are failed from among the children of men this being spoken as it is most probable in the daies of Saul after the death of Samuel and the d 1. Sam. 22. 18. slaughter of the Priests How was it even in Iudah and HierusaleÌ„ when Esay cryed out that the e Isai. 1. 5. 6. whole head is sicke and the whole heart is heavy from the soale of the foote vnto the head there is nothing whole therin the estate of the Church being then most miserable and all depraved not only in manners but in religion Idolatry beeing plentifull as is manifest by the words in the same vision f vers 29. for they shall be confounded for the Okes which yee haue desired and yee shall be ashamed of the gardens which yee haue chosen which intendeth the trees and pleasant places where they vsed their superstitions Call to minde the daies of leremy when he said g Ier. 5. 1. Runne to fro by the streetes of Hierusalem and beholde now and know and inquire in the open places therof if yee can finde a man or if there be any that executeth iudgement and seeketh the truth and I will spare it And those of Ezechiel testifying in this sort I h Ezech 22. 30. sought for a man among them that should make vp the hedge and stande in the gappe before mee for the land that I should not destroy it but I found none These things were said of Iudah and Hierusalem where alone at that time was that Church which was the Israelites for their grievous sinnes being long before caryed away into captivitie You may adde to this if you wil the complaint of Micah i Micah 7. 1 We is me for I am as the Somer gatherings and as the grapes of the vintage there is no cluster to 〈◊〉 my soule desired the first ripe fruites The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none righteous among men they all lie in waite for blond every man â—…teth his brother with a net If the Priests people had not almost generally gone astray and the whole face of the visible Church had not seemed to be defaced would these Prophets thus haue particularized that one godly man was not left that one was not to bee founde who had not declined from truth 13 We doubt not but in those times the Lord had many faithfull ones in secret as he had seaven thousand in Israell when k 1. King 19. 18. Rom 11 4. Elias lived of whom neither the enemies of the truth nor scant that Prophet did take any notice The l Ezech. 9. 4 Apoc. 7 3. marke in the foreheade is sometime knowne to fewe but onely to him who imprinted it there yet this is a good holde for the Elect m 2. Tim. 2. 19. The Lordknovveth who are his But vpoÌ„ what might those who were Gods secret chosen out wardly build when diverse times the Princes and people had corrupted their waies and the Temple it selfe was polluted and made a sinke of Idolatry For wee find that things stood vpoÌ„ those termes in the daies of Manasse vvhen in the house of the Lord even that house whereof the Lord had saide n 2. Reg. 21. 4. 5. In Hierusalem will I put my name he built profane altars and in the two courtes of the house of the Lord he built altars for all the hoste of Heaven Iudge where in those daies was the glory of the visible church or where it was a pretty while before that wheÌ„ the Priest o 2. Reg. 16 11. Vriah was as ready to set vp in the teÌ„ple an altar after the fashioÌ„ of that which was in Damascus as the King Ahaz was ready to coÌ„maÌ„d it And then the Prince Priests coÌ„spiring there was scaÌ„t any kind of grosse Idolatry which was not pleÌ„tifully coÌ„mitted Ahaz himselfe making p Vers. 3. his son to goe through the fire after the abominations of the HeatheÌ„ And least it should be thought that the people at least did amend somewhat which was amisse in the very next Chapter it is witnessed in generall q 2 Reg. 17. 19. Yet Iudah kept not the coÌ„mandements of the Lord their God but walked according to the fashion of Israell which they vsed And by most probability this outrage vnder r Isa. 1. 1. Ahaz was the tune against which Esay so inveighed in the visioÌ„ before remembred These things are so plaine that the greatest pillars of the Papacy caÌ„not deny theÌ„ therfore they are forced to another shift as the Rhemists wheÌ„ they say s In Rom. 11. 4. that there is a great differeÌ„ce between the Christian Church the Iewes ours resting vpoÌ„ better promises then theâ—…s which is a very poore evaâ—…ion in as much as every Divine may knowe that there bee as large and many promises that the Church of the Iewes should last vntill Christs appearance in the flesh as there be that the CoÌ„gregatioÌ„ of Gods Saints shal coÌ„tinue among the GeÌ„tiles vntil the day of IudgmeÌ„t And saving only for the time of the Babylonish captivity there was one set externall place of Gods emineÌ„t service that is the TeÌ„ple at IerusaleÌ„ supported with such words s Psal. 132. This is my rest for ever heere will I dwell c. t 2. Chr. 33. 4. In IerusaleÌ„ shal my â—…me be for ever she like wherof throughout al the coÌ„tinuance of the new TestameÌ„t is not warrantable out of the word for any one place whatsoever No it caÌ„not so much as superficially be maintained out of the Scripture that Rome it selfe hath any such promise but rather out of the RevelatioÌ„ of S t. Iohn there are many substaÌ„tial matters which make to the contrary 14. But because by the stroÌ„g shot of truth they be beateÌ„ froÌ„ the bulwarke of the Iewish Synagogue fly to the next hold of the later TestameÌ„t let vs follow theÌ„ thither WheÌ„ our Saviour Christ was borne for the most part afterward till hee was baptized where shal we coÌ„ceive was the visible Church The Scribes and Pharisees possessed al the shew they were no better theÌ„ u Mat. 23. 24 blind guides of the blind The x 2. Mach 4. 8. 24. c. 11. 3. Ioseph de bel Iud 4. 5 lib. 5. 9. Priest-hood was long before and after bought sold in
Christs own time it is evideÌ„t out of the Scrip ture that the highest spiritual dignity going by y Ioh. 11. 51. yeeres Annas Caiphas other vnworthy meÌ„ of that rabble did enioy it VpoÌ„ the birth of Iesus they were not glad who should most have reioyced in it but al Ierusalem was z Math. 2. 3. troubled at it And how they persisted afterward till Christ did manifest himselfe fully may be guessed by diverse circuÌ„stances which the EvaÌ„gelists do meÌ„tion after his birth But wheÌ„ he came first into the world of whom do we find speech made but of some shep-heards in the field of Simeon an old maÌ„ of Anna a most aged womaÌ„ both ready to goe into their graves of Ioseph Mary Zacharias Elizabeth and very fewe other And of these some might be soone dead other lived out of the way at Beth-lehem or Nazareth or in Aegypt the shepheards were in the fields about their trade but where there was the apparaÌ„cy of a visible coÌ„gregatioÌ„ caÌ„ hardly be imagined WheÌ„ our Saviour had selected out his Apostles they then were termed by the name of a Flock but yet by their master they were called but a a Luc. 12. 32. little flocke where the Rhemists do confesse that b Rhemens ibi in the beginning it was little indeed At the death of Christ wheÌ„ his body hanged on the Crosse for our sakes his disciples were c Math. 26. 56. all fled no man daring to shew himselfe d Ioh. 19. 25. Nic. Cleman de mater CoÌ„cil Mary Iohn a few womeÌ„ were al the faithful that now appeared vpoÌ„ earth And afterward while the Apostles their followers walked very privately or were asseÌ„bled in a e Act. 1. 13. chaÌ„ber the Priests Scribes Pharisies were they who â—uffled it in the streets bore the sway in the TeÌ„ple so that if a weak body had enquired for the church he might rather have bin directed to theÌ„ who had the law the altars al sacred things in their custody then to any other When f Act. 8. 1. SteeveÌ„ had beene stoned and for feare of the persecution which was at Hierusalem the disciples were all scattered besides the Apostles it may well be presumed that for a time they which remained in the citty where SteeveÌ„ had lost his life did not walke very opeÌ„ly Truth it is that after these things the Church was better setled and the truth was more spread but yet never was there any such priviledge bestowed vpon it but that in the daies of persecutioÌ„ or some grievous Apostasie the faithful might be brought to a smal visibility 15 Our Saviours words intend so much when alluding to the time of his second appearaÌ„ce to iudge the quicke the dead he asketh g Luk 18. 8. Neverthelesse when the sonne of man commeth shall hee finde faith on the earth as meaning that very little should then be to be found in comparison of the flowds and Ocean of iniquity which every where should abound But God to the end that he might not haue vs ignoraÌ„t but warned before hand into what straights the Church should be brought informeth vs by Saint Paul that the Lord shall not come except there first be an h 2. Thes. 2. 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostasie or revolt or falling away wherein Antichrist with great pride and disdaine should shew himselfe This is solemnely spoken of by the Apostle by al both old new intreating of it is observed to signifie some matter of great note that is to say some maine declining from somewhat Many of our Papists fearing to touch this soare which can in no case turne them to good would haue this interpreted to note nothing else but the slipping of divers regions countries froÌ„ their subiection to the Romane Empire But Gregory Martin and the other Rhemists being overcome with the evidence of truth are heere a litle more honest then ordinary and speake to other purpose Indeede they cannot tell how it will be taken at other Papists hands that contrary to the custome of their fellows in a matter of such moment they should giue way vnto vs and therefore they doe vse these words in way of excuse be i Rhemens in 2. Thes. 2 3. it spoken vnder the correction of Gods church al learned Catholikes But to the point concerning the Apostasie they deliver this It is very like that this great defection and revolt shall not be only from the Romane Empire but specially from the Romane church and withall from most pointes of Christian Religion In the margent it is and from most articles of the Catholike faith Here they would haue vs take the Romish beleefe for the Christian Religion Catholike faith but that deserveth a long pause We rather obserue out of them that this revolt is in matter of faith and not onely from the Empire then which glosse nothing can be truer Well then if there must be so egregious an Apostasie it wil follow that Antichrist so dominering as by the Apostle he is described will not be negligent so to represse the publike service of God that it shall not carry any liuely head or countenance where he hath to doe So that certainely our Rhemists yeelding to this exposition doe in substance confesse so much as that the apparencie of Gods congregation in the time of the great defection must bee mightely eclipsed Now the Lord to the end that he might establish his faithfull and arme them to expect this paucity of beleevers and inconspicuousnes of his Church and yet not be discouraged for that which should be past present or to come and againe that there might be no doubt in a matter of this moment letteth vs farther know that the k Apoc. 12. 6 womaÌ„ fled into the wildernes where shee hath a place prepared of God It is not doubted of betweene the Romanists vs but that this woman doth represeÌ„t the church concerning whom being in the wildernes it doth manifestly follow that for the time of her aboad there which the Almightie had decreed shee should not be discerned that is by her enemies who did and would chase her not withstanding it be not to be doubted but shee knew where her selfe was If the Romanist therefore and persecuting Adversary did not ever see the professors of the Gospel it was no wonder the woman was to remaine in the wildernes apart hid from them The evidence of which matter is such that as Master l In praefat super Apocalyps Foxe observeth for feare of divers things in the Revelation of S. Iohn wherof this may worthily be one scant any Popish writer for many yeares togither durst adventure to comment any thing vpon the Apocalyps vntill our Rhemists being desirous to shame the Pope themselues with all who are wise adventured to set penne to paper Having then a purpose to set foorth
and corrupt the New Testament partly by their Translation but most of all by their Annotations they may not chuse but say somewhat of the Revelation although they professe that it is as m In argument Apocalyps in Apoc. 1. 1. sparingly as may be as briefly which is not for that the volume of the Rhemish Testament groweth great as they would colour it but for feare least they should too much lay open their owne weaknesse which while that booke is in the Bible will never be concealed Howsoever therefore through their volume in many maine matters they be very silent vvhere they should most speak as of the question of imputed righteousnes where the n Rom 4. vi de Ration 14. Apostle doth most handle it a â—…ore argument of their owne conscience distrusting their cause even sinking vnder the waight of that Chapter yet here God over-ruling theÌ„ to say a truth as he did o Ioh. 11. 50 Cayphas they interprete the woman to be the p In Apoc. 12. 6. Church flying from the great persecution which shall bee in the time of Antichrist Indeede to keepe peace with their Lord and Master the Pope they will not haue this flight to be but in the very ending of the world and so they would fetch it with a back racket that the woman should continue so in secret but three yeares an halfe which to keepe all vpright they assigne to be the time of Antichrists raigne then the iudgement must come which is a most fonde evasion seeing by that means men living at the appearance of Antichrist should bee able precisely to tell when the last day should be to wit three yeares and a halfe after Antichrists entring But of q Mark 13. 32. that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heaven neither the Sonne himselfe saue the Father only It can never be made good that the r Apoc. 11. 2 3. c. 12. 6. c. 13. 5. Dan 7 25. time times and halfe a time the two and forty moneths and the thousand two hundred and sixty daies are so literally to be taken as that they should containe exactly three ordinary yeares and a halfe Your Romane Bishop in his declination hath already beene in the world much longer and he is the greatest Antichrist that ever yet was manifested among men and on whom many things in the Scripture signified touching Antichrist do directly and vnavoidably light 16 Well this revolt taking place and the woman the Church being in the wildernes it is not to be doubted but here there be diverse which serue God aright the very s Mat. 16. 18 gates of hell not beeing able to prevaile against them And as these in generall whersoever dispersod doe make vp the vniversal militant Church so where any few of them eveÌ„ in the smallest number are asseÌ„bled togâ—…ther they may bee saide to be a particular Congregation or Church s Exhortatio ad castitatem Where three are saith Tertullian there is a Church although they bee lay persons It is likely that he alludeth to that saying of our Saviour t Mat 18. 20. VVhere two or three are gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them He is with them as with members of his Church to guide them heare them to blesse theÌ„ preserve theÌ„ And that such little assemblies are not vnworthy the name of the Church is plain by S t. Pauls words to â—…hilemoÌ„ where he seÌ„deth greeting not only to PhilemoÌ„ Appiat Archippus but to u Philem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church in Philemons house for so the Rhemists themselves traÌ„slate it In dangerous Apostatating times such petty aslemblies do make vp the general they beloÌ„g vnto the same mystical body although they not only be not known to their persecutors but many of theÌ„ have no acquaintaÌ„ce with other Tâ—… have the same head the same faith the same charity the samâ—…â—…pirit u De Baptism contra Donatist 6. 4 Idem Spiritus sanctus ca dimittit i. peccata qui datus est omnibus Sanctâ—…s c. The same holy Ghost is given to all Saints ioyned one to the other in love whether they know each other corporally or doe not know theÌ„ saith Saint AusteÌ„ The waÌ„t theÌ„ of acquaintaÌ„ce each with other may keepe the godly aâ—…uÌ„der as wel as the rage of their persecutours both which are to be souÌ„d in the case of Elias But directly to follow farther this argumeÌ„t of the Eclipse of the Churches glory may it not be thought to be brought to a low ebbe wheÌ„ it is said of the second beast that x Apo. 13. 16. he causeth al both smal great rich poore free bond that he should give theÌ„ a marke in their right haÌ„d or in their fore-heads that no maÌ„ might buy or sel saue he that had the marke or the name of the beast or the nuÌ„ber of his name And what else is signified wheÌ„ so many y Cap. 17. 2. 15. are meÌ„tioned to have coÌ„merce with the whore of BabyloÌ„ yea all z Cap 18. 3. NatioÌ„s are reported to have drunken of the vvine of the wrath of her fornication The ancieÌ„t Fathers were not ignorant that such times there might be wheÌ„ they so oft coÌ„paâ—…ed the Church to the Moone as Saint Ambrose a Epistol lib. 5. 31. The Moone it selfe vvhereby in the Oracles of the Prophets the countenance of the Church is figured when at the first rising againe shee is renewed into the ages of the month shee is hidden by the darkenesse of the night by little little fiâ—…ing her hornes or right ever against the Sun ending theÌ„ doth shine with the light of cleere brightnes Saint Austen in one b In Psa. 10. place doth for diverse respects liken the Church vnto the Moone and expoundeth the Moone to signifie it In another c Serm 134. de TeÌ„pore place he saith the Sun is Christ the Moone the Church VVhich as on the one side it doth intimate vnto vs that the Moone hath no light but froÌ„ the Sunne and the Church no light or bewty but from God so on the other side it doth most lively put vs in mind that as the Moone continueth not at the same stay but increaseth and decreaseth waxeth and waneth is eclipsed by the interposition of the earth betweene her selfe the Sun sometimes in the chaÌ„ge caÌ„not be seene although it is never to bee doubted but there is a Moone so the Church of Christ while this troublesome world doth last is now glorious then shadowed in one age in bewty in another age kept vnder vnder some Princes in peace vnder others in persecution yea sometimes so pressed with the extremity of the maliâ—…us as that she is glad to remaine retired into secret places not 〈◊〉 appeare opeÌ„ly to the malignaÌ„t albeit she
answered truely say that it was in England in France in Spaine in Italy yea in Rome it selfe Spiritus vbi vult spirat The holy Ghost breatheth Ioh. 3. 8. where it pleaseth For who cannot conceiue by the writings of many in former ages or by such touches as other doe giue concerning them that diverse who lived nearest the whore of Babylon did most detest her abomination finding that the weakenesse and impurity of her doctrine could not truely satisfie the hungry thirsty soule did according to that knowledge which Christ out of his word reveiled to theÌ„ seeke some meanes which was not ordinarily professed in that time And if it be asked who they were and how could they lie hid from the world it may truly bee answered that their case was like the case of them in the daies of s 1. Reg. 19. 18. Elias who were not known to that State which would haue persecuted them Now why should not we thinke but as God had his secret and invisible company at that time in that most idolatrous country so in the time of the deepest darknesse he had those who saw light this Christian children among Antichrists broode such as embraced true religion among the superstitious So that Italy and Rome and these Westerne parts had some of Godâ—… Saints in all ages who like sea-fish most fresh in the faltest water and being removed in their affections though not in their persons did with 〈◊〉 Lot vexe their righteous soules in the 2 Pet 〈◊〉 8. middest of a spiritual Sodome and kept themselues 〈◊〉 vnspotted â—…am 1. 27. of the world And yet it is not to be taken that we coâ—…rctate the Church within those Provinces onely which looked toward the See of Rome but know that God had thousands of his elect elswhere Osor. li. 3. de gest Emanuel Christians haue beene in 〈◊〉 India even by perpetuall dilcent from the daies of the Apostles and so in Africa among the 〈◊〉 Abyssines in 〈◊〉 and huge-companies besides Li. 9. Dam. 〈◊〉 Goes de morib Aethiop such as haue continued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asia the lesser Aegypt but especially in the Greeke Church which was never so much as in shew extinguished and from whome the Russians and Muscovites had their faith Our Popish lads would gladly shut al these out of Christs fold because they acknowledged not the Bishop of Rome for their vniversall Pastour but we should do wrong to Almighty God to pinne his iudgment vpon the Popes sleeue and to offer to pull from him so many ample Churches whereas charity and common sence might put vs in minde that hee might there haue thousandes throughout all ages Looke to these places yee Papists and imagine that if there had been none but these yet the wordes of the Scripture which in generality speake of a spowse had beene true and Christ had there had his body on earth and the Church had not beene vtterly extinguished if neither we nor the Synagoge of Rome had beene extant 32 But in as much as it cannot be denied but that the Prophecies concerning Antichrist doe most touch the Westerne world y Apoc. 17. 18. Rome being by the holy Ghost evidently designed to bee the seate of the whore of Babylon as also because our Romish standard-bearers are more willing to talke of those partes then of any other I will once againe returne to the Countreies neere adioining Then in some parts or other of Christendome how many men were there in al ages who loâ—…thed both the See of Rome the whole courses of it as the Israelites did loath the Aegyptian bondage Matthew Paris alone giveth vs many notable experiments that way as relating the Actes of the z In Hen. 3. Emperour Frederike who put out diverse declarations in detestation of the Pope and adding else where farther of his owne that a Ibidem Pope Gregory did absolve from the oth of fealty all who were bound vnto the Emperour perswading them that they should bee faithfull in vnfaithfulnesse obedâ—…nt in disobedâ—…ence But somuch deserved the Romane Churches lowdnesse which is to be exâ—…ed of all men that the Popes authority did meritâ—… to bee harkened vnto by few or none He reporteth also of a certaine b Ibidem Carthusian Monke aâ—… Cambridge who cryed out against the Pope and said that he was an heretike and that the Churches were profaned And of Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lancolne who was a man both holy and learned in his time This Lincolniensis while hee lived had many Combates with the Bishoppe of Rome and openly resisted his barbarous tyranny in dominering so farre in Englande as to inioyne Provision of the best Benefices to be taken vp for Italian boyes which for a c Lincolniens epistol Prebend in his Church at Lincolne hee vvould not yeeld vnto and for that cause vvas by the Pope excommunicated But vvhen he was d Matth Paris in Hen. 3 dying hee most bitterly inveighed against the Romane Bishop and the Ecclesiasticall Persons as being the most wâ—…ked men that did liue In the same e Ibidem Authour you may also find the conceite which the most Reverende Arch-bâ—…shop of Yorke Sewaldus had of them and their proceedings VVhat should I mention f Hoveden parte secuÌ„da loachim who said that in his time Antichrist was already borne and was in the Citty of Rome Or that Bishop of g Platina in Paschal 2. Florence who lived about the yeare 1100. and did vse to say that Antichrist was then in the worlde which mooved Pope Paschalis so much as that he thought fit to enquire of him in a Councell and did there castigate him for it Notable in this kind are the contentions of Philippus Pulcher the King of Fraunce and his whole Cleargy against h Pap. Masâ—…on in Bonifac 8. Boniface the eighth I might adde to these Petrus de Brus and many other learned men who laid the axe to the very roote of Popery and some in set Treatises oppugned one of their documents and some assaulted other but that the writer of the Catalogus Testium veritatis as it is lately enlarged and i In Histor. Ecclesiast Master Foxe and Master k In Catal. script Brit. Laur. HuÌ„â—…r â—…uitism part 1. Bale and diverse 1 other haue largely handled this to the reading of vvhose bookes I doe referte them who in particular desire to bee more advertised in this behalfe Now if these things doe appeare much by their owne witnesse and by the confession of Papistes themselues as also by such few Records as by Gods providence so disposing doe yet remaine howe many illustrious argumentes might there haue beene of the confession of our faith if the Clergy and Magistracy of those darke times had not burned suppressed all things which made against thâ—… as I shewed before touching the bookes of Iohn VViclef and Reginald Pecocke in Oxford The Clergy in those dayes did almost
confesse that they beleaved in the Church of Rome which ever was called Catholike And is seemeth that the Protestants know in their â—…vvne consciences the name of Heretikes to bee so proper to themselves as that in their translations of the Bible vvhere the name Heretike occurreth they put in place of is a man that is the author of Sects assuring themselves that the Reader finding the worde Heretike or Heresie would presently iudge it to be meant of them G. ABBOT 4. THat Luther Calvin were Heretikes you Pseudo-Catholikes may say but you shal never be able to prove it They taught Gods truth and if ever any would have shewed them out of the Scripture that they had erred such was their mind they would have reformed it As for the name of Lutherans Calvinists to be desired or embraced by vs we vtterly disclaime it not that wee are ashamed to bee of the same faith which these worthy servants of God did teach touching the foundation of Religion but because we take our name from the Sonne of God of whom wee are called h Act. 11. 26. Christians This is the name wherein all of vs doe reioyce at all times and in all places without any exception or circumstance of dependance but the appellation of Lutherans and Calvinists or Zuinglians or any such like you in your hatred towards vs do set vpon vs. And by your rule of Chrysostome before mentioned they might without impiety be received of vs in some sence since Zuinglius and Luther and Calvine had a great stroke in the governement of those particular Churches where they-lived and were much honoured of the Congregations which were neere vnto them As for the Nestorians we at knowledge that they had their title of the Hererike Nestorius and the Pelagians of Pelagius yea if you will also the Marcionites of Marcion the Arrians of Arius according to that of Chrysostome i Homil 33. in Acta Are vvee cut from the Church have vvee Captaine Heretikes have vvee our name from men have wee any leader as Marcion is to one and Manicheus to another and Arius to a third to a fourth another beginner of Heresie But whereas you give down a general rule that Heretikes have ever takeÌ„ their names of some one who began that Heresy we pittie you much fairely demiuÌ„de of you froÌ„ what one did the k August de Haeres ad Quod vultd Euchitae the Quartidecimiani the Patriâ—…passiani yea the Anabaptists take their name you should have said that a great many had their appellation froÌ„ the auctor of their sect but not all And therefore put this also among your ignorances 5 That Luther should be afraide of the word Catholike so without reason vsurped by you or arrogated to your selues is a conceit very childish He who dreaded not to encounter your Popes triple Crowne to baite his Buls to batter his Purgatory to lay siege to Babylon it selfe was never so white-liverd as to feare the Moone shining in the water Therefore when you shall cite vâ—… some authentical warrant that he changed I beleeue the Catholike Church into I beleeue the Christian Church we will giue credite vnto you But when you bring vs Master Bristow in the first of his Motiues and he giveth vs no testimony of his speech neither quoteth any place for it we thinke that we may safely returne it to the shop in which it was first forged Notwithstanding we obserue the manner of your proceeding you Papistes taking vp things by tradition or one from another without ground to deface any man of rare note among vs. You in your margent quote Bristow and there vpon I turning to the place in him finde the same accusation but no place or tract specified only Luther is put in the margent and nothing else Your late fabler vpon l Quinti Evangelij cap. 1. Nullus Nâ—… serveth vs in this sort saving that he ascribeth that to vs all which his fellows limit onely to Luther Being to speak of the Article in the Creede I beleeve the holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints he sub-ioyneth thervpon This Article all the Pretestants in generall as farre as in them is doe oppugne First because they have thrust out of the Creede the word Catholike in steede thereof haue put the word Christian as is Catholikes were no Christians This did Luther in the Creede in Dutch because the word Catholike is a staâ—… in the 〈◊〉 of the Protestantes It is worth the marking that first hee chargeth vs all with it secondly the instaunce is given in Luther alone and thirdly no proofe is made of that no not so much as out of Giffords Calvino-Turcismus out of which being as slaunderous a worke as his owne this excellent Authour doeth most commonly take his confirmations Thus if one Papist will bee so wicked as to devise something which was never spoken or to pervert that to ill purpose which was well spoken his fellowes will presently applaude it as a truth and publish it one after another as if it were as certaine as the Gospell Now for this of Luther if there had beene any such matter which but in probability could haue beene fastened vpon him would that sweete fellow Cochleus who pursueth him step by step haue forgotten it Or would he not aswell haue remembred him for the Creede as he did for the Pater-Noster although that also was but the seeking of a knot in a rush For it is a complaint made by m An. 1522. in actis Lutheri Cochleus against Luther that in his translation of the New Testament he did not keepe the set words of the Lordes prayer formerly vsed but for Pater noster quies in coelis he put it Noster pater in coelo and for Sanctificetur nomen tuum he translated it as if it were tuum nomen sit sanctum yet you must vnderstand that it was into Dutch that he turned it and not into Latin where in all likelyhoode it was as a great fault to put Noster before Pater as it is in English to say Our Father and not rather Father ours or Father of vs. Doe you not want matter of waight to obiect when you spende your times in such frivolous exceptions And even of this sort is the next stout reason which followeth For as Luther was afraide of the worde Catholike so are wee of Heretike that is to say never a whit for we know that there be Heretikes as Arrians Anabaptists and many more and that the Romanists are as great in Heresie as any in as much as they vary from truth in many those capitall and very dangerous pointes But if you had not trusted your maister Bristow from whom you haue n Motiv 2. stolne this but looked your selfe into our bookes you should haue seene that Master Beza had translated that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Saint Paul to o Tit. 3. 10. Titus hareticuâ—…
〈◊〉 his sowing you may see Ovid. Mâ—…tam lib. 3. Iudic. 7. the Madianites and Amalekites in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the people of God builders of the tower of Babell accusers of châ—…st Susanna for they are not onely different and devided from the generall body of Catholikes in Christendome with whom they were vâ—…ited 〈◊〉 but amongst themselves they have implacable warres G. ABBOT 4. IN your whole booke you raunge froÌ„ the truth but heere not the least of all There are some fewe pointes in differencâ—… betweene the Professours of the Gospell but you hartily coulde wish that there were more eveÌ„ as an ancient Romane the more to satisfie the ambition and bloudy covetousnes of his Country-men did thus pray Let y Tack de morib Germanoâ—… there remaine and continue in those Nations if not the loue of vs yet the hatred of themselues speaking of the olde Germanes other bordering NatioÌ„s But God be praysed there is not such disagreement and multiplicity of sects as was among the old Arrians who variously contended with the professours of their owne Heresie That the Eutychians Donatists Nestorians and Valentinians did very much iâ—…rre among themselues we do not read vnlesse you meane each sect against other which fitteth not your purpose since even your selues doe thinke it no disgrace to disagree with al in the world whom you account Heretikes and especially the Protestants Neither are they the seed of Luther who as you say agree like Cadmus his men or the Amalekites and Madianites or the builders of Babell or the slanderers of Susanna but they are known Heretikes who are spruÌ„g vp since that time as Servetus the Anabaptists and other of like sort being the seede of the z Mat. 13 25 28. 〈◊〉 man who when men were a sleepe came and sowed tares And albeit some of these might go out from vs yet a 1. Ioh. 2. 19 they were not of vs as you might know by Luthers writing even at the first against these b Sleidan lib. 10. Anabaptists professing that the same Divell who set them on worke was but a grosse and foolish Divell and c Instit. li. 1. 13. Calvins against Servetus and others against other Yeamâ—…ny men of worth of our part haue not only by preaching disclaimed them but by written bookes haue confuted them with much more zeale diligence then any of your side And where the reformed Churches are the ChristiaÌ„ magistrates being taught out of the word and called vpon by their Pastours haue censured with severe punishment yea sometimes so farre as d Centur. 16 lib. 2. ca. 34. 22. to death such as haue broke out to the maintaining of any very impious and blasphemous doctrine With these it is that they haue implacable hatred and yet not with their persons but with their opinions for they loue e August de civit Dei li. 14. 6. that which God made in them but hate that which the Divel hath infused or inserted But the Professours of the Gospell doe not in maine points vary one from another nor yet from the Orthodoxe Church although they coÌ„ioine not with the servants of Antichrist who being Pseudo-Catholikes do arrogate to themselues the name of Catholikes And from these that they are come forth they are right glad least remaining in Babylon and f Apoc 18. 〈◊〉 partaking of her sinnes they should receiue also of her plagues It was no dishonor or hurt vnto Lot that he g Gen. 19. 12 came out of Sodome when God did cal him but it was his safety and happinesse for if he had remained with them hee had perished togither with them 5. The matter wherewithall you may iustly charge them is that opinion of Luther and some of his scholers concerning the Sacrament of the Eucharist Where as he dâ—…ffereth from your monstrous conceite of Transubstantiation so bending too farre another way he imagineth that not only bread remaineth after consecration which is very true but the body of Christ also coÌ„substantiated with the bread And for the maintenance of this first groweth here-vnto that in the bread with the bread and vnder the bread or some way of those is the realty of Christs person secondly that by the almighty power of God he is every where invisibly vpon which ground the vpholders of that doctrine are by some tearmed Ubiquitaries and are concerning that pointe rightly refuted by h Bellar. de Christo. li. 3 cap. 11. Bellarmine This was in Luther â—…rror lapsuâ—… humanâ—… which the Lord suffred in him as he hath permitted the like both for opinioÌ„ slips of life too in divers of his Saints that thereby wee might learne that men bè men and that this world is i Bernard de modo benè viveÌ„di cap. 10. via non patria the way and not our countrey a place of defect and not of true perfection the habitation of men and not of Angels This consideration doth holsomely humble vs and maketh vs more earnestly to pray that we may haue a right vnderstanding in al things and that we may be guided by the Spirit into all truth expedient for vs. By this also wee are taught not to doate too much vpon men but only to follow them so far as they do k 1. Cor. 11. 〈◊〉 follow Christ. And it is no shame at all but rather a coÌ„mendation to our Churches that whereas he himselfe whom we honour as an admirable servaunt of God doth swarue from the path be it little or be it more wee rather follow the way then him But some haue written that Luther before he dyed relinquished that his own opinion saying that he had gone too farâ—… in the matter of the Sacrament as the l Acta Colloquij Mulâ—…unens Ministers of Heidelberge do affirme in a Dutch booke as m Chron. lib. 4. Genebrarde himselfe relateth vnto vs. Indeede it had beene to be wished that al who came after him had beene of his minde if that were his minde and had sought peace as Philip Melancthon did but all the scholers of Luther would not subscribe thervnto but some haue divulgated bookes against them whoÌ„ in their heate they haue called Zwinglians Calvinists and Sacramentaries so having stirred vp the flames of contention haue given occasions of ioy to the enimies of them both who will soone with an n Ioy at the hurt of other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take comfort in their evill That is the fruit of Christian mens contention as long since Gregory Nazianzen could say of a difference betweene some Bishops about whom the people at Constantinople were divided o Oraâ—… 10. My Tragedie is nothing else to our enemies but a Comedie Therefore it is not a little which we haue taken from the Churches and added to the stage I doe wish that the Lutherans their con-combatants had remembred this as for some other reasons so to stoppe the mouth of the common adversary
worthy men were so affected in al their teachings and therefore as also for their admirable learning iudgment they made choise of them before all the great Clerkes which were in Europe And that those who called them hither were not deceived in them the excellent monuments which they have lest in writing behinde them doe testifie to the world T. HILL THIS vnity of Catholikes and discord of Protestants most manifestly sheweth that as the Apostles were they for whom our Saviour prayed to his father was heard of him Holy father keepe them in thy name whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we also be one Iohn seaventeene so they of the Catholike Romane Religion be they for whom in the words following he prayed was heard Not for them doe I aske only but also for them which shal beleeve by their preaching in mee that all may bee one as thou father in me and I in thee that also they in vs may be one and heereof it necessarily followeth that they be of the true Church for that none but they observe and keepe the Unity which he obtained â—…or them of his heavenly Father G. ABBOT 10 THese texts did your maister q Motiv 27. Bristow cite this argument in expresse words did he frame to your handes gentle M. Doctor you might have done wel to have added some our place more of your owne reading But to answere you both togither this maketh nothing against vs for we ioyne in coÌ„sent for all material points of the substaÌ„ce of salvation not only with our selves but with all the faithfull and rightly beleeving which have bin in the world with the Patriarkes the Prophets the Apostles the Fathers of the Primitive Church and the Martyrs neither can you or the greatest Goliah of your side ever proove the contrary Touch any article of our doctrine or any conclusion which wee maintaine and wee will make it good against you Staphilus r Apolog. 〈◊〉 Staphil himselfe could cite it as the saying of Smideline that among the Lutherans and Zuinglians there is no variance of any waight or force touching any articles of our saith of Christian Religion This tale therefore of discord do you tell to your bleare-eyed followers who cannot discerne colours All right beleevers are satisfied for this matter But on the other side the agreement which is among you is but a conspiracie against Christs honour even such a combination as was betweene s Mat. 16. 57 Luk. 23. 12. Herode and Pilate Annas and Caiphas the Scribes Pharisees Priests people to bring our blessed Saviour to the crosse Your consent is not in God nor in his sonne Iesus but to robbe them both of their glory to bestowe it on your I doll at Rome You agree to keepe your Congregations in ignorance to proclaime your kitchin-warming Purgatory to set your Masses Pardons at sale to picke mens s Sparing discovery of Iesuites purses by your Iesuitical exercise to leade theÌ„ as bond slaues to hell this is it wherin you consent So that as one did once read Vanity for Unity in the Psalme Behold how good ioyfull a thing it is brethren Ps. 133. 1. to dwell togither in Vanity so your vnity is vanity your coÌ„sent is cousenning tobe guile God al good Christians so farre forth as you may The title of this your present Chapter might better have bin Vanity Cousenning theÌ„ Vnity Consent for you coÌ„spire to do evil eveÌ„ to betray the soules of meÌ„ redeemed with the blood of the everlasting covenant The text of Ieremy would well fit this your combination u Ier. 11. 9. A conspiracy is found among the meÌ„ of Iudah among the inhabitants of Ierusalem They are turned backe to the iniquity of their fore-fathers which refused to heare my words and they went after other Gods to serve them thus the house of Israel the house of Iudah have brokeÌ„ my covenaÌ„t which I made with their fathers T. HILL AND surely it cannot proceede but from the Holy Ghost that all Sacredwriters of the Catholike Romane Church although being Aug. lib 18. de civitat dei Cap 41. men of diverse Nations Times and Languages yet have so wonderfully consented agreed among theÌ„selves as we see they have done G. ABBOT 11 YOV would make your sily disciples beleeve that this propositioÌ„ of yours so fraÌ„dulently propounded is confirmed by S t. Austen whose words in the place quoted in your margeÌ„t are as much to your purpose as if a man being at Barwike should take S t. Michaels mounte in his way to goe see Powles church at LoÌ„don If you had but looked the title of that Chapter in Austen it would have told you that the authour doth there speake of the agreement of the Canonicall Scriptures amonge themselves And if you had read the Chapter you might have found the drifte to bee that whereas all the olde Philosophers in their opinions and writings dissented eche from other the pen-men of the Scriptures being the Secretaries of the Holy Ghost did not vary at all His words are these u Lib. 18. cap 41 de â—…v Dei To coÌ„clude our Authors in whom not without a cause the Canon of the Holy Scriptures is set bouÌ„ded God forbid that they should dissint among theÌ„selves in any respect Now wil you be so blasphemous as to ioyne your broken and barbarous writers your Schoole-men Dunces Friers with these Oracles of God for if you do not meane by your sacred writers of the Catholike Romane Church your Divines and teachers of the Popes rotten ReligioÌ„ you speake not to your owne purpose you abuse your Reader with aequivocation and your wordes as most Idle do proove nothing at all But doe your writers indeed of such diverse Nations Times and Languages so wonderfully consent as you speake of Belike you haue reade but a fewe of them or else you would see that many of their tales do hange togither as their x Matth. 26. 60. wordes did who came to witnes against Christ. I suppose you have heard of a certaine booke called the Sentences of Peter Lombard Now I pray you good Sir is there no where in the margent there Hic magister non tenetur Looke in the end of him as he was y Ex officina lacob Du-puâ—…s printed at Paris in the yeare 1573. there you may finde that the facultie of Divines at Paris have condemned for errours sixe and twenty severall doctrines avouched in the workes of that maister of the Sentences in the first booke foure in the second foure in the third three in the fourth fifteene Of these one was that brute beasts doe not receive the very body of Christ although it seemeth that they doe when they devour the Hoste after consecration And is it not to bee supposed that the Scholers of this great Clerk did follow their Rabbi in maintaining the
idolatry But while you receiue such as haue had education otherwise howsoever it hath beene neglected by them you are rather the Partridges of whom Saint Austen by remembraÌ„ce of the words of the Prophet e Ier. 17. 11. Ieremy doth speak such Partridges as gather the young which you brought not forth as your Seminaries doe declare But God be praised for it some of them doe serue you as Saint f Heâ—…mer lib. 63. Ambrose reporteth that the Partridge is served For whereas one Partridge doth steale away the egges of another Partridge and hacheth them if the opinion of that learned Authour be true divers of the g Epist. lib. 7. 48. young being hatched when they afterward heate the voice of their owne and naturall dams in the field leaue their step-mother and come againe to her to whom by original right they belonged So many of your infection after true grace imparted from aboue doe returne from your Seminaries and adioine themselues sincerely and laboriously to the Church of England They are bound to blesse God who delivereth them in such sort even as h Ion. 2. 10. Ionah was freed out of the whales belly They are come out not of the Doue-house which fertilely bringeth forth Pigeons but from Babylon where i Is. 13. 21. Zâ—… and Oâ—… be and Ostriches Dragons For as the old bee there so are the most part of the young Malicorvimalâ—…â—…vum A bad crow a bad egge And now telling you that a great part of this your fourth Reason is taken out of M. Bristowes fiue and twentith Motiue I let you go play you though but for a turne or two 24 BVt to come to the Reader whereas here the tearme of Heretikes is so oft vsed against vs we briefly aunswere with Saint Gregory k Moral lib. 10. 16 ex Exod. 8. 26. That is service vnto God which to the Egyptians was â—…nation And whereas among so many other foolish ones that is made a reason why the Popish religion should be truth saving M. Doctours vnpointed and vncoÌ„cluding discourse what can there by sound argument bee enforced therevpon What shal be the ground that must be stood on For cannot Heretikes pervert The Apostles haue told vs that their l 2 Tim. 2. 17 words fret as a Canker that m Cap. 3. 6. they creepe into houses yea that n 2. Pet. 2. 2. many shall follow their daâ—…able waies And you heard before what the Arrians did Or is it not vnto truth Why as touching this disputation that is the maine question betweene the Romanists vs. And to build vpon that is but Petitiâ—… prinâ—… to seâ—…ke to haue that graunted which is mainely and especially denied We do not yeeld that any of them winning their Converts to the subiection of the Papacy do bring them to Christ but rather to Antichrist Or is it a necessary coÌ„comitant of verity in doctrine that such as haue 〈◊〉 among them should be bound to convert Nations to the faith TheÌ„ to say nothing of the Iewish Church which had the word appropriated to it alone for so long a time what shall we thinke of France and England and Ireland and many other provinces of Europe which for a thousand yeares togither are not knowne to haue converted any one countrey to Christ but haue had enough and perhaps too much to do to keep theÌ„selues in the integrity of piety And yet our Pseudo-Catholiks make no doubt but that al that while they had the right beliefe These things do manifest the ficklenesse and vnstaiednes of thâ—… foundatioÌ„ heâ—… laid But if to turâ—… men to Christ be so necessary 〈◊〉 duety what wil they say to such a strange bringing home of so many kingdomes and regions of Europe within these huÌ„dred yeares and that by a few at first and those weake ones when Sathan and the Bishop of Rome and many potent Princes confederated with him did leaue no meanes vnsought to stifle Truth as in the cradle When the sword hath not beene spared the fire hath not beene forborne when their mighty men haue stroue their learned men haue written there haue beene wanting no libels no slanders no defamations yea no rebellion and treason and massacting and poysonfull attempts and yet neverthelesse Truth standeth vpright You talke of conversion but all the lovers and wel-willers of the whore of Babylon may and do stand amazed and gaze wonder at the ruine of their kingdome by so many millions going from them And we trust in Iesus Christ the conserver of the faithfull that in peace in warre in al things that can come this Arke of Noe shall swimme in safety floate being beaten vpon with many billowes but yet evermore bee preserved God hath not in his mercy given so much light that it should be extinguished or the glory of it much dimmed before his sonnes appearance With the breath of his month hee hath 〈◊〉 Thess. 2. 〈◊〉 ken and blasted that man of sinne and it now remaineth that he should be vtterly abolished at Christes comming Gaze therfore you Romanists till your eies and heartes doe ake to see the â—…ine and confusion of the Gospell and yet as wee trust in Almighty God you shall never haue your purpose THE FIFTH REASON Largenesse of Dominion through the multitude of Beleevers T. HILL THE Church vvhich the Mâ—…ssias vvâ—… to plante must bee 〈◊〉 is aforesaide dispersed through all nations and kingdomes 〈◊〉 the Holy Proâ—…ts â—…st plâ—…ly fore-shewed and namely the Royall Prophet speaking of the Apostles and Preachers vvhich shoulde succeede them saith Their sound went forth into all parts of the Psal. 18. Earth and their wordes vnto the ends of the circle of the earth And â—…st â—…festly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…sse of Christian domiâ—… in thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psâ—… And S. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 beasts and the fâ—…e â—…d twenty Elâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the Lâ—…be â—…ging thus Thou art worthy Lord to take the booke and to open the seales therof Apoc. c. 5 for thou hast bin slaine and hast redeemed vs to God in thy bloud out of every Tribe and people Language and Nation and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her plâ—… After these things saith he I saw a great company which no man 〈◊〉 able to number of al Nations Tribes and Peoples and Tongues Cap. 7. G. ABBOT IT was long since saide that whereas our blessed 〈◊〉 Saviour whcÌ„ he was takeÌ„ vp to an exceeding high mountaine and shewed all the kingdomes Math 4 8 of the world and the glory of theÌ„ did refuse that offer of SataÌ„ Al these will I give thee if thâ—… wilt fall downe worship me the Pope coÌ„ming long after hearing that such a liberal profer was made tooke the Devill at his word in hope of such a wide exteÌ„ded dominioÌ„ did fal down and adore him You come in this place to plead for your Grand-maister the Bishop of Rome by the validity of this DonatioÌ„ but forgetting that
you would haue laid freely at them Dare you strangers and captiues and boyes and vpstart companions set your selfe against a million of wise men Princes and Counselours They should haue had your voice to haue gone to the fiery Furnace Doe you not pity your selfe when you reason in this fashion Among them that be wise pendenda sunt suffragiapetius quà m numeraÌ„da voices are to be weighed rather then to be numbred I can say no more vnto you but that when this is your best Divinity Lorde haue mercy vpon you Saint Austen would haue tolde you for o Epist. 19. all these and aboue all these we haue the Apostle Paule T. HILL NEither may the Protestants now at length glory in their great number as some of them haue done for that their Religion is there in England and in Scotland and some thereof in â—…aland and in the Lowe Countries and in some partes of Germany and a few of them in Fraunce Apol. Eccl. Anglic. for they never yet passed into Asia nor into Africa nor into Greece nor into many places of Europe much lesse into the Indies But indeede if you rightly scanne their doctrine you shall finde that your Religion ProtestaÌ„tine of England is no where in the world else and that English service contained in your booke of Common praier is vnknowne and condemned of all other Nations and people vnder the cope of Heaven So that in very deed the doctrine of your Protestantes is taught or received no vvhere but in England and the Puritant Doctrine of Scotlande the contrariety therof duely considered is no where but in Scotlande the Lutherane Doctrine taught in Denmarke is no where but in Denmarke and in a few places of Germany the Libertine doctrine taught in the Low Countries is no â—…here but in the Low Countries and the like may be said of other sectes G. ABBOT 26 YOV are mis enformed that the Protestants doe glorie in their great number they know that truth is truth be iâ—… in more or few As for M. Iewell whose Apologie you quote in your margent hee hath no such matter Onely where as it is obiected that our Religion overturneth kingdoms and governmentes hee answereth there vnto that there p Apol. Eccl. Anglican doe remaiue in their place and ancient dignitie the Kings of England Denmarke Sweden the Dukes of Saâ—…cony the Cunties Palatine c. This is to answere to an obiection by giving many instances to the contrary and not to glory of any multitude And if any other of our Church do note in breefe that the Gospell hath taken roote in some large nations that is to stop the mouth of the clamorous adversary and to satisfie the weake as also not least of all to praise God who so spreadeth the beames of his compassion but it is not to boast vainely as you ignorantly imagine Yet who doubteth but a good Christian may ioy in his hart exceedingly and thankfully expresse it in his tongue that many who sate in darkenesse may now behold the light and the sheepefold of Christ is more and more filled But if we would be too forward you will plucke vs backe againe Although it be say you in some places of Europe yet in some other it is not As who should say your Popery is generall in all Where I pray you in Greece is your Papistry It is not in Asia and Africa and much lesse in the Indies The East Indies are part of Asia if you could think vpon it By what means your Idolatry came into those Countries I haue shewed before and how plentifully there it is If we would talke idly as you for the most part doe we might say that in every place where the Marchants of Holland trade and haue people residing our religion is accepted But since the English Merchants haue companies houses in Russia in Constantinople in Aleppo in Alexandria sometimes in Barbary in Zacynthus in Venice and Legorne we might say after the fashion of your boasting that our religion is in those parts But we desire to make no more of things then indeede they are Yet we tell you for those remote provinces that as now one hundred and twenty yeeres agone they knewe not one whit of your faith so it may please God before one hundred and twenty yeeres more bee passed if it so seeme good to his most sacred wisedome to plant the truth which we reach in the East Westerne world especially if a passage by the North ende of America or that by Asia beyond Ob may bee opened vvherein our q M. Hacluiâ—… vnges Nation hath much adventured and speng good summes of treasure vvhich also the Hollanders haue done But the issue of this whole matter must bee leste to the divine providence which is to bee magnified therefore if hee adde this blessing to his Church And if he deny it either there or in any other place we must not be caried too farre with griefe or pitty since it doth not please him who is the father of mercie to condescend vnto it Nowe vvhereas you avouch that our doctrine is onelye in England I knovve not vvhither I shoulde put that in your ignoraunces or rather in your malicious cavils Truth it is our common prayer booke is vsed onelye by those who are of Englishe allegeaunce but is there anie pointe of doctrine in it vvherevnto other Churches reformed in Europe doe not condescend The Catechisme of the Councell of Trent doth differ in words from the Catechisme of Canisius and both of them from that of M. Vaux yet you would thinke it a wronge if anye man should tell you that they disagree in pointes of doctrine So the service of the reformed Congregations in Europe as in England Scotland Fraunce Switzerland in the dominion of the Palsgraue in the Regiments and free cities of Germany which are of the Pallsgraues confession as also in a good parte of the low Countries is the same in all pointes of moment not differing one intâ—… their Professions are the same There is no question among these in anie one pointe of religion The Ecclesiasticall policy being different as in some places by Bishops in some other wâ—…thout them doth not alter ought of faith The Apostles in that they were Apostles had a kinde of governement vvhich the Church had not afterward in the very same particular In the auncient Church some cities and Countreyes vvere immediately ruled by a Patriarke Grande Metropolitane some other by an inferiour Bishoppe vvho was subiected to the greater yet they all might agree in the faith The cheefe at Rome immediately is the Pope at Millaine for spirituall thinges the Arch-bishoppe in some places bee but Suffragaines in some other Iurisdictions a Deane or Priour by Privilege hath almost Papall auctoritie vvhich also in times past vvas in the Chauncellours or Vice-chauncellours of our English Vniversities some fewe thinges beeing excepted and reserved Yet will you say that these doe differ in
according to that which they had and not according to that which they had not would receiue them into the number of his blessed and elect And that the knowledge of the truth was not extinguished in England may easily be seene by that which is mentioned c Ration 1 before touching the VViclevists and many other who confessed Christ yea some of them vnto the death That noble L. d De Ecclesia cap 9. Du Plessis handling this argument for his countrey Fraunce doeth giue instaunce in Saint Bernard in vvhose workes wee finde hay and stubble and some drosse which the fire of Gods spirit in trying would burne away He was swayed with the streame of the time and received many matters indiscussed from other who were some body in the outward face of the Church But when this excellent man recutreth and retyreth himselfe vnto his owne vnderstanding how doth hee e De coÌ„veâ—…s ad 〈◊〉 29 Epist. 4â—… 〈◊〉 â—…â—…Word ad cleâ—… CoÌ„â—… Remâ—… lament the disorders and almost Apostasie of the Cleargy of his time How doth he inveigh against their negligence and security But for the point of Iustification by Christ how f Epist 190 seâ—… 50. in Cantiâ—…a sincerely doth hee speake that nothing bringeth satisfaction vnto the wrath of God but his owne mercy in the Saviour How doth he expound that place g 2. 〈◊〉 4. 8 hence-forth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse h De gratia lib. arbit explicating it that it is iust that we should haue it not because we deserue it but because God hath promised it to all beleevers it standeth with his iustice that he should performe his promise How doth he say of good works that they are i Ibidem via regnâ—… non causaeegâ—…ands the way of or to the kingdome but not the cause of our raigning How confident is he in the Lordes adopting of him when he saith I k De sepâ—… 〈◊〉 3. consider three things wherein my hope consisteth the love of his adâ—…tion the truth of his promise the power of his performance Now let my foolish thought murmure as much as it will saying for who are thou or how great is that glory or by what merites dost thou hope to obtaine it And I confidenthe will answere I knowe whome I have beleeved ' I am assured that in very much loue he adopted me that he is true in his promise that he is potent on his performance for he may doe what he will But most sufficiently and effectuallie of all other did he speake to this pupose when hee lay l In vita Ber. nard l. 1. 12. vppon his death-bedde which place that French noble man doth cite As it was with this holy person who had an extraordinarie talent of knowledge so we doe not distrust but diverse other in their life time and many at the houre of death did thus apprehend Gods mercy renouncing all their merites and the merites of other men which in our time so stiffe a Papist as Sir Christopher BlouÌ„t did of vvhome notwithstanding because hee dyed obstinate in other Romishe opinions wee doe not too much hope but leave him vnto the censure of the highest Iudge They which betooke themselues to faith in Christ alone neither directlie not indirectly crossing that ground and also in generall repented and asked forgiuenesse for all slips knowne and vnknowne those we iudge to have died in Gods favour And of this sort we trust that many of our Auncestors and Predecessours were 29 HEERE to turne to the Reader this Chapter as you see is reduced to this heade That which is largest spread is most true But the Romish faith is so Therfore the Romish faith is truest most Catholike What exceptioÌ„ may be made to the Minor Propositiâ—… it is intimated before But how far the Maior is froÌ„ truth in Divinity what ChristiaÌ„ doth not see For albeit that sometimes God permitteth his Gospel to have a very large scope at once as in the first Church and vnder Constantine and graciously in our age otherwise successiuely and by vicissitudes doth scatter it heere and there so that at one time or other al great places and quarters of the world haue doe or shall heare the sound thereof yet ordinarily the number of the godly compared with the wicked arâ—…â—…t like to a little flocke of kids opposed to a huge hearde of great cattaile That this was so before Christs coÌ„ming it is so evident that no man can doubt it And when hee first shewed himselfe is not his speech to those that followed him m Luk. 12. 32. feare not little flocke Doth not hee say that fewe n Matth. 〈◊〉 13 14 enter into the narrow gate but many into the wide passage which as it intendeth the finall standing or falling of men so it noteth the state also of theÌ„ which are abiding here on earth In the o Cap. 13 3. Parable of the seede it is but one of foure partes which lighteth in the good ground And howe infinite are the places where for many ages togither the seede never came there was noÌ„e sowed at all I here the people are but Ethnicks infidels without all sparke of vnderstaÌ„ding And where the word is preached what store is there of heretikes what multitude of hypocrites what plenty of worldlings and Atheists men who delight in security Are we not put in mind by our Saviour p Luk. 17 26 else-where that when the Sonne of man is to appeare vpon earth it shall bee as in the daies of Noe and in the time of Lot when the most part of persons shall eate and drinke and buy and sell and plant and builde mary and be maried And howe fewe there were vnited vnto Noe in faith we know by the small number of them who were saved in the Arke how few ioyned with Lot is as plaine when none but his daughters would follow him out of Sodome And of this sorte it must be toward the ende of the world The faithfull in comparison of the carnall and reprobate shall be but a little company 30 Then it is no marveile if the olde fathers have not taken for any argument of verity right the greatest widest multitude aâ—… q Homil 12. in Genes Origene wheÌ„ he said There are alwaies more evill persons theÌ„ good vices are of a greater number theÌ„ vertues And as they are more in tale so their dwelling spreading is much more lardge Doe r Lib. 1. Epist. 3â—… not respect saith Cyprian the number of theÌ„ for better is one maÌ„ fearing the Lord then a thousand wicked children as the Lord himselfe hath spoken That worthy man Ludovicus Vives in his bookes De veritate fidei bringeth the obiections which the Mahumetanes make for themselues wherefore their profession shoulde be truth and among them this is one s Lib. 4 Yea but you do see the admirable increase of
will take paines to reade the Lives of the Saints as they are set downe by the foreinamed Authours Such trimme men are your miracle-workers and therefore your miracles must needes also be of an excellent sute T. HILL AND therefore I say vnto you out of Saint Austen I am bound and tyed in the Catholike Church by the band chaine August devtil cred c. 〈◊〉 l coÌ„t Epâ—…sund cap. 4 of miracles And I am bolde considering and most stedfastly beleeuing these insinite glorious miracles of all times ages in the Catholike Romane Church to crye out to Almighty God with Richard de S. Victore lib. de trin cap. 2. Lord if it be not true which we beleive thou hast deceived vs for these have bin confirmed in vs by such signes wonders as could not be wrought but by thee But on the contrarie parte never any Protestant could worke any miracle at all but assâ—…ying to make some shew thereof to make their Doctrine the more probable to their followers felte the iust revengement of God who turned all to their shame confusion as he did by Simon Magus by Cyrola the Patriarke of the Arrians as witnesseth Grego Turon Egesippus lib. 3 de excid hieroâ—…ol cap. 2 lib. 2. hist. Fran. cap. 3. by the Donatists Optatus lib. 2. contr Parmen 〈◊〉 our dates by Luther endevouring to dispossesse a wench and by Calvin going about to delude his disciples as you may read in Hierom Bolsec in vit Calvin cap. 13. And therfore they are most foolish Vid Staph in abs relp and miserably inconsiderate who beleeve these newe fellowes not being able to quicken a flea and leave the doctrine of the Catholike Church confirmed with innumerable miracles G. ABBOT 9 IN the texte you cite one saying out of Saint Austen but in the margent you quote two The 〈◊〉 former place doth only mention that the truth of Christian religion De vtilitat credend cap. 17. is coÌ„firmed by miracles But you therin abuse your Reader notably For he speaketh of miracles past that in Christs time and not of any which were to come or like to coÌ„tinue in the church The words to which hee alludeth are more plaine in the chapter next before going where in a larger sort he haÌ„dleth that argumeÌ„t Such x Cap 16 things were doÌ„e at that time wherin God in a trâ—… maÌ„ did appeere as much as was sufficient for men The sicke were healed the lepers vvere cleansed going was restored to the lame sight to the blind hearing to the deafe And there is speech of no other matter And to no other purpose is the second place where the words are not which you cite His saying is thus that there bee diverse thinges which doe keepe him in the bosome of the Church y Contr. Ep. fundament cap 4 The consent of people and nations doth holde mee there doth hold me an authority which was begon with miracles nourished by hope euer â—…ased by charity confirmed by antiquity Doth this make for you as you thinke or against you The authority of the Church was begon with miracles It is true meaning of the time of Christ and his Apostles but he doth not saye it was continued and must be continued vnto the worldes end much lesse doth he affirme that it must be as a necessary argumeÌ„t of truth So you haue gained much by these two places even as you haue done by the whole ranke of your woÌ„ders wherof such as appertaine to you that is the late LegeÌ„dary inventioÌ„s are many indeed but not infinite are so far from being glorious that they are plainely coÌ„temptible ridiculous fit for your vn-Catholike Romane struÌ„pet whose throne must be supported with lies and variety of falshoods In being therfore â—…old you may be more bold theÌ„ you haue thanke for your labour but do not saye that you most stedfastly beleeve for you bestow too good a word vpon your selfe In such stuffe as this is z Palingen in Geminis Quifacilis credit facilis quoque fallitur He who lightly beleeveth is easily deceived You are strongly conceited you haue a boisteous imagination froÌ„ which the sooner you fly the safer you wil stand The a De Trin. lib. 1 cap. 2 words of Richard de S. Victore are not spoken of your fabulous and instly questionable wonders but of such signes as gaue evidence to the first preaching of the Gospell were wrought by Christ and his disciples which were so true so strange as that they could be wrought by none but by the power of God and therefore we may beleeve the doctrine both of the Trinity and other matters which they confirmed and not be deceived at all Yet this addeth no credit to your forgeries illusions neither convinceth that now we are to depeÌ„d on miracles That we do not take on vs to be able to work any we do most willingly acknowledg We know that those daies are past although God do not so restraine himselfe but that the praiers of his servants interceding he sometimes suffereth strange things to be done But we caÌ„not presume vpoÌ„ it since we haue no warrant for it out of the word of God And who is there I pray you in the whole Hierarchy of your Papacy who dare professedly assume that gifte vnto him Dareth your Pope the ministerial head of al your holines dare your Cardinals your Bishops your Friers your Priestes Long agone the b Decretal lib. 5. tit 35. cap. 3. Templars in Livonia did enforce the poore people to this that if any of theÌ„ were accused of any crime to purge themselues they shold go bare-footed over certaine redde hot irons if they were burnt at all then they were helde for guilty But some newly coÌ„verted to the faith coÌ„plained of this to the Pope Honorius the 3. he inhibited that any more such triall should be made calling it a thing forbidden a greevance that wherin God was tempted The like may be said of any who presuÌ„ptuously should professe to atteÌ„pt any strange miraculous matter it is but a tempting of God even by the iudgmeÌ„t of c Isa 7 12. Ahaz nowe long agone who beeing but an evil man yet was so faire tightly instructed Yet that good hypocrite your S. Dominicke going to dispute against the d Ioh. Bâ—…isseul contr Spond Albingenses preteÌ„ding that he would proue theÌ„ heretikes did bid theÌ„ write their reasons cast theÌ„ in the fire if saith he they will not burne then we wil beleeue you As if the holy Bible were not truth if beeing cast into the flame it would burne to ashes You can tell vs tales of your men doing else-where great wonders but you should doe well to sende vs some of your miracle-mongers hither that we may iudge of their iugling You mutter much of an holy annointed Priest that he by exorcizing can cast out Devils but we wonder that these
invincible Navy in the yeare 1588 and after many other renourned prosperities notwithstaÌ„ding the frequent conspiracies of vngodly persons against her by the favour of the Highest vnder the shaddow of whose wings shee was ever safe-garded dyed in peace in a full and glorious age so beloved honoured and esteemed of her subiects as never any Prince more And God to testifie his owne worke left at her death no noted calamity or misery in the kingdome no warres but even Ireland then calmed no famine no apparaÌ„t pestilence no inundation of waters but plenty and a boundance with inexpected tranquillity Yea to the end that he might crowne her with blessings he put vnity agreement into the Nobles Clergy and Commons of the land that readily they submitted them selues to the lawfull royal successour vnder whom we doubt not but to enioy religion and all earthly happinesse Let our Papists weigh whither these things be not wonderfull We in the meane time say They 〈◊〉 are the Lordes doing and they are marveilous 〈◊〉 Ps. 118 23 â—…n our eies THE SEVENTH REASON Visions and the gift of Prophecie T. HILL AS true Miracles never were wrought but by them who were of the true Church so heavenly Visions and the gift of Prophecte vvere never founde to bee but in the same And therefore the holy Apostle amonge other things which hee vseth to commende his doctrine and himselfe to the Corinthians against Heretikes and false Apostles hee bringeth in this as one saying Now will I come to the Visions 2 Cor 12 and Revelations of our Lord c. And Saint Peter alleageth 2 Pet 1 for consfirmation of his preaching the transfiguration of our Lords in the mounte vvhich hee savve and calleth it a Uision hee had a Uision of Matth 17 Act 10 11 asheete vvith all kindes of beastes in it vvhen hee vvas to deale vvith the Gentiles And for the trueth of Religion and confirmation of that which they did Act. 2 Hee alleadgeth the Prophecie of Iocl who saith amongst other things your young men shall see Visions and to bee Ioel cap 2 breefe of this sporte is the vvhose booke of the Apocalyps So that to see these kinde of heavenlee Uisions and thereby to foretell things most certainly is only amongst them who are of the true Church G. ABBOT WHen I haue breefly told you that almost every worde of the greatest part of this Chapter is taken from the seaventh of your Maister 〈◊〉 Bristowes Motiues perhaps 〈◊〉 Bristowe Motiv 7 some friend of yours will aske mee when my purpose is to cease from remeÌ„bring you of this matter since so oft I sing the same song My answere will be that when you leaue to steale out of other mens writings I shall leaue to tell you of the same but that I feare will not be till we come to the ende of your little booke Such a gift you haue to continue that which you haue well begunne Howe and by what meanes miracles to false and evill endes and yet themselues thinges miraculously done haue and may be by Sathan Antichrist and their followers brought about I haue shewed before And it is as certaine that Visions which to doating and deceived folks seeme heavenly and so also supposed or pretended Prophecies are of the same nature in our daies do proceede from the same roote are applyed to build vp falshood and vntruth in the selfe same sort Neither are these late forgeries or illusions any thing helped by those divine Revelations which formerly haue beene made since they these haue no affinitye or coherence the one vvith the other That S. b 2. Cor. 12 1 Paule to stoppe the mouthes of the false Apostles who depressed his authoritie did mention a Vision of his owne is a matter agreed vpon as also that S. c 2 Pet 1 17 Peter to testifie that what hee preached concerning Christes glorie was true mentioneth the transfiguration of his maister in the mount to the which he was an eie-witnesse And this by Iesus himselfe was teermed a d Math 17 9 Vision Neither is it to bee doubted but at the same time vvhen the same Peter was to bee instructed that Gods pleasure vvas to giue the Gentiles accesse into the Church as well as the Iewes he had from heaven an apparition of a e Act. 10 11 13. sheete full of all beastes cleane and vncleane and a voice added therevnto Kill and eate But we would gladly learne what it is that you can conclude out of these since the persons the times the vse is now most differeÌ„t you having no affinity nor keeping any quarter with the Apostles no not retaining so much interest in them as the Saracens have in Abraham from whome by the f Sozom. 6 38. bond-woman they are lineally descended And yet it would bee helde but a ridiculous dispute for one of theÌ„ to say that AbrahaÌ„ was familiarly acquainted with God pleased him had many blessings favours froÌ„ him therfore they the Hagarenes and Mahumetanes are in the same grace with the Lord may plead any favours or privilege froÌ„ him Touching that place of the Prophet g Ioel. 2 28 Ioel which you cite it hath relatioÌ„ to the sensible seÌ„ding down of the gifts of the holy Ghost which was fulfilled soone after Christes ascension And this was intimated again by our Saviour himselfe in other words He 〈◊〉 that beleeveth in me saith the Scripture out of his body shall flovve rivers of water of life vnto which the Evangelist immediately subioyneth 〈◊〉 Ioh 7 38. This spake he of the spirit which they that beleived on him shold receive for the holy Ghost was not â—…et giveÌ„ because that Iesus was not yet glorified The Prophet Ioel theÌ„ foretelleth that when Christ had appeered there shold be visible most admirable tokeÌ„s of Gods power loue to his Church in so much that many of all ages sexes first among the Iewes afterward by some farther coÌ„municating of it among the GeÌ„tiles shold speake with straÌ„g toÌ„gues shold see visioÌ„i prophecy And that the words of Ioel have reference to this nothing else S. Peter himselfe shal be witnes whose speech this is i Act. 2. 16 These are not drunken as you suppose since it is but the third houre of the day but this is that vvhich was spoken by the Prophet Ioel And it shall be in the last daies saith God I wil powre out of my spirit vpon all flesh your sonnes your daughters shall prophecy your younge men shall see visions your olde men shall dreame dreames And to shew that this is appropriated to that which theÌ„ quickly after was shewed by the Apostles I meane the speaking with strang toÌ„gues the imparting of that gift to other by theÌ„ as the instrumeÌ„ts of God the same Peter hath these words afterwards Since k 33. then that Christ hath received of
his father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which yee now see and heare Looke then how loÌ„g speaking mitaculously with strang tongs coÌ„tinued in the Church so long you may pleade out of this texte that visions and Prophecies had their place but that hence you should inferre that these thinges have perpetuall vse in the Church is most incongruous and inconsequent since the gifte of speaking strange languages is long since ceased which at that time vvas more eminent and apparaunt then Visions and Prophcying Now that the words of Ioel are to bee vnderstood of that time only witnesseth S. l Ad Marcellam adversus MontanuÌ„ Hierome who being vrged out of that very text to allow the visions prophecies of Montanus saith plainly that the same Prophecy agreeth to the time of the Apostles wherein Peter spake and vnto none other And as this maketh nothing for that which you are to prove if your meaning bee to prove any thing so your mentioning of the Apocalypse maketh lesse then nothing for that which Iohn there sawe is the last Revelation commended to vs by the Lords warrant and wee may not looke for any more such where-vpon as on a matter of certainty we may build our faith S. Iohn made Canonicall Scripture of his Visions which I trust yours cannot be Which yet nevertheles you might as wel proue as to make this argumeÌ„t Iohn did see Revelations VisioÌ„s which were froÌ„ God they gaue testimony to his doctrine Ergo you see such and yours be of that sort Your Reason from those auncient ones to these of your Papacy is a bacule ad angulum tyed togither with points most vnorderly and vnconcluding So that to allowe you that these kinds of heaâ—…ly Uisâ—…s and thereby to fâ—…tell things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 â—…gst them who are of the trâ—… Châ—…h I may adde and of such as are immediatly inspired from God is nothing at al to your purpose When you proue your Vision-seers to haue the same warrant authority and inspiration which the Apostles had we will readily harken vnto you But you must take a long day to make that good as the thirtith of February or ad Grâ—… Calendâ—… and till that time we must looke after you T. HILL FOr although there haue beene Prophecies amongst the Heathens yet were they not vndoubtedly true as the Oracles of Apollo and such like illusions except they were for the confirmation of right religion aâ—… Euseb. li. 5. hist. c. 16. 18 Cochlaeus in act Luth. the Prophecies of the Sybils and of Balaam And the same may be said of Heretikes 〈◊〉 of Montanus of Luther of Muncer and of such like who tooke vpon them to prophecie some to their vtter shame and some to their owne destruction G. ABBOT 2 VVEE will not much striue with you about the Prophecies among the Heathen although we doubte not but in ordinary actions of civil affaires the Divel oftentimes did speake vndoubted truth VVhich was the more to draw on and allure those who were the children of vnbeleefe and repaired to him for counsaile that they might beleeue him in such other forged matters as vvere more for his purpose Else they would never with such frequeÌ„cy haue runne to his Oracles And the meanes vvhereby Sathan attained to that knovvledge vvas partly by revelation from God who sometimes imparteth his proiects vnto the 〈◊〉 Divell and partly by coniecture of precedent 〈◊〉 Iob 2. 6. 〈◊〉 22. 2â—… necessary signes which would inferre or inforce the effects mencioned in Sathans answere vnlesse God by miracle did alter the consequents But it is of irrefragable truth that to confirme divine Religion the Lord hath vsed the mouth of the reprobat 〈◊〉 Num. 2â—… 24. c 24. 2â—… 〈◊〉 17â—… yea of the Divell himselfe in foreshewing things to come 〈◊〉 Balaam prophecied rightly of the Israelites of the Amalekites of the Kenites yea of the comming of Christ himselfe the Saviour and victorious conquerour of the world 〈◊〉 Caiphas truely foretolde 〈◊〉 Ioh 11 50 that one should die for the people and not all the nation perish And yet both Caiphas and Balaam were the children of perdition Apollo in his Oracle which was nothing else but the voice of Sathan did vtter many verities for he was over-ruled by one who was greater then himselfe Let that one instaunce suffice vvhich is cyted by Lactantius and falleth fitly vpon God and Christ his sonne For p Lacta dâ—… fals religion cap. 7 Apollo at Colophon being consulted by one to shewe vvho or what God was it vvas answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Borne of himselfe vntaught vvithout a mother stable or individed his name is not expressible by speech dwelling in the fire This is God and wee Angles are but a small pâ—…ce of God And the like may be saide of the Sibilles vvhich vvere tenne in number as the same q Cap 6 Lactantius shevveth and as it may bee gathered out of him there had many things touching the vnity and power of God and of his Creating of the world And r De ira Dei ca 22 23 else vvhere the like are by him mentioned to bee delivered from them as also of the vvrath and vengeaunce of the Lorde against sinne Saint s De civit Dei l. 18. 23 Augustine hath in like maÌ„ner certaine verses of Sibilla Erithrea vvhich are as a Prophecie foretelling and describing the comming of Christ and are the more notable for that Acrostich 〈◊〉 Christ the Sâ—…e of God the Saviour every verse beginning with one letter of those wordes in the Latin the 〈◊〉 Originall whereof 〈◊〉 In annot in euÌ„ 〈◊〉 is cited by L. Vives in the Greeke Neither doth the holy t In orat ad sanct caeâ—…uÌ„ apud Euseb Emperour Constantine forget to apply to our Saviour that Ecloge of Virgile which was borrowed from the Dictates of Sibilla 〈◊〉 Cumaea Yea all the Sibilles haue spoken so plainely of Christ that 〈◊〉 Vir. Ecl 4â—… some haue imagined them to be of the number of Gods electe and chosen of purpose out of the Gentiles but Gregory Naziâ—…zene is directly of another iudgement u Ad Nemesium saying that whereas sometimes they ioine with the truth it is not that this happened vnto them from God but because they looked â—…slaunt or squinting-wise on the bookes of the Scripture This may be some reason but I rather suppose that God who enforced 〈◊〉 Sathan to confesse Christ to be the sonne of the Almighty and so to giue 〈◊〉 Mar 1 24 testimony to him among the Iewes did also vrge these to giue witnes of Christs comming among the Gentiles although the speakers like Caiphas knew not what they said 3 Of Montanus and his followers as also of Priscilla Maximilla two women y Eccl. hist lib 5 16 17 Eusebius out of Miltiades and Apollonius maketh mention
many therfore were attainted and accordingly received punishment If they should be well examined the Visions which are fathered on Philippus Nerius of whom I spake before and who not 〈◊〉 many 〈◊〉 An 1595. yeares since dyed at Rome would proue to be of this quality Divers of his friends g Eius vitae l 1 An 1556 dying are said to appeare vnto him he saw their soules immediatly passing into the kingdome of heaven Nay h An 1559 Christ himselfe was seene of him And as he saw Visions for other so other saw some for him whence we may learne that false laddes neede no other brokers then themselues This Philip and his fellowes had pretended to go into India to convert soules but one i An 1557 Augustinus Ghettinus a Monke and confederate of his saw Iohn the Evangelist in a Vision who told him that Rome must be Philips Indies that he was chosen to dresse Gods vineyard there Thus they packed togither that their credit might be saved and yet they might sleep at home in a whole skinne also Since that time Father Weston alias Edmundes the Iesuite and his fellowes the Priestes haue made great vse of Visions in England especially by the meanes of one Richarde Mainy who since by confession on his k A declaration of Popish Impostures Confes. ofâ—… Mainy oth hath discovered all to be but an impure and most cousening iuggling devise It was long beleeved touching him that he saw a glistering light come from the thumbs and fore fingers of the Priests at sundry times which was devised to make the world beleeue that those thuÌ„bs and fingers were most holy matters being annointed with holy oyle when they were made Priests In a traunce of his he said he was in Purgatory and reported many strang things thereof Also he foresawe that from that time till Good-Fryday he should haue Visions every Sunday and this with like frawde was accomplished sometimes it being prophecied that Papists should sustaine great persecutions in England and sometimes it beeing related that Christ with great multitudes of Angels or the Virgin Marie with traines of blessed Virgins were present in the Chamber and then downe the staÌ„ders by must on their knees to worship theÌ„ pray to theÌ„ One part of Mainies fore-sightes was that on the Good-friday he should dye but when that day came he was warned that it must be otherwise so indeed the deade maÌ„ is aliue yet hath disclosed the whol devise Yet the shamelesse Iesuite aboue named wrote a whole quire of paper concerning these Visions of his and many a silie Papist both be hither and beyond the seas haue beene bobbed with the strang reports of these counterfeit RevelatioÌ„s perhaps have beleeved them as they would do their Creed Many examples more in this kind might be produced which may teach men not to be too credulous in these coÌ„ceits which evermore originally come vpon the report of one person for he it is who must tell his owne dreame or Vision and easie it is for some reporters themselues to be deluded by the Devill as easie for some other to delude as many as wil giue credite vnto them Then since both Divinity and humanity doe shew this to be a matter most suspecte let Papistes accept this for a weake reason of their vnsound beleife wee for our partes will haue nothing to doe with it 9 And yet it is not amisse before the shutting vp of this Chap. to obserue that they are alwaies beateÌ„ with their own rodde For if we may attribute any thing to those whoÌ„ in the last ages they hold for the greatest Prophets most autheÌ„tical seers of VisioÌ„s Popery is al naught For we scaÌ„t find any who in a general speech is reported to haue had that gifte but a great parte of his other talke hath bin against the Papacy Clergy therof l Catalog â—…estium veâ—…at lib 15 Hildegardis was by many held to be a Prophetisse and she did not only taxe the lewde life of the Romish Priests but their neglect of Ecclesiastical duty their horrible destroying of the Church of God Among other words she hath these TheÌ„ the meter of the Apostolike honor shal be devided because no religioÌ„ shal be fouÌ„d in the Apostolicalorder for that cause shal they lightly esteeme the dignity of that name shal set vp vnto theÌ„selues other meÌ„ Arch-Bishops so that the keeper of the see Apostolik at that time by the diminishing of his honour shal scant haue Rome a few things adioyning vnder his miter About the same time also which is more theÌ„ 400. yeeres agone lived m Ibideâ—… Mechâ—…hildis reputed al so for a Prophetisse And she speaking of coÌ„tentioÌ„s which shold be in Germany for religioÌ„ addeth that theÌ„ the church of Rome should wholy apostate opeÌ„ly froÌ„ the faith of Christ that there should remaine in Germany a poore afflicted company who should serve God religiously purely There was also one n Ibidem Elizabeth a maiden attendant on Hildegardis who is recorded to have such predictions invectiues against the Romanists The Prophecies of Ioachimus Abbas Anselmus termed Episcopus Marsicanus are lately o An. 1589 put out at Venice by Paschalinus Regiselmus there is the Pope still pictured in his triple crowne and he hath part nay seemeth to be the cheefe in al the iniquity there intended Brigit who lived about the yeere 1370. is by our Papistes helde for a famous Prophetisse and by the Pope she is Canonized for a Saint In her p Catalogs lib. 18. Revelations she calleth the Pope a killer of soules the disperser tearer of the sheepe of Iesus Christ. Shee saith that hee is more abhominable then the Iewes more cruel then Iudas more vuiâ—…st then Pelate worse and viler then Lucifer himselfe That the seate of the Pope shall be drowned in the deepe like a heavy stone That those who sit with him shall be burned in fire of brimstone which is not to be quenched Thus did shee and many other scowre the Church of Rome which as it seemeth Doctour Hill knevve vvell inough and therfore suppressed the names of these least he shold be thought to mention those who flattered the Popedome Savanorola by the confession of vnpartiall Iudges was a man who fore-prophecied many things He fore-tolde the comming of Charles the 8. the FreÌ„ch King into Italie how there he should prevaile Philippus q De bello NeapolitaÌ„ lib. 3. Comineus spake with him in person at such time as the Venetians had thought with their armye to haue entercepted Charles returning home-ward with no great forces And Comineus saith of hi that hiÌ„self coÌ„miÌ„g new froÌ„ the heÌ„ch army yet was by him informed of many thiÌ„gs there doÌ„e Savanorola knowing theÌ„ better beiÌ„g abseÌ„t theÌ„ he did who was preseÌ„t And he told Comineus that albeit Charles his master were hardly laid to by
bee iustified That it is most true which S. Paule hath that a man is iustified by faith without workes because no works done before beleeving helpe toward iustification but that in beleeving actually a man is reputed iust before God that if he die immediatly having no time to worke yet he by beleeving is iustified Notwithstanding that if he liue he ought to bring forth good fruit His coÌ„clusion is that S. Paule doth speake of workes going before faith S. Iames speaketh of works following that faith which hath iustified And a right beleefe wil not be without them if it have time to shew it selfe I might heere adde how frequent a thing it is with diverse Doctors of the Church to vse the word of onely faith in speaking of our IustificatioÌ„ but of that hereafter TheÌ„ to shew that neither Luther nor we need feare the Epistle of S. Iames as crossing our other doctrine we say that S. Paule doth speake of acceptatioÌ„ to be iust S. Iames intendeth a declaration that we are iustified the one beateth on that before God where the setled apprehension of faith prevaileth which notwithstaÌ„ding wil not be without his convenient fruit the other mentioneth that before men who know not the hart but must iudge of that which is externall therefore it is rightly said by the Apostle in their persons s 〈◊〉 2. 18. Shew mee thr faith out of thâ—…e owne workes 3 Whom you meane by the of-spring of Luther we caÌ„not telt but if al who refuse those books be termed his of-spring his children shal be a thousand yeeres elder then himselfe for many of the most ancieÌ„t fathers did disclaime the books of Tobias Ecclesiasticus the Machabees for being Canonical if the rule of s Hist Ecol lib 3. 19 Eusebius he good as no wise maÌ„ wil deny it that the Canonical volumes may be distiguished froÌ„ the Apocryphal suppositious by the iudgmeÌ„t of the church by the stile by the matter purpose of the books they had great reasoÌ„ not to acknowledge theÌ„ for the Church vniformly did never admit theÌ„ they are not writteÌ„ in the language of the Iews to whoÌ„ t Rom. 3 2. were coÌ„mitted the Oracles of God therfore if they were part of Gods Oracles before the comming of Christ these Iewes should haue admitted them and retained them which they did not and the matter of them is but meane and ignoble in comparisoÌ„ of the vndoubted Scripture What a doubtful narration is that in u Cap. 6. 17 Tobias that a spirite should smell a perfume when spirits haue no flesh bones by the testimony of u Luc 24. 39 Christ himselfe coÌ„sequeÌ„tly no organes of scÌ„e that the hart liver of a fish should drive away the Devil Which if it were so S. Peter was much overseene when he taught vs how to repulse SathaÌ„ by x 1 Pet. 5 9. resisting him being stedfast in the faith For it had bin an easier way to have said get you the hart liver of such a fish make a perfume with it he dareth not come nigh you And this would wel haue beseemed S. Peter to set men to catch such fish in remeÌ„brance of his owne occupatioÌ„ since himselfe was a fisher But what if yong Toby had met with such a spirit as those were of whom Christ saith y Matth. 17. 21. This kind goeth not out but by fasting and praier The treatise called Ecclesiasticus if for any cause it should come into the Canon it must be for Salomons sake whom many would haue to bee the authour of it But the Preface it selfe remaineth confessing it to be the worke of Iesus Sirachs sonne of another Iesus his grande-father and the booke meÌ„tioneth z Cap 48. 46. Elias Ezechias Iosias Ieremy diverse other who lived hundreds of yeeres after Salomon And howe questionable a narration is that in it that a Cap 46. 20 Samuel should tell of Saules death after his owne burial which as diverse learned men thinke is a report to be beleeved in NecromaÌ„cy rather theÌ„ in Divinity For if the souls of the righteous being departed be in the haÌ„d of God which our Romanists must coÌ„fesse out of the booke of b Cap 3. 1 Wisdome we do beleeue out of the saying of David c Psal 31. 5. Into thine haÌ„d I coÌ„mend my spirit if those who die in the Lord d Apoc 14 13 do rest froÌ„ their labors how shal we suppose that the soule of such an excelleÌ„t Prophet as Samuel was might be at the coÌ„mand of so base vile a witch to be fetched froÌ„ heaven at her pleasure Or what rest shal other faithfull men and women bee imagined to haue after this life if Necromancers VVitches and Coniurers haue such power over them Albeit therefore that some of the auncient speaking according to the e 1. Sam 2â—… 15 letter of the texte doe name him who appeared Samuel because hee came vp in the likenesse of Samuel as f Epistol 80. Basile when hee saith that the VVitch raised Samuel from the deade and some other not sifting the pointe doe affirme it to bee the soule of Samuel himselfe as g Antiquit. 6. 15 Iosephus the lewe and h Dialog 〈◊〉 Tryphon Iustinus Martyr yet other more exactly looking into it tell vs otherwise as S. Austen when he calleth that which appeered i De doctr Christ lib. 24 23. the image of Samuel and especially Basile who elsewhere more advisedly pronounceth that k Basil in 〈◊〉 cap 8. they were Devils which hissing with their voice did transforme themselues into the habite and person of Samuel Yea l Chron l 1 Genebrard himselfe maketh a great doubt whither it were Samuel or no and citeth Tertullian and diverse other of the Auncients resolving the contrary As for the bookes of Machabees there be many thinges in them that no man can maintaine therfore no part of them is so much as reade in our Church as that m 1. Mach. 1. 7 AlexaÌ„der parted his kingdome among his servants while he was alive that the n Cap 8 7. Romanes tooke the greate Antiochus aliue that they tooke from him o Cap. 8. 8. India and Media and Lydia and gaue them to King Eumenes that they had a Senate consisting of p Vers. 15. three hundred and twenty men who consulted daily that they yeerely committed their q Vers. 16. government to one man whom all obeied and that there was no hatred or envy amongst them Also it wil never bee made hang togither that Iudas should be aliue in the r 2 Math 1. 10. hundred foâ—…escore eight yeere and yet he should be slaine in the s 1 Mac 9. 3. hundred fifty and two yeere Neither that Antiochus should s 1 Mac. 6. 8 die in his bed for griefe and sorrow and in another place should be
slaine in the temple of t 2. Mach 1 13. 16. Nanea and there haue his head and the heads of his company cut of and in a third u Cap. 9 28 passage should die a miserable death in a strange country among the mountaines that should be only by the u Dan 8. 25. hand of God without any helpe of man Nor that x 2. Mach 1. 18. Nehemias should builde the Temple the aulter at Ierusalem vvhen indeede they vvere y Ezr. 313. cap 6 15 builte before his comming vp nor that it is to bee founde in the vvorkes of z 2. Mac 2 1 Ieremie the Prophet that he commaunded the people who were ledde away captiue to take fire with thē Moreover it were worth the knowing how by good Divinity the fact of Razias a Cap. 14 42 murthering himselfe may any wise be cōmended And whether such as were the pen-mē of the holy Ghost do vse to craue pardon of their infirmity insufficiēty in delivering that which is to be named Canonical Scripture which the b Cap 15 39 author of the later book of the Machabees doth Many more such blemishes are to be foūd in these tracts which evidently shew that no doctrine of infallible verity can be grounded vpon them but where they haue ought agreeing with the Canonical Scriptures they may bee accepted because they consent with the other where they haue ought disagreeing that same cannot be warranted because it is in these Apocriphal to be found but it is to be repudiated as the errour of a man since a greater God himselfe who speaketh in his owne word doth impugne it 4 Now for the points of doctrine which you would vrge out of these bookes thus we say That Angels are deputed to safegard Gods elect we doubt not for the c Psal 34 7 Angel of the Lord pitchethroūd about thē that feare him delivereth thē those whō the d 2 Reg 6. 17 servant of Elizeus saw do testifie so farre neither do we so much as call it into question but that they are e Hebr. 1. 14 ministring spirites sent imploied in messages as the f Luc 1 26 Angel Gabriel was to the Virgin Mary when and where otherwise it pleaseth God But what can our Papists collect hence That they are to be prayed vnto or that they are to be worshipped We find no warrant any where for the former they thēselues refuse the latter I g Apoc. 19 10 am one of thy fellow servaunts saith the Angel to Iohn Worship God Or can they proue that an Angell doth so sensibly serviceably waite on men as this mentioned in Tobias is reported to do And if they could what doth it crosse any point in our religion since al must be done by the Lords appointment the glory must be given vnto him As for free-vvill in that sence which the Church of Rome doth teach it we deny Neither doth the text of Ecclesiasticus h Eccle. 15 15 necessarily inforce it being as fit to be vnderstood only of Adam in his first creation as otherwise And the words of this writer being soberly taken may cary no other sence then vvhat is to be found in vndoubted bookes of i Deut 30 19 Scripture vvhich textes notwithstanding we deny not but by comparing place to place give them their right exposition VVe acknovvledge the freedome of mās hart to do evil as also that by the Spirit of God the will of the regenerate is freed to do good but this is not so much liberum as liberatum arbitrium not so much a will free as freed nothing being in the power of man himselfe but all bestowed by God But concerning this we shal speake more largly hereafter The place of the k 2. Mac 12 42◅ Machabees is too weake to proue praier for faithfull soules lying in Purgatory to be lawfull The text it selfe in the Originall is so perplexe that an evident and certain sence cannot be made of the words And who doth not see there that they were not faithful persons but rather grosse sinners which were slaine and such as may bee thought to haue received a iust iudgment from God both on body and foule for medling with the Anathema or excommunicate thing Iudas therfore who was a man so experienced in the law of Moses could not be so simple as to send an offring or to cause praiers to be made for the soules of them who were thus flaine especially when all offrings were prescribed in the Leviticall law but there was none immediately concerning the persons of dead men but all for the living this therefore was the misse-conceite of the authour writing therein his owne fancie rather then the fact of Iudas For that worthy man wel knewe that the atonement and reconciliation was to be made for the rest of the people and army which lived who might smart in and for their fellowes sinne as their fore-fathers had done for the l Iosua 7. 5. transgression of Achan The offring then and praier at Hierusalem was to prevent this and not for the soules of them who dyed in their sinne and were not godly persons as the wordes of the Authour may seeme to import That men should pray to Saints I finde nothing in these treatises Only somewhat there is that m Mac. 15 12 14. Onias and Ieremy did pray for the whole people of the Iewes And what will you infer vpon these You might vnderstand that we deny not that the Saints in heaven do pray in general for the good of the Church but that they in particular know our wants heare our callings vnderstand our wishes that remaineth for you to proue Besides you might perceiue that this was a Vision wherein things are represented otherwise then really they are as it was with S. Peter who conceived that a n Act 10. 11 sheete full of all cleane and vncleane beasts was let downe vnto him which neverthelesse I trust you will not say was so indeed So that from the words circumstances of a Vision you can concludingly evince no more then from the words and circumstances of a P◅rable and that is little but from the end vse and scope of both you may to good purpose collect somewhat And yet farther without impiety it may be doubted whither the Generall here did not vse a tricke of war which Alexander and other Graund leaders haue experimented that is to incourage men by a dreame artificially fained and reported the benefit whereof in worldlye mens iudgement is such that o Ca 20 146 Leo Imperator in his military precepts hath this for one Thou shalt cause in thy souldiours alacrity to the battaile if on the day of fighte thou rising in the morning shalt say that some dreame was sent vnto thee from God which doth incite thee to invade thine enemies and sheweth thee some kinde of helpe to
vs belieue that although in the first Synode which long since did canonize the bookes of holy writte they were not admitted yet in a later Synode the Canon was made larger And reasons for this he maketh shew to giue But it is too late Genebrard you come after the faire The Councel which cannot erre hath shut them out of dores the Pope hath ratified their Decree therfore you lose your labour and you are but one man against so many Fathers therfore best pul in your hornes For as with your owne side you are like to gaine nothing so otherwise you wil pul an olde house on your head whē by your example you teach vs that a private man may question yea conclude against that which your Counsels haue determined Where by the way let not the simple and vnlearned Christian wonder that in this best booke the Bible there should be any thing which is not properly a member of it for we therin as also in reading some part of them publikely doe but imitate the custome of the most auncient purest c Zanch. in Observat in cap. 1◅ Confessiō Churches ioyning that with Gods most sacred word which vniversally hath bin ioyned among Christians since almost the eldest times and is not refused by the most reformed Churches at this day but we distinguish these writings from the divine volumes and note them by the name or appellation of Apocripha as hidden in comparison of the bright light of the other which may wel endure the light and sunne-shine And by a little Preface before those doubted bookes as also by the Articles of Religion agreed on in Cōvocation An. 1562. we teach what opinion the Church hath of them that they are not received to be publikely expoūded nor to confirme matters of doctrine but only as they cōsent with the other which are Canonical or onely as the writings of some godly men which may serue to giue light to the history or containe some not vnprofitable instructiōs touching good manners And these things in our Sermōs writings we do fequētly notify So that this indifferent course being held there is no iust cause of offence givē either to the weake beleever or to the malitious clamorous adversory that being done which anciently in the best Christian Churches was done and yet the people be taught but howe and in what sence it is done Nay our Church hath beene so carefull for giving any vvay iust occasion of scandale in this matter that it permitteth the Minister to reade in steede of any of these Apocriphal Chapters other Canonicall lessons vpon the Sun-daies and Holy-daies and therefore much more vpon the working-daies as hee in his wisedome iudgement shal see fit requiring of him prudence discretion in that behalfe Which appeareth in the Second Tome of Homilies set out by publike d An. 1563. authority almost in the beginning of her late Maiesties raigne For there in the e An admonition to al Ministers Ecclesiasticall Preface this advertisement being given to all Ministers For that the LORD doth require of his servant whom bee hath set over his housholde to shevve both faithfulnes and prudence in his office c. some thinges are advised vnto him touching his duty but lastly this is subnected and subioyned And vvhere it may so chaunce some one or other Chapter of the olde Testament to fall in order to bee reade vpon the Sundaies or Holy-daies vvhich vvere better to bee chaunged vvith some other of the New Testament of more edification it shall bee vvell done to spende your time to consider vvell of such Chapters before hand vvhereby your prudence and diligence in your office may appeere so that your people may haue cause to glorifie GOD for you and bee the readier to embrace your labours to your better commendation to the discharge of your consciences and their owne Which pointe being well considered avoideth all blame from the Church of England even in the eyes of them that would seeme most quicke-sighted it being not onely permitted to the Minister but also commended in him if vvisely and quietly hee doe reade Canonicall Scripture vvhere the Apocryphal vppon good iudgement seemeth not so fitte or any Chapter of the Canonicall may bee conceived not to haue in it so much edification before the simple as some other parte of the same Canonical may be thought to haue For the wordes wil very well cary both these 7 VVell then if there bee reasons why the Church of Rome doth shut out from the Canon these bookes of Esdras and yet they are printed and bound vp with all their ordinary Bibles if the same or such like exceptions may bee taken against Iudith Tobias and the rest is there not as great reason that they also should be secluded from the Canonicall albeit they remaine in the volume of the Bible The exceptions against all these controversed writings are many but I will reduce them briefly to these three plaine heads which I meane to touch First the matter of the bookes of Esdras is slight and vaine without maiestie and vnworthy the holy and sacred spirit of God Secondly these tracts are not to be founde in the Canon of the old that is the Iewish Church And thirdly in the computation of Christians they are also reiected If we lay these lines and rules to the rest we shall finde them of very little different quality For first the matter of them is not coherent with the rest of the vndoubted scripture In c Cap 5. 12 Tobias the Angell vtteteth somewhat of himselfe which cannot literally be avoided when he saith to old Tobias I am of the kinredos Azarias and Ananias the great and of thy brethren So it is a narration worthy at the least to be pawsed vpon that the d Cap 6 13 seven husbands of Sara should be killed by an evil spirit the first night of their mariage Of the hart and liver of the fish I haue spoken before Is it not a likely matter that e Cap 8. 9◅ Raguel would make a graue for him whom the day before hee so advisedly tooke for his sonne in law now to bury him before hee was dead They are not matters to bee commended by the penne of the holy Ghost that Iudith should f Iud 10 3 4 dresse and tricke her selfe more then became a matrone that so she might allure Holofernes to wantonnesse that shee g Cap. 12 12 14 18 c 13 1 should make shew as not to deny to lie with him that shee should tell such evident h Ca. 10. 12. 13 vntruthes to his servants at her first taking and to i Ca 11 15 16 himselfe afterward That the Iewes should haue peace so long in her life k Ca. 16. 25. time and a great while after her death is a matter vnprobable since these warres of Holofernes are saide to be made in the time of King l Cap. 2. 1.
Ecclesiasticus Wisdome into their Canon else where more theÌ„ i Deâ—…civita Dâ—…il 18. 36. contâ—… epist Gauden l. 2 once he coÌ„fesseth that they also seclude the books of the Ma chabees k In Synop. Athanasius also acknewledgeth that the books of the old TestameÌ„t are but 22. answering to the 22. Hebrew letters so saith Epiphanius in his treatise De mensuris ponderibus Hilary in his Prologe on the Psalmes hath the same Where it is to bee observed that the Iewish reckoning of these 22. bookes is some what different from that ordinary enumeration which we doe vse for they diverse times comprehende two bookes vnder one but yet so it is exactly that vvhatsoever vve containe within the compasse of the Canon they receaue the same and vvhat vvee doe reiecte they also refuse And that there is such a secluding of some bookes by the Ievves Thomas l Part 〈◊〉 qu 89 art 8 Aquinas maye bee a vvitnesse vvho maketh doubte vvhither Ecclesiasticus bee of authority or no saying The booke of Ecclesiasticus if it haue authority because among the Hebrews it is not received in the divine writingâ—… So that if vvee follovve the Church before Christ vnto whome most properly the Olde Testament did belong we must repute them as now we do Apocryphal hold their credit to be suspect Neither may this bee helped by saying that there was some later Synode vvhich made a larger Canon among the lewes â—…s m Chronog lib. 2. Genebrard would say if hee could tell what hee saide for that is a fable of his owne inventing directly crossing the Councel of Trent as formerly I haue shevved 10 Thirdly among the Christians there is much more against these writings theÌ„ there is for theÌ„ I wil briefely cite what I finde amoÌ„g some of the Ancient which may seeme to helpe theÌ„ n Lib. 3. Epist 9. ad 〈◊〉 Cyprian citeth somewhat out of Ecclesiasticus vnder the name of Salomon Truth but it is for the likenes of the sentences there to those in the Proverbes which also hath caused some other to take it for Salomons not looking exactly into the impossibility of the matter This therfore is but weake o Lib. 2. de principâ—…js OrigeÌ„ bringeth somewhat out of the story of the Machabees Wel but so he doth also in the same place ou of the Liber Pastoris which neverthelesse no wise Papist wil say to be Canonical Yet else-where he p Lib 10. c. 16 ad Rom. saith of that Hermes or Pastor that it seemed to him a very profitable booke and as he thinketh inspired from God No man therfore wil attribute much to Origens iudgement in that behalfe q Stromatâ—… Clemens Alexandrinus doth cite the story of Tobias But even so doth he meÌ„tioÌ„ the Gospel secunduÌ„ Aegypties but he nameth neither the one nor the other Canonical Yea but r De Tobia cap 1. Ambrose writiÌ„g vpoÌ„ Tobias nameth that a Prophetical book So he doth indeed that is of more force theÌ„ any yet meÌ„tioned But his iudgmeÌ„t in this is not to be warranted since s De bono mortis c. 11. else-where he citeth the fourth of Esdras as true Scripture And we are not ignorant that his skil was little or nothing in the Hebrew wherby he might best haue beene acquainted with the customes of the lewes In S. Austen I finde little concerning Tobias and Iudith onely in the enumeration s De doctr Christ. l 2 8 of the Canonical Scripture he citeth them once and there he hath the bookes of the Mâ—…chabees as also VVisedome and Ecclesiasticus which for a likely-hood to the bookes of Salomons are called as Salomons So t Serâ—… 131 de TeÌ„pore else-where according to the coâ—…on custome neere him he tearmeth Ecclesiasticus Salomons booke But deliberately he doth explicate that point where he saith u De civit Dei la 7 20. Custome hath obtained that Wisedome Ecclesiasticus should be said to be Salomons for some no small likenesse of the speech But the more learned doe not doubt that they are not his notwithstaÌ„ding the Church especially that of the West hath long agone received them into authority in the one of whom which is called the Wisdome of Salomon the passion of Christ is most openly prophecied It was written after the passion of Christ even in the daies of Caligula if Philo were the author of it TheÌ„ it is cleere by S. Austen that they were not Salomons workâ—… but yet he would haue theÌ„ to be Canonical And that he hath also in another place u Speculum Augustini The Church of our Saviour doth receive them yet the words of him immediately before are The Iewes doe reiect from the Canon the booke of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus TheÌ„ by the coÌ„fession of this renoumed maÌ„ the Iewes did repudiat theÌ„ Yea that he acknowledgeth els-where x De curo pro mort gerend c 15. The book of Ecclesiast is spokeÌ„ against out of the CanoÌ„ of the Hebrews because it is not in that And in his y Lib. 2 c. 20 RetractatioÌ„s The Iews doe not receive the booke of Wisedome into Canonicall authority Were it not then to be wished heere that S. AusteÌ„ had remeÌ„bred his own rule which is z De doctr Chr. l. 2. 8. that such bookes principally should bee esteemed Canonicall which are so accepted of al churches but of such as are in doubt that they are most to be approved whom most Churches do allow Then if the Iewish Church refused these and the Easterne Church wholy among the Christians great ones also in the Westerne provinces vpon whom he seemeth principally to rely S. Austen by his owne sentence is much oppâ—…gned and refuted And of these in the East West Church you shall heare anone 11 Touching the bookes of the Machabees as it is said before that S. Austen reckoned theÌ„ among the Canonical volumes so a De morib Cath Eccl cap. 23. elsewhere he calleth the secoÌ„d of them Scripture In his bookes b Lib. â—…8 36. Decivitate Dei he expoundeth it to be so among ChristiaÌ„s not in the lewish Synagogue Not the Iews but the Church doth account the bookes of the Machabees for Canonical by reason of the vehemeÌ„t woÌ„derful suffring of some Martyrs And yet the same father in another place speaketh muâ—…h more coldly faintly for theÌ„ c Contra secuÌ„â—… Gaudent Epist lib. 2. For the Scripture which is called the Machabees the Iews do not accouÌ„t as the Law the Prophets the Psalmes to whoÌ„ the Lord doth give testimony as to his witnesses saying It must needes bee that all thinges are fulfilled which are written concerning me in the Law in the Prophets in the Psalmes but it is received of the Church not vnprofitably if it soberly be readâ—…r beard This even by his owne extenuation carieth but smal comfort with it But
of truth but is not to be imagined to say any thing in favour of Hierome with whom he had hote great f â—…nvect coÌ„tra Hieron controversies He there then enumerateth the volumes of Canonicall Scripture even in the same order as we do but disclaimeth Tobias Iudith their fellows then subioyneth this g â—…e symb Apostolor These are they whom the Fathers haue concluded within the Canon out of which they would haue the assertions of our faith to appeare The rest they would haue indeed to bee reade in the Churches yet not to bee produced to get from them the authoritie of faith And then These things haue wee said that thâ—…se vvho doe receiue the first elementes of faith may know from vvhat fountaines of the word of God their draughtes are to bee dravvne So that in these you see the sound substantial iudgment of the most learned in the West Church eveÌ„ in the most ancient daies of it this hath bin coÌ„tinued ever since vntil our time by meÌ„ of the greatest knowledge throughout all ages yea such as were lights in the Church of Rome it selfe Nay h Greg epi ad Leandr sup Iob 5 Gregory himselfe within 600. yeares after Christ accepted of Hieromes translatioÌ„ or Castigation vsing no other but sticking so close therevnto that as a learned man of i D Fulk in prefâ—… Rhem Testam 29. Greg in Evang Hom. 34. ours hath observed it being falsly in that copy DomuÌ„ evertit for domuÌ„ everrit he interpreted it after the erroneous putting And since that time in the Romane Churches that edition is â—…urrant where according to k In prolog Galeato Hieromes distinction there be no more to be found Canonical then those whom we so read I might adde the testimonies of l Prolog in lib Ios Tobiae Hugo of m In vltim â—…sth epist ad Clem y. Caretane after him both men of much learning both Cardinals of the See of Rome as also of the Ordinary Glosseâ—… who in the beginning of those bookes hath thus Here beginneth the booke of Tobias which is not of the CanoÌ„ Here beginneth the booke of Iudith which is not of the Canon and so of the rest Also of n De tradeÌ„ dis discipl 〈◊〉 Vives who secludeth Tobias Iudith some other In breefe I can here alleadge the witnes of many rare and worthy men even of the Popish writers and such as lived long before Luthers daies but I reserue them til some Romanist vrge me farther vnto theÌ„ But out of al this which hath bin said I conclude first that the Popes vassals in the CoÌ„veÌ„â—…cle of Trent were more then audacious incroching vpon God Almighty when they durst to vendicate that authority as to put into the Canon that which lieth open to so many iust exceptions and was repudiated by such so ancient and so many as well of their own as other And secondly that our Iesuits of late as Bellarmine CaÌ„pian our other more vnlearned Papistes as Bristow and the scribler of this Pamphlet with whom I haue to deale are very hard fore-headed when they exclaime vpon vs for doing that which they ought also to do and call vs heretikes for imitating the iudgement so mature and well grounded of such persons Churches But the pity of all pities is that their blinde and deafe disciples our country-men and brethren according to the flesh giue credit to such lies and accept that as the Gospell which when it iâ—… seaâ—…ed doth fly to ragges and fitters THE NINTH REASON Councels T. HILL THE Church of God hath ever beene accustomed when any heresie did spring vp therein to gather a Councell of Bishops Prelates and of other learned men in which the truth was approved the heresie condemned And whosoever were coÌ„demned by such Councels coÌ„firmed by the See Apostolike were ever deemed in very deed were heretikes and for such at length were taken of all men and in the end vanished away So were the Arrians condemned in the Nicene Councell the Macedonians in the Councell of Constantinople the Nestorians in the Ephesine the Eutychians in the Chalcedonian others in other Councels All which heretikes although they flourished for a time and drew manie people yea Emperours Kings States and Countreies after theÌ„ yet in time they came to nothing and the Councels which condemned them were vniversally embraced G. ABBOT THere are two things in the two first Periodes of this your Chapter which although not simplye in themselues yet proceeding â—…om you do deserue admiration For you who were wont to make such large propositioÌ„s as no Papist durst avouch filling your mouth pen with nothing els but All are growne in this Reason vnreasonably modest downe below a great many of your fellowes when first you allow other learned 〈◊〉 besides Bishops Prelates to be of your Councels and secondly you appoint these generall Assemblies not to be called by your Pope but it is inough that they bee confirmed by the See Apostolike But the later of these we ascribe to your good Maister Bristowes such like extenuation vvho hath your very wordes confirmed by the See Apostolike and from one of whose a Brist Motiâ—… 13â—… Motiues abbreviated you borrow the most of this your present Reason and the former we impute either vnto your ignoraunce who know not what your fellowes hold in this pointe or to the ticklenes of the matter it selfe wherin noÌ„e of you with the safety of Popery can define ought but it lyeth subiect to some exceptioÌ„ Some of your meÌ„ wil haue none to haue voice in CouÌ„cels but Bishops so b In enumeratione CocilioruÌ„ Possevinus saith A CouÌ„celis nothing else but a lawfull Congregation of Bishops And it is scant to be found in any of those whom you cite for Synodes that any are named but Bishops as the Nicene c In praesation Concili Nicenâ—… Councel consisted of three hundred eighteene Bishops the d In fine Concil Tridentin Tridentine if we wil take their owne account of two hundred and seventy Bishops vnlesse perhaps the Legates and Oratours of some Princes may bee numbred to be in the Councell who yet haue no voices to ratifie doctrine excepte they bee Bishoppes And yet this shoulde seeme secretly to go somewhat hard even in Campians mind who vseth first a generall word e Ration 4. the Senatours of the vvorld but aftervvard when he hath saide the choice of Bishops he addeth the piâ—…he of Divines Yea f Chronil 4. Genebrard himselfe magnifying the Councel of Laterane aboue all that ever were for number saith that it had in it for cheefe Bishoppe Innocentius the Pope then tvvo Patriarkes him of Constantinople and the other of Hierusalem Arch-bishops Greeke and Latin seventy Bishops 400. Abbots twelve Priours of Covents eight hundred which in all were Fathers 1285. Now whether â—…ese Priours had voices he doth
assured that we haue none but those which are right in the whole and in the parts For Actes of Councels haue bin much falsified as it is alleadged in the sixt Generall Councell holden at Constantinople t Action 14 that some had falsified the Actes of the fifth Generall Councel holden in the same place as was apparantly deprehended How those in Afrike did cōplaine of the Popes forsting in somewhat to the first Nicene Synode I haue shewed before and how the Councell sent to Nice it selfe to see the Originall But in the same manner hath the Pope complained that other haue also falsified the Actes of the same Councell For Felix Bishop of Rome himselfe hath made this Decree u In Decretis felicis Papae In Concilijs Let the persons of the accusers be without all suspicion because by reason of the molestations offered by evill men this was defined in the Nicene Councell by all although by the falshoode of lewde persons these and many other things are blotted out We then had neede to take heede that wee do not beleeue those things as certaine which of themselues are so vncertaine Let Papists doe it if they wil. Lastly before I shut vp this Chapter it is not amisse to know that it is not for the ancient Synods that the Romanists doe striue but for those which lately were helde wherein their Pope bore much sway and their Popery was established by fragments For out of the old Councels both Provinciall and Vniversall there are many matters contrary to their definitions As in the thirde Councel at Carthage there is much spoken concerning the children of Priests which sheweth that Priests then were ordinarily marryed And there it is that the Pope should not be called the Prince of Priests or chiefe Priest In the Elibertine Councell is a flat decree against Images in Churches It u Canon 36 pleaseth vs that pictures should not be in the Churches least that which is worshipped or adored should be painted on wals In the fifth x In epistol felicis Councell at Constantinople by an Epistle of Pope Felix to Zeno it is shewed that the Church is built on the confession of Peter not on his person or place In the ninth Councel of y Canon 1. Toledo if a Metropolitane defraude the Church complaint thereof is to be made to the king which sheweth that Princes then had to do with persons and causes Ecclesiasticall Very many more such instances may be brought how the old Councels knew nothing of that hart of Popery which since hath growne vp by the connivence of some Princes the weaknes of other and the notable cunning of Antichrist And for times now long agone the extravagancie and transcendencie of the Roman Bishops power is no where knowne For in the Nicene z Canon 6 Councell the Bishop of Alexandria in his Province and the Patriarke of Antioch in his haue as much iurisdiction as the Pope hath in his In the a Isidor in praefat Cōcil Ephesin Ephesine Synode Cyrill of Alexandria was president and not the Bishoppe of Rome and there it is saide that b In epistol ad Nestoriū Peter and Iohn were each to other of equall dignitie because they were Apostles and holie disciples which overthroweth the Primacie of the Romane Bishoppe deriving his prerogatiue only from Peters preeminence And in the Councell of c Canon 1. Chalcedon all is confirmed which was decreed before in other Synodes Thus the Pope and Papists should gaine much by sending vs to looke into the most ancient Councels THE TENTH REASON Fathers T. HILL THE Catholike Romane religion is most plainely taught by all the ancient Fathers of the first second thirde fourth fift and sixt hundred yeares after Christ and hath beene ever vvithout all controversie taught of the Fathers of everie age since vntill this day That religion did Diony sius Areopagita S. Paule his scholer so manifestly teach as Causaeus a French Protestant called him for his labour a doating old Causaeus Dial. 5. 11. In capt Babilonica man much like as his father Luther had said before him that Areopagita his workes were like to dreames and most pernicious The same faith vvas taught of Saint Ignatius Clemens Iustinus Tertullian Cyprian Irenaeus and in one vvord all the anncient Fathers not one excepted G. ABBOT WHen Thomas Pilcher sometimes an vnworthy fellow of a Colledge in Oxford but afterward an vnlearned Priest of the Seminary after pardon once given him for his life and beeing exiled from his Countrey returned againe into Englande to pervert the subiectes of her late Maiestie he vvas by arrest of lawe to be brought to execution vvhere as I haue heard being remembred by an intelligent person that he should bee well advised what the right or wronge of the cause was for which hee did suffer his reply was that if hee were in an errour then Irenaeus and Iustine Martyr Tertullian and Origene Lactantius Hilary Chrysostome Ambrose Hierome Austen Gregorie Bearnarde and all other the olde Fathers of the Primitiue Church vvere mightily deceived for what he held they taught The silye man had much adoe to learne the names of all these but for reading any of them or for knowing what they vvrote there bee many yet living who dare safely giue their word that he good man was never troubled with it This is the very case of the greatest part of you Papists you wil speak without the book and make good little of that which you say but yet for lacke of chalenging facing it out you will loose nothing of antiquity And among al your copes-mates as one that knoweth least and therfore dareth to say most you lay about you here for al al againe You are now come to your selfe revested with your olde spirite and therefore wee will looke for a legion of Vniversals at your handes The vn-Catholike Romane Religion it is Papistry which you meane is not onely taught or plainly taught but most plainelie taughte not by some but by all the ancient Fathers of the first sixe ages after Christ and hath beene not sometimes but ever not doubtingly but without all controversie taught of the Fathers of each age vntill this day If you had a fore-heade lefte and knevve vvhat you did saye vvhich I thinke you doe not but onely take vp this speech on the word of other men you would blush a whole yeare togither at this your owne absurdity and by that time woulde this rubour bee so setled in your face that it would never out For that I may plucke you a little backe by the sleeue doth Saint Augustine and Orosius Fulgentius and Bernard where they of purpose handle the argument teach as you do teach cōcerning the freenesse of Gods grace every way and touching free will a In pref 1. 5 Bibli Sāct Sixtus Senensis shall condemne you who reiecteth Saint Augustines doctrine in that behalfe Doe Lactantius and
Ephiphanius say as you say concerning Images Doe Clemens Alexandrinus and Basile and Gregory Nazianzen and Chrysostome ioine with you in prohibiting the mariage of the Clergy Is Theodoret youre in the matter of Transubstantiation when hee who in the end of his b Post Epiphan The. Dialog Dialogues writeth the Admonition to the Reader is enforced though hee bee a Papist to confesse that hee hath many things against it Are Tertullian and Saint Augustine of your minde when they expounde This is my body to meane but the signe or figure of his body Is Saint Ambrose yours about praying to Saintes Is Cyprian yea Gregory himselfe of your iudgement about the supremacie of Peter and of the Pope Amongst a hundred examples I doe but touch these things as having occasion else-where more largely to handle every one of these points So litle account do you make of truth being either spurred to it by ignoraunce or blinded with maliciousnes both which in you are wonderfully desirous to vpholde your drowping cause 2 That Causaeus or Luther doe brande your Dionysius Areopagita for a counterfeit and speake of him accordingly we doe not marveile There was one of that name indeede an c Act. 17. 34. auditor of S. Paule but these bookes fastened on him are not worthy of his person What is there in them all which savoureth of a man taught by an Apostolicall spirit S. Paule was facile in his vvriting that the multitude might vnderstand his maine drift every where this is so obscure that nothing can be darker S. Paules words were for edification this is full of vaine curiosity taking on him to describe every angle and office in heaven Sainte d Col. 2. 18 Paule rebuked those who meddling with the worshipping of Angels did advance themselues in those things which they never saw this fellow speaketh of the Angels as if he had been set to take the muster and view of them single from one end of heaven to the other But his booke De divinis Nominibies doth much display him for a counter feit For as it may bee well questioned in him how he could cite the Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans which was e Eue Eccl. hist. li. 3. 30. written but a little before the death of Ignatius he was martyred in the time of Traiane◅ whereas Dionysius was a man of that age that long before Saint Pauls death vnder Nero hee was a Senatour of f Act 17 34 Athens or one of their iudges in the streete of Mars so it cannot be excused that he g De divinis nominibus citeth Clemēt the Philosopher which being Clemens Alexandrinus did liue almost two hundred yeares after Christ and therefore this Dionysius citing him was not like to bee the hearer of the Apostle Paule Now in the eight booke of his Stromata Clemens indeed doth shew himselfe a Philosopher yea if you will a Logician talking of the Predicaments and naming Relatiues which is the point for the which this forged Dionysius citeth him Againe this booke is dedicated to Timothy Bishop of Ephesus who being so long a scholer and fellow traveiler with S. Paule needed not so meane a man in so barbarous a fashion to instruct him in those things which this sweete Authour pretendeth Besides this if there had beene such an Authour of any worth or name some of the ancient writers would haue given him some credite and sometimes haue mencioned him Eusebius letteth not any man scape who was ought or left any monument to the church Notwithstanding he hath not any worde of this Dionysius S. Hierome came after him and wrote a h Catalog scripto Ecclesiastico treatise purposely of such as before his daies left any bookes to posterity where neverthelesse the hame of this Dionysius is not to be found And so much doth i Lib. 6. Bib. Annot 229. Sixtus Senensis himselfe obserue who also k Lib. 2. elsewhere telleth vs that Cardinal Caietane in his Commentaries on the Acts as also on the thirde of Kings excepteth against this Dionysius as vnworthy of all credite There is another treatise in the name of l De caelesti Hierarchia Dionysius which recordeth to vs in particular 9. several orders of Angels If such a tract had bin known amōg the anciēt or had beene of any reputation vvith them some or other of the olde Fathers speaking of Angels vpon iust occasion would haue named either it or the authour or the matter of it m Haeres 64 Epiphanius saith that there are more degrees of Angels then one but howe many hee nameth not To the same purpose speaketh n In Ps. 118. Hilary but he hath no fixed number o Dialog 1. Caesarius the brother of Gregory Nazianzen saith that there be seaven orders of Angels Saint p Eucharid ad Lauren. ca. 58. Austen as wise learned a man as he was yet professeth that he knoweth not what Sedes Dominationes et principatus word◅ by some expounded to bee severall sortes of Angels do mean If he had seene that worke of Dionysius he might haue helped his ignorance for he describeth thē to an inch if we will beleeue him In another place the same q Ad Orosium contr Priscilliā origenistas Austen writeth thus of himself That th◅re be these Seates or Thrones Dominions Principalities Powers in the heavenly furnitures I doe most firmely beleeue and with an vndoubted faith I doe held that they doe somewhat differ between themselues But to the ende that you may thinke meanly of me whom you repute to be a great Doctour what these ◅ee and how they differ amonge themselues I know not But perhaps it may be obiected that r In Questionibus Athanasius yea and out of Dionysius saith that there bee nine orders of Angels I answere first that indeede he nameth one Dionysius attributeth to him the title of a Divine but he calleth him not Areopagita and therefore hee may meane some other later fellow Secondly the treatise containing this is expunged out of the workes of Athanasius and put among those that are held to be forged so that here but one lyer doth speake for another and then their rewarde is that neither of them ought to be beleeved Thirdly it agreeth not with an vndoubted place of s De cōmuni essent patris filij spi. sanct Athanasius for there he rather seemeth to make fiue sorts of Angels that with offices differing frō those of Dionysius as those that teach those that permit thinges to bee done those that punish those that gratifie souls and those who remaine with men Afterward indeede hee mencioneth Thrones Cherubins and Seraphins So that the first who beeing himselfe of any estimation mencioneth Denis is Gregory the Greate who in s Moral lib 32. 18 one place saith that there bee nine orders of Angels but not a word hath he of Dionysius And in a t
there is so little concerning fasting as that scaÌ„t any point in Divinity is lesse touched by him then that In all his works I find nothing purposely of that argument but that a once he doth excuse himselfe that for a whole Lent he had bin withdrawne a De quadrageâ—… â—…eiunij silentio to his private Meditations and not preached publikely to his congregation Out of which there is nothing to be wonne but this that a Lent in one sorte or other was kepte in his time which you need not trouble your selfe to prove for we do yeeld it As for Chrysostome he hath three or foure Sermons where he speaketh of fasting how requisite it is and that aboue all matters men in their abstinence should fast froÌ„ sinne which doctrine wee also publish Onely Ad b Serm. 72 73. Populum Antiochenum he hath two Sermons which mention Lent kepte among them but particularly in what maÌ„ner of abstineÌ„ce he speaketh not And what maketh this against vs whom you wrongfully charge to endure no sette times of abstaining Leo hath many Sermons coÌ„cerning fasting whereof c De ieiunio dâ—…imi mesin eight are made touching a fast kept in the 10. moneth in winter when all fruites were quite brought in at which time then they vsed to give God thankes for the same In these I find much coÌ„mendation of fasting almes with exhortation therevnto Also frequent mention of fasting on the Wednesdaies Fridaies remembring them to watch on the Saterdotes Lastly that there were d Serm. 〈◊〉 4. times of abstinence in the yeere celebrated Lent in the Spring one for Somer at Whitsontide another for Autumne in the seventh moneth a fourth for Winter in the teÌ„th moneth He hath e De quadragesima 12. Sermons concerning Lent wherin he often mentioneth how that time consisted of 4â—… daies that it was a time of preparatioÌ„ against the feast of Easter that therin men ought as wel to abstaine froÌ„ sin as to fast froÌ„ foode And f De ieiunio peÌ„costes 4. Sermons I find in him touching a fast after Whitsons that if any errour by intemperance be committed in the feast it may be expelled by the sobriety of a fast Last of all hee hath g De ieiunio septimâ—… mensis 9. Sermons touching a fast yeerely celebrated in the seventh moneth where it appeereth that their abstineÌ„ce was on the Wednesdaies Fâ—…daies as also it was in that other after PeÌ„â—… ost the remebraÌ„ce of which 4. tâ—…es by him meÌ„tioned our Church doth yet keep But in al these his SermoÌ„s there is not somuch as one word of distinctioÌ„ or diereÌ„ce of meats that flwh was to be refused fishe to be fedde on but that there shold be an abstinence in general In one place I observe that thus hee saith h De ieiunio Pentecost Serâ—… 14. Every creature of God is good there is nothing to be â—…fused vvhich is received with giving of thankes But we are not created to this and that with foule shamelesse greedinesse we should desire all the plenties of the world as if that which is lawfull to be taken might not be lawfull to bee omitted Heere is no difference of anye of Gods creatures which are sitte for foode but one as vvell as another may bee lavvfully vsed of him vvho mindeth at all to eate So that in a vvord amongest all these Fathers vvhom you bring as crossing our courses heere is nothing which toucheth vs but rather maketh against you 8. But to the ende that you and as many as vvill may bee satisfied vvhat vvee doe in this behalfe first vvee doe teach that fasting and abstinence not for or vvith superstition but vvith faith and knowledge is necessarie for Christian men i 2. Sam. 12. 16. David fasting prayed for the life of the childe vvhich vvas borne in adulterie VVhen the enemies invaded his Kingdome k 2. Chron. 20. 3 Iosaphat commaunded a publike fast to bee proclaimed VVhat shoulde I speake of l Ezr 8. 21. Ezra vppon occasion doing the like and the king of m Ion. 3. 7 Ninive at the preaching of Ionas n Ioel. 1 14 cap. 2. 15. Ioel prescribeth this to bee the meanes to appease the Lord in the midst of his indignation And in the new Testament wee heare of it as practised by o Mat. 4. 2. Christ and there are by p Cap 6. 16. him also rules prescribed in vvhat sorte it shoulde bee done For frequenting of it q Luk 2 37. Anna the old vertuous widow is commended and so is r Act. 10 30 Cornelius It is one of the weapons wherwith S. s 2. Cor 6 5 Paul did fight against his spiritual enemies Briefly in casting out of Divels Christ ioineth fasting with praiers saith that there is one kind of s 〈◊〉 Mat. 17 21 spirits which cannot be eiected without those two We adde to these Scriptures the testimonies of ancient writers as that of t 〈◊〉 De ieinnio Christi Cyprian By fastings the sinke of vices is dryed vp wentonnessa is abated concupiscences do waxe faint pleasures goe away as fugitiues And that of 〈◊〉 Chrysostome That as lighter ships doe passe the Sea more swiftly but those 〈◊〉 Hom. 1. in Genesim which are over-burdened with great waight are drowned so fasting making the minde the lighter doth cause that it the more easily doth passethe sea of this life and looketh into heaven and these things which are in heaven As also that of u 〈◊〉 In psal 42 Austen Wilt thou haue thy praier to fly vp vnto God make it two wings fasting almes Secondly we do think that such as liue in these Northren parts as Germany England Scotland Denmarke other toward the Pole Artike cannot without overthrow of their bodies so long endure to abstain froÌ„ food as those may who dwel in a warmer climate By the Antiperistafis of the cold aire about them their inward heat is the greater their stomaks are the better wherby more meat is digested yea more speedily concocted Hence it is as 〈◊〉 one observeth that those of Afrike hold the Spanyards to be great eaters the Spaniards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liâ—… 10. 〈◊〉 Scotic thinke so of the French the French obiect that fault to the English Scots Yet when they come to abide where wee liue these in their feeding are nothing inferior to vs ItaliaÌ„s French men while they haue a while remained in England giuing scope liberally enough vnto their stomaks Heat theÌ„ by nature being in vs if we shold not haue coÌ„petent food it wold so much the more be kindled so work vpoÌ„ the body it selfe to coÌ„suÌ„e it destroy it that of seneca being verified y De Ira lib â—…9 WaÌ„t of food enforceth heat burteth the bloud staieth the course of it in the veines being ill affected It is not therfore for men
one of these then the other But when his Holinesse list he can goe farther then this as Pope Leo the 10. did when d Ioh Fox in Eccles Histor Cromwel went to renue the Pardons of Boston For there among many other favours one was that it shold be lawful for the brethren of the Fraternity at Boston to eate milke egges butter on forbidden daies yea in Lent it selfe yea fleshe also by the advise of a ghostly father and a Physitian and all this without scruple of conscience So that if the gentle Pope list vvho wil knowe vpon what tearmes he parteth with his dispensation the thing is no sin which some of the wiser Pseudo-Catholikes have smelled out as we may imagine when so freely in Rome it selfe in Paris some of that Balaamitical cōgregation make no cōsciēce so that it be secretly done to feed some or the greatest part of Lent on flesh as diverse of our traveilers do constantly report And we haue no smal store of these in England too which in their harte loue his Holinesse well but yet will not part vvith their fleshe on fishe daies for his sake Some bee vviser then some 11 Fifthly we doe not finde that any set daies of fasting vvere appointed by Christ or his Apostles and the Popish daies differ somewhat at this time from those of the Primitive Church so that they haue neither warrant from GODS vvorde nor yet from the auncient Diverse of those whome they call their Ladies Eves were not so much as heard of long agone Fridaie and Saterday are nowe the ordinary daies of abstinence and VVednesday is almost quite discontinewed saving in some few places and on some fewe set times Some of the olde Church hearde of Friday and VVednesday◅ and that not onely foure times in the yeere as you heard before out of Leo but otherwise also yet of Saterday no worde VVee have saith e Homil 10 in ◅tic Origene the fourth and sixth dayes of the vveeeke vvherein vvee doe solemnely fast This was the Wednesday and Friday the first in computation beeing our Sabaoth or Sunday f Heres 75. Epiphanius hath as much who is he in all the world which assenteth not that on the fourth day and the day before the Sabaoth he meaneth the Iewes Sabaoth vvhich was Saterday a fast is decreed in the Church And if we must also bring forth the Constitution of the Apostles how they did there decree that on the fourth day that before the Sabaoth there should bee fasting everis where the Pētecost excepted c. And in another g In conclusion liber cōtt heres place hee hath That the fasts were so delivered by the Apostles of Christ. Thus some of the most auncient kepte them in a forme differing from that of these moderne times VVhere also you may observe that it was the fashion of those times to attribute to the Apostles all thinges for which themselues were earnest if they had beene so derived to them from their predecessours that they vvell knevve not the first erecter or inventer of them vvhich before the ende of this Chapter vvill bee more manifested But for this present Saint Augustine vvho lived after Epiphanius and for his iudicious labours vvas inferiour to none of the vvorthiest Fathers of the Church vppon good advise speaketh thus h Epist 8◅ If you aske my opinion in this matter I revolving it in my minde doe see that in the vvritinges of the Evangelistes and Apostles and in all that vvhich is called the Nevve Testamente fasting is commaunded But vppon vvhaat dayes vvee ought not to fast and on vvhat dates vve should I doe not see it defined by the precept of the Lord or his Apostles If Saint Augustine had ever heard of any authenticall Constitution from the Apostles heere had beene a good time to have mentioned it And so it had beene for Saint Chrysostome when hee teacheth his hearers that God had lefte virginity fasting not as matters imposed on men by necessity but arbitrary and at their owne choice His wordes are these i In 1◅ ad Corint Homil. 9 Thou canst not fast nor exercise virginity But thou maiest of thou wilts and those vvho can doe accuse vs. Yet notwithstanding God hath not beene so severe and rough to vs neither hath hee commaunded these thinges nor appointed them by l◅vve but hath leste them in the free-vvill and choice of the auditours These Fathers then could not finde that any sette dayes of fasting vvere imposed by GOD by the Apostles or any other of sufficient povver else they vvoulde not haue spoken as they did And among the Canōs fathered on the Apostles as k In concilijs Isidore citeth them there is no such matter to be foūd which maketh vs bold vpō the warrant of all these to thinke the speech of Epiphanius to be too large and that so much the rather because l Vt supra Origene who went long before him mentioneth the daies but hath not one worde that they were so ordered by the Apostles These are therfore cōstitutiōs but of men they who came after thē especially in the Westerne Church have varied frō them as appeereth by rather accepting of Saterday then Wednesday or by adding some where this last to the other which sheweth that they thēselues imagined the ordināce not to be Apostolical We then finding thē so at first erected then varied by mē do holde thē but to be humane cōstitutiōs for order comelines sake we retaine them as having received them from our Auncesters concerning whom we are of that iudgment wherof every milde sober man should be that is to say for the reverence which he beareth his predecessours to professe that he willingly receiveth frō them al things which he doth not find either directly or by a consequent contrary to the word of God This rule directeth vs in these set daies for fishe we keepe them but yet teaching our people in what sorte for order decency not for religion superstition For we dare not goe so farre as Papistes doe but wee rather abominate their doctrine when they make the keeping of fasting daies one of the m Horae beatisi virginis Vaux in Catechis commaundements of their Church and annexe vnto them that the n Vaux Ibi. charitable keeping of these commaundementes bringeth everlasting life but the contemning of these preceptes and such like of holy Church bringeth everlasting damnation do so hardly pursue those who haue eaten forbidden meates on their fishe daies as that nothing but life will make satisfaction for the same According wherevnto a o Centur 16 in An. 1538. yong gentleman of Tholose was served in Fraunce beeing burnt to ashes at Paris for eating fleshe vvhen it was not permitted by the Romane Synagogue The like examples I might produce of men so served in Scotland for the same cause and England hath had some mightily molested
there-about 12 I might adde some other circumstances appertaining to fasting as that there ought to bee no opinion of merite in it since our best vvorkes are in themselves defective and our very p Isai 64. 6. righteousnesse is but like to a menstruous cloath but our request must bee that GOD vvill accepte the vvorke for his CHRISTES sake Also that it bee not in hypocrisy as theirs was whome CHRIST q Mat 6 161 reprooved for making a shevv before men or as that of the Pharisee vvas vvho toulde the r Luc 18. 12. Lorde that hee fasted twise in the vveeke Of such abstinence as this is Saint Cyprian doth speake s De ieiunio christl Fasting doth oftentimes puffe vp a man and doth driue him to pride and hypocrisie Lastly there must bee as greate a care to abstaine from sinne as from meate The Prophet s Cap 58 6 Esay doth most significantly expresse this Is not this the fasting vvhich I haue chosen to loose the bandes of vvickednesse to take of the heavie burthens and to let the oppressed goe free and that yee breake everie yoake And the Fathers of the Church doe frequently ingeminate it as Origene t Homil. â—…ot in Levitic Fast from all sinne take no meate of malice eate no dainties of pleasure So Basile u In Isaiâ—… Not by and by in the forbearing of meate is that force of the minde vvhere-with wee contend to perfection sufficient of it selfe vnlesse the soule doe stedfastly settle it selfe in all kinde of abstinence from those thinges vvhich doe maintaine naughtinesse For as a man consisteth of a bodie and a soule so there are tvvo-folde meates c. Saint Ambrose speaketh yet more plainely u Serm 33 This is the vvill of the LORDE that vvee shoulde fast from meates and also from sinnes That vve shoulde enioyne our bodie abstinence that vvee may the more vvith dravve our soules from vices for a bodie vvhich is dravvne drie is a bridle to a luxurious soule I vvill shutte this vp vvith the speech of Gregorie x Homil. 16 in 40 Homilijs To sanctifie a fast is ioyning other good thinges to shevve an abstinence of the fleshe vvorthie of GOD. Let anger cease let chiding bee allayed For the fleshe is pulled downe in vaine if the minde be not refrained from her evill pleasures Thus you see what our Church holdeth concerning fasting we allow and commend it and teach it as well as you but wee iumpe not with you in your Iewishe superstitions we attribute no saÌ„ctity to the differeÌ„ce of meats neither in religioÌ„ do we hold our selves tied to daies of true fasting although by civil lawes which are to bee obeyed for conscience sake we are tied to fish daies God accepteth not the one foode before the other True fasting is to receive no sustenaÌ„ce or very little as may be seene by the y Ionas 3 7 Ninivits who did eate no food drinke no water so will good Christians deale by themselues wheÌ„ others do not know it on such daies as in their own hart they appropriate to that vse for we haue a liberty so to do as Origen telleth vs A z Homil 10 in Levitic Christian hath liberty to fast at any time not with superstition of observation but with the vertue of containing And thus farre haue I followed you concerning fasting daies Now some thing also touching Lent 13 Your proposition is that Lent and fasting daies were kept in the time of the old Fathers as you keepe them now I haue in part shewed the vanity of that assertioÌ„ for the one already Now let vs see for the other When the first keeping of a Lent began it is hard to say S. Hierome ascribeth the or daining therof to the Apostles For a Episto 54 he shewing the difference betweene the Orthodoxe and the Montanistes amonge other matters saith that the Montanists yearely kept three Lents but we doe fast one Lent in the whole yeare according to the tradition of the. Apostles And this place doth b De inventorib Rer. lib. 6. 3. Polydore Virgil cite out of Hierome as referring the institution of Lent to the Apostles of Christ. But we are of opinion that in this matter Hierome is favourably to be vnderstoode at calling that which was auncient and the set beginning wherof vvas not distinctly knowne by the name of an Apostolicall tradition but no way being able to prooue that by them it was ordained The reasons of this our assertion are first that vvee thinke it cannot bee found in any of the writers of the first three hundred yeares vvho lived neerest to the dayes of the Apostles that they decreed it Origene speaketh of Lent but goeth not so farre Wee haue the daies of Lent consecrated vnto fastings Secondlye if the Apostles had ordained it they woulde haue set Homil. 10 in Levitic downe some order and manner of it in one vniformity to all the Church but of that wee finde no steppe or marke amonge those of the Primitiue times but exceeding greate disagreement many vvaies as forth-vvith I shall declare Thirdly vve finde some-what expresly to the contrary and that not where this matter is touched obiter and slightlye as by Hierome but vvhere the vvhole state of Lent is of purpose rifled and discussed as shall presently be touched Eusebius d Eccl hist lib 5. 24 speaking of the heate of Victor the Romane Bishoppe in excommunicating the Easterne Churches for not iumping vvith the VVesterne in the circumstaunces of observing Easter signifieth vvithal that the Bishoppes of the VVest did much dislike the attempte of Victor Amongst other Ireneus vvho lived in Fraunce writeth to Victor aboute it vvhose vvordes Eusebius citeth thus This controversio is not onelye of the date of Easter but also of the order and manner of the Fast. For some doe thinke that they oughte to fast one daie others two diverse more maâ—…te fortie and they doe measure and make vp the daie reckoning all the houres of the dait and night And such varietye and difference of those vvho observed these fastes did not beginnâ—… in our age but longe before amonge our anncesters vvho as a man may gesse did not strictly obserue the custome of them vvho tither by a certaine simplicitis or by a private authoritye had determined some thing against future time Thus the case of Lent stoode most vncertainelye aboute two hundred yeares or lesse after Christes birth and Ireneus saieth that this difference had beene also amonge their predecessours much before so that hitherto wee may vvell collecte that in the first Church there vvas no determinate vniforme certainety in the keeping of Lent which doubtlesse had not beene vvanting if the Apostles had been the erecters or founders thereof 〈◊〉 Socrates hath a longe tract Eccl. Hist. lib 5 21 first concerning the keeping of Easter which he plainely saith grewe to be diversly observed among men by
we should hold him accursed And incited there vnto by some of the Fathers themselues in open wordes by other in their Orthodoxe meaning For what Father woulde dare to thinke that his speeches shoulde over-rule the Scripture As for wringing and wresting and straining we detest it Gods truth needeth not to be vpheld by vntruthes We leaue that to the masons of the Popes part who had need vse such supporters to vnder-proppe the rotten and dayly falling ruines of their Antichristian kingdome Now whereas you tell vs that he is most praised of the Auditory who most alleageth the Doctors you had need to help your selfe with more then one distinctiō For among sober wise hearers it is wel accepted when the Fathers are cited to good purpose orderly but some other there be who thinke themselues no meane folkes which on a humorousnesse and because their Preachers are ignorant that way they I meane those ignorant Pastours haue taught them so like not to heare them quoted in the Pulpit Againe the wisest congregation doth not approue of the preposterous vsing of them as vvhen they are cited frequently and yet onely in Latine or Greeke and not Englished to the edification of the people vvhich Saint o 1. Cor. 14. 26. Paule vvoulde ever have aimed at Or vvhen they are hudled one vppon anothers necke vvithout cause Or vvhen they are multiplyed rather for ambition then vppon desire of fruite or vtility You might have considered vppon these thinges but you vvith the Crocodile or Hyena fall rather to a counterfeite commiseration that it is a pityfull thinge that the people shoulde bee made beleeve that the Doctours vvere of the same opinion that vvee are in religion You may doe well to taxe those men who in their Sermons have abused or perverted the sentences of those grave and learned personages Of the two you should rather pity your Papisticall Congregations vvhich are little troubled vvith Scriptures or Doctours but vvith such miracles and fabulous Legendes as your Friers doe lay before them and nothing else So are they turned to puddle waters in steede of the cleere streaming fountaine of the vvater of life That our Preachers who have reade any of the Fathers themselves doe know that they make against that vvhich they preache is an idle suspicious surmise of your owne and nothing else but a falling backe by a Nugatio to that vvhich you formerly have spoken It is one of the highest breaches of conscience for a man standing in the place of God to speake to the people there to vrge that vvhich in his ovvne harte hee knoweth contrary to truth This is inough for Bellarmine and such desperate wretches vvho for a Cardinals hat or some other expectation have solde themselves and their soules to their LORD God the Pope and his LORD God the Devill 24 I haue all this time traced the steppes of a bolde and malicious adversary but now I rather apply my pen to give satisfaction to the doubtfull Reader concerning this maine question Our Popishe writers speake in grosse of the Fathers but what themselves in speciall determine of them they dare not open So much paines therefore ◅s is expedient I purpose to take for them First then I aske them vvill they haue vs accept of all thinges which these learned Doctors haue taught Graunt this and then many bee the heresies vvhich wee must maintaine hovve many were there of them vvhich imagined that the godly after the resurrection should raigne on the earth and that but for the space of a thousand yeeres in all worldly felicity which is the errour of the Chiliasts or Millenary heretikes So dreamed Irenaeus and is taxed for it by p Eccl. Hist. lib 3 33 Eusebius In this conceite also was Tertullian drenched as appeereth by his disputation against q Lib. 3. Marcion VVith the same also vvas Iustinus Martyr tainted as is evident by his Dialoge with Tryphon the Iewe. Yea this opinion descended so lowe that Lactantius vvho lived in the daies of Constantine the Greate vvas not r Divin Iustit l. 7 14◅ free from it Doth not Eusebius s Eccl. Hist lib 6. 11. note it concerning Clemens Alexandrinus that hee doth much comment vpon Apocryphal matters as if they were Scripture How many were the heresies of Tertullian while in all his later workes he raveth vpon the Paraclete of Montanus to the which fantasticall opinion hee was most grossely vvedded One vvhile he thinketh that s Tertul. de Monogamia second mariages are altogither vnlawfull in the Church Another while he frameth a t De ◅uga in persecutione booke that it is not lawful for any Christian to flie at all in the heate of persecution Saint u Epist 157 Austen observeth truly of him that hee contended that the soules of men were not spirits but bodies that they haue their original of bodily seedes Yea so farre he went awry that u Contr. Helvidium Hierome saith of him plainely Of Tertullian I say nothing more but that hee was not a man of the Church VVith him I ioyne Origene who continually almost in his commentaries on the old Testament doth not only by Allegories pervert the literal sence of the stories but sometimes in expresse termes saith that x In Exod. Hom. 1 2 6 in the literal meaning the narration cānot be true which is an exceeding iniury to the Spirit of God Another while he will have the y De Principij l. 3. 6. Devill all the Reprobates albeit they suffer hel torments for a space yet at the last to be saved which doctrine z In ◅on 3 Hierome doth most iustly perstringe howsoever in another treatise he give him his due commēdation for some matters saying a Libr N◅min Hebraicor No man but hee vvho is ignoraunt doth denye that Origene after the Apostles vvas a maister of the Church But for that opinion b Lib 2 Ex pol. in 1 Regum Gregory did not suffer him to goe vvithout his censure Origene saith hee vvhile hee would see without the word of the Lord the Lord appeering hee savve the cloude inordinately because hee vvas afraid at the appeering of the fire For while denying the very least iustice of God he did proclaime his clemency to bee more then needed hee affirmed that hee woulde not onely spare condemned men but also one daye hee woulde deliver the reprobate Angels from everlasting punishment Another of c Commēt super lohannem Origens fancyes vvas that Christ did dye not to redeeme men onely but the starres of heaven He who would see more of his errours may reade d In Ancorat◅ Epiphanius where he passeth not without his taxe but especially let him looke e Lib 1 Theophilus Alexandrinus where his heresies are cited out of his owne works there he hath the severest sētence that may be pronoūced vpō him which is only in Gods hād to give Caesarius
the brother of Gregory Nazianzen hath little better opinion of him when hee first termeth him f Diolog 3 a vaine trifler but afterward impious and an idle talker Breefely the famous sentence of g Contr. Haeres cap 23. 24 Vincentius Lytinensis concerning him Tertullian biteth deepe as the Reader may see if hee please to looke into that Authour 25 I come now to some other of these worthy men but yet still men and therfore may trippe in their pathes Cyprian was a good Bishoppe and a Martyr for the truth of CHRIST yet h Concil Carthag in CypriaÌ„â—… Euseb Eccle Hist lib 7â—…3 hee and diverse Africane Bishoppes swarved from the truth in the question of rebaptizing those vvho vvere baptized by Heretikes Of him Saint Augustine vvriteth thus i Lib 1 de Baptism 〈◊〉 contra Donatistas UUhereas that holy man Cyprian thinking otherwise of Baptisme then the matter vvas which afterward vvas handled and by most diligent consideration established did continue in the Catholike Unity it vvas both recompenced by the plentifulnesse of his charitie and vvas purged by be cutting booke of his suffering VVhat a straunge imagination was that of k Lib 10 de Trinitat Hilary when hee supposed that all the hurtes and vvoundes did no more touch or affect Christ on the Crosse or else-where theÌ„ blows do the aire or the water or prickiÌ„g the fire He thought that there was a violeÌ„ce offered on the adversaries parte but no smart or paine of Christs part This strange supposal doth l Part 3 quaest 15 art 5 Thomas Aquinas labour to excuse in Hilary but the blemishe is so plaine as that by no meanes it can bee covered VVhat Lactantius thought of the holy Ghost I had leifer sette downe in Hieromes vvoordes then in mine owne m Epist 65â—… Lactantius in his bookes but especiallye in his Epistles ad Demetrianum doth altogether denye the substance of the holye Ghost and by a levvishe errour doth saye that it is either referred to the Father or to the Sonne and that the sanctification of either person is intended vnder the name of it that is the holye Ghost And had not Hierome himselfe those thinges in him vvhich cannot bee defended As his n Contr. lovinian immoderate preferring of single life before mariage and his o Aug Epist. 19 pertinacious advouching that Saint Peter did not deserve to bee reprehended by Saint Paule for p Gal 2 12 halting vvith the Iewes Chrysostome besides his too forward testimonies for free-will which Papistes themselves dislike is of minde q Hom 3 in Epist ad Philip. Hom 11. in 1. ad Cor. teacheth it that although men dye in sinne be condemned and in hell yet almes and ostrings other helpes of praiers done by them who are alive may ease them and diminishe some measure of their tormentes Neither doth Saint Augustine want his imperfections as wheÌ„ he determineth that all children dying without r Epist 28. Baptisme go to the flames of hell which the Romanistes nowe wil not admit And wheÌ„ he liketh their iudgment who thought that vpon hazard of their salvation the s Epist. 106. 107. Eucharist was to be administred to Infantes Many more such examples might be added of vndoubted errours in these learned meÌ„ wherin I trust no Papist is so absurde as to prescribe vnto vs that we should ioyne with them least of good Christians we should become lovers of errours and in some things embracers of heresyes Besides these vnquestionable over-sightes it falleth out ofte that the Fathers do some of them differ nay are contrary or coÌ„tradictory in iudgment some to other and some to themselves What shal we doe in this case or whom shal we follow if the bare authority of these writers be of it selfe so stronge as they would make it I will not instaunce in those hereticall or erroneous opinions before named where some of them affirme and some Orthodoxely deny and a Christian man without the Scripture can give no decision vvhether is in the right Cull out that onely for example sake vvhere Hierome and Augustine doe so differ about Saint Peter and Saint Paule vvhether of them did amisse hovve should we know but by the Apostles writing But to whether of them in this contradictorie case shulde vvee give credite if they vvere considered in themselves Neither vvill I instaunce matters of meane respecte as hovve Saint s Quaest. 123 sup Exod qu. 81. sup Levitie Austen crosseth himselfe in this question whither the Cydaris vvere an attire for the heade or no Or vvhether Plato spake personally vvith the Prophet Ieremie in Aegypte and learned of him many thinges or no to the which being the iudgement of Ambrose in one t De doctr Christ lib 2 28 place hee assenteth but in u De civit Dei l. 8 11 another hee speaketh against it But I rather referre men to their differences about the Canonicall Scripture vvhich i Responsad Ration 8. before I have shewed and vvhich is a matter of greate momente Or to those thinges which Saint Augustine himselfe u In libr Retract retracted in his owne vvorkes Or to those different iudgementes in capitall causes vvhich Bellarmine citeth in infinite places and Sixtus x In Bibliothe casaÌ„cta Senensis in verie many Or to such like as that of Gregory where one vvhile hee saith that Cornelius by those y Homil 9 in Ezechi vvorkes vvhich vvent before his faith did merite that hee afterward might haue faith and another z Homil 19. while hee expressely denyeth that and saith that by faith hee came to his workes Now if there bee such doubtes as these in the Fathers or other like and we cannot be resolved out of these Doctours or if question be of the verity of their doctrine whither must we haue recourse The Papistes will say to the Church of Rome that is to theÌ„selves but the Fathers wil tell vs to the word of God as forth-with I shal shewe which every way discovereth the base weakenesse of the vnCatholike Church since the Doctors are not the touch-stone of truth but are themselves to be tried by some thing else they are not selfe sufficient but all their words are to be weighed in the ballaunce of the Sanctuarie where if they beare waight they are to be accepted if they be found too light they are to bee reiected Our ground then and foundation is not in these men although never so worthy men but the booke of God must make the finall and irrefragable decision 26 For the better establishing of this let vs heare the Fathers themselves speake I put Saint Augustine in the foremost ranke as one vvho had most occasion to deale in this argument In the controversie betweene him Hierome he is a Epist. 19 pressed with the authority of other writers Hee answereth I doe confesse vnto your charity I have learned to give this
are defective in the Text according to the Tridentine Councel Sess. 4. in the Decree de vsu saâ—…r libr. I do ever burne And I make an experiment in the 3. Chapter of Genesis where I finde In the sweate of thy face thou shall eate breade vntil thou returne vnto the earth he doth not say In the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate thy breade vntill c. I without remission as a texte suspect do not passe to it censuring it but setting it on fire Now if it be a defect to put it bread and not thy bread it is such a defect as is in the Hebrew our bookes reade it commonly in Latin other languages without thy so do most of the Vulgar Popish editions for ought that I can finde And if it be a fault to put thy to the texte it should rather be chastised for a superfluity then for a defect Talking of his Correction of a booke of Iacobus Spieglius he hath these words s Fol. 199 Idem fere fol. 217 Which correction I do put not that it is to be accounted for a perfect correction that it should neede no farther amending but only satisfying my duty that it may bee knowne that it is to be corrected that at least it should be corrected as followeth till there come a better correction put out with greater consideration since I finde by experience that too day I see a booke or aleafe by various businesses of my mind I do not iudge him to be worthie greater correction on the morrow vpon a new coÌ„sideration I do iudge him to be worthy of correctioÌ„ And therefore I do notifie thus much that as well the booke following as these before are worthy of correctioÌ„ if they be corrected after the maÌ„ner meÌ„tioned easily according to the Trent Index there may by the most Reverend Bishops leave be given to reade them till some farther correction do appeere This is a good plaine fellow therfore telleth vs that once amending of a booke will not suffice but they will to it againe and againe s Fol 215 Else-where he saith that among them the Revisers there is a note of three huÌ„dred fifty Authours which are suspected are to be over-vewed t Fol 218 Finally he deepely findeth fault with the Index Librorum Expurgandorum for so hee calleth it printed at Madrill by Alphonsus Gomezius in the yeere 1584. saying that it containeth things erroneous heretical as by name that it doth not sufficiently expunge purge the workes of Carolus Molineus whome hee tearmeth an heretike of the first or highest forme Thus we may iustly feare that there will never be an end of their clipping curtolling when themselves cannot agree what is to be pulled out but when they have fleeced and plumed the workes of any the most learned man either of our side or of their owne some other of these purgers may must againe and againe fall vpon the same 31 But if heere it be replyed as some Papists amongst vs do already mutter as it is probable that Gretzerus will vrge more at large if he put forth a defence of the Indices Expurgatorij as I heare that he intendeth That this clipping and blotting out is not in the texts of the Fathers but onely in Prefaces Marginall notes Collections out of them or observations vpon them or else if it be very textes it is but out of the works of later writers I aunswere that these purgings and razings towards the Fathers themselves indeede do not so directly appeere as the other for in this they vse a singular cunning obliquely to doe what they possibly may But I desire to bee informed to what ende these things do bende First they confesse in their 〈◊〉 Belgâ—…ke Index Expurgatorius thus much concerning the old writers In other auncient In Beitramo Catholikes meaning the Fathers we beare many errours extenuate them excuse them excogitating some devise we many times deny them and doe faine vnto them a convenient sence while they are opposed in disputations or inconflictes with the adversaries Heere is a distorting and turning away of the sence of the Fathers even against their owne consciences Secondly I finde it reported by u Praefat. ad Lector in Belg. Indic Ex. purg Iunius as a matter which himselfe sawe that now about forty yeeres since the workes of S. Ambrose being printed at Lions by Frelonius there came in two Franciscanes which razed out much of diverse printed sheetes which enforced Frelonius to new print the same againe not after the olde Copies but as the Friers would haue them to the great charge and trouble of the Printer as Ludovicus Savarius the correctour of the presse did complaine professing that he would buy any copy of Ambrose rather then that It were a good labour for some man who had leisure to conferre the elder bookes with that edition to notifie the differences to the worlde Thirdly I houlde it the same fraude to adde which it is to diminishe neither is there any sentence but by interlacing wordes inough a cunning worke-man may turne it cleane contrary to the sence of the Authour himselfe And this may be as good an Index Correctorius or Additorius as the other Expurgatorius Pamelius a CanoÌ„ of Bruges taketh on him to revise S. Cyprian finding that pregnant place before by me meÌ„tioned x De vnitate Ecclesiae Alias de simplicitate praelatorum The rest of the Apostles were the same which Peter was endewed with like fellowshippe both of honour and of power other things both before and after it to that purpose he foisteth into the middle of sentences for super vnum aedificat Ecclesiam vpoÌ„ one he buildeth the Church thus much super illum vnum aedificat Ecclesiam suam illi Pascendas mandat oves suas he buildeth his Church vpon that one meaning Peter committeth his sheepe to him to bee fedde And againe vnam cathedram constituit hee erected one chaire And afterward Qui cathedram Petri super quam fuÌ„da est Ecclesia deserit he who for saketh the chaire of Peter vppon which the Church is founded doth he hope that he is in the Church y Observat. in Pamelij Annotat. Simon Goulartius who hath displayed the wicked falshood of this forger besides other evidences against this vilainy doth cite the wordes of Gratian out of the new editioÌ„ of Gregories Decree which bringeth in the place of Cyprian as we all other before Pamelius did reade it But a z Th Bilsonus Epis cop Winton lib. 1. contra PoÌ„tificios learned man of our Church handling that last place he who far saketh the chaire of Peter vpon which the Church is built doth shew that this addition is contrary to all the printed Copies which were before as by name of Alopecius at Coleine Hervagius at Basile Langelier at Paris Crinitus at Antwerpe Griphius
others his consorts to haue done either vsurpingly or vniustly So that very true it is that the Greekes do not allow the eighth Synode not the other which followed and were held in the west by the meanes of the Romane Bishop with out their indifferent concurrence 11 What you cite in the name of the Lutheranes out of the Magdeburgenses is acknowledged and consented vnto by vs. In the eighth 〈◊〉 cent 8. 9 Century they among other Provincial meetings speaking of the confluence at Nice which is commonly called the second Nicene Councell in the setting downe thereof doe not dissemble their opinioÌ„ that is their dislike vnto it And what Christian man is there rightly advised which hath read the o Exod. 20. second commandement concerning Images who doth not both dislike and detest that Conventicle for decreeing both erection and adoration of Images in Churches In the like sorte in the ninth p cent 9. 9 Century the compilers of it do shew themselues not wel affected to that which you call the eighth Generall Councell they haue no smal reason for it For besides the allegations of the Greekes against it which even now is specified and besides the matter of it which I will not stand to discusse there was a foule attempt at the very entrance into it The Pope of Rome had so farre prevailed that he had there his Agents who stoode at the Councell dore with writing tables profering them to all who would enter there and requiring that they first should subscribe to the Iutisdiction and transcendent authority of the Romane Bishop To which Such as yeelded did enter in and those who refused were not only repelled but it was done with much reproach and disgrace vnto them A fit course to make a free Synode And of this sort either directly or indirectly haue all the Popes Councels bin You tel vs that some Eutychians be in Asia and Nestorians be in the East whereas indeed Asia is in the East but countrey in particular you name vs none nor authour you cite vs none I haue heard indeed of Marchantes who haue travailed in those parts that at this day there is at Aleppo a CoÌ„gregation of Nestorians and likely it is that in the country therabout or farther of in Armenia there may be more Neither is it vnlikely but that some also may embrace the old heresie of Eutyches in those parts In as much then as Nestorius was condemned in the third General q Socn 7. 33 Evagr. 1. 4. CouÌ„cel at Ephesus it is probable that his folowers wil refuse that Synode consequently all coÌ„ming after ratifying that so they must only accept the 2. formost And since Eutyches Dioscorus were coÌ„deÌ„ned in the 4. r Evagr. 2. 4 CouÌ„cel at ChalcedoÌ„ it is most credible that if there now be any who haue coÌ„tinued or revived their daÌ„nable heresies they wil not approue that of Chalcedon but only such as went before it What such in Polonia Hungary do as speake against the Trinity therefore are rather to be called Antitrinitarij then Trinitaries â—…it mattereth not to vs. We disclaime theÌ„ we abominate theÌ„ we execrate theÌ„ as we do the Eutychians Nestorians al other heretiks Neither do we ioine with the Greekes in all things as you know although some of their doctrins we prefer before those of the Church of Rome And therefore most ridiculously vnfittingly do you close vp your Chapter Behold the liberty of your Gospell when here are none named the Lutheranes excepted vvith whom we haue ought to do And for our liberty in the Gospel of reiecting such vnwarraÌ„table stuffe as Image-worshipping TraÌ„substantiatioÌ„ the like maintained by your heretical meetings we learne it of s Gal â—…8 9 S. Paul who hath taught vs not only that if a maÌ„ but if an Angel froÌ„ heaveÌ„ bring any other doctrin theÌ„ is in gods word let him be accursed And we being sufficieÌ„tly informed by Gods word that we are not to be inthralled to the beggerly s Colos 2 20 traditioÌ„s of meÌ„ do purpose by the assistance of the Lords heavenly grace to t Galat. 5 1. stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made vs free VVee accept therefore of this Christian freedome but Libertine-like licentiousnesse vvee leaue vnto you And so for a litle while I dismisse you with this remembrance that what you say of the CouÌ„cels accepted or excepted against by the Greeks the Lutheranes the Eutychians the Nestorians and the Trinitarians both for the matter and quotations you borrow froÌ„ Cardinall a Coacil l. 1. cap 5. Bellarmine 12 TO notifie then the iudgement of our Church concerning CouÌ„cels certainly we do hold them being rightly lawfully assembled proceeded in to be great blessings froÌ„ God notable meanes to remoue schismes to extirpate heresies Thus we are taught by the example of the Apostles 〈◊〉 coÌ„gregating 〈◊〉 Act. 15 6. theÌ„selues togither and by the fruite which some such meetings had in the Primitiue Church Yea we do like of that sentence of blessed Constantine after the Nicene Councel who 〈◊〉 said that the decree of keeping Easter by al vniformly and not 〈◊〉 Euseb de vita Const lib 3 18 by some after the fashion of the Iews was to be imbraced at the gift of God as if it had bin a coÌ„mandement sent downe from heaven For saith hee whatsoever is decreed in the holy Councels of Bishops that all ought to be attributed to the will of God Marke hee saith not generally in the Councels of Bishops nor in the CouÌ„cels of holy Bishops for even such may erre but in the holy Councels of Bishops that is in such as wherin men do holily conforme theÌ„selues vnto the Scripture of truth go no farther theÌ„ God is their guid Such as come without humane preiudice are zealous of truth earnest in praier for it diligent in searching it out huÌ„ble to yeeld conforme theÌ„selues to it Such were the first general CouÌ„cels where men did look to the load-star of the word therefore they are accepted of vs. Yet so that we do not esteeme theÌ„ as the sacred Oracles of God equivalent to the Scripture or of equal authentical force but as the definitions of Godly men out of the word so that they giue no vertue to the old new Test. but take al that which CouÌ„cels haue froÌ„ them therfore as takers and not givers are inferior to them We do therefore hold that speech of Gregory to be hyperbolically vttered not litterally iustifiable I x Greg li 1 Epistol 24. confesse that I doe receiue reverence as the foure books of the Gospell so the foure Councels And again And y Li 2 Epist 49. wee doe so receiue the foure Synodes of the holye Universall Church as the foure bookes of the holy Gospell If it be flatly and directly taken it is a hard and
vnfit saying it is wel that it is but one Doctors opiniō since the words of men yea of all the world put togither cannot be ballanced in equall waight with the immediate word of God which is so directly inspired by the holy Ghost A sweet childe the while was our Campian z Ration 4 who would take on him to proue that the rest of the Synods namely that of Trent was of the same authority with those foure first and so consequently all as powerfull as the Gospels By which reconing wee should not only haue a fifth Gospell of Nicodemus or some such counterfeit but eighteene Gospels more besides the foure Evāgelists so our Bibles now will grow so big that one volume wil not hold thē What a wrōg did that prowde and arrogant Iesuite to the Scripture when hee durst write on that fashion we dare not so far dignifie or rather magnifie the best Councels after that in the Apostles time for feare of blasphemy But if we shall compare the better with the worser the weaker with the stronger we shall see that we are not to far to leane on such assemblies least by attributing over much to such confluences we sometimes take error for verity For haue there not bin meetings which haue concluded against the truth yet haue caryed a goodly shew too I wil not insist on Provinciall Councels as that of a Inter opera Cyptiā A frike where Cyprian the rest cōcluded for rebaptising of those which were baptised by heretiks or that of b Soc. 1 21. Tyrus which proceeded against Athanasius being innocēt or that of c Lib 2 7. Antioch as also of d cap. 25. Sirmiū both which decreed for the Arrians against the faith of Consubstantiality in Christ with his Father I will rather stand on those who go for generall as that of Sardis in part reiected by e In Indice conciliorū Possevinus that of Milaine where were 300. Bishops ioyning for Arrianisme that of Selētia being gathered to the same purpose Here may you finde more general Synods making for the Arrians while they were in anye strength then making against them 13 Lay to these the Great Councell of Ariminum vvhere vvere sixe hundred Bishoppes mainetaining and decreeing for the opinion of Arius and the authoritye vvhereof seemed to bee so greate and vvas so farre vrged that Saint Augustine himselfe had beene everborne vvith it had hee not beene forced to flie to the Scriptures which were and are the touch-stone to trye Councels by The place which he hath to that purpose is famous f Aug contra Maxim Arrian Episcop l. 3 But now neither shoulde I produce the Nicene Councell nor thou that of Ariminum as meaning to extoll it Neither am I helde vvith the authoritie of the one nor thou vvith the other VVith authorities of Scriptures vvhich are vvitnesses not proper to either but common to both let matter contend with matter cause vvith cause reason with reason Both of vs doe reade That vvee may be in his true sonne Iesus Christ He is very God life eternal Let both of vs yeeld to waight of so great moment These are the words of the same S. Austē who els-where had said g Epist 118 The authority of Plenary Coūcels is most wholesome in the Church Very whole some while they keepe right with the verity of Christ but whē they fal frō that they are otherwise But S. Austē was never of opiniō to atrribute too much to Coūcels for he was not so simple but that he saw there were or might be many imperfectiōs in thē yea in the best of thē It is a worthy testimony which he gives in this behalf whē he was pressed with the authority of Cypriā the Africane Coūcel h De Bap◅ismo cōtr Donaust lib. 2. 3. The sacred Scripture saith he is not at alto be doubted or desputed of The letters of Bishops writē since the Scripture if there be any errour in thē may be reprehēded by the wiser speech of any one who is more skilful in that matter by the graver authority of other Bishops by the wisedome of the more learned by Councels And who knoweth not that Provincial Councels without any sticking do yeeld to the authority of plenary Councels which are gathered out of the whole Christian world yea that oftentimes the former Plenary Coūcels are amended by the later when by any experiēce of things that is opened which was shut known which did lye hid without any vanity of sacrilegious pride without any puffed necke of arrogācy without any contention of malicious envy with holy humility with Catholike peace with Christian charity And some part of this he cōfirmeth againe afterward Among after-cōmers the later Coūcels are preferred Cap. 9. before the former the whole evermore by very good right is esteemed before the parts Wel thē by Austens sentēce evē General coūcels may be amēded altered therfore they may erre or come to short Which wil the better appeere if we remēber that sometimes one Councel is directly contrary to another as that of Ariminum to the former of Nice that of Franckforde touching Images to the later at Nice those of Constance Basile in the subiecting of the Pope to the Councel to those of Florence and Trent the 2. at Ephesus approving Eutyches to that of Chalcedō which cōdēned him Yea the k Socrat. 2. 16. Coūcel of Sardis against it self whē the Easterne Bishops were for Arrianisme the Westerne against it whervpō they devided thēselves in place as wel as in opiniō It were thē a hard matter in an vnavoidable cōtrariety or rather cōtradictiō to have both sorts of Coūcels allowed the affirmer the denier therfore simply absolutly of thēselues they are not to be held for sufficient cōfirmers of that which we must beleeve It may bee added as another singular exception against Coūcels that most of thē are hādled with such irregularities that it is not only probable that they may swarve but likely that they wil since even the best men to the best Coūcels do come so laden with passions affections humours partialities that they wil not or cannot see the truth One of the most moderate of all the Popish Councels was that of Basile yet what turbulētnes doth l De Concil Basilcens Aeneas Sylvius witnes there to haue bin He therfore in that argumēt is rather to be reade thē that which cōmōly goeth for the Coūcel of Basile as m In Indice falcic rerum expet fugiend Orthuinus Gratius wel observeth for in Aeneas who was present at that meeting and saw and recorded all the manner of it a man may find the order or disorder of it so described that he may imagine himselfe to behold the Fathers there assembled sitting in their Pōtificalibus If we would haue an exāple of this in an olde