faulse prophetes did from the true 3. b. 4. a. Heretikes transfigured into the Apostles of Christ 14. a. Heretikes now like to heretikes in the primitiue Churche 21. b. VVhy heretikes see not the Truthe 101. b. The maruelous blindnesse of heretikes 105. a Heretiks caÌ„ not possibly haue the expresse word of god 106. b The coÌ„flict amoÌ„g heretiks about their priuat churches 109. The cause why heresies springe and increase 111. b. The state of countres where heresy taketh place Ibidem The first and principal attempt of Sathan to bring a man to heresy 16. b Hosius slauÌ„dered extremely by the apologie of EnglaÌ„d 47. a Hosius the paterne of a good Bisshop 67. b The Godly zele of Hosius 111. a. His vertuous prayer Ibid. His great trauail in defending the Catholike faith 111. b 69. a I VVhat harme cometh of innouation and change of lawes The heresy of lustificatioÌ„ by only faith an old heresy 22. a L Howe Luther ouerthwarteth the Churche 17. 18. Luther a sworen enemy to good workes 23. a The lewde practyse of Marcion renewed by Luther 27. a Luther belyeth the Nicene councell 28. b. 29. a Luther wil not haue the SacrameÌ„taryes disputed with 28. Luther cast in his owne turne 32. a The extreme pride of Luther 44. a. b Luther a right minister of Sathan 57. b. The foundation procedinges and successe of Luthers Gospell 82. and 83. Bitter dissensions betwene the LutheraÌ„s them selues 32. The zelous and rigorous Lutheranes 80. a The impiete of a Luther an in ouerthwarting the order of the churche 83. b. An other of the same batche Ibidem Lutherans against the Zuinglians 96. a. Alasco his complaynte of the Lutheranes 97. a. Certaine Lutheranes wil rather doubte of S. Paule then of the Augustane confession 97. b M Melancthon against Luther 98. a. Melancthon coÌ„playned that he had folowed Luther to seruilly Ibidem Foure Lutheran Doctours against MelaÌ„cthoÌ„ Luthers owne derling 98. b The cruelty of Merlinus against the Osiandrines of one Protestant against an other 86. a O The doctrine of Osiander 86. a P Luther graunteth all right Christianite to Papistes 82. a Pride letteth from true knowleadge 1. b. 75. a The intolerable pride of the vnlerned multitude 77. a Pride and selfeloue the cause of all this garboyle in religion 47. b The answer of the kinge of Polonia to the protestantes embassadours 63. a The greate pyete and religioÌ„ of the kinges of Polonia 113. b The variable alteration of Polonian heretikes 69. b False prophets preteÌ„ded Gods worde amoÌ„ge the Iewes 3. a The difference betwene the false prophetes and true as nowe betwene protestants and catholikes 3. b Securite and loosenesse of life preached by the false prophetes as nowe by protestantes 6. b. 7. a b The race and issew of protestants 45. b All and not All in Scripture as it pleaseth protestants 52. a The odious arrogancy of Protestants 58 b A most pestilent doctrine of Protestants 23. a Much of the Protestants doctrine condemned a M. yeres past for heresy 32. b Protestants like to Manichees 44. a The ciuill warre amoÌ„g the Protestants them selues 95. b S The wonderfull sleightes of Sathan 61. a Sathan passeth not on the cuppe so he maye induce the schisme 64. a. 57. a The subtelty of Sathan 65. a Sathan transformed in to an angell of light 14. b VVho throwe them selues downe nowe a dayes at SathaÌ„s worde 13. VVhat Sathans intent is by heretikes his ministers 42. a Sathans full intent and finall purpose 95. a An olde complaint of 10 auncieÌ„t fathers against heretikes for alleaging of scriptures in their priuat sense 32 b. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. A not able example howe to reade holy scriptures 43. a The diuell alleageth Scripture against Christ 12. Heretikes alleage scriptures against the churche 12. b The workes of olde heretikes full of scriptures 13. a The diuell by his ministers alleageth Scriptures against Christ 19. b One selfe Scripture maye be the worde of God and the worde of the diuell 104. b VVhat all present sectes promise to their folowers 19. a Very proper and apte similitudes 50. b. 53. and 105. Howe the sixt of S. Iohn belongeth to the Supper 55. The reuel amonge Lutheranes aboute the Surplesse 80. a. The Swenckfeldians being protestants will no more the Scriptures 46. b Scriptures depraued by vnlerned and light persons 21. b T Tertullian against heretikes 24. 25. and 26. VVhat is meant by these wordes Throwe thy self downe 58. a The Tigurin and Laskane Confession 70. b Truthe is not priuat or personall but common to all 40. a V Paulus Vergerius a firebrande of sedition 85. b The inconstancy of his doctrine 86. a The sacrilegious wordes of Paulus Vergerius 75. a A most euident displaying of present Protestants by Vincentius Lirinensis 12. b. 13. 14. 15. and 16. VV Rauening wolues 13. b The pretence of Gods worde a most easy pretence of Sathan to deceiue withall 14. b VVhat is the true worde of God 41. b VVhat the expresse worde of God is 50. b VVhat is the expresse and true quickening word of God coÌ„moÌ„ly now called The lyuely word of the lord 100. a The worde of God aptly compared to the Lode starre 105. Howe to knowe wheÌ„ the true word of God is vttered 107. b Scriptures alleaged for good workes 9. b. 10. a b Z Zwinglius against the Lutherans 96. a Ego Cornelius Tansenius testor me certo intellexisse a doctis viris fide dignis Anglice peritis hunc D. Cardinalis Hosij librum De Expresso Verbo Dei hic fideliter versum esse in linguam Anglicam ac proinde ad Anglorum vtilitatem iudico eum typis excudendum Ita esse testor Cornelius Iansenius Sacrae Theolog. Prosessor Lib. 2. de sinibus bo norum malorum 1. Tim. 3. 1. Tim. 1. Rom. 13. Galat. 5. Leuit. 19. Matth. 22. Esa 66. Prouer. 11 Rom. 1. Psal 103. Matth. 11. They are sayd to pryck out the choughs eyes vvhich condeÌ„ne and out of those thiÌ„gs vvhich vvith great coÌ„sent hath byn allovved of old tyme by their forfathers Hiere 28. Hie. 14. 29 Hier. 23. Ibidem Hieron in coÌ„menta ibidem The prophetes of God False prophetes Hiere 14. Hiere 6. Ezech. 13. The difference betvvene true and false prophetts Esa 58. Ioell 1. Ioell 2. Ezech â–ª 33. Hiere 26. Ioel. 2. Hiero â–ª in coÌ„menta ibidem Remigius Altisiodo reÌ„sis Episcopus Ioel. 2. Rupertus Abbas Tuâ—tieÌ„sis Albertus magnus Eccl. 7. 2. Mach. 9. Gene. 4. Nume 16 Daniell 4 HieroÌ„ in Danie Ion. 3. The penaunce of the kyng of Niniuee Hieronymus ibideÌ„ Act. 8. No man ought to stand assured of his saluacion Psal 36. The doctryn of he retikes So Luther in lib. de fide Christiana Ion. 3. Psal 24. Psal 118. Hilarius super psal 118. Ambrosi ' 1. Tim. 4. The fauls prophetes of this our age denye that God hath any regard to our vvorkes * This is the clere doctryne of Luther in
great and especiall grace of God is personally present yea so as without any labor studye or industrie although they neuer aske seeke or knocke yf they be of their number and sect it is so from God him self dispēsed vnto them that they being holden vp with the handes of Aungells that is kept with angelicall protection can neuer hurt their foote against any stone can neuer offend or fall into any errour Thus farre Vincentius And coulde he possibly with more notable markes haue painted foorth the heretikes of our age thē in this place wee see he hath done For what doth Sathā more earnestly attempt by thē then to persuade mē to throwe thēselues downe to let thēselues fawll from the doctrine and tradition of this high Churche which Christ callyth the Citee builded on a hyll VVhich thing so soone as he hath once perswaded thē hath he atteynid the vndoubted victorye For vntill a man throwe him self from that high Cite yn vayn are all the attemptes of Sathan But so soone as he letteth him self fawll downe from thence so soone as he is departyd from the fowld and seuerith him self from the rest of the flocke then is he immediatly becoome a praye to the wolf To this one end therfore doth the diuell bend all his force that he may leade men to throwe them selues downe from the high and infallible doctrine of the church To sett nowght by the traditions therof to followe and esteme rather the priuatt spiritt of them selues or of any one man then the interpretatiō and consent of the Catholike and vniuersall Churche wher vnto is promysed the spiritt of truth Neither is he without scripture wherby he indeuoureth to persuade the same For it is written sayth he walke not in the precepts of your fathers In vayne doo they worship me teaching the doctrines and cōmaundements of men That yf in any one thing he may persuade a mā to throwe him self downe to departe from the precepts and ordonaūces of his forefathers and from the doctrine and traditiōs of the Churche then hath he wonne him within his reache then doth he easely fynd the meanes that he shal daily throwe him self downe deeper Neither is there any doctrine thē so farre wyde from all pietye or godlynes wherin he doth not easely stayne and infect his mynd In this one thing therfore doth he spend his whole studye and trauaill to accustome men to throwe them selues downe and not to make any accompt of the sence and generall cōsent of the whole churche but especyally to resist and withstand the ordonaunces therof VVhich thing as of all other heretikes so Martiu Luther their capitaine and standard bearer in this our age wee see dilligētly and very handsomly practysed For what other thing soundeth he in all his wrytings but that men should throwe them selues downe That they should cutt them selues from the churche resist the decrees therof and what so euer shee commaundeth in despight to doo the contrary As for example The Churche cōmaundeth thee to fast in the lent and toward the feast of Easter to confesse thy sinnes and to come to the receauing of the sacramēt But what sayth Luther to this Thus he sayeth Because it is so appoynted by the churche for the self same cause will I not doo it and yf it had not commaunded me I would haue doon it but I will now doo it at some other tyme which the Churche hath not appoynted at what tyme and in what sorte so euer myne owne free will shall moue me Likewyse The eleuation of the Saeramēt he thinketh a thing indifferent But bicause the Churche hath thowght good it should be lift vp therfore in despite of the Churche he teacheth it must be forborne Ageyn to receyue the sacramēt in one or bothe kyndes in many places he writeth to be indifferent for that nothing is commaunded therof by any precept of God as of necessitee yet in his booke which he intituled of the foorme of the masse he sayeth Yf by chawnce the councell should so decree then would wee not receyue yt in bothe kyndes but in despight of the coūcell vse only the one kynd or neither of bothe and not bothe and holde them for accursed that by the auctoritee of the councell should vse bothe But what doth a Councell represent but the Churche Sathan therfore by this his not obscure member commaundeth to do all thinges contrary to the decrees therof yea and that yn despight of the same and by that his worthy lymme yet cryeth Throwe thy self downe And doth not he throwe him self downe who followeth not that which is vniuersall catholyke receiued and allowed by generall consent of the whole world which professeth the name of Christ but more willingly reposeth him self in that which some one fantastycall man hath better leekyd VVho albeit he be perhapps reputed circumspect and discrete yett when he speakyth of hī self vttereth nowght ells as the Truthe it self bearyth witnes but a very lye For maye a man more throwe him self downe then to slippe from that sence and vnderstānding which is vniuersall and common to all vnto that which is but priuatt that is from trowth to fashed which man vtterith whē so euer he speaketh of himself The very same song therfore which the diuell himself songe vnto Christ in the desert the same doth he euen now sing by his members to Christians Neither doth he vrge any thing more then that they should throwe themselues downe and lett goe the vniuersall and auncient faith of the catholyke Churche He promyseth by his membres and yet still teacheth that in the congregations of his communion there is a certain great peculiar and personall grace of God He persuadeth the vnlerned yf a man imbrace the priuatt and especyall faith of his members that he though he be not only vtterly voyde of good workes but allso drowned in all kynd of wickednes must yett be well assured he is in state of grace and that the Aungells shall one daye take him vp in their handes and leade him straight to heauen That beyng preserued by their protection he shall not once hurt his foote against any stone but standeth highly in Gods fauour yf he continewe to the end This he will haue his mēbers to make so full and assured accompt of that they must thinke there can be no greater synne or wickednes committed then once to doubt neuer so litle therof which persuasion is cōmon to all heretikes For the Lutherans doo no lesse carnestly exact this of their followers then do the Zwinglians and Anabaptistes of theirs when in the meane tyme fyer and water do not more disagree then the doctrines of these men do one from an other so as it cānot be by any reason but some of them are leekly rather by the handes of diuells to be throwen into the bottomles pyt of hell ▪ then that the
proffitteth nothing As S. Pawll him self also teacheth VVho defyneth not euery faith wherby wee beleeue yn God but that only to be the helthsome and true euāgelical fayth which workyth by loue VVherby how litle or nothing that fayth auayleth which some thinke sufficient to saluation he so farre foorth shewyth that hee sayth If I haue neuer so myche fayth so as I be able to remoue mountaynes owt of their places and yet haue not charitee I am nothing But wher this faith full charitee worketh ther no doubt is good life For the fulnes of the lawe is Charitee Thus farre S. Augustyn Behould I pray yow how owld this heresie is which sayth Only faith is sufficient to saluation For it sprang euen whill Pawll yet leeuyd and was sought to be prouyd and mayntened euē by the expresse word of God vtteryd by that his elect vessell Pawll the Apostle when yett this was neuer the mynde of S. Pawll but as Saint Peter writeth some vnlernyd and vnconstant heades peruertyd the meanyng of his wordes And what for Gods loue dooth Sathan ells now allso more earnestly seeke by his members to beate into the eares and myndes of men but that they should hold for suertye that only fayth suffiseth both to iustification and to saluacion If Peter then at that tyme complaynyd of the peruertyng of Pawl his wordes How myche more would he now complayne when this most pestilent doctrine is with syche vehemencye sett foorth when it is obtruded to the eares and eyes of men with these most pernicious wordes That the Gospell may not suffer to heare any preaching of good workes That the sheepe of Christ quakyth when he hearyth them namyd of the preacher That faythe may not abyde any good workes to stand nere her That they which are coueryd as it were with good workes can hardly enter into heauen for that workes following after iustification are vncleane Yea and the best good worke is very synne That they are pestylent teachers and that it is a Roote budding nowght but Gawll owt of the newe Testament to vexe consciences with workes and that there can not be together in the Churche a teacher of fayth and of workes This so vnpure and wicked doctrine yf Peter should heare cloked with the name of the Gospel yf Pawl should heare these wicked men vawnt them selues that they had drawen this doctryne owt of his Epistles wherin it appearyth he did so carefully recommend vnto vs good workes and stirre vp all faithfull mē to vse and embrace them what thinke wee would they bothe saye and doo therunto But herofinowgh For in this place wee mynded no more but to shewe that euen in the Apostles tyme allso ther wanted not some which shrowded their lewde deceytes vnder the name of the Ghospell and which of the very wordes of S. Pawll by peruerting the sense therof fearyd not to professe and sett forward a contrary doctrine So that if first against Christ the very auctor of the scriptures Sathan feared not to bring the scriptures and agaīst Pawl him self to bring by his members Pawll his owne wordes wrestyd into a reprobat sense who can myche merueil if in thies latter dayes he hathwith more impudence attemptyd the same Tertullian is a very owld writer not lōg after the Apostles tyme. He wrote a notable booke of prescriptions against heretikes wherin he shewyth that this was a great word in their mouthe Seeke and yee shall fynd Searche the Scriptures And therin he exhorteth the faythfull that they would yet make some end of their seeking and therwith all preferryth fayth before trauail in the scriptures In the end he vseth these wordes Of the scriptures doo heretikes taulk very myche To the scriptures they counsell vs as though they could not otherwise geue aduyse touching matters of fayth but owt of the lettres and wordes of faith Now therfore come wee to the purpose For to this end did we direct and bend the entree of our taulke that euen here wee may Ioyne vpon that poynt wher vnto our aduersaryes so earnestly call vs. Scripture they pretend and with this their bowld countenaunce they moue some very muche But in the very conflict they wery the strong they take the weake and the indifferent they send awaye with scruple of mynd Then by and by he addeth what is to be done to them whē they shrowd them selues vnder the scriptures Thus sayth he do wee at the first encownter stoppe them that in dede they are not to be admitted to any disputatiō at all of the scriptures That if their force lie in scripture we must knowe howe they come by it Therefore must wee see to whom of right apperteyneth the possession of the scriptures to the end he be not allowed therunto to whom in no sorte it belongeth And lest any should thinke he wrote thus as hauing mistrust in his cause he foorthwith goeth forward in this sort This would I not haue browght foorth for geuing suspicion of diffidence or of desier to haue any other the state of the cause if the case stood not so as heerin we owght obedience to the Apostle ▪ who forbiddeth to enter into questions or to lend our eares to newe and straunge voyces For an heretike sayeth the Apostle must be taulked with after one Reprehension not after disputation For in this did the Apostle forbid disputation in that he apoynted an heretike to be rebuked and in that respect only to be taulked with and that but once because he is not to be esteemed as a Christiā Nor should be rebuked after the manner of a Christian once or twyse or by testimony of ij or iij. witnesses but is a man therfore and in that respect to be rebuked for that he is suche a person as owght not to be disputed with And because allso conference of scriptures with suche a one profitteth nothing but only stirreth choler and troubleth the brayne Agayne this heresie admitteth not some scriptures and if it allowe some yet doth it peruert the same by some addition or detraction to the defending of that it would proue or yf it receyue some scriptures yet will it not receyue them full and whol And if it doo yet will it turne them by inuēting some newe and contrary exposition No lesse ouerthwarteth the Truthe a bastarde Glose then a corrupted text Variable preiudices must nedes refuse to acknowledge those things wherby they are ouerthrowen To those things they leane which either faulsly they haue patched together or haue bene occasioned of ambiguous wordes and doubtfull texts VVhat shalt thow profit thowe that art best excersised in the scriptures when what so euer thow defendyst he shall denye and what so euer thow denyest he shall defend Thow losest but thy voyce in contending with him and gainest nowght but vnquyetnes of mynd in hearing his blasphemyes The partye if any suche be for whos
securite and well commawndeth them to hope in our lord and to doo good But assurednes of forgiuenes of their synnes and certayn knowledge therof to bragge of and yn that suertye rechlesse to rest shee forbyddeth For albeit of the mercy of God of his promyses of the merytt of Christ his death of the vertue and efficacye of the sacramentes no good man ought to doubte yet when anny man respectyth hymself and his owne infirmitee hee may well feare and stand yn doubt of Gods grace in his owne parte This is the preaching of the Catholyke Churche well and rightly agreyng with the doctryne of Esay Hieremie Ezechiell Daniel Ioël Ionas yea and of S. Peter the Apostle But doo these men which not muche more then xxx yeres passed departed from vs agree therwith Naye rather they seeme to stand cleane square from this doctrine For what other thing saye these teachers but that which Ananias Semeias and the rest of the faulse prophetes sayde to whom our lord had not spoken you shall not see the swoord say they there shal be no famyn emong you but sure peace wyll the lord geeue you Peace Peace they crye when peace is not and denouncyng a sownde slepe securyte deceyue the sowles of many For they teache what so euer our woorkes be so our fayth be fyrme and stedfast wee are sure of our saluation for that God regardeth not woorkes VVhere yet the playn woordes of the scripture be manyfest to the contrary Namely where it speakyth of the Niniuites their appeasing of God God sawe their workes and because they were turned frō their euill waye he had mercy of them God saw their woorkes sayth the Prophet These fellows on the other syde saye God regardeth no workes Behould lord sayth the prophet Dauyd my humillite and trauayll and pardon all my synnes And in an other psalme Regard my humillitee and deliuer me because I haue not forgotten thy lawe Behould lord because I haue looued thy commandementes Quicken me yn thy mercye VVhich wordes S. Hilary expounding The prophett sayth he reseruyng all to the iudgement of God desireth to be deliuered for the meryt of his humillitee whom S. Ambrose following sayth As he which hath hūbled his hart As he which hath laboured muche there he desireth his sinnes may be forgeuē and here he prayeth to be deliuered And after a fewe wordes he thus sayth farther A good wrestlar sheweth his lymmes that the well orderyng of him self for that feate may be allowed he allso then shewyth his lymmes when after hard tugging and paynfull grypes hee is ageyn prouoked to the wrestlyng place to the end the Iudge seing his weary and trauayled body compell him not eft soones to wrestle She we thow therfore the humillitee of thy hart that the tokens of thy vertue may appeare Shew also the paynfull stryfes thy body hath Indured that thow mayest saye I haue wrestled a good pulle I haue endyd my race and the spirituall Iudge beholding thy striuing for the game may adiudge vnto thee the Crowne of iustice because thow hast accomplisshed the lawe of the game The prophett prayeth godd that hee would regard his humilyte his trauayll and that he was not forgetfull of his lawe that hee looued his Commandementes which Saint Ambrose commaunded also wee should shewe vnto Godd But the false prophetes and false Ghospellers of our age denye that God regardith our workes They denye that he hath any care of them and teache that how so euer our workes be yett must euery man stand assured here of that freely for Christes sake his sinnes be forgeeuen him That hee is in the fauour of God and heyre of the lyfe euer lasting for so muche as all our Iustice and all our holynes is but mere synne and a thing Condempned As for Contrition that it is a thing so farre from profytyng that it makyth a man the greater synner That yff remorse of synne doo gnawe any mans conscyence hym doo they commawnd thus to awnswer VVhat is synne but Sinne I am notwithstandyng holly or yf I be not yett Christ is God As though it were lausull for euery man to be wicked because Christ is God By his Iustice teache they wee are Iust by his goodnes wee are good yea thowgh wee haue not in vs so muche as one sparke of his goodnes Yea althowgh wee be ouer whelmed yn all kindes of Iniquitee Looke how muche the more wicked thow art sayth one of these newe Ghospellers so muche the sooner dooth God geeue his grace vnto thee Yea hee Commawndeth his followers thus to saye My sinnes doo burdē Christ not my cōscience But what maye not wee say with Hieremie the prophett VVoonders are happened vpon the earthe to the astonning of men Prophetes prophesied lyes Priestes clapped their handes and my people leeked suche thinges In dede the people hath leeked suche thinges For so may wee see men rauisshed with the smothe woordes of these lyeng prophetes euen as it were with the sweet songes of meremaydes that yf a man will go aboute to preache vnto them rather true and holsom thinges then those which are swete and pleasaunt to the eares he shall be hissed out of the place And rude vnlearnyd asses will not styck sometyme to prescribe vnto the prophettes what they shall preache and to teache them of whom they shoold be taught See not say they looke not owt for vs those thinges which ar ryght Speake vnto vs pleasing thinges Looke owt errours for vs. Preache vnto vs only fayth Threaten not hell fyer but promyse vs the kingdom of heauen that after our ryott and delycaces after our incestuous wedlockes wee may yett looke to fynd paradyse open vnto vs. what shewe youe vnto vs the way of the lord which wee are not willing to enter yn to what doo youe recyte to vs the name of the holly one of Israël which dooth not enter ynto the secrettes of our hartes Thow seest most vertuows kyng of what sort is the preaching of those which in this our age call them selues Gospellers wher yn deed they haue no agreement with the Gospell and what ys agayne the doctryne of the catholykes Those men commawnd nawght ells but that eche man stedfastly beleeue and rest well assured that he standeth yn the state of grace and ys an vndoubted heyre of the kyngdom of heauen how so euer his workes be And with this their vayne surety they leade men hedlong to the euerlasting paynes of hell Our men on the other syde albeit they cōmaund vs to hope for mercy at our lorde his handes yett doo they forbydde men rechelesse to lyue yn securite and farther warne them that they thinke it not Inough to amend except they yeeld allso woorthy fruictes of penaunce and shewe foorth by their workes the fayth which they professe That when wee shall appere at the last Iudgement it shall not be asked of vs
aungells of heauen wil vouchfafe to help them vp to heauen VVho when they haue all a leeke cutt them selues of voluntarely from the body of Christ that the heauenly Aungells haue then nothing to doo with them it is more certayn then that it may be doubted of Now therfore haue wee seen how Sathan assaulted Christ with the expresse word of God And hath he not doon the same also by his lymmes meÌ„bers agaiÌ„st the same Christ the sonne of God Did he not labour by the expresse word of God to shew that Christ was not only no prophett but allso worthy to dye wee reade in the Gospell that when the Iewes heard the word of Christ some sayd this is a ê“phet some others this is Christ yett were there not some emong them that sayd What Shall Christ come owt of Galilee Doth not the scripture saye Christ cometh of the seed of Dauid and foorth of the Castle of Bethleem where Dauid was The Phariseys allso said to Nicodemus Searche the scriptures and see that owt of Galilee shall aryse no prophette Yett not content therwith by the scriptures which they browght foorth to denye him to be a prophett they cryed out farther saying VVe haue a lawe and by that lawe he owght to dye because he hath made himself the sonne of God VVho will not be astonyed when he readeth these thinges The membres of the diuell browght foorth the lawe and the prophetts against the very auctor and lord of the lawe and the prophetts And as to them it seemed proued by the expresse word of God he was not only not a prophett but one worthy of death as a wicked transgressor of the lawe So that if against Christ him self when he yett walked emong men ther was so earnest fyghting not only by the diuel him self but by his members allso and that with the very sworde of the scriptures what shall wee thinke may not be doon against vs selly men Or what will not Sathan presume and not hope to coÌ„passe which thought assuredly he could euen by the very scriptures teache that Christ not only was no prophett but also worthy of death Nowe therfor is this made playne that the diuell feared not euen with the weapons of scripture to assault Christ the sonne of God lyuing here on earth and looke what sence he drewe foorth therof that would he haue to be takeÌ„ for the expresse word of God But what did he not euen with the same tooles sett on the Apostles yes â–ª and that very sore For what ells shewe these wordes of of S. Pawll Suche fauls Apostles are subtyll workmen traÌ„sfiguring themselues into the Apostles of Christ And no marueill For euen Sathan transfigurith him self in to an aungell of light It is not myche therfore if his ministers transforme them selues in to the leeknes of the ministers of Iustice How properly S. Pawll heer paynteth owt the fauls Apostles of his tyme They woldyn no wyse seeme to preache ay other thing then Christ and the Gospell But as the heretikes of our age woold pull from the Churche the Catholike doctryn so woold they haue doon the name of the Gospell from Pawlls preaching and woold seeme to arrogat the same vnto them selues Dooth not S. Pawll openly signifie this wheÌ„ he thus wryteth vnto the Galathians I marueyll you are so sone caryed away from him which caullyd you vnto the grace of Christ yn to an other Gospell which is but one not diuers Only some there be which trooble you and woold turne the Gospell of Christ VVhich place Iohn Chrisostom the true and faythfull Interpreter of S. Pawll expownding saieth Suche is the slaight of the diuell not to laye open the snares wherin hee seekyth to cache and intangle men For if they had sayd departe from Christ yee Galathians they wold haue auoyded theÌ„ as wicked and corrupt deceauers But now suffring them as it were to remayne in their faith and in the meane tyme couering their frawd with the name of the Gospell the vnderminers without any daunger with great bouldnes vndermined the house whil by the spreding of these veyls their right names wer couered Sins therfor they termyd their fraud the Gospel S. Pawl also striueth against the name etc. You see now howe eueÌ„ at that tyme as in this our age some cloked their deceyt with the name of the Gospell and called their frawde the Gospel That which they taught and not which Pawll preached they would haue to seeme the Gospell and with this honest preteÌ„ce casting a colour before men they labored to crepe into their myndes So doth Sathan to snare meÌ„ alwayes vse some shrowd and doth not streight waye to vse the phrase of the coÌ„moÌ„ people shewe his hornes but layeth the forthe name of holly scripture of the word of God of the Gospell that he may the more easely drawe men before they beware in to his nettes But it becomyth not faithful folcke by and by to be moued with suche masked Sprittes nor if a man call his owne trechery the Gospell straight way for suche to repute it The same Pawll allso remembryth writing vnto the ThessaloniaÌ„s that there were some which feared men by an Epistle sent as it were from him as though the day of the lord were eueÌ„ then at haÌ„d when yett by S. Pawll no such thing had bene writteÌ„ But where as he in his former epistle to theÌ„ had thus written VVe which lyue which remayne to the comyng of our lord shal not come befor them which haue slept to those his wordes they fastned that straunge sence which he neuer meÌ„t So allso eueÌ„ whyle Pawll yet lyued some were not affrayd to misconster his wordes For thus S. Peter the Apostle writeth of Pawlls Epistles That some things therin be hard to be vnderstanded which vnlernyd and wauering persons do depraue as they doo allso some other scriptures to their owne damnation If then whyle Pawll yet liued on the earth there were some found which turned and misconstrued his wordes what wonder is it if after so many ages past sins his death they haue been and yet be handled in lyke sorte But what that was which vnlernyd and wauering persons sowght in Pawlls epistles to peruert S. Augustin teachith in that his booke which he intituled of faith and workes For where Pawll had writteÌ„ wee thinke man to be iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe some lewde and vnlernyd persons sayth he so tooke these wordes that with a certayn wicked securitee and carelesnes they cast awaye both them selues and others whyle they gathered heerby that to obteyn SaluatioÌ„ only faith suffised which thing he sayeth was the cause that the other Apostolicall Epistles of Peter Iohn Iames and Iuda are chieffly bent and directyd against that opinioÌ„ so as they very strongly buyld and mayntayn the coÌ„trary VVhich is that faith without workes
vtterly vnknowen May we not therfore with S. Hierom aptly say thus vnto these fellowes that so earnestly labour to obtrude this new fownd Gospell vnto vs VVhat so euer thou be thou teacher of new doctrynes I pray the forbeare the Romaine eares forbeare the faith which hath been recommended vnto vs from the mouth of the Apostles VVhy doest thow seeke after iiij c. yeres but wee may now say after fourtene c. yeres and more to teach vs now that wee knew not before VVhy doest thow bryng foorth that which Peter and Pawll would not shewe The Christian world hath been withowt this doctrine vntill this daye I will for my part being now an owld man hould that fayth wherin being a chyld I was borne and bred VVhat a madnes then were this yf wee should now receyue a straunge vnknowen Gospell and reiect that which wee hould by deliuery vnto vs from those holy fathers For yf they meane the name of the Gospell those bookes which wee haue written by the Euangelistes and Apostles and before them by the Prophettes that Gospell hath Polonia had and receyued almost this vi c. yeres past neither is ther any amōg vs that doubteth but that in the same is the expresse word of God VVherfore as touching the scripture it is none other Ghospell which the heretikes would at this daye obtrude vnto vs but the same which we professe allredy Yea and that is more they openly confesse that they haue receyued the whole Canonicall scripture from vs. VVhat Gospell then I praye you is that which they preache vnto vs Forsooth such a Ghospell wherunto as Caluin writeth other mens inuentiōs and deuyses are ioyned wherof they bring a straunge sence hitherto vnheard of in the churche of God And this is it wherof S. Pawll geueth warning saying Yf any man preache vnto you any other Gospell then that which you haue receyued let him be accursed That is as myche to saye If Luther Caluin or Melancthon come vnto you and preache the Gospell to any other sence or meaning then that which you haue receyued of the blessed fathers yf he tell you any thing contrary to that which they haue deliuered vnto you let him be accursed Be wee not thinke you by these wordes of S. Pawll iustly fearyd from taking the inuentions and deuyses of these men for the true word of God Namely synce this is truly sayd to be a synne against the holy Ghost and to blaspheme the same when by contempt wee violat those thinges which haue been deliuered vnto vs by the fathers VVhich thing that blessed Bisshop Damasus teacheth vs in these wordes Voluntary breakers of the Canons sayth he are greuously iudged of the holy fathers and condemned by the holy Ghost by whose instinct and gift they were decreed For Rightly seeme they to blaspheme the holy Ghost which against those holy Canōs do any thing voluntarely or frowardly not cōpelled by necessitee or presume to speake against them or willingly consent to any that attempt so to doo For syche presumption is manifestly one kynd of blasphemy against the holy Ghost Yow see how this holy man telleth vs it is one kynd of blasphemy against the holy Ghost yf a man presume to do or speake frowardly or malapertly against those thinges which are deliured vnto vs from the fathers Therfore lest wee should become giltye of this kynd of blasphemy wee dare by no meanes consent to these men who thinke it a matter to be fled frō as a pestilēt poyson of Sathan which the Catholikes and right beleuers haue taught by the space of so many hundreth yeres which the ouctoritee of the churche hath deliuered all Christian people imbraced and the schooles of the diuines mayntayned And on the other syde would haue vs to esteeme the dreames of their owne brayne as the very pure and expresse word of God especially synce wee are twyse warned by these wordes of S. Pawll in one epistle that yf any man preache vnto you any other Gospell then that which ye haue receyued let him be accursed But chieffly that feareth vs which is spoken by the prophet depart ye frō idolls VVhich thing allso S. Pawll dooth itterate vnto vs cryeng out Flee from the worshipping of idolls which S. Iohn the Euangelist dooth allso repete vnto vs Concluding that his notable Epistle with these wordes My children keepe ye from idolls But what be not trow you Luther Caluin Melancthon and Brencius very idolls Is there not in these menne a wonderfull heygth lifting it self vp against the knowledge of God Doo they not resist and withstand And which is the property of Sathan doo they not extoll themselues aboue all which is sayd or worshipped as God shewing them selues as it were God and seeke to haue worshipped of all men as the expresse word of God what so euer they wryte or say But here lest wee seeme to apply these thinges according to the vision of our owne hart as heretikes vse to doo let vs in fewe lay open what the holy fathers haue taught to be signified in the scriptures vnder the names of idolls S. Hierome expounding that place of Zachary I will destroy the names of idolls from of the earth sayth that by these wordes are signifyed not only those idolls wherof we read in the Psalmes The images of the Gentills made of siluer and gould being the workes of mens handes but allso those wherof Pawll speaketh sayeng But the spirit telleth vs manifestly that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith geuing eare to seducing spirites and to the doctrine of diuells teaching faulse vnder hipocrisy hauing their consciences marked with an hot yron For euen as idolls sayth he are made by the hand of the worke man so the peruerse doctrine of heretikes what so euer it self deuyseth it turneth into an idoll and maketh Antechrist to be worshipped for Christ Leekewyse intreating vppō that place of the Prophet Esay Their land is full of idolls The workes of their owne handes haue they worshipped and that which their owne fyngers haue made hath man bowed vnto and humbled him self Idolls he interpreteth to be doctrines contrary to the truthe Neither will he haue otherwyse vnderstanded that which is written by the prophett Osee They made their siluer and gowld idolls to them selues that they might perishe S. Augustine allso after he had spoken many thinges of idolls made with handes Ther is sayth he a worse and more base worshipping of idolls when men worship their owne fancyes and honour with the name of Religion what so euer they haue imagined in their erring myndes puft vp with pryde and vayn glory Of which kynd of fanceys and vayne visions he interpreteth Iosue allso to speake in that place where he sayeth Take away straunge Gods from emong you and enclyne your hartes to the lord your God Leekewyse that place of Ezechiell of my
that no man should in any one thing dissent from him then let him proue him self to be a God Couertly meaning therby that he sought to be reuerenced as a God and to haue his word adored of all men as the word of God brefly that it were no more laufull for any man to dissent from his mynd then from the senteÌ„ce of god Thus you see his very fellowes thought intollerable this his exceding pryde wherby he presumed to sytte in the temple of God euen as he were god himself But dooth not Caluin allso coÌ„playne that the churche of god is to imperiously bownd to the deuyses of Luther How greuously dooth he take it that they dresse him vp with the spoyle of S. Iohn Baptist and call him Helias by whom all thinges were to be restored VVith which falshed they did no lesse distayne the name of Luther sayth he then the Egyptians did the body of Hieremy by worshipping his sepulchre And yf sayth he the name of Helias were to be graunted to Luther yet was it a poynt of sacrilegious temeritee to affirme him to be the last Helias as though the hand of God were shortnyd that he could not hereafter send a better or at the lest an other as good as he For by what oracle was it oppened vnto them that the treasures of the mighty power of God were so myche diminisshed and wasted in the person of one man that out of so great and incomprehensible a number the lyke of him might not be found Here Caluin could not dissemble the grudge he had coÌ„ceyued in that Luther was thus caulled the last Helias wherby no place was now left for him who thought himself in no poynt inferiour but rather superiour to Luther But Ioannes Alasco who dooth seeme almost to consent with Caluin beside that in many places he shewyth himself to thinke very yll of Luther as it is noted by Erasmus Albere he writeth thus allso of the Lutherans that when all their stuff is spent then they vse to flee to the Confession of Augspurg as to their shooteanker and make sayth he so myche a doo of that that there want not emong them yea and not of the meanest sort which say they had rather dowbt of the doctrine of the Apostle Pawll then of Luthers or of that which is contayned in that Confession You see how the sacramentaryes themselves can not beare that the contentes of Luthers bookes or of the Augustan confession should be receyued as the word of God though with some for all that it be of more pryse then the word of God And shall wee ChristiaÌ„s beare that which the lewde Zuinglians can not beare And shall wee suffer that to be obtruded vnto vs for the expresse word of God which wee most certainly knowe and haue proued to be the expresse word of the diuell But some there be perhapps that will in this case geue the lesse credyt to the iudgement of the Zuinglians for that the world seeth they dissent from the doctrine of Luther Let vs see therfore what iudgement the Lutherans them selues haue one of an other I thinke no man will denye but the Confessionistes be LutheraÌ„s VVherof though Andreas Osiander were himself one yet dooth he not complayne that with his followers the Confession of Augspurg is more regarded then the word of God And that they which procede masters of art and professors of diuinitee at VVittemberge abiure the word of God and sweare to be subiect to the worde of Melancthon Marke yee how this fellow condemneth the disciples of Melancthon of idolatry and warneth them to flee from this idoll But to come to Melancthon himself did not he at the first with tooth and nayle defend and esteeme no lesse then the very word of God these doctrines of Luther That man hath no free wyll that all thinges happen by absolute necessitee that man feelith no more what God dooth within him then the Anuyll feelith what the hammer dooth that workes are not necessary to saluation that no rytes or ceremonyes owght to be admitted into the Churche Yet afterward complainyng that he had been to seruilly bond to Luther he reiected these his toyes and came to a better mynd For which cause yet he bred to him self so great hatred yea euen of his owne disciples that they pittefully reuyled him and sought to exclude him from the Confession of Augspurg wherof it is knoweÌ„ he was the Author But Mathias Flaccus is not affrayed to arrogat yet more vnto him self and sticketh not to pronounce his master Melancthon to whoÌ„ he was behoulding and all the adherentes of his doctrine vnworthy to be accoÌ„pted other then very Ethnikes and Publicans And to make his meaning playne he thus interpreteth him self that no good maÌ„ought to haue any familiaritee freendship or coÌ„pany with them And to him which not being especially bound to them by necessitee of lawe should doo any of these thinges he pronounceth the contagion of their lepre and so without all doubt the wrath of God And that I thinke was the cause that at the last conference at VVormes Schneppius Merlinus Strigellius Saâ—â—erius and certayn other Illiricans departed thence without doing any thing for that they thought the fellowship of Melancthon and Brentius both whom Flaccus had excommunicated from his congregation was of them to be auoyded Namely synce none of them gaue any shewe of inclination to any syche retourne or amendment as they requyred VVho therfore is there which dooth not now see as cleer as the day light that these be the idolls which the Prophetes and Apostles so earnestly exhort vs to flee from The heretikes I say of this our age Luther Caluin Melancthon BreÌ„tius Flaccus they commaund vs to flee as from the vyper and Cockatryce for so doo they emong them selues and by their owne iudgement one of an other condemne them selues But may not wee myche the more iustly accompt them for syche as they are become not only by the iudgement of the Catholike Church which wee are commaunded to harken vnto but allso by their owne iudgement one of an other And shall there now be any man that may persuade vs which acknowledge and honour only one God to adore the word of these heretikes as the expresse word of God O Christ which hast allmost this 600. yeres shyned ouer this countrey with the light of thy Gospell rather take from vs all our worldly goodes the sweet fruition of this lyght yea all thinges which are in this world most dere to mortall men then once to suffer vs to be remoued froÌ„ this mynd wherin wee are determyned rather to doo and suffer all thinges then to depart from that thy holly word which allmost 600. yers past was by thy goodnes deliuered and impartid to our nation and in stead therof to receyue their word which set them selues in the Temple as Gods and so thrall our selues to