is proued noe common vvelthe can enioy temporall and ciuil peace and discipline vvithout them Takeavvay hope of heauen and take avvaye prayer almes deeds erecting of Churches founding of Colleges and hospitalles then fasting and penaunce vvorkes of iustice mercy and charitie vvill decay in breefe men vvill bee negligent and slouthfull in all exercise of vertue and obseruation of the lavve For vvho vvill ronne that sees no gole vvho vvill fight that hopes for no victorie vvho vvill vvorke that lookes for noe revvard I knovv that the very loue of God yea of vertue should moue vs to good but yet so dull vve are and so backvvard that these motiues litle moue vs and so naturall vnto vs it is to be moued vvith hope of revvard that if men hoped not for heauen fevv vvould striue to ouer come their passions and the difficultie in exercise of vertue and obseruation of the commaundementes Like vvise if feare bee the keeper praeseruer and conseruer of all common vvelthes hovve shall vve imagin that the Church of God can stande vvithout it I graunte that sinne is so fovvle a thinge that euen for the hatred of sinne vvee should abandone sinne but seing that sinne is so aggreable to our corrupt nature and neuer appeareth in the ovvne likenes but is allvvayes masked and disguised vvith a shevv of commoditie pleasure or profit fevve ther are vvho vvould absteine from sinne for the turpitude therof dishonestie vvhich it implyethe For vvhat should restraine a man from sinne shame of the vvorld I suppose he hathe a secret place Feare of temporall punishment I suppose the fault bee vnknovven Feare of God Vvho vvill feare God that feares not the hell vvhich hee hathe prepared Vvherfore if notvvithstanding the hope of heauen and feare of hell vvhich for all Caluins heresie possesseth the hartes of moste men yet so fevv liue vprightly and so many go avvrye vvhat vvould they do if hope of heauen and fear of hell vvere quite rooted out of their myndes Truly the narrovv path of vertue vvould bee ouergrovvne vvith vveeds for vvante of treading and the broad vvay of vice vvould become so smothe that none vvould imbrace vertue all vvould tumble headlonge into the depthe of vice and pleasure and so the vvay to vertue vvould bee hedged vp and the gate and vvay to vice vvould allvvayes lie open heauen vvould be a place inaccessible and hell our common home The second Chapter shevveth hovv in teaching that only faith iustifieth they open the gapp to all vice SAtan the common enemy of mankind knovving hovve easily he might entise and allure vs to sinne to vvhich thing his malliciouse mynde is allvvayes bente and enclined if hee could persvvade the vvorld that only faithe sufficeth for mans iustification hathe longe since gone about to beate this doctrine into our heades to bevvitch our vnderstaÌ„dings vvith it And bicause hee knovveth that vvhen he speaketh in is ovvne person and likenes he findeth litle audience he hathe gone about and that euen in the Apostles tyme by certaine of his ministers vvhoe vvent vnder the name of Christians to intrude vppon vs this his pestilent doctrine 2. Pet. 3. For they not vnderstanding as saint Peter sayeth vvhat saint Paule sayed vvould make him speake as fooles make belles to sound to vvit as they imagined and so auouched that only faithe vvas sufficient to iustificatioÌ„ and saluation and that saint Paule so vvarranted vs. l. de fide â—peribus Vvherfore saint Austine affirmeth that sainct Peter sainct Ihon and sainct Iames and sainct Iude also vvrote their Epistles to refell refute this heresie and to expound sainct Paules meaning After these companions Simon Magus imbraced the same opinion and after him Eunomius vvho bragged that the faithe vvhich they preached vvas sufficient to saue their follovvers vvhat sinnes soeuer they committed This damnable heresie longe since dead in the myndes of men and buried also in hell Luther not by miracle but meare madnes hath called to life againe ar 10 1â— l de Christiana libertate com in c. 2. Gal. vvho in diuers places affirmeth that only faith iustifieth before vvithout charitie and good vvorkes And bicause he savv that in thus saying he seemed to open the gappe to all vvickednes he addeth another heresie to vvit that true faithe and good vvorkes can not be seuered therfore sayeth hee although only faithe iustifie yet that argueth not that good vvorkes are not necessary bicause a true faith allvvayes bringeth vvith it good vvorkes l. 3. c. 14. §. 1â— c. 1◠§. 8. Caluin ioyneth vvith Luther in this opinion affirming that faithe only iustifieth and that good vvorkes are only signes and effectes of this faithe Yea Luther hee bothe auouch as shal be aftervvards declared that good vvorkes are so farre from iustifying that they are all mortall sinnes and by faythe only obteyne this fauour of God as not to bee reputed nor imputed to the faithfull maÌ„ And this faithe saith Caluin iustifieth not as a vvorke of ours bicause vvhatsoeuer proceedeth from our corrupt nature he counteth sinne but as it is an instrumeÌ„t by vvhich vvee apprehend Christes iustice and so applye it to our selues make it so our ovvne that noe since is imputed vnto vs. §. â— These are his vvords The povver of iustifying vvhich faith hath consisteth not in the vvorthines of the vvorke our iustification standeth vppon the only mercie of God and the deseruing or merit of Christe vvhich iustification vvhen faith taketh hold on it is sayed to iustifie So that faith also according to Caluin is a sinne bicause it is a kinde of vvorke of ours yet it iustifieth bicause it apprehendeth Christes iustice and so by a sinne as by an instrument vvhich apprehendeth Christes iustice vvee are made or rather reputed iuste But before I come to inferre my intended coÌ„clusion out of this doctrine I vvilbee so bold as to aske them vvhere they read in Scripture that only faithe iustifieth Rom. â— Saint Paule saye they affirmeth that a man is iustified by faithe True but he sayeth not by only faithe nether dothe any place of Scripture auouch so mnch Vvherfore Luther seing that this place vvas not plaine enoughe to proue that only faith iustifieth in his Germaine translation he foysted in only into the texte making sainct Paule to say vvee thinke a man to be iustified by faithe only And being warned of this his corruptioÌ„ of scripture by a certaine freind of his In Resp ad duos art ad amicum Ex Bel to â— l. â— de iustif c. 16. he ansvvered that that vvas the meaning vvherin yet hee shevved him selfe a false translatour vvhose office is to translate faithfully as the vvords lye and not as hee vvould haue them interpreted for that is the office of an interpretour and if this be lavvfull for Luther hereriques haue scope enoughe to make scriptures speake as they vvill imagin that they should speake But Luther vvill say
that sainct Paule sayeth that a man is iustified by fayeth and not by the vvorkes of the lavve vvhich is all one as if hee had sayed that a man is iustified by faithe only and not by good vvorkes But to this I ansvvere that if sainct Paule had sayed that a man is iuste by faithe and not by vvorkes adding noe more then Luther had had some argument but hee sayeth not soe but only that a man is iuste by faites and not by the vvorkes of the lavve excluding only the Iudaicall sacramentes and ceremonies vvhich he calleth vvorkes of the lavve and vvhen in other places he excludeth vvorkes he meanethe the selfe same vvorkes Rom. 4. Gal. 2.3 or else those vvorkes vvhich proceed not from faithe and grace suche as vvere the vvorkes of the gentils Nether is faithe sayed to iustifie bicause that only iustifieth but bicause it is the beginning and ground vvorke of iustification or bicause it concurreth to iustification or bicause by that faithe vvhich iustifieth is vnderstood not a naked faithe but a faithe ioyned vvith charitie and good vvorkes such as saint Paule speaketh of vvhen vvriting to the Galathians hee excludeth the vvorkes of the lavve Gal. â— saying that in Christe Iesu nether Circumcision is of any vvorth nor the Prepuce but faythe vvhich vvorketh by charitie Vvherfore sainct Paule is so farre from thinking that only fayth iustifieth that hee auoucheth that if hee had all the fayth in the vvorld and so great a faithe that hee could moue mountaines 1. Cor. 33. yet if hee had not charitie hee vvere nothing And if Luther and Caluin bicause scripture sometymes sayeth that faithe iustifieth vvill therfore inferre that faith only iustifieth then bicause scripture sayeth that by hope vve are saued and that blessed is the man that hopeth in God Rom. â— Psal 83. I vvill inferre that only hope iustifieth and bicause scripture also affirmeth that the man is happie that feareth our lord Psal 111. I vvill conclude that feare only iustifieth Or if they vvill ansvvere that hope and feare are sayed to iustifie and to make man happie bicause they concurre to iustification and happines the same I vvill say of faithe to vvit that it is sayed to iustifie not bicause it only iustifieth but bicause vvith charitie it concurres to our iustification For to charitie allso is attributed our iustification and more then vnto faith For as Christe told saincte Marie Magdalen that her fayeth had saued her so he sayed that many sinnes vvere forgiuen her bicause she loued much Lue. â— and Scripture attributeth those effects to charitie vvhich are necessarilie linked vvith iustification As for example Mat. 22. Rom. 11. Col. â— 1. Tim. â— charitie is called the fullnes of the lavv the end of the lavve the obseruation of the lavv and the bond or knot of perfection Charitie also is sayed to make vs children of God â— 10 â— Rom. 3.1 Pet. â— 1. 10.4 by it the holy ghost is sayed to be diffused in our hartes charitie is sayed to hide and couer our sinnes and to make God to dvvell in our hartes Sainct Ihon pronounceth boldly that vvho loueth his brother by charitie is in the light 1. 10. â— and that vvee are translated from the darkenes that is of sinne to the light that is of iustification bicause vvee loue our bretherne Ibidem c 3. c. 4. yea hee sayeth that vvhoesoeuer loueth not remaineth in deathe And againe euerie one that loueth is borne of God By vvhich it is plaine that ether charitie is allvvayes ioyned vvith the grace of iustification as S. Th â— 2. q. 210. â— 1. â— Thomas sayeth or that it is all one vvith the sayed grace Sâ—â—t 2. d. 26. Our ibidem as others saye and so is the formall cause of iustification and then faith only concurrethe as a disposition as hope also and feare doe At least heÌ„ce it follovveth that only faith iustifieth not bicause hee that hath not Charitie as saint Ihon sayeth remaineth in death and if a man haue all the fayth in the vvorld as saint Paule sayeth vvithout charitie hee is so farre from being iuste that he is nothing and no body Supra Novv vvheras they saye that faithe only iustifieth but not vvithout charitie and good vvorkes bicause it can not bee vvithout them it is another absurde heresie â— Cor. â—â— For saint Paule vvhen hee sayeth that if he had all the faythe in the vvorld and yet haue no charitie hee is nothing supposeth that faithe may be separated from charitie 〈◊〉 2. And S. Iames supposing that it may be vvithout good vvorkes sayeth that faithe vvithout good vvorkes is dead and diuers parables as of the corne Mat. 1â— ibidem Mat. 22.25 and cockle in the same barne of good and bad fishes in the same nette of good and bad gestes at the same supper yea of the sheep and goates also argevve that men maye bee in the Churche by faithe and yet be badde Christians for vvant of charitie and good vvorkes vvhich the good Christians haue Yea reason teacheth that it is one thing to beleeue and to knovv our dutie by faithe and another thing to doe our dutie Yea if there vvere no other argument then the euil life of Lutheranes and Caluinistes vvho bragge that they haue true faithe and yet liue most viciously it vvould conuince them that faithe if there bee any in them may bee seuered from good vvorkes and ioyned vvith euil But to come to a conclusion if faith only iustifie then it follovveth that the gappe is opened vnto all vice and villanie For vvhen they come to the definition of this faithe vvhich only iustifieth Supra they say that it is an assurauÌ„ce by vvhich vvee are fully persuaded that Christes iustice is ours by vv ch faith also they saye Christes iustice is so applyed vnto vs that it is ours and couerethe our sinnes and maketh vs appear iuste in the sight of God Out of vvhich doctrine I deduce this argumente If faith only iustifie then if vvee retaine that faithe thoughe vve commit all the villanies in the vvorlde they can not hurte vs bicause so longe as vvee hold that faithe vvee are iuste and so the gappe is opened to all vice For if a man bee once persuaded that faithe only iustifiethe and that this faithe is noe other thinge but an apprehension that Christes iustice is ours if hee persuade him selfe that Christes iustice is his as hee must bicause Caluin and Luther affirme that euery man must beleeue so if hee vvilbe a Christian then needs hee only care to retaine that faithe and apprehension For if that only iustifie then retaining that hee is assured that he is still iuste though hee commit all the sinnes in the vvorld and so by this doctrine he hathe good leaue to sinne And for more confirmation of this argument it must be noted that Luther and Caluin affirme that Christes
meaning of scripture vvhich seemeth to haue more difficultie then that the Churche and her common spirit vvhich Christe promised her â—â— 1â— 1â— should chalenge vnto her such authoritie Giue vs therfore true scripture and vve vvill reuerence it as the vvord of God but corrupte this scripture by putting a false sense and signification to the letter as the reformers do and then vve vvill not acknovvledge it for the vvord of God bicause it explicateth not his mynd and meaning but rather vve detest it aboue all other vvords vvritings vvhatsoeuer bicause in that it beareth the name of the vvord of God and yet is not it is the most pernicious vvord that is For as the sovvrest vyneger cometh of the best vvine so the moste pernicious vvord is the letter of scripture corrupted and misinterpreted If then our aduersaries vvill haue scripture to be iudge in controuersies of religion let them alleage true scripture that is the letter vvith the true meaning of vvhich not euery priuate spirit but the common spirit of the Church must be iudge as shall herafter be proued But if they vvill make the bare letter to be iudge vvee deny first that the bare letter is scritpure and then vve auouch that the bare letter is noe good rule nor lavvfull iudge of religion bicause the letter of scripture may haue diuers senses and may serue euery heretike for his purpose as before is declared and so can be no rule nor iudge vvhich bothe must be assured and certaine To this they ansvver that scripture is so easie that the meaning is euident to euery one that hathe eyes to see it so he may as easilie see the conformitie of their religion vnto the rule of scripture For as vvhen the measure is knovvn it is euideÌ„t hovv long the cloth is vvhich is measured by it so scripture as they say being easie it is most euident vvhen religion is true bicause it is euident vvhen it is agreable and conformable to the assured and knovvne measure of scripture by vvhich all religioÌ„s are to be squared out and measured But that scripture is not easie to be vnderstood it is easily to be proued and so this ansvvere is as easilie to be reiected â— Pet. 3. For first scripture her selfe confesseth her ovvn obscuritie For sainct Peter in his epistle vvhich is a parte of scripture auoucheth that in S. Paules Epistles vvhich our reformers vvill not deny to be another part of scripture are certain hard things hard to be vnderstood vvhich the vnlearned and vnstable depraue as also the rest of the scriptures lib. de fid op c. 14. to their ovvn perdition And saint Austine saieth plainly that those hard thinges are his commendations of faith vvhich the ignoraunt euen from the Apostles tyme did so miscoÌ„ster as though his meaning had been that only faith vvithout charitie and good vvorkes doth iustifie Act. 1â— The Eunuch could not vnderstand Esaie vvithout an interpretour Psal 1â—8 Dauid cryeth for vnderstanding at Gods hands before he dareth aduenture to search the lavv Luc 24. the Apostles could not vnderstand scripturs till Christ opened their sense and eyes of vnderstanding and yet our reformers are so eagle-eyed that they can see clearly and that at the first sight into the darkest and obscurest place of scripture The ancient fathers affirme that scriptures are obscure and amongest them sainct Hierome sayeth that the beginning of Genesis and the end of Ezechiel Ep. ad Paul in tymes past vvas not permitted to be read of any till he vvere thirtie yeares of age and vvhy but for the obscuritie vvhich might rather deceue theÌ„ direct the yonger sorte l. 2. con c. 14. S. Austine that great light of the Church miraculous vvitte vvho vvhen he vvas but tvventie yeares of age vnderstood the predicameÌ„tes of Aristotle at the first sight thought nether so highly of him selfe nor so basely of scripturs as to thinke him selfe able by reach of vvit to attain vnto the profound sence and meaning of them but rather though he had studied them more dayes nightes then our ministers haue done dayes only Ep. 3. ad Vâ—lus yea or houres and had vvritten more for the interpreting of scripturs then euer they read yet saieth he So great is the profunditie of them that I might euery day make profit in them if I should vvith greatest leisure greatest studie and a better vvitt endeuour to come vnto the knovvledg of them only and that from my tender youth vnto crooked olde age And in his bookes vvhich he vvrote vppon Genesis in his tractes vppon sainct Ihon and diuers other partes of scripture he moueth many doubtes and difficulties Prafat assert â—rt daâ— and yet Luther sayeth that scripturs are more playn and easie then all the fathers commentaries Petrus Lombardus commonly called the master of senteÌ„ces Liâ— â— d. 12.1 p. q 65. saint Thomas other diuines armed vvith philosophie and furnished vvith the schoole literature apply not vvithstanding all their vvittes to the explicating of the first chapter of Genesis and the creation of the vvorld in the first six dayes 〈◊〉 Hexamâ—â— as also saint Basil saint Ambrose others doe And yet Luther boldly affirmeth that no parte of scripture is to be called our counted obscure l. de seruâ— ar bit Saint Gregorie Nazianzeen and saint Basil studied scriptures for thirtene yeares together and yet durst not svverue a iotte from the interpretation of the auncient fathers Ruff. l. 11. c. 4 Saint Hierom not vvithstanding that he vvas so vvel seen in the Greeke and Hebrevv tongue ep tot â—â— and other both prophane and sacred literature yet vvent he as farre as Alexandria to conferre vvith Didimus Vvho also ronning after a cursorie manner ouer al the bookes of scripture fyndeth such difficultie in euery one as though he vnderstood this only in scripture that he vnderstandeth not scripture or as though this only in scripture vvere easie to be vnderstood that Scripture is not easie ending vvith the Apocalipse thus he concludeth Apocalypsis Ioannis tot habet sacramenta quot verba parum dixt pro merito voluminis laus omnis inferior est in verbis singulis multiplices latent intelligentiae The Apocalipse of Ihon hath as many sacrameÌ„ts as vvords I haue sayed litle for the merit of the volume all prayse is inferiour in euerie vvorde there lye hiddeÌ„ many senses and meaninges And yet Luther and Caluin and commonly Puritanes and Protestants auouch scripture to be facile and perspicuous that by the ovvne light you may see it and see into it and neede noe more helpe of an interpretour theÌ„ of a candle to see the sonne vvhen it shineth in the midde-daye But if this doctrine be true vvhy is ther such contention amongest the Reformers for the true explication of diuers places of Scripture Vvhy did the fathers and vvhy do the Reformers make so large commentaries vppon
names of Catholikes and Christians but by no name taken from any autour must needs be taken for true Christians vvho as they neuer chaunged name so neuer chaunged religion and the reformers vvho are called Lutheranes Caluinistes Zuinglians and such like of some particuler sectmaster or other must needs be condemned for heretikes And as before that the ancient heretikes forsooke the common receiued faith they vvent by the common names of Christians and Catholikes and neuer tooke vnto them particuler names before they follovved particuler maisters and imbraced particuler doctrines so before Luther and Caluin reuolted from the Church they vvent by the coÌ„mon name of Christians and neuer chaunged their names till they chaunged their religion nether vvere any Christians called Lutheranes Caluinistes or such like before they relyed vppon nevv and particuler masters And as the Arians bicause they could impose no name of any autour to the Catholike Christians vvere fayne to calle them Homoâ—usians of their doctrine as before them they vvere called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is carnall for defending second mariadges against Tertulian and the Montanistes so at this tyme our reformers are fayne to call Catholikes Papists for holding the supremacie of the Pope vvho is no nevv autour of any nevve religion but an ancient succesfour of sainct Peter and Vicare of Christ As for the names of Thomists and Scotists they are no names of autours of nevv religion bicause all held the same fayth but of autours of some other nevv opinions or manners of teaching in Philosophie and schoole pointes like vvise the names of Benedictins Dominicanes Iesuites are names deriued from autours of nevv states of life but not of nevv faithe or religion So that in vs vvhom they call Papistes is no name vvhich argueth vs to be heretikes in the reformers are perticuler names of perticuler authours of nevv pointes of religioÌ„ so they vveare the caracter of the beast and are infamous heretikes if Montanus Marcion Arius vvere vvorthily called heretikes The fourth chapter discouereth another marke of an heretike vvhich is a renouation allmost of all olde heresies vvhich argueth the reformers to be heretiques if euer any hertofore vvere iustly counted so MAny ther are in the vvorld vvho finding many absurdities in the nevv religion and yet some difficulties also in the old vvill nether hold altogether vvith the one nor the other but comfort them selues vvith a flattering opinioÌ„ that a Christian may be saued in all religions so that he retain the principalle articles of Christian beleef For say they if he be firmly grounded in a right fayth of the Incarnation Trinitie persuading him self that God is one in essence and three in persones and that Christ is one in persone yet subsisting in tvvoe natures that he suffred for mankind is the Messias and Sauiour of the vvorld he is a Christian good enough may be saued vvell enough vvhatsoeuer his opinion be in lesser matters as iustification merit Sacraments and such like vvhich to them be but petie matters not of such importaunce as that a mans saluation should depend theron But this opinion of theirs vvould they neuer so fayne that it vvere true is most vntrue and as false as flattering And the reason is bicause one only opinion in a matter of fayth obstinately defended against the Churches authoritie Th. â— â— q. s. a. s p. q. ◠〈…〉 is sufficient to dismember a Christian froÌ„ the mysticall body of Christ his holy Churche in that it depriueth him of infused fayth vvhich is the glevv yea the sâ— nevv vvhich vniteth the members of this body together And in deed as yet vvee neuer hard of an heretike but he professed some principall parts of Christiane faith as that Christ vvas God and man or the Redeemer of mankind or the autour of the lavv of grace or some such like for if he altogether denyed Christe he vvas rather an Apostata then an heretike For he is an heretike vvho professeth Christe in some sorte and him selfe also a Christian yet obstinatelie denyeth some parte of Christian religion and he is an Apostata vvho quite renounceth Christe and his religion Vvherfore vnless vve vvil graunt that all heretikes may be saued vve must needs confess that one heresie is sufficient to damne a man perpetually But in this matter least my censur seem to rigorous my sentence to seuere I vvill alleage scriptures vvhich can not deceiue vs if they be rightly vnderstood Our Sauiour Christ denounceth him to be like an ethnike an publicane vvhich vvill not heare the Churche Mat. 1â— and he sayeth not vvho vvill not giue credit vnto her in principall matters but absolutely he sayeth if he vvill not heare the Churche let him bee vnto theee as an ethnike and publicane that is shonne his company as the Ievves did all familiaritie vvith paganes and publicanes And again Christe threatneth that he Mar. 1â— vvho beleeueth not shâ—lbe damned To vvhich aggreeth sainct Paule saying that vvithout fayth Heb. 11. it is impossible to please God meaning no doubt a vvholle and intier fayth deuoid of all errours For else all heretikes may be saued vvho beleeue aright some parts of Christian beleef Gal. â—â— Vvherfore sainct Paule amongest the vvorkes of the flesh that is of a man vvhich follovveth not the spirit of God but his ovvn sensualitie and liking reckeneth not only fornication dronkennes murder and idolatrie but also dissensions sectes and heresies and against all these vvorkes he pronounceth the sentence of damnation I fortel you as I haue for told you that they vvhich do such thiÌ„gs shall not obtein the Kingdom of heauen vvhich sentence as he vvould haue pronounced agaiÌ„st one fornicatioÌ„ or murder so would he against one heresie To this aggreeth Athanasius in his creed saying that vnlesse a Christian Keep intierly and inuiolately the Catholike fayth Symb. Athâ— he can not be saued Vvhich to me seemeth a sufficient argument that one only heresie is a sufficient matter of coÌ„demnation And truly if vve vvill looke backe to ancient tymes and take a vevve of ecclesiasticall histories councells vve shall sinde that for some fevverrours yea sometymes for one only and that not in the principall points of our beleef many haue been accursed and condemned for heretiques Pelagius beleeued that ther vvere three diuine persons aequall coaequall and coÌ„substantiall he professed that Christe vvas God and man and the Sauiour of the vvorld and that by his grace vve might more easilie come to heauen yet bicause that he auerred that vvithout this grace vve might Keep the commaundements and vvith all that litle infants vvere nether conceiued nor born in originalle sinne hevvas by the common voice of the Church and Christian vvorld Posiid in viâ—â— Aug. condemned fora damnable heretike Vigilantius beleeud also rhe Trinitie and incarnation and yet for that he condemned and contemned reliques vigilles lighting of candels in the Churche prayer to saynts and
Tritheites Theopaschites Agnoetians Seuerites and such like The Eutychians into Monophysites Iacobites Acephalites and Theodosians Vvherfore the ancient fathers haue obserued that dissension is a marke inseparably fastened vnto heretikes l. praescr c. 42. I lie sayeth Tertulian if they vary not from their ovvn rules vvhilest euery one at his pleasur altereth and modifieth he sayeth tuneth those things vvhich he hath receiued euen as the first autour framed them at his ovvn arbitrement the increase declareth the nature of the beginning and origin The same is lavvfull for Valentinus and for the Marcionits vvhich vvas lavvfull for Marcion to vvitte to deuise nevv sects and opinions as their sect masters did before them As Donate sayeth sainct Austin endeuoured to deuide Christe that is the Church of Christe l. de agone Christ c. 29. soe him his ovvn Schollers by dayly hacking and māgling deuided into many peeces Novv that the nevv Christians of this our last age are in like manner diuided and consequētly of the same paste and kinde it is toe toe manifest Luther vvas the first man vvho in this last age beat his vvitte to deuise nevve faythes religiōs and for a tyme he vvas follovved by many but in tyme also his follovvers fell from him vvho perceiuing that they had as good authoritie to preach nevv doctrine as Luther had for they could say also that Christ sent them and they could alleage scripture for their opinions if they might interpret it by their priuat spirit as vvhy may they not as vvell as he they thought it more honourable to be follovved then to follovve and to be Masters then schollers and so leauing Luther in the lurche they deuised also nevv doctrines different from his and so became sect masters as vvell as he Zuinglius therfore being vveary of Luthers seruice vvhome he had courted to longe and perceiuing hovv vvillingly Luther vvould haue denyed the reall presence therby to haue preiudiced the Pope but that the vvords of Christ as he confessed seemed to plaine deuised a glosse for those vvords This is my body Mat. 26. and sayed that Christ called the bread his body not bicause it conteineth his body really as Luther affirmed but bicause it is a figure of his body And as Zuinglius delt vvith Luther so did others For novv the Lutheranes are deuided into seuere and moderate Lutheranes and some glorie in Illyricus Flaccus some adore Melancthon so that novv Luther is lefte of all his Schollers and not any one remaineth vvho aggreeth vvith him in all poincts And as Zuinglius delt vvith Luther so did others vvith him for from him are descended the Osiandrians Semiosiandrianes and Antiosiandriās Yea out of Zuinglius sprong that vnhappy branch Caluin vvho addeth to Zuinglius opiniō that although the Sacrament be but a figure of Christe yet vvith it vve receiue Christe verily really but by fayth vvhich doctrine hovv it can stand vvith it self In the least booke vve shall herafter in this vvorke discourse And novve these mens Schollers are diuided into Lutheranes double Lutheranes Zuinglianes Oecolāpadianes Caluinists Anabaptists Trinitarians Suenkfeldians Protestaunts Puritanes Brovvnists Martinists brethrē of the familie of loue and of the damned crevv and I knovv not hovv many And it is a vvorld to see vvith vvhat animositie these brethren vvrite one against another Luther vvrites seuerly agaīst the Zuingliās l. in Zuingl and Sacramentaries and a litle before his death in steed of a benedictiō vvhich this father should haue bestovved vpon these his children he curseth them to hell refusing all vvriting and communicatiō vvith them saying that in vayne they beleeue the Trinitie and Incarnation vnless they beleeue also the reall presence To vvhom the Tugurine Zuinglians Sur. an 〈◊〉 ansvvered that Luther sought his ovvn honour not the honour of Christ that he vvas obstinate and insolent and one vvho vseth to deliuer men vp to Satan that vvill not aggree to his opinion Apol. Eccl◠Anglia And yet our Sacramentaries in Ingland say that Luther vvas a man of God and Caluin sayeth that he taketh Luther for an Apostle by vvhose labour especially the truth vvas restored It vvere a tedious thing to recount their dissentions and it is a pitifull thing to behold in steed of one fayth in vvhich all the vvorld before Luthers preaching conspired so many faythes and religiōs Of this dissension Hilarius complained in these vvords l. cont Const It is dangerous and miserable that novv there are as many faythe 's as vvilles and as many doctrines as manners and as many causes of blasphemies as vices and that vvheras according as ther is one God one Lord and one Baptisme so one fayth also should bee vve fall from one faith and vvhilest many faithes are fayned noe fayth remaineth And as he thus complayneth of the Arians dissensions so may vve of the dissensions of this age of vvhich also the very autours of these garboils them selues complain most lamentably l. cont Zuing. Luther him selfe sayeth that ther is such dissensiō in the interpretation of scriptures that if the vvorld continevv vve must haue recourse again vnto the triall of Councells else vve shall neuer aggree Deprauat conf Aug. Cithreus cōplaineth that the Euangelicall Doctours hee meaneth ministers are at greater daggers dravving then any quarelling souldiours Ep. de Exoraismo Heshusius confesseth that vvhether soeuer he turneth his eyes nothing allmost occurreth but dissensions nevv increase of errours and falling of great Doctours from the veritie So that euen by their ovvn cōfessions there is nothing but vvrangling and dissension in religion amongest them and consequently their Church is not the Church of Christ in vvhich peace and vnitie florisheth vvhich hathe vpholden and shall still vphold Christes kingdom against the Tyranies of persequutours might and slight of the deuill and all his members vvheras the kingdom of heretikes must needs fall of it selfe by ciuill discord and dissension Vvherfore Epiphanius compares them to the vipers of diuers Kindes In Panarie vvhich the Aegyptians vsed to conclude in one place together vvithout ether meate vvith in or meanes to get out for as they vvhen they vvere allmost famished began vvith teeth to teare and deeuour one a nother till that all the rest being consumed the last hauing nothing lefte to exercise his teeth on dyeth for honger so heretikes ruine one a nother and one secte deuoureth a nother till at lenght the last dyeth of it self by her ovvn impietie Others compare them to the Cadmean brethren vvhich vvere novv sooner borne but they killed one a nother others say that they are like sampsons foxes vvhich are diuided in the heads that is in faythes but yet are linked in the tayles conspiring all in this intention to ruine the true Churche but in the mean tyme they ruine their ovvne beating them selues against the rocke of Christes Churche they do but breake them selues as vvaues doe Li.
of the priuate spirit contempte of fathers vvant of a visible Iudge of vvhich vvee haue spoken in the first booke for these vvere the properties of all heretikes and are as proper to our nevve reformers as euer they vvere to any ancient heretike as by the same chapters doth appear most euidently THE THIRD BOOKE CONTEINETH A SVRVEY of their doctrine concerning Christ in vvhich by many poinctes of their doctrine it is proued that they are Antichristians rather then Christians The first Chapter proueth that their doctrine despoileth Christe of his diuinitie and that they therfore are no sincere Christians EVERY man liketh and loueth that vvhich he professeth and vvill speake honourably of him vvhom he follovveth in that profession The Stoickes coÌ„mend Zeno the Platonistes prayse Plato the Peripatetickes Aristotle the Epicureans Epicure the Atheists Diagoras and euery one reuerenceth and respecteth him vvhose doctrine and professioÌ„ he embraceth If then the reformers be sincere and reall Christians as they vvill seem to bee they must thinke and speake of Christe very honourably and giue that homage to his parson vvhich his doctrine hath deserued And so in deed or rather in vvordes they seem to doe Luther vvhen he first began to preach against Indulgences merits satisfactioÌ„ good vvorkes Lut. in c 17. Gal. fol. 2â—â— and inherent iustice affirming that only to beleeue that Christs Iustice is ours is sufficient to saluation vsed this for a Cloke that forsooth hee gaue all to Christs iustice and nothing to our vvorkes Caluin also in his preface of his Institutions vv ch he vvrote to the King of Fraunce In prâ—f Inst ad Reg. Galâ— commendes his ovvn doctrine for this pointe especially that it giues all honour to Christe leaueth nothing to our ovvn force habilitie And vvhat doth better aggree vvith faith sayeth he then to acknovvledge our selues despoiled of all vertue that of God vve may be clothed deuoid of all good that of him vve may be filled bond-seruaunts of sinne that of him vve may be made free blinde that of him vve may be enlightened lame that of him vve may be made straight feeble that of him vve may be vpholden to take from our selues all matter of glorying that he alone may be gloriouse on hyghe and in him vve may glorie So that vvhilest they deny good vvorkes to bee necessarie affirme faythe only sufficient vvhilest they say that vve haue no inherent iustice but are the best of vs though apostles sinners before god that our best vvorkes are sinnes and that vvee haue noe other Iustice then the iustice of Christe apprehended by fayth and imputed only to vs vvhilest they deny that vvee caÌ„ obserue the coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„tes or haue the povver free vvill to do any good or resist any tentation they attribute forsooth all to Christe and leaue nothing to vs that hee only may be glorified But by this booke I hope to make knovvn vnto the vvorld their deep dissimulation vvho in vvordes seeme to giue all to Christ but by their doctrine doe robbe him and despoile him of all his honourable titles And first you shall see hovv sacrilegiously they plucke and pull at Christes diuinitie I vvill not here relate the blasphemies of Michael Seruet vvhoe yet vvas a brother of this religion bicause they vvill say that for such doctrine Caluine caused him to bee burned for he sayed plainly that God the sonne vvas not true God l. Trin. fo 7 34 35. l 2. fol 8 in dial not coaquall vvith his father yea he sayed that God the father only vvas God vvhich doctrine notvvithstaÌ„ding he gathered or might haue gathered out of Luthers and Caluins vvorkes Nether vvill I say any thing of the heretikes and nevv Arians of TraÌ„siluania vvho in this also aggree vvith Seruetus Luther the graund Patriarch and nevv Euangelist must not bee omitted vvho in his booke against Latomus sayeth that he can not abide that vvord Homousion These are his vvords anima mea odit vocabulum Homousion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My soule hateth the vvord consubstantiall So did the Arians hate the same vvord and called it exoticuÌ„ straunge and vnusuall But Athanasius gathereth this vvord out of scriptures ancient fathers Ep. Decr. Conc. Nâ—iâ— vvho in that they affirm that the sonne is begotten of his father coequall vnto him one vvth him affirm also that he is coÌ„substaÌ„tiall of the same substaunce vvith his father bicause nothing is equall and coequall to god the father but God and nothing is God vv ch is not the same substauÌ„ce vvith him bicause there are not many Gods And vvhy should Luther hate this vvord but for the signification for the sound is no more vngratefull then the sound of other vvords If he hate the signification then is he an Arian vvho beleeueth not that the sonne is coÌ„substaÌ„tiall and of the same substaunce vvith his father and consequently he thinks him not to be God or else he thinkes that ther are many Gods different in substaunce The same Luther as diuerse affirm in an edition of his commentaries vppon Genesis vvhich I haue not seen calles the sonne of God the instrument of his father by vv ch he created the vvorld in â— ca. Gen. vvhich manner of speech Arius also vsed And seing that the instrument is neuer of so noble a nature as the principall agent vvhat is this but to make the sonne of God inferiour to his father and consequently a creature And this testimonie as I haue read Seruetus alleaged against Luthers Scholers in the Albane disputation Luther also blotted out of the Germain prayer books those ancient vvords Sancta Trinitas vnus Deus miserere nobis Holy Trinitie one God haue mercy vppon vs. And vvhy for some spite belike vvhich he conceiued against Christ Iesus the second person in Trinitie For vvhy else did he in his Germain Bibles vvhen he came to the translation of those vvords of the ninth chapter of Esaie Deus fortis stronge God Leaue out God as though Christ vvere strong but not God Vvhy did he leaue out quite those vvords of saint Ihons epistle â— â—o â— Tres funt qui testimonium dant in caelo Pater Verbum Spiritus sanctus hi tres vnum sunt Ther are three vvhich giue testimonie in heauen the father the vvord and the holy ghost and these three are one The same Luther in his booke of Councels excuseth Eutyches l. de concil ◠〈◊〉 and Nestorius and accuseth S. Leo and sainct Cyrill as men vvhich vvere to eagre against them for sayeth he as Eutyches sayed so may it vvell be sayed that Christs diuinitie suffred O blasphemie did the diuinitie of Christ suffer then vvas it not true diuinitie and consequeÌ„tly Christ vvas not God bicause God as God can not suffer I may vse here Alamundarus vvitty ansvvere against Luther Niceph l. 16 hist c. â—â— Baron in Annal anno Christi 509. vv ch he vsed
free as they vvhoe are Lordlesse and subiecte to none The sixt Chapter shevveth hovv they despoile Christ of the title of an eternall preest according to the order of Melchisedech ALmighty God being highly offended iustly displeased that so meane a creature as maÌ„ should coÌ„temne his commaundement and not care for his displeasure it vvas necessary that a preest should be found out vvho by some pleasing sacrifie should appease this his indignation so iustly conceiued And many preestes in deed haue assaied by diuerse sacrifices to pacifie this angry God but haue all fayled of their intended purpose For nether vvere they of that authoritie as to bee Mediatours betvvixt God and man for such a reconciliation nether vvere their Sacrifices of that vvorthe as to make amends for so great a faulte Vvherfore God by his Prophetes complayneth of their insufficiencie saying that hee is full cloyed vvith the multitud of theyr sacrifices Isa 1. and telleth them plainly that if they offer vnto him Holocaustes and vovves of Fatlinges he vvill not looke at them Auioâ— 5. Psal 10. Bicause sayeth Dauid God is not delighted in such sacrifices Yea so insufficient vvere all the preestes of the old lavve that God by his prophet Ezechiel threatneth that hee vvill put then out of office c. 34. and in steed of so many he vvill giue vs one Preest and Pastour Christe Iesus vvhom hee calleth his seruaunt Dauid bicause as man hee descended lineally from Dauid and in respect of his humaine nature Phiilp â— he vvas gods seruauÌ„t and inferiour This preest Christe Iesus is the high preest and the only highe preest of the nevv lavve For althoughe in the lavv of Moyses it vvas necessary to haue many highe preestes bicause Hsâ— â— as sainct Paule sayeth their mortalitie vvould not permitte them to liue and remayne allvvayes and bicause death put them out of office it vvas necessarie that others should succeed them in the same authoritie And so the first of this ranke and line of preestes vvas Aaron for Moyses vvas extraordinary to vvhom Eleazarus and others succeeded to the number of fovvrscore and odde Ioseph h. l. 22. Aut. c. 2. yet in the nevv lavve one christ Iesus is sufficient vvho thoughe hee hathe many vicegerentes vvhich are bishops and preestes of the nevv lavve yet hathe he noe successours For noe man succeedeth to another vnless the other ether dye or giue ouer his office vvherfor seing that our Sauiour Christe though he dyed yet rose again neuer to dy agayne and neuer surrendred or gaue ouer his office but still offereth sacrifice still baptiseth still ministreth Sacramentes and ruleth gouerneth his Church by his vicars and ministres he hathe noe highe preest that succeedeth him but is the sole and only high preest of the nevv lavve farie exceeding all the Popes bishops and preests that euer vvere For his preestly authoritie as diuines saye vvas not grounded vppon a caracter vvhich other Preestes receue in the SacrameÌ„t of order but vppon hypostaticall vnion by vvhich he vvas the sonne of God his authoritie exteÌ„ded not it selfe to Christianes only or them that are baptised â— Cor. 5. as the Popes and Churches authoritie dothe vvho haue no iurisdiction ouer them that are out of the Churche and vvho neuer vvere baptized but also eueÌ„ vnto infidels vvhome hee commandeth to receue fay the and the SacrameÌ„t of Baptisme by his preestly povver he instituted Sacraments established a Church pastours and prescribed a monarchicall gouernment vvhich ordonaÌ„ces the Church obeyeth but caÌ„ not alterd by his authoritie he could giue grace vvith out Sacraments as he did to sainct Mathevve Mat. 9. Luâ— 7. Marie Magdalen and others vvheras the Pope bishops and preests of the Church giue noe grace infaillibly but by Sacraments And this is the preest vvho for the dignitie of his person and the valevve of his sacrifice vvas the only preest vvho could appease gods vvrath and indignation 〈…〉 This preest must needs be harde bicause the dignitie of his person suffereth noe repulse and the vvorthe of his sacrifice vvas vnspeakable and hee the same that offered the sacrifice vvas the God vvho vvas angry to vvhoÌ„ vvas offred the sacrifice The preest vvas holyer then the sinner for vvhome the sacrifice vvas offered vvas malicious the sacrifice vvas more pleasing to god Rom. â— then the sinne displeasing So pretiouse vvas the sacrifice that if Christ had put the sacrifice in one ballauÌ„ce the sinne in the other it vvould haue ouer vvayed sinne as a thing of noe vveight vvhich notvvithstanding is so heauy that it vveyeth dovvn to Hell Iâ—b 6. For if euery operation of Christ bee it neuer so litle bicause it vvas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the operation of God and man vvas of infinite valevve by reason of the dignitie of the person vvhat shall vvee say of that heroicall operation of Christs passion vvhich vvas an acte of singuler charitie Io. 1â— Phil. 2. couragiouse fortitude inuincible patience perfecte obedieÌ„ce and sacred religioÌ„ for it vvas a sacrifice This preest offered tvvo sacrifices the one at his last supper vnbloudy the other vppon the crosse bloody or rather one and the same sacrifice in respect of the thing vvhich vvas offered after diuers manners and vnder diuers formes For in his last supper he offered his sacred body and blood after an vnbloudy manner on the crosse he offereÌ„d the same after a bloudy manner at his last supper he offered his body and blood vnder another forme that is vnder the formes of bread and vvine on the crosse he offered the same in their ovvn forme and likenes The bloody sacrifice vvas but once to be offered Heb. 7.9 bicause it vvas so precious that one oblation vvas sufficient But bicause it vvas offered only as a generall cause of all grace price of our redeÌ„ption it vvas coÌ„uenient that this generall cause should be determined by more particuler causes and that this price should be more determinately applyed as by sacrameÌ„tes fayth and good vvorks so by the vnbloody sacrifice of the Masse Yea bicause the sacrifice of the crosse being bloudy could not bee repeated after Christs resurrection he then being impassible and immortall it vvas coÌ„uenient that an vnbloudy sacrifice should also be offered continually in the Church for the vvorship of God and exercise of religioÌ„ vvhich as I shall proue in the fourth booke can not stand vvithout a sacrifice See the fourth booke By the bloody sacrifice Christ vvas a preest and highe preest but nether according vnto the order of Aaron bicause that preest hood by Christs passion vvas abrogated and vvas confined vvhithin the Tribe of Leuie of vvhich Christ vvas not nether according to Melchisedech bicause there vvas noe similitude nor aggreement in their sacrifices Vvherfore seing that our Sauiour vvas a preest according to the order of Melchisedech for God affirmeth it vvith an othe
calle the Supper for though some of them allovve vs also Order and some Penaunce yet in these Sacramentes as is before declared they do not aggree But yet if vve consider the estimation vvhich they make of these tvvoe Sacramentes vvhich all of them allovve vs vve shall see that herin vve are not much beholding vnto them And as concerning baptisme in Synop. Col. c. 17. Luther is of opinion that no forme of vvords is necessary yea he thinketh it sufficient if you baptize the child in the name of the lorde And being demaunded once vvhether it vvas lavvfull to baptise in milke or beare he ansvvered that any liquour that is apte to bathe or vvashe is sufficient And so you see hovv hee taketh a vvay the matter and forme of baptisme or at least bringeth them bothe in doubte And as touchiÌ„g the vsual forme of vvords Caluin iumpeth vvith him in the same opinion l. 4. Inst c. 17. and addeth that such formes of vvords are meare magicall charmes and enchauntementes Brentius sayeth that if the minister after that the Creed is read saye only In this fayth I vvas he thee departe in peace it vvill serue vvel enough in c. 26. Mat. And Bucere denyeth that vvords are necessarie in the Eucharistie and vvould say no doubte the same in baptisme The same Luther as is before related is of opinion that actuall faythe euen in children is necessarie and that Sacramentes haue no other effecte then to stirre vp this faithe vvherfore seing that Baptisme ca not stirre vp childrens faithe bicause they haue no knovvledge of the signification of such mysteries it must needs follovv that to Baptise children is but laterem lauare to vvash a tile and to loose labour Caluin also is nether a frayed nor a shamed to saye l. 4. Inst c. 17. § 17. that sainct Ihon Baptistes vvashing vvas as good as Christes baptisme Act. 19. And yet sainct Paule rebaptized them vvith Christes baptisme vvhom saincte Ihon before had baptized vvhich argued his baptisme of insufficiencie and proueth Christes baptisme to be of more perfection vvhich suplyed that vvhich vvas vvanting in sainct Ihons baptisme The same Caluin sayeth that in necessitie vvomeÌ„ may not baptise § 22. and that if the childe dy vvithout baptisme he may be saued if ether he be predestinated or be the childe of faithfull parentes yea he sayeth that fevv do mark hovv much harme that doctrine hathe doone vvhich teacheth that Baptisme is necessary vnto saluation And if you vrge him vvith those vvordes of our Sauiour vnless a maÌ„ be borne agame of vvater and the holy ghoste c. Io 3. he vvill father glosse the texte moste grossely then yeeld vnto you that baptisme is necessary to saluation l. â— Inst c. 16 § 17.18 The meaning is not sayeth he that materiall vvater is necessary but this is the sense vnless a man be borne againe of the holy ghoste vvhich like vvater vvasheth he can not enter into heauen And so by this exposition vvater is not necessary only the regeneration and vvashing of the spirit is necessary and this Baptisme according to Caluins opinioÌ„ children may haue vvithout vvater euen in their mothers vvoÌ„be if they be predestinate or childreÌ„ of faithfull parentes This is Caluins doctrine I saye Caluins for it is his singuler opinion contrarie to the opinion of the Churche and all the ancient fathers and councells yea contrarie to scripture it selfe For scripture telles vs plainly that vvee are all borne children of vvrathe Ephes 2. Rom. 5. and that vvee all sinned in Adam and consequently are conceued and borne in orignall sinne Iob. 3. vvherfore Iob vvho vvas predestinate curseth the day of his natiuitie and night of his conception Psal â—â— and Dauid not only prede stinate but borne also of saithfull parentes confessethe that hee is conceiued in sinnes that is in original sinne for the he brevve vvorde signifieth sinne in the singuler number vvhich not vvith standing the Translatour translated sinnes bicause originall sinne is the roote of all sinnes Gen. 13. And vvher as Caluin alleageth the blessing of God to Abrahame and all his seed and posteritie that serueth only to bevvraye his ignoraunce For first after that God had made that promise yet hee commaunded Circumcision and threatened that those that had it not should peris he And so althoughe Caluin vvere of Abrahams seed and his parentes also yet do the it not follovve that hee shal be partaker of that benediction vvithout baptisme secoÌ„dly that promise and benediction is novv to bee vnderstoode carnally or spiritually if carnally theÌ„ are none but levves capable of the benediction bicause they enly are the carnall children of Abrahame and so Caluin hathe noe parte in it at all If spiritually then they only are partakers of the benediction vvho as sainct Paule sayetâ—e Rem â— do imitate the faithe vvorkes of Abrahame Gal â—â— vvherfore seing that children euen of faithfull parentes doe in no vvise imitate ether Abrahames faithe or vvorkes they can not bee pertakers of his benediction vntill they bee baptised and so by receuing the Sacrament of fay the do in some sorte imitate Abrahames faithe And if Caluin say that at least by predestination children may bee saued vvithout baptisme hee shall but discouer herin hovv blockishe a diuine he is For none are predestinare but by the passion and merites of Christe Io. â— vvhich first are applyed by baptisme and not vvithout baptisme at leaste in desire therfore Christe threateneth damnation to all that are not baptised Vvherfore althoughe all children that are predestinate shal be saued yet not vvithout baptisme and they vvhich dye vvithout baptisme as by Christes ovvne sentence they are excluded from heauen so are they not predestinate But let vs see more of Caluins doctrine not tofollow it but to bevvare of it not to imbrace Suprae 16. it but to detest it The same man affirmethe that the reprobate or the children of infidels not predestinate are not to bee baptized least baptisme bee contaminated and bee made a false seale bicause sayeth he baptisme is a seale of former iustice and therfore if defiled infidels bee baptised the vvater is contaminated Ibid. and the seale is falsified He addeth that the children of the faithfull or the predestinate need not baptisme as a necessarie meanes vnto saluation and therfore if they dye vvithout it they may bee saued Yet sayeth hee baptisme is not to be contemned bicause it is commaunded as a ceremonie to incorporate vs meÌ„bers of the Church Novve put all this together to vvit that Baptisme is noe better then sainct Ihons vvashing that it is not necessarie for the predestinate oâ— children of faithfull parentes bicause they may be saued vvithout it and that it can not bee ministred vnto the children of infidelles least it bee contaminated it follovveth euidently that Baptisme is not necessarie yea that it is superfluouse bicause
iustice is the iustice of all men and that if all men bee not iuste by it the reason is bicause by faithe they doe not apprehend it if then the greatest sinner in the vvorld do vppon a sodaine apprehend that Christes iustice is his then is hee iustified vvithout any other paenaunce from all his former sinnes and if hee holde faste this apprehension hee need not care for amendement of life but hee may launce into a Sea of sinne and iniquitie and neuer feare drovvning bicause vvhilest he apprehendeth Christes iustice to bee his he is iuste in the sight of God euen then vvhen hee is in the acte of sinne Comment 2. 〈◊〉 c. 2. Gal. and so as Luther sayeth he neede not respecte vvhat hee him selfe hathe doone or dothe but vvhat Christe hathe doone bicause sayeth Luther faithe respecteth not vvhat I haue done vvhat I haue sinned vvhat I haue deserued but vvhat Christe hath doone and deserued vvâ— h is to loose the bridle to all vice Bicause if vvee respecte only vvhat Christe hathe doone vvee need not care vvhat vvee our selues doe Wherfore althoughe Luther some tymes for very shame of the vvorld affirmeth that good vvorkes are necessarie and that true faithe can not be vvithout them yet bicause he seethe that in thus saying hee speaketh vvith noe consequence sometymes he graunteth in plaine vvordes the conclusion vvhich I haue inferred to vvit that if faithe only iustifieth good vvorkes are not necessarie and euill vvorkes are not to be feared in c. 2. Cal. These are his vvords vvhich shal be my conclusion Sola fides Christi necessaria est ad salutem cetera omnia liberrima neque praecepta amplius neque prohibita Only the faith of Christe to vvit that Christs iustice is ours is necessarie vnto saluation all other thinges are moste free nether commaunded any more nor prohibited So that if a man beleeue that Christs iustice is his he needeth not to care for fulfilling the commaundements bicause nothing is commaunded nether need he to feare fornications adulteries murders and such like treacheries for none of all these villanies are forbidden him But let the indifferent reader be iudge vvether this doctrine be of God or the deuill vvhich so fauourethe sinne vvhich God forbiddeth and the deuil allovveth and vvhether that this faithe of theirs be like to be our iustification vvhich loseth the bridle to all licentiouse liuing The third Chapter shevveth hovv Caluin and Luther in assuring men by an assured faith of election remission of sinnes iustice and perueraunce in the same loose the bridle vnto all iniquitie ALl is not gold that glisters as the coÌ„mon prouerb vvill vvitnesse and all is not true that seemeth true as the Philosopher dothe tell vs bicause sayeth hee many falsities many tymes are more plausible and probable then truthes and verities And not to goe farre for an example to saye vvith Luther and Caluin that by faithe vvee are assured of our SaluatioÌ„ acertained that Christes iustice is ours and that consequently vvhat soeuer our ovvn life bee vve may boldly relye on him as Children on their father crying Abba Pater bicause by his iustice and not by our ovvn vve must looke for saluatioÌ„ hathe a goodly shevv and lustre and seemeth a doctrine moste piouse and plausible but vvho soe vvel examineth the same shall finde that this is the doctrine especially vvhich lulleth men a sleep in all impietie and like poppie-seed or cold poison casteth them into such a deepe and dead Lethargie that they heare noe clamours and feele noe remorses of conscience Martin Luther in a certain booke vvhich he made of the vvorkes of the first commaundement preferreth faith as the principall vvorship of God and defineth it to be an assured confidence and confident assuraunce by vvhich vve are assured that vve are iuste And in another place thus he pronounceth Comment in c. 2. Gal. Crede eum tibi fore salutem misericordiam ita erit sine dubio â—eleeue that Christe vvilbe thy saluation and mercie and so it shal be vndoubtedly See vvhat a compendious and neere vvay to heauen Luther hathe found out If you be clogged vvith all the sinnes in the vvorld beâ—eeue that you are iuste vvhich is easie to doe and that you shal be saued and then vndoubtely Luthers soule for yours you shal be saued and bicause so longe as you beleeue that you are iuste you are in deed iuste you can not bee damned so longe as you can beleeue hovv ill soeuer you liue in the meaÌ„ tyme. l. de captiuit Babil Vvherfore the same Luther auoucheth that a Christian man is so ritche and on so sure a ground that hee can not damne him selfe thoughe hee vvould vnless hee vvill not beleeue and vvhat must he beleeue that hee is iuste or that he shall bee saued These are his vvordes Tam diues est homo Christianus vt sâ— damnare non poterit quantumuis velit nisi sola incredulita te So rithe is a Christian man that he can not damne him selfe thoughe he vvould but only by incredulitie And vvhat is the incredulitie vvhich only damneth him Not incredulitie of the Incarnation Trinitie Passion or Resurrection but of his ovvne Saluation So that liue he hovv ill soeuer he vvill and be hee neuer so incredulous in the articles of his beleefe yet if hee beleeue that hee shal be saued it shal be soe And beleeue hee the mysteries of our faithe neuer so firmely liue hee neuer so regularly yet if hee feare his ovvne Saluation hee shal be damned bicause only this assured faithe of saluation saueth and only vvante of this faythe damneth if Luther may bee beleeued Caluin in this doctrine subscribeth to Luther and shaketh hands very freindly these are his vvords Vve shall haue a perfecte definition of faither vve saye that it is a stedfaste and assured knovvledg of Gods vvill tovvards vs. l. 3. Inst c. 2. §. 7. And this only assured knovvledge of SaluatioÌ„ and gods good vvill tovvards vs he calleth the iâ—stifying faithe §. 9. for saieth he the vngodly may beleeue that ther is a God and thâ—â— the Historie of the ghospel or other partes of Scripture are true §. 10. But this is but an image or shadovv of faithe not vvorthy the name of faith §. 16. but ther is none truly faithfull but he that being persuaded vvith a sound assurednes that God is his mercifull and louing father dothe promise him selfe all thinges vppon trust of Gods goodnes §. 1â— And althoughe sayeth Caluin vve see Gods good vvill tovvardes vs a farre of yet vvith so sure light that vvee knovve vvee are not deceiued At lenghte to make the matter yet more sure he concludeth that vve are not only sure of presente iustice and fauoure but also of future and so are sure that vvee shall not be damned These are his vvords Ibidem It is against order to limit the assurednes of faith to a
moment of tyme vvhose propertie is to passe beyond the spaces of this life and to extend farther to immortalitie to come So that according to Caluin beleeue you the Trinitie Incarnation Passion deathe and ResurrectioÌ„ of Christe neuer so firmely yet if you beleeue not vndoubtedly that you are iuste and shall remaine iuste to the end that God not only for the present tyme fauoureth you but also vvill fauour you to the end you can not be saued and if you beleeue only that you are iuste and shall remayne iuste at lengthe shal be also vndoubtedly saued Caluins soule for yours you can not be damned And hovv can Caluin assure him selfe or vs that vvee are iuste and shal be iuste hathe hee had any speciall reuelation noe but sayth hee I ame vvarranted out of Scripture that Christes iustice is ours and so if I vvill beleeue vndoubtedly that it is myne vvilbe myne â— â—r then ame I sure that I ame iuste and shal bee iuste and can not fall so longe as I kepe this standing Against this phantasticall faith of theirs I might bring many argumentes but that as in other matters so in this I couet to bee shorte First if this faith of theirs be so necessarie hovv commeth it to passe that Christe neuer exacted it of them vvhom he cured For it is an opinion of some fathers and diuines that vvhom soeuer Christ cured in body he healed also and iustified in soule Vvhen heâ— cured the blind men that came vnto him Mat. 9. hee exacted faithe of them and asked them vvhether they beleeued vvhat not vvhether they beleeued that they vvere iuste or elect but vvhether they beleeued that hee could restore theÌ„ to sight If this stedfest faithe and assuredness of our ovvne saluation be so necessarie hovve came the publicane to be a iuste man vvho vvas so farre from assuring him selfe of Gods fauour Luâ— 1â— and his ovvn iustice that he durst not looke vp to heauen And yet he retourned home iuste and the pharisee vvho gloried like a Thrasonicall Caluinist in his ovvne iustice assured him selfe that he vvas not a sinner as the Publicane and other men are vvas condemned and reiected If this vndoubted faith of our ovvne saluation be so necessarie to saluation surely the Apostles vvere much ouer seen vvho inculcated so often the faithe of the Incarnation Resurrection Act. 1.2.3 â— 8.10.13.17 and such other mysteries vvhich is but an image and shadovve as Caluin sayeth of the true faithe and make no mention of that vvhich is the only iustifying faith and all in all neuer exacting of their auditours to beleeue that they are iuste and electe but only to beleeue that Christe is God man that hee dyed that hee rose again suche like Truly ether this faithe is not necessarie or they vvere very negligent incircumspecte vvho neuer mentioned the same yet so often inculcate the faithe of the mysteries of our faithe vvhich is but a shadovve of the true faithe and is not sufficieÌ„t to saluation vvithout Caluins assured faithe Like vvise vvhen they made a Creed as a breefe abridgement of all vvhich vvas necessarie to bee beleeued vvhere vvas their mynde and memorie vvhoe omitted Caluins article of assuredness of our saluation and election vvhich is so necessarie to bee beleeued that the faithe of other articles is but a shadovve in comparison of this If Caluin saye that this his article is included in the article of remission of sinnes hee is much deceiued bicause in that article vvee only beleeue that in the Churche is remissioÌ„ of sinnes but that Caluins sinnes or any of our sinnes in particuler are forgiueÌ„ is not there expressed Novv if scriptures and the Apostles had only omitted this assured faithe vvhich Caluin sayeth is so necessarie it vvere sufficient to make vs not so assured of Caluins doctrine for if it vvere necessarie it is not like that the Apostles vvhose preachings trauelles life and death vvere ordained to the saluation of others vvould haue omitted that vvhich only saueth and vvithout vvhich noe other faithe or vvorkes can possibly saue vs. But scripture not only omitteth assured faith of our ovvne iustice and saluation but also condemneth it and exhortes vs to feare of our ovvne state and saluation therfore assureth vs as much that this faithe of Caluin is false as Caluin assureth it to bee necessarie Caluin sayth that by faith vve are assured of Gods good vvill tovvardsvs Scripture faithe that a man can not tell vvhether hee be vvorthy hatred or loue Caluin sayetht hat a iuste man is sure that hee is iuste Iob â— Iob sayeth although I be simple that is iuste yet this my soule shall not knovve S. Paule sayeth that although his coÌ„science accuse him not of any sinne yet in that he is not iustified to vvit before his ovvne eyes Psal 1â— bicause hee knevve he might haue secret sinnes from vvhich Dauid desired to be clensed Caluin sayeth that a man may besure and consequently secure of the forgiuenes of his sinnes Eccl. â— and yet Scripture bidds vs not to be vvithout feare of our sinnes forgiuen or as the Greeke text hathe of the forgiuenes or propitiation of our sinnes Caluin saith that a man may bee assured not only of present but also of future fauour iustice Eccl. â— and yet scripture sayeth that a man knovves not vvhat vvilbe his end bicause all are reserued as vncertain for the tyme to come Caluin sayth that a faithfull man must not feare to fall but rather assure him selfe that he shall keep his ground and standing Rom. 11. and yet saint Paule speaking to a faithfull man sayeth thou standest by faithe thinke not highly but feare Philipp 2. and thou that standest sayeth hee take heed least thou fall And againe hee bidds vs vvorke our saluation vvith feare and trembling So that ether vvee must leaue Caluin or renounce scripture bicause they are coÌ„trarie and staÌ„de in plain termes one against another Nether is this doctrine opposite only to scripture but also to reason For first there are many corners in a mans conscience vvhich vve seeldom or neuer looke into For as Hieremie sayeth C. 17. the harte of man is vnsearchable and lyeth open only to God hovve then can Caluin by faith be assured that his sinnes are forgiuen that hee is iuste and elect or if hee knovv god only is not the searcher of harts And if ther be many corners in mans harte to vvhich the harte it selfe is not priuie peraduenture after all our seeking some sinne may lurke in a corner vv ch vve knovv not of Secondly by Caluins ovvn confession vve must beleeue nothing but vvhat vvee finde in scripture and vvhere fyndes he that Caluin is iuste or that his sinnes are forgiuen If hee finde it not hee rashly beleeueth it If hee sayeth that Christe is our redemption and propitiation I ansvvere that so hee is the redemption and
propitiation of all and yet paganes and infidels and many of the reprebate are not iuste and therfore must not beleeue assuredly that they are iuste or electe if they should they should beleeue that vvhich is not so Christ therfore is our propitiation bicause hee hathe payed by his passion a sufficient price for our iustification and redemption but yet if that price by faithe in Christe together vvith hope charitie Sacramentes and obseruation of the lavve for all these are commaunded bee not applyed to vs vve are neuer a vvhit the better Thirdly suppose only Caluins faithe by vvhich he beleeues Christs iustice to be his vvhich not vvith standing is allready refuted vvere sufficient to applie this propitiation Supra yet for as much as Caluin sayeth that good vvorkes do necessarily follovve a found faithe I demaund of him vvhether that he and his haue not iuste cause to doubte or at least to feare their ovvne iustice and faithe also vvhose euill deeds are so many and so manifeste Fourthly euery one of them sayeth hee is assured that hee is iuste and shal be saued yet some of them are deceiued bicause some of them haue contrarie faithes and some of the same faithe are damned vvhy then may not Caluin also feare least hee bee deceued seing that Christs dyed for all and yet all are not iuste nor elect thoughe they assure then selues of the same Lastly this doctrine openeth the gapp to all manner of vice and vvickednes For if it bee sufficient to iustification to beleeue vndoubtedly that I ame iuste or that Christes iustice is mine then dothe it follovv that as after I haue sinned I may apprehend Christes iustice to bee myne and my selfe to bee iustified by the same soe vvhen I ame moued to sinne by the deuil or my ovvne concupiscence yea euen then vvhen I ame in the acte of sinne I may apprehend that thoughe ther is noe goodnesse in me of myne ovvne yet Christes iustice is myne of vvhich if euen in the acte of sinne I assure my selfe I maye assure my selfe also that noe sinne can hurte mee bicause that assurauÌ„ce iustifieth mee And so the fornicatour may thus discourse vvith him selfe I confess ô Lord that there is no goodnes in me and that this acte to vvhich I ame novv tempted is a sinne but Christes iustice is myne if I vvill apprehend it so am I ame iuste if I vvill beleeue so and from this faithe I vvill neuer bee dissuaded but vvill hold it faste euen in the acte of sinne and so I need not feare this sinne bicause if I hold fast by this faithe noe sinne can hurte mee bicause by this faithe I me iustified And so the vvay is open to all vice and vvickednes bicause if a man vvill beleeue that he is iuste and hold faste by this faith noe sinne can hurte him bicause that assuraunce of iustice dothe iustifie him The fourth chapter shevveth hovv in saying that faith maketh no sinne to be imputed to a faithfull man thei giue good leave to all faithfull men to commit all sinne and vvickednes THe reformers are of opinion as anone I shall relate in the next chapter that all our vvorkes are sinnes in vvhich least they may seeme to contradicte them selues for they saye also that true faithe can not bee separated from good vvorkes vvhich seemeth to allovve of all the vvorkes of a faithfull man they haue found out this vvay to escape a contradiction True saye they all the vvorkes euen of faithfull men are sinnes and yet true it is that faithe can not bee separated from good vvorkes bicause faithe makes God to impute nothing as sinne but rather to esteeme of all the actions of a faithfull man as good laudable Vvherfore Luther in a certain sermon vttered these vvords Vbi fides est Ser. super Siâ— Deus dilexit nullum peccatum nocere potest Vvher faith is noe sinne can hurte And so sayeth hee a Christian man is so riâ—ch that he can not damne him selfe but only by incredulitie Sup. l. de capt l. 3. Inst c. 14. sect 17 c. 1â— sect 8. Caluin also sayeth plainly that all iust and faithfull mens vvorkes are of them selues sinnes but are by faith reputed as good Vvhich doctrine if it be true then needeth not a faithfull man feare any sinne be it neuer so great bicause God vvill neuer impute it vnto him and consequently it shall neuer be brought to examination at the later day nor punished in hell bicause God imputes it not as sinne and consequently makes no reckening of it Psal 50. Vvherfore Dauid vvho vvas a faithfull man in vayne cryed God mercie for his adoultrie and murder bicause if hee vvas faithfull as certes hee vvas those sinnes could not be imputed as sinnes vnto him And so if Christians vvill holde faste by Caluins faithe and beleeue that Christes iustice is theirs they shall not need to feare ether theftes or adulteries bicause Luther and Caluin haue giuen them a vvarraunte sealed and signed vvith their ovvne handes that if they hold their faithe noe sinne can hurt them bicause it is not imputed vnto theÌ„ And vvhy then make vvee scrouple any longer of sinne let euery man if this doctrine bee true follovv his hcoÌ„cupisceÌ„ces For althoughe hee commit all the sinnes vvhich ether the deuill puttes into his mynd or the fles he and vvorld suggestethe hee is assured that they can not hurte him biause they are not imputed The fifte Chapter shevveth hovv the reformers auouch that all our actions are of them selues mortall sinnes and hovv this doctrine looseth the bridle to all vice VVoe be to them sayeth God vvho affirme bad to be good and good to be euib Isai 5. vvhich curse must needs light vppon our ghospellers vvho condeÌ„ne the iuste mans good deeds as mortall sinnes and accounte the faithfull mans euil deedes as good honest or at least as such that are not reputed euill but rather good in c vlt. ad Gal. Luther sayeth that the best vvorkes vvhich infidels doe are sinnes these are his vvords Vvhosoeuer out of Christe vvorketh prayeth suffreth dothe vvorke pray and suffer in vaine bicause vvhat soeuer is not of faith is sinne And in his coÌ„futation of Latomus reason thus he speaketh Omne opus bonum peccatuÌ„ est nisi ignoscat Dei misericordea euery good vvorke is a sinne vnless Gods mercie forgiue it And in the same place hee sayeth that God pardons it in that he imputeth it not to the faithfull And a litle before that hee sayeth that sainct Paule neuer did good vvorke in his life that the best vvhich euer he did vvas a sinne though God imputed it not to him bicause he vvas faithfull And yet again before that he sayeth that euen our iustice is vncleanes and all our good vvorkes are sinnes Likevvise in one of his propositions collected and condemned by the famous vniuersitie of Paris he hath these very vvords Omnes
intended conclusion vvhich I maye doe vvith as muche breuitie as facilitie For if God bee the autour of all sinne then if vvee maye gather vvhat the tree is by the frute hee is of a malitious nature as is before proued and if hee commaund vs impossibilities and punishe vs vvith Hell fyer for not fullfilling them then is hee vnreasonable cruel and barbarous And if vvee once make this conceit of God as vvee must needes if vvee beleeue the aduersaries opinioÌ„ then must our hartes of necessitie bee cold in religion and vvorship of God For vvho can bee induced to vvorship loue and honour such a God in vvhome is nothing vvhich is amiable nothing vvorthy honour vvel may vvee feare him for his crueltie but loue him and honour him from the harte vve can not And so religion fallethe The third Chapter shevveth that in contempte of the Churches authoritie they bring all religion in contempte IT is a maxime and almost an article of faithe receued amoÌ„gest the reformers that the true Churche vvhich once vvas hathe erred grosselye in no lesser matters then faithe iustification merit freevvil vvorkes satisfaction purgatorie prayer to Sainctes vvorship of images nuÌ„ber and vertue of Sacramentes Sacrifice such like Yea they confess that the Romain Church vvas once the true Church but thy adde vvith all that aftervvardes it erred grossely and fell sovvlye novv of the Church of Christ is become the Synagogue of the deuil This is the cause vvhy vvhen vvee vrge the authoritie of the ancient and present Churche for the proofe of the reall presence free vvill prayer to saintes sacrifice of the Masse they ansvvere vs that the Church vvas but a congregation of men vvhich hathe erred in these and other matters And therfore Luther careth not for a thousand Churches and Caluin Beza and others despise all the Councelles and ancient fathers as appearethe by their vvordes vvhich are related in the first booke and the third and fourth chapter So that vppon the bare authoritie of the Churche they vvill not hange their faithe as they saye least they hange their soules bicause the Churche as it maye bee deceued so it maye deceue I demaund of theÌ„ therfore vvhat assuraunce they haue of scripture and by vvhat meanes they come to the knovvledge of it A Catholique vvould say that he beleeuethe these bookes to bee the vvorde of god bicause the Catholike Church vvhich is it the piller of truthe vvhich by the sonne of God vvas promised a spirit vvhich should teach her all veritie 10.14.15 l. on t epist fund c. â— hath cuer so beleened and defined Vvherfore saint Austine sayeth that hee vvould not beleeue the ghospel vnlesse the Churches authoritie mâ—ued him not that the Church maketh scriptures or giueth them their truthe and veritie for that they haue of God vvho vvas the indighter of them but bicause vvee can not knovv vvhich is Scripture vvhich is not but by the voice of the Church to vvhich only in this matter the ancient fathers vvere vvont to harken as Ireneus l. 2 c 2 3. 4. l prâ—esc de expos Symb. l. 2 c 1. 46. l. 4. c 11. Tertulian sainct Hierom Leo the first and dâ—uers others of vvhom Nicephorus maketh mention Vvherfore the first Toletane Councel in the one and tvventith canoÌ„ accurseth theÌ„ vvho accept of any other Scriptures theÌ„ those vvhich the Catholique Churche receiueth Hee vvould alleage for an argumeÌ„t that Christemade Peter his successour the Pope supreme pastour of the Church and commaunded him to feed his sheep lo. 2. and seing that a principal office of the shepheard is to shevv them suche pasturs as are most holsom for them it perteineth to the â—uprem Pastoure of the Churche to tell vs infallibly vvhich are the true scriptures for vvhen hee declareth vv ch are the true Scripturs he shevves vs our pasture the place vvher vvee are to graze and vvhen hee expoundethe them hee feedethe vs. And seing that the Pope of Rome is this Pastour as is proued in the last chapter of the first booke it follovveth that vvee must receue that for scripture vvhich hee allovveth of as scripture He vvould alleage also the antiquitie of scriptures for a profe of their sinceritie l. 2. cont Ap. 〈…〉 prabar Euangel in Apolog c 19. 20. 24. bicause Moyses vvhoe vvas the vvriter of a great part of the old testament as Iosephus Tertulian and Eusebius affirme by many handred yeares vvas more ancieÌ„t then all the vvritâ—rs of the Romains and Grecians also vv ch therfore deserue great credit reuerence 1 Tuse bicause as Cicero sayeth in his Tusculane questions to Antiquitie noe lesse is devve Hee vvould confirme this argument by another of no lesse efficacie to vvit that these bookes haue beene conserued so many thousand yeares not vvithstaÌ„ding so many captiuities of the Ievves and persecutions of the Christians vvhich argueth that God vvho vvas the Authour of them had a speciall care of them and a vigilant eye vnto them as vnto his ovvn vvord and vvriting Hee might alleage also the coÌ„formitie of those booke vvhich vvere indighted of diuers at diuers tymes and yet haue in them no contrarieties and vvere translated out of Hebrevv into Latin by 70 Interpretours â—nstin orat paroen ad geÌ„â—â—â— diuersely disposed vvho yet not vvithstanding soe aggreed as if all their traÌ„slations had been copied out of one For vvhich causes euen the Gentils Paganes them selues haue borne great respect vnto these vvritinges not daring to mingle them vvith their ê“phane vvritinges bicause as Iosephus and Eusebius affirme some that haue atteÌ„pted it l â—â— Aut. c. 1. â— l. â— praeparâ— â— by the diuine and secret povver haue beene very sharpely and seuerly punished all vv ch is vvarraÌ„ted by historie traditioÌ„ This a Catholike vvould saye vvith great applause and no lesse probabilitie for the authoritie of scripture But vvhat vvould or vvhat could our reformers saye vvould they saye vvith the Catholike that they beleeue them to bee holy scripture bicause the Church sayeth so â—â— Hostâ— l. 3. â—â—nt Brent Luther in deed sayeth that hee in this point beleeuethe the Churche and Pope and good reason hathe hee bicause of vvhoÌ„ did hee receue the scriptures vvhen hee began first to preach his nevv doctrine but of the Romaine Churche vvho cuer had the custody of them euen since the tyme of the Apostles And hovve could he knovve that the ghospel of the Nazarens of sainct Barnabas Euseb l. â— c. 25. and sainct Thomas vvere not as rrue scripture as the ghospel of sainct Matthevve and other Euangelistes but that the Romain Churche allovved of these and not of those For this cause some of them do saye that in this point they must needs beleeue the Pope Romain Church bicause they caÌ„ not in deed haue any probable knovvledge of Scripture but by this meanes as shall appeare by the refutatioÌ„ of all other meanes vvhich they
Sacrament as vve haue for the blessed Trinitie and vvee are as sure of the real meaning of the textes vvhich are alleaged for the real presence as of them vvhich vvere vsed for proofe of the Trinitie or Incarnation bicause the texte is as plaine and the Interpretours as many and as plain also the circunstances also of the texte make as much for the real presence as for those other tvoe mysteries The real presence is no more impossible nor incredible to mans conceite then those mysteries are yea those are of greater difficultie Vvhy then do the reformers deny the Real presence rather then the Trinitie or Incarnation If vvee haue as good proofes for this as for those verities vve can not beleeue those but vvee must beleeue this or if these testimonies bee not sufficient for the reale presence they are not sufficient for those verities and so if not vvith standing plaine texte circunstances of the texte Interpretours of the texte and practise of the Church vve deny the real presence or doubte of it vvee must necessarily doubte of the Trinitie and Incarnation and call them and all the other mysteries of Christian faithe in question for vvhich vve haue no greater nor no other proofe bicause one proofe is for all and as good for the Euchariste as for any And if all the mysteries of christian faith be called in questioÌ„ then seing that vve haue no reason to ioyne vvith Turck or Ievv in their Religion vvee may bid adevv to all Religion and sorte our selues vvith Atheistes vvho are of no Religion FINIS Errours in Printing Imyliethe for implyeth page 3. line 25. hie for hee pa. 3. lin 29. to for do pa. 10. li. 9. oner for ouer pa. 24. li 12. veary for verye pa. 18. li. 28. branisicke for braynsicke pa. 27. li. 6. shovve for shevve pa 36 li. 4. veale for veile pag. 36. li. 8. thy for they pa. 61. li. 6. Hugo for Richardus pag. 114 in the marg they for then pag. 129. li. 9. they for thy pag. 247. l. 4. it is selfe for it selfe 155. li. 31. biourrouinge for borrovvinge pa. 175. lin 8. some for sonne pa. 198. li. 29. larned for learned 240. li. 19. fovv for foure pa. 240 li. 28. fellovved for follovved pa. 252. li. 23. ruled reason for ruled by reason pa. 253. li. 15. bodely for boldlye pa. 259. li. 31. vvoo for tvvo 294. li. 17. demoÌ„strate for bee demoÌ„strated pa 299 li. 27. this for his 337. li. 20. ther for other pa. 354. li. 13. as it vvell for as vvell pa. 355. li. 20 havv for lavv pag. 382. li. 10. is not for it is not pa. 422. li. 29. prauers for prayers pa. 436. li. 28. am for and pa. 346. li. 16. I me for I am pa. 546. li. 22 they for then pag. 588. lin 18. boidled for bridled 606. li. 29. farthe for faythe pag. 607. lin 20. staunge for straunge pag. 632. li. 16. this for his pa. 635 li. 4. greate for greeke pa. 727. li 23. laue for haue pa. 728. li. 6. vvordes omitted page 158. line 2. vvhich come in after the second vvord of the same line Feind So it hapneth to the Heretike the THE TABLE A SAint Peter and the rest of the Apostles sent extraordinarily pag 8. they proue theire mission by theire vvorkes pag. 22. Antiquitie in all kyndes of artes allvvayes reuerenced p. 91. The Arrogancie of heretikes in this age p. 92. An admonition to Atheists p. 112. S. Ambrose his vvords to Valentinian the Emperour concerning his office p. 147. Infallible arguments to proue the stabilitie of the Catholike or Romaine Church p. 198. 202. The agreement and consent in opinions that is in the Catholike Church p. 214. that the same can not but proceede of God p. 218. Arius condemned for an heretike by the councell of Nice consisting of three hundred and 18. Bishops p 237. The tvvo aduents of Christ p. 294. Adame endevved vvith all naturall scieÌ„ces 308. The diuers affections of the superiour and inferiour patte of the soule in respect of the same thinge p. 328. hovv they vveare bothe in Christe in respect of his passion vvithout sinne ibid. The reason of the abrogation of the olde sacrifices and sacraments p. 382. No morall or probable assuraunce of any sacraments at all amongest the reformers p. 409. The Arian heresie 32. No probable assuraunce of scriptures if the Romaine Churche bee reiected 679. vsq 688. Tvvo kyndes of Atheistes 640. Authoritie hovv it is gotten 118. Authoritie of the Fathers and the nevv preachers compared 93. The Sacrament of the Aultare 223. 703. B BAptisme is of no force and to noe purpose according to Caluins doctrine 422. The prodigious beginning of heretikes 17. Nothing in our beleife against reason allthoughe aboue reason p. 276. Vvhat manner of beleife or confidence is required in prayer p. 440. Beza his presumption in correctinge an Euangelist 720. Diuers bitter blasphemies vvhere vvith most spitefully Luther Caluin and a rabble of other miscreants barke at the blessed virgin 343. That the Catholike Churche neuer made breache out of any other Churche as allvvayes heretikes haue 163. C THe successe Caluin had in his pretended miracle p. 25. his smalle accounte of fathers 88. marked in the backe not for his goodnes 121. his herodian deathe ibid. his assertions iniurious to Christ to vvhich in some sorte suscribe vvhytaker and Ievvell p. 249. his levvde distinction betvvixte the olde and nevve lavve 281. his absurde blasphemie 304. his execrable doctrine concerning God 303. hee take the from Christ the title of a Iudge 300. hee makethe him a desperate man 325. hee bringethe him to hell and make the him a compagnion of the damned 332. his miserable end 338. hee make the God a greater Patron of sinne then the deuill is 450. His iustifyinge faythe taketh avvaye prayer vnder penaltye of becominge an infidell 439. His opinions of iustifyinge faythe 442. of sinne ibid. of good vvorkes 442. of free vvill ibid. vvhich makes the Pater noster or our lordes prayer to bee needles yea pernicious to fayth 443. His opinion of the number of Sacramentes 408. of vvhat smalle importauÌ„ce hee maketh them 413. The good alteration that Catholike religion vvorketh in those vvhich sincerely embrace it â—23 That in sondry perfections Catholikes excell the reformers p. 120 vsq ad 124. The effecte of true Charitie 341. Christ him selfe sent p 4. hee prouethe his mission by his vvorkes 22. the reason vvhy hee instituted a succession of Pastors in his Churche 16. in vvhat sence hee is sayed to haue been the Preist the sacrifice and the God to vvhom the sacrifice vvas offred pa. 251. hovv hee is sayed to haue satisfied for our sinnes notvvithstanding that sanctification is required at our haÌ„des pag. 261. that he played all the partes of a spirituall Phisitian q 271. hee hathe no successour allthoughe many vicegerentes pag. 285. 364. Hovv his sole supreme authoritie ouer the Churche consistethe vvith the necessitie of a