Erra XIIII perche dice c. He erres in the XIV place for that he saith that those which haue taken out of the Breuiarie the word animas were inspired by the holy Ghost I 〈…〉 Quodcunque 〈◊〉 with the word 〈◊〉 by that text which explaineth them 〈…〉 sinnes being in the soule and not in the body least any should beleeue that the Pope were Domiâ—â—s in 〈◊〉 spiritualibus of goods of bodies and of soules and that he might loose and binde euery thing as it seemes the L. Cardiâ—all beleeueth And they explained them with the word 〈◊〉 by which explication a remedy is put vnto all those discords which may arise betweene the Pope and Princes 〈◊〉 tuo Whereas those which haue latâ—ly taken it away out of the Breuiarie 〈◊〉 a new stirred vp occasion of discords and contâ—â—tions Besides that it is a thing knowne of all men that in the Bookes of the Councels of the Canons of other Doctors in a word 〈◊〉 in the very Brâ—maries and Missals there haue beene and are taken away those things which are in fauour of Princes of the Laitie to see if at length there might be established the opinion de illimitaâ—a Potestate Pontificis in tâ—mporalibus 〈…〉 he as â—e that comparâ—s together the Bookes printed in the yearâ— 30. in 50. and those at this day as well of the Councels as others â—uidently 〈◊〉 the vintage that 〈◊〉 it is that we post vindemiaâ— haue found some few clusters for the defence of our gracious Prince This is a meanes if it goe on further to make all writings to loose their credit and to ruine the Church of God Be it spoken by the occasion that the Lord Cardinall hath giuen â—e thereof and for charities 〈◊〉 and for the desire that these writings be no more touched which be also said with all humilitie and reuerence He erres in the XV. place for that he saith â—hat in the ancient Breuiaries there was not the word animas And I haue seene Breuiaries written with 〈◊〉 abouâ— 200. yeares agoe and printed aboue an hundred in them is the word animas and if it were not yet ought it to be put in to take away the occasions of discordâ— Thus he there As for the Prayer corrected or corrupted rather if you looke the old Breuiaries yea euen that set forth by Piâ—s the Fifth printed by Plantine with the Priuiledge of the Pope and his Catholike Maiestâ—e Anno 77. vpon the nine twentieth of Iune yee shall find it to runne thus Deus qui B. Petro Apostolo â—uo collatis clauibus râ—gui coelestis animas ligandi atque soluâ—ndi Pontiâ—icium tradidâ—stâ— concede vt intercessionis eius auxilio peccator â—m nostrorum nexibus liberemur Per Dominum Now in the late correction animas is left out and wee vnderstand the reason In the end of the same booke there is â—n aduertisement to the Reader the beginning whereof I will not sticke to set downe verbatim it is this Because in this Defence I haue often said that Authors are made to recant and that out of their bookes many things are taken away sincerely said in fauour of the power of Temporall Princes to stablish by these meanes the opinion De supremâ authoritate Papae in temporalibus I haue thought good to aduise the Râ—ader that the quotations by mee brought are taken ad verbum out of those bookes which are incorrupt and containe the opinion of the Authors sincerely And that the more ancient the Copies bee and further from these our times so much â—he better they bee And in particular I desire that hee bee aduertised that the Cap. Nouit de iudicijs printed in Rome the yeere 1575. by Ioseph de Angelis with licence of Superiours it the text which was followed by the Author of the eight Positions and by mee which containes sincerely the opinion of Naâ—arrus and of the Parisians Which in the bookes printed since is changed in such manner as it is no more the same but is become the contrary to wit that of 〈◊〉 c. Tell mee good Master Wadâ—sworth in the â—ight of God what is fraud if this be not And thus not onely the Authors of this age any way inclining to reformation as Erasmus Rheâ—anus Cassander Fâ—rus but Vines Faber Caietane Pol. Virgil Guicciardine Petrarch Dante yea Authors of six or seuen hundred yeeres old are set to Schoole to learne the Romane language and agree with the Trentâ—aith â—aith For it is not the authoritie and Monarchy of the Pope alone that is sought though that bee Summa summarum whereunto all comes at last but no voyce must be heard discenting from that which he teaches Therefore it is that Bertramus Presbyter is appointed by your Spanish Index printed at Madrid to bee wholly abolished The former had catechized him to say in stead of visibiliter inuisibiliter with many other pretie explications as where he saith the Elements in the Lords Supper Secundum creaturarum substantiam quod prius fuerant ante consecrationem hoc post consistunt the explication is secundum externas species Sacramenti But the surest way was to take him cleane away and so indeed in the Bibliotheca Patrum hee is and that purpâ—sely as Marguerinus de la Bigne confesseth in his Preface The Ancient Fathers are perhaps free For the Councell of Trent appointed that in the writings of the ancient Catholikes nothing should bee changed saâ—e where by the fraud of heretikes a manifest error is crept in But who shall bee the Iudge of that The Inquisitors and Censors themselues For my part I cannot say that I haue spent many houres in the triall of this point nor haue I had ancient Copies thereto requisite But I will intreat you to consider with mee one example or rather two or three in one Father and in the matter that I named whereby you may ghesse at the rest In Saint Cyprians Workes imprinted at Rome by P. Manutius sent for to Venice by Pius the Fourth to set forth the Fathers as himselfe saith most perfectly clensed from all spots the Epistle of Firmilianus Bishop of Caesarea beginning Accepimus per Rogatianum is wholly left out and Pamelius thinkes purposely and addes perhaps it had beene more wisdome it had beene neuer set out at all Saint Cyprian was not of that minde who translated it into Latin as the stile it selfe witnesses and Pamelius also is enforced to confesse The matter is it is to quicke and vehement against Stephanus Bishop of Rome Hee saith hee is moued with iust indignation at the manifest folly of Stephanus that boasting so much of the place of his Bishopricke and that hee hath the succession of Peter vpon whom the foundations of the Church were set brings in many other Rockes c. Hee saith hee hath stirred vp contentions and discords throughout the Churches of the whole world Bids him not deceiue himselfe he hath made himselfe a Schismaticke by separating himselfe from
most Protestants they migâ—t in such a Councell erre and it were possible in their Decrees to be deceiued But if they may erre how should I know and be sure when and wherein they did or did not erre for though on the one side â— posse ad esse non valet semper consequentia yet 〈◊〉 valet and on the other side 〈…〉 potentia quae nunquam ducitur in actuâ— So that 〈◊〉 neither in generall nor in particular in puoâ—â—que 〈◊〉 priuate in head nor members ioynely nor â—euerally you haue no visible externall humane infallible Iudge who cannot erre and to whom I might haue recourse for decision of doubts in matters of faith â— pray let Master Hall tell me where should I haue fixed my foot for God is my witnesse my soule was like Noah Douâ— a long time houering desirous to discouer land but seeing nothing but moueable and troublesome deceiueable water I could find no quiet center for my conscience nor any firme foundation for your faith in Protestant Religion Wherfore hearing a sound of harmonâ—e and consent that the Catholique Church could not erre and that onely in the Catholique Church as in Noahs Arke was infallabilitte and possibilitie of saluation I was so occasioned and I thinke had important reason like Noahs Doue to seeke out and to enter into this Arke of Noah Hereupon I was occasioned to doubt whether the Church of England were the true Church or not For by consent of all the true Church cannot erre but the Church of England head and members King Clergie and People as before is said yea a whole Councell of Protestants by their owne grant may erre ergo no true Church If no true Church no saluation in it therefore come out of it but that I was loath to doe Rather I laboured mightily to defend it both against the Puritanes and against the Catholiques But the best arguments I could vse against tâ—e Puritanes from the Authoritie of the Church and of the ancient Doctors interpreting Scriptures against them when they could not answere them they would reiect them for Popish and fâ—ye to their owne arrogant spirit by which forsooth they must controll others This I found on the one side most absâ—rd and â—o bâ—eede an Anarchy of confusion and yet when I come to answere the Catholique Arguments on â—he other side against Protestants â—rging the like Authority and vniformity of the Church I perceiued the most Protestants did frame euasions in effect like those of the Puritanes inclining to â—heir priuate spirit and other vncertainties Next therefore I applied my selfe to follow their opinion who would make the Church of England and the Church of Rome still to be all one â—n essentiall points and the diffâ—rences to be accidentall confessing the Church of Rome to be a true Church though sicke or corrupted and the Protestants to be deriued from it and reformed and to this end I laboured much to reconcile most of our particular controuersies But in truth I found such contrarâ—eties not onely betweene Catholiques and Protestants but euen among Protestants themselues that I could neuer settle my selfe fully in this opinion of some reconciliation which I know many great Schollers in England did fauour For considering so many opposite great points for which they did excommunicate and put to death each other and making the Pope to be Antichrist proper or improper it could neuer sinke into my braine how these two could be descendent or members â—ound nor vnfound participant each of other Rather I concluded that â—eeing many of the best learned Protestants did grant the Church or Rome 〈…〉 true Church though 〈…〉 And contrarily not onely the Catholiques but also the Puritanes Anabaptists Brownists c. did all denie the Church of England to be a true Church therefore it would be more safe and secure to become a Romane Catholique who haue a true Church by consent of both parties then to remaine a Protestant who doe alone plead their owne cause hauing all the other against them For the testimony of our selues and our contraries also is much more sufficient and more certaine then to iustifie our selues alone Yet I resisted and stood out still and betooke my selfe againe to reade ouer and examine the chiefest controuersies especially those about the Church which is cardo negotij and herein because the Bearer â—taies now a day or two longer I will inlarge my selfe more then I purposed and so I would needes peruse the Originall quotations and Texts of the Councels Fathers and Doctors in the Authors themselues which were alleadged on both parts to see if they were truely cited and according to the meaning of the Authors a labour of much labor and of trauell sometime to finde the Books wherein I found much fraud committed by the Protestants and that the Catholiques had farre greater and better armies of euident witnesses on their sides much more then the Protestants in so much that the Centurists are faine often to censure and reiect the plaine testimonies of those Ancients as if their new censure were sufficient to disaucthorize the others auncient sentences And so I remember Danaeus in Commentarijs super D. Augustin Enchirid ad Laurentium Where Saint Augustin plainely auoucheth Purgatory he reiects Saints Augustines opinion saying hic est naeuus Augustini but I had rather follow Saint Augustins opinion then his ceâ—sure for who are they to controll the Fathers There are indeede some few places in Authors which prima facie seeme to fauour Protestants as many Heretiques alleadge some texts of Scriptures whose sound of words seeme to make for their opinions but being well examined and interpreted according to the analogie of faith and according to many other places of the same Authours where they doe more fully explaine their opinions so they appeare to be wrested and from the purpose In fine I found my selfe euidently conuinced both by many Authorities and by many Arguments which now I doe not remember all nor can here repeate those which I doe remember but onely some few arguments I will relate vnto you which preuailed most with me besides those afore mentioned First therefore I could neuer approue the Protestants euasion by Inuisibility of their Church For though sometime it may be diminished and obscured yet the Catholique Church must euer be visible set on a hill and not as light hid vnder a Bushell for how should it enlighteâ—â—nd teach her children if inuisible or how should Strangers and Pagans and others be conuerted vnto her or where should any finde the Sacraments if inuisible Also the true Church in all places and all ages euer holds one vniformitie and concord in all matters of Faith though not in all matters of ceremony or gouernment But the Protestants Church hath not in all ages nor in all places such vniforme concord no not in one age as is manifest to all the world and as Father Parsons proued against Foxes martirs Wickliffe Husse and the resâ— ergo the
Protestants Church not the true Church Againe by that saying Haereses ad originem reuocasse est refutasse and so considering Luthers first rancour against the Dominicans his disobedience and contempt of his former Superiours his vowe breaking and violent courses euen causing rebellion against the Emperour whom he reuiles and other Princes most shamefully surely such arrogant disobedience scisme and rebellions had no warrant nor vocation of God to plant his Church but of the Deuill to begin a scisme and a sect So likewise for Caluin to say nothing of all that D. Bolsecus brings against him I doe vrge onely what Master Hooker Doctor Bancroft and Sarauia doe proue against him for his vnquietnesse and ambition reuoluing the Common-wealth and so vniuâ—tly expelling and depriuing the Bishop of Geneua and other temporall Lords of their due obedience and ancient inheritance Moreouer I referre you to the stirres broiles sedition and murders which Knoxe and the Geneua Gospellers caused in Scotland against their lawfull Gouernours against their Queene and against our King euen in his Mothers belly Nor will I insist vpon the passions which first moued King Henrie violently to diuorce himselfe from his lawfull wife to fall out with the Pope his friend to marrie the Lady Anne Bullen and soone after to behead her to disinherite Queene Mary and enable Queene Elizabeth and presently to diâ—inherit Queene Elizabeth and to restore Queene Mary to hang Catholiques for traitors and to burne Protestants for heretiques to destroy Monasteries and to pill Churches were these fit beginnings for the Gospell of Christ I pray was this man a good head of Gods Church for my part I beseech our Lord blesse me from being a member of such a head or such a Church I come to France and Holland where you know by the Hugenots and Geuses all Caluinistes what ciuill wars they haue raised how much bloud they haue shed what rebellion rapine and desolations they haue occasioned principally for their new Religion founded in bloud like Draecos lawes But I would gladly know whether you can approue such bloudy broiles for Religion or no I know Protestants de facto doe iustifie the ciuill warres of France and Holland for good against their Kings but I could neuer vnderstand of them quo lure if the Hollanders be Rebels as they are why did we support themâ— if they be no rebels because they fight for the pretended liberty of their ancient priuiledges and for their new Religion we see it is an easie matter to pretend liberties and also why may not others as as well reuolt for their old Religion Or I beseech you why is that accounted treason against the State in Catholiques which is called reason of State in Protestants I reduce this argument to few words That Church which is founded and begun in maâ—ice disobedience passion bloud and rebellion cannot be the true Church but it is euident to the world that the Protestant Churches in Germanie Francâ— Holland Geneua c. were so founded and in Geneua and Holland are still continued in rebellion ergo they are not true Churches Furthermore where is not Succession both of true Pastors and of true Doctrine there is no true Church But among Protestants is no succession of true Pastors for I omit here to treate of Doctrine ergo no true Church I prooue the minor where is no consecration nor ordination of Bishops and Priests according to the due forme and right intention required necessarily by the Church and ancient Councels there is no succession of true Pastors but among Protestants the said due forme and right intention are not obserued ergo no succession of true Pastors The said due forme and right intention are not obserued among Protestants in France Holland nor Germanie where they haue no Bishops and where Lay men doe intermeddle in the making of their Ministers And for England whereas the Councels require the ordines minores of Subdeacon and the rest to goe before Priesthood your Ministers are made per saltum without euer being Subdeacons And whereas the Councels require three Bishops to assist at the consecration of a Bishop it is certaine that at the Nags-head in Cheap-side where consecration of your first Bishops was attempted but not effected whereabout I remember the controuersie you had with one there was but one Bishop and I am sure there was such a matter and although I know and haue seene the Records themselues that afterward there was a consecration of Doctor Parker at Lambeth and three Bishops named viz. Miles Couerdall of Exceter one Hodgeskin Suffragan of Bedford and another whose name I haue forgotten yet it is very doubtfull that Couerdall being made Bishop of Exceter in King Edwards time when all Councels and Church Canons were little obserued he was neuer himselfe Canonically consecrated and so if he were no Canonicall Bishop he could not make another Canonicall and the third vnnamed as I remember but am not sure was onely a Bishop Elect and not consecrated and so was not sufficient But hereof I am sure that they did consecrate Parker by vertue of a Breue from the Queene as Head of the Church who indeed being no true Head and a Woman I cannot see how they could make a true consecration grounded on her authoritie Furthermore making your Ministers you keepe not the right intention for neither doe the Orderer nor the Ordered giue nor receiue the Orders as a Sacrament nor with any intention of Sacrificing Also they want the matter and forme with which according to the Councels and Canons of the Church holy Orders should be giuen namely for the matter Priesthood is giuen by the deliuerie of the Patena with bread and of the Chalice with wine Deaconship by the deliuerie of the booke of the Gospels and Subdeaconship by the deliuerie of the Patena alone and of the Chaliâ—e emptie And in the substantiall forme of Priesthood you doe faile most of all which forme consists in these wordes Accipe potestatem offerendi sacrificium in Ecclesia pro viuis mortuis which are neither said noâ— done by you and therefore well may you bee called Ministers as also Lay men are but you are no Priests Wherefore I conclude wanting Subdeaconship wanting vndoubted Canonicall Bishops wanting right intention wanting matter and due forme and deriuing euen that you seeme to haue from a Woman the Head of your Church therefore you haue no true Pastors and consequently no true Church And so to conclude and not to wearie my selfe and you too much being resolued in my vnderstanding by these and many other Arguments that the Church of England was not the true Church but that the Church of Rome was and is the onely true Church because it alone is Ancient Catholique and Apostolique hauing Succession Vnitie and Visibilitie in all ages and places yet what agonies I passed with my will here I will ouer-passe Onely I cannot pretermit to tell you that at last hauing also mastered and
pray God forgiue him and make him a more humbler and meeker man And I for my part doe freely pardon all his foule tearmes against me And though in gratitude and iustice I am bound and so doe loue and respect you more then him for your greater curtesie to me and for your better value in your selfe yet euen him I can and doe and am bound to loue not onely as an enemy or a creature of God or as I doe you for an honest morall good discreete man but euen further and beyond that which you seeme to vnderstand that we cannot by our doctrine proceede in loue viz. as men hauing soules for whom our Sauiour hath died and so as possible members though indeede not actuall branches of his misticall body yea for such as may come to be ingrafted and beare fruite in him when we may be withered cut off or fallen away As for your serious Apologie and excuse for not answering my first Letters all this while I doe easily admit it and assure my selfe that all the circumstances impediments and occasions were such as you affirme nor did I expect nor vrge in my first nor second Letters any answere about Controuersies in Religion for I euer said we could say nothing of substance which before had not beene said but onely gaue you by Masters Hals occasion some few reasons of my faith wherein still I protest I had rather be deuout then be troubled to dispute not for feare or doubt but because I am so fully resolued in my selfe and do think it a very superfluous labour toties melius ab alijs actum agere So that I desired rather answere of curtesie then of controuersie which now by Master Astons meanes I receiued and doe much esteeme it and hartily thanke you for it Neuerthelesse when your Replie vnto my plaine and few reasons come I will for your sake both read them ouer and according to my little health lesse leisure and my poore abilitie which is least of all returne you some such short reioynder as it shall please almighty God to enable me being glad to perceiue by your last that you doe subscribe to our Intercession by our blessed Lady and other holy Saints which also I hope and wish you would fully extend to our Inuocation of Saints as Intercessors not as Redeemers for that were Blaspemie indeede and Idolatrie from which our sweete Sauiour deliuer vs and euer keepe you my good deere friend as I desire Madrid in haste 26. Octob. 1619. IAMES WADDESWORTH To the worshipfull my very good friend M. IAMES WADDESWORTH at Madrid deliuer this Salutem in Christo Iesu. YOur Letters of the 26. of October beloued Master Waddesworth were long vpon the way and came not to my hands till the 23. of May. In them I receiued your curteous acceptation of my excuse for my former silence censure of Doctor Hall Letter with the profession of your loue to me and him further then I accounted you could by your Doctrine proceede viz. as redeemed by Christ and possible members of his mysticall body Truely Sir I will not change words with you here abouts but I account still to be an honest man restraineth from that to be redeemed by our Sauiour since that is as large as humane nature this is giuen to fewer of whom a man may say as our Lord doth of one in the Gospell that they are not far from the Kingdome of God Howsoeuer I haue still my intention that wee out of our profession may loue you better then you can vs since it is more to be an actuall then a possible member of Christ and the Communion of Saints is a staighter bond then Redemption by Christ and possibilitie of being ingrafted and bearing fruite in his mysticall body And I would to Christ that of all other Controuersies this were the vehementest betweene vs which should loue each other most Wherein although I would striue and doe my best to haue the better yet see how equally I would contend For both I would acknowledge freely my selfe farre short of that which I may by my profession doe in this kinde and perswade my selfe better of your secret affection to vs then you may by your pofession expresse I will not easily beleeue that you can finde in your heart to count that man a Dogge and out of the Church and in state of damnation that stedfastly beleeueth in our Lord Iesus Christ and by him in the B. Trinitie that confesseth all the Doctrine of holy Scriptures the summe whereof is in the Creede that lastly with a charitable affection embraceth all that hold this faith throughout the world yea euen those that hate and persecute him to the death Wherein I forbeare for the present to enlarge because I speake more of it in my answere to your first Letters which Master Aston giues me hope that himselfe ere long will consigne into your hands Now by his direction I send you onely aduice of the receipt of your last with heartie thankes for them desirous not to runne further in arrerages with you in this office of writing This one thing I adde that where you write you are glad I doe subscribe to your intercession by the Saints wishing me fully to extend it to inuocation of Saints as Intercessors though not as Redeemers I should be very glad if I could as well content you in all other points as that one comming thus prepared in all controuersies with you and all men to yeelde whatsoeuer I may sauing the truth But as I conceiue it there is great oddes betweene these two To desire God to grant vs this or that good thing by the intercession of the Saints and To vse inuocation of themselues The one supposeth onely that the Saints in glory generally knowing the warfare of those on earth are carefull for them and omit not this act of neuer failing charitie to pray for them These praiers it hopes and desires of God may be helpefull to vs by the onely merit of our Lord Iesus Christ in the same sort as those of the Saints wheresoeuer on earth as 2 Cor. 1. 10. 11. Ephes. 6. 1. Philem. ver 22. The other that the Saints departed know our wants and states in particular and heare our prayers and by consequent know our hearts which is flatly contrarie to the Scriptures 2 Chron. 6. 30. Esay 63. 16. To omit now that you doe not onely desire them to pray for you but aske at their hands grace and glory trust in them vow to them sweare by them offer and receiue the sacrifice of the New Testament to their honour and glory and desire it may be accepted by their patronage Wherefore as I am glad to perceiue that you doe reuerse those blasphemies indeede Salua me Saluatrix Redime me Redemptrix and will not subscribe to those words of Bellarmine non erit absurdum si sancti viri redemptores nostri aliquo modo id est secundum aliquid non
simpliciter largo modo non in rigore verborum esse dicantur and againe cur inepte dicantur Sancti viri aliquo modo passionibus suis delicta nostra posse redimere so I hope and wish you would doe the like for calling vpon them and presenting their merits vnto God and as yee may more safely and sweetely speake vnto our Iesus who is our Aduocate with the Father entered into the Holy of Holies to appeare before God for vs. To his gracious protection I commit you and doe rest Horningshearth this 15. of Iune 1620. Your assured friend and louing Brother W. BEDELL To the worshipfull his much respected friend Master WILLIAM BEDELL at Horningshearth by Saint Edmundsbury in Suffolke these My very good Friend MAster BEDELL my last vnto you was by a Gentleman who went from hence about sixe moneths since but I haue vnderstood hee fell sicke at Paris by the way and so was first hindered there in his iourney and afterward againe at Brussels fell to a relapse which detained him so long that although now very lately I heare he is recouered and gone forward into England yet in so long delayes so often sickenesses I know not whether hee haue lost or forgotten my former Letters wherefore out of this consideration and by the opportunitie of this Bringer and by the true harty affection which I beare you being desirous to signifie vnto you the continuance of my sincere loue I could not pretermit this so good an occasion though hereby I haue nothing else to say nor intreate but if wee haue â—arres yet our dissention may be rather in the matter and cases then betwixt our persons as discreete Lawyers vse to pleade vehemently each for his Clyents iustice and yet remaine betwixt themselues without breach of amitie and abstaining from opprobrious iniurie wherein I haue great confidence that you will proceede both more moderately in all the circumstance and to better purpose in the substance then Master Ioseph Hall vnto whose Letter directed to you and by you sent vnto me I wrote certaine Marginall Notes onely and so returned the same by the aboue named Gentleman whereof also if it returne to your hands I would intreate you to send me a Copie both of his Text and my Glosse for then being in haste I remained with neither Our Lord keepe you and guide vs all to his truth and to heauen Madrid 8. Iune 1620. IAMES WADDESWORTH The Letter of Master D. HALL mentioned in the formerwith Master WADDESWORTHS marginall notes GOod Master Bedell what a sorry crabbe hath Master Waddesworth at last sent vs from Siuill I pittie the impotent malice of the man sure that hot Region and sulphurous Religion are guiltie of this his choler For ought I see hee is not onely turned Papist but Spaniard too Ibi viâ—itur ambitiosa paupertate The great man would not foyle his fingers for that is his word with such an aduersarie as my selfe hee should haue found this conflict his foyling indeede but hee scornes the match and what wonder if he that hath all this while sat on Father Creswels staires scorne the vnworthinesse of him whom an English Vniuersitie scorned not to set in the chaire of Diuinitie But whence is this my contempt I see but two vices to cleare my selfe of Poetry and Railing of the latter you shall acquit mee if you will but reade that my poore Epistle which he sleights thus Let your eyes iudge whether euer any thing could be written more mildely more modestly more louingly Of the former I must acquit my selfe Cuius vnum est sed magnum vitium Poesis what were I the worse if I were still a louer of those studies If he could haue had leisure to tend vpon any thing besides that Fathers Packets he might haue seene most of the renowned and holy Fathers of the Church eminent in that profession for which I am scornd amongst many others Tertullian Lactantius Nazianzen Prudentius Fulgentius Apollinarius Nonnus Hilarius Prosper and now in the vpshot deuout Bernard and why should their honour be my disgrace But the truth is these were the recreations of my minoritie nunâ— oblita mihi And if Poetrie were of the deadly sinnes of their Casuists I could smart for it in my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is this a fit scandall to â—ake vp from so farre What my proficiencie hath beene in serious studies if the Vniuersitie and Church hath pleased to testifie what neede I stand at the mercie of a fugitiue But if any of his Masters should vndertake me in the cause of God he should finde I had studied prose As for these vaine flourishes of mine if he had not taken a veny in them and found it smart he had not strooke again so churlishly Was it my Letter that is accused of Poetry there is neither number nor ryme nor fiction in it Would the great Schoole man haue had me to haue packt vp a Letter of syllogismes which of the Fathers whose high steppes I haue desired to tread in haue giuen that example what were to be expected of a Monitorie Epistle which intended onely the occasion if he had pleased of a future discourse Wee I slanders list not learne to write Letters from beyond the Pyrenees Howsoeuer I am not sorry that his scorne hath cast him vpon an aduersarie more able to conuince him I am allowed onely a looker on therefore I will neither ward nor strike his hands are too full of you my onely wish is that you could beare him sound againe whereof I feare there it little hope There was neuer aduersarie that gaue more aduantage hee might haue serued in thâ—se Coleworts neerer home I professe I doe hartily pittie him and so if it please you let him know from me What Apostacie which is the onely hard word I can be charged with impute to the Roman Church I haue professed to the world in the first Chapter of my Roma Irreconciliabilis if I offend not in too much charitie there is no feare say what you will for me I haue done and will onely pray for him that answers me with contempt farewell and commend mee to Master Sotheby and your other louing and reuerend Societie and know mee euer Your truely louing friend and fellow labourer IOS HALL Waltam Ian 10. 1615. Good Master Bedell this Letter hath lien thus long by me for want of carriage I now heare you are setled at Horningsherth whereby I wish you much ioy I am appointed to attend the Ambassador into France whither I pray you follow me with your praiers May 15. To my Reuerend and worthy friend Master Doctor HALL at Waltham deliuer this SAlutem in Christo. Good Master Doctor this Letter of yours since my receipt of it hath beene a traueller further then you or I which being some moneths since returned into England I returne to you that it may relate what entertainment it hath found
you count viz. a totall falling from Christian Religion like that of Iulian an obstinate pertinacy â—n denying the principles of the Faith necessarie to saluation or a renouncing your Baptismee The terme Apostasie as you know doth not alwaies sound so hainously A Monke forsaking his Order or a Clerke his habit is in the Decretals stiled an Apostata Granatensis saith not vntruly that euery deadly sinne is a kinde of Apostasie The Apostle Saint Paul speaking of Antichrists times saith there must come an Apostasie before Christs second comming and how this shall be he shewes elsewhere Men shall giue heede to spirits of error and doctrines of Deuils and such as speake falsehood in hypocrisieâ— Whereby it seemes that Antichrist himselfe shall not professedly renounce Christ and his Baptisme His Kingdome is a mysterie of iniquitie a reuolt therefore not from the outward profession but inward sinceritie and power of the Gospel This kinde of Apostasie might bee that which Master Hall was sory to finde in you whom hee thought fallen from the truth though not in the principles of Christian doctrine yet in sundry conclusions which the reformed Churches truely out of them maintaine He remembred our common education in the same Colledge our common oath against Popery our common calling to the same sacred function of the Ministery he could not imagine vpon what reasons you should reuerse these beginnings And certainly how weightie and sufficient soeuer they be wee are not taught by our Catholicke religion to reuenge our selues and render reproch for reproch with personall termes much lesse to debase and auile the excellent gifts of God as is Poâ—sie the honour of Dauid and Salomâ—n by the testimony of the holy Ghost himselfe These courses are forbidden vs when wee are reiled vpon and calumniated how much more when as Saint Peter speakes wee are beaten for our faults as it falls out in your case if these motiues of yours be weake and insufficient which we shall anon consider You say you are become Catholicke Were you not then so before The Creed whereinto you were baptized is it not the Catholicke faith The conclusion â—ertes of Athanasius Creed which is but a declaration thereof saith Haec est fides Catholica Or is not he a Catholick that holds the Catholicke faith That which was once answered touching the present Church of England to one in a Stationers shop in Venice that would needs know what was the difference betwixt vs and the Catholickes It was told him none for we accounted our selues good Catholicks When he vnwilling to bee put of in his answer for lacke of due forme in his question pressed to know what was the difference betwixt vs and them there He was a swered This that wee beleeued the Catholicke faith contaâ—ned in the Creed but did not beleeue the thirteenth Arâ—â—cle which the Pope had put to it When he knew not of any such Article the Extrauagant of Pope Boniface was brought where hee definesâ—â— to bee altogether of necessitie to saluation to euery humane creature to bee vnder the Bishop of Rome This thirteenth Article of the thirteenth Apostle good Master Wadesworth it seemes you haue learned and to are become as some now speake and write Catholike Romane That is in true interpretation Vniuersall-particularâ— which because they cannot bee equalled the one â—estraining and cutting off from the other take heed that by streightning your faith to Rome you haue not altered it and by becomming Romane left off to bee Catholike Thus if you say our ancestors were all till of late yeeres Excuse mee Sir whether you call our ancestors the first Christian Inhabitants of this I le or the ancient Christians of the Primitiue Church neither those nor these were Roman-Catholikes Namely the Fathers of the African Councell and amongst these Saint Augustine and therefore by Pope Boniface his sentence bee vndoubtedly damned for taking vpon them by the Deuils instinct if wee beleeue another Pope Boniface to waxe proud against the Church of Rome Such Catholikes if yee meane the most of Christendome be at this day Beware of putting your selfe vpon that issue Beleeue mee either yee must frame a new Cosmography yes a new world or else yee are gone if it come to most voyces in Christendome Touching the names of Papist Traytor Idolater The first is no mis-calling you as comprizing the very character that differenceâ—h you from all other Catholikes Neither by our Rhemists aduice should you be ashamed of it sith to be a Papist by their interpretation is nothing else but to bee a Christian man a childe of the Church and subiect to Christs Vâ—car The wise State of Venice haue a little different notion of their Papaelines excluding from sundry their consultations vnder that name such of the Nobilitie as are obliged to the Pope by Ecclesiasticall promotions True it is that they apply it also to Papalines in faction such as are superstitiously deuoted to the maintaining of all the Popes vsurped authoritie in which sense shope you are no Papist A Traytor I am assured Mâ—ster Doctor Hall will neuer call you vnlesse hee know that you haue drunke so deepe of the Cup of error as to beleeue the Pope â—y depose your Prince that you are not bound to obey him being so deposed that in that case it is lawfull yea meritorious to kill him that they are Marâ—yrs that are executed 〈◊〉 plotting to blow him vp with Gun-powder though vndeposed hoping it would bee no lesse agreeable to hiâ— Holinesse then that which hee desired to haue kepâ— him from comming to the Crowne at first If you be thus perfectly a Papist not onely wee here in England but I beleeue his Catholicke Maiestie vnder whose obedience now ye liue whensoeuer he should be that Prince would account you a Traytor and punish you accordingly I hope you are farre from these furies For Idolatry if to giue diuine honour to creatures deserue that name consider how you can defend or excuse those prayers to the Blessed Virgin Tu noâ— ab â—oste protege â—or â mortis suscipe And to the Crosse Augepus â—â—stitiam reâ—sque dona veniam I omit to speake of the Popes Omnipotencie I hope also you keepe your selfe from this Idolatry In Protestant religion you say you couiâ— neuer â—â—nae Vâ—â—formitie of a settled Faith How so when you had that same one onely immoueable and vnreformaâ—ie â—nie of â—aith as Tertullian calls it euery Lords day recited â—n your â—earing if not by your mouth I meane the Creea of which Irenaeus saith that hee which is able to say much of 〈◊〉 exceeds it not nor hee that lesse 〈◊〉 which Saint Augustine cals the rule common to great and 〈◊〉 which migâ—â— well enough haue settled and quieted 〈◊〉 conscience whâ—lest you laboured to finde the truth in all doubtfull questions Whereto how carefully and diligently you vsed the meanes of reading studying and praying for three or foure yeeres God and your conscience
through the faith that is in Christ Iesus were too great weakenesse and to vse the Apostles phrase childishnesse of vnderstanding But at length you heard a sound of harmony and consent that in the Catholike Church as in Noahs Arke was infallibilitie and possibilitie of saluation which occasioned you to seeke out and to enter into this Arke of Noah The sound of consent and infallibilitie is most pleasing and harmonious and vndoubtedly euer and onely to bee found in the Catholike Church to wit in the rule of Faith and in the holy Scriptures and such necessarie doctrine as perfectly concordeth with the same But as in song many discords doe passe in smaller notes without offence of the eares so should they in smaller matters of opinion in the Church without the offence of iudicious and charitable mindes Which yet I speake not to iustifie them nay I am verily of the minde that this is the thing that hath marred the Church musicke in both kindes that too much libertie is taken in descant to depart from the gound and as one saith notae nimium denigrantur The fault of the Italians though they thinke themselues the onely songsters in the world But to returne to you tell me I beseech you good Master Wadesworth was this the harmonie that transported you The Pope himselfe saith I cannot erre and to mee thou oughtest to haue recourse for decision of doubts in matters of faith And whereas this is not onely denied by Protestants but hath beene euer by the French and anciently I am sure by the Spanish lately by some Italian Diuines also vnlesse hee vse due meanes to finde the truth yea whereas it is the issue of all the Controuersies of this age in this snare you fastned your foot this was the Center that settled your conscience this the solid and firme foundation of your faith What and did it not moue you that some limit this infallibilitie of the Pope thus if hee enter Canonically if hee proceed aduisedly and maturely vsing that diligence that is fit to finde out the truth that is as you said before proceeding by the rule the Scriptures Albeit to the Fathers of the African Councell it seemed incredible as they write in their Synodall Epistle to P. Coelestine standing for appeales to himselfe that God can inspire the right iâ— tâ—iall to one denying it to many Bishops in a Councell Tell vs then who made you secure of these things or did you in truth neuer so much as make question of them but hearing this harmonious sound The Pope is the infallible Iudge you trusted the new Masters of that side Gregory de Valentia and Bellarmine that whether the Pope in defining doe vse diligence or no if hee doe define hee shall define infallibly Alas Sir if this were the rest you found for the soale of your foot instead of moueable water you fell vpon mire and puddle Or rather like to another Doue mentioned in Scripture columba seducta non habens cor by the most chaffie shrap that euer was set before the eyes of winged Fowle were brought to the doorefall Excuse my griefe mixed I confesse with some indignation but more loue to you though I thus write Many things there be in Poperie inconuenient and to my conceit weakely and vngroundedly affirmed to say no more but this is so absurd and palpably a flatterie as to omit to speake of you for my part I cannot bee perswaded that Paulus the fifth beleeues it himselfe For consider I pray what needed anciently the Christian Emperours and sometimes at the request of the Bishops of Rome themselues to haue gathered together so many Bishops from so diuers parts of the world to celebrate Councells if it had beene knowne and beleeued then that one mans sentence might haue cleered all controuersies and put all heresies to silence How durst sundrie holy and learned men haue reiected his decisions whether right or wrong is not now the question vnchristianly out of doubt on their parts if hee had beene then holden the infallible Oracle of our religion As when Polycrates with the Bishops of Asia and Irenaeus also yeelded not to Victor excommunicating the Easterne Churches about the celebration of Easter when Saint Cyprian with the first Councell of Carthage of eightie sixe Bishops had decreed that such as were baptized by heretickes should bee rebaptized and certified Stephanus of this Decree and he opposed it and would haue nothing innouated would Cyprian after that haue resisted and confuted Stephanus his letter had he knowne him for infallible And how doth hee confute him as erring writing impertinently contrarie to himselfe Yea let it bee obserued that hee doth not onely not account Stephanus infallible but not so much as a Iudge ouer any Bishop See the Vote of Cyprian and note those wordes Neque enim quisquam nostrum Episcopum se esse Episcoporum constituit an t tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem collegas suos adigit quando habeat omnis Episcopus pro licentia libertatis potestatis suae arbitrium proprium tanquam iudicari ab alio non possit cum nec ipse possit alterum iâ—dicare Sed exspectemus vniuersi iudiciuÌ„ Domini nostri Iesu Christi qui vnus solus habet potestateÌ„ praeponendi in Ecclesiae suae gubernatione de actis nostro iudicandi A passage worthy to bee noted also for the cleering of the independence of Episcopall authoritie from the Pope which I now let passe Neither was Saint Cyprian herein alone Firmilianus and the Easterne Bishops resisted Stephanus no lesse as appeares by his Epistle which in the Romane edition of Manutiuâ— set forth by the command of Pius the fourth with the suruey of foure Cardinalls whereof one is now a Saint with exquisite diligence is wholly left out And Pamelius saith hee thinkes purposely for himselfe is of the minde that it had beene better it had neuer come forth But to returne to our purpose The Fathers of the Councell of Africke and Saint Augustine amongst them resist three Popes succeeding each other Zosimus Boniface and Coelestinus about appeales to Rome shall we thinke they would euer haue done it if they had knowne or imagined them to be the supreme and infallible Iudges in the Church I let passe the Schisme betweene the Greeke and the Latin Church which had not happened if this doctrine had beene anciently receiued Nay it is verie plaine in storie that the Bishop of Romes lifting vp himselfe to bee Vniuersall Bishop chiefly caused it To conclude neither Liberius nor Honorius to omit many other Bishops of Rome had euer beene taxed of heresie if this had anciently beene currant that the Pope is infallible I will not stand now to examine the shamefull defence that Bellaâ—mine makes for the latter of these bearing downe Fathers Councells Stories Popes themselues as all falsified or deoeiued herein Wherein because hee is learnedly refuted by Doctor Raynolds I insist not vpon it
become no true Church to wit when it shall so erre damnably But then it followes not There is now no saluation in it and therefore come out of it now When you shew that I shall account you haue done wisely to goe out of it Shew that in anie one point and take me with you In the meane while for my part I shall sooner trust that chapman that shall say to me Loe here is a perfect yard I will measure as truely as I can and when I haue done take the yard and measure it your selfe then him that shall say here is thus much yee shall not neede to measure it but take it on my word yea though one of his Apprentices should stand by and say he could not deceiue mee though hee would as Benedictus a Benedictus tels the present Pope Volens nolens errare non potes Where you relate your endeauour to defend the Church of England and tell of the Puritanes reiecting those Arguments you could vse from the authoritie of the Church and of the ancient Doctors interpreting Scriptures against them flying to their owne arrogant spirit I cannot excuse them for the former nor subscribe to your accusation in the latter Perhaps you haue met with some more fanaticall Brownists or Anadaptists whom here you call Puritans But these that are commonly so called which differ from the Church of England about Church gouernment and ceremonies onely giue indeede to little to the authoritie of men how holy learned or ancient soeuer Which is their fault and their great fault especially in matters of this nature yet they flye not to their owne spirit as you charge them That which you adde that you perceiued the most Protestants did frame the like euasions when you came to answere the Arguments against them on the other side when you shall shew this in particulars I shall beleeue it In the meane while I beleeue you thought so for commonly mediocrities are aggrauated with the hatred slandered with the names of both extreames But in the question betweene the Popish faction and vs you might easily haue discerned why the argument from bare authoritie is not of such validitie For ceremonies and matters of order may be ordered by wise men are not the worse but the better if they be ancient yea if they be common to vs with Rome which Puritans will by no meanes allow In doctrin if holy men yea if an Angell from heauen shall innouate any thing wee are not to admit it Now the controuersies betweene the Romanists and vs are most about doctrine and they exceede as much in extolling the authoritie of the ancients in their priuate opinions and incommodious and strained speeches as the Puritans in depressing them We hold the meane and giue as much to the authoritie and testimonies of the Fathers as may stand with the truth of holy Scriptures and as themselues deferre to the writing of others or require to be giuen to their owne Next you tell of your following their opinion who would make the Church of England and the Church of Rome still to be all one in Essentiall points and the differences to be accidentall Confessing the Church of Rome to be a true Church though sicke or corrupted and the Protestants to be derined from it and reformed This opinion is not onely as you write fauoured of many great Schollers in England but is the common opinion of all the best Diuines of the reformed Churches that are or haue beene in the world as I shewed in part of another worke which as I remember you had a sight of Wherein yet I feare you mistake the tearme accidentall which doth noâ— import that our differences are but sleight and of small confideration but that all those opinions and abuses which we reforme and cut off are not of the Faith but superfluous and â—oraine yea hurtfull and noisome to it as the weedes are to the corne which ouer-grow and choake it And to follow this similitude the state of the Church vnder the Romane obedience and that part which is reformed is like a field ouergrowne all with weedes thistles tares cockle some part whereof is weeded and clensed some part remaines as it was before which makes such a difference to the view as if it were not the same corne But being better considered it will be found all the difference is from the weedes which remaine there and here are taken away Yet neither here perfectly nor all where a like but acâ—ording to the industrie of our weeders or conueniencie of the worke with care of the safetie of the good corne By this Parable you may see what is to be hoped of your labour to reconcile most of our particular controuersies For although I doubt not but in some it may be performed where the difference is rather verball then reall and in the manner of teaching rather then in the substance of doctrine And if moderate men had the matter in handling the flame of contention in a great many more might be troden downe and slaked suppose the sparkes not all extinct yet in some other it is as possible to make the weede and corne-friends as your and our opinions where there is none other remedy but that of our Sauiour Euery plant that my heauenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out Neither doth this impossibilitie arise more out of the nature of the things then the affection of the persons For the Pope and the Court of Rome which are those that domineere on that side doe no lesse out of the feare of their owne ruine deadly detest all reformation then the reformed out of their present view and former feeling the tyrannie of the Papacie which they see doth excommunicate and put to cruell death all that are of this way And which is a prodigious thing where they tolerate the blasphemous and professed enemies of Christ euen with allowance of the publike exercise of their Religion there doe they burne men professing Christs religion according to the ancient and common rule thereof with that vprightnesse of conscience that if they had as many liues as there be Articles thereof they would giue them all rather then renounce any of them As for the Protestants making the Pope Antichrist I know it is a point that inrageth much at Rome But if the Apostle Saint Paul if Saint Iohn in the Reuelation describe Antichrist so as they that doe but looke vpon the Pope well must be forced to say as the people did of the blinde man in the Gospell some this is â—e others he is very like him if himselfe and his flatterers doe and speake such things as if all others should hold their peace doe in a sort proclaime I am he what can the Protestants doe with the matter I will take the liberty here to relate to you what I saw while I was in Venice the rather because it is not impertinent to our present purpose And though perhaps you may
the Communion of the Ecclesiastical vnity for while he thinks he can separate all from his communion he hath separated himselfe onely from all He taxes him for calling Saint Cyprian a false Christ a false Apostle and a deceitfull workeman which being priuy to himselfe that these were his owne due preuentingly hee obiected to another No maruell if this geare could not passe the Presse at Rome In S. Cyprians Epistle De Vnitate Ecclesiae these words Primatus Petro datur c. after Vnam Cathedram constituit and againe Et Cathedra vna are foisted into the text in that Romane edition In that of Pamelius also besides these another clause is added forsooth out of Gratian and a Copie of the Cambron Abby Qui Cathedram Petri super quam fundata est Ecclesia deserit These patches being all left out the sense is neuerthelesse complete and perfect and for the last which speaks most for the Popes Chaire the Superuisors themselues of the Canon Law by the commandement of Gregory the thirteenth acknowledge that in eight Copies of Cyprian entire in the Vaticane Librarie this sentence is not found but besides these there is one wherein his opuscula alone are contained and another at Saint Sauiours in Bologna in which it is found But what account they make of it appeares by this that supplying the whole sentence in another place of Gratian they leaue it out Wherein as their conscience is to bee commended and Manutiâ—â— his modestie or theirs who surueied that edition that would not follow one Copie against eight so is Pamelius boldnesse to be corrected that out of one and that not fully agreeing with Gratian neither shames not as himselfe sayes veriti non sumus to force in this reading into the text against all the rest printed and manuscript which he vsed aboue twentie in number as he sets them downe in a Catalogue in the beginning of his edition It is now little more then two hundred yeeres agoe that Frier Thomas of Walden wrote against Witcleff He in the second Booke of his first Tome the first Article and second Chapter cites this verie place of Cyprian and cites it to fortâ—fie Witclefs assertion of his owne minde For hauing recited Witclefs words he concludes them thus Haec ibi and then proceeds Addamâ—t nos quod Cyprianus dicit omnes Apostolos pares fuisse poteâ—tate hoâ—â—re Addamus quod Hieronymus dicit super omnes Apostolos ex aequo fortitudo solidatur Ecclesiae c. Yet neither in that Chapter nor in that whole discourse doth he once mention these words now conueied into Cyprian nor any where else that I can find in all his Work though hee cite this Tractate often vnder the name of Liber contra haereticos schismaticos How fit had it beene to answere the obiection out of Cyprian by Cyprian if hee had not found that Gratian after his manner had been too bold or negligent in this passage The same Author in his third Tome De Sacramentalibus Doct. 10. cites a long place out of this same Treatise beginning at those words An esse sibi cum Christo videtur qui aduersum Saceâ—dotem Christi facit c. Againe Cap. 81. two places one immediately before the sentences charged with those former wordes another after The one beginning Loquitur Dominus ad Petrum Ego tibi dico quia tu es Petrus c. the other Vnitatem tenere â—irmiter vendiâ—are debemus c. Certainely vnlesse Waldensâ—s meant by faiâ—t-pleading to betray the cause hee vndertooke hee would neuer haue omitted so pregnant passâ—ges as these be for Peters Primacie and the Popes Chaire had they beene extant in Cyprians worke when hee wrote But wee cannot doubt of his good affection to the See of Rome either for his orders sake oâ— his dedicating that worke to Pope Martiâ—e the Fiâ—th or his approbation of the two first Tomes which hee saith hee caused to bee seene and examined per sollennes viros and testifies of to bee commended of all encouraging him to write the third It remaines therefore that Cyprian hath receiued this garnishment since Waldens time And here with this occasion of his silence about those things which are thrust into Cyprian I will though besides my purpose vse his testimony about a certaine sentence of the Author of the imperfect worke vpon Matthew ascribed to Saint Chrysostome which the Romish faction will needs race out It is in the eleuenth Homily about the middle The words are these Si enim vasa sanctificata ad priuatâ—s vsus transferre peccatum est periculum sicut docet Balthasar qui bibens in calicibus sacris de regnâ— depositus est de vita Si ergo haec vasa ad priuatos vsus transferre sic 〈◊〉 est in quibus non est verum corpus Christi 〈◊〉 mysterium â—orporis eius continetur quanto magis vasa corporis nostri quae sibi Deus ad habitaculum praeparanâ—â— non debemus locum dare Diabolo agendâ— in ijs quae vult In this sentence the wordes that I haue eâ—closed from the rest are inserted saith Bellarmâ—e by some Scholâ—er of Berengarius for they are not in all Copies No maruell That is more maruell that they are in any since the Canonizing of Transâ—bstantiation But in Waldeâ—s time and before the words were thâ—s read for in his third Tome Cap. 30. they are thus cited saue thaâ— by the error of the print ministerium is put for mysterium and hee addes there 〈…〉 But saith Bellarmine These words 〈◊〉 not to the matter in hand for the Author of the 〈◊〉 spake of the holy vessels of Salomons Temple which 〈…〉 and in those vessels neither was the Lords true body nor yet the mystery thereof Well if they be not to the purpose if they speake of the vessells of Salomons Temple let them stand in the Text still What need yee purge them out of the newer editions at Antwerpe and Paris Belike Father Iohn Matthews saw further into this matter then Bellarmine for hee casts out this sentence with the dregs of the Arians although there bee no Arianisme in it that I can perceiue The truth is the Author speakes of the Vessels vsed in the Lords Supper in his owne time For those wordes sicut docet Balthasar c. are brought in by the way for a confirmation from a like example the sense hanging in the meane while which is resumed againe when hee goes on Si ergo haec vasa as any indifferent Reader may perceiue Yea take away these words the sinewes of the sentence are cut for the force of the argument lies in the comparison of the prophaning of the holy vessels and of our bodies That is a sin yet Christs body is not contained in them but the mystery therof but God himselfe dwels in these These examples to omit some other doe make mee thinke that howsoeuer the corrupting of the texts of the
Scriptures by their owne free consent and desire Iudge by an instance or two that this matter may not be a meere skirmish of generalities Tertullian in his latter times whether as Saint Hierome writes through the enuie and reproach of the Roman Clergie or out of the too much admiring chastitie and fasting became a Montanist and wrote a Booke de Pudicitia blaming the reconciling of Adulterers and Fornicators In the very entrance almost thereof he hath these words Audio etiam edictum esse propositum quidem peremptorium Pontifex scil Maximus Episcopus Episcoporum dicit Ego maechis fornicationis delict a paenitentiâ functis dimitto Pamelius in his noate vpon this place writes thus Bene habet annotatu dignum quod etiamiam in haeresi constitutus aduersus Ecclesiaâ—â— scribens Pontificeâ— Romanum Episcopum Episcoporum nuncupet infra Cap. 13. bonum Pastorem benedictum Papum Cap. 21. Apostolicum Thus Pamelius and presently laâ—ches forth into the Priuiledges of the See of Rome and brings a number of testimonies for that forgery of Constantines donation The like note hee hath in the life of Tertullian where hee makes the Pope that set forth the former Edict to haue beene Zephyrinus quem saith hee Pontificem Maximum etiam iam haereticus Episcopum Episcoporum appellat Baronius also makes no small account of this place and saith The title of the Pope is here to bee noted And indeed prima facie as you say they haue reason But hee that shall well examine the whole web of Tertullians discourse shall finde that hee speakes by a most bitter and scornefull Ironie as Elias doth of Baal when hee saith hee is a God The word scilicet might haue taught them thus much Yea the title Pontifex Maximus which in those dayes and almost two ages after was a Pagan terme neuer attibuted to a Christian Bishop first laid downe by Gratian the Emperour as Baronius also notes in the yeere of our Lord 383. because it â—auoured of Heathenish superstition though it had beene as a title of Royalty vsed by the former Christian Emperours till that time This title I say might haue made them perceiue Tertullians meaning vnlesse the immoderate desire of exalting the Papacie did so blind their eyes that seeing they saw and yet perceiued not In the same character though with more mildnesse and moderation is the same title for the other part of it vsed by Saint Cyprian in his Vote in the Councell of Carthage Neque n. quisquam nostrum se esse Episcopum Episcoporum constituit aut tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem Collegas suos adigit Bellarmine saith hee speakes here of those Bishops that were in the Councell of Carthage and that the Bishop of Rome is not included in that sentence who is indeed Bishop of Bishops What! and doth hee tyranniously inforce his Colleagues to obedience also For it is plaine that Cyprian ioynes these together the one as the presumptuous title the other as the iniurious act answering thereto which hee calls plaine tyranny And as plaine it is out of Firmilianus Epistle which I vouched before that Stephanus Bishop of Rome heard ill for his arrogancie and presuming vpon the place of his Bishopricke Peters Chaire to seuer himselfe from so many Churches and breake the bond of peace now with the Churches of the East in Asia now of the South in Africke And hee was in as ill conceit with Cyprian for his breaking good order and communicating with Basilides and Martialis iustly depriued in Spaine as Saint Cyprian was with him when he stiled him a false Christ and a false Apostle But the holy Martyr was of a more patient and calme spirit then to be moued with such reproaches nay hee tooke occasion as it should seeme thereby to write of patience From this mildnesse it was that hee so closely taxed the presumption of him that made himselfe Bishop of Bishops and by terror which what it was Firmilianus Epistle shewes threatning Excommunication would compell his Colleagues to his owne opinion None of vs saith he doth thus As the Apostle we preach not our selues we commend not our selues Wee are not as many that adulterate the Word of God c. Bellarmine takes the first kindly No maruell saith hee for this the Bishop of Romes due But they goe together hee must be content to take both or leaue both Such another place there is in Saint Augustines Epist. 86. the wordes are Petrâ—â— etiam inquit Apostolorum Capuâ— coeli 〈◊〉 Ecclesia fundamentum Where in the Margent the Diuines of Louaine the ouerseers of Plantines edition set this note Petrus Ecclesia fundamenâ—â—m Why might they not The words yee will say of the text But these words of the text be not Saint Augustines whose opinion is well enough knowne That it is Christ confessed by Peter that is the foundation of the Church but they are the words of an vndiscreet railer of the Citie of Rome against whom Saint Augustine in all that Epistle most vehemently inueighs This arrogant Author endeauours so to defend the Romane custome of fasting on the Saturday as hee reproaches all other Churches that vsed otherwise And that we may see with what Spirit he was led he brings the same text that is brought in Pope Siricius and Innocentius Epistles against the marriage of Clergie men Qui in carne sunt Deo placere non possunt and many other Scripâ—ures wrested and farre from the purpose at last comes the authoritie of Peter and his tradition very Pope-like alledged Peter he saith the head of the Apostles porter of heauen and foundation of the Church hauing ouercome Simon the Sorcâ—rer who was a figure of the Deuill not to be ouercome but by fasting thus taught the Romanes whose faith is famous in the whole world I remit you to Saint Augustines answere to this tradition This I note that where your Censors do race out of the Margents of former editions such notes as do expresse the very opinions of the ancients and in their owne wordes here they can allow and authorize such marginall notes as are directly contrary to their meaning Yea which are earnestly oppugned by them when they seeme to make for the authoritie of the Pope Good sir examine well this dealing and iudge if this bee not wresting the Fathers and applying them cleane from their purpose In fine you found your selfe you say euidently conuinced Perswaded I beleeue rather then conuinced Else if the force and euidence of the Arguments and not the pliablenesse of your minde were the cause of your yeelding mee thinkes they should worke like effect in others no lesse seriously seeking for truth and setting all worldly respects aside earnestly minding their owne saluation then your selfe Which I well know they do not neither those which hitherto haue beene examined nor those which yet remaine to be considered in the rereward CHAP. VIII Of the Inuisibilitie of the Church said
to bee an euasion of Protestants THe first whereof is the dislike of the Protestants euasion as you call it by the inuisibilitie of their Church Giue mee leaue here to tell you plainly yee seeme to mee not to vnderstand the Protestants doctrine in this point Else yee would haue spared all that The Catholike Church must euer be visible as a Citie set on a hill otherwise how should shee teach her children conuert Pagans dispence Sacraments All this is yeelded with both hands The Congregations of which the Catholike Church doth consist are visible But the promise made to this Church of victory against the gates of hell the titles of the house of God the base and piller of Truth an allusion as I take it to the bases and pillers that held vp the veile or curtaines in the Tabernacle the body of Christ his Doue his vndefiled are not verified of this Church in the whole visible bulke of it but in those that are called according to Gods purpose giuen to Christ and kept by him to bee raised vp to life at the last day This doctrine is Saint Augustines in many placeâ— which it would bee too tedious to set downe at large In his third booke De doctrina Christiana among the rules of Tychonius there is one which hee corrects a little for the tearmes De Domini corpore bipertito which he saith ought not to haue beene called so for in truth that is not the Lords body which shal not be with him for euer but he should haue said of the Lords true body and mixt or true and fained or some such thing Because not onely for euer but euen now hypocrites are not to be said to be with him though they seeme to be in his Church Consider those resemblances taken out of the holy Scripture wherein that godly Father is frequent of chaffe and wheat in the Lords floore of good and bad fishes in the net of spots and light in the Moone Of the Church carnall and spirituall of the wicked multitudes of the Church yet not to be accounted in the Church Of the lilly and the thornes those that are marked which mourne for the sinnes of Gods people and the rest which perish which yet beare his Sacraments Consider the last Chapter of the booke De Vnitate Ecclesiae and that large Treatise which he hath of that matter Epist. 48. The place is long which deserues to bee read for the obiection of the Vniuersality of Arianisme like to that of Papisme in these last ages which Saint Augustine answeres in the fifth booke De Baptismo contra Donatistas cap. 27. That number of the iust who are called according to Gods purpose of whom it is said The Lord knoweth who are his is the inclosed garden the sealed fountaine the well of liuing waters the orchard with Apples c. The like hee hath l. 5. c. 3. 23. he concludes that because such are built vpon the Rocke as heare the Word of God and doe it and the rest vpon the sand now the Church is built vpon the Rocke all therefore that heare the Word of God and doe it not are out of question without the Church In the seuenth booke cap. 51. Quibus omnibus consideratisâ— Read and marke the whole Chapter Out of these and many more like places which I forbeare to mention it appeares that albeit the true Catholike Church is such as cannot bee hid yet considering that it consists of two sorts of people the one which is the greater part who doe not indeed properly belong to it the other the fewer truely and properly so called to whom all the glorious things spoken of the Church doe agree The face therefore of the mixt Church may be ouer-run with scandals as in all times almost The greatest number may sometime bee Idolaters as in the Kingdome of Israel vnder Achab. The principallest in authoritie may bee false teachers as the Priests and Prophets in Ieremies time the sonnes of pestilence may sit in Moses Chaire as they did in Christs time Yet still the Church is the ground and piller of Truth in the Elect Ipsa est praedestinata columna firmamentum veritatis The Sheepe heare not Seducers Iohn 10. 8. to wit finally and in any damnable point Thus was it before Christ thus since thus in the Church of England before yea and since it was reformed Thus in that of Rome it selfe at this day There is a distinction of Thomas of those that be in the Church which rightly â— interpreted agrees fully herewith There are some De Ecclesia numero tantum Some numero merito The former are such as haue onely fidem informem the latter formatam Now though the persons of such as be in the Church be visible yet the Faith and Charitie of men wee see not and to argue from the priuiledges of the Church numero merito to the Church numero tantum is a perpetuall but a palpable paraâ—ogisme of the Romish faction which is grosser yet when they argue to the Church representatiue and grossest of all when one man is made the Church and he as themselues grant may fall out a Deuill incarnate CHAP. IX Of lacke of Vniformitie in matters of Faith in all ages and places ANd in this selfe same Paralogisme you were beguiled with in the next point of Vniformitie and concord in matters of Faith The true Church yee say â—uer holds such Vniformitie It is vtterly false in the Visible and mixt Church both before Christ and since It is false in the Church of Rome it selfe whose new-coyned faith patched to the Creed by Pius the Fourth came in peece-meale out of priuate opinions and corrupt vsages nor euer was in any age vniformely holden or taught as matter of Faith euen in it as it is at this day So by your owne discourse it should be no true Church And taking matters of faith so largely as it seemes you doe in opposition to such things as bee cerâ—mâ—nies or of gouernment it is vntrue also of the Church of the Elect or properly so called For though the Faith in the principles thereof bee euer the same yet many conclusions of Faith haue sometimes lien vnsearched out and like some parts of the world vnknowne till by the industrie of Gods seruants occasioned also by the importunitie and opposition of Heretikes they were discouered Sundrie common errours also there haue beene which in succeeding ages haue beene cleered and reformed as the â—hiliastes That Angels haue bodies That children after they be baptized are to be communicated That Heretikes are to be rebaptized To the Assumption First the Protestants challenge not to themselues any Church as their owne which I must aduertise you of here because formerly also you doe vse this phrase The Church is Christs both the visible and inuisible Next taking matters of Faith for foundations or articles of Faith necessarie to saluation the Church of Christ hath in all ages had
insist for the present but admitting it as true that wickednesse of mens persons doth not impeach the holinesse of their functions which they haue receiued of God nor make Gods ordinances as his Word and Sacraments of none effect But tell me for Gods loue Master Waddesworth is it likely that this Monarchie thus sought thus gotten thus kept thus exercised is of God Are these men that wholly forsaking the feeding of the flocke of God dreame of nothing now but Crowns and Scepterâ— serue to the Church to no vse in the world vnlesse it be to breake the ancient Canons and oppresse with their power all that shall but vtter a free word against their ambition and tyrannie are they I will not say with you good heads of Gods Church but members of it and not rather limbes of Satan Consider those Texts My Kingdome is not of this world Vos autem non sic Consider the charge which Saint Peter giues to his fellow Presbyters 1. Pet. 5. 2 3 4. Now I beseech our Lord deliuer his Church from this tyrannie and blesse you from being a member of such a Head CHAP. XI Of lacke of succession Bishops true Ordinations Ordâ—rs Priesthood I Come now to your motiue from succession Where I maruell first that leauing the succession of Doctrine which is farre more proper and intrinsecall to the Churches being you stand vpon that of Persons and Offices Yea and about them too immediately passe from that which is of Essence to the externall formalities in consecration and ordination according to the ancient Councels Haue you forgotten what you said right now that matters of ceremonie and gouernment are changeable Yea but in France Holland and Germanie they haue no Bishops First what if I should defend they haue because a Bishop and a Presbyter are all one as Saint Ierome maintaines and prooues out of holy Scripture and the vse of Antiquitie Of which iudgement as Medina confesseth are sundrie of the ancient Fathers both Greeke and Latineâ— Saint Ambrose Augustine Seduliuâ— Primasius Chrysostome Theodorit Oecumenius and Theophylact which point I haue largely treated of in another place against him that vndertooke Master Alablasters quarrell Besides those Churches in Germanie haue those whom they call Superintendents and generall Superintendents as out of Doctor Bancroft by the testimonie of Zanchius and sundrie Germane Diuines you might perceiue Yea and where these are not as in Geneua and the French Churches yet there are saith Zanchius â—sually certaine chiefe men that doe in a manner beare all the sway as if order it selfe and necessitie led them to this course And what are these but Bishops indeede vnlesse wee shall wrangle about names which for reason of State those Churches were to abstaine from As for that you say Lay men intermedâ—le there with the making of their Ministers if you meane the election of them they haue reason for anciently the people had alwayes a right therein as Saint Cyprian writes to the Churches of Leon and Astorga there in Spaine Plebs ipsa maxime habet potestatem vel eligendi dignos Sacerdotes vel indignos recusandi and in sundrie places of Italie this vsage doth continue to this day If yee meane it in Ordination yee are deceiued and wrong these Churches as Bellarmine himselfe will teach you lib. De Clâ—ricis cap. 3. For amongst the Lutherans and Caluinists also saith hee which haue taken away almost all Ecclesiasticall rites they onely lay on hands and make Pastors and Ministers who though they be not Pastors and Bishops indeede would be so accounted and called In England you misse first the lesser orders and say we are made Ministers per saltum as if all that are made Priests among you were Psalmists Sextens Readers Exâ—rcists Torch-bearers Subdeacons and Deacons before Remember I pray what the Master of the Sentences saith of Deaconship and Priesthood Hos solos primitiuâ— Ecclesia legitur habuisse de his solis praeceptum Apostoli habemus Hee meanes in the Epistles to Tâ—â—othy and Titus Againe Subdiaeonos vere Acolythos precedeâ—te tempore Ecclesia sibi constituit What and were the Primitiue and Apostolike Churches no true Churches or neede wee to bee ashamed to bee like them Besides those Councels that yee speake of it should seeme were of no great either antiquitie or authoritie when not onely Presbyters without passing through any order but Bishops without being so much as baptized were ordayned As Nectarius of Constantinople Synesius of Cyrene Ambrose of Millaine Constantine II. of Rome it selfe This therefore is a very sleight exception Your next is well worse touching the Ordination at the Nags-head where the Consecration of our first Bishops as you say was attempted but not effected It is certaine you say and you are sure there was such a matter although you know and haue seene the records themselues that afterward there was a Consecration of Doctor Parker at Lambeth Alas Master Wadesworth if you bee resolued to beleeue lies not onely against publike Acts and your owne eye-sight but against all probabilitie who can helpe it I had well hoped to haue found that ingenuitie in you that I might haue vsed your testimony vnto others of that side touching the vanitie of this fable as hauing shewed you the Copie of the record of Doctor Parkers consecration which I had procured to bee transcribed out of the Acts which your selfe also at your returne from London told mee you saw in a blacke Booke Now I perceiue by your perplexed writing and enterlining in this part of your Letter you would faine discharge your conscience and yet vphold this lie perhaps as loth to offend that side where you now are and therefore you haue deuised this temper that the one was attempted the other effected But it will not bee For first of all if that at the Nags-head were but attempted what is that to the purpose of our Ordinations which are not deriued from it but from the other which as you say was effected at Lambeth And are you sure there was such a matter How are you sure Were you present there in person or haue you heard it of those that were present Neither of both I suppose but if it were so that some bodie pretending to haue beene there present told you so much how are you sure that hee lied not in saying so much more when you haue it but at the third or fourth hand perhaps the thirtieth or fortieth But consider a little is it probable that men of that sort in an action of that importance and at the beginning of the Queenes reigne when especially it concerned both them and her to prouide that all things should bee done with reputation would bee so hastie and heedlesse as to take a Tauerne for a Church Why might they not haue gone to the next Church as well They thought to make the old Catholike Bishop drunken Thus the Wisbich and Framyngham Priests were wont to tell the tale Is it likely that
see how the Interpreter hath hit the marke Againe yee ought to haue knowne quod fecit Deus duo magna luminaria c. See the exposition and the difference betweene the Pope and Kings both in the Text and Glosse Now although the Glosse writer were no excellent Calculator yet out of Clauius the account may bee cleared who tells vs the Sunne exceedes the Moone 6539. times and 〈◊〉 I let passe the collection out of Pasce oues meas that â—e belongs not to Christs fold that doth not acknowledge Peter and his Successors his Masters and Pastors out of Quodcuinque ligaueris that nothing is excepted Indeed the Pope excepts nothing but looseth Vowes Contracts Oathes the bond of Allegeance and Fealtie betweene Subiects and their Princes The Commandement of Christ Drinke yee all of this c. But our Lord expounds himselfe Iohn 20. Whose sinnes yee remit they are remitted c. Ex ore sedentis in throno procedebat gladius his acutus This is saith the Pope the sword of Salomon which cuts on both sides giuing euery man his owne Wee then who albeit vnworthy bold the place of the true Salomon by the fauour of God doe wisely exercise this Sword when such causes as in our audience are lawfully canuassed wee doe with iustice determine This interpretation first corrupts the Text for it hath not out of the mouth of him that sate on the Throne but that sate on the Horse next it peruerts it for it is not the sword of Iustice but of Christs Word which is more piercing then any two-edged sword that issueth out of his mouth As for that of Iustice he neuer assumed it but renounced it rather when hee said Man who made mee a diuider to you Luk. 12. 14. To proue that in other Regions besides the patrimonie of the Church the Pope doth casually exercise temporall iurisdiction it is said in Deuteronomie Si difficile sit ambiguum c. And because Deuteronomie is by interpretation â—he second Law Surely by the force of the Word it is proued that what is there decreed should bee obserued in the New Testament For the place which the Lord did choose is knowne to bee the Apostolike See For when as Peter fleeing went out of the Citie the Lord minding to call him backe to the place hee had chosen being asked of him Lord whither goest thou answered I goe to Rome to bee crucified agaiâ—e The Priests of the Tribe of Leus are the Popes coadiutors The high Priest or Iudge he to whom the Lord said in Peter Quodcunque ligaueris c. His Vicar who is a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck appointed by God the Iudge of quicke and dead He that contemnes the Popes sentence is to bee excommunicated for that is the meaning of being commanded to be put to death Doth not this well â—ollow out of the word Deuteronomie And Rome is the place that Christ did choose because he went he said to bee crucified there Onely there is a scruple of the high Priest for as much as he that is high Priest after Melchisedecks order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a Priesthood that passes not into another Heb. 7. He addes there that Paul that hee might declare the fulnesse of power writing to the Corinthians saith Know yee not that yee shall iudge the Angels how much more the things of the world Is this then the Popes plenitude of Power to iudge secular things or was Corinth the Apostolike See and so many Popes there euen of the meanest of the Church What shall we say to that exposition of the famous Text. Tâ—â— es Petrus super haâ—â— petram a edificabo Ecclesiam meaâ— The Lord he saith taking peter iâ—to the fellowship of the vndiuided Vnitie would haue him to bee called that which hee was himselfe that the building of the eternall Temple might by the maruâ—llous gift of God consist in Peters firmenesse What is this vndiuided Vnitie Not of the Trinitie I trow or Natures in Christ. What then his office of which hee said a little before out of the Apostle that no man can lay any other foundation but Iesus Christ. Yes that from Peter as a certaine head hee should as it were powre abroad his gifts into his whole body That the Church might stand vpon Peters firmenesse This foundation Saint Paul knew not when hee blamed I am of Cephâ—s Peters infirmitie cannot beare vp the weight of such a building much lesse which we must remember the Romanists vnderstand by this Iargon the Papes his Successors Such another interpretation is that of Pope Boniface that makes Vnum Ouile vnus Pastor the Church and the Pope But it is plaine our Sauiour alludes to the prophesies Ezek. 34. 23. 37. 24. where the Lord cals that one Pastor his seruant Dauid What blasphemie is this thus to vsurpe Christs Royalties What Father what Councell what Catholike man euer interpreted this Text on this manner By which the Pope while hee seekes the name of the Sheepherd shuts himselfe out of Christs fold Yea the same Pope cals the Church his Spouse also and so other Popes since Saint Iohn the Baptist tels them that he that hath the Bride is the Bridegroome Saint Paul prepared her to one husband Christ If shee bee the Popes Spouse with her will shee is a Harlot if against her will hee is a Rauisher and our Lord Iesus Christ will deliuer her out of his leud embracements crying out of the violence which shee suffers as it is to be hoped shortly That in the Churches power are two swords the spirituall and temporall we are taught by the wordes of the Gospell saith the same Boniface For when the Apostles said Behold there be two swords here to wit in the Church when the Apostles spake thus the Lord answered not that is was too much but enough Certainly hee that denies the temporall sword to be in Peters power doth ill obserue the speech which our Lord vtters Put vp thy sword into the sheath No doubt an infallible interpretation by which it should appeare that both the swords that were in our Sauiours companie hung by Saint Peters side or else that some other had the spirituall leauing none to Saint Peter but that which he might not vse The exposition is Saint Berenards you will day But in an Epistle paraeneticall to the Pope himselfe Saint Bernard might haue leaue to vse allusions and after his manner to bee liberall of all that the See of Rome challenged that he might haue the more authoritie to reforme the abuses of it As to grant Peter the temporall sword but so as hee must not vse it Quid tu gladium denno vsurpare tentes quem semel iussus es ponere in vaginam and he shews how these two swords bee the Churches The one to bee drawne out for the Church the other also by the Church This by the Priests that
by the Souldiers hand but at the beck of the Priest and bidding of the Emperor But the Pope in a Decretall Epistle pretending to teach the world in a point as he pronounces necessarie to saluation with such an interpretation as this argues little reuerence to the Word of God and a very meane opinion of the iudgements and consciences of christen men if they could not discerne this to be a strangers voice not Christs Besides that he changes Saint Bernards wordes and cleane peruerts his meaning For exerendus he puts in exercendus For ille Sacerdotis is militis manu sed sanè ad nutum Sacerdotis iussum Imperatoris Pope Boniface thinking iussum to absolute in the Emperor makes him to bee the executioner and ioynes him with the Souldier on this manner Ille Sacerdotum is manu Regum Militum sed ad nutum patientiam Sacerdotis Saint Bernard makes the executiue power to be in the Souldier the directiue in the Priest the commanding in the Emperor Pope Boniface makes the Kings and Souldiers to haue only the executiue the directiue permissiue to be in the Priest Yea sword he saith must be vnder sword For where the Apostle saith There is no power but of God que autem sunt à Deo ordinata sunt more fully in the originall text the powers that are are ordained that is appointed of God the Interpreter here dreames of order and subordination and cities a saying of Dionysius that the lowest things are reduced to the highest by the middlemost a conceit that makes nothing to the purpose of the Apostle in that place Hee proceeds and tells vs that of the Church and power Ecclesiasticall is verified the prophecie of Ieremy Behold I haue set thee this day ouer Kings and Kingdomes c. Tell me good Master Wadesworth what is to peruerâ— the Scriptures if this bee not to apply to the power Ecclesiasticall that which is spoken of the word and calling Propheticall Yet more The earthly power if it swerue out of the way shall bee iudged of the power spirituall but if the spirituall that is lesser of that which is superiour to it But if the highest it may bee iudged of God onely not of man the Apostle witnessing the spirituall man iudgeth all things but himselfe is iudged of none Wee are come at length as it were to the fountaines of Nilus to the originall of the infallibilitie of your Iudge and if hee haue here rightly interpreted Saint Paul we learne that no earthly power no Magistrate is a spirituall man vnlesse hee bee one of the Popes spiritualtie For these be Saint Pauls spirituall men that iudge all things Yet this must receiue limitation For no man may iudge the Pope the supreme Spirituall man for of him it seemes Saint Paul meant it his authoritie hee saith is not humane but diuine by the diuine mouth giuen to Peter and his successors when the Lord said to him Quodcunque ligaueris For conclusion whosoeuer resists this power thus ordered of God resists the ordinance of God vnlesse as Manichaeus he faine two beginnings which saith hee wee iudge to bee false and hereticall sith by Moses record not in the beginnings but in the beginning God created Heauen and Earth Who would not acknowledge the diuine authoritie and infallibilitie of your Interpreter both in confirming his purpose and conuincing heresies from so high a beginning as this first sentence of holy Writ What rests now but after so many testimonies he inferre Furthermore to be vnder the Bishop of Rome we declare say define and pronounce that to euery humane creature it is altogether of necessitie of saluation Thus saith your infallible Iudge and Interpreter of Scripture the center of your conscience and foundation of your Faith not as a priuate Doctor but as Pope in his owne Law intending to informe and bind the Church and that in matters with him of the greatest importance that may bee touching his owne authoritie and as hee pretends absolutely necessarie to saluation to all the sonnes of Adam I might heape vp many more but these may suffice for a sample You may and so doe by your selfe I beseech you obserue these kind of interpretations in other points also and in other the Decretals Breues of Popes which as I heare are lately come forth in great volumes You shall finde many mysteries in your faith that perhaps you know not of as That you cannot please God because you are married for so is that place of the Apostle interpreted qui in carne viuunt Deo placere non possunt That not onely the wine in the Chalice but the water also is transubstaniated first into wine then into Christs bloud That it was not watry moisture but the true element of water which issued out of Christs side You shall finde confession of sins to the Priest proued by the text Corde creditur a'd iustitiam ore autem fit confessio ad salutem That the good ground that receiued the seed in the Gospel is the religion of the Friers Miâ—â—rs That this is that pure and immaculate religion with God and the Father which descending from the Father of lights deliuered exemplariter verbaliter by the Sonne to his Apostles and then inspired by the holy Ghost into Saint Francis aud his followers containes in it selfe the testimony of the Trinitie This is that which as Saint Paul witnesseth no man must be troublesome vnto which Christ hath confirmed with the prints of his Passion The text is decaetero nemo mihi molestus sit ego n. stigmata Domini Iesu in corpore nemo porto It is maruell if Saint Paul were not of the order of Saint Frances That when Christ said Ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus hee meant it of remaining and being with them euen by his bodily presence Saint Augustine vpon the same text denies this and saith that according to the presence of his body hee is ascended into heauen and is not here That the Father of the childe christened and his Godfathers wife may not marry because according to the Lords word the husband and the wife are made one flesh by marriage That the number of Foure doth well agree to the degrees prohibited in corporall marriage of which the Apostle saith The man hath not the power of his owne body but the woman nor the woman power of her body but the man because there are foure humours in the body which consist of the foure Elements For conclusion you shall finde it by a commodious interpretation concluded contrarie to many texts of Scripture out of Scripture it selfe that no simple and vnlearned man presume to reach to the subtility of the Scripture because well it was enacted in the law of God that the beast which should touch the mountaine should be stoned For it is written Seeke not things higher then thy selfe
lesser Orders and Subdeaconship according to the Master of the Sentences were instituted by the Church 3. The Deacons instituted by the Apostles Act. 6. were not Deacons of the Altar but of the Tables Widdowes 4. In Deaconship there seemes to be no certain forme for according to the old Pontificals the laying of hands vpon the Deacon hath no certaine forme of words but that prayer Emitte qâ—aesumus in eos S. Sauctum which according to the new Pontificals is to be said after the imposition of hands For the giuing of the Booke of the Gospels hath indeede a forme of words but that impresseth not the Character for before any Gospell was written the Apostles ordained Deacons by imposition of hands 5. In the Subdeaconship also there is no Pontificall which hath not the matter without forme viz. the deliuery of the emptie Chalice c. These things with more which hee there sets downe he would haue to serue to the instruction of the learned touching the vncertaintie of this whole matter to â—each men to be wise to sobrietie that is euery man to be content with the accustomed Pontificall of the Church wherein he is ordained And if ought be omitted of those things which be added out of the new Pontificals as for example that the Booke of the Epistles was not giuen with those words Take authoritie to reade the Epistles as well for the quicke as the dead there is no neede of supplying this omission by a new ordination for such new additions make no new law Learne then of your owne Caietane that the new additions of deliuery of the Chalice with wine and Paten with Hosts and authoritie to offer sacrifice for the quick and dead make no new Law Learn to be content with the Pontificall of the Church wherein you were ordained Wherein first is verbatim all that which your Pontificals had well taken out of the holy words of our Sauiour Accipe Spiritum Sanctum quorum remisseris peccata remittuntur eis quorum retinueris retenta sunt Which me thinkes you should rather account to containe the essentiall forme of Priesthood then the former both because they are Christs owne words and ioyned with that ceremonie of laying on hands which anciently denominated this whole action and do expresse the worthiest and principallest part of your Commission which the Apostle cals the Ministry of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 18. 19. Then because this office is not onely deputed to consecrate the Lords body but also to preach baptize which in your Pontificall is wholly omitted in a larger and more conuenient forme is added out of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 4. 1. and be thou a faithfull dispenser of the word of God and of his holy Sacraments In the name of the Father c. As to that you adde that we offer no sacrifice for the quicke and dead and therefore well may be called Ministers as all lay men are but are no Priests I haue met with sundry that pull this roape as strongly the other way and affirme that because by the very forme of your ordination you are appointed Sacrificers for the quicke and dead well may ye be Masse-Priests as ye are called but Ministers of the New Testament after S. Pauls phrase ye are none For that office stands principally in preaching the word whereof in your ordination there is no word said And as little there is in Scripâ—ure of your sacrifice which makes Christ not to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedech c. with much more to this purpose Where my defence for your Ministrie hath beene this that the forme Receiue the holy Ghost whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted c. doth sufficiently comprehend the authoritie of preaching the Gospell Vse you the same equitie toward vs and tell those hot spirits among you that stand so much vpon formalities of words that to be a dispenser of the word of God and his holy Sacraments is all the dutie of Priesthood And to you I adde further that if you consider well the words of the Master of the Sentences which I vouched before how that which is consecrated of the Priest is called a Sacrifice and oblation because it is a memoriall and representation of the true sacrifice and holy offering made on the altar of the Crosse and ioyne there to that of the Apostle that by that one offering Christ hath perfected for euer them that are sanctified and as he saith in another place through that bloud of his Crosse reconciled vnto God all things whether in earth or in heauen you shall perceiue that we do offer sacrifice for the quick and dead remembring representing mystically offering that sole Sacrifice for the quicke and dead by the which all their fins are meritoriously expiated and desiring that by the same wee and all the Church may obtaine remission of sinnes and all other benefits of Christs passion To the Epilogue therefore of this your last motiue I say in short Sith we haue no neede of Subdeaconship more then the Churches in the Apostles times in truth those whom wee call Clerkes and Sextens performe what is necessarie in this behalfe Sith we haue Canonicall Bishops and lawfull succession Sith we neither want due intention to depute men to Ecclesiasticall functions nor matter or forme in giuing Priesthood deriuing from no man or woman the authoritie of ordination but from Christ the head of he Church yee haue alleadged no sufficient cause why we should not haue true Pastors and consequently a true Church in England CHAP. XII Of the Conclusion Master Waddesworths agonies and protestation c. YEt by these you say and many other arguments you were resolued in your vnderstanding to the contrary It may well be that your vnderstanding out of it owne heedlesse haste as that of our first Parents while it was at the perfectest was induced into errour by resoluing too soone out of seeming arguments and granting too forward assent For surely these which you haue mentioned could not conuince it if it would haue taken the paines to examine them throughly or had the patience to giue vnpartiall hearing to the motiues on the other side Buâ— as if you triumphed in your owne conquest and captiuitie you adde that which passeth yet all that hitherto you haue set downe viz. That the Church of Rome was and is the onely true Church because it alone is Ancient Catholike and Apostolike hauing succession vnitie and visibilitie in all ages and places Is it onely ancient To omit Hierusalem are not that of Antioch where the Disciples were first called Christians and Alexandria Ephesus Corinth and the rest mentioned in the Scriptures ancient also and of Antioch ancienter then Rome Is it Catholike and Apostolike onely Doe not these and manie more hold the Catholike faith receiued from the Apostles as well as the Church of Rome For that it should be the Vniuersall Church is all one as yee would say the part is the
whole one Citie the world Hath it onely succession where to set aside the inquirie of Doctrine so manie Simoniacks and intruders haue ruled as about fiftie of your Popes together were by your owne mens confession Apostaticall rather then Apostolicall Or Vnitie where there haue beene thirtie Schismes and one of them which endured fiftie yeares long and at last grew into three heads as if they would share among them the triple Crowne And as for diffentions in Doctrine I remit you to Master Doctor Halls peace of Rome wherein hee scores aboue three hundred mentioned in Bellarmine alone aboue threescore in one onely head of Penance out of Nauarrus As to that addition in all ages and places I know not what to make of it nor wherâ—o to refer it Consider I beseech you with your wonted moderation what you say for sure vnlesse you were beguâ—led I had almost said bewitched you could neuer haue resolued to beleeue and professe that which all the world knowes to be as false I had welnigh said as God is true touching the extent of the Romish Church to all ages and places Concerning the agonies you passed I will say onely thus much if being resolued though erroniously that was truth you were withholden from professing it with worldly respects you did well to breake through them all But if besides these there were doubt of the contrarie as me thinks needes must be vnlesse you could satisfie your selfe touching those many and knowne exceptions against the Court of Rome which you could not be ignorant of take heede lest the rest insuing these agonies were not like Sampsons sleeping on Dalâ—lahs knees while the locks of his strength were shauen whereupon the Lord departing from him he was taken by the Philistims had his eyes put out and was made to grinde in the prison But I doe not despaire but your former resolutions shall grow againe And as I doe beleeue your religious asseueration that for very feare of damnation you forsooke vs which makes mee to haue the better hope and opinion of you for that I see you doe so seriously minde that which is the end of our whole life so I desire from my heart the good hope of saluation you haue in your present way may be as happie as your feare I am perswaded was causelesse For my part I call God to record against mine owne soule that both before my going into Italie and since I haue still endeauoured to finde and follow the truth in the points controuerted betweene vs without any earthly respect in the world Neither wanted I faire opportunitie had I seene it on that side easily and with hope of good entertainment to haue adioyned my selfe to the Church of Rome after your example But to vse your words as I shall answere at the dreadfull day of iudgement I neuer saw heard or read any thing which did conuince me nay which did not finally confirme me daily more and more in the perswasion that in these differences it rests on our part Wherein I haue not followed humane coniectures from forraine and outward things as by your leaue mee thinkes you doe in these your motiues whereby I protest to you in the sight of God I am also much comforted and assured in the possession of the truth but the vndoubted voice of God in his word which is more to my conscience then a thousand Topicall Arguments In regard whereof I am no lesse assured that if I should forsake it I should be renounced by our Sauiour before God and his Angels then in the holding it be acknowledged and saued which makes me resolue not onely for no hope if it were of 10000. worlds but by the gracious assistance of God without whom I know I am able to doe nothing for no terrour or torment euer to become a Papist You see what a large distance there is betweene vs in opinion Yet for my part I doe not take vpon me to foreiudge you or anie other that doth not with an euill minde and selfe condemning conscience onely to maintaine a faction differ from that which I am perswaded is the right I account we hold one and the same faith in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and by him in the blessed Trinitie To his iudgement we stand or fall Incomparably more and of more importance are those things wherein wee agree then those wherin we dissent Let vs follow therefore the things of peace and of mutuall edification If any be otherwise minded then he ought God shall reueale that also to him If any be weake or fallen God is able to raiâ—e him vp And of you good M. Waddesworth and the rest of my Masters and Brethren of that side one thing I would againe desire that according to the Aposiles profession of himselfe you would forbeare to be Lords ouer our Faith nor straightway condemne of heresie our ignorance or lacke of perswasion concerning such things as wee cannot perceiue to be founded in holy Scripture Enioy your owne opinions but make them not Articles of our Faith the analogie whereof is broken as well by addition as subtraction And this selfe same equitie we desire to find in positiue Lawes Orders and Ceremonies Wherein as euerie Church hath full right to prescribe that which is decent and to edification and to reforme abuse so those that are members of each are to follow what is enioyned till by the same authoritie it be reuersed And now to close vp this Account of yours whereof you would haue Doctor Hall and me to be as it were examiners and Auditors Whether it be perfect and allowable or no looke you to it I haue here told you mine opinion of it as directly plainely and freely as I can and as you required fully if not tediously I list not to contend with you about it Satisfie your owne conscience and our common Lord and Master and you shall easily satisfie me Once yet by my aduice review it and cast it ouer againe And if in the particulars you finde you haue taken manie nullities for signifying numbers manie smaller signifiers for greater correct the totall If you finde namely that out of desire of Vnitie and dislike of contention you haue apprehended our diuersities to be more then they are conceiued a necessitie of an externall infallible Iudge where there was none attributed the priuiledge of the Church properly called to that which is visible and mixt If you finde the reformed Churches more charitable the proper note of Chists sheepe The Roman faction more fraudulent and that by publike counsell and of politicke purpose in framing not onely all later writers but some ancient yea the holy Scriptures for their aduantage If you finde you haue mistaken the Protestants doctrine touching inuisibilitie your own also touching vniformitie in matters of Faith If you haue beene misinformed and too haâ—â—ie of credit touching the imputations laid to the beginners of reformation For as touching the want of Succession and the