The vncasing of heresie, or, The anatomie of protestancie. Written and composed by O.A..

Author: Almond, Oliver.1623

THE VNCASING OF HERESIE, OR, THE ANATOMIE OF PROTESTANCIE.

Written and Composed by O. A.

Cum Licentia Superiorum. ANNO DC.XXIII.

To the Reader.

Christian Reader,

THough the diuell in no age euer wanted his emissaries, and Antichrist agents, who busilie laboureth in sowing tares & death-bringing-darnel in the purest corne-fields of Gods Church, & like cunning Mountebankes, left no wily inuention vntried, which they supposed might any way serue to vent their adulterate theriaca & bastardly balsamum; yet he had neuer such hopes to store the vast caues of his infernal mansion with Christian soules, as in this age of ours, in which whole swarmes of Apostates, and deceiuing Ministers, are crept into the Church, introducing (according to the Apostles prophesie, sundrie sects of perdition, by setting abroach, [Page] the infectious, pestilent, and long-since condemned dregges of heresie, brewed by Simon Magus, Cerinthus, Cerdon, Manichaeus, Aerius, Eustachius, Vigilantius, and other such subiects of Abaddon, and after barrelled vp by Belzebub, and carefully reserued in his chiefe sellar; where though with long standing they were growne mustie and stincking, yet by powring in the barme of libertie, they haue made them flower againe, and by hanging forth the Iuibush of Noueltie (set out and garnished with Rhetoricall flowers) haue drawne more customers then hells wiliest counsellor durst euer hope for.

For the better discouerie of all which infectious potions, and vtter dismantling of such lewde Mountebankes, which like Egiptian locusts couer the face of this some-time Angelike [Page] Ile, depopulating her once florishing vineyeardes, and sweete-senting gardens, I present thee with this ensuing Treatise, in which thou shalt find plainly demonstrated, That Luther, Caluin, Zwinglius, and other Prime-doctors of Protestancie, were (by their owne confessions) baptized and brought vp in the now Roman Catholike Religion, and only by their apostacie gaue life and being to Protestancie, and that the Protestant Martirologies, Callendars, and genialogical tables, consist either of confessed Papists, knowne Schismatikes, detested heretikes, wicked Atheists, accursed Magitians, Sacrilegious thieues, or notorious Traitours.

That all the chiefe doctrines, and principles of Protestancie, are old condemned heresies; and that the most damned heresies rhat euer were hatched [Page] in any age, haue bene fostered, cherished, and defended by the chief: doctors in the Protestant Church.

3. That no Protestant, especially of the Caluinean sect (vvhich are commonly knovvne by the names of Protestants here in England, of Puritants in Scotland, of Caluinists in Sauoy; of Sacramentaries in Heluetia; of Hugonettes in France, of Picardes in Bohemiah, and of Gomorists, Arminians, Remonstrants, Contraremonstrants in Holland, and other partes of Germanie) can be said (if he follow the doctrines of his chiefe doctors) to beleeue aright any one Article of the Apostles Creede.

4 That the God of the Protestants (according to their chiefe doctrines, & the famous confessions of some of the the same fraternitie) is no other but a diuell of hell.

[Page]The due consideration of either of which heades or chapters, vvill abundantly fuffice to perswade anie man that is carefull of his saluation, and hath not made a couenant with death & hel, to fly the fellovvship of this heretical fraternitie, & hastē to the rock of that true Roman Catholike Church, from vvhole top, Luther, Caluin, & other their Cymists (by the incitements of the flesh, the vvorld, and the diuell) casting them selues headlong, fell into the sea of heresies in vvhich to be by death drenched, is to eternally lost, and certainely swallovved vp in the Charibdis of hells bottomlesse abisse.

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THE CONTENCE of the first Chapter.

THAT Luther, Caluin, Zwinglius, Bucer, Osiander, and all other prime Doctors of Protestancie vvere by their ovvne Confessions, borne, baptized, and bred in the Roman Catholike Church, and by their false beganne Protestancie; that the said Luther, (by his ovvne and most other chiefe Protestants assertions, vvas the first knovvne Protestant, a sonne, vvith out a father, and a scholler vvithout a master.

That neither Illiricus, Fulke, FOXE, or White, in their pretended bedrowe of Protestant vvitnesses, haue produced one true Protestant; but haue shamefully stuffed their Catalogues vvith many knovvē and confessed Roman Catholikes, infinite store of desperate heretikes and a multitude of infamous persons, &c.

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The contents of the second Chapter.

THat the chiefe doctrines & principles of the Protestant Religion viz. That vve may be saued by faith onely; that there is no free vvill to good; that children may be saued vvithout baptisme; that Christians enioy not the veritie of the olde figures; that the Sacraments doe not conferre grace; that the commandemenes are impossible to be kept; that Christians are not tyed in conscience to performe the Lavvs of the church, or com mon vveale; that all thinges happen by ineuitable necessitie; that Christs and S. Iohns baptisme vvere all one; that the Church may be for some time inuisible; that Altars, holy oyle, and the like are to be contemned; that approoued generall councels may erre; that the dead are not to be prayed for; that Images are not to be set vp and vvorshipped; that Matrimonie is of equall merit vvith Virginitie; that Christ is not Realie [Page] in the Eucharist; that the Saints can neither heare our prayers nor helpe vs; that the Sea of Rome is the seate of pestilence; that Indulgences are of no vvorth, &c. are old condemned heresies.

The contence of the third Chapter.

THat the chiefe Doctors of Protestancie, teach a pluralitie of gods; cannot vvell brooke the vvord Trinitie; deny that Christ is God of God; or that the Essence of the Father vvas communicated to him; affirme that Christ vvas inferour to his Father, as touching his diuinitie; maintaine that Christ is his Fathers vicar, or vicegerent as he is God; that he had tvvo persons; that he vvas subiect to ignorance and vicious affections; that he is not omnipotent, nor able to doe many things; that he cannot be adored vvith out Idolatry, because his humanity is ioyned to his Godhead; that the blessed virgin remained not a Virgin in, & after her [Page] child-birth; that she vvas subiect to the infirmities of other vvomen in child-bearing; that Christs natiuitie and incarnation vvere no vvay meritorious; that Christs diuine nature vvas crucified, suffered and dead together vvith his humaine; that his corporall death vvas nothing auaileable, &c. that Christ died not for all men, but for some fevv; that Christ descended not at all into hell; that his soule lay together vvith his body in the graue; that he freed not the Patriarkes and Prophets in his descent; that he could not raise himselfe from the death by his ovvne povver; that his Resurrection & Ascention vvere no vvay miraculous, &c. that men neede not feare that their vvorkes shall come into iudgement; that the holy ghost hath a distinct Essence from the Father and the Sonne; that he is vnequal to the Father and the Sonne, &c. that the church may erre in fundamentall points; that it vvas inuisible for a 1000. years together at lest, &c. that mens sins are neuer truly [Page] remitted; no not in baptisme, &c.

The contence of the fourth Chapter.

THat God (according to the Protestants expresse doctrines) doth not onely permit, but force men to sinne; that some men by naked decree of God, vvithout any desert of their ovvne, are Predestinated to eternall damnation; that hovvsoeuer God affirme that he vvould haue all men saued, yet he neuer meant so; that the most vvicked persons that euer vvere, vvere of God appointed to be vvicked euen as they vvere; that the diuel is but Gods agent or instru [...] [...] doth but vvhat God commandeth him, &c.

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TO THE RIGHT worshipfull Doctors: to the Worshipfull Maisters: and to the worthie Students of the Vniuersitie of Oxford.

BEing admonished by a deare friend of myne, that this Treatise was defectiue, in that it wanted an Epistle Dedicatorie. I considered with my selfe, and resolued to recommend it vnto the Vniuersitie of Oxford, in respect that it was penned by a Scholler, and sometime a student of the said Vniuersitie. And I my selfe in my youth sucked the breasts of that Nurse. Often admiring the purple robes and decorum of the Doctors: accounting of them, as of the Senators and Sages of England. But yet euer detesting schisme and heresie in my hart, being by Gods prouidence and goodnes euen acunabulis from my cradle inclyned to Catholike faith and Religion. Whereupon I left my natiue soyle, and trauelled into forrayne Countries, where often reflecting with astonishment, that men of that outward grauitie, eloquence and learning should be so ouer-shaddowed with so darke a cloude of error, schisme, and heresie, and of so weake a iudgement as to thinke all the world to be ecclipsed. and that the light of the Gospel could shine onely from Martin Luther, and Peter Martir, two Apostata Fryers, or any such rabble. Returning into my Countrie, especially since his Maiesties happie raigne ouer Great Britaine. I ioyed much to see, as it were at our time, the prime places of Prelacie occupyed [Page] by Oxford men: as Canterburie by D. Abbot Yorke by D.The prime place of supremacie in Englād. Tobie Matthew, Winchester by D. Bilson, Durrham by D Iames▪ Rochester by D. Pukerig, London by D. King, an Eloquent Pulpit man, who was vexed long vvith a grieuous painefull sickenesse of the stone. Oftentimes afflictio dat intellectum There vvas a constant report, that he desired a Priest before his death, and to die a member of the Catholike-Roman Church; If the report were true, a memorable note of Gods grace and goodnes; If not true, the vvorst to himselfe: wherefore my innated affection towardes your persons, and the place, vrgeth mee to dedicate this Treatise vnto you, hoping that it may vvorke some good effect among you.

2 Novv hauing named the vvorthie men of Oxford for their prime place for Prelacie. I must not omitte the more vvorthie men for good life & learning, vvho left all vvorldly preferment, entertayned banishment, vndertooke voluntarie pouertie, and forsooke all delights and pleasures of this land for their Religion, and for the profession of the Catholike Roman faith,The learned Doctors who left Oxford for religion. and for the saluation of their soules. And first I name VVilliam Allen, Doctor of Diuinitie, professor and reader of the Diuinitie lectur in the Vniuersitie of Doway, the first Founder and President of the English Colledge at Doway, vvho vvent vp to Rome and obtayned of Pope Gregorie the 13. the foundation of that Seminarie,Cardinall ALLEN. and exhibition for a certaine number of Schollers there to be maintained Aftervvard in Pope Syxtus quintus time, he vvas called to Rome againe, and there created Cardinal. the 7. of August, anno Dom. 1587. vvhen hee receaued his Cardinals Hatte. the Pope pronounced these vvords. Ego creoto Ducem, principem, socium regum, Cardinalem Angliae, & fratrem meum. A worthie title for so vvorthie a man. Secondly, I name D. Audoeu, or [Page] Owen Lewes an Oxford man,D. LEWES Archbishoppe of Cassana. vvho vvas Reader of the Lavv lecture in the Vniuersitie of Doway for some yeares, after sent for by the Metropolitan of Cambray, and by him sent to Rome, to negotiat important businesse of his, vvhich happely being performed, he remained there, and vvas made Ref [...]ndarie to the Pope Gregorie the 13. and Vicar general vnder the Ar h-bishop of Millan, Carollus Boromeus the Sainct: after elected and consecrated Bishop of Cassana, and visitor general in Rome vnder Clement the 8. and in election to haue bene Cardinall. if he had not bene preuented by death. What should I name D. Harding, D. Sanders, D.D. HARDING and others. Bristow, D. Stapleton, vvith other Oxford men all most famous for learning as their vvorkes written against the heresies of this age, now extant doe declare. Gregorie Martine, William Reonals, M. Rastall, M. Marshial, Licentiat in Diuinitie, and manie others for breuities sake I doe ommitte worthie members of the Vniuersitie of Oxford. Among the Fathers of the Societie. Edmund Campion, Robert Parsons, a famous writer, with others. Reuerend Priestes, I thinke I may say descending from the same Nurcerie, aboue a hundred. D. Barret, D. Worthington, both Oxford men, and Presidents successiuely in the Colledge of Rhemes and Dowaye. And now speaking of the gouernours of Colledges, I cannot omitte to letaine and number in this rancke the now present President, D.The President of Doway. Kellison (although not an Oxford man, yet I know a well-willer to that Vniuersitie) a mylde Moysies for his gouernment, readie to giue content to all men, a louer of learning, a premoter of pietie, a great writer. Shall I omitte D. Cicile, who was Almner and Confessor vnto the syster of Henrie the third K. of France,D. CICEL and wife and Queene to Henrie the 4, D. Bagshow. D. Bishoppe. I cannot but admire and praise the prouidence and goodnesse of Almightie God in this time [Page] of persecutions, to consider men who haue left their countrie, accepted of banishment, content with pouertie, abrogated the world, without al hope of preferment, yet aduanced aboue all expectation. Therefore looke at this present, and cast your eyes vppon D.D. GIFFORD Peere of France. Gifford, in his youth a scholler of Oxford, if I mistake not, went ouer the seaes, was a lumnus of the Colledge of Rome, after became Reader of Diuinitie in the English Colledge of Rhemes, and now promoted by Lewes the 13. King of France, to be Arch-bishop of Rhemes, Metropolitan, and Peere of France, for his learning, for his pietie, for his eazle against the Hugonettes of France, an excellent Pulpit man, who Preached before the King at Paris, a whole Lent. In Germanie we had D. Turner, an Oxford man, in the Vniuersitie of Ingolstad, heighlie esteemed for his learning, eloquence and Oratorie. D. Spetheri [...] vvas Theologus to Cardinal Paleat, D. ELIE. Archbishop of Bolonia. D Elie was reader in the Vniuersitie of Mossapoat in Lorayne manie yeares for his learning in the Law, cannon & ciuil, famous, his elder brother sometime was President of the colledge of Iohns in Oxford, he was a Priest in Queene Maries time, and dyed in the latter time of Queene Elizabeth, a prisoner in the Citie of Hereford. If I should vndertake to capitulate or reakon all our renowned Confessors and Priests, now laboring in England, or detayned in prison, or dead, I should be ouer-long.

O Oxford, Oxford, thou that hast had so manie worthie men that haue fledde from the seate of Pestilence, and nurse of schisme and heresie into forraine nations and countries, and haue for their learning, pietie and deuotion, bene heighly aduanced abroad. Consider also how many Martyrs haue dyed, how manie Confessors, how many Priests haue bene and are imprisoned at home, for profession of Catholike Faith and Religion. And [Page] thou vvhich should be the lanterne of the Land, the Pillar of light, the schoole of learning, the mother of peace, the nurse of pietie; art now become the darke cloud of heresie, the foggie mist of Aegypt, the mayntaine of schisme, the strength of Puritanisme, and mistrisse of ignorance, &c.

Wherefore this liitle Treatise is addressed vnto you, Maisters and students of Oxford, and you who are in purple robes, as Senators and Sages of the land, that you may vncase your selues, cast off your viseards, expel the rauening Wolfes. And know your selues, and acknowledge your errours, schisme, and heresie, and returne to your mother Church, benigna mater est, she is a louing mother, to receaue you. Hell gates cannot preuaile against her, she hath the holy Ghost to assist and direct her in all truth of doctrine and maners, and good life.

You know the Arch-bishop of Spalata, a learned Prelate, as you all confesse,Archbishop of Spalato. he conuersed vvith your prime Prelate, visited your Vniuersities, enformed himselfe of your doctrine, wayed your Church, & Congregation, in his prudentiall ballence, and found you minus habens, to want wayt, to be schismaticall: he retyred himselfe with desire to returne home againe, not for that he mislyked his entertaynement; for he was highly esteemed of his Maiestie, much honoured of your Prime Prelate, welcomed by the Nobilitie, he had large maintenance 800. or a thousand pounde reuenew per annum, whereby hee might commaunde all the delicates, delites and pleasures that the land could yeeld, yet not satisfied in conscience, nor content in minde, labored to get licence of his Maiestie, to returne, which he obtained,His departure. or else was commanded by him to depart the Realme. Why did he thus? but reflecting vpon his estate, being aged, to prouide for death, to forsake schisme, to saue his soule. I am credible imformed, being vrged to declare his [Page] minde,His censure of the Church of England. & what he thought concerning the Church of England; he clearely answered, that it was but a schismatical Church, a part diuided from the bodie mysticall of Christ, a congregation that had forsaken the mother Church of the world. Consider and ruminate well (you worthie students) the sentence and censure of this learned Prelate Out of all doubt, there is no saluation, but in the true Church.

There is not the meanest among you, if he doe but read the Annales of M. Iohn Stowe, but he shall clearly vnderstand, how, & when the schisme began in K Henrie 8.Schisme begon by K. HENRIE the 8. his time, vvho after he had raigned 20 yeares in peace with the Church of Rome seeking a diuorce from his lawfull wife Q. Katherine, which the mother Church of the world neither could nor would graunt, or permit, the King being much discontented, & desirous to obtayne his purpose, beganne his schisme, made himselfe head of the Church of England, and by acte of Parlament, vnited the title to his Emperiall Crowne, a thing in auditum, and neuer by any Christian Prince practised before, vnlesse Iulian the Apostata attempted it. After hee had thus diuided himselfe from the Church of Rome, and established his authoritie of headsh [...]pp, he presently quarrelled with the Cardinal, Bishops, and Cleargie, and conuicted them of a preminire;He conuicted the Cardinal, & Cleargie of preminire. so that they were forced to compounde with him, for a hunder thousand pounds, which some they payde euerie pennie, and not content with this, but by Parlament also confiscated all the landes and goodes of the religious in his Kingdome; and so like a wilde bore, depopulated and destroyed the Vineyard of our Lord. and ouerthrew ten thousand Churches and Chappels,Ouerthrowed all the Religious houses. which were erected, buylded, and maintained by his Predecessors, and auncestors, and by the deuotion of his Nobilitie, and pietie of the people of this land. And within some yeares after, he spoyled [Page] the sepulchers and shrines of the Saints, and what was gold and siluer, and pretious stone,Spoyled the sepulchers of Saints. either by oblations, offerings, or other waies not fearing sacriledge a whitte, he tooke without scruple. And from one Chapple of S. Thomas of Canterburie, were nine or ten waynes loaden awaie with the wealth of that one place.Put downe al Pilgrimages. He also put downe and robbed all the holy places of pilgrimages, frequented and vsed by deuout people in former ages in this land.

And to omitte other of his good vvorkes, in the 38 and last yeare of his raigne (a thing vvorth the noting) hauing had warres vvith France, and peace being concluded, it vvas proclaimed by Harralds, vvith sound of trumpet the 13. of Iune, being Whit sonday, and the same day a general Procession commanded. in vvhich vvere borne all the richest syluer Crosses in London, of euerie Parish one, and the Priestes in their richest Coapes. This Precession came from Paules Church through Cheape and Cornehill, vp to Leaden Hall, and so vvent backe to Pauls againe. This vvas the last shevv of rich Crosses and Coapes in London for shortly after all those Crosses and Coapes, vvith other the Church plate vvere commaunded, called for,Robbed all Churches in Londō. and taken by the Kinges Officers into the Kinges Treasure and Wardrope, and neuer seene aftervvard. And so vvere cunningly all the Churches of London robbed on a daye. This vvas one of the last good vvorkes this Church-robber did. For in Ianuarie after he dyed an excommunicated person, vvhich excommunication vvas published by Pope Paule the 3. thus beganne the schisme in England.

Then succeeded Edward the sixte, a childe, a boye of nine yeares of age, vvho continued the schisme, he had the title of supreame head immediatly in earth vnder God, of the Church of England and Ierland. He had two Vnckles, the S [...]imers by the [Page] mothers side, the one L. Protector, the other L. Admiral of England,K. EDWARD established the schisme both infected in German heresie. Presently the first yeare they beganne to alter the face of Catholike Religion, which K. Henrie his Father left, commanding the Rood, the Crucifixe, and all Images of Saints, in Churches to be pulled downe, forbidding beades, holy vvater, and other ceremonies, repelling the statute of the sixe articles made by Henrie the eight, also commanded by Proclamation, the Communion to be ministred vnde [...] both kindes vnto the people, and seruice to be in the English tongue, Altars of stone to be taken dovvne, and communion Tables of vvood to be set in their roome. The new booke of common prayer vvas published by D. Ridlie, at Pauls Crosse, &c. Pride vvould not suffer these tvvo brothers peaceably to raigne together.Pride of two Vncles. Thomas Lord Admiral, vvas condemned of heigh treason, and beheaded at Tovver hill. 3. yeare of Edvvard the sixt. Shortly after by the cunning of the Lord Dudlie, Duke of Northūberland,L. Admiral beheaded. vvho aymed to settle the Crovvne in his ovvne blood, by the mariage of his fourth Sonne, vnto the Ladie Iane, daughter of the Duchesse of Suffolke, vvhich indeed vvas by him attempted, but be fayled in his purpose; Edward Duke of Sommerset, L. Protector, vvas committed to the Tovver of London the 14. of October, the foorth yeere of K. Edward the sixt. But deliuered out againe the sit of Februarie for that time. But the first of December follovving, vvas arraigned at Westminster, of fellonie and treason, and tryed by his Peeres,L. Pretector beheaded. and acquitted of treason, but sound guiltie of fellonie, and the 22. of Ianuarie, beheaded at Tovver Hill▪ the fifth yeere of King Edward. Thus the schisme beganne to be setled by the two Vncles (but GOD shewed his Iudgement of them) and had thought to haue bene continued by the Duke of Northumberland (although he died a [Page] Catholike) for K. Edward being sicke of a Consumption, the Duke married his fourth sonne, the Lord Gifford, vnto the Ladie Iane, eldest daughter to the Duke of Suffolke, her mother was called Marie, the second daughter of King Henrie the seuenth and sister to Henrie the eight.

King Edward being dead, the Ladie Iane by the Duke vvas proclaimed Queene. But God being for the vvoman, Queene Marie obtayned her right, had the Crowne,Q. MARIE renounced the schisme. and raigned after her brother Edward, she restored Catholike religion, reunited her selfe to the Sea Apostolike, returned to the Mother Church of Rome, disanulled the title of the head of the Church, caused this Realme to be absolued from the censure of schisme, and so mayntayned it during her life.

After her decease, Queene Elizabeth succeeded, and she altered all againe, and tooke to her selfe,Q. ELIZABETH restored the schisme. being a vvoman, to be head of the Church of England, restored the scisme vvhich vvas set vppe in K. Edwards time, by his two Vncles, she setled Protestant religion, depriued the Catholike Bishops, &c.

Whether she did this vppon zeale of Protestant Religion, to be the true vvay to saluation: It is doubfull, because she professed her selfe a Catholike all Queene Maries time, and vvas so brought vp in her fathers dayes.

Therefore it is thought she being a vvoman, did it vpon policie feare and reason of state.The reason to restore schisme. In pollicie she knovv her next successor in all right to be a Ladie as vvise, and valiant as her selfe, vvhich was the L. Marie, Queene of Scotland, & vvife to Francis K. of France, vvith all to be a constant proseffor of the Catholike Religion. Therefore to make her subiects sure vnto her, thought it in policie fit to winne them to a religion contrarie to hers. She alvvaies feared (as shee might indeede, knovving [Page] her ovvne estate) to subiect her selfe to the Church of Rome, vvhich vvould neuer giue consent to graunt that the diuorce of Queene Catherine vvas lawfull; but contrarie approoued her marriage to be good, neither vvould allow that her Father King Henrie should haue tvvo vviues at once, and so consequently, disapprooued and annulled the Marriage of Queene Anne her mother, as illigitimate. By vvhat motiues, or reason soeuer she vvas mooued, I knovv not, but it is certaine she reestablished and continued the schisme from the Mother Church, the Church of Rome.

And King IAMES our Soueraigne, vvho novv by all right of succession raigneth, came into this Kingdome, not with sword, nor yet vvith gard of men;K. IAMES maintayneth the schisme. but vvith a ryding rodde in his hande, in all peace, vvelcomed of all, receaued of al, and being a Protestant, so brought vppe from his Cradle, promised to maintaine the Religion hee here found, which he hath and doth performe.

Thirdly, you may vnderstand, the ingresse and progresse of the schisme of England, and vvhat vvill be the egresse vvee leaue to the prescience and protection of Almightie God, Qui omnia nouit & suauiter disponit.

Thus to returne vnto you the purple Sages, & Doctors of Oxford, Vncase your selues, put off your Maskes and Visardes, repent this schisme, dissolue the darke cloud of heresie,Church. vvhich doth dasel your eyes, and be not vvilfully blinde, but beholde, the citie seated vpon an hill, and the candle light set vpon a candlesticke;Roman faith renowmed. retyre vnto your Mother Church, from vvhich by schisme you haue separated your selues: Domus Dei est firmiter aedificata supra firmam patram, she is the house of God strongly built vpon the firme rocke. You cannot deny but S.Rom. 1. v. 8. & 13. PAVLE praysed, recommended, prayed for, and prophecied, that the Roman faith was, and is to be [Page] renowned through the vvhole vvorld. You cannot denie, but this Iland receaued her first faith and Christian Religion and Instruction from Rome. Among the Britaines, King Lucius, sent vnto Pope Eleutherius, to be directed in Christian faith:Our first faith from Rome. and among the Saxons, Gregorie the great, and first Pope of that name, called the Apostle of England by S. Bede, sent S. Augustine, and twelue Monkes to Ethelbert King of Kent, vvho entred vvith the Crosse,Hist. BED and displayed banners vvith the Picture of Christ, and after builded Churches for M [...]sse and Martins, and set vp in them the Crucifixe the bagge of Christianitie, adorned them with Pictures of Saints, erected Altars of stone; all vvhich you haue exiled and abolished, and brought in place of them the Pictures of Lyons and Dragons, and Armes of Kings, vvith a vvoodden table for your Communion. Also you cannot denie, but that the Nations and Countries, and people in this part of the world,All nations in Europe, faith from Rome. receaued their Christian faith from Rome, and acknowledge her to be their Mother Church, as well as vvee. Why then doe you depart from her, why do you make this diuision & schisme in the world?

It is true saye you, that the Roman faith vvas the true Christian faith, and first established by S Peter, O [...] and after confirmed by S Paule, and therefore worthelie called the Apostolicall Sea, & Mother Church of the vvorld. But now there hath many errors crept [...]nto the Church; and it is an Axiome and maximam [...]n Protestant profession, that the visible Church consisting of men, hath erred & may erre, quia humanum est errore, for that man is subiect to error.

O dangerous & damnable opposition, which doth seeke to destroy Catholike faith,Sor [...] no lesse then the Arrian heresie to destroy Christ and Christian faith. [...]or it is as manifest in Scripture, that the Church [...]annot erre, against the Protestāts, as it is true that Christ is God against the Arriās. For its proued out [Page] Scripture, that Christ vvas true God consubstantiall and coequal vvith his Father and no vvaye inferior as God, but as man only: so it is as manifest in scripture, that Christ promised to be vvith his Church vnto the end of the vvorld, and that hee vvould send the holy Ghost to his Apostles, and consequently to their successors, and that this Church should instruct and teach the people all truth, both in doctrine, maners, and in good life: And that S. Paule doth assure vs, that the Church is columna & firmamentum veritatis, the Pillar and foundation of truth, and from her vve haue receaued the scripture, and the true meaning and sence thereof infalliblie vvithout errour. Wherefore as the Arrian heresie sought to destroye Christ, and Christian religion, in denying the Godhead of Christ; so Protestanisme, in seeking to ouerthrovv the infaillabilitie of the Church, indeauour to disable Catholike faith and religion. And as the Arrians labored might and maine to infect the Roman Church, and to make a Pope of their profession; yet fayled in the purpose. For Pope Foelix whom they promoted and preferred to the Papacie, condemned them as heretikes, & defined against them, and dyed a Martyr. O prouidence of God: yea they so afflicted the Church, that the most part of the vvorld vvas ouer-clouded and darkned vvith this filthie cloud of Arriā heresie: yet praeualebit veritas, truth preuaileth, insomuch that novv in the hartes of Christian, & Catholike people, nothing is more odious then this heresie of the Arriās, & by Protestants condemned to the pit of hel. So the Protestants haue labored omnibus vijs & modis (but not able to make a Protestant Pope) yet to sovv this seede of Cockel and Darnel, that the Church of Rome may erre, that they haue infected and caused a great reuoult in these partes of Christendome▪ that almost all Almanie, and a great part of Germanie, [Page] is ouercome vvith this seede of infection: all England and Scotland gone:A great reuoult in Christendome by Protestatisme. Ireland strongly assalted: all Holland reuolted from God, Church and Prince: Braband and the Lovv Countries made to stagger: but God be thanked, they haue ouercome: A great part of France in tumultuous rebellion against their King, although he vvould giue them libertie of their conscience, yet they vvill not yeeld him devv Temporall gouernement and subiection. The Swissards euen to the confines of Italie stand stubborne in their obedience to the church of Rome, sed praeualebit veritas, truth vvil preuaile, and this heresie of Protestāts, that the Church may erre, vvill be as odious in future ages, as Arianisme is novv.

If vve argue vvith the Protestants,Protestant flye from antiquitie, traditions, and primatiue church to free the Church of Rome of imputation of error (as manie great Schollers haue vvritten many learned Treatises, concerning this poynt) and doe prooue by antiquitie, by practise of the Primatiue Church, by Traditions from the Apostles, concerning those differences in Religion, controuerted betvvne the Protestants and the Catholikes, they flye off and saye they are not demonstratiue arguments, to conuince in matters of doctrine, but only probable proofes.

If vve vrge them vvith the decrees of Popes,From decrees of Popes. they care not for them; if vvith the doctrine of the Fathers, and Saincts of the Primatiue Church, as for example; if vve alleadge S. Augustine, that hee prayed for the soule of his Mother Monica, departed, that the Sacrifice of the Altar, Prayers, Almes,From Doctors. S. Ave. Oblations of the liuing, may profite the dead, that he vvrit a vvhole booke, De cura pro mortuis augenda, of the care to be had of the dead, and that the vvhole Church did supplicat and pray for the soules departed; they vvill ansvvere he vvas a particular man, it vvas his errour, and the errour of that time. Aerius vvas condemned for an Heretike, in apposing [Page] against the Church,Epipha. haer. 65. Aug. hae. 15. in the 4. age concerning Prayer and Sacrifice to be offered for the soules departed, Caluins answere is. Lib. 3. inst. c. 5. §, 10. that the auncient Fathers, were destitute of warrant from God, to authorize prayer for the dead. Alleadge S.S. Hillar. Hierome against Vigilantius a condemned Heretike, for inuocation, and veneration of Saints, for reuerencing of holy Relickes; for visiting and celebrating the memories of their sepulchers, and burning of waxe tapers, for obseruing the fasting dayes and vigils, determined by the Church, and Ecclesiasticall authoritie, for profession of Virginitie and chastitie among Clergie men: they answere, [...]. Ambrose lib. 4. de sacr. c. 4. it vvas his errour. Bring Saint Ambrose for the Real presence of Christs bodie in the Sacrament: saying, that before Consecration it vvas bread, but after Consecration his verie true bodie and blood: it vvas his errour, If vvee allow the example of S.S. Basil. Basil and S. Benedictus for monasticall life; they vvill vvith the Sabelliā heretikes cōdemne it for a crime, and reprooue it for a meere impietie, and say it vvas their errours, and so of the rest of the ancient Fathers, they were men and might erre.

Generall Councels.Proceede vvith them to generall Counsels, which doth represent the bodie of the Church, and alleadge the foure first, vvhich all the vvorld receaue, and S. Gregorie highlie commended, and the mode [...]e Protestants doe not dare to denie; yet vvill the Puritans refuse them, and the Protestants accept of them no farther then in their imagination they shall agree vvith them, or serue their turnes. And as for the foure last generall Counsels (I vvill name the last first) the venerable Councell of Trent, the Councell of Florence, of Constance, and Lateran, the Protestants absolutely auerce, that they haue gone awrye, and were deceaued in the principles of faith and Religion,A newe [...]urse. and vvhy? because they haue particularly censured and condemned [Page] them, and defined their positions as hereticall. So did the Arrians in like maner instance against the Counsell of Nyce, for the same cause, because it defined against them.

Wherefore in this Treatise vvee haue excogitated and thought vpon another course,Only Scripture. to Vncase the Protestants, to laye open their contradictions, to alleadge their ovvne authorities and writers; to expresse the absurdities of their inferences and consequences, to see vvhither they vvill runne then.

No doubt they vvill crye out, The Scriptures, the scriptures onely shall be our guyde, our Iudge, our gouernour, our vvarrant, in matters of controuersie. Although vvee know that some contrauersies cannot be decided by expresse scripture, according to the vvritten vvord, but vvee must haue our varrant from Tradition and the Church (which vve call the vnvvritten wordes) as for example the true number of the vvritten scriptures, are these and no more: the Baptisme of Children, &c. Yet vve accept of this condition of tryall, and acknowledge the true scripture to be the vvord of God, veritie it selfe, wherein no falshood can be hidden, the true tuchstone of trueth, dedicated by the Holie Ghost, vvritten by the Prophets, Euangelists and Apostles of Christ: therefore vvith all reuerence vvee reade it; and S. Charles Boromeus did so reuerently esteeme of the sacred scriptures, that vvhen he did seriously read them, he did alvvaies read them vpon his knees, and bare-headed: a rare example of pietie.

Let vs vvillingly enter into the liste of this combate vvith Protestants or Puritants? We know vvhat vvill be the ende of this, for demanding of them before hand, vvhether they vvill be tryed by the bare letter of the word, or the true sence & meaning of the word? they wil answere by both. If vvee [Page] aske hovv shall vvee knovv that vvee haue the true sence and meaning of the vvord: they vvill ansvvere, that they vvill make this plaine, by conferring of place vvith place, and that the spirit vvithin them, doth tell them, this is the Trueth, and true sence and meaning. If vvee replie, vvee haue the spirit as vvell as you, vee conferre place vvith place as vvell as you: vvhere then vvill be the end of this controuersie? We must beleeue them vpon the veritie of their spirit, and the conference of places made by them, or else no end; so that their priuate spirite must end it, or no end at all.

But to make an end at this time, I vvould aduise the young students to take this notandum and caueat from me; not to be credulous to the allegations of their doctors and Sages, but to read diligently the authentike Authors, least that be verified in you. Si coecus coecum ducat in foeueam cadent.

Thus vvishing no vvorse vnto you Right vvorshipful Doctors, Maisters, and vvorthie students, then to mine ovvne soule, that is vnited in Religion, peace in conscience and saluation in IESVS CHSIST, I take my leaue, from my chamber at Doway 17. of Ianuarie. M.DC.XXIII.

[Page 1]

THE VNCASING OF HERESIE. OR THE ANATOMIE OF PROTESTANCIE.

CHAPTER I. That Luther, Caluin, Zuinglius, and all other prime-doctors of Protestanisme, were (by their owne confessions baptized and brought vp, in the now Roman Religion; and onely by their apostacies, gaue life and being to Protestancie. And that Protestant Martyrologies, Callendars, and genealogicall tables, consist either of confessed Papists, knowne schismatikes, detested heretikes, wicked Atheists, accursed Magitians, sacrilegious thieues, or notorious traitours.

SCIAT lector me fuisse aliquando monachum, & papistam insanissimum, &c. Luther praefat. tom. 1. & tom. 3. in psal. 45. Let the Reader know, that I was sometimes a Monke, and a most madde Papist, when [Page 2] I began this busines,& tom. 5. in 1. Galath. fol. 291. so drunke and drowned in Popish opinions, that I was most ready to kill and slay all such as any way with-stood the same, &c. I purely adored the Pope. So Luther. And againe.

Idem in 1. Gal. pag. 25. tom. 4. Ien. Lat. & p. 26. & tom. 6. in cap. 11. Gene. fol. 129. & tom. 4. in cap. 43. Isay. fol. 179.I certainely, if any other before the light of the Gospel, had a good conceipt, and was very zealous for Popish lawes, and the Traditions of the Fathers; and in good earnest I vrged and defended them as necessarie to saluatiō: Lastly, I endeuored with all diligence to performe them, macerating my bodie with fasting, watching, prayer, and other exercises. I while I was a Monke daily crucified Christ, and with my false trust, continually blasphemed him. We haue bene holie Apostates, for wee haue fallen from Antichrist, and the Church of Sathan, &c. There was none of vs but were bloody fellowes: if not in act, yet in heart, we haue blasphemed God, Christ, the Sacraments, the gospel, faith, all good men, the true worship of God, and we haue taught quite contrarie. We are iudged heretikes by the Pope, because we haue diuided our selues from that Church, in which we were borne and bredde. Hetherto Luther, touching himselfe, and the rest of his fellowes.

[Page 3] Danaeus in like maner doth boast,Danaeus resp. ad Leonic. edita. anno 1518. Zwingl. tom. 1. Epist. ad fratres. f. 341 Melanct. tom. 1. in cap. 7. Mat. f. 407 & tom. 2. ad Swenkfeld. f. 200 Oecolāp. resp. ad Perkeym. p. 108 & apud Hospin. part. 2. fol. 35. Brentius in apol. pro conf. Wittenb. c. de eccl. fol. 873. Caluin in confess. fidei. fol. 111. that his friend Osiander, was a most wicked Franciscan Monke. Neither doe Zwinglius, Melancton, or Oecolampadius, seeme to take smal pride in such like confessions.

Pelican was a Minor, and Bucer a Dominican (saith Hospinian) yea, we were all of vs (saith Brentius) seduced fooles, Idolaters, and seruants of Antichrist.

We do not denie (saith Caluin) but that we were once of that numberIdem l. 4. confes. c. 15. n. 16. baptized in the Papall kingdomeibid. c. 6 n. 1. See also the Bishop of Elie resp. ad Bellar. c. 1. Bulling. tom. 1. decad. 5. ser. 2. fol. 285. Muscul. in locis communibus, ca. de schismate. Mourney l de ecclesia. cap. 11. Perkins in cap. 4. ad Galath. v. 26. Hooker lib. 4. of Ecclesiast. pollic. p. 181. Powel l. 1. de antichr. c. 21. Morton. 2. part of his apol. l. 2. c. 10. Luther tom 7. in ser. quid sit hom. Christ. praestand. fol. 274. but we haue now departed from the Roman Church. So Caluin. And the same is acknowledged by Bullinger, Musculus, Plessie Mourney, Perkins, Hooker, Powel, Mortō. & the rest.

I was the first to whom God vouchsafed to reueile those doctrines, which are now preached,Comment in 1. Cor. 1.15. f. [...]34. & col. mens. fol. 488. this praise they cannot take from vs; that we were the first that brought light to the world. Without our helpe, no man had euer learned one word of the Gospel. So the fore mentioned Luther.

[Page 4] Wotton in exam. Iuris cler. Rom. pag. 392. Luther might well saye, that he was the first, who in these times preached Christ, especially in the principal points of the Gospell, which is Iustification by faith in Christ, and in this respect, it is an honour to Luther, that he was a sonne without a father, and a scholler without a maister. So Wotton.

Morgenster. tract. de eccles p. 145.It is ridiculous (saith Morgensterne) to thinke that anie before Luthers time held the true doctrine, or that Luther receiued his doctrine from others, and not others from him, since all Christians know, that all Churches before Luthers time, were ouerwhelmed with more then Egyptian darknesse, and that Luther was sent frō aboue to restore the true light.

If Luther had had any predecessors imbued with the true faith and religion, there had bene no neede of a Lutheran reformation,Milius in explicat. August. Confes. art. 7. See the Protestants Apologie. tract. 2. c. 2. sect. 11. &c. So Milius. And the like is affirmed by Hospinia [...]i. Coelius Secundus Curio, Bucanus, Fulke, Downham, and infinite other Protestants, as shall be shewed in the next chapter.

And although other Protestants blushing at this ingenious confession of their fellowes (which they finde apt to conuince them of heresie, because tasting so deepely of noueltie) haue taken no small paines, to make their pedegree [Page 5] smell of some more antiquitie; and haue for this purpose composed very voluminous and large Catologues, in which they haue most shamfully thrust in, not only all such noble professors of our Religion, who any way reprehended the vices of those times they liued in, without any dislike of the religion; but also omitted no sorte of schismatikes, lewde heretikes, atheists, sorcerers, witches, thieues, or traitors, who either consent with them, or dissent from vs in any one point, yet such is their hard happe, that among all this GALLAMAFRY, there is not one true Protestant to be found, as by examining their Catalogues, and bed-roles of witnesses, I will here demonstrate vnto you.

First then,Entituled a looking glasse for Protestants. to beginne with the sixt age (leauing * the examination of the first fiue to an other Treatise) from the yeare 600. to 700.S. Gregorie the great, dying in the year 590, is here raised by M. White, after the yeare 600. to plead for Protestancie. See White in his way to the Church. §. 50. pag. 387. Humf. in Iesuitismo part. 2. rat. 5. p. 5. & 627. Bale actis Ro. Pont. an. 1558. p. 44. 45. 46. &c. Magdeburg. cēt. 6. cap. 10. col. 743. 382. they produce S. GREGORIE the great: who besides that he was Pope of Rome, was so farre from being a Protestant, that Doctor Humfries, Bale, Osiander, and the Centuriators confesse of him, that he helde Purgatorie, relikes, transubstantiation, [Page 6] prayer for the dead, indulgences, worshipping of Images, Masse, Holie oyle, Monkerie, Holy-water, Auricular confession, & al other our doctrins, yea, quod sibi vendicauerit & exercuerit primatūsuper omnes Ecclesias. Centur. Magdeb. cent. 6. c. 10. col. 425. &c. And the like is affirmed by Fulke in confut. of Purgato. p. 310. & Martir. in cap 8. Iud. & Carion in Croni. l. 4. p. 368. and Osiā der in epitome. cēt. 6. p. 242. That he challēged vnto himself, & exercised the Supremecie ouer all Churches: which is the only poynt for which M. White maketh him one of his Protestanticall progenitors.

Secondly, they produce the sixt general Councell, in which the Fathers were so farre from being Protestantically affected, that they decreed as followeth.Conci. 6. general. can. 4. That what Cleargie person soeuer did lie with a Nunne (whom they style Christs spouse) should be deposed.can. 44. That if any Monke married a wife, he should be punished as a fornicator.can. 48. That none should be consecrated a Bishop, till his wife (by consent) being seuered from him, were placed in a Monasterie, farre from his abiding.can. 73. That the Crosse ought to be worshipped.can. 56. That in Lent (no not on Sundaies) men might not eate Egges, Cheese, Butter, nor Flesh.can. 6. That no Subdeacon, Deacon, or Priest, might marrie after Orders taken, &c. Yea, in that verie Canon, for which they are made Protestants, it is only said, that it may be lawfull for some selected married [Page 7] persons, to be admitted to the order of Priest-hood; which was sometimes permitted to the Greeke Church, and also in the beginning of the Gospell, when Priests were more scant, among the Lattins: you shall heare what Epiphanius will say touching this poynt.

The Holy Preaching of God receiueth not after Christ,Epiph. haeres. 59. cō tra Catharos. See S. Hierom cōtra Vigilant. c. 1. & cap. 8. & S. Augustine de ādulter. coniug. l. 2. c. 20. & Euseb. li. 1. Euāg. demonst. c. 9. & alij passim. them that marrie againe after their wiues departure, by reason of their great dignitie and honour of Priesthood, and this the holy Church of God obserueth with all sinceritie; yea she doth not receaue the once married person, that yet vseth his wife, &c. especially where the holy Canons be sincerely kept. But thou wilt say vnto me, that in certaine places, Deacons, Subdeacons, and Priests, doe yet beget children; but that is not done according to Order and Rule, but according to mans minde, which by time slaketh, and for the great multitude, when there were not found sufficient for the ministerie. This and much more S. Epiphanius.

Thirdly they alleadge in this age, the thirdConcilium Bracarence 3. extat tom. 3. concil. see in that council. c. 3. 4. & Portugal Councel, which (besides that it commendeth vnto vs hallowed Vessels, forbiddeth all Cleargie men priuatly to keepe companie with any woman, saue their mother. And decreeth, what ornaments are to be vsed [Page 8] both in priuate and publike Masses) hath nothing at all against vs, no not in the place by them alleadged; for it only saith, that in theMaist. White to make this councell speake against vs, vseth as blacke dealing as may be. For where the Councel speaketh of the Sacrifice, he applieth it to the Sacrament, saying, that the Councel appointed the Cuppe to be administred to the people in the Sacrament. And to this he taileth an other egregious Lie, in intimating, that our vse (before we gaue the Sacrament in one kinde only) was to dippe the bread in wine. sacrifice of the Masse, wine mingled with water, and bread alone, should be vsed, and not wine only, nor bread dipped in water, which doctrine, our Church well alloweth of, and constantly teacheth and practiseth.

IN the seuenth age, viz. from 700 to 800. theyWhite in his way to the Church §. 50. pag. 388. name Clement, Scotus, and Adelbertus. Both which (besides that they helde more points with vs, then with them, and consequently, could not be true Protestants) were confessed heretikes.See Baronius an. 745 n. 28. Scotus helde that a Christian might lawfully marrie, with his brothers wife; th at when Christ descended into hell,See the same Baron. ancod. n. 21 24. & Damascene verbo Iconomaclastae. he deliuered thence, not only the faithful, but also the Infidels, and the worshippers of Idols, and the like. And as for Adelbertus, he gaue out that he had certaine relickes, by which he could obtaine, what he listed of God; was well content, that Churches and [Page 9] Chappels, should be dedicated to his proper worshippe and honour; gaue his owne haire, & parings of his nailes, to be worshipped of his followers, as sacred relikes; bragged that he knew the secrets of mens hearts, and accordingly,White vt supra. see Baron. an. 704. n. 17. & Dama. vt supra. See Conc. Constant. pol. sub Isaurico & Copron. c 15. 17. 18 & Magd. cent. 8. c. 9. & concil. tricaenum. 2. act. 6. gaue them absolution without hearing their confessions, &c.

They further produce the two Constantinopolitan councels, vnder Leo Isauricus and Copronimus, which councels, (besides, that they were condemned and reiected by diuers following Councels, as schismaticall and hereticall) decreed as followeth; that whosoeuer denyed that the B. Virgin, was to be inuocated; or that the Saints were not to be worshipped; or that eternal life was not giuen for the merit of good workes, &c. should be ANATHEMA, or accursed of God: either of which doctrines, will conuince, that neither of these councels did much fauour Protestancie.

They furtherWhite vt supra. produce in this age, (as an other Protestant witnesse) the Councel of FrankfordWhat is to be thought of the Councel, see the notes on the third tome of councels an. 1618. p. p. 126. See also Bellarm. tom. 7. operū f. 566. lib. cu [...] titul. confutat. libelli de cultu Im [...] gin. qui falso, &c. as also two bookes one pretended, to be composed by CHARLES the great, and the other by LODOWICK his sonne, containing the Acts of that Counsell.

To which wee answere, that if the Councel of Frankford, had bene approued [Page 10] Councell, and those two books (bearing the names of CHARLES and LODOWIKE) there true borne, and not hereticall Imps, (c) iniuriously fastened on those two worthy Catholike Princes; yet seeing together with the reiection of Images, they teach That the Pope is supreame head, in all controuersies belonging to faith, That the Pope hath his supremacie immediatly from God, That prayer is to be made for the dead, That Saints are to be inuocated, That relickes are to be worshipped, That in the Eucharist, Christs bodie is truly present, and there to be adored, &c.The Emperour Charles the great, did not only cō mand by his publike edicts that the ceremonies, rits, and Masses of the Church of Rome, and other decrees, pleasurs, and appoyntments of the Roman Byshoppe, should be obserued through all his Empire; but he himselfe also did compell the Churches vnto this, by imprisonments, & sundrie punishments, saith Hospinian in epist. dedic. hist. vide etiam Osiand. in epit. cēt 8. p. 101. and Cooper in Cronico. f. 173. and Crispin [...] l. de stat. Ecclesiae pag. 221. 226. The Protestants haue small reason to claime this Councel, as a good witnesse of their religion.

Besides theCent. 8. c. 9. col. 570. ex Paulo Amilio. l. 2. hist. Fran. Magdeburgians, out of Paulus Aemilius, confesse that CHARLES the great, sent twelue of his most learned Prelates, to the Roman Councell, vnder Pope ADRIAN, in which the worship of Images was established. He wrot also the Epitaph of Pope ADRIAN as followeth:

Hic Pater Ecclesiae, Romae decus, inclytus author
ADRIANVS requiem Papa beatus habet.
Vir cui vita decus; pietas, lex; gloria, Christus;
Pastor Apostolicus, promptus ad omne bonum, &c.

Which euidently shew, that CHARLES the great, held not Image-worshippers [Page 11] Idolaters, but rather the quite contrarie, as may appeare by what hath bene alreadie said, as also by the testimonie of Ionas Aureliensis, who as an eye-witnesse affirmeth, that in the raigne of CHARLES the great, Claudius bishop of Towers (the chiefe oppugner of Images) durst nowhere shew his head. And as for LODOVICK his sonne, surnamed the godly, Carion writeth as followeth. LODOVICKE the only suruiuing sonne of CHARLES, was for his religious superstition, surnamed the godly, for he increased the feasts, and the Idolatrous worshipping of Saints, and the superstitious obseruation of Monastical orders, &c. So farre was LODOVICK from being Protestantically minded.

Lastly,Ionas Aureliens. l. 1. de cultu Imag Carionin cronico l. 4. p. 96. edit. 2. volumnibus. they produce venerable Bede, Iohn Damascene, and diuers other knowne Catholikes. For as touching S. Bede, Osiander acknowledgeth, that he held in all poynts with the Pope, & as for (c) S. Iohn Damascene, he was one of the principall resisters of Leo Isauricus, in his heresie against the worship of Images, neither did he differ from vs, in any poynt of [Page 12] doctrine for ought I can finde.Illiricus in catalogo testium veritatis. Osiander in epit. cent. 8. l. 2. c. 3. c. see Baron. an. 727. 7 n. 18. 19.

IN the eight ageWhite vt supra pag. 388. they name Iohn Scotus, Bertram, & Claudius bishop of Towers, the last of which three, holding that baptisme was not good, which was not administred with the signe of the Crosse, and professing Nestorianisme: the Protestants must needes confesse him to be an heretike. And as touching Scotus andBesides that, the Magdeburgenses (cent. 9. c. 4. col 212.) affirme that in Bertrams booke, transubstantiation is taught: tis thought that Bertrā made not that booke, because Pantalion, who was diligent in reckoning vp all Bertrams bookes, maketh no mention of this booke, for which he is only made a Protestant. See Pantalion in Cronologia. an. 65. Bertram (if those bookes in which the Real presence seemeth to be impugned, were made by them) being in all other points, besides that of the Real presence, knowne Papists; what reason the Protestants haue to produce them, as their progenitors, let the readet iudge.

They likewise name in this age Lotharius the Emperour,White vt supra. who (saith White) reduced the Pope to the obedience of the Empyre, sending for that cause, three Archbishops, twentie Bishops, and diuers noble men to Rome, who disputed against him, and confuted him.

Which to be one of the blackest and [Page 13] most impudent lyes, that euer was coyned, the very author by him cited, will abundantly witnesse; for he plainly saith, thatDiuina gratia inspirante, nec sermones ipsius almi Pontificis, nec prudentiam superare valuerūt. tantaque ei superna aderat virtus, vt nullo sermone eum includere & constringere potuerunt, &c. See Anastasius (cited by White) in vitis Pontificum, in Sergio. 2. an. 162. Gods grace so inspired the Pope, that those (Lotharian) Bishops were not able to ouercome, or circumuent him by their speeches, but being themselues ouercome and confounded, with shame, were forced to leaue him, and goe their wayes.

They further alleadge in this ageThe Emperour Michael, chiefely shewed himselfe to be a Protestāt in marying a vowed Nunne, in impugning Images, in condemning the Nicene Councel, & in banishing good Catholikes. Michael the Emperour, and Photius the Patriarke of Constantinople, two worthy Progenitors of Protestanisme. The first of them (according to allSee Zonaras and Cedrinus apud Bellarm. tom 7. de cultu Imagin. ca. 6. Greeke authors) being a most wicked man, farre more addicted to Iudaisme, then Christianitie; holding fornication to be lawfull, and denying the resurrection, &c. And the second, maintaining among other heresies, that the Holy Ghost, did not proceede from the Father, and the Sonne, but from the Father only; that neither the good should enioy happinesse, nor the ill receaue punishment before the day of Iudgement, that to hurt [Page 12] [...] [Page 13] [...] [Page 14] & circumuent his enimie,See Gualter in Crono graph. saec. 8. in collat. c. 4. a man might lye, and for-sweare him selfe; that it was in each mans power when he listed to dissolue Matrimonie; that Widdowes might not marrie againe; that simple fornication and vsurie were no sinnes; that a man was not bound to make restitution of stolne goods; that men were to abstaine from blood, and all meates prohibited in the Old law; that the Eucharist was to be administred to children, immediatly after baptisme, and the like.

Lastly, theyPowel in praefat. l. de antichristo. produce as a Protestant witnesse of this age, Alphred king of the west Saxons, & some others whom See Stow in his Cronicle edi. an. 1614. pag. 80. all the world knowes, to haue bene in all poynts true Roman Catholikes.

White as aboue § 50. pag. 389.IN the ninth age (quoth M. White) Otho the great, deposed IOHN the Pope, & assumed into his hands the nominating and making of Popes euer after. Which was a manifest resistance made against the grouth of the supremacie. So White. and citeth for his Author, Sigonius. In which,Sigonius regni Italici. l. 7. an. 963. after search made, finding the contrarie, I could not but stand amazed at the frontlesse impudence of this Minister, & his Cymists. For both Sigonius & Luitprandus declare, that Otho went to Rome, with an intent to aid Pope IOHN against Berengarius and Albertus. And after [Page 15] comming thither, though he was informed by the Bishops, of this Popes ill demeanour, yet he wrote vnto him a letter,Luitprandus l. 6. c. 6. & 7. in which he stiled him, The chiefe Bishop, and vniuersall Pope; called the Cardinalls, Bishops, and Priests, his sonnes, & him selfe his Protectour, earnestly praying his FATHERHOOD, to make his appearance and answere before the Councel of Bishops (for that purpose assembled) to such crimes, as were obiected against him. And after, when he appeared not, and the Bishops were instant to haue him deposed, he only answeared (as Sigonius writeth) Quando ergo haec praestare statuitis, &c. Since then you are determined to depose him, choose yee another in his roome,Illiricus ex Luitprando. cent. 10. c. 9. col. 433. & sequent. who may be worthie of this seate, &c. not daring (as Illiricus confesseth out of Luitprandus) to make him selfe iudge of him, that was his Iudge. So farre was this good Emperour, from presuming on his owne authoritie, in the deposition of Popes, or arrogating vnto himselfe the making of Popes, as this lying heretical Minister affirmeth.

Arnulphus a learned Catholike Bishop, is alsoWhite as aboue. pag. 23. produced for a Protestant witnesse of this age: but the only reason alleadged (which is, that he held the Pope to be Antichrist) proouing to [Page 16] be aSee Baron. an. 992. per totū. slanderous lie; the Protestants cause, is but little aduantaged by this witnesse.

Illiricus in catalogo testium. & White as aboue.IN the tenth age, they name Glaber, Rodolphus, Leuthericus, Anselmus, Lanfranke and others, who are all well knowne Roman Catholikes, and notable oppugners of Protestancie.

They name likewiseWhite as aboue. Berengarius, See Gualter in cronographia. saec. 1000. in coll. c. 1. who yet abiured as hereticall, that very poynt, for which only he is made a Protestant, and dyed reconciled to the Church of Rome.

TheyWhite as aboue. Stephanus Alberstadiensis in epist. ad Wolfangum. extat apud Dodechi num in additione ad Marianum Scotum. an. 1090. name also Henry the fourth, Emperour of Germanie, & other of his Bishops & nobles. The worth of which witnesse, you shall heare from the Histographers of that time. Omnis qui dignitates spirituales vendit, haereticus est, &c. Euerie one that selleth spiritual dignities, is an heretike; but Henrie whom they call king, doth sell Bishoprikes, and Abbotships; for he hath sold for money, the Bishoprikes of Constance, Bamburg and Mintz, the Bishoprikes of Reipurth, Ausburg, and Strasburge for a sword; the Abbotship of Fulden for adultrie; the bishoprike of Monasterience for Sodomie, &c. So Stephanus Alberstadiensis while this Henry was yet liuing.

The Catholike men who liued in [Page 17] that time (saith Maerianus) hearing and seeing these abhominations,Marianus Scotus, in Cron. an. 1075. and vnheard of wickednes of Henry, directed Messengers with letters to ALEXANDER Bishop of the Sea Postolike, in which they declared these, and manie other things which were done & said, by the mad Simoniacal heretikes, vnder King Henry their Author and patron.

If you desire to know (saith Krantzius) the praises of Henry; he was noble,Krantzius l. 5. Saxon. c. 24. learned, strong, tall, and of a Kingly Maiestie; but on the other side, the heynous offences which he committed, are incredible to be spoken, &c.

Auentine also saith,Auentine l. 5. anal. Boron. [...]. pag. 563. that his very freinds cannot deny, but that Henry was infamous for rauishments, adultries, &c. He was held by all Catholikes (saith Vspergensis) for an arch-pirate, an apostata,Vspergensis in crônic. an. 1068. Caluin l. 4. inst. c. 11. n. 3. see Bellarmine l. 1. de translat. Rō. Imperij. c. 9. tom. 7. arch-heretike, and a greater persecutor of mens soules, then of their bodies, &c. So all the writers of that time, to which you may adde the testimonie of Caluin, who plainly confesseth, that this Henry was a man, light, rash, and of no iudgement, of wounderful dissolutenesse of life, Who had in his Hall, all the bishorikes of Germany, partly to be sould, and partly to be exposed for a pray.

To this you mayNote that this Henrie the 3. or as some call him the fourth, in the time he stroue with the Pope for the inuestiing of Bishops by Ring and Staffe, was deposed by his owne sonne, and imprisoned, whence escaping after a second defeat, was brought to such miserie, that he sued to be a Sexton in a Church, but not admitted to that office, he fell to begge of Lay men, crying in lamentable maner, Haue mercie vpon me, at least you my friendes, for the hand of the Lord hath touched me, and so full of miserie, and repentant sorrow, he pyned to death, to the great reioycing of al Christendome. See Sigonius. de reg. Italico. l. 9. in Hen. 4. adde, that he afterward submitted him selfe to Rome, and [Page 18] acknowledged the Popes supremacie, as BELLARMINE proueth at large.

IN the eleuenth age, they name Henry the fift, Emperour of that name, who in the beginning of his raigne, insisted in the steps of his father before mentioned,See Abbas Vspergensis in cron. an. 1110. & but seeing (as it is well knowne) he afterward recanted, and was reconciled to the Sea Apostolike; he ceased to be a Protestant witnesse.

They produce in like maner, an other of their Gransires in this age;White as aboue. the Emperour Fredertcke, named Ahembardus: but vpon what grounds thinke you? he denyed appeales to Rome, say they, which I finde to be true indeed, but yet this will not make him a Protestant, vnlesse Protestancie, proceede only of spleene, and the heate of contention. For that he beleeued that the Pope was Christs true Vicegerent vpon earth, and the Vniuersal and highest Bishop, as both his [Page 19] wordes and deedes declare sufficiently.See Nauclerum vol. 2. generat. 93. p. 844. edit. 1614 & p. 856. See also Radeniū de rebus Frederick primi. c. 16. 17. & 56. and Krantzius l. 6. c. 16. For to let passe his prostrating him selfe before Victor the Antipope, which yet was an euident signe, that he had the Papall dignitie, in the heighest esteeme) he styled Pope ALEXANDER the 3. (whom he so much hated) head of the Catholike Church. And when he was willed to humble him self at this ALEXANDERS feet, he did so, pronouncing these wordes, Non tibi, sed Petro, cuius successor es, Pareo: I doe obeysance not to thee, but to S. PETER, whose successor thou art.

Much more shamfully S. BERNARD is by them produced, as a Protestant witnes of this age,White as before, &c Illiricus. who yet in all points was a Roman Catholike, as al his books doe euidently declare, and some Protestants protest, sayingCentur. cent. 12. col. 1637. He worshipped the God Maozim, to the last minute of his life; ibid. col 1638. he was an earnest propugner of the Antichristian seat;White taker ad Rationet Campaniani. rat. 7. p. 105. he was the only godly man your Roman Church had for many yeares.

Againe, they alleadge theWhite as aboue, Illiricus in Catalogo testium. & Beza in vita Caluini, & in Icon. an. 158. v. Wald. Fulke de success. contra. Stap. pag. 332. Abbot against Hil pag. 57. & Camerarius de Ecclesia fratrum orthodox. p. 7. 9. & 11. See the Protestants Apologie, tract. 2. c. 2. sect. 3 cū Waldensibus fraterna coniunctio ad extremū vs (que) colenda est. So Caluin in Epist. 201. ad Polonos. Waldenses (f) and Albigenses, as Protestant witnesses of this age, who held indeede manie Protestanticall opinions, but with all, * that no obedience was due to any Prelate; that it was lawful for all men although they were forbidden by [Page 20] their superiours) to Preach that Laye persons, if they were iust, might Consecrate; that no perfect person might vse any manuall labour; that men were to vse no other forme of prayer, but the Pater noster; that Priests and ciuill Magistrates, being once guiltie of Mortall sinne, did immediatly loose their dignities, and were not after to be reuerenced; that Ecclesiasticall persons might possesse neither money nor lands; that the Apostles Creed was to be contemned; that no Iudge had power to condemne any man to death; that all carnal copulation is lawful, if our lust prouoke vs thereunto; that Churches enuironed with walls, are to be esteemed as barnes; that those married folke, who lye together, without a desire to get children, doe sinne mortally; that men might lawfully dissemble their faith; that there were two beginnings, to wit, God and the diuel; that God created mens soules, and the diuel their bodies; that mens soules passed out of one bodie, into an other; that our bodies should neuer rise againe; that there was neither Hell nor * See Gualterus in his Cronographie saec. 12. cap. 25. & 16. and Illiricus in Catalogo; and Osiander cent. 9. 10. 11. & Fox. acts. & Symon voyen. in catalogo doctor. Eccles. p. 134. [Page 21] Purgatorie; that the new testament was made by a kinde God, and the old by a spiteful God, and therefore the one to be reiected, and the other admitted; that the Author of the old Testament, was a lyar and a murtherer; that all the Fathers of the olde Testament, were damned; that Iohn Baptist, was one of the greater diuels; that Marie Magdalene was Christs concubine, and the selfe-same woman, which the Gospel affirmeth to haue bene taken in adultrie; that there were two Christs, one good, who was borne and crucified, and the other bad, who was visibly borne at Bethelem, and crucified at Ierusalem; that God had two wiues, Collant and Collibant, on whom he begat many children; that good Christ neuer eate, nor drunke, nor was euer visible but in Paules bodie; That to lie with ons mother was no greater sinne, then with any other woman, &c.

Which horred opinions, howsoeuer White, Abbots, Illiricus, Beza, Caluin, and Foxe, can disgest, and place these miscreant Albigenses, and Waldenses, in the Catalogue of their most noble Protestant progenitors,Camerarius de fratrum ortho. Ecclesia pag. 273. because in some poynts they agree with them; yet some other Protestants reiect them as heretikes: the Waldenses (saith Camerarius) neuer [Page 22] agreede with our Churches,Iewel in defence of his Apologie. p. 48. Osiander cent. 13. p. 329. See the Protestants Apologie tract. 2. c. 2. nor wee with theirs. The Albigenses are none of ours, saith Iewel; they were Heretikes, saith Osiander; with whom consent, Cooper (in dict.) the Magdeburgians (cent. 3. c. 3. Marbeke (in locis communibus. 22.) and diuers others.

They place moreouer in this age, in their Catalogue of Protestant progenitors,Illiricus in catologo test. Peter de Brucis, Simō dus in Apoc. pag. 142. Abaillardus, Lib. epist. zwing. & Oecolā padij pag. 710. & 716. & centur. 12. col. 848. (d) Arnoldus, and other like, who maintained in deed, as the Protestants now doe; that men had no Free-will; that there is no Reall presence; that the Masse was to be abrogated; that Crosses were to be broken downe, & the like, yet seeing they also held; that no Churches ought to be builded, and that such as were built, ought to be plucked downe; that almes-deedes and prayers, were not to be regarded; that God was not a simple essence; that God was not the author of all good; that the Angels created some things; that Christ tooke not on him humaine flesh to free vs; that Christ had in him no feare of God; that God could not haue made things otherwise then they are; that all the diuels temptations came by touching certaine herbes and stones; that the blessed should neuer see God, and the like; the Protestants haue no great [Page 23] reason to glorie in them.Illiricus in Catologo test. Powel in praefat. l. de Antichristo pag. 14. 15. 16. White as before p. 392. and Powel in the considerat. of Popish reasons. pag. 53. Naper in Apocal. cap. 20.

In the twelft age, they name S. Thomas of Aquine, Bonauenture, Durand, Lira, Duns Scotus, Roger Bacon and others so Catholikely addicted, and so diametrically opposite to Protestancie, that none but impudence it selfe, would produce them for Protestants.

They name also Peter Blois, and Gulielmus de Sancto Amore; the first of which two (besides these two hereticall opinions; that Monkes liuing by almes, could not be saued, and that actual pouertie, was not lawfull) was in all points (for ought I finde) a Roman Catholike; and the other, by their owneOsiand. in Epit. cent. 12. pag. 281. confessions, only reprehended our maners, and not our doctrine.

They furtherWhire vt supra. name in this age, Frederike the second, Emperour of Germanie, and Almoricus with others of like sorte; the first of which we easily acknowledge to haue bene at emnitie with the Pope a long time. But yet, seeing he afterSee Vspergē sis in Cronico, & Whimxtelingus in epit. rerum Corman cap. 15. hartely repented the same, and humbly craued absolution at the Popes handes, and was in Religion a Roman Catholike; the Protestants do him great wrong, in producing him for one of their progenitors: and as touching Almoricus, since together with the denyal of the Real presence, and [Page 24] inuocation of Saints;See Gualtier in Chronograph. faec. 1200. in collat. c. 1. he also taught these following (viz. that if Adam had not offended, there should not haue bene anie distinction of Sexes, nor anie procreation of Children; that the blessed should neuer see God, but in his Creatures only; that there should be no resurrection of bodies; that there was neither heauen nor hell, and the like) this will proue but an hereticall witnesse.White in his way as before p. 392 & Powel in prefatione l. de antich. White in his way as aboue pag, 393. Fox actes & Monuments. Powel in praefat. l. de antichristo.

IN the thirteenth age they name, Alfarus, Pelagius, S. Katherine of Sienna, William Wickham, William Occham, and some others: the three first of which were in all points for ought I can finde, vndoubted Roman Catholikes, and howsoeuer the other did hold erroniously in some points, yet it is most certaine that they were very farre from being in all, Protestantically affected.

They further produce in this age, Lollard walter, and Iohn witclffe, as two eminent martirs, and most renowned Protestant progenitors; and yet the first of these was burnt for these and such like opinions.See Gualtier in Cronographia. saec. 13. c. 7. in collat. viz. That Lucifer and his assotiates, were vniustly thrust out of heauen; that Michael and the other blessed Angels, should be damned; that the Virgin MARY remained not a Virgin; [Page 25] that God wil punish no sinnes that are committed here on earth, &c.

And as for Wickliffe See Stow and Hollinshead in their Cronicles. an. 1382. and Bal [...]in his 4. centurie. Matthew Hoe in tract. 1. de disput. p. 27. Pantaleō in Cronol pag. 119. Vadianus Zwingl. l. 5. Antichristop. 168. besides that he dyed of a natural disease quietly in his bedde) Matthew Hoe, Pantaleon, and Vadianus Zwinglianus, all famous Protestants, repute him for an Heretike, and others for aSee Fox acts & monuments, & Stow. See also Melancton in dispute de iure Magistrat. & Osiander cēt. 9. 10. 11. 12. art. 15. See also Breitly in his Protestant Apollogie tract. 2. §. 4. c. 2. Traytour. Neither doe I see, how anie Protestant can iudge better of him, vnlesse he happilie allow of these following positions of his viz. That no Priest ought to possesse any thing as proper; that no Magistrate had any authoritie, as long as he was in Mortall sinne; that no Prelate ought to excommunicate any, vnlesse he be certaine that the partie was before excommunicated by God; that the people may at their pleasure punish their Lords; that Vniuersities, Colledges, & degrees therein taken, were as commodious to the common weale, as the diuell; that by Gods law, the brother and sister might marrie together; that God must obey the diuel; that euery creature may be called God; that all things happened by ineuitable necessitie; that to enrich the Cleargie, was against the law of Christ; that all oathes are lawfull, which are vsed to confirme bargaines and contracts; that a bishop is [Page 26] not aboue a Priest, and the like.

Powel in praefat. lib. de Antichristo. pag. 28. 29. Powel addeth to the former Protestant Confessors of this age, Nicolas Herford, Petrus Patishal, and Richard White; but in acknowledging them to haue bene true Witcliffes, we may iustly conclud them to haue bene notorious heretikes.

IN the fourteenth age; they place Robert Fox in Acts & Monuments, & Powel vt supra, and Bale, cēt. 6. c. 78. and Willet in synopsi. Stow in annal. edit. 1614. fol. 344. see also Holinshead an. 1414. See the examination of Foxes callender in the 3. cō uersion. Ashton, for one of their rubicated or prime Martirs; who yet as STOW witnesseth, was condemned for rebellion and treason, and buried vnder the Gallowes.

Iohn Browne (a) Richard Silbecke, Iohn Beuerly, and William Swindersbie, are placed as fower other Protestant Martirs; and yet the first three (b) were condemned for treason and rebellion with the foresaid Robert Ashton; and as for Swindersbie, besides that Fox confesseth, that he is vncertaine what became of him (only he is sure that he escaped the handes of those that had him in hold, and that he had no harme, during the time of RICHARD the second, viz. in the yeare 1401. in which yeare. he is made a martir) The opinions for which he was questioned were these: That no man can imprison an other for debt; that euerie Priest taking an yearly pension, committeth symmonie; that Priests Consecrating in Mortal sinne, commit [Page 27] Idolatrie, &c. which euidently shew,White as aboue, Powel in praefat. lib. de Antichristo. p. 33. 34. Fox acts & mon. Stow and Hollinsh. an. 5. Hēr. 5. Walsing, an. 1417. p. 448. that Swinderbie was an heretike.

William Thorpe, Iohn Purney, and Sir Iohn Old Castle, are three other Protestant Martirs of this age; and yet the two first are confessed by Powell, to haue bene Weckliffites, and consequently heretikes, as before shewed; and as concerning Old-castle, (whom Fox stileth Lord Martir) Stow and Hollanshead confesse, that he was conuicted and condemned for treason and open rebellion, and accordingly executed. an. 134. 17. December 14. an. 3. Henrici. 5. And as touching his doctrine,Fox & Powel vt supra. This Only or Bullingbrooke, is named by Fox in his first editiō knight and in the second Priest. he was so madly minded (saith Walsingham) that he thought hee should rise againe the third day.

Roger Only, alias Bullingbrooke, Elenor Cobham, and Rainold Peacocke, are produced as three other Protestant progenitors in this age; the two last for confessors, and the first for a rubricated Martir, who yet was executed for no other cause, but for that he had sought the kings death, by art Magicke; and as for Elenor Eleonor Colham, is styled by Powel pijssima ducissa. a most pious Dutches. Cobham, she was conuicted to haue bene a principal agent in the conspiracie with Only; and after conuiction was committed to the ward of Sir Thomas Standly, where she remained during her life, in the Castle of Chester, whose pride, falshood, couetous, and lecherie [Page 28] (saith Stow) were cause of her cōfusion.Stow an. 20 Henrici 6.

Thirdly concerning Peacoke, the same Stow an 36. Henr. 6. Stow will tell you, that he was accused, for denying certaine Articles of the Apostles Creede, which he after at Paules Crosse, abiured, reuoked, and renounced; requiring all men, in the name of God, and as they tendred their saluations, not to giue credite to his pernicious doctrines, errours, and heresies (which by presuming on his owne naturall witt, and preferring his owne iudgement in reading the Scripturs, before the iudgement of his Holy Mother the Church, hee had conceiued and written) but that all such bookes and writings, should be deliuered to the Archbishop, or his Commissaries, to be burnt, as well deseruing the same.

They further name in this age, Iohn Hus, Richard Turmin, and Machiauil. The first of which three,White vt supra. Fox in Acts and Monum. Illiricus l. 19. test. p. 1916. an. 1608. edit. Matthew Hoe in tract. duobus. tract. 1. de disp. pag. 27. maintained all Wickliffes opinions, and is iustly ranked by Mathew Hoe, in the Catalogue of Heretikes, and his opinions, styled MONSTROVS MONSTERS. Secondly concerning Of this Protestant Martir, Fox confesseth, that he not onely escaped burning, but had neuer so much as any sentence of death pronounced against him. Turmin, he was in the conspiracie with Sir Iohn Oldcastle. & as touching Machiauill [Page 29] al men know that he was a true Atheist.

And thus hauing exactly viewed the Catalogue of the Protestants pretended Ancastrie, and found them to be no other, then either confessed Papists, knowne Schismatikes, detested Heretikes, Athists, Magitians, Thieues and Traitors, I will conclude this chapter with this dilemma.

Either Luther and his cope-mates, Caluin, Zwinglius and the rest, had knowne, visible, and eminent predecessors, who professed the doctrines they now teach in all former ages, or they had no predecessors. If they had no predecessors (as Luther himselfe, and most learned Protestants confessed in the beginning of this chapter) it must necessarily follow (to say nothing of the calling of Protestant Ministers, which must needs befrō the diuel, because it was neitherOrdinarie that is, from men of lawfull authority it could not be, for neither at that time, nor long before, there had bene any knowne or visible Protestāt Minister or Magistrate, as they themselues confessed in the beginning of this chapter, and as for Papists, who then were onely visible, as most Protestants acknowledge, they neuer sent them to Preach those new doctrines, neither will any Protestant indure to deriue any small authoritie from them. We (saith Fulke in his Retentiue (p. 67.) and in his answere to the false Catholike (pag. 50.) detest, abhorre, abiure, and spit at your Antichristian and filthie Orders; you are deceiued, if you thinke that we hold our offices of Deacons, Priests, or Bishops, for any other then meerely laicall; The Papisticall ordinations saith Powell (in his consideration of the Papists reasons pag. 71. & 70.) are meere Prophanations, neither is there in the Papacie any Ecclesiastical calling So he, and the like is affirmed by Beza, apud Sarauium in defens. tract. p. es Bucanus in locis commun. loco. 42. [Page 30] ordinarie, norExtraordinarie or immediately frō God, it was neither by their own confessions, and this for two reasons: First, because extraordinarie calling hath not bene in vse since the Apostles time, nor must euer be expected, till the end of the world, as Luther in tom. 5. Witt. in cap. 1. ad Galath. p. 376. Musculus (in locis commun. p. 304.) Lobecke (in disput. Theolog. p. 358.) and Sarania (in defens. tract. contra defens. Beza. p. 73. & 35. 36. 37.) contend. Secondly because extraodinarie vocation was euer accompanied with miracles, as the said Luther (in locis communib. classe 4. cap. 20. & Epist. ad Senatum Malhus. apud Sleydan. l. 3. an. 25.) Piscator (in volum. Theolog. Thes. 1. loco. 23.) Polanus (lib. 1. part Theolog. pag. 358.) and other affirme; Now that no Protestant euer wrought any miracle, is manifest in it selfe, neither will any of them challenge so much; we neither work miracles, neither doe we hold, that the doctrine of truth is to be confirmed by Miracles. So Sutcliffe in examin. Kelis. p. 8. and the like is affirmed by Fulke (contra Remist. test. fol. 478.) Erasmus (apud Fitz Siomn in Britanniar. Ministr) and others. extraordinary, that is neither immediatly from God, nor mediatly by men of lawful authoritie: If ( [...] say) they had no predecessors, it mus [...] needes follow, that the doctrines, o [...] which the Protestant Church is founded, were heretical and Antichristian, and they them selues Nouellizers, Heretikes, and Sathanicall Ministers, because the trueEsay. cap. 2. vers. 2. & cap. 60. 61. & 62. per totum. And Psal. 91. v. 4. Ephesians 4.11.12. Mat. 18. v. 15. & cap. 24. v. 25.26. And Daniel 2. v. 44. And Osee cap. 2. v. 19 Athanasius in Orat. de Christi. Chrysostom. serm. 26. de Pentecost. Augustine epist. 170. & in Concione. 2. in psal. 5. See also the Protestants Apologie, tract. 2. c. 2. sect. 8. Church of Christ, according to expresse Scriptures, consent of Catholike writers, and confessions of best learned Protestants, must be alwaies as a Cittie seated on the toppe of a hill, knowne, eminent and gloriously visible, whose Sunne must neuer set, nor her Moone lie hid, whose gates must euer stand open and the like, hauing in her Pastors and Ministers Preaching the word, and administring the Sacraments, and resisting all nouelties and false doctrines.

[Page 31]But if (as Illiricus, Fulke, and D. White con [...]end) Luther and his cymists, had any Predecessors, the chiefe of which were [...]hose formerly mentioned, to witte, Schismatikes, Heretikes, Athiests, Magitians, Thieues, and Traitours (for as touching Papists, they vtterly disclayme them, neither will any Protestant indure to deriue his Pedegree or Mission from them of all others) it cannot be denyed, but that Protestants are infamous and detestable heretikes, in being descended, from such accursed, infamous, diuellish, and detestable progenitors.

[Page 32]

CHAPTER II. That all the chiefe doctrines and principles of Protestancie, are old condemned heresies; and that the most damned heresies that euer were hatched in any age, haue bene cherished, fostered, and defended by the chiefe Doctors in the Protestant Church.

THat all the doctrines which Protestants at this day so eagerly maintaine against Roman Catholikes, are old condemned Heresies; and that the chiefe Apostles and Doctors of Protestancie, haue reuiued and defended all the most detestable heresies that euer any former age begotte.Iacobus Gualtier in lib. cui titulus Tabula Cronographica Ecclesiae catholicae à Christo nato vs (que) ad an. 1614. edit. an. 1616. Clement. 3. recog. Irenaeus l. 1. c. 20. IAMES GVALTIER in his learned and elaborate Cronographicall tables (out of the seuerall Catalogues of Heresies, composed by S. Eiphanius, Austine, Philastrius, Alphonsus a Costro Prateolus, and other auncient and moderne writers) hath proued at large. Out of whom I will here instance in some few which seeme to be as the Marrow, Essence, and life of Protestanisme. Setting downe the age in which these Heresies were first begot; the Fathers and Councells, who opposed and condemned [Page 33] them; and the Protestant Doctors by whom they are reuiued and maintained. I will begin with the first age.

In the first age, Simon Magus one of the first detested heretikes, was condemned of heresie by S. CLEMENT and IRENEVS, for teaching; that men are not saued by good workes, but by faith only; and that man had no free will: both which assertions, are now generally maintained by all sorts of Protestants, as two principal and essential Articles of their religion.

ThatLuther in artic. 36. it is not in mans power to thinke either good or euill, but that all things doe happen by absolute necessitie, is one of our chiefe Articles, saith Martin Luther; Idem tom. 5. Ger. Ien. in admonit. ad German. fol 288. & tom. 7. Ger. Wit. fol. 478. and as for Iustification by faith only; (forIdem tom. 1. Ger. Wit in 2. ad Galat. fol 47. & 91. & tom. 1. Latt. Ien. fol. 488. faith only Iustifieth, and not that faith which includeth Charitie) it is an Article which we cannot be without, because that failing, our Church falleth;Idē tō. 5. in c. 3. ad Gal. it is our onely safeguard, without which, both we and all other sectaries, had vndoubtedly perished;Idem tom. 2. lib. de abhominatione Missae. fol. 390. it is the summe of our Gospel. So Luther.

In the second age Cerinthus stands conuicted of heresie, byEpi [...] haeres. 8 S. Epiphanius, for teaching that children might be saued without Baptisme; which is now a plausible doctrine, among all the Caluinian [Page 34] Protestants.

Baptisme is but a seale of the promise, and neither hindereth nor furthereth in the way of saluation; neither doth the saluation of children depende on baptisme, but on the promise which God made to ABRAHAM Gen. 27.7; therefore all the children of beleeuing parents, are sanctified in their mothers wombe, and are by faith the heires of the kingdome of heauen, soCaluin l. 4. Inst. c. 16. n. 24. & 17. & 26. & cap 15. n. 10. & 20. & in ad. tid concil Trident sess 5. Rogers in his booke entituled the Catholike doctrine of the Church of Englād. art. 25. Willet in Synops. contr. 11. q. 3. Babington Coment. in Genes. 17.7. Zanch. in Miscel. l. 3. art. 17. Caluin; and the like is affirmed by Rogers, VVillet, Babington, Zanchie, and all other pure Caluinian Protestants.

In the same age, Ebion stands condemned of heresie,Epiphan. haeres. 30. by the foresaid Epiphanius, for denying that Christians enioyed the veritie of the old Figures; Caluin l. 4. Instit. c. 17. & 19. per totum Et c. 14. n. 20. & l. 2. c. 10. n 5. & Willet in Synop. controu. 15. q. 3. & controu. 11. q. 7. & Powel l. 2. de Antichristo cap. 21. which is also a currant doctrine, among the Caluinian Protestants: For they generallie teach; that the Sacrament of the Eucharist, is but a figure of Christs bodie; That S. IOHN Baptists baptisme, was all one with ours; that our Baptisme exceedeth not in prerogatiue the Iewes circumcision; that the schoolemens distinction (teaching that the Sacraments of the Old law did onely adumbrate or shaddow, and the Sacraments of the new [Page 35] conferred grace) was to be hissed at; and that the Iewes in their sacramēts had the same substance of Christ that we haue.

Againe, the same Ebion was condemned by the foresaidEpiphā. haere. 30. Father, For imposing a necessitie on mariage, which is a doctrine much vrged & defended by Martin Luther, the Protestants Apostle & Euangelist. As it is not in my power (saith he) not to be a man,Luther in Sermon. de Matrimonio 1522. fo. 5. latt. Witt. See also Caluin l. 4. Instit. c. 13. n. 3. & Harmon. in Mat. 19.12. so it is not in me to liue without a woman, &c. For our Election or Councel is not free, but a thing naturally necessarie, that a man be ioyned to a woman, and a woman to a man; for this word which God spake, increase and multiplie, is not a precept, but more then a precept, to wit, Gods worke which is not in our power to hinder or omit, but it is as necessarie as to be a man, & more necessare then to eate, drinke, purge, sleepe or wake, &c. So Luther. And in an other place, exempting but three kinds of men from the necessitie of marriage, viz. Gelded men, Eunuches borne, and such as haue made themselues Eunukes, he addeth saying; whosoeuer doth not finde himselfe in the number of one of these, muste in any case thinke of a wife, and hasten marriage, yea though he haue made ten vowes, oathes, promises and adamantine obligations to the contrarie.

[Page 36] Epiphan. haer. 27. & August haer. 7.Againe in this same age, Capronimus standes condemned of heresie, both by S. Austine, and S. Epiphanius, for contending that the law appertained not vnto Christian men; which is one of Luthers prime doctrines: You shall heare him speake; Luther tom 4. Ieu. latt. argum in epist. ad Galath. the Apostle saith, ye are not vnder the Law, but vnder grace; how not vnder the Law? according to the new man, vnto whom the Law doth nothing appertaine, for it had his limitts vnto Christs time, as PAVLE afterward saith &c.Ibid. ô Law touch not my conscience, for I am baptized, and by the Gospel called to the communion of Iustice, and euerlasting life, to the Kingdome of Christ, where there is no Law, but meere remission of sinnes, peace, quietnes, and mirth, &c.Ibid. in cap. 2. ad Galath. fol. 46. therefore a Christian is free from all Lawes, and subiect to none, neither within nor withoutIbid. fol. 42. The opinion of Hierome and others is to be reiected, who dreame that PAVLE speaketh not here of the ten Commandements, but of the Ceremonial Law, &c.Ibid. fol. 89. I vnderstād this saying of Christ, do this and liue, as a certaine Ironie or scoffing speech, &c.Ibid. fol. 53. neither doth PAVLE speake here of the Ceremonial Law, &c. but of all the Law, there simplie all the Law, whether it be Ceremonial, or of the ten commandements is abrogated [Page 37] to a Christian, &c.Ibid. in cap. 4. ad Gal. f. 144 THOMAS and other Scholemen speaking about abrogating the Law, say, that the Iudiciall [...]nd Ceremoniall Law were taken away after Christ, but not the Moral; but [...]hese speake they know not what, &c. Ibid. in cap. 2. fol. 62. & 54. What is it to me, that thou ô Law accusest me as guiltie, that thou conuictest me of many sinnes committed? yea I commit many daily, but this is nothing to me, now I am deafe, I heare [...]hee not, pray thee trouble not my conscience;Ibid in cap. 2. fol. 55. true it is, I haue sinned, therfore God will punish & condemne me! [...]o; yea but the Law of God saith so. I haue nothing to doe with this Law; why? because I haue an other Law,See also Caluin 4. Inst. c. 10. n. 5. & l. 3. c. 19. n. 2. & 4. which compelleth this Law to be mute, to witt, Libertie; what Libertie? of Christ, for by Christ I am freed from the Law; so a faithfull man by only faith may lift vp himselfe, and conceaue sure hope and firme consolation, that he may not waxe pale at the view of sinne, but may say, Sir diuel, thy threats and terrours mooue me nothing, because there is one which is called IESVS CHRIST, in whom I beleeue, he hath abrogated the Law, & is thy Sathan ô Sathan; ô Law if thou canst accuse me, binde me, terrifie me, I wil place ouer thee an other Law, that is to say, an other tyrant & tormentor, who shall [Page 38] in like maner accuse, bind, & oppresse thee,v. Luther vt supra in cap. 3. ad Calat. fol. 115. thou art in deed my Hangman, but I haue an other Hangman Christ, who shal tortour thee, by him I am free. If the diuell beate me, I haue a stronger diuel, who shal in like maner whip him; Christ is my diuel;Ibid. in cap. 4. ad Galath. fol. 118. therefore a conscience beleeuing in Christ, ought to be so sure, that the law with his terrours & threats is abrogated, that he must altogether be ignorāt, whether MOYSES, the Law, or a Iew euer were; (b) the Law certainly is no other then the sincke of all euils, heresies and blasphemies, because it onlie augmenteth sinne, accuseth, terrifyeth, threatneth death, sheweth God to be an angrie Iudge, condemning sinners; wherfore if thou be wise, banning farre off, stuttering and stammering MOYSES with his Law; neither let his terrours & threats any way moue thee, but do thou simplie suspect him as an heretike, an excommunicated person, a damned wretch, far worse then the Pope & the diuel himselfe, and therefore in no case to be heard, &c. Hetherto Luther.

August. haer. 6. see Alphon. a Castro in v. Creatura. & v. malum.Againe in this same age, the Gnostikes stand condemned of heresie by S. Austine, for teaching, that some creatures were of their owne nature ill: which is Caluins expresse doctrine. For he plainly saith, that the diuel was by nature euill, wicked, [Page 39] malicious;Caluin. l. 3. Inst. c. 23. n. 3 & l 1. c. 14. n. 15. & 17. Epiphan. in anaceph. & August. haer. 18. and that all men (whom God hath Predestinated to death, are by a natural condition, guiltie of death.

Againe in this same age, the Caini stand condemned of heresie, both by S. Epiphanius and S. Augustine, for teaching that Iudas fact was good in betraying his maister; and that he fore-saw the benefites which would accrew vnto vs by Christs Passion: which in like manner is plausible doctrine, among all the Caluin-Protestants;Crowly in his Apologie. pag. 30. & 46. I confesse (saith Crowly) in his Treatise entituled, An Apologie or defence of the English Writers) these are my wordes, that Gods Predestination was the onely cause of Adams fal, but not consequently of all sinne, for such as haue eyes to see,See Melamcton in Rom. 8. edit. 1. & Caluin l. 1. Instit. c. 18. n. 1. & 2. & l. 3. c. 23. n. 8. doe see that Adams fall was good, &c. yea it is a doctrine generally maintained by Protestants (as shall be shewed in the next Chapter) that Absolons incestious adulterie, was Gods worke; that Iudas treason, was as well the worke of God, as Paules vocation; that the Iewes in abusing our Sauiour, and putting him to death, did nothing but what the hand and Counsel of God had formerly decreed, and the like.

Againe in this same age the Plotemaians stand condemned for heretiks by S.Epiphan. haer 33. Epiphanius, for maintaining, that God had cōmanded [Page 40] some impossible things. And in particular touching the inseparable knot of marriage; which doctrine is generally maintained by all Protestants; as appeareth not onely in that they (contrarie to Gods word) admit of so many diuorces as shall be anone shewed, but in that they maintaineCaluin l. 2. Instit. c. 7. n. 5. & in Antid. concil. Trid. sess. 6. c. 2 that the Law of God, or the ten Commandements are impossible to be kept,Idem commēt. in Act. 14. v. 10. no not though a man be neuer so much assisted or holpen by Gods grace.

Againe in the same age the Priscillians, Marcites or Marcocites stand condemned for heretikes, both by S. Ireneus, S. Augustine and S.Irenaeus l. 1. c. 9. Epiphan. haer. 49. August. haer. 27. Epiphanius, for teaching that the order of Preist-hood, appertained as well to women as to men; which doctrine is also maintaned by Luther and Caluin the two great Euangelists of Protestanisme.

In the administration of theLuther tom. 7. Witt. Lat in notis Eccles. fol. 150. Sacraments, it is not materiall whether the partie (administring) be male or female, young or old, neither neede we in the administration of the Word and Baptisme be inquisitiue touching these &c.Idem tom. 2. Ien. Lat. lib. de abroganda Missa. fol. 442. 443. 444. 447. 448. 449. & tom. 1. Ger. Ien. fol. 336. & 824. apud Vtenbergium. causa 7. See also tom. 2. Lattin. Witt. fol. 90. & lib. de ministris Ecclesiae pag. 36. where reconing vp all the parts of Priestly function, as to Preach, to Baptize, to Consecrate, to giue absolution, &c. He concludeth that they are all common to women. I say, that among Christian people there is no difference of persons, no [Page 41] Lay person, no Clarke, no Shaueling, no Annointed person, no Monke &c. Priesthood in the New Testamēt is spiritual, and common to all Christians, for we are all Priests in the same manner that Christ was a Priest; this sentence is vnresistable, that in the New Testament, there are no visible Priests, nor can be different from lay persons, and such as be, are without the warrant of Scripture; therefore all Christians, haue power and authorite to Preach though BEHEMOTH, with all his adherents burst himselfe; when Paule saith, it is not permitted for a woman to speake in the Church, he doth not speak simply, as if it were vtterly vnlawful for a woman to Preach, but only that it is not fitting for a woman to Preach, if a man be in presence, that is able to performe that office, otherwise it is necessarie that a woman speake &c. all Christians, both men and women,See Caluin l. 4. Inst. c. 19. n 28. &c 4. n. 9. Gualtier in Cronographia. saec. 2. in Collat. c. 16. young & old, maisters and seruants, mistaesses & maids, learned & vnlearned are Priests; neither is there any difference, if their faith be alike; whosoeuer hath crept out of baptisme, may glorie, that he is both a Priest, a Bishop, and a Pope. Hetherto Martin Luther. And the like is taught by other Protestants; yea Gualterus [Page 42] affirmeth,See Florimundus Ra [...]mundus l. 7. de Origine haeres. c. 7. n. 5. where he reciteth many stories to this purpose. that in Prouince, Strasbrug, and infinite other places, women haue bene ordinarily seene to Preach; and that not many yeares since, a woman among the Abbenacenses, when a certaine Minister denyed to giue her the Communion, went angerly home to her owne house, and there laying a Napkin vpon a stoole, set Bread and Wine thereon, and with her owne handes, ministred vnto her selfe, the Lords supper.

Lastly in this same age, Prodicus the father of the Adamites, stands condemned of heresie by theSee Baron. anno 120. n. 37 Luther in captiuit. Babilon. tom. 2. Ien. lat. fol. 247. 173. 275. Caluin. l. 4. Inst. c. 10 n. 1. See also l. 3. Instit. c. 19. n. 2. & 4. Doctors of that time, for teaching that Christian people were not tyed in conscience, to performe anie Lawe; which doctrine is likewise maintained by Luther and Caluin, and followed in practise by all sorts of Protestants; It is certaine, that neither Men nor Angels, can impose any Lawes vpon Christian men, vnlesse they be willing thereunto. So Luther, and the like is affirmed of Caluin. Yea he dareth to say; that humane Lawes, how good or honest soeuer, whether they be made by Church or Magistrate, doe not bind in conscience Lib. 4. Instit. c. 20. n. 1. and that the promised libertie in the Gospel, did acknowledge neither King nor Magistrate among men.

[Page 43]IN the third age,Augustin. contra Faustum Manich. lib. 20. c. 5. 6. 7. & haer. 40. the Manichaeans stand condemed by S. Austine, for that they condemned Altars; which is so currant a doctrine among Protestants, that Mr. Smith in his Sermon vpon the Lords Supper, boldly affirmeth, that the word Alter hath bene kept in the Church by the diuel, that men should beleeue the Eucharist to be a Sacrifice.

Againe the same ManicheesSee Prateolus v. Manichaei heretically attributed all thinges to fate or ineuitable necessitie, and affirmed that sinne could not be auoided; which is a doctrine now generally maintained by all Protestant doctors, especially those of the Caluinean sect.Caluin 1. 3. Instit c. 23. n. 9 reprobi euadere nequeunt peccandi necessitatē, &c. The Reprobats cannot auoid the necessitie of sinning; especially, when by ordinance of God, such a necessitie of sinning is imposed vpon them. So Caluin. Yea there is nothing more familiar with him and his followers, then to affirmeIdem li. 1. Inst. l 18. n. 4. that man being iustly forced by God, doth doe what is not lawful for him;Ibid. n. 1. that God caused ABSOLON to pollute by incestious Adulterie, his fathers bed;Bucer. in cap. 1. ad. Rō. p. 72. & in cap. 9. p. 454. that God doth not only permit men to fall into errour by forsaking them, but seduceth, hardneth, deliuereth into a reprobate sence, and sendeth a powerfull errour, to make men doe such a [Page 44] thingPiscator. de Predest. pag. 105. 166. 167. cap. 1. that the most horred offences that euer were, are done by Gods decree; that sinnes through the force of that decree, are altogether inauoidable.

IN the fourth age the Donatists stand conuicted of heresie by S. Austine, for contending, that the Baptisme of Christ and S. Iohn Baptist were al one.August. l. 2. contra lit. Petil. c. 32. & 34. Which is a doctrine generally defended by all Caluinian Protestants;Caluin. l. 4. Instit. c. 15. n. 8. & 1. Willet in synop. controu. 14. q. 3. & cont. 12. q, 7. Powel l. 2. de Antichristo. c. 21. Optatus Meliuitan. lib. 2. & 6. contra Parmen. See Sanders haer. 91. the auncient Fathers were deceiued (saith Caluin) when they said, that the Baptisme of IOHN, was but a preparatiue to the Baptisme of Christ; we (saith D. Willet) affirme that the Sacrament of IOHN and our Sauiour were al one; yea (saith Powel) we Protestants hold it a blasphemie in the Papists, for making a differance betweene IOHNS and Christs Baptisme.

Againe, the same Donatists stande cōdemned by S. optatus Miliuitan, for contemning holy Oyle, and casting it on the ground; as also for that they caused the Sacrament of the Eucharist to be cast to the dogges, pulled downe Altars, (Which he calleth the seates of Christs body) broke and sold Chalices, rent and tore corporalls, veiles, bookes, and other instruments appertaining to Gods seruice: which was the ordinarie deportment of Caluin-Protestants in the beginning of their deformed reformation, [Page 45] and in which they still perseuer, as opportunitie offereth it selfe.

Againe the same Donatists stande condemned by S. Austine, for teaching,Agustine concione 2. in Psal. 5 & in Psal. 18. & in epist 16. ad Donatis. & lib. de vnitate Eccles. c. 11. & 13. Epiphan. haer 68. & 69. Theodoret lib. 4. haeret. fab. & August. haeret. 46. that the Catholike Church was perished in all the world, except in those places which Donatus liued. Which also is a doctrine generally taught by all sortes of Protestants, as was shewed in the former chapter.

Againe in the same age, the Arians stand condemned of heresie by S. Epiphanius, S. Theodoret, and S. Augustine, for maintaining, that the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, were not of one nature, substance, or essence, and refusing to admit the word [...], or consubstantiall, because it was not in the scripture: in both which, the chiefe Protestant Doctors, shew themselues to be their true disciples and faithful followers, as shall be shewed in the next chapter.

Againe the same Arians wereAthanasius ser. 4. contra Arrianns & Hilarie l. 9. de trinitate. condemned, for that they taught that the Sonne of God was ignorant of many things, and that he learned as he grew in yeares, which also is currant doctrine with Caluin and his Cymists.Caluin Harmon. in Mat. c. 24 v. 36. & har. in Luke c. 2. v. 40. It is euident, that ignorance was common to Christ with the Angels: so Caluin; yea he further saith, that Christs soule was as subiect to ignorance, as the soules [Page 46] of other men, and that this was the only difference betweene vs and him, that our necessities are of necessitie, his voluntarie; and that Christ in particular knew not the day of Iudgement, nor what tree that was which he cursed. And the like is taught by other Protestant Doctors, as shall be shewed in the next chapter.

Againe the same Arrians areSee Alphonsus à Castro. v. concili. condemned of heresie, for maintaining that a Councel, howe lawfull so euer assembled and approued might erre: Which also is a high-prized doctrine in the Protestant Synagogue; you shall heare the wordes of their first Author and Euangelist.Luther in postil. concione 1. post dominic. Trinit. fol. 114. Witt. Lat & art. 115 & 500. & tom. 7. Witt. Ger. fol. 262. Among all the Councels, I neuer saw any in which the Holie Ghost was found; Councels are vncertaine, neither must we trust vnto them; for there was neuer any so incontaminate, but either added or diminished from Gods word; yea the councel of the Apostles, albeit it was the first and most pure, had some what mingled with it, &c.Epiphan. haer. 75. & in acephal. August. haer. 53. Nic [...]. l. 9 c. 16. This abhominable opinion (that councels haue the Holie Ghost) is to be numbred among the greatest euils of christianitie. So this Apostata.

Againe in the same age Eustachius and Aerius stand condemned by S. Epiphanius & S. Augustine, for maintaining that the prescript [Page 47] Fastes of the Church, were not to bee obserued; which is also a knowne currant doctrine among all sortes of Protestants; yea it is common with the purer sort of them, to make their greatest feasts vpon the greatest and solemnest fasting dayes, of which none can be ignorant.

Againe the same Aerius, stands condemned by the two fore said Fathers,Epiphan haer. 75. & August haer. 53. for teaching that the dead were not to bee prayed for, nor Sacrifice to be offered for them: which also is a Doctrine generallie taught by all Protestant Doctors; yea in defence therof, they dare pronounce with their maister Caluin; Caluin. l. 3. Instit. c. 5 n. 10. that all the Fathers, in praying and offering Sacrifice for the dead, were foolishly deluded by the deceipts of Sathan; that it was an argument of ill-consulted sedulitie, in cō siderate credulitie, and peruerse emulation; that the custome of praying for the dead, was a profanation of the inuocation of God, and that it was an errour yea and a grosse & superstitious errour.

Againe in the same age, Iulian the Apostata standsSee Sozomen l. 5. cap. 20. & Euseb. l. 7. c. 14. condemned, for that he brake downe the Image of our Sauiour, and caused his owne to be set vp in steed thereof; as also for that he was a great enimie to the Holy Crosse, the Crucifix, and the signe of the Crosse: [Page 49] and haue not the Caluinian Ministers abundantly reuied the memorie of this accursed Apostata? haue they not throwne downe the Images of our Sauiour? broaken downe Crosses and Crucifixes? do they not hold the signe of the Crosse as superstition? and in steed of the Images of Christ and our Sauiour do they not place in their priuate howses the pictures of their Apostata deformers, or the Lasciuious Images of Venus and Adonis, Iupiter and Ganimede and such like, &c?

Hieronimus contra Heluidiū.Againe in the same age Heluidius stands condemned by S. Hierome and the other Catholike Doctors, for equalling the merit of marriage, with the merit of virginitie,Luther Sermon. pe Matrimonio. tom. 5. Lat. Wit. & tom. in Epist. ad Wolsang fol. 505. See Caluin. l. 4. Instit. c. 12. n. 28. & Harmon. in Mat. 19.11.12. wihch heretical doctrine all the Doctors of Protestancie do also eagerly maintaine; yea their father Luther dareth to write; that single life is farre more base and vild then marriage; that matrimonie is more then a precept; that who so determineth to liue without a woman, must put off the name of man, and put on the nature of an angell or spirit; that he must needs be a whoremaster that flyeth marriage, and that it is more necessarie to lie with a woman then to eate drinke or sleepe.

Againe the same Iouinian stands condemned by S. Augustine, for maintaining, [Page 49] that these who were by Baptisme regenerated, and receiued into grace, could not loose that grace, nor sinne, at least to death; which verie doctrine was reuiued by Luther, Luther in captiuit. Babilon. tom. 2. Lat. Wit. fol. 78. Caluin l. 4. Inst. c. 17. n. 2. Damman l. de Perseuerantia Sanctorum p. 145. & Piscator in resp. ad duplic. Vostij. p. 389. & alij passim. and is still eagerly defended by all Caluinian Protestants.

Thou seest how rich a Christian or Baptized man is, who though he would, cannot loose his saluation, what sinnes soeuer he commit, vnlesse he will cease to beleeue; So Luther. By our sinnes (saith Caluin) we can no more be damned then Christ himselfe; we maintaine saith Damman, that the iust man must of necessitie perseuer, and that those who are truly faithful, cannot fall from grace by any sinnes; they that are once iustified, remaine alway iustified. So the Vniuersitie of Oxford, in their late Vespers. 10. Iulij. nu. 1619. resp. Baites &c. Iles, and the like is affirmed by Piscator and all others.

IN the fift age Vigilantius stands condemned of heresie by S.Hieronimus contra Vigilantius. Hierome for deriding the Catholike custome in setting vp waxe lights at the Tombes of martirs; for impugning the single life of Preists; for teaching that it was idolatrie, to reuerence the sepulchers and holy relikes of Saintes, and denying that Saints were to be inuocated or worshipped. Then which Vigilantian heresies, [Page 50] no doctrines are more plausible in the Protestant religion;Hieronimus l. 3. contra Pelagianos. The Pelagian in the same age are comdemned of Heresie by the foresaid father, for boasting that they were sure of their iustice, and might securely promise to them selues the kingdome of heauen; whch is the verie doctrine of the Protestants at this day; al the faithful ought to be certaine of their saluation,Caluin in Antidot. concil. Trid. sess. 6. c. 15. 13 & 10. & l. 3 Instit. c. 2. n. 16. 38. 39. 40 & l. 4. c. 17. n. 2. saith Caluin, yea saith he, that man is not truly faithful, who doth not confidently glorie that he is the heire of the kingdome of heauen, since our sinnes can no more hurt vs, then Christ him selfe, nor we loose heamen, more then he.Luther tom. 4. Ien. Lat. in cap. 4. ad Galat. fol. 118. & 122. & in Colloq mensal. Powel. de Antichrist. l. 2. c. 19. we, thankes be to God, can decree and iudge out of the word, how God is affected towards vs; we ought not to doubt that the spirit of God dwelleth in vs, but certainly to determine that we are the temple of the holy ghost; we ought firmely to beleeue that not only our office is pleasing vnto God, but also our person, and whatsoeuer we say, do, or thinke. So Luther. To which Mr. Powel addeth, that it is blasphemie to say that euery man ought not to assure himselfe of his saluation.

The Nestorians in this same age standAugustine haer. 89. Socrates l. 7. c. 32. condemned of heresie, for teaching, that Iesus Christ borne of the Virgin MARIE, was not God, but [Page 51] meere man,Sanders haer. 100. and after had the diuinitie ioyned vnto him, for the merrit of his holy life, and that not personally neither, but only by a speciall prerogatiue, &c. In which blasphemous heresie, Luther & Caluin far exceede him, for though they seeme to acknowledge that Christ was perfect God, and that his diuinitie was ioyned to his humanitie personally by an hypostaticall vnion, yet they fasten ignorance and desperation on him, and make him a sinner, yea the greatest of sinners: You shall heare them speake; Omnes Prophetae &c. all the Prophets foresaw this in spirit, that Christ should be the greatest thiefe,Luther in cap. 3. ad Galat. tom. 5. Lat. Wit. fol. 348. 349. the greatest adulterer, the greatest man slayer, the most Sacrilegious & most blasphemous, &c. because being a sacrifice for the sinnes of the world, he is no innocent person, and without sinne, he is not the Sonne of God, borne of the Virgin, but a sinner, &c. We ought to acknowledge, that as Christ was inwrapped in our flesh & blood, so likewise in our sinnes, malediction, death and euils: but you will happily say, that it is absurd to call God a sinner and accursed? I answere,Idem hom. baptis. tom. 5 lat. W fol. 3 349. that if thou wilt denie that he was a sinner, deny also that he suffered for thee, &c. (a) all the sinnes of the world were so laide vpon Christs shoulders, [Page 52] that he became the most grieuous and greatest sinner vpon earth,Caluin in cap. 3. ad Galath & in 1. ad Cor. c. 5. &c. Since then he was so great a sinner, he needed baptisme, and it was very requisite that he should be baptised, for the remission of his sinnes. So Luther. Christ in assuming mans nature, was truly a sinner, and guiltie of the curse of God;Idem. l. 2. Inst. c. 16. n. 10. it had bene to no purpose, if Christ had onely died a corporall deathIbid. n. 12. & har. in Mat. 27. v. 46. he indured in soule the torments of a damned, a desperat man;Ibid. he was so vexed on all sides, that being ouer-whelmed with desperation, he ceased to call vpon God, which was to renounce his owne saluation. So Caluin. and further addethL. 2. Inst. c. 16. n. 12. in har. in Mar. 14. 36. & Luke 2.4. & in Mat. 26.39. & ad Rom. c. 9. v. 3. See after in the next chapter. that Christ was touched with a vicious affection; that in his prayers, he held not a well proportioned course; that hee in a manner wauered in his vowes; that he forgot that he was sent hether on that condition to be our Redeemer; yea that he refused and detracted, as much as in him lay, the office of a Redeemer; that he feared the saluation of his owne soule, and the like.

Lastly in this age, Zenaias standsNicephorus l. 16. c. 27. & Baron. an. 485. n. 16. condemned of heresie, for the denying the worship of Images; and the foresaid Socrates l. 7. c. 32. & Sand. haer 100. Nestorius, for proudly contemning the writings of the Fathers, and preferring himselfe and other his adhaerents, [Page 53] before all antiquitie. The first of which heresies is a principle in Protestancie, and as touching the second, I am verily perswaded that Nestorius came short of the Protestant Doctors.

I amLuther contra regem Angl. tō. 2. Witt. fol. 339. & tom. 6. Ger. Witt f. 483. assured that I haue my doctrine from heauen, and therefore I wil not consent that either Man or Angel be iudge of my doctrine, but by it, I meane to iudge both Men and Angels; tom. 1. Ger. Ien. in praefat. & lib. ad Ducen. Georgiū. no doctor since the Apostles time, hath so plainely prooued and confirmed the chiefe articles of faith, out of the word of God, as I haue done;L. de seruo arbitrio contra Eras. edit [...] 1. vide etiam tom. 2. Witt. fol. 486. apud Breiarlio in apol. Protestant. tract. 2. c. 2. sect. 10 sub. 9. wee will admit of no other authoritie, but the Scriptures, and those after our owne interpretation; what we interpret was the minde of the holy Ghost, but what others interpret, how many or learned soeuer, proceed from the diuel;In cap. 1. ad Galath. tom. 5. Witt. fol. 290. & tom. 7. Witt. fol. 483. say that the Church, Austine, or the other Doctors, nay say that Peter or Apollo, or an Angel of heauen, teach the contrarie, yet my doctrine is of that nature, which will illustrate Gods glorie;Tom 4. Ien. Lat. in 2. Galath. PETER prime of the Apostles, did liue & teach beyond the warrant of Scripture, and therefore he did erreIn colloq men. fol. 588. I am Isayas, and [Page 54] and Philip, (Melancton) is Ieremias; Idem in colloq. mens. fol. 932. & 17. & 478 & tom. 2. latt. Wit. fol. 500. & 505. apud. Fenardentium in theomach. Caluinistica. Basil was wholly a Monke, and not worth a rush; Cyprian was a weake diuine; Chrysostome doth nothing but prate, his bookes are a troublesome and inordinate packet; Athanasius had nothing singular in him; Hierome ought not to be numbred among the Church doctors, for he was an heretike, a man of no iudgement nor diligence; he wrote manie things wickedly, he was a very block head in vnderstanding the Scriptures, obtruding Iewish blindnesse for historicall sence, and his owne follies for allegories. I know not among the Fathers, to whom I am such an enemie, for he writeth nothing but of fasting, difference of meats, and virginitie; but as for faith and true religion, there is not a word to be found in his writings; Gregories sermons are not worth a farthing; in his dialogues, the diuel deceiued him, &c. Hetherto Luther touching himselfe and the fathers:Caluin in epist. 145. ad Marbachium. neither doe his followers differ from him in iudgement.

Luther was an excellent seruant of God; and a faithfull minister of the Church;l. 1. cō tra Pighi. a singular Apostle of Christ, by whose mouth God thundered;Epist. 109. ad fratres Monstelgar. from whose Church our Gospel did flow; a man most excellently qualified, &c. So Caluin. to which other Protestants [Page 55] āddeBeza in lib. de paena haeret. p. 94. 95. 148. apud Kā sen in praefat. Catechisminoris▪ Lutheri. that he was the renewer of Christian Religion, Gods singular seruant, in whom who so seeth not the spirit of God, seeth nothing;Melancton apud Kanfen vt sup that no age would euer produce such a man; Kansen in praefata praefatione that he was a blessed man, in whom the Holy Ghost shined; the Prophet of Germanie; the light bringer and light-lender to all diuines; the wonder of the world;Amsdorsius in praefatione. 1. Tom. Lutheri. that there was neuer any since the Apostles time, who for spirit, wisdome, and vnderstanding, might be compared with him;Alberas contra Carolasted. l. 7. that he exceeded all the auntient Fathers, as much as the Sunne surpasseth the Moone; and that neither S. Augustine, nor any of the rest, had they liued in Luthers time, would haue bene ashamed to haue bene his schollers, and haue carried a candle before him;Iuel in Apolog. par. 2. c. 4. 2. & Fox Acts & Monuments. that he was a man sent from God to illuminate the world, the Chariot, and the Coachman of Israel; Powel in his Animaduers. of the Papists supplicat. p 70. a thrise holy man;Spanburgius l. contra Stephan. Agricolum. See the Protestants Apologie. Tract. 2. c. 2. sect. 10. sub. 15. & 9. the next in dignitie to Christ and Paule;See in Mercurius Gallobel. Arthurus Goterdi. an. 1617. at what time a Inbile was celebrated, by the consent of all Protestants, in memorie of Luther. the elect vessel and organ of God; the light of the Gospel, &c. So they touching their [Page 56] maister Luther. But as for the auncient Fathers they will not tellCaluin communes. in Ioh. c. 10 v. 6. &c. 11. 13. &c. 15. 20. that S. Austi [...] was a prating diuine, variable, & inconstant in all learning; S. Gregorie Nazianzene, a teller of feigned fables; S. Basil a [...] erronious fellow;Melanctō in 14. ad Rom. S. Irenes, a man tha [...] neuer read the Scriptures, and one tha [...] vnderstood not the Apostles Creede, a pestilent writer;Caluinistae in scuto fidei dialogo 8. See Feuardentius in theolog. Caluinist. S. Clement (the fellow labourer with S. Paule (Phil. 4.3. a verie knaue, and infected with a diuilish contagion; S. Denis of Areopagite, an insolent and dangerous fellow;Beza in Iconibus & Luther in postillain die exultat. that S. Ierome was an Idolater, and a protector of Idolatrie; a worse Christian, then Vigilantius, and as certainly damned (vnlesse he repented him of his heresies) as the diuel;See the Suruey pag. 337. Pomerō comment in Ionam. Socinus I de Christi natura contra volanum p. 222. See Protest. Apol 1. 1. sect. 16. fol. 2. that S. Anacletus and Anicetus, were no better then rogues, and men branded in the forehead, &c.

I care not for the Fathers, whether holy or not holy, they were blinded with a Montanicall spirit, in the Traditions and doctrines of diuels, speaking lyes, &c. we ought not to credit them, &c. So Pomeran. wee doe not hold our selues subiect to the iudgement of any Fathers, how learned soeuer, nor to the iudgement of any Councels, though neuer so lawfully assembled, nor to the iudgement of any church how perfect or vniuersall so euer. So Socinus. And [Page 57] the like might be prooued out of all the other Protestants,Beza in epigram. an. 1597. p. 178. & in Iconibus, & in vita Caluini. touching the contempt of the Catholike Fathers. But as touching the doctors of their owne societie, they speake as you heard of before of Luther; no man wrote more learnedly then Caluin, no man more godlie; we owe the building of our Church vnto Caluin next vnto God, he was the destroyer of all heresies, both new and old; he was the faithful & vn-reproueable seruant of God, a true Prophet, and the mouth of the Lord. So Beza. Againe Caluinistae in clypio fidei diolog 8. & Beza in Iconib. See Gualterus in Cronog. sec. 2. Coll. 20. we acknowledge Witcliffe for a noble martir, and the true and immortall glorie of England; Hus for a true heauenly gooses Zwinglius and Oecolampadius, for a noble paire of heauenly warriors; Tindal for a great Euangelist. And so of the rest.

IN the sixt age, as Mahomet among other Heresies,Cedrenus in Hierarchio. blasphemously maintained that God was the author of sinne, so do the Protestants, as shall be shewed in the next chapter.

As the Armeni Alphōs a Castro. v. baptis. Matrim. & Eucharistia. heretically taught that the Sacraments did not conferre grace; that Matrimonie was no Sacrament, and that in the Eucharist water was not to be mingled with the wine, so do all sorts of Protestants, especially of the Caluinian sect.

[Page 58]Againe, as the fore said Mahomet Prateolus verbo Mahometes. heretically allowed poligamie, or a plurality of wiues, so doth Luther, Musculus, Melancton, and other chiefe Protestant doctors;Luth. in propositionibus de bigamia. an. 1528. propos. 62. 65. 66 & in exposit in Genesim. an. 1525. cap. 16. Poligamie is now no more abrogated then the rest of Moses Law, but left indifferent, to witt, neither forbidded nor commaunded. so Luther. Musc. in expres. Pauli ad Colos. & Tim. 3. Melanctō in conciliis Theolog. p. 134. & 128. an 171. Beza in creopagie fol. 80. Zanchie. in Miscel. fol. 27. Caluin in Epist editis à Beza in 8. an. 76. pag. 29. Musculus also is of opinion that Poligamie was permitted in the time of the Apostles; and Philip Melancton (though he iudge the deuorce of king Henrie the 8. from his first wife Catherine, as most vnlawfull) is confident, that king Henry might with credit and a good conscience (if his end were to haue issue) haue taken an other wife &c. because (saith he) Poligamie is no vnusuall thing, nor against Gods Law; since Abraham, Dauid and many holy men, had many wiues at once. Thus Melancton, Beza, Phinix, Zanchies most holy man, and Caluins true diuine.

There be yet liuing can well remember that Doctor Lawrence, His first wife is yet liuing & dwelleth at Cowly. publike professor in the Greeke tongue, in the Vniuersitie of Oxford, both in the dayes of King Edward the sixt, and Queene Elizabeth, had two wiues at once, the one dwelling at Cowley, and the other in Oxford, [Page 59] which two he vsed successiuely, the whole Vniuersitie either willingly conniuing, or else approuing the same.

It is also well knowne (to omit others) that D. Thorneborow, now bishop of Worcester, had a long time two wiues at once, one of which (viz. the first his true lawfull wife) is lately dead; whence it is euident, that the Doctors of Protestancie, euery way equal Mahomet in the approbation of Poligamie.

Furthermore as the same Mahomet heretically taught;Prateolus verbo Mahometes. that any man might lawfully sue a deuorce in these three cases; to wit, if his wife were barren, or peruersly mannered; or if he could not loue her, and after foure moneths marrie another; so doth Luther, Caluin, Bucer, & all other chiefe Protestant Doctors: yea and in many other cases also. You shall heare them speake.

Somtimes wiues proue so froward,Luther serm. de Matrim. & vita coniugali tom. 5. lat. fol. 123. that though their husbands should tentimes fall into lust, yet such would be their hardnes, that they would not regard it; here then it is meete for the husband to say, If thou wilt not an other will, if the mistresse will not, let the maid come, dismisse Vasthi, and take Hester, after the example of King Assuerus. So Luther. Againe:Ibid.

It is the duty of Magistrates (if wiues proue so obstinate) to force them, yea [Page 60] and punish them by death; but if the Magistrate will not doe it,Ibid. Melanct. in analijs theologieis part 1. p. 648. & 550. Canones Genuens. an. 1560. & 1562. then let the husband imagine with himselfe, that his wife is taken away by thieues and killed, and so let him choose another wife. Againe.

An adulterer may (after diuorce) goe into a strange countrey, and there if he cannot containe, he may take a wife. So Luther, and the like is affirmed by Melancton and Pomeran.

Bucer in cap. 19. Mat. Bucanus in locis commun. loco 12.If a husband (say the Geneuean cannons) shall be absent, let his wife cause him to be called by the publike cryer, & if he come not within the time limmitted, the Minister shall licence the wife to take an other husband.

Whether a woman be put away iustly or vniustly, if she haue no hope to returne to her first husband, and yet desireth to lead a godly life, and wanteth the companie of a man, he that marrieth her, shal not offend. So Bucer. with whom Bucanus and Caluin giue their assent, and farther adde;Caluin l. 4. Inst. c 19. n. 37. that in case two be contracted, without the consent of their parents;Idem in statutis Geneuens. p. 29. an. 1562. or in case a man marry a whore, insteed of a virgin;Ibid. pag. 32. or in case any partie get any contagious disease; Ibid. pag. 40. 41. or in case either partie be absent by the space of a yeare; (e) or in case the husband wil not keepe home after three [Page 61] admonitions, the mariage may lawfully be dissolued, and other partie new mate himselfe.

Luther also aboue mentioned, well approueth of all the foresaid causes,Luther commen [...] in 1. Cor. c. 7. an. 1523. & in lib. de causis matrim. an. 1530. and further affirmeth, that in case the husband perswade the wife, or the wife the husband to any sinne; in case a rich woman marrie a poore man, & her friends dislike the match; and in case the man and the wife brawle and scould, and cannot liue peaceably together, the marriage may be dissolued, and either partie free to marrie againe.

If after marriage consummate either partie,Bucer de regno Christi. &c. l. 2. c, 42. by meanes of some incurable disease cannot performe the marriage duties, the sound or able partie, may be lawfully married to an other. So Bucer aboue mentioned. Againe.

If the wife be so hurt in bearing children,Ibid. that afteward she cannot indure the companie of her husband, it is a very plaine case, that the man may lawfullie take a new wife▪ and in like maner may the wife serue the husbande, if he chance to hurt his Virgam viril [...]m Againe.

In case either partie be a witch, or a murtherer, or a Church-robber,Idem vt supra c. 37. 38. 39 &c. or a fauourer of thieues, or a receiuer of stolne goods, or a periured person, or in case either partie laye violent handes [Page 62] vpon the other,Ibid. cap. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30 &c. or in case the husband doe but beate his wife, the marriage may be dissolued, and either partie be at libertie to marrie againe; yea, whosoeuer cannot finde in his hart to loue his wife, and vse her according to the rules of coniugal charitie,See Bucers workes entituled De regno Christi; in the beginning of which you shall find these & infinite other praises. is strictly commanded and enioyned by God, to put her awaie and marrie an other.

Hereunto Martin Bucer; whom the English Church acknowledgeth for one of her prime Apostles; Crinaeus for an admirable and supreminent diuine; Caluin for a most faithfull doctor of Christs Church; Sir Iohn Cheeke, for a most vnparaleld master, both in humanitie and diuinitie, and the Vniuersitie of Cambridge for a most diuine man.

See Baron. an. 745. n. 27Againe in the same age, as Adelbertu [...] derided those that went on Pilgrimage to Rome, to visite the holy sepulchers of the Apostles, & other glorious marters, so doe all Protestants; And as the Albanenses, heretically contend that vsurie was lawful, so doCaluin in epist. 345. cuius initium diligentior fuissem. edit. Geneuae. an. 1575. Bucer in cap. 5. Mat. Hutter in 2. part. resp. &c. in praef. ad confratres. Caluin, Bucer, & other chiefe Protestants; yea this doctrine passed for such currant diuinitie in Geneua, that two Ministers were banished thence, for maintaining the contrarie, as Hutter a Protestant writer witnesseth.

[Page 63]Lastly, not to insist any longer exactly on particulars as Godiscaldus, Beringarius, the Waldenses, Albanenses, Iohn Witcliffe, and other in following ages,See conciliū valent. c. 3. Concil Roman sub Gregor. 7. an. 1079. Concil. 11. generale. an. 1170. Concil. Constantiense. an. 1415. Concil Florentinum. an. 1431. Conciliū Trident. an. 1546. heretically taught (as may appeare in the * councels and doctors of that time) that Christ was not really present in the Sacrament; that the Masse was a Sacrifice of diuels; that the Saints could not heare our prayers; that the festiuals of Saints, were not to be obserued; that the Aue Maria was not to be said; that Auricular Confession was not to be vsed; that Indulgences were of no power; that there was no Purgatorie; that there was no merit in fasting; that the Church wrought no true miracles; that all the Ecclesiasticall benedictions of Water, Bread, Wine, were to be reiected; that Confirmation was no Sacrament; that the Bishop of Rome was not the head of the Church; that the Church of Rome, was the Synagogue of Sathan, &c. So doe all sorts of Caluinian Protestants.

Whence, if a little* leauen be sufficient to marre the whole paste; or as S. Ambrose expoundeth these wordes of the Apostle, if one errour may corrupt the whole masse of Faith, what an OLLIPOTREDO or Gallimafrie, may wee iudge Protestancie to be, which is composed of all the fore mentioned hereheresies, [Page 64] most of which were raked out of hels botomlesse abisse, after they had bene condemned thether, for more then a thousand yeares before, and the rest, deuised in latter ages, by persons which the Protestants cannot denie to haue bene desperate heretikes. If I say one errour be sufficient to corrupt the whole masse of Faith, as the Apostle affirmeth; if he that offendeth in one, is made guiltie of all,Iames 1. v. 10. as S. IAMES contendeth; if one singular doctrinall errour obstinatly defended, make an heretike,Luther tom. 2. de votis fol. 272. & tom. [...]. Witt. Lat. in c. 17. Mat. fol. 74. Schlusselberg. in Theolog. Caluin. art. 1. and euery heretike be certainly damned, as both Luther and Sclusselberg auouch; what a monstrous corrupt masse is Protestancie, and what guiltie and hereticall wretches are all Protestants, who defend not one, ten, or twentie, but many scores, I may say, many hundreds of accursed heresies?

If any man doth not ANATHEMATIZE Arrius, Eunomius, Marcedonius, Apollinaris, Nestorius, &c. with their wicked writings, and all other heretikes which are condemned by the Church, and those who teach as they did, and remaine in their impieties, let him be accursed of God, saith the sixt general Councel. Accurse therefore (Christian reader, accurse (I say) these hereticall Protestants; these new sowers of old condemned heresies; [Page 65] these late reuiued Simonians, Corinthians, Nouatise, Arrians, Aerians, Eustachians, Vigilantius, Nestorians &c. lesse in not accursing them, thou they selfe stand accursed of God.

The Apostle biddeth vs in any case to auoid an hereticall man, after two or three admonitions, and not to say vnto him so much as Aue, or God saue you; now that the Protestants are manifoldly hereticall, hath bene abundantly prooued, auoid them therefore as much as may be, haue no commerse with them, at least in spirituall affaires, lesse by partaking with them, in this life thou be forced to accompanie them in the next also, in the lake that burneth with vnquenchable fires.

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CHAPTER III. That the Protestants (especially those of the Caluinean sect) beleeue aright, no one Article of the Apostles Creede: Euidentlie proued out of their best Doctors, and their owne mutual confessions.

ARTICLE I. I beleeue in God the Father Almightie, maker of Heauen and Earth.

FIrst to beleue a right in God (according to expresseOne Lord, one Faith, one Baptisme, one God and Father of al, &c. Ephes. 4. ver. 4.5. Scripture, and the NICENEThe Father is God, the Sonne is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, and yet there are not three Gods, but one God, &c. For as we are compelled by the Christian veritie, to confesse each person to be God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the Catholike Religion, to say three Gods and three Lords. CREED) is to teach and professe that there is but one God only, and not a pluralitie of Gods; but many Zanchie wrote a booke which he entituled, de tribus Elohim that is, of the three Gods, concerning which, see Caluino-Turcismum, Gulielmi Rainoldi l. 3. c. 5 fol 449. edit. 1603. Caluin affirmeth that God the Father is God [...] and [...] by an excellencie and excesse, and that Christ is his Fathers Vicar or Vicegerent, & hath a power secondarie or next vnto the Father. Coment. in cap. 22. Mat. v. 44. & in cap. [...]6. & in cap. 16. Marci 2. 19. & in 1. Cor 15. & contra Gentilē. Prothesi. 10. & in confes. ca. 2. & lib 1. Inst. cap. 13. u. 23. See Feuardentius in Theomach. Caluin. l 3. c. 15. The generalitie also of Protestant Doctors, both Lutherans and Caluenists (as shal be shewed in the second Article) maintaining that Christs diuine nature or Godhead is subiect and inferior to the Father, whence it necessarily followeth, that either Christ is not absolutely God, or that he is a distinct & inferior God to God the Father, and consequently that there are more Gods then one. Protestant Doctors plainely teach, that there is a pluralitie of Gods; and [Page 67] the best esteemed and most Apostolical amongst them, maintaineThe word of God doth plainly teach vs, that this diuine Essence, is truely, really, indeed, and from Eternitie distinct in the three persons. Beza in Confess Gallie a puncto 1 art. 2. Luther also (the Protestants Apostle and Euangelist) & Melancton (Caluins neuer enough cōmended diuine) affirme that there be three diuinities, as there be three persons. Luther apud Zwingliū. tom. 2 resp. ad Lutheri l de sacramento. fol. 474. & Melancton in locis communibus edi. Basil. c. de Christo, In like maner the confession of the English Church saith as followeth, The diuine nature, which we call God, is diuided into three coequal persons. In Harmo. Confes. And Caluin is confident, that if God the Father did cōmunicate his Essence to his Sonne, that either he hath no Essence him selfe, or but halfe an Essence, & condemneth it as an absurd opiniō in his aduersarie, in that he said, The Father gaue to his Sonne that very substance which he had, the same and no other. Caluin contra Valintin Gentilum. p. 916. & 917. & 912 & in Actis Serueti. p. 249. 250. 871. 872. and the like is affirmed by Skeggius in Genebra. p. 98 & 108. See Caluino-Turcis l. 3 c 5. that in the three persons of the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, there be three Diuinities, three essētial differences, three distinct [...] or essences; which is all one (as they themseluesGeorge Paule, Cassenouius, and other bewitched of Valentine Gentile, doe write that the three persons or [...] haue three [...] or Essences, whence they necessarilie teach, that there be three Gods. So Beza, lib. de vnitate essent. in confes. fidei cap. 1. sect. 2. And Zwinglius in his answere to Luther, affirming that the Diuinitie is three-fold, or of three kindes, saith, Hence it necessarily followeth, that there are three natures (in the diuinitie) and three Gods. Zwinglius vt supra. And the like is affirmed by Stankarus lib de trinitate apud Guliel. Rainol. in Caluino-Turcis. l. 3. c. 5. confesse) as to teach that there be three Gods.

[Page 68]Secondly to beleeue in God aright (according to the foresaid NICENE CREEDThe Catholike faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinitie, and the Trinitie in vnitie. &c. is to adore one God in Trinitie, and the Trinitie in vnitie: but the chiefe ProtestantIn a Synod of Caluinsts at Vilna an. 1589. May 11. It was by publike decree prohibited, for Ministers to vse any more the word Trinitie in their Sermons, because it was not founde in the sacred Scriptures. See Schlusselberg in Theologia Caluinistica. lib 4. p. 326. Danaus termeth this prayer (holy Trinitie, one God haue mercie on vs) a foolish madde, and vnioynted prayer, euilly inuented by the Fathers, and most dangerous. Danaeus apud Feuardentium in theomachia. Caluin. l. 1. errore 4. fol. 13. Ochinus calleth these diuine names (God infinite, God in the trinitie of persons) monstrous, Sathanicall, & vnknowne to the Prophets and Apostles; Caluin wisheth that the word (Trinitie) were buried; Musculus plainly saith, that he would not confesse the three diuine persons before the heathen, lesse he might be thought to say, that there were three Gods. And Luther blotted out of the Roman Liturgie, the foresaid prayer (the holy Trinitie one God, &c. See Feuard. as aboue, fol. 9. & 10. 13. In a Synode at Petriconio in Poland an. 1565. The Caluinian Ministers there assembled, reiected the decree of the Nicene councel, and affirmed that they would rather subscribe to the Arrian Synode. See Caluino-Turicis. l. 3. c 4. And Danaeus in his censuram magistrum sentent. dist. 12. resp. ad Genebrard. cap. 2. & 6. Caluin was much offended with the word Trinitie (saith Petrus Carolus, one of his owne brethren in actis colloq. Lausanens.) and the rest of the Protestants confidently teaching▪ that nothing is necessarily to be beleeued, that cannot expresly be found in Scripture, cannot but ioyne with these formerly recited. See Caluino-Turcis l. 1. c. 10. & 5. p. 116. 117. & 43. Doctors, both Lutherans and Caluinists, cannot away with the word TRINITY, and ioyntly condemne this forme of prayer (Holy Trinitie one God haue mercie vppon vs) as foolish, madde, vnioynted, barbarous, most dangerous, and euilly inuented by the Fathers.

[Page 69]Thirdly to beleeue a right in God, is to teach and maintaine, according to Gods expresse word in holy Scripture; Psal. 5 v. 5. that God willeth no wickednesse; Eccles. 15. v. 21. that God commaundeth no man to doe wickedly;Iames 1 v. 13. that God tempteth no man;Psal. 24. v. 10. & psal. 83. v. 11 that all the wayes of God are mercie and truth;Osee 1. v. 9. that our destruction commeth from our selues; 2. Pet 3. v. 9. & 1. Tim. 2. v. 4. that God would haue no man perish, and the like.

But the Caluin-protestants doe generally, & with great confidence, teach; Caluin. lib. 1. Instit. c. 18. n. 4. that God forceth men to doe what is not lawful for them;Ibid. n. 1. that God caused ABSOLON to pollute by incest his fathers bed;Ibid. 7 cap. 14. n, 2. & Whitaker apud Duraeum ration. 8. p. 214. 217. & Bucer in Rom. c. 9. that God put into the hart of DAVID, to number the people; [Page 70] that God doth not only permit men to fall into errour by forsaking them,Ibid. but seduceth, hardeneth, deliuereth into a reprobate sence, and sendeth a powerful errour to make men do such a thing; Crowly in his Apologie for the English Ministers, set forth with priuiledge. p. 46. that the most wicked persons that euer were, were of God appointed to be wicked, euen as they were;Piscator de Predest. c. 1. p. 105. 166. 167. that sinnes through Gods decree, are vnauoydable;Zanchie lib. de natura Dei p. 688 & Renneceherus in catena aure [...] p. 36. that though God according to his reuealed will in the Law, would haue all men saued, yet according to Gods hidden and secreet power he would not haue all men saued;Piscator de pradest. c. 1. p. 133. 134. 138. that though he commanded all men to repent, yet he would not haue them so to doe;Ibid. c. 2. p. 261. that God in promise offereth his grace to many, which yet he neuer meaneth to performe;Ibid. cap. 4 p. 304. See also Caluin l. 3. Instit. c. 24. n. 13. that God seriously calleth the reprobate to repentance, and yet precisely he would not haue them repent; that Christ called the Iewes to repentance, as he was man, but not as he was God, and the like: By which they make God the author of all sinnes, an hypocrite, a deceiuer, and a most wicked tyrant, and consequently are so farre from beleeuing a right in God, as that by their doctrines they [Page 71] transforme him into a diuel, and so inuocate and worship him, as Schlusselberg a famous Lutheran Doctor affirmeth in these words.

The Sacramentaries make God the author and producer of all sinnes,Schlusselberg in Theologia Caluinistica. art. 6. p. 113. but we know not this God, but doe constantly affirme, that the diuel is the author, moouer, forcer, and producer of al sinnes and iniustice, therefore the god, whom the Caluinists adore and inuocate is the diuel. So their brother Schlusselberg. And the like is affirmed by Philippus Nicolaus, Castalio, and other, as shall be shewed in the last chapter of this Treatise.

ARTICLE II. And in IESVS CHRIST his only Sonne our LORD.

THe Protestants beleeue not aright in IESVS CHRIST the Sonne of the Eternall Father, is also abundantly manifest.

For first, wheras according to the NICENETherefore the right faith is, that we beleeue and confesse, that our Lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God, is God and Man; God of the substance of his Father, begotten before the world, and Man of the substance of his Mother, borne in the world, perfect God, and perfect man, &c. In symbolo Athanasij. CREED, to beleeue aright

[Page 72]For first, where as according to the NICENE CREED, to beleeue a right in Iesus Christ the Sonne, is to beleeue that he was begotten of the substance of his Father, & that he is Deus de Deo, God of God. The chiefe doctors of Protestancie teach;Anima mea odit [...], &c. my soule hateth the word Consubstantial, and the Arrians did verie well in exacting, that it might not be lawfull, to place that prophane and new voice among the rules of faith. So Luther. tom. 2. Witt. Latt. an. 1551. fol. 252. Filius non est genitus de substantia patris, The Sonne is not begotten of the substance of his Father, saith Beza contra Heshusiu [...]; howsoeuer the Fathers in the Nicene Councell affirmed, that Christ is God of God, yet Caluin inuincibly prooueth that Christ is God of himselfe; the Fathers in the Nicene Councel teaching that Christ was consubstantiall to his Father, spoyled Christ of his diuinitie. So Whitaker contra Campianum. pag. 153. the Papists blaspheme in saying, that Christ is not [...], God of himsefe. So Powel lib. 2. de Antichristo. cap. 8. and the like is affirmed by Willet in Synops. pag. 610. and Danaeus contra Bellarm. parte 1. ad controuers. 2. c. 19. out of Caluin l. 1. Instit. c. 13. n. 23. and Beza contra Heshusium, and other prime Protestants. See Caluino-Turcis. l. 3. c. 7. and Fenardentius in Theomach. Cal. lib. 3. f. 73. 74. and Iacob Gualtier in Conograph. tabula saec. 4. cap. 3. & 12. in collat. that the Essence of the Father cannot be communicated to the Sonne, & that Christ was God of himselfe.

Againe, the saidThe diuinitie of the Father, Sonne & Holie Ghost is equall, their Maiestie coeternall, &c. Fathers affirme, that to beleeue a right in Christ, is to professe that he was equall to his Father according to his Diuinitie; but the Protestants Arrianizing teach, [Page 73] It is a most wicked, and diuilish thing to say, that Chirst is not our Mediatour, as he is God. So Caluin. in tract. theolog. p. 941. 945. And further expounding that of the first to the Corinthians cap. 15. v. 28. (then the Sonne shall also be subiect vnto him) He vnderstandeth it of Christs diuine nature, Caluin. l. 2. Inst. c. 14. n. 3. & in his Epistle to the Polonians (pag. 941.) he affirmeth that it is not absurd to graunt, that the Sonne is inferiour to the Father, & that according to his diuinitie he maketh intercession. Whence Stankarus a brother of his, inferreth saying. Caluin with Arrius, and Arrius with Caluin doe very well agree, in that they both make the Sonne of God in his diuine nature, to doe the office of a Minister, a Bishop, and Mediator. Stankarus lib. de Trinitate v. 2. See Caluino-Turcis. lib. 3. c. 8. Againe. It is Concluded ô Caluin, that thy doctrine touching the Son of God, is plainly Arian, from which I pray you to depart assoone as may be. Stankarius contra ministros Genuens. & Tigur, fol. 123. Christ according to his diuine nature, was a Priest and offered Sacrifice. So Fulke in his Retentiue. pag. 89. and against the Rhemese testament. Heb. 5.6. sect. 4. Christ is our Mediatour, Redeemer, King, &c. not according to one nature, either humaine or diuine; but according to both natures. So the Lutherans in their booke of concord. p. 736. art. de persona Christs. Melancton also teacheth, that Christs diuine nature was obedient to his Father. in locis commun. an. 1558. loco de filio; The Vniuersitie of Oxford in their late Vespers, publickly maintained, That Christ was our Mediator according to both natures. See their act questions. 10. Iulij an. 1619. Resp. Th. Winnefe. And the like is affirmed and taught in all Protestant Churches, if Beza may be credited, saying▪ Haec (sc. Christū esse mediatorem secundum diuinam naturam distincte consideratam) est nostrarum Ecclesiarum fides, &c That Christ is our Mediator, according to his diuine nature distinctly considered, is the beleefe of all our Churches touching Christ our Mediator, which we doe not doubt to be conformablie to the writings of the Prophets and Apostles. Beza Epist. 28. that Christ was in feriour to his Father, according to his diuine nature.

[Page 74]We farther finde in the same Nicene In like maner the Father is omnipotent, the Sonne is omnipotent, and the holie Ghost is omnipotent, &c. Equall to his Father, according to his diuinitie, &c. Creed, that to beleeue a right in Iesus Christ the Sonne, is to acknowledge that the Sonne is omnipotent, as well as the Father; that he is both God and Man; that he is but one person and the like: but the Caluino-protestants teach, Caluin l. 1. Instit. c. 13. n. 23. 24. plainly seuering the person of the Mediator from Christs diuine person, doth together with Beza (contra Pappum pag. 7.) and othar Caluinists maintaine two persons in Christ, the one humaine, and the other diuine, which is Nestorianisme; and the Lutherans in communicating the proprieties of the diuine nature to his humaine, confound the two natures in Christ, which is Eutichisme. Whence Beza (in praefat. contra Brentium) inferreth that the Lutherans are Eutichians, and Philippus Nicolaus (lib. cui titulus fundamentum Caluinianae sectae cum veteribus Nestorianis & Arrianis, detectio) contendeth that the Caluinists are Nestorians, and so both heretikes by their owne iudgement. See Feuardentium in Theomach. Caluin. l. 3. fol 81. 82. contra haeres. 10. 11. & Gualter in tabula cronograph. saec. 5 cap. 16. in collat. that he had two persons, the one humaine, & the other diuine;It is euident that ignorance was common to Christ with the Angels, so Caluin. har. in Mat. c. 24. v. 36. Yea further, that Christs soule was as subiect to ignorance, as other mens, and that this was the only difference, that our infirmities are of necessitie his voluntarie. har. in Luke 2. v 40. that in particular he knew not the day of iudgement, not what that tree was which he cursed Harmon. in Mat. 24.36 &c. 21. v. 18. Marlorat also expounding the foresaid places of Scripture consenteth with Caluin, and affirmeth that all Protestant Doctors be of the same opinion. Marlorat. in Mat 9. & Luke 2. Gallasius (Bezas colleague in the Geneua Church) affirmeth, that Christ was so ignorant, that he needed instruction as well as other men. annot in Irenaeum l. 2. c. 49. The foresaid Caluin farther affirmeth, that Christ was touched with a vitious affection; that in his prayers he held not a well proportioned couse; that his prayer in the Garden was not Meditated; that in a maner he wauered in his vowes; that hee forgot that he was sent hether on that condition, to be our Redeemer, yea, that he refused and detrected as much as in him lay, the office of a Redeemer. Caluin. Harmon. in Marke 14.36. & in Luke [...]. d. 4. & ad Roman. c. 9. v. 3. & in Mat. c. 26. v. 34. See Caluino-Turcis l. 3. c. 13. that he was subiect to ignorance and vicious [Page 75] affections;Petrus Richeus, whome Beza (in (h) Iconibus stileth a man of rare pietie & learning, & Danaeus an other famous Protestant Doctor, publikely taught, that Christ was not to be adored, because his godhead was ioyned with his manhood, which [in the Caluinists opinion) cannot be adored without Idolatrie. Yea Richeus affirmed, that whosoeuer said that Christ was necessarily to be adored, was an heretike. He blotted out also in the Primers or common prayer bookes▪ this appendix vsually added to euery Psalme, Glorie be to the Father, the Sonne, and holy Ghost) And Danaeus pronounced him accursed of God, that adored the flesh of Christ; though hypostatically ioyned to the Sonne of God. See Feuardentius in theomach. Caluin. lib. 3. fol. 82. 83. contra haeres. 22. & 13. cap. 9. & Schlusselberg. in Theolog. Caluinist. art. 29. p. 150. and Caluino-Turcis l. 3. c. 9. that he is not in any case to to be adoredSee Feuardentius in Theomach. Caluinistica lib. 1. fol. 35. & 36. and Schlusselberg in Theolog. Cal. art. 3. pag. 12; that this doctrine against Christs omnipotencie, might be the more vniuersally beleeued, the Caluinian Ministers in their Catechisme printed at Geneua an. 1563. per Francisum Duron, and diuulged through out all France, suppressed the word Omnipotent, and left it out of the Apostles Creed, as the foresaid Feuardentius affirmeth. l. 1. p. 36. vt supra. and as touching his omnipotencie, they are so farre from [Page 76] beleeuing it, that they plainly affirme it as blasphemous doctrine in the Papists, to giue God absolute power; that the Angel Gabriels speech (no word is impossible to God) is not vniuersally to be receiued, nor to be beleeued; that God cannot make a bodie exist without his dimensions; that God cannot make a a Camel or Cable rope passe through the eye of a needle; that those thinges are impossible to God which were neuer seene, nor neuer about to be; that God can effect nothing aboue or contrarie to the order in nature by him prescribed; and that neither God the Father, nor the Sonne, with all their power, can bring to passe, that Christs body may substantially be present in manie places at once, or in any other place but in heauen.

ARTICLE III. Which was conceiued by the Holy Ghost; borne of the Virgin MARIE.

IN the third Article, which treateth of Christs Conception and Natiuitie, neither Lutheran nor Caluinian Protestant can be said to beleeue aright.

[Page 77]For first the Lutherano-protestants with one consent, teach and maintaine Lutherani in concordia referente Iurgieuicio in bello quinto Euangelij anno 1602. quar. A. 7. that the humaine nature, is euerie where, whence it must needes follow (saith Iurgiewicius) that it could not be conceiued and borne of the Virgin Marie alone; for if presently after the Incarnation, it was euery where, surely it was in the wombes of al both men and women; neither could Christ in that sence be euer said to be borne of the Virgin MARIE. For to be borne of a woman, is no other then to goe out of her wombe, but he that is euery where, cannot be said to goe from place to place, or euer so to go out of the wombe as that at the same instant he remaine not there.

Secondly the CaluinoReiecting the Popish fictiō, that Christ miraculously passed through the Virgins wombe, wee say and beleeue, that he went out and was borne naturally, the obstacles being broken, and the places opened, and that the Virgin being supernaturally gottē with childe, was deliuered naturally. So Molinaeus in vniou [...] 4. Euang. part. 3. And the like is affirmed by Martin Bucer in dialogo de corpore Christi. fol. 94. Caluin also enquiring what time passed betweene Christs natiuitie and flight into Egypt, answereth that it seemed to him verie probable, that it was not presently, but long after, and that God spared Marie, till she had well recouered her weaknesse in child-bearing, that so she might the better take her iournie. Caluin. Harmon. in cap. 2. Mat. v. 13. Protestants generally teach, that the B. Virgin MARIE was not onely subiect to the infirmities [Page 78] of other women great with childe, but also that she was not a Virgin at that instant when our Sauiour was borne, which is contrarie to the doctrine of the CatholikeIf by Christs natiuitie, the integritie or soundnes of Marie his Mother, should haue bin corrupted, hee could not now be said to haue bin borne of a Virgin. and so the whole Church should make a false confession. Augustine in Euchirid cap. 34. Church, and the plaine deniall of this third Article.

They alsoThe Monkes & Massing Priests, and Popish Doctors, doe erre in vrging the merit of Christs incarnation, natiuitie, temptations, and afflictions; for these had profited nothing, but only the death of Christ, that only was acceptable for the expiation of sinnes. So Molinaeus in har. Euang. teach that Christs natiuitie and incarnation were not meritorious; yea some Caluinists (asSarcerius in concione de festo natiuitatis. Sarcerius writeth) do vtterly deny that Christ tooke flesh of the Virgin MARY, but that he made him selfe a certaine body of the foure elements, & passed through her wombe, as water through a channel, Andreas Fricius lib. de mediatore in initio. And Andreas Frizius a famous Protestant, doubteth not to professe, that for his owne part he cannot see (if the essence of the three persons be all one) how the Father should not be incarnate as well as the Sonne.

ARTICLE IIII. He suffered vnder Pontius Pilate, was crucified dead & buried.

[Page 79]COncerning Christs death and Passion,Luther in Confess. Maiori de coena domini, & de concil parte. 2. fol. 276. & fo. 554 tom. 3. Ger Ien. apud Zwingl. tom. 2. in resp. ad Luther. fol. 458. which is taught in the fourth Article, the Apostle of Protestancie saith as followeth; if in Christ the humaine nature had only suffered for me, that Christ had bene a base and low-prized Sauiour, yea he had needed an other Sauiour to saue him selfe. So Luther; Lutherani in lib. concordiae. art. de Christi persona. an 1580. Caluin lib. 2. Inst c. 16 n. 10 & 11. the Lutheriās also in their booke of Concord, teach the same doctrine, saying; Christs whole person suffered for vs, was crucified, died, and descended into hell, is our Mediator, Redeemer, King, &c. not according to one nature, either humaine or diuine, but according to both natures; Caluin in like maner plainly affirmeth, that it had bene to no purpose, if Christ had only dyed a corporall death; that he indured in soule the torments of a damned and desperate man;Idem harmon in Mat. c. 27. v. 49. & 46. & cap. 26. v. 39. & Harmon. in Marke c. 14. v. 36. that he was so vexed on all sides, and so ouer-whelmed with desperation, that he ceased to call vpon God; that in his Passion, he spake inconsideratly and without Meditation; that he refused as much as in him laye, the office of a Redeemer;Lib. 2. Inst. ca. 17. num. 1. and that if Christ had bene simplie and by himselfe opposed to Gods iustice, there had bene no place of meriting, because there [Page 80] could not be found in the man (Christ) any such dignitie as might merit Gods fauour. So Caluin.

Gerlachius cō tra Buaeum. p. 24. 126. Simidelius thesi. 136. Seluecerus in cō futatione accusationum. fol. 192. Gerlachius auoucheth, that these are true propositions, The diuinitie is borne, crucified and dead.

Smidelinus also affirmeth, that both to suffer and to die, doe appertaine to diuinitie.

Albeit (saith Selueccerus) that neuer to be indured phrase (That Christ as he was God was not subiect to passion or suffering) doe often occurre in Theodoret, yet none of vs (Protestants) either may or ought to say that God did not suffer or die. So he. AndTeste Czecanio lib. de corruptis moribus pontificiorum & euangelicorū art. 3. Musculus an other great Protestant publikely maintained against Stankarus at Frankford, that Christs diuine nature or Godhead, both suffered and dyed together, with his body on the Crosse, and caused Stankarus by a publike decree to be banished for holding the contrarie.

Now to say that Christs diuine nature suffered and died together with his humaine,Zwinglius tom 2. in resp. ad Lutheri cō fess. fol. 498. or which is all one, to hold that God can suffer or die, what is it but to denie God? what more blasphemous thing can be spoken (saith Zwinglius) then to say that God can suffer; why the verie Philosophers themselues held, that God was [...] immortal, how then can [Page 81] Christs diuine nature is passible (much more that it can die) is Arrianisme,Stankarus l. de Trinitate &c. quart d. 5. & B. 1. blasphemie, atheisme, & the direct way to throw downe Christ, and the Holie Trinitie, from the throne of Maiestie.

Againe to maintaine with Caluin that Christ died more then a corporal death and the like before mentioned, what See Caluino-Turcis. l. 3. c. 13. p. 580. 581. is it but to place him among accursed sinners, and desperate wretches?

Lastly, it is a receaued doctrine among all the Caluine-protestants, That Christ died not for all men, and that by his death and Passion, he satisfied not for the sinnes of the whole world, which theSchlusselberg. in Theolog, Caluinist. l. 1. art. 6. Lutheran Protestants truly auow to be a most blasphemous doctrine, and farther adde, that the maintainers there of, are worthy to be adiudged to eternall flames.

Whence it abundantly followeth, that the Protestant Doctors, euen by their owne confessions teach most wickedly concerning Christs death and Passion, and therefore are very far from beleeuing a right, the fourth Article of the Apostles Creed.

ARTICLE V. He descended into hell, the third day he rose againe frō the dead.

[Page 74]COncerning the fift Article, which treateth of Christs descent into hell, and rising againe from the dead whereas it is expresly said in the Article, that he descended into hell after he was dea [...] and buried: the Caluino-protestants generallyZwinglius l. epist. 3. Oecolā padius lib. 1. Epist. p 4. Bucerus in c. 27. Mat. Bullinger coment. super Epist. Petri. Hidelbergens. Theologi in catechismo an. 36. 69 Caluin. l. 2. instit. c. 16. n. 8. 10. 11. teach, that by his descent into hell, is meant that he suffered extreame torments on the Crosse, and so either vtterly denie this Article, or confound it with the former.

Againe, whereas the Scripture plainly saith, Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell; and, Thou hast brought my soule out of hell, &c. whence it may be euidently collected (asRogers in his Analacis of the English Articles agreed vpon an. 1562. and 1609. art. 3. Bezas testament printed an. 1556. 1558. & 1598. some chiefe Protestants acknowledge) that his soule went downe into Hell; Beza in the translation of the text readeth, Thou shalt not leaue my carcasse in the graue; and afterSee t. 1. operum Bez. an. 1582. pag. 461. giueth the reason of this wicked translation to haue bene, because the Papists wrest this place to establish their Limbus.

Moreouer whereas all theIrenaeus l. 4. c. 39. & Eusaebius in demonstrat. euang. l. 10. c 8. & Gregor, Nazianzene in oratione 2 in pascha. & Epiphanius haer. 46. & Ambrose de Myster. Paschae c. 4. Chrysostome hom. 5. in demonstrat. quod sit Deus. Hierom in 9. Zachariae & epist. 3. epitap. Nep & August. l. 20. de Ciuitate Dei c. 15. & epist. 99. Cyrill in Iohn l. 12. c. 36. Gregorie the great l. 6. epist. 179. & Paulinus in Panegerico Colsi. &c. Fathers [Page 83] with one consent out of the Scriptures, and this Article (asCal. l. 2. Inst. c. 16. n. 9. Caluin him selfe confesseth) taught that Christ descended into hel or Limbus, & freed thence the Patriarkes and Prophets, and other true beleeuers, and after in his ascension, carried them with him triūphantly into heauen; the Protestants wil beleue no such matter; yea they hold it aRogers vt supra. art. 3. pag. 17. Popish errour to affirme, that the Fathers which died vnder the Old Law, were shut vp in any such place, as Limbo, and That there is a hell before the last day, I am not yet well assured, and that there is a particular place, where now the soules of the damned are, as Painters set out, and bellie-slaues teach, is nought in my opinion. Luther tom. 3. Ien. Ger. fol. 212. Christophorus Ireneus also in his booke entituled Speculum inferni, cap. 9. affirmeth that the hell of the damned is not yet, but that God will make such a place, at or after the day of iudgement; and the Catechisme of the diuines of Hidelberg. an. 63. & 69. maketh a doubt whether there be any hell or not, or any place appointed for the wicked to be punished in, after this life. See Schlusselberg in theologia Caluin. art. 27. many of them, and those also of the chiefest note, make question whether there be any such locall place, as hell is affirmed to be by the Catholike Doctors, or whether there shall be any hell at all, till after doomes-day at the soonest.

Againe, whereas this article expresly saith, that Christ rose from death, and theI haue power to yeeld my life, and I haue power to take it againe. Ioh 10.18. The Sonne quickeneth whom he will. Iohn. 5.21. dissolue this temple, and in three dayes I will raise it. Iohn. 2.19. Caluin in cap. 2. Iohn. & in 8. ad Rom. Scriptures adde, that he rose by [Page 84] his owne power, as it must needes be, he being himselfe God and equal to his Father, according to his diuine nature; Caluin saith, that it is absurd to hold, that Christ did challenge to him selfe the glorie of his owne resurrection, since the scripture saith, that it was the worke of God the Father; andIn concione habita Daeipa in portis neustriae. an. 1564. teste Feuardentio in theomachia Caluin. l. 3. haer. 17. Franciscus à Sancto Paulo, a Minister at Deip, expounding that place of S. Paule (the God of peace which raysed from death our great Pastor. Heb. 13.20.) affirmed that Christ could not raise him selfe; and therefore it was necessarie that his Father should extend the arme of his vertue to that worke.

Further, the right beleefe of this Article, according to expresseMat. 28. v. 2. Scripture, and the ioyntHier. in 28. Mat. & Hilar. l. 6.3. de Trinitate Cyrillus l. 12. in Ioan. ca. 59. & 53. Chrysost. hom. 85. in Iohan. & hom. 16. de resurrectione. & Augustine sermon. 160. de clausis Ianuis. & alibi passim. consent of all auncient Catholike Doctors, is, that Christ in his resurrection penetrated the stone, and arrose, the sepulcher, being shutte close, as after he entred into the chamber the doores being shut: but the Caluino-Protestāts, least hence they might be forced to confesse, that Christs bodie may as well be in many places at once, as that two bodies may be in one place, vtterly denySee Schlusselberg, artic. 31. p. 163. in Theolog, Caluin. l. 1. this veritie, and say that [Page 85] either he tumbled away the stone whē he rose, or that some other rolled it away: yea Zwinglius (the Protestants sainted confessor and Martir) dareth to say thatZwinglius apud Guliel. Rainold. in Caluino-Turcis. l. 3. c. 15. pag. 614. Beza Apolog. 2. ad Claud. de Xantes. p. 385 Confess. Gallica. an. 1560. & Conf. Belgica cōtinent 37. artic. quibus synodus Dordraci an. 1578 praecipit omnes Hollandiae Ministros subcribere. See Feuard. in Theolog. Cal. l. 6. cap. 1. Carleil against D. Smith. fol. 28. 77. & 140. the grossest Sargeant with his redde breeches, might haue gone out of the Monument in that maner as Christ did.

Lastly, Beza is of opinion, that this Article (he descended into hell, and rose againe the third day) crept by negligence into the Creed; yea the French & Holland Ministers, in the yeares 1569. and 1578. in the Confession of their faith omitted this article, and Carliel in a booke printed at London an. 1582. calleth this Article, a a Tale, an Errour, and a pernicious heresie.

From all which premises, it will abundantly follow, that the Protestants, especially those of the Caluinian sect, cannot in any point be said to beleeue a right this fift Article of the Apostles Creed.

ARTICLE VI. He ascended into Heauen, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almightie.

[Page 86]THe sixt Article is, that Christ ascended vp into heauen, and there sitteth at the right hand of God; the true meaning of which Article, according to the expresse word of God in HolieSee Hebrews 11. v. 13. 39. &c. 9. v. 15. Ephes. 4.8. & Psal. 67. & Zacharie 9.11. & psal 107. v. 16. See S. Thomas Aquinas 3. parte, q. 49. art. 5. & q. 52 art. 5. Scripture, & the vniforme consent of all the auncientThe blood of Christ is the Keye of Paradise, &c. this is the land of the liuing which before the cōming of our Sauiour in flesh, neither Abraham, nor Isaac, nor Iacob, nor the Prophets, could obtaine, [according to that of S. Paule Heb. 9.15.] therefore he is the Mediator of the New Testament, &c. So S. Hierome Epist. ad Dardanum. See also in Epist. ad Heliodorum, where he saith that before Christ Abraham was in hell, &c. Reading the Prophets, reading the Law, reading the Psalmes, I neuer found the kingdome of heauen, but in the New Testament, because, before Christ opened the gate of that kingdome, all the iust were detained in hell. So S. Chrysostome hom. 4. in Marcum. And the like is affirmed by the rest of the Fathers. See Ambrose in c. 9. ad Hebr. & Augustine ser. 137. de Tempore. See in the former Article in d. doctors, is, that Christ ascending like a Conquerour, ledde with him the Sainctes of the Old Testament, who till then were detayned in prison, and first opened the kingdome of heauen to all beleeuers, and now sitteth at the right hand of God the Father, that is to say, hathSo S. Athanasius de confess. essent. & orat. 2. contra Arian. & Damascene l. 4. de Orthodox fide c. 2. & Cyrillus Hiaros. catech. 14. equall power and authoritie with the Father, and that his humanitie in respect of his hypostaticalSee Schlussel. in theolog. Cal. art. 29. fol. 150. l. 4. cōiunctiō with the Godhead, [Page 88] is to be adored; and that though he be still locally in heauen, yet by his Omnipotencie, is also at the same instant locally onSee Feuardē tius l. 6. Theomach. Cal. c. 10. earth, where the Sacrament of his last Supper is celebrated, though it be in 10000. places at once: but the Protestants besides that they generally deny, that he freed in his descent the Fathers soules out of LIMBO, as was before noted, doe also constantly teach, that the Fathers were in heauen long before Christs Ascention; and doe so incarcerateSee the same Feuard. l. 6 c. 6. & Schlusselberg vt supra art. 2. Christs glorified body (now triumphantly raigning in heauen) in a certaine place, as that by any meanes, he cannot be else where present, neither in heauen nor earth, contrarie to which the Lutherans as erroniously maintaine his Vbiquitarie presence.

Againe the Caluino-protestants (for the better maintenance of their figuratiue presence in the Eucharist) teach that in Christs Ascention vp into heauen, he did not penetrate butSee Feuardst. as before cap 7. breake the heauens, or else entred in by some great chinke or crennie; which is contrarie toSee Feuard. as before Scripture, and doth infinitly derogate from the power and vertue of Christ God and Man; and most blasphemously take from his glorified bodie, all priuiledges, gifts, and perfections, [Page 88] and make it in all thinges, like one of ours.

Caluin haer in Mat. cap. 22. v. 44. & in cap. 26. v. 64. & in cap. 16. v. 19.Lastly they vtterly denie, as was before shewed, that any adoration is to be giuen to Christs humanitie; and by the right hand of God, they commonly vnderstand, that Christ hath a place in heauen in dignitie, next his father. Sessio ad dextram, &c. the sitting at the right hand (saith Caluin) is taken for the second or next degre,That all the Protestants make Christ inferiour to his Father as touching his Godhead was formerly prooued in the second Article. which the VICAIR of God doth occupie.

Christ is said to sit at the right hand of the Father, because being made the Heighest King, he doth obtaine as it were the second seate of honour and rule next vnto him, because he is his VICAIR; again to sitt at the right hand, is all one as to say the VICAIR of God. So Caluin Arianizing. And thus you see how farre the Protestants are from beleeuing a right the sixt Article of the Apostles Creed.

ARTICLE VII. From thence he shall come to Iudge both the quicke and the dead.

THe seuenth Article is, touching Christs comming to Iudgement, [Page 89] which the doctors of protestancie many wayes depraue. For were as the sacred Scriptures euery where affirme that all men shall be iudged according to their workes, and in particular treating of Christs cōming to iudgment, expressely sayMat. 25 v. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. &c. that Christ shall pronounce sentence of condemnation against the wicked, because they neglected to do the workes of charitie, such as be to feede the hungrie, cloath the naked, harbour the harbourles and stranger, visit the sicke, to goe to men in prison and the like; & contrariwise, shal all the good to euerlasting ioyes, for performing the said mercifull workes; the Protestants generally teach;Caluin in c. 27. Mat. v. 26. & Beza in confess. puncto 4. art. 12. that it is vnpossible, at least Christian men neede not feare, that their works shal come into Iudgement;Luther l. de captiuit. Babilon. tom. 2. Witt. lat. fol. 78. & Tindal in reuelat. antichrist apud Fox in Acts p. 1337. and Whitak. de ecclesia contra Bellarm. controu. 2. 9. 4. and Smoutius in explicat. sup. dominican orationē. p. 53. 54. that no sinne can condemne a Christian or baptized man, but only infidelitie;Luther in cap. 3. ad Galath. tom. 1. Lat. Witt. fol. 348. that all the sinnes we commit are as properlie Christs, as if hee himselfe had committed them;Caluin. lib. 4. inst. cap. 17. n. 2. that beleeuing mens sinnes can no more hurt them then Christ himselfe;Luther tom 1. in dis p. f. 400. & tom. 2. de abhominatione missae fol. 390. & tom. 1. in fine 50. conclus. fol. 54. that [Page 90] Faith only doth saue vs,Luther tom. 1. Lat. Ien fol. 484. & tom. 1. Ger. Wit in 2. Gal fol 47. & 92. See before Chap. 2. pag. & that this Faith must be without the least workes.

Againe wee finde inLuke 24.39.40 & Iohn. 20.27.28 Scripture, that Christ rose from death with the fiue woundes, which he receiued on the Crosse; and the sameActs 1.11. Scripture else where affirmeth, that he shall so come to iudgement, as he ascended vp into heauen. The CatholikeSo S. Chrysostome Theoptilact. Cyrill. of Alex. comment. in Acts. 1. v. 11. So S. Athanasius in Epist. ad Epitetetum, Ignatius in epist. ad Smitnenses; Augustine tract. 121. in Iohn; Ambrose l 10. in Lucam. Hilarie l. 3. de Trinitate; Leo Magnus ser. 1. de ascens. & Augustine ser. 6. & 7. de ascensione & ser. 49. & 146. de tempore, & li. 2. de symbolo. c. 7. & epist. 146. See Feuardentius in theomach. Cal. l. 6. c. 11. errore 17. Caluin in c. 24. Lucae. Church also euer taught and beleeued, that Christ shall haue the scarres of his woundes appearing in his body, when he commeth to iudgement; but Caluin saith that it is a foolish and old wiues dotage, to beleeue that Christ shal haue the markes of his woundes when he commeth to iudgement.

Lastly, for a Iudge to force a man to do euill, & after to punish him for it, all men must needs acknowlegd to be horrible iniustice and tyrannie. Now theSee the first Article. Caluino-Protestants, generally teaching (as was before shewed in the first Article) that God doth not only permitt,See also in the last chapter. but predestinate all our acts whatsoeuer; that the most wickedst persons [Page 91] that euer were, were of God appointed to be wicked; and that the sinnes which men commit through the force of Gods decree, are altogether vnauoidable; it must needes follow according to their doctrine; that Christ (whom they should acknowledge to be God, and consequently goodnes and Iustice it selfe) either will not come to Iudge both the quicke and the dead, or that in adiudging any to hell, he is a most tyrannicall and vniust Iudge.

ARTICLE VIII. I beleeue in the Holie Ghost:

TO beleeue a right in the holy ghost,Iohn 15.26. & 1. Ioh 5. n. 7 according to expresse Scripture, and the Nicene Creed, is to maintaine and teach, that he proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne, and is of the same essence with the Father and the Sonne, of equall Maiestie, and coeternal; but the chiefe Doctors of Protestancie (as was formerly shewed in the second article) teach that the essence of the Father is incommunicable, and that both the Sonne and the Holy Ghost haue distinct essences frō the Father, by which they make them distinct Gods, as was there prooued. Yea the Protestants are so farre from beleeuing aright this Article, that Feuardentius a Catholike Author [Page 92] in his Treatise, entituled THEOMACHIA CALVINISTICA, conuinceth them as guiltie of heresie against the Holy Ghost, in at least seuen and fiftie points, as you may see in the seuenth chapter of the said THEOMACHIA, in the first nine Chapters of which he sheweth,Feuardentius theomachia Caluin. l. 7. per totū. how they deny the Holy Ghosts proceeding from the Father and the Sonne; giue him a distinct essence from the Father; make him vnequall to the Father and the Sonne; deny that he is to be adored together with the Father and the Sonne, &c. and in the rest of the Chapters that follow, they make him the Author of all sinnes and wickednesse, and blasphemously detract from his goodnes, sanctitie, prescience, and infinite power; take al Godhead from him, and transforme him into a meere diuell.

ARTICLE IX. I beleeue the Catholike Church, the Communion of Saints.

THe ninth Article is, I beleeue the Holy Catholike Church, the Communion of Saints. Which Article all sortes of Protestants, are farther from beleeuing a right, then any of the former.

For first as touching the word Catholike, [Page 93] Luther quite blotted it out of the Creed,See Iurgeinicius in bello quinti euangelij quart. C. 7. and placed insteed thereof, the word Christian; fearing least the word Catholike duly considered, might discouer his Protestanticall Church (whose foundation he had then newly laide) to be but a new and Antichristian Synagogue.

Secondly concerning the Church it selfe, whereas Christ calleth it the Pillar and firmament of truth, and further promiseth, that the Holy Ghost should guide it to all truth, to the end of the world, and that the gates of hell should not preuaile against it: the Protestants imitating their hereticall Gransires the Donatists,1. Tim. 3.15. & Mat 16.18. & cap. 5. v. 20. & Ioh 14. v. 16. &c. 16 v. 13. & Mat 28. v. 20. Iohn Rainold in his thesies § 9. & in praefat. § 9. & D. White in his way to the Church § 26. and Whitaker lib. 2. contra bellarm. de eccles. q. 4. p. 322 generally teach that the Church both may and hath erred euen in fundamentall points.

Againe God speaking of the Catholike Church, saithIsay. c. 2. v. 2. &c. 60. 61. 62. per totum. & psal. 19. v. 4. & Ephes 4.11. that he would make her an euerlasting glorie, and a ioy from generation to generation; that her gates should be continually open; that her watchmen should neuer cease day nor night; that her Sunne should neuer goe downe, nor her Moone be hid; that it should neuer be said of her, forsaken or desolate; that she should be placed on the hill, and that all nations [Page 94] should flow vnto her; and that there should be Pastors in her to the end of the world: but theSee in the former Chapter. Protestants, because they cannot shew their owne Church from the Apostles time, till Luthers apostacie, contend that the Catholike Church may be inuisible; and that it was de facto. INVISIBLE for aboue a thousand yeares, no true Pastor (at least of the Protestant Religion) being any where to be found.

Lastly (to omit other notes and properties of the true Catholike Church, which the Protestants vtterly denie, that thereby they may the better be able to support their Antichristian Synagogue) whereas theConcilium Tol. 8. cap. 9. & Concil Gangrē se cap. 19. & in praefat. & Concili. generale 6. can. 56. & canones apostolor. can. 68. Church (vnder paine of ANATHEMA) commandeth all men, whom sicknesse and impossibilitie of age doe not exempt, to fast the Lent, the foure Embers, all Fridaies and Saterdaies, and the Eaues of our B. Ladie and the Apostles, from flesh; the doctors of Protestancie generally affirme, that fasting is a worke indifferent, and doe ordinarilie eate flesh in Lent and other fasting dayes, yea they commonly make their greatest feasts on the sollemnest fasts, and hold him a superstitious fellow that maketh a difference of meates on such dayes; which they could not doe if they beleued the Catholike Church, [Page 95] or credited our Sauiour, where he affirmeth, that whosoeuer refuseth to heare the Church, should be as a heathen and a publican. Luther tom. 4. de Ecclesia c. 9. & Cal. l. 3. Inst. c. 20. n. 24. and Musculus in locis communibus ca. de decalogo. praecept. 5. and thus you see how farre the Protestants are from beleeuing aright the Catholike Church, which is taught in the first part of this ninth article. And as touching the Communion of Saints, which is the second part of this Article, in teaching that the Saints cannot heare our Prayers, yea that such as be dead, doe so sleepe, that they vnderstand nothing, and that the liuing haue no fellowship with the dead; they sufficiently intimate that they cannot communicate with vs in those prayers we make to Almightie God.

ARTICLE X. I beleeue the remission of sinnes.

AL Catholike Doctors from time to time, according to expresse Iohn. 1. v. 23. & Acts 3.19. Heb. 9. v. 28. Mich. 7.19. Psal. 50. v. 9. Ezech. 36 24. & 1. Cor. 6. v. 11. & Acts 22.16. 1. Iohn. 1. v. 7. Apocal. 1.6. Heb. 9.13. Tim. 26. See Iurgenicius in bello quinti Euangelij cap. 7. Scripture and this article, haue taught; that God, through the Passion & death of Christ, doth truly remitte their sins, who by Baptisme, or any other Sacrament, lay hold on Christs Passion, and are truly penitent: but the Caluino-protestants following their maister Caluin, [Page 96] doe generally teach;Sinne truly remaineth in vs, neither is it taken away by Baptisme but because the guilt is blotted out by imputation it is nothing. So Caluin. in Antid. Concil. Trid. sess. 5. Againe, now it is manifest, how false it is which some long since haue taught, that by Baptisme we are loosed and freed from Originall sinne. lib. 4. inst. cap. 15. n. 10. Againe, let no man flatter him selfe, when he heareth that sinne alway remaineth in vs. ibid. n. 11. See also l. 3. instit. c. 11. n. 2. & 22. & lib. 2. inst. c. 1. n. 8. & 9. & l. 3. c. 12. n. 4; neither are we ashamed to say that Iustice is the hiding of the offence. So Whitaker ad 8. rat. Camp. Remit our offences, that is, doe not impute them; so the Palantine Cathechisme quaest. 126, & 36 Sinnes in vs are not taken away, but in the Iudgement of God; that is, they are not smputed. So Paraeus in Thesibns de peccato. See Iurgiewicius in bello 5. Euang. in hoc Articulo. that sinne truly remaineth in vs euen after Baptisme; and that it is neuer truly remitted, though to the elect it be not imputed.

And therefore I cannot see, how Protestants can say this tenth Article of their Creed, at least I cannot but maruel that they doe not alter it, and say, I beleeue then my sinnes shall not be imputed to me.

ARTICLE XI. I beleeue the Resurrection of the bodie.

TOuching the Resurrection of the dead, which is the Eleuenth Article of the Apostles Creed, though I can not generally accuse the Protestants, as not beleeuing the same, yet Brentius one of their chiefe Doctors will confesse [Page 97] that the maior part amongst them, doe not beleeue the same; his words be these. Etsi nulla sit inter nos, &c. Brentius in Lucā c. 2. hom. 35. See Caluin-Turcis. lib. 4. c. 5. although amongst vs, there be no publike profession, that the soule dieth together with the body, and that there is not a resurrection of the dead; yet that most impure and prophane life which the greatest part follow, doth plainly shew, that they are perswaded that after this life, there is no life, at least they are not certaine of it, yea some when they are most sober, as well as when they are drunke; in there familiar talke, cast forth such speaches, by which they plainly signifie, that they do not beleeue the resurrection of the dead. So Brentius, Schlusselberg, also a Lutheran Protestant will tell you, that if it be true which the Caluino-Protestants affirme, that Christ in his Resu [...]on, resumed not that blood, whic [...] [...] shedde on the Crosse, two absurdities will necessarily follow; first,Schlusselberg in theolog. Caluin. lib. 1. art. 20. See Iurgiewicius in bello 5. Euangelij quart. D. that mankind was redeemed with corruptible and putrifying blood contrarie to that of Peter 1 cap. 1. and secondly that Christ contrarie to the prophesies of the Holy Ghost, saw corruption: whence it appeareth (quoth he) that the Caluinists albeit they affirme in word and writing, yet in their hart they do not beleeue the Resurrection [Page 08] of the dead. So Schlusselberg.

As touching Caluin the father of al English, Scottish, French, and Belgian Protestants, it plainely appeareth by an epistle which his Cymist and beloued brother * Farellus wrote vnto him,Quod res tibi incredibilis videtur carnis resurrectio, nihil mirū quod autē hac ratione permotus, sufficere flatuis, si credas nouis corporibus aliquando nos induendos, hoc à scriptura doctrina alienū est, &c. So Farellus, & after a long confutation of this errour, concludeth thus. Atque tibi satisfactura spero, nisi mentem tuam nimis occupatam reperiant, quod à pictate & à modestia tua procul abest. Sed tamen leuiter pro nostra ámicitia, monendum te censui, quia nuper cum te audirem, subuerebar, ne altiores apud te radices egisset haec opinio, quam vt facile eam abijceres. Hetherto Farellus. in epist. ad Caluinum. an. 1549 cuius initium est. Litteras tuas, &c. & est epist. 78. inter epist. Caluini. edit per Petum Sanctean dicum. Geneuae. that he was far from beleeuing this Resurrection of the dead; and the like we may iudge of his followers, for they all deny that Christ can make his owne body to be Really present in many places at once, as Schlusselberg proueth at large, and they further deny (as was before shewed, that Christ could, or at least did not, (through the Scriptures and all Antiquitie, stand against them) goe out of his Mothers wombe without violating her virginitie, or out of the Sepulchre without remoouing the stone; or into the chamber where the Apostles were a [...]bled, the doores being shut, either [...] which is a lesse miracle, and the beliefe of it will sooner sinke into mens mindes, considering [Page 99] that Christ was God and Man; then that mens bodies after so manie alterations, mutations, and corruptions should rise againe (euen in the twinkling of an eye) the verie same that they were in this mortall life.

ARTICLE XII. And the life euerlasting.

COncerning the life euerlasting, which the Saints enioy in heauen, and is here treated of in this 12. and last Article, the Doctors of Protestancie, are as farre from beleeuing a right, as any of the former.Mat. 10. v. 18. & Ma [...]. 7. v. 21.

For first, whereas the Scripture saith, if you will enter into life euerlasting, [...]e must keepe the Commandements, and, not that beleefe only but deedes must bring vs to heauen; they generally teach, that faith only doth Iustifie, and that the Commandements are impossible to be kept, and therefore farre from being necessarie to the attainement of heauen.

Secondly, whereas the sacredIohn. 3.5 & 37. & Titus 3 5. & Rom 5.12. & Ephes. 2. v. 3. & 1. Cor. 15. v. 22. Scripture, and out of it all Catholike DoctorsAugustine l. 3. de anima & eius origine cap. 9. & alij passim. teach, that Baptisme is the only key that openeth vnto vs the Gate of this life euerlasting: The ProtestantsCalmin. l. 4. inst. c. 16. n. 24. &c. 15. n. 10. & 20. & cap. 16. n. 17. & 26. & in antidot. Concil. Trident. sess. 5. See the former. place those children there who die with [Page 100] out it; and further adde, that Baptisme neither hindereth nor furthereth in the way of saluation.

Thirdly whereas all CatholikeAugustine l. 4. contra Donatist c. 8. & de fide & symbolo. & lib. de patientia cap. 26. & lib. de fide ad Petrum. c. 38. doctors, according to the expresse word of God, euer taught and beleued, that neither Pagan, Heretike, nor Schismatike, could enter into life euerlasting; the Protestants affirme, that not only Heretikes and Schismatikes, but Heathen also and Infidels (such is their wicked) as they tearme it) Charitie) may be saued; In vita aeterna, &c. In the kingdome of heauen (saith Zwinglius)Vide praefationem operū Zwinglij tom. 1. lib de prouidē tia cap. 6. & Luther in Genes. cap. 47 & Schlusselberg. lib. 3. Theolog. Cal. ant. 7. See Caluino Turcis. lib. 4. cap. 9. We shall see Hercules, Theseus, Socrates, Aristides, Antigonus, &c. yea (saith he) if I might haue my choise, I would rather choose the lotte of Socrates or Seneca, then of any Roman Emperour, King, or Prince addicted to Poperie. So Zwinglius, and the like is affirmed by Lautherus, Hardenbergius, Tossanus, Rhodolphus, and Bullinger.

Fourthly, whereas theApocal 21. v. 27. Scripture plainly saith, that no spotted or defiled thing shall enter into the Holy Citie; the Protestants make no question, but that all of their fraternitie, shall goe thither, who yet (as they themselues [Page 101] confesse) haue alway their soules spotted from toppe to toe, and that also with mortal sin; sinCaluin in antid. concil. Trid. sess. 5. & lib. 4 inst. c. 15. n. 10. 11. & lib 2. c. 1. n. 8. remaineth in vs; neither is taken away by baptisme. So Caluin; and againe,Ibid. n. 9. all the parts of our soules are possessed with sinne;Lib. 3. Inst. c. 12. n. 4. neither is there any thing in vs free from a deadly contagion.

To all which, if you adde that prophaine Doctrine of the Apostle of ProtestancieLuther in collog mensa [...]. c. 49. tit. de vita aeterna. affirming that in the kingdome of heauen shall be dogges, sheepe, oxen, and other like Creatures, for the inhabitants to sport with all, it will abundantly appeare, that the Doctors of Protestancie, are verie farre from beleeuing a right this twelft and last Article of the Apostles.

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CHAPTER IV. That the god of the Protestants, especially those of the Caluino-Puritan sect, according to their chiefe doctrines, and the famous confessions of some of the same fraternitie, is no other but a diuell of Hell.

THat the Author of euill, is no other then a diuell, no good Christian euer questioned, neither doth Caluin deny, but that if God may be said to be theCaluin contra Libertinos c. 14. Si qui dij turpia faciunt non sunt dij Euripides. impia & scelerata opera dij beati non faciunt. Homer. Odyss. Pugnandū est omnibus modis ne quis in ciuitate quam volumus recte gubernari Deum authorem sed causam esse malorum dicere vel audire, quia nec pium est ita dicere, nec ipsum dictum secum consistit Plato lib. 2. de Repub. author of euill, it may iustly be inferred that God is a diuell: now that the Protestants in generall, especiall those of the Caluinian seperation, make God the Author of all sinnes and offences whatsoeuer, their owne writings will giue sufficient testimonie.

Mala opera in impijs operatur, quit audet negare, se etiam in malis operibus saepe coactum aliud facere quam cogitauit. God doth worke euill workes in euill men, who dareth deny, but that he hath often ben compelled in euill workes to do otherwise [Page 103] then he thought. So Luther theLuther in affert. art. impresse. Witt. an. 1520. art. 36. See the Protestants apologie tract 2. c. 2. sect. 10 sub 14. Fox in his acts and monumen [...]s Willet in his Synopsi passim Zwinglius serm. de prouidentia. c. 6. tom. 1. & cap. 5. an 1530. See Schl [...]sselberg in theologia Caluin. art. 8. p. 77. Melanct. coment. in Rom 8 edit. [...]. Caluini l [...]3. [...]nn. 23 n. 7. Protetants Prophet and euangelist. When we committ murther or adultrie, it is the worke of God, who is the moouer, author, and inforcer of it. so Zwinglius, Fox and Willets true Protestant confessor and martir: againe; although a bull do bull a whole heard of kine, yet it is no sinne in him but a greater commendation, because no Law forbiddeth him; yet if the master of the bull should lie with more wiues then his owne, he should offend, since the Law commaundeth saying, Thou shalt not committ adultry, euen so God hauing no Law prohibiting him he doth not sinne, though he worke those things which is sinne in men. &c. We say that God doth not only permit or suffer his creatures to worke or do any thing, but doth properly do all things him selfe, whether those workes be indifferent, as to eat and drinke &c. or whether they be euill, as the adultrie of Dauid. There is no reason why we should allow of this cold glosse, That God doth only permitt, and not also cause euills, so in effect Melancton: Againe; the abulterie of Dauid, and the treason of Iudas, are as properly the workes of God, as the vocation and the conuersion of Paule.

It is a horrible decree I confesse (saith Caluin) and yet no man can deny but [Page 202] that God forsaw, what end man should haue, and he therefore knew it, because by his decree he had so ordained it, &c. Idem. lib. 3. jnst cap. 21. n. 5. we call Predestination, the eternall decree of God, by which he hath ordained with him selfe, what he wil haue done with euery man, for all are not created with like cōdition, but to some eternall life, to others eternal death is preordained, &c.Ibid. n. 7. wheresoeuer this pleasure of God raigneth, no workes come into consideration;Lib. 2. Inst. cap. 23. n. 2. See also lib. 3. inst cap. 24 n. 14. & 14. men by the naked decree of God, without any desert of their owne, are Predestinated to eternall death;Lib. 1. inst. cap. 18. n. 1. therefore whatsoeuer men doe, or the diuel himselfe, God holdeth the sterne, and conuerteth their indemeanours, to the execution of his iudgements; God would haue the perfidious king Achab to be deceiued; the diuell doth offer his helpe, to effect that busines; he is sent with a certaine commandement, to be a lying Spirit in the mouthes of all the Prophets;Ibid. the diuel is said to blind the hearts of the incredilous, but the efficacie of this error, commeth from God himselfe;Ibid. man being iustly forced by God, doth doe what is not lawfull for him;Lib. 1 Inst. cap. 17. n. 5. I farther graunt, that thieues and murtherers, and other malefactors, are the instruments of Gods diuine iustice;Ibid. c. 18. n. 1 [...] Absolon polluting [Page 203] his fathers bed, by incestuous adultrie, doth commit a detestable wickednesse, yet God pronounceth this worke to be his owne;Ibid. cap. 14. n. 2. see also lib. 2. inst cap. 4. n. 5 l. lib. 3. inst. cap. 24. n. 13. Non ita intelligen dum est [...] quod dictur quem vult indurat, quasi Deus in homine ipsā, quae non esset, du [...]itiem cordis operetur indurare enim dicitur quem mol liri noliri noluerit. Sic etiam execare quem i luminare noluerit. August. li. de praed & gratia cap. 4. Caluin. l. 1 instit. c 18. n. 1. & 2. there can be nothing more plaine, then where he so often pronounceth, that he blindeth the mindes of men, and striketh them with giddines; that he inebriateth them with the spirit of drowsines, that he hardneth their hearts, &c. (l) behold he directeth his voice vnto them, but to make them the more deafe, he sendeth them light, but to make them the more blinde, he giueth them a remedie, but meaneth not to cure them, &c. the impure spirit is therefore called Gods spirit, because he doth answere to his becke and power, and is rather an instrument in doing, then an author of him selfe. Thus and much more Caluin, in which as you see like a true childe of darkenesse, he pleadeth fairely for his Lord and maister the diuell, clearing him as much as in him lyeth, from being any principall author of euill (as all good Christians hold him to be) and layeth it wholly on Gods shoulders, he maketh God (I say) the only, absolute, and principal author of all wickednesse, neither will he indure the word (Permission) ridiculum esset, &c. It were ridiculous (saith he) that a Iudge should only permit, and not also [Page 204] decree what hee would haue done;Ibid. c. 14 n. 2. where it is said, that God doth blinde men, and harden their hartes, may put it off, by flying vnto Gods Permission, as if God by leauing the Reprobate, did suffer him to be blinded by the diuel; but since the spirit pronounceth, that mans blindnes and madnesse,Caluin. lib. 1 inst cap 18 n. 3. See also lib. 3. inst c. 23. n 6. is inflicted by Gods iust iudgement, that solution is ouer-friuolous; againe, now I haue plainely shewed that God is the author of all those things which those Censurers (meaning Catholikes) would haue to happen by his idle permission only.Bucer in enarrat in epist. ad Rom. p. 394. & 239 an. 1536. So Caluin [...] Pharao (saith Bucer) did what God would haue him, neither could he doe otherwise; when God put into the hart of Dauid to number the people, doubtlesse God was willing to haue him to doe it, and wrought it in him;Idem in cap. 1. ad Rom p. 7 2. & in cap 9. pag. 459. Beza in appotis. 8 since God seduceth, hardeneth, deliuereth into a reprobate sence, sendeth a powerful errour to make men doe such a thing, it approoueth that he doth not onely permit them to fall into errour by forsaking them, but also by inclining their hearts.

God (saith Beza) doth worke al things without exception, whether they be good or badde, vertuous or vicious, otherwise he should liue in idlenesse;Idem contra Castalion apud Feuardentium in theomac. Cal. if God did only permit sinnes to be done, he were not Omnipotent, but an Epicurean [Page 205] God, idle, slouthful, and improuident;Idem contra Sycoph. apud Duraeum lib. contra Whitaker. rat. 8. p. 218. humaine reason telleth vs, that he is no lesse in fault, who is able to saue one from destruction, & yet saueth him not, then if he himselfe had destroyed him;Idem in volum theol. 1. pag. 417 we acknowledge that God hath not only Predestinated men to damnation, but also to the causes of dānation. Now the causes of damnation being sinnes, it must needs follow, that God Predestinateth men vnto sinne, & consequently is the Author of sinne.

God doth not onely permit men to fall into sinne (saith Marlorat) but he will haue it so, and doth so ordaine,Marlorat in cap. 1. ad Rom. v. 24. & cap. 9 v. 18. and by his commandement, Sathan the hangman of hell, doth rise vp against vs, powerfully working what him listeth, in the hearts of the wicked.

Many men hold a stale opinion (saith Whitaker) that what sinnes soeuer are committed by any one,Whitaker apud Duraeum rat. 8. p. 217. See also pag. 214. Se in Caluin. aut Marlorat, &c. are done onely by Gods permission, and not his will, & this permission, they wholly seuer from Gods will, whereas God doth not only permit, but by his powerful will, would haue all things done which the wicked doe.

God (saith Willet) an other English Doctor) hath destined some to be the vessels of his wrath,Willet in synopsi. pag. 554. without any respect to their workes, whether good or bad.

[Page 206] Crowly in his Apollogie, for the Englesh writers.I confesse (saith Crowly) these are my words, that Gods Predestinaitō was the only cause of Adams fall, but not consequently of al sinne; for such as haue eyes to see doe see; that Adams fall was good &c. the only cause why Adam was assaulted and ouerthrowne by Sathan was the Predestination of God; I confesse I haue said that Gods Predestination was the only cause of Adams fall, and of the murther of Cain against his brother Abell, yea that the most wiked persons that euer were, of God appointed to be wicked euē as they were, so Crowly in a booke entituled, The apologie or defence of English writers and Preachers &c. subscribed, scene and alowed, according to the order appointed.

The Caluinists make god the author, mouer, and for [...]er of all sinne; [...]nd they say that though the elect runne into Adulterie, muttherer, lust, and the like sines, yet they are neuer the more the sonnes of the diuel [...], no not for a moments space. See Schlusselberg in theolog. Caluin. art. 7. pag. 70.It being euident then that the Protestants in generall especially the Caluinian, Zwinglian, & English faction, make God the principall cause of all sins and wickednesses, and repute the diuill but as his Agent or instrument, and it being also confessed by Caluin, Whitaker, and others, that the author of sinne, is no other but the Diuill. I will close vp this [Page 207] chapter with the words of Philippus Nicolaus a Lutheran Protestant, only applying that in generall to Protestants, which he affirmeth of the Caluinists in particular, saying.

Deum quem colunt, inuocant, adorant, &c. We say that the God whom the Caluinists (and all other Protestants) worship, inuocate, and adore, is a desperate Arch-knaue, Arch-thiefe, Arch-traytour, Arch-lyer, Arch-hangman, &c. since there is no murther, no theift, no heinous offence, no deceipt, no treason, no wickednesse, no lewdnesse, in in the whole world to be thought or deuised so great, so horred, so grosse, so abominable, which the God of the Caluinists (and other Protestantt) by his essentiall malice, doth not a hundred millions of times exceed and surpasse; vnder-firmiter, irrefragablliter, [...] sequitur, &c. whence it followeth firmely, vnresistably, & without contradiction, that the Caluinists (and other Protestants) in attributing such properties and power to their God, are blinde, madde, and possessed by the diuel, worshipping and inuocating a most horrible diuell, insteed of the All-potent, Eternall, and Euer-liuing God; Againe, [Page 208] Deus Caluinistarum est leuis, &c. The like affirme Hessusius & Schluslelberg, two other Lutherean ministers and also Castalio (Caluins good brother) in their notable Treatises, against this blasphemous doctrine of absolute Predestination, from which most of the chiefe doctrines of Protestant Religion, take their beginnings. The God o [...] the Caluinists (and other Protestants) is light, lasciuious, impure, variable, craftie, deceiptfull, bloody, the Molo [...] described in holy writte, the roaring Lyon, the olde enemie, the accursed Leuiathan, &c. From which accursed and euer execrable god, or rather diuell, the good God of heauen deliuer vs.

FINIS.

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The vncasing of heresie, or, The anatomie of protestancie. Written and composed by O.A..

Author: Almond, Oliver.1623

THE CONTENCE of the first Chapter.

The contents of the second Chapter.

The contence of the third Chapter.

The contence of the fourth Chapter.

CHAPTER II. That all the chiefe doctrines and principles of Protestancie, are old condemned here­sies; and that the most damned heresies that euer were hatched in any age, haue bene cherished, fostered, and defended by the chiefe Doctors in the Protestant Church.

CHAPTER III. That the Protestants (especially those of the Caluinean sect) beleeue aright, no one Article of the Apostles Creede: Euident­lie proued out of their best Doctors, and their owne mutual confessions.

ARTICLE I. I beleeue in God the Father Almightie, maker of Heauen and Earth.

ARTICLE II. And in IESVS CHRIST his only Sonne our LORD.

ARTICLE III. Which was conceiued by the Holy Ghost; borne of the Vir­gin MARIE.

ARTICLE IIII. He suffered vnder Pontius Pilate, was crucified dead & buried.

ARTICLE V. He descended into hell, the third day he rose againe frō the dead.

ARTICLE VI. He ascended into Heauen, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almightie.

ARTICLE VII. From thence he shall come to Iudge both the quicke and the dead.

ARTICLE VIII. I beleeue in the Holie Ghost:

ARTICLE IX. I beleeue the Catholike Church, the Communion of Saints.

ARTICLE X. I beleeue the remission of sinnes.

ARTICLE XI. I beleeue the Resurrection of the bodie.

ARTICLE XII. And the life euerlasting.

CHAPTER IV. That the god of the Protestants, especially those of the Caluino-Puritan sect, ac­cording to their chiefe doctrines, and the famous confessions of some of the same fraternitie, is no other but a diuell of Hell.

CHAPTER II. That all the chiefe doctrines and principles of Protestancie, are old condemned heresies; and that the most damned heresies that euer were hatched in any age, haue bene cherished, fostered, and defended by the chiefe Doctors in the Protestant Church.

CHAPTER III. That the Protestants (especially those of the Caluinean sect) beleeue aright, no one Article of the Apostles Creede: Euidentlie proued out of their best Doctors, and their owne mutual confessions.

ARTICLE III. Which was conceiued by the Holy Ghost; borne of the Virgin MARIE.

CHAPTER IV. That the god of the Protestants, especially those of the Caluino-Puritan sect, according to their chiefe doctrines, and the famous confessions of some of the same fraternitie, is no other but a diuell of Hell.