Mirrovr of new reformation wherein reformers, by their owne acknowledgement, are represented ad viuum. The beauty also of their handy-worke is displayed |
Mirrovr of new reformation | ||
XLI. Iarre of Reformers.
Of their owne wits, beginne for to deride
Their mother-Church, and leaue that steadfast rock,
'Gainst which no power nor Infernal shock
Can e're preuaile, but they beginne to reele,
And their smal forces, and great weaknesse feele.
And like to Cadmus brawling serpent-brood
'Gainst one another in a frantik mood
Conuert their weapons. Hence did Magus first
Into Menandrians, and Saturninians burst,
With Basilidians: from the Manichees
The Catharists and Macharians did aryse:
Appellians, Seuerians, Lucianists,
Were branches al sprong from the Marcionists.
Montanus spawn'd th'Phrygasts, Pepuzians,
And Artotyrists: The Martyrians,
With th'Enthusiastes from Messalus came,
As those that doe from Sathan take their name.
And from Arius sprong th'Acacians,
With Macedonians, and Eunomians.
But al these ioyn'd in one shew no effects
Of discord, equal to our moderne fects;
They are diuided into Lutherans,
And these againe both subdiuided,
The Lutherans are diuided principally into the Antinomi, Osiandrians, Maiorists, Synergists, Stancarians, Amsdorfians, Flaccians, Substantiarians, Accidentarians, Adiaphorists, Musculans, Pfeffingerians, Vbiquitists. Al which how they dissent and persecute one an other, and many of them not so much as permit their Aduersaries to abide in the same Towne with them, the Histories of Osiander, Maior, Zuinck feldius, Illyricus, Spangenbergius, Stancarus, Heshusius, and others doe sufficiently manifest. For the yet more ful declaration whereof, I referre you to the catalogue of the Lutherans books against Lutherans, in the end of the Protestants Apologie. Vpon due consideration of which their diuisions, Oecolampadius doubts not to tel them, saying: If we reflect vpon your dissentiōs, surely there are almost sound among you seauenty seauen changes, not only in your explanations of scripture, but also in certaine imaginary phantasies. Lib. germ. æquæ resp. ad Luther. præf. and Illyricus sayth, that they dissent amōg themselues like the Sacramentaries & Babylonians, and no otherwise then the Idol-makers in Esay. Illyr. declar. artic. doctr. Christ.
The Sacramentaries are rent into Zuinglians or old Sacramētaries, Caluinists, or the new, or with vs called Puritans, and in France Hugonots; Formalists, Familists, Brownists, Arminians, and infinit more, which (for that they are commonly knowne) I wil for breuity likewise omit. But the dissention of Sacramentaries was such euen in Luthers tyme, that he affirmed of them, That he scarce euer read of any a more deformed heresy, which presently in the beginning was diuided into so many heads, such a number of sects, not one like another, & such variety of disagreeing opinions. Luth. tom. 7. f. 380. & els-where he auoucheth, six or seauen sects of them to haue risen in only two yeares space. t. 6. f. 335. what may we then thinke haue sprong vp in so many yeares since that tyme. See also Hospin. hist. sacr. part. 2. f. 187. and Theol. Mansfild. confes. lat. p. 120.
More seu'ral branches, then Lernean snake
Sprouted forth heads: al whose contention spring's
About
There are no smal conflicts among vs, and those about no trifles, but of the eminent articles of Christian doctrine, of the Law and Ghospel, Iustification and Good-workes, the Sacraments, and vse of ceremonies, which can by no meanes be composed, concealed, or couered, for they are meer contradictions which brook no concord. Nic. Gallus superint. Ratisb. in thes. & hypothes.
Christ's
The reformed Churches differ not about the supper of our Lord alone, but they also contend with such heat & feruour of disputation about the Person of Christ our Sauiour, the vnion and distinction of his diuine & humane nature, the vbiquity of his body, his corporal eating, which is performed with the mouth and teeth and is common as wel to the good as bad, his ascension into heauen, and sitting at the right hand of his Father; that many old heresies, damned by our Ancestours, as they were recalled from hel, lift vp their heads againe. Tigur. præfat. apolog. præfix. orthod. consens. an. 1578.
His Incarnation, and Ascension,
Baptisme, Good-workes,
As touching the publike discord in the Church, thou needst not enquire thereof: but I speake not here of the discord which we must of necessity haue about the doctrine of fayth with the Papists and other heretikes; but of that which is among our selues, who brag that we haue the true light of the Ghospel; for there are cōtentions & variāces amōg vs of Adiaphoraes, of good works, our iustice before God, free-wil, the presence and participation of the body and bloud of Christ in the supper, the humanity of Christ, his ascension, and sitting at the right hand of God, his vbiquity, and other matters; there is neither end or meane of brawling and contending. Nic. Seln. in Psal. 131.
Christ's corporal eating by the good and bad,
Iustification, which by their Church stil
Is held the very soule of fayth, Free-wil,
Christ's Real presence, his Vbiquity,
Ghospel, Law, Sacrament, and
Beware, Christian Reader, and especialy al you Ministers take heed of Caluin's books, and chiefly in the article of the Trinity, the incarnation of Christ the Mediatour, about the Sacrament of Baptisme, and predestination; for they containe impious doctrine and Arian blasphemies. Stancarus cont. Calu. N. 4.
With many more, which to be brief I spare,
Of their distinctions the maine subiect are.
Many warres about many articles haue been waged, from the first reforming of the Church through Germany, euen to these tymes, and those surely not by common & light-harnisht soldiers, but by Standard-bearers, old expert warriers, compleat-armed Horsmen, & the most renowned Captaines on both sydes, and that sometymes with exceeding great heat. Iezl. de diuturn. belli Euchar. p. 1.
And common smal-shot; they of chiefest place
Are the prime agents, and with so great hate
Nourish the raging flame of their debate,
As they by mutual sharp proscriptions
Banish each other from their seueral townes,
Seare them with th'odious brands of Heretike,
Infidel, Iew, Turke, Diuel and the like,
Erect strict Inquisitions, fil the geoal
With their susprized bodies, stop the sale
Of al their books, vnciuilly deny
The vsual rights of hospitality
Euen to strangers; take
See examples of the Lutherans falling to armes, and assaulting the Caluinists in Hospin. vbi supra. f. 397. and see againe other like examples of the Caluinists against the Lutherans, in Gerard. Gieseken. l. de verit. corp. Christi in cæna, p. 256. see also Osiand. epit. cent. 16. p. 735. [illeg.]03.
And in confuzed and tumultuous swarmes
Assayle each others; nor be
See a most barbarous example hereof reported by Hospin. vbi supra. f. 398. in the relation whereof, among others he hath these words: The Lutherans rushing violently in brake the beere and coffin, & handled the dead body of the Caluinist after a most sauage manner, and cast it to the dogs, prouoking them to teare it in peeces; and againe: They rush vpon the dead body &c.
From their ne're equal'd sauage cruelty.
And what is most worth note, themselues confesse
The Papists haue the Pope as a common Father, Aduiser, and Cōductour, to reconcile their iarres, to decide their differences, to draw their religion by consent of Councels vnto vnity &c. whereas on the contrary side Protestants are as seuered or rather scattered troupes, each drawing a diuerse way, without any meanes to pacify their quarrels, no Patriarch, one, or more, to haue a common superintendance or care of their Churches for correspondency and vnity; no ordinary way to assemble a general Councel of their part, the only hope remaining euer to aswage their contentions. Sir Edwin Sandes in his relat. of religion. sect. 47. at fol. 5. 2. 8.
Or hope to be atton'd (for that intent
Hauing so many
There haue been some Synodes or Colloquies, saith Schlusselberg, had with the Sacramentaries, but without any successe: and then presently after he reckons vp many of such their fruitlesse Synodes. Theol. Caluin. l. 2. art. 15. see also his catal. hæret. l. 15. p. 873. see this more at large in the Protest. Apology, tract. 3. sect. 7. versus fin. marg. at 6.
Before
The Lutherans and Zuinglio-Caluinists haue for the space of 60. yeares and more so vehemently impugned one another, as vnlesse the great day of our Lord doe in the meane time come and end the debate, they seeme more likely to be ouercome by their mutual wounds then the Papists oppression. Schlusselb. proem. l. 1. Theol. Caluin.
Al men, al causes, vnto trial cal.
So as some of them with amazement haue
Stumbled
Castalio, reflecting vpon the dissensions of Protestants, professed himselfe to rest doubtful, whether that the most cleer truth shined with them or not. Castal. præfat. bibl. Lat. ad Edw. 6. With the same scruple was Duditius likewise troubled, if we may giue credit to Beza, who was also deceiued himself with the like cogitations. Beza epist. 1. Of many others who were moued with the same read A mirrour for Martinists, p. 24. Melanch. consili. theol. part. 1. pag. 249. Georg. Maior. orat. de confus. dogm. Luth. loco comm. class. 5. c. 13. p. 39. Bulling. fundam. firm. part. 1. c. 1. p. 5.
Their soules from shipwrack on such stormy seas,
Haue made repaire vnto the calmer Bayes
Of Rome's ne're shaken Church. By which we see
That she alone is from al errour free,
Which, void
Luther himselfe granteth that Catholikes doe not contend about scripture, but al with one consent giue credit to the Fathers, adhere to the Councels, and submit themselues vnder the obedience of the holy See of Rome, and that these diuisions which are amongst them, are only humane dissentions, about honour, preeminence &c. Tom. 7. f. 380. the like is confessed by Duditius (Beza epist. 1. M. Whitaker de eccles. cont. Bellarm. cont. 2. q. 5. p. 327.) M. Fulk ag. Hesk. Sand. &c. p. 293. and Sir Edwin Sand. as before, 31.
Shew's one, and but one way t'eternal life.
So by this meanes the Prouerb's truth is knowne,
When Theeues dissent, true men regaine their owne.
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