Mirrovr of new reformation wherein reformers, by their owne acknowledgement, are represented ad viuum. The beauty also of their handy-worke is displayed |
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 | Mirrovr of new reformation |  |
I. TO THE PROTESTANT READER.
I seeke not heere by curious words and phraseTo catch the vaine aire of vncertaine prayse,
Those ends are base: let seruile spirits choake
Their best endeauours with that puffe of smoake;
I only ayme in al that I haue done,
By winning of thy soule, to gaine my owne.
II. Another to the same.
Read , search, compare, quote, weygh, examine, alI wish thee, is, to be impartial.
III. On the censuring Minister.
Me thinkes I see some captious MinisterTake vp my booke, and with a thought as farre
Viewes euery page, and each citation tryes;
But finding al exact, he carpes my stile,
Censures my verse, and with a scornful smile
Fy on this Priest (sayth he) what rime is this?
What words are heer? this couplet is amisse;
That phrase is of his owne inuention, new;
This ouer-harsh, that England neuer knew,
Haue patience, good Aminadab, heer's none
Gaynsayes your censure; for to France alone,
Whose ayre hath fed me from a child, I owe
The litle of this litle which I know.
How then should I inforraine countryes gaine
That, to whose height few can at home attaine;
I grant my lines are harsh, and doe not fal
To please your eares, but yet I hope they gal.
IV. On the same.
Although t'were true that these my lines containeNo good, no right, or wel applied straine,
T'were not my fault, for what good can be wrought,
Where the whole subiect of the whole is nought?
V. LVTHERS CHANGE.
To tame his flesh he fasted, watcht and prayd,
Affected true obedience, liued poore,
Al that he did was with a single hart,
An vnfain'd zeale, empors'ned on no part
With fond vaine glorie, but directed whole
T'encrease God's honour and secure his soule.
But thence gone forth, he sodainly became.
So burned with his fleshes raging flame,
As he grew almost mad through lust; eight dayes
He now wil spend, and neither studies, prayes,
Nor writes, disturbed with inflamed veynes
Of burning leacherie, and other paines.
Say, is not this (speake freely worthie freind)
T'begin in th'Spirit and in the flesh to end?
VI. Luther no Reformer.
Lvther stil vaunts himself to be the first,That by truth's beames the Romish clouds disperst.
Yet is it granted, Satan was the cause,
Which mou'd him first the sacred Masse t'oppose.
Why's Satan not Reformer then? 'tis true,
He is indeed: Let's giue the diuel his due.
VII. The fruits of Reformation.
Protestants tel vs that before the lightOf their new Ghospel men
When we were seduced by the Pope, (saith Luther) euerie man did willingly follow good workes; and now euerie man neither saith, nor knoweth anie thing, but how to get al to himself by exactiōs, pillage, theft, lying, vsurie &c. Luth. Dom. 26. post Trin. See M. Stubbes motiue to good works. p. 44. 45.
More
Certainly to speake the truth, there is many times found cōscionabler & plainer dealing amōgst most of the Papists, then among manie Protestants: and if we looke narrowly to the Ages past, we shal find more godlines, deuotion, and zeale (though blind) more loue one towards another, more fidelitie and faithfulnes euerie way in them, then is now to be found is vs. M. Stubbes motiue, p. 43.
And eu'ry way more giuen without compare
To al good workes, then in their Church they are.
For now, (say they) such as haue late embrace't
Our Reformation doe repaire more fast
Yo theft, exactions, lying, vsury,
Excesse
Another sort of Germans giue indeed place to God's word, that it may be preacht, but there is not found among them anie amendmēt of life, but horrible Epicurisme, and a beastlie life in their behauiour, drunken assemblies, lustful desires &c. in lieu of fasts they giue themselues night and day to riotous banquets and continual drinking. Iac. And. ad c. 21. Luc. See also Melancth. ad c. 6. Matth.
What eye so blind, that it doth not gush out with teares to behold the miserie of our supposed glorious Church? I meane the great ignorance, the superficial worship of God, the fearful blasphemies & swearings in houses & streets &c. the dishonour of Superiours, the pride, crueltie, fornication, adulteries, drunkennesse, coueteousnes, vsuries & other like abominations &c. O behold & pittie the woeful and lamentable state of our Church in these things! See this in M. Powels book of things indifferent, p. 136. See likewise next before at 5.
And such foule vices as from hence proceed,
Then did the former t'any vertuous deed.
So that (thus stil themselues goe on) who would
A
If anie be desirous to see a great rable of knaues, of persons turbulēt, deceitful, coseners, vsurers, let him goe to anie cittie where the Ghospel is purely preached, & he shal find them there by multitudes. For it is more manifest then the day-light, that there were neuer among the Ethnicks, Turkes, & other Infidels, more vnbridled & vnruly persōs, with whō al vertue & honestie is quite extinct, then are amōg the professours of the Ghospel. Andr. Masc. domin. 1. Adu. See him also l. de prophet, Christi. and sym. Paulus in serm. dom. 13. post Trin. See hereafter at 17.
Let them but vnto any Citty goe
Possessed by Reformers, it wil shew
Whole shoales of such; yea Pagans, Iewes, and Turkes,
With other Infidels doe better workes,
Detest sinne more, shew greater honesty,
Are farre more patient and lesse proud then wee.
In lieu of fasts wee haunt excessiue feasts
Drink healths to make our selues and others beasts,
Wrong marriage-beds, haunt stewes, and for our prayer
In eu'ry place we curse, blaspheme, and sweare.
Our children they grow worse, and dare such crimes
As were scarce knowne to men of former times.
Our Preachers labours, which should be assign'd
Only to truth, are
If you cast your eyes vpon Protestant Doctours, you shal find that some of them moued through vaine glorie, enuious zeale, and a preiudicate opinion, disorder the true doctrine, disperse and earnestly defend the false. Some of them without cause stirre vp contentions, & with inconsiderate spight defēd them: manie wrest their doctrine euerie way, of purpose to please the Princes and people, by whose grace and fauour they are maintained. There are more, who with their euil and wicked life ouerthrow al that which by their true doctrine they had formerly built. Paul. Ebec prefat. comm. Philippi in epist. ad Corinth.
Of popular applause, attended stil
With hate and enuy: their malicious wil
N'er giues them rest, but makes them seek out wayes
How they debates and causelesse iarres may rayse.
In their disputes they wrest, peruert, and lye,
Oppresse the truth, and from the point stil flye.
Many besides are flat'rers, and beleeue
[illeg.] more with their vile wicked life doe shame
Their Ghospels doctrine and themselues defame.
So that we see, since we reiected Rome
The world doth dayly worse and worse become:
For
I may freely speake what I haue seen in the course of some trauels, and obseruation of some courses, that in Flanders was neuer more drunkennesse, in Italy more wantonnesse, in Iury more hypocrisy, in Turky more impiety, in Tartary more iniquity, then is practized generally in England, particularly in London, al this is seen &c. M. Rich. Ieffrey serm. at Paules crosse. Octob. 7. an. 1604. and printed an 1605. p. 31. See before at 7.
Th'Italians euer haue lesse wanton been,
In Iury n'ere was more hypocrisy,
Turky is freer from impiety,
And Tartary lesse wicked is then those,
Who euen in England now Rom's Church oppose,
Al this themselues affirme, this few deny;
T’weer not good manners here to say they lye.
VIII. An other vpon the same.
I haue read (sayth that learned Protestant Zanchius) the Latin coppy of the Apology, and diligently read it ouer, not without choller, when I perceaued what manner of writing very many, let me not say for the most partial, doe vse in the Churches (as they are called) of the reformed Ghospel; who would seem notwithstanding to be Pastours, Doctours, & Pillars of the Church. The state of the question that it may not be vnderstood, we often of set purpose ouerclowd with darknes: things which are manifest we impudently denie; things false we without shame auouch; things plainly impious we propose as the first principles of fayth, things orthodoxal we condemne of heresy; scriptures at our pleasure we detort to our owne dreames; we boast of Fathers when we wil follow nothing lesse then their doctrine; to deceaue, to calumniate, to raile is familiar with vs &c. So as we may defend our cause, good or bad, by right or by wrong, al other things we turne vp-side-downe, ô times! ô manners! Zanch. epist. ad Io. Sturm. this in fine lib. 7. & 8. Miscellan.
Our falshood, doe with darknes ouerclowd;
Things that are plaine we shamelesly deny;
Things false we al maintaine, yet know we lye.
Impious things we as faith's grounds propose;
And true things stil, as heresies, oppose.
The scriptures we to our owne dreames doe wrest;
We boast the Fathers, but their faith detest:
To cheat, calumniate, glosse, deceaue, and raile
Is our cheif practize: so we may preuaile
'Gainst our Opponents, al things we auouch
But greatly care not what: I think not much.
IX. ON ZVINGLIVS.
When into Zuinglius Satan had infus'dHimself, and by those
Zuinglius confesseth himself to haue been instructed against the Masse by a certain Admonisher, to vse his owne words, whether black or white he remembred not. See this at large in Zuing. his owne works tom. 2. fol. 249. See the same derided as an illusion by the learned Protestants Iac. And. confut. Grinæi, p. 120. 254. 304. by Schluff. Theol. Calu. 6. 1. in proœm. fol. 3. Bened. Morgenst. de Eccl. p. 68. Heilbran. in Swenks. Caluin. presat. Giesek enius de cœna. p. 64. and others.
Before 'gainst Luther, drawn him to forsake
Christ, and al true Religion; and betake
Himself to schisme, his neuer setled braine
Suting
Zuinglius, (sayth Schiusselburg) taketh his name with his condition απο τοου κικγλιζειν, which signifieth often to shake and moue: because Zuinglius hath moued many vproares and troubles in the Church of God, by his heresy: or otherwise Zuinglius is deriued frō giddinesse, von dem Schwindel: for he was struck with the spirit of giddines & blindnes, after the manner of al Heretikes, daring to depraue the Testament of the Sonne of God by putting the word (significat) for (est) Theol. Calu. l. 2. act. 1.
Such swarmes of heresies, as one might see,
Th'first thing he doth is to
For wheras the Euangelists say, This is my body, Zuinglius translateth, This signifieth my body, both in his latin new Testament, which he dedicated to the French King, and likewise in the dutch. See this affirmed by Schluss. Theol. Calu. l. 22. act. 6. fol. 43. 44. See Zuing. himself also, tom. 2. fol. 210. and see next before, 4.
Of sacred writ: his second worke declines
To liberty of life, affirming at
Christs promises were hyperbolical.
The flood-gate thus set wide he keeps no measure
But frames al grounds of faith to his owne pleasure,
As, that original sinne though others please
To tearme it sinne, is only a disease.
Baptisme is so indifferent as it may
Be done, omitted, yea or tak'n away.
The path to heauen is so broad and plaine,
As euen Infidels thereby attaine
T'eternal blisse: when sinne we doe commit
God as the Authour moues and forceth it.
Al Kings and Princes when they are dispos'd;
To persecute the truth may be depos'd;
For which himself assumes the sword and
Gualterus granteth that Zuinglius is tearmed by some Protestants, The most vniust authour of the warre, & violent disturber of the publike peace, who moued by pride and crueltie, caused the Tigurins to take in hand a new and strange attempt against their fellowes, that he might force them by want and famine to follow his doctrine, who before would not. Hitherto he in his Apolog. pro Zuingl. before the first the 1. tom. of his works. fol. 30. See 31. and Osiand. epist. Cent. 16. p. 203.
Euen his owne Countrey-men to ciuil warres:
And there an armed rebel feeles the proof
Of treacherie, and dyes; end good enough.
X. ANOTHER.
Zvinglius , himself in open field did beareAgainst his Countrey trayt'rous armes, and there
Like to a thiefe, hell's sonne, in sinne did die;
And Luther doubt's he's damn'd; so doe not I.
XI. LVTHER'S CATECHISME.
The Diuinity is threefold (saith Luther) or of three kinds, as there are three persons, vpon which words Zuinglius inferrs against him the same that we now doe, to wit, that he makes three natures in the Diuinity, and three Gods. Zuinglius. part. 2. fol. 474.
Of Trinity; my Soule makes ful disclaime
From
My soule hateth Homousion, and the Arians did very wel in expelling it, least so prophane & new a word should be vsed in the articles of faith. Luth. l. Cont. Latom. tom. 2. Wit. imp. an. 1551.
Is the true Authour of our greatest crymes.
Cloath'd with that flesh which here on earth was seen;
Yet that was a mere Spirit, while he the rod
Of God's iust wrath felt for vs, Sonne of God
He was no more: but of al men the cheife
Al the Prophets foresaw this in spirit, that Christ was to be of al men the greatest Robber, Homicide, Adulterer, Thief, Sacrilegious person, Blasphemer &c. For he being made a sacrifice for the person, & without sinnes, not the Sonne of God borne of the virgin Mary, but a sinner &c. Luth. tom. 5. Epist. ad Galat. see him also in Psal. 22.
His conscience then was troubled as impure;
He did being dead hel's paines, in hel endure,
His Godhead suffered, otherwise he ne're
Had been my Christ: nay he a Sauiour were
Vile, base, and abiect, not to be esteem'd,
Yea a new Sauiour should haue him redeem'd.
The real body and true bloud of Christ,
According to the substance is
Luther held (saith Hospinian) that the body and bloud of Christ both is and may be found according to the substance, not only in the bread and wine of the Eucharist, but also in the harts of the faithful, yea in al creatures, in fyer, water, & in the halter or rope wherewith desperate persons hang themselues. Hospin. vbi supra. f. 44.
In euery place, yea in the rope which eyes
A wretches, neck when in despaire he dies.
This rides
Luther auerreth of Ecclesiastes, that it hath neuer a perfect sentence, and that the Authour therof had neither boots nor spurres, but rid vpon a long stick, or in begging shoes as he did when he was a Fryar. Luther. conuiual. serm. tit. de lib. noui. & vet. Testam. Rabenstock. lib, 2. colloq. lat. Luth. c. de vet. Test.
It is a fond and false opinion
T'affirme there are foure Ghospels; onely Iohn
The onely true prime Ghospel did set forth.
Iames his Epistle is of no great worth,
To be accounted an Apostl's writ.
Th'Apocalyps is not Canonical;
Moyses his lips were ful of wrath and gal,
Nothing delightful, angry, stop'd, wherin
No word of grace was, but of death and sinne.
The more men doe their soules with vices staine,
The sooner they God's fauour shal obtaine.
For Iust offend, euen when they seeke to winne
God's grace by prayer; their best good deeds are sinne.
The ten Command'ments doe not appertaine
Vnto the free state of a Christian,
Whose cheefest art and way is not to know
Good workes, nor actiue iustice, nor the law:
For faith vnlesse without good deeds it be,
It is no faith, nor doth it iustifie.
Let's but belieue, and though by greatest sinnes
We striue t' be damn'd, our faith such forces winnes
As it alone from hel wil set vs free;
For there's no sinne but incredulitie.
Able in worth and honour to compare
With Christ his Mother, Peter and the rest
Of heauen's most Saint-like Cittizens, whose best
And purest actions, might as wel by dogs
Haue been performed, or by filthy hogs.
May giue true absolution: only they
Whose conscience filled with confused care,
Afflicted, troubled, and erroneous are,
Doe worthily receiue: who is baptis'd,
Vnder the name of Priest Priest is streight compris'd.
The first office of a Priest is to preach the word &c. but this is common to al, next it is to baptize, and this also may al doe, euen woemen &c. the third is to consecrate bread and wine, but this also is common to al, no lesse then Priest-hood; and this I auouch by the Authoritie of Christ himself &c. Luth. ibid. fol. 368. 369. vid. de abrog. Missæ. fol. 249. & capt. Babyl. c. de ord. item Hospin. hist. Sacram. part. 1. p. 22. fol. 14.
Al preach the word, and al administrate
Effectual Sacraments; yea I can shew
That, though the Diuel doe it, it were true.
Euen God: none can be subiect vnto lawes
Of earthly Magistrate, for al men share
Like power, like place on earth, al equal are.
When the wise wil not, for to take the mayd;
The Magistrate must bridle such a shrew,
Yea put her t'death, which if he wil not doe,
Let th'husband then suppose her to be dead,
And slaine with thieues, and streight another wed:
Nor is he bounded here, o no, he's free
To do't, as
We can not stop S. Paul's mouth, nor striue with them who as often as need requires, wil make vse of this doctrine, his words are plaine: that a brother or a sister are free from the law of wedlock, if the one depart or doe not consent to dwel with the other: neither doth he say that this may be done once only, but leaueth it free, that so often as the case shal require, he may either proceed or stay. So that (saith he a litle before) we may haue in this case, ten or more wiues, fled away, and yet liuing. Luth. tom. 5. fol. 112. 113.
So that one man by this occasion may
Haue ten or more wiues liuing on a day.
Th'offending person if he cannot tame
His fleshes pride, may likewise doe the same.
Th'Ghospel no more excludes Poligamy,
Then th'rest of Moyses law, it stil is free;
This world hath nothing that can equalize
A woeman's loue: he who would be so wise
As t'liue without one, let him cease to be
Of flesh and bloud, for t'is as necessarie
T'enioy a woeman, as (my self best knowes)
To eate, drinke, purge, watch, sleepe, or wipe the nose.
When we are dead, our soules must stil remaine
Al
The scripture sayth that the dead doe sleep. I am of opinion that they are cast into such an vnspeakable and a kind of wonderful sleep, that they feele & see lesse then others who sleep, and when they shal be raysed, they shal not know where they are, nor how they are so sodainly borne againe. Luth. tom. 4. fol. 417. see him also ib. f. 36. 37. & tom. 6. 321. 322.
And whether then they must, exempt from death,
For euer liue,
I permit that the Pope make articles of fayth to those that are his faithful: As bread and wine to be transubstantiated in the Sacrament; The essence of God neither to beget nor to be begotten; The soule to be a substantial forme of the body of man; That himself is the Emperour of the world, & the King of heauen, and an earthly God; The soule to be immortal; & al these infinit monsters contained in the Roman dunghil of decrees, that like as his faith is, such is his Ghospel, such his faithful, and such his Church. Luth. tom. 2. f. 107.
Tel
Doctour Martin Luther (sayth Luther himself) wil haue it so, and saith that a Papist and an Asse are directly the same. So is my wil, so I command, let my wil be my reasō &c. And not much after, Luther, saith he againe, wil that it be so, and sayth that he is a Doctour more excellent then al that are in the Papacy. Tom. 5. Germ. fol. from 141. to 144.
But, if they doe persist and vrge thee stil,
Make answer that my reason is my wil,
Who am a Doctour greater farre then al
Those, who themselues the Roman Church doe cal.
My
I wil haue you to know that I wil not hereafter vouchsafe you the honour, as that I wil suffer, either you, or the very Angels of heauen to iudge of my doctrine &c. nor wil I haue my doctrine iudged by any, no not by the Angels themselues; for I being certaine thereof, wil by it be iudge both of you and the Angels. Luther aduers. falso nomin. Eccl. stat. prope init. See the same words, though somewhat altered, in to. 2. Wit. fol. 306. See also tom. 5 fol. 290. and tom. 2. fol. 333.
Nor shal the Angels iudge of what I teach;
For I am sure this doctrine is most true.
So Luther sayth: now, Reader, what say you?
To warre against the Turk is to resist God, visiting our iniquities by them. Luth. to. 2. Wit. fol. 110.
As it is not in my power that I should be no mā, so it is not in my power that I should be without a woman &c. it is not in our power that it should be either stayed or omitted, but is as necessarie as that I should be a man, & more necessarie then to eate, drink, purge, make cleane the nose, sleep, or watch. Luth. tom. 5. fol. 119. There is another like saying of Luther to this purpose, which because it is so beastly, and vnchristian-like a speach, I wil forbeare to translate it. Perinde faciunt (sayth he) qui continenter viuere instituunt, ac si quis excrementa (o shamelesse beast!) vel lotium contra naturæ imperum retinere velit. Luther. in suo glossem. in decret. Noriberg.
XII. Vpon that feareful Atheisme of Luther, Zuinglius & Caluin, that God is the Authour of sinne.
Like Eue's vndoubted children, first of al
Themselues excuse, and without further stay
Th'fault on another, as the inforcer, lay.
But who is he, on whom they doe impose
So great a burden? Eue the serpent chose;
'Tis not sure he: ô no, I quake to tel;
He's greater then the greatest power of hel:
He (though eu'n faythlesse
We must by al meanes haue a care that God be not sayd to be the cause of euil: nor let any one, who is to liue vnder iust lawes, vtter these words in his citty, nor giue eare vnto another that shal speake them: for it is the plaine corruption of honesty, sociable life; lawes and cityes. Plato dial. 2. de Republ. siue iusto. Item Plutarchus aduersus Stoicos.
From such a thought) who al this Al did frame
Must, as the Authour, that they may be cleare
From fault, the poize of their offences beare.
The egg, whereof this monster first was made,
Was got in hel, and since by Satan layd,
Marcionistes, Manicheans and Priscillianistes,
With the Seleucians, did (the Church to spight)
Keep it, yet n'ere durst bring it forth to light.
Th'infernal Sire of this curst rabble chose
His misshap't cub Florinus, to disclose
This poysnous Hydra: he, 'twas he, who first
Arm'd with audacious pride and malice durst
Attempt to hatch it, and profane the light
Of sacred truth by it's vnhallowed sight.
Long, as vnseen, did vnregarded lye
This hellish prodigie, straight sure to die
For want of food, had not through curst remorse
Of it's iust misery Luther plaid the nurse.
He careful fram'd it steppes, he did it draw
T'a haughty passe, as scorning al it saw.
Then
When we commit adultery or murder, it is the worke of God, being the mouer, the authour & inciter &c. God moueth the theef to kil &c. he is forced to sinne &c. God hardned Pharo, not speaking hyperbolically, but he truly hardneth him, yea although he resist. Zuinglius tom. 10. de prouidentia Dei fol. 365. 366. 367. by which, and other of his sayings, he doth so plainly teach God to be the authour of sinne, as he is therefore particularly reprehended by the learned Protestant Grawerus in Absurda Absurd. c. 5. de prædest. fol. 3. 4.
The charge therof himself, most ioyful, beares.
'Til
God is the authour of al those things, which these popish Iudges would haue to happen onely by his idle sufferance. Inst. l. 1. c. 18. sect. 3. see him also affirming our sinnes to be not onely by God's permission, but also by his decree & wil. 1b. sect. 1. 2. & l. 2. c. 4. sect. 3. 4. and l. 3. c. 23. sect. 6. which blasphemy is so euidently taught both by Caluin & most of his followers, that they are expresly condemned for it, by their famous brethren, Feming. l. de vniuers. grat. p. 109. Osiand. enchir. controuers. p. 104. Schaffmanus de peccat. causis. p. 155. 27. Sitzlinus disput. Theolog. de prouid. Dei, sect. 141. Grawerus Absurda. Absurd. in frontisp. l. and the protestāt Magistrates of Berne likewise made it penal by their lawes, for any of their territories to preach Caluins doctrine therof, or for their people to read any of his bookes, containing the same. Vide litteras Senat. Bern. ad Ministros &c. ann. 1555.
(So Apes doe think their yong al creatures passe)
Handled the matter with his brother so
As soon he got it, o how it did grow
Vnder his hand! in few yeares it became
The cheef support of it new Master's name.
He brought it to ful growthe and, hauing first
A world of rare destructions rehearst,
He sent it forth, where now (alas!) we see.
Scarce any place from it's infection free.
Florinus act, as more then heretike
He long since censured him: if so, what may
We then of these our latter Rabbins say?
XIII. VPON MELANCTHON.
Melancthon holds there are three Gods, and striuesMainly to proue
Melancthon in behalf of Henry VIII. (whose diuorce frō his first wife he held vnlawful) aduiseth, saying: If the King be desirous to prouide for succession, how much better were it for him to doe it without the infamy of his first mariage: & this may be performed without peril of any mans either cōscience or fame, by poligamy &c. because poligamy is not a thing altogeather vnusual; Abraham, Dauid, and other holy men had many wiues, whence it appeares that polygamy is not against Ius diuinum. Melancth. concil. Theol. p. 134.
He teacheth that in case of iust diuorce
Th'offending party may, without remorse,
Againe contract: and vnder zeal's pretence
Th'inferiour powers he
If the Magistrate command any thing against the law of God, doe not obey him, but peremptorily resist: as if he cōmands to warre against the Turkes. ad c. 13. ep. ad Rom. See him also Concil. Theol. part. I. p. 314 where he enabled the inferiour Magistrate to alter Religion, against the contrary edicts of the Superiour. See him further, ib. p. 249. 302. 303. 315.
The Sonne according to his diuinity resisteth his Fathers wrath against our sinnes. Loci comm an. 1558. p. 40. and in Epist. ad Elect. Forgæ dat. 3. Octobr. an 1552. further he teacheth that diuine nature of the Sonne was in his passion obedient to his Father. loc. comm. an. 1561. pag. 41. See more in Pelarg. his Admonit. de Arianis p. 43 and 24.
Obey his Father and resist his wrath,
Yea
Pelargus confesseth of Melancthon, that he saith, that the Sonne maketh intercession, is his Fathers Minister, Priest, and Mediatour, answering in excuse therof that he meant the same especially of his humane nature, implying so thereby, that he meant it also (though not so principally) of his diuine nature Pelarg. Admonit. de Arianis pag. 45.
He is his suppliant, Priest and Minister.
About the Sacraments he held—but what?
'Tis yet vnknowne; for stil as wel in that
As other points so
Concerning his inconstancy about the real presence, see In lib. 2. epist. Zuingl. & Oecot. p. 603. where he flatly disclaymeth from Zuinglius doctrine herein; & the same more fully, ibid. p. 618. 644. 645. see also Hospin. Histor Sacr. part. 2. fol. 68. and yet of his change afterward, see the same confessed by Hospin, vbusu[illeg.], fol. 115. 141. and by Osiand. Epit. cent. 16. p 615. 667. See ibid. 800. 703 where it is said of him, If this mans constancy in the true Religion had been answerable to his learning surely he had been an incomparable man. See further of his inconstancy, in Schluss. Theol. Calu. l. 2. fol. 91 92. 94. 95. and colloq. Altemb. fol. 377. 402. 424. 425. 463 520. 524.
As no side dare securely cal him theirs:
For which respect eu'en they who most would rayse
His name, referre him to the Diuel's prayse:
Yea doubt of his saluation. What could frame
For such a man a more befitting name,
Then this of Black-earth? ô, it sutes him wel!
For nothing that is whyt can enter hel.
XIV. VPON BVCER.
Bvcer , as some affirme, was first a Iew;But doubting that, his mind he did imbew
With Christian rites, and, vpon iust dislike
Of Iudaisme, became a Catholike;
Yet stayd not there, but soon did that reiect
For Luther's, then new rays'd, licencious Sect.
Yet that he held not long, but chang'd againe,
And vowd himself a perfect Zuinglian.
From hence he back to Luther made repaire;
And there, for his offence, by humble prayer
And straight resum'd his former Zuinglian's coat
Nor want there some, who dare auerre for true,
That, after this, he dy'd, as first, a Iew.
Who'l not admire this man? sure he doth misse it,
Who his Religion cannot like, what is it?
XV. VPON REFORMERS Sacraments.
Yovr Sacraments, you say, doe onely signe,Witnesse, and seale the promises diuine;
And, euen to him who faithfully repents,
Conferre no grace; ô gracelesse Sacraments!
XVI. THE REFORMERS Oath of Alleageance.
I A. B. truly from my hart protestThat if Priests be not by the King represt,
My self wil raise the people to effect
What he wil not: and if he doe erect
Himself 'gainst God, I'l not regard his place,
But, rather then obey him, spit in's face.
If he himself
There are vices inherent in the persons of Princes, though they be lawfully established by succession, or election, viz. vngodlines, couetousnes, ambitiō, cruelty, luxury, leachery, & such like sinnes which Tyrants delight in: what shal be done in this case to these Princes? I answer that it belongs to the Superiour powers, such as are the seauen Electours in the Empire, and the States-men of the Kingdome almost in euery Monarchy, to restraine the fury of Tyrants, which if they doe not, they are traytours to their Countries, and shal before the Lord giue an account of their treachery. Beza confess. an. 1560. p. 216. see. Caluin. Inst. lib. 4. c. 20. Sect. 31.
Of lust, of riot, pride or auarice,
Or wilfully
Kings and cheif Magistrates, are the vassals of the Kingdom, and of the Common-wealth where they rule; wherefore they may be dispossessed and deiected when they shal obstinately attempt any thing against the feudal Lawes of the Kingdome, and this (saith he a little before) may be done with a good conscience. Danæus lib. 3. Pol. Christian. c. 6. Beza Epist. 24.
And play the Tyrant, I wil straight dispose,
By peace or warre his fury to abate.
Which if, through want of courage, he refuse,
The people shal attempt it: they shal vse
At meanes they can to worke his ouerthrow,
Take him, arraigne him, and
Euil Princes ought by the Law of God to be deposed, and inferiour Magistrates ought cheifly to doe it. Goodman, p. 144. 145. examples allowed of Kings deposed. Edw. Rich. 2. Christian of Denmark &c. Obed. 100. See more in Knox hist. p. 371. appel. p. 28. 30. 56. & in M. Sutcliff's answer p. 71. it is said, that this Doctrine (of punishing, deposing, and killing of Kings) was commended by the most learned in those parts, which were (saith he) Caluin, Beza, & certaine Englishmen: affirming moreouer that the same doctrine, or (to vse his owne words) disobedience rather against Princes was taught by Buchanan, Knox, Hotroman in his Francogallia, Beza de iure magistratuum in subditos, vindiciæ cont. Tyrannos, Vrsinus, &c. See also pag. 95. and the same likewise auerred by D. Bancrofts Suruey, p. 48. and Dang. posit. p. 18. See more before at 4.
But if these fayle, we, in our iust defence,
Wil
Subiects when they endure publike and manifest wrong, may lawfully become suppliants to forraine States, and craue their ayde against their Princes, and other Kings ought to take vpon them their defence and protection. Bucanus, loc. com. Theol. loc. 17. p. 845. & this doctrine saith the learned protestant M. Owen, was published at the earnest request of Beza and Gonlartius. Herod. & Pil. p. 13. & 53.
T'assist vs with his ayd, that pulling downe
Our King, he, if we please, may take the crowne.
But if yet al these meanes defectiue proue,
Then I my self, inspired from aboue,
Either by poyson, pistol, sword, or knife,
Or such like wayes, wil take away his life.
A deed so farre from treason, as I sweare,
That he who kils a raging Wolf or Beare
Deserues lesse pay, for from this act proceeds
Th'whole Kingdom's good; ô 'tis the best of deeds!
For al such Kings as doe God's lawes transgresse,
And to the same their fearful subiects presse,
Of their due honour stil
If magistrates transgresse God's lawes themselues, and command others to doe the like, they loose that honour and obedience, which otherwise is due vnto them; and ought no more to be taken for Magistrates, but to be examined, and punished as priuate transgressours. Goodman p. 119. 139. See more before at. 2.
And th'subiects from their vs'd alleageance free.
And then we scourge them may with their owne rod.
Al these and more I sweare; so help me God.
XVII. TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT Maiesty my dread Soueraigne.
Pardon , most Gratious Soueraigne, if my verseDistast thy eares; what I aboue rehearse
Is not myne owne: I onely doe relate
The tenets of such foes vnto the state,
As would (if they had power) assaile the crowne,
And in thy blood al our best fortunes drowne.
My prayers, are [as likewise of the rest
Of my deare brethren) that thou maist liue blest
Aboue thy wishes, al disasters chase,
And stil looke smiling fortune in the face.
May peace by thee with that same throne be grac't,
Wherin thy Royal Father hath her plac't:
And al such wretches as beare any part
In hate to thee, put-off their traitrous hart,
That no tumultuous or disloyal straine
May e're disturb the quiet of thy raigne.
Be forraine and home-bred iniurious scopes
Against thy person strangled in their hopes:
And who knowes treason and reueales it not,
Be food to beasts and branded with the note
Of Traitour; yea, let those so censur'd be,
Whose onely thoughts are false to thine or thee.
This, al true subiects wish, this each implores,
Who'l not subscribe to this, is none of ours.
XVIII. CALVIN'S CREED.
If the Father haue his essence of himself, the Sōne his essence of the Father, and the Spirit from them both, doth not (saith Caluin) three essences herevpon arise? Tract. Theol. p. 793. besides this, in act. serueti he often writeth that the Sonne hath his substance distinct from the Father, where vpon followes, that he is a distinct God from the Father. See act. Seru. p. 249. 250. 871. 872. & passim.
He teacheth that the Father can neither wholy, nor by part, communicate his nature to Christ, but must withal be depriued therof himself. Tract. Theol. p. 771. 772. and he denies that the Sonne is begotten of the Fathers substance and essence; affirming that he is God of himself, not God of God. See M. Whit. 8. Camp. rat. & Cal. himself l. 1. Inst c. 13. sect. 23. 29. & tract. Theol. p. 774. by which it followes, that if God haue no Sonne begotten of his substance & essence, he can be no Father, & Christ, if he receaued no essence from the Father, he cannot be his Sonne.
Who made of nothing al, Almighty be.
And doth, as God, for vs God's ayd implore.
He truly was a sinner, not God's Sonne,
His birth made Mary of a Virgin none.
She was too busy, of a haughty vaine,
And spightfully God's power did restraine.
Christ not one onely, but two persons hath,
And was endew'd, as other men, with faith.
He, as in yeares, so did in wisdome grow,
Yet did not, when at wisest,
Christs soule was subiect to ignorance: this only difference is betwxit vs & him, that our infirmities are of necessity, his voluntary: in c. 2. Luc. v. 40. It is euident that ignorance (sayth he) was common to Christ with the Angels in c. 24. Math. v. 36. and in particular he auoucheth that he knew not the day of iudgement (in c. 24. Matth. v. 36.) nor what that tree was which he cursed. In c. 21. Matth. v. 18. see also Ib. c. 9. v. 2.
He vs'd no grounded method to
We must remember that Christ did vse the common receaued prouerbs, not that they should solidly proue any thing, but only that they should be as probable coniectures. Calu. in c. 12. Matth. v. 25. & 2. 10. Luc. v. 17. and therevpon he is not afraid to censure certain words of Christ to be but a weak confutation of what he sought to refute. In. c. 12. Mat. v. 25 & in another place: Christ (saith he) seemes here not to reason solidly. Id. in c. 9. Matth. v. 5.
The aduerse part, but when he did dispute,
He his opponents either did amuse
With farre fetch't similitudes, or els abuse
Their fayth by some superfluous inference,
Harsh phrase, and words not in a
That Christ promiseth from God reward to fasting is an improper speach, in Matth. c. 9. v. 16. 17. 18. See him likewise taxed for improper speaches by Calu in. c. 12. Matth. v. 5. 26. 33. in c. 15. v. 18. in. c. 20. v. 26 & in c. 1. Ioan. v. 32. in c. 6. v. 29. 35. in c. 17. v. 12. & in c. 3. v. 21. he writeth of a saying of Christ, that it seemes to be spoken improperly and absurdly, in French, sans raison.
To vicious passions he sometymes obey'd,
Was disobedient, cowardly, rash, dismay'd;
For through base feare he did t'his power denie
To be the world's Mediatour, and to dye,
And more afrayd of death was, then we see
Theeues
Theeues and other euil doers doe obstinately hast to death, many with haughty courage despise it, some others doe mildly suffer it, but what constancy or stout courage were it for the Sonne of God to be astonished & in a manner strucken dead with feare of it? &c. how shameful a tendernes, as I say, should this haue been to be so farre tormented with feare of common death, as to melt in bloudy sweat, and not to be able to be comforted but by sight of Angels? l. 2. Instit. c. 16. sect. 12.
Yea he then quite forgot and did not deeme
His prayer was not aduis'd, but such as did
A more proportioned correction need.
Nothing had been effected if his death
Had been but corporal; for, e're his breath
Forsook him, he was truly in despaire,
And did the death of more then body feare.
His guilty soule was cited for to come
Before th'Eternal, to receaue her doome;
And was tormented with th'infernal paines,
Which for the damn'd forsaken soules remaines.
And, to be breef, no other signes there are
In al his death, but tokens of despaire.
Those paines on him, he doth vpon his foes;
Whence he became in horrour with the fright
Of black damnation, and with that did fight.
His body dead, aliue againe was made,
Not of himself, but by his Father's ayd.
He sits at God's right hand; that is, he holdes
Next vnder him, cheef rule; and al controls.
We need not feare to haue our sinnes awaite
For Iudgment, ransom'd at so high a rate.
Distinct from both the Father and the Sonne.
'Tis false to say, the Church can neuer faile,
For then it fel, when Popes did first preuaile.
Penance is
At what time soeuer we baptized, we are at once washed & cleansed for al our life; and a litle after: They erre, who thinke that by the benefit of repentance, we doe after baptisme obtaine forgiuenesse. And not much before: In baptisme is obtained perpetual and continual forgiuenesse of sinnes, euen vnto death. l. 4. Inst. 6. 14. Yect. 3. 4. & c. 19. sect 17.
In baptisme is remitted once for al.
It is a foolish madnes to
Vpon the 26. of Mat. he affirmes that they are mad who teach that the bloud of Christ is now ioyned with his flesh. Which opinion Schlusselburg detesting both in Caluin and his fellowes, sayth: Hence it appeareth that the Caluinists, albeit they affirme in word and writing, yet in hart they doe not belieue the resurrection of the dead. Schluss. Theol. Calu. l. 1 art. 20.
That after death our flesh shal ryse againe;
Christ being entred into the Sanctuary of heauē, vnto the end of the Ages of the world, he alone carrieth to God the prayers of the people (of the Saints) abiding a farre off at the portch. l. 3. Inst. c. 20. sect. 20. and els-where: The soules of the godly hauing ended the labour of their warfare, doe goe into a blessed rest, where with happy ioyfulnes they looke for the enioying of the promised glory; and so al things are holden in suspence til Christ the Redeemer appeare. Ib. c. 25. sect. 6.
Who speakes these words, a Christian? no Iohn Caluin.
Christs death had been to no effect, if he had suffered only a corporal death. Inst. l. 2. c. 16. sect. 10.
XIX. VPON SAINT PAVL and Luther.
Pavl in his writings oftymes IESVS names,Luther the Diuels's name
So frequently doth Luther vse the name of DIVEL, that the learned Tigurine Diuines speaking but of one of his bookes only, say, that it is ful of Diuels, and in another place: How wonderful (say they) is Luther here with his Diuels, what impure wordes he vseth, with how many Diuels doth he burst? Theol. Tigur. confess. Germ. fol. 3. & part. 3. fol. 134. & Zuinglius sayth to him: We fil not our bookes with so many Diuels, nor doe we bring so many armies of Diuels against thee &c. Zuingl. tom. 2. fol. 381.
What is the reason? sure, on either part
The mouth speakes from th'aboundance of the hart.
XX. Vpon the late peace betwixt the King of France and the Hugonots.
Warr 's stormes are past, the gentle breath of peaceHath forc't in France al noysome vapours cease,
The Rochellers and their adherents now
Their humble necks vnto the King doe bow.
They vow no more wil
As they haue done for the space of oboue 40. or 50. yeares together, and that for Religion, as euidently appeareth by the Protestant writer I. de Serres in his general Inuentory of the history of France, transl. into Engl. by Edw. Grimston; and by Osiander, who writing of those warres sayth: Ciuil warre for Religion was renewed &c. Epit. 116. p. 804.
Rebellious armes against their Sou'raigne take.
No more contemne his Edicts, and no more
Against his powers forraine power implore:
Hence-forth they'l neuer, vnder fayre petence
To shew their fayth, come armed to their Prince,
Nor armed treat with him, like such as stand
To beg an almes with threatning sword in hand.
They'l ne're contend by open force againe
From him his sacred Churches
They hauing before by many petitions required temples for the exercise of their Religion, doe now take them by force in many places, and without further approbation of their demandes they assemble at diuers times. Thus de Serres p. 588. see Pet. Mart. Epist. annex. to his comm. plac. in English p. 157.
Nor wil their Preachers, arm'd with pistols, proue
If them to greater treasons they may moue.
Preists, Altars, Vestments, Relikes, Images,
And whatsoeuer els, may now be free
From the profane reach of impiety.
They'l cease. But stay; a further clause remaines;
I had forgot my self, they'r Puritans.
XXI. VPON CAROLOSTADIVS.
As Car'lostadius first begin's to preach,The Diuel courteously takes paines to
Carolostadius was wont to boast (saith Chemnitius lib. de cæna p. 214.) that the exposition of This is my body, came to him by reuelation, but he that appeared to him, if we may belieue Luther (tom. 3. Ien. Germ, fol. 68.) was eyther the Diuel, or the Diuels Damme. See also Chemnitius de cæna p. 214.
Guide and direct him; and to make him stil
Better obserue the proiects of his wil,
He kindly creepes into him, and directs
His tongue to al Hel's most desir'd effects.
So that, when e're this Doctour silence breakes,
And while he lies, expecting eu'ry hower
To try the force of death's al-forcing power,
The Diuel visits him. Monster of men!
The Diuel left thee not til death; nor then.
XXII. VPON BEZA, BETWIXT HIS Candida and Andebert.
What ? is not Beza yet resolu'd? nor yet?Stil doth he doubt on whether part to set
His spacious lustes, his lustes as hard to fil
As is the gulf of his insatiate wil?
See, see, ô, how he, fearful to distast
Either damnation, his loosse eyes doth cast
Alike on both, as if he faine would gleane
Equal acceptance both from Boy and Queane.
Now her he courts; then fearing least that act
Displease his Ganimed, he seemes t'retract
His former errour, and assures the Boy
That he alone shal be is onely ioy.
His iealous punke at last perceaueth this,
And stormes therat; he calmes her with a kisse:
Then, to his Boy: thou sweet (saith he) art myne,
Thou art my cheef delight. O rare Diuine!
Among other wanton Epigrammes which Beza writ, there is one extant of his inordinate liking to his Ganimed called Andebertus, and his woman Candida, wherin he debateth whether sinne be may preferre, and finally makes choice of the boy before his woman. See this in Beza's Epigrammes print. at Paris an. 1548. In so much as Schlusselberg confesseth saying, that it is euident that Beza did write most obscene verses to Germanus Andebertus, whom he chose at Orleans, and that Beza made him his Adonis. Theol. Calu. l. 1. f. 93. see more in proem. p. 4. & 92. 93. & l. 2. f. 72. & hereafter XXXIV. 20. 21. 22. 23.
XXIII. VPON REFORMERS DOCTRINE of Predestination.
E're Rome, the words then Empresse, did embraceThat sacred truth, whose path she now doth trace,
Mettal and stone, her owne workes, she ador'd,
And help, of what requir'd her help, implor'd.
The ioyful reapers of the fruits of Nile
Worship't a Cat, Dog, Bul and Crocodile,
Ibis and Hawkes; yea offered vp their groanes
To Beetles, Aspes, Garlick, and Onyons.
Snakes, Adders, Tygers, Skrich-owles, Bats, and Trees,
Hearbs, Beasts, and Birds are Congo's Deities.
To the Diuel Calicute doth prayer assigne,
Yea to an Ape, Elephants, and Kine.
In sacrifice she feeds the Diuel wel,
And giues him musike: spacious Tartary
And fayre Cathaga much deuoted be
To a God of Felt, in whose conceit Earth, Fire,
Sunne, W*ter, Starres, the like respect require.
The Philippina's doe adore an Oxe
Peru a mount of sand, a Cocke, and Foxe,
An Emerald and Thunder: Mexico
Before a liuing Slaue as God doth bow;
Yea to a masse of Paste which long hath stood
Tempred in Childrens and in virgins blood.
The lands betwixt Cambaia and Malabar
Th'first thing they meet, after the morning starre
Hath told the Sunn's approach, be't Bul or Boare
Or any Creature els, they low adore.
Rude mishap't Stones industrious China makes
Her Gods, with heauen and Hel-hags wound with snakes.
To a Flint Narsinga; th'farthest Moschifal
To an old wiue's shape; Lithuania to a Mal.
And in this sottish manner diuers more,
For their Creatour, creatures doe adore:
Al foolishly, I grant; yet al hope
The Calicutians adore the Diuel, who is appointed (say they) by God to reward euery man according to their workes. Lodou. Patrich. Rom. nauig. l. 5. c. 2. The Virginians likewise hold that the soule is rewarded after this life according to her works. Purch. pilgrim l. 8. c. 6. the like may be also seen in the rest, whosoeuer shal peruse their histories.
Some good by this their superstitious paine;
And think, that in reward each God proceeds
With euery one according to his deeds.
But Protestants serue such a Tyrant God
Let not any of the Tyrant-worshippers accuse me heer of blasphemy, for I doe not in this place speake of the God of Catholikes, Iesus Christ: for he wil (as himself saith) render vnto euery one according to his works. Math. 16. v. 27. Luc. 6. vers. 38. Rom. 2. Cor. 1. 3. Gal. 6. Apoc. vlt. Psal. 65.
As doth (say they)
The God of Reformers doth ordaine by his counsel and decree, that among men some be borne destined to certaine damnation from their mothers womb, who by their destruction may glorify him (Caluin, Instit. l. 3. c. 23. sect. 6.) & this without any respect had to their works either good or euil. M. will. let. Synop. p. 554. See also for this opinion Calu. Instit. print. Argentorat. p. 253. Luther lib. de ser. arbitr. Beza respons. ad acta colloqu. Montisberg. part. 2. p. 233. 165. Pet. Mart. comm. places, part. 3. p. 12. and many more.
Of his eternal wrath, no care once had
Of any of their actions good or bad:
Yea though they be the chiefe in Vertue's schoole,
They must be damn'd: Which is the greatest foole?
XXIV. A LETTER TO A MINISTER from one of his Pupils, concerning S. Austin's Workes.
Sir,
Plaines, woods, & groues our bodies doe diuide,
Your best part hath been present with me stil,
Distance of place that from me nere could hide.
It pleas'd the Spirit to me then impart
Streight in my soule to such perfection grew
As they nere shal, nor can from thence depart;
You taught me then to know Rom's scarlet-whore
Wherewith emboldned, now in one thing more
Your graue aduice I craue, & this it is.
With our best Authours Austin's writings are.
To some so free from errour he doth seeme
As none but Scripture may with him compare.
And great'st of Fathers, since th'Apostles were.
Others affirme he did in learning shine
Farre aboue al that did or wil appeare.
Others appeale vnto him, some him cal
The Fathers Monarch, one more free from taint
Of errour then the purest of them al,
And say, he doubtlesse was a Protestant.
(Thus much the Spirit hath giu'n me to descerne)
Nothing but rules of wicked Popery
Nor ought by him but superstition learne.
Which are the bookes we ought true Scripture cal.
Toby, with Iudith, Hester, Machabees,
He, Papist-like, doth hold canonical.
Christ's true Church
We must hold the communion of that Church, which is named Catholike, not only of her owne, but also of her enemies; for wil they, nil they, heretikes & schismatikes, when they speak not with their owne fellowes but with strāgers, cal the Catholike Church nothing else but Catholike Chruch; for they could not be vnderstood vnlesse they discerne it by this name wherewith she is called by the whole world. tom. 1. de vera relig. c. 7.
None must gain-say her; she is stil preseru'd
From fal; Rom's Church is chiefest, & the like?
And with the Crosse's signe applyed be:
He doth moreouer seriously auerre,
That such are
It may truely be said that children dying without baptisme are to be in the easyest state of damnatiō: Yet he deceiueth & is deceiued who teacheth that they are not to be damned. To. 7. de pecc. mer. & remiss. l. 1. c. 10. & tom. 7. de anima & eius orig. l. 3. c. 9. & tom. 10. de verb. Apost. serm. 14, & tom. 2. ep. 28. ad Hieron.
S. Austin writing vpon these words of the Psalmist, He was carried in his owne hands, sayth: Christ was carried in his owne hāds, when commending his owne body, he said: This is my body; for then that his body was carried in his hands. Tom. 8. in Psal. 33. Conc. 1. and see Conc. 2. & ante exposit. Psalmi.
A
Of his body and bloud he ordained a Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech. To. 8. in Ps. 33. Conc. 2. ante exposit. Psal. See tom. 5. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 17. cap. 20. and that he held this to be also a propitiatory Sacrifice, it is confessed by Crastouius lib. 1. de opif. missæ pag. 167. & Hutterus de Sacrificio missal. pag. 525.
A care no peece vpon the ground should fal.
And holds the Papists now Confession;
Orders besides, a Sacrament to be
He shewes, and teaches Extream-vnction.
In al these so much controuerted Heads,
Iustification,
The grace of God &c. bringeth to the life of the second man, not only blotting out sinnes, but also by helping not to sinne. Tom. 2. ep. 106. 105. tom. 7. de nat. & gratia. c. 26.
Which fayth perhaps through him now so farre spreads.
Prayer for dead, material fire in hel,
And Purgatory-paines; he n'ere doth cease
Our now-held Doctrine to his power t'refel.
'Twixt Mortal sinnes and Venial vnfolds:
A
If he shal marry after the vow, which he hath promised to God, he shal be condemned &c. If a Nunne shal marry, she shal be reputed to haue committed adultery against Christ. Tom. 8. in Ps. 83.
From certaine meates on certaine days he holds.
In brief what holds he not? scarce doe I know
One part of him from superstition free;
His doctrine to approue, his rules t'allow
Were to reduce expulsed Popery.
Which makes me wonder, why we say, that he
The iudgement of the ancient Church doth shew;
For grant but that, and since we disagree
From him, our Doctrine must of force be new.
Our faith, if any Papist should obiect
And aske: why since his writings we commend,
Vse their authority as weake reiect.
And soundest counsel in this case, I rest.
Let him (the sick) aske of the Church holy oyle, wherewith his body may be anointed, according to the Apostle, Iames. 5. Tom. 9. de rect. cath. conuers. & tom. 10 serm. de temp. 215. & tom. 9. de visit. infir. l. 2. c. 4.
XXV. The Minister's Answer to the former letter.
Dearely beloued,
Wherein aboue the common course of youth
As in a spotlesse mirrour clearly shines
A perfect zeale to search & find the truth.
Of Hippo's Austins so much vrged fayth:
Why's al he writes pure Ghospel? what command
Haue we to credit whatsoe're he sayth?
And vnto him as a sure ground appeale.
I answer, such appeales too farre extend,
They hurt themselues and the true Churche's weale.
Too much obsequibus to Rom's Popish brood,
Their cause they iniurie: what haue we to doe
With man's inuentions now, with flesh or bloud?
Perhaps as zealous of the Word as they,
Who wil not doubt, before they doe impare.
The grounds of truth, his errours to display.
Who in some places of his workes suspect
His sincere dealing, & by diuers signes
His contradicting of himself detect?
One you shal find his reasons disallowes,
Another markes his grosse absurdity,
Another his vngrounded speaches shewes
And some his furthring of Idolatry.
Nor want there some who dare affirme, he erres
And is corrupt, & vseth quircks; & some
Auouch that to belieue what he auerres,
Were to set vp the faith againe of Rome.
Against him, his authoritie despise,
And doubt not on him this foule taint t'impose,
That leauing Scripture he doth temporize?
His words repugnant to the Scripture be,
And on his back the imputations lay
Of rashnes, boldnes, and imprudencie.
Of seeds not grateful in the Almighty's sight;
Some stile him foole and dolt, and not at al
Inspired with the Lord's al-guiding Sp'rit.
To find that truth which only Scriptures shew?
No, let vs this pernicious custome flye
If e're we meane th'vndoubted truth to know.
But from al other Fathers to refraine,
For 'mongst them al scarce can you find me one
But doth maine points of Papistry maintayne.
Stil in the self-same errours shal we stay:
God's onely Word can onely chase this mist,
No Sunne but that, that onely shewes the way.
Your faith's not tyed vnto each man's tongue,
T'Austin y' are ready to resigne your wil,
As long as he doth to the Word no wrong.
Say thus and they are mute: be not intic't
To leaue this n'ere-forc't hold: farewel in Christ.
M. Brightman hauing named among other Fathers S. Austine, saith that they were in words condemning Idolatry, but in deeds establishing it, by inuocation of SS. worshiping of Relikes, and such other like wicked superstitions, in Apoc. in c. 14. p. 382.
Lay aside al such weapons as the ancient orthodoxal Fathers, Scholes of Diuines, authority of Councels and Popes, the consent of so many Ages & of al Christian people doth afford: we receaue nothing but Scriptures; but so, that we alone may haue the approued authority of interpreting them &c. Luther l. de seru. arbitr. contra Erasm. edit. prima.
XXVI. A REPLIE TO THE precedent letter.
Yours I haue read, and since you cannot giueBetter solutions to my doubts, I grieue
To haue so long insisted on the path
Of your so much esteem'd, so empty Fayth.
For, if
We doe not depend (say many) on the Fathers, but on the words of God, &c. But I wonder whether these men euer read ouer the writings of those Fathers, whom they railingly condemne for Sophistes. For if they haue read them, with what face dare they oppose them to the word of God, whom it is euident to haue only relied vpon God's word? but if they haue not read them at al, or but negligently read them, what a shame is it, that the schollers should become their Master's iudges, yea and that before they heare them? Thus farre Beza in lib. Epist. theolog. Epist. 81.
To such as did the same with you deny)
Austin and other Fathers did maintaine
Why, as if you alone could neuer erre,
Should you your iudgement before their's preferre,
And neuer cease their writings to oppose
Against the Scriptures, since they euery clause,
No lesse then you, but with a more profound
And deeper sight, did on the Scripture ground?
The question therefore, as I thought before,
Is not heer whether we should credit more
God's word or them, each child can that decide,
But whether now men's iudgements should be tyde
To what you hold the Word's true sense to be,
Or that whereon they iointly al agree.
Heer lyes the doubt: when you doe them excel
In this, I'l then returne; til then farewel.
XXVII. Vpon Peter Martyr.
When paleSimlerus in the life of Peter Martyr (saith Schlusselberg) affirmes that he dyed in the Sacramentary heresy, and said to Bullenger and others a little before his death, That he would not be in Brentius heauē, for that was no-where. Therefore, ô Martyr, thou must stay in Zuinglius heauen, with Hercules and Socrates, (to wit) in hel; where thou, ô Martyr, shalt be the diuel's euerlasting Martyr. Theolo. Cala. lib. 2. act. 1.
Before th'Eternal's dread tribunal-chaire,
In Brentius heauen he vow'd he would not come,
He long before renounc't the heauen of Rome.
In Zuinglius heauen sure he then would stay,
With Iheseus, Numa, Scipio &c. where are they?
XXVIII. ON OECOLAMPADIVS.
Oecolampadius stil in outward shewVow'd himself confident that al was true
He either preach't or writ: but in his hart
He
Ioannes Cellarius, who by reason of this doubtfulnes of Oecolampadius forsooke the Sacramentaryes, heard him pray thus in his Chamber: O Lord God, if my cause be not true, doe not aduance it, I beseech thee. See Colloq. mens. Germ. fol. 356. see also Iohn. schutz. lib. ger 50. causar. caus. 15. H. 2.
Which priuate doubt (although he did pretend
Outward assurance)
Nicolaus Selneuerus, who witnesseth this his doubtfulnesse of the truth of his doctrine to haue remayned with him euen til his death, writes that he sayd thus in his sicknesse: O Lord Iesus Christ, reueale to me I beseech thee the truth, whether I haue hitherto spoken and written rightly of thy supper, or no; which shewes (sayth Selneuerus) that hitherto he hath built vpon the sand Seln. part. c. Enarat. Ger. in psal. fol. 215.
I meane til Sathan, for his goodly merits,
Vouchsaf't to quit him of his vital spirits.
Shame not hereat; Luther thy ancient freind
Wil tel thee, 'twas an honorable end.
XXIX. Vpon the familiarity of Luther, Carolostadius, Zuinglius, Caluin, Beza, & others with the Diuel.
Some Protestants, as they themselues rehearse,Haue with the Diuel oft had great commerce.
Luther with Diuels oft did lye and walke;
With Diuels Car'lostadius oft did talke;
Zuinglius receaued from the Diuel this faith;
Caluin on Diuels called at his death;
Beza's preferr'd to be the Diuels scribe,
And some are ful
Luther sayth (say the Tigurine Diuines) that the Diuel dwelleth both now and euer in the Zuinglians, and that they haue a blasphemous breast, in-Sathanized, super-Sathanized, and per-Sathanized, and that they haue besid's a most vaine mouth ouer which Sathan beareth rule, being infused, perfused, and trāsfused into the same. Tigur. tract. 3. cont. suprem. Luth. confess. p. 61. See also heerafter; XLII. 32.
XXX. REFORMERS IVBILIE.
Of Romes good-workes, and scorne her yoake;
You proud disturbers of al peace,
You Tyrants, you who neuer cease
Of your oppressed subiects stil
T'exact for law your lawlesse wil.
You who with traytrous armes withstand
You lawful Sou'raign's iust command,
And to molest and vexe the King
Pretend the State's reordering.
You wanton wits, you who profane
The Sabaoth's rest with seruile gaine,
You who attempt by magick spel
To your behests to summon hel:
You cut-throat Theeues, you Vsurers,
You Forgers, you Extortioners,
Who in man's bloud your hands embrew:
You Leacher, Pandar, Bawd and Whore,
You who afflict and starue the poore:
You froward wretches, you false teachers,
You brib'd Iudges, you Truce-breakers:
You who murd'red haue your brother,
Stab'd your father, kil'd your mother.
You Drunkards, Gluttons, Sycophants,
You impious scoffers at the Saints,
You guileful gamesters, you who be
Iustly condemn'd of Simony:
You false Informers, you who stil
I' vnmeasur'd pride direct you wil:
You who sucke after other's bloud,
You who enuy your neighbour's good,
You Cursers, you who stil afford
A bloudy oath to eu'ry word:
And you by whom are dayly sold
Lawes, iustice, right, and al for gold,
Lands in lust and riot lauish't,
Wiues defiled, Virgins rauish't,
The lawful Rulers had in scorne,
Vice ouerpriz'd, false-witnes borne,
Seruants wronged, Masters cheated,
Tales to others hurt repeated,
Churches rob'd, the weake opprest,
Widowes, Orphanes, al distrest.
And finally, al you, whose crimes
Exceed the measure of our tymes,
Cheere vp your selues, my noble Geux,
And lend your eares; I bring you newes
Then euer did the Roman See
Bestow on hers. For when as shee
Presumes to set her Papists free
From their offences, first of al
They straight forsooth to mind must cal
Their forepast sinnes, and then stirre vp
Themselues to sorrow (ô this cup
Hath no good rellish:) then againe
Al this their labour's spent in vaine
Vnlesse they meane with al their might
T'amend their liues; I, ther's the spight.
Nor wil this serue, but they must goe,
And to a Priest al humbly show.
Besids, they must both watch and pray,
The world's loosse pleasures cast away,
And if their sinnes be greater then
The lighter faults of other men,
They must be penanc't, and for that
Giue almes, fast, and I know not what.
Al which I'm sure, if that you be
Luther's ttue off-spring, you wil see
To be but deeds, which may by dogs
As wel be compass'd, or by hogs.
But you my Roaring desp'rate Boyes,
Are freed from al these tedious toyes.
The great and gen'ral Pardon, which
I now proclaime is nothing such.
O no; you may stil murder, sweare,
Steale, cheat, and stil fals-witnes beare,
You need not leaue your drunken feasts,
You stil may vse maids, boyes, yea beasts,
Take vsse by God nor man allow'd,
Be mad through rage, vse wanton diet
Apply yourselues to slouth or riot,
Curse, damne, and haue your magick spels,
Your punke, or whatsoeuer els:
And yet as soone or sooner winne
This gen'ral pardon for each sinne,
Then if you left them: for you know
Our Luther doth most plainly shew,
That th'more we doe ourselues deface
With sinnes, we neerer are to grace.
This costly pearle, this golden streame
Of heauenly grace (because I know
You wish to haue me shew't, & so
Your thirsty hopes at last relieue)
Is this, and only this,
See before XI. 26. 27. and 25. and besides you may find this doctrine of onely fayth maintained by Zuingl. tom. 1. f. 204. Calu. in Rom. c. 10. v. 17. Lib. Concord. c. 3. de Iustif. fidei. p. 691. & c. 4. in epit art. p. 589. 590. Auth. Respons. ad thes. Valent. p. 928. 958. Paræus. l. 4. de Iustif. c. 2. Danæus controuers. de bapt. c. 17. pag. 396. Perkins in 3. Galat. col. 157. tom. 2. Beza in sum. rei Sacram. p. 207. M. Whitak de Eccles. cont. Bellarm. controuer. 2. q. 5. & generally by al Protestants.
XXXI. On Andræas Musculus.
Mvsculus held that Christs diuinityVpon the Crosse did with his body
Andræas Musculus was not afrayd openly to teach that the Diuine nature of Christ, which is God, died vpon the Crosse with his humane &c. neither did he desist &c. publikly to professe and spread abroad this Doctrine of the death of Christs Diuinity, and that by the help of Ioannes Islebius. Thus farre Syluest. Czecanorius dial de corrup. mor. art. 3. fol. 5. and see Andr. Musculus & Isleb. in refut. Simleri.
And in his profane bookes plaine grounds did lay
To make the Ghospel giue the Alcoran way;
Al which he euer did, no lesse then sound
And orthodoxal points, on Scriptures ground
How wel his Name his inclination shewes!
Who't seed such Monsters, chatters, teares, & gnawes
With such fond glosses, as himself thinkes fit,
The sacred volumes of th'Eternal's Writ:
For Musculus to al imports the same
That little mouse in English: hence thy name
Thou takest Musculus. Take heed, and watch
Th'infernal Cat; she hath a diu'elish Scratch.
XXXII. Looke beyond Luther.
I find the Fathers then possessed were
With the now censur'd doctrines of
The errour of Freewil flourished euer since the Apostles times in a manner euery-where, til Martin Luther tooke the sword in hand against it. Discouer. of cont. in D. Bancrosts ser. p. 25. see Centur. cent. 2. col. 58. 59. cent. 4. col. 291. Hamel. de tradit. Apost. l. 2. col. 9. Calu. Calum. Inst. l. 2. c. 2. sect. 4.
Merit of workes,
I can not altogeather excuse the ancient Fathers in this respect, but that they layd some seeds of superstition &c. the obseruation of superstitious Lent was then euery-where in force. Calu. Inst. l. 4. c. 12. sect. 19. 30. the Centurists also charge the Fathers of the 4. Age with superstitious fasting vpon Wensday & Friday. Cent. 4. col. 440.
Gods sacred Precepts, Vowes of Chastity,
S. Peter's and Pope his Primacy
The
The ancient Fathers, and chiefly Hilary and Cyril, went further herein then was fitting. Calu. l. epist. ep. 208. see sundry of the Fathers blamed in particular for our doctrine by D. Humfr. Iesuit. part. 2. p. 626. Cent. cent. 5. col. 985. 295. Ad Francis. Margar. theol. p. 256. Anton de Ad. Anat. of Masse, p. 236. 221. &c.
The Eucharist reseru'd and yet diuine,
I meane stil Real,
The Fathers should not with so much liberty haue seemed here and there to haue abused the name Altar. Pet. Mart. comm. pl. part. 4. p. 22). Cartwr. 2. Reply. part. vlt. p. 264. & see part. 1. p. 517.
They forged a sacrifice in the Lords supper without his commandment, and so adulterated the supper with adding of sacrifice. Cal. in omnes Pauli epist. in Hebr. c. 7. v. 9. see Inst. lib. 4. c. 18. sect. 1. & tract. theol. p. 389. & Fulk. reioined. to Brist. reply. p. 28 D. Field of the Church l. 3. p. 107 see also the Fathers charged euen with propitiatory sacrifice by Crastou. de opif. Misse p. 167.
That Sacraments giue grace, the Church comprize
Both good and bad, with
Not Cyprian only but almost al the most holy Fathers of that time, thought by their external discipline of life to pay the paines due for sinnes, and to satisfy Gods Iustice. Whitak. cont. Camp. rat. 5. Calu. l. 1. Inst. c. 4, sect. 38. Cent. cent. 4. col. 294. 231. see Calu. againe l. 4. Inst. c. 12. sect. 8. & l. 3. c. 4. sect. 38.
Tertullian doth greatly vrge confession, and it appeareth by certaine places of S. Cyprian that priuate confession was vsual, wherin they confessed their sinnes and euen wicked thoughts. Centur. cent. 3. col. 127. & cent. 4. col. 425.
I am not ignorant how ancient the vse of Chrisme is. Calu. l. 4. Inst. c. 17. sect. 43. and the ministers of Lincolne diocesse charge Tertull. Cypr. Amb. with errour of vsing the Crosse in confirming those that were baptized. Abridg. p. 42. Confer Hampt. Court. p. 10. Down h. def. l. 4. p. 23. Cent. 4. coll. 478. Buc. script. Angl. p. 570. Chemn. exam. part. 2. p. 58. 64. 65.
That we may pray to Saints, yea and assigne
Vnto themselues, their Images, and shrine
Religious worship, that the
Danæus auerreth that S. Cyril and sundry other Fathers were plainly superstitious & blinded with this enchantment of the Crosse's adoration. 1. part. alt. parte. ad. Bellarm. 5. contr. resp. p. 1415. see M. Fulk ag. Hesk. &c. p. 657. Parkins problem. p. 83. Centur. cent. 4. col. 302. 459. cent. 3. col. 121. 240.
Honour'd, with
This corruption (of praying for the dead) was general in the Church long before the dayes of Austin &c. it was the practize of the Church in general, and the corruption so ancient, that Tertullian sayth, it was obserued by Tradition from the Apostles &c. the doctrine of Purgatory was crept in also. M. Gifford demonstr. ag. Brownists, p. 38. Fulk. confut of purgat. p. 313 320. 326. 161. 194. 78. & in his retent. ag. Brist. p. 106. Calu. l. 3. Inst. c. 5. sect. 10. see M. Cartwr. 2. reply. part. 1. p. 619.
With
Al the Fathers with one consent doe affirme, that Christ deliuered the soules of the Patriarchs and Prophets out of hel at his cōming rhither, & so spoiled Sathā of those that were then in his present possession. M. Iacob in M. Bilsons ful redempt. p. 188. 189. & in his suruay of Christs suffer. p. 6, 6. D. Barlow def. of. art. of Protest. p. 173. D. whitak. cont. Duræum l. 8. p. 567.
The Centurists speaking of most ancient Fathers say, that it seemeth that for the most part this chiefest article of iustification was obscured, for they attributed to workes iustice before God. Cent. 3. coll. 79. see also col. 78. 265. 266. & cent. 4. col. 292. 293. cent. 5. col. 1 178 Bulling. on the Apos. sev. 87. fol. 270. see also M. Whitak. risp. ad 5. rat. Camp.
Produceth not Iustification.
Your famous Luther can we nothing find
Which you may challenge and securely vant
To be the true badge of a Protestant?
Yes; at his heeles, scortcht in lasciuious fyer,
Lies the cast habit of a periur'd Frier.
I confesse that Ambrose, Austin, and Hierome held inuocation of Saints to be lawful. Fulk. reioynd. p. 5. see him ag. the Rhem. Testam 2. Petr. c. 1. sect. 3. and Chemnitius exam. part. 3. p. 211. 200. see before at 2.
XXXIII. Looke vpon Luther.
Looke vpon Luther, what is he? a manConfessedly attended with a traine
Of many vices; one that beares a sense
By much too deep of his self-excellence,
The
God for the sinne of Pride, wherewith Luther exalted himself, tooke away his true Spirit. Conr. Rhege l. germ. cont. 10. Hess. de cæna Domin. See him further accused of pride & arrogancy by his owne learned Brethren Oecolamp. resp. ad confess. Luth. by Sym. Lyth[illeg.] resp. ad alt. I. Gretz. Apol. p. 333. by Zuingl. resp. ad confess Luth. by Naogeorg. in Schluss. Theol. Calu. l. 2. fol. 131. by Conr. Gesn. in vniuers. Biblioth. de Luth. by the Tigur. Diuines resp. ad lib. Luth. cont. Zuinglium &c. in so much that the same is acknowledged by himself to be the worlds opinion of him, in his loc. com. class. 4. fol. 35.
Yea so vnmeasur'd, as't can brook no touch.
Among his heads of faith, some doe appeare
Deceitful,
We haue found in the faith and confession of Luth. 12. articles, whereof some are move vaine then is fitting, some lesse faithfully and ouer-guilefully expounded, others againe are false and reprobate, but some there are which plainly dissent from the word of God, and the articles of Christian faith. Oecolamp[illeg.]resp. ad Luth. confess. See Zninck. feld præf. Super præcip. fi[illeg.]dei artic. & Hospin. hist. sacr. pare. 2. f. 5. and see heretofore at XI. throughout.
Some false, some reprobate, which with the light
Both of Gods word, and Christian faith doe fight;
Where he presumes the Scriptures to expound,
His errours and corruptions oft are found
Like to the Arians, and Marcionites
To be both plaine & many: when he writes
Like to a scoffing cheater he doth bring
Now this, now that, forth of the self-same thing,
Ne're with himself
Hospinian in the Alphabetical table of the 2. part of his Sacramentary history vnder the word Lutherus, chargeth Luther with great inconstancy in Doctrine saying: Luther his inconstancy in doctrine 4. 6. the causes of his errours and inconstancy in doctrine, 5. his first opinion of the Supper. 5. 6. his second 7. 6. his third. 8. his fourth. 12. his fift ibidem, with much more to the same purpose in that table, which for breuity I omit.
Luther, when he hath once conceaued an opinion endeauours obstinately and eagerly to pursue and susteine it: neither doth he vse much to care what he say of any matter, though he be found to contradict either himself, or the oracles of Gods word. Zuingl. Tom. 2. resp. ad confess. Luth. See this Schlusselb. Theol. Calu. l. 2. fol. 122.
Once an opinion, instantly he sets
Others at naught; that now to hold he'l try,
Though from himself or scripture he doe fly.
Yea,
I did know the eleuation of the Sacrament to be Idolatrical, yet neuerthelesse I did retaine it in the Church at Wittemberg, to the end I might despight the diuel Carolostadius. Luther parua Confess. See him also tom. 3. Germ. fol. 55. & col. mens. Germ. f. 210. See this condemned in him by his owne brother Amand. Polonus. in syllogeth. Theol. p. 464 and the like examples alleadged by Hosp. hist. Sacr. part. 2. f. 8. 13 & 14.
Against his conscience he wil stil persist:
And
Luther presently sends al to the Diuel that wil not forthwith subscribe to his opinion. Tigur. conf. Orthod. 122. 123. Luther cannot endure any but such as agree with him in al things, (saith Gesnerus) and Bucer saith that he wil not suffer himself to be contradicted by any Gasa in vniuers. Biblioth. de Luth. and Mart. Bucer dial. cont. Melancthon.
Besides, he is, as sure as God is God,
A Diu'lish lyer; yea and almost mad
Through rage of lust: he is as liberal
Of his dire execrations vnto al,
As frantick men of stones; and stil affoards
Such stormes of railing & inuectiue words
'Gainst priuate
Of his immoderate railing against priuate men see a! his writings against the Sacramentaries: and in particular here before at XXIX. 7.
He calleth Henry the Eight more furious then madnes it-self, more doltish then folly it-self, indued with an impudent & whorish face; without any one veyne of princely bloud in his body, a lying Sophist, a damnable rotten worme, a basilisk, and progeny of an Adder, and lying Scarril, couered with the title of a King; a clownish wit, a doltish head, most wicked, foolish, & impudent Harry. And further he saith that he doth not only lye like a most vaine Scurre, but passeth a most wicked knaue. Thon lyest in thy throat foolish and Sacrilegious King. Lut. tom. 2. f. 333. 334. 335. 338. 340. and of his like insolent railing no lesse against other Princes, and namely against the Duke of Brunswick see his booke called Wider hanse woorst writtē in particular against him: and of his railing against the Arch-Bishop of Mentz, Prince Electour see him tom. 3. Germ. fol. 533. 339. 360. in colloq. mens. fol. 342. 343. and against the Princes of Germany see him tom. 2. Gem. f. 190. 200, & tom. 3. f. 195.
Th' Infernal furies in his speaches were.
He Sathan knowes, and Sathan him againe,
They are of long acquaintance; through his braine
He sometime runnes while as he reades or writes,
Sleepes with him neerer then his Kate a-nights.
He hath a Diuel
He confesseth that in his bed-chamber he many times walketh with the Diuel; and further, that he hath one or two wonderful Diuels, by which he is diligently and carefully serued: and them he esteemes to be not vulgar Diues, but great ones; yea Doctours of diuinity (saith he) among the Diuels. Luth. 16. fol. 275.
Of vulgar Diu'ls, but such as are among
Hel's great'st Diuines, on al occasions stil
Prompt and obseruant to performe his wil.
He vseth scurril and immodest words
Names oft the Diuel,
It is most cleare, and can not be denyed, but, that neuer any man writ more filthily, more vnciuilly, more lewdly, and that beyond al bounds of Christian modesty and temperance &c. then did Luther. Tigur. Theol. Orthod. Gonfess. f. 10. and then immediatly after some of his obscene bookes, as his Heintzius Anglicus against our King of England, his Hans Wurst, and another no lesse beastly against the Iewes: besides these there is extant (say they on the same place) his Schem Hamphorus, a prodigious booke, filthy and stinking through his frequent mentioning of hogs, and his often and loathsome repetition of turd and dunghils. But would'st thou heare (Gentle Reader) the swine himself grunt? If I were in hope thou would'st not condemne me for wronging our English tongue so much as to pollute it with so beastly phrase, thou should'st. Yet this, vpon better consideration, concernes only my-self. Thou shalt heare him whatsoeuer censure thou afford me, in hope thou may'st reap benefit by it, and iudge whether it be probable, nay possible for the Spirit of God to dwel in so loathsome a place, yea and blush to haue been so long seduced (if thou be a Protestant) by such a hog. Of what mouth (saith he) O Pope dost thou speak? is it of that from whence thy fartes doe burst? That which comes thence keep thou to thy self: or is it of that mouth into which wine of Corsica is powred? let the dog fil that with his excrementes &c. Is it lawful to contemne the 4. first Councels &c. for your farts and decretales? &c. If they be angry let them fil a hose with durt and hang it about their necks, it wil serue them insteed of a perfume or kisse &c. But proceed ô litte Paul (the beast meanes Paul the 3.) good Asse doe not Kick: ô Kick not my little Pope: ô my deare Asse doe not so: the yce this yeare by reasō there haue been no winds is very smooth & slippery, & thou might'st come so to haue a fal and breake thy thigh: and if in falling thou shouldst let a fart, euery one would deride thee and say, Fye how this little Pope hath berayd himself. Lut. cont. Pontif. Rom. a diab. fund. in tom. 8. Ien. p. 207. 208. In another place he affirmes the Canon law to be a turd of the Popes, which togeather with the Canonists stickes al on a heap in ipsius posterioribus. Col. Germ. fol. 419. He calles the Arch-Bishop of Mentz Cacando maculatum Sacerdotem, a berayd Priest. See Col. mens, fol. 84. 83. tom. 1. & f. 231. Let this be my general answer (sayth he to Henry the 8.) to al the sinkes of this foolish Hobgoblin &c. these are our forces, against which the Henries, the Thomistes, the Papistes, and al such dregs, sinks, priuies &c. tom. 21. Witt. f. 333. 336. 337. &c. May not we heer iustly say of him with the Tigurine Diuines, did euer man heare such speaches passe from a furious diuel himself? Tigur. tract. 3. cont. Suprem. Luc. Confess. p. 61. But we haue ouer-much stirred in this puddle, and yet not produced the hundred part of that which may from thence be raked. Wherefore no longer to offend the modest and Christian eare for this time (that I may say with Sr. Thomas More) furiosum hunc fraterculum & latrinarium nebulonem, & cum suis furijs & furoribus, cum suis merdis & stercoribus, cacantem cacatumq; relinquam.
Beraying, priuyes, durty puddles, sinkes
Windy gut-cracks. Fie take him hence he stinkes.
XXXIV. Looke on this side Luther.
Looke now on this side Luther, and relateWhat you can find in his reformed State.
Th' inconstant weake Melancthon first I see;
Next him that channel of impiety
That barb'rous, doltish, ignorant, impure,
Possessed heretike and Epicure
Carolostadius: neer to him doe passe
That Ape that Cyclop, and two-footed Asse,
The Sycophant, the dog Heshusius,
And the Eutychian lying Brentius,
Next th'heretike Osiander hand in hand
With that vnchristned wretch, that factious brand,
Zuinglius, who had his doctrine from a spright,
Which but since death he knew if black or white:
Perfidious fickle Bucer next doth goe,
Then Iames Andræas, who
Selneucerus (saith Hospinian) the indiuidual companion of Iames Andreas in his iourneys, is reported often to haue sayd of him before many good men, and those worthy of credit, that he had no God at al except Mammon and Bacchus: and that he neuer heard, nor could euer so much as suspect &c. that either at his going to bed, or vprising, he either sayd the Lords prayer, or made any mention of God: and that in the residue of his life, words, actions, or counsels he could neuer find any spark of piety, but exceeding great lightnes. hist. Sacram. part. alt. fol. 389.
But Gold and Bacchus; nor by night, or day,
Was euer this Adult'rer seen to pray,
Th'Angel of darknes Caluin now appeares,
Who on his back the shameful token beares
Of a hot iron, for th'vnnatural vice
Of Sodomy, who after died of lice,
And in dispaire exhal'd his hateful breath,
Cursing and calling Diuels til his death.
Here comes another of this vertuous Tribe
Whether Beza deserue this title or no, let any man iudge who shal peruse only this ensuing testimony, which his owne fellow Protestant Hutterus affordeth of him: I am ashamed to translate it, therefore take it in latine: Beza in fine libri de absentia corporis Christi in cæna scribit: Candidæ, siue Amasiæ suæ culū (parce tu Christe blasphemias istas mihi referenti) imo partem diuersam (ô beast) magis adhuc pudendam, mundiora esse, quam illorum or a qui simpliciter verbis Christi inherentes, credænt se præsens Christi corpus in cæna sacra, ore suo accipere. Hut. Explic. lib. Concord. art. 7. pag. 703.
Lasciuious
Beza by his most filthy manners was a disgrace to honest discipline, who in sacrilegious verse published to the world his detestable loues, his vnlawful carnal actes, his whoredomes, & foule adulteries, not content that himself only should like a hog wallow in the durt of wicked lusts, but he must also pollute the eares of studious youth with his filth. Tilm. Heshusius ver. & sanc. Confess.
Betwixt his Candida and Andebert.
Now Allemannus the blaspemous Iew
Beza's great freind: then th'Authours of the new
And later Arians, the vndoubted
None in our time I haue knowne (sayth Neuzerus) became an Arian, who was not first a Caluinist, Seruetus, Blandrata, Paulus Alciatus, Franciscus Dauidis, Gentilis, Gribaldus, Syluanus & others: therefore whosoeuer feares to fal into Arianisme let him beware of Caluinisme. And Gerlachius hath this Manuscript of Adam Neuzerus (saith Osiander.) Osian. Epit. cont. 16. & 209. see him also 206. 207. 208.
Of Caluin, whence was al their doctrine drawne,
Syluanus, Dauid, Gentil Blandrata,
Gribald, Seruetus, with the Apostata
Bernardin Ochin, ioyned to whom heere lurkes
Alciate, with Neuzer, circumcised Turkes,
With many more such zelous Protestantes
Al Luthers off-spring, yea and al prime Saints
In his new Church. Who'ld not imbrace this faith
Which such rare Doctours, such strong pillars hath?
XXXV. On Bullinger.
Thou writest, Bullinger, (omitting much,Which can no more then these abide the touch)
That the three Persons in the Trinity
Doe differ not in state but in degree.
That Christ to hel, his suffrings at an end,
Did not in person
We shal more plainly vnderstand this article of Christ's descent into hel, if we hold that the vertue of Christ's death did extend euen to the dead, and help them, that is, that al the Patriarchs and other faithful people liuing before the cōming of Christ, were by Christ's death preserued from damnation. Bulling. decad. 1. in exposit. symb. see him also in cap. 21.
That Iohn did an Apostata become
That infants lying in their mother's womb
Are truly iustifi'd: that some now liue
In heauen who neuer did in God belieue;
And to conclude that any Christian
Holding faith's grounds, though he besides maintain
Blasphemous points of stiff-necked Iudaisme,
Or Infidelity, much more of schisme,
May come to heauen. Perhaps thou hast deprau'd
This Point, to proue that thou thy self art sau'd.
XXXVI. THE LYE.
Papists doeFirst this is the principal article of that secret diuinity that raigneth amōst the Popes, & that whole Colledge of Cardinals, that there is no God: the second, that al things that are written & taught concerning Christ are lyes and deceites: the third, that the doctrine of the life to come, & of the last resurrection are meer fables. Calu. l. 4. Instit. c. 7. sect. 27.
Whom to the pulpit their glib tongue preferr's)
That ther's no God, that al which Scriptures shew
Concerning Christ are fables, and vntrue;
That after this, there is no life, nor must
Our flesh, once rot, return againe from dust:
The Virgin Mary is their chiefest God,
She hath al power, she rules the dreadful rod
Of Heauen's dread wrath, for her they Christ reiect,
And more at her hands, then at his expect.
Their shoes, cloaths, images, and bones adore.
Christs death, they hold, for men did pardon gaine,
Women are saued by one Mother Iane.
A man with them may Gods' commandments keep
Without his grace: al faith is laid to sleep
When they doe penance; yea t'is heresy
T'affirme that faith therein is necessary.
No one of them by Christ, but by bare straines
Of mans inuention, vnto heauen attaines.
And when they pray no mention's made of Christ,
But of his creatures. Minister, thou ly'st.
XXXVII. The Godly industry of reformers to bring there handy-work to perfection.
The Roman Church, did raise his firster storme
With that, he straight his second forces bent
Against the Scriptures, Sacraments, and grace,
Iustification Works, Free-wil and Masse;
Yet was he iudged scarce to haue vntyl'd
The roofe of Babylon, Zuinglius compyl'd
A second Reformation, and complain'd
Of diuers things, which Luther stil retain'd,
As th' Real presence, with the Crosse to blesse,
Saints
As touching the inuocation of Saints (saith Luther) I think with the whole Christian Church, and hold that Saints are to be honoured by vs and inuocated. purgat. quorund. art, & in Ep. ad Georg. Spalat.
I neuer denyed Purgatory (saith Luther) and yet I belieue it, as I haue often written & confessed. Tom. 7. f. 132. aduersus bullam. see him also in disput. Lips. c. de purgat. & resolut. de Indulg. conclus. 16. see likewise Zuinglian. Tom. 2. fol. 378.
If it was lawful, saith Luther, for the Iewes to haue the picture of Cæsar vpon their coynes, much more is it lawful for Christiās to haue in their Churches, crosses, and images of Mary. See this cited forth of Luther by the protestant Hospin. histor. Sacramen. p. 2. f. 33. and see Luther in consolat. prolab. c. 6.
Yet was he censur'd nothing to haue done
But slightly battred superstition.
Caluin, with Beza and their fellowes try'd
To make the Church yet purer, and deny'd
Lay persons Baptisme in a needful case,
Saints feasts, vniuersality of grace,
Power of Priests t'absolue the penitent,
Church-vestments , ceremonies, Christ's descent
To Hel, al Churches Headships to reside
In Bishops, and to their wils law's t' be ty'd.
Yet did not here this reformation rest,
Others condemn'd this, as a
So farre doth M. Barrow & his disciples disclayme from this third pretended reformation of Puritans, that (as M. Bernard reporteth) Barrow calleth their way in contempt, A silly Presbitory and Eldership, Perfidie and Apostacy, the building of a false Church to the Harlot, a second Beast, &c. Wretched disciples of Caluin, Counter-faith Reformists, trāsgressours of the worship of God &c. And further Barrow and Greenwood doe auouch the Puritans doctrine as new, strange, and Antichristian, &c.
A fained Church vnto the Harlot built,
Reformists al with forged colours guilt,
Sinneful prouokers of the Eternal's wrath,
A fond, new, strange, and Antichristian faith.
These say, that th'heyght of reformation,
Is to throw al material Churches downe,
Raze Vniuersities, reiect the prayer
Our Lord (we say) did for his Church prepare.
Neither doth yet this reformation please;
To make the Church most pure, & from disease
The Arians in the reformed Churches of Poland, thinke the very beliefe of the Trinity to be a part of Antichristian corruption, and that the Popes triple crowne is a sensible marke, whereby the world might know him to be that mysterial beast spoken of in the Reuelation, in no respect so much, as in his doctrine of the Trinity. M. Hooker in his Eccles. poli. l. 4. p. 183.
Must be impugned, with Christ his Deity.
Whither at last wil your admired torch,
The Spirit, conduct you? whither wil you goe?
For what coasts are you bound? ô, now I know;
Belike y' are bound with your reformed couple
Alcyate
Alcyatus became a Mahometist, saith Osiander, as Gentilis himself relateth. epit. cent. 16. p. 207. see also Beza ep. 81.
Adam Neuzerus, (saith Schlusselberg) sometimes chiefe Pastour of the Church of Heidelberg, passed from Zuinglianisme, through Arianisme, to Turcisme, with many other Caluinists. Theol. Calu. l. 1. art. 2. fol. 9. see Osiand. vbi supra p. 208. 818. where he affirmeth that he fel into Turcisme, and was circumcized at Constantinople.
The Anti-Trinitarians (saith Osiander) doe boast that Luther did scarce vncouer the roofe of the Babylonian tower. cent. 16. p. 209. see hereafter at 17.
Zuinglius, say they, battered but the wals of Popish superstition, the last and hardest worke of al remained for them, which was to raze vp the very ground & foundation of Popery, euen the doctrine concerning the Deity of Christ. Idd. 5. sect. 42. & 89.
XXXVIII. On Math. Flaccus Myricus.
Thy brethren tearme thee, Flaccus, a profaneFoe to al truth; as impudent as Cain,
A Dunghil-cock, a Snake, a Dog, a Scurre,
A loathsome Cancer, Fury, Epicure,
Vngrateful cuckow, periur'd, wicked, base,
Impugner of the vertuous, doltish Asse,
Foule grunting sow, who with her filthy nose
Furrow's al grounds, where any goodnes grow's,
Vaine Thraso, faithlesse Sinon, impudent
Thersites, Harpax, hayre-brain'd Sycophant
Blaster of freindship, kindler of debate,
Sower of discords, enuy, iarres, and hate;
A ful-blowne bag-pipe, which when any tryes
The Diuel's liuely organ, and his sonne,
Deseruing, as Christ's enemy, a throne
In Hel's damn'd Court. If in this manner those
Who are thy Brethren, speake, what say thy foes?
XXXIX. ON CALVIN.
Caluin , in pay of that despairing sinneHe laid on Christ, himself did dye therein.
And
God in the rod of his fury visiting Caluin, did horribly punish him before the feareful howre of his vnhappy death; for he so struck this heretike with his mighty hand, that being in despaire, & calling vpō the Diuel, he gaue vp his wicked soule, swearing, cursing, & blaspheming. He dyed vpō the dissease of lice & wormes, encreasing in a most loathsome vlcer about his priuy parts; so as none present could endure the stench. These things are obiected to Caluin in publike writing, in which also horrible things are declared concerning his lasciuiousnes, his sundry abominable vices, and Sodomitical lusts, for which (last) he was by the Magistrate (at Noyon) vnder whom he liued, branded on the shoulder with a hot burning-iron; vnto which I yet see not any sound & cleere refutation made &c. I haue read Beza, & I know that he writes otherwise of the life, manners, and death of Caluin; but since he himselfe is infected with the same heresy, and almost the same sinne, as the history of his strumpet Candida witnesseth, no man can in this matter giue credit to him. Thus farre Schlusselberg. Theol. Calu. l. 2. fol. 72. The which is likewise confirmed by Iohn Herennius in lib. de vita Calu. who there affirmeth himself to haue been an eye-witnes thereof.
Wormes, stench, & lice, stil swore, blasphem'd & curst,
And on the Diuel without rest did cal.
Which argueth his good nature, and that al
His wits were perfect, since so neer his end
He had so cleare remembrance of his freind.
XL. An other on the same.
Caluin , your faith's chief Patriarch, did dyeOf wormes, and lice: nor need you to deny,
The truth hereof: great men haue dyed thus,
For thus dyed Herod and Antiochus.
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.
XLII. ON VAFER.
Sute his religion vnto euery place;
When he's in England he himself doth vant
A Parlament-Prince-pleasing Protestant;
And Holland holds to be a fertil place
Of faithles Hereticks, Behemia's race
Of Sectaries hath no vnited scope
In any point, but how to spite the Pope.
That of
The conference at Hampton Court testifyeth, that King Iames professed that he could neuer yet see a Bible wel translated into English, but the worst of al his Maiesty thought Geneua to be; to which he affirm'd that there were some notes annexed very partial, vntrue, seditious, and sauouring too much of dangerous and trayterous conceits. p. 46. 49.
Whose factious Ministers not by word
Since the time that they of Geneua deposed their Bishop, their Liege-Lord and Prince, (as M. Sutcliff confesseth in his answ. to cal. petit. p. 194.) it hath been a Principle (sayth M. Bancroft) as I suppose with some of the chief Ministers of Geueua, that if Kings and Princes refused to reforme religion, the inferiour Magistrates, or people, by direction of the Ministry, might lawfully, and ought (if need required) euen by force of armes to reforme it themselues. Dang. pos. p. 9. See further M. Bancrofts in his Suruay p. 48. Where he affirmes that they maintained in their books desperate points of deposing Princes, and of putting them to death in diuers cases of resistance against reformation.
But by their deeds teach subiects to dethrone
Their lawful Soueraignes. Those in Scotland are
Seditious persons, men who neuer spare
Their King or country, troublesome, vnciuil,
And restles spirits, yea members of the Diuil.
The Puritans in general are
I protest before the great God (sayth his late Maiesty) since I am heer vpon my testament, it is no place for me to lye in, that you shal neuer find with any Highland or Border-theeues, greater ingratitude, and more lyes, and vile periuries, then with these phanatike spirits. King Iames his workes pag. 161.
Heady aduancers of their owne desires,
Crosse, wayward Spirits, prone to loosse delights,
Scripture-corrupters periur'd Hypocrites,
Detracting Satyrists, dogs, Schismatikes
Murmurers, Vultures, yea and
Least any man should thinke (saith D. Couel) our contentions with Puritans were in smaller points, & difference not great, each side hath charged one the other with heresies, if not infidelities, nay euen with such as quite ouerthow the principal foundation of our Christian faith. Iust and temperate def. art. 11. p. 67.
Equal to th'Pharisies & Donatists,
Arrians, Ebionites, and Catharists,
Florinians, Beguardins, Pepuzians
Apostolikes, and Petrobusians.
Or to Geneua goe, he then doth raile
At th'English Church. The Bishops are saith he)
An Antichristian Popish ministry.
Their
Of fond corruptions; from the masse they cul
Their new Communion-bookes, dissenting farre
From the Lord's word it neuer fayling square.
The Sacraments they wickedly prophane,
Their rites and habits Antichristian.
Their ministries are neither prou'd nor cal'd
Nor right according to the Word instal'd:
The most are Monks, Friars, drunkards, dolts, or boyes
They baptisme profane with childish toyes
Soule-murd'ring Heretikes, Sacrilegious theeues.
Them he condemneth for a damned sect
Of wilful
We see by these words of Danæus (sayth Schlusselberg) that the Caluinists account vs Lutherans for damned and excommunicated heretikes. Theol. Calu. lib. 2. art. 1. and in the same place, Caluin [sayth he) in his last admonition against Westphalus keeps no measure in his railing, he proclames al those heretikes, who refuse to reiect Luthers doctrine to obey Caluin.
Some of the Zuinglians (sayth Iezlerus,) haue called the Lutherās, haters of men, flesh-eaters, drinkers of bloud, Thyests, Hāgmen, killers of Christ, breadworshippers, adorers of a breaden God, denyers of the Redemption which Christ performed vpon the altar of the Crosse, Eutychians, Suenk feldians, and lastly ouerthrowers of many articles of the Apostolike faith, de diuturn, belli Euchar. fol. 93. See 92. also where they called also Caphernaites, Localists, &c. But farre more then al this may be found in the writings of Zuinglius, Caluin, & Beza against the Lutherans, in Tossanus. Schutz de serp. antiq. Georg. Hansfeld in via Monstrat. Wegweiser. Alb cont. Carolost. Oecolampad. æqu. respons. charta quædam Zuinglij an. 1527. and in general al Caluinists who haue writ against the Lutherans. For the more easy discouery of some of which Authours, I refer you to the 2. Catalogue in the end of the Protestants Apologie.
Drinkers of bloud, Flesh-eaters, Cannibals,
Auerse from Christian faith, Christ's murderers,
Destroyers of the Creed, Idolaters,
Reiecters of Christs death, Zuenck feldians,
Hang-men, Caparnaites, Eutychians,
Localists, men prodigiously blind,
False, wicked, proud, of an ambitious mind,
Impudent Asses, more illiterate fooles
Then simple children that frequent the scholes.
To Wittenberg, but sing's another note;
He now auerr's, and seriously, that they
Who from the true faith doe with Zuinglius stray,
And likewise such as Caluin doe respect,
Are a most damn'd and execrable sect
Of
The Lutherans haue call'd, & to this day stil cal the Zuinglians conuicted heretikes, possessed with diuels, obsessed on euery side, before, behind, aboue, below, within and without with Diuels, Martyrs of Dinels, to be refelled rather with the sword of the ciuil Magistrate then with words, to be restrain'd from holy things, to be wholy rooted out of the Church, shunned by al good men, vnworthy for whom God should be prayd vnto, to be excluded forth of the leagues of Kings and Princes, to be reckoned amongst the Anabaptists, Nestorians, Arians, Turks, and in a word worse then al mortals that euer the earth bore, & damn'd for al eternity. Iezl. de diut. belli. Euchar. f. 93. See before, XXIX. 7. who yet would find more of these freindly Epithets, wherewith the Lutherans set forth their fellow Protestant-Zuinglians, need but repaire to Luthers bookes against the Sacramentaries. Io. Schutz. Serp. antiq. & 50. cause, Riuand. lup. excor. Alber. cont. Carolost. Selneccerus and other Lutherans (a Catalogue whereof is in the end of the Protestants Apologie) and they shal find much more then I haue here expressed; for (to vse Iezlerus his owne words) there is no end at al among them in contending, writing, declaiming, disputing, condemning and excommunicating one another. p. 80. yea euery mart (as the learned Deane of S. Paules M. Dun ingenously confesseth) we se more bookes written by these men against one another, then by them both for Christ. In the first serm. preached by him to King Charles, at S. Iames. 30. Aprill. 1625. p. 15.
About their body, and within their hart,
Aboue, below, behind them, and before,
Obsest with Diuels; men deseruing more
To be refelled by the aw-ful swords
Of ciuil Magistrats, then force of words.
They are (he now affirmes) to be restrain'd
From holy things, their company refrain'd
By al good men, most fitting t' be expell'd
From forth the Churches bosome, yea and held
Not worthy to be pray'd for, and vnfit
That Kings should them into their leagues admits
Nestorians, Arians, Anabaptists, Turkes.
And in a word, the worst of men, yea he
Proclaimes them damn'd for al eternity.
Yet into Frizeland if he take his flight
Then th'Anabaptists only teach aright;
There, as amongst the Caluinists againe,
He against Luther slack's his passion's rayne,
And with a quau'ring head, and half-shut eyes
As if forsooth of zeale his words did rise,
In verity he offers to detect
Infinit faults in now false Luther's sect.
With carnal wayes, saith he, their soules they staine,
And Christ himself they crucify againe,
Blaspheme his spirit, and contemne his grace,
Affect faire houses, and a wealthy place;
They climb the pulpit there to preach, yet none
Hath either Spirit, Word, or Mission.
There
They lead a quiet, idle, slouthful, & merry life, by seducings and flatteries they maintaine themselues with the robberies of Antichrist, and preach no more then an earthly and carnal Magistrate wil permit and heare &c. they by their dissolute and carnal doctrine haue brought dissolute and carnal people to such dishonest manners, and so licentious a life, that among the Turkes and Tartars there are not so vngodly and abominable people to be found. Id. de Christian. fide tit. de fide Luth.
At al distastful to their Princes eare.
They idly liue, and to relieue their need
On Antichrist's rich spoyles through flattery feed;
And to such loosnes al their flocks allure
As Turkes and Tartars are by much more pure.
Vnto Geneu' or Wittenberg returnes;
The Anabaptists straight, vnfit t' be nam'd,
Chimera-like of diuerse sects are fram'd,
Muntzer, and those who of his doctrine share,
No men, but meere incarnate Diuels are.
Scarce any one but stil dissent's from other
And wil of errour charge his purest brother.
He Proteus-like transformes himself againe
Then he's a Roman Catholick, and saith,
That Rome's the Mother-Church: Her only faith
Is Orthodoxal, others doctrines he
Most iusty al condemn'd for heresy.
A new Vlisses, to his natiue home,
He layes fast hold againe where he began.
Say, Is not Vafer a Religious man?
Al these brotherly attributes, and many more such like, are afforded them by Caluin, Admonit. 3. ad Westphalum
XLIII. ON FVRBO.
Fvrbo the Caluinist doth much complaineOn Luther and his followers railing vaine
Against his Church; but yet, saith he, I thinke,
They doe not dant vs much, nor make vs shrinke;
O no, we pay them home! Then he affords
A rol of al their mutual scurril words
And base inuectiues; and refers it straight
To al men's iudgements whether's in the right.
Belieue me, Furbo, if without offence
I might my iudgement giue, t'auoyd al sense
Of partial censure, and my debt defray
To Christian charitie, I sure would say,
Not to offend here either them, or you,
But to content you both, That both say true.
XLIV. Reformers rayling against the Apostles and Fathers.
If either Father or Apostle crosseYour Ghospel so as you can find no glosse
Against their writings, y'on their persons aile.
Peter though he by th'Holie-Ghost had been
Confirm'd, you say, committed mortal sinne,
Yea
S. Peter chief of the Apostles, and also Barnabas after the Holy-Ghost receaued, togeather with the Church of Ierusalem, erred. Brent. Apol. Confess. cap. de Conc. p. 900. And D. Goade likewise in the Tower disputat. with Fa. Campian the 2. dayes confer. argum. 6. affirmeth, that S. Peter did erre in Faith, and that after the sending downe of the Holy-Ghost vpon him. See more in M. Fulck. ibid. and ag. the Rhem. Testam. in Galat. 2. fol. 322. and Luth. Epist. ad Galat. c. 1.
Losse of Christ's grace, & Christian freedome hurt.
Th'Apostle Paul did not a litle
Paul doth turne to Iames the Apostle; and a Synod of al the Presbyters being called togeather, he is perswaded by Iames and the rest, that for the offended Iewes he should purify himself in the Temple, whereunto Paul yealdeth; which certainly was no smal sliding of so great a Doctour, &c. Magdeburg. Cent. 1. l. 2. c. 10.
He was possessed with immodorate pride;
And wallow'd in the durt of slauish sense,
Subiect to rashnes and froward confidence.
Iames did produce a wicked argument,
Scripture 'gainst scripture cite, and gaue assent
To superstitious vowes, yea moued Paul
Into the same erroneous zeale to fal.
Mathew not truly stil, but from the right
Sense of their words, the Prophets oft did cite.
Iohn vs'd improper speaches, and became
A false Apostata; Mark was the same,
And most perfidiously himself bereft
Of his great charge, and his vocation left:
Yet for their books, more credit is t' be showne
To him and Mathew, then to Luke alone.
Thus you th'Apostles censure, what then are
The Fathers? them I doubt you wil not spare,
Yes, as the former: Ambrose you affirme
T'haue writ but meager lines, you Leo tearme
A haughtie speaker. Austin did decline
To more faults. Cyprian
In the writings of Hierome there is not a word of true faith in Christ, and sound Religion. Tertullian is very superstitious; among the Doctours of the Church he was a second Carolostadius; I haue holden Origen long since accursed; of Chrysostome I make no account; he is nothing but an idle & prating Rhetorician; Basil is of no worth; he is wholy a Monk; I weigh him not a haire. Cyprian the Martyr is a weake Diuine &c. The Apologie of Philip. Melancthon doth farre excel al the Doctours of the Church, and exceed euen Austin himself. Luth. Collog. Mens. cap. de Patr. Eccl.
Basil of no worth, Chrysostome a vaine
And simple tatling Rhetorician.
Maximus doted. Isidore was rash.
Old Irenæus builded straw and trash
A pratling Deacon, and so farre did passe
Al limits, as he shew'd in what he writ
More face then learning, and more tongue then wit.
Gregorie, like Peter, knew not what he sayd,
And with Fulgentius ioyntly passage made
For blind Idolatrie, yet he alone
Was the Architect of superstition.
Bernard, ador'd Moozim to his end,
And stifly did proud Antichrist defend.
Hierome
Hierome is not worthie to be numbred among the Doctours of the Church; for he was an heretike: yet I belieue, that through faith in Christ he is saued. He was a man of no iudgement nor diligence; he writ manie things foolishly &c. I am not so displeased at anie of the Doctours of the Church as at Hierome &c. there is not in his workes anie mention of faith, nor of hope, nor of charitie, nor of the workes of faith. Luth. Colloq. Mens. f. 478. see before at 18. more of their inuectiues against him in Luther Epist. ad Brent. præfixa Com. Brent. in Oseam. & ad c. 22. and 31. Genes. and passim in al his Comment. vpon Scripture. in Calu. l. 4. Instit. c. 19. sect. 17. and ad c. 4. Ionæ. in Beza de Polygam. in Magdeburg. Cent. 5. c. 8. in Causæ Clip. Fid. Dial. 6. 7. 8. in Brent. Apol. Confess. Wit. c. de inuoc. Sanctor.
Among the Fathers, since with heresie
He is infected, and no iudgement hath,
Nor care, nor writeth as he ought of faith.
And to conclude, the Fathers blinded were,
With wretch'd Montanus spirit, nor did feare
To preach false doctrine, al their life they err'd
So that, vnlesse before their death they clear'
Their consciences from those erroneous taynts,
They were not of the Church, nor now are Saints.
Thus doe the Churche's glorious Lamps become
Subiect to your eu'n Christ-controlling doome.
While by the same (more partial) Protestants
Are th'
Luther is the mouth of Christ, a certain God of Diuines, the onlie chief Diuine among Diuines, the prime and greatest Doctour of the Church &c. Mich. Neander in Explicat. part. Orbis, lib. 8.
See Luther to be affirmed a Prophet in Sleydan in English. f. 222. and read the margents besides. Luther tearmes himself a faithful Prophet, an Apostle, an Euangelist, a liuing Saint &c. Tom. 2. Ien. Germ. s. 522. and 79. see also Tom. 3. f. 334. and Tom. 4. f. 186. and 280.
Lights of whole Natiōs, men adorn'd with al
Vertue and learning,
At loca post illos proxima Luther habet,
The next for Luther after those remaines.
These two verses, saith Spangenbergius, were composed in honour of our most deare Maister S. Luther; & al Papists must suffer them, wil they nil they, for true verses, &c. Spangenberg. in his Dutch booke against certain Catholikes, and in that part which is against Stephen Agricola c. 4. 6. v. a.
Worthie Diuines, whose bookes deserue a place
I' th' Churche's Canon, whose learn'd Authours trace
Truth's foot-steps, righter, and in faith more
Surely you are not able to reckon in anie Age since the Apostles times, anie cōpanie of Bishops, that taught and held so sound and perfect doctrine in al points, as the Bishops of England doe at this day. Answ. to the Admonit. p. 472. 473. see Cal. Secund. Cur. de ampl. regni Dei, l. 1. p. 43. see also Beza Ep. 1. p. 5.
Then since th'Apostle's times haue yet been sound.
The ancient Fathers of the Church, you say,
Beza makes two kinds of interpreting scripture, the one touching only the words &c. the others is (saith he) by vnfolding the matter it-self in more words, & annexing of reasons thereunto, in which kind of interpreting (in my opinion, and I thinke in the iudgement of al learned men, who haue looked into his books) the great Iohn Caluin wil be found farre to haue surpassed al both the ancient and new Interpreters. Beza Præfat. in Nouum Testam. see him l. Icon. R. iij. a. See Nic. Amsdorf. Præfat. in 1. Tom. Luth. and Alber. cont. Carlost. l. 7. 6. see also Stigel. l. 2. poemat. N. 4.
In clearing of the Scripture's hidden sense,
'Twixt whom, and you, there is that difference
As is 'twixt Sunne and Moone. I know it wel,
Nay more; as much as is 'twixt Heauen and Hel.
Paul was a man subiect to the common passions of men, not to cold only and heat, but to peruerse confidence, rashnesse, and the like. Id. in 2. Cor. c. 1. v. 9
M. Iewel is by M. Hooker tearmed the worthiest diuine that Christendome bred for some hundred yeares past. Eccles. Pol. l. 2. sect. 6. p. 150.
Since the Apostles times there liued not, or came into the world anie greater then Luther, and it may wel be said, that God powred al his guifts into this one man; and that there is as great a difference betwixt the ancient Doctours, and Luther, as there is betwixt the light of the Sunne and Moone, and there is no doubt but the ancient Fathers, yea the prime and best amongst them, as Hilarie and Austin, if they had liued and taught at the same time with Luther, would without blushing, as his seruants, haue carried the lanterne before him. Andr. Muscul. Præfat. in lib. Germ. de Diab. tyrannide.
XLV. Luther's respect to S. Hierome.
While Luther liu'd, he would not to haue gain'dTen thousand Crownes, haue had his soule so stain'd
With sinnes black guilt, as Hierom's was, and be
In as great peril to be damn'd as he.
Sure now to be but so, he would become
More tractable, and take a lesser Summe.
XLVI. The dutiful children.
Not anie Protestant, but stil auowesThe Church to be his mother, and Christ's Spouse;
And yet, against the square which cannot erre
Of
My spirit that is in thee and my words that I haue put in thy mouth, shal not depart out of thy mouth, and out of the mouthes of thy Seed, and out of the mouth of thy Seed's Seed, saith our Lord, for this present and for euer. Esay. c. 59. v. 22. And further: I haue espoused you to one man, to exhibit you a chast virgin vnto Christ. 2. Cor. 11. 2. See more in Coccius tom. 1. l. 8. art. 1. Hellaim. tom. 2. Controu. 1. l. 3. D. Nor. his Antid. part. 3.
The Spouse of Christ cannot play the aduoutresse, she is immaculate and vndefiled; she knoweth one house; she keepeth with chast bashfulnesse the sanctitie of one bed. S. Cypri. de vnit. Eccles. See more testimonies of the Fathers alleaged for the Churches infallibilitie and freedome from errour in Coccius, Bellarm and D. Nor. vbi supra.
She of her Faith hath so regardlesse been,
As since the Apostles she scarce
It is granted by Protestants thēselues, that presently after the Apostles times al things were turned vpside-downe &c. and that for certaine, through the worke of Antichrist, the external Church togeather with the Faith and Sacraments vanished away presently after the Apostles departure (Sebast. Franc. Epist. de abrog. stat. Eccl.) & that the true Church decayed immediately after the Apostles times (M. Fulck Answ. to a Counterf. Cath. p. 35.) yea and that this general defection of the visible Church (foretold 2. Theff. 2.) began to worke euen in the Apostles times. M. Downh. of Antichrist. l. 2. c. 2. p. 25. See also M. Whitaker Resp. ad Rat. Camp. rat. 7. and cont. Dur. l. 7 p. 490. and 461. where he seekes to proue that presently after the Apostles times the true Church was no longer a chast virgin, but became adulterous and corrupt. See more in the Protest. Apol. p. 129. 130. 131. 222. 223. 301. 490.
But taynted, and impure; did wholy loose
Not only th' Ghospel, but euen Christ her Spouse;
With great distresse went they scattering about, seeking some sparkes of heauenlie light to refresh their Cōsciences withal, but that light was alreadie throughly quencht-out, so that they could find none. This was a rueful state; this was a lamentable forme of God's Church: it was a miserie to liue therein without the Ghospel, without light, without al comfort. Apol. of the Ch. of Engl. part. 5. c. 13. diuis. 1. See more in Melancthon or Curion in Chron. l. 4. p. 439. Chemnit. in locis, part. 2. p. 246. Sadl. de vocat. Minist. p. 552. Hospin. hist. Sacram. part. 1. l. 4. p. 291.
Al was
The knowledge of Christ was truly abolished and destroyed. Luth. tom. 7. f. 230. See him tom. 1. f. 387. and M. Bale Apol. ag. Priests. f. 3. and Caluin. l, de vera Reform p. 322. Danæ. in l. August de hæres. c. 90.
The Pope's tyrannie hath manie Ages agone extinguished the Faith. Luth. tom. 1. f. 77. and 249. and tom. 3. f. 348. 568. to. 4. f. 1. See Sleidan l. 11. f. 240. Melancth. or Carton in Chron. p. 439. see before at 7.
Yea eu'n her soule was ouer-whelmed quite
Polluted, and deuoyd of al true light.
So that in lieu of being true, say they,
And faithful to her Spouse, she fel away
To foule adulterie. Did er'e fooles before
Striue in this sort to proue their mother whore?
XLVII. THE IVDGE.
HvsseWhat did the Popish faith decree (saith M. Fox) cōcerning Transubstātiatiō, which he (Iohn Husse) likewise did not confirme? M. Fox in Apoc. c. 11. p. 290. See him further acknowledged by the same M. Fox to haue maintained Transubstantiation, in Act. and Monum. p. 209. and 197. I haue here the rather giuen instance of Husse for this doctrine of Transubstantiation, then of anie learned Catholike, because he is generally by Protestants receaued for one of their owne Church.
Vnder the formes of bread and wine consist.
Luthers
Of the Sacrament of the Altar we decree that the bread and wine in the supper is the true bodie and bloud of Christ; and that it is not only giuen and receaued by the godlie, but likewise by bad and wicked Christians &c. We respect not the sophistical subtilitie of Transubstantiation, wherein they feigne &c. that true bread doth not remaine. For it agreeth best with scripture, that the bread is presēt & doth remaine &c. Luth. artic. Smalk ald. part. 3. art. 6.
With Christ's true real flesh, but ioyn'd with bread.
Zuinglius maintaineth, that the bread and wine
Are not Christ's bodie, but a naked signe.
Caluin
We may see therefore (saith Caluin) wherein Luther erred, & in like sort Zuinglius and Oecolampadius. Calu. lib. de Cæna Domini Argent. edit. an. 1540. see him further condemning the Lutherans for Consubstantiation, and the immensitie of Christ's bodie, charging them therfore with the errour of Marciō. Inst. l. 4. c. 17. sect. 16. 17. 18.
'Tis
In the mysterie of the Supper (saith Caluin in Instit. l. 4. c. 17. sect. 11.) by the signes of bread and wine is truly deliuered to vs Christ's bodie and bloud. And againe: In his holie Supper he commandeth me to take, eate, and drinke, vnder the Symbols of bread and wine, his bodie and bloud. I nothing doubt, that both he doth truly deliuer them and I doe receaue them. ibid. sect. 32. But I denie (saith he a litle after) that it can be eaten without the tast of faith. ib. sect. 33. & a few lines after: That Christ should be receaued without faith is no more agreeing with reason, then seed to bud in the fire.
Al these were learned Doctours, and suppos'd
To be by th'Spirit to al truth dispos'd;
These
Bohemia for the most part followeth the opinion of Iohn Husse, saith M. Grimst. in his Translat. of the Estates of the world. p. 580. The Marquis of Brandenburg, the Dukes of Sauonie, Brunswick, & Wittemberg, the Eearles of Mansfeldt, and the Free-townes, which confine with the Sea and France, follow the profession of Luther. ibid. p. 159. to which we may adde out of the same Authour Denmark pæg. 666. In Switzerland the doctrine of Zuinglius, as al know, hath possessed 5. of the better Cantons; and as for the Grisons (saith M. Grimston) they of the League, called Grise, are for the most part Catholikes, & the rest in a manner al Protestants, which follow Zuinglians doctrine. ib. p. 280. As for the doctrine of Calum, it is so generally knowne to be maintained in England, France, & Holland, as it needs no further testimonie.
Yon Townes, or Nations, which maintaine the fame;
The Scripture's words they did acknowledge al,
Al vs'd the same endeauours, which they cal
The best approued way, and meanes most fit
To find the true sense of th'ETERNAL'S Writ;
They al had skil in tongues, they al perus'd
And weigh'd the Text, they al (they thought) stil vs'd
Due diligence, with prayer, and places hard
And doubtful speaches carefully compar'd:
Yet did they al in this and manie more
Chief heads of Faith, which I haue toucht before,
Dissent so farre, as by a mutual stile
In greatest heat each other to reuile
With th'name of Heretike; and stil did grudge
To be oppos'd by anie: Where's the Iudge?
The Eucharist, Cōmunion, or Lord's supper (saith Zuinglius) is nothing else but a Cōmemoration &c. (tom. 2. f. 212.) it is nothing but a signe or figure, to make vs keep in mind the memorie of Christ's bodie, which was deliuered for vs, &c. This is, that is to say, this signifies my bodie; which is, as if anie woman shewing a ring, which for this end her husband had left with her, should say, Behold, this is my husband. Ib. fol. 293. see f. 477. and here before IX. 5.
The assured meanes assigned by Protestants to find out the vndoubted truth by the infallible interpretation of Scripture, is their reading thereof, their cōference of places, their weighing of the circumstances of the Text, their skil in the tongues, their diligēce, prayer, & such like. See D. Reynolds Confer. p. 83. 84. 92. 98. 99. & M. Whitaker de sacra Scrip. p. 521. 522. 523.
See XLII. throughout. Whereas some may here demād of me, where I find that Husse is so seuerely censured by the other three; I answer, that the doctrine of Transubstantiation, which Husse maintained, is by thē cōdemned in vs Catholikes for such; as likewise the other Catholike opinions, which he is cōfessed to haue belieued, as seauen Sacramēts (Fox Act. Mon. p. 216.) the Pope's Primacie (M. Iacob Def. of the Ch. of Engl. p. 13. and Act. Mon. p. 217. 216. Luther Assert. art. 30.) yea & the Masse it-self, as Luther granteth in colloq. Germ. cap. de Missa. See more in M. Iacob, vbi supra.
XLVIII. Of the Crosse, to Ananias.
That in this sort thou shouldst the Crosse
Luther saith, if he might recouer any parcel of the Crosse, he would cast it into the darkest & rankest sinke. Luth. in Postilla Ecc. Wit. fol. 148. 6. & 149. § 2. Beza from his hart detesteth the image of the Crucifixe. Beza in Colloq. Montispil. & in Ep. 8. 12. Puritans tearme the crosse the marke of the beast, not to be tolerated in Baptisme by a timorous conscience. See the suruey of Common Prayer pag. 100. 102. 103. and their short Treatise of the Crosse in 8. Amsterd. 1604. pag. 21.
When those Diuine Diuines, those more then men,
Those saint-like Sages Austin, Nazianzen,
Ambrose, both Cyrils, Athanasius,
Both Clements, Hierome, Epiphanius,
And al the rest of this graue learned troop
With reuerence stil before the Crosse did stoop,
And in their actions to preuent al feare
By the mysterie of this Crosse the rude are catechized, the font of Baptisme consecrated; with the signe of the same Crosse, by imposition of the hand, the baptized receiue the guifts of graces; with the character of the same crosse Cathedral Churches are dedicated, Altars consecrated, Sacraments with the imposition of our Lords words accomplished, Priestes also and Leuites by this are promoted to holy Orders, and generally al the Ecclesiastical Sacraments are by the vertue of this performed. Aug. ser. 19. de Sanctis Chrifost. hom. 55. in Mat.
The font was blest, the faithful al baptiz'd,
Churches therwith they stil did dedicate,
Altars, and Christ his body consecrate,
By the mysterie of this Crosse the rude are catechized, the font of Baptisme consecrated; with the signe of the same Crosse, by imposition of the hand, the baptized receiue the guifts of graces; with the character of the same crosse Cathedral Churches are dedicated, Altars consecrated, Sacraments with the imposition of our Lords words accomplished, Priestes also and Leuites by this are promoted to holy Orders, and generally al the Ecclesiastical Sacraments are by the vertue of this performed. Aug. ser. 19. de Sanctis Chrifost. hom. 55. in Mat.
By power and vertue of this sacred signe
Al Sacraments (our bucklers 'gainst hel's might)
Performed were, without
Which signe of the Crosse, vnles it be applied to the forehead of them that belieue, or to the water itself wherof they are regenerated, or to the oyle wherwith they are annointed, or to the sacrifice wherwith they are fed, not any of them is rightly performed. Aug. trac. 118. in loan. ser. 19. de SS. &c.
Let vs not be ashamed to confesse Christ crucified but let the signe of the Crosse be confidently imprinted with our finger in the forehead, and in al things els: Let there be made a Crosse when we eate bread, when we drinke, when we goe forth, when we come in, before sleep, when we lye down, and when we rise; when we goe and when we rest. Cyril Hierosol. Catech. 13. At the table, when we see lights, in our chamber, when we sit, what conuersation soeuer we be busyed in, we stil make the signe of the crosse in our forehead. Tertul. de Corona militis c. 3.
Before they rose, when they their rest forsak't,
When they were drest, before they tooke the ayre,
When they began to study, or prepare
To eate, or drink, or talk, or light to see,
Or what soe're they did, immediately
They with the Crosse against al future harme,
Their forehead, brests, and other parts did arme
Did euer Tyrant seek by threats or paine
T'enforce them from Christs holy truth refraine?
Lest they perhaps vnarm'd should loose the field
'Gainst threats and paine the Crosse was stil their shield.
Did any e're by magike art intend
To trouble them? The same Crosse was their freind.
Did any to them, vnder faire pretence
Of loue, giue poyson? Th'Crosse was their defence
They euer held, Good Zealous, doe not grudge
Heer to admit now an vnpartial Iudge,
Whether 'tis fitter I my selfe resigne
To their so general iudgement, or to thine?
What doe the diuels feare? What doe they tremble at? Doubtles at the Crosse of Christ, in which they were subdued, in which &c. Feare therfore & trembling wil surprize them when they see the signe of the Crosse faithfully fixed in vs. Orig. Hom. 6. in & Hom. 8. in diuersos Euangelij locos. Cyrillus Hieros. Catech. 13. Ephrem. ad Monachos paren. 2. Hieron. ad Psal. 85.
Before the Ensigne of the Crosse t'appeare;
That Crosses can euen with their very sight.
A certaine man called Ioseph, a Patriarch among the Iewes, become a Christian, did take a vessel of water before them al, and with a lowd voice, imposing with his owne finger the signe of the Crosse vpon the vessel, & calling vpon the name of Iesus, said thus: In the name of Iesus of Nazareth, whom my forefathers crucified, be there power in this water to confound enchantments and magike &c. which done, al the enchantments were forthwith dissolued. Epiph. Her. 30. cont. Ebionitas.
Streight to dissolue the slights of diuelish art,
That Crosses had wild beasts to mildnes brought
Of miracles wrought by the Crosse read Theodoret. in vita S. Iuliani, & vita S. Martiani, & in Philotheo cap. 9. Hieron. in vita Hilarionis, Tert. de scorpiac. Aug. de Ciuit. Dei lib. 22. c. 8. Victor Vticens. de persecutione Wand. lib. 2. Gregor. Mag. lib. 2. Dial. c. 3. Sulpicius in vita S. Martiani with infinit more.
How great a terrour this signe of the Crosse is to the diuels, he may wel know, who hath seen how, adiured by Christ, they fly forth of the bodies which they had possest: for as he with a word &c. so now his followers cast those foule polluted spirits forth of men, both with the name of their Master, and with the signe of his passion. Lactant. lib. 4. Instit. cap. 27.
That Crosses can our loose desires represse.
That such as ere to Crosses haue recourse
Need not to dread the power of hellish force.
They gaue vs counsel not to be asham'd
To vse that Crosse, wherwith hels pride was tam'ed,
Lest when that Christ shal in the fearful day
That glorious Ensigne in the ayre display
He our disdaine with death shal prosecute
And be asham'd to heare our shameles sute.
They priz'd a Crosse more highly farre then gemmes
Then gold, then pearle, then Crownes, or diadems,
And thought the Crosse which on the ground was worne,
More then the Crowne which Princes heads adorne.
Theodorus and Valens added the cause of this their statute to be Ne sacrum signum pedibus calcaretur, Lest the holy signe should be troden vnder-foot. l. 1. Codi. tit. leg. cum fit nobis. We ought to blesse our forehead and brest with the Crosse of our Lord, and we tread it vnder our feet. Paul. Diac. lib. 18. rerum Roman. It was a saying of the Emperour Tyberius 2.
Gaue special charge none on the ground should make
The Crosse, because they held it farre vnmeet,
That blessed signe should be defil'd with feet.
But it was then (though no-where now at al)
Wherfore let vs with gentle diligence ingraue the Crosse in our chābers, in the wals, in the windowes, in our foreheads. Chrisost. Hom. 55. in Mat. And in an other place he saith: It is on the wals and tops of howses, in bookes, in Cities, in townes inhabited and not inhabited. Quod Christus sit Deus. Ruffinus Eccles. hist. lib. 2. c. 29.
The same Crosse then the top of houses crownes
Adornes great Cities, graces countrey Townes;
Shines bright in holy Churches, no place free
From that deuotion-stirring mysterie;
Which to confirme since scriptures were not found,
Of these (to wit the making the signe of the Crosse in the forehead) and other such like doctrine, if you expect authority from scripture, you shal find none: tradition shal be alleaged to be the authour, custome the confirmer, and faith the obseruer Tert. de corona milit is cap. 3. the same saith S. Basil de Spiritu Sancto c. 27.
And yet thy, Brother, zeale doth neuer doubt
And say that when the diuel doth depart
At sight therof, it is by magike art:
And (thou, good Reader, heer auert a while
Thy face, lest that this clause thy eyes defile,
And thou, sweet Iesus, pardone the words I hate,
I but thy foes blasphemous words relate)
And that more truely then a crosse, a Cow
Doth to vs al Christ crucified shew.
The spirit reueals al truth) how can it be
That such great men should walke so farre astray
And only thou find out the neer high-way?
Perhaps they al were fooles, thou only wise,
Thou to be blinded world a sunne did'st rise,
To chase al misty shades thou wast elect,
As worthier farre then they for to detect
Their faults, and best deseru'dst that vnto thee
The spirit should shew the truth. Yes verily.
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