A Brief Confutation of a Popish Discourse, Part 1 · Reason 7
The seuenth reason.
THE seuenth reason, why a Catholike may not yeeld to come to theNaughtie …. Protestants churches is, because the seruice which they vse, is nought and dishonourable to God, and therfore, no man can come to it, or heare it, or seeme to alow of it by his presence, without great offence to God. Neither is it sufficient to say (as cōmonly they vse to say to beguile simple people withall) that it is the Scripture, taken out of the Gospels, Epistles, Psalmes, and the like. For by that argument, the Iewes seruice were good at this day, which is taken out of the olde Testament: and al Heretikes seruice that euer was, seemed to be nothing but Scriptures. For, asAug. to. 6. cont. Max. li. 1. initio. & iter. vers. fi. S. Austen in diuers places noteth, it was alwayes the fashion of heretikes to hauehave Scripture in their mouth, and to cleaue only to scriptures, and to refuse traditions as inuentions of men. And we reade of the Arrian Heretikes,All b…tikes vaunt scripture. howe they were wont to sing Psalmes in the streetes of Constantinople, thereby to allure the people to them. And yet we may not say, thatMat. 4. their seruice was good: like as wee cannot say that the deuils talke was good with Christ albeit it were decked with allegation of scripture, and other sweete words. Although therfore their seruice be ful of scripture, it isHier. in ca. 4 & 8. Osee. no good argument that it is therefore infallible good. For as S. Ierom saith of al heretikes. Whatsoeuer they speake, or think that they do speak in the praise of God, it is the howling of Woolues, & the bellowing noise of mad bullockes: The reason whereof is that, which the scholler of the Apostles S▪ Ignatius saieth, No man can cal him good, or say he doth wel, that doth Ignat. ep. 2.mingle euil with good. Wherefore S. Augustine saieth of the Donatistes, Schismatikes, and Heretikes, of his time, that albeit they did sounde out Alleluia with as lustie a voice as the Catholikes did, & in many thingesAug. in ps. 54 A litle euil, marreth a great deale of good. els did agree in seruice with them (more then nowe the Protestantes doe with vsus) yet their seruice was impious, and auailed them nothing▪ And a litle af…er, vponupon the woordes of God, vttered by the Prophet, saying. In many things they were with me, &c. S. Austen saith thus. God graunteth In psal. 54.that Heretikes in many things are with him, as in Sacraments, ceremonies, and the like: But yet for all that they are not with me (saieth God in all thinges. For in that they are in schisme, they are not with mee: in that they are in heresie, they are not with mee: and therefore, for these fewe thinges in the whiche they are not with mee, those other many thinges in the which they are with me, shal profit them nothing. To come neerer to our purpose, their owne Apostle, and secondI…thers opinion of our … s…ruice. Elias (as they cal him) Luther, condemneth al their whole seruice, for the denying only of the real presence, saying. The Sacramentaries do in vaine beleeue in God the Father, in God the Sonne, and in the holy Ghost, and Cop. d…l. 6. ca. 15.in Christ our Sauiour: all this doth auayle them nothing, seeing they do deny this one Article, as false, of the real presence. Where as Christ doth say, This is my bodie. Loe here this Prophet with the same spirite wherewith he condemneth the Popes, hee condemneth the Protestantes, why should we bel…ue him more in the one, then in the other.
But now to shew wherein the Protestantes seruice is euil, it were sufficientVVherein the …rotestantes seruice is euil, in particular. 1. Deuised by them selues … from the rest. to say, that it is deuised of them selues, and altogether different frō al the seruice of christendome besides: and therfore not to be receiued by catholikes, with whom they deale too childishly, when they say, their seruice differeth in nothing from the old catholikes seruice, but only because it is in English: thereby thinking to make the simple people, to hauehave the lesse scruple to come to it. The which how false it is, it shal appeare by2 Condemned by the Puritaines. that which I wil say hereafter. I might also bring the opinion of al the hotter sort of Protestants, called the Puritaines, who in writing, sermons, and priuate speech, doe vtterly condemne, the seruice which now Protestants hauehave, and therevpon doe refraine from it, as much as catholikes. But I wil giuegive more particular reasons, as foloweth.
First the scripture is read there in false & shamelesse translations, conteining3. Fal…e translations of scripture. manifest and wilful corruptions, to drawe it to their owne purposes, as hath bin shewed in particular, by many learned men in their works: and is like to be (shortly) more plainly by the grace of God. As for example, throughout the scripture, where Idoles are forbidden, they translate1 Ioh. 5. it Images, as in Saint Iohn they reade. Children keepe your selues from Images.
Whereas the Scripture sayeth Idoles: and this is, to make simple men beleeue, that Idoles & Images are al one, which is absurd. For then, where Moses sayeth: That God made man according to his owne Image. WeeGen. 1. 3. should consequently say: God made man according to his owne Idole. Againe, where in contrarie maner S. Paule sayeth. That a couetous man E…he. 5.maketh his money his Idole. We should say, that he maketh it, his image. The which howe foolish it is, eueryevery man seeth, and it can not stande with any sence of the Scripture. The like absurde translations they hauehave, in infinite other thinges, which I cannot stand to rehearse. Let some man reade the latter ende of the xii. Chapter of the second booke of the Machabies, where he shal see what labour their English translator taketh to shift ouer the words of the scripture, which talk of oblatiōs & prayers for the dead:2. Macha 12. and by that one place, let euerie man iudge of his fidelitie in the rest. ForSee the English Bible dedicated to King …. I am sure, that if a Boye shoulde so corrupt Tullies Epistles, in translating them in a Grammer Schoole, he should be breeched for his labour. The scripture therefore, being read there, in false translations, it must needes seeme to be false, which is blasphemie against the holy Ghost the inditer of them. So that by this, it appeareth, that, that part of their seruice which they pretend to be scripture, is no scripture, because it is by the malice of the interpretor false, the which scripture can not be.4. Saide by la… ▪ men.
Secondly, the seruice that Christians ought only to goe to, shoulde beIg. ad Hier. Chri. li. 3. & 6. de. Sacer. & hom. 60. Hier. ep. ad Helio. & ep. 85. ad Eua. Ambro. in Ephes. 4. Hebr. 5. 1. Tim. 5. Con. 4. Cai. can. 6. & Con cil. Laod. can. 24. Igna. ep. ad Anti. Areo. ca. 3. Can. Ap. 1. & 2. & 68. saide, as also the Sacraments administred, by Priestes and such as hauehave receiued the Sacrament of holy orders, as al the general Councels & fathers of the Church, shew vntounto vsus. And S. Paul when he saith. That no man may take vntounto him this honour, but he that is called as Aaron was. Wherefore the same Paul aduiseth the Bishop Timothie, not to giuegive this dignitie vntounto any man but vponupon great consideration, saying. Do not lay thy hands rashly vponupon any man. But now that either al, or the most part of Ministers of England, be meere laye men, & no Priestes, and consequently hauehave no authoritie in these thinges, it is euident for many causes: as wel for that they hauehave not receiued the vnderunder Orders, which they should hauehave done before Priesthood, (as appeareth by the auncient Councel of Carthage, wherin S. Augusten was himself,) & by al the Fathers both before & since: as also because they are not ordained by such a Bishop & Priest, as the catholike church hath put in that authoritie: which admitteth no man for Bishop, which is not ordeined by imposition of three or twoo catholike Bishops handes at the least. Of al which thinges none are to be founde amongest the Protestantes.
Thirdly, their seruice is nought, because they hauehave diuers false, and blasphemous thinges therein: and that which is yet worse, they so place those thinges, as they may seeme to the simple, to be verie scripture. As for5. Fals…d and … in their seruice. In the ende of their Geneua Psalter. example, In the end of a certeine Geneua Psalme. They pray to GOD to keepe them, from Pope, Turke, and Papistrie, whiche is blasphemous. First, for ioyning the supreme Minister and substitute of Christ, with the knowne and professed enemy of Christe, and speaking so contumeliouslye of him, of whome all antiquitie in Christ his church, hath thought, and spoken so reuerently, calling him. The high Priest of the Church, The Bishop of the Vniuersal Church. The Pastor of the Cyp. de … pre. & Chry. li. 2. de Sa. Cyp. ep. 46. Chr. li. 2. de sa. Inno. ep. 93. ap Au. & Leo. ep. 84. Sy. Alex. 4. apud …ba. Theod. li. 2. hist. cap. 4. Cy. ep. ep. 55. Lacke of necessary thinges vvh…ch it should hauehave in it.Church. The Iudge of matters of faith The repurger of heresies. The examiner of all Bishops causes And finally the great Priest, in obeying whom al unitie consisteth, and b… disobeying of whom, all Heresies and Schismes arise.
Secondly, it is blasphemous, for that they pray to bee deliuered from Papistrie: meaning thereby, the catholike and onelyonly true religion, by the which all men are to be saued,
Thirdly, beca…se they sing it, and make other simple men to sing it, in the beginning of Sermons, and otherwise: as though it were scripture it selfe, and one of Dauids Psalmes.Dion▪ Ariop. hier. ca. 3. Ign. ep. ad Smyrn. Iustin. dial. tripho. Ter. li. de orat. Au. li. 20. c…ntr. Faust. ca. 23. Chr. hom. 17 ad Heb. Gre. li. 4. di. ca. 57. Hiero. ep. 1. ad Helio. Chry. li. 2. de Sacerd. Cyp. ep. 54. & li. 1. ep. 2. Au. ser. 25. 2. de tempo. Optat. li. 6. cont. Dona.
Fourthly, albeit the Protestantes seruice had not all this euil in it, as it hath: yet were it nought, because it hath not in it, those good things which Christian seruice should hauehave. For seruice may bee euil, as well for hauing too litle, as for hauing too much. As the seruice of the Arrians was, for singing, Glorie to the Father, and not singing the same to the Sonne: And as if a man should recyte his Creede, and leaue out one article (as in effect the Protestants doe the article of discention into hell) all the whole Creede were nought thereby. Nowe, howe many thinges doe want in the Protestantes seruice, which should be in Christian seruice, it were too long in euerie point to rehearse: yet will I (for examples sake) name two or three thinges. First therefore, they hauehave left out the chiefest, and highest thinges of all: which is the blessed Sacrifice of Christ his Bodie and Blood appointed by Christ, to bee offered vp euerie day for thankes giuing to God, for obteyning of grace, and auoyding of all euil, and for the remission of sinnes both o… quicke and dead: as with one consent the Fathers of the Primatiue Church doe affirme. The which sacrifice beeing away, no Christian seruice can bee saide to be there: For so much as, for this cause were ordeined Priests, neither can there any be called Priest but in respect of this sacrifice: also in respect of this sacrifice were christian churches called Temples, for this sacrifice were made Aulters: for an Aulter is the place of sacrifice, euen as an armorie is the place where armour is. For this sacrifice was Priestes apparell made. Vestments, Sensors, Frankensence, and the lyke, in the Primatiue Church.Au in Psa. 113. conci. 2. & Posid. in vita Au. ca. 24 Concil. flor. & constant. sessio 15 Six Sacraments. …. 19. con…. faust. cap. 11. & 16. Au…. su…euit. que. 84. Whereof all the Fathers, Councelles, and histories doe speake so much.
The seconde thing, which the Protestantes seruice leaueth out, is, no lesse then sixe, of the seuen sacramentes, which the catholike seruice of God doeth vse: (for as for their communion it can bee no sacrament as they doe vse it.) The commoditie of which Sacraments, in the church saint Augustine saieth. That it is greater, then can bee expressed, and therefore the contempt of them is no lesse then sacriledge, because (saith hee) that, can not be contemned without impietie, without the helpe of Ceremonies.which, no man c…n hauehave pietie. And for this cause in an other place heeTer… de coro…a. Bas. li. do sp. 5. cap. 27. …phipha. h… resi. 71. Concil t…id. ca. 7. & 13. Cip. ep. 66. Chry. ho. 41. vide Aug. li. 2. doct. christ. Cyp. ser. de. ora. dom. Isodo. li. de. diu. off. Concil. Tol. 4. cap. 2. Bed. li. hist. capit. 1. saieth. That the contemners of visible Sacraments, can by no meanes, inuisibly be sanctified. The third thing that the Protestants seruice leaueth out, is, all the ceremonies of the catholike church, of the which the olde auncient Fathers and Councels doe say these three thinges. First, that that they are to bee had in great reuerence, and to bee contemned of no man. Secondly, that they are to bee learned by tradition, and that many of them are receiued by the tradition of the Apostles. Lastly, that they which doe either condemne, despise, or wilfully omyt these ceremonies, are excommunicated. I might heere adde many other thinges, as leauing out prayers for the dead, beeing (as the Fathers holde) one of the chiefest functions of a Priest. Also for hauing their seruice in an other order and language then the vniuersall church vseth: But this is sufficient. For if they leaue out of their seruice, both Sacrifice, Sacraments, and all Ecclesiasticall ceremonies: I knowe not what good thing they hauehave left, besides a fewe bare wordes of scripture, euil translated, and woorse applyed, which they read there. Seeing therefore their seruice is such, it is a sufficient cause to make all catholikes to auoide it.