Two Treatises Against the Papists, Book 2 · Chapter 15
That their falsehood is condemned, and the Catholicke trueth approued by the authority of holy Councells. Their pride in contemning, and the Catholickes humilitie in obedient receyuing the same. And a sleight vvhereby the heretikes deceiue the people, is detected. CAP. XV.
1 ANd for our parte it is sufficient, good reader, that we knowe the first founder thereof, and that we be nowe right well assured, that he in his time, and his scholars in theirs, hauehave bene noted, called, and condemned for heretikes, in this as in other fonde peruerse opinions beside, not onelyonly by the singular iudgements of diuers learned men, but by the common sense and consent of the worlde, and by auncient Councells both generall and particular, as we maye reade in the Councells of Carthage the iiij. of Bracharense, and Vase. the Decrees of which, by occasion we rehearsed once before.Cap. 79. Cap. 34. Cap. 2. They are both auncient and of greate authority, and honored with the presence of many notable fathers, as Augustine and other. But especially for the approuing of our faith, and condemnation of the aduersaries part, the whole processe of the great Councell of Florence must be noted. for there the question of purgatory and prayers for the deade, was fully handeled, by the most learned of both the Latine and Greeke Church, the Patriarche of Constantinople him selfe, with the Legats of Armenia and other nations of that parte, being present: and fully condescending with the Romane Church vponupon the trueth of purgatory, and other graue mysteries: into the doubt of which, that part of the Church by schisme & miscredit of their forefathers, had fallen into, not lōg before: and so made perfect protestation of their faith, with the abiuring of the contrary, as heresie.Note. But omitting that longe processe and large treatie of the matter, for the establishing of eueryevery mans conscience, I wil conclude vp all the matter with the Councell and the holy Ghosts determination of all the whole cause, in these wordes: Si verè poenitentes in Dei charitate decesserint, antequam dignis poenitentiae fructibus de commissis satisfecerint, & omissis, eorum animas poenis purgatorijs purgari, & vt à poenis huiusmodi releuentur prodesse eis viuorum fidelium suffragia, missarū scilicet sacrificia, orationes, In initio Concilij Florentini.& eleemosynas, & alia pietatis officia, quae a fidelibus pro alijs fidelibus fieri consueuerunt, secundum ecclesiae instituta, VVe define and determine,The holy Councel of Trente hath also determined the same against the heretikes of our times. that true penitents departing in the fauour of God, before they satisfied for their negligencies or faultes committed by worthy fructes of penaunce, shall be clensed by purgatory paines: and likewise for the release thereof, the prayers of the faithfull, the sacrifice of the blessed Masse and almes, with other thinges customably practised by the faithfull for their freindes decessed, according to the ordinaunce of Gods Church, to be profitable.
CAP. XV.
1 ANd for our parte it is sufficient, that we knowe God in his holy worde to be the first founder of our doctrine, and therefore that they lye blasphemously, which woulde make any heretike the author of it. And as for the authority of Councels that is alleaged against vsus, we hauehave shewed before, that the decrees of 95. Can. of Car. the forth and second of Vase are flatly falsified, which speake not at all of oblations for the deade, but oblations of the deade, that is, such mony as the departed hauehave bequethed to the vse of the poore. The 79. Can. of the forth Councell of Carthage decreed, that if penitents dyed before absolution, they shoulde hauehave their memory commended with prayers and oblations. The Bracarense decree Can. 39. prescribeth how the mony offered at such commemoration of the deade, shoulde be distributed. The 34. Can. of the same Councell, wherevnto he pointeth vsus in this place, decreeth that for them that kill them selues, no commemoration shoulde be made nor that they shoulde be buried with Psalmes. But wherefore trowe you did he omit the next Canon to it? which decreeth that neither the commemoration of the holy oblation, nor the office of singing Psalmes, should be bestowed vponupon them that were cathechised and dyed before they were baptised. Either he sawe not the booke him selfe, or else he misliked that phrase, the commemoration of the holy oblation, wherby the Bishoppes of that Councell expound, what they meane, when they named the holy communion to be a sacrifice. That is, they did not take it to be so properly, but onelyonly a commemoration of the holy sacrifice of Christ. As also when we reade in the olde writers or councells, oblation for the deade, we must not alwayes vnderstand the celebration of the communion as the Papastes imagine, but that monye which first was offered for almes, and afterwards superstitiously was taken to be a kind of redemption for their sinnes. As in the 11. Councell of Toledo. cap. 12. is declared where they decree of such penitents, as dyed before reconciliation: Placuit nobis, vt & memoria talium in eccles…s commendetur, & oblatio pro eorum delicto a presbyteris recipiatur. It pleaseth vsus (say the Bishops of that Synode) that the memory of such maye be commended in the Churches, and the oblation for their offence, maye be taken by the priestes. This office that was bestowed vppon the deade, which so generally of the olde writers and councells is called a memorye, vndoubtedly tooke the name of that which it first was. Namely nothing but a memory with thankes giuing, which after was corrupted to a prayer for them. Lykewise the oblation (as Origen testifieth) at the first was nothing but almes to the releife of the poore, for ioy of the rest of them that were departed, and for comfort and godly exercise of them that were a liue. But afterwarde it grew to be compted a redemption for the sinnes of the departed, and the name of oblation was drawen further to the celebration of the communion, and to be compted a sacrifice for the quicke and the deade. But before this Councell, there was an other Synode helde in Spayne at Toledo, called Toletan. 3. cap. 21. Where it was decreed, that they which by Gods calling departed out of this life, shoulde be ca…yed to their graues, onelyonly with singing of Psalmes. Forbidding that funerall song which was wonte to be song to the deade, and all other vnseemely gestures of morning. If you saye this doth not exclude prayers and oblations: they adde, that it must be thought sufficient for the buriall of Christian mens bodyes, that the office of singing of godly Psalmes is bestowed, in hope of the resurrection. And so throughout the Canon they woulde hauehave men comforted by the hope of the resurrection, affirming that Christian mens bodyes throughout the worlde ought to be no otherwise buried. As for the decree of the Councell of Florence, is but a meere mockerie. For it was helde not past seuen score yeares a goe, when at the same time, there was an other Councell holden at Basill against it, in which the Pope Engenius the fourth, who gathered that mocke Co…ncell of Ferraria and Florentia, was deposed, and an other Pope chosen against him. So there was one Pope and his councell in Italy, and an other Pope with his councell in Germanie. Goodly gawdes for fooles to playe with all. As for the holy councel which was helde the other day at Trent, you did well to put in the margent, for it was not worthy to come in the texte. If the determination of that councell be so holy, why do you Papistes daily breake a nombre of canons decreed therein, which conteins scarse a-shadow of reformation? But you can dispense with councells as you liste. To omit all other canons, why doe not your bishoppes and parish priests, as often as they minister the sacraments to the people, declare the effect of them to such as receiue them in the mother tongue? Session. 8. c. 7.
2 The which graue determination if any man be so willfull to contemne, Let him know, that he despiseth, being but a mortall fraile man, the grauest iudgement that God hath left in earth for the determination of any matter. Let him be ashamed that he being but one man, taketh vponupon him to controule diuers hundreths of the most chosen for vertue, for learning, for experience in the whole Church of God: yea let him if he hauehave any affection of grace, tremble and feare to deface the dealing of that honorable and vniuersall parlament, that representeth vntounto vsus Gods holy whole Church, hauing the assured promise of the holy Ghostes assistance for their guiding in all truth. Yet I see before hand the aduersaries will not admitte the iudgem…t of these or any other Councells: neither in such men doe I much maruell to finde so litle humility, and so much impudency. For all heretikes condemned by councells did euer condēne, as they could, the same councells againe. So were the first 4. councells which all Christian men with S. Gregory accept as the holy Gospells of God,All heretikes do cō demne coū cels. vtterly refused by the parties in them condemned: The Arians by great force of worldly Princes and many assembles, deuilishly withstoode the Councell of Nice, the Macedonians reiected the councell of Constantinople the first, the Nestorians nothing estemed the councell of Ephese, Eutiches and Dioscorus litle regarded the councell of Chalcedon: in which they & their followers were condemned of heresie for sundry pointes, which now were ouerlong, and not for our purpose to rehearse. Then by refusing the heauenly sentence of the Churches iudgement, they win nothing else but the assured marke of an heretike. They declare them selues, that as they be in heresie as deepe as the best, so they in pride and boldnes, be not behind the worst.
But all Catholikes & faithful beleuers, as soone as they know the determination of such a number of so well learned fathers gathered in the vnitie of Gods Church and spirite,The humble obedience of Catholikes to the gouernours of Gods Church. streight way they receiue it, and submit them selues, as to the iudgement and reuelation of the holy Ghost. For so the Christian brethren that were molested by the contentious clamors of certeyne troublesom heades at Antioch, being once certified by the letters of that first Christian councel, what was decreed and enacted concerning the matters called in question, they then regarded no more what the aduersaries thought therein, but out of hand Gauisi sunt super consolatione, they reioysed in that comfort of their agreement. And Ruffinus writeth,Ruffin. that when Constantinus the great vnderstoode the determination of the doubtes proposed in the great councell of Nice, he receiued it as the oracle of God: Defertur ad Constantinum sacerdotalis concilij sententia, ille tanquam a Deo prolatam veneratur: the decree (sayth he) of the priestes was shewed to Constantine, and he straight with all reuerence accepted it, as Gods owne sentence. And if our aduersaries coulde learne a litle humilitie, they might quickely be dispatched of a great deale of heresie. The which as it first beganne with the conceite of singularitie and contempt of other, so it procedeth with maliperte boldnesse, and endeth in plaine disobedience of the Church, of the Councells, of the scriptures, and Gods owne spirite. VVhome without moe wordes I woulde nowe geue ouer vntounto God, hauing (as I trust) already geuen them sufficient occasion by the euident proofe of my matter, to remembre their misery and heuy condition, but that I must remoue out of the simples waye, such stoombling stockes, as perhaps might somewhat trouble the vnlearned, who for lacke of deepe iudgement, be moste subiecte to the aduersaries deceites.
2 It is true humilitie that all men should submit them selues to the authoritie of Gods worde, and it is horrible presumption, that any man or multitude of men, shoulde take vppon them authoritie to define against the worde of God. As the councell of Constance which decreeth in plaine wordes that notwithstanding Christ instituted the sacrament to be receiued in both kindes, and that the faithfull in the primatiue Church did so receiue it, yet the custome of the church of Rome shall preuaile, and whosoeuer sayeth contrary is an heretike, &c. The councells that are receiued are therefore receiued, because they decreed truely, and not the trueth receiued because it was decreed in councells. Else why is Nicene councel receiued and Arriminense reiected? why is Ephesinum primum embraced, and Ephesinum secundum detested? Finally, why is the determination of Nicene councell which is but one beleued, against 10. councells holden by the Arrians, but that the Nicene councell decreed according to the worde of God, and all the rest against it? wherfore if any councell decree according to the scriptures as the councell of the Apostles did Actes 15. and the councell of Nice with diuers other, we receiue them with all humilitie, as the oracles of God. But if any councell decree contrary to the authoritie of the scriptures, as many did, without all presumptiō or pride, we may iustly reiect them.
3 And with such thus they lightely practise: first by lofty lookes and high chalengies,Hovve they practise vvith the simple. they crake and boste with passing boldnes, that the learned men of the worlde, the sage fathers of the auncient times, all the graue Councells, the whole vsage of the primitiue Church, with plaine Scripture, to be on their parte. And as for the contrary teaching,Gre… impudēcy in heretikes. that it came in of late with the decay of learning and light of trueth, in these barbarous times when superstition and da…ke ignorance had wasted the doctrine of the yeares past. And in this bragge they stande, till some Catholike man encounter with them. By whome when they see them selues so driuen from the standinge which they kept with greate glory before, that they must be wholy naked and destitute in the face of the worlde of all such helpes, as they accompted to hauehave for the outwarde shew of their deceitfull doctrine, then in plaine wordes they confesse their teaching not to hange on the antiquitie, not on councells, not on Doctors, nor on any man, but on Gods holy spirite and worde, which can not deceiue them. And so at the ende, the olde vse of the primitiue Church, the fathers, and the generall Councells arrogantly contemned, or rather vnworthely condemned (marke well their prety conceites) they make then a matche betwene them selues with Gods worde on the one partie, and the doctors and fathers with out Gods worde, on the other partie.The sophistry of heretikes. Affirming that they be not bounde to beleue them but where they agree with the scriptures of God. And then turning their talke to the simple, thus they preache vntounto them by a captious and foolish demaunde, whether they thinke it more reason or conuenient to beleue the scriptures, or doctors: the determination of the true and liuely worde of God, or else the decree of a generall Councell: which deceitfull wreasting of the state of our question, somewhat troubles the vnlearned, which can not perceiue hereby that they betray them selues, and deface their owne doinges, in so rude a defense. For who seeth not nowe, that they renounce all that helpe of Councells & Doctors which with vauntes they clamed before, whiles they impudently make a diuision or contrarietie betwixt them and the holy scripture? And we take it at their hand as an open acknowledging of their lacke, there where they pretended greatest store. The which thinge if they likewise would confesse openly in pulpit and in plaine words, as they meane nothing lesse when they shew the people that they were but men, that they might erre, that they followed the custome of the common people in their time, that they are not to be receiued but where they agree with scripture, & that them selues must try whether they be consonant to the word of God or no: if they would, I say, without such cloked wordes bouldly pronounce as Luther their maister did, that they cared not for a hundreth Augustines or Hieroms, that they esteemed not the consent of all nations, that they would be tryed by the iudgement of no coū cell, that they would purposely runne contrary to the Councells decree in all causes, that they would take that for thonely truth which is conteined in the holy Scriptures, and that for Scripture which them selues thought good, and last of all, that for the true meaning which agreed best to the vpholding of error and heresie, then would the people leaue these lewde masters on the plaine field, which now they keepe with them, one while by the praises of the doctors and antiquitie, and somewhiles by thabasing of them againe, and deceitfull referring all to the onelyonly Scriptures, to which they say credit may safely be giuen, where the doctors without daunger can not be further followed, then as they be not found to disagree with Gods word. So that the cause seemeth now to be driuen to this ishue in the eyes of thignorant, whether men should rather beleue the Scipture or the doctors, the word of God that can not be false, or the fathers that were but men, and therfore might erre, deceiue, and be deceiued.
3 But that you louelove to spende many wordes about a thinge of naught, you might hauehave spoken as much in three wordes as you hauehave done in three leaues. But that I maye breefely cut of your lauesh lippe labor: whereas you vse in deede as greate impudencie as you charge vsus withall in wordes, first you would make our chalenge contrary to it self, as though one while we boast of the doctors, and then being driuen from them, we flie to the Scriptures. They that dayly heare our preaching, & with any diligence peruse our writing, can beare vsus witnes, that you doe falsely & shamefully belie vsus. For we stand for authoritie onelyonly to the iudgement of the holy Scriptures, and whatsoeuer we say of fathers, councells, or the most auncient primitiue Church, it is either for testimony of our truth, or for conuiction of your lying. For it is, you M. Allen, the Papists, that boast of all antiquitie, all fathers, all doctors, all councells, all Churches, to be all togither on your side, among whom as we will not deny, but you hauehave some Patrones, of some of your errors, so will we affirme, that you hauehave more enemies, in the greatest of your heresies. And therefore this ishue is rightly ioyned, and without any Ieofayle vponupon this point, that the Scripture is to be credited rather then the doctors, the word of God rather then the writings of men.
4 But this is not the state of our controuersie, nor of any question betwixt the Catholikes and them. And that they knowe full well, though they craftely cloke it with chaunge of wordes. for we acknowledge most gladly, that if any Doctor, Prophet, Apostle or Angell (if it were possible) preach vntounto vsus any thing against the word and truth of Gods Scripture, that he is accursed of God, and to be reiected of men. But here is the stand, and the point of all our doubtes in generall (note it well Maister Protestaunt) whether the auncient fathers, some of them being in Christes time, diuers of them scholars to his Apostles,Here lyeth the doubt and diuersitie betvvixt heretikes & Catholikes many within one hundreth or two of yeares afterward, most of them more thē a thousand yeares since (I speake of such as we hauehave named in our cause) & all wonderfully learned as well in the knowledge of the secretes of Gods mysteries, as the tongues: all mercifully endued with great giftes and graces, all exceeding studious in the Scriptures, all hauing the same testament and written worde of God that we now hauehave, all vsing meruelous diligence in the conference of diuers places, for the true meaning and vnderstanding of the same, all hauing feruent zeale in teaching the Christian people, all at times appoynted resorting togither from diuers partes of the world to some one general search, in which, by humble conference togither and prayer, they doubted not to obteyne the spirite of truth, as it was by our Maister promised: the question is now then, I say, whether those holy men, thus holpen by nature, diligence, time and grace, be not more like to vnderstand the Scripture then these men, which either lacke all these helpes, or most of them. Secondly it followeth thereupon, whether we should rather giuegive credit to them, affirming purgatory and prayers for the deade to be not onelyonly consonant, but plainely proued by the Scriptures, or else to our new aduersaries, auouching these thinges to be against the Scripture. VVhereby you see, we must not nowe reason, whether we ought to beleue the doctors or the Scriptures better, but whether for the true sense, we must not beleue the olde fathers, better then these newe fooles.
4 In wordes you graunt our ishue, because you knowe that all the cuntry of christians, would otherwise go against you. but in deede you deny it. For ye ishue which you would ioyne vponupon is both captious and doubtfull. Captious, because it disioyneth those thinges which are not to be separated, namely the Scripture and the true meaning thereof. Doubtfull, because it standeth vponupon a likelyhoode and not vponupon a certeinty. For thus you ioyne: whether the olde doctors be more like to vnderstand the Scriptures then the Protestants. I hauehave aunswered before, we wil make no comparison with them. Neither will we challenge the likelyhood to vsus, neither will we leaue it to them, for whether so euer we doe, we shall be neuer the more certeine of the truth. But this will we set downe as a most certeine principle, that no man can vnderstand the Scriptures, but by the same spirite by which they were written. What then? shall we arrogate the spirite as proper to vsus and deny it to them? God forbid. They had their measure of Gods spirite, & (we humbly thanke his maiestie) so hauehave we. How then? is the spirite of God contrary to it selfe, because they and we agree not in all thinges? God forbid. Cyprian and Cornelius were both endued with Gods spirite, and both Martyres, yet they agreed not both in one interpretation nor iudgement of the scripture. what then? there remaineth but this second principle as certaine as the first. That the spirite of God hath a meaning in the scriptures, which is not to be sought out of the scriptures, in the opinions of deceiuable men, but onelyonly in the scriptures, where is nothing but the spirite of trueth. These 2. commaundements, serch the scriptures, and trie the spirites: teach how to attaine to certainety of trueth. For the scriptures are not vnderstood but by the spirite, and the spirites are not tryed but by the scriptures. Therefore that the spirite maye declare his owne meaning, one place of scripture must be expounded by an other. All other ordinary meanes and healpes, of wit, learning, knowledge of tongues, diligēce in hearing, reading, and praying, are subordinate and seruing to this search and tryall. And who so obserueth this serch and tryall most precisely, shall come to the knowledge of the trueth most certainely. And who so euer is negligent in this search and tryall, though he hauehave otherwise neuer so many and excellent graces, and giftes, may easely be deceiued, yea euen when he thinketh he followeth the authority of the scriptures. I coulde alleage for confirmation of this truth, the testimony of diuers of the auncient fathers, which if they had alwayes followed that which some times they so highly commended, they should not so lightly hauehave passed ouer some thinges, and other thinges so slenderly hauehave mainteined. But my thinkes, the testimony of the Pope shoulde be a per se with all Papistes. The Pope him selfe in his canon lawe (for Cayphas some times doth prophecy) hath allowed this to be the onelyonly waye to expound the scriptures. Affirming that no where else, but euen out of the scriptures themselues, the true sense of the scriptures is to be taken. Ascribed to Clemens dist. 37. cap. Relatum. Lex Dei cum legitur non secundum propriam ingenij virtutem, vel intelligentiam legatur, vel doceatur. Sunt enim multa verba in scripturis diuinis, quae possunt trahi ad eum sensum, quem sibi vnus quisque sparte praesumpserit, sed non oportet, non enim sensum extrinsecus alienū & extraneum debetis quaerere, vt quoquo modo ipsum ex s…ripturarum authoritate confirmetis, sed ex ipsis scripturis sensum capere veritatis oportet. When the lawe of God is reade, let it not be reade or tought, after the force or vnderstanding of a mans owne witte. For their be many wordes in the holy scriptures, which maye be drawen to such sence as eueryevery man of his owne heade shal presume to make, but you may not doe so. For you ought not to seeke forth without, any forayne or strange sence, that you may confirme it by any meanes by authority of the scriptures, but you must take the sence of trueth out of the scriptures them selues. And thus much for the true vnderstanding of the scriptures and now to your false superstition. First I deny that any of the auncient fathers in Christ his time, or scholers to his Apostles, or within one or two hundreth yeares after Christ, except one that had it of Montanus the heretike, as he had more thinges beside, in any one worde mainteined your cause, for purgatory or prayers for the deade. Secondly of them that mainteined prayers for the deade, the most confessed they had it not out of the scriptures, but of tradition of the Apostles and custome of the Church, therefore they are not to be compared vntounto vsus in better vnderstāding of the scriptures, for that point, which they denyed to be receiued of the scriptures. Thirdly those of the auncient fathers that agreed with you in any parte of your assertion (for none within foure hundreth yeares was wholy of your error) notwithstanding many excellent giftes that they had, yet mainteined other errors beside that, and about that discented one from an other, and sometime the same man from him selfe, and that is worst of all from manifest trueth of the holy Scriptures. Therefore neither is their erroneous interpretation in this matter to be receiued, nor M. Allens wise iudgement of vsus to be regarded.