Answer to the Proud Challenge of a Counterset Catholic, Answer · Answer · Article 7
The 7. article conteineth 3. demaundes.
1 Further I aske them, what Church that is, which hath brought forth out of her wombe, ſo many noble perſonages, of Martyrs, Confeſſors, Doctors, Virgines, and holy Sainctes, of all ſortes, all which both they and we doe outwardly profeſſe, by the continuance of the Callendare, which yet is vſed eueryevery where, to be Sainctes in heauen.
FVrther I aunſwere you, that all true Sainctes, whether they were Patriarches, Prophets, Apoſtles, Euāgeliſtes, Martyrs, Confeſſors, Doctors, Scholars, Virgins, wiues, widowes, married, or vnmarried, are all children of that Church, in whoſe fellowſhip we reioyce to be, and are our deare brethren and ſiſtern begotten in Ieſu Chriſt by the goſpell, and we all hold of one head Ieſus Chriſt, as members of his myſticall body. We all beleue to be receaued into that glory that they are, by the onelyonly meane that they were, that is by the merciemercy of God in Chriſt Ieſus. But as for the continuance of the Callendar, we hauehave litle reſpect vntounto it, yea no regard at all, to vſe it either as a recorde, or as a regiſter of thoſe whom we acknowledge to be Sainctes in heauen. Let the Prince make you aunſwere, for the continuance of ſuch callēders, for we hauehave not to do with them. Neuertheleſſe becauſe you ſpeake of a Callendar, that is vſed eueryevery where, you declare that you hauehave ſmall experience in Callendars, for eueryevery cuntry hath them diuers in moſt dayes, except holy dayes, and in ſome cuntry Callendars, ſuch dayes are feſtiuall to thoſe Saincts, that hauehave not their names in Callendars of other cuntries, yea it may be doubted whether they hauehave their names in the booke of life. If you ſawe a Bohemians Callendar, perhaps if you ſhoulde ſee Iohn Hus, and Ierom of Prage, which your church condemned for heretikes, and hauehave as ſolemne feaſtes, in the Callender as Peter and Paule, wherefore we acknowledge thoſe to be Sainctes in deede, not whoſe names are continued in the Callendars of men, but are written in the booke of life of the Lambe, that was ſlaine from the beginning of the worlde. Apoc. 13.
2 And if it can be proued by any man of the Proteſtancy, that theſe were either, of the Proteſtants Congregation, or beleefe when they were aliue.
IT is ſufficiently proued againſt you, of the Papiſtrie, that all they, whome we acknowledge to be Sainctes in heauen, are members of the ſame myſticall bodie of Chriſt, that we are, and hold the onelyonly foundation that we hold, which is Ieſus Chriſt, and although ſome of them, builded ſtraw and ſtubble vponupon the ſame foundation, yet the Lorde hath not imputed it unto them. But wheras the Patriarches, Prophetes, and Apoſtles were cheefe lightes and pillers of the church of Chriſt, the daye is yet to come, and euer ſhalbe, that all you of the Papiſtrie, ſhalbe able to charge vsus with one pointe of our faith, contrary to the doctrine of the Patriarches, Prophetes, and Apoſtles.
3 Or canonized and allowed for Sainctes by the Proteſtantes Church, when they were deade, or by any other Church, then I recant.
OVr Church doth take all them that ſhew the fruicts of a liuely faith, to be Sainctes, while they be aliue, as well as after their death, and we ſay with Dauid: All my delight is in the Sainctes, that are in the earth Pſal. 16. and with S. Paule: VVe labour to comprehend with all Sainctes, what is the length, breadth, depth, and heigth, and to know the louelove of Chriſt. Epheſ. 3. Finally the ſcripture teacheth vsus, to call all them that are ſanctified in the bloude of Chriſt, and called to the felowſhip of the Goſpell, holy and Sainctes of God. 1. Cor. 1. Epheſ. 1. &c. Wherefore, your Popiſh church doth great iniury to the Sainctes of God, firſt, becauſe ſhe doth not ſo accompt them while they liue, and ſecondly, becauſe ſhe referreth the canonization of them only to ye Pope, who not for their holy life, maketh them Sainctes, but for the holy honger of golde, as appeare by Pope Iuly 2. who woulde not canonize king Henry the ſixt, at the requeſt of king Henry the ſeuenth, vnderunder an vnreaſonable ſumme of money. If that ſumme of money had bene paide, he ſhoulde hauehave bene a ſainct, though he had not deſerued, not for his vertue. And becauſe that ſumme of money was not paide, he might not be canonized, although his godlineſſe neuer ſo much deſerued. Againe of what force your Canonization is to be eſteemed, we may learne by a fact of Pope Boniface the 8. who condemned, digged vp, and burned the bodie of Hermannus in Ferraria, 30. yeares after his buriall, who had bene worſhipped for a ſainct aboue 20. yeares before, as witneſſeth Platina and other. Gregorie the ſeuenth canonized Pope Liberius, which was an Arrian, as S. Hieronym teſtifieth, Moreouer if I ſhoulde likewiſe demande of you, what Pope canonized Peter, Paule, and the reſt of the Apoſtles, yea moſt of the Martyrs of the primitiue Church, you ſhall neuer be able to ſhew me either what Pope did it, or that any Pope did it: For ſeeing none may canonize but the Pope in your church, and you can not proue that the Pope hath canonized the Apoſtles and cheefe Martyrs, you can not proue that your church hath canonized the Apoſtles and principall Martyrs. But it is manifeſt that your canonization is taken from the heathen Senate of Rome, which chalenged authority to make Gods, whome they them ſelues thought beſt. And if I ſhoulde rippe vp the moſt parte of thoſe Sainctes, which hauehave bene canonically canonized by the Pope, it were an eaſie matter to finde them heretikes, traitors, Necromancers, Whoremongers, and whores, as you may reade in Bales Votaries aboundantly, beleuing his reporte no farther than he alleageth his Author, where you maye finde it. Wherefore it were wiſedome for you, not to depend vponupon the Pope his Canonization, but vponupon God his approbation, and to recante.