The Safe Way Leading All Christians, Section 4
Sect. 4. Many learned Romaniſts conuicted by the euidence of Truth, either in part or in whole, hauehave renounced Poperie before their death.
HOw auaileable theſe reaſons may ſeeme to hinder a reformation, I leaue to eueryevery mans iudgement: yet ſure I am the reformed Churches hauehave done nothing in this, other then the former Councels had anciently decreed, and diuerſe of their owne Church had formerly wiſhed to be done; and I am certainly perſuaded, were it not for feare of endangering the Romiſh Religion (as the Cardinall rightly obſerued) our aduerſaries would come nearer vntounto vsus in all the fundamental points that our Church teacheth: for looke vponupon the Communion in both kinds, and you ſhall find the Councell of Baſil about two hundred yeares ſince, did allow the Cup to the Bohemians vponupon this condition:Genebr. lib. 4. Chronich. That they ſhould not find fault with the contrarie vſe, nor ſeuer themſelues from the Catholique Church: Looke vponupon the reſtraint of Prieſts marriage, and you ſhall heare Aeneas Siluius, afterward Pope Pius, giuegive his Royall aſſent with vsus.Aeneas Sylu. de Concil. Baſil. l. 2. As marriage vponupon weightie reaſons was taken from the Prieſts: ſo vponupon weightie conſiderations it were wiſhed to be reſtored. Looke vponupon priuate Maſſes, and of this, ſaith Maſter Harding, Jewel & Harding ca Priuat Maſſe in Initio.the godly and faithfull people hauehave ſince the time of the Primitiue Church much complained: and for the better correſpondence with vsus in the greateſt myſterie of our ſaluation: Looke vponupon the Scriptures and you ſhall finde the Rhemiſt Teſtament tranſlated into Engliſh, and this was done Importunitate Haereticorum (as they of Doway ſpeake) by the importunitie of Heretiques: and to conclude, they hauehave of late granted a diſpenſation to ſome men & women alſo to reade the Scriptures, and this was done Importunitate Haereticorum by the importunitie of Heretiques.
It is no wonder that the poore widow in the Goſpell did preuaile with the corrupt Iudge by importunitie, when ſuch heretiques as wee are reputed to be, hauehave preuailed by importunitie with ſuch true Catholikes as they pretend themſelues to be: yet if we looke but within the memorie of man, wee ſhall find that moſt of the Romiſh proſelites did frequent our Church and diuine ſeruice for the firſt eleuen yeares of our bleſſed Queene Elizabeth, L. Coke de Jure Regis Eccleſiaſtice fol. 34.neither was their communicating with vsus forbidden by any lawfull Councell: and I am verily perſwaded, That many at this day in the Church of Rome do aſſent to our doctrine that dare not communicate with vsus openly in the Church: for I appeale to their owne conſciences how many of them which are taught the doctrine of concomitance hauehave wiſhed the reſtoring of the Sacramentall Cup to the lay people? how many with hands and hearts lifted vp, adore Chriſt Ieſus in his bodily preſence in heauen, when the conſecrated bread is preſented to them for reall fleſh vponupon the Altar? How many worſhip the inuiſible God in Spirit and Truth, when they retaine the Images for memorie, for hiſtory, for ornament, not for adoration? How many doe ſmile at Indulgences and Pardons, at particular ſhrifts, at merrie Pilgrimages, at ridiculous and fained miracles, at diuine vertue aſcribed to Medals Beads, Agnus Dei, and the like, which are termed godly deceits, and harmeles guiles to feed the ignorant? How many do preferre the lawfulneſſe of Prieſts marriage before the keeping of a Concubine,Grauius peccare ſacerdotem ſi vxorem ducat quam ſi domi concubinam foiseat. Coſter. Enchirid. c. 15. propo. 9. although the contrarie be the common doctrine of the Church of Rome? Laſtly, how many for feare of vaine glorie, and by reaſon of the vncertaintie of their workes, do relye wholly vponupon the merits of Chriſt Ieſus? Shew mee that learned man that liueth a profeſſed Papiſt in the Church of Rome, and dieth not a ſound Proteſtant in this prime foundation of our faith.B. Gardiner. That Biſhop who would not hauehave the gap of this doctrine opened to the ignorant in time of his health, yet in the time of his ſickneſſe ſets the merits of Chriſt in the gappe to ſtand betwixt Gods iudgement and his owne ſinnes. And Cardinall Bellarmine who taught in time of his health that a man had a double right to the kingdome of God, part by his owne merits, part by the merits of Chriſt; Yet, I ſay, this ſtout and learned defender of his faith, concludes with a Tutiſſimum, It is the ſafest way to relye wholly on the merits of Chriſt Ieſus; and in time of his ſickneſſe when he was to render an account of his workes and doctrine:Et precor me inter ſanctos & electos ſuos non vt aestimator meriti ſed vt veniae largitor admitta…. Bellar. Teſt. pag 89. Ricard. Tapp. explic. artic. Theolog. Louan. tom. 2. art. 8. in his laſt Will and his laſt words he ſounds a retreate and beggeth pardon at the hands of God: Not as a valuer of merits but as a giuer of merciemercy. And their owne Albertus Piggius who did bitterly inueigh againſt our Church and doctrine, eſpecially in the point of Iuſtification, by reading of Caluins Inſtitutions, with a purpoſe to confute them in that very point,Controu. 2. tit. de Inſtito. fol. 50. became himſelfe a Caluiniſt: neither was it his caſe alone, but Paulus Vergerius a Romiſh Biſhop,Epiſcopus Iuſtino-politareus. who in like manner began to write a booke againſt the Proteſtants which he intituled, Adnerſus Apoſtatas Germaniae, againſt the Apoſtates of Germanie, after he had examined their bookes, and weighed their arguments with a purpoſe to confute them, found himſelfe taken duplicate page duplicate page and vanquiſhed, and laying aſide the hope of a Cardinalſhip which at that time the Pope intended him,Sleida. Comment. Relig. lib. 21. hee trauelled to Pola, where Germanus his brother a Romiſh Biſhop was reſiding, and after much debate and conference had of the doctrine of Iuſtification, his brother alſo yeelded and proteſted againſt the Romiſh doctrine, and both with mutuall ioy and conſent of minds profeſſed and proclaimed the Proteſtant faith to all beleeuers.