Conference Between Rainolds and Hart, Dedication
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL and reuerend in Christ, the heads of Colleges, and companie of students, of the Vniuersitie of Oxford, Iohn Rainoldes wisheth grace and peace from God the father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ.
WHen Anna the mother of Samuel had brought vp her child, whom she had obtained of God with earnest prayers to put from her selfe the reproch of barennesse: she consecrated him to God before Eli the Priest, a1. Sam. 1.28. & 2.18.that he might liue and serue in the temple of the Lord. In like maner I desiring to consecrate to the temple of the Lord my Samuel, as it were, & the first child of trauaile that God hath geuen to my barrennes, hauehave thought good to present him to God before you, fathers, and brethren, welbeloued in Christ, who either are already or shall be put in trust with the charge of the temple, to serue (if it may any way) b2. Cor. 6.16.the temple of the liuing God. Perhaps a rash enterprise, & vndertaken somewhat more boldly, then aduisedly: chiefly séeing that it is so far inferior to the ripenes of Samuel. And truely I hauehave hetherto béene stil of ye minde, that I had leiffer the things which I had brought foorth (rather as vntimely fruites, then perfit children) should be kept within, then come abroad into the light; & stay in the court of the temple, then presse into the temple. For I hauehave béen dealt with both oft, and earnestly, by my very frends, that I would suffer to be printed and published, as other sclender exercises made rather for the fence-schoole (as you would say) then for the field: so chiefly my Orations, which, when I read the Gréeke lecture in our College. I made to mine audience cōcerning the studies of humanitie and philosophie. Which yet I hauehave refrained to doo, not of enuie, for I hauehave addicted my selfe to wish well vntounto the Church & common wealth; neither of vnkindnes, as though I were not willing to gratif…e them whom I was greatly bound too: but partly through bashfulnes, least any man should thinke me to hunt after glory, which young men are too gréedie of; partly through the knowledge of mine owne weaknes, who neither in respect of wit, nor age, nor learning, was ripe inough to bring foorth fruites which might be set before all men to be tasted off. For though I desire to benefitte all whom I may, hauing learned of cEpist. 9. ad Archyt. Tarent.Plato that I am not borne for my selfe alone, but for my countrey; neither can I benefitte my countrey more by any meanes, then by teaching the waies how to attaine to good artes, as dDe diuinat. lib. 2.Tully thought well: yet I feared least I should offend in a common faute, an itching lust to write, which eEpist. lib. 2. …p. 1. ad August.Horace did terme madnes in his daies, what would he hauehave done if he had liued in ours? in which there is such plenty both of passing wits, and of works excellent, that wise men may iustly thinke it vnmeete to publish any thing, that is not wrought with cunning, filed with iudgement, poolished with labour, fruitfull for commoditie, and for vse necessary. Howbeit, after that I was discharged of that profession of artes of humanitie, that I might the better applie the studie of diuinitie: what before of bashfulnes and iudgement I had still refrained to doo in things of lesse importance, least I should doo it more rawly then I thought méete; the duetie which I owe to God and his Church hath mooued me now to do that in a weightie matter, though not so ripely as I would. Which thing, vndertaken both by the aduise and the request of the godly, I was occasioned to thinke off by one Richard Bristow, an Englishman borne, abiding at Doway, professing the Romish faith: who hath set foorth a poisoned worke against the faith and Church of Iesus Christ, the faith which we professe, the Church of which we be. That worke, entitled Motiues to the catholike faith, when first he set it foorth, he hath abridged since into a pamphlet of Demaundes to be proponed of catholikes to heretikes, and printed it againe: setting before vsus the same vnsauory Coleworts, twise sodden by himselfe, a thousand times by Popish cookes, to the great anoyance of guestes, if they féede on it; great loathing, if they féede not. What a gréeuous iniury therein be hath doon to the Church of England, nor only to the whole bodie thereof, but to the seuerall partes also, by raysing vp vntrue and wicked surmises, by casting out reprochfull spéeches, by laying heresies to our charge: it shalbe declared (as I heare) shortly; in the meane season let the godly iudge: whiles, to beginne with our most gratious Queene, the daughter of godlinesse, the defender of the faith▪ the mainteiner of peace, the nurse of the Church, the preseruer of the weale publik…, the mother of our countrey▪ he doth not onelyonly fMotiu. 47.note her by the name of Pharao, but also gMot. 15. & 40.putteth secretely into mens heads that she is not a lawfull, but a pretensed Queene, (as hBulla Pij quinti contr. Regin. Angl. Nicol. Sander. de visib. Monarch. eccles. lib. 7. Laurent. Sur. in comment. …er. ge….the Papistes terms her:) of her Maiesties faithfull and obedient subiectes he saith that they iMotiu. 40.obey her for common humanitie, not of duetie: to traitors, who suffred for taking armes against her, he geueth the title of kMotiu. 15holy and most glorious Martyrs: he sclaunderously reporteth that lDemaund. 48.the wiser sort and principall of the Realme hauehave prooued by experience of our dooings that our religion is no religion at all: that our mMotiu. 39.Bishops and Ministers are most ill and wicked, and nMotiu. 31.very fewe who preach, and they scarce euer preach vponupon the mysteries of faith: that our people oDemaund. 41.the neerer they come to the preachers doctrine, the more they fall away from order and godlines, assuring yet themselues to be saued by faith only be they neuer so wicked: that in our pMotiu. 31.Vniuersities, either nothing is studied; or the arte of speaking only, not Diuinitie; or if Diuinitie, not all, but a fewe points of it: that qDemaund. 41. & Motiu. 31.our countrey is full not of men, but of monsters, of Atheistes, of Achrists, of them who beléeue not that a mans soule dooth liue more then a beasts when it is gone out of the body: finally, (not to rake out of those caues of brimstone the rest of the *Psalm. 120.4..coales of iuniper which he dooth throw both generally vponupon whole estates, and vponupon many learned and godly men particularly,) that our Church, the very body of our Church, dooth not foster an heresie or two, but rDemaund. 38.hath reuiued many old heresies, sDemaund. 51.besides at least a thousand more of their owne inuention; that it committeth not a sinne or two, but tMotiu. 39.holdeth a common schoole of sinne, wherein the scholers be most lewde, and the masters lewder; that it uDemaund. 4…thinketh verely there is no saluation at all, no religion, a thing which I tremble to mention, but this cockatrice with venemous mouth hath said, hath said? nay he hath written it, and he hath writen it with a penne of iron, he hath writen it to last as a monument of his sclaunder, that we thinke verily there is no saluation at all, none at all, and that our religion indeede is no religion. Now, these false and sclaunderous spéeches against our Church, wherewith he hath besette his worke in sundry places as with precious stones, are vnderlaide with reasons against our Churches faith, begotten of the same father, and sisters germaine to the sclaunders: loose, and dull, in truth; yet in apparance sharpe, and sound: which although the skilfull might crush in péeces without harme, yet might they doo harme by stinging the vnskilfull: euen as a scorpion if he sting a man, dooth hurt him with his sting; but if you bruse him straight and with his body brused anoint the part stoong, he dooth you no hurt. Wherefore to the intent that this scorpion of Bristow, pricking with two stings, (as the worst kind of scorpions is wont,) the one of sclaunders, the other of cauilles, might doo no hurt to our men, whom in the vniuersities or other parts of the realme he is thought to hauehave stoong: many godly men hauehave wished him to be brused, that, if not all the parts, yet at least so many as the grace of God (which only healeth) would recure, might therewith be anointed. And this doo they séeme to hauehave wished so much the more, because some men hauing litle skill in physiche doo thinke that this scorpions stingings are uncurable. For both Bristow himselfe, as Thraso … Terence, praising his owne spéeches, Terent in Eunucho.And now they were all afraide of me, doth proudly aske yDemaund. 34.whether any of our great Masters will answere his Demaundes; as though we had neither shield in the Church to quench the fierie dartes of Satan, nor physician in Israel to heale such as are wounded: and I know not what Gnatho, which hath cast abroad of late infamous verses in our vniuersitie, hath insolently boasted that zA sclaunderous libell, scatered in Oxford. 1577.the Captaines tremble amazed with Bristowes lightning, as though he had astonied the Coronells of our army, & not the souldiers onelyonly. But let Bristow know that nether all doo feare him, howsoeuer he hath touched the youthes in his Pasquines: nor poore men hauehave cause to stand in doute of him, though he threaten (being armed with a leauer and a dish-clout) that a wil quel all who stand in his way, & crush thē in peeces. And if the Parasites of ye Pope think that to be lightning, which he hath …asht to burn England: sure it is such lightning as was (after the aVirgil. Acn…id. lib. 6.Poet) the lightning of Salmoneus, who shaking oft a torch, did counterfeit the thundring soundes and lightning flames of heauen. But such kindes of lightning, although they daunt the wauering Gréekes and towne of Elis, whose king is Salmoneus: yet they daunt not the vnuincible Christians and citie of the liuing God, whose king is the Lord. And let him who flasht it take héed, if he bee wise, least his foolish lightning (as bApoll odor. de orig. Deor. lib. 1.they say it happened to the lightner Salmoneus) be reuenged with true lightning of almightie God, to the vtter ruine of him selfe, his towne, and citizens. For the Church which is cIoh. 16.13.lead by the holy Ghost into all truth, hath béene alreadie taught by him out of the scriptures, and shall be taught farther (through the grace of God,) what difference there is betweene the lightning of Bristow, and the light of Iesus Christ: the lightning of Bristow, the heate whereof doth hurt the bodies which it striketh; the light of Iesus Christ, the beames whereof delite the men to whom it shineth: the lightning, euill and pestilent, which blindeth them who sée, and killeth them who liue; the light, good and healthfull, which giueth sight vntounto the blinde, and life vntounto the dead. Neither are wee without many godly men of excellent autoritie, learning, and iudgement, euen amongst them whom dD…maund. 34.this Tertullus nameth reprochef…lly eM. Nowel in his confut. of Dormans disproofe chapt. 3… ▪great Mai…ters, who could hauehave shewed this long ago. …wbeit they hauehave stayed hetherto from dooing it, either because they thought his folies were refuted before they were writen, for that (after the maner of the Popish writers) he bringeth no new matter, but scowreth vp old rustie stuffe, as eM. Nowel in his confut. of Dormans disproofe chapt. 3… ▪one of them did note long since: or because they purposed first to encounter with such as had writen before, and more pithily, entending to deale after with the rest in due time, as fD. Fulke in the preface of his answere to Heskins, Sanders, & Rastell.an other signified of late that he meant: or because, the controuersies being sufficiently traueled in by many, they thought that they might well cease from this labour, though the Papistes ceased not from their impudencie; as gIer. 28.11.Ieremie hauing answered Hananiah once, gaue him no answere whē he repeated his error: or because perhaps some had no leasure from their weightier charge of feeding the Church; some listed not to striue with such a railing person; some, while they thinke that others hauehave taken it in hand, do let it alone; al, either remember the counsell of the wise man, that hProu. 26. ver. 4.thou must not alwayes answere a foole, least thou become like him, or if it were requisite to îvers. 5.answere him now least he seeme wise in his owne conceit, they straine curtesie who should doo it. For my part, least the Philistines should vaunt any longer, as if their were no man amongst the Israelites that durst fight with Goliath, or k1. Sam. 17.10.the Israelites be gréeued with hearing the host of the liuing God to be so defyed of an vncircumcised Philistin: I purposed through gods grace, though perhaps Goliath would hauehave disdained me as a childe, yet I purposed to set vponupon him in the name of the Lord of hostes, the God of the host of Israel. But when I had prepared my selfe to the battaile, and chosen smooth stones out of the brooke of Gods worde, l2. Cor. 10.4.which are mightie through God to cast downe holdes, & eueryevery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God: I heard that the matter was dispatched alreadie by mD. Fulkes Retentiue against Bristowes Motiuesa stoute and faithful souldiour of Christ, by whom many Philistines had before beene conquered. Whose worke (as I vnderstood since) is at the presse too, and shall be shortly published. Wherefore laying now aside my former purpose, I thought on that demaund and promise of Bristow touching the scripture and the Church, wherein he doth challenge and offer vsus the combat. For whereas a countrie man of ours, vnderunder the title of an vnlearned Christian, (concealing his own name,) had set foorth a booke touching the autoritie of Gods word & … Church: nDemaund. 34.Bristow willeth him to set out his booke, and put his name to it, with approbation of our Rabbines, and with priuilege, and promiseth that he shal quickly see it answered. This booke hauehave I sought for, but could not fall vponupon it, all the copies of it (as I ghesse) being sold. Neither knew I how to speake with the autor, who had cōcealed his name, I dout not but for good cause. But to satisfie, (if not wholy, yet as farre as I might) the chalēge of Bristow: I hauehave set out this litle treatise of the same point, with ye autours name thereto, & approbation, not of Rabbines, (whom we leaue to that Synagogue whose Matt. 2….7.rulers louelove to be called Rabbi, Rabbi, Maisters, & Doctours,) but of graue and learned men whom it concerneth. Which thing I hope will like him so much the better, because it compriseth not onelyonly that question touching the scripture and the Church that he desireth to be set out, but certaine other also of the same kinde, chiefly touching the Church, whereof he hath onelyonly the bare name to boast of. And I looke for an answere so much the sooner, because there are now fower yeares past, since pIn the title of his booke of Demaundes.he promised a Latin booke: to which whether it be come abroad already, or to come shortly, he may ioine (if it please him) an answere to these Conclusions. Wherein if he thinke it méete for him to deale, there are thrée things both easy to be doon, and reasonable (in my iudgement) which I will request him. One is, that he will set downe the text of my Conclusions wholy with his answere, (as I had determined to doo with his Demaundes,) that the readers may sée, what he confuteth, and how. An other, that he will not kicke against the prickes: that he will yéelde to the truth and not go about to darken the cléere light of the sunne of righteousnes with cauils and sclanders. The thirde, that if he be ashamed to say, the truth preuails against me: yet in reprouing such things as he assayeth to reproue, he will deale more soundly and sincerely then D. Stapleton hath doon in his Doctrinall Principles of faith, a worke more full of wordes then truth. For to confute our doctrine, qPrinc. fid. doctr. lib. 1. cap. 4.that the Church is the company of Gods elect and chosen, which we teach of the Catholike Church, and it is true: he teacheth rcap. 5.that euill men are mingled in the Church with good, the reprobate with the elect, which thing is also true in the militant Church. But true thinges agrée with true thinges; ne…her doth one truth ouerthrow an other. We hold▪ that the Catholike Church, which is commended to vsus in the Creede, is the whole company of Gods elect and chosen. He answereth, that the militant Church, which is mentioned in the scriptures too, containeth neither all the elect, nor them onelyonly. And by this answere he saith he hath confuted the errour and heresie of the *So he calleth vsus of Iohn Husse, a godly man, and holy martyr, who taught as we do concerning the Church.Hussites. But therein he dealeth like them of whom the prouerbe is, I asked for hookes, & they say they hauehave no mattokes. But (to returne to my purpose) I hauehave thought good to publish my Conclusions, euen in the same sort as they were set downe in verses, and opened with suppositions, according to the order of publike disputations of our Uniuersitie; the rather for this cause, that straungers might perceiue the kinde of our disputations; which and all things els of our Uniuersitie are so debased by sMo…iu. 3….Bristow, as if wisedom had béene borne with them alone, and should dye with them. Now these six Conclusions containe the chiefe fountaines,The …tat… and argument of the Conclusions. and as it were the very foundations of the controuersies, which we hauehave with the Church of Rome. That the light thereof will be some helpe, I trust, to such as are not wilfully blinde, to scatter Bristowes mistes,The first conclusion and all the mistie cauils of Bristowes mates and complices.
For where it is certaine by manifest proofe, as tIn catechismo Concil. Trid.the Church of Rome it selfe doth acknowledge, that the whole doctrine of religion and faith (which leadeth the faithfull to saluation and life by the true and right worship of God) is contained in Gods word: the Papists, to establish their superstitions and errours that are against the scripture, uIbid. in exord. catechism.diuide the worde of God into scripture and traditions; that what they can not finde in Gods writen worde, they may cauill that is was ordered by Gods traditionarie word, so to terme it. An old sleight and policie of the ympes of Satan, wherewith first the Scribes and Pharises of the Iewes did craftily assay to beguyle our Sauiour Christ, as the xMatt. 15.2. Mark. 7.5.Euangelistes hauehave writen: afterwarde the heretikes yHieron. comment. in Aggae. cap. 1.Tatian, zIren. cont. haeres. lib. 3. c. 2.Valentinus, Marcion, and their felowes assayed in like sort to beguyle Christians, as Ierom and Irenaeus shew. And these are the parents of that corrupt opinion concerning traditions, which are called Apostolike as by aMaximé de Tatiani radice crescentibus. Hieron. in Agg. cap. 1.olde heretikes, so by bBrist. Demaund. 29. Motiu. 9.new. The Roman Church embraceth the opinion as her owne childe: litle considering that it is a bastard, not conceyued by Christ, but got by theft from old heretikes. Unlesse perhaps she had it rather by adoption from Marcus Antonius: who cCic. in Anton. Philip. 2.when the Senate had ratified the actes of Caesar, he added to Caesars acts what he listed, and would hauehave it to stand as sure as if Caesar him selfe had enacted it. But that the opinion it selfe is a bastard (whosoeuer begot it, an heretike or an Heathen) and therefore to be shut out of dDeu. 23.2.the Lordes assemblie, which bastardes are forbidden to enter into, my first Conclusion sheweth: wherein I hauehave declared that the holy scripture teacheth the Church all thinges necessarie to saluation.
Now, the Papists, being cast downe from this bulwarke, retyre vntounto the Church, The second conclusion.and say thereof e24. q. 1. c. a recta. in glossa Catechis. Trid. in expos. Symb.it can not erre: that although their traditions, that is, their errours, did not spring from Christ, yet can they hauehave no faute, because the Church doth hold them. fIn Thalia.Herodotus reporteth, that Cambyses king of Persia, burning with wicked louelove of his owne sister, asked the Persian iudges whether hee might mary her by the law of the realme. Whereto they made answere after consultation, that they found no law which permitteth a brother to mary his sister: but an other law they had found yet, which permitteth the king of Persians to do what he list. The Persian iudges offended, if they fained this law: the Persians, if they made it. But vponupon that answere Cambyses did ioyne him self inces…uously in mariage with his sister. The Heathens hauehave reproued this fact of his, as wicked: and is not the Papists …act most like vntounto it? The Roman Church, the Quéene of Ba…ylon, hath burned with a cursed desire, not of her brother, as Cambyses of his sister, but of idols & superstitions. The aduise of Bishops, the Roman iudges, hath béene asked, whether she might mary superstitions and idols by the law of Christ. The Bishops hauehave caused the scriptures to be serched, and they finde no law whereby the worship of idols and superstitions is permitted: but an other law they hauehave found yet which prouideth that the Church can not erre in decreeing any thing. The Roman iudges offended who fained this law: the Romanists, who allow it. But vponupon this sentence their Church pretendeth mariage, committeth adulterie, with superstitions and idols in most abominable sort. Yet gDemaund. 1. & 34.Bristow layeth it in the foundation of his house, and maketh mention of it as if it were the law of Austin, yea of Christ: but impudently, and fasly; that it may well appéere he neither knew what Christ said, nor what Austin meant. Wherefore to ouerthrow the ruinous walles both of the house, and the foundation, I hauehave set the second Conclusion against it: which proueth manifestly that the militant Church may erre not in maners only, but in doctrine too.
And that being settled doth séeme withall to settle & strengthen the third: wherein it is auouched,The third conclusiō. that the holy scripture is of greater credit and autoritie then the Church. Truly, I should maruaile, that it could euer come into the minde of any man to thinke otherwise: had not S. h2. Thess. 2.4.Paul foretold that the man of sinne, the sonne of perdition, should sit in the temple of God, & exalt him self aboue God. Which prophecie hath béene fulfilled in their eyes, who hauehave séene Antichrist preferred before Christ: & they hauehave séene Antichrist preferred before Christ, who hauehave séene the Church aduanced aboue the scripture. For what is detracted from the scripture, the worde of Christ; that is in déede detracted from Christ, the autour of the word. And that, which in shew is yéelded to the Church; is attributed in truth to the Pope of Rome. Both these thinges are euident by iEcclesia…. hierar. lib. 1. & 4▪Albertus Pighius: whose sayinges, concerning the scripture and the Church, although they bee very insolent and vngodly: yet there were amongst them who liued before Pighius euen of the chiefetaines of the Romish Church, as namely kConcil. Constant. Sess. 13. Hoc non obstance.the Fathers of the Councell of Constance, and Cardinall lEpist. 2. & 3. ad Bohemos.Cusanus, who spake more insolently. They who liued since, hauehave kept the sense and substance of Cusanus, and Pighius, in that they geue a Princely or rather a tyrannicall autoritie to the Church for expounding the scripture, as Cardinall mLib. de express. Dei verboHosius dooth. But they hauehave put fresh colours on it, and qualified as it were the rigour of the spéeches: in so much that nDemaund. 24.Bristow (treading the steppes of oIn confess. Petricou. cap. 15. & 16. & 19.Hosius,) requyreth not greater autoritie for the Church, but séemeth wel content to make it equall with the scripture. Howbeit, hee speaketh so, I know not how, that I dare not auouch he is of that mind. For though he doo chalenge like obedience to them both, like truth, like priuilege to be frée from errour: yet in that hée addeth, that we beleeue the scripture because of the Church, if he come as néere to the meaning of pEpist. 3. ad Bohemos.Cusanus as he dooth to his wordes, that he thinke the scriptures credit and autoritie dependeth of the Church, and the Church imparteth autoritie canonicall (as qEcclesiast. hi…rarch. lib. 1. cap. 2.Pighius expresly saith) vntounto the scripture: he hath a harder forhead then I thought he had. Yet rDefens. fid. Trident. lib. 3.Andradius, the expounder and patrone of the faith of Trent, speaketh much more modestly and religiously (to geue him his due praise) of the autoritie of the scriptures. Which first he acknowledgeth that they hauehave not from men, but from God; not from the Church, but from the holy Ghost: and then he concludeth thereof, that it is detestable to teach that either profane bookes may be made canonicall by the Church & Bishops, or such as are certainly canonicall may be refused. Of the which things to affirme the one (he saith) it is a point of notorious impudencie: the other, of madnesse and impietie not to be suffered. O that Andradius had likewise detested the *Reu. 17.4.cuppe of the whoores abominations in other things? Or, (sith he is dead,) I would to God that all Christians, who of godly mind mislike somewhat in her, (and who dooth not mislike somewhat?) would mislike the rest of all her filthinesse too: nor onelyonly be Christians almost, as Agrippa, but like both almost and altogether to Paul, The fourth conclusionas sAct. 26.29.Paul did wish to him.
To the which end that I might help them forward, as much as lay in me: I hauehave doone the best I can to heale the dangerous humors of opinions, which do so anoy the tast of séely soules, that they thinke the heauenly bread to be poyson, and abhorre the swéetest foode of life as woormwood. These humours, that I speake off, are peruerse errours, which seduce them from the truth in that article of our Créede, I beleeue the holy catholike Church. For some are perswaded, that the name of holy Church belongeth not to the whole company of the Christian people, but to the Ministers onelyonly and Bishops of the Church: no not to the Ministers of eueryevery Church neither, but of the Church of Rome, euen the Pope and Cardinals. Whom to hauehave gotten by a certaine custome to be called the church, and that the church had doon, receiued, and ordeined, that which was do on, receiued, and ordeined by them: tIn defensore pacis. part. 2. cap. 2.Marsilius Patauinus did note in *Aboue two hundred yeres agoe.his age, and it is too well knowen vntounto men of yéeres. Other some, and they of the lernedder sort, acknowledge that the Church doth signifie the company of faithfull men, and beléeuers, but they wil hauehave that company to bée uFrancise. Turrian. de eccles. & ord. min. lib. 1. cap. 2.a people assembled by their own Bishop, and cleauing to the head, that is, to the Pope, least the Papall State be any way impaired. They comprehende therefore all such within that company as doo professe the faith, both the good and badde, holy and profane, godly and hypocrites. There are some also who thinke that by this point [to beleeue the holy church] the churches authoritie is commended to vsus: that we should trust, credite, and obey the church, which xCatechism. Conc. Trident. in exposit. Symb.the Councell of Trent (it séemeth) would insinuate, though somewhat darkely and distrustfully. But yDemaund. 44.Bristow therein dooth beare the bell away. For he (the more easily to deceiue English men, at least the simpler, if not all) worketh treacherie with the dooble signification of wordes; expounding this article, 1foreign. Credo ecclesiam.I beleeue the Church, as if the meaning of it were, 2foreign. Credo ecclesiae▪I trust the Church: betwéene the which things there is great difference, and that very manifest, in the Gréeke and Latin, though in our mother tounge not so. Yet this man was created Doctor at D…way: and some doo account him a man of much value. O wretched professors of the Doway-schoole, that created such a Doctour: but more wretched Papistes, if they geue credit to such a Doctour: who whether he be sophister or sclaunderer more notable, it is harde to say. A learned man among the Heathens (if I remember well) said, that physicians can not finde a medicine against the byting of a sclaunderer. But, because zLuk. 18.27.the things are possible with God which are impossible with men: therefore vponupon confidence of his gracious goodnes I hauehave assayed to make one against the biting of this sclaunderer, and of the like, in the fourth Conclusion: wherein I hauehave declared, (setting apart the Prelates of the Church of Rome, and goates mingled with shéepe) that the holy Catholike Church which we beleeue, is the whole companie of Gods elect and chosen.
The fifth conclusionMoreouer, least the painting of the Romish Church should make vnskilfull young men to be enamored of her, when they should heare many commend her as Catholike, Apostolike, and sound in faith: to take this visard also away from her face, & wash away her painting with water of the holy Ghost, I hauehave added ye fifth Conclusion, that the Church of Rome is not the Catholike Church, nor a sound member of the Catholike church. A matter, cléere in truth, but hard to be perswaded: specially to louers: for Cupide is blinde. And as he saith in aIn Bucolia…t.Theocritus, The things that are not faire, seeme faire to him that is in louelove. Daphnis in the Poet saith so to Polyphemus: we by experience hauehave found it true in Bristow. For he, being besotted with the louelove of the whoore, is not content to say that she alone is Catholike: that errour were more tolerable; at least it were an error common to him with many. But bDemaund. 44.he affirmeth farther, that the Church might be & was called Apostolike, for this cause onelyonly, that we might be directed thereby as by a marke to the Church of Rome, founded by the Apostles Peter and Paul, the onelyonly Church now left of all the Churches Apostolike. Which flattering spéech of this louer c…atechism. Concil. Trident. in exposit. Symb.the Pope of Rome himselfe, the bridegroome of his Church, though doating on his bride too, yet refuseth: acknowledging that the Church was called Apostolike (by dIn Symbolo Concil. Constantinopolit.the Fathers in the Creede) to note the beginning of the Church which it hath from the Apostles, because they deliuered once the Churches doctrine, and spread it abroad through all the world. As for them eBristow Motiu. 12.that geue the title of Catholike to the Church of Rome: they must take aduisement how to cléere their boldnesse from attaint of sacriledge, who decke an adulteresse with the spoiles of the spouse of Christ; or, (to thinke the best of the Church of Rome,) who spoile the mother to decke the daughter, and her not the best, with great wrong and iniurie to the rest of the sisters. For the name of Catholike dooth not appertaine to this or that Church, but to the Church vniuersall, continued through all nations, ages, and prouinces, from Adam vntounto vsus and to our posteritie: as the fCatechism. Trid. in expo. Symb.Councell of Trent and the gAndrad. defens. fid. Trid, lib. 2. Petr. a Soto▪ contr. confes. Wirtenb. cap. de ecclesia.expounders of the Councell (such is the force of truth) doo confesse plainly. But the chiefest errour that is to be abated, is theirs, who are perswaded that the Church of Rome is of right opinion and sound in points of faith: yea, so sound and right, that they think no pestilent disease may attache her, no contagion infect her, no spot of vnfaithfulnes any way defile her. Of the which assertion they alleage the Fathers, (to omitte the residue, men of baser credit,) for principall patrones. And therein hDefens. fid. Trident. lib. 2.Andradius dealeth somewhat wisely. For he dooth heape together witnesses without testimonies, the geuers of euidence without euidence, Austins, Ieroms, Basils, Athanases, and Chrysostoms. But iDe vi…ib. Monar. eccle. lib. 7.Sanders much more gloriously. For he hath laide on such a l…ade of testimonies, that, if the sayings should be numbred and not weighed, we must léese our suite, no remedy. But all the Fathers (whom this pety-lawier produceth as speakers for the Popes monarchie,) doo either deny that the Church of Rome did erre, or that it may erre: did erre, as kAduers. haeres. lib. 3. cap. 3. Sander argumento 20,Irenaeus, In the Church of Rome that doctrine hath beene kept still which was deliuered by the Apostles: may erre, as l.Lib. 1. epist 3. aut epist. 55▪ edit. Pam. Sander. argum. 42.Cyprian, that the Romanes are they whose faith is commended and praysed by the Apostle, vntounto whom vnfaithfulnes can not hauehave accesse. The former, who deny that the Church of Rome did erre, speake not against vsus. For we doo not say that it did erre in Irenaeus time, but that it dooth erre now. He denyeth that it did erre: we say that it dooth erre: doo we gainesay one another? Ierusalem is called mPs. 48. ver. 1.the citie of God by the Psalmist, and nver. 9.he is said there to be serued: oEsay. 1, 21.Esay termeth it an harlot. The temple of the Lord is named p1. King. 8.20.the house of God, the house of prayer, by Salomon: by Christ it is reported to be qMat. 21.13.a denne of theeues. Dooth Esay speake against the Psalmist, or Christ against Salomon? No, but the Psalmist sheweth what Ierusalem was, in his time: Esay, what in his. rEsai. 1.21.The faithfull citie is become an harlot: it was a faithfull citie, but it is become an harlot. Salomon teacheth what the house of God ought to be: Christ, what it is made. sMatt. 21.13.You hauehave made it a denne of theues: it was not to Salomon, but you hauehave made it. So Rome was likewise sound in the time of the Fathers, but the faithfull citie is become an harlot: the soundnes it hath lost, it hath got a leprousie: it was the house of God, it is a denne of théeues: it held tRom. 1.8.the faith of Christ, but it is fallen from it. It had kept the doctrine still which was deliuered by the Apostles, vntill the time of Irenaeus: but that it hath kept still vntil our time the doctrin which was deliuered by the Apostles, doth it thereof folow? Unlesse perhaps the Popes Courtiers will proue, that the whoores, the Courtisans which keepe their stewes, are virgins, because they were virgins when they were litle babes. The former Fathers then, who deny that ye church of Rome did erre, doo not gainsay vsus. The later, who deny that it may erre, gainsay vsus in deed: but they gainesay ye holy Ghost too. By whose inspiration the blessed Apostle exhorting the Roman church not to lift vp it selfe against the Iewes: mRom. 11.20.Be not high minded (saith he) but feare. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed least he also spare not thee. Behold there fore the bountifulnes and seueritie of God: seueritie toward thē which hauehave fallen; but toward thee, bountifulnes, if thou continue in his bountifulnes: or els thou shalt also be cut off. The church of Rome therefore may be cut of: if cut of, then erre: if erre, then vnfaithfulnes may hauehave accesse vntounto it. What? and was Cyprian of an other minde? Pardon me O Cyprian: I would beléeue thée gladly, but that beléeuing thee I should not beléeue the word of God. But whether we should rather beléeue, God, or man: let the Papists iudge. At least, if they beléeue rather man then God: let them beléeue the reason and iudgement of their owne men. For nPet…. a Soto contr. confess. Wirtenb. cap. de concilijs.Sotus, oAlfons. a Castr. aduers. haeres. lib. 1. cap. 8.Alfonsus, pConfess. Petric. cap. 24. & contr. Brent. lib. 2.Hosius, qDisputatio num aduersus Lutheranos Tom. 6. de authorit. & potest. vniuer. eccles. cap. 5.Verratus, the lightes of the Papists, doo witnesse that any particular church may erre. But that the church of Rome is a particular church, the same rIbid. cap. 1.Verratus affirmeth, nor can the rest deny it. Wherefore if Cyprian did thinke that the church of Rome can not erre: in that he must him selfe be condemned of errour by the Papists iudgement. And so, whereas all the testimonies of the Fathers are of two sortes, the one of them true, but cleane beside the purpose; the other to the purpose enough, but vntrue: it foloweth that the sicknes of the Church of Rome can finde no helpe in any medicines of the Fathers. What hauehave we then to doo with them by whom olde Rome is praysed and reported sIren. lib. 3. cap. 3. Sander. argument. 4.to gather together Christians to peace, and repaire their faith, tDionys. epist. ad Soter. apud. Euseb. l. 4 c. 22. Sander. arg. 15.to minister reliefe vntounto the brethren & the Churches, uEpiscop. Orient. in ep. ad Iul. apud Sozomen. lib. 3. cap. 7. Sander. arg. 109.to be a schoole of the Apostles, a mother-citie of godlinesse, xIgnat. in inscri. ep. ad Rom. Sander. arg. 5.a sanctified Church, and such like things a number? We hauehave to doo with new Rome, whom yPlatin. Onuphr. Sabellic. Guicciardin. Theodoric. a Niem. Abbas Vrsperg. &c.her owne stories, actes, and monuments doo conuince to be a nurse of wars, a parent of vnfaithfulnesse, a spoyler of the brethren, a worshipper of idols, a seate of couetousnesse, a ladie of pride, a cherisher & inflamer of lustes, of outrages, of abominations: whose most louing zA famous Fryer ad Diuin…, Baptista Mantuanus.sonne complaineth of his mother, that aEcloga. 9.her old fame continueth, but her goodnesse is gone; that her Pastours are turned into the shape of woolues, the neerer you come the filthier all thinges be; that bEcloga. 5.trifles are giuen, gold is receyued, and onelyonly money raigneth there; that cDe calamitat. tempor. lib. 3.the Church-goods are made to serue for scoffers, the altars for wantons, the temples for boyes abused by vnnaturall monsters; that dSyluar. lib. 1. Ode. vl….the lawes diuine and humane are denyed, men and God deceiued, holinesse put to flight, godlinesse despised, renounced, and afflicted:
Yet that a holy life would leade, from Rome see that ye flee:
Though al things els be lawful there, yet good ye may not be.
And these may séeme (I hope) both weightie causes, and iust,The sixth conclusiō. why the reformed Churches (to come to the last Conclusion) in England, Scotland, Fraunce, Germany, & other kingdomes & commō wealthes, hauehave seuered them selues from the corruption of Rome. Though if this were al, that it were not lawful to lead a holy life at Rome, yt we might not be good, as Mantuan affirmeth: we would hauehave departed from ye citie of Rome as Mantuan aduiseth vsus, but we would not hauehave gone frō the Church of Rome. If onelyonly smal infirmities had cra…ed the health of Rome in pointes of faith, such as certaine did in ye time of the Fathers: we would hauehave lamented▪ but tolerated it; &, taking compassion of eGal. 6.2.men being vnwarily fallen into a faute, we would hauehave born their burdens. But sith in the felowship of ye Church of Rome it was not lawful for vsus, either to serue God with a holy worship, or to beléeue God with a holy faith, as God hath commanded; sith the Church of Rome being taken with contagious diseases & a frensy, did put her counsellers to the fyer, frends to the sword, brethren to cruell death, and stained the faith of Christ with reproches, creatures with the Lordes honour, Gods seruice with idolatrie: we went away from Papists, not willingly, as from men; not vnwillingly, as from heretikes; and reforming our Churches by the rule of Gods worde, we seuered them from the contagion of the Church of Rome. Wherin because nothing was doon by our brethren, but that which the Apostle S. Paul, a chosen instrument of the holy Ghost, both fAct. 19.9.did, and g1. Tim. 6.5. 1. Cor. 6.17.taught to be doon, as I hauehave proued in the Conclusion: the Lord shal iudge beweene our Churches and hDemaund. 1.Bristow, who condemneth them of the same schisme, of which the Donatists were guiltie; and he will giuegive sentence in the last day that we hauehave beene seuered from the Church of Rome by the prescript of his word, that is, lawfully. But, some man will say, you ought not to leaue the felowship of the Romans, of iRom. 1.7.them which are at Rome, beloued of God, Saints by calling, whose faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. But, I answere, that the Romans, which now are there, be not Romans: they be carkases of Romans. It is an other Milo: his lustie armes are dead. It is an other Hector: how greatly chaunged from him? But you ought to obey and not resist the Pope of Rome, 1Optimusmost good in grace, 2Maximus as ye Papists call him.most great in power, the vicar of Christ, k1. Pe…. 5.3.the successour of Peter. But, that lAndrad. defen. fid. …rid. lib. 1.we must resist him, if he command thinges vniust and pernicious yea, that mGent. …eruet. de reparand. eccles. d…sciplin.it is the dutie of Princes to resist him in vnlawfull thinges: the Papists them selues teach. But Christians ought to nEphes. 4.3.keepe vnitie of spirit in the bond of peace: and oCicer. Philip. 13.the name of peace is sweeete, the thing it selfe both pleasant and healthfull. But through vnitie of spirit we ought to grow together pEphes. 4.13.into the vnitie of of faith: and to qPhilip. 4.2.be all of one minde, but in the Lord. If peace should be made with the Pope and Papists, it would be like rCicer. Philipp. 12.the peace with Antonie and his adherents; that is, not a peace, sEurip. Iphig…. in Aul…d.but an agreement of slauery to them, nay, of impietie. Wherefore, as Agamemnon (in a Gréeke Poet) did answere his brother Menelaus of whom he was requested to shew him selfe a brother by giuing his consent to a wicked act: so doo I answere my brother requesting me to ioyne with him in felowship of the Church of Rome, whose faith is vnholy, whose seruice is vngodly;
*foreign.My wittes I would enioy with thee:
But madde with thee I would not bee.
And here an ende of my preface. OnelyOnly this remaineth, that I desire hartily and beséech all Christians, who shall take paines in reading hereof, that they will reade, weigh, and interpret all thinges with a Christian minde; lay aside the preiudice of their owne opinions; t1. Ioh. 4.1.examin the spirits, whether they be of God or no; séeke to finde the truth, and louelove it being found; aduertise me if they thinke I hauehave missed in any thing; beare with my briefenes, because I was constrained to shut vp much in few wordes: looke how faithfull and diligent I hauehave béene in opening and prouing the Conclusions, whereof God is my witnes who will reu…ale the secretes of thoughtes; so moderate and indifferent let them shew them selues in censuring and iudging of that which they shall reade, as before the Lord who shal be iudge of iudges. Finally, let them folow the godly people of Beroea, who (when Paul uAct. 17.11.preached) receiued the word with al readines of mind, and dayly serched the scriptures whether those things were so: & not the froward Luciferians, xHieron. in dialog. aduersus Lucif. c. 9.of whom he confesseth who best knew the maners of his owne companions, that they might be conuinced more easily then perswaded. As for you, my fathers and brethren welbeloued, with remembrance of whom I hauehave consecrated my labour (such as it is) to the Church of God: I pray you and beséech you by our Lord Iesus Christ, who hath redéemed vsus with his pretious blood and sanctified vsus to him selfe, that you will striue by all meanes to aduance the glory of God, to cherish the séedes of godlinesse, to helpe forward the Churches safetie, to nourish fruitfull plantes, to make the Uniuersities praise to be encreased, I meane yRom. 2.29.the prayse which is, not of men, but of God. Confute you the ill spéeches of Bristow, by your deedes: and shew, by your workes, that the crimes wherewith hee chargeth vsus are sclanders. Bestow ye well the good oportunitie of time in studie of good artes, by hearing, reading, disputing, meditating, speaking, and writing. Doo ye the worke of the Lord with ioynt desire, and will, and trauaile: zEph. 4.4.one body, one spirit, aIer. 32.39.one hart, one way. Stirre vp exercise of learning, decayed (I had almost said,) but I hope better. Destroy those wanton lusts that draw men from studie; idlenes, a swéete euill; delicacie, the baite of Venus; the ryote of feasts, the vanitie of apparell, vnhonest pastimes, vnseasonable drinkinges, the plagues of stageplayers, the sights and shewes of Theaters. Last of all, to conclude with the Apostles wordes, bPhil. 4.8.whatsoeuer things are true, what soeuer things are honest, whatsoeuer things are iust, whatsoeuer things are pure, whatsoeuer things are woorthie louelove, whatsoeuer things are of good report, if there be anie vertue, and if there be any praise, thinke ye on these things. If there be any vertue, and if there be any praise, brethren, thinke ye on these things. The God of might and merciemercy lighten vsus all with the grace of his holy spirit: that the heads of Colleges may be present to gouerne, and gouerne to benefit the companie committed to them, c1. Sam. 19. ver. 20.as Samuel was wont: that the members of Colleges may lerne vnderunder Samuel to prophecie, by speaking of, and setting foorth the praise of God, as the prophets did: that young men, who studie the artes of humanitie, may in other things be vnlike to Saul, yet like to dver. 2….Saul among the prophets: that Colleges themselues and all our companies may be assemblies, not of prophets onelyonly, but of such as prophecie and folow the lessons of the prophets, to the honor of God, the comfort of the godly, and our owne saluation, through Iesu Christ our Lord. Fare ye well. From Corpus Christi College. The 2. of February. 1580.
Yours in Christ Iesus, Iohn Rainoldes.