Answer Unto Assertion that Church of Rome is the True Church, Answer 4
Answeare.
ECclesia est sancta. Another note to discerne the Church by, is Holines: for the Church is the temple of God, & therefore not prophane, but holy, as it is written.1. Pet. cap. 1. Be ye holy for I am holy. This sanctification and holinesse wee hauehave not by nature, but by grace. The pathes of godlines and true holines, are descried by the word of God, our naturall witte iudgeth not aright thereof. The word of God as it doth discouer the right way and declare what works be acceptable to GOD, so it doeth by exhortation quicken and stirre vsus vp therevnto, and therefore our Saui-Christ in the prayer that he made to his father for the Church,Iohn. 17. hath these woordes: Sanctifica eos veritate tua sermo tuus veritas est. Sanctifie them with thy trueth, thy woord is trueth.Ephes. 4. And in the Epistle to the Ephesians this word Truth is ioined with righteousnesse and holines, as a marke to distinguish betweene true and counterfaite woorkes. His woordes are these Induite nouum hominem, qui secundum deum creatus est in iustitia & sanctitate veritatis. Put on the newe man which is created after God in righteousnes & holines of trueth, or in righteousnes and true holines. And in the next Chapter the Apostle likewise coupleth the trueth with goodnes & righteousnes. Vt filij lucis incedite, nam fructus, Iohn. 15.spiritus situs est in omni bonitate, et iustitia, & veritate, probantes quid sit acceptum domino. Our Sauiour Christ saith, iam vos puri estis propter sermonem quem loquutus sum vobis. Now you are holy by reason of the woorde that I hauehave spoken vntounto you. The tree must be good before the fruite be good: we must be sanctified with the truth before we can bring forth fruits of true sāctification and holinesse. As for your church she hideth the word of trueth, the holy scriptures, from the people in an vnknowen tongue, and mainteineth workes doene of a good intent, which the Scripture condemneth,Num…ri. 15. when they hauehave no warrant frō the word. Your fruites therfore may seem faire to the eye, but to the cast & triall they can not be good, because you are not good tres your selues: good trees you are not, because you want the sap of ye truth & word of God and are fedde with inuentions and traditions of men, and your owne good intents and deuotions. I knowe you looke that I should prooue this out of the Fathers, to wit, that we must hauehave in vsus the good seede of the woord, before wee can bring foorth good woorkes acceptable to God, and that it is required that we our selues should be good, before we bring forth good fruite. Wherefore I am to require you, to consider what Chrysostome writeth of this matter.Chrysost. De fide & lege naturae & sancto spirit. Offendes equidem multos, qui quamuis sermonem veritatis non acceperint, & foris sint, operibus tamen pietatis, vt apparet, sunt conspicui. Inuenies viros misericordes, compatientes, iustitiae vacantes: sed nullos facientes fructus operum, quia nescierint opus veritatis. Thou shalt finde many, who although they hauehave not receiued the woord of truth, but are without, yet notwithstanding are, as it appeareth, famous for their good woorkes: thou shalt finde men mercifull, full of compassion, geuen to vpright dealing, but for al that, bringing forth no fruites, but leaues of woorkes, because they bee ignorant of the woorke of trueth. VntoUnto him agreeth Hierome. his woordes are these.Hieron. in Agg…. capi. 2. Quia haec mandata sunt nobis, vt ponamus corda nostra in vus nostris, ascendamus in montem rationabilem: & ad singula problemata congrua de testimoniis Scripturarum ligna quaerentes, praecédamus ea, & aedificemus domum sapientiae in nobis: postquam enim haec fuerit extructa, finis aedificationis eius, erit, vt dominus glorificetur in nobis. Because these thinges are geuen vsus in commaundement, that wee should set our heartes vponupon our waies, let vsus goe vp vntounto the mountaine of wisdome, and for euerie doubt seking fitte wood out of the testimonies of the Scriptures: let vsus cut it downe, and builde a house of wisedome within vsus, for after that shall once bee built, the end of that building shalbe, that the Lorde may be glorified in vsus. And vponupon the second chapter hee speaketh yet more plainely vponupon this matter. Possumus dicere frustra aliquos munera offerre Deo, Hieron. in Agge, cap. 2.& eleemosynis atque oblationibus putare Deum posse placari: cum ipsi non extruxerint in se templū spiritui sancto, tunc enim {pro}sūt eleemosynae & munera quae offeruntur in altari, cū seipsum quis aedificauerit tēplū dei et post aedificationē tēpli, dona obtulerit in altari. We may say that these men do offer giftes in vaine to God, and thinke that God will be pacified with almes and offeringes, when they hauehave not built in themselues a Temple for the holy Ghost. For then are almes acceptable & gifts which are offered vponupon the altar, when a man hath first built himselfe the temple of God, & after the building of the Temple, shall offer giftes vponupon the altar. This woord of God which is the wood appointed for the building of the Temple of God, you are nothing acquainted withal, you are not often conuersant in the profitable reading and hearing thereof, and therefore no marueile if neither your faith be grounded vponupon the promises in the woord, nor your direction for good woorkes be taken out of the Lawe of God, but followe custome and your owne deuotion, to guide you vntounto that which you trust vponupon, and to those woorkes which you were woont to doe. As before you learned out of the scriptures: so nowe you perceiue by the fathers that no man can offer an acceptable gift vntounto God, before there be a temple of God, and the matter that maketh vsus the temple of God, is not founde in our owne deuotiō, but only to be had in the written woord of God. Order therfore would that before you had told vsus of the sacrifices & offerings to be made, you had admonished vsus of the building of that Temple, where the sacrifice must be offered if it bee acceptable vntounto God. You should hauehave told vsus that we …ut of the comfortes and promises of the woorde, were first to be made liuing vntounto God, and then to hauehave required of vsus good woorkes the testimonies of this life. I see no difference betweene this your teaching of workes & theirs who are Ethnickes & heathen men, for they hauehave required and practised many good woorkes, before they them selues through faith in the word were made good and acceptable vntounto God. Learne therfore if you wil not of the scriptures, yet of the fathers, to be come a Temple made of that wood which he hath appointed, before you make any greate accompte of the good deeds & oblatiōs wt you do offer vntounto him. Now let vsus see your fruites and go… woorkes. The fruites of sanctification and holynesse you make chastitie of life, almes deedes, fastings, building of Churches, Vniuersities, Colledges, Hospitalles, lending of money for charitie and not for vsurie, and praier for the deade. I hauehave with some diligence perused the xi.Hebr. 11. chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrues, where I see the good works and fruites of the best men, for the which they hauehave got them an euerlasting remēbrance by the testimonie of the spirit of God, and are set foorth as paterns and examples of true obedience. I finde there no mention of manie of these which you doe set forth as the principall woorkes, but great commendation of others which you hauehave not so much as once named. I doe finde there great commendation of one Abraham the father of the faithfull, a great rich man, not for building of Churches, Hospitalles, or Colledges, but for leauing his friendes, and countrie, going out from among them, at the commaundement of the Lorde, not knowing where to become. Wee are able to shewe you many such g…od workes among vsus.Roma. 15. For diuers in this land of great wealth, hauehave in the late dayes of Queene Mary for their conscience sake, in iustifing the cause of his Gospel,1. Corint. 1. and therfore at his cōmandemenr, left frendes, landes, goods, and coūtry, not knowing where to become. I doe read there of one Moses, a milde and mercifull man by the testimony of the holy Ghost, commended not for lending of mony without taking interest, or building of Hospitalles for poore and impotent men, neither yet for mercifull remembrance (as ye do counte it) of the dead in his prayers: but for that he refused to be called the sonne of Pharao his daughter,August. epis. 1…5 and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of god, thā to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season. And if this bee a good worke wee can shew you many of these. Peruse that chapter, consider the men there mentioned, you shall finde that they were of the best.Iere. 32. vers. 32. Examine the fruites of their faith, their good deedes, & cōpare thē with the most of these that you hauehave recited, & doe require. Note the varietie. Marke howe many of yours ye can finde registered there, that is a true kalender of Christian workes, they are no counterfaits, they cā not but kepe waight, for they are currant by the lawe of God.
Blame mee not if I doe require your carefull consideration hereof, for the diuersitie of these Spirits maye not lightly be let passe. The one sauereth of the earth so doeth not the other. For if a wordly man that was neuer brought vp in the schole of Christ, bee asked his iudgement betweene the good deede of that man whoe doeth builde a Colledge, and of another whoe leaueth his countrie with Abraham at the commandement of God: he wil preferre that of buildinge a Colledge farre aboue the other, as beinge a visible monument that contineweth for euer, commodious to many: full of glory in the iudgement almost of eueryevery man: whereas the memory of thother passeth awaye with the deede done, commodious (as cōmoditie is measured in worldly respects) vntounto none, subiect vntounto the mislikinge of an infinit nomber. And as concerninge all those deedes that you do reckon vp in forme and manner as you doe them, wicked men hauehave practised thē all, & men that neuer heard of the Gospel wold if cōparison were made, preferre them before these which are registred by the holy Ghost, as the best deedes of the best men. Yours would weigh more with wordly minded men. And therefore we may safely say that they are of th' earth & not from aboue, for the world loueth and liketh her owne. My meaninge is not to speake against or to mislike in any respect, buildinge of Colledges Hospitals & churches, when they proceede of a hart purified by faith, & therfore seking the glory of god & not his own therin, & be ordeyned for the aduauncinge of God his word & true worship, not to the maintenaunce of Idolatry and superstition. Thus much generally for workes, to let you see what is ye sappe that maketh the tree good, & what be the frutes that are left in the register of the holye Ghost, as the best workes of the best men. Now let vsus come particularly vntounto the seueral good deedes wt you set downe. First for prayer. Wee vse and practise it as the speciall weapon of a Christian souldiour, we offer it vntounto God as a speciall part of his glory, which he will not communicate with any other: wee teache men to pray in spirit and trueth: not in an vnknowne tongue without any vnderstanding of the trueth, and therfore without any affectiō of spirit vntounto that trueth. The scripture that commendeth fastinge and alloweth it, neither knoweth nor approueth your manner of fasting. Compare your fasting with that which we doe read of Ioel. cap. 2. Ionas cap. 3. Nehemias. 9. the second of the Chronicles. cap. 20. You shal finde no more resemblāce betweene thē, than is betweene whyte & blacke. In these fastinges there were special occasions, thereof and speciall prayers conceiued & made thervpō for their release: there was no abstinēce from one kinde of meate, & liberty for another, but abstinēce frō all meats for that time. With you special occasiō doeth not appoint the time: but your set dayes and times, bring on all the occasion that you hauehave. Their prayers were peculiar according to the occasion, you hauehave no special and peculiar prayers, as you hauehave not any peculiar occasion:
With you, there is not abstinence from al …inde of meat for that time, but change of …ne kinde of meat for another, and that of …entimes no lesse delicat thē the other. So that you may well bee nombred with those men against whome Ierome speaketh Ad Nepotianum. Quid prodest oleo non vesci, Hieron ad Nepotianum.& molestias quasdam difficultatésque ciborum quaerere, Caricas, piper, nuces, palmarum fructus, similam, mel, pistacia? tota hortorum cultura vexatur, vt cibario non vescamur pane, & dum delitias sectamur è regno coelorum retrahimur. Audio praeterea quosdā contra rerum hominúmque naturam, aquam non bibere, nec vesci pane, sed sorbitiunculas delicatas, & contrita olera, betarúmque succum, non calice sorbere sed concha. Proh pudor, non erubescimus istiusmodi ineptijs, nec taedet superstitionis? insuper etiam famam abstínentiae in delitiis quaerimus? What auaileth it not to feede of oile, and to seeke for the driest and hardest meates, as dry figges, pepper, nuttes, dates, manchets, hony, and those nuttes, which the Apothecaries doe much vse, al the garden is troubled, that wee might not eat common meat, & while we follow after dainties we are drawne from the kingdom of god. I doe heare moreouer that there are certaine men, which contrary to the nature of men, neither drinke water nor eat bread, but suppe delicate brothes, and suppinges, pothearbes brayed, & the iuice of Beetes not out of a cuppe, but out of a shell. Fye for shame doe ye not blush at this folly? are you not ashamed of superstition. Moreouer we doe seke the commendation of abstinēcye in such dainties. You se here howe auncient your kind of fastinge is, and what Ieroms iudgement is of such fastes, where ordinary meates are changed with delicat dainties. If he were liuinge to beholde your common kind of fastinge, hee woulde surely renewe his oulde complaint against the superstitious fastes of his time & say, Proh pudor, non erubescitis istiusmodi ineptijs, nec taedet superstitionis, insuper etiam famā abstinentiae in delitijs quaeritis? We hauehave not onelyonly to charge your fastes as Ierom did the superstitious abstinēce of his tyme: but also as the Prophet doeth the prophane fastinge of that tyme that hee liued in.Esay. 58. Ecce in die ieiunij vestri inuenitur voluntas vestra. Beholde in the daye of …our fast you are founde to doe your owne will. As their fastinge was not regarded of the Lord, because their owne will was satisfied and not the Lordes, touching their dealinge with their poore brethrē: so yours is abhominable, because in your seruice done not vntounto man, but with vsus more vntounto God, you are founde stifly to vpholde your owne will and deuotion, not yeldinge vntounto his written woorde and commaundement. And therfor in a greater degree of offence, reiecting your fastes as did the Prophet theirs, wee may iustly say: Ecce in ieiunijs vestris inuenitur voluntas vestra. For all your fastinge you are still founde vpholdinge your owne will against the Lord and his woord. Those afflictions that you speake so much of, whereby you pretende to bringe the body in subiection to the Spirit, if they were greater then they are with some of you, yet not withstandinge you hauehave them in common with Idolaters of all tymes.
For this is a note of thē, as witnesseth the Apostle in the second chapter of his Epistle to the Colossians, Colos. 2.that they make a shewe of wisdome and Religion in humblenesse of minde, and in not sparing their bodyes: which Ierome vponupon this place confirmeth in these wordes. Non vos seducat Philosophia ad humanam doctrinā, Hieron. in Col. cap. 2.quae sapientiae & abstinentiae specie subornatur, in qua, tam vana est corporis afflictio, tā stulta meditationis intentio, cui…s bonum ad capiendas & infirmandas hominum mentes, quasi quidam laqueus, Diabolo aucupante, protenditur, quò facilius malum suū sequens inducat. Let not Philosophie seduce you vntounto mans Doctrine, which is set foorth with the shewe of wisdome and abstinence, in the which the afflicting of the body is so vayne, and the earnest intent of meditation is so foolish, the goodnesse wherof is hong before by the Deuill, as a snare to take the mindes of men and to weaken them, that therby the more easely he may bring in the poyson of doctrine that cometh after. This matter he toucheth also in his exposition vponupon the Prophet Aggeus in these words. Et super omnē laborem manuum, Hieron. in Agge. cap. 1.& ieiunia eorum, & obseruationes varias, & humi dormitiones, qui tribus quadragessimis per …num ieiunantes, & xerofagis humiliantes animā suā, & vel maximè de Taciani radice crescentes: super huiuscemodi laboribus audiunt, tanta passi estis sine causa. VponUpon the labour of their handes, vponupon their fastinges, and diuerse obseruations, vponupon their sleepinges vponupon the ground, which fast three Lentes euerie yeare, and bring lowe themselues wt eating of drie meates, and especially those which spring of the roote of Tatianus: they heare of such laboures: ye hauehave suffered so great thinges in vaine. You may see by the testimonie of Hierom, that the afflicting of the body, is not alwaies the best marke of the Church of God and true religion. That which before was spoken generally may well be renewed heere, to witte, that not onelyonly none of these afflictions and humblinges of the bodie, but also no other thing how good soeuer of and in it selfe, can please the Lord, before by faith in his woorde we be made his Temples. To which ende Hierome, in an other place doth yet speake more fullie and plainly.Hieron. in Agge. cap. 2. His woordes are these: Omne quod fecerint, quod mihi obtulerint, vel vota pro salute, vel pacifica, vel pro peccato, vel pro delicto, vel in holocaustū: siue eleemosynas, siue ieiunia, siue victus continentiam, & Corporis castitatem, contaminata erunt in conspectu meo. Quamuis enim sancta videantur specie su; quae offeruntur a talibus, tamen quia tacta sunt ab eo qui pollutus in anima est, omnia polluētur. As for the bringing of his bodie into subiection, which the Apostle speaketh of, & chastising of it, I doubt not but those who truely professe the Gospel hauehave it, absteining not onelyonly frō vnlawful cōmodities & pleasures, but also frō those that be lawfull, whē the enioying therof were likely to hinder the course of the Gospel, which was his meaning to declare, as any man may perceiue, who wt indifferent iudgmēt wil peruse that chapter. To conclude this controuersie of fasting, you cōtending to binde it vntounto certain daies & certaine meates, & we denying the same: let Tertullian, a man neare vntounto Christ his time be iudge herein.Tertul de ieiunio aduersus Psychicos. These are his words Certè in Euangelio illos dies ieiuniis determinatos putant, in quibus ablatus est sponsus, & hos esse iam solos legitimos ieiuniorum christianorū abolitis legalibus & propheticis vetustatibus. Vbi volunt enim agnoscunt quid sapiat: lex & prophetae vsque ad Ioannem. Itaque de caetero indifferenter i…iunandum ex arbitrio, non ex imperio nouae disciplinae, pro temporibus & causis vniuscuius{que}: sic & Apostolos obseruasse, nullū aliud imponētes iugū certorum & in commune omnibus obcundorum ieiuniorum. He affirmeth that in the tune of the Gospel those dayes are appointed for fasting, in which the bridegroome is taken away, meaning thereby such times as bring speciall occasion with them to admonish and warne vsus for the humbling of our selues before the Lorde, & that ye Apostles did thus obserue it: laying no yoke of certain & determined fastes vponupon men, but left it to be doone according as the cause of euerie one shoulde require. You see how plainely he speaketh against ye restraining of it to certaine daies & time: & as plaine & as flat is his speach immediatly after against the restraining of vsus in it to certaine meates, Xerophagias vero nouum affectati officii nomen, & proximum ethnicae superstitioni, quales …astimoniae Apim, Isidem, & magnam matrem, certorum eduliorum exceptione purificant, cū fides libera in Christo, ne Iudaicae quidem legi abstinentiam quorūdam ciborum debeat, semel in totum macellum ab Apostolo admissa detestatore eorum, qui sicut nubere prohibeant, ita iubeant cibis abstinere a deo conditis, & ideo nos esse iam tum prenotatos in nouissi…is temporibus abscedentes a fide, intendentes spiritibus mundi seductoribus, doctrinis mendacilo quorum inustam habentes conscientiam. He affirmeth that the eating of certaine drie meates is a new name of a strange and affected office, nere vntounto the superstition of the heathen, and that all meates are set at libertie vntounto vsus, and that we are let in vntounto the shambles without anie restraint, and that by the Apostle himselfe, who (as he saieth there) doth detest thē that forbid to marie, & commaunde to absteine from meates created of God. As before you heare his iudgement for restraining of fasting vntounto certain dais: so now you heare it touching the restraint of certaine meates in fasting. It appeareth that although he were neere vntounto the Apostles time, yet euen then this superstition begoon, which afterwarde so greatly preuailed.
The good woorke that you spende most trauell vponupon, is praier for the dead, and that woorke you would establishe by Scripture, and therefore when you hauehave alleaged the place out of the second booke of the Machabees, you adde these wordes [Dicit scriptura:] and proceede to prooue that booke of the Machabees to be canonicall scripture, by the testimonie of Augustine. You quoate in the margent [August. De ciuitate dei. lib, 18. ca. 26. Aug de ciui. dei. lib. 18. cap. 36.] In that Chapter there is no such matter. I thinke you meane the thirtie sixe Chapter of that booke, there are the same woordes that you doe alledge, but I hauehave to charge you of not setting downe the whole sentence, but supressing of that which openeth the whole matter, you shal giuegive me leaue therfore to set downe the whole sentēce as it lieth. His words are these: Ab hoc tēpore apud Iudaeos restituto templo, non reges sed principes fuerunt vsque ad Aristobulum, quorum supputatio temporum, non in Scripturis sanctis quae canonicae appellantur, sed in aliis inuenitur, in quibus sunt & Machabaeorum libri: quos non Iudaei, sed ecclesia pro canonicis habet, propter quorundam Martyrum passiones vehementes atque mirabiles. Augustine as you see, affirmeth this supputation of time not to be found in the holy Scriptures which are called canonicall, but in other bookes, among the which are the bookes of the Machabees: He declareth plainely that the bookes of the Machabees are others and diuerse from the bookes of the holy Scriptures which are called canonicall: Non in Scripturis sanctis, quae appellantur canonicae, sed in aliis, in quibus sunt & Machabaeorum libri: he doeth not say, in quibus errore opinionis Iudaei existimant esse Machabaeorum libros: But these are his wordes, In quibus sunt & Machabaeorum libri. Hee doeth not say that they are falsly thought by the Iewes to be among other bookes, which are not called canonical, but expresly, that they are among bookes that be not called canonicall. You lay fast holde vponupon this other half of the sentēce: Quos non Iudaei, sed ecclesia pro canonicis habet: If you will hauehave none of that that goeth before, I pray you let vsus hauehave that, that foloweth immediatly: Propter quorundam martyrū passiones. The church reckoneth of the bookes of the Machabees, as if they were canonical, because of the suffering of certain martyres. If they were altogither and simply canonicall, what meaneth he to adde any particular respect, as this is, [Propter passiones martyrum,] for the suffering of Martires, why they should be accounted canonical. If his meaning be in his latter part, to heale whatsoeuer was wounded by him in the former, why is not his plaister as large as the wound? In the former part of the sentence without any condition or respect, he had affirmed that the bookes of the Machabees were not amōg the holy scriptures, which are called canonical, now whē he should as you thinke heale this long and large woūd, he cōmeth with a litle plaister and telleth vsus of one cause in respect wherof these books were reputed of the church as if they were canonicall. And that it is his manner not to speake of those bookes with generall allowance and approbation as he doeth of canonicall scriptures, but with condition, cautions, and particular allowance for some one speciall cause, wt hee neuer doeth of the canonicall Scripture: It appereth in his second booke against the second Epistle of Gaudentius cap. 23. Where disputing against the Donatistes, who alledged the fact of Razis, for the murthering of them selues, he hath these woords: Et hanc quidem scripturam, quae appellatur Machabeorū non habēt Iudaei sicut legem, Prophetas, & Psalmos, quibus dominus testimonium perhibuit tanquā testibus suis dicens: oportet omnia impleri, quae scripta sunt in lege, & prophetis, & psalmis de me: sed recepta est ab ecclesia non inutiliter, si sobriè legatur vel audiatur, maximè propter illos Machabeos qui pro dei lege sicut veri martyres a persequutoribus tam indigna atque horrenda perpessi sunt. Consider wel with what cautions this book is compassed about by Augustine, and how spare his allowance is vntounto it, in respect of the Canonicall Scripture.
It is receiued of the church, saith August. not vnprofitably, if it bee reade soberly, especially for those Machabees, that suffered so many thinges of the persecutours for ye lawe of God, that the Christians (saith he) may learne from hence that the afflictions of this time are not worthy of that glory which shalbe reuealed. Out of this Epistle of Augustine, we may learne an aunswere for that place alledged by you of Iudas Machabeus his fart. The Donatistes (as appeareth in that epistle) alledged Razis his killing of himself, (wc is commended in the 14. chapter of the 2. booke of Machabees,) as an example to approue the murtheringe of themselues: euen as you do the fact of Iudas Machabeus for prayer for the dead. His answeare is this. Non debemus quicquid in scripturis etiam Dei testimonio laudatos homines fecisse legerimus consentiendo approbare: sed considerando discernere, adhibentes iudicium non nostrae auctoritatis sed Scripturarum sanctarum atque diuinarum. You may see that hee would not hauehave vsus builde vponupon priuate examples & factes, albeit the men that hauehave done them were good & cōmended by God himselfe, but to discerne of them by the authoritie of the scriptures. This example therefore of Iudas Machabaeus touching the dead, may not by the authoritie of Augustine forthwith be yelded vntounto because it was his doinge, except being discerned by the Scripture, it bee founde to receiue confirmation from thence. For priuate examples can make no general rules of doctrine. Augustine his iudgement for the authoritie of these bookes you greatly stād vponupon: & therefore his iudgement of priuate examples and factes I hope you will not mislyke. Neither hauehave wee onelyonly his doctrine to lead vsus not simply to approue this or any like fact, before it bee examined by the holy Scriptures: but his practise also in this same chapter disalowing the fact of Razis, which is commended by the Author of those bookes, and crossing the seueral thinges geuen out there as matter to his great commendation.
Wee are therfore no bolder with this Author in this our attempt, then Augustin himself is with him, in another priuate fact commended not a litle by the same man.
Peraduenture you desire to knowe what that diuersitie is which hee maketh betweene the Churche of God nowe, and the Iewes, as concerninge these bookes.
This it is, that the Iewes neuer closed those bookes with the Canonicall vnderunder one prayer of clapses as the Churche doeth now readinge them togither with thother, And yet they cary with them euen nowe their note of difference and imperfection, that wee may not take their authoritie sufficient to confirme any Doctrine, and that by the iudgement & practise of the church, accordinge as Ierom testifieth in his preface vponupon the Prouerbes of Solomon: his woordes are these: Sicut Iudith & Tobiae & Machabaeorum libros legit quidē ecclesia, sed eos inter canonicas scripturas non recipit: Sic & haec duo volumina legat ad aedificationem plebis, nō ad authoritatē Ecclesiasticorū dogmatū confirmādā. As ye church readeth the bookes of Iudith, Tobias, and the Machabees, but receiueth them not for Canonicall scriptures: so it may read these two bookes (meaning the booke of Wisdō and Ecclesiasticus) for the edifyinge of the people, but not for to get authoritie and confirmation to any Ecclesiasticall opiniō. You heare Ierome say that the church doeth not receiue the bookes of the Machabees as canonicall scripture, that they are not of authoritie to cōfirme any thing in cōtrouersy, here is not (Iudaei nō recipiūt) sed Ecclesia non recipit. If these words. Diligit Dominus portas Syon super omnia tabernacula Iacob, import this meaninge (as you think they doe) that the Lord hath opened more of his trueth touching the authoritie of those bookes, & so of prayer for the dead, vntounto his churche since Christ, then hee did before vntounto the Iewes, because hee loued Syon more thā Iacob: why doe you fetch your authoritie of praying for the dead out of the tabernacles of Iacob, and not out of the gates of Syon, out of the oulde Testament, and not out of the newe? You can not finde prayer for the dead in all Syon wher the louelove of the Lorde is so aboundantly to be seene, you are glad to seeke into the tabernacles of Iacob, and finding no succour there neither, at last you light vponupon a pore tente, which bewrayeth it selfe not to be of the same buildinge with Iacobs tabernacles. For the Author of those bookes craueth pardon if hee hauehave swarued in anye thing, which the holy Ghost is neuer found to hauehave done. It is farre from that spirit of all trueth, to feare fallinge into errour in any of his doings, so it is also from him that is god almightie in power equall with the father, to say, If I hauehave spokē slenderly & barely, it is that I coulde: as if any thinge were impossible vntounto God. I neede not to labour greatly for the discredite of your authorities, for they are at such variance wt me in thēselues, that one doeth ouerthrowe another. For your first authoritie saith, that prayer for the dead is deliuered in writing from the holy Ghost: Your other authorities that followe they saye it is not so, but that it is only deliuered vsus by word of mouthe and practise from the Apostles: for so doe you afterward define of traditiō, opposing it vntounto the written word as another member. And therefore I pray you consider howe these doe depende one of another, that in your first authoritie you should say: [Dicit scriptura,] alleaging the Machabees, and afterwarde saye: [Dicit traditio.] For Chrysostome & Augustine whome you bringe in afterward, say that it is a tradition of the Apostles: & therfore either your Scripture is no Scripture, or else their tradition is no tradition. You must remember what Irenaeus saith in the first chapter of his thirde booke. Non per alios dispositionem salutis nostrae cognouimus, quàm per eos per quos Euangelium peruenit ad nos, quod quidem tunc praeconiauerunt, postea verò per Dei voluntatem in Scripturis nobis tradiderunt, fundamentum & columnam Fidei nostrae futurum. Wee knowe not our saluation by any other then these, by whome the Gospel hath come vntounto vsus, which then they preached, and afterwarde by the wil of God left it in writing to bee the piller and foundation of our faith. That which the Apostles by the wil of God left vsus in writinge, must bee the grounde of our faith. And therefore I am to require you to begin there, and then to declare and prooue, howe faithfully you hauehave succeded them in that doctrine which they taught. Wee finde not this Doctrine in that Scripture which the Apostles left written vntounto vsus, to bee (as Irenaeus faith) the piller and grounde worke of our faith: and therfore wee can not finde you to hauehave succeeded them in this Doctrine: vnlesse you can proue that they had this doctrine. For to succeed a man in any thing, necessarily inferreth, that the same man must hauehave had that thinge before. If you wold hauehave proued your Doctrine of good woorkes to hauehave beene Apostolical, you shoulde hauehave prooued that the Apostles taught the same woorkes in the same manner that you doe. I dare therefore boldly say, and shalbee ready at all tymes to prooue, that you are not the Apostles successors in your doctrine of sanctification. And as you hauehave not beene faithfull vntounto the Apostles, to succeede them truely in their Doctrine, no more hauehave you beene vntounto others that came after them, who albeit they swarued some thing frō the purity of the Apostles, yet were they farre of from such great corruptiō as you of late tyme hauehave embraced. For proofe hereof let vsus consider what that memorial of the dead was, which Dionysius Areopagita reporteth to bee the tradition of the Apostles. I will not nowe dispute whether he were Paule his scholer or no, neither yet whether those Canons wt you speake of, were the Apostles Canons. Only this I wil say, that it were as hard a piece of worke as euer you tooke in hande, by good and sufficient authoritie to iustifie these your assertions. It is written, not as you quoat it in his booke, [De coelesti hierarchia,] but in the 7. cap. of his booke. De Ecclesiastica hierarchia, where you shall plainly vnderstande that your church hath not suceeded him in his doctrine, touching the memorial of the dead, albeit you alledg his authoritie for your defence. This Dionysius speaking of those who are not permitted to cōmunicate saith thus. Nō inconuenienter autem adsunt us quae modo geruntur, Dionis. de Eccle. hier cap. 7.patentiùs discentes at{que} intuentes nostrae mortis incertum, sanctorúmque munera de scripturis celebrata diuinis, & intēta sibi similibus impuris infinita supplicia, ex his enim fortè proficient, cernentes eum qui sancte obiit ministrorum praedicatione celebrari; vt verè consortem sanctorum omnium, fortasse{que} & ipsi ad simile desiderium ventent, ministrorum officio edocti quā sit beata & verè foelix in Christo cōsummatio. In that memoriall of the dead which Dionysius hath left as the practise of his time, the deade was celebrated by the ministers voice, as one who had alreadie feloshippe with all the Saintes, you celebrate your deade, as men lying vnderunder the heauie punishment and wrath of God for their sinnes, boiling in Purgatorie, farre from anie likelyhoode to be in felowship already with all the Saintes. The celebration of the deade in that time was so comfortable (for they had no celebration of any, saue them who died godly) that it was thought necessarie for the woorse sort, to heare and see it, to bring them in louelove with that kinde of life and conuersation which they see was glorified in the end. Fortasse (inquit) & ipsi veniēt ad simile desiderium. Your memoriall of the deade is so fearefully set foorth, while euerie man is set a woorke to help to haal and pul him out of Purgatorie not onelyonly at the time of his buriall, but manie daies after: that it were ynough to terrifie a strong hearted Christian from that profession, where the best are no better entreated: if you had not some secret plaister of Indulgences & Pardons, to heale vp this wounde againe. True it is, there is mention there of praier for the deade, (for I will deale otherwise with you then you doe with me) not hiding anie thing of that, that seemeth to make most against me. Precatur oratio illa (inquit Dionysius) diuinam clementiam, vt cūcta dimittat per infirmitatem humanam admissa peccata defuncto, eúm{que} in luce statuat & regione viuorum, in sinibus Abrahae, Isaac, & Iacob: ista vt reor perspicua sunt beatissima sanctorum praemia. In this praier for the deade it is required of God for him, that his sinnes may be forgeuen, and that the Lord woulde place him in the land of the liuing, with Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, because that is the rewarde of the Saintes. Afterwarde he mooueth a question about this praier, what it shoulde profit him that is departed, seeing his rewarde must be according to that which he hath doone, be it good or euil, Fortasse (inquies) ista rectè quidem a nobis dici: verùm ambigere cuius rei gratia praesul diuinā precatur clementiam defuncto, peccatorum veniam postulans, & aequalem sanctis ac lucidissimam sortem: si enim eorum quae in vita gessit bonerū aut malorum a diuina iustitia percipiet praemia, perfecit autē actiones suas in vita ista defūctus, quaenā hūc oratio praesulis ad aliam praeter illam quā meruit vitae hic actae respondentē transferet requiem. A little after he answeareth this doubt in these wordes. Quaenam verò de huiusmodi prece, quam super defuncto peragit praesul, ex diuinis ducibus nostris traditio peruenit ad nos, operaepretium est vt dicamus, Venerandus antistes, vt scriptura ait interpres est iudiciorum diuinorum, angelus enim domini omnipotentis est: didicit igitur de scripturis diuinitus traditis, vt hi qui piè vixerunt lucidissima diuináque vita pro merito ab…equissimis lancibus redditur, non recordante diuina bonitate per summam clementiam maculas, quae illis ex humana infirmitate adhaeserūt. Ista quidē nouit pōtifex promissa a sanctis eloquiis, petit autem ea fieri donarique eisquipie vixerunt praemia sacra, simul quoque seipsum ad imitationes Dei benignus formans, & aliorum dona, quasi proprias expetens gratias, ne{que} ignorans veras repromissiones futuras, praesentibus etiam apertè demonstrat quod quae ab eo sacro iure postulantur, omnino illi consequētur qui in vita diuina consūmati sunt. Prophanis vita functis ista non precatur, quia & indigne orans nou exaudiretur. His answere in somme is this, That because the minister is the interpreter of the iudgementes of God, and knoweth that remission of sinnes and euerlasting life is promised vntounto them that hauehave liued godly, therefore he praieth for them imitating therin the goodnesse of God, requiring other men their giftes as his owne graces: and declaring vntounto them that be present that those thinges which he praied for shal happen vntounto all them whose death shall follow a godly life. And therefore he prayeth not to hauehave these thinges graunted vntounto common and prophane men, because he should not be heard for them. The question being for what cause the minister shal pray thus, seeing the dead is to receiue according as he hath …oone in his life: the minister is cleered albeit there come no gaine vntounto the dead thereby, (for there is no mencion of anie profit redounding vntounto him) first because he is the messenger of the Lord, the Interpreter of his iudgementes, and therefore in that his praier doeth make declaration of the deade his condition, and as it were put him in possession of the promises made to the faithful, which he knoweth cannot but be perfourmed. And Secondarily, because he doeth therein imitate the goodnesse of God, requiring other their gifts as his own graces, & last of all because he declareth thereby vntounto those yt be present, what is the rewarde of a godly life. He standeth much vponupon the first cause of his prayer, that it putteth the deade as it were in possession of life, and alledgeth authoritie for the ministers, that they hauehave speciall giftes geuen them to discerne whose sinnes be forgiuen, & whose are retained, and accordingly in declaration thereof to forgiue or retaine, to admit vntounto life or to exclude, according as hee doeth declare in those wordes: Sic profectò ille, omnis{que} illi similis praesul, iuxta paternaarum iustificationum sibi indultas reuelationes, declarando & traducendo deo charos admittit & excludit impios. This memorial of ye dead that Dionysius alloweth of, as receiued from the Apostles: resteth in the minister alone, because he hath special reuelation and discretion to discerne the good from the bad. There is no allowance here for other men to praie for the dead, who hauehave not that discretion to discerne betweene the godly and the wicked. Mo…uer Dionysiu… his praier is an admission of the …de into heauen: yours, are emissions or deliuerances out of Purgatorie: they are admitted onelyonly to the benfite of his prayer, whom by speciall knowledge he is assured to be the elect of God: I neuer hearde of anie refused amōg you, who had so much mony as would pay for a Dirige or a Masse of Requiem. By Dionysius his prayer, they are on the first day admitted into heauen: but for any helpe that wee can learne they hauehave by your praiers, a mā may come many a yeere after all your first daies worke, & yet if we will beleeue you, finde them in Purgatory. By Dionysius his doctrine we can neuer learne yt the people may pray for the dead, nor that the minister his praier addeth any thing to the state of the dead, but is only a declaration of the Lord his merciemercy towardes his, and as it were an admission of them thereunto before men. I hope you will consider aduisedly that the doubt arising about this prayer for them, seeing the man is to be iudged according to that he hath doon in his life: and no benifite being alleaged to redound vntounto the dead, but the chiefe defence to consist herein that the minister is a messenger betweene God and man of his iudgmentes, auctorized to pronoūce according to that speciall knowledg and authoritie that is geuē vntounto him: what slender defence you hauehave from Dionysius. Before I tolde you that it was not necessarie to followe you thus farre, seeing you had no helpe from the Apostles their doctrine, and therefore you are not within the succession of their doctrine, for you are neuer able to proue that they taught any such doctrine of prayer for the dead as you hold. You see nowe that as you hauehave not succeded them, no more hauehave you succeeded Dionisius in your memoriall for the dead.
Let vsus see what helpe you hauehave from Chrysostom, he saith that the memorial of the dead is a tradition of the Apostles, and that it bringeth much profit vntounto them. It is true he saith so, and it is as true that the same Chrysostom saith not foure lines before, that it bringeth but litle helpe & profit vntounto them, his wordes are these. Procuremus illis aliquid auxilii, modici quidem: attamen inuemus eos. Dionysius in his memorial of the dead, findeth no helpe for thē, but maketh al the profit thereof to redound vntounto the liuinge, and he saith this kinde of memorial was deliuered him from the Apostles. Chrysost. saith it bringeth much helpe vntounto them, and he also telleth vsus that so it is deliuered to them of his time, vnderunder the credit of the Apostles their tradition.
What shall we say in this varietie, one being contrary to another, and the same diuerse from himselfe: but that it is better to harken vntounto God than vntounto man, to leane vntounto the certaintie of his word, than to be tossed this way and that waye after the incertainty of their opiniōs: saying with the Prophet Isaie: Esay. 8.Shoulde not a people inquire at their God? to the lawe, to the testimony if they speake not according to this word, it is because ther is no light in them. Augustine his prayer for his mothers soule (as you say) shall testifie what was receiued as the tradition of the Apostles touching the memorial for the dead in his tyme: for I deny not but hee saith that the church had a memorial of them at that tyme. Whatsoeuer it was that hee prayed to hauehave graunted from the Lorde vntounto his mother, hee himselfe confesseth that hee did beleue his mother had obteined it before his prayer. These are his wordes in that same place. Credo iam feceris quod te rogo, sed voluntaria mea approba Domine. I beleue that thou hast already performed that which I desire of thee, but allowe my good wil Lord. This prayer yeldeth no testimony of any satisfaction for her sinnes, that otherwyse shee coulde not hauehave bene deliuered frō: but contrariwise confesseth, that shee was deliuered from them before his prayer. This prayer acknowlegeth no necessity of duety layed vponupon him by the lawe of God, but that it was onelyonly the franck & voluntary gift of a man that wished well vntounto her. And in very deed it is true that he saith it was volūtary, for he had no paterne or example in the canonicall Scriptures, neither in the olde nor yet in the new testament to leade him therunto. But these and such like are the frutes of natural affection and good intentes (as wee cal them) when they wander without the warrant of the word. By this that ha…h bene said, you may cleerly see that in your Doctrine of prayer for the dead, you neither succede the Apostles who neuer taught any such Doctrine: neither yet are ye …ou…de faithfull deliuerers of that, which some of the auncient fathers in the Churche hauehave left in writing touchinge this matter, as the practise of their tyme, howsoeuer degeneratinge and declining from the sincerity of the Apostles Doctrine. If building of Churches, erecting of Altares, and offering sacrifices therevpon, bee sure tokens and argumentes of the true faith of Christ, as you woulde prooue out of Chrysostome: then the heathen men hauehave sure markes and tokens of the faith of Christ. For they builde Churches, erect altares, and offer sacrifices therevpon, then the superstitious people of all tymes hauehave geuen foorth sure argumentes of the true faith of Christ, for they hauehave alwayes abounded in these & such like outwarde thinges, being contēt to worke their discharge as they thought, from the renouncinge of themselues and from true obediēce: by the departing from some outwarde commoditie whereof they had sufficient store, notwithstanding that porcion was gone.Miche. 6. The Prophet Micheas speaking in their person, declareth yt they were ready to offer thousandes of rammes in sacrifice, and riuers of oile vntounto the lord: but hee telleth them that to doe that which the Lorde requireth of them, is preferred aboue al outwarde thinges.
Nay hee setteth that which the Lord willeth & requireth in his word, against those, to reproue them as things which he neuer required, when true obedience to his word was denied. And therefore when he hath spoken in their person as if they were of al men most deuoute and Religious, not seeminge to deny any thing of theirs vntounto the Lord, in this manner and forme of words: wil the Lord be pleased with thousands of rammes or with x. thousand riuers of oile? as if he shoulde hauehave that waye whatsoeuer hee woulde: hee answeareth as if all this were nothing of that which the Lord requireth, saying: He hath shewed thee o mā what is good, & what the lord requireth of thee &c. I tould you before that I founde none of those glisteringe workes in that register, which the holy Ghost hath reserued for all ages wherein to see & behold the best men and their workes. And nowe I tel you more, that the godly hauehave complayned, that the true Church of God was in the greatest decay & most ruinouse, when the material Churche was most glistering and sumptuous, and that they had the least care of that, when they bestowed most care and cost vponupon the other.Hieron. ad Nepot. de vita clericorum. Hierome cōplayneth of this in his tyme saying. Multi aedificant parietes, & columnas Ecclesiae substruunt, marmor a nitent, auro splendent laquearia, gemmis altare distinguitur, at ministrorum Christi nulla electio est. Many build the walles & pillers of the church, the marble shineth, the beames glister with gould, the altare is pointed & deuided with precious stones, but there is no choise of the Ministers. If euer this complaint of Ierome was verified, it was in the tyme of Popery. For there was no want of beawty in the material temple, but the true temple was suffered to fall in to vtter decaye, and how coulde it bee otherwyse for there was no choise of the Ministers, who where to build the true churche of God, eueryevery man was thought sufficiently able, whoe coulde read the Masse booke, albeit he vnderstode neuer a worde thereof.
My chiefe purpose is to geue you to vnderstande, that when the materiall churche hath bene in greatest beawty, the godly and learned hauehave complayned, that men whoe are the true and liuing churche, hauehave bene the furthest from the true knowledge & feare of God. Which could not be otherwise, when those who were to finishe that worke, were altogither ignorant, and no choise made of thē, but (as we say) tagge and ragge admitted therunto without any exception taken either against learning or life. And therefore you may cleerly see by Hierome his complaint, that building of Churches and Altars, are not the surest notes of the faith of Christ, because those hauehave bene builded, whē there hauehave bin such ignorant & lewde Ministers, that it coulde not be otherwyse, but that true faith and religion must goe to ruine and decay. Wee may plainly see and perceiue, that mē hauehave pleased themselues so in those kinde of workes: that the godly hauehave perceiued a decaye of the greatest dueties, either to bee supported by the glistring shewe therof, or else not to be espied & rightly examined. And the trueth is so, that they are in very deede so glistring to the sight of a naturall man, as they doe easly cary him from the true sight and estimation of better things, to esteeme of them more basely thā they do deserue, and of the other more lightly thā there is any iust cause. And in verie deede, wee neuer hauehave sene or read that they hauehave bene in great credit, but that thervpō hath growne a smal accompt of true Christian workes and of the best deedes. In so much that the learned fathers hauehave debated the matter, whither that to mainteine and relieue poore men in their necessitie (who are the liuinge temple) were not as acceptable a worke to God, as to build a material temple of stone.Eusebius de morte Hieron. Quod templum Deo charius quàm homo? templum Dei vos estis (inquit Apostolus:) cùm pauperi manū tribuis, cùm viro in suis necessitatibus subuenis, cū errantem ad viam rectam reducis. O quàm admirabile & Deo gratum templum aedifi…asti! What Church is dearer to god then man? you are the temple of god (saith the apostle,) when thou geuest thy helping hand to a poore man, whē thou doest succor a mā in his necessitie, when thou bringest him that is in errour into the trueth, o how wōderful is that churche, and how acceptable vntounto god which thou hast builded, saith Eusebius. If that tyme had not doted so greatly in the opiniō of those glistering works, that therevpon had growen the neglect of thother, what needeth such extollinge of mercy towarde the poore, as to call it a church wonderful in the sight of God? or what meaneth he to restraine the excellēcy & acceptation of it in this manner, [howe wonderfull and acceptable a churche is it vntounto God,] if this his speach cary not in it a secrete reproufe and correction of the iudgment of flesh and blood touching those outwarde glisteringe workes, and a meaning to induce them to make more accōpt of the other? It is geuen forth of the godly, that they were mercifull men and well reported of in their tymes, but as for many of those, whoe hauehave left such glisteringe workes behinde them, they hauehave bene better reported of by the ages whoe neuer knewe them, than euer they were in their owne tyme, for their dealinges while they liued hauehave had litle mercy in them toward the poore. By all likelyhoode they were of opinion, that that which they purposed to doe at their death should make amendes for all. That we may ioyne in this contention for good workes, set foorth your best men and best woorkes. Let there be on your part, a greate number that hauehave builded Churches, Hospitalles, and Colledges, departing liberally from a great portion of their goods to such endes & purposes: those are of your best sort, for all of you doe not leaue suche fruites behinde: And we will set against these an infinite number of men, who in the cause of God his truth, to get glorie vntounto him, and to confirme their bretherē in the Gospel, hauehave departed not from a portion of their goods and landes: but from all the comfortes & commodities of this life, yea & frō life it selfe. Now let iudgmēt proceed whether of these be more excellēt workes. Irenaeus affirmeth that this woork [of confirming the Gospel with our blood] is the principal & chiefe effect and fruite of louelove.Iren. lib. 4. ca. …3. He maketh it a speciall noate to discerne the Church by, that it sendeth multitudes of Martyrs vntounto God, wheras Sathan albeit he hath now & thā his martyrs as wel as Christ, yet they are but a fewe, nothing compatable in nūber & multitude with the rest: There is in the church saith Irenaeus, Precipuū dilectionis munus, quod est praetiosius quàm agnitio, gloriosius quā prophetia, omnibus reliquis charismatibus supereminens: quapropter ecclesia omni in loco ob eā quam habet erga deum dilectionem, multitudinem martyrum omni tēpore praemittit ad patrem. He calleth martyrdom the chief effect of louelove passing other gifts, & because ye churche hath this, he affirmeth yt therefore she sendeth multitudes of martyres at al times vntounto the father, proceding to declare that albeit sathā labour to hauehave that in shew wt Christ hath in truth, yet he commeth infinitly short of ye nūber & multitude that standeth to death in Christ his cause. As your accusation of our want of good works, is the same that hath bin made by aunciēt heretikes against ye church of god in former times: so in this our answer we are nothing diuerse but altogither agreeing with that which Augustine speaketh for the purgation of the Church in his time. His woords are these. Quid tanti er…oris longa defensione implicamini? fruges in agro, frumenta in area quaerite: August. de moribus eccles. cathol. lib. 1. cap. 35.apparebunt facilè seseque offerent ipsa quaerentibus: quid nimis in purgamenta oculos intenditis? quid ab opimi horti vbertate imperitos homines sepium asperitate terretis? Est certus aditus quāuis paucioribus notus, quo possit intrari, qùem vos aut esse non creditis, aut inuenire nō vultis. Sunt in Ecclesia Catholica innumerabiles fideles, qui hoc mundo non vtantur, sunt qui vtantur tanquam non vtentes, vt ab Apostolo dicitur, quod illis temporibus iam probatum est quibus ad idolorum cultum Christiani cogebantur. Quot enim tunc patres familias rusticani, quot negatiatores, quot milita res, quot primates vrbium suarum, quot deni{que} senatores vtriusque sexus haec omnia vana & temporalia reliquentes, quibus vtique quamuis vterentur non detinebantur mortem pro salubri fide ac religione subierunt demonstrauerunt{que} infidelibus a se potius illa omnia quem se ab eis esse possessos. August. willeth them to looke at the corne & to let the chaffe alone, to looke ouer the hedge that is stopped and stuffed with thornes, vntounto the field that is ful of frute & good Corne, he blameth thē for being too much geuen to behold their conuersation beside the name, had nothing else of christianity: whom he compareth to chaffe and thornes. He telleth them that albeit this fielde of the Lordes be hedged about with thornes, & many euill men and of wicked conuersation make profession to be of that number: yet for all that there is an entry into it, although it be knowen onelyonly vntounto a fewe: which (saith he) either you beleeue not, or els wil not finde. He proceedeth to open vntounto them this entry, whereby they may passe to take a viewe of the Lord his fruiteful fielde, leading them to the times of persecution, when so manie of al estates and degrees, declared that they vsed the world as if they vsed it not, by leauing all their goods and their life it selfe for the cause of the Gospel. Hee professeth that this entrance to take a vewe of the Lorde his haruest, is knowen to fewe. I pray you, obserue that in Augustine, for the way that you make to leade vsus to discerne of the Church, is knowen to all, euen to wicked men, it is so glorious and glistering. I would we had not cause to say vntounto you with Augustine: Fruges in agro, frumenta in area querite, quid nimis in purgamenta oculos intenditis? Seeke for good corne in the barne, why doe you looke ouermuch vponupon the chaffe? Now I am to craue of you, that you woulde diligētly cōsider, whether there be not iust cause to speake against this rotten fruite that you bring foorth, and whither you be that good tree that is nourished with the sappe of God his word and bringeth foorth fruite like vntounto that, that is left vsus as a patterne in the Kalender of christian woorkes.