CHAP. I.

INQVIRING therefore often with great desire, and attention, of very many excellent, holy, & learned men, how and by what meanes I might assu­redly and as it were by some generall and ordinary way discerne the true Catholicke faith, from false and wicked Heresie. To this question I had vsually [Page 5] this answere of thē all, that whether I or any other desired to finde out the Note the ansvvere of many excellent holy and learned men. fraud of Heretickes, daily springing vp and to escape their snares, & willingly would continue safe and sound in reli­giō, that he ought two maner of waies by Gods assistance to defend and pre­serue his faith, that is first by the autho­ritie of the law of God: secōdly by the tradition of the Catholicke Church.

Here some man perhaps may aske, that seing the Canon of the scripture is perfect & most aboundantly of it selfe sufficient for all thinges, what need we ioine vnto it the autoritie of the church her vederstanding and interpretation. The reason is this, because the scripture being of it selfe so deepe and profound all men do not vnderstand it in one and the same sence, but diuers men diuersly this man and that man, this way & that way expound and interpret the sayings therof, so that to ones thinking, so ma­ny men, so many opinions almost may be gathered out of them, for Nouatus expoundeth it one way, Photinus ano­ther, Sabellius after this sort, Donatus [Page 6] after that: Arius, Eunomius, Macedo­nius will haue this exposition: Appoli­naris and Priscillian will haue that: Io­uinian, Pelagius, Celestius, gather this sence, and to conclude Nestorius fin­deth out that, and therfore very neces­sary it is for the auoiding of so greate windings and turnings of diuers errors that the line of expounding the Pro­phetes and Apostles, be directed and drawen, according to the rule of the ecclesiasticall & Catholicke sence.

Againe in the Catholicke Church, we haue greatly to consider, that we hold that, which hath bene beleeued euery where, alwaies and of all men: for that is truely and properly Catho­licke (as the very force and nature of the word doth declare, which compre­hendeth all thinges that be truely vni­uersall) and that shall we do, if we fo­low vniuersalitie, antiquitie, consent. Vniuersalitie shall we folow thus, if we professe that one faith to be true which the Church throughout the world ac­knowledgeth and confesseth: Antiqui­tie shall we follow, if we disagree not [Page 7] any whit in opinion from them, whom all know that our holy elders and Fa­thers reuerenced and had in great esti­mation. Consent shall we likewise fo­lowe, if amongest our forefathers we hold the definitions and opinions of all or almost of all the Priests and Doctors together.

CHAP. II.

VVHAT then shall a Christian Chatholicke doe, if some small part of the Church cut it selfe off from the communion of the vniuersall faith? What else but preferre the helth of the wholle body before the pestife­rous and corrupt member. what if some new infection goeth about to currupt not onlye a litle parte but the Wholle CHVRCH? Then likewise shall hee regarde, and be sure to cleaue vnto an­tiquitie, which cannot possibly be se­duced by any craftye noueltye. What if in antiquitye it selfe, and amongest the auncient fathers, be founde some error of two or three men; or haplie of [Page 8] some one citie or Prouince? Then shall he diligently take heed that he preferr the decrees and determinations of the vniuersall auncient Church, before the temerity or folly of a few. What if some such case happen where no such thing can be founde? Then shall be labour, by conferring and laying together a­mongest them selues the auncient Fa­thers opinions, not of all, but of those only which liuing at diuers times, and sundry places, yet remaining in the cō ­munion and faith of one Catholicke Church, were probable masters and guides to be folowed: and whatsoeuer he perceiueth, not one or two, but all iointly with one full consent, plainly vsually, cōstantly, to haue holden, writ­ten, & taught, let him know that with­out all scruple or doubt he ought to be­leeue, hold, & professe that faith, that doctrine, that religion. But for more perspicuitie & light of that which hath bene said: ech part is to be made cleere with seuerall examples, and somewhat more at large to be amplified, least to much breuity breed obscurity, & ouer­much [Page 9] haste in spech take away the sub­stance and waight of the matter.

When in th time of Donatus, of whō came the Donatistes, a great part of A­fricke fell headlong into his furious er­ror, and vnmindfull of her name, religi­on, and profession, preferred the sacri­ligious temeritie of one man, before the Church of Christ, then all those of Africke which detested that prophane Schisme and vnited them selues to the vniuersall Churches of the world, they only amongst them all remaining with in the bosome of the catholick Church could be saued, leauing certainly a no­table example to their posteritie how euer after by good custome the sound doctrine of all men, ought to be pre­ferred before the madnesse of one or a few. Likewise when the heresie of the Arians had neere corrupted not a litle parte, but well nigh the wholle world, in such sort that (almost all the Bishops of the latin Church deceaued, partly by force partly by fraud) mens minds were couered as it were with a mist, what es­pecially in so great a cōfusiō was to be [Page 10] folowed: then whosoeuer was a louer and a folower of Christ, and preferred auncient faith before new errour, was not touched with any spott of that in­fection. The daunger of which time doth aboundantly shew, what calami­tie entereth in, when a new doctrine is admitted. For at that time not onely small matters, but thinges of great im­portāce were ouerthrowē: for not only alliance, kinred, frends, families, but also cities, cōmon wealthes, coūtries Prouinces, yea & at length the wholle Ro­mane Empire, was shaken & ouertur­ned. For whē the prophane noueltie of the Arrians, like a certaine Bellona or furie, had first taken captiue the Empe­rour, afterward subduing all pallaces to her new lawes neuer ceased after that to trouble and confound all things pri­uate and publicke, holy and not holy, putting no differēce betwixt good and truth but as it were from an high place did strike all at her pleasure. Then ma­ried women were defiled, widowes spoiled, virgins violated, Abbeis sup­pressed, Cleargie men vexed, Deacons [Page 11] beaten, Preistes banished, Dungeons, Prisons, Mines, filled with holy men, of which the greater part banished the citie, like exuls, pined and consumed away amongest desertes, dennes, and wilde beastes, with nakednes, thirst, and hunger. And all this miserie had it any other begining? but because hu­mane superstitiō was admitted for hea­uenly doctrine, well grounded antiquitie, subuerted by wicked noueltie, whilest our Superiours decrees were vio­lated, our Fathers ordinances broken, the Cannons of our auncestors abroga­ted, and whilest the licentious libertie of prophane and new curiositie, kept not it selfe within the chaste limittes of sacred and sound antiquitie. But per­haps we deuise all this of hatred to No­ueltie, & affection to Antiquitie? Who so thinketh, at least let him geue cre­dit to blessed Ambrose who in his se­cond booke to Gratian the Emperour bewailinge the sharpe persecution of that time, saith thus: But now O God (quoth he) we haue sufficiently washed and purged with our ruine and blood, the [Page 12] death of the Confessors, the banishment of Preistes, and the wickednes of so great impiety, it hath manifestly appeared that they cannot be safe which haue violated and forsaken their faith. Likewise in his third booke of the same worke. Lett vs therfore (quoth he) keepe the precepts of our elders & not with temerity of rude presumptiō, violate those seales descēding to vs by inheritance. None durst opē that propheticall booke close sealed, not the el­ders, not the powers not the Angells, not the Archangelles: to explicate and in­terpret that hooke was a prerogatiue only reserued to Christ. The Preistlike booke sealed by the Confessors and consecrated with the death of many Martirs, which of vs dare presume to open, which booke such as were compelled to vnseale, not­withstanding afterward when the fraud was condemned, they sealed againe, they which durst not violate or touch it becam Martirs: how can we deny their faith, whose victorie we so praise & commend? We commend them I say O venerable Ambrose, we surely commend them, and with praises admire thē. For who [Page 13] is so senselesse, that although he can­not ariue to their perfection, desireth not yet to imitate them, whō no force coulde remoue from defending theire auncestors faith: not threatnings, not flatterings, not life, not death, not the King, not the Emperor, not the Em­pire, not men, not Deuills, those I say whome for maintenance of religiouse antiquitie, our Lord vouchsafed of so highlye and so greate a grace, that by them he would repaire the ouerthrowē Churches, geue life to the dead spiritu­altie, restore the ouerthrowne glory of Preistes, blotte out & wash away with a fountaine of heauenly teares (which God put into the harts of the Bishops) those wicked, not bookes, but blottes & blurres, of new impiety, finally to re­store almost the wholle world (shaken with the cruell tempest of vpstart here­sie) to the aunciēt faith, frō new error, to olde sobernes, from new madnesse, to auncient light, from new darkenesse. But in this diuine vertew which they shewed in the confession of their faith, this thing is especially of vs to be no­ted, [Page 14] that in that antiquitie of the church they tooke vpon them not the defence of any one part, but of the wholle. For it was not lawfull that such excelent & famous men, should maintaine and de­fend with so great might & maine the erroneous suspitions, and those con­trary each to other, of one or two men or should stand in contention for the temararious conspiracie of some small Prouince, but they did those by folow­ing the Canons and decrees of the Ca­tholicke and Apostolicke veritie of all the Preistes of holy Church, rather to betray them selues, then the vniuersall auncient faith. For which fact of theirs they merited so great glorie that they are accounted not only Confessors but also iustly and worthely the Princes of all Confessors. Great therfore & surely diuine was the example of these bles­sed Confessors, and of euery true Ca­tholicke continually to be remembred who like the seuenfold Candlesticke, shining with the seuenfold giftes of the holy Ghost, deliuered vnto all posteri­tie a most notable example; how after­ward [Page 15] in each foolish and vaine error, the boldnes of prophane noueltie was to be repressed with authoritie of sa­cred Antiquitie.

CHAP. III.

NEITHER is this any new thing, but alway vsuall in the Church of God, that the more religious a man hath bene the more ready hath he all­wayes resisted nouell inuentions, examples wherof many might be brought, but for breuity sake I will only make choyce of some one which shall be ta­ken from the Apostolique sea by which al men may see most plainly with what force alwayes, what zeale, what inde­uour the blessed succession, of the bles­sed Apostles haue defended the integrity of that religion which they once re­ceaued. Therfore in times past Agrip­pinus of venerable memory Bishope of Carthage, the first of all mortall men maintained this assertion against the deuine scripture, against the of the vniuersall Church against the minde of [Page 16] all the preistes of his time against the custome and traditiō of his forefathers that rebaptization was to be admitted and put in practise. Which presumptiō of his procured so great domage and hurte to the Church, that not only it gaue all heriticks a paterne of sacrilege but also ministred occasion of errour to some Catholickes. When therfore euery where al men exclaimed against the nouelty of the doctrine, and all priestes in all places, each one accor­ding to his zeale did repugne, then Pope Steuē of blessed memory, bishop of the Apostolique sea, resisted in deed with the rest of his felow byshopes but yet more then the rest, thinking it as I suppose reason so much to excell all o­ther in deuotion towardes the faith, as he was superiour to them in authoritie of place. To conclude in his Epistle which then was sent to Afrike, he de­creed the same in these wordes. That nothing was to bee innouated, but that which came by tradition ought to be ob­serued. For that holy and prudent man knew well, that the nature of pietie [Page 17] could admitt nothing else but only to deliuer and teach our children that re­ligion and that faith which we recea­ued and learned of our forefathers, and that we ought to folow religion whi­ther it doth lead vs and not to lead re­ligion whither it please vs, and that no­thing is more proper to Christian mo­destie and grauitie, then not to leaue vnto posteritie our owne inuentions, but to preserue and keepe that which our Predecessors left vs. What therfore was thē the end of that wholle busines? What else but common and vsuall, to wecte antiquitie was retained, nouel­tie abandoned. But perhaps that new inuention lacked patrons and defen­ders? To which I say on the contrary, that it had such pregnant wittes, such eloquent tonges, such number of de­fendants, such shew of truth, such testi­monies of scripture, but glosed after a new and naughtie fashion, that all that conspiracie and schisme shoulde haue semed vnto me inuincible, had not the very profession of noueltie it selfe, so taken in hand, vnder that name defen­ded, [Page 18] with that title recōmended, ouer­throwen the very ground of so great a schisme. To conclude what force had the Councell or decree of Africke? By Gods prouidence none, but all things there agreed vpon were abolished, dis­anulled, abrogated, as dreames, as fa­bles, as superfluous. And O strange change of the worlde, the authours of that opinion are iudged and thought Catholickes, the folowers accounted & reputed Heretickes, the masters dis­charged, the schollers condemned, the writers of those bookes shall be chil­dren of the kingdome of Heauen, the maintainers of those books shall burne in Hell. For who donbteth but holy S. Ciprian, that light of all Saintes, that lanterne of Bishops, and spectacle of Martirs, with the rest of his compani­ons shall raigne with Christ for-euer. And contrariwise who is so wicked to deny that the Donatists and such other pestilent Heretickes, which by the au­thority of that Coūcell vaunt that they do practise rebaptization, shall burne for euer with the Deuill & his Angells. [Page 19] Which iudgemēt in mine opinion see­meth to haue come frō God, for their fraudulent dealing especially which endeuoring vnder the cloake of an o­ther mans name, coningly to frame an heresie commonly laye holde of some darke sayings of one auncient Father or other, which by reason of the ob­scuritie may seeme to make for theire opinion, to thend they may be thought that whatsoeuer I know not what they bring forth to the worlde, neither to haue bene the first that so taught nei­ther alone of that opinion: whose wic­ked deuice in mine opinion is worthie of dubble hatred, both for that they feare not to sow their poisoned seed of heresie amongest others, and also be­cause they blemishe the memorie of some holy man, & as it were with pro­phane handes cast his dead ashes into the wind bringing infamously that to light, which rather with silence were to be buried, folowing therin the steps of their father Chā, who not only neg­lected to couer the nakednes of vene­rable Noë, but also shewed it to others [Page 20] to laugh at, by which fact of his he in­curred so great a crime of impietie that Gen. 9 his posteritie was subiect to the male­diction of his sinne: his blessed brethrē doing farr otherwise, who neither with their owne eies would violate the na­kednesse of their reuerend father, nor yet permit it to remaine vncouered for other to behold, but going backward as the holy text saith they couerd him: which is as much to say that they nei­ther approued with harte, nor blased with tong the holy mans fault, and therfore they & their posterity were rewar­ded with their fathers blessing. But to returne to our purpose.

CHAP. IIII.

VVE haue therfore much to feare the sacrilege of a changed faith of a violated religion: from which fault not only the discipline of the ecclesiasticall decree doth restraine vs, but the authoritie also of the Apo­stles censure deterreth. For all men know how grauely, how seuerely, how [Page 21] seriously the blessed Apostle S. PAVL inueigheth against certaine which with Gal. 8 great leuitie Were so soone transferred from him that called them into the grace of Christ vnto another Gospell, which is not an other: That had heaped vp to thē 2. Tim. 4 selues masters according to their owne desires, auerting their eares from truth, be­ing conuerted to fables: Hauing damna­tion because they haue made voide their 1. Tim. 5. first faith. Whom those men had de­ceaued of whom the same Apostle, in his epistle to the Romanes thus writeth I beseech you brethren to marke thē that make dissentions and scandalls contrarie Ram. 16. to the doctrine which you haue learned and auoide them, for such doe not serue Christ our Lorde but theire owne bellie: And by sweet speaches and benedictions seduce the hartes of Innocents. That en­ter into houses and lead captiue seelie wo­men 2 Tim. 3 loaden with sinnes, which are lead away with diuers desires, alwaies lear­ning and neuer attaining to the know­ledge of trewth. Ʋaine speakers and seducers who subuert wholle houses tea­ching Tit. 1 the thinges they ought not for fil­thy [Page 22] lucre: Men corrupt in their minde, reprobates concerning the faith: Proud, 2. Tim. 3 and knowing nothing but languishing a­bout questions and strife of wordes, that are depriued of the truth, that esteeme a 1. Tim. 6. 1. Tim. 5. gaine to be pietie: And with all idle they learne to go from house to house not only idle but also full of wordes and curious, speaking thinges which they ought not: 1. Tim. 1. Which repelling a good conscience haue made shipwracke about the faith: Whose prophane speaches do much grow to impi­etie, and their speach spreadeth as a can­cre. But that is also worth the noting which is written of them. But they shall 2 Tim. 2. 2. Tim. 3. prosper no further for their follie shall be manifest to all as theirs also was. When therfore such kind of men wandering vp and downe through Prouinces and cities to set their errors to sale, came al­so vnto the Galathians, who after they had heard thē and were delighted with the filthie druges of heretiall Nouelty casting vp againe the heauenly Manna of the Apostolicke and Catholicke do­ctrine. The Apostle vsed his authori­tie decreeing very seuerely in this sort. [Page 23] But although we (quoth he) or an An­gel from heauen euangelize vnto you be­side Gal. 1. Euange­lize signifieth such preaching of good ti­dings as cōcerneth the gospell Anathe­ma signifi­eth accur­sed be he that which we haue enangelized be he Anathema. What meaneth this that he sayeth But although we, why did he not rather say But although I: That is to say, although Peter, although Andrew, although Iohn, yea finally al though the wholle companie of the A­postles euangelize vnto you otherwise then we haue enangelized, be he accur sed. A terrible censure, for maintaining the possession of the first faith, not to haue spared him selfe, nor any other of the Apostles. But this is a small matter: Although an Angell from heauē (quoth he) Euangelize vnto you, beside that which I haue Euangelized be he Ana­thema he was not contented for kee­ping the faith once planted to make mention of mans weake nature vnlesse also he included those excellent crea­tures of Angells. Although we (qhoth he) or an Angell from heauen not be­cause the holy Angells of Heauen can now sinne, but this is the meaning of that he saith: Although (quoth he) that [Page 24] might be, which cannot be, whosoe­uer he be that goeth about to change the faith which was once planted, be he accursed. But peraduenture he vt­tered those words slightly and cast thē forth rather of humane affection then decreed them by any reason grounded in Gods word. God forbid: For it fol­loweth, and that very earnestly vrged, very often repeated. As I haue foretold you (quoth he) & now againe I tell you If any body euangelize vnto you beside that which you haue receaued be he Anathe­ma. He said not if any man preach vn­to you beside that which you haue re­ceaued let him be blessed, let him be commended, let him be receaued, but Anathema, that is, separated, thrust out, excommunicated, least the cruell infection of one sheepe with his poiso­ned company corrupt the sound flocke of Christ. But peraduenture this was giuen in commaundement only to the Galathians: then likewise were these precepts folowing commaunded only to the Galathians, to weete. If vve liue Gal. 5. in the spirite, in the spirite also lett vs [Page 25] vvalke, lett vs not be made desirouse of vaine glorie, prouoking one an other, en­uying one an other and such like which if it be absurd to say, & no man doubt­eth, but that they were indifferently commaunded to all then certaine it is, that as these precepts touching maners include all, so likewise those concer­ning faith and doctrine, exclude none And therfore as it is not lawfull for any to prouoke one another, to enuie one another, euen so it is vnlawfull for any to admitt or to receaue any other faith or religion then that which the Catho­licke Church euery where teacheth, or haply shal we be so mad to say that thē it was commaunded to curse and ana­thematize him that preached any o­therwise then before had beene prea­ched, & that now it is not cōmaunded, then was that likewise which is there saide. But I say walke in the spirite and you shall not fulfill the desires of the flesh, then only cōmaunded but now is not; which if it be impious and dangerous so to beleeue, then of necessitie it fol­loweth that as these precepts of life & [Page 26] manners are to be kept of all ages, so likewise those set downe against inno­uating of religion & changing of faith, are cōmaunded to all posteritie, wher­fore to preach vnto Christian Catho­licke men, besids that which they haue receaued neuer was lawfull, no where is lawfull, at no time shall be lawfull.

And on the contrarie to say Anathe­ma and curse those which teach other­wise then once hath bene receaued, was at all times needful, is euery where conuenient, & euer shall be requisite. Which being so, is there any man ei­ther so bold that dare teach that, which in the Church hath not bene taught, or of such leuitie that will receaue ought besides that which he hath receiued of the Church. Let that vessell of electi­on, that maister of the Gentiles, that trumpe of the Apostles, that preacher of the world, he that was acquainted with heauenly affaires, crie out, and a­gaine crie out in his epistles, to all men to all times, to all places, that whoso­euer preacheth a new doctrine is to be accursed. And on the contrarie parte, [Page 27] let certaine frogges corruptible gnates and flies, such as the Pelagians be, re­claime and that to Catholickes. Wee being your authors (quoth they) we being your leaders, we being your inter­preters, condemne that which before you did hold, hold that which before you condemned. Cast away your olde faith, your forefathers lawes, your el­ders constitutions, and receaue, what a gods name? I shake to speake, for they are so proud and presumptuous, that as they can not be maintained with-out sin, so neither impngned without some blotte of offence.

CHAP. V.

BVT some man will say, why then doth god very often permit certaine no­table and excellent men in the Church to preach vnto Catholicks a new religion. A very good question and such as deserueth a more diligent and ample discourse, vn­to which notwithstāding I. will answer [Page 28] out of mine owne head, but with the authoritie of sacred scripture, and the doctrine of a notable master in Gods Church: let vs then heare holy Moises, let him giue vs the reason, why learned men and such as for their great gift of knowledge are called of the Apostle Prophets, be some times permitted to preach new doctrine, which the olde testament allegorically calleth strange gods, because there opinions are so obserued & honored of heretickes, as the gods were of the gentels: thus thē wri­teth blessed Moyses in Deuteronomie. If there shall arise (quoth he) in the middest Deut. 13 of thee a prophet or one which sayth he hath seene a dreame, that is some ma­ster in the Church whose disciples or followers suppose to teach by some re­uelation from god: what then? & shall fortell (quoth he) some signe or miracle, & that shall happen which he hath sayed: some greate master is here surely ment, and one of so deepe knowledge whom his folowers imagin not only to know things humane, but also to foresee fu­ture, & such as shall happē, which is far [Page 29] aboue mans reach as the scholers for the most part of Valentinus, Donatus, Photinus, Apollinaris, & such like did bragge that their masters were. What folow­eth? And shall (quoth he) say vnto thee let vs go and folow strange Gods, which thou knowest not, and let vs serue them. What is ment by strange Gods, but for­raine errors, which thou knowest not, that is new and neuer heard of before, and let vs serue them, that is beleeue them, folow them. What thē? Thou shalt not (quoth he) heare the wordes of that Prophet or Dreamer. And why I pray you? is not that forbidden by GOD to bee taught, which is by God forbidden to be heard? Because (quoth he) the Lord your God doth tempt you, that it may ap­peare whether you loue him or no, in your wholle heart, and in your wholle soule. The reason thē is more cleare then day, why the prouidence of God doth some time suffer certaine teachers and ma­sters of the Church to preach certaine new opiniōs that your Lord God (quoth he) may tempt you. And surely a great tentation it is, when as he whom you [Page 30] thinke a Prophet, a disciple of the Pro­phetes, whom you esteeme a Doctor and maintainer of the truth, whom you haue highly reuerenced, and most in­tierly loued, when he sodenly & priui­ly bringeth in pernicious errors which neither you can quickly spie, lead a­way with preiudice of your old teacher nor easelie condemne, hindered with loue to your old master.

CHAP. VI.

HERE some man haply doth ear­nestly desire to see that proued by some ecclesiasticall examples which by the authoritie of Moises hath alrea­dy bene auouched. The demaund is reasonable, and therfore of reason not long to be differred. Wherfore to be­ginne with those which are yet fresh in memorie, & to the world best knowne. What kinde of tentation thincke you was that of late daies when that vngratious and cursed Nestorius sodenly frō a sheepe transformed into a wolfe be­gan to deuour the flocke of Christ, at [Page 31] such time as those which were spoiled commonly tooke him for a sheepe and therfore were more subiect to his cru­eltie. For who would haue easely ima­gined him to haue erred, whom euery man knew to haue bene chosen with such iudgement of the Empire, who was so highly in grace with the Clear­gie, so much beloued of all holy men, so greatly in fauour with the people, who openly expounded the scriptures, and also confuted the pestiferous er­ror of the Iewes: why could not this man, by such meanes easelie perswade any, that he taught aright, preched a­right, beleeued aright, who to smooth the way & make entrance for his owne heresie persecuted & preached against the blasphemies of all others. But this was that which Moises saith: The Lord your God doth tempt you, if you loue him or no. And to passeouer Nestorius in whom was alwaies more admiration, then profite, more fame thē experience whom for some time humane fauour had made greater, then Gods grace ex­alted. Lett vs rather speake of them [Page 32] which endowed with many giftes, and men of greate industrie, haue bene no small tentation to Catholickes, as a­mongst the Pauonians, in our Fathers memorie Photinus is recorded to haue tempted the Church of Sirminum, in which being preferred with the liking of all men vnto the dignitie of Priest­hood, for sometime he behaued him selfe very Catholikely but sodenly like that naughtie Prophet or Dreamer of whom Moises speaketh he beganne to perswade the people of God commit­ted to his charge, to folow other gods, that is strange and vnknowen errors which before they were not acquain­ted with. But as this is vsuall, so that was verie pernitiouse, that he had so great helpes and furtherance for the aduancing of so great wickednes: For he was both of an excelent witte, and singulerly well learned, and passing e­loquent, as he which both in disputa­tion and writing was copious & graue in either language as appeareth by the bookes which he wrote partly in greek and partly in the latin tong. But in hap­ned [Page 33] well that Christes sheepe commit­ted to his charge very vigilāt and care­full in keeping the Catholike faith did speedely remember Moises warning, and therfore albeit they admired much the eloquence of their Prophet and Pastor: yet were they not ignorant of the temptation. And therefore whom be­fore they folowed as the cheefe leader of the flocke, the same very man after­ward they auoided as a rauening wolfe Neither do we learne only by Photinus but also by the example of Apollinaris the daunger of this ecclesiasticall ten­tation, and therby also be admonished diligently to keepe & retaine our faith and religion. For this Apollinaris pro­cured his auditors great trouble & an­guish of mind, whilest the authoritie of the Church drew them one way, and the acquaintance of their master haled them another, so that wauering & tot­tering betwixt both, they were vncer­taine whether parte was best to be fo­lowed. But haply he was such a one as easely deserued to be contemned. Nay he was so famous and worthie a man, [Page 34] that in very may thinges he wone cre­dite too fast. For who surpassed him in sharpnes of witt? in exercise, in lear­ning? how many heresies in many and greate bookes hath he ouerthrowne? how many errors against the faith hath he cōfuted? That most notable & great worke of thirtie bookes in which with great waight of reason he confounded, the franticke cauills of Porphirius doth giue credit to my report, and testifie the truth of my relation. It were too long to rehearse vp all his workes for which he might haue bene compared to the cheefe pillors of Gods Church, had not the prophane licentiousnesse of hereticall curiositie, by inuenting I know not what new opinion spotted and discredited all his former labours, whereby his doctrine was accounted not so much an edification, as an eccle­siasticall tentation.

CHAP. VII.

HEREsome man perhaps requi­reth to know what heresies these men aboue named taught: that is, Ne­storius, Appollinaris, & Photinus. This pertaineth not to the matter, whereof we now intreat, for it is not out purpose to dispute against each mans particuler error, but only by a few exāples plain­ly and clerely to proue, that to be most true which Moyses saith, that if at any time any ecclesiasticall master, yea & a Prophet for interpreting the misteries of the prophetical visions, goeth about to bring in any new opinion into the Church, that the prouidence of god doth permitt it for our proofe & triall. But because it will be profitable, I will by a litle disgression breefely set downe what the forenamed heretickes Photi­nus, Appollinaris, & Nestorius taught This then is the heresie of Photinus. he affirmeth that God is as the Iewes be­leeue singuler and solitary, denyning the fulnesse of the Trinitie not beleuing that there is any person of the word of [Page 36] God, or of the holy ghost he affirmeth also, that Christ was onlye man, who had his begining of the virgin MARY, teaching verie earnestly that we ought to worshipe only the person of god the father, & to honor Christ only for man. This then was Photinus opinion. now Appollinaris vaunteth much as though he beleeued the vnitie of Trinitie with full & sound faith but yet blasphemeth he manifestly against our Lordes incarnation. For he saith that our Sauiour either had not mans soule at all, or at least such a one, as was neither indued with mind or reason furthermore he af­firmeth that Christs body was not takē of the flesh of the holy virgin MARY, but descended from heauen into the wōbe of the Virgin, holding yet dout­fully and inconstantly some time that it was coeternall to the word of God, some time that it was made of the diui­nitie of the word: for he would not ad­mit two maner of substances in Christ, the one diuine, the other humane, the one of his Father, the other of his Mo­ther, but did thinke that the verie na­ture [Page 37] of the word was deuided into two partes, as though the one remained in God, and the other was turned into flesh, that whereas the truth saith, that Christ is one consisting of two substan­ces, he contrary to the truth affirmeth, of the one diuinitie of Christ to be two substances: and these be the assertions of Apollinaris. But Nestorius sicke of a contrarie disease whilest he faineth a distinction of two substances in Christ, sodenly bringeth in two persons: and with monstrous wickednes, will needs haue two sonnes of God, two Christes, one that was God, and another that was man, one begotten of the Father, another begotten of his Mother. And therfore he saieth that the holy Virgin MARY is not to be called the mother of God, but the mother of Christ, be­cause, that Christ which was borne of her was not God but man. And if any man thinke that in his bookes he saith there was one Christ and that he prea­ched one person of Christ, I must needs confesse that he lacketh not ground to say so, for that he did either of craftie [Page 38] pollicie, the rather to deceaue, that by some good thinges, he might the more easely perswade nought as the Apostle saith. By the good thing he hath wrought Rom. 7 me death. Wherfore either craftely as I said in certaine places of his writings he vaunteth to beleeue one person in Christ, or else surely he did hold, that after our Ladies deliuerie, two persons became in such sort sort one Christ that yet in the time of our Ladies cōception or deliuerie, & for some time after, there were two Christes, and that Christ was borne first like vnto another man, and only was man, and not yet ioined in v­nitie with the person of God the word, and that afterwarde the person of the word descended downe assuming and ioininge him selfe to that man in v­nitie of person, & although he now re­maine in glorie assūpted for some time yet there seemeth to haue bene no dif­ference betwixte him and other men. Thus then Nestorius, Apollinaris, Pho­tinus, like mad dogges barked against the Catholicke Church: Photinus not cōfessing the Trinity: Apollinaris main [Page 39] taining the nature of the Word conuertible, & not confessing two substances in Christ, denying also either the whol soule of Christ, or at least that it was in­dued with mind and reason, beleeuing for his pleasure what he liked of the se­cond person in Trinitie. Nestorius by defending either alwaies or for some time two Christes. But the Catholicke Church beleeuing aright both of God and of our Sauiour, neither blasphe­meth against the misterie of the Trini­tie, nor against the incarnatiō of Christ for it worshipeth one Diuinitie in Tri­nitie and reuerenceth the equalitie of the Trinitie in one and the same maie­stie cōfessing one Christ, not two, and the selfe same both God and man, be­leeuing in him one person, yet acknowledging two substances, but yet belee­uing one person: two substances, be­cause the word of God is not mutable that it can be turned into flesh: one person least professing two sonnes, it may seeme to worship a quaternitie & not to adore the Trinitie.

CHAP. VIII.

BVT it is worth the labor to declare this matter more plainely, more substantially, more distintly. In God is one substance and three persons, in Christ be two substances, but one per­sone. In the Trinitie there is an other, and an other, but not another and an other thing. In our Sauiour is not an o­ther, & another, but an other & other thing. How is there in the Trinitie an other and an other, but not another & an other thing, Marry because there is an other person of the father, an other of the sonne, and an other of the holy ghost: But yet not an other & another nature, but one & the selfe same: How is there in our Sauiour another and an­other thinge not another and another, because there is another substance of the diuinitie and another substance of the humanitie, but yet the deitie & the humanitie is not another and another but one and the selfe same Christ, one and the selfe same sonne of God, and one and the selfe same person, of the [Page 41] selfe same Christ and sonne of God. As in a man the body is one thing, and the soule is another thing, but yet the body and the soule are but one and the selfe same man. In Peter & Paule the soule is one thing, the body is another thing, & yet the body & the soule are not two Peters, nor the soule is not one Paul, and the body an other Paul, but one & the selfe same Peter, one and the selfe same Paul, subsisting of a doble and di­uerse nature of the body and the soule. So therfore in one and the selfe same Christ there are two substāces, but one a diuine substance, the other humane, the one of God the Father, the other of the Virgin his Mother, the one coe­ternall and equall to the Father, the o­ther substantiall to his Mother, yet one and the same Christ in both substances. Therefore there is not one Christ God another Christ man, not one increated, another created, not one impassible, another passible, not one equall to the Father, another lesse then the Father, not one of the father, another of the mother, but one and the selfe same [Page 42] Christ God and man, the same increa­ted and created, the same incommuta­ble and impassible, the same changed and suffered, the same equall and infe­riour to the father: The same begot­ten of his father before all times, the same conceaued of his mother in time, perfect God and perfect man, in him as God is perfect Diuinitie, in him as man is perfect humanitie, perfect hu­manitie I say because it had both soule and body, yet a true body such as our body is and such as his mothers was, and a soule indued with vnderstanding with mind and reason. There is ther­fore in Christ, the Word, the Soule, the Flesh, but yet all these togither is one Christ, one sonne of God, our only Sa­uiour and Redeemer: One I say, not by any I knowe not what corruptible confusion of the diuinitie & humanitie togither, but by a certaine perfecte and singuler vnitie of person: for that con­iunction did not chaunge or conuert either into other (which is the proper error of the Arians) but did rather so vnite both in one that as the singularity [Page 43] of one and the same person remayneth alwayes in Christ so likewise the pro­perties Vide an­nota. of both natures do for euer continue, so that neither God euer begin­neth to be a body, nor now at any time ceaseth to be a bodie, which thinge is also more apparante by some humane example for not only in this world, but also in the next euery man shall consist of body and soule, and yet neuer shall either the bodie be changed into the soule: or the soule euer conuerted into the bodie, but as euery man shall liue for euer, so for euer of necessitie in each man the differnce of either substance shall continue. So likewise in Christ each property of either substance, shall continue for euer, sauing alwaies and reseruing the vnity of person. And whē we often name this word Person and say that the sonne of God was made man, we must take great heed that we seeme not to say that God the Word the second person in Trinitie tooke vp­on him our actions only in imitation and rather in shew and shadow & not as a perfect & very man practised hu­mane [Page 44] conuersation: as we see vsed in Theaters and Stages where one man in a litle time, taketh vpō him many parts of which notwithstanding himselfe is none, for as often as we counterfeite an other mans actions, we so exercise his office, that yet we be not those men whose actions we take vpon vs for nei­ther a tragedie player (to vse prophane examples and such as the Maniches alledge) when he playeth the Preist or King, is therefore a Preist or King, for so soone as the tragedie endeth that person also which he played forth with ceaseth: God keepe vs from this horrible & wicked mockerie. Let this madnes be proper to the Maniches, which preaching a broade their owne fantasies, affirme that God the sonne of God not to haue bene substantiuelye the person of man, but to haue fained the same by supposed action and con­uersation. But the Catholicke faith af­firmeth that the word of God was so made man, that he tooke vpon him our nature and the proprieties belonging to the same, not deceitfully & in shew [Page 45] but truely & verily, and did such things as belong to man, as his owne, and not as one that imitated other mens actiōs, and was verily that which in life & conuersation he did shewe him selfe to be, as we our selues also, in that we speake vnderstand, and subsist do not counter­feite our selues to be men but are veri­ly men. For neither Paule and Iohn (to speake of them especially for example sake) were men by imitation, but by subsistence, neither likewise did Paule counterfeite the Apostle or faine him selfe Paule, but was in veritie an A­postle and was Paule by subsistence. In like maner God the Word by assu­ming and hauing flesh; in speaking do­ing, and suffering, in flesh, yet without any corruption of his nature vouchsa­fed perfectly to performe this, to weet not that he should imitate or counter­feite, but exhibite him selfe a perfecte man, not that he should seeme or be thought a very man, but should in ve­ritie so be and subsist. Therfore as the soule ioined to the flesh and yet not turned into the flesh, doth not imitate a [Page 46] man but is a man, & not a man in shew and apparance but in substance. So God the Word without any conuersiō of him felfe, vniting him selfe to man was made man not by confusion, not by mutation, but by subsisting. Lett that exposition therfore of a fained and counterfeite person vtterly be reiected in which alwaies one thing is in shew, and an other in deed, in which he that doth ought is neuer the same person whom he representeth: for God forbid that we should beleeue that God the Word tooke vpon him the person of man after such a deceitfull manner, but rather in this sort that his substance re­maining incōmutable in itselfe, & yet taking vpon him the nature of perfecte man, was him selfe flesh, was him selfe a man, was him selfe the person of a man not deceitfully but truely, not in i­mitation, but in truth & substance, not finally after that sort which with actiō shold desist, but after that maner which perfectlye in substance should persist. This vnitie therfore of person in Christ was not framed, and finished after the [Page 47] virgins deliuerie, but in her very wōbe. For we must diligently take heed that we confesse Christ not onely one, but also to haue bene alwaies one, because it is an intollerable blasphemy to graūt him now to be one and yet contende that once he was not one, but two, that is one after the time of his Baptisme, but two in the time of his Natiuitie, which great sacriledge we can not o­therwise auoid, but by confessing that man was vnited to God in vnitie of person, not in his ascention, not in his re­surrection, not in his baptisme, but in his mothers wombe and immaculate conception: by reason of which vnitie of person both the proprieties of God are indifferently and promiscually at­tributed to man, and the proprieties of man ascribed to God: Hereof it com­eth that which is written in the scrip­ture, that the sonne of man descended from Heauen, and the Lord of maiesty was Crucified vpon earth: Hereof also Ioan. 6 it proceedeth that we say that whē our Lordes flesh was made, whē our Lords body was framed that the very word [Page 48] of God was made, the very wisdome of God was replenished with created knowledge as in the foresight of God His hands & feet are said to be digged: Psa. 21. Frō this vnitie of person, I say it proce­deth by reason of like mistery that whē the flesh of the word of God was borne of his pure & immaculate morher, we do most Catholickly beleeue that God him selfe the Word was borne of the Virgin and most impiously the contra­rie is maintained: Which being so god forbid that any one should go about to depriue the holy Virgin MARY of her priuiledges of gods fauour as her espe­ciall glorie: For she is by the singuler grace of our Lord and God her sonne to be confessed most truely and most blessed to haue bene the mother of God, but yet not in such sorte as an im­pious hereticke imagine and suspecte, who affirme that she is to be reputed in name only and appellation the mother of God, as she forsoth which brought forth that man which afterwarde be­came God, as we say such a woman is the mother of a Priest or Bishoppe not [Page 49] because she brought him that then was either Priest or Bishop, but by genera­ting that man which afterwarde was made a Priest or Bishoppe: not in that manner I say the blessed Virgin is to be called the mother of God, but rather because as haue bene saide, that most holy misterie was finished in her sacred wombe which by reason of a singuler and one onely vnitie of person as the Word in flesh is flesh, so man in God is God.

CHAP. IX.

BVT now what hath already bene said towching the foresaid heresi­es or concerning the Catholicke faith, let vs in few wordes and compēdiously for memorie sake repeate them ouer againe, that therby with more facilitie they may be vnderstoode & with more suretie retained. Accursed therfore be Photinus not admitting the fulnes of the Trinitie and affirming our Sauiour Christ to haue bene only man. Accur­sed be Appollinaris maintaining in Christ corruption of changed diuinitie [Page 50] and bereauing him of the proprietie of perfect humanity. Accursed be Nestori­us denying God to haue bene borne of a virgin, teaching two Christes and so abandoninge the faith of the Trinitie bringing in a quaternitie. But blessed be the Caholicke Church which ado­reth one God in perfecte Trinitie and likewise worshippeth equalitie of Tri­nitie in one diuinity, so that neither sin­gularitie of substance cōfoundeth pro­prietie of persons nor distinctiō of Tri­nitie seperateth vnitie of deitie. Blessed I say be the Church which beleeueth in Christ two true and perfect substan­ces but one only person, so that neither distinction of natures doth deuide the vnitie of person, nor vnitie of person doth confound the difference of sub­stances. Blessed I say be the Church which to thend she may cōfesse Christ alwaies to be and to haue bene one ac­knowledgeth man vnited to God, not after our Ladies deliuery but euen then in his mothers wombe. Blessed I say bee the Church which vnderstandeth God made man not by any conuersion [Page 51] of nature but by reason and meanes of person, and not that a fained and tran­sitorie person but substantially subsist­ing & permanent. Blessed I say be the Church which teach that this vnitie of person hath so great force that by rea­son therof by a misterie strange and in­effable she ascribeth vnto man the proprieties of God, & attributeth to God the proprieties of man. For by reason of this vnitie of person she confesseth that man as he was God descended from Heauen, and God as he was man was made vpon earth, suffered & was Crucified. Blessed therfore is that ve­nerable, happie and sacred confession and cōparable to those supernall prai­ses of the Angells, which glorifieth one Lorde God with triple sanctification. For this is the principal reason why the Church teacheth the vnitie of Christ, least otherwise she should exceed the misterie of the Trinitie.

And let this suffice touchinge this matter spoaken by way of digression: hereafter if it please God I will intreate and declare these pointes more copi­ously. [Page 52] Now to returne to our former purpose.

CHAP. X.

We haue said in the premis­ses that in the Church of God the error of the ma­ster is a great tentation to the people, and the more learned he were that erred, so much the greater was the tentation: Which we shewed first by the authority of ho­ly scripture, afterward by the examples ecclesiasticall of those men, which for some time reputed & accounted sound in faith, yet at last fell either in some other mans error, or else coined a new heresie of their owne: This surely is a greate matter, profitable to be learned and necessarie to be remēbred, which once again we must inculcate & make plaine by greater store of exāples, that almost all Catholickes may know that with the Church they ought to receiue Doctors and not with the Doctors to forsake the faith of the Church. But I am of this opinion, that although I [Page 53] could bring forth many to shewe this kinde of tentation, yet there is almost none which can be compared to the tentation of Origen, in whom were ve­rie many giftes, so rare, so singuler, so strange, that in the begining any wold haue thought that his opinions might haue bene beleued of all men. For if life procureth authoritie, he was a man of great industrie, of great chastititie, pa­tience & labour, if familie or learning who more noble? being of that house, which was honorable for martyrdome, him selfe afterward for Christ depriued not of father only but also spoiled of all his patrimonie, & so much he profited in the misteries of holy pouertie, that as it is reported, for the confession of Christes name he often indured much affliction. Neither was he only ador­ned with these giftes, all which after­ward serued for tentation, but was in­dued also with force of witte, so pro­found, so quicke, so delicate, that he far excelled almost all other whatsoe­uer. A man of such wonderfull lear­ning & erudition that there were few [Page 54] things in Diuinitie, in humane Philosophie haplye nothing which he had not perfectly attained: who hauing gotten the treasures of the greeke tongue, la­boured also about the hebrew. And for his eloquence what should I speake of? whose talke was so pleasant, so dele­ctable, so sweet, that in mine opinion, not wordes but honie flowed from his mouth. What thinges were so hard to beleeue which with force of argument he made not plaine, what so difficulte to bring to passe, which he made not to seeme easie? But perchance he maintained his assertions by arguments on­ly: Nay without question there was neuer any Doctor which vsed more ex­amples of sacred scripture. But yet happelie he wrote not much? No man li­uing more, yea so much that in mine opinion all his workes are so far from being read ouer, that they can not pos­siblie all be found, who not to lacke a­nie furtherance to learning, liued also vntill he was passing olde. But yet per­chaunce vnfortunate in his schollers: What man euer more happie, hauing [Page 55] trained vp and bene master to infinite Doctors, to Preistes without number, to Confessors and Martirs. Now who is able to prosecute with wordes, in what admiration he was with all men? in what glory, in what credite & grace? Who more zealous in religion repai­red not to him, from the furthest partes of the world? What Christian did not almost worship him as a Prophet? what Philosopher did not honour him as a master, and how greatly he was reue­renced not only of priuate men, but al­so of the Empire it selfe, histories doe speake which reporte that he was sent for of Alexander the Emperors mother to weet, for his merit of heauenly wis­dome with the grace and loue wherof he was inflamed. His epistles also te­stifie the same thing which with authoritie of a Christian master he wrote vn­to Phillip the Emperor the first Christi­an amongest all the Romane Princes. And if any man vpon our report admitteth not the testimonie of a Christian touching his wonderfull knowledge, and learning, at least let him receaue [Page 56] the confession of an heathen Philoso­pher. For that impious Porphirie saith that him selfe being but yet as it were a boy, moued with his fame, trauailed vnto Alexandria where he did see him being then olde, but yet such a one & so learned as he that had attained to the perfection of all knowledge. Day would sooner faile me, then I coulde touch though breiflye those notable gifts which were in that man, all which notwithstanding pertained not only to the glorie of religion, but also to the greatnes of the temptation. For who is he that would willingly haue forsa­ken a man of such wit, of so deepe lear­ning, of so rare grace, and would not sooner haue vsed that saying, that he had rather erre with Origen then be­leeue aright with others. And what should I say more, the matter came to that issue, that as the end shewed, not an vsuall & commō, but a passing dan­gerous tentation of so worthie a man, so famous a Doctor, so notable a Pro­phet, caried very many from the true and sound faith of the Church: For this [Page 57] Origen so rare and singuler a man, a­busing the grace of God, to insolently flattering him selfe, to much in his own witte, beleeuing him selfe more then reason would, litle esteeming the olde simplicitie of Christian religion, pre­suming to be wiser then all other, con­temning the traditions of the Church, and the olde Fathers documents, wa­ded so far in expounding cartaine chapters of the scripture after a new fashiō, vntill he deserued, that the Church of God should also say of him. Yf there arise vp in the middest of thee a Prophet, & a litle after thou shalt not heare (quoth he) the wordes of that Prophet. And a­gaine because (quoth he) your Lorde God doth tempt you whether you loue him or no. And surely it is not only a ten­tation but also a great tentation when a man carieth away secretly and by li­tle and litle the Church depending vp­on him (admiring his witt, knowledge eloquence, conuersation, & grace, no­thing suspecting him, nothing fearing him) sodenly from the olde religion to a prophane & new doctrine. But some [Page 58] will say that Origens bookes be corrupted: I will not gaine say it, but rather it were so: for that hath both bene said & written of some not only Catholickes, but also Hereticks. But this is now the point we haue to cōsider, that althogh not he, yet the bookes passing abrode vnder his name are a greate tentation, which stuffed with many horrible blas­phemies, are read and vsed, loued, and liked, not as the bookes of others, but as his owne workes: so that although Origen gaue no cause of erroneous do­ctrine, yet his authoritie hath bene the occasion why the error hath bene liked and folowed.

The case also of Tertullian is the ve­ry same with the former: for as Origen is to be thought the best amongest the Greeke Doctors, so Tertullian without controuersie the cheefe of all the latin. For who was more learned then hee? Who in Diuinitie or Humanitie more practised? for by his great and wonder­full capacitie of witt, he attained to, & imbraced all Philosophie, all the sectes of Philosophers, all their authors and [Page 59] patrons, all their learning, all sortes of histories and studies. And for his witt, was he not so excellent, so graue, so sharpe, that he almost vndertooke the ouerthrow of nothing which either by quicknes of witt or waight of reason he crushed not in peeces. Now who is able to set downe the commendacion and praise which his stile and phrase of speach deserued, which was so fraught (I know not how) with that force of reason, that such as could not be per­swaded, were cōpelled: whose almost so many wordes, so many sentences, so many sences, so many victories. This is well knowne to Marcion and Ap­pelles, well knowne to Praxeas, and Hermogenes, the Iewes vnderstād this, the Gentiles haue tried it, the Gnostikcs haue proued it. and diuers others haue felt it: whose blasphemouse opinions he hath ouerthrowne with his many & great volumes, as it had bene with thū ­der and lightning. And yet this man after all this, this Tertullian I say, not holding the Catholicke religion, that is the vniuersall and olde faith, being [Page 60] far more eloquent then fortunate, chā ­ging afterwarde his minde, did at last that which the blessed Confessor Hil­larie in a certaine place writeth of him. He discredited (quoth he) with his lat­ter error his probable writings: and ther­fore he was also a greate tentation in the Church. But hereof I will saye no more, only this I add, that by his de­fending against the precept of Moises, for true prophecies the new madnesse of Mōtanus springing vp in the church and these mad dreames of a new do­ctrine of the franticke woman, he de­serued that we should also say of him and his writinges. Yf a Prophete shall rise vp in the midest of thee and straight after, thou shalt not heare the wordes of that Prophet. Why so? Because (qnoth he) your Lord God doth tempt you whe­ther you loue him or no. We ought ther­fore euidently to note by these so ma­ny so great & diuers, others such waightie examples, and by the law of Deute­ronomie most cleerely to vnderstand that if at any time any ecclesiasticall teacher straieth frō the faith, that gods [Page 61] prouidence doth suffer that for our tri­all, whether we loue him or no in our wholle hart and in our wholle soule.

CHAP. XI.

VVHICH being so, he is a true and perfect sincere Catho­licke that loueth Gods truth, that lo­ueth his body the Church, that prefer­reth nothing beefore the religion of God, nothinge before the Catholicke faith, not any mans authority, not loue, not will, not eloquēce, not philosophie but contemning all these things, setled in faith; stable & permanēt, whatsoeuer he knoweth the Catholicke Church vniuersally in old time to haue holden, purposeth with him selfe only to hold and beleeue: and therfore whatsoeuer new doctrine and not before heard of such a one perceaue to be brought in of some one man, beside or contrarie to the olde Saintes and Doctors, lett him know that not to pertaine to reli­gion but rather to tentation, for his proofe and triall, especially being in­structed [Page 62] with the saving of the Apostle Sainte Paule. for this is that which he writeth in his first epistle to the Corin­thians. There must (quoth he) be here­sies also that they which are approued may be made manifest amōgest you. As thogh he should say. This is the cause why the authors of heresies are not straight rooted out by God, that the prooued may bee made manifest, that is euery one may appeare how stedfastly, faith­fully and constantly, he loueth the Ca­tholicke faith. And certaine it is that straight vpon the springing vp of any Noueltie, the waightie corne is discer­ned from the light chaffe, then is that easelie shaken out of the floare which before lightly remained in the floare, for some by and by leape away, others only shaken are afraid to perish, and a­shamed to returne, remaining woun­ded, halfe dead, half aliue, like vnto those which haue druncke so much poison, as neither killeth, nor digesteth, neither bringeth death, nor yet permit­teth to liue. Alas the miserable state of such persons, with what seas of cares, [Page 63] with what stormes are they tossed? for some time as the winde driueth them, they are caried away headlong into er­ror, an other time coming again to thē selues, they are shaken & beatē like contrary waues striuing togither, somtime with rash presumption they allow such thinges, as seeme vncertaine, an other time of pusillanimitie they feare those thinges which are certaine, doubtfull which way to take, which way to re­turne, what to desire, what to auoide, what to holde, what to let go: which miserie & affliction of a wauering harte and not setled, were they wise, is the salue of Gods mercie towardes them. For this is the reason why (being out of the safe porte of the Catholike faith) they are shaken, tossed, and almost kil­led with stormes and troubles, to the end they should strike downe the sailes of their proud mind, which they nough tely hoised vp to the windes of nouel­ties, & so retire & keepe thēselues with in the most sure port of their calme and good mother, & first cast vp those bit­ter & turbulēt waters of errors that af­terward [Page 64] they may drinke of the flow­ing riuers of liuelie & runing water. Let them learne to forget well, which well they haue not learned, and those arti­cles which the Church teacheth, and by reason are to be attained to: let thē in Gods name comprehend, and those which surpasse reason let them by faith beleeue.

CHAP. XII.

VVHICH being so, oftē times calling to minde and re­membring the selfe same thing: I can­not sufficiently maruell at the great madnes of some men, at so great im­pietie of a blinded harte, to conclude at so greate a licentious desire to error, that they be not content with the rule of faith once deliuered vs, and receiued from our auncestors, but do euery day search and seeke for new doctrine, euer desirous to add, to change, and to take a way som thing from religiō as though that were not the doctrine of God, which was once sufficiently reuealed, but rather mans institutiō, which can­not [Page 65] but by continuall correction (or ra­ther corruption) come to perfection: Whereas the diuine scriptures crye out Do not translate the boundes which thy fathers haue set downe, and Do not iudge ouer thy iudge. And, the Serpent will bite him that cutteth the hedge. And that saying of the appostles by which all wicked nouelties of all heritickes haue often bene cut in peces as it were with a spiritual! sworde and alwaies hereafter are. O Timothie keepe the depositum a­uoiding the prophane nouelties of voices and oppositions of falsly called knowledge which certaine promisinge haue erred a­bout the faith. And yet for all this, some there be so shameles, so impudent, so obstinate, which will not yelde to such force of diuine scripture, which be not moued with such waight of reason nor yet shaken with such heauenly hāmers, to conclude which be not beaten in peeces with such celestiall lightning: Auoide (quoth he) the prophane nouel­ties of voices. He saieth not auoide an­tiquities, he saieth not auoid auncient­nes, nay rather sheweth what contra­riwise [Page 66] should folow. For if nouelty is to be auoided, antiquitie is to be retained if nouelty be prophane, antiquitie is sa­cred, & oppositiōs (quoth he) of falsly called knowledge. Verily the name of knowledge in the schooles of Hereticks is false, where ignorance is called know­ledge, mist, reputed cleerenes, & dark­nes termed by the name of light. Which certaine (quoth he) promising haue er­red about the faith. What promised they, when they erred about the faith? What else, but I know not what new and vnknowen doctrine? For you may heare some of them say. O ye vnwise and seelie soules which commonly are called Catholickes, come and learne the true faith, which no creature vn­derstādeth besides vs, which hath bene hidden, many hundred of yeeres past, but of late hath bene reuealed and laid open, but learne it priuily, learne it se­cretly, for it will delight you. And a­gaine when you haue learned it, teach it secretly, that the world may not vn­derstand it, that the Church may not know it, for it is graunted to fewe to [Page 67] vnderstand the secret of so great a mi­sterie. Are not these thincke you the wordes of that harlot which in the Prouerbes of Salomon calleth vnto her the passengers: Who is (quoth she) most Prou. 9 foole amōgest you let him turne vnto me. And such as be of small iudgement she exhorteth, saying. Touch willingly se­crete bread, and drinke sweet water pri­uily. What foloweth? But he knoweth not (quoth he) how in her company earthly men do perish. who be these earthly men? Let the Apostle declare: Those (quoth he) which haue erred about the faith. But it is worth the labour more diligently to examine the Apostle his whole Chapter. O Timothie (quoth he) keepe the depositū auoiding prophane no­uelties of voices. This exclamation O, both sheweth foresight and also argu­eth charitie: for he foresawe certaine errors which before hand he was sory for: who at this day hath the place of Timothie? but either the whole Church or especially the wholle body of Pre­lates, who ought them selues to haue the wholle knowledge of diuine reli­gion, [Page 68] and also to instruct others, what is ment by keepe the depositum. Keepe it quoth hee for feare of theeues, for daunger of enemies, least when men be a sleepe they ouer-sow cockell a­mongest the wheat, which the sonne of man hath sowed in his feild. Keepe (quoth he) the depositum. What is mēt by this depositum: that is, that which is An exce­lent expo­sition of S. Paules wordes. committed to thee, not that which is inuented of thee: that which thou hast receaued, not that which thou hast de­uised: a thing not of witt, but of lear­ning: not of priuate vsurpation, but of publicke tradition: a thing brought to thee: not brought forth of thee: wher­in thou must not be an author, but a­keeper: not a beginner, but a folower: not a leader, but a comer after: Keepe the depositum. Preserue the talent of the Catholicke faith pure and sincere, that which is committed to thee, let that remaine with thee, and that deliuer vn­to the people. Thou hast receiued gold render then gold, I will not haue one thing for another. Do not for gold giue me either impudently leade or craftily [Page 69] brasse, I will not the shew, but the ve­rie nature of golde it selfe. O Timothie, O Preiste, O Teacher, O Doctour, if Gods gift hath made thee meete and sufficient for thy witt, exercise and learning, shew thy selfe Beseelel, that di­uine workeman in building of the spi­rituall tabernacle, ingraue those preti­ous stones of Gods religion, faithfully set them, wisely adorne them, put vp­on them brightnes, giue them grace, giue thē bewtie. That which men be­fore beleeued obsourely, let them by thy exposition vnderstand more cleer­ly. Let posteritie reioice for comming to the knowledge of that by thy means, which antiquitie without that know­ledge had in veneration. Yet for all this, in such sort deliuer what thou hast learned, that albeit thou teachest new­ly and after a new maner: yet thou ne­uer preach a new religion and deliuer a new faith.

CHAP. XIII.

BVT peraduenture some will say, shall we then haue no increase of religion in the Church of Christ? no [Page 70] growing on, no proceeding forward? To which I answere and say. Let vs a-Gods name haue the greatest and most that may be. For who is either so enui­ous to men, or hatefull to God which wold labour to stop or hinder that? but yet in such sort & with this prouiso that it may appeare to be truely an increase in faith & not proue to be a change in religion for this is the nature of such thinges as increase, that in them selues they become and grow greater. And this is the nature of a change & muta­tion, that some thing be turned from one thing which it was, to an other which it was not: Conuenient it is and very necessary, that the vnderstanding, knowledge, and wisdome, as well of euery man in particuler, as of all in com­mon: as well of one a lone, as of the wholle Church in generall, of all ages in times past, should aboundantly in­crease and go forwarde, but yet for all that, onely in his owne kinde and na­ture, that is in the same faith, in the same sence, in the same sentence. In this case let the religion of our soule [Page 71] imitate the nature of our bodies, which although with proces of time they passouer many yeeres, yet they remaine the same that they were. There is great difference betwixt florishing youth & withered age, yet the selfe same men become olde which before were yong so that although the state and conditi­on of one and the selfe same man be al­tered, yet one very nature and person, doth still remaine. The limmes & members of infants be small, of young men great, yet not diuers but the very same. So many iointes as young childrē haue so many haue they when they be men, and if any partes there be, which with increase of yeeres spring forth, those before by nature were in man virtually planted, so that no newe thing come forth in olde men, which before were not contained in them being yet chil­dren. Wherfore there can be no doubt, but that this is the due and right order of growing, the most naturall & good­liest way of increasing only to haue in olde yeeres, those mēbers, those partes and iointes which the wisdome of our [Page 72] Creator before framed when we were yet but litle ones: And therfore if a man be afterward chāged into some other shape or likenes thē his nature require: or if the number of his mēbers be more or lesse thē nature prescribeth: then of necessitie the wholle body must either perishe or become monstrouse, or at least remaine lame & maimed. In like manner Christian religion must folow these rules of increasing and growing, to weet, that with yeeres it waxe more sound, with time become more ample, with continuance be more exalted, yet remaine pure and incorrupt, and con­tinue full and perfect with each of his partes, and as it were with all his mem­bers and proper sences: And further­more that it admit no change or muta­tion, sustaine no losse of his proprietie, no varietie or mutabilitie in definition: for example sake. Our forefathers in olde time in the spirituall feilde of the Church, sowed the wheaten seede of true faith and religion, it were now ve­ry iniurious and vnreasonable, that we their posteritie in steed of perfecte and [Page 73] true wheate should reape the false er­ror of cockle: And contrariwise it is reason and very conueniēt that the be­ginning and ending not disagreeing with it selfe, we should of the increase of wheatē seed reape the fruit of whea­ten religion, so that when with tract of time, any of those first seedes beginne to budd and come forth, let them be tilled & trimmed, yet without chāging ought of the proprietie of the corne springing vp: and albeit fashion, shape and distinction, be added & put to, yet must the nature of each kinde remaine and abide. For God forbid that those rosie plantes of the Catholike doctrine should be chaunged into thirstles and thornes, God forbid I say, that in this spirituall paradise, of the slippes of Ci­namon & Balsme should sodenly grow vp darnel and poison. Therfore what soeuer hath by the grace of God and our Fathers faith beene sowen in this Church, reason it is that the same be cultiuated & maintained by the indu­stry of the childrē: meet that it florish & waxe ripe, conuenient it grow & come [Page 74] to perfectiō: for lawfull it is that those auncient articles of heauenly philoso­phie, shoulde be trimmed, smoothed, and polished: but vnlawfull it is that they should be changed, mangled and maimed. And albeit they receaue per­spicuitie, light, and distinction, yet of necessitie must they retaine their ful­nes, soundnes, and proprietie. For if once this licentiousnes of wicked fraud be admitted, I tremble to speake what daunger is like to ensue of rasing and abandoning religion, for if we take a­way any parte of the Catholicke faith, straight waies other partes, and after that other, and againe other, and that as it were of custome and by law shall be abandoned. And what followeth when euery parte by litle and litle is a­bolished but that in conclusion the wholle corps of religion at one blow be refused and reiected. And contra­riwise if new things and olde, forraine and domesticall, prophane and sacred, begin once to be confounded togither then must needs this custome generally folow, that nothing hereafter remaine [Page 75] in the Church vntowched, nothinge without corruption, nothing sounde, nothing pure, nothing sincere, and so where before was the sacred schoole of chaste and immaculate truth, there shall be a very brothel house of wicked & filthie errors. But God of his good­nes deliuer his seruants frō such minds, and let the impious rather & gracelesse follow that furious & mad proceeding For the Church of Christ is a carefull & diligent keeper of religion cōmitted to her charge, she neuer chāgeth or alte­reth in it any thing, she diminisheth nothing, nothing she addeth: What is necessarie she loseth not, what is super­fluous she forceth not, her owne she maintaineth, not her owne shee vsur­peth not, but with all industrie labou­reth only about this one thing, that is by faithfull & prudent handling of our forefathers doinges, what by them in times past was well entered & begone, she polisheth: what thē was well poli­shed and declared she cōfirmeth: what then was confirmed & defined she re­taineth. To conclude what hath she els [Page 76] endeuoured by the decrees of Coun­cells but that, that doctrine which be­fore was simplie credited, the same af­terward should be more diligently be­leeued: that religion which before was taughtmore slowly, the same afterward shold be preached more instantly: That faith which before was more securely reuerenced, the same afterward should more carefully be practised. This I say alwaies & nothing els hath the Church prouoked with the nouelties of Here­tickes set downe by the decrees of her Councells, to weet onely to confirme that to posteritie by writing (compre­hēding a great summe of things in few wordes and often times for more easie vnderstāding to an olde article of faith geuing a new name) which before by tradition she had receaued of her fore­fathers.

CHAP. XIIII.

BVT to returne to the Apostle. O Timothie (quoth he) keepe tho de­positum auoyding prophane nouelties of voices. Auoyde (quoth he) as a viper, [Page 77] as a scorpian, as a basiliske, least they infecte thee, not only by towching, but also with their very eies & breath. what is ment by Auoide that is, not so much as to eate with any such, what 1. Cor 5 importeth this (Auoide) yf any man (quoth he) come vnto you and bring not this doctrine, what doctrine but the Ca­tholicke and vniuersall, and that which with sounde traditiō of the truth, hath cōtinued one & the selfe same, through all successions of times, and that which shall continue to the worldes ende. What thē? Receaue him not (quoth he) into the house, nor say God saue you, for 2. Ioan. 7 he that saieth vnto him God saue you, communicateth with his wicked workes. Prophane nouelties of voices (quoth he) what is (Prophane). Those which haue no holines in them, no iote of religion wholie vnknowne to the Church which is the temple of God. Prophane nouelties of voices quoth he (of voices) that is nouelties of opinions, nouelties of things, nouelties of senses, contrarie to our forefathers faith, contrarye to antiquitie, which if we admitte and re­ceaue, [Page 78] of necessitie the faith of our bles­sed auncestors, either all, or a greate parte of it, must be ouerthrowne, the faithfull people of all ages and times, all holy Saintes, all chast, all continent, all virgins, all widowes, all Clearkes, all Deacons, all Priestes: so manie thousands of Cōfessors, so many bands of Martirs, so many famous and great cities, and common wealthes, so manie Ilandes, Prouinces, Kings, countries, kingdomes, nations, to cōclude almost the whole worlde incorporated by the Catholicke faith to Christ their heade must needs be saied, so many hūdredes of yeeres to haue bene ignorant, to haue erred, to haue blasphemed, to haue beleeued they know not what. Auoide (quoth he) Prophane nouelties of voices, to receiue which, which to folow neuer was the custome of Catho­lickes, but alwaies the propertie of he­retickes. And to say truth, what here­sie hath euer peeped forth but vnder the name of some certain man in some certaine place, and at some certaine time. Who euer set abroche any he­resie? [Page 79] who first deuided not him selfe frō the consent of the vniuersalitie and antiquitie of the Catholicke Church, which to be true, examples do plainly proue. For who euer before that pro­phane Pelagius presumed so much of mans free will that he thought not the grace of God necessarie to euery perti­culer good acte. Who euer before his monstrous disciple Celestius denied all mankind to be tied & bound with the sinne of Adams preuarication? Who euer before sacriligious Arius durst teare in peeces the Vnitie of Trinitie. Who euer before wicked Sabellius at­tempted to confound the Trinitie of Vnitie. Who euer before cruell No­uatiā affirmed God to be so mercilesse that he had rather the death of a sinner then he should returne and liue. Who euer before Simon Magus (punished by Apostolicall censure from whome that olde sinke of filthines came by cō ­tinuall & secrete succession vnto Pris­cillian that was the last) durst euer af­firme that God our Creator was the author of euell, that is the authour of [Page 80] our wickednes, impieties, and horrible crimes; because God (as he saied) so made mans nature that by a certaine proper motion and impulse of an in­forced will, it can do nothing else but sinne, desire nothing else but to offend, because being prouoked and inflamed with the furious rage of all vices it is with an insatiable desire caried away headlong into the pitt and sincke of all filthines. Such examples are infinite, which for beuitie sake I omitt, by all which not-withstanding it appeareth plainly and cleerely that it is an vsuall and common thing in all Heresies to take great pleasure in prophane nouel­ties, to loathe the decrees of our fore­fathers, and so fall from the faith, by opposing the false & counterfeit name of knowledge and learning: contrari­wise this is proper to all Catholickes to keepe that faith which the holy fathers haue left & committed to their charge to cōdēne prophane nouelties, & as the Apostle hath already said & again doth say. Yf any man shal preach otherwise thē that which is receaued to accurse him.

CHAP. XV.

HERE haplie some man may de­maunde whether heretickes also do vse the testimonie of holy scripture. To which I say that they do and that ve­rie earnestly, for a man may behold thē ranging and coursing in euery parte of the Byble, in Moyses, in the kinges, in the Psalmes, in the Apostles, in the Ghosples, in the Prophets. for whether they be amongst their owne bretheren or with strangers: whether in priuate or in publique, whether in talking or in writing, whether in the house a fea­sting or abrode in walking they almost neuer alledge any thinge of there owne which they do not pretend to shadowe with the wordes of sacred scripture. Read the pamphlets of Paulus Samo­satenus, of Priscilian Eunomius Iouini­an & the rest of such like pestilent He­retickes, and you shall find through all their workes an huge hepe of examples almost no page omitted which is not [Page 82] colored and painted with the sayinges of the new and olde testament. But the more closely they lurke vnder the sha­dow of Gods lawe, the more carefullie are they to be feared the more narrow­lie to be watched for they knowe full well that their stinking and vnsauorie drugges be not likelie almost to please any, if simplie and nakedly they be set forth: & therfore they do temper them as it were with the sweete powder of Gods worde, that he which quicklie would haue cōtemned mans erronious inuention dare not so readilie reiecte Gods diuine scripture: wherin they are like to those, which minding to mini­ster bitter potions to yonge childrē do first annoint the brimmes of the cuppe with honie that ther by vnwarie youth feeling the swetnes, may nothing feare the bitter confection. This deuise also practise they which vpon noughtie herbes and hurtfull ioyces writte the names of good & wholsome medicines wherby almost no man reading the good superscription, anything suspec­teth the lurking poysō. The selfe same [Page 83] thing likewise our Sauiour crieth out to all Christiās. Take ye heed of false pro­phets Mat. 7 which come to you in sheepes cloa­thing, but inwardly are rauening wolues. What is ment else by sheepes clothing but the sayings of the Prophetes and Apostles, which they with sheepelike sinceritie did weare like certain fleeces for that immaculate Lambe, which ta­keth away the sinnes of the world: And what is to be vnderstood by rauening wolues, but the cruell & dogged opi­nions of hereticks, which alwaies trou­ble the sheepfoldes of the Church, and by all meanes possible teare in peeces the flocke of Christ. But to thend they may more craftely set vpon the sheepe of Christ mistrusting nothing, remai­ning still cruell beastes, they putt of their woluish weed and shroude them selues with the wordes of scripture, as it were with certaine fleeces whereby it hapneth, that when the feelie sheepe feele the soft woll they litle feare their sharpe teeth: But what saieth our Sa­uiour. By their fruites you shall knowe them. That is when then beginne not [Page 84] only to vtter those wordes, but also to expound them, not only to cast them forth, but also to interpret them, then doth that bitternes breake forth, then is that sharpenes espied, then is that madnes perceaued, then is that fresh and new poison belched out, then are prophane nouelties sett abroch, then may you see straight way the hedge cut in two, the olde fathers bounds re­moued, the Cotholicke doctrine sha­ken, and the Churches faith torne in peeces. Such were they whome the Apostle sharplie reprehendeth in the 2. epistle to the Corinthians: For such false Apostles (quoth he) are crafty wor­kers 2. Cor. 11 transfiguring them selues into the Apostles of Christ. What is transfigu­ring them selues into the Apostles of Christ? But this. The Apostles allead­ged the examples of scripture, & they likewise cited them. The Apostles ci­ted the authoritie of the Psalmes, and they likewise vsed it. The Apostles v­sed the sayinges of the Prophetes, and they in like maner brought them forth But whē that scripture which was alike [Page 85] alleadged, alike cited, alike brought forth, was not alike and in one sence expounded, then were discerned the simple from the craftie, the sincere frō the counterfeit, the right & good from the froward and peruerse: and to con­clude true Apostles from those false A­postataes. And no maruell (quoth Saint PAVL) For Sathan him selfe transfigu­reth him selfe into an Angell of light, it is no great matter therfore if his mini­sters be transfigured as the ministers of Iustice. Wherfore according to Saint PAVL, whensoeuer either false Apo­stles or false Prophets, or false Doctors do bring forth the words of holy scrip­ture, by which they would according to their noughtie interpretation con­firme their error, there is no doubt but that they folow the craftie sleight of their maister, which surely he would neuer haue inuented, but that he know­eth verie well that there is no readier way to deceaue the people, then where the bringing in of wicked error is in­tended, that there the authoritie of the word of God should be pretēded. But [Page 86] some will say how proue you that the Deuill vseth to alledge scripture? Such as doubt therof let them read the Gos­pell where it is written. Then the De­uill tooke him vp (that is our Lord and Sauiour) and set him vpon the pinnacle of the Temple, and said vnto him, if thou be the sonne of God cast thy selfe downe, for it is written that he will geue his An­gels Mat. 4 charge of thee that they may keepe theee in all thy waies, in their hands shall they hold the vp, least perhaps thou knock thy foote against a stone. How will he thinke you handle seely poore soules? which so setteth vpon the Lord of ma­iestie with the authoritie of scripture. If thou be (quoth he) the sonne of god cast thy selfe downe. Why so? For it is writtē (quoth he). we haue diligētly to waigh the doctrine of this place & to keepe it in mind that by so notable an example of the scripture we make no scruple or doubt when we see any alleadge some place of the Apostles, or Prophetes, a­gainst the Catholike faith, but that by his mouth the deuil himself doth speak. For as at that time the head spake vnto [Page 87] the head, so now the mēbers do talke vnto the members, that is the mēbers of the Deuill to the members of Christ, the faithlesse to the faithfull, the irreli­gious to the religious, to conclude He­retickes to Catholickes. But what I pray saieth the Deuill? If thou be the sonne of God (quoth he) cast thy selfe downe. That is to say: Desirest thou to be the sonne of God and to enioy the inheritance of the Kingdome of Hea­uen Cast thy selfe downe, that is Cast thy selfe downe from this doctrine & tra­dition of this high and loftie Church, which is reputed to be the Temple of God. And if any one demaund of these hereticks, perswading thē such things, how do you proue and conuince me, that I ought to forsake the olde and v­niuersall faith of the Catholike Church Straight waies is ready at hand: For it is written, & forthwith he will alledge you a thousand testimonies, a thousand examples, a thousand authorities out of the law, out of the Psalmes, out of the Apostles, out of the Prophetes, by which expounded after a new & wic­ked [Page 88] fashion he would throw headlong the vnfortunate soules from the tower of the Catholike Church into the deep dungeon of wicked heresie. Now with these sweete promises which followe, Heretickes doe wonderfully deceaue simple men. For they dare promise and teach that in their Church, that is in the conuenticle of their communion is to be found a great and speciall yea & a certaine personall grace of God: So that whosoeuer be one of their crew, they shall straight waies without any labour, without any study, without any industrie yea although they neuer seek, nor craue, nor knocke, haue such spe­ciall dispensation that they shall be ca­ried vp with the handes of Angells, that is preserued by Angelicall prote­ction: that they neuer hurt their foote against a stone, that is that they neuer can be scandilized. But some man wil say, if the Deuill & his disciples, wher­of some be false Apostles, false Pro­phetes, and false teachers, and all per­fecte Heretickes, do vse the scriptures, cite their sayings, bring forth their pro­mises, [Page 89] what shall Catholicke men do? How shall the children of the Church behaue them selues? How shall they in the holy scriptures discerne truth frō falsehoode? To which I answere that they must haue great care (as in the be­ginning of this Treatise I said holy and learned men taught me) that they in­terpret the diuine and canonicall scrip­ture according to tradition of the vni­uersall Church, according to the rules of the Catholike doctrine: in which like wise they must of necessitie folow, vni­niuersalitie, antiquitie, and consent, of the Catholicke & Apostolike Church. And therefore if at anye time a parte rebell against the wholle, noueltie a­gainst antiquitie, the dissention of one or a few (caried away with error) a­gainst the consent of all, or the farre greater parte of Catholickes: In that case let them preferre the integritie of vniuersalitie before the corruption of a parte: And in vniuersalitie let them al­so preferr the religion of antiquitie before prophane noueltie, and againe in antiquitie let them preferre before the [Page 90] temeritie of one or a few, the decrees of a generall Councell if any be, or if no such be founde, let them take that which is next hand, that is to followe the opinions of many and great lear­ned Doctors agreeing togither, which faithfully, soberly, diligentlye, obser­ued and kept: By Gods grace we shall without any great difficultie finde out the errors of new vpstarte Heretickes.

CHAP. XIIII.

HERE I perceaue by order it fo­loweth to shew by exāples how the prophane nouelties of heretickes are by bringing forth and conferring togither the olde Doctors opinions a­greeing togither to be found out and condemned, which auncient consent of holy fathers is not so carefullie and diligently to be sought for & folowed in euery small question of the scripture, but only and especially in the rule of faith, neither yet alwaies, nor all here­sies are after this sorte to be impugned, but only such as be new and vpstart, to [Page 91] wit, at their first springing vp & before they haue (lette with lacke of time) fal­sified the rules of the auncient faith, & before the poison spreding far a broad, goeth about to corrupte the Fathers workes: But those heresies which haue alreadie gott ground, and be of some contiunance are not this way to be delt with all, because by long tracte of time they haue had oportunity to steal truth And therfore such kinde of prophane schismes and heresies which be of lon­ger standing, we must not otherwise conuince, but either only if need be, by the authoritie of the scriptures, or else to auoide and detest them being already conuicted and condemned in olde time by generall Councels of Ca­tholicke Preistes: Therfore so soon as any infectious error begineth to break forth and for her defence to steale cer­tain words of holy scripture, & craftely & fradulently to expound thē, straight waies for the right vnderstanding ther­of the Fathers opinions are to be ga­thered togither by which let any what­soeuer new, and therfore prophane do­ctrine [Page 92] growing vp with out all delay be deiected and speedely condemned. But those Fathers opinions only are to be conferred togither which with ho­lines, wisdome, and constancie, liued, taught, and continued in the faith, and communion of the Catholicke Church and finally deserued to die in Christ or happily for Christ to be martired, whō notwithstāding we are to beleeue with this condition, that whatsoeuer either all or the greater parte with one mind, plainly, commonlye, constantly, as it were a Councell of Doctors agreeing togither haue decreed and set downe receauing it from their auncestors, hol­ding it for their time, and deliuering it to their posteritie, let that be had and accounted for vndoubted, for certaine and firme truth (And whatsoeuer any although holy and learned, although a Bishop, although a Confessour, and Martir hath holden otherwise then all, or against all, let that be put aside from the authoritie of the common publicke and generall faith & reputed amongst his owne proper, priuate, and secrete [Page 93] opinions, least with greate daunger of eternall saluation, we do according to the custome of sacriligious Heretickes and Schismatickes, forsake the trueth of the vniuersall faith, and follow the nouell error of one man) the holy and and Catholicke mind of which blessed Fathers least any man thinke that he may rashly cōtemne. The Apostle sai­eth 1. Cor. 12. in his first epistle to the Corinthi­ans: And some verely hath God set in his Church first Apostles of which him self was one: Secondly Prophetes as Aga­bas was of whom we read in the Actes. Thirdly Doctors which now are called Cap. 11. Tractators whō also this Apostle some time nameth Prophetes (because their office was to expound & declare to the people the misteries of the Prophetes) these therfore disposed and placed by God at diuers times and sundry places, agreeing & consenting all in one mind in Christ, touching the vnderstanding of the Catholicke faith whosoeuer cō ­temneth, doth not contemne man but God: and that we disagree not by any meanes from the perfect and true vni­tie [Page 94] of those Fathers, the same Apostle doth earnestly beseech all Christians, saying: I beseech you brethren that you say all one thing and that there bee no schismes among you, but that you be per­fecte 1. Cor. 1 in one sence and in one knowledge. And if any man separate him selfe from the communion of theire opinion, let him heare that saying of the same Apo­stle: He is not the God of dissention but 1. Cor. 14 of peace: that is not of him that leaueth consent and vnitie, but of them that re­maine in peace and agreement: As I do (quoth he) teach in all the Churches of the Saintes, that is of Catholickes, which therfore be holy because they continue in the cōmunion of the faith: and least happily any one should con­temne others and proudly require only to be heard, only to be beleeued, strait after he saieth. What hath the word of God (quoth he) proceeded from you or haue it only come to you. And least this might be taken as spoken slightlye he addeth. If any (quoth he) seemeh a Prophet or spirituall, that is a master in spirituall matters, let him be a zealous [Page 95] louer of vnitie and peace, in such wise that he neither preferre his owne opi­nion before the iudgement of others, neither leaue or forsake the sence and common consent of all men. The com­maundementes of which thinges he that is (quoth he) ignorant of: that is he that learneth not those thinges which he yet knoweth not, or contemneth those which he knoweth, he shal not be knowē, that is he shall be thought vnworthie, whom amongest such, as be vnited in faith & equall in humilitie God should regard and looke vpon: a greater euill then which I doubt whether any man can inuēt or deuise which yet notwith­standing (accordinge to the Apostles commination) wee see to haue fallen vpon Iultan the Pelagian who either contēned to be ioined in opinion with his felowes or else presumed to sepa­rate him selfe from theire societie and communion.

But now it is time to bring forth the example which we promised: how and after what sort the iudgement and opi­nions of holy Fathers were gathered [Page 96] togither, that according to thē by the decree and authority of a Councell the rule of faith might be set down: which to the end that I may more commodi­ously do, I will here make an end of this commonitorie and so take a nother be­ginning for declaring of those thinges which do folow and ensew.