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HERE FOLOWE

ALSO CERTAINE QUESTIONS PROPOUNDED BY HIM,
WHICHE ARE FULLYE ALTHOUGHE SHORTLY

AUNSWERED.

I. Which is the catholic church?

August.cap.

Hiero. con

St Augustine and St Jerome do say: "The church is a visible company 4. Epist. of people gathered of Christ our Lord and the apostles, and continued Fund. unto this day by a perpetual succession, living in one faith apostolical, tra Lucifer. under Christ the head, and his vicar in earth, being the pastor and high bishop. Out of this catholic and apostolical church is no trust of salvation1."

"Whosoever shall be out of this church, although St Augustine says: his life be esteemed to be very good and laudable, by this only fault, that he is disjoined and separated from the unity of Christ and his church, he can have no life, but the wrath of God hangs over him."

August.
Epist. 1512.

St Cyprian says: "He separates himself from Christ, that does against Cyprianus de Simplici. the consent of the bishop and clergy3."

66

St Jerome does say: We must remain in that church which is Hiero. con

[In catholica ecclesia * * 'tenet me consensio populorum atque gentium tenet auctoritas miraculis inchoata, spe nutrita, caritate aucta, vetustate firmata: tenet ab ipsa sede Petri apostoli, cui pascendas oves suas post resurrectionem Dominus commendavit, usque ad præsentem episcopatum successio sacerdotum. Augustin. contra Epist. Manich.

cap. 5. (IV.) Tom. vш. p. 269. ed. Paris. 1837.

Super illam petram ædificatam ecclesiam scio. Quicunque extra hanc domum agnum comederit, profanus est: si quis in arca Noe non fuerit, peribit regnante diluvio. Hieron. Epist. xiv. ad Damasum. Tom. iv. Pars i. p. 19. ed. Paris. 1706. If the reference in the margin to the treatise "contra Lucifer." be correct, the passage intended must be that quoted below in note 1. p. 618. En.]

[Ab ea vero separati, quamdiu contra illam sentiunt, boni esse non possunt: quia etsi aliquos eorum bonos videtur ostendere quasi laudabilis conversatio, malos eos facit ipsa divisio. August. Epist. ccvii. (al. ccx.) Tom. I. p. 1177. ED.]

[An esse sibi cum Christo videtur, qui adversus sacerdotes Christi facit; qui se a cleri ejus et plebis societate secernit? De Unitate Ecclesiæ: (vulgo De Simplicitate Prælatorum:) p. 83. Ed. Fell. Oxon. 17C0. ED.]

tra Lucifer.

founded of the apostles, and does endure unto this day by a succession of bishops, to whom the Holy Ghost has appointed the rule and government of this church, sanctified by Christ's blood-shedding. Nor let heretics take any comfort to themselves, if they can frame out of the chapters of the scripture for their purpose that which they say, seeing the devil has alleged some things of scripture: for the scriptures consist not in reading, but true understanding." If we will be members of Christ's church, we must continue firmly in that faith and religion, that was sent from the apostolical see of Rome, by St Gregory, into England: which faith and religion was planted and stablished by St Augustine in this realm." St Augustine stablished mass and seven sacraments to be used in the Latin tongue, as Gildas does witness, and such manner of divine service as is now used.

The Answer to the First Question.

St Austin, in the first place alleged, has no such definition, although the most part of the words which he puts there are true: and would to God he considered how much he speaks against himself herein! This is that which we defend, that the church is gathered by Christ and the apostles first, and continues, not in the papistical but in the apostolical faith, under Christ our head, who rules his church still by his Holy Spirit and word, and has not put it into the hands of any one only general vicar in the earth, as he untruly says: whereas their church is builded not on Christ, but on the pope's decrees, which the apostles never knew, and were unwritten many years after the death of the apostles, and are always uncertain, changing ever, as it pleases the pope for his time to determine: and their church has had at one time three or four popes for their heads, like a monster with many heads; some country following one pope, some another, as their head. We say also, that the papists have divided themselves from this church of Christ, making themselves synagogues and chapels, gods, and religion of their own devising, Judg. xvii. as Micha did, contrary to God's word: and therefore the wrath of God hangs over them, except they return, how holy soever they pretend to be.

[In illa esse ecclesia permanendum, quæ ab apostolis fundata usque ad diem hanc durat. Nec sibi blandiantur, si de scripturarum capitulis videntur sibi affirmare quod dicunt, quum et diabolus de scripturis aliqua sit locutus, et scripturæ non in legendo consistant, sed in intelligendo. Adv. Lucifer. Tom. IV. Pars ii. p. 306. Paris. 1699. ED.]

Cyprian's words are not altogether so plain as he sets them; but if they were, he means another sort of priests and clergy than the pope's: for neither they did take then to them, nor he knew no such authority in them, as they now usurp unto themselves; for he writes as sharply and homely unto Cornelius, then bishop of Rome, as he does to any other his fellow bishops. Surely, whosoever divides himself from Christ's ministers and people, refusing their doctrine and discipline, separates himself from Christ: even as he that flees from the filthy dregs of popery, and his chaplains, is cut off from the pope, the father of such wickedness.

In Jerome's words we most rejoice, teaching us to continue in that church, which is founded by the apostles, and not popes, and endures to this day. The words of "succession," &c. following, are his own, and not Jerome's. By this doctrine of Jerome we flee to the apostolical, and flee from the papistical church, which was never known of many years after the apostles. And we grant that the devil, papists, and heretics can allege some words of the scriptures; and therefore we say that the papists be devilish heretics, because they rack and writhe the scriptures to a contrary meaning, to their own damnation, as the devil did. For succession and government of bishops, for Austin's religion, massing and seven sacraments, I said enough afore: but where he alleges Gildas as father of his lies, he does him much wrong; for he has never such a word in all his writings. If he have, let him shew it. This is ever the fashion of lying papists, to have the names of doctors and ancient writers in their mouths, as though they were of the same opinion that they be, where indeed they be nothing less and if they get a word or two that seems to make for them, they will add a whole tale of their own making, as though it were a piece of the same ancient man's saying; and by this means they deceive the simple, which have no learning to judge, or have not the books to try their sayings by; as this miser goes about in these places afore.

:

II. Who is an heretic?

He that teaches, defends, or maintains any erroneous opinion against the decrees, judgment, or determination of Christ's catholic church, is an heretic.

Tit. iii.

III. Who is a schismatic?

He that is divided or separate from the unity of the catholic church in ministration or receiving the sacraments or divine service, is a schismatic and in state of perdition.

The Answer to the Second and Third Questions.

He would gladly appear to be well seen in logic, if he had any. If all be heretics that defend an erroneous opinion, then many disputations shall be condemned.

In disputing, it is oft seen that of ignorance, or for his learning sake, many defend an untruth: yet God forbid that they should all be heretics! Austin says well, "I may err, but I will not be an heretic." Then he is an heretic properly, that defends an error obstinately, and will not be corrected. So teaches St Paul, "Flee from an heretic after one or two warnings" he says not, for once teaching or defending of it. Also he is not a schismatic, that differs in small points or circumstances of ministering the sacraments from other; for then should all the Greek church be in a schism, because they differ in some ceremonies from the Latin church, and also one from another, as I declared afore in the ministration of Basil, Chrysostom, St James, &c.: the same may be said of the Latin church too, as for Ambrose' order, Gregory's, &c. And because ever under the catholic church he signifies Rome, we say that no country, which uses other ceremonies than they do, is in this case a schismatic; for that their Romish orders and ceremonies be of their own devising for the most part, and not commanded by God, nor never were used generally in the universal catholic church, as I proved afore, and therefore they be free to use or not use, as shall be thought meet. To differ in the substance and doctrine of sacraments may make a schism or heresy: but such ceremonies are free to all countries, which may edify, as appeared in Anselm's epistle afore. These few words are sufficient to let him see his own foolishness: more might be said, but I will not be so curious 1 Cor. i. xi. nor tedious to note all. St Paul calls the Corinthians schismatics in hanging on men's sleeves for opinions in religion, and for misusing the communion; and not for every diversity of trifling ceremonies, as he defines it here.

[See p. 538. ED.]

IV. Whether be priests in schism that have subscribed to the religion now used in England?

In subscribing to this religion now used in England, they have both refused the power and authority which was given to them by the bishop, when they were made priests, (that is to say, power and authority to consecrate and offer, and to celebrate mass for the quick and the dead;) and also they have refused their canonical obedience solemnly promised to the bishops with a kiss. And where the bishops of this realm with the clergy assembled at time of parliament would agree to no part of this religion, (in witness whereof the bishops be in prison, and put from all their livings, and a great number of the clergy have lost all their livings, some be in prison, some banished from their friends; both the bishops and all the clergy that has lost their livings, are all ready to suffer death afore they will consent to any part of this religion; but all they which have subscribed, have forsaken the bishops, their true pastors and captains, obeying and following wolves and apostates; in witness whereof they have subscribed their names;) so separating themselves from the bishops and clergy, they must needs be in schism.

The Fourth Answer.

Where he lays to the priests' charge, that in subscribing to this religion they have refused both the power that was given to them to offer sacrifice and celebrate mass for the quick and dead, and also their canonical obedience promised to the bishops by a Judas kiss, because the old bishops in parliament did not agree to it; he does the priests more honour than he knows of, or thinks well bestowed. If he would call to remembrance the answer that the pillar of their church, stout Stephen, makes in his book De Vera Obedientia to the like reason, where he was charged with falling from the pope, and breaking that oath and vow of subjection which he made unto him, when he was first made bishop; he might better defend the priests of our time than accuse them. In our baptism we all make a solemn vow to God our Lord, that him only we will serve, and believe his word: all vows following, which are contrary to that, not only may and ought to be broken, but it is wicked to keep them; for we must serve God only, as he has taught us in his holy word. But the scripture condemns all such sacrificing now for sin, save only that sacrifice which Jesus Christ offered once for the sins of the whole world, and bids us also obey our king as chief and highest governor: therefore the priests, forsaking these later wicked vows and powers, which are contrary to God's

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