Tvvo treatises written against the papistes the one being an answere of the Christian Protestant to the proud challenge of a popish Catholicke: the other a confutation of the popish churches doctrine touching purgatory & prayers for the dead: by William Fulke Doctor in diuinitie.

The 27. article conteyneth 5. demandes.

1 Moreouer let any man proue vnto me, that the true & onely Church of God, may at any time be voyd of God his spi∣rite.

THe true and onely Church of Christ, can neuer be voyd of God his spirite, and yet she may erre from the truth, and be deceiued, in some thinges, euen as there is no true Christian man that is voyd of God his spirite, for he that hath not the spirite of Christ, is none of his. Rom. 8. yet may euery true Christian erre, and be decea∣ued in some things, according to the saying of the Scripture, euery man is a lyar. Wherefore the whole Church militant consisting of men, which are all lyars, may erre all togither, as euery part thereof, although neither the whole Church nor any true member thereof be voyd of God his spirite.

2 Or falsely interprete any sentence of holy Scripture.

THis gentle offer must needes be taken, I will proue vnto you, that the church of Rome, hath falsely in∣terpreted diuers sentences of scripture, and there∣fore by that which she hath done, it cannot be doub∣ted but that she may do it. S. Augustine was in this error, that he thought Infantes must receiue the sacrament of the body and bloude of Christ, vnder paine of damnation, and was deceiued by false interpretation of this scripture: Except ye eate the fleshe of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloude &c. Ioan. 6. This error and false interpretation, he affirmeth to be common to all the Westerne church, & to Pope Innocent him selfe. Contra duas epist. Pelag. ad Bonifacium lib. 2. cap. 4. & cōtra Iulianum lib. 1. cap. 2. Furthermore the second Coun∣cell of Nice, how many textes of scripture doth it falsely in∣terprete, which it were to tedious to repete, yet for exam∣ples sake I will reherse some of them. God made man to his owne image Gen. 1. therefore we must haue images in the church. No man lighteth a candle and setteth it vnder a bu∣shell Math. 5. therefore images must be set vpon the altars. As we haue heard, so we haue seene in the City of our God, Psal. 48. that is: God must not be knowen by onely hearing of his worde, but also by sight of images. If these be not true interpretations I reporte me to you. Beside these, I will bring you a sentence of holy Scripture, not onely falsely interpre∣ted in sence, but also falsified in wordes, and concerning not a small matter, but euen one of the cheefe articles of our Faith. It is written in the 10. chapter of the Gospell after S. Iohn the 29. verse 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. My Father which gaue thē vnto me (speaking of his sheep) is greater than all. This sentence, hath the Councell of La∣terane, holden vnder Pope Innocent the 3. where were pre∣sent 70. Metropolitanes, 400. Bishops, 12. Abbates, and 800. Priors commentualles in all 1300. Prelats, falsified in wordes, after this maner, Pater quod dedit mihi, maius est omnibus, that is: That which the Father hath geuen me, is greater than all.

This sentence they alleage, to proue that God the Father begetting his Sonne from euerlasting, gaue his owne sub∣stance vnto him, the wordes be in the 2. Canon. Pater enim ab aeterno filium generando, suam substantiam ei dedit, iuxta quod ipse testatur: Pater quod dedit mihi, maius est omnibus. At dici non potest, quod partem suae substantiae illi dederit, & partem re∣tinuerit ipse sibi, cum substantia Patris indiuisibilis sit &c. that is to say: For the Father, begetting his sonne, from euerlasting, gaue him his owne substance, according as he himselfe wit∣nesseth: that which the Father gaue me, is greater than all. But it can not be said, that he gaue him part of his substance, and kept parte vnto him selfe, when as the substance of the Father is indiuisible &c. Goe your wayes now and perswade vs, that your church can not interprete any sentence of the scripture, falsely, when the Laterane Councell, which is your represented church hath thus both falsefied, and falsely in∣terpreted, this scripture. Perswade men, that they may safely leane to the interpretation of your church, when among a thousand and three hundred Prelates, gathered canonically in a Councell, not one was founde that coulde espie such grosse abusing of the worde of God, but let it passe in a Ca∣non, vnder the name of the whole Councell. Perswade men, that in all controuersies, & condemning of errors, they must be ruled by the determination of your Church, When the Fathers of the Laterane Councell, can not confute the error of Ioachim Abbot, concerning the Diuinitie of Christ, but by falsefying and false interpreting of scripture. These few ex∣amples of an infinite numbre, I haue set forth, because they are sufficient, both to satisfie your chalenge, and to perswade the simple, that the church of Rome may falsely interprete the scripture, which you woulde beare them in hande were impossible.

3 Or induce any error among the people.

THe true and onely church of God, is so guided by God his spirite and direct••d by his worde that she can not induce any damnable error to continue. Yet,

as it is declared before, she hath no such priuilege graunted, but that she may be deceiued, in some thinges: for her know∣ledge is vnperfect, and her prophecying is vnperfect. 1. Cor. 13. And it is true that S. Augustine sayeth: euen the whole church is taught to saye: Forgeue vs our trespasses. And if generall Councells be the church represented (as you Papistes doe teache) S. Augustine plainely affirmeth that they may erre: De Baptismo contra Donatistas, lib. 2. cap. 2. Quis autem nesciat sanctam scripturam Canonicam tam veteris quam noui Testamen∣ti &c. And who knoweth not, that the holy Canonicall scri∣pture, as well of the olde, as of the newe Testament, is con∣teined within her certeine boundes: and that it is so prefer∣red, before all later writinges of byshops, that of it, no man may in any wise doubt, or dispute, whether it be true, or whe∣ther it be right, what so euer is knowen to be written therin: and that the writings of bishops, which haue bene written, or are now in writinge, maye be reprehended, if they haue gonne astraie, any thing from the trueth, both by the saying that is perhaps more wise, of any man, that is more skilfull in that matter, and by the more graue authoritie and wisedom of other better learned bishops, and also by Councells: and that euen those Councells which are gathered in euery re∣gion or prouince, ought to geue place without all doubt, to the authoritie of the generall Councells, which are gathered out of all the Christian worlde: and that euen the very ge∣nerall Councells, may often be amended, the former by the later, when as by any triall of thinges, that is opened, which before was shut, and that is knowen which before was hid∣den, without any swelling of wicked pride, without any stub∣bernesse of arrogance, without any contention of peuishe enuie: with holy Humility, with Catholike peace, with Chri∣stian charity. Thus farre, S. Augustine, which cleerely affir∣meth, that generall Councells may often erre, which maye often be amended, but that the authority of God his worde, is to be preferred before the writinges of all Doctors, and Decrees of all Councells, and that it onely can not erre. The Councell of Carthage the 3. ca. 23. determined, that all pray∣ers at the altar, shoulde be directed onely to the Father, and

not to the Sonne, or the holy Ghost, whether this be an er∣ror to define that it is vnlawfull to pray to God the Sonne, and God the holy Ghost, let euery man iudge. But you will except, that this was a prouinciall Synode, and not a gene∣rall Councell. But I aunswere you, it hath the authoritie of a generall Councell, because it was confirmed in the sixt ge∣nerall Councell holden at Constantinople in Trullo. And as for the Popish church, that it maye erre, what neede we better proofe than the prayer, which it maketh, after the ending of euery generall Councell, Precamur scilicet vt igno∣rantiae parcas & errori indulgeas, that is we praye truely that thou wouldest spare our ignorance & pardō our error. And againe, Et quia conscientia remordente tabescimus, ne aut igno∣rantia, nos traxerit in errorom, aut praeceps forsitan voluntas im∣pulerit a Iustitia declinare, ob hoc te poscimus, te rogamus, vt si quid offensionis in hac Concilij celebritate attraximus, condonare, & remissibile facere digneris. that is: And because we are gre∣ued with remorce of conscience, lest either ignorance haue drawen vs into error, or perhaps rash will hath driuen vs to decline from Iustice, therefore we praye thee, we beseech thee, that if we haue drawen vnto vs any offence in the cele∣bration of this Councell, thou wouldest vouche safe to par∣don, and to make it remissible &c. If it be impossible for the generall Councell to erre, what neede they pray to God to pardon their error, and when their owne conscience con∣demneth them and compelleth them to confesse, and that before God, that they may erre, what impudence is it in any man, to contend that they can not erre? Furthermore the second Councell of Nice, determined that Angels, and sou∣les of men had bodies, were visible, and circumscriptible, and therefore might be painted, and this it affirmeth to be the iudgement of the Catholike church, Con. Nice. 2. Actione 5. If this be not to induce an error, to make men beleue that Angells and spirites haue bodies visible and circumscripti∣ble, there was neuer anye error sence the worlde beganne. Finally, when they say the Pope can not erre, they acknow∣ledge that such generall Councells as condemned Popes, for heretikes, did erre, as the sixt generall Councell of Con∣stantinople

in Trullo, which condemned and accursed Pope Honorius for an heretike, Actione 13. Euen as Pope Leo, the 2. did also, as appeareth in his epistle, to the Emperour Con∣stantine. Also the Councell of Constance did erre, which condemned Pope Iohn the 23. for denying the immortality of the soule, and the resurrection of the body. Session. 11. which Councell, Pope Iohn him selfe affirmed to be most holy, and that it coulde not erre. Session. 12. And the Coun∣cell of Basile did erre, which deposed Pope Eugenius, the 4. Session. 34. the same Councell being confirmed by Pope Ni∣colas the 5. Session 43. If you say: these two last Councells did not erre, in condemning and deposing these Popes: Then the great generall, and OEcumenicall Councell of Ferra∣ria, and Florence, did erre, in disallowing the determination of these Councells. Thus it is manifest that the Romish church, which they them selues confesse, to be represented in a generall Councell, may erre, which hath so often erred. And if it may erre, and be deceiued it selfe, what man is he, that neede to doubt: Whether it maye induce any error a∣mong the people.

4 Or approue any vnprofitable or hurtefull vsage among Christians.

IF the church had not approued many vnprofitable and hurtefull vsages, among the people in S. Augustines time, what neede had he to complaine, that many of God his cōmaundemēts, were litle regarded, & mans presumptions so highely esteemed, Sed hoc nimis doleo &c. But herewith∣all I am to much greued, that many thinges which in God his booke are most holsomly commanded are lesse regar∣ded, and all thinges are so full of so many presumptions, that he is more greuousely reproued, which in his vtas hath tou∣ched the earth, with his bare foote, that he that hath buried his minde in dronkennesse. Therefore if it be an vnprofita∣ble and hurtefull vsage, to preferre mans traditions before God his commaundementes, the Church in S. Augustines time approued an vnprofitable and hurtefull vsage. Further∣more,

if the Church can not approue an vnprofitable or hurtefull vsage, wherefore are so many ceremonies, as were approued in S. Augustines and S. Ambroses times, abrogated and disanulled, either because they were vnprofitable, or else hurtful. Last of all, what superstitious vsages, doth the church of Rome still approue? euen such as the wiser sort of Papistes are ashamed of.

5 Or that she suffereth any man, damnably abusing her religi∣on, without open reprehension thereof, proue any of these thinges, and I recant.

THe true Church of Christ, in such places as she is, suf∣fereth no man damnably abusing her Religion, with out open ••eprehension, as in the dayes of VValdo, VVickleffe, Husse, &c. whereof sufficient mention is made before, but because she is not in all places at all times, many men, yea whole nations, may damnably erre, and not be reprehended of her, As all the Mahometistes, which oc∣cupie the greatest part of the world, who doth, or hath al∣waies openly reprehended them. And the Romish Church, can well enough abide, y^e true Religion of Christ, to be dam∣nably abused, not onely without reprehension, but also with allowing: For when the Friars, Dominicanes, & Franciscans, had forged a newe Gospell, out of the doctrine of Ioa••himus, and the visions of Cyril, which they called the Gospell of the holy Ghost, the Gospell that should endure hereafter, the e∣uerlasting Gospell: which diuilish gospell they affirmed to be so much more perfect, then the Gospell of Christ: as the Sunne is more perfect then the Moone, & a kernell of a nut, before the shell: yet did not the Church of Rome, once re∣prehend it. So that it was cultiued 55, yeares, and at length set forth to be openly expounded in the Vniuersitie of Paris, Anno Dom. 1255. without open reprehension of any, but such as were counted heretikes for their labour, As Gulielmus de S. Amore, Gerardus Sagurellus, &c. And finally, when the mat∣ter was brought before the Pope, Anno Dom. 1256. by Guliel∣mus de S. Amore, and other sent from the Vniuersitie of Pa∣ris,

the Pope and the Cardinalls, tooke o••der that it shoulde be priuily burned, and not openly reprehended, for shaming their orders. Mathaeus Paris. Whereby it is clearely proued, that the Romish Church hath suffered wicked men, damna∣bly to abuse Religion, without open or priuie reprehension for the space of 55. yeares, and at length without open repre∣hension, when there was no remedie but it must needes be reprehended, wherefore if there be any grace in you, you will recant.