A counterblast to M. Hornes vayne blaste against M. Fekenham Wherein is set forthe: a ful reply to M. Hornes Answer, and to euery part therof made, against the declaration of my L. Abbat of Westminster, M. Fekenham, touching, the Othe of the Supremacy. By perusing vvhereof shall appeare, besides the holy Scriptures, as it vvere a chronicle of the continual practise of Christes Churche in al ages and countries, fro[m] the time of Constantin the Great, vntil our daies: prouing the popes and bishops supremacy in ecclesiastical causes: and disprouing the princes supremacy in the same causes. By Thomas Stapleton student in diuinitie.

M. Horne.

This thirde chiefe pointe is (.541.) nothing els, but a misshapened lumpe of vvordes: conteining firste an argument grounded vppon a kinde of Opposition, that no vvise or learned man euer redde of, but is nevvelie forged and hammered out of your ovvne braine: Then, an issue, to haue me prooue that thinge, vvhiche beinge rightly vnderstanded, no Christian doth doubte of, or vvill denie. And laste of all, an huge heape of flatte and manifeste (.542.) Lyes againste the vvhole Realme, to set a good face vppon an euill fauoured cause, vvhich can finde no helpe or ease by plaine and simple truthe. The vveightie burden, that you are loden vvith and can not beare, is that you must by Othe renounce all foreine povver and authoritie: the cause that maketh you fainte and feeble, is, that it is directly againste tvvo Artiles of our Creede: So that your feeble reason is grounded after your simple skill vppon the place, ab oppositis & pug∣nantibus. Before I aunsvvere to the argument, I vvill put the Reader

in remembraunce of the diuision vvhiche you make, chopping and chaun∣ginge one (.543.) Article in tvvaine, to make some shevve of an heinous matter. Surely it vvere ouermuche detestable, if you vvere moued to svveare but against one article of our Creede, as yee vvere neuer moued by me, either to or fro, to svveare anie thinge at all. There be three symboles or Creedes, vvhiche haue bene allovved and receaued of Christes Catholique Churche. The symbole of the Apostles, of the Nicen Coun∣cell, and of Athanasius. The Apostolicall is so called, bycause it vvas collected (as some saye) by the tvvelue Apostles, and therefore conteineth (as the commonly receiued opinion is in Christes Churche) according to the number of the tvvelue Apostles, but tvvelue Articles, vvhiche are called in the vsuall speache of the Catholique Christians, the tvvelue Articles of our Creede or beliefe. If this, I beleue the communion of sain∣ctes, be a seuerall Article from this, I beleue the holy Catholique Churche, as you doe phantasie, then there muste needes be at the leaste thirtene Articles of the Creede, contrarie to the (.544.) vniuersally re∣ceiued opinion of the Catholique Churche. You vvere vvonte to staye your selfe muche vpon the custome of the Catholike Churche, and vvoulde vrge stiflie although not so trulie the vniuersallie receiued opinion of the Catho∣lique Churche, as a matter that might not bee reiected, or denied: and hovve chaunceth it novve, that you are become suche a chaungeling, that cleane (.545.) contrarie to the vse of the Catholike Church, vvhiche ac∣knovvledged but tvvelue, you vvil make thirtene Articles of the Creede at the leaste? Besides th••s, the Catholike Church in the tyme of Cyprian and Augustine, and before also, dyd not reken or iudge these to be tvvo se∣uerall Articles, but did coumpte them one article, concluding these vvor∣des, the communion of Sainctes, in this sentence, I beleue a Catho∣lique Churche of Christe, recyting the Symbole vvithout rehearsall or mentioning, the communion of Sainctes, as it is plainely sette foorth by S. Cyprian and Augustine, in theyr expositions of the Apostolicall Creede. The matter meant by the communion of Sainctes, is vt∣tered in these vvordes: I beleue the holy Catholike Churche of Christe. VVherevnto hath bene added sence these auncient Fathers t••mes, as it maie seme by the vvaie of explication, communion of Sain∣ctes, to expresse in plainesse of speche, that Christes Catholique Churche,

is nothing els, but a felovvship, and cōmunion of faithful ones, vvhich are sain∣ctes. Novv let vs see hovv to svveare, as this third chiefe point of the Othe set∣teth forth, is directly against this article of our Creede, I beleue the holy Catholike Church, the communion of Sainctes. All true subiectes ought and must renounce and forsake all foraine iurisdictions, povvers, su∣perioririe, preheminēces, and authorities of euery foraine Prince, and prelate, state, or potentat. This is the propositiō of that part of the Othe: to the vvhich adioyne this proposition, all true subiectes ought and must beleue, an holy Catholike church of Christ, the cōmunion of sainctes. Espy novv vvhat opposition is betvvixt these tvvo propositions, that they may not both matche together, and be verified in one true and faithful subiect. The one, say you, is directly against the other. Then say I, there is a direct oppositiō and re∣pugnancy betvvixt them, by due examination vve shal find out the oppositiō. Trie the partes of these propositiōs seuerally vvithout the verbe that coupleth them together, and you shal not find any opposion, either cōtrary relatiue, priuatiue, or disparat: ioyne them together vvith the verbe that coupleth, ād being propositions, they are not one against the other cōtrary, subcōtra¦ry, subalterne, nor (546.) cōtradictory, ād therfore vntruly, ād not lesse vnskilfully babled of you, that the one is directly against the other, vvhen a yong scholer that hath red but the rudimēts of his Logik, could haue sene and iudged, that ther is in thē no oppositiō or repugnancy at al. To renoūce ād forsake (.547.) Antichrist and his church by othe or knovvlege and to beleue in Christ and rightfully by al maner of vvaies, standeth neither directly nor in directly one against the other, but are matched together and agreeth iūpe one vvith the other. Surely your eyes vver not matches, neither vvere your vvittes at home, vvhē you spied out this repugnancy, if you had not published this learned peece of vvorke, your friendes should neuer haue knovven, vvhat an huge heape of cōning and knouledge, is hiddē in that litle head of yours. The demaūd in your issue is easely proued by the descriptiō or definitiō of Christes true Catholike church. The catholike Church of Christ, is a multitud, society, and cōmuniō of sainctes and faithful ones, that haue ben, shalbe, and are novv one liue in the earth, hovve and vvhersoeuer they be diuided and dispersed in time and place, the vvhich multitude of saintes, haue a participatiō in cōmuniō amōgst thēselues of al good things, geuē, graūted, and grovvīg frō god through Christ, of spirit, faith, sacramēts, praier, remissiō of syns, and heauēly blisse, and

are vnited to Christ their head by faith, and fastened together amōgst thēsel∣ues, as mēbers of one body vvith the bōd of loue. To this catholike Churche, euery Christian man is bounde to bee subiect and obedient as a member ought, and may be subiect and obedient to the body.

And vve doo teache and cōfesse in this Church such an attonemēt, partici∣patiō, and cōmunion, among all the members in doctrine, faith, Religiō, and Sacramēts, that neither this, nor any other Realme, may laufully dissent frō this Church, or renoūce and refuse to haue cōmunion therevvith, as God be praised vve of this realme do novve shevve our selues by al Christiā meanes, neuer more at any time, to (.548.) agree and cōsent in the vnity of this Ca∣tholike Church, in necessary doctrine, right faith, true Religiō, and the right vse of Christes Sacramentes. The foule (.549.) lies that you heape together, vvherevvith shamefully to defoyle your ovvne neast and natiue coūtry, neadeth none other cōfutatiō, thā only to make thē plaine to be seen and iudged of al mē, that the Realme may be so∣ry, that euer it nestled so vnnatural and filthy a byrde, and your friendes ashamed of so malicious and impudent a Liar. This is a levvde (.550.) Lie, that this Realme dissenteth frō the Catholike Church in the forenamed poīts. This is a (.551.) shameful Lie, that by corporall othe or any other vvaies, vve renounce and refuse to haue cōmunion vvith the Catholike Church of Christe. And this is a monsterous (.552.) Lye that the catholike Church is a foraine authority ād povver out of this Realm. VVho vvas euer so madde, as ones to thinke, or so doltish as to speake any thing againste the Catholike Church, but specially to forsake it, and that bicause it is a foraine povver and authority. The Othe maketh no mention in any one vvorde, of the Catholique Church, it speaketh of (.553.) a foraigne Prince, Prelate, and Potētate, and so of the foraigne Po∣vver and authority of suche a foraigne state. VVherevpon M. Fe∣kenhā cōcludeth as it vvere by Reuelatiō, in a Mōkishe dreame, vvithout rime or reason, that therfore the catholike Church is for∣sakē, as though there vvere no differēce betvvixt a foraine Prince, or prelate and the Catholique Churche: or that the Catholique Church might be called a foreine Povver, or a forine authority to a Christiā Realm. This is such a nevv kind of Diuinity is vvas neuer heard or redde of in any vvriter, no not in the Legēd of Goldē Lies.

Notes

• The .541. vntruth. It contei∣neth an argumēt, that M Horne shal neuer assoyle.
• The 542. vntruth. Slaunde∣rous and iniurious
• The .543. vntruth. For they, are 2. di∣uers arti∣cles, not one.

  Clemēs in compend. de fide.
• The .544. vntruth. The cōmō opiniō of lerned mē rekoneth more thē 12. Arti∣cles.
• The .545. vntruth. As before
• The .546. vntruth. They are plaine cō∣tradicto∣ry one to an other, as shal ap¦peare.
• The .547. vntruth. ioyned vvith im¦piety. The catholike Churche, that you by othe renoūce, is the Church of Christe, not of antichrist
• The defi∣nition of the catho¦lique Churche* vnperfect as shall appeare.
• The .548. vntruth. You haue no agre••¦ment, consent, or vnite of doctrine amōge your selues.
• The .549. vntruth mere slanderous.
• The 550. vntruth. M. Fekēhā saied not so of the Realme.
• The 551. vntruth. It is right true that in effect you do so, as it shall appeare.
• The .552. vntruth. For M. Fekenham saied not, that it is so, but that by Othe you make it so, vvhich is true, as it shal be proued.
• The .553. vntruth. Notorious. The Othe speaketh of Euery foraine Pre∣late, not of a foraine prelat. You are novv ashamed your selfe of the Othe, M. Horne,