Manuductions to the pallace of trueth by F.B. Obseruant

CHAP. XV. THE DIFFERENT SPIRITS of the olde Apostles, and our new Masters.

IT was neuer seene that trueth and pride could together consist in one subject. Eam quippe, quam non inuenit humi∣lem, veritas refugit mentem, saith S. GRE∣GORIE. who well vnderstod that Al∣mighty God, the author of trueth doth, resist the proud, and giues grace to the humble. Wherefore, holy IV∣DITH said in her prayer to God: Super∣bi ab initio non placuerunt tibi, sed humilium & mansuetorum semper tibi placuit depreca∣tio. Such were all those, to whom, and by whom, he hath reuealed the knowledge of his trueth from time to time, according to that confession of our Sauiour: Abscondisti haec à Sapientibus, & reuelasti ea paruulis. to witte (as S. AVGVSTINE notablie expoundes it) Thou haste hidden these mysteries from the proud, and reuealed them to the hum∣ble. Ego sum minimus Apostolorum (said

that great Apostle) qui non sum dignus vocari Apostolus. who notwithstanding, he receaued his doctrine immediatly from heauen, would yet goe to con∣ferre his Gospel with others, lest per∣aduenture he should runne in vaine.

But now LVTHER was no such foole. Hee knewe his owne strength and authoritie better, then to submit himselfe to any humaine judge∣ment, who came to be judge of A∣postles, Prophets, and all the world besides. Scimus enim (saith he) ipsos Pro∣phetas, lapsos esse, adeoque Apostolos. Verbo Christi iudicamus ecclesiam, Apostolos, atque a∣deò ipsos Angelos. And of S. PETER by name, he giues this verdit: Petrus Apostolorum summus viuebat & docebat ex∣tra verbum Dei. Was it a wonder, if this man tearmed the schoole Do∣ctors, Asses, and block-heads, telling K. HARRIE he made yet lesse ac∣count of their authoritie, then hee did of his? And in the same Epistle, he preferres himselfe, with his Bible, before a thousand AVGVSTINES, a thousand CIPRIANS. In an other Epistle which hee wrote to GEORGE, Duke of Saxonie, he vaunts

himselfe, before all the writers that euer haue bene since the Apostles time, saying, that he knew there was not any like vnto him, Siue Augusti∣num, siue Ambrosium, qui sunt omnium opti∣mi. So vouchsafes the curteous man to grace them.

In his booke hee wrote, De formula missandi, he saith concerning the poynt of Communion vnder both kindes, that if it should so be determined by a Councell, hee then would not allow it, but in despite of that Councel and decree, wee would (saith this modest Fryer) communicate either in one kinde, or else in neither; Maledicturi vniuersos, qui ex statuto Concilij, vtra{que} v∣terentur. The chollericke man be∣ing admonished by his friendes to speake and wryte more moderately, what was his answere? Ego longè alia scribam (saith he) after I shal vnderstād that these things offend the Romaine Synode. And againe: VVhilst they are conquering of any one Heresie of mine, I will haue an other fresh one, ready for the stampe.

This boasting, arrogant, and spite∣full spirit of LVTHERS, was so well knowen

to those of his owne sect, that CON∣RADVS GESNERVS saith, hee could not dissemble that poynte, but must needes confesse, that LVTHER had a very violent and impatient spirit, & ijs omnibus intollerabilis, qui quaecunque ille dixerit, non amplectuntur. And the piti∣full zealous man, prayes God, it may not prooue hurtfull to the Church, whose Infancie, or first beginnings, (it is a poynt woorth the noting) hee hath hitherto, with so happie successe aduanced. Yea, LVTHER himselfe confesseth in plaine tearmes, that all men did complaine of this immodestie of his, and condemne him for his bitternesse and rayling.

Of CALVINS prodigious arrogan∣cie and presumption, his owne wri∣tings afford store of examples, e∣nough to perswade any man that he was no scholler of that Maister, who gaue to his followers this in∣struction: Discite à me, quia mitis sum & humilis corde. The Princes of his time, he tearmes, fatuos & brutos, & quasi asi∣nos brutorum animalium. Of the aunci∣ent Fathers, he giues this censure; ab reptos eos in errorem fuisse, nempè vt inconside∣derata

credulitas priuari iudicio solet homi∣num mentes. And CONRADVS SCHLVS∣SELBERG reports, how he chargeth the Apostles with alleadging the Pro∣phets sayings, in an other sense then themselues intended. So that these men, (if we may beleeue them) are more like to shew vs the trueth, then all the Apostles and Doctors that haue gone before them.

Notes

• Hom. 18. in Euang.
• 1. Pet. 5.
• Iud. 9.
• Matt. 11.
• Ser. 8. de Verb. dom. c. 7.
• 1. Cor. 15
• Gal. 6.
• lib. de Missa priuita.
• Ad cap. 1 Ep. ad Gal. To. 5. Wittē∣berg, fol. 190.
• Ep. ad Argenti∣nens.
• Praef. Captiuit. Babil.
• In sua Biblio∣theca.
• In loc com. clas. 4.
• Praef. in Dan.
• Inst. l. 3. c. 5. §. 10
• Theol. Calv. l 2.