A10345:1262
The sum of the conference between John Rainoldes and John Hart touching the head…The summe of the conference betwene Iohn Rainoldes and Iohn Hart touching the head…
The sum of the conference between John Rainoldes and John Hart touching the head and the faith of the Church. Wherein by the way are handled sundry points, of the sufficiency and right expounding of the Scriptures, the ministry of the Church, the function of priesthood, the sacrifice of the mass, with other controversies of religion: but chiefly and purposely the point of Church-government ... Penned by John Rainoldes, according to the notes set down in writing by them both: perused by John Hart, and (after things supplied, & altered, as he thought good) allowed for the faithful report of that which past in conference between them. Whereunto is annexed a treatise entitled, Six conclusions touching the Holy Scripture and the Church, written by John Rainoldes. With a defence of such things as Thomas Stapleton and Gregory Martin have carped at therein.The summe of the conference betwene Iohn Rainoldes and Iohn Hart touching the head and the faith of the Church. Wherein by the way are handled sundrie points, of the sufficiencie and right expounding of the Scriptures, the ministerie of the Church, the function of priesthood, the sacrifice of the masse, with other controuerises of religion: but chiefly and purposely the point of Church-gouernment ... Penned by Iohn Rainoldes, according to the notes set downe in writing by them both: perused by Iohn Hart, and (after things supplied, & altered, as he thought good) allowed for the faithfull report of that which past in conference betwene them. Whereunto is annexed a treatise intitled, Six conclusions touching the Holie Scripture and the Church, writen by Iohn Rainoldes. With a defence of such thinges as Thomas Stapleton and Gregorie Martin haue carped at therein.
Londini: printed by John Wolfe, 1584Londini: printed by Iohn Wolfe, 1584
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And, if we presume upon the secret works of the providence of God to gather what the fancy of man doth imagine, not what the wisdom of God hath revealed: the Turkish impiety may be as well proved as the Papal kingdom; because as the seat of the western Empire is fallen to the Pope, so Constantinople, the seat of the Eastern, is ⟨p. 471⟩fallen to the Turk. But whatsoever right these reasons may afford to the Pope now: they acquit him not from having done wrong to the Emperors heretofore, in that he got his temporal dominion from them by treason and rebellion. And this is the first point, wherein you went about to clear his supremacy. The next, is his tyranny in spiritual things. Wherein your defence of him is so tempered, that although you cannot choose but acknowledge his fault in those excesses which I laid open: yet do you smooth them as abuses only of lawful authority, and not unlawful acts of usurped power. For you say, that if any of the Bishops of Rome abused their wealth to any evil purpose, or else their authority, in any of the points mentioned by me: you are so far off from justifying them therein, that rather you rue to see it, and you condemn them therefore. A short and slender answer to all their crimes that I touched. Howbeit, if you speak unfeignedly, M. Hart, as I pray God you do: I am glad that you seek not to justify the Popes in any of the points that I charged them with, but rue and condemn their abuses therein. For I laid to their charge that they have oppressed both the civil state and the ecclesiastical: the civil, in taking upon them to give Empires, to depose Princes, to discharge subjects of their allegiance and oath; the ecclesiastical, in making of Church-officers, ordering of Church-causes, disposing of Church-goods, executing of Church-censures, and establishing of Church-laws, to serve their own desires and lusts. In all the which points if you condemn their doings as abuses of their authority: you condemn the practise of their whole supremacy as nothing else in gross but an heap of abuses.
And, if we presume vpon the secret workes of the prouidence of God to gather what the fansie of man doth imagin, not what the wisedom of God hath reuealed: the Turkish impietie may bee as well proued as the Papall kingdom; because as the seate of the westerne Empire is fallen to the Pope, so Constantinople, the seat of the Easterne, is ⟨p. 471⟩