notably Cont. epist Fundam That be would not beleeue the Ghospell except the authority of the Catholike Church did mooue him thereunto so also he sayth as plainly August epist 18. that it was most insolent pride to dispute against it And therefore the mind of man being insatiable of knowledge for which it was created and according to the Philosopher it being better to know a little of Diuine thinges then to haue great intelligence of other matters hence it followeth that to know so many celestiall Misteryes as the doctrine of Christ containeth in so short a tyme with such great ease and infallible certainty being groūded vpon so many conuincing arguments and apparent testimonyes of Diuine authority which doctrine being also that pretious stone that bringeth with it all good thinges and beginneth that happynes in this life which is perfected and rewarded with eternall felicity in the next This I say must needs be a wonderfull strong and excellent motiue to compell all those to enter into the Schoole and Church of Christ whose mynds haue any dominiō ouer their bodyes and are not wholy transported with the pride of life or altogeather drowned in worldly desires or brutish sensuality Whereas the Protestants on the other side professing to haue no other ground of Fayth but only the bare Scripture do shew therein that they haue neither sufficient ground to beleeue that God hath reuealed his secrets to the world nor any Diuino assistance to know and discerne what seerets they are that were so reuealed For first as concerning Scripture denying the authority of the Church as they do if S. Augustine for example should deny the Scripture which he sayth plainely that he would not beleeue vnlosse the authority of the Church did moue him thereunto how I pray you could they perswade S. Augustine by Scripture alone which he would flatly deny that any thing was euer reuealed by God or being reuealed that it was truely deliuered againe or that any part of those thinges which were reuealed was writen by the spirit of God and so recommended to posterity Secondly the Scripture it selfe making mention of many other bookes of Scripture that are not extant though one should graunt that some part of Gods word was written which the Protestants without cause beleeue how could they proue that any part therof remayneth For if some bookes are lost why may not all haue perished Thirdly the malice of the Iewes and the fraud of Heretikes being so great as they are and the diligence of Scribes in writing being no more but humane and the copyes of Scripture being very many and very different one from another and the Hebrew Text hauing beene written a long tyme without vowells and the adding or giuing of diuers vowells making diuers and contrary senses the vowells themselues being but little prickes set vnder the letters and the Characters being so strange and many of them so like one another as they are and therefore it being not only an easy matter to change them but also it seeming almost impossible that they should not haue beene mistaken among so many writers in so many seuerall Countreyes for so many yeares togeather all this considered though a man should graunt that some bookes of Scripture were not lost how I beseech you can the Protestants shew that any part thereof is free from errour and foule corruption especially granting as they do that many places of the Originalls are actually corrupted Fourthly supposing the originalls either to haue remayned perfect all this while or els to be restored by them to their perfection whereof they can haue no other ground but their owne wilfull imagination considering that all their interpreters haue translated with passion and preiudice in fauour of their owne opinions and in opposition to the Roman Church and to the auncient vulgar translation following therein See the Protestant Apol. p. 256. 257. 258. rather the exposition of the Iewish Rabbins the enemyes of Christ then of the ancient Fathers And likewise considering that as their translatours are all deuided among themselues euery one seeking his owne glory so also that they condemne one another of mangling dismembring forging and of corrupting the Scripture with what colourable reason can the Protestants belieue any of their Bibles or particuler versions to be the word of God not rather the word of Tyndall or Caluin or Luther or of some other translatour Fifthly giuing vnto them that some things haue been reuealed by God and were truly deliuered and truly written and that some of those writings haue been preserued by God and still remaine miraculously vncorrupted And that the Caluinists alone or the Protestants of England alone haue only the true version or translation therof the (a) Diony de Eccles hierar c. 1. Orig. in prin peria tract 23. in Mat. Tertul. in l. praescrip l. de corona Milit. Clemens in ep Iren. l. 3. cont haer c. 2. 3. Bafil l. de spiritu sāctoc 27 l. cont Eunom Epiphan haeres 61. Hier. l. cōt Lueif August ep 118.119.86 Cypr. l. de card Chrisoper c. de ablut peaū Theoph in 2. ad Thes 2. Chrysost orat 4. in eandem ep Theod. ibi auncient Fathers of the Church prouing not only by tradition but also by the writen-word it selfe that the word of God is partly written and partly vnwritten what infallible proofes can the Protestants bring out of Scripture that we ought to belieue nothing which is not expresly contayned in the Scripture Especially considering that contrary to their owne ground they pretend to belieue many things which indeed are true but no where expresly contayned in the Scripture as that the Scripture it selfe is the word of God that children may be baptized before they belieue That Baptisme in rose water or any liquour then naturall Elementary water or in the Name of Christ alone is not good and sufficient That the Baptisme of Turkes and Iewes and Heretikes is good in some cases That it is allwayes a sinne to rebaptize That God the Father hath no Father which among many others is one instance of S. Augustine against the Heretikes of his tyme acknowledging no other ground of their Fayth but only Scripture That the Sabaoth day which is Saturday ought not to be publickly obserued as holy which is against the Commaundement of the Law and that all Christians are obliged to obserue the Sunday whereof there is not commaundement to be found in the written word of the Ghospell That our Blessed Lady remayned and continued still a Virgin That Easter day ought to be kept vpon a Sunday That it is lawfull to eat bloud and strangled meats contrary to the words of the Decree of the Church in the Acts of Apostles and the like Many things also they belieue that are meerly fals and not only not contayned in the words of Scripture but also expresly contrary thereunto As that (a) Ephes 5.32 Matrimony is no
propbane to be out of the Arke Iren. lib. 3. cap. 3. Hier. epist ad Dam. Aug. in psal cont part Don. not to gather but to seatter not to be of Christ but of Antichrist to be branches cut off from the byne and members denided from the body that in the next life the gate of heauen shall be shut against them the like For the which I reserre me to the 14. and 15. Section of this treatise Wherunto shall be added more anone when by occasion of these friuolous motions and illusions which made the Bishop to forsake his religion we come to propound some of those solid and substantiall motiues which are sufficient to induce any man that is not willfully obstinate to become a Gatholike And for the present because he seemeth to set downe the mayne ground of his peruorsion or conuersion as you please to tearme it in those words especially where he saith That reading the Fathers and perusing the Councells and ancient customes of the Church with great labour and busy diligence for so many yeares togeather he plainly saw at the length that the doctrine of those Churches being very many in number which Rome hath made her aduersaryes do little or nothing differ from the ancient doctrine of the pure Church the discussion hereof will also fall out to be very fit for our present purpose wherin you shall heare the Fathers vtterly to condemne the Religion now commonly professed in England and the Protestants themselues not only to reiect the Fathers but also most spitefully to inueigh most grieuously to censure one the other For that man whome neither the Authority of the Fathers nor the testy-monyes of his owne Doctors can moue or persuade neither if one should be sent from the dead toaffright him would be thereby conuerted Wherefore that you may as yet more fully perceiue the vanity and impudency of this man in affirming that all the Fathers are directly for him albeit he proue nothing I will take the paynes to shew you by some generall arguments that the Fathers do manifestly make against him First therfore you must know that the Catholikes prefesse the generall Consent of the Fathers or the doctrine of a few not contradicted by the rest to be a rule of faith and that all men are bound vpon payne of damnation to belieue it whose authority as the Protestants will not receiue so the Catholikes would not admit in such absolute manner if they were not fully perswaded that their religion were all one with the faith of the Pathers In confirmation wherof some industrious and zealous men amongst vs haue made certayne bookes of common places vnder the titles of the poynts in Controuersy betwixt vs and them wherin they hade recorded the sayings of the Fathers in approbation of our doctrine And therfore they call them the Confessions of the auncient Fathers So haue you the confession of S. Augustine in one volume of S. Hierome in another So likewise of S. Basil S. Bernard and others which it is impossible for any Protestant to see but he must needs confesse that the Fathers were all Papists and that they haue said so much in the proofe and defence of our opinions as all that we can bring is but taken from them And if the Bishop had but made the signe of the Crosse to driue away the Diuell that blynded him before he had turned ouer the Fathers workes he must needs haue seen euen by their titles and the argument of there seuerall treatises how much they make against him S. Basil S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Chrysostome haue written most excellent Sermons of the Lent and of other dayes to be fasted vpon payne of great sinne by the custome commaundement of the Catholike Church S. Basil S. Chrysostome S. Hierome and S. Augustine haue written bookes of the institute and rule of Monkes and of their vertues S. Chrysostome in particuler wrote a booke against the disgracers of Monasticall life And S. Augustine againe hath written three bookes of Free-will wherunto Luther opposing himselfe wrote a booke de seruo arbitrio of slauish will S. Augustine wrote also a whole booke of the Care of the dead and a long Chapter besides other sermons of Miracles wrought at the memories monuments of Martyrs Optatus whome S. Augustine compareth with S. Ambrose and S. Cyprian confuted the Donatists out of the Catholike Communion reprehended their wickednes out of the decree of Pope Melchiades refuted their heresy out of the succession of the Roman Bishops made knowne their madnes in contaminating chrisme the holy Eucharist abhorred their sacriledge in breaking down of Altars whereupon sayth he the mēbots of Christ were born and in polluting Chalices which he affirmeth to haue held the bloud of Christ S. Athanasius wrote a curious booke in the prayse of S. Antony the Aegiptian Eremit and in an epistle which he wrote in the name of the whole Synod of Alexandria whereof he was the Patriarch he appealed to the iudgment of the Apostolicall sea and of S. Peter Prudentius euery where in his Hymnes at the ashes bones of Martyrs adoreth the king of Martyrs S. Hierome hath written against Vigilantius in defence of reliques and honour due to Saints He hath written also against Iouinian for the state and vowes of virginity S. Ambrose did honour his Patrons S. Geruasius and S. Protasius with a most famous solemnity whose fact it pleased God to commend with more then one prodigy And therefore to omit the rest if it were not manifest by the Bishops leanesse how much he hath consumed his body with his ten yeares study of the Fathers and Councells by these contrary deuises which he sayth he hath found in them a man might wel imagine that he had neuer seene them Amongst other bookes of Controuersy very learned and profitable set forth in our English tongue by the direction of Gods holy spirit wherewith so many haue been conuerted to the Catholike faith there is no one that I would rather commend to the reading of a iudicious Protestant then the booke intituled the Protestants Apology for the Roman Chruch In which authour I cannot tell whether I should more cōmend the substance of the matter or the labour or the method or the breuity or the perspicuity or the fidelity or in fine the modesty of the manner wherewith it is written wherein you in particuler of the Innes of Court haue a speciall interest For as in the beginning it is in tytled to the King so in the end it is recōmended to the examination and consure of the learned Sages of our Cōmon law wherein you shall find three Chapters amongst the rest which do especially make for our present purpose The first folio 74. sequentibus where he sheweth by the confession of the Protestants themselues that the Catholike Roman Religion which is now professed in very many the most important matters in Controuersy betwene you and vs was
God yet receiuing it from their Alcaron which is the ground of their fayth and teacheth them many vntruths their perswasion of the vnity of God is no beliefe but errour Or as the Iewes albeit they receiue the old Testament as you know yet because they rely vpon the interpretation of their Rabbins which is subiect to errour their ground being deceitfull their faith is nothing but deceipt and therefore no faith at all So in like manner the Protestants albeit they follow a rule which according as they vse it doth propound vnto them many things that are true yet propounding likewise very many that are false and being thereby deceitfull as hath been declared they belieue the truth it sheweth no more then they belieue the falshood whereof it is manifest they belieue nothing at all And for this cause the authority of the Church being the only ordinary meanes to make vs know the rule of faith Matt. 18.17 our Sauiour himself sayd that such as would not heare the Church were no better then Infidells because consequently depryuing themselues of the rule of Faith they loose all true Faith and diuine fidelity From whence likewise is inferred that common principle of Christendome that out of the Church there is no saluation because without Faith it is impossible to please God and without obedience to the Church in matter of beliefe there can be no faith at all From hence also the Councell of Nyce as witnesseth the Creed of Athanasius read in your Churches euery Sunday togeather with the auncient Fathers hath concluded that denying one article of the Catholike Faith or not belieuing the same wholy and inuiolably no man can be saued Because he that obstinatly denyeth or doubteth of any one poynt of Faith denieth the authority of the Church without which we cannot certainly know the rule of Faith therby loosing his faith is no better thē an Infidel as our Sauiour hath declared SECTION XXVII VVherein two Motiues that is to say Feare of danger and the Instigation of a certayne spirit which induced the Bishop to change the place of his aboad are propounded and examined THESE therfore are some of the reasons which euery Catholike man though neuer so simple is able to giue of his beliefe and are so euident and iustified in themselues that there is no man hauing sense of God if he put them in the Ballance of his Iudgment but he must needs feele their weight in his mind and in his will the diuine power and vertue of them Whereas on the other side this learned man the Bishop after 10. yeares study writing to edify the world with his Motiues can bring forth nothing but that which appeareth at the first sight to be false as you haue heard hath receiued sentence of Iudgment three tymes already being once of old condemned by the auncient Fathers and twyce more in our age by the Protestāts themselues who first condemned the Fathers as being against them and afterwards also condemned the heretical doctrine of one another And this may suffice to haue spoken of those dispositions and other considerations which the Bishop accuseth to haue been the causes and motiues of his change in religion It followeth now to examine the groundes that induced him to change the place of his aboad Which albeit he setteth downe very confusedly I find they may be reduced to 3. principall heads The first therfore was his danger in staying The second his spirit that compelled him to go And the third his zeale forsooth of truth and peace that drew him on As concerning his danger he confesseth that in Rome notice was taken of his writing against the Roman doctrine and that more then once he had been admonished and reprehended for it by the Popes Nuntio or Agent residing in Venice In which respect he had iust cause to feare that the Venetians not to maintayne a manifest heretike in their State might easily be induced to deliuer him vp to the Nuntio especially at that tyme they hauing need of the Pope in respect of their warrs and that the Nuntio would haue sent him vp to the Holy House in Rome where he should haue byn receiued with such kindnes as was agreable to his deserts Wherby it appeareth vpon the matter that being entred so far into Heresy as he could not go back without great infamy he sound Italy to hoat for his foot fled from thencefor no other good respect but only because he could stay no longer without the horrible feare of extreme danger By the way of this discourse he putteth himselfe into a great chafe against the Pope laying aside his disguise of Monsignor fate voi he sheweth himselfe a plaine Italian Facchine without any truth ciuility or modesty And like your Collyer of Croydon being a myte out of Towne he taketh his pleasure of the Pope rayleth against him most despiciously And who is there that hath but soone the state of Germany Spaine France or Italy and thereby knoweth as he must needs the great reputation and authority of the Catholike Clergy and especially of the Bishops the heads of the Clergy but will admire at his impudency to heare him say That Catholike Bishops now adayes haue nothing but the name of Bishops That they are not permitted by the Pope to haue any gouennement of their Churches That they are vilde and contemptible and which is no lesse vntrue then the former That they are made subiect to Religious Orders for Religious men except they be Bishops or indued with Episcopall authority haue no exteriour iurisdiction at all neither ouer Bishops nor any secular persons To the rest where he sayth That the Church of Rome is wholy become a temporall Monarchy a vineyard only to make Noë drunke a flocke whose bloud the Pastours sucke and the like What shall we say but that he sheweth himself to be far worse then one of Noë his accursed children and to be no better then a wilde Boore that would destroy the vineyard of Christ or a rauenous Wolfe that howleth against the Shepheard Neither all that went before being most false will I grant that to be true where he sayth That Christ hath placed him for a dog in his flocke For the truth is that he thrust himselfe in for a dogge as I haue shewed long ago But now at length it hath pleased God to put him out for a Curre and so he sheweth himselfe to be in barking against his Maister In the end making these vntruthes some colour and occasion of his departure at length he concludeth that to auoyd the Popes malice which was so neer vnto him and the ordinary effects therof which he sayth to be poyson and punyards it was altogeather necessary for him to run away Leuit. 26.36 Iob. 15.21 An ill conscience feareth the sound of a flying leafe and the noyse of feare is allwayes in his eare where peace is he suspecteth treason In which respect although it
hidden What shall I say more sayth S. Augustine vpon these words of our Sauiour but that they are blynd who cannot see so great a mountayne From hence also it doth necessarily follow that the doctrine of the Church is infallible and priuiledged from errour For according to the Protestants themselus that only is the true Church wherein the word of God is truly preached and the Sacraments truely administred And therefore if the Church should erre it should cease to be the true Church and should not contynue but the Gates of hell should haue preuayled against it Matt. 16.18 which is directly against the Scriptures And in particuler this priuiledge from errour is expresly promised in the old Testament Esa 59.21 in many places as where the Prophet Esay speaketh therof in these wordes This is my couenant with them sayth our Lord My spirit which is in thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth nor from the mouth of thy seed Oze 2.19.20 nor from the mouth of thy seeds seed from this tyme forth for euermore And where in Oze God sayth of his Church I will espouse thee for euer and I will espouse thee to me in iustice and iudgment in mercy and commiseration and I will espouse thee vnto me in sayth for euer Ephes 4.11 Epipha in Aâ—corato circa princ Matt. 16.18 Matt. 17.18 1. Tim. 3.5 IoaÌ„ 14.26 according whereunto it is also sayd in the new Testament That there should be Pastours and Doctours in the Church for euer that we be not carryed about nor deceiued with new doctrine that the Gates of hell by which is meant Heresy shall not preuayle against it that he who did not beleeue the Church should be compted as a Heathen or Publican that it is the Piller and foundation of truth that the holy Ghost should teach all things and suggest all things to the Pastours therof that God would giue them the spirit of truth IoaÌ„ 14.16 to remayne with them for euer In conclusion if you list to see more of the largenesse of these induments and of the flourishing greatnes of the Church of Christ you may read 4. whole Chapters of the Prophesyes therof in Esay 60.61 and 62. and Micheas the 4. which I thinke no man can read without the acknowledgement and admiration of them SECTION XXIII The force of the former Motiue is further declared out of the authorityes of S. Augustine and out of the effects of the contrary Doctrine AMONG all the ancient Fathers as there is none more opposite to the Protestant Ministers then S. Augustine so there is none more respected in outward shew and more esteemed by them which is vnto vs on the other side a notable argument of the excellency of the one and of the impudency of the other Now therfore if the word of S. Augustine be of force with you whome in regard of his antiquity learning wit vertue his aduersaryes themselues do so much respect read but the 6. Chapter of the first booke of that worke which is called Confessio Augustiniana for it cannot be that relying vpon the sayth of S. Augustine which could be no other then the sayth of the whole Church but that your vnderstanding should be wholy conuinced by it In regard wherof considering that it would be to long to alleadge the testimonyes of the rest of the Fathers and that men now a dayes are loath to seeke after that which they are affrayd to find with some temporall preiudice although it be the means of their saluation I thinke good to shew vnto you before I go any further the weight and force of this motiue out of the iudgment sayth and perswasion of S. Augustine For this was that which oueruled him so much as that he spared not to say I (a) Aug. cont epist Fundam c. 5. would not beliue the Ghospell vnles the authority of the Catholike Church did mooue me thereunto I (b) cont Faustum lib. 15. c. 3. must needs beleeue the acts of the Apostles if I beleeue the Ghospell because both those Scriptures the Catholike authority doth equally commend vnto me It being of necessity that one of those bookes must be fals speaking of the acts of the Apostles and of some other Apocriphy booke to which do you thinke we should rather giue credit either vnto it which the Church began by Christ himselfe continued by the Apostles with a constant course of succession euen vnto those tymes dilated ouer all the world doth acknowledge approue to haue beene deliuered and conserued or vnto that which the same Church doth reiect as vnknowne Those whom I beleeued saying vnto me Beleeue the Ghospell why should I not obey saying vnto me beleeue not Manichaeus Choose which thou wilt If thou sayst Beleeue the Catholikes they admonish me not to beleeue you Wherfore beleeuing them it is of necessity that I beleeue not you If thou say Beleeue not the Catholiks thou canst not with any reason compell me to beleeue Manichaeus because I beleeued the Ghospel it selfe by the preaching of the Catholikes If thou say thou didst well to beleeue them preaching the Ghospell but thou didest not well to beleeue them discommending Manichaeus dost thou thinke me such a foole as without any reason giuen to beleeue what thou wilt haue me and what thou wilt not not to beleeue Be not deceiued with the name of truth speaking as to the person of the Catholike Church the truth thou only hast in thy milke and in thy bread but in this Church of the Manichies or any other which is not Catholike there is the name of truth but the truth it selfe is not And of thy great ones thou art secure I frame my speach to thy little ones I call to thy tender issue that with garrulous curiosity they be not seduced from thee but rather let him be accursed of them who shall preach otherwise then that which they haue receiued in thee Know (c) Conc. ad Cathecum cap. 20. beloued that true sayth true peace and eternall saluation is only in the Catholike Faith For it is not in a Corner but it is euery where if any man depart from it and deliuer himselfe ouer to the errour of Heretikes he shall be iudged 〈◊〉 fugitiue seruant and no adopted sonne neither shall he rise to eternall life but rather to eternall damnation By (d) cort Faust l. 13. cap. 13. what manifest signe therefore I being yet a little one or a yong scholler and not able to discerne the pure truth from so many errours by what manifest token shall I know the Church of Christ in whome with so great manifestation of things fortold I am compelled to belieue the Prophet followeth on and hauing as it were orderly heard the difficulty or doubt of mynd of this new beginner Hier. 17. he sheweth him the Church of Christ fortold to be the same which is more apparant and
Sacrament that the (b) Matt. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. Ioan. 6.51 Blessed Sacrament of the Altar is not Christs Body that men are (c) 1. Cor. 13.2.3 Iacoh 2.14 c. iustifyed by Faith alone that (d) Iac. 2.21 c. Eccles 18. Rom. 6.19 no good workes do merit that the (e) Matt. 11.30.1 Ioan. 5.3.3 Reg. 14.4 Reg. 23. keping of Gods Commaundements is impossible that we haue (f) 3. Rag. 3.5 Eccl. 31.10 Gen. 4.6.7 1. Cor. 7.37 no Freewill to do well that Christ (g) Act. 2.24.2.7 1. Pet. 3.18 descended not into Hell And to be short that the Church of God is (h) See before Sect. 21. inuisible that it hath erred and that many true Prophets or preachers haue been sent to reforme it whereas the Scripture only tells of false Prophets to come and saith expressy that the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it Lastly if you will but barre the Protestants their owne expositions and argumentations vpon the Scripture which they confesse themselues to be no part of the written word they cannot produce so much as one expresse place of Scripture for any of those opinions so peremptorily defended and stifly obiected against vs which me thinkes considering how much they vaunt of Scripture is sufficient of it selfe to make such as are good amongst them ashamed of their errours and sheweth most euidently that the first authours of this new Ghospell haue founded the same vpon nothing els but only vpon their owne impudency the malice of the tyme and the weaknes of their hearers By all which considerations it is more then manifest that the Protestants denying the authority of the Church they ouerthrow the authority of the Scripture and that refusing to receiue the same from the Church they haue no Scripture at all but that diuers wayes contradicting their owne grounds insteed of Scripture they miserably abuse themselues with their owne translations and their owne imaginations and haue nothing els but only the bare name and outward shew of Scripture And now to come to the second Stone of their foundation which is the point of their pryuate spirit First they can produce no place of Scripture to proue either that the Scripture alone is a sufficient ruie of Faith or that God hath promised his holy spirit to euery particuler man in expounding the Scripture And therefore belieuing either the one or the other they ouerthrow their owne grounds and belieue something more then Scripture which is not expresly contayned therein Secondly this manner of interpreting the Scripture according to the priuate spirit of euery particuler man is not only warranted by the Scripture but also expresly contrary thereunto For the Scripture commaundeth vs for the deciding of controuersyes about the same to ascend to the high Priest for the tyme Deu. 17.9.12 Matth. 2.7 Mat. 18.17 Mat. 23.2 and to obay him vpon payne of death to require the Law from the lips of the Priests to heare the Church and that such as will not heare it shal be accompted as Heathens and Infidells to do as they say who shall sit in the Chayre of Moyses and the like Which places are contrary to that infallible assistance of euery mans priuate spirit which the Protestants pretend and are further confirmed by the practise and execution of them in the primitiue Church recorded also by the Scripture For all the Apostles were not commaunded to write but to preach Mar. 16.15 and the world was obliged not to belieue any particuler spirit but the words and writings proceding from the spirit of the Apostles Act. 15.28 And the question of the obseruation of the Legall Cerimonyes was not left to the arbitrement of euery mans priuate spirit but was reserued to the common spirit of the Church And therfore as the Church was founded not only by Scripture but also by the vnwritten word of God so also it must be preserued And as the world at that tyme belieued the words and wrytings of the Apostles deliuered by themselues so now it must giue credit therunto being likewise deliuered by their Successors We haue a more firme Propheticall speach whereunto you do well to attend sayth S. Peter 2. Petr. 1.20.21 and after adioyneth first vnderstanding this that no Prophesy of Scripture is made by priuate interpretation for not by mans will was Prophesy brought at any tyme but the holy men of God spake inspired with the holy Ghost Whereof you see it followeth that the Scripture must be interpreted by the same spirit wherewith it was written being communicated by the spirit of God for the publike benefit of the Church with the publike authority of those that wrote it it must also be expounded by the same spirit for the publike weale of the Church with the like publike authority of those that haue the keeping of it so vnderstanding this that no Prophesy of Scripture is made with priuate interpretation The spirit sayth S. Paul deuideth vnto all in particuler according as he will 1. Cor. 12.17 All the members of the body haue not the same act for if the whole body be ancye where is the hearing Where also he denyeth that all haue the gift of Prophesy Matt. 18.17 Hebr. 13.17 2. Thes 2.23 Phil. 4.9 Gal. 1.8 Marc. 7.15.24 Marc. 13.22 2. Pet. 2.1 1. Ioā 4.1 2. Thes 2.2 the interpretation of Tongues discretion to discerne of spirit which is expresly against the Protestants c. In conclusion as the Scripture exhorteth vs to heare the Church to obay our Pastours and spirituall Superiours to remayne in those thinges which we haue heard of them not to beleeue an Angell from heauen but rather to hold him accursed that should preach contrary thereunto and the like which do signify the great authority giuen to the publike spirit of the Church promised to be sent vnto it and to remaine with it for euer so all those places of Scripture which aduise vs to beware of false Prophets that is to say of Heretikes to try the spirit not to be terrifyed neither by spirit or speach and the like must needs be vnderstood of those who out of a priuate spirit should oppose themselues against the common doctrine of the Church or publique authority of the gouernour thereof wherein also consisteth the very essence of heresy Aug. ep 162. deciuit l 18. c. 51. de Bapt. cont Don. l. 4. c. 16. and in this sense S. Paul affirmeth (a) Tit. 3.11 that an hereticke is subuerted and sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgment That is to say opposing his priuate iudgment against the Church and so giuing sentence against his owne soule to his eternall damnation And as this Protestant ground is most opposite to Scripture so also it is no lesse contrary to reason it selfe For as in a Commonwealth or Kingdome the law being publique and common to all the interpretation of the law and the finall sentence
of all suits causes concerning the law is likewise publique for otherwise there could be no peace nor concord made betweene priuate men if euery one might interprete the law to his owne aduantage so likewise the Catholike Fayth being common and publique propounded to all and all men being commaunded to agree togeather in the same fayth with vnity and concord it must needs follow that the definition and sinall sentence of all controuersyes causes of faith be also publique For otherwise there could be no end of differences euery man obstinatly defending the sense of his owne spirit and presumptuously condemning all those Hier cont Lucif c. 14. that oppose themselues against it If in the Church sayth S. Hierome there be no imminent power there will be so many Schismes as there are Priests And among twelue one was chosen that a head being appointed Idem cont Iouin the occasiō of Schism might be taken away But of this we haue spoken sufficiently els where and haue also shewed by experience that the Protestants for want of this publike authority are infinitly deuided among themselues and censure most terribly and condemne most extremly the seuerall opinions of one another Wherefore to proceed and to omit for breuityes sake that this rule of priuate interpretation being once admitted there would follow nothing els but an infinite confusion of little truth much falsehood in the Church of God And that the mēbers thereof should haue no meanes to discerne with whome they ought to hold communion as sincere and orthodoxall nor whome to auoyd as corrupt and hereticall What can be more contrary to the light of Nature then where all haue equall meanes to know the truth or that some for sundry good respects may be thought to excell the rest euery particuler man though neuer so simple should more cōfide in his owne priuate vnderstanding then in the iudgment of the best and wisest which as it is most absurd in all kind of knowledge so especially in the right vnderstanding interpretation of Scripture being in great part most obscure and euery where subiect to errour as you may easily iudge by the controuersyes decrees and generall Councells of the Church concerning the same by the condemnations of so many excellent wits learned men that haue erred therein and by the explications sermons and cōmentaryes that without end are made vpon them And truely that euery Protestant man woman and child plough-man artificer or of what profession soeuer learned or vnlearned whether they can read or no should take it vpon them and vpon their saluation as they do and as they are bound to do according to the ground of their Religion to iudge infallibly by the Scripture alone which bookes are Scripture and which not and to know euery verse and euery line of the Canonicall from that which is not Canonicall better then the ancient Fathers or Laodicean Councell for example who doubted of many of them and better then that famous Councell of Carthage where at S. Augustine was present is thought to haue been the Secretary and penner of it which decreed many bookes to be Scripture that are now contradicted reiected by the Protestants is so strange a madnes as it seemeth impossible that it should sinke into any mans hart to imagine or that the mind of any sober man could be deluded with it And the same we may say of the interpretation of Scripture For beleeuing as an article of their Fayth that there is no external means wherby they may infallibly know the meaning of Scripture but by the Scripture euery idle companiō preferreth his owne priuate iudgment therin not only before the iudgment of all the Fathers in particuler who haue doubted of many poynts of Fayth and of the meaning of many places in Scripture vntill by a generall Councell their doubts were cleared but also before the sentence of the vniuersall Church which euery Protestant doth imagine to haue grosly erred beleeuing in the meane tyme his owne opinion to be most infallible Which is yet more strang in that the Protestants perswading themselues to be most certaine that they haue the Scripture and the true interpretation of Scripture they confesse notwithstanding the meanes which they vse for the attayning of this certainty to be most vncertayne That is to say the reading of Scripture their conference of places their diligence prayer and the like Whereof the two last alone are common to all and euery one of these meanes being by their owne confession but human endeauours are therefore subiect to the errour of our frayle Nature to the common ouersight of mans infirmity And as all partyes among them condemne ech other so there was neuer any Protestant in the world whom they beleeue or acknowledge notwithstanding the vse of all these meanes not to haue been very much deceiued in the interpretation of the Scripture And therfore as the authority of the Catholicke Church in respect of the clarity and extension therof is fitly expounded by S. Augustine to be that Lightning of the comming of Christ which breaking forth out of heauen is scene from the East to the West Matth. 24.27 and filleth the world inforcing all men to behold it so it is no great mystery to vnderstand that the Protestants shutting their eyes against it haue chosen to themselues such a ground of their fayth as by it self alone is not only most vncertaine vnto them for diuers sundry causes but also in respect of the formality therof is most contrary to Scripture most opposite to reason and most euidently ouerthrowing it selfe as hath beene shewed Whereof because no man that is not willfully blind among you can be ignorant therfore I can blame none of those great numbers of whome your authors do so much cōplaine who preferre the light of sense or naturall reason before the fayth of the Protestants and chuse rather to beleeue nothing then to be so grossly and so manifestly deceiued For such a kind fayth as hath been shewed doth not perfect the light of naturall reason but abuse it nor maketh men spiritually wise but rather diabolically contentious and absurdly foolish And the ground therof being false and friuolous they who rely the most thereupon are the most deceiued And albeit they may hold many things that are true yet speaking properly of diuine faith they haue no faith at all whereof I gaue you the reason in the beginning of this Section because to ayme at the secrets of God or to mooue any dispute about them without some infallible meanes which himselfe hath ordayned for the preseruation tradition and preaching or deliuery of them is no lesse ridiculous then for blind men as I haue sayd to cōtend of colours or as S. Paul affirmeth no better then vayne and idle talking 1. Tim. 1.6.7 not vnderstanding neither what is spoken nor of what to affirme But as the Turkes albeit they are perswaded that there is one
if he do not open the same he wil be contented to nod and poynt at it with his finger As for his defence of the Protestant doctrine I haue sufficiently declared already that by taking the same vpon him he is not only 20. tymes condemned for an Heretike by the auncient Fathers but also pronounced to be Insathanized supersathanized a slaue of the Diuell one of the Antichristian swynish Rabble and a thousand tymes as bad by the Protestants themselues wherein as in other things the Bishop himselfe will needes contend that you may safely belieue them As touching the second poynt he sheweth that being a Bishop he hath sufficient authority not only to reprehend the mannets vices of the tyme for the which no man perchance would haue blamed him if he had done it with charity and discretion but also to cry as he doth against the errours of the Roman Church and of all other Churches vnited with it For that the vniuersall Church sayth he in some cases is committed to the care of euery particuler Bishop wherof will follow this strange position that it should belong to the office of euery particuler Bishop in some occasion to accuse the whole Church of errour wherunto this Cryer himselfe according to his owne doctrine must haue thought himselfe obliged in conscience if he had beene borne in the tyme of his Father Luther of the absurdity wherof I haue spoken sufficiently already And no lesse strange and absurd is the consequence which he himselfe inferreth that any Bishop whatsouer hath authority to correct and reforme any other Bishop For example That the Bishop of Spalato in Dalmatia hath authority to visit and reforme the Bishop of Canterbury when the Dalmatiā shal iudg esteeme it to be so expedient But because he thought it might seeme to be some new deuise being no lesse contrary to the Protestant then to the Catholike Religion Monsignor fate voi hauing al this while taken vp whatsoeuer he sayd vpon the credit of his reader in this place as fearing at length to be discouered for a counterfeit beginneth a little to proue his assertion and to pay his Reader with such money as he receiued of those that hyred him to play the Episcopall Doctour on your side the mountaynes But I thinke you will easily discerne by the false sound what coyne it is being as far different from any currant proofe as Fate voi from a reuerend Bishop For thus he reasoneth All Bishops togeather haue the gouernment of the whole Church of Christ as he proueth out of the Scripture out of S. Eleutherius and S. Cyprian therefore euery Bishop in particuler hath the like authority As if one should say All the Officers of the Court do gouerne the whole Court vnder the King therefore euery Officer in particuler hath authority ouer the whole Court vnder the King Or thus All the Britans togeather are the Lords of great Britany therefore euery Britan in particuler is Lord ouer all Britany Which miserable argument he likewise confirmeth in this pittifull manner Euery Bishop may counsell help succour the necessityes of any other Church or Bishopricke as it is manifest by the example of many ancient Fathers Therfore euery Bishop hath authority ouer all other Churches As much as to say euery man may help the necessityes of his Neighbour and the seruant of his Maister therfore Euery man hath authority ouer his Neighbour or the seruant ouer his Maister But letting passe the weaknes of his argument because it is the first and because it may be that for want of vse he hath forgotten how to argue let him shew you but one auncient Father that euer reprehēded the Bishop of Rome of any Cathedrall doctrine or erroneous Decree in matter of faith or any holy or laudable Bishop that euer gaue sentence against any other of his Collegues deposed or excommunicated him or called him iuridically to make his defence by vertue of any such generall authority and I will be content you shall belieue this insolent Intruder in all other things and subiect your selfe vnto him Besides though it should be granted that heretofore he had no lesse authority then himselfe pretendeth being now deposed by the Pope that now is as Dioscorus or Eutiches were by the Popes of their tymes or as the Bishop of Arles whome S. Cyprian not presuming to iudge wrote vnto the Pope to excommunicate and appoynt another in his place I would aske him what he can pretend which those Heretikes might not likewise alleadge why he should not confesse that by sentence of deposition against him the authority which he had is iustly taken from him Againe quia Episcopatum eius accepit alter because as it was sayd of Iudas another hath receiued his Bishoprick I would aske him what authority he hath to cry being lawfully deposed from his Bishoprick more then the other hath who did lawfully succeed him And why we should belieue him being an excommunicate Heretike more then the other being an approued Catholike For if he pretend either the Scriptures or the Fathers to be for him it is no more then other Heretikes haue pleaded before him and we haue sufficiently shewed that most manifestly they make against him Wherfore though he cry neuer so loud yet by this it is manifest that he cryeth no other wayes then as the Diuell did when he was cast forth by our Sauiour And I hope vnlesse he cry with better reason then heare he doth alleadge he shall sooner burst with crying then mooue either your selfe or any other to belieue him SECTION XXIX The first obiection of the Bishop against himselfe is discussed VVherin he affirmeth tha albeit the King ought to be feared and may not be reprehended yet that the Pope is not to be feared c. THE obiections which he answereth as supposed to be made against himselfe are 2. in number But the first vnder the colour of an obiection is nothing els but an egregious peece of flattery deriued from the Turkish Diuinity of his Neighbour Coūtrey The obiection may be framed in this manner The Maiesty of an earthly King is to be feared and he ought not to be reprehended or admonished of his fault but by a Prophet sent from God Therfore the Maiesty of the Pope ought likewise to be feared and ought not to be accused of Heresy but by a Prophet raysed vp by God for that purpose The Antecedent that a King ought not to be rebuked or admonished of his fault but by a Prophet sent from heauen he easily admitteth being the poynt of barbarous adulation which he intendeth and thereby as it seemeth would gladly bring in the Turkish manner of Gouernement into our Countrey giuing vnto the King such absolute commaund and Tyrannicall power ouer the liues and fortunes and soules of his subiects that whatsoeuer he did or what Heresy or false worship soeuer he should professe no man might reprehend him for his fault or put him in