inquit haereses obortae sunt aut nata sūt schismata quam quod Sacerdoti Dei non obtemperatur nec vnus in Ecclesia ad tē pus Sacerdos Iudex vice Christi cogitatur teaching peruerse things to draw disciples after them wherby is euidenced that no priuat man is an infallible interpreter of holy scriptures neither can know certainly that scriptures are the word of God laying aside the Churches authority For example credence is not giuen to the canon or caralogue of scriptures because of scripture testimony which no where attestes that catalogue in so much that Luther and Caluin down from the begining of their defection to the departure out of the world contended about the number of canonicall scriptures and their adherents of these dayes respectiuely continue in the pursuance of the same dispute Moreouer there is greater reason that the christian faith should rely rather on the Church which * S. Cypri in trac de vnitate Ecclesiae adulterari inquit nō potest sponsae Christi incorrupta est pudicae is an infallible ground and piller of truth then of sole scriptures which are liable to mutations corruptions and false interpretations howeuer scriptures cōsidered in themselues precisely do chaleng equall authority with the Church the same diuine spirit that directeth the tongues of the supream pastours in speaking (o) God by his absolute and extrrordinary power can himselfe alone or by an Angel instruct men and reueale matters of faith and christian religion without the ministery of the Church And doubtless the Apostles had noe other master but God himselfe as to sundry mysteries of christian faith and Christ himselfe confesseth that S. Peter came to the knowledge of his diuine nature by reuelation from God the Father Caro Sanguic non reuelauit tibi sed Pater meus guided the pennes of the Apostles and Euangelists in writing and as the Church beareth witnesse of the scriptures infallible doctrine so the scriptures do witness the Churches infalible authority yet so as that faith in order to its acte of assent is resolued into the Church and not into the scriptures for noe man can prudently belieue any scripture to be the word of God if the Church that is the ground and piller of truth should not declare it for such howeuer Catholicks who doe infer the Churches infallibility from the testimony of scripture and the authority of scripture from the testimony of the Church are noe more guilty of committing (p) According to Euclide a mathematicall circle taken in the proper sense is the passing of one and the same line from and the repassing vnto the same point and by the same way a circle of errour then are Philosophers that assert mutuall causalities or doe argue from a cause its proper effect and from an effect its proper cause for example from the rising of the sun is proued the existence of the day and againe the existence of the day proueth the risiing of the sun wherin there is noe circle of errour which properly consisteth in the coming again of the same thing vnto the same thing from whence it came and by the same way it came but the way of one cause is not the way of an other cause nor the way of an effect is the way of the cause wherof it is the effect in like manner the way of the Church which is a cleare speaking Iudge is not the way of the scriptures which consiste in mute elements of characters and although we belieue that the Church is an infallible proposer of all matters pertaining to faith because of the scripture testimony neuertheless if the scriptures had borne noe witness therof there is euidence of credibility enough to induce vs prudently to belieue the Churches infallibility which euen before the writing of scriptures was beliued neither do we recur to scriptures to proue it (q) In disputs or conferences with such as deny holy scriptures motiues of credibility haue weight with them and that one which S. Austin vseth l. con Epis Faus cap. 4. seems of greattest moment Many things saith he keepe me fast in the bosom of the Catholick Church for example the vnanimous accord of people and nations authority confirmed by miracles .... by antiquity strengthned and the succession of Bishops dovvn from S. Peter the Apostle to vvhom our lord committed the feeding of his sheepe vnto the present Episcopacy but when we haue to doe with such as admit them and euen then we doe not alledge scriptures as the formall cause the Churches infallibility is known by for that is diuine reuelation but as witness of it only for we doe not belieue precisely that the Church is infallible because the scripturs do say it but in regard of many other motiues which do moue vs to giue our assent thereto neither was the church intended for the vse of the scriptures but scriptures for the vse of the Church besides no man without manifesting extream weakness can except against the mutuall testimony that Christ and S. Iohn Baptist gaue of one another or against the disciples of both who belieued their masters to be such as their masters reciprocally had declared theselues to bee The principall marks or tokens of the true Church * Quatuor illa signa dilucide constant ex sacra scriptura ex symbolis Apostolorum Nicae S. Athanasij expressè habentur in sym Constātinop cuius Patres voce apostolicam diuinitus addiderunt are foure set douwn in that Article of christian faith viz I belieue one holy catholick and apostolick Church Albeit that the true Church consisteth of many members yet it is but one body 1. Cor. 12. of Christ in vnity of faith and baptism One lord one faith one baptism Ep. 4. nor can Christ be an author of diuision that is a God of vnion Likwise it is holy for as much as it is the body of Christ that is the fountain of all holyness and enioyes a sacrifice and Sacraments which confer sanctity neither matters it that sundry members of his body are guilty of mortall transgressions For as such as profess any art are counted artificers though they doe not act according to the principalls or rules there-of so the said members in regard they put on Christ (r) According to S. Austin in psal 85. if all christians and true belieuers are baptized in Christ they haue put on Christ as the Apostle reacheth Gal. 3. and if they be made members of his body and say they are not holy they do an iniury to the head whose members are holy by Baptism and become the chosen people of God by faith are called holy although they doe not obserue the ordinances and lawes of either For example 1. Cor. 1. the Corinthians are said to be sanctified in Christ IESVS and holy neuertheless there were among them both the naturall and carnall men The true Church militant is (ſ) According to the Euangelist
can sacro-sancta the Apostolicall sea did not receiue supremacy and preeminence from the Apostles but from our Sauiour himselfe and indeed Christ founded and built his Church vpon S. Peter Mat. 16. Thou art Peter and on this rock I vvill build my Church .... and J vvill giue vnto the the keys of the kingdome of heauen Again Christ praid especially for S. Peter and after his resurrection appointed him to feed all his sheepe and lambs Moreouer S. Peter as head and Prince of the other Apostles called the first Councill which was celebrated between the Ascention and Pentecost And in the second Council mentioned act 15. spoke first and decided the matter in debate Bishop of Rome as lawfull successour of S. Peter in suprem authority and there is not any except the Roman Church that hath published and planted the one holy apostolicall faith from the rising of the sun to the goeing down therof which denoteth its vniuersality an order to place there is not any except the Roman Church that can rockon pastours and Teachers in a continuall line of succession down from S. Peter to the present times which sheweth its vniuersality in order to time there is not any Church-Gouernour saue the Bishop of Rome to whose definitiue sentence of iudgment (x) S. Anaclete Epis 1. commanded that euery hard question should be referd to the sea Apostolick because saith he the Apostles so appointed by speciall command from Christ Wherefore Tertullian calleth the Pope king of the world and stiles Rome the Chief and Apostolicall seat whether saith he wee ought to recur in all doubtfull matters relating to faith Besids S. Austin that was a member of the African Church Epis 9. addressing himselfe to Pope Innocent in order to the Pelagians whom he impugned writeth thus ... that errour and impiety of the Pelagians the authority of the sea apostolick must anathematize Again the Council of Alexandria cals Pope Felix prophanarum haresium depositor the deposer of prophan heresies hard controuersies of faith haue been referred in all ages Furthermore it is essentiall to the true Church to begett children in Iesus-Christ through the Gospell 1. Cor. 4 that is to say to bring whole countries out of darkness of infidelity into the maruelous light of Christian faith which not any except the Roman Church hath performed Sectaries like partriges haue gathered children * Ieremiae cap. 17. perdix fouet seu congregat quae non peperit Vnde S. Aug. assimilat haereticos perdici which they haue not brought forth but the Roman Church hath begotten vnto Christ a world of children both in the primatiue times for the first 500. yeares and since For Germans Bauarians Vandals Polans Sweds Danes Noruegians Hungarians Normans English and sundry other Countryes since the yeare 600. were begotten in Iesus-Christ through the Gospell by Priests and Bishops of the Roman Church as plainly appears by the ancient and modern histories written of each people respectiuely And as touching our country of Englād that embraced the catholick faith through the preaching of S. Austin a Priest and Bishop of the Roman Church after its conuersion which happened in the reign of S. Ethelbert for near a thousand yeares continued obedient to the Bishop of Rome and constant in the profession of the catholick religion as do euidence our ancient Cronicles laws common laws ordinances Records foundations of Bishopricks Cathedrall Churches vniuersities colleges and hospitalls which remain monuments of these dayes to beare clear witnes of catholick religion wherfore it is a wonder how English Magistrats come to look with so enuious an eye vpon their catholick subiects as to persecute them for conforming their conscience to the full and constant profession of all their christian progenitours CHAR. XX. OF TRADITIONS THE CONTENTS Down from the Apostles to these times the true Church of God hath been directed and gouernd by the written and vnwritten word as by laws and customs doctrines necessary to saluation which the Apostles receiued either from the mouth of Christ or from the holy Ghost by inspiration were deliuered to the faithfull of those dayes partly in written and partly in vnritten traditions if the Churches authority and vnwritten traditions were laid a side scriptures would haue nothing of waight with them vnto euincing christian religion Answeres vnto seuerall obiections propounded against the Churches traditions TRaditions are vnwrtten doctrines deliuered by the mouth of Christ or his Apostles and committed vnto the keeping of the Church (a) 1. Cor. 11. as I haue deliuered vnto you saith S. Paul keep my precepts From this sacred Text Theophilact infers that both S. Paul and the other Apostles deliuered many things which they did not set down in writing called traditions not because they are not at all written but in regard there is no express mention thereof in the holy scriptures for t is certaine that the traditions receiued from the Apostles and deliuered as it were from hand to hand for sundry ages are now written as precepts of faith and generall manners necessary vnto saluation Though the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in iustice 2. Tim. 3. Yet it is not the same thing to be a profitable guide in the way of iustce and saluation and to be the sole expedient necessary therunto for a head is both profitable and necessary to preserue a man aliue neuertheless it alone without the society and ministery of the body is not sufficient enough to continue him aliue likewise the Sacrament of Eucharist conduceth to the purchase of eternall blessedness yet cannot effect it without the help of baptism and faith and the Chapter set down expresly asserteth that euen the old scriptures instruct to saluation and notwithstanding the Apostle requireth of Timothy perseuerance in the doctrines which he had heard of him besides what he had learned from them wherin he had been versed from (b) By the particles from his infancy euidently appeares that the Apostle spoke of these scriptures which Timothy had learned in his youth that is he meant the old testament being the new scriptures were not written when Timothy was a youth Wherefore when the Apostle writ vnto him that all scripture is profitable c. he could not vnderstand the whole body thereof as some sectaries vnaduisedly interprete him translating whole for all And indeed when the Apostle writ that Epistle to Timothy the whole body of scripture was not composed S. Iohn had not then put forth his Gosple and his Apocallps he writ after the death of S. Paul him infancy again albeit the scriptures be a great light neuertheless they doe not giue light to all a en within the house of God whose written doctrines they are vnless they be put vpon the candlestick of the Churches definitions and vnwritten traditions for setting these aside scriptures are but a light shining in a dark place 2.
they saw not This sole motiue carrieth evident credibility and weight enough to perswade a rationall prudent man to embrace Christian faith Wherfore Picus Mirandula Epis 5. writeth thus T is an extream madnes not to belieue the gospell the truth vvherof blood of Martyrs proclames Apostolicall voices eccho forth vvonders and miracles proue reason confirmes mute elements speak deuills confess but t is a greater madnes adheth he if a Christian that doubts not of the truth of the gospell neuertheless shall liue as if he did question the truth thereof of infidelity Examples of this captiuity were the learned Pagan Philosophers namely S. Denys of Areopagus Aristides Iustin Magistrat's Princes Kings and Emperours of all nations who illuminated with the admirable splendour of faith through the preaching of poor fishermen forsooke their sacrilegious worship of many Gods to imbrace the religion of one crucifyed Christ that seemed to most Gentiles foolishnes and to most Iews the stumbling stone of offence and rock of scandall hauing respect only to a reward of an enduring happines vnseen Obedience an effect of the afore said captiuity and a necessary requisite to faith is an humble submission of the will to diuine truth which distinguisheth it from all human perswasion for an assent to naturall verities apprehended either by sense demonstration or experience requires nothing of obedience in consequence of which though deuills (c) S. lames cap. 2. saith that deuils belieue and tremble that is they beleiue vnwillingly forc'd there to by clear evidence of the miracles of Christ in consequence of which their faith is not diuine supernaturally infused The deuils were affraid in regard they were conuinc'd that Christ was the son of God who must come to judge both men and Angels wherefore deuils stand in awe of Christ and his office of judge is an vnexpressable terrour vnto them belieue neuertheless they haue not the vertue of diuine faith because they want the vertue of (d) Aug. do verbis Domini c. 9. saith that the faith of wicked men that want the vertue of obedience comes near to the faith of deuils and truly the saith of our witsectaries in these daies is extream like vnto the faith of deuils because they will not belieue the mysteries of Christian Religion in obedience to authority but in clear evidence of naturall reason obedience Examples of this obedience were millions of Christians Primitiue and modern who in obedience to Christ endured mockings scoffings imprisonments wheeles kniues swords and all manner of torments stedfast and valiant in maintaining the faith of Christ and what they * Rom. 10. corde creditur ad iustitiam ore fit confessio ad salutem beleiued with their hearts they confessed with their mouths with their hearts they beleiued to justice and with their tongues made confession to saluation in which consists the cheif praise of Christian faith It is not enough that a Christian Catholick hath faith within himselfe * Mat. 10. qui confitebitur me coram hominibus confitebor ego eū corā Patrè meo qui in coelis est vnless he express it outwardly if he will haue Christ to confess him before his heauenly Father he ought to confess Christ be fore men Nothing is more gratfull to Christ then an open confession of ones faith Saint Peters confession of Christs diuinity * S. Hilar. fides Petri de diuinitate Christi habet claues Regni caelorum got the keys of Heauen and that joyn'd to a full expression of loue to Christ merited the cheif place among the twelue Apostles But faith wanting charity is a lamp without oyle a candle without flame and a body without life faith in the absence of charity is * Jacob. 2. fides sine operibus mortua est dead hauing neither nourishment to burn or flame to enlighten or life to liue and as the body doth act by the influence of life so faith doth work by the support of charity (e) S. Bernard ser 38. teacheth that the want of merits is a pernicious pouerty and biddeth us take care to haue merits and know when we haue them that they are giuen us and indeed the Council of Trent sess 6. can 32. has defined that the good works of a just man be the gifts of God and the merits of the same just man for as much as they proceede from him by diuine grace and the merits of Iesus-Christ and other good works proceeding from diuine grace grounded in the merits of Christ which are not only signs or testimonies of faith's presence but they doe increase * Iacob 2. en operibus fides cōsummata est and perfect it in the work of iustification of which faith is the foundation only Wherby is plainly euidenced that the sole essentiall requisit to sanctifying justice is not faith * 1. Cor. 13. nunc autem manet Fides Spes Charitas tria haec maior autem horum est charitas Igitur cum charitas sit maior fide non debet dici quod sola fides iustificet saluet alone called by the name of speciall faith and counted a certain evident cognition infallibly assuring the beleiuer that his sins are forgiuen him in particular and that he is made an adopted child of God through Christ Neither is such a faith the substance of things hoped for which is the definition or description of Christian faith deliuered by the Apostle for hope that is seen is not hope nor a thing (f) Hieron l. 2. con Iouin writeth thus T vvere great injustice in God if the should punish sins that is vvicked vvorks and haue no regard to or revvard for good vvorks peculiarly assured is a thing hopd for Besides when S. Peter bid Simon Magus who after his baptism had retained wickednes in his heart to repent he did not assure him that his sins should be forgiuen him saying only vnto him Repent of this thy wickednes and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee And S. Paul while he preached to others although he did not apprehend in himselfe any guilt of mortall wickednes yet he durst not pronounce himselfe justifyed being afraid of damnation he feared lest while he preached to others himselfe should become a reprobate * Aug. ser 19. de verbis Apostoliait Paulus suo timore nos terruit quid enim faciet agnus vbi aries tremuit But what shall the lamb doe when the Ram is afraid (g) Chrysostome in Comment super 10. Epis 1. ad Cor. writeth thus Let him that thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall for if Paul the Apostle saith he the strongest of all men vvas affraid vve haue greater reason to fear if S. Paul the most sted fast and valiant in the faith of Christ did tremble and fear in the working of his saluation what shall other Christians doe which be far inferior to him CHAR. XIIJ. OF A VVIT-BELIEVER THE CONTENTS
Pet. 10. in order to many diuine ordinances in regard they doe not shew plainly clearly and euidently all the mysterious precepts of Christian faith that require necessary obseruance wherefore it is an extream weakness to infer from the light of the written a negation of light in the vnwritten word of God as to instruction in iustice and saluation and indeed down from the begining of the Church christian religion hath in all times * Trid sess 4. cap. 1. declarat veritatem disciplinä Ecclesiae contineri in libris scriptis sine scripto traditionibus qua ex ipsius Christi ore ab Apostolic acceptae aut ab ipsis Apostolis Spiritu sancto dictāte quasi per manus traditae ad nos vsque peruenerūt huiusmodi traditionū contemptoros anathemati subiecit Sectarij vero communiter reijciuns eruditiones apostolicas affirmantes omnia qua sine dispendio sulutis possunt ignorari apertè contineri in scripturis been directed and gouerned by both of the said lights that is by the written and vnwritten word as by laws and customs which kind of gouerment is common alike to euery common wealth instituted aright That this double light (c) According to S. Irenaens p. 3. con haer c. 3. 4. Tertull. l. de coro militum cap. 3. S. Basil l. ad Amphilochium de Spiritu sancto cap. 29. S. Austin Epis ad Janua there is full parity between traditions ad scriptures warrantable authority being common alike to the one and the other Wherefore S. Chrys hom 4. in 2. ad Thess saith Est traditio nihil quaras amplius T' is tradition seeke no further of written and vnwritten Traditions is of necessary and perpetuall vse in the Church appeareth by the second Epistie to the Thesalonians where S. Paul enioyneth the keeping of both saying stand fast keepe the Traditions which you haue been taught either by word or our Epistle All the doctrines necessary to saluation which the Apostles receiued either from the mouth of Iesus-Christ or by inspiration of the holy Ghost they deliuered to the faithfull of those dayes partly in written and partly in vnwritten traditions which down from the primatiue Church to the present times haue passed as from hand to hand in a continuall line of priestly succession Moreouer it appeareth clearly by the second Chapter of S. Iohns canonicall Epistle that the Apostles thought it not expedient to set forth in writing all matters of christian religion necessary to saluation for he expresly saith although I had many things to write vnto you yet would I not write with paper and inck for I trust to come vnto you and speak mouth to mouth that your ioy may bee full which he repeateth in the end of his third canonicall Epistle saying I haue many things to write but I will not with ynck and pen write vnto thee and doubtless as Christ when he said to his Disciples Io. 16. I haue yet many things to say vnto you but ye cannot beare them now meant of many mysteries of faith distinct from those he had already taught them so S. Iohns meaning was that he had other doctrines of christian faith or manners to deliuer by word of mouth then those he had written with ynck and pen and truly the particles That your ioy may be full doe import as much being meant of spirituall ioy such as faithfull christians commonly receiue when they are instructed in things pertaining to iustice and saluation and it is not in reason probable that S. Iohn should vnderstand temperall ioy in order to wordly aduantages the intent of his Epistle being to stir vp a Mother and her son vnto a vertuous life in Iesus-Christ neither is it as to reason credible that so many things which S. Iohn purposely omitted to write were set down in writing either by himself afterward or by the other Apostles afore there being no scripture testimony wheron to ground those coniectures inuented meerly by the aduersaries of vnwritten traditions Besids it is plainly euident that sundry vnwritten doctrines of christian religion which are not contained expresly in any part of the new or old Testament are of necessary credence For example we must belieue with diuine faith the receiued catalogue or canon of both Testaments to be the true and vncorrupted word of God For otherwise those holy writings would haue nothing of weight with vs as theron to relie our saluation notwithstanding not any part of either Testament expresseth the receiued catalogue or canon for example we must belieue that the true sense of the written letter is a necessary and essentiall requisit to faith because in the sense that giueth life and not in the letter that bringeth death the true word of God consists but the true sense of the written letter that is to say how (d) The Caluinists in a publick disputation with the Antytrinitarians in the presence of Iohn the second elected king of Hungary engag'd to proue by scripture the mystery of the B. Trinity but failing in their engagement the king of a Caluinist became an Anti-trinitarian the written letter ought to be taken whether in a proper or figuratiue signification is not known but by the interpretation and tradition of the Church Again we must belieue that in one God there is a Trinity of diuine persons which be really distinct one from an other and no more yet not any writing of the Apostles or Euangelists (e) According to S. Chrys hom 4. operum imperf as in Heauen so in scripture God lies hid vnseen Wherefore as all men behold this corporall Heauen and not God that dwels within it so though many read the holy scriptures neuertheless they perceiue not the God of truth that lies hid in the inward seuse thereof expresly assertes a reall distinction or excludeth expresly a quaternity of persons and truly though S. Iohn saith in his canonicall Epistle cap. 4. that there be three which beare testimony in Heauen the Father the word and the holy Ghost neuertheless he doth not say expresly * Simplex affirmatio ternarij in aliquo non excludit vel negat ibi esse aliquod quartum cū in quaternario includatur ternarium qui asserit esse tres vbi sun◠quatuor non falsum dicit three only or that these three are really distinct one from an other for he addeth these three are one in so much that the great Sabellian heretick Praxeas taught that God was but one sole person that carried three distinct names in order to three seuerall effects naming him Father in as much as he createth all things son because be was borne of the Virgin Mary inuested with human nature and holy Ghost in regard he sanctifieth all creatures Wherfore if the Apostles had not deliuer'd to the faithfull of those days by word of mouth a reall distinction in God as to personality and a reall identity as to nature and substance and the Church
likwise defined that vnwritten Tradition the faithfull of these dayes might haue been * S. Basil dicit Sabellianismum esse queÌ„dam Iudaismum Sabellius voro qui omnibus hareticis impietate antecelluit eirca annum 260. haresim Trinitatis propagauit quod Prâ—xeas omniuÌ„ primus humo Romanae inuexit proximè accessit ad errorem Iudaeorum Sabellians or Iewes as for any clear speaking scripture to hinder them Again we belieue that the holy Ghost is not the son of God nor that his procession is generation taken in the proper sense notwithstanding without tradition and interpretation of the holy Church it cannot be proued sufficiently that is to say by express scripture-testimony nor matters it that the Euangelists doe name the second person of the blessed Trinity the only begotten son for hence it follows not by necessary consequence that the holy Ghost is no son for Salomon is styled the only begotten son Prouerb 4. Howeuer it plainly appeareth by the first booke of Paralipomenon or cronicles that he had many brothers yet he was named the only begotten son in regard he was beloued as if he had been the only begotten We must belieue that such (f) The Council of Nice hath defined that such as are baptized by hereticks must not be rebaptized And in regard the Donatists impugned this assertion which is grounded vpon tradition and the Churches definition they were counted hereticks and S. Aust I. de vtilitate credendi cap. 22. expresly affirms that the said assertion is not contained in any express scripture and indeed practice and tradition of the Church only was obiected against S. Cypri that asserted rebaptizing of such as were baptized by hereticks as appeares by his own Epistle ad Iubaian 74. ad Pompeium he conceiuing that he had scripture authority on his side left the Churches tradition and practice yet S. Austin in sundry places of his writings excuseth him from heresie because he was not obstinate in defending of his opinion neither did he break vnion with the Church Besid that controuersy rose before any generall Council defined validity of baptism conferred by Hereticks as are baptized by hereticks ought not to be baptized again wee must belieue that we are bound to keepe holy our lords day which is sunday and we must belieue that there is a necessary obligation to receiue the Apostles Creed yet for as much as none of all these doctrines be contained expresly in or can be deduced out of the holy scriptures by immodiate necessary and euident consequences they would haue nothing of weight with vs in the conuincing of our vnderstanding if the tradition and definition of the Church were laid a side Moreouer the Lutherans and Caluinists in regard they reject Church tradition adhering to the meer letter of scripture and their own interpretations thereof cannot as yet after frequent disputes euince against the Anabaptists that the SacrameÌ„t of Baptism ought to be administred vnto infants where they alledge the words of Christ set down Math. 19. suffer little children and forbid them not to come to me for of such is the kingdom of Heauen as also the practice of the Apostles that baptized whole housholds Act. 19. it is plainly euident that from neither of these testimonies they can as much as deduce by any necessary consequence what they assert as a doctrine of their faith namely that baptism ought to be applied to young children that want the vse of reason especially supposing (g) Caluin l. 4. insti c. 16. and the whole sect of Lutherans though they denyed baptism to be a requisit necessary to the saluation of children neuertheless in their conferences with Anabaptists ingeniously confessed that baptism might lawfully and indeed ought to be ministred vnto children what Lutherans and Caluinists hold as an other article of their reformed religion viz. that baptism is not absolutly necessary to saluation for as to the first testimony though by litle children Christ meant not such only as can goe and speake but also infants sucking their Mothers breasts neuertheless the words of Christ declare them only capable of blessedness without mentioning baptism at all Since then Lutherans and Caluinists doe teach that baptism is not an expedient absolutly necessary to blessedness they can infer nothing of moment and efficacy from these words of Christ to conuince the Anabaptists because the blessedness that is to say the kingdom of Heauen whereof Infants are declared capable may be obtained without baptisin according to Lutherans Caluinists and Anabaptists yet for as much as catholick faith teacheth absolute necessity of baptism out of S. Iohn Cap. 3. that except a man be borne againe of water he cannot enter into the kingdom of Heauen Catholicks can by a clear inference from the said words of Christ proue that Baptism ought euen of necessity to be administred to children because Christs words declare theÌ„ capable of the kingdom of Heauen and consequently of baptism that being an expedient absolutly necessary vnto the obtaining of it whosoeuer is capable of any end is likwise capable of the expedient or medium which is of absolute necessity in order to the purchasing of it As touching the latter scripture testimony though it containes a most pregnant coniecture or presumption that the Apostles when they baptized whole families baptised children with all neuertheless it is not sufficient enough to the grounding of an euident and necessary consequence vnto prouing that de facto they did so because experience sheweth that many whole housholds haue no children at all Wherefore it is cleare that neither of the scripture testimonyes do proue effectually the baptism of Infants laying aside the tradition and definition of the Church And truly Lutherans and Caluinists haue only meer coniectures and remote inferences drawn from the interpretation of their own priuat spirits which is the Mother of heresies to euince the foundamentall and essentiall doctrines of their reformed religion namly that faith alone iustifieth that there are but two Sacraments that no addresses of intercession ought to be made vnto Saints or prayers offered for the benefit of soules departed c. and it is a foundamentall article of Caluinism that the Sacrament of the Eucharist signifieth only the body of Christ being a meer figure thereof contrary wise it is a foundamentall article of Lutherans that the body of Christ is really contained in the Sacrament together with the substance of bread and though both Caluinists and Lutherans teach that the scriptures speake and propounde clearly doctrines of faith howeuer they haue not as yet reconciled that controuersy which notwithstanding the many conferences and disputes held about it continueth in debate Caluinists impute to the Lutherans an heresie or errour in faith for admitting and the Lutherans ascribe heresie vnto the Caluinists for denying the reall presence of Christs body and bloud in the Eucharist whereby appeareth plainly the necessity of Church tradition and interpretation for the deciding all hard