the euill are constrayned to deliuer true things for they aâ—â— Fox actes monuments pag. 999. 464. 1401. 1436. 1286. The Puritans in their discouery in a sermon preached 1588. by Bancroft pag. 34. The Protestants Apology tract 3. sect 7. n. 68. not their owne things which they deliuer but Gods who hath placâ—â— the doctrine of verity in the chayer of vnity We want not heerin the suffrages of Protestants of Foxe himselfe and sundry of his Martyrs of M. Bancroft late Bishop of Canterbury the Puritans not forbearing to carpe and reprehend him for it and of others mentioned in the Protestantâ— Apology for the Roman Church which in euery Chapter so victoriously triumpheth ouer our Reformers innouation by the irrefragable testimonyes of Reformers themselues as M. Morton astonished with the euidence brought against him was suddainly beaten backe from his rash attempt which he neuer since had the hart to prosecute or any other presumeth to take pen in hand to answere that excellent and euer vnanswerable worke 7. The reasons which perswade the infallibility of the Church are sundry and they most forcible For what could moue any Infidell or Atheist to forsake his errours and come vnto the Church if that might also beguile him with errour what meanes had we to condemne an Heretike or disproue his errours if the Church might erre Diuers reasons which coÌ„uince the infallibility of the Church in disprouing of them How should we know where to rest whome to consult in doubts of fayth if the highest Iudges might iudge amisse What assurance haue we of our beliefe religion scripture sacraments of Christ himselfe and all other articles of fayth if the Church which teacheth them might erre in teaching The same inconueniences the same confusion would ensue supposing it If the Church could erre fayth it selfe all things els were vncertayne were limited not to erre only in fundamentall points necessary to saluation For then the vnconstant and wauering Christian might still cast as many doubtes whether the thinges defined where fundamentall or not Whether necessary or not necessary to saluation Then the people might call their Pastours doctrine and definition in question they might examine whether the arâ—â—cles deliuered be substantiall and such wherein their â—â—eachers be freed from errour or no Then new schisms â—â—d contentions would dayly breake forth all things â—ill remaine vncertaine 8. To prosecute a little further one of these reasons For â—t were too much to enlarge them all The tradition or â—estimony of our Church in deliuering the whole canon of scripturs vpon whose authority also most Protestants receaue it of what account do you make it If fallible the An argument vnanswerable fayth you gather from thence the Religion you ground thereon must likewise be fallible vncertayne and no way autenticall For the truth gleaned from the scripturs cannot be more sure then the Scriptures themselues from which it is gathered If infallible You grant what we require For the promises of God the assistance of the holy Ghost which warranteth the testimony of our Church to be of inuiolable authority in this point being generall and without restriction must warrant it also in The same promises of God which assure the Churches infallibility in one thing assure it in all all other traditions interpretations doctrines whatsoeuer and so you that forsake her sentence renounce her definitions renounce the Oracles of truth and decrees vndeceiuable or els shew what exception what limitation the holy Ghost hath made where he restrayned her priuiledge of infalibility to that particuler more then to other articles of our beliefe This is a Gordian knot which breake you may vnty you cannot For suppose you should reply as a Protestant once answered me that it appertayned vnto the prouidence of God to keep safe his holy writ and challenge it from corruption I would further inquire of you whether God hath greater care of the letter or sense of the inward kernell or outward rine of the bone or marrow of his word Of the marrow no doubt Then he preserued that more safe in the harts of his faythfull then the other in the rolles of paper and so as you take the barke and outward letter from the tradition of our Church much more ought you to borrow from her the true sense and sap and heauenly iuyce Finally to what end do Protestants striue so much ProtestaÌ„ts according to their owne groundes haue neither any fayth or religion for the Churches erring but only to depriue themselues therby of Church faith religion For wheras neither religion nor Church can staÌ„d without supernatural faith nor supernaturall faith be atteyned without infallible certeinty of the thinges beleeued if their preachers their Ministers their Church be not vndoubtedly fenced from all daunger of errour the articles they beleeue haue not that inerrable warrant which is necessary to faith Faith saith S. Bernard hath nothing ambiguous or doubtfull if it hath any thing ambiguous it cannot be faith Whereupon it is defined Heb. 11. v. 1. Aug. l. 13. de Trinit c. 10. tract 79. in loan Chrysost in bunc locuÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in explicat psal 115. Chrysost in hunc locuÌ„ Dyonil c. 7. de diuin nom by the Apostle to be the substance c. the argument of thinges not appearing that is a demonstration or conuiction by which our vnderstanding is acerteyned conuineed of the truth or as the greek importeth it is the basis grounde or foundation firme sure stedfast imoueable either of the hoped reuealed verities as S. Basil with S. Iohn Chrysostome indgeth or of them that hope beleeue fastning them in the truth the truth in them according to S. Denis S. Augustine from whence the comon schoole of diuines gather this principle that faith cannot be subiect to falsity no nor to any feare or suspition therof This infallible ground of assurance Protestants haue not beleeuing only vpon the credit of their Church which may beguile them Therefore howsoeuer they bragge of their all-sauing faith not any faith haue they or Church or religion at all August tract 7â— in loan Fidei non potest subesse falsum 9. Heer my aduersaryes cauill with vs that they haue as much fayth as we who rely vpon the definitions of our Popes and Prelates for they are men and euery man is a lyer as the scripture reporteth I answere our supreme Bishops are by nature men by infirmity subiect to lyes deceits yet as they are by faith Christians by inward vnction heyres of heauen so they are by Pastorall authority gouernors of the church officers of God organs of the holy ghost by whose perpetual assistaÌ„ce they caÌ„not erre they cannot in their publique decrees or generall assemblyes deliuer vnto the faithfull what is subiect to vncerteinty because that which they speake Christ speaketh in them that which they deliuer the spirit
I would holde my self to those by whose commaundement I beleeued the gospell c. VVhose authority being infringed weakned I could not now There is no raâ—son we should beleeue the authority of the Roman Church in deliuering scripture and Protestants in expounding it contrary to her authority beleeue euen the gospell itself Imediatly before If thou say Beleeue not the Catholiques it is not the right way by the ghospell to driue me to the faith of Manichaens of Protestants because I beleeued the ghospell it self by the preaching of Catholiques 8. Yet if against all sense and reason if against both God and man you should perswade vs to beleeue your new constructions of Sâ—riptuee against theÌ„ who taught you both Christ and Scripture do we not belieue the authority of men the voyce as you account your selues of the faythfull so submit our iudgments to the exposition of the Church 9. Further more the Church is the treasury or store-house of God to which he committeth all his heauenly ministeryes All thinges which I haue heard of my Father I haue made knowne to you It is his mouth or oracle which openeth the same to others his trumpet or cryer which promulgateth The Church is the store-house of truth Ioan. 15. v. â—â— them to the world Go and teach all Nations c. teaching all thinges which I haue commaunded you It is the messenger which reuealeth his will The witnes which giueth testimony of his wordes and sayings The VicegereÌ„t which supplyeth the roome of his beloued You shal be witnesses to me in Hierusalem and in all lury c. As my Father hath sent me so I also do send you But Christ was sente from Matt. vlt. v. 19. Act. 1. v. 8. Ioan. 20. v. â—2 the throne of his Father with most ample power to decide all doubtes in matters of faith Therefore the Church succedeth him in this soueraigne authority she baptizeth now in his person sacrificeth in his person teacheth in his person gouerneth in his person excoÌ„municateth in his person so she determineth with infallible assistance and iudgeth all Controuersies in his person If we be commanded to heare her obey her belieue her be ruled by her If we must open our owne faults complayne of our brethren to her be bound or loosed The Church iudgeth of the writings of the Apostles she coÌ„poseth the Canon of Scripture she iudgeth of the true sense and interpretation of scripture of our sinns by her if she must cleare out doubts examine our causes redresse our scandals quiet our contentions she no doubt is the supreme iudge of all our spiritual affayres When any doubt is made of the writings of the Apostles whether they be theirs or no as whether the Epistle of S. Paul to the Laodiceans be his or not it belongeth to the Church to decide the matter to receaue or reiect it Therfore she iudgeth of the Apostolicall doctrin of the sacred Canon she iudgeth what is consonant to the diuine spirit of God and what is dissonant thereunto When any heresy springeth from the false interpreration of scripture she also censureth she condemneth it Therefore she is the iudge not only of the scriptures but also of the true sense and exposition of them And thus in all tymes and places whensoeuer occasion hath beene offered the Church hath exercised her iudiciall power CHAP. VII Wherein is manifested the conformable practise of the Church other authorityes alleadged the imagined circle obiected against vs auoyded IN the Apostles dayes a controuersy arose concerning the obseruation of the legall Ceremonyes it was diligently argued discussed and iudged by the Church with this diuine and Act. 15. v. 28. infallible resolutioÌ„ It hath seemed good to the holy Ghost and vs c. Some few yeares after a great debate fell out about the celebratioÌ„ of the feast of Easter whether it should be kept alwayes on the Sunday or on the 14. day of the first moneth the matter was referred examined iudged by the Church with such an vncontrolable sentence as they who resisted were absolutely censured and condemned for heretikes called Quartadecimani Witnes S. Augustine Epiphanius Tertullian others In all succeeding ages some such doubts questions or heresyes haue sprung vp and haue beene Aug. haer â—6 Epiphan haer 50. Tertul. in Praescrip alwayes sifted determined and iudged by the Church From her the Nouatians Arians Nestorians Eutichians Pelagians Monothelites and the rest haue still receaued their finall doome and irreuocable damnation in such iudiciall manner as no appeale no dispute no further examinations of their opinions hath beene after Hooker in the preface to his book of Eccles poli pag. 24. 25. 26. 27. Couel in his defence of M. Hooker permitted as not only M. Hooker and M. Doctour Couell two moderne Protestants but S. Athanasius also testifyeth of the Churches decrees in the Nicen Councell against the Arians Let no man thinke a matter discussed by so many Bishops confirmed with most cleare testimonyes may be called againe in question least if a thing so often iudged be reuised and knowne againe the curiosity of knowing vtterly want all end of knowing And Martian the Emperour He doth wronge to the iudgement of the most reuerend Synod who contendeth to rippe vp or publiquely argue and dispute of such thinges as be once iudged and rightly ordered Theodosius Athan. in decr Nice Syno Martian in rescript ad Pallad Praefect Preto C. desum Trin. l. 5. Cod. l. 1. tit leg damnat also and Valentinian those two Catholike Emperous who held the Imperiall Scepter in the yeare of our Lord 428. haue most catholikely enacted a law allowing the Churches definitiue sentence in sundry CouÌ„cels VVhosoeuer in this holy Citty or other where do follow the prophane peruersity of Eutiches condeÌ„ned in the late Councell gathered at ChalcedoÌ„ do not so beleeue in all points of fayth as the 318. holy Fathers of the Nicene Councell as the 150. venerable Bishops assembled togeather in the Councell of Constantinople or the other two CouÌ„cells following of Ephesus and Chalcedon let them know that they are heretiks But as thâ— Churches tribunall in condemning heresyes so in establishing true doctrine in all doubtfull cases hath beene esteemed infallible Hence that common saying of S. Augustine VVhosoeuer feareth to be ensnared Aug. l. 1. cont Cres c. 33. by the obscurity or hardnes of this question let him consult the Church thereof which the holy Scripture without all ambiguity doth demonstrate 2. Hence S. Paul immediatly instructed from the mouth of God when false seducers sought to caluminate Gal. 2. v. 2. Tertul. l. 4. contra Marc. c. 2. his heauenly doctrine had recourse vnto the Church for approbation of his Ghospell Least perhaps in vaine I should runne or had runne Whereupon Tertullian If he from whom S. Luke receaued his light desired to haue his fayth and preaching authorized by his predecessours how
much more reason haue I to desire the like for the Ghospell of S. Luke seeing the same was so necessary for the Ghospell of his Maister And S. Augustine The Apostle S. Paul Aug. tom 6. cont Faust Manic l. 28. c. 4. Hier. ep 11. called from heauen if he had not found the Apostles with whome by conferring his Ghospell he might appeare to be of the same society the Church would not beleeue him at all S. Hierome hath the like whose authorityes togeather with the president of S. Paul so pinch our aduersaryes as they haue nothing to answere which deserueth confutation Notwithstanding A cauil of the aduersary reproued against the former recited examples of the Church they cauill that she pronounced iudgment in the beginning out of the written word and so made the scripture iudge rather then her selfe of all doubtfull occurrences We grant that the Scriptures were the outward law the The scripture is the outward law and needeth a liuely iudge or interpreter compasse or square which the Church followed in giuing her sentence both then and euer since yet as the law is dumbe and needeth an interpreter the compasse square not able to direct without the guide of the Architect to leuell it aright so the Scriptures can neuer giue a diffinitiue sentence to compose debates vnles they be managed guided and interpreted by the Church The scriptures are the dead and silent the Church the liuely speaking intelligible Iudge more easy then the scriptures more ancient then the scriptures more necessary Iren. l. 3. c. 4. Hilar. de Syno aduer Arian then the scriptures more necessary because many sucking babes who dye after baptisme many ignorāt people as Ireneus and S. Hilary note are saued without scriptures but not without the Church more ancient because the scriptures were penned by the holy Prophets and Apostles The last resolution of fayth is diuersly made by which we auoyd the circle obiected against vs by many Protestāts members of the Church more easy and perspicuous because that which the scriptures in sundry darke hard and general tearmes obscurely contayne the church in open plaine and particuler declarations applyable to the sundry exigentes of speciall occurrents cleerly expresseth Therefore although the scriptures haue a kind of iudgment as the inanimate law can iudge togeather with the Church yet the Church hath the principall primary supreme and most irreprouable voyce in this spirituall consistory or court of religion 3. Howbeit the last resolution of our beliefe is not so referred either to scriptures or to the Church but that the prime verity and other prudent motiues haue also their speciall concurrence whereby we easily auoyd that idle and impertinent circle with which VVhitaker and First it is resolued into the authority of God his fellowes would seeme to disgrace vs of prouing the scriptures by the Church and Church againe by scriptures For when it is demanded why we belieue the scriptures the infallible authority of the Church the mystery of the Trinity or any other article of our beliefe we reply that if you aske the formall reason which winneth the assent of our vnderstanding to belieue we beleeue Secondly into the proposition of the Church them for the diuine authority which is the formall obiect of fayth and of infinit force and ability to perswade immediatly by it selfe without the help of any other formall inducement whatsoeuer if you demand what warranteth or proposeth vnto vs this or that article to be credited by the testimony of God We answere it is the Catholike Church guided by the holy Ghost which cannot propose or deliuer any falshood If you demaund what moueth our will to accept this Church for an infallible witnes in sealing those articles We answere they are arguments of credibility which prudently induce Thirdly into certaine motiues of credibility and stir vs vp to credit her report the argumentes are these glory of miracles consent of Nations perpetuall succession interrupted continuance admirable propagation and increase of the Church force of doctrin conuersion of soules change of manners fortitude of Martyrs vnity sanctity antiquity the like which preuailed so much with our most learned S. Augustine as he recounting those thinges which iustly detayned him in Aug. con◠epist Manich 4. the Catholike Church sayth There holdeth me in her bosome the consent of people and nations there holdeth an authority begotten with miracles nourished with hope increased by charity Aug. de vtil cred c. 14. Populorū atque gentiū confirmatae opinioni ac famae admodum celeberrimae strengthned by antiquity there holdeth from the seate of Peter the Apostle to whome our Lord after his resurrection recommended the feeding of his sheep euen to this present Bishopricke the succession of Priests Lastly there holdeth me the name Catholike c. And in another place he sayth that by no other reasons was he induced to belieue in Christ then by giuing credit to the approued opinion of people Nations and to a most renowned and famous report These then were the motiues of credibility which first perswaded him to imbrace both Christ and his Ghospell 4. Then the mouth which vttered oracle which proposed them was the Church it self I for my part quoth Aug. con ep Fund c. 5. he would not beleeue the gospell vnles the authority of the Catholike Church moued me But the formall ground or chief reason which wonne his assent was the veracity prime verity or testimonye of God who could not with such prudent motiues euident argumentes of credibility testifye any thing either by himselfe or others which was not sealed with infallible truth Thus no round or circulation is made because the same thing is not proued but after a diuers seueral manner Secondly we escap another way The second way of escaping the circle the daunger of circulation if against them who deny the one graunt the other we borrow argumentes from the scriptures for exāple which they graunt to establish the Church which they denie or from the true Church if that be admitted to authorize the scriptures which are wrongfully impugned Thirdly that idle circle is declined The third way auoiding the same when we canonize the scriptures by the testimony of the present Church proue the Church by the interpretation of scriptures not made by the same Church which now is or lately was in the Councell of Trent but so expounded by the ancient Church in former dayes in the Councell of Carthage in the time of S. Augustin S. Ambrose and the rest of those Doctours or so expounded by the primitiue Church so expounded by the Apostles who receaued it from Christ he from his Father What round is heer or circle committed 5. Lastly it is no absurdity or begging of the question in hand if the Church approue the scripture by her owne testimony and by the same also her infallible authority
carry to the tribunall seate of Christ And then most agreable to the matter now in hand They beleeue in God the Father and in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost in vaine All these thinges sayd I auayle them nothing for asmuch as they deny this article of the reall presence and attach him of falsity who sayd of the Sacrament this is my body So Luther flatly acknowledgeth that the deniall of that one article the disagreement in the interpretation of that one place in such aâ— accept the other heades of religion is sufficient to plung them into the pit of hell Zanchius and many learned Protestants Zanchius in his epistle before his confession pag. 12 13. are of the same mind agreeing therin with the ancient Fathers with S. Athanasius who hath defined in his Creed that whosoeuer doth not hold the Catholike fayth who and inuiolate he shall perish for euer With S. Hierome who witnesseth that for one word or two contrary to the sayth many heresyes haue been cast out of the Church With S. Gregory Nazianzen saying Nothing can be more dangerous then thâ—se heretikes Hier. l. 3. Apolo cont Ruf. Nazian tract de fide who when as they runne through all thinges vprightly yet with one word as with a drop of poyson corrupt and stayne the true and sincere fayth of our Lord and of Apostolicall tradition With Saint Basil who being solicited by the persecutours to relent a little to the tyme stoutly answered as Theodoret reporteth that such as are instructect in the diuine doctrine do not suffer Theod. l. 4. hist c. 17. any syllable of the diuine decrees to be depraued but for the defence of it if need require willingly imbrace any kind of death 9. And not to stay longer in reciting the testimonies of 〈…〉 when the Sonne of God auouched he 〈…〉 Marc. 1â— v. 16. not shal be condâ—mned Of what beliefe did he speake 〈◊〉 of belieuing the whole Ghospell the whole corpes of Christian doctrine whereof he there sayd preach the Ibid. v. 15. â—hospâ—lâ— to all creatures which Ghospell comprehendeth many other articles besides the Trinity Incarnation Passion of Christ Therefore he that belieueth them not all shal be condemned Likewise when Christ auouched He that despiseth you despiseth me he that heareth not the Church c. Luc. 10. v. 16. Matt. 18. v. 17. he doth not add in this or that point but absolutely in whatsoeuer Let him be to thee as the Heathen and Publican And for this cause the custome of the Church hath beene in her publike definitions and generall Councells to strike with the thunderbolt of Gods heauy curse to threaten with anathema all such as refuse to belieue any one decree or definition of hers concerning any point of fayth whatsoeuer it be which the Church could not do without erroneous faultines in her selfe and wrong to her children if euery Canon she maketh and fenceth with that Anathema were not necessary to be belieued vnder paine of damnation Besides not only the Church but sundry zealous and forward sectaryes of all sorts are ready to yield their liues in behalf of any one article of their beliefe wherein although they erre concerning the particuler obiect yet this generall agreement in such seuerall sectes is an apparant token that Nature it selfe teacheth euery speciall point of true religion and not the principall only to be necessary to saluation wherein the Athenians were so precise as they punished without remission Teste Iosepho cont Appion any little word lesse warily vttered against the receaued opinion of their Gods The Iewes also were seuerely chastised for the transgression of any one of the ceremoniall lawes giuen vnto them by the disposition of Angels And God himselfe threatneth that he shall take Apo. 22. v. 19. â—â—ay his part out of the booke of life who shall diminish any word of S. Iohns reuelation What wonder then though â—e be blotted out of the register of heauen though he be eternally punished who eitheâ— gainesayth altereth or not beleeueth expresly or infoldedly euery point of doctrine the Sonne of God himselfe or the holy Ghost whome he after sent publiquely teacheth or inspireth to his Church 10. The chiefest reason why fayth must be whole entire is the infallible authority or veracity of God vpon One principall reason why fayth must be entire in al points whose testimony we belieue which being once suspected or doubted of in any one point of neuer so small importance the like doubt or suspition may creep into others and shake the whole foundation of Christian Religion Therfore S. Thomas and many other learned Deuines profoundly teach That he hath no supernaturall fayth he beleeueth not any thing moued by diuine authority S. Thomas 2. 2. q. 5. art 3. He that belieueth not euery article of fayth belieueth none at all Tertul. l. de praescri who beleeueth not euery thing little or great fundamentall or not fundamentall proposed vnto him to be credited by the same authority Whereupon they inferre That no sectary who maketh choyce vpon his owne liking or vpon the iudgment of his Ministers to belieue some articles and not the rest doth truly beleeue any one article at all After which manner Tertullian long since disputed against Valentine the heretike saying Some thinges of the law and Prophets he approueth some things he disalloweth that is he disalloweth all whilest he disproueth some In like sort I may argue of our Protestants and other Sectaryes that they make choyce to beleeue some things not to belieue other and so whilest they belieue not all thinges they belieue nothing nothing vpon the authority of God but vpon their owne election as humane motiues incline and perswade them which is humane only not diuine or supernaturall beliefe For fayth being an assent of our vnderstanding to thinges not euidently seene or conuinced by reason but only credited for the testimony of another it cannot be more certaine then he that testifyeth and deliuereth them vnto vs who if he be subiect to errour as all men are in Protestants conceipt they that belieue the reuealed mysteries or interpretation of Scripture either vpon their owne or such mens credit cannot attaine to the certainty of fayth no more then the Turke who although he belieue in God Creatour of heauen and earth yet he belieueth not in him with diuine fayth because he relyeth vpon the authority of his Alcaron or Turkish Muphtyes who as in other things do so might deceaue in Muphty is the name of the chiefe Interpreter of the Tuâ—kish law Cuspin in descript Magistrat Turcici that And whereas without true and diuine fayth it is impossible to please God they cannot hope for his fauour who do not belieue euery article as the inerrable testimony of his true Church proposeth them to be belieued 11. Hence it is that euen as we are bound to obserue and fullfill the whole law of iustice euery
The fourth way she hath from God if that which she sayth she confirme with such euident reasons or perswasible motiues as are prudently iudged to proceed from him For so christ himselfe so Moyses being sent with Commission from God by his own testimony warranted with miracles proued his Exod. 3. 4. Mission and was accordingly receaued as a messenger Captaine or Gouernour imediatly designed appointed by his vnsearchable wisedome In like manner albeit the Church giue assurance of scripture by the scripture certify vs of her owne authority yet her certificate is infallible sufficient to perswad without circular winding in and out as long as it is confirmed by such argumentes of credibility as in all wise mens iudgmeÌ„tes come from God for either his diuine prouidence ouerruleth not humane affaires and then as S. Augustine inferreth It Aug. de vtil credendi c. 16. Nihil est de religione satageÌ„dum ProtestaÌ„ts runne the circle they falsly obiect against vs. Fullk in his confu of Purga p. 434. bootes not a whit of what religion we be of or he doth preside dispose of all earthly thinges so cannot permit vs to be induced by such weighty prudent and incuitable reasons to beleeue that which is subiect to falsity or calumniation Euery one of these wayes our Church is freed from that idle circle wherein all sectaryes notwithstanding wander without end who descry the scriptures by their owne priuate spirit discerne their spirit by the analogy of scripture This is a dotage grosse absurde to proue the vnknowne word by a hidden motion the motion hidden by the word vnknown This is to daunce the round so often reprehended to labour in darcknes without hope of deliuery CHAP. VIII Wherein is discouered that out of the true Church there can be no hope of saluation in any Congregation or Sect whatsoeuer THE Prophesies of the old Testament peculiar titles ascribed to the church both in the old and new engrosse vnto her all the blessings of heauen and only meanes of atteyning felicity In mount Ioel. 2. v. â—2 Sion and in Ierusalem shal be saluation as our Lord hath sayd and in the residue whome our Lord shall call The Nation and the kingdome that shall not serue thee Isa 60. v. 12. shall perish She is the Citty of refuge or sanctuary of God as Cyril calleth her to which whosoeuer flyeth not for succour cannot be saued She is the spirituall seed and Cyril in Isa l. 5. c. 54. of spring of Abraham which only partaketh of the blessings of our Lord. She is the house of God and Tabernacle of our Lord out of which whosoeuer eateth the paschall lambe he is as S. Ierome saith a prophane person an alien or stranger Hier. tom 2 ep 57. ad Damasâ— Idem tom 4. lib. 4. â— commen in cap. 11. Isa from the merites of Christ She is the Arke of Noe because according to the same S. Ierome that which the Arke in the deluge this doth the Church affoard in the world If any one were not in the arke he was drowned in the time of the inundation if any one be not in the Church he perisheth in the day of destruction And Gaudentius a litle more Gaudent tract 2. de lect Euan. ancient then Ierome It is manifest that all men of those times perished excepting only such as deserued to be sound within the Arke bearning a type or figure of the Church For so in like manner they cannot be saued who are separated from the Apostolique faith catholique Church 2. Moreouer the Church is called the Temple of God as appeareth by many places of holy scripture expounded Orig hom 15 in Mat. Aug. l. 2. quest in Euang. Theod. in c. 2. 2. ad Thess Ephes 1. Coloss to that purpose by Origen S. Augustine and Theodoret to signifie vnto vs that whosoeuer is not in this holy Temple is in the Chappell of Satan in the den of diuels he cannot haue his prayers heard or sacrifices acceptable vnto God She is termed the body of Christ to signifye that none can enioy the benefit of life vnles he be a member of this mysticall body I am not the first Authour of his glosse or paraphrase S. Augustine doth analize expound it in the same maÌ„ner The Catholike Church only is the body of Christ whereof he is head out of this body the holy Aug. epist 50. ad Bon. prope fineÌ„ ghost quickneth no man c. Therefore he that will haue the holy ghost let him beware he râ—mayne not out of the Church let him beware he enter not faignedly into it Againe To saluation it self to eternall life no man arriueth but he that hath Christ his head But no Idem de vnit Eccl. c. 16. Ephes 5. Psal 44. Ezech. 16. 2. Cor. 12. Apoc. 19. 21. Aug. de alterca Eccle. Synagog man can haue Christ his head vnles he be in his body which is the Church She is also stiled the wife and spowse of Christ because as S. Augustine teacheth she hath promised vowed to keepe pure entire his faith doctrine as in a corporall mariage the wife plighteth her faith fidelity to her husband 3. By this comparison we learne that as no children can be legitimate which are not borne conceaued by the husbands true lawfull wife that al others are either bastards or chaungelinges so none can be the sonnes of God none partaker of the inheritance of his children vnles he be new borne nurtured by the Church his spouse The harlotry sectes congregations of heretiks may propagate themselues they may vaunt of their viperous issue they may insult for a time and despise the spouse of Christ the hand-manyd as S. Augustine discourseth may do wrong to her Mistresse But when Aâ—raham shall heare the complaintes of Sara when he shall take compassion of her sufferinges and receaue her into rest then thou sayth he speaking to the Arian as I Gen. 21. v. 10. Gal. 4. v. 30. Aug. tom 9. de symb l. 4. c. 10. may now to the Protestants heresy thou shalt be cast forth as the hand mayd with thy bastardly brood because the sonnes of the bâ—â—d woman shall not be inheritours with the children of the free One holy true Queene Catholike shall be acknowledged to whome Christ hath giuen such a kingdome as dilating it through the whole world cleansing it from all spot and wrincle he hath prepared it wholy beautifull against his comming Agreeable to this title it is likewise named the Mother of the liuing because none can receaue life except they be conceaued in her womb and cherished in her lappe from whence that common â—ying of S. Cyprian No man can haue God his Father â—nles he haue the Church his Mother The Church is the (a) Psal 2. Luc. 1. Ioan. 18. Apoc. 5. Aug. l. 20. de ciuit Dei
Father hath not planted shal be rooted vp 2. By this marke you shall see that the profession of our new gospellers is a bastardly slippe and the Romane Foure notes or branches of stability by which the RomaÌ„ Church is proued to be the true Church of Christ Fayth the only stable and vnconquerable truth First if you consider how this Roman fayth alone hath beene euer impugned by all kind of aduersaryes yet still remayned victorious Secondly how by it selfe it maynteyned her right agaynst them all without any forrayne helpe or succour Thirdly how it hath alwayes orderly proceeded by subduing them as a Queene or Empresse by absolute authority and iuridicall power Fourthly how in these encounters it hath neuer altered or changed her fayth neuer relented or yealded to her enemyes in any point little or great but hath still florished and preuayled agaynst them 3. Euery one of these notes are prerogatiues of The Roman Church shewed to be true because that alone is impugned by al false and hereticall conuenticles the true Church For all vices and errours though contrary in themselues agree in this that they are opposite vnto vertue opposite vnto truth So all sectes and heresies though neuer so repugnant one from the other yet all ioyne to make open warre agaynst the true fayth and Church of God The Sadduceans Pharisies Herodians were at deadly foe amongst themselues notwithstanding they made league and linked togeather in persecuting of Christ Thus the Roman Church only no other hath beene euer pursued by all the rebellious sects that euer were Agaynst her the Simonians Cerinthians Micolaits Eutichians Nacedonians in former tymes Agaynst her the Anabaptistes Brownistes Lutherans Caluinists Armenians Gomotistes and all Protestants bid battayle now a dayes Agaynst her the Turkes Iewes Pagans Polititians and Atheistes pitch their tents Against her the heathenish and other wicked Emperours haue bent their forces Dioclesian Valens Iulian Constantius Leo Isaurus Constantinus Copronymus Fredericus c Against her all the powers of hell and might of Sathan hath opposed yet could neuer preuayle She is therefore the house of God built vpon a rocke on Matt. 7. v. 24. 25. which the rayne fell the flouds came the windes blew but cold not ouerthrow it She is the Campe of Israell assaulted by all her bordering enemies yet neuer vanquished by any The 2. Reg. 7. throne of Salomon established for euer The Kingdome of Christ often impugned yet victoriously triumphing Aug. inps 47. The Roman Church the vncoÌ„querable truth because it resisteth ouercommeth by it self without help of others ouer all the Kingdomes of the earth 4. Secondly the Roman Church hath thus defended her selfe and gotten the victory without the association or confederacy of any Church She by her selfe vnder the protection of God hath stoutly atchieued these wonderfull conquests She by her owne men by the Bishops Prelates and other secular and religious persons of her owne profession hath maynteyned her Catholike Orthodoxall fayth with patience agaynst the stormes of persecutours with reasons agaynst the subtility of Philosophers with Scriptures against heretikes with prophecies agaynst the Iewes with prescriptions agaynst the Turkes with Christian prudence agaynst the Macihuelians with naturall arguments agaynst the Atheists Pagans with miracles agaynst the weake with consent fame and authority agaynst the proude and haughty Agaynst these and all others our Church alone hath in all ages euer since Christ his tyme with vnmatcheable wisdome and power vncontrolable vpholden the right and glory of her cause by helpes taken out of her owne armory with weapons of her owne Whereas her aduersaryes haue still ayded one another still called vpon forayne Sect aryes and false Churches are forced to borrow help one from the other succours to support backe them as our sectaries now implore the ayde of sundry heretiks to make some mâ—ster or shew of pretended Gospellers to encounter with vs not vnlike to Cataline the rebell who associated himselfe with all the dissolute ruffianlike vicious and forlorne refuse of what kind soeuer they were to warre agaynst his Countrey For so our English ProtestaÌ„ts linke in communion first with their fellow Puritans whome one of their owne brethren tearmeth Apostolikes Aerians Tull. orat 1. 2. 3. in Catal. Ormer dia. 1. Pepuzians Petrobusians Florinians Cerinthians Nazarens Beguardines Ebionites Catabaptides Catharists Iouianistes c. Then both Puritans and Protestants band with the Lutherans Caluinists Hussites Wickelifists Albigenses As heretiks begge men so likewise munition from forrenners VVhitak in resp ad Sand. Col. l 4. iust c. 9. §. 8. Fulk in his confutation of Purgatory Beza epist Theo. 81. VVhitg in his def Hooker in his preface to his eccl pol. pa. 24. 25. 26. 27. The Bish Confer at Hampt Court Picards with other such monsters more hideous and mishapen in profession then ill fauoured in names With them they ioyne frendship to fill vp the number of their mutinous and disloyall Army 5. Neither is it inough for theÌ„ to beg the supply of forrayne souldiers but their weapons also they steale froÌ„ others For when the Protestant would annoy the Puritan he putteth on the armour of our doctours Councells ordinances and prescriptions When he defendeth his quarrell agaynst Catholikes he flyeth to the secret ambushes and retrayts of Puritans he relieth wholy on their hidden spirit by it he will trye the sayings of Fathers and decrees of Councells By that Whitaker cassieereth a full senate of Fathers Caluin examineth general CouÌ„cells Fulke maketh hauocke of all antiquity Farre otherwise doth Beza with the Trinitaryes Mayster Whitgift with Cartwright Maister Hooker Doctour Couell and the Protestant Bishops in their coÌ„ference with Puritans disprouing them by our principles of tradition Besides from vs they borow their Scriptures their lawes their constitutions their ecclesiasticall gouernement and hierarchy of their Clergy With these rags of popery as both their and our enemyes seeke to disgrace them with these stollen feathers they are wont to glory like the Horatian daw In so much as some of their owne Protestants complaine of the present Ministry and Church of England That their Pontificall wherby they consecrate Bishops make ministers and deacons is nothing else but a thinge word for word drawn out Admo to the Parlia of the Popes Pontificall 6. Besides as they embezell from vs all that is laudable orderly or good amongst them so their dregges of Aug. l. de bar cap. 53. Guido Carmelit in su Coal l. de histor Hussi Syn. Constann sess 8. Lat. l. ad BereÌ„g Nicep in hist eccles l. 16. ca. 27. Bucching in eccl hist Prat. ver Nouatiani Ierem. lib. contra Virgilan Euthimius in Panopl par 2. tit 21. Theod. l. 4. haer fab Dam. l. de cent haer Iero. in lib. ad Vigil Ioui Ionas Aureliaâ—ensis apud SaÌ„d l. 7. de de visi mo Irae l. 1. c. 20. Epiph haer 64 Theod. l. 4. haer
eloquent and learned Bishop sharply rebuked in a publike audience by the venerable and reuerend Spiridion only because he chaunged for elegancy and finenes of speach a word of the sacred writ of no great importance to wit Grabatum into Lectulum and could so many chaunges or prophanations rather as sectaryes conceaue not in words Nicepho l. 8. cap. 42. but in sense and substance in Sacraments sacrifice orders Priesthood worship of God and chiefe articles of fayth be generally made in all Countryes without â—hecke or controllement It is credible It is possible 20. The third Rule is mentioned by Tertullian That if these pointes of doctrine which Protestants condemne in the Roman Church were the inuentions of men they could neuer be so vniformely taught and constantly belieued among such diuersity of nations For Is it likely sayth he so many and so great Churches could combine together all in the same errour Had Churches erred they would haue differed TertulliaÌ„ in prescrip cap. 28. in their errours VVherefore what is one and the same amongst so many was not â—eygned but deliuered So the Pagans or heathenish Idolaters agreed all in acknowledging fealty by outward sacrifice to some high and supreme excellency Aug. ep 49. ad Deogra q. 3. which was God as S. Augustine insinuateth proceeded froÌ„ God yet they infinitely varied in the multiplicity of false Gods to whom diuersity of sacrifices which they offered for those thinges sprung from their own fancies or selfe liking of others But the Roman Church euery The conformity of the RomaÌ„ faith in al articles al ouer the world coÌ„uinceth it to be the true fayth of Christ where accordeth not only in the externall homage of sacrificing to some but in the three persons of Trinity to whome alone our sacrifice is offered In the thinge sacrificed which is bread and wine mingled with water both consecrated into the body bloud of Christ In the forme of wordes which our Sauiour himselfe vsed in offering of it In the circumstance of tyme and place in which he instituted it In all necessary conditions properties or other dispositions required in him that sacrificeth Which constant vniformity must needs flow froÌ„ the soueraygne springe authour of vnity That which I auouch of our sacrifice is verified of Purgatory prayer for the dead inuocation of Saints merit of workes and the rest which Protestants condemne of nouelty and superstition For neyther can these be drawne to any other head or of spring then Christ and his Apostles nor could they be so conformably taught by all sorts of people had they crept into the Church by the errours of men Therfore by al these rules it is manifest that the RomaÌ„ Church neuer altered her fayth or vented any new opinion not generally approued before Which rules M. Field also Field in his 4 booke of the Church chap. 18 fo 224. receaueth as infallible saying VVhatsoeuer the most famous haue constantly and vniformely deliuered as a matter of fayth no man contradicting though many other Ecclesiasticall writers be silent and say nothing of it Like wise that which the most famous in euery age constantly deliuered as matters of fayth and as receaued of them that went before them in such sort that the contradictours and gaynsayers were in their beginning noted for singularity nouelty and diâ—â—on and afterwards in processe of tyme if they persisted in such conâ—radiction All Protestants coÌ„uicted of innouatioÌ„ by Fields testimony Aug. tom 7. l. 1. coÌ„t Iulia. pela cap. 2. Aug. in psal coÌ„tra partem Donati CypriaÌ„ ep 55. Iero. Apo. aduer Ruff. l. 3. c. 4 Cito RomanaÌ„ fideÌ„ non posse mutari Bern. in c. 1â—0 ad Innocen Arbitror ibi potissimuÌ„ resarciri daÌ„na fidei vbi noÌ„possit fides sentire defectum Bilson in 2. part of the true differ c. pag. 386. print in 8. charged with heresy These thinges we admit sayth â—e as comming from those first authors and founders of our Chriâ—â—ian profession See what a verdict M. Field hath giuen in â—o acquite our sacrifice and other articles from superstitiâ—n which haue beene by the most famous in all ages vniformely belieued and to find his owne sectmates guilty of innouation who for gaynsaying of them were in their beginning noted for singularity nouelty and diuision as Aerius Vigilantius and other their forerunners at sundry tymes haue been for the like contradiction and afterwards for their willfull perseuerance arraygned condemned of heresy by the whole Senate of ChristendoÌ„ in the Councell of Trent 21. Finally many auncient Fathers and renowned writers testify not only that the RomaÌ„ sea bath not but that it cannot chaunge or alter her beliefe by reason of Gods special assistance alwayes guarding and protecting it and her supreme Pastour So S. Augustine writeth of Innocentius the Pope VVhat could that holy man answere to the African Councells but that which aunciently the Apostolicall sea the Roman Church held with other Churches And in another place he calleth Peters seate That Rocke which the proude gates of hell â—â—â—quith not S. Cyprian sayth To the chayre of Peter the prinâ—ipall Church c. infidelity or false fayth cannot haue accesse S. Ierome Know you that the Roman Fayth commended by the Apostles â—oyce receaueth no such delusions and that being armed with Paules â—uthority it cannot be chaunged c. S. Bernard writing to the Pope sayth All daungers scandalls of the Kingdome of God esâ—â—cially those which belonge to Fayth ought to be reserred to your Aâ—ostleship For I thinke it meeete that the decayes of fayth be there reâ—ayred where Fayth cannot suffer any detriment For to what other â—ea was it euer sayd I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy Fayth doe â—â—â— fayle M. Bilson obiecteth to himselfe by Philander his aduersary these three last authorityes and although he dippeth of the chiefest part of S. Bernards sentente disgraceth him with the scoffe of poore Bernard and requireth some grauer and eider Father Yet he graunteth that S. Bernard applyeth this priuilege of not erring to the Church of Rome But S. Cyprians saying he pittifully writheth vp and downe forcing it rather to be vnderstood of the people of Rome then of the Pastours of whome S. Cyprian directly speaketh writing to Cornelius the Pope of Felicissimus Cypria ep 55. and other seditious persons sent by Fortunatus the false Bishop out of Africa vnto him His wordes are After all this they dare sayle and carry letters from schismatikes prophane persons to the Chayre of Peter and the principall Church where Priestly vnity had her beginning do not remember those to be Ad quos perfidia non potest habere accessum Romans whose sayth was praysed by the Apostles mouth to whome infidelity or false beliefe cannot haue accesse Therefore to them infidelity could not come in S. Cyprians iudgement to whom Fortunatus sent his legates to them that presided in Peters chayre to
approued miracles historyes prescriptions so many infallible traditions testimonyes of truth they betake theÌ„selues to the Scriptures alone to the maine Ocean of Propheticall and Apostolical writings without carde to direct them or pilot to guide them in that sea of difficulties They looke into few thinges when rowing there they passe ouer innumerable euident texts which make against them and take hold of some one which carryeth a little shew and semblance of countenauncing their fancyes For example they once read in S. Matthew The Lord thy God shalt thou adore and Matt. c. 4. v. 10. him only shalt thou serue And without further consideration of what homage he speaketh they peremptorily condemne all religious worship and adoration of Angells of Saints of their tombes reliques so often intimated in other places They once read in S. Iohn It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing and thereupon they depriue their owne soules of the inestimable profit of Christs viuificall Ioan. 6. v. 63. and reall flesh in the sacrament of the Altar notwithstanding it be constantly auouched by the Apostle by S. Iohn all the rest of the Euangelists They once read That Christ is the propitiation for our sinnes That he paid for vs a full and perfect ransom 1. Ioan. 2. v. 2. and they deny all Canonicall or voluntary satisfactions all workes of pennance or expiations of sinne to which the Holy Ghost very often most earnestlâ— exhorteth vs. The like vnaduised and precipitate rashnes I might note in all other articles in which they swarue from vs but it shall be inough to specify it further in their chiefest article of iustification Hosius l. 1. de haeresibus nostri temporis citatur apud Prateolum verb. lustificatorij Gen. â—5 ad Rom. 4. Rom. 5. v. 19. wherein they are so headlong as no sooner do they find any one word sounding to their purpose but they obstinatly cleaue sticke fast vnto it For one Protestant readeth as Hosius diligently pursueth this matter Abraham belieued and it was reputed vnto him for iustice And thence he gathereth his imputatiue iustice by only faith Another readeth we are iustified by his blood he inferreth that the pretious bloud of Christe is our iustice Another readeth As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so also by the obedience of one many shall be made iust he faineth Christs obedience to be the garment of our iustice Another readeth he rose for our iustification and he Rom. 4. v. 25. accounteth Christs resurrection our heauenly vesture Another readeth The holy Ghost shall argue the world of iustice because I goe vnto my Father and he Ioan. 16. v. 8. 9. straight way affirmeth Christs passage to his Father to be our robe of righteousnes Thus they deuise aboue Prateolus in elencho verbo lustificatorij twenty seuerall opinions of that one substantiall point of Iustification alone Againe they looke into few thinges not only in adhering but chiefly in expounding such particuler passages as they first light vpon for neglecting the publique spirit voyce of God which speaketh in his Church neglecting the generall tribunall and consistory of the world they hearken only to the outward letter and to the priuate spirit which resideth in themselues by them only they interprete and by them only they will be tryed whether their interpretatioÌ„ be good or no. As if a theefe accused of felony would deliuer his owne tale as he frameth it ProtestaÌ„ts are fitly compared to the guilty person who admitteth no triall but his owne and admit no examination of witnesses no tryall of iury or sentence of iudge no former presidents or decisions of like case but his owne information voyce of his Soueraigne diuulged in his law which he maketh to sound as himselfe liketh best were not this to stop his eares against all testimonies but his owne to refuse all triall or iudgment which he himselfe being guilty doth not pronounce and yet such is our aduersaryes dealing They expound Scripturs as their secret spirit in wardly perswadeth them and they will trye their spirit by no other touchstone then by the publique word of God interpreted by themselues We appeale to the iudgment of the present Catholik Church they contemne her sentence we ascend to our Ancestours that haue gone before vs they cut off at one clappe the vsage practise and prescription of a thousand yeares space we repaire to the Doctors Fathers of the primitiue Church to the generall Councels and their authenticall decrees to the very sentences of Scripture explayned by them they regard them not any further then they agree in their opinion with the word of God At last we sommon them to their owne Court we presse them with the authority of Protestant writers they answere they were men they might erre no man is bound D. VVhit defens tractat 3. c. 7. to follow them any further then they follow the truth And so these new Reformers will iudge alone what is truth and who are followers and imbracers of it The common shift of Protestants in answering their own writers alleadged against theÌ„ They looke into few things when challenging at least in outward shew one or two they despise all other Sacraments of God ancient ceremonyes of the Church When pleading for fayth alone they gayne say the valew of workes and supernaturall dignity of infinite vertues When scandalized at the licentiousnes of some dissolute liuers in the Catholik Church they admire not the heriocall acts and resplendent sanctity of so many zealous Prelates deuout Priestes Religious Friers Monkes Nunnes and whole armies of Saints which flourish therein When dismayed with the faygned impossibility of keeping Gods Commandements they lift not vp their eyes to his Euangelicall Counsels and workes of supererogation When dazeled with the Sunne of Christs glorious morits they see not the beames of light and aboundant merits he deriueth vnto vs. They see not the efficacy of his sacraments the dowryes of his grace the full indulgence and remission of our sinnes the inherent beauty and splendour of iustice by which he garnisheth vpon earth the soules of his seruants They looke into few thinges in perusing the ancient Fathers When reading in S. Augustine for example That he is a miracle who seeketh for miracles August l. 22. de c uit Dei cap. 8. to belieue they conclude thereupon that all miracles haue ceased not weighing the occasion of S. Augustines wordes not attending to the miracles which in the same Chapter he mentioneth to haue beene S. Ciprian serm de lapsis post medium S. Gregor Nazian in laudem Cypriani Demonum profligationem morborum dâ—pulsionem futuram rerum praescientiam quae quidem omniuÌ„ vel â—ineres ipsi Cypriani modò fides adsit efficiunt Vide etiam illum in funere patris Chrysost l. cont Gentiles Quotidiana â— Martiribus miracula eduntur Hieron
Lastly that there be certaine markes wherby it may be infallibly known By all which I wil manifestly decipher the RomaÌ„ Church spread through the world to be the only house of God and hauen of saluation no conuenticle of Protestants no assembly of sectaryes whatsoeuer This controuersy I should haue laid in the beginning as the corner stone or marblestay of al other disputs yet because the aduersary complayned of the aduantage we tooke in ouerswaying him still with the power of the Church and that we declined to enter within the listes of holy Writ I omitted to oppresse him with her authority vntill in other mayne questions I had giuen him the foyle by the testimonyes of scripture God of his infinite mercy giue him grace to see his errours and acknowledge his fault least by swelling pride and stubborne Isa 6. v. 9. Marc. 4. v. 12. rebellion he be forsaken with them who seeing saw not nor hearing vnderstood the embassye of life deliuered vnto them CHAP. I. Wherein is examined what the Church is and who are of it TO begin with the Etimologie of the Churches name euer fearefull and fatall to Heretiks the latin word Ecclesia a Churth is deriued from the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to call or assemble together because the members of the Church are called by God from infidelity to faith from errour to truth from impurity vncleanes to sanctification holines Whereupon S. Paul writeth to some of them by this title 1. Cor. 2. v. 2. to the sanctified in Christ Iesus called to be Saincts and S. Peter He that called you out of darcknes to an admirable lighte The end of this happie calling is to enrich vs here with the blessinges 1. Pet. 2. v. 8. of Christ to reward vs hereafter with the sight of his countenance with the glory of his king dome Both which the foresaid Apostles liuely expresse S. 1 Pet. 3. v. 9. 1. Tim. 6. v. 23. Peter Vnto this you are called that you may by inheritance possesse a benediction S. Paul to Timothy Fighte the good combate of Faith apprehend eternall life wherein thou art called Not that all who repaire vnto the Church arriue vnto this immortall happines but that it is the intent purpose of God to sett vs in the way direct vs thereunto when by him 1. Cor 1. v. 8. we are called as Paul saieth into the societie of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. Wherupon a great question heer ariseth betwen Ambr. in coÌ„m in c. 2. 2. Tim. Aug libel de haeres haer 88. Aug ibid. haer 69. l. 3. contra Parm. c. 2. VVicklif apud walden tom 1. l. 2. c 8. 9. Husse art 1. 2. 3. 5. 6. vt habetur in Concil Constant sess 15. VVhitak contro 2. q. 1. c. 3. Fulke in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 10. VVhitak contro 2. q. 1. c. 3. VVhitak contr 2 q 3. c. 3. Ibid. q. 1. c. 3. 4. 5. 6. cap. 7. Quaest 5. pag. 301. q. 1. c. 10. q. 3. cap. 3. fol. â—12 213. q 1. c. 6. 7. vs our aduersaries First what maketh vs of this society of the sonne of God for seeing the maine army of this selected company is so great as it filleth the whole world is dispersed throughout all natioÌ„s is distinguished by diuers languages lawes rites customes the chiefe difficulty is what linketh combineth them together in the band or family of Christ 2. The Nouatians taught as S. Ambrose noteth that is was entire purity which made this conuinction affirming the pure only and entirely iuste to be of the Church Of which opinion the Pelagians also were who required hereunto the full complement absolute perfection of all kind of such vertues vnto which by their labour industry they presumed to atteyne Secondly the Donatistes craued not so much they indeed exacted grace iustice receauing only the good and iust into the fold of Christ and excluding all grieuous sinners yet not the weake and imperfect as the former did Thirdly VVickliffe Iohn Husse desired neither complete sanctity nor any dram of inward grace but the outward election and predestination of God auouching all the predestinate none els to appertaine to the true Church which is the body of Christ Of this triple generation of prodigious broodes VVhitaker with whome Fulke seemeth to agree begettethone hideous monster formed composed of them all together saying The Catholique Church consisteth not of any wicked and reprobate but only of the elect iust holy predestinate Yet if you beleeue his wordes he differeth from the first opinion because he taketh neither iust men as the Nouitians nor perfect as the Pelagians for such as haue not their faultes imperfections he dissenteth from the second because he excludeth none once iustified by true beliefe let theÌ„s all into neuer so detestable crimes He varieth from the third because he requireth internall faith in the predestinate before they can be admitted into the lappe of the Church And then he cunningly complyeth with theÌ„ all againe affirming no faultes or imperfections to be imputed to the holy regenerate nor any grieuous crimes to be hurtefull to the iust or make them loose their iustice all the faith full to be righteous and iust and none truly faithfull but only the electe Thus he plaieth fast and loose and vseth many iugling trickes which I shall most plainly discouer hereafter 3. Nowe I declare that not the perfecte iuste and elect only but that the wicked reprobate and much more the imperfect are lodged in the house of God as S. Augustine largely prooueth by maÌ„y parables of holy scripture Aug. l. 3. c. 2. 9. 12. 28. contra Petil. Dona. post collat c 4. 6. Matth. 3. 13. 15. 25. 2. Tim. 2. where Christ speaking of his Church resembleth it to the floore of our Lord in which there is wheate chaffe To the net cast into the sea in which there be good and euill fishes To the kingdome of heauen in which there are wise foolish virgins To the Field in which the cockle groweth with the good seed vntill the haruest that is the wicked reprobate are mingled with the iuste vntill the end of the worlde To a great house wherin there be some vessels of honour some of contumely The Church of the Thessalonians the Church of the Corinthiains S. Paul acknowledgeth to be 2. Thess 3. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Cor. 1. 1. Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 3. VVhitak con 2. q. 1. 2. Fulke in c. 22. Matth. sect 2. August tract 6. in Ioan. Cypri l. 4. ep 2. Hieron in dial cont Lucifer Fulg. l. de fide ad Petra c. 43. true Churches in which there were some not withstanding walking inordinately some puffed with pride some contentious some iniuries fraudes some such fornication as was not to be heard of amongst Gentills M. VVhitaker
elect reprobat mingled together the inuisible only is composed of the elect iust holy See you not how this very distinction Many absurdities ensue of deuising two churches choaketh it selfe how one member fightetâ— diuers wayes against the other For first separate the elecâ— from the society of the reprobat to frame your inuisible you destroy the visible Church leaue them conioyne with the reprobat to make your visible the inuisiblâ— fayleth Secondly you grant I weene that the elect as thâ—â— liue vpon earth mingled with the reprobat raise the visible as they are seuered by imagination concurre to blinâ— the fabrick of the inuisible church Therefore your inuisible is meerely imaginary fained chimericall tâ—â— visible only the true and reall Church the true misticall body of Christ which is exercised heere in the warfare of this life Thirdly this you crosse againe and say the visible Church is no true Church but only as it contayneth the inuisible that is the sacred number of the elect who make no society and consequently no Church Fourthly the elect by this meanes are in two Churches in the visible and in the inuisible whereas the reprobate only are in the visible yet because their reprobation is as hidden as the others election why should not these make an inuisible assembly as well as they Fiftly when the elect are separated to mak your inuisible who remayneth in the visible but a rable of reprobate a rout of infidels and shall they compose your visible Church Shal Christs visible body on earth be wholy compacted of the reproued vessels members of Sathan O intricate confusioÌ„ which confoundeth also me in rehearsing it O monstruous paradoxes which implyeth so many contradictions â—â—â—any absurdityes against which if I should cite the â—â—thorityes of the Fathers I should neuer make an end They all iointly praise magnify and extoll one visible and Catholike Church one and the same whose prerogatiue we belieue and fellowship must imbrace the same by whose preaching we must be born by whose spirit we liue S. Cyprian the glorious Bishop and Martyr Cypr. de vnit Eccl. sayth One Mother there is by the fecundity of her issue copious and fertile by her increase we are borne with her milke we are nourithed we are animated with her spirit The spouse of Christ cannot play the aduoutresse she is immuculate and vndefiled she knoweth one house she keepeth with chast bashfulnes the sanctity of one bed This Church preserueth vs in God this aduanceth to the kingdome the children she hath brought forth whosoeuer diuided from the Church cleaueth to the aduoutresse is separated from the promises of the Church 7. S. Augustine also often auerreth That the true Catholique Church conteyneth in it good and bad reprobate elect That the kingdom of Christ is but one one great citty one mountain comprehending the whole world The authority sayth he of the Catholike Church c. iâ— establiâ—hed vntill this day by the line of Bishops succeeding one another Aug. cont Faust l. 11. c. 2. and by the consent of so many people By which succession consent and power of miracles he testifieth that he is held in Catholica Ecclesia in the Catholik Church Then that the whole multitude of belieuers gathered togeather by miracles is the Catholike August cont epist Funda c. 3. 4. Aug. de vtil credendi c. 16. Church Therefore the Catholike Church is the same whose succession is visible propagation visible consent visible miracles visible multitude visible and which it selfe is also visible the same is the Catholike Church which we belieue and visible multitude to which we ought to linke in fellowship communion which appeareth so cleare in M. Fields sight howsoeuer those his former Coronels VVhitaker and Fulke were blinded with the contrary as he writeth thus VVe say that all they are of Field in his first booke of the Church c. 2. fol. 23. the Church that outwardly hold the fayth of Christ and that that society wherein the sincere outward profession of the truth of God is preserued is that true Church of God whose communion we must imbrace that happy mother in whose womb we are conceaued with whose milke we are nourished and to whose censures we must submit our selues After assigning diuers considerations of the Church some different conditions of her members he addeth Notwithstanding all which differences for that they all concurre in the same holy profession and vse of the same happy meanes of saluation they make one holy Catholike Church in which only the light of heauenly truth is to be sought So he flying the noueltye of his first Reformers and varying from them in a Field dissentethfroÌ„ Whitaker in apoint fundamental point fundamentall for what more substantiall variance then to differ about the Church we ought to belieue as an article of fayth About the Catholike Church in which the happy meanes of saluation are only to be found Whether that be visible or inuisible 8. Peraduenture some will excuse M. Whitaker that he meaneth not that the true Church should be wholy inuisible not seene to any but so latent scattered and compounded of so few as they can hardly be discerned amongst them selues much lesse to strangers enemyes VVhitak contr 2 q. 2. c. 1. But this excuse will not couer his fault For VVhitaker auoucheth that indeed but of the visible not of the Catholike Church he flatly protesteth the whole Catholike VVhitak ibidem q. 3. c. 1. fol. 178. Fulke in c. 5. Matth. sect 3. iâ— 2. Thess 2. sect 5. Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn D. Albins pag. 54. 126. Church to be inuisible both militant triumphant The visible also sayth he may sometyme consist of a fâ—w and they scattered obscure vnknowne who hide themselues in corners Which although M. Field stoutly gainesayth as shal be declared yet because Fulke Sparkes and others vphold the same to vnderproppe the paper walles of their new founded Synagogue it will not be labour lost to conuince the falsity thereof CHAP. III. In which is declared that the true visible Church is apparently knowne and famous to the world against D. Whitaker D. Fulke and D. Sparkes THE first authours and beginners of ProtestaÌ„cy departing from the known band and vnity of Gods people vpon earth and not finding any predecessours or mantayners of their new hatched fictions to whome they should lincke and conioyne themselues in profession not finding any Countrey Prouince Citty Village Temple or Oratory who communicateth with them infayth seruice publique sacraments wretchedly imagined besides their Catholike and wholy inuisible Church another visible assembly of faythfull belieuers who are some so hidden as they are not knowne to D. VVhit contro 2. q. 3. cap. 1. f. 178. 179. VVhitak aduâ— Duâ— p. 274. D. Sparks in his answer to M. Io. d'Albin p 54. 126. Fulke in c. 5. Matt. sect 3. 2. Thess
CHAP. IX In which it is proued that no Sectary can be saued by beleeuing the chief heads of Religion IN the hartes of such as reuolte from truth there breedeth like a canker this cloaked Atheisme that it importeth little of what religion a man be of so he acknowledge one God receaue the Apostles Creed and beleeue to be saued by the merits of Christ An Atheisme I call it because it secretly tendeth to the vtter ouerthrow of all Christian fayth due worship of God The gainsaying of any one article disposeth to a plaine Apostacy denyal of all articles of fayth For as the taking away of a few stones by little and little disposeth to the ruine of a stately building so the remouall or not admittance of some points of fayth most dangerously maketh way to the denyall of all after which manner I shall demonstrate by by how that he which gaynesayth the least article of fayth hath quite lost hiâ— fayth without which it is impossible to please God But first I will begin with some other arguments 2. According to this Atheistical opinion that euery one may be saued in his owne sect the Pelagians Nouatians Donatists Eutichians Monothelites and sundry other plagues of the Church who imbraced the Trinity Incarnation Passion of Christ c. might be put in some hope of future happynes which no Christian I thinke will now confesse Likewise those sectaryes who after the definition of the Church maintayned S. Cyprians and other holy Bishops errour of rebaptization consorted with Catholiks in all other points of beliefe notwithstanding for that alone they were accounted heretikes and so depriued of the benefit of life Of whome Vincen. Lirinensis Vincen. adu prof haeret nouit maketh this exclamation O admirable change of thinges the Authors of one and the same opinion are esteemed Catholiks and their followers are iudged Heretikes Because they without breach of peace before the decree of the Church these after with proud stubbornes presumed to defend it 3. The Quartdecimani who liued about the yeare 186. beleeued all the substantiall heades of faith They beleeued whatsoeuer was publiquely taught receaued in the primitiue Church but only one particuler thing as it should seeme of small importance concerning the celebration of Euseb l. 5. c. 22. Nicep l. 4. cap. 39. the Feast of Easter whether it should be celebrated on the fourteenth Moone then the fast of Lent cease vpon whatsoeuer day it fell or vpon a Sunday according to the generall custome of Christians And yet for this only point they are enrolled in the catalogue of heretikes excluded here from the banquet of the Church supper of the lambe hereafter For S. Austine in his booke of heresyes Aug. haer 29. Epiphan 50. Hier. dial aâ—â—er Lucifer c. 1. Haereticos quoscumque christianos non esse Tit. 3. v. 10. rehearsing them by another name sundry more among whom many beleeued all the forenamed principles of religion he notwithstanding coÌ„cludeth of them the like other heresys besides these may be any one of which whosoeuer shall hold cannot be a Christian catholik S. Ierome presupposeth this as a certeine ground Heretikes whatsoeuer cannot be Christians bargayneth with his colloquutor to speake of an heretique as of a gentile S. Paul chargeth vs to shun the company of euery heretique in what point soeuer he runneth astray saying A man that is an heretique after the first second admonition auoyde knowing that he that is such a one is subuerted sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgment And he casteth all Gal. 5. v. 20. 21. sectaryes with fornicatours murderers and drunkards out of the kingdome of heauen 4. Moreouer the Donatists disagreed from the Catholique Church in a matter not specifyed in the Creed no nor expresly mentioned as S. Augustine auoweth in holy writ This sayth he neither you nor I do read in expresse wordes Aug. l. de vnit Eccl. c. 19. Aug. l. 1. cont Cres c. 33. Lib. 11. de baptis con Donat. c. 4. l. 5. cap. â—4 And in another place Although no example of this matter be found in holy scriptures yet doe we follow in this the truth of the scriptures when we do that which is agreeable to the vniuersall Church commended vnto vs by the authority of the same scripture Likewise The Apostles haue commaunded nothing concerning this matter But the custome which was alleadged against S. Cyprian is to be thought to haue descended from their tradition as diuers other things haue done which the vniuersall Church doth obserue are therefore with great reason beleeued to haue beene commaunded by the Apostles although they be not written So that the Donatistes alteration was about aâ— vnwritten verity They inuocated one God as S. Augustine affirmeth with him they beleeued in the same Christ Augu. in explicatione psal 54. they had the same gospell sung the like psalmes c. they agreed which him in baptisme in keeping the feasts of martyrs in celebrating of Easter In these sayth he they were with me yet not altogether with me in schisme not with me The belief of the Trinity other chiefe articles auayled not the Donatists because they denyed som vnwritten traditioÌ„s in heresy not with me in many thinges with me in a sew not with me these few in which not with me the many could not help them in which they were with me Behold the Donatists could not be holpen they could not receaue any benefit or fruit from God by beleeuing the Trinity the mediatioÌ„ of Christ the Creed the sacramentes the rest because they dissented from the Church in some few traditions not recorded in scripture can our sectaryes looke to enioy the treasures of life denying both vnwritten traditions diuers other articles cleerely expressed in holy writ as I haue proued in the two former partes of this treatise 5. Besides although the beleefe in God in Christ in the articles of the Creed were sufficient to saluation yet this beleefe ought to be one the same in all the faithfull for truth is one vniforme and constant falshood â—arious discordant chaungable But diuers sectes diâ—ersly vnderstand these heades of religion Therefore they â—â—nnot all haue the true vniforme and sauing faith To instance in the dissention of ProtestaÌ„ts from vs. They beleeue that their God doth truly purpose determine and The Protestants beliefe in God is not the same with the true beliefe of Catholikâ— â—o operate vnto sinne yet as a righteous Iudge not as an euill â—â—tâ—ur We beleeue that our true God no way at all with no right intention can concurre thereunto They beleeue a dissembling God with a twofold will one reuealed and detesting the other secret intending sinne We teach that our God hath but one will which wholy disliketh â—â— hateth sinne They beleeue a God so weake or vnmerâ—â—full as there be some sinnes he will
opening the window as VVhite imagineth deliuer vs this ligot but he termeth them the candles themselues lights of the world VVhite in the place before cited Matt. 5. v. 14. VVhite as before which guide enlighten vs in the heauenly path of true beleefe Wherefore if a light vpon a watch tower in the darcke night may according to White be the only marke whereby to find the tower the doctours Pastours of Christ which our Sauiour auoucheth to be his glorious lights shining in the darke night of this world must by Whites owne allusion be the only marks to find out the faith of Christ They to whome Cornelius to whome S. Paul called from heauen to whome all the ignorant are perpetuall sent by the voyce of God to learne the truth of his doctrine Act. 10. v 5. 6. Act. 9. v. 7. 17. way of his commaundements 6. Fourthly either the sincere preaching of the word in some particuler points is sufficient to descry the Church or it is necessary it be sincere in all pointes of faith both VVhitaker VVhite agree that it must be sincere in al fundameÌ„tal VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. cap. 17. VVhite in his way to the true Church §. points necessary to saluatioÌ„ because diuers heretical conuenticles haue the sincere preaching in some particulers either of Trinity Incarnation Passion or ResurectioÌ„ of Christ yet that sufficeth not therefore it ought to be sincere in all But how shall the ignorant be assured what Church it is which is pure in all these articles who doe not vnderstand the articles themselues neither which be fundamentall nor how many nor wherein the chief foundation of euery article consisteth as necessary to saluation How shall they for example be certeinly perswaded whether the Protestant sect syncerely teacheth the article of imputatiue iustice of originall sinne of predestination of many such in which diuerse learned men haue fowly erred strayed from the truth They I say who cannot examine these pointes by the analogie of holy writ or if they can are not able to iudge of the verity of such deep vnsearchable misteries what course shall they take beleeue their ministers who confesse they may deceaue them beleeue their priuat spirit who haue no meanes in this case to make triall of it whether it accord or disagree from the rule of faith M. Field hath set downe a prudent course which if his owne followers would now embrace we might ioyne handes Field in his epistle dedicatory before his first book tâ—gether concerning this point Seeing the coÌ„trouersies of religioÌ„ in our time are growne in number so many in nature so intricat that few haue time leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remayneth for men desirous of satisfaction in thinges of such consequence but diligently to search out which amongst Iren. l. 3. c. 3. 4. Lact. l. 4. diuin insti cap. vlt. Ambr. ep 32. ad Imper ValeÌ„t Aug. de vtilit credend c. 37. VVhite in his way to the church §. 26. fol. 119. Augu. in psal 57. all the societies of men in the world is that blessed company of holy ones that houshold of faith that spouse of Christ Church of the liuing God which is the pillar ground of truth that so they may embrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her iudgment Hither to he I might produce the words of S. Irenaeus Lactantius S. Ambrose and S. Augustine who exhorte vs also to repaire to the Catholique Church to beleeue her to set vp our rest in her and from her Maisters and teachers to learne the truth 7. But VVhite obiecteth the authority of the same S. Augustine seeming to teach the contrary when he sayeth By the face of truth I knâ—w Christ the truth it self By the face of truth I know the Church pertaker of the truth So he perfidiously translateth S. Austines words detorteth his meaning from the scope of his discourse For S. Augustine disputing against them who confined the Church within the borders of Africa proueth out of the holy Scriptures out of the word of God and authour of truth that it is vniuersally spread ouer all the earth After this he inferreth out of the mouth of truth not as he treacherously englisheth it by the face of truth I know Christ the truth it self out of the mouth of truth I know the White falsly traÌ„slateth S. Augustins wordes Church pertaker of the truth that is as by the cleere testimonyes of the word of God I know Christ the truth it self so by the like cleere testimonyes do I know the vniuersality of the thurch partaker of the truth which the donatistes denyed This one property of the Church he learned from the mouth of truth not the true Church it selfe from the pure preaching of the word in all necessary points of faith as White misconstrueth his meaning For S. Augustine expresly teacheth some few leaues after that Christ himself the foundation and ground of all consequently his Incarnation his death Passion cannot Christum ignoret necesse est qui Ecclesiam eius nescit in qua sola cognosi potest Aug. in psal 69. be known but by the Church It is necessary saith he he be ignorant of Christ who is ignorant of his Church in which only he may be knowne Therefore the notice of the Church leadeth vs to the knowledge of Christ and not e contra especially seeing we cannot rightly spell the words and tel the sense of scripture nor know that scriptures are nor vnderstand and beleeue what is signifyed by the name of Christ vnles we were first instructed by the Church 8. Lastly if before we come to the knowledge of the Church we must learne her faith why do wee after seeke to the Church when we haue already obteyned the treasure of truth for which we sought vnto her if before we geue credit to the Church we must examine her doctrine whether it be true or false if before we accept her interpretation of scripture we must try whether it agree with the sense and connexion of the self same scripture if after such collation and diligent conference we may lawfully renounce or follow the Church whereinsoeuer we deeme it sutable or disagreeable to the written word we must be examiners and iudges both of the Church and Scripture priuate men must censure publique vnlearned sheep controle their Pastours the â—reatest and a city confusion and absurdity that can be imagined VVhite in his way to the church §. 30. fol. 127. which yet is nothing the lesse by VVhites colouring of it and saying that They examine and iudge not by their owne priuate humours but by the publike word of God which in the Scripture speaketh Or as he sayth in another place By the spirit of God in the scripture because his spirit his publike Idem § 27 fol. 116. word speaking in the Scripture
is not any way distinguished from the Scripture it selfe no more then the mind of a Prince set downe in his law or diuulged in See more of this matter in the first part of the Antitode and first Controuersy his proclamation is any way different from the proclamation or law Therfore if the Scripture cannot open by her selfe the true sense of the Holy Ghost neither by the spirit of God as it precisely speaketh by the Scripture Againe his diuine spirit manifested in the Scripture is challenged by the Church which hath pablike authority to expound Scripture and so to be preferred before the iudgment of her hearers or if they presume to draw it to their priuate construction they by their owne priuate Ciccro in oratione pro domo sua Quid est tam arrogans quaÌ„ de religione de rebus diuinis ceremonijs sacris pontificum collegium docere conari humours or which is all one in substance though expressed in smoother termes they by their in ward imagined motions of the holy Ghost iudge of the publique word contrary to their Pastours iudgment they examin censure reiect approue whatsoeuer seemeth good vnto them not making Gods publique word as they falsely giue out but themselues iudges partyes and vmpiers of all Which Cicero and Metellus amongst the Heathens S. Gregory Nazianzen amongst Christians seriously reprehend as a most insolent part Neither do Protestants only make themselues iudges and supreme controllers but which in euery art and science is most ridiculous They are as Tertullian in the like case derideth others first perfect Catechumens before they be taught doctours before they be schollers Metellus apud TituÌ„ Liuium decade 3. Nazian in oratiâ—ne qua se excusat quod â—â— Ecclesiae abstinuerit functione Vos inquit oues nâ—lite pasâ—ere pastores neque super terâ—inos â—orâ—â— eleuamini c. Nolite iudicare iudices neque legem feratis legis-latoribus Tertul. de praes cont haer â— 41. antâ— sunt prefecti cathecumeni quà m edocti for when as they cannot be catechized nor instructed in fayth but by the true Church by her Pastours and teachers if to descry and know the Church they must be first acquainted with all necessary articles of beliefe her essentiall and inseparable markes they must first become Maisters in their Catechisme before they be admitted into the schoole of Catechumens first arriue to the perfection of Doctours before they be taught the Alphabet of Schollers that is sufficiently to know and vnderstand the mysteryes of fayth before they can receaue or learne them from the faythfull And seeing Fayth alone iustifyeth the belieuing Protestant he by this dotage is truly iustifyed in the sight of God is pardoned his sinnes is inwardly sanctifyed and vnited vnto Christ before he be incorporated in his body the Church 9. In summe although our Reformers notes were allowed as good vet for the finding out of their Church especially before Luthers dayes they would be as far to seeke as euer before because the pure doctrine cannot be taught without some men to teach it and people to heare it without it fructify and increase in the hartes of some But no Protestants can be discouered before that incestuous Fryar marryed a Nunne who either preached or belieued the Protestants Ghospel as I shall manifestly shew in the Chapters ensuing Therefore no Church can they decipher by their owne deuised markes CHAP. XI Wherein is shewed That our Sectaryes had not any Preachers of the Word nor Administration of Sacraments nor any Church at all before Luther began Against D. Fulke and D. Sparke MOST true is that oracle of holy scripture Euery one that doth ill hateth the light and commeth not to the light that his workes Ioan. â— v. 20. may not be controlled Which very fitly describeth the condition of our Sectaryes who in al their chiefest controuersies betweene them and vs cunningly shun the open field of publike triall and fly to the ambush of darke and hidden and deceitfull answeres For in expounding of Scriptures whome make they their last and finall Iudge Their own priuate and secret spirit Who faythfull belieuers The elect and predestinate only known to God What marks doe they assigne to find out the Church The true preaching Fulke in c. 2. Thess 2. sect 5. c. 12. Apo. sect 2. in c. 20. sect 6. Tertul. de resur carn of the word c. more hard to know then the Church it selfe they labour to find Where doe they say their Preachers were or Church continued Marry for many hundred yeares Hid in corners sayth D Fulke chased into the desert euen amongst the ruines of the visible Church Are not these the Lucifugae shunners of light of whome Tertullian speaketh Are they not afrayd to appeare in the sight of men least their treacheries be discouered 2. We proceed and intreate them to set downe in what particuler Country vnder what climate or signe of the heauens these their dumbe Pastours not able to barke this their ruined house and decayed Church lay hid so long We desire to know who were the men In what places and after what fashion they liued Sparke Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn d' Albins pag. 122. maketh answere vnto vs You do our Church and her Ministers double wrong First in thus chasing them into wildernes there to saue themselues from your fury and then yet exacting at our hands the names of them whome God by thus hiding them preserued to continue his Church Yea Was God so impotent as he could not preserue them without hiding of them Is this no wrong Matt. 5. v. 14. Dan. 12. v. 3. Matt. 5. v. 13. Act. 1. v 8. Eccles 19. v 12. 13. 14. 15. Eccles 39. v. 12. 13. 14. 15. to God Do you no wronge to Christ in drawing his dominion from the largenes of the world in hiding his Church which he absolutly sayd could not be hidden And doe we wrong you in defining to know in what corners you hide it Did not Christ to continue his Church appoint visible Sacraments visible Pastours visible Gouernours who should be lights of the world stars of heauen salte of the earrh witnes of his name interpreters of his word whose wisedome many should after extoll whose memory should not decay nor glory be extinguished whose names should be rehearsed from generation to generation and whose prayses the Church should continually set forth And do we wrong you in asking the role of these mens names Such wrong Tertullian S. Pacian Optatus Tertu l. de praesc Pacian ep ad Sempr. Optag l. 2. con Par. Aug in psal cont parâ— Don. Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn d' Albins pag. 53. S. Augustine and diuers others haue done to the heretikes of their dayes in challenging them to set downe the rowe of their predecessours and such wrong the Church of God hath taught vs to offer to all new Sectaryes 3. Why then M.
the building of their discorded Babell because the most of them liued at diuers tymes in diuers Countryes without any mutuall Society or lineall descent and with the interruption of many yeares one from the other For VVickliffe was furnished with no authority instruction or consecration to preach or administer Sacraments from the VValdenses nor the VValdenses from Berengarius nor Berengarius from Iouinian nor he from Aerius They all started vp of themselues maynteyned their seueuerall sects in seuerall ages without knowledge or agreements without deriuation of fayth and ecclesiasticall power from those their Predecessours which is necessary to vphould and continue the perpetuall and mediate succession of the Church Nay they were so farre froÌ„ composing an hereditary pedigrece or line of descent amongst themselues as they were all for the most part or Epiphan Prat. l. 1. Elenchi v. AeriaÌ„ Aug. haer â—2 Prat. in Eieae verbo Berengar Fox in his act monuments fol. 628. Stow in his Annalls pag. 464. M. Iacob in his defeÌ„ce of the Churches and Ministery of EnglaÌ„d pag. 13. Georg. Milius in explicatione Conf. August Art 7. pag. 137. 138. their chiefe beginners prime founders of our religion before they brake forth into schisme and heresy So Aerius was a Priest and disciple to Eustachius Bishop of Sebasta in Pontus Iouinian a Monke of the Citty of Rome in Italy Berengarius Archdeacon of Angiers in France VValdo a rich and Catholike Marchant of Lions VVickliffe a sacrifying Priest the Parson of Lutterworth in Leicester shire who sayd Masse if Maister Iacob an earnest Protestant may be credited eâ—eÌ„ to his dying day Therefore they had no Church in which they were borne none froÌ„ whence they were propagated but only ours the Protestants Church had no being wheÌ„ they beganne no being in England when wickliffe in Lyons when VValdo in any other Countrey when the former sectaryes peeped vp neyther of late had it any being in Scotland when Knox in France when Caluin in Suitzerland when Zuinglius in Germany when Luther first preached his ghospell For as Georgius Milius wisely obserueth graunt that Luther had any predecessours and Lutherans reformation wil be altogeather needles 6. Finally if Protestants had any complices or vpholders of their sect in Morauia Bohemia Calabria 〈◊〉 the largest tractes M. Fulke nameth for the openly Fulke in cap. 12. Apoc sect 2. â—nowne continuance of his Church they should haue gone and deriued from them the pedigree of their Pastors their power and commission to preach the gospell They as all other preachers in former tymes haue beene accustomed when their authority hath beene called in question should haue asked of them Litteras formatas dimissory or testimoniall letters to giue testimony of their calling which Our ghospellers had no testimoniall letters froÌ„ any church or Pastour before their dayes Iero. ep 89. we haue so often conuinced to be surreptitions and vsurped For if Saint Paul had not had as Saint Hierome sayth security of preaching the gospell if it had not beene approued by Peters sentence and the rest that were with him who were vndoubtedly imbraced as true Apostles how durst you without â—ny allowance and approbation of your auncestours â—eginne to preach your Ptotestant fayth Was it inough â—ou gathered it by your owne diligent yet deccauable interpretation out of the holy Scriptures And was â—t not inough for him to haue his Gospel by infallible reâ—elation immediatly from God Had he lost his labour runne in vaine without the attestation of the Pastours of the Church And do you thinke to reape any fruite by preaching without any euidence or approbation from Christes vicegerentes vpon earth Yf he who had his doctrine from heauen at least as Reynoldes graunteth to ad Galat. 2. v. 2. Reynoldes in his conference c. 4 diuis 2. fol. 134. Theophil l. 2. de paschat stop the mouthes of false seducers who disgraced him â—s lately crept into the Apostleship did conferre with â—â—ter and the rest of his predecessours why did not you â—â—stly accused by vs as wrongefull intruders as wolfes vsurpers put your doctrine to the like triall conference â—â—d examination of your forerunners Theophilus Bishop oâ— Alexandria anoucheth of Origen that he was possessed with the spirit of pride because he conferred not his faith with his auncestours as Saint Paul did and were you hinâ—ered with the like spirit from putting your doctrine to the approbation of the Church Or was it because you had not indeed any Church in the world any Bishop to impose handes vpon you any Temple Oratory Iudge or Tribunall to haue recourse vnto not any man liuing to approue your fayth or giue testimony of your calling but such as you had first seduced and bewitched with your follyes CHAP. XIII Wherein is ouerthrowne the like Clayme which Protestants make to the Professours of the Roman Church agaynst Doctour Fielde and Mayster White MAISTER Doctour Field and Maister White not finding sufficient stones amongst the forenamed heretikes to rayse the Temple of their Sectaryes not finding any publike assemblies in Morauia Bohemia Calabria c. nor any latent and hidden resortes in the Hyrcinian woods other parts of Europe proper to themselues they lay hold on the chiefest Rocks and pillers of our Church to stay vp thier ruinous sheep-cote And as the harlot before Salomon hauing killed her â— Reg. 3. owne pretended right to anothers child So they in behalfe of their barren and harlotry Conuenticles depriued of true parents and maynteyners of their beliefe entitle themselues to the noble issue of our fruitfull Mother to the right of her ordinary succession and lawfull â—aâ—ours For Field auerres of the Protestant Church that Before Luthers dayes it was the knowne and apparent Church in the Field in 3. booke of of the Church ca. 6. pag. 72. VVhitein his defence of the way to the true Church ca. 44. fol. 424. Fulke in c. 20. Apoc. sect 6 Field ibid. pag. 73. VVhite in his way to the true Church §. 45. fol 338. and. § 50. fol. 372. in his defence of the same way c. 44. fol. 420. VVhitak cont 2 pa. 165. world wherein allour Fathers liued and dyed wherin Luther and the rest were baptized receaued their Christianity ordination power of mynistery Which White acknowledgeth saying For the first 600. hundred we assigne the Church wherein the Fathers liued and for the rest to this day we will assigne no other catalogue then the Church of Rome it selfe Thus the Protestants Church which in the opinion of their greatest Clarkes was latent and inuisible or which continued in desert corners before Luthers appearing is now by their followers made at the same tyme famous and apparent euen the glorious renowned Church of Rome it selfe so ill do the schollers agree with their Maysters the children with their Fathers But when we oppose against theÌ„ that the Church of Rome is that superstitious and Antichristian Church
be reputed an aduersary while he sitteth in the throne And Saint Paul directly teacheth that the personall line and continuall propagation of Prophets Euangelistes Pastours and Doctours was instituted by God for the perpetuall succession and continuance Ephes 4. v. 11. 12. 13. Ibid. v. 14. of truth That now we be not children wauering and caryed about with euery winde of doctrine c. Therefore the true personall succession cannot be where the succession of doctrine wauereth much lesse where it fayleth which M. Reynolds M. Whitaker and sundry of our Protestant Reynolds in his conference ca. 7. diuis 9. VVhitak contr 1. q. 5. cap. 6. folio 271. aduersaries earnestly auowe and diligently demonstraty to our handes thereby to defeate if they could possible the prerogatiue of our succeeding Bishops But albeit it maketh nothing agaynst vs nay vpholdeth the right of our clayme who agree with our auncestours in al points of fayth yet it vtterly ouerthrowneth the vsurped title they newly challenge to the pedigree of our Bishops froÌ„ whome they dissent in the very many articles of our beliefe For by their owne arguments no participation can they haue with them in chayres no affinity or succession in Priestly thrones agaynst whome they bray forth defiance in doctrine 6. Now as touching Election the third thing which is defectiue in the Protestant ministery that is a priuiledge only due to ecclesiasticall persons For although secular ProtestaÌ„t Bishops want the electioÌ„ of Deane chapter of all clergy persoÌ„s Princes or such as haue auowsans might somtyme present and nominate their Prelates although the consent and approbation of people for greater vnion and peace hath beene also required yet the Election which interesseth the elected entitleth him to his dignity and giueth him a certayne right to his calling This is and euer was only proper to the Pope to the Deane and Chapter or some other of the Clergy and flatly forbidden to the laity vnder payne of excommunication in In Concil gener 8. can 22. ap Grat. distinc 63. c. Hadrian In Syno Niâ— 2. can 3. the eight generall Councell vnder Basil the Emperour and Adrian the Pope Likewise in the second Nicen Synod it is declared That euery Election of Bishop Priest Deacon made by secular powers let it be inualide and of no force And amongst the Canons of the Apostles the thirtith Canon hath these wordes The Bishop who by the fauour of the Princes and Potentates of the world hath gotten his Church let him be deposed But our English Protestant Bishops haue inuaded their Seas by the fauour of Princes by their letters patents without the canonicall election of Pope Deane and Inter can Aposto ca. 30. Chapter or any ecclesiasticall person Therefore they are to be deposed as wolfes vsurpers entring in at the window and not at the dore This defect is not fayned by coniectures as Barlowes consecration is by Mayster Mason nor proued by secret partiall and vnknowne Recordes MasoÌ„ l 3. c. 4. pag. 127. as he doth the ordination of others But it is publikely set downe in the common receaued lawes or Statutes of the Realme For in the first of King Edward the 1. Edward chapter 2. sixt an Act of Parlament was made for disanulling the election of Archbishops and Bishops by the Deane and Chap. taking away the writ of Conge-deslier grauÌ„ted to that purpose The wordes of the Statute are these The writ of Congedeslier was not to be graunted in King Edwards dais whose lawes Queene Elizabeth reestablished 8. Eliza. 1. 7. Be it enacted by the King with the assent of the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Commons in this present Parlament assembled by the authority of the same that from henceforth no such Conge-deslier be graunted nor election of any Archbishop or Bishop by the Deane and Chapter made but that the Kinge may by his letters Patentes at all tymes when any Archbishopricke or Bishopricke be voyde conferre the same to any persons to whome the Kinge shall think meete Can there be a more euident proofe that the Bishops of King Edwards dayes when this Statute was in force wanted their canonical electioÌ„ And after when his lawes repealed by Queene Mary were reestablished by Queene Elizabeth at least in the beginning how beit since they make shew of returning to the auncient custome Can there be likewise a more vehement suspition willfull forgery in M. Masons registers which testify the Writ of Conge-deslier to be graunted forth when by the tenour of that law it could not be graunted 8. Notwithstanding although their Bishops election Mason lib. 2. chap. 10. fol. 88. 89. The ordination of Protestant Priests Bishops vnlawfull inualide noneat all was inualide and succession of no account yet M. Mason stifly vrgeth that their ordination or consecration was good vnlesse we can name some defect eyther in the consecrated or consecratours I answere that the consecratours after their reuolte from the Catholique Church obstinat persisting in schisme heresy were excommunicated and suspended from the due execution and practise of their functions So that although they had beene before true lawfull Bishops as none excepting Cranmer were of the whole Protestant ranke yet then their authority being taken away by the Catholike Church which as she had power to giue had power also to restrayne and disanull their iurisdiction they could not lawfully communicate vnto others that which was suspended in themselues For this cause Saint Athanasius accouÌ„teth them not in the number of true Bâ—shops who are consecrated by heretikes saying By what right can they Athanasius in Concil Arimi Seleuc. § Quae auteÌ„ Seieâ—ciae be Bishops if they receaued their ordination from heretikes as they theÌ„selues accuse them to be Likewise writing in another place in the person of Pope Iulius It is impossible quoth he that the ordinations made by Secundus being an AriaÌ„ could haue any force in the Catholike Church 6. But M. Mason our Protestants Attorney will reply Apol. 2. that S. Athanasius is to be vnderstood of the legitimate and lawfull vse not of the validity of ordination For that euery Bishop communicateth not by reason of his inherent grace or out ward vnion with the Church but by vertue of his episcopall character which no schisme quoth he by deduction out of our writinges no sinne no Mason l. 2. c. 10. fo 88. heresy no censures of the Church no excommunication suspension interdiction degradation nothing nothing at all sauing only death if death can dissolue it Thus he I graunt that the character is indeleble and that alone is sufficient in the consecratour if his intention also be right and if he vse the true matter and forme essentially required thereunto But our English Superintendents after their fal from the Roman Church neyther intended to giue those holy orders which were instituted by Christ neyther did the ordeyned intend to receaue them
Christ who was to come in flesh Thou art a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Of Saint Ambrose Christ is declared to offer in vs whose speach sanctifyeth the sacrifice which is offered Of Epiphanius The Priesthood of Melchisedech now florisheth in the Church Theophilact Christ is called a Priest for euer because there is dayly offered there is perpetually offered an oblation by the mynisters of God hauing Christ our Lord both the Priest and sacrifyce Of Saint Leo Eucherius Primasius and the rest whose testimonyes togeather with the Priestly function of Melchisedech which they mayntayne M. Fulke and his felow-protestants vtterly contemne Insomuch as Fulke sayeth this bringing forth of bread and wine was no part of Melchisedeches Priesthood therfore those Fathers were deceaued that iudged that act to pertayne to his Priesthood Marke the arrogancy of this yesterday-vpstart in censuring the Fathers for allowing a Priesthood which he with his adherentes flatly detest Well then seing they renounce both these orders I know not in what ranke to place them vnlesse it Tully in Philip. be in the order of Asinius the voluntary Senatour as Tully iesteth at him himselfe being made by himselfe Or of the order of Don-Quixote knighted in an Inne by the good fellow his host For so they are eyther voluntary Priestes arrogating that dignity without commission or created at the Nags-head in Cheape by them that had as much authority to make them as the Inkeeper to dub a knight Or at the most they can be no other then Parlamentall Priests ordayned by the new deuised forme of that temporall Court authorized by the letters patents first of a Child then of a woman which although it may giue more shew and countenance to the vsurpation of their titles yet it giueth no more right then the former to the dignity of their functions 13. Moreouer no secular Princes or temporall Magistrates No secularprinces haue power to coÌ„ferre ecclesiastical orders haue authority to confer Ecclesiasticall orders But the order of Mynistery which our ghospellers challenge was both in Kinge Edward and Queene Elizabeths dayes wholy deuised and primarily conferred by the is secular and temporall authority It was therefore no true Episcopall Priestly or Ecclesiasticall order The Maior or first Proposition is apparant in nature For no man can imparte vnto others that which he hath not himselfe Secular persons neyther a part nor assembled togeather in publike Parlament haue any ecclesiasticall order or iurisdiction much lesse can they communicat it vnto others Then Ciuill Magistrates haue only Ciuill power in Ciuill affayres ordeyned to Ciuill and naturall endes The Episcopall or Priestly order is a spirituall dignity touching spirituall functions directed to a spirituall and supernaturall end which can no more be deriued from a Ciuill Magistrate then white from blacke day from night The Minor or second Proposition I proue by the Parlament lawes other testimonyes vnanswerable In the first of King Edward a Statute was made That Archbishops Bishops should not send out their sommons citations other processes in their own names but in the name and stile of the Kinge Seeing as the law it selfe speaketh that all authority of iurisdiction spirituall Edward 1. chap. 2. and temporall is deriued and deducted from the Kinges Maiesty as supreme head of these Churches and Realmes of England and Ireland and so iustly acknowledged by the Clergy of the sayd Realmes Then you heard before how by the Kinges letters Patentes Archbishoprickes and Bishopprickes were conferred And Fox testifyeth that King Henry 8. imparted to the Fox in his Monu pag 522. 1. Eliz. 1. c. 1. Lord Cromwell the exercise of his supreme spirituall regimeÌ„t making him in the Church of England vicegerent for concerning all his iurisdiction ecclesiasticall In the first likewise of Queenâ— Elizabeths raygne a Statute was enacted whereby all spirituall or ecclesiasticall power or authority is vnited and annexed to the Imperiall crowne of her Realme c. all sorrayne vsurped power iurisdiction preheminence cleerly extinguished c. and by solemne oath renounced forsaken in so much as Doctour Whitgift placed in the Queene the fulnes of VVhitg tract 8. c. 3. d. 33. all ecclesiasticall gouernement from whome all ecclesiasticall power and authority is deriued to Bishops and mynisters she hauing in her as he writeth the supreme gouernment in al causes ouer all persons as she doth exercise the one apportayning to matters Ciuile and temporall by the Lord Chauncelour So doth she the other concerning the Church religion by the Archbishops 14. As this power was straunge and neuer heard of before in any Christian heathen or Turkish commonwealth So the maner of consecrating the mynisters of those dayes was new and before vnasuall For another Act was made in the third of King Edwards raign 3. Edward c. 12. fol. 15. wherein it is sayd Be it therefore enacted by the Kinges Highnes with the assent of the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Comâ—ons of this present Parlament assembled and by the authority of the same That such forme and manner of making and consecrating of Archbishops Bishops Priests Deacons and other Mynisters of the Church as by sixe Prelats and sixe other men of this Realme learned in Gods law by the Kinges Maiesty to be appointed and assigned or by the most number of them shal be deuised for that purpose and set forth vnder the great seale of England before the first day of Aprill next comming shall by vertue of this present Act be lawfully exercised and vsed and none other any Statute law or vsage to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding Further when this new deuised forme of consecrating Bishops Priests c. bred many doubtes of the inualidity of their consecration and ordering Queene Elizabeth in publique Parlament decreed that all persons that haue been or shal be made ordered or consecrated Archbishops Bishops Priestes after the forme and order prescribed by Kinge Edward in the same forme and order be in very deed 8. Elizab. 1. and also by authority hereof declared and enacted to be and shal be Archbishops Bishops Priests c. and rightly made ordered and consecrated Any Statute law canon or other thing to the contrary notwithstanding 15. What meaneth this Statute Were your Bishops lawfully ordeyned and consecrated before Why then are they not only declared as M. Mason would excuse the manner of speach but enacted to be and shal be Archbishops c In vayne was this Act if they needed it not and Mason lib. 3. c. 4. p. 122. if they needed it it auayled them nothing as I haue already proued Or to speake more clearely Eyther the Lordes of the Parlament with their Queene had authority to install their Bishops in Episcopall dignity and make their inauguration lawfull in case it had beene inualid or they had no power to doe it Which of these M. Mason will you graunt For
who confesse the like pointes of doctrine to haue beene mayntayned in those former centuryes 5. By the communication he held with all nations to which he neyther prescribed any new fayth nor did they obiect any new thinge ordeyned or deliuered by him 6. By his reprehension of Iohn the Patriarch of Constantinople for challenging the title of Vniuersall Bishop which if himselfe had also vsurped he would neuer haue beene so bolde to controule in his competitor Or if he had beene so bolde some or other woulde In 6. synod act 4. haue blamed him for it 7. By the subsequent age in which the sixt generall synode was celebrated whereunto both the casterne and westerne Bishops assembled the legates The wordes of Pope Agatho his Epistle for the integrity of the RomaÌ„ sayth of Pope Agatho the Patriarches of Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch eyther by themselues or by their substitutes who vniformely condemned the new deuised opinion of Macharius concerning the vnity of Christes wills and operations In S. Gregory in the Roman Church no nouelty was reprehended but â—â— Epistle of Pope Agatho was publikely read in the presence of the Emperour the rest of the Bishops wherin he protested of the Roman Church that it hath neuer byn found through the grace of God to haue strayed from the path of Apostolicall tradition And no man neyther of the Greek or Latine Church no not so much as Macharius himselfe excepted agaynst it although it would haue weakned the authority of Pope Agatho and auayled him much if any such ranker of corruption had crept into the Apostolicall sea Nay that very Epistle was after approued by the whole CouÌ„cell Ibidem act 8. which they would neuer haue done if S. Gregory could haue been touched with any superstitious or new broached doctrine 9. The same argument with most of the former coÌ„uince the like in the behalfe of Boniface the third who liued many yeares before Pope Agatho and before this Epistle of his was generally allowed Lastly if S. Gregory or Boniface the third with the rest that followed be as Humfrey Fulke Whitaker all Protestants coÌ„moÌ„ly Humfrey Fulke and VVhitak in the place before cited depose meere Antichrists and such as depended of them Antichristian prelates what doe they thinke of the definitions made and men condemned by Agatho and his adherents in that 6. general synod of 289. Bishops which was celebrated in the age of our Redemption 681. aboue 20. yeares after Boniface his decease agaynst Macharius Sergius and the rest of the Monothelites who faygned one will and operation in Christ What I say doe Protestants thinke first of the men were they heretikes For disobeying the sentence of Antichrist and his impes Then of the contrary doctrine there defined to wit That as Christ hath two seuerall natures so two seuerall wills and operations I aske them whether they imbrace this as the orthodoxall Apostolicall fayth or renouÌ„ce it with the Monothelites as diabolicall and AntichristiaÌ„ doctrine Is it Antichristian Auaunt then and raunge your selues with those Hellish catyffes who by coÌ„founding the wills abolish the natures extinguish the merits destroy the incarnation and frustrate the redemption of the sonne of God Is it the orthodoxall Christian fayth How was it then decreed and maynteyned by the Prelates of Antichrist Euery Kingdome as our Sauiour in like case reasoned agaynst the Iewes deuided agaynst it Luc. 11. vs 17. selfe shal be made desolate and house vpon house shall fall and if Satan also be deuided agaynst himselfe how shall his Kingdome stand So if Antichrist and his whole army fight agaynst themselues if they vphold the truth of Christ and so maynly persecute and extirpate their owne errours how shall they stand How shall they be aduaunced and extolled agaynst God Was this a repugnant reason to shew that our blessed Redeemer did not in Beelsebub the Prince of diuells Ibidem v. 15. 28. cast forth diuells But in the fingar of God whose Kingdome he preached And is it not as forcible to proue that Antichrist by his owne mouth neuer condemned his Antichristian doctrine neuer defined the true Christian faith but that it was the fingar of God the voyce of the holy Ghost which spake in his Church was deliuered by his true Pastours in that sacred holy and diuine assembly What can Protestants answere to this inuincible argument Will they neyther ioyne with the Monothelites nor yet admit that Oecumenicall Councell to be the mysticall body true spouse of Christ They must then finde out some other Church in that age some other preachers besides those of whome both East and West Greekes and Latines the whole Christian world neuer had any inkling before 10. But although they haue nothing heere to reply yet let vs heare what they say to the former interrogatory of the Roman Churches decay when and by whome it fell out Whitaker answereth It belongeth not to vs to count the tymes and moments in what yeare or day that defection VVhitak contro 2. q 3. c. 1. folio 184. Ibidem contro 2. q. 5. c. 3. fo 312. Powell in his consideratioÌ„ of the Papists suplica pa. 43. beganne And then VVe cannot name any certeyne yeare in which their Church beganne to be chaunged Which Mayster Powell also confesseth with him Therefore we may well conclude that it neuer chaunged or altered her beliefe because it could not be that a Church vniuersally spread famously knowne which had the eyes of all men cast vpon her enemyes on euery side to pry into her all sortes of nations consorting with her innumerable authours writing of her should change her fayth her Religion her worship of God which are of all things most remarkeable and no man to perceaue that strange reuolution The tyme is knowne the persons are named the heresies recorded by which all other Patriarch aâ— seas haue beene 〈◊〉 in eleâ—â—be verbo Macedoniani corrupted with errour For example in the yeare of out Lord 359. Macedonius defiled the seâ— of Constantinople with impugning the diuinity of the holy Ghost About the same tyme Georgius Cappadox intruded into the sea of Athanasius prophaned with Arianisme and many Nicepho Calli. hist Eccle. l. 9. other sacrileges the Church of Alexandria In the yeare of our Redemption 273. Paulus Samosetanus stayned the sea of Antioch with the blasphemy of the Ebionites affirming our Sauiour to haue taken his beginning Aug. I 'de haer from the Virgins wombe and not to haue descended at all from heauen with the heresy also of Sabellius as Epiphanius Epiphanius baer 65. Euseb l. 7. c. 22. 24. leron ep 61. ad PaÌ„mach Ier. in chronic writeth Iohn the Patriach of Ierusalem second of that name infected his sea about the yeare of our Lord 386. with the errours of Origen which had been before about the yeare of our RedemptioÌ„ 351. inuaded polluted also by the Arians 11. Besides we
be celebrated in no other then places consecrated by the Bishop And they affirme that Platina writeth in Siluesters life of golden and siluer challices giuen by Constantine Cent. 4. c. 6. col 410. ibid. That it is be read in Eusebius his decrees how the sacrifice of the Altar was to be celebrated not in silke or hempe but only in fine linnen consecrated by the Bishop In the fifth age or Century they make mention out of Platina Sabellicus Casâ—â—na and Sigebert of the Antiphones Introites gradualls tractes c. of the psalme Iudica me Deus to be sayd at the beginning of the sacrifice All which they ascribe to Celestine the first who Cent. 5. c. 6. col 725. 729 727. Sabellicus Tom. 8. l. 1. Sigebert in chronico liued about 426 yeares after Christ whome Vrspergensis according to them maketh authour of the hymne holy holy holy to be sunge They alleage out of Sigibert Hirmanus Gigas and Flores temporum how at the end of Masse he that saydit was by the ordinance of Gelasius to blesse the people and to say the hymne trium pueroum 17. In the same age they write of Leo how he decreed that in the action of our Lords supper these wordes should be pronounced Ibidem col 729. Hancigitur oblationem c. Bergomensis say they Platina mention it Sigebert deliuereth this clause also to haue beene added by him and that in the Canon of the Masse Sanctum sacrificium BergomeÌ„sis in Theo. immaculatam hostiam which Sabellicus also reporteth Nauclerus likewise auoucheth that by his ordinance Orate sratres is sayd in Masse and Deo gratias in the end Sigebert relateth of him how he was wont Sabellicus Enead 8. l. 1. to say Massesouer the bodies or monuments of Martyrs when he would communicate their relikes vnto others All these be the wordes of the Centuristes Neyther doe they only specify these ceremonyes belonging to our sacrifice but they finde Naucler l. 2. gene 15. Ibidem col 729. fault with many of the auncients for writing vnbeseemingly in their conceite of the sacrifice it selfe as with Ignatius the Apostles scholler because he sayd ambiguously Cent. 5. c. 6. col 730. incommodiously I repeat their words it is not lawfull without a Bishop neyther to offer nor immolate the sacrifice Then Cyprian say they superstitiously fayneth c. the Priest to supply the roome of Cent. 2. ca. 4. col 63. Christ and sacrifice to be offered to God the Father c. which prase to offer sacrifice Tertullian also vseth speaking of the supper And Martiall the supper of our Lord that is a sacrifice is offered on the Altar Ignat. ep ad Smirn. to God the Creatour After There is a new phrase also in Nazianzen he defileth his handes with the oblation of the vnbloudy sacrifice Ambrose vseth speaches of the supper which before him none Cent. 3. c. 4. col 83. Centur. 3. c. 4. col 83. Tertullian de cultu faem Hartialis ep ad Burdeg Cent. 4. c. 4. col 294. Nazian in inuect 1. in Iulian. Cent. 4. c. 4. col 295. Ambros l 5. ep 33. of the Fathers was wont to vse as to say Masse to offer sacrifice Hither to the Protestants of Magdeburge By the which we manifestly gather first that our present Roman Church that now is hath no way declined from the purity of the auncient Church which flourished in the first fiue hundred yeares after Christ not in this diuine worship and publike sacrifice of the Masse Secondly that this our sacrifice was not inueÌ„ted by man but instituted by Christ and practised by the Apostles which I proue by three vncontrolable rules in the Iudgement of all prudent men Aug. l. 4. de bap ca. 24. Aug. l. de baept cont Donat. ca. â— Caluin l. 4. instit c. 18. §. 1. 18. The First is S. Augustines rule saying That which the vniuersall Church doth hold and was not instituted by Councells but hath beene still reteyned in the Church this we may most iustly belieue to haue come from no other anthority then the Apostles By which he proueth the bâ—ptising of infants not expressed in Scripture to be an Apostolicall tradition writing thus That custome which men before vs looking vpward to antiquity did not find to haue beene ordeyned by them that came after the first ages is rightly belieued to haue beene deliuered by the Apostles But the sacrifice of the Masse hath beene offered in the vniuersall Church For Caluin going about to impugne it sayth I heere match in fight with that opinion wherewith the Romish Antichrist Cen. 6. c. 6. col 33. Vtintelligas inquiunt missarum nunc solemnia passim oÌ„nia loca coÌ„pleuisse and his prophets haue infected the whole world namely that the Masse is a worke whereby the sacrificing Priest c. The Centurists his companions acknowledge the like generall practise aboue a thousand yeares agoe affirming in the 6. age Now the solemnityes of Masse to haue euery where filled all places Yet they looking into all historyes ransacking all auncient monuments from that tyme vpward cannot find by whome it was first instituted or where it began Therefore it was deriued from the Apostles as the institution of Christ otherwise these cunning Masons who discouered the placing of so many little rafters would haue espied without doubt the laying of this great beam in their eyes of superstitious idolatry And M. Mason himselfe who disauoweth this sacrifice and the only Priesthood ordeyned by Christ to offer it to his Father dismantleth his sectmates of the true spirituall power of â—â—iesthood or iurisdiction of Bishops 19. The second Rule is grounded vpon experience â—f the difficulty which ariseth in bringing in of any new â—ustome chaunge or innouation in a common wealth â—or as that can neuer be done in any temporall state touâ—hing temporal affayres without some strife opposition or dispute so much lesse in the Kingdome of the Church about matters of religion concerning which her watchmen Isay 62. v. 6. and Pastours shall neuer be silent but alwayes resist as M. M. Fulke witnesseth with vs all false opinions euen with open reprehension This argument M. Bilson vseth to proue Fulk in his answere to a counterfeit Catholike pag. 11. and 62. Bilson in his suruey of Christs sufferings pag. 660. Christ descending to Hades to haue beene aunciently and openly professed in the primitiue Church because Eusebius who expounded it so had beene otherwise resisted resuted by the Religious of those ages who liued with and after him So if our sacrifice of the Masse Inuocation of Saints worship of Images Merit of workes vowes of chastity and the rest often inculcated by the auncient Fathers of the first fiue hundred yeares had varyed from the analogy of Apostolicall fayth some other guides Doctours of the Church would haue checked and resisted which neuer any did those nouelties in them Was Triphylius an