altogeather vnknowne and latent so as further we acknowledge that for the space of many hundred years the Papacy (l) D. Field in his book of the Church l. â— c. 6. sayth The Church when Luther began was that apparent Church wherein Luther the rest wer baptized â—eceaued their Christianity ordination and power of Ministry osiander â—pâ—som â—ent 16. p. 1073. Ecclesia quae sub Papaâ—u fuit â—obuit ministerium Euangelij sacra biblia Baptismum Coenam Domini c. And Luther in loc comm class 1. sayth In medijs furoribus c. Euen in the middest of the furours of the Dragon and the Lyon there did remaine Baptisme the Eucharist the power of the Keyes holy Scripture c. Thus Luther alone enioyed the safe keeping of the Scriptures and an auaylable administration of the Sacraments Now heere I would demand of our Inuisibilists how these two assertions can stand togeather to wit the Pope is Antichrist the Pope so being preserued for so many ages the Scripturer incorrupted and administrated the Sacraments profitably Which if they can then can Israell be found in Babylon and participation be betweene Christ Belial then must Antichrist only preserue the means for the descryall of Antichrist and he who is falshood it selfe be by our owne inference columna firmamentum veritatis Then can heauenly musickâ— for at least in part the Pope expounded the Scriptures truly proceed from the Dragons voyce and medicinable phisicke be drunke out of that cup which shall inebriate the Kings of earth then must our soules saluation for without the vse of the Sacraments it cannot be obtayned be wrought by our soules chiefest enemy and Heauen be purchased by the mediation of the Man (m) 2. Thess vbi supra of sinne and sonne of pocalyps thus is Antichrist become Christs setuantes best supporter keep safe those records wherby those many hundred thousandes (n) Apocalyp 14. of Christs Virgins make their clayme to the inestimable reward allotted for their vowed chastity As easily may we belieue that the Arke and the Idol Dagon could be placed togeather or dreame with Copernicus that the heauens stand still and the earth moues Neither wil that extrauagant answere giuen by some of (o) Doctor VVhitak lide Eccles p 165. so sayth And Beza epist Theo. ep 1. Voluiâ— Deus in papatu seruare Ecclesiam et fi papatus noÌ„ est Ecciesia vs when we are demanded to reconeyle these points auayle vs at all The Church was in the Papacy the Papacy was in the Church and yet the Papacy was not the Church O Delphick and Aenigmatical or other childish idle and false since if we belieue S. Augustine Nihil prodest esse in Ecclesia nisi sis cum Ecclesia Lastly diuers of vs Protestants I do not say all do implye in our writings that a man may haue â—â—luation in any religion so he hould the fundamentall points of the Trinity the Incarnation that Christ suffered for vs c. This is euident from the testimonyes of such of our Protestant Brethren as acknowledge the Lutherans who dissent from them in the doctrine of the Reall presence and the Puriâ—â—ns differing also from them in seuerall articles of fayth for members of the Church Yea our Brother M. D. (p) In his treatise of the kingdoÌ„ of Israel and the Church p. 94. Morton I infinitly meruaile he would euer suffer such wordes to fall from his pen teacheth that the very Arians may be saued for â—â—us he writeth The Churches of the AriaÌ„s are to be accounted the Church of God because they hould the foundation of the Ghospell which is fayth in Iesus Christ the son of God Sauiour of the world where by the way I note that it is strange he should be so seuere towardes Catholiks if reports be true being so indulgent to the very Arians To this sentence D. (q) In his answere to a counterfeite Catholikâ— p â—9 Fulk seemeth well to agree saying The true Church vnder the Emperours Constantine Constans and Valens was greatly infected with the heresyes of Arius Thus in his iudgements an Arian is a member of the true Church and consequently in state of saluation But our foresayd D. (r) Vbisupra p. 91. Morton comprehendeth al sects and heresyes whatsoeuer within the compasse of Gods Church and consequently of saluation if so they belieue in Christ for thus he writeth Wheresoeuer a company of men do ioyntly and publikely by worshipping the true God in Christ professe the substance of Christian Religion which is fayth in Iesus Christ the son of God and Sauiour of the world there is a true Church notwithstanding any corruption whatsoeuer Where we are to note the last wordes notwithstanding any corruption whatsoeuer Good God! how different is this man as heereafter I will show from the iudgment of the ancient Fathers and practise of the Primitiue Church But to proceed this most pernicious yet plausible doctrine being the Prodromus and forerunner of Libertinisme originally springeth from the Priuate Spirit since this spirit giueth reynes to euery Man to beleiue what it selfe best suggesteth But since the Canker heereof is secretly spred into the harts of many men at this day I will therfore rest the longer in discouering the absurdity and falshood thereof by stirring a litle the earth about the roote of it it being indeed a fayth coÌ„sisting in a wast of fayth and a Religion resting in the denyall of the necessity of any one Religion And first it is certaine that without fayth a Man caÌ„not be saued sine (s) Hebr. 11. fide impossibile est placere Deo And again qui (t) Marc. 16. non crediderit condemnabitur Withall it is as certaine that this fayth according to that (u) Ephes 4. vna fides vnum baptisma ought to be One True and Supernatural for if it be not One and True it saueth not Man but seduceth him since Truth is One and Errour various and multiplicious Now heere I vrge that one fayth cannot be in seuerall Sects seeing these Sectes teach poynts not only in themselues disparate and different but contradictory and meerly repugnant Furthermore that that fayth which saueth man must be entyre and true in all poynts is confirmed by other two irrefragable Reasons The first altogether insisted vpon by S. Thomas (x) â—n â— distinct 23. 22 q. 5. art 5. and all cheife Schoolemen is this True Christian fayth as being a supernaturall and infused Vertue hath a necessary reference to two thinges the first is that which Deuynes heere call Prima Veritas reuelans which is God reuealing all truths of fayth to the Church the second the authority of the Church which God heere vseth as a meanes by the which he propouÌ„deth the said truths to be beleiued So as no true supernaturall fayth can be produced but where these two concurre The first of these is called by the Deuines Obiectum formale of fayth
the second Amussis Regula or the Propounder of the articles of fayth Now from hence it proceedeth that whosoeuer denyeth any one Truth propounded by the Church to whom God reuealeth it doth not beleiue any other Article with a true fayth Since the authority of the Church doth indifferently and alyke propound all Articles to be beleiued Therefore who beleiueth the Article of the Trinity or the Resurrection of the body through the Authority of the Church propounding them to be beleiued will also beleiue Freewill Prayer to Saints c. and any other poynt seeing these are no lesse propounded by the Church to be beleiued as reuealed by God then the former are Thus it is euident that who beleiueth one article of true Christian fayth and beleiueth not another this Man beleiueth not any one article by reason of the authority of Gods Church and consequently hath no true supernaturall fayth at all which is auaileable to Saluation but beleiueth it in regard only of the probability of the point in his Iudgment and thus it is not Beleife but Opinion only in such a Man For seeing the same credit and affiance is euer to be giuen in all things to the same authority whosoeuer doth not beleiue the said authority in any one poynt doth not as is said beleiue it in any other from whence it followeth that the authority of God his Church is equally contemned in the denyall of the smallest articles as of praying to Saints Purgatory c. as in the greatest articles of the Trinity Incarnation or any other sublime and high mystery The second Reason It is peculiar to Vertues Theologicall and Infused to be obliterated and extinguished by one only contrary Act. Thus for example one mortall Sinne wholy taketh away Charity and Grace One act of desperation the vertue of Hope the same may be exemplifyed in the vertues of PeÌ„nance Religion and others Now heere by the same reason I inferre that one Heresy I meane an obstinate maÌ„tayning of any one errour in fayth how small soeuer against the authority of Gods Church depriueth a man of true fayth which as other Vertues aboue are is supernaturall theologicall and infused In this next place we will see how the iudgments of auncient Fathers do approue the former doctryne Two or three for instance shall serue And first that light of the Latin Church I meane S. Augustine (y) Lib. 18. de ciuil Dei c. 91. doth thus pensill forth an Heretyke Qui in Ecclesia Christi aliquid prauuns sapiunt si correpti vt sanum rectumque sapiant resistant contu naciter Haeretici fiunt foras exeuntes habentur in exercentibus Haereticis That is Who beleiueth any wronge or false thing in the Church of God and being admonished to beleiue the truth do resist contumaciously they become Heretyks and departing out of the Church they are reputed for open and willfull Heretyks S. Ambrose thus answerably wryteth (z0 Lib. â— in Luc. 〈◊〉 9. Negat ChristuÌ„ qui non omnia quae Christi sunt coÌ„fitetur he denyeth Christ who beleiueth not all poynts or articles concerning Christ. Thus who denyeth Lymbus Patrum denieth that Christ descended therinto and consequenly he denyeth Christ Finally S. Gregory (a) Orat. â—7 Nazianzene thus elegantly conspireth heerto Vnum vnicohaeret ex ijs quaedam verè aurea salutaris fit catena ideo si vel vnum dogma auferatur aut reddatur incertum tota catena disrumpetur That is One Article of fayth is so cohering with another that of them all there is made a goalden and healthfull chayne of fayth so as if but one article be taken away or made but doubtfull the whole chayne becommeth broken See the lyke agreeing testimonyes in (b) Apud Theod. l. 4. hist. c. 19. Basil (c) Lib. â— Apolog. contr Ruf. Ierome (d) Lib. 1. epist 6. ad Magnum Cyprian and (e) In Sym. Athanasius The auncient Fathers mynd in this poynt is manifested besydes by their particular Sentences from the practize of the Primitiue Church against Heretikes I meane from the perusall of the Catalogues of heeresyes written by them as is euident out of the Catalogues of heresyes and other such wrytings composed by Irenaeus Hierome Epiphanius Augustine Theodoret Philastrius and others in all which we shall find diuers condemned and branded for expresse Heretickes for their willfull maintayning in our iudgments but small errours though otherwise they belieued al the chiefe points of Christian fayth as the Trinity the Incarnation and the like For proofe wherof I will heere alleadg the wordes of S. Austine against the Pelagians whom he absolutly resolutly condemneth for Heretikes for their belieuing that man could keep the law of God only by force of nature without the force of Gods grace His words are these Nec (f) Epist 120. c. 37. tales sunt Pelagiani c. Neither are the Pelagians such men as thou shouldest easily contemne them for they liue continently are laudable in good works they beleiue not in a false Christ as the Manichees do c. yet because they are ignorant of the iustice of God endeauouring to make it their owne they are Heretyks and cast out of the Church And thus far for a touch of the practize of the ancient Church and the Fathers lyke conspyring testimonyes heerein where I may remit the Reader to what hath beene aboue alleadged touching the condeminatioÌ„ by the Primitiue Fathers of our Protestant doctrynes Which auncient Fathers as being learned and vertuous neither would nor durst register any for Heretyks but those who by the whole Church of God were reputed for Heretyks as afore I haue â—â—ted which point is made more euident in that we do not fynd any one of the said Fathers among so many to be contradicted by any other orthodoxall Father for such his proceeding But to leaue humane authority and to come to diuyne if we looke into Gods sacred Word it is cleare that who maintayneth any one Heresy the same hath no more true hope of his saluation then a Heathen or a Publican for we fynd our Sauiour to vse this commination Qui (g) Matt. 18. Ecclesiam non audiâ—â—it c. He that will not heare the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen or Publican Where we may obserue that Christ said not Who will not heare the Church in all things but absolutely pronounced Who will not heare the Church If then a Sectary or Heretyke will not heare the authority of the Church proposing such and such poynts for example of Freewill Indulgences Prayer for the dead c. to be beleiued how shall he escape the Anathema heere threatned And though these wordes immediatly be intended of fraternall correction yet à fortiori they are to be vnderstood of him who reiects the authority of the Church in matters of fayth Since this mans conteÌ„pt towards the Church is farre greater lesse pardonable For who refusetâ— to
and writinges rarell out the tyme working with such improbity of libour and toyle theâ—pyders webb which is so easily swept away Laborâ—ose nihil agunt to say with Seneca The Pope and the Church thus far proceed They declare only what bookes be Scripture or not Scripture among many Apochriphal writings and which construction of true Scripture among many suggested senses thereof is the intended meaning of the Holy Ghost Thus they neither make nor vnmake Scripture nor impose any sense vpon it which afore it had not but only declare which afore it had And thus by this meanes they assume no more to themselues then any priuate Protestant practiseth by the help of his reuealing spirit But what Must it needes be inferred that the Pope and the Church for such their proceeding seeke to be aboue the Scripture Then may it be alike concluded that the Iudge is aboue the Law since he expresseth what is Law and which is the true meaning of the Law-giuer therein All that hence may be truely deduced is this viz. That the Pope and the Church is not aboue Scripture which with all reuerence they affect but aboue the Iudgments of priuate men expounding the Scripture But heere to make an end of the Catholiks mistaken doctrines I cannot but call to mind how I was seueral tyms accustomed to charge the Priests and others of their Religion appearing before me with the defence of the former absurdityes though I confesse I did then well know what their learned men did hold therein And I do assure the Reader that the Priestes being expostulated heereof did seeme halfe amazed at these my strange demandes Yea one of the Priestes a bold and resolute man thus answered me My Lord if you demand of me and others in earnest whether these senseles positions be our do Irines it seemes you know not what the Catholik Church teacheth heerein and then it is strang his Maiesty should place you in seate of iudgment against vs to punish vs for that ReligioÌ„ your selfe not knowing the doctrine which the sayd religion teacheth An answere blunt and without respect yet not much to be disliked since it is a wronge to truth to be outfaced and depressed with calumnyes Towards the Auncient Fathers we haue seuerall peculiar deportments first we stryue to breake through their authorityes with sleighty euasions this fayling next to breake downe their authorityes by open disclayminges Thus in the former manner we proceed diuers wayes First when any place of a Father is obiected against vs we endeauour so loath we are to make an absolut departure from them if possibly it could be auoyded to interprete the Fathers words in some other sense then they are vrged by our Aduersaryes or intended by the Fathers Thus where (r) Lib. 4. de Trinit cap. 〈◊〉 4. Augustin (s) Lib. 6. desacerd Chrysostome (t) In psal 38. Ambrose (u) Lib. 6. contra Parmenianum others do teach that the Sacrament of the Excharist contayneth in it selfe a true and proper sacrifice Our Brethren in answere heereto say these Fathers meaning only to be that the prayer powred out by the faythfull at the tyme of the Communion are Spirituall Sacrifices But this is but a shadow of an answeare since the Fathers affirme literally that the body and bloud of Christ without the least intimation of any prayers being offered vp in the celebration of the Eucharist is a proper and true sacrifice Quid gratiùs offervi saith (x) V bi supra Augustine aut suscipi possit quà m carâ— sacrificij nostri corpus effectum sacerdotis nostri Next if the place of the obiected Father be so perspicuous as that it will receaue no other tincture of Interpretation then what the naturall colour of the sentence will properly beare we then labour to oppose another Father against him in the said poynt or if possibly we can the said Father aginst himselfe by vrgiâ—g some seeming contrary sentence our of him all this to disualew in the Readers eye the authority of the said Father Thus where Basill is produced in defence of TraditioÌ„s D. (y) Lib. de sacra scriptura p. 670 Whitaker answereth thereto pretending some other contrary place out of Basill saying Basilius secumpugnat After the same manner D. Whitaker (z) V bi supra pag. 6.6 auoydeth S. Augustins authority touching Traditions saying Although Augustine in this place may seeme to fauour Traditions yet in other places he defendeth earnestly the â—erfection of the Scriptures An vnworthy aspersion vpon the Fathers as if they were of that wauering irresolution in their fayth as to mantayne meere contrary doctrynes at one and the same tyme. Another sleight vsed by vs is that if the Father vrged in defence of any Catholyke poynt can be deprehended to haue maintayned any one acknoledged errour then we vsually reiect the said Fathers authority in all poynts of Catholyke Religion This chiefly taketh place in the produced testimonyes of Cyprian Tertullian and Origen euery one of them mantayning their peculiar errour This euasion is most weake except we could proue that these Fathers are condemned by the ioynt consent of other Fathers for their houlding of Catholyke doctrynes which is impossible to proue as well as they were written against by other Fathers touching their acknowledged Errours Another of our Sleights or Subtiltyes toucheth Mission and Vocation of Ministers which the Scripture teacheth to be visible according to those words of the Apostle No (a) Hebr â— 5. man taketh to him the honour of Pryesthood but he that is called of God as Aaron was which calling in the Apostles tymes was only by Imposition (b) 2. Timâ— 1. of Bishops hands Now then when we are charged by our Aduersaries in the first planting of Protestancy to want this lawfull Vocation and Mission since no man did either send vs nor from any did we receaue this Imposition of hands we to extricate and free our selues out of this Labyrinth haue excogitated out of the delicacy of our wit or rather extreme Necessity a new kynd of calling honouring it with the title of an Extraordinary and immediate calling from God Without any authority of man therein And so our first broachers of Protestancy do challeng this to themselues besydes that our doctrine of the Inuisibility of the Church potentially implyeth the same Answerably heerto Caluin thus saith Quia (c) So alleadged to say by Lasciuius a protestaÌ„t in his book de Russarâ—â—Ì„ c. religiâ—nâ— p. 2â— Papa tyrannide c. Because through the tyranny of the Pope the true order of ordination was interrupted therefore in these dayes we haue neede of a new helpe and this guyft is altogeather extraordinary Likewyse D. Fulke (d) Againest Stapleton Martiall p. 2. The Protestants that first preached these last dayes had likewyse extraordinary calling A sleight inuented to free our selues from the authority of the visible Church of God examining this our
Duraeum pag. 480. with the first instituting of the fast of Lent being in his tyme negligently obserued the doctryne of which fast was so auncient that (m) Exam Coucil Trid part â— pag. 89. Kemnitius thus writeth heerof Ambrose Maximus Taurinensis Theophilus Ierome and others do affirme the fast of Lent to be an Apostolicall Tradition Now the Collusion heere vsed in these examples resteth in a willfull confounding of the first Institution of a thing with a renouation of the practise of the said thing Againe we sometymes obiect thereby to intimate an vncertainty of Catholike Religion some canon or sentence decreed afore by a lawfull Councell and true Pope and after impugned by another lawfull Councell and true Pope But this then which the vulgar doth not obserue doth concerne not matter of fayth and doctrine which neuer fuffereth any alteration by Popes or Councells but only matter of fact the sentence whereof though afore giuen may without any impeachment of the Churches authority vpon better and later information be altered Such were the alterable decrees of the Popes Formosus and Stephanus the seauenth in their seuerall Councells grounded principally vpon matter of fact vsually obiected by vs against our Aduersaryes of which point see Sigebert in his Chronicle Whereas our Aduersaryes as aboue is deliuered show that many of our Protestant doctrines were condemned for heresyes by Augustine Hierem Epiphanius others in those primitiue tymes Now we by way of recrimination do confidently auouch the same of diuers Catholike articles to wit that euen in those dayes they were condemned for heresyes by the sayd Fathers but how truely we auerre this good Reader obserue and if thou be a Protestant blush in thy brethrens behalfe Two examples shall serue for many Well then D. (o) In his Chalenge concerning the Roman Church p. 113. Sutcliffe and D. (p) In his answere to a counterfeit Cath. pag. 22. Fulke insimulate the Catholikes with the heresy of the Collyridans who according to Epiphanius were condemned as these men say for worshipping the Virgin Mary But let (q) Haeres 79. Epiphanius heere explaine himselfe his wordes are these Hi qui hoc docent qui sunt prae terquam mulieres Who teach this except they be women So as this fect consisted only of women of whome Epiphanius thus further writeth Sellam (r) Vbi supra quadratam ornantes panem proponunt offerunt in nomine Mariae c. that is These women adorning a square table do set bread thereupon and offer it in the name of Mary Thus their errour consisted in instituting a feminin Priesthood in sacrifying to Mary belieuing her to be a God And thereupon Epiphanius in the very same place thus censureth heerof Deo ab aeterâ—o nullatenus Mulier sacrificauit c. And againe Neq Deus est Maria c. nemo in nomine eius offerat How farre distant are the Catholikes from mantayning this Heresy either in their doctrine or practise Againe for a second example D. (s) In his answere to a Counterfeit Catâ— pag. 22. Fulke thus speaketh to the Catholikes Of the Heretikes Caiani you haue learned to calvpoÌ„ the Angels he alleadging Epiphanius for the same But Epiphanius wordes are these farre different from D. Fulkes application Non (t) Haeres 38. posse aiunt aliquos saluari nisi c. The heretiks Caiani taught none could be saued till they had gone through all sinnes and committing thereupon wicked thinges and actions they called vpon the name of such as were true Angells and of such as were by them vntruly tearmed Angells referrin to this Angell and that Angell proprian actionem their peculiar action saying when they committed their wickednes O tu Angele vtor tuo opere O Angell I now vse or execute thy worke c. Thus their errour consisted not in calling vpon the Angells but in calling both vpon true false Angells as making them Patrons of their wicked actions Would any man thinke we should wrong our owne reputation and honours in vsing these willfull and iniustifyable misapplications and forgeryes against the Catholikes We are scholars and should remember that as learning beautifyeth the mind so candor and integrity learning And therfore it is strange to see D. Willet in his Tetrastyson Papiseni D. Fulke and D. Sutcliffe in their afore alleadged bookes thus to bloâ— paper in labouring by these and other such like detortions of the Fathers words to perswade their Readers that many articles of Catholike Religion were condemned for heresyes in those ancient tymes But to proceed to other passages of this our Scene whereby we seeke thus to bleare the iudgementes of our credulous followers The better to grace our Religion with the venerable title of Antiquity some of vs (u) D Pulk in his answere to a counterfeit Catâ— passim M VVotion in his desence of D. Perkins pag. 500. touching â—ouâ—nian are not ashamed to insist in the former old registred heretiks of the primitiue church aboue rehearsed vrging them for Protestants But what gaine we heereby For first not any one of them did hould more then two or three points of Protestancy in all others being Catholike Againe such their points of Protestancy though first broached so long since were instantly condemned by the whole Church of God And who knoweth not that erring Antiquity is no better then late appearing Innouation I heere passe ouer our alleadging for these later ages as partly aboue touched of Waldo Wicklifse Husse Polydor Virgil Nilus Cassander and the like for members of the Protestant Church of which not any one was a perfect Protestant both because euery one of them euer belieued most articles of the Catholike Church dissenting from it only in two or three as also in that diuers of them mantayned sundry grosse (x) Whereof see their owâ— books yet extant and absurd doctrines both in our and the Catholikes iudgements and this with great stifnes and pertinancy of will which pertinacy euer consummates perfects an heresy And thus by this their obstinancy contemning the authority of Gods Church they became as I may tearme them formall and positiue heretikes though heresy be but a priuation To proue that Catholikes do disagree in matters of Fayth we obiect some differences among them but such if they be well obserued doe not rest in the Conclusion it selfe of the doctrine belieued but in the manner or some other circumstance of the Conclusion or article of faith which manner except it be defy ned by the Church may be disputed of and seuerally mantained without breach of fayth Thus they all conspyre and agree in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Schoolmen speake though not in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which later point is commonly reduced and tryed by scholasticall diuinity Thus for example when Christ descended into Lymbus Patrum to deliuer the soules of the Iust from thence some few Catholiks mantaine that he descended efficacioussy
see D. Bancrofts suruey pag. 219. verbum Deiprouoco But to resume my former heads Since then this reuealing spirit is not afraid to expunge out of the sacred Canon of Scripture such bookes as Apocriphall wherin it owne Religion is euidently impugned since it alloweth only such expositions of confessed Scripture as best sort to the supporting of it owne errours since it betrampleth all authorityes of Councells and Fathers who expound Gods word differently from it Since it hath beene the custome of all Heretikes to withdraw themselues to the weake retyre of only Scripture and their owne spirit interpreting the Scripture thus making a circular motion where from point to point there is a true progression but from the first point no progression at all since this Spirit engēdreth contrarieties in doctrine in the enioyers of it through ech mans misconstruction of Scripture Since the Scripture it selfe is of that abstruse sublimity as that Man without Gods directing grace cannot lay any true leuell thereto To conclude since the exorbitancy pride and petulancy of this Spirit is such as it expecteth in the end that all men should receaue from it as from a second Moyses the tables of our Euangelicall Law Non * Tert. de Orat. agnosei poterit à Spiritu sancto spiritus inquinatus What then remaineth but that my selfe carefull of my saluation should for euer after become iealous of the truth of that Religion which I find to be seated vpon those groundes and only those grounds which euery heresy promiscuously challengeth to it selfe And that relying on Gods holy visible Church vpon which he hath (p) Matt. 18. ◠Tim. 3. entayled his spirit of Truth I may interpose her infallible authority as an Isthmos or firmeland to stop the entercourse of the two mayne Oceans I meane the Scriptures abysmall profoundity and this Priuate spirits floating and boundles vncertainty But inough of this subiect of which as potentially inuoluing all other Controuersyes within it selfe I haue drawne I confesse for my fuller satisfaction certaine notes in some few scattered Papers THE II. MOTIVE That the Prophesyes of Scripture confirme the Catholike Religion and refute Protestancy PROPHESYES are diuine and infallible Predictions of thinges future future in respect of vs who measure all actions with the yard of Tyme but present in the eyes of God with whome there is neither tyme past nor tyme to come both being confounded in the depth of his owne Eternity Infallible as proceeding only from him who by his power disposeth all thinges as shall best please him by his Prescience forseeth distinctly all things so disposed as things present in the cleare glasse of his own essence And by his Will vouchsafeth that men shall warrant the certainty of his foreknowledge Prescientia Dei (a) Tert. l. 2 contr Marcion tot habet testes quot fecit Prophetas Now of the Prophesyes recorded in the old Testament I will take into my consideratiō only two The inditers of which according to the iudgment of (b) In Psal 3◠conc 2. S. Augustine as foreseeing Controuersyes and doubts in fayth to come spake more clearely of the Church then of Christ himselfe The first shall concerne the propagation of the Church of Christ and the conuerting of Kinges heathen and kingdomes to it faith touching which I will insist in those places of Scripture whose true sense and interpretation is acknowledged for such both by the Catholikes and by our Protestants Priuate spirit the alleadging of which texts is the more forcible since the confessed sense of Scripture is the soule as it were which informeth the body of the Letter Of this first point the Prophet I say thus speaketh The (c) 60. Iles shall waite for thee meaning the Church their Kinges shall minister vnto thee and thy gates shal be continually open neither day nor night shall they be shut that men may bring to thee the riches of the Gentils c. And againe speaking of and to the Church he further thus sayth Thou (d) Ibid. shalt sucke the milke of the Gentils and the breasts of Kinges Kings shal be thy noursing Fathers and Queenes thy Mothers And further Enlarge (e) 54. the place of thy tents spread out the curtaines of thy habitation for thou shalt increase on the right hand and on the left thy seed shall possesse the Gentils and inhabite the desolate Cittyes To the truth of which conuersions of Heathen Kinges and Countreyes to the fayth of Christ the Kingly Prophet speaking in the person of God to the Church thus accordeth I (f) Psalm 2. will giue thee the Heathens for thy inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy pessession That these places besides diuers others are vnderstood of the enlargment of Christs Church and the conuersions of Kingdomes and Nations vnto it is warranted by the marginall annotations of our own English (g) Frinted in the yeare 1576. Bibles no lesse agreeable to the particuler iudgments of (h) Vpon Ieremy Oecolampadius that learned Protestant D. Whitguift (i) In his defence p. 466. late Archbishop of Canterbury D. (k) In his answere M. VVilliam Reynolds Whitaker and all other graue Writers The next point which heere presenteth it selfe to be wayghed is to consider whether the foresayd predictions of the dilatation of the fayth of Christ and conuerting to it Kinges and kingdomes haue beene accomplished in the Protestants Church or in the Catholike and Roman Church for the clearing of which point we will begin with the tymes from Luthers first change of Religion and so ascend by degrees to the age of the Apostles in the discouery whereof we are to recurre to Ecclesiasticall Writers And thus the ground of beliefe touching this point is heere remoued from Scripture to man yet man is heere belieued to wit in relating whether the true or false fayth was then taught and brought in by reason of the Scripture And first that these Conuersions propagation of the Church any tyme for the space of these last thousand yeares euen vp to the dayes of Boniface the third and Gregory Bishops of Rome were not performed in the Protestant Church is ouer euident from all Ecclesiasticall historyes and records and from the voluntary confessions of learned Protestants so as to find the cōtrary in any approued Authors we may wel make the subiect of our desire but not of our expectation And first for Historyes we Protestants cannot produce any one authenticall history or narration notwithstāding some late effectles attempts of our own Nation in that nature being still in labour of that which I feare will neuer be borne intimating so much And which is more the Protestant Ecclesiasticall Writers do euen particulerly set downe and relate the conuersion of many Countryes made by catholiks euen to their own mayn preiudice heerin But the better to enleuen our discourse with examples where I will omit the subiecting of many vast Countryes to
ministred Touching the doctrine of the inuisiblity of the Protestant Church for many ages we do find our Brother D. Parkins (l) In his exposition of the Creed And Lut. ep ad Argentin sayth Christum à nobis primò vulgatum audemus gloriari thus to write During the space of nine hundred yeares the Popish heresy hath spred it selfe ouer the whole earth And further For many hundred yeares our Church was not visible to the world an vniuersall apostasy ouerspreading the whole face of the earth With whome accordeth D. (m) In his answere to a counterfeit Catholik pag. 16. Fulke saying From the tyme of Boniface the third which was Anno Domini 607. the Church became inuisible and fled into the wildernes there to remaine a long season But M. Napper (n) In his treatise vpon the ReuelatioÌ„ pag. â—8 ryseth higher teaching That between the years of Christ 300. and 316. the Antichristian and Papisticall raigue began raigning â—niuersally without any debatable contradiction one thousand two hundred sixty yeares M. Brocard (o) Vpon the Reuelation p. 110. affirmeth that during the second and third age after Christ the true temple of God and light of the Ghospell was obscured by the Roman Antichrist himselfe But Sebastianus (p) In epistola de abrogandis in vniuersuÌ„ on nibus statutis Ecclesiasticis Francus otherwise a learned Protestant stretcheth farre further saying For certaine through this worke of Antichrist the externall Church togeather with the fayth and Sacraments vanished away presently after the Apostles departure and that for these fourteene hundred yeares the Church hath not beene external and visible with whom conspireth D. (q) In his answere to a counterfeit Catholike p. â—5 Fulke in these wordes The true Church decayed immediatly after the Apostles tyme. A strange and inconsiderate assertion thus to insimulate and charge the tymes next to the Apostles since besides the Scripture (r) Isa 2 Miche as 4 Psalm 19. Matth. 5. witnessing in many places a continuall visibility of the Church and true fayth at all tymes it was Gods good pleasure that his Church concerning true fayth and doctrine should contrary to the course of other things enioy her greatest strength and force in her greatest infancy But to the point From all these testimonyes may be inferred that if the Protestants Church was for so many ages inuisible and that the true fayth and Sacraments thereof were vanished away for so long a tyme then during the length of so many ages there were no Doctours to preach the Protestants fayth nor Pastours to minister their Sacramentes though the same euer to haue beene in the Catholik Church the Protestants forsayd testimonyes do necessarily and implicitely witnes and consequently that the aboue alleadged Prophesy touching the continuance of Pastours Doctours in the Church of Christ at all tymes till the end of the world is not accomplished in the Protestant Church Thus farre heerof only for greater perspicuity I will wind vp the two different parts of all the foresayd Prophesyes in this ensuing argument Then thus It is prophesyed of the true Church of Christ that she must conuert heathen Kinges Kingdomes and Nations vnto her fayth and Religion Aâ— also that she must in all tymes and ages without interruption entoy aflours and Doctours and an administration of the word and Sacraments But by the confessions of our learned Brethren the Protestants the Protestant Church hath neuer as yet conuerted to it any one Heathen King kingdome Nation for many ages togeather by the ProtestaÌ„ts like acknowledgments it hath wanted Doctours and Pastours â—â—preach the Protestants fayth and to minisâ—er the word and Sacraments Therefore the Protestant Church is not that true Church of Christ which is figured out in those foresayd Prophesyes The inference I vrge this I presse in this I make my station It is drawne from acknowledged Scripture on all sides and from the acknowledged sense of the sayd Scripture on all sides Let any learned Protestant or all the learned Protestants liuing sincerely and plainely without subtile euading and declyning the point vrged giue any satisfactory answere heereto and I will indisputably become recreant in my fayth The demonstration is vnauoydable such as that seueral markable ProtestaÌ„ts one way not coÌ„fessing out of their implacable hatred the former Prophesies to be fullfilled in the Catholike Church another seeing by al proofe of historyes whatsoeuer that they haue not beene performed in the ProtestaÌ„t Church 1. s Dauid George Professour at Basil did from hence conclude a thought horrible to be entertained that the Christian Religion as wanting the accomplishments of the foresaid Prophesyes was a false Religion 2. Beruardin Ochine a man highly commeÌ„ded by caliâ—â—n l. de scandalis pag. 111. ouâ— Sauiour a seducer and themselues thereupon sinally became s Iewes I execrate a Iew therefore seeing there is no other Medium I will dye heerein a Roman Catholike 3. Neuserus chiefe Pastour of â—eideâ—hergc 4. Almanus a Zuinglion all which throught the reasons aboue touched forsooke the Christian fayth See of these some others Conradus Schluffelburg in his Theolog. Calu. and Osiander Cent. THE III. MOTIVE That generall Councells confirming Catholike Religion are reiected by Protestants IT is certaine that the spirituall Enemy of mans soule though hating Order yet in impugning the Truth obserueth order For after his reiecting of Canonicall Scripture and expounding falsly by his Ministers confessed scripture he next maketh violent incursions vpon sacred Oecumenicall Councels they being in matters of fayth the highest Iudgements vpon earth whose semences are aboue all appeale and whose testimonyes I hould as so many sealing arguments Therefore I much grieued to find the first and chiefest of our Religion peremptorily to sindicate and censure next to that of the Apostles the first and chiefest generall Councell I meane Luther the Nicen styling it (a) â—uth l. de Concil decrees fâ—enum stramen ligna stipula c. But no meruaile since so long as we continue in condemning the articles of Catholike religion so long are we forced to breake with those Primitiue generall Synods To exemplify in some few for the truths sake though it be more hard to erect a truth by proofes then to confute an errour Who is so Alphabeticall yong a Controuersist but he knoweth that the doctrine of Peters Primacy and his successours is confirmed in the Canons of the second generall (b) Epist ad Damal quae exstat apud Theodor Councell of Constantinople and the third of (c) Apud Eugagrium lib. hist c. 4. Ephesus In the one by plainely acknowledging the doctrine in the other by deposing Nestorius by the authority of the Sea of Rome That Apostolicall traditions are warranted by the first second Nicen Councel the first condeÌ„ning the (d) In actis eiusdem Concii heresy of Arius besydes by Scripture euen by force of Traditions the other (e) Epst.
the sayd Centurists (o) Cent. 2. c. 10. col 107. elswheresty le to be periculosa quasi errorum semina And thus farre for truth of the sacrifice of the Masse from the end of the first foure hundred years euen vp to the dayes of the Apostles though all such testimonyes be reiected by vs Protestants A truth so euident that Caluin (q) Lib. 4. instit c. 18. sect 〈…〉 thus confesseth Veteres illos video c. I doe see that the ancient Fathers did wrest the memory of the Lords supper otherwyse then was agreeing to the institution of the Lord. Since the Fathers supper did beare the show and face of a renewed oblation c. they imitating more neerely the Iewes manner of sacrifycing then either Christ did ordaine or the nature of the Ghospell would suffer Caluin (q) In omnes Pauli epist in Heb. c. 7. pag. â—2â— further charging them That they adulterated the supper of the Lord by adding sacrifice vnto it And Hospinian (r) Histor sacram l. 1. c. 6 p. 20. thus further acknowledgeth I am tum primo illo saculovi uentibus adhuc Apostolis c. Euen in the very first age the Apostles being aliue the Diuell endeauoured to deceaue more about this Sacrament then about Baptisme withdrawing men from the first forme therof To whom Sebastianus (s) Iu epist de abrogaÌ„dis in vniuers omnibus statut Ecclesiast Francus thus accordeth Statim post Apostolos omniae inuersa sunt c. Coena Domini in sacrificium transformatu est Thus farre of the Masse But if we proceed further in a more large ample manner touching the whole body of Catholike Religion taught by the Fathers in generall we shall rest amazed to see what a corrent and inundation of our Brethrens sharp censures do ouerflow the writings of all the Ancient Fathers Sortably heerto to omit the depressing speaches of Luther touching particuler Fathers saying Cyprian (a) Iâ— colloquijs mensal c. de Patribus Eccles lib. de serâ—o arbitrio is a weake Denine I hould Origen long since accursed Basil is of no Worth he is wholy a Monke In the Writinges of Hierome there is not one Word of true sayth in Christ and perfect Religion Tertullian is but superstitious other such base refuse of Inuectiues do we not find Luther (b) Luth. 〈…〉 supra to conclude thus against al the Fathers without exception The Apology of Philip Melancthon doth farre excell all the Doctours of the Church and exceed euen Augustine himselfe And yet further with greater acerbity in these wordes The Fathers (c) Luth. lib. de seruo at bitrio printed an 1â—â—1 pag. 434. of so many ages haue beene plainely blind and most iâ—norant in the Scriptures they haue erred alâ— their life tyme vnles they were amended before their deaths they were neither Saints nor pertayning to the Church See how Apostasy is the Daughter and Mother of Pryde But to proceed further the Archbishop of Canterbary though more mild yet most boldly thus censureth (d) In his defence of the answer to the admonition p 472. 473. the Fathers The doctrine taught and professed by our Bishops at this day is more perfect and sounder then it commonly was in any age after the Aposties c. With which sharp censure Bâ—â—â— (e) In ep theolog ep 1. thus iumpeth If we compa a our â—yâ—es with the tymes next to the Apostles my iudgment is that those tymes had plus conscientiae scientiae minus and we scientiae plus conscientiae minâ—â— Melancthon as loath to be flow in so charitable an act thus (f) In 1. Cor. c. 3. wryteth Presently from the beginning of the Church the ancient Fathers obscured the doctrine concerning Iustification of sayth increased Ceremonyes and deuised peculiar worships D. Humfrey chargeth D. Iewell with great inconsideration in appealing to the Fathers saying He (g) In vita lewel printed at LaÌ„don pag. 212. gaue the Papists too large a scope was iniurious to himselfe and in a manner spoyled himselfe and his Church I will conclude this Scene full of scurility and vn worthy criminations with Doctour Whitakers (h) Contra Durâ—â—um l. 6. pag. 413. saying Ex Patrum erroribus ille Pontificiae religionis cento consequutus est The religion of the Papists is a patched cloath of the Fathers errours sowed togeather Add for the close of all our owne doctryne of the inuisibility of the Church for many ages together euen in those Primitiue tymes for if the Protestant Church during those tymes by our owne frequent Confessions was latent and inuisible as aboue is showed then followeth it that the Fathers of those ages in their wrytings and Commentaryes mantayned not the Protestant but the Catholyke and Roman Religion But heere notwithstanding our absolute disclayming from the Fathers in generall I will annexe as an Appendix one obseruation concerning particulerly Origen Tertullian and Cyprian Fathers of great Antiquity learning and Iudgment It is this These three Fathers erred in certaine points Origen in teaching that the Deuills should in the end be saued Cyprian in Rebaptization Tetullian in denying second Mariages All these three were written against for these their errours by (i) See August against Origen in baeres 43. against Tertul. in haeres â—6 against Cyprian in tom 3. de Baptism l. 2. c. 7. Vide Hier. in l. contr IounianuÌ„ Vigil Vide Epiphan l. de haeresibus Augustine Ierome and other acknowledge mantayners of the Roman Religion Now heer Ivrge Augustine Ierome as is aboue showed are charged by our Brethren as Patrones of Papistry if then Origen Tertullian and Cyprian had dissented from Augustin Ierome and other Fathers in those Catholyke poynts wherewith wee truely charge them no doubt but Augustine and Ierome in their Catalogues of Heresyes would as well haue registed other their opinions for heresyes in which Origen Tertullian Cyprian dissented from them as they did register their three former Heresyes But no such censure or condemnation do we fynd in their wrytings from which we may infallibly conclude that what Articles of the present Roman and Catholike Religion were mantayned by Augustine Ierome and others of those ages wryting of the heresyes of their tymes the same were also taught by the foresaid Origen Tertullia Cyprian Thus much of these three Fathers in whom by the way we may glosse how dangerous it is to shut our sight against the radiant beames of the Churches authority so the eye suddenly comming out from a great light presently seeth worse And heere I am to certify the Reader that some few testimonyes among many others of our owne Brethren alleadged in this treatise I did fynd produced in certaine Catholyke Books but at the first reading of them I rested much doubtfull of the ingenuous playne and true alledging of them till by my owne perusall of our said Brethrens bookes I found them most sincerely vrged
Prayer to Saints S. (r) lib. de ciuit Dei 22. cap. 8. Augustin relating of a holy woman called Palladia being diseased and praying to S. Steuen before his tombe or monument thus writeth Adsanctum Martyrem orare perexerat quae mox vt cancellos attigit collapsa velut ad somnum sana surrexit that is She comming to pray to the holy Martyr and touching the cancels or borders of his monument fell as it were into a sleep or slumber but waking she found her selfe cured of her sicknes Thus Augustine who reporteth this miracle to be done in the presence of himselfe and diuers others Touching the honouring the Reliques of Saints bodyes S. Augustine relateth how at the dead bodyes of Geruasius and Protasius which were many yeares after found incorrupted a blind man receaued his sight A miracle sayth Augustine done at Millan (Å¿) Lib. 9. Confess c. 7. 8. when I was there many people being witnesses thereof S Augustine also (t) Lib. de ciuit Dei 22. c. 8 mentioneth how ten infirme people were in the sight of himselfe and many hundreds more being eyewitnesses therof miraculously cured at the Monument of S. Steuen To be short the working of miracles at the monuments of Saints was so frequent in S. Austines dayes that thus he (u) Aug. vbi supra writeth It would require many bookes to set downe the miracles of healings curings done only at the monument or tombe of S. Steuen A verity so irrefragable and acknowledged by all men of those tymes that D. (x) Contra Duraeum l. 10. pag. 8â—6 Whitaker thus confesseth of this point saying I doe not thinke those miracles vaine which are reported to haue beene done at the monuments of Saints Touching the many Miracles performed by Monkes who confessedly being Catholiks in Religion could not worke any one true Miracle if their Religion were false read (y) Histo l. 4. c. 13. lib. 6.28 Zozomene (z) In vita Hilarion Iereme (a) In his Theoph. Theodoret and (b) Viz. Socrates hist. lib. 4. c. 18. Euagrius hist lib. 6. cap. 22. others besydes our owne Centurists by diuers of which Miracles men were raised from death to lyfe others were cured of diseases by Prayer the raging and inundation of the Sea was suddenly stayed and the lyke But to omit for breuity other infinite Miracles recorded by the Fathers of the Primitiue Church many of them being exhibited in proofe of the Catholyke fayth and all of them performed by men that professed the Catholyke fayth we will descend to these later ages (c) Cent. 4. col 493 by degrees euen to our dayes And first for the space of thirteene hundred yeares next after Christ we will content our selues in that behalfe besydes that which is allready deliuered with the testimonyes and acknoledgments of the Magdeburgenses our Brethren who out of the most approued and authorized Cronicles and wryters do record the miracles of euery age successiuely making the thirteenth chapter of euery Century the subiect thereof To whose wrytings concerning so many ages for greater expedition they being earnest Protestants and enemyes to the Roman Religion I referre the Reader as to so many impartiall witnesses In the fourteenth age many were eminent for working of miracles but especially S. Nicolaus Tolentinas S. Catharine of Siena and S. Bernardinus as Antoninus (d) In 〈◊〉 part histo tit 23. 24. relateth In the fyfteenth age S. Vincentius was celebrious for Miracles as also S. Antonius whose lyfe may be read in Surius And lastly to arryue to this our owne age It is most certaine that S. Franciscus (e) Vide Surium de Paula wrought diuers most stupeÌ„dious miracles also that (f) See the booke of the life of Xauerius Xaucrius the Iesuite in the conuersion of the East Indians did worke the lyke for the more precise examination of whose Miracles by oath (h) See Abraham Hart well his booke heerof seruant to the Archbishop of CaÌ„terbury the King of Portugall did send forth a Commission to his Viceroy there dated in Aprill 1556. the which were so euidently true that D. Whitaker (g) Lib. de Eccles coÌ„t Bellar. p. 353. acknowledging theÌ„ calleth them Antichristian Miracles Againe the Miracles done in Congo in Afrike vpon it Conuersion to the present Roman Religion are diuulged by Protestant g Wryters But we will come neare at home and will somwhat insist in the many astonishing Miracles wrought these late yeares in the low Countryes at Sichem of which forty or aboue are recorded by the learned and eminent man (i) In his booke entituled Diua Sichemiensis siue Aspricollis then being a ProtestaÌ„t Iustus Lipsius then liuing in those Countryes one of too great iudgment to giue credit much lesse to diuulge in print euery fabulous wonder which might come to his eares and a man with whom in my yonger eares I haue had entercourse by letters Therefore we may morally assure our selues that he would not record any one for miracle but such and so himselfe affirmeth as either by his own knowledg were warranted for true himselfe seeing and speaking with the partyes vpon whome the miracles were wrought or by the testimonyes of many Oaths taken before the Magistrats in those places The consideration of which Miracles fortifyed with all probabiltyes of truth whatsoeuer especially either all or most of them consisting in supernaturally curing without any physick incurable diseases hath and doth still much preuayle with me and the more in regard of that great considence of truth which the forsaid Iustus Lipsius showeth in his relation of them for thus he wryteth (k) Vbi supra p. 1. 5. Ecce in oculis auribus omnium gesta ecce concursu plausu fructu gentium celebrata quae sides potest esse in rebus humanis si hac non est and againe Miracula Sichemiensi in agro euenere itemque eueniunt a bitris his sensibus Nos â—idemus nos audimus quis profestus abnuet in so much that in respect of his owne reuerence giuen to the place of Sichem where these miracles were wrought he (l) Vbi supra p â—6 mentioneth that himself made a pilgrimage to it But inough of Sichem and thus far concerning the glorious guyft of working Miracles promised by our Sauiour euer to be in his Church neuer practized as yet by any one ProtestaÌ„t but in all ages peculiar to the Catholyke Church and all this by the playne confessions of vs Protestants Now what can we iustly reply or oppose against the Miracles wrought by the members of the Catholyke Church To deny the working of all such Miracles were to denye all Ecclesiasticall records testimonyes and indeed to take away by the same ground all authority of history either ecclesiasticall or prophane Therefore if we will but ascry be as much credit to the wrytings of Zozomene Augustin Ierome Chrysostom Theodoret Eusebius others of those primitiue
obey the Church in one poynt doth as aboue is said wholy and absolutely contemne all the authority of the Church Againe we fynd the Apostle speaking of the works of the flesh meaning those workes which are committed by wicked men without the assistaÌ„ce of the Holy Ghost thus to wryte (h) Galat. â— The works of the flesh are Adultery Fornication c. Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Debate Emulations Wrath Contentions Seditions Heresyes c. they which do such things shall not inherit the kyngdome of God where we fynd the word Heresy particulerly set down in our English Bibles though the latin word being Sectae is more remisse and therefore increaseth heere the force of our illation Now from hence I thus argue As the Apostle doth in this place pronounce sentence of condemnation against the Sinne of fornication though but once committed so also against but one sect or Heresy Since he heere maketh no mention of the plurality of tymes in committing any Sinne nor of the number of Heresyes before the workers and defendours of them can deserue damnation And thus farre of our Adiaphorists or Neutralls in fayth for I can tearme them no better who though they beleiue some articles that are true yet beleiue those truths falsly as not relying vpon the grounds of beleife to wit God reuealing and the Church propounding And indeed such men if they be punctually examined are found to beleiue nothing but their Sense at most their Iudgment So they giue credit to the matter but not to the Authour and so much euery man affoards to a discredited and blemished witnes Away then among Christians with this tepidity or cold indifferency in fayth which is of that charitable disposition forsooth as to promise that to all others I meane Saluation of which it selfe is not capable Therefore to conclude my last Arrest and sentence heerin it that indifferently to allow all Religion is to take away all Religion and that Neutralisme in fayth finally discargeth it selfe into Libertinisme in maners I will heere stay my Pen passing ouer many other Positions of like nature breathing such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and impossibilityes which we mantayne Only I say as aboue I touched that if we ballance them with the most abstruse difficultyes to be found in the Catholyke Religion yea with those in the doctryne of the Reall Presence we may conclude that those more easely may become the Obiect of our beleife and so to be beleiued then these and other such lyke exorbitant grosse and absurd Assertions or Connexions of ours Since those former only transcend Reason these manifestly impugne Reason By beleiuing the first we forbeare to be Heathens by beleiuing these other we cease to be Men Those do aduance and magnify in Man the power of God these obliterate and deface in him by giuing assent thereto the Image of God To be short those may be apprehended by the light of fayth these are euen incompatible with the light of our Vnderstanding THE VIII MOTIVE Deceites and sleights practised by Protestant VVryters I HAVE euer beene of mind that matters of Religion are to be proceeded in with a fearefull and innocent pen and that who approacheth thereto ought with (a) Exod. cap. 3. Moyses to put their shooes off their feet the place wherin they stand being holy ground that is ought to cast off al imperfections of intended calumnyes impostures and other fraudes in regard of the venerable subiect to be intreated of I would to God I could not iustly charge my owne brethren with faultines heerein so exempting them out of the number of those who to vse the Prophets phrase Dolosam (b) Ose 12. calumniam diligunt But it falleth out far otherwise to their dishonour and my griefe since if tryall be made we shall find many Babylonians to dwell in our supposed Hierusalem Our owne fraudulent deportements in this great busines of Religion great in that it concerns our soules interminable weale or woe haue much disedifyed me begetting at the first in me a staggering opinion whether that can be Truth which needeth such supporters of deceite and collusion I will exemplify in diuers And to omit our pretence of the Priuate spirit for the auoyding of all authorityes as already discouered aboue The first kind of these shall concerne the English translation of our Bibles The sleight consisteth in translating such texts as mention Traditions and merit of Workes I will heer forbeare to show how the Scripture (c) Ioan. â—ic 1. Thess 2. commandeth vs not to relye only vpon Scripture or how our men haue borrowed our fayth heerein from the old Heretikes Nestorius (d) Vt habetur in sexto Synodo act 1. and Dioscorus so as we receaue by Tradition to reiect Traditions The imposture only in translating it is wherein I now dwell Whereas then the new Testament maketh relation of good traditions and bad wicked and Iewish traditions expressing them both by one and the same greeke word to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifyeth Traditio Now our English translations in such (e) 1. Cor. 2. I pray you Brethren that you be mindfud of mâ— and as I haue deliuered vnto you you kâ—ep my OrdinaÌ„ces The lâ—ke translating of the word Ordinances is in 2. Thess 2. texts wherein are vnderstood good and profitable Traditions doe translate insteed of the word Traditions the word Ordinances But where the texts speake of wicked (f) Matth. 15 VVhy doe you transgresse the CommandmeÌ„ts of God by your Traditions and friuolous Traditions there they remember precisely to set downe in their translations the right word Traditions and not the word Ordinances or any other word in lieu of it as may be seene in these Textes quoted But this I feare was done in dislike of Apostolical traditions that so the ignorant Reader should neuer find the word tradition in Scripture in a good sense but alwayes in a bad and disallowed Though now in our last translation but not in any former for the better plaistering of the matter we put in the margent of such texts speaking of godly Traditions the word Traditions The like course we take in translaring the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying dignus in english worthy and the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be made worthy for in those Texts (g) Luc. 21. watch at alâ—ryâ—as praying that you may be accounted worthy to stand befor the sonne of God The like iâ— done in the Greeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Luc. 20. 2. Thess 1. which concerne merit of workes wherein these forsayd wordes are vsed we translate them to seeme to be worthy and to seeme only to be made worthy therby to weaken such texts for the prouing of merit of Workes But in other Texts (h) O how much forer punishment shall he be worthy which tredeth vnder foot the son of God not touching the doctrine of merit we can be content to
Vocation and Mission and yet withall most vncertaine in it selfe since euery Heretyke stamping any new blasphemyes whatsoeuer may with the lyke indifferency and freedome assume to himself this extraordinary Calling or Mission to preach his said blasphemyes And thus far heerof where we see that without any example since the Apostles tymes till the dayes of Luther we reduce the warraÌ„tablenes of our owne Callinge to the Ministery to our owne bate and naked iustifying of it as at other tymes we presume to recall the authority of the Scripture the exposition of confessed Scripture the testimonyes of the Fathers and the continuall practise of the whole Church to the ballance and examination of our owne priuate Spirit Such a Fastus Magistrality we do take to our selues in laying the first fundamentall stones of Protestancy But in the last place when all other shews of answers are wanting rhen we flatly peremptorily reiect their authorityes pronouncing them to be absolute maÌ„tayners of Papistry Touching our sharp seuere condemnations passed vpon them both in particular and in generall I referre the Reader to the former chapter concerning our reiecting of the Fathers But euen heer we show our selues not impoliticke and thus we varnish ouer our bad cause with this borrowed colour When our Aduersaryes charge vs for reiecting the Fathers testimonyes in proofe of the present Roman Religion our accustomed shift is to turne the question controuerted from the authority of the Father alleadged to the authority of the Scripture saying in such and such a doctrine the Papists relye vpon the Fathers men subiect to errour whereas we (a) Answerabey heereto Beza thus sayth If any shal oppose against me the authority of the encient Fathers I do appeale to the word of God So related by D. Bancroft in his Suruey p. 219. Protestants in the same poynts rest vpon Scripture thus subtilly making an Antithesis opposition between the Scripture and the Fathers And we appeale to all learned men say they whether the Scripture is not to be preferred before the Fathers This reason in a cleare eye is transparent for the Question heere is not whether the Scripture is to be preferred before the Fathers since the Catholyks grant that the Scripture as being most diuyne certaine and infallible is to ouerballance by infinite degrees all other wrytings whatsoeuer but the touch of the point heere controuerted is whether the auncient Fathers vrging the Scripture are to be preferred before the Protestants vrging the Scripture that is whether the expositions of the Fathers giuen vpon places of scripture in proofe of the Papists religion as we call them are to ouersway the contrary expositions of the same texts giuen by our nouellizing Brethren And heere the question resteth But I will close this poynt touching the Fathers with a cautelous and pregnant obseruation of our Brethren Whereas we reiect the Fathers for maintayning the Papists religion the articles of the same religion as they are beleiued by our Aduersaryes we (b) This different apâ—ellation is precisely obserued by Illyriâ—us and the other Century wryters by D. VVhitak and by diuers other ProtestaÌ„ts vsually tearme Heresyes Idolatry blasphemyes c. therby to show that the Papists are no members of Christs Church the which very articles being taught by the Fathers we gently style them in the Fathers naeuos naeniae and at the most eâ—rores sears blemishes and errours to the end to intimate that we do not separate our selues from that Church in which the Fathers are Deceitfully and withall vnlearnedly either Heresyes in all or but blemishes and errours in all since it is the doctryne which denominates and giues appellation to the Man not the Man to the doctryne Hitherto we haue taken in part a view of the seuerall sleights practized in our answeres to the Catholyks authorityes Next we will call to mynde our lyke carriage houlden by vs in impugning our Aduersaryes and their doctryne And first touching Councells or Definitions of the Pope When we make show to produce either of these authorityes against the Catholykes we commonly vrge some Prouinciall or Nationall Councell vnder the name of a generall Councell the difference wherein an ignorant Reader doth not easily discouer Or els we produce some one or other Councell which for number of Bishops assembled may be tearmed Generall yet Schismaticall that is a Councell not celebrated and allowed by the cheife Pastours of Gods Church and thus we vrge the Councell of Constantinople assembled against the doctrine touching Images Anno Dom. 730. it being very numerous but celebrated without the authority of the Pope or any Patriarch the Patriarch of Constantinople only excepted who for assenting to the Councell was depriued of his Patriarchship Sometymes againe we insist in the authority of a lawfull generall Councell to proue the beginning of som poynt of our Aduersaryes doctrin but then our vrging of it is commonly attended on with a wilfull mistaking for the Councell doth but only first impose the name of the article the doctryne it self being beleiued many ages before Thus doth D. (c) Lib 7. contra Duraeum pag 480. Whitaker besyds diuers others of vs alleadg the Councell of Lateran for bringing first in the doctrine of Transubstantion Whereas this Councell only imposed the name of Transubtantiation as the Councell of Nice did the name of Trâ—nity the doctryne being receaued longe afore the doctryne of Transubstantiation being generally many ages afore beleiued and taught by Cyrill (d) Peter Martyr contra Gardiner part 4. p. 724. Cyprian (e) The treatise attributed to Vrsinus called Commonefactio cuiâ—sdaÌ„ Theologi de sancta Coena p. 2.1 Eusebius (f) Centurists Ceut 4. col 10. pag. 980. Emissenus (g) Centurists Cent. 5. col 517. Chrysostome (h) D. Humfrey Iesuit sm part 2 â—at 5. Gregory the great euen by our owne Confessions When we obiect the Decree of any Pope thereby to shew the first Institution of such a Catholyke poynt we often make choyce of some Catholyke articles where the Decree of the Pope toucheth only the execution or practise of the doctrine afore partly intermitted through negligence and not the doctryne it self In this sort we fynd D Whitaker who hath much dishonored his good parts by these vnworthy proceedings to alledge Innocentius the third Pope of that name saying (i) Contrâ— Duraeum l. 7. p. 490. Innocentius the third was the first that instituted anâ—icular Confession for necessary Whereunto our Aduersaryes doe answere that this Innocentius commanded that the practise of Confession should be better and more often obserued they further prouing euen by the confession of our owne Centurists that Tertullian and Cyprian who liued longe before Innocentius the third did teach to vse the Centurists (k) Cent. 3. c. 6. c. 27. words Confession euen of thoughts and lesser Sinnes With the same fraud doth e D. Whitaker charge Pope Calixius (l) Lib 7. centra
and vertually only others which is the more sound opinion that he descended in soule and really But all of them belieue that there was a true Lymbus Patrum which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or conclusion it selfe from whence Christ deliuered the soules of the Patriarks And I referre to any schollers iudgment this inference Some Papists do teach belieue that Christ did descend into Lymbus Patrum only vertually or efficaciously others and this with farre greater consent that he descended in soule and really Ergo some of them doe belieue there was not a Lymbus Patrum exorbitantly concluded To this Head may also be referred how our Protestant (y) D. Iewell in his Apology of the Church of England p. 96. D. Fulke in his answere to a counterfeit Catholike pag. 65. D. VVillet in his Synops p. 60. Doctours they are not ashamed to vrge it and yet I am halfe ashamed but to relate it for proofe of disagreements in Catholyke Religion haue obiected the diuers Religious Orders in the Church of Rome to wit that some are Bernardins other Franciscans and the lyke some goe in blacke other in graye or whyte these doe eate flesh those do not c. These argumentes as discouering our extreme penury of better stuff were far more conueniently forborne then insisted vpon fince they proue no contrariety at all in matters of fayth for they all beleiue the same articles of Catholyke Religion but only do show who were the first beginners of those Orders and that some members of the Catholyke Church do liue in a more gentle and remisse others in a more strict and seuere degree of deuotion and Vertue lyke the Centurion and Zachaeus who by different wayes honored Christ Neuertheles they all take the three essentiall Vowes I meane of Chastity Pouerty and Obedience necessary to euery Religious Order and by their first Institution do spend much tyme in Prayer which is the Winge of the Soule much tyme in fasting and other corporall chastisements the winges of Prayer good Men still mortifying both body and Soule their Will being indeed to deny their Will and their freedome consisting in restraint of Liberty comforting themselues with that sentence of Augustin Omnia inucnit an Deâ— qui propter Deum â—mnia relinquit And thus far hereof Concerning the Markes of the Church what stratagems of wit do we vse Do we (z) So teacheth D. VVhitguift in his defence of the answer p. 81. Calu. insti c. 1 sect â—â— D. VVhitaker cont Campian rat â— pag. 44. and others not mantayne as a Cardinall poynt of our Profession that the true preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments are the only signes of the true Church to distinguish it from all false Synagogues and hereticall Conuenticles To what end are these erected by vs for Notes To the end forsooth that our selues alone may be the sole iudges which is the true Church For we reiect all authority of Fathers Councells and practise of Gods Church in teaching when and where the Word is truly preached and the Sacraments duly ministred and in the closure of all we will suffer no other Iudgments then our owne to passe vpon these poyntes though euery registred Heretyke may and will with as great confidence in his owne Opinion challenge these Notes to his Church and Professours as we do And thus by these Meandrian wynding we reduce the knowing which is the true Church vnto the graue Appeale made to our owne Priuate Spirit aboue discouered within the vast Circumference whereof this particuler Collusion besydes many others is contayned I haue beene ouer longe in reuealing our owne blemishes and scarrs so Light discouereth Shame and indeed I greiue as tendring my Brethrens reputation that so vnworthy a subiect should so longe arrest my Pen. Therefore I will close vp in few words diuers other sophistications subtiltyes practized by vs both in impugning and answering our Aduersaryes As how we are accustomed to depraue either by adding to or concealing part of the sentence in the testimonyes of the Authors produced by vs I speake confidently for vpon my owne knowledge we Protestants rest inexcusable heerin As also how after the end of the authority produced in a different letter we begin with some few short words of our owne directly against Catholyke Religion causing them to be printed in the lyke different letter that so the Reader through diuersity of the letter may take them for the words of the for mer alledged Authour And if we be expostulated thereof we then ascrybe it to the Printers ouersight And for the better preuenting of all discouery thereof as also when we vrge some authorityes without corrupting the words yet insisted vpon by vs most differently from the Authours mynd we often allâ—adg the Authours name only but without any citation of the Booke where such words are to be found and if of the Booke yet without noting the chapter of solio or if with noting the folio yet not shewing what edition when their are diuers we do follow seeing the same sentence or authority in seuerall Editions is to be found in seuerall folios Also I briefly passe ouer how ambitiously and affectedly we fill the margents of our Bookes with numberles citations of Texts of Scripture meerely impertinent for proofe of the poynt questioned but seruing only to cast dust to the eyes of the ignorant How in refuting our Aduersaryes Booke when we seeme to answere to some obiected Authority or argument we often giue slip to the authority or point produced and either by degrees flye to the state of the Question as though afore it were not acknowledged or to the Scripture the accustomed Ocean of Heretyks wherein they may wander vp and downe at large or to some by-circumstance (a) Hier. in epist ad Paulinum Sola ScripturariÌ„â— ars est quam sibi passim omnes vendicantâ— bane garrutâ— anus hanc destrus Senex hane Sophista verbosus hanc vniuersi praesumuÌ„t lacerant docent â—n requam discunt meerely accessory to the doubt there controuerted or vse longe and extrauagant discourses ambages of Words and all this to entertayne the Reader therewith that so vnespyedly we may diuert the Readers eye and memory being thus fixed vpon our digressions from the Authority or Reason alleadged And finally how in our Answering we still set down in our books only such passages of our Aduersaryes wrytings whereunto we are able to giue best colour of answere concealing the most materiall and forcing proofes and arguments of our Aduersaryes said Books Or if pretending integrity we do reprint our Aduersaryes Books at large then we commonly make choyce of a very darke and litle Character or letter for it therby more easily to withdrawe the Readers eye from perusing it at full our owne answere thereto being set downe in a fayre large and pleasing letter or Print So cautelous and subtill we are in our proceedings heerin But inough of this