derogatory from the maiesty of the diuine word to be conceaued in the spirit of man no more then it was from the Maiesty of the Sonne of God to be conceaued in the wombe of the B. Virgin Mary and that as there the Eternall Word was inuested with humane flesh so heere in these spirits of men as in the wombe of the Church the Word of God sowne by the holy Ghost should be inuested with humane notion and brought forth to light of the world in the guise of humane speach and voyce In which sense we may interprete that testimony of the holy Baptist Ego vox clamantis I am the voyce of the cryer as his voyce was the inuesture of that Word of the holy Ghost crying in the desert by which it was conueyed to the eares of mortall men so is the voyce and declaration of the Church the meanes by which the Word of God and all Truth contained in it is conueyed to our soules and vnderstandings And as that cry of the Holy Ghost was first conceaued in the spirit of the Baptist then vttered by his voyce to the world so these Scriptures were first conceaued in the Church those Apostolicall spirits in which they were first imprinted and inuested if I may so speak by the operation and Energy of that fire which appeared in tongues afterwards vttered vpon due occasions in words and writings As therefore those of that tyme heard the voyce of that cryer in the desart from the mouth of the Baptist so all Christians heare and must heare the word of God and diuine truth by the mouth of the Church Well then what this man so confidently auerreth that there is no ground yea that no ground can be pretended why we should hold Gods Church for so he must say if he say any thing against what his Aduersary sayes infallible vnles we first belieue the Scripture diuine I as confidently deny And for as much as respects priority or antecedency of beliefe since the Scripture as I haue said is no other word but what the Church hath and daily doth vtter vnto vs whether historicall or dogmaticall or howsoeuer first conceaued in the vnderstanding and spirit of the Church it followeth that as we haue receaued it vpon her credit telling and teaching vs that it is diuine so we must à Priori belieue the Church as infallible witnes or reporter before we can belieue the infallibility of Scripture which she reporteth it followeth also that we must belieue the Church interpreting the Scripture for it is incredible that any other man should better vnderstand what I speake according as I haue conceaued or what I meane by the words I speake then I my selfe the speaker who only intend to vtter my conceipt It followeth yet further that although there were no Scripture and these Christian Verities had descended to vs only by Tradition and by the testimony of former ages transmitting them successiuely from Christ to this present age we should be bound to belieue the Church that is that continued succession of men belieuing those Christian Verities vnles we will say there was no obligation vpon men to belieue in God and to worship him according to that beliefe before the tyme of Moyses before the Scriptures were For was not Circumcision obligatory before Moyses and was not the posterity of Abraham obliged to belieue and practise that tradition as of diuine authority of which our Sauiour sayth Moyses dedit rebis Circumcisionem non quia ex Moyse est sed ex Patribus He will say You proue the Church infallible by Scriptures your Scriptures must be first belieued infallible I answer we proue this out of Scriptures against such as professe to belieue Scriptures not the Church as out of their owne principles it followeth not thence that we first belieue the Scripturs diuine or infallible For though in methode of confuting such Aduersaries we begin with the Scriptures yet in the methode of belieuing we begin from the Church vpon whose credit we belieue the Scriptures to be diuine and according to this method commencing from the Church Christian fayth was first propagated among nations and imbraced by Heathens Nor will it be to the purpose to reply that Heathens were induced to belieue by reason of miracles This I say is not to the purpose how the Church gained this credit but hence it is inferred that in regard of Christian Beliefe the Church had the Precedency before Scriptures that is the Church was belieued before the Scriptures were belieued Wherefore to conclude this point if it be impiety not to belieue Scriptures as no doubt it is yet it is an impiety no way deducible from this doctrine that the beliefe of an infallible Church is precedent to the beliefe of Scriptures But it is not hard to conceaue by the very carriage of the busines as he handles it what he driues at in all this discourse which is indeed to euacuate all authority both of Church and Scriptures and vpon the ruines of both to build the Godles Socinianisme Therefore all inferences which may seeme any way to perplexe Christian doctrine or force it into straits are his aduantages It was the prudent industry of the Roman Consull to prouoke Catiline whose secret practises and designes vpon the Common-Wealth he had vnderstood into open warre and rebeilion for he supposed no Cittizen would then appeare in his defence or make the oppression of a Tyrant his quarrell As no man would approue the fyering of the house wherein himselfe were or wracking the shippe wherein he sayled himselfe I suppose likewise if this pretended Champion for Protestancy were once discouered and strip't to the naked truth of what he is indeed that is as I haue said a very Socinian Mole vnderworking euen Protestancy it selfe and all Religion no Protestant who hath any zeale of the Religion he professeth would euer be seene in his patronage nor willingly I thinke in his company nor would he vouchsafe the ordinary greeting or salutation as good-morrow Ep. 2. Joan. to him who acknowledgeth neither day nor morning of Christian religion or God saue you to him who doubts whether there be any such thing as God Saluation nor would they thinke him fit to conuerse among Christians who hath disputed himselfe out of all termes of Christian commerce and conuersation His Calumny concerning Protestants reputed Atheists c. by Catholiques SECT XXVIII Pref. YOu say fifthly and lastly sayth this Aduocate with confidence in abundance that none can deny the infallible authority of your Church but he must abandone all infused fayth and true religion if he de but vnderstand himselfe Answ This Aduocate himselfe is no small part of proof of the truth of this Hypothetique who since he hath relaps't from this doctrine of infallible authority of the Church hath withall disclaimed all infused fayth as his Aduersary hath charged him vpon information more then credible wherin that is in abandoning both I confesse
the wynd a fancy an opinion alterable with euery change of imagination nay with euery alteration of affection So what is Anathema to day Cell lib. ◠c. 5. in the worse sense an imprecation or execration may be to morrow Anathema in the better sense that is a consecration what to day is a curse way be a blessing to morrow Nor is it easy to conceaue in whether sense he takes Anathema by way of cursing or blessing For I vehemently suspect he neuer meant to curse the fauourer's of those opinions to whom I doubt not but he wishes as to himselfe yea and whose deferts towards himself haue gain'd no small interest title to his well wishings wherfore what he sayth He who holds so let him be Anathema may in the Socinian intendment be no more but this he who hold's so long may he liue Yet for a more expesse discharging himself from all imputations of this nature namely of such as charge him with deniall of supernaturall Verities what sayth he marry He belieues all those book 's of Scripture which the Church of England account's Canonicall Pref. to be the infallible word of God Answ You see the Resolution of his Fayth into the Authority of the Church of England Where you may note that he sayth not that he belieues it infallibly or that those bookes are infallibly the word of God but that they are the infallible word of God where that infallible is a meere fallacious Pleonasme a redundant and superfluous accession to the word of God Whence it followeth only that he belieues this with a fallible Fayth and therefore no diuine Fayth which he doth consequently to his principles for holding the motiue of his beliefe that is the authority of the Church of England as of all other Churches to be but fallible and capable of errour his beliefe can haue no greater assurance then that motiue hath But then it followeth that he hath no infallible assurance of these Bookes that they are the word of God Ergo he hath no assurance that the contents of these Bookes are supernaturall Verities or Verities at all Ergo with this may stand his deniall of supernaturall Verities And that you may Vnderstand that he belieues the aforesaid Verities with a Socinian fayth only he ioyneth in one and the same tenure of beliefe things euidently contayned in those Canonicall Bookes with things probably deducible from the same Whence thus I argue If he belieues as his words expresse things euidently contained in those Bookes with no more assurance then he belieues things euen probably deducible thence then he belieues neither with assurance of diuine fayth Ergo he belieues them not as supernaturall Verities to the beliefe of which humane fayth can neuer ascend as being out of the reach and extent of all such Fayth therefore as yet and by this profession he hath not cleared himselfe from the imputation of Socinianisme and Infidelity An Act of Parlament the motiue of his beliefe His fallacious refuge SECT XXXVIII Pref. FVrthermore I acknowledge all that to be Heresy which by the Act of Parliament primo Elizabethae is declared to be so Answ With this acknowledgment may well consist the deniall of all supernaturall verities according to my former deduction And this is surely a strong presumption that he belieues an act of Parlament with no greater assurance then the decrees of a Generall Councell yea and that he belieues the Parlament rather then a Generall Councell shews that such his beliefe is grounded vpon his affection not his iudgment for no poyse of iudiciall motiues can preponderate or sway him rather towards a Parlament Wherefore since none of these motiues or authorities yield him assurance that such contents of Canonicall Bookes are supernaturall verities it followeth no way out of his beliefe of these that he belieues any supernaturall verity as such Ergo notwithstanding this profession he is a Socinian still Which though it be so yet I will not do him wrong nor say he hath effected nothing by this his syncere profession and acknowledgment But what hath he done Forsooth he hath cuningly put himself vnder the wing's of the State he hath retired himself into the sanctuary of Protestancy by this meanes he hath ingaged them in his quarrell whose religion he professeth so that whatsoeuer inconuenience as irreligion nullity of diuine fayth lastly Socinianisme it self shall be deduced as consequent out of his disclaiming the authority of the Cath. Church and acknowledging a Parlamentary religion and authority in determining Canonicall Scripture declaring Heresies must fall first vpon the English Protestants and must be answered by them Thus while he endeauours to bring himself off fairely from those foule aspersiōs he draw's them on whom he pretends to vindicate and thus he brings about his owne ends and couertly aduanceth his owne designe which is to ruine all Religion His fallacious Hypocrisy SECT XXXIX WHat he talkes of retaining liberty in points which may be diuersly held satuâ fides compage the iuncture or structure of fayth remaining safe is a ridiculous Hypocrisy in him who endeauours by his doctrine and principles to demolish the very foundation of Christian Fayth which is the infallibility of diuine Reuelation I meane the infallibility of that authority which declares it to be such and consequently that vnquestionable certainty vpon which Christian Fayth relyeth being taken away not to leaue one stone vpon another in this earthly or militant Hierusalem in the building of Fayth And can you haue further patience to heare any more of his Sophistique Hypocrisy For he know's that all Christiās would spit defiance in his face should he not seeme to speak somewhat like a Christian Pref. Yet thus much I can say quoth he which I hope will satisfy any man of reason that whatsoeuer hath beene held necessary to saluation either by the Catholique Church of all ages or by the consent of Fathers measured by Vincentius Litinensis his rules or is held necessarie either by the Catholique Church of this age or by the consent of Protestants c. That against the Socinians and all others I do verily belicue and imbrace Answ Can any man belieue he writes what he thinkes if he vnderstand what he writes For who doubts but the Catholique Church of all ages hath held the beliefe of an infallible Church as a point of Christian Fayth For how could the Catholique Church gathered togeather in Generall Councels anathematize and condemne whosoeuer refused to subscribe to her decrees in points of fayth had not the same Church supposed her self to haue infallible authority for all such decisions and decrees Therefore he who belieues what the Catholique Church holds necessary to be belieued belieues this Now obserue in these very words by the Catholique Church of this age or by the consent of Protestants how he makes the Protestants a member of his diuision a part from the Catholiques Wherein also he preuaricates egregiously
after the vulgar sense and acceptation of words run far wide and short of his meaning when we thinke we are at his heeles For if I be not much mistaken he is euen now closely lurking in Socinianisme while we follow him in the knowne way of Protestancy Now in good Socinianisme or true Atheisme all Heresy as supposed criminall and in the odious and ordinary acception of the word is only a colour and pretence hauing in it selfe no reality or substance of crime For these Nullifidians as they know no such vertue as Fayth so they acknowledge no such Vice as Heresy For in their Sceptique or Pyrrhonian way all assensions are but opinions all Visa are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Vision but Apparition Will you haue the Character of a Socinian Take it in briefe and for this tyme in part He is a thing that neither see 's nor hear's nor smelles nor feeles nor tast's any thing nor vnderstands any thing but is only so affected as though he saw heard felt c. He is therefore a quasi animal and a quasi man and a quasi Christian nothing without a quasi or a quasi nothing and a quasi any thing He will giue no iudgment at all of any thing he will not say the Crow is blacke to day for feare he may say to morrow this a swan nor that hony is sweet to day least it may seeme gall to morrow For all obiects affect their senses not by what they are in themselues but as the senses are formerly affected which affection or disposition may vary daily which variance or mutation because they foresee not therefore they can promise you no opinion of theirs for to morrow no more then the Wether-cock can tell you which way it shall stand when the wind blowes next They deny as peremptorily as they can that there are ten Predicaments for whatsoeuer may fall vnder sense or vnderstanding belongs to one Predicament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing but relation So Fayth then with such men is but a Fancy as the obiect that beget's it but a phantome a thing not so but only seeming so Aske him then what he think 's of any Christian doctrine whether he belieue three persons one God the Sonne of God Incarnate or that he was borne of a Virgin c rather then he will seeme headlong or a spend-thrift of his iudgment rather then he will be thought so vnwise he will as a lesse disgrace be thought no Christian therefore he will answere you so very readily as you shall see he doth it easily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ti 's no more so then so Or neither so nor so With this briefe sentence of absolution they quit all Heresy nor will it be prophane in them to whom nothing is holy to say to Heresy smiling sweetly vpon her as she stand's at the barre mulier vbi sunt qui te accusant nemo te condemnauit woman where or who are thy accuser's and her to answere nemo Domine none but Papists my Lord no Socinian my Lord Neque ego te condemno nor do I condemne thee thou art as true to me as the most Orthodoxe opinion of Christianity Vade in pace Fallacy of Diuision SECT XIX ANother Fallacy I meet with euen in this place which we may rank with Fallacies of Diuision For where his Aduersaries discourse hath his Arguments or reasons of proofe in ioynt connexion and immediate subsecution of his Position there this Sophister seuer's and deuides the proofe from the Position disioynting and dismembring them into so many senerall and disparate propositions without any relation or discursiue consecution of the one from the other which Fallacy though it may seeme to fall naturally from the spring and spirit of Heresy and Schisme which in their very Notion and Etimology import diuison yet I make no doubt but it was voluntary heere and of choyce hauing in it the Authors ends which were I doubt not to weaken his Aduersaries discourse as if he would vnty the faggot the more easily to breake the single stick 's which in the whole faggot he could not do His aduersaries position was this The doctrine of Protestants followed closely and coherently to it selfe induceth Socinianisme and particularly their doctrine denying infallibility of the Visible Church of Christ This proposition he proueth immediatly For if the infallibility of such a publique authority be once impeached what remaineth but that euery man is giuen ouer to his owne wit and discourse c. This reason he sorth with declaring and confirming by other reasons with close compacture and consistency of discourse because it was strong Pede pes iunctusque viro vir he fraudulently dissolues and discomposeth hoping perchance by a semblable sleight and finesse the like fortune and successe of that one suruiuing Roman Champion against the three Albane Curiaty whome by a guilefull flight hauing deuided by competent distances he return's vpon them so singled slew them one after another whom in ioynt combat he durst not deale withall Which hope notwithstanding hath frustrated this Champion nor could he indeed in reason expect the happy successe of the Roman combattant who fight 's against Rome against whose Fayth the power of hell shall not preuaile Do but cast your Eye if you please vpon these reasons euen as they lye apart and loosely and of purpose scattered by this Aduocate Inuenies etiam disiecti membra Quiritis you shall find in euery limbe a Catholique verity too strong for him to breake though single As where his Aduersary sayth for if this infallibility be once impeach't c. he omits the connecting particle for importing a reason of the immediately preceding position thus You say againe confidently that if this infallibility c. Pres Againe when his Aduersary adioyneth in confirmation of this reason For if the true Church may erre c. we are still deuolued either vpon the priuate spiret or else vpon naturall wit for determining what Scriptures contatuâ— true or false doctrine c. He hath it thus You say thirdly with sufficient cousidence Pref. that iâ— the true Church may erre c. Where his Aduersary addeth in further confirmation of this And indeed take away the authority of Gods Church no man can be assured that any booke of Scripture was written by diuine inspiration c. this man thus Pref. You say fourthly with conuenient boldnes that this infallible authority of your Church being deâ—yed no man can be assured c. Where you may also obserue a false trick by the way to make his Aduersaries words carry a more odious sound to Protestant eares for he sayth not take away the authority of our Church but take away the authority of the Church of God which he therfore the rather sayth God's Church then our Church because he takes not that here as granted by the Protestant that our Church is Gods Church but only shew's heere the necessity of an
infallible Church which soeuer that be Nor will it help this Aduocate that soone after his Aduersary as it were directing his speach to Catholiques calleth that Church our Church for to Catholiques this needed no further proofe who belieue it already Whence with them he might presume it as granted according to that of S. Paul sapientiam lequimurinter perfectos we vtter wisedome diuine truth among those who belieue it reseruing that doctrine that our Catholique Roman Church is the true Church of God to the proper place as to be proued against Protestants But you shall take him very often faultring in this Fallacy Fallacy ante-dating his Aduersaries order and therefore seldome answering to the subiect in hand whereof hereafter instances will occurre very plentifully He wil say perhaps he hath fore-inserted his Aduersaries discourse entire and as it lye's in his owne Booke but to this I say againe he answer's is not as it lyes there but misordreth it to his aduantage euen as formerly ordred by himselfe For according to faire play and ingenuous behauiour although he might do well in answering the whole discourse by retaile or by parts yet he should haue taken notice of the relation and connexion of one part with another and so haue answered reason's as reasons positions as positions and not haue made euery reason a position I know he hath learned to analize a Discourse better then so and would esteeme it poore Anatomy only to dissect limbe from limbe ioynt from ioynt and neuer shew the naturall commissure and compacture of limbe with limbe ioynt with ioynt nor distinguish them according to their true Nomenclature and their seuerall both proper absolute relatiue functions But he as though the dissected were only bellua multorum capitum a beast with many head 's so he lectures vpon legs thighs belly eyes eares armes c. all vnder one appellation of Head as though all the parts and members were heads for iust so he hath anatomiz'd his Aduersaries context of speach making euery part as it were a seuerall head and why Because as in a naturall body by reason of that due order and composure of members a certaine mutuall intelligence of influences and sympathies of the members betweene themselues is entertained of which mutuall intelligence and influence depends the life and vigor of euery part and ioindy of the whoâ—e body so in the body of a rationall discourse there is the like influence of one part into another and one part vpholds strengthneth the other and to take away this mutuall correspondence and relation is to take away the very harmony of discourse none who know's what he doth will do it but he who intends to marre the musicke or loues discords and iarrings better then harmony For to this purpose which I haue said what other can be imagined he hath deuided those reasons and confirmations of his Aduersaries position into so many heads or propositions distinguishing them not only by numbers as you say first Pref. and you say againe you say thirdly then fourthly then fiftly but also by seuerally varying the odious phrase as you say confidently inough then you say with sufficient confidence thirdly you say with conuenient boldnes fourthly you say with confidence in abundance when all is indeed but one thing said the Proposition with some few proofes adioyned Yet the fauourers of his cause and person would easily pardon this poore peece of Sophistry or waue it at the least had he achieued his intent by this but now Cuibone what hath he got by this Nihil omnibus actum Tantorum Impensis operum With so much ado with so great expence of honesty and ingenuity laid out vpon a miserably Fallacy to do nothing is intollerable had he yet ouerthrowne those scattered forces or made something of his owne dissections more then a dissector of an oxe can doe now for my part I had no other drift but only to note his Fallacies and Calumnies and to do more in shewing his weake attempts vpon these disranked and dissected parts as they are singly encount'erd by him would proue an enterprise much more easy then needfull Yet because I haue shew'n his insufficiency against his first Prosection which is his Aduersaries Position whereof the ensuing members are as I haue said the proofes I will only employ a dash of pen vpon what he hath against the rest and the rather because I assure my selfe that euen in these too I shall meet with Calumnies and Fallacies these being indeed as the very soule or the naturall and proper language of his pen without which it cannot speake His Answers to his Aduersaries Arguments Fallacious or none SECT XX. Pref. YOu say sayth he againe if this infallibility be once impeach't euery one is giuen ouer to his owne wit and discourse To this he answer's by a distinction Giuen ouer to his owne wit and discourse not guiding it selfe by Scriptures he denyes this to be consequent to infallibility of the Church so impeach't giuen ouer to discourse that is right reason sanaratio say the Socinians grounded on diuine reuelation and common notions consequent deductions from them he denies this consequent to be inconnenient though it follow of the infallibility of the Church denied Answ Now this euasion his Aduersarie foresaw and therfore barred the passage which barre this nimble Aduocate slily skip's ouer taking no notice of it The barre of preuention was this And talke not here so his Aduersatie of Scripture for if the true Church may erre either in defining what Scripture is Canonicall or in deliuering the sense and meaning thereof we are still deuolued either vpon the priuate spirit or esse vpon naturall wit and iudgment What place then for discourse guided by diuine reuelation in colâ—erence of their doctrine who take away the meanes of knowing what reuelation is diuine Either materially in regard of the Canonicall Scripture or formally in regard of the true sense and interpretation of such Scriptures whereof neither the one nor the other can be afcertained without the infallible authority of the Church the only meanes to arriue to this certainty Wherefore if the man be in his wits he will find out his guide and know him to be a sure guide before he put himselfe into his iourney otherwise both the guide and guided may fall into a ditch whence neither his Logick-rules nor all his consequent deductions with twenty ropes to boot will euer be strong inough to pluck him out Now the only guide which guideth reason by Scripture is the holy Spirit the only true and sure interpreter of holy Scriptures This holy spirit is not promised to any priuate man but to the Church it is promised therefore in this Church is infallibly to be found whence he that followeth this company of men not only followeth not a company of beasts Pref. which this Aduocate would insinuate the Church may be but he followeth the holy Ghost
the Synagogue This is therefore a terrible hearing to Protestancy a Church Terribilis vt castrorum acies ordinata terrible as an army in battaile-array Now for Primitiue Christians they imply no such order no such coordination or subordination as of a body and therefore as so many scattered sheep they might wholy dye in their owne ashes not Phenix-like suruiue in their posterity which to affirme of a Church of Christ his establish't Common-wealth or kingdom purchas 't by right of Conquest with the inestimable price of his blood is not only Hereticall but most impious and prophane since neither the Synagogue and Law of Moyses became euacuate or abrogate viâ corruptiuâ by a corruptiue desition but past into a Church Euangelicall Law via perfectiuâ as Christ was the perficient not the corruptiue end of the Law Non veni legem soluere sed adimplere c. I came not to dissolue but to fulfill the Law c. Some other fallacious Euasions in answere to the same position of his Aduersary SECT XXVII IN the very next Paragraph I meete with another Fallacy which I haue also touch't before Pref. You say with conuenient boldnes that this infallible authority of your Church being denyed no man can be assured that any parcell of Scripture was written by diuine inspiration which is an Vntruth for which no proofe is pretended and besides voyd of modesty full of impiety Answ And I pray you obserue his notorious method his Censure is for the most part the preface to his Answere when he hath first struck his Aduersary on the head or wounded his reputation with some calumny or contumely then he wil dispute the matter not only cooly but very coldly as you shall see In the meane tyme since he is so liberall of contumelious and reproachfull language if we spare him it is mere gratuite grace no merit of his not so much as of congruity nay it may seeme much more congruous to shew the man his error where he may see it better then in himselfe For I belieue it will appeare to any vnderstanding man euen by the Genius of his stile that he hath drunke more liberally of Narcissus Well then of Aristotles as neere as it springs Whence I do not see but his President way be my Apology and very Charity will require that some sprinkling of salt be employed vpon his so great insulsity Now marke the Fallacy His aduersary sayth Take away the authority of Gods Church no man can be assured c. For Gods Church this Atturney changeth your Church as though his aduersary preassumed what is in question with Protestants Which he purposely doth not but only sheweth the necessity of a Visible Church and infallible authority shereof The fallacy of this change hath this intent to make his aduersary more odious for his preassuming antedating as also that he may impugne him more easily where he contends not which he doth almost euery where neuer strikes where his Aduersary wards So he seldome or neuer argues or answeres to the matter in hand But why now is this an vntruth void of modesty Because sayth he the experience of innumerable Christians is against it who are sufficiently assured that the Scripture is diuinely inspired and yet deny the infallibility of your Church or any other Answ What Euen of Gods Church For this is the authority this the Church which his aduersary namely and only asserteth And where is the immodesty Is it immodesty in a Catholique to proue the infallibility of the Church of God his Prime principle of Religion and that by an argument which this no Church can no otherwise answere but by rayling at it as with his Lucians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O execrable For who are those innumerable Christians Are they not the aduersaries of the Roman Church and only they And is it immodesty in a Roman Catholique to defend and proue the contrary to that which the Aduersaries of that Church would proue and do teach whereby to ouerthrow that Church and with that all Christianity But to shew him the weaknes of his argument I forme the like Innumerable Christians are sufficiently assured that no man can be assured of any parcell of holy Scripture otherwise then by the authority of the Church of God Ergo M. Ch. who denies them this assurance is voyd of all modesty And now againe why full of impiety Pref. Because sayth he if I cannot haue ground to be assured of the diuine authority of Scripture vnlesse I first belieue your Church infallible then I can haue no ground at all to belieue it Answ I expected he would say then I will be a Socinian But still you see him in his Fallacy Your Church for Gods Church And why then hath he no ground at all vpon that supposall Pref. Because there is no ground nor can any be pretended why I should belieue your Church infallible vnlesse I first belieue the Scripture diuine Answ Still Your Church Sure we shall neuer bring him back to Gods Church againe Now quite contrary I say there is no sufficient ground to omit pretences and permit them to his Hyperbolicall style why men should belieue the Scriptures diuine vnles first they belieue an infallible Church of God For to reuolue to the first birth and parentage of holy Scriptures whence haue we them who told vs they were diuine haue we not the new Testament to instance in this part from the Euangelists and Apostles And were not they the Church of God and hath any other told vs they are diuine and of diuine authority but they primarily and their posterity after them Can any man expect a more certaine testimony concerning his owne or any other mans birth then from the mother who brought him forth into the world Was not the holy Scripture cōceaued of the holy Ghost as it were in the wombe of the Church Yea those soules and spirits of Prophets Euangelists Apostles in which those Scriptures were conceaued euen formally as diuine together with the truth contained in them were they not before those Scriptures were brought to light And could any but they or vpon their credit belieue those Scriptures were of diuine yssue conceaued I say in those spirits diuinely inspired and illuminated yea and from them flowing as from a vitall principle actually and actiuely inflowing into those conceptions togeather with the holy spirit of truth Whence also it followeth euidently that those diuine truth's cannot be the formall conceptions of any soule or vnderstanding not endued and eleuated by this spirit of truth with which spirit since no man can assure himselfe to be endued yet euery Christian ought to belieue as certaine that the Church of God is indued therefore euery Christian ought to receaue those diuine truths contained in Scriptures togeather with the Scriptures themselues from the Church of God whose lawfull issue and ofspring they are Neither can this in reason seeme to a Christian any whit
vntill the number of Saints were consummate that is to the end of the world appeareth playne by the words of the Apostle to the Ephesians Ephes 4. therefore to the hearing and belieuing those succeding Apostles Doctors c. is extended the obligation of succeding ages For can we be so senseles as to thinke those succeeding Doctors haue imposed vpon them the obligation of teaching and not other Christian subiects the obligation of hearing Or was our Sauiour so imprudent an Oeconomus or dispenser of his gift's and talents that he would furnish those whom he had designed hearers and learners in his Christian schoole with greater sufficiency for discerning spirits or greater assurance of not erring then those quos dedit whom he appointed to be their Maisters and Teachers Obedite prapositis vestris subiacete ijs obey your Prelates and be subiect to them And wherein are they Praepositi Prelates or Gouernours Certainly in those things for which they must render account to God which are things appertaing to their soules for they are to render account for your soules sayth the Apostle in that place To them therfore appertaine spirituall instructions and all spirituall directions to them the triall and discretion of spirits Or shall the subiects first try their Prelates spirits yea the highest Prelature and authority on earth before they obey Is this to be directed or to direct Or who is heere the Prelate he who is tryed or he who tryeth And is not this grosse Anarchy and Confusion Haue these spirits any conceipt of Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy Or do they belieue there is any such thing as Order and Subordination in the greatest Empire and kingdom vpon earth the Church of God By what hath beene said it appeareth that S. Iohn by giuing that rule of triall the Confession of the sonne of God in flesh neuer intended to exclude other rules Therefore this is a miserable and fallacious consequence which this Aduocate insinuates saying S. Iohn giues this rule of triall to consider whether men confesse Iesus to be the Christ not whether they acknowledge the Pope to be his Vicar Ergo to examine whether they acknowledge this is no part of triall This consequence I say is no better then this We must try mens spirits by considering whether they confesse Iesus to be the Christ Ergo not whether they confesse that Christ dyed for the sinnes oâ— the world or whether he rose from death or no c. Now hath not this man good reason to rely so much vpon his neuer-failing rules of Logick in matters of Fayth who makes such goodly consequences I can in charity belieue he hath more Logick then he makes shew of in this worke otherwise I see no obligation he hath to rely vpon it so confidently You may likewise note his skill in Logick by this other consequence Pref. which he likewise insinuates S. Paul sayth try all things and hold fast that which is good Ergo we must try all things after this manner which S. Paul teacheth not we must try all things by our owne spirit or the Scripture interpreted by our owne spirit with the help of neuer-failing rules of Logick Or thus Try all things Ergo try euen that by which all things are to be tryed Try the spirit of the Church try the spirit of God for without this spirit of truth which we know not where it is but in the Church it is most certaine that neither Scriptures can be vnderstood nor any other certaine rule imagined by which we may try any spirit or doctrine of fayth So the aduise of the Apostle should be de impossibili of a thing impossible if he aduised vs to try all things by any other rule And as well might this Logician infer out of this principle try all things thus Try all things whether they be crooked or straight by that which is certainly straight Ergo try that which is certainly straight by that which may be crooked And as well he might infer thus Season all things with salt Ergo season salt too for with what other thing shall salt be seasoned Si sal euanuerit in quo sâ—lietur So likewise if that all-trying spirit may erre by what other spirit shall it be tryed His fallacious Interpretation of a text of S. Peter 1.3 vers 15. SECT XXII AFter he had abused the testimony of S. Paul it was to be expected S. Peter should not escape He would be their second Nero ioyne them in the execution of a morall death much more tyrannicall then that of Nero which though it could deuide their soules from their bodies yet it could neuer seuer their soules from Christian truth and a truth which themselues had taught the inseparability of truth and diuine authority from the pillar of truth Pref. I say no more sayth this Aduocate then S. Peter sayth in commaunding all Christians to giue a reason of their Hope Answ But the truth is S. Peter sayth not so nor is it probable he had any intent to ingage Christians in a greater obligation then Christ himselfe had imposed which was only to confesse him vpon due occasions neuer to deny him or the truth of his doctrine S Peters words are these Dominum autem sanctificate in cordibus vestris parati c. Sanctify our Lord in your harts all way ready to giue satisfaction as the Latin version hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready to exhibite your Apology to euery man who requireth a reason of your Hope Now who seeth not a large difference betweene giuing a reason and requiring it or betweene exhibiting an Apology or other satisfaction to him who requireth a reason and giuing him a reason There are other way 's of satisfaction and Apology besides giuing a reason at the least particular reasons for the seuerall doctrines of fayth as this Aduocate seemes to require who would haue nothing belieued but after a particular tryall and discussion of it So he that answered only Christianus sum I am a Christian was no way reprehensible by this aduise or precept of S. Peter Is not he ready to Apologize to defend his religion who is ready to die for it which a man may do without giuing any other particular reason of his beliefe by his only confessing or professing it vpon fit occasions Or if he vnderstand an obligation imposed by the Apostle vpon all Christians to giue a reason of their beliefe what meanes he That euery Christian is bound to giue or be able to giue a reason of euery point of Christian beliefe How is it credible that such a morall impossibility should be of obligation Or doth he indeed suppose that no Christian is bound to belieue more then that whereof he can giue a reason Now then shall he say with truth I belieue in God the Father with the rest as followeth in the Apostles Creed For surely he inbound not to say he belieues what he belieues not and as sure it is he is
he hath proceeded no lesse consequently then irreligiously But what of this Pref. This is sayth he agreable to what you haue said before and what out of the abundance of your hart you speak very often that all Christians besides you are open Fooles or concealed Atheists Answ For my part I haue neuer knowne any Catholique vse any such inciuility of language Neither do I thinke any harboureth any such conceipt of all other not Catholiques that they are either open Fooles or concealed Atheists though I can easily belieue the common opinion of Catholiques to be that a Socinian is a concealed Atheist at the least and so in consequence a foole For the foole hath said in his hart There is no God Now that which followeth in this Paragraph I will only retort disoblige my selfe of a duty Mutato nomine de to Fabula narratur All this the Aduocate writes with notable confidence as the manner of Sophistes is which manner he is very well acquainted with to place their confidence of preuailing in their confident manner of speaking but then for the euidence wherewith he should maintaine so great a confidence it is as inuisible as the Religion he defends from the tyme of Luther vpward His fallacious Recriminations SECT XXIX HItherto we haue seene what this Aduocate had done he tell 's now what he could doe which we must suppose to be more then he hath or will doe O parce viribus vsque tuis As if he had a mynd to recriminate and charge Papists that they lead men into Socinianisme he cold certainly make a much fayrer shew of euidence then his Aduersary hath done And truly I belieue he hath met with an Aduersarie that will easily yeild him the priority in making faire shew's without any shew of repugnance at all But now he fall's into the puerility of a most triuial Rhetorique you shall see him fight as like a Parthian as you would wish doing most what he makes shew least to do fight 's as he flyes away and will be found I belieue Parthis mendacior For thus he colours and florishe's his Sophisme Pref. If I had a mind to recriminate I would not tell you you deny the infallibility of the Church of England Ergo you lead to Socinianisme Which is altogether as good as this Protestants deny the infallibility of the Roman Church Ergo they induce Socinianisme Answ Yet because this I would not tell you is no reall pretermission or passing ouer in silence what he would say but a saying it after a more aduantagious and Emphatique manner of speach then if he had said it positiuely and in plaine termes as the flight of warring Parthians is no serious and intended flight but a more dangerous fight vnder shew and pretence of feare and flight therefore we must vnderstand these words according to the direct and positiue sense as though they were couch't in this forme This argument You deny the infallibility of the Church of England Ergo you lead to Socinianisme is as good as this Protestants deny the infallibility of the Church of Rome Ergo they induce Socinianisme Wherein I note first his most familiar Fallacy of willfull ignorance and mistake of his Aduersaries Argument and the Elench who neuer inferred leading or inducing into Socinianisme out of the deniall of infallibility of the Roman Church but out of the deniall of some infallibility of Iudgment and authority of a Visible Church to determine of Scriptures and their interpretation c. For he knew well that if there were any other such infallible authority to determine such differences it should not then follow that they who disclayme the authority of the Roman Church should haue their only remaining refuge to the priuate spirit or naturall iudgment c. Wherefore hauing not yet excluded all other infallibility no nor disputed it he assumeth not infallibility of the Roman Church or the deniall of that as inducing Socinianisme but the deniall of all infallibility of whatsoeuer Church Therefore if this Logician would haue played fayre and not more like a Sophister then like a Scholler which very appellation in my iudgment carrieth with it a face and promise of ingenuity he should haue framed his Aduersaries Argument as it lyeth in him or at least so as it might appeare the same in effect and not seeme to haue his whole attention applyed to shift's and aduantages thus then he should haue formed it Protestants deny infallibility to the Church of God Ergo they induce Socinianisme and then haue compared it with this his owne recriminant Papists deny the infallibility of the Church of England Ergo they induce Socinianisme and then Macte O cum compare compar Not a nut more like an apple He had parallel'd it faire indeeed Secondly in comparing the English with the Roman Church Fallacy he seemes no doubt to take the Roman as a particular Church fraudulently affecting not to know that by the Roman Church Catholiques vnderstand all Christian Churches making one with the Roman by obedience and subordination to it Whence by the way Catholique Roman Church is no Bull as I haue heard a Dux Gregis among them was pleased sometyme to say it is And yet againe how long hath the English Church made a part separate from the Roman Look back into her cradle of extraction or distraction rather and blush not What was the originall cause and yet blush not Well say we what we list to all the Churches I know there is none more Visible then the Protestant some man yet aliue may haue seene her quite through from her first birth or appearance euen to this age but yet what was the cause of the distraction Causa mali tanti c. But I know this Aduocate will easily shift all this he will grant for a need True the generation was Equiuocall yet it might be Honourable inough Ex malis moribus bonae leges c. of euill manners good Laws c. I know his common place Howsoeuer in my iudgment the comparison hath something of the odious But what hath this Retrograde to do with the Infallibility of the Church of England He hath profe'st the infallibility of it so farre as to deny to subscribe the English Articles of fayth and doctrine wherein the authority of this Church may seeme to appeare of as great force as wheresoeuer He may haue since beene wrought into some other opinion by the skill and industry of some such Artist as know's well how to deale with so pliable a nature Vdum molle lutum nunc nunc properandus acri Fingendus sine fine rota Or that other though no Doctour yet a maister of Art ingenique largitor Persius proem one who can teach such towardly schollars wit yea thrifty wit a precious lesson in this age of prodigality may haue persuaded him to conforme Howsoeuer now he will do her this honour by way of Restitution as to say she is no more Fallible
the authority of the Church applying them in confirmation of this mistery gather a necessity of acknowledging the infallible authority of the Church without which notwithstanding holy Scriptures we should be in doubt how to belieue some principall point of Christian beliefe The necessity of which authority appeareth yet more euidently euen by what he quarrells concerning the doctrines of Eusebius Origen and those other questioned and controuled by the like authority of the Church Against which authority no faculty of wit and vnderstanding no eminency or glory of science and erudition could preuaile no not martyrdome it self could protect any error against orthodoxe beliefe or escape the censure of this supreme Iudge on earth What he sayth of Cardinall Peron informing the world of some Errors of those Ancients Calumny against Peron if he meane the world knew them not before discourers great plenty of ignorance in himself if he knew it without his information he sayth nothing for could not Socinians who deuoure Christian Libraries to no other end but to digest them into scandals read the very same in others of far more ancient authority then this most learned Cardinall In that the Arrians would gladly be tryed by the Fathers before the Councell of Nice they shew their hereticall spirit which always flyes from the authority of a Visible Vocall and liuing Iudge to the mute copy of Gods or mans word as here to defunct authors who left behind them their priuate opinions in things at that tyme not expressely defined which is indeed to fly to their owne interpretations both of Fathers Scriptures from a publique authority to which a neuer failing assistance is diuinely promised to some particular or single opinions of priuate men to whom no such assistance was promised But whither will not a theefe fly from the sentence of authority which can condemne him And whither not an Heretique from the Church And who doubts but the Church of Christ is most representatiuely and iointly and vnanimously in a generall Councell as a kingdom in a Parlament or full senate in which mysticall body then as euer yea then more effectually and actiuely then euer the holy Ghost as the soule informing moueth and directeth Whither flyes he then who flyes from this Church but from the spirit of God Quo ibo à spiritu tuo Whether shall I fly from your spirit True he flyeth from Christ but escapes him not from him a Sauiour to him a Iudge from his Mercy to his Iustice si desceudero in infeinum ades if I go downe to hell you are there And is this the Socinian scandall or is this any way leading men into Socinianisme that the Church of God assembled together of purpose to examine or determine some question of fayth hath defined the contrary to some doctrine or opinion of some priuate Doctor or Doctors who as such whatsoeuer they preiudged could not say as the Councell could Visum est spiritui sancto nobis it hath seemed good to the holy Ghost and vs You see then the weaknes of this Fallacious Calumny yet strong inough to cast a mist before the eyes of the vnlearned or vnpassioned Reader the number of which sort because it like to affoard him most voyces their applause and approbation is the triumph he aymes at His Sophisticall Calumny concerning differences of Catholique Doctors in questions vndefined SECT XXXI ANother occasion or inducement to Socinianisme pretended by this Aduocate are those different opinions of Scholastique Deuines in points of doctrine as yet vndetermined by the Church this is also one of those a thousand tymes recoct Crambes like some cold Seruice daily brought in only to furnish vp the table vntill it grow mouldy and meat for no body But what is this towards the disabling or disparaging the authority of the Church in points now defined and no longer disputed as douâ—â—full Will the Socinian hence argue thus In some points of doctrine vndecided some Catholique Doctors disagree among themselues Ergo in points decided they haue no certainty Who seeth not the inconsequence of this illation If they differ concerning the modification of diuine Prescience and the different respect and habitude which it hath to future euents necessary or contingent abloâ—ute or conditionall will they out of this variance inferre the vncertainty of diuine prenotion or conclude that God foreseeth not at all But yet see how he concludes for the Socinians Pref. The Dominicans sayth he maintaine on the one side that God can foresee nothing but what he decrees The Iesuit's on the otherside that he doth not decree all things Answ Iungentur iam Gryphes equis he will make these one and other sides to meete in one syllogisme and so be no more sides at all and then no different doctrines at all which is the quite contrary conclusion to what he assumeth Reflect setiously vpon these different propositions of the Dominicans and Iesuits and you shall find them contradictories and so impossible to inflow into one Conclusion true or false by any lawfull consequence For ex nihilo nihil and contradictories annihilate one the other Now this proposition God foresees nothing but what be decrees is in effect equiualent to this God decrees all that he foresees Againe God decrees not all things as ratione materiae equipollent to this God decrees not something which be foresees for the question being stated of things future or which shal be both sides grant that God foresees them the difference betweene them is hâ—w he foresees them Now let any man commit the two propositions as ioynt premises and see whether from that complexion or commission the Socinian conclusion can any way result Nay you shall find it generally true which I haue said That two Contradictions can neuer ioyne in any such commission to produce a third proposition as truly consequent from them but see them now committed and obserue how ready and obuious the Conclusion will be which the Socinians draw from them Dominicans God foreseeth nothing but what he decrees Iefuits God doth not decree all things Socin Ergo God doth not foresee all things In what mood and figure Logician But what Socinian syllogizing is this to ioyne two propositions of contrary doctrines and repugnant in themselues in one formall complexion of premises and out of those to inferre the conclusion Is it wonder if of so monstrous a coniunction of premises a prodigious conclusion be brought forth the conclusion being the naturall issue of the premises Might he not aswell conclude from two propositions the one of Catholiques the other of Arrians in like manner thus Cath. The Sonne is consubstantiall with the Father Arr. The Father is greater then the Sonne Socin The Sonne is lesse and equall to his Father An obuious conclusion sayth the Socinian as though he would say Fairely encounterd and kisse it For out of this absurd conclusion he will further question whether there be any such thing as Father Sonne in
Will he reprehend the seeking of the kingdom of God for this or the forsaking temporall estates to follow Christ in a higher way of perfection because the gaine and returne is a hundred fold in this life and therefore makes for the temporall ends of such men And are these our beaux Esprits Are these the learned new Academy that cannot make this distinction between making and being made or are they rather indeed en bon François in plaine English dull and earthly Spirits and which least they would heare not Wit 's but silly Fellows Who if they could once resolue vpon a God or any such not only omnipotent but free agent who could do and giue what he pleased should rather betake themselues with Salomon who had I thinke as good a naturall wit as the best of the new Academy and shew'd a much better in making such a choyce and in the acknowledgment of his owne weakenes and want betake themselues I say to their prayers that they might receaue the spirit of Wisedom from heauen without which spirit no meruaile if they haue no palate of heauen nor as being indeed meerely Animals any rellish of spirituall things But neither indeed do they belieue there is any such thing as holy spirit Et quem non inuenit vsquam Esse putat nusquam Concerning different opinions among Catholiques the Aduocates Fallacy and Calumny SECT X. AFter all these Rhetoricall pretermissions of temptations into so he writes and principles of Irreligion and Atheisme in Catholique doctrine as considerations which he wil seeme to esteeme of lesse moment thereby to prepare your expectation to some more weighty Only I should desire you sayth he to consider attentiuely when you conclude so often from the differences of Protestants Pref. that they haue no certainty of any part of their religion c. Whether you do not that which so magisteri ally you direct me not to do that is proceed a destructiue way c. Ans Now this Pretermissiō is no figure but a fraud Fallacy for his aduersary directs him not to proceed a meere destructiue way Now this restrictiue particle meere fraudulently left out is no figure but a fallacie of pretermission and makes indeed a kind of Non-sense in his Aduersary where there is a good and plaine sense For whosoeuer will throw downe the doctrine of another must proceed a destructiue way but he who doth nothing else but throw downe and builds nothing as he who doth nothing but ouerthrow doctrines of religion holdeth nothing prositiue in religion at least in coherence of his doctrine he proceeds a meere destructiue way and a meere Antimachus he is an Ismael sonne of Agar secundum carnem genitus a child of the flesh and therefore as euery Socinian doth persequutes the free-borne child the yssue of the Spirit but what sayth the Scripture Eijce ancillam filium eius non enim erit haeres filius ancillaecum filio liberae cast forth the handmaid and her sonne for the sonne of the hand-maid shall not coherit which the sonne of the free-woman Indeed one house could not hold them Why because Ismael was terrae homo a fierce condition'd man manus eius contra omnes manus omniam contra eum his hands against all men and all mens hands against him which is in effect to say he proceeded a meere destructiue way And I pray you is not a Socinian such an Ismael whose hands are vp against all Professors of Christianity since his reasons principles tend as his Aduersary chargeth him to the ouerthrow of all Christian Profession no lesse then of Catholique religion And doth he not deserue that all Christian hands should be employed about his eares with vnanimous consent to extinguish such a Giant But doth the sonne of Sarai proceed a meere destructiue way he dares not say it as bold as he is therefore he onely sayes he proceeds a destructiue way wherein he doth well and as euery confutant must do otherwise he doth nothing Pref. But his aduersaries Arguments so he retorts obiected against the Protestant tend to the ouerthrow of all religion because sayth he as you argue Protestants differ in many things therefore they haue no certainty of religion so an Atheist or a Sceptique may conclude as well Christians and the Professors of all religions differ in many things therefore they haue no certainty of any thing Ans I know well these are the ordinary Socinian Topickes which this man hath by hart whence they are wont to argue themselues out of all religion And it is a very Socinian and Atheisticall argument indeed that is a foolish one as foolish as this Euery man is a man therefore no man is a Christian For though euery man be a man and therefore subrect to errour some more some lesse some in one thing some in another whence difference of opinions ariseth and vncertainty is concluded yet some men are Christians and as such in matters defined to be of faith not differing nor vncertaine They should deduce thus if they would conclude to the purpose they intend Christians in points of fayth defined by their Church to be such the definition of which Church they hold as their rule of fayth disagree among themselues therfore they haue no certainty in points of religion then the solution is ready I deny that such Christians who rely on that autority of the Church defining as all Catholique Christians do disagree in any poynt of religion so defined therefore this inference of vncertainty from the differences of doctrines in poynts of fayth fals heauy vpon the backs of all Sectaries nor can be shaken off but toucheth not the Catholique Whence they should conclude if they were indeed wise and gallant either the Catholique or none Not as they are wont there is difference of opinions and doctrines among Professors of Christianity betweene Lutherans and Caluinists c. and the Catholique from them all therefore there is no certainty therefore no religion at all and therefore lastly I will be an Atheist or Socinian Whereas if these Sceptiques would be feriously sceptique indeed that is serious inquisitors of truth and not make it their whole life and busines euer to seeke neuer to find like those sylly and sinfull women of whome S. Paul semper discentes numquam ad scientiam veritatis peruenientes always learning and neuer arriuing to the knowledge of truth nay if they did not set downe for their last arrest despaire of euer knowing with those foolists Sceptiques and Pyrhonians lastly if they could be persuaded that they heare what they heare or see what they see certainely they might see discerne a vast disparity betweene these two kinds of differences the differences of Sectaries among themselues in most substantiall points of faith and those of Catholiques discepting and discussing difficulties occurring as yet vndecreed and vndetermined by authority as children of truth neuer ceasing to inquire after it
where soeuer it be and ready to imbrace it when they find it proposed vnto them either in the obscure light of infallible Authority or that of vision in Eternity Calumny concerning Transubstantiation and the B. Trinity SECT XI ANother maine tentation and principle of Irreligion he hath taken paines to transport out of Arabia this sonne of Agar where he hath met with his fellow Atheist or Socinian Pref. Againe I should desire you to tell me saith he ingenuously whether it be not probable that your portentuous doctrine of Transub stantiation ioyn'ed with your forementioned persuasian of no Papist no Christian hath brought a great many others as well as himselfe to Auerröes his resolution quandoquidem Christiani adorant quod comedunt sit anima mea cum Philosophis since Christians adore that which they eat let my soule go with the Philosophers Answ I thinke his Aduersary will not spare to tell him ingenuously that he is persuaded a very small matter may bring a Socinian to be as very an Atheist or Infidell as that Arabicke Leeche Auerröes and in phrasing the doctrine of Transubstantiation portentuous he sheweth himselfe brought as neere an Infidell as a Iew can be with whose spirit he seemeth so ingenuously to sympathize quomodo potest hic nobis carnem suam dare ad manducandum how can this man giue vs his body ro eate And yet euen hence by the way out of this very testimony of Auerröes you may perceaue that this doctrine of Transubstantiation or howsoeuer the reall and corporall Presence of Christs body in the Sacrament so as it was conceaued to be truly eaten was the common doctrine of Christians of those times not only of the Roman Church Concerning which doctrine and those words of Christ Nisi manducaueritis c. it is probably thought that Iudas was one of those who said durus est hic sermo c. This is a hard or harsh language c. Yet furthermore those words of our Sauiour at his last supper when he instituted this Sacrament accipite manducate hoc est enim corpus meum take and eat for this is my body are so cleere for Transubstantiation that this very Aduocate is knowne to haue retorted after his manner vpon occasion of some one pressing him to know his opinion concerning the Trinity that there is no so cleere testimony of Scripture for the Trinity as for Transubstantiation Which answere of his ioyned with that which he auoucheth so often in this Pamphlet that the Scripture not the Church is the rule whereby to determine points of fayth maketh the B. Trinity no lesse portentuous then Transubstantiation since it is certaine there is no mistery of fayth more seemingly repugnant and more apparently subuerting the prime and most receaued axiomes of naturall Reason and Philosophy then this of the B. Trinity And is not this a portentuous discourse of this Aduocate a prodigious Calumny trenching so deepely vpon the Deity it selfe And is not he the author of this a very Portent Prodigy vnder the guise of Christian profession worthy to be shipt for some vnknowne Land where his breath may infect none but sauage creatures nor make the hayre of Christian Professors stand stiffe by hearing such blasphemies from his mouth as I haue heard some one say his haire did who may one day write his Character if he haue not already done it in his very wittily Symbolizing Sceptique Meane while if this Auerreist haue made the like Arabick resolution to trust his soule with Philosophers rather thē with such Christians if he make a proper choice of Philosophers and sute himselfe fitly he may then in very good consequence of doctrine conformity to his principles sing euery moneth In noua fert animus No man will expect his Pithagorique soule in one shape of Religion long Fiet enim subitò Sus horridus atraque Tigris Squamosusque Drace fuluâ ceruice Leana Aut acrem flamma sonitum dabit atue ita vinclis Excidet aut in aquas tenues delapsus abibit And then Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo With what knot shall I hold fast this form-varying Proteus Marry thus it followeth Sed quanto ille magis formas se vertet in omnes Tanto Nate magis contende tenacia vincla Donec talis erit mutato corpore qualem Videris incepto tegeret cùm lumina somno For you shall haue him one while Arian another while Nestorian now Pelagian now Hussite now Caluinian then Arminian c. But only hold him fast throughout all his changes yea the more he transforms and transfigures draw the knot harder vntill at length after many and many a Metamorphosis he come about to the very same shape wherein first you tooke him sleeping in Socinian security onely waking in his nimble fancy wherin he shapes as many discolour'd formes of Religion as there are colours appearing in the Rain-bow or the Peacock's traine wherewith he playes according to the gaiety of his humor and frisk's from Religion to Religion like a squirrill from bough to bough His fallacious calumny concerning Prudentiall motiues SECT XII HIs immediately ensuing demaund Whether our requiring men vpon onely probable and prudentiall motiues to yeild a most certaine assent vnto things in human reason impossible c. Preface be not a likely way to make considering men scorne our Religion is a fraudulent Calumny as he would haue it vnderstood which is that we exact this most certaine assent out of Motiues onely probable and prudentiall as the principall cause or motiue of such assent Nor could he be ignorant if he deserue the opinion I haue conceaued of him that these motiues are proposed vnderstood by Catholiques as persuasiue and inductiue only or as preuious despositions to fayth which is the gratuite and supernaturall guift of God and therefore cannot flow from any humanely voluntary or naturall or sublunary Cause yet he who made all things ex nihilo sui of nothing or of no preexistēt Being in themselues and can therefore euen in reason more probably make any thing of some thing qui fecit medium fornacis quasi ventum roris flantem who made thefiery furnace refrigeratiue to the martyrs howsoeuer this were done qui fecit lutum ex sputo c. who contriued eye-light out of a plaster of dust and spitle who made wyne of water and the like stupendious effect's not contained in the naturall force or efficiency of such causes can likewise serue himselfe of inferior meanes and dispositions towards the producing of some supernaturall effect in the soule of man or assume them and ioyne with them or them with himselfe to such effects When therefore these probable or prudentiall Motiues attentiuely considered haue wrought in the soules of men first an opinion that such a doctrine may be true then perhaps a liking of the doctrine out of such motiues after this the spirit of God inwardly concurring mouing along with these motiues a kind
then other Churches are no then the Church of Rome Yet let them haue made of him what they can or what they list a Vessell of Honour or Contumely since by their all-sufficient Canon of Scripture they are vnquestionable for what they do or make of such matter yet I assure my selfe he will neuer be able to make good this comparison or parity vntill he make it euident when and how that notorious change entred into the Roman Church whence the Church of England receaued Christian Religion how and when I say the Roman Church Apostated from her selfe For vntill then we shall neuer cease to extoll in comparison her first birth and entrance first sowne and planted by Apostolicall euangelizing then watred with the blood of two principall Apostles as is extant vpon record of irrefragable testimony then the entrance of the same Religion from thence propagated into other nations togeather with the entrers and founders of the same all men of knowne and eminent sanctity to extoll I say these entrances of the Roman Religion in comparison with the infamous ingredientes of defection from that Church into some of the same Nations achieued by men or monsters rather of most celebrated infamy and stigmatized Worders Had the Church of Rome needed reformation were these likely or probable instruments a Friar with his dis-nun'd and de-uirginated Concubine Or a second branded and inusted Institutor Or that third Poet of his owne bi-sexe and heterogenious Loues Felicia tempora quae ves Moribus opponunt habeat iam Roma pudorem Happy tymes that haue such reformers now Rome hath cause to blush Most certainly the wisedom of God neuer made choyce of such Apostles who sayth Qui mihiministrat me sequatur he that doth my seruice let him follow me All morall and Christian Vertues especially contempt of the world and of all interest respect of flesh and blood vsher'd and accompanied the entrance of the Roman Catholique Religion wheresoeuer it entred Many well knowne and notorious vices paued the way to nouell Heresies and entred with them yea grew from the very root 's and principles of them Which very Paralell and one point of comparison whosoeuer shall haue duely considered and seriously waighed let him in gods Name dispute parities of the Church of England with the Roman Church The rest which followeth in this 16. Paragraph concerning the Popes infallibility is nothing else but rauing language the ouerflowing exuberance of his pregnant passion To which it is full inough to answer in this place That the Pope neuer hath nor euer shall define vice to be Vertue or the contrary nor oblige men to belieue Antichristianity Christianisme or Christianity Antichristian nor lead men by any such doctrine into Socinianisme into Turcisme yea these are the mans word 's vnto the diuell himselfe if he haue a mind to it Yet I confesse giue him his due this was no ill order'd consecution from Socinianisme to Turcisme from Turcisme to the Diuell though perhaps the progresse might haue beene better gisted thus From Turcisme to Socinianisme from Socinianisme to the Diuell at the very middle doore of which three I heare this Aduocate dwell's if any chance to enquire of him Domui paries communis vtrinque deuided from either with a common wall so that his mutuall intelligence with both is both facile and credible His concealed Arguments for Socinianisme SECT XXX ALthough this Atturney of Protestants would seeme to deserue of them his fee yet he will not faile to aduance his owne cause or his most owne Socinianisme which is I doubt his finis cui his most intended affaire Wherefore as he laboureth in behalf of Protestants to weaken yea to abolish all infallibility of the Church of Christ so he endeauours out of the doctrines of some Catholiques to vnnerue the testimony of Scriptures vpon the authority of which the whole fabrick of Protestancy is pretended to rely For who seeth not what aduantage he with his Socinian Academy will draw from hence As thus Doctrines of Christian fayth according to Protestants cannot be proued by the Authority of the Church for that authority with them is errant Againe some of them in the opinion of Papists cannot be sufficiently proued by Scriptures as that maine point of their fayth and hope the mistery of the Trinity therfore if we harken to both or belieue both since whether rather to belieue we know not it can no way be proued Whence with a Diagorus the surnamed Atheos or a Protagorus concerning any such thing as Trinity and soone after as Deity they will returne a Non liquet it is not certaine For me who haue enterprized the discouery of his Fallacies together with some hidden driftes and mines alone it shall not be necessary or requisite to pursue his seuerall testimonies of Catholique Writers they will do it no doubt at the least so far forth as they shall deeme it needfull who vndertake the answere of this great Pamphlet though I verily thinke it will proue magis operosum quà m operae pretium the haruest will neuer render the seed in so barren a field And I do not know but a man may suspect he had a mind to entertaine his Aduersary hastning after him in examining his witnesses were it but to slow his pursuite like as Medea scattered her brothers bones in her flight from her Father to retard their speed who eagerly pursued her while they stayd to gather them vp Yet was she neuer sure so peeuish a shrew as to quarrell with them for not gathering them vp cleane as this Aduocate doth in behalfe of his Clients scattered bones which notwithstanding I certainly thinke his aduersary either hath done or would haue gathered to a bone if he had thought them indeed his bones and not rather some other watry or aery substance Only after a more short and generall way I answere as concerning those Scriptures out of which as he sayth some of our Writers deny that the Trinity can be conuinc't ad hominem thus M. Ch. himselfe hath denyed in the hearing of sufficient witnesses that this point of Christian beliefe can be proued out of Scripture and said that it can lesse be so proued then the Catholique doctrine of Transubstantiation which he with his Agonotheâ—'s the Protestants constantly deny possible to be proued by Scriptures Whence thus I argue M. Ch. sayth the B. Trinity cannot be proued by Scripture he the same denieth that any point can be held as of diuine fayth but what is proued out of Scripture therefore he denieth that the Trinity is to be belieued as of diuine fayth Ergo he belieues not the B. Trinity as a Christian therefore he is none So by his owne doctrine he leades himselfe to Turcisme or Socinianisme or to the diuell himselfe if he haue a mynd to it Moreouer I answere those Catholique Writers no doubt from those lesse expresse and conuincing authorities of holy Scriptures lesse I say conuincing of themselues abstracting from