which that ancient writer so approued by you doth auere Solus sufficit ad omnia satis superque all reformations of the Church whatsoeuer haue been since or hereafter shalbe must come vnder the name of meere restitutions without addition not instituting any new doctrine but restoring the ancient not creating a new Church as you fondly imagine but reducing the old vnto the primitiue Therefore in this kind there is no need of miracles or prodigious signes seeing our reformers bring no new reuelations of their owne but only make appeales to the iudgement of the primitiue Church desire credit of others no further then they giue euidence of argument drawne from such grounds as be receiued of all hands Then seeing their proceedings be ordinarie what extraordinarie wonders are to be expected Neither was it their desire motion in this reformatiō that the present visible Church should fly the world and leaue her kingdome royaltie but onely this y t it should be purged because reason telleth vs experience hath proued it that the visible Church is not al spirit but some flesh though she be informed by the holy Ghost in her holy and generall assemblies yet she consisteth likewise of earthly fraile sinful men therfore she must of necessity gather some dust in time grow corrupt if she do not clense refine her selfe Wherupon motion was made to the commanders of the Church for the reformation of certaine abuses which being crept in had gotten a head and were growne to that pitch that they became burdensome to the consciences of religious men This complaint being not harkened vnto they perswaded themselues that the backwardnes of their brethren could not be to them a sufficient excuse not to reforme themselues For this cause they protested a separation from their fellowship and communion in those points vntill such time as it should please God to moue their minds so to refine themselues from those corruptions as there might insue conformitie a thing wished and praied for with sighes not to be expressed So that the strength of this your Motiue which makes Martin Luther his fellowes seeme so odious vnto you is resolued into these two questions First whether in his time there were abuses in the Church that required a reformation Secondly reformation being denied vnhoped for whether they were abuses of that nature degree as did bind the conscience of true catholikes not to cōmunicate with others in them Which two points if they be true they cleer our reformers frō all slander suspitiō either of heresy or schisme vntil you haue proued them false this the like generall motiues to this purpose be mere shadows without substance of no value or force at all THE SIXTH MOTIVE AS the cause is the paterne of the effects vpon which ground Saint Paul from the vnitie of Gods Church buildeth the vnitie of faith so may we go backwards from the defference of effects to denie the affinitie of the cause and from the impossibilitie of vnion in faith take away the possibilitie of dependance vpon God Such is the religion of the protestants which hath no certaine principle of vnitie and therefore lacketh the cognisance whereby true religion is knowne For where there is not an infallible authoritie which doth iudge and decide controuersies by remouing all actions of doubt and reply and vnto which absolute obedience is tied there must needs be varietie of iudgements and opinions which cannot be tied in one knot For all vnitie in particulars proceedeth from the vnitie of some cause wherein all agree But there is no such infallible authoritie the iudge of controuersies besides the voice of the Church which the protestants either put altogether to silence or else obey so farre as they please For the scriptures whom they haue erected to be iudges as rebels that put downe all iudges and pretend to be ruled onely by the law cannot alone supply this place to take away all occasionof controuersies And if there were no other argument their owne irreconcilable quarrels in so manifold differences among themselues might suffice to stop their mouthes herein For as diuers parcels of silke of deeper or lighter ground dipped by the Dyar in the same liquour drink in a seuerall tincture of colour according to their former varietie so they that diue in the letter of the holy scripture according as their iudgements are before stained with preiudice of one or other opinion come forth againe not in vnity of minds but in the same differences as they went in more or lesse Or as in the miracle of tongues giuen to the Apostles when many auditors of diuers languages came to heare them although the same men could speake no more but one idiome at once yet the seuerall auditours comprehended them as if they had spoken in the proprietie of their speech so when many of diuers languages in religion come to heare some one of the Apostles speaking in the scripture although the author vse onely the voice of the truth yet euery sundrie faction doth conceiue him as speaking in the seuerall confusion of their opinions Neither can they comfort themselues with any hope to see these diuerse opinions wound vp in one confession For as the vnitie in conclusion in logick cannot be without the vnitie of the medium so they cannot meete in that middle way which should bring them into peace able cōposition vnlesse they returne to the Church For all grant there is no way to accomplish it without a councell but who shall call it when there is none whom they all obey How many factions shall assemble out of what sect shall the president be chosen what number of suffrages shall there be on euery side what rule shall bee allowed for the interpretation of the scriptures And if all this were by a dreame imagined yet the authoritie of the Canons and conclusions shall not be so authenticall but that any priuate head may refuse it if in his owne singularity he thinke it disagreeing from the scripture so desperate is the possibilitie of vnion among them that hope which imagineth impossible things cannot possibly imagine it ANSVVERE AS euery defect and imperfection tendeth vnto dissolution so the good estate of euery bodie aswell politicke and mistical as natural doth consist in the vnity of the whole harmonie of the parts amongst themselues Therfore seeing the band of vnitie knitting many members into one whole maketh an entire body that societie is of all others conceiued to be most absolute which hath attained to the greatest perfection of vnitie Which kind of reason moued the Philosopher to giue the preeminence to a Monarchy before other simple formes So the Apostle in the place whence you take your rise from the vnitie of Gods Church doth build the vnity of faith as also the vnity of spirit in the bond of peace vrging a preseruation and increase of the same as a thing most perfecting the
AN ANSVVERE TO WILLIAM ALABLASTER his MOTIVES By ROGER FENTON Preacher of Grayes Inne AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON for W. Aspley dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Tygers head 1599. THE CONTENTS OF THE seuen Motiues 1. Of the stay of the minde in doctrine of faith 2. Of the last resolution of religion 3. Of the rule of interpretation of Scripture and of necessitie of workes 4. Of the multitude of communicants in the catholike faith 5. Of alteration and reformation of religion 6. Of the power promised to the Church for discerning of truth and of the meanes of deciding controuersies 7. Of markes to discerne heretikes by and of innouation TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL HIS SINGVLAR GOOD PATRONES THE REAders of Grayes Inne RIGHT Worshipfull I craue your patronage and pardon both at once I haue stolne from my daily duetie vnto you vnto whom I owe both my selfe and all duetie certaine waste houres which I haue imployed about this discourse If my paines haue been fruitfullie bestowed yet they must craue pardon because they were bestowed without your leaue if idlie then I must craue pardon twise once for them and next for my selfe Howsoeuer I am sure my best desert must pleade pardon which I most humbly beg at your hands submitting my selfe and thaese stolne meditations to your milde censures Which if I finde fauourable I shall be encouraged with more alacritie to applie my studies in my ordinarie duties and with better content as well to amend what you shall finde amisse in this as also to prepare my selfe to some greater taske And so with my dailie prayers to almightie God for the happie and flourishing estate of your Honourable societie I humbly take my leaue At my chamber in Grayes Inne this 24. of Nouember 1599. Your daily bounden Orator ROGER FENTON The Author to William Alablaster prisoner in the Tower wisheth health of soule and bodie ALbeit Aarons body mysticall whereabout we contend might iustly occasion a much hotter conflict then that dead bodie of Moses for which Sathan stroue with Michael thereof to make an idoll yet haue I rather chosen beloued Alablaster to offend by ouer much mildnes in this generall suruey and discouerie of your grounds then any wise in bitternes of spirit vnderpretext of zeale to gaule and disgrace an aduersary Onely to the ende this slender taske imposed vpon me might finde the better intertainement euen at your hands I haue weighed your inducements with all indifferencie vrged the force of them so fully as I am able to conceiue and examined them by the touch and triall of your owne grounds VVherefore since by this time I hope the seething of your feruencie is well nigh ouer you become more staied then before and able to containe your selfe within some limits of moderation my heartie wish and desire is that you would vpon this new occasion take a sober reuiew of your owne worke more aduisedly consider the premises whereupon you build and as God shall moue you accordingly shape your resolution VVhich thing although I haue small hope my labour should be so happie as to effect in you yet least these your popular fallacies should insinuate themselues into the mindes of the more vnstable I am the rather induced to publish this briefe answere for the vse of such tender iudgements as shall in that kinde neede the same So committing to almightie God the happie successe hereof and submitting my selfe herein to the censure of the learned I bid you farewell from my Chamber in Grayes Inne Nouember 24. 1599. R. F. THE FIRST MOTIVE AS the moist and vnstable bodies because they are vnbounded in themselues neuer cease from motion vntil they be staied in some other bodie which hath stay in it selfe so the vnderstanding vnquiet by nature passeth through all formes of opinions vntill he resolue his assent vpon some principle that standeth onely vpon his owne ground ANSVVERE THat principle which stayeth the vnderstanding in humane knowledge containeth a truth firme in it selfe manifest to the light of nature shining in vs knowne to euerie man of meane vnderstanding carying euery proofe and vpholding each conclusion which reason is able from thence by discourse to inferre So that the vnderstanding passing through so many formes of opinions by discoursing at randome is therefore vnsetled because he cannot reduce those fareftcht conclusions to the first principle and examine all opinions by that truth which standeth vpon it owne ground MOTIVE THerefore when the question of truth in controuersie of faith is turned too and fro in the throng of so many particular quarrels it is best to goe aside and single out the two grand Originals and foundations from the which all other factions arise that by taking the iust estimate of the strength of eyther our iudgemēt may leaue to the stronger part Al particular controuersies in thēselues stand vpon their yea and nay but vnto vs require proofe which proofe is linked by reason which reason is chiefely groūded vpō scripture which scripture is authorised not in the letter but in the sense because it is doubtful in the varietie of apprehensions some leading others drawing many writhing their text to their seuerall factions The question is at last remoued frō the text to the interpreter frō the scripture vnto the men So that a mind studious of truth is now come to his last care to determine of the worth merit authority of these that are the exposit our ANSVVERE YOu passe from formes of opinions to controuersies of faith from an vnquiet vnderstanding by nature to an vnstable faith in religion which inference is not greatly amisse if rightly taken For as these two kinds be diuerse in nature so be they alike in proportiō For the principles of religiō differ from the principles of reason so doth this of faith from that of nature Hence an vnstable vnderstanding is not fixed vpon one and the same ground in both kindes They be alike in proportion thus as nature hath her principles written in the hearts of all men so religion hath hers reuealed from heauen to al faithfull men Secondly as the glimmering light of nature still shining in vs enlightneth her principles and maketh mens minds fully assent vnto them So the spirit of God enformeth all Christian minds with a supernaturall light of faith and full assurance of the first principles of religion Thirdly as the principles of nature are presented to our vnderstanding out of the booke of nature the volume of creatures and visible things of God together with many mysteries in part vnfolded by the wise Philosophers in their comments vpon nature so the first common principles of faith are euidently expressed in the booke of God besides many high mysteries in part reuealed vnto vs by the learned and holy men of God from time to time Fourthly as the naturall vnderstanding the further it is remoued from the first principles by discourse and tract of consequence the more vnstable
inferre vndoubted positions from weake and false premisses infallible conclusions Omnipotent power that makes the conclusion stronger then the premisses whereupon it is grounded But I will spare this sore because Doctor Stapleton saith it is a sinne to touch it Thus it is quoth hee but we must not enquire the maner how it is that were curiositie Happily it is a mysterie and it were safe for your Church it were not looked into The consequence of your argument if any impotencie of erring in one then in all is too too weake there is a meane betwixt all and none at all you run altogether vpon extremities all errours be not at once disclosed nor all truthes alike necessarie to be knowne What say you to your Doctor Stapleton who limits the Church with a condition of determining such points onely as be necessary to be beleeued or belong to the verie substance of faith else she may erre both in discourse and definitiue sentence a condition which would be looked vnto if not quite put out of his workes for it shaketh many a decree Nay what say you to Bellarmine who acknowledgeth there be some true catholikes which hold that the Pope in a general counsel may erre when he giueth not all diligence Which generall condition if it be truly obserued in assembling the synod without partialitie in selecting points of moment and necessitie in consulting with all simplicitie with such like included vnder all diligence doubtlesse Gods spirit for his part will neuer be wanting See now if you would be reasonable we might happily shake hands in this point but you presently runne backe to an absolute omnipotencie of not erring in any one point and so shall we neuer meet I aduise you though doe not take it for an article of your creed but remember Bellarmine his rule That is not to be held as a point of faith against which some catholikes do hold being reputed catholikes of the Church and not condemned for heretiks But some catholikes hold the Church may erre quando non adhibet omnem diligentiam therefore resolue not all your faith vpon this point but alas we haue your resolution MOTIVE COntrarie the Catholikes auouching the inflexible truth of the Church as the voice of Christ and direction of the spirit doe stay the mindes of the faithfull from doubt and wauering But the other making an head from the bodie of the Church are rightly punished both with beleefe in errours and vnbeleefe in truth ANSVVERE SEe now your conclusion which buildeth not vpon that point alone we haue alreadie sifted but assumeth with all a farre more slipperie ground that that Church you haue lately plunged your selfe into is the onely Church we haue talked of all this while the onely true vniuersall visible Church vpon the earth Which two vncertainties wel examined and laid together will I feare me make but a sandie foundation to build vpon and an vnstable principle to stand vpon it owne ground and vphold all religion Yet this is your only sanctuary wherin you secure your soules of all sound beliefe which standeth vpon these two main pillers first that the Catholike Church cannot erre which is not so dangerous if rightly conceiued as hath been said Secondly that this Romish Church whereof you professe your selfe a member is that Catholicke Church Which second branch must be yet further resolued into other vncertainties presupposed by you as vndoubted truthes whereupon the frame of your religion doth rest it selfe to wit first that this present Romish Church doth not degenerate from the ancient Catholike but soundly and sincerely professeth that same faith which was established in the primitiue by the Apostles continued in the ancient Romane Church in the time of the Fathers for the space of 600 yeares Secondly this being proued and made manifest you must adde further that this Church of Rome is not so Catholike as was the Church of Corinth Galatia c. that is not as a member communicating in the faith of the whole Catholike but that it selfe is the whole entire Catholike Church thereby excluding all other Churches in Christendome as hereticall which doe not acknowledge themselues subiect to the Bishop of that Sea Which thing you must defend not against protestants onely who proue you rather to be an Italian faction then the Catholike Church which Iohn Hart doth ingenuously acknowledge to be more probable then he was aware of but euen against your owne Doctors and Cardinals must you arme your selues in this point who complaine there is nothing decreed in counsels but what the Italian Nation liketh of as Ludouicus Cardinall of Arle complained at the Councell of Basil and Claudius Espencaeus a Doctor of your owne in Paris witnesseth for Trent Haec est illa Helena qua tridenti nuper obtinuit c. speaking of the Italian Nation Now if any of these pointes faile you which me thinkes be verie tickle then is not the voice of your Church euermore the inflexible truth of Christ and direction of his spirit which you presume to be the first ground of Christian Religion that doth stay the minds of the faithfull from doubt and wauering in all the rest THE THIRD MOTIVE THe infinite waies of errours draw themselues in their originall into two heads opinion and affection which as two cankers breed the one in the vnderstanding the other in the will for our iudgement is easiest deceiued by those things we esteeme truest and our inclination by what we loue best There is nothing of more manifest presumption then the truth of the Scriptures nor fuller of desire then securitie of happinesse therefore these two being left vnlimited the one of Canonitall exposition the other with necessitie of meanes are a direct method of indirect consequence Such is the practise of the later religion they teach that nothing is to be credited but what is warranted in holy bookes and giue not infallible rules of interpretation but such as at last must be ouerruled by priuat opinion for conference of places propriety of phrase acceptations of wordes can make no other conclusion then euery ones conceit will aforde So that of an infallible proposition and arbitrary assumption must needes insue a dangerous conclusion though not euer in the matter which is concluded yet alwaies in the manner of concluding ANSVVERE TO let slip your philosophicall introduction sparing in this short discourse to catch at by matters you haue pitched your motiue vpon the two maine partes of a christian soule The vnderstanding of diuine truth and the desire of true happines assuming to your selues and denying wholly to vs both sound iudgment for the triall of the one and necessarie meanes for the enioying of the other Our iudgment is impeached for resting it selfe wholly vpon the written word being depriued also of the infallible interpretation of the same For the first point we doe indeede maintaine the written word as the most perfect worke of God to