and dignity ouer all Churches in all parts of the world and neither by Councell Emperor or such Donation but by old custome and the institution of Christ And the same Church as before still continueth the true Church of Christ I hope it is no offence to agree with it in this as in other questions Chapter 4. All bookes receiued for Scripture by the Roman Church are Canonicall THus hauing by the directions sentence of Protestant writers of so late memory as this present is found out that the Roman Church is the spouse of Christ his true Church and piller of truth whose communion we must embrace followe her directions rest in her judgement liuing dying therein to haue eternal life the only and chiefest happynes which we can seeke or find And that the authority of the chiefe Bishops of that holy Apostolike See hath euer bin so soueraigne chiefe commanding and supreame as these men haue taught vs in the former Chapters we might here by D. Fields censure and aduise confine our selues and vvade no further in so many intricate controuersies of religion But to giue a finall contentment to all curiosities let vs briefly enter into a particuler-like examination of all principall Articles in question And first of Scriptures vvhose authority is either only or chiefest with Protestants D. Couell writeth in these wordes a Couell def of Hook p. 31 The Church of Rome teacheth no bad opinion to affirme that the Scriptures are holy diuine in themselues but so esteemed by vs for the authority of the Church And againe That the Scriptures are true we haue it from the Church And further thus b pag. 32. 33. supr The Church hath foure singuler offices towardes the Scripture First to be of them as it were a faithfull register Secondly to discerue and judge betweene false and adulterate and that which is true and perfect The third to publish and diuulge to proclayme as a cryer the true edict of our Lord him selfe The last is to be an Interpreter and in that following the safest rule to make an vndiuided vnity of the truth vncapable of contradiction to be a most faithfull expositor of his owne meaning And concludeth thus c page 34. supr We say that we are taught to receiue the word of God from the authority of the Church we see her judgement we heare her voice in humility subscribe vnto all this Hitherto be D. Couels wordes for the major proposition of my Syllogisme But the minor or second position that the Roman Church is the true Church of Christ is allowed and proued by Protestants before Therefore this Protestant argument must be thus concluded All bookes which the Church of Rome proposeth for Scriptures the expositions which shee deliuereth c. In humility we must subscribe vnto them receiue them as the word of God from her authority D. Doue referreth the question what bookes be Canonicall Scripture to the two Doctors S. Augustine and S. Hierome His vvordes be these d Doue perswas pag. 15. Catholikes proue them to be Canonicall out of S. Augustine We that they be Apocrypha out of S. Hierome both which Doctors are of no small authority with the Church of Rome and therefore in this we differ no more from them then S. Hierome did from S. Augustine Therefore I hope for many causes Protestants will giue place vnto vs in this question It is knowne S. Augustine in calling was aboue S. Hierome In learning D. Couell telleth you e Cou. against Burg. pag. 3. he was farre the most learned Doctor that euer was or shall be in all likely-hood Thirdly your publike Conference f Conference infr to be after cited hath answered S. Hieromes authority for Catholikes Fourthly S. Augustine speaketh in the name of the whole Church for these bookes his wordes be these g August tom 10. ser 191. We receiue the old and newe Testament in that number of bookes which the authority of the holy Catholike Church hath deliuered And in the place where he deliuereth the Canon of Scriptures as Catholikes nowe doe hee giueth these rules to him that vvould knowe vvhich bee true Scriptures his vvordes bee these h Tom. 3. lib. 2. doct Christ cap. 8. In Canonicall Scriptures let him followe the authority of the most Catholike Churches among which those be which haue deserued to haue Apostolike Sees and to receiue their Epistles And so proceeding too long to be cited concludeth by all his rules that all those bookes vvhich the Roman Church nowe receiueth there remembred by S. Augustine are Canonicall But to be briefe The Protestant Surueyor of the communion booke affirmeth plainely i Suruey of the booke of common prayer pag. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. that the Protestants of England must approue for Canonicall these bookes with the Roman Church So likewise doe the 22. Preachers of London in their Petition k Petit. of 22. preachers except against homilies and except 4. against the com booke And D. Field is of the same opinion or must be for thus he vvriteth l Field lib. 4. c. 23. pa. 245. The ancient and true beleeuing Iewes before the comming of Christ especially such as liued in Greece and nations out of Iury commonly called Hellenists receiued those bookes for Canonicall Scripture And to vse his vvordes Hence it came to passe that the Iewes deliuered a double Canon of Scripture to the Christian Churches And speaking againe of that volume of the Hellenists he addeth m page 246. These bookes joyned in one volume were translated out of Greeke into Latin and read by them of the Latin Church in that translation And entreating of S. Augustine and the Latin Fathers especially in Africke and the third Carthaginian Councell vvhere this Canon is receiued he vvriteth thus They reckon the bookes of Scripture according as they found them in vse in the Latin Church Then D. Field hath absolutely graunted that in the Latin Church vnder vvhich England is these Scriptures vvere euer esteemed for Canonicall And being translated as he acknowledgeth out of Greeke into Latin this Gretian vvill not easily persvvade but the Greeke Church also first embraced them for he saith thus n page 245. supr The Greeke Iewes or Hellenists deliuered this Canon to the Christian Churches then first to the Greeke Church being in Greece among them and best vnderstanding those Greeke Scriptures before they vvere translated into Latin The Protestant Conference at Hampton-Court entreating of the Protestant exceptions against these Scriptures vseth these wordes o Conference pag. 60. Most of the objections made against those bookes were the old cauils of the Iewes renewed by S. Hierome in his time who was the first that gaue them the name of Apocrypha which opinion vpon Ruffinus his challendge he after a sort disclaimed the rather because a generall offence was taken at his speaches in that kinde Hitherto the censure of that publike
conference vvhereby the ground of Protestants denying these bookes by S. Hieromes opinion as D. Doue hath witnessed is vtterly ouerthrowne D. Couell answereth p Couell against Burges pag. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. the objections against Burges the Puritan in particuler as Catholikes doe and sheweth that these bookes haue vvithout cause beene accused of faults by Protestants only to denie them to be Canonicall as Catholikes hold He addeth further thus They are most true and might haue there concilement of other Scriptures And againe in these vvordes q Couell supr pag. 87. If Ruffinus be not deceiued they were approued as parts of the old Testament by the Apostles For when S. Hierome write so scornefully of the history of Susanna and the song of the three children he chargeth him therein to haue robbed the treasure of the holy Ghost and diuine instrument which the Apostles deliuered to the Churches And S. Hierome who is not vsually slowe to defend himselfe leaueth that point vnanswered pretending that what he had spoken was not as his owne opinion but what the Iewes objected And for his paines in translating the booke of Iudith vvhich the Protestants denie he giueth this reason because we reade that the Councell of Nice did reckon it in the number of holy Scriptures Hitherto D. Couels vvordes And much like vnto this of Ruffinus he citeth r pag. 76. 77. from S. Augustine S. Cyprian and others temporibus Apostolorum proximis in the next age to the Apostles Objection And if any man shall object against me that ſ Art 6. Syn. Lond. 1562. the sixt Article of the English Protestant religion excepteth against these bookes and leaueth them forth of the Canon of Scriptures t Answere I answere this proueth nothing but to proue their religion to be contradictory and vnpossible to be true For the bookes of Communion and Homilies as before authorized aswell by those Articles as the statute of Queene Elizabeth and the late Protestant Canons receiue cite and practise them for Canonicall Againe that sixt Article is contradictory to it selfe in this point and so of no authority by Protestants themselues for it only approueth for Canonicall Scriptures to vse the wordes of the Article u Articul 6. supr Those Canonicall bookes of the old and newe Testament of whose authority was neuer any doubt in the Church in the name of holy Scriptures these we vnderstand And yet these Protestants doe tell vs x Willet Synops q. 1. of Script pag. 2. 3. edit anno 1594. that all Scriptures haue beene doubted off by one Church or other But to contaynemy selfe vvithin my time of limitation I vvill only cite the Bishop of Winchester he writeth thus y B. Bilson suruey of Christs sufferings pag. 664. The Scriptures themselues were not fully receiued in all places no not in Eusebius time He saith the Epistle of Iames of Iude the second of Peter the second and third of Iohn are contradicted Thè Epistle to the Hebrewes was contradicted the Churches of Syria did not receiue the second Epistle of Peter nor the second and third of Iohn nor the Epistle of Iude nor the Apocalipse the like might be said for the Churches of Arabia Will you hence conclude that these parts of Scripture were not Apostolike or that we neede not receiue them nowe because they were formerly doubted off Hitherto B. Bilsons vvordes By which it both appeareth by Protestants howe their Article doth contradict it selfe And I may conclude vvith the Protestants before that all bookes which the Roman Church receiueth for Scripture be Canonicall and most holy Whereby it is too manifest what a grounded religion that Protestancy is which hath excluded so long time so many bookes of Scripture and so many Articles of faith prayer for the dead patronage of Saints and Angels prayers vnto them and the like And yet would pretend that their religion is only founded vpon the word of God in Scripture Chapter 5. The vulgar Latin translation of Scriptures vsed by the Roman Church is best the English Protestant translations are erroneous NEXT to the Canon and Text of Scriptures let vs entreate of their translations both as they are vsed in the Roman Church and the English Protestants And first concerning the vulgar Latin allowed among Catholikes D. Doue writeth thus a Doue perswasion p. 16 We Protestants graunt it fit that for vniformity in quotations of places in schooles and pulpits one Latin text should be vsed and we can be contented for the antiquity thereof to preferre the old vulgar translation before all other Latin bookes so much we doe yeeld to the Councell of Trent And D. Couell entreating of translations of Scripture against Burges the Puritan answereth in these wordes b Couell against Burges pag. 94. We are ready to confesse whether you vnderstand the Italian or that which goeth vnder the name of S. Hierome that they were vsed anciently in the Church a thousand and three hundred yeares agoe one of them by S. Augustine preferred before all the rest the other highly commended by Beza and that of the vulgar though with Pagnin and Driëdo we thinke it was not S. Hieromes but mixt yet we can be content to say as Isodore doth of it interpretatio eius this translation is to be preferred before others Hitherto his owne wordes And if M. Couell Doue and other Protestants well consider the judgement of the Councell of Trent in this question and the preface to the Bible of Xistus quintus they shall perceiue the intent of the holy Councell being only to approue that Latin translation vsed a thousand and three hundred yeares since in the Church as D. Couell telleth vs when it was in the flourishing and best estate and so to be reuerenced by Protestants judgement before and not to reject either the Greeke in the newe or Hebrewe Text of the old Testament Touching other translations D. Couell writeth c Couel supr pag. 94. No translation whatsoeuer is authenticall Scripture And D. Doue addeth d Doue persw pag. 16. All translations haue many faultes M. Burges in his Apologie writeth thus of the approued English Protestant translation e Burges Apolog pa. 93. in D. Couels answere It is a translation which hath many omissions many additions which some-times obscureth some-times peruerteth the sence being some-time senselesse some-times contrary And D. Couell in his answere acknowledgeth so farre faults in their translation that he requireth a better to be established The 22. Preachers of London write of the translation only in the communion booke in this manner f Petit. of 22. preachers except 11. against the com booke It contayneth in it diuers corrupt translations of Scriptures by leauing out of wordes putting too of wordes peruerting the meaning of the holy Ghost The Suruey of the booke of common prayer addeth g Suruey of the booke of com prayer pag. 160. There be many grosse
corruptions as may partly appeare by the Abridgement of the Ministers of Lincolne Dyocesse The Protestant Authour of the Aduertisement testifieth h Aduertisemēt an 1604 The Bible is peruerted in 848. places in the old Testament The English Protestant Bible is inferior to the Turkes Alcaron And so Christianity is denyed in England by publike authority Therefore most justly might his Majesty say in the publike conference i Conference pag. 46. That he could neuer yet see a Bible well translated into English but the worst of all he thought the Geneua to be Chapter 6. The true lawfull and juridicall exposition of Scriptures is in the Roman Church and not with Protestants THE true and vvarranted exposition of Scriptures is absolutely proued before to belong to the true Church of Christ and the Roman Church For this place D. Field vvriteth thus a Field lib. 4. c. 19. pa. 134. We confesse that neither conference of places nor consideration of the Antecedentia and Consequentia nor looking into the originals are of any force vnlesse we finde the thinges which we conceiue to be vnderstood and meant in the places interpreted to be consonant to the rule of faith And this rule of faith as he further teacheth b page 242. must be tryed either by the generall practise of the Church the renowmed of all ages or the Pastors of an Apostolike Church vvhich as the vvorld can vvitnesse no Protestant can make clayme vnto Therefore as D. Couell vvriteth c Couell def of Hooker pag. 85. Doctrines deriued exhortations deducted interpretations agreeable are not the word of God And yet these be the groundes of Protestant religion and those vvhereupon their pretended faith and justification it selfe vvith them dependeth Although D. Field thus againe condemneth it d Field p. 226 Priuate interpretation is not so proposed and vrged as if they would binde all others to receiue it Therefore he assigneth e page 228. three kindes of interpretation and judgement One of discretion common to all the other of direction in the Pastours of the Church and a third of jurisdiction proper to them that haue supreame power in the Church And this third hee only acknowledgeth in the Bishops assembled in a generall Councell which as he teacheth may interpret the Scripture and by their authority suppresse all them that gaine-say such interpretation and subject euery man that shall disobey such determinations as they consent vpon to excommunication and censures of like nature Hitherto his vvordes Nowe that there neither hath beene nor possibly can bee any generall Councell among Protestants none clayming further jurisdiction then their owne temporall Terrytories it is both apparant to all and acknovvledged f Relation of relig cap. 47. in expresse vvordes by the Protestant Relator of religion And yet besides D. Field recited before D. Sutcliffe g Sutcl subuers pa. 119. D. Morton h Morton epist dedicat 2. part Apol. lib. 4. 2. part Apol. pa. 340 cap. 18. M. Willet i Willet Antilog and the rest acknowledge ordinarily that a generall Councell hath the highest and binding judgement And although M. Willet doth say k Willet prefat Engl. Antilog pag. 71. 120. That in England the temporall Prince is Gouernour ruler chiefe ouerseer and steward of the Church to whose judgement and redresse the reformation of religion belongeth Yet he addeth l Pag. 150. 43. supr Neither he nor their Church hath any priuiledge from errour But plainely protesteth m Willet prefa to the reader in Antilo They must take out a newe lesson and learne to reforme their erroneous conceits And more then this is generally taught and confessed among them of which hereafter For this time and place I will only make exemplification of D. Doue his graunt and confession vvhich followeth in these vvordes n D. Doue perswas pag. 31. When the Masse was first put downe King Henry had his English Lyturgie and that was judged absolute without exception but when King Edward came to the Crowne that was condemned and an other in the place which Peter Martir and Bucer did approue as very consonant to Gods word When Queene Elizabeth beganne her raigne the former was judged to be full of imperfections and a newe was deuised and allowed by the consent of the Clergie but about the middle of her raigne we grewe weary of that booke and great meanes haue beene wrought to abandon that and establish an other which although it was not obtayned yet we doe at the least at euery change of Prince change our booke of common prayers we be so wanton that we knowe not what we would haue Hitherto his wordes and he freely confesseth errours in all these states and changes Yet this flitting from errour to errour finding no center hath beene so grieuous euen to some Protestants that the Suruey of the booke of common prayer vseth these wordes o Suruey of the commun booke pag. 159. 160. The late Archbishop of Canterbury as is credibly reported tooke such a griefe when the communion booke should haue beene altered discouered by these or like wordes good Lord when shall we knowe what to trust vnto that he presently fell into his palsey was carryed from the Court and dyed shortly after But let any man enter into a serious consideration of Protestant doctrine in this point that vnder paine of damnation vve are bound to finde and followe the truth That generall Councels as before may subject euery man disobeying their determinations to excommunication and censures of like nature the most terrible and fearefull punishment of this world And Protestants in England so seuerely punish all Catholikes for not consenting to their religion which themselues thus loade with errours and all judgements Ecclesiasticall euen generall Councels p Articul 21. anno 1562. may erre and haue erred euen in thinges pertayning vnto God as is defined in their Articles and is commonly taught and beleeued with them to excuse their errours This consideration is able to putmen not regardlesse of saluation into more then a quaking palsey Chapter 7. Traditions are of equall authority with Scripture yet proue Catholike religion THE dignity and authority of vnwritten and Apostolicall Traditions being lawfully proued was euer esteemed such that M. Wotton affirmeth a Wotton def of Perkins pag. 405. Out of all question we are bound to keepe them And telleth b page 436. That M. Perkins was of the same opinion c Field p. 134 D. Field speaketh of such Traditions in these vvordes There is no reason but these should be equall with the Scriptures For it is not the writing that giueth these thinges their authority but the worth and credit of him that deliuereth them though by word and liuely voice only He addeth also d Field p. 240 that the perpetuall Virginity of our Lady was a Tradition and only receiued by such authority and so doe other Protestants And both they