A BRIEFE VIEWE of the weake Grounds of Popery As it was propounded to D. NORRICE Priest by T.V. Gent and returned without answere AT LONDN Imprinted by Humfrey Lownes for Samuel Macham and Mathew Cooke and are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Tigers head 1606. To my dearest Cousins A. B. C. D. MY dearest Cousins with what zeale and feruencie both in my prayers and other indeuours I haue euer desired wee might be of one mind heart God Act. 6. and mine owne conscience can best testifie and your selues may partly witnes with me For as touching the means to this our atonement namely conference with the learned of ech others side and reading their bookes you know well I for my part haue neuer refused it but euermore gladly imbraced and diligently sought after it that so if truth wherof great vaunts were made had been found on your side my heart first then my hand might readily haue subscribed thereto But when I consider the doctrine of your Rhemists Tit. 3. Sect. and the answerable practise of their disciples forbidding you not onely to reade our bookes but to hold conuersation much more to haue conference with vs who must be Heretikes because they tearme vs so yea when I see they blush not to affirme That we are not to be heard â—fâ—r 3. â—ect 2. no not though we speake the trueth I almost despaire of your conuersion seeing the means are prohibited Now how much meeter it were in a case of such consequence being no lesse than the eternal safegard of your soules to leaue them with their errors and to hearken rather and conforme your faith to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles I referre it to any seeing iudgement For the vniuersall consent of all the ancient Fathers alloweth the Scriptures for the onely Rule of faith as conteining in them all doctrine necessary to saluation And albeit I haue sufficiently among others cleared that question in this smal Treatise following yet will I somewhat inlarge the proofe of it in this place to the end you may better knowe That though you send vs for instruction to to the Fathers yet they send vs backe again to the Scriptures as the onely and sufficient Rule to direct vs. And in handling this point I will not much insist vpon diuine authority since I know you relye chiefly if not wholly on the Fathers Onely I will vrge these few testimonies of Scripture which ought to preuaile more with euery true Christian than all the Fathers how learned soeuer First our Sauiour willeth vs to search the Scriptures for that in them we thinke to haue eternall life Io. 5.39 Mark 1224. And he taxeth the Pharises of error because they were ignorant of the Scriptures 2. Tim. 3.15 16 17. S. Paul likewise affirmeth that they are able to make vs wise vnto saluation that the man of God may be perfite instructed to euery good worke And if this perswade you not I haue no hope that any Father can for as Christ saith Luk. 16.29 30 31. They haue Moyses and the Prophets if they will not heare them neither will they beleeue if one rose from the dead Now as to the Fathers though your side pretend so much to reuerence them yet in this question they wholly reiect them and that indeede not without cause seeing their authority in this one point might proue the downefall of your whole Religion it being confessed by some great Champions on your side That many and most of the doctrines wherin you varie from vs are grounded on Traditions and not on the Scriptures as any that will take the paines to reade may see in Peter Soto against Brentius in the fift chapter of Canisius Catechisme in the * In fine fabulae 6. 5 booke of Lyndans Panoply yea * Scripto suâ— aedito tempore Trid. Concil Andradius saith That the greatest part of Catholike Religion is left vnto Traditions of the Church not written â—anopl li. 1. â— 22. demeÌ„â—ssimae insaâ—iae And the said Lyndan saith It is most extreme madnes to think that the whole entire Body of Euangelicall doctrine is to be fetched out of the Apostolike letters written with inke and out of that little booke of the new Testament And therefore so much the more are your leaders seducers to be taxed who perswade their folowers that the greatest differeÌ„ce between them and vs is touching the Sense of the Scripture wheras euery man of common sense wil easily iudge that where there is no Text there needs no Interpreter But let vs briefly see what opinioÌ„ the Fathers were of in this coÌ„trouersie betweene vs and how they haue vnderstood that Scripture which D. B. P. calles the Protestants Achilles which hee onely barkes at without further hurt â— B. booke â—gainst M â—erkins calâ—ed the 1. â—im 3. the â—rot Achilâ—es Hom. 9. Chrysostome vpon the same Text sayth If any thing be needefull for vs to learne or to be ignorant of there meaning in the Scriptures shal we learne it If to reproue falsehood from thence shal we draw it if any thing lacke to be corrected or rebuked which must be had vnto exhortation vnto comfort there also doe we learne it Likewise Ho. 8. vpon the 15. verse he saith The scriptures do teach both what things are to be done what not to be done Theodoret vpoÌ„ the same place saith The scripture is inspired of God Therfore he teacheth the kinds of vtilitie It is profitable to teach for whatsoeuer we know not we learne out of it To reproue It reproueth our wicked life To correct for it exhorteth that they which haue gone astray returne to the right way To instruct in righteousnesse for it teacheth vs the kinds of vertue that the man of God may bee perfit furnished to all good workes All these things doe attribute and ascribe perfection to the God of all Primasius saith Out of the scriptures he that is ignorant is taught Hee that is insolent is reprooued He that erreth is corrected He that can keep no measure is instructed to Iustice to euery good worke not vnto one Oecumenius sayth after he hath rehearsed the particular vtilities to teach all true opinions and good works to reprooue errors vice he concludeth that the man of God may be not onely partaker after a vulgar maner of euery goodworke but perfect and compleate by the doctrine of the scriptures Not to some kind of good worke and to some not But to all and euery good worke saith Theophilact Athanasius saith Atha contr gent. Chrys opeâ— imperf in Mat. Ho. 41. Aug. in Iohâ— Tract 44. The holy scriptures inspired from heauen are sufficient for all instruction of trueth Chrysostome saith whatsoeuer is requisite for saluation all that is fully laid downe in the Scripture S. Augustine sayth There were chosen to be written such things as seemed to the holy Ghost sufficient for the saluation of the faithfull And in his second booke against Cresconius the GraÌ„marian he saith That there is an Ecclesiasticall Canon ordained whereunto belong the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles By which bookes we
in â—nesis q. 162. Iacob by faith worshipped God vpon the end of his staffe But they traÌ„slate Iacob adored the top of his Rod to countenance their Idolatrie â—n confes Aug. i. 2. c. 8. Tit. 5. Torrensis the Iesuite in the diuision of the coÌ„mandements saith that 3 of them concerne our duty towards God and 7 towards men This doctrine is imbraced by the Papists vpon Austin and Clements authority contrary to al these Fathers folowing whose iudgements they may truely be said to reiect in preferring two before so many As first by the Hebrewes as Li. de decal 〈◊〉 duob opusc â—le legib speciâ— lib. Philo Antiquit. â—ude li. 3. ca. 4. Iosephus In Exod. 20. Aben Ezra next by the Grecians In versib de â—ecalog Gregory Nazianzen In Exod. â—o 8. Origen In Synop. â—et Scriptur Athanasius and In Mat. oper â—mperf Ho. 49. Chrysostome Lastly by the Latines In Epist ad â—ph cap. 6. S. Ambrose In â—pist ad â—phes ca. 6. S. Hierome And one yet ancienter than they both Aug. q. vet Nou. Test â—p 7. The Author of the questions of the Old and New Testament who all affirme that foure Commandements concerne our duety towards God and sixe towards men Epiphanius is reiected by D. Hardin Iewel pagâ— 548. for breaking of Images Cyprian is condemned by Dureus because he teacheth that onely Christ is to be heard Their reiection of the Fathers is so commonly knowen to all that reade Controuersies See their Iâ—dex expurgatorius as is euident by the infinite testimonies alleaged by vs out of the Fathers against the Papists that I shall not néede to insist of more particularities in which few may yet be obserued that they reiect the greater number which they tearme the Churches exposition when they make against them Stapleton and Hart. The fourth Exception is that there are many counterfeits bearing the name of Fathers which are likewise often alleaged by the Papists to abuse vs with their names For proofe wherof there be nine volumes of S. Hieroms workes whereof 3 are none of his and yet vitae Patrum a Legend how wrongfully fathered on him CoÌ„ment in epi 2. ad Tâ— mo ca. 4. lâ— cor Theolâ— li. 11. ca. 6. your Espencaeus and Canus both shew As also a barbarous and sottish fable of the natiuity of S. Mary as Canus calleth it Likewise of ten volumes of S. Austins there is not aboue one or two that hath not more or fewer of such Pamphlets patched to it both by the censure of Erasmus Censura theologoruÌ„ Louanienâ—um in AppeÌ„di c Tomâ— secundi ceteroâ—um August and the Diuines of Louain who shew that sundry things beare Saint Austines name whereof some are vnlearned some lewd and hereticall Sixtus â—eneâ—s de â—â—lcâ— librotum inscrip Stapl prinâ— doctr li. â— cap. 14. Sixtus Senensis whom D. Stapleton doeth commend hath proued that books are fathered falsely not onely vpon Augustine and Hierome but also vpon Ambrose Cyprian Athanasius Eusebius Emisenus Iunilius Cyril Eucherius Arnobius and Thomas of Aquine And with this discourse hee closeth vp the former volume of his holy Librarie In which he hath shewed Bibliotheca Sanctâ— lib. 2. 4. that Clemens Abdius Origen Chrysostome Hipolitus and many mo haue had their names defaced with the same iniurie I will omit diuers others for breuity and although this may séeme no iust Exception against the Fathers yet it ought to make vs cautious how we trust them to be the true Fathers and not counterfeits the rather for that the Papists haue often alleaged such counterfeit Fathers to credit their doctrine with For proofe whereof Torrensis the Iesuite citeth such bookes for S. Augustines as are knowen and granted to bee none of his â—n confess â—ng li. â— ca. â— Tit. 2 c. assiâ— as namely The Sermon of Saint Peters chaire and other pretie Pamphlets of the same litter And although in the preface of his confessions to the Reader he makes an exception yet our of that exception he saith that although they doe not auaile much to conuince the opinion of Sectaries Neuerthelesse there will be godly men and learned who will permit and iudge them to be Saint Augustines owne and will both take delight and profit by trading them And yet amongst theâ—e bookes there is one that teacheth contrary to Saint Augustine as namely The booke of visiting the sicke wherein the Bastard Austin alloweth the worship of images for good De visitat Infirmor li 2. ca. 1. De moribuâ— Ecclesiae ca. 3â— which â—he true Austin doth note as an abuse and saith the Church misliketh it And yet this booke alleaged by the Iesuite for worshipping of iâ—ages is set as a flower in his Austins conâ—â—tions though it be iudged a bastard Austin by the Diuines of Louain Censura Louaniensium Non est August princ doctr li. â— cap. 15. Arnob. com in psal â—â— Hier. de Scriptoriâ— eccle Biblio sanct li. 4. Histor Tâ—ip li. 5. c. 5. Coment in â—sal 105. D. Stapleton alleageth Arnobius vpon the Psalmes to prooue that who goeth out of Peters church shall perish and that this is a counterfeit Father Saint Hierome and Sixtus Senensis dot shew for that the most ancient Arnobius was elder than that he might heare of the heresie of Photinus whereas this Arnobius that writeth on the Psalmes doeth mention Photinus and wrote by name against his Heresie S. Basil is often alleaged by the Papists in many of their bookes Basil de Spir. sanct ca. 27. for Traditions not written These words are vrged as his Of the doctrines which are taught in the Church wee haue some laid down in writing some againe we haue receiued by Tradition from the Apostles in a mystery that is in secret whereof either haue like force to godlines neither doth any man contradict them that is but meanly acquainted with the lawes of the Church for if we go about to reiect those customs which are not written as of no moment before we beware we shal condemne those things which are in the Gospel necessary to saluatioÌ„ yea rather we shal bring the preaching of faith to a naked name And not long after in the same booke If nothing else hath béen receiued without scriptures Ibid. ca. 29. neither let this be receiued But if wee haue receiued many secrets without writing let vs also receiue this among those many I thinke it Apostolike to cleaue to TraditioÌ„s not written Now this booke is prooued a counterfeit by the reasons following First though it hath Saint Basils name to it Epist Eras dedicat ad Episc Culmens praefiâ—â— ca. 17. yet the later part thereof whence those patches are taken haue neither S. Basils stile learning spirit nor age which Erasmus confessed when he translated the booke Besides this place of Basils directly contradicts the two places afore mentioned of of S. Basil
Q. 14. par 1 And this later allegation of the 29 Chap. conuinceth the Author to be but a yong Father in respect of S. Basil For this bastard Basil in the same chapter mentioneth Meletius as a Bishop of ancient memorie dead long before his time Basi despi Sanct. ca. â—9 Insuper Meletium illum admirandum eadeÌ„ fuisse sententia narrant quicum illo vixerunt Sed quid opus est vetera commemorare Immò nunc qui sunt Orientales c. Moreouer Meletius that admirable Bishop was of the same opinion as they that liued with him report But what need I repeat ancient times The East Bishops which are at this day c. Now the true Saint Basil not only liued at the same time with Meletius but was made Deacon by him Socr li. 4. ca. 26. Basilij epi. 56 57 58 89. Socr. lib. 5. ca. 8. and wrote many letters to him and departed this life before him as the Church story witnesseth affirming Helladius S. Basils successor and Meletius were both present at the second Generall Councell at Constantinople vnder Theodosius and that must néeds be when Saint Basil was dead I wil yet enlarge this part out of the Rhemes Testament because I know you highly esteeme the booke and thinke it impossible that so many learned Diuines would abuse their Readers with counterfeit Fathers to confirme their doctrine Anot. Phe. Test â— Tim. 4. sect 13. Your Rhemists alleage a counterfeit Epistle of Alexander to prooue Holy water to be 1400. yéeres olde and it beareth date when Traianus and Helianus were Consuls which was neuer which prooueth it to be a counterfeit Anot. Rhe. Test 1. Cor. 11. sect 10. You alleage Chrysostome and S. Iames Masses for putting water into the wine in the Sacrament and that these Masses are forged are thus prooued Bals in Can. 32. Conc. Constant 6. First Balsamon Patriarch of Antioch saith That the Liturgie of Saint Iames was not extant in his time And in the Liturgy that beareth the name of Chrysostomes Masse as it is set foorth by Claudius du Sanctis There is a prayer for Pope Nicholas and the Emperour Alexius whereof the one was néere fiue hundreth yéeres the other 7. hundreth yéeres after Chrysostome For extreame Vnction you cite Augustin de visitatione Infirmor and Austin de Tempore Anot. Rhe. Test Cala. 4. sect 2. The first place is prooued a counterfeit by the censure of Louain In Censur general Tom. 10. as I haue shewed in the first example of these counterfeit Fathers and the other place de Tempore by the same warrant Oper. de Aug. Saint Augustine or as some thinke Anot Rhe. Test Acts 1 sect 7. Fulgentius is alleadged by your Rhemists to prooue prayer and preises to the blessed Virgin Marie saying Who can be able worthily to prayse or thanke thée Receiue our prayers obtaine vs our requests for thou act the speciall hope of sinners by thée we hope for pardon of our sinnes and in thée O most blessed is the expectation of our rewards c. What greater blasphemie can there be then to attribute that to the creature which is onely due to the Creator This is not to honor but to dishonour that blessed virgin in giuing those attributes to her which to proper and peculiar to our Sauiour Christ Now for proofe that this is a counterfeit Austine he addeth the tehimonie of Isiodorus who liued 200. yeeres after S. Austine which prooueth that it can neither be Saint Augustine nor Folgentius Besides this Augustine or Fulgentius in the 39. sermon doubteth of the Assumption of the Virgine Mary and yet when he may séeme to make for their superstition he must be vrged as the true Austine So little conscience make they of the abusing their Readers if it may hold them in blindnesse or giue any colour to their errors The questions of the Olde and New Testament are none of Saint Austins for in the 21 question it is affirmed that Melchisedech was the holy Ghost which saying the true Austine in his booke De Haeres refuteht as an heresie Bellar. de Sacr. Can. i. 2. ca. 10. This Bellarmine confesseth and yet the authoritie of this booke is often vrged by the Rhemists and other Papists But aboue all their forgeries Annot. Rhe. sest Act. 1. those touching the assumption of our Ladie are notable where for proofe thereof Saint Denis S. Damascen Athanasius and S. Barnard are alleadged In which they affirme that S. Denis writeth these and these things where neither the Author is S. Denis neither writeth he the things which they alleage Now for proofe that this Denis is a counterfeit Dionysius Areopagita who they here call S. Denis was dead many yéers before the works which beare his name could bee written for there is De diuin â—ominib c. 4 cited in them a saying of Ignatius out of an Epistle which he wrote to the Romanes as hee was going to suffer martyrdom Euseb in â—ronic Methodiâ— in Marâ—rio Dion â—reopag in the time of Traian the Emperour Now Dionysius died Ignat. epi. Ephes in the time of Domitian certaine yeers before And when Dion Aâ—op Episc â—thenarum Ignatius wrote it Onesimus was B. of Ephesus who succéeded Timothie Your counterfeit Timoth. â—isc Ephe. alleageth it to Timothie B. of Ephesus either after his decease or before it was written Besides it is set down in that Annotations that she liued 63 yéers being 25 yeres after Christs Ascension as it is in their Tables of S. Paul when she is supposed to be assumpted Now in the same Table After the Acts of the Apostles it is shewed by their owne account that it was 51 yeres after Christs Natiuity and 18 yeres after his Ascension before Dionysius Areopagita whom the tearme S. Denis was conuerted by S. Paul which f Acts 9 5 Galat. 1.18 Acts 9.26 Galat. 1 22 Acts 13 4. Gal. 2.1 Acts 15.4 Acts 16 5. Acts 17 34 the Scriptures also witnesse as any that will weigh the particular texts shal euidently perceiue So that he could not be one of the brethren to witnes her assuÌ„ption She being assumpted taking the largest computation thrée yeres before he was conuerted being at that time no Christian Hee might be proued a couÌ„terfeit by other reasons which I omit Now touching the things which are by the Rhemists fathered on him he saith no more thereof but that among the Bishops inspired of the holy Ghost Hierotheus excelled all the rest saue the Apostles in praysing Christs goodnesse when himselfe and Timothie and many of their holy brethren came together to behold the body which receiued God and which the Prince of life was in As for the miracles falsely forged by the Rhemists and fathered on him of the Apostles broght together S. Thomas coÌ„ming the 3 day after the Angels singing Hymnes thrée daies the buriall of the virgins body the desire of Thomas to
rather to the whole Church consisting of the faithfull as the Protestants vnderstand it S. August saith Aug. in Psal 47. in prâ—ef We may not vnderstand the second of the Sabbath to be any other than the Church of Christ yet the Church of Christ in the Saints the church of Christ in those that are not ouercome with the tentations of this wicked world for they are worthy the name of firmament Therfore the church of Christ is called the firmament in those that are firme which is saith hee the Church of the liuing God the pillar and firmament of trueth Aug. de Bap li. 7. cap 3 Tom. 6. The like saying hath S. Augustine in many other places but specially where he writeth against the Donatists Saint Chrysostome expoundeth this place of the verity it selfe Chrys Hoâ— 11 in 1. Tim. 3. and not of the Pastors or Councels as the Papists do For sayth he the verity of the church is both the pillar and the firmament And if you will sée that the Fathers haue vnderstood the church as the Protestants do reade S. Augu. Enchirid. â— Laurent caâ— 56. expounding the Articles of the Créed where he saith that the Church is here to be taken for the whole not for that part onely which is a stranger vpon earth Aug. in Psal 137. Againe he saith There is a Church beneath there is a Church aboue the Church beneath in all the faithfull c. Ibid. Psal 90. Conc. 2. Likewise the whole church euery where diffused is the body of Christ and hee is the head of it Not onely the faithfull which are now but also they that were before vs from the beginning of the world and they that shall be after vs to the ende of the world doe all pertaine to this bodie The church is the bodie of Christ not the church which is here or there but which is here and euery where thorowout the world c. And often times in his writings he affirmeth the Catholike church to consist of all the predestinate De ciuitat Dei li. 21. ca. 25. de Bapt. â—i 6. ca. 3. In Iohn Tract 45. which are the members of Christs mysticall bodie and that no wicked men perteine vnto it but only the good holy and iust But to conclude this point with one whom you haue euer reputed your owne Anselmus super hunc locum saith The house in which God dwelleth is the whole congregation of the faithfull who are to be taught diuersly and the same Church is in the perfect a pillar that is sublime streight inconcussible supporting and lifting vp the yonger sort and in the same perfect it is the firmament of trueth because both by words and examples it confirmeth in the hearts of the weake the veritie of faith and Gods commandements Thus you sée the Church is by these testimonies vnderstood to be the congregation of the faithfull and not generall Councels or Pope And it is truely gathered out of these words of Anselmus which are to be taught that the church consisteth aswell of the Laity as the Cleargie Now if you will see how the church may be knowen Chrysostome saith Hom. in Mat. 49 Before it might be shewed many waies which was the church of Christ But nowe it is no way to be knowen but onely by the Scriptures S. Augustine saith as we may truely say of the Papists Let the Donatists saith he shew their church De vnitat eccles ca. 16. not in the rumors and speaches of the men of Africa nor in the Councels of their Bishops nor in their discourses of any writer whosoeuer nor in signes and miracles that may be forged but in the prescript of the law in the predictions of the Prophets in the verses of the Psalmes in the voices of the shepheard himselfe in the preachings and workes of the Euangelist that is in all the Canonicall authorities of the sacred Scriptures And binding himselfe to the same condition he addeth But whether they hold the Church Ibidem let them shew no otherwise than by the Canonical books of the holy scriptures because wee our selues doe not say wee must therefore bee beléeued for that wee are in the church of Christ or else for that Optatus Ambrose and infinite other Bishops of our communion haue commended the church which we hold or because our Church hath béen published in the Councels of our Collegues Chrysost in Mat. Hom. 16. Chrysostome sayth Euen so touching this new Ierusalem which is the Church they that were spiritual Christian men leauing the bodily church which the wicked by violence had inuaded departed out froÌ„ them Or as S. Iohn expoundeth it they rather departed out froÌ„ vs for hee séemeth not indeed to depart from the church that bodily departeth but he that spiritually leaueth the foundations of the Ecclesiastical truth We haue departed froÌ„ them in body they haue departed from vs in mind we from them in place they from vs by faith we haue left with them the foundations of the wals they with vs the foundations of the scriptures we are departed froÌ„ them in the sight of man they are departed froÌ„ vs in the iudgement of God But now after that the spirituall church is come forth the bodily church is left forsaken that is to say froÌ„ the people that séemed to be a christian people was not this people is gone forth that séemed not outwardly but was so indéed notwithstanding as we haue said before they are rather departed from vs than we from them Now let the indifferent Reader iudge by Chrysostomes iudgement whether the Papists or we by this description may be truliest reputed the true church for I thinke it is euident to all that they haue the foundations of the wals and we the foundations of the Scriptures which they so blasphemously speak of we are departed froÌ„ them in the sight of man but they froÌ„ vs in the sight of God who they were that séemed to be a christian people and were not let that be tried by the Scriptures And if you wil know what authority the Fathers giue to the church S. Aug. saith Cont. Crescâ— li. 2. ca. 21. Idem oper imperf in Mat. Ho. 49 The church may not preferre her selfe before Christ neither may we beleeue the true churches themselues vnles they say do those things that are consonant to the scriptures The church may not preferre her self before Christ Idem contrâ— Crescon li 2 cap. 21. for so much as hee alwaies iudgeth rightly ecclesiastical Iudges as being but men are often deceiued Many be the testimonies that might be brought to this purpose but to procéed we make the same iust exceptions against general Councels that we did against the Fathers First we will prooue that they are contrary one to another Secondly that they haue erred And lastly that they are reiected by the Papists Canon 59. The first Exception I prooue
thus for I wil be brief The Councel of Laodicea though a prouinciall Councell Constant in Trullo Can. 2. yet allowed by a generall Councel of Constantinople did set down the same Canon of the Scriptures which both the old church had and our church doth holde and commandeth Ne aliqui praeterea legantur in auctoritatem recipiantur That none besides be read and receiued into authoritie Canon 47. Sess 3. The third Councel of Carthage which therin the Councel of Trent subscribeth to did adde the bookes of the Maccabees and the rest of the Apocrypha to the olde Canon contrary to the sayd Councels of Laodicea and Constantinople Can. 6. The Councel of Nice appointed boundes and limits aswell for the Bishop of Romes iurisdiction as for other Bishops contrary to which the Councell of Lateran gaue the Souereignty of ordinary power Can. 5. apud Innocent 3. to the church of Rome Conc. Conâ—tant as it is extant Nice 2. Act. 6. Tom. 6. ouer all Churches The Councel of Constantinople condemned the setting vp of Images contrary to which The Councell of Nice Aen. Sylu. de Conc. Basil contr Flor. Perrar Conc. Constant Sess 4. 5. accurseth those that worship not holy images I will inlarge this part no further though I could shewe that some Councels haue decréed That the Councell is aboue the Pope some that the Pope is aboue the Councel The next is thus prooued First this is an infallible rule That Councels decréeing things contrary as is instanced in these few examples before It must of necessitie follow that the one of them must erre yet wil I prooue it by some more particulars The second Councel of Nice decréed Act. 5. That Angels and mens soules are bodily circumscriptible and yet this Councel notwithstanding this grosse error was confirmed by the Councell held at Constantinople which Pope Agatho hath allowed for a generall Councel In the Councell of Neocesaria confirmed by Leo the 4. second mariage is forbidden Canon 7. The Canon saith he is commanded to enioyne penance for second mariage The Councel of Toletan saith Tolet. 1. Can. 17. He that hath not a wife but in stead of his wife a concubine is not for this cause to be repelled the communion This Councell was confirmed by Leo â—s it may appeare Canon 21. In the sixt generall Councel Can. 72. the mariages betwixt Catholikes and Heretikes are iudged to be voide Now whether these be grosse and manifest errors I referre it to the censure of any indifferent Reader But these absurdities they are forced to giue way to or else to ouerthrowe that maine pillar of Popery That the Church cannot erre The last part which I promised to shewe is That Councels are reiected by the Papists This is prooued for that many things are reiected by them in both the said Exceptions But I will instance some few more Andradius the defender of the Tridentine Councell in his first booke reiecteth the Councell of Chalcedon one of those first foure Councels which Gregorie professeth to receiue as the holy Gospels saying This Councell erred in that it did rashly and without reason ordaine That the Church of Constantinople should be aboue the Church of Alexandria and Antioch Conc. Chal. de Laicis ca. 20. Praefat. in li de pont Bellarmine saith That in the Councell of Chalcedon there is somthing good and something euill and that we may receiue the one and refuse the other And in another place he dispenseth with himselfe to reproue in the samâ— manner the Councell of Constantinople for hauing attempted somewhat that did not â—lease the Church of Rome Bellar. de Conc. eccles li 10. ca. 60.70 Pighi Hier. eccles li. 6. cap. 4. 5. 7. And he reiecteth wholly seuen general Councels Reade likewise what Pighius hath written of purpose â—o discredit the sixt and seuenth Synodes And â—e impugneth the Councel of Constance and Basil Now though we haue prooued the thrée parâ—icularities proposed wherein our lawful and â—â—st ExceptioÌ„s against Councels are euident â—et let vs sée whether our assertioÌ„ in this point â—e iustified both by the Fathers and chiefe and â—earned Papists Saint Augustine sayth That generall Councels are often amended the former by â—he later and if our aduersaries obiect That â—hey are amended but not from errors What â—éede amending where no fault is The conâ—itions which S. Augustine repeateth in the â—â—rst indureth to the last Si quid fortè à veritaâ—e deuiatum est If in ought they swarne from â—he trueth And it is manifest by the drift of â—he place writing against the Donatists Epist 7◠〈◊〉 Iubai that maintained the authority of the Councel holâ—en by S. Cyprian against the trueth that hée speaketh manifestly of Correction of errors â—nd not of things indifferent as the Papists â—lose to maintaine their error That generall Councels cannot erre In Epist ad procopi The Arrians preuailed so by Councels that it made Gregorie Nazianzen to despaire that euer any good would bee done by Councels Saint Augustine rehearsing two Episcopall iudgements Epist 16.7 that passed against the Donatists in the Councels at Rome and Arle he sheweth how Councels might bind vs But saith he let these be counted the iudgements of men and let it be said They might either deceiue or be deceiued and perhaps corrupted Saint Augustine hauing shewed that thâ— Councell of Ariminum being deceiued by the subtilty of a fewe decréed against the Councel of Nice which had decréed against the Arrian Heretikes Cont. Maxi. li. 3. ca. 14. concludeth thus against Maximinus But now neither ought I to producâ— the Councell of Nice nor you the Councell oâ— Ariminum for a preiudice for neither am I bound to the authoritie of this nor you to thâ— authoritie of that Thus you sée he confesseth that his aduersarie was not tied to the authoritie of the great Nicen Councel comparablâ— to the which no Councel was euer yet Yea S Hillarie was nothing afraid to be condemneâ— in many Councels Hillar cont Auxent Arrian Now let him gather whaâ— Councels he will against me saith he and openly proscribe me for an Heretike as he had often done The Arrians in 26 yéers Euseb li. 7. cap. 5. gathered framed sundry Councels for their purpose at Tyrus Ierusalem Philippi Sirmium Ariminum Sozom. li. 4. ca. 9. Selucia Constantinople and two at Antiochia In the Councell of Millan aboue thrée hundred of the West Bishops consented that Athanasius should bee thrust from his Bishopricke There was but fiue against thrée hundred that openly and plainely withstood it And Leo writeth of the famous Councell of Chalcedon Tanquam refutari nequeat quod illicitè voluerit multitudo In Epist 52. ad Anatholium As though that might not be refuted which a multitude hath vnlawfully decreed Yea Panor de Elect electi potestate c. significasti your owne men haue béen of the
iudge all other writings both of the faithful of the Infidels Hier. sup Agge cap. 1. Hierom sayth Those things which of their owne heads they deuise as though they came by Apostolike Tradition without the authority and testimony of the holy Scriptures the sword of Gods word striketh Infinite be the Authorities of the Fathers which might be brought to this purpose but I will conclude the point with Vincentius Lirinensis whome D.B.P. in his booke against M. Perkins Vincent aduer Haeres beleeueth not to haue any such wordes who saith The Canon of the Scripture is perfect and sufficient and more then sufficient to al things And again Not that saith he the Canon alone is not sufficient for all things These Fathers I hope knew the Scriptures aswell as D.B.P. or any other Papist and yet notwithstanding al his their obiections the Protestāts Achilles as he tearmeth it stands vnimpeacht by any thing that this or any other cauiller hath said And yet notwithstanding these euident places brought by the general consent of all the Fathers against the fundamētal Ground of Popery Your Rhemists wil tel you Rhem. Test 2. Thes 2. sect 18.19 if you wil beleeue them that they haue to the contrary plaine Scriptures all the fathers most euident reasons that wee must either beleeue Traditions or nothing at all And that S. Augustine often writeth That many of the articles of our Religion and points of highest importance are not so much to be prooued by Scriptures as by Tradition But if we aske them where S. Austine wrote this often and that of many articles of Religion and poynts of highest importance it must be returned with Non est inuentus Not to be found in S. Austin But they perceiuing the whole waight of their cause to lie in this Rhem. Test fol. 559. haue marshalled nine Fathers in a ranke to proue that we must either beleeue Traditions or nothing And yet the very same Fathers haue shewed That no matter of faith or of any moment to saluation must bee receiued or beleeued without the Scriptures Cypr. ad Pomp. cont epist Stepha Basil contr Eunomium lib. 3. and the Fathers often times by Traditions vnderstand matters contained proued out of the scriptures that in regard the same was deliuered also by word And many times by Traditiōs they vnderstād ceremonies and customs Now chuse whether you will grant a flat contradiction in the Fathers or reconcile them thus and conclude with vs Ergo the Traditions they meane be no parts or points of the Christian faith For we haue their plain confession That all things necessary to saluation are comprised in the scriptures you produce them to witnes That your Traditions be not comprised in the scriptures Ergo by your owne deponents wee conclude That your Traditions be neither necessary to saluation nor points of the Catholike faith Looke wel to this Issue They must either dissent frō you or from themselues Now if you will compare the late doctrine of the Romish Church with these Fathers it shal be euident That they haue not only dissented frō them but also vttered open blasphemy against the sacred Scriptures First Cardinal Cusanus intituleth his booke De authoritate ecclesiae Cōcilij supra contra scripturam Of the the authority of the Church Coūcel aboue against the scriptures Syluester Prierias master of the Popes palace Contr. Luther cōclusi de pot Papae saith That indulgences are warranted vnto vs not by the authority of the scripture but by the authority of the Church and Pope of Rome which is greater Boniface the Archbishop of Mentz saith That all men so reuerence the Apostolike See of Rome that they rather desire the ancient institution of Christian Religiō from the Pope than from the holy scripture This saying the Pope hath so approued that he hath caused it to be inserted into the Cannon lawe Dist 40. c. Si Papa Another saith whosoeuer resteth not on the doctrine of the Roman Church and B. of Rome Syluest Prier contr Luther as the infallible rule of God à qua sacra scriptura roburtrahit auctoritatem from which the sacred scripture draweth strength and authority he is an heretike Eckius saith De Ecclesia Scriptura nisi ecclesiae auctoritate non est authētica The scripture is not authētical but by the authority of the church Cardinal Hosius saith De expresso verbo Dei If any man haue the interpretation of the Church of Rome concerning any place of scripture although he neither knowe nor vnderstand whether and how it agreeth with the words of the scripture notwithstanding he hath ipsissimū verbū Dei the very word of God Cardinal Cusanus saith Nicol. Cusan ad Bohem epi. 7. It is no maruel though the practise of the Church expound the scriptures at one time one way and at an other time another way for the vnderstanding or sense of the scripture runneth with the practise And that sense agreeing with the practise is the quickening spirit Henric. doctor Magister sacripalatij Romae ad Legatos Bohemicos sub Felice Papa 1447. Ad Bohem. ep 2. and therefore the scriptures follow the Church but contrariwise the Church followeth not the scriptures Another saith The Pope may change the holy Gospel and may giue to the Gospel according to place and time another sense To conclude therfore with Cardinal Cusanus This is the iudgement saith he of all them that thinke rightly that foūd the authority vnderstanding of the Scriptures in the allowance of the Church and not contrariwise lay the foundation of the Church in the authority of the scriptures I will not mention others that haue blasphemously said Vid. Chemnit exa par 1. pag. 47. That the scriptures without the authority of the Church are no better than Aesops Fables Thus you see how the Grounds of our Religiō are iustified by the Fathers against these blasphemies of the Romish Church And for that I knowe it commonly obiected that we refuse in disputation conference to handle the groūds of Religion I haue thought good in this smal Tract to examin though briefly the Grounds of your Romish Religion dialogue-wise to the end the truth may be the more liuely discerned by the obiections and answers Wherein if I haue not truely laid downe the Groūds of your Religion for the substance therof Or that they haue either bin mistaken by me or that vsing that breuity I haue done they might be more strongly or effectually vrged on your side or that the reasons vrged on our behalfe be either falsly alleaged or not truly handled I shall take it as a speciall grace done vnto me an argumēt of