cotrouerted betwixte them and the Catholiques yet is he not for all that to be excused from the proofe of those pointes vnless he will withall confess that in them the Protestantes haue no faith at all but onely a mere deniall of faith For faith beinge not a simple denying or not beleeuing but a possitiue assent and belief of such articles as are reueled vnto vs by God it hath possitiue groundes wherby it may and ought to be proued euen in those pointes which are negatiue And therfore as Catholiques doe proue theire faith in these negatiue pointes that onely faith doth not iustifie that we are not certayn of our iustification or saluation and the like so likewise are the Protestantes to proue theyr faith in these that there is no Purgatorie no reall presence no sacrifice of the Mass and the rest Vnless as is sayd before they will confess that they haue no faith in these pointes but onely a mere deniall of faith Haueinge thus aduertised thee good Reader of these fewe things I leaue thee to peruse the treatise it self desiringe thee to expect onely the bare positiones proued with the self text of holy Scripture and some fewe fathers without anie florishe of wordes at all The worke being such as doth rather resemble the bare bones of a great bodye tied together with dried Sinewes then a bodie throughly furnished with flesh and orher habiliments of friendly narure For which cause though to such as rather respect fashion then substance it may happ to appeare hideous yet to others of contrarie appetite for whose contentment it is speciallie intended it will not paraduenture be iudged altogether without forme THE FIRST CONTROuersie Of Holy Scriptures IT is Knowne that the Catholique Roman Church doth admitt more bookes and percells of holy Bible for Scripture then the Protestantes doe and consequently acknowledgeth a larger canon then they and yet notwithstanding shee teacheth Chatolique PositioÌ„ 1. That all such articles as by her and the Protestantes themselues are beleeued and holden for articles of faith are not so expressly contayned in holy Scriptures as out of them onely full proofe may be made therof Proofe The articles which the Protestantes doe beleeue to be of faith as well as Catholiques and yet are not contayned expresly in holy scriptures are many but wee will giue instance onely in a fewe 1 That there are three distincte personnes and one onely substance in god 2. That the secuÌ„de and third personns are of the same substance â—nd equall gloire with the first â— That the third personn proceedeth from the seconde and from the first 4. That there are two distinct and compleat natures in our sauiour Christ and but one onely personn 5. That there are in him two willes and two operations to witt of god and man about all which pointes haue been diuerse heresies as is well Knowne to the learned And thoughe all these articles haue most true ground and proofe in holy Scriptures yet are they not soe expressly contayned therin as they may be fully prooued by them alone One example shall serue for all To proue the sonn to be consubstantiall or of one substance with the father the Catholiques doe alledg and truly this testimonie I and the father are one yet because there are moe meanes of beinge one then in substance as namely to be of one will desire and affection of which sorte of vnitie specially the Arrianes did explicat this place alledging for them selues that testimonie I pray that they all may be one as thou Father in me and I in thee that they also in vs may be one which cannot be vnderstood of vnitie in substance Therfore this testimonie without the interpretatioÌ„ of the Church which is the piller of truth doth not fully proue the father and the sonn to be one in substance The like may be sayd of the other articles here mentioned Catho posi 2. All such articles as are of faith and so holden by the ProtestaÌ„tes them selues are not contayned so much as indirectly or implicitly in holy Scriptures but onely so farr as the Scriptures contayne and testifie the auctoritie of the Church and traditions Proofe That all the Bookes of the Bible and euerie parte therof which are acknowledged for canonicall scripture ioynthy of Catholiques and Protestantes be such indeed That the most blessed mother of our Sauiour Christ continued perpetually a Virgin That it is lawfull for Cristians to eate strangled things and blood which were expresly forbidden them acts cap. 15. vers 20 are not so much as indirectly contayned in holy Scriptures otherwaies then is mentioned in our position But this being more amply proued in that which followeth of traditions this which wee haue sayd already shall suffice for the present The Positions which the Protestantes in this question are to proue be these ProtestaÌ„t position 1 All articles of faith are so expressy contayned in scripture as out of them onely full proofe may be made therof 2. All articles of faith are at least so contayned in holy scriptures as with out anie testimonie or auctoririe of the Church or traditions they may thence be plainlie and distinctly deduced TE SECOND CONtrouersie of Traditiones Catholique Positions 1. THe holy Apostles deliuered by worde of mouth moe thinges to be beleeued and obserued by the Church then ether they found written or wrot them selues And these thinges are vsually called traditiones Proofe 1. Haueing moe things to write vnto you would not by paper and â—â—â—e for I hope shall be with you and speake mouth to â—outhe 2. And the rest I will dispose when I â—ome where the holy Apostle euidently sheweth that he reserued something more to be ordayned by worde then he wrote 3. The Apostles were commaunded to teache all nationes to obserue all things which our sauiour had commavnded which doubtless they fulfilled but they were not commaunded in anie place to write all the same nether doth it appeare by anie Scripture that they did write all thinges which they taught men to beleeue and obserue This is à demoÌ„stration that they taught more then they wrote if nothing be to be beleeued but what is contayned in holy Scripture 4. They taught Baptisme giuen to infants to be good and lawfull or ells the Anabaptistes are not heretiques for rebaptising them 5. They taught the sonday to be solemnised and the Iewes Sabbathe to be left without all solemnitie though most strictly commaÌ„ded by god to be solemnised as an euerlasting couenaÌ„t 6. They deliuered and taught the creed by worde and not in writing which from they re tyme till now hath continued in the church by tradition onely 7. They taught Baptisme ministered by heretiques to be good and therfore S. Augustin speakinge therof saith Manie things which are not founde in the Apostles writinges nor in latter councells yet because they are obserued by the whole church are beleeued to be deliuered and recommended
liued at least on thowsand yeares before these controuersies began cannot be esteemed partiall on our side Thirdly that I expect and exact of him or them that shal goe about to answer this treatise the same roūde sincere and direct dealinge which I haue here vsed Remembringe before all things that he first set doune his faith in direct positions and then proceed inlike methode as I haue done for the rest To whom I willingly graunt this large libertie aboue that which I haue vsed that he tye not himself vnto the first 500. yeares for the fathers interpretations but that he take boldly 1500. yeares so that he bringe not condemned heretiques for his auctours and with all obserue the point followinge Fourthly that it shall not be to anie purpose in waye of answer that anie aduersarie bring another interpretation of some father upon the places of scripture alledged by me besides that which I haue brought For it is not denied that one the same place of scripture maie be and is often diuersly understoode not onely of diuers fathers but of one and the same father But if he will saye anie thinge to the purpose in this kinde he must bring an interpretation contradicting that which I haue brought and withall labour rather to proue his owne Doctrine thē to impugne that of the Catoliques For seeinge it is as all men Knowe à far more easie thīge to impugne anie doctrine though neuer so true then to proue the same no truth espetially of faith being so euidentlie clere but that some thing with shew of probabillitie maie be obiected against it it is not now expected that anie aduersarie should stand to answer those auctorities of scripture and fathers wich I haue alledged for proofe of the Catholique Doctrine or to impugne the same but rather to bring others in proofe of his owne that the iudicions reader maie compare our groundes in scripture both together and by the uieu of his owne eie trie whether of them be more conformable to Gods sacred worde And when anie one shall haue produced his proofes for Protestantisme in the like maner as I haue done in the behalfe of the Catholique religion if he can so doe yet shall he gaine no more therby but an euident demonstration against the cheefest ground of the Protestātes doctrine that ether to the true and full decision of controuersies in matter of faith is necessarily required some other iudgment or triall then the only wordes of holy Scripture or ells that therere is no meanes at all to end cōtrouersies of faithe which later neuertheless to affirme is no less iniuriouse to gods wisdome goodness or power then to saye that he hath prouided noe sufficient meanes for men to know the way to saue their soules For both parties bringing scripture for them selues whoe shall finallie determine whether of them doth applie the said Scriptures more sincerlie and accordinge to their true meaninge Fifthly that wheras before I can proue anie point of Christian beliefe by scripture I should first by good order proue that there is a holy Scripture and secondly in what bookes of the Bible it is contained yet because nether of these two pointes can be proued by scripture vnless wee first beleeue some scripture without proofe therfore that I may proue those pointes of faith wherin the Catholique Romane church doth differ from the Protestantes by holy scripture which our aduersaries vrge me ūto I must necessarilie to satisfie their disordered desire proceede disorderlie and suppose that for truth without proofe which requireth most to be proued I say without proofe if no proofe be good but that which is made out of scripture And here occurr by the way two things worthie of note Thone that the scripture cannot be an vniuersall rule of our faith seeinge some thinges are to be beleeued with out proofe of scripture as are for example that there is a holy scripture contayninge gods word and reuelation and that these and these bookes be suche therfore must there of necessitie be some other rule of our faith more vniuersall then the scriptures and consequently before the scriptures And this cannot be but the aucthoritie of godes church which is clerly S. Augustins Doctrine who was not afearde to saye I would not beleeue the Gospell but that the auctoritie of the church doth moue mee Seeinge therfore the authoritie of the church is a sufficient motiue for vs to beleeue what is scripture why should it not haue the like aucthoritie with vs in other pointes of faith which is also S. Augustins argument in the same place but I will notwithstanding satisfie our aduersaries in their owne humoure The Secund thing to be noted is that they that beleeue nothing but that which is proued by Scripture are euidently conuinced to beleeue nothinge at all For they that cannot beleeue that there is à holy Scripture or what bookes be holy Scripture cannot beleeue anie thinge because it is proued by scripture For it is euident that before they beleeue anie thing because it is proued by scripture they must beleeue that there is a Scripture and what bookes are scripture but they that beleeue not anie thing but that which is proued by Scripture cannot beleeue that there is a scripture nor what bookes are holy scripture for nether of these two can be proued by Scripture Thefore they that beleeue not anie thinge but that which is proued by scripture cannot beleene anié thing at all This Argument is a plaine demonstration and compelleth the Protestantes ether to confess that they haue no faith at all or to acknowledge this their positione to witt that nothinge ought or can rightly be beleeued but that which may be proued by Scripture to be false which notwithstandinge is the maine ground of all their religion But now haueing shewed the absurditie of their Doctrine in this point I will ioyne with them in the Scriptures as they themselues do desire obseringe this method First I sett downe the Catholique Roman belief in direct and playne positions then I bringe in proofe of it one two or moe places of holy Scripture citing the auncient vulgar translation and often times I ad the testimonie of some auncient father of the frist 500. yeares vnderstandinge such Scriptures as I cite in the same sense and meaninge that I cite them for Furthermore those fewe places of Scripture which seeme to sounde directly against the Catholique faith I shewe in brief how they are to be vnderstood And last of all I put downe the position contradictorie to the Catholique doctrine to the end that the indifferent reader be he Catholique or otherwaies may more easely iudge whether Doctrine hath better ground in holy Scriptures And further that he that will impugne this treatise may see what he hath to proue if he wil proue anie thinge to purpose who is to vnderstand that though the Protestantes doe maintayn the negatiue part in almost all the positions
A MANVAL OF CONTROVERSIES wherin the Catholique Romane faith in all the cheefe pointes of controuersies of these daies is proued by holy Scripture By A. C. S. Search the Scriptures for you thinke in them to haue life euerlastinge and the same are they that giue testimonie vnto me Ihon cap. 5. vers 39. Printed at Paris by Peter Buray M. D. C. XIV THE EPISTLE to the reader I Haue courteous reader taken some paynes to put together this litle manual of controuersies entending nor pretending anie other thing therby then thy profit yf thou reape anie by it my trauayle shal be richly recompenced Howsoeuer in requitall of my good-will let me intreat this fauoure of the that if thou wilt dayne it the reading thou wouldest doe yt with some attention and such intention as the subiect requireth which howsoeuer or by whomsoeuer it be handled is of that weyght and moment that may duly demaūd thy best most setled sincerest thaughtes The insuing preface wil acquaynt thee both with the drift and motiue of this treatise and also with those few pointes which I haue thaught worthie of remark concerning the same Therfore haue I nothing more to trouble the with but only to entreat thee to take some heede in decerning the Catholique Positiones from those of the Protestantes because they are not so euidently distinguished in character especially before the page 76. as they might haue beene and also to pardon the faultes escaped in the print but most of all those in the margent as most important In the latter end of the booke they are all corected and therfore may more easely be born with Farewell Thy freind as thou art a freind to truthe howsoeuer thy well willer A. C. A TABLE OF THE CONTROuersies 1. SCriptures pag. 15. 2. Traditiones pag. 20. 3. Difficultie of scriptures pag. 26 4. Churches infallibilitie pag. 31. 5. Churches markes vniuersalitie p. 43. 6. Visibilitie pag. 39. 7. Succession pag. 42. 8. Consecration and vocation of Pastores 45. 9. Supremicie of S. Peter and Pope 49. 10. Honoure of sainctes 57. 11. Prayer to sainctes 59. 12. Reliques 63. 13. Images 67. 14. Purgatorie 76. 15. Of the Sacraments 81. 16. Necessitie of Baptisme 84. 17. Ceremonies of Baptisme 85. 18. Eucharist reall presence 86. 19. Transubstantiation 89. 20. Adoration of Christ in the Eucharist 91. 21. Communion vnder one kinde 93. 22. Sacrifice of the Mass 98. 23. Confirmation 102. 24. Pennance with indulgences 107. 25. Holy orders 118. 26. Extreame vnctione 120. 27. Matrimonie 122. 28. Effect of the Sacraments 125. 29. Character 127. 30. Iustification and concupiscence 128. 31. Iustice once had may be lost 141. 32. Certayntye of Saluation 142. 33. Merit of workes 145. 34. Free will 148. 35. Commaundementes possible 152. 36. Euangelicall counsels 155. 37. Preistes single life 159. 38. Seruicce in the vulgar tongue 162. FAVLTES ESCAped in the margent PAge 23. for cap. 27. Read cap. 23. 24. sert sect 29. degenesi ad literam lib. 2. lib. 7. 30. 2. Petri cap. 2. v. 7. cap. 1. v. 20 30. Malachie v. 2. 3. v. 7. 30. Math. v. 27. v. 2. 32. Luc v. 16. 20 v. 16. 33. Math. v. 28. cap. 20. cap. 28. v. 20. 33. Actes 15 is placed to high 36. Cresco cap. 3. cap. 33. 37 Psal 27. 71. 37. Math. cap. 18. cap. 28. 40. Math. 19. 18. 41. corin v. 18. v. 28. 45. Act cap. 13. cap 14. 46. Rom cap. cap. 10 55. epla 65. epla 165. 61. Apocalip cap. 3. cap. 2. 64. Act. v. 18. 12. 69. psal 9. 98. 86. after 24. add Luc 91 Psal 69. 96. 95 Smaforward forward 100. Malachic v. 1. v. 10. 11. 102. Act v. 20. v. 17 109. Act. v. 6. v. 3. 109. pag. 10. pag. 109. 120. want these citations Iames cap. 5. v. 14. 15. Chrisost De Sacerdotio lib. 3. ad initium 122. 5. v. cap. 31. cap. 5. v. 31. 126. Actes cap. 22. v. 17 v. 16. 128. ser sect 128. oncu concu 132. contra Iuliam c. 5. c. 15. 136. is omited De spiritu litera cap. 27. 137. Ephesios cap. 3. cap. 1. 143. is omitted the citation of Ecclesiastes cap. 9. v. 1. 146. 2. Timo. cap. 5. cap. 4. 1. Regum v. 45. v. 4. 5. FAVLTES ESCAped in the text Page 7. for hall read shall 13. cotrouerted controuerted 19. this that 21. nothinges nothing 42. word world 44. then them 46. In the secund line wanteth this word inward 62. sayed saued 62. sod so 68. placc place 68. the. he 73. his is 78. eueire euerie 96. sam chapter same chapter 96. cheest cheefest 135. whose prayse is not of god For whose prayse is not of men but of god A MANVALL OF CONTROuersies Wherin the Catholique Romane faith in all the cheefe pointes of controuersies of these daies is proued by holy Scripture The Preface to the Reader THis brief treatise courteous reader being at the request of à friend speedely compiled may serue to conuince them of manifest calumnie who no lesse vntruly then boldly doe affirme the Doctrine of the Catholique Roman Church to be ether against holy scriptures or at least to haue no ground or proofe frō them And it maie also giue satisfaction vnto such as more vpon the confident boldness of them that affirme the Roman Religion to be destitute of scriptures then vpon anie other reason are drawne ether to think this to be true or at least to doubt of the truth of the contrarie But before thou proceede to vieue the thinge it selfe I desire thee to consider well these fewe pointes followinge First that no proofe of anie one point of Christiā beliefe can be so direct and full out of holy scripture that may not be deluded by false interpretation For the damned Arrianes and most other heretiques could interpret all places of holy scripture brought by the Catholiques against theire heresie in such sense as beinge so vnderstood they made nothinge against it yea that as seely as peruers heretique Legate burned in smithfield not long since for Arrianisme could not be conuinced of heresie by onelie scripture Such proofes therfore of Catholique Doctrine as cannot be deluded by anie interpretation are not to be expected out of holy scripture Secondly that though Protestātes maie alledg textes of holy scripture for the proofe of some pointes of theire Doctrine yet that alone is not sufficiēt to make it true Both because the same pointes are proued false by other places of scripture and also for that all heretiques haue euer brought scripture for their heresies and none more apparant or frequent then the blasphemous Arrianes to say nothinge of the Deuill his citinge of scripture euen against oure blessed sauiour By all which it is more then euident that the sense of holy scripture besides the wordes is necessarely required to make sufcient proofe of true doctrine For which reason I oftē bringe the vncorrupt testimonie of some holy father for the sense of the place alledged by me who haueinge
in that daye a iust iudge Vpon which wordes most excellently sayth S. Augustine explicating both the necessitie of grace that wee may merit and the iustice of reward due to merit To whom sayth he should the iust iudge render a crowne yf the mercifull father had not giuen grace howe should there be a crowne of iustices vnless grace which doth iustifie the wicked had gone before 3. God is not vniust that he should forgett your workes and loue which you haue shewed in his name which haue ministred to the sainctes and doe minister In deede great were gods iniustice if he would onely punish synnes and would not receaue good workes Sayth S. Hierome vpon these wordes The sonn of man shall come in the glorie of his father with his Angels and then will he render to euerie man according to his workes He sayth not according to his mercie sayth S. Augustin and I also add not according to fayth onely Protestantes position Good workes done in the state of grace are not meritorious of life euerlasting THE 15. CONTROuersie of freewill NOte that I speake here of freewill onli ī such things as appartayne to our saluation and not in naturall morall or indifferent actions as in eating walking or saluting others Catholique position Man through the help of gods grace which is neuer denyed him hath free will and power both to fly such euill and to doe such good as is necessarie for his saluation nor is he forced or constrayned to ether Proofe 1. He that hath determined in his harte being setled not hauing necessitie but hauing power of his owne will and iudgeth this in his hart to keepe his virgin doth well This place is cited by S. Augustin for this same purpose de gratia libero arbitrio cap. 2. 2. Come yee blessed gett yee away from me you cursed It is no incōgruitie saith S. Augustin that god should saye goe īto euer lasting fire to them that by theyr will haue repelled his mercie And to the other come yee blessed of my father that by theyr free will haue receaued fayth confessed theyr synn and done pennance He hath sett before thee water and fier to which thou wilt stretch out thy hand before man is life and death good and euill what pleaseth him shal be giuen him Behould sayth S. Augustine hauing cited these wordes we see the freedome of mans will most playnly expressed which in the begining of that chapter he promised to shewe out of holy scriptures and therfore is it manifest that he tooke this booke to be holy scripture but this by the way only He that is not satisfied with these testimonies lett him take the paynes to read S Augustin his 2. cap. of his booke of grace and free will in the. 7. tome of his workes where haueing cited aboue 20. testimonies out of the oulde and newe testament to proue mans free will he concludethe thus whith others of like sorte to witt where it is said doe not this or doe not that and where to the doeing or not doeing of anie thing the act of the will is required by gods admonition free will is sufficiently declared Of the iudgment of the most auncient church to witt of the secunde hundretho yeares after Christ heare the confession of the cēturistes these are theyr wordes There is almost no poynt of doctrine which begann so soone to be obscured as this of free will And after In like māner Clemēs doth euerie where teach free will that it may appeare not onely all the doctors of this age meaninge age after Christ to haue beene in the same darkness but also in the ages following theyr darkness did much encrease Protestant Position Man thoughe holpen by gods grace hath not freewill ether to flye anie euill or to doe anie good auayling to his saluation but in both is forced to doe that which god hath ordayned he should doe THE 16. CONTROVERsie of the possibilitie of obseruing godes commaūdements Catholique Position◠1. IT is not vnpossible for a man assisted whith gods grace to obserue and keepe all gods cōmaundements Proofe 1. The iudgments of our lorde be true iustified in them selues to be desired aboue gold and much pretious stone more sweet then the honie and the honie combe For thy seruand keepeth them in keeping them is much rewarde 2. They were both iust before god walking in all the commaundements and iustificationes of our lord whith out blame 3. Take vp my yock vpon you and learne of me c. for my yocke is sweet my burthen light And in another place His commaundements are not heauie S. Augustine sayth it being most constantly beleeued that the iust and good god could not commaunde impossible thinges we are admonished what we ought to doe in easie thinges and what to aske in hard thinges For all thinges to charitie are easie according to which it is sayd that his cōmaundementes are not heauie The diligent reader may please to see what S. Augustine writeth of this pointe in his booke de perfectione iustitiae cap 10. to 7. where for the proofe of this Catholique doctrin besides other testimonies he alledgeth that This commaundement that I commaūde the this daye is not aboue the nor so farr of c. Deutronomie cap. 30. v. 11. and. after 4. That the iustificatiō of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs. who walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirit Loe here the lawe fulfilled by those that walke not according to the flesh Protestants position It is not possible for a man though assisted whith godes grace to obserue all godes cōmaundements THE 17. CONTROuersie Of workes of supererogation Catholique position A Man by the help of godes grace may doe many things not commaunded but onely counselled or which is the same may doe workes of supererogatiō which are of more perfection then the commaundements Proofe 1. If thou wilt be perfect goe sell the things thou hast and giue to the poore thou shalt haue treasure in heauen and come followe me Some things sayth S. Chrysostome he commaundeth some things he leaueth to our owne fre◠wil. For he sayd not sell that thou hast◠but yf thou wilt be prefect sell that thou hast much more to the same purpose hath that holy father in that place As concerning virgins a commaundement of our lord I haue not but counsell I giue as haueing obtayned mercie of our lord to be faythfull Because sayth S. Augustine by auoyding synn or obtayning remission therof life euerlasting is to he got in which there is a certayne excellēt glorie not to be giuē to all the blessed but to some certayne for the obteyning wherof it doth little auayle to be free from synn vnless somthing be vowed to our deliuerer which to haue not willed is no sinn but to haue vowed and performed is prays worthy