willingnesse to belieue meeting with other mens facility to deceiue did captiuate my blind thoughts into the society of their errour For as Iudah committed folly with Thamar Genes 38. because hir habit was chandged and hir face couered so I was intangled with their conceipts because they maske their intolerable falsehood disguise it vnder the shape of great syncerity and truth Thus D. MORTON protesteth In Cathol Apol. Part. 1. Epist. ad Lector that he may call God to be a witnesse and reuendger against his soule if he deceiue any mā * Si sciens fallo vvith his knovvledge Nay God forbid that for defence of truth vvhich is life he should procure the assistance of a ly vvhich slayeth the soule But * Ipse legēdo reperiet c. See S. Aug Conf. l. 3. c. 12. discouering their vanities at the appoynted time and seing how pitifully I had bene * Vsque ad annūaetatis 28. c. See S. August Confess l. 4. c. 1. Ierem. 17.11 See S. Hierom. in hūc locum Also S. August contra Faustum l. 13. c. 12. seduced by them whose words seemed vnto me diuine Oracles I could not be any longer led by them vvho do so grossly abuse their ovvne knovvledge to deceiue poore ignorant credulous soules And thus as Nature teacheth the yong Partridge to forsake the false damme to receiue more sweet protection vnder hir wings by whom she was brought forth so Grace teacheth me to disclayme hereticall Congregatiōs and to submitt my self vnto the direction of that Mother-Church which brought me forth vnto God by baptisme and therefore doth challendge right in me as in hir owne child THE FIRST PART CONCERNING THE VNTRVTHS AND CORRVPT DEALING OF D. FIELD IN THE question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. How the 4. Doctors of the Church viz. S. Gregory S. Augustine S. Hierome and S. Ambrose are traduced by D. Field in this particular §. 1. S. GREGORY abused by D. Field A note concerning S. BERNARD THE substance of D. Fields discourse concerning the CHVRCH the greatest and most ponderous subiect in all religious disputes as he affirmeth * In his epist to the Archb. saying that men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequence as the matters now controuersed are must diligently search out the true Church that so they may embrace hir communion follow hir directions and * Nota. rest in hir iudgement consisteth principally in this issue to witt that the opinions wherein the Papists dissent from the Protestants at this day were not the doctrines of the Church See his third booke chap. 6. 7. but of a faction onely predominating in the same 2. Now forasmuch as the copious declaratiō of this poynt would exceede the conuenient quantity Chap. 7. or compasse of that chapter wherein the seuerall differences betwixt the Papists and Protestants are briefly and * See one example afterward chap. 4. falsely also in some part sett downe it pleased him to frame a certayn Appendix which he annexeth vnto his third booke and therein he vndertaketh to iustify the aforesayd position by the testimonies of sondry Fathers Schoole-authours whom he there calleth worthy and learned men For so he is accustomed to speake honourably of his enimies for his owne aduantadge 3. Descending vnto the controuersy * Chap. 20. VVhether any sinnes be remitted after this life or not he vseth this pretense viz. Whereas Lombard and others do say that some veniall sinnes are remitted after this life we must so vnderstand their sayings that therefore they are sayd to be remitted after this life because they are taken away in the very moment of dissolution and the last instant of life is the first after life c. This is the summe of that exposition which he maketh of Lombards and other mens opinion concerning the remission of sinnes after this life wherein how syncerely and exactly he dealeth I will not now dispute 4. I come vnto his proof brought forth by him to corroborate the aforesaid exposition which I will here relate word by word as it standeth in his booke Hereunto seemeth * Dialog l. 4. cap. 46. GREGORY to agree saying that the very feare that is found in men dying doth purdge their soules going out of the body from the lesser sinnes Seeing therefore as * In Psalm Qui habitat ser 10. BERNARD sayth if all sinne be perfectly taken away which is the cause the effect must needs cease which is punishment it followeth that seeing after death there is no sinne found in men dying in state of grace there remayneth no punishment and consequently no Purgatory So he 5. But when I viewed the Author himself I found that the sentence of S. Gregory doth beare much otherwise then it is here deliuered by M. Doctors pen for thus it soundeth in a true and faithfull translation FOR THE MOST PART very feare alone doth purdge the soules of IVST men going out of their bodies from their LEAST sinnes Wherefore I noted three poynts of fraudulency committed by the Doctour in a few words First by an Omission for whereas S. Gregory sayth PLERVMQVE for the most part it is so he cashiereth this particular and vouchsafeth it no mention at all Secondly by his Reddition for whereas S. Gregory saieth MINIMIS the smallest sinnes he chandgeth the degree and translateth lesser sinnes which was no little deceipt in him that had a purpose to collude Thirdly by an Extension for whereas S. Gregory saieth IVSTORVM the soules of iust men he rendreth the speach in a more generall and vnconfined manner viz. the soules of men dying and thus he mangleth a cleare sentence to deriue a conclusion from it Many such tricks were discouered by the B. of Eureux in the writings of the L. Plessis See the defence of the Relation of a triall concerning Religion in France It is annexed to the Examen of Fox his Calendar-Saints Part. 1. a Cathol doctr pag. 121. contrary to the purpose of the author there and his doctrine in other places 6. For if not all light sinnes but the LEAST in the soules of IVST men to witt such as are of singular sanctity and not generally of men dying in state of grace are FOR THE MOST PART and not alwayes purdged out by feare at the time of their death then it followeth by ineuitable deduction that some sinnes are purdged in an other world and consequently there is a Purgatory for this vse This is the intendment of S. Gregory and therefore a M. Rogers that Catholick Authour dissembleth not this matter in S. Gregory but sayth plainely as the truth is which fault he is not much subiect vnto Some Papists viz. Gregor dialog l. 4. c. 39. do think that onely veniall sinnes are purdged in Purgatory 7. In which passadge three things offered themselues vnto my consideration First the limitation of his speach SOME a particle meerely superfluous
neuer of the true Church 18. Here it importeth you very much to intreate your Doctours resolution vnto their three particular demands FIRST since it is infallibly euident by the testimony of your owne Church for by hir approbation the booke of M. Rogers hath a singular warrant as you may see * pag. 160. before that your Catholick doctrine in this poynt is impugned substantially by the Lutherans why doth he preteÌ„d that the differeÌ„ce betweene the reformed Churches is meerely verball in this issue SECONDLY since your doctrine herein is graced with the name of Catholick is not theirs hereticall and consequently are not they hereticks and excluded thereupon from the society of your Church THIRDLY since M. Rogers by the lawfull authority of your Church brandeth the truest disciples of your great Reformer with the name of LVTHERANS pag. 179. why doth D. Field disclayme it with contempt of Card. Bellarmine and why doth he say that it pleaseth the Antichristian sectaries odiously to name them so It is not possible for any man to conceiue or to expresse your Euangelicks without theis distinctiue * LutheraÌ„s Caluinists appellations or some others equiualent thereunto §. 2. Three false and empty pretenses of D. Field to mitigate the scandall of the dissensions which rend and teare his Euangelicall Churches 1. AS your learned Doctour hath a speciall talent in the reconciliation of your differences so he hath an excellent art to extenuate the scandall thereof saying that whereas the Tigurines Gesnerus others disliked the distempered passions of LVTHER it is not to be meruayled at pag. 192. or that some differences were amongst them seeing the like were in former times betweene Epiphanius and Chrysostome Hierome Ruffinus Augustine and others 2. Nothing but fraud and falsehood For though your Doctour telleth you that the Tigurines and Gesnerus did forsooth DISLIKE the distempered passions of Luther yet you must know that they did execrate this great Reformer and detest him with a deadly and immortall hatred Peruse the orthodox confession of the Tigurines and you shall find that Luther was possessed with a legion of Diuells See the writings of Gesnerus and you may perceiue that Luther was a man of an impudent mouth and theis are moderate censures in comparison of the rest which are affoorded in their virulent and fiery discourses Wherefore though D. Field sayeth farther that it is not to be meruayled at c. yet how iust occasion there is for you to tremble at theis things I remitt me vnto the secret testimony of your inward iudge 3. I proceed vnto the brief discussion of his other false-hoods which are transparent vnto euery eye For what can be more vntruely suggested ibid. then that the LIKE differences were sometimes betwixt the ancient Fathers as passed betwixt Luther Zwinglius and others of the reformed Church S. Augustine dissented from S. Hierome See S. Aug. epist 8. 9. c. but whether you respect the * matter or manner their difference was farr vnlike vnto your capitall * concerning S. Paulls reprehension of S. Peter and immortall belligerations S. Augustine speaketh †See S. Aug. contra Iulian. Pelag l. 1. 2. honourably of S. Hierome and calleth him that holy Priest that holy man c. Yea in his epistles he saluteth him by the name of fellow-Priest and much desired BROTHER c. Which kind and familiar nuncupation †See Brentius contra Bullinger in Recognit pag. 276. Luther would not vouchsafe your deare Patriarch Zwinglius though he sought it with many teares Likewise S. Hierome speaketh respectiuely of S. Augustine and calleth him true Father and Lord c. But how obsequiously * See Fabric in loc com Luth. parte 5. pag. 49.50 Zwinglius demeaned himself toward Luther and what acerbity of stile he exercised against him Luther shall deliuer vnto you Zwinglius sent a most vayn booke vnto me and an epistle written with his owne hand well befitting that most proud spiritt of his he rageth and fumeth and threateneth and raueth so modestly that he seemeth vnto me past all recouery being conâ—inced by the manifest truth Now whether the difference betwixt Augustine and Hierome were LIKE vnto the furious and implacable assault of theis men I leaue it vnto your wise and religious determination 4. The mutuall contention of Ruffinus and S. Hierome was sharpe but farr vnlike vnto the garboyles of Luther and Zwinglius which surpasse the conflicts of S. Chrysost and Epiphanius themselues Wherefore it may please you to consider the dissimilitude of theis things which I will briefly tender vnto your carefull examination 5. FIRST if you respect the quality of the persons you shall find that S. Hierome Chrysost Epiphan and Ruffinus though they were men indued with excellent gifts yet they had an ordinary function onely and continued in the faith of the vniuersall Church See Zanch. de RedeÌ„pt in explicat 4. praecepti quaest de vocat ad minister c. But you pretend that Luther and Zwinglius were extraordinarily stirred vp by God to reforme his Church and to replant the decayed faith of Christ Yea Zanchius feareth not to say that they principally are the * Apocal. 11. two VVitnesses that should contend against Antichrist the Man of sinne for which cause as we are bound to require a speciall signe of their vocation vnto that excellent office so aboue all things we must expect Vnity and consent both in their words and deeds 6. SECONDLY if you obserue the cause of their dissensions you may note that the quarrell as well betwixt Epiph. and Chrysost as betwixt Hierome and Ruffinus concerned the writings of Origen and the inprobation thereof But the terrible fulminations of Luther and Zuinglius each against the other were founded originally in matters of faith pertayning vnto the necessity of saluation Hence it is that Luther saieth Luth. tom 2. de Caenâ Dom. I reckon not Zwinglius any more to be in the number of Christians He saieth farther I haue damned Zwinglius Oecolompaduis and all Sacramentaries to the vttermost of my power and this glory I shall carry with me vnto the tribunall of Crist 7. THIRDLY if you consider the extent and duration of their hostility you shall see that it was soone extinguished and not deriued as an hereditary warr vnto posterity and vnto entire Churches But it is otherwise in the case of Luther and Zwieglius for their personall strife is generall vnto whole Churches propagated in succession increased with continuall addition so that we may sooner expecta ruine of their ghospell then a reconciliation of their differences the measure whereof is vnmeasurable and consequently the end is endlesse And this euent agreeth with the prophecy of Luther the man of God as * in loc coÌ„ Luth. part 5. pag. 43. See also pag. 41. lin 2. 3. c. Fabricius sayeth who foresaw this misery and dissipation of the Church by SACRAMENTARIES
bene abated whereas now it is doubled yea tripled by this vnfaithfull dealing and so the last errour will be worse then the first 8. For though Senensis doth presently answere in behalf of S. Ambrose and some * August Chrysost others that he and they speake of the perfect and consummate felicity which the soules expect to enioy after the resurrection of their bodyes thus sayth he we haue interpreted the sentences of AMBROSE Aug. Chrysost annotat 64. 169. lib. 1. annot 264. in this booke and elswhere yet D. Field suppresseth that resolution and so exposeth this good Father vnto the mercy of all enimyes that will calumniate his name This is the faithfullnesse and such is the exactnesse of D. Field to conduct his Readers into the true apprehension of the ancient Churches purpose in the religious duty of prayer and oblation for the dead 9. With theis other deuices parallelable thereunto he hath replenished that whole * 17. in the third book chapter wherein he treatiseth of this matter concludeth it with this reproachfull derision of BELLARMINE Truly I am weary in following of him in theis SENSE LESSE FOOLERIES But the Reuerend Cardinall hath now gayned a just defence for him self from D. Fields vnjust accusation of other men and may take comfort in this plea am I better then my FATHERS I am well content to beare my part in their fortune and to participate in their disgrace Yea considering the dignity of their persons the excellency of our common cause and the disposition of him who standeth out in defiance of me and it and them I regard not the folly of his malice but I compassionate the misery of his case CHAP. II. D. Field accuseth BELLARMINE vnjustly of trifling and senselesse foolery in the question of prayer for the dead CALVIN doth truly confesse that the Protestants repugne Antiquity in this matter 1. LEt the Reader obserue saith ſ Pag. 97. D. Field what it is that t De Notis Eccles c. 9. Bellarmine is to prooue and he shall find that he doth nothing but trifle For he is to prooue that u Instit l. 3. c. 5. §. 10. Caluin confesseth that more then 1300. yeares since the Popish doctrine and custome of PAYER FOR THE DEAD did preuayle and was generally receiued in the whole Church of God throughout the world This if he will prooue he must argue thus The custome of praying to deliuer the soules of men out of the paynes of PVRGATORY is the custome and practise which the Romane Church defendeth and Caluin impugneth But this custome Caluin confesseth to haue bene in vse more then 1300. yeares since Therefore Caluin acknowledgeth the doctrine and practise of the Romane Church to be most ancient and to haue bene receiued 1300. yeares ago The Minor proposition of this reason is false and Caluin in the place cited by Bellarmine protesteth against it most constantly affirming that the Fathers knew nothing of PVRGATORY and therefore much lesse of prayer to deliuer men from thence So he 2. I turned vnto the disputations of Bellarmine where he prooueth by the confession of Caluin and some others that many doctrines now impugned by the Protestants and defended by the Catholiques are the doctrines of the ancient Church Amongst other particularities in his discourse the Cardinall alleadgeth this sentence of Iohn Caluin viz. It was receiued into vse aboue 1300. yeares ago to make prayers for the dead But those ancients I confesse were * Abrepti in errorem c. caried away into an errour Whence it followeth in my poore capacity that Caluin doth confesse that he and his reformed Churches are opposite vnto Antiquity in this doctrine For doth he not impute it vnto the Fathers as an errour and doth he not censure them most indignely in this behalf saying that they yealded herein vnto their naturall affection and vnto * thus the Puritans peruert the testimonies of Epiph. c. say they wrote according to the custome manner of their age c. See D. Bancroft in his Suruay pag. 337. custome but were destitute of precept and example in the Scripture 3. Nay he goeth yet farther and in the sublimity of his pride he sayth Whereas Augustine reporteth that Monica desired to haue a commemoration made of hir at the w Confess l. 9. c. 13. Altar after hir decease this was an old wiues request which the sonne neuer examined by the rule of the Scripture but according to his naturall affection would haue it allowed of others But did not the gentle Mōsieur vnderstand or did he not regard that neither the old wife as his Eldershipp speaketh in his Lucianicall vayne nor hir sonne did performe any thing herein but what the Catholick Church did warrant and prescribe vnto them Did he not conceiue that it was Aërian heresy to impugne this duty And could the Mother or the Sonne neglect the same without a singular offence and iust suspition of that crime 4. Wherefore though Caluin hauing confessed his dislike of Antiquity in this doctrine doth afterward frame his cunning exception against the Papists and deriueth it in such sort that they forsooth can not glory in the ancient Church as partaking with their errour forasmuch as she affirmed nothing of Purgatory whereof they dreame c. yet I saw that this was a piece of his cogging art and dicing skill as x Caluinus Iud viz. pag 59. D. Hunnius writeth whereby he eludeth the grauest and most perspicuous Scriptures to the great aduantadge of Iews Arrians and such like pestiferous enimies of our Lord Iesus Christ Agayn as sondry testimonies in the Ancients did assure me that the generall custome of Prayer for the dead was referred vnto the benefitt and comfort of their soules so for the conuiction of Protestants and for demonstration of their repugnancy vnto the Catholick Church in hir most venerable times it was sufficient for me to know that Caluin doth abundantly declare his improbation thereof that therefore Bellarmine doth not trifle in this issue 5. For we must distinguish here betwixt this ACTION which was performed by the Church and hir INTENTION therein Caluin confesseth the first and litigateth about the second Now it was euident vnto me that the Cardinall in the aforesaid place doth alleadge him precisely in the first respect but as for the second it is a matter of farther dispute 6. That this was the purpose of the Cardinall I was induced to conceiue not onely in regard of his excellent vnderstanding but also by a playn and substantiall ouerture in his owne workes For y De Purgators l. 1. c 6. discussing the question of Prayer for the dead he reprooueth Caluin in 4. poynts FIRST because he condemneth himself by his owne mouth inasmuch as he freely agnizeth the great antiquity and lardge propagation thereof and yet feareth not to say that the Fathers were caried away into an errour in this matter SECONDLY because
he pretendeth that the Fathers in their prayers for the dead did seeke to expresse a kind affection vnto them but inteÌ„ded not to procure ease vnto their soules Which vntruth because it is notorious and suggested out of malice Bellarmine calleth it a lye and saith that it is refuted by the testimony of x Euchir ad Laur. c. 110. Augustine himself 7. I pretermitt the two other poynts it was a copious satisfaction for me to vnderstand that Bellarmine doth distinguish here betwixt the action and the intention and consequently that D. Field doth calumniate a worthy person to defend the inexcusable folly of our Geneuian Apostle who depraueth all things in the excessiue liberty of his Spirit CHAP. III. D. Field doth nothing but trifle in his accusation of BELLARMINE and defence of CALVIN His vntrue construction of the heresy of Aërius the great contradiction of Protestants in this poynt being all guilty of this heresy and consequently no Catholicks §. 1. D. Field refuted by S. Epiphanius and S. Augustine 1. AS the confession of Caluin and practise of our Congregations did informe me that the Protestants renounce the custome of prayer for the dead and wholly disclayme the ACTION it self so many forcible reasons did resolue me that the Papists retayning the action do likewise herein preserue the INTENTION of the ancient Church notwithstanding the glosse of D. Field who to confirme and establish the injury which he hath already done vnto the Cardinall annexeth this passadge immediately vnto the * After those words to deliuer men from thence See before Chap. 2. num 1. former viz. But Bellarmine will reply that the custome of praying for the dead was most ancient We answere The custome of remembring the departed naming their names at the holy Table in the time of the holy mysteries and offering the Eucharist that is the sacrifice of prayse for them was a most ancient and godly custome neither is it any wayes disliked by vs. And surely it appeareth this was the cause that AERIVS was condemned of hereticall rashnesse in that he durst condemne this laudable and ancient custome of the commemoration of the dead 2. How doth it appeare that SVRELY this was the cause c Behold the proof Epiphan haeresi 75. But surely this is a miserable proof For when I consulted with Epiphanius I found that our forefather Aërius did pick a quarrell against this religious duty in the same manner and to the same effect as we do at this day saying if the prayers of the liuing may be profitable vnto the dead then let a man liue as he liâ—t onely let him procure some to pray for him when he is dead ne quid patiatur that he may suffer no paynes 3. Here I considered that if the Catholick Church against which Aërius coÌ„tended in the vanity of his heart did not belieue and teach that the Sacrifice of our Lords body was offered and prayers were powred forth to relieue the soules of the dead not all but some afflicted with temporall payn the exception of Aërius were senselesse and the defence of Epiphanius were absurd for as the first doth object that opinion vnto the Church so the second denieth it not nay he declareth that the prayers of the liuing are beneficiall vnto the dead 4. But this poynt was more excellently cleared vnto me by S. Augustine the best and most faithfull witnesse of the ancient Church For this worthy Father contexing a catalogue of heresies registreth this heresy amongst the rest viz. Haeres 53 VVe must not pray nor offer sacrifice for the dead A fancy begotten by Aërius and by him first hatched into the world See the Peroration of S. Augustines treatise 5. Now whereas Quod-vult-Deus vnto whom S. Augustine directeth the aforesayd catalogue desired to receiue instruction how he should deport himself against all heresies and what opinion he should intertayn thereof the reuerend Father maketh this short and waighty answere It is a superfluous demand to aske what the Catholick Church thinketh of * As namely of this particular all theis heresies For it sufficeth thee to know that the Catholick Church doth hold and maintayn the CONTRARY assertion vnto each 6. Wherefore it now remayned that I should acquaynt my self with the purpose of the Catholick Church in hir prayers and oblations for the dead since she defended the contrary opinion vnto Aërius in theis laudable and Christian offices as S. Augustine prescribeth vnto his well respected friend 7. What was the successe of my study and meditation in this poynt you may see * Booke 1. part 1. chap. 2. §. 4. before where this matter is more particulary discussed There you shall find that the intention of the vniuersall Church in theis things was precisely to relieue some soules and hence it followeth that Aërius teaching the CONTRARY hereunto vomited out this heresy viz. VVe must not pray nor offer sacrifice for the soules afflicted with a temporall payn and this is licked vp by S. Luther our GREAT Reformer 8. Thus the Papists concurr with the ancient Church in prayer for the dead and Protestants joyne hands with Aërius to deride and subuert the same And now I perceiued that a Ratione 3. Edm. Campian did not object this infelicity vnto vs without a graue consideration and necessary cause viz. The Protestants are inforced to venditate such a Church as lay in obscure and dark corners vnlesse perhapps they will reioyce in some hereticall Progenitours AERIVS Iouinian Vigilantius Berengarius c. from whom they haue begged the fragmeÌ„ts of certayn pestileÌ„t opinions §. 2. How some Protestants seeme to defy Aërius and how others yeald him their protection Their contradictions vanities and falsehood 1. I Found that our Authours are here distracted into variable and vncertain conceipts some in their subtility dissembling the truth of the matter and some in their vanity neglecting the judgement of the Church 2. In the FIRST rank this learned Doctour may challendge a due place and he shall be assisted with his compeeres M. Iewell and Ph. Melancthon men of great accompt The one commeth forth with this plausible suggestion b Iuell in Apolog. VVe hold * Therefore not this of Aërius But here you speake vntruly none of those 80. heresies which are mentioned by Epiphanius nor any of those which are recorded by Augustine The other flourishing at randon saith expressly c MelaÌ„cth in apolog Augustana confess art 22. VVe do not forbyd prayer for the dead and much lesse do we defend Aërius c. 3. In the SECOND rank the Magdeburgians gentlemen of the freest spirits that euer liued to censure the sacred writt the holy Councells the reuerend Fathers and all antiquity in ignominious sort may vendicate the highest roome The things d Centur. 4. c. â— col 401. say theis good fellowes which Augustine and Epiphanius noted as errours in AERIVS seeme not so but rather the contrary And so in
vexe themselues and not I. Verily I will attempt by all meanes possible to cure theis euills but if I can not do it yet I will not be consumed with grief If one Munzer one Carolostadius one ZWINGLIVS be not sufficient for the Diuell excitet plures Zwinglius was raised by the Diuell to afflict the Church let him raise vp more 34. This is the perpetuall stile of Luther against the Sacramentaries whom he damneth vnto the lake of fire and brimstome as obstinate and malitious hereticks fallen away from his Church by apostaticall defection And here you may see how the nature of heresy is alwayes variable and vncertayn as Tertullian obserued long ago Praescript c. 4â— saying Hereticks differ amongst themselues while the scholler doth modulate at his pleasure that which he receiued as the Maister did compose at his pleasure that which he deliuered The progresse of the thing doth acknowledge the condition of it and the manner of its beginning The Valentinians and Martâ—onites may chandge their faith at their owne arbitrement as well as Valentine and Marcion themselues Denique penitùs inspectae haereses omnes in multis cum authoribus suis dissentientes deprehenduntur c. 35. Thus I haue truly discouered vnto you the deportment of your pretensed Reformers the crime and cause of whose implacable dissentions D. Field would vnconscionably deriue vpon the Papists by abusing the authority of Gerson whereas it is most euident that theis men sought not the end at which Gerson aymed nor followed the meanes which he prescribed but as Luther did boysterously impugne the Catholick Church so Zwinglius and all the troupe of Sacramentaries fell away seditiously and factiously from his society and communion And so much concerning the SECOND passadge 36. In the THIRD passadge there are some memorable poynts as namely the Doctour doth confesse freely and plainely that Gerson Grosthead c. 3. Reg. 2 2â— were of the TRVE CHVRCH But here I may say of D. Field as Salomon pronounced of Adoniah his brother contra animam suam locutus est Adonias verbum hoc against his life and the life of his Church hath D. Field spoken this word For was not Gerson and likewise Grosthead a member really and essentially of the Romane or POPISH Church The precedents may testify for the first and the * §. 4. sequele shall witnesse for the second wherefore I must inferr necessarily that the Popish Church was the TRVE CHVRCH in their time and that it is so at this day because it still continueth the same Finally as Wickliffe Husse c. were not of the true Church because they were not of the same Church with GERSON so the Protestants are not members of the true Church because they are excluded from the society of the Church of Rome which is the * See S. Cyprian l. 4. ep 8. roote and mother of the Catholick Church For in that See seÌ„per Apostolicae cathedrae viguit principatus as †epist 162. S. Augustine himself doth witnesse 37. A second poynt iâ— this Gerson Grosthead c. gaue testimony vnto the work which WE haue done What we LVTHER and ZWINGLIVS You know that the SACRAMENTARIES are exiled out of the fellowshippe of Luthers Church contra artic Louan thesi 27. Censemus serio c. We think seriously sayth Luther that all Zwinglians and Sacramentaries are hereticks and aliens from the Church of God Which seuere and true sentence of the great Apostle himself a Synod of Lutherans hath established by a solemne decree Epitome Colloq Maulbrunae Anno 1564. pag. 82. viz. Zwinglianis nullum locuÌ„ in Ecelesiâ concedimus c. we grant the Zwinglians no place in the Church To what purpose then serueth this particle of extension VVE haue done c But I will admitt that you and the Lutherans are of one Church howbeit I must absolutely and confidently deny that you or they or both haue the testimony of GERSON for the approbation of your worke and this is so copiously declared already that I need not alleadge new proofes noâ— reinforce the old 38. Thirdly it pleaseth M. Doctour to aduance Gerson Grosthead c. with the resplendent title of BEST men that liued in the corrupt state of the Church Truly they were so good that Luther your great Reformer was dirt and dongue to speake of him in * See before pag. 146 his owne phrases in comparison of their excellent demeanure and they shined as gold in respect of his ignoble conuersation And yet was he sweete Saint peculiarly inspired aboue them all 39. I am weary and I feare troublesome vnto you also in the prosecution of theis lamentable deuices but I am now come vnto the last and FOVRTH passadge wherewith I will briefly conclude this whole matter and then proceed vnto some farther issue 40. In this passadge there are 2 poynts which do specially require your very deliberate ponderation FIRST you shall there find that Cameracensis Picus Sauanarola GERSON he is the principall man and innumerable others for so the learned Doctour amplifieth his vanities were the WORTHY GVIDES OF * therefore the Protestants Church is not Gods Church GODS CHVRCH But what Church I pray you did they guide administer and direct That Church whereof the Protestants are members No for they detested your opinions That whereof the Papists are members Yea for they were firmely vnited vnto the Church of Rome and vnto the Pastour of that See and therefore hereticks and proud Romanists and Antichristian Vassals sworne to take the foames of the child of perdition and Vassals of the man of sinne c. all which hobgoblin-termes the Doctour hath congested vpon such men as now retayn the very same faith which Gerson constantly professed and are knitt vnto that Church which he humbly obayed And yet is a Gerson also a WORTHY GVIDE OF GODS CHVRCH You may remember that D. Field and hiâ— Church doth willingly admitt a triall of your cause by the testimony of the Fathers See before booke 1. Part. 1 chap 2. § 1. num 4. c. Do you admire that venditation and wonder at that assertion when Gerson himself shall be made a worthy guide of the Church c I leaue it vnto your ingenuity and wisedome since it doth import your eternity to consider what truth what solidity what assurance you or I or any other may expect at theis mens hands for the information of our vnderstandings the satisfaction of our doubts the direction of our soules in the way of secure and certayn peace 41. The SECOND particular is this It appeareth by that which we haue already deliuered touching that matter how nothing is done in our Reformation which theis men Gerson Grosthead c. long before thought not necessary to be done But where is that deliuered and how doth that appeare I know that the Doctour hath pitifully mangled some sentences and notably depraued the intention of GERSON
was the man who according to the decree of the Councell of Constance did exhumate the bones of VVickliff and committ them vnto the fire Which proceeding drew this angry sentence from M. Powells pen ibid. pag. 22 Vah inauditam tyrannidem 6. I poynt at theis things by the way that you may see how your Protestants are omnium horarum homines praysing dispraysing aduancing deprauing whom they please and as they please to extort any shaddow of defence for their vnhappy cause so that euery writer amongst them may garnish his title page with this Horatian motto Quò me cunque rapit tempestas deferor I proceed Your Doctour telleth you that Grosthead contemning Papall bulls and letters was therefore named Romanorum malleus contemptor But he should informe you that Grosthead was so named because he would not permitt Italians who in many respects were incompetent for the places designed vnto them in England by the Pope to possesse Ecclesiasticall dignities within his episcopall precinct and howbeit sondry letters were directed vnto him from the Pope yet he thought it lawfull for him to gainsay an vnlawfull demand and therefore he would not condescend vnto that which he esteemed vtterly vniust Whereas your Doctour sayeth farther that the Cardinalls opposed themselues c. he should say that they interposed themselues by counsayle also to intreate not by authority to controll 7. I will not exercise your patience any longer in detection of your Doctours crafty and subtile fetches to intangle his Reader both in his matter and in his wordes a snare is layed in euery line and the foolish among the people are taken therein wise men and circumspect and indued with meane knowledge and solicitous of the truth will soone discouer the obliquity of his paths 8. Thus much most dearely respected Maister S. out of my heartiest loue vnto your noble and heroicall self I haue thought good to sett downe briefly and plainely and perhapps effectually concerning some worthy guides whose names are exceedingly abused to prooue that which they disapprooued and to support that cause which they abhorred as exitiall and deadly heresy from the very bottome of their hearts There remayn yet other worthy guides viz. Camoracensis Sauanarola c. traduced also and inforced to giue testimony vnto that which they did alwayes disclayme As for Cameracensis or Petrus de Aliaco he was the instructour of Gerson and you may discerne the Maister by the Scholler See Gers part 3. in dialog Apologetic In the Examen of Fox his Calendar chap. 9. num 9. 10. c. As for Sauanarola he is quite dischardged from the communion of Iohn Fox his Saints as you may see in the right excellent Treatise of the three Conuersions of England a booke which I do specially recommend vnto you for matter for method and for stile assuring you vpon my owne experience that you shall reade it with great profit and incredible delight where the vanity and falsehood of that deceyuer is dismasked and layed forth in such manner as it doth iustly require 9. Now it remayneth that according to the acutenesse and viuacity of your ingenious spirit you should penetrate deepely into a consideration of your present estate Out of the Church there is no saluation as all men perished out of the Ark which was a type thereof and that you are not within the Church as I do certainly know so your self can not but necessarily suspect For you see that the guides of your soule are deceiptfull and that the grounds of your Religion are absurd If you repayr vnto such worthy guides as Gerson Grosthead c. they condemne you if vnto VVickliffe Husse c. as they dissent from you in many things so there was a time when they did not exist and they were Papists also before they apostatized from the Church Where was your Religion then and in whom was it perpetuated for many ages Will you recurr vnto an inuisible Church S. Augustines disputatioÌ„ against the Donatists do clearely coÌ„uince you for he prooueth that the Church neither was nor can be inuisible and concealed pag 19. c. yea your learned Doctour doth liberally confesse the same Will you content yourself with a linsey wolsey mixed heterogeneous Church which hath not a pure See before booke 1. Part. 2. chap. 1 §. 1. 2. immaculate faith but is composed of sondry factions imbued with different and incompatible opinions This were to make the Virgin-Church of Christ an harlot to turne the Catholick religion into hereticall confusion And yet vnto theis impious paradoxes your Professours are ineuitably driuen for the mayntenance and supportation of their cause CHAP. 2. The singular vanity of D. Field pretending that there is no materiall difference betvvixt the LuthéraÌ„s Zwinglians c. §. 1. Their difference about the question of Vbiquity D. Fields pseudo-theologicall determination thereof Their difference about the Sacrament 1. AS one waue in the sea followeth immediately vpon the neck of an other so the vntruths of D. Field come rowling together and where one hath ended there an other beginneth finis alterius mali Gradus est futuri 2. You haue seene * pag. 2. before that he imputeth the diuersity of his Cadmaean brethren wholly vnto the Papists and then without any intermission he yealdeth a farther plea in their defence saying Yet it fell out by the happy prouidence of God and the force of that mayne truth they all sought to aduance that there was no materiall or essentiall difference amongst them but such as vpon equall scanning will be found rather to consist in the diuers manner of expressing one thing and to be but verball vpon mistaking through the hasty and inconsiderate humours of some men then any thing els Yea I dare confidently pronounce that after due and full examination of each others meaning there shall be no difference found touching the matter of the SACRAMENT the VBIQVITARY presence or the like betweene the Churches reformed by Luthers ministery in Germany and other places and those whom some mens malice called SACRAMENTARIES c. And this shall be iustified against the proudest Papist of them all 3. I find no iustification made by your humble Doctour concerning the Sacrament but in the question of Vbiquity he hath giuen iust aduantadge vnto the Papists if they were proud before See Fabricius in loc com Luth. part 4. p. 55. pag. 1â—1 to remember what M. Luther hath left written vnto posterity viz. Scio me in hac causâ non fuisse tam animoso SVPERBO spiritu quà m sum modò c. 4. Wherefore I pray you see the salue of a misappled distinction by which he seeketh to heale the wound of your incurable dissension saying the humane nature of Christ hath two kinds of being the one NATVRALL the other PERSONALL the first limited and finite the second infinite and incomprehensible For seeing the nature of a man is a created nature and essence it can
an HERETICK and no member of hir communion For which consideration I am as tenderly affected in this article as in any other of my Creed esteeming my self obliged thereunto for two respects FIRST because the essentiall truth thereof is clearely reuealed vnto me by God both in his word written and by Apostolicall Tradition In his word written for what can be more perspicuous then this saying * Act. 2.27 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell c. By Apostolicall Tradition for what can be more playn then this article He descended into hell That the common Creed is an Apostolicall Tradition your chiefest writer H. †de PedeÌ„pt Zanch us doth confesse and as I conceiue * pag. 238. D. Field dissenteth not from his iudgement therein What †de Antichr pag. 48. M. Powell or his proud Peacock or some precipitate Spiritts imagine to the contrary I am not to regard But if this Creed be an Apostolicall Tradition then it is * See D. Fields rule which I haue cited before Booke 1. part 1. c. 2. §. 2. num 3. equall vnto the written word of God euen for that cause For it proceedeth from diuine inspiration and so it hath sufficient authority of it self Wherefore it was not respectiuely decreed by your †Artic. Relig 8. Bishopps that this Creed ought throughly to be receiued BECAVSE it may be prooued by most certayn warrants of holy Scripture 3. SECONDLY I am mooued by the authority of the Church For who sayth * epist 99. S. Augustine denieth that Christ descended into hell vnlesse he be an INFIDELL And for the sense of this article †Tract 78. in Ioh. he hath this cleare resolution Who is he that was not left in hell Christ Iesus but in his SOVLE onely Who is he that lay in the graue Christ Iesus but in his FLESH onely For the NATVRALL vnion of his body and soule was dissolued but not the HYPOSTATICALL vnion of either with his Person 4. This truth being so potent and perspicuous I aske you now what reason haue you for any part of your faith if you haue not assurance in this And if you fall from this See Luthers saying before pag. 40. what certainty haue you in any other poynt Therefore it importeth your Church to shew a due conformity in this article of the Creed Finally you may remember that S. Athanasius in his Creed which your †Artic. Relig 8. Church pretendeth to admitt throughly c. hauing premised this denunciatioÌ„ Whosoeuer keepeth not the Catholick faith entire and inuiolate without doubt he shall perish euerlastingly doth afterward subnect this article of Christ his descent into hell as parcell of that CATHOLICK faith §. 2. D. Mortons pretense of his Churches vnity in this poynt is clearely refuted 1. NOw see your Doctours syncerity who may call God to reuendge it vpon his soule if he deceyue any man with his knowledge First he citeth the opinion of * l. 4. de Christo cap. 15. Bellarmine in theis wordes Opinio Catholica haec est CHRISTVM VERE SECVNDVM ESSENTIAM FVISSE IN INFERNO As much as to say Christ in his soule substaÌ„tially did descend into hell Then he addeth Hanc vestram sententiam NOS quoque iuxià cum Augustana confessione libentissimè profitemur non tamen quatenus vestram sed quatenus veram WE also together with the Augustane confession do most willingly professe this opinion c. 2. It is well that he left out the Scottish French Belgian and Heluetian confessions for he knoweth that the true Caluinists are hereticks in this behalf And this is an incuitable conclusion because they do obstinately and wilfully reiect the true and Catholick opinion and so defending an opinion CONTRARY vnto CATHOLICK verity they can not be exempted from the crime of heresy which casteth them into a damnable estate But I beseech you do YOV that is to say your Church of England most willingly professe this Catholick opinion Alas that your Apologist hath so iustly called God to reuendge this falsehood vpon his soule let him intreate our Lord to pardon that prouocation of his iudgement and in the meane time I will demonstrate his falsehood by foure euidences FIRST if YOV be of this opinion as he pretendeth why are your Bibles infected with this absurd Translation Act. 2.27 some say life or person some body or carrasse Thou wilt not leaue my soule in graue Is this to submitt your sense vnto the Scripture or is it not rather to draw it vnto your preiudicate opinion This is to measure the yard by the cloth and thus while you should be faithfull Translatours you become corrupt Interpreters of the Scripture SECONDLY why was your Church so distracted in this matter vpon the Sermon and Treatise of D. Bilson How came it to passe that D. Rainolds his Caluinian resolution in this matter was confuted by M Perks and why did M. VVillet the Synopticall Theologue as he is phrased by †in his epist prefixed before the booke of ConfereÌ„ce at Hampton Court D. Barlow oppose himself against M. Perks his answere Why do your Ministers publiquely in Sermons and in print impugne this true and Catholick opinion THIRDLY Why is no Minister punished for his repugnancy vnto this truth which is of greater consequence then crosse cap surplice or any ceremonious thing or whatsoeuer institution of your Church for which many haue suffered depriuation of their liuings FOVRTHLY the testimony of M. Rogers whose booke hath a speciall approbation as you may see * pag. 160. before will conuince D. Morton of notorious falsehood For though his purpose was to deliuer the †that is the title of all his pages Catholick doctrine of YOVR Church yet when * pag. 16. he commeth vnto this article he sayth that in the interpretation of it there is not that consent which were to be wished some holding one opinion thereof and some an other Wherefore yealding no certayn doctrine but leauing men vnto their choyce he addeth TILL we know the natiue and vndoubted * Faith coÌ„sisteth not in the words but in the sense sense of this article c. 3. If this be not a sensible conuiction of M. Doctours singular vntruth I must confesse that I haue done him iniury and will be ready to make any satisfaction that he can reasonably demand Meane while he must giue me leaue to detect an other of his excellent sleights and then I will referr him vnto his best thoughts As it was a notable vanity in him to affirme that YOV do willingly embrace the Catholick opinion in this article so that is a delicate collusion which ensueth within the compasse of three lines viz. à VOBIS c. WE in England differ from YOV Papists concerning the place vnto which Christ descended For WE say that he descended vnto the hell of the damned but YOV say that he descended onely ad limbum Patrum the region of the Fathers 4. The authour cited by him is * Theomach l. 7. c. 1. Feuardentius whose opinion he imputeth here as generally vnto the Papists as he applied the other vnto your English Church But forasmuch as M. Doctour doth continually deale with BELLARMINE and in the words immediately precedent alleadged him particularly also in this matter as you †num 1. see why did he now pretermitt him and select an other I will shew you the reason for Bellarmine himself in the very next chapter is of a contrary opinion vnto that which M. Doctour deriueth generally vpon the Papists What piety then or humanity was in this preposterous deuise 5. Know you therefore FIRST that the opinion which he here imputeth vnto VS without exception is as falsely attributed vnto all Catholicks as the other vnto YOVR English Church SECONDLY that your difference is in the substantiall sense and meaning of this article but our difference is a scholasticall disceptation in a matter of greater or lesser probability which being a doubt not resolued by the Church may be indifferently accepted by hir children without breach of charity or violation of faith 6. Thus I haue giuen you a little signification of those many vntruths which I haue obserued in this Doctour If it consist not with his credit or profitt to yeald yet it concerneth you to beware of his Sirenicall incantations Your benefitt shall be my reward if not so yet this schedule may be a token of my loue and be you well assured that either by following my counsayle TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST you shall preuent an heauy doome or by neglecting it you shall increase your iudgement FINIS A TABLE OF THE GENERALL CONTENTS IN THE FIRST PART CHAP. 1. § 1. GERSONS testimony alleadged by D. Field to iustify the pretensed REFORMATION § 2. It is impossible that GERSON could wish or tolerate this REFORMATION § 3. A detection of D. Fields vntruths in citing the testimonyes of GERSON § 4. The name and authority of GROSTHEAD abused by D. Field to the same effect CHAP. 2. § 1. D. Fields vntrue suggestion concerning the vnity of Lutherans and Caluinists is refuted Their difference touching Vbiquity the Sacrament § 2. D. Fields excuse of their litigation is refelled They neither haue nor can haue any conclusion of peace CHAP. 3. § 1. D. Field deuiseth criminations against Bellarmine § 2. His inciuility toward the CARDINALL whose excellent parts are briefly noted IN THE SECOND PART CHAP. 1. § 1. D. Mortons vntruth in defence of Luther § 2. His vntruth in protection of Caluin CHAP. 2. § 1. Of the article concerning Christ his descent into hell § 2. D. Morton doth vntruly pretend the vnity of his English Church in the sense thereof The PARTICVLAR contents are many which I referr vnto the diligence of the courteous Reader THE CORRECTION OF FAVLTES PASSED IN SOME COPIES P. signifieth page I line M. mâ—â—gent p. 10. l. 40. reade the same p. 12. â—â— num 15. p. 22. l â— proceed p. 26. l. 6. brimtione p. 60. l. 27 â—â—dery p. 44 l. 15. 〈◊〉 p. â—5 l 4. improbation 12. l. â—â—ist 17. 〈◊〉 p. 48. l. 1â— Iudes p. 5â—â—â— with any p. â—â— l. 8. his stile and sayd pag. 58. l. 15 what 〈◊〉 p. 59. l. 22. your p. 64. l. 26. â—â—clâ—sastiâ—
THE FIRST MOTIVE OF T. H. MAISTER OF ARTS AND LATELY MINISTER TO SVSPECT THE INTEGRITY OF HIS Religion Which was DETECTION OF FALSEHOOD in D. Humfrey D. Field other learned Protestants touching the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead VVith his PARTICVLAR CONSIDERATIONS perswading him to embrace the Catholick doctrine in theis and other points * ⎠* An Appendix intituled TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST Wherein Some notable vntruths of D. Field and D. Morton are discouered Printed 1609. S. AVGVSTIN de vtilit credendi contra Manichaeos cap. 14. NVllis me video credidisse nisi populorum atque gentium confirmatae opinioni ac famae admodum celeberrimae hos autem populos Ecclesiae CATHOLICAE mysteria vsquequaque occupásse Cur non igitur apud cos potissimum diligentissimè requiram quid Christus praeceperit quorum authoritate commotus Christum aliquid vtile praecepisse iam credidi Túne mihi melius expositurus es quid ille dixerit Quem suisse aut esse non putarem si abs te mihi hoc commendaretur esse credendum Hoc ergo credidi vt dixi famae celebritate consensione vetustate roboratae Vos autem tam pauci tam turbulenti tam noui nemini dubium est quám nihil dignum authoritate praeferatis Quae igitur ista tantae dementia est Illis crede Christo esse credendum à no bis disce quid dixerit Cur obsecrote Nam si illi Catholici deficerent nec me quicquam docere possent multò faciliùs mihi persuaderem Christo non esse credendum quà m de illo cuiquam nisi ab jis per quos ei credidissem discendum TO THE PROTESTANT READER IT was my purpose to be silent vntill I was inforced to speake for the publick proceedinge against me hath drawen me vnto this publick defence and specially because it was by those persons whom I haue reuerenced from my heart and in that place which must alwayes challendge an interest in my poore vnworthy self Wherefore being inuited and compelled vnto this coursey I present vnto thee louing contreyman one MOTIVE of my chandge the first in order and with me very effectuall in waight Expect not any curious or ample discourse for I do here intend to deliuer onely such peculiar things as preuayled with me in the beginning rowsing me out of my lethargy in schisme and heresy prouoked me vnto a diligent inuestigation of the truth My other * Tâ—â— motiues shall remayn prisoners in my custody vnlesse the importunity of friends or malignity of aduersaries may perhapps extort their enlardgement from me against the proper inclination of my will Meane while accept this little schedule is it not a little one and thy soule shall liue Gen. 19 20 with kind affection And though I may require it as justice yet I will desire it as a fauour let not prejudice forestall thy judgement nor passion supplant thy reason Peruse diligently compare exactly and giue thy verdict vprightly in presence of the all-seing eye Then I doubt not but seeking thou shalt find and finding wilt confesse God was here Gen. 28.16 and I knew it not Thy deuoted contreyman Theophilus Hyggons THE GENERALL CONTENTS OF THIS TREATISE DIVIDED INTO 2. BOOKES 1. In the First booke are expressed tvvo Reasons the one DOCTRINALL the other MORALL vvhich svvayed my vnderstanding povverfully to yeald firme assent vnto the Catholick faith touching Purgatory and Prayer for the dead 2. In the Second booke are layed forth certayn egregious falsehoods of D. Field D. Humfrey M. Rogers and others in their exceptions against the same THE PARTICVLAR CONTENTS IN EACH BOOKE IN THE FIRST BOOKE AND FIRST PART CONTAYNING THE DOCTRINALL REASON CHAP. 1. § 1. Purgatory prooued by the cleare authority of Scripture Matth. 12.32 § 2. The Fathers iudgements touching the sayd parcell of holy Scripture § 3. Three reasons which mooued me to follow the doctrinall expositions of the Fathers rather then of Caluin Luth. c. CHAP. 2. § 1. Of a triall by the Fathers Protestants in England condescend thereunto § 2. Prayer for the dead is an Apostolicall TraditioÌ„ by the testimony of the Fathers The same appeareth by the rules assigned by Protestants to know what is an Apostolicall Tradition § 3. Prayer for the dead Purgatory do mutually prooue each other § 4. The ancient Catholick Church vnto which the Protestants in England appeale did intend in hir Prayers and Oblations to relieue some soules departed and afflicted with temporall payn § 5. The collusion of D. Field in deliuering the purpose of the ancient Catholick Church in hir Prayers and Oblations for the dead § 6. Reasons perswading me rather to follow S. August the ancient Church then D. Field and his reformed Congregations IN THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING THE MORALL REASON CHAP. 1. § 1. The PROVIDENCE of God preseruing a visible Church in all ages § 2. This visible Church is free from damnable errour The Protestants loosenesse and confusion in their delineation of the Church § 3. Protestants condemne Purgatory and Prayer for the dead as hereticall and blasphemous § 4. This doctrine was embraced by the vniuersall Church consequently is approoued by the singular PROVIDENCE of almighty God CHAP. 2. § 1. The base and impious condition of Aërius and Henricus who first impugned this doctrine § 2. The VVISEDOME of God appoynting fitt messengers to be Reformers of his Church doth excellently confirme this doctrine CHAP. 3. § 1. The nature and vse of Miracles by which God doth beare witnesse vnto some TRVTH A triple consideration of Miracles according to the triple distinction of the Church § 2. A miracle wrought by S. Bernard to the confusion of Henricus and his doctrines § 3. There is no exception against the sayd Miracle § 4. The sayd Miracle doth euidently conuince the Protestants in this and other poynts § 5 An exception of D. Field pretending that no particular defended by the Papists against Protestants vvas euer confirmed by Miracle is refelled by our Conuersion from Paganisme to Popery as it is termed and by the authority of Gerson whom D. Field hath magnified as one that desired the same Reformation long since which Protestants haue lately effected CHAP. 4. § 1. The grounds which I followed in the precedents are invincible § 2. The particulars therein are very cleare A direction for the Reader to iudge orderly substantially concerning the same A conclusion of the first Part with a Protestation vnto the Reader IN THE SECOND BOOKE AND FIRST PART CONTAYNING THE VNTRVTHS OF D. FIELD CHAP. 1. § 1. S. Gregory the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 2. S. Augustin the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 3. S. Hierome the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine
Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 4. S. Ambrose the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead CHAP. 2. D. Field doth vniustly accuse CARD BELLARMINE of trifling and senselesse foolery in this matter Caluin doth truly confesse that the Protestats are opposite vnto Antiquity therein CHAP. 3. § 1. D. Field himself doth trifle and if it be iustice to repay him with his owne he committeth senselesse foolery in describing the heresy of Aërius whereof all Protestants are guilty consequētly are not Catholicks § 2. The contradiction vanity falsehood of Protestants some accusing some defending Aërius in his impugnation of Prayer and Oblation for the dead § 3. D. Field maketh a lamentable apology for the Protestants diuersity in their censures touching the aforesayd heresy The true and proper reason of their diuersity therein is assigned Their strandge and variable deportment toward the ancient Fathers CHAP. 4. A notable vntruth of D. Field in proposing the difference betwixt the Protestants and Papists in the question of Purgatory By which dealing he hath vtterly overthrowen his highly respected booke and brought eternall confusion vnto his Church IN THE SECOND PART OF THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. 1. § 1. M. Rogers abuseth Dionys Carthusian § 2. He brandeth S. Gregory with the name of a Papist and traduceth Eckius Temporall punishment inflicted after remission of the guilt of sinne CHAP. 2. sect 1. D. Humfrey doth singularly abuse a certayn testimony of S. Augustine The detectiō of which falsehood ministred the first occasion of my chandge § 2. An other of his vnfaithfull practises against the same Father c. AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER TOVCHING THE ORDER AND METHOD OF THIS TREATISE COurteous Reader though the beginning of my alienation from the Protestants did arise from the detection of some egregious falsehoods in D. Humfrey peruerting S. Augustine in D. Field traducing S. Ambrose vvhence I vvas excited to spend much time in searching out the doctrine of the ancient Church concerning PVRGATORY and PRAYER FOR THE DEAD yet I haue not alvvayes follovved that order precisely in this ensuing Treatise but for thy better direction and instruction I haue thought it expedient FIRST to lay forth the truth of this doctrine and SECONDLY to acquaynt thee vvith their falsehoods against the same THE FIRST BOOKE Wherein THE CATHOLICK DOCTRINE OF PVRGATORY AND PRAYER FOR THE DEAD IS CLEARELY prooued THE FIRST PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING A DOCTRINALL REASON which perswaded me to intertayn the aforesayd doctrine CHAPTER I. The Reason taken from HOLY SCRIPTVRE to prooue PVRGATORY §. 1. The sense of the Euangelist S. Matthew Chap. 12. v. 32. 1. AMONGEST sondry testimonies of holy writt this one seemed in mine opinion to be of singular force viz. VVhosoeuer shall speake a word against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him in this world nor in the world to come For as this Text doth imply in the immediate sense thereof that the Sinne against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen so it doth imply farther a distinction of sinnes some whereof are remissible and some irremissible some are pardoned in this world and some in the world to come 2. This interpretation is founded vpon a speciall reason because S. a 3 2◠Marke intreating of the same matter saieth that blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen non in aeternum and S. Matthew diuideth this space of eternity into seculum praesens seculum futurum the world present and the world to come as being two seuerall and distinct parts thereof so that the same thing is noted by each Euangelist but coniunctiuely in the one and distributiuely in the other 3. The Protestants deriue this text after an other manner and say that S. Matthew is to be expounded by S. Marke and so the intendment of this Scripture is precisely and meerely to shew that the great sinne being irremissible in an eminent degree shall neuer be forgiuen 4. But this simple glosse could yeald me no satisfaction For though it were the purpose of our Lord to declare that one sinne shall neuer be forgiuen yet he expresseth himself by such a distinction as doth manifestly inforce the remission of some sinnes in the future life And forasmuchas S. Matthew dealeth more copiously herein then S. Marke there is no reason why the first should be contracted by the second but rather it is necessary to enlardge the second by the first 5. Neither did it seeme a probable conceit vnto me though it be intertayned by many that our Sauiour did not make a partition of sinnes some to be remitted in this world and some in the next but vsed an exaggeration to shew the irremissibillity of one sinne as if I should say A barren woman shall not beare a child neither in this world nor in the world to come For though the WORD did speake b Io. 7.46 as neuer man spake in respect of Maiesty grauity and power yet he doth not so decline the accustomed manner of speach as that he would speake against the rules of prudency and morall vnderstanding as this speach is if it be sensed in this manner And who would not esteeme him to be a ridiculous and absurd Oratour that should say This woman shall not beare a child in this world neither in the world to come 6. Wherefore seing that the Protestants exposition is formed against discretion and that it is not warrantable by any other parcell of Scripture which is to be interpreted in this manner I was fearefull to be intangled by their collusions and because I would deale vnpartially in a matter of such consequence as this is I held a very indifferent course whereby I might not attribute any thing vnto mine owne iudgement nor yet detract from their estimation and therefore I remitted this point vnto the decision of the blessed Fathers knowing well that it is a precept of the Highest c Deut. 32.7 Aske the Fathers and they shall tell thee the Ancients and they shall shew thee and thus did D. Toby Matthew apply this Text d See D. Humfrey in resp ad 5. rat Edm. Campiani when he flourished in his concionall answere to remooue that disgrace which e Rat. 5. Edm. Campian had fastened vpon him and not vniustly as many men conceiue 7. Besides since it is the monition of S. f 1. Cor. 14.32 Paule that the Spiritts of Prophetts are subiect vnto the Prophetts the rule of equity doth prescribe that in the interpretation of holy writt the fewest should yeald vnto the most and the later vnto the former they also being more competent Iudges to determine a strife who neuer were Actours personally in the contention §. 2. The Fathers iudgement of this Scripture 1. I Was assured by D. g Of the Church pag. 170. Field that S.
pitifull coÌ„ceipts Wherefore I directed my thoughts vto theis 4. considerations which here ensue FIRST that it is a vanity in vs Protestants sometimes to * So doth D. Field here and Zanch. de Natura Dei l. 4. c. 4. and others accept this Liturgy as composed by S. Chrysostome and sometimes to * So doth M. Iewell M. Powell de Antichr p. 235. reiect it for our owne aduantadge because we can not iustly insist vpon the testimony of any Authour by way of proof which we our selues deny to be deliuered by him For though it hath force against him that admitteth it yet it is of no efficacy for him that refuseth it SECONDLY that S. * Iuuetur mortuus noÌ„ lachrymis sed prâ—cibus c. Hom. 41. in epist 1. ad Cor. Chrysostome did pray and exhorted others to pray for the soules of the dead and therefore in all probability his Liturgy and his doctrine do conspire substantially in this issue THIRDLY I found that when the Church offered the Sacrifice of our Lords body for the Apostles Martyrs c. it was by way of * See Gabriel Biel lect 85. in Can. Missae thanskgiuing not of petition and this was confirmed vnto me by the testimony of S. Augustine viz. The faithfull do know by the instruction of the Church that we pray not for Martyrs as we pray for other men that is to say the Martyrs are recognized by vs as Citizens of the heauenly kingdome but we pray for others as being yet in temporall payn or at least conceiued to be so by vs and thus to witt respectiuely vnto this end we make our supplications vnto God in their behalf Farther as it is not absurdly deliuered saieth l Parte 1. lect 2. super Marcum See Biel. in the aforesaid place Gerson by the learned Diuines that there is an addition or increase of accidentall felicity in the Saints so it is not inconuenient if in this respect also we recommend them vnto God in our deuotions 3. FOVRTHLY though D. Field in his greater wisedome then integrity doth conceale it and so the Tempter made his assault vpon our Sauiour cast thy self downe headlong for it is written Matth. 4. He shall geue his Angells chardge ouer thee that thou dash not thy foote against a stone but he omitted a principall poynt viz. that they may keepe thee in all thy wayes yet S. Chrysostome in the same Liturgy doth playnely refute his pretensed exposition of prayer for the dead For thus he saieth By the supplication of theis Patriarchs Apostles c. haue respect vnto vs o Lord If D. Field will stand vnto this Liturgy to gather the sense of Antiquity by it he must admitt also such an exaltation of the blessed Virgin as will hardly staÌ„d with his liking and he addeth immediately Remember all the faithfull departed who sleepe in the hope of resurrection and make them to be at rest where the light of thy countenance is seene 4. Thus S. Augustine and S. Chrysostome if their sayings be fully related and truly waighed do hold a iust correspondency herein and each of them in the essentiall point doth follow the instruction of the same Church Wherefore though * Contra Henric. 8. Luther did basely esteeme of a thousand Augustines and Cyprians if they were repugnant vnto his iudgement in the Scripture yet I saw necessary reasons why I should preferr one Augustine before ten thousand Luthers Fields and all such as are exorbitantly caried against the streame and course of the ancient Catholick Church §. 6. Reasons which mooued me rather to belieue and to follow S. Augustine herein and the Catholick Church in his time then D. Field and his reformed Churches A conclusion of the first Part with an admonition to all Caluinian Readers 1. VVHen I had brought my discourse vnto this effect as you haue already seene I considered seriously in my priuate meditations that whereas we Protestants make a glorious shew of Antiquity D. Field pag. 47. assumeth that he will prooue the Papists NOTES of Antiquity c. to be really the same with ours Vniuersality Succession c. to iustify our Religion thereby it would prooue a most ridiculous suggestion if in this particular it self we hold not conformity with the ancient Catholick Church Here also by the way I remembred that S. * heres 53. Augustine registring the heresies of Aërius in the number whereof is his derision of Prayer and Oblation for the dead concludeth in the peroration of his treatise that whosoeuer maintayneth any of the precedent opinions he is not a Catholick Christian 2. How nerely this censure appertayneth vnto vs Protestants the * See booke 2. Part. 1 chap. 2. sequele will declare Meane while it may please you to obserue with me how plausibly and artificially D. Field demeaneth himself to escape the pressure of that difficulty which is to heauy for him to beare It is most certayn saieth m pag. 98. he that many particular men extended the meaning of theis prayers for the dead * viz. then he hath deliuered before See §. 5. num 1. farther and out of their priuate errours and fancies vsed such prayers for the dead as the Romanists themselues I think dare not iustify And so it is true that many of the Fathers were led into errour in this matter of Prayer for the dead and not all as if the whole Church had FALLEN FROM THE TRVTH as Bellarmine * See book 2. Part. 1. chap. 3. falfely imputeth vnto Caluin who saieth no such thing 3. Now forasmuch as M. Doctour doth clearely insinuate that such Fathers as extended this religious duty prayer for the dead beyond the narrow compasse which is assigned by n Insi l. 3. c. 5. Caluin and o pag. 98. 139. himself did follow a priuate errour and fancy herein and that they did fall away from the truth I was desirous to know without Lies Obscuritie and Circuitions the best Sanctuaries of our euill cause either from D. Field or from any discreete Protestant in Christendome howbeit I may contract my speach and say in Europe for our new faith hath scarce peeped out of hir confines whether S. Cyrill of Hierusalem concurring absolutely with the Papists in this point See before §. 4. and whether S. Augustine conspiring with him and whether S. p lib. 1. de diuin offic c. 18. Isidore consenting with them both Vnlesse the Catholick Church did belieue that sinnes are remitted vnto the faithfull after this life she would not offer the Sacrifice vnto God for their soules finally whether all others ioyning with them herein fell away from the truth or not And if they did I was desirous to see what one man there was besides Aërian hereticks in whom the truth was visibly preserued 4. Here I gaue my self vnto a long and earnest meditation remembring a renowned sentence of S. epist. 118. Augustine
* See S. August epist. 48. and say Nesciebamus hîc esse veritatem nec eam discere volebamus c. We knew not that the truth was here neither would we learne it But thankes be vnto God who hath taken away our feare and taught vs by experience how vayn and empty those suggestions are which lying fame hath cast out against his Church c. The end of the first Part. THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING A MORALL REASON which perswaded me to intertayn the Catholick doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. The PROVIDENCE of God in preseruing a visible Church free from any damnable errour doth confirme the doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead §. 1. The FIRST Consideration touching a visible Church I Considered First that God hath promised vnto vs a perpetuity of his Church both by his Sonne and Seruants For thus saieth his onely begotten Matth. 2◠20 I am with you alwayes vnto the end of the world 2. A comfortable saying ô Sauiour Iesus I not in body but in Spirit AM yea I will be also but * Before Abraham I am Ioh. 8.58 thus I expresse my self because I am eternall and immutable WITH YOV not in your persons onely but in your succession for euer and not inuisibly by grace alone but visibly also in a syncere profession of the truth ALWAYES VNTO THE END OF THE WORLD my Church shall endure throughout all generations Thus the promise of God made vnto Dauid historically concerning his seed Psal 88. c. is referred mystically vnto Christ in whose seed to witt his Church it is must be absolutely performed 3. I had yet a farther assurance from God by his Seruants Ephes 4.11 For thus saieth S. Paule He Christ hath giuen vs Apostles Prophets Euangelists men of extraordinary vocation in the beginning Pastours and Doctours men of ordinary vocation to the end for the consummation of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ VNTILL we all meete in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ 4. This Text of holy Scripture I knew to be diuersly and preposterously sensed as well by the * M. Cartwright against D. Whitgift Presbyterians against the Formalists as by the * D. Soteliffe against D. Kellisō Protestants against Cath. The first exclude Archbish. the second by the same reasō exclude the Pope But I secured my self in the true and genuine interpretation thereof which did infallibly and clearely demonstrate vnto me theis two poynts First that the Church of Christ must perpetually subsist without decay Secondly that it must be visibly extant without obscurity and concealement For how can Pastours preach the ghospell and administer the holy Sacraments where people are not assembled to that purpose and gathered into a society of faith 5. As for the example of Eliah I alwayes esteemed it a lamentable suggestion in this case For his complaint * 3. Reg. 19. I am left alone extendeth onely vnto the kingdome of ISRAELL wherein he then conuersed and wherein he with many others was persecuted by Iezabell vnder Ahab hir infortunate husband But at the same time the law was read the Sacrifice was offered pure Religion was professed and protected in the kingdome of IVDAH vnder Iosaphat a blessed Prince * 3. Reg. 22.43 walking in the good wayes of Asa his father This Iosaphat suruiued vnto the * 4. Reg. 3.2 coronation of Ioram the yonger sonne of Ahab and so the example of Eliah can not be of any force to defend the opinion of many Protestants concerning the inuisibility of the Church 6. Wherefore seing how D. Apolog. Cathol part 1. lib. 1. c. 14. Morton doth still reinforce this poynt though cleared sufficiently by sondry Catholicks euen in the confession of a learned Protestant in England from whose mouth I receiued this instruction many yeares ago as though the aforesaid complaint of Eliah pertayned likewise vnto the kingdome of Iudah I did often and greatly wonder that such a man against his owne conscience should deale so fraudulently in this behalf For first he saieth that Lombard doth giue this exposition viz. When the daughter of Ahab was married vnto * The sonne of Iosaphat The yōger sonne of Ahab was called lord likewise Ioram the king of Iudah then all the Iewes seemed to be Idolaters so that Eliah thought himself to be left alone and vpon this authority of Lombard the Doctour buildeth his exception against the former answere Now is this I beseech you an ingenious and honest deportment in the Doctour thus to presse the authority of Lombard whom he knew to be singularly mistaken herein and to err most playnely against the historical euidence of sacred Scripture Secondly the Doctour is pleased to colour and cloake the said exposition of Lombard with the name of S. Ambrose and for this purpose he frameth his quotation in the margent thus Lombard in Rom. cap. 11. EX AMBROSIO But I found that as S. Ambrose hath not one syllable to iustify this exposition in the least degree so Peter Lombard himself doth not assume it frō him nor once vse his name therein howbeit both before and after he gleaneth vp some sentences from that excellent Father Is this a faithfull course in a Minister of simple truth 7. Renouncing the opinion of our Inuisibilists as an impious and contemptible fancy I embraced a position of h pag. 19. c. D. Field which though it be mingled with some corruptions and vntruths in his discourse yet in it self it is very effectuall syncere The Church can not be inuisible in respect of Profession and this Profession is knowen euen vnto the profane and wicked of the world Agayn It can not be but that they Apply this rule to the Protestanticall Churches who are of the TRVE Church must by profession of the TRVTH make themselues knowen in such sort that by their profession and practise they may be discerned from other men 8. For this cause S. Augustine saieth in a playn and familiar kind of speach See the 3. Conuersiōs of Englād Part. 2. chap. 1. throughout digito ostendimus Ecclesiam we shew forth the Church with our fingers in this place and in that here she is conspicuous and thus she hath descended vnto vs by a fayr and spectable succession 9. Non sic Protestantes non sic as for the Protestants it is not so with them their Church was hatched in corners and inclosed long in Cymmerian darcknesse Wherefore as the good sinfull woman complayned mournfully saying Ioh. 20.13 They haue taken away my Lord and I know not where they haue layed him so I was inforced to take vp a iust complaynt against all nouelizing hereticks and say They haue taken away the Church of my Lord
f Lib. 3. c. 3. S. Irenaeus pronounceth that all the faithfull must necessarily repayr vnto the Church of Rome Why For she is of more powerfull principallity then the rest Whence is that Because she was founded by the two glorious Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule Against the playn euidence whereof g Against D. Harding M. Iewell assumeth that Irenaeus did referr this more powerfull principallity vnto the Emperour and vnto the ciuill State But all history doth proclayme that the Christians were cruelly persecuted in those times and that they had no intercouse with the politicall affayres Behold also an other example of the like nature For whereas h In 1. Timoth 3.15 S Ambrose doth positiuely affirme i Answ to the Rhem. Testam ibid. that Damasus then Bishoppe of Rome is RECTOVR of the Church D. Fulke frameth an answere to this effect The Church was then afflicted with Arrianisme and because Damasus did oppose himself eminently against it he might be called the Rectour of the Church and yet so as the same title may belong also vnto other Bishopps Which poore elusion suteth well with the palpable vanity of M. Cartwright iustly reproued by k Suruay chap. 27. D. Bancroft in this behalf pretending that S. Chrysostomes vigilancy ouer the Churches of Pontus and of Thracia was none other then such as euery godly minister ought to haue ouer all Churches in the Christian world 6. Wherefore I shall now remitt my self vnto the consideration of all wise and ingenious men whether that true censure which * Ibid. D. Bancroft the L. Archb. of Cant hath passed vpon the Presbyterian faction may not haue a conuenient application vnto the whole fraternity of our ghospell viz. VVhen for the proof of sondry matters impugned by them they are vrdged with the testimonies of the ancient Fathers and of the Ecclesiasticall histories they either shift them off with their owne false glosses or if that serue not their turne they disgrace them as much as they can and so reiect them c. 2. Sam. 13. As when Amnon had incestuously abused his sister he dismissed hir with contempt CHAP. IIII. D. Field sheweth himself a * This is his censure of Bellarmine pag. 16◠notable trifler in the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead to the vtter confusion of his Booke and the Protestanticall Church 1. NO particular in D. Fields highly esteemed Booke did more liuely discouer vnto me the just correspondency betwixt his cause and conscience then this which now ensueth But for the more cleare and perfect vnderstanding hereof I must intreate you gentle Readers to reflect vpon the * Chap. 1. §. 1. num 1. 2. precedents and diligently to reuiew what is the pith and quintessence of his booke and wherein it doth consist For you must remember that as the strength of Sampson lay in his haire Iudic. 16. so the supportation of D. Fields Church and Booke standeth chiefly in this issue viz. l D. Field pag. 74. the things VVHEREVPON the difference groweth betwixt the Romish faction and vs were neuer receiued generally by the Church 2. The seuerall points of difference as being most materiall he layeth downe to the number of twenty and seauen in a * Chap. 7. booke 3. chapter framed to this purpose where he assigneth the difference betwixt the Romish faction and the Reformed Churches touching * It is the one and twentieth point pag. 75. Purgatory and prayer for the dead precisely in theis words That Church wherein our Fathers liued and died did not hold the tormenting of the soules of men dying in the state of saluation IN A PART OF HELL HVNDRED OF YEARES BY DIVELLS IN CORPORALL FIRE out of which prayer should deliuer them Wherefore in the m Chap. 21. Appendix vnto which he reserueth the proof of all his assertions deliuered in this chapter he accommodateth his stile in this manner Touching Purgatory whether they that are to be purdged be purgded by * Bellarm. de Purg. l. 2. c. 11. materiall fire or no it is doubtfull Likewise touching the * Ibid. c. 6. place the Romane Church hath defined nothing neither is there any more certainty touching the * Ibid. c. 9. continuance of sinfull soules in their purgation c. Thus then we see that notwithstanding any thing defined in the Church the soules of * Of SOME but not of ALL. Remember your dealing with S Gregory men may be purdged from all the drosse of sinfull remainders and freed from all punishments in the very moment of dissolution which is the thing that we say 3. I deale not now with the conclusion which M. Doctour hath artificially drawen out of his premisses but I come vnto his poynt-deuise it self and the detection thereof whereby the very sinewes of his booke and Church are cutt in sunder and dissolued 4. Whereas his promise was to explicate what those things are whereupon the difference groweth betwixt the Romish faction and vs to demonstrate that the sayd things wherein this difference now standeth betwixt vs were neuer intertayned by the Church but onely by some particular men he yealdeth not the true difference in this matter nor proposeth the question as in learning and honesty it became so graue a man and specially hauing thus obliged himself thereunto by an extraordinary venditation For your ingenuity will acknowledge that whereas in this dispute and so in many more we must distinguish the matter of SVBSTANCE from matter of CIRCVMSTANCE forasmuch as it is sufficient to haue fundamentall vnity in the first howsoeuer there may be accidentall diuersity in the second the matter of substance here is precisely this viz. VVhether after this life a temporall payn be inflicted vpon some soules or not The matter of circumstance is whether hell be the place whether fire be the instrument whether Diuells be the tormentours whether the duration of this payn be 10. 20. 100. yeares c. 5. The poynt controuersed betwixt vs and the Papists herein is the matter of substance and thereupō the differēce doth arise For the question is an sit whether simply there be any such thing not quid sit whether it be of this or that quality and nature It is de subjecto whether there be a Purgatory after this life not de praedicato of those particulars which belong thereunto We all belieue that there is an hell wherein the Diuells and reprobates shall drink their full in the cupp of euerlasting wrath but where the designed place or what the instrument of sensible payn is c. we may probably collect we can not clearely define Or to instance in a more gratious and comfortable subject it may please you to consider how we all belieue that our Lord IESVS did suffer and died and was buried and arose and ascended into heauen But with what kind of whipps he was scourdged at what age he deceased how many
howres he lay in the graue c. we may conjecture we cannot determine we haue semblable reasons but no inuincible proofes 6. Wherefore D. Field hath not propounded vnto vs the difference betwixt the Protestants and Catholicks but that difference alone which is meerely betwixt the Catholicks themselues who teach most consonantly vniformely and perpetually that there is a Purgatory and that there is a temporall payn inflicted in the future life Thus they grant the thing it self and presuppose it as * Poster Analytic Aristotle sayth that Subiectum must be praecognitum the subiect must be foreknowen and admitted before we will demonstrate any thing vpon the same and then afterward they dispute concerning other accidentall points such as are here remembred by D. Field And what is this but the liberty of Schooles which may well consist with the purity of Religion It is an exercise of witt without destruction of faith The Sunne delighteth to runne his course as a Giant Psal 18.6 and yet he neuer exceedeth his annuall or diurnall confines for he knoweth his rising Psal 103.19 and his going downe Likewise the Catholicks may liberally expatiate in theis poynts prouided alwayes that they contayne themselues within the obedience of the Church and the compasse of approoued truth Otherwise 2. Reg. 2.37 as it was death for Shemei to transgresse the precinct assigned vnto him by Salomon so it is at their perill if they go beyond the limitts which the spouse of the wisest Salomon hath prescribed in this case 7. But we Protestants for whom D. Field hath aduocated in this businesse deale herein after an other manner for we first deny that there is any Purgatory or temporall payn in a future estate we damne it as blasphemous hereticall and Antichristian doctrine then consequently and necessarily we deny the place the time the instrument c. Which are certain accidentall secondary and subsequent respects For in our disputes with the Catholicks we propose not the question thus VVhether some soules suffer in corporall fire tormented there by Diuells an hundred yeares c. for this is the difference amongst themselues onely but VVhether there be any Purgatory or temporall payn of soules or not As for example if any man should demand VVhether in the contrey of VTOPIA the soyle be fertile the situation pleasant and the ayre healthfull I would preuent him and say Sir there is no such contrey and therefore your demands of the fertility pleasure and healthfulnesse are superfiuous and to no purpose 8. Thus I was now sufficiently instructed to perceiue that though D. Field doth glory in theis positions viz. The things wherevpon the difference groweth betwixt vs and the Romish faction were neuer receiued generally by the Church and * See his ep dedicat the things which Papists now publish as articles of faith PVRGATORY is in that number were not the Doctrines of that Church wherein they and WE viz. VValdensians Albigensians Lutherans c. who were sometime actuall and true members of the Romane Church liued together in one * That is to say whē our Fathers Wickliff Luther c. were Papists not separated from the visible cōmunion of the Romane Church communion yet he doth miserably collude herein against his owne conscience which in so principall an Authour throwing downe his gauntlet of defiance in such manner is a very lamentable case 9. For where is that man in the time of the aforesaid communion who denied Purgatory or shewed any doubtfulnesse therein against the essentiall doctrine in which the true difference betwxit the Papists and Protestants doth stand most eminently at this day I did employ much time I searched into the volumes of antiquity I neglected no meanes to gayn all possible satisfaction in this thing and yet I could not find so much as the shaddow of any one man See before pag. 54. c. how Purgatory hath bene denied and by whom by whom this particular was impugned vnlesse he were in the number of such as departed from the visible society of the Church 10 Thus necessity compelled me to inferr that D. Field hath disabled his owne booke and ouerthrowen his Church Papists may triumph in the victory which their chiefest enimies haue wrought in their behalf yea they may joyfully applaud the excellency of their cause which inforceth hir greatest aduersaries to prostitute themselues vnto such base and dishonest courses Confess l. 5. c. 7. 11. Finally therefore as S. Augustine was in despayre to receiue contentment from any Manichee when Faustus the most renowned in that sect yealded no sufficient answere vnto his doubts so now I could not expect a fayr Magis desperab am de cateris corū doctoribus quando in multis quae me mouebant it a ille nomitus apparuit and just resolution from any professour of our ghospell when D. FIELD himself inferiour to no Diuine in England for which cause he was selected by the Archbishopp to treatise of that * Of the CHVRCH subject which is the very center and circumference in all religious disputes appeared so vntrue and so meane in this particular of Purgatory and prayer for the dead which we deride and contemne as a foolish detestable impious opinion and voyd of any reasonable defence To conclude here I tooke an argument first à Personis and sayd if D. FIELD deale thus what conceipt shall I intertayn of all other Professours Secondly à Rebus and considered if D. Field deale thus in THIS MATTER what shall I conceiue of his deportment in all other things Truly I haue necessary reasons to perswade me that the cause being very bad will discredit all hir Patrones but the Patrones being neuer so good can not by any meanes support their cause The end of the first Part. THE SECOND PART CONCERNING SOME FALSEHOODS AND CORRVPTIONS OF M. ROGERS AND D. HVMFREY in the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. of M. ROGERS I Had iust reasons to esteeme highly of this mans work FIRST the Subiect of it to witt the Articles of Religion approoued by the Bishopps 1162. Clergy of our kingdome in which respect the booke is adorned with this resplendent title The faith doctrine and religion professed and protected in the realme of England and in the dominions of the same SECONDLY the quality of the Authour who is a Chaplayn vnto the Archbishop and conuersant in our Ecclesiasticall affayres For so he testifieth of himself in his * num 37. epistle dedicatory vnto his Lord and Maister saying Yeares haue made mine haires gray much reading and experience in theologicall conflicts and combats haue bettered my judgement c THIRDLY the speciall approbation of this booke viz. Perused and by lawfull authority of the Church of England allowed to be publick §. 1. Dionysius Carthusianus abused by M. Rogers Pag. 121. 1. PApists agree not amongst themselues sayth M. Rogers about the time which
they that be tormented shall abide in Purgatory For some haue giuen out how the poore soules there be continually in torments till the day of Iudgement as * De offic mort l. 7. DIONYS CARTHVSIANVS others as * De offic mort l. 7. DVRANDVS De 4. Nouiss do think that they haue rest sometimes as vpon Sunday and holy dayes others are of mind that they shall be set free and at liberty because their punishment is but temporall c. 2. Here is an ample testimony of an vnfaithfull heart For whereas this man of great experience is pleased to affirme that some Papists imprison the soules in Purgatory vntill the day of Iudgement and that by this opinion they dissent from others who conceiue that their payn is not of such perpetuity and length he offereth a generall iniury vnto them all and more particularly vnto that Author whom he alleadgeth to this purpose It is most vntrue that Carthusianus did deliuer such a fancy or that he was of such opinion witnesse that little treatise de modo liberandi animam è Purgatorio Witnesse his cleare assertion that soules * Dialog de particulari iudicio ani me cap. 30. being cleansed in Purgatory mount vp and fly into the celestiall paradise c. 3. What euidence therefore hath M. Rogers to justify this imputation I find none but this ensuing De 4. Nouiss Dionysius reporteth a certayn vision of an English-man who beheld a soule grieuously afflicted in a place of torment from which he receiued this answere I know that I shall not obtayn mercy till the day of judgement c. 4. But is this a sufficient reason for M. Rogers to pretend that in the opinion of some Papists the soules which suffer in Purgatory shall not come thence till the last day And now hath your experience good Sir thus bettered your judgement That which is peculiarly spoken of one soule will you thus extend generally vnto all The example it self here affordeth no such conclusion and the Authours doctrine elswhere doth plainely controll the same 5. Whereas you say farther that some Papists and namely Durandus do think that the soules in Purgatory haue rest vpon sundayes c. I will not rashly condemne your falsehood therein but you must giue me leaue to be doubtfull of your truth For I haue diligently and carefully reuolued the Authour and yet I find no such assertion in all that booke Peraduenture you relyed vpon them who lyed vnto you and so you haue told a tale after a Crete As for example you * Pag. 115. affirme that if Hierome had not bene at Chalcedon that Councell had erred What is your proof B. Iewell det fol. 58. Though here your experience did fayle you for S. Hierome was gathered vnto his fathers many yeares before the celebration of that Councell yet your greatest fault was your credulity in belieuing B. Iewell vpon his naked word which hath bene the destruction of many soules §. 2. S. Gregory noted for a Papist by M. Rogers how Eckius is abused by him 1. PApists agree not amongst themselues saith he about the causes of Purgatory torments Ibid. for some do think that onely VENIALL sinnes others think that MORTALL sinnes also for which men haue done no pennance in this life are there purdged 2. The first opinion concerning Veniall sinnes he attributeth vnto S. Gregory termeth him a PAPIST either forgetting or not regarding that our Christian faith descended originally from him and that it was receiued conformably by our State and that it was protected openly for 930. yeares by our worthy Princes in the number of whom many were pious in religion as Dauid wise in counsayle as Salomon valiant in warr as Iosuah in a word that this faith hath bene glorious in dignity and fruictfull in good workes And truly theis cogitations did enter so forcibly into my heart euen while I was a member actually of the Protestanticall Church that in my secrete thoughts I could not but acquitt the Papists from the crime of disobedience and vndutifulnesse vnto the State forasmuchas they made not theÌ„selues contrary vnto it but it is made contrary vnto them the chandge being in the State which propoundeth a new faith not in them who conserue the old And so much briefly touching the Popery of that illustrious Saint 3. As for the particular wherewith he is chardged by M. Rogers it is no shame nor disreputation vnto him * Tom. 10. homil 16. S. Augustine himself is no lesse deepely ingaged therein saying that there idle speaches euill and sordid thoughts and the multitude of light sinnes which infected the purity of our excellent nature shall be consumed c. Lastly Whereas M. Rogers saith that in the opinion of some Papists onely veniall sinnes are purdged c. he can not but know that their assertion is to be vnderstood of the guilt and not of the payn as you shall immediately perceiue 4. I come therefore vnto the secoÌ„d opinion coÌ„cerning Mortall sinnes which he ascribeth vnto * Posit 6. Eckius as though this famous Antagonist of our great Reformer had taught that Mortall sinnes as well as Veniall are remitted or expiated after this life Whence it followeth that he incurred the same fancy See before pag. 121. which as D. Field pretendeth S. Augstine did fearefully impugne in his time because it was embraced by great and reuerend Authours 5. But here M. Rogers doth abuse his Authour and deceiue his Reader For the position of * See Tom. 1. Luh WitteÌ„ber fol. 241. b. Eckius is this The soules in Purgatory do satisfy for the paynes of sinne from the guilt whereof they were absolued before and made not satisfaction in this life So then it is a falsehood in M. Rogers to pretend that in the opinion of Eckius mortall sinnes are purged c. For Eckius affirmeth that the guilt being taken away coÌ„sequently the sinne it self there remayneth a temporall payn to be inflicted vpon the soule For better illustration of which poynt it may please thee gentle Reader to obserue with me that as by mortall sinnes we are obliged vnto a double penalty to witt eternall temporall so whensoeuer the guilt is pardoned the eternall which is most properly coÌ„sequent vnto it is pardoned likewise but not the temporall Thus the Prophet giuing Dauid his absolutioÌ„ thy sinne is forgiuen added also thou shalt not dy 2. Reg. 12 and yet he imposeth a pennance to witt the child shall dy the reason whereof is this * See how Bellâ—rmine presseth this against Caluin in his fourth book de poenitent cap. 2. BECAVSE thou hast made the enimies of our Lord to blaspheme so it was an affliction for sinne past not onely a caution against sinne to come For though it be true that God doth rather intend the safety of his childreÌ„ then the punishment of their sinne yet he punisheth sinne in his
children the payn is more durable then the fault as * Tract 124. Ioh. S. Augustine speaketh least the fault should seeme small if the payn were finished with it 6. Now as the temporall payn of sinne is justly reserued after the remission of the guilt so it is not alwayes inflicted in this life De Ciuit. Dâ—l 21. c. 13. but sometimes in the next Wherefore S. Augustine confessing that God doth designe poenas teÌ„porarias pro peccatis praeteritis distinguisheth immediately and saith poenas temporarias alij in hac vit a tantùm alij post mortem alij hîc illîc patiuntur 7. Thus I found a double reason of Purgatory the FIRST because some smaller sinnes wherewith grace may consist in the soule are there expiated both in respect of guilt and payn the SECOND because some temporall payn reserued by the justice of God after forgiuenesse of the guilt by his mercy is there sustayned by them who haue not bene exercised with condigne pennance in this life And here ariseth a proper solution vnto the subtility of D. Field See before pag. 103. who would conclude that if all sinne be taken away which is the cause the effect must cease which is punishment c. For though the obligation vnto eternall punishment ceaseth actually vpon remission of the guilt yet the obligation vnto temporall punishmeÌ„t doth remayn by the justice of God his ordinance concurring with our desert is a sufficient cause to produce such effect Therefore till his justice be satisfied the cause of punishment doth still endure 8. To coÌ„clude Whereas M. Rogers would inforce an absurdity vpon Eckius other men as though they were distracted into great variety of opinion coÌ„cerning the cause of Purgatory he misreporteth their intentions For though some few men did conceiue that all veniall sinne is wasted and taken away from the soule immediatly vpon hir separation from the body yet I saw that they and all other Papists to speake in my old language do concordably and vniformely teach that no mortall sinne such as * See D. Field pag. 146. excludeth grace from the soule and * See S. Au. Enchirid. ad Laur. c. 69. excludeth the soule from heauen is purdged after this life otherwise then in reference vnto temporall payn reserued and inflicted after remission of the guilt But M. Rogers would lead his reader to conceiue that the Papists are singularly diuided in their opinions some affirming that onely Veniall sinnes others resoluing that Mortall likewise are cleansed in a penall estate 9. Many such collusions and deuices I obserued in this Author but I will not trouble your patieÌ„ce any longer with the recapitulatioÌ„ of his vntruths forasmuch as by this little which you haue already seene you may coniecture of the rest which I conceale VVhat can you expect from them whose Religion is founded vpon the sands of falsehood and not vpon the rock of truth Do men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles Wherefore I will now make hast vnto the conclusion of all and I will end my discourse briefly with him froÌ„ whom my conuersion did happily beginne CHAP. II. Of D. HVMFREY and his booke intituled Secunda pars Iesuitisini coÌ„tayning his answer vnto the 5. former Reasons of EDM. CAMPIAN COncerning the Authour and his work I will say little it is the iudgement of many principall Diuines in EnglaÌ„d that D. Humfrey was worthy to endito such a booke that the booke is worthy to proceed from Arch a man who was reputed sound in the fayth for which he suffered voluntary banishment profound in that science wherein he was a Doctour by his degree * At Oxon Professour by his place Besides as the qualitie of the aduersary deserued good respect and the weight of his reasons required condigne satisfaction which neither himself nor D. VVhitaker haue yealded thereunto so it did greatly import him to deale vprightly substantially in his answere forasmuch as he designed two * Burleigh Leycester honourable Persons to be the Patrones of his labour two learned * Oxford CaÌ„bridge Vniuersities to be the Iudges of his exactnesse But when I found his vnfaithfullnes in his relatioÌ„s his digressions from the matter Non ideò vera mihi videbantur quia deserta c. See S. Aug. Conf. l. 5. c. 6. the generall imbecillity of his discourse flourished with a certayn streame of eloquence and beautified with pleasing phrases I could not esteeme that to be a true venerable Religion which is so basely slenderly supported by theÌ„ who are accompted Pillars in our Church §. 1. S. AVGVSTINE notoriously depraued by D. HVMFREY Rat. 3. 1. VVHereas that excellent and renowned F. Campian in those short Reasons which bring eternall memory vnto their Authour doth obiect vnto the Protestants the inuisibility of their Church and that it was not otherwise visible for many ages then in some scattering hereticks AERIVS Vigilantius Berengarius c. from whom they receiued not an entyre religion but begged certayn pestiferous fragments alone D. c In resp ad Camp p. 261. 262. Humfrey finding himself taken in an inexplicable difficulty windeth vp and downe to find some plausible euasion and therefore he sayeth VVherein Aërius did erre we reject it wherein he held any thing agreably with the Scripture we receyue it c. 2. After this obscure and vncertayn oracle he resolueth most plainely that he and his Church will not digresse from Aërius in this poynt and therefore he addeth We do not disapproue that which Aërius thought and Augustine hath related that we ought not to pray nor to offer oblation for the dead because this is not contayned in any precept of the Scripture which d He quoteth Aug. de cura pro mortuis Augustine also doth seeme to signify when he sayeth that this commendation of the dead â—s an ancient custome of the Church Thus Aërius is iustifyed against the vniuersall Church and his heresy is preferred before the Catholicke faith But of this matter I haue intreated more particularly * Pag. 14. I wanted D. HuÌ„frey his booke when I cited his opinion which I haue faithfully deliuered though the word rectè be not in my author yet it iâ— sufficiently implied in him before 3. The thing which I yeald now vnto your coÌ„sideration is the subtile and artificiall collusioÌ„ of this renowned Doctor For wheras he pretendeth Scripture negatiuely against prayer for the dead and that S. Augustine had only custome to maintayne it I found that S. Augustine premiseth Scripture in defence therof then confirmeth it by that authority which to †Epist 118. impugne is the part of most insolent madnesse For e de curâ pro mort cap. 1. sayth he VVe read in the bookes of the * 2. 12. 4â— Machabees that Sacrifice was offered for the dead But if this were read no where in the OLD
S. Cypriaen doth record it that there is one God one Christ one holy Ghost and that there ought to be ONE Bishopp in the Catholick Church not one without others but one aboue others as S. (u) Epist 84. Leo the Pope writeth vnto a Grecian bishopp We haue called thee in partem solicitudinis non in plenitudinem potestatis into a part of our care not into the fulnesse of our power and this sentence (w) De CoÌ„siderat l. 3. S. Bernard bringeth vnto the consideration of Eugenius the Pope sometimes his (x) Ibid. l. 1. praefat sonne by institution but now his father in administration of the Church To conclude the inequality of all other Bishopps is by humane law the Popes superiority is by diuine right Other bishopps are equall vnto him in respect of their ORDER he is superiour vnto all in respect of his IVRISDICTION I proceed 8. Compare this seuere iudgement of D. Fields WORTHY GVIDE with the violent opinion of M. Powells GREAT REFORMER and behold as great difference therein as betwixt the light of the Sunne and Aegyptian darknesse And that you may conceiue it fully see I pray you the censorious temerity of Luther as it is represented by M. Powell in the end of his inhumane (y) De Antichr pag. 68. compellation vnto the Iesuites in this manner S. LVTHERVS Non potest is salutem consequi qui non ex toto corde Antichristum * Tâ—CEâ—Tò SCIO Papam esse magnuÌ„ diuÌ„ Antichristum quà m Dâ—uÌ„ ipsâ—m esseâ—m coelis c. M. Powells protestation in the first leafe in his booke Papam Papatum oderit I Will not aske M. Powell by what authority he hath canonized Martin Luther for I know that he hath a warrant from z Luther himself saying Iam by the grace of God one of the TRVE SAINTS Wherefore as the Athenians made a decree Quoniam Alexander vult esse Deus esâ—o so since Luther will be a Saint let him be so by my consent 9. But now for the correspondency betwixt Gerson and Luther the second effectuating that which the first desired if you will belieue D. Field in their Reformations consider I beseech you the resemblaÌ„ce and similitude of theis things He that rejecteth the Pope shall not be saued saith the one He that doth not hate him and the Popedome with his whole heart shall not be saued saith the other Thus they damne themselues mutually in a capitall poynt and exclude each other from the possibility of saluation And if M. Powells judgement be of any value I may vndoubtedly pronounce that Gerson is damned vnto the nethermost hell For the truest formality and essence of a PAPIST is his vnion and conjunction with the Pope Whence it followeth by (a) de Antich pag. 453. M. Powells rule No man dying a Papist that is to say truly and formally a member of the Papacy or Popish Church did euer obtayn the kingdome of heauen or escape hell that Gerson liuing and dying a true formall Papist could not be made partaker of Luthers beatitude in the number of the SAINTS What And yet hath Luther accomplished that Reformation which Gerson did expect risum teneatis amici 10. I will knitt vp this matter with the counsayle of (b) part 1. de Eupt â—hriâ—â— Ecclesiae Gerson which he prescribeth vnto the spouse of Christ saying The Church must intreate the Pope the vicegerent of Christ in * the holy Ghost is Vicarius Christi by spirituall influence c. externall administration with all honour and call him FATHER for he is hir Lord and Head We may not expose him vnto detractions c. And hence it is that he maketh his protestation Nolo de Sanctissimo Domino nostre Christo Domini velut os in coelum ponendo loqui I will not speake of our most holy Lord and the Lords anoynted as it were by setting my face against heauen But did the Cham of Saxony thus demeane himself toward his spirituall Father No but setting his face against heauen he vttered the words of blasphemy and intolerable reproach against all dignity withstanding his violence Papall Imperiall and Regall And thus he discouered himself to be guided by the Spirit of AERIVS concerning whom it is (c) EpiphaÌ„ haeres 75. reported that ipsi sermo furiosus magis quà m erat humana conditionis Doth not (d) pag. 64. D. Field also approximate vnto them both VVe haue not receiued saith he the marke of this Antichrist the Pope and child of perdition in our foreheads nor sworne to take the foame of his impure mouth and froth of his words of blasphemy Truly you neuer learned this tempestuous language from your worthy guide but from your great Reformer 11. I haue insisted long in the particular euidences Wherefore I will deale more briefly in the GENERALL out of which I haue selected theis two ensuing 12. The FIRST concerneth the infallibility of the Romane Church A QVA CERTITVDO FIDEI PETENDA EST sayth (e) Part. 1. Serm. coram Alexandro Papa 5. Gerson from whence we must receiue the certainty of our faith From thence we Englishmen receiued our faith by the vigilancy of S. GREGORY the glorious Pope of blessed memory for euer From thence the Britannes receiued their faith in their second conuersion by the fatherly prouision of Eleutherius a renowned Martyr From thence the Indians and sondry people who sate in darkenesse and shaddow of death haue lately receiued the abundant light of the ghospell Meane while the Protestants disseminate * See Tertull praescript cap. 42. Old hereticks followed the same course as Protestants now do heresy at home and reuile them who plant the Catholick religion abroad 12. Now for this particular assertion deliuered here by the worthy guide of Gods Church I will remitt me vnto the consideration of the discreete and ingenious Reader to take a resolution from his owne heart whether Gerson or any man who maintayneth the same principle with him can tolerate the Protestanticall Reformation which is reared vp against the faith of the Romane Church and founded in the ruines thereof 14. The SEGOND generall euidence is yet more potent and effectuall then the rest for it shall now sensibly appeare vnto you that Gerson damned your articles and detested the truest Progenitours of your ghospell Obserue therefore a memorable protestation of this worthy guide (f) Part. 3. dialog Apoget de Concil ConstaÌ„t The Councell of Constance was celebrated especially for the extirpation of * Protestants Religion heresies and errours which was attempted first by imprisoning the offendours and by committing some of them Husse and Ierome of Prage vnto the fire The Bohemians exhibited 45. errours of VVICKLIFFE vnto the Councell the English men brought in more then 200. For the condemnation whereof I was as zealous as any other and preached publiquely in Constance to this effect 15. Here you may perceiue that Gerson had an eminent
doth neuer loose grace also and consequently he doth neuer sinne mortally because a mortall sinne excludeth * grace inherent grace from the soule And this I will prooue vnto you by D. Field who †pag. 176. accusing the Papists to be liers of the worst memories whence it is saith he that euery secōd page in their writings if not euery second line pag. 147. is a refutation of the first doth perplexe himself about this matter very strāgely within the compasse of a few lines and inuolueth himself in manifest contradictions 4. For first he saith that the Elect notwithstanding any degree of sinne they runne into retayn that GRACE which can and will procure pardon for all their offences In which respect also he sayeth that the reprobate haue no GRACE in them which may cry vnto God for remission and hence it commeth to passe that all sinne is veniall vnto the one and all is mortall vnto the other But see how within 3. or 4. lines he contradicteth this assertion saying All sinnes that against the holy Ghost excepted are veniall ex euentu that is to say such as may be and oftentimes are forgiuen through the mercifull goodnesse of God though there be NOTHING in the parties offending while they are in such state of sinne that either can or doth cry for pardon Who are they vnto whom God vouch safeth this goodnesse Surely the elect for D. Field sayth that in other men who are strangers from the life of God as he speaketh all sinnes are mortall and not remitted for want of Grace which may cry vnto God for pardon Well then in the elect oftentimes there is * therefore no Grace NOTHING that can or doth cry vnto God for pardon and yet the elect also do still retayn that GRACE which can and will procure pardon for all their offences Is not this a reall contradiction Again he * lin 37. sayeth We confesse that all sinnes not done with full consent may stand with grace wherefore it followeth by the cōtrary that all sinnes done with full consent exclude grace Now since it is manifest that many elect after grace receiued do sinne with full Consent for such was Dauids case it is cleare likewise 2. Sam. 11. that they fall from grace which is restored vnto them afterward as †de corrept grat c. 7. S. Augustine doth excellently discourse and Catholicks concurr with his opinion 4. I conclude this passadge with the publick testimony of your Church * Artic. Relig 16. After we haue receiued the holy ghost we may depart from * if they loose their faith also then Caluin sayth falsely that true faith can NEVER be lost If they do not loose i◠thē Caluin saith falsely that true faith can not be separated from GRACE grace giuen and by the grace of God we may rise agayn Whereby it is playn against D. Field that the elect do not retayn grace in them notwithstanding any degree of sinne but they fall not from that grace of God by which they are infallibly destinated vnto saluation and therefore vnto a newnesse of life also which is necessary vnto this end 5. Thus much for S. Augustine The sentence of †Rat. 10. Campian is cited in theis words Nisi Diui è coelo deturbentur cadere ego nunquam potero and here your Doctour pretendeth that Campian euen as Caluin himself did belieue constantly that he could neuer fall from faith but was certayn of his saluation Which if it were so then iudge of the soundnesse of your Deuinity according to the principles whereof Campian a resolute Papist and opposite vnto your Religion might be infallibly secure of his saluation and the like all sectaries may as many do apply vnto themselues with a supposed certainty of perseuerance But as F. Campian doth * Rat. 8. Age somuiet hocised vnde c. post medisi· elswhere particularly reprooue this conceipt and taxeth your Caluin precisely for the same so in †in the cōclusion of his tenth Reason this place he is farr from that imagination howsoeuer it pleaseth D. Morton to propose his wordes by the halfe to peruert his meaning in the whole For that blessed Martyr hauing yealded a reason of his confidence which he deriueth from all kinds of witnesses in heauen earth and hell it self non diffiteor sayth he animatus sum incensus ad conflictum IN QVO nisi Diui de coelo deturbentur superbus Lucifer coelum recuperet cadere nunquam potero 6. Now I remitt me vnto your ingenuity and conscience whether D. Morton did not with voluntary and determinate malice as I sayd before abridge the sentence and violate the intention of Campian to deceiue the Reader with sciens fallit and against his knowledge For what doth F. Campian affirme but onely this since I haue theis testimonies of my religion it is not possible that relying thereupon I should euer causâ cadere be vanquished in that combatt which I do seriously desire 7. This may be a sufficient instruction for you and by it alone you may perceiue whether his heart be single and syncere in his impugnation of the Catholick faith which he laboureth to extinguish by theis miserable inuentions But it will flourish much more euen for his sake God of his infinite mercy will either mollify his affection or cohibit his purpose And now kind Maister S. I might ease my self and you from any more payn in this kind if one more vast vntruth then all the rest did not compell me to proceed yet a little farther the master being of great importance and for many respects not to be passed ouer in silence CHAP. 2. D. Mortons vntruth concerning the article of Christ his descent into Hell §. 1. The necessity and waight of this article 1. AMongst sondry difficulties which did sometimes afflict my conscience when I was a brother of your society this was not the least viz. What is that which doth properly and entirely make a man to be a member of your Church so that precisely for defect thereof he ceaseth absolutely from being of that communion In which argument though * booke 1. chap. 7. 8. c. D. Field hath bestowed his diligence and payne yet he is so full of perplexity and vncertainty that I could neuer settle my conscience firmely and vnmooueably in his dubious and enigmaticall resolutions †in his Reply Booke 2. chap. 6. num 11. D. Kellison hath lately proposed this question vnto D. Sutcliffe and though he hath handled it briefly yet he hath performed his designement with such facility and such grauity so appositely and so punctually that any man would be mooued thereby to pity and commiserate your chaos and Babylonian confusion 2. But this position with me is an impregnable bulwark of my Religion viz. Whosoeuer doth pertinaciously reiect any poynt of faith accepted by publick consent of the CATH Church he is
Augustine I am bold to intreate his leaue to honour Augustine with the name of SAINT howsoeuer he hath not once vouchsafed in his fower bookes to grace him or any Father with this glorious title is the greatest of all the Fathers and worthiest Deuine that the Church of God euer had since the Apostles times Wherefore I was imboldned to rest securely in his excellent resolution which here ensueth h De Ciuit Dei l. 21. c. 24. The prayer of the Church or of godly persons is heard for some men deceased out of this world but yet for such onely as being regenerated in Christ did neither liue so ill that 〈◊〉 they be made vnworthy of mercy nor yet so well 〈◊〉 that they haue no need thereof At the resurrection of the dead there shall be some found to whom mercy shall be granted that whereas their soules haue suffered * Purgatory paynes after death they shall not be cast into euerlasting fire Neque enim VERACITER diceretur c. For it could not be said TRVLY of some men that their sinnes should not be forgiuen in this world nor in the world to come vnlesse there should be some men who though they are not pardoned in this world yet they should be pardoned in the world to come So he in whose profound and iudicious apprehension there is a penall estate of soules temporally afflicted after their dissolution from the body if there be any truth in the holy Scripture it self which some Protestants haue bene more ready to abiure then to relinquish their owne preiudicate opinions 2. My second Authour was that worthy Pope S. Gregory sirnamed the Great who as he was deare vnto me for many respects so principally because he was the Apostle of our nation for i S. Bernard de cōsiderat lib. 3. he destinated Augustine to deliuer the faith of Christ vnto the English and hence our Venerable contrey man k Eccles hist. l. 2. c. 1. S. Beba feareth not to say though he be not an Apostle vnto others yet doubtlesse he is so vnto vs for we are the seale of his Apostleshipp in our Lord. His sentence is this l Dialog l. 4. c. 39. We must belieue that there is a Purgatory fire before the day of Iudgement because the Truth doth say If any man shall vtter blasphemy against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him neither in this world nor in the world to come In which saying we are giuen to vnderstand that some sinnes may be released in this world and some in the next Quod enim de vno negatur consequens intellectus patet quia de quibusdam conceditur For that which is denied of one is consequently yealded of the other So he whose reason seemed very powerable vnto me in this behalf 3. My third Authour was S. Isidore Bishopp of Siuill a reuerend person wise virtuous learned and alwayes accepted as an eminent Doctour of the Catholick Church His iudgement is this m De diuinis officijs l. 1. c. 18. Whereas our Lord saieth that VVhosoeuer sinneth against the holy Ghost his sinne shall not be forgiuen in this world nor in the world to come he doth demonstrate that sinnes shall be remitted vnto some men in an other world and cleansed with the fire of * S. August in Psal 37. calleth it the fire of emendatiō Purgation 4. My fourth Authour was S. Beda one of the principall ornaments of our nation and renowned in the Christian world for his many and learned volumes which are extant at this day His iudgement is this n Commēt in Matth. 12. Whereas our Lord denieth pardon vnto him that despayreth both in this life and in the life to come without all question he doth declare that there is remission of some sinnes after this life Agayn o Commēt in Marc. 3. Whereas it is said in the Ghospell that he who blasphemeth the holy Ghost shall haue no remission in this world nor in the world to come we are informed that some sinnes are remitted in this world and some in the next For that which is denied vnto one is consequently granted vnto an other 5. My fift Authour was S. Bernard whom I did alwayes affect by a secret and peculiar instinct And though the common prouerbe goeth thus Bernardus non vidit omnia Bernard saw not all things yet that was not otherwise intended of him then S. Augustine writeth touching an honourable Martyr Cyprian saw not all things that so some more excellent thing might be seene through him And thus they are not abased but aduanced rather who though they were men of admirable value yet they were not exempted from the errours of infirmity attending vpon the condition of mankind 6. The sentence of S. Bernard is this p Serm. 66. in Cantic Theis men viz the * Progenitours of the Waldēsian sect Henricians c. do not belieue that there remayneth a Purgatory after death but that the soule being separated from the body doth passe immediatly either vnto rest or vnto damnation Let them aske therefore of him that saied there is a sinne which shall not be remitted neither in this world nor in the world to come why he spake thus if there remayn no forgiuenesse nor purgation of sinne in the world to come §. 3. My reasons to follow the doctrinall expositions of the Fathers and chiefly where they consent rather then of ZANCH LVTH ZVINGL CALV c. 1. VVHen I had premised theis considerations I could not approoue the censorious and rash humour of Hierome Zanchy an Authour vnto whom I had dedicated no small part of my affection who q De Naturâ Dei l 4 c. 4. discoursing lardgely of prayer for the dead concludeth thus If the Fathers did intend that some sinnes are remitted in the next world which were not remitted in this we may reiect them all in this arcicle with a good conscience 2. For I did conceiue first that Zanchius in the multiplicity of his reading could not be ignorant of the Fathers resolution herein and therefore his supposition if the Fathers c. was very friuolous Secondly I considered that in this dispute or in the like I could with greater reason and better conscience admitt the interpretation of the Fathers then of any late Professour in the reformed Churches as they are stiled and I was induced herevnto for three necessary respects 3. FIRST because Iohn Caluin whom certayn * Pinczouiens Ministers in Polonia do gloriously intitle the Doctour of Doctours the Diuine of Diuines who alone is of more value then an hundred Augustines and hence it is that in the lardge * Imprinted at the Black Friers Table of Gods faithfull witnesses he is extolled thus No man could expound the Scriptures more q His cunning herein is declared by D. Hunnius a Lutheran saying that Caluin was an acute Instrument of the Diuell cunningly then he renouncing the iudgement of