rules not thinking thereon being insensibly thrust into them by the force of reason Whosoeuer will haue no consequences produced abolisheth all common sense and all vse of reason which onely consisteth therein The rules of Lodgique are no Articles of faith but instruments to mannage all knowledge by order and certainty and by consequence also matters of Diuinitie CHAP. VI. The third Euasion THe third Euasion which Master Arnoux saith we vse is that we serue our turnes with the circle in this that we proue those things to be Scripture by our particular spirit and proue that particular spirit by the Scripture Which is false and slanderous We leaue that particular spirit to mad men none of vs makes our selues Iudges of the Scriptures That is the Popes and his Prelates property who being assembled boast that they pronounce Iudgement touching points of faith and beleeue they cannot erre And our Aduersaries say that euery particular person of the Church of Rome doth certainly discerne the true Church which spirit or particular iudgement is meere blindnesse seeing that the poore people haue no other proofe to know that the Church of Rome is the true Church then onely the witnesse that the same Church giueth of itselfe Touching the circle if any serue their turnes therewith it is our aduersaries for they ground the authoritie of the Scripture vpon the testimony of the Church and yet ground the authoritie of the Church vpon testimonies of the Scripture as one that hauing placed the walles of a house vpon the foundation afterward should place the foundation vpon the walles When we aske them how they know that wee must beleeue the bookes of the new Testament They answere and say because the Church saith it and ordaines it to be so and when we say that how know you that wee must beleeue the Church because say they that the bookes of the New Testament say so and ordaine it to be so for there it is written Tell it vnto the Church c. Certainely as often as they alledge the Scriptures to ground and authorize their Church they ouerthrow that which they will haue men to beleeue which is that the authority of the Scripture is grounded vpon the authority of the Church And thereby are tyed to rowle the circle as Diogenes is to his tub and ouerturne their owne wits by this circulation But when we aske one of them and say how know you that your Church teacheth the true Doctrine or how know you that it is conformable to the ancient Church There they are at a stay and the circle rowles no more and so they are dumbe by necessity For how shall they know the true Doctrine seeing the rule of the true Doctrine which is the holy Scripture is hidden from them And how should they know whether their Church is conformable to the ancient Church seeing it is not knowne but by an infinite number of Greeke and Latine Bookes which the people vnderstand not Then the people must know that the Church of Rome teacheth the true Doctrine onely because those that teach it say so which is to belieue at hazard and to haue a humane Religion grounded vpon coniectures without the Word of God and to allow a man to be a witnesse and a Iudge in his owne cause Therefore Master Arnoux giueth markes to know the true Church without speaking of the holy Scriptures Pag. 119. which are all false First The consent of the people But there are a greater number of the people that disagree with the Church of Rome than those that agree therewith And Iesus Christ saith that broad is the way that leadeth to destruction Math. 7.13.14 and many there be which goe in thereat because straite is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth vnto life and few there be that finde it Then he addeth the testimony of Martyrs a false marke for there shall neuer be any Martyrs found that died for calling vpon Saints or for Transubstantiation or for Purgatory They suffered death for the doctrine of the Gospell for the which our poore Churches haue suffered so many martyrdomes by meanes of the Church of Rome which suffereth no more but maketh martyrs suffer For a third marke he placeth the authority of the Fathers But the Fathers are contrary to the Doctrine of the Romish Church the people cannot looke into them And Master Arnoux speaketh by heare-say for in his Booke he alledgeth but foure or fiue places out of the Fathers which are not found to be false and corrupted For a fourth marke hee puts the eminence of the Doctrine I thinke that by the eminence hee vnderstandeth the excellency which consisteth in purity and conformity to the Word of God Without proofe to say that the Church of Rome hath the purity of Doctrine it is without proofe to pre-suppose that which is in question To the contrary we haue proued against Master Arnoux that Poperie is a heape of errours and a corruption of Christianitie And how should the people know that purity of Doctrine seeing they hide the rule of purity which is the holy Scriptures from them For the last marke hee seâ—teth succession neuer interrupted It he vnderstandeth a succession of doctrine wee deny it if he vnderstandeth a succession of chaires without Doctrine that succession is nothing Many other Churches also which condemne the Church of Rome haue their succession and that ancienter than the Romane And schismes haue often broken the succession of the Romish Bishopricke And how can the people know any thing touching this succession which cannot be learned but by reading of infinite Histories and Greeke and Latine Authors that haue written for the space of one thousand sixe hundred yeares CHAP. VII The fourth Euasion THe aduersary noteth another Euasion wherewith wee serue our turnes as he saith which is to produce diuers places of Scripture one with another whereof the one serueth to interpret the other For example he saith that wee expound these words This is my body by this place I am the Vine wherein hee slandereth vs. We know well that these words I am the Vine are not the exposition of these words This is my body Wee note not those places I am the Vine I am the dore This cup is the Couenant The rocke was Christ to interpret these words This is my body but to shew that whosoeuer will alwaies take the words of the holy Scripture literally and leaue these interpretations whereby the Scripture expresseth it selfe should often fall into great absurdities and to shew that ordinarily the Scripture nameth the signes and Sacraments by the names of that which they represent CHAP. VIII The fift Euasion THe fift Euasion which Master Arnoux imputeth vnto vs is a Chaos of confused calumniations He saith that we attribute things to the Church of Rome which shee beleeueth not That we charge the Popes with injuries That wee reiect the originall Text of the Scripture that is the Hebrew and the Greeke
Iesus Christ himselfe planted as also seeing that the rest of the Apostles hauing left no successors in their Apostles charge why should Saint Peter onely haue one in his Did Iesus Christ euer declare that Saint Peter onely among the Apostles should haue a successor in his charge of Apostle or did Saint Peter euer declare that the Bishop of Rome should be his successour in quality of the head of the vniuersall Church Where is there any one word of this succession vsed in the Word of God As also that the heresies * Leo the second complaineth of Honorius his Predecessor for that by his heresie he had defiled the seat of Rome In the action 18. of the 6. Councell of diuers Popes acknowledged by the Popes themselues and the schismes which haue rent that Seate and which often times haue bin the meanes that of diuers Antipopes contending for the same the wickedest and the most vniust of them intruding himselfe hath carried it away haue partly broken the line of this imaginary succession for to what purpose doth it serue to shew a list of mens names in a picture from Saint Peter to our time if they shew not that the second of them taught as the first did and the third as the second and so by degrees Many hereticall Churches in that manner produce their succession and are nothing the better for that for a succession of a chaire without succession of Doctrine is rather an expulsion than a succession Pag. 120. Jâ—nius lib. â— cap 3. But Mâ—ster Arnoux saith that learned Irenius saith that it is altogether necessary that euery Church should resort and ioyne vnto that of Rome wherein the chiefe Principalitie reciâ—â—â— But Mâ—ster Arnoux hauing not in all his Booke alledgeâ— anâ— place that is not either cut short or falsified would not at the end of his booke begin to alledge them truely For first he addeth this word adherer which is not in Irenius and the word conuenire he translateth resorting whereas it signifieth to land or to come from diuers places into one place And to these two falshoods Master Arnoux addeth a notable corruption of the sense for Irenius by this chiefe Principalitie vnderstandeth the power of the City of Rome because of the emperiall Seate and not of the supremacie of the Bishop or of his Church for that Christians from all Churches arriued at or came to Rome because of the Emperours Seate and of the Senate where they had some affaires to be dispatched As if I should say that from all the Churches of France they come to Paris because the Kings soueraigne Court is there Then we must translate Irenius in this mannner To this Church * Ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potentiam pr ncipâ—lâ—atem neceâ—sâ— est omnem coâ—uenâ—i Ecclesiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Churches must necessarily come because of the soueraigne power which is the emperiall power Vpon the same reason the councell of Antiochia in the ninth Canon groundeth the superioritie of the Bishops of great Townes because saith that Councell that all those that haue any businesse come to the Metropolitane City â—or that cauâ—e it hath beene ordained that the Bishops thereof should haue preheminence of honour Therefore the Church of Alexandria went before Antiochia although the Church of Antiochia was ancienter and founded as it is said by Saint Peter because that among the Cities of the Romish Empire Alexandria according to ciuill order was the second City after Rome and was before Antiochia The 17. Canon of the Councell of Calcidonia speaketh expresly thereof where it is ordained that the order of Ecclesiasticall Dioces should be accommodated according to ciuill and publique forme For conclusion our aduersary immitating as he saith the example of Saint Augustine referreth vs to the Fathers that are not partiall in this cause I maruell why hee doth not rather referre vs to the Word of God which is not partiall no more than the ancient Doctors are and which speaketh with another manner of authority and much more that he referreth the people to the reading of the Greeke and Latine Fathers whose workes are infinite to be read and the vnderstanding of them obscure and which hee knoweth the common people vnderstand not and that out of their workes there are not many places alledged whereupon there is not some question made touching the sense and the interpretation of them And I am much more abasht that he referreth the people to the reading of the Fathers to be resolued in Religion seeing there is not one of the Fathers which the Doctors of the Romish Church doe not censure and often times reproue them For they make themselues Iudges of the Fathers in stead of receiuing the Fathers for Iudges In their bookes of Controuersies you shall see nothing but diuers opinions of the Fathers wherof they choose those whom they please and reiect the rest and many times reiect them all to establish their owne opinions Now to shew that the reason why they referre the common people to the reading of the Fathers is not because the Fathers fauour them but onely to shun the holy Scriptures which they feare and to leade the mindes of the common-people through a way wherein they can neither see nor know any thing I would gladly know whether our aduersaries receiue the Fathers for Iudges in all our Controuersies if they receiued them not for Iudges but in certain poynts why not also in others but if they receiue them for Iudges in all things then they must enter into the lists and let some of them shew vs in the Fathers these seauenteene poynts wherunto hauing beene so often times prest and vrged they are yet to answere 1 For I say and maintaine it that they cannot shew that any ancient Church euer celebrated the Eucharist without communicants as they ordinarily doe in the Church of Rome and many times also without any assistants 2 They cannot shew that any ancient Church kept the people from the communion of the cup. 3 Or that in any ancient Church publique Seruice and the reading of the holy Scriptures was done in a language not vnderstood by the people 4 Or that any ancient Church did forbid or hinder the people from reading of the holy Scripture which is by no meanes permitted without speciall priuiledge in these countries where the Pope is absolutely obayed 5 Or that in any ancient Church they made Images of God and representation of the Trinity in stone or in picture 6 Neither can they shew vs that in any ancient Church the people haue been taught to pray without vnderstanding what they say and to be Barbarians to themselues 7 Or that any ancient Church hath done any seruice to the Images of creatures as kissing clothing kneeling before them or offering vnto them 8 Or that the ancient Church did beleeue that the Virgin Mary is crowned Queene of Heauen and Lady of the World as she is painted in all the
of God either in this life or in purgatorie 10 Where God forbiddeth Priests and Monkes to marry 11 In what place of the Scripture we are commanded to adore the reliques of Saints 12 In what place of the Scripture there is any thing said of the place of Limbus for little Children 13 In what place of the Scripture it is said that the Church of Rome is the Soueraigne Iudge of doubts in faith and that she cannot erre 14 In what place of the Scripture the Virgin Mary is called Queene of Heauen 15 In what place of the Scripture God forbiddeth the people to reade the holy Scriptures without speciall permission 16 In what place of the Scripture power is giuen to the Pope to gather into the treasury of the Church the super-aboundant satisfactions of Saints and of Monkes and to conuert them into payment for others distributing them by Indulgences 17 Lastly where and when hath God giuen power to the Pope to depose Kings to draw soules out of Purgatorie and to giue pardons for seauen or eight hundred thousand yeares Vpon these seauenteene poynts which make the Body of Popery and wherein the abuse and tyranny thereof consisteth we aske Master Arnoux whether he will produce any places of holy Scripture to proue them and wee will content our selues with one place onely for euery seuerall poynt Our meaning is not to restraine him to finde these things in the Scripture word by word it shall suffice vs if he can finde them there in substance or that they can be deduced by good consequence For we seeke no delayes nor are not tyed to the number of syllables so the thing be proued in the word of God Now we must see what answere Mr. Arnoux maketh to these questions and how he proueth his Religion by the Word of God CHAP. II. Mr. Arnoux answere to these Questions THe Aduersarie maketh answere in these words 1. 100. page of Mr. Arnoux Booke First he saith it belongeth not vnto them to aske me the reason of my beleefe because I am in possession no man hath giuen them commission to pull the title of the inheritance which I hold out of my hands I answere that it is true that we haue no power to make him speake nor to binde him to giue vs an answere but the commandement of God bindeth him thereunto in the first Epistle of S. Peter 3.15 Be ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekenesse and feare Iesus Christ made answere touching his doctrine to those that came vnto him although they were his enemles and had no power ouer him We haue answered Mr. Arnoux to all whatsoeuer he demanded of vs and obiected against vs although he hath no power ouer vs neither did shew vs his commission He hath bound himselfe to answere vs because he prouoked vs to speake For that asking vs a reason of our religion he might make his account that we would aske him a reason of his religion not in manner of reuenge but to let the truth be knowne and to shew that wee are better grounded in Religion then he is Whereas he saith that he is in possession of an inheritance and that we haue no commission to take it from him If by that inheritance he vnderstandeth earthly possessions and riches we enuie him not and wish that he had ten times as much more so he would become a defender of the truth But if by that inheritance hee vnderstandeth the possession of the true doctrine it is to presuppose that which is in question We goe not about to take a thing from the Church of Rome which she hath partly lost There needs no commission to aske a man what he beleeueth or the reason of his beleefe Charitie towards all men and a desire to lend our helping hand to him that is fallen and the zeale that we ought to beare to the defence of Gods cause sufficiently bindeth vs to speake and to propound the doctrine of saluation to those that require it It is to no purpose to say it is already long time since I haue bin in possession of this doctrine For Pagans Iewes and Turkes may say as much whose religions are ancienter then Papistry We dispute not by numbers or yeeres but by proofes The Church is in a Country where there is a written Law and not in a Country where custome onely ruleth There is no prescription against the heauenly truth which alwayes is most ancient for that vntruth or lying is but a corruption of the truth An ancient opinion once was new and if time may authorize a doctrine tell me how many yeeres at the least me must haue to giue authoritie thereunto Then we must proceed to the ground and to the institution contained in the Word of God And without speaking of the Word of God yet it will be found that the most part of the errors of the Church of Rome are very new As the deposing of Kings by the Pope the Communion vnder one kinde The forbidding to reade the holy Scriptures c. 2 Mr. Arnoux addeth and saith Their request should be more tollerable if they made it before some Iudge that had authoritie to end our difference If this excuse made by the Iesuite were allowable before he sets vpon vs he ought to finde out a Iudge that could set vs at an agreement But that notwithstanding we haue not spared to answere him because that although at this day there is no man to be found that is fit to be a Iudge of Controuersies with infallible certainty and soueraigne authority yet euery particular man ought to haue iudgement with discretion to discerne which of vs best proueth and iustifieth his sayings by the Word of God Then that should bee no hinderance vnto him to answere vs. 3 The third excuse that he addeth is no better then the former which is seeing saith he that they haue bound themselues to re-establish the Church that is fallen and that I offer my selfe vnto them to be drawne out of the ruines wherewith as they thinke I am inclosed It belongs to them to lend me their hand to shew me those notable places and to produce the Scriptures I answere that it is false that we haue taken vpon vs to reforme the Church and that wee haue bound our selues thereunto It is sufficient for vs to reforme our selues They call our Churches reformed and not reformers And they are called reformed because they are Christian Churches purged from Papistrie It is true that as euery true Christian is moued with compassion towards those that erre we could gladly wish that our aduersaries eyes were opened and that we could take the vaile of ignorance from before them But yet we take not on vs the title of reformers I am perswaded that our aduersaries which beleeue that they haue the truth on their sides would be glad if they could doe the like for vs
appropriated sense nothing contrary to the literall sense I will make our greatest enemies Iudges herein whether they would endure that in our confession wee should serue our selues with places of Scripture not agreeing with the literall sense but with an accommodated sense made for our pleasures and drawne for our profit for those places are interpreted for the Popes aduantage in an impious sense to perswade men that he ought to be adored by Kings and that he hath all power in heauen and in earth Are these the men that will binde vs to finde all that in the Scripture which we say and in as many words and syllables who in the meane time take libertie themselues to play with the Scripture with such licentious prophanation and thinke to carry it away by saying that it is an accommodated and not a literall sense which accommodated sense neuerthelesse they receiue for good and most certaine seeing they hold that the Pope and his Counsels cannot erre in faith After this Doctor hath so barely acquitted himselfe hee speaketh as being touched with compassion towards vs and giueth vs counsell full of wisedome saying Yeeld your selues to the Church and she will tell you all as if he should say Ioyne your selues with the Church of Rome and then wee will at leasure answere to your demands for by the Church he vnderstandeth the Romish Church which he will haue vs to beleeue to be the true Church before we know what shee ought to beleeue that shee may be the true and pure Church But why should shee rather be the true Church than the Greeke or the Syrian Churches which are ancienter than the Romane and purer and which Iesus Christ and his Apostles did plant and where S. Peters and the rest of the Apostles chaires are Thereupon Master Arnoux will haue vs plainely to shew which is the true Church if the Church of Rome be not the true Church but he saith that to mocke vs for he speaketh as if he should say Shew vs that but while you shew it wee will shut our eyes for the true Church is that which followeth and teacheth the true Doctrine contained in the holy Scriptures by that we must know it as St. Augustine saith Aug. lib. de vnitate Ecclesiae cap. 16. Vtrum ipsi Ecclesiam teneant non nisi diuinarū Scripturarum canonicis libris ostendatur Et eodem libro Ergo in Canonicis Scripturis eam requiramus Cap. 3. let vs seeke for the Church in the canonicall Scriptures that is that holy Scripture which they hide from the people Then these Doctors will haue vs to shew them the true Church but will not haue men to see that which onely maketh them to know the Church As if a man would haue one to shew him the best gouerned Common-wealth without knowing the rules that make a good Common-wealth He also will haue vs to produce our Commission and the charge that we haue from that Church Whereunto we haue answered in the 123. Section of the first Booke where wee haue handled the vocation of Pastors The effect thereof is that although euery Pastor of our Churches be lawfully called and according to the forme and manner therein required by imposition of the hands of other faithfull Pastors after enquiry made of his life and conuersation and of his capacity and doctrine yet it is not alwaies necessary to haue his commission and allowance from a pure Church and without errour He that is admitted into the charge of a Pastor in an hereticall Church as in an Arian or Nestorian Church and that hath beene receiued vpon oath to teach the truth ought necessarily to accomplish that oath and in the same charge to change his hereticall doctrine and propound the true Doctrine of saluation Not only because the charge of a Pastor in what Church soeuer it be by the nature thereof and the first institution is expresly giuen vnto him and instituted to teach the truth but also because that euery oath made to God concerning any good iust and necessary thing and whereinto a man hath not intruded himselfe ought necessarily to be accomplished And if it hapneth that any Pastors of an hereticall and an idolatrous Church as the Romish Church is changing their hereticall doctrine and taking on them to preach the truth and thereby draw a part of their flockes to follow the truth and that thereupon the other part obstinate in errour expulseth and excommunicateth them I say that they ought to be constant and not to abandon Gods cause that they may not leaue their charge for accomplishing their oathes but conuert their charge into the true vse thereof for they ought rather to haue a respect to Gods will and intent for the which hee hath instituted the charge of Pastors than to the intent of those that imposed their hands vpon them when it is contrary to Gods will and intent for a man is not established in the charge of a Pastor to doe the will of man but the will of God The force of the bond to obserue and keepe his oath proceedeth not from him before whom he taketh his oath or that maketh him to sweare but from God to whom hee sweareth and in whose power the punishments of periury are reserued Such was the commission and the proceedings of those whom God vsed to striue against Papistrie in the Church of Rome and openly to publish the holy Scripture which the Pope had suppressed who hauing beene chosen and elected Priests and Doctors in the Church of Rome to preach the Doctrine of the Gospel to the people and to be sacrificers of the body of Christ did beleeue that they were bound to performe the first because it is the ordinance of God and to leaue the second because it is the inuention of man Master Arnoux addeth a conceipt which hee saith is very strong and of much force the substance whereof is That no Testament is made without there be an heire That the Testament is the Gospel That the Church is the perpetuall assigned heire of this Testament the which by consequence cannot erre as being perpetuall inheritor of the infallible truth I answere that the inheritance which Iesus Christ by his testament hath left to the true faithfull Ephes 1.14.18 Hebr. 9.15 is the Kingdome of Heauen and not the guift not to erre And although the infallible truth of God might be called the inheritance of the Church yet it doth not follow that the Church cannot erre nor sinne against the truth So the law which is the intire rule of righteousnesse is giuen to the Church which neuerthelesse doth sinne against that Law How should the Vniuersall Church be without error seeing it is composed of diuers and particular discordant Churches among the which why should the Church of Rome rather haue the guift not to erre than the Greeke ancienter than the Romane or than the Syrrian much ancienter than the Greeke and where Saint Peters chaire is and which
Papists Churches 9 Or that the ancient Church gaue diuers charges and offices to Saints to one ouer one Country to another ouer another Countrey to another ouer an occupation c. 10 Or that the ancient Church beleeued that the Pope can giue and take away Kingdomes and dispence with subiects touching their oath of fidelity cannonize Saints and dispence with vowes and oathes made to God 11 Or that in the ancient Church the Pope by his pardons distributed the supererogatory satisfactions of Saints for remission of the punishments for other mens sinnes 12 Or that the Pope then set vp pardons in one Church not in another making priuiledged Alters to the which sometimes hee granted two or three hundred thousand yeeres of pardon 13 Or that the ancient Church did beleeue that there is a place called Limbus for yong children 14 Or that it adored the hoste which the Priest holdeth in his hands with Latrian worship and that to the same end the Priest lifteth vp the hoste in the Masse 15 Or that the ancient Church euer esteemed the books of Machabees to be Canonicall bookes 16 Or that it beleeued that the Bishop of Rome cannot erre in the faith 17 Or that the ancient Church did beleeue that Iesus Christ by his death and passion did satisfie for the faults and for the sinnes by men committed before baptisme but that for sinnes committed after baptisme it belongeth to vs to satisfie for them either in this life or in the fire of Purgatory Vpon euery one of these points I will content my selfe with two places alleadged by them out of the foure first ages CHAP. III. The fiue manners or wayes of Euasions set downe by Mr. Arnoux to confute the Ministers THe carefull and zealous reading of the holy Scriptures and the ancient doctors the vnderstanding of the Latin Greeke and Hebrew tongues and the knowledge of histories and of Philosophie are things required to be in a Diuine But the onely intelligence of the Scriptures ought to suffice if all of vs were wise and of one accord But the sickenesse of this age and the starting-holes which error hath digged are the causes that diuers other things are required in a Diuine Father Gontri deceased acknowledging that and feeling himselfe to be destitute of many necessary aides therin as of the knowledge of the Greek Hebrew tongues yet desirous to win reputation inuented certaine means and wayes whereby an ignorant person voide of all learning might maintaine a disputation and to that end published diuers smal Pamphlets which serue to forme and frame the manner and order which those that dispute or conferre with vs should hold to whom he giueth these two counsels The first is neuer to yeeld to make any answere nor to binde themselues to defend the Romish Religion but alwayes to put questions and to force vs to the defence of our confession And if they be pressed to proue their beleefe by the Word of God instead of answering vs that they should say It belongs not to you to examine me of my beleefe for I am in possession and you haue no commission to examine me Seeing you are reformers it belongs to you to reforme mee and to produce your proofes And who told you that this is the holy Scripture The other counsell which hee giueth is that when wee come to make obiections and to produce our proofes not to allow of any thing whatsoeuer we shall say if wee shew it not in the Scripture in as many words and syllables as wee alledge it and that if we frame an argument whereof both the propositions are in the Scriptures to deny that they are bound to allow the conclusion because Aristotles rules doe not binde the faith And that if in our discourse we shall happen to vse these words That is to say or by consequence they should force vs to finde those words That is to say and by consequence in the Scripture And that if we produce a place in the Scripture for the clearing and interpretation of another place in the Scripture they should say vnto vs shew mee a third place in the Scripture which saith that this place ought to be expounded by that place And that if we doe not answere them to their desires then that they shall breake off conference and thereupon make and raise clamors and slanderous libels full of triumphant words that they haue brought the Ministers to their Shifts of that is to say and by consequences and to say that a Caroach also is a consequence because it followeth the horses There is no Cobler in the Countrey but that in a quarter of an houre he may become a Diuine if it be sufficient alwayes to put questions and neuer to answere Certainely all this is but a small masse or lumpe of scould-like wrangling which onely learneth a man to defend himselfe with his clawes like a Cat and to prolong a disputation neuer entring into the matter But this dresser of craftinesse and deceit neuer reaped any benefit by his proceedings for at the first encounter with the least of the Ministers his nose fell a bleeding and all his craft vanished away like a tempest driuen backe with the winde of a Hatte and so withdrawing himselfe like a light horseman vnhorst went into another towne there to be dealt withall in the like manner If we would giue the like measure to those that vse these iugling trickes we could at the first word that they speake aske them who they are and who sent them and vpon their answere that they are Priests and Doctors of the Church say vnto them what know wee whether there must bee a Church or not or that there is a Church and thereupon if they speake any thing say vnto them shew that in as many words in the written or vnwritten word And if they chance to come out with Therefore or for that cause say vnto them shew me that word in the vnwritten word and who shall be Iudge c. And so like them vse that simple wrangling which is fit onely for mad-men and malitious wranglers that feare the touch and dare not shew their faces in open field Mr. Arnoux followeth this instruction fit for a man that is meanely furnished and decking himselfe with other birds feathers hath drawne these subtilties into a kinde of Art and reduced them into fiue heads intitling his discourse Meanes or wayes of euasion Wherevnder pretence to discouer our shifts as they say hee sheweth his owne and frames a discipline of small and slender subtilties fitter rather to stay and hinder disputation then to instruct To each of these Euasions we will say somewhat that we may not let any thing passe without replying CHAP. IIII. The first way of Euasion THe first of our wiles which he noteth is that when we are put from a place of Scripture we produce our own interpretations and saue our credits by That is to say Whereunto I reply That if
the interpretation which we giue to a place in the Scripture be drawne out of the Scripture it selfe it is not we that are the interpreters but God himselfe interpreteth For example when to haue the vnderstanding of these words This is my Body wee expound the word This by the bread which I breake and these words my Body by the remembrance of my Body we are not the interpreters but the Apostle S. Paul and Iesus Christ himselfe which giue vs this interpretation So when the Apostle to the Hebrewes 13.16 saith for with such sacrifices God is well pleased We deny that those sacrifices whereof he speaketh are masses and say that he speaketh of doing good and of Christian liberalitie and proue it by the same verse where he saith But to doe good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased But in Mr. Arnoux iudgement such expositions are not allowable if I bring him not another place of Scripture that saith that the same interpretation is true and that this place ought to be expounded by that place So it is requisite that some of the bookes of the Scripture should be commentaries vpon the other bookes and that in the Scripture there should be a Commentary vpon the Psalmes and another vpon the Prophets that should expound euery verse seuerally and that should say that such and such a verse ought thus to bee interpreted but seeing there are no such Commentaries in the Scriptures it appeareth that Mr. Arnoux hath no other intent but to inquire absurd and impossible things of vs and so neuer to haue the Scripture to be interpreted by the Scripture and thereby to impeach and hinder all instruction For example of our That is to say Mr. Arnoux produceth the 2. verse of the 16. Psalme where word for word according to the Hebrew It is My goodnesse extendeth not to thee And wee say that thereby Dauid acknowledgeth that the good which he doth is no benefit vnto God and that God hath no need thereof which ouerthroweth merits Mr. Arnoux reiecteth this interpretation which notwithstanding is the interpretation of his owne Bible which is translated Bonorum meorum non eges thou hast no need of my good deeds This man with a blinde zeale giueth a blow to euery thing and to contradict vs contradicteth himselfe That which Mr. Arnoux addeth that euery one of vs boasteth of a particular Spirit and of a Iudgement sounder then that of the vniuersall Church is a slander none of vs attribute such a spirit vnto our selues such a particular spirit is an vniuersall folly CHAP. V. The second Euasion THe second Euasion wherewith Mr. Arnoux saith wee serue our turnes is that we haue our recourse to consequences which saith he we would not doe if we had a formall place of Scripture And that to confirme our consequences we make Sillogismes the formes whereof proceede from Aristotles forge which cannot binde mens consciences nor strengthen faith All this is the Iesuite Gonters fense which alwaies held his first trade He knew not that a place of Scripture from whence we draw a consequence is neuerthelesse formall when the consequence is plaine and necessary If the Scripture saith For there is no man which sinneth not 2 Chron. 6.36 Is not that a formall place to prooue that the Apostles sinned seeing they were men When the Law of God saith Thou shalt not commit adulterie Is it not a formall place to shew that the Pope doth euill to permit adulterie and yet it followeth by consequence And when the Gospell commandeth euery man to beleeue in Iesus Christ is not that a formall place to prooue that Philip and Anthony ought to beleeue in Iesus Christ and yet that followeth by consequence So when S. Paul Romans 9.19 saith For who hath resisted his will And when Dauid Psal 115.3 saith But our God is in the Heauens he hath done whatsoeuer hee pleased Are not these formall places to prooue that God guideth all things by his prouidence Neuerthelesse the Iesuites will not allow of such proofes and when I say that God guideth all things by his prouidence they say vnto me prooue that by the Scripture and then if I alledge these places out of S. Paul and the Psalmes they reiect them because they containe not the same words and the same syllables but consequences drawne from them by reason Acts 17.3 and 18.28 By this meanes they condemne S. Paul and Apollos who by the Scriptures prooued to the Iewes that Iesus is that Christ although that in those places of the Scripture which they alledged to the Iewes the same words are not therein found but are drawne from them by necessary consequence So S. Peter Acts 10.43 saith To him giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his Name whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Which neuerthelesse is not found in the same words but is drawne from thence by consequence So the Fathers in the Counsell of Nice by the Scriptures proue that the Son is consubstantiall with the father and the first Counsell of Ephesus that the Virgin Mary is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deipara These words are not expresly found there but are drawne from them by consequence Gregory de Nazianze in his fift Oration of Diuinitie saith There are things which although they are not named in expresse words yet men gather things which make and prooue them by necessitie Cardinall Iohn de Turre Cremata saith A thing is contayned in the Scripture by these two meanes Summa de Eccles lib. 4. c. 8. either in expresse word as in this sentence Christ was a man or obscurely that is that which followeth by good and necessary consequence of things formally placed on earth as from this proposition Christ was a man therefore it followeth that he had a reasonable soule Peter de Alliaco Cardinall of Cambray saith I say In 1. Sentent Quest 1. art 3. that to speake properly a Theologicall discourse is composed of propositions contained in the Scripture or of those that are drawne from it c. Cardinall Bellarmine in his third Booke of Iustification Cap. 8. saith Nothing can be certaine touching the certainty of faith if it be not immediately contained in the Word of God or drawne from thence by euident and true consequence For it is not faith if it be not grounded vpon the authority of the Word of God and thereof neither Catholickes nor Heretiques make any doubt Then Mr. Arnoux which doubteth thereof by the iudgement of a Cardinall and a Iesuite is no Catholique Where as hee saith that hee would haue no Sillogismes allowed of there is a meanes to content him by speaking with him as with children seeing hee reiecteth the naturall rules of reason which are not Aristotles inuention as he thinketh Zeno Eleates and diuers others before him wrote of that matter a Diog. Laertius in Zenone Eleate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plaine Countrey people vse those
That we say that a Verse is sliden from the Margent to the Text. That wee reiect the common translation receiued by all the Fathers That we adde vnto and take away from the holy Scriptures That wee forge metaphors and improprieties of phrases That we esteeme that to be spoken per Ironia which is said vpon oath that we tye a conditionall particle to a period to draw it from the absolute sense thereof and make thirty manifest places of the Scripture intricate by one obscure place This cart of confused calumniations without any proofes deserueth no answere It is an easie thing to speake euill of a man without any proofe And I beleeue that Master Arnoux hath made a collection of faults wherein the Doctors of the Romish Church are culpable to impose them vpon vs for in Master Arnoux Booke wee finde that in euery place hee changeth our beliefe and maketh vs say things which wee abhorre as much as he doth Hee knoweth or ought to know that the Doctors and Writers of the Romish Church say and speake a thousand iniuries of Popes and detest their liues and doctrine He knoweth that the Church of Rome reiecteth the originall text of the Bible which is the Greek the Hebrew and preferreth the vulgar translation before it which neuerthelesse is so much corrupted that if you compare the vulgar translation with the Hebrew you will say that there is no Booke in the world so badly translated Sixtus Seuensis the Popes keeper of his Library acknowledgeth the same in the seauenth Booke of the Library * Heres prima Editionis venetae p. 921. 92◠Vulgata edito quae Hieronymi esse dicitur in multis à Graeca veritate distat where hee saith that the vulgar Edition which is said to be Saint Hieromes in many things differeth from the truth of the Greeke That which Bellarmine acknowledgeth is so farre a Bell. lib. 2. de Verbo Dei ca. 2. Heretici huic temporis odio editionis vulgatae nimium tribuunt editioni Hebraicae c. from accusing vs of reiecting the Hebrew or Greeke Text that to the contrary he accuseth vs of holding too much with it and of referring too much vnto it Heretiques saith hee in hatred of the vulgar Edition attribute too much to the Hebrew Edition For Caluin and Kemnitius will haue all examined and corrected by the Hebrew Text. To the contrary hee b Eodem cap. 2. §. His ergo Scripturas Hebraicas non esse in vniuers deprauatas opera vel malitia Iudaeorum nec tamen esse omnino integras maintaineth that the Scripture in the Hebrew is corrupted in many places and contradicteth the opinions of Hierome and Augustine that will haue the Latine translation to be examined and corrected by the Hebrew and the Greeke c Cap. 11. Fontes scripturarum anteponendi riuulis versionem quando constat fontes non esse turbatos Nunc autem fontes multis locis turbidos fluere iam ante ostendinus For he will haue the vulgar translation to be preferred before the Greeke and Hebrew And that men should haue their recourse to the little Riuers because the spring is troubled But those of the Church of Rome that haue some remnant of equity in them and that plainely perceiue that this opinion is an entrance into Atheisme and maketh nothing certaine in the Word of God ioyne themselues with vs and not onely reproue the vulgar translation as Sixtus Seuensis aforesaid but also they themselues haue made translations of the Bible according to the Hebrew as Sanctes Pagninus a Luquois Monke and Arias Montanus a Spaniard between the which translations and that which is vsed in our Churches there is great conformity Whereas Master Arnoux saith that the vulgar translation hath beene receiued of all the Fathers hee sheweth that hee neuer lookt into the Fathers for in Saint Augustine there are two thousand places of the holy Scriptures alledged in other words than they are set downe in the vulgar translation And Tertullian vseth a different translation from all the rest and in Hierome we haue diuers places of the old Testament by him truely translated according to the Hebrew and Bellarmine in the tenth Chapter of his second Booke de Verbo Dei saith that the vulgar translation began to be receiued in the Church of Rome in the time of Gregory the first that is sixe hundred yeares after Iesus Christ And Saint Augustine acknowledgeth that in his time the diuersity of Latine translations were infinite in the second Booke of Christian Doctrine Chapter 11. In all these things De Doctr. Christianae l. 2. ca. 11. as also in the rest of the smaller calumniations which he setteth downe he sheweth that he knoweth not what we say nor what he himselfe saith and that he hath no knowledge of antiquity nor of the nature of our Controuersies and had done wisely if hee had shewed his Booke to men of some iudgement before he published the same in stead of taking all his defence out of Father Gontri without any other examination which Iesuite if he were liuing would aske for his feathers againe and so Mr. Arnoux should be starke naked The reproach which hee giueth vs to take from the Scriptures without telling wherein and how it is done is vnseemely in the mouthes of those that from the Law of God cut off a whole Commaundement that is the second Commaundement wherein the worshipping of Images is prohibited But we must of force say something touching the reproach which he giueth vs that we attribute things to the Romish Church which she beleeueth not To auoid this blame in the defence of our confession of the faith against Master Arnoux I haue drawne our Aduersaries beliefe from the Councels of the Church of Rome and specially from the Councell of Trent as also from the Decrees and Canons of Popes and from the Text of the Masse And where there is any discord betweene our Aduersaries I haue not hidden it to the end that an error which belongeth but to one part of the Romish Church should not be imputed to the whole body thereof And if I haue alledged any particular Doctors they are some of the notablest at the fore-front of whose writings the approbation of the Doctors and of the faculties of Theologie is apposed In controuersies of Religion to impute contrary things to the aduerse party which he beleeueth not is expresly to make warre against God and to feare that the truth should be knowne that is to make controuersies where none are as if wee had not true controuersies enough without forged false controuersies It is a confession of a bad cause and an acknowledging of the truth of the contrary opinion when before wee speake against it wee seeke to disguise it To be short it is a confessing that if the opinion of the Aduersaries were truely propounded it could not be contradicted Or if any man doth it without malice he sheweth that
ninth Articles are true wee reiect the Limbus patrum which is said to bee emptie these 1600. yeeres and the Apocriphall bookes 10 It is false that we say that we must confesse our sinnes onely to God We must confesse them to the Church and to our Pastors and to our neighbours whom wee haue offended 11 To take the word iustifie in that sense which our Aduersaries take it for regeneration and sanctification It is false that we say that faith onely iustifieth For a Christian is regenerated by all Christian vertues But if by being iustified they vnderstand absolued and esteemed to be righteous before the iudiciall seate of God which is the sense wherein the Scripture ordinarily taketh the word iustifie in that sense we say that faith voide of workes cannot iustifie vs but that faith accompanied with workes onely hath the vertue to iustifie vs for that among Christian vertues faith onely hath that propertie To apprehend the benefit of our Lord Iesus Christ 12 It is false that we simply say without exception that when the fault is remitted the punishment also is remitted We speake that of satisfactory and vindicatiue punishments but not of chastning punishments which serue to amend and instrust the sinner in time to come Those punishments are sufferable with the remission of sinnes 13 It is false that we say that God hath created men to be damned Caluin saith not so and if hee had said so wee are not bound to beleeue it 14 It is false that we say that euery one of vs hath not an Angell to be his guardian Our Churches haue not defined any thing touching that point Whether God imployeth an Angell for the guarding of diuers persons or many Angels for the guarding of one man It is a thing which wee leaue to the Counsell of God 15 The fifteenth Article is true we honour Saints and set them before vs for an example and aspire to their beatitude but we call not vpon them 16 It is false and slanderous that we say that God thrusteth vs forward and constraineth vs to sinne that doctrine is horrible and diuelish Caluin to whom they impute this doctrine neuer said it but taught the contrary and although he had said it yet our confession of the faith in the seauenth Article protesteth the contrary in these words saying Not that God is the Author of euill or that the fault can be imputed vnto him seeing that his will is the soueraigne and the infallible rule of all doctrine and equitie 17 It is false that we say that the Scripture is easie to bee vnderstood and that the vnderstanding thereof is giuen vnto all men In it there are obscure prophesies and difficult places We say that in the Scriptures there are sufficient euident and cleare places which are instructions vnto vs for saluation and that in things which are plaine and manifest in the Scriptures and which haue no neede of interpretation all that which is necessary for our saluation is contayned 18 It is false that we say that to preach the Word of God there needes no ordinary nor extraordinary calling I haue made a booke expresly to proue the contrary 19 It is false that we say that we must beleeue nothing but that which is written We say that we must not receiue any doctrine as necessary to saluation that is not contained in the holy Scriptures 20 It is false that we say that God hath not giuen power to the Church to remit sinnes faithfull Pastors haue that power but their pardon is conditionall so the party be a repentant sinner which is not certanely knowne but to God onely Therefore their iudgement must of force be conditionall As the holy Scripture saith that Pastors saue soules because God vseth their ministry to saue them so it saith that Pastors pardon sinnes because God vseth their meanes to pardon them 21 It is false that our Churches haue made any definition touching this point that all sinnes are mortall It belongeth not to criminals and sinners to determine what punishment euery sinne they commit deserueth Onely we reiect that distinction which is made betweene mortall and veniall sinnes that is pardonable because those sinnes which are called mortall are pardonable in those that conuert and amend their liues and those sinnes that are called veniall are mortall when men perseuere therein till they die and that contempt and finall obstinacy is added to the transgression 22 The 22. Article is true We doe not presume that wee can merit before God and if thereupon we should be asked whether we cannot merit by the grace of God I answere that the same grace is it which hindereth vs from meriting For for that cause our good workes are not meritorious because they proceed from the grace of God It is no merit to receiue grace 23 It is false that we say that it is impossible to keepe the commandements of God though God doth helpe vs. When it is the will of God to make a man perfect and without sinne no man can hinder it nor limit any rules to the efficacie of his Spirit 24 It is most false that we say that God doth not reward good workes 25 It is false that we hold for a most assured thing that the Saints haue equall glory in heauen That is no Article necessary to saluation we condemne no man for that opinion but suffer euery man to conceiue thereof as hee thinketh it most probable But the Pope which giueth a degree of glory vnto some men aboue the vulgar Saints is bound to maintaine that inequalitie 26 It is false that we say that we must not vse the imposition of hands which the Apostles vsed in Samaria and in Ephesus Whosoeuer hath the vertue by imposition of hands to conferre the same miraculous graces and the gift of tongues which the Apostles conferred shall doe well to vse that ceremony 27 It is false that we say That the precept to annoynt the sicke with oyle whereof S. Iames speaketh ought not to be practised in the Church Wee know that not onely the Apostles but also their disciples after them did profitably vse the same for healing of the sicke Whosoeuer can by that vnction doe the like miraculous effects shall doe well to vse the same ceremony 28 Lastly it is false that our Churches beleeue and teach that prayer for the dead was not anciently in vse Wee say that the first ages whose examples should serue vs for a Law vsed it not and that God did not ordaine it Touching the Machabees it concernes vs nothing to know whether that as then they prayed for the dead For although the bookes of the Machabees are full of fables and that the same history is to be suspected yet although it were true our Religion is not ruled by the Iewes actions but by the commandement of God as also that prayer for the dead whereof wee speake is made with a reference to the resurrection and not to draw soules out of Purgatory The indifferent Reader will consider with what people wee haue to doe seeing that of the 28. Articles wherein they comprehend our Religion there are but foure which truely and without calumniation doe represent our doctrine and what hope is there to end our Controuersies by the Word of God seeing that they binde vs by the Word of God to proue those things which we beleeue not How should they faithfully propound our beleefe to their people when they disguise it vnto vs Put the case that our Religion were as full of errors as it is holy iust and true why doe they insteed of seeking to draw vs out of errours goe about to drowne vs therein why doe they study to make vs worse insteed of amending or bettering vs or doe they thinke that wee haue forgotten our Religion and that wee must be forc't to come to them to learne it Wee are vsed in the like manner by the Bishop of Luzon in his booke that he hath made against our Epistle dedicated to the King In the tenth page hee reduceth our Religion into twelue Articles which he hath forged out of some places of our Authors which he hath clipt and which doe not say that which he would haue them to say which we take for a iustification of our cause seeing that no man dares encounter with vs face to face nor come directly to vs but all of them take a wrong course and goe by-as way and discharge not their choller against our Religion but against another which they haue forged at their pleasures FINIS