Germany Sweueland Transiluanta c. The Catholikes to this very day haue not made themselues Lords of any one Towne or Citty much lesse of any State or kingdomâ— which haue belonged to their Protestant Princes And thus far though briefly for the more full stopping of the mouths of our Aduersaries touching the libration weighing in an eauen hand the doctrine taught and the Attemps practized by the Protestants Catholikes in point of Disloyalty against their lawfull dread Soueraigns of a different Religion And here before lend the more fully to discouer the loyalty of the Lay Catholikes of England and of vs Priests to his Maiesty our dread Soueraigne I the Authour of this Treatise in the person and name of vs all do make bold to offer this our ensuing ioynt prayer as a spirituall Sacrifice to the Almighty in behalfe of our most Worthy Kâ—ng Charles his most illustrious Spouse Queene Mary God who is the Protectour of Kings and the first Authour of all true Soueraignty and supreme domination per me (1) Prouerb 8. reges regnant preserue them both and their noble issue vnder the wings of his Diuine care prouidence Defend them from their Enemyes either domesticall or foraine Grant vnto them a long and most happy reigne ouer vs And after the dissolution of their bodies bring their soules into that most blessed state where they once leauing this terrene Kingdome may heare those ioyfull words of our Sauiour as spoken to them touching their fruition of the Celestiall Kingdome Venite (2) Mat. 25. possiâ—ete paratum vobis regnum And this our Common Prayer most Heauenly soueraigne we humbly beseech thee to heare euen by the force of that title which is peculiar to thy selfe and incommunicable to any other king Rex (3) Apocal 19. regum Dominus dominantium Animaduersion CLXXXXII THe Calumny subtilty of our first Aduersaries in their definition of Christs Church was very great and obseruable They (1) Calu. Instit. l. 4. cap. 1. num 2 3. defined the Church to consist only of such as are Just and predestinated but who such are it is not knowne to any man and therefore to remayne in a continuall Latency But what was the reason of this their proceeding Obserue Both the Old and New Testament giue great prayses and Elogia of the Church of Christ For we read that it is called (2) Apocal 2 A holy Citty A (3) Psal 7. fructiferous vine A mighty (4) Esay 2. high mountayne (5) Esay 32. streight way The only (6) Cantic 6. Doue The (7) Cant. 4. spouse Body (8) Ep 5 of Christ The pillar of Truth (9) 1. Timoth 3. Finally â—to omit much more that Society against which who is contumacious and refractory is to be accounted no better then a Heathen (10) Math. 18. or Publican Now in regard of these panegyricke prayses giuen by the written word of God to the Church our first Aduersaryes dared not in expresse words openly to impugne the Church Therefore most â—ubttlly the name of the Church they retayned but the thing it selfe by defining it they did ouerthrowe For as is aboue said they define it to consist only of the Elect and Predestinated and consequently since we cannot tell who are of the number of the Elect and predestinate euer to be in a hidden Latency And to this they were forced because as in many of the former Animaduersions it is expressed it is granted by most of our learned Aduersaryes tâ—at the ProtestaÌ„t Church hath for the space of twelue or thirteene huÌ„dred yeares layne wholy latent inuisible And yet such a Church if any such were may be said in shew of words to be capable of the former definition of the Church See here the serpentine subtilty of our Aduersaryes Animaduersion CLXXXXIII IT is to be much feared that there are many in England who maske themselues vnder the name of Protestants yet in their harts are no better then Atheists as not acknowledging a Deity Yf it chance therfore that this Treatise shall come to any such mens hands I haue purposely thought good to close it vp with certaine Animaduersions for the proofe of so supreme a Truth wishing such Readers to peruse the Booke entituled Rawleighs Ghost first written in Latin by the learned Iesuite Lessius for his greater confirmation out of which booke I grant I haue selected most of these ensuing Animaduersions all which of this Nature though contrary to my Method houlden hitherto in this Discourse I haue ranged together and reduced to one head Now whereas such men that are tainted with so foule a blasphemy and execrable Madnes to whom those words of Cyprian are truly applyed Quae haec (*) Cyprian lib. de Idolorum vanitate summa delictî nolle illum agnoscere quem ignorare non possis do especially if they he Schollers hould that the world was not created of God but was from all Eternity therefore I will first remoue this stumbling Block and will purposely insist only in two Arguments or rather two vnanswerable Demonstrations in disproofe thereof which lye subiect to ech mans apprehension First then from our owne experience we reason thus It is a truth confirmed by triall of all tymes that the quantityes of Mens bodies haue a perceiuable impayring as also the length and continuance of their liues So that if in that infinite space of foregoing tyme I meane from Eternity Men had a being as without question the world was neuer voyd of men the principall and most noble member therof then through continuall and incessant Decay their bodies had beene brought before this day to as litle a quantity as they are capable of if not cleane consumed But we see their quantity is not yet come to the lowest Therefore I conclude that they had not a being from Euerlasting My second Demonstration is this Had this world beene from Euerlasting from all Eternity then Infinite also had beene the propagatioÌ„ of Man And so we should bring into the world an actuall Infinitenesse as absurd in Nature as Paralogismes be in Logicke For in this infinite space and generation there had beene an infinite number of mens Soules which being by Nature incapable of Mortality we cannot say that as one Soule was created another was destroyed And therefore it would follow supposing the world to be ab aeterno that there should be an Infinitnesse in regard of Number actually subsisting in Nature Thus farre for impugning that the world cannot possibly â—xist from all Eternity Omitting many oâ—her more abstruse demoÌ„strations drawne from Phylosophy not subiect to the capaâ—ity of the Ignorant Animaduersion CLXXXXIV ALl those Men who deny the Jmmortality of Mans Soule do withall deny a Deity or being of God Therefore the Immortality of the Soule is first thus proued from Naturall Philosophy the soule of Man hath in it selfe no principles or ground of Corruption seeing
good prayers is so vehemâ—â—â—â—â—d vnaffected as that I earnestly beseech you euen 〈◊〉 the most precious Passion of our Lord and â—auiour suffered for the cancelling of our sinnes by â—ur owne charitable Disposition towards others for â—resume those words of the Apostle to be imprinted 〈◊〉 your soules (a) Rom. 5. Charitas Dei diffusa est in â—â—ordibus vestris Finally by what is most sacred and holy that yoâ— would vouchsafe now and then your particular remembrance of me either yet aliue or hereafter dead in that your most retired and Religious Memento vsed in the celebration of the most Blessed and Reuerend Sacrifice of the Masse for the expiating of my manyfold sinnes This I humbly beseech this in all prostration of soule I implore and begge aâ— your hands and in such your performance ech of yoâ— iustly may comfort your selues in those words of ouâ— Sauiour Beati (b) Matt. 5. misericordes quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur And thus in thâ— good hope thereof I cease referring you to the perusall of the Treatise it selfe Yours in our Lord Iesus N. N. P. MISCELLANIA Contayning certaine Controuersiall Animaduersions Animaduersion I. I WILL begin with the approuall or reiecting what is or hath beene accounted the Scripture or the written Word of God which point concernes the Bookes of Ecclesiasticus Toby Judith Hester Machabees c. Where we are to vnderstand that the Canonicall Scriptures are to vs at this day discerned and made knowne not by that which either the Iewes for a time or certaine Fathers do omit deny or doubt of in their Canon of Scripture but by that which many Fathers do constantly affirme Since otherwise and vpon the conâ—rary ground we might deny with the Lutherans the Epistle of Iames Iude the second of Peter the 2. and 3. of Iohn the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Apocalyps seeing all these bookes (a) Ofiand in Epic. Cent. 4. p. 299. are denied by the Lutherans Now the reason of this Thesis or Proposition is because in the Primitiue Church the Canonicall Scriptures were not generally all at once receaued but in so great a variety of pretended Scriptures great care and search was requisite wherby to determine which Scriptures were Canonicall which not wherby it came to passe that sundry bookes were for the tyme misdoubted oâ— by some Fathers or Councells omitted oâ— not receaued which yet afterwards were vpon greater search and consideration generally acknowledged And according herto D. Bilson Bishop (b) In his suruey of â—hrists suffering printed 1604. pag. 664. of Winchester thus truly sayth The Scriptures were not receaued in all places at once no not in Eusebius his â—yme Animaduersion II. D. Whitakers (c) In his answ to M. Reynolds â—efut p. 2â— 23. and other of our Aduersaries do reiect the former bookes of the Old TestameÌ„t to wit Ecclesiasticus Toby c. because they were not first written in Hebrew and in that they had not for their knowne Authours those whom God had declared to be his Prophets This Argument is weake For it is a rash assertion so to measure the Scriptures by the tongue wherein they are written as to restrayne the Spirit of God to one only language The â—anity of which said assertion is sufficiently disproued by Example of Daniel a great part whereof to wit from cap. 2. vers 4. vâ—que ad â—â—em cap. 7. though not written in Hebrew is yet by our Aduersaries acknowledged for Canonicall And touching the second point of this Argument it cannot be proued that God would direct by his holy Spirit no Authors in their Writings but such as were knowne and also further declared by certaine testimonies to be Prophets For our Aduersaries cannot yet tell who writ the seuerall bookes of Judges the third and fourth of the Kings the two of Chronicles the booke of Ruth and Iob all which bookes neuerthelesse they admit for true and Canonicall Scripture And hereupon it is that D. Whitakers though crossing his former assertion thus writeth (d) L. de sacra Script â—ag 603. Multorum librorum authores ignorantur c. The authors of many bookes of Scripture are vnknowne as of Iosue Ruth Paralipomenon Hester c. Thus he To whose iudgment D. Willet subscribeth saying We (e) In his Synops p. 4. receaue many bokes in the Old Testament the Authours whereof are not perfectly knowne Animaduersion III. AGainst the writings of the Ancient Fathers the Protestants pretend seuerall difficultyes For example D. (f) Contra Duraeum l. 5. p. 300. Kâ—mpu in his Exam. part 1. p. â—4 Whitakers and others obiect against the Epistles of Ignatius that (g) Dial. â— Theodoreâ— and (h) Dial. 3. contra Pâ—lag Ierome do alledge certaine testimonies from Ignatius his Epistle ad Smirnenses which are not found in that or any other of Ignatius his Epistles Wherto I answere First that the Auncient (i) By Austin in Psalm 95. by Tertull. lib. adu Iudaeos versus finem By Iustin in Triphon circa medium Fathers haue in like maner cited this sentence reguauit a ligno Deus as the saying of Dauid in his Psalms which yet is at this day wanting in them And in like manner some Sentences are alledged from Tully and Plato and the same are not to be found in their wrytings now extant Therfore this former Obiection only argueth that certaine parts of Ignatius his Epistles may be lost but maketh nothing against those now remaining In like sort our Aduersaryes do reiect as counterfeyte the writings of Dionysius Arcopagita as confessed to make for our Catholike Doctrine their chiefe argument is in that these his writings are neuer mentioned by Eusebius and Ierome To this may be answered that (k) Euseb hist l. 5. c. 29. Ierom. in Catal. prope init Eusebius Ierome do confesse that there are many bookes and Authors which neuer came to their knowledge A thing not vnlike if we but remember as incident to those precedent tymes the knowne want of printing and great difficulty of Manuscripts through the violent persecutions which then raigned Finally touching the Lyturgies of Chrysostome they vrge it making altogether for seuerall poynts of our Catholike and Roman fayth that as M. Jewell obiecteth (l) Iewell in his repâ—y pag. 10. Chrysostomes Masse prayeth for Pope Nicolas who was Pope seuerall huÌ„dred yeres after Chrysostome that also it prayeth for the Emperour Alexius who liued in like manner many ages after Chrysostome These are but friuolous Cauils For in all ould Lyturgies or Bookes of CoÌ„mon prayer prayer is specially appointed to be made for Princes and Bishops for the names of whom are certayne places reserued which are subiect to alteration according to the change of succeeding tymes and persons The lyke course wherof for Princes we may discerne in the English Communion Booke composed in K. Edwards tyme where according to the change of succeeding gouerment are inserted the names of Queene Elizabeth
MISCELLANIA OR A TREATISE Contayning Two Hundred Controuersiall Animaduersions conducing to the study of English Controuersies in Fayth and Religion VVritten by N. N. P. And dedicated to the yonger sort of Catholike Priests and other students in the English Seminaries beyond the Seas With a Pareneticall Conclusion vnto the said Men. Praedica Verbum insta opportunè importunè argue obsecra increpa in omni patientia doctrina 2. Tim. 4. Printed Anno M.DC.XL To the yonger sort of Reuerend and Vertuous Cath. Priestes and Students in the English Seminaries REVEREND and Vertuous men though I hope that this ensuing Treatise will become profitable to diuers of the Catholike Laity yet ingenuously I confesse that it was chiefly and principâ—lly vndeâ—taken for the aduancement of your Studies in Câ—ntrouersies of Fayth I meane onâ—â— such of you who haue spent your last yeares in â—umane learning and points of School-Diuinity â—nd are therefore in regard of such your want of riâ—â—rage as yet litle conuersant in Controuersies of fayth ventilated at this day betweene the Catholike and the Protestant To those others of your owne function which are of full and great yeares this Discourse I confesse is lesse seruiceable since themselues through their owne reading are no doubt well acquainted with most of the Animaduersions â—ere set downe and therefore I would not haue any such graue and learned men thinke that I adresse this Worke vnto them for their further benefit for I willingly grant that though my selfe be of their owne course of lyfe I shall be euer ready rather to be instructed by them then vndertake to instruct any of them Touching the Subiect of this Treatise it contayneth certaine Controuersiall Animaduersions for so I here call them about Matteâ—s of Religion These Animaduersions are of most different aâ—d seuerall points and in regard of such their diuersiâ—y they can hardly be reduced to any certaine Heads 〈◊〉 can be set downe in any praecise Method with mâ—tuall dependency one to the other And therefore iâ— regard of the want of such Method I haue entituled the whole Worke Miscellania as being a mixture of things in themselues heterogeniouâ— and of different natures And although some of them might as touching the same point be ranged and set downe togeather and this chiefly in those which do concerne the Reall Presence yet I haue purposely for the most part marshalled them in different places the better to obserue the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 required in the tâ—aâ— Method of Miscellania that so no one part of 〈◊〉 Booke shall differ in foâ—me from the rest or frâ—â— the whole imitating herein the vsuall Order of Eâ—grams whose Method in setting them downe coâ—sists in not obseruing of Method There except ceâ—taine Animaduersions in defence and proofe of 〈◊〉 Deity and of the Immortality of the Soule iâ— the end of the Booke which I haue thought exâ—â—dient to amasse together against such Men wâ—â— mâ—â—ke their Infidelity vnder the â—ecture of Protestancy And as these Animaduersions being promiscuously deliuered without any punctuall order do in part resemble a great plot of ground not deuided into any certaine beds or quarters wherin confusedly and scatteringly grow many flowers of different kinds odours So here you shall find sparsedly Obseruations of so many points in number and of such different Natures as that I hold it more conuenient to refer the Reader immediatly to the peâ—using of them then to particularize but any few â—eads in this Dedicatory Epistle Let no man muse at this vnexpected Method We see the world in most things is extrauagant the Method here vsed is also through a kind of necessity extrauagant and thus I am forced at this present to humour the World And I adde hereto that â—â—e vncertanity contayned in this Method may beget 〈◊〉 the Reader as often it doth in Bookes of this naâ—â—re and forme an inquisitiue desire to see what â—lloweth in ech ensuing Animaduersion as presâ—ming them to be of different Subiects and so may â—ore easely draw on the Reader to the perusall of the whole Treatise This Rapsody of Obseruaions if it be lawfull so far to impropriate the word is taken partly out of that most Eminent Cardinall Bellarmine of â—orthy memory partly out of the most paynefull and lâ—â—rned worke of the Protestants Apology and â—â—t of other of the said Authours writings out of â—hich many choyse Obseruations are now fully published which before and till now did lyâ— much hidden concealed in Marginall references partly also out of all the chiefe Bookes written by thâ— Catholikes during these last thirty or fourty yeares and partly out of the diligent perusall of the chiefe Protestant Writers And as we obserue that a man comming into 〈◊〉 curious Garden layeth not hold of euery flower which first presenteth it selfe to his sight but will gather here and there such as are most pleasing to thâ— eye smell So I hope I may here boldly say I haue forborne all vulgar and obuious Obseruations as presuming them to be knowne to you allready resting only and this with the iudgment of other graue meâ— of my Coate already acquainted with this Worke in such as are choyse selected and full of matter the which Vertuous Men you may vse as so many shoâ—â— Prolegomena or briefe instructions condâ—cing to your future more full and exact study of Controuersies Here now you haue in these feâ— sheets a full Synopsis or view of the most weighty Obseruations which being made familiar anâ— knowne to you aforehand may much facilitate aâ—â— make easy your otherwise more painefull search anâ— study hereafter in those matters and may furniâ—â— you with extemporall and present discourse touchiâ—â— most Controuersies all which seuerall Obseruations being as it were a formlesse materia primâ— of Controuersies or to speake in the Poets Dialect rudis indigestaue moles would require no small labour toyle and disquisition in any of you to collect out of the Authors themselues The Animaduersions in this Treatise set downe are in number only two hundred Many â—ore I grant might be added for the increase of â—he Number But these I hold to be most forcing 〈◊〉 am loath that this worke through any affected proâ—â—xity should become fastidious or wearisome vnto you And wheras you shall find some acknowledgments of Protestants to be oftener set downe then â—â—nce you may conceaue the reason therof to be in regard of the seuerall or different Illations or Inferences drawne from the said acknowledgments in seuerall Animaduersions If any of you reape profit by this my Labour as â— hope diuers of you may and will my humble reâ—uest then in recompence of my paynes taken herein 〈◊〉 that you wâ—ld vouchsafe your remeÌ„brance of me in â—â—ur prayers at the chiefest tymes of your Deuotions 〈◊〉 knowe many of Custome and Vse in Dedicating â—â—eir Bookes to Catholikes do intreate of them this â—â—nd of fauour But as for my selfe my desire and â—â—irituall need of your
it may be sauâ—d Put agaiâ—st the Pâ—â—itans they thus writâ— The (b) M. â—owâ—â— in his considerat Puritans are notorious and manifest Schismatiks cut of from the Church of God And againe The Puritans (c) M. Fâ—â—ks in his Epist dediâ— p. 3. seeke to vndermine thâ— foundation of fayth Now in requitall of this â—roceeding the PuritaÌ„s prefer the Roman Religion before the Religion of the moderate Protestant for thus with a ioynt consent diuers of them do affirme in a (d) Intituâ—eâ— A Christian and modest off r c. p. 11. booke by them written Jf we be in Errour and the Prelation the contrary syde haue the truth we protest to aâ—l the world that the Pope and the Church of Rome and in them God and Christ Iesus haue great wrong and indignity offered vnto them in that they are reiected Thus they Now what other deduction from these their seuerall censures can be drawne then that the Catholike Religion is the only true Religion the Relgiâ—on both of the Moderate Protestants and the Puritans is false For in that ech of them prefers his owne Reâ—igion before any other this may be presumed to proceede from partiallity and preiudice of iudgment in their owne behalfe But where they hold the Catholike fayth and Church rather to be imbraced then their Aduersaries fayth and Church this riseth from a cleare and imâ—artiall iudgment and from the force of all probable credibility And thus in this busines that most warrantable and receaued sentence takâ—th place Cui caeterae partes vel Sectae secundas vnanimiter deferunt cùm singulae sibi principatum vendicent melior reliquis videtur Animaduersion VIII IT is a point of great iudgment to vrge a passage of Scripture by way of illation in that sort in which the illation is of force not in any other only seeming inference I will exemplity my meaning in texts vrged both by Protestants and vs Catholikes And first the Protestants do insist in those words of our Sauiour against the reall Presence Palpate (e) Luc. 14. videte quia spiritus carnem ossa non habent sicut me videtis habere Handle and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me to haue To argue thus Jt is felt and seene Ergo it is a body is a good consequence and this is the force of our Sauiours words But â—t is no good sequele to argue thus Negatiuely as our Aduersaries from this text do it is not felt nor scene Ergo it is no body For it may be that a true hody may be present yet neither seene nor felt because God may hinder that it shall not transmit any Species sensibiles to the sense of sight Besides it may be effected by diuine power that a body may exist indiuisibly after the manner of a Sâ—irit as we Catholiks do hould in a sober coÌ„struction that the body of Christ doth in the blessed Eucharist and yet we teach that it is impossible that a Spirit should exâ—st after the manner of a true and naturall body or be extended in place And the râ—asâ—n hereof is this To wit because a Spirit hath no extension of parts at all and therefore it is indiuisible For seeing to be extended in place â—s a formall effect proceeding from its formall Cause of extension in it selfe if therefore a Spirit should be extended in place we should admit the formall effect without the formall cause which cannot be since the formall effect is later in Nature then the formall Cause and cannot be without the Cause To instance in our vrging of some passages of Scripture In prooffe of temporall punishment after this life we produce that passage (f) Math. â— Luc. 1â— Non exies inde donec reddas vltitauÌ„ quadrantem Thou shaâ—t not goe from thence till thou repay the last farthing FroÌ„ which words we do not thus immediately inferre as our Aduersaryes would seeme to haue vs donec c. vntill thou payâ—t the last farthing Therfore â—fter thou shalt goe from thence which inference we grant is not necessary seing by so arguing we might endeuour to proue that Christ should sit at the right hand of his Father only vntill and no longer he make his enemyes his footstoole according to that text (*) Psal 109. â—ede a dext ris meis donec ponam inimicos scabellum peduÌ„ tuorum which words only proue that aâ— the length the Enemyes of Christ shal be vnder his feet So heere we only thus immediatly inferre Thou shalt not goe from thence till thou payest the last farthing Therefore the last farthing may be payed and consequently that then thou shall goe from thence This kind of vitious arguing might be instanced in diuers other passages of Scripture impertinently vrged by our Aduersaries and falsly obâ—ruded vpon Catholikes Animaduersion IX WHen we Catholikes complayne of the great Persecutions against the Catholikes only for their Religion in Q. Elizabâ—ths raigne our Aduersaryes seeke to choake vs herein by way of recrimination in auerring that as great or greater was practized in Queene Maryâ—s tyme against the ProtestaÌ„ts of those dayes But admit for the tyme so much yet there is great disparity herein and there are diuers reasons more warranting the â—rocedings of Q. Mary in that kind then of Q. Elizabeth Among which reasons these following may seeme to be the chiefe First touching Q Maryes tyme the Lawes whereby Sectaryes were punished for their Religion were instituted some Eleuen or Twelue hundred yeares since those tymes not hauing any foreknowledge that Protestancy should sway rather in these dayes then any other erroneous Fayth In Q. Elizabeths tyme the statutes against Catholikes were made at the beginning of her comming to the Crowne which is fresh yet in the memory of mâ—ny hundreds of Men in England yet liuing Those Lawes wherby Q. Mary punished the Protestants were enacted by Popes and Generall (g) Concil Laodicens can 31. 32. Concil Carthag Can. 16. Councels to whosâ— charge and incumbency the burden of Religion is pâ—culiarâ—y by God committed seconded otherwise by the secular authority of Emperouâ—s and particularly of Valentinian and Marcian of which their seconâ—ing herein peruâ—e the Councell of Calcedon (h) Act. 7. Thâ—se other Lawes were first inuented by a Woman and a Parliament of Lay Persons the incompetent Iudges of Faith and Religion Lastly by the former Decreâ—s a Religion confessed by the chiefe Professours of it to be neuer heard of at least for fourteene hundred yeares together and therfore to be an annihilation of faith which is held by Catholikes to be a destruction of faith necessary to Saluation is interdicted prohibited And according hereto D. Fulke thus confesseth (i) Fulke in his answ to a counterfeyte Cath. p. 35 The true Church decayed immediatly after the Apostles tymes By these later Decrees a Religion coÌ„fessed by its greatest Enemyes and particularly (k) M. Napper thus confesseth in his
to make an Opposition betweeâ— the Scripture and the Fathers maintaining that to follow the iudgment of the Father is to reiect and abandon Scripture thâ—â— themselues are to be pardoned for prefeâ—ring the Scripture before the Fathers Bâ— to this you mâ—y answere that seeing tâ— Fathers do vrge admit and reuerence tâ— Scripture in as high a degree as the Protâ—stants do the mayne question and douâ—â— here is not whether the Scripture is to 〈◊〉 aduanced aboue the Authority of the Fâ—thers which we all Catholikes do fuâ—â— acknowledg should be but only Whethâ—â— the Fathers or the Protestants do more truly expound the Scripture Animaduersion XLI THe Fathers haue many aduantages aâ—â— priuiledges for interpreting of Scriptuâ—â— and for true or perfect fayth of which tâ— Protestants are altogether depriued Firâ—â— the Fathers liued neare to Christ some coâ—uersing with his Apostles others in succeâ—ding ages and therefore more easy it wâ—â— for them to know what exposition wâ—â— then deliuered of the Scriptures and whâ—â— fayth was first preached Add hereto thâ—â— the very practise of their Religion then 〈◊〉 â—â—d the Church then remayning by the â—cknowledgment of our Aduersaries in her â—â—rity of fayth serued as a Comment to â—hem of the Scriptures Secondly diuers of these Fathers euen â—rom their Mothers breasts did suck those â—ongues wherein a great part of the Scripâ—ure was written And therefore they were â—uch aduantaged for picking out the true â—eaning thereof whereas our Aduersaries â—nowledg of the said tongues is gotten onâ—y by Art and Industry which euer subscribes to Nature Thirdly the Fathers deliuered their senâ—ence and interpretation of Scriptures many â—ges before the points of fayth Doctrine 〈◊〉 for which they were vrged were euer brought in question or doubt and therefore what they writ was free from all partiality of iudgment they not knowing what Innouations were to rise in these our dayes Our Protestant Ministers their â—emporall states being wholy interessed â—herein must now of necessity shape the construction of the Scriptures to the maintenance of the Religion now introduced The Fathers though writing in seuerall ages seuerall tongues vpon seuerall occasions do notwithstanding vnanimously conspire together in their writings for non est Deus dissensionis sed pacis and if any one by chance did vary from the rest he was reprehended by them But the Protestants are so contrary in their writings in maintayning meere contradictory and opposite doctrines as is most wonderfull to obserue of which point who seeeketh further to be satisfied let him peruse such bookes as are lately written vpon that subiect The Fathers did cut of all lets and impediments which might hinder either Deuotion or study Hence it is that they imbraced perpetuall Chastity contemned all riches Honours chastized their bodies with fasting prayer and other spirituall disciplines How far different our ProtestaÌ„t Doctours are from such courses I leaue to the world to iudge The Fathers I meane diuers of them did worke many true and stupendious Vide Cyprian serm de lapsis Ambr. de obitu Satyr c. 7. Optat l. cont Donat. Aug. de Ciuit. l. 22. Chrysost cont Gentiles Eusebius l. 7. c. 14. Miracles which gift of exhibiting Miracles God bestoweth only vpon them who are gracious in his sight and who truly serue him But no man can serue God truly with a false fayth The Protestant Doctours neuer yet wrought any one Miracle in confirmation of their Fayth the euidency of which point appeareth from the liberall Confession of the Protestants themselues For D. Fulke thus acknowledgeth Jt is (y) Against the Rhemish Testam in Apoc. c. 13. knowne that Caluin and the rest whom the Papists call Arch-Heretiks do worke no miracles to whose confession D. Sutcliffe subscribeth saying We do (z) In his Examen of D. Kellisons Suruey printed 1606. p. 8. not practise Miracles nor do we teach that the truth of Doctrine is to be confirmed with miracles The Fathers I speake of diuers (a) As Ignatius Polycarpus Cyprian and others of them for professing only their Christian fayth and religion haue endured with inuincible courage and immoueable resolution which they could neuer haue done but only through the particular assistance of the Holy Ghost most exquisite tormeÌ„ts yea Martyrdome it selfe of whom it may be truly said Paradisi clauis sanguis Martyris Our Sectarie Doctours excepting some Mechanicall and ignorant fellows burn't for their obstinacy in Queene Maries tyme are so far from suffering any pressures for professing their fayth as that most of them haue made their Religion a ladder to clyme vp to worldly preferments they by it only enioying as through want of its losing riches honours other such temporall aduancements The Fathers of the Primitiue Church did represent the body of the whole Church of Christ in those tymes For of necessity it must be granted that all the seuerall members of the Church of God did belieue and practise the same Religion which Gregory Theodores Austin Jerome Chrysostome Epiphanius the Gregories the Cyrills Basill Ambrose Hilary Optatus Cyprian Irenaeus Ignatius and the like did teach since in them according to the seuerall ages wherein they liued those words of the Apostle were fulfilled (b) Ephes 4. Christ hath placed iâ— his Church Pastours and Doctours c. Now all this granted it doth ineuitably follow that if the Fathers of those seuerall ages did iointly erre in their interpretation of Scripture and doctrine of fayth and beliefe resulting from thence that then the whole visible Church of Christ did damnably erre in fayth during all those ages but this mainly crosseth both the command as also the promises of Christ the first in those words Dic Ecclesiae (c) Math. 18. the second in that sentence Behould I am with you all dayes euen to the consummation of the world for neither wold Christ euer send men to a false Church nor can he be said to be euer with his Church if he suffer it to professe for many ages a false and erroneous fayth nor vpon such a supposall could the Church be truly stiled Columna (d) 1. Timoth 3.9 firmamentum veritatis Lastly the more learned Protestants do ascribe all Excellency to the Primitiue Church for purity of fayth and consequently to the Fathers and Pastours of the Church of those tymes for thus we find them to write Kempnitius thus sayth We (e) Exa Concil Trid. part 1. pag. 74. doubt not but that the Primitiue Church receaued from the Apostles and Apostolicall men not only the Text of Scripture but also the right and natiue sense thereof D. Iewell The primitiue (f) In his defence of the Apology Church which was vnder the Apostles and Martyrs hath euer beene accounted the purest of all others without exception Finally to contract this point D. Bancroft heretofore the Archbishop of Canterbury thus writeth touching Caluin and Beza For M. Caluin (g) In his Suruey of the pretended
not the word of God which doth or possibly can assure vs we do well to thinke it is his word Nâ—w if the Scriptures be confessedly vnable to afford vs certaine proofe of themselues then in all true consequence of Reason much lesse are they able to direct exempt vs in case of doubt and question infallibly from Errour the rather as D. Reynolds truly confesseth in (h) Confer c. 2. Diuis 2. pag. 68. that it is not the shew but the sense of the Scripture that must decide Controuersies Now from this I infer that if according to the learned (i) The Authour of the Treatise of the Scripture and the Church cap. 16. fol. 75. Whita con Staplet l. 2. c. 4. p. 203. Kempn in Exam. part 1. pag. 69. and diuers others Protestants here cited it is to be determined to vs which is Scripture by the iudgment of the Church which confessedly hath the assistance of the Holy Ghost in infallibly discerning to vs which Books of Scripture are sacred and which not then necessarily followeth the Churches no lesse needfull assistance of the same Spirit in her like discerning vnto vs the sense of the said Scripture for what auayleth it vs to be made certaine of the Bookes and least vncertaine of the Sense Or what reason can our Aduersaries alledg whereby to acknowledge the Churches priuiledg in the one and deny it where it is no lesse needfull in the other This inference being granted vtterly ouerthroweth the Priuate spirit in its interpretation of Scripture Animaduersion XLIX IT is a demonstration in confutation of the Priuate spirit interpreting the Scrippture to obserue the different or rather contrary constructions which Luther and Caluin and others giue of that short sentence Hoc est Corpus meum c. Hic est sanguit meus And yet they all do vant of their enioying the said Spirit And therfore it is the lesse wonder that S. Austin (k) Austin cont Maximum Arian l. 1. affirmeth that it hath euer beene the custome of all Heretikes to flie to Scripture alone as it is interpreted by this Priuat Spirit The absurdity of which opinion more euidently appeares since it is certaine that among diuers meere contrary or coÌ„tradictory pointâ— of fayth the Scripture condemneth the onâ— And yet both the maintainers of the said contrary doctrines do flie to the Scripture as Iudge Now what madnes is it for 〈◊〉 man willingly to couet to appeale to that Iudg by whom it is certaine his cause shal be condemned Neither can either of the Litigants put any confidence in the meanes of truly interpreting the Scripture to wit Prayer Conference of places of Scripture knowledg in the Tongues c. since all these meaneâ— are most vncertaine euen by the Confession of D. Whitaker thus writing (l) Whitak l. 2. de Eccles cont Bellar. contr 1. quaest 4 Medâ—â— interpretandi â—oca scripturae sunt incerta c. The meanes of interpreting the obscure places oâ— Scripture are vncertaine doubtfuâ—l and ambiguous Therfore it cannot be otherwise but the interpretation it selfe must be vncertaine Si incerta tum potest essâ— falsa if the interpretation be vncertaine then may it be false Thus far the said Doctour Animaduersion L. TOuching the depressing of General Councells Peter Martyr thus writeth As long (m) L. de votis pag. 476. as we insist in Generall Councells so long we shall continue in the Papists Errours with whom D. Whitaker conspires in these words Generall (n) Lib. de Concil cont Bellar. q. 6. Councells may erre Now let vs see the great and many disparities wherby a Generall Councell is infinitly aduantaged in respect of not erring aboue the Priuate Spirit of any one man First then a Councell I heere only speake of Generall Councells is in S. Austins (o) So doth S. Austin terme a Generall Councell Ep. 161. iudgment The supreme Tribunall in the Church of God The Priuate Spirit hath but his owne braynes for the Seate of his Iudicature A CouÌ„cell receaues its promise from (p) Where two or three are gathered together in my name c. Math. 18. Christ that his assisting presence shall not be wanting thereto The priuate Spirit euen by Gods (q) No prophesy is of any priuate interpretation 2. Per. c. 1. owne sentence wanteth the certainty of expounding the Word truly A Councell is much reuerenced by the ancient (r) Ierom. l. cont Lucifer Ambr. Ep. 32. Athan Epist ad Epicterum Fathers and acknowledged by diuers of our learned (s) D. Couel in his modest Exam. p. 110. c. Aduersaries to be the only certaine meanes of determining Controuersies The Priuate Spirit it that of which we are (t) Dearely beloued belieue not euery Spirit c. commanded to doubt and of whose seducing (u) These things I haue written to you concerning those who deâ—eaue you Iohn 1. c. 2. God himselfe in Scripture premonisheth vs And which is much condemned euen by the more moderate (x) D. Couell in his defence of Hooker p. 86. D. Sarauia contra Respons Bezae pag 306. and others Protestant A Councell consisteth of many hundred venerable Doctours Pastours gathered from the most remote nations of Christendome and therfore the lesse subiect vpon such their meeting iointly and with mutuall consent 〈◊〉 stampe any Nouelismes in Doctrine presenting that only to be belieued in theâ—â— Canons which is decreed by the mutuaâ— consent of all or the greatest number of them The priuat Spirit is but its owne only weening oftentimes dissenting from others of his Brethren in diuers points of fayth To conclude A Councell as being composed of seuerall hundreds of Bishops Doctours hath many members of it most eminent for vertue readines of the Scriptures skill in the Tongues they all besieging the eares of God with their daily prayers accompanied with many corporall austerities and all to the end that God would be pleased so to guyde their tongues and pens as that they may decree only such doctrines as are agreable to Gods holy Word The Priuate spirit as being but one man doth want for the most part not only Vertue but also those other gifts of the Vnderstanding aboue specified as Learning knowledg in the Scriptures c. And as for Prayer and other meanes of pleasing God it reiecteth all this as superstitious and Papisticall relying in lieu therof vpon his owne Enthusiasmes illuminations from the Lord. And thus much touching the balancing of a Generall Councell with the Protestanticall Priuate Spirit Animaduersion LI. IF you attempt to charge a Protestant-writer with Corruptions or lyes in their wrytings of which Impostures their books are most luxuriant rather insist in a few those manifest and vnanswerable then in a great number seing if your Aduersary can make shew to salue but three or foure of a greater number the which he may the more easely do by how much the number of his falsifications is greater
is now forbidden as a thing vngodly 11. That there are any Sacraments of the New Testament instituted by Christ for the good of mans Soule Lastly to omit some others 12. That before the ending of the world Antichrist shall come who shal be a designed Enemy of Christ and shall labour to subuert and ouerthrow all Christian Religion All these points both Protestant and Catholike do belieue and hould that the beliefe of them is necessary to Saluation And yet not any of these Articles are expressed or set downe in the Creed Whence I conclude that the Apostles Creed cannot be a sufficient boundary to containe and limit an auayleable Fayth Animaduersion LXII THe bitter Inuectiues of the Protestants one against another are of sufficient force to discouer their dissentions in doctrine as where Luther sayth We (n) Luther in Thes Cont. Louaniens Thes 21. seriously iuâ—ge the Swinglians and Sacramentaries to be Heretiks and Aliens from the Church of God And to confront this Swinglius thus retorteth vpon Luther Luther (o) Swingl tom 2. in resp ad Luther fol 458. is guilty of high blasphemy against the nature and essence of God c. To descend to the Puritans and Protestants in England we find that the booke entituled Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiasticall printed anno â—604 doth ipso facto excommunicate the Puritans for their maintaining of these positions following as they are there set downe in the Booke The worship of the Church of England is corrupt superstitions vnlawfull repugnant to the Scriptures The Articles of the Bishops Religion are Erroneous their Rites Antichristian c. Now the Protestants do thus râ—quite the Puritans saying The (p) M. Powell in hâ—s consiâ—erations Puritans are notorious and manifest Schismaticks cut of from the Church And againe The (q) M. Paâ—ks in his Ep. Deâ—ic Puritans seeke to vndermyne the foundation of fayth Now add hereto that although infinite other passages might be brought to shew the great discord in fayth among the forraine Protestants yet there is no one more short Argument to conuince this point then to recur to the foure Catalogues of ProtestaÌ„t Books set downe in the later end of the Booke called The Protestants Apology of the Roman Church In which 4. Catalogues one may find about three hundred Bookes written in great acerbity of stile by one Protestant against another The names of all which books are taken out of Coccius his Thesaurus or from Hospinian both which Authouâ—s dyed many yeares since Now if so mâ—â—y Bookes of disagreements in fayth among the Protestants were made within so sport a Tyme how many hundred more might be alledged if one did know all other Bookes written by the Protestant against the Protestant since the death of those two former men Animaduersion LXIII MAny vulgar and vnlearned Protestants and especially the Caluinists Puritans do condemne the Catholike Roman Religion because it defendeth and practizeth diuers Ceremonyes they ignorantly tearming such Ceremonyes Idolatrous and superstitious And there is no one argument more preuayling with such men to auert them from our Catholike Religion theâ— this Now to take a way this scandall oâ— stumbling block I say that if it were God good pleasure to haue his Fayth and Religion of the old Testament which for the tyme was the true Religion to consisâ— much in Ceremonyes as we see it did faâ—â— out in the seuerall Sacrifices appoynted by God In the Tabernacle with the appurtenances and of what matter number and qualityes all things should be as also with prouiâ—ion of Oyle and Lampes The Arke The propitiatory the Consecration of priests the Institution of all vestures vessels and other holy things then belonging to the seruice of God all these to be made performed and done after a strange and different manner as we reade in Exodus As also the Institution of Circumcision consisting in paring away a piece of flesh which serued for freeing Man in that tyme from Originâ— Sinne the preparing and eating of the Paschall Lambe sprinkling the dores with the bloud thereof and infinit other Ceremonies recorded in the foresaid booke of Exodus I say if this was Gods vnsearcheable Will to ordaine these things during the tyme of the Old Law wherein he would haue the Honour Seruice and worship exhibited to â—im partly to consist why then may not our Sauiour institute the Religion fayth of Christians belieuing in him to be attended on with diuers Ceremonyes and yet this without any Superstition or Idolatry Now our Aduersaryes common euasion to this our Argument is to say that God instituted Ceremonyes in the Old Law to serue as figures or Types of things which were after to fall out in the New Law which Ceremonyes were theÌ„ to end vpon the promulgation of the fayth of Christ. This answeare is most impertinent First because not all the Ceremonyes in the Old Law but only some did serue as figures or Adumbrations of things to happen in the New Testament Secondly because the Question heere is not why or to what end the Ceremonyes of the Old Law were instituted but only whether Ceremonyes tending to the worship of God be pious lawfull Therefore I conclude that seeing the Ceremonies in the Old Law were instituted by Gods direction for the worship of him as we read in Exodus c. 8 Ostendas populo Caeremonias ritus colendi let the other secondary end of them be what it will that therefore and by force of Gods proceeding in the Old Law we Christians may not thinke strange that our Sauiour being God and Man would now in the New Law institute and giue to his Church the like power some Ceremonies and pâ—blike Rites wherewith he will be worshipped and wherin part of Christian religion shall consist Now therefore let our Aduâ—â—saries if they can giue any true reasoâ— why the Ceremâ—nies of the Old Law bâ—ing incomparably more in number shall be accounted lawfull and yet the Ceremonies of the New Law or Testament as long as they are reputed but Ceremonies must be râ—puted superstitions aâ— Idolatrous Animaduersion LXIV WE Catholikes charge the Protestaâ—â—â— with ancient Heresies For example wâ— shew how the Manichees according to S Austin depriued Man (r) L. de Haeres cap. 4â— of Freewill Hoâ— â—ouinian (s) Ier. l 1. cont Iâ—â—in Aug l. Haeres cap. taught that Fasting was not mâ—ritorious and Virginity was no better theâ— wedlock or mariage How Aerius (t) Austin l. de Haeres c. 33. taugâ— it to be most vnlawfull to pray or offerâ—â— Sacrifice for the Dead How the Arians (u) L. 1. cont Marin cap. â— reiected all vnwritten Traditions who aâ—â—â— (x) Athanas in Apolog. pro fuga perpetrated Sacrilege against the Sacraments Altars Priests and Religious person How the (y) Austin l. â— Vnitate cap. 12. Donatists taught the Churcâ— of Christ to be Jnuisible How the Deniall 〈◊〉 the Reall Presence was condemned by certaine ancient Heretiks
to be really in the Eucharist since by this reason say they it may become rotten and mouldy and be eaten by myce should passe to the belly and so to the common passage To this I answeare that these supposed indignityes do not touch the body of Christ but only affect the species and forme of the Eucharist which is ioyned with the body Againe seeing our Christian fayth teacheth vs that Christ was included for a long tyme within the Wombe of the Blessed Virgin being a Woman that he was swadled and lapped in Cloaths that then he might fall vpon the earth and might also haue beene eaten with beasts or burnt if so by miracle he were not preserued from such mischances if rheÌ„ he was truly and in his owne person subiect to all these difficultyes without any dishonour what dishonour is it to him if he did vndergo in another forme the former supposed Indecencyes vrged by our Aduersaryes Againe the former Indignityes do no more truly and properly touch the body of Christ then the Diuinity which being in all places can be said to be burnt it being in the fyre or being rotten it being in bodyes that are rotten c. Animaduersion CXXIX OVr Aduersaries draw another argument taken from the vnprofitablenes of the Reall Presence in the Eucharist Thus they dispute The reall being of Christs body in the Eucharist is needles in that seeing the end and fruite of the Eucharist is to nourish the Soule and this nourishment consisting in fayth and Charity may as auayleably be performed by apprehending Christ by fayth as he is only in Heauen it therefore followeth that no profit aryseth from the Catholike doctrine herein which is not by other meanes as well effected To this I answere first that it is false to say that the same fruite is reaped by Christ in Heauen as by receauing him really into our bodies since Experience doth witnesse that by this receauing him in the Eucharist our Fayth Charity Deuotion and Reuerence are more encreased Besides our reall coniunction with Christ affordeth many benefits to the soule which Christ giueth not without this Coniunction no otherwise then he cured all such who touched the Hemme of his garment whom he would not haue cured though otherwise he could if they had not touched it Secondly I affirme It is a false â—â—â—ation to conclude It was not conuenient that Christ should be really in the Eucharist because the fruite reaped thereby may be obtained by other meanes For that is profitable which doth confer any Good though the same good may be obtayned otherwise For one drop of Christs bloud or any other laborious worke vndertakâ—n by him for our good had beene sufficient for our Redemption yet it followeth not that all his paines labours effusion of bloud yea death it selfe were vnprofitably and bootelesly performed Yea God could haue redeemed the world without the Incarnation of Christâ— shall we therefore say that the Incarnation of Christ was needles inconuenient and vnprofitable Animaduersion CXXX WHereas aboue there haue beene alledged diuers testimonies out of the Iewes and ancient Rabins in proofe of diuers Articles of our Roman Catholike fayth particularly of the Sacrifice which the Rabins say the Messias shall make at his comming our Aduersaries seeke to euade the force of all the Iewish Rabins authorities by saying that those testimonies of the Rabins were first forged by Galatinus and fathered vpon the Iewes for their greater credit And according hereto we find D. Whitaker thus to answere Dureus who vrged some Jewish sentences out of Galatinus for proofe of the Reall Presence and Sacrifice Tuum (h) Whitak contra Duraeum pag. 818. in hac causa Petrum Galatinum minimè profectò desideramus nec Haebreorum testimonijs illis indigemus Now to free Galatinus from suspition of forging all such sentences of the Rabins in fauour of Christianity and of Articles of our Roman Religion I answere hereto and say that one Hieronymus de Sancta fide being a Jew and conuerted to Christianity in the tyme before Galatinus whose Physitian he was did write a booke entituling it Hebraeo-mastrix or vindex impietatis perfidiae Iudaicae wherein he proueth diuers points of Christianity from the there allâ—dged â—estimonies and sentences of the said formâ—r Iewes mentioned by Galatinus This booke of his was printed at Franckford anno 1602. Animaduersion CXXXI IT is much obserued how our Aduersaries in answering to Catholike Bookes often giue slip to the argument or authority produced and in lieu thereof either by degrees flye to the state of the Question as though afore it were not acknowledged or to the Scripture themselues only interpreting the same where they may range vp and downe ar large or to some by circumstance meerely accessory to the Question and difficulty disputed of or do vse deceytefull resemblance and exchange of matter subtilly conueyed and brought in by tedious entertainment of prolonged discourse and all this to hold the Reader therewith that so vnespiedly they may diuert the Readers eye and memory being thus fixed vpon their digressions from the authority and reason alledged Here also may alledge their accustomed practize in printing the Catholikes Books at large their answere conioyned thereto in the same bulke or volume Their vsuall imposture then is to cause the Catholike authors words to be set downe in a most little obscure and darke letter or Character thereby to withdraw the Readers eye from perusing and reading it at large whereas their answere thereto they procure to be printed in a fayre and great Character or letter that so they may more easely inuite the Reader to the full perusing of it And this sleight is particularly besides in others manifested in D. Whitakers Answere to B. Father Câ—â—pian his ten Reasons in his Challenge to the two Vniuersities also in D. White his Booke against his Aduersaries entituled The way to the true Church Animaduersion CXXXII YF many miracles were wrought concerning Christs body before and whiles he here conuersed vpon earth may not then a man be more easely induced to belieue the great Miracle of his body in the Institution of the Eucharist A litle before the Natiuity thereof we reade Coâ—ceptus est de Spiritis Sancto At the very instant of his birth Natus est ex Maria Virgine some small tyme after his deathe Tertia die resurrexit vpon his last departure from vs Ascendit ad Caelos In all which passages Nature herselfe was if not dissolued at least suspended yea whi es he here conuersed vpon earth the samâ— sacred body of Christ was sometimes nourished without (i) To wit during Christs fast of forty dayes eating at other tymes did eate without (k) WheÌ„ he did eate with his Apostles after his Resurrection any nourishment thereby furthermore the same body remayning Visible (l) According to Luc. 4. Ipse transient peâ— medium illorum ibat became Jnuisible To conclude â—hrist blessed body did walke (m)
concerne Merit of workes as in Luc. 20. and 21. 2. Thess 1. wherein those said words are vsed they translate them To seeme to be worthy or to seeme only to be made worthy therby to weaken such texts for the prouing of Merit of works But in other Texts not touching the Doctrine of Merit they can be content to translate those words truly that is to be worthy and to be worthy indeed as in this Text O how (*) Heb. 20. much sorer punishment shall he be worthy of who treadeth vnderfoote the Sonne of God Thus much for a Tast Animaduersion CLXXIV THe English Protestant Translation of the Bible is not only by the Catholiks ackâ—owledged to be corrupt and impure but â—so by many Protestant themselues M. â—urges thus censureth of that Translation â—ying How (17) M. Burges in his Apology sect 6. shall I approue vnder my haÌ„d 〈◊〉 Translation which hath many omissions many â—dditioÌ„s which sometymes obscureth sometymes peruerteth the sense being sometymes sensles sometymes contrary To whose Iudgment herein subscribe diuers Ministers in their ioint consent thereof in these words A (18) The ministers in their abridgment of a Booke deliuered to king Iames. pag. 11. 12. Translation that taketh away from the Text that addeth to the Text and this sometymes to the changing or obscuring of the meaning of the Holy Ghost And againe A Translation which is absurd and sensles peruerting in many places the meaning of the Holy Ghost All whose Censures herein agree with the like censure of D. Reynolds deliuered in King Iames his presence in Hampton Court who refused to subscribe to the Communion booke because said he it warranted a false corrupt translation of the Bible Now from hence I thus deduce The Protestants by their owne ConfessioÌ„s haue had as yet neuer any true English Translation of the Scriptures Therefore as yet the English Protestants neuer enioyed according to their owne Principles a sufficient and competent Iudge of Controuersies Since admitting the Scripture were the sole Iudge of Controuersyes in fayth yet this of necessity must be vnderstood of the Scripture as it is pure and incorrupt not 〈◊〉 it is impure and abastarded with false Translations From the Scripture I will descend to the English Communion booke or Booke of Common Prayer This Communion booke as it is euen at this present we fynd to be thus condemned by Protestanâ—s Twenty two preachers in London in (19) The Booke is intituled The Petition of twenty two Ministers in London one Petition did thus charge the Common Prayer Booke saying Many things in the Communion Booke are repugnant to the word of God And againe In the Communion Booke there be things of which there is no reasonable sense There is contradiction in it euen in necessary and essentiall points of Religion The holy Scripture is at graced by it A point so euident that D. Couell rebuketh and censureth other Protestants herein saying The (20) D. Couell in his Examen pag. 179. Communion Booke is boldly despised meaning by the Puritans Grosse errours and manifest impietyes meaning in their opinion are in the Communion Booke So he redargueth his owne brethren Now here in like manner as aboue I do thus argue Yf the English Protestants haue had no forme of Common Prayer published to them but such as is repugnant to the Scripture and in which there is contradiction euen in the necessary points of Religion them followeth that euen to this day the ignorant English Protestant neuer prayed to God auayleably For it is Prayer sorting to the word of God and not what is accompanied with errours which is piercing in Gods eaâ—es See here what dangerous Resuâ—tancies proceed to the English Protestants from their own Brethrens Confessions though most true that as yet they enioy not the Scripture as truly translated nor a pâ—ouâ— set forme of Prayer or Communion Booke Animaduersion CLXXV SEeing we who professe the Roman religion are commonly yea often euen by our Aduersaries called Catholikes therfore I will here briefly shew by laying open the Antiquity of that Title how much we are honored by being so styled whereas other false Doctrines commonly take thâ—ir Denomination from the first Authour thereof or from the Doctrine it selfe Well then (21) Cyril Cateâ—his 18. Cyrill thus writeth hereof Si iueris in aliquam vrbem c. Yf thou shalt goe into any Citty thou demaundest not wherâ— is the Church or house of God for euen the Heretikes say they haue the house of God the Church sed petas vbi sit Catholica Ecclesia c. quasi dicas si hoc petas nullus Haereticorum suam Ecclesiam ostendet But thou demaundest where the Catholike Church is for that name is peculiar to this holy Church the mother of vs all as if thou shouldest say if thou demaundest this no Heretike will â—hew to thee his Church Pacianus Christianus (22) In Epist. ad Sympronianum quae est de Nomine Catholico mihi nomen est Catholicus vero cognomen illud me nuncupat istud me ostendit A Christian is my Name a Catholike my surname by the former J am named by this other J am knowne or discerned And againe Catholicum istud nec Marcionem nec Apellem c. This Name Catholike neither doth it sound or meane Marcion or Apelles or Montanus nec haereticos sumit authores neither doth it admit any Hereticall Authours Now on the other syde how Heresies and their Professours take their appellation this one testimony of Chrysostome for greater breuity shall serue Illi habent (23) Chrysost hom 33. in acta Apost ol quosdam à quibus appellantur prout enim Haerefiarchae nomen ita secta vocatur c. Those men meaning Heretikes haue some men from whom they take their Name for as the Name of the Arch-Heretike is so is the sect called Which saying we find verifyed euen at this day by the words Lutheran Swinglian Caluinist c. Now whereas our Aduersaries by way of retortion call vs Papists To this I answere as is aboue in this Treatise touched that this word Papist is not deriued from any knowne Authour or Arch-Heretike as the words Lutheran Swinglian Caluinist c. but from the Pope and such was S. Peter yea Christ himself Add hereto that (24) Homil 33. in Act 4. Chrysostome as if it were by way of foreseeing we should be called Papists sayth Jt is not hurtfull if Catholikes be called by the name of those who gouerne the Church in the name of Christ so that they receaue not their name from any particular man as Heretikes are named Thus S. Chrysostome To conclude it is to be obserued that we are called Papists only by the Lutherans in Germany and Heretikes in some neere Countryes but we are not so called to omit Jtaly and Spayne in Greece Asia Affrike or in the Jndyes Animaduersion CLXXVI THough the many Controuersyes agitated betweene
which we Catholikes call the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction But to proceede further in this point touching the Booke of Common Prayer in those dayes I will alledge the words of M. Done an eminent Protestant who thus writeth hereof Concerning (38) M. Doue in hit persuasion to English Recusants pag. 31. the Booke of Common prayer when the Masse was first put downe K. Henry had his English Liturgy and that was iudged absolute and without exception But when King Edward came to the Crowne that was condemned and another in the place was made which Peter Martyr and Bucer did approue as very consonant to Gods word When Queene Elizabeth began to reigne the former was iudged to be full of imperfections and a new deuised and allowed by consent of the Clergy But about the middle of her reigne we grew weary of that Booke and great meanes hath beene made to abandon that and establish another Which though it was not obtayned yet do we at the least at euery change of Prince change our Booke of CoÌ„mon prayer We be so wanton that we know not what we would haue Thus this ProtestaÌ„t Now from hence I conclude First that Protestancy here in England is not so ancient as from king Edwards dayes Secondly that it was not at perfection in the middle of Queen Elizabeths reigne For if it had then beene perfect and complete there had beene no neede of a new Common Prayer-Booke For at euery change of the Common booke of prayer there was a change of points of fayth according to which points the former CoÌ„munion Booke was to be reformed corrected And therfore according to the iudgment of men of those tymes it is thus said by M. Parker The day-starre (39) M. Parker against Symbolizing part 2. cap. 5. pag. 4. was not risen so high in their dayes when yet Queene Elizabeth reformed the defects of King Edwards Communion Booke c. Yet so altered (40) Ibidem pag. 37. as that when it was proposed to be confirmed by the Parliament it was refused Animaduersion CLXXVIII THe Doctrine of Recusancy is taught both by Protestants and Catholikes Since both of them hould it a most wicked thing and not to be donne but vnder payne of damnation without finall repentance that a man should communicate only in going to the Church and to heare but a sermon contrary to that Religion which himselfe belieueth to be true For though this Act may seeme to be couered vnder pretence of obseruing the Princes commandement for feare of losing our temporall estates yet in very deed this Act of going to the Church virtually and potentially includeth a conformity in all points to the religion of that Church to the which a Man goeth and so â—t comes to be a dissimulation or rather an absolute Abnegation of that Religion which a man houlds in his soule to be the only true Religion Now that the Protestants do teach the Doctrine of Recusancy I meane not to be present at the sermons or Prayers of a different Religion I proue from (41) Caluin de vitandis superstitionibus extat in tract Theolog. pag. 584. Caluin from the Deuines (42) The Deuines of Germany alledged in this point by Sleydan in Comment Englished l. 7 fol. 87. of Germany from Melancthon (43) Melancth in Concâ— Theolog. pa. 618. from Peter (44) Peter Martyr in his discourse hereof recited in Melancth Treatise de Concil Theolog. p. 394. Martyr and to omit others from D. (45) Wâ—â—eâ— in Synops. printed 1600. pag. 612. 613. c. Willet That the Catholikes do with the like or greater feruour preach and practice thâ— same Doctrine of Recusancy is cleare by the Example in our owne Country where sinne Protestancy was first planted some scores besides of the Laity of Venerable learned priests haue chosen rather to suffâ—â— death in Queene Elizabeth her Reigne then once to goe to the Protestant Church their liues being commonly proffered them if they would conforme themselues and leaue their Recusancy But they loathed such Conditions For the more full proofe of this Verity I add the Testimonies of three most eminent most remarkable Men whose iudgments some yeares past being demanded whether the Catholikes of England might for sauing their goods liuings go to the Protestant Church to heare a Sermon did ioyntly condemne the same as most vnlawfull and impious The men were these Cardinall Bellarmine Cardinall Baronius and Mutiâ—â—Vitellescus now generall of the Order of the Society of Iesus I will heere set downe their owne words The Judgment of Cardinall Bellarmine COnsideratis rationibus pro vtraqueparte allatis existimo non licere viris Catholicis in Anglia Haereticorum adire Ecclesias multó minùs concionibus ipsorum interesse minimè autem omnium cum ipsis in precibus vel Psalmodia alijsque ipsorum Ecclesiasticis ritibus conuenire Ideo propria manu subscripsi Robertus Bellarminus Sanctae R. Ecclesiae Presbyter Cardinalis tituli Sanctae Mariae in via The iudgment of Cardinall Baronius VIsis consideratis quae superiùs diligenti peruestigatione in vtramque partem disputata reiectis omnino exufflatis quae pro parâ—e affirmatiua fuere proposita quòd scilicet liceret Catholicis adire Ecclesias Haereticorum vt superiùs sunt proposita inhaeremus saniori sententie posteriori ab Ecclesia Catholica antiquitùs recepta vsu probata quod scilicet ita facere pâ—â— non liceat quam rogo nostros Catholicos Anglâ—â— amplecti ex animo Caesar Cardinalis Baronius titul SS Nerei Achillei Presb. The iudgmeÌ„t of Mutius Vitellescus then Prouinciall now Generall of the Order of the Jesuits VJdi rationes quae in hoc Scripto pro vtraque parte afferuntur existimo non licere vâ— Catholicis in Anglia Ecclesias Haereticorâ—s adire c. Et puto hoc debere esse extra Contrâ—â—ersiam Mutius Vitellescus Prouincialis Romaâ— Prouin Societatis Iesu Thus much in generall touching the Doctrine of Recusancy mantayned by diueâ— learned Protestants and practised with losâ— of life by many Reuerend Priests here 〈◊〉 England and fortifyed with the iudgmeâ—â— of these three former most learned pious and godly Men. Animaduersion CLXXIX â—He most common abuse in England of taking a second wyfe during the lyfe of â—e first committing fornication induceth â—e to expound those words of our Sauiour â—om whence the offenders herein seeme to â—arrant their sensuall proceedings for thus â—â—r Sauiour in Mathew 19. speaketh Whosoeâ—er shall put away his wyfe except it be for forâ—â—tation and shall marry another doth commit â—dultery from which words our Aduersaâ—es seeme to infer that who doth put away â—s wyfe for fornication and marrieth anoâ—her doth not commit Adultery But this is â—hus answered To wit that this exception 〈◊〉 Fornication is only to shew that for this â—use a man may put away his wyfe for eâ—er but not that he may marry another as 〈◊〉 most playne in 5. Mark c. 10.
and practise of Nicromantickâ— Magi or Wisards and Witches which swarme in all Countryes For these through certaine Ceremonies and Verses are able to call vp the deuills and do cause that they do not â—ly shew strange effects which necessarily â—ply their preâ—ence but also make them to â—peare in a visible forme Yea heere in Enâ—and in Lancashire about some six or seaâ—n and twenty yeares since there were apâ—ehended about twenty witches all confesâ—â—g their witchcraft by help of the deuill 〈◊〉 haÌ„ged at Lancaster In like manner some â—â—ree yeares since or there abouts there â—ere certaine witches apprehended in the â—me shyre and condemned to death by the Iudges of that Circuite Thirdly the same â—erity of Spirits or Deuills is euicted from â—hose who are called Energumeni or possessed persons for two things appeare in them which are aboue humane power One that such as are possessed do speake strange Tongues which themselues do not vnderstand The other that they do discouer things secret or do relate things done in great distance of place as if they saw them openly But these two things afford an euident demonstration of a certaine Superiour Inuisible Nature by the power whereof they are performed To conclude this point of being of Spirits is further euicted from the many apparitions of Spirits which are affirmed to haue been from the testimony of many most probable Histories Now then if there be Jncorporeall Substances or Spirits and these many in number as certayne they are many in number then it ineuitably may be concluded thâ— there is one supreme Spirit to the which aâ— the rest are subiect and at whose command they all are gouerned since euerâ— multitude of things except there be a dependency and subordination to one moâ—â— High begetteth disorder and Confusion This point is further proued from the mosâ— dangerous inconueniences accompanying the contrary doctrine For if among Spiritâ— there were no Order that the rest should not be subiect vnto one at the command whereof the power of them were not to be restrayned then might euery one of them afflict and trouble the World at his owne pleasure might take away mens goods yea euen their Lyues burne and destroy all things finally might ouerthrow all mankind neither could any redresse be found to the contrary Now this supreme Spirit to which they are all subiect we call God who at his pleasure is able to restrayne and bridle the forces and power of all the rest Well then seeing there are many Spirits I here demand from whence this Multitude had its beginning or who brought them into the Word They proceed not from Bodies in that they are of a more excellent Nature then bodies are as also in that bodies do bring forth only bodyes Neither is one of them ingendred of another seeing this kind of generation is peculiar to things which are subiect to corruption to wit that by these meanes the Species and â—ynds of things may be perpetuated whiâ—â— the Nature being extinct in the Parent â—conserued in the Issue Neither lastly can 〈◊〉 be said that euery one of these Spirits â—d their being from themselues so as they â—epend of no other Cause Since granting â—at any thing receaueth its existence beâ—â—g from it selfe it is farre more probable â—at this so taking its existence should be â—ut One not Many Therefore I conclude â—hat this which taketh its being existeÌ„ce â—rom it selfe is but one to wit God alone â—ho is the supreme spirit of all who gaue 〈◊〉 creation existence and being to all other Spirits be they either good or wicked Spirits Animaduersion CLXXXXIX CArdinall Bellarmyne in his booke De ascensione Mentis ad Deum per scalas rerum creatarum taketh his second scala or Degree from the consideratioÌ„ of the fabrick of this whole world and the things created and contayned therein Now in this great world which coÌ„prehendeth all things within it these things following are most wonderfull to wit the Magnitude of the world Multitudâ— of things Created Variety of things Eâ—ficacy or vertue of things astly Beauty of things The which seuerall Heads being with earnest attention pondered haue great â—orce so to eleuate the soule of man as that it shal be â—uen absorpt in the admiration of a certain immense Magnitude Multitude Variety Eâ—ficacy and Pulchritude all which is God himselfe To beginne 1. The Magnitude of the Eartâ— only is so great as that in so many thousaÌ„d of yeares since the Creation of the world yet the whole superficies of the Earth remaynes vndiscouered from Man Now what iâ— the whole bignes of the Earth if it be compared to the comâ—asse and Magnitude of the Highest Heauen It is accounted by the Astronomers to be but as it were a Poynt and this with iust Reason For we obserue that the beames of the Sunne by the interposition of the Earth do so reach pierce the Stars opposite to the Sunne as if the Earth were Nothing Furthermore if euery Starre in the firmament according to the iudgement of the Learned be greater then the whole Orbe of the Earth yet through the almost infinite distance of the Starres they seeme in our Eyes most litle who theÌ„ can in thought arriue to the greatnes of the Heauens wherein so many thousands of Starrs do shyne Therefore if we reade in Ecclesiasticus (1) Ecclesiasticus ca. 1. Latitudinem terrae profuÌ„dum Abismi quis dimensus est what then shall we conceaue of the exteriour superfices of the Heauen of the depth or profundity of the whole world from the highest Heauen to the Center of the Earth Certainly the corporall greatnes of the whole â—orld is of that immensity as that no â—hought or cogitation of man can comprehand it 2. The Multitude of things created by â—ne God who can number For how many Metalls of gould siluer brasse lead precious stones are within the Earth and the Sea And how many Species kynds and Indiuidua of hearbs flowers and plants are vpon the Earth and how many parts are in them In lyke sort how many kinds Species and Indiuidua of perfect and imperfect Creatures as of fourefooted Beasts of creeping Wormes of flying Creatures And what may we say of the Multitude of Men since the first Creation To conclude how many starres are there in Heauen and how many Angells aboue the Heauens And of the starres thus we read (2) Genes 15. Numera stellas si potes Now here we are to obserue that God would haue himselfe knowne of Man in some sort and because not any one Creature could aptly represent the infinite perfection of the Creatour therefore God did multiply Creatures and gaue a certaine goodnes and perfection to euery Creature that thereby iudgment might be made of the goodnes and perfection of â—he Creatour who contayneth infinite perfâ—ctions vnder the perfection of one mosâ— simple Essence Euen as one peece of gold contayneth the valew and worth of many
peeces of siluer 3. Touching the Variety of Creatures we are to conceaue that though the Multitude of things created doth argue a multiplicious perfection of one God notwithstanding the Variety of things which appeareth in this multiplication is far more admirable and sooner leadeth man to the knowledge of God Seing to vary formes almost after an infinite manner which God hath done in the Creation of things is a most diuine worke and most worthy of admiration I do omit the kynds and species of things which are most various and diuers How great a disparity is there in the Jndiuidua of hearbs plants flowers fruites Are not the formes colours smels sapours or tasts of them diuersifyed almost after an infinite maner And is not the like to be obserued in liuing Creatures To speake only of Men In a huge Multitude of Men there cannot be two found altogether like The which poynt is in like manner obseruable in Starrs and Angels for we reade (3) 1. Cor. 15. Stella à stella differt in claritate And S. Thomas (4) 1. Part. quaest 50. act 4. affirmeth that the Angels though they exceed all corporall things in number do diffâ—r among themselues not only Indiuiaua Numero but also forma specifica Here next followeth to speake of the vertue and efficacy which God hath implanted in all things created that thereby we may better ascend to vnderstand the infinite vertue of the Creatour seing there is nothing created which hath not an admirable vertue or power or efficacy A peece of earth or stone falling downe from a great height with what a force doth it descend The water which gently and mildly slydeth vpon the superficies of the earth when it swelleth in flouds or torrents ouerthroweth all things in its way as houses wals of Cittyes and the like The Wynds which at other tymes most sweetly breathe do cast great ships vpon the Rockes and pull vp by the rootes Old huge Oakes In lyke sort the fyre doth instantly increase into so great a flame as that it euen deuoureth houses and woods in a moment of tyme. To descend to Hearbs How various are their vertues Touching stones and particularly the Loadstone what admirable vertue is discouered therein To conclude touching liuing Creatures we see some of them to be most strong as Lyons Beares Buls c. Others though most litle yet most witty as Aunts spiders Bees Apes and the like I here omit the power of the Angels the vertue of the Sunne and Stars and rest in the wit of Men by the which so many Arts are inuented as that we haue some Reason to doubt wheâ—her Nature doth surmount Art or Art Nature It remayneth that in this place we take into our consideration the pulchritude beauty of things created according to those words of the psalmist (5) Psal â—1 Delectasti me Domine in factura And truly as all things are good which God made so also are they all fayre For example the beauty of a springing Garden of an Orchard well cultiuated is great great also is the beauty of the calme Sea of Riuers of a cleare Element or Ayre of the Heauens shyning with innumerable stars as adorned with so many precious gems Great also is the beauty of the formes of seuerall kynds of beasts the flying of Byrds and sporting of fishes What shall a Man say of the pulchritude of the Stars and Moone but especially of the most cleare and most great light of the Sunne which exhilerateth cherisheth the whole world with its Rysing To conclude how great is the beauty forme of Men and Women Many Men otherwyse graue and wyse haue beene euen bewitched with the fayre faces of women according to those words Propter (6) Ecclesiâ—st cap. 9. speciem multerum multi perierunt In like sort many modest women haue descended vnto that madnes as that for the beauty good personage of men they haue endangered their states dignityes reputation children parents life it selfe yea their owne soules for the loue and enioying of such men as they did hould to be fayre of comlines of grace Thus farre of these fiue poynts to wit of the Magnitude Multiplicity variety vertue Beauty of things created the intense and serious consideration whereof may much further Man as aboue is said to the conteÌ„plation of God from whom onely all these do streame and flowe Animaduersion CC. THe Regall psalmist admonisheth vs in these words Quaerite (1) Psal 68. Deum viuet anima vestra True it is that during our peregrination here we are not able to fynd out and perfectly discerne what God is since we read that God (2) 1. Timoth 6. Lucem habitat inaccesâ—ibilem Neuerthelesse the nearest meanes for vs to discerne what God in his owne Essence is may be taken from the contemplation of Mans Soule In regard then hereof I will in this Animaduersion brieffly contract what the learned Cardinall Belarmine hath deliuered of this poynt making the consideration of the Soule of man his (3) Iuâ—â—â— booke â—e ascensione ad DeuÌ„ per sâ—alaâ— rerum Creatarum Eight Degree or scale to arriue in part to the knowledge of God in regard of the great similitude in many poynts which the soule of Man beareth to God And to beginne with these Resemblances First then the Soule of Man is a spirit that is an incorporeall Substance so God is a spirit for we reade (4) Ioan. 4. Spiritus est Deus Yet here is the difference that God is a spirit increated the Creatour The soule of man a spirit also but Created Secondly The soule of Man because it is a simple Spirit is therfore immortall since it hath nothing in it selfe from whence it may receaue its corruption coÌ„trary to the soules of beasts or irrationall Creatures yet the disparity herein also is that the Soule of Man sometymes was not and only through the will pleasure of God arriueth to its essence and being and by the will of the same God may be reduced to nothing though in it selfe it hath not as aboue is said any cause or principle of its Corruption But God himselfe is not only Jmmortall but also sempiternall and therefore with reference to sempiternall Immortality as I may tearme it it was truly said of the Apostle speaking of God Qui solus 5 habet immortalitatem Thirdly The soule of man is endued with the light of Vnderstanding and Reason For it knoweth not onely colours sapours smels sounds Heate Cold and the rest which lye open to the senses of the body But it doth also iudge of the substance of things and of things not onely singular but vniuersall and doth not know things only present but also coÌ„iectureth of things to come and by discourse ascendeth to the Heauens obseruing and demonstrating the particular phaynomena or Apparences of their Motions In like sort she searcheth the effects out of the Causes and from the