men did iudge of Bishops That if we looke into Scripture or ancient tymes Bishops vsed to iudge of Christian Emperours not Emperours of Bishops Thus S. Ambrose imitating S. Athanasius who sayd When was it euer heard that the iudgement of the Church did receaue authority from the Emperour Many synods and iudgements haue beene yet did neither any Bishops persuade any Emperour any such thing nor any Prince shew himselfe curious in any Ecclesiasticall affaires Valens the Arian was asked by Eulogius the Priest in Edessa Hath the Emperour the dignity of Priesthood we haue a Pastour whome we must obey Anastasius the Eutichian was told by Gelasius the Pope That though he did rule ouer mē in earthly things yet he did subiect his necke to the Prelates in diuine thinges Thou knowest that thou oughtest to be ruled nor to rule in order of religion thou knowest that thou art to depend of this iudgement not they to be brought to thy will S. Mauritius was admonished by S. Gregory the great That Priests are as Gods among men therefore ought to be honoured of all Kinges And Michael was let vnderstand the same by the Nicolas 1. Leo the Image-breaker was told by S. Iohn Damascene That the Church ought to be ruled not by lawes of Kinges but by the written and not written institutions of Ancestours And to conclude S. Iohn Chrysostome sayd freely to his owne Deacon If any Duke Consull or the Emperour himselfe come vnworthily represse repell him thou hast greater power then he Where we may note that these Emperous were thus by these Fathers reprehended for assuming Ecclesiasticall iudgment either as Heretiks or as Tyrants nor yet for doing it alone without the Bishops but only and simply as Emperours who hauing only temporall power ouer the common-wealth did assume Ecclesiastical ouer the Church Which also is further proued by the confession and practise of the best of the Christian Emperours for Constantine the Great acknowledged that the Bishops had power to iudge him and when he did iudge of the cause of Caecilianus Bishop of Carthage he did it so that he asked pardon of the Bishops for it Valentinian the elder would haue them to iudge in a cause of fayth and ecclesiasticall order who are not vnlik either in office or title that is Priests of Priests Marcians commissioners referred themselues to the Councell of Calcedon to be taught in fayth and himselfe wills that Priests determine what is to be obserued in Religiō And though he himselfe went to the Councell yet it was not to determine but confirme the fayth not prescribing lawes sayth S. Ambrose but leauing the Priests free iudgement and making the Priests themselues Iudges as he did in the Councell of Aquileia Theodosius the second sent to the Councell of Ephesus but not so much as to talke of matters of Fayth holding it vnlawfull for those who are not of Episcopall order to medle in Ecclesiasticall affaires The same did Iustinian in his Constitutions and Basil in the eight generall Councell Thirdly because power not only to preach but much more to iudge of doctrine of fayth for the authority to iudge is the strong meat of perfect men whose senses are exercised to the discerning of good and euill was committed to Bishops as of greater difficulty then the office or preaching giuen to Priests and is a spirituall grace or guift giuen by imposition of handes to spirituall men according to that of the Apostle Neglect not the grace that is in thee which is giuen thee by prophecy with imposition of the handes of Priesthood Therefore as power to minister Sacraments is proper to Priests so also to iudge of Controuersies is proper to Bishops lawfully ordained by authority successiuely descending from the Apostles For which cause to Priests and Prelates not to Kings and Princes it is sayd Thou shalt seeke the law out of the mouth of the Priest My wordes shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of thy seedes seed for euer I will giue you mouth and wisedome which all your aduersaryes shall not be able to resist It is not you that speak but the spirit of my Father which speaketh in you He that heareth you heareth me He that knoweth God heareth vs. He that is not of God heareth vs not sayth one of the spirituall Pastours for which guift Caiphas prophesy was a guift of his functiō or priesthood according to S. Augustine though his ill life was the cause of ignorāce of what he prophesyed Lastly because many inconueniences and absurdities would follow if this authority were annexed to the kingly Scepter not to the priestly function for it would follow that Fayth could not continue one and the same neither in all persons nor in all tymes nor in all Countryes because Princes in all tymes and places are of disposition various in iudgement different in faction opposite and in subordination neither depending one of another nor alwayes respecting Religion or Religious persons more then may besteed them for their temporall and priuate endes and vses Wherefore as Ieroboam of old and Queene Elizabeth of late did relinquish the old and introduce a new Religion for reasons more politicke then diuine rather to establish their doubtfull titles then religiously to serue God so would Kinges by vertue of this their authority if it were in them either in policy or vpon affection be still altering Religions and setting vp new most for their owne endes and dispositions by which we should haue as many alterations of Religion as of Kinges and as many Churches as are Kingdomes and as great opposition in Faith as is in States and Common-wealthes All which may appeare by an example in Englād where while the authority in iudging in matters of faith was in the Prelats religion continued 900. yeares the same from Ethelbert till Henry the eight but after that power of iudging was assumed to the scepter by King Henry the 8. the supremacy by one the same King was in three yeares thrice changed from the Pope to the Clergy from the Clergy to the Archbishop from the Archbishop to the King and afterwards as many religions were a new broght in as Kings were a new crowned to wit one by King Henry another by King Edward a third by Queen Mary a fourth by Queen Elizabeth a fifth of Puritans would haue been vnder the same Queen if power had not preuented it and what may be yet lies in the power of the King and Parlament It would also follow that a man should be obliged alwayes to follow the religion of the King to change with the King and so should not be obliged to be certaine of any or to dy or suffer for any religion but should belieue and preach obserue and practice what the King prescribes
the Church As therfore there are customes lawes Iudges to decide causes ciuill so there is Tradition Scripture and a Iudge to decide causes spirituall and as customes and lawes are a rule not a Iudge to decide the one so also are tradition Scripture a rule not a Iudge to decide the other As well therefore is requisite besides Scripture some other liuing and speaking Iudge in matters of fayth religion to iudge and end the Controuersies among ChristiaÌ„s as is necessary besids Law some other personal iudge in affaires of the Common-wealth to debate and decide contentions among Neighbours The necessity of both which chiefly appeares when either the parties are contentious and not willing to yield or that the law is obscure and wantes explication or seemes contradictory and requires reconciliation or is penned in tearms generall and stands need of some restriction in causes particuler All which sith they fall out as well in Scripture as in common or ciuill lawes some iudge or iudges are as well necessary to expound Scripture as they are to interprete Lawes and thereby to end Controuersies And thus is sufficiently proued that neither Scripture and the word of God nor Princes and Kinges Gouernours of the Common-wealth nor the Lay common people among the Faythfull nor yet the whole body and congregation of the Church of God can be a fit iudge to pronounce sentence and determine matters of fayth and religion Bishops and Prelats of the true Church are this Iudge SECT VI. IT remaines to proue that this iudiciary power and authority to heare and examine to decide and determine as a Iudge authentical and infallible in matters of fayth belongs only to Pastours and Prelates of the Church and that they hauing receaued lawfull ordination by power successiuely descending from the Apostles by which they enter as sheepheardes not theeues and still remayning in vnity without heresy or schisme by which they continue true Pastours not Wolues that they I say thus ordained and vnited are the only and true Iudges of fayth Religion This position as much importing for the certainty of fayth in all persons and mainly confuting the authority of the priuate spirit in euery priuate person is fully to be proued 1. By the authority of the old Testament the practise of the Priests in it 2. By authority of the new Testament and the practise of Christ and his Apostles in it 3. By authority of the Church euer after Christ and the practise of all Bishops Prelates in it First therefore out of the old Testament we haue an expresse law made by God himselfe for this iudiciary authority of Priests in these wordes If thou perceaue that the iudgment with thee be hard and doubtfull betweene blood and blood cause and cause leprosy and not leprosy and thou see that the wordes of the Iudges within thy gates do vary aryse and go vp to the place which our Lord thy God shall choose thou shalt come to the Priests of the Leuiticall stocke and to the Iudge that shall be at that tyme and thou shalt aske of them who shall shew thee the truth of the iudgment and thou shalt doe whatsoeuer they that are Presidents of the place which our Lord shall choose shall say and teach thee according to his law and thou shalt follow their sentence neither shalt thou decline to the right hand nor to the left hand but he that shal be proud refusing to obey the Commandment of the Priest which at that tyme ministreth to our Lord thy God and the decree of the Iudge that man shall dye In which wordes 1. The Priests haue authority and commission to iudge of all causes 2. The people are willed to go to them for iudgment in doubtfull causes 3. Vnder paine of death they are commauÌ„ded to stand too obey their iudgment without appeale to any higher Court of Prince or other In which we may note 1. The institution and beginning of this authority of the Priests in the old Law 2. The progresse and continuance of it 3. The end and cessation of it 1. The institution of it was for all cases of the Law of Commandment of Ceremonies of iustifications that is of the law morall of the ten Commandments ceremoniall of seruing God and iudicial of gouerning the people though in this place be mentioned only two causes that is of blood and leprosy These causes were determined in two Courts or Councells the one greater at Hierusalem called Synedrion consisting of the high Priest as chiefe and 70. with him as assistantes in which greater causes were iudged and appeales from the lower Councell were admitted and this was by God himselfe instituted The other lesser in euery Citty consisting of 23. persons who had the hearing and determining of smaller causes and was by Moyses at the aduice of Iethro his Father in law instituted By these two Councells were all causes iudged of these the Priests were Presidents and Iudges and of the greater the high Priest for the tyme was supreme Iudge whose senteÌ„ce in all causes and vnder paine of death all were obliged to obey 2. The continuance of this law and tribunall-seat doth appeare 1. By the facts of some of the Kinges chiefly of Iosaphat King of Iuda which repaired this Councel being decayed and made Amarias the high Priest President for those things which belonged to God and Zabadias for the office of the Kinges 2. By the wordes of the Prophets especially of Malachy who sends the people to the Priests to require the law from his mouth because he is the Angell of the Lord of Hoasts Of Aggaeus who bids them aske the Priests â—e Law And of the Wiseman who wils his sonne to seeke no further because the words of wisemen are as prickes and as nailes deeply stricken in which by the councel of Maisters are giueÌ„ of one Pastour Therfore this sentence is the last iudgmeÌ„t which admits no appeale 3. The end cessation of this law and Tribunall of Moyses doth appeare by the beginning of a new Tribunal of Christ For as with the death of Christ the obligation of the law the sacrifices of the Law and the prophesies vnder the law ceased and the verity of them being in his passion fullfilled so also the iudiciary power both of the Priest and of the Law diminished as the greater power of the new law-maker Christ increased And the assistance of the holy Ghost by degrees failed them and their Councell as by degrees the power of Christ was more plainely manifested the grace of the holy Ghost more abundantly bestowed of which out of Scripture we haue this proofe and experiment whereas the high Priest with the Priests Scribes and Phaâ—isies gathered three Councells in the life of Christ all about the person of Christ 1. In his infancy at the coÌ„ming of the Wise-men to consult where he was borne wheÌ„ Herod
of beliefe And the Formall motiue or meanes that is reuelation of God is the formall finall and last resolution why we belieue infallibly such verityes to be true So that if one aske by what we are before prepared and disposed to belieue the truth it is by the credible testimonies if by what we are directed guided to know the truth it is by the Churches propositiō if by what we are assisted and enabled to assent infallibly to this truth it is by the habit of Faith if for what and why we doe actually formally and finally assent belieue the same truth it is for the reuelation of God As therefore the Samaritans at the first were prepared by the womans relation who told them that surely it was the Messias who had told her all that she had done to thinke it probable that he might be the Messias and the woman was as it were a proponent or propounding cause to them of him Many of the Samaritans belieued in him for the word of the woman giuing testimony that he told me all thinges whatsoeuer I haue done But afterwards hauing heard and conuersed with our Sauiour himselfe for two dayes they now sayd Not for thy saying O woman do we belieue for our selues haue heard and do know that this is the Sauiour of the world indeed So all Christians are first prepared by credible testimonies directed by Church authority to the knowledge and certainty of that truth but afterwards when the diuine reuelation it selfe as the word of our Sauiour is made knowne to them then do they now formally and finally not for the testimonies of credibility or Church proposition but for the diuine reuelation it self giue firme and infallible assent and beliefe to the verityes or articles of fayth And thus Catholike fayth is that which is for probable testimonies accepted as credible by Church proposed as infallible by an infused habit effected as supernaturall by diuine verity reuealed as truth infallible and necessary to be belieued This fayth is that which is the beginning and ground of iustification the way and gate to saluation vpō which the Church of Christ is founded and is as the life and soule of it which maketh vs members and partes of Christs Church we being by it and Baptisme inserted into his mystical body which maketh vs certainly infallibly belieue either expresly or implicitè all whatsoeuer articles of sayth God hath reuealed to his Church by his Apostles which is a necessary meane instrument or dispositiō to our iustification and saluation without which none are iustified and by which informed with charity all are iustifyed which is one entire fayth in all faithfull who for one motiue and by one proponent cause do belieue all one doctrine which being one and entire belieue as they ought eyther all articles of fayth explicitè or implicitè or none at all which by refusing to assent to any one article in which is questioned the ground of all is by infidelity lost to all and to conclude which distinguisheth a Catholike from an Heretike in that whosoeuer hath this fayth is a Catholike and whosoeuer wants it or looses it is an Infidell or Heretike and so out of state of grace and saluation And thus much for the order and manner of Gods working of fayth by these meanes in vs. Secondly for the necessity and efficacy of these meanes though all and euery one in particuler be ordinarily necessary to true and diuine supernaturall faith the credible testimonies as exteriour motiues to conuince our Vnderstanding that it may prudently accept of this faith as credible and worthy of beliefe the motion of grace and habit of fayth as interiour assistants that the Will may not resist but piously incline to consent determine the Vnderstāding to assent and that the Vnderstanding may obediently yeild assent to the misteries of fayth the materiall obiects as those which we are to belieue and the formall as that why we are to belieue all which are absolutly necessary to make fayth credible free and supernaturall and without them all faith is but humane false or fained yet in respect of vs and of our certainty of beliefe a proponent cause and that infallible which can be no other but the Churches authority is most important and necessary And first that a proponent cause is needfull all grant because faith being by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ some preacher or teacher is necessary to propose and teach vs what is to be belieued by vs for as fayth depends not vpon reason but vpon authority that of God affirming this or that to be true and commanding it to be belieued so this authority thus affirming this verity must be made knowne to vs by some directing or proponent meanes or els we cannot come to the knowledge of it 2. That this directing and proponent cause must be infallible so that it cannot erre it selfe nor propose to vs an errour or falshood to be belieued for a truth is proued for since God requires of vs a certainty infallibility of fayth and this our certainty must be had by some direction and proposition by which it is proposed made knowne to vs what we are certainly to belieue it must needes follow that this Proponent cause must be certaine and infallible or els our fayth directed and guided by it cannot be certaine Thence it followes that they who admit a proponent cause as the Protestants do their church and yet do admit it to be fallible and subiect to errour as all of them do their Church cannot haue any certaine and infallible fayth at all as wanting a necessary certaine and infallible meanes to propose and teach them this certaine and infallible fayth which is confirmed by S. Augustine who sayth That if Gods prouidence rule and gouerne humane matters we may not despaire but that there is a certaine authority appointed by the same God vpon which staying our selues as vpon a sure step we may be lifted vp to God Thirdly this certaine infallible proponent or directing cause is Church-authority which Church that it may infallibly direct vs we securely rely vpon it first Iesus Christ selected and made it not only his inheritance Which he hath chosen Or his house which he builded and gouerned Or his Temple of which himselfe is Priest but also his dearest spouse VVhich he espoused to himselfe alone in fayth and truth As a Virgin pure and vnspotted without corruption Yea as his owne body And one body with him VVhich as head he nourisheth cherisheth and sanctifieth making her glorious without spot And which he hath purchased with his pretious bloud Secondly he priuiledged it first with his owne presence promising to be with it all dayes euen to the consūmation of the world Next with the presence of the Holy Ghost The spirit of truth
that he may abide with you for euer And shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of thy seeds seed for euer And for what end That he may teach you all thinges That spirit of truth shall teach you all truth Thirdly he armed it with all power and authority To remit or retaine all sinnes to bind or loose whatsoeuer is to be bound or loosed in earth or in heauen to correct punish with the rod of correction To excommunicate and deliuer vp to Sathā And to determine all questions or controuersies as it should seeme good to the Holy Ghost and it Fourthly he established and cōfirmed it As the pillar and foundation of truth that being in it selfe grounded in truth and also grounding others in the same it should stand so firmely that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Fifthly he gaue to it commission and charge to teach all nations and to preach the Ghospell to all creatures Sixtly he gaue vs warrant and security that we might safely heare and obey it He that heareth you heareth me Seauenthly he gaue vs charge and command by precept of obligation that whatsoeuer they shal say to you speaking of the Scribes and Pharisies in Moyses chaire but à fortiori of the Pastours and Prelats in Peters Chaire that doe you Eightly he threats and terrifyes vnder great punishment first of danger and of contempt of himselfe by contemning it He that despiseth you despiseth me Secondly of infidelity and losse of his fauour and grace He that will not heare the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and the Publican Thirdly of hell and damnation for euer He that belieueth not shal be condemned All which doe proue not only an authority and that infallible in the Church to direct and teach vs but also an obligation in vs to obey submit our selues for fayth to the direction and instruction of it And least any should doubt of this Church what it is the holy Ghost explicates the meaning of our Sauiour tells vs that it is Some Apostles some Prophets and other some Euangelists and other some Pastours and Doctours to the consumation of the Saints vnto the worke of the ministery vnto the edifying of the body of Christ vntill we meet all into the vnity of Fayth Which Pastours he will giue vs according to his owne hart who shall feed vs with knowledge doctrine And how shall they feed vs by preaching and proposing to vs the doctrine of fayth for as hearing is a necessary meanes to belieuing How shall they belieue him whome they haue not heard so preaching and proposing what is to be belieued by Church-pastours is necessary to hearing so to belieuing How shall they heare without a Preacher By which is apparently proued the necessity and infallibility of Church authority for a propounding and directing cause in matters of fayth and Religion All which may be confirmed First by authority of holy Fathers among whome I will cyte S. Irenaeus and S. Augustine for the rest Irenaeus that learned Doctour and holy Martyr sayth VVe ought not to seeke among others the truth which we may easily take and receaue from the Church seeing that the Apostles haue most fully layd vp in her all thinges which are of truth that euery man that will may take out of her the drinke of life For which those thinges that are of the Church are with diligence to be loued and the tradition of truth is to be receaued S. Augustine sayth The truth of the Scripture is holden of vs when we do that which pleaseth the vniuersall or whole Church the which is commended by the authority of the Scriptures themselues that because the Holy Scriptures cannot deceaue whosoeuer feareth to be deceaued with the obscurity of this question let him require the iudgement of the Church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate In which is affirmed First that all truth is left by the Apostles in the Church not in Scripture only Secondly that the same truth is to be learned and receaued of all by the sayd Church Thirdly that the truth thus receaued is most true and is to be loued and followed of all See more of the Fathers aboue in the first part to whome I add a confirmation out of Luther against himselfe and his followers who sayth that The Church neither can nor ought to teach errours no not in the least thinges since God is the mouth of the Church and as God cannot lye so neither can the Church Secondly by Reason for since of all the rest of the means and rules also of fayth there may be and often is question doubt as for example of the articles which be true which not of reuelation which is reuelation of God which an illusion of the enemy of the motion of the spirit which is of God which of nature which of Sathan of the inclination of the Will which is a pious disposition and which an illuding affectation of tradition which is diuine Apostolicall or Ecclesiasticall which not of Scripture which is true which false of true which is the incorrupted translation which corrupted of the incorrupted trāslation which is the true sense which is false and of the true sense which is to be belieued as fundamentall and necessary which is not to be belieued as fundamentall but only voluntary Of all which since I say there euer hath beene and now is great question contentiō some infallible directing iudge propounding cause is a necessary meane to end these all like controuersies and to settle and resolue vs in the assured certainty of the one or other or els will the contention be euer endlesse and we in our opinions restlesse Among which seeing no other can be assigned but the Church and that God hath giuen so large commission and priuiledge for that end to it as we haue produced it remaines that the Church and Church authority is of all necessary meanes of fayth the most necessary for vs to settle and satisfy vs in the certainty of our diuine fayth And thus much of the order necessity of these six meanes and chiefly of Church-proposition or the Proponent cause How the Protestants want all these six meanes of Fayth SECT III. THE third Consideration is to reflect how that of all these six meanes necessary to diuine fayth the Protestants haue not any one but are defectiue in all These meanes are either External as the credible testimonies which by euidence of reason conuinceth that such a faith is credible and may prudently be belieued and Church proposition which by the credit of authotity assures that the same is true and is to be belieued both which are externall to the person belieuing or Eternall
without interruption of persons or chang of doctrine by a perfect enumeration of successours Apostles and Apostolical Seas vntill this present tyme these our present Prelates Patriarches and Popes We haue the rare examples of millions of Martyrs Confessours Virgins who haue with their bloud life defended and honoured our confessed Faith Doctrine the strange punishments of persecuting Pagans Iews Heretikes who haue with their sword and cruelty opposed and persecuted it In all which we differ from them and haue the aduantage of them in credible motiues 5. For infallible proponent cause as they do not require or assigne any yea as before do expresly reiect all chiefly the true that is Church authority so they cannot produce any which either can be a proponent cause or if it could is yet either infallible or so much as credible for them selues and their Religion For their scripture is not to them a proponent but if it were true scripture a reuealing cause because in it is reuealed truth of which reuelatiō there is need of a proponent cause to declare which is scripture which is among many the true sense of it Their priuate spirit which yet they make their proponent cause is so farre from being either infallible or credible that it is not only most fallible and subiect to deceaue yea and actually doth deceaue and hath deceaued so many but also most incredible without any apparence of probability eyther to them who haue it or to others who follow it that it can be true or direct and declare any truth at all We haue a proponent cause so certaine and infallible which is Church authority that it hath for the infallibility of it the predictions of Prophets the promises of Christ the declaration of the Apostls the confirmation of miracles the approbation of holy Fathers the practise of all antiquity what not all to proue the verity and infallibility of it in directing and declaring to vs what and why we are to belieue And in this proponent cause also we differ and that principally from the Protestants and so haue the aduantage prerogatiue ouer them in the externall meanes and so in all the meanes required to fayth For the priuate spirit in particuler if it were a sole necessary ground meanes of fayth as the Protestants without ground suppose it if euery Christiā lawfully might necessarily ought to rely vpon it which yet none can for the certainty of his Fayth Religion if it were a secure ground to build vpon and a certaine meanes as it is not to attaine to true fayth and saluation yet with as great reason yea with more probability might we Catholikes both chalenge it rely vpon it then the Protestants may or cā And 1. for the certainty of the spirit that they haue infallibly the spirit of God more then we what can they chalēge for it more then we What certainty can they claime more then we If they alleadge their bare word say they haue it we can alleadge ours and say also we haue it If they alleadge Scripture say they haue it for them we also can alledge the same and say we haue it for vs yea and had it before them for that they had what they haue of it from vs. If they alleadge they haue the true sense of Scripture for them and their priuate spirit we can alleage we haue the same and the same meanes to attaine it as they many of vs haue as great learning and knowledge in tongues as they as great a care and desire of truth as they as diligent paines and industry as they as feruent prayer and deuotion to find and obtaine it as they If they alleadge the sense and feeling of this spirit within them we can alleadge and feele as much sensible deuotion and more spirituall as many inspiratiōs illuminations these more certain as great promptnes and readines to obey Gods motions that with more humility then they yea in all these we haue and can alleadge more then they 1. The conformity in iudgement with the ancient Fathers Councels and Church with whome we agree 2. The direction and authority of our holy Mother the spouse of Christ our Church which we obey 3. The subordination and vnion of our selues with our Pastours Superiours of the Church to whome we are subiect subordinate And all this haue we more then they all making vs more certaine then they all better grounded then they So that we may confidently say with the Apostle In quo quis audet audeo ego VVhat they dare we dare what they can we can what they may chalenge for the probability of their spirit we can may chalenge the same yea more then they plus ego with more reason and probability vpon better safety security In the certainty therfore of this spirit if it be secure we are equall with them yea many degrees aboue them Secondly For the necessity of hauing the true spirit of God in vs and the efficacy or effect of the operation of it with vs we Catholikes are so far from denying either that we hould a necessity and that absolute of both affirming that as a principle of our faith that no person whatsoeuer cā truly and duly belieue any article of faith much lesse al nor do any one worke auailable to saluation much lesse saue his soule without the special presence assistāce of the grace or spirit of God in him In as much therfore as concerns the necessary being and working of this spirit of grace of God in vs in some thinges we and the Protestantes agree in other we differ We agree 1. In that both of vs graunt and require an operation and assistance of this spirit of God not only to true faith but also to good life 2. In that both of vs do graunt require this operatiō to be so necessary in euery one that neither right faith nor vpright life can be attained or performed but by it that as the prime principal cause and agent 3. In that both of vs do graunt require this necessary and operating spirit to be so priuate particuliar internall in euery one that it hath an effectual operation or cooperation in him that so effectual that to it is attributed the effect of our conuersion saluation And thus farre we agree Thirdly We differ frō them in these 1. In the name vsual manner of appellation for we cal it the grace of God which as before is of diuers sortes some gratis giuen as the guift of languages cures c. some iustifying as Faith Hope Charity some actuall as excitant adiuuant operant cooperant sufficient effectual the rest before mentioned They call it the spirit or priuate spirit or motion of God as inspiring and working whatsoeuer good is wrought in them 2. We
oecumenicall Councels all of impartiall and authenticall authority which they do not And by this Catholiques are more secure of the true sense of scripture then they haue their faith better grounded vpon the scripture then they and haue their spirit better warranted by God more secured that it is from God and surer combined with the spirit of the auncient Catholicke and Apostolicke Church with the spirit of the holy and learned Doctours and Saintes of God with the spirit of the generall and receiued Councels of Gods Church none of which they haue And by this we haue our beliefe grounded vpon a certaine infallible authenticall sense of scripture which they haue not And thus much of this priuate spirit that it cannot be a fit and certaine Rule or meanes truly and infallibly to interprete the holy scripture THE PRIVATE SPIRITS AVTHORITY To iudge Controuersies of Fayth confuted by Reasons drawne from the nature of a Iudge of Fayth CHAP. VI. The properties of a Iudge of Fayth SECT I. THOVGH the Iudge of the sense of Scripture and of controuersies of faith be all one and therfore that which hath beene spoken of the one might also suffice for the other yet because faith extends it selfe larger then the scripture because the true Iudge of faith from the false may be the more clearly discerned the functiōs of this priuate spirit may be also more plainly confuted therfore I adde in this Chaprer these reasons drawne from the office of a Iudge of Controuersies to shew the insufficiency of this spirit to be a iudge of thē In which we may note for this iudiciary power and authority 1. What it is and what properties and conditions it requires 2. In whome it is and who are to exercise this authority 3. How it is to be ordered and what rules are to be followed in the exercise of it which being distinctly and fully considered the inability and insufficiency of this spirit to make a Iudge of faith will more clearly appeare First therfore we may note that as in a temporall Common-wealth where contentions arise offences are committed and tittles are questionable that besides the lawes established there are necessary also Iudges to determine causes to decide titles and to punish offences so also in the spirituall Common-wealth of the Church where controuersies are of a higher nature questions no fewer in number and the offences more grieuous in quality some personall Iudge or iudges are no lesse yea more necessary to discerne verity in all doubts to establish vnity in all contentions and to punish obstinacy in persons who offend Some Iudge therfore is necessary as well in spirituall causes as in temporall as well for matters of doctrine as of iustice and as well in pointes of faith as of manners This Iudge because all faithfull belieuers are obliged to belieue and obey his sentence as true and iust though not in consequences appendixes of faith yet in materiall and substantiall foundatitions of faith though not in schoole questions pulpit conceites which infringe not the solidity of faith yet in maine articles and principall mysteries of faith vpon which is cōposed a complet edifice of true religion though not in probations and allegations for the proofe of pointes of faith yet in the determinations and conclusions of the points or articles themselues though not in case when is intended only to confirme the weake to satisfy the curious or to confound the proud yet in case when is intended to condemne any doctrine as heresy vnder anathema and to declare and define expresly for the common and publicke good of the whole Church any verity of doctrine formerly by the practise of the Church receaued or by the assent of the faithfull at the least virtually belieued Because I say all faithfull are obliged to belieue and obey this Iudge and his sentence in pointes and articles substantiall defined and concluded by sentence definitiue against heresy for the good of the whole Church therfore it is necessary that this Iudge vpon whome depends the verity of beliefe and the saluation or damnation of so many who by a true or false faith are saued or damned haue these properties or conditions in him in his authority 1. That he be visible and manifest in person so that he may know and be knowne heare and be heard speake and be spoken vnto and therby haue a publicke Court giue publick audience examine publicke causes pronounce publicke sentence betweene parties who contend and in contentions which are debated 2. That he haue power and authority warrant and commission to giue Iudgment pronounce sentence and to compell parties to obedience and performance 3. That he haue warrant of infallibility in this his sentence that he cannot erre or determine errour deceaue or be deceaued in this his verdit corrupt or be corrupted by partiality in his iudgment All which are as it were essentially necessary for this iudge for if he be not publicke knowne in person others cannot haue accesse to him nor he vnderstand the causes of others if he be not certaine and infallible in his sentence he cannot determine matters of certainty nor can others be secured by him if he want authority and power to oblige and compell he cannot end the controuersy and establish peace and vnity in the Church which is the end of his iudgment Further because this Iudge is to haue this infallible authority and that all are obliged to rely vpon him and his iudgment that he may the more securly proceed in his iudgment and others more confidently rely vpon it therfore he must haue some Rule likwise infallible and certaine by which he may be directed in his iudgment and some solid foundation vpon which he may build his definitiue sentence This rule or foundation because it is to be a rule ground of iudgment and that for persons in number so infinit and for causes in substance so important therfore it can require no lesse then these and such like properties for the solidity of it and the security of iudgment by it In respect of it selfe 1. That it be so certaine infallible that it can neither deceaue or be deceaued 2. That it be so continued and not interrupted that it cannot decay or perish 3. That it be so firme and immutable that it cannot be changed or corrupted In respect of the persons whom it is to direct 4. That it be so knowne and visible that it may be discerned by all sortes who haue need of it 5. So markable notable that it may be a signe distinctiue to distinguish true from false beleeuers 6. So necessary and important that without it no certainty can be had 7. So vniuersal general that it may satisfy all sortes of people Iewes or Infidels Heretikes or Catholikes yong or old vnlearned or learned In respect of the matter or mysteries which are to be determined 8. That it be so fundamentall that
it be contained among the chief articles of the Creed or plainly expressed in scripture 9. So sufficient that it be able to explicate determine all articles and doubtes in religion 10. So complet that it containe virtually be able to resolue plainly all questions and conclusions of Faith which may at any time vpon any occasion arise All which are necessary for such a rule and foundation vpon which so important a matter as faith and religion is grounded And this is the first thing to be obserued for the properties and conditions both of the Iudge and his rule of faith The whole body of the Church cannot be this Iudge SECT II. SECONDLY We may note that this infallible authority to iudge of controuersies of faith is giuen neither to the whole body and congregation of the Church of God as the rigid Lutherans with Brentius do hould nor to the secular Princes and Parlamentes as all the Lutherans at first and the State-Protestants of England do yet defend nor to the lay-people and priuate persons as Caluin and the Caluinists do maintaine nor yet is it residing in the wordes and text or scripture as the ordinary preachers pretend but only is giuen to the Pastours and Prelates of the Church of Christ who are lawfully by authority from Apostolicall succession ordained and Catholickly continue without diuision of heresy or schisme in the same and among them principally to the chiefe head and Pastour the successor of Peter and Bishop of Rome All which concerning euery one shall be briefly proued First therefore although the whole body of the Church collected haue the infallible assistance of the holy Ghost that it cannot erre or be deceaued in faith yet hath it not the same assistance that it may ought to be iudge determiner of faith For as in a naturall body the soule doth informe and giue life to the whole body and euery member of it but doth not discourse and giue vse of reason to the whole or euery part but only to the head so the spirit of God assistes the whole Church with the priuiledge of freedome from errour in faith but doth not likewise giue to it the priuiledg◠of authority to teach and iudge of faith and direct others in the same for which cause God hath giuen a measure of donation diuisions of graces and ministrations and made some not al Apostles Doctours Prophets that some may rule others be ruled some teach and others be taught some be superiours to iudge and direct others be inferiours to be iudged and directed and so an order and subordination a peace and vnity may be obserued and kept in the whole body among the members of Christs Church Whereof see more in the next fourth Section Secular Princes cannot be this Iudge SECT III. THIRDLY That this infallible authority is not in secular Princes or their Assemblies and Parlaments either as particuler members of the Church against Melancthon or as Princes and Superiours among the rest against Brentius so that they can and may lawfully and infallibly iudge of Controuersies make ecclesiasticall lawes giue authority to preach and prescribe a forme of doctrine a manner of seruice and an order of Sacraments and sacrifice though it be largely by many proued against the supremacy of Princes in causes Ecclesiasticall and requires a treatise more large yet in briefe it shall by these reasons be proued First because Kinges and Princes are in the Church of God and spirituall affaires as sheep to be ruled and ordered not as sheepheardes to rule and gouerne they are Lambes to be fed by Peter Sheep of the fold of Christ Members of the Church of God and seruants of the family of Christ Thus did the ancient and holy Fathers freely tell and admonish them and the Christian and good Emperours themselues acknowledged it S. Gregory Nazianzen told Valentinian That the law of Christ did subiect them Emperours to his power and Tribunall and that they were holy sheep of his holy fold S. Ambrose told Theodosius the Great that he was a sonne of the Church and that a good Emperour is within not aboue the Church Theodoret sayes of Constantine the Great that as a louing sonne he did propose busines to the Bishops and Priests as Fathers Constantine himselfe cōfesses that God gaue Priests power to iudge of Emperours witnesse Ruffinus that they were bishops within the Church he without it witnes Eusebius Valentinian the elder confesses that he as a laye man might not interpose himselfe in Church affaires but the Bishops and Priestes had care of such affaires witnes Sozom. And that himselfe was to submit himselfe to them witnes Paulus Diaconus And Theodosius the Great obeyed S. Ambrose his excommunication departed out of the Chancell at his command and cōfessed that thereby he had learned to know what difference there was betweene an Emperour and a Bishop witnes Theodoret and Nicephorus Secondly because the offices of the Bishops and Emperours are diuers and distinct the one of bodyes and goods the other of soules and fayth the one of life and death for offences against the King and common-wealth the other of sinnes and sacraments belonging to Gods lawes mans conscience the one is temporall of the kingdome and common-wealth the other is spirituall of the Church flocke of Christ which the hereticall Emperours forgetting were stoutly and zealously admonished and reprehended by the holy Bishops vnder them for the same As for example Cōstantius the Arian 1. by Hosius of Corduba willing him not to medle with Ecclesiasticall affaires nor to commaund them but to learne of them because to him God had committed the Empire but to them the Church 2. By Leontius of Tripolis because being ruler of military and politicke affaires he should not rule in thinges that belong only to Bishops 3. By S. Hilary of Arles wishing him to writ to Iudges of Prouincies that they should not presume or vsurpe to intermedle with the causes of Clergy men 4. By S. Athanasius of Alexandria that he and such who will be Presidents in ecclesiasticall iudgments who will make the Tribunals of the Court the seales of deciding ecclesiasticall causes themselues Princes and Authours of Church affaires are the abomination of desolation yea euen Antichrist himselfe Valentinian the yonger seduced by his wife was told by S. Ambrose of Milane That he had no Imperiall right in thinges that are diuine for the Court doth belong to the Emperour but the Church to the Priest And being called by the Emperour to reason with Auxentius the Arian he answered That if a conference was to be made of fayth it was to be made by the Priestes as it was vnder Constantine who prescribed no lawes but gaue free iudgement to Priests That it was neuer heard that in a cause of fayth Lay
this preaching is deriued frō Mission according to that of S. Paul How shal they belieue him whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a preacher how shall they preach except they be sent So that faith it by hearing hearing is by preaching of Pastours and preaching is by mission from the authority of Superiours Of which the reason is because faith is an argumēt or proofe of things that do not appeare either to our sense or reason but are aboue our vnderstanding and capacity therfore we cannot attaine to it by euidence of reason but by credit of authority To this authority that we may giue credit we must conceaue and heare it this hearing that we may be obliged to accept it must by Church-Pastors be proposed and preached to vs and this preaching that it may the better secure vs of it must be from lawfull mission by ordinary succession deriued and so lawfull mission from apostolical authority infallible preaching or proposition of Pastours and a pious disposition in vs to heare and belieue what is thus proposed are the meanes by which according to S. Paul true faith is attained But this priuat spirit quite ouerthrowes all this excellēt order and subordination ordayned by Christ Iesus proposed to vs by the holy Ghost For first it alone without any disposition of hearing without any proposition or preaching of Church Pastours without any authority of apostolicall mission and ordination teaches and directs in particuler euery one man woman or child which is true Scripture which is true sense of it and which is true doctrine collected out of it therfore euery one thus made faithfull by this spirit stands need neither of disposition to heare what is to be belieued nor of preaching to belieue what they heare nor of mission and ordination to secure them of what is preached because this spirit supplies the effect of all both ordination proposition and disposition of hearing therfore all order and discipline all subordination and subiection all sacraments or preaching are needlesse yea fruitlesse in Gods Church As this spirit secures alone so without Sacraments it sanctifies alone As it instructs all in faith so it corrects all in errours against faith And as it is directed by none but God so it is subordinate to none but God alone obliged to none obedient to none it is immediate as they which haue it imagine from God it wil be subiect only to God it will be directed only by God it alone inspires all what they are to belieue alone works all what they are to do and alone secures all that they cannot faile of their end and saluation and so alone to all is all in all that is the beginning progresse and end of all grace and goodnesse Thus is the spirit to them if you will credit them Secondly It alone hath warrant and commission power and authority in whomsoeuer it is whether he be yonge or old simple or wise vnlearned or learned secular or spirituall to examine censure to giue sentence and iudgment in any cause or Controuersy ouer any Pastour or Prelate vpon any Councell or Church particuler or generall present or past late or auncient For as Caluin and Kemnitius for example by the prerogatiue of this their spirit tooke vpon them to censure and correct by their Examine and Antidote not only the late generall Councel of Trent but also the auncient generall Councels of Nice Constantinople Chalcedon and Ephesus yea the whole Church of God and all Doctours in it for many ages togeather as is before shewed so euery bible-bearing Ghospeller who hath got but a tast of this spirit and can but read the Scripture in English will by the same prerogatiue of this spirit assume to himselfe the same authority to examine the same examiners to censure the same censurers and to iudge the spirit of the former iudges yea to examine censure and iudge all Pastours Doctours Fathers Councells and Churches and to determine which of them haue erred what sense of Scripture is to be preferred and what Fayth and Religion is to be imbraced All which as these new Protestant Maisters first practised vpon the ancient Fathers so these their new discipls haue learned to practise the same vpon them their maisters and do as well censure them as they did their Predecessours and that worthily for what they taught and practised against their Fathers is a iust punishment that their children should learne and practise the same against them That it cannot be a meanes of fayth which requirs credible testimonies SECT VI. FIFTHLY this fayth as it is obtained by piously hearing the infallible preaching of Pastours lawfully ordained and sent so also it requires besides diuine reuelation reasons and motiues of credibility forcible to moue the Vnderstanding to accept as probable this doctrine of Fayth thus by preaching proposed and by God reuealed for as before He that giueth credit quickly is light of hart And reasons of credibility such as are miracles sanctity vnity conuersions of Nations and such like before mentioned doe make a true fayth more credible according to that of Dauid Thy testimonies are made too credible But that this priuate spirit cannot giue any such credible testimonies or produce any probable motiue to conuince any one that it is a true spirit of God or a certaine meanes of faith is proued Because it cannot alledge any consent of people and nations nor any authority of miracles to vse S. Augustines words nourished by hope increased by charity and confirmed by antiquity such as confirmed S. Augustine in his faith it cannot alleadge any vnity which it causeth either with the head Christ or with his body the Church not any sanctity which it worketh by works memorable for piety or miraculous for power and vertue not any consent of vniuersality by which it hath been imbraced in all places at all times by all nations and persons no not in ancient time by any persons renowned for holinesse and learning not any succession of Pastours prelates doctours or saints who haue relied themselues their faith saluation vpon it it cannot produce any one euident either authority of holy scripture or any one tradition of apostolicall time or any one practise of auncient Church or any one decree of generall Councels or any one testimony of learned Doctours or any one probable much lesse conuincing argument of reason that either all or any one man must or may settle his beliefe in it interprete the Scripture by it rely his saluation vpon it deduce all resolutions of fayth all questions of Controuersies all doubts of Religion from it and giue peremptory iudgment and sentence of all Pastours and Prelates of all Saints and Doctours of all Churches and Councells of all doctrine and religion according to the suggestion of it which yet the precise Protestāts do both in doctrine professe and in practise performe That it cannot be a
to bastaâ—dy it is a worke profitable and I hope worth the labour to descend into a particuler confutation of this Priuate Spirit and by speciall and seuerall kindes of arguments such as are the authority of holy Scripture the testimonies of auncient Fathers the principles of holy Fayth the euidency of solid reason the absurdities both doctrinall and practicall that ensue vpon it and the fruits and effects which haue beene produced by it to lay open the deformity falsity and impiety of this Priuate spirit and to shew the inconueniences absurdities and blasphemies which ensue vpon the making it the whole ground of Fayth the sole interpreter of Scripture and the only iudge of all controuersies of Faith Religion which as is before in the former part shewed all Protestants haue done and yet do For the better performance of which vndertaken taske and the more both orderly to proceed and more clearely to vnderstand the same as in the former part we proued six groundes of Christian and Catholike fayth vpon which it is built and shewed that as the Catholikes do imbrace them all the Protestants do reiect and delude them all so it will not be amisse in this part first before we enter the particuler confutation to propose to the iudicious Readers consideratioÌ„ also six helps or meanes by which ordinarily God vseth to worke true Catholicke fayth in the hart of euery true beleeuer and to shew that as they are all and euery one of them concurring to the true fayth of euery Catholik so they are all wanting to all sortes of Protestants and to their faith and religion whereby both Catholikes Protestants may discerne as well by what kind of causes and meanes true Fayth is produced as vpon how solid a grouÌ„d and foundation the same is builded and so al may the better be enabled to iudge whether of the two Religions that is Catholike or Protestant be not only more solidly grouÌ„ded but also more diuinely produced For which we may note that as these six Meanes or helpes are necessary to Fayth so three of them are necessary in respect of the Obiect belieued and three in respect of the Subiect belieuing In respect of the Obiect the first is the Materiall obiect or articles to be belieued which as they are supernatural and aboue the capacity of our vnderstanding so are they to reason not euident and cleare but obscure both in their verity that they are true and in their reuelation that they are reuealed by God and therefore are by fayth for the authority of God affirming belieued And these are the B. Trinity the Incarnation Resurrection Transubstantiation Iustification Glorification and the rest which we belieue The second meane is the Formall Obiect or motiue why we belieue which is the prime verity reuelation or testimony of God who as he hath reuealed all mysteries that we are to belieue and as we are to belieue them because God hath reuealed them so did he at the first reueale them all to the Prophets and Apostles from whome we are to receaue by Scripture or Tradition all reuelations of all mysteries of Fayth whatsoeuer are by any till the worlds end belieued without expectance of new reuelations by any new spirit for so did Christ himselfe make knowne to the Apostles All which he heard of his Father c. And therupon the Apostles are coÌ„manded to preach the Ghospell to all creaturs And all faithfull are sayd to be built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles that is vpon the reuelations made by Christ vnto them and by them deliuered by Scripture or tradition to vs. The third Meane is the Proponent cause or condition necessarily required to our beliefe which as an infallible rule and iudge is immediatly to propose to vs the verity certainty both of the articles reuealed and of the reuelation of them for as the articles are aboue our capacity and the reuelation may to vs be doubtfull and both are obscure and as the Scripture and Tradition are not only hard obscure but also mute and vnable either to explicate themselues or expresse to vs the resolution of al doubts which may arise therefore some Iudge or Proponent cause in respect of vs is necessary which must be not only infallible and vniuersall in it selfe and able without errour to satisfy all doubts but also knowne and visible vnto vs that by it we may know the verity of all both articles and reuelation as also Scripture Tradition which proponent cause except God had prouided and left vs he had left vs destitute of a necessary meanes to fayth which is to deliuer and declare to vs what God hath reuealed and so had not prouided vs sufficient helps to attaine to the certainty of beliefe And this is the authority of the Church of God or the Spouse of Christ as afterwards shall be proued And thus are necessary in respect of the obiect 1. the Materiall obiect what we belieue 2. the Formal obiect why we belieue 3. the Proponent cause to assure vs of the verity both of what why we belieue In respect of the subiect who belieues are also necessary other three helpes First a Speculatiue iudgement of the Vnderstanding grounded vpon credible Testimonyes and probable reasons of perswasions which doe make appeare euident to mans natural iudgmeÌ„t that this faith is credible and worthy of beliefe and prudently may be accepted as more credible more worthy of beliefe then any other of Pagans Iewes or Heretikes whatsoeuer though it be not as yet for these reasons belieued as true These euident testimonyes of credibility which according to diuers dispositions doe diuersly moue and perswade some of them one person and some another and which are only humane not diuine and leaue as yet an impression only of euident credibility not of diuine verity as they are in Scripture required Thy testimonies are made credible exceedingly so are they ordinarily to men of reason so necessary to their conuersion that the Will which is not moued but with reason or shew of reason for nihil volitum nisi praecognitum cannot giue consent to any Verity of fayth except it first be perswaded by some direction of these motiues of credibility Wherupon ordinarily those who are conuerted from infidelity to Christianity without some one or other of these motiues may be sayd to be too credulous for qui cito credit leuis est corde He that giueth credit quickly is light of hart as on the contrary they who are not moued by them sufficiently proposed are Stulti tardi corde ad credendum Foolish and slow of hart to belieue and thereby are vnexcusable from sinne but they who with desire and deligence with deuotion humiliation and resignation do endeauour and duly doe enquire seeke out the truth of Religion are by inuincible ignorance excused from all sinne of positiue infidelity vntill
must needs by consequence hould so for the most part do hould that there are no infused and permanent guiftes or habits of fayth which concurre or help to our Iustification but that all is wrought by the motion of a transeunt spirit which motiō as it worketh according to them in them by it selfe only wholy all internall good workes without any cooperatiō of man or mans freewill so it is only a motion which worketh in whome it will when it will and how it will al and whatsoeuer it wil in man to his iustification and saluation by which it is euident that as in all their opinions they are neyther constant nor permanent but are wafted with euery wind of new doctrine and so fly from the beliefe of one thing to another so they are not guided by any permanent guift or quality but by certaine flashes motions of an vncertaine spirit which leads them from one vncertainty to another and so leaues them in al vncertaine 5. That the Protestants want the first of the eternall meanes or helps of Fayth that is the materiall obiects or articles of beliefe which are to be belieued as reuealed by Christ vnto the Apostles and by the Apostles left to their Successours and by them to vs and posterity is proued 1. Because they belieue many thinges as obiects of Fayth which are not reuealed eyther in Scripture or Traditions of which are many instances giuen in the former parte so do they not belieue many articles which are reuealed both in Scripture and Tradition for which cause they reiect all tradition and in it many mysteries of fayth which the Apostles left only by Tradition and refuse many partes of Scripture and that chiefly because they containe many points of doctrine which they will not belieue 2. Because as they admit many points of doctrine into the number of their articles of fayth which the ancient Church condemned for heresies as contrary to Apostolicall doctrine witnesse the ancient condemned heresies of Heluidius Vigilantius Arius Iouinian and others by them reuiued so they cōdemne many pointes of doctrine as erroneous superstitious or idolatrous which the ancient Church receaued for articles of Fayth as agreable to Apostolicall tradition witnesse all the poyntes of doctrine which the Magdeburgenses and others before cyted condemne as errours and staines in the ancient Fathers in euery age since Christ in both which they erre in the materiall obiects of Fayth as well in receauing condemned heresies for Apostolicall verities as in cōdemning receaued Apostolicall verities reuealed by Christ for erroneous heresyes 3. Because as they admit speciall Fayth only whose obiect is only their remission of sinnes and iustification for diuine Fayth by which they are iustified so all other fayth by which they belieue for example the B. Trinity Incarnation Passion and Resurrection and Ascension of Christ with the rest of the articles of faith vsually belieued they acknowledge for no other but for a general Faith common as well to the damned and Diuells as to them which faith in the Diuel and damned as it is no voluntary and free act proceeding from a pious disposition of the Will nor a diuine and supernaturall worke depending vpon any authority of God reuealing but a meere naturall and necessary act of knowledge◠conuincing their vnderstāding eyther by force of experience or by euidence of reason or by apparent and euident notes of credibility or by some manifestly knowne testimonies of God of the verity of that which they belieue and tremble at so in the same manner their Faith of the same articles by their owne confession is not diuine but a meere humane fayth grounded vpon some generall receaued opinion or vpon some meere human authority and so what they conceaue of the generall articles of faith they do not receaue them as any articles of doctrine and supernaturall fayth but as generall receaued positions humane coniectures and their owne selfe-seeming and chosen opinions 6. That the Protestants want all diuine Reuelation for which as the formall cause and the finall resolution they should belieue al which is by God reuealed is proued 1. Because what they belieue they belieue not for that it was reuealed to the Apostles by the Holy Ghost eyther at Pentecost when it did visibly teach and confirme them or in successe of tyme when vpon occasion as at the conuersion of Gentils it did reueale to them all the mysteries euer after to be belieued which Reuelation made to the Apostles is the formall cause of fayth nor yet for that it is proposed to them by Church infallible authority as a condition necessary to know what is reuealed but for that it is reuealed to them a new by their owne priuate spirit from which they receaue all their directions and certainty both what is reuealed why it is reuealed and also by what meanes it is reuealed 2. Because the meanes by which Christ doth manifest and declare vnto vs his diuine reuelations they eyther plainely reiect or wholy subiect to their priuate spirit for the authority of traditions by which part of the diuine reuelations are deliuered to vs and the Proposition of the Church by which we are secured of the certainty of them they reiect and deny The authority of the Scripture which is an other meane by which God hath reuealed his truth and which they chalenge as the only means both of knowledge certainty of diuine reuelations they wholy subiect to their priuate spirit by which they are assured which is true Canon which is true edition which true trāslation which true sense of it And so for diuine reuelation they haue neyther any at all nor yet any meanes to know or attaine vnto it And thus much of the Protestants want of all the necessary helps meanes by which true and diuine supernaturall Catholike fayth is produced conserued and increased in the soule of euery faithfull belieuer and member of Christs holy body and Church How the Catholikes and Protestants differ in these six meanes and how the Protestants make their priuate spirit the only meanes of all SECT IIII. THE fourth consideration is to reflect vpon the aduantage which we Catholiks haue against the Protestāts and the difference that is betweene vs and them in these meanes of Fayth and how that the Protestants do substitute one only deluding and deceitfull meanes that is this their priuate Spirit in place of all the six former meanes of fayth And first for the materiall obiect they professe to belieue 1. only the doctrine which is reuealed in scripture 2. that only which is reuealed in that one parte of Scripture which they are pleased to accept as Scripture by their spirit 3. that only in that part of Scripture which is according to their precōceaued opinion so interpreted by their spirit so that Scripture alone and that not in whole but in part and that part of Scripture as it is
would haue killed him 2. Before his passion after the raysing of Lazarus to aduise about his apprehension when Caiphas vpon malice aduised his death and as Priest prophesyed of the Iewes saluation by his death 3. At his passion when by false witnes they condemned him as guilty of death and thereupon procured his death In the first the holy Ghost fully assisted them and their Councell that their determination was both true and iust In the second the holy Ghost assisted in part the high Priest in that his verdict of the Iewes saluation by one which verdict proceeded from the guift of prophesy annexed to his Priestly function and in part forsooke him in that is was iniust for that he did vpon malice condemne him In the third the holy Ghost quite forsooke them both in verity of the sentence as falsely accusing Christ of blasphemies and in the iustice of the same as wrongfully condemning him to be worthy of death By which is declared how farre the Priests iudiciary power before Christ did extend it selfe how long it did endure in what manner by degrees it did cease and end out of all is conuinced that neither Prince people or priuate person but the Priest in that tyme had power to decide and iudge all Controuersies of the law of fayth Secondly this authority of Priests and Prelates is proued out of the new Testament and that two wayes 1. By the commission authority which our Sauiour gaue to the Apostles and by their practise of it 2. By the same Commission giuen to the same Apostles not only for themselues and their owne tyme but also for their successours and all tymes ages That our Sauiour gaue this iudiciary power to his Apostles and to them only is proued 1. By the authority and commission he gaue to S. Peter as the head 2. By the same which he gaue to the rest as the principall mēbers and directours of the Church vnder this head To S. Peter as head he first promised it thē he prayed to confirme him in it 1. He promised it in that he promised to make him the foundation of the Church by giuing him the title of a Rocke saying Vpon this Rocke I will build my Church for what a maister is in a house what a gouernour is in a Citty what a King is in a kingdome and what a head is in a body the same is a foundatiō in a building Peter in the Church therefore to Peter was heere promised to be the head the foundation and the Gouernour of his Church 2. In that he promised to make him the Gouernour of the Church in a representatiue manner giuing him keyes of it To thee I will giue the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen For as the deliuering vp the keyes of the Citty to any is a signe of giuing vp the charge and gouernement of it to him so the promise of giuing to Peter the keyes of the kingdome of heauen was a promise of giuing power authority to gouerne as a Iudge the Kingdome of heauen that is his Church 3. In that he gaue him power to bind and loose that is to retaine or remit by way of absoluing or not absoluing to commaund and punish by way of dispensation censure sentence or iudgement not only persons whomesoeuer but also causes whatsoeuer whether of crimes and offences against lawes or in doctrine and opinion against fayth And so the promise was made 1. To the person of S. Peter 2. Of authority to be Iudge and Gouernour 3. In all causes of doctrine or offēces whatsoeuer 4. Christ prayed to his Father for confirmation of this authority vpon S. Peter I prayed for thee that thy fayth faile not and thou once conuerted confirme thy Brethren that is that he might be firme in his fayth and thereby with his power confirme and settle others in the same Out of which Lucius Felix Marcus Leo Agatho Paschalis Popes with S. Bernard after them cited by Bellarmine doe gather the infallibility of S. Peter and the Popes power in iudgment of fayth Lastly Christ inuested S. Peter in this authority and iurisdiction when he gaue him commission and charge to feed his sheep Feed my Sheep feed my Lambes in which he gaue authority to Peter singularly as to one whō he calls Simon the sonne of Iohanna and from whome in particuler he drawes before hand a triple confession of his singular loue to him aboue the rest He giues also him authority to feed that is to exercise all pastorall charge and function which requires 1. That he feed with spirituall food all his sheep within the fold of his holy Church according to Ezechiel Are not the flocks fed of the Pastours And Psalm 22.1 Our Lord doth gouerne me in greeke feed me nothing shal be wāting to me he hath placed me there in a place of pasture 2. That he cure the sheep that are sore gather those who are dispersed reduce them that wander and defend those who are assaulted by the wolues according to that of Ezechiel And my sheep were dispersed because there was no Pastour and they came to be deuoured of the beastes of the field and were dispersed My flockes haue wandered in all mountaines and in euery high hill That which was lost I will seeke that which was cast away I will bring againe and that which was broken I will bind vp and that which was weake I will strengthen and that which was fat and stronge I will feed them in iudgment 3. That he rule gouerne discerne iudge and chastise according to that of Scripture Thou shalt feed that is gouerne my people Israel and be Captaine ouer Israel Thou shalt rule them in an iron rod. Behould I iudge betweene beast and beast of Rams and of Bucke goates Betweene the fat beast and the leane Out of which is apparent 1. That our Sauiour gaue to S. Peter in these wordes feed my sheep a pastorall charge ouer al his sheep that is all Christians who are the sheep of Christ 2. That this pastorall charge consists in collecting curing directing defending and iudging these sheep of Christ 3. That Peter by this charge had power to preach minister Sacraments correct offenders and iudge of all doctrine as chiefe head and Gouernour in the Church of Christ And so it is conuinced that this iudiciary authority was giuen to S. Peter as head of the rest That the same was giuen also to the rest of the Apostles is proued because as Christ did communicate to his Apostles power and authority which was proper to himselfe to forgiue sinnes VVhose sinnes you forgiue in earth shal be forgiuen in heauen and to offer Sacrifice Do this So also to the same did he communicate these priuiledges proper to himselfe that as he was Maister of all One is your Maister Christ so also he made them Maisters
for this end be giuen only to them as it was to Moyses to iudge the people then it was not for the same end giuen to all and euery one of the common people and euery ordinary faythfull person among them The third proofe is drawne from the essentiall partes of an authenticall and infallible Iudge because in this spirit are to be found neither ability to know persons nor authority to iudge causes nor infallibility to pronounce a certaine sentence and iudgment First therefore this spirit cannot know and examine the state and disposition the cause and question of the person who is to be iudged neither can the person who is to be iudged know that this spirit remaynes in him who is to iudge or that authority by it is giuen to iudge For this spirit say they who chalenge it is knowne that it is the spirit of God only to them who haue it how then shall it be knowne to others who are to be iudged by it How shall the people know the spirit of the Pastour that they may be directed by it or the Pastour know the spirit of the people that he may direct thē How shall any conuersation in discipline of good life any communication in doctrine of fayth any subordination in obedience to lawes be obserued among these person vncertaine one of anothers spirit and authority by it How shall the sentence of absolution vpon the faythfull or of condēnation vpon the faythlesse be iustly denounced How shall the doctrine of truth be preached or the doctrine of falshood be confuted and the people obliged to belieue the one and to forsake the other How shall iustice be ordered obedience obserued authority maintained lawes executed and penalties inflicted where neither the inferiour can know the spirit of the superiour vpon which spirit his authority dependes nor yet the superiour can any way force or compell the spirit of the inferiour who yet will chalenge an equality of preheminence and priuiledge of the spirit with him Secondly this spirit cannot challenge to it selfe any such power or authority or shew any authenticall warrant from God that it is the spirit of God either in Scripture Tradition or practise of the Church all which a◠before do reiect and condemne it It cannot exercise any function which belonges to this authority as to censure or absolue to oblige or vnity to punish or reward any fault cōmitted or person committing it It cannot with equality of tryall heare or examine the cause nor denounce and pronounce any sentence which can oblige It cannot admonish threaten terrify and enioyne any punishment by the rodde of iustice It cannot compell correct and punish any delinquen◠by way of exteriour iustice or enforce the one party to yield subscribe and submit to the sentence of iustice It cannot bridle in the hand of the one the fury of iniustice or deliuer to the handes of the other the right of iustice It cannot conuince the one of his errour against truth nor secure the other of his possession of truth It cannot compell the one to cease from wronge or giue redresse to the other in his wrong What power hath the spirit of one man to threaten to command to correct or punish the spirit of another What authority can one spirit alleadge which another cannot as well challenge What prerogatiue of spirit can the Pastour assume of which the spirit of the people may not as well presume Vpon what priuiledge can any superiour stand vpon which and the same any inferiour may not or will not as well insist The inferiour can as cōfidently assure himselfe as certainly auouch and as resolutly resolue himselfe that he hath receaued the spirit of the Sonne of God dwelling in him That he hath the spirit of his sonne abiding in his heart by which he cryeth Abbae Father That God hath giuen him also the pledge of the spirit The spirit of adoption VVhich doth giue testimony of his spirit That his spirit doth search all thinges yea the profundities of God That his spirit doth try all thinges yea prophesyes Doth try all spirits if they be of God And that he is a spirituall man doth iudge of all thinges and himselfe is to be iudged of no man because he hath the sense of Christ and knoweth the sense of our Lord that may instruct him Where is then the authority of the Pastour ouer a flocke endewed with this spirit or the power of the superiour to correct a people full of this spirit How shall the one compell to obey and the other haue the liberty of the spirit not to obey What order or subordination what discipline gouernement can be established among such spirits or men ruled and directed by such spirits Thirdly this priuate spirit cannot giue any certainty or infallibility of the verity of his iudgment for it cannot assure and secure any that it is a spirit of God not Sathan of light not darknesse of truth not falshood of a true not a false Prophet It cannot assure secure any that his iudgment for example of predestination iustification certainty of saluation of only fayth is not a presumption and illusion and rather hereticall then Catholike doctrine It cannot assure and secure others either that the spirit is true or that the iudgement of it is vpright or that the doctrine of it is true all sectes and heresies whether Caluinist or Lutheran rigid or milder whether Protestant or Puritan whether Brownist or Familist whether Anabaptist or Arian whether Swenkfeldian or Libertine challeng it for the certainty of their doctrine as true are taught and directed by it as true and yet some or all of them must needes be false as being contrary euery one to another euery one condemning another and all condemned by the authority of Gods Church and by the spirit of God instructing and assisting it By all which it is apparent that the priuate spirit wanting visibility to be knowne authority to iudge and infallibility to secure cannot be an authenticall iudge of controuersies of Fayth Fourthly the fourth reason against this priuate spirits infallible authority to iudge of fayth is drawne from the properties of a rule foundation of fayth before assigned all which are wanting in it For first it wants the promise of any certainty and infallibility it hath no promise or warrāt in Scripture that it is the Pillar and ground of truth the house the temple the kingdome of Christ that hell gates shal not preuaile against it that he who heareth it heareth Christ who contemneth it contemneth Christ and who obeys it not is as the Heathen and Publican that it shall remayne with euery man shall teach euery man all truth and instruct euery man in all which Christ shall speake to him All which yet are promised to the holy Church and the spirit of God in it Secondly It wants
reuelation thus proposed we settle our last resolution of fayth and the certainty of it as vpon the former credible motiues or humane fayth we setled our preparation or acceptation of fayth and the credibility of it Now if we compare or apply these togeather it will euidently appeare that in neither is committed any Circle because the former that is the acceptation depends vpon credible motiues which are as the Samaritan womans word making it seeme probable that Christ was the Messias and the later that is the assent to Fayth dependes â—pon diuine reuelation which is as our Sauiours word reuealing to them that he is the true Messias and so both haue seuerall grounds and principles on which they depend the one credible testimonies the other diuine reuelation wherby comparing them togeather no appearance of any circular proofe can be found betweene them For the actuall assent and beliefe it selfe whereby we infallibly belieue the mysteries reuealed though we belieue the verity of Scripture reuelations by the authority of Church proposition and Church proposition for the authority of Scripture reuelation whereby Scripture reuelation doth giue vs testimony of Church proposition and againe Church proposition of Scripture reuelation Yet that this reciprocall testimony and proofe is not any proper and vitious Circle is proued First because it is in diuerso genere causa in diuers kinds of causes which before out of Aristotle is admitted for good and lawfull for the testimonyes of Scripture reuelation to the infallibility of Church proposition is causall as a cause and that formall why we belieue and assent to Church proposition But Church proposition is only conditionall as conditio sine quae non to know Scripture reuelation and so they are reciprocall in a different manner of proofe the one that is Scripture à priori as including diuine reuelation the other that is Church à posteriori required only as a condition The former as a formall precedent cause the latter as a subsequent annexed condition Both of them not much vnlike to our Sauiours testimony of S. Iohn Baptist and to S. Iohns testimony of our Sauiour the one as of God and infallible the other as of an holy man credible or to the testimony of our B. Sauiour the woman to the Samaritans the one as giuing certainty the other as proposing credibility of his being the Messias Or to the former example of rationale and risibile of the Sun-shine and the Day of the Vapours and Raine of the opening the Window and the entring of the Wind. All which reciprocally proue one another as the cause and the effect or as seuerall causes And all which doe much resemble the testimony of Scripture to the Church and of the Church to the Scripture which is likewise in a seuerall kind of causality and a different manner of probation Secondly because this reciprocall proofe is not ad omnino idem as Aristotle requires to a proper Circle that is the one is not the totall and sole cause of knowing the other For Church proposition is not knowne only by Scripture reuelation and no other way but also by other proofes signes and credible testimonies conuincing that Church authority is necessary and infallible to distinguish true sense of Scripture from false and to end Controuersies about Scripture And therefore as Aristotle admits that though the premises haue proued the conclusion yet the conclusion may againe proue the premises that in eodem genere causae so that the conclusion be proued by another medium then by the premises So though the Scripture reuelation proue Church proposition yet Church proposition may againe reciprocally proue Scripture reuelation so it be knowne by another meanes as we see it is then only by Scripture reuelation for this according to Aristotle is only an improper Circle and not a bad and vnlawfull Circle Thirdly because this reciprocall proofe is not to one the same person who is ignorant or doubtful of both but to diuers persons and such as suppose the one For to a Catholike who admits as belieued Church propositioÌ„ we proue by it Scripture-sense or reuelation and so an vnknowne thing to him by another thing supposed and knowne to him but to a Protestant who admits as by him belieued Scripture reuelation we proue by it Church proposition so to him a thing vnknowne by another more knowne But to a Pagan who admits neither Scripture reuelation nor Church proposition we proue neither of them one by another but both the one and the other by other probable motiues and credible testimonies more agreeable to his natural capacity and by them persuade him first to accept as credible Church proposition and by it Scripture reuelation by which Scripture and Church or scripture expounded by Church we persuade him to assent and belieue the articles reuealed In all which we proue ignotum per notius the vnknowne by the more knowne to him and so preparing him to giue credit to one do by that induce him to belieue the other By which meanes we still proceed from a thing knowne to an vnknowne to that person and so auoyd the Circle and begging of the question into which the Protestants runne and there sticke fast In which note the difference betweene them and vs for they proue reciprocally and circularly the Scripture by the spirit and the spirit againe by scripture in the same kind of proofe to wit formally as shal be shewed We proue scripture by Church and Church by scripture in diuers kindes of cause to wit the one causall and the other conditionall as is shewed 2. They proue the one by the other no otherwise knowne then by the other as the scripture by the spirit which spirit is only and by no other meanes knowne then by scripture and é contra as shal be shewed But we haue more means to know the Church then by scripture as is shewed 3. They proue one by the other to the same person to wit the Protestant doubtfull of both we to diuers persons who suppose belieue the one so ad hominem by that we proue the other Al which as it is true as presently shal be shewed so it shewes an apparent difference between the Protestant circular maÌ„ner of proofe of scripture by spirit and of spirit by scripture and of our Catholike improper Circle and lawfull manner of proofe of scripture by Church and of Church by scripture And thus much to cleare the imputation layd vpon Catholikes for their circular manner of proceeding in their proofe of scripture by the Church and of Church by scripture The Protestants diuers manners of Circles SECT III. SVBDIV. â— The Circle betweene the Scripture and the Spirit IT remaynes to shew that the Protestants doe seuerall wayes fall into this vnlawfull Circular manner of probation for which we may note how the Protestants for their doctrine of fayth iustification and saluation do make this gradation concatenation
agreable to reason and equity is manifest for either they hould that Christ made no lawes and was no law-maker at al but a Sauiour only who tyed vs to none but freed vs from all lawes and cleared our conscience from all obligation to all lawes from all obedience to all lawes and from any scruple or punishment of transgressing any law naturall morall or diuine of Church or common-wealth of God or of man and by the liberty of his Ghospell gaue vs freedome to do what we will to omit or comit what we will without condition or obligation but only to belieue and assure our selues that we are sure to be saued Or if they admit any obligation of keeping any lawes as the morall law of the ten Commandement or other they auerre it to be impossible to keep them euen for the iust and perfect though assisted with the help of grace whereby they make God cruell in imposing that vpon vs which we are not able to performe vniust in punishing vs for that which he enforces vs to commit vnreasonable in charging vs aboue our ability in punishing vs for not doing that which we could not do As afterward is more at large shewed Fiftly That this faith doth take from Christ all authority either of iudging at all or of iudging vprightly so makes him either no iudge or an vniust iudge is proued Because in a iudge is requisite 1. That he vnpartially discusse and examine the cause 2. That he duely reward the iust 3. That he iustly punish the offender But this doctrine leaues no place for discussion of sinnes because according to it all works are sinnes as proceeding from originall sinne and infected with originall sinne and all sinnes are a like great as equally forbid by the law of sinne which forbids as well and vnder as great penalty at least in generall of death damnatioÌ„ the theft of a pin as of a pound therfore all discussioÌ„ of this difference is needlesse where no difference among them in greatnesse is admitted 2. It leaues no place for reward of God workes in that it admits neither any workes to bee before God good nor any persons to be inwardly iust nor any merit to be possible by any worke or person nor any reward to be due to any merit but where neither worke is good nor person iust nor merit deseruing there can be no iustice of remuneration in rewarding either good works or iust persons 3. It leaues no place to the iust punishing of the wicked for where all persons are either already iudged and sure to be punished as the Infidels and Pagans are for he that belieues not is already iudged or shall not at all be iudged nor punished as all faithfull Protestants shall not who are sure to be saued where the thing commaunded is impossible to be done or the law commaunding doth not oblige to the doing where God doth ordeine that thing to be doÌ„ne and compels the person to do it where the person commaunded hath neither ability to do the thing commaunded if he would nor yet fredome of will to do it if he could there can be no place of iustice in the lawmaker to punish the fact thus committed or the person committing it But so it is according to the former Protestant doctrine Therfore according to the same Christ cannot at the day of iudgment iudge any or at the least not iustly and cannot be either a iudge or at least not a iust iudge according to euery mans works Sixtly That this doctrine doth bereaue Christ of his priesthood and power of sacrificing and offering for sinnes is proued thus As in all states of nature cerimonall or grace sinnes were committed so in all states were sacrifices ordeined for remission of sinnes and priests appointed to offer for the same In the law of nature the sacrifice was voluntary the priest was the eldest of the family In the law of Moyses the sacrifice was determined to certaine beasts birds and meates and the priests were Aarons posterity and the tribe of Leui. In the law of grace the sacrifice is the body and bloud of Christ and the priests are Christs Apostles and who are consecrated by lawfull orders from them Christ as in persoÌ„ so in his Priesthood and sacrifice he surpassed both the eldest of the family in the law of nature and the Leuiticall priests the sacrifice of both for they were only men he was God man they were men sinfull he was not polluted with sinne they as men and sinners are far distant from God to whom like to men in sinne for whom they offer he as participating of God to whom and of man for whome he offers is one imediate with both They offered often and many times as wanting one full price able to make a full redemption at once he offered once for all and that a full price satisfaction sufficient for all They were annointed with materiall oyle of oliues he with internall oyle of Deity aboue his companions They offered sacrifices many in kind and meane in quality all inferiour to themselues he offered one and that most iust euen himselfe and his owne body bloud of which sacrifice himselfe was 1. The priest annointed by his incarnation to offer 1. The sacrifice ordeined by himselfe an hoast to be offered 3. The temple consecrated to God for his holy offering 4. The Altar in his body which was sprinckled with the bloud of this offering for all which reasons Abraham and the Leuitâ—all priests in him and in his soines as inferiour offered tithes to Melchisedech as superiour and in Melchisedech to Christ figured by him as the chiefe of all The sacrifices Christ offered were of two sorts both of them one and the same in substance to wit his owne body and bloud but diffeâ—ing and diuerse in the manner of offering the one on the Crosse the other at the supper the one bloudy the other vnbloudy the one in his owne forme of man visible the other in the forme of bread and wine inuisible The one once and not reiterated as being a sufficient price of our redemption the other often as the application of the former and that often repeated as sinnes are often committed By the one purchasing to himselfe his Church in his bloud by the other conseruing sanctifiyng the same to himselfe by his grace By the one as a cause meritorious deseruing grace pacifying God and reconciling man to God by the other as an instrument causing grace sanctification satisfaction and actuall remission of sinnes for by it as by Baptisme is wrought remission of sinnes and as by fayth hope charity and other vertues is obteined grace and saluation Now sith it is euident that Christ was 1. a Priest 2. According to the order not of Aaron but of Melchisedech 3. For euer Sith it is euident also 1. That a Priest and sacrifice are correlatiue and so mutuall that
a proper fruit and effect naturally issuing from the substance of their doctrine and conformable to the principles of it being borne nourished and increasing together with it and by vertue of it gaining breath strength and ability And first concerning the vulgar and common people For Germany where the Ghospel began 1. Luther confesseth that the world groweth dayly worse that men are now more reuengfull couetous licentious then they were euer before in the Papacy That Before time when we were seduced by the Pope euery man did willingly follow good works and now euery man neither faith nor knoweth any thing but how to get all to himselfe by exactions pillage theft lying vsury c. That It is a wonderfull thing and full of scandall that from the time in which the pure doctrine of the Ghospell was first recalled to light the world should dayly grow worse That no History of the Gentils made mention of so diabolicall malice hatred as is found among those to whom the word is preached The nobility Husbandmen and all are growne so wicked that whereas before in Papistry they had some shew of modesty now they are growne so mad and furious as though they were all full of diuels That Men who bragge now of the Gospell and faith in their words are if they be inwardly examined nothing at all therfore the greatest of those who heare the Gospell do deceiue themselues and with their false faith go to hell That In this only we now shew our selues professours of the Ghospell in that we will communicate vnder both kinds throw downe Images eat flesh and neither fast nor pray This is the witchery of Sathan that he will draw men from the Pope but not to Christ. This Luther of his new conuertites the first fruit of his Ghospell Melancthon Luthers great friend and the glory of the first Protestants saith that The case is cleare that in these Countries all time and care is spent in drinking banqueting and cups that the people are come to that barbarousnesse that they thinke if they fast but one day they cannot liue till the next night Erasmus Sarcerius a prime Lutheran acknowledges that It cannot be otherwise but that lust must preuaile sith fornication adultery are accounted among vs for no sins for old and yong do nothing but drinke and dance And wheras among the ancient Germans an adulterer was not so much as heard off now that sinne is growne so common that it is counted but a sporte and iest and often Adulterers are more esteemed then honest and shamfast men Smidelinus as famous as the rest saith That Since we haue heard that to fast is neither a good worke nor pleasing to God we haue left all manner of fasting and betaken our selues only to bankets and drinkings so that if a man mention but fasting he is suspected that he is turned papist That Our Ghospellers are so far from mending their manners that nothing but bestiality Epicurâ—sme gluttony vsury pride blasphemy and prophanation of Gods holy name is among them And That the whole world may see that they are no Papists nor put any trust in good works they do not any good worke at all insteed of fasting they drinck day and night insteed of praying they banne and curse others And do so horrible blaspheme the name of God that the like is not heard among the Turks And yet this must be so Euangelicall that they notwithstanding dare assure themselues that they haue faith in God haue God propitious to them and are better then Idolatrous Papists Brentius saith that Such is the corruption of manners in these times and such the desire to do wrong that there is no occasion of confiding in good works for why shall they confide in them which they haue not Ioan. Spangenberge saith that It is a true word and often repeated by many Doctors that after the reuelation of Antichrist men wil be so wild that they will neither acknowledge nor haue any care of God but will do as they will what the diuell and the flesh shal suggest This is now fulfilled for since the lies and deceits of Antichrist and the Pope haue beene reuealed men begin to belieue nothing and seing they are free from the bands of popery they wil be free from the Ghospell and all precepts of God and make that right and iust which euery one will Caluin saith that Men of his sect are the most wicked and flagitious of all mortall men yea so wicked that words cannot be found to expresse their wickednesse They are horrible monsters and diuels in mens forme Wolphangus Musculus a prime Protestant confesseth that To tell the truth they are become so vnlike themselues that wheras in the Papacy they were religious in their errour and superstition now in the light of the knowne truth they are more prophane then the very sonnes of this world Andreas Musculus another famous Lutheran also saith The case thus standeth at this present with vs Lutherans that if any be desirous to see a great rable of knaues of persons turbulent deceitfull coseners vsurers let him go to any citty where the Ghospell is purely preached and he shall find them there by multituds It is more manifest then day-light that there neuer among the Ethnickes Turkes and other Infidels were more vnbridled and vnruly persons with whome all vertue honesty is quite extinct then are among the Professours of the Ghospell at this day That to speake of fasting is but to loose paper and tyme the Germans care not now for fasting but for bibbing and banquetting if any shall but mention fasting though he alleadge neuer so much Scripture for it he shall presently be counted a Papist or an Heretike Bucer one of the first and most prime reformers confesseth that the thing which the greatest part do seeme chiefly to haue aymed at by the Ghospell is to cast off the yoake of all whatsoeuer manner of discipline pennance and Religion which remayned in Papistry and to do all thinges according to the will and lust of their flesh For which it is not vngratefull to them to heare that a man is iustifyed by only Fayth and not by good workes to which they haue no desire at all Paulus Eberus a prime reformer with Luther confesseth That our whole Euangelicall congregation is so full of Schismes and offences that it is nothing lesse then that it makes shew to be which while all see with their owne eyes not without cause they doubt whether our euangelicall company be the true Church in which so many and so enormous vices are seene Iacobus Andreas a great promotour of Lutheranisme confesses that Christian and serious discipline commanded by Christ and required of Christians is esteemed among vs new popery monkery for since we learned to be saued by only faith in Christ good works haue been left of sith without them we may
God not only that which was written in paper but also that which was deliuered in preaching by the Apostles We receiue without any addition or diminution that Canon which the auncient Church twelue hundred yeares ago receiued that translation which for as many ages hath been approued that sense which the auncient Fathers Councells and Church euer since Christ allowed that Iudge which hath an infallible warrant from God to iudge truly and impartially of the Canon the text the translation the sense all whatsoeuer is doubtfull And all our practise is to follow the spirit of God speaking in the auncient Fathers Councels Church by which we are secure from errour or falshood about the scripture and sense of it Fifthly For the Church of God they with their priuate spirit dishonor it and derogate from it 1. From the power and authority of it as not hauing according to them any visible head and gouernour assisted with the holy Ghost to direct and gouerne it and to iudge of all causes and controuersies in it and so make it headlesse and vngouerned We honour it in acknowledging it to be a visible and perpetuall Monarchy with a setled and spirituall both Gouernour and gouernement hauing in it an infallible authority to iudge and decide all causes and controuersies 2. They derogate from the visibility perpetuity and infallibility of the same making it not only subiect to errour and corruption but to haue erred and perished or at least become inuisible for many ages We honour it in belieuing that it cannot erre faile perish become inuisible or be corrupted in fayth but that it is the piller of truth against which assisted by the holy Ghost the gates and power of hell and heresy cannot preuaile 3. They derogate from the vnity sanctity vniuersality and succession of the same as notes and markes to distinguish it from all other congregations which they reiect and admit not We reuerence and respect it as one holy Catholike and Apostlike Church which no other congregation is or can be 4. They derogate from the vncontrollable authority stability of the decrees of Councells and from the infallible testimony of the vnanime consent of the Fathers Doctors of the Church both which they at their pleasure censure condemne We receaue imbrace and follow them as guids and directours to truth and as witnesses and testimonies of truth belieuing that which they belieue and reiecting that which they before reiected 5. They derogate from the splendour and beauty of the Church in the state of Prelates in the single life of the Clergy in the retirednesse of the Religious persons in the ornaments of the Churches and in the variety of so many orders and professions all which they reiect condemne as needlesse or superstitious We reuerence and honour the same as tending to the externall honour of God and the magnificence of his Church thereby making the Church beautifull as the Moone elect as the Sunne wel ordered as an Army of men And to cōclude they make the Church the mystery of iniquity a whore a harlot and a strumpet the whore of Babylon drunken with al abominable filth of superstition and abomination of idolatry and antichristianity with which she hath made all the Christian world all Kinges and Emperours and that not for one or two ages but for seauen on ten or twelue or fourteene ages according to diuers opinions drunke with the same cup of superstition abomination idolatry and antichristianity and make it a body consisting of persons whoeuen the best and purest are in all partes and in euery action stayned impure sinnefull vniust and wicked We doe belieue confesse it to be the kingdome the citty the house of God the spouse of Christ the temple of the holy Ghost the pillar of truth which Christ hath purchased washed with his precious bloud made immaculate incontaminate and vnspotted pure holy and perfect before him which no errour of superstition or idolatry can possesse no power of Pagans or Heretikes or Schismatikes or other wicked Christians can suppresse no subtilty of heresy infidelity or Sathan himselfe can supplant destroy or extinguish Sixhtly For the sacraments they from the number of seauen do curtaile fiue and leaue only two and from these two they take away from the one that is baptisme 1. The effect and vertue making it only a signe or seale no cause or instrument of grace and of no more vertue then the baptisme of S. Iohn Baptist 2. They take away all necessity of it making it not needfull for infants whom they will haue saued by the parents faith without it From the other that is the Eucharist they take away both the fruit and the substance of it making it not the reall body and bloud of Christ but only a bare signe and remembrance of it Not any sacrifice offered to God but only a Sacrament signing or sealing grace and therby robbe Christ of all adoration by it as a Sacramēt and of all subiection or acknowledgment of dominion by it as a sacrifice and they robbe the Church of all benifit comfort both by the Sacrament and sacrifice We do admit for seuerall states of persons seuerall sorts of benefits by seauen seuerall kindes of Sacraments all as instruments of Gods power causing grace which assists all sorts of persons in their seuerall states and functions and all excell the Sacraments of the old law For the Sacrament of baptisme we belieue it to be a meanes of regeneration from originall sinne by which all sinne and punishment due to sinne both original actual is fully remitted and by which all persons are admitted into the mysticall body of Iesus Christ in his holy Church and made capable of the benefit of the rest of the Sacraments And for the Sacrament of the Eucharist we belieue that not only i◠conteines the fountaine of Grace but also is offered to God as a sacrifice to apply the vertue of his sacrifice on the crosse for the remission of our sinnes by which is giuen much honour to God and receiued great benefit by Gods Church much comfort to the faithfull both liuing and dead Seauenthly for Faith they and their priuate spirit admit many sorts of faith and in that none at all and make as many faiths as there are priuate spirits in particuler persons and in that destroy all vnity of faith We admit one holy Catholicall and Apostolicall faith one in al and generall to all who in all are directed by one spirit of Gods Church They admit a new and new-deuised faith neuer receiued by any but in some one or other point by condemned hereticks in whom it was condemned We receiue an auncient and euer belieued faith euer receiued and approued by general Coūcells ancient Fathers holy Saints in Gods Church They reiect the grounds of faith as Scripture Traditions Church Councells and Fathers We admit belieue
interpreted by Prophecy was not doctrine or mysteries of faith but either exhortation to piety for edification and consolation or of things secret as future euents or vnknowne faults or facts done by which the secrets of the heart of the infidell or idiot was made knowne and he conuinced and iudged of all therfore it makes nothing for doctrine of faith and interpretation of scripture 4. This manner of Prophecy howsoeuer and of whatsoeuer it was it was not independent and of it selfe free to interprete what and how it will but so that the rest doe iudge that the spirits of Prophets be subiect to the Prophets And so euery priuate spirit must be subiect to the iudgment of the Church and the Churches spirit Fourthly they obiect those places where it is said that All thy Childrē are taught of our Lord Al shal be docible of God Your selues haue learned of God I will giue my law in their bowels and I will write it in their heart All shall know me from the least to the greatest If any will do his will who sent me he shall vnderstand of the doctrine whether it be of God My sheepe do heare my voice do follow me Yow haue no need that any do teach you but as his vnction teacheth you of all things All these places I say do not either ioyntly altogether or particularly any one mention any priuiledge that euery one hath by the instinct of his owne priuate spirit to interprete holy scripture to decide deep mysteries of faith and to iudge of all controuersies of diuinity which is the point auerred by the Protestants denied by vs and in controuersy betweene both 2. In them is affirmed only that God will giue his inward guift of grace to all sort of persons so sufficiently that they may know him his truth and the true way to saluation and by the same may obserue his Commandements and come to be saued In which yet is neither excluded but rather supposed as precedent and an exteriour proponent cause the ordinary meanes of preaching by Pastours and of instruction by them and subordination to them But yet is not giuen to any one any power or priuiledge to preferre his owne spirit before the spirit of the whole Church or to censure the doctrine which is once adiudged by the same which among the rest this Protestant priuate spirit doth assume to it selfe For which we may note that it is one thing to haue faith sufficient for saluation another to haue the guift of infallible interpretatiō of scripture The former is a guift general to all the faythful though they be as yet little ones who only sucke milke though they be as yet carnal not spiritual thogh they be ignorant of many things and haue many thinges wanting to the perfection of their faith Yet they be sealed with the spirit of the promise the pledge of our inheritance haue the spirit of God dwelling in them and so haue the literall verity of all the former places verifyed in them The later is a guift peculiar and proper only to them who by place and function are spirituall and perfect haue their senses exercised to the discerning of good and euill And haue the guift of discerning of spirits and interpreting of speaches And these are they who as tryers and discerners of fayth interpreters of Scripture and haue the guift and power infallible to direct others in the doctrine of fayth who are ex officio the Pastours and Prelates of Gods Church and are as Bishops to rule to feed the flocke of Christ to exhort and reproue with all authority to controule rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the fayth and to denounce to certaine not to teach otherwise And all by that power which God hath giuen them to edification and to reuenge all disobedience and to bring into captiuity al vnderstanding to the obedience of Christ This is the office of the Prelates and Bishops of Gods Church 3. This inward guift of grace or vnction of the Holy Ghost is only an efficient internall and cooperant cause and so necessary to mooue the vnderstanding and will to assent to that which as certaine is proposed but this iudge or interpreter must be an exteriour proponent cause which must deliuer to vs this sense as certaine which being proposed grace doth enable vs to belieue Now all these and such like places are meant of the interiour guift of grace which is necessary but not ordinarily sufficient without a precedent exteriour and proponent cause which is this infallible Interpreter of holy Scripture in Pastours of the Church Fifthly to those places where it is commanded not to belieue euery spirit but to proue the spirits if they be of God and to proue all thinges and hould that which is good is answered 1. That all and euery person of the body of the holy Church is not directed to make this tryall but only the chiefe that is the Pastours and Prelates as when a man is willed to discerne and see not euery member and part of the body is directed so to do but the chiefe members as the head which is to iudge and the eye to see to whose function it is proper and belonges or as when an Vniuersity is directed to examine and iudge of such a booke and doctrine not euery student but the chiefe Doctours of that faculty are so directed and willed so that not euery person and vnlearned party in the Church is to make this tryall of spirits but only Pastours and Prelates to whose function it is peculiar and proper to iudge and decide all such like questions and doubts 2. This tryall and iudgment is to be made not of questions doctrine already decided and determined by the authority of the Church but of such as are yet doubtfull and vndecided For that which is once determined by the generall consent of the Church or Councell is not againe to be examined and iudged by any priuate mans spirit for so the Decrees of Coūcells were both vaine endlesse that therfore is to be tryed which is not before both tryed and iudged and that by those who haue both ability and authority to do it which makes nothing for this priuate spirit which will both try what is before by any Councell iudged and will by euery simple vnlearned person try and iudge it Sixthly to that of 1. Cor. 2.15 The spirituall man iudgeth all thinges and himselfe is iudged of none It is answered that S. Paul to confound the Corinthians who standing vpon their humane worldly wisedome contemned his vnlearned manner of instruction affirmes that they being men sensuall can iudge only of sensuall thinges but he being spirituall and perfect in diuine wisedome can iudge both of things sensuall and spirituall and
these six meanes of Faith Of credible testimonies Of the pious disposition of the habit of Fayth Of the materiall obiect Of the formal obiect Of the proponeÌ„t cause (y) Rom. 10 17. Infallibility Aug. de vtil credendi Which is church proposition (a) Psal 32 12 (b) Matt. 28 1.20.20 (c) 1. Cor. 13.16.17.19 (d) Cant. 4.8 Ioan. 3.19 (e) Ose 2. (f) 2. Cor. 11.2 (g) Rom. 12.5 Eph. 4.4 (i) Ephes 5.25.29 (k) Act. 20.28 (l) Mat. 28.20 (m) Ioan. 14.16 (n) Esa 59.21 (o) Ioan. 14.16 (p) Ioan. 16 13. (q) Matt. 16 18. (r) 1. Cor. 4.21 (s) 1. Cor. 5.3 (t) Act. 15.28 (u) 1. Tim. 3 15. (w) Matt. 16.18 (x) Matt. 15 15. (y) Luc. 10.16 (z) Matt. 13 2. (a) Luc. 10.16 (b) Matt. 18 17. (c) Mar. 16.16 The church that is the pastours of it (d) Ephe. 4.11 (e) Ier. 3.15 (f) Rom. 10. (g) Rom. 10.14 Church propositioÌ„ coÌ„firmed by Fathers Iren. lib. 3. cap. 4. Aug. lib. 1. cont CrescoÌ„ cap. 33. Luth. de anti Eccl. tom 7. fol. 562. Ger. 2. part 10.40 The Protestants want all the meanes of faith Externall Eternall Internall Protestants want credible testimonies which are such as either may 1. Confirme Pagans these are (h) Valentia tom 3. dis 1 q. 1. art 4. pag. 87. c. In respect of Christ Of ChristiaÌ„ doctrine Of holy Scripture Of ChristiaÌ„ Professours 2. Or may confirme Catholikes such as are Aug. lib. cont epist Funda cap. 4. Consent Authority Succession Name Catholike (*) Aug. de vnit Eccl. c. 7. tom 7. Concione 2. in Psalm 30.12 3. Or may reduce Heretiks such as are Vnity Sanctity vniuersality Succession Protestants want testimonies of credibility 1. To conuert Pagans 2. To conuince Heretikes As vnity with the primitiue Church Or among themselues Sanctity of doctrine Of miracle (n) Luth. conc 2. Domin 1. Aduentus (o) Becan de fide cap. 6. num 4. Vniuersality Of name Catholike Of place Of tyme. Succession of Ordination And Vocation Protestants want Church-infallible proposition in that they Disobey their Pastours Disclaime generall Councels And condemn their whole Church of errour Protestants want a pious disposition of the Will By obstinacy by which They fal into heresy Loose their fayth Belieue no truth by any diuine Fayth Separate themselues froÌ„ Christ Protestants want an infused guift of Fayth Protestants want the material obiects or articles of Fayth because they belieue not Traditions nor many partes of Scripture in which they are reuealed Nor many articles belieued by ancient Church and Fathers Not any article by diuine fayth Protestants want the formall obiect of faith or diuine reuelation As not depending vpon the reuelations made to the Apostles but to them selues by their priuat spirit Catholikes aduantage of the Protestants â— In the materiall obiect belieued as belieuing not only what is reuealed in scripture interpreted by their owne spirit But what is reuealed or declared in Scripture Tradition Councells Church-practise Fathers 2. In the formall obiect which we make not sense reasoÌ„ or the priuate spirit But reuelation Ancient General Continued Infallible 3. In the internall assistance of grace Protestants depend only vpon a motion of priuate spirit We vpon a permanent guift seuerall helps of Grace 4. In the credible testimonies they haue none We haue Vnity with the ancient Church With one head VVith our selues Sanctity of doctrine Sanctity of life Of miracleâ— Vniuersaliry of name Of place Of tyme. Succession of Ordination and Doctrine Exampls of Martyrs CoÌ„fessours Doctours Virgins 5. In the infallible proponeÌ„t cause they haue none at all We haue infallible Church authority The priuate spirit might as well be chalenged by Catholikes as Protestants 2. Cor. 11. â—â— About the necessity of the spirit Catholikes Protestants agree Differ 1. in the name 2. In the vniuersality of it 3. In the maÌ„ner of operation of it 4. In the permanency of it 5. In the effect of it what Catholiks assigne What Protestants assigne In respect of the obiect In respect of the subiect â—alu 4. Inst. 17.2 in the French editioÌ„ The priuate spirit not to be belieued The reason The effect of it (a) Act. 20.29.3 (b) 2. Pet. 2.1 (c) v. 2. (d) v. 10. (e) v. 14. (f) v. 19. (g) v. 18. (h) v. 20. (i) v. 21. (k) 2. Pet. 3 16. ReasoÌ„s why it cannot be belieued (a) 1. Cor. 2 12. (b) 1. Cor. 2.11 (c) 7. Cor. â—·12 (d) 1. Reg. 16.14 (e) Ioan. 15.16 (f) 2. Paral. 18.22 1. Tim. 4.1 (g) Es 11.2 (h) Es 19.14 How by what rule spirits are to be tryed Catholikes rule (1) 1. Cor. 12 4.11.13 (2) Ioan. 14 16.26 (3) 1. Cor. 12 2. Protestants rule Cal. in 1. Ioa. 4. v. 1. Who are to try spirits according to Catholikes According to Protestants ConclusioÌ„ (a) Matt. 24 4.5 (b) 2. Pet. 2.1 (c) Ib. v. 2. (d) 2. Pet. 2.10 (e) Ib. v. 14. (f) Ib. v. 19. (g) 2. Pet. 3.16 (h) Ibid. (i) Act. 20.30 The second proof out of S. Peter The scripture is to be interpreted by the same spirit by which it was penned (4) Ephes 4. Chrys hom de spir sanct adorando Clem. ep 5. Cal. in CoÌ„m in hunc locum Bellar. l. 3. c. 6. de interpr verbi Dei Inference ConclusioÌ„ The third proofe out of S. Paul The guift of interpreting scripture is gratia gratis data It is not coÌ„mon to all faythfull Inferences Matth. 7.22 ConclusioÌ„ 4. Proofe out of Ezechiel By whom is described The spirit The persoÌ„s The effects The punishmeÌ„t of it The spirit of false Prophets and Protestants compared Hierem. 29.8 The persoÌ„s The effects Inferences Women seducers Hier. epitom 1. epist. ad Câ—esiph ConclusioÌ„ The fifth proof out of Iob. Eliu the Busite his priuate spirit Eliu the Protestants spirit alike 3. Reg. 22.23 The sixth proofe out of S. Paul admonishing Who is an Heretike Sanct. lib. 2. mor. c. 7. n. 1. Aug. ep 162. Qui sententiam suam quaÌ„uis falsaÌ„ peruersaÌ„ nulla pertinaci animo sitate defeÌ„dunt praeser tim inquam non audaciâ presumptionis pepererunt sed à seductis in errorem lapsis parentibus acceperunt quaerunt auteÌ„ cauta solicitudine veritatem corrigi parati cum inuenerint nequaquaÌ„ sunt inter haereticos deputandi Aug. l. 18. de ciuit Dei c. 51. Qui in ecclesia Dei morbiduÌ„ aliquod prauumque sapiunt si correpti vt sanum rectuÌ„que sapiaÌ„t resistunt coÌ„tumaciter suaque pestifera mortifera dogmata emeÌ„dare noluÌ„t sed defensare persistuÌ„t haeretici fiuÌ„t foras exeuntes habentur in exerceÌ„tibus inimicis Aug. l. 4. de Bapt. cont Donat. c. 16. Why an heretike is to be auoided Tert. de prescript cap. 6. quia in quo damnatur sibi clegit Conclusion The 7. and last proofe out of diuers places of Script (a) Prou. 3.5 7. (b) Iob. 12.15 (c) Prou. 14.12 (d) Is 5.21 (e) Deut. 12.9 (f) Rom. 1.22 (g) Rom. 2.8 (h) Thes 1.8
is the externall litterall sense of the words sometimes doth kill cause errour but the spirit that is the true sense which the holy Ghost intended doth quicken auaileth to saluation But that neither the letter nor the spirit can be a competēt iudge of controuersies is proued 7. Not the letter because the letter or the words in the bare literall sense are occasion of errour and heresy for so they were to the Iewes who in reading of Moyses the Law had the veile set ouer their eyes and vnderstood not Christ contained and signified in the Ceremonies of the law And so it hath beene to all Heretickes who forsaking the sense intended by the holy Ghost proposed by the Church and following the letter expounded by their owne spirit haue falsly vnderstood the scripture grosly fallen into errours Thus the letter deceaued Sabellius who expounding that of S. Iohn I and the father am one of vnity of persons not of substance falsly defended in the deity to be not three but only one person which had three names offices or properties of the father the sonne the holy Ghost creating redeeming and sanctifying mankind as the Patripassiās defended the Father to haue suffered on the Crosse as one and the same person with the sonne Thus the letter deceaued the Arrians who expounding that of S. Iohn The father is greater then I of Christ absolutly and completely as whole Christ not as man according to his humanity did thereupon deny Christ to be God equall to the Father Thus it deceaued the Macedonians who expounding that of S. Paul The spirit searcheth all things euen the profoundites of God concluded not as they ought that the spirit pierceth cōprehendeth all things as God but thus that he who searches doubts who doubts is ignorant who is ignorant is not God and so the holy Ghost who searches all is not God Thus it deceaued the Manichees who held the old Testamēt to be cōtrary to the new because for instance the old said that God created all things That God ceased frō labour the seuenth day That Man was created according to the Image of God And the new said the contrary that the Word created all things That God worketh vntill now And that you are of your father the diuell Not conceauing according to the spirit and true sense that God created all things by the word as by an Idaea that God rested from his worke of creation and yet worketh by conseruation that man was created to the Image of God by nature and of the diuell by malice Thus the Pelagians denying originall sinne to haue descended from Adam to vs literally interpreted that of Ezechiel The sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father not only of sonnes who are not partakers but also of sonnes who are partakers of the iniquity of the father as all are of Adams sinne in whome all sinned and who receaued as head the promise of keeping or losing paradise by precept of for bearing or eating the apple for himselfe and his posterity after him Thus it deceaued others who applying literally that of S. Iohn The flesh profiteth nothing some in the Apostles time to the resurrection of the flesh others of late to the reall presence in the B. Sacrament the one therupon denyed the resurrection of all bodies the other the reall presence of Christs body both vpon one ground not distinguishing the spirituall from the carnall manner of one and the same body By which they might as well inferre that the flesh of Christ by his incarnation and passion profiteth no more then according to them it doth by his resurrection and manducation By which proofe of authority and examples it is apparent that the external letter of scripture cannot be iudge of controuersies That the internall sense of Scripture cannot be iudge is likwise proued because this true sense intended by the holy Ghost is often obscure hard and vncertaine as is certaine and before proued This obscurity breeds controuersies as experience dayly teaches and that these controuersies cannot be ended iudged by scripture-sense is proued 1. Because scripture-sense is the thing in question contention therfore is the thing to be iudged and decided not the iudge who is to giue iudgment and resolue the parties contending in iudgmēt As for example a question is about the sense of those words of the Gospel this is my body of those of the Creed He descended into hell Catholikes vnderstand them as the words import of the reall presence and of the locall descension both of Christs body Protestants expound them of a figuratiue presence by remembrāce of him in the sacrament and of an infernall suffering of hel-paines in his soule vpon the Crosse Now of these senses which is true which false the sense of the words cannot iudge betweene Catholicks and Protestants but some other iudge is necessary to confirme the one and confound the other so to end the controuersy 2. Because many places of scripture are so hard and obscure as the true sense of them cannot be truly discerned but by Church practise and tradition as for example whether those words of S. Mathew Teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost do proue a necessity of the vocall pronuntiation of these wordes for the forme of baptisme as all Protestants with vs do grant or require no more but a mentall intention it sufficing only to baptize in the name of Iesus as Act. 8.26 doth insinuate Whether those of S. Iohn Except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of God inferre a necessity of water for the matter of baptisme as the Lutherans with vs grant and the words import or that the water and the holy Ghost be all one as Caluin expounds Also why the Protestants should not inferre as well a precept and necessity of a sacrament of washing of feet out of those words of our Sauiour And you ought to wash one anothers feet after the example of Christ who did and commanded it as they do out of those of S. Mathew Eat yee drinke yee inferre a necessity of receauing vnder both kinds because our Sauiour did commanded the like Now these and such like require a Iudge to iudge of the sense and reason of them cannot themselues iudge and decide themselues to vs. By which is euident that neither the letter nor the sense of scripture can be a competent iudge of all controuersies of faith and scripture Lastly the same is proued by the analogy of a temporal Iudge in causes ciuill with an Ecclesiasticall Iudge in causes spirituall for as Controuersies aryse in ciuill causes the common-wealth so do they arise also in matters spirituall and