Pope ouer his own family then why the Pope of Rome should bee a father of all christian congregations an absolute Iudge of Scripture or master ouer mens faith Saint Paul commands children to obey their fathers in all things for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord which is as much as if he had said in obeying them you obey the Lord. Again he commands seruants to bee obedient vnto them that are their masters according to the flesh in all things not with eye-seruice as men pleasers but with singlenesse of heart fearing God Both these precepts are conceiued in tearms as generall as any precept for obedience to spirituall gouernours In the precept concerning wiues obedience to their husbands the note of vniuersality is omitted for he saith wiues submit your selues vnto your husbands as it is comely in the Lord not in all things had the Apostle made any mention of obedience vnto spirituall gouernours or were there any hope to comprehend Pastors vnder the name of fathers or masters it would quickely bee inferred the note of vniuersality was purposely added by our Apostle in these latter precepts that men might know absolute obedience without limitation or examination was due vnto the Pope 17 But the holy men of God whose mouthes alwayes spake out of the abundance of their hearts as the spirit gaue them vtterance and were not curious to cast their words in such exact scholastique mouldes as men addicted to artificiall meditations hauing their braines more exercised then their hearts in Gods word vsually doe euen where they seeme to speake most vniuersally for the former are to bee vniuersally vnderstood onely in that subiect or matter which for the present they mind most As when our Apostle commands seruants and children to obey the one their masters the other their parents in all thinges the meaning is as if hee had said yee that are christian seruants be ye most willing to yeeld all obedience that is due vnto masters yee that are Christian children to yeeld all obedience vnto your parents which is conuenient for any children to yeelde to theirs So that the vniuersall note doth rather inioine a totality of heartinesse and cheerefulnesse a perfection of sincerity in performing that obedience which other children ought to their fathers or seruants to their masters then any way extend the obiect of christian childrens or seruants obedience to more particulars then others were bound vnto at the least hee doth not extend the obiect of their obedience to any particulars which might preiudice the sincerity of their obedience due vnto other commanders whilest hee enioyneth seruants to obey their masters in all things he reserues their allegiance intire vnto Princes and higher powers Such must bee obeyed both by masters and seruants by fathers and sonnes Much more doth God when hee inioynes obedience in most ample forme vnto Kings or spirituall gouernors reserue obedience due to himselfe most intire and absolute 18 Yet intire and absolute it cannot be vnlesse it depend immediatly absolutely vpon his lawes vnlesse it be exempt from the vncontrolleable disposall or infallible direction of other authorities Nor can Christ be said our supreme Lord vnlesse our obedience to him and those lawes which hee hath left vs doe limit and restrain all other obedience due vnto any authority deriued from him or his lawes more then a Prince could bee said to bee that seruants supreame Lord or Soueraigne which were bound absolutely to obey his Master in all points without examination whether his designements were not contrary to the publike lawes and statutes of his Prince and Country Wherfore as the oath of Allegeance vnto Princes doth restraine the former precepts Seruants obey your Masters in all things that is in all things that are not repugnant to publike lawes nor preiudiciall to the Crowne and dignity of your Soueraigne so must that solemne vow of fidelity made vnto Christ in Baptisme and our dayly acknowledgement of him for our Soueraigne Lord restraine all precepts in ioyning performance of obedience to any power on earth and set these immoueable bounds and limits to them Obey thy King and Gouernour in all things that is in all things that are not repugnant to the lawes and ordinances of the Great King thy supreame Lord and Gouernour Whilest thou obeyest him thou doest well in disobeying them as well as that seruant that takes Armes against his Master in the Kings defence whilest thou disobeyest him all other obedience is rebellion Yee are bought with a price saith our Apostle bee not yee the seruants of men Seruice according to the flesh hee elsewhere approues he strictly inioynes for that is freedome in respect of this seruitude of minde and conscience in being wholly at any other mans disposition 19 Nor is it more difficult for Christs seruants to discern when gouernours sollicite them to disloyalty against him then for seruants according to the flesh to know when their masters seduce them vnto rebellion so Christian men would feare God as much as naturall men doe earthly Princes Such as feare God are sure of a better expositor of his lawes for fundamental points then seruants can haue for their Princes The transgression of both are easie to discern in the beginning of reuolts or apostasies but the latter more difficult when traitors or vsurpers are grown strong and can pretend faire titles vnto soueraigneties or coine false pedegrees yet is it not impossible for sober and obseruant spirits in such a case to foresee what party to follow vnto such the signes of the time and carriage of the seuerall causes will bewray who haue the true title But this difficulty is none in our spirituall obedience challenged by the Church of Rome for that Church in words confesseth Christ to be the true King and supreame Lord no vsurper which is as much as to say the Pope is an vsurper and a rebell that dares in deeds and substance chalenge the soueraignety from him as you heard in the former dispute by making claime to this vnlimited vnreserued obedience Vpon what grounds especially wee are now to examine by these rules hitherto discussed CHAP. II. The authority of the Sanhedrim not so vniuersall or absolute amongst the Iewes as the Papists make it but was to bee limited by the former Rules 1 ONe especiall place on which they stand is from that Law in Deuteronomy If there arise a matter too hard for thee in iudgement betweene bloud bloud betweene plea and plea betweene plague and plague in the matters of controuersie within thy gates then shalt thou arise and goe vp vnto the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse And thou shalt come vnto the Priestes of the Leuites and to the Iudge that shall be in those daies and aske and they shall shew thee the sentence of iudgement and thou shalt do according to that thing which they of that place which the Lord hath chosen shew thee and thou shalt obserue
they could be made For so it had beene a labour altogether lost yea a matter no lesse prophane then rebaptization to haue confirmed them by suffrages of Bishops after their Cathedrall confirmation by the Pope Euen of his Holinesse himselfe whose verdict as in this case must finally be supposed addes diuine credence vnto testifications in their owne nature fallible and merely humane the question proposed in the former Section remaines still insoluble For without the relation of some Historian or Register or especiall reuelation from aboue no Pope can diuine how many Councels haue beene held much lesse what was finally determined in euery ancient Canon confirmed by the Bishops assembled at Trent Speciall reuelations such as the Prophets had they acknowledge none And yet distinctly to tell what hath been done in times past or places a farre off without relying on others relations is an extraordinarie effect of speciall reuelation a worke of higher nature and greater difficultie then Propheticall prediction of things to come Are then the relations of Historians or Registers of Ancient Councels diuine and authentique Not without the Popes ratification with it they are Yes or else a great part of Roman faith by Bellarmines reason can bee but humane 5 Hence may we safely annex a corollary as necessary as suretable to the maine conclusion proposed for the principal subiect of this section As the Popes authority is by Iesuitical Doctrine made much greater then our Sauiours so may the assistance or countenance of his omnipotent spirit make the reports of any tēporizing Historian or mercenary Register as diuine authentique and certaine as any Propheticall or Apostolicall testimonies of the Messiah Yea if it should please him to authorize Baronius Annals or relations of former Councels their credit should be no lesse than the Euangelists Yea hence it followes as the discreet Reader without further repetition of what hath here beene said or new suggestion of the reasons whereon the inference is grounded will I hope of his owne accord hereafter collect That determinations proceeding vpon any knaues or loose companions testimonies though more loosely examined so examined at all or taken for examined by the Pope shall by his approbation be of force as all-sufficient eyther for producing Diuine beliefe of mens spirituall worth wee neuer heard of or for warranting daily performance of Religious worship to their memorie as any declaration he can make vpon our Sauiours promises vnto his Apostles For we may no more doubt of any Religion he shall authorize or any mans saluation canonized by him whosoeuer be the Relatours of their life and death then of Saint Peters though our Sauiour promised hee should bee saued The reason is plaine The Pope is sole Iudge of all diuine Oracles our Sauiour as you haue heard out of Valentian is but a witnesse and so may others be whomsoeuer he shall admit SECT IIII. Containing the third branch of Romish blasphemie or the last degree of great Antichrists exaltation vtterly ouerthrowing the whole foundation of Christian Religion preposterously inuerting both Law and Gospell to Gods dishonour and aduancement of Sathans Kingdome THat the authoritie chalenged by the Romish Church is altogether preiudiciall to Gods word greater then eyther the visible Church of Israel from Moses till Christ or Christ himselfe or his Apostles eyther before or after his resurrection did eyther practise or lay claime to is euident from the former treatise It remaines we demonstrate how the acknowledgement of this most absolute most infallible authority doth quite alienate our faith and allegeance from God and the Trinitie vnto the Pope and his triple Crowne The Proposition then wee are to proue is this Whosoeuer stedfastly beleeues the absolute authoritie of the Romish Church as now it is taught doth truly and properly beleeue no article of Christian faith no God no Trinitie no Christ no redemption no resurrection no heauenly ioyes no hell CHAP. I. The Iesuites vnwillingnesse to acknowledge the Churches proposall for the true cause of his faith of differences and agreements about the finall Resolution of faith eyther amongst the Aduersaries themselues or betwixt vs and them 1 THE conclusion proposed followes out of their principles before mentioned and afterwards to bee reiterated that they may be more throughly sounded But ere wee come to raze the very foundation of their painted walles a few weake fortes must be ouerthrowne which some haue erected in hope thereby to saue their Church from battery Valentian as you heard before seeing his Mother wouldly more open to our assaults if they should admit this manner of speech I beleeue this or that proposition or article of faith because the holy Church doth so instruct me would mitigate the harshnesse of it thus If you aske me why I beleiue a Trinitie or God to be one in three persons I would answere because God hath reuealed this mysterie The diuine reuelation then is the cause of your beleefe in this particular But how doe you know how can you beleeue that God hath reuealed this by an other diuine reuelation No. For so we should runne from reuelation to reuelation without end If by reuelation you doe not beleeue it by what meanes else By the infallible proposall of the Church as a condition without which I could not beleeue it Marke the mysticalnesse of this speech Ob propositionē Ecclesiae infallibilem For the Churches infallible proposall Is not this as much as if he had said because the Church which is infallible proposeth it to me Why then doth he make it but a cōdition necessary or requisite to this assent Belike he ment not so but would haue vs to see the cōditiō not the true principal cause of his beleefe The Churches authority by his doctrine may in diuers respects be truly said both a cause and condition Or to speake more distinctly the Churches proposal is a condition without which no man can ordinarily beleeue propositions of faith the infallibility of her proposall is the true and only cause of euery Romane Catholikes beleefe in all points This denial of the churches authority to be according to their principles the true cause of beleef Is the sconse that must first be ouerthrown but after a frendly parly of the differēce betwixt vs. 2 Valentian if we wel obserue his processe in the forecited place proues only that which none in reformed churches did euer deny albeit hee profer more in his premises which whilest hee seekes to performe he hath only proued himselfe a ridiculous Atheist as partly is shewed in the former treatises shal more fully appeare in the end of this To ease his fellowes hereafter of such vnnecessary or impertinent paines as oft times they take I dare auouch in the behalfe of all my brethren in reformed Churches no Iesuite shal be more forward to demand then wee to grant That God in these latter dayes doth not teach men the Gospel in such sort as he did S.
for the Churches proposall we iointly beleeue for God speaking eyther in his written word or by tradition Yet if a man should haue asked him why he did or how possibly hee could infallibly beleeue that God did speake all the words eyther contayned in the Bible or in their traditions he must haue giuen eyther a womans answere because God spâ—ke them or this because our holy mother the Church doth say so For elsewhere he plainly auowes the Bookes of Canonicall Scripture need not be beleeued without the Churches proposall whose infallible authority was sufficiently knowne before one title of the New Testament was written and were to be acknowledged though it had neuer beene hee plainly confesseth withall that hee could not beleeue the Scriptures taught some principall Articles of faith most firmely beleeued by him vnlesse the churches authoritie did thereto moue him against the light of naturall reason Now if for the churches proposall hee beleeue that which otherwise to beleeue he had no reason at al but rather strong inducements to the contrarie as stedfastly as any other truth the Churches infallibilitie must be the true and only cause both why he beleeues the mystery proposed and distrusts the naturall dictates of his conscience to the contrary In fine hee doth not beleeue there is a Trinitie for in that Article is his instance because God hath said it but hee beleeues that God hath said it because his infallible Mother the Church doth teach it This is the misery of miseries that these Apostates should so bewitch the World as to make it thinke they beleeue the Church because God speakes by it when it is euident they doe not beleeue God but for the Churches testimonie well content to pretend his authority that her own may seeme more soueraigne Thus make they their superstitious groundlesse magical faith but as a wrench to wrest that principle of nature Whatsoeuer God saith is true to countenance any villany they can imagine as will better appeare hereafter But first the Reader must be content to be informed that by some of their tenents the same Diuine reuelations may be assented vnto by the Habite either of Theologie or of faith both which are most certaine but herein different That the former is discursiue and resembles science properly so called the latter not so but rather like vnto that habite or faculty by which we perceiue the truth of generall Maximes or vnto our bodily sight which sees diuers visibles all immediately not one after or by another Whilst some of them dispute against the certainty of priuate spirits their aguments suppose Diuine reuelations must be beleeued by the Habite of Theology which is as a sword to offend vs. Whiles we assault them and vrge the vnstabilitie of their resolutions they fly vnto the non discursiue Habite of faith infused as their best buckler to ward such blowes as the Habite of Theologie cannot beare off 6 Not heere to dispute eyther how truly or pertinently they denie faith infused to be a discursiue habite the Logicall Reader need not I hope my admonition to obserue that faith or beleefe whether habituall or actuall vnlesse discursiue cannot possibly bee resolued into any praeexistent Maxime or principle From which grant this emolument will arise vnto our cause that the Churches authoritie cannot be proued by any diuine reuelation or portion of Scripture seeing it is an Article of faith and must be beleeued eodem intuitu with that Scripture or part of Gods word whether written or vnwritten that teacheth it as light and colours are perceiued by one and the same intuition in the same instant And by this assertion we could not so properly say wee beleeue the diuine reuelation because we beleeue the church nor doe we see colours because we see the light but wee may truly say that the obiects of our faith diuine reuelations are therefore actually credible or worthy of beleefe because the infallible Church doth illustrate or propose them as the light doth make colours though invisible by night visible by day This similitude of the light and colours is not mine but Sacroboscus whom in the point in hand I most mention because Doctor Whittakers Obiections against their Churches Doctrine as it hath beene deliuered by Bellarmine and other late controuersers hath enforced him clearely to vnfold what Bellarmine Stapelton and Valentian left vnexpressed but is implicitely included in all their writings But ere we come to examine the ful incoÌ„ueniences of their opinions I must request the Reader to obserue that as oft as they mention resolution of faith they meane the discursiue habite of Theologie For al resolution of beleefe or knowledge essentially includes discourse And Bellarmine directly makes Sacroboscus expressely auoucheth the Churches authority the medius terminus or true cause whence determinate conclusions of faith are gathered From which and other equiualent assertions acknowledged by all the Romanists this day liuing it will appeare that Valentian was eyther very ignorant himselfe or presumed hee had to deale with very ignorant aduersaries when he denyed that the last resolution of Catholique faith was into the Churches authoritie which comes next in place to be examined CHAP. III. Discouering eyther the grosse ignorance or notorious craft of the Iesuite in denying his faith is finally resolued into the Churches veracity or infallibility that possibly it cannot bee resolued into any branch of the first truth 1 IT were a foolish question as Caietan sayeth Valentian hath well obserued if one should aske another why he beleeues the first truth reuealing For the assent of faith is finally resolued into the first truth It may bee Caietan was better minded towardes Truth it selfe first or secondary then this Iesuite was which vsed his authority to colour his former rotten position That the Churches proposall by their doctrine is not the cause of faith but our former distinction betweene belief it selfe it obiect often confounded or between Gods word indefinitely and determinately taken if well obserued will euince this last reason to be as foolish as the former assertion was false No man sayeth he can giue any reason besides the infallibility of the Reuealer why hee beleeues a diuine Reuelation It is true no man can giue nor would any aske why wee beleeue that which wee are fully perswaded as a diuine Reuelation But yet a reason by their positions must bee giuen why we beleeue eyther this or that truth any particular or determinat portion of Scripture to be a diuine reuelation Wherefore seeing Christian faith is alwayes of definite and particular propositions or conclusions and as Bellarmine sayeth and all the Papists must say these cannot be known but by the Church As her infallible proposall is the true and proper cause why wee belieue them to bee infallibly true because the onely cause whereby wee can belieue them to bee diuine reuelations so must it bee the essentiall principle into which our assent or
had that Lycurgus lawes were from Apollo Yet is it here further to be considered that the Israelites might with farre lesse danger haue admitted Moses lawes then wee may the Popes without any examination for diuine seeing there was no written law of God extant before his time whereby his writings were to bee tryed No such charge had been giuen this people as he giues most expresly to this purpose Now therefore hearken O Israel vnto the ordinances and to the Lawes which I teach you to doe that yee may liue and goe in and possesse the land which the Lord God of your fathers giueth you Yee shall put nothing vnto the word which I command you neither shall yee take ought there from that yee may keepe the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you But was the motiue or argument by which hee sought to establish their beliefe or assent vnto these commandements his owne infallible authoritie no but their owne experience of their truth as it followeth Your eyes haue seene what the Lord did because of Baal-Peor For all the men that followed Baal Peor the Lord thy God hath destroyed euerie one from among you but yee that did cleaue vnto the Lord your God are aliue euery one of you this day so gracious and mercifull is our God vnto mankind and so farre from exacting this blind obedience which the Pope doth chalenge that hee would haue his written word established in the fresh memory of his mighty wonders wrought vpon Pharaoh and all his host The experiment of their deliuerance by Moses had beene a strong motiue to haue perswaded them to admit of his doctrine for infallible or at the least to haue beleeued him in his particular promises When the snares of death had compassed them about on euery side they see no way but one or rather two ineuitable wayes to present death and destruction the red sea before them and a mighty host of bloud behind them the one seruing as a glasse to represent the cruelty of the other they as who in their case would not cry out for feare He that could haue foretold their strange deliuerance from this eminent danger might haue gotten the opinion of a God amongst the Heathen yet Moses confidently promiseth them euen in the middest of this perplexity the vtter destruction of the destroyer whom they feared Feare yee not stand still and behold the saluation of the Lord which he will shew to you this day for the Egyptians whom you haue seene this day you shall neuer see againe The Lord shall fight for you therefore hold you your peace Notwithstanding all this Moses neuer enacts this absolute obedience to be belieued in all that euer he shall say or speake vnto them without farther examination or euident experiment of his doctrine For God requires not this of any man no not of those to whome hee spake face to face alwayes ready to feed such as call vpon him with infallible signes and pledges of the truth of his promises For this reason the waters of Marah are sweetned at Moses prayer And God vpon this new experiment of his power and goodnes takes occasion to reestablish his former couenant vsing this semblable euent as a further earnest of his sweet promises to them If thou wilt diligently hearken O Israel vnto the voice of the Lord thy God and wilt doe that which is right in his sight and wilt giue eare vnto his commandements and keepe all his ordinances then will I put none of these diseases vpon thee which I brought vpon the Egyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee As if hee had said This healing of the bitter waters shall bee a token to thee of my power in healing thee Yet for all this they distrust Gods promises for their foode as it followeth cap 16. Nor doth Moses seeke to force their assent by fearefull anathemaes or sudden destruction but of some principall offenders herein For God will not haue true faith thunderblasted in the tender blade but rather nourished by continuance of such sweet experiments for this reason he shewers down Manna from heauen I haue heard the murmuring of the children of Israel tell them therefore and say At euening ye shall eat flesh and in the morning you shall be filled with bread and yee shall know that I am the Lord your God For besides the miraculous manner of prouiding both Quailes and Manna for them the manner of nourishment by Manna did witnesse the truth of Gods word vnto them They had been vsed to grosse and solid meates such as did fil their stomackes and distend their bellies whereas Manna was in substance slender but gaue strength and vigour to their bodies and serued as an embleme of their spirituall food which being inuisible yet gaue life more excellently then these grosse and solid matters did So saith Moses Therefore hee humbled thee and made thee hungry and fed thee with Manna which thou knewest not neither did thy Fathers know it that he might teach thee that man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord. 6 Yet in their distresse so fraile is our faith vntill it be strengthned by continuall experiments they doubt and tempt the Lord saying Is the Lord amongst vs or no Nor doth Moses interpose his infallible authority or charge them to belieue him against their experience of their present thirst vnder pain of eternall damnation or sufferance of greater thirst in hell such threates without better instruction in Gods word and the comfort of his spirit may bring distrusts or doubts to vtter despaire and cause faith to wither where it was wel nigh ripe they neuer ripen strengthē any true and liuely faith Moses himselfe is faine to crie vnto the Lord saying What shall I doe vnto this people for thy be almost readie to stone me As the Papists would doe to the Pope were hee to conduct them through the wildernesse in such extremity of thirst able to giue them no better assurance of his fauor with God then his Anathemaes or feed them onely with his Court-holy-water or blessings of mind But euen here againe God feedes Israels faith with waters issuing out of the rocke making themselues eye-witnesses of all his wonders that so they might belieue his wordes and promises nay himselfe from their owne sense and feeling of his goodnesse and truth of his word 7 Though no Law-giuer or Gouernour whether temporal or spirituall especially whose calling was but ordinary could possibly before or since so well deserue of the people committed to his guidance as this great General already had done of al the host of Israel were they vpon this consideration forthwith to belieue whatsoeuer hee should auouch without further examination signe or token of his fauour with God without assured experience or at the least more then probable presumptions of his
there any thing too hard for me The Lord had stricken Iacob with the wound of an enemy and with a sharpe chastice meÌ„â— for the multitude of his iniquities wherefore hee cryed for his affliction and said My sorrow is incurable not considering who it was had done all this vnto him for because the Lord had killed they must belieue hee would make aliue againe Their present wounds inflicted contrary to the rules of politique defence where the best pledges of their future health beyond all hope of State-Surgeons And this is the very Sâ—ale of Ieremiahs assurance from the Lords own mouth Thus sayeth the Lord like as I haue brought all this great plague vpon this people so will I bring vpon them all the good I haue promised them And the fields shall be possessed in this land whereof ye say It is desolate without man or beast and shall be giuen into the hand of the Caldeans Men shall buy fields for siluer and make writings and seale them and take witnesses in the land of Beniamin and round about Ierusalem So absolute and all-sufficient was Moses law in particular actions much more in generall or doctrinall resolution that God himselfe for confirmation of his Prophets this distrustfull peoples faith in a point by humane estimate most incredible thought it sufficient to be a remembrance to the Law-giuer For the Lord here saith to Ieremiah concerning this particular Moses many generations before had vniuersally foretold Now when all these things shall come vpon thee either the blessing or the curse which I haue set before thee and thou shalt turne into thine hart among all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath driuen thee then the Lord thy God will cause thy Captiues to returne and haue compassion vpon thee and will returne to gather thee out of all the people where the Lord thy God had scattered thee Though thou wâ—rst cast vnto the vttermost part of heauen from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee and from thence will he take thee And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed and thou shalt possesse it and he will shew thee fauour and will multiply thee aboue thy fathers By this rule of Moses according to the prediction of Ieremiah doth Nehemiah afterwards frame his prayers to God direct his enterprise for restauration of Ierusalem Wee haue grieuously sinned against thee and haue not kept the commandements nor the statutes nor the iudgements which thou commandest thy seruant Moses I beseech thee remember the word that thou commandest thy seruant Moses saying Ye will transgresse and I will scatter you abroad among the people But if yee turne vnto me and keepe my commandements and doe them though your scattering were to the vttermost part of the heauen yet will I gather you from thence and will bring you vnto the place that I haue chosen to place my Name there Now these are thy seruants and thy people c. O Lord I beseech thee let thine eare now hearken to the praier of thy seruants who desire to feare thy name and I pray thee cause thy seruant to prosper this day and giue him fauour in the presence of this man He saw the truth of Moses diuine predictioÌ„ confirmed by the Kings present grant of his petition speedy restauration of Ierusalem albeit a Prophet by profession had disswaded the enterprise as likely to proue dangerous to his person CHAP. VIII That the societie or visible Company of Prophets had no such absolute authority as the Romish Church vsurpes 1 DId the Records of antiquity afford vs any the least presumption to thinke that absolute beliefe or obedience might safely be tendered by inferiors as due to any visible Company of men without examination of their proposals by Moses writings since they were extant the society of Prophets in all respects the Romanists can pretend had the most probable title to this prerogatiue Their professioÌ„ or calling was publike and lawfull their distinction from all others eminent their persons and places of residence visible and knowne their promises for enioying the extraordinary presence or illuminations of Gods spirit peculiar many of them venerable for their integrity in ciuill dealings and sanctity of priuate life some of them endued with the gift of miracles In all these and many like considerations that fraternity or collegiate society might iustly haue pleaded all the priuiledges a publike spirit can grant to one sort of men before others For if the more or lesse expresse testimony of Gods word for extraordinary assistance of his spirit or the different measure of his illumination or manner of immediate teaching be that which makes som mens spirit more publike then their brethrens this difference was greater betweene the Priests or Prophets and people of old then since God spake vnto the world by his sonne yet what Prophet did once intimate the necessity of his proposall for notifying the truth of Scriptures What one did euer bewray the least desire to haue his interpretations of them vniuersally held authentique or his particular predictions absolutely assented vnto without further triall then his bare assertion without examination of them by Moses doctrine already establisâ—ed 2 Had they beene the infallible Church representatiue had their assertions though giuen by ioinct consent ex Cathedra or in the most solemne manner vsed in those times beene of such authority as the Romanist would perswade vs a Councell of their Prelates lawfully assembled is Gods people had stood bound to embrace whatsoeuer a maior part of that profession had resolued vpon but this inference though necessarily following the supposed premises the Iesuit I know dare not affirme lest Ahabs bloud vntimely shed by confidence in their infallibility cry out against him Yet Bellarmine too well knowing the liquorish temper of this present age for the most part acquainted with none but table-talke Diuinity to bee such as will swallow down any doctrine bee it neuer so idle prophane or poisonous so it bee sauced with pleasant conceit and merriment would put vs of with this iest That as in Saxonie one Catholiques verdict were to be taken bâ—fore sowre hundred Lutherans so should one of the Lords Prophets haue beene followed in those times before fiue hundred of Baals And Ahab no doubt had so done had not the Diuell taught his Diuines then as hee hath done Bellarmine and his fellowes since to take vniuersality as a sure note of the Church traditions and customes of the Elders for the rule of faith and which is the vndoubted Conclusion of such premisses to follow a multitude to any mischiefe So mightily did the opinion of a maior part being all men of the same profession sway with the superstitious people of those times that Ahabs Purseuant conceiued hope of seducing Micaiah whilst they were on the way together by intimating such censures of schisme of heresie of
vsed in this place which signifieth such a magistrate as giueth definitiue sentence Vid. Fagu in 16. Deuteronem The Law of God Deut. 17. did concerne temporall causes either only or especially * Deut. 17. 19. * Prou. 16. 10. That the infallibility of kings may bee defended with as great probability of Scriptures as the infallibility of priests Prou. 16. 13. * Pro. 31. ver 3. 4. 5. * Eccles 45. v. 23 24. 25. That this law of Deut. doth iustifie our English lawes for executing priests and Iesuites or all such as acknowledge the Pope supreme Iudge in causes Ecclesiasticall * Tria genera doctrinarum sententiarum veteribus fuerunt Primum receâ— tum credebatur a Mose ac Prophetis quod Cauala nominatur Secundum quod opinatione iudicum constitit vt in Scripturae locis enarrandis quae ad Occonomiam pertinebant Ex quo intelligitur causa quam â—b rem sub priore templo prioribus annis posterioris tanta concordia Iudaeorum Ecclesia administrata sit donec enim magnum iudicium viguit omnia certo desinita summo consensu recipiebantur Exinde in sententia facienda respondendo de lege saepissimè coniectuâ—is connixâ— sunt Et tamen quod sic erat pronunciaâ—uÌ„ pro lege recipibaturl Tertiam genus quod sâ—atuunt vltra legeÌ„ quo illa defenditur seu obiecto sepimento vt prius vâ—olandum sit hoc quam in lege aâ— quid soris admittatur Hoc Christi domini aetate inuerterunt Nam propter traditiones reliquerunt legem Dei 〈◊〉 interim duo genera alia perpetuo esse voluerunt alia temporaâ—ia Fagâ—us in hunc locum * Sed nec rex in Sanhedrim admittebatur eo quod prehibitum si contendere eum eo Sacerdòs vero magnus recipiebaâ—â—a modoâ—â—pientiae praeditus esset Fagius in cap. â—6 Deut. ex Hebraeis * Vide Fagium in cap. 10. Deut. and the annotations vnto the 9. §. of the next Chapter * Mat. 23. Nota 3 PRIMO loto illo capite 〈…〉 colligere non◠〈…〉 capitis 〈…〉 eorum 〈◊〉 SECVNDO nota cum 〈◊〉 ano lib. 4 Epist 9 Nunquam Dominum neque Apastoâ—s in tota Scriptura reprehendisse Pontifices et Sacerdotes Iudaeorum nominando eos Pontifices vel Sacerdotes sed solùm sub nomine Scribarum et Phariscorum ne videretur roprchendere cathedram et Sacerdotium et vt intell geâ—â—mus semper deberi honarem Sacerdotâ—o et Pontificatui etiam si sortè persona quae in Cathedra sedeâ— sit minus 〈◊〉 Ex quo intell gimus hareticos huâ—us temporis qui â—eassim in Episcopos et Sacâ—rdotes praecipuè in ipsum â—ummum Ecclesiae Pontificem inuehuntur nihil habere commune cum moribus Domini Apostolorum TERTIO nota quod Dominus de Cathedra Mosis dicit intelligi à fortiori de Cathedra 〈◊〉 Bel. de interp ver Dei l. 3. c. 5. * Bellarmines idle and malirious collections out of our Sauiours words refuted Mala. 2. â— Maldonates restraint of the former iniunction * Cum iubet seruare ac facere quae Scribae Pharisaei dum in Cathedra Moysis sâ—deat licunt non de ipsâ—rum sed de legis ac Moysis doctrina loquitur periade enim est ac si dicat omnia quae lex Moyses vobis dixerint Scribis Pharisaeis recitantibus seruate ac facite secundum autem opera eorum nolite facere vt Hila. Hieron videntur intellexisse Cur ergo dicet aliquis non dixit quaecunque Moyses dicet â—eruate ac 〈◊〉 sed quaecunque Scribae Pharisaei dixerint Duplex reddi causa potestcaltera quod voluerit ScribaruÌ„ et PharisaeoruÌ„ hypocrism arguere non autem artguisset nisi dixisset eos aliter docere Altera quod toto capite accrbè eos esset reprehensurus conueniebat aliquantulum eos prius laudare ne omnia ex affectâ— sine iudicio improbare videretur Maldonatus in c. 23. v. 3. Math. S. Austins answere Non sequitur de Pharisaeis nisi in Cathedra Moysis sedentibus tunc autem Cathedra ipsa coegit eos vera dicere He thus reiects Quis dubitaâ— illa ipsa falsa quae docebant in Cathedra ipsa si in Cathedra sedebant aut in Syaagoga Schola 2. Moysis docuisse Seeing the Iesuite thus reiects the disiunction of speaking ex Cathedra or as priuate men what reason haue we to acknowledge the Popes publike or infallible spirit whilst he speakes ex Cathedra when by their owne confession he may be worse then an Hereticke of Infidell if wee take him as a priuate man * Cum iubet seruare ac facere quae Scribae Pharisaei dum in Cathedra Moysis sâ—deat licunt non de ipsâ—rum sed de legis ac Moysis doctrina loquitur periade enim est ac si dicat omnia quae lex Moyses vobis dixerint Scribis Pharisaeis recitantibus seruate ac facite secundum autem opera eorum nolite facere vt Hila. Hieron videntur intellexisse Cur ergo dicet aliquis non dixit quaecunque Moyses dicet â—eruate ac 〈◊〉 sed quaecunque Scribae Pharisaei dixerint Duplex reddi causa potest altera quod voluerit ScribaruÌ„ et PharisaeoruÌ„ hypocrism artguere non autem ar guisset nisi dixisset eos aliter docere Alters quod toto capite acerbè eos esset reprehensurus conueniebat aliquantulum eos prius laudare ne omnia ex affectâ— sine iudicio improbare videretur Maldonatus in c. 23. v. 3. Math. S. Austins answere Non sequitur de Pharisaeis nisi in Cathedra Moysis sedentibus tunc autem Cathedra ipsa coegit eos vera dicere He thus reiects Quis dubitaâ— illa ipsa falsa quae docebant in Cathedra ipsa si in Cathedra sedebant aut in Syaagoga Schola 2. Moysis docuisse Seeing the Iesuite thus reiects the disiunction of speaking ex Cathedra or as priuate men what reason haue we to acknowledge the Popes publike or infallible spirit whilst he speakes ex Cathedra when by their owne confession he may be worse then an Hereticke of Infidell if wee take him as a priuate man The originall of iealousies in the slocke or needlesse exceptions against the wholesome admonitions of Pastors Rom. 7. 18. 19. The true restraint of the former iniunction * Luc. 16. v. 14. Luc. 11 v. 39. * The authority of thâ— Keyes not vniuersall but to be limited as the former precept or iniunction hath been * Math. 16. v. 19 a Per istas claues non solum intelligitur potestas soluendi à peccatis sed etiaÌ„ ab omnibus alijs vinculis impedimentis quae nisi tollantur non potest intrare in regnum caelorum siquidem promissio generalis est nec dicitur Quemcunque solueris sed quod cunque solueris vt intellig mus modos omnes seu legum dispeÌ„sando seu peccatorum et paenaruÌ„ relaxando seu dogmatum et controuersiarum explicando à Petro eiusque