decree how reconciled together 40. 45. Touching Freewil and the determination thâ—reof by Gods prouidence 40. 46 Predestination not for works foreseene 40. 49. God is not the author of sinne The Papists in this point go as far as the Protestants 40. 50. Againe touching Freewil at large shewing all the questions in that point 40. 52. inde Wherein true holinesse standeth 41. 1. How good works become an infallible signe of true holinesse 41. Touching the certaintie of grace and saluation the point explicated 41. 5. The miracles of the ancient Church do the Papists at this day no good 42. 1. The ancient Monks were not like the moderne 42. 3. Touching miracles obiected by the Papists an answer 42. 4. inde Incredible miracles and ridiculous reported 42. 8. The abuses of Monks and Monasteries detected 42. 10. A proofe that the Protestants doctrine excludeth libertie of the flesh 43. 2. The Roman doctrine is an occasion of their sinfull liues 43. 3. Some points of Papistry named that inuite men to libertie 43. 5. inde The Roman faith a meere deuice inuented to maintaine ambition and couetousnesse 43. 7. The vniuersalitie of the Protestants Church is shewed and expounded 44. 1. inde Touching the ancient Fathers their authoritie and vsage with vs and the Papists compared 44. 4. inde Who are Fathers with the Papists and who All the Fathers 44. 9. The Pope vshers the Fathers 44. 11. The Papists are notorious for contemning all the ancient writers exemplified 44. 12. inde The Protestants answer to them that bid them shew their Church in all ages 45. 1. inde The Papists haue not the Church Catholicke either in time or place 46. The Romane Church hath forsaken her ancient faith 47. inde Transubstantiation a late deuice 47. 8. 9. The present Romane Church hath conuerted no countries to the true faith 48. 1. inde The Indies knew the true faith afore the Papists came there 48. 3. Touching the conuersion of England by Austin the Monke 49. How the Roman Church hath conuerted the Indies Spanish massacres 49. 5. inde The question When did the faith faile in the Roman Church answered and disputed 50. 4. inde The time maner of the coming in of some points in Papistry 50. 8. inde The resistance made in former times against the Papacy with a catalogue 50 18. inde An answer to some things obiected against the former catalogue 50. 40. Papistry came in secretly and by little and little expounded 51. 2. 3. Images notoriously resisted when they came in 51. 5. The Papists worship stocks and stones as well as the Gentiles 51. 6. inde Touching adoration of the Sacrament 51. 9. The maner of Christs presence in the Sacrament explicated as we hold it 51. 10. The Papists haue written most spitefully against the honour of the blessed Sacrament 51. 11. Succession is in our Church and of what kind it is 52. 1. The callings of Luther and our Bishops iustified and declared 52. 5. The Fathers commending the succession of the Roman church in their time doth not helpe it now 53. The places produced out of them are answered 53. 5. Ephes 4.11 alledged to proue outward succession answered 54. 2. 3. Externall succession of persons in one place is neither onely in the Romane Church nor there at all 55. 2. Seuen things obiected against the succession of Popes to shew it hath bene grosly interrupted 55. 4. inde Touching the credit of Anastasius booke of the Popes liues 55. 7. It is not knowne who succeeded Peter 55. 5. The sea of Rome hath bene long voide 55. 6. A woman was Pope 55. 7. Hereticks haue bene Popes and intruders and boyes 55. 8. 9. Popes haue bin made and cast out again at the willl of famous whores 55. 9. Popes for wickednesse more then monstrous 55. 9. Many Popes at one time and the right Pope not knowne 55. 10. The Fathers commendation of the Romane Church expounded 56. Imputations layd vpon the Protestants as if they had forsaken the Church answered 57. 1 2. Luther defended touching his departure from the Pope his writings his life his mariage and his death 57. 3. inde Monsters of lies deuised against Luther 57. 7. Luther an honester man then any Pope in his time and many more 57. 9. Againe the calling of our Ministers is defended 58. Touching the power of a Priest in remitting sinne and the sacrament of Penance 58. 4. inde Miracles not concurring with all extraordinary calling 59. 1. Extraordinary callings distinguished 59. 2. Luther needed no miracles and why 59. 3. All men haue not bene in loue with Papistry 60. The obiection that Luther made to himselfe when he departed from the Pope 61. 1. The Protestants haue not forsaken the high-beaten-way of the Catholicke Church 61. 2. Touching the saluation of our ancestors vnder the Papacie 61. 4. The Scriptuies are surer tokens of the truth then the Popish miracles 62. A briefe exhortation of the Author to his countrimen 63. A Table of the Digressions contained in this Booke with their Titles The number set before signifieth the number of the Digression The number following signifieth the §. vnder which it standeth 1. PRouing that the Papists grounding the doctrine of faith on traditions make them equall to the written word 1. 2. Shewing the infolded faith of the Papists and confuting the same as not entire 2. 3. Wherein by the Scriptures Fathers and reason and the Papists owne confession it is shewed that the Scripture is the rule of faith 5. 4. Containing the very cause why the Papists disable the Scripture so from being the rule 5. 5. Wherein against the Iesuits conceit secretly implied in his first conclusion it is shewed that the Scriptures ought to be translated into the mother tong and so read indifferently by the lay people of all sorts 5. 6. Declaring how the assurance of our faith is not built on the Churches authoritie but on the illumination of Gods Spirit shining in the Scripture it selfe 6. 7. Wherein the Trent-vulgar-Latine and our English translation are briefly compared together 6. 8. Shewing that the Scriptures are not so obscure but that they plainly determine all appoints of faith 7. 9. Declaring that the Papists haue reason to hold the Scriptures be obscure because the articles of their religion be hardly or not at all to be found therein 7. 10. Assigning the true cause of mens errors in expounding the Scriptures 8. 11. Prouing that the Scripture it selfe hath that outward authoritie wherupon our faith is built and not the Church 8. 12. Wherein it is shewed that the Scripture proueth it self to be the very word of God and receiueth not authoritie from the Church 9. 13. Shewing against the Iesuits assumption that all substantiall points of our faith are sufficiently determined in the Scriptures and the reason why the Papist call so fast for the authoritie of the Church 9. 14.
of them Thomas of Aquin e Lect. 1. in 1. Tim. 6. saith The doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is called canonicall because it is the rule of our vnderstanding And againe f 1. qu. art 8. Our faith resteth and stayeth it selfe vpon the reuelation giuen to the Apostles and Prophets which writ the canonicall bookes and not vpon reuelation if any such haue bene made to other Doctors Antoninus the Archbishop of Florence g Sum. part 3. tit 18. c. 3. §. 3. writeth expresly that God hath spoken but once that in the holy Scripture that so plentifully to meet with all temptations and all cases that may fall out and all good works that as Gregory in the two and twentieth booke of his Morals expounds it he needs no more speake vnto vs concerning any necessary matter seeing all things are found in the Scripture Gerson h Trithem catal Script eccl the great man of the Councell of Constance i De Commun sub vtraque specie saith the Scripture is the rule of our faith which being well vnderstood no authority of men is to be admitted against it Durand k Praefat. in Sentent saith that generally in the things that touch our faith we must speake to that which the scripture deliuereth lest any maÌ„ fall into that which the Apostle noteth 1. Cor. 8. If he thinke he knoweth something yet he knoweth nothing as he ought to know for the maner of our knowledge l Sacra Scriptura mensuram fidei exprimit must be not to exceed the measure of faith and the holy Scripture expresseth the measure of faith Alliaco the Cardinal m 1. Sent. q. 1. art 3.1 Coroll lit H. quoniam ad ipsas fit vltimata resolutio theologici discursus saith The verities themselues of the sacred Canon be the principles of Diuinitie the finall resolution of Theologicall discourse is made into theÌ„ and originally from them is drawne euery conclusion of Diuinitie Conradus Clingius n Locorum l. 3. cap. 29. pag. 298. Norma vlna Index saith The Scripture is the infallible rule of truth yea the measure and iudge of the truth o Iac. Peres à valdiu de ratio Con. l. 2. c. 19. Peresius the Diuinitie reader at Barcilona in Spain saith The authoritie of no Saint is of infallible truth for Saint Austin giues that honor onely to the sacred Scriptures That onely is the rule which is of infallible truth but the Scripture onely is of infallible truth therefore the Scripture onely is the rule Finally Bellarmine himselfe one of the two that haue wonne the garland saith p Biblioth select lib. 7. cap. 2 pag. 458. q De Verb. Dei l. 1. c. 2 Posseuinus acknowledgeth as much as I say against the Iesuites conclusion let his words be excused how they can for thus he q De verb. Dei lib. 1. cap. 2. writeth The rule of faith must be certaine and knowne for if it be not certaine it is no rule at all if it be not knowne it is no rule to vs but nothing is more certaine nothing better knowne then the sacred Scripture contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles * Sacr. Scriptura regula credeÌ„di certissima tutissimaque per corporales literas quas cerneremus legeremus erudire nos voluit Deus Wherefore the sacred Scripture is the rule of faith most certain and most safe and God hath taught vs by corporall letters which we might see and reade what he would haue vs beleeue concerning him This he writeth against Swinkfield and the Libertines relying vpon reuelations whereby you may freely iudge whether the truth haue not constrained him to renounce the Iesuits conclusion Shall the Libertines be recalled from their blind reuelations to the written text and shal not the Papists be reuoked from their vncertaine traditions to the same rule Is nothing more knowne nothing more infallible then the Scripture by the Iesuites owne confession and yet shall our Priests reiect it from being the rule as not sufficient to preserue from error not vniuersall enough not knowne enough not infallible enough I pray you consider well how far our aduersaries deale against their owne conscience in this point the same Iesuite saith r De notis Eccl. c. 2. in another place The Scripture is better knowne then the Church in some cases as namely where it is receiued and speaketh plainly and the question is of the Church Now we admit the Scriptures on all hands and all the questioÌ„ betweene vs is about the Church and therefore let them do vs iustice and allow vs the Scripture to be rule and iudge because it is better knowne then the Church let the Iesuit recant his conclusions and yeeld either to the euident testimonies of the text against him or to the iudgement of the Fathers or at the least to the confession of his owne Doctors whose testimonie he may not by Å¿ 2. q. 7. c. Si haereticus Sin auteÌ„ orthodoxus contra haereticum litiget pro orthodoxo quidem haeretici testimonium valeat contra orthodoxum autem solius orthodoxi testimonium valeat the law refuse because they are of his owne church or if he will not then the next booke that he writeth let him send vs word by whom he will be tried and he shall be prouided for Digression 4. containing the very cause why the Papists disable the Scripture so from being the rule 7 Secondly the causes why the Papists disable the Scriptures from being the rule and striue so for their Churches authoritie are especially two First that so they may make themselues iudges in their owne cause For who sees not that if the Church be the rule of faith and theirs be the Church which way the verdict wil go chiefly when they shal behold the Pope with his infallâ—ble iudgement mounted vpon the tribunall and made interpreter of all the euidence that shall be brought in when Scriptures Fathers Councels and Church must all be expounded by his iudgement For u Thom. opusc contra error GraecoruÌ„ Turrecre n. Sum. de eccl l. 3. c. 23. Sâ—mm Syluest verb. Fides nu 2. Aluaâ— Pelag. de planct eccl lib. 1. art 6. Bellarm de Christ l. 2. c. 28. Greg. de Valent. analys fidei this they require that so we might returne them Campians conceit x Ratio 2. apud Posseuin biblioth select lib. 7. c. 18. In fine so they order their matters that you shall haue no triall passe vnlesse you be resolued to stand to the award of themselues that are arraigned 8 Next for that they know and confesse the most and greatest points of their religion euen welnigh all wherein they dissent from vs haue no foundation on the Scriptures but as Andradius y Orthod explic l. 2. speaketh would reele and stagger if tradition supported them not whereupon z Can. locorum l. 3. c. 3. they
know which is the true Church of Christ can know it no wayes but onely by the Scriptures because all those things which belong to Christ in truth the heresies also haue in schisme Therefore if any man would know which is the true Church of Christ how shall he know it in so great confusion of likenesse but by the Scriptures onely For this cause the Lord knowing the confusion of things that should happen in the latter dayes commaundeth that such Christians as will receiue assurance of faith shall flie to no other thing but to the Scriptures else if they looke to other matters they shall be offended and they shall perish not knowing which is the true Church Againe vpon these words By their fruits ye shall know them a In c. 7. Math. he saith A mans fruite is the confession of faith and his workes are the conuersation of his life therefore if thou see a Christian man straightway consider that if his confession agree with the Scripture then he is a true Christian but if it be not as Christ commanded then is he a false Christian for Christ hath referred the triall of a Christian not to the name but to the confession c. Saint Austin hath left written an excellent booke against the Donatists who pretended as the Papists now do that the Church was onely among them wherein he handleth this question at large how the true Church may be knowne and by what markes Thus he writeth in b Liber con tâ— PetilianuÌ„ Donatist Epistol seu de vnitate Ecclesiae c. 2. that booke The question betweene vs and the Donatists is where is the Church What therfore shall we do shall we seeke it in our owne words or in the words of her head our Lord Iesu Christ I thinke we ought to seeke it rather in his words who is the truth and best knoweth his owne body c Cap. 3. Let not these speeches be heard among vs This I say and this thou saiest but let vs heare These things saith the Lord. There are certaine bookes of God vnto whose authoritie we both consent we both beleeue we both stand there let vs seeke the Church there let vs trie our cause Let those things therefore be remoued from vs which we bring one against another not out of the holy Canonicall bookes but aliunde Because I will not haue the holy Church demonstrated by mans teaching but by the holy oracles of God d Cap. 16. therefore setting aside all such matters let them shew foorth the Church if they can not by the speeches and rumors of the Africans not in the Councels of their Bishops not in the writings of euery disputer not in signes and false miracles because Gods word hath prepared and made vs readie against these things but let them declare it out of the prescript of the law the prediction of the Prophets the songs of the Psalmes the words of the Pastor himselfe I enquire the Church it selfe where it should be which hearing the words of Christ and doing them buildeth vpon the rocke let him then shew me the Church and let him so shew it that he say not this is true because I say it or because my fellowes haue said it or those our Bishops or this is true because Donatus or Pontius or some other hath done such or such miracles or because men pray and are heard at the monuments of our dead or because such and such things haue happened there or because such a brother or such a sister of ours hath seene such a vision or had such a dreame let these things be remoued either as the deuices of lyers or as no better then the miracles of deceitfull spirits for either they are not true which are reported or if heretickes haue any wonders done among them it standeth vs in hand to beware the more But whether they haue the Church or not let them declare onely by the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scriptures These be the instructions these be the foundations these be the supporters of our cause By all which discourse it appeareth that Austin thought the true faith was the note of the true Church or else to what purpose should he so earnestly reuoke the Donatists froÌ„ all other courses to the tryall of the canonicall Scriptures if he had not bene of mind that the faith alone consenting with them had bene the infallible signe of the Church as he speaketh also in e Epist 166. another place In the Scriptures haue we learned Christ in the Scriptures haue we learned the Church § 25. I proue it because by true faith either is meant true faith onely in some points or in all it is not a good marke to say that is the true Church which teacheth the true faith in some points onely for all heretickes teach truth in some points and though it be proper to the true Church to be so guided by the holy Ghost that it teach the infallible truth in all points as before hath bene proued yet this is not a good marke whereby all sorts of men may and ought to come to know which is the true Church of which if they will be saued they must needs learne an infallible faith The Answer 1 We do not think euery company to be the true Church that holdeth onely some points of the true faith for all heretickes teach the truth in some things and yet we deny them to be the Church of God but f Act. 4.12 1. Cor. 3.11 Eph. 2.19 it is requisite that the foundation be holden that is to say all such truths deliuered as are necessary for all mens saluation and such heresies auoyded as destroy the foundation which kind of teaching is an infallible note whereby all Churches and professions may be tryed and we meane it when we say the faith is a marke of the Church 2 Neither yet do we thinke as the Iesuite speaketh that any visible church teacheth this truth so infallibly that it erreth in nothing we thinke and g §. 14. 15. I haue shewed the contrary for this befalleth the Church that it may be ignorant of many truthes for a time it may hold the faith sometime more sometime lesse purely it may build hay and wood vpon the foundation it may be infected with the errors and heresies of some therein and some articles lying in the very foundation may be beleeued not so clearely as h Mark 16 14. Luc. 24 5.11.12.21.25.37 Ioh. 20.25 the resurrection of Christ was for a time not well vnderstood which things though they befall the Church the holy Ghost teaching it but by degrees yet is not the faith thereby taken from it but abideth â—ufficient to giue testimony of saluation to all that will follow it And this is confirmed by the confession of our aduersaries themselues who say i Bell. de Not. Eccl. c. 2. that to erre and yet to be ready to learne and when you haue learned to
the Iesuite so confidently beareth his friend in hand that the Gospels of the foure Euangelists cannot be knowne to be true Scripture more then those of Thomas and Nicodemus but by the authoritie of his Church Wherein possible he hath also the same meaning that Doctor Standish vttereth in the place alledged x In the letter b. a little before that those counterfeit Gospels bearing the titles of Thomas Nicodemus and Bartholomew were written by them in deed but his Church to shew her authoritie that this she can do hath repealed them A fat conceit yet some mens stomackes belike can digest it But if the Iesuite cannot conceiue how the Scripture may be discerned from other writings vnlesse we allow him the Churches authoritie let him hearken and learne of a rare man of his owne side Picus of Mirandula who speaking of the Scriptures y Refert Posseu bibl in Cicero c. 11. hath this memorable saying They do not moue they do not perswade but they enforce vs they driue vs forward they violently constraine vs. Thou readest words rude and homely but such as are quicke liuely flaming stinging piercing to the bottome of the spirit and by their admirable power transforming the whole man This admirable light shining in the Scripture it selfe shall assure vs it is the word of God better I hope then that Church whose tongue is sold to speake nothing but the Popes will § 29. Fourthly if to haue an entire faith in all particular points must be foreknowne as a marke whereby to know the true Church then contrary to that which hath bene alreadie proued the authoritie of the Church should not be a necessarie meanes whereby men must come to the infallible knowledge of true faith for if before we come to know which is the true Church we might by other meanes haue knowne which is the true faith in all points what need then is there for getting the true faith alreadie had to vse or bring the authoritie of the Church The Answer 1 Because this reason is the same with that which goeth before therefore it shall receiue the same answer That although we need the ministerie of the Church to teach vs the faith and this faith is not ordinarily knowne till the Church or some member thereof reueale it to vs yet may it be a marke whereby to know the Church as the effect is a marke of the cause that produceth it the fruite of the tree the teaching of the schoolemaister In which case the reuelation of the true faith whereby we come to know it is an effect or worke of the Church and so able and fit to assure vs that it is the Church Neither doth this suppose or imply that the faith is already had and knowne by other meanes before we vse the Church but onely that when the Church teacheth the faith thereof in the order of my vnderstanding is first knowne that is to say the Church and the faith being inseparably ioyned together yet the faith first cometh to my knowledge This I further explicate by a similitude For musick is the marke of a Musitian whereby to know him and to distinguish him from all other professions And though I must first be assured it is good musicke that he sheweth before I can be certaine he is a Musitian yet were it folly to reason as the Iesuite doth what need then is there for the getting of the musicke already had to vse the ministerie of the Musitian for the musicke is not already had but onely by his playing it cometh in order before himselfe into my vnderstanding and then I know him thereby So a 1. Reg. 3.16 two women laid claime both to one child and both pretended themselues to be true mother thereunto as the Church of Rome this day striueth with vs pleading for her selfe that she is our holy mother the Church and the child is hers in this contention we must find out the Church by the same markes that Salomon found out the true mother which was her tender compassion inclosed in her bowels and discouered by her words that she had rather part with her child then haue it cut in sunder And if the Iesuite should reason against Salomons iudgement that he had followed a wrong marke which was inclosed in the woman heart and needed great iudgement yea diuine illumination to find it the woman her selfe by her speech and behauiour made it knowne to him and if pietie and pitie were the note of a true mother whereby to know her then contrary to that which hath bene already proued the speech and behauiour of the mother should not be a necessary meanes whereby Salomon must come to the knowledge of this pietie c. If I say he should thus argue against Salomon he might do it with the same reason that he vseth against vs and possible with as good successe * V. vltim the spirit of God and the iudgement of all Israel in both alike equally condemning his sophistry For was not the womans pitie toward the child knowne to Salomons wisedome before he knew her to be the mother and yet her selfe was the instrument that made it knowne So true faith is the mark of the Church and known to me before the Church but yet by no other meanes but by the Church whose ministery is needful for the getting it as the cause is needfull for the obtaining of the effect and afterward it selfe is proued by the same effect Now the teaching of the truth is an effect of the true Church § 30. Fiftly if before we giue absolute infallible and vndoubted credit to the true Church we must examine and iudge whether euery particular point which it teacheth be the truth with authoritie to accept that which we like or which in our conceit seemeth right and conformable to Gods word and to reiect whatsoeuer we dislike or which in our priuate iudgement seemeth not so right or conformable then we make our selues examiners and iudges ouer the Church and consequently preferre our liking or disliking our iudgement and censure of the sence of Scripture before the iudgement definition and censure of the true Church But it is absurd both in reason and religion to preferre the iudgement of anie priuate man be he neuer so wittie or learned or neuer so strongly perswaded in his owne conceit that he is taught by the Spirit before the sentence of Gods Catholike Church which is a companie of men many of which both are and haue bin most vertuous wise and learned and which is chiefe is such a companie as according to the absolute and infallible promises of Scripture hath Christ himselfe and his holy Spirit continually among them guiding them and teaching them all truth and not permitting them to erre Matth. vlt. 10.14 16. vt supra The Answer 1 This is his last argument wherein he reasoneth thus that if the faith be a note of the Church then it must first be examined
thought this a fit course Dionysius Alexandrinus h Niceph. l. 6. c. 8. said of himselfe that he vsed somtime to be occupied in reading the writings and treatises of heretickes though it something polluted his mind with touching their vncleane opinions because he reaped this profit therby that he might the easilier refell them and the more execrate detest them If any will take vpon him to confute me the lawes of Christian conference specially in the points of faith bind him 1. to do it temperately abstaining from railing and reproaching 2. perspicuously that I may certainly know his meaning 3. honestly that what I say be faithfully set downe and what I proue my sayings by be not dissembled For I affirm nothing that concerneth the cause but I proue it either in the text by reason or in the margent by authoritie which I would not haue dissembled or according to an vsuall trade taken vp of late among them traduced with taunts and outcries as if it were false alledged vntill it appeare to be so indeed Which if he performe I shall thinke my lot the better to haue met with so profitable an aduersarie And so wishing the good Reader that with loue to all men and reuerence to Gods truth and care to leade a sanctified life he would pursue the cause of religion I take my leaue beseeching our Lord Christ by the power of his spirit to make way for the truth in all our hearts Amen A Table of the seuerall matters and questions handled and disputed in this Booke The first number signifieth the Section noted with this marke §. The other following the first signifieth the numbers of that Section VVhere the number is but one there the whole Section is meant THe true faith is absolutely necessarie to saluation 1. 1. No part of our faith stands vpon tradition 1. 2. Infolded faith is not sufficient without knowledge 2. 1. 7. There is a Rule whereby the true faith may be knowne 3. 1. This Rule is not visible and knowne to all men without exception 3. 2. The properties belonging to the rule of faith 4. The Scriptures translated into English are the rule of faith and how 5. The true reason why Papists deny the Scriptures to be the rule 5. 7. 8. The Scripture ought to be translated into the mother tongue that the people may reade it 5. 9. Touching the certaintie and truth of our translations and how we know it 6. The last resolution of our faith is into the authoritie of the Scripture 6. 9. 10. Our English translation is purer then that which the Papists vse 6. 11. The obscuritie of the Scripture disableth it not from being the rule 7. 1. All matters needfull are plainly laid downe in the Scripture 7. 3. Why the Papists pretend the obscuritie of the Scripture 7. 7. Whence it is that the Scripture is obscure 8. 1. The Scripture is vnderstood by it selfe and how 8. 1 2 3. How we are assured of the true sence of the Scripture which is it among many sences 8. 7 8. The true cause why men erre in expounding the Scripture 8. 13. Our faith is built on the Scripture not on the Church 8. 17. The Scripture is perfect containing all things 9. How I know this Scripture to be the very word of God 9. 5. All things needfull are fully comprehended in the Scripture 9. 9. The Papists hold that the sence of the Scripture varieth with the time 9. 11. Againe touching the errors of men in expounding the Scripture 10. The place of 2. Tim. 3.16 proueth the all-sufficiencie of the Scripture 11. How priuat men priuat cōpanies may see the truth against a multitude 12. By the Church the Papists meane nothing but the Pope 13. 2. Whether and how the Church of God may erre 14. 1. Tim. 3.15 expounded how the Church is the pillar of truth 15. The Protestants do not say that the true Church at any time failed was not 17. 1. The state of the question touching the visiblenesse of the Church 17. 2. The Protestants say no more touching the inuisiblenesse of the Church then the Papists themselues in effect do 17. 3. The arguments are answered whereby the Church is proued to be alway visible 18. inde The true faith is a sufficient marke of the Church 24. 2. The arguments against this are answered 26. to 31. 1. Ioh. 4.1 proueth that it is lawfull to examine the teaching of the Church 31. One Holy Catholicke and Apostolicke are not the marks of the Church 32. What the vnitie of the Church properly is 33. 1. The Protestant Churches want not true vnitie 33. 2. Gods true Church in all ages hath had some contentions 33. 4. inde The Protestant Churches haue the true meanes of vnitie 34. 1. What kind of vnitie the Papists haue 34. 1. 2. The Church of Rome vseth the Scriptures most despitefully fiue wayes 35. 3. The present Roman Church is departed frō the ancient primitiue faith 35. 9. The Church of Rome wanteth vnitie and liueth in manifest contention demonstrated 35. 16. The Popes authority was not receiued of old as the foundation of vnity 36. 2. The very Papists themselues do not yeeld to the Popes determinations 36. 5. The Popes supremacie is no sufficient meanes to preserue vnitie 36. 10. The places of Mat. 16.18 Luk. 22.32 Ioh. 21.15 handled at large shewed to make nothing toward the Popes authoritie ouer the Church 36. 11. inde The Primitiue Church acknowledged not the Popes supremacy foure experiences 36. 26. The Pope may erre euen iudicially and be an hereticke 36. 32. It is vnpossible to proue that the hope is S. Peters true successor 36. 36. No certainty among the Papists how the Popes supremacy is proued 36. 39. A place of Cyprian alledged for the supremacie answered 37. 1 2. The Protestants Church is truly holy and how 38. 1. Certaine words of M. Luther expounded 38. 2. Outward holinesse no proper and essentiall marke of the Church 38. 3. The vnholines wickednes of the Roman Church demōstrated 38. 4. inde What Saints the Protestants haue in their Church 39. 1. Canonization of Saints by the Pope a ridiculous conceit 39. 2. 3. The doctrine of the Protestants induceth not to libertie 40. 1. inde Fasting how the Protestants and how the Papists vse it 40. 2. Auricular confession or shrift iustly reiected 40. 6. Necessitie of good workes taught and defended by the Protestants 40. 11. Touching the merit of workes 40. 12. Touching mans power in keeping the commandements 40. 18. Whether all the good workes we do be sinne 40. 22. The distinction of sinne into mortall and veniall 40. 26. Satisfaction how taught by the Protestants and how by the Papists 40. 28. A short view of long Pardons 40. 35. The doctrine of Iustification by Faith only expounded and defended 40. 37. Predestination how holden by the Protestants 40. 43. What is the roote of Contingencie 40. 44. Freewill and Gods
common heresie of his Romane church maketh the matter of the Scriptures obscuritie so dangerous I wil demaund of him by the way how our reasons to the contrary may be satisfied For first the Scripture it selfe in euident places calleth vs to it g Ioh. 5.39 Esa 8.20 bidding vs search it and seeke to it and h 2. Pet. 1.19 compareth it to a light shining in a darke place yea i Hebr. 12.5 to the voice of a father speaking to his children and when men vnderstand it not k 2. Cor. 3.15 it saith a vaile is laid ouer their hearts not ouer the scriptures and Christ l Ioh. 10.27 saith his sheepe heare his voice and m Luc. 16.29 the rich glutton was told that his brethren if they would escape damnation should heare Moses and the Prophets which had bin to no purpose if they could not haue vnderstood them when they heard them 4 Secondly he can name no one necessary article of our faith but the word teacheth it as plainly as himselfe can as that there is one God three persons a generall resurrection and iudgement that Iesus is the Sauiour of mankind c. Bellarmine n Illa omnia scripta esse quae sunt omnibus necessaria De verbo Dei l. 4. c. 11. saith All those things are written that are necessary to be knowne of all men o Scripturis nihil notius Ibid. l. 1. c. 2. neither is there any thing better knowne then the Scriptures so saith p Rock pa. 193. Et Contaren de potest Pont. pag. 227. Luce meâ—idiana illustrius ostensum puto ex diuinae sapientiae vocibus Saunders We haue most plaine Scripture in all points for the Catholicke faith And in all controuersies the Papists with whom we deale crie plaine euident manifest Scripture 5 Thirdly all other questions at the last are determined by the Scripture the Fathers expositions are examined by it and q Greg. Val. to 3. disp 1. q. 1. punct 1. the Church receiueth testimony from it so that the finall resolution of all things dependeth vpon it which could not be if of all other things it were not the best knowne for things are not tried by that which is obscurer but by that which is plainer 6 Last of al what meant the Fathers of the Primitiue church so much to report this perspicuitie for r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Protrept pag. 25. Clemens Alexandrinus saith The word is not hid from any it is a common light that shineth to all men there is no obscuritie in it heare it you that be far off and heare it you that be nigh Austin Å¿ En arrat in Psal 8. saith God hath bowed downe the Scriptures euen to the capacitie of babes and sucklings that when proud men will not speake to their capacitie yet himselfe might Chrysostome and his scholler t Lib. 2. ep 5. Isidorus Pelusiota writeth the same u Homil. 1. in Mat. saith The Scriptures are easie to vnderstand and exposed to the capacitie of euery seruant and plow-man and widow and boy and him that is most vnwise x Hom. 3. de Laz. therefore God penned the Scriptures by the hands of Publicans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fishermen tent-makers shepheards neat-heards vnlearned men that none of the simple people might haue any excuse to keepe them from reading and that so they might be easie to be vnderstood of all men the artificer the housholder and widow woman and him that is most vnlearned yea the Apostles and Prophets as schoolemasters to all the world made their writings plaine and euident to all men so that euery man of himselfe onely by reading them might learne the things spoken therein Iustine Martyr a Dialog cum Tryphon pag. 213. grae commel saith Heare the words of the Scriptures which be so easie that it needs no exposition but onely to be rehearsed This was the perpetuall and constant iudgement of the auncient Church far from the Iesuites paradoxe that the Scriptures be so obscure and beyond the peoples capacitie that they can reape no instruction by them for the Fathers with one consent teach the contrary and yet you see the confidence of these new Romane diuines It is euident in it selfe b Bristo Mot. 48. saith one of them to any man not quite forsaken of God that the auncient Fathers make most plainly for vs c. The field is wonne c Campian rat 5. apud Posseâ— biblioth select l. 7. c. 21. saith another if once we come to the Fathers they are ours as fully as Pope Gregorie the thirteenth Their prisoners they may be but not their patrons either to erect them Seminaries as d Surius comment rerum in Orb. gest anno 1572. did Gregorie the thirteenth or to maintaine the doctrine which in those seminaries they learne and teach Digression 9. Declaring that the Papists haue reason to hold the Scriptures be obscure and hard because the articles of their religion be hardly or not at all to be found therein 7 And withall the Reader may here very opportunely be put in mind that these men haue good reason to beare the world in hand the Scriptures be very obscure because indeed the Popish religion is obscurely or not at all found therein that not the vnlearned onely but the skilfullest clearkes of their church haue much ado to find some points thereof and some they confesse cannot be found there at all And haue not these men good cause then to challenge it lustily of insufficiencie and obscuritie I haue touched alreadie the confession of Andradius that many points of their faith would reele and stagger if traditions stayed them not And that you may know the meaning of this confession to be not onely that they haue no expresse Scripture for them but also no collection from the Scripture Eckius e Enchirid. c. 4. writeth The Lutherans are dolts which will haue nothing beleeued but that which is expresse Scripture or can be proued out of the Scripture And Costerus the Iesuite f Enchird c. 1. hauing deuided Gods word into three parts that which himselfe writ as the tables of the law that which he commaunded others to write as the old and new Testament and that which he neither writ himselfe nor rehearsed to others but left it to them to do themselues as traditions the decrees of Popes and Councels c. concludeth that many things of faith are wanting in the two former neither would Christ haue his Church depend vpon them this latter saith he is the best Scripture the iudge of controuersies the expositor of the Bible and that whereupon we must wholly depend iust as Staphylus g § 2. nu 6. said before of the Colliars faith 8 Thus they sticke not to name diuers maine articles as for example h Tho. 3. q 25. art 4. Canis catech titul de praecep eccles nu 5. the worship of images
doth it is no good marke they say the contrary it is a marke indeed a chiefe marke a proper and very cleare note of the Church a note ingrauen and perpetually cleauing to it Let him therefore be well aduised how he crosse his fellowes lest his so doing impaire the credit of his Churches vnitie and make his reader suspect that he is labouring to confute a matter which his owne conscience telleth him is most true 3 For our Sauiour saith in the g Ioh. 10.27 Gospel My sheepe heare my voyce Which teacheth vs euen by h Bellarm. de not Eccl. c. 2. the confession of our aduersaries that wheresoeuer the voyce of Christ which is the true faith soundeth there consequently are the elect his sheepe that heare it And if his sheepe be knowne to be there by this then is the Church also knowne hereby for wheresoeuer the sheep of Christ liue there is the Church in as much as these two are neuer diuided The true faith and doctrine of the Scriptures then being notes to teach vs where the elect be are proued hereby to be a sufficient marke of the Church because wheresoeuer the elect liue there is the Church of God Again Christ i mat 18.20 saith Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them This teacheth vs two things by k Bellarm. de notis Eccl. c. 2. the Papists owne confession First that the true faith is a signe where Christ is which is all one as if they had said it is a signe where Christs church is for Christ his church are neuer asunder but l Mat. 28.20 he abideth with it for euer Next that it is a note of the Church if such teach it as are gathered together by lawfull ordination and successiō which is as much as we desire for it is neuer taught by any other and it quite ouerthroweth the Iesuites conceit for he thinketh his Romane Church-men to haue lawful ordination and succession and yet denyeth the faith they preach to be a marke of the Church wherin he cannot reconcile himselfe with his fellowes The same is further confirmed by diuers other places of m Deut 4.6 Psal 147.19 Esa 2.2.3 Act. 2.42 Ioh. 8.31 Rom. 10.14 2. pet 1.19 Scripture whither I referre the reader 4 And surely plaine reason sheweth it For it must needs be granted to be an vndoubted note of the Church which maketh vs know it when we seeke it and distinguisheth it from the false Churches of the heretickes Now this the true faith which is according to the Scriptures doth in that euery church pretending it selfe to be the Church of Christ is examined thereby and that allowed to be the true Church indeed which agreeth therewith according to that of Saint Paul n Gal. 6.26 As many as walke according to this rule peace shall be vpon them and mercie and vpon the Israel of God And our Sauiour in the Gospell o Mat. 7 16. saith Ye shal know the false Prophets by their fruits p Iansen harm cap. 43. Rhem. annot in cū loc Stapl. princip doctr l. 10. c. 1. that is by their doctrine So that if the men which professe themselues to be the Church are first to be tried by the Scriptures it followeth necessarily that the doctrine contained in the Scriptures is the note of the Church In which regard the Apostle q Ephes 2.19 saith of the Church that it is the houshold of God built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets And Epiphanius speaking of an hereticke r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 1 l. 2. haer 4◠saith This man is found altogether differing from the holy Scriptures as it will appeare to all them that reade attentiuely if then he be dissenting from them he is altogether an alien from the holy Catholicke Church And me thinkes if we said no more to this point the very confession of our aduersaries might put it out of doubt who say expresly ſ Reynol Caluinoturc l. 4. c. 9 pag. 859. These two the true Church and the true faith are so knit and infolded together that the one inferreth and concludeth the other frō the true Church is concluded the true faith and from the true faith the true Church is inferred And t Bellar. de not eccl c. 2. when the question is concerning the Church then the Scripture is better knowne then the Church Now betweene vs and the Papists the question is concerning the Church and therefore the Scriptures are the best marke to know it by Moreouer the doctrine of the Scripture declareth what be the notes of the Church as the Iesuite himselfe speaketh and all Papists are constrained by the Scriptures to proue those marks which they assigne and who then seeth not that the doctrine it selfe must needs be the best note of al when it is first and best knowne This is his owne reason who in his discourse following hereby would proue the Church to be better knowne then the doctrine because it sheweth the doctrine and bringeth it to our view Againe u Canis catec magn pag. 131. Reynol Caluinoturc pa. 860. Staplet princip doctrin l. 4. prooem the learned among them maintaine sundry of their notes of the Church to be true notes because as they say the Church is defined by them and why then shall true doctrine and faith be debarred which are the efficient cause very difference of the Church wherein it differeth principally from all false assemblies and therfore to be put in the definition thereof Finally x 2. Pet. 1.19 Apoc. 2.5 the Scripture calleth it self and the faith thereof a light shining in the Church as in a candlestick or lanterne which proueth it sufficient to shew vs where the Church is as a light in a dark night directs the sayler to his hauen And whereas the Iesuits marks vnitie antiquitie and vniuersalitie agree to other assemblies as well as to the Church of God and by y Bellar. de not eccl c. 3. their owne confession are no proofes of euident truth this of the True faith can be found in none but the Church of Christ whereunto it is proper euery way euen to all the Church at all times and to it alone and so cannot deceiue such as follow it 5 In the last place I desire the Reader to marke the iudgement of two ancient fathers Chrysostome and Augustine and to compare the same with the Iesuites conclusion and then freely to say whether the Church of Rome haue all antiquitie on her side or not In this time z Op. imperf hom 49. saith Chrysostome since heresie hath taken hold of the Church there can be no triall of true Christianitie nor any other refuge for Christians desirous to know the true faith but the holy Scriptures formerly it might many wayes be shewed which was the Church of Christ and which Gentilisme but now they that will
Papists as deepe in breaking fasting daies as the Protestants ibid Fasting was an indifferent ceremonie in the Primitiue Church ibid. Lent fast was holden diuersly ibid. Fathers and Doctors are not the rule of faith 23.1 They may erre ibid. The Papists boast that the Fathers are on their side 44.4 They had their errors 44.5 We are not bound to euerie thing that they haue said but may sometime lawfully dissent from them 44.7 The Papists themselues do it ibid. The state of the question touching the authoritie of the Fathers 44.8 Who the Papists meane by the Fathers nu 9. What they meane by all the Fathers consenting in one nu 10. The Pope vshers the Fathers nu 11. The practise of the Papists in reiecting the Fathers nu 11. 12. Forefathers how farre forth to be followed 61.2 What is to be thought touching our forefathers that liued and died in the times of Papistrie 6â— 4 Freewill denied by Papists 35.20 All the questions touching freewil laid downe in order as they rise with their true states Digress 42. The want of freewill debarreth not consultation 40.48 How it is reconciled with Gods praedestination nu 45. What freewill is and wherein it standeth nu 54. Free-will in naturall and ciuil things expounded nu 55. No freewill in spirituall things till grace come nu 56. The Papists doctrine to the contrarie nu 57. Some learned men in the Church of Rome thinke freewil to be Pelagianisme nu 61. The will of man concurreth not with Gods grace in vprising from sinne nu 64. The Papists doctrine to the contrarie nu 64. The efficacie of grace dependeth not on our will ibid. What freewill man hath when he is regenerate nu 65. Frier how defined by Lincolniensis 50.32 G. GOd not the author of sinne 40.50 See Author of sinne Good works necessarie to saluation Digress 34. They are to be excluded out of our justification but not out of our sanctification ibid. They merit not Digress 35. The Protestants do not say Good works are sinne Digress 37. Grace The Papists meaning expounded when they say Mans wil without grace can do nothing 40.57 The Papists teach that a man of himselfe can do good before any grace come ibid. Man cannot dispose himselfe it is grace that doth it 40.63 What that is that maketh grace effectuall 40.64 A man may infallibly know if he be in grace Digress 43. Greeks They haue as good outward succession as the Romish Church hath 55.2 Gropper the Cardinall A storie of him 55.7 H. HIerome of Prague a good man Holinesse no note of the Church 43.1 The holinesse of the Romane Church disproued 38.1 The places of Luther and Smidelin answered that are obiected against the holinesse of the Protestant Churches 38.2 The holinesse of the Protestants doctrine is iustified 40. ad 49. What holinesse the Protestants lay they haue 41.1 Complaints made by Papists against the vnholinesse of their own Church Digress 31. A man may infallibly know if he be truly holy 41.3 and Digress 43. Honorius a Pope that was an heretick 36.34 In that cause of Honorius you haue an example how the Papists denie all authorities 44.15 I IGnorance in matters of faith is commended by the Papists 2.5 Images not allowed of in ancient times and their worship forbidden 47.5 They are a new deuice 35.13 The Papists are not at one among themselues touching the first that rejected Images 50.5 Images of the Trinitie when brought in 50.11 Image worship when it was first brought in 50 1â— 51.5 The Papists are deuided among themselues touching the adoration of Images 50. 16. They worship stocks stones as the Pagans did 51.6 Imputation of Christs righteousnesse for our iustification is acknowledged by Papists 35.20 What this imputation importeth 40.41 Indies not conuerted by the Iesuites 48.2 but vtterly rooted out by cruelties vnspeakable which are touched at large Digress 50. The Protestants religion was in India afore the Papists knew them 48.3 Iudge of controuersies is the Scripture Digress 3. Papists will be iudges in their owne cause 5.7 The Pope is made iudge who is a partie 5.8 The iudge of controuersies assigned by the Papists falleth into the â—ame difficulties that are layed against the scripture 34.2 The Papists will not stand to their owne iudges 30.4 35.15 Iustification is by faith and not by works 35.14 20. Digress 40. What iustification is and how it is distinguished from sanctification 40.38 K. KEeping the commaundements See Law of God Keies giuen to the rest of the Apostles as wel as to Peter 36.12 They import not the supremacie euinced by disputation 36.16 inde Digress 30. What the keyes of the Church meane 36.18 Knowledge very commendable in the people 2.7 Great among them of the Primitiue Church ibid By what meanes the elect know and are assured of their owne saluatioÌ„ 40.39 L. LAtin prayers and seruice misliked by some Papists 35.20 against antiquitie 47.2 Law of God No mans righteousnesse can satisfie it Digr 34. No man can keepe it Digress 36. Why giuen when no man can keepe it 40.21 The Papists say absurdly that the coÌ„mandements are easie to keepe and a man may liue without sin 40.19 Lay people ought to reade the Scriptures and to haue them translated See Scriptures and Translations Lay men haue bin made Bishops 5.11 LegeÌ„d The miracles recorded therin are of no credit 42.2 Nor the Legends themselues 42.7 Lent fast not holden in the Primitiue Church as now it is 40.4 Libertie Our faith is falsly charged to be a doctrine of libertie 43.2 Luther His calling is iustified 52.5 59.2 And his writings 57.3 And his life and death against the malicious reports of the Papists Digr 57. Those reports are touched ib. M. MAriage no sacrameÌ„t 35.20 The mariage of Priests not restrained in ancient times 47.4 When the restraint began 50.10 Marks of the Church See Church Virgine Mary The Papists say the Church was in her alone when Christ died 17.3 Masse not offered by Christ at his last supper 35.20 When it began 50.14 Merits renounced by Papists 35.20 and 40.15 Merit of workes none 40.12 and 14. When that opinion began 50.13 The Papists hold it and what they meane by it 40.13 The diuers opinions that are among the Papists touching merits 40.16 Merits of Christ how farre they go by the Papists doctrine 40.13.29 Merit of congruitie what and how holden in the Church of Rome 40 62. Miracles not now needfull 12.6 Their proper vse 42.4 The time when the Church had them and the end why 41.4 The miracles that the Papists stand vpon are of no certaine credit 42.5 inde The Gentiles had as good miracles as the Church of Rome hath 42.6 The Legendaries tainted for whetstone liers 42.7 Incredible reports in the Legends and some also in the ancient fathers 42.8 Morall works what 40.59 Touching naturall freewill in things morall ibid. Monkes of ancient time not like ours of this time 41.3 and
there is why they should disdaine vs supposing we had lesse learning then we haue Irenaeus f L. 2. c. 45. hath a saying which I commend vnto them when they thinke they haue so much vantage of learning against vs It is better and more profitable to be simple and of small knowledge and by loue to approach neare God then to thinke themselues to know much and to be of high experience and in the meane while to be found blasphemers against God 11 We know no cause therefore why we should not constantly and cheerfully go forward with our profession and confirme our selues daily more and more therin against all the premises and oppositions of the Romane Church whatsoeuer First we haue the Scripture in manifest places free from all ambiguitie on our side secondly we haue the principles of religion contained in the Lords praiers the Creed and the ten Commandements that directly leadeth to euery point of our faith Which is the true reason why the Church of Rome forbiddeth the reading and exercise of these things to the people lest they should see so much Thirdly we haue the ancient fathers in expresse termes in all things that they held constantly certainly with one consent I do not deny but our aduersaries in some smaller points as Purgatory praier for the dead may make shew of some particular opinions in the fathers but vpon triall it will fall out they held theÌ„ waueringly doubtfully that no certainty can be set downe touching their resolute iudgement Whereas in the principall points touching the Scriptures iustification merit of workes images and all the rest they write most clearely with vs. Fourthly and which may perswade any man not drunken with his owne preiudice we haue the mercies of God to pleade for vs whereby our Church hath bene miraculously vpholden when they threatned God defended vs when they practised and expected our vtter ruine God disappointed them when they wrought all maner of treasons yet God deliuered vs. Fiftly and this is our further assurance that we haue done nothing against the Church of Rome but innumerable people in all ages wished it long ago What ceremony what doctrine what custome what one parcell of their superstition haue we refused but the world long since complained of it yea the learnedst men that were groned vnder the very burthens that we haue haue shaken off g Evetusto quoâ—am libro refert Illyric catolog test tom 2. p. 805. It is written of Gerson the Chauncellor of Paris who liued about one hundred yeares before Luther that the Sorbonists expulsed him the Vniuersitie and in his old age depriued him of all his d gnitiesâ— because as it is like he misliked diuers errors in the Church of Rome What time he betooke himselfe to teaching of schoole wherein his manner was daily to cause all his schollers the little children to ioyne with him in this short praier My God my maker haue mercy vpon thy miserable seruant Gerson It should seeme by this that he tooke small comfort in those times when forsaking all confidence in the glory of his Church he would call for mercy at the hands of God rather in the company of a few poore childreÌ„ then in the societie of such as were reputed the Doctors of the world And it may easily be thought Gerson saw more then he either loued or liked because the moderne Papists reiect his iudgement h Resp Card. Bellar. ad resolut Io. Gerson confute his writings and i Fra. Victoria relect 4. p. 138. say This Doctor in all things was an enemie to the Popes authoritie and with his heresie infected many others His opinion touching this matter little different from schisme Yea at this day they see more errors then they will reforme O God saith k Naucler pag. 499. one of their Historiographers what will become of our age when our vices are grown to that that they haue scarce left vs any place with God for mercy What couetousnesse is therein Priests what lust what ambition what idlenes what pompe what ignorance both of theÌ„selues and of Christian doctrine how little religion and fained rather then true God haue mercy on vs. 12 And hâ—â—â— omitting the way that is by triall of arguments I offer certaine externall markes and sensible tokens whereby the falshood of the Romane Church may be discouered the most resolute Papist that liueth moued to misdoubt his owne religion for it is vnpossible that these things following should be found in the true Church or practised by men of the right faith The first is their enmitie with the sacred Scriptures the word of God whereof I haue spoken in the 22. Digression of this booke For the words l Esa 8.20 of the Prophet are cleare To the Law to the Testimony if they speake not according to that word it is because there is no light in them And one of their practises against it whereby they haue depriued it froÌ„ being the totall rule hath left theÌ„ vtterly voide of all meanes to secure their faith by and to find the truth For the Church the fathers the Councels the Pope which is all they can pretend are yeelded by themselues to be subiect to error And how can that giue them assurance of their faith which it selfe is not assured from error The second is the very face and outward state and gouernment of their Church cleane contrary to the first antiquitie How vnlike is their Pope to Peter their Cardinals to the Apostles their Prelates to the ancient Bishops in state in ambition in intermedling This is noted at large by many among themselues Zabarella Cusanus Marsilius Occham Duarenus How vnlike is their priuate Masse halfe Communion Latin Seruice Image worship to the ancient Seruice of the Church of God If it were the true Church no continuance of time could thus haue altered it age changeth the colour of a mans haire and the sound of his voice but not his complexion or the shape of his bodie The third is that THERE IS NO POINT OF OVR FAITH BVT MANY LEARNED IN THEIR OWNE CHVRCH HOLD IT WITH VS AND NO POINT OF PAPISTRIE THAT WE HAVE REIECTED BVT SOME OF THEMSELVES HAVE MISLIKED IT AS WELL AS WE And this may be demonstrated in all the questions that are betweene vs and they know it and for that cause haue purged and razed the principall bookes of the elder Papists and some of them they haue vtterly forbidden In the bookes of latter Catholickes also m Index librorum prohib p. 25. §. 3. saith the Index which were written since the yeare 1515. if that which needeth correcting can be amended by taking away or adding of a few things let the correctors see it be done but otherwise let it be wholly razed out The fourth is that the most points of Papistrie are directly and at the first sight absurd and against common sence and the law of nature For who can conceiue
admonish one another that there is more strength to confute heretickes in traditions then in the Scripture yea all disputations with them must be determined by traditions so little hope haue they of receiuing any vantage by the Scripture Therfore Bristow dealt surely and circumspectly for his Romane faith a Mot. vltim where teaching his scholler how to deale with a Protestant he biddeth him first get the proud hereticke out of his weake and false castle of onely Scripture into the plaine field of traditions miracles Councels and Fathers and then like cowards they shal not stand For I dare vndertake on a Papists behalfe that put the Scripture to silence and set the Pope as iudge and giue him authoritie to make and repeale lawes to vse traditions approue Councels expound Fathers and Scriptures declare the Churches mind b Papa dicitur coeleste habere arbitrium sententiam quae nulla est facit aliquam De translat episco C. Quanto in Glossa make something of that which is nothing and to vse his will for a lawfull reason and finally as Stapleton c Princip doctr fidei in praefat speaketh let vs imagine that we heare God himselfe speaking in him and therefore vpon his authoritie teaching vs the foundation of our religion must be laid and as Bristow wisely foreseeth the Protestants shall be proued to be cowardly conuicted hereticks indeed Saue that he did not foresee how by confessing so much of his religion to rely onely on tradition and the credit of his Church he hath debarred himselfe and all Papists for alledging the text for it and any man of meane capacitie will easily conceiue what small comfort can be in that religion which is thus acknowledged to haue no warrant from the Scripture And we Protestants cannot but note their conscience and smile at their confidence which are so loud in alledging texts for that which they know and graunt cannot be proued but by tradition and D. Saunders was but in an Irish fit when he cried out so vehemently d Rock of the Church pa. 193. How vnhappie are men now a dayes that hauing most plaine Scriptures not such as possible needs the Churches declaration but most plaine and expresse Scripture not in some which e Multoque maxima pars euangelij peruenit ad nos traditione perexigua literis est mandara Hosius confess c. 92. vide Eck. ench c. 4. de scriptur other Papists could haue bene câ—ntent with but in all points for the Catholicke faith and none at all against the same yet they pretend by the very Scriptures to ouercome the Catholickes If this had bene true traditions should haue bene in lesse account then now they are and the Scriptures more allowed Digress 5. Wherin against the Iesuits conceit secretly implied in his first conclusion it is shewed that the Scriptures ought to be translated into the mother tongue and so read indifferently by the lay people of all sorts 9 If the Iesuite by his generall exception against our English translation meant also to gird at the reading of the Scriptures in the mother tongues and the permission thereof to the common people according to the conceit of f Bellarm. de verbo Dei l. 2. c. 15. Rhem. praefat Staphy apol Petes de tradit part 2. assert 3. pag 43. Ouand breuilo in 4. dist 13. prop. 13. l. edesima c. such as very odiously exclaime against it for that the translated Bibles be in the hands of euery husbandman artificer prentise boy girle mistris maid man c you haue at hand wherewith to answer him For in vaine were the Scriptures giuen vs g Mat. 4 4.7 10. Ephes 6.17 to be our armour against Satan if we might not be exercised in them in vaine are we commaunded h Deut. 6.7 13.12 Ios 1.8 Ioh. 5.39 to search them if they may not be translated for our vnderstanding in vaine are we taught i Col. 3.16 2. Cor. 8.7 2. Pet. 1.5 Heb. 5.12 to abound in knowledge and vnderstanding if the Scripture k Psa 19.7 Prou. 1.2 2. Tim. 3.15 the meanes thereof be holden from vs and in vaine haue the words of Christ and his Church called them l Digress 3. the Rule if we may not vse them or if as Duraeus m Confut. resp Whitak 1. â—at 5. pag. 148. writeth God had left vs not the bookes of the Scriptures but Pastors and doctors or as n Apolo part 2. transl by Stapl. pag. 76. Staphylus counselleth a Portesse containing I know not what parcels were sufficient or if Hosius the Cardinall lie not that o De sacr Vernac legend ignorance of the things we beleeue is worthy not onely of forgiuenesse but also of reward and p De express Dei verbo pag. 91. it is fitter for women to meddle with their distaffe then Gods word 10 But whatsoeuer the conceit of these men may be certaine it is and the Ecclesiasticall stories make it cleare that in the Primitiue church the word of God was not onely permitted the lay people to reade but also for that cause translations were prouided and they called vpon to be diligent in them of what estate soeuer they were q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat. l. 4. c. 33. Vlphilas a Bishop of the Goths translated the Scriptures into their language that so the barbarians might learne the words of God saith Socrates Auentinus r Annal. l. 4. sayth that Methodius translated them into the Slauonian tongue Å¿ Homil. 1. in Ioh. Chrysostome mentioneth Syrian Egyptian Indian Persian and Ethiopian translations yea others innumerable t De Curand Graecorum affect l. 5 Theodoret saith the Bible was turned into all languages vsed in the world Greeke Latin Egyptian Persian Indian Armenian Scythian Sarmatian which is also proued by this that diuers bookes and fragments of them are extant to this day And concerning our owne nation u Eccles hist gent. Angl. l. 1. c. 1. Bede sheweth that of old it had the Scriptures in all the languages thereof And finally x Rhem. praefac the Papists themselues cannot denie but this was the vse of those auncient times Let the testimonie of Austine be noted for the clearing of the point y De doctrin Christian l. 2. c. 5. It is come to passe that the Scripture wherewith so many diseases of mens wil are holpen proceeding from one tongue which fitly might be dispersed through the world being spread farre and wide by meanes of the diuers languages whereunto it is translated is thus made knowne to nations for their saluation the which when they reade they desire nothing else but to attaine to the mind of him that wrote it and so to the will of God according to the which we beleeue such men spake And what is more common with z Chrysos hom 3. de Laz. ho. 9. ad Coloss hom 2. 5. in Matth. hom 29.
preferred it before the originall Greek Hebrew which Å¿ Andrad defens Trident. fid lib. 4. Ioan. Isaac defens veritatis Hebr. aduers Lindan Molina in 1. Tho. q 27. art 1. disp 3. p. 399. Alponsus Mendoz. contâ—ou Theol. qu. 7 pa. 514. Sixt. Senens bib l. 8. haer 2. pag. 318. Do. Barn part 1. pag. 73. themselues cannot denie to be pure from all corruption and therefore in all sence it were likely we should haue the better translation which so religiously follow the originall I omit to produce examples of the seuerall additions detractions falsifications deprauations intollerable barbarismes of that vulgar Latin others haue done it sufficiently and the learned Papists complaine vpon it bitterly if they could tell how to helpe it but who may lift vp the heele against the Trent brat Thus writeth t de optim gen interpret l. 3. c. 1. 2. 4. 6. Idem Sixt. Senen bib sanc l. 8. in sine pag. 365. latè Dom. Bann in 1. part Tho. qu. 1 pag. 67. inde Lindan their own Bishop It hath monstrous corruptioÌ„s of all sorts scarce one copie can be found that hath one booke of Scripture vndefiled and whole Many points are translated too intricately and darkely some improperly and abusiuely some not so fully nor so well and truly sundry places thrust out from their plaine and naturall sence the translator possible was no Latinist but a smattering Grecian So that if our translation were as bad as the Iesuite or Gregorie Martin could haue said yet were we in as good a case as themselues For when they talke such wonders of their vulgar as for example u Bibl. Com. plut in praefat that it hangeth betweene the Greeke and Hebrew as Christ did betweene two theeues or as Posseuinus x Bibliothec. select lib. 2. ca. 10. speaketh It standeth as the pillar of truth and the hauen whereunto we must betake our selues from the waues of so many different translations I say these and such like maruels are told of it but to bring meÌ„ asleepe for many learned Papists can see no such thing in it § 7. Secondly they faile in the second condition * Aliqui existimaÌ„t Scripturas difficiliores esse quà m vt debeant laicoruÌ„ manibus conteri Sed aliter visum est patribus veteris noui testamenti Claud. EspeÌ„c com Tit. 2. 2. Tim. 3. For the Scriptures of themselues alone be obscure and vnknowne at least to vnlearned men who cannot reade them and therefore they alone in themselues cannot be a sufficient rule to instruct them in all points of faith as is plaine For locke vp an vnliterate man and a Bible together for a time in a studie and he will come foorth as ignorant in matters of faith as he went in if we adde no other meanes but the bare written word which he cannot reade to instruct him and yet vnlearned men may be saued and saued they cannot be without an entire infallible faith and this they cannot haue vnlesse there be some rule and infallible meanes prouided by almightie God accommodate to their capacitie to teach them this faith * The Apostles and Prophets made their writings so plaine and euident to al meÌ„ that euery man of himselfe onely by reading may learne the things spoken therein Chrysost hom 3. de Laz. and Scripture alone as is now proued cannot be a rule of it selfe accommodate to the capacitie of the vnlearned men or apt to instruct them sufficiently in all points of faith The Answer 1 Vnlearned men may be saued and saued they cannot be but by the true faith and this faith they cannot haue without the rule to teach it them all this is true but still the Scripture yea onely Scripture is that rule for any thing the Iesuite hath said in this place a Pro. 1.4 giuing sharpnesse of wit to the simple and to the child knowledge and vnderstanding 2 For his reason to proue it aboue the capacitie of the vnlearned because they cannot reade them nor profit by them without other helpes ioyned is a very shift and an idle cauill concluding as much against himselfe as vs in that the determination of his Romane church without some other meanes added will proue as obscure as the text of Scripture Therefore I answer there be certaine helpes to enable vs to vnderstand the necessitie and requisite condition wherof hinder not the plainnesse and easinesse of the rule as I shewed when b § 4. nu 2. I handled the properties thereof For the word of God c 2. Pet. 1.19 is a light to our wayes and d Heb. 12.5 speaketh to vs as to children in all points of faith and manners easily plainly familiarly but yet there is a necessary condition required that we heare and know this voice which the Iesuites man lockt vp in a studie doth not And will the Iesuite himselfe because a man neuer hearing of the Churches determination abideth still in ignorance giue me leaue to inferre hereupon that therefore the Church is not the rule and yet the reason is all one Againe there be certaine impediments some naturall as infancie vnlearnednesse some sinfull as ignorance pride frowardnesse which must be remoued afore we can heare the Scriptures as they must also afore we can heare the Church for which cause the Lord hath giuen vs e Rom. 10 14. Eph. 4.11 the ministery of his Pastors and other meanes so that if a man being lockt vp with a Bible returne forth as ignorant as he went in this proueth not that the Scripture is obscure but that the man heard it not and to him that heareth not plaine and obscure is all one For the Law of our land is the rule of Societie yet locke vp an vnlettered man and the Law booke for a time together in a study and he wil come forth againe as ignorant in matters of law as he went in if we admit no other meanes but let the booke be opened and the text read and then as f Hom. 3. de Laz. Chrysostome speaketh the most vnlearned man that is shall vnderstand The Carpenters squire is the rule to measure by yet a child can do nothing with it The Sunne is our comfortable light to see by yet we must open our eyes and apply the meanes In all arts as in the Mathematicks Law or Physicke the precepts are the rule whereby the truth of euery question may be tried yet the bookes must be opened and time must be spent in learning them And though the Iesuite do all he can to haue his Church the rule yet he must needs grant the determination thereof is neither knowne nor agreed vpon without much labour and when it speaketh most plainly yet infants deafe men and infidels heare it not Digression 8. Shewing that the Scriptures are not so obscure but that they plainly determine all points of faith 3 And because the Iesuite according to the
ye need nothing else but to reade A truth so manifest that the Iesuits themselues are constrayned to yeeld it For e Anal. fid pag. 100. Gregory of Valence writeth that such verities concerning our faith as are absolutely and necessarily to be known beleeued of all men are f Perspicuè ferè plainely taught in the Scriptures themselues And g Dist 37. Relatum the Canon law saith When the law of God is read it must not be read or taught according to the power and knowledge of our owne wit For many words there be in the Scripture which may be drawn to that sense which euery one for the nonce will frame to himselfe But it should not be so For h Non enim sensum extrin secus alienum extraneum sed ex ipsis Scripturis sensum capere veritatis oportet you must not from without them seeke a forren and strange sence that so you may as you can confirme it with the authoritie of the text but we must out of the Scriptures themselues receiue the meaning of the truth For the diuine Scriptures containe i Integram sumam regulā veritatis the whole and firme rule of faith 4 Against this that I haue answered the Iesuite hath couched together diuers obiections And first that learned men many times mistake the sence of places expounding that one way which is meant another as for example that figuratiuely which is meant literally whereto I answer three things First this proueth not the pretended difficulty of the Scripture but only the weaknesse and ignorance or possible the frowardnesse and preiudice of some men And so a wrong cause is assigned for the Scripture is not the cause of these mens erronious expositions as I will shew in the tenth Digression 5 Next this argument conuinceth not all the Scripture of obscuritie but only some of it which we grant But then what gaineth the Iesuite For he must proue that all the Scripture and specially that which containeth the principles of our faith which we call the rule to be obscure and intricate which he can neuer do For k Aug. de doctr Christ li. 2. c. 9. Chrys hom 3. in 2. Thess those things which concerne our faith and conuersation yea all things necessary are plainely and manifestly set downe the which cannot be made vncertaine by the obscuritie of other places Therefore the diuersitie of mens iudgements sheweth the learnedst men that are l 1. Cor. 13.11 to know but in part and the Scripture in some part to be obscure but not that all is obscure or that which is so is too obscure to be the rule See Digression 10. 6 Thirdly though the proper interpretation be sometime mistaken yet the truth is not alway thereby obscured For heare what m De doct l. 2. cap. 36. Austin saith He erres not perniciously neither doth he altogether say vntruly who sometime expoundeth otherwise then the text meaneth if so his exposition further charity the end of the commandement He is indeed deceiued but yet so as when a man losing his way through a by-field cometh whither the way leadeth His meaning is that in many cases wrong expositions hinder not the determinate and plaine iudgement of the text 7 But seeing experience sheweth that diuers expound diuersly yea one contrary to another how may one be infallibly sure that he only expoūdeth right hauing nothing to assure him but the seeming of his owne reason which reason others thinke they haue as well as he Wherto I answer three things First this infallible certaintie befalleth not all men For God in his iudgment leaueth many to be seduced by their own seeming sense and reason and deceiued in their owne opinions as n Psal 119.18 Ioh. 7.17 8.43.47 14 16.17 1. Cor. 2.14 2 Th 2.11 2. Pet. 3.16 the Scripture teacheth manifestly neither is there any externall meanes left by God in the world effectuall to conuince those whom he hath giuen ouer and which want his spirit as already o §. 4. nu 2. I haue shewed For though the Spirit speake euidently in the text and plentifully to meet with all doubts and cases as p Part. 3. Tit. 18. c. 3. §. 3. Antoninus speaketh yet the wicked haue no eares to heare it their owne preiudice hindereth them For what can be playner then this that Iesus is the Messias the sacrifice of Aaron is ceased the blood of Christ doth away our sins yet the Iew beleeueth it not and the reason is giuen by Saint Paul q 2. Cor. 3.14 because the vaile of Moses is laid ouer his heart therefore Austin prayeth r Cons l. 11. c. 3. Thee ô my God I beseech pardon my sinne and which causedst thy seruant Moses to speake the truth cause me also to vnderstand it If this be a defect in our rule they which make the determination of the Roman Church the rule incurre the same inconuenience For ſ Princip Doctrin fid lib. 8. c. 1. 2. Triplic inchoat in admonit ad Guil. Whytak Doctor Stapleton acknowledgeth The inward perswasion of the spirit is so necessary that without it no man can beleeue any thing though the Church giue testimony a thousand times And t Relect. controu 4. again he complaineth This is the beginning of our calamitie that an hereticke heareth not the Churches voyce The same say we this is the spring of an heretickes confusion that he heareth not the voyce and definitiue sentence of the Scripture 8 Secondly to the point of his demand the truth contained in the Scripture is a light and is discerned by the sonnes of light u 1. Ioh. 2.20 Ioh. 8.31.32 the inward witnesse to assure them is the annointing of the holy Ghost x Luc. 1.4 Act. 17.11 2. Pet. 1.19 the outward witnesse is the Scripture it self which by it own light perswadeth vs in all cases doubts questions and controuersies clearly testifieth with vs or against vs. Which light is ordinarily attained to by vsing the meanes some priuate as reading prayer conference of places consent of the godly helps of learning and reason sanctified some publick as the ministery of the Church which ministery as all other meanes is founded on the authoritie of the Scripture it selfe And this is something to assure vs more then the seeming of our owne sense and reason 9 Thirdly the Churches word and authoritie neither doth nor can assure vs that is to say we are not infallibly certaine this or that is the right meaning of the text because the Church hath decreed it so to be but by the Churches ministery ordinarily we are instructed as I shew more at large in the 11. Digression and haue touched already in the sixth 10 But many things are required for the perfect vnderstanding of the Scripture which are but in few they which haue thē be not sure either that they haue them or that they erre not in vsing
them Therefore the Scripture is too obscure to be the rule wherto I answer three things according to the three parts of his argument First I grant certaine things are required as necessary conditions to the vnderstanding of the Scriptures but those things are alway present in the Church and the children of God partake them The spirit of God is necessary y Ioh. 3.8 which breatheth where it listeth and the ordinary meanes of learning and diligence be necessary but proueth not the obscurity pretended For the Mathematicks be the rule of measures proportions and numbers and yet many things are required to vnderstand them And the Iesuite thinketh his Church is the rule yet z Relect. contro 1. qu. 3. pa. 30. Stapleton writeth that sometime it is not seene so easily but onely by such as are very circumspect and skilfull 11 Secondly though more gifts of learning and art be needfull to such as teach others yet that is rather to search out and vtter the sence which the Scripture it selfe yeeldeth then to bring any to it which was not there afore And is not the touchstone it whereby we trie gold though some labour be needfull to find it out And yet they want no gifts for the vnderstanding of the text that haue and vse the text it selfe in that all exposition is to be setched out of it which inuincibly proueth it to be the rule and I haue often shewed that whatsoeuer the rule be yet of necessitie there must be certaine conditions obserued for the vsing it and this necessitie argueth it not of obscuritie 12 Lastly I say they which haue the meanes to vnderstand the Scripture know infallibly both that they haue them and that they vse them right in the same manner that a Arist de anima l. 3. c 2. the Philosopher proueth that with the same sense we see and are assured we see For supposing I haue the meanes that bringeth vnderstanding it were a most absurd thing to imagine those very meanes could not assure my conscience of the function or vse of them Digression 10. Assigning the true cause of mens errors in expounding the Scriptures 13 The Scripture in it selfe is a light as it is euery where called but men do not alway rightly vnderstand it by reason of some defect in themselues that hindereth them from comprehending so great maiestie For who is able to behold the Sunne in his brightnesse but his eyes will dazle yet that is the chiefe light whereby we see it selfe and all things else The means wherby we attain to the vnderstanding is inwardly the spirit of God opening our iudgment outwardly the Scripture it selfe which in plainer places openeth the obscurer giueth light to that which is more difficult The want of which means is the true cause that men run into error not vnderstanding the Scriptures 14 Our Sauiour saith b Io. 8.3 c. 3.2 we cannot know the truth till we continue in his words and the Apostle c 1. Pet. 2.1 for our growing vp in the word of God requireth that first we lay by all affection and then as new borne babes desire the sincere milke thereof that we may liue and grow thereby He is the best reader saith d De Trinit lib. 1. Hilary who rather expecteth the vnderstanding of things from the things themselues then from himselfe imposeth it vpon them who taketh the exposition from thence rather then bringeth it thither inforceth not the sence vpon the words which before his reading he presumed Epiphanius e Haer. 69 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith All things in the Scripture be manifest to such as repaire to them with a religious minde Oecumenius f Vpon 2 Cor. 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith If many beleeue not this is not our fault neither is it the obscuritie of the Gospell but the cause is their owne blindnesse and condemnation The cause of this dissention saith g De causis disâ—enâ— Eccles p. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nilus is not the sublimitie of the matter as if it exceeded the capacitie of mans minde and much lesse is the speech of the Scripture the cause as if it were so concise that it spake nothing plainly of the points in question for it is all one to accuse God and to chalenge the Scriptures Saint Austin in a h Epist 3. ad Volus certaine epistle sheweth what is plaine and what obscure and the reason why that the Iesuite may see there is no place left for his shifts thus he writeth The manner of speaking whereby the Scripture is knit together wherto all may approch though few can enter i En quae aperta continet quasi amicus familiaris sine fuco ad corloquitur indoctorum atque doctorum Ea vero quae in mysterijs occul tar nec ipsa eloquio supeâ—ho eâ—â—it quo non aude ataccedere meÌ„s tâ—t diuscula incruditâ— quasi pauper addiuitem sed inuitat omnes humili sermone quos noÌ„ soluÌ„ manifesta pascat sed etiaÌ„ secreta exeâ—ceat veritate hoc in promptis quod in reconditis habens like a familiar friend speaketh those plain things which it containeth without glozing to the heart of learned vnlearned And as for those which it hideth in mysteries it lifteth them not vp with stately speech that a dull and vnlearned minde should not presume to come neare as a poore man to a rich but with lowly speech it inuiteth all men that it may not onely feed them with manifest but also excercise them with obscure truth hauing the same in manifest that it hath in obscure places But lest manifest things should be loathed the same againe are obscurely spoken that they may be desired and being desired may after a certaine manner be renewed and being renewed they may be delightfully intimated to vs. Herby both froward wits are wholesomely corrected and weake wits cherished and great wits delighted 15 So that to expound figuratiuely that which should be meant literally or contrary argueth no such obscuritie in the text but ignorance or leuity or partialitie in the man as when k Anton. 3. par tit 18. c. 5. §. 3. the Popish Doctors teach all texts in preaching may be turned to Allegories wherof l Inno. Gentillet Exam. Concil Trident. lib. 4. nu 26. sess 22. we haue a pleasant example in the Councell of Trent it selfe where Tyrabosco the Patriarcke of Venice preaching on the miracle of the loaues fishes would proue the seuen Sacraments thereby The creation of the world saith he was ended the seuenth day and Christ satisfied the people with fiue loaues and two fishes which make seuen But how shall the Councell haue bread that the people may eate and be filled euen by appointing seuen sacraments for that which Philip said two hundred pennyworth of bread will not suffice hath this meaning that all the mysteries of the old and new testament are not enough
preserue them from error as appeareth in that many thus vsing it do notwithstanding erre Therefore the Scripture alone is not the rule For answer to this argument you must not forget in what sence a § 4 nu 2. I haue shewed the Scriptures alone to be the rule For when we say alone we exclude not the subordinate meanes and dispositions whereby we are enabled to vse them but the authoritie of all other things either to supply their supposed imperfection or to giue the sence and therefore granting the proposition I denie the minor with the confirmation thereof being meerly false For all such as finding the scripture do obey and yeeld assent vnto it are thereby sufficiently preserued from error and instructed in the truth And the reason why some vsing it as the Iesuite and his Church for example do notwithstanding erre is because either they vnderstand it not or will yeeld no assent vnto it For there is no cause so absolute but the effect thereof may from without be hindered when a stoppe commeth betweene See Digression 10. where all this argument is answered 2 So that when men vsing the Scriptures do notwithstanding remaine in error the let is in themselues For though possible they confesse them to be Gods word yet all obedience to them consisteth not in that but it is further required that the blindnes of their heart be done away and that curiosity preiudice other impedimēts be remoued as we may see by this that there is nothing more clearly defined by the Church thē that there is but one God and three persons which made all things that Christ is the sonne of God borne of the virgin Marie yet these th ngs we see are in controuersie among them that vse the Scriptures So then it must not be granted the Iesuite that euerie one or any that grosly erreth in matters of faith yeeldeth obedience to the Scripture in all that it teacheth for if they did so they could not erre Digression 14. Containing a Discourse of Saint Austin about mens errors against the Scripture 3 This point is well spoken to by Austin You see b Contra Faust manich lib. 12. cap. 19. 6. tom saith he to the Manichees this is your endeuour to take away from among vs the authoritie of the Scriptures and that euery ones mind might be his author what to allow what to disallow in euery text and so he is not for his faith made subiect to the Scripture but maketh the Scriptures subiect to himselfe and that which he holdeth doth not therefore please him because it is found written in so high authoritie but therefore he thinketh it written truely because it pleaseth him Whither now doest thou venter thy self miserable soule weak and wrapt in carnall mists whither dost thou venter thy selfe Here Austin sheweth a reason why many hauing the Scriptures are not yet instructed thereby but doth he therefore conclude they cannot be the rule and thereupon send them after the Iesuite to borrow his rule inquire if he do for thus he proceedeth a little after Why doest thou not rather submit thy selfe to the Euangelicall authoritie so stedfast so stable so renowned and by certaine succession commended from the Apostles to our times that thou maist beleeue that thou maist behold that thou maist learn all those things which hinder thee from doing it through thine owne vaine and peruerse opinion Here Austin thinketh mens errors remaine by reason of their owne frowardnesse and not through any obscuritie in the Scripture Concerning which he writeth thus c De doctrin Christ lib. 1. c. 6 in another place that some things being darkly spoken a thicke mist being about vs deceiue those that rashly reading take one thing for another all which I doubt not was prouided by God to tame our pride with labor and to reuoke our vnderstanding from loathing Therefore hath the holy Ghost tempered the Scriptures thus loftily and wholesomely that by plainer places he might satisfie our hunger and by obscurer put away our fulnesse For nothing in a manner is pickt foorth of those obscurities which may not be found most plainely spoken elsewhere § 11. Neither do I see what you can obiect against this conclusion but that place of S. Paul 2. Tim. 3. Omnis Scriptura diuinitus inspirata vtilis est ad docendum vt perfectus sit homo c. But this place proueth nothing against that which I haue said * In Scripturis sacris tanta est disciplina quāta sat est cuique crudiendo Euang Bosius Theorem 10. apud Posseu bibl select lib. 2. cap. 15. For it saith not the Scripture alone is sufficient to instruct a man to perfection but that it is profitable for this purpose as it is indeed and the rather because it commendeth to vs the authoritie of the Church which as I shall shew after is sufficient to instruct vs in all points of faith The Answer 1 Whatsoeuer may be said against the Iesuites conclusion ouer and besides yet this place is one of those texts which we obiect against it And thus we reason That which by Diuine inspiration 1. is able to make a man wise to saluation 2. through the faith of Christ 3. which is profitable to instruct in righteousnesse 4. to teach to reproue to correct 5. that he may be absolute and perfect to euery good worke that alone is sufficient and containeth all things needfull to be knowne But such is the Scripture that it is able to make a man wise c. Therefore it alone is sufficient Euery word in the text is an argument But the Iesuite answereth two things 2 First that the Apostle saith not the Scripture alone is sufficient to instruct vs to perfection but profitable Whereto I replie that the Apostle saith not simply they are profitable but they are profitable to teach to reproue to correct and to instruct in all righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect to all good works whence I draw two arguments to shew it to be sufficient alone First because a man by vsing it may be made perfect to euery good worke now that is sufficient that can make me perfect and absolute to euery worke Secondly because the duties whereunto the Scripture is profitable containe a sufficient doctrine of saluation We do not say the Scripture is profitable therfore sufficient but it is profitable to euery thing therefore sufficient Thus I reason They teach they reproue they instruct they correct a Ex his autem contingit alicui vt integer sit Occumen But this is sufficient and containeth all things all that we need to saluation is either to be taught or reproued or instructed or corrected Ergo. Againe That is sufficient which maketh him absolute and perfect to euery good worke But such are the Scriptures Therefore they are sufficient Moreouer that must needs be granted sufficient which can make a man wise to saluatiō and
5 when he said I would not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authoritie of the Church did moue me For though the testimonie of the Church by reason of mens infirmitie afore they beleeue be requisite to draw them on to consent to the Scriptures as children afore they can go hold themselues by the side of a stoole and so learne to go yet is not the credite of the Church or authority of men the thing whereby we know and distinguish the Scripture from other writings but the authoritie of Gods spirit is it that by the help of the Church worketh faith in vs. Digression 19. Touching the place of S. August cont epist. fundam cap. 5. and the matter which the Papists gather from it 4 The Papists haue a principle among them that the Scriptures receiue all their authoritie from the Church meaning thereby g Rhem. Gal. 6.2 that they are not knowne to be true neither are Christians bound to receiue them without the attestation of the Church h Ioan. de Turrecr suê‘ dist 9. Noli meis nu 4. Which testimonie declareth vnto vs which be the Scriptures and which not i Baron annal tom 1. an 53. nu 11. so that by the tradition of the Church all the Gospel receiueth his authority and is built therupon as vpon a foundatioÌ„ and cannot subsist without it Yea k Bosius de sign eccl tom 2 pag. 439. some of them write that the Scripture is not to be reckoned among such * Principia principles as before all things are to be credited but it is proued confirmed by the church * Quasi per quoddam principium as by a certain principle which hath autority to reiect allow Scripture And l D. Standish Treat of the Script c. 6. probat 3. a countriman of ours hath left written that in three points the authoritie of the Church is aboue the authoritie of the Scripture The second is for that the Church receiued the Gospel of Luke and Marke and did reiect the Gospels made by his high Apostles Thomas and Bartlemew The which speeches of theirs when the Papists haue expounded how they can yet this will be the vpshot that in all discourses concerning religion the last resolution of our faith shall be into the Churches authoritie 5 For confirmation whereof they bring you see this of Austine I would not haue beleeued the Gospel vnlesse the Churches authority moued me In which words he speaketh of the time past afore he was conuerted and according to the phrase of his countrey putteth the preterimperfect tense for the preterpluperfect tense meaning thus I had not now beleeued the Gospell and bene a Christian but that the Church by her reasons perswaded me thereunto speaking onely of the practise of Christians who by their perswasions conuert many to the Gospell And that he speaketh of the time pâ—st when he was an vnbeleeuer it is plain not onely by viewing the place but by the testimonie of a learned Papist m Can loc l. 2. c. 8. pag. 34. who saith Austine had to do with a Manichee who would haue a certaine Gospell of his owne without controuersie admitted therefore Austine asketh what they will do if they chance to meet with one * Qui ne Euangelio quidem credat which beleeueth not the Gospell and by what arguments they will draw him into their opinion n Certè se affirmat non aliter potuisse adduci vt Euangeliâ—m amplectâ—retâ—â— quà m Ecclesiae authoritate victum Verily he affirmeth that â—e for his part could not otherwise be drawne to embrace the Gospel but being ouercome with the authorie of the Church therefore he doth not teach that the credite of the Gospell is founded on the Churches authoritie Whereby it is plaine that Austine propoundeth himselfe as an instance of one that beleeueth not which he could not be when he wrote this but by speaking of the time past And though it were throughly proued that he spake of himselfe being a Christian and in that estate said he would not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authoritie of the Church moued him yet were it not proued hereby that he meant the present Church as it runneth from time to time or the Church of Rome or any other place as it now standeth For if some Papists misse it not he meant the Church which was in the Apostles times which saw Christs miracles and heard his preaching Durand o 3. d. 24. q. 1. in litera o. saith That which is spoken concerning the approbation of the Scripture by the Church is meant onely of that Church which was in the Apostles time Of the same mind are p Dried de var. dogm l. 4. c. 4. Gers de vita anima Occham dial l. 1. part 1. c 4. others whereby he may see that Austine giueth a kind of authoritie to the Church but it is not that Church which should serue his turne Neither is the authoritie giuen large enough to reach the Popish conceit or the Iesuites conclusion if we had not the testimony of the Church we could not be infallibly sure that there were any Gospell at all nor know these bookes to be Scripture for Canus a Doctor of his owne q Vbi supra confesseth I do not beleeue that the Euangelist saith true because the Church telleth me he saith true but because God hath reuealed it And r Triplicat incho 〈◊〉 uers Whitak in Admon Stapleton The inward testimonie of the spirit is so effectuall for the beleeuing of any point of faith that by it alone any matter may be beleeued though the Church hold her peace or be neuer heard And Å¿ Comment theol tom 3. pag. 31 Gregorie of Valence The reuelation of the Scripture is beleeued not vpon the credit of any other reuelation but for it selfe And t qâ—â— Sent. 1 q. 1. art 3. pag 50. liâ—eta C. â—â—ce Greg. Arimin prolog n sent q. 1. art 3. pag. 4. Cardinall Cameracensis The verities contained in the Canon of the Bible onely are the principles and foundation of Diuinitie and receiue not their authority by other things whereby they may be demonstrated And therefore this testimonie of Austine proueth not that he beleeued the Gospel through the Churches authoritie as by a Theologicall principle whereby the Gospel might be proued true but onely as it were by a cause mouing him to credite it as if he should say I would not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the holinesse of the Church or Christs miracles did moue me In which saying though some cause of his beleeuing the Gosp ll be assigned yet u Compare this wâ—â— the place of Bozius alledged in the beginning of this Digress letter a. no former principle is touched whose credite might be the cause why the Gospell should be beleeued These speeches of our very aduersaries which the truth it selfe hath wroong from them deserue to be obserued the more because
kings gift calling him to the place implieth both So is it in our sanctificatiō which is the way that leadeth to the kingdom that God hath freely giuen vs and the dutie which that gift calleth vs to and therefore necessary in it owne kind and order no otherwise Which the Protestants holding do not teach thereby that men should neglect good workes but the contrarie they onely thinke them not necessary or requisite to our iustification for the satisfaction of the law because herein nothing concurreth with the merit of Christ or can do as many learned Papists themselues confesse and the ordinarie sort of people that now misconceiueth our doctrine in this point when they vnderstand it as I haue laid it downe will not denie Digression 35. Touching the merit of our workes and what is to be holden thereof 12 Next the Iesuite accuseth our doctrine of good works because it denieth the merit thereof For answer whereunto we beleeue assuredly our good workes shall be rewarded both in this life and in the life to come yea farre beyond that which they are worth onely we deny their merit that is to say we thinke this reward is not giuen for the merit or desert of the worke but of the meere grace and mercie of God for the merits of Christ Wherin we haue not onely the Scripture and ancient Doctors but the most skilfull and learned Papists that euer liued on our side t Exod. 20.6 The law saying the reward is of mercie and u Rom. 8.18 the Gospell telling vs The sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glorie in the life to come 13 That which the Papists meane by merit is this which I set downe in their own words and let the reader iudge whether the Protestants haue not reason to refuse it Andradius x Orth. expl l. 6 saith The heauenly blessednesse which the Scripture calleth the reward of the iust is not giuen them of God gratis freely but is due to their workes yea God hath set forth heauen to sale for our workes The Deane of Louan y Expl. Artic. Louan tom 2. art 9. saith Farre be it from vs that the righteous should looke for eternall life as a poore man doth for his almes for it is much more honour for them as victors and triumphers to possesse it as the garland which by their labour they haue deserued Bayus z De merit operum l 1. c. 9. saith That although the restauration of mankinde be ascribed to the merits of Christ yet it is not for Christs merits that our workes are rewarded with eternall life neither doth God when he giueth the reward looke toward Christs death but onely to the first institution of mankind wherein by the law of nature it was appointed that in the iust iudgement of God obedience should be rewarded with life as disobedience is with death Suarez a Tom. 1. in Tho. 3. d. 41. sect 3. §. Secundo oportet saith A supernaturall worke proceeding from grace within it selfe and of it owne nature hath a proportion and condignitie with the reward and a sufficient value to be worth the same The reward therfore is not giuen for Christs merit The merit of Christ cannot be made our merit therefore neither can our merits haue the power of meriting from Christs merits or any more worthinesse then they be ordained to haue of themselues It must not be denied but our merits are true merits so that the workes of the godly proceeding from grace haue of themselues an inward worthinesse and are proportionable to the reward in the same manner as if we conceiued a man to be iust and worke well without the merits of Christ as many thinke of the Angels and of man in the state of innocencie Thus the merits which the Protestants denie are not the reward of good workes but that inward condignitie which our aduersaries place in them whereby they thinke God is bound to reward them yea without any respect to the death or merits of Christ This we hold a detestable opinion because it abrogateth the Gospell and setteth on foote the couenant of workes 14 Beggers asking for almes shew their wounds but Papists will haue vs shew our merits and not aske heauen as an almes for Christs sake but challenge it as due for our workes sake but what saith one b Marc. herem de his qui putant se ex oper iustif He that doth good seeking reward thereby serueth not God but his owne will Origen c Ad Rom. l. 4. c. 4. saith I can hardly beleeue there is any worke that may require the reward of debt Austin d De gr lib. arb c. 9. writeth We must vnderstand that God bringeth vs to eternall life not for our merits but for his owne mercie And Bernard e De Annunc serm 1. That the merits of men are not such that eternall life should be due to them of right or that God should offer men iniurie if he did not therefore bestow it f In Cant. ser 61. The mercy of God is my merit g De grat lib arbit The things which we call our merits are the nurses of our hope the prouocations of loue the signes of our election the forerunners of our future happinesse the way to the kingdome not the cause why we raigne And Gregory himselfe who was a B. of Rome h Super. Ps 7. poenit saith It is one thing for God to reward men according to their works and another thing to giue the reward for the workes themselues When the Scripture saith according to our workes the qualitie of our workes is vnderstood that the reward shall be his whose the workes are for vnto that blessed life wherein we liue with God can no labour be compared no worke likened seeing the Apostle saith The suffering of this life is not worthy of the glorie of the life to come This that these fathers haue said is it we also say for our selues answer our accusers Now I know well enough a witty Romanist deuoted to contention can inuent some fine distinction to make these men speake good Romane Catholicke whatsoeuer they meant let him do vs the like fauour making the same distinction for vs that he will do for Austin Bernard or Gregorie and we shall be as good Catholickes as they 15 Moreouer it is diligently to be obserued that howsoeuer our aduersaries contend for their merits yet the learnedst and most iudicious among them disauow them teaching people at their way-gate to renounce them and holding that which I haue said to be the sounder doctrine so did Anselme the Bishop of Canterbury 500. yeares since teach the people to die in this faith i Refert Hos confes Petrico◠1. c. 73. confessing Lord I set the death of Christ betweene me and my bad merits and I offer his merits for my owne merits which I should haue but haue not
27. art 3 Hos confes c 73. Alex. Halens part 3. q. 69. m 5. art 2. §. 1. Greg Valent Apol. missae c. 5. some say The merits of a mans workes proceed from the grace of God and his vnion with Christ But a Bavus de merit oper l. 2. c. 1. 4. 7. others say this is heresie and conclude that the dignitie of the person addeth nothing to the reason of meriting and they may merit heauen that are not yet adopted to be the sonnes of God b Armachan qq Armen l. 12 c. 21. Scot. 1. d. 17. q. 2. Vega de iustificat q. 5. Occham 1. d. 17. q. 2. Some say the merit is not because the workes haue any worthinesse in themselues but by reason God hath made a promise and thereby bound himselfe to reward them but c Andrad Orth. expl l. 6. Caietan 1.2 q. 114. art 3. Soto de Nat Grat. l. 3. c. 7. others deny this and thinke they deserue the reward though God had made no promise at all Which the learned Papists thinke d Halens part 2. q. 96. m 3 art 2. the workes of Adam in his innocency and e Scot Almayn Biel. Durand Medina quos refert Suar. tom 1. p. 35. Christ when he redeemed vs did not ascribing their merit to the couenant which God made to accept them f Bell. de iustif l. 5. c. 17. Coster Enchir. c. 7. A third sort say they merit by vertue of the worke and promise both g Hos confes Polon c. 73. vbi etiam refert Albert. Bonauent Gabr. Some are of mind that both the grace of working and the merit of the worke being doing flow both alikâ— from the merit of Christ But h Bayus de merit operum l. 1. c. 9. others say the contrarie how it is for Châ—ists sake indeed that God hath enabled vs to do the good worke but when it is done then the reward is giuen not for Christ but for the workes sake without any respect of Christs death i Suar. tom 1. d. 41. sect 3. The Iesuites say many of them that the promise of God made to accept our workes bindeth God to reward them yea they haue an inherent and in trinsecall worthinesse of their owne deseruing reward as Adams workes had in the state of innocency And k Vpon Hebr 6 10. the Rhemists say They be meritorious and the very cause of saluation so farre that God should be vniust if he rendered not heauen for the same But l 2. d. 27. q. 2. lit d. Durand saith it is rashnesse and blasphemy so to speake the promise of God in the Scriptures no way binding him to giue the reward but onely teaching that he purposeth to giue eternall life to such as liue godly The like say m Part. 2. q 96. m 3. art 2. part 3 q 69. m. 5. art 2 §. 1. Alexander and n 1. â— 17. q. 1. art 2. Ariminensis two famous schoolemen 17 By these vncertainties and oppositions of our accusers among themselues it is easie to discerne they haue more stomacke to striue against vs then wit to conceale their owne disagreements or power to reconcile their faith with the truth The conclusion therefore shall be this that the point of difference betweene vs and the Papists concerning merits is that we beleeue there is no merit in our workes at all and the Papists cannot tell what to beleeue Digression 36. Answering those that accuse the Protestants for holding that no man can keepe Gods commandements and shewing what is to be holden concerning that matter 18 First that the malicious reports of our accusers seduce no man I will set downe what we and what they say touching this matter and the difference betweene vs and then make triall whether it follow of that we say that men should neglect good workes That which we hold is that no man is able to do all that the law requireth but in many things we sinne all the reason is because the commandement tieth vs not onely to the outward worke but o Mat. 22.37 also to the perfection of inward loue yea that we do both these not by the helpe of the grace of the Gospell but of our selues by the strength of our owne will for so much as the law was giuen before the Gospell was reuealed when man stood in pure nature in either of which points whosoeuer faileth though neuer so little he is a transgressour of the law And though Iesus Christ haue brought grace to the law that is to say by the reuelation of his Gospell hath in some sort altered it yet that grace standeth not in diminishing the commandements or enabling vs here to keepe it without defect but in absoluing vs from the rigour of it and working the obedience of the Gospell in our hearts The rigor of the law admitteth no righteousnesse but that which is absolute and perfect it offereth vs iustification and eternall life vpon no other condition it adiudgeth euery man to hell for the least sinne and condemneth all such as faile in perfect obedience and this rigour standeth in force toward all that are out of Christ and though the grace of Christ haue deliuered his children from it yet this deliuerance we see implieth not their exemption from sinning but onely supposeth three other things First that the curse of the law shall not be extended against theÌ„ because Christ hath suffered it Next that the power of it shall be abated in them by reason the death of Christ hath mortified the lust of the flesh Thirdly that they are freed from the law thus armed with rigor and admitted to the obedience of the Gospell which is a yoke lighter and easier And we hold that all the perfection of mans righteousnesse in this life standeth onely in bearing this yoke the commandements whereof are three and we think it not impossible to keep them The first is repentance whereby we seeke that our sinnes may be pardoned and we renewed by daily mislike and hatred of our selues for the sins we haue done confessing them to God and crauing more strength against them The 2. is faith beleeuing in Christ for the remission of our sinnes The third is new obedience consisting in the mortification of the flesh and quickning of the spirit that we may endeuour and presse our selues forward to do our vttermost in walking the way of all the morall law And thus we say the commandements may be kept and no otherwise 19 Our aduersaries that mislike vs herein themselues hold the whole law to be both possible and easie to be kept by a iustified man p Concil Trid. sess 6. c. 11. Bellar de Iustif l. 4 c. 10 Greg. Val. tom 2. pag 993. They say mans nature is so healed by grace that thereby he hath proper facultie giuen him to eschue all mortall sin all his life long and perfectly to fulfill the law Yea q Rhem. 1. Cor.
Is it our doctrine of predestination Why you shall see presently the learned of their owne side teach it as we do Is it because we deny free will why they belie their owne knowledge they know we deny it but onely in part Is it because we teach God is the author of sinne why i Suar. Opusc l. 2. c. 2. their owne Iesuites confesse The Protestants know well that God intendeth not that which is formall in sinne himselfe nor inclineth the will of man that he should intend it Or is it finally because we hold some fatall necessitie constraining the will of man that he cannot do otherwise then he doth that so all care and consultation should be to no purpose Why we teach the contrary These and such like being malicious and base imputations deuised by men in their fury and desperate aduentures against vs to seduce the ignorant and to make our cause odious which euen their owne people would embrace if they knew it 44 For first touching Predestination we hold according to k Rom. 9. Eph. 1 4.5 1. Thes 5.9 2. Tim 2.20 1. Pet. 2 8. the Scripture that God from all eternitie before the world was made hath not onely foreseene all things that could be or should be vpon his appointment or permission but also by an vnchangeable decree hath fore-ordained all things and persons to certaine determinate ends for his owne glory and that neither the Saints were elected in Christ to infallible and perseuering grace and eternal glory for their foreseene righteousnes nor the reprobate refused or not elected to the same for their foreseene wickednesse but both the one and the other were predestinated to those their seuerall estates according to the couÌ„sell of Gods own will which was not moued therunto by any thing that he foresaw in the parties but most freely decreed it according to his owne pleasure and absolute dominion that he hath ouer the creature And this decree of Gods will is the first and highest mouer of all other wils and things in the creature wherupon l Prâ—ma radix contingentiae rerum est voluntas diuina efficacissima ad faciendum res non solum quantum ad substantiaÌ„ sed etiam quantum ad omnem modum ipsarum quantuÌ„ ad fieri quantum ad esse See Tho. 1. part q. 19. ibi Caiet Capreol 1. d. 38 con 2. the smallest and most contingent or casuall things also that fall out depend as vpon their vniuersall cause whose influence into the second causes directeth produceth inclineth and ordinateth them to their effects not by inforcing theÌ„ as the will of man for example by any naturall necessitie or constraint but by inclining them to worke according to their condition m Deus ita voluit vt effectus egrederentur à causis secundis secundum modum ipsarum D Bann part 1. p. 333. f. so as the said effects shall proceed out of them according to their owne manner as a contingent effect shall go forth of a contingent cause and a free effect issue out of a voluntary and free cause This is the summe of that we hold touching predestination and the influence thereof into the actions of men 45 Whereby it is plaine that whatsoeuer we hold against freewill yet do we not lay the bondage thereof on Gods predestination but vpon Adams fall which is the proper roote and foundation whence that impotencie that is in our will ariseth For the decree and prouidence of God began not after Adams fall but before and yet we thinke Adams will was perfectly free which sheweth our opinion to be that freewill though we want it may well stand with Gods predestination because Adam in his innocency had it yet was ruled by Gods predestination And therfore our aduersaries bely vs when they say our opinion touching predestination maketh vs deny freewill for we thinke indeed our will is moued effectually by Gods will in all our actions which being the most effectuall and vniuersall cause of all things qualifieth our will and inclineth it to the action yet doth it not follow hereupon that therefore we thinke our owne will hath no freedome but onely that the freedome thereof dependeth vpon a former freedome which is the freedome of Gods will And if we hold further as some Diuines do that Gods will determineth ours and his decree floweth into all the effects of our will so that we do nothing but as he directeth our will and purpose yet this excludeth not our owne freedome neither maketh God the author of sinne nor implieth any ineuitable necessity in our doing The reason is because God moueth not our will violently nor inforceth it but leaueth our inward motiue within our selues that stirreth it vp which is the act of our vnderstanding whereby we iudge the thing good or euill that we will or nill For in the proceeding of our will first the minde apprehendeth some obiect and offereth it to the will then vpon the full and perfect iudgement of the vnderstanding the liberty of the will concurring or going therewithall the will followeth or refuseth it as the vnderstanding iudgeth it good or bad And so this act or iudgement of our vnderstanding is the roote from whence the free choice of our will ariseth in such manner as whatsoeuer it be that goeth before the act of our will or setteth in with it to incline it as Gods will doth as long as it destroyeth not or inforceth this practicall iudgement of reason the liberty of our will is not taken away And herein standeth the true * Concordia liberi arb cum diuina praedest concord betweene Gods predestination and mans will that the free and immutable counsell of Gods will goeth indeed in order before the operatioÌ„ of our will or at least together with it and determineth and circumscribeth it but forsomuch as it neither inforceth our will nor taketh away our iudgement but permitteth it freely to leade and perswade the will it expelleth not our liberty but rather cherisheth and vpholdeth it For wheresoeuer these two concurre freedome from violence and necessitie and the full consent of reason there is the whole and true reason of libertie 46 Neither could I euer perceiue that our aduersaries durst directly gainsay this For it is a conclusioÌ„ in their schools that n Gabr. 2 d. 28. notab 2. Anton. Sum. Moral part 1. tit 5. c. 1. §. 8. no second cause can worke without the agency of the first and the first cause floweth into the effect of the second cause more then the second cause it self doth and thereupon God being the first cause of all things the effects of second causes whether they be naturall or whether they proceed from freewill are more subiected to God then to their second causes Yea o Almain Moral tract 1. c. 1. they write that the first cause is not onely the cause of the effect produced by the second cause but also the cause
an 400. n. 42. Ruffin runneth ouer all things idly and in many things he saith not truly He putteth on the guise of heretiks he persisteth ioyning sottishnes with his fury which is peculiar to all heretickes k Bell. cleric c. 20 Socrates to omit the rest in the 21. chapter of his 5. booke maketh three notable lies Both he and Sozomen were heretickes l Bell. ib. de poenit l. 3. c. 14. Sozomens story is full of lies therefore S. Gregory reiecteth it m Baron an 56 n. 26. There is as much credit to be giuen Socrates reporting the fact of Nectarius putting downe penance as all other heretickes deserue when they handle their owne opinions And because it is certaine that Sozomen also maintained the same matter with the Nouatians it is easie to shew how manifestly both of them doted n Baron ann 325. n. 6. Nicephorus heapeth greater lies then these together o Baron ann 774. n. 10. 12. 13 Sigebert is to be called to account as touching a point of great weight and reader when thou hearest it it will constraine thee tragically to cry out ô villany ô fraud ô cousenage he lieth too shamefully The things he writeth are forgeries deseruing to be blowen away and execrated with their author p Bell. de Pont. Rom l. 2. c. 5. We contemne Fasciculus temporum and the Passionall two of their owne stories specially seeing Fasciculus followeth Marianus who manifestly contradicteth both himselfe and the truth q Baron ann 996. nu 54. Auentine a beast infected with the scab of heresie whom Onuphrius a Catholicke most vnworthily claweth with an iuory combe when he calleth him an eloquent man r Index expurgator Toletan pag. 121. Let this commendation of Auentine Iohn Auentine a man famous in the knowledge of things and a diligent writer c. be wiped out of Cuspinian Å¿ Posseuin bibl l. 12. c. 16. Photius and Balsamon and the imperiall Constitutions must be read warily t Baro. an 853. n. 61. Turpin is a shop of fables u Bellar. Pont. Rom. l. 4. c. 7. Benno the Cardinals booke is full of most impudent lies there is no credit to be giueÌ„ to him x Baron ann 1048. n. 1. His lies are more then his words He is not a Historiographer but a Satyrist weauing falsehoods and patching fables together He taketh libertie to himselfe to lie carpe detract and faine monstrous things of godly men y Baron ann 774. n. 13. Gratian by his leaue was too credulous and improuidently writ out in so many words Sigeberts imposture and as if it had bene some firme decree or canon writ it into his booke of Decrees when it deserued rather with the author haue to bene execrated z Erro artic Parrhis p. 140. Gratians worke in some part therof is erronious and so is the Master of the Sentences and Anselme and Hugo a Aquipontan de antich p. 72. Would ye well knew we make no more account of the Glosse vpon the canon Law then the Caluinists of Heidelberg do of Brentius Catechisme b Victo relect 4. p. 138. Gerson was an enemy to the Popes authoritie and infected many with his poison His opinioÌ„ differeth but litle froÌ„ schisme I will easily grant that somtime these authors whoÌ„ you see they cast off so coÌ„tumeliously giue cause indeed to be refused but why do not our aduersaries deal plainly then and beare with vs if we do the like and why do c Camp rat 5. 7. they muster vp the catologues of al the authors they can find and yet when they haue done fall out with them about some thing or other that they haue written and giue them this entertainment For they should boast of no more then they haue to stand vpon neither should they vse that as an argument against vs that they are guiltie of themselues 14 And as they vse the fathers and the ancient histories and their owne elder authors so you shal see they vse one another to this day I said before how greatly in words they magnifie their Thomas and Posseuine the Iesuit d Biblio select l. 1. c. 10. saith His doctrine is embraced in all their vniuersities yet when he fitteth not their turne they cast him off as lightly as any other e Erro articul vbi prius c. 3. The vniuersitie of Paris saith It cannot be proued that Thomas his doctrine is allowed in all things the Church hath not allowed it so that we are bound to beleeue there is no erronious or hereticall matter in it For there is some doctrine more approued then his which yet is erronious and hereticall in points of faith It must not be thought strange or any rashnesse if yonger doctors reprehend him when they shew he erreth in matter of faith Peter Lombard Gratian Anselm Hugo and others are more authenticall then he And therefore thus the Doctors of Paris conclude it is presumption to extoll his doctrine so as if we might not auerre that he erred in faith as well as others did And his canonization which some pretend for a great colour hindereth not this c. Haue ye seene a Saint of their own making thus entertained but it is ordinary with all the learned men they haue Turrecremata d De consecrat d. 4. Firmissime nu 11. p. 101. saith that almost all the Schoolmen hold the virgin Mary had originall sinne yea that it is the common opinion among the famousest of them and he hath collected a 100. of that minde and yet now the Iesuites hold the contrary who censure all that liued before them and * Confutatur opinio Bellar. Saith Carer pot Pon. l. 2. c. 5 are daily censured themselues by others Scot. Durand and Gabriel e De grat lib. arb l. 5. c 4. saith Bellarmine three of the chiefest Schoolemen dispute more freely for mans will then were fit and Ariminensis Capreolus and Marsilius three more ascribe too little to it f Posseuin bibl l. 2. c 8. the Diuines of the inquisition commanded somethings to be wiped out of Andreas Masius his commentaries vpon Iosua that sauored of heresie g Posse ib. c. 18. Some things in Iansenius vpon the Gospels are not approued of by learned men h Bell. â—c imag l. 2 c. 8. It is to be noted that Carranza erred i Baron ann 432. n. 36. Valla was but a GraÌ„marian altogether vnskilful in matters of the Church a dead flie that must be blowne away Thus contemptibly they speake one of another to quit that which they obiect against vs touching the dissention betweene the Lutherans and Caluinists and some hasty words that haue passed betweene them Alas k Relect. 1. p. 39 saith Victoria the Glosers of the Canon Law flattered the Pope because they were poore both in learning and substance And the haire of our head is scarse growne since Baronius and
42.11 Mortall sinne Digress 38. See Sin Monasteries were first throwne down by Papists 42.10 Of vile report in their time 42.12 The testimonies of diuers old writers touching the liues of cloisterers Digress 45. A bragge that the Papists make touching the order of Bennet 42.13 N NEcessitie of good works expounded and handled Digress 34. Notes of the Church See Church O OBscuritie of the Scripture not so great as the Papists obiect Digress 8. Why they make folke beleeue they are so obscure Digress 9. See Scripture Occham the Schoolman 50.35 Onely faith See Faith onely Opinions Variable exceedingly among the Papists 35.21 The saying that they vary not in dogmaticall points answered 35.19 Originall sin No agreement among the Papists touching the nature of it 50.17 Originall text of the Bible is the Hebrew and Greeke which is free frō all corruption 6.11 and 35.3 P PAinter The Painters iest 38.6 Painting Christs armes for what vse 40.35 Papists famous for controlling reiecting censuring and purging one another 44.14 An example of their impudent deniall of all antiquitie 44.15 50.18 They wipe our names out of bookes 45.2 Papistry is a complete doctrine of liberty and a meere witty deuice for the maintenance of their ambition and pleasure 43.3 and Digress 46. A new religion 48.1 Pardons when and how they came in 50.8 They release all satisfaction 40.33 The treasury whence they rise nu 34. A view of long pardons granted for short seruice nu 35. Penance The Papists cannot tell whē it was ordained nor by what Scripture it is proued Digress 55. Peter receiued no more power ouer the Church then the other Disciples did disputed 36.12 inde The Papists are not agreed how his supremacie is proued or what it containeth 36.39 inde Pope made iudge of our faith 5.8 and ouer the Fathers 44.11 His iudgement was not receiued as the rule in the primitiue Church Digress 25. but be was resisted ibid The Papists themselues will not yeeld to his iudgement 36.8 Manie Popes deposed nu 8. What kind of men they commonly are nu 9. He was tyed to his owne prouince in the primitiue Church 36.26 He may erre See Erre He calleth him selfe S. Peter 36.38 Popes what kind of men how they haue bene chosen 55.9 Manie at once nu 10. The liues of some of them described 57.9 How the Popes sinne is excused 57.11 Popes succession He is not S. Peters successor Digress 29. If the Pope be not effectually proued to succeed S. Peter in the conceited primacie all Papistrie will fall 36.24 Prayer in Latine misliked by some Papists 35.20 Long pardons promised to short Prayers 40.35 Predestination Our doctrin touching this point is belyed by the Papists 40.43 The doctrine thereof layed down n. 44. It imposeth no naturall necessitie vpon the second causes ibid. The reconciliation of it and Free will nu 45 46. The Papists make the will of man as subiect to Gods decree as we do num 46 47. It is not for works foreseene num 49. Presidencie ouer Councels belonged not to the Pope of old 36.29 Priests power to remit sinne denied by learned Papists 35.20 This power handled Digress 55. Their mariage allowed in ancient times 47.4 The foulenesse of their liues noted in the Papacie 38.5 A sillie Priest that beleeued all was true that was printed 42.8 Purging of bookes the Papists practise 35.18 Puritanes That name doth properly belong to Papists 40.19 Q. QVestions of faith must be decided by the Scriptures Digres 3. No end of Questions among the Schoolemen 35.21 R. REading the Scriptures forbidden by the Papists 2.3 The lay people did reade them in ancient time 47.3 Rebaptization a point wherein there was much contention 36.4 Reprobation not for works foreseene 40.49 Religious men Orders See Monks Resolution of our faith See Faith Romane Church How the world in former times communicated with it 46.2 The Greeks refuse it ibid. How it increased 47.1 When the faith of the ancient Roman church began to be altered into that which now is therein 50.4 inde Resistance made against the change nu 5. One meanes whereby it may euidently be demōstrated that the Romane Church hath changed the old faith nu 15. A full demonstration of the resistance made in all ages against the Romane Churches alteration Digress 52. The obiections that are made against the catalogue are answered nu 40. The Romane Church altered the faith by little and little how it is meant 51.3 How the Fathers praised the Romane Church 56.1 How the faith of the Roman Church grew 58.1 The Papists absurdly call the Catholicke Church the Romane Church 13.3 Rule of faith is certaine 3.1 Such a rule is simply necessarie ibid. but not reuealed to all ibid. It hath fiue properties 4.1 The Scripture is it ibid. and the Papists cannot denie it 4.6 How we call the translated Scriptures the rule 6.1 The rule is easie though some meanes be needfull to learne it 7.2 and 8.10 How the doctrine or teaching of the Church may be called the rule 13.1 See Church S. SAcrament Seuē Sacraments merrily prooued in a Sermon at the Councell of Trent 8.15 How the Sacraments are a marke of the Church See Church Sacrament in one kind against antiquitie 35.11 and 47 7. In both kinds best 35.20 Our doctrine touching the Eucharist layed downe and how Christ is present therein 51.10 The Papists haue no certaintie of the presence of Christ in the Sacrament 47.9 Saints What kind of Saints the Protestants haue 39.1 and what kinde the Papists 39.2 41.1 Obiectiōs against the Popes canonizing of Saints 39.3 The Papists claime kindred of manie Saints that neuer knew the Popish religion 42.1 Saluation A man may be assured thereof 35.20 by what meanes 40.39 The Papists not able to denie this 41.10 Sanctification of life absolutely necessarie to saluation Digress 34. Satisfaction What kinde of Satisfaction we require and teach Digres 39. and what kind the Papists ibid. The true state of the question touching Satisfaction 40.28 Note what the Papists teach concerning the Satisfaction of our workes nu 30. Our workes satisfie not nu 31. The Papists play with their Satisfaction nu 33. Pardons release all Satisfaction num 30. A view of the Papists vncertainties and contradictions in this question of Satisfaction num 34. Scripture The people allowed to read it in ancient times 47.3 The Scripture is a letter sent from God to man 62.2 The Papists forbid the reading of them 2.3 and disputing of them num 4. The knowledge thereof needfull num 7. They are easie to such as haue the meanes 4.2 It onely is the rule of faith 4.1 and 10.1 and 34.1 The true cause why the Papists disable the Scripture from being the rule Digress 4 It must be Translated See Translations It is not obscure 7.2 Digress 8. but onely in two cases 8.1 How the sence thereof is attained 8.2 It containeth all things needfull nu 3. Why learned men varie