Paralitick members in the Church who by study and labour will not endeauour to be able to performe the operations and facultyes belonging to their profession And as touching such of you as shall arriue to that perfection as to wryte Bookes in defence of your owne Religion what consolation may it be to your Soules and increase of accidentall glory when your Bodyes being corrupted and turned intâ— ashes you neuerlesse shall dayly speake by meanes or your wrytings to posterity instructing them in the way of Saluation The liuing acknowledge themselues much behoulden to those though long since departed this world who haue recorded in wryting the temporall and humane Lawes of their owne Country and haue cleared them with the true meaning of the fiâ—st Lawgiuers what obligation then is due by the liuing to such dead men who haue faythfully by their pens deliuered and explicated the Law not of man but of Goâ— I meane the Gospell and vndoubted fayth of Christ by the fruition of which Law and fayth the soule arriueth to its eternall felicity as through the want of it precipitately falleth into euerlasting damnation And can any kynd of study more then this be prized But some of you who are of lesse spirituall courage may perhaps say The Lawes of the Realme prohibit vnder great penalty all persuading to a Religion contrary to the present state and profession of the Realme It is so indeed But withall the same Lawes do prohibit your entring into the Realme after your taking of the Holy Order of Priesthood will you be so ready then to expose your Bodyes to death for the one and yet will forbeare for feare of death the other Againe that Statute was made by a Woman Prince and the Laity the incompetent Iudges in matters meerely spirituall But there is an other Statute so to terme it enacted by a Potentate infinitly supreme I meane by God himself who thus commandeth vs by his Apostle Obedire (9) Act. 5. oportet Deo magis quam hominibus a Statute indeed which ought far to preponderate all human Statutes or decrees And admit you should endure death for such your spirituall Labours of which there is small feare or rather small hope in regard of his Maiestyes most clement and mercifull disposition were it not a happines for you to redeeme your Sinnes by so glorious a death Furthermore how can that be accounted death which is suffered for him who is Lyfe Since by so doing by ceasing to breath you instantly begin to breath the Ioyes of Heauen and thus by sheeding of bloud you make your owne Bloud to become a Key for the opening of the Gates of Heauen Sanguis (10) Cyprian Martyrum Clauis Paradisi Therefore deare Brethren take courage and by your studyes and paynes labour to furnish your selfe with all Scholerlike preparation for the ouerthrowing of Heresyes in the soule of men and in place thereof for the planting of true fayth and remember that it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A false fayth is euen worse then Infidelity Let those words of the Apostle often come into your myndes and heate your owne â—epedity therewith Praedica (11) 2. Timoth. 4. verbum â—usta oportunè importunè argue obsecra inâ—repa c. I speake not this as if you should proâ—eed either by Pen or Dispute in any tuâ—ultuous or vndutifull manner O noe Let things in their owne nature Religious â—e caried withall religious manner beare â—ll reuerence to the State and Loyalty to â—is Maiesty praying dayly to the Allmighty â—o preserue our King Charles who is full of â—ommiseration pitty and fraught with â—ll good morall endowments and his most â—ertuous Queene an honour to her Sex that â—hey both may Enioy two Ierusalems I meane true temporall felicity heere vpon Earth and eternall in Heauen and do you often call to mynd those words of S. Paule We 12 â—3 Ro. 1â— are to be subâ—ect to higher powers seeing there is no power but of God But to returne back Take to your Consideration the great vse you shall haue of your skill and knowledg in English Controuersies For first there are maâ—y morall ProtestaÌ„ts both Gentilmen of worth others who scorne all base cariage towards you with whom by the interueniency of friends you may haue as daily experience sheweth oportunity to discourse touching matters of Religion Many of which as before little hearing and lesse belieuing what the Catholiks can speake in defence of their Religion against theirs will afford a greedy and listening Eare to your speach How large a fyeld then haue you here wherein to plant and disseminate your owne fayth Diuers Ministers do spit their Venome out of their pulpits in their weekely Sermons and Inuectiues against the Church oâ— Rome as also many Bookes written by Protestants do yearely come out impoysoning their Readers with their imposture and fraud against the Catholike Religionâ— And is it not then a thing worthy of all labour to be able to detect and lay open thâ— said calumnies with your pens Further more Admit any of you should be apprehended and sent to prison what gooâ— if your knowledg in Controuersies be suâ—ficient may you do in that place to those of a different Religion who either out of curiosity will repayre to you to see what can be said by you in defence of your Religion or out of a Puritanicall vaunting Malice of Ministers shall seeke by dispute hoping you are little experienced in those studyes to disgrace and dishonour your Religion In proofe of which point I can affirme out of my owne knowledge that a certaine (*) M. W. B. Priest a Vertuous man and much practized in Controuersies once taken and sent to the Common prison was in the beginning much assaulted by diuers Ministers openly in the presence of the Iudges of the Affises as also after in the Priests priuate Chamber but he so bare himselfe in his answeres and disputes with them did so gaule them like a strong beare casting of at his pleasure the weake and cowardly dogs which seeke to take hold of him as that the Iudges rested much abashed thereat commanding that no further open Disputation should after be had with him He also was assaulted by some Puritans in prison but he gaue them such entertaynment as that they grew quickly weary of him so as staying a good whyle after in durance he could not haue a sight of any of them This Accident gaue in that Shyre where it happened great credit to the Catholike Cause and wrought much spirituall Good Now thinke you not that this Priests labour was most happily and fruitfully spent in the study of Controuersyes And why may not then any of you vpon returne into your owne Country and imprisonment haue the like oportunity presented vnto you At what tyme if your talent in dispute be great and preuailing you get ground vpon Heresy if but small and elementary you become a disgrace
by his owne learned Brethrens Confessions or else he must rest silent And this is the reason why the Protestants are so loath to dispute of the Church Since this Question compreheÌ„deth in it selfe diuers points of fact as of its continuall Visibility Antiquity Succession Ordination and Mission of Pastours c. All which Questions receaue their proofes from particular Instances warranted from History by shewing the particular Tymes Persons and other circumstances concerning matter of Fact Animaduersion XXI WE Catholikes charge the Protestants with a vicious Circle of dispute between the Scripture and the spirit and in requitall hereof the Protestants do reciprocally insimulate vs Catholiks within the said vicious circular argumentation betweene the Scripture and the Church Now let vs see whether of vs stand truly chargeable herewith That the Catholikes are free from this kind of arguing I thus proue The Catholikes touching the Scripture and the Church do euer make their proofes in seuerall kinds of Causes and by a partiall manner of proofe and therby do still proue one thing by another more knowne to those persons to whom it is to be proued The actuall assent and beliefe it selfe is wrought wherby we infallibly belieue the Mysteries reuealed though we belieue the verity of the Scriptures reuelation by the authority of the Church propounding the Churches proposition for the authority of the Scriptures reuealing wherby the Scripture reuealing doth giue vs testimony of the Church propounding againe the Church propounding of the Scriptures reuealing Neuerthelesse this reciprocall testimony and proofe is not any proper vicious circle First because it is in diuerso genere causae in diuers kinds of causes for the testimonies of the Scriptures reuelation to the infallibility of the Churches proposition is causa formalis the formall cause by the which we assent to the Churches proposition But the Churches proposition is only Causa conditionalis or as we vse to speake Conditio fine qua non to know the Scriptures Reuelation and so they are reciprocall in a different manner of proofe the one that is Scripture à Priori as including diuine reuelation the other that is the Church à Posteriori required only as a condition The former as a formall precedent Cause the later as a subsequent annexed condition Secondly this reciprocall proofe is not adomnino idem as Aristotle requires to a Circle that is the one is not the totall and sole cause of knowing the other for the Churches proposition is not knowne only by the Scriptures reuelation and not otherwise but also by other proofes signes and testimoâ—ies to wit Miracles Consent Sanctity c. all which conuince that the Churches authority is necessary and infallible to distinguish the true sense of the Scripture from false and to end Controuersies about Scripture But now to cast our eye vpon the Protestants Circle prouing the Scripture by the priuate Spirit and the priuat Spirit from the Scripture it is euident that they proue the Scripture by the Spirit and Spirit by the Scripture in one the same kind of Cause and by one sole whole manner of proofe For demaund of a Protestant how and by what meanes he vnderstaÌ„deth the Scripture He answeres by the Spirit and so knowes the Scripture by the Spirit And aske him by what meanes he knowes he hath the true spirit he answeres the Scripture assures himselfe therof since he is one of the Elect. And thus this his proofe is truly Circular and vicious as being deliuered in eodem genere Causae and omnino ad idem Animaduersion XXII IT is most certaine that Protestants deny all Authorities of all affirmatiue heads making their last refuge to their owne priuaâ— Spirit and Iudgement For example if we insist in the affirmatiue Notes and Marks of the Church to wit vniuersality visibility vnity c. ouâ— aduersaryes as is aboue said discard the testimonyes of all these heads by erecting for Notes the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments so reducing to their owne iudgment only when the word is truly preached and the Sacramâ—nts rightly administred Yf in matters of fact we recurre to History I meane concerning visibility Succession vocation c. they reiect this authority by saying Sufficit (g) Whitak contra Duraeum l. 7 p. 478. nobis c. To vs it is sufficient by comparing the Popish opinions with the Scrâ—pture to discouer the disparity of faith betweene them and vs. And as for Historiographers we giue them liberty to wryte what they will If we produce the testimonyes of particular Fathers of the Primitiue Church marke how Luther depresseth them (h) Luth. de seruo arbis 1551. pag. 434. The Fathers of so many ages haue beene plainly blind most ignorant in the Scriptures they haue erred all their life time vnlesse they were amended before their death they were neither Saincts nor pertayning to the Church If we produce Generall Councels they answere saying (i) Petâ—â— Martyr l. de votis pa. 476. As long as we insist in Generall Councels so long we shall continue in the Popish Errors If we passe to Apostolicall Traditions Cartwright in depressing Traditions maintained by S. Austin thus wryteth To (k) Sâ—â— Cartwright in whitgifts defence p. 103. allow S. Austins saying touching Traditions is to bring in popery If we alledge diuers passages of Scripture as out of Toby Ecclesiasticus the Machabees the Protestants with full voyce deny them to be Canonicall and style them only Apocriphal If we take our authorityes out of such books of Scripture as are acknoledged for Scripture on both sydes the Protestants deny the Translation of the Scripture to be true sincere which point appeareth both from the Protestants mutual condemning one anothers translation of Scripture as also from the most bitter censure giuen by our English Puritans against our English Translaiion whereof seuerall books writteÌ„ by them are yet extaÌ„t If we Catholikes proceed further in insisting in the Originall of both the Testaments the Protestants deny that the Originalis are at this present true Thus for example in Math c. 10. we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Peter Beza (l) Beza in Annotat noui Testam 1556 denyeth the Originall herein mantayning that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was inserted into the text by some one fauoring the Popes Primacy In like sort (m) Beza vâ—i supra Beza denyeth that the Greeke Originall in Math. 22. is at this present the same as it was penned by the Euangelist mantayning that it is corrupted in fauour of the Realâ— presence If we yet ascending further entrench our selfe in such books of Scripture whose Originals Translations are accepted on ech party as true and incorrupted and tel our Aduersaryes that the whole Church of God in her primitiue and purest tymes interpreted the passages of Scripture in that sense in which they are at this present by the Catholikes alledged the Protestants
endued with splendour of Grace and vertue c. After this manner also Vertues are paynted as Iustice fortitude c And it is not prohibited to paynt or picture God after this third maÌ„ner notwithstaÌ„ding our Aduersaryes great dislyke thereof For if (m) Dan. c. 7. Daniel doth describe God sitting in a throne and describeth there also his head his gray hayres his white garments therby to expresse his Maiesty power and his Antiquity from all ages his purity and brightnes c. why may not then God be so pictured to the Eye as the Holy Scripture by reciting of it doth expresse him in words to the Eare Animaduersion XXXII IT is a peculiar sleight of Caluin and other our more learned Aduersaryes that wheras they deny a Conclusion or Proposition of fayth affirmatiuely mantayned by the Catholiks after we haue brought authority either out of Scripture or from forâ— of Reason prouing the same denyed pointâ— then in answere thereto they grant the conclusion of that point but then they render a cause or reason why in such a Case our Conclusion may be admitted so they subtilly obtruding a reason of the Conclusion granted in such or such a case for a sufficieâ—â— answeare in deniall of the Conclusion Bâ—â— this is most exorbitant and in no sort satisfying the Catholiks arguments For the more cleare explicating of my selfe herein 〈◊〉 will instance this their imposture in an example or two We affirme that the Angels and consequently God though all incorporeall may be pictured The Protestants absolutely deny this Proposition We in proofe that the Angels may be pictured produce our authorityes out of the booke of Exodus c. 25 out of the third of Kings c. 6. in which places we reade that Angels were pictured (o) L. 5. Instit. cap. 11. c. Caluin n answereth hereto saying that that was done in fauour of the Pedagogy and more facill instruction of Men in the Old Law which tyme is now past Now here I say this answere is merely impertinent for the Question is not in this place why or to what end things incorporeall might be pictured let the cause be what it will but only whether it be lawfull to picture things incorporeall or not â—hich conclusion this answere of Caluin â—mitteth for true In like manner to proue Freewill we vrge â—â—ose words Si (o) Math 19. vis ad vitam ingredi serua â—â—ndata if thou wilt enter into life keep the â—â—mmandments where we vrge that promise â—f Heauen is made vnder condition that God will not command any thing vnder an impossible condition and that therefore â—e haue Freewill to keep Gods Commandements Caluin answereth hereto that it is not absurd to maintayne that God sometimes for some reasons knowne to himself â—â—omiseth to men things vnder impossible â—onditions to wit to the wicked he maketh such promises thereby to manifest how vnworthy they are of his diuine goodnes But â—ere we reply We demand not why or to what end God doth make his promises either to the wicked or to the pious but we only maintaine that a thing cannot rightly be promised vnder condition but only to him who hath the vse of Freewill This imposture is most familiar with Caluin and his followers and therefore I could wish the serious reader to be obseruant therof Animaduersion XXXIII IN my iudgment the Question of Images in a point to be discussed chiefly by Philosophy as taking its warrant and ground from thence so far forth as there be no abuse of the Images My reason is this what thing soeuer man vnderstandeth the same he vnderstandeth by the help of a Species or Imaâ—â— thereof first wrought in the Phantasy according to that Axiome in Philosophy Quicquid intelligitur intelligitur per moâ—â—â— Phantasmatis And thus we cannot apprehend or worship God but by the help mediation of an Image of God which wâ— frame in our Imagination and phantasy Againe if a picture be capable of disgrace iniury in regard of the person therein represented then by the same reason a picture may be capable of honour and reuerence I meane that kind of honour reuerence which is due to inanimate things Noâ— that a picture is capable of disgrace or contumely is euident For example if a subiect disloyally affected to his Prince should deface breake or otherwise indecently handle the picture of his Prince by stabbing it with his dagger or otherwise or if some Atheâ—â— denying the Scripture should be trample vnder his feete through scorne and malice the Bible it selfe would not these Actions be seuerely punished and might not the picture of the Prince and the Bible be said to haue suffered disgrace and indignity thereby with reference to the wrong and indignity committed against the Prince the sacred Scriptures Then by the same reason may the Picture of Christ and the Saincts be affected with due religious respect aboue other things in regard of Christ and his Saincts represented in them of â—hom they are pictures Animaduersion XXXIV TO vindicate our selfes from the calumny of our Aduersaries touching the worâ—hip which we exhibit to Saints Images â—hey are for their instruction to take noâ—â—ze that Adoration containeth three difâ—â—rent (p) S. Thom. in 3. sent dist 9. Acts the first is of the vnderstanâ—ing by the which we apprehend the excelâ—â—ncy of any thing The Act of the Will by the which we are inwardly moued to manifest and protest our worship by some exteriour or interiour Act The third is an Exteriour Act by the which we moue our hat or bow our leg or shew some other externall signe in manifestation of our inward worship giuen Of which three Acts the second which is of the will is most essentiall seeing the first may be without adoration and the third with irrision and scorne as the Jewes worshipped our Sauiour vpon the Crosse Here further we are to note that that worship which is giuen to God is a chiefe and supreme prostration and inclination of the will with the apprehension of God as the beginning and last end of all things and therefore as our chiefe good and it is called by Deuines Latria and cannot be communicated without Idolatry to any creature Worship giuen to Creatures is distinguished according to the different degrees of excelleÌ„cies in the Creatures and so according to the different degrees of the worth of Creatures the worship exhibited is seuerally called as Duâ—â—â— hyperdulia cultus religiosus cultus ciuilis Lastly it is further to be obserued that by the exteriour Act it is not easy to distinguisâ— the seuerall kinds of worship for almoâ—â— all exteriour Acts of worship Sacrifice only excepted are common to euery kind oâ— worship For according hereto we read thâ—â— Abraham with the same Act of bowing hâ—â— body to the ground did adore God Genes 17. did worship Angels Genes 18. and diâ— worship Men Genes 23. In like sort all meâ— do vse to kneele to
Mans Vnderstanding God can effect The 3. proposition God hath in All things so much an Actiue power by how much they haue in themselues a passiue power And which is more we Christians do belieue that the Actiue power of God can extend beyond the Passiue power of things and agreably hereto we belieue that God created the world of Nothing Now to make a thing of Nothing is not to depend or rely of the Passiue power of the Subiect seeing in this kind of producing there was no preexistent Subiect at all much lesse any Passiue power thereof The fourth Euery thing is possible to God to be done which implyeth not a Contradiction Now what implyeth a Contradiction is impossible to be done Because what implyeth a Contradiction supposeth a Being and a Nothing of a thing and all this at one tyme and in one manner of circumstance And therefore if such a thing could be then could a thing be whose being a thing most absurd should consist in a Not being The fift It riseth partly from out the former propositions that what faculty or Operation God doth impart to any thing created the same he also ominenter as the Schoolmen speake retayneth to himself and is able to performe it without the help of any Secondary cause This must be assumed as true in force of Reason since otherwise the Creature should transcend in might the Creatour which Axiome being applyed to diuers difficulties in the Question of the Eucharist demonstrateth that God can preserue an Accident without its Subiect and that he can keep a Body without any circumscription of Place since otherwise it would follow that in these Examples A Subiect and Place should be able to performe more then God could performe which were great blasphemy to maintayne Animaduersion LXXXX THe Philosophers do assigne three things to concur to Magnitude The first of these is that euery Magnitude should haue an extension in it selfe and haue Partem extra partem That is that one part should not be confounded in it selfe with another part and consequently an intrinsicall site disposition of parts And this is of the very essence of Euery Magnitude and cannot be separated from it The Second thing agreeing to euery Magnitude is to haue a commensuration coextension with Place that is an intrinsecall disposition and order of parts according to place This second ariseth from the first and consequently as being later in Nature then the first may by Gods power be separated from the same yea it is actually separated from the first in the highest Spheare the parts whereof are in no place The third and last property of Magnitude is to extrude and driue away all other Magnituds from that place which is made equall and commensurable to it selfe that is not to suffer another Magnitude to be in the same place with it Now as the second was later then the first so this third resulteth out of the second and is later then the same in Nature and therefore may be separated from it Now according to this doctrine we Catholiks hold that Christs Body in the Sacrament hath the true and whole Magnitude of his Body But this Magnitude hath there only the first Condiâ—ion which is essentiall to euery Magnitude to wit to be extended in it selfe and by reason of that intrinsicall extension to haue partem extra partem but it hath not the second Condition of Magnitude much lesse the third for it is not coextended with any place but existeth whole in respect of all externall place in euery part Animaduersion LXXXXI THe two supreme Mysteries of the Trinity and the Incarnation do afford a strong Argument that a Body may at once be in seuerall places and consequently Christs Body Thus I dispute In the Trinity we find an Vnity or as I may terme it an Indiuiduality of Nature and a Diuersity of persons sortable to the Vnity of a Body and multiplicity of places Now here euery one of these three Persons is identifyed really formally with this Nature whereas the Body is only externally conioyned with the Place Now touching the Jncarnation we are taught that one Hypostasis or Person is in two Natures which two Natures are far more different in themselues then seuerall Places câ—n be Againe the Vnion here betweene the Person and the Nature is far greater as being intrinsicall and substantiall then the Vnion of the Body and the Place can be which is only accidentary and extrinsicall and which is more a circumstance wanting in the Vnion of the Body Place here the Person or Hypostasis is identifyed and made the same Really and formally with its Diuine Nature Here then to recapitulate Yf in the Trinity one Nature be iâ— three seuerall persons without any confusion of the Persons or distraction of the Natâ—â—â— And if in the Incarnation one Hypostasis or Person be in two different Natures and yet neither the Natures confounded nor the Hypostasis distracted or multiplied mucâ— more easely then may Christs Body by diuine power be in seuerall places at one and the same tyme. Animaduersion LXXXXII THe like Argument to the former we may draw from Gods Vbiquity God being 〈◊〉 one and an indiuisible thing is in all placeâ— and things whatsoeuer for if he were not so then would it follow that God should be circumscriptible and consequently not iâ—finite It cannot be here answered that hâ— replenisheth all places as one since we mâ—â—â— grant that he is able to create another world far remote from this and so should be present in the same world and consequently in seuerall and far distant places Neither is this doubt salued by saying thâ—â— God is only a spirituall Substance and noâ— a Body since this point aduantageth nothing for the mayne reason why it shouâ—â— seeme that a Body cannot be in diuers places is not taken so much á mole corporiâ— quam ab vnitate corporis which Vnity as it iâ— more perfect in God then it can be in a Body so it should seeme it should be no lesse deuided and distracted in it selfe in God then in a Body through his being in diuersity of Places Animaduersion LXXXXIII TO these two former Arguments in proofe that a Body may be in two places I will adioyne this following taken from the Nature of Eternity It is this Eternity is defined to be Instans durationis non flucus that is an Jnstant of Duration which is euer present and neuer passeth away Now the difficulty and such which in the like touch of the doubt is greater then the former confessed difficulty of a Body being in seuerall places at once consisteth in this To wit That this Jnstant of Duration being but one Jnstant yet is and coexisteth in seuerall tymes both Past and to Come and yet neither is this Instant deuided or multiplied nor these seâ—erall Tymes confounded And heere a circumstance much agrauating the difficulty iâ— that diuers Places wherein we may suppose a body to be
effects recurs to the Causes Thus we here see that the soule of man is lyke to God and vnlyke to Beasts Now here the soule of man differeth from God for the soule of man is as is said endued with the light of Jntelligence or vnderstanding but God is the Intelligence or light it selfe The soule runneth by discourse from the Causes to the effects and from the effects to the Causes and thus not without great labour getteth some knowledge God with one simple view or aspect behouldeth all things perfectly The soule of man vnderstandeth those things which do exist and already haue a Being and therefore his knowledge dependeth vpon the being of things God by vnderstanding maketh that things be and herein the existeÌ„ce of things dependeth vpon the knowledg of God The Soule doth with an vncertainty only coniecture of things future God doth no lesse euideÌ„tly discerne things future then things past and present The soule needeth many things to exercise the faculty of vnderstanding as the Obiect the Species the Phanthasma and the like God needeth nothing for euen his Essence it selfe is all things to him and which is more his Essence is to him his vnderstanding To conclude the Soule whiles it is in the Body doth not only see not God neither doth she see the Angells nor herselfe neither doth she properly and truly see any Substance though corporall and in many things she is ignorant and hath a true knowledge but of few things God is ignorant of nothing neither is he in any thing deceaued or erreth according to those words Omnia nuda sunt aperta oculis eius Hebr. c. 4 Fourthly there appeareth in Mans Soule another kind of knowledg which consists not in Speculation but in Action And from hence proceed so many Bookes of Philosophers touching vices and vertues so many Lawes of Princes Magistrats to teach a man to liue well in all which there is discouered an admirable light of Reason in man by the which he most far differeth from Beasts But all these are nothing to the Eternall Law which flourisheth in the mind of the Creatour from whom as from a most streaming fountaine do flow all Lawes and decrees according to those words Vnus (6) Iacob 1. est legislator Judex Deus Fiftly the Soule of Man doth possesse a third kind of knowledg resting in ingâ—niously fabricating and working of things For whereas Beasts do make their Nests Denns c by a certaine instinct euer after the same manner The soule of man as being indued with reason and iudgment hath inuented innumerable Arts by the which she so ouer-ruleth and commandeth ouer all other liuing Creatures as that neither Wings can be safty inough to Birds nor the depth of the water to fishes neither strength to Lyons or Beares but that they all are subiect to be taken by the wit of Mans Soule In like manner the light of the wit of Mans Soule wonderfully shineth in inuenting the Art of Nauigation where it hath taught ships loaden with most heauy burdens not only by the help of Oares to runne as it were but also by meanes of the sayles as with wings to flye Finally to omit diuers other points what dexterity of mans wit appeareth in the Art of picturing or drawing by the which things are so liuely expressed to the Eye as if themselues did truly enioy lyfe But here we may turne our Eye back to God in whom there is the true source of Wisdome the Causer of things what wit appeareth to be in Man all the same is deriued from the said fountayne for if we wonder at mans wit in that it can maister and rule ouer beasts much more we are to admire God to whom all things are obedient And if it seeme strange that man should inuent so many Arts of sayling building of Edifices c. much more strange should it seeme that God by his wisdome power did create Heauen and Earth and all things therein Finally if we rest astonished at the Art of paynting or drawing mens faces and fauours much more cause haue we to rest astonished at the Art of the Creatour who of Earth framed a true liuing Man and from the Rib of the man made the first Woman And this we are to admire with more reason in that what things Man doth make he cannot make without God cooperating with man whereas what things God maketh the same are made only by him without the cooperation or assistance of any other Sixtly The Soule of Man is indued with Freedome of Will which is common to him with God and the Angells and by which man differeth from all other things created This Freedome of Will is an admirable dignity in Mans â—oule yet the worth thereof is far more noble in God For first the freedom of Manswill is weake it also is easely enclined to choose things that are Euill wheras the Freedome of the Diuine Will is most stronge and cannot possibly encline it selfe to any Euill Furthermore our Freedome of wil is indeed so free as that it is able to will or not to will but it is not of power euer to effect that which it willeth or to preuent that which it selfe willeth not according to those words of the Apostle Rom. 7. Non quod volo bonum hoc facio sed quod nolo malum hoc ago But the Freedome of the Will of God is so conioyned with a full and absolute power as that of him it is said Psalm 113. Omnia quaecunque voluit fecit Seâ—uently and lastly The soule of man is after a wounderfull manner in mans body For since the Soule of man is an indiuisible Spirit it is therefore whole in the whole body and whole in euery part therof contrary to the being of the soules of Beasts which are Materiall and extended to the extension of their bodyes Thus the Soule of Man replenisheth the whole body yet it possesseth no place in the body and when the body doth increase the Soule doth not increase but beginneth to be there where afore it was not And if a member of the body be cut of or become withered dry the Soule is not lessened nor dryed but ceaseth to be in that member wherein afore it was without any detriment or maymednes thereof This is the true glasse of the existence of God in things created for God is an indiuisible Spirit and yet replenisheth the whole world and all the parts thereof yet possesseth he no place but is whole in the whole world and whole in euery part therof And when a new creature is produced God beginneth to be in it neither yet is God moued â—nd when any creature is destroied or dyeth God is not thereby destroyed or dyeth but ceaseth to be there this without any Motion of place Thus in these former pointe God and the Soule of Man do agree But in many other points God as there is iust Reason hath the prerogatiue and preheminence
to your Priesthood and to your Religion and are made a foyle to your Aduersary Therefore worthy men make great disquisition and search by your owne priuate Labours into those Controuersyes which are at this day most agitated betweene the Catholikes and the Protestants and through desire of vanquishing your Aduersaries become euen breathles therin And though you shall haue vse of other Studyes as Cases of Conscience and of schoole Diuinity which serue chiefly to apply Vniuersall Truths of Schooles to particular points of Controuersyes yet let the Study of Controuersyes be your fauorite Study make it become at it were Ars Architectonica to all the rest You are to become spirituall Pastours to mens soules feeding them with the celestiall foode of the Sacraments of Gods Church yet euer remember that that Shephard performeth his duty with the greatest perfection who not only preserueth and keepeth safe those sheepe which are allready enclosed in his folds but laboureth also to reduce and bring back to the fold such straying sheepe as yet lye open to the danger of the Wolues Thus much out of my thirsty desire of persuading you what in me lyeth to the earnest prosecution and imbracing of the foresaid Study But now before I end this my Parenefis and exhortation to you I will make bould with your good lykings briefly to sâ—â— downe what Course or Method I could wish you to take in the Studyes of Controuersyes euer subiecting my iudgment herin to the iudgments of the more learned and better experienced Controuersists 1. First then I could wish you because our Aduersaries seeme to rely chiefly vpon Scripture to be much conuersant in such Texts of Scripture as are either obiected by them for the impugning of our doctrine or which are insisted vpon by vs for the confirmation of the same But touching such passages of Scripture which we vrge it were good to make choyce of those whose true interpretation is indiffereÌ„tly acknowledged by vs and our Aduersaries for these are most pressing Such are the Texts touching the coÌ„tinuall visibility of the Church of God and of its priuiledg of conuerting Heathen Kings and Kingdomes vnto it as is aboue shewed in some of the former Animaduersions 2. Be most expert in the Protestant English Translation of Scripture as is aboue premonished for this gauleth the Aduersaries the more in that they cannot take exception against the Translation and certainely the Scripture euen as translated by them most euidently foyleth their Cause 3. Concerning those passages of Scripture which are chiefly vrged by our Aduersaries it were necessary to obserue the true interpretation of them either in Bellarmine his Controuersies or in the Rhemist Testament if so they be drawne out of the Neâ— Testament 4. Touching the authorities of Fathers and Councells considering it requireth a mighty labour to read them at large that either your want of hauing them or want of opportunity and tyme in perusing of them may easely preuent the same Therefore I could wish you first to peruse them in the Tomes of Bellarmine and then to content your selues with the Confessions of the learned Protestants who openly disclayme from them as Patrons of Papistry which Confessions of our Aduersaries throughout all points of fayth you may easely fynd in the foresaid booke of the Protestants Apology 5. I could wish you in proofe of any Catholike point to be much conuersant in Arguments drawne from Reason because those arguments stealingly penetrate the iudgments of the vnlearned and also they are more easely committed to memory Againe arguments drawne from Reason may be vsed at all tymes and vpon any occasion without the help of Bookes which are not euer at hand And furthermore the force of Reason is such as that it is not in Mans power after his true apprehension thereof to withstand in iudgment or struggle against it since man himselfe is a reasonable Creature The Controuersies of Bellarmine will afford you all abundance of this kind of proofe 6. It is very necessary as is deliuered in one of the Animaduersions that you be most prepared and well furnished in the Controuersies which consist vpon Matter of fact Such are the foresaid mentioned points of Conuersion of Kingdomes of the supposed continuall Visibility of the Protestant Church of Ordination Vocation and Mission of Ministers in the Church of God All which must receaue their proofe from Histories And hence it is that our Aduersaries foreseeing they cannot warrant from History these points to be performed in their Church therefore in their extremest need herein many of them are forced for their last refuge to say That the true Church is endued with all these priuiledges But their Church is the true Church as they proue say they from Scripture Therefore in their Church all the former points haue beene at all tymes performed A most shamefull begging of that as granted which stil is in Question and a subtill transition from History to the Scripture and this as it is expounded only by themselues Others againe of them for the better vindicating of their Church from the imminent danger ensuing from the premisses are glad to shrowd their Church vnder our Catholike Church teaching that both of them are but one and the same Church a Paradox implicitly refuted in some of the former Animaduersions but Durum telum necessitas vnto such poore shifts doth penury want bring Men. You ought to be obseruant what collaterall points touching the Articles of fayth we Catholikes hould to be but Matters of Jndifferency and may without breach of fayth as not being defined by the Church be holden either way These you are to distinguish from those other Conclusions of fayth which are inuiolably maintayned belieued by all Catholikes And therefore if your Aduersarie should insist in this kind of IndiffereÌ„cy to proue therby a disunion in iudgment among Catholikes you may tell him he doth but diuerberate the ayre and impertinently and ignorantly vrgeth such points which in no sort impugne the Vnity of our Catholike Church Now to know what points be meere Indifferencyes I refer you to the most painifull learned booke called The Triple Cord where you shall find certaine Paragraphes reserued only for the expressing of them in ech mayne CoÌ„trouersy To conclude referring the diligent Reader to diuers of the former Animaduersions tending to the Method of studying of Controuersies I could desire you to be most expert in impugning the Question of the Priuate Spirit and skilfull in the Iudge of Controuersies since these two mayne points potentially include all other Controuersies within them as a greater Circle comprehendeth in it selfe a lesser Circle And thus Vertuous Men wishing you a most plentifull haruest in this your Spirituall tillage of soules so to terme it I cease Once more most humbly beseeching you euen by that force of Christian charity which I presume your selues do enioy and by that true hope of Mercy which at the last day you expect as our