there any thing too hard for me The Lord had stricken Iacob with the wound of an enemy and with a sharpe chastice meÌ„â— for the multitude of his iniquities wherefore hee cryed for his affliction and said My sorrow is incurable not considering who it was had done all this vnto him for because the Lord had killed they must belieue hee would make aliue againe Their present wounds inflicted contrary to the rules of politique defence where the best pledges of their future health beyond all hope of State-Surgeons And this is the very Sâ—ale of Ieremiahs assurance from the Lords own mouth Thus sayeth the Lord like as I haue brought all this great plague vpon this people so will I bring vpon them all the good I haue promised them And the fields shall be possessed in this land whereof ye say It is desolate without man or beast and shall be giuen into the hand of the Caldeans Men shall buy fields for siluer and make writings and seale them and take witnesses in the land of Beniamin and round about Ierusalem So absolute and all-sufficient was Moses law in particular actions much more in generall or doctrinall resolution that God himselfe for confirmation of his Prophets this distrustfull peoples faith in a point by humane estimate most incredible thought it sufficient to be a remembrance to the Law-giuer For the Lord here saith to Ieremiah concerning this particular Moses many generations before had vniuersally foretold Now when all these things shall come vpon thee either the blessing or the curse which I haue set before thee and thou shalt turne into thine hart among all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath driuen thee then the Lord thy God will cause thy Captiues to returne and haue compassion vpon thee and will returne to gather thee out of all the people where the Lord thy God had scattered thee Though thou wâ—rst cast vnto the vttermost part of heauen from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee and from thence will he take thee And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed and thou shalt possesse it and he will shew thee fauour and will multiply thee aboue thy fathers By this rule of Moses according to the prediction of Ieremiah doth Nehemiah afterwards frame his prayers to God direct his enterprise for restauration of Ierusalem Wee haue grieuously sinned against thee and haue not kept the commandements nor the statutes nor the iudgements which thou commandest thy seruant Moses I beseech thee remember the word that thou commandest thy seruant Moses saying Ye will transgresse and I will scatter you abroad among the people But if yee turne vnto me and keepe my commandements and doe them though your scattering were to the vttermost part of the heauen yet will I gather you from thence and will bring you vnto the place that I haue chosen to place my Name there Now these are thy seruants and thy people c. O Lord I beseech thee let thine eare now hearken to the praier of thy seruants who desire to feare thy name and I pray thee cause thy seruant to prosper this day and giue him fauour in the presence of this man He saw the truth of Moses diuine predictioÌ„ confirmed by the Kings present grant of his petition speedy restauration of Ierusalem albeit a Prophet by profession had disswaded the enterprise as likely to proue dangerous to his person CHAP. VIII That the societie or visible Company of Prophets had no such absolute authority as the Romish Church vsurpes 1 DId the Records of antiquity afford vs any the least presumption to thinke that absolute beliefe or obedience might safely be tendered by inferiors as due to any visible Company of men without examination of their proposals by Moses writings since they were extant the society of Prophets in all respects the Romanists can pretend had the most probable title to this prerogatiue Their professioÌ„ or calling was publike and lawfull their distinction from all others eminent their persons and places of residence visible and knowne their promises for enioying the extraordinary presence or illuminations of Gods spirit peculiar many of them venerable for their integrity in ciuill dealings and sanctity of priuate life some of them endued with the gift of miracles In all these and many like considerations that fraternity or collegiate society might iustly haue pleaded all the priuiledges a publike spirit can grant to one sort of men before others For if the more or lesse expresse testimony of Gods word for extraordinary assistance of his spirit or the different measure of his illumination or manner of immediate teaching be that which makes som mens spirit more publike then their brethrens this difference was greater betweene the Priests or Prophets and people of old then since God spake vnto the world by his sonne yet what Prophet did once intimate the necessity of his proposall for notifying the truth of Scriptures What one did euer bewray the least desire to haue his interpretations of them vniuersally held authentique or his particular predictions absolutely assented vnto without further triall then his bare assertion without examination of them by Moses doctrine already establisâ—ed 2 Had they beene the infallible Church representatiue had their assertions though giuen by ioinct consent ex Cathedra or in the most solemne manner vsed in those times beene of such authority as the Romanist would perswade vs a Councell of their Prelates lawfully assembled is Gods people had stood bound to embrace whatsoeuer a maior part of that profession had resolued vpon but this inference though necessarily following the supposed premises the Iesuit I know dare not affirme lest Ahabs bloud vntimely shed by confidence in their infallibility cry out against him Yet Bellarmine too well knowing the liquorish temper of this present age for the most part acquainted with none but table-talke Diuinity to bee such as will swallow down any doctrine bee it neuer so idle prophane or poisonous so it bee sauced with pleasant conceit and merriment would put vs of with this iest That as in Saxonie one Catholiques verdict were to be taken bâ—fore sowre hundred Lutherans so should one of the Lords Prophets haue beene followed in those times before fiue hundred of Baals And Ahab no doubt had so done had not the Diuell taught his Diuines then as hee hath done Bellarmine and his fellowes since to take vniuersality as a sure note of the Church traditions and customes of the Elders for the rule of faith and which is the vndoubted Conclusion of such premisses to follow a multitude to any mischiefe So mightily did the opinion of a maior part being all men of the same profession sway with the superstitious people of those times that Ahabs Purseuant conceiued hope of seducing Micaiah whilst they were on the way together by intimating such censures of schisme of heresie of
mans mind is sometimes more accustomed to shew more then seauen Watchmen that sit aboue in an high Tower And aboue all this pray to the most High that he will direct thy way in truth Had they thus done without partiality to their corrupt affections or without all respect of persons in which Christian faith cannot bee had Moses law had beene a lanterne vnto their feet for the discerning of true Prophets and those discerned had beene a light vnto latter ages for discerning the true Messias 6 The euidence of this truth not without cause so often inculcated will better appeare if wee consider â—ow most propheticall predictions of particular alterations were but determinations of Mosaicall generalities out of which they grow as branches out of the stocke As for example The Lord told Moses before his death and he gaue it to Israel for a song to be copied out by all That when they went a whoring after the Gods of a strange land forsaking him he would forsake them and hide his face from them After Ieâ—oiadahs death Zechariah his sonne seeing the Princes of Iudah leauing the house of the Lord to serue Groues and Idols albeit hee were moued as the Text saith by the spirit of God yet onely applies Moses generall prediction to the present times Thus saith God Why transgresse yee the commandement of the Lord Surely yee shall not prosper because yee haue forsakeu the Lord he also will forsake you Saint Paul himselfe vseth his own aduise not the Lords authority in such points as were not euidently contained in Moses law Vnto the married command not I but the Lord Let not the wife depart from her husband for so Moses had expresly commanded But to the Remnant I speake not the Lord If any brother haue a wife that belieueth not if shee be content to dwell with him let him not forsake her And againe concerning Virgins I haue no commandement of the Lord but I giue mine aduise as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithfull This was his iudgement and as he thought warranted by the spirit of God yet hee prescribes it not as a generall rule of faith to all but rather leaues euery man to bee ruled by his conscience and the analogie of Moses law So likewise though God vse an extraordinary reuelation to instruct Saint Peter in the free vse of meates forbidden by Moses yet hee perswades him it by manifesting the true meaning of another clause of the same law for what hee vttered vpon this instruction and the experiment answerable thereto was but a further specification of what Moses had said I perceiue of a truth saith S. Peter that God is no accepter of persons Moses had said The Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of Lords a great God mighty and terrible which accepteth no persons nor taketh reward who doth right vnto the fatherlesse and widdow and loueth the stranger giuing him sood and rayment 7 These passages sufficiently enforme vs that the extraordinary spirit wherewith the Apostles themselues were aboue the measure of Gods former messengers inspired oftimes onely made the stems whether of the tree of life or of knowledge planted by Moses to blow and flourish in them by little and little after the manner of naturall growth it did not alwayes bring forth new ones in an instant as the earth did at the first creation Much more vsually did prophesies during the standing of the first temple spring out of Mosaicall predictions If wee compare his writings with latter prophesies not long before the Babylonish captiuity though hee had departed this life before their fathers entred into the land of promise yet hee speakes vnto this last generation as an intelligencer from a farre Country that great preparation was made against them but who should bee the executioners or managers of mischiefe intended hee leaues that to such Prophets as the Lord should raise them vp for the present Ieremy and Ezechiel vpon his admonition following his direction are sent by God as it were to scowre the coast to discrie when the Nauy comes for what Coast it is bound and how neare at hand Here had the people faithfully examined their hearts by Moses law whether not guilty of such sinnes as deserued the plagues threatned by him they had quickly assented vnto Moses writings and the Prophets words For as consciousnesse of their sinnes in generall might cause them feare some plague or other indefinitely threatned by their Lawgiuer whose writings they best belieued so might the diligent obseruation of their particular transgressions and their progresse in them haue taught them to presage the determinate manner of their plagues and punishments foretold by the present Prophet For God in his vsuall course of iustice so suites his punishments to the most accustomary habits or predominant sinnes as vnto men religiously obseruant of times and seasons the growth and processe of the one will giue a certaine crisis of the other Besides euery age hath peculiar signes subordinate to the generall predictions of good or euill foretold by Gods messengers whereby the faithfull learne to know the day of their visitation and as Salomon saith to hide themselues in latibulo altissimi from the plague if not by their hearty repentance godly prayers and religious endeauors to preuent it And because wee in this age are not so well acquainted with the particular signes of former times wherein true Prophets liued it is hard for any liuing now though easie to all the faithfull then to giue any certaine or particular rule how the truth of their prophesies might haue beene at least probably knowne before the euent did finally and absolutely approue them Would to God wee could discerne the signes of times present and the Lord of his infinit mercy giue vs grace to know the day of our visitation But of this argument elsewhere by Gods assistance It shall suffice in the next place to shew that our Sauiours doctrine was by the same meanes to be discerued CHAP. X. That the Soueraignety giuen by Iesuites to the Pope is greater then our Sauiours was 1 IT is a Rule in Diuinity whatsoeuer can rightly be conceiued as an absolute perfection hath reall existence in the Almighty From this notion of the Deity swimming in the braines of such as in heart deed make the Pope their Lord God doe the parties thus affected vsually take whatsoeuer power might possibly be deligated by God to any as actually granted vnto his holinesse And thus I imagine some Iesuite or other when hee shall bethinke himselfe will except against our disputes in this present cause Deny you cannot that God can and what if hee should expresly grant such authority as the Pope now challengeth would your arguments conclude him to bee Antichrist or the doctrine we teach to be blasphemous On the contrary seeing our Sauiour Christ did neuer either practise or challenge seeing neither Moses
meanes is where hee disputes whether the Pope be bound to consult other authoritie besides his owne or vse any meanes to search the truth before hee passe sentence ex cathedra that is before he charge the whole Christian World to beleeue his decision This he thinkes expedient but so farre forth onely as if it please his Holinesse to enioyne the beleefe of some particular point vpon the whole World all must beleeue that he hath consulted Scripture and antiquitie as farre as was requisite for that point as you shall after heare 2 That in such controuersies he includes the meanes of knowing Scriptures to bee the word of God is euident out of his owne words in the forecited place For the knowledge of Scriptures he would haue to be an especiall point of faith yet such as cannot be proued by Scripture but by this liuing and speaking authoritie as he expressely contends in the eleuenth paragraph of the same question His conclusion is If it bee necessarie there should be some authoritie though humane yet by diuine assistance infallible to sit as mistresse and Iudge in all controuersies of faith and not to be appropriated to any deceased as is alreadie proued it remaines that it be alwaies liuing in the Church alwayes present amongst the faithfull by succession hee meanes of Popes Thus you see the present Pope must be Iudge and Christ his Apostles must be brought in as witnesses And yet whether there were such a Christ as Saint Mathew Luke Marke and Iohn tell vs there was or whether the Gospels which goe vnder their names be Apocryphall and that of Bartholmewes onely Canonicall we cannot know but by the Popes testimonie so that in the end he is the onely Iudge and onely witnesse both of Christ the Apostles and their writings yea of all diuine truthes at least assisted with his Bishops and Cardinals Which Bellarmine though otherwise a great deale more wary then Valentian hath plainly vttered Vnlesse saith he it were for the authoritie of the present Church of Rome he meanes the Trent Councell the whole Christian faith might be called in question so might all the acts and decrees of former Councels his reason was because wee cannot know these antiquities but onely by tradition and historicall relation which are not able to produce diuine firme infallible faith 3 Thus whilest this great Clerke would digge a pit for the blinde for he could not hope I thinke this blocke should stumble any that hath eyes in his head he is fallen into the middest of it himselfe by seeking to vndermine vs he hath smothered himselfe and buried the cause he was to maintaine For if without the Trent Councels testification wee cannot by diuine faith beleeue the Scriptures or former Councels to bee of diuine authoritie How can such as were borne within these thirty yeares beleeue that Councell it selfe which ended aboue fortie yeares agoe Few this day liuing were auditors of the Cardinals and Bishops decisions there assembled not hearing them their faith must needs be grounded vpon heare sayes Againe if it bee true the Scriptures cannot be knowne to be diuine but by the authoritie of the present visible Church if this Church doe not viua voce confirme all Christians in this fundamentall truth their faith can not be diuine but humane VVhat the Pope or his Cardinals thinke of these pointes is more then any liuing knowes vnlesse they heare them speake and then it may be a great question whether they speake as they thinke Pope Alexander the sixts decisions should haue beene negatiue like the fooles boult in the Psalme There is no God No Christ No Gospell for so his meaning might haue beene interpreted as they say dreames are by contraries seeing hee neuer spake as hee thought Lastly if the Trent Councel were so necessary for the confirmation of Scriptures and other Orthodoxall writings how detestable was your Cleargies backwardnesse to affoord the Christian World this spirituall cōfort For whether feare it were the Popes authoritie should bee curbed or meere slouth and neglect of matters diuine that did detaine them their shifts to put the Emperour off the Reader may sufficiently coniecture from Sepulueda at that time Chronicler to the Emperour in his Epistle to Cardinall Contarene one of the Popes Legates in that Councell That my intermission of writing and silence in that question concerning the correction of the yeare hath beene so long I wish the fault had laid in my slouth or forgetfulnesse that I might haue beene hence occasioned to acknowledge and deprecate the blame rather then as now I freely must impute the true cause to the negligence of you Romane Priestes whome I perceiue to wax cold and to thinke of nothing lesse then of calling the Councell with hope whereof as heretofore I was excited so now despaire hath made me dull For I see well that such as are most bound to haue a vigilant care of the Churches publique welfare and not to foreslow any opportunitie of increasing her dignitie neuer so much as mention the Councell at this time as necessarie as alwayes vsefull but when Christians eyther are alreadie or are likely to be at variance In one word neuer but them when there is sure hope it may bee hindered by their discord For when peace gets it turne and all is quiet not a word of the Councell So as what they aime at by these vnseasonable edicts is so manifest as will not suffer the slowest capacitie to liue in doubt or suspition 4 This great Learned Antiquaries Learned aduice in another Epistle sent to the same Cardinall then imployed by the Pope in the Councell was not to suffer matters decreed in any former Councell lawfully assembled together to bee disputed or called in question Sufferance hereof was in his iudgment no lesse preiudiciall to the State Ecclesiastique then vnto the temporall it would be to permit malefactors trauerse the equitie of publique lawes established and knowne after sufficient proofe or confession made of Capitall offences committed against them The marginall quotations of the Trent Councell compared with this graue admonition which had antiquitie-customes Canonicall as the Author vrgeth to giue it countenance may serue as a perfect index for our instruction with what preiudice the Bishops there assembled came to determine by whose manuduction or set rules they drew their supposed inerrable lines of life Now it is impossible any determination that takes it force from multitude of voyces shoud be eyther in it selfe more certaine or more forcible to perswade others thē are the motiues or inducements that swayed the suffragants so to determine and these in this case could by Bellarmines reason be but historicall perswasions or presumptions For no Iesuite I thinke will say these Bishops had the Popes sentence ex Cathedra to assure them before hand what Councels had beene lawfully called and fully confirmed or whether all the ancient Canons they afterwardes reestablished were alreadie as authentique and certaine as
grace it selfe would rather haue held the Negatiue For if wee beleeue as the Papists generally instruct vs that wee our selues all priuate spirites may erre in euery perswasion of faith but the Church which onely is assisted by a publike spirite cannot possibly teach amisse in any Wee must vpon termes as peremptory and in equall degree beleeue euery particular point of faith because the Church so teacheth vs not because wee certainely apprehend the truth of it in it selfe For wee may erre but this publike spirite cannot And consequently wee must infallibly belieue these propositions Christ is the Redeemer of the world not Mahomet There is a Trinity of persons in the diuine nature for this reason only that the Church commends them vnto vs for diuine reuelations seeing by their arguments brought to disproue the sufficiency of Scriptures or certainety of priuate spirites no other means possible is left vs. Nay were they true wee should be onely certain that without the Churches proposall wee still must be most vncertain in these and all other points because the sonnes are perpetually obnoxious to error from which the mother is euerlastingly priuiledged The same propositions and conclusions we might condicionally belieue to be absolutely authentike vppon supposall they were Gods word but that they are his word or reuelations truly diuine wee cannot firmely belieue but onely by firme adherence to the Churches infallible authority as was in the second Section deduced out of the Aduersaries principles Hence it followes that euery particular proposition of faith hath such a proper causall dependance vpon the Churches proposall as the conclusion hath vpon the premisses or any particular vpon it vniuersall Thus much Sacroboseus grants 3 Suppose God should speake vnto vs face to face what reason had wee absolutely and infallibly to belieue him but because wee know his words to bee infallible his infallibility then should be the proper cause of our beliefe For the same reason seeing he doth not speake vnto vs face to face as hee did to Moses but as our aduersaries say reueales his will obscurely so as the Reuealer is not manifested vnto vs but his meaning is by the visible Church which is to vs in stead of Prophetes Apostles and Christ himselfe and all the seuerall manners God vsed to speake vnto the world before he spake to it by his onely sonne this Pantheas infallibility must bee the true and proper cause of our beliefe And Valentian himselfe thinks that Sara and others of the old world to whom God spake in priuate eyther by the mouth of Angels his sonne or holy spirit or by what meanes soeuer did not sinne against the doctrine of faith or through vnbeliefe when they did not belieue Gods promises They did herein vnaduisedly not vnbelieuingly Why not vnbelieuingly because the visible Church did not propose these promises vnto them 4 If not to belieue the visible Churches proposals be that which makes distrust or diffidence to Gods promises infidelity then to belieue them is the true cause of belieuing Gods promises or if Sara and others did as Valentian sayth vnaduisedly or imprudently in not assenting to diuine truthes proposed by Angels surely they had done only prudently and aduisedly in assenting to them their assent had not beene truely and properly beleefe So that by this assertion the Churches proposall hath the very remonstratiue roote character of the immediat and prime cause whereby wee beleeue and know matters of faith For whatsoeuer else can concurre without this our assent to diuine truthes proposed is not true Catholike beliefe but firmely beleeuing this infallibility we cannot erre in any other point of faith 5 This truth Valentian elsewhere could not dissemble howsoeuer in his professed resolution of faith hee sought to couer it by change of apparrell Inuesting the Churches proposall onely with the title of a condition requisite yet withall so dissonant is falsity to it selfe making it the reason of beleeuing diuine Reuelations If a reason it be why wee should belieue them needs must it sway any reasonable mind to embrace their truth And whatsoeuer inclines our minds to the embracement of any truth is the proper efficient cause of beliefe or assent vnto the same Yea efficiency or causality it selfe doth formally consist in this inclination of the mind Nor is it possible this proposall of the Church should moue our minds to embrace diuine Reuelations by any other meanes then by belieeuing it And beliefe it selfe being an inclination or motion of the mind our minds must first be moued by the Churches proposall ere it can moue them at all to assent vnto other diuine truthes Againe Valentian grants that the orthodoxall or catechisticall answere to this interrogation Why doe you belieue the doctrine of the Trinity to be a diuine reuelation is because the Church proposeth it to me for such Hee that admits this answere for sound and Catholike and yet denies the Churches proposall to bee the true and proper cause of his beliefe in the former point hath smothered doubtlesse the light of nature by admitting too much artificiall subtlety into his braines For if a man should aske why do you belieue there is a fire in yonder house and answere were made Because I see the smoake go out of the Chimney should the party thus answering in good earnest peremptorily deny the sight of the smoake to bee the cause of his beleefe there was a fire hee deserued very well to haue eyther his tongue scorched with the one or his eyes put out with the other Albeit if wee speake of the things themselues not of his beliefe concerning them the fire was the true cause of the smoake not the smoake of the fire But whatsoeuer it be Cause Condition Circumstance or Effect that truly satisficeth this demand Why doe you belieue this or that it is a true and proper cause of our beleefe though not of the thing beleeued If then we admit the Churches proposall to bee but a condition annexed to diuine reuelations yet if it bee an infallible medium or meane or as our aduersaries all agree the only mean infallible whereby we can rightly beleeue this or that to be a diuine reuelation it is the true and only infallible cause of our beleefe That speech of Valentian which to any ordinary mans capacity includes as much as we now say was before alleadged That Scripture which is commended and expounded vnto vs by the Church is eo ipso euen for this reason most authentike and cleare He could not more emphatically haue expressed the Churches proposall to be the true and prime cause why particular or determinate diuine reuelations become so credible vnto vs. His second Sacroboscus hath many speeches to be inserted hereafter to the same effect Amongst others where Doctor Whittaker obiects that the principall cause of faith is by Papists ascribed vnto the Church he denyes it onely thus far What we beleeue
for the Churches proposall we iointly beleeue for God speaking eyther in his written word or by tradition Yet if a man should haue asked him why he did or how possibly hee could infallibly beleeue that God did speake all the words eyther contayned in the Bible or in their traditions he must haue giuen eyther a womans answere because God spâ—ke them or this because our holy mother the Church doth say so For elsewhere he plainly auowes the Bookes of Canonicall Scripture need not be beleeued without the Churches proposall whose infallible authority was sufficiently knowne before one title of the New Testament was written and were to be acknowledged though it had neuer beene hee plainly confesseth withall that hee could not beleeue the Scriptures taught some principall Articles of faith most firmely beleeued by him vnlesse the churches authoritie did thereto moue him against the light of naturall reason Now if for the churches proposall hee beleeue that which otherwise to beleeue he had no reason at al but rather strong inducements to the contrarie as stedfastly as any other truth the Churches infallibilitie must be the true and only cause both why he beleeues the mystery proposed and distrusts the naturall dictates of his conscience to the contrary In fine hee doth not beleeue there is a Trinitie for in that Article is his instance because God hath said it but hee beleeues that God hath said it because his infallible Mother the Church doth teach it This is the misery of miseries that these Apostates should so bewitch the World as to make it thinke they beleeue the Church because God speakes by it when it is euident they doe not beleeue God but for the Churches testimonie well content to pretend his authority that her own may seeme more soueraigne Thus make they their superstitious groundlesse magical faith but as a wrench to wrest that principle of nature Whatsoeuer God saith is true to countenance any villany they can imagine as will better appeare hereafter But first the Reader must be content to be informed that by some of their tenents the same Diuine reuelations may be assented vnto by the Habite either of Theologie or of faith both which are most certaine but herein different That the former is discursiue and resembles science properly so called the latter not so but rather like vnto that habite or faculty by which we perceiue the truth of generall Maximes or vnto our bodily sight which sees diuers visibles all immediately not one after or by another Whilst some of them dispute against the certainty of priuate spirits their aguments suppose Diuine reuelations must be beleeued by the Habite of Theology which is as a sword to offend vs. Whiles we assault them and vrge the vnstabilitie of their resolutions they fly vnto the non discursiue Habite of faith infused as their best buckler to ward such blowes as the Habite of Theologie cannot beare off 6 Not heere to dispute eyther how truly or pertinently they denie faith infused to be a discursiue habite the Logicall Reader need not I hope my admonition to obserue that faith or beleefe whether habituall or actuall vnlesse discursiue cannot possibly bee resolued into any praeexistent Maxime or principle From which grant this emolument will arise vnto our cause that the Churches authoritie cannot be proued by any diuine reuelation or portion of Scripture seeing it is an Article of faith and must be beleeued eodem intuitu with that Scripture or part of Gods word whether written or vnwritten that teacheth it as light and colours are perceiued by one and the same intuition in the same instant And by this assertion we could not so properly say wee beleeue the diuine reuelation because we beleeue the church nor doe we see colours because we see the light but wee may truly say that the obiects of our faith diuine reuelations are therefore actually credible or worthy of beleefe because the infallible Church doth illustrate or propose them as the light doth make colours though invisible by night visible by day This similitude of the light and colours is not mine but Sacroboscus whom in the point in hand I most mention because Doctor Whittakers Obiections against their Churches Doctrine as it hath beene deliuered by Bellarmine and other late controuersers hath enforced him clearely to vnfold what Bellarmine Stapelton and Valentian left vnexpressed but is implicitely included in all their writings But ere we come to examine the ful incoÌ„ueniences of their opinions I must request the Reader to obserue that as oft as they mention resolution of faith they meane the discursiue habite of Theologie For al resolution of beleefe or knowledge essentially includes discourse And Bellarmine directly makes Sacroboscus expressely auoucheth the Churches authority the medius terminus or true cause whence determinate conclusions of faith are gathered From which and other equiualent assertions acknowledged by all the Romanists this day liuing it will appeare that Valentian was eyther very ignorant himselfe or presumed hee had to deale with very ignorant aduersaries when he denyed that the last resolution of Catholique faith was into the Churches authoritie which comes next in place to be examined CHAP. III. Discouering eyther the grosse ignorance or notorious craft of the Iesuite in denying his faith is finally resolued into the Churches veracity or infallibility that possibly it cannot bee resolued into any branch of the first truth 1 IT were a foolish question as Caietan sayeth Valentian hath well obserued if one should aske another why he beleeues the first truth reuealing For the assent of faith is finally resolued into the first truth It may bee Caietan was better minded towardes Truth it selfe first or secondary then this Iesuite was which vsed his authority to colour his former rotten position That the Churches proposall by their doctrine is not the cause of faith but our former distinction betweene belief it selfe it obiect often confounded or between Gods word indefinitely and determinately taken if well obserued will euince this last reason to be as foolish as the former assertion was false No man sayeth he can giue any reason besides the infallibility of the Reuealer why hee beleeues a diuine Reuelation It is true no man can giue nor would any aske why wee beleeue that which wee are fully perswaded as a diuine Reuelation But yet a reason by their positions must bee giuen why we beleeue eyther this or that truth any particular or determinat portion of Scripture to be a diuine reuelation Wherefore seeing Christian faith is alwayes of definite and particular propositions or conclusions and as Bellarmine sayeth and all the Papists must say these cannot be known but by the Church As her infallible proposall is the true and proper cause why wee belieue them to bee infallibly true because the onely cause whereby wee can belieue them to bee diuine reuelations so must it bee the essentiall principle into which our assent or
beliefe of any particular or determinate proposition must finally bee resolued Euery conclusion of faith as is before obserued out of Bellarmine must bee gathered in this or like Syllogisme Whatsoeuer God or the first Truth sayeth is most true But God saide all those words which Moses the Prophets and the Euangelists wrote Therefore all these are most true The Maior in this Syllogisme is an Axiome of Nature acknowledged by Turkes and Infidels nor can Christian faith be resolued into it as into a Principle proper to it selfe The Minor say our aduersaries must bee ascertained vnto vs by the Churches authority and so ascertained becomes the first and maine principle of faith as Christian whence all other particular or determinate conclusions are thus gathered Whatsoeuer the Church proposeth to vs for a diuine Reuelation is most certainly such But the Church proposeth the bookes of Moses and the Prophets finally the whole volumes of the olde and new Testament with all their partes as they are extant in the vulgar Romane Edition for diuine reuelations Therefore we must infallibly belieue they are such So likewise must wee beleeue that to bee the true and proper meaning of euerie sentence in them contained which the Church to whom it belongs to iudge of their sense shall tender vnto vs. 2 For better manifestation of the Truth wee now teach the young Reader must here bee aduised of a twofolde resolution One of the things or matters beleeued or knowne into their first parts or Elements Another of our beliefe or perswasions concerning them into their first causes or motiues In the one the most generall or remotest cause In the other the most immediate or next cause alwayes terminates the resolution The one imitates the other inuerts the order of composition so as what is first in the one is last in the other because that which is first intended or resolued vpon by him that casteth the plotte is best effected by the executioner or manuall composer In the former sense wee say mixt bodies are lastly resolued into their first Elements houses into stones timber and other ingredients particular truthes into generall maximes conclusions into their immediate praemises all absurdities into some breach of the rule of contradiction Consonantly to this interpretation of finall resolution the first verity or diuine infallibility is that into which all faith is lastly resolued For as wee saide before this is the first steppe in the progresse of true beliefe the lowest foundation whereon any Religion Christian Iewish Mahometan or Ethnicke can be built And it is an vndoubted Axiome quod primum est in generatione est vltimum in resolutione when we resolue any thing into the parts whereof it is compounded we end in the vndoing or vnfolding it where nature begunne in the composition or making of it But he that would attempt to compose it againe or frame the like aright wold terminate all his thoghts or purposes by the end or vse which is farthest from actuall accomplishment Thus the Architect frames stones and timber and layes the first foundation according to the platforme he carries in his head that hee casts proportionably to the most commodious or pleasant habitation which though last effected determines all cogitations or resolutions precedent Hence if wee take this vltima resolutio as we alwayes take these termes when we resolue our owne perswasions that is for a resolution of all doubts or demands concerning the subiect whereof wee treat A Roman Catholiques faith must according to his Principles finally bee resolued into the Churches infallibility For this is the immediate ground or first cause of any particular or determinate point of Christian faith and the immediate cause is alwayes that into which our perswasions concerning the effect is finally resolued seeing it onely can fully satisfie all demandes doubts or questions concerning it As for example if you aske why men or other terrestriall Creatures breath when fishes doe not to say they haue lungs and fishes none doth not fully satisfie all demaunds or doubts concerning this Subiect For it may iustly further be demanded what necessity there was the one should haue lungs rather then the other If here it bee answered that men and other perfect terrestiall creatures are so full of feruent bloud that without a cooler their owne heare would quickly choake them and in this regard the God of nature who did not make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or giue them life in vaine to bee presently extinct did with it giue them lungs by whose respiration their naturall temper should be continued This answere doth fully satisfie all demands concerning the former effect For no man of sense would further question why life should be preserued whose preseruation immediately depends vpon respiration or exercise of the lungs is therfore the immediate cause of both and that whereunto all our perswasions concerning the former subiect are lastly resolued Or if it should bee demanded why onely man of all other creatures hath power to laugh to say he were indued with reason doth not resolue vs for a Philosophical wit would further question Why should reasonable substances haue this foolish faculty rather then others A good Philosopher would perswade vs the spirites which serue for instruments to the rationall part are more nimble subtle and so more apt to produce this motion then the spirites of any other creatures are But this I must professe resolues not me for how nimble or subtle soeuer they be vnlesse man had other corporeall Organes for this motion the spirits alone could not produce it and all organicall parts are framed for the operation or exercise of the faculty as their proper end Whence hee that would finally resolue the former probleme must assigne the true finall cause why reasonable substances more then others should stand in need of this motion Now seeing vnto reason onely it is proper to forecast danger and procure sorrow and contristation of heart by preconceit of what yet is not but perhaps may bee it was requisite that our mortality through reason obnoxious to this inconuenience should bee able to correct this contristant motion by the contrary and haue a faculty to conceiue such pleasant obiects as might dilatate the heart and spirites that as man hurts his body by conceited sorrow whereto no other Creature is subiect so he might heale it againe by a kind of pleasance whereof hee alone is capable 3 Answerable to this latter acception of finall resolution if you demaund a Romane Catholike why hee beleeues there is a Trinity there shall bee a resurrection or life euerlasting his answere would be because God or the first verity hath said so but this doth not fully satisfie for wee might further question him as hee doth vs why doe you belieue that God did say so Here it sufficeth not to say This truth is expresly taught in Canonicall Scriptures for the doubt whereby hee hopes
both meanes of accomplishing Natures or rather the God of Naturs purpose in whose will or pleasure the finall cause of any naturall effect alwayes consists And seeing nothing in Nature can preoccupate his will no cause can be precedent to the finall This consideration of natural effects tending as certainly to their proposed end as the arrowe flyes to the marke caused the irreligious Philosopher to acknowledge the direction of an intelligent supernaturall agent in their working the accomplishment of whose will and pleasure as I said must bee the finall cause of their motions as his will or pleasure which bestowes the charges not the Architect vnlesse he be the owner also is the finall cause why the house is built Finally euery end supposeth the last intention of an intelligent agent whereof to giue a reason by the efficient which onely produceth works or meanes thereto proportioned would be as impertinent as if to one demaunding why the bell rings out it should bee answered because a strong fellow puls the rope 7 Now that which in our aduersaries Doctrine answeres vnto the cause indemonstrable whereinto finall resolution of Natures workes or intentions of intelligent agents must be resolued is the churches authoritie Nor can that if wee speake properly be resolued into any branch of the first truth for this reason besids others alleadged before that all resolutions whether of our perswasiōs or intentions or of their obiects works of Art or Nature suppose a stability or certainty in the first links of the chaine which wee vnfolde the latter alwayes depending on the former not the former on the latter As in resolutions of the latter kinde lately mentioned imitating the order of composition actuall continuation of life depends on breathing not breathing on it breathing on the lunges not the lunges mutually on breathing so in resolutions of the other kind which invertes the order of composition the vse or necessitie of lunges dependes vpon the vse or necessitie of breathing the necessity or vse of breathing vpon the necessity or vse of life or vpon his will or pleasure that created one of these for another Thus againe the sensitiue facultie depends vpon the vital that vpon mixtion mixtion vpon the Elements not any of these mutually vpon the sensitiue faculty if wee respect the order of supportance or Natures progresse in their production Whence hee that questions whether some kinds of plants haue sense or some stones or mettals life supposeth as vnquestionable that the former haue life that the second are mixt bodies But if we respect the intent or purpose of him that sets nature a working all the former faculties dpend on the sensitiue the sensitiue not on any of them For God would not haue his creatures indued with sense that they might liue or liue that they might haue mixt bodies but rather to haue such bodies that they might liue to liue that they might enioy the benefit of sense or the more noble faculties 8 Can the Iesuite thus assigne any determinate branch of the first truth as stable and vnquestionable before it be ratified by the Churches authoritie Euident it is by his positions that he cannot and as euident that beliefe of the churches authority cannot depend vpon any determinate branch of the first truth much lesse can it distinctly be thereinto resolued But contrariwise presse him with what Diuine precept soeuer written or vnwritten though in all mens iudgements the churches authoritie set aside most contradictory to their approoued practises for example That the second Commaundement forbids worshipping Images or adoration of the consecrate host he straight inuerts your reason thus Rather the second commandement forbids neyther because the holy Church which I beleeue to bee infallible approueth both Lastly hee is fully resolued to beleeue nothing for true which the Church disproues nothing for false or erroneous which it allowes Or if he would answere directly to this demaund To what end did God cause the Scriptures to be written He could not consonant to his tenents say That wee might infallibly rely vpon them but rather vpon the Churches authoritie which it establisheth For Gods word whether written or vnwritten is by their Doctrine but as the testimonie of some men deceased indefinitely presumed for infallible but whose materiall extent the Church must first determine and after wards iudge without all appeale of their true meaning Thus are all parts of Diuine truthes supposed to be reuealed more essentially subordinate to the Churches authoritie then ordinary witnesses are to royall or supreme iudgment For they are supposed able to deliuer what they know in termes intelligible to other mens capacities without the Prince or Iudges ratification of their sayings or expositions of their meanings and iudgment is not ordained for producing witnesses but production of witnesses for establishing iudgement Thus by our aduersaries Doctrine Gods word must serue to establish the Churches authority not the Churches authority to confirme the immediate soueraigntie of it ouer our soules 9 Much more probably might the Iew or Turke resolue his faith vnto the first truth then the moderne Iesuited Papist can For though their deductions from it be much what alike all aequally sottish yet these admit a stabilitie or certainty of what the first Truth hath said no way dependant vpon their authority that first proposed or commended it vnto them The Turkes would storme to heare any Mufti professe he were as well to be beleeued as was Mahomet in his life time that without his proposall they could not know eyther the olde testament or the Alcoran to bee from God So would the Iewes if one of their Rabbines should make the like comparison betwxit himselfe and Moses as the Iesuite doth betwixt Christ and the Pope who besides that hee must bee as well beleeued as his Master leaues the authority of both testaments vncertaine to vs vnlesse confirmed by his infallibility But to speake properly the pretended deriuation of all three heresies from the first truth hath a liuely resemblance of false petigrees none at all of true doctrine and resolutions Of all the three the Romish is most ridiculous as may appeare by their seuerall representations As imagine there should be three Competitors for the Romane Empire all pleading it were to descend by inheritance not by election all pretending lineall succession from Charles the Great The first like to the Iew alleageth an authentique petigree making him the eldest The second resembling the Turke replyes that the other indeede was of the eldest line but long since disinherited often conquered and enforced to resigne whence the inheritance descended to him as the next in succession The third like the Romanist pleades it was bequeathed him by the Emperours last wil and testament from whose death his Ancestors haue beene intitled to it and produceth a petigree to this purpose without any other confirmation then his owne authority adding withal that vnlesse his competitors and others will beleeue his
it reall Atheists or Infidels and Christians onely in conceit or vpon condition If the Church whose authority they so highly esteeme be as infallible as is pretended Heretofore I haue much grieued at the Trent Councels impiety but now I wonder at these graue Fathers folly that would trouble themselues with prescribing so many Canons or ouerseeing so large a Catechisme when as the beginning of Protogoras booke one or two words altered might haue comprehended the entire confession of such mens faith as rely vpon their fatherhoods The Atheist thus beganne his booke De dijs non habeo quod dicam vtrum sint necne Concerning the Gods or their being I can say nothing A priuate Romane Catholike might render an entire account of his faith in termes as briefe De Christo Christiana fide non haebeo quod dicam vtrum sint necne Whether there bee a Christ or Christian Religion bee but a politike fable I haue nothing to say peremptorily yea or no the Church or Councell can determine whom in this and all other points wherein God is a party I will absolutely belieue whilest I liue if at my death I finde they teach amisse let the diuell and they if there be a diuell decide the controuersie Yet this conceit or conditionall beliefe of Christ and christianity conceiued from the former serues as a ground colour for disposing mens soules to take the sable dye of Hell wherewith the second maine streame of Romish impiety will deepely infect all such as drinke of it For once belieuing Gods word from the Churches testimony this absolute submission of their consciences to embrace that sense it shall suggest sublimates them from refined Heathenisme of Gentilisme to diabolisme or symbolizing with infernall spirits whose chiefest solace consists in acting greatest villanies or wresting the meaning of Gods written lawes to his dishonour For iust proofe of which imputation wee are to preuent what as wee late intimated might in fauour of their opinion bee replyed to our former instance of light and colours 9 Some perhaps well affected would be resolued why as hee that sees colours by the sunne sees not onely the sunne but colours with it so hee that belieues the Scriptures by relying vpon the Church should not belieue the Church onely but the Scriptures too commended by it The doubt could hardly bee resolued if according to our aduersaries tenent the Churches declarations did confirme our faith by illustrating the Canon of Scriptures or making particular truthes contained in it inherently more perspicuous as if they were in themselues but potentially credible and made actually such by the Churches testimony which is the first and principall credible in such sort as colours become actually visible by illumination of the principall and prime visible But herein the grounds of Romish doctrine and the instance brought by Sacroboscus to illustrate it are quite contrary For the light of the Sunne though most necessary vnto sight is yet necessary onely in respect of the obiect or for making colours actually visible which made such or sufficiently illuminated are instantly perceiued without further intermediation of any other light then the internall light of the Organe in discerning colours alwaies rather hindred then helped by circumfusion of light externall For this reason it is that men in a pitte or caue may at noone day see the starres which are inuisible to such as are in the open aire not that they are more illuminated to the one then the other but because plentie of light doth hinder the organ or eye-sight of the one Generally all obiects eyther actually visible in themselues or sufficiently illuminated are better perceiued in darkenesse then in the light But so our aduersaries will not grant that after the church hath sufficiently proposed the whole Canon to be Gods word the distinct meaning of euery part is more cleare and facile to all priuate spirits by how much they lesse participate of the visible Churches further illustration For quite contrary to the former instance the Churches testimony or declaration is onely necessary or auaileable to right beliefe in respect not of the obiect to be beleeued Scriptures but of the party beleeuing For as hath beene obserued no man in their iudgement can belieue Gods word or the right meaning of it but by beleeuing the Church and all beliefe is inherent in the belieuer Yea this vndoubted beliefe of the Churches authority is that which in Bellarmine and Sacroboscus iudgement makes a Roman Catholicks beleefe of Scriptures or diuine truthes taught by them much better then a Protestants If otherwise the churches declaration or testimony could without the beliefe of it infallibility which is inherent in the subiect belieuing make Scriptures credible as the light doth colours visible in themselues a Protestant that knew their churches meaning might as truely belieue them as a Romane Catholike albeit hee did not absolutely belieue the church but onely vse her helpe for their Orthodoxall interpretation as hee doth ordinary expositors or as many doe the benefite of the Sunne for seeing colours which neuer thinke whether colours may bee seene without it or no. For though it bee certaine that they cannot yet this opinion is meerely accidentall to their sight and if a man should be so wilfull as to maintaine the contrary it would argue onely blindnesse of mind none of his bodily sight Nor should distrust of the Romish churches authority ought diminish our beliefe of any diuine truth were her declarations requisite in respect of the obiect to bee beleeued not in respect of the subiect beleeuing 10 Hence ariseth that difference which plainely resolues the former doubt For seeing the Sunne makes colours actually visible by adding vertue or lustre to them wee may rightly say wee see colours as truely as the light by which wee see them For though without the benefite of it they cannot be seene yet are they not seene by seeing it or by relying vpon it testimony of them Againe because the vse of light is onelie necessary in respect of the obiect or for presenting colours to the eye after once they bee sufficiently illuminated or presented euery creature endued with sight can immediately discern each from other without any further helpe or benefite of externall light than the generall whereby they become all alike actually visible at the fame instant The Sunnes light then is the true cause why colours are seene out no cause of our distinguishing one from another beeing seene or made actually visible by it For of all sensible obiects sufficiently proposed the sensitiue faculty though seated in a priuate person is the sole immediate supreme Iudge and relies not vpon any others more publike verdite of them On the contrary because the Romanists supposed firme beliefe of Scriptures or their true meaning ariseth onely from his vndoubted beliefe of the churches veracity which is in the belieuer as in it subiect not from any increase of inherent credibility or perspicuity
and Tide did serue them But of the particular temptations and opportunities that did first driue the Romanists into this harbour as also of inueterate errors in other points and reliques of Heathenish dispositions whereby they two others after them elsewhere according to my promise if God permit At this time it shall suffice to haue waded thus farre in these vnpleasant passages for discouering the enemies weakenesse in his new Fortifications or Repalliations rather of such breaches as our ancient Worthies haue made in their imaginarie Rock of strength Now as my soule and conscience in the sight of God and his holy Angels can assure me these imputations of blasphemie sorcerie and preposterous Idolatrie I haue laid vpon this fundamentall point of Romish faith are most true though much lesse exaggerated then it deserues so againe I must confesse it hath in some sort euer gone against my conscience publikely to discipher or display her abominations For my little experience of this present ages temper too well instructs me what great offence is oftimes hereby giuen to men as weake in faith as strong in their perswasions of it to slatter themselues in their hypocrisie or make them seeme vnto themselues men rightly religious or throughly sanctified whilest they measure their loue to true religion by their hatred vnto this doctrine of Deuils or compare themselues with Priests and Iesuites as they are painted out in their natiue colours by eloquent and learned Pastors But his iniquitie be vpon his owne head that thus peruerts my labours vndertaken for his good vnto his harme For vnto a quite contrarie purpose haue I set forth this survey of Romish blasphemie in a larger volume then first I meant it euen to stirre vp my selfe and euery Professor of true religion vnto serious amendment of our liues to hold fast our faith by holding vp hands pure from briberie and corruption by lifting vp hearts and mindes void of all guile and hypocrisie ardently zealous of euery good worke vnto the Lord our God continually least such swarmes of Caterpillers and Locusts as haue chosen Beelzebub for their God deuour this land Mortis modus morte peior To thinke such should be the instruments of our woe will vnto most of vs I know farre surpasse all conceipt of any other woe it selfe or miserie that in this life can befall vs. And yet whilest I consider what God hath done of old to Israell his first borne and Iudah his owne inheritance the ouerplus of our ingratitude towards him for all his goodnesse especially our wilfull continuall abusing these dayes of peace more and more sweet and gracious then Ierusalem it selfe the vision of peace did euer see so long together without interruption I am and haue beene as my publique meditations can testifie for these few yeares of my ministerie possessed with continuall dread least the Lord in iustice enlarge his threatnings denounced against Iudah vpon this Land Fearefull was that message vnto Hierusalem I will bring the most wicked of the Heathen and they shall possesse their houses but more terrible is our doome if this sentence be gone out against vs I will plague you by the wickedst amongst the Christians by men more cruell proud and insolent then Babylonian Turke or Insidell or any other enemie of Christs Church hath beene or could be vnlesse Christians or Iesuites in name or shew they were meere Antichristians or Bariesus heart and affection Such titles we readily giue and willingly heare giuen vnto Loyolacs infamous broode But if our wayes shall continually proue as odious vnto our God as these termes import that Societie is vnto vs what haue we done Surely tyed our bodies to the stake of iustice by the wickednesse of our hands and proud imaginations of our polluted hearts whiles our tongues in the meane while haue set our cruell executioners hearts on fire more grieuously to torment to consume and deuour vs. 11 But though likelihood of their preuailing against vs bee without our repentance great and their crueltie if they should preuaile more then likely to be most violent yet this their hope it cannot be long Tu quoque crudelis Babylon dabis impia paenas Et rerum instabiles experiere vices The Lord in due time will turne againe the captiuitie of his people and the now liuing may liue to see these sonnes of Babel rewarded as they haue long sought to serue vs. Their shamelesse Apologies for equiuocation and this old charme of Templum Domini which like vnluckie birds alwaies flocking or frogs croaking against ill weather they haue resumed of late with ioynt importunate cryes albeit with these they bewitch the simple choake the worldling or carelesse liuer that accompts all serious thought of Religion his greatest trouble sound vnto harts setled in grace or minds illuminated with the spirit of truth but as the last cracklings of Lucifers candle sometimes shining in the Roman Lantherne as the morning starre or an Angell of light but now so farre spent and sunke within the socket that it recouers it wonted brightnesse but by flashes nor can his nostrils that is able with the least breath of his displeasure from heauen in a moment to blow it out any long time endure the smell Euen so O Father for thy sonne Christ Iesus sake euen so O Christ for thine Elect and chosens sake impose a period to our grieuous sinnes against thee and our enemies malice against vs infatuate their policies enfeeble their strength and preuent them in their Deuillish purposes that seeke to preuent thee in thy iudgements by setting the world in combustion before thy comming Amen The continuation of matters prosecuted in the first BOOKE THe ingenious Reader I trust rests fully satisfied that for planting true and liuely faith in euery priuate Christians hart experiments answerable to the rules of Scripture without absolute dependance vpon any externall rule thereto equiualent are sufficient the assistance of the holy spirit whose necessity for the right apprehension of diuine truthes reuealed the Romanist nor doth nor dare denie being supposed That Valentians heart did tell him thus much and secretly check him for his ridiculous curiositie to make way vnto his circular resolution of faith before refuted his diffident speeches immediately thereto annexed vpon consciousnesse no doubt of it insufficiencie will giue the Reader though parciall iust cause of suspicion If a man saith hee bee yet further questioned seeing aswell the diuine reuelations as the Churches infallible proposall are obscure and ineuident what should impell him to enter into such a labarynth of obscurities as to imbrace the doctrine of faith by the former methode to wit beleeuing the reuelation for the Churches proposall as for a condition vnto beliefe requisite and the Churches proposall againe for the reuelation being the cause of his beliefe then let him come vnto the second processe or methode and expound the reasons and clearer motiues whereby hee was and euery discreet man may be induced to
to stagger vs most is this Why doe you belieue or how can you know those Bookes which yee call Scriptures were from God The last and finall answere according to the Iesuiticall Catechismes wherein as you heard before out of Bellarmine they thinke they haue great aduantage of vs would be this The holy Church our Mother doth so instruct giuing vs this expresse admonition withall his amplius fili mine requiras Here vpon God their Father and the infallible Church their mothers blessing their soules are bound to rest without further doubt or demand Whence vnlesse they vse so me mentall reseruation or seeke to shrowd themselus in the former aequiuocation hetherto vnfolded they must of necessity account themselues accursed if they deny the last or finall resolution of their beliefe to be into the Churches infallibility or veracity Againe what reasonable man would demand further resolution of any doubts incident to his faculty bee it reall or verball speculatiue or practicke then into the prime and immediate rules He should surely be lasht in a Grammer schoole that eyther for quantity of syllables right accent construction of wordes or the like would seeke a fuâ—ther reason then a knowne generall rule which admitteth no exception So should he with disgrace bee turned ouer the Barre amongst the Lawyers that would demurre or seeke a deuolution of an euident ruled case which by his owne confession could neuer alter Much more grosse would his absurdity appeare that in the Mathematiques or other demonstratiue science should attempt to resolue a probleme or conclusion further then into an vnquestionable theoreme or definition Finally might wee haue a centumâ—irall Court of all professions vnder the sunne our aduersaries would bee condemned with ioint consent eyther of intollerable folly or impudency if they should with Valentian deny the last resolution of their faith to bee into the Churches infallibility seeing they make it such a Catholike inerrable perpetuall rule of Christian faith as admits no exception no deuolution from it no appeale It is to them more then he said of Logicke Ars artium scientia scientiarum a faculty of faculties a Rule of Rules able rightly to resolue all doubts concerning the very Canon of Scriptures or Gods word written or vnwritten or the true sense or meaning of both briefly able most authentically to determine define all controuersies in Religion of what kind soeuer 4 Nor will it boot them ought to say that Gods word in the Churches mouth is the Rule whereinto faith is finally resolued seeing the Church defines nothing but by Gods word eyther written or vnwritten For this is more then the party which beleeues it can know nor hath hee any other motiue to belieue it besides the Churches definition or assertion Suppose then wee should conceiue so well of a temporall Iudge as to presume hee did neuer speake but according to the true meaning eyther of statute or customary law yet if wee could not know eyther the one or the other or their right interpretation but onely by his determinations the law were little beholden to him vnlesse for a floute that should say he were resolued iointly by the Iudge and it For seeing the Law is to him altogether vncertaine but by the Iudges auouchment or interpretation his last resolution of any act of iustice must bee onely into the Iudges skill and fidelity This inference Sacroboscus would nor deny hee himselfe hath made the like to proue that not the Scripture but the Church must bee the infallible rule of faith You will obiect saith he when the Church defines it alwayes defines according to the word of God eyther written or vnwritten New reuelations it receiues none the promised assistance of the spirit helps it onely to know what is alreadie reuealed Therefore from the first to the last that which determines controuersies and is the Iudge in all questions of faith is the word of God To this obiection thus hee answeres because we cannot be certaine of the true sense of Gods word but by the voice of the Church which heares our controuersies and answeres them The Church is Iudge although it iudge according to Gods word which vpon examination and by the spirits assistance it alwayes vnderstands a right And if euery one of vs should haue the infallible gift of vnderstanding Gods word wee should not neede any other Iudge The Reader I hope will remember what was said before that those flowting hypocrites would faine beleeue the Pope saith nothing but what God saith that God may be thought to say all he sayes which is the most abhominable blasphemie that euer Hell broacht worse then worshipping of Diuels as shal appeare hereafter 5 It may be some Nouice in Artes that hath late read some vulgar Logicians vpon the demonstrations might here frame this doubt in fauour of the Romish Churches Doctrine As the finall cause may be demonstrated by the efficient and the efficient by the final so may the Church be infallibly proued by Scriptures and the Scriptures againe by the Churches authority both infallibly beleeved each for others sake as both the former demonstrations are true and certaine and yet mutually depending one vpon the other 6 This obiection had some late Logicians vnderstood what they said would carry some shew of truth to countenance Valentians former circular resolutioÌ„ but they lace their M rs rule vttered by him Pingui Minerua too too straightly For taking it as they do we shold admit of circular demoÌ„strations the conceit wherof can haue no place but in a giddy braine To demonstrate the finall cause in any worke of Nature were to assigne a Counsailor to the infinite wisdome of the God of Nature in whose intention the end is first and is the cause of all operation or efficiency Who could giue or who would demaund a naturall cause why life should be prescribed for this is the will of him that gaue it If question were made of the manner how the life of man and other creatures is preserued when as their heat might seeme to choake them A man might truly answere by respiration and respiration is from the lungs But it is one thing to aske how or by what meanes another for what end any effect is produced The former is an inquiry of the efficient within these precincts of meanes or motions alwayes prime and independent The later of the final cause absolutely indemonstrable becauses it implies a contradiction to giue a reason why that should be for whose sake all other things of that ranke haue being Nor is the end it selfe to speake properly euer produced though oftimes in common speech we take the effect immediately thereto destinated because most sensible for the end it selfe as we doe the starre next to the pole because visible for the pole or point immoueable Thus we confound respirations or actuall preseruation of life with the finall cause why men haue lungs when as both are effects of the lungs