either of them The gouernment of a prouince is principally Aristocraticall resting in the Bishops of the prouince their assistants but it hath a kinde of chiefty of one hauing a primacie of order and honour amongst the rest who being placed in the Metropolis or Mother cittie is named a Metropolitane This gouernment is so mixed that the Bishops may doe nothing concerning the state of the whole Prouince or out of the limits of their owne Churches without consulting the Bishop of the mother citty nor he without them and if they differ in judgement and opinion he is bound to follow the maior part of voices for the ending and determining of all controuersies that may or doe arise concerning matters of faith or of fact Neither is this the forme of gouernment of one prouince only but the gouernment of larger circuits is altogether like vnto it and in proportion the same For looke what the Metropolitane is in respect of the Bishops of the prouince that and no more is the primate or Patriarch in respect of the Metropolitans Bishops of diuerse prouinces so that as the Metropolitan canne doe nothing out of his owne Diocese without the concurrence of the maior part of the Bishops of the province though he be in order and honour the first and greatest amongst them who must bee consulted before they canne doe any thing so in like sort the Primate or Patriarch may doe nothing without the aduice and consent of the Metropolitanes Bishops subiect vnto him So that wee see the forme of Church gouernment is mixt in such sort that in respect of a Diocese or particular Church there is a speciall authority resting in one though not excluding nor neglecting the assistance and concurrence of more but the gouernment of many particular Churches and prouinces is principally Aristocraticall all thinges being swayed by the maior part of the voyces of the Bishops and Metropolitanes yet admitting a primacie of order and honour of one amongst the rest who must be first consulted from whom all deliberations must take beginning and who sitteth in all their meetings as a president and moderatour This Bellarmine endeavoureth to improue and therefore laboureth to shew that the supreme power of the Church is not in the company of Bishops His first reason is because Christ as he supposeth gaue no authority to his Apostles and Disciples but that which he gaue to euery one of them apart as to preach baptize binde and loose remitte and retaine sinne But this silly argument is easily answered and the absurditie of Bellarmines confident affirmation is too too apparant For to ordaine Bishops to depose Bishops or Presbyters and to determine the differences and controversies that arise amongst them is as I thinke a great part of Ecclesiasticall power and jurisdiction yet may no one Bishop doe any of these things but the company of Bishops onely To the ordination of a Bishop the presence of the Metropolitane and of three other Bishoppes at the least with the consent of the rest that are absent signified in writing is by the olde Canons required neither did the Church euer admit lesse then three Bishops to ordaine vnlesse in certaine cases of necessitie And touching the depriuing or degrading of Bishoppes Presbyters and Deacons the auncient Canon requireth the concurrence and consent of three Bishoppes for the censuring and depriuing of a Deacon of sixe for the depriuing of a Presbyter of twelue for the censuring judging and deposing of a Bishop Wherefore let vs see if the Cardinall haue any better reason behinde His second reason is that it cannot bee imagined that CHRIST committed the gouernement of the Church to the company of Bishoppes for that then the Church should oftentimes lacke Gouernours for that the Bishoppes are seldome assembled by joint consent to decree and determine things Surely this reason hath farre lesse strength then the former for in the beginning all the Bishoppes of each Province met to the ordination of euery Bishoppe newly elected and twice in the yeare besides there was a Synode holden consisting of all the Bishoppes of the Province the Metropolitane not onely hauing power but also being straightly bound to convocate his brethren and they as surely tyed and obliged to come when he called them His third reason which he bringeth to proue that the gouernement of the church was not by Christ committed to the company of Bishoppes but to some one chiefe and supreme amongst them is for that the whole multitude of right beleeuing Christians is one church and therefore must haue one chiefe Ruler For answere hereunto wee say that a church may bee named one either in respect of the same faith hope profession meanes of saluation and communion or fellowship of Saints and so the whole multitude of right beleeuers throughout the world is but one church or in respect of the same immediate communicating together in Sacraments and in the actions and exercises of Gods worship and seruice The vnitie of the church of God in this later sort implyeth and requireth a necessitie of the vnity of one chief Pastour but the vnity of the church in the former sort may stand without the vnity of one Pastour Christian men saith Ockam in Scripture are compared to sheepe and the church of God to a fold Now though it bee expedient that these sheepe so many as belong to the same particular fold that goe out to the same pastures to feed to the same riuers of water to drinke and doe remaine and abide together should be fed directed and guided by the same Pastour yet the sheepe of diuerse folds led out to diverse pastures to feede in and riuers of water to drinke may haue their diuersitie of Pastours vnder the same chiefe Sheepheard Christ Iesus neither is there any vnitie implyed in the whole Church or in the Churches of diuerse Provinces which may not be preserued as well by the multitude and diversitie of Pastours bound knit together in the bond of conspiring consent and agreement as by the vnitie of one chiefe Pastour And in this sort wee shall finde the Church of God to haue stood in perfect vnitie in the first and best ages thereof without finding any want of the helpe of one chiefe Pastour For how could there bee a more perfect vnitie in the whole Church then when the Pastour of each particular Church chosen by the Cleargie and people of the same was appointed by the Metropolitane and all the rest of the Bishops of the province for his sincerity in profession and godlinesse of conversation and ordained to the worke of the Ministery by the joint imposition of all their hands when the Metropolitanes of seuerall provinces were confirmed by the Primate or Patriarch but ordained by the Bishops of their provinces when the Patriarches elected by the Cleargie and people and ordained by their Metropolitanes sent their Synodall letters one to another testifying and expressing
tend signified by that pennie given to every one of the labourers Matth. 20. The third is in respect of the same meanes of saluation as are faith sacraments holy lawes and precepts according to that Ephesians 4. One faith one Baptisme c. The fourth in respect of the same spirit which doeth animate the whole body of the Church There are diversities of graces but the same spirit 1. Cor. 12. The fift in respect of the same head Christ and guides appointed by him who though they are many yet are all holden in a sweete coherence and connexion amongst themselues as if there were but one episcopall chaire and office in the world Which Vnitie of Pastours and Bishops though they be many and ioyned in equall commission without dependance one of another Christ signified by directing his words specially to Peter Feede my sheepe feede my lambes as Cyprian most aptly noteth The sixt is in respect of the connexion which all they of the Church haue amongst themselues and with Christ and those whom he hath appointed in his stead to take care of their soules Rom. 12. Wee are one body and members one of another These being the diuers kindes and sortes of Vnitie in the Church let vs see what Vnitie it is which they make a note of the Church The Vnitie which they make a note of the Church is first in respect of the rule of faith and vse of the sacraments of saluation secondly in respect of the coherence and connexion of the Pastours and Bishops amongst themselues thirdly in the due and submissiue obedience of the people to their Pastours This is it then which they say that wheresoeuer any company and society of Christians is found in orderly subiection to their lawfull Pastours not erring from the rule of faith nor schismatically rent from the other parts of the Christian world by factious causelesse and impious diuision that societie of men is vndoubtedly the true and not offending Church of God This note thus delivered is the very same with those assigned by vs. But if any of them shall imagine that any Vnitie and agreement whatsoeuer of Christian people amongst themselues doth prooue them to bee the Church of God wee vtterly denie it For the Armenians Aethiopians and Christians of Muscovia and Russia haue euery of them an agreement amongst themselues though diuided each from other more perfect than they of the Church of Rome haue which yet in the judgement of the Romanists are not the true Churches of God CHAP. 8. Of Vniversalitie THe next note assigned by them is Vniuersalitie Concerning Vniversalitie Bellarmine obserueth three things First that to the Vniversalitie of the Church is required that it exclude no times places nor sorts of men in which consideration the Christian Church differeth from the Synagogue which was a particular Church tied to one time being to continue but to the comming of Christ to a certaine place to wit the Temple at Hierusalem out of which they could not sacrifice and to one family the sonnes of Iacob Secondly he noteth out of Augustine that to the Vniversalitie of the Christiā Church it is not required that all the men of the world should be of the Church but that at the least there should be some in all provinces of the world that should giue their names to Christ. For till this be performed the day of the Lord shall not come Mat. 24. Thirdly he noteth out of Dried◅ in his fourth booke chap. 2. part 2. de Ecclesiasticis dogmatibus that it is not required that this should be all at once so that at one time necessarily there must be some Christians in all places of the world For it is enough if it bee successiuely Whence sayth hee it followeth that though but onely one Province of the world should retaine the true faith it might truely and properly be named the Catholicke Church if it could clearely demonstrate it selfe to be one with the Church and company of beleeuers which if not at one time yet at diuers times hath filled the whole world This it cannot demonstrate but by making it appeare that it hath neither brought in any new and strange doctrine in matter of faith nor schismatically rent it selfe from the rest of the christian world This note of Vniversality thus vnderstood wee willingly admitte For it is the same with those we assigne For wee say what Church soeuer can proue it selfe to hold the faith once deliuered to the saints and generally published to the world without hereticall innouation or schismaticall violation and breach of the peace and vnitie of the Christian world is vndoubtedly the true Church of God But out of this which Bellarmine hath thus truely wisely fitly obserued touching Vniversalitie we may deduce many corrolaries of great consequence in this controversie touching the Church The first that it may be the true and Catholike Church which neither presently is nor euer hereafter shall bee in all or the most parts of the world if it can continuate it selfe and prooue it selfe one with that Church which formerly at some time or times hath beene in the most parts thereof From whence it is easie to discerne the vanitie of that their sillie obiection against vs who say our Church began not at Hierusalem in the feast of Pentecost but at Wittenberg or Geneva in this last age of the world that it is not likely beginning so late that euer it will so farre enlarge it selfe as to fill all the whole world so become Catholicke or Vniuersall For wee doe not imagine that the Church began at Wittenberg or Geneua but that in these and sundry other places of the Christian world it pleased God to vse the ministerie of his worthy seruants for the necessary reformation of abuses in some parts of that Catholicke Church which beginning at Hierusalem spread it selfe into all the world though not at all times nor all places in like degree of puritie and sincerity So that though the reformed Churches neither presently be nor perhaps hereafter shall be in all or the most parts of the world yet are they catholicke for that they doe continuate themselues with that Church which hath beene is or shall bee in all places of the world before the comming of Christ and vndoubtedly already hath beene in the most parts thereof The second that the true Church is not necessarily alwayes of greater extent nor the multitude of them that are of it greater than of any one company of Heretickes or mis-beleeuers The third that the true Church cannot bee at all times infallibly knowen from the factions of heretickes by multitude and largenesse of extent The fourth that this contrarieth not the sayings of Augustine and others of the Fathers who vrge the ample extent of the Church as a proofe of the trueth thereof For that they liued and wrote in those times when the Church was in her growth and wee are
liue at one time and may be limited also in respect of place for it is not necessary that the Church be in all places at one time but it sufficeth if it bee successiuely Fiftly vniuersality may be a note of the true Church in respect of particular societies of Christians limited in time and place though not by hauing it yet by demonstrating themselues to pertaine to the vnity of that Church that hath it This no particular Church can do but by prouing that it holdeth the common faith once deliuered to the Saints without hereticall innouation or schismaticall violation of the vnity and peace of the Christian world This being the way for particular Churches to demonstrate themselues to be Catholike by prouing they hold the Catholike faith it is easie from hence to conclude that the reformed Churches are the Catholike Churches of God First for that that being Catholike as Vincentius Lirinensis defineth it which is and hath beene holden at all times and in all places by all Christians that haue not beene noted for noueltie singularity and diuision whatsoeuer hath beene so receiued wee receiue as the vndoubted truth of God neither is there any of the things which wee impugne and the Papists defend that is Catholike but they all carry the markes of nouelty and vncertainty Secondly touching the communion the people of God should haue among themselues our aduersaries shall neuer proue that wee haue at any time giuen occasion of those breaches that now appeare But wee will proue against them that they haue and so the note of Vniuersality maketh nothing for them or against vs. Touching the name of Catholike devised to expresse those both men and societies of men which hold the common faith without faction or division I haue spoken sufficiently in the former part touching the notes of the Church and so need not here to insist vpon it Thus haue we runne through the examination of the principall notes of the Church assigned by our adversaries but because they adde vnto these certaine other I will briefly examine their proofs taken from thence for themselues or against vs. CHAP. 44. Of the Sanctity of Doctrine and the supposed absurdities of our profession THese notes are Sanctity and efficacie of doctrine our own confession miracles and predictions the felicity and infelicity of such as defend or impugne the trueth and lastly the holy and religious conversation of the Professours of the truth Let vs take a view of these in such sort and order as they are proposed by them They place in the front the Sanctity and efficacie of doctrine A lyer they say should haue a good memory but surely our adversaries of all the lyers that euer were haue the worst memories by reason whereof euery second page of their writings if not euery second line is a refutation of the first Bellarmine divideth his tract of the notes of the Church into two parts In the first he sheweth what things are required in the notes of the Church and there he saith trueth and Sanctity of doctrine is no note of the Church In the latter he doth particularly assigne the notes whereby he supposeth the Church may be knowne and reckoneth truth sanctitie and efficacie of doctrine amongst the rest But let vs pardon him this ouersight and see how he proueth by this note that we are not and that their faction is the true Church of God Our doctrine is false absurd and vnreasonable and theirs full of truth reason and equitie Therefore our Churches are not the true Churches of God and theirs are Both parts of the Antecedent of this argument we deny For he shall neuer bee able to proue the absurdities he imputeth vnto vs but we are able to demonstrate against him that the whole course of Popish doctrine is most absurd false and impious But least hee should seeme to say nothing hee produceth foure instances wherein he supposeth there is apparant and very grosse absurditie The first he proposeth in this sort The Protestants teach that a man is justified by speciall faith whereby he perswadeth himselfe that he is just Now then he reasoneth thus When men beginne to beleeue either they are just and then their faith justifieth not being in nature after their justification and finding them already just when it beginneth or else they are not just and then speciall faith making a man beleeue he is just is false and so a man is justified by a lye To this horned argument wee answere that speciall faith hath sundry actes but to this purpose specially two the one by way of petition humbly intreating for acceptation and fauour the other in the nature of comfortable assurance consisting in a perswasion that that is graunted which was desired Faith by her first act obtaineth and worketh our justification and doeth not finde vs just when wee beginne to beleeue by her second act shee doeth not actiuely justifie but finding the thing done certifieth and assureth vs of it and so is no lying perswasion as this lying companion is pleased to pronounce it to bee So then speciall faith in her first act which is a kinde of petition is before justification and procureth or obtaineth it but then shee hath not the perswasion of it in her second act shee presupposeth the thing done and already obtayned and so truely perswadeth the beleeuer of it but procureth not the doing of it The second palpable and grosse absurdity of the Protestants doctrine is that it is not lawfull to say the Lords prayer This the Cardinall proueth because no man of the Protestants Religion can without dissimulation aske forgiuenesse of sinnes which is one of the principall petitions of that prayer This petition they cannot make because they hold that all right beleeuing and iustified men are without sinne and know themselues so to be and therefore cannot be excusable from vile dissimulation and mocking of God in asking the remission of their sinnes The impudencie of this imputation is such as I thinke all moderate Papists are ashamed of it For doth any of vs thinke that the iustified man is voyd of all sinne Or is it consequent if a man know himselfe to be iustified that then he may not aske remission of his sins Doe not many right learned and wise amongst themselues teach that a man may be sure he is in state of grace and iustification by the ordinary working of Gods spirit and doe not all Papists thinke that by speciall reuelation men may be sure they are in state of grace as Paul and sundry others were Doe all these teach that men thus assured of their iustification know themselues to haue no sin consequently nothing whereof they should aske forgiuenesse Surely herein I thinke both they we agree that in the iustified the dominion of sinne ceaseth sin hath no longer dominion ouer them that proportionably the guilt of condemnation is taken away but that there are still remainders of sin in them
Pope and other Bishoppes to haue them Tithe-free The Councell of Lateran vnder Alexander the Third ordayneth That religious men shall pay no Tithes out of such their landes as they tille themselues But if they shall rent any they shall pay Tithe as other doe and likewise if they let any landes out vnto Countrey-men to be tilled they shall pay Tithes out of them yea if they shall get new landes after their foundation and confirmation of their Priuiledges they shall pay Tithes though they keepe them in their owne handes But this exemption of Religious men though very preiudiciall to the Church staid not heere but preuayled yet further to the great hurt of the Church and therefore wee reade that some sought to exempt their Farmers also from paying Tithes which the Bishoppes assembled in the Councell of Cabilon disliked and commaunded that both Bishops and Abbots should permit their Tenants to pay Tithes in the places where they receiued the Sacraments and that they should keepe the Tithes of such fieldes and Vineyardes as they held in their owne occupation to themselues Thus we shall finde that this Monkish generation first robbed the parochiall Churches within the boundes whereof their houses and possessions were of a great portion of Tithes due vnto them by their priuiledges and exemptions and that after they had tasted the sweetnesse of this robbery they went forward till they had subiected those Ministers and their Churches to themselues to whose Iurisdiction they were formerly subiect And got the Tithes that others payed to parochiall Churches to bee appropriated to themselues that at first by priuiledge exempted themselues from paying Tithes forgetting that of Saint Hierome Alia Monachorum est causa alia Clericorum Clerici pascunt oues ego pascor illi de Altari vivunt mihi quasi infructuosae arbori securis ponitur ad radicem si munus ad Altare non defero nec possum obtendere paupertatem cum in Evangelio anum viduam duo quae sola sibi supererant aera mittentem laudauerit Dominus mihi ante Presbyterum sedere non licet illi si peccauero licet tradere me Satanae in interitum carnis vt Spiritus salvus sit That is the condition of Monkes and the condition of Cleargy-men differ very much Cleargy-men feede the Sheepe of CHRIST but I am fedde they liue by the Altar but if I bring not my gift to the Altar the Axe is laid vnto mee as to an vnfruitfull Tree neither ◅nne I pretend Pouerty seing the Lord in the Gospell praysed the Widow that cast in two Mites which was all that shee had I may not sitte in the presence of a Presbyter but if I offend he may deliuer me to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued But as these idle bellies and euill beasts by the fauour of Popes and Prelates got into their hands the portion which God appointed for his seruants the Ministers of his Churches so in the end growing odious to the world for that professing mortification and a voluntary penitentiall course of life they abounded in wealth surfetted vpon pleasures more then any secular men in the world they were deuoured of others who seazed vpon their houses tooke from them their reuenewes and together with their other liuings led captiue that portion of tithes they found in their possessions and hold it in sort as the former vsurpers did euen to this day So that wee may truely pronounce that the Cloisters of Monks are guilty of all that horrible Sacriledge that hath layed wast so many Churches spoyled so many Christians of the comfort of Godly Pastors that otherwise they might haue enioyed brought the Cleargy into that meane estate that now it is come vnto For it is not to be imagined that euer any Lay-man would once haue entertayned a thought of receiuing tithes that as consecrated things to God and holy vnto him were to bee put into the Store-house of his Temple if they had not found them who by the originall of their order and institution were to pay and not to receiue tithes possessed of them and spending them in most vile and shamefull manner Neither shall we euer finde as I thinke that Lay-men inherited this portion of the Lord in sort as now they doe till the suppressing of the houses of these irreligious Monkes which were become cages of vncleane Birdes and dens of theeues and robbers It is true indeed that Duarenus hath that the right of receiuing sacred tithe Clientela titulo was by certaine Princes with the consent of the whole Cleargy made ouer to Knights and Marshall men for defending the Church and people of CHRIST against the enemies of Religion But this was for the good and benefite of the Cleargy and in their right and not as now it is by absolute Title of Inheritance and Fee-simple or Freehold The beginner of this kinde of assignation of tithes to Lay-men for defence of the Church was Charles Martell as Duarenus saith and the third Councell of Laterane reversed and voydedit more then foure hundred yeares since From tithes which the Lord God possessor of Heauen and earth appropriated to himselfe as his owne particular portion from the beginning though all were his let vs proceede to see what the devotion of men gaue vnto him since the appearing of CHRIST his Son in the world Touching which point first we shall find in the sacred story of the Evangelists that many ministred vnto CHRIST out of their substance and that hee had a Bagge wherein he kept the things which the faithfull ministred vnto him and out of the same supplyed his owne necessities and the wants of others as Saint Augustine obserueth So that he did not liue so as to haue nothing or to begge as some here-tofore haue thought whose errour Pope Iohn the two and twentieth long since condemned Heere was the first patterne of Church-goods and treasure as Augustine noteth After the death resurrection and returne of CHRIST into Heauen such was the devotion of the beleeuers in the beginning that many of thē solde their possessions and brought the price thereof and laid it down at the Apostles feet Which communication of the goods of the first Christians though it extended to the benefite of all yet was there a speciall respect therein had to the Apostles to whom they would haue nothing to be wanting and to whose disposition all was committed The reason why they rather solde their possessions and turned their lands into money then gaue them to the Apostles for the reliefe and maintenance of themselues others was as some thinke for that the Church was soone after to bee remooued from those parts and to be dispersed amongst the Gentiles which made them little regard to haue lands and possessions in Iudaea But after these times when the Christians were dispersed throughout the world Churches established amongst the Gentiles they thought
be found out that all thinges might bee brought to an agreement without persisting in a peremptory proofe of the same article against them for that men disposed to resist would hardly euer bee conuinced in this point And further hee wisheth men to thinke vpon it whether as some determinations of doubtes and questions passed and agreed on in Paris are saide to binde none but those that are within the Diocesse of Paris so it may not bee said in like sort that the determinations of the Latine Church binde the Latines onely and secondly whether that which is defined and holden as an article of faith â—…ay not bee made to bee no article by bringing thinges to the same state they were in before any determination passed Which thing he exemplifieth in a Decree of Bonifacius voyded by one of his successours To what purpose Master Higgons alleadgeth the opinion of Gerson touching the not erring of Generall Councels I cannot tell for I am well assured neuer any such Councell as yet approued Purgatorie and Prayer to deliuer men out of it nor I thinke euer will But whatsoeuer we thinke of Councells there is no question to bee made but that the Church is free from damnable errour as master Higgons in the title of his chapter vndertaketh to proue But whether it be free from all ignorance and errour as he seemeth in the discourse following to inforce it is not so cleere neitheir doth that text of Saint Paul touching the House of God which is the Church of the liuing GOD the pillar and ground of trueth nor any other authority or reason brought to that purpose proue the same and particularly touching that place of Saint Paul to Timothie it is euident the Apostles wordes are to bee originally vnderstood of the Church of Ephesus and that he maketh the glorious title of pillar and ground of truth common to that particular Church with that which is vniuersall and consequently that this title proueth not euery Church or society of Christians to which it agreeth to bee free from errour vnlesse wee will priuiledge all particular Churches from danger of erring If any man doubt whether the Apostle giue the title of pillar ground of trueth to the Church of Ephesus it is easily proued by vnanswerable reasons For as Lyra writing vpon the wordes of the Apostle rightly noteth The Apostle writeth to Timothy and giueth him directions that hee may know how to behaue himselfe in the Church of God that is how to order and gouerne it Now the Church which Timothy was to order and gouerne was not the vniuersall Church but the Church of Ephesus therefore the Church wherein he was wisely to behaue himself was but a particular Church and the same Church in which the Apostle directeth him how to behaue himself he calleth the Church of the liuing God the pillar ground of trueth therefore he giueth this title to a particular Church though hee restraine it not to it as master Higgons vntruly saith I doe so that I haue not eluded the grauity of this testimony as hee is pleased vniustly to charge me but I giue the right sence of it whence it followeth that seeing particular Churches may bee said to bee pillars of trueth this title doth not proue that society of Christian men to which it agreeth to bee free from all errour From the reprehension of our opinion in that wee thinke the Church subiect to some kinde of errour hee falleth into a discourse touching the confusions of Protestants admitting innumerable sectaries into one vast and incongruous Church which hee saith is a meere Chymera thrust together and fashioned in specificall disproportions and hence he saith it is that I laying the foundation of my Babell feare not to say that the Churches of Russia Armenia Syria Aethiopia and Greece are and continue partes of the true Catholique Church For answere whereunto I say that wee doe not admitte any Sectaries into the Communion of the true Catholicke Church much lesse innumerable Sectaries for wee admitte none into the Communion of our Churches but such as receiue all the lawfull Generall Councells that euer were holden touching any question of faith the three Creedes of the Apostles of Nice and Athanasius and whatsoeuer is found to haue beene beleeued and practised by all not noted for singularity and nouelty at all times and in all places So reiecting Arrians Zuenchfeldians Anabaptistes Familistes and all other like monsters Touching the differences betweene the Churches of England Denmarke Zueden Germany France c. They are not specificall as this bad Logician fancieth but imaginary or meerely accidentall And for the Churches of Greece Russia Armenia Syria Aethiopia agreeing in all the thinges before mentioned it is most strange that this Schismaticall fugitiue should dare vtterly to reiect them from the vnity of the Catholicke Church and to cast into hell so many millions of soules of poore distressed Christians for so many hundred yeares enduring so many bitter things for Christs sake in the midst of the proudest enemies that euer the name of Christ had That all these admitte the Doctrine of faith agreed on in all the lawfull generall councels that euer were holden the three Creeds and the whole forme of Christian doctrine catholickely consented on and that they reiect and condemne all the heresies condemned by Augustine and Epiphanius it shall be proued if Higgons or any other smatterer of that side shall goe about to improue it It is true indeede that the Armenians refused to admitte the Councell of Chalcedon but it was vpon a false suggestion as I haue else-where shewed And it is most certaine that they condemne the heresie of Eutiches as likewise those other that were condemned in the Fift and Sixt councells and though the Grecians seeke to avoide the euidence of that part of Athanasius Creede touching the proceeding of the holy Ghost yet doe they not deny the Creed it selfe and my Gerson as Master Higgons is pleased to call him thinketh it were better to desist from the strict vrging of the allowance of thaâ—… determination of the Latines touching the proceeding of the holy Ghost that both the Churches might bee reduced to vnity then peremptorily to insist vpon the proofe of it seeing men disposed to resist will very hardly euer bee conuinced so that hee doth not thinke as Master Higgons doth that the not admitting of this Article as defined and determined by Athanasius casteth men into hell for then Saint Iohn Damascene should bee damned who denieth the proceeding of the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne after the publishing of Athanasius Creed Thus doe wee moderate our censures not daring to cast all into hell that dissent from vs in some particular points not fundamentall as the Romanists doe yet doe wee not thinke that euery one may bee saued in his owne sect and errour whatsoeuer it bee for wee exclude all such out of the communion of
OF THE CHURCH FIVE BOOKES BY RICHARD FIELD DOCTOR OF DIVINITY AND SOMETIMES DEANE OF GLOCESTER THE SECOND EDITION VERY MVCH AVGmented in the third booke and the Appendix to the same ·PECCATA·TOLLE·QVI·EMISTI·O·AGNE·DEI·IESV·CHRISTE ECCE·AGN DEI AT OXFORD Imprinted by WILLIAM TVRNER Printer to the famous Vniuersity 1628. TO THE ILLVSTRIOVS PRINCE THE DVKE OF BVCKINGAM HIS GRACE LORD HIGH ADMIRALL OF ENGLAND c. RIGHT HONOURABLE THat especiall fauour which your Grace was pleased to shew vnto the Author of this worke while he liued hath imboldned me to commend the worke it selfe as it is now inlarged vnto your Gracious protection And though the Authors particular obligement had not directed me in my choyce I know not vnto whom I might more fitly haue presented it then vnto your Grace who in a more peculiar manner then others haue vndertaken the protection of Schollers One example amongst many this Author might haue beene had hee liued but a little longer of your honourable care for the aduancement of learning and encouragement of Schollers The volume which I present vnto your Grace for the bulke and bignesse is not great especially if it be compared with the writings of our Aduersaries whose voluminous workes would make the ignorant beleeue that they had ingrossed all learning vnto themselues But asmany times wee may find in little men that strength of body and vigour of mind which is wanting in those of greater stature so experience telleth vs that amongst bookes the greatest are not alwaies the best Saepius in libro memoratur Persius vno Quam leuis in tota Marsus Amazonide And those that are acquainted with the writings of our Aduersaries are not ignorant how for the most part their great volumes are stuffed If a man will take the paines to reade them like those that digge in mines for gold he must expect to finde paruum in magno but a little gold in a great deale of vnprofitable earth Of this worke I thinke I might safely say thus much that it compriseth much in a little but I intend not a Panegyrique in the praise thereof If I giue it not that praise which it deserues my neare relation vnto the Author may be my excuse seeing whatsoeuer I should say would seeme rather to proceede from affection then judgment VVhat my opinion of it is I thinke I haue sufficiently expressed in that I haue thought it not vnworthy your Graces patronage And thus praying for the continuance of your Graces prosperous and happy estate I remaine Your Graces most humbly obliged seruant NATHANIEL FIELD TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD MY VERY GOOD LORD THE LORD Arch-bishop of CANTERBVRY his Grace Primate and Metropolitan of all England MOst Reuerend in Christ the consideration of the vnhappie diuisions of the Christian world and the infinite distractions of mens mindes not knowing in soe great variety of opinions what to thinke or to whom to joyne themselues euery faction boasting of the pure sincere profession of heauenly truth challenging to it selfe alone the name of the Church and fastning vpon all that dissent or are otherwise minded the hatefull note of Schisme and Heresie hath made me euer thinke that there is no part of heauenly knowledge more necessary than that which concerneth the Church For seeing the controuersies of Religion in our time are growne in number so many and in nature so intricate that few haue time and leasure fewer strength of vnderstanding to examine them what remaineth for men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequence but diligently to search out which amongst all the societies of men in the world is that blessed company of holy ones that houshold of faith that Spouse of Christ and Church of the liuing God which is the Pillar and ground of truth that so they may embrace her communion follow her directions and rest in her iudgement Hence it commeth that all wise and iudicious men do more esteeme bookes of doctrinall principles than those that are written of any other argument and that there was neuer any treasure holden more rich and precious by all them that knew how to prize and value things aright than bookes of prescription against the profane nouelties of Heretiques for that thereby men that are not willing or not able to examine the infinite differences that arise amongst men concerning the faith haue generall directions what to follow and what to avoid Wee admitte no man sayth Tertullian in his booke of prescriptions to any disputation concerning sacred and diuine things or to the scanning and examining of particular questions of Religion vnlesse hee first shew vs of whom he receiued the faith by whose meanes he became a Christian and whether hee admitte and hold the generall principles wherein all Christians do and euer did agree otherwise prescribing against him as a stranger from the common-wealth of the Israel of God and hauing no part nor fellowship in this businesse But as in the daies of the Fathers the Donatists and other Heretickes including the Church within the compasse of Africa and such other parts of the world where they their consorts found best entertainment reiected all other from the vnity of the Church excluded them from hope of saluation and appropriated all the glorious things that are spoken of it to themselues alone soe in our time there are some found so much in loue with the pompe and glory of the Church of Rome that they feare not to condemne all the inhabitants of the world and to pronounce them to be Anathema from the Lord Iesus if they dissent from that Church and the doctrine profession and obseruations of it So casting into hell all the Christians of Graecia Russia Armenia Syria and Aethiopia because they refuse to be subiect to the tyranny of the Pope and the Court of Rome besides the heauie sentence which they haue passed against all the famous States and Kingdomes of Europe which haue freed themselues from the Aegyptiacall bondage they were formerly holden in These men abuse many with the glorious pretences of antiquity Vnity Vniuersality Succession and the like making the simple beleeue that all is ancient which they professe that the consent of all ages is for them and that the Bishops succeeding one another in all the famous Churches of the world neuer taught nor beleeued any other thing than they now doe whereas it is easie to proue that all the things wherein they dissent from vs are nothing else but nouelties and vncertaineties that the greatest part of the Christian world hath beene diuided from them for certaine hundreds of yeares that none of the most famous and greatest Churches euer knew or admitted any of their heresies and that the things they now publish as Articles of faith to be beleeued by all that will bee saued are so farre from being Catholike that they were not the doctrines of that Church wherein they and wee sometimes liued together in one communion but the opinions onely of
transitory things Which vnadvised speech howmuch it advantageth the Anabaptists H who thinke the faithfull people before Christ did onely taste of the sweetnesse of Gods temporall blessings without any hope of eternall happinesse any man of meane vnderstanding may easily discerâ—…e It is therefore not to be doubted but that the 〈◊〉 before the manifestion of Christ in the flesh were so instructed of the Lâ—…d that they assured themselues 〈◊〉 was a better life for them else where â—…nd that neglecting this earthly â—…any wâ—…ched life they principally sought the other which is Divine and Heauenly Notwithstanding some 〈◊〉 there was betweene their estate and ours in that though the Lord raised their mindes from base and earthly things to know seeke and desire the heauâ—…ly inheritance and life of the world to come yet that they might the betterâ—… strengthned in the hope and expectation thereof hee made them take a â—…ew of it tast the sweetenesse of it in those temporall and earthly blessings and benefits which most abundantly he bestowed vpon them whereas now the grace of the life that is to come being more cleerely reuealed by the 〈◊〉 omitting all that inferiour kinde of manuduction or leading by the hand through the consideration sight and enjoying of these meaner things he doth more directly and immediatly fasten our thoughts on things diuine For the expressing of this difference and the more easie distinction of the two moities of the people of God the one before the other after the worke of redemption was performed by Christ though both be rightly and most aptly named the Church of God yet it hath beene and is religiously obserued that by a kind of appropriation the one is named the Synagogue the 〈◊〉 the Church Neither doe any of our Diuines for ought I know call this society of Christians a Synagogue though following the rule of Thomas that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee must not so much respect their originall exact and precise signification or dâ—…rivation as wherevnto they are by vse of speech applyed wee vse the word congregation which is the Latine of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and feare not to say that the people of God in the state of the new Testament are the Congregation of Christ and are congregated in his faith and name euen as though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecclesia 〈◊〉 catio caetus evocatus a multitude called out or called together both Greeke Latine and English words doe originally signifie one and the same thing yet there are many meetings societies and assemblies of men which may rightly be called convocations multitudes called together or multitudes of men called out from others which if wee should endevour to expresse by the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by the English word Church it would seeme absurde and no man would vnderstand vs. It followeth not therefore that we call the companie and society of Christians a Synagogue though wee name it the Congregation of Christ warranted thereunto by the authority example and Practise of the Apostles of Christ and other holy and Catholique men that haue beene before vs. Let vs consider one another to provoke vnto loue and good workes saith the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes 10 chapter not forsaking our assembling or congregating and gathering together or the fellowship we haue among our selues as the manner of some is where the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the same Apostle to the Corinthians when you are congregated and â—…y spirit in the middest of you I will deliver this man that hath done this thing vnto Sathan And who knoweth not that all writers since the Apostles times haue freely vsed the word Congregation applying it to signifie the multitudes and assemblies of Christians In the Councell of Constance nothing more often repeated than Synodus in spiritu sancto congregata c. Yet I hope that Gregory Martin and other such verball companions will not say that the fathers assembled in that Councell which ended the Schisme of three Popes and setled the succession of the Bishops of Rome againe were congregated and gathered like bruite beasts It is not therefore with so great scorne and imputation of daungerous and hereticall meaning to be reiected that our translatours of the Scriptures did and doe sometimes translate the word Ecclesia vsed to expresse the Christian people of the new Testament by the name of the Congregation The reason why our translatours in the beginning did choose rather to vse the word Congregation then Church was not as the aduersarie malitiously imagineth for that they feared the very name of the Church but because as by the name of religion and religious men ordinarily in former times men vnderstood nothing but factitias religiones as Gerson out of Anselme calleth them that is the professions of Monkes and Fryers So all the ordinarie sorte when they heard the name of the Church vnderstood nothing else thereby but either the materiall place where men mette to serue and worshippe God or the Clergie Iurisdictions and Temporalities belonging to them as the same Gerson sheweth affirming that the state of the Church in his time was meere brutish so that men iudged him a good Bishop and gouernour of the Church that looked well to the Edifices Mansions Lands Rents and Revenewes pertaining to the Clergie not much respecting what care hee tooke of the spirituall welfare of them that were committed to his charge When this error in the conceipt and apprehension of men was remoued the former name of Church was more ordinarily vsed againe Wherefore leauing this contention about wordes wherein our adversaries most delight let vs come to the thing it selfe CHAP. 6. Of the definition of the Church COncerning the Church fiue things are to be obserued First what is the definition of it and who pertaine vnto it Secondly the notes whereby it may be knowen Thirdly which is the true Church demonstrated by these notes Fourthly the priuiledges that doe pertaine vnto it Fiftly the diuers degrees orders and callings of those men to whome the gouernment of this Church is committed Touching the first the Church is the multitude and number of those whom Almighty God severeth from the rest of the world by the worke of his grace and calleth to the participation of eternall happinesse by the knowledge of such supernaturall verities as concerning their euerlasting good hee hath reuealed in Christ his sonne and such other pretious and happie meanes as hee hath appointed to further and set forward the worke of their saluation So that it is the worke of grace and the heauenly calling that giue being to the Church and make it a different societie from all other companies of men in the world that haue no other light of knowledge nor motion of desire but that which is naturall whence for distinction from them it is named Ecclesia a multitude called out CHAP. 7. Of the diverse sorts of them
that pertaine to the Church THey that are partakers of the heauenly calling and sanctified by the profession of divine truth and the vse of the meanes of saluation are of very diuers sorts For there are some that professe the truth deliuered by Christ the Sonne of God but not wholly and entirely as Heretiques some that professe the whole sauing truth but not in vnity as Schismatickes some that professe the whole sauing truth in vnity but not in sincerity and singlenesse of a good and sanctified minde as Hypocrites and wicked men not outwardly divided from the people of GOD and some that professe the whole sauing truth in vnity and sincerity of a good and sanctified heart All these are partakers of the heauenly calling and sanctified by the profession of the truth and consequently are all in some degree and fort of that society of men whom GOD calleth out vnto himselfe and separateth from Infidels which is rightly named the Church These being the different rankes of men made partakers of the heauenly calling and sanctified by the profession of sauing truth there are diuers names by which they are expressed and distinguished one from another For as the name of the Church doth distinguish men that haue receiued the revelation of supernaturall truth from Infidels and the name of the Christian Church Christians from Iewes so the name of the Orthodoxe Church is applyed to distinguish right beleeuing Christians from Heretiques the name of the Catholicke Church men holding the Faith in vnity from Schismatiques the name of the invisible Church the Church of the first borne whose names are written in heauen the mysticall body of Christ and the like to distinguish the elect from all the rest so that many were of the Church which were not of the Christian Church as the Iewes before the cōming of Christ many of the Christian Church that are not of the Orthodoxe many of the Orthodoxe that are not of the Catholique and many of the Catholique that are not of the invisible and Church of the first borne whose names are written in heauen Thus then the Church hauing her being name from the calling of grace all they must needes bee of the Church whom the grace of God in any sort calleth out from the profane and wicked of the world to the participation of eternall happinesse by the excellent knowledge of divine supernaturall and revealed verity and vse of the good happy and pretious meanes of saluation but they onely perfectly and fully in respect of outward being which professe the whole trueth in vnity and they onely principally fully and absolutely are of the Church whom divine grace leadeth infallibly and indeclinably by these meanes to the certaine and vndoubted possession of wished blessednesse because in them onely grace manifesteth her greatest and most prevailing force without which efficacie of grace winning infallibly holding inseparably and leading indeclinably no man euer attained to saluation of which whoso is partaker shall vndoubtedly be saued In the benefites of this grace none but the elect and chosen of God whom he hath loued with an euerlasting loue haue any part of fellowship though others concurre with them in the vse of the same meanes of saluation and bee partakers with them of sundry inward motions inclining them to good When we say therefore that none but the elect of God are of the Church wee meane not that others are not at all nor in any sort of the Church but that they are not principally fully and absolutely and that they are not of that especiall number of them who partake and communicate in the most perfect worke force and effect of sauing grace CHAP 8. Of their meaning who say that the Elect onely are of the Church THis was the meaning of Wickliffe Husse and others who therefore define the Church to be the multitude of the Elect not for that they thinke them onely to pertaine to the Church and no others but because they onely pertaine vnto it principally fully effectually and finally and in them only is found that which the calling of grace whence the Church hath all her being intendeth to wit such a conversion to God as is joyned with finall perseverance whereof others failing and comming short they are onely in an inferiour and more imperfect sort said to be of the Church The elect and chosen of God are of two sorts some elect onely and not yet called some both elect and called Of the latter there is no question but they are the most principall parts of the Church of God Touching the former they are not actually of the Church but onely secundùm praescientiam praedestinationem in Gods prescience and predestination who hath purposed what they shall be and knoweth what they will be It is frivolous therefore that Bellarmine Stapleton and others of that faction alledge against vs that the elect before they are called are not of the Church For it is true if they speake of actuall admission into the fellowship of Gods people but false if they speake of the intent and purpose of Almighty God whereby they were chosen to be made his in this present world before the world it selfe was made Secundùm praescientiam saith Augustine multi etiam qui apertè foris sunt haeretici appellantnr multis bonis Catholicis meliores sunt In the prescience of God many that are apparantly without and named Heretiques are better then many and those good and right beleeuing Catholique Christians And in his tract vpon Iohn Secundùm praescientiam praedestinationem quam multae ovesforis quam multi lupi intus Quidest inquit quod dixi Quam multae oves foris quam multi luxuriantur casti futuri quam multi blasphemant Christum credituri in Christum hi oves sunt veruntamen modò alienam vocem audiunt alienos sequuntur Item quà m multi intus laudant blasphematuri Casti sunt fornicaturi stant casuri non sunt oves de praedestinatis enim loquimur According vnto Gods prescience and predestination how many sheepe are there without and wolues within what is it saith Augustine that I said How many sheepe are there without how many are there that now wallow in all impurity and filthines that hereafter shall be chast and vndefiled How many now doe blaspheme Christ which hereafter shall beleeue in Christ and these are sheepe yet for the present they heare the voyce of a stranger and follow strangers On the other side how many are there now within which presently praise God that hereafter will blaspheme him which now are chast that hereafter will become impure adulterers now stand that hereafter will fall and these are not sheepe for we speake of the predestinate It is true therefore that Wickliffe Husse Calvine and others doe teach that none but the elect doe pertaine to the Church in such sort as hath beene before expressed and that all the electare
of the Church either actually as they that are already called or potentially and according to the purpose of Gods will as they that are elect and not yet called CHAP. 9. Of the difference of them that are in and of the Church BY that which hath beene said that none but the elect are of the Church in that principall and high degree before mentioned wee may easily vnderstand their true meaning and the truth of their meaning who say that Hypocrities wicked men and castawaies are in but not of the Church Puto saith Augustine me non temerè dicere alios sic esse in domo Dei vt ipsi etiam sint domus Dei alios sic esse in domo Dei vt non pertineant ad compagem domus nec ad societatem frugiferae pacificaeque iustitiae I thinke I may very advisedly and considerately say some are in such sort in the house of God that they also are the house of GOD and that some are so in the house of God that they pertaine not to the frame and fabricke of it nor to the societie and fellowship of fruitfull and peaceable righteousnesse Of them that are in the Church there are three sorts For there are some onely numero some numero merito some numero merito electione that is there are some that only in externall profession some that in profession and affection and some that in profession and affection with neuer altering resolution ioyâ—… themselues to the companie of the beleeuers and haue their hearts knit vnto God for euer As the elect of God called according to his purpose these are intrinsecus in occulto intus as Augustine speaketh and whosoeuer are thus in the Church are most fully of the Church and are of the speciall number of them that communicate in the most pretious effects and most happie benefits of effectuall and sauing grace In the two former sorts many are in the Church which though they be also of the Church in that they haue fellowshippe in some outward things with the elect and chosen servants of God yet principally fully and absolutely are not of it nor of that speciall number of those that haue part in the benefits of effectuall and sauing grace CHAP. 10. Of the visible and invible Church HEnce it commeth that we say there is a visible and invisible Church not meaning to make two distinct Churches as our adversaries falsly and maliciously charge vs though the forme of words may seeme to insinuate some such thing but to distinguish the diuers considerations of the same Church which though it be visible in respect of the profession of supernaturall verities reuealed in Christ vse of holy Sacraments order of Ministerie and due obedience yeelded therevnto and they discernable that doe communicate therein yet in respect of those most pretious effects and happie benefits of sauing grace wherein onely the elect doe communicate it is inuisible and they that in so happie gratious and desireable things haue communion among themselues are not discernable from others to whom this fellowship is denied but are knowen only vnto God That Nathaniell was an Israelite all men knew that he was atrue Israelite in whom was no guile Christ only knew The persons then of them of whom the Church consisteth are visible their profession knowen euen to the profane and wicked of the world and in this sort the Church cannot be inuisible neither did any of our men teach that it is or may be For seeing the Church is the multitude of them that shall be saued and no man can be saued vnlesse he make confession vnto salvation for faith hid in the heart and concealed doth not suffice it cannot be but they that are of the true Church must by the profession of the truth make themselues knowen in such sorte that by their profession and practise they may be discerned from other men Notwithstanding because the truth and excellency of the faith and profession of Christians is not discerned by the light of nature but of faith alone the excellencie of this societie of Christians aboue other profane companies in the world and their happinesse that are of it is invisible hidden and vnknowen to naturall men and is knowen only to them that are spirituall and who they are that haue fellowshippe among themselues not only in the profession of heavenly verities and outward meanes of saluation but also in the benefits of effectuall and sauing grace is knowen neither to the naturall nor spirituall man but to God alone If any man shall further vrge that Luther and some other that were in the beginning of the reformation of the Church did thinke the Church to bee sometimes inuisible not only in those respects aboue specified but euen in the truth of profession and practise of those things that to saluation are necessarie wee denie that any such thing can bee collected out of any of their writings which they haue left vnto posterity For how should there be a Church in the world the perpetuity whereof they all most constantly defend and none found to professe the sauing truth of God which all are bound to doe that looke for saluation But this surely both they and we doe teach that though alwaies the open knowen and constant profession of saving truth bee preserved and found amongst men and the ministerie of saluation continued and knowen in the world For how should there be a Church gathered without a ministerie that yet sometimes errors and heresies so much preuaile that the most part not onely of them that apparantly are without but euen of them also that hold and possesse great places of office and dignitie in the Church of God either for feare flatterie hope of gaine or honour or else misseled through simplicitie or directly falling into errour and heresie depart from the soundnesse of Christian faith so that the sincerity of religion is vpholden and the truth of the profession of Christians defended and maintained but only by some few and they molested persecuted and traduced as turbulent and seditious men enimies to the common peace of the Christian world In this sense then the Church is said to be sometimes invisible not because there are none seene knowen or found that professe the truth of God but because euen in that company which is the true church of God many and those the greatest are carried into errour so that but some few and they such as if we should judge by outward appearance are most vnlike to vphold and maintaine the truth are left to defend the same multitude authority reputation and opinion of greatnes in others obscuring them in such sort that they which measure things by outward appearance can possibly take no notice of them This was the state of the Christian world in the time of Athanasius when in the Councell of Seleucia and Ariminium the Nicene faith was condemned and all the Bishops of the whole
world carried away with the sway of time fell from the soundnesse of the faith onely Athanasius excepted and some few confessors that sub Athanasii nomine exâ—…labant as Hierome noteth writing against the Luciferians Ingemuit totus orbis miratus est se factum esse Arrianum The world powred foorth sighes maruailing how it was become an Arrian At that time it was when Hilarius writing against Auxentius Bishop of Millaine complained that the Arrian faction had confounded all and therefore admonished all men to take heede how they suffered themselues to be led with outward appearances Malè vos parietum amor cepit malè ecclesiam Dei in tectis aedificiisque veneramini malè sub his pacis nomen ingeritis anne ambiguâ—…m est inijs Antichristum esse sessurum montes mihi syluae lacus carceres voragines sunt tutiores in his enim Prophetae manentes aut demersi prophet abant It is not well saith he that you are in loue with walls that you esteeme the Church in respect of houses and buildings and in and vnder those shewes and outward appearances pretend and vrge the name of peace Is there any doubt of Antichristes sitting in these places The Mountaines the Woods the Lakes the prisons the deepe pittes and deuouring gulfes seeme to me more safe For in these the Prophets either remaining abiding making them their dwelling places or as it were drowned and ouerwhelmed in them prophesied in old time And to this purpose it is that Augustine writeth most aptly distinguishing betweene the starres of heauen and the sands of the sea according to the number whereof God promised Abraham that his seed should be Ecclesia aliquandò obscuratur tanquam obnubilatur multitudine scandalorum sed etiam tunc insuis firmissimis eminet qui sunt quasi stellae coeli in semine Abrahae at multitudo illa carnalium infirmorum fidelium quae quasi arena maris est aliquandò tranquillitate temporis libera quieta apparet aliquandò autem tribulationum tentationum fluctibus operitur atque turbatur The Church of God saith he sometimes is obscured darkened and as it were ouer-shadowed with the multitude of offences and scandals that are found in it yet euen then doth it appeare and shew it self in those worthies of most strong and constant resolution which are as the starres of heauen among those of Abrahams seede and posterity but for the multitude of weake and carnall Christians which is like to the sand on the sea shore in peaceable times they are free and quiet but in dangerous times troubled couered and hidden with the waters and raging waues of tribulation and temptation This and no other thing our Divines meant that affirmed the Church to bee sometimes invisible and therefore it is most true that Bellarmine noteth that many of his companions haue taken much needlesse paine in proouing against vs the perpetuity of the Church which as he confesseth none of vs euer denied but it is as true that he also laboureth in vaine in proouing that there is and alwayes hath beene a visible Church and that not consisting of some few scattered Christians without order of Ministery or vse of Sacraments for all this we doe most willingly yeeld vnto howsoeuer perhaps some few haue been of opinion that though all others failing from the Faith the trueth of GOD should remaine onely in some few of the Laitie yet the promise of Christ concerning the perpetuitie of his Church might still be verified This question was disputed by Occham and Cameracensis long before our times who knoweth not that Cardinall Turrecremata and other great Divines haue beene of opinion that during the time that Christ was touching his body in the graue all the Apostles being fallen from the Faith the same continued in the blessed Virgin alone but these disputes wee leaue to them that are delighted in them resting in the assured and vndoubted perswasion of the truth of these things which wee haue deliuered touching the visibility and invisibility of the Church by which it may easily appeare in what sense the Church may be said to be sometimes invisible and how the same Church is at the same time both visible and invisible in diuers respects CHAP. 11. Of the divers titles of the Church and how they are verified of it HAuing thus declared the diuerse considerations of the Church of God and the different conditions of them that are of it for our better directions left we mistake and misapply those things that are spoken of it we must further obserue that the names and titles giuen vnto it are of two sorts for there are some that are verified of it in respect of the whole considered generally and as it comrehendeth all those that concurre in the same intire profession of heauenly verities and outward meanes of saluation though they be of very divers different and contrary condition so it is named a great house wherein there are vessels of honour and dishonour in which there are that walke according to the rule of Christianity and worthy of God and others that walke inordinately It is named a field in which is wheate mingled with tares It is a floore in which there is wheate and chaffe It is a company of Virgins attending the comming of the bridegrome whereof some are wise hauing oyle in their lampes others foolish hauing none It is a net cast into the sea that gathereth into it good fishes and bad Other names and titles there are which are not verified of the Church considered generally in all her parts but onely in respect of some parts and those the best and principall so it is named the spouse of Christ and the wife of the Lambe a royall Priesthood an holy nation and a peculiar people the Loue of Christ all faire vndefiled and without spot the onely Doâ—… an orchard inclosed a Well sealed vp a fountaine of liuing water a Paradise with all precious delectable and desireable fruit and that nothing may be added to the honour of it It is the mysticall body of Christ which he doth animate formalize and quicken with his owne spirit of this body the wicked are not members though they bee members of the body of the Church generally considered It is therefore 〈◊〉 vaine dispute betweene them that say they are members of the mysticall body of Christ though not liuing members and them that say they are parts but not members For they are neither parts nor members of the mysticall body of Christ though they be both in respect of the body of the Church considered generally And it is false that Bellarmine affirmeth that we require inward qualities to make a man to be of the Church thereby making it vnknowen who are that Church to whose authoritie and direction the Lord commandeth vs to submit our selues For we doe not
Schismatikes are they that breake the vnitie of the Church and refuse to submit themselues and yeeld obedience to their lawfull Pastours and guides though they retaine an entire profession of the trueth of God as did the Luciferians some others in the beginning of their Schisme though for the most part the better to justifie their Schismaticall departure from the rest of Gods people Schismatikes doe fall into some errour in matters of faith This is the first sort of them that depart and goe out from the Church of God and company of his people whose departure yet is not such but that notwithstanding their Schisme they are and remaine parts of the Church of God For whereas in the Church of God is found an entire profession of the sauing trueth of God order of holy Ministery Sacraments by vertue thereof administred and a blessed vnitie and fellowship of the people of God knit together in the bond of peace vnder the commaund of lawfull Pastours and guides set over them to direct them in the wayes of eternall happinesse Schismatikes notwithstanding their separation remaine still conioyned with the rest of Gods people in respect of the profession of the whole sauing trueth of God all outward actes of Religion and Diuine worship power of order and holy Sacraments which they by vertue thereof administer and so still are and remaine parts of the Church of God but as their communion and coniunction with the rest of Gods people is in some things onely and not absolutely in all wherein they haue and ought to haue fellowship so are they not fully and absolutely of the Church nor of that more speciall number of them that communicate intirely and absolutely in all things necessary in which sense they are rightly denied to be of the Church which I take to be their meaning that say they are not of the Church CHAP. 14. Of the second sort of them that voluntarily goe out from the people of God HEretikes are they that obstinately persist in error contrary to the Churches faith so that these doe not onely forsake the fellowship but the faith also and therefore of these there may be more question whether notwithstanding their hereticall division they still continue in any sort parts of the Church of God But this doubt in my opinion is easily resolued For in respect of the profession of sundry diuine verities which still they retaine in common with right beleeuers in respect of the power of order and degree of ministery which receiuing in the Church they carry out with them and sacraments which by vertue thereof they doe administer they still pertain to the Church But for that they hold not an entire full professiō of all such sauing trueths as to know and beleeue is necessary vnto saluation for that their Pastours and Priests though they haue power of order yet haue no power of jurisdiction neither can performe any acte thereof for that they retaine not the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace they are rightly denied to be of the Church not for that they are not in any sort of it but for that they are not fully and absolutely of it nor of that more speciall number of them which communicate in all things wherein Christians should This more speciall number of right beleeuing Christians is for distinction sake rightly named the Catholike Church because it consisteth of them only that without addition diminution alteration or innouation in matter of doctrine hold the common faith once deliuered to the Saints and without all particular or priuate diuision or faction retaine the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace To this purpose is it that Saint Augustine against the Donatists who therefore denied the baptisme of Heretikes to be true Baptisme and did vrge the necessity of rebaptizing them that were baptized by them for that they are out of the Church doth shew that all wicked ones feined Christians and false hearted hypocrites are secluded from the Church of God considered in her best and principall parts and in the highest degree of vnitie with Christ her mysticall head aswell as ◅retikes and Schismatikes As therefore all they that outwardly professe the trueth and hold the faith of Christ without schisme or heresie are of the Church and are within as the Scripture speaketh yet are not all ofthat more speciall number of them that are intrinsecus in occulto intus but in more generall sort So likewise Heretikes and Schismatikes though they be not of that speciall number of them that in vnity hold the entire profession of diuine trueth are of the Church generally considered and of the number of them that professe the trueth of God reuealed in Christ. And this surely Augustine most clearely deliuereth For when the Donatists did obiect that Heresie is an harlot and that if the baptisme of Heretikes bee good sonnes are borne to God of heresie and so of an harlot than which what can be more absurde impious his answere was that the conuenticles of Heretikes doe beare children vnto God not in that they are diuided but in that they still remaine conjoyned with the true and Catholike Church not in that they are Heretikes but in that they professe and practise that which Christians should and doe professe and practise It is not therefore to be so scornefully rejected by Bellarmine Stapleton and others of that faction that we affirme that both Heretikes and Schismatikes are in some sort though not fully perfectly and with hope of saluation of the Church seeing Augustine in the iust and honourable defence of the Churches cause against Heretikes did long since affirme the same not doubting to say that Heretikes remaine in such sort conioyned to the Church notwithstanding their Heresie that the true Church in the midst ofthem and in their assemblies by Baptisme ministred by them doth beare and bring forth children vnto God The not conceiuing whereof gaue occasion to Cyprian and the African Bishops of errour and afterwards to the Donatists of their heresie touching the rebaptization of them that were baptized by Heretikes For seeing there is but ◅e Lord one faith one Baptisme seeing God gaue the power of the keyes and the dispensation of his word and sacraments onely to his Church if Heretikes bee not of the Church they doe not baptise This their allegation they amplified and enlarged from the nature and condition of heresie and Heretickes and the high pretious and diuine qualitie force and working of the sacraments thereby endeauouring to shew that so excellent meanes pledges and assurances of our saluation cannot be giuen by the hands of men so farre estranged from God There is say they one faith one hope one Baptisme not among heretikes where there is no hope and a false faith where all things are done in lying false and deceiueable maner where he adiureth Sathan that is the vassall of Sathan and possessed of the diuell
Hee proposeth the sacramentall demaunds and wordes of holy stipulation whose mouth wordes send forth a canker He giueth the faith that is himselfe an infidell Hee giueth remission of sinnes that is himselfe most wicked and sinfull Antichrist baptizeth in the name of Christ he blesseth that is himselfe accursed of God hee promiseth life that is himselfe dead he giueth peace that is himselfe an enimy to peace he calleth on the name of God that is a blasphemer of God he administreth and executeth the holy office of Priesthood that is profane he prepareth furnisheth and attendeth the Altar of God that is a sacrilegious person All which objections howsoeuer carrying a faire shew at the first sight and view yet are most easily answered if wee consider that heretikes notwithstanding their heresies doe in some sort still pertaine to the Church and so consequently haue that degree order office ministerie and calling which is holy by vertue whereof they doe administer the holy Sacraments euen as in the true and Catholique Church many wicked ones are found that are no lesse the vassals of Sathan and possessed of the diuell dead in sinne accursed of God profane sacrilegious and enemies of peace than heretikes and â—…hismatikes who yet for that they haue that order office and degree of ministerie which is holy doe no lesse nor with lesse effect administer the holy Sacraments than they that are the samplers of all sanctitie pietie and vertue Whereupon the schoolemen rightly note that there are foure sorts of Ministers to wit good secretly bad openly and apparantly wicked but not put from their office and place nor cast out of the Church and lastly such as are depriued of their office and dignitie and remoued from the happie fellowship of right beleeuers The first administer the Sacraments with benefite profit and good to themselues others The second with benefit to others but not to theÌ„selues The third with hurt to themselues and scandall to others but yet to the euelasting good of them that receiue them if the fault be not in themselues The fourth administer those Sacraments that are holy in their owne nature the meanes pledges assurances of saluation but without any benefit to theÌ„selues or others because they are in diuision and schisme Whereas nothing though neuer so good excellent is aualeable to their good that are out of the vnitie the people of God should haue among themselues If I giue my body to be burned and haue not charitie it profiteth me nothing saith the Apostle CHAP. 15. Of them whom the Church casteth out by excommunication HItherto we haue treated of such as being once of the Church of themselues goe out from the companie of right beleeuers by schisme or heresie Now it remaineth to speake of them whom the Church casteth out by excommunication Excommunication is that sentence of the Church whereby shee ejecteth and casteth out wicked sinners out of her communion Which communion what it is and wherein it consisteth that we may the better vnderstand wee must obserue that communion is sometimes taken for hauing the same things in common and sometimes for mutuall doing and receiuing good to and from each other In the former sense the communion of the Church is of two sorts outward and inward The outward consisteth in those things which all they that are of the Church haue in common as the profession of the trueth reuealed in Christ and the Character of Baptisme which as a note distinctiue separateth Christians from Infidels and vnbeleeuers The inward consisteth in those things which only the best parts of the Church haue in common as faith hope loue and the like The Communion of the Church in the later sense consisteth in a mutuall and enterchangeable course of action whereby the parts thereof doe and receiue good to and from one another one supplying the want and defect of another This is of two sorts Publike and private The publike consisteth first in the prayers which the Church powreth foorth for euerie the least and most contemptible member thereof thereby obtayning of God the giuing supply and continuance of all necessary good ioyned with a most happie protection keeping them from falling into those evils they are subiect vnto Secondly in the dispensation of Sacraments by the hands of her Ministers Private in mutuall conuersation of one man with another Excommunication doth not depriue the Excommunicate of the former kinde of communion For euerie sentence of excommunication is either iust or vniust If it be vniust they may still retaine all those things which the best parts of the Church haue inward or outward as sometimes it falleth out through the prevailing of factious seditious and turbulent men that the best men are vniustly and vndeseruedly cast out of the true Church as Austine noteth who though they neuer be permitted to returne againe and reenter yet if they continue without gathering any conuenticles or broaching of heresies and still loue professe and seeke to promote what in them lyeth the trueth of God which is holden and professed in the Church of God from the assemblies whereof they are vniustly excluded and banished who dare denie them to be of the Church And therefore Bellarmine himselfe though he make shew as if he meant to proue that excommunicate persons are not of the Church as he endeuoureth to doe that Heretikes and Schismatikes are not yet hee altereth the matter cleane and saith only they are not in the Church corpore externâ communicatione as if hee would only proue that they are excluded from the meetings and assemblies of the Church and conuersing with the people of God There is therefore no doubt but that they are of the Church and that if they patiently endure these indignities iniuries and wrongs they shall be highly rewarded of Almighty GOD but saith Bellarmine they are not of the Church corporally and in outward Communion then which what could be more friuolously spoken For who maketh any doubt but that they are thrust out of the assemblies so that they may not be bodily present when the people of God doe meete together to performe the acts of diuine worship but that therefore they are not properly of the visible Church who that advisedly considereth what he saith would ever say Seeing they haue still the communion which onely is essentiall and maketh a man to be of the Church in that they haue all those things both inward outward which the best among them that remaine not eiected haue as faith hope loue and profession of the whole truth of God the character of baptisme obedient and humble submission to their lawfull superiors which things and no other are required to make a man to be of the Church For the performance of holy duties is an action of them that are already of the Church and doth not make a man to be of the Church Yea the performance of these duties is a thing of that
passionate zeale that they abandoned the societie of them that did held them not Christians and rebaptised them which came from them to their pretended purer societies The fift of the Luciferians who received men returning from heresie to the Catholique faith without rebaptization and enioyned them penitence gaue them imposition of hands But Bishops that had beene drawne into heresie they would not admitte vnlesse they forsooke their office and ministerie against these Hierom writeth his booke against the Luciferians All these did erre vrging overmuch the Church discipline in casting off the wicked and not admitting the vnworthy to her happie fellowshippe CHAP. 17. Of the considerations moouing the Church to vse indulgence towardes offenders BVt the true Church admitteth and receiveth all that with sorrowfull repentance returne and seeke reconciliation how great soever their offences haue beene not forgetting to vse due severitie which yet shee sometime remitteth either vpon due consideration or of negligence The due and iust consideration moouing the Church to remitte something of her wonted severitie is either priuate or publique perill Private as when the partie beeing of a tender timorous and relenting disposition if hee bee proceeded with rigorously is in daunger to fall into despaire or to bee swallowed vppe with ouermuch sorrow In this case the Apostle hauing excommunicated the incestuous Corinthian writeth to the Church of Corinth speedily to receiue him againe least hee should be swallowed vp with overmuch griefe and in this sorte the auncient Bishoppes were wont to cut off great parts of enioyned penance which remission and relaxation was called an indulgence Out of the not vnderstanding whereof grew the popish pardons and indulgences Publike perill is then when the multitude authority and prevailing of the offenders is so great as that if they be cut off and separated from the rest a schisme may iustly bee feared without hope of any good to be effected thereby in this case there is iust cause why the Church forbeareth to proceede to excommunication For whereas the end of excommunication is that evill doers being put from the company of right beleeuing Christians and forsaken of all may be made ashamed of their evill doing and so brought to repentance this cannot be looked for when the multitude of offenders hath taken away all shame These are the due and iust motiues which cause the Church sometimes to forbeare to punish with that extremitie which the qualitie and condition of the offenders fault may seeme to require But sometimes of negligence not led by any of these considerations shee omitteth the due correction of such as haue offended God and scandalized his people So the Corinthians before the Apostles Letter written vnto them suffered an incestuous person seemed not much to be mooued with so vile a scandall And the like negligence is often found in the Churches of God which notwithstanding their fault in this behalfe continue the true Churches of God still and priuate men may communicate with them that through the Churches negligence are thus tolerated and suffered and that both in publique actes of religion and priuate conuersation without being partakers of their sinnes if they neither doe the same things nor approue like and applaud them that doe and if they neglect not by all good meanes to seeke their correction and amendment CHAP. 18. Of their damnable pride who condemne all those Churches wherein want of due execution of discipline and imperfections of men are found THere are and haue beene alwayes some who possessed with a false opinion of absolute sanctitie and spotlesse righteousnesse reiect the societies and companies of them in whom any imperfection may be found which was the furious zeale of the Pelagians in old time and the Anabaptists in our time Others there are which though they proceede not so farre yet denie those societies of Christians to be the true Churches of God wherein the seueritie of discipline is so farre neglected that wicked men are suffered and tolerated without due and condigne punishment These while they seeme to hate the wicked and flie from their companie for feare of contagion doe schismatically rent and inconsiderately diuide themselues from the bodie of Gods Church and forsake the fellowship of the good through immoderate hate of the wicked Both these doe dangerously and damnably erre the first in that they dreame of heauenly perfection to be found amongst men on earth whē as contrariwise the Prophet Esay pronounceth that all our righteousnesse is like the polluted and filthy ragges of a menstruous woman And b David desireth of Almighty God that he will not enter into iudgement with him for that in his sight no flesh shall be iustified And Augustine denounceth a woe against our greatest perfections if God doe straitly looke vpon them The later though they doe not require absolute and spotlesse perfection in them that are in and of the Church yet thinke it not possible that any wicked ones should bee found in so happie blessed a societie not remembring that the Church of God is compared to a Nette that gathereth into it all sorts of fishes great and small good and badde which are not separated one from another till they be cast out vpon the shore that it is like a field sowen with good seede wherein the enuious man soweth tares like a floore wherein wheate and chaffe are mingled together like the Arke of Noah wherein cursed CHAM was aswell preserued from drowning as blessed SEM. But they will say there may be Hypocrits who for that their wickednes is not knowne cannot be separated from them who in sincerity serue and worship God but if their wickednesse breake foorth that men may take notice of it either they are presently reformed or by the censures of the Church cut off from the rest which course if it be not so holden but that wicked ones without due punishment be suffered in the middest of Gods people those societies wherein so great negligence is found cease to bee the true Churches of God and wee may and must diuide our selues from them This was the errour of the Donatistes in former times and is the errour of certain proud arrogant Sectaries in our time But if the Church of God remained in Corinth where there were diuisions sects emulations contentions and quarrels and going to law one with another for every trifle end that vnder the infidels where that wickednesse was tolerated and winked at which is execrable to the very heathens where Paules name and credite was despitefully called in question whom they should haue honoured as a father where the resurrection of the dead which is the life of Christianity was with greate scorne denied who dare deny those societies to bee the Churches of God wherein the tenth part of these horrible evills and abuses is not to be found We see then the difference betweene the turbulent disposition
perpetually proper CHAP. 2. Of the divers kindes of notes whereby the true Church is discerned from other societies of men in the world THere are presently and were formerly but three maine differences of religion in the world Paganisme Iudaisme and Christianity Paganisme is and was that state of religion and diuine worship wherein men hauing no other light than that of nature and the vncertaine traditions of their erring fathers to guide them did and doe change the trueth of God into a lie and worship and serue the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed for ever Iudaisme is that state of religion wherein men imbrace the Law which God gaue to the children of Abraham and sonnes of Iacob reforming heathenish impietie teaching saluation to bee looked for through one whom God would send in the last dayes and exalt to bee Lord ouer all Christianitie is the religion of them that beleeue Iesus Christ to be that Sauiour promised to the Iewes and acknowledge him to bee the sonne of the liuing God They which hold this profession are called the Church of Christ neither is there any other society or company of men in the world that professe so to beleeue but they only If we take a view of this Church respectiuely considered seeking onely to difference and distinguish it from the society of Pagan Infidels the profession of Diuine supernaturall and revealed verities is so found in the Church that not amongst any of these and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respectiuely it is proper to the Church may serue as a note of difference distinguishing it from these profane and heathenish companies but from the Iewes it doeth not seuer it for it is common to it with them both holding the sacred profession of many heauenly and reuealed verities So that if we will distinguish Christians from Iewes we must finde out that which is so proper and peculiar to the companies and societies of Christians that it is not communicated to the Iewes Such is the profession of diuine verities reuealed in Christ whom onely these societies acknowledge to bee the sonne of God and Sauiour of the world But for that when neither heathenish superstition nor the Iewes perfidious impietie could any longer prevaile or resist against the knowledge and glory of Christ but that all the whole world went after him Sathan the enemie of mankinde stirred vp certaine turbulent wicked and godlesse men who professing themselues to bee Christians vnder the name of Christ brought in damnable doctrines of errour no lesse dangerously erring than did the Pagans and Iewes This profession of the faith of Christ though it distinguish the Christian Church from the Iewes and Pagans and is so farre proper vnto it that it is not found in any of them yet doth it not separate the multitude of right beleeuing Christians which is the sound part of the Christian Church and is named the Orthodoxe Church from seduced miscreants being common to both We must therefore further seeke out that which is so peculiarly found in the more speciall number of right beleeuing Christians that not in any other though shadowed vnder the generall name of Christianitie Such is the entire profession of diuine verities according to the rule of faith left by Christ and his first disciples and schollers the holy Apostles This entire profession of the trueth reuealed in Christ though it distinguish right beleeuers from Heretikes yet it is not proper to the happy number and blessed company of Catholike Christians because Schismatikes may and sometimes doe hold an entire profession of the trueth of God revealed in Christ. It remaineth therefore that wee seeke out those things that are so peculiarly found in the companies of right beleeuing and Catholike Christians that they may serue as notes of difference to distinguish them from all both Pagans Iewes Heretikes and Schismatikes These are of two sorts for either they are such as onely at sometemes and not perpetually or such as doe perpetually and euer seuer the true Church from all conuenticles of erring and seduced misereants Of the former sort was multitude largenesse of extent and the name of Catholike esteemed a note of the Church in the time of the Fathers The notes of the later sort that are inseparable perpetuall and absolutely proper and peculiar which perpetually distinguish the true Catholike Church from all other societies of men and professions of religions in the world are three First the entire profession of those supernaturall verities which God hath reuealed in Christ his sonne secondly the vse of such holy ceremonies sacraments as hee hath instituted and appointed to serue as prouocations to godlinesse preseruations from sinne memorialls of the benefits of Christ warrants for the greater securitie of our beleefe and markes of distinction to separate his owne from strangers thirdly an vnion or connexion of men in this profession and vse of these sacraments vnder lawfull pastours and guides appointed authorised sanctified to direct and leade them in the happy wayes of eternall saluation That these are notes of the Church it will easily appeare by consideration of all those conditions that are required in the nature of notes They are inseparable they are proper and they are essentiall and such things as giue being to the Church and therefore are in nature more cleare and evident and such as that from them the perfect knowledge of the Church may and must be deriued Notwithstanding for that our aduersaries take exception to them I will first examine their obiections and secondly proue that neither they nor any other that know what they write or speake can or doe assigne any other And because Bellarmine and Stapleton haue taken most paines in this Argument I will therefore propose the obiections I finde in them assuring my selfe that there are not any other of moment to be found in the writings of any other of that side CHAP. 3. Of Bellarmines reasons against the notes of the Church assigned by vs. BEllarmine his first obiection is By these notes we know not who are elect therefore by these we doe not certainely know which is the true Church The consequence of this reason we denie as being most fond and false He proveth it in this sort The Church according to the doctrine of the Protestants is onely the number of the elect and therefore if the elect be not knowen and discerned by these from the reprobate and castawayes the Church cannot bee knowen by them But the Antecedent of this argument is likewise false as appeareth by that which I haue formerly delivered touching the nature and being of the Church for we doe not say that the Church consisteth onely of the elect but principally intentionally and finally For otherwise it consisteth of all that partake in the outward calling of grace and enjoying of the meanes of saluation and so may be knowen by these notes For that society doubtlesse hath enioyeth the meanes of saluation
hee findeth it professed and taught hee may know that society that so professeth as he now knoweth the trueth in Christ to bee is the true Church of God Euen as if one aske of vs how hee may know such a noble mans servants in the Princes Court we satisfie him if wee tell him they are clothed with scarlet if none other but they onely bee so clothed But if he know not scarlet and so aske of vs in the second place which is scarlet and who they are that weare it wee will not tell him they that weare it but shew him how hee may know it that so when hee seeth it he may assure himselfe he hath found the men he enquired after CHAP. 5. Of their notes of the Church and first of antiquitie THus hauing answered the reasons brought by our aduersaries against the notes of the Church assigned by vs let vs proceede to take a view of such as are allowed by them and see if they bee not the very same in substance with ours The notes that they propose vnto vs are Antiquity Succession Vnity Vniversality and the very name and title of Catholicke expressing the Vniversality Antiquity is of two sortes primary and secondary Primary is proper vnto God who is eternall whose being is from everlasting who is absolutely the first before whom nothing was from whom all things receiue being when as before they were not This kind of antiquity is a most certaine proofe and demonstration of trueth and goodnes Of this they speake not who make Antiquity a note of the Church Wherefore letting this passe let vs come to the other which for distinction sake we name secondary Antiquity This is of two sortes The first wee attribute to all those things which began to bee long agoe and since whose first beginning there hath beene a long tract of time This is no note or proofe of trueth or goodnesse For the divell was both a lyer a murtherer long agoe even immediatly after the beginning And there are many errours and superstitions which began long since yea before the name of Christians was once named in the world and sundry heresies that were coaetaneall and as auncient as the Apostles times and that began before the most famous Churches in the world were planted This kinde of Antiquity it is that Cyprian speaketh of Non debemus attendere quid alius ante nos fecerit aut faciendum putauerit sed quid qui ante omnes est Christus prior fecerit Neque enim hominis consuetudinem sequi oportet sed dei veritatem Et alibi Non est de consuetudine praescribendum sed ratione vincendum Et ad Pompeium Consuetudo sine veritate vetustas erroris est Wee must not regard what any other did before vs or thought fit to be done but what Christ did who was before all Neither must wee follow the customes of men but the trueth of God And in another place Wee must not prescribe vpon custome but perswade by reason And writing to Pompeius Custome without trueth is nothing else but inueterate errour There is therefore another kind of Antiquity which is not long continuance or the being before many other but the prime first and originall being of each thing this is a sure proofe of goodnesse and perfection For all defects found in things are swaruings deelinings and departures from their originall and first estate For trueth is before falshood and good before evill and the habit before privation Veritas saith Tertullian in omnibus imaginem antecedit postremò similitudo succedit The trueth is before any counterfeite similitude on representation the trueth is first and then afterwards there are imitations That therefore that is first in any kind or sort of things is truest and best and consequently that Church that hath prime and absolute Antiquity is vndoubtedly the true Church This Antiquity a Church may be sayd to haue three wayes either onely because the first constitution of it was most auncient as taking beginning from the first publishers of heauenly knowledge the Apostles of Christ the immediate indubitate and prime witnesses of the trueth of God whatsoever her declinings haue beene since Or because as her first constitution was most auncient in that shee receiued the faith from the Apostles or such as shee knew vndoubtedly to hold communion with them so she is not since gone from it in whole or in part but still hath the same being shee first had or thirdly because the profession it holdeth is the same that was deliuered by the prime immediate and indubitate witnesses and publishers of the trueth of God though it began to be a Church but yesterday The Antiquity of the first constitution of a Church is no sufficient proofe or note of the trueth or soundnesse of it Neither doe they that plead most for Antiquity thinke it a good proofe for any company or society of Christians to demonstrate themselues to bee the true Church of God because they haue had the profession of Christianity euer since the Apostles times by whose meanes they were first converted to the faith established in the profession of the same For then the Church of Ephesus might at this day proue it selfe a true Church of God yea many Churches in Aethiopia are yet remaining which haue continued in the profession of Christianity euer since the Apostles times But this is all they say that if any Church founded by the Apostles or their coadiutors left by them in the true profession as were the Churches of Rome Antioche Ephesus the like can demonstrate that they haue not since departed from their first and originall estate they thereby doe proue themselues to bee the true Churches of God And if any other that began since as innumerable did can shew that they haue the faith first delivered to the Saints they therby proue themselues no lesse to be the true Church of God then the former which had their beginning from the Apostles themselues and haue continued in a state of Christianity ever since Doe we not see thē that it is truth of doctrine whereby the Church is to be found out euen in the judgement of them that seeme most to say the contrary they admitte no plea of Antiquitie on the behalfe of any Churches whatsoeuer though established by the Apostles vnlesse they can proue that they haue not left their first faith So that this is still the triall if they may be found to haue the trueth of profession c. Wherevpon Stapleton saith Ad notam Antiquitatis sibi vendicandam non satis est quòd aliqua societas sub titulo Ecclesiae diu perdurauerit aut prior extiterit sed praetereà necesse est quòd sanam doctrinam semper priùs retinuerit Hoc autem contra veteres haereses maximè ipsis Apostolis coetaneas notandum est It is not a sufficient reason for a societie of Christians to chalenge to
fallen into the last and worst times wherein shee is in her declining CHAP. 9. Of the name and title of Catholicke THe fift note assigned by them is the name and title of Catholicke which they say is an vndoubted proofe of the true Catholicke Church wheresoeuer it is found And because our aduersaries doe not more insolently boast and glory of any thing than of the bare and emptie name and title of Catholicke I will therefore make it euident to all them that know their right hand from their left that howsoever it was in the dayes of the fathers it is not now proper to the true Church but common to Schismatickes and Heretickes and therefore that it cannot now serue as a marke or note distinctiue whereby the true Church may bee knowen from mis-beleeuers This therefore is to bee reckoned amongst those things that are proper and peculiar to the true Church but not perpetually proper and so amongst those notes that may difference the true Church from the false at some times and not at others The title of Catholicke doth most fitly expresse those both Christian men and societies of Christians which hold the common faith without particular diuisions from the maine bodie of Christianitie While therefore there was but the maine body of Christianity at vnitie in it selfe and such portions of seduced and misseled people as apparantly diuided themselues from it the name of a Catholicke was a note and distinctiue marke or character to know and discerne a Catholicke from an Hereticke or Schismaticke by and the naming after the name of any man a note of particularity and hereticall or Schismaticall faction Wherevpon one of the auncient sayd fitly to this purpose Christian is my name and Catholicke is my surname by the one I am knowen from Infidels by the other from Heretickes and Schismatickes But when the maine body of the Christian Church diuided it selfe partly by reason of different ceremonies vses customes and obseruations partly through the ambitious striuings of the Bishops and Prelates of the greatest richest and most respected places partly by occasion of some different opinions the name of Catholicke remained common to either of the parts thus diuided sundred and rent one from another though on the one side rested not onely errour but heresie also in the opinion of the other For who knoweth not that the Christians of the Greeke and Orientall Church are and haue beene as generally named Catholickes as the friends and followers of the Westerne or Latine Church Neither haue they any name or note of faction as all auncient Heretickes had but as in former times before this schisme began for distinction sake the whole Christian Church was divided into two moities the one called the Occidentall or Latine and the other the Orientall or Greeke Church so are they by the same notes of difference and no other knowen at this day Yet are the Grecians Armenians Aethiopians and other in the East parts of the world in the iudgement of the Romanists not onely Schismatickes but Heretickes also It was therefore more than ordinary impudencie in Bellarmine to affirme that the name of a Catholicke is a note of true Catholicke profession when hee knew it to bee common to such as himselfe pronounceth Heretickes And it is yet more intolerable that he sayth there is no heresie which receiueth not her name from some particular man the authour and beginner of it and that whosoeuer are named after the names of men are vndoubtedly Heretickes For of what man had the Apostolici their name whose authour and first beginner was neuer knowen as Bernard sayth that wee might assure our selues the Devill was authour of that damnable Sect and who dare pronounce all the Thomists Scotists Benedictines and the like to be Heretickes That wee may therefore make his folly to appeare in that hee sayth concerning Heretickes and the naming after the names of men as wee did in the former part touching the name and title of Catholick wee must obserue that Heretickes sometimes haue their names from the matter wherein they erre as the Monothelites in old time and the Anabptists in ours the first affirming that there is but one will in Christ whence they were named Monothelites the other vrging rebaptization of such as are baptized by Heretickes whence they are named Anabaptists that is rebaptizers sometimes of that they arrogantly challenge to themselues and make pretence of as the Apostolici for that they challenged to themselues more than ordinary perfection as equalling the Apostles or comming neerer to their examples and presidents than other men sometimes of the place where they began and most prevailed as the Cataphriges sometimes of the first authour of their heresie as Maronites Donatistes and the like Thus then wee see all Heretickes haue not their names from men But they will say they were all Heretickes that were named after the names of men Surely it is not to bee denied but that the naming after the names of men was in the time of the Primitiue Church peculiar and proper to Heretickes and Schismatickes onely Neither were there any Christians in the first ages of the Church called after the names of men but such as followed wicked seducers in Schisme or Heresie wherevpon it was a sure rule in auncient times that whosoever professing thēselues Christians were named after the names of men as Nouatians of Nouatus Pelagians of Pelagius they were to bee holden for Heretickes This rule is deliuered by Hierom against the Luciferians sicubi c. If any where thou finde men professing Christianitie called after the particular names of men know them to bee the Synagogue of Antichrist and not the Church of Christ. But as the honourable title of Catholicke sometimes a note of the true and Orthodoxe Church is now ceased to bee so in like sorte the naming after the names of men sometimes a note of Heresie is now ceased to be so which to bee most true the sundry manifold and diuers names of Dominicans Franciscans Benedictins Augustinians Thomists Scotists and the like doe make it most apparant And besides this there are at this day innumerable Christians in the East parts of the world that are called Nestorians that hold not the Heresie of Nestorius nor any other speciall Heresie whence they might haue any such name of diuision faction or particularity For the better cleering of whatsoeuer may seeme doubtfull in this matter of names titles and appellations wee must obserue that they which professe the faith of Christ haue beene sometimes in these later ages of the Church called after the speciall names of such men as were the Authours deuisers and beginners of such courses of monasticall profession as they made choyce of to follow as Benedictins and the like sometimes of such principall men whose judgement and opinion they embraced and followed in sundry matters of great moment in the controversies of religion not yet determined by consent
of the whole vniversall Church and so in our times amongst the schoole Diuines some following Thomas and others Scotus in many and sundry maine contradictory opinions some were named Thomists others Scotists sometimes of such men whose new strange and private opinions contrary to the Churches faith they pertinaciously imbraced and followed as Arrians of Arrius Eutichians of Eutiches yea sometimes of some arch-hereticke whose opinions heresies they hold not as at this day the greater part of Christians that are in Assyria Persia and the rest of the Easterne provinces are called Nestorians by all other Christians in those parts as the Iacobites Maronites Cophti the like yet doe they hold nothing that sauoureth of Nestorius heresie as Onuphrius reporteth in the life of Iulius the third in whose time sundry of them came to Rome These in likelyhood are called Nestorians for that in former times the heresie of Nestorius prevailed much in those parts of the world which now being clearely banished the right beleeuing Christians of those parts are still notwithstanding called by that odious and hatefull name or else it is by wrong and vniust imputation as the Armenians are iudged by many to bee Eutichians for that they receiue not the councell of Chalcedon which they refused to subscribe vnto vpon a false suggestion and apprehension that in it the heresie of Nestorius condemned in the Councell of Ephesus was reviued againe sometimes of such as collected gathered and brought into a certaine Order for the better direction of Gods people in his service the prayers of the Church and formes of administring the sacraments and other holy things or else augmented altered or reformed those that were before So when there grew a division among the Churches of this part of the world some following the forme of Diuine administration left by Ambrose others imbracing that prescribed by Gregory some were called Ambrosian and some Gregorian Churches as likewise in our times when Luther Caluine and other worthy seruants of God had perswaded some states of Christendome to reforme correct and alter some things that were amisse and to remooue and take away sundry barbarismes errours and superstitions crept into the prayers of the Church with many grosse abuses and grievous abominations formerly tolerated in the middest of the Church of God those States people and Churches which reformed themselues abandoning superstition and errour were by some called reformed Churches by other Lutherane Churches Neither was it possible that so great an alteration as the corrupt state of the Church required should be effected not carry some remembrance of them by whom it was procured Wee see the sincerity of our Christian profession concerning the Sonne of God whom we acknowledge coessentiall coequall and coeternall with the Father cleered published in the Nicen Councell was ever after for distinction from the manifold turnings and windings of Heretickes endevouring to obscure corrupt alter adulterate the same called the Nicene faith That the Church needed reformation when Luther began and that it was not necessary nor behoouefull to expect the consent of the whole Christian world in a generall Councell I will make it euident when I come to the third part of my first generall division In the meane while it is most cleare and euident that the naming after the names of men is now no certaine note of Heresie or Schisme For if the naming after the names of men were a certaine note of Heresie or Schisme then should all orders of Monkes and Friers that are named after the names of their first authours be prooued Heretickes yea the followers of Thomas and Scotus should be convinced of Heresie and all the Christians that are named Nestorians should be found Heretickes which they which know them best doe denie yea then all the Ambrosian and Gregorian Churches must bee charged with Heresie and Schisme THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE TRVE CHVRCH DEMONSTRATED BY THE NOTES BEFORE AGREED VPON CHAP. 1. Of the division of the Christian world into the Westerne or Latine Church and the Orientall or East Church THus then having sufficiently examined those things which concerne the notes of the Church so that it is evidēt to all not wilfully contentious which are the true notes whereby the Church may be knowne it remaineth that by application of them we seeke out which among so many diversities and contrarieties in matters of religion as are at this day found in the World is the true and Orthodox Church of God And because our controuersies are not with Iewes nor Pagan Infidels as in the times of the fathers but with such as together with vs professe themselues Christians letting passe all those notes which serue to proue the trueth of Christian profession in generall against heathenish and Iewish errours let vs come to take view of the diuersities that are found among Christians and by the direction of the notes agreed vpon see which is the true Church of God The Christian Church is divided at this day into the Westerne or Latine Church and the Orientall or East Church The Orientall or East Church is divided into the Greeke Church the Nestorian or Assyrian Churches and the Churches of the supposed Monophysits as the Iacobites Armenians Cophti or Christians of Aegypt the Aethiopians or Abissens and the Maronites who are thought to be Monothelites The Christians that are of the Greeke religion are of two sorts First such as presently are or lately were subiect to the iurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople Secondly such as neuer were vnder that iurisdiction and yet are of the same Communion as the Melchites of Syria and the Georgians Of the first sort are all the Christians of Natolia except Armenia the lesser and Cilicia the Christians of Circassia and Mengrellia and Russia in Europe the Christians of Greece Macedon Epirus Thrace Bulgaria Rascia Servia Bosina Walachia Moldavia Podolia and Moscovia together with all the Ilands of the Aegean sea as farre as Corfu besides a great part of the king of Polonia his dominions and those parts of Dalmatia and Croatia that are vnder the Turke The reason of this large extent of the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople was First the decree of the Councell of Chalcedon subjecting vnto him all Thracia and Anatolia except Isauria and Cilicia belonging to Antioch 28 Roman Provinces Secondly the voluntary submission of the Grecians vpon the separation of the Churches For thereby not only Greece Macedon Epirus Candie and the Iles about Greece in all about 7 Provinces came vnder him but Sicily also and Calabria fell from Rome and for a long time were subject to the iurisdiction of Constantinople Wherevpon in Curopalates the Metropolitans of Syracusa and Catana in Sicilia of Rhegium Severiana Rosia and Hydruntum in Calabria are registred amongst the Metropolitans of that jurisdiction Thirdly the conversion of sundry nations and people to the Christian faith by his suffragans and ministers wrought a great
the Patriarch of Constantinople the second which conclusion was not of such force but that the succeeding Bishops of Constantinople cōtinued the same challeng their predecessors made as any oportunity was offered sought to aduance their pretended title till at length there growing some difference between thē in the matter of the proceeding of the holy G whome the Latines affirmed to proceede from the Father and the Sonne the GREEKES from the Father only either pronounced the other to be heretickes schismatickes Wherefore let vs see what the religion of the Greeke Church is and whether these Christians be so farre forth orthodoxe that wee may account them members of the true Catholicke Church of God or so in errour that we may reject them as schismaticks hereticks though in number never so many Bernard speaking of them sayth nobiscum sunt non sunt iuncti fide pace diuisi quanquam fide ipsa claudicaverint à rectis semitis That is they are with vs and they are not with vs they are of the same profession with vs touching matters of faith but they hold not the vnity of the spirit in the band of peace although they haue halted also and in some sort declined from the straight pathes in matters pertayning to the Christian faith Touching the state of these Christians the Romanists lay downe these propositions First that there is a double separation from the Church of God the one by heresie ouerthrowing the fayth the other by schisme breaking the vnity The second that schismaticks though they fall not into heresie are out of the Church cut off from being members of the same and consequently in state of damnation Beleeue certainely and no way doubt sayth St Augustine that not onely all Pagans but all Iewes hereticks schismaticks also dying out of the communion of the Catholicke Church shall goe into everlasting fire The third that the Graecians are Schismatically divided from the Roman Church that they haue long continued so that they are excommunicate with the greater excommunication thundred out against all Schismaticks in bulla coenae Domini and consequently are in state of damnation But whether they bee not only Schismaticks but haereticks also as some feare not to pronounce they are not yet agreed Azorius thinketh they are not to bee censured as hereticks and yeeldeth a reason of his so thinking because in those articles of the faith where they are thought to erre they differ verbally onely and not really from those that are vndoubtedly right beleevers and giueth instance first in the question touching the proceeding of the holy Ghost wherein hee thinketh they differ but in forme of words from them that seeme to bee their opposites and secondly in the questions touching the Pope his power priviledges and authority concerning all which hee affirmeth they haue no other opinion then Gerson the Parisians who were neuer yet pronounced heretickes for they yeeld a primacie to the Bishop of Rome but no supremacy They acknowledge him to bee Patriarch of the West amongst all the Patriarches in order honour the first as long as hee continueth orthodoxe and seeketh not to encroach vpon the jurisdiction of others But they deny as also the Parisians doe that his judgement is infallible or his power authority supreame absolute they teach that hee must doe nothing of himselfe in things pertayning to the state of the vniversall Church but with the concurrence of others his colleagues and that hee is subject to a generall Councell All which things were defined in the Councells of Constance and Basil and the contrary positions condemned as haereticall Neither want there at this day many worthy Diuines liuing in the Communion of the Roman Church who most strongly adhere to the decrees of those Councells and peremptorily reject those of Florence and Trent wherein the contrary faction prevayled For the whole kingdome and state of France admit those and reject the other and would no lesse withdraw themselues from all communion with the Roman Bishoppe then the Grecians doe if they should once bee pressed to acknowledge that his power and authority is supreame and absolute that hee cannot erre and that hee may dispose the kingdomes and depose the kings soveraigne princes of the world as the Iesuites and other the Popes flatterers affirme and defend Whence it will follow that they are not onely free from heresie as Azorius resolueth but frō schisme also So that after so great clamours and so long contendings they must of necessity bee forced in the end to confesse they haue done them infinite wrong and sinned grievously against God in condemning to hell for no cause so many millions of Christian soules redeemed with the most precious blood of his dearest Sonne There are sayth Andreas Fricius who thinke that the Russians Armenians and other Christians of the East part pertaine not to the Christian Church but seeing they vse the same sacraments which wee doe seeing they professe to fight vnder the banner of Christ crucified and rejoyce in their sufferings for his sake farre bee it from vs ever to thinke that they should bee cast off and rejected from being fellow citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God having borne the burden endured the heate of the day so many ages in the vineyard of the Lord. Nay rather I thinke there can be no perfect cōsociation vnion of the whole Church without them For the Latine Church alone cānot be takē for the vniversall Church that which is but a part cānot be the whole But some man happily will say whatsoeuer we think of these differēces touching the power authority of the B. of Rome yet in the article of the proceeding of the holy ghost they erre damnably so are hereticks that Azorius was deceived when hee thought otherwise Wherefore for the cleering of this poynt first I will make it evident that not onely Azorius but sundry other great and worthy Divines thinke the difference about the proceeding of the holy Ghost to bee meerely verball Secondly I will shew how the seeming differences touching this poynt may bee reconciled Thirdly I will note the beginnings and proceedings in this controversie The Grecians sayth Peter Lombard affirme that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father onely not from the Sonne yet wee must know that the Greekes doe acknowledge the holy Ghost to bee the spirit of the Son aswell as of the Father because the Apostle sayth the spirit of the Son And trueth it selfe in the Gospell the spirit of trueth Now seeing it is no other thing to bee the spirit of the Father and the Son then to bee from the Father the Son they seeme to agree with vs in judgement touching this article of faith though they differ in words Grosthed the famous and renowned Bishop of Lincolne writing vpon a part of Damascen deliuereth his opinion touching this controuersie
for him before he came yet hee cast him into prison and would never release him though the Great Turke wrote vnto him on his behalfe Since this time the Moscovites seeke no confirmation of their metropolitan from the patriarch of Constantinople The Russians that are vnder the King of Polonia in the yeare 1595 finding they could not haue recourse to the Patriarch of Constantinople liuing vnder the tyranny of the Turke in such sort as was fitt fell from that jurisdiction and submitted themselues to the Roman Bishop yet not without reservation of the Greeke religion and sundry limitations in subjecting them selues to that goverment as wee may see at large in Thomas à Iesu. With these Christians that presently are or lately were subject to the Patriarch of Constantinople the Melchits of Syria and the Georgians hold communion and are of the same religion with them Touching the Melchites were must obserue that after the ending of the Counsell of Chalcedon there grew a very great distraction in the East part of the world for many disliked and questioned the proceedings in that Councell and would not consent to the decrees of it Amongst those that thus refused to admit the Councell some ranne into dangerous errours and heresies the Emperour Leo therefore for the remedying and preventing of evills of this kind required the Bishs of those parts by their subscription to confirme the faith established in that Councell and they that so did at the Emperours command were by the rest in scorne and contempt called Melchites as if you would say men of the Kings religion of Melchi which in the Syrian tongue signifieth a King but they were indeede and were reputed right beleivers by all the sounder parts of the Church throughout the world These fell from the Communion of the Roman Church when the Greekes did and are wholy of the same religion yet were they never subject to the Patriarch of Constantinople but of Antioch These for their number are reputed the greatest sort of Christians in the Orient Their Patriarch resideth at Damascus whither the patriarchall seate vvas traslated Antioch it selfe where they that belieued in Christ were first called Christians and which was therefore named Theopolis the Cittie of God lying in a manner wast or broken and dissevered into small villages of which onely one of about threescore houses with a small temple belongeth to Christians but in Damascus there are aboue a thousand houses of Christians The Maronites which inhabit mount Libanus haue a Patriarch of their owne whom they honour as Patriarch of Antioch as likewise the Iacobites of Syria haue a Patriarch of their owne residing in Mesopotamia whom they account patriarch of Antioch But the Melchites who retaine the auncient religion of Syria acknowledge none for Patriarch but their owne chiefe Bishop residing at Damascus and reject the other as hauing departed from the faith obedience and Communion of the true Patriarch The Georgians inhabit Iberia they are saith Volateran great warriers and cruell to their bordering neighbours They are named Georgians as some thinke from S. George whose banner they carry when goe to war against Infidels But he rather inclineth to thinke they were the same that were named Georgians by Pliny before Saint George was borne and that it is not a name of sect but of their Country named Georgia and Iberia They follow the opinions of the Grecians touching matters of Religion and in their divine seruice writings they partly vse the Greeke tongue and partly the Chaldee They haue an Archbishop residing in mount Sina in a Monasterie of S. Katherin whom they obey without any further relation or dependance Betweene these and the riuer Tanais along the coast of Meotis and the Euxine sea lye the Mengrellians and the Circassians who are not onely of the Greeke Religion but subject also to the Patriarch of Constantinople Thus hauing spoken of the Christians of the Greeke Religion it remaineth that wee come to the rest Amongst whom the first that offer themselues to our consideration are the Assyrians commonly named Nestorians What the Heresie of Nestorius was is knowne to all For hee professed to beleeue that the Sonne of Mary is a divine Man and that GOD is with him but would not acknowledge that he is GOD and therefore would not yeeld that it may bee truely said that Mary is the Mother of GOD. But they that are now named Nestorians acknowledge that Christ was perfect GOD and perfect Man from the first moment of his conception and that Mary may rightly bee saide to bee the Mother of the Sonne of GOD or of the Eternall Word but thinke it not fit to call her the Mother of GOD left they might bee thought to imagine that shee conceiued and bare the Divine Nature of the three Persons the Name of GOD containing Father Sonne and Holy Ghost This scruple might bee tolerated in them but they haue another leauen that sowreth the whole lumpe For they are said to affirme that the nature of man is imperfect without personalitie and therefore that the Sonne of God who assumed not an imperfect humane nature assumed the nature of man together with the personalitie of the same Whence it seemeth to follow that there are two persons in Christ. For the clearing of this point it is to bee noted that personalitie is nothing but the existence of nature in it selfe which is in two sorts potentally or actually The humane nature which the Sonne of GOD assumed potentially existeth in it selfe and would haue existed actually if it had beene left vnto it selfe And in this sense they say the Sonne of GOD assumed the nature of man together with the personalitie of the same that is with a potentiall aptnesse to exist in it selfe But it was not left but prevented before it might actually exist in it selfe and assumed into the Divine Person and so suspended from actuall existing in it selfe In which sense we rightly say the Sonne of God assumed the nature of man without the personalitie of the same and that it must not be granted that there are two persons in Christ as there are two natures Neither doe these Christians so say there are two persons in Christ as if the humane nature did actually exist in it selfe but onely to imply that there is a potentiall aptnesse in it so to exist if it were left vnto it selfe Yet the forme of words which they vse is not to be allowed for it savoureth of Heresie and tooke beginning from Heresie But that they haue no hereticall meaning it is more then probable because otherwise they should contrarie and ouerthrow their former true Confession that Christ was perfect GOD and perfect Man from the first moment of his conception And that Mary that conceiued and bare him may truely bee said to bee the Mother of the Sonne of GOD. And also because the Archbishop of the Indians was permitted to retaine his auncient Religion when first he submitted
himselfe to the Church of Rome Which hee might not haue beene suffered to doe if hee had erred in the article of the incarnation These Nestorians inhabite though mixed with Mahumetanes and Infidels a great part of the Orient For besides the countries of Babylon Assyria Mesopotamia Parthia and Media where very many of them are found they are scattered in the East Northerly to Cataia and Southerly to India So that in the histories wee finde mention of them and no other sort of Christians in sundry regions of Tartary These haue a Patriarch residing in Muzall on the riuer Tigris in Mesopotamia This Muzall either is the citie of Seleucia so honoured in times past that the government of those parts was committed to the Bishop thereof with the name of a Catholicke and place of Session in Councells next the Patriarch of Hierusalem or if that were destroied the Patriarchall seat was thence translated to Muzal In this citie though subject to Mahumetans the Iacobites haue three temples the Nestorians fifteene beeing esteemed to bee about forty thousand soules In the time of Iulius the third certaine of these Nestorians fell from the Bishop of Muzal and tooke for their head Simon Sulaca of the order of Saint Basil. Who submitted himselfe to the Bishop of Rome exhibited an orthodoxe confession of his faith and was by him confirmed bishop of Muzal in title name but the other held the place still So that when hee returned he was forced to abide in Caramit This Simon Sulaca made certaine Archbishops and Bishops and caused the memory of Nestorius to bee put out of their liturgies and in the end hee was slaine by the Turkes ministers But Abdesu of the same order succeeded him and after him Aatalla after him the Archbishop of Gelu and Salamas renouncing the obedience of the Bishop of Muzal was elected Patriarch and confirmed by the Bishop of Rome So that there were foure Patriarches successiuely following one another that held communion with the Church of Rome but no one of them euer possessed that citie but resided either in Caramit Serit or Zeinalbach in the confines of Persia. All these were vndoubtedly orthodoxe touching the article of the incarnation of the Sonne of God And Elias one amongst the Bishops that held the seat at Muzal desired to be joyned in communion with the Church of Rome sent his confession which was found to be orthodoxe and right so that they of that faction also seeme not to haue differed much in judgement touching any article of faith The Nestorians are subject to these two Patriarches to this day The Patriarch of Muzal hath vnder him 22 Bishops more then 600 territories in which there are at the least 22 rich and flourishing cities and in euery of them 500 families in Muzal 1000 whereof euery one contayneth about fortie persons And other-lesser territories contayning about 200 or 300 families a piece and thirty monasteries In India also there are many families subject to this Patriarch by the name of Patriarch of Babylon to whom he was wont to assigne Bishops There were in India before the Portugals comming about some 15 or 16 thousand families About some thirtie yeares since their Archbishop fell from the Patriarch of Muzal or Babylon to the Bishop of Rome by the perswasion of the Portugals yet retayning the auncient religion which was permitted But his successor in another Synod holden at Diamper not farre from Maliapur by the Archbishop of Goa in the yeare 1599 receiued the religion of Rome also and suffered their liturgie so to bee altered as wee finde it in Bibliotheca patrum But let vs proceede to take a view of the particular poynts of their religion First all cleargie men amongst the Chaldeans and also all lay men that excell in devotion receiue the Sacrament of the Lords body and blood in their own hands vnder both kinds The rest receiue into their mouths the bodie of the Lord dipt into the blood They contract marriages within the degrees prohibited marrying in the second degree without dispensation Their Priests are marryed and after the death of the first wife haue libertie to marry the second or third time or oftner They minister the communion in leavened bread They vse not auricular confession nor confirmation They deny the supremacie of the Pope The specialties of the religion of the Indians or Christians of S. Thomas before they admitted any alteration were these First they distributed the sacraments in both kinds Secondly they vsed bread seasoned with salt and in steade of wine India affording none the juice of raisons softned one night in water and so pressed forth Thirdly they baptized not their children till they were forty dayes old except in danger of death Fourthly their priests were married but excluded from the second marriage Fifthly they had no images in their Churches but the crosse onely Sixtly they denyed the supremacie of the Pope From the Assyrians and Indians vniustly named Nestorians let vs passe to those Christiās that are supposed to be Monophysits as the Iacobites Armenians Cophti or Christians of Aegypt the Aethiopians or Abissens These beleeue that the nature of God and man were so vnited in the person of Christ that hee is truly God and truly man and that after the vnion they remaine distinct in their being of essence and property so that the diuinity is not of the same essence substance and nature with the humanity for the diuinity is infinite incomprehensible and increated and the humanity is finite and a created essence yet because they are vnited and conioyned in the vnity of the same person they say they are but one nature and will not acknowledge as wee do that there are two natures in Christ. That we may the better know what we are to thinke of these Christians differing thus from us I will first historically shew how this difference grew Secondly more largely refute their opinion And thirdly make it appeare that in respect of this difference they are not to be reiected as heritickes There liued at Constantinople a certaine man whose name was Eutiches a priest and an abbat This Eutiches in opposition to Nestorius who divided the person of Christ proceeded so farre that he confounded the natures imagining a conversion of the divinity into the humanity or of the humanity into the divinity or a kind of mixtion of them This Eutiches was well acquainted with Eusebius Bish. of Dorilaeum who vnderstanding by conference with him that he was fallen into such a damnable haerisie made the matter knowne to Flauianus the B. of Constantinople wishing him to call Eutiches vnto him and sharply to rebuke him least the faith might be indangered Flavianus assoone as he vnderstoode thus much called together 30 of his Bish. and in their presence asked of Eutiches whether he did beleiue that Christs body is of the same substance with ours He answered he had never said so hitherto but would seing they would haue it
so to whom Flavianus replied that not they but the fathers required him so to professe and therefore if he did so beleeue hee should anathamatize all that thought otherwise To whom Eutiches answered he had never hitherto professed so to beleiue yet would now for their sakes but would never be induced to anathematize them that thinke otherwise for that if hee should he must as he supposed accurse the holy Fathers and Scriptures which doe so speake that they deny Christs body to be of the same substance with ours When Flavianus heard him thus speake hee put him out of the order of Presbyters and remoued him from his office and dignity of an Abbot Eutiches thus degraded and depriued resorted oft to the Emperour complaining that he was wronged by Flauianus wherevpon Theodosius then Emperour called a Councell at Ephesus that it might be there examined whether Eutyches were duely proceeded against or not and made Dioscorus Bish. of Alexandria president of the Councell who caused the proceedings of Flauianus to be read but suffered him not to say any thing in his owne defence neither would he giue him leaue to aske any question if any doubt arose for Eusebius who was to accuse Eutiches he would not so much as suffer him to speake The conclusioÌ„ was he deposed Flavianus restored Eutiches Things being thus violeÌ„tly carried they that supplied the place of the B. of Rome returned home and made all known to Leo the Bish. He preseÌ„tly went to Valentinian who wrote to Theoâ—…osius to call another Councell but he refused so to do thinking Dioscorus had duely proceeded But after his death Martianus called a Councell at Chalcedon In the first Session of this Councell Dioscorus appeared where he clearely anathematized those that bring in either a confusion conversion or commixtion of the Natures of God and man vnited in Christ. So condemning Eutyches whom out of partiality and sinister respect he had formerly acquitted But yet professed that after the vnion wee must not say there are two Natures but one Nature of the Sonne of God incarnate and told them he had to this purpose sundry testimonies of the holy Fathers Athanasius Gregory and Cyrill For confirmation of this his saying Eustathius Bishop of Beretum produced an Epistle of Cyrill to Acacius Bishop of Melitinum Valerianus of Iconium and Successus Bishop of the Province of Diocaesarea wherein more fully explaining certaine things contained in his former Epistles he saith expressely wee must not say there are two natures in Christ but one nature of the Sonne of God incarnate Which when they of the East disliked he brought forth the booke reade the very same words vnto them and after the reading of them brake forth into these wordes Whosoeuer saith there is one nature to deny the flesh of Christ which we beleeue to be consubstantiall with ours let him be anathema and whosoeuer saith there are two natures to make a division in Christ let him be accursed also adding that Flavianus admitted this doctrine of Cyrill and therefore that he was vnjustly condemned by Dioscorus But Dioscorus answered that he condemned him because he affirmed that there are two natures in Christ after the vnion whereas the Fathers tell vs wee must not say there are two natures after the vnion but one of the Word incarnate And after this time he refused to appeare any more in the Councell Wherevpon for his former violent and sinister proceedings and for his present contumacie he was condemned and deposed and not for heresie as is expressely deliuered by Anatolius in the Councell For whereas there was a forme of Confession composed which Asclepiades recited in the Councell wherein was contained that Christ consisted of two natures there arose presently a great doubt amongst the Bishops the Nobles and great men therefore that moderated spake vnto them in this sort Dioscorus saith that Christ consisteth of two natures Leo that he consisteth in two natures without mutation confusion or division whom follow yee to whom the Bishops rising vp answered with one voice as Leo so we all beleeue accursed bee Dioscorus At the hearing hereof Anatolius said Dioscorus was not deposed for erring in faith but because he excommunicated Leo Bishop of Rome and refused to come into the Councell when as hee was required so to doe Neither was the forme of Confession recited by Asclepiades rejected as ill but as imperfect That which some alledge that Dioscorus had beene condemned as an Hereticke if he had appeared is childish For if the Fathers there assembled had judged his sayings hereticall they might and no doubt would haue condemned him as an hereticke though absent aswell as the Councell of Ephesus condemned Nestorius though absenting himselfe and asmuch as in him lay declining their judgment So the Councell of Chalcedon condemned Eutyches as an Hereticke and deposed Dioscorus for his contumacie and other sinister violent and disordered proceedings in that second Councell wherein he was President so ended But after the ending thereof there arose woful distractions divisions in the Christian world For besides those that followed Eutyches in his Heresie there were many found who though they were far froÌ„ adhering to cursed Eutyches yet disliked the proceedings against Dioscorus and stifly maintained that forme of Confession that was published by Asclepiades not only as good but as perfect sufficient Affirming that 2 natures were vnited in Christ without mutatioÌ„ conversioÌ„ coÌ„mixtion or confusioÌ„ but that being vnited they are no longer two but one So that we may say Christ coÌ„sisted of 2 natures but wee must not say hee consisteth in 2 natures as Leo and the councell Vrging to this purpose that authority of Cyrill That wee must not say there are 2 natures in Christ but one of the Word incarnat His words are Post vnionem sublata in duo diuisione vnam esse credimus filij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nestorianus agnoscit Verbum incarnatum sed dum duas nominat naturas diuidit seiungit ab invicem This opinioÌ„ prevailed mightily in those times continueth in many Christian Churches till this day For the Christians of Aegypt Aethiopia Armenia the Iacobites of Syria defend the same accursing Eutiches as an Hereticke and acquitting Dioscorus yea honouring him as a good and holy man Wherefore seeing it is against the law of charity to condemne so many millions of soules to hell vnlesse they bee cleerely convinced of heresie let vs more exactly consider what it is they say First therefore they teach that Christ is truely God and truely man that hee receiued his diuine nature of his Father before all eternity his humane nature from his mother in the fulnesse of time Secondly they accurse all them that spoile him of either of these natures Thirdly they say that these natures were so vnited that there was no confusion mixtion or conuersion of one of them into another nor such composition as that a third nature might arise out
of them Fourthly that the deity and humanity of Christ are not all one Fiftly they confesse that it may truely bee said the Diuinity of Christ is aliud natura that is a thing of different condition and nature from his humanity Sixtly that they are not of the same nature and substance Seaventhly that their properties are not the same the one being finite and the other infinite So that this is it which they say that the 2 natures which were vnited in Christ remaine after the vnion without mixtion confusion or conuersion in their distinct being of essence and properties but are become one first in the being of subsistence 2 in respect of mutuall inexistence and 3 in communion of mutuall operation in that the one doth nothing without the communion and concurrence of the other And in this sort is that saying of Cyrill to be vnderstood when hee sayth there are not 2 natures in Christ but one nature of the Word incarnate that is the 2 natures vnited are not 2 and distinct but one in subsistence For the nature of man hath no subsistence but that of the Word communicated vnto it in which they are one And so it is expounded in the 8 Canon of the fifth generall Councell Leonardus Bishop of Sidonia reporteth that when hee conferred with the Patriarch of the Iacobites to this purpose hee cleerely accursed Eutyches confounding the natures of God and man in Christ but yet affirmed that they are so vnited that there is one personated nature arising out of 2 natures not personated Professing that they thinke as the Latines doe touching the thing it selfe but differ from them in forme of words more aptly expressing the thing as they suppose Tecla Abissen saith the Aethiopians thinke there is but one nature in Christ. Being asked whether they thinke there is one nature resulting out of the two natures that were vnited Hee answereth that they say no such thing but that they professe simply that there is one nature and that is the diuine nature meaning as it seemeth that the diuine nature onely subsisteth in its owne subsistence and that the humanity is drawne into the vnity of the same Thomas à Iesu reporteth that in the time of Gregorie the 13th there were certaine learned men sent into Aegypt to winne the Christians of those parts to joyne in communion with the Roman Church And that in the yeare 1582 a Synod was holden at Cair where at the third meeting after six houres disputation touching the 2 natures of Christ all with one consent by Gods happy direction decreed as the truth is touching the thing it selfe anathematizing all them that should spoile him of either nature who being God and man receiued his deity from the Father and his humanity from his mother And though the Christians of Aegypt refuse to say there are 2 natures in Christ yet they confesse him to bee God and man Nicetas sayth the Armenians are Monophysits and that Immanuell the Emperour in the yeare 1170 sent Theorianus to conferre with their Catholicke or chiefe Bishop and to reclaime them if it might bee from that heresie The disputation betweene them hee setteth downe at large But Genebrard feareth not to censure him pronouncing that both hee and Theorianus were deceiued if that bee indeede the answere of the Armenian Bishop to the objections of Theorianus as is there put downe For nature beeing sometimes taken for a part sometimes for the whole consisting of the severall parts as in Aristotle sometimes it importeth the whole sometimes the parts of which the whole consisteth the Armenian Bîshop sayd truely the things whereof Christ consisteth are of different nature or difference in nature and that they are but one nature in that they are so joyned put together that they are one in the being of subsistence that one of them inexisteth in the other and either of them hath a communion of operation with the other But hee in no sort imagineth that they are so one as if a compounded nature did arise out of the putting of them together in such sort as the nature of man is a compound nature arising out of the putting together of the soule and body So that these Christians are vnjustly charged with the heresie of the Monophysits aunciently condemned For they imagined that the two natures vnited in Christ are become one in the being of essence and property but these confesse them to remaine distinct in both these respects and to become one onely in respect of the being of subsistence mutuall inexistence and the communion the one hath with the other in action and operation comparing this vnion to that of the iron and fire Neither is it to bee marvailed at that they are thus wronged For as Genebrard noteth the Greekes often thus wrong the orientall Christians laying an imputation of heresie vpon them out of sinister respects So that they are to bee suspected as often as writing of the Syrians Maronits Aetbiopians Persians Indians Georgians Aegyptians they call them Iacobits or Nestorians For they that travell into these parts finde them to bee orthodoxe and right beleeuers differing from other parts of the true Church rather in certaine ceremonies then in substance Hauing thus cleered these Christians from the imputation of heresie vndeservedly layd vpon them let vs proceed more particularly to consider of the specialties of religion professed by them and first of the religion of the Iacobits The Iacobits haue their name from one Iacobus of Syria surnamed Zanzalus liuing about the yeare of our Lord 530. Who amongst others that rejected the Councell of Chalcedon laboured greatly to perswade the people of Syria to refuse the same and taught them to beleeue that the two natures which were vnited in Christ after the vnion are become one not in such sort as Eutiches imagined who confounded them into one but as Dioscorus taught who made them to bee one by adunation without mixtion or confusion That this was his opinion it is evident by his followers Who honour Dioscorus as a Saint and condemne Eutyches as an hereticke These as Leonardus Bishop of Sidonia reporteth are dispersed thoroughout the câ—…ties regions and townes of Syria Mesopotamia and Babylon mixt with other sects and their number is so great that there are fifty thousand families of them They chiefely inhabite in Aleppo of Syria and in Caramit They haue and long haue had a Patriarch of their owne to whom they yeeld obedience For wee reade of the Patriarch of the Iacobits in the time of Heraclius the Emperour This Patriarth resideth in Caramit but the Patriarchicall Church is in the monastery of Zafra without the city Moradin in Mesopotamia They were before the breach subject to the Patriarch of Antioch but when they fell off from other Christians in opinion they departed from the Patriarch that then was and entitled one of their owne making to that honour supposing the other to be in errour and themselues right
the yeare 17 From Easter till Whitsontide they fast not any Friday but freely eate flesh 18 They know not the ember fasts 19 They solemnize not Christmas day on the 25th of December but fast that day and in steede of it keepe the day of the Epiphany as Christ birth day according to an auncient Custome as we may read in Epiphanius and Chrysostom 20 On Saturday before Easter they eate egges and cheese in the euening saying that Christ rose in the euening 21 They eate not of such beasts as are iudged vncleane in the Law 22 They admitt not the Sacrament of auricular confession as it is in the Roman Church neither of confirmation or extreame vnction 23 They deny the supremacy of the Pope Lastly they are charged to deny originall sinne but vniustly as it seemeth seing they teach that the children of infidells not baptized goe to hell with their vnbeleeuing parents Hauing spoken of the Iacobites and Armenians it remayneth that wee come to take a view of the religion and rites of the Cophti and Abyssens or Aethiopians The word Cophti is not a name of sect but of countrie importing no more then an Aegyptian Christian. The particulars of the religion of the Cophti are these First they reject the Councell of Chalcedon they condemne Leo Bishop of Rome they accurse Eutyches and honour Dioscorus and Iacobus Syrus as holy men and touching the incarnation teach as the Iacobites Armenians doe refusing to acknowledge two natures in Christ and yet confessing him to be truely God and truely man and accursing them that spoile him of either nature or deny that they remaine in him distinct and vnconfounded in being and property in sort before expressed Secondly they adde to the Trisagium as the former but in the same sense and without all touch of heresie Thirdly they permit none to baptize but a Priest in what necessity soeuer nor any where else but in the Church nor before the fortieth day Fourthly they dip the baptized into the water after the manner of the Greekes but pronouncing the words as the Latines doe Fiftly they presently anoynt the baptized and minister the Eucharist to them in both kinds They sometimes vsed Circumcision but now haue abrogated that custome at least in Alexandria and Cair happily since the Synod there holden whereof I spake before Sixtly they minister the Sacrament of the Eucharist in both kindes the Priests neuer celebrate without the assistance of the deacons and the subdeacons and these alwayes communicate with the Priest but the saypeople seldome but onely at Easter Seaventhly they consecrate in leavened bread Eightly they neither minister extreame vnction nor the Eucharist to the sicke Ninthly they giue the inferiour holy orders euen to children so soone as they are baptized 10 They acknowledge that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne yet leaue out those words and from the Sonne in the creed 11 They contract marriage in the presence of the Priest and in the face of the Church after the manner of the Roman Church but with more ceremonies 12 They sometimes dissolue marriage and permit a second marriage 13 They admit married Priests 14 They admit not purgatory nor prayer for the dead 15 They reade in the Churches certaine fabulous things as the booke called secreta Petri and the gospell of Nicodemus 16 They deny the supremacy of the Pope and thinke him no lesse subject to errour than other Bishops They condemne the Latine Church as erring in sundry poynts of religion and therevpon refuse to communicate with the Christians of these parts And though Baronius haue a large narration of an embassage sent from the Church of Alexandria to Clement the eight wherein is reported that Marke the Patriarch and with him all the Bishops and people subject to that jurisdiction submitted themselues to the Bishop of Rome as to the head of the Church yet afterwards it was found to be a meere imposture and cousenage as Thomas à Iesu reporteth But Casaubone telleth vs that the Patriarch of Alexandria wrote a most pious letter to the now Lord Archbishop of Canterbury desiring to joyne in communion with the Churches of England c. Which letter vnder his Patriarchicall seale is to bee seene besides another letter to the same purpose from a Bishop of Asia To this Patriarch are subject all the Christians of Aegypt the Christians of Habassia that small remainder of Christians that are found about the Bay of Arabia and in mount Sina Eastward or in Afrique as farre as the greater Syrtes Westward And vnder this jurisdiction the Nubians also were as some thinke before their defection from Christianity Nubia being a part of Habassia which was put vnder the Bishop of Alexandria by the Nicen Councell The number of Christians in Aegypt is greatly diminished For whereas Burchardus reporteth that in his time about 320 yeares since there were found in Cair alone aboue fortie Christian temples now there are but three in Cair and no more in Alexandria And the number of Christians is esteemed to bee about fiftie thousand in that great and populous Countrie But in Habassia almost innumerable For the kingdome of Habassia subject to that great Monarch whom wee by errour call Praester Iohn they Iohn Encoe or Belul is as large in circuit and compasse of ground as Italy Germany France and Spaine but nothing so populous nor without mixture of Mahumetans and Pagans in some parts of it The Habassines haue a Patriarch of their owne whom in their Language they call Abuna that is our father This Patriarch was to haue the seuenth place in sitting in generall Councels next after the Bishop of Seleucia as appeareth by the Arabique Booke of the Nicene Councell translated by Pisanus but hee is subject to the Patriarch of Alexandria and being elected by the Habassine Monkes of S. Antonies order residing at Hierusalem he is consecrated confirmed by him and so sent to Habassia And answereably hereunto in their Liturgie they pray for the Patriarch of Alexandria before their owne Patriarch terming him the Prince of their Archbishops Wherefore let vs descend to take a view of their Religion First touching the Holy Trinity they are orthodoxe professing as we doe Concerning the Incarnation of the Sonne of God they thinke as the Iacobites Armenians and Aegyptians before-mentioned teaching that two natures were vnited in Christ but that after the vnion they are become one not by mixtion conversion confusion or such a composition as that a third should arise and result out of them but by coadvnation only in sort before expressed So that they may be said to be one nature not in the being of essence or propertie which cannot be conceiued without confusion but in respect of the being of subsistence the mutuall inexistence of one of them in another and the Communion of action or operation one of them doing nothing without the other Thirdly they reject the Councell
the time of Tho Aquinas for he saith they did eat nothing in his time on their fasting daies till the 9th houre in which houre Christ gaue vp the ghost 14 they think it not lawfull to carry the Eucharist to them that are sicke 15 Touching marriage they haue these opinions 1 they think the state of marriage is not inferiour to virginity 2 they thinke if the son contract without consent of the father the father may voide the marriage so likewise the father of the wife 3 they think the bond of marriage is dissolued by adulterie that the parties separated may marry again 4 they permit not the father the son to marry with the mother the daughter nor 2 bretheren with 2 sisters 5 they dislike the marriage of widdowes of 60 yeares of age 6 they allow not the 4th marriage whereas Hierom saith non damno bigamos imò nec trigamos ac si dici potest octogamos that is I dare not condemne theÌ„ that marry the 2d 3d or 8th time 16 touching orders 1 they ordain children of 5 or 6 years of age deacons 2 no man is ordained a Priest or deacon amongst theÌ„ except he haue first contracted matrimony that with a virgin not with a widow or woman dishonoured but neither of these is permitted to marry a 2d wife 17 they think it vnlawfull to eat of things strangled or bloud 18 they judge it vnlawfull to fast Saturday or Sunday Lastly they teach that no man entreth into the kingdome of heauen vntill the generall judgement These Maronites are now said to bee joyned in Communion with the Church of Rome since the time of Clemens the eight but how far forth they haue changed either their opinions or their rites and ceremonies it doth not appeare These onely and the Indians of all the Christians of the Orient hold Communion with the Church of Rome Out of all that which hath beene said two things are obseruable First that by the mercifull goodnes of God all these different sortes of Christians though distracted and dissevered by reason of diuersity of ceremonies and outward obseruations different manner of deliuering certaine poynts of faith mistaking one another or variety in opinion touching things not fundamentall doe yet agree in one substance of faith and are so far forth orthodox that they retaine a sauing profession of all diuine verities absolutely necessary to saluation and are all members of the true Catholicke Church of Christ. The second that in all the principall controuersies touching matters of religion betweene the Papists and those of the reformed Churches they giue testimony of the trueth of that wee professe For first they all deny and impugne that supreame vniuersality of ecclesiasticall jurisdiction which the Bishop of Rome claimeth Secondly they thinke him subject to errour as all other Bishops are Thirdly they deny that hee hath any power to dispose the principalities and kingdomes of the world or depose kings Fourthly they acknowledge all our righteousnesse to be imperfect and that it is not safe to trust therevnto but to the meere mercy and goodnesse of God Fiftly they admit not the merit of congruence condignitie nor works of supererogation Sixtly they teach not the doctrine of satisfactions as the Romanists do 7 They beleeue not Purgatorie neither pray to deliuer men out of temporall punishments after this life 8 They reject the doctrine of the Romanists touching indulgences and pardons 9 They beleeue not there are seaven Sacraments 10 They omit many ceremonies in baptisme which the Roman Church vseth as spittle c. 11. They haue no priuate masses 12 They minister the communion in both kindes to all communicants 13 They beleeue not transubstantiation nor the new reall sacrificing of Christ. 14 They haue the diuine service in the vulgar tongue 15 Their priests are married and though they permit them not to marry a second wife without speciall dispensation yet if any doe they doe not voyde nor dissolue the marriage 16 They make no image of God 17 They haue no massie images but pictures onely 18 They thinke that properly God onely is to be invocated and howsoeuer they haue a kinde of invocation of Saints yet they thinke that God only heareth them and not the Saints CHAP. 2. Of the harsh and vnaduised censure of the Romanistes condemning all these Churches as Schismaticall and hereticall ALL these Churches societies of Christians in number many in extent large in multitudes of men and people huge and great in continuance most auncient in defence of the Christian faith constant and vndaunted though enduring the malice and force of cruell bloody potent enemies the Bishop of Rome with his adherents judgeth to be hereticks or at least Schismaticks consequently to haue no hope of eternall saluation for that it is on the perill of euerlasting damnation imposed vpon euery soule to bow do reuerence at the sight of his triple crowne to kisse his sacred feet to beleeue nothing more nor longer then his holinesse shall decree define And therefore the most part of the Christian world is plunged into hell abandoned into vtter darkenes reserued in chaines vnto the judgment of the last day euer since that schismaticall acte of the base ignoble contemptible Councel of 600 Bishops assembled at Chalcedon who forgetting themselues presumed to equall another B. to the peerelesse and incomparable Vicar of Christ his Vicegerent generall on earth in comparison of whose greatnesse all other Episcopall and Patriarchicall dignity regall or Imperiall maiestie is no more then the light of a candle at midday when the sunne shineth in strength But because wee haue not receiued the marke of this Antichrist and child of perdition in our foreheades nor sworne to take the foame of his impure mouth and froath of his words of blasphemie wherein hee extolleth himselfe aboue all that is named God for oracles and infallible certainty and the rule of our faith Let vs therefore see what that heresie schisme is that cutteth of from the company of right beleeuers in such sort that whosoever is convinced of it is thereby clearely without all hope of eternall life CHAP. 3. Of the nature of heresie of the diuerse kinds of things wherein men erre and what pertinacie it is that maketh an heritique HEresie is not every errour but errour in matter of faith nor every eâ—…ror in matter of faith For neither Iewes nor Pagans are said to bee heritickes though they erre most damnably in those things which every one that will be saued must beleeue and with all the malice fury and rage that can be imagined impugne the Christian faith and verity but it is the errour of such as by some kind of profession haue beene Christians so that only such as by profession being Christians depart from the trueth of Christian religion are named heritickes These are of two sorts For there are haeretici scientes and there are haeretici
nescientes that is there are some that are wittingly heretikes some vnwittingly For though no man do or can wittingly erre or be deceiued yet a man may wittingly be an heriticke and though no man thinke that to be true which he knoweth to be false or that to be false which he knoweth to be true which were wittingly to erre yet a man may forsake that which he knoweth to be the profession of Christians iudge it erronious false and impious choose some other kind of religion which is wittingly to be an heriticke Such are Apostates which depart from that which they know to be the Christian faith Heretickes vnwittingly are such as thinke that they do most firmely cleaue to the doctrine of Christ his blessed Apostles and holy Church and will not be induced to thinke the whole profession of Christians to be false and erronious as do Apostates yet doe erre in many particulars that pertaine to the faith and thinke that to be the onely true Christian profession which indeede is not as did the Marcionites Manichees and the rest of that sort The things that pertaine to the Christian faith and religion are of two sorts for there are some things explicitè some things implicite credenda that is there are some things that must be particularly and expressly knowne and beleeued as that the father is God the sonne is God and the holy Ghost God and that yet they are not three Gods but one God And some other which though all men at all times be not bound vpon the perill of damnation to know and beleeue expressely yet whosoever will be saued must beleeue them at least implicitè in generality as that IOSEPH MARIE IESVSâ—…edde â—…edde into Egypt Men are bound to know and beleeue things particularly and expressely either in respect of their office and standing in the Church of God in which consideration the pastors guides of the Church who are to teach others are bound to know many things which others of more private condition are not or else for that they are particularly offered to their consideration and so a Lay-man finding it written in the Scripture that Onesimus was a fugitiue seruant and recommended to Philemon his master by Paul is bound particularly to beleeue it which a great Bishop not obseruing or not remembring is not or lastly because they doe essentially and directly concerne the matter of our saluation Hee that erreth in those things which euery one is bound particularly to beleeue because they doe essentially and directly concerne the matter of our salvation is without any farther enquirie to bee pronounced an Hereticke Neither neede we to aske whether he joyne obstinacie to his errour for the very errour it selfe is damnable as if a man shall deny Christ to be the Son of GOD coessentiall coequall and coeternall with his Father or that we haue remission of sinnes by the effusion of his bloud But other things that doe not so neerely and directly touch the substance of Christian faith and which a man is not bound vpon the perill of damnation expressely to know and beleeue but it sufficeth if he beleeue them implicité and in praeparatione animi that is if he carry a minde prepared and ready to yeeld assent vnto them if once it shall appeare that they are included in and by necessarie consequence to be deduced from those things which expressely he doth and must beleeue as that Moses saw the promised land but entred not into it or that the Queene of the South came from the vttermost endes of the world to heare the wisedome of Salomon A man may bee ignorant of and bee deceiued in them and yet without all touch of heresie or perill of damnation vnlesse hee adde pertinacie vnto errour Neither doth euery pertinacie joyned with errours in this kinde make them Heresies For all they are in some degree to bee judged pertinacious that neglect the censure and judgment of them whom they should reverence and regard and stand in defence of those errours which if they had vsed that carefull diligence which they should in searching out the truth they had not fallen into but that onely when men erring in things of this kinde they are so strongly carried with the streames of misperswasion that rather than they will alter their opinion or disclaime their error they will deny some part of that which euery one that will be saued must know and beleeue So in the beginning Nestorius did not erre touching the vnitie of Christs person in the diuersitie of the natures of GOD and man but only disliked that Mary should be called the Mother of GOD which forme of speaking when some demonstrated to be very fitting and vnavoidable if Christ were GOD and Man in the vnitie of the same person he chose rather to deny the vnitie of Christs person then to acknowledge his temeritie and rashnesse in reprouing that forme of speech which the vse of the Church had anciently receiued and allowed CHAP. 4. Of those things which euery one is bound expressely to know and beleeue and wherein no man can erre without note of heresie SEeing then the things which Christian men are bound to beleeue are of so different sort and kinde let vs see which are those that doe so neerely touch the very life and being of the Christian faith and religion that euery one is bound particularly and expressely to know and beleeue them vpon perill of eternall damnation They may most aptly be reduced to these principal â—…heads First concerning God whom to know is eternall life wee must beleeue and acknowledge the vnity of an infinite incomprehensible and eternall essence full of righteousnesse goodnesse mercie and trueth The trinitie of persons subsisting in the same essence the Father Sonne and holy Ghost coessentiall coeternall and coequall the Father not created nor begotten the Sonne not created but begotten the holy Ghost not created nor begotten but proceeding Secondly wee must know and beleeue that God made all things of nothing that in them hee might manîfest his wisedome power and goodnesse that hee made men and Angels capable of supernaturall blessednesse consisting in the vision and enjoying of himselfe that hee gaue them abilities to attaine therevnto and lawes to guide them in the wayes that leade vnto it that nothing was made euill in the beginning that all euill entred into the world by the voluntary aversion of men and Angels from God their Creator that the sinne of Angels was not generall but that some fell and others continued in their first estate that the sinne of those Angels that fell is irremissible and their fall irrecouerable that these are become diuels and spirits of errour seeking the destruction of the sonnes of men that by the misperswasion of these lying spirits the first man that euer was in the world fell from God by sinfull disobedience and apostasie that the sinne of the first man is deriued to all his
of him in these senselesse fooleries CHAP. 18. Of the Fathers strictnes in admitting men into the ministerie of single life and of their seuerity in the discipline of repentance THat which followeth is altogether of the same kinde Calvin saith the Fathers were too seuere in that they required more in them that were to be ordained to serue in the holy ministery of the Church than the blessed Apostle Saint Paule doth require Therefore saith Bellarmine hee dissenteth from all Antiquity and confesseth the Romish doctrine and practice to bee most auncient This consequence is very weake For the Romanists retaine nothing of that auncient seuerity but breake all the Canons of discipline that the Fathers obserued by their ordinary dispensations or rather dissipations of all order and neglect of all rules of orderly government For where is that Canon obserued that no man attaine to the order and degree of a Presbiter till he be thirty yeares of age that no man bee ordained loosely or at randome but to bee imployed in some certaine charge of ministery that one man haue no title interest and liuing in two Churches whereas in the Church of Rome one man hath two hundred or three hundred ecclesiasticall liuings that men ambitiously and couetously goe not from one Church because it is meaner to another because it is greater Caluin therefore was not so ignorant as to thinke the Romanists to bee too seuere in the obseruation of discipline and therein to be like the primitiue Fathers hee saith therefore the cleane contrary to that which Bellarmine imputeth vnto him that in the choise of such as were to be admitted into the holy Ministery the Fathers of the Primitiue Church followed the prescription of Saint Paule and the examples of the blessed Apostles that they proceeded therein with very great and religious reuerence and inuocation of the name of God that they had a set forme of triall and examination according to which they made inquirie both into the life and doctrine of them that were to be chosen but that contrariwise in the Church of Rome there haue beene very few found to bee chosen for the space of an hundred yeares last past that the old Canons reiect not as wholly vnworthy of ecclesiasticall honour imployment as Drunkardes Adulterers Sodomites and the like Monsters to passe by lesse matters as that boyes of tenne yeares of age by the Popes dispensations haue beene admitted to Bishoprickes The Church of Rome then by her pactise condemneth the whole course of proceeding in former times which Caluin reuerenceth as most religious and wisheth that things were brought backe to that auncient order againe Onely he saith that the Fathers of those times may seeme a little to haue exceeded in too much seuerity in that they required more things in them that were to bee elected then the blessed Apostle Saint Paul doth This censure neede not seeme so strange vnto vs if wee remember that such as had beene baptized by heretickes or when they were in feare and danger of death which were named Clinici in those times might not vnlesse their conuersation learning and deserts afterwards were very highly approoued be admitted into the ministery that he which had married a widow though he were now free she being dead might not enter into the degree and order of Ministery that hee which had one wife yea though it were before hee became a Christian or were baptized and after his being a Christian his first wife beeing dead married another was iudged vncapable of Ministeriall order against which Ierome declaimeth in his Epistle to Oceanus Behold sayth he Men suppose Adulteries whoredomes Incests Sodomitries Paricides impieties against God and whatsoeuer things are so wicked that they are not to be named are washed away in Baptisme and that after all these horrible crimes a man may bee admitted to the Ministery as being washed from them in the lauer of new birth but if a man had a wife before which was no crime and after his Baptisme shee being dead marry another he may not Thus saith he these hypocrites for so in the heate of his passion he calles them doe straine at a gnat and swallow a Camell For this Ruffinus challengeth him as a contemner of the constitutions and decrees of the Fathers though he shew that innumerable not onely Presbyters but Bishops were in all the parts of the world admitted contrary to the prescript of these pretended Canons That which Calvine addeth that in processe of time they forbade marriage and forced all them that would enter into the holy Ministery to liue single was neuer generall nor in one sort In the Councell of Nice Paphnutius disswaded the Bishops from putting those of the Clergie from the matrimoniall societie of their wiues affirming that marriage is honourable among all men and the bed vndefiled and that the forcing of single life would bring many euils into the Church This Counsell and perswasion of Paphnutius was not onely yeelded vnto by the Fathers of that Councell but in the sixt generall Councell the Fathers there assembled condemned the practice of the Romane Church in forbidding marriage not onely as hard iniurious and being an occasion of many euils but as contrary to the Canons of the Apostles of Christ from whence it is that all the Churches of the world the Church of Rome onely excepted admit married men continuing in the state of marriage into the holy ministery as the Churches of Armenia Graecia Syria Aethiopia Russia and whatsoeuer Christians there are in any part of the world How long it was before this decree of forced single life prevailed in the Latine Church and what resistance there was made against Pope Hildebrand for the same by the whole Cleargie of Christendome calling him heretike monster and enemie of mankinde author of all mischiefe impurity and confusion the histories of those times report affirming that vpon the publishing of that his decree there followed such disturbance of the peace of the Church such confusions indignities contempts and profanations of all holy things as that the Church was neuer so grievously and daungerously afflicted in any of her most bloody persecutions vnder the Heathen Emperours nor in her greatest conflicts with heretickes What good successe this decree had after it prevailed and what a pure and holy Clergie it represented to the world let Gerson report who acknowledgeth that the places of holy Ministery were possessed by adulterers wantons Sodomites and such like monsters that the number of the offenders in this kinde was so great as that there was no proceeding against them that the canons against Concubinaries notorioussie so knowne requiring all men to refraine from communicating with them could not now bee continued that it were best to permit them to keepe harlots fot the avoyding of greater euils and to tolerate their wickednesse in that kinde as the stewes are permitted Thus then I hope it
doth appeare to be true that Calvin saith that they did ill deserue of the Church that forced her Ministers to single life and that the speech of Pope Pius the second was most true that what reason soeuer they had that forbade marriage in former times there were more reason in our times to leaue it free againe Now let vs proceed to consider his next exception against Caluine in proposing whereof he reasoneth thus Caluine thinketh that all the Fathers were of opinion that after the remission of sinne men must suffer the punishment their sinnes deserue to satisfie Gods Iustice and that therefore they were so seuere in imposing penance on them that had offended but this is the opinion of the Romanists which Caluine so much disliketh therefore hee confesseth the doctrine of the Romanists to haue beene the doctrine of all the Fathers The Maior or first proposition of this reason is a most vile calumniation for Caluine denieth that the Fathers were of that opinion the Romanists are of touching the punishments of sinne after remission of them as hath beene sufficiently cleared already Neither doth hee dislike the Fathers severity vpon that ground for then he should condemne their imposing of penance absolutely as a thing wholy vnlawfull which he doth not but most highly commendeth it onely whereas the end of these penitentiall corrections was and is to remooue and take away ill examples to provide that neither Gods name be blasphemed nor others provoked and incouraged to do euill by seeing them that offend to escape without condigne punishment and that the sinner may be brought to a right sense knowledge dislike and forsaking of his sinne when it appeareth that the sinner is truely penitent and carefully indeavoureth to satisfie the Church which was scandalized by him there must be great consideration had least he be swallowed vp with ouermuch heauinesse and so fall into desperation In this respect Caluine thinketh those courses of auncient discipline in putting men from the communion of the Church for the space of three foure or seaven yeares and sometimes for the whole time of their life to haue beene very daungerous vnlesse they were wisely moderated by the discretion of the Pastours as he confesseth they were without which moderation who doth not see they were carnificina conscientiarum a cruell bloody and mercilesse tormenting and murthering of the soules of men Now as the severity of the Primitiue Fathers was very great in the prescription of these Canons yet mixed tempered and sweetened with good moderation in the execution of them and therefore not to be disliked so their extreame seuerity towards those that fell after penitencie whom they eiected and cast out of the Church without hope of a second reconciliation cannot well be excused This denying of reconciliation to such as fell after they had once before done open and publique penance the Papists restraine to solemne penitencie which they distinguish from publike and open as being imposed for sinnes of the highest nature otherwise confessing that the Fathers seuerity connot be excused But this distinction of publike and solemne penitency is a meere devise of their owne without any ground of authority or shew of proofe For how doth Bellarmine proue the difference of these two kinds of penitencie Surely he saith solemne penitencie is imposed onely for the most greeuous crimes publike for those that are not so grieuous but proueth it not Further hee addeth that solemne penitencie could not be twise imposed publike might and they that had done it bee admitted into the Clergie that solemne penitencie could not be imposed vpon married folkes without consent nor vpon yong folkes publike might that none but Bishops might reconcile those that were enjoyned solemn penitencie but those that had beene enioyned publike penitencie others of meaner conditiō might absolue These fained distinctions of theirs betweene solemne publike penitencie haue no testimonie of Antiquitie but it is cleare and euident they were all one and therefore seeing they mislike the denying of reconciliation generally to such as fell after publike penitencie they cannot justifie the Fathers who did so deny it CHAP. 19. Of the Lent fast of Lay-mens Baptisme and of the sacrifice of the Masse THe next allegation is touching the Lent fast wherein as in the former Caluin is charged to condemne the iudgement and practice of all antiquitie That the falsehood of this allegation may the better appeare wee will lay downe what Caluin liketh or disliketh in the matter offasting in generall and particularly in the sette Fast of fortie dayes aunciently obserued in the Church before the ioyfull solemnities of the resurrection of Christ. First therefore he acknowledgeth the vse and necessity of fasting to be continued amongst Christians to the end of the world as well as formerly it was amongst the Iewes Secondly hee sheweth that fasting is not a thing that God requireth in respect of it selfe but respectiuely to certaine ends and as seruing to expresse and set forward the inward affections of the heart Thirdly he sheweth what those ends are namely to tame the flesh to giue a greater edge vnto our prayers to testifie expresse and set forward what may be our dislike of sinne and of our selues for sinne to testifie our humiliation and dolour proceeding from the fearefull apprehension of Gods displeasure to make it appeare we take no pleasure in any thing till God be reconciled to vs to amerce and punish our selues for our manifold abuses of Gods good creatures and lastly to shew that in holy meditations and contemplations we foretaste the sweetenesse of that heauenly Manna which maketh vs for a time to forebeare to taste of any sweetenesse of corporall meates thereby shewing the excellencie of that spirituall life which we shall liue in heauen without any of these outward nourishments beeing filled with the happy fruition vision and enioying of him that is the fountaine of life The faults hee findeth are when men seuer this outward exercise from the inward affection when they thinke it a thing for it selfe respected and coommanded by almighty God and a matter of rare and speciall vertue merit in it owne nature The Fathers hee confesseth did rightly and truely deliuer the nature of religious fasting yet so that by their exceeding great admiration and commendation of it they may seeme to haue giuen some occasion of that erronious perswasion that it is in it selfe highly pleasing to God This sayth Calvine I doe the rather thinke for that there was and appeared superstition euen in their times in the obseruing of that principall fast of fortie dayes in that both the common people thought the keeping thereof in it owne nature a thing highly pleasing God whereas no fast is accepted but respectiuely to the ends aboue mentioned and the Fathers commended it vnder the name of an Imitation of Christ whereas it is plaine that Christ did not fast principally for that end that wee
incest of Lot therefore hee is like the Manichees that thought the old Testament was from an euill beginning Surely there is neither good beginning nor ending to be found in the writings of this slaunderous Iesuite CHAP. 28 Of the heresies of the Donatists THe next heresie imputed vnto vs is that of the Donatists who denied those societies of Christians to be the Churches of God wherein wicked men are tolerated and the rules of discipline are not obserued and thought that the Church whose communion we must hold doth consist onely of the good and elect people of God Touching the first part of this imputation wee disclaime it as most vniust iniurious For as I haue shewed in the first part wee confesse that wicked and godles men are oftentimes tolerated in the true Church of God either through the negligence of the guides thereof or vpon due consideration of the scandals and euils that would follow if they should bee eiected and cast out by reason of their greatnesse power or number Touching the second part in what sense onely the good and elect people of God are of the Church and how and in what degree hypocrites wicked men and reprobates while they hould the profession of the trueth may be said to be of the Church I haue likewise cleared in the first part But sayth Bellarmine the Donatists thought the Church to bee only in Africa the Protestants think it to be onely in the Northerne parts of the world and therefore they are not farre from Donatisme Surely as farre as hee is from any honest and sincere meaning For none of the Protestants haue any such conceit as to thinke the Church of God so straightned as that it should be no where found but in the Northerne parts of the world where themselues do liue But the Romanists may muchmore iustly be charged with Donatisme who denie all the societies of Christians in the world wherein the Popes feete are not kissed and his words holden for infallible Oracles to pertaine to the true Church of God who acknowledge no true Churches of Christ but their owne conuenticles soe casting into hell all the Christians of Aethiopia Syria Armenia Graecia and Russia for that they stand diuided from the communion of the Church of Rome Which vnchristian censure wee are farre from thinking that all those societies of Christians notwithstanding their manifold defects and imperfections bee and continue parts and limmes of the true and Catholike Church of God Lastly he sayth the Donatists committed many outrages against true Catholike Bishops spoyled the Churches of God prophaned the holy things they found in them But what can hee conclude from hence against vs With which of these impieties can he charge vs Our blood hath bin spilt by them like water in the streets our bodies tormented and consumed with fire and sword and all this by the procurement of the Antichristian Bishops sworne enemies of Christ and vassals of Antichrist Yet haue wee hurt none of them but in patience possessed our soules knowing that our judgement is with God and that when he maketh inquirie for blood hee will finde out all their barbarous actes of cruelty which they haue done against vs. Wee haue prophaned nothing that is holy wee haue remooued and abolished nothing but the monuments of grosse idolatry and therefore we are not to be compared to the Donatists If in any place in popular tumults or confusions of warre whereof euer the Romanists haue beene the causes there haue beene any thing done in furie that was not fit we cannot excuse it nor could not remedie it CHAP. 29. Of the heresies of Arrius and Aērius THe tenth imputation is of Arrianisme which heresie wee accurse to the pit of hell with all the vile calumniations of damned slaunderers that charge vs with it Neither did euer any of our men incline vnto it or giue any occasion of so execrable an heresie Touching traditions which Bella◅mine sayth the Arrians did refuse they were not blamed for denying vnwritten verities For I hope the Romanists will not disaduantage the Catholike cause so much as to confesse that the Godhead of Christ which was the thing the Arrians denyed cannot be proued by Scripture that the Fathers were forced to flie to vnwritten traditions for proofe of it But they were blamed for that when the thing had proofe enough by Scripture they refused the word Consubstantiall most happily deuised to expresse the trueth against the turnings and sleights of hereticks onely because they found it not in Scripture as if no wordes nor formes of speach might be allowed but those only that are there expressely found The eleuenth is the heresie of Aērius Aērius condemned the custome of the Church in naming the dead at the Altar and offering the sacrifice of the Eucharist that is of thanksgiuing for them He disliked set fasts and would not admit any difference betweene a Bishop and a Presbyter For this his rash and inconsiderate boldnesse and presumption in condemning the vniuersall Church of Christ he was iustly condemned For the practise of the Church at that time was not euill in any of these things neither doe we concurre with Aerius in the reprehension of that Primitiue and auncient Church For howsoeuer we dislike the Popish maner of praying for the dead which is to deliuer them out of their fained Purgatory yet doe we not reprehend the Primitiue Church nor the Pastors and guides of it for naming them in their publike prayers thereby to nourish their hope of the resurrection and to expresse their longing desires of the consummation of their owne their happinesse that are gone before them in the faith of Christ. If any of the Fathers did doubtfully extend the prayers then vsed further than they were originally or generally intended or meant it was not to be imputed to the whole Church Of our allowance of set fastes I haue spoken before and of the difference betweene a Bishop and a Presbyter I shall haue a fit occasion to speake in examining the note of succession and the exceptions of the Romanists against vs touching the same If it be sayd that sundry of our Diuines seeme to acquite Aerius in these poynts they are to bee conceived as vnderstanding his reprehension to haue touched the errors and superstitions which even then perhaps began in some places and among some men to grow into practises doctrines of the Church which were not euill nor erroneous For otherwise his reprehension if it be vnderstood to extend to the generall practise and judgement of the Church is not nor may not be justified CHAP. 30. Of the heresies of Iovinian THe twelfth heresie imputed to vs is the heresie of Iovinian concerning whom we must obserue that Augustine ascribeth vnto him two opinions which Hierome mentioneth not who yet was not likely to spare him if he might truely haue beene charged with them The first that Mary ceased to be a virgine when
people that adhered to the Catholique verity who haue power to choose their Pastour to admitte the worthy and refuse the vnworthy did forsake the former that were wolues and not Pastours and submitted themselues to those of a better spirit Of the three first kindes of voidance there can bee no question of this fourth there may and therefore I will proue it by sufficient authoritie and strength of reason Cyprian Cecilius Polycarpus and other Bishoppes writing to the Cleargie and people of the Churches in Spaine whereof Basilides and Martialis were Bishoppes who fell in time of persecution denyed the fayth defiled themselues with Idolatry perswade them to separate themselues from those Bishoppes assuring them that the people beeing holy religious fearing God and obeying his lawes may and ought to separate themselues from impious and wicked Bishoppes and not to communicate with them in the matters of Gods service quando ipsa plebs maximè habeat potestatem vel eligendi dignos sacerdotes vel indignos recusandi that is seeing the people hath authority to choose the worthy and to refuse the vnworthy And Occam to the same purpose sayth on this sorte Si Papa maximè celebres episcopi incidant in haeresin ad Catholicos deuoluta est potestas omnis iudicandi If the Pope the principall Bishoppes of the Christian world doe fall into heresie the power of all Ecclesiasticall iudgement is deuolued to the inferiour Cleargie and people remaining Catholique This opinion of Cyprian and the rest if our aduersaries shall dislike or except against may easily be confirmed by demonstration of reason For if it do fall out that the Bishoppes and a great part of the people fall into errour heresie and superstition I thinke our aduersaries will not deny but that the rest are bound to maintaine and vphold the auncient veritie who being not so many nor so mighty as to bee able to eiect those wicked ones by a formall course of iudiciall proceeding what other thing is there left vnto them but either to consent to their impieties which they may not doe or to seperate themselues which is the thing our aduersaries except against in the people of our time Now hauing separated themselues from their former supposed and pretended Pastours what remaineth but that they make choise of new to bee ordained and set ouer them if not by the concurrence of such and so many as the strictnesse of the Canon doth ordinarily require to concurre in ordinations yet by such as in cases of necessity by all rules of equity are warranted to performe the same CHAP. 40. Of Succession and the proofe of the trueth of their doctrine by it THus hauing examined the allegation of the Papists endeuouring to prooue against vs that wee haue not the true Church amongst vs because as they falsely suppose wee lacke the visible Succession of Pastours and Bishops let vs see what they can conclude from this note of Succession for themselues In this part Bellarmine sheweth himselfe to be a notable trifler For first hee sayth that if there bee no Church where there is no succession then where there is succession continued the true Church doth remaine still Secondly being pressed with the example of the Graecians amongst whom a continuall succession of Bishops hath euer beene found hee answereth that succession doth not proue affirmatiuely that to bee the true Church where it is found but negatiuely that not to bee the true Church where it is wanting contrary to himselfe who requireth in the notes of the Church amongst which he reckoneth succession to be one of the prinpall that they be not only inseparable without which the true Church cannot bee but proper also and such as cannot be found in any other society but that which is the true Church of God Thirdly againe forgetting himselfe hee maketh succession proper to the true Church and such a note as may proue all those societies of Christians true Churches which haue it disliketh Calvin for saying that more is required to finde out the true Church than personall succession and that the Fathers did not demonstrate the Church barely by personall succession but by shewing that they that succeeded held the faith of those that went before them Thus he sheweth plainely that he knoweth not what he writeth This matter of succession Stapleton hath much more aptly delivered than Bellarmine confessing that not bare and personall succession but lawfull succession is a note of the true Church And defineth that to be lawfull succession when not only the latter succeede into the voide roomes of those that went before them being lawfully called therevnto but also hold the faith their predecessours did In this sort the Fathers were wont to reason from succession in the controuersies of Religion First they reckoned vp the successions of Bishops from the Apostles times then shewed that none of them taught any such thing as was then called in question but the contrary and consequently that the Apostles deliuered no such thing but the contrary To Bellarmines disiunction that either the Fathers made it appeare to Catholickes or to Heretickes that the succeeding Bishops held the same faith the former did we answere They made it appeare to both For so doth Irenaeus proue the tradition of the Apostles to be for him and against the Heretickes he refuteth because he can number all the Bishops in the principall Churches from the Apostles times downeward none of which euer taught any such thing as those heretiques dreamed but the contrary That which Bellarmine addeth that if it had appeared to heretiques that the true faith had beene kept by succeeding Bishops they would haue yeelded to it is as little to the purpose as the rest For we do not say it did apeare vnto them they held the truth but that they held the same faith their predecessours held Now though the Fathers made this appeare vnto them yet they feared not to oppose themselues as the same Irenaeus witnesseth affirming that when it was prooued against the heretiques of those times that in the succession of Bishoppes those that succeeded held the same faith the former did without any alteration and consequently the Apostles doctrine was still continued in their Churches they thought themselues wiser then the Apostles thēselues affirming that they mingled the Law and the Gospell together taking exceptions of ignorance and imperfection against them and their doctrine Thus then wee see the Fathers did not reason barely from personall sucession but by shewing affirmatiuely the faith they defended to haue beene receiued by all those Bishops whose succession they vrged against their aduersaries and negatiuely by proouing that none of them euer beleeued any such things as their adversaries dreamed If the Romanists wil dispute against vs in this sort and demonstrate that the Fathers successiuely held those opinions they do and that none of them were of that iudgment in matter of faith that
wee are of wee will most willingly listen vnto them But this they doe not and therefore their talking of the Fathers reasoning from succession when they dare not reason as the fathers did is most vaine and idle CHAP. 41. Of Vnity the kindes of it and that Communion with the Romane Bishoppe is not alwayes a note of true and Catholike profession THe next note of the Church assigned by them is Vnity The Vnity of the Church consisteth principally in three things First in obseruing and holding the Rule of faith once deliuered to the Saints Secondly in the subiection of the people to their Pastours and thirdly in the due connexion of many Pastours and the flockes depending on them among themselues All these kinds and sorts of vnity wee thinke necessarily required in some degree in all those societies of Christians that will demonstrate themselues to bee the true Churches of God and deny not but that vnity in this sort expressed and conceiued is a most apt note of the true Church The papists suppose that besides these kinds and sorts of vnity before expressed there is also required another kind of vnity to the being of the Church namely subiection to and vnion with that visible head which as they thinke Christ hath left in his steade to gouerne the whole body of the Church and to rule both Pastors and people This head as they suppose is the Bishoppe of Rome from whose communion sith wee are fallen they inferre that wee are diuided from the vnity of the true Church This last kinde of vnity deuised by the Papists wee deny to bee necessarily required to the beeing of the true Church First therefore let vs see what may bee said for or against the necessity of this kinde of vnitie and in the next place consider what our aduersaries can conclude for themselues or against vs from that kind of vnity which wee acknowledge to be necessarily required to the being of the true Church If the vnion of all Christians with this supposed visible head which is the Bishop of Rome were necessarily required as a perpetuall dutie then was there no true Church in the time of the Anti-Popes when the wisest knew not who were the true Popes and who were vsurpers If they shall reply that it is necessary to hold Communion with the true if hee may bee knowne this hath no more warrant of reason than the former seeing the best learned amongst thēselues thinke that not only the Pope but also the whole cleargy people of Rome may erre and fall into damnable heresies in which case it is the part of euery true Christian to disclaime all communion with them and to oppose himselfe against them and all their hereticall impieties That it is possible for the Pope to erre and become an heretique so many great Divines in the Church of Rome haue at all times most constantly defended that the greatest patrons of the infallibility of the Popes judgement at this day are forced to confesse it is not necessary to beleeue that the Pope cannot erre but that it is onely a matter of probable dispute Thus then it is evident to all that will not wilfully oppose themselues against the truth that consent with the Romane Bishoppe cannot bee made a perpetuall and sure note of the true Church Nay the Grecians most constantly affirme that the Popes taking all to himselfe and challenging to bee head of the vniversall Church hath beene the cause of the Churches division But because Bellarmine is so excellent a Sophister that he is able to proue any thing to bee true though neuer so false and absurde Let vs see how hee proueth that consent with the Bishop of Rome is a note of the true Church in such sorte that whosoeuer holdeth Communion with him is a Catholike and contrarily whosoeuer forsaketh his Communion is an Heretique or Schismatique This hee endeavoureth to make good by the testimonies of sundry of the auncient Fathers wrested against their knowne meanings and vndoubted resolutions in other parts of their workes and writings His first allegation is out of Irenaeus in his third booke and third Chapter against heresies But if wee consider the circumstances of the place and the occasion of the wordes ci◅d by Bellarmine wee shall easily see they proue no such thing as hee laboureth to enforce For Irenaeus in that place sheweth how all heresies may bee refuted by opposing against them the tradition of the Apostles which hee saith wee may easily finde out and discerne how contrary it is to the franticke conceites of heretiques by taking a view of them which were ordained Bishoppes by the Apostles in the Churches of Christ and their successours to this present time which neuer taught nor knew any such thing as these men dreame Now because it would bee tedious to reckon all the successions of Bishoppes succeeding one another in euery Church therefore he produceth the succession of the Bishops in the Romane Church in steede of all because that being the most famous and renowned Church of the world constituted and founded by the two most principall and glorious Apostles Peter and Paul whatsoeuer was successiuely taught and receiued in that Church and consequently deliuered vnto it by those blessed Apostles must needes be the doctrine and tradition of the rest of the Apostles deliuered to all other Churches of the World For what was there hidden from these Apostles that was revealed vnto any of the rest and what would they hide from this principall Church that was any way necessary to bee knowne Therefore saith Irenaeus the producing of the Romane succession is in stead of all For it must needes bee that what this most principall Church receiued from these great Apostles that nothing else the other did receiue from their Apostles first preachers which he expresseth in these words Ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potentiorē principalitatē necesse est omnem convenire Ecclesiā hoc est cos qui sunt vndique fideles Bellarmines sense of these words that all Churches must frame themselues to beleeue what the Church of Rome beleeueth and prescribeth to others to bee beleeued no way standeth with the drift of Irenaeus in this place as may appeare by that which hath beene sayd and therefore this allegation might haue beene spared His next authorities are out of Cyprians Epistles in the first of which Epistles we shall finde that there were certaine Schismatikes that fled from their owne lawfull Bishop and superiours with complaints to other Bishops and Churches and amongst the rest to the Church and Bishop of Rome not knowing sayth Cyprian or at least not considering that the Romanes are such as will not giue entertainement to such perfidious companions nor listen to lying and false reports For that is the meaning of those words Ad quos perfidia non possit habere accessum But Bellarmine wresteth the words to another sense to wit that infidelitie and
errour in faith can neuer finde place among the Romanes as being secured from all possibility and danger of erring So that that which Saint Cyprian speaketh of perfidious dealing that hee interpreteth of infidelity and errour of faith So good construction the Iesuite is wont to make of the wordes of the Fathers But let this suffice for the clearing of the first place alleaged out of Cyprian and let vs proceede to the second the circumstances whereof are as followeth Cornelius was elected and ordayned Bishop of Rome A Schisme grew in that Church about this his election Cyprian though he approoued the election of Cornelius yet did forbeare to write vnto him as Bishop till others also might be satisfied touching the validity of the same at which Cornelius seemed to bee grieued Cyprian sheweth him the reasons that mooued him to doe as he did and withall how carefully to auoide all scandals hee wished all that went to Rome to hold the roote of the true Catholike Church which was on Cornelius part and not to be carried away with the faction of Schismatikes who opposed themselues against their lawfull Bishop and brake the vnitie of the Church How this will proue that all Christian men and Churches must perpetually hold communion with the Roman Church and that this is a note of the true Church I see not There was a diuision in the Romane Church about the election of Cornelius Cornelius in Cyprians judgement was rightly chosenâ—… and so the root and ground of the true Church was with him and his partakers and not with his aduersaries that factiously and Schismatically opposed themselues against him Cyprian wisheth all men to adhere vnto their lawfull Bishop and not to the faction of Schismatikes rent from the roote of the true Churches vnitie Therefore say our aduersaries all Churches must for euer hold communion vpon perill of damnation with the Church of Rome How vveake this consequence is hee is very vveake in vnderstanding that doeth not see But howsoeuer surely Cyprian is very vnaduisedly alledged to this purpose vvho peremptorily standeth vpon it that every Bishop ought to haue his liberty of judgement as being accomptable onely vnto God and that no Bishop should make himselfe a judge of another Who dissenteth from Stephen Bishop of Rome and feareth not to challenge him for pertinacy yea so hot vvas the contention betweene Cyprian and Stephen that Cyprians consorts feared not to charge him vvith heresie and fauouring of heretikes So farre vvere the Bishops of those times from prostrating themselues at the Popes feete and thinking it their duety to submit themselues vpon paine of damnation to all his determinations as his vassals are euery vvhere novv taught to doe The next allegation is out of Ambrose vvho in his funerall oration hee made vpon the death of Satyrus his brother reporteth of him that being desirous to be partaker of the holy mysteries yet before he vvould proceede in an action of that consequence hee called to him the Bishop of the place and asked of him if hee held communion with the Catholike Bishops and because he should not mistake him whether he held communion with the Bishop of Rome who at that time both in the trueth of the thing and in the opinion of Satyrus was Catholike and best knowen both to him and the Bishop of whose faith he inquired This was done in the time of the Schisme of the Luciferians as appeareth by the place of Ambrose Now what consequence is this Satyrus asked of the Bishop of whom hee was to receiue the holy mysteries whether hee held communion with the Catholike Church and to avoide all ambiguity expressed what hee meant by asking him whether he agreed with the Romane Church which at that time in his opinion held the true profession therefore the Romane Church can neuer erre As if I being in France or Germany meeting with some Christians of whose faith I doubt should demaund of them whether they hold the true Catholike religion and adde for explication of the meaning of my question whether they hold the profession of the reformed Churches in England and Scotland which at this time I think to bee the true Churches of God doth it follow that I thinke these Churches can neuer erre or fall from the sincerity of the Christian profession or that for euer it must be a note of the sincere professors of the Christian faith to hold communion with these Churches howsoeuer they degenerate The same answere serueth for the places alleaged out of Hierome Optatus Augustine and particularly touching Hierome who knoweth not that he affirmeth directly that Liberius the Bishop of Rome fell into heresie and disliketh the customes of the Romane Church and will not haue that See and the Bishops of it to giue lawes to all Christendome saying Orbis maior est vrbe and that though he say here that Peters chaire is the rocke the Church is builded vpon yet against Iovinian he professeth that super omnes ex aequo ecclesiae fortitudo solidatur The Church is equally founded vpon all the Apostles And in another place A Bishop whether of Rome or of Eugubium is eiusdem meriti eiusdem sacerdotij equall in merit and office howsoeuer riches and the honour of places seeme to make some difference Hierome was a man of a violent spirit and wrote many things that must haue a fauourable construction to make them accord with that which else-where hee hath deliuered Touching Leo who sayth that that which Christ meant should pertaine to the office of all the Apostles was principally yeelded to Peter and from him as from an head deriued to the rest must be vnderstood onely of a principality of order and that he first in time receiued the promise of that which was meant to all to expresse the vnity that must be in all For otherwise it neither standeth with the trueth nor the iudgement of the Fathers that the Apostles receiued their office and authoritie by deriuation from Peter or held it in a subordination vnder him seeing they were all called and constituted immediately by Christ himselfe without any dependance on Peter or receiuing any thing from him as is easie to demonstrate out of Cyprian and the consent of the most auncient Fathers But because these authorities are too weake to prooue the thing intended therefore from these Bellarmine fleeth to experience from whence he thinketh he may fetch a better proofe All Churches of the world sayth he that euer diuided themselues from the fellowship of the Romane Church like boughes broken from a tree and depriued of the nourishment they formerly receiued from the roote did presently wither away and decay The falshood of this saying of Bellarmine is too apparant For the Churches of Greece Armenia Aethiopia and Syria continued a long time after they had forsaken the communion of the Romane Church Yea many of them continue to this day holding
their own ascension and going vp into heauen For though vvhen one substance is turned into another not being before the conuersion but by the conuersion beginning to bee that into vvhich the conuersion is made occupieth and possesseth the place the other held as vvhen Lots wife was conuerted into a pillar of salt the pillar stood in that place where she vvas vvhen shee vvas conuerted yet if one substance should bee changed into another preexistent the conuerted should get the place of that into vvhich it vvere conuerted so that the bread and vvine on the mysticall table being conuerted into the body and bloud of Christ sitting in heauen at the right hand of God should goe vp into heauen and not bring him to the table And yet this vvas the principall reason that moued the authours of Transubstantiation to like better of that than of any other construction of Christs vvords For that they supposed thereby the body of Christ might be made present in the Sacrament without any change of place or locall motion in respect of it selfe Which yet Scotus Occam and the latter Schoolemen doe vtterly reiect So sweetely do these men agree that talke so much of vnity Verily I am perswaded there are more materiall and reall differences amongst them touching this one sacrament then there are appearing differences or controuersies amongst those of our religion touching all points of Religion For is it not so that there are foure opinions touching the presence of Christ in the sacrament and three of them different from Transubstantiation So that notwithstāding the decree of the Laterane Councell many of the wisest and best learned were of opinion that Transubstantiation cannot be deduced from the scripture or the Churches determination Did. not Thomas Aquinas and the rest of that time deny that one body may be locally in more places than one at one time and reiect it as a thing impossible and implying contradiction and doe not the Papistes at this day iudge vs haereticks for being of the same opinion Did they not in Berengarius time thinke that the very body of Christ is torne with teeth and yet without hurt by a strange miracle And was not Berengarius in his recantation forced to say so much yet at this day this conceipt is holden most absurd and foolish Do not some of them say that the body of Christ goeth downe into the stomacke and belly and is eaten of mice and dogges and do not others detest this blasphemous impiety Do not some of them say there are accidents in the Sacraments without substance and do not others affirme that those accidents are inherent in the aire Do not some of them say that when the Priest breaketh that which he holdeth in his hands after consecration it is no true breaking but a deceiuing of the sense Others that hee truely breaketh and yet nothing is broken Others that Christs body is broken and others that the accidents are broken Such a broken religion haue these men deuised that neither the Fathers nor any before Barbarisme had possessed all euer thought of Do not some of them say that Christ in the Sacrament retaineth his owne proportion of parts figure and fashion and do not others say and demonstratiuely proue that if he be in the Sacrament hee hath no distance of parts no figure no fashion nor organicall disposition of body and consequently no life The rest of the infinite mazes that these men turning out of the direct way haue lost themselues in I haue no pleasure to treade out But those fewe examples may suffice to shewe that their whole doctrine is full of vncertainty contrariety and contradiction and doth testifie against it selfe that it is not of God It were easie to shewe that all Popish doctrine is nothing else but a masse of vncertainties and contradictions shewing that they are out of the way that pro◅esse it and know not how to finde either it or themselues If any Papist dare deny this it shall bee proued against him in particulars But they will say notwithstanding all these differences yet they submitte their iudgements to the censure of the Pope and Councell and therefore their diuisions are not daungerous nor hereticall How false and shamelesse this answere is the infinite number of them that haue euer iudged that the Pope may erre and become an Hereticke doth apparantly demonstrate If they shall say that though they dare not relye vpon the infallibility of the popes iudgement yet they rest in the determination of generall Councelles it will bee found that they are as doubtfull touching the authority of Councelles as they are concerning the Pope some saying they are meere humane inuentions others that they are nothing if the Pope confirme them not others that they are though hee refuse to confirme them and others that both may erre some reiecting one Councell and some another as appeareth by the contrarie iudgment of Papists of the Councelles of Constance Basill Pisa and Florence But they will say they all hold that which the Catholike Romane Church doth hold and in other things not yet agreed vppon thinke euery man at his pleasure This is as much as if they should haue sayd that wherein soeuer they all agree they all agree and wherein soeuer they differ each faction doth differ from another and carefully prouideth that nothing shall passe against it by publike consent as appeareth in the matter of Maries conception sundry other things which no Councell durst euer determine for feare of offendinge the contrarie factions dissenting about these things Thus then I hope it appeareth out of that which hath beene spoken that by the note of vnity and diuision the Romanistes are found to bee in errour and not wee What degree of vnity is necessarily required in the true Churches of God and what divisions may be found among the societies of Christians and yet not cause them to cease to be the true Churches of God I haue sufficiently cleared in that part wherein I shewed what is the nature of schisme and heresie CHAP. 43 Of Vniuersalitie THe next note of the Church is vniuersality concerning which many things haue beene spoken in the former part touching the notes of the Church in generall Wherefore passing by those things let vs in this place obserue only these fewe things following First therefore to the Vniuersality of the Church it is required that it extend to all times places and sorts of men Secondly this Vniversality is not found in any one Church limited either in respect of time or place Thirdly from hence it followeth that it is no where found but in that blessed number of Christians that haue beene are and shall bee Fourthly it cannot bee a note of the true Church that is the multitude of men now liuing in the world as being found in it For that multitude is not vniuersall but limited in respect of time being onely the number of them that
devout as to desire to communicate euery Sunday and some other dayes also So that there wanted not of the people in former times that desired to communicate aswell as to be present nor of the guides that encouraged them so to doe and therefore hitherto nothing can be proued against my assertion Wherefore let vs come to the Masse it selfe Amongst all the Sacraments of the Church that is the principall saith Durandus that is celebrated vpon the table of the most holy Altar representing that Feast banquet of the Church wherein the father vpon the returne of his lost sonne caused the fatlings to be slaine setteth out the bread of life the wine which wisedome hath mixed for her friends louers These mysteries this holy Sacrament Christ then instituted when he made his new and last testament disposing to his heires a kingdome as his father had disposed to him that vpon his Table they might eat drinke in his kingdome that which the Church hath consecrated for as they were at supper Iesus tooke bread and when he had giuen thanks blessed it brake it gaue it to his Disciples saying take eat this is my body which shal be giuen for you doe this in the remembrance of me The Apostles following this institution began to celebrate these mysteries for the same end that Christ had expressed keeping the same forme in words and vsing the same matter of bread wine that he did as the Apostle witnesseth to the Corinthians where he saith what I haue receiued of the Lord I haue deliuered vnto you who the same night that hee was betrayed tooke bread c. and added to the forme of wordes vsed by Christ the Lords prayer And S. Peter is said in this sort to haue celebrated first of all in the East parts Wherefore in the beginnings of the Church these mysteries were celebrated in another sort then since they haue bin Afterwards the reading of some parts of sacred scripture particularly of the Epist. Gospell was added Pope Celestinus instituted the introitus other things were added at other times by others Howsoeuer this is certain there were are at this day diuers formes of celebrating this mystery For the formes of the East Churches are different from those of the West it appeareth that aunciently in France Spain sundry parts of Italy they had other formes then now are vsed more like to those of the East which being in some things enlarged and perfitted by S. Ambrose were called the Ambrosian forms of divine seruice These cōtinued till the time of Charles the great For thogh Gregory as Io. Diaconus tels vs taking the forms of celebrating masse which Gelasius had cōposed adding somethings detracting others changing others brought in a new forme which the Church of Rome followed yet the other churches of the west retained the old forms which they had receiued frō their ancesters And to this purpose it is that Berno Augiensis testifieth that amongst the monuments of his Abbey there was found an olde ◅all much different from those of Rome But Charles the great sought to bring the Provinces subiect to his Empire to receiue the Romane forme by threats punishment We read saith Durandus in the life of blessed Eugenius that while the forme of divine seruice which was named the Ambrosian forme was more followed obserued by the Church then that of Gregory Adrian the Pope called a councell in which it was ordered that the Gregorian forme should euerywhere be obserued To the obseruation whereof Charles the Emperour by threats and punishments forced the Cleargie in sundry Provinces burning the olde Ambrosian bookes And further hee addeth that Saint Eugenius comming to a certaine councell called about this businesse finding that the Bishoppes were gone and the councell ended three dayes before his comming induced the Pop◅ to call the Bishoppes backe againe which hee did and the councell being againe renued it was agreed on by common consent that both the missals both that of Saint Ambrose and the other of Saint Gregorie should be layed on the altar of Saint Peter the Apostle that the doores of the Church should be fast locked and sealed with the seale of sundry Bishops and that then they should spend the whole night in prayer beseeching God that he would shew by some signe which of these hee would haue to be obserued in his Church and in the morning entering they found that of Gregory torne in peeces and scattered all ouer the Church the other opened but yet still lying entire and whole on the altar of which accident they made this construction that that of Gregorie was to be vsed euery where thorough the world the other only at Millain in S. Ambroses owne Church and so saith Durand it is vsed vnto this day For by the helpe of Charles the great that of Ambrose was disused in many Churches that other brought in place Onely the Christians of Spaine admitted not this alteration notwithstanding all these endeauours till the time of Gregorie the seauenth what time they were constrained by Alphonsus the sixt to giue way which they did most vnwillingly and not without teares Rodericus reporteth that when this alteration was vrged by the Popes legate and the king there being an assembly of all the states the Clergie Nobilitie and people resisted mainely against it whereupon in the end it was resolued that that matter should be tried by cumbate and one being chosen for the newe and another for defense of the old he that vndertooke the defense of the old preuailed which caused a great reioycing among the people But the king not regarding this triall nor thinking it to bee any sufficient clearing of the matter questioned it was agreed that both the bookes should be cast into the fire that that which should bee preserued in the fire might bee allowed as best which accordingly being done the booke of the old forme came forth vntouched and the other was consumed yet would not the king be perswaded to desist but threatning death and vtter confusion to all gainesayers made this innouation in his Church and kingdome all his subiects weeping and sorrowing and then began the prouerbe Quo volunt reges vadunt leges So that wee see howsoeuer our aduersaries would make the simple beleeue that things were euer as now they are yet there haue beene great alterations in the forme of diuine seruice and it is not to be doubted but that the auncient formes as different from the latter were more pure and sincere then they that are now vsed They that haue diligently looked into the monuments of antiquity sayth Rhenanus vpon Tertullians booke de corona militis do thinke that aunciently the masse began when the priest did say The lord be with you immediately after Lift vp your harts and Let vs giue thankes to our Lord God and againe It is very meete right and our
testimony from their Curates or Confessours that they are humble discreet and devout persons and like to take much good no harme thereby This was the decree of Pius 4 but Clement the 8th in a later edition of the same Index with new additions saith that this power of permitting Lay-men to haue the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue was taken away by the mandate and practise of the Roman Church and of the generall inquisition so that they may not permit any to haue the whole Bible in the vulgar tongue or any parts of the Olde or New Testament or any summaries or epitomies though historicall of the same Bibles and this hee prescribeth to be inviolably kept Thus doth he condemne the practise of all the Churches of God which had the Scriptures translated into vulgar Languages for to what end should they be translated if no man might vse them and together with them his Predecessour Pius the 4th and all the learned Prelates that concurred with him and falleth into the folly or indiscretion which Stapleton condemneth as wee heard before Thus variable and vncertaine are these Romane Bishoppes who yet would bee taken not onely to bee built vpon the Rocke but to be that Rocke vpon which the Church is builded against which the gates of hell cannot prevaile But as Stapleton telleth vs in the place aboue cited There were certaine Catholique and great men and in the margent hee nameth Sir Thomas More who thought it fit as tending to the honour of God and saluation of the people to deliuer vnto them the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue without any restraint leauing it free to all to read them that will for that so many good and godly Christians who would receiue great comfort and be much edified thereby are not to be depriued of that most excellent benefite which they may haue by reading them in respect of few or many vnlearned or vnstable men who depraue the scripture to the perdition of themselues and others as S. Peter saith in his 2 Epistle cap. 32. No more then it had beene fit that Christ the Lord should haue forborne to come and saue others in respect of such wicked ones to whom his comming is a rock of offence a stone to stūble at or that he that is the true light that lighteneth euery man that cōmeth into the world should therefore haue kept him selfe away or not appeared to the world because men loued darkenes more then light And surely if the vulgar free and ordinary reading of the scripture were to be denied and restrained in respect of the wicked who abuse it the scripture must neuer haue bin in the Hebrew Greeke or Latine tongues for all these tongues were vulgar to the Iewes Grecians and Romans This opinion Stapleton confesseth to be probable and godly and yet he disliketh it And yet it is confirmed by the authority of the Fathers who earnestly exhort the people to the reading of the scripture as a thing necessary to saluation Soe doth Chrysostome in sundry places 2 Homily vpon Mathew 3. Homily vppon Lazarus 3. Homily vpon the second to the Thessalonians 28. Homilie vpon Genesis 9. Homilie vpon the Epistle to the Colossians where he sayth the Apostle commandeth secular men that are married to reade the scripture and whereas St Paul to the Colossians 3. hath these words Let the word of Christ dwell plentifully in you in all wisdome teaching and admonishing your selues in Psalmes hymmes and spirituall songs Chrysostome in his ninth Homily and Hierome in his commentaries vpon the same place collect and inferre that the Scriptures are to be reade of Lay men and that by the precept of the Apostle It is therefore vntrue that Stapleion hath that Chrysostome doth not exhort the people to the reading of the scripture as a thing necessary but as fitte and profitable for them that liued idlely in a rich citty thus to occupy them selues as if it had beene onely to keepe them from doing nothing that they were to reade the booke of God Neither is it any better that he hath in answere hereunto that Chrysostome spake not exactly but as a preacher or oratour as if in the pulpit a Preacher might exhort the people with all earnestnesse to that which is not fitte to be done or as if there were not many now adayes that liue idlely in rich cities From the translating of the Scriptures into vulgar tongues and the peoples priuate reading of the same let vs come to speake of the publike liturgy of the Church and the common praiers in the vulgar tongue Here I will first shew what the practice of the Church hath beene and secondly what the opinion of Iudicious men is and hath beene touching this point That in the Primitiue Church they had the seruice in the vulgar tongue it is euident by the testimonies of the auncient For first Origen writing against Celsus and answering that calumniation of them that said Christians vsed certaine barbarous words and names of God in their prayers supposing vertue to be in them more then in Greeke or Latine words or names telleth them there is no such thing but that they that are true and right Christians in their prayers vse not the names of God found in the Scripture written in Hebrew but the Grecians vse greeke words the Latines latine and all pray and praise God in their own tongue he that is the Lord of all tongues heareth thē in what tongue soeuer they pray and vnderstandeth them speaking in so different languages no lesse then if they all vsed one language Bellarmine saith in the time of the Apostles the whole people was wont to answere Amen in the celebration of diuine seruice and not as now by one appointed in their steed For Iustin Martyr testifieth expressely in his 2 apology that the whole people was wont to answere amen when the Priest ended his prayer or thankesgiuing and it is euident that the same vse was continued a long time after both in the East and West as it appeareth by the liturgy of Chrysostome where the things that were to be sayd by the priest deacon and people are distinctly set downe And by Cyprian in his sermon vpon the Lords prayer where he saith the people doe answere we lift them vp vnto the Lord when the priest willeth them to lift vp their harts and by Hierome praefat lib. 2. in epist. ad Galatas who writeth that in the Churches of the city of Rome the people are heard with so loud a voyce sounding out amen as if it were a thundring from heauen Thus farre Bellarmine in his 2 booke de verbo Dei chap. 16 which argueth that they had their seruice in a knowne tongue for otherwise how could they thus haue answered to the seuerall parts of the diuine seruice as they were appointed to do surely the long answeres of the people to the priest in their praiers
of God the Father concerning which things he admonisheth vs sufficiently and manifestly in his first Epistle to the Corinthians requiring vs no otherwise to speake with tongues but soe that wee may edifie the Church Neither is it contrarie to the right faith and sound doctrine to sing masse in the same Slauon tongue or to reade the holy Gospell or the diuine lessons of the old or new Testament rightly translated and interpreted or to sing all other parts of diuine seruice appointed for certaine houres and times because that hee that made 3 principall tongues to wit the Hebrew Greeke and Latine created also all other for to set forth his praise and glory Notwithstanding wee command that in all the Churches of your country the Gospell be first reade for the greater honour in Latine and afterwards the translation into the Slauonian tongue in the hearing of the people that vnderstandeth not Latine as it seemeth the custome is in some Churches and if it seeme good to thee and thy iudges and great men to heare masse rather in Latine wee command that the masse bee celebrated for thy selfe and them in Latine Aenaeas Syluius afterwards Pius the second reporteth that Cyrill hauing brought Suatocopius to become a ChristiaÌ„ to be baptized won the Moraâ—… and sundry other nations of the Slauonians to Christianity afterwards being at Rome besought the Pope that with his good liking hee might say seruice in the Slavonian tongue to the people of that Nation whom he had baptized concerning which thing when there was no little dispute in the sacred Senate and many disliked this motion there was suddainly heard a voice as it had beene from Heauen saying Let euery spirit praise the Lord and let euery tongue confesse vnto him whereupon the Pope yeelded to his motion gaue consent that he should doe as he desired There is no doubt but that there were many crossings in this kinde and that sometimes they had the seruice in one tongue and sometimes in another not onely in diuerse countreyes but euen in the same accordingly as the different factions prevailed Vuratizlaus Duke of the Bohemians desired of Pope Hildebrand that he would giue consent that they might say divine seruice in the Slavon tongue and it seemeth by the Popes answere it had bin so before as in other places so here for he sayth neque ad excusationem iuvat quod quidam religiosi viri hoc quod simplicitèr populus quaerit patienter tulerunt seu incorrectum dimiserunt cum Primitiva Ecclesia multa dissimulaverit quae à sanctis Patribus postmodum firmatâ christianitate religione crescente subtili examinatione correcta sunt That is neither doth it serue to excuse and make good this petition that some religious men patiently endured and suffered that to be done that the people simply desired or that they let it alone vncorrected or altered it not seeing the Primitiue Church was content to winke at diuerse things which the holy Fathers afterwards when Christianity was firmely settled and Religion increased vpon diligent and exact examination thought good to correct and alter Walafridus Strabo testifieth that in his time the divine seruice was still celebrated in the vulgar Germane tongue amongst certaine Scythian Nations especially those that are called Tomitani and that certaine Germans doe inhabite in those parts There was a third sort of people to whom the Gospell was preached that were so rude and vnlettered at the time of their conversion that they knew not how to write any thing in their owne tongue hauing no characters or letters of their owne nor any monuments of antiquity or report of things past but in the Latine tongue these could haue no forme of divine seruice deliuered vnto them at the first in their owne tongue So that happily to some in this case the Booke of God was at first deliuered in Latin to be expounded by such as vnderstood it to them that vnderstood it not not as thinking it best so to haue it in a tongue not vnderstood but because they could not doe otherwise And therefore Iohn the 8th vnderstanding that they of Moravia had an alphabet characters so that they could expresse things in writing commaundeth theÌ„ to haue their seruice in the Slauonian tongue And so in those places where they could not haue the booke of God in the vulgar tongue at the first yet so soone as they had meanes they caused the same to be put into the vulgar And therefore it is reported that Ludovicus the Emperour hauing a great care of Religion and seeking the saluation of his subjects soules whereas till that time the people of Germany that vnderstood nothing but the Theudiscall tongue could not read the Scriptures but the learned onely hauing now met with one Otfridus a learned and holy Monke commaunded him to translate the Old new testament into the German tongue quatenus non solum liteteratis verumetiam illiteratis sacra divinorum praeceptorum lectio panderetur that so the sacred reading of the divine precepts might be made coÌ„mon to the learned vnlearned which worke he took in hand perfected at the Emperors commaund very willingly hauing bin moued admonished from aboue so to doe it was approued by Luidbertus Archbishop of Mentz If the Index of prohibited bookes had beene out which Pius 4. first Clement the 8 t since published to the world the Emperour Archbish. Translator people vsing the translation had incurred grievous censures and had beene branded as Heretickes But this poynt of the new religion of Rome was not then knowen and therefore as they could in all parts of the world they translated the Scriptures into the vulgar tongue Whether the Saxons at the comming of Augustine into England could write any thing in their owne tongue it is much doubted and many thinke they could not so that happily the Bible was not deliuered to them in the vulgar at the first but afterwards when they knew how to write in that tongue it was For as we reade Beda translated a part of it into the Saxon tongue And the same Beda reporteth that before his time there was a certaine brother in the monasterie of the Abbesse Hilda who hauing receiued excellent grace of God was wont to make poems fit to set forward religion pietie so that whatsoeuer he learned by interpreters out of the holy bookes the same things presently after hee would expresse in verse in his owne tongue that is in English most sweetely and so as that he would peirce the hearts of such as heard him and therefore the abbesse commaunded that hee should bee taught the whole series and course of the holy historie that he might expresse the same in his owne tongue and so he did for whatsoeuer by hearing hee could possibly learne he turned into most sweete poems so that his teachers became his hearers for he composed poems
manner of hauing the truth is inferiour vnto it neither are we bound to receiue her doctrines as the sacred Scriptures Besides though the Church taken in this sort be free from errour yet not from ignorance of many things wherein we may be instructed by the scripture So that it is possible for a man to vnderstand the naturall literall sense of some parts of Scripture and from thence some things that were not in such sort knowne and deliuered by any that went before as Andradius and Caietanus do proue at large If the comparison be made betweene the Church consisting of all the belieuers that are and haue beene since Christ appeared in the flesh so including the Apostles and their blessed assistants the Euangelists we deny not but that the Church is of greater authority antiquity and excellencie than the Scripture of the new Testament as the witnesse is better then his testimonie and the Lawgiuer greater then the Lawes made by him as Stapleton alleageth But he is to proue the present Church greater in authority than the Scripture which hee vndertaketh but performeth not His reason that the Scripture was giuen for the good of the Church and that therefore the Church is better than the Scripture proueth not the thing intended For as the people are more excellent in degree of being and nature of things than the lawes that be made for their good yet are the lawes of more authority and must ouer-rule and direct the people so though the Scriptures being but significations declarations and manifestations of diuine truth be not better in degree of things than the Church yet in power of prescribing directing and ouer-ruling our faith they are incomparably greater That which the Rhemists adde to shew the greatnesse of the Church aboue the Scripture because the Church hath judiciall power to determine doubts and controuersies whereof as they suppose the Scripture is not capable I will examine in the next part when I come to speake of the power of judging which the Church hath This errour of the Romanists imagining the authority of the Church to bee greater than the Scripture all the best learned in the Church of Rome euer resisted as Waldensis Occam Gerson and sundry others CHAP. 12. Of their errour who thinke the Church may make new articles of faith VNto this errour is joyned and out of this hath growne another not vnlike that the Church may make new articles of faith which though Stapleton and some other of our time seeme to disclaime yet do they indeede fall into it For the better vnderstanding whereof we must obserue as Occam fitly noteth that an Article of faith is sometimes strictly taken onely for one of those diuine verities which are contained in the creede of the Apostles sometimes generally for any Catholike verity This question is not meant of articles of faith in the first sense but in the second and so the meaning of the question is whether the Church that now is may by her approbation make those assertions and propositions to be Catholike verities that were not before or those hereticall that were not A Catholike vetity is a diuine truth which euery Christian is bound to beleeue The things which Christian men are bound to beleeue are of two sorts and consequently there are two sorts of Catholike verities to wit some so neerely touching the matter of eternall saluation that a man cannot be saued vnlesse hee expressely knowe and beleeue them others farther remooued which if a man beleeue implicitè and in praeparatione animi it sufficeth These must bee beleeued expressely and distinctly if their coherence with or dependance on the former do appeare vnto vs so that the manifest deduction of them from the former will make them such as must be expressely beleeued Our aduersaries confesse that the approbation and determination of the Church cannot make that a truth which was not nor that a Diuine or Catholike truth that was not so before but they thinke that the Church by her bare and sole determination may make that verity to be in such sort Catholike that euery one vnderstanding of such determination must expressely beleeue it that was not so and in such degree Catholike before But wee thinke that it is not the authority of the Church but the cleare deduction from the things which we are bound expressely to beleeue that maketh things of that sort that they must be particularly and distinctly known beleeued that were not necessarily so to bee beleeued before and therefore before and without such determination men seeing cleerely the deduction of things of this nature from the former and refusing to beleeue them are condemned of hereticall pertinacy and men not seeing that deduction after the decree of a Councell hath passed vpon them may still doubt and refuse to beleeue without hereticall pertinacy We cannot therefore condemne the Grecians as heretickes as the Romanists doe because wee cannot perswade our selues of them generally that they see that which they deny touching the proceeding of the holy Ghost deduced from the indubitate principles of our Christian faith or that they impiously neglect the search of the trueth What is it then will some men say that the decree of a Councell doth effect Surely nothing else but the rejecting of such as are otherwise minded from the societies of those men and Churches with whom the decree of the Councell doth prevaile and with all wise men the more wary and fearefull pronouncing any thing of those matters concerning which so graue authority hath passed her sentence The Papists proceed further and thinke it hereticall pertinacie to gainsay the decrees of a Councell though they finde the reasons by which they of the Councell were mooued so to thinke and determine to bee too weake and not to conclude the thing intended as in the matter of Transubstantiation they thinke it heresie to gainesay the decrees of those Councels that haue defined it and yet many of them judge all the reasons alleaged to proue it too weake to proue it In deed if it were certaine as they suppose that a generall Councell could not erre this were a sufficient deduction These things are decreede in a generall Councell Therefore ture because it is consequent that that is true which is affirmed by him that cannot erre Thus wee see what it is to bee thought touching this question whether the Church may make new Articles of faith onely one thing must be added for the further clearing hereof The Papistes thinke that the Church may adde to the Canon of the Scripture bookes not yet admitted as the bookes of Hermas the Scholler of Paul intituled Pastor and the constitutions of Clement which if it should doe we were to receiue them with no lesse respect then the Epistle of Iames and other bookes of the New Testament This we thinke to be a most grosse heresie and contrrry to their owne principles who making the number
none of them could erre in writing but if in them I find any thing that may seeme contrary to the trueth I perswade my selfe that either the Copie is corrupt or the interpreter defectiue and faultie or that the fault is in my not vnderstanding of it but other authors I so read that how great soeuer their learning sanctitie bee I doe not therefore thinke any thing to bee true because they haue so thought but because they perswade me that it is true by the authority of the Canonicall authors or the probability of Reason Besides the indubitate writings of those Canonicall Authours there are other bookes written of the same argument which because the credite and authority of the authors of them is not knowen are named Apocryphall Bookes are named Apocryphall first because the authour of them is not knowen and in this sense some of the Bookes of Canonicall Scripture as the bookes of Chronicles of Hester and a great part of the Psalmes may be named Apocryphall though vnproperly and vnfitly The authority of the authors of them not being doubted of though their names and other personall conditions be not knowen And therefore Andradius reprehendeth the Glosse which defineth those things to be Apocryphall quae incerto authore prodita sunt the author and publisher whereof is not knowen Secondly bookes are therefore named Apocryphall because the authority and credite of them is called in question it being doubted whether they proceeded from the inspiration of the holy spirit so that they cannot serue for the confirmation of any thing that is called in question In this seuse Hierome calleth the bookes of the Macchabees and the rest of that kinde Apocryphall though they were read privately and publikely for the edification of the people and the information of manners Thirdly such bookes are named Apocryphall as are meerely fabulous and full of impiety and therefore interdicted and forbidden to bee read or regarded at all The auncientest of the Fathers name these onely Apocryphall and so doth Hierome sometimes calling those of the second ranke Hagiographall though this name be sometimes giuen to those Canonicall bookes which pertaine not to the Lawe nor the Prophets as the booke of Iob the Psalmes the bookes of Salomon Esdras the Chronicles c. so diuiding the whole Canon of the Scripture of the old Testament into the Law the Prophets and the Hagiographall bookes that is those which not hauing any proper name of difference retaine and are knowen by the common name of holy writ CHAP. 23. Of the Canonicall and Apocryphall bookes of Scripture THe bookes of the old Testament were committed to the Church of the Iewes wherevpon that is one of the things in respect whereof the Apostle preferreth them before the Gentiles that to them were committed the Oracles of God This Church of the Iewes admitted but onely 22 bookes as deliuered vnto them from God to bee the Canon of their faith according to the nūber of the letters of their Alphabet as Iosephus sheweth For though they sometimes reckon foure and twenty and somtimes seuen and twenty yet they adde no more in one of these accounts than in the other For repeating Iod thrice for honour of the Name of GOD and so the number of the letters rising to foure and twenty they number the bookes of Canonicall Scripture to be foure and twenty dividing the booke of Ruth from the Iudges and the Lamentations from the Prophecies of Ieremy and reckoning them by themselues which in the former account they joyned with them These bookes thus numbred Hierome fitly compareth to the foure and twenty Elders mentioned in the Revelation Qui adorabant prostratis vultibus offerebant coronas suas Which prostrating themselues adored and worshipped the Lambe acknowledging that they receiued their Crownes of him Stantibus coram quatuor animalibus oculatis antè retrò in praeteritum futurum respicientibus Those foure admirable liuing creatures hauing eyes before and behind looking to things past and to come standing before him And because fiue of the Hebrew letters are double they sometimes reckon the bookes of the holy Canon so as that they make them rise to the number of seuen and twenty reckoning the first and second of Samuel of Kings of Chronicles and of Esdras by themselues seuerally which in the first accompt were numbred together two of euery of these being accompted but as one booke and dividing Ruth from the Iudges These onely did the auncient Church of the Iewes receiue as Divine and Canonicall That other bookes were added vnto these whose authority not being certain and knowne are named Apocryphall fell out on this sort The Iewes in their latter times before and at the comming of Christ were of two sorts some properly and for distinctions sake named Hebrewes commorant at Hierusalem and in the holy Land others named Helenists that is Iewes of the dispersion mingled with the Grecians These had written sundry bookes in Greeke which they made vse of together with other parts of the Old Testament which they had of the Translation of the Septuagint but the Hebrewes receiued onely the two and twenty bookes before mentioned Hence it came that the Iewes deliuered a double Canon of the Scripture to the Christian Churches the one pure indubitate and divine which is the Hebrew Canon the other in Greeke enriched with or rather adulterated by the addition of certain bookes written in those times when God raised vp no more Prophets among his people This volume thus mixed of diuers sorts of bookes the Christians receiued of the Iewes These bookes joyned in one volume were translated out of Greeke into Latine and read by them of the Latine Church in that Translation for there was no Catholique Christian that euer translated the Scriptures of the old Testament out of Hebrew into Latine before Hieromes time nor none after him till our age Hence it came that the Fathers of the Greeke Church hauing Origen and sundry other learned in the Hebrew tongue and making search into the antiquities and originals of the Iewes receiued as Canonicall onely the two and twenty bookes written in the Hebrew and did account all those books which were added in the Greeke to bee Apocryphall The Latines receiuing them both in one Translation and bound vp in one volume vsed sundry parts of the Apocryphall bookes in their prayers and readings together with the other and cited them in their writings yet did none of them make any Catalogue of Canonicall and Apocryphall bookes and number them amongst the Canonicall before the third Councell of Carthage wherein Augustine was present at which time also Innocentius liued which Fathers seeme to adde to the Canon diuers bookes which the Hebrewes receiue not Hierome translating the Scriptures out of the Hebrew and most exactly learning what was the Hebrew Canon rejected all besides the two and twenty Hebrew bookes as the Grecians did before
the first the question is vsually proposed whether the Rulers of Gods Church and people may make lawes concerning Gods worshippe and service For the clearing whereof Stapleton distinguisheth the things pertayning to the worshippe and service of God into three sorts The first such as are seales assurances and in their sort and kinde causes of grace as the sacrifices in old time and the sacraments now the second such as remooue the impediments of grace dispose to the receipt of it and worke other spirituall and supernaturall effectes though they giue not grace in so high degree as the first as the signing with the signe of the Crosse sprinkling with holy water and the like the third such as are vsed onely for order and comelinesse in the performance of the principall and essentiall duties of Gods worshippe and seruice These being the diuerse sorts of things pertayning to the worshippe and seruice of God the question and controuersie betweene vs and our aduersaries is onely touching thinges of the second ranke For they confesse the Church hath no power to institute things of the first sort and wee willingly grant vnto it a most ample power in things of the third sort Let vs first therefore lay downe their opinion and then examine the trueth or falshood of it Their opinion is that the Church hath power to institute Ceremonies and obseruations though not to iustifie and giue grace as doe the sacraments yet to cure diseases driue away deuils purge out veniall sinnes and to worke other the like spirituall and supernaturall effects and that not onely by way of impâ—…tration and by force of the prayers of the Church which hath prayed that they that vse such things may enjoy such happy benefites but ex opere operato by the very worke wrought the vse of these things applying the merits of Christ to the effecting of these inferiour effects as the Sacraments doe to the effects of Iustification and remission of sinnes The signe of the Crosse sayth Bellarmine driueth away Diuels three wayes first by the deuotion of them that vse it it being a kinde of invocation of his name that was crucified for the redemption of the world expressed not by words but by this signe Secondly by the impression of feare which the verie sight and apprehension of it worketh in the diuell as being the thing whereby Christ wrought his overthrow Thirdly ex opere operato in which sort Infidells vsing this signe haue wrought these effects The Rhemists vpon 1. Tim 4. 5. Euery Creature is good c. haue these obseruations First that euery creature is by nature and condition of creation good Secondly that Sathan vniustly vsurpeth vpon these creatures in by them seeking to hurt the bodies and soules of men Thirdly that by prayer and inuocation of Gods name notwithstanding the curse vpon all creatures Sathans readinesse to doe vs harme they are good and comfortable to vs so that in them wee taste the sweetenesse of Diuine goodnesse Fourthly that the blessings of Gods Church and her Ministers doe not onely stay and hinder Sathans working remoue the curse and make the creatures serue for our good accordingly as at the first they were appointed but apply them also to so sacred vses as to be instruments of remission of sinnes iustification and infusion of grace as appeareth in the sacraments instituted by Christ Fiftly that besides and out of the vse of Sacraments the prayers and blessings of the Church doe sanctifie diuers creatures to the working of spirituall and supernaturall effects as to expell Diuells cure diseases and remitte veniall sinnes and that not only as sanctified things are wont to doe in that they stirre vp and increase devotion and the fervour of piety but in that the Ministers of the Church by their soueraigne authority haue annexed to the vse of them power to worke such effects This last proposition containeth the whole matter of difference betweene them and vs for touching all the former wee consent and agree with them For clearing of this point wee lay downe these propositions First that by ordinary prayers the Creatures of God are sanctified to ordinary vses Secondly that the presenting them or some part of them in holy places and to holy persons to be blessed of them maketh the vse of them more comfortable then the former blessing but addeth no supernaturall force efficacie or grace vnto them Thirdly that Christ appointed and the Church daylie sanctifieth the Creatures of God and elements of this world to bee the matter of his Sacraments Fourthly that bread being appointed to bee the matter of the Sacrament of the body of Christ and water of Baptisme the Christians in ancient time held that bread which had beene offered and presented at the Lords Table out of which a part was consecrated for the vse of the Sacrament more holy then other bread And this is that bread Augustine saith was giuen to the Catechumens as also they religiously kept of that water which had beene hallowed for the vse of Baptisme and by the vse of it strengthened their assurance of enjoying the benefites which are bestowed on men in Baptisme Neither can our adversaries clearely proue any separate sanctifying of water to haue beene vsed in the Primitiue Church If they could it were nothing else but the bringing of some part of this element into holy places with humble desire that they which in memory of Baptisme should vse it and so have their faith strengthened might more and more receiue the effects of sauing grace as the Christians of Russia and Aethiopia vnto this day on the Epiphany on which day they remember the Baptisme of Christ goe into the water praying vnto God that the effects of the Sacrament of Baptisme may more more be seene and appeare in them Fiftly that the Church consecrateth sundry outward things to the vse of Gods seruice not giuing them any new quality force or efficacie but onely praying that God will bee pleased to accept that which is done in or with them and to worke in vs that the vse of them importeth Sixtly holy men hauing the gift of miracles did vse sometimes water sometimes oyle sometimes other things and gaue them to bee vsed by other for the working of miraculous effects after the example of Elizeus and Christ himselfe of which sort is that of Ioseph mentioned by Epiphanius who filling a vessell with water signing it with the signe of the Crosse and casting it into a certaine fire caused it to burne though Sathan hindered it before that it could not burne as likewise that of Hilarion who gaue a kind of hallowed oyle to certaine who by vsing it were cured of their diseases But the consecrating of oyle salt water and the like things by men not hauing the gift of miracles to driue away deuils cure diseases remit veniall sinnes and worke other spirituall and supernaturall effects ex opere operato by application of the
ended by Synodes and they holden twice euery yeare But in processe of time when the gouernours of the Church could not conueniently assemble in Synode twice a yeare the Fathers of the sixth generall Councell decreed that yet in any case there should be a Synode of Bishops once euery yeare for Ecclesiasticall questions Likewise the seventh generall Councell decreeth in this sort Whereas the Canon willeth iudiciall inquisition to be made twice euery yeare by the assembly of Bishops in euery prouince and yet for the misery and pouerty of such as should trauell to Synodes the Fathers of the sixth councell decreed it should be once in the yeare anà then thinges amisse to be redressed we renew this later Canon So that whereas at the first there was a Synode of Bishoppes in euery prouince twice in the yeare now it was sufficient if the Bishops met once But afterwards many thinges falling out to hinder their happy meetings we shall finde that they met not so often and therefore the Councell of Basil appointeth Episcopall Synodes to be holden once euery yeare and Prouinciall at the least once in three yeares And so in time causes growing many and the difficulties intollerable in comming together and in staying to heare these causes thus multiplyed and encreased it was thought fitter to referre the hearing of complaints and Appeales to Metropolitanes and such like Ecclesiasticall Iudges limited and directed by Canons and Imperiall lawes then to trouble the Pastours of whole provinces and to wrong the people by the absence of their Pastours and Guides Thus hauing spoken of the authority of the Metropolitane and his Councell in every province it remaineth that we come to Synodes of a larger extent These besides Oecumenicall whereof wee will not yet speake were of two sorts Patriarchicall wherein one of the Patriarches and chiefe Bishops of the world sate as president or Nationall consisting of the Bishops of many Provinces within one Country or Kingdome wherein the Primate sate as President of which sort the Councels of Africa were concerning which Councels it is ordered in the third Councell of Carthage that once euery yeare there shall be a general assembly of the Bishops of Africa to which all the provinces which haue primas sedes that is first Sees and so may holde provinciall Councels shall out of their Councels send two Bishops or as many as they shall thinke fit but that out of Tripolis because of the pouerty of the Bishops of it one Bishop shall come In these Councels the Legates of the Bishop of Rome were sometimes present not as presidents but assistants as other Metropolitanes were There were many provinces which had primas sedes that is first Sees and so consequently many Primates yet for distinction some call him that was Bishop of that first See which was in honour before all the rest of the same country and kingdome and to whom in all common deliberations the other Metropolitans did resort by an excellency the Primate the rest by the cōmon name of Metropolitans in which sense the Bishop of Carthage was Primate of all Africa and so is a Primate in order and honour before Metropolitanes but inferiour vnto a Patriarch Of this distinction of degrees of honour amongst Metropolitanes and chiefe Bishops Hugo de Sancto Victore writeth in this sort Post Sacerdotes altiores sunt Principes Sacerdotum id est Episcopi supra quos iterum sunt Archiepiscopi supra illos qui dicuntur Primates supra quos quidam Patriarchas constituere volunt alii eosdem Patriarchas Primates dicunt that is after priests we are to reckon the chiefe priests that is Bishops as in the first degree and honour aboue them aboue whom againe are Arch-Bishops and aboue them they that are named Primates aboue whom some will haue Patriarches to bee placed but others will haue Patriarches and Primates to bee all one Rabanus in his booke de institutione Clertcorum sorteth Bishoppes into three rankes Patriarches Arch-Bishoppes who also are named Metropolitanes and ordinary Bishops CHAP. 31. Of Patriarches who they were and the reason why they were preferred before other Bishops TOuching the Patriarches they were in the beginning but onely three to wit the Bishops of Rome Alexandria and Antioche The reason as some thinke why the Bishops of these places were preferred before other and made Patriarches was in respect had to blessed Peter who was in sort before expressed in order and honour the first and chiefest of the Apostles For Antioche was honoured for that he sate there for a certaine space and afterwards governed it by Euodius Alexandria for that he placed Marke his Scholler there and Rome because it was the place of his death and martyrdome where in his body hee stayeth and expecteth the Resurrection of the dead and the second comming of Christ. All the Churches founded by any Apostle are rightly called Apostolique but these more specially in which the Apostle Peter sate Secunda fedes saith Anacletus apud Alexandriam beati Petri nomine à Marco eius discipulo consecrata est Tertia autem sedes apud Antiochiam eiusdem beati Petri Apostoli habetur honorabilis that is The second See and in degree and honour next vnto that of Rome was consecrated at Alexandria by the authoritie of blessed Peter by Marke his Scholler and the third See honourable for Peters presence in the same is at Antioche Nihil saith Leo writing to Anatholius Alexandriae sedi eius quam per sanctum Marcum Evangelistam beati Petri discipulum meruit pereat dignitatis Antiochena quoque Ecclesia in quâ primum praedicante Apostolo Petro Christianum nomen exortumest in paternae constitutionis ordine perseveret in gradu tertio collocata nunquam fiat inferior that is Let the See of Alexandria lose no part of that dignity which it obtained by Saint Marke the Evangelist the disciple of blessed Peter Let the Church of Antioche also in which vpon Peters preaching the name of Christians first beganne continue in that degree and order wherein the constitution of the Fathers set it and being placed in the third degree let it neuer be put lower This did Leo write when the Bishop of Constantinople sought to haue the second place in the Church of God and to be preferred before the Bishops of Alexandria and Antioche Gregory writeth to the same effect to Eulogius Bishop of Alexandria His words are Cum multisint Apostoli pro ipso tamen principatusola Apostolorum Principis Sedes in authoritate conualuit quae tribus in locis vnius est Ipse enim sublimauit sedem in qua etiam quiescere praesentem vitam finire dignatus est Ipse decorauit sedemin qua Euangelistam discipulum misit Ipse firmauit sedem in qua septem annis quamuis discessurus sedit Cum ergo vnius atque vna sit sedes cui ex authoritate dinina tres nunc Episcopi praesident
that in a matter of faith concerning the whole state of the Church Zozimus as in order and honour first amongst Bishops might vrge them by vertue of the Canons appointing such meetings to meete together in a Synode for the suppressing of such heresies as he found to arise amongst them and might justly threaten if they should refuse so to doe to reject them from the communion of the Bishops and Churches adhering to him and thereby lay an Ecclesiasticall necessity vpon them without any claime of vniversall power Neither doth the next place wherein Augustine and the Bishops assembled in the Councell of Mileuis desire Innocentius to concurre with them in suppressing the heresies of the Pelagians which sought to spread themselues into all parts of the world and to vse his pastorall care and diligence for the preventing of the dangers of the weake members of Christ yeeld any better proofe that they reputed him vniversall Bishop For what doe they here attribute to the Bishop of Rome that Cyprian writing to Stephen in the case of Martianus Bishop of Arle doth not assume to himselfe other his colleagues saying of himselfe thē that they are bound to vse all diligence to gather together and call backe the erring sheepe of Christ to apply the medicine of fatherly piety for the curing of the wounds and hurts of such as are fallen to recollect and cherrish al the sheepe that Christ purchased with his precious bloud to know that though they be many Pastours yet they feed but one flocke But sayth Bellarmine why do they not rather write to the Patriarch of Hierusalem to the Metropolitane of Palaestina or to the Primate of Africa in which parts of the world Pelagianisme specially seemed to preuaile then to the Bishop of Rome if they did not thinke him to haue an vniuersall power Surely this question of the Cardinall sheweth that either he knoweth not or careth not what he writeth for the cause of Pelagius had beene often heard and examined by Synodes of Bishops in Palaestina and the Primate of Africa with his Africane Bishops did write to Innocentius as well as Augustine and those assembled in the Councell of Mileuis as well to informe him of the guilefull fraudulent and slipperie dealings of Pelagius that hee might no way be induced to fauour him as some feared not to giue out that he did as also that he might be perswaded to put to his helping hand for the suppressing of this heretique who though condemned by many Synodes ceased not to flie from place to place seeking to spread his heresies therefore there was no cause that they should write to either of these Thus haue our Aduersaries found nothing in Augustine and the Africanes that any way fauoureth the Popes proud claime of vniuersall power Neither do the rest of the witnesses who are next brought forth to giue testimonie for the Pope depose any more to the purpose then the former haue done For that Prosper saith Rome the See of Peter being made the head of Pastorall honour to the world holdeth by religion whatsoeuer it possesseth not by force of armes and that by reason of the principality of Priestly or Bishoply dignity it became greater in respect of the high tower of religion then the throne of princely power that Victor Vticensis calleth the Church of Rome the head of all Churches Hugo de Sancto Victore sayth the Apostolique See is preferred before all the Churches in the world is no more then that wee euer granted For they all speake of a chieftie and principality of order and honour and not of absolute commanding power And the place which our Aduersaries bring out of Vincentius Lirinensis to proue the Pope to be head of the world is strangely missealleaged For hauing spoken of the letters of Faelix the Martyr and holy Iulius Bishop of Rome he addeth that blessed Cyprian was produced out of the South and holy Ambrose out of the North that so not only Caput orbis the head of the world but the sides of it also might giue testimony to that iudgment by the head and sides of the world vnderstanding the parts of the world whence these witnesses were produced and not the witnesses themselues So that there is no more reason to inferre from hence that the Bishop of Rome is head of all the world then that Cyprian and Ambrose were the sides of the world Neither doe the testimonies of Cassiodore who attributeth to the Bishop of Rome a generall care of the whole Christian world and Beda who sayth Leo excercised the Priestly office in the Christian world make any more for proofe of the Popes vniuersall jurisdiction then the rest that went before For their sayings argue not an absolute vniuersall commaunding power ouer all but such a care of the whole as beseemeth him that is in order and honour the chiefe of Bishops from whom all actions generally concerning the Christian Church are either to take beginning or at least to be referred before finall ending that so his aduice may be had therein And surely howsoeuer Anselmus sayth the custodie of the faith of Christians and the regiment of the Church is committed to the Bishop of Rome and Bernard writeth of him that he is chiefe of Bishops heire of the Apostles in primacie Abel in gouernement Noah in Patriarchicall honour Abraham in order Melchizedek in dignity Aaron in authoritie Moses in iudgment Samuel in power Peter and in vnction Christ that others haue particular flockes assigned to them but that his charge hath no limits with such like Hyperbolical amplificatiōs of the Popes greatnes sauouring of the corruptiō of those late times wherein he liued yet wil it neuer be proued that either he or diuers others speakinges he did were of the Papall faction or beleeued that the Pope hath that vniuersall power and iurisdiction that is by the Iesuits and other Romanists at this day giuen vnto him For as Iohn Bacon a learned Schooleman and countriman of ours hath fitly noted some attributed all those things whereof Bernard and Anselmus speake to the Pope as thinking all fulnesse of Ecclesiasticall power and jurisdiction to be originally found in him and that by himselfe alone hee might doe all things in the gouernment of the Church and all other were to receiue of his fulnesse which is the opinion of our aduersaries at this day Other attributed these thinges vnto him not as hauing all power in himselfe alone but as head chiefe of Bishops together with their ioynt concurrence and assent So that hee had power to iudge of the faith to determine controuersies in religion as Patriarch of the West with the ioynt consent of his Westerne Bishops and as prime Bishoppe of the world with an Oecumenicall Synode wherein he was to sitte as an honourable president moderatour pronouncing according to the resolution of the Bishops and
thereby ceasing to be members of it and consequently losing all authority commaund they formerly had For the clearing of this point wee are to obserue that there are some who runne into errours so directly contrary to all Christianity the sense and judgment of all Christians that by the very proposing thereof they abandon and driue from them all such as dissent and are abandoned of all Secondly there are some that runne not into errours so directly contrary to the sense and judgement of all Christians as the former but with such fury madnes pertinacy that they vtterly reject forsake and depart from all such as doe dissent or are otherwise minded Thirdly there are some who though they be not carried with such violent fury into errour as to condemne reject and depart from all that dissent yet they runne into olde heresies formerly condemned and so by force of the former condemnation are rejected put out of the lap and bosome of the Church Fourthly there are some who fall into hereticall and dangerous errours but neither directly contrary to the common sense of all right beleeuing Christians nor formerly condemned by the consenting voice of the whole Church of God nor with such pertinacy as either to refuse to communicate with them that think otherwise or to seeke to depriue depose degrade or otherwise violently vexe and molest them that are vnder them for not consenting to them in their errour The three former sorts of men falling into errour and heresie voluntarily cut themselues off from the vnity of the Body of the Church depart from the fellowship of Gods people and ipso facto cease to bee members of the Church and lose all authority and commaund they formerly had So that they neede not the Churches censure or sentence to cast them out departing of themselues but it sufficeth that their breaches and divisions from the maine body of the Christian Church be published and made knowne that so they may be avoided So Caelestinus in his Epistle to Iohn of Antioch saith that if any one haue beene excommunicated or depriued by Nestorius or any of his adherents since the time they first began to publish their impieties he still continueth in the cōmunion of his Churches neither doth he judge him to be remoued from his place and the like hee hath in his Epistle to the Clergy of Constantinople But the fourth sort of men erring doe not cease to be members of the Church nor lose their places by so erring till both the point of doctrine wherein they are deceiued be tryed and examined and by lawfull highest authority be found faultie and their pertinacie such as rather to suffer themselues to be rejected and put from the communion of all that are otherwise minded then to alter their judgements Cyprian fell into an hereticall opinion that the Baptisme of Heretiques is voyde and that all that haue beene baptized by Heretiques are to be rebaptized Yet because this point was not examined and condemned in a generall Councell nor his pertinacie therein vpon such examination and condemnation found such as rather to suffer himselfe to bee reiected from the communion of all them that thought otherwise then to giue way and alter his iudgment hee was no hereticke neither did he lose his place of ministery in the Church of God The question therefore is whether if the Pope fell into such an errour as that of Cyprian by which he doth not actually and ipso facto divide and cut off himselfe the Church may examine it and judge him to be rejected and put from the communion if he alter not his iudgement If they say it may then hath the Church power to iudge a Pope that is not an Heretique For he is not an Hereticke till after such determination he chooseth rather to be reiected from the cōmunion of the faithfull then to alter his iudgement If it may not iudge the Pope so erring then might the Popes in former times haue taught rebaptization with Cyprian the errour of the Chiliastes with sundry of the Fathers that all right beleeuers how wickedly soeuer they liue shall in the end be saued with some of the Ancient that the just shall not see God till the resurrection and the like and yet the Church haue had noe power to force them to forsake and condemne such errours or to cease from perswading and inducing men both by doctrine example to erre in like sort And then we may runne into their errour who thinke that though the Pope be an hereticke yet hee is neither deposed ipso facto nor may be deposed but that the Church must acknowledge a deuouring wolfe making hauock of the flocke of Christ to be her Pastor which Bellarmine himselfe thinketh to be very absurd Thus then we see that all who fall into heresies do not cut off themselues from the vnity of the body of the Church nor lose the iurisdiction and authority they formerly had ipso facto as the Papists to auoid the deposing of Popes by the authority of the Church seeme to imagine but that many doe soe fall into heresies that they goe not out of themselues till they be rejected and cast out But howsoeuer our Aduersaries must not defend that Popes falling into heresies are deposed ipso facto for if they do they ouerthrow the whole building and fabricke of Popery The constant opinion of almost all later Papists is that howsoeuer the Pope may personally erre and fall into heresie or become an Hereticke yet the prouidence of God ouer him is such because he is Christs Vicar Peters Successour heire of the Apostles and head of the vniuersall Church that hee cannot define or decree any heresie or prescribe vnto all Christians to belieue amisse Which conceipt cannot stand but falleth to the ground is clearely ouerthrowne if the Pope by becōming an hereticke be deposed ipso facto For doubtlesse if the Pope becomming an hereticke ipso facto cease to bee Pope and to be soe much as a member of the Church then doth not the prayer of Christ for the not failing of Peters faith extend to him any longer neither is hee any longer any way priuiledged by vertue of his succeeding blessed Peter but that hee may runne into all extremities in most damnable sort seeke to subuert the faith to force all to belieue as he doth and define and determine that all shall professe the same doctrine of Diuels that himselfe doth seeing when God forsaketh him and putteth him out of his protection the Diuell entreth into him as he did into Iudas the traytor And how violent and strange the mouings of the euill spirit are wee are not ignorant for sometimes he casteth them that are possessed by him into the fire and sometimes into the water sometimes into one extremity and sometimes into another Wherefore either the Papists must confesse that the Pope may define for heresie then all their religion is ouerthrown
Michael the Emperour admit this Councell as if it were of credite and vrge the authority of it to confirme things questioned betweene them and vs though they bee not able to answere the reasons of the other side to the satisfaction of any indifferent man for this is the manner of these Iesuited Papists to reject or admit nothing otherwise then as they thinke it may make for them or against them But to leaue them thus striuing and contending one with another and to come to the saying alleadged by Bellarmine out of this supposed Councell it no way maketh for them but against them and cannot stand with the grounds of their owne Divinity vnlesse they will bee of their opinion who think that the church must endure an hereticall Pope that he must be still taken to be a sheepheard of the sheep of Christ though as a devouring wolfe he make havocke of the flocke of Christ. For is not Infidelity as badde as Heresie And did not Marcellinus as much endanger the Church of Rome and the Religion of Christians in making friendship with Dioclesian by sacrificing to his Idoles as Liberius did by subscribing to the Arrians wicked proceedings against Athanasius and communicating with Heretickes Was it lawfull for the cleargy of Rome vpon the knowledge of Liberius his fact to depose him and might not the same cleargy assisted with three hundred Bishops judge and depose Marcellinus But heere wee may see the partiality of these Papists and that they write without all conscience For Bellarmine being to justifie Felix to be a true Pope who possessed the place while Liberius liued saith that in his entrance hee was a schismaticke Liberius yet liuing and continuing a Catholique Bishop but that after the fall of Liberius for which the Church did lawfully depose him hee was by the same church admitted and taken for a true Bishop Yea though Liberius were not in heart an Hereticke but was presumed to bee an Hereticke onely because hee made peace with the Arrians and so was an Hereticke in his outward courses and acts of which men are to judge and not of the heart And yet touching Marcellinus hee saith hee thinketh hee lost not his Popedome nor might not bee deposed from it for that most execrable externe act of idolatrie infidelitie because it might be thought he did it out of feare Shall the vncertain coniecture of the motiue that made him doe so vile an act excuse him from being proceeded against as an Infidell that doth the workes of an Infidell and shall not the like conjectures stay the proceedings against men as Heretickes vpon their outward concurring with Heretickes in some things Shall feare excuse Marcellinus and shall not the impatience of Liberius no longer able to endure such intollerable vexations as he was subject to excuse him was it not as strongly presumed that impatience moued the one to doe that hee did as feare the other Yes surely much more For if wee may beleeue the acts of this faigned Councell Marcellinus was rather wonne with flattery and faire promises then forced with terrours the Emperour seeking to winne him with kindnesse and not to force him with seuerity and extremity being perswaded by Alexander and Romanus so to doe For that if hee could insinuate himselfe into the affection of the Bishop and assure him vnto himselfe he might thereby easily gaine the whole city Thus hauing examined the first testimony produced by the Romanists to proue that the Bishoppes of the Romane See may not bee judged and found it to bee of no credite let vs see if the next will bee any better The next is taken out of the Romane Councell vnder Pope Sylvester consisting of 284 Bishops wherein we finde these wordes Neque ab Augusto neque à Regibus neque ab omni Clero neque â populo iudicabitur primasedes that is The first See shall not bee judged neither by Augustus neither by Kings neither by the whole Clergie neither by the people Before we come to answere this authority we must obserue that many things are most fondly and fabulously deuised and attributed to this Syluester vnder whom this imagined Romane Councell is supposed to haue beene holden For whereas Eusebius Zozomen and other Historians of credit report that the conuersion of Constantine the great was partly out of those good lessons he had learned of his father and partly by a strange apparition of the signe of the Crosse with an inscription in it in hoc vince that is in this ouercom appearing to him in the aire when preparing himselfe to the warre against Maxentius he carefully bethought himselfe to what God hee should betake him and whose helpe among the Gods hee should specially seeke and partly by a vision of Christ appearing to him whereupon he sent for the Priests of that God that had so manifested himselfe vnto him and learned of them what God he was Those fond men that published the faigned acts of Syluester report that Constantine after many horrible murthers of his nearest Kinsmen and the parricide of his owne sonne Crispus being stricken with leprosie was wished by the South-sayers to whom hee sought for counsell and aduice to take the blood of Innocents and to bathe himselfe in it for the curing of his leprosie but that discouraged from the effusion thereof by the piteous cries of their tender mothers hee be thought himselfe better and sought expiation of his grieuous crimes which all other denying to him for so grieuous offences Hosius of Corduba told him that the Christians could purge him and Peter and Paul appearing to him told him hee must recall Syluester out of his hiding place whither he was gone for feare and seeke baptisme of him and that then he should be purged both from the impurity of his soule body which accordingly was done and he recouered In thankefull requitall whereof he cast downe the Temples of the false Gods builded many Christian Churches and gaue to Syluester the citty of Rome with all Italy and many other prouinces besides making him temporall Lord of all those places Whereas it is most certaine that Constantine was not baptized till a litle before his death as it appeareth by Eusebius by Hierome by the Synodal Epistle of the Coūcel of Ariminum written to Constantius reported by Theodoret Socrates and Zozomen and as certaine that Constantine was a Christian Emperour before Syluester was Bishop For in the daies of Melchiades his predecessour hee tooke notice of the differences among Bishops in respect of Caecilianus and rested not till hee had composed them professing that hee so honoured the Catholique Church that hee could not endure any schisme to be in it Notwithstanding the same authors of lyes go forward and tell vs after the Baptisme of Constantine by Syluester of a Councell holden at Rome by the same Syluester consisting of 284. Bishops brought thither and maintained there at the
Emperours charges But there are many things that bewray it to be a mere counterfeit For first it hath a sencelesse title for it is named another Romane Councell vnder Syluester the first whereas no man can tell of any besides this Secondly it is fronted with a briefe Epilogue in steed of a Preface Thirdly there is scarce any sence to bee made of any one sentence throughout the whole Fourthly it is sayd to consist of 139 Bishops out of the citty of Rome or not farre from it and the rest out of Greece whereas all men know the citty of Rome had but one Bishop so that it was sencelesse to say there were in that Councell 139 Bishops out of the citty of Rome or not farre from it And besides all men see how silly a thing it was to muster so many names of Bishops without specifying the places whereof they were Bishops Fiftly whereas it is said to haue consisted of 284 Bishops out of the citty of Rome and places neere to it and out of Greece as if it had beene a generall Councell it is strange that the Histories reporting farre meaner Councels then this is supposed to haue beene should neuer make any mention of this nor the occasion of calling it Sixtly whereas the supposed Fathers of this Councel do condemne though in very sencelesse manner certaine vnknowne heretickes it is strange they should make no mention of the Arrians who were famous and at that time troubled all the East Seuenthly the end why these supposed Fathers met was ridiculous For thus it is expressed i Vt Ecclesiae regia non vatieinentur sed sit fiâ—…ma claudat ostium propter persecutorem Or as another Edition hath it Vt Ecclesia regia non vacilletur sed sit firma claudat ostium propter persecutorem For why should these good men forbid the kingly Churches to prophecie or why should they feare the shaking or tottering of them or shut the doore for feare of the persecutor after Constantine was become a Christian baptized by Syluester and in requitall of his kindnesse had giuen him all the Empire of the West Lastly whereas the manner of Councels was that the Bishops sate round in a compasse the Presbyters sate behind them and the Deacons stood before them the Councell of Carthage forbiddeth a Bishop to sit suffer a Presbyter to stand Hierome sheweth that euen in Rome the manner was that Presbyters did sit and Deacons stand here it is noted that none sate but Bishops These things being obserued touching the credit of this Councel let vs come to the Decrees of it by which the Pope would exempt himselfe from all iudgment of men whatsoeuer villanyes he should chance to commit Thus then the Decrees of this sacred Synode are passed in fauour of the Pope First it is decreed that no Presbyter à die onus Presbyterij latine fitter for Hog-heards then Bishops shall marry and that if he do hee shall loose his honour for 12. yeares Secondly it is ordered thus That if any one shall do against this present hand-writing hee shall be condemned for euer For let no man iudge the first See for neither shall the Iudge be iudged of Augustus nor of all the Clergy nor of Kings nor People These sencelesse Decrees of a fained ridiculous Synode our aduersaries such is their pouerty in this cause bring forth as good authorities for the Pope But I thinke the reader will not much be moued with them vnlesse it be to pitty those that liued before vs who were abused with such fooleries and shamelesse forgeries and to giue thankes to God that hath giuen vs meanes to descry the cozening deuices of Satans Agents Neither doth it any thing assure vs of the truth of this Councel that Pope Nicholas was coÌ„tent to make vse of it in his Epistle to Michael the Emperor of Constantinople seeing he citeth also in the same Epistle the Romane Synode vnder Sixtus the third in the cause of Polychronius Bishop of Hierusalem whereas yet not withstanding Binnius saith confidently that euery learned man wil pronounce the acts of it to be counterfeit if he attend the names of the Consuls in whose times it is supposed to haue bin holden the name of him that was accused and other things described in those supposed pretended acts To these they adde another authority as it may seeme of the same stamp out of the Councell of Rome vnder Sixtus the third which they endeuour to strengthen with certaine sayings out of a booke of one Euodius a Deacon admitted and allowed in the fifth Councell vnder Symmachus The Romane Councell vnder Sixtus was called to examine a very foule fact wherewith Sixtus was charged which was the abusing of one Chrysogonet a professed and consecrated virgin In this Councell Sixtus presented himselfe and professed that it was in his power choice either to submit himselfe to the iudgment of the Councell or to refuse it yet voluntarily referred his cause to be there heard whence our Auersaries suppose they may inferre that all the world may not iudge the Pope against his will The Barbarismes manifold senceles absurdities that are found in this Councell may iustly make us suspect it of forgery But admitting it to haue bin a lawfull Synode no such thing can be concluded out of it as our aduersaries dreame of For it was but a Diocesan Synode there was neuer a Bishop in it besides Sixtus whom they went about to iudge And therefore it was not to be maruailed at if Sixtus said it was in his power and choice whether hee would be iudged by the Presbyters Deacons of his owne Church or not seeing no Bishop be he neuer so meane may be judged by the Clergy of his own Church but by the Synode of the Bishops of the prouince and therefore I greatly feare they wil hardly draw a good argument froÌ„ hence to proue that the Pope may not at all be iudged For I think it will not follow Maximus the exconsul said it was not lawful for those Lay-men inferiour Clergy-men theÌ„ assembled to giue sentence against the B of Rome the B himselfe protested that he might chuse whether he would be judged by them or not therefore the whole Christian world may not judge the Pope Wherefore let vs come to the sayings of Euodius see whether they confirme the Romish conceipt any better The occasioÌ„ of the writing of this booke of Euodius was this Symmachus the Bishop of Rome being charged with certaine grieuous crimes was to bee judged in a Synode called by Theodoricus the King not without his own coÌ„sent To this Councel he was willing to come and to submit him selfe to the judgement of it onely hee desired restitution of such things as had beene taken from him till he were convicted which he could not obtaine and yet presented himselfe in the Synode But such was the
neede sent vnto them Germanus and Lupus Bishops and brethren defenders of the Catholicke faith who cleared the I le from the Pelagian heresie and confirmed it in the faith both by the word of truth signes and miracles Besides this condemnation of Palagius by the French Britaines there were sundry Councels holden to condemne both him his wicked heresies in Palestina at Carthage at Mileuise and at Arausicum and it is most certaine that the Church of GOD and all posterities are more bound to Saint Augustine for clearing the points of doctrine questioned by the Pelagians then to any Bishop of Rome whatsoeuer So that it is most vntrue that the Pelagians were condemned onely by the Bishop of Rome for other were as forward in that businesse as he yea the Africans were more forward then the Romanes and drew them into the fellowship of the same worke with themselues The like may be said of the Priscillianistes for it is more then euident out of the Councell of Bracar that they were not condemned by the Bishop of Rome alone but by many Synodes for it is there reported that Leo did write by Turibius notary of the See Apostolike to the Synode of Galitia at what time the heresie of the Priscillianistes began to spreade in those parts and that by his prescription and appointment they of Tarracon of Carthage of Portugall and Boetica met in Councell and composing a rule of faith against the heresie of the Priscillianistes containing certaine chiefe heades of Christian doctrine directed the same patterne of right beliefe to the Bishop of Bracar that then was which heads of Christian doctrine were recited in the first Councel of Bracar the heresie of the Priscillianistes thereupō more distinctly and particularly condemned then euer before In all which proceedings we may see that the Pope doth nothing of himselfe alone but being Patriarch of the West and hearing of a dangerous heresie spreading in some Churches subject to him hee causeth the Bishops vnder him to meete in Councels and to condemne the same Which as I thinke will not proue that the Pope alone condemned heresies or that some heresies were rejected onely because the Pope condemned them or that the Pope cannot erre which is the thing in question Touching Iouinian and Vigilantius their errours are so vncertainely reported some attributing to them one thing and some another and some condemning them for things for which they were not to be condemned that it is hard to say by what lawfull authority or by whom they were condemned but that in their errours justly disliked they were condemned onely by the Bishops of Rome and therefore taken to bee heretickes by the whole vniuersall Church our aduersaries will neuer be able to proue That the errours attributed vnto them are vncertainely reported it appeareth in that Austine chargeth Iouinian with two dangerous and wicked assertions touching the deniall of the perpetuall virginity of the blessed Virgin the mother of our Lord and the parity of sins whereof Hierome who yet was not like to haue spared him maketh no mention And that they were in somethings vnjustly condemned it is euident first in that Hierome blameth Iouinian for saying that married persons virgins widowes if they differ not in other workes of vertue and therein excell one another are of equall merit which the best learned both of the Fathers and Schoole-men do approue as I haue elsewhere shewed at large Secondly in in that he so bitterly inueigheth against Vigilantius for disliking the pernoctations in the Cemiteries and places of Saints buriall vsed in ancient times which a Councell for the same reasons that moued Vigilantius to dislike them took wholly away and forbade them to be vsed any more the Romane Churches haue long since disused But that the Popes peremptorie cōdemning of an error in matter of faith was not taken in ancient times to be a sufficiēt demonstration that they were heretickes that defended such errors after his cōdemning of the same it is euident in that Austine saith that the Churches might doubt stil touching the matter of rebaptization because in the times of Stephen who condemned it and Cyprian who vrged it there was no generall Councell to end the controuersie betweene them and in that after the peremptory forbidding and condemning of rebaptization by Stephen Bishop of Rome Cyprian and his colleagues still persisted in the practice of it and in vrging the necessity of it and yet were neuer branded with the marke and note of heresie but euer were and still are reputed Catholiques Bellarmine to avoid the force of this argument feareth not to say contrarie to his owne knowledge that Stephen and his adherents neuer determined the question of rebaptization But that hee did and that in most peremptory sort and manner it is more cleare and euident then that the Sunne shineth at noone For Firmilianus a famous learned Bishoppe chargeth him that hee caused great dissentions throughout all the Churches of the world that hee grieuously sinned in that hee deuided himselfe from soe many flockes of Christs sheepe that hee was a schismaticke that hee had forsaken the communion of Ecclesiasticall vnity willing him not to deceiue himselfe but to bee well assured that in thinking hee could put all other from the communion he had put himselfe out of the communion of all that hee brake the bandes of vnity with many Bishoppes in all parts of the World as well in the East as in the South with the Africanes not admitting such as came from them vnto him into his presence or to any speech with him and farther commanding the brethren that none of them should receiue them to house So that he not only denyed the peace of the Church and the communion of Christians vnto them but the entring vnder the roofe of any mans house that would be ruled by him and that thus he held the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace rejecting them as damnable miscreants that dissented from him and calling blessed Cyprian a false Christ a false Apostle and a deceiptfull labourer or workman And Dionysius a famous and worthy Bishop reporteth that he wrote concerning Hellenus and Firmilianus and all the Bishops in Cilicia Cappadocia and Galatia and all the bordering countries that he would not communicate with them for the same cause of rebaptization which yet as hee saith was agreed on in many very great Synodes of Bishops If this bee not sufficient to proue that Stephen determined the question of rebaptization I know not what can bee For first he commaunded that none should be rebaptized when they returned from the societies and prophane conventicles of heretickes but that they should bee admitted with the onely imposition of hands Secondly he deliuered his owne opinion that rebaptization was vnlawfull confidently as hauing so learned of his elders not in doubting manner And thirdly he rejected all them
though the times would be such as that many swords would not suffice to defend them yet that these two were enough because he meant to vse none at all but to suffer all that the malice of his enemies could doe vnto him This Maldonatus deliuereth to be the literall sense of Christs wordes sheweth a mysticall sense of them also out of Beda much more apt then that of Bonifacius Duo gladii saith Beda sufficiunt ad testimonium sponte passi Salvatoris Vnus qui Apostolis audaciam pro Domino certandi evulsà ictu eius auriculâ Domino etiam morituro pietatem virtutemque doceret inesse medicandi Alter quinequaquam vaginâ exemptus ostenderet eos nec totum quod potuere pro eius defensione facere permissos that is Two swords are sufficient to giue testimony vnto our Sauiour that he suffered willingly The one of which might shew that the Apostles wanted no courage to fight for their Master and by the eare that was cut off by the stroke thereof and healed againe by the Lord that he wanted neither piety to compassionate the miserable nor vertue and power to make him whole that was hurt though now hee were ready to dye And the other which neuer was drawne out of the sheath might shew that they were not permitted to doe all that they could haue done in his defence It is not to be denyed but that S. Bernard mystically expounding the words of Christ saith the Church hath two swords of authority But he thinketh it hath them in very different sort For it hath the vse of the one and the benefite of the other The one is to bee drawne by it the other for it So that this is all that hee saith that the sword of ciuill authority is to be vsed by the Souldiers hand at the commaund of the Emperour by the direction and at the suite of the Church From Bonifacius they passe to Innocentius the third who in the vacancy of the Empire willed those that were wronged in their rightfull causes to haue recourse either to some Bishop or to himselfe And Clemens the fifth who professeth to intermeddle with certaine secular businesses affaires and to determine certaine ciuill causes vpon three seuerall grounds Whereof the first is his greatnesse making him superiour to the Emperour The second his being in steed of the Emperour in the vacancy of the Empire And the third the fulnesse of power which Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords gaue vnto Peter and in him to his successours Whatsoeuer wee thinke of the former of these two Popes who seemeth to ground his intermedling in ciuill affaires vpon some law of the Empire and concession of ciuill Princes accordingly as we reade of Theodosius that he permitted any Lay-men hauing ciuill differences among themselues to referre the same to Ecclesiasticall Iudges if they listed Which concession proceeding ex pietate not ex debito that is out of piety and not out of any right or necessity that it must bee soe is long since growne out of vse the state of Church-men beeing much changed from that it was when hee granted them that priuiledge as Duarenus sheweth Yet Pope Clemens can by no meanes be excused from hereticall impiety affirming that which is most vntrue as may appeare by the many fold reasons brought before to proue the contrary nor from Antichristian pride in seeking to tread vnderneath his feete the crownes and dignities of Kings and Princes and to lift himselfe vp aboue all that is called God CHAP. 45. Of the Popes vnjust claime to intermeddle with the affaires of Princes and their states if not as soueraigne Lord ouer all yet at least in Ordine ad spiritualia and in case of Princes failing to do their duties THAT Christ was no earthly King that he left no Kingly power to Peter and that the Pope hath no meere temporall power in that he is Christs Vicar or Peters successor it is most euident out of the former discourse and the Cardinall Iesuite confesseth so much and yet he thinketh the Pope hath a supreme power to dispose of all temporall states and things in ordine ad bonum spirituale that is in a kinde of reference to the procuring and setting forward of the spirituall good But this fancy is most easily refuted by vnanswerable reasons presupposing his former concession For first no man can take away limit or restraine any power or the excercise of it but he in whom it is in eminent sort and from whom it was receiued But the ciuill power that is in Princes is not in the Pope neither did it proceede and come originally from him therefore it cannot be restrained limited or taken away by him The maior proposition is euident the assumption is proued because ciuill power is in heathen infidels who no way hold of the Pope Secondly because it is agreed by all Diuines of worth and learning that the ciuill power in the first originall of it is immediately from God or if not immediately by his owne deliuery thereof yet by no other mediation then that of the law of nature and nations The Emperours know saith Tertullian who gaue them the Empire they know that it was euen the same God who gaue vnto them to be men and to haue humane soules They well perceiue that he onely is God in whose onely power they are à quo sunt secundi post quem primi ante omnes super omnes Deos that is After whom they are in order the second but among all other the first before and aboue all Gods And againe Inde est Imperator vnde homo antequam Imperator inde potest as illi vnde spiritus that is From thence is the chiefe ruler and Emperor whence he was a man before hee was an Emperour from thence hath hee his power from whence he receiued the spirit of life The Author of the answer to the reports of a great and worthy Iudge among vs who hath lately written in the defence of the Popes ouerspreading greatnesse seemeth in part to agree with Tertullian and telleth vs that ciuill power is receiued from God not immediately by his owne deliuery thereof but mediately rather by the mediation of the law of nature and nations For by the law of nature God hath ordained that there should be politicke gouernment which the law of nations assuming hath transferred that gouernment to one or more according to the diuers formes thereof And Occam proueth at large that Imperiall power is not from the Pope and that it is hereticall to say that all lawfull ciuil power is from the Pope Our second reason is this Absolute soueraigne ciuill Princes while they were infidels had true dominion rule and authority holding it as immediatly from God not depending on any ruler of the church as hath beene shewed before But when they become Christians they still remaine in the
Euery cōmon-wealth must be perfect in it selfe able to defend it self frō all injuries that any other may offer vnto it if it can no other way free it selfe it must haue power to depose the Prince and change the gouernment Therefore the Church must be able to defend it self against all injuries of wicked Kings whether Infidels Heretickes or Apostataes if otherwise it cannot defend it selfe frō their violences and wrongs it must haue power to depose them This consequence I thinke will neuer be found good in the judgement of any indifferent Reader For the kingdomes and cōmon-wealths of the world the good prosperity happines whereof is outward must haue outward meanes to represse the insolencies of all such as seek to impeach or hinder the same But the Church being a society the happines good wherof is not outward but inward cōsisting in the graces of God the hope of a better life in the world to come may be perfect in it selfe though it want meanes to represse outward violences insolencies The Apostle himself who was a chief cōmander in it professing that the weapons of his warfare were not carnall but mighty through God for the casting down of proud thoughts but not for the ouerthrow of cities townes or the subduing of the Princes of the world So that the perfectiō of this society or cōmonwealth standing in the inward graces of the spirit the expectatiō of future happines she may attain her own end enioy her own good flourish in the midst of all pressures more thē in any state of outward prosperity so vndoubtedly she doth For as the gold is more pure the more it is tried in the fire as the cammomill smelleth the sweeter the more it is troden on as the palme tree spreadeth the further the more it is pressed down as the ark of Noe rose the higher the more the flouds did swell so Gods Church did then most grow increase prosper when the persecutiōs were hottest And therfore S. Austin saith speaking of the primitiue Christians Includebantur ligabātur torquebātur trucidabātur multiplicabātur that is they were shut vp in prisons and dungeons they were bound in fetters and chaines they were tortured racked yea they were slaine with the sword and yet they increased and multiplied And S. Bernard distinguishing three seuerall times of the Church in all which shee complained of bitternesse the first vnder persecuting heathen Emperors the second in the conflicts with heretickes the third when she had rest from both these saith the state of the church was worst in her peace bringeth her in complaining and saying Amarissima amaritudo mea in pace mea that is My bitternesse is most bitter in the daies of my peace For now omnes amici omnes inimici omnes domestici nulli pacifici serui Christi seruiunt Antichristo that is All are friends all are enemies all are of my houshold but none are at peace with me the seruants of Christ serue Antichrist So that it followeth not that if the church must haue meanes to attaine her owne end and enioy her owne wished good that she must haue power sufficient to procure her outward peace and represse the insolencies of outward enemies And yet besides this reason chargeth Christ with want of care of his Church who left it without meanes to defēd it selfe against outward violence for the space of 300 yeares together during the time of the heathen Emperors afterwards also vnder the reigne of Apostataes and heretickes For Bellarmine saith that the primitiue Christians did not depose Nero Dioclesian Iulian the Apostata Valens the Arrian and other like because they wanted temporall forces The next reason is more strange then this For first forgetting what they are to proue in steed of prouing that the Pope may depose Princes they endeuour to proue that the people may depose Princes when they fall into heresie and that the Pope is to iudge of heresie Secondly they conclude that Christian people may not endure their King if he fall into heresie because they may not chuse a king that is an infidell or hereticke That they might not chuse an hereticke which no man denieth they proue because the Iewes might chuse none to be their king that was not of their brethren lest he should draw them to idolatry But the consequence they goe not about to proue which we deny and they will neuer be able to confirme For there is no question but people are bound to bee subiect to such a king as in conscience they might not chuse if they were free to make choice When Moses was counselled by Iethro to chuse Elders rulers to assist him he told him what maner of mē they should bee to wit men fearing God dealing truely hating couetousnesse and none but such ought electors hauing freedome of choice to chuse and yet I thinke though a king bee couetous hee is not presently to be deposed And therefore Bellarmine like an honest man confuteth his owne argument and saith that infidels that had dominion ouer people before they became Christians are to be tollerated by Christians if they seeke not to draw them to idolatry whom yet I thinke Christians might not chuse to reigne ouer them if they were free Besides this if Bellarmine say true that subiects sinne as much in tollerating kings that are infidels Apostataes or heretickes as in chusing such to rule ouer them when they were free all the primitiue Christians that tollerated Nero Dioclesian Iulian the Apostata Constantius Valens other heretickes sinned damnably in so doing Neither will Bellarmines answere that they are to be excused though they did not depose thē because they wanted strength auoid the same For it is euident by Tertullian that they wanted not strength if they had thought it lawfull If we should goe about to auenge our selues saith Tertullian we should not want meanes For behold we are more in number and greater in strength then any one nation people of the world We are strangers vnto you and yet behold we haue filled all places pertaining vnto you your Cities your Isles your Villages your Towns your Councel-houses your Castles strong Forts your Palaces your Senates your market places only your Idoll Temples we haue left free vnto you What warre should not we be able to take in hand or what attempt should seem hard vnto vs though we were too weake who so willingly are slaine if it were not more lawfull to be killed then to kill in our profession Nay though wee should neuer arme our selues nor lift vp our hands against you but only depart away and withdraw our selues into some remote parts of the world how should we confound and amaze you How could you endure so great a losse How would your cities be left desolate none found to dwell in them So that it was not
the bond of marriage remaineth inviolable and is not nor may not be dissolued and therefore if this comparison hold a Christian King falling into heresie apostasie or atheisme and seeking to draw his people to the same doth not lose the right of dominion he hath ouer them Thirdly in Bellarmines opinion it is not refusall to dwell together nor sollicitation to idolatrie that could make a separation if the band of matrimony contracted betweene Infidels were simply firme and indissoluble as that of Christians is But heathen Princes haue as good interest in their Kingdomes which are not founded vpon grace or faith but vpon the light of reason the freedome of will and the Law of Nature and Nations as beleeuers therefore their solliciting to infidelity and idolatrie cannot make their titles to their kingdome voide Lastly malitious desertion or refusall to dwell with the beleeuer vnlesse he some way at lest by silence consent to the blasphemies of the Infidell is directly contrary to the nature essence end and intendment of marriage and therefore dissolueth marriage but the abvse of sacred authority to the promoting of impiety and suppressing of true Religion is not contrary to the nature and essence of authority but to the right vse of it and therefore it doth not make voide the title of magistrates seeing it is certaine that lawfull authority may stand with most horrible abuse of the same Wherefore let vs proceede to their seuenth proofe When Princes say they come to the Church and are admitted to the Communion of the faithfull people of God they are not admitted but vpon promise and agreement that if they forsake the faith or hinder the good of GODS people they will bee content and it shall bee lawfull for the Gouernours of the Church to take their authoritie from them therefore when Princes become heretiques or Apostataes it is lawfull by their owne agreement and consent for the Gouernours of the Church to depose them The antecedent of this Argument I thinke will neuer bee made good For what Prince in his admission to bee a Christian did euer thus condition with the Church either expressely or by necessary implication examples of any such stipulation I am perswaded they canne bring vs none It is true indeede that the very vow of a Christian made in Baptisme implieth in it a resolution and promise rather to depart with any thing and lose all then to forfeit the inheritance he is entitled vnto to dishonour God or any way to hinder the good of his church but this vow and promise is made to God and not to the church and therefore God may take from Christian kings their kingdomes when they become heretiques and seeke to misleade the people as forfeited vpon their own agreements but the Church hath nothing to doe with them more then the great Turke vpon any such forfeiture made vnto Almighty God It is true that all infidels and wicked ones haue forfeited their kingdomes to God but yet in the title of mundane iustice they haue right to them still and may not bee dispossessed of them by mortall men vnlesse they bee specially authorised by almighty God as the Israelites were to cast out the Canaanites And this was the meaning of Wickliffe when he affirmed that a Prince being in state of mortall sinne ceaseth to bee a Prince any longer namely in respect of any title he canne plead to God if hee be pleased to take the advantage of the forfeiture but in respect of men he hath a good title still in the course of mundane iustice So that whosoeuer shall lift vp his hand against him offereth him wrong The Church therefore may proceede no further then to admonish Princes when they offend and for grieuous and scandalous faults to deny vnto them the benefit of her Communion The last proofe they bring for deposing Princes when they become heretickes is taken from the office of a Pastor to whom it pertaineth to driue away wolues to restraine and keepe the Rammes and great leaders of the flockes from hurting those sheepe that are more weake This reason as it is the last so it is the worst of all For each Pastour must doe these things according to the nature and quality of his Pastorall office and therefore a spirituall Pastour must performe them by spirituall and ecclesiasticall censures driuing away the wolues from his flockes by suspension excommunication and anathema and restraining the Rammes from hurting the rest by the same meanes so binding them with bands that exceed all the bands of restraint vsed by the secular powers CHAP. 46. Of examples of Church-men deposing Princes brought by the Romanistes HAuing examined the reasons brought to proue that the chiefe gouernours of the Church may depose Princes erring from the faith and hindering the course of religion let vs see what examples our Aduersaries produce of the practise of deposing them The first is the example of Samuel appointing Saul to be a king and afterwards deposing him for his disobedience But in this example they are grossely deceiued For first Samuel was neither high Priest nor Priest at all not being of the posterity of Aaron Secondly Samuel did not appoint Saul to be king as being of higher authority but as obeying and executing the mandate of God as the meanest man in Israel might haue done as we reade in the second of the Kings of one of the sonnes of the Prophets who at the commandement of Elizeus annointed Iehu king ouer Israel yet was neither Elizeus nor he greater in dignity then Kings Thirdly we doe not reade in the sacred History that Samuel deposed Saul but that God deposed him and that Samuel was the messenger sent from God to let him know it Because saith Samuel thou hast cast away the word of the Lord the Lord hath cast thee away that thou shalt not reigne And againe the Lord hath cut away the kingdome of Israel from thee this day Yea so farre was Samuel from deposing Saul that he mourned for him till God blamed him saying How long dost thou mourne for Saul whereas I haue cast him away that hee should not reigne ouer Israel The next example is that of Hieremy the Prophet to whom the Lord said I haue set thee ouer nations and people to plucke vp and to roote out and to destroy and throw downe to build and to plant Whence they inferre that the chiefe Priest is ouer the kingdomes of the world and may giue them to whom hee will But first wee must obserue that Hieremy was not the high Priest but one of an inferiour ranke that therefore if we will conclude any thing from hence touching the power of disposing kingdomes by Priests every Priest must haue this power Secondly we must know that Hieremie was set ouer the kingdome of Iudah and other kingdomes not to rule them but prophetically to denounce vnto them and foreshew the things that afterwards should fall out Whereupon Lyra
haue beene followed in the suppressing of the Pelagians and therefore Austine affirmeth that there were but some few heresies of that nature that a Generall Councell of all the Bishops of the East and West was necessarily to bee called for the suppressing of them And indeede wee finde that if some fiue or sixe heresies haue beene condemned by the censure of Generall Councells an 100. haue beene suppressed and extinguished by other meanes And of those for the condemning whereof Generall Councells were holden some were not extinguished a long time after For that of the Arrians grew stronger after then euer it was before and those of Nestorius and Eutyches continued some hundreds of yeares after the ending of those Councels in which they receiued the sentence of condemnation How is it then that Isidore saith the Church before Constantines time was diuided rent into diuers Factions and Sects because there was no Generall Councell as if there were no other meanes to preserue Vnity but Generall Councels and that wheresoeuer they may be had Peace were presently established For the clearing hereof we say that such new opinions as growing vp in those times found a concurring dislike in the seuerall Churches seeking one to another were then suppressed when yet there could bee no Generall Councels as the heresies of the Marcionites Valentinians and the like But they wherein there grew difference among the chiefe Pastours and Bishoppes of the Churches could not be determined in those times as the errours of the Millenaries of those that kept Easter after the Iewish obseruation and of those that held the necessity of re-baptizing of such as were baptized by heretickes in which point many worthy pastours Bishops of the Church did erre in the first ages of the Church neither could their errour bee extinguished as Austine noteth nor the trueth so cleared as that all dissenters should incurre the note of heresie till the decree of a Councell passed about it Quaestionis huius obscuritas saith Austine Prioribus Ecclesiae temporibus ante schisma Donati magnos viros magna charitate praeditos Patres Episcopos ita inter se compulit salua pace disceptare fluctuare vt diu Conciliorum in suis quibusque regionibus diuersa statuta nutauerint donec Plenario totius orbis Concilio quod saluberrime sentiebatur etiam remotis dubitationibus formaretur that is The obscurity of this question in former ages of the Church before the schisme of Donatus did cause great men and Fathers and Bishops indued with great charity so to striue among themselues and to wauer as doubtfull vncertaine without breaking the bond of Peace that for a long time the Decrees of Councels in seuerall Regions were diuerse and different without any settled certainty till that which was most wholesomely conceiued was fully formed settled and established by a plenary Councell of the Bishops of the whole world and no place left for doubting and vncertainty any longer Thus wee see that some heresies may easily be suppressed without troubling all the Bishops of the world to meet in a Generall Councell and that some others cannot easily bee suppressed without Generall Councels as heresies may be suppressed by the mutuall concurrence of seueral churches so by the like correspondence the seuerity of discipline may be vpholdē vniformely schismes prevented When Cornelius was elected and ordained Bishop of Rome at the first because there was some oppositiō Cyprian others were feareful to write vnto him as to the Bishop of Rome but afterwardbeing fully informed touching the lawfulnesse of his electiō and ordinatiō they reiected his Competitours and communicated with him onely the like we shall find to haue bin practised generally by all Bishops carefully seeking to be certified out of other Provinces and parts of the Church by such Bishops as were knowne to be Catholikes who came lawfully into places of Ministery being so come held the vnity of Faith and Charity that so they might holde Cōmunion with them and reject those that entered otherwise Whereupon Cyprian telleth Cornelius Bishop of Rome to whō in Africa he might write as to Catholick Bishops from whō he might receiue letters as from Catholickes Notwithstanding Generall Councels are the best meanes for preseruing of vnity of doctrine seuerity of discipline preventing of schismes when they may be had though they be not absolutely necessary to the being of the Church yet are they most behoouefull for the best readiest most gracious governing of the same how-soeuer there may bee a kind of exercise of the supreme jurisdictiō that is in the Church by the concurrence of particular Synodes the correspondence of seueral Pastors vpon mutuall intelligence of the sence judgment resolutiō of euery of them yet the highest most excellent exercise of the supreme Ecclesiasticall jurisdictiō is in Generall Councels Heere the Papists are wont to argue that the Protestants hauing no Generall Councels haue not the exercise of the supreme Ecclesiasticall jurisdictiō consequently that they are not that Church out of which no saluatiō is found but this is a very silly trifling and playing with their owne shadowes neither is it any thing else buta meere abusing of themselues others thus idlely fondly to jangle For first the Protestants being but a part of the Christian Church neuer challenged to themselues the authority that belongeth to the whole as the Papists doe who excluding all the Christians of Graecia Armenia Russia Aethiopia out of the fellowship cōmunion of Saints and as much as in them lieth casting them into hell suppose a Generall meeting of those of their own factiō to bee a Generall Councell And secondly if the Protestants did think themselues to be the whole Church yet their argument were of no force seeing the whole Church may be without the benefite of Generall Councels much longer then the Protestants haue beene since the divisiō between them the Papists for the Christians of the primitiue church had no general councell for the space of 300 yeares after Christ. But to returne to the point frō which we are a little digressed occasioned so to doe by this frivolous objectiō of the Papists touching the good and profitable vse of Generall councels there is no difference between vs our Adversaries but it is agreed on both sides that though they be not absolutely necessary yet they are very behoofefull much to be desired in diverse cases neither euer was there any man of judgement that thought otherwise For that which Nazianzen hath that hee neuer saw good end of any councell is not to bee vnderstood as spoken generally and absolutely but respectiuely to the turbulent times wherein he liued and the Arrian faction so prevailed that many Synodes were holden for the ouerthrow of the Nicene faith without all respect to the good of the Church CHAP. 49. Of the persons that may
their places onely debarring them from further promotion and prescribing that the Decree of Syricius shall take place in time to come and that such as knowe of it and disobey it shall bee remoued from their places The first Councell of Turon holden in the yeare foure hundred foure score and two sought to remitte something of the seuerity of some particular Councels wherein the Bishoppes directed by the prohibition of Syricius and Innocentius had gone too farre The words of the Councell are these Though our Fathers out of the authoritie committed to them decreed that what Priest or Deacon soeuer should bee found to begette children of their wiues should bee put from the communion of the Lord yet wee moderating this extreame seuerity and by a more equall constitution mollifying and mitigating that which was too hard haue decreed That a Priest or Deacon continuing in Matrimoniall society with his wife and not ceasing from the procreation of children shall not bee lifted vp to any higher degree nor offer sacrifice vnto God nor minister to the people but let this be enough for them that they are not put from the Communion Thus wee see that within a short time after the publishing of these Decrees the Bishoppes were forced out of due consideration to remit something of that seuerity that some other set on by Syricius and Innocentius had vsed till at length the execution of these Decrees was in a manner wholy neglected as vnprofitable and too heauy a burthen for the Ministers of the Church to beare Whereupon we shall finde that in all the Prouinces of the West the Presbyters and Deacons of the Church were married at that time that Hildebrand climed vp into the Papall Chaire and had beene long before Priests in those times saith Auentinus had wiues publickly as all other Christians and begate sonues and daughters of them as it appeareth by the instruments of donations made to Churches and Abbaies wherein these Priests wiues together with their husbands are brought as witnesses and are stiled by the name of Presbyterissae Yea so generall and so well setled was the mariage of Cleargy-men in those times that when Hildebrand beganne to restraine and forbid it the whole Nation of Cleargie-men rose vp against him called him Monster and enemy of man-kinde and pronounced him to bee Antichrist And such was the resistance against this rash and inconsiderate attempt of the Pope that hee could by no meanes prevaile though hee caused so great confusions tumults and disorders in the Christian worlde as the like had neuer beene seene in any of the bloudy persecutions that were in the time of the Primitiue Church and was forced to confesse a little before his death that hee had caused grieuous scandals in the Christian world The circumstances of the whole narration found in the Historians are these So soone as the Decree of Hildebrand was published presently the whole faction of Cleargy-men was enraged against him crying out that hee was an hereticke and a man damnably erring in his judgement who forgetting the speach of our Lord that saith All men receiue not this word Let him that can receiue it receiue it and of the Apostle who saith Let him that cannot containe marry for it is better to marry then to burne would by violent inforcement constraine men to liue after the manner of Angells and while hee denyed and sought to restraine the ordinary accustomed course of nature loosed the reines and gaue free liberty to whoredome and vncleannesse protesting that if hee should goe forward to vrge the execution of this his Decree they were resolued rather to forsake the Ministery then their marriage And that then hee before whom men did stincke should see whence Angels are to be had to vndertake the gouernment of the Church and people of God Notwithstanding all this resistance and these earnest protestations Hildebrand went forward vrged the matter and reproued the Bishops as carelesse and negligent The Arch-bishop of Mentz fearing the Popes displeasure and yet considering that it would bee no easie matter to alter a custome so strongly and by so long tract of time confirmed proceeded moderately in those parts where he had to doe giuing those of the Cleargy halfe a yeares respite to aduise themselues praying and beseeching them to resolue to doe that willingly which of necessity they must doe But after the time expired which hee had giuen vnto them hee called a Synode and was earnest with them that without all further delay or excuse they would presently either abiure their marriage or put themselues from seruing any longer at the Altar They on the contrary side alleadged many reasons to perswade him not to vrge them to any such extremities and when they found that neither intreaty and humble petition nor weight of reason would prevaile but that though professing himselfe vnwilling thus to vrge them yet he was forced so to doe by the Popes mandate and that therefore hee must haue no deniall but that they must yeelde they went out of the Councell-house as if it had beene to deliberate and resolued among themselues either never to returne or otherwise so to returne as to pull him out of his chaire before hee should pronounce so cursed a sentence against them and to take away his life from him that so his vnhappie end might be a warning to all posterities that no succeeding Bishoppe might euer dare to attempt so to wrong and dishonour the Priestly degree and order The Arch-bishop by the meanes of some that wished well vnto him vnderstanding of this conspiracy to preuent the tumult which hee saw to bee vnauoydable if hee did not speedily giue them some satisfaction and contentment sent vnto them besought them to bee quiet and to returne into the Synode and promised that as soone as any opportunity should bee offered hee would doe his best endeauour to perswade the Pope to desist from these courses These things were done in the yeare 1074. The yeare following the Arch-bishoppe againe vrged by the Pope called another Councell at Mentz to which the Popes Legate came bringing his letters and mandates and requiring him to vrge them presently to yeeld and if they should refuse so to doe to punish them with the losse of their degree and order which thing when hee was about to doe presently all the Cleargy-men which sate round about rose vp and so refuted and reiected that hee said with words and by the violent moving shaking of their hands and gesture of their whole bodies shewed themselues to bee so moued against him as that hee feared euer to goe out of the Synode aliue and so at last ouercome with the difficulty of this atttempt hee resolued to desist from medling with this matter any more which hee had so often to no purpose taken in hand and to leaue it wholly to the Pope to doe what hee would These were the vaine attempts of the Romanistes for the restrayning of
had bin twice maried frâ—… entring into the Ministery had no good reason leading them so to doe For neither is he alwaies better that hath beene but once maried then he that hath beene twice maried as I haue shewed out of Hierome neither canne he alwayes better exhort to continence for how canne hee exhort others to liue continently and not to marry the second time or after the death of their wiues that himselfe in his widow-hood committed Adultery or liued as a whore-monger seeing the Apostle willeth both men and women rather to marry the second third or fourth time then to burne in lust and to commit adultery or fornication There is therefore a third reason yeelded of this pretended prohibition of marying a second wife after the death of the first which is mysticall and taken from a kinde of Sacramentall signification which must be found in them that are to be admitted into the holy Ministery of the Church And surely either this reason must preuaile or none for if it were some morall defect and imperfection that debarreth men twice maried from entering into the Ministery or for that it is a signe of incontinency to haue beene twice maried it might be washed away in Baptisme as well as Whoredome and other Crimes which yet these men deny Let vs see therefore what force there is in this Reason of mysticall signification The mariage of the Fathers in the time of the old Law saith Saint Augustine by their many wiues expressed and figured those Churches out of the many Nations People and Kinreds of the world that were to ioyne themselues vnto Christ in Spirituall mariage at his comming but the mariage of Christians figureth specially that perfect vnity that shall bee in Heauen of all faithfull and holy ones both with Christ and amongst themselues This is Augustines reason and this the Schoole-men vrge But it is strange that men of Learning should stand so confidently vpon so weake a ground For if the expressing of the vnity betweene Christ and the Church his Spouâ—…e by the vndeuided vnity that is betweene one man and one woman be necessarily required in him that is to be chosen a Bishop or Presbyter then of necessity every one that desireth to be a Bishop or Presbyter must marry a wife that so his mariage may expresse the Spirituall mariage betweene Christ and the Church Nay seeing Christ neuer withdraweth himselfe from his Church but daily begetteth sons and daughters of her vnto God each Bishop must haue a wife and company with her continually that so by the matrimoniall vnity that is betweene him and his wife hee may expresse the vnity that is betweene Christ and the Church Their answere hereunto is that as Christ is a Husband so hee is a Virgin and that therefore a man may beare an expresse resemblance and representation of Christ by Virginity as well as by Mariage So that it sufficeth if either hee bee a Virgin or haue beene but once maried that is to be thought capable of Ecclesiasticall honour But this answere vvill not serue the turne For though a man bee no Virgin as Hierome professed of himselfe that hee vvas not and as it is euident Augustine vvas not in that he had children borne vnto him yet it is not necessary in the iudgement of our Aduersaries that such a one should marry a vvife to make himselfe capable of Ecclesiasticall honour Whence it followeth that there is no necessity of Representing either the Virginity of Christ or his matrimoniall Coniunction vvith the Church by the Virginity or mariage of such as are to be admitted into the holy Ministery Besides this it is not enough to expresse the Vnity betweene Christ and the Church that a man marry but one vvife but it is required also that he defile not himselfe by being ioyned vnto harlots but that he keepe himselfe intirely to his owne vvife For so it is betweene Christ and his Church vvho not onely hath no other wife or spouse but the Church of the faithfull but also so intirely loueth her that hee giueth no part of his loue to any stranger So that hee that marying but once hath either before or after such mariage committed adultery or fornication doth not expresse the vnity that is betweene Christ and the Church And yet our Aduersaries that are so peremptorie against such as haue beene more then once maried set open the doores to let in both Whoremongers and Adulterers into the Church and house of God And therefore the wordes of Hierome may rightly be applyed vnto them That they tithe Mint and Annisseed and omitte the weightier things of the Law that they straine at a Gnat and swallow a Camell rejecting them as vnworthy that haue not offended and admitting such as haue justifying the sinner and condemning the Innocent But that wee may perceiue the weakenesse of this mysticall Reason wee must obserue that our adversaries admit none into the Ministery that haue beene maried vnlesse either their wiues bee dead or by consent of their wiues they resolue to containe renouncing that power and interest the man hath ouer the body of his wife and so indeed ceasing to bee husbands So that if their Presbyters and other Cleargy-men haue resemblance of CHRISTS mariage with the Church in respect of their mariage it is while they are no Cleargy-men but meere Laymen Now how-soeuer it may be required of them that are to bee admitted into the Ministery that they haue not beene scandalous before their enterance yet I thinke it is not required that they haue beene cleare representations or figures of CHRIST but this is to bee looked for afterwardes when they supply his place Wherefore wee may assure our selues that this was not the reason that moued those to debarre men twice maryed from entering into the Ministery that so did but partly a mis-vnderstanding of the Apostles words partly for that as Duarenus noteth though often marying bee permitted both by Gods Law and mans Law yet the olde Fathers did not greatly like it as arguing immoderate incontinency in them that so doe Whereupon we shall finde that in auncient times they were all put to penance that maryed the 2d time though Lay-men and neuer intending to enter into the Ministery The wordes of the Councell of Neocaesarea are these Concerning such as often take them wiues and such as are often marryed it is ordered that they shall obserue and fulfill the time of the penance which is prescribed vnto them yet so as that their conversation and faith may shorten the time And the same Councell forbiddeth a Presbyter to bee present at the mariage-feast of them that are the second time maryed seeing it is prescribed that they must bee put to Penance that marry the second time And asketh what Presbyter that is that will for a mariage-feast consent to such mariages And another Canon forbiddeth such mariages to be blessed in the Church
that it is cleare and not denyed by vs that these widdowes made a kinde of promise and profession of continuing in widdow-hood when they were admitted to the Almes and seruice of the Church and that it was a fault not to be excused to shew themselues inconstant in this respect yet such was the tendernesse of the Church in auncient times knowing the weakenesse of the sexe as not to cast any snares vpon them or to tye them by the bond of any solemne benediction or consecration to a necessity of continuing in such an estate but shee thought good to leaue them to their owne diliberations and resolutions so that though they were wont to putte a kinde of sacred vaile on such virgins as voluntarily deuoted themselues to God yet Gelasius forbiddeth any Bishoppe to attempt any such thing as the vailing of a widdow If widdowes sayth hee out of the mutability of their mindes hauing made a kinde of profession of not marrying againe shall returne to marriage it shall be at their perill in what sort they will seeke to pacifie God seeing according to the saying of the Apostle they haue broken their first faith For as if haply they could not containe according to the Apostle they were no way forbidden to marry so hauing deliberated with themselues so to do they ought to keepe their promise of continent liuing made to God but wee ought not to cast any snare vpon such but onely to exhort them to do that which is fit by the consideration of the eternall rewards and punishments that God hath prepared for men according to their workes that soe wee may cleare our selues and make knowne what wee thinke and they may bee left to giue an accompt of that they doe knowing best their owne intention This was the Decree of this Pope and some other were of the same iudgment who admitted widdowes to no benediction but that of Penitencie nor suffered no other vayle but the vayle of penitents to bee put vpon them But it seemeth this course was not holden afterwards succeeding Bishops degenerating from the wise and discreet moderation of their Godly predecessors and laying heauier burthens on mens shoulders then was fit CHAP. 59. Of the maintainance of Ministers HAuing briefely run through all those things that concerne the different degrees orders and callings of them Almighty God employeth in the Ministery of holy things it remaineth that in the last place I come to speake of the maintainance of them That an honourable intertainement is due to the Ministers of God and disposers of his heauenly Treasures there neithes is nor can bee any doubt The light of Nature the sence of Piety and the Presidents of the Iewes and Gentiles before Christ and all Christian Kingdomes Nations and People since most clearely conuincing it Who goeth a warre-fare at any time sayth the Apostle at his owne charge who dresseth a Vineyeard and tasteth not of the fruite of it Who attendeth and feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of it It is an Axiome most cleare and euident in the light of Nature that The labourer is worthy of his hire and the detaining of his wages is one of the sinnes that crye so loud that he that sitteth in heauen heareth them If this bee true in them that are imployed in any seruice businesse or worke in the world for the good of men how much more in respect of them that labour to procure their Spirituall and eternall good It is a small thing sayth the Apostle that we should reape your carnall things that haue sowne vnto you spirituall things therefore let him that is instructed in the word make him that instructed him partaker of all his goods The Galathians thought them-selues so much bound to the blessed Apostle Saint PAVLE by whose ministerie they were conuerted from Idolatry to serue the true and liuing GOD that they would haue plucked out their eyes to haue done him good perswading themselues they were noe way able to make recompence vnto him for all the good hee had done vnto them And the Apostle is bold to tell Philemon â— that he oweth himselfe vnto him This thing is so cleare and evident that I suppose no man will contradict any Part of that which hath been said yet notwithstanding it is not to bee dissembled that Wickliffe and some others let fall some inconsiderate speeches out of an immoderate dislike of the abuse of things in the Romane Church wherein all piety care of Religion and performance of pastorall duties being neglected by the most part of men nothing was sought after but riches honour and greatnesse accompanyed with excessiue and riotous expences to the great scandall of the World For the opinion of Wickliffe was that the Ministers of the Church ought to make no such claime to tithes possessions or lands or any other reward of their labours as may be pleadable in any temporall court of Iustice as each man doth to the things that are come to him by inheritance from his Fathers or by his owne purchase but that they should content themselues with the title of originall Iustice by vertue whereof that is due to euery good man that is fitting to him answerableto his condition merite and worthinesse This opinion of Wickliffe proceeded from a dislike of some-thing he conceiued to be amisse but knew not how to reforme And the censure of Gerson vpon this and the like Articles was right and good that they who proposed them had cause of offence at many abuses by them reprehended but that to goe about to reforme things out of order by such a course as those Articles imported was to east out one Deuill by another where-vpon hee sheweth that a golden meane is to bee followed betweene that immoderate flattery that gaue too much to the Pope and his Cleargy and caused them to forget that they were men and to encroach vpon the right and possession of all other men and that vile detraction that diminisheth the honour and reputation and taketh away the reward of worth and learning to the ruine of the Church and bringing in of all Barbarisme and confusion Wee say therefore that this position is to be rejected as contrary to the cleare evidence of Heauenly Trueth the light of Nature and the practise and Iudgement of all the world whether wee respect Iewes Pagans or Christians For is it so the Apostle himselfe disputing and determining the case that the Ministers of God by the rules of the Law of Nature that giuen by Moyses haue more right to a maintenance fitting to their worth and callings than the labourer hath to his hyre And are not all Christian Princes and Magistrates bound to force by their Lawes such as with-holde that which is thus due Nay may not the Church by her censures make them that are instructed to minister out of their temporall goods to such as instruct them Surely there is no doubt but they
the Authour of the Sermons De tempore whosoeuer hee was agreeth saying Audi indevota mortalitas nosti quia Dei sunt cuncta quae percipis et de suo non accommodas omnium Conditori That is Heare O mortall man voyde of devotion thou knowest that all the things that thou enioyest are Gods and wilt thou present him with nothing that made all c. Hee vouchsafeth to require onely the Tenth and the First-fruites and thou denyest him what wouldest thou doe if hee should challenge nine parts and leaue thee but the Tenth For why might not God say the men that serue thee are mine I made them the Earth that thou tillest is mine the seed thou sowest is mine the Oxen are mine that thou weariest in thy worke yea the showres of raine the blasts of winde and the heate of the Sunne is mine all the things which cause thy increase are mine and thou onely puttest to thy hand therefore the Tenth onely is due vnto thee and the rest is mine but God who is rich in goodnesse hath not giuen thee so sparing a reward of thy labour for behold hee is content thou shall haue nine parts and exacteth onely the Tenth and thou most vnthakefully perfidiously and falsly with-holdest it from him and therefore in his wrath hee often depriueth thee of those nine parts that thou mightest haue had destroying and bringing to nothing all that which thou hopedst to reape by immoderate drougth or raine by haile frost or some other meanes as seemeth best vnto him But whatsoeuer wee thinke of the Author of these Sermons it is certaine Saint Augustine did vrge a necessity of paying the Tenth at least of all that men possesse Set out saith he some certain thing out of thy revenewes increase or gain if thou wilt the Tenth though this be too little for the Pharisees payde tithes of all that they possessed and yet If our Righteousnes exceed not theirs we cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heauen And if we vrge you to the paying hereof sayth he think not that we seek your wealth but your wel-doing With Augustine agreeth Chrysostome The first Councell of Hispalis as we reade in Iuo vrgeth the paying of tithes as commavnded by God pronounceth that he maketh a prey of thinges holy vnto God and is as a theefe and a robber that payeth not tithe of all that he possesseth and that all the curses which God powred out on Caine that made no good diuision but gaue the worst to God and kept the best to himselfe shall be powred vpon him The first Councell of Orleance sheweth that tithes were payed at that time and the second Councell of Matiscon saith The law of God prouiding for the Priests and Ministers of the Churches commaunded the people to bring into the holy places the Tenth of their increase for an hereditary portion that so being hindered by no labour they might in due sort attend the worke of the holy Ministerie which law the whole multitude and heape of Christians hath kept inuiolablely for a long time The Fathers assembled in the Councell of Forum Iulii after they haue alleadged the mandate of Almighty God in the third of Malachie adde that God himselfe pronounceth that his wrath and indignation abideth vpon the Nation or People which fulfilleth not this his commaundement with an intire heart and a good will and after recitall of the blessings and curses that follow them that keepe or breake this commaundement If yee beleeue not vs or despise vs say they because we are men beleeue God himselfe in his threats and promises and whosoeuer thou art that professest thy selfe a Christian De suis non dâ—…is da Domino quia omne quod sumus viuimus habemus eius est de ipsius benignitatis suscepimus manu that is giue vnto God of his owne not of thine seeing all that we are liue haue is his and wee haue receiued it at the hand of his goodnes The Fourth Councell of Arle decreeth thus let euery one offer to God the Tenth First fruites of all the increase of his labour as it is written Thou shalt not be slow to offer thy Tithes and first fruits vnto God The Councell of Mentz vnder Charles the Great prescribeth in this sort Wee admonish and commaund that no man neglect to pay Tithes vnto God which God himselfe appointed to be giuen because it is to be feared least as each man shall with-hold from God that which is due vnto him so God for his sinne should take from him those thinges that are necessary and which hee would otherwise suffer him to enioy Which agreeth with that of Augustine in his booke of his 50. Homilies where he saith Our Ancestours did therefore abound in wealth and had plenty of all thinges because they gaue Tithe to God Tribute to Caesar Modò autem quia discessit deuotio Dei accessit indictio fisci nolumus partiri cum Deo Decimas modò autemtotum tollitur hoc tollit Fiscus quod non accipit Christus That is But now because deuotion giueth nothing to God the Officers of Princes call for our Treasure to fill their Coafers wee will not so part deuide with God as to giue him the Tenth and therefore all is taken from vs by men the Exchequer seazeth on that which Christ could haue no part of The Councell of Tribur alleadgeth and alloweth the saying of the Authour of the sermons de tempore before cited and addeth these wordes If any man aske why Tithes are payed let him know that they are therefore payed that God being pleased with this deuotion may giue more largely the thinges wee haue neede of The perswasion of the necessity of paying Tithes was so deepely imprinted in the mindes of our Forefathers that when they were ready to die there was no account concerning things in this world they more carefully sought to perfit than this and therefore after they had taken order for satisfying all that they could any way finde to bee behind in this kinde they were wont lest happily something there might bee that came not to their minde to appoint that the second best of those moueable thinges they had should be brought after them to the Church when they went to be buried as a Recompence if in any thing they had done wrong in paying their Tithes and this thing thus brought after them was named a Mortuarie Thus we see the fact of Abraham and Vow of Iacob before the giuing of the Law the prescription of Almighty God in the time of the Law the Resolution of learned and worthy men and the practise of the Church since the comming of Christ proue strongly That Tithes are perpetually and for euer due yet the Schoolemen and such as follow them are of another opinion Bellarmine goeth about to proue that Tithes are not due by Gods law in this sort They are neither
it better to giue lands vnto the Churches for the maintenance of the Ministery reliefe of the Poore entertainment of Strangers then mony as being a more sure certain settled Indowment cōsequently fitter forchurches established Of which change we may read in the epistle attributed to Vrbanus Bishop of Rome about the yeare two hundred twenty sixe And though the first course of giuing all that men possessed to the common benefite soone ceased was neuer practised for ought we read amongst the Gentiles yet great was the devotion of Christians turning from Gentilisme in those first Ages of the Church while the blood of CHRIST lately shed was yet warme in mens hearts so that they gaue many goodly ample Indowments Possessions to the Church Where-upon we shal find that the church had very anciently goods lands as well as treasure For the councel of Ancyra holden in the yeare 314 voydeth the sale of such things as the church made by Presbyters when there was no Bishop leaueth it in the choyce of the Bishop when he is chosen if he please to resume the things themselues againe The councell of Antioch in the yeare 340 maketh mention of the Fields lands and possessions of the church and taketh order how they shall bee disposed Agri Ecclesiae saith Ambrose solvunt tributa that is the fieldes and landes of the church pay tribute Constantine the Emperour made a Law that it might bee lawfull for such as pleased to leaue their goods vnto the church And Licinia a rich and wealthie Matron gaue her goods by will vnto the church of Rome when Marcellus was Bishoppe Hilary Bishop of Arle as Prosper reporteth not onely possessed such things as the church had formerly but greatly increased the possessions of it receiuing the inheritances of many who gaue that they had to the church Thus did the devout Christians of the Primitiue church religiously giue the godly Bishops take such temporalties as were giuen vnto them And therefore the conceipt of Wickliffe if that bee true that is imputed to him and some other cannot well bee excused who thought that Constantine and other Christian Emperours sinned in giuing and Syluester and other Bishops in receiuing temporall goods and possessions It is true that great was the superfluitie of Church-men in latter times and their state such as made them forgette the things that most concerned them whence grew that saying Religiopeperit diuitias filia deuorauit Matrem That is religion brought forth riches and the daughter hath deuoured the mother Nauclere reporteth that there was a common conceipt amongst many that when Constantine first began to endow the Churches with lands possessions a voyce was heard from Heauen saying Hodie venenum Ecclesiae estimmissum that is This day is poyson powred into the Church and in processe of time temporall Princes finding that the indiscreet deuotion of men giuing more then was fit to the Church preiudiced the state of their Kingdomes common-wealthes made statutes of Mortmaine to stay men from putting any more of their lands and possessions into such dead hands as would do them no seruice But such is the infelicity of the sonnes of men that commonly they run out of one extremity into another and while they seeke to avoyd one euill they fall into another as bad or worse The abuse of the riches and wealth the Church had in the time wherein Wickliffe liued made him so farre dislike the present state of things that hee thought the contrary would right all againe as the manner of men is when they goabout to straighten a thing that is crooked to bow it as much the other way But Gerson a right good religious wise man bringeth in an euen just moderation to interpose it selfe betweene these extremities that neither men giue so much to the Church as to make her sette her feete on the neckes of Emperours nor yet bring her to want and contempt which hath beene the course of some men in our times the vnhappy sequells of whose proceedings wee see already in part and it is to be feared that posterity shall feele the smart of it in more grieuous sort then we do But to returne to the matter whence we are a little digressed These Lands which deuout and good people gaue vnto the Church were at first possessed ioyntly by the Bishop and Cleargy but in processe of time a diuision was made and either knew distinctly their owne and had power to dispose of it so that they did nothing preiudiciall to the inheritance of their Churches or tending to the hurt of them that were to succeede them For to restraine them from doing any such thing the Bishop was forbidden by the lawes of the Church to let any thing belonging to his See without the confirmation of his Cleargy and the Ministers abroad to alienate exchaunge or demise any thing without the consent of the Bishop and Patrons or founders of the Churches Otherwise both the Bishop might dispose of himselfe alone of that portion that belonged vnto him and the Ministers of their Tithes Oblations Obuentions and Glebe-landes without the Bishops intermedling with them Onely three things were due to the Bishop out of the liuings of inferiour Ministers For first as Duarenus noteth the Ministers of inferior Churches were to giue yearely a certaine tribute or pension vnto the Bishoppe which Tribute or Pension was called Cathedraticum quod Cathedrae id est honori Episcopali debeatur Secondly when the Bishoppe goeth to visite his Diocesse and the parishes abroad the inferiour Ministers are to giue him entertainment and prouide for him which is called Procuratio Quia Ecclesiae Episcopum procurant 〈◊〉 curant alunt tuentur sicut pueri dicuntur procurari a nutricibus That is Procurations because the Churches abroad must take care prouide and procure all things necessary for the Bishops lodging diet and entertainment But because in these visitations some Bishops grew too chargeable therefore the Councell of Lateran limiteth what company a Bishop shall haue with him when hee goeth to visit Thirdly in former times the fourth part of the Tythes due to inferiour Churches and the fourth part of such thinges as by Will men gaue to them was by the Ministers of these Churches to be paid vnto the Bishop which thing is now growne out of vse Neither is there any other thing payable and due to the Bishop from inferiour Ministers but Procurations onely Thus were Church-lands and tithes which at first were enjoyed by the Bishop and Cleargy joyntly in time diuided and eyther of them had an entire power to dispose of the same as seemed good vnto thē without the intermedling of the other yet was there a difference made betweene such things as they had by right of inheritance or by the gift of their friendes and those thinges which they gayned and gathered vppon their Ecclesiasticall liuings For sundry
commendation and commemoration then vsed was at the Altar but we haue no alâ—… 2. in the holy sacrifice but we admit no sacrifice 3. with intention to relieue the dead but we haue no such intention For answer whereunto I say briefly for he deserueth no large answer that we haue altars in the same sort the Fathers had though we haue throwne downe Popish Altars that wee admit the Eucharist to bee rightly named a sacrifice though we detest the blasphemous construction the Papists make of it And lastly that the Fathers did not intend to relieue all them they remembred at the Altar no more doe we that they accompanyed their friends soules going out of their bodies to stand before God with their prayers and good wishes that they prayed for their resurrection publique acquitall in the day of CHRIST perfit consummation and so doe we that they neuer knew any thing of Purgatory nor neuer prayed to deliuer any one froÌ„ thence no more doe we that therefore D. Humphrey might well impute phrensie to the Romanists as challenging the Fathers in this other points whereas they are destitute of all defence from them That which he interlaceth of froathy volumes in which we silly men for lacke of his direction spend our time is lesse to be esteemed then any bubble or froath vpon the water for all men know that this Church neuer wanted worthy men matchable with the proudest of the adverse Faction in the study of the Fathers Councels Histories and Schoolmen neither is there any decay of these kindes of study now thanks be giuen to God as both our friends enemies I thinke will beare vs witnesse Thus doth this Champion end the first part of his first booke hauing plaide his prizes very handsomely as you see §. 1. IN the second part first hee indeavoureth to proue the perpetuall visibility of the Church which he saith I teach sincerely and effectually though with some mixture of corruption in my Discourse concerning the same but telleth vs not what those corruptions be and therefore I know not what to say to him till I heare farther from him Secondly he laboureth to shew that the visible Church is free from damnable errour which we willingly yeeld vnto but that which he addeth touching the not erring of Generall Councels is not so cleare as it appeareth by that which I haue elsewhere noted out of Picus Mirandula and Waldensis There is extant an excellent conference between Nicholas Clemangis a certaine Parisian Schooleman touching this point wherein he vvilleth him coÌ„sideratly to think vpoÌ„ it lest as he thinketh it to be a matter of rashnes to affirme that Generall couÌ„cels may eâ—…re so likevvise it be not altogether free froÌ„ temerity rashnes pertinaciously to defeÌ„d that general couÌ„cels cannot erre vnles it vvere proued by most stroÌ„g authorities or certain reasons farther addeth that though it vvere most certainly proued that councels cannot erre yet it vvere not fit for them that meet in councels to rely vpon this persvvasioÌ„ lest vnder the shadovv vpoÌ„ the occasioÌ„ of this coÌ„fidence they might proceed vvith lesse coÌ„sideratioÌ„ and more lightly then they should but to make vs doubt that Councels may erre sometimes in their determinations he bringeth sundry reasons whereof one is that the most part of men that are in the Church Hee speaketh of the Church in his time are meerely carnall seeking the thinges of the world and no way sauouring the things of God or regarding the good of the Church that these men are reputed the wisest and most sufficient to manage the affaires of the Church that when Councells are to bee holden either they are chosen or put themselues into such imployments And consequently that things being carried in Councels by voyces there is little reason to expect any great good either for the due setling of the perswasion of men in matters of faith or the reformation of such thinges as are amisse in matters of Discipline and manners Whereupon hee telleth of the ill successe of the Councell of Pisa and of another called at Rome by Balthazar then Pope Into the midst whereof an owle came flying making an horrible noise and satte vpon a beame in the midst of the roome where the Synode was holden as shee had beene President of the assembly and could not bee made to giue place till shee was beaten downe dead yea concerning the Councell of Constance wherein the long-continued Schisme by reason of the Anti-pâ—…pes was ended and the peace of the Church restored hee saith that many thinges fell out in it which were not fruites of the spirit but workes of the flesh as contentions emulations dissentions sectes clamours out-cries mockings and the like But of the erring of Councels I haue else-where treated at large therefore will not insist vpon the repetition of the same thinges in this place Onely lette vs heare what master Higgons canne say for their not erring He thinketh to strike the matter dead with the resolution of Gerson a man as hee saith highly aduanced by me It is true that I esteeme of Gerson as of a most learned iudicious godly man that mourned for the confusions hee saw in the Church in his time that reproued many abuses gaue testimony to many parts of heauenly trueth then contradicted by those carnall men of whom Clemangis speaketh who counted gaine to bee godlinesse and scorned all that liued as beseemeth Christians traducing them as hypocrites and I know not what else Yet I thinke no man will inferre vpon any commendation that I haue giuen him that I must of necessity imbrace as true whatsoeuer hee saith Waldensis is a man highly esteemed by our Romanistes yet will they not allow his opinion that Councells may erre Alphonsus á castro Adrian the Pope and other who teach that the Pope may papally erre are highly prized by them yet will they not graunt that the Pope may erre as they teach but what is it that Gerson saith surely that Whatsoeuer the Pope and a Generall Councell of the whole Church determine must bee receiued as true It is true indeede that hee saith so but it appeareth by the words immediately following that he speaketh not of a Generall Councell consisting of the Bishoppes of the West onely such as was the Councell of Trent in our time But of a Generall Councell consisting both of Greekes and Latines and therefore he saith if the Grecians dissenting from the Latines in the article of the proceeding of the holy Ghost and not admitting the determination of the West Church shall say that the Councell that defined that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the son was not truely Generall that they were not duly called to the same and consequently that notwithstanding their dissenting they are not to be iudged pertinacious obstinate and subiect to the curse it were diligently to be considered what they would say or some fitting meanes were to
such as are ordained by Heretikes are truly ordayned in the iudgment of our Aduersaries themselues but if all faile he will go backe to prayer for the dead which hath made him dead while hee is aliue and will proue that Bernard confuted Henricus impugning prayer for the dead with a miracle and that therefore the impugning of prayer for the dead is pronounced impious by Gods owne voyce from heauen surely if it could be proued that God gaue testimony by a miracle against Henricus his impugning of prayer for the dead to deliuer them out of Purgatory it were something but neither hee nor all the rabble of Romanistes shall euer proue that Henricus is reported to haue holden many damnable opinions in confutation whereof Bernard might worke a miracle without any respect to his denying prayers for the dead for he contemned the Sacraments denyed reconciliation to penitents the comfort of the holy Eucharist to such as in their greatest distresses desired the same And feared not to exclude infants from the benefitte of the Sacrament of regeneration Bernard himselfe describing him and the good effectes that followed his preaching sheweth that hauing beene a Monke hee became an Apostata that hee gaue himselfe to all impurity and that what hee got by his preaching hee played away at dice or spent it amongst harlots that his preaching wrought so good effectes that Churches were forsaken and left without People People without Priestes priestes without due reuerence and Christians without Christ Churches were reputed Synagogues the Sanctuaries of God denied to bee holy Sacraments accounted vnholy Festiuall daies depriued of Festiuall solemnities men dyed in their sinnes and their soules vvere euery where caught vp and brought to the terrible iudgement-seate neyther reconciled by penitentiall reconciliation nor garded with the Sacrament and holy Communion that the way of the life of Christ was shutte vppe against infants whiles the grace of Baptisme was denyed vnto them and that they were hindered from drawing neere to saluation though the Sauiour him-selfe cryed out aloud for them saying Suffer little children to come vnto mee This is all that Bernard imputeth to him neyther doth Willielmus Abbas as Maister Higgons vntruly reporteth charge him with denying of prayer for the dead but one Gotefrey a Monke of Clarauallis whose report is not greatly to bee regarded because what hee addeth aboue that before alleaged by vs touching prayer for the dead invocation of Saints excommunications of Priests Pilgrimages building of Churches and the like hee addeth as out of Bernards Epistle before mentioned wherein there is no such thing So that it is very probable that hee mistooke the matter and imputed such thinges to Henricus as were taught by the Apostolici or some other such like Hitherto wee finde no great proofe of the confirmation of prayer for the dead or any other point of popish errour by miracles so that my Peremptory denyall that euer any miracle was done by any man in times past or in our times to comfirme any of the things controuersed betweene the Papists and vs standeth as yet vncontrouled Wherefore Maister Higgons riseth from Henricus to Gregory the first and Augustine whom hee sent into England for the conuersion of our Nation who hee sayth were Papists and yet wrought many miracles for the confirmation of the doctrine they preached A more trifling fellow I thinke neuer aduentured to put penne to paper for wee confidently deny that eyther Gregory or Augustine were Papists say with Bishop Iewell in his worthy challenge that all the learned Papists in the world cannot proue thay eyther of them held any of those twenty seauen Articles of popish religion mentioned by him If some superstition began in their times to grow in it is not to bee maruayled at neyther will it follow that if Augustine and his Colleagues sent hither to sing the Lords song in a strange land did miracles for the confirmation of the Christian faith taught by them that the same miracles confirmed euery superstitious opinion which any of them held For then Cyprian and the African Bishops teaching rebaptization the Orientall Bishoppes thitking it necessary to keepe the feast of Easter with the Iewes Papias and all the worthy Fathers that taught that Christ raising vp the Saintes from the dead shall raigne with them on earth a thousand yeares in all earthly felicity that there are two resurrections the one of the just the other of the wicked and that there are a thousand yeares betweene Lactantius Irenaeus and others excluding the soules of the faithfull departed out of heauen till the resurrection such as held that men may be deliuered out of hell such as held it necessary to minister the Communion to infantes and other like Catholique Christians erring in some point of Doctrine could doe no miracles for the confirmation of the Christian faith amongst infidels or mis-belieuers but that the same must be confirmations of their errors God must concurre with thē by confusion as this confused companion speaketh but if this instance serue not the turne he hath another evidence more potent and perswasiue which serued as a Key to vnlocke his vnderstanding and that is this Transubstantiation is affirmed by mee to be one of the greatest mysteries of Popish Religion Gerson is highly approued by mee and yet he affirmeth that Transubstantiation is confirmed by a thousand and a thousand miracles For answere whereunto wee say with Cassander that the names of conversion transmutation trans-formation and trans-elementation are found among the Auncient and that the word Transubstantiation was vsed some hundreds of yeares since but touching the manner of this conversion there is great variety of opinions yet so that all agree in this that they vnderstand such a mutation or chaunge to bee made that that which before was earthly and common bread by the wordes of Institution the invocation of GODS Name and Divine vertue is made a Sacrament of the true Body and Bloud of CHRIST visibly sitting at the right hand of GOD in Heauen and yet after an invisible and incomprehensible manner present in the Church And that the Body and Bloud of CHRIST are in the Sacrament and exhibited and giuen as spirituall meate and drinke for the saluation and euerlasting life of them that are worthy partakers of the same Thus much we doubt not but a thousand and a thousand miracles may confirme and more Gerson doth not say is confirmed by miracle For whereas there is almost infinite varietie of opinions touching the manner of this conversion amongst such as admit it in generality it would bee very hard for Master Higgons or a wiser man then he is to say which of them any miracle euer confirmed All admit saith Caietan the conversion of the bread and wine into the Body Bloud of Christ but in truth many deny that which the word Transubstantiation indeed importeth therefore are diversly divided
the notorious negligence of the Court of Rome in omitting to doe that which is fitte other to base corruption and therevpon sheweth that an appeale was put in on the behalfe of the Lords of Polonia to the next Generall Councell against which exception was taken that it was not lawfull to appeale from the Pope in any case or to decline his iudgement in matters of faith contrarie to the lawes of God and the decrees of the same Conncell and to the vtter ouerthrowing of all those thinges that were done in the Councell of Pisa and Constance in reiecting the pretenders and electing a new Pope professing that hee is well assured there will neuer be any reformation of the Church by a Councell without the presidency of a guide well affected and prudent stout and constant of which sort he insinuateth the Pope then beeing was not Thus wee see Gerson thought it no impiety in modest sort to taxe the Popes negligence and in most resolute manner to condemne as impious against the Lawes of God and man his pride in denying appeales from himselfe as if no man might decline his iudgement in matters of faith Which things being so let the reader iudge whether that one poore sentence of Gerson mangled and rent from that which went before and followeth after doe bring more aduantage to Master Higgons his cause then it doth preiudice the same when it is ioyned with the other parts of his discourse in the same place But thus doe these Madianites slay themselues with their owne swordes and turne their weapons vpon themselues to the vtter ouerthrow of their bad cause From this particular of the Popes supremacy wherein Master Higgons hath foyled himselfe and hurt his cause hee proceedeth to some generall euidences whence as hee saith it may be proued that Gerson neuer fauoured the Protestanticall reformation The first is for that speaking of the Romish Church he saith Wee must r◅ue the certainty of our faith from it The second for that hee preached zealously at Constance against the articles of Wicklife and the Bohemians For answere to the first of these allegations the reader must remember that Gerson doth clearely resolue that the Pope may erre not onely personally but Episcopally and iudicially also and consequently that wee must not ground our faith vpon his resolutions as certaine and vndoubted The like may be said of the Romane Church that is the Romane Diocesse Prouince or Patriarchship for if it haue any more infallibility of iudgement then other particular Churches it hath it from the Bishoppe which it cannot haue seeing he is not free from errour himselfe the meaning therefore of Gerson is not that wee may or must take whatsoeuer the Romane Diocesse Prouince or Patriarchship deliuereth vnto vs to be vndoubtedly true but speaking of the Indians who are Christians and yet doubting whether they hold the faith of Christians sincerely or not hee saith it may be feared least they doe not seeing ◅ey are diuided from the Roman Church from which the certainty of faith is to ◅e sought to shew that the truth certainty of faith is to be sought in the vnity of the vniuersal or Catholique Church the beginning being taken frō that which of all others is the first and chiefest and hathhitherto beene most free from damnable heresies For otherwise that he is no way resolued that the determinations of the particular Roman Church Diocesan Provinciall or Patriarchicall doe absolutely binde all to receiue them it is most cleare and euident in that in his discourse of the meanes of procuring vnitie betweene the Greekes and Latines one speciall cause of the breach betweene them being the determination passed by the Latines touching the proceeding of the Holy Ghost without the consent of the Greekes he wisheth men to consider whether as we are wont to say of the Articles of Paris that they binde none but such as are within the Diocesse of Paris so it may not be saide that the determinations of the Latine Church binde none but those that are within the compasse of the same which he could not nor would not doe if he thought the infallible direction of all the rest to bee in the Romane Church alone and that all euery-where were bound to receiue as vndoubtedly true whatsoeuer it deliuereth as the Romanists at this day doe thinke Besides this it is to be obserued that by the name of the Romane Church the person of the Pope whom the Romanists name the Virtuall Church is not meant nor the Diocesse or Prouince of Rome alone but the whole Latine or West Church subiect to the Bishop of Rome as Patriarch of the West which wee are perswaded neuer yet erred from the Faith but had alwayes in it many worthy men professing and maintaining the trueth of Religion howsoeuer some erred damnably in the midst of it and a separation be now growne betweene the true members of that Church and such as were but a faction in the same So that that which Gerson hath of fetching the certainty of our faith from the Church of Rome proueth not that hee would haue beene an enemy to the Protestanticall reformation for he speaketh not of our fetching the certaintie of our Faith from the Pope or Court or Diocesse of Rome but of the Indians fetching the certainty of their Faith from the Roman that is the Westerne Church But that he neuer thought that all Christians and Churches of the West are to fetch the certainty of their Faith from the Pope or Court of Rome it is evident In that he commendeth the French King that condemned the heresie of Iohn the two and twentieth touching the soules not seeing God till the Resurrection with sound of trumpets the Nobles and Prelats of France being present and beleeued rather the Vniuersitie of Paris then the Court of Rome Neither is the next proofe of Gersons preaching against the Articles of Wickliff and the Bohemians any better then this for hee preached against such Articles as were brought to the Councell of Constance by the English and Bohemians now those Articles were many of them impious and hereticall nay hellish and blasphemous in such sort as they were proposed by them that brought them as that God must obey the Diuel that Kings or Bishops if they be reprobates or if they fall into mortall sinne cease to be Kings or Bishops any longer and that all they doe is meerely voide whereas Wickliffe neuer deliuered any such thing nor had any such impious conceipt as they sought to fasten on him neither is it to be maruailed at that impious things were falsly slanderously imputed to him seeing we are wronged in like sort at this day For there are who shame not to write that we affirme God to be the author of fin that we teach that God doth sin that man sinneth not that God onely sinneth and that God is worse then the diuell with many other like
hellish blasphemies which we accurse to the pit of hell many things no doubt were written by Wickliff in a good godly sense which as they were wrested by his Adversaries were heretical damnable For example it is a damnable heresie to think that Kings Bishops cease to be that they were if they fall into mortal sin or that reprobats cānot be truly Kings or Bishops neither did Wickliff euer hold any such opiniō but as Iohn Hus shewed he thought that godles persons howsoeuer officio in office place they be Kings Bishops yet merito that is in merit they are neither because they are vnworthy to be either and are of such quality as that if GOD would take the forfeiture they might iustly bee depriued not of dignitie alone but of life and beeing also Now then this is the goodly Argument which Maister Higgons frameth Gerson condemned such hereticall and impious Articles as were presented to him and other assembled in the Councell of Constance as taken out of the writings of Wickliffe and disliked some other that were indeed his and might haue a good sense because they were deliuered in a dangerous forme of speech as likewise such as rather bewrayed his too passionate dislike of things amisse carrying him too farre into contrary extremities then an aduised and wise consideration of the meanes whereby they might bee amended therefore hee would neuer haue allowed that reformation of religion that now is This Argument I thinke will not holde because we also condemne many of the Articles attributed to Wickliffe noe lesse then Gerson and yet are no enimies to the Protestanticall reformation as Maister Higgons calleth it But Maister Higgons sayth I must needes be found contrary to my selfe in that I acknowledge Wickliffe Husse Hierome of Prage and the like to haue beene the worthy seruants of Christ and holy Martyrs and confessours and yet praise Gerson as a worthy guide of Gods Church and one that desired the present reformation who consented to the condemnation of Wickliffes Articles We are wont to say Distinguish times and the Scriptures will soone be accorded so let Maister Higgons distinguish aright things that differ one from another and this seeming contrariety will bee found to bee none at all For Wickliffe Husse might be worthy seruants of God in that they reproued the intollerable abuses of those times which Gerson neuer approued and yet Gerson though as zealous and religious as eyther of them might condemne as impious some positions falsely imputed to Wickliffe not knowing but that they were his and dislike other that indeede were his as not deliuered in such sort and such formes of words as was fitte or sauouring of too much passion and violence and therefore like a right wise and moderate man he interposed himselfe betweene Wickliffe and such as he was opposite to disliking the one sort as attributing too much to the Cleargy and the other as detracting too much from it Touching Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage I could neuer yet finde in what point of faith they dissented from the Doctrine of the Church then constantly resolued on but they bitterly inueighed against the ambition pride couetousnesse and negligence of the Cleargy they vrged the necessity of oftner preaching then was vsuall in those times and desired to haue the Communion in both kindes according to the ancient custome of the Primitiue Church and could not be induced simply and absolutely to condemne the articles of Wickliffe but thought many of them might carry a good sence and that the author of them was a man that carried a good minde how-soeuer hee might faile in some things Neither was there any matter worthy of death proued against them but they were vniustly charged with things they neuer thought of so that Luther said truly that they were Murderers and seauen times Heretickes that condemned the innocent men Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prague For it is most euident to any one that will consider the acts of that Councell that things were carried in it in a most violent and tumultuous manner with clamours and out-cries against those poore men standing in their iust defence clearing them-selues from any thing their Aduersaries themselues accounted to bee hereticall And particularly concerning Hierome of Prage it appeareth the Cardinalls that were cheefe Presidents of that Councell sought all possible meanes to lette him goe free as Pilate did to acquite Christ but the crye of the multitude preuailed And therefore I thinke it will not bee easily proued by Maister Higgons that Gerson had any hand in the turbulent and furious proceeding against the persons of these men howsoeuer he might mislike some things which they were charged with So that hee is neither pronounced to be an Hereticke nor a murderer by Luther as Maister Higgons vntruly sayth hee is What manner of proceeding there was in the Councell Gerson himselfe reporteth shewing his dislike of the courses holden in it and confessing that many intollerable things were done there which neither could nor would haue beene indured if men had not beene content to endure any thing in hope of vnitie and peace after soe many calamities of the Church most pittifully torne and rent in sunder by the former Schismes There is onely one thing more remaining in this chapter that toucheth Me that is that speaking of the tyranny of the See of Rome such as withheld the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse being named Christians serued Antichrist I adde as Bernard complained of some in his time in which addition Maister Higgons chargeth Mee with fraudulency saying that I goe about to make the world beleeue that they against whome Iohn Husse Hierome of Prage and the rest opposed themselues serued Antichrist euen by the verdit of Saint Bernard himselfe If Bernard say not expresly that many euen exceeding many so that they were without number of the pretended friendes and louers of the Church of Rome and such as possessed high places of rule and gouernement in the same serued Antichrist lette him charge Mee with ill dealing at his pleasure but if hee doe let Maister Higgons know he hath wronged Mee in a very high degree Let vs heare therefore what Bernard will say Woe sayth he to this generation because of the leauen of the Pharizees which is hypocrisie if yet it may be named hypocrisie which in respect of the greatnesse of it cannot and in respect of the impudencie it is growne vnto seeketh not to be hid A filthy rotten running soare secretly passeth along thorough all parts of the body of the Church the more largely the more desperately it spreadeth it selfe and the more inwardly the more dangerously for if an open ene◅ by professed heresie opposing himselfe should rise vp hee would be cast out an◅◅iolent enemie should seeke to oppresse the Church Men would hide themselues from him but now whom should the Church cast out or from whom should she
Pope sought to ouerthrow the order of the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie to encroach vpon all Bishoppes and guides of the Church and to vsurpe such an illimited vniversall and absolute authority as no way pertained to him feared not to call him Antichrist to compare him and his Courtiers to that Behemoth that putteth his mouth to the Riuer of Iordan thinking he can drinke it vp to pronounce that it is most true that before his time was said of him and his execrable Court Eius avaritiae totus non sufficit orbis Eius luxuria meretrix non sufficit omnis That the Church was holden in Babylonicall captivity by this Antichrist and that her deliuerance would neuer be wrought but by the edge of the sword that must be bathed in blood This is the true report concerning Grosthead in all which there are neither fictions nor exaggerations as Higgons pretendeth by which it is evident that there was as little Communion between the Pope challenging as he did then and doth now infallibility of judgement vniversality of illimited and vncontrouleable power right to dispose the Kingdomes of the World as there is betweene light and darknesse the Temple of God and Idols CHRIST and Antichrist So that he was no Papist seeing he ouer-threw the Papacie and if in any thing he erred as liuing in corrupttimes it is not to be marvayled at neither did his errour in some particular thing so much prejudice his piety and sanctity as that he may not bee called a worthy and renowned Bishop seeing hee held the foundation and stroue for the truth as farre as hee knew it euen to death And therefore the exceptions of the Author of the booke of the Three Conversions against Master Foxe touching this Bishoppe and some other mentioned by him and recorded in the number of Martyrs and Confessors are little to be regarded for that men might be members of that true Church whereof we are holding the foundation and carefully seeking out and maintaining the truth as farre as they knew it though they were otherwise perswaded in some things then either Master Foxe or we are which need not to seeme strange to Master Higgons nor any other of that side seeing they thinke many to haue beene members of their Church and Catholiques that dissented from them in all the questions concerning the Pope to which all other as Master Higgons telleth vs are subordinate and besides in the questions of originall sin free-will justification merite satisfaction the number of the Sacraments and sundry other like things Thus wee see how zealously Grosthead the worthy renowned Bishop of Lincolne opposed himselfe against the tyrannicall vsurpations and incroachments of the Pope and feared not to call him Antichrist for the same Neither was he alone in this opposition but we shall finde that the whole state of England after many complaints against the Popes incroachments vsurpations and tyrannicall intermedling in things no way pertaining to him to the ouerthrow of the Hierarchy of the Church told him in the end that if these courses were continued they should bee forced to doe that which would make his heart to ake Thus faith Mathew Paris at last the poore Church of England that had bin long vsed as an Asse to carry the Popes burdens in the end grew weary opened her mouth as Balaams Asse did to reproue the folly of the Prophet that not without just cause in the judgement of all the world for howsoeuer the church of Rome challenged to be the Mother of all churches and the Popeto be the Father of all Christians yet the one proued a cruell stepmother the other an vnkind vnnaturall Father so that they both lost the hearts of all men But what did the Pope vpon the complaints of so great a church nation as this of England did he ease her burthens or any way listen to her most reasonable suits no verily but was so vnmercifull as the same Paris testifieth that hauing so sore beaten vs he beate vs againe in more cruel sort then euer before onely because we cryed therefore let him not be angry with vs because we haue kept our word with him that neuer kept any with vs haue indeed done that which maketh his heart to ake as our fore-fathers threatned him long before these groanes of our wrōged Mother her often renewed bitter complaints before any was found to worke her deliuerance doe iustifie that which we haue done to be no more then in duty we stood bound to do neither is there any better proofe of the goodnes of our cause then that that which we haue done in the reformation of the church was long before wished for expected fore-tolde by the best men that liued in former times in the corrupt state of the church But because Mr Higgons is pleased to tell vs that if there be no better proofe the cause is bad the patrons worse because these best men we speak of will not speake for vs I will take a litle paines to shevv the goodnes of this proof vvhich I doubt not but the Reader vvill find to be better then that Mr Higgons or any other of his Romanists shall euer be able to vveaken it All that vvhich vve haue done in the reformation of the church cōsisteth in 3 things the first is the condemning of certain erronious opiniōs in matters of doctrine the 2d the shaking off of the yoake of Papall tyranny the 3 the remouing of abuses superstitious observatiōs Novv then if it be proued that the best best learned in former times thought as vvee doe in matters doctrinall that they complained of the heauie yoake vvhich the Pope laide on them and desired the remoouing of such abuses as vvee haue remooued I thinke this proofe vvill bee found very strong and good I vvill therefore first beg◅ vvith matters of doctrine and so proceede to the other points not intending to run through all the controversed points of doctrine but some onely for example and because the question is onely of the judgment of men liuing in latter times in the corrupt state of the Church vnder the Papacie I will passe by the Fathers and speake of such as liued since their time Touching the Canon of Scripture which is the rule of our faith wee deny the bookes of Tobit Iudith Ecelesiasticus Wisdome Machabees the song of the three Children and the story of Bell and the Dragon to bee Canonicall Scriptures So did Hugo de Sancto Victore Richardus de Sancto Victore Petrus Cluniacensis Lyranus Dionysius Carthusianus Hugo Cardinalis Thomas Aquinas Waldensis Richardus Armachanus Picus Mirandula Ockam Caietan and Driedo to say nothing of Melito Bishop of Sardis Origen Athanasius Hilarius Nazianzen Cyrill of Ierusalem Epiphanius Ruffinus Hierome Gregory and Damascen Here wee see a cloud of witnesses deposing for vs. And what better proofe of the goodnesse of our cause canne there be then that so
in a sort ouer them who though they giue not the name of Bishops nor so much authority to these Presidents as Antiquity did yet is not their errour in this point matchable with the errours that are amongst Papists contradicting one another touching the Pope and his gouernment in things most essentially concerning the power and authority of that supposed Ministeriall head of the Church Wherefore let vs come to my last allegation excepted against by Master Higgons which is that we want not a most certaine rule to end all controversies by which is the written word of God interpreted according to the rule of faith the practise of the Saints from the beginning the conference of places and all light of direction that either knowledge of tongues or any parts of good learning can yeeld In excepting against this rule Master Higgons sheweth the weakenesse of his braine for what if Luther Zuinglius and other complained against such as they thought to bee opposite to them in opinion touching some particular points that they had not due regard to this rule or that they vsed it not aright What if all bee not presently of one minde and judgement in all things will that improue the rule of judging which wee propose and not rather argue the imperfection of such as should judge according to it But hee craueth leaue to except against the rule proposed by Mee for three respects first because the principles of our religion exclude the meanes of reconciliation to wit the gravity of Councels the dignity of Fathers and the authority of the Church For answer wherevnto wee say that wee exclude not the gravity of Councels for wee absolutely without all restriction receiue all the lawfull Generall Councells that euer were holden touching matters of faith and though wee make God speaking in his word to bee the onely judge authentically defining and prescribing what men shall beleeue vnder paine of condemnation yet wee thinke Councells haue a judgement of jurisdiction and that they may subject all gaine-sayers to excommunication and like censures Neither doth it any way derogate from the authority of Bishoppes assembled in Councels that we make them iudges to determine according to the word of God the resolutions of the Church from the beginning not the rule it selfe for what man in his right wits will attribute any more vnto them and make them iudges at liberty tied to the following of no rule of direction or like God that is a rule to himselfe in all his actions and hath no Law prescribed to him by any other Yet because Master Higgons willeth the reader to compare Campians fourth reason with my assertion I will likewise intreat him to see a worthy discourse of Clemangis wherein he proueth at large that Bishoppes assembled in Generall Councels must proue and confirme their determinations by other arguments then by their own authority and giueth many reasons by which a man may reasonably perswade himselfe that such Councels are not absolutely generally free from danger of erring whence it followeth that they neither are the rule that is to be followed in determining controuersies nor after they are determined Touching the dignity of Fathers authority of the Church wee esteeme them both as beseemeth vs for whatsoeuer the Fathers generally with one consent deliuer in matters of faith we admit receiue as true without father examination as likewise whatsoeuer the Church consisting of all Christians not noted for heresie or singularity that are and haue beene since the Apostles times but of particular Fathers parts of the Church we iudge according to the rule of Gods word and the generall resolution of the Fathers and the whole Church that hath beene since the Apostles times His next exception against our rule is because wee admitte not the Pope to bee iudge of all controuersies in CHRISTS steed which hee must frame in this sort The Pope is supreame iudge of controuersies in religion therefore the Word of GOD interpreted in sorte before expressed is not the rule that is to bee followed in determining thinges doubtfull and then the consequence will be naught and the antecedent false for though we should grant the Pope to be appointed judge of controuersies in Christs stead yet I hope his Holinesse is bound to follow some rule of direction in iudging and if any what other then that mentioned by Mee I cannot conceiue But whatsoeuer become of the consequence the antecedent is false for he shall neuer proue while his name is Higgons that the Pope is supreame iudge of cōtrouersies And the ignorance or impudencie of the man deserueth iust reproofe in that hee feareth not to abuse the authority of Cyprian to that purpose who was so far frō taking the Pope for his iudge that he freely disséted frō him and professed that one Bishop is not to judge another but that they are to be iudged of God onely and the whole company of Bishoppes neyther doth the place produced by him out of Cyprians Epistles proue any such thing as hee would enforce for it is most euidēt that Cyprian speaketh of one Bishop in each Diocesse not of one Bishop in the whole Christian Church when he sayth Heresies arise from no other cause then that the Priest of God is not obeyed and that men think not of one Priest iudge in Christs steed as it will easily appeare to any one that will take the paines to see the place But saith Higgons the Lutherans seeke to predominate and the Caluinistes will not obey therefore there must be an vmpier betweene them and consequently the Pope must end the quarell Whereunto I answere in a word that howsoeuer the violent humors of some men make a rent in the Church yet there is no difference in iudgement amongst those whom he calleth Lutherans and Caluinists in any matter of faith and therefore the mediation of moderate men interposing themselues or the authority of Princes professing the reformed Religion may in that good time that God shall think fitte easily make an end of these contentions without seeking to the Romish Babilonicall Monarch His third exception is a meere begging of that which is in controuersie which shal neuer be graunted him For I say confidently as before that the matters wherein the followers of Luther and the rest professing the reformed religion seeme to differ are neyther many in number reall in euidence nor substantiall in waight as he vainely braggeth hee can proue out of Luther Hunnius and Conradus on the one part and Zuinglius Sturmius Clebitius c. on the other part And therefore here is noe reproofe of that I haue sayd of the reconciling of these differences but a proofe of his vanity in bragging of that which hee will neuer be able to performe That which I haue written touching the reconciling of these men in shew so opposite in the matter of the Vbiquitary presence and the
then matchable with the greatest Rabbins of the Romish Synagogue wheras Bernard some other were matchable with them For answere whereunto let the reader obserue that I neuer call the whole Latin Church by the name of the Romish Synagogue out the faction that prevailed in it therefore I meane not all the Doctours of the Latin Church by the name of the Rabbins of the Romish Synagogue but such onely as serued as vile instruments to advance Papall tyranny superstition error So that though Bernard Alexander of Hales Bonaventura Scotus Lyranus Gerson some other should be granted to haue bin matchable with Damascen Theophylact Oecumenius yet will it not follow that I haue vttered any vntruth for I deny that any of these were of the Papall faction The next supposed crimination is a most iust reproofe of the grosse ouer-sight of Bellarmine where he saith none of the Churches separated from Rome or none of the Churches of Asia and Africa as Higgons restraineth his words could euer hold any councell after their separation which cannot be avoyded by Higgons though it seemeth he would willingly doe the Cardinall some good seruice that he might become fellow Chaplaine with Mathew Tortus For if the Cardinall meane Generall Councels it is not to be marvailed at seeing they are but a part if Nationall or Provinciall it is too childish and may be refuted by sundry instances Whereunto Higgons hath nothing to say but that if Bellarmines wordes be extended to the Greeke Church his fault is vnexcusable seeing that Church hath holden Provinciall Councels since her separation whereof as Master Higgons thinketh he speaketh and not of Generall but that his words are restrained to the Churches of Asia and Africa which could neuer hold any such after their separation In this Apology of Master Higgons there are more absurdities then words For first he can giue no reason why the supposed Schismaticall Churches of Asia and Africa should be lesse able to hold Nationall or Provinciall Synodes then those of Europe Secondly the Greeke Church is principally in Asia so that if the Greeke Church had the power of convocating Provinciall Synodes some of the Churches of Asia were not excluded from partaking in it Thirdly if this were not the common misery of all diuided Churches this infelicity grew not from their separation but from some other cause and then it maketh nothing for proofe of the necessity of adhering to the Church of Rome as to an head to which purpose Bellarmine bringeth it Fourthly that other Churches may hold Provinciall Synodes namely those of Asia Africa it is most evident For first touching the Aethiopian Christians h Damianus à Goes out of the report of a learned Bishop of those parts sheweth that they haue Councels and that they make Lawes in them Of a Synode holden by the Nestorians wee reade in Onuphrius in the life of Iulius the Third In the Councell of Florence we reade of certaine Orators sent thither from the Armenians in the name of the Patriarch of Armenia his Cleargy which could not be done without some Synodall meeting Lastly seeing many Councels were holden in auncient times in shew Generall by such as were Heretiks what reason can Higgons giue why these Churches hauing a subordination of inferiour Cleargy-men Bishops Metropolitans cannot so much as call a poore Provinciall Synod If this be not childish trisling to say no more let the reader iudge how partial soeuer he be And therfore I say now againe as at first that if Bell. mean general coūcels when he saith the diuided churches could hold none after their separatiō it is not to be marvailed at seeing they are but a part if National or Provincial it is childish seeing it is most evidēt they might hold such Councels neither can his yeares dignity or other ornaments Master Higgons speaketh of priuiledge him so farre but that wee may and will taxe his wilfull ouersights as they deserue notwithstanding the boyish pratling of Theophilus Higgons The conclusion of this chapter touching our want of good manners towardes Bellarmines grace and other such lights of the world as shine in the darknesse of Popish blindnesse and superstition sorteth so well with the next part of this chapter which is concerning my inciuility towardes the Cardinall that one answere may suffice for both That I haue not wronged him by imputation of false crimes I hope the Reader will beare Mee witnesse vpon view of that I haue answered in my owne defence The 2. part of the third Chapter §. 1. WHerefore let vs see wherein my inciuility consisteth It is forsooth in aggeration of base odious and vnworthy names as Cardinall Heretike Hereticall Romanist Impious Idolater Shamelesse Iesuite Shamelesse Companion with his idle braine and sencelesse fooleries This is Master Higgons proofe of my inciuility If I make it not appeare to all men that haue their sences that I haue reason to phrase the Iesuite as Higgons speakes so as I haue done let Mee bee condemned of inciuility But if I had just cause to vse him as I did let this foolish flatterer hold his peace Wherefore to begin with the first Shall he charge vs with twenty execrable damnable Heresies all which he knowes we accurse to the bottomlesse pit of Hell may not I call him a Cardinall Hereticke or Hereticall Romanist without note of inciuility Shall he at his pleasure because he weareth a red Hat charge vs with Heresie Impiety for impugning the adoration of Images forbidden by Almighty God and may not I call him an impious Idolater Shall it bee lawfull for him to say that Elizabeth our late Queene of blessed memory tooke vpon her and was reputed to bee chiefe Priest in these her dominions and shall it not bee lawfull for me in reproofe of so impudent a slander and defence of my late dread Soueraigne the Lords annoynted and the wonder of the world to tell the Iesuiticall Friar that he is a shamelesse Iesuite that durst so say Shall he without conscience or feare of God against his own knowledge charge vs with the hellish Heresies of the Maniches touching two originall causes of things the one good of thinges good the other euill of thinges euill and shall it not be lawfull for me to aske the question whether hee be not a shamelesse companion in so charging vs Shall a Iesuiticall Frier be freely permitted in so vile sort to wrong so many mighty Monarches States people of the world as professe the reformed religion may a man say nothing to him without incurring the note of inciuility and want of good manners Shall he charge vs with palpable grosse senselesse absurdities may not we tell him the grosse absurdities which hee vntruly imputeth vnto vs are but the fancies of his owne idle braine Shall hee bee suffered to vtter senselesse fooleries in wronging Caluine other men as good as
parts of this Church and Catholiques that thinke the Pope may iudicially erre vnlesse a generall Councell concurre with him which in their opinion is an error and neare to heresie Yea the same Bellarmine sayth that the particular Romane Church that is the cleargy and people of Rome subiect to the Pope cannot erre because though some of them may yet all cannot It is true therefore which I haue deliuered not withstanding any thinge the Treatiser can say to the contrary that the Church including all the faithfull that are and haue beene since the Apostles may be sayd to bee free from error because in respect of her totall vniuersality she is so it being impossible that any errour should bee found in all her parts at all times though in respect of her seuerall parts shee be not For sometimes and in some parts she hath erred and in this sense can no more be sayd to be free from error then a man may be sayd to bee free from sicknesse that in some parts is ill affected But as a man that hath not beene alwaies nor in all parts ill may bee said to be free from perpetuall and vniuersall sicknesse so the Church is free from perpetuall and vniuersall error This the Treatiser saith is a weake priuiledge and not answerable to the great and ample promises made by Christ whereas the Fathers knew no other whatsoeuer this good man imagineth For Vincentius Lyrinensis confesseth that error may infect some parts of the Church yea that it may sometimes infect almost the whole Church so that he freeth it only from vniuersall perpetuall error But sayth the Treatiser what are poore Christians the nearer for this priuiledge how shall such a Church be the director of their faith and how shall they know what faith was preached by the Apostles what parts taught true doctrine and when and which erred in subsequent ages Surely this question is easily answered For they may know what the Apostles taught by their writings and they may know what parts of the Church teach true doctrine by comparing the doctrine each part teacheth with the written word of God and by obseruing who they are that bring in priuate and strange opinions contrary to the resolution of the rest But if happily some new contagion endeauour to commaculate the whole Church together they must looke vp into Antiquity and if in Antiquity they finde that some followed priuate and strange opinions they must carefully obserue what all not noted for singularity or heresie in diuerse places and times constantly deliuered as vndoubtedly true and receiued from such as went before them This course Vincentius Lyrinensis prescribeth But the Treatiser disclaimeth it not liking that all should be brought to the letter of holy Scripture and the workes of Antiquity which setting aside the authority of the present Church he thinketh yeeld no certaine and diuine argument So that according to his conceipt wee must rest on the bare censure and iudgement of the Pope for he is the present Church Antiquity is to be contēued as little or nothing worth Hauing iustified the distinctiō of the diuerse cōsiderations of the Church impugned by the Treatiser that which he hath touching the two assertions annexed to it will easily bee answered For the one of them is most true his addition of not erring being taken away and the other is but his idle imagination for wee neuer deliuered any such thing §. 3. IN the third place he excepteth against Mee because I say the words of the Apostle in the Epistle to Timothy touching the house and Church of God are originally vnderstood of the Church of Ephesus wherein Paul directeth Tymothy how to demeane and behaue himselfe but because I haue cleared this exception in my answere to Higgons I will say nothing to him in this place but referre him thither §. 4. FRom the Apostle the Treatiser passeth to Saint Augustine and chargeth Me th I wrest his words when he sayth he would not beleeue the Gospell if the authority of the Church did not moue him to a sense neuer meant by him These words of S. Augustin are vsually alleadged by the Papists to proue that the authority of the Church is the ground of our faith reason of beleeuing in answere whereunto I shew that the Diuines giue two explications of them For Ockam and some other vnderstand them not of the multitude of beleeuers that now are in the world but of the whole number of them that are and haue beene since Christ appeared in the flesh so including the Apostles and in this sense they confesse that the Church because it includeth the writers of the bookes of the new Testament is of greater authority then the books themselues Other vnderstand by the name of the Church onely the multitude of beleeuers liuing in the world at one time and thinke the meaning of Augustine is that the authority of this Church was an introduction vnto him but not the ground of his faith and principall or sole reason of beleeuing The former of these explications this graue censurer pronounceth to be friuolous First because if wee may beleeue him Saint Augustine neuer vsed these words Catholique Church after this sort in that sense Secondly because he speaketh of that Church which commanded him not to beleeue Manicheus which vndoubtedly was the present Church Thirdly because as he supposeth I can alleadge no Diuine that so interpreted the words of Augustine that which I cite out of Ockam being impertinent To euery of these reasons I will briefly answere And first that Augustine doth vse the words Catholique Church in the sense specified by Me it is euident For writing against Manicheus he hath these words Palám est quantū in re dubia ad fidem certitudinem valent Catholicae Ecclesiae authoritas quae ab ipsis fundatissimis sedibus Apostolorū vsque ad hodiernū diem succedētibus sibimet Episcopis tot populorū cōsensione firmatur that is it is apparant what great force the authority of that Church hath to settle the perswasion of faith cause certainty in things doubtfull that from the most surely established seats of the Apostles by succession of Bishops euen till this present cōsent of people is most firmely setled To the second reason wee answere that the Church including the Apostles and all faithfull ones that haue beene since comprehendeth in it the present Church and so might commaund Augustine not to listen to Manicheus So that this commaunding proueth not that he speaketh precisely of the present Church To the third I say that the Treatiser is either strangely ignorant or strangely impudent when hee affirmeth that I can alledge no Diuine that vnderstandeth the words of Augustine of the Church including in it the Apostles such as liued in their times For first Durandus vnderstandeth them of the Primitiue Church including the Apostles Secondly Gerson will tell him that when
done by euery one Wherevnto we answere according to their owne groundes that those partes of divine and canonicall Scripture which particularly wee haue not read or considered are onely implicitè and vertually beleeued of vs as likewise the thinges that are contayned in them neither should this seeme strange to the Romanists for they thinke it pertayneth to the faith of each Christian man to beleeue all the bookes of holy Scripture to bee vndoubtedly true and indited by the Spirit of God Yet are there many amongst them that neyther know how many nor which these bookes are but beleeue them vertually onely as it appertayneth to the fayth to beleeue that Iesus Mary Ioseph fledde into Aegypt and that Paul mediated for the reconciling of Onesimus to Philemon but it is sufficient for men that neuer read or considered these particulars to beleeue them vertually Thirdly he chargeth vs with contrariety in our sayings in that we make the Scripture to bee the ground and rule of our fayth and yet make the light of faith a meane whereby we come to the knowledge of Scripture because as hee thinketh the Scripture cannot bee a rule of our fayth vnlesse it bee certainely knowne to bee diuine before we beleeue But the good man should knowe that the Scripture may bee the rule of our fayth directing vs touching such particular things as wee are to beleeue though it be not knowne to bee diuine before we beleeue For first God giueth vs the eyes of fayth and openeth our vnderstandings that wee may see and discerne in generall heauenly trueth to bee contayned in Scripture then it becommeth a rule of direction in all particular poynts of faith Fourthly he imputeth to vs that wee relie vpon illuminations and inspirations in the things wee beleeue as if wee beleeued them without any other proofe or demonstration vpon bare imagined inspirations whereas wee beleeue nothing without such proofes and motiues as all men may take notice of and yet knowe right well that none doe make right vse thereof but such as haue their vnderstandings enlightned So that his reasoning against the certainty of this illumination is idle seeing we doe not make illumination or inspiration the ground of our perswasion touching things to be beleeved but a disposition of the mind making vs capable of the apprehension of thinges that are diuine and heauenly This illumination is in some more and in some lesse but in all the chosen seruants of God such as sufficeth for the discerning of all sauing trueth necessary to bee knowne of each man according to his estate and condition Fiftly besides idle repetition of thinges going before to which hee referreth himself and some vntruths mingled with the same First he chargeth Me that I am contrary to my selfe in deliuering the opinions of Papists The first supposed contradiction is in that I affirme that it is the ordinary opinion of Papists that the articles of faith are beleeued because God reuealeth them and yet say in another place that they make the authority of the Church the rule of our fayth and reason why we beleeue The second in that I charge the Papistes in one place that they giue authority to the Church to make new articles of faith and in another place free them from the same This latter supposed contrariety I shewed before to bee none at all but in the Treatisers imagination onely and touching the first if hee were a man of any common vnderstanding or knew what contrariety is hee vvould not charge Mee with any such thing For it is true that all Papists thinke the articles of faith are to be beleeued because reuealed but they thinke also that wee knowe not that they are reuealed but beleeue so onely and that not by reason of any diuine reuelation testimony or authority but because the Church so telleth vs and wee haue many humane inducements mouing vs so to perswade our selues So that they make the authority of the Church and humane inducements the last and finall reason of beleeuing whatsoeuer they beleeue This the Treatiser knew well enough and therefore hee requireth Mee to shew how I know that God reuealeth the things beleeued by Christians If I will not fall into the same fault for which I blame them Whereunto I answere that I know the Scriptures to bee inspired of God by the diuine force and majesty that sheweth it selfe in them in which sence I say the bookes of Scripture win credit of themselues and yeeld sufficient satisfaction to all men of their diuine truth For as the colour in each thing maketh it visible and to be seene so the diuine power vertue that sheweth it selfe in the Scripture maketh vs to beleeue that it is of God But the Treatiser will not thus leaue Mee but still goeth on adding one vniust imputation to another For whereas we say only the Scriptures are not discerned to be diuine and inspired of God vnlesse we be inlightned by grace and not that they are proued to bee diuine by the certaintie of that illumination he maketh vs whether we wil or not to proue the Scriptures by our inspirations and that we are inspired by the Scriptures whereas we proue neither the one nor the other of these things in any such sort For touching the Scripture I haue sufficiently shewed before how we know it to be diuine and for the other the Treatiser should know that we doe not proue by Scripture that we are divinely inlightned and inspired but that as naturall reason hath a direct act whereby she apprehendeth things without a reflexed act whereby taking a view of the former direct acts she findeth out her selfe so the light of Faith first discouereth Heauenly verities in the Scripture such as naturall reason could neuer find out then by reflexion findeth it selfe to be of another nature kind then that rationall vnderstanding that was before Wherefore let vs goe forward Did not mine eyes see and my hands handle the palpable absurdities of this Treatiser I would not beleeue any mans report that one so voide of all sense reason as he euery way sheweth himselfe to be should be permitted to write For whereas I bring a most cleare sentence out of Augustine to proue that howsoeuer the authoritie of the Church serue as an introduction to bring vs to the spirituall discerning of diuine things yet men rest not in it hee answereth that Augustine in the chapter cited by Me affirmeth onely that because all men are not capable at first to vnderstād the sincere wisdome truth taught in the church God hath ordained in it a motiue which may first moue them to seeke it to wit the authority of the Church which partly through miracles partly through multitudes is of force to moue which no way taketh any thing from but rather addeth strength to my proofes for if these motiues be necessary onely at the first before men bee purged made pure in
heart that they may discerne see the light of heauenly truth it is evident that in Augustines judgment the authority of the Church serueth but as an introduction that the thing which right beleeuers rest vpon is of a higher nature to wit the discerning of heauenly truth Wherefore finding himselfe too weak to giue any substantiall answer he betaketh himselfe to a most silly exception pretending that I haue not truly translated these words of Augustin praesto est authoritas quā partim miraculis partim multitudine valere nemo ambigit authoritie is ready at handwhich standeth vpō 2 things the one the greatnes of miracles done the other multitude Is this a false translatiō hath the authority of the church that force which it hath to moue mē to beleeue partly by reasō of miracles partly by reasō of multitude may it not be truly said that it standeth partly vpon the greatnes of miracles wrought partly vpō multitudes but valere doth not signifie to stād vpō it is true it doth not yet what boy in the Grāmer School will not laugh at him for thus childishly demeaning himself for what man of vnderstāding would cal men to cōster euery word precisely as it importeth by it selfe without consideration of the coherence it hath with other in the same sentence Besides this place of Aug. there is another cited by Me out of Hugo where he maketh 3 sorts of beleeuers whereof the first are such as are moued out of piety to beleeue which yet discerne not by reason whether the things they beleeue are to bee beleeued or not The second such who by reason approue that which by faith they beleeue The third sort are such as by reason of the purity of their heart conscience begin inwardly to taste what by faith they beleeue This place maketh strongly for the confirmation of that I say that the evidence of sundry things in the light of faith and grace is that formall reason which assureth vs of the truth of them For heere Hugo affirmeth that the best sort of beleeuers doe approue by reason or by taste invvardly discerne the things they beleeue to be true So that such approbation or spiritual taste is the reason of their perswasion of the truth of these things To this authoritie the Treatiser hath nothing to say but that it maketh nothing to the purpose and that if I meant to translate the vvords of Hugo I haue not exactly translated thē Whether the saying of Hugo be to the purpose or not I vvill leaue it to the iudgment of the Reader but as for his other exception I vvould haue him knovv and any sensible Reader vvill very easilie discerne that I meant not exactlie to translate his vvordes but at large to set downe the intent driftes of them which I haue most truely performed and therefore hee doth Me wrong when hee saith I deale corruptly vntruly In the third place hee endeauoureth to make his Reader beleeue there is a contrariety betweene Me and Luther Brentius in that Luther with whom Brentius seemeth to agree maketh the Scripture to be of it self a most certaine most easie and most manifest interpreter of it selfe prouing judging and enlightning all things I acknowledge many difficulties in it But if the Treatiser had beene pleased to haue taken thinges aright he could not but haue seene that Luther also acknowledgeth manifold difficulties in the Scripture yea hee doth see it and acknowledge it and yet will not see it and therefore that he bee not contrary to himselfe when he affirmeth that the Scriptures are easie interpret themselues and judge and enlighten all thinges he must bee vnderstood to meane that notwithstanding some difficulties they are not so obscure and hard as that Heretiques may wrest and abuse them at their pleasure and noe man bee able to conuince them out of the euidence of those sacred writings as the Romanistes imagine but that wee may bee so assured out of the Scripture it selfe and the nature of the thinges therein contained that wee haue the true meaning of it that wee neede not altogether to rest in the authority of Church which explication of Luthers words the Treatiser might haue found in the place cited by him if hee had beene pleased and so haue omitted the vrging of this imagined contradiction §. 3. The 4. thing that he proposeth which cōcerneth me is that I mentiō a rule of faith according to which the Scriptures are to be interpreted which if we neglect al other considerations are insufficient the like he alleageth out of the Harmony of confessions whence he inferreth that we admit another guide in interpreting the Scripture besides the letter of the Scripture But hee should knowe that the rule of faith mentioned by me deliuered to vs from hand to hand by the guides of Gods Church containeth nothing in it but that which is found in Scripture either expressely or by necessary implication so that though wee admitte another guide in the interpretation of of Scripture besides the bare letter yet wee admitte noe other but that forme of Christian doctrine which all right beleeuing Christians taught by the Apostles and Apostolique men haue euer receiued as contained in the Scripture and thence collected To this hee addeth an excellent obseruation which is that I seeme to confesse that Saint Paul sometimes by the workes of the Law vnderstandeth the workes of the Law of Moses in that I say that that Apostle pronounceth that the Galathians were bewitched and that if they still persisted to joyne circumcision and the workes of the Law with Christ they were fallen from grace and Christ could profit them nothing But hee needed not thus to mince the matter for I willingly confesse that Paul not sometimes onely but euer vnderstandeth by the workes of the Lawe the workes of Moses Law Neither can there any thing be inferred thence for the Papists or against vs. For whereas by the workes of the Lawe some vnderstand those workes which the ceremoniall Lawe prescribed other such as the morall Lawe requireth and and a third sort such as by terror it worketh in men or causeth them to worke without any chaunge of the heart which cannot be wrought but only by grace the Papists think that whē the Apostle sayth we are iustified by faith without workes he excludeth not such works as the Morall Law requireth but such as the ceremoniall Law prescribeth and the morall Law worketh in men we teach that he excludeth all these So that a man repenting and beleeuing may bee saued though hauing neuer done any good worke he be taken out of this world before he can do any It is true indeede that good workes do necessarily follow iustification if time do serue and opportunity bee offered yet are they no meritorious causes of saluation But the Treatiser will proue out of that which I haue written that they are meritorious that
reason doth he giue of his dislike these words hee saith seeme to pretend a kind of doubting or staggering which must not be allowed especially in such men as are spirituall As if a spirituall man might doubt of nothing nor be ignorant of nothing whereas yet all men know S. Augustine S. Hierome and other holy Fathers who as wee thinke were spirituall doubted of the meaning of sundry passages of holy scriptures and left many questions vnresolued If happily he say men may not doubt of matters of faith and that therefore they must not be said to haue mindes desirous of truth with resolution to embrace it it will be answered that noe man professing himselfe to be a Christian ought to doubt of such things as all Christians are bound expressely to beleeue yet are there many matters of faith that is such as must be beleeued at least implicite that faithfull men may doubt of and enquire after Yea at first when a man beginneth to beleeue hee doubteth of all points of faith and must be setled in the same by the Scriptures interpreted vnto him the diuine illumination of grace making him vnderstand them Thirdly whereas I reckon the knowledge of the rule of faith and the practise of the Saints according to the same amongst the meanes which are necessarie for the vnderstanding of the Scripture and define that rule First to bee the summary comprehension of such principall articles of diuine knowledge as are contained in the Creede of the Apostles and are the principles whence all other things are deriued Secondly all such things as all Christians are bound to beleeue expressely which haue bin euer constantly beleeued by all such as haue not beene noted for singularity and nouelty Hee sayth most men will dislike my doctrine and pronounceth this rule to bee verie vncertaine and yet presently forgetting himselfe addeth that hee hath proued in the first part of this Treatise that in very deede the Scriptures ought to bee interpreted according to the rule of faith that is the summe of Christian Religion preserued as a depositum in the Church But some man happily will say that howsoeuer he forgetteth himselfe yet hee hath good aduantage against vs. For first he argueth that if the Scripture be to bee interpreted according to the rule of faith the rule of faith it selfe is not knowne and beleeued through the authority of the Scripture Secondly hee sayth the practise of the Saints from the beginning to which I require men to haue an eye in interpreting Scripture canne very hardly be gathered out of the monuments of Antiquity according to my grounds For answere to which obiections First I say that the particular and seuerall parts of Scripture must bee interpreted according to the rule of fath that is the summe of Christian Doctrine receiued in the Church and that yet the same summe of Christian doctrine is no otherwise to bee receiued by vs but because it hath beene deliuered by the Church as gathered out of the due comparing of one part of Scripture with another and from thence confirmed and proued Neither must wee firmely rest in the direction of it till the Church make vs see and discerne how it is gathered out of seuerall places of Scripture layd together Secondly that the practise of the saints may bee knowne out of the monuments of antiquity soe farre forth as is necessary for the helping of vs to vnderstand the Scriptures without any such difficultie as the Treatiser imagineth For example when Saint Augustine was to interpret certaine places of Scripture touching the deriuation of sinne from Adam and to cleare the point whether it were by naturall propagation or by imitation onely as the Pelagians thought it was not hard for him to know that the Church did euer most carefully present her new borne infants to Baptisme before they could bee mis-led and drawne away to euill by following the example of Adams disobedience thence to infer that she euer beleeued that infants are conceiued and borne in sinne and consequently that the propagation of sinne from Adam is naturall and not by imitation onely The fourth thing that I require in him that will take vpon him to interprete the Scripture is a due consideration what will follow vpon his interpretation agreeing with or contrary to the things generally receiued beleeued amongst Christians against which he hath nothing to say yet that hee might bee thought to say something first hee challengeth Luther for not obseruing this rule And secondly affirmeth that it is insufficient if at any time almost all Christians may erre as I teach But first concerning Luther the good man should know that hee cannot iustly be charged with the breach of this rule seeing he broached no new doctrine in the Church as the Treatiser vntruly affirmeth but such as had the testimony of Antiquity and the allowance of innumerable Christians in his time as well in the West as in the East And secondly that the possibilitie of the erring of the greatest part of the Church prejudiceth not this rule he might if hee pleased learne out of Vincentius Lirinensis who acknowledgeth that sometimes error may ouer-spread almost all the present church prescribeth that in such a case men should looke vp higher into antiquity The two other ensuing rules to wit consideration of the circumstances of the places interpreted the occasion of the words the things going before following after the knowledge of all such histories arts sciences as may helpe vs in interpreting the Scripture he passeth ouer as necessary though not sufficient of themselues alone The knowledge of the originall tongues he acknowledgeth to bee profitable but will not admit it to be necessary especially according to the conceipt of the Romanists First because they are sure they haue the Scriptures rightly translated Secondly because they make not the Scripture the propounder of their beleefe but expound it according to the rule of Faith deliuered receiued In which passages he bewrayeth grosse ignorance For first the Romanists are not sure that they haue the Scripture truly translated as it appeareth by that which Andradius hath written who proueth at large that though the vulgar translation were allowed of by the Councell of Trent as containing nothing in it whence any heresie or errour in faith may be inferred yet is it not without many great mistakings And secondly if they were sure yet as Melchior Canus sheweth the knowledge of tongues is needfull for the finding out of the meaning of sundry particular places of Scripture by reason of some ambiguity or obscurity in the translation Thirdly for that though the rule of Faith serue for direction in generality so that following the same we may bee sure not to decline from the truth of doctrine yet will not that rule secure vs from all erring and swaruing from the meaning of each place in particular so that in this respect the
haue all been heretickes and schismatickes and that they haue liued and died in state of damnation that haue liued died in those churches euer since their separation that therfore a generall Councel of the Christians of the West adhering to the Pope is absolutely general and Oecumenicall representing the whole vniuersall Church wee detest so vnchristian and diuellish a censure and therefore wee willingly confesse that the Protestants being but a part of the Christian church cannot haue any Councell absolutely generall but in a sort onely in respect of those of their owne profession Such a generall Councell of Protestants to settle and compose their differences the Protestant Relator of religion wisheth for neither doth he euer deny the possibility thereof as this Pamphleter mis-reporteth him but saith only that as things now stand there being no better correspondence among Christian Princes nor greater desire of making vp the breaches of the Christian Church there is little hope of any such generall meeting of those of the reformed religion Out of the two next allegations nothing can be concluded for the errours of the present Romane Church are fundamentall neither doth it preach the pure word of God duely administer the Sacraments according to Christs institutioÌ„ in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same But he saith he hopeth no man wil deny the Church of Rome to be the same now it was when Luther began long before and that I confesse the Latin Church continued the true Church of God euen till our times Because some man perhaps will thinke that we yeeld more vnto our Aduersaries now then formerly we did in that we acknowledge the Latine or Western Churches subiect to Romish tyranny before God raised vp Luther to haue bin the true Churches of God in which a sauing profession of the truth in Christ was found wherein Luther himself receiued his christianity ordination power of ministery I will first shew that all our best most renowned Diuines did euer acknowledge as much as I haue written 2ly That the Romane church is not the same now it was when Luther began And 3l l that we haue not departed from the church wherein our Fathers liued died but only from the faction that was in it Touching the first M. Luther confesseth that much good nay that all good and the very marrow kernell of faith piety and christian beliefe was by the happy prouidence of God preserued euen in the middest of all the confusions of the Papacy M. Caluine in like sort sheweth that the true Church remained vnder the Papacie Cum Dominus foedus suum saith he in Gallia Italiâ Germaniâ Hispania Angliâ deposuerit vbi illae prouinciae Antichristi tyrannide oppressae sunt quò tamen foedus suum inuiolabile maneret Baptismum primò illic conseruauit qui eius ore consecratus inuita humana impietate vim suaÌ„retinet deinde suâ prouidentiâ effecit vt aliae quoque reliquiae extarent ne Ecclesia prorsus interiret ac quemadmodâ—… ita saepe diruuntur aedificia vt fundameÌ„ta ruinae maneant ita non passus est EcclesiaÌ„ suam ab Antichristo vel á fundameÌ„to subuerti vel solo aequari vtcunque ad puniendaÌ„ hominuÌ„ ingratitudinem horribileÌ„ quassationem ac disjectioneÌ„ fieri permiserit sed ab ipsa quoque vastatione semirutum aedificiuÌ„ superesse voluit That is the Lord hauing made his couenaÌ„t with the people of France Italy Germany Spaine EnglaÌ„d wheÌ„ these prouinces were oppressed by the tyraÌ„ny of Antichrist that yet still his couenant might remaine muiolable first he preserued the Sacrament of Baptisme amongst theÌ„ which being consecrated by his own mouth retaineth his force in despight of mans impiety besides carefully prouided that there should be found some other remainders also that the Church might not altogether perish And euen as oftentimes buildings are so thrown down that the foundations some ruines do remaine so God suffered not his church to be subuerted ouerthrown by Antichrist froÌ„ the very foundation or be laid euen with the ground but howsoeuer to punish the ingratitude of men he suffered it to be horribly shaken torne and rent yet his pleasure was that the building should remaine after all this waste and decay though halfe throwne downe Of the same opinion is Bucer Melancthon and Beza who saith The Church was vnder the Papacy but the Papacy was not the Church We say saith Philip Mornay that among that poore people that was so long time deceiued vnder the darknesse of Antichrist there was a part of the body of the visible Church but that the Pope and his maintayners were the bane of it who stifled and choaked this poore people as much as lay in them Wee say that this was the Church of Christ but that Antichrist held it by the throat to the end that the saluation and life that floweth from Christ might not passe vnto it To be short saith he we say that the people were of the Christian commoÌ„-wealth but the Pope with his faction was a proud seditious Catiline seeking to destroy it set all on fire so euer he most aptly putteth a difference between theÌ„ that were vnder the Papacie and the vpholders of the Papacie the Christian Church and the faction that was in it M. Deering in his Lectures speaking of the orders of the Popish Church hath these words If any man will heere obiect that notwithstanding all the abuses yet the Priest had that which was principall libertie to preach and minister Sacraments and that therefore their ministery ought not to be neglected I answer In this was the great goodnesse of God that in time to come his children might assuredly know he reserued to himselfe a Church euen in the midst of all desolation and that he called them by his word and confirmed them by his Sacraments euen as at this day For seeing there can be no sin so great but faith in Iesus Christ scattereth it all away it was impossible that the man of sinne should so much adulterate either the Word of God but that it should be to the faithfull a Gospell of saluation or the Sacraments of God but that they should bee pledges of eternall life to those that did beleeue and he addeth that notwithstanding all the prophanations in those times in respect whereof we haue iustly separated our selues from the pertinacious maintainers of such confusions yet God of his infinite goodnesse who calleth things that are not as though they were euen in that ministery gaue grace vnto his Saints Thus doe these Worthies write touching the state of the Christian Church in former times tyrannically oppressed by Antichrist neither is there any of our Diuines of worth and learning for ought I know that dissenteth from them Wherefore I will now proceede to shew that the Romane Church is not the same now that it was when Luther
began Here first that wee be not deceiued wee must obserue that by the name of the Romane Church sometimes we vnderstand the Pope his Cleargy and other Christians of the Romane Diocesse sometimes all Churches subiect to the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome In this latter sense we speake of the Romane Church at this time will make it most cleare and evident that it is not the same now that it was when Luther began For first the Romane Church that then was was the whole number of Christians subiect to Papal tyranny whereof a great part desired nothing more then to shake off that yoake which as soone as he began to oppose himselfe they presently did accounting those that attributed that to the Pope which is now attributed vnto him to bee but flatterers but the Romane Church that now is is the multitude of such onely as thus magnifie admire and adore the plenitude of Papall power or at least are contented to bee vnder the yoake of it still Secondly the Church of Rome that then was consisted of men not hauing meanes of instruction and information like vnto those which haue beene since and therefore not erring pertiuaciously in things wherein they were deceiued But the Church that now is consisteth of such onely as pertinaciously resist against the cleare manifestation of the truth and with all fury and madnesse pursue vnto death those that defend and maintaine the same or at least of such as consent in outward communion with them that so doe So that they that liued heeretofore might in their simplicitie be saued and yet these that now are perish in their contradiction wilfull resistance against the truth Neither need this to seeme strange seeing Vincentius Lirinensis saith speaking of the errour of rebaptization that the authors devisers and beginners of it are crowned in Heauen that is Cyprian and the African Bishops of his time for that notwithanding this errour they held the vnity of the Church and condemned not but communicated with them that were otherwise minded and the followers of the same errour that is the Donatists for their schisme pertinacy were condemned into hell Thirdly the Romane Church that then was had in it all the abuses and superstitious obseruations it now hath and such as erred in all the points of doctrine wherein they of the Romane church now erre in which respect it may seeme to haue beene the same as the Author of these pretended proofes vrgeth but it had also others that disliked and desired the remouing of all those abuses superstitious obseruations which we haue remoued thought right in al those points of doctrin wherin the rest erred in which respect it was not the same but very different from that faction of Romanists that resisteth that reformation of religion which so many famous states of Christendome haue willingly embraced So that the Romane Church that then was consisted of two sorts of men of the one as true liuing members of the other as pertayning to her vnity in respect of Baptisme power of Ministery and profession of some parts of heauenly trueth though not partaking in that degree of vnity which the principall parts thereof had amongst themselues but diuided from them being a dangerous faction in the midst of her seeking her destruction which shee could neither flie from nor driue from her as Bernard somewhere speaketh Omnes amici omnes inimici omnes domestici nulli pacifici serui Christi seruiunt Antichristo All these were in some generall sort the Church in respect of Baptisme the profession of some parts of heauenly trueth and the power of ministery but principally and in speciall sort they only that beleeued rightly touching the most materiall poynts of Christian religion and wished for the reformation of superstitious abuses In respect of the former of these the Romane Church was verè Ecclesia truely a Church that is a multitude of men professing Christ and baptized but not vera Ecclesia a true Church that is a multitude of men holding a sauing profession of the truth in Christ as Mornay fitly noteth for which Stapleton vnjustly reprehendeth him but in respect of the latter it was vera Ecclesia a true Church that is a multitude of men holding a sauing profession of the trueth in Christ. The Church of the Iewes at the comming of Christ had in it the Scribes Pharisees and Saduces as well as Zachary Elizabeth Simeon and Anna in respect of the former it was verè Ecclesia but not vera Ecclesia in respect of the later it was vera Ecclesia Neither should this seeme strange to any man that the same society of Christian men should in respect of some parts whereof it consisteth bee the true Church of Christ and in respect of some other not so seeing all men confesse that the same visible church and society of Christians may bee named a garden inclosed an orchard of pome granates a well sealed vp a fountaine of liuing waters a paradise with all precious and desireable fruite a holy nation a peculiar people a roy all Priest-hood the spouse of Christ and wife of the Lambe the loue of Christ all faire vndefiled and without spot in respect of herbest and principall parts though not in respect of other The former ofthese two sorts of men that were found in the Romane Church wee name a faction First because they had no part in that degree of vnity which the best parts thereof had amongst themselues but wandred into by-paths of errour to their owne destruction and sought the ruine of that mother which by baptisme had sacramentally regenerated them to bee the sonnes of God Secondly for that they brought in new and strange errours and a new kinde of tyrannicall gouernment preiudiciall to the purity of the faith once deliuered and the ancient liberty of the people of God For hereby we are to judge who are of the faction in the Church and who not and not by multitude or paucity as some fondly imagine The disguised Arrians and others mis-led by them to the condemning of Athanasius were but a faction in the Church at that time yet were they many so that Hierome sayth the whole world was become an Arrian and they that adhered to Athanasius were few in number and contemptible in respect of the rest And all they that hold and defend errours in matters of doctrine and obseruations in matters of practise and lawes prejudiciall to the ancient liberties in the society of the Christian Church are rightly said to be a faction in the same whether they bee many or few they that retaine the fayth once deliuered are most properly the Church Lastly the errours that wee condemne were taught in the Romane Church that was when Luther began but they were not the doctrines of that Church but these errours are of the doctrines of the present Romane Church For the clearing of the former part to wit
famous in all ages the testimony of the Pastors of an Apostolique church successiuely deliuered frō the beginning not the present testimony of an Apostolicall church Thirdly we will neuer admit any pretended traditions vnlesse they may be confirmed vnto vs by one of these rules if our Adversaries can proue any of their supposed traditions by these rules wee will willingly acknowledge them and therefore I know no reason why we may not make claime vnto them He addeth that I condemne priuate interpretations as if euer any Protestant had allowed any priuate interpretation in that sense that I dislike it or as if our Religion were grounded vpon priuate interpretations But the good man might haue beene pleased to remember that in the place cited by him I distinguish three kindes of private interpretations whereof one is named priuate for that they that so interprete neglect the common rules of direction rely vpon secret revelations knowne to none but themselues and despise the iudgment of other men Another because the person so interpreting is priuate and yet presumptuously taketh vpon him to force all others to embrace the same hauing no authority so to do The 3d is whē as the person is of private conditiō so he seeketh only to satisfie himself in it no way presumeth to prescribe to others to follow that he resolueth on farther then by reason higher authority he can inforce the same The first kind of private interpretations we detest accurse The 2. we condemne as presumptuous The 3d we approue so do our Adversaries for ought I know and therefore I know not to what purpose hee citeth this saying of mine that priuate men may not so propose their interpretations as if they would bind all other men to embrace and receiue them That which followeth that I make three kindes of interpretation and affirme that none haue authority so to interprete Scripture as that they may subject all that dissent from the same to excommunication and censures of like nature but Bishops assembled in a generall Councell is so true that neither hee nor any other in his right wits will euer deny it For who hath authority so to interprete Scripture as to subiect them to excommunication that dissent but the gouernors of the church and who so as to subject all that dissent but they that are the gouernors of the whole as are the Bishops of the whole Christian church assembled in a generall Councel But saith he Protestants haue neuer had any generall Councell therefore they haue no warranted interpretations of Scripture If this consequence be good the Christians for the space of 300 yeares after Christ had no warranted interpretations of Scripture for till the reigne of Constantine there was no generall councell But the Protestants can haue no generall councell therefore they haue not amongst them the highest supreme binding authority judgment Surely wee confesse that being but a part of the Christian church they cannot haue a Councell absolutely generall out of themselues alone and therefore not hauing the highest binding authority amongst them it being found only in the whole vniuersall church they do not take vpon thē so to interprete Scriptures as to subiect all to excommunication that refuse their interpretations but such particular churches persons only as are vnder their jurisdiction The Papists indeede in the heigth of their pride being but a part contemning all other interessed in the supreame binding judgement as well as themselues assume and appropriate it to themselues alone in which claime we may rather see the height of their pride thē the cleernesse of their right and therefore the Grecians impute all the diuisions and breaches of the Christian world vnto them in that they presumed of themselues without them to interprete the Scriptures and to define certain questions touching the faith in such sort that they subjected them to Anathema excommunication so casting them all into hell as much as lay in them These inconsiderate proceedings and rash censures did such harme that the wisest most religious moderate in the Latine Church wished they had neuer beene passed or that they were reuersed called backe again But saith he let any man enter into a serious consideration of Protestant doctrine in this point that vnder paine of damnation we are bound to find and follow the truth that generall Councels as before may subiect euery man disobeying their determinations to excommunication and censures of like nature the most terrible and fearefull punishment of this world and all iudgments Ecclesiasticall euen generall Councels may erre haue erred even in things pertayning to God as is defined in their Articles and is commonly taught beleeued with them this consideration is able to put men not regardlesse of saluation into more then a quaking palsey What the meaning of the good man is in this passage I doe not well conceiue For I see not but all these considerations may well stand together that the trueth is to be found out followed vpon paine of damnation that Councels may erre and yet haue power to subiect such as disobey their determinations to excommunication the most terrible and fearefull punishment of this world without any danger of causing men to fall into a quaking palsey For are they all in state of damnation that are excommunicated whether iustly or vniusty or may no man subiect men to excommunication but hee that cannot erre Surely all men knowe that not onely Popes and particular Bishops but euen generall Councels may erre in matters of fact and excommunicate a man vniustly for resisting their determinations And doth not Saint Augustine shew that by the meanes of preuailing factions men may be vniustly excommunicated and neuer restored to the outward communion of the church againe and yet die in state of saluation nay bee rewarded for the patient enduring of the wrongs offered them by them by whom they were excommunicate It is no such absurd thing then that they may erre who haue authority to excōmunicate But perhaps his meaning is that if Coūcels may erre there is no certaine way to find out the truth which yet euery man is bound vpon perill of damnation to find and follow and that it is the consideration hereof that is able to put a man into a quaking palsey Surely this man seemeth to feare where there is no feare for are there no other meanes to find out the truth when questions and doubts trouble the church and distract the mindes of men but generall Councels How did the Fathers in the Primitiue Church during the time of the first three hundred yeares satisfie themselues and such as depended of them in the midst of so many so horrible and damnable heresies as then rose vp Doth not Bellarmine from hence inferre that though generall Councells be a very fit and good meanes to end controversies and settle the differences that may arise in the church
nature that by violence and the vniust courses holden by wicked men wee may be hindred from it without any fault of ours If the sentence of excommunication be iust yet it doth not cut the excommunicate off from the mysticall body of Christ but doth presuppose that they haue already cut off themselues or that if this sentence being duely and aduisedly pronounced make th◅ not relent but that still they hold out against it they will cut off themselues and depriue themselues of all inward grace and vertue From the visible Church of Christ it doth not wholly cut them off for they may and often doe retaine the entire profession of sauing trueth together with the Character of Baptisme which is the marke of Christianitie and so farre forth notwithstanding their disobedience still acknowledge them to be their lawfull pastours and guides by whose sentence they are excommunicate that they would rather endure and suffer any thing thē schismatically ioyne themselues to any other communion It doth therefore onely cut them off from communicating with the Church in the performance of holy duties and depriue them of those comforts which by communicating in the sacraments c. they might haue enioyed This excōmunicatiō is of two sorts the greater and the lesser The greater putteth the excōmunicate frō the sacrament of the Lords body blood depriueth them of all that cōfort and strength of grace which from it they might receiue it denieth to thē the benefit of the Churches publick prayers so leaueth thē to thēselues as forelorn miserable wretches without that assistāce presence protection which frō God she obtaineth for her obedient children Whence it is that they are said to be deliuered vnto Sathan because they are left naked void of all meanes to make resistance vnto his will pleasure as if this were not enough they are denied that solace which they might finde in the company and conversation of the people of God who now doe no lesse flye from them than in olde time they did from the Lepers who cryed I am vncleane I am vncleane The lesser excommunication excludeth onely from the Sacramentall pledges and assurances of Gods loue which when it is pronounced against them that stubbornely stand out and will not yeeld themselues to the Churches direction disposition is properly named excommunication but when it is pronounced against them that yeeld when they haue offended and seeke the blessed remedies of the euils they haue committed it is not so properly named excommunication but it is an act of the discipline of repentance and of that power and authority which Christ left vnto his Church whereby shee imposeth and prescribeth to her obedient children when they haue offended such courses of penitency whereby they may obtaine remission of their sinnes and recouer the former estate from which they are fallen CHAP. 16. Of the errours that are and haue beene touching the vse of the discipline of the Church in punishing offenders TOuching this discipline of repentance and power of the Church in ordering offenders and the vse thereof there are and haue beene sundry both errours and heresies The first of the Pelagians in former times the Anabaptists in our times who for euery the least imperfectiō cast men out of their societies denying that any are or can be in or of the Church in whom the least imperfection is found Which if it were true there should be no Church in the world all men being subject to sinne and sinfull imperfection that either are or haue beene For it is a vaine dispute of the Pelagians whether a man may be without sinne or not whereof see that which Augustine and Hierom haue written against the madnesse and folly of those men For confirmation of their errour touching absolute perfection they alleage that of the Canticles Thou art all faire my Loue and there is no spot in thee And that of the Apostle to the Ephesians that Christ gaue himselfe for his Church that he might make it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle but that it should be holy and without blame For answere wherevnto first we must remember that which formerly was obserued to wit that sundry glorious titles are giuen to the Church which agree not to the whole totally considered but to some parts onely so it is said to be faire glorious and without spot or wrinkle not for that all or the most part of them that are of the Church are so but because the best and principall parts are so and for that the end intent and purpose of the gift of grace giuen to the Church is to make all to be so if the fault be not in themselues Secondly we must obserue that there is a double perfection purity and beauty of the Church without spot or wrinkle to wit absolute and according to the state of this life The first is not found in any among the sonnes of men while they are clothed with the body of death And therefore if we speake of that absolute purity and perfection the Church is said to be pure all faire and to haue no spot or wrinkle not for that actually and presently it is so but for that it is prepared to be so hereafter as Augustine fitly ◅teth The second kinde of purity which is not absolute but according to the state of this life consisteth herein that all sinnes are avoyded or repented of and in Christ forgiuen and his righteousnesse imputed In this sense the Church is now presently pure and vndefiled and yet not free from all sinfull imperfection as the Pelagians and Anabaptists vainely and fondly imagine contrary to all experience and the wordes of the Apostle If wee say wee haue no sin we deceiue our selues and there is no trueth in vs. The second errour touching the power of the Church in the ordering of sinners and the vse thereof was that of the Novatians who refused to reconcile and restore to the Churches peace such as grievously offended but left them to the iudgment of God without all that comfort which the sacraments of grace might yeeld vnto them and if any fell in time of persecution and denied the faith how great and vnfained soever their repentance seemed to bee they suffered them not to haue any place in the Church of God The third of certaine of whom Cyprian speaketh that would not reconcile nor restore to the Churches peace such as foradultery were cast out The fourth of the Donatistes who would not receiue into the lap bosome of the Church such as hauing in time of persecution to saue their owne liues deliuered the bookes and other holy things into the hands of the persecutors did afterwards repent of that they had done and with teares of repentant greefe seeke to recouer their former standing in the Church of God againe yea they proceeded so farre in this their violent and
doubt not of all indifferent Readers And therefore there remaineth but onely one allegation of Bellarmine touching appeales to be examined Gregory the first saith he put Iohn the Bishop of Iustiniana the first from the communion for that he presumed to iudge the Bishop of Thebes hauing appealed to Rome The case was this The Bishop of Thebes wronged by his fellow-Bishops made his appeale to Rome Hereupon Iohn Bishop of Iustiniana the first who was the Bishop of Romes Vicegerent for certaine Prouinces neare adioyning was appointed by the Emperour to heare the cause which he did accordingly But without all indifferencie and in sort contrarie to the Canons and though vpon the discerning of his vniust and partiall proceeding an appeale were tendered to him yet gaue he sentence against the poore distressed Bishop Gregory hearing hereof putteth him from the communion for thirty dayes space inioyning him to bewaile his fault with sorrowfull repentance and teares Truely this allegation maketh a very faire shew at the first sight But if wee remember that the Bishop of Iustiniana the first and the distressed Bishop of Thebes wronged by him were within the Patriarchship of Rome as Cusanus sheweth they were you shall finde it was no more that the B of Rome did then any other Patriarch in like case might haue done within his owne precincts and limits Neither can the Cardinall euer proue that the Bishop of Rome had any such Vicegerent as the Bishop of Iustiniana the first was but onely within the compasse of his owne Patriarchship But saith hee it was a Greeke Bishop that Gregory thus proceeded against It is true it was so But what will hee inferre from thence Is it not knowne that many Greeke Bishops were subiect to the Bishop of Rome as Patriarch of the West was not the Bishoppe of Thessalonica a Greeke Bishop and yet I thinke no man doubteth but that hee was within the compasse of the Patriarchship of Rome as many other also were howsoeuer in time they fell from it adhered to the Church of Constantinople after the diuision of the Greeke and Latine Churches CHAP. 40. Of the Popes supposed exemption from all humane Iudgement as being reserued to the Iudgement of Christ onely OVR Adversaries finding their proofes of the Popes illimited power taken from such appeales as were wont in auncient times to bee made to Rome to bee too weake flie to another wherein they put more confidence which is his exemption from all humane Iudgement Christ whose Vicar he is having reserued him to his owne iudgement onely If this exemption could bee as strongly proued as it is confidently affirmed it would be an vnanswerable proofe of the thing in question But the proofe hereof will be more hard then of the principall thing in controuersie betweene vs. Touching this point I finde great contrarietie of opinions among Papists as men at their wits ends not knowing what to affirme nor what to denie For first there are some among them that thinke that the Pope though hee violate all lawes diuine and humane though hee become publickly scandalous and therein shew himselfe incorrigible yea though hee be a professed and damnable hereticke yet neither is deposed ipso facto by the sentence of the canon nor may be deposed by all the men in the world Which opinion if we admit to bee true the condition of the church the beloued spouse of Christ and mother of vs all is most woefull and miserable in that hereby shee is forced to acknowledge a denouring wolfe making hauocke of the sheepe of Christ redeemed with his precious bloud to be her Pastor and guide Secondly some are of opinion that the Pope if hee become an open and professed hereticke is deposed ipso facto by the sentence of the canon and that the church may declare that he is so deposed Thirdly there are that thinke that an hereticall Pope is not deposed ipso facto but that he may be deposed by the church Fourthly many worthy Diuines in the Romane church heretofore haue beene of opinion that the Church or generall Councell may depose the Pope not onely for heresie but also for other enormous crimes Of this opinion was Cardinall Cusanus Cardinall Cameracensis Gerson Chauncellour of Paris Almaine and all the Parisians with all the worthy Bishops Diuines in the Councels of Constance and Basill Yet the Papists at this day for the most part dislike and condemne this opinion and acknowledge no deposition of any Pope how ill soeuer vnlesse it be for heresie And Bellarmine to make all sure telleth vs farther that the church doth not by any authoritie depose an hereticall Pope but whereas he is deposed ipso facto in that hee falleth into heresie onely declareth the same and thereupon largely refuteth the opinion of Cardinall Caietane who thinketh that the Pope when he falleth into heresie is not deposed ipso facto but that deseruing to bee deposed the Church doth truely and out of her authority depose him First because as he saith if the Church or Councell may depose the Pope from his Papall dignity against his will for what cause soeuer it will follow that the Church is aboue the Pope which yet Caietane denieth For as it will follow that the Pope is aboue other Bishops and of more authority then they if he may depose them so if the councell of Bishops may depose the Pope they are greater then hee Secondly he saith to be put from the Papacie vnwillingly is a punishment so that if the Church may depose the Pope though vnwilling to leaue his place it may punish him and consequently is aboue him For hee that hath power to punish hath the place of a Superiour and Iudge Thirdly he that may restraine and limit a man in the vse and exercise of his ministerie and office is in authority aboue him therefore much more he that may put him from it By these reasons it is clearely demonstrated and proued that if the Church or generall Councell haue authority in case of heresie to depose the Pope at least in some sort it is of greater authority then the Pope And therefore to avoide this consequence as Gerson rightly noteth they that too much magnifie the greatnesse and amplitude of Papall power say that an hereticall Pope in that he is an Hereticke ceaseth to be Pope and is deposed by Almighty God So that the Church doth not by vertue of her authority and jurisdiction depose him but onely denounce and declare that he is so deposed by God to be taken for such a one by men and not to be obeyed This they endeauour to proue because all Heretickes are condemned by their owne iudgment as the Apostle saith and stay not as other euill doers till the Church cast them out but voluntarily depart of themselues from the fellowship of Gods people and cut themselues off from the vnity of the Body of the Church