passage of holy Scripture For your conceit or desire that such a Iudge there should be to whom you might in conscience obey and yeeld your selfe because he could not errâ— doth not proue it You would know the Truth onely by the authoritie and sole pronouncing of the Iudges mouth A short and easie way which to most men is plausible because it spares the paines of studie and discourse To such especially as either out of weaknesse dare not trust their owne iudgement or account it shall haue the merit of humilitie to bee led by their Teachers But what now if God will haue you call no man your Father vpon earth If he will send you to his Word and after you haue receiued the Faith by the Churches testimonie out of the easie and plaine places thereof bid you search the Scriptures to finde the Truth in the remnant and pick it out by your owne industrie The rich man being in hell torments in whose wordes I doubt not but our Sauiour doth impersonate and represent the conceits of many men liuing in this world presumes that if one were sent from the dead his Kinsmen would hearken to him but he is remitted to Moses and the Prophets The Iewes as I perceiued by speech with some of them at Venice make it one of their motiues that our Lord Iesus is not the Christ. He should not say they haue come in such a fashion to leaue his owne Nation in doubt and suspence and scandalize so many thousands but so as all men might know him to be what he was Miserable men that will giue lawes to God Of which fault be you a ware also good Master Waddesworth and be content to take not to prescribe the meanes by which you will be brought vnto the knowledge of the Truth to vse what hee hath giuen not to coniecture and diuine what he must giue But God failes not his Church in such meanes as be necessarie Let vs therefore consider the necessitie of this Iudge Where I beseech you consider for I am sure you cannot but know it that all things necessary to saluation are euidently set downe in holy Scripture This both the Sciptures themselues doe teach and the Fathers auouch namely Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome and others I forbeare to set downe their words or further to confirme this Lemma which I proued at large against another aduersarie and shall at all times make good if it be questioned Besides these points there are a great manie other though not of such necessitie yet euidently laid downe also in the same Scriptures by occasion of them Manie by iust discourse may be cleared from these and the former If any thing yet remaine in suspence and vnknowne yea or if you will erred in so it be not wilfully and obstinately yet shall it be euer without perill of damnation to him that receiueth what the holy Ghost hath plainely deliuered What necessitie then of your imaginarie Iudge Yes for Vnitie is a goodly thing not onely in matters necessarie but vniuersally in all Controuersies must not bee endlesse But how comes it to passe then that your Iudge whosoeuer hee be doth not all this while decide the question touching the Conception of the Blessed Virgin that is betweene the Dominicans and Franciscans nor that betweene the Dominicans and Iesuites touching Grace and Free-will and all other the points that are controuerted in the Schooles to spare contention and time a precious commoditie among wise men and giue this honour to Diuinitie alone that in â—t all doubts should be reduced to certainties Or if it seeme no wisedome to bee hastie in deciding such questions wherein wittie and learned men are engaged least in stead of changing their opinions they should fall to challenge not onely the infallibilitie but which were more dangerous the authoritie of their Iudge If it be thought better to leaue scope to opinions opposition it selfe profitably seruing to the boulting out of the truth If vnitie in all things bee as it seemes despaired of by this your Gellius himselfe why are wee not content with vnitie in things necessary to saluation expresly set downe in holy Scripture and anciently thought to suffice reseruing infallibilitie as an honour proper to God speaking there Why should it not be thought to suffice that euery man hauing imbraced that necessarie truth which is the rule of our faith thereby trie the spirits whether they be of God or no. If hee meete with any that hath not that doctrine receiue him not to house nor salute him If consenting to that but otherwise infirme or erring yet charitably beare with him This for euery priuate man As for the publike order peace of the Church God hath giuen Pastors and Teachers that we should not bee carried about with euery winde of doctrine and amongst them appointed Bishops to command that men teach no other or forraine doctrine which was the end of Timothy his leauing at Ephesus 1. Tim. 1. 3. Then the Apostles themselues by their example haue commended to the Church the wholsome vse of Synodes to determine of such controuersies as cannot by the former meanes be composed but still by the holy Scriptures the Law or Rule as you say well by which all these Iudges must proceede Which if they doe not then may they be deceiued themselues and deceiue others as experience hath shewed yet neuer bee able to extinguish the truth To come to Antiquitie There is not any one thing belonging to Christian Religion if wee consider well of more importance then how the puritie of the whole may bee maintayned The Ancients that write of the rest of Christian Doctrine is it not a miracle had they knowne any such infallâ—ble Iudge in whose Oracle the securitie of all with the perpetuall tranquillitie of the Church is contayned they should say nothing of him There was neuer any Age wherein there haue not beene heresies and sects to which of them was it euer obiected that they had no infallible Iudge How soone would they haue fought to amend that defect if it had beene a currant doctrine in those times that the true Church cannot bee without such an Officer The Fathers that dealt with them why did they not lay aside all disputing and appeale them only to this Barre Vnlesse perhaps that were the let which Cardinall Bellarmine tells the Venetians hindered Saint Paul from appealing to Saint Peter lâ—st they should haue made their Aduersaries to laugh at them for their labour Well howsoeuer the Cardinall hath found out a merrie reason for Saint Paules appealing to Caesars iudgement not Peters lest hee should expose himselfe to the laughter of Pagans what shall wee say when the Fathers write professedly to instruct Catholike men of the forepleadings and aduantages to bee vsed against Heretikes euen without descending to triall by Scriptures or of some certaine generall and ordinarie way to discerne the Truth of the Catholike Faith from the
lesser Orders and Subdeaconship according to the Master of the Sentences were instituted by the Church 3. The Deacons instituted by the Apostles Act. 6. were not Deacons of the Altar but of the Tables Widdowes 4. In Deaconship there seemes to be no certain forme for according to the old Pontificals the laying of hands vpon the Deacon hath no certaine forme of words but that prayer Emitte qâ—aesumus in eos S. Sauctum which according to the new Pontificals is to be said after the imposition of hands For the giuing of the Booke of the Gospels hath indeede a forme of words but that impresseth not the Character for before any Gospell was written the Apostles ordained Deacons by imposition of hands 5. In the Subdeaconship also there is no Pontificall which hath not the matter without forme viz. the deliuery of the emptie Chalice c. These things with more which hee there sets downe he would haue to serue to the instruction of the learned touching the vncertaintie of this whole matter to â—each men to be wise to sobrietie that is euery man to be content with the accustomed Pontificall of the Church wherein he is ordained And if ought be omitted of those things which be added out of the new Pontificals as for example that the Booke of the Epistles was not giuen with those words Take authoritie to reade the Epistles as well for the quicke as the dead there is no neede of supplying this omission by a new ordination for such new additions make no new law Learne then of your owne Caietane that the new additions of deliuery of the Chalice with wine and Paten with Hosts and authoritie to offer sacrifice for the quick and dead make no new Law Learn to be content with the Pontificall of the Church wherein you were ordained Wherein first is verbatim all that which your Pontificals had well taken out of the holy words of our Sauiour Accipe Spiritum Sanctum quorum remisseris peccata remittuntur eis quorum retinueris retenta sunt Which me thinkes you should rather account to containe the essentiall forme of Priesthood then the former both because they are Christs owne words and ioyned with that ceremonie of laying on hands which anciently denominated this whole action and do expresse the worthiest and principallest part of your Commission which the Apostle cals the Ministry of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 18. 19. Then because this office is not onely deputed to consecrate the Lords body but also to preach baptize which in your Pontificall is wholly omitted in a larger and more conuenient forme is added out of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 4. 1. and be thou a faithfull dispenser of the word of God and of his holy Sacraments In the name of the Father c. As to that you adde that we offer no sacrifice for the quicke and dead and therefore well may be called Ministers as all lay men are but are no Priests I haue met with sundry that pull this roape as strongly the other way and affirme that because by the very forme of your ordination you are appointed Sacrificers for the quicke and dead well may ye be Masse-Priests as ye are called but Ministers of the New Testament after S. Pauls phrase ye are none For that office stands principally in preaching the word whereof in your ordination there is no word said And as little there is in Scripâ—ure of your sacrifice which makes Christ not to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedech c. with much more to this purpose Where my defence for your Ministrie hath beene this that the forme Receiue the holy Ghost whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted c. doth sufficiently comprehend the authoritie of preaching the Gospell Vse you the same equitie toward vs and tell those hot spirits among you that stand so much vpon formalities of words that to be a dispenser of the word of God and his holy Sacraments is all the dutie of Priesthood And to you I adde further that if you consider well the words of the Master of the Sentences which I vouched before how that which is consecrated of the Priest is called a Sacrifice and oblation because it is a memoriall and representation of the true sacrifice and holy offering made on the altar of the Crosse and ioyne there to that of the Apostle that by that one offering Christ hath perfected for euer them that are sanctified and as he saith in another place through that bloud of his Crosse reconciled vnto God all things whether in earth or in heauen you shall perceiue that we do offer sacrifice for the quick and dead remembring representing mystically offering that sole Sacrifice for the quicke and dead by the which all their fins are meritoriously expiated and desiring that by the same wee and all the Church may obtaine remission of sinnes and all other benefits of Christs passion To the Epilogue therefore of this your last motiue I say in short Sith we haue no neede of Subdeaconship more then the Churches in the Apostles times in truth those whom wee call Clerkes and Sextens performe what is necessarie in this behalfe Sith we haue Canonicall Bishops and lawfull succession Sith we neither want due intention to depute men to Ecclesiasticall functions nor matter or forme in giuing Priesthood deriuing from no man or woman the authoritie of ordination but from Christ the head of he Church yee haue alleadged no sufficient cause why we should not haue true Pastors and consequently a true Church in England CHAP. XII Of the Conclusion Master Waddesworths agonies and protestation c. YEt by these you say and many other arguments you were resolued in your vnderstanding to the contrary It may well be that your vnderstanding out of it owne heedlesse haste as that of our first Parents while it was at the perfectest was induced into errour by resoluing too soone out of seeming arguments and granting too forward assent For surely these which you haue mentioned could not conuince it if it would haue taken the paines to examine them throughly or had the patience to giue vnpartiall hearing to the motiues on the other side Buâ— as if you triumphed in your owne conquest and captiuitie you adde that which passeth yet all that hitherto you haue set downe viz. That the Church of Rome was and is the onely true Church because it alone is Ancient Catholike and Apostolike hauing succession vnitie and visibilitie in all ages and places Is it onely ancient To omit Hierusalem are not that of Antioch where the Disciples were first called Christians and Alexandria Ephesus Corinth and the rest mentioned in the Scriptures ancient also and of Antioch ancienter then Rome Is it Catholike and Apostolike onely Doe not these and manie more hold the Catholike faith receiued from the Apostles as well as the Church of Rome For that it should be the Vniuersall Church is all one as yee would say the part is the
through the faith that is in Christ Iesus were too great weakenesse and to vse the Apostles phrase childishnesse of vnderstanding But at length you heard a sound of harmony and consent that in the Catholike Church as in Noahs Arke was infallibilitie and possibilitie of saluation which occasioned you to seeke out and to enter into this Arke of Noah The sound of consent and infallibilitie is most pleasing and harmonious and vndoubtedly euer and onely to bee found in the Catholike Church to wit in the rule of Faith and in the holy Scriptures and such necessarie doctrine as perfectly concordeth with the same But as in song many discords doe passe in smaller notes without offence of the eares so should they in smaller matters of opinion in the Church without the offence of iudicious and charitable mindes Which yet I speake not to iustifie them nay I am verily of the minde that this is the thing that hath marred the Church musicke in both kindes that too much libertie is taken in descant to depart from the gound and as one saith notae nimium denigrantur The fault of the Italians though they thinke themselues the onely songsters in the world But to returne to you tell me I beseech you good Master Wadesworth was this the harmonie that transported you The Pope himselfe saith I cannot erre and to mee thou oughtest to haue recourse for decision of doubts in matters of faith And whereas this is not onely denied by Protestants but hath beene euer by the French and anciently I am sure by the Spanish lately by some Italian Diuines also vnlesse hee vse due meanes to finde the truth yea whereas it is the issue of all the Controuersies of this age in this snare you fastned your foot this was the Center that settled your conscience this the solid and firme foundation of your faith What and did it not moue you that some limit this infallibilitie of the Pope thus if hee enter Canonically if hee proceed aduisedly and maturely vsing that diligence that is fit to finde out the truth that is as you said before proceeding by the rule the Scriptures Albeit to the Fathers of the African Councell it seemed incredible as they write in their Synodall Epistle to P. Coelestine standing for appeales to himselfe that God can inspire the right iâ— tâ—iall to one denying it to many Bishops in a Councell Tell vs then who made you secure of these things or did you in truth neuer so much as make question of them but hearing this harmonious sound The Pope is the infallible Iudge you trusted the new Masters of that side Gregory de Valentia and Bellarmine that whether the Pope in defining doe vse diligence or no if hee doe define hee shall define infallibly Alas Sir if this were the rest you found for the soale of your foot instead of moueable water you fell vpon mire and puddle Or rather like to another Doue mentioned in Scripture columba seducta non habens cor by the most chaffie shrap that euer was set before the eyes of winged Fowle were brought to the doorefall Excuse my griefe mixed I confesse with some indignation but more loue to you though I thus write Many things there be in Poperie inconuenient and to my conceit weakely and vngroundedly affirmed to say no more but this is so absurd and palpably a flatterie as to omit to speake of you for my part I cannot bee perswaded that Paulus the fifth beleeues it himselfe For consider I pray what needed anciently the Christian Emperours and sometimes at the request of the Bishops of Rome themselues to haue gathered together so many Bishops from so diuers parts of the world to celebrate Councells if it had beene knowne and beleeued then that one mans sentence might haue cleered all controuersies and put all heresies to silence How durst sundrie holy and learned men haue reiected his decisions whether right or wrong is not now the question vnchristianly out of doubt on their parts if hee had beene then holden the infallible Oracle of our religion As when Polycrates with the Bishops of Asia and Irenaeus also yeelded not to Victor excommunicating the Easterne Churches about the celebration of Easter when Saint Cyprian with the first Councell of Carthage of eightie sixe Bishops had decreed that such as were baptized by heretickes should bee rebaptized and certified Stephanus of this Decree and he opposed it and would haue nothing innouated would Cyprian after that haue resisted and confuted Stephanus his letter had he knowne him for infallible And how doth hee confute him as erring writing impertinently contrarie to himselfe Yea let it bee obserued that hee doth not onely not account Stephanus infallible but not so much as a Iudge ouer any Bishop See the Vote of Cyprian and note those wordes Neque enim quisquam nostrum Episcopum se esse Episcoporum constituit an t tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem collegas suos adigit quando habeat omnis Episcopus pro licentia libertatis potestatis suae arbitrium proprium tanquam iudicari ab alio non possit cum nec ipse possit alterum iâ—dicare Sed exspectemus vniuersi iudiciuÌ„ Domini nostri Iesu Christi qui vnus solus habet potestateÌ„ praeponendi in Ecclesiae suae gubernatione de actis nostro iudicandi A passage worthy to bee noted also for the cleering of the independence of Episcopall authoritie from the Pope which I now let passe Neither was Saint Cyprian herein alone Firmilianus and the Easterne Bishops resisted Stephanus no lesse as appeares by his Epistle which in the Romane edition of Manutiuâ— set forth by the command of Pius the fourth with the suruey of foure Cardinalls whereof one is now a Saint with exquisite diligence is wholly left out And Pamelius saith hee thinkes purposely for himselfe is of the minde that it had beene better it had neuer come forth But to returne to our purpose The Fathers of the Councell of Africke and Saint Augustine amongst them resist three Popes succeeding each other Zosimus Boniface and Coelestinus about appeales to Rome shall we thinke they would euer haue done it if they had knowne or imagined them to be the supreme and infallible Iudges in the Church I let passe the Schisme betweene the Greeke and the Latin Church which had not happened if this doctrine had beene anciently receiued Nay it is verie plaine in storie that the Bishop of Romes lifting vp himselfe to bee Vniuersall Bishop chiefly caused it To conclude neither Liberius nor Honorius to omit many other Bishops of Rome had euer beene taxed of heresie if this had anciently beene currant that the Pope is infallible I will not stand now to examine the shamefull defence that Bellaâ—mine makes for the latter of these bearing downe Fathers Councells Stories Popes themselues as all falsified or deoeiued herein Wherein because hee is learnedly refuted by Doctor Raynolds I insist not vpon it
see how the Interpreter hath hit the marke Againe yee ought to haue knowne quod fecit Deus duo magna luminaria c. See the exposition and the difference betweene the Pope and Kings both in the Text and Glosse Now although the Glosse writer were no excellent Calculator yet out of Clauius the account may bee cleared who tells vs the Sunne exceedes the Moone 6539. times and 〈◊〉 I let passe the collection out of Pasce oues meas that â—e belongs not to Christs fold that doth not acknowledge Peter and his Successors his Masters and Pastors out of Quodcuinque ligaueris that nothing is excepted Indeed the Pope excepts nothing but looseth Vowes Contracts Oathes the bond of Allegeance and Fealtie betweene Subiects and their Princes The Commandement of Christ Drinke yee all of this c. But our Lord expounds himselfe Iohn 20. Whose sinnes yee remit they are remitted c. Ex ore sedentis in throno procedebat gladius his acutus This is saith the Pope the sword of Salomon which cuts on both sides giuing euery man his owne Wee then who albeit vnworthy bold the place of the true Salomon by the fauour of God doe wisely exercise this Sword when such causes as in our audience are lawfully canuassed wee doe with iustice determine This interpretation first corrupts the Text for it hath not out of the mouth of him that sate on the Throne but that sate on the Horse next it peruerts it for it is not the sword of Iustice but of Christs Word which is more piercing then any two-edged sword that issueth out of his mouth As for that of Iustice he neuer assumed it but renounced it rather when hee said Man who made mee a diuider to you Luk. 12. 14. To proue that in other Regions besides the patrimonie of the Church the Pope doth casually exercise temporall iurisdiction it is said in Deuteronomie Si difficile sit ambiguum c. And because Deuteronomie is by interpretation â—he second Law Surely by the force of the Word it is proued that what is there decreed should bee obserued in the New Testament For the place which the Lord did choose is knowne to bee the Apostolike See For when as Peter fleeing went out of the Citie the Lord minding to call him backe to the place hee had chosen being asked of him Lord whither goest thou answered I goe to Rome to bee crucified agaiâ—e The Priests of the Tribe of Leus are the Popes coadiutors The high Priest or Iudge he to whom the Lord said in Peter Quodcunque ligaueris c. His Vicar who is a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck appointed by God the Iudge of quicke and dead He that contemnes the Popes sentence is to bee excommunicated for that is the meaning of being commanded to be put to death Doth not this well â—ollow out of the word Deuteronomie And Rome is the place that Christ did choose because he went he said to bee crucified there Onely there is a scruple of the high Priest for as much as he that is high Priest after Melchisedecks order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a Priesthood that passes not into another Heb. 7. He addes there that Paul that hee might declare the fulnesse of power writing to the Corinthians saith Know yee not that yee shall iudge the Angels how much more the things of the world Is this then the Popes plenitude of Power to iudge secular things or was Corinth the Apostolike See and so many Popes there euen of the meanest of the Church What shall we say to that exposition of the famous Text. Tâ—â— es Petrus super haâ—â— petram a edificabo Ecclesiam meaâ— The Lord he saith taking peter iâ—to the fellowship of the vndiuided Vnitie would haue him to bee called that which hee was himselfe that the building of the eternall Temple might by the maruâ—llous gift of God consist in Peters firmenesse What is this vndiuided Vnitie Not of the Trinitie I trow or Natures in Christ. What then his office of which hee said a little before out of the Apostle that no man can lay any other foundation but Iesus Christ. Yes that from Peter as a certaine head hee should as it were powre abroad his gifts into his whole body That the Church might stand vpon Peters firmenesse This foundation Saint Paul knew not when hee blamed I am of Cephâ—s Peters infirmitie cannot beare vp the weight of such a building much lesse which we must remember the Romanists vnderstand by this Iargon the Papes his Successors Such another interpretation is that of Pope Boniface that makes Vnum Ouile vnus Pastor the Church and the Pope But it is plaine our Sauiour alludes to the prophesies Ezek. 34. 23. 37. 24. where the Lord cals that one Pastor his seruant Dauid What blasphemie is this thus to vsurpe Christs Royalties What Father what Councell what Catholike man euer interpreted this Text on this manner By which the Pope while hee seekes the name of the Sheepherd shuts himselfe out of Christs fold Yea the same Pope cals the Church his Spouse also and so other Popes since Saint Iohn the Baptist tels them that he that hath the Bride is the Bridegroome Saint Paul prepared her to one husband Christ If shee bee the Popes Spouse with her will shee is a Harlot if against her will hee is a Rauisher and our Lord Iesus Christ will deliuer her out of his leud embracements crying out of the violence which shee suffers as it is to be hoped shortly That in the Churches power are two swords the spirituall and temporall we are taught by the wordes of the Gospell saith the same Boniface For when the Apostles said Behold there be two swords here to wit in the Church when the Apostles spake thus the Lord answered not that is was too much but enough Certainly hee that denies the temporall sword to be in Peters power doth ill obserue the speech which our Lord vtters Put vp thy sword into the sheath No doubt an infallible interpretation by which it should appeare that both the swords that were in our Sauiours companie hung by Saint Peters side or else that some other had the spirituall leauing none to Saint Peter but that which he might not vse The exposition is Saint Berenards you will day But in an Epistle paraeneticall to the Pope himselfe Saint Bernard might haue leaue to vse allusions and after his manner to bee liberall of all that the See of Rome challenged that he might haue the more authoritie to reforme the abuses of it As to grant Peter the temporall sword but so as hee must not vse it Quid tu gladium denno vsurpare tentes quem semel iussus es ponere in vaginam and he shews how these two swords bee the Churches The one to bee drawne out for the Church the other also by the Church This by the Priests that
by the Souldiers hand but at the beck of the Priest and bidding of the Emperor But the Pope in a Decretall Epistle pretending to teach the world in a point as he pronounces necessarie to saluation with such an interpretation as this argues little reuerence to the Word of God and a very meane opinion of the iudgements and consciences of christen men if they could not discerne this to be a strangers voice not Christs Besides that he changes Saint Bernards wordes and cleane peruerts his meaning For exerendus he puts in exercendus For ille Sacerdotis is militis manu sed sanè ad nutum Sacerdotis iussum Imperatoris Pope Boniface thinking iussum to absolute in the Emperor makes him to bee the executioner and ioynes him with the Souldier on this manner Ille Sacerdotum is manu Regum Militum sed ad nutum patientiam Sacerdotis Saint Bernard makes the executiue power to be in the Souldier the directiue in the Priest the commanding in the Emperor Pope Boniface makes the Kings and Souldiers to haue only the executiue the directiue permissiue to be in the Priest Yea sword he saith must be vnder sword For where the Apostle saith There is no power but of God que autem sunt à Deo ordinata sunt more fully in the originall text the powers that are are ordained that is appointed of God the Interpreter here dreames of order and subordination and cities a saying of Dionysius that the lowest things are reduced to the highest by the middlemost a conceit that makes nothing to the purpose of the Apostle in that place Hee proceeds and tells vs that of the Church and power Ecclesiasticall is verified the prophecie of Ieremy Behold I haue set thee this day ouer Kings and Kingdomes c. Tell me good Master Wadesworth what is to peruerâ— the Scriptures if this bee not to apply to the power Ecclesiasticall that which is spoken of the word and calling Propheticall Yet more The earthly power if it swerue out of the way shall bee iudged of the power spirituall but if the spirituall that is lesser of that which is superiour to it But if the highest it may bee iudged of God onely not of man the Apostle witnessing the spirituall man iudgeth all things but himselfe is iudged of none Wee are come at length as it were to the fountaines of Nilus to the originall of the infallibilitie of your Iudge and if hee haue here rightly interpreted Saint Paul we learne that no earthly power no Magistrate is a spirituall man vnlesse hee bee one of the Popes spiritualtie For these be Saint Pauls spirituall men that iudge all things Yet this must receiue limitation For no man may iudge the Pope the supreme Spirituall man for of him it seemes Saint Paul meant it his authoritie hee saith is not humane but diuine by the diuine mouth giuen to Peter and his successors when the Lord said to him Quodcunque ligaueris For conclusion whosoeuer resists this power thus ordered of God resists the ordinance of God vnlesse as Manichaeus he faine two beginnings which saith hee wee iudge to bee false and hereticall sith by Moses record not in the beginnings but in the beginning God created Heauen and Earth Who would not acknowledge the diuine authoritie and infallibilitie of your Interpreter both in confirming his purpose and conuincing heresies from so high a beginning as this first sentence of holy Writ What rests now but after so many testimonies he inferre Furthermore to be vnder the Bishop of Rome we declare say define and pronounce that to euery humane creature it is altogether of necessitie of saluation Thus saith your infallible Iudge and Interpreter of Scripture the center of your conscience and foundation of your Faith not as a priuate Doctor but as Pope in his owne Law intending to informe and bind the Church and that in matters with him of the greatest importance that may bee touching his owne authoritie and as hee pretends absolutely necessarie to saluation to all the sonnes of Adam I might heape vp many more but these may suffice for a sample You may and so doe by your selfe I beseech you obserue these kind of interpretations in other points also and in other the Decretals Breues of Popes which as I heare are lately come forth in great volumes You shall finde many mysteries in your faith that perhaps you know not of as That you cannot please God because you are married for so is that place of the Apostle interpreted qui in carne viuunt Deo placere non possunt That not onely the wine in the Chalice but the water also is transubstaniated first into wine then into Christs bloud That it was not watry moisture but the true element of water which issued out of Christs side You shall finde confession of sins to the Priest proued by the text Corde creditur a'd iustitiam ore autem fit confessio ad salutem That the good ground that receiued the seed in the Gospel is the religion of the Friers Miâ—â—rs That this is that pure and immaculate religion with God and the Father which descending from the Father of lights deliuered exemplariter verbaliter by the Sonne to his Apostles and then inspired by the holy Ghost into Saint Francis aud his followers containes in it selfe the testimony of the Trinitie This is that which as Saint Paul witnesseth no man must be troublesome vnto which Christ hath confirmed with the prints of his Passion The text is decaetero nemo mihi molestus sit ego n. stigmata Domini Iesu in corpore nemo porto It is maruell if Saint Paul were not of the order of Saint Frances That when Christ said Ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus hee meant it of remaining and being with them euen by his bodily presence Saint Augustine vpon the same text denies this and saith that according to the presence of his body hee is ascended into heauen and is not here That the Father of the childe christened and his Godfathers wife may not marry because according to the Lords word the husband and the wife are made one flesh by marriage That the number of Foure doth well agree to the degrees prohibited in corporall marriage of which the Apostle saith The man hath not the power of his owne body but the woman nor the woman power of her body but the man because there are foure humours in the body which consist of the foure Elements For conclusion you shall finde it by a commodious interpretation concluded contrarie to many texts of Scripture out of Scripture it selfe that no simple and vnlearned man presume to reach to the subtility of the Scripture because well it was enacted in the law of God that the beast which should touch the mountaine should be stoned For it is written Seeke not things higher then thy selfe
For which cause the Apostle saith Be not more wise then it behooueth but be wise to sobrietie One thing more also you shall finde that now adayes this spirituall man and sole infallible interpreter of Scripture seldome interprets Scripture or vses it in his Decretalls and Brâ—â—es Nay the stile of his Court hath no manner of smack or sauour of it A long compasse of a sentence intricate to vnderstand yea euen to remember to the end full of swelling words of vanitie with I know not how many ampliations and alternatiues after the fashion of Lawyers in Ciuill Courts not of sober Diuines much lesse of the Spirit of God in his Word Some man would perhaps thinke this proceeds from an affectation of greatnesse and the desire of retaining authoritie which seemes to bee embased by alledging reason or Scripture and interpreting texts For my part I account it comes as much from necessitie For it is notorious that neither the Popes themselues nor those of the Court the Secretaries and Dataries which pen their Bull and Breues haue any vse or exercise in holy Scripture or soundnesse in the knowledge of Diuinitie or skill in the originall tongues wherein Gods Word is written all which are necessarie to an able Interpreter And therefore it is a wise reseruednesse in them not to intermedle with that wherein they might easily fault especially in a learned age and wherein so many watchfull eyes ate continually vpon them And to this very pouertie and cautelousnesse I do impâ—te it that the present Pope in his Breues about the Oath of Alleageance vseth not aword of Scripture But tells his faction that they cannot without most euident and grieuâ—us iniury of Gods honour take the Oath the tenor whereof hee sets downe word for word and that done addes Quae cum ita sint c. Which things saith hee since they bee so it must needs be cleere vnto you out of the wordes themselues that such an oath cannot bee taken with the safetie of the Catholike faith and of your soules sith it containeth many things which are apparantly contrary to faith and saluation Hee instances in no one thing brings neither Scripture nor reason but a Quae cum ita sint without any premisses Which loose and vngrounded proceeding when as it is occasioned the Arch-Priest here and many other of that side to thinke those letters forged or gotten by surreption hee sends another of the same tenor with this further reason Haec autâ—â— est mera pura integraque volunt as nostra This is now to be more then an Interpreter euen to be a Lord ouer the faith of his followers to make his will a reason What would ye haue him doe to alleadge a better he could not a weake and vnsufficient one he was ashamed hee thought it best to resolue the matter into his sole authoritie Whereby he hath proued himselfe a fallible both Iudge and Interpreter yea a false witnesse against God and the truth commanding by the Apostle Christian men to be subiect and to giue euery man their dues feare to whom feare honour to whom honour and much more if there be any difference allegiance to whom allegiance CHAP. IIII. Of the state of the Church of England and whether it may be reconciled with Rome BVt of your interpreters infallibilitie enough Your next doubt whether the Church of England were of the true Church or no was resolued with a Paralogisme partly by reason of equiâ—ocation and diuers acception of the tearmes the Church and to erre partly by composition and diuision in the connexion of these by those Verbes can or may Let vs examine the seuerall parts of your Syllogisme The Proposition The true Church cannot erre is confirmed by the consent of all Excuse me Sir if I withhold my consent without some declaration and limitation I say first it must bee declared whether you meane the Catholike Church or a atrue part of the Catholike Church For there is not the like reason of these to error Against the Catholike Church hell gates shall not preuaile against particular when Christ doth remoue the Candlesticke out of his place they doe Witnesse the Churches of Africke sometimes most Catholike And thus it seemes you must take this tearme since your doubt was whether the Church of England be of the true Church or no Besides I must desire to know what manner of errours you meane whether euen the least or onely deadly and such as barre from saluation which the Apostle cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heresies of perdition 2 Pet. 2. 1. Take now your owne choise for if you speake of euery errour the proposition is false euen of the Catholike Church much more of any particular Church Yea I adde further not onely of the Catholike Church by denomination from the greatest part or by representation as the Pastors or Prelates thereof met in a Councill which is still the mixt Church but euen that which is Christs true body whereof he is the Sauiour and which shall be with him for euer As for deadly and damnable errors this true and properly called Church both in the whole and euerie part of the mixt Church is yet priuiledged from them finally for it is kept by the power of God to saluation it is not possible the Elect should thus be seduced Truth it is that by such errors particular visible assemblies vniuersally and obstinately defending them become falsely called Churches from which wee are to seperate our selues Example in the Synagogue and in Churches of the Arians Now let vs see your Assumption But the Church of England head and members King Clergie and people yea awhole Councell of Protestants may erre by your owne grant I answer the Church of England that is the Elect in the Church of England which onely are truely called the Church can neuer deadly erre This no Protestant will grant yee The mixt Church of England head members King Clergie and the residue of the people and a whole Councell of Protestants may erre damnably and therefore much more â—all into lesser errors This they grant And if they shall so erre obstinately they shall deseruedly loose the name of a true Church But they denie they doe thus err yea they denie that they erre de facto at all What followes in conclusion Ergo No true Church This shortnesse in suppressing the verbe would make a man thinke you ment to couer the fault of your discourse And indeede you might by that meanes easily beguile another but I cannot be perswaded you would willingly beguile your selfe Sure you were beguiled if you ment it thus Ergo it is no true Church See your Argument in the like A faithfull witnesse cannot lye But Socrates or Aristides may lye by his owne grant Ergo no faithfull witnesse He that stands vpright cannot fall but you Master Waddesworth by your owne grant may fall Ergo stand not vpright Perhaps your meaning was Ergo it may
Scriptures by their owne free consent and desire Iudge by an instance or two that this matter may not be a meere skirmish of generalities Tertullian in his latter times whether as Saint Hierome writes through the enuie and reproach of the Roman Clergie or out of the too much admiring chastitie and fasting became a Montanist and wrote a Booke de Pudicitia blaming the reconciling of Adulterers and Fornicators In the very entrance almost thereof he hath these words Audio etiam edictum esse propositum quidem peremptorium Pontifex scil Maximus Episcopus Episcoporum dicit Ego maechis fornicationis delict a paenitentiâ functis dimitto Pamelius in his noate vpon this place writes thus Bene habet annotatu dignum quod etiamiam in haeresi constitutus aduersus Ecclesiaâ—â— scribens Pontificeâ— Romanum Episcopum Episcoporum nuncupet infra Cap. 13. bonum Pastorem benedictum Papum Cap. 21. Apostolicum Thus Pamelius and presently laâ—ches forth into the Priuiledges of the See of Rome and brings a number of testimonies for that forgery of Constantines donation The like note hee hath in the life of Tertullian where hee makes the Pope that set forth the former Edict to haue beene Zephyrinus quem saith hee Pontificem Maximum etiam iam haereticus Episcopum Episcoporum appellat Baronius also makes no small account of this place and saith The title of the Pope is here to bee noted And indeed prima facie as you say they haue reason But hee that shall well examine the whole web of Tertullians discourse shall finde that hee speakes by a most bitter and scornefull Ironie as Elias doth of Baal when hee saith hee is a God The word scilicet might haue taught them thus much Yea the title Pontifex Maximus which in those dayes and almost two ages after was a Pagan terme neuer attibuted to a Christian Bishop first laid downe by Gratian the Emperour as Baronius also notes in the yeere of our Lord 383. because it â—auoured of Heathenish superstition though it had beene as a title of Royalty vsed by the former Christian Emperours till that time This title I say might haue made them perceiue Tertullians meaning vnlesse the immoderate desire of exalting the Papacie did so blind their eyes that seeing they saw and yet perceiued not In the same character though with more mildnesse and moderation is the same title for the other part of it vsed by Saint Cyprian in his Vote in the Councell of Carthage Neque n. quisquam nostrum se esse Episcopum Episcoporum constituit aut tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem Collegas suos adigit Bellarmine saith hee speakes here of those Bishops that were in the Councell of Carthage and that the Bishop of Rome is not included in that sentence who is indeed Bishop of Bishops What! and doth hee tyranniously inforce his Colleagues to obedience also For it is plaine that Cyprian ioynes these together the one as the presumptuous title the other as the iniurious act answering thereto which hee calls plaine tyranny And as plaine it is out of Firmilianus Epistle which I vouched before that Stephanus Bishop of Rome heard ill for his arrogancie and presuming vpon the place of his Bishopricke Peters Chaire to seuer himselfe from so many Churches and breake the bond of peace now with the Churches of the East in Asia now of the South in Africke And hee was in as ill conceit with Cyprian for his breaking good order and communicating with Basilides and Martialis iustly depriued in Spaine as Saint Cyprian was with him when he stiled him a false Christ and a false Apostle But the holy Martyr was of a more patient and calme spirit then to be moued with such reproaches nay hee tooke occasion as it should seeme thereby to write of patience From this mildnesse it was that hee so closely taxed the presumption of him that made himselfe Bishop of Bishops and by terror which what it was Firmilianus Epistle shewes threatning Excommunication would compell his Colleagues to his owne opinion None of vs saith he doth thus As the Apostle we preach not our selues we commend not our selues Wee are not as many that adulterate the Word of God c. Bellarmine takes the first kindly No maruell saith hee for this the Bishop of Romes due But they goe together hee must be content to take both or leaue both Such another place there is in Saint Augustines Epist. 86. the wordes are Petrâ—â— etiam inquit Apostolorum Capuâ— coeli 〈◊〉 Ecclesia fundamentum Where in the Margent the Diuines of Louaine the ouerseers of Plantines edition set this note Petrus Ecclesia fundamenâ—â—m Why might they not The words yee will say of the text But these words of the text be not Saint Augustines whose opinion is well enough knowne That it is Christ confessed by Peter that is the foundation of the Church but they are the words of an vndiscreet railer of the Citie of Rome against whom Saint Augustine in all that Epistle most vehemently inueighs This arrogant Author endeauours so to defend the Romane custome of fasting on the Saturday as hee reproaches all other Churches that vsed otherwise And that we may see with what Spirit he was led he brings the same text that is brought in Pope Siricius and Innocentius Epistles against the marriage of Clergie men Qui in carne sunt Deo placere non possunt and many other Scripâ—ures wrested and farre from the purpose at last comes the authoritie of Peter and his tradition very Pope-like alledged Peter he saith the head of the Apostles porter of heauen and foundation of the Church hauing ouercome Simon the Sorcâ—rer who was a figure of the Deuill not to be ouercome but by fasting thus taught the Romanes whose faith is famous in the whole world I remit you to Saint Augustines answere to this tradition This I note that where your Censors do race out of the Margents of former editions such notes as do expresse the very opinions of the ancients and in their owne wordes here they can allow and authorize such marginall notes as are directly contrary to their meaning Yea which are earnestly oppugned by them when they seeme to make for the authoritie of the Pope Good sir examine well this dealing and iudge if this bee not wresting the Fathers and applying them cleane from their purpose In fine you found your selfe you say euidently conuinced Perswaded I beleeue rather then conuinced Else if the force and euidence of the Arguments and not the pliablenesse of your minde were the cause of your yeelding mee thinkes they should worke like effect in others no lesse seriously seeking for truth and setting all worldly respects aside earnestly minding their owne saluation then your selfe Which I well know they do not neither those which hitherto haue beene examined nor those which yet remaine to be considered in the rereward CHAP. VIII Of the Inuisibilitie of the Church said