men p Iren. l. 3. c. 3. Ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potentâ—rem principalitatem necesse est omnem conuenire Ecclesiam hoc est eos qui sunt vndique fideles in que semper abhis qui sunt vndique conseruata est ea qua est ab Apostolis Traditiâ— To this Church saith he because of her more potent principality it is necessary for euery Church to accord that is the faithfull euery where wherein the Tradition which came from the Apostles hath beene alwaies preserued Now take this reason added by Ireneus which by M. Bishop is concealed and it will plainly appeare why it was necessary for other Churches to accorde with the Church of Rome For this Church for the renowme and famousnesse of the place being then the seate of the Empire was the most eminent Church in the world and therefore continuing still in the doctrine of the Apostles without alteration or change it was most fit of all other to be propounded as a patterne to other Churches whereto to conforme themselues and with which whosoeuer accordeth not did thereby swarue from the doctrine of the Apostles But the case is now altered because the Church of Rome it selfe is now questioned for swaruing from the Tradition of the Apostles which being so that cannot be said to be necessary now which was necessary so long as shee continued in that Tradition And thus sarre we finde only a necessity of consenting then in doctrine with the Church of Rome but for her superiority in gouernement wee finde nothing Yes saith M. Bishop for Ireneus attributeth to the Church of Rome a mightier or more potent principality which what should it import will he say but a superiority of Dominion and gouernment ouer all other Churches But I answer him that principality doth not enforce soueraignty and dominion for he himselfe is holden for a principall man amongst the Seminary Priests and yet hee hath no rule or dominion ouer them Principality importeth specialty and chiefty and noteth an honour of estimation and account and thus the Church of Rome though hauing no title of dominion for ruling and gouerning yet had the honour to bee a chiefe and principall aboue other Churches Now principality is alwayes potent and they that are chiefe and eminent aboue others sway much by their example and perswasion and their very names are very auailable to induce other whom notwithstanding they haue no authority to command according to that which Hilary saith that q Hilar. Epist apud August tom 7. Plureâ— sunt in Ecclesia qui authoritate nominum in sententia tenentur aut ad sententiam transferuâ—tur in the Church there are many who by authority of names are moued either to hold still their opinion or to alter and change the same Such and no other was the potent principality of the Church of Rome and thus doth Ireneus in the same place say that that Church r Iren. vt supr scrip Sit qua est Româ— Ecclesia potentissimas literas Coâ—inthijs c. wrote most potent letters to the Corinthians namely such as were effectuall and strong to moue them and the rather for that they came from such a famous and renowmed place And that M. Bishop may vnderstand that I doe not answere him by a deuice of mine but according to the truth he shall find that Cyprian calleth the Church of Rome Å¿ Cypr. lib. 1. Epist 3. Ad Petri Cathedram Ecclesiam principalem c. the principall Church and yet in the same place he denieth t Ibid. Nauigare audent ad Petri CathedraÌ„ c. Oportet eos quibus praesumâ—s non circumcursare c. Nisi paucis dâ—speratis â—erditis minor esse videtur authoritas Episcoporum in Africa constitutorlâ— c. the authority of the Bishops of Africa to be inferiour to the Bishop of Rome And thus the African Councell acknowledgeth the Church of Rome to be u Conc. Afric cap. 6. Primae sedis Episcopus non appelletur Princâ—ps Sacerdotum aut summus Sacerdos aut aliquid huiusmodi sed tantùm primae sedis Episcopus the first or principall Sea and the Bishop thereof they terme the Bishop of the first or principall Sea and yet they denied to the Bishops of Rome to haue any authority ouer them Yea when Zozimus Bonifacius and Celestmus challenged the same by a forged Canon of the Nicene Councell those x Ibid. c. 101. Quia hic in nullo câ—diâ—â— Grâ—câ— ea poâ—â—imus inuenirâ— ex Orientalibus Ecclesijs vbi perhibetur eadem decreta posse etiam authentica reperiri magis nobis desideramus adferri African Bishops for the disprouing thereof sent to the Patriarches of Antioch Alexandria and Constantinople for authenticall copies of the said Councell wherein they found no such matter and y Ibid. c. 105. Vt aliqui tanquam à tuae sanctitatis latere mittantur nulla inuenimus patrum Synodo constitutum Quod ex parte Nicem Concilij transmisistis in Concilijs verioribus tale aliquid non potuimus reperâ—â—e Executores Cleâ—icos vestros quibusque petentibus nolite mittere c. thereupon wrote to Celestinus that he should forbeare to send his Legates to entermeddle in their matters and z Ibid. c. 92. Non prouocent nisi ad Africana Concilia vel ad primates Prouinciarium sâ—â—rum ad transmarina autem qui putauerit appellandum à nullo intra Africam in communionem suscipiatur forbad all appeales saue to their owne Councels excommunicating them that presumed to appeale to Rome and in this recusancy of subiection they continued afterwards for the space of an hundred yeares vntill Eulalâ—â—s the Bishop of Carthage if it be true which is reported of him and not coyned at Rome betrayed the liberty of that Church and submitted the same to Boniface the second who doubted not most wickedly to say of those African Bishops of whom the learned Father St. Austin was one that a Bonifac. 2. Epist ad Eulal tom 2. Concil Aurelius Carthaginensis Ecclesiâ— olim Episcopus cum collegis suis infâ—igante Diabolo superbire teÌ„poribâ— praedecessorum Bonifacij atque Celestini coÌ„tra RomanaÌ„ Ecclesiam coepit by the instigation of the Diuell they had then begunne proudly to demeane themselues against the Church of Rome As for that potent principality of the Roman Church and necessity of according therewith which M. Bishop intendeth Polycarpus knew it b Euseb hist l. 5. c. 23. Neque enim Anicetâ— suadere Polycarpâ— poterat ne seruaret c. quae semper seruauerat not when he would not be perswaded by Anicetus Bishop of Rome to keepe the feast of Easter according to the manner of the Church of Rome Neither did c Ibid. cap. 22. Episcopis per Asiam qui morem ipsis ab antiquo traditum retineÌ„dum esse affirmabant prâ—erat Polycrates Polycrates the Bishop of Ephesus with the rest of the Churches of Asia acknowledge
it is all one now to say the Catholike and to say the Roman Church The Church of Rome as the most famous and chiefe Church was most fit to bee named in this case but otherwise it may euen as well be said They were Catholike Bishops that coÌ„municated with the Church of Millan where Ambrose was Bishop therefore to say the Church of Millan is all one as to say the Catholike Church As little discretion is there in his next allegation out of Hierome who mentioning the words of Ruffinus concerning some workes of Origen by him translated The Latin Reader shall finde nothing in them different from our faith demandeth thus a Hieron Apolog aduers Ruffin lib. 1. Fide suam quam vocat Eamnè qua Romana pollet Ecclesia an illam quâ— Origenis voluminibus continâ—tur si Romanam respondeâ—it ergo Catholâ—ci sumus qui nihil de Origenis errore transtulimus c. Which calleth hee his faith that which the Church of Rome professeth or that which is contained in the bookes of Origen If he answere the Roman faith then are we Catholikes who haue translated nothing of the errour of Origen For what is there here said of the Roman Church but what might likewise bee saâ—d of any other Church professing the true faith The argument followeth because the Roman Church did then maintayne the true Catholike faith so should it follow of the rest If he professe the faith of the Church of Constantinople of Antioch of Alexandria yea of the poore Church of Eugubium then is he a Catholike because al these did then professe the Catholike faith But what is this to M. Bishops purpose to proue in the Church of Rome a priuiledge of continuance and stability in the same true Catholike faith to proue that the Roman faith should bee alwaies the certayne and vndoubted patterne of the true Catholike faith In which conclusion his other Authours also doe all faile him who though it be graunted him that they did as he saith proue themselues then to be Catholikes and their Churches Catholike by declaring themselues to communicate with the Church of Rome and their aduersaries to bee Heretikes because they did not so for that the Church of Rome was then famously knowen to haue continued the same from the beginning in the points of faith then impugned by the Heretikes yet very idlely and childishly are they alleaged to proue that which M. Bishop intendeth that it should alwayes thenceforth continue so But indeede hee racketh his Authours and wrongeth them neither doe they say that which hee would haue them taken to say Tertullian appealeth to other Churches as well as to the Church of Rome and referreth his Reader to the most famous of them accordingly as they are nearest at hand b Tertul. de praescript Percurre Ecclesiaâ— Apostolicas apud quas ipse adhuc Cathedrae Apostolorum suis locis praesidentur c. Proxima est tibi Achaiai habes Corinthum Si non longè es a Macedonia habes Philippos habes Thessalonicenses Si potes in Asiam tenderâ— habes Ephesum Si autem Italâ—ae adiaces habes Romanam Runne through the Apostolike Churches in which there are Bishops still sitting in the seates of the Apostles in their places Is Achaia next vnto thee thou hast Corinthus If thou be not farre from Macedonia thou hast Philippos and the Thessalonians If thou canst goe into Asia thou hast Ephesus If thou border vpon Italie thou hast the Church of Rome What is there here for M. Bishops turne c Epiph. haeres 27. Epiphanius setteth downe a Catalogue of the Bishops of Rome but saith not a word to that effect as M. Bishop citeth him Optatus approueth his part to be Catholike not simply by communicating with the Church of Rome but for that togâ—ther with the Church of Rome d Optat. lib. 2. Siâ—icius hodie noster est socius cum quo nobis totus orbis coÌ„mercio formatarum in vna communionis societate concordant they communicated with thâ—â—hurch of the whole world Yea in the same booke hee attributeth as much in this behalfe to the seuen Churches of Asia as to the Church of Rome therby as strongly reproueth the Donatists e Ibid. Cum quibus Ecclesijs nullum communionis probamini habere consâ—rtiâ— c. Extra septem Ecclesias quicquid soris est alienum est You are proued to haue no fellowship of coÌ„munion with the seuen Churches Whatsoeuer is without the seuen Churches is stranger to the Church Austin setteth downe the succession of the Bishops of Rome and vpbraideth the Donatists that f Aug. Epist 165. In hoc ordine successionis nullus Donatista Episcopiâ— inuenitur no Donatist was found amongst them but as well doth he obiect to them that whereas g Ibid. Quile gunt in codicibus sanctis Ecclesias quibus Apostoli scripseruÌ„t nullum in eis habeÌ„t Episcopum Quid autem peruersius insaniê° quà m lectoribê° easdem Epistolas legentibus dicere pax tecum ab earum EcclesiaruÌ„ pace separare quibus ipsa Epistolae scriplae suÌ„t they read the Epistles of the Apostles they diuided themselues from the peace and fellowship of those Churches to which the Apostles wrote the same Epistles So then in all these Authors which he alleageth he doth but meerely abuse his reader which is the cause why he thus set downe their names without their wordes for that he presumed that only alleaging their names men would imagine that vndoubtedly they said somewhat for him whereas if he had set downe their wordes euery man might see that they said nothing Yea but it is greatly to be noted saith M. Bishop that there is no generall Councell of sound authority wherein the Christian truth hath beene expounded and determined but is confirmed by the Bishop of Rome Well and it is as greatly to be noted that the sentence of no Bishop of Rome was anciently holden sufficient for the deciding of a question of faith except the same were confirmed by a generall Councell Therefore doth Leo Bishop of Rome mention h Leo epist 61. Apostolicae sedis Epistola vniuersali sancta Synodi assensâ— firmata Et Epist 70. Scripta mea adiecta vniuersalis Synodi coÌ„firmatione c. his Epistle against the heresie of Eutyches confirmed by the vniuersall assent of the sacred Synode and his writings hauing the confirmation of the generall Councell added thereto And what his authority was in the Councell it may be conceiued by that he wrote to the Councell of Ephesus i Idem Epist 14. Misi qui vice mea sancto conueÌ„tui vestrae fraternitatis intersint communi vobiscum sententia qua Domino sint placitura constituant I haue sent my deputies to be present with you in your assembly and by sentence in common to decree those things which may be pleasing to the Lord where wee see that he challengeth no more but a voice in common with the
rest of the Bishops there And that Councels held it not anâ—â—atter of necessity to haue the confirmation of the Bishop of Rome it is manifest both by the African Councell excluding his authority from amongst them as hath beene before shewed and by the Councell of k Chalcedon which notwithstanding the opposition of the l Concil Chalced. Act. 16. Contradictio nostra his gestis inhâ—reat c. Jâ—dices dixerunt Quod interlocuti sumus tota Synoduâ— approbauit Legates of the Bishop of Rome and l Leo Epist 51. 52. his owne reclayming thereto yet decreed to the Church of Constantinople equality of priuiledges with the Church of Rome saue only that the Bishop of Rome had precedence and priority of place as before also is declared As for M. Bishops other note it is a vaine and fond presumption that all heresies sprung vp since the Apostles daies haue opposed themselues against the Roman Sea and haue beene by it finally ouerthrowne The Church of Rome hath had nothing singular in this behalfe Yea many heresies there haue beene that haue more bent themselues against other Churches then against the Church of Rome neither hath the Church of Rome done so much in the confounding of them as other Churches haue done But yet he bringeth Austin affirming for him that that chaire obtained the top of authority heretikes in vaine barking round about it Where he dealeth very vnhonestly in falsifying the wordes of Austin who in that whole booke by him cited neuer once nameth the Roman Church or chaire nor saith any thing that may be auouched to haue any speciall reference or respect thereto Of the Catholike or vniuersall Church so apparantly to bee discerned from all hereticall combinations St. Austin there saith m Aug. de vtilit credendi c. 17. Dubitabimus nos eius Ecclesiae condere gremio quae vsque ad confessionâ—m generis humani ab Apostolica sede per successio nes Episcoporum frustra hareticis circumlairantibus c. culmâ—n authoritatis obtinuit Shall we doubt to repose our selues in the bosome of that Church which euen by the confession of mankinde from the Apostles sitting or time when the Apostles sate by successions of Bishops hath obtained a height of authority Heretikes in vaine barking round about c. In the whole processe of that booke from the beginning to this place which is almost the very end he speaketh generally of the Catholike Church without relation to any particular Church and therefore vnlikely it is that his wordes here should beare any speciall application to the Church of Rome M. Bishop will say that I mistranslate the wordes ab Apostolica sede and that Apostolica sedes is there meant the Apostolike Sea that is the Roman Church But he must giue vs leaue to vnderstand the meaning of St. Austins wordes by St. Austin himselfe who in this cause so often signifieth by that phrase of speech the time wherein the Apostles themselues sate that is wherein they liued and occupied the roomes of teaching and gouerning the Church Thus he saith in another place n Aug. cont Faust Manich. lib. 11. cap. 2. Vides in hac re quid Ecclesiae Catholicae valeat authoritas quae ab ipsis fundatissimis sedibus Apostolorum vsque ad hodiernum diem succedentium sibimet Episcoporum lot populorum consensione firmatur Thou seest how much the authority of the Catholike Church herein auaileth which from the most surely founded seates of the Apostles vntill this day that is from the time that the seates of the Apostles were most surely founded vntill this day by ranke of Bishops succeeding one another and by the consent of so many peoples is confirmed And againe o Ibid. lib. 28. cap. 2. Vniuersa Ecclesia ab Apostolicis sedibus vsque ad praesentes Episcopos certa successione perducta The vniuersall Church saith he which is deriued by certaine succession from the seates of the Apostles that is from the time that the Apostles sate vnto the Bishops that now are And in another place p Ibid. lib. 33. cap. 9. Eam sequamini que ab ipsius praesentiae Christi tempoâ—ibus per dispensationes Apostolorum 〈◊〉 ab corum â—edibus successiones Episcoporum vsque ad haec tempora peruenit Follow that authority which hath come from the time of the presence of Christ himselfe by the ministery of the Apostles and by other successions of Bishops from their seates from the time wherein they sate vntill this time Which when hee will in more proper wordes expresse hee speaketh thus q Ibid. lib 28. cap. 4. Ecclesia quae ab ipsius Matthaei temporibus vsque ad hoc tempus certa successionum scrie declaratur The Church which from the very time of Matthew vntill this time by certaine ranke of successions is declared r Ibid. lib. 32. cap. 19. Euangelica authoritas ab Apostolorum temporibus vsque ad nostra tempora per successiones certissimas commendata The authority of the Gospell commended by most certaine successions from the time of the Apostles vntill our times And in another place Å¿ Contra Aduers leg Prophet lib. 1. cap. 20. Ecclesia quae ab illorum Apostolorum temporibus per Episcoporum successiones certissimas vsque ad nostra deinceps tempora perseuerat The Church which from the times of the Apostles by most certaine successions of Bishops continueth to our times and so forward Now then sith all these speeches as by conference appeareth serue to expresse only one and the same thing it is plaine that St. Austin when hee said ab Apostolica sede meant nothing else but from the sitting that is from the age and time of the Apostles Of the Apostles I say though he speake in the singular number because hee nameth from thence not a succession as speaking of one but successions as resâ—rting himselfe to those many seates wherein Bishops had succeeded from the time of the Apostles And though wee doe vnderstand it of one Apostle St. Peter as elsewhere he saith t Cont. Epist fundam cap. 4. Tenet ab ipsa ede Petri vsque ad praesentem Episcopâ—tum successio Sacerdotum The succession of Bishops from the very seate of Peter from the very time when Peter sate vntill the Bishopricke that now is holdeth me in the Catholike Church yet doth there nothing hereby follow more to the Church of Rome then to the Church of Antioch where Peter sate as well as he did at Rome and where there had beene Bishops succeeding him vntill that time In a word let M. Bishop take those wordes as hee will yet is there nothing therein to be seene concerning the Church of Rome but only that as the principall Church and specially 〈◊〉 these Westerne parts it serued him most conueniently for instance of the succession which hee pleaded but as for the height or toppe of authority there spoken of it belongeth to
habent neque ille suis nomen indit aut à suis recipit sed omnes vt antea consuetâ— more Christiani nominantur Neuer any people tooke name of their Bishops but of the Lord in whom they beleeued We haue not taken names from the holy Apostles our Masters and Ministers of the Gospell of our Sauiour but of Christ we both are and are called Christians but they who deriue the originall of their faith from any other doe worthily beare the names of their authours as to whom they doe belong When as therefore we all were and were called Christians of Christ Marcion the inuentor of heresie was worthily exploded The other which remained with him by whom Marcion was exploded retayned the name of Christians but they who followed Marcion were no longer called Christians but Marcionites And thus Valentinus Basilides Manicheus and Simon Magus gaue names to their followers and thence it came that some were called Valentinians other Basilidians other Manichees other Simonians other Cataphrygians of their Countrey Phrygia other Nouatians of Nouatus Thus Meletius being eiected by Peter a Bishop and Martyr named them that followed him not any more Christians but Meletians In the same sort when Alexander eiected Arius they who cleaued to Alexander remayned Christians but they who went away with Arius leauing the name of Christians to Alexander and his were thenceforth called Arians Moreouer euen now after the death of Alexander they who are of the same communion with Athanasius the successor of Alexander and with whom Athanasius himselfe is ioyned in communion they all still keepe the same marke he neither giueth any name to them nor they to him but all as before according to the accustomed manner are called Christians This place I haue set downe at large that the Reader may see that Athanasius here could not haue omitted the name of Catholikes there being such occasion to draw it from him if it had been then in vse and that the common names of opposition were then not Catholikes and Heretikes but Christians and Heretikes euen as Cyprian also vseth it saying of Stephanus x Cyprian ad Pompeium Qui haeretâ—coruÌ„ causâ—m contra Christianos contra Ecclesiam Dei esscrere conatur He goeth about to maintaine the cause of Heretikes against Christians and against the Church of God the word Catholike being neuer found in either of them personally taken or substantiuely as before was said but only that Athanasius mentioneth one surnamed y Athanas Epist ad solitariam vitam agentes Faustinus Catholicus homo genere Bithyâ—us opinionibus haereticus Catholicus an Arian Heretike and a persecutor of the faith We may therefore well thinke that there was little discretion riueted to M. Bishops head that would tell vs that the name so taken is so fast ioyned and riueted with Christian profession and religion as that it cannot be separated from it for if it were not so riueted then how commeth it to passe that it is so now The originall thereof was as we may well coniecture by occasion of the heresie of the Donatists who challenged the name of the Church to a part in Africa or elsewhere which were followers of Donatus against whom they that defended the Church Catholike were thereof in processe of time termed by the name of Catholikes The first vse then of the name of Catholikes stood in opposition betwixt Catholikes and Donatists albeit custome soone transported it to make a generall opposition betwixt Catholikes and Heretikes Now the name thus arising accidentally and only by occasion who doubteth but that without preiudice of Christian profession it may by occasion be let fall againe And what greater occasion can there be then the Popish abuse thereof who make a Catholike to import the same in effect now that a Donatist did then For with them a Catholike is no otherwise taken but for a Roman Catholike and because the whole Church is not Roman but a part only what is this Roman Catholike but one who vnder the false name of a Catholike diuideth himselfe from the whole Church as the Donatists did to cleaue to a part thereof What is the name of a Catholike then with them but a Donatisticall name schismaticall and factious and therefore wicked and hatefull and in their sense wholly to be abandoned out of the Church of God Hereby it may appeare how idlely M. Bishop saith that the Apostles did ascribe and appropriate the name Catholike to true Christianity for although they taught vs to beleeue the Church to be Catholike that is vniuersally extended through the world yet did they neuer teach neither was it for a long time after them accustomed that true Christians were called by the name of Catholikes and therefore without wrong to any thing which the Apostles taught we may rightly say that the name according to the Popish abuse thereof is become the proper badge and marke of Apostataes and Heretikes And therefore although if we had beene in the time of Austin we would with him z August in Ioan. tract 32. Catholico nomine fide gaudemus haue reioyced in the Catholike name and faith yet now we cannot with the Papists reioyce in the name of Catholikes and without any blasphemy we reiect it because vnder that name they haue diuided themselues from the Catholike Church and haue destroyed the true Catholike faith Who though they be no other but proud and false fellowes as M. Bishop speaketh and meere vsurping companions and their insolent and audacious folly haue beene both rebuked and conuicted yet doe still impudently and infinitely persist in their absurd claime and doe leaue vs no way but only to desist from the communion of the name which we cannot free from that abuse Now whereas I say further that a Rom. 2. 28. the Apostle denyeth the name of Iewes to them who yet according to the letter were so called because of the circumcision of the flesh and applyeth the truth of the name to them who were so according to the spirit albeit according to the letter they were not so named M. Bishop very discreetly answereth that the name Iew being taken in the Apostles sense for one of what nation soeuer that fulfilleth the iustice of the law neuer was nor shall be a name of reproch But what is this I pray to that that I say Doe my words import that the name of a Iew in that sense is or hath beene a name of reproch When I say that the Apostle applyeth the truth of the name to the faithfull would he conceiue me that the Apostle applyeth to them a name of reproch My words plainly signifie that the name in vulgar and literall construction applyed to them who by propagation of nature are the seede of Abraham is become a name of reproch and shame but that as it hath implication of spirituall circumcision and conformity with Abraham it is a name of honour though they to whom it
grace the substance and truth being reueiled they ought to cease This was the very reason why the Apostles taught the Church x Col. 2. 17. 20. to be disburdened of those rites because they were shadowes of things to come the body whereof is in Christ. But M. Bishop telleth vs by another spirit that therefore the Church of Rome reteineth them because they were shadowes of things to come because they were types and figures of the law of grace and reproueth them of vndiscreet zeale that are minded otherwise Sith then he can obserue vndiscreet zeale in the Apostles I may not maruell that he deemeth my sore eyes darkened with strange defluxion and distillation of corrupt humours but such indeede is the case of mine eyes that in the law of Moses and in the Prophets I cannot see that religion which we call Popery which standeth in those points of faith whereof the question is betwixt them and vs. The rest of his wordes I passe ouer as idle talke What hee hath declared wee see and we see so much folly in it and so little weight as that we cannot but aduise him to take longer time and goe ouer the same againe W. BISHOP §. 5. ANd much more reprâ—chfull is it to hold as he doth That we worship God after the same manner as they did for then should we sacrifice to him Beefs Muttons Calues and Lambs and our sacrificers should be of Aarons issue and order and we all circumcised I omit all their ceremonies because M. Abbot excepteth them And if the Protestants doe altogether pray as they did and in the same termes as M. Abbot affirmeth them to doe they sometimes then doe pray vnto God to remember Exod. 32. v. 13. Abraham Isaac and Iacob and for their sakes to make mercy on them for to that effect and in those termes prayed the Prophet Moyses and that according vnto those Patriarkes expresse order and commandement Genes 48. v. 16. Whereunto if it please the Protestants to ioyne that other prayer of the Psalmist Remember O Lord Dauid Psal 131. and all his mildnesse let them tell mee whether this small prayer with which they finde so great fault Tu per Thomae sanguinem c. Thou O Lord for that blouds sake which thy seruant shed in defence of thy holy Church take compassion vpon vs be not warranted for good by example of the like recorded in the old Testament For if they then did desire God to remember the excellent vertues of his seruants and for their sakes to shew mercy to others why may not we doe the same now why may we not as well beseech God to remember the constant fortitude of S. Thomas as they did the mildnesse of Dauid I will not dwell vpon these impertinent and loose follies which all that be not babes may of themselues easily discry but doe out of the premises inferre first that no religion was to be called Catholike before the Gospell of Christ was preached or to be preached to all nations and therefore the law of Moyses being peculiar to one people and countrey could not be called Catholike secondly that the Roman faith and religion is very conformable to that of the Patriarks and Prophets as the verity is to the figure whence it followeth that the Protestants new deuices hold no due correspondence with them I haue already confuted this his assertion That Christ at his comming confirmed the faith and religion of the Iewes without any additions of his owne and commended it simply and nakedly only stripping it of types and shadowes to be preached to all nations And here I adde that then Christians may yet haue many wiues together as the Iewes had or giue their wiues vppon any displeasure a libell of diuorse for these were no shadowes nor ceremonies And briefly it should follow thereof that all that part of their law that doth belong to iustice and iudgement stands still in full force and vertue among vs Christians which is most opposite to the determination of the Apostles in the first Councel holden at Hierusalem where it was plainly decided that we Christians Act. 15. vers 28. were not bound to keepe the old law Againe if the Apostles were simply and nakedly to preach vnto the Gentiles the law of Moyses stript of types and shadowes why were they commanded to preach vnto them the Sacrament of baptisme or of our Lords Supper which are no where commanded in the law of Moyses Well let this then passe as a most notorious and grosse ouersight But the Apostles saith he added nothing of their owne which is very false for many things were left by our Sauiour to their disposition whereupon Saint Paul saith Caetera cum venero disponam I will dispose 1. Cor. 11. v. 3â— of the rest when I come and was further bold to say Haec dico ego non Dominus For the rest I say 1. Cor. 7. v. 12. not our Lord. M. Abbot goes on belying the Apostle and saying And they preached only the Gospell Rom. 1. promised before by the Prophets where he corrupteth the Text by adding the word only and weaueth into that Text to the Romans these wordes out of the Acts of the Apostles saying none other things then those Act. 26. v. 22. which the Prophets and Moyses did say should come where he both mangleth the Text and also breaks off in the middest of a sentence that it might seeme applyable to all points of the Apostles preachings which the Apostle applyeth only to Christs death and resurrection and the preaching and carrying of light vnto the Gentiles It is a peece of strange alchymie to distill out of these wordes of the Apostle that they preached nothing but the same faith and religion which the Iewes embraced S. Paul saith that he had preached nothing of Christs death and resurrection and that he was the light of the Gentiles but that which the Prophets did speake should come to passe M. Abbot of his owne head enlargeth this his speech to all other points of our faith Againe all is besides the purpose for the Apostle saith not that hee taught any one article which the common sort of the Iewes did beleeue but such things as the Prophets said should come to passe Who knowes not that they foresaw and fore-told many things that were no articles of faith in their dayes and touching these very particulars how many of the Iewes did beleeue that their Messias should die so shamefull a death or that Moyses law should be abrogated by their Messias and that the Gospell of Christ should be preached vnto all nations all these were great nouels and exceeding scandalous to the body of the Iewes wherefore though some better learned among them and more religiously affected might vnderstand the Prophets speaking of those points yet were they farre from the common reach and perswasion of that people of the Iewes from these points that the Iewes beleeued
will teach you when I come some new doctrine and points of faith which Christ hath not taught or commanded me to teach but I haue added of mine owne If he thinke so let him tell vs that we may wonder at him If he doe not thinke so to what end is it that he alleageth those wordes Surely he who a little before so religiously telleth them that o Vos 23. he receiued of the Lord that which he deliuered to them should not seeme likely presently after to say that he would hereafter teach them other matters of his owne which he had not receiued of the Lord. M. Bishop therefore should haue vsed his discretion to put a difference betwixt matter of order and matter of faith so to vnderstand that though the Apostles might as the Church alwaies may prescribe orders for decency and conueniency in the publike assemblies and gouernement of the Church yet that in doctrine and faith neither they then nor the Church now may adde any thing to that which Christ our Lord commanded and deliuered both to them and vs. Of the same kinde is his other proofe out of that which the Apostle faith for aduice to the vnmarried so still to abide concerning which he professeth to haue receiued p 1. Cor. 7. 12. 25. no commandement from the Lord for what is this to shew that the Apostle hereby added a new point of faith when as whether the married or the vnmarried whether they that follow his aduise or they that follow it not all are saued by the same faith Aduise is of things arbitrary to be done faith is of things necessary to be beleeued The Apostle therfore might giue wholsome aduise without coÌ„mandement of the Lord and yet cannot hereupon be said to teach a new article of faith I said further in my answere that the Apostles preached only q Rom. 1. 2. the Gospell promised before by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures M. Bishop telleth me that I belye the Apostle and corrupt the text by adding the word only But I set downe the word only in a letter distinct from the wordes of the text as appeareth in my booke though he would not obserue it but hudleth all together and therefore there was no cause for him to charge me with corrupting the text And what will he say notwithstanding that it was not meant that they preached only the Gospell promised in the Scriptures Surely the Apostle noteth his calling and seruice to haue bin to preach the Gospell of God This Gospell of God he saith God had promised before by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures Now if M. Bishop will say that though the Gospell were there promised yet the whole Gospell was not promised he wrongeth the Apostle by making his wordes partly true and partly false true in one part of the Gospell because one part was promised false in another part because that other part was not promised Which to auoide he must confesse that the whole Gospell was promised in the Scriptures of the Prophets and because the Apostles preached only the Gospel of God therefore they preached only the Gospell promised in the Scriptures And thus in the end of the same Epistle the Apostle speaketh againe to the same effect that r Rom. 16. 26. the myslerie of the Gospell was published amongst all nations by the Scriptures of the Prophets We doe not thinke he dallied in so saying as to meane the Gospell is published that is to say a part thereof but not the whole but the Gospell entirely and perfectly is preached by the Scriptures of the Prophets Therefore elsewhere he professeth that in preaching the Gospell f he said no other things but what the Prophets and Moses did Acts 26. 22. say should come But here M. Bishop saith I mangle the text and breake off in the midst of a sentence that it might seeme appliable to all points of the Apostles preachings which the Apostle applieth only to Christs death and resurrection and the preaching and carrying of light to the Gentiles But he himselfe rather doth wrong in so abridging the wordes of the Apostle contrary to the practise of the Apostle who though here he name only a briefe of some principall points as accuslomably is done yet vnder these as the chiefe comprehendeth the whole doctrine which he taught He vsed the wordes to take away the offence which was generally conceiued against his preaching and seeing he did not preach these only particulars which are here set downe neither were they offended only at these therefore he must be so vnderstood as that the wordes must be applyed to all the rest and that taken as put in steede of all whereat they were offended most of all And if we doe not so take them we make him subiect to calumniation because he could not affirme that he said no other things then the Prophets and Moses did say should come if in any other points he taught any thing that had not the testimony of Moses and the Prophets Yea when the same Apostle saith generally of t Rom. 3. 21. 22 the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ that it hath the witnesse of the law and the Prophets how can M. Bishop perswade vs that in the preaching of the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ he should teach any thing but whereof hee had witnesse and warrant of the law and Prophets especially when wee see him as in other of his Epistles so specially in the Epistle to the Romans instifying all points of faith accordingly And that this is a truth not to be contradicted we will take witnesse of Gregory Bishop of Rome who saith that u Gregor in Cant c. 5. Apo 〈…〉 a Pro 〈…〉 â—ruâ—n dâ—ctis vt 〈◊〉 persisterent fidem integram 〈…〉 the Aposiles receiued the whole faith from those things that were spoken by the Prophets And againe x Idem in Ezech hom 6. Qued praedicat lâ—x hoc â—iani Prophete quod dâ—nuilciant Prophatae â—o◠〈…〉 bâ—t 〈◊〉 quod exâ—â—ourt Euangelium hoc praediâ—aâ—erunt Apostoâ—â— per mundum Looke what the law preacheth the same also doe the Prophets and what the Prophets teach the same the Gospell hath exhibited and what the Gospell exhibited the Apostles preached through the world Thus the law and the Prophets and the Gospell and the preaching of the Apostles haue all deliuered only one and the same thing Therefore he saith that y Ibid. Vâ—raque Testamenta in nullo a se dâ—screpant c. Inâ—st testamento veteri testamentum noâ—um c. Prophetia testamenti noâ—i testamentum vetus est expositio testamenti veteris testamentum nouum the two Testaments differ not in any thing one from the other that the new Testament is contained in the old that the old Testament is a prophecio of the now and the new Testament the exposition of the old The same had St. Austin said before that
him bring in Iacob 5. v. 14. the Priests of the Church and let them pray ouer them anoiling them with Oile in the name of our Lord c. Confesse therefore your sinnes one to Ibidem 16. another These and an hundred more plaine texts recorded in that fountaine of life wherein our Catholike Roman doctrine is deliuered in expresse tearmes to wit Thereall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament That Priests haue power to pardon sinnes That Christ built his Church vpon S. Peter That good workes doe in iustice deserue eternall life That we are iustified not by faith alone but also by good workes That in extremity of sicknesse wee must call for the Priest to anoile vs with holy Oile That we must confesse our sinnes not to God alone but also vnto men these and diuers such like heads of our Catholike faith formally set downe in holy Scripture the Protestants will not beleeue though they bee written in Gods word neuer so expresly but doe ransacke all the corners of their wits to deuise some â—dde shift or other how to flie from the euidence of them Whereupon I conclude that they doe not receiue all the written word though they professe neuer so much to allow of all the bookes of Canâ—nicall Scripture For the written word of God consisteth Lib. 2. de Trinitate ad Const not in the reading but in the vnderstanding as S. Hierome testifieth that is it doth not consist in the bare letter of it but in the letter and true sense and meaning ioyned togither the letter being as the body of Scripture and the right vnderstanding of it the soule spirit and life thereof he therefore that taketh not the written word in the true sense but swarueth from the sincere interpretation of it cannot be truly said to receiue the written word as a good Christian ought to doe Seeing then that the Protestants and all other sectaries doe not receiue the holy Scriptures according vnto the most ancient and best learned Doctors exposition they may most iustly be denyed to receiue the sacred written word of God at all though they seeme neuer so much to approue all the Bookes Verses and Letters of it which is plainly proued by S. Hierome vpon the first Chapter to the Galathians R. ABBOT I Haue noted a §. â— before in this Chapter that St. Austin faith of the Prophets and faithfull of the people of the Iewes that though not in name yet in deede they were Christians as we are As they were Christians then with vs so are we now Iewes with them not according to M. Bishops vnderstanding of the name of Iewes to whom I may well say as Austin said to Iulian the Pelagian b August coÌ„â— Iulian. l. 4. c. 3. Cùm insana dicis rides phrenetico es similis When thou speakest madly and laughest thou art like to a frantike Bedlem but according to the Apostles construction thereof c Rom. 2. 29. He is a Iew which is one within and d Phil. 3. 3. we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and reioyce in Christ Iesus and haue no confidence in the flesh We must be Iewes by vnity of faith with them as they were Christians with vs because they with vs and wee with them make but one body and one Church whereof though there be diuers Sacraments yet there is but one faith from the beginning to the end receiued first by the Patriarches written afterwards by the Prophets written againe more clearly by the Apostles so that e Ephes 2. 20. vpon the foundation not foundations but one foundation because one euen one written doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets the houshold of God are built and our faith resteth wholly thereupon I haue walked no rounds I haue broken through no brakes of thornes but haue kept a direct and euen way and haue so strongly builded all this as that I scorne M. Bishops poore paper-shot as much too weake to throw it downe To him I know these things are rounds and mazes he knoweth not which way to get out of them they are brakes of thornes he lyeth fast tyed in them God giue him grace to yeeld to that which he seeth himselfe vnable to reproue He is very angry it seemeth as touching the last point that I should say that the Protestants receiue and beleeue all the written word He saith that therein I begge that which is principally in question and thinketh that I haue little wit or iudgement to thinke that they would freely grant me that But our vsage and debating of questions with them is sufficient to put that out of question We vse the Scriptures our selues we translate them for common vse we reade and expound them publikely in our Churches we exhort men to reade them priuately in their houses wee instruct them to receiue no doctrine but what they see there wee make the same written word the soueraigne Iudge of all our controuersies wee defend the authority and sufficiency thereof against the impeachments and disgraces which Papists haue cast vpon it What may we doe more to make M. Bishop beleeue that we receiue and beleeue the written word Surely if I tell him that the Sunne shineth at noone day he will not beleeue it if it seeme to him to sound any thing against the Pope But he will giue instance to proue that we doe not so first for that we reiect diuers bookes of the old Testament Wherein he saith vntruly for the bookes of the old Testament are the bookes of Moses and the Prophets the Psalmes f August coÌ„t Gaudent lib 2. cap. 23. Non habent Judaei sicut legem Prophetas Psalmos quibus Dominus testimonium perhibet tanquam testibus suis To which saith Austin our Lord Iesus gaue testimony as his witnesses of which we reiect none the other bookes that are adioyned to these we doe not reiect but we reade them and commend them yea we say as much of them as M. Bishop vouchsafeth to say of Pauls Epistles and the rest that they contayne many most diuine and rare instructions but yet we giue them no authority for confirmation of matters of faith because Christ and his Apostles haue giuen no testimony or witnesse of them and the primitiue Church in that respect hath expresly disclaimed them as I haue shewed at large g Of Traditions sect 17. before and resteth hereafter in this booke to bee shewed againe Secondly he bringeth sundry texts of the new Testament to proue that we doe not rightly vnderstand and beleeue all that is written in Gods word wherein he saith their Catholike Roman doctrine is deliuered in expresse termes First to proue the reall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament he citeth the wordes This is my body which shall be giuen for you c. But if the Romish doctrine be here deliuered in expresse termes how is it that their owne Scotus saith that
stubble and hay is thereby consumed and brought to nought And thus Cyril saith as Aquinas alleageth him o Cyril apud Tho. Aquin. in Luc. 12. Ignem veni mittere c. Mos est sacrae Scripturâ— ignem quandoque dicere sacros diuinos sermones that it is the manner of the holy Scripture to call the sacred wordes of God by the name fire and Chrysostome one where alluding to the wordes here handled expoundeth p Chrysost de PoeniteÌ„t hom 8. Igne examinemus verbo scilicet doctrinae fire to be the word of doctrine who though they both make the application of that construction to reformation of manners yet considering what hath beene said doe both iustifie the same construction to our vse Now all these things being well waighed it well appeareth how little hold Popish Purgatory hath in those wordes of the Apostle and because in the fall of Purgatory is the fall of prayer for the dead therefore M. Bishop hath yet said nothing out of St. Paul for prayer for the dead W. BISHOP §. 4. I Come now to Images and Relikes of which he affirmeth that S. Paul saith nothing where was the goodmans memory when he wrote this or remembring the matter well enough was he so fiercely bent to deceiue others that he cared not what vntruth he vttered The Apostle maketh honourable mention of the Images of Heb. 9. v. 4. 5. the Cherubins placed gloriously in the vppermost part of the Israelites Tabernacle which for the holynesse thereof was called Sancta Sanctorum Further that within the Arke of the Testament standing in the same place were reserued pretious Relikes as the rodde of Aaron that blossomed a golden pot full of that Angelicall foode Manna which God rained from heauen and the Tables of the Testament to which if you ioyne the sentence of the same Apostle That all hapned to them in figure and were written 1. Cor. 10. v. 11. for our instruction may not we then gather thereby that Images are to be placed in Churches and holy Relikes in golden shrines And the same Apostle in the same Epistle declaring that Iacob by faith adored the Heb. 11. ver 21. toppe of Iosephs rodde which was a signe of his power doth he not giue all iudicious men to vnderstand that the Images of Saints for their holy representation ought to be respected and worshipped R. ABBOT THou maiest not wonder gentle Reader if it grow wearisome to me to follow the sent of this Fox who only casteth dust in mine eyes to stoppe me from pursuing him too fast as being afraide to be otherwise sodainly griped to death Obserue I pray thee what proofes hee hath here brought for Images and Relikes Hee doth not only omit wholly the Epistle to the Romans whence hee was required the proofe but bringeth arguments so ridiculous so idle so impertinent as that euen hereby it is easily to bee discerned that it is a desperate cause which hee hath in hand For Images hee saith that St. Paul maketh honourable mention of the Images of the Cherubims where hee putteth in the Images as thinking it should bee some grace to him that the Reader not looking the place should beleeue that the Apostle had named Images But see further how hee stuffeth this skar-crow with his litteâ— of idle wordâ—s Hee maketh honourable mention of the Images of the Cherubins placed gloriously in the vppermost part of the Israelites Tabernacle which for the holynesse thereof was called Sancta Sanctorum A simple man would thinke that this strowting tale should certainly import some speciall matter but it is like the picture of Beuis that makes a great shew and strikes neuer a stroke a Heb. 9. 5. Ouer the Arke saith the Apostle were the glorious Cherubins shadowing the mercy seate but what is this to M. Bishops purpose Marry saith he the same Apostle saith b 1. Cor. 10. 11. that all things happened to them in figure and were written for our instruction Be it so and what then May not wee then gather thereby saith hee that Images are to be placed in Churches You may indeede M. Bishop but it shall bee no otherwise then as Spiders doe which gather poison of sweet flowers It is true though it bee not proued by the wordes which hee vnduely citeth that all things happened to the Israelites in figure but did the Cherubins prefigure the hauing of Images in our Churches If they did wee desire that he make it appeare to vs which I thinke hee hath not so little wit as to vndertake If they did not what a foolish conclusion hath hee made that because there were the Cherubins in the Iewish Tabernacle figuring something for our instruction therefore wee may set vp Images in Churches c Heb. 9. 11. The Tabernacle as the Apostle teacheth vs prefigured the body of our Lord IESVS Christ The Arke was the place where God yeelded d Exod. 25. 22. Numb 7. 89. his presence to his people to dwell amongst them and from which hee spake and declared his will vnto them The Cherubins as e Of Images sect 8. M. Bishop himselfe acknowledgeth betokened the Angels prest and ready in the presence of God to doe his will What shall now the thing figured be but that God in Iesus Christ is alwaies present with vs and his Angels still assisting in his presence to receiue commandements for our behoofe being f Heb. 1. 24. ministring spirits as the Apostle saith sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation And must we now let this truth goe that ministreth strength and comfort to our faith that wee may giue M. Bishop roome for his blinde Idols But see withall how handsomely this matter is peeced together The Cherubins did represent the Angels What the shape or fashion of those Cherubins was neither M. Bishop can tell nor any man else as I haue g Of Images sect 8. before shewed They were set in the Sancta Sanctorum as he confesseth where they were wholly out of sight and whither no man came but h Heb. 9. 7. the high Priest only once euery yearâ— And doth not hee then very fitly and substantially alleage the example of these Cherubins for their Images of Men and Women to bee set vp openly in Churches not only that the people may behold them but that they may also fall downe to them worship them pray to them offer and burne incense to them according to all the abhominations of the Heathen accustomed to their Idols Doth hee finde that the Iewes tooke thereby warrant to set vp in the Temple the Images of Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and other holy Fathers to doe the like to them Doth he not know that he abuseth his Reader hereby and will hee yet goe forward so to doe But for an expresse and briefe answere to him I cannot say any thing more fitly then that which Tertullian of old answered to them
repâ—aesentaret the representation of his body as Saint Hierome vnderstandeth it g Gelas cont Eutych Nestor Imago similitudo corporis sanguinis Domini in actione mysteriorum celebratur the image and similitude of his body as Gelasius termeth it h Chrysost in Mat. Op. imperf hom 11. Non verum corpus Christi sed mysterium corporis eius not his very body but the mysterie of his body as Chrysostome most expresly teacheth For conclusion of this section he poppeth without any diuision into a speech of the Church of Rome I made it a wonder that S. Paul writing to the Romans should say neuer a word of the prerogatiue of that Church or of the Pope M. Bishop for answere to this saith that he speaketh of the Church of Rome being but then in her cradle most honourably And how forsooth he saith to them i Rom. 1. 8. Your faith is renowmed in the whole world and againe k Rom. 16. 19. Your obedience is published into euery place In which places wee see a great testimony and commendation of their faith that then was but yet we see no priuiledge or prerogatiue of that Church What he said of the Râ—mans the same he said of the Thessalonians l 1. Thess 1. 8. Your faith which is towards God is spred abroade in all places and what hath the Church of Rome to challenge therâ— by more then the Church of Thessalonica Wee see M. Bishop doth as his fellowes doe hee will needes bee saying something though that which he saith be as good as nothing He saw well enough that he had said nothing but marke how therevpon he bewrayeth his owne shame No maruaile saith he to the wise though he did not then make mention of her supremacy for that did not belong to the Church or people of Rome but to S. Peter O wisedome and what hindered that hee spake nothing of S. Peters supremacy in that Church Marry because as yet he was scarsly well setled there neither did that appertaine to the matter hee treated of Iust the naile on the head In all his booke he hath not vttered a truer speech the supremacy of S. Peter did not indeed appertaine to the matter the Apostle treated of I shewed before out of Theodoret that the Epistle to the Romans containeth all kinde of Christian doctrine The supremacy of S. Peter appertained not thereto and therefore the Apostle hath said nothing of it in that Epistle But if it had beene a part of Christian doctrine had it not beene as pertinent to the matter he treated of to write somewhat of it as it was to write m Rom. 16. 3. 5. c. so many salutations to so many priuate and particular men Was it appertaining to the matter he treated of to coÌ„mend to the church of Rome n Ibid. Vers 1. Phoebe a seruant of the Church of Cenchrea and did it not appertaine thereto to commend vnto them Saint Peter the supreme Pastor and Bishop of the whole Church And what though hee were not as yet well setled there would not S. Paul therefore put to his helping hand that he might be setled He saith for Phoebe o Vers 2. that yee receiue her in the Lord as it becommeth Saints and that yee assist her in whatsoeuer businesse shee hath neede of your aide and would he not request them as much for the receiuing of S. Peter to his place and assisting him therein And what though the supremacy belonged not to the Church or people of Rome but to Saint Peter did it not yet concerne the Church and people of Rome to know the supremacy of S. Peter And though the supremacy belonged to S. Peter did there no prerogatiue thereby grow to the Church of Rome Pope Benedict saith that p Extrauag comm l. r. tit 3. Sancta Romana Mater vniuersorum Christi fidelium Magistra the Roman Church is the Mother and Mistresse of all that beleeue Pope Nicholas the third saith of Peter and Paul q Sext. de clect c. Fundamento lsti sunt qui Romanam Ecclesiam in haÌ„c gloriam prouexerunt vt sit gens sancta populus electus câ—uitas Sacerdotalis Râ—gia per sacraÌ„ bâ—alt Petri sedâ— caput totius orbis effecta These are they who haue aduanced the Roman Church to this glory to be a holy nation an elect people a Priestly and Kingly City being by the holy sâ—ate of S. Peter made the head of the whole world and what should the Apostle then meane if this be true to say nothing of all this glory M. Bishop himselfe hath told vs before that r Chapt. 1. §. 2 the church of Rome is the Rocke vpon which the whole Church is built and against which the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile that all Churches ought to agree with the Church of Rome for her more potent principality that falshood in matters of faith can haue no accesse vnto the See of Rome Could all these things be so and yet the Apostle writing to them to say nothing hereof Surely M. Bishops dunghill reasons giue me leaue gentle Reader so to call them as they be are very vnsufficient to satisfie any wise man but that the Apostle in that large Epistle would certainly haue said somewhat of the dignity of the Roman Church and the Supremacy of St. Peter and the Bishops there if it had beene so Å¿ Bellarm. Epist ad Blacwel Archipresbyt Vnum ex prâ—cipuis fidei nostrae capitibus religionis Catholicae fundamentis chiefe a point of Catholike religion as they would now haue it taken to be W. BISHOP §. 7. OF Pardons S. Paul teacheth in formall tearmes which both the Church of Corinth and hee himselfe gaue vnto the incestuous Corinthian that then repented these be his words And whom you haue pardoned any 2. Cor. 2. vers 10. thing I also for my selfe also that which I haue pardoned if I haue pardoned any thing for you in the person of Christ that we be not circumuented of Sathan What can be more manifest then that the Apostle did release some part of the penance of that incestuous Corinthian at other mens request Which is properly to giue pardon and indulgence And if S. Paul in the person of Christ could so doe no doubt but S. Peter could doe as much and consequently other principall Pastours of Christs Church haue the same power and authority R. ABBOT MAy wee not thinke it strange that M. Bishop should thus dare in the sight of God and the world to abuse the holy word of God He knoweth well that in the Scriptures there is nothing to giue any signification of the Popes Pardons It is an abhomination brought into the Church of latter time a thing vnknowen to the ancient Fathers and neuer heard of for a thousand yeares or more after the time of Christ Syluester Prierias one of the Popes great champions confesseth with a
those decrees were written when they were first made Did you not reade that Iames so propounded p Acts 15. 19. 20. My sentence is that we write vnto them c. Did you not finde that it was executed afterwards accordingly q Vers 23. They wrote letters after this manner c. and namely to the brethren that were in Syria and Cilicia of whom you speake But all is one any thing will serue the turne to tell them that will neuer search whether you lie or not With as much discretion and fidelity doth he alleage the other places which follow Paul chargeth his Disciple Timothy r 1. Tim. 6. 20. to keepe the depositum that is saith he the whole Christian doctrine deliuered vnto him by word of mouth as the best Authours take it But who are those best Authours that so take it Forsooth Doctor Allen and the rest of his Rhemish Masters for other hee can name none wee should certainly haue heard of them if he could Againe Paul saith to Timothy Å¿ 2. Tim. 2. 2. Commend to faithfull men the things which thou hast heard of mee by many witnesses Was not this saith he to preach such doctrine as hee had receiued by Apostolike Tradition without writing No M. Bishop there is no necessity to take it so He receiued the doctrine of the Gospell by the preaching of the Apostle but it doth not follow that therefore he receiued it not in writing yea the Apostle euen there telleth him as I haue before alleaged t 2. Tim. 3. 15. The Scriptures are able to make thee wise vnto sâ—luation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus To answere him in a word as touching that depositum and the things which Timothy had heard of Paul hee himselfe will not doubt but that those things which are written doe appertaine thereto The wordes then hauing a necessary construction of those things that are written how will he make it appeare to vs that they haue further reference also to some things that are not written They must perforce grant that a great part of those things is written and how doe they proue that not the whole The same doe I answere him and haue answered him before concerning the wordes which he citeth to the Thessalonians u 2. Thess 2. 15. Hold the Traditions the things deliuered vnto you which you haue learned whether by word or by our Epistle He calleth Traditions those things which hee had written to them in that Epistle Hee had not set downe in that Epistle all the doctrine of the Gospell which is contained in other Scriptures which all notwithstanding hee had by word preached vnto them Hee willeth them therefore to hold fast both the things which hee had written to them in his Epistle and all the things which hee had preached vnto them which are written otherwhere this we are sure of but how may we bee sure that hee meant to commend to them the holding fast of those doctrines which are neither written in that Epistle nor otherwhere Surely if the wordes may haue a sufficient meaning being vnderstood of those things which are written though not in that Epistle yet in other either Gospels or Epistles then vainely are they alleaged as a necessary proofe for receiuing of doctrines which are not written any where And therefore whereas M. Bishop inferreth You see that some Traditions went by word of mouth from hand to hand aswell as some others were written he sheweth that he himselfe seeth not what he saith because the place proueth only that the Apostle wrote not all in the Epistle whereof hee speaketh but that all otherwise is not written it proueth not and that all is written that is necessary to eternall life I haue before sufficiently proued out of the very doctrine it selfe of the ancient Roman Church Now therefore it is neither ignorance nor insolency nor impudency in me to say that the Apostle saith nothing for Popish Traditions but it is M. Bishops trechery to bring texts to that purpose to deceiue thereby simple men when as they haue plaine and cleare construction otherwise W. BISHOP §. 9. I Could were it not to auoide tediousnesse adde the like confirmation of most controuersies out of the same blessed Apostle as that the Church is the pillar and 1. Tim. 3. ver 15. ground of truth wherefore any man may most assuredly repose his faith vpon her declaration That Christ gaue Pastors and Doctors to the edifying of that his mysticall Ephes 4. vers 11. 13. body vntill we meete all in the vnity of faith c. Therefore the Church shall not faile in faith vntill the day of iudgement nor be inuisible that hath visible Pastors and Teachers Also that Priests are chosen from Hebr. 5. vers 1. among men and appointed for men in those things that appertaine to God that they may offer gifts and sacrifices for sinne That Preachers and Priests are 1. Cor. 3. vers 9. Gods coadiutors and helpers and not only idle instruments That S. Paul and Timothy did saue other 1. Cor. 9. ver 23. men and therefore no blasphemie to pray to Saints to helpe and saue vs. That S. Paul did accomplish those 1. Tim. 4. v. 16. things that want to the passions of Christ in his flesh for Christs body which is the Church therefore Christs passion doth not take away our owne satisfaction That he gloried in preaching the Gospel of free cost * Coloss 1. v. 24. which was a worke of supererogation That a Ephes 5 v. 32. Marriage 1. Cor. 9. ver 16. is a great Sacrament That b 1. Tim. 4. v. 23. grace was giuen to Timothy by the imposition of the hands of Priest-hood whence it followeth that Matrimony and holy Orders bee true and perfect Sacraments But what doe I I should be too long if I would prosecute all that which the Apostle hath left in writing in fauour and defence of the Roman faith This I doubt not will suffice to confront his shamelesse impudency that blusheth not to affirme there was not a word in S. Paul that sounded for the Catholike but all in shew at least for the Protestant As for S. Peter I will wholly omit him because the Protestants haue small confidence in him Here I may be bold I hope to turne vpon M. Abbot this dilemma and forked argument which S. Augustine framed against the Manâ—chean Adimantus Hoâ— si Lib 1. cont Adimant imprudens fecit nihil caecius si autem sciens nihil sceleratius If M. Abbot did ignorantly affirme Saint Paul to haue said nothing for the Roman Catholikes what could be more blinde then not to be able to discerne any thing in such cleare light if he said it wittingly knowing the contrary then did he it most wickedly so to lie against his owne conscience to draw after him selfe other men into errour and perdition R. ABBOT MArke here I pray
thee gentle Reader how warily M. Bishop speaketh Hee saith that he could in most controuersies adde the like confirmation willing hereby to haue thee vnderstand that as all his confirmations hitherto haue beene nothing worth so all the rest should bee starke naught And that thou maiest beleeue him herein hee taketh course presently to giue thee assurance of it St. Paul saith a 1. Tim. â— 15. The Church is the pillar and ground of truth Wherefore any man saith he may most assuredly repose his faith vpon her declaration Well but aske him hereupon Why then doe not you M. Bishop repose your faith vpon the declaration of the Church of England Not so will he say for this is the proper priuiledge and prerogatiue of the Church of Rome Wisdome and how commeth this to be proper to the Church of Rome Doth your booke tell you so Doe you not see that the Apostle vseth those wordes namely of the Church of Ephesus where Timothy was Bishop and therefore leaueth them appliable in the like sort to euery particular Church and therefore as well to the Church of England as to the Church of Rome And what exception hath he to the contrary but that as the Church of the liuing God hath beene from the beginning of the world so it hath beene from the beginning of the world the pillar and ground of truth and can hee make it good that there hath beene from the beginning a Church priuiledged thereby from being ledde into errour that all men might alwaies infallibly rest themselues vpon the sentence of that Church If not how can hee vpon this ground conclude that now which was not then and what he cannot finde to haue been in the Church of Hierusalem what likely-hood is there that it should be now found in the Church of Rome But it hath beene sufficiently declared before that b Part. 3. Confutation of Doctor Bishops Answer to Master Perkâ—ns Aduertisement c. sect 2. to be the pillar and ground of truth is the common duty of euery Church not any prerogatiue of the Roman Church and noteth what the Church alwaies by calling ought to be not what in act and performance it alwaies is Therefore this first confirmation of M. Bishops is but a paper shot it maketh a great noise but woundeth not The second is like the first c Ephes 4. 11. Christ gaue some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and Doctors for the gathering togither of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ till we all meete together in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the sonne of God c. Hence he inferreth thus therefore the Church shall not faile in faith vntill the day of iudgement nor bee inuisible that hath visible Pastors and Teachers Vrge him here a little further as touching this not sailing in faith and thou shalt see how he will goe from the Church to the Church of Rome and from the Church of Rome to the generall Councell and from the generall Councell to the Pope and all both Pastors and Doctors and Church and Councell serue but for a saddle whereon the Pope rideth in his royaltie saying as a Councell of old vpbraided him d Auent Annal l. 7. In cuius fronte nomen contumeliae scriptum est Deus sum errare non possum Synod Reginoburg I am God and cannot erre They rest the priuiledge of not erring in the Pope and may we not thinke this text well alleaged to proue that the Pope cannot erre who is in truth neither Pastor nor Doctor but a Hireling and a Theefe The wordes of the Apostle serue to instruct vs that Christ Iesus being ascended vp on high prouideth for his Church raising vp Pastors and Doctors for the ends which he there expresseth but hee doth not say that Pastors and Doctors are alwaies answerable to those ends God gaue the Priests and Leuites for the like blessing vnto Israel and it was said of them e Deut. 33. 10. They shall teach Iacob thy iudgements and Israel thy law And yet there was a time when it was said of them f Ierem. 2. 8. The Priests said not Where is the Lord and they that should minister the law knew me not the Pastors offended against me and the Prophets prophesied in Baal and went after things that did not profit And againe g Malach. 2. 7 The Priests lips should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hostes but yee are gone out of the way yee haue caused many to fall by the law c. And againe h Osâ— 9. 8. The watchman of Ephraim should be with my God but the Prophet is the snare of a fowler in all his waies and hatred in the house of his God And is it not so also many times in the state of the Church of Christ Is it not so often times that they whom he hath giuen for Pastors and Doctors to his Church become i Apoc. 6. 13. starres fallen from heauen to earth voide of true light themselues and therefore giuing no light to others Haue there not beene infinite complaints hereof in the Church of Rome of the negligence and ignorance and inability of them who haue sitten in place of Pastors and Doctors in the Church Did M. Bishop neuer reade in Matthew Paris an Epistle deuised as sent from hell k Math. Paris in Wil. Conq. Satanas omne contubernium infernorum omni Ecclesiastico coetui gratias eâ—â—sit quòd cum in nullo voluptatibus suis deessent tantum numerum subditarum sibi animarum suae praedicationis incuria paterentur ad inferna descendere quaÌ„tum secula nunquam retroacta viderunt wherein Satan and all the company of hell did send thanks to the whole Ecclesiasticall order for that whereas in nothing they were wanting to their owne pleasures they suffered by their neglect of preaching such a great number of soules vnder them to goe to hell as no ages past had seene the like Was there in this meane time no failing in faith when Clemangis as Espencaeus witnesseth complaining of the want of the knowledge and reading of Gods word said l Claud EspeÌ„c Digress in 1. Tim. l. 1. c. 11. Vbi id nec legitur nec auditur fidem perire labefactari necesse est vt hodie proh dolor omnibus ferè locis cernimus vt ad teÌ„pora propinquare videamê° de quibus Dominus putas filius hominis c. ex Clemang Where the word of God is neither read nor heard needes must faith perish and decay as now a daies alas in all places almost we see so as that we see it approcheth to the times whereof our Sauiour saith Thinke yee when the sonne of man commeth he shall finde faith vpon the earth or when things m Ibid. ex Agobert Antiphonarium correximus
amputatis quae superflua leuia falsa blasphema ridicula phantastica videbantur false blasphemous ridiculous n Pius 5. Offic. Beat. Mar. in Princip Huiusmodi ferè omnia officia vanis superstitionum erroribus reserta erroneous superstitious were brought into the seruice of the Church and o Liâ—dan apud Espenc vt supra Preces secretae mendis turpissimis conspurcatae the prayers thereof were filthily corrupted or when p Cor. Agripp de vanit scient cap. 17. Hodie tanta in Ecclesijs Musicae licentia est vt â—â—â—am vnà cum Missae ipsius Canone obscoenae quaeque cantiunculae interim in organis parâ—s vices habeant filthy songs had equall place or course with the Canon of the Masse And what will not M. Bishop say as all his fellowes doe that the Pastors and Doctors of all the Easterne parts haue gone astray will hee not acknowledge that all those Churches haue failed in faith What is become of the Church of Ephesus to which the Apostle wrote these words now in question What of the Church of Corinth of Colosse of Thessalonica and the rest If this the truth of the Apostles wordes reserued might befall to them what saith he for other Churches more then he doth for them If M. Bishop will say that the wordes haue some speciall reference to the Pastors and Doctors of the Church of Rome we hold him a most ridiculous man that taketh vpon him to see that which amongst so many ancient interpreters of the place neuer any man saw before him Once againe I say that Christ hath giuen Pastors and Doctors to his Church as of old q Ezech. 3. 17. 33. 7. he gaue watchmen to the house of Israel Hee hath prescribed them their office and duty and appointed the worke that they shall doe When they performe their duty faithfully and carefully they are the saluation of the people and bring many vnto glory But if they neglect their duty and leaue the worke of God vndone the people perish vnder them and they become guilty of their destruction And thus it befalleth often in the publike state of the Church euen to the ruine thereof that theeues and robbers thrust themselues or creepe by stealth into the places of Pastors who sometimes cannot sometimes will not teach and sometimes teach errour and lies in steede of truth whilest they measure their teaching by r Tit. 1. 11. filthy lucre and by Å¿ Rom. 16. 18. Thil. 3. 19. seruing their bellies in steede of seruing Iesus Christ The Apostle doth not say they cannot erre hee doth not say that the Church vnder them cannot faile in faith Only God amidst all ruines and desolations prouideth for his Elect and in the want and default of ordinary Pastors raiseth vp other spirits and vseth other meanes for the effecting of his good purpose concerning them so guiding them not as that they neuer erre in faith they erre often greeuously and are misled with the customes and superstitions of their times but so as that they neuer erre finally as touching any truth the knowledge and faith whereof hee hath made necessary to eternall life Now whereas M. Bishop concludeth out of the same place that the Church shall neuer be inuisible as which hath alwaies visible Pastors and Teachers hee therein sheweth his absurd loosenesse and carelesnesse of arguing because though the Apostle affirme Pastors and Teachers in the Church yet he doth not so much as intimate any way that they are alwaies visible What is there in the Apostles wordes whence hee should in any sort gather that there is a perpetuall visible state and succession of Pastors and Teachers Be it that there is a perpetuity of succession to be gathered from hence yet it doth not follow that there is a perpetuall visibility thereof It is enough here thus to reiect him as an idle Sophister and indeede not worthy of so much as the name of a Sophister that will bring a conclusion there where he hath no slâ—ew of footing for it otherwise of the visibility or inuisibility of the Church I haue spoken sufficiently t Part. 3. Answere to Doct. Bishops Preface sect 17. and CoÌ„futat of his Answere to M. Perkins Aduertisement sect 6. otherwhere and it were too long to dispute here His next matter is a bare recitall of a text without any collection made therefrom imagining in his blinde vnderstanding that it is a plaine assertion of that that hee would proue by it Hee maketh St. Paul to say that Priests are chosen from among men and appointed for men in those things that appertaine to God that they may offer gifts and sacrifices for sinne Where it is first to bee noted how to serue his owne turne he falsifieth the Apostles text and readeth Priests are chosen from amongst men for that the Apostle saith Euery high Priest is chosen from amongst men By saying Priests hoe would extend the wordes as to be vnderstood of their Popish Priest-hood in the Gospell whereas the Apostle by naming a high Priest appropriateth his wordes to Aarons Priest-hood in the law For euen in the Popish Priest-hood there is no high Priest the power of sacrificing being indifferently common to them all and no more belonging to Popes and Bishops then to the meanest hedge-Priest or Curate in the world Seeing then the Apostle speaketh of a Priest-hood which admitteth a high Priest which the Popish Priest-hood doth not certaine it is that the wordes can haue no reference to Popish Priest-hood Therefore the Fathers vniuersally apply this text as the drift of the holy Ghost most plainly leadeth them to the Leuiticall Priest-hood only neither did they euer dreame of any Euangelicall Priest-hood intended herein Ambrose declareth the purpose of the Apostle to be this u Ambros in Heb. 5. Vt consueto SacerdotuÌ„ more qui in lege fuit ad altius id est Christi sacerdotium eos perdâ—ceret qui adhuc infirmi fueruÌ„t propterea modum carnalis Pontificis introducit that by the accustomed manner of the Priests in the law he might bring them being weake to the higher or more excellent Priest-hood of Christ therefore saith hee doth hee bring in or set downe the manner or condition of the carnall high Priest Theodoret saith x Theodoret. ibid. DoceÌ„s quòd etiam in lege non Angelus vt pro hominibus sacerdotio fungatur electus est sed homo pro hominibus c. Haec dixit Apostolus non nobis Pontifiâ—atus regulas volens ostendere sed ad dicendum de Pontificatu Domini viam muniens He teacheth that euen in the law there was not an Angell chosen to execute the office of Priest-hood for men but a man was chosen for men and The Apostle saith he speaketh these things not to set downe rules of the high Priest-hood but to make way to the Priest-hood of Christ Wee see they both take the wordes as spoken of the Priests in the law
proprietas Ecclesia ea est vt Catholica nempe vniuersalis vocetur The third property of the Church is that it is called Catholike that is vniuersall or might the Catechisme say without absurdity that Catholike is Vniuersall and must I be absurd because I say The Catholike Church is the Vniuersall Church Surely when words of one language are borrowed to speciall vse in another the reddition of them in the tongue to which they are borrowed is taken with the learned as supplying the place of a definition and it is thereby made to appeare whether they be properly and rightly vsed or vnproperly abused M. Bishop and his fellowes abuse the name of Catholikes and of the Catholike Church which English men doe not so readily vnderstand Let them giue the signification of the word and call themselues vniuersals their Church the vniuersall Church and then all that haue will to vnderstand can easily see their foolery and are ready to deride them But this they hide vnder the veile and couer of a Greeke word and wee that the truth may be the better seene are necessarily to discouer and therefore iust cause had I to say The Catholike Church is the vniuersall Church and he is an absurd man to taxe it as a thing absurd Yet notwithstanding I wish the Reader duly to obserue how that taxation stand 〈…〉 with the other that the same proposition of mine is captious For why is it captious Marry because the Catholike Church doth signifiâ— both the whole body of the Church compacted of all the particular members in which sense no one pâ—rticular Church can be called the Catholike Church because it is not the whole body and secondly the Catholike Church doth also designe and note very properly euery particular Church that embraceth the true Christian faith Where we may wonder that within the compasse of so few lines the mans wits should so extremely faile him For if the Catholike Church and the vniuersall Church be one and the same thing as he hath already told vs and vniuersall be no distinct thing but the very signification of the word Catholike then how can it be which here he telleth vs that the Catholike Church signifieth both the whole body of the Church which is the vniuersall Church and doth also very properly designe and note euery particular true Christian Church If the Catholike Church be no distinct thing from the vniuersall Church then it cannot properly note or designe euery particular Church or if it doe properly designe euery particular Church then it is distinct from the vniuersall Church Tell vs M. Bishop how these things hang togither for if the vniuersall Church be the very signification of the Catholike Church then we cannot see how a particular Church can bee properly called the Catholike Church because no particular Church can properly be called the vniuersall Church As for the exception that here lyeth against vs that the Fathers in pointing to a particular assembly doubt not sometimes to vse the name of the Catholike Church I shewed it before to be no whit preiudiciall to that that wee say because they minded not in so doing to limit themselues to that particular assembly but in a particular assembly to demonstrate the vniuersall Church For to say in any Citty for distinction sake this is the Catholike Church what was it else but to say this is that Church which is vniuersally dispersed through the whole world euen as when a man to demonstrate the elements saith This is the aire this is the earth pointing to the aire or earth whereat he is present but therein intending to demonstrate the whole body of the aire or earth hauing continuation with that whereto he pointeth For as the Apostle directing his speech to the Church of Ephesus nameth l Act. 20. 28. The Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud and againe m 1. Tim. 3. 15. the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God the pillar and ground of truth so speaking of a part as to conioyne it with the whole euen so no otherwise was it that in noting any particular Church it was said This is the Catholike Church the whole Church being totum similare as I said before and the whole being subiect to be designed in any part But M. Bishop here saith that this was not only because the Church is totum similare but because each of the said particular Churches hath the same faith the same Sacraments and order of gouernment Which is as wisely and discreetly spoken as if he had said that this was not only because the Church in all parts thereof hath the same faith and sacraments but because the said particular Churches haue all the same faith and Sacraments For why is the Church said to be totum homogeneum or similare a body whose parts are all of the same nature kinde and being but because in all parts thereof there are the same faith and Sacraments or to vse the wordes of the Apostle n Ephes 4. 4. One body one spirit one hope of calling one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all who is aboue all and through all and in vs all Surely either M. Bishop was sleepy or else his wits were a wooll-gathering when he put in this exception Now then it was not said that the word Catholike is not or may not bee directed to any particular M. Bishop doth therein but meerely calumniate but I said and shewed that it is neuer rightly applied any way or to any particular but with implication of the vniuersall Church The faith is called Catholike because it is the faith of the vniuersall Church propagated and spred by the Apostles ouer the whole world Particular Churches are called Catholike and particular persons are called Catholikes as a man would say Vniuersalists for maintayning communion and fellowship of this faith with the Church of the whole world And as the name of the aire or the earth being absolutely vsed importeth that whole element whereof we speake but yet according to distinction of places we say The aire of London the aire of Oxford the aire of Winchester c. without restraining the name of the aire to any one place more then other and only meaning that part of the aire that is in such or such a place euen so whereas the name of the Catholike Church simply and absolutely vsed importeth the whole vniuersall Church the same notwithstanding is found to be distinguished by diuersity of places the Catholike Church of such a place or the Catholike Church of such a place not limiting the name of the Catholike Church to any one place more then other and in true propriety of speech meaning nothing else but that part of the Catholike Church that is in this or that place And therefore I formerly noted and thinke not vnfit here to be repeated that as Leo wrote himselfe o Leo. epist 12. Leo
to say that against Peter only the gates of hell shall not preuaile and that they shall preuaile against the other Apostles and not rather that in all euery of them it is verified which is said Vpon this rocke will I build my Church In a word he reasoneth thus that because that which is said I will giue to thee the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen is common to them all therefore all the rest both going before and following after as spoken to Peter is common to them all And this the Scripture confirmeth in that it saith that u Ephes 2. 20. the houshold of God are builded not vpon the foundation of Peter only but vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and not St. Peter only but x Apoc. 21. 14. the Lambs twelue Apostles haue their names written in the twelue foundations of the city of God Yea it is yet further to be obserued out of the Fathers that they make Peter in all this matter y August Epist 165. Petro totius Ecclesia figuram gerenti Dominus ait super hanc Petram c. to be are the figure as St. Austin saith of the whole Church z IdeÌ„ de verb. Dom. serm 13. Hoc nomen ei vt Petrus appellaretur à Domino impositum est hoc vt â—a figura significaret Ecclesiam Quia enim Christus Petra Petrus populus Christianus The Lord saith he gaue him that name to be called Peter that by that figure he might signifie the Church for because Christ is Petra the Rocke therefore Peter is the people of Christ And thus of that which Christ there saith a Mat. 16. 19. Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heauen Gregory Bishop of Rome deliuereth that b Greg. exposit in 1. Reg. l. 6 c. 3. Quod antiquis â—usquam dicitur mâ—dò vniuersali Ecclesiae dicitur Quodcunque ligaueris c. it is spoken to the vniuersall Church Therefore Origen applieth the name of Peter to euery man that ioyneth with Peter in the confession of the same faith c Orig. in Mat. c. 16. Quòd si nos quoque locuti quod dixit Petrus Tu es Christus c. tâ—nquam non accepta 〈◊〉 reuelatione à carne sanguine sed luce cordi nostrâ— illucescentâ— Ã Patre qui in câ—lis est efficimur Petrus nobis dicetur quod hunc sermonem sequitur Tu es Petrus c. If we say as Peter said Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God as not receiuing reuelation hereof from flesh and blood but by light shining into our hearts from the Father which is in heauen we also are made Peter and it shall be said to vs which followeth that speech Thou art Peter c. And anone after he affirmeth againe that d Ibid. paulò post Dicta sunt vt doc et spiritus illius ad quemuis qui tâ—lis factus fuerit qualis â—rat ille Petrus siquidem nomâ—â— ducunt à Petra quicunque sunt imitatoâ—es Christi qui est petra spiritualis c. Christi membra cum sint ab â—â— nomen habeâ—t dicti Christiani à Petra Petri. the spirit of the Gospell speaketh those wordes to euery one that is such as that Peter was for they take their name saith he of Petra the Rocke whosoeuer are followers of Christ who is the spirituall Rocke being called of Christ Christians and of Petra the Rocke being called Peters Hereto St. Ambrose also alludeth when giuing the reason why Peter was so called e Ambros in Luc. lib. 6. cap. 9. Vt ipse sit Petrus quòd de petra habeat soliditatem coÌ„stantiâ— fidei firmitatem Enitere ergò vt tu petra sis itaque non extra te sed intra te petram require c. si petra fueris in Ecclesia eris quia Ecclesia supra petram est For that of Petra the Rocke he had soundnesse of constancy and stedfastnesse of faith hee vseth this exhortation Therefore endeauour that thou also maiest be a Rocke and not without thee but within thee require this rocke if thou bee a Rocke thou shalt be within the Church because the Church is vpon a Rocke To conclude Origen expounding by way of allegory that which is written as befalling vpon the death of Christ that the rocks were clouen in sunder maketh the rocks to be the Prophets whom he proueth rightly to be so called f Origen in Math. tract 35. Probamus scissas tum Petras esse Prophetas primùm ex eo quòd Christus dicitur Petra spiritualis rationis est omnes imitatores Christi dici similitèr Petras esse sicut lux mundidicuntur ex eo-quòd ipse Dominus â—orum est lux mundi deinde etiam ex eo quòd ipse Petrus à Domino Petra est appellatê° cum dicitur ei Tu es Peâ—rê° c. Maximè autem demonstratuâ— ex co quòd oâ—nes quibus non prâ—ualent portae inferorum qui opus nominis petrâ— babeâ—t in se id est Apostoli Propheta Petra sunt ipsi sunt â—um qui super eis adificantur c. First for that Christ is called the spirituall rocke and it standeth with reason that all that are followers of Christ should likewise be called Rocks as they are called the light of the world because Christ their Lord is the light of the world and secondly for that Peter is by Christ called a Rocke when it is said Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke c. For it is strongly proued thereby saith he that all against whom the gates of hell doe not preuaile who haue in them the worke or effect of the name of Rocke as namely the Apostles and Prophets are themselues Rocks and the foundations of them that are builded vpon them Thus doe the Fathers turne and wind those words of Christ they finde Christ himselfe to be the Rocke they finde Peter in some sort to be a Rocke albeit not Peter alone but the rest of the Apostles yea the Prophets also as well as he yea they finde euery faithfull Christian man to be a Rocke by constancy of faith and by drawing on others through his example of confession to the acknowledgment thereof but no where doe we finde that euer they tooke the Roman Church to be the Rocke How vnhonestly then doth M. Bishop abuse his Reader by setting downe in grosse that parenthesis according to the exposition of the ancient Fathers when as no such exposition is to bee found amongst the ancient Fathers Albeit it is also to bee noted how vnhandsomely this matter hangeth together and cannot be stained in any sort to serue his turne for seeing the Church was when as yet there was no Roman Church how senslesse a thing is it that the church should be said to be builded vpon the Roman Church Surely that against which the gates of hâ—ll shall not preuaile is the Church builded
vpon the Rocke If then the Rocke bee the Roman Church and other Churches in the beginning were builded vpon it it must needes follow that the gates of hell should neuer haue preuailed against other Churches But they will not denie but that the gates of hell haue preuailed against other Churches Therefore the Rocke is not the Roman Church neither were other Churches in the beginning builded vpon it If he will haue the meaning to be that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against other Churches so long as they continue builded vpon the Roman Church he teacheth vs an exposition against himselfe that so long as the Roman Church continueth builded vpon the Rocke which is Christ Iesus so long the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it but no assurance haue we that it shall alwaies continue so builded vpon the Rocke But hee saith further that the Bishop of Rome liâ—â—ally succeedeth vnto S. Peter Be it so and so did Caiaphas succeede lineally to Aaron yet did Caiaphas giue sentence against Christ Their owne law saith g Non sunt omnes filij Sanctorum qui teâ—ent loca Sanctorum sed qui exercent opera â—orum All are not the children of Saints that hold the places of Saints but they that practise the workes of Saints Yea but Christ prayed for Peter h Luke 22. 32. that his faith might not faile He did so but I aske then with Austin i Aug. quaest vet noui testam 75. Pro Petro rogabat pro lacobo Ioanne non râ—gabat vt câ—teros taceam Manifestum est in Petro omnes â—â—tinâ—ri â— râ—gans enim pro Petro pro omnibus râ—gassâ— dignoscitur Did he pray for Peter and did he not pray for Iames and Iohn to say nothing of the rest It is manifest that in Peter they are all contained and praying for Peter he is knowen to pray for them all Of them all hee prayeth k Iohn 17. 11. 25. Holy Father keepe them in thy name I pray thee to keepe them from euill And what is the meanes whereby they are kept Euen the same that St. Peter expresseth when hee saith l 1. Pet. 1. 5. Yee are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation If through faith then Christ in praying to the Father to keeâ—â— them is consequently vnderstood to pray that their faith may not faile through which they are kept Yea St. Austin maketh it common to all the elect that m August de corrept grat cap. 12. Pro his ergò interpellante Christo ne deficiat fides eoruÌ„ sine dubio noÌ„ deficiet vsque in finem ac per hoc perseuerabit vsque in finem Christ prayeth for them that their faith may not falle and that by vertue of this prayer it doth neuer faile finally but perseuereth to the end If then Peter in this prayer haue no priuiledge aboue other then can nothing in this behalfe be deriued to other by priuiledge from him Albeit let it be admitted that Christ here meant a singular fauour to Peter what shall that be to the Pope What Art hath M. Bishop whereby to deriue the effect of Christs prayer from Peter to their Popes from an holy Apostle to a ranke and succession of men amongst whom there haue beene so many Atheists Infidels Idolaters Heretikes so many incarnate Diuels and hatefull Monsters of mankind This is a matter of great weight and we require some good authority and proofe for it that what Christ prayed for the Apostle Peter the same he hath prayed for the Pope also But in the proofe of this he faileth wholy neither can he any way perswade it vnlesse he meete with either simple or well-willing creditors who will bee content for payment to take counters in steede of gold And yet I would further aske him what faith it was whereof Christ prayed in the behalfe of Peter that the same might not faile Surely by St. Austins application formerly mentioned it appeareth that it was meant of that faith which is n T it 1. 1. the faith of Gods elect that iustifying and sauing faith whereby Peter should rise againe from his fall and should resist thenceforth the temptations of Satan and stand stedfast thereby vnto eternall life But M. Bishop will not deny but that many Popes there haue beene in whom this faith hath failed or rather in whom it neuer was many who haue beene reprobates and cast awaies and their end euerlasting death Of Sixtus the fift namely Bellarmine being asked what hee thought after his death answered as Watson in his Quodlibets reporteth o Wats Quodlibet Quantum capio quantum sapio quantum intelligo descendit ad infernum Qui sine poenitentia viâ—it sine poenitentia moritur proculdubio descendit ad infernum So farre as I can conceiue or vnderstand he is gone downe to hell he that liueth and dieth without repentance goeth vndoubtedly to hell In him therefore and maâ—â— other such like the prayer of Christ did not take effect and therefore certaine it is that it did not appertaine vnto them If M. Bishop will needs vnderstand it that Christ praied for Peter that he might be free from errour in iudgement of faith then not to question whether Peter thenceforth committed any errour in iudgment it must needs be that the Pope cannot be subiect to errour in that behalfe But they themselues confesse that the Pope as a priuate man may erre that hee may be an Heretike and defend heresie only in his Consistoriall sentence and Pontificall decree hee cannot erre Was this then the intent of Christs prayer in the behalfe of Peter that howsoeuer he might otherwise be an Hypocrite or an Heretike yet when he should set himselfe down in his chaire to define any matter hee should bee like Balaam to blesse where hee meaneth to curse and like Caiaphas to prophesie without vnderstanding what he saith I dare appeale to M. Bishop himselfe if he be sober that this was not Christs meaning in respect of Peter If it were not thus meant of Peter and it can bee no otherwise deriued to the Pope but as it was meant of Peter then it must follow that because it can in no other meaning be fitted to the Pope therefore it can haue no reference to the Pope at all If hee bee so absurd as to say that it was so meant of Peter I will not stand to disproue a drunken mans dreame I only require proofe of that hee saith But because hee can deduce nothing out of the word of God he will make some flourish with some few sentences of the ancient Fathers And first hee beginneth with Ireneus who going in hand to auouch the true doctrine of faith by the testimony of the Churches which had receiued the same from the Apostles for auoâ—ding tediousnesse bringeth in steede of many other the Church of Rome being a very great and very ancient Church and knowen to all
testimony of Pighius one of his owne fellowes should be sufficient to choake him a Pigh Eccles Hierarch l. 6. cap. 3. Quis per Râ—manaÌ„ Ecclesiam vnquam intellexit aut vniuersalem Ecclesiam aut generale Concilium Who did euer by the Roman church vnderstand the vniuersall Church A generall Councell is holden to be by representation the vniuersal or Catholike church and who was there euer so far out of his wits as to cal a generall Councell the Roman Church The seuen Churches of Asia haue been taken to betoken the vniuersall Church as we haue seene before but who euer said or thought that they did betoken the Roman church Now whereas he telleth vs that it may be so taken I answer him that so some man may take M. Bishop to signifie a ioined-stoole For if men will take names words to signifie what they list why may not some man be as wilfull in the one as he seeth them witlesse in the other What authority haue they to impose significations vppon words and phrases contrary to the first original thereof and to the alwaies continued custome and vse of the whole Church The Church of Christ absolutely is but one dispersed and scattered ouer the whole world Of this one Church there are notwithstanding diuers parts which all being in nature alike are by the name of the whole called by the name of b Act. 15. 41. Rom. 16. 16. Churches For distinction of these Churches they haue euery of them their denomination of the places where they are The church of Antioch is called c Act. 13. 1. the Church which is at Antioch the Church of Corinth is d 1. Cor. 1. 2. the Church of God which is at Corinth the Church of Ephesus are e Ephes 1. 1. the Saints which are at Ephesus And thus when the Apostle meant to write to the Church of Rome he writeth f Rom. 1. 7. to all that be at Rome beloued of God c. For as the Church of Thessalonica is g 1. Thess 1. 1. the Church of the Thessaelonians that is of them that inhabite Thessalonica so the Church of Rome is the Church of the Romans that is of them that inhabite Rome And thus we see that in the inscriptions of the Epistles of the ancient Bishops of Rome accordingly as we haue them albeit sometimes they wrote themselues Bishops of the Catholike Church yet doe shew that they meant it no otherwise then as all Bishops wrote themselues Bishops of the Catholike Church as I haue before shewed namely with limitation thereof to the Citty of Rome whereof they were Bishops without euer dreaming of M. Bishops vniuersall Roman Church Thus we finde h Calixt Epist 1. Calixtus Archiepiscopus Ecclesiae Catholicae vrbis Romae Calixtus Archbishop of the Catholike Church of the Citty of Rome i Marcellin Epist 1. Marceilinus Episcopus Sanctae Ecclesiae Catholicae vrbis Romanae Marcellinus Bishop of the holy Catholike Church of the Citty of Rome k Marcell Epist 2. Marcellus Episcopus Sanctae Apostolicae Catholicae vrbis Romae Marcellus Bishop of the holy and Apostolike and Catholike Citty of Rome And so Leo onewhere writing himselfe l Leo. Epist 13. Leo Catholicae Romanae Ecclesiae Episcopus Leo Bishop of the Catholike Roman Church doth otherwhere plainly expresse the meaning thereof m Epist 1 2. 3. Leo vrbis Romae Epi copios Et Epist 12. Leo Papa Ecclesiae Catholicae vrbis Romae Leo Bishop of the City of Rome Leo Bishop of the Catholike Church of the Citty of Rome To bee short it is not to bee found that euer the Church of Rome was otherwise vnderstood but only for the Church of the Citty of Rome and shall wee hearken to these new vpstart Minters that thus coyne vs a Church of Rome that was neuer heard of before And therefore it is nothing to vs what they by abuse of speech teach their followers to say let their French Disciples say they are of the Catholike Roman Church we vnderstand them thereby to take part with the Church of Rome but the Church of Rome is that of Rome only whereto they addict themselues Albeit by that addition what doe they but shew themselues Sectaries and Schismatikes diuiding themselues factiously apart from the whole the Catholike Roman Church absurdly so named by themselues from that which is absolutely and therefore truly called the Catholike Church For the Catholike Church is the whole Church as hath beene said but Roman put to it is a terme of diminution and abridgeth the whole to a part the vniuersall to a particular because the whole is not Roman Therefore to say Catholike Roman is to say Catholike not Catholike and Roman Catholikes are Catholikes which are no Catholikes and of them it may be truly said which Optatus said of the Donatists n Optat lib. 2. Vultis vos solos esse totum qui in omni toto non estis You would haue your selues only to be the whole who are not in all the whole Now here we may aske them with what face they can talke of antiquity who haue brought into the Church so strange a nouelty as this is The name of Catholikes and of the Catholike Church which pleased antiquity is not enough for them Pacianus said of old o Pacian ad Simpron epist 1. Christianus mihi nomen est Catholicus verò cognomen Christian is my name and Catholike my surname but that is changed now into Roman Catholike is my surname disclaiming thereby the communion and fellowship of the Catholike Church and banding themselues in a partiall and factious confederacy with the Roman Church Thus hauing departed from the ancient faith and discipline of the Catholike Church they doe notwithstanding for colouring of their Apostasie retaine certaine names and formalities thereof but they doe it so as that by their additions and constructions they make no other but mungrels and bastards of them And this appeareth by the reason that M. Bishop giueth of their adding Roman to Catholike namely to separate them that ioyne in faith with the Church of Rome from other sectaries because Catholikes were of old so called not for ioyning in faith with this or that Church but for being members of the vniuersall Church And if that reason were sufficient it should haue waighed of old as well as now when there were so many Sects and Heresies in the Church when Schismatikes and Heretikes vsurped to themselues the name of Catholikes and yet the Catholike saw no reason to draw the whole to the name of any part or to call themselues otherwise then by the name of Catholikes as resoluing to professe no other communion or fellowship but vniuersally with the Church of the whole world Neither was it otherwise till Antichrist had exalted himselfe in the Roman Sea who challenging to himselfe and his only to bee the Church of God tooke vpon him to
Hymnis Psalmis canendis ipsius Domini Apostolorum habemus documenta praecepta exeÌ„pla De hac re tam vtili ad mouendum piè animuÌ„ accendendum diuinae lectionis affectum varia consuetudo est c. Donatista nos reprehenduÌ„t quòd sobriè psallamus in Ecclâ—sia diuina cantica ProphetaruÌ„ cum ipsi ebrietates suas ad canticum PsalmoruÌ„ humano ingenio compositorum quasi tubas exhortation is inslaÌ„ment Quando autem non est tempus cum in Ecclesia fratres congregantur Sancta cantandi nisi cum legitur aut disputatur aut antiâ—â—ites clara voce deprecantur aut communis oratio voce Diaconi indicitur singing Hymnes and Psalmes we haue lessons and examples and precepts of the Lord himselfe and his Apostles It is a thing profitable to stirre vp the minde to piety and to kindle deuotion and affection towards the lessons that are read from God Of the Donatists contrarywise he saith The Donatists reprehend vs for that we soberly sing in the Church the holy songs of the Prophets whereas they by singing of songs deuised by men as it were by trumpets of encouragement doe inflame and prouoke themselues to drinking vntill they be drunke Against this he saith When is it out of time when the brethren are gathered together in the Church to sing Psalmes but when there is reading or preaching of when the Ministers doe pray with loud voice or when by the voice of the Deacon warning is giuen of common prayer That the Donatists vsed those songs in the Church or before their Seruice and Sermons St. Austin saith not that is M. Bishops lye his wordes import that as their t August coÌ„t lit Petil. l. 1. c. 24. Mitto prophanas bacchationâ—s â—briâ—tâ—tuÌ„ drunken meetings and feastings which elsewhere he obiecteth to them they vsed such songs as the manner is of carnall prophane men at their meetings and merry-makings by vaine and wanton and lewd songs to cheare and sport themselues But out of St. Austins words it is easie to be gathered whether of vs in this behalfe are more like the Donatists either we that retaine the same religious custome of singing Psalmes which St. Austin commendeth and not he only but also Leo Bishop of Rome witnesseth that u Leo de collect ser 4. Psalmi Dauidici per vniuersalem Ecclesiam cum omni pietate cantantur the whole Catholike Church with all deuotion then vsed or the Papists who reproue vs for the same and haue wholly abandoned it both out of their Churches and houses and can better brooke to solace themselues with secular and prophane rimes and sonnets yea with filthy and vncleane ribawdries insomuch that some of their owne as touching their Seruice haue complained that x Cornel. Agrip de vanit scient cap. 18. Hodie cum Missa ipsius Canone obscâ—nâ— cantiunculae pares vices habènt obscene and filthy songs had their course and turne therein as well as the Canon of the Masse Very vnfortunately therefore hath M. Bishop entred into the retorting of this comparison nothing fitteth nothing serueth his turne his ball reboundeth vpon himselfe but neither in doctrine nor in manners can hee truly alleage any thing reproueable in the Donatists that can be fastened vppon vs. W. BISHOP §. 6. TO conclude this passage seing that M. Abbot went about to proue the Church of Rome to be like that of the Donatists by no one sound argument but by meere fabling and lying he must looke vnlesse he repent to haue his part with all lyars in the poole burning with Apocal. 21. v. 8. fire and brimstone And if it please the Reader to heare at what great square the Donatists were with the Church of Rome to which M. Abbot doth so often resemble them I will briefly shew it out of the best records of that time S. Augustine speaketh thus to the Donatist Petilian What hath the Church or Sea of Rome Lib. 2. cont Peâ—il cap. 51. done to thee in which Peter did sit and now sitteth Anastasius why doest thou cal the Apostolical chaire the chaire of pestilence See how friendly the Donatists saluted the Church of Rome stiling it the chaire of pestilence Optatus Bishop of Mileuitan saith thus Whence Lib. 2. cont Parmeni is it that you Donatists contend to vsurpe vnto you the keyes of the Kingdome and that you wage battaile against the chaire of Peter presumptuously and with sacrilegious audacity If they waged battaile against the Church of Rome so cruelly surely there was no agreement betweene them Wherefore as the Catholikes of Africa then so they that were taken into the communion of the Church of Rome cared little for the Donatists as witnesseth S. Augustine saying of Cecilianus Bishop of Carthage He neede not to care for the multitude August Epistola 162. of his conspiring enimies the Donatists when he saw himselfe by communicatory letters ioyned with the Roman Church in which alwaies the principality of the Apostolicall chaire flourished c. So we at this time neede as little to care for the bitter reproches and deceitfull arguments of the Protestants so we stand stable and firme in the like society of faith and religion with the same Church of Rome R. ABBOT I Wish M. Bishop to take heede lest the doome which he pronounceth vpon me be returned vpon himselfe by the sentence of the Gospell a Luke 19. 22. Out of thine owne mouth will I iudge thee thou euill seruant Mistake I did in a circumstance but lye I did not because b Mentiri est contra mentem ire to lye is to goe against a mans owne minde and knowledge which it is plaine I did not for that my errour was disaduantage to my selfe in that I alleaged the Papists to be like the Donatists only whereas by more perfect relation they are found to be like both Rogatists and Donatists But now to make the matter the more goodly for himselfe he for conclusion notably playeth the Skoggin and most grosly deludeth the simple Reader that hath not discretion to espie his fraude Forsooth he will shew at what great square the Donatists were with the Church of Rome But trouble not your selfe M. Bishop about that matter wee know it and will acknowledge it alwaies as farre as you only we desire to know what that maketh to the matter here in hand What because the Donatists in the time of Optatus and Austin were at great square with the Church of Rome doth it follow that there can be no cause now to compare the Papists to the Donatists When M. Bishop was clapt vp in prison at Rome there was great enmity betwixt the Seculars and Iesuits and doth it therefore follow that they are not friends now What is it M. Bishop but your legerdemaine to pretend a comparison made by me betwixt the Donatists and the Church of Rome that was of old when as my comparison concerneth only Romanists
and Papists that now are who are farre departed from that way wherein that Church of old did walke Why doe you in this case alleage to vs Optatus and Austin to disproue this resemblance as if they were able so long before hand to tell vs that the Papists now in the points alleaged are not like the Donatists The Donatists of old were at square with the Church of Rome for resisting their claime of the propriety of the Church neither doe we doubt but that if they were now in being the Church of Rome would be at square with them for challenging that to Africa which they hold properly to belong to Rome but this squaring on the one side or the other hindereth not but that Papists now in their kinde are like to Donatists in their kinde each tying the Catholike Church respectiuely to their owne place and faction wherein the condemning of the Donatists of old by the Church of Rome for so tying it to Africa is an instruction to vs to condemne the Papists now for doing the like to Rome But M. Bishops purpose of cosenage doth more liuely appeare in the first citation which he here bringeth out of Austin where purposely he omitteth a part of the sentence whereby the Reader should perceiue that it maketh nothing for his purpose To Pâ—tilian the Donatist condemning all Churches saue their owne he saith c Aug. cont lit Petil. l. â— c. 51. Cathedra tibi quid fecit Ecclesiae Romana in qua Petrus sedit in qua â—odiâ— Anastasius sedet vel Ecclesiae Hierâ—sâ—lymitana in qua Iacobus sedit in qua bodie Joannes sidet quibus nos in Catholica vnitate connectimur à quibus vâ—s nefariâ— furâ—re separastis Quare appellas Cathedram pestilentia Cathedram Apostolicam What hath the chaire of the Church of Rome done to thee wherein Peter sate and wherein at this day Anastasius sitteth or the chaire of the Church of Ierusalem wherein Iames sate and in which Iohn at this day sitteth to which we are ioyned in Catholike vnity and from which you haue seuered your selues by wicked fury Why doe you call the Apostolike chaire the chaire of pestilence Now what doe these wordes make more for the Church of Rome then for the Church of Ierusalem The Donatists were then at square with the Church of Ierusalem and yet that hindereth not M. Bishop will confesse but that the Church of Ierusalem may be now Schismaticall and the Donatists were then at square with the Church of Rome what is there here to hinder but that the Church of Rome may be now Schismaticall as the Donatists were then The Church of Ierusalem is by St. Austin termed an Apostolike chaire or Sea as all the Churches planted by the Apostles are by him stiled d Aug. Epist 162. Possent Apostolicarum Ecclesiarum iudiciâ— causam suam integraÌ„ reseruare Apostolike Churches as well as the Church of Rome The Church of Ierusalem M. Bishop will not deny both might be and hath beene since St. Austins time a chaire of pestilence And doth St. Austin say any thing there to let but that the Church of Rome also may be since become the chaire of pestilence though it were then the chaire of vnity and peace Yea what he saith here concerning the Churches of Rome and Ierusalem the same he saith elsewhere of other Churches also e Ibid. Quid tibi fecit 6 pars Donati quid tibi fecit Ecclesia Corinthiorum Quod autem de ista dicâ— de omnibus â—aâ—â—bus tam longè positiâ— intelligi vâ—lâ— quid vobis fecerunt c. O yee Donatists what what I say hath the Church of the Corinthians done to you What I say of it I would haue to be vnderstood of all such and as farre distant Churches what haue they done vnto you c. with all which the Donatists were at as great square as they were with the Church of Rome and yet M. Bishop will not yeeld to any of them any prorogatiue thereby But all mention of the Church of Ierusalem and the rest he thought it behouefull for him to suppresse because if he had set it downe he knew well that the Reader would easily see that in all this great shew hee had said nothing And by the premises it appeareth that he hath said as little in producing the wordes of Optatus for be it that the Donatists did then cruelly wage battell against the Church of Rome and there were no agreement betwixt them what is that to that that I say concerning the Church of Rome now what hindereth that I say still but that there may be now a iust resemblance betwixt the Papists and the Donatists His conclusion therefore is ridiculous that because Austin saith that Cecilianus needed not to care for the Donatists so long as he saw himselfe ioyned with the church of Rome therefore they neede not to care so long as they stand in the like society of faith and religion with the same Church of Rome For seeing the Church of Rome is not the same now that it was then as in the processe of this booke God willing shall plainly appeare there may be iust cause in many things now to forsake the communion of the church of Rome though it were piety and religion to hold it then But it is not to be omitted how falsly he dealeth here againe in alleaging the wordes of Austin as if he spake of being ioyned with the Church of Rome only whereas he nameth other Churches as well as the Church of Rome f Aug. Epist 162. Qui posset non curare conspirantem multitudinem inimicorum cùm se â—ideret Romanâ— Ecclesiae in qua semper Apostolicâ— Cathedâ—â— viguit principatus câ—teris terris vnde Euangelium ad ipsam Africam venit per communicateâ—â— as literas esse coniunctum He needed not care saith he for the conspiring multitude of his enemies when he saw himselfe ioyned by communicatory letters both to the Church of Rome where the principality or chiefty of the Apostolike chaire hath alwaies flourished and to other nations whence the Gospell came into Africa What is here more for the communion of the Church of Rome then for the communion of other Churches Why doth M. Bishop thus deceiptfully appropriate to one that which St. Austin maketh to concerne many Doe we finde it in St. Austins words which he pretendeth that it shall be alwaies an infallible rule of safety to hold communion with the Church of Rome He will say that there is there attributed a principality to the Church of Rome Be it so a principality of honour not of power as I haue g Chap. 1. §. 2. before made plaine by Austin himselfe but doth it follow that because the principality of the Apostolike chaire had flourished there till that time therefore it should be necessary or safe to communicate with that church for euer vntill the worlds end These are loose and
Rome keepâ— entirely the same faith In which sort the Donatists also would not haue denyed all other Churches to be called Catholike that with their Church of Africa kept entirely the same faith and therefore I said rightly before that the name is now by the Papists Donatistically applyed not only to one particular Church of Rome as M. Bishop falsly repeateth to put the sot if he could from himselfe to me but also as I added to men bearing the name of Catholikes only for communicating with that Church As for vs we apply the name Catholike no more to the congregations of the Protestants then we doe to all that professe in truth the communion of one vniuersall Church The name of Protestants being casuall and arising by occasion in these Northerne parts may haply be inclosed and confined within the bounds of Europe but the Church of Christ cannot be so inclosed and o Aug. Epist 48. Erit Anathema quisquis annunciauerit Ecclesiam praeter communionem omnium gentium cursed is he saith St. Austin that preacheth the Church otherwise then in the communion of all nations No otherwise doe wee preach the Church wee limit it not to our selues wee say the Papists ought not to limit it to themselues There are questions betwixt them and vs but how many Christian Churches are there in the world which neither know them nor vs nor haue euer heard any thing of the quarrels that are betwixt vs How many Churches are there in the East which haue heard of the Pope and his proceedings and will by no meanes endure to hold communion with him He will say that those Churches doe not accord with vs in iudgement of all points of faith Be it so no more did Cyprian and p Aug. cont Gaudent lib. 3 art 10. Quando rebaptizabat Cyprianus ab hâ—reticis venientes Ecclesia CarthagineÌ„sis Episcopus tunc Ecclesiâ— Romanae Stephanus Episcopus in â—odem baptismâ— quem foris accepâ—raÌ„t suscipiebat â—aereticos ambo haec diuersa facienâ—es in vnitate Catholica permanebant Stephanus Bishop of Rome agree in all points and yet they were both members of one Catholike Church How many differences of opinions are there found amongst the Fathers and yet we doe not therefore diuide them into many Churches They may erre and we may â—rre but we beleeue that wheresoeuer the Gospell of Christ is read and published there Christ hath a people to whom hee reuealeth all truth that shall be necessary vnto eternall life In a word they professe the same Christ they reade the same Gospell and Scriptures that we doe and therein our faith both hath beene from the beginning and doth now continue dispersed and spread ouer the whole world W. BISHOP §. 2. SEcondly M. Abbot is much mistaken in his comparison of the name of Iew with the name Catholike for â—o omit first that such examples proue nothing but doe only serue for shew or explication and moreouer that it can hardly be shewed that the name of Iew was a name of such honour at any time for that peoples honourable name was Israelites and were not called Iewes till towards the declination and wane of their estate Neither was it euer any peculiar and proper title of the people of God for God had many good seruants that were neuer called Iewes as may be gathered by Iob the Husitâ— Naaman the Syrian the widdow of Sarepta a Sydonian and by a great number Luc. 4. vers 16. of Prosilites and finally by that which the Apostle teacheth Many Gentiles were saued without the law Rom. â— vers 14. Lastly most vncertaine it is of what name the Prophet Isay speaketh when he saith It shall be left for a name cap. 65. vers 13. of curse All these impertinencies of his example being too too many I doe remit him but cannot pardon his grosse fault in the maine point of the comparison for the name Iew according to the vsuall signification of the word being the name of a certayne people of one race and kindred and hauing a law giuen them by Moyses which should continue only for a prescript time and end at the coÌ„ming of Christ is not like the name of Catholike which is no speciall name of the people of any one Countrâ—y but is attributed and doth agree to all sorts of men of what Countrey or nation soeuer that do embrace the true Christian faith And is inseparably linked and so fast ioyned and riueted with the Christian profession and religion that it shall neuer faile fall or be separated from it so long as Christs faith standeth nor euer be contemned of the faithfull whiles Christs true religion flourisheth which is proued inuincibly out of the very Etymologie of the name Catholike and that according to M. Abbots owne interpretation in the same place who doth expound it to signifie that Church which is through the whole world and shall be to the worlds end If the name Catholike shall continue to the worlds end the true title of the Church who then but miscreants and Heretikes can take it for a name of curse reproch and shame Is it not vntill this day set downe in the Apostles Creede as the honourable title and epithite of the true Church I beleeue the holy Catholike Church Must he then not be rather an Apostata then a Scholler of the Apostles that blusheth not to anouch the very name Catholike to be the proper badge of Apostataes and Heretikes which the Apostles ascribe and appropriate vnto true Christianity If any proude and false fellowes doe vsurpe that name and challenge it to themselues wrongfully as many did euen in S. Augustines time when M. Abbot confesseth it to haue beene in greatest estimation let such vsurping companions be rebuked sharply and conuicted of their insolent and audatious folly but the name Catholike which the Apostles thought worthy and fit to be placed in the articles of our Creede and principles of our religion must alwaies remaine and be among true Christians a name very glorious and desireable We therefore say with S. Augustine We receiue Tract 32. â—â— Iohannem Lib. 1. coâ—t Gaudent c. 33. the holy Ghost if we loue the Church if we be ioyned togither by charity if we reioyce in the Catholike name and faith And they that doe not ioy in that name but mocke at it doc blaspheme as the same most holy Authour intimateth The name Iew being taken in the Apostles sense for one of what nation soeuer that fulfilleth the iustice of the law neuer was nor neuer shall be a name of reproch so that M. Abbot is driuen to hop from one sense of that name to another to make it applyable to his purpose R. ABBOT SVch examples saith he proue nothing but serue only for explication And what of that As though it were vnlawfull for me to vse explication and I were bound to proofe only His first exception then is wholly idle and of no effect
Resurrection of our Lord Iesus This is our religion and herein their example iustifieth vs but their doctrines of transubstantiation and reall presence and concomitancy and sacrifice propitiatory for quicke and dead with the rest of that kinde are additions of theirs whereof the institution of Christ which togither with vs they recite maketh no shew at all If they should haue disclaimed redemption and remission of sinnes by the bloud-shed and death of Christ Christian people would haue defied them therefore they left the name thereof in the Church which is our religion but they defeated the power of it by briâ—ging in a thousand other deuices wherby men should redeeme themselues and purchase the remission of their owne sinnes It is our religion to acknowledge Christ to be the Mediator betwixt God and Man and this they would neuer disauow but to Christ they haue ioyned the Saints also to be our Mediators It is our religion to teach that God is to be worshipped and all spirituall deuotion is to be done vnto him and this they cannot deny but they haue added hereto the worshipping of Saints and Saints Images and thereby haue defiled the worship of the immortall God They deny not grace which our religion teacheth but they put to it the power of nature and free will They dare not but confesse Christ to be the head of the Church which our religion teacheth but they haue added the Pope to be another head and so haue made the Church a Monster with two heads Thus in euery point of doctrine take away those patcheries and additions of theirs which are things not taught vs by the word of God and euen in their religion that which remaineth is our religion the very truth of the Gospell of Iesus Christ For these and such other propositions of true faith the Diuell could neuer abolish out of the Church only by Antichrist he suppressed the knowledge and vse of them and to this wholsome wine put such abundance of his corrupt and poisoned waters as might frustrate the power and effect thereof Wherein notwithstanding he could not so farre preuaile but that the light here and there brake forth by such chinks and lattises as were remaining which many of our forefathers in the time of that Aegyptian darkenesse did discerne and see to their euerlasting comfort and soules health Yea M. Bishop knoweth well that there were in those times both Pastors and Flocks not in one only Countrey but in many who detested those blendings and mixtures of theirs and kept themselues either wholly or for the most part to the entire truth of our religion the light whereof euen then shined vnto them out of the very darkenesse of the Church Which notwithstanding we wonder not that he pretendeth not to know who will seeme not to know that our religion hath spred it selfe into Italie and Spaine when as all the world knoweth that the Inquisition hath shed the bloud of many thousands there only for the profession of our religion Yea the principles of our religion are so residing will they nill they in the very bowels of Popery as that they are forced to vse many sinister courses to drowne and stifle them and to keepe the people from taking knowledge thereof because they see that if there be but winde to blow away the ashes our fire will straightwaies burne amongst them and the flame presently ascend to the consuming of their roofe they see that if men be but stirred a 〈…〉 awaked out of their sleepe they will be forthwith ready out of the very common instinct of Christianity to beeleeue as we doe In Greece in Africa in Asia wheresoeuer the Gospell is there is no other but our Gospell because there is no Gospell but that which the Euangelists and Apostles haue recorded in the writings of the Gospell neither is Christ any where knowen but where he is knowen by that Gospell Therein hath our Gospell beene spred ouer the whole world therein we communicate with the Church of the whole world wheresoeuer this Gospell is free there our religion is not bound but thereby euen amidst errour and apostasie b wisedome is iustified of her children and God Mat. 11. 19. according to the purpose of his grace giueth light vnto euerlasting life As for the Indians lamentable experience haue they had of the Popish Gospell Neuer any Apostle or Euangelist carryed their religion abroade as the Papists haue done thither and they haue cause to wish that the Roman Church had neuer beene so Catholike as to extend to them Vpon some few of the remainder of them they haue forced baptisme some of their ceremonies but they haue taught them nothing of religion nothing of the Gospell of Iesus Christ How otherwise their religion hath beene spred ouer the whole world enough hath beene said already in briefe I say here that they can alleage no age nor time wherein they can make good that it hath so beene We know they can talke at will but farre are they from proofe that their doctrines of the Popes Supremacy his Pardons and Iubilees of Purgatory of Transubstantiation of their priuate Masse and halfe Communion with a number of such other were euer or at any time receiued throughout the whole world CHAP. IIII. That the Church before Christ euen from the beginning was a part of the Catholike Church and that the faith and religion of the new Testament differeth not in substance from the old A BRIEFE DEFENCE OF THE KINGS SVPREMACY ECCLESIASTICALL ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE NOw as of this Catholike Church from the beginning to the end there is c. to Now whereas he alleageth c. W. BISHOP §. 1. WE agree in this that there is but one faith one baptisme one spirituall foode and one religion in the Catholike Church but M. Abbot is fouly ouer-seen about the time when the true Church beganne first to be called Catholike which was not before Christs time but afterwards according to that alleaged out of Pacianus an ancient Author who writeth of the name Catholike saying Pacian Epist ad Simphor de nomine Catholico Christian is my name Catholike is my surname For when among Christians some beganne to teach false doctrine and to draw others after them into sects they that remained sound and did cleaue fast vnto the whole body of the Church were intituled Catholikes to distinguish them from Heretikes that did not ioyne with the vniuersall corps of Christians in faith and religion which M. Abbot before did in plaine words confesse see his text afore where he beginneth to argue of the word Catholike And the reason is most perspicuous why the Iewes and their religion could not be called Catholike though it were right and according to the will of God for that time because Catholike signifieth that which is spred all the world ouer and receiued of all nations so was not the law of Moyses and the manner of seruing God therein prescribed but was peculiar
vnto the children of Israel and as it were confined within the limits of one land and countrey wherefore it could not be called Catholike and Vniuersall R. ABBOT MAster Bishop is fouly ouerseene to make it a question here what time it was that the Church beganne to be called Catholike it being sufficient to my purpose that the Church before the time of Christ albeit it were not then called Catholike yet was a part of that Church which hath beene so called since the time of Christ euen as the arme which comming first out of the wombe beareth not the name of the child and yet is a part of the child which is afterwards called by that name Therefore St. Austin diuiding mankinde into a Aug. in psal 61. Vna ciuitas vna ciuitas Babylonia vna Hierusalem vna Illa rege Diabolo ista rege Christo c. Illa incepit à Cain haec ab Abel two Cities the one vnder the Diuell as King thereof the other vnder Christ the one Babylon the other Ierusalem b Heb. 12. 22. the heauenly Ierusalem c Gal. 4. 26. Ierusalem which is aboue which is the Mother of vs all beginneth Ierusalem at Abel as he doth Babylon at Cain and maketh d Aug. in psal 86. Ciuis inde Propheta ciuis inde Apostolus the Prophets as well as the Apostles cittizens thereof and by another similitude calleth the Christian Church e Idem in psal 79. Quid est expectandii secundae vincae in mò eidem vineae ipsa est enim non enim altera est one and the same vineyard with the Church of the Iewes And if M. Bishop will not learne this of Austin let him learne it of Gregory Bishop of Rome saying that God f Gregor in Euang hom 19. Habet vineam vniuersalem scilicet Ecclesiam quae ab Abel â—usto vsque ad vltimum electum qui in fine mundi nasciturus est quot sanctos pretulit quasi tot palmitâ—s misit hath his vineyard euen the vniuersall Church which yeeldeth so many branches as it bringeth forth Saints from righteous Abel vnto the last Elect that shall be borne in the end of the world and againe that g Idem in Ezech hom 15. Vna est Ecclesia electorum praecedentium atque sequentium there is but one Church of the Elect both before and since the time of Christ Or if he be loth to turne so great a volume as Gregories workes let him looke into their owne Roman Catechisme where he shall finde that it is one cause why the Church is called h Catechism Roman part 1. cap. 10. sect 16. Praeterea omnes fideles qui ab Adam in hunc vsque diem suerant quiâ—e futuri sunt quamdiu mundus durabit veram fiâ—em profitentes ad eandem Ecclâ—siam pertinent Catholike because all the faithfull who haue beene from Adam till this day and shall be to the worlds end professing the true faith doe belong vnto it What hath M. Bishop beene so long a Doctor of Diuinity and yet doth he not know that the Catholike Church though it were not called Catholike till after the comming of Christ yet now is vnderstood to contayne all the faithfull from the beginning to the end Vndoubtedly he knew it well enough but my collection galled him and he saw there was no way but by cauilling to make shew to shift it of But if he did not let him haue wit to learne it now and let him take my words accordingly that as of the Catholike Church from the beginning to the end there is but one body euen as one Lord one God and Father of all so there is also but one spirit which quickneth that one body and i Ephes 4. 4. one faith whereby we are all partakers of that spirit both which the Apostle ioyneth togither when of the faithfull both of the old and new Testament he saith that they haue k 2. Cor. 4. 13. the same spirit of faith Of this one spirit Gregory saith that l Greg. in psal 5. Poenitent Sicut est vna anima quae diuersa corporis membra viuisicat ita totam simul EcclesiaÌ„ vnus spiritus sanctus vegetat illustrat as it is but one soule which quickneth the diuers members of the body so one holy spirit giueth life and light to the whole Church Whether we respect them that were before the incarnation of Christ or them that come after they both make but one body and therefore the holy Ghost as the soule is but one and the same to both So of faith Gregory telleth vs that m Gregor in Ezech. hom 16 â—adé sides â—pes charitas in antiquis patribus quae in nouis Doctoribus fuit in the old Fathers was the same faith hope and charity as in the new teachers namely the Apostles and the rest So likewise Leo Bishop of Rome saith that n Leo in Natluit Dom. ser 3. Fides qua viuimus nulla fuit aetate diuersa the faith whereby we liue was neuer different in any age but o IdeÌ„ de Pass Dom. serm 14. Vna fides iustificat vniuersoruÌ„ temporuÌ„ sanctos one faith saith he iustifieth the Saints of all times p Aug in Ioan. tract 45. Tempora variata sut non fides c. In diuersis signis eadem fides There is difference of the times saith Austin but not of the faith in diuersity of signes there is the same faith q Idem Epist 89. Sacramenta variata sunt vt alia essent in veteri Testamento alia in nouo cùm fides varia non sit sed vna sit The Sacraments are altered one sort in the old Testament other in the new whereas faith is not diuers but one still Now though the signes and Sacraments were diuers yet because there was the same faith and the same spirit therefore the effects of faith and of the spirit were the same so that what we receiue spiritually in Baptisme and the Lords Supper they also though in other Sacraments receiued the same so that they were spiritually baptized they did eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud as well as we as was before intimated in my answere and M. Bishop giueth occasion to declare further in the next section Of the originall of the name Catholike and Catholikes I haue spoken before that that may suffice and though M. Bishop haue drawen it in it is impertinent here to stand vpon it W. BISHOP §. 2. ANd M. Abbot was greatly deceiued or else goeth about to deceiue others when for proofe of communicating with the Catholike Church hee recoileth backe vnto the beginning of the world Why did he not rather shew that their new Gospell flourished in all Countries assoone as the Christian faith was planted and that it hath continued in all ages since the Apostles dayes vntill our time that had beene to haue spoken directly to the purpose
inferiore apud Polycarpum essem c. Commemorarequeam quomodo se cum Joanne ac reliquis qui DominuÌ„ viderunt conuersatum esse dixerit sermones eorum memorauerit quae ex illis de Domino audierit de virtutibus eius doctrina tanquam ex ijs qui ipsi verbum vite viderant percepta cuncta sanctis Scripturis consona recâ—nsuerit that he had beene in his childhood with Polycarpus and that he had heard him tell how he had beene conuersant with Iohn and the rest that had seen the Lord and remembred their speeches and what he had heard of them concerning the Lord and his miracles and doctrine as receiued from them who themselues had seene the word of life and reported all things agreeable to the holy Scriptures Here is a commendation of the Scripture and an intimation giuen that tradition ought to be no other but consonant and agreeable to the holy Scripture but of referring to the Churches in cases of controuersie not so much as one word But though his head here failed hiâ— yet I know well what the place is that he meant to cite which followeth in the booke whence I alleaged the sentence to which he answereth And yet there is nothing in that place fitting to his purpose Ireneus hauing there to doe with Heretikes who being reproued by the Scriptures reiected the triall of the Scriptures vpon the like pretences as the Papists now doe and therefore being forced to vse against them the testimony of the Churches from the time of the Apostles for proofe of those things which were cleare by the writings of the Apostles as we now doe against the Papists but saying nothing at all as to deliuer a rule that when cases of controuersie doe arise we should alwaies haue recourse to such testimony of the Church Of that place of Ireneus I haue spoken sufficiently m Answere to Doctor Bishops Epistle to the King sect 11. before and therefore I will not here againe trouble the Reader any further therewith In what sort also he attributeth principality to the Roman Church I haue already declared in the n §. 2. first Chapter of this booke Now as he is impudent in answering Ireneus so in his answere to Tertullian he is much more impudent The sentences of those two Fathers I cited as depending one vpon another Ireneus saith that the Gospell which the Apostles preached they afterwards deliuered to vs in the Scriptures Tertullian saith o Tertul. de Praescript Nobis non est opus curiositate post Christum nec inquisitione post Euangelium Cum hâ—c credimus nihil desideramus vltrà credere hoc enim prius credimus non esse quod vltrà credere debemus Wee neede no curiosity after Christ nor further enquiry after the Gospell when we beleeue this we desire to beleeue nothing further for this we first beleeue that there is nothing further for vs to beleeue Marke well gentle Reader the coherence of these wordes The Apostles committed the Gospell to writing we neede no further inquiry after the Gospell we desire to beleeue nothing further we beleeue that there is nothing else for vs to beleeue To this what doth M. Bishop say Beleeuing this beleeuing what the written word only nothing lesse The Gospell M. Bishop it is the Gospell you see of the beleefe whereof he speaketh and beside which or after which he desireth to beleeue nothing yea beleeueth that there is nothing further to be beleeued Seeing then the Gospell is written as Ireneus saith it followeth by Tertullian that beside the written word there is nothing else to be beleeued Nothing lesse saith M. Bishop And why For in that whole Treatise saith he his principall drift is to proue that Heretikes cannot be confuted out of the written word but by ancient customes and traditions which he calleth Prescriptions Where he most shamefully abuseth that worke of Tertullian expounding Prescriptions to be meant of old customes and traditions whereas Tertullian hath nothing to that purpose but by Prescriptions meaneth grounds of reasons and arguments whereby to proceede and deale against Heretikes for the reprouing and conuincing of them Neither doth he goe about to proue that Heretikes cannot be confuted by the written word but only sheweth that it was to no purpose to deale with them by the Scriptures or written word because they receiued and reiected Scriptures as they list did put in and blot out alter and chop and change so that whatsoeuer made against them should goe for no Scripture Yea the matters of their heresies were touching those articles of our faith which are clearely and manifestly testified by the Scriptures and therefore M. Bishop dealeth very lewdly with Tertullian to make him to say that they could not be confuted thereby I neede not stand hereupon hauing p Of Traditions sect 10. before at large discouered M. Bishops dishonesty herein and shewed out of the matter of the booke how falsly he fathereth that drift vpon Tertullian Only it is here to be noted what a prety meaning he maketh of those wordes which I cited thence namely this When we beleeue the whole doctrine of Christ both written and deliuered by Apostolicall tradition then we desire to beleeue no more of any vpstart Heretikes new deuises Where I pray thee to note how his two answeres agree together He told vs before to Ireneus that the Apostles left the Gospell in writing Here to Tertullian speaking of the Gospell he answereth that the Gospell signifieth the whole doctrine of Christ both written and vnwritten So when he list the Gospell is written and when he list the Gospell is vnwritten and he cannot tell certainly what it is If the Gospell were left in writing then the Gospell is no doctrine vnwritten or if the Gospell doe signifie also vnwritten doctrine then the Apostles did not leaue the Gospell in writing but only a part and parcell thereof But we beleeue that the Apostles left vs a perfect written Gospell and therefore we say to M Bishop and his fellowes as Athanasius said to the Arian Heretikes q Athanas de Incar Christi Si Discipuli estis EuangelioruÌ„ ne loquamini contra Deum iniquitateÌ„ sed per scripturas cedite Quòd si diuersa à scripturis fabulari vultis cur nobiscum concertatis qui neque â—oqui neque audire sustinemus quod extraneum sit ab istis dicente Domino c. If yee be Schollers of the Gospell speake not iniquity against God but goe by the Scriptures but if you will babble things diuerse from the Scriptures why doe you meddle with vs who endure neither to speake nor heare any thing which is strange from the Scriptures our Lord Christ telling vs If yee abide in my word then shall yee be free indeed Now to shew that beside the written Gospell and word of God there is nothing else to be receiued I alleaged a peremptory sentence of St. Austin r Aug.
of the Valentinian Heretikes and Heracleonites as I haue z Answere to the Preface of the second part sect 20. before shewed St. Iames doth not say Is any man in extremity of sicknesse past hope of life and now departing out of the world as M. Bishop in part speaketh and as they wholly vse that new deuised Sacrament but he saith absolutely Is any man sicke Againe St. Iames maketh the effect of that annointing to be bodily health saying that the Lord shall raise him vp or giue him ease which is the sauing or preseruing of which he speaketh namely from the perill and danger of sicknesse as a Bellarm. de Extr. vnct c. 8. Incipit à sanitate corporali cum ait Oratio fidei saluabit infir 〈…〉 Bellarmine himselfe expoundeth it whereas the effect of Sacraments is no corporall benefit but only inward and spirituall grace For albeit the water of Baptisme haue an effect to cleanse the body and bread and wine in the Lords Supper to nourish and feede the same yet these are no Sacramentall but only naturall effects belonging to these creatures without any Sacrament whereas the proper effect of that whereof St. Iames speaketh is bodily recouery and therefore by b OEcumen in Iac. 5. Hoc etiam Domino adhuc inter homines conuersante Apostoli sacrebant vngentes aegrotos olâ—o sanantes OEcumenius is made all one with that which the Apostles did as I haue alleaged whereof health is noted to haue ensued His last text is to proue that we must confesse our sinnes not to God only but also to men because the same St. Iames saith Confesse your sinnes one to another And who denyeth this who gainsayeth it when as our Sauiour Christ so plainly instructeth him that hath c Luke 17. 4. sinned against his brother to returne to him and say It repenteth me that so there may be reconciliation and peace betwixt them We make no question of confessing repentantly and charitably one to another but we question the necessity of confessing auricularly to the Priest by particular enumeration of all our sinnes and so farre is the text which M. Bishop citeth from deliuering expresly this as that his Masters of Rhemes doe plainly tell him that d Rhem. Testam Annotat. Iam. 1. 16. it is not certaine that St. Iames speaketh here of sacrament all confession who notwithstanding would haue bin glad if they could haue had any ground wherupon to affirme that he did so Now what did he then meane thus to heape together such a number of places as wherein their Roman doctrine is deliuered in expresse termes when as there is not one of them that doth iustifie their Roman doctrine and his owne fellowes doe confesse so much of sundry of them What neede we to ransacke all the corners of our wits to deuise odde shifts to auoide the â—uidence as he calleth it of such places which without any shifts at all are so easily and plainly cleared as these are Yet according to his wonted and wise manner he concludeth that the Protestants doe not receiue all the written word who notwithstanding receiue all these places reade them cite them expound them acquaint the people vsually with them which they by no meanes dare to doe Yea but the Scriptures are not in reading but in vnderstanding and we doe not take them in the right sense Silly fellow what hindereth but that we should be thought able to vnderstand the Scriptures as well as he Forsooth we receiue not the Scriptures he saith according to the most ancient and best learned Doctors exposition But be thou Iudge gentle Reader whether in this whole worke to goe no further I haue not brought the most ancient and best learned Doctors exposition more frequently and firmely then he hath done He talketh of the Doctors for shew to blinde simple men but the true cause of their griefe is that wee receiue not the Romish exposition nor bee content to submit the whole Scriptures to the Popes will But because we finde no such rule amongst the most ancient and best learned Doctors that the Popes mouth should be any oracle of Scripture-sense we leaue his babling of the exposition of Scripture as partiall and idle and doe wish him to learne more wit then to take Scriptures in such sort as they that are at Rome are faine to doe W. BISHOP §. 8. NOw to draw towards the end of this clause not only neuer a one of M. Abbots assertions whereby hee went about to proue themselues and their Church to bee Catholike is true as hath beene shewed before but ouer and besides his very conclusion conuinceth himselfe euen by the verdict of himselfe to fall into the foule fault and errour of the Donatists Our faith saith he because it is that which the Apostles committed to writing is the Apostolike faith and our Church by consanguinity and agreement of doctrine is proued to bee an Apostolicall Church c. and is the only true Catholike Church c. see you not how he is come at length to proue their Church to be Catholike Ex perfectione Page 16. lin 5. doctrinae By perfectnesse of their doctrine which was as he himselfe in this very assertion noted a plaine Donatâ—sticall tricke reproued by S. Augustine whom in that point he then approued What doating folly is this in the same short discourse so to forget himselfe as to take that for a sound proofe which he himselfe had before confuted as hereticall We like well of Tertullians obseruation That our faith ought to haue consanguinity and perfect agreement with the Apostles doctrine but that is not the question at this time but whether our doctrine or the Protestant be truly called Catholike that is whether of them hath beene receiued and beleeued in all nations ouer the world that is to be proued in this place M. Abbot if he had meant to deale plainly and soundly should not haue gone so about the bush and haue fetched such wide and wilde windlesses from old father Abrahams dayes but should haue demonstrated by good testimony of the Ecclesiasticall Histories or of ancient Fathers who were in the pure times of the Church the most Godly and approued Pastors thereof that the Protestants religion had flourished since the Apostles dayes ouer all Europe Afrike and Asia or at least had beene visibly extant in some one Country or other naming some certaine Churches in particular which had held in all points their faith and religion which he seeing impossible for any man to doe fell into that extrauagant and rouing discourse which you haue heard concluding without any premises sauing his owne bare word that in the written word There is no mention made of the Pope or his Supremacy nor of his Pardons c. Belike there is no mention made of S Peter nor ought said of his singular prerogatiues It hath not peraduenture That whatsoeuer hee should loose on earth should bee loosed in
heauen The other points were touched before and shall be shortly againe But I would in the meane season be glad to heare where the written word teacheth vs that Kings and temporall Magistrates are ordained by Christ to be vnder him supreme Gouernours of Ecclesiasticall affaires because M. Abbot made choise of this head-article of theirs for an instance that the written word was plaine on their side he should therefore at least haue pointed at some one text or other in the new Testament where it is registred that Princes are supreme Gouernours of the Church Nay are temporall Magistrates any Ecclesiasticall persons at all or can one that is no member of the Ecclesiasticall body be head of all the rest of the Ecclesiasticall members or is the state Secular higher and more worthy then the Ecclesiasticall and therefore meete to rule ouer it though they be not of it to say so is to preferre the body before the soule nature before grace earth before heauen or is it meete and decent that the lesse worthy-member should haue the supreme command ouer the more honourable where the Christian world is turned topsie-turuy that may be thought meete and expedient but in other places that will not be admitted for currant which in it selfe is so disorderly and inconuenient without it had better warrant in the word of God then that new position of theirs hath R. ABBOT THe truth of mine assertions hath hitherto appeared by my defence of them but let them no further be taken for true then he is here found to be false that is the oppugner of them He saith that my conclusion conuinceth me euen by the verdict of my selfe to fall into the foule fault and errour of the Donatists To proue this he maketh me to speake in my answere in this sort Our faith because it is that which the Apostles committed to writing is the Apostolike faith and our Church by consanguinity and agreement of doctrine is proued to be an Apostolicall Church c. and is the only true Catholike Church c. Hauing set downe all these as my words he inferreth thus see you not how he is come at length to proue their Church to be Catholike by perfection of their doctrine which was as he himselfe in this very assertion noted a plaine Donatisticall tricks reproued by St. Austin c. But I pray thee gentle Reader to looke where thou canst finde those wordes by me set downe And is the only true Catholike Church Aske M. Bishop if thou meete with him where he found them and if he cannot tell thee aske him in sadnesse what spirit he thinketh it was wherewith he was led when he set them downe for my wordes Fie M. Bishop fie for shame doe you talke so against lying and will you in the meane time lye so wittingly and willingly so as that there is no meanes to salue it no colour to excuse it I did not say that ours is the only true Catholike Church I made no shew of prouing it by perfection of doctrine to be the Catholike Church I neuer wrote it I neuer thought it and therefore once againe I wish you to bethinke your selfe of your words whereof I remembred you before a Reproofe pag. 283. The diuels cause it is that needeth to be bolstered out and vnderpropped with lyes Surely it is beyond doating folly it is desperate fury that draweth men on to such courses To let that goe foule and shamefull as it is he telleth vs next that he liketh well of Tertullians obseruation that our faith ought to haue consanguinity and perfect agreement with the Apostles doctrine But he curtolleth Tertullians obseruation by this recitall of his because Tertullian doth not only say what our faith ought to haue but telleth vs that b Tertul. de Praescript Quae licet nullum ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis authoreÌ„ suum proferaÌ„t vt mâ—â—tò posteriores quae denique quotidiè instituiâ—tur tamen in eadem fide conspirantes non mâ—â—us Apostolicae depâ—tantur pro consanguinitate doctrinae those Churches which cannot bring any of the Apostles or Apostolike men for their authour as being much later euen the Churches which daylie are begunne yet according in the same faith are for this consanguinity or agreement of doctrine reputed Apostolike Churches no lesse then the rest Hence I concluded that our Church because it agreeth in faith and doctrine with the Apostles is therefore to be reckoned an Apostolike Church But that saith M. Bishop is not the question at this time And what then is the question Marry saith he whether our doctrine or the Protestants be truly called Catholike that is whether of them hath beene receiued and beleeued in all nations ouer the world But did not he see that the one of these directly followeth of the other for the faith of the Apostles is it that was spred ouer the whole world Our faith is the same with the faith of the Apostles because it is that which is recorded in the Scriptures of the Apostles Therefore our faith it is that was spred and beleeued through the world Abrahams faith was it that was spred ouer the whole world for Abraham is c Rom. 4. 12. 16 the father and patterne of all that beleeue both circumcised and vncircumcised Our faith is the same with Abrahams faith Therefore againe it is our faith that was generally receiued throughout the world At this M. Bishop biteth the lip it troubleth him that he knoweth not what to say to it He seeth this proofe to be most certaine and impregnable aboue all other and therefore he seeketh by all meanes to diuert and turne away his Reader from listening to it He telleth him that I doe not deale plainly and soundly that I goe about the bush that I fetch wide and wild windlesses from old father Abrahams daies But I answere him that I haue so gone about the bush as that I haue scratched him with it and my wide and wild windlesses haue so inclosed him as that he cannot finde which way to get out againe Well if my course like him not what would he haue me doe I should he saith haue demonstrated by good testimony of the Ecclesiasticall histories or ancient Fathers that the Protestants religion had flourished since the Apostles daies ouer all Europe Afrike and Asia I haue done already sufficient to demonstrate that I haue astonished him and choaked him with the euidence of Scriptures Stories Councels Fathers so as that hitherto he hath left all that he hath written to the question of religion without defence I shall make further demonstration thereof in this booke euen in the Roman Church What am I the nearer with him by that that I haue done What shall I be the nearer when I haue all done for he hath resolued himselfe to a wicked course and therefore though the light shine into his eyes yet he will sweare that he seeth it not He blameth me for concluding without
way to goe and vncertaine where they shall arriue And this he doth to hide from them the true vse of that ground and foundation which he himselfe hath layed from whence it properly and naturally ariseth that sith that was the certaine truth which was first deliuered and taught and is to be the measure and rule of the faith and doctrine of all succeeding times therefore we should first haue recourse to the monuments and records of that that was first taught thereby to iudge of the faith and religion of our fathers and to esteeme whether their steps were such as that we may securely follow them In this behalfe Christ hath prouided for vs who h Gregor in Ezech. hom 13 Ipsa quae dixit etiam Scripturae tradidit vt posteris mandâ—â—etur what he spake saith Gregory he committed also to writing that posterity might know the same i August de consens Euangel lib. 1. c. 35. Quicquid ille de suis factis dictis nos legere voluit hoc illis scribendum tanquam suis manibus imperauit Whatsoeuer he would haue vs to reade saith Austin of his doings and sayings he commanded his Disciples as his hands to write the same And thus k Idem in 1. Epistol Ioan. tract 2. Contra insidiosos â—rrores Deus voluit ponere firmamentum in Scripturis contra quâ—s nullus audet loqui qui quoquo modo se vult videri Christianum against deceipt â—ill errours saith the same St. Austin God would set vs a fortresse or bulwarke in the holy Scriptures against which no man dare speake that will in any sort be thought a Christian man Hauing then certaine records of the truth first deliuered such as no man dare contradict what way can we imagine for resolution either more compendious and short or more lightsome and comfortable then to looke to the patterne of faith expressed in those records thence to informe our selues and thereby to rectifie whatsoeuer we finde to haue swarned or declined from that rule This M. Bishop cannot abide this they know to be the gall and bane of Popery and therefore from this they labour to withdraw men that what they cannot defend by testimony of truth they may notwithstanding colour by the example of their fathers This was the intent of M. Bishops not humble but presumptuous request to his Maiesty that he would maintaine and set forth that faith wherein all his royall Progenitors liued and dyed not that he is able to demonstrate in what religion all his Maiesties royall Progenitours liued and dyed but that he may leade him from that rule whereby he should be able to iudge of the faith of his Progenitours and whether his fathers haue in any sort swarued from that faith which at the first was deliuered to their forefathers Albeit if it be true which he saith that Symmachus the Pagan played the part of a foolish Sophister when he pleaded so with the Emperor Valentinian We are to follow our fathers because the Emperors father and nearest Predecessors were no Pagan Idolaters but profâ—ssed Christians then doth himselfe also play the part of a foolish Sophister in pleading so with King IAMES that he must follow his fathers inasmuch as his nearest Predecessours his father and grandfather were no Popish Idolaters but professours of the religion of the Protestants and his mother so well perswaded thereof as that shee would not goe about to disswade him from it But against the plea of Symmachus â—e excepteth further because his forefathers for whose idolatry he pleadeth had before forsaken the true worship of one liuing God Which though it be true yet I maruell how M. Bishop would make him to beleeue it inasmuch as he had to alleage that for so many hundred yea for thousands of yeares their Ancestours had continued those deuotions and that it might seeme strange that amongst so many wise Gouernours so many learned Philosophers so many vertuous men there should not be one of so many generations that euer could see that they did amisse Wee see how he saith not only l Relat. Symmach apud Ambros Epist lib 5. Seruanda est tot seculis fides sequendi sunt nobis parentes qui sâ—cuti sunt felicitèr suos Let vs follow our Ancestours but addeth who with great felicity followed theirs being fully resolued that both their Ancestours and the Ancestours of their Ancestours had in all times past beene the same as they M. Bishop by beleefe of holy Scripture knoweth the contrary because he there vnderstandeth all nations to haue been the posterity of Noah who was a worshipper of one true liuing God saued by faith in Christ to come whose religion set forth in Scripture being compared to the superstitions of the Pagans doth clearely conuince that they were farre departed from that that he was Now then M. Bishop be content that we returne the same to you You say that all our Ancestours from the beginning continued in one and the same euen your religion Shall we now for triall hereof goe to our Ancestours and aske them whether it be so or not No but we will goe to holy Scripture and there see what was the faith and religion of them who are our true Ancestours the first fathers and founders of the Christian Church the Apostles and Euangelists and there we finde a farre other manner of faith then Popery doth yeeld whereby we certainly vnderstand that they haue corrupted the true faith His exception against the Donatists pleading of their fathers is the same as against Symmachus that their fathers were degenerated from the integrity of their grandfathers and therefore were not to be followed But yet the Donatists held that all their forefathers were of their minde euen as stifly as the Papists doe They said that they were not fallen from the Catholike Church but the Catholike church from them so as that they affirmed it to haue beene their Church which was persecuted by Nero and the rest of those Roman Tyrants as I haue before shewed in the second Chapter But St. Austin euery where bringeth them to the Scriptures m Collat. Carthag 1. c. 18. In eis literis Ecclesiam esse quaerendam vbi Christus redemptor eius innotuit Et Collat. 3. c. 101. Nos eam Ecclesiam retinemus quam in illis Scripturis inuenim in quibus etiam cognouimus Christum there to learne and seeke the Church of Christ where we learne to know Christ himselfe and thereby iustifieth that they were fallen away from the Church and not the Church from them and therfore that they were to renounce their fathers that had so done and returne to the Church againe This M. Bishop cannot pleade against vs whose parents haue beene Protestants to moue vs to refuse the religion of our fathers and to returne to the example of our forefathers because by the Scriptures we learne that our forefathers did amisse and therefore that it shall be to vs a
Christ her Lord and head and most entire in the faith and doctrine which shee had receiued from him Of this flourishing and best estate we must consider in the next Chapter and therefore I cease here to speake any further thereof CHAP. VII Of the flourishing and best estate of the Church of Rome and of the testimony of Theodoret concerning the fulnesse of doctrine contained in the Epistle to the Romans and that the Apostle there condemneth Popery of Idolatry in worshipping of Saints and Images ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE VVE hope you vvill not deny but the Apostle S. Paul vvas one principall pillar c. to Chap. 8. Paul saith and vve say the same that c. W. BISHOP §. 1. WHat a worthy graue Preface he vseth to assure men that we will not deny S. Paul nor his Epistle to the Romans which neuer were called in doubt by any man But good Sir whiles you muse and busie your head so much vpon bables you forget or wilfully mistake the very point of the question Was the Church of Rome at her most flourishing estate when S. Paul wrote that Epistle to the Romans was her faith then most renovvmed ouer all the vvorld as you write nothing lesse for not the ten thousand part of that most populous Citty was then conuerted to the faith and they that had receiued the Christian faith were very nouices in it and stoode in great neede of the Apostles diuine instructions Any reasonable man would rather iudge that the Church of Rome then came first to her most flourishing estate when Idolatry and all kinde of superstition was put to silence and banished out of her when the Christian religion was publikely preached and conntenanced by the Emperours authority which was not before the reigne of Constantine the Great our most glorious countrey-man wherefore M. Abbots first fault is that he shooteth farre wide from the marke which he should haue aimed at principally The second is more nice yet in one that would seeme so acute not to be excused It is that he taketh an Epistle written to the Romans for their instruction and correction as if it were a declaration and profession of their faith when as all men know such a letter might containe many things which they had not heard off before Further yet that you may see how nothing can passe his fingers without some legerdemaine marke how he englisheth Theodorets wordes Dogmatum pertractationem The handling of opinions is by him translated all points of doctrine whereas it rather signifieth some then all opinions or lessons But I will let these ouer-sights passe as flea-bitings and follow him whither he pleaseth to wander that euery man may see when he is permitted to say what he liketh best that in truth he can alleage out of S. Paul nothing of moment against the Catholike faith R. ABBOT WEe see here what great cause there was that his Maiesty should adde the wordes now spoken off And from Christ her Lord and head because it might be doubted what construction they or any other might make of the flourishing and best estate of the Church of Rome I say that St. Paul wrote his Epistle to that Church when the faith thereof was most renowmed through the world This M. Bishop denieth and will not haue that to be taken for the flourishing and best estate of the Roman Church And why First not the ten thousand part of that most populous Citty was then conuerted to the faith and secondly they who had then receiued the Christian faith were very nouices in it and stoode in great neede of the Apostles diuine instructions So then he will haue vs to vnderstand that then was the flourishing and best estate of the Church of Rome when there were in it the greatest number of Christians and they were so perfect in the faith as that they needed not the Apostles diuine instructions But when was that Not before the reigne of Constantine the Great saith he Well and was it then Nay he saith not so and we may well thinke that he knoweth not well when or what to say Certaine it is that Paganisme abounded in Rome after the time of Constantine who indeede for his time by lawes restrained the publike exercise thereof but yet a Relat. Symmach apud Ambros lib. 5. Epist 30 Diui ConstaÌ„tij factum diu non sletit that act of his saith Symmachus did not long stand good the people returning to their old superstitions and sacrifices vntill that by Theodosius and Gratian the Emperours of Rome they were repressed againe Which lawes of theirs Symmachus the Lieutenant of the city moued the next Emperour Valentinian in his owne name and in the name of the City and Senate of Rome to haue againe repealed who b Symmach vt supra Senatus me querelaruÌ„ suarum iussit esse I egatum c. Vt Praefectus vâ—ster gesta publica prosequor vt Legatus ciuium mandata commendo though he pretended a farre greater number of Senatours to ioyne with him then did as Ambrose sheweth yet cannot be doubted to haue had a great number also partakers with him beside the common multitude of the City whose affection how it stood we may gather by that that Hierome saith not much distant from that time that c Hieron in Esai lib. 16. c. 57. â—psaque Roma orbiâ— Domina in singulis insulis domibusque Tutela simulachrum cereis venerans ac lucernis quam ad tuitionem aedium isto appellant nomine Rome in euery house did with tapers and candles worship the image of Tutela whom they so called for the tuition and defence of their houses though elsewhere he testifie that d IdeÌ„ ad Marcel vt commigret Bethlehem Est ibi sancta Ecclesia c. gentilitate calcata in sublime se quotidiè erigens vocabulum Christianum Paganisme was decaying and the name of Christians arising and growing higher and higher from day to day But if it were yet growing then it was not at full growth and therefore when will M. Bishop say was the most flourishing and best time of the Church there Againe we desire to know of him when the time was that the Church of Rome stoode in no neede of the Apostles diuine instructions May we thinke M. Bishop that euer there was any such time Surely we know now what the cause is why the Apostles diuine instructions are so little set by at Rome They serued the Romans forsooth at first when they were but nouices in the faith but now they are growen ripe and haue no neede to be taught by him May we not thinke him a wise man that thus telleth vs that the Romans then stoode in neede of the Apostles diuine instructions as if there were any time since that they had not the like neede But I would aske him how it appeareth to him that the Romans were then but nouices in the faith The reason which his wordes imply is because
the Apostle wrote that Epistle to them But so did he write two Epistles to the Corinthians of whom notwithstanding he saith that e 1. Cor. 1. 5. in all things they were made rich in Christ in all kinde of speech and in all knowledge So did he to the Ephesians f Acts 20. 27. from whom he kept nothing backe but had shewed them all the counsell of God Yea and of the Romans the Apostle in that Epistle saith g Rom. 15. 14. I am perswaded of you that yee are filled with all knowledge and are able to admonish one another Neuerthelesse I haue somewhat boldly after a sort written vnto you as one that putteth you in remembrance It should seeme then that they were not nouices in the faith but fully instructed in all points and that the end of the Apostles Epistle was only to keepe the remembrance of those things which they had beene before taught Of that time Tertullian saith that h Tertul. de Praescript Foelix Ecclesia cui totam doctrinam Apostoli cum suo sanguine prosuderunt the Apostles Peter and Paul together with their bloud poured forth their whole doctrine all that they taught to that Church and shall wee thinke that when the Apostles deliuered all their doctrine to that Church that Church did not receiue and learne the same Of that time we haue a more sure and vndoubted testimony then we can haue of times following that i Rom. 1. 8. their faith was renowmed throughout the whole world That therefore doe we hold to be the best state of the Roman Church and the most flourishing because we measure not the flourishing of it by number of professours or by glory of outward state but by integrity of doctrine and truth of faith Neuerthelesse because flourishing may seeme to import a reference to that outward liberty and exaltation which that Church as the rest receiued by the reigne of Constantine and enioyed vnder other Christian Emperours after him therefore his Maiesty with great caution and aduisednesse added the other wordes spoken of before to signifie that we are so to respect her in that flourishing estate as that alwaies for more assurance we haue respect to that that shee was at the first immediately from the Apostles and from Christ her Lord and head the liuely picture and description whereof is set forth vnto vs in the Epistle to the Romans Here M. Bishop though he haue not yet proued any first fault yet taketh vpon him to note a second that I take an Epistle written to the Romans for their instruction and correction as if it were a declaration and profession of their faith Where the Reader seeth that saue only I say the Apostle in that Epistle wrote at large I say nothing thereof my selfe but report only what Theodoret saith who if he had affirmed that the Apostle in that Epistle did set downe a declaration of the faith which the Romans then professed had said nothing amisse the care of the Apostle therein being both to confirme them in the faith which they had receiued and to testifie to posterity what that faith was All men know saith M. Bishop that such a letter might containe many things which they had not heard off before But we question not what such a letter might containe that is an idle and dreaming supposall of his but the point is what we are to thinke that Epistle doth containe This I declared by the wordes of Theodoret who giuing a reason why the Epistle to the Romans though written after diuers other yet was put in the first place alleageth this to be it k Theodoret. Praefat. Epist Pauli Epistolam ad Romanos praeposuerunt vt quae in se omnis generis doctrinam accuratam copiosamque dogmatum pertractationem for that it containeth doctrine of all sorts or all kinde of doctrine and very exact and plentifull handling of the points of faith This place dazeled his eyes he stood astonished at it and knew not which way to shift He grew therefore to a desperate resolution â—lectere si nequeam superos Acheronta mouebo Sith God and truth doe vs forgoe I will trie the diuell what he can doe My wordes in my answere speaking of St. Paul writing to the Church of Rome stand thus He wrote at large comprehending therein as Theodoret saith Omnis generis doctrinam accuratam copiosamque dogmatum pertractationem Doctrine of all sorts or all kinde of doctrine and very exact and plentifull handling of the points thereof He in transcribing my text setteth it downe thus comprehending therein as Theodoret saith doctrine of all sorts or all kinde of doctrine Eâ— accuratam copiosamque dogmatum pertractationem An exact and plentifull handling of all points thereof Where note how he purposely leaueth out the Latin wordes Omnis generis doctrinam and whereas in Englishing Dogmatum pertractationem I say the points thereof he in steede of the points saith all points thereof From this latter he frameth his miserable answere which is only an accusation of me for legerdemaine in the Englishing of Theodorets words And why Dogmatum pertractationem The handling of opinions saith he is by him translated all points of doctrine whereas it rather signifieth some then all opinions or lessons Thus he ouerslippeth the words that carry weight and force to the point in question and to colour this that the Reader may not espy it hee busieth him the while with an opinion of my false translation whereas the false translation is none of mine but by himselfe very lewdly foisted in But the Beare though thus broken loose must be brought to the stake againe Remember M. Bishop what I told you and answere vs directly to it Theodoret saith that the Epistle to the Romans containeth Omnis generis doctrinam All kinde of doctrine and doth not say it once only but saith it againe that l Idem Praefat Epist ad Rom. Variam quidem omnis generis doctrinam per haec scripta exhibet Apostolus the Apostle therein deliuereth manifold and not only manifold but all kinde of doctrine Now if all kinde of doctrine that concerneth the Christian faith be contained in the Epistle to the Romans then Popery is not the true Christian faith which teacheth so many points of doctrine whereof nothing is contained in the Epistle to the Romans Nay it doth not only say nothing for Popery but it also saith against it and instructeth vs to call that apostasie and heresie which they falsly call the Catholike faith Whether any thing be there to be found of moment to that purpose we shall see in that that followeth W. BISHOP §. 2. SAint Paul saith he is vvholly against you and for vs. Quickly said but will not be so soone proued First he condemneth the vvorshipping of Saints and Saints Images in that he reproueth the Heathens for changing the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of the Image of a
corruptible man O noble disputer and well worthy the whippe because we may not make false Gods or giue the glory of God vnto Idols may we not therefore yeeld vnto Saints their due worship might not S. Paul whiles he liued as all other most godly men be reuerenced and worshipped for their most excellent spirituall and religious vertues with a kinde of holy and religious respect euen as Knights and Lordes and other worldly men are worshipped and honored for their temporall callings and endowments with temporall worship without robbing God of his honour Is the Lord or Master dishonoured and spoiled of his due reuerence and respect if his seruants for his sake be much made off and respected yet with such due regard only as is meete for their degree This is so childish and palpable that if the Protestants were not resolued to sticke obstinately to their errours how grosse soeuer they be they would for very shame not once more name it R. ABBOT O Noble disputer saith hee and worthy the whippe Whereby he putteth me in minde that he hath before returned it vpon me to be one of the Kings horses and indeede Salomon saith that a Prou. 26. 3. to a horse belongeth a whippe but he addeth further that to an Asse belongeth a bridle and a rodde to the fooles backe I say in my answere that the Apostle to the Romans condemneth b Rom. 1. 23. the changing of the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of the image of a corruptible man and c Vers 25. the worshipping of the creature insteede of the Creatour I noted that the Apostle herein condemneth the Church of Rome which by her schoole-tricks teacheth men to worship God in the image of a man and by religious deuotions of prayers and offerings to worship Saints and Saints images in steede of God Where thou maiest see gentle Reader that as I cite the Apostles wordes double so I make a double application thereof Where hee condemneth the Heathens for changing the glory of God into the similitude of the image of a corruptible man I say it maketh against the Papists doing the like in teaching men to represent and worship God in the similitude and likenesse of a man Where he noteth it for sinne in the Heathens that they worshipped the creature in steede of the Creatour I say it condemneth the Papists who worship Saints and Saints Images in steed of God But M. Bishop playing the part of Danus to set all out of order taketh the former part of the Apostles wordes and putteth them to the latter part of my application making me to say thus First he condemneth the worshipping of Saints and Saints images in that he reproueth the Heathens for changing the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of the image of a corruptible man Thus he slippeth by a maine point of idolatry condemned in the Pagans and yet defended and practised by the Papists as if his heart failed him and he saw no way to salue their abuse against the words of the Apostle The Apostle giueth to vnderstand that by the ancient doctrine of the Church of Rome it was accounted an abhominable wickednesse and an abusing of the Maiesty of God to transforme him into the image of man The Church of Rome therefore now transforming God in that sort and setting him forth to be worshipped in the image of an old man doth that which was holden abhominable in the ancient Church of Rome What hath M. Bishop here to answere or what will he say Will he tell vs that the Heathens were to blame for that they were false Gods whom they represented in this sort But that the Apostle excludeth in that he noteth this as a dishonour done d Rom. 1. 19. 20. 21. 23. to the incorruptible God whom they knew by the creation of the world whom they should haue glorified and were punished for that knowing God they did not glorifie him as God but turned the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of the image of a corruptible man e Hieron in Rom. 1. Dicentes se esse sapientes quasi qui inuenissent quomodo inuisibilis Deus per simulachrum visibile coleretur calling themselues wise as Hierome saith for that they had deuised how the inuisible God might be worshipped by a visible image euen as M. Bishops wisedome hath done who though he hold f Of Images sect 7. that no image is to be made as to represent God to the quicke and as in himselfe he is yet resolueth that we may picture God and resemble him in such image as he hath appeared or in some similitude represent him by some actions or properties whereby to leade our vnderstanding to the better knowledge of him whereas the ancient true religion doth teach vs that God g Origen coÌ„t Cels l. 3. Communis sensus cogitare nos iubet non delectari Deum hoc honore imaginum quae â—ffigiem eius aut significationé repraesentent aliquam is not pleased with the honour of images which represent either shape or any signification of him or h Ibid. lib. 7. Quis sanae mentâ— noÌ„ rideat cum qui. c. Per statuarum contemplationem tanquam signi alicuius conspicui conatur animu â—rigere ad imaginationem intelligibilis numinis whereby to lift vp our minds to the cogitation of him Will he say that the errour of the Gentils was in this that they tooke the very images to be Gods But against this we must obserue that the Apostle there speaketh of them who tooke themselues to be wise euen the Philosophers and learned men who scorned to be taken for such idiots as to imagine a dead blocke to bee a God i Origen coÌ„t Cels l. 7. Quis alius nisi sit totâ—s fatâ—us haec deos credit non dijs dicatas statâ—as Who but very fooles saith Celsus take these to be Gods and not images dedicated to the Gods k August in Psal 113. Dicunt Nec simulacbrum nec dâ—monium colo sed per corporale effigiâ—m eius rei signum intueor quaÌ„ colere debâ—o I neither worship the image nor the diuell saith another but by the bodily shape I behold the signe or token of that which I ought to worship They hold them to be as it were l Athanas coÌ„t Idola Simulachra pro elemâ—ntis literarum humano generi esse quae dum legunt Dei notitianâ— condiscere possiat Alphabeticall letters which men might reade thereby to learne the knowledge of God and that m Arnob. cont Gentes lib. 5. Dicere quî conuenit ad incutiendaâ— forâ—idmes vulgo deorum 〈…〉 a simulacâ—ra they were appointed to terrifie the vulgar sort M. Bishop hath no thing to except against it but that Pagans and Papists are both alike and both condemned by the ancient Roman Church for changing the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude
them of whom we speake to whom the spirit giueth witnesse that they are the sonnes of God But we are yet further to note what reason he giueth why those fall away which is namely because they haue no roote and therefore are like vnto the tree which for want of roote fastened in the ground is by euery blast of wind easily ouerthrowen Now by saying that they fall away because they haue no roote he giueth vs to conceiue that they who haue taken roote or are rooted doe not fall away But the faithfull and children of God are rooted in the predestination and grace of God they are t Col. 2. 7. rooted and grounded in Christ and stablished in the faith and therefore u Psal 1. 3. their leafe shall neuer fade because their x Prou. 12. 3. roote shall not be moued God hauing made them a promise which he will not breake y Ierem. 32. 40. I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from me As for them which fall away though in respect of outward shew and profession they be said for a time to beleeue yet because their faith hath no roote therefore they neuer haue true faith And thus Gregory Bishop of Rome instructeth vs that z Greg. Moral lib. 25. c. 8. Propheta intuens tantos hoc Ecclesiae tempore specietenus credere quantos nimirunt certum est electorum numerum summamque transire c. Etiam hiad fidem specietenus regni veniunt they who are not of the number of the elect doe beleeue but in shew that they come to the faith of the Kingdome but in shew and in another place that a Ibid. lib. 34. cap. 13. Aurum quod prauis cius persuasionibus sterni quasi lutuÌ„ potuerit aurum ante Dei oculos nunquam suit Qui enim seduci quandeque non reuersuri possunt quasi habitam sanctitatâ—m ante oculos hominum videntur amittere sed eam ante oculos Dei nunquam habuerâ—t the gold which by Satans wicked suggestions commeth to be troden vnder feete like dirt was neuer gold in Gods sight that they who can be seduced neuer to returne againe seeme to lose holinesse which they had after a sort before the eyes of men but indeede neuer had it in the sight of God To be short St. Austin telleth vs that b August de Doct. Christ l. 3. c. 32. Non reuerà Domini corpus est quod cum illo non eâ—it in aeternum it is not indeede and in truth the body of Christ which shall not be with Christ for euer If they only be the true body of Christ which shall abide with him for euer they they only haue true faith whereby we become members of that body and therefore they that fall away as they are no part of the true body of Christ so are voide also of true faith in Christ Now therefore M. Bishop doth amisse in going about to shake the testimony of the spirit to the faithfull by the examples of them that fall away because of all such they learne to say with St. Iohn c 1. Iohn 2. 19. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. But saith he no man doth more plainly or roundly beate downe their presumption who assure themselues of saluation then St. Paul It is true indeede that the Apostle beateth downe the presumption of them who assure themselues only by confidence of outward calling but the assurance which he teacheth and we from him ariseth from the effect and testimony of inward grace If any grow secure and proud vpon opinion that they are members of Christs Church and partakers of his Sacraments neglecting in the meane time that correspondence of duty that belongeth to such profession them it concerneth which the Apostle saith d 1. Cor. 10. 12. He that thinketh he standeth let him take heede least he fall But to true Christian soules humbled in themselues and reioycing in God only the Apostle speaketh farre otherwise e 2. Thess 2. 13. We ought to giue thanks alwaies for you brethren beloued of the Lord because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and faith of truth whereunto he hath called you by our Gospell to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. Now of the first sort it is true that many who haue had the outward state and calling of the Church and members thereof haue beene cut off from the state wherein carnally they haue gloried and reioyced but of them who haue stoode indeede by true faith and sanctification of the holy Ghost neuer any hath fallen away as I haue shewed but as they haue beene partakers of the beginning of the calling of God so they haue had the end also The wordes therefore which M. Bishop citeth of St. Paul to the Romans f Rom. 11. 20. Be not high minded but feare continue in his kindnesse else thou also shalt be cut off are so to be vnderstood as I haue g Of the certainty oâ— saluation sect 10. before shewed as to checke the pride and security of carnall Gospellers and hypocrites but not to impeach the hope and comfort of Gods elect Albeit they haue their vse in respect of them also because they serue God for spurres whereby to stirre vp and pricke forward our dulnesse and to awaken vs from that sleepe which by the drowsinesse of the flesh is oftentimes stealing vpon vs thus to continue the standing of them of whom he hath determined that they shall neuer fall Who because they stand not by their owne strength being in themselues and of themselues as subiect to fall as any other are terrified in respect of themselues by such caueats and admonitions that they may the more in stantly looke and so the more constantly cleaue vnto him by whom only it is that they must stand And to this effect God turneth also the fals of them that doe fall away whom when we haue seene as likely to stand as our selues and yet notwithstanding in the end to forsake Christ and vtterly to perish we are moued thereby not to trust in our selues but to depend vpon God only h Gregor Moral lib. 34. c. 13. Quorum casus vtilitate non modica electorum prosectibus seruit quia illorum lapsum dum conspiciunt de suo statu contremiscunt ruina quae illos damnat istos humiliat Discunt enim in superni adiutoris protectione considere dum plerosque coÌ„ spiciunt de suis viribus â—ecidisse Their fall saith Gregory yeeldeth no small benefit for the fâ—rtherance of the elect because whilest they see the fall of them they tremble as touching their owne state and the ruine which condemneth the one is the humbling of the other For they learne to trust in the defence of him who helpeth from aboue whilest
and subiect to perish if God deale seuerely and strictly with vs if holy men acknowledge and confesse according to truth that they haue nothing to presume of in their owne merits but that they trust only to Gods mercy if amidst our good workes it be by humble prayer and request that wee obtaine the eternall reward where is that worthinesse of workes which M. Bishop pleadeth for and what cause hath he to be angry that we say by the Apostles wordes that our good workes are not worthy of the glory that is to come Or if he will needes be angry let him be angry with Ambrose though not a member yet a neighbour of the Church of Rome who plainly expoundeth the Apostles meaning to be this that k Ambros Epist 22. Vt hortetur ad passionè adiungit quia omnia quae patimur minora sunt indigna quorum pro laboribus tanta rependatur futurorum merces benorum c. all the things that we suffer are too little and vnworthy that for the paines and labours thereof so great reward of future good things should be rendered vnto vs. Which being so we see how vainly M. Bishop dealeth to tell vs a tale how our workes attaine to so great worthinesse when as there is no such worthinesse to be found in them We receiue this dignity saith he by being made members of Christ and by the vertue of Gods grace wherewith our workes are wrought and by the promise of God Where it is wholly idle and impertinent that he mentioneth the promise of God for what hath the promise of God to doe with the merit of man God bindeth himselfe by promise where there is no merit nor any thing whereof to merit yea where there are demerits to giue him cause to forbeare from promising Thus saith St. Austin l August in Psal 109. Quicquid promisit indignis promisit vt noÌ„ quasi operibus merces promitteretur sed gratia à nomine suo gratis daretur quia hoc ipsum quòd iustè viuit in quaÌ„tum homo poâ—est iustè viuere non meriti humani sed beneficij est diuini Whatsoeuer God promised he promised to vs being vnworthy that it might not be promised as a reward to works but being by name grace might accordingly be freely giuen because to liue iustly so farre as man can liue iustly is not a matter of mans merit but of the gift of God And of this promise of God he saith againe that m IdeÌ„ in psal 88. Non secunduÌ„ merita nostra sed secundum miserecordiam illius firma est promissio it is sure not according to our merits but according to his owne mercy Why then doth M. Bishop goe about to build the merit of man vpon the promise of God which is only his free and voluntary mercy As for the grace of God giuen vnto vs by being members of Christ true it is that all our vertue and goodnesse proceedeth therefrom but to say nothing that man cannot be said to merit by that that is the worke of God so farre are we from hauing the iustice of God hereby bound vnto vs in respect of our worthinesse as that God hath rather hereby occasion of quarrell against vs for disgracing those gifts whereby he hath graced vs and for blemishing and staining with our corruptions those good workes which he hath vouchsafed to doe by vs. For as the clearest water hauing a troublesome passage through a muddy and vnwholsome ground contracteth and gathereth the corruption and filth thereof euen so the grace of God hauing a troubled passage through the corrupt nature of man which is continually casting vp the mire and dirt of noisome and sinnefull motions and desires gathereth thereof a soile and filth by reason whereof there proceedeth nothing from man that is not corrupted and defiled Thus Hilary teacheth and is therein approued by Austin that n Hilar. apud August cont Iulian. lib. 2. Memores coÌ„scij corpora nostra vitioruÌ„ omnium esse materieÌ„ pro qua nihil in nobis mundum nihil innocens obtinemus we are to remember that our bodies are the matter of all vices by meanes whereof wee haue nothing in vs innocent nothing cleane o Greg. Mor. l. 1. c. 17. Quid est quod in hac vita sine quauis tenuissimi contagij inquinatione peragatur What is there saith Gregory that can be done in this life without some defilement of secret contagion And againe p Ibid. l. 31. c. 5 Elâ—cti quâ—mdiu in hac vita sunt sine quaÌ„tulocunque culpae contagio esse non possunt The elect so long as they are in this life cannot be without some contagion of sinne Yea q Ibid. l. 32. c. 4 Nullus in hac vita ita perfectus est vt quamlibet Deo deuotus sit inter ipsa quantumcunque pia vota non peccet there is none so perfect in this life saith he howsoeuer deuoted vnto God as that he sinneth not amidst his most holy and religious desires To be short r Ibid. l. 35. c. 16. Si de his diuinitùs districtè discutimur quis inter isâ—a remanet salutis locus quando mala nostra pura malâ— sunt bona quae nos â—abere credimus pura bona esse nequaquam possunt if God doe narrowly sift our doings what place is there left for saluation when as our euill doings are meerely euill but the good things which we beleeue we haue cannot be purely good If our good workes cannot be purely good if all that we doe be polluted and defiled with the contagion of sinne and in all that proceedeth from vs there be found vncleannesse if God by the eye of his seuere iudgement doe strictly view and behold the same then cannot any good workes of ours be truly said to be worthy of the heauenly glory yea they make vs rather obnoxious to censure and punishment if God doe not mercifully remit the defaults of them Neither doe the places by M. Bishop alleaged proue any thing contrary to that we say The first saith only Å¿ 2. Thess 1. 5. That yee may be counted worthy of the Kingdome of God and it is one thing to be worthy in Gods account and acceptation which all the faithfull are in Christ another thing to be worthy by merit and perfection which no man can be Of the former St. Bernard saith t Bernard in dedicat Eccles ser 5 Nos sumus sed ipsius dignatione non dignitale nostra c. Nec dignatio locum habet vbi 〈…〉 rit praesumptiâ— dignitatis We are but it is by Gods dignation or vouchsafing vs aâ— worthy not by our dignity or worthinesse Yea dignation or vouchsafing hath no place saith he where there is a presumption of dignity or worth Of the latter Chrysostome saith u Chrysost ad Coloss homil 2. Nemo talem vitae conuersationem ostendit vt regno dignus esse
blindeth his Reader by compounding those things which for the discerning of the truth are to be diuided For he will not say that single life in it selfe is a caring to please the Lord and to bee holy in body and spirit for then the Vestall Virgins of the Romans and the Hierophantaes of the Athenians and all single persons of all sorts shall be pleasers of the Lord and all holy both in body and spirit If in it selfe it be not so then for it selfe it is not acceptable in Gods sight but the thing which God accepteth is our care to please him and to bee holy and vndefiled before him Now if marriage equall single life in holinesse and care of pleasing God what hindereth in this case but that marriage is as acceptable to God as single life But the Apostle noteth this to be the preferment of single life that wee are thereby for the most part better opportuned to attend the things of God and to doe him seruice being thereby freed from many burdens of cares and troubles wherwith the husband and the wife are commonly much distracted Which notwithstanding must be vnderstood where the gift of continency is had because the fire of an incontinent minde causeth much more entangling of the thoughts and withdrawing of the heart from God then doe any troubles that belong to married estate But doth it follow that because single life giueth greater liberty to serue God therefore single life it selfe is a matter of great merit with God the vow thereof the merit of heauen a worke of great perfection a satisfaction for sinnes both for a mans owne sinnes and for the sinnes of other men This is the merit of single life whereof I spake and which Popery maintaineth and will this foule taile hang to the wordes of the Apostle Are you not ashamed M. Bishop thus to dally and to tell vs one thing when you should proue another It is true that the care of pleasing God and being holy in body and spirit is much more acceptable vnto God then carking for this world and caring how to please a wife but will you hereof conclude a merit of single life Is not single life many times more carefull of the things of the world then marriage and is not the vnmarried often more busied to please his harlot then the husband is to please his wife And will you then argue so absurdly and thus wilfully delude them that are not able to vnderstand you From thence he commeth to Monkish vowes of which he saith that if I were a good Abbot I would speake more respectiuely But an Abbot whether to him good or badde I yeeld them no other respect but to say of them that as Popery hath framed and practised them they are full of sacriledge impiety blasphemie hypocrisie and one of those monstrous abhominations wherewith Antichrist hath defiled the Church of God And what hath he now to say for them Somewhat forsooth St. Paul hath of the vow of chastity which is one of their principall vowes Well let the other vowes sinke or swimme he careth not but being a chast man he will giue vs a proofe for the vow of chastity and that shall be a sure one St. Paul auoueheth saith he certaine widdowes worthy of damnation because they broke the same firmer vow of chastity But what will he thus wilfully belye the Apostle Will he set downe wordes of his owne and make the Reader beleeue that they are the Apostles wordes The Apostle speaketh of some hauing damnation because they had broken the first faith and vvill he dare to turne the first faith into the former vow of chastity As touching this place I haue giuen him such answere b Of vowes sect 7. before as that it is vnpossible for him with any good colour to reply I haue shewed that the first faith here spoken of is the faith and profession of Baptisme and that Athanasius Hierome and Vincentius Lyrinensis by allusion to this place doe so giue vs to vnderstand Moreouer that those young widowes of which the Apostle spake did by liuing in idlenesse fall to wantonnesse and in their new marriages did wholly forsake the faith of Christ I declared further by Chrysostome Ambrose Theophylact that the Apostle seeing such mischiefe to grow of choosing young vvomen to be Church-widomes did wholly disclaime all choise of such and willed that those vvho were already chosen though they had promised to continue single and vnmarried yet for eschewing all danger of the like inconuenience should betake themselues to marriage I haue shewed by Cyprian by Austin Hierome and Epiphanius tha◠they who haue vowed single life if afterwards they cannot or will not containe that it is much better for them to marry then to continue vnmarried What doth hee meane thus to alleage this text againe vvhen it so plainly appeareth by the testimony of so many Fathers that that is false vvhich they vvould gather thereby He vvould hereby proue their Popish vow of single life binding men simply and perpetually from marriage vvhich it appeareth is hereby condemned as a vvicked tyrannie and a cruell vsurpation vpon the consciences of fraile and vnstable men In the next citation hee playeth his prize For proofe of their vowes hee alleageth c Acts 18. 18. that St. Paul shore his head in Cenchris because hee had a vow As well might he alleage the Iewes sacrifices of Buls and Goates to proue their sacrifice of the Masse As well might the Turkes and Saracens alleage d Acts 16. 3. Pauls circumcising of Timothy to proue that it is still lawfull for them to circumcise As well might hee proue that euery woman after her child-birth is to offer a paire of turtle Doues or of young Pidgeons because e Luke 2. 24. the Virgin Mary did so He saith the vow of the Apostle was the vow of a Nazarite and the vow of the Nazarites vvas wholly a ceremony of the law of Moses and will hee goe about to bring the ceremonies of Moses law into the Church of Christ Hath hee not read what Tertullian saith f Tertul. de Praescript sub finem Quis nesciat quoniam Luangelica gratia euacuatur si ad legem Christū redigit Who knoweth not that the grace of the Gospell is made frustrate and voide if it bring Christ vnto the law What doth euery man know this and doth not M. Bishop know it Did he neuer reade that which St. Hierome saith and Austin confirmeth g Aug. Hieron Epist 19. Pronuncias ceremonias Iudaeorum quicunque obseru◠uerit siue ex Judaeis siue ex Gentibus eum in barathrum Diaboli deuolutum Ego hanc vocem tuam omnin◠confirmo Whosoeuer either of the Iewes or Gentiles obserueth the ceremonies of the Iewes he tumbleth himselfe into the Diuels mouth What haue wee then to doe with the vow of the Nazarites that it should bee any confirmation of vowes to be vsed amongst vs But to shew
mandauerunt c. the bodies of the iust and faithfull which the holy Ghost hath vsed for instruments and vessels to all good workes are not to be despised and cast away inferreth that therefore the funerals of the iust of old were with all officious piety regarded their exequies celebrated and their buriall prouided for and they themselues whilest they liued gaue charge to their children for the burying of them or else for transferring them from the place where they were to be buried otherwhere He alleageth examples that Tobie in burying the dead is commended to haue pleased God that our Sauiour Christ commended the good worke of the religious woman which powred the pretious ointment vpon his body as of purpose for his buriall that they are laudably mentioned in the Gospell who tooke the body of Christ from the Crosse and vsed care to haue it diligently and honorably buried And thus Origen professing q Origen coÌ„t Cels lib. 8. Solas rationales animas honorare nouimus earli instrumenta solenni honore sepulturae dignamur Meretur enim rationalis animae domicilium non temerè proijci sicut brutorum cadauera praesertim quod fuit anima benè ac sanctè instrumento suâ— in certaâ—inibus vsae receptâ—culum to honour only the soules endued with reason sheweth what this honour is Their instruments that is their bodies we vouchsafe the solemne honour of buriall For the habitation of the reasonable soule is of more worth then carelesly to be cast away like the carkasses of brute beasts specially that which hath beene the receptacle of a soule that hath in spirituall fights and combates well and holily vsed the body Now if it be the honour that is to be done to the bodies of the Saints to bury them in the ground then is it a barbarous dishonour that is done to them in Popery vnder the name of piety to pull them out of their graues and to rent them in peeces and carry one peece this way and another another way the skull to one place the toe or finger to another one tooth hither and another thither as amongst them hath beene accustomed to be done Wherein how farre they haue departed from the ancient Church of Rome appeareth by Gregory Bishop of Rome who for his time affirmeth that r Gregor lib. 3. Epist 30. In Romanis totius OccideÌ„tis partibus omnino intolerabile est atque sacrilegum si sactorum corpora tagere quisquam fortassè praesumpserit Quod sl praesumpserit certum est quia bâ—c temeritas impunita nullo mâ—do remanebit in the Roman Church and whole Westerne parts it was a thing altogether intollerable and a matter of sacriledge to presume to touch the bodies of the Saints and if any man doe presume so to doe saith he certaine it is that his rashnesse shall by no meanes remaine vnpunished And hauing shewed diuers examples of them who aduenturing too neare to the stirâ—ing or touching of the bodies of some holy persons were thereupon greatly frighted or by death miscarried he concludeth Å¿ Ibid. Quis tam temerarius possit existere vt hâ—c sciens â—orum corpora non dico tangere sed vel aliquatenùs praesumat inspicere Who then knowing these things can be so rash as that he will presume I will not say to touch the bodies of such but in any sort to looke vpon them How is the world now changed in the Church of Rome that they dare not only looke vpon such buryed relikes but pull them out of their graues touch them kisse them carry them about as hath beene before said and will M. Bishop still notwithstanding be so impudent as to say that the religion of the church of Rome is now the same that of old it was For conclusion of this passage he alleageth t Heb. 11. 21. that Iacob adored the toppe of Iosephs rodde which was a signe of his power which he saith giueth all iudicious men to vnderstand that the Images of Saints for their holy representation ought to be respected and worshipped But what a spiâ—e hath the Apostle put him to thus to seeke for Images vpon the toppe of Iosephs rodde What meant he to be so sparing in the behalfe of the Roman Church as that hee would not name so much as one holy man to whom an Image had beene set vp to be worshipped in his name But the Apostle knew no such Marry M. Bâ—shop is able by a Romish art to supply that want by fetching an image out of the toppe of Iosephs rodde He had heard of Garnets image in the straw and hee thought the toppe of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rodde or staffe to bee much more capable of an image But for the bringing of this about hee betaketh himselfe to a translation which is manifestly false the Greeke text not saying that he worshipped the toppe of his rodde but â— he worshipped vpon the toppe of his rodde that is as we translate it hee worshipped God leaning vpon the end or toppe of his staffe This Thomas Aquinas acknowledgeth and telleth vs the whole reason hereof u Tho. Aquin. in Heb. 11. sect 5. Super fastigium vt habetur in Graeco c. Ipse erat senex ideò portabat virgam vel recepit sceptrum Joseph donec iâ—rasset antequam redderet ei adorauit non ipsam virgam nec Joseph vt quidam malè putaueruÌ„t sed ipsum Deum innixus ad cacumen vel super fastigium virgae cius Iacob was an old man saith he and therefore carried a rodde or staffe or else he tooke the scepter of Ioseph vntill Ioseph had sworne namely that he would bury his father in Canaan according to his desire and before he restored it to him he worshipped not the rodde nor Ioseph as some haue thought amisse but God himselfe leaning at the toppe or vpon the toppe of his rodde We neede no more this is enough to dash M. Bishop out of comfort and to bereaue him of all hope to finde any succour for his Images in this place But if any man desire further satisfaction let him see this place handled at large in the question of Images the sixteenth section W. BISHOP §. 5. WIth as great facility and no lesse perspicuity we doe collect out of S. Paul that the Saints in heauen are to be prayed vnto for he doth hartily craue the Rom. 15. ver 30. Romans to helpe him in their prayers and hopeth by the helpe of the Corinthians prayers to be deliuered 2. Cor. 1. ver 11. from great dangers Whence we reason thus If such a holy man as S. Paul was stood in neede of other mens prayers much more neede haue we poore wretches of the prayers of Saints S. Paul was not ignorant how ready God is to heare vs nor of the only mediation of Christ Iesus and yet as high as he was in Gods fauour and as well informed of the office of
mouth full of blasphemic a Syluest Prier cot Luther conclus 56. Indulgentiae non innotuêre nobiâ— authorâ—tate Scripturae sed authoritate Ecclesiae Romanae Romanorumque Pontificum quae maior est Indulgences or Pardons haue not beene knowen to vs by the authority of the Scriptures but by the authority of the Church of Rome and Bishops of Rome which is greater then the Scriptures b Alphons de Cast adu haer lib. 8. tit Indulgentiae Inter omnes res de quibus in hoc opere disputamus nulla est quam minùs apertè sacrae literae prodiderint de qua minùs vetusti scriptores dixerint Et post pro indulgentiarum approbatione sacrae Scripturae testimoniâ— apertum deest There is nothing saith Alphonsus de Castro which the Scriptures haue declared lesse plainly or whereof the old writers haue said lesse There is no plaine testimony of Scripture for the approuing of them And yet M. Bishop no skimmer ouer the Scriptures I warrant you but a man of great obseruation and insight into them will take vpon him to haue found where S. Paul teacheth of Pardons not obscurely or darkely but in very formall termes He citeth to this purpose the wordes of S. Paul concerning the incestuous excommunicated Corinthian now much humbled by repentance and hauing giuen thereof great satisfaction and testimony to the Church c 2. Cor. 2. 10. Whom you haue pardoned any thing I so doe also for my selfe also what I haue pardoned for your sakes I haue done it in the sight of Christ that we be not circumuented of Satan Here he saith that the Corinthians and S. Paul himselfe did giue a pardon he did release some part of the penance of that incestuous Corinthian which is properly to giue pardon or indulgence Iust as well fitted as if he had put a Goose quill to a Wood-cocks taile Hee might euen as well haue alleaged our Bishops as giuers of Popish Pardons because they doe release to men vpon occasion some parts of penance inioyned them for criminall demeanours and had he not made a great speake if he had so done What are we come to vnderstand by the Popes Pardons the releasing of Penitents from the bond of excommunication for the restoring of them againe to the communion of the Church It is true which he saith of this that if S. Paul could so doe S. Peter could doe as much and other principall Pastours of Christs Church haue the same power and authority who doubteth hereof But we speake of a power which the Pope challengeth as proper to himselfe to giue Pardons and Libels of Indulgence or to giue authority to others to giue the same out of the Church treasury of the supererogations of Saints not for absoluing Penitents in foro Ecclesiae but in foro Coeli for releasing of soules from Purgatory and for giuing of them remission for so many dayes or yeares or hundreds or thousands of yeares not only to men for themselues liuing but also for their friends dead and that for doing such and such deuotions or paying so much money for such or such vse or aiding him in his wars against Christian Princes or doing any other worke and seruice that he requireth A lewd and wicked deuise and practise of the Popes of some latter ages and as lewdly coloured by M. Bishop by pretense of that that doth in no sort appertaine vnto it For all that the Apostle intendeth in the words alleaged is that which St. Ambrose briefly expresseth thus d Ambros in 2. Cor. 2. Orat ne adhuc exulcerato aduersum illum animo durum esset illis habere cum illo coÌ„munionem Ecclesiae Hee prayeth them that they would not any longer by a minde exasperated against him bee hard to haue with him the communion of the Church This is the forgiuenesse this is the pardon that he desireth in his behalfe that inasmuch as he hath sufficiently shewed himselfe penitent for his fault they will no longer forbeare to haue Christian society and fellowship with him M. Bishop therefore would neuer haue brought vs this place for Popes Pardons but that by a resolute course of impudency he maketh choise to say any thing rather then to say the truth W. BISHOP §. 8. THe last of M. Abbots instances is That S. Paul saith nothing of traditions wherein hee sheweth himselfe not the least impudent for the Apostle speaketh of them very often Hee desireth the Romans to marke them that make dissentions and scandals Rom. 16. ver 17. contrary to the doctrine which you haue learned and to auoide them but the doctrine that they had then learned before S. Paul sent them this Epistle was by word of mouth and tradition for little or none of the new Testament was then written wherefore the Apostle teacheth all men to be auoided that dissent from doctrine deliuered by Tradition And in the Acts of the Apostles it is of record how S. Paul walking through Syria and Silicia confirming the Churches Commanded Act. 15. vers 41. them to keepe the precepts of the Apostles and of the Ancients Item when they passed through the Citties they deliuered vnto them to keepe the decrees Act. 16. vers 4. that were decreed by the Apostles and Ancients which were at Hierusalem and the Churches were confirmed in faith c. Where it also appeareth that those decrees were made matter of faith and necessary to be beleeued to saluation before they were written Hee doth also charge his best beloued Disciple Timothy To 1. Tim. 6. ver 20 keepe the Depositum that is the whole Christian doctrine deliuered vnto him by word of mouth as the best Authours take it auoiding the prophane nouelty of voices and oppositions of falsly called knowledge Againe he commandeth him to commend to faithfull 2. Tim. 2. vers 2. men the things which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses Was not this to preach such doctrine as he had receiued by Apostolike tradition without writing And further which suppresseth all the vaine cauils of the sectaries he saith Therefore Brethren stand and 2. Thess 2. v. 15. hold the Traditions which you haue learned whether it be by word or by our Epistle where you see that some Traditions went by word of mouth from hand to hand as well as some others were written and were as well to be holden and stood too as the written proceeding from the same fountaine of truth Gods spirit Thus much in answere vnto the instances proposed by M. Abbot which he very ignorantly and insolently auoucheth to haue no proofe or sound of proofe out of S. Paul R. ABBOT HEre M. Bishop playeth the Iugler againe and casteth a mist before his Readers eyes by altering the state of the question betwixt vs and them For the question is not whether the doctrine of truth haue beene at any time deliuered by Tradition that is by word of mouth without writing but whether
after the old and new Testament written and the Canon of the Scriptures established and confirmed there bee any thing further to bee receiued for doctrine of faith and truth appertaining to saluation that is not contained in the Scriptures Tradition as he here speaketh thereof is confounded with Scripture because it is one and the same doctrine first preached by word of mouth and afterwards committed to writing in the Scripture but Tradition as we question it is diuided against Scripture and importeth doctrine ouer and beside that which is now taught vs by the Scriptures We know well that the doctrine of saluation vntill the time of Moses was only taught by word of mouth but is that an argument to proue that now that wee haue the Scriptures we must also receiue vnwritten Traditions besides the Scriptures Nay when it seemed good to the wisedome God to commit his word to writing hee would not doe it in part only but fully and perfectly so that a Exod. 34. 4. Moses wrote all the wordes of the Lord and said of that which he wrote b Deut. 12. 32. What I command thee that only shalt thou doe vnto the Lord thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom Therefore although the word of God were afterwards also deliuered by word of mouth in the Preachings and Sermons of the Prophets yet were they in their Sermons to preach no other doctrine neither did they but what had authority and warrant by Moses law Now their Sermons being also written for exposition and application of the law of Moses and a further supply added of the Scriptures of the Apostles and Euangelists how much more ought we to content our selues with the Scriptures without adding to them or taking from them receiuing and beleeuing only those things that we are taught thereby as being assured of that which the Scriptures themselues teach that c 2. Tim. 3. 15. the Scriptures are able to make a man wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus Hereby then appeareth M. Bishops fallacy in the citing of those texts which he hath here alleaged St. Paul willed the Romans d Rom. 16. 17. to marke and auoide them that made dissensions and scandals contrary to the doctrine which they had learned True it is and what then But the doctrine saith he which they had then learned before St. Paul sent them this Epistle was by word of mouth and Tradition for little or none of the new Testament was then written Marke what he saith before St. Paul sent them this Epistle for hereby hee in a manner acknowledgeth that St. Paul comprised in this Epistle the doctrine which they had before learned by Tradition The Apostles intendment then appeareth plainly to be this that they should shunne those which dissented from the doctrine which they had hitherto learned by Tradition that is by preaching and word of mouth the summe whereof he had now sent them written in this Epistle that they might henceforth learne to shunne them that dissented from the same doctrine deliuered to them in the Scriptures How ill-fauouredly then doth M. Bishop argue out of these wordes that we are now to receiue other doctrines then are contained in the Scriptures There can no argument be rightly framed out of that text whereof it can be any harme to vs to grant the conclusion If he will set it in due order it must be this The doctrine which the Romans had learned they had learned hitherto by Tradition but the Apostle teacheth them to auoide such as dissented from the doctrine which they had learned therefore he teacheth them to auoide such as dissented from the doctrine which they had hitherto learned by Tradition This we grant and what will he conclude thereof Surely if he will inferre any thing against vs hee must goe on and say But they learned somewhat then by Tradition which is not since deliuered in the Scriptures Which if hee will say wee require proofe of it and the text which he here alleageth will yeeld none We say that the whole doctrine which the Apostles first deliuered by Tradition and word of mouth they committed afterwards to writing ech his part as God inspired and directed for comprehending of the whole Seeing therefore they were tyed to shunne all that dissented from the doctrine receiued by the Tradition and Preaching of the Apostles wee hauing the same doctrine contained in the Scriptures are likewise tyed to shunne all doctrine that hath not testimony of the Scriptures Albeit it is here further to be noted how rashly M. Bishop saith that the doctrine which the Romans had learned they learned only by Tradition and word of mouth inasmuch as the Apostle telleth vs that the Gospell as it e Rom 1. 2. was promised in the Scriptures of the Prophets so was also f Rom. 16. 26. preached by the Scriptures of the Prophets so that St. Luke telleth vs that the noble Iewes of Berhea hearing the Apostles preaching g Acts 17. 11. searched the Scriptures daylie whether those things were so and that our Sauiour Christ when he sent them forth to preach h Luke 24. 45. opened their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures that so they might be enabled for their preaching I haue i Chap. 4. §. 5. before shewed out of Gregory and others that the whole faith which the Apostles preached they receiued from the Scriptures of the Prophets and therefore they deliuered not the Gospell only by Tradition but what they taught they confirmed by the Scriptures So then the Apostles admonition to the Romans will fall out to be this that they should auoide them that dissented from the doctrine which they had learned by the Scriptures though not yet by the Scriptures of the new Testament yet by the Scriptures of the old k Luke 24 27. 44. the law of Moses the Prophets and the Psalmes l Aug. cont 2. Gaudent lipist l. 2. cap. 23. Quibus Dominus testimonium perhibet tanquam testibus suis which Christ named for his witnesses and whereof he said m John 5 39. Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they are they that testifie of me The two next proofes which hee bringeth are such as that he iustly deserueth to be dubbed for them It is of record saith he how St. Paul n Acts 15. 41. walking through Syria and Cilicia confirming the Churches commanded them to keepe the precepts of the Apostles and of the Ancients and o Acts 16. 4. when they passed through the Cities they deliuered vnto them to keepe the decrees that were decreed by the Apostles and Ancients which were at Hierusalem and the Churches were confirmed in the faith And what hereof It appeareth saith he that those decrees were made matter of faith and necessary to be beleeued to saluation before they were written Yea were But did not you know M. Bishop that
in all these places by his sufferings to satisfie for their sinnes or to purchase saluatioâ— for them Nay but to confirme and strengthen them in the faith of Christ whereby they should attaine forgiuenesse of sinnes and saluation to encourage and comfort them to beare the Crosse of Christ and to suffer in the same-sort because that is our way to come to Christ the Apostle adding immediately in the place to Timothy e Vers 11. It is a true saying that if we be dead with him we shall also liue with him if we suffer with him we shall also raigne with him To be short to the same purpose St. Iohn saith f 1. Iohn 3. 16. Christ hath laid downe his life for vs therefore ought we also to lay downe our liues for the brethren namely as St. Austin expoundeth it g Aug. in Ioan. tract 47. Sic nos debemus ad â—dificandamplebem ad fidem offerendam animaâ— pro fratribus ponere for the confirmation of the faith for the edification of the people of Christ and h Idem in 1. Ioan. tract 5. Nolite dubitare mâ—ri pro confessione veritatis vt caeteri vos imitentur doubt not saith he againe to die for the confession of the truth that others may imitate and follow you I doe thee wrong gentle Reader to trouble thee here againe with so long answere to these wordes I referre thee to the place before quoted where thou shalt finde more large and full satisfaction concerning the same M. Bishop addeth further that Paul gloried in preaching the Gospell i 1. Cor. 9. 15. of free cost which was a worke of supererogation Workes of supererogation they call those which haue no commandement of God to binde vs to the doing of them but they are wholly subiect to the election and will of man adding great perfection to a man if he doe them but leauing him still in the state of iustice and righteousnesse though he doe them not But this worke of the Apostle is not a worke of that sort because as the case then stood if he had done otherwise then he did he had failed in his loue to God and in the care that he was to haue of the successe of the Gospell of Christ It is true indeede that k 1. Cor. 9. 14. the Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospell should line of the Gospell and hath giuen them liberty and authority to require and take a retribution of things belonging to the vse and necessity of this present life But this as all other l 2. Cor 13. 10. power is giuen of the Lord for edification and not for destruction and therefore where the vse thereof standeth not with edification but tendeth rather to destruction it concerneth a man in his duty of fidelity towards God to for beare his liberty and to abridge himselfe of claiming that which otherwise were lawfull for him And this was the Apostles case who seeing that by his receiuing maintenance of the Corinthians he should grow obnoxious to the slander of the false Apostles and that likely to proue to the great disaduantage of the Gospell of Christ chose rather to supply his wants by the labour of his hands and by the beneuolence of other Churches and so to preach the Gospell without being chargeable vnto them that so there might be no let to the passage of it All this the Apostle himselfe signifieth when hee saith in the place cited m 1. Cor. 9. 12. Wee haue not vsed this power but doe suffer all things that we should not hinder the Gospell of Christ that is saith Primasius n Primas in 1. Cor. 9. Ne illi quibus Euangelizamus per not offendant aduersarijs accepta occasione deuorantibus Sic Hiâ— ron ibid. that they to whom we preach offend not by our meanes whilest the aduersaries hereby take occasion to deuour them And againe o Vers 18. I make the Gospell of Christ free from cost that I abuse not mine authority in the Gospell Had it beene no fault to abuse his authority in the Gospell Had it beene no fault to hinder the Gospell of Christ when it lay in his power though with some wrong to himselfe to doe otherwise If this could not be without fault then the Apostles preaching the Gospell of free cost was here a necessary duty neither could he in this case otherwise doe without breach of that trust that was committed vnto him by Iesus Christ The application that St. Ambrose maketh of this example cleareth the matter very fully p Ambros in 1. Cor. 9. Forma vult esse caeteris vt vbi vident noÌ„ expedire etiam licitis non vtantur si quo minuâ— de licitâ— fient rei quod sic sumunt vt ad detrimentum proficiat The Apostle saith he will be an example to others to forbeare the vse of things lawfull where they see the same not to be expedient or if not euen by that that is lawfull they become offendours by taking the same so as groweth to detriment and hurt He alludeth to that which the same Apostle saith in another place q 1. Cor. 10. 23. All things are lawfull for me but all things are not expâ—dient all things are lawfull for me but all things edifie not giuing to vnderstand that things absolutely lawfull when by a circumstance or vpon occasion they fall out not to be expedient become thereby so farre forth vnlawfull And r August de adulterin coniug lib. 1. c. 18. Tunc noÌ„ exâ—edit id quod licitum est quando permittitur quidem sed vsus ipsius potestatisaliâ—s affert impedinentum salutis then saith Austin is that not expedient which is lawfull when it is permitted or left to our power but the vse of this power causeth to others a hinderance of saluation In which case to relinquish our power and to remit our liberty of things lawfull is not a worke of supererogation but a duty of charity which Å¿ 1. Cor. 13. 5. seeketh not her owne only but regardeth what may stand with the profit and saluation of our brethren Neither is there only herein an office or duty of charity towards men but also towards God who requiring vs t Luke 10. 27. to loue him with all our heart with all our soule with all our minde with all our strength bindeth vs thereby to vse all our power and to apprehend and entertaine all meanes and occasions to further and aduance the glory of God u Leo in Ieiun sept mens ser 5. â— In nullo nos vult ab amoris suivinculis relaxari In nothing saith he will he haue vs to be released from the bonds of his loue x Greg. Mor. l. 10. c. 4. Vt qui perfâ—ctè Dâ—o placere dâ—sideret sibi de se â—ihil relinquaâ— He will haue a man saith Gregory leaue himselfe nothing of himselfâ— The Apostle therefore in preaching the
Gospell to the Corinthians of free cost though he omitted therein a liberty which God by speciall prouision and ordinance hath yeelded in that case yet the occasion waighed where he did it he did no more then in generality of duty God requireth and commandeth who will haue his fauours so to be a commodity vnto vs as that they be no wrong to him and our liberty so to be vrged and vsed as may stand with charity that it bee not a snare to our brethren or a wound to them whom wee should seeke to heale M. Bishop therefore is yet to seeke for his workes of supererogation St. Paul will yeeld him no helpe for them and a simple man would I hold him for alleaging this text for the proofe thereof but that I know he is tyed to goe that way that other Roman Hackneis haue gone before him Next and for conclusion he commeth to the Sacraments and although he cannot bring colour for their whole fiue superadded Sacraments yet he sheweth his good will by alleaging somewhat for two of them but still hath ill happe and commeth too short of the marke that he aymeth at For marriage he alleageth the wordes of St. Paul as commonly they doe y Ephes 5. 32. This is a great Sacrament Sacrament say they out of their vulgar Latin whereas considering the vse of the word Sacrament that now is they should rather say mysterie or secret as we doe Albeit if the very word Sacrament in their vulgar translation be sufficient to proue a Sacrament in that sense wherein the number of Sacraments is questioned betwixt vs and them they may tell vs of a greater number then now they doe and adde z Ephes 1. 9. the Sacrament of the will of God a Ephes â— 9. the Sacrament hidden from the ages past b 1. Tim. 3. 16 the Sacrament of Godlinesse c Apoc. 1. 20. the Sacrament of seuen Starres d Apoc. 17. 7. the Sacrament of the woman sitting vpon the Beast and sundry other of which their interpreter vseth the word Sacrament as well as hee doth concerning Marriage But the Masters of Rhemes acquit themselues in this behalfe affirming that e Rhem. Testam Annot. Ephes 5. 32. they doe not gather this only of the word Mysterie in Greeke or Sacrament in Latin both which they say they know haue a more generall signification and that in the Scriptures also which being so how idlely doth M. Bishop deale only to bring vs the very word for proofe that Matrimony is one of the Sacraments properly so called of the grace of Christ But the greater is his fault and the fault of his fellowes also in drawing this text to that purpose inasmuch as the Apostle expresly declareth that the mysterie or secret which he intendeth is concerning Christ and his Church This is a great mysterie but I speake concerning Christ and his Church that is saith Hierome in his lesser Commentary f Hieron in Ephes 5. Ego hoc inquit in Christo intelligendum dico in Ecclesia I say that this is to be vnderstood in Christ and in the Church And thus Leo Bishop of Rome wholly vnderstandeth it saying g Leo Epist 22. Quicunque in Christo non confitetur corpus humanum nouerit se mysterio incarnationis indignum nec eius Sacramenti habere consortium quod Apostolus praedicat dicens Quia membra sumus corporis eius c. Et exponeâ—s quid per hoc significaretur adiecit Sacramentum hoc magnum est ego autem dico in Christo in Ecclesia Whosoeuer confesseth not in Christ an humane body let him know himselfe vnworthy of the mysterie of the incarnation and that he hath no participation or fellowship of that Sacrament whereof the Apostle speaketh saying for we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones for this shall a man leaue Father and Mother and shall cleaue to his wife and they two shall be one flesh and expounding what was signified hereby he addeth This is a great Sacrament but I speake of Christ and of the Church He vseth the word Sacrament as the Latin Fathers commonly doe as it extendeth to all things that are mysticall and spirituall but as touching the place is so farre from conceiuing Marriage here intended to be made a Sacrament as that he referreth the Sacrament or secret here spoken of altogether to the mystâ—â—ie of the incarnation and the spirituall coniunction and vnion betwixt Christ and his Church To the very same effect speaketh St. Austin and much more to the purpose because he toucheth the very point in hand h August in Ioan. Tract 9. Illud vnum quatum mysterium de Christo continet quod praedicat Apostolus dicens Et erunt duo in carne vna Sacramentum hoc magnum est Et nequis istam magnitudinem Sacramenti in singulis quibusque hominibus vxores habentibus intelligeret Ego aâ—tem dico in Christo c. Quod est hoc Sacramentum magnum Erunt duo in carne vna Cum de Adam Bua Scriptura Geneseos loqueretur vnde ventum est ad haec verba Propterea â—â—linquet homo patrem c. That one thing which the Apostle mentioneth saying They two shall â—e one flesh this is a great Sacrament how great a mysterie doth it containe concerning Christ And that no man should vnderstand this greatnesse of Sacrament in all men that haue wiues he saith But I speake of Christ and of the Church What is this great Sacrament saith he They two shall be one flesh Marry when the Scripture of Genesis spake that whence it proceedeth to those wordes for this cause shall a man leaue Father and Mother c. In which wordes wee see that St. Austine is so farre from M. Bishops Popish construction and application of this Text as that hee plainely denyeth the matter of Sacrament here spoken of to appertaine to the common Marriage of Men and Women and referreth the same wholly vnto Christ and his Church figured and resembled in our first Parents Adam and Eue and that in some things proper to them only Hereto belongeth that which hee saith i Ibid. Paulò pòst Dormit Adam vt fiat Eua moritur Christus vt fiat Ecclesia Dormienti Adâ— fit Eua de latere mortuo Christo lancea percutitur latus vt proâ—luant SacrameÌ„ta quibus formetur Ecclesia Adam sleepeth that Eue may be made and that the Church may bee made Christ dyeth Whilest Adam sleepeth Eue is made for him out of his side and the side of Christ being now dead is striken through with a speare that the Sacraments may issue forth by which the Church is framed Whereof Leo also addeth in the place before cited k Leo vt supr Quae de Sponsi â—arne prodijt quando ex latere crucifixi manaÌ„te sanguine aqua Sacramentum redemptionis regenerationis accepit The Church came out
of the flesh of her Bridegroome when bloud and water issuing out of the side of him being Crucified shee receiued the Sacrament of redemption and regeneration Where when they teach as the rest of the Fathers doe that the Sacraments of grace whereby the Church is framed issued after a sort out of the side of Christ and doe note which of it selfe is plaine that two only Sacraments in water and bloud issued out of the side of Christ the Sacrament of regeneration in Baptisme and the Sacrament of redemption in the Lords supper they giue vs plainly to vnderstand that there are only two Sacraments properly so called which are the seales of grace and of the righteousnesse of faith and therefore that the Popish addition of fiue Sacraments whereof they name Matrimony for one is vtterly to be exploded And wee may further question with them as touching Marriage namely how it standeth or with what reason that it should be with them a Sacrament a holy institution a sacred action ministring grace of iustification and yet should withall in respect of their Clergie and Monkery be vnholy and prophane Gregory of Valentia telleth vs and so doth Bellarmine that l Gregor de Valent. de coeli baâ—t cap. 5. Consuetudo conâ—ugalis etsi per se ipsa peccatum noÌ„ sit tamen turpitudinem qâ—anda atque pollutionem ex peccato pâ—ouenientem habet c. Maioris sactitatis gradus decet cosqui sanctâ—ssimum sacrificiumtractatâ—â—i sunt IdeÌ„ Bellar. l. de Cler. c. 19. the company of Man and Wife though it be not sinne in it selfe yet hath a turpitude and pollution proceeding of sinne and that a greater degree of holinesse becommeth them that are to meddle with the holy sacrifice But how then doth another puney Iesuit tell vs that m Answere to Bels challenge art 3. ch 1. §. 9. lawfull copulation is a good worke and giueth grace and is meritorious and impetratorious of Gods fauour and reward yea that it is the consummation of a Sacrament for n Ibid. §. 8. though Marriage haue the essence saith he yet hath it not the perfection of a Sacrament before copulation o Ibid. §. 10. it beginneth to be a Sacrament by the mutuall consent of the parties but it is perfected by their copulation What is it a good worke sacramentall meritorious of grace and reward and yet is there in it turpitude and pollution Albeit we much more wonder that thus affirming of coniâ—gall copulation they tell vs notwithstanding that p Coster Enchir cap. 15. Sacerdos si fornicetur aut domi coâ—cubinam foâ—eat etsi graui sacrilegio sâ—se obstringat grauius tâ—men peccat si contrahat matrimonium a Priest if he commit fornication or keepe a concubine at home though he commit great sacriledge therein yet sinneth more grieuously if he marry a wife What is open sinne more tollerable in their Priests then a holy Sacrament can Priest-hood stand with fornication and can it not stand with the meritorious and sacramentall worke of Marriage haue they beene content in this behalfe to winke at filthinesse and vncleannesse and to giue tolleration of it when they haue in the meane time condemned the ordinance of God May I not here say as Saluianus of old said q Saluian de prouident Dei lib. 5. Quid agâ—s stulta persuasio peccata interdixit Deus non matrimonia What meanest thou O fond conceipt God hath forbidden sinnes he hath not forbidden Marriage What M. Bishop is this your making of marriage a Sacrament Giue me leaue to tell you as the truth is the Diuell himselfe yea all the Diuels in hell could not deuise to bring Gods holy institution into contempt or to giue way and furtherance to filthinesse and vncleannesse more cunningly then you haue done Your next pretended proofe is that holy Orders is a Sacrament because St. Paul saith that grace was giuen to Timothy by the imposition of the hands of Priest-hood The wordes of the Apostle are r 1. Tim. 4. 14. Despise not the gift or grace that is in thee which was giuen thee by prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbyterie or Eldership To which those other wordes are answerable which he vseth afterwards Å¿ 2. Tim. 1. 6. I put thee in remembrance to stirre vp the gift or grace that is in thee by the putting on of my hands Where we see well what the Apostle â—aith but how M. Bishop should from hence conclude that there is a Sacrament of Order we cannot see For as for the grace whereof the Apostle speaketh it is manifest that it is a grace or gift of calling and office not any sacramentall or iustiâ—ying grace So speaketh he otherwhere t Rom. 12. 6. seeing we haue graces or gifts that are diuers according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs whether prophesie or office or teaching or exhorting c. so againe u Ephes 4. 11. Christ ascending gaue gifts vnto men some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and Teachers signifying that hee appointed these callings and raised vp men fuâ—nished with correspondent gifts and graces for the edification of his Church Of such gifts St. Peter exhorteth x 1. Pet. 4. 10. Let euery man as he hath receiued the gift so minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifold grace of God Such a gift such a grace Timothy had receiued by being called to be an Euangelist and indued with gifts of the holy Ghost for the fulfilling of the worke thereto belonging Thus Theophylact expoundeth it y Theophyl in 1. Tim. c. 4. Doctrinae hoc loco gratiam dicit quam ille cum Episcopi munere fungeretur accepit Hee meaneth the grace of teaching which he receiued when he should performe the office of a Bishop So Primasius z Primas ibid. Neglâ—git gratiaÌ„ qui acceptum talentum non exercet c. Cum ordinatione acceperat gratiam vel docendi vel intelligendi He neglecteth this grace who doth not exercise the talent which he hath receiued Timothy with ordination receiued the grace either of teaching or vnderstanding In like sort Oecumenius a Oecumen ibid. Gratiam hoc est doctrinaÌ„ vel Episcopi munus nam gratiae Dei erat quòd iuuenis meruisset Pastor fieri Grace that is doctrine or the office of a Bishop for it was of the grace of God that he being young attained to be made a Pastour Ambrose also speaketh to the same effect b Ambros ibid Si rector popult ab his dissimulat negligit gratiam dâ—tam sibi If the guide of the people faile to teach and exhort he neglecteth the grace that is giuen to him By all these it appeareth that the grace here meant is only a temporary gift belonging to the exercise of a function in the Church giuen in those times miraculously and in extraordinary wise so as that the same was
M. Bishop shew you selfe a man of your word let vs see that which you say is deduced out of Gods word for as for the exposition of the Fathers it auaileth not if it be not deduced out of the word of God Hee is dumbe and can say no more if you will take the Fathers exposition for a deduction out of Gods word be it so otherwise deduce he that can for M. Bishop can deduce nothing Albeit let vs aske him who be those ancient Fathers that haue expounded the Roman Church to be the Rocke vpon which the Church is built What M. Bishop are you afraid to name them Though you set not downe their words yet did not leisure serue you to quote them in the margent of your book that we might take knowledge of them It is true that St. Peter is sometimes termed the Rocke vpon which the Church was built but who euer said that the Rock is the Church of Rome or that the Church is built vpon the Roman Church The truth is that he belieth the Fathers and fathereth vpon them that which they neuer meant The Rocke vpon which Christ would build his Church is often by the Fathers expounded to be Christ himselfe and the true faith confession of Christ e Aug. de verb. Dom. serâ— 13. Super hanc Petram quam confessus es super hanc petraÌ„ quam cognouisti diceâ— Tu es Christus c. adisicabâ— Ecclesiam med id est super meipsum fiâ—ium Dei viui c. Vpon this Rocke which thou hast confessed saith Austin vpon this Rocke which thou hast acknowledged saying Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church that is vpon my selfe being the sonné of the liuing God f Hilar. de Trinit lib. 6. Super banc confessionis Petram Ecclesiâ— aedificatiâ— est c Haec fides Ecclesiae fundamentum est per hanc fidem infirma aduersus cam sunt portae inferorum hâ—c fides regni câ—lestis babet â—lâ—ues c. Vpon this Rocke of confession faith Hilary is the building of the Church This faith is the foundation of the Church by this faith the gates of hell preuaile not against it this faith hath the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen c. Chrysostome saith g Chrysost in Math. hom 56. Super hanc Petram id est fideÌ„ confessionem Vpon this Rocke that is this faith and confession Theodoret likewise expoundeth it h Theodor. in Cant. l. 2. PetraÌ„ appellat fidei pietatem veritatis professionâ— c. the piety of faith the profession of truth Anâ—brose saith i Ambros in Ephâ— c. 2. Super hanc petram c. id est in hac Catholicae fidei confessione statuam fideles ad vitam Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church that is in this confession of the Catholike faith will I stablish the faithfull vnto life and againe that those wordes of the Apostle k Ibid. In quo omnis structura c. Hic sensus est vnde Dominus aâ—t super hanc petram c. In him that is in Christ all the building is coupled together c. are the sense and meaning of that which the Lord saith vpon this Rocke will I build my Church And thus the whole number of the Bishops of Palestina in the Councell of Chalcedon vnderstood it l Epist Iuuenal Episc Palest in append Concil Chalced. Super hanc confessionem roberata est Ecclesia Dei Vpon this confession the Church of God is confirmed and strengthened By many other such like expositions of the ancient Fathers it may appeare that Christ Iâ—SVS euen the true faith of Christ for Christ is nothing to vs but by faith is the true Rocke whereupon the Church is builded that the gates of hell may not preuaile against it And to this St. Iohn accordeth m 1. Iohn 5. 4. 5. This is the victory that ouercommeth the world 〈◊〉 our faith for who is it that ouercommeth the world but he that beleeueth that Iesus is the sonne of God If Christ then be the Rocke by faith in him how falsly doth M. Bishop deale to foist in the Roman Church in steede of Christ or of the faith of Christ Now if Christ properly and truly be the Rocke then it can be but accidentally and vnproperly that Peter is so called only in respect of his doctrine and example of faith expressed and vttered in his confession n Math. 16. 16. Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God As Abraham is o Esa 51. 1. the Rocke from whence we are hewed so is Peter the Rocke whereupon we are built not for that either of them conferreth any thing to vs but only for that they stand before vs for patternes of imitation whereto we are to conforme our selues that togither with them we may be builded vpon the true Rocke p 1. Cor. 3. 11. that foundation beside which no other may be laid which is Iesus Christ. But in this Peter was not alone the rest of the Apostles as well as hee q Iohn 6. 69. beleeuing and knowing that Iesus was Christ the sonne of the liuing God Yea and in the place where Peter vttereth that confession as the question was asked of all the Apostles Whom say yee that I am so we must vnderstand also and so St. Austin affirmeth that r Augustin in Psal 88. Respondens Petrus pro omnibus vnus pro vnitate Peter answered for all one for vnity and consequently that all being in the like case the wordes which Christ returneth though in token of vnity vttered to one yet in that vnity did appertaine to all Therefore by the words there spoken to Peter Hiâ—rome concludeth that Å¿ Hieron in Amos lib. 3. c. 6. Petra christus est qui donauit Apostolis suiâ— vt ipsi quoque Petra vocentur Tu es Petrus super hac petram c. Christ the Rocke gaue not to one only Apostle but to his Apostles that they also should be called Rocks And in like sort Origen conceiueth it when he saith t Origen in Math. cap. 16. Quod si super vnum illum Petrum tantum existimas â—dificari totaâ— Ecclesiam quid dicturus es de Ioanne filio tonitrâ—i Apoâ—lolorâ—â— vnâ— quoque Quin alioqui num audebimus dicere quòd aduersus Petrum vnum noÌ„ prâ—ualiturâ— sinâ— portâ— inferorâ— aduensus caeleros auâ—â— Apostolos praeualiturae sinâ— ac noÌ„ potius in omnibus singuliâ—â—orum fit illud quod dictum est super 〈◊〉 Petram c. Quòd si dictum hoc Tiâ—i dabo claues c. câ—teris quoque commune est cur non simul omnia quae prius dicta sâ—nt quae sequuntâ—r 〈◊〉 ad Petrum dicta sunt omnium communia If thou thinke that the Church was built vpon Peter only what wilt thou say of Iohn the sonne of thunder euery of the Apostles shal we dare
a Genes 14. 18. hee brought forth bread and wine and that as Ambrose and Hierome say out of the Hebrew writers b Ambros ad Hebr. cap. 7. Hieron ad Euagr Nec mirum si Melchâ—zedec victori Abraham obuiam processerit in reseâ—â—ion em tam ipsius quam pugnatorum eius panesâ—â—mumque protulerit For the refreshing of him and his souldiers in which meaning c Ioseph Anâ—iq Iudaic. l. 1. â— 11. Milites Iosephus namely Abrahami hospitalitèr habuit nihil â—is ad victum decsse passus doth vnderstand it And if M. Bishop will needes haue it translated by the word of offering as his fellowes are wont greatly to wrangle to that intent yet Ambrose so also applyeth it that d Ambros de Sacram. l. 4. c. 3. Occurrit illi Melâ—lnsedec Sacâ—rdos â—btulit ei paâ—â—e vinii he offered to Abraham bread and wine thereby excluding all necessity of construction of sacrifice to God But if yet we shall perforce take it of offering to God we conceiue of it according to that which Cyprian saith thatâ— e Cyprian l. 2. Ep. 3. Domiâ—uâ— noster Iesus Christus Sacrificium Dâ—o Patri obtulit obtulit hoc idâ—m quod Melchisedec obtulâ—rat id est panem vinii suâ—â— scilicet corpus sanguineÌ„ our Lord Iesus Christ offering a sacrifice to God the Father offered the very same that Melchisedec had offered that is bread and wine euen his owne body and bloud If the sacrifice of Christ and Melchisedecke be the very same and Melchisedecke also offered the body and bloud of Christ as these words import then cannot our sacrifice be a true and real sacrifice of Christs body and bloud because Melchisedecks was not so Christ as yet not hauing taken his body and bloud and therefore must both that and this be vnderstood to be only the mysterie and signification thereof And this interpretation of the sacrifice on both sides Hierome confirmeth when of our Sauiour Christs institution of the Sacrament he saith f Hieron in Mat. 26. Assumit panem ad verum Paschae traÌ„sgreditur Sacramentum vâ— quomodo in praefiguratione eius Melchisedec suÌ„mi Dei Sacerdos panem vinii offerens fecerat ipse quoque veritatem sui corpâ—ris sanguiniâ— repraesentaret Christ taketh bread and goeth to the true Sacrament of the Passeouer that as Melchisedec the Priest of the high God in prefiguring of him offering bread and wine had done so he himselfe also might represent the truth of his body and bloud There is therefore both in the one and in the other not the very truth of the body and bloud of Christ but only a representation of the truth thereof euen as Chrysostome on the one side expresseth when he saith that g Chrys Op. imperfec hom 11 Haec vasa sactificata inquibus non â—st verii coâ—pus Christi sed mysterium corporis eius continetur in the holy vessels is contained not the true body of Christ but the mysterie of his body And vnlesse it be thus it cannot stand which Ambrose concerning this offering of Melchisedec saith that h Ambros de Sacram. l. 4. c. 3. Intellige Sacramenta quâ— accipis anteriâ—ra esse quà m sint Moysi Sacramenta c. the Sacraments which we receiue are more ancient then the Sacraments of Moses for how can that be if our Sacraments be truly and really the body and bloud of Christ which Melchisedecks were not Againe where God by Malachy saith i Mat. 1. 11. In euery place incense shall be offered vnto me and a pure offering whose eyes are so sharpe as that in those words he can discerne the Popish sacrifice of the Masse We reade here of incense and a pure offering but this roome is too little for the building of so large a house their Masse cannot stand within the compasse of this ground And when we consider how the Fathers expound the same Tertullian one where generally of k Tertul. adu ludaeos Desacrisicijs spiritualibus addit dicens In omni loco sacrificia munda offerâ—tur spirituall sacrifices another where of l Idem cont Marc. l. 4. Sacrificium mundum scilicet simplex oratio de conscientia pura sincere prayer out of a pure censcience Hierome of m Hieron in Zacha. c 8. Sacrificium mundum nequaquam in victimis veteris Testamenti sed in sanctuate Euangelica puritatis the sanctity and holinesse of Euangelicall purity Eusebius of n Euseb de demonstrat Euang lib. 1. c 6. Sacrificium quod appellaturpurum facimus per puras actiones pure and godly doings Austin of o Aug. cont lit Petil. l. 2. c. 86. Viuum Sacrificium de quo dictum est Immola Deo sacrificium laudis the liuely sacrifices of praise and thanks-giuing Theodoret of p Theodoret. in Mal. c. 1. Debitum honorem praestabuÌ„t accomodatum cultum adhibebunt the due honour and conuenient worship of God exemplifying the same by the words of Christ q John 4. 23. The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth and by the words of the Apostle r 1. Tim. 2. 8. Let men pray euery where lifting vp pure hands without wrath or doubting and Hierome by the words of the Psalme Å¿ Psal 141. 2. Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense and the lifting vp of my hands as an euening sacrifice these things I say considered may we not be thought to be out of our wits if we shall beleeue them that the place must needes be vnderstood of their monstrous sacrifice That Manna was a type of the body of Christ no Christian man doubteth but that it was a type of Christs body as really in the Sacrament no wise man beleeueth and the reason wherby t Answere to M. Perkins Aduertisement sect 56. See the Confutation elsewhere he goeth about to proue it is there declared to be vaine So haue I also u Of Traditions sect 21. formerly shewed that the example of the high Priest amongst the Iewes giueth no manner warrant to the supreme authority of one head ouer the whole Christian Church that the high Priest amongst the Iewes had no such supremacy as they claime to the Pope that reason teacheth such a supremacy to be the manifest and certaine danger of the Church and experience hath found it to be the very ruine and desolation thereof As for their according with the Iewish ceremonies in consecrating of Priests and hallowing of Churches and Altars and Vestments c. it is a slender proofe for the finding of their religion amongst the Iewes because they haue borrowed many ceremonies from the Pagans also and yet they will not say that their religion was amongst the Pagans Their emuâ—aâ—â—on of those ceremonies we iustly cry out against as preposterous and absurd because they being as M. Bishop saith types and figures of the law of