the Books of holy Scripture were written by such particular men as they belieue the Workes of Plato Tullie Linie to be theirs but that those men were endued with an vniuersall infallibilitie euen in writing Scripture they neither doe nor can affirme but rather reach the (n) Volk l. 5. c. 5. contrarie Neither yet doth their impietie stay here but one of them dares (o) Io. Crellius lib. de Deo Attributis eius c. 24. affirme that God could not know from Eternitie futura contingentia such things as doe proceede from Free-Will and election which is in effect to take away all infallible predictions prophecies of voluntarie free actions And out of this grosse errour some other more open Socinian will proceed to the deniall of God himselfe For how can God be and be God ans yet be ignorant of any thing that is possible past present or to come If you aske these men what they meane by the true Church they must answer that there is no other true Church but all Mankinde as it agrees in the light of naturall reason and that there is no other authoritie to which a man is obliged to submit If againe you inquire in what Heresie doth indeed consiste they replie that it consistes only in opposing the dictamen or iudgement of a man 's owne reason They might as well say in plaine termes There is no such thing as Christians are wont to call Heresie For it is impossible that a man iudge contrarie to that which he iudgeth Intellectus non est hypocrita Our vnderstanding cannot play the hypocrite with it self A man's hands lookes words or writing may belie his thoughts and make him deserue the name of dissembler falsifier hypocrite But it implies a manifest contradiction that our internall thoughts should tell vs at the same time that a thing is both so and not so and therefore according to their large definition there can be no Heresie at all And their assertions tending to practice are agreable to this their speculation For they teach that no man ought now to be punished either spiritually by (p) Iren. Philalethes lib. cui titulus Dissertatio de Pace Fcclesia Excommunication or (q) Volkel lib. 6. cap. 15. temporally with the losse of goods imprisonment or death as long as he followes the dictamen of his owne Conscience though otherwise he denie Articles belieued by all good Christians as for example concerning the most Blessed Trinity the Diuinity of Christ our Lord Originall sinne c. But why doe I specifie particulars which would be infinite For whatsoeuer our Sauiour Christ his holy Apostles the Catholicke Church Councels Fathers Doctours Diuines Christians propose to be belieued aboue humane reason or with a supernaturall infallible assent is to these men no other then a fiction an imposture an impossibilitie Diuinity with them can be nothing but Philosophie Reason alone is Faith Sanctitie consistes only in Moralitie Plato or Aristotle or any other must be as soone belieued as the testimonie of our deare Sauiour vnles he proue what he saith by better reason theÌ„ other do (r) Si autem Christo etiam credendum negant nili indubitata ratio reddita suerit Christiani non sunt Nam id aduersus nos Pagani quidam dicunt stultè quidem sed non sibi aduersi nec repugnantes Hos vero quis seratad Christum se pertinere prositeri qui nisi apertissimam rationem stultis de Deo protulerint nihil credendum esse contendunt S. Aug. De vtil Cred. cap. 14 What Christian can heare these infidelities without detestation What Church can tolerate them and yet pretend zeale in Religion Neuertheles this vngodlie sect spreades it selfe being cunningly obtruded by some and by the Answerer in particular greedily swallowed by many and duly punished by none although I ought not to dissemble but doe gladly acknowledge and deseruedly publish in this occasion for a patterne to other in this Realme the care of the chiefest Prelare in England in prohibiting the sale of Bookes tending to Socinianisme Let men in the meane time speake their pleasure against the vigilancie of Prolats in Catholicke Countries against the seueritie of Ecclesiasticall Canons against forbidding to reade pernicious bookes against the Index Expurgatorius and against the holie Office of Inquisition in Italie and some other places Sure I am through want of such hole some meanes Heresies Infidelities and Atheismes are hatched receaue growth and innumerable soules eternally perish And because the Reader may well remaine in wonder how so very absurd errours can possibly finde entertainement among Christians it will not by impertinent though besides my first intention to set downe some reasons thereof as they now present themselues to my minde And they may serue for the argument of the ensuing Chapter CHAP. II. Some reasons why so many embrace Socinianisme TO omit that this Heresie giue full scope to euerie man's vnderstanding to belieue as his fancie shall dictate and for his will to sinne without feare of eternall punishment yea and not to belieue that there is a God if some licentious impe can obiect against the Diuine Existence Prouidence Iustiee Mercie Wisdome or other Artributes an argument which he cannot solue and maister the wit of whatsoeuer Atheist I will for the present touch only foure reasons drawne first from the doctrine of Protestants secondly from the practise of the Church of England ioyned with the disposition of Socinians thirdly from the personall qualitie of Protestant Diuines fourthly from some circumstances of persons time and place First then I say that the verie Doctrine of Protestants if it be followed closely and with coherence to itself must of necessitie induce Socinianisme S. Aug. De vtil Cred. c. 16. Sola est authoritas quae commouet stultos vt ad sapientiam festinent Quandiu intelligere syncera non possamus authoritate quidem decipi miserum est sed certè miserius non moueri Si enim Dei prouidentis non praelidâ—â— rebus humanis nibil est de religione satagendum Sin vero species rerum omnium quam profecto est aliquo verissimae pulchritudinis fonte manatire credendum est interiori nescio quae conscientiae Deum quaerendum Deoque seruiendum meliores quosque animos quasi publicè priuatimque hoteatur non est desperandum ab codem ipso Deo authoritatem aliquam constitutam qua velut gradu certo innitentes attollamur in Deum This I say confidently and euidently proue by instancing in one errour which may well be tearmed the Capitall and mother Heresie from which all other must follow at ease I meane their heresie in affirming that the perpetually visible Church of Christ descended by a neuer interrupted sucession from our Sauiour to this day is not infallible in all that it proposeth to be belieued as reuealed truths For if the infallibilitie of such a publicke Authoritie be once impeached what remaines but that euerie
man is giuen ouer to his owne wit and discourse And talke not here of holy Scripture For if the true Church may erte in defining what Scriptures be Canonicall or in deliuering the sense and meaning thereof we are still deuolued either vpon the prinate spirit a foolerie now exploded out of England which finally leauing euery man to his owne conceits ends in Socinianisme orels vpon naturall wit and iudgement for examining and determining what Scriptures containe true or false doctrine and in that respect ought to bee receaued or reiected And indeed take away the authority of Gods Church no man can bee assured that any one Booke or parcell of Scripture was written by diuine inspiration or that all the contents are infallibly true which are the direct errours of Socinians If it were but for this reason alone no man who regardes the eternall saluation of his soule would liue or dye in Protestancie from which so vaste absurdities as these of the Socinians must ineuitably follow And it ought to be an vnspeakable comfort to all vs Catholicks while we consider that none can denie the infallible authoritie of our Church but ioyntly he must be left to his owne wit and waies and must abandon all infused Faith and true Religion if he doe but vnderstand himselfe aright The second reason drawne from the proceeding of the Church of England I vnderstand to be that their ayme and industrie tendes only to procure an exteriour conformitie to the Lawes of the Realme In so much that if a Catholicke for example would resort to their Church Seruice and Sermons take Oath of Supremacie receaue their Communion and abiure the Catholicke Faith though withall he protest to doe it only for feare and against his Conscience yea and that he dislikes their Seruice Sermons Faith and Communion In this case they are and must be satisfied with the forced actions of such a miserable man though euen his owne toung beare witnesses that all is donne against his conscience And what is this but to neglect the Soule vpon condition to receaue some kinde of violent tribute from the Bodie This then being the spirit of the English Church on the one side and Socinians on the other making no scruple with what honestie I leaue to be considered to sorte themselues for the exteriour with what Religion soeuer no wonder if by this meanes they haue a large scope to instill their Doctrine and yet walke with as much freedome as any Protestant can doe The third reason taken from the qualitie of Protestant Diuines is this Socinians destroying all supernaturall beliefe or infallible assent to any Obiect surpassing the reach of Humane Reason haue as manie and as strong obiections readie at hand against the Articles of our Faith as the weake vnderstanding of man doth finde difficulties in the knowledge of Diuines things Now the learning of Protestant Diuines consisting onely in some superficiall talent of Preaching languages or elocution not in any deep knowledge of Philosophie especially of Metaphisicke and much lesse of that most solide profitable subtile and succinct method which wee call Schoole Diuinitie when they come to be pressed by Socinians are vnable to satisfie their doubts but either are caught themselues as I know it hapneth not seldome or giue occasion for the Socinians to be more setled in their errours and for others to be drawne into the same infidelitie And the Diuell aymed at no lesse then this totall ruine of all Faith and Religion when he first moued Hereticks to deride Schoole Diuinitie and to nickname the Professours thereof dunses The fourth reason that casts so manie especially of the best wits vpon Socinianisme both Diuines and other among Protestants is because they will not be Catholicks in these times they cannot bring their vnderstanding to be Protestants and so they take the large and easie way of helieuing what they list And to speake the truth what learned iudicious man can after vnpartiall examination imbrace Protestantisme which waxeth euen wearie of it self and this is an infallible marke of Sects and Heresies for where the Holy Ghost Directeth there can bee no contrarietie or mutabilitie its Professours they especially of greatest worth learning and authoritie declare themselues to loue temper and moderation allowe of manie things which some yeares agoe were vsually condemned as superstitious and Antichristian and are at this time more vnresolued where to fasten then at the infancie of their Church Thus Truth the Center of our vnderstanding maugre neuer so long or strong opposition worketh powerfully though patiently and by insensible degrees calls men backe from fiercenesse to doubtfulnesse from doubtfulnesse to certaintie that at length they may ioy in a setled constancie And in this it is very apparent that the Holy Ghost directs the Church of Rome which proceeding alwayes vpon the same grounds and belieuing that Christ our Lord is still present with his Spouse ascribes as much infallibilitie to the present Church as to that of the first fine hundred yeares and reuerenceth the late Councell of Trent no lesse then the ancient Councell of Nice For the promises of our deare Sauiour were not limited for any Age without the assistance of whose holy Spirit no times or persons are exempted from errours and with it all are sure not to erre And this is the true reason why the Roman Church is still the same without opposition to it selfe in any least Doctrine whereas all other Sects and Sectaries are notoriously knowne to contradict both their Affociats and themselues as now I was saying of the Protestant Church in England For doe not their Churches beginne to looke with another face their walles to speake a new language their Preachers to vse a sweeter tone their annuall publicke Tenets in their Vniuersities to be of another stile matter their bookes to appeare with titles and arguments which once would haue caused a mightie scandall among the Brethren their Doctrine to be altered in manie things (a) For example the Pope not Antichrist Prayer for the Dead Limbus Patrum Pictures that the Church hath authoritie to determine Controuersies in Faith and to interpret the Scripture about Free-will and Predestination Vniuersall Grace that al our works are not sins morit of good works inherent Iustice Faith alone doth not iustifie Charitie is to be preferred before knowledge Traditions Commandements possible to bee kept c. and euen in those verie points for which their Progenitours forsooke the then visible Church of Christ Their 39. Articles that is the summe the Confession almost the Creede of their Faith are patient patient they are ambitious of some sense wherein they may seeme to be Catholick To alledge the necessitie of wife and children in these dayes is but a weake plea for a married Minister to compasse a Benefice Firie Caluinisme once a darling in England is at lenght accounted Herefie yea and little lesse then Treason men in word and writing vse willingly the once
fearfull names of Priests and Altars Nay if one doe but mutter against the placing of the Altar after the old fashion for a warning he shall be well warmed by (b) A little Treatise so intituled printed An. 1636. a Coale from the Altar English Protestants are now put in (c) Sunday no Sabbath A Sermon printed An. 1636. pag. 38. minde that for exposition of Scripture by (d) Lib. Can. An. 1571. Can. 19. Canon they are bound to follow the ancient Fathers which if they doe with sinceritie euery learned Protestant Diuine who makes a conscience to belie his owne knowledge can tell what doome will passe against Protestancie euen by confession of Protestants themselues as the Answerer once anouched as shall appeare hereafter Chap. 5. n. 6. and this being only a matter of fact and requiring no more then reading and vnderstanding the toungs wherein the Fathers wrote or the Translations of their Works he cannot in morall honestie and therefore I hope will not gainsay his own words nor can be thought to speake sincerely if hee should forcedly now retract what then he freely wrote And I know that to some Protestants hee so cleerely demonstrated the Fathers to bee on our side that they remained conuineed and haue vpon occasion acknowledged no lesse But let vs goe on The foure prime Protestant Church-Chroniclers who pretend to deduce a succession of the true Church the Centurists I meane are without ceremonle demanded in a particular occasion with what face dare they vente such vntruths and with what conscience dare they (e) Sunday no Sabbath pag. 12. forge c. their bad carriage towards the ancient Fathers is displayd and for a generall Censure they are told that Their credit is eclipsed and their testimonie abated by their (f) Ibid. pag. 10. doings And to conclude all in one maine point The Protestant Church in England willingly professeth so small Antiquitie and so weake subsistance in it selfe that they acknowledge no other visible being for many Ages but in the Church of Rome Which position drawne from them by meere necessitie must force them to yeeld that the Roman Church doth not erre in any point necessarie to Saluation vnlesse they haue a minde to bee telling the world that in their owne Church for many Ages none could be saued They must therefore bee still content to heare vs tell them againe and againe this most necessary truth You cannot bee saued vnlesse you belieue that wee in our Church are capable of saluation but wee neither doe nor can yeelde that Protestancie is compatible with eternall happinesse For to allow saluation for men disagreeing in Faith Religion and Communion is one of the greatest absurdities in Turoisme or Socinianisme and is but disguised Atheisme Wee then are safe by your owne confession but you cannot bee so without repentance and reunion to our Church Besides if our Church enioyed all things necessary to Saluation how can Protestants bee excused from the grieuous sinne of formall Schisme who separated from that Church for points confessedly not necessary to saluation Yea how are they not guilty of Schisme who forsooke that Church which before Luther was only true Church if our Sauiour Christ had any visible Church vpon earth And what heighth of dangerous madnes is it to leaue a Church which cannot erre in points necessarie to Saluation and ioyne in beliefe and Communion with priuate persons who may deceaue and be deceaued euen in fundamentall articles of Faith And I would gladly know with what visible Church existing before Luther did hee ioyne when vpon pretence of Reformation hee departed from all Churches extant when hee first appeared and consequently how can hee auoide the iust imputation of Schisme But I will not vrge these points here refering my selfe to what hath beene said in Charitie maintained and euen to what will appeare in those very Motiues which induced the Answerer himselfe to leaue Protestatisme and afterward being resolued not to remaine Catholicke as not conducing to his temporall ends hee finally plunged himselfe in Socinianisme seeing full well that his owne Motiues could not bee answered in the grounds of Protestants But it is time to returne and shew that I spoke not without ground in accusing Socinians in generall of such vnchristian doctrines as you haue heard since you will see my word made good in particular Tenets of one of them which at this fit occasion came to my hands and I willingly impart them to the Reader as they were giuen me yet so as in charitie I conceale the partie taxed with them no otherwise then I forbeare to publish the name of the Answearer If guiltinesse driue any one to aske (g) Math. c. 26. v. 25. Nunquid ego sum Rabbi Maister am I he And that hee chance to be answered (h) Ibid. Tu dixisti Thou hast said so the blame and shame must rest on himselfe alone who alone would be discouering himselfe CHAP. III. Diuerse enormous Heresies maintained by a certaine Socinian contrary either to the 39. Articles of the Church of England or to the Faith of all Christians 1. THat the Sonne of God is not begotten from euerlasting of the Father is not very and eternall God of one substance with the Father and that two whole and perfect natures were not ioyned in one person Cont. Art 2. 2. That Christ did not ascend into Heauen in his Bodie with Flesh Bones and all things appertaining to the perfection of mans nature Cont. Art 4. 3. That the Holy Ghost doth not proceede from the Father and the Sonne nor is of one substance with the Father and the Sonne true and eternall God Cont. Art 5. 4. That all the Books of the Old and New Testament as they are commonly receaued are not equall in the authoritie and infallibility of holy Scripture Cont. Art 6. 5. That the three Creeds ought not throughly to bee receaued and belieued for that they may be disproued by most certaine warrants of holy Scripture and that among other falshoods in the Creed of Saint Athanasius this is one that if a man disbelieue any part of that Creed without doubt hee shall perish euerlastingly That the Apostles Creed is no certaine and authenticall Tradition and that the Article of Holy Catholicke Church is not necessarily to be belieued Cont. Art 8. 6. That Originall sinue is not the fault and corruption of the nature of euery man nor deserues Gods wrath and damnation Cont. Art 9. 7. That any man may bee saued by the Law or Sects which hee professeth so that hee bee diligent to frame his life according to that Law and the light of Nature Cont. Art 18. 8. That the Church hath no authority in Coutrouersies of Faith to oblige any mans conscience Cont. Art 20. 9. That the Sacraments bee only Badges or Tokens of Christian mens profession Cont. Art 25.27 And that they bee not necessary to saluation Cont. Catechism Protestant Anglie 10. That the
his Sectaties separating from all Churches then in the world and so from the true if there were any true were damnable Schismaticks 3. Because if any credit may be giuen to as creditable records as any are extant the doctrine of Catholicks hath beene frequently confirmed and the opposite doctrine of Protestants confounded with supernaturall and diuine Miracles 4. Because many points of Protestant doctrine are the damned opinions of Hereticks condemned by the Primitiue Church 5. Because the Prophecies of the old Testament touching the Conuersion of Kings Nations to the true ReligioÌ„ of Christ haue been accomplished in by the Catholicke Roman Religion the Professors of it and not by Protestant Religion and the Professors of it 6. Because the doctrine of the Church of Rome is conformable and the doctrine of Protestants contrary to the doctrine of the Fathers of the Primitiue Church euen by the confession of Protestants themselues I meane those Fathers who liued within the compasse of the first 600. yeares to whom Protestanrs themselues doe very frequently very confidently appeale 7. Because the first pretended Reformers had neither extraordinary Commission from God nor ordinary Mission from the Church to preach Protestant doctrine 8. Because Luther to preach against the Masse which containes the most materiall points now in Controuersie was perswaded by reasons suggested to him by the Diuell himselfe disputing with him So himselfe professeth in his Booke de Missa Priuata That all men might takeheed of following him who professeth himself to follow the diuell 9. Because the Protestant Cause is now hath been from the beginning maintained with grosse falfifications and Calumnies whereof their prime Controuersie writers are notoriously and in high degree guiltie 10. Because by denying all humane authority either of Pope or Councels or Church to determine Controuersies of Faith they haue abolished all possible meanes of suppressing Heresie or restoring vnity to the Church These were the Answerers Motiues and they are good ones indeed and so strong that he could neuer since frame his minde to Protestancie And the Profession of Catholicke Religion not suting with his desires designes as I said before he fell vpon Socinianisme that is a No Religion I will not here ponder the foresaid Motiues only I must say as I noted in the precedent Chapter that since they all except perchance the last chiefly concerne matter of Fact rather then any subtile points of Doctrine he cannot with any probable shew of reason retract them and if he should yet who would not sooner credit his sinceritie whilst he speakes against the current of the times in this place and contrarie to worldlie hopes then now when all human respects concurre to sway his words profession and carriage â—â—en contrary to his inward thoughts But in the meane time it would be sport to behold Doctor Potter confuting these Motiues of the Answerer while he is pretending to defend Doctor Potter And it may well seeme a strange and preposterous zeale in the Answerer if he haue any regard to the Church of England to haue been so long carelesse in remouing this scandall against Protestants and answering his owne Motiues and yet now to shew such feruour in writing against others which whether he doe of his owne accord or by entreatie of Doctor Potter or from some Higher command I am neither certaine nor sollicitous My hartie wishes are that whosoeuer shall reade these Motiues may for the eternall good of his owne Soule consider them with indifferencie and at leasure and neuer rest from solliciting the learnedst Protestants either to giue him satisfaction which is impossible to be donne or els not take it ill if he hasten to the One alwaies Visible Catholicke Apostolicke Roman Church out of which none can without presumption hope to be saned and of which Blessed * Cont. part Donati Psal Saint Austin saith Numerate Sace dotes vel ab ipsa Petri sede in ordine illo Patrum quis cui successit videte Ipsa est Petra quam non vincunt superba inferorum portae Reckon the Priests euen from the very Sea of Peter and see who succeeded one another in that ranke of Fathers That is the Rocke against which the proud gates of Hell doe not preuaile ⸫ FINIS