any reason The which briefe compendious resolutioÌ„ of faith whosoeuer will as euery one may securely and as in the discourse following shall bee declared must necessarily embrace beside the ease he shall also reape this commoditie that cutting of all occasions of needlesse and fruitelesse doubtes questions and disputes concerning matters of faith wherein vnsettled mindes spend their time and spirit hee shall haue good leisure and better likinge then ordinarily such vnquiet mindes can haue to emploie his endeuoures more fruitfully otherwaies to witte in building vpon the firme foundation of stedfast faith the gould pretious stones of Gods loue and other vertues in practise whereof consisteth that good life which maketh a man become the liuing temple of almightie God the which temple Gods spirit will not only visitte with holy inspirations blessings oftentimes in this life but he will also inhabite and dwell continually in it both by grace here and by glory in the other most happy and euerlasting life A TREATISE OF FAITH CHAP. I. That true faith is absolutely necessarie to saluation WHosoeuer hath a true desire to please God an earnest care to saue his owne soule the which should bee the chiefest desire and care of euery Christian man must first resolue and settle himselfe in a sound beliefe of matters of faith holding it for a most assured ground That there is a faith which whosoeuer wanteth cannot possibly please God nor consequently be saued sith none are saued that do not please God This ground is set downe by S. Paul himselfe who saith Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo without faith it is vnpossible to please God The same is confirmed by S. Augustine who saith Constat neminem ad veram posse peruenire beatitudinem nisi Dâ—o placeat Deo neminem placere posse nisi per fidem Fides namque est bonorum omnium fundamentum Fides est humanae salutis initium Sine hac nemo ad siliorum Dei consortium peruenire potest quia sine ipsa nec in hoc seculo quisquam iustificationis consequitur gratiam nec in futuro vitam possidebit aeternam It is certaine that none can come to true happines vnlesse he please God and that none can please God but by faith For faith is the foundation of all good things Faith is the beginning of mans saluation Without this none can come to the fellowship of the children of God because without this neither doth any in this world obtaine the grace of iustification neither shall he in the next possesse eternall life Thus faith S. Austen And the same might bee confirmed out of other Scriptures and Fathers but that the matter is cleare enough onely this I will adde that when the Scriptures do require faith as a thing absolutely necessary to saluatioÌ„ the common tradition of councells and Fathers do interpret not only that there is a positiue precept of faith for if it were but a positiue precept ignorance might excuse in some case but that at least some kinde of faith is necessaria necessitate medij that is to say is ordained as a necessary meanes without which no man can attaine saluation in any case and that in this matter Si quis ignorat ignorabitur If any man by ignorance doe not know he shall not be knowne as S. Paule speaketh CHAP. II. That this faith necessary to saluation is but one THis faith which I haue shewed to be so absolutely necessary to saluation is but One only This is plainly proued out of S. Paule who saith Vnus Dominus vna fides vnum baptisma signifying that like as there is but one Lord one Baptisme so there is but One faith The same is confirmed with the auctoritie of the ancient Fathers Nisi vna est saith S. Leo. Fides non est dicente apostolo vnus Dominus vna fides vnum baptisma Vnlesse it be one it is not faith sith the Apostle saith one Lord one faith one Baptisme Omni studio saith S. Hierome Laborandum est primùm occurrere in fidei vnitatem We must labour with all diligence first to meete in the vnity of faith Hanc fidem saith Irenaeus ecclesia in vniuersum mundum disseminata diligenter custodit quasi vnam domum inhabitans similiter credit ijs quasi vnam animam habens vnum cor consonanter haec praedicat docet tradit quasi vnum possidens os Nâ— quamuis in mundo dissimiles sint loquelae tames virtus traditionis vna eadem est This faith the Church spreade ouer the vvhole world doth diligently keep as dwelling in one house and doth belieue in one like manner those things to witt which are proposed for pointes of faith as hauing one soule and one heart and doth preach and teach and deliuer by tradition those things after one vniforme manner as possessing one mouth For although there be diuers and different languages in the world yet the vertue of tradition is One and the same Thus saith this Father By whose words we may vnderstand not onely that there is but one faith but also how it is saide to bee one which might seeme not to be one considering there are so many points or articles which we beleeue by our faith and so many seuerall men who haue in them this faith yet One saith this Father it is because the whole Church doth beleeue those pointes in one like manner That is to say because the beliefe of one man is in all pointes like and nothing different from the beliefe of another or because euery faithful maÌ„ beleeueth euery point or article for one and the like cause or formall reason to witt because God hath reuealed it and deliuered it to vs by his Catholike Church to be beleeued For which reason euery one should beleeue whatsoeuer hee belieueth as a point of Christian faith CHAP. III. That this one faith necessary to saluation is infallible THIS one faith without which we cannot be saued must be infallible most certaine This is cleare because faith is that credite or inward assent of minde which we giue to that which God who is the prime or first veritie which neither can deceiue nor be deceiued hath reuealed vnto vs by meanes of the preachinge or teachinge of the true church as we may gather out of S. Paule when he saieth Quomodo credent ei quem non audierunt quomodo andient sine praedicante quomodo praedicabunt nisimittantur c. ergo fides ex auditu auditus autem per verbum Christi The sense of which wordes is that sith we can not beleeue vnles we heare nor heare vnles some lawfully sent do preach vnto vs faith is bredde in vs by hearing and yeelding assent or credite to the worde of Christ made knowen vnto vs by the preachinge of the true Church which onely is lawfully sent of God wherefore like as the worde of Christ being God
a man to perfection but that it is profitable for this purpose as it is indeed the rather because it commendeth vnto vs the auctority of the Church which as I shall afterwards proue is sufficient Now it is certaine that to bee profitable and to bee of it selfe alone sufficient bee farre different things Stones Timber be profitable to the building of an house yet they alone without a worke-man to square them set them in order bee not sufficient for this purpose CHAP. VIII That no naturall witte or learning can be the rule of faith THE Second Conclusion is that no one mans naturall witte learning neither any company of men neuer so learned only as they are learned men not infallibly assisted by the holy Spirit of God can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be this rule of faith This I proue Because all this wit and learning be it neuer so exquisite or rare is humane naturall and fallible and therefore it cannot be a sufficient foundation whereupoÌ„ to build a diuine supernatural and infallible faith This reason I coÌ„firme Because whatsoeuer a man neuer so witty and learned propoundeth to others to bee beleeued vpon the only credit of his word wit oâ— humane study and learning it can haue no more certainety then is this his word wit and learning But these being all naturall and humane are subiect to errour and deceipt For Omnis homo mendax then is no man but he may both deceiue and be deceiued and may if hee haue no other helpe but of nature industry both be deceiued in thinking that to be Gods word which is not or that to be the true meaning and sense of Gods word which is not may also deceiue others whilest being to confident of his wit learning hee presumeth to teach others these his erronious opinions Therfore the beliefe which shall be builte vppon such a mans word and teaching is or may bee a false beliefe and alwaies is vncertaine and fallible and therefore can neuer bee a true diuine and Christian faith which alwaies is most certaine and infallible And this which I haue said of the wit and learning of one particuler man may also bee applied to proue against the witâ— and learning of any company of men hauing no assistance but their owne naturall giftes â—nd industrie of studie or reading This same reason I coÌ„firme yet againe more strongly For the rule of faith must be able to propose to vs vnfallibly not onely the letters seeming sense but the true sense of Gods word the sense inâ—ended by the holy Spirit of God the authour of this word otherwise it cannot be a sufficient meanes to breede in vs an infallible Christian faith and beliefe which is only grounded vppon the true seÌ„se inteÌ„ded by almighty God the prime or first verity the speaker of this word But no maÌ„ nor no coÌ„pany of men can by their naturall witte and learning tell vnfallibly what especially in all points of faith is the true intended sense of Gods word For as S. Paul saith Quis câ—gnouit sensâ—m domini who hath knowen to wit by nature arte or learning the sense of our Lord. Quae Dei sum saith the same S. Paul nemo cognouit nisi spiritus Dei those thinges which are of God no man hath knowen but the spirit of God And therefore that knowledge which himselfe had of diuine matters came not from any naturall witt of man but as hee plainely affirmeth from the spirit of God nobis reuelauit Deus per spiritum suum God hath reuealed vnto vs saith he by his spirit Therefore wee may well conclude That no one man nor 〈◊〉 company of men without the assistance of Godâ— spirit can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be the rule of faith Hence I inferre that those who for matters of faith relie wholy either vpon their owne priuate opinioÌ„ or iudgment of the sense and meaning of Scripture oâ— vpon the learning and iudgement of others who are but men not infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost nor by him vnfallibly preserued from errour as many or rather all Protestants do those I say cannot haue diuine and Christian faith but only fallible opinioÌ„ humane faith CHAP. IX That a priuate spirit cannot bee the rule of faith THE Third Conclusion is that no priuate man who perswadeth himselfe to be singulerly instructed by the Spirit can be this rule of faith especially so far forth as hee beleeueth or teacheth contrary to the receiued doctrine of the Catholique Church This I proue First because S Paule saith Si quis vobis â—â—â—ngelizauerit praeter id quod accepistis Anathemasit Pronouncing generally that whosoeuer teacheth or preacheth contrary to the receiued doctrine of the Catholike Church should be held Anathematized or accursed Secondly the rule of faith must be infallible plainely knowne to all sortes of men and vniuersall that is to say such as may sufficiently instruct all men in all pointes of faith without danger of error As hath beene proued before But this priuate spirit is not such For first that man himselfe cannot be vnfallibly sure that he in particuler is taught by the holy Spirit For neither is there any promâ—se in Scripture to assure infallibly that hee in particuler is thus taught neither is there any other sufficient reason to perswade the same For suppose hee haue such extraordinary motions feelings or Illustrations which he thinketh cannot come of himselfe but from some Spirit yet hee cannot in reason straight waies conclude that he is thus moued taught by the Spirite of God For sure it is that euery spirit is not the Spirit of God As there is the Spirit of truth so there is a spirit of errour As there is an Angell of light so there is a prince of darkenesse Yea sometimes Ipsa Sathanas transfigurat se in Angelum lucis Sathan himselfe doth transfigure himselfe into an Angell of light Wherfore he had neede very carefully to put in practise the aduise of Saint Iohn who saith Nolite credere omni spiritui sed probate spiritus si ex Deo sint Doe not beleeue euery spirit but proue or try them whether they be of God or noe Neither doth it seeme sufficient that a priuate maÌ„ try them onely by his owne iudgement or by those motions feelinges or illuminations which in his priuate conceipte are confirmable to Scripture because al his trial is very vncertaine and subiect to errour by reason that our owne iudgement especially in our owne matters is very easily deceaued and that Sathan can so cunningly couer himselfe vnder the shape of a good Angell so colour his wicked designements with pretense of good and so guild his darke grosse errours with the glistering light of the words and seeming sense of Scripture that hardly or not at all he shal be perceiued Wherefore the safest way were to try these spiritts by
to do according to the doctrine of the Prelates of the Catholike Church yea although it should happen that their liues were not laudable but bad For although our Sauiour in this place doth only in expresse wordes make mention of the chaire of Moses in which the Priests of the old Law did sit yet he is to be vnderstood to speake also of the chaire of S. Peter his owne Vicegerent in which the Priestes of the new Law doe succeed And this à fâ—rtiori because we haue greater reason to thinke that our Sauiour inteÌ„ded in his doctrine to giue rules to the Priests and people of his new Law which was presently to begin and to continue till the worldes end then only to giue documents to those of the old Law considering he knew that it should so shortly cease Wherefore the ancient fathers do vnderstand that place to bee meant of the Priestes of the new Law and namely S. Augustine who saith thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum qui ducitur ab ipso petro ad Anastasium qui nunc in eadem Cathedra sedet etiamsi quisquam traditor per illatempora subrepsâ—sset nihil praeiudicaret Ecclesie innocentibus Christianis quibus prouidens Dominus ait de praepositis malis quae dicunt facite quae faciunt facere nolite Into that order of Bishoppes which is deriued from S. Peter himself vnto Anastasius who now sitteth vpoÌ„ the same chair although some traytor had crept in in those times he should nothing hurt the Church and the innocent Christians for whome our Lord prouiding saith of euill Prelates what they say do what they do do not The threates we may gather First out of S. Luke when our Sauiour faith Qui vos spernit me spernit Hee that despiseth you despiseth me Signifying that look what sinne it were not to heare but to despise our Sauiour Christ himselfe that wee should account it the same to despise not to giue eare and credit to the Catholike Church Insinuating therby that the like punishment is to be expected for the saide contempte Secondly in S. Mathew the same our Sauiour expressely saith Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi sicut Ethnicus publicanus If he wil not heare the Church let him be to thee like an Ethnicke and a Publican Finally in S. Marke after hee had giuen charge coÌ„mission to preach the Gospell to euery creature hee pronounceth this threate to those that will not beleeue saying Qui non crediderit condemnabitur hee that will not beleeue shall be condemned Thus you see our Sauiour Christ hath promised to his Church the continuall presence of himselfe and of his holy Spirit to teach that coÌ„pany all truth Wherof followeth that it is infallibly taught al truth Moreouer hee hath giuen charge and commission to that Church to teach vs and hath warranted and commanded vs in all pointes to heare and do according to the saying of this Church which proueth that it appertaineth to this Church to instruct vs in all pointes of faith and that we ought to learne of it in all matters of religion what is the fallible truth consequently that the doctrine of this Church is the rule of faith Worthily therefore doth S. Paule call this Church columnam firmamentum veritatis The pillar and ground of truth Worthily also saith S Austen Scripturarum à nobis tenetur veritas cum id facimus quod vniuersae placet Ecclesiae quam earundem scripturarum commendat authoritas vt quoniam scriptura sancta fallere non potest quisquis falli â—etuit huius obscuritate questionis ecclesiam de illa consulat quam sine vlla ambiguitate scriptura sancta demonstrat The truth of the Scriptures is holden of vs when wee doe that which pleaseth the vniuersall or whole Church the which is commended by the authority of the Scriptures themselues that because the holy Scripture cannot deceiue whosoeuer feareth to bee deceiued with the obscurity of this question let him require the iudgement of the church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate by which wordes hee sheweth plainely that the sentence of the Church is of infallible and vndoubted truth that the way not to bee deceiued in an obscure question is to aske and follow the iudgement of the Church Wherefore worthily also do we all say Credo Ecclesiam CatholicaÌ„ I beleeue the Catholike Church worthily also may I conclude that neither Scripture alone nor naturall witte and learning nor priuate spirit nor any other thing but onely the teaching of the true Church of Christ is that ordinarie meanes which Almighty God hath prouided whereby all men may learne that one infallible entire faith which I proued to be necessary to saluation CHAP. XI That the Church whose doctrine must bee to vs the rule of faith must alwaies continue without interruption from Christ his time till the worldes end COnsidering what had bene proued in the former Chapter about the infallible authorite of the doctrine of the true Church I hope no Christian will denie but that so longe as this Church doth continew we haue of it a sure pillar and a firme foundation whereupon we may safely build our beleefe For either a maÌ„ must denie that euer our Sauior did make any such promise gaue such charge and commission left any such warrant sett forth such a commaundement or thundred out any such threates as before is rehearsed which were to denie the scriptures which scriptures are generally receiued by all Christians no otherwise theÌ„ as they are the vndoubted worde of God or els he must wrest the interpretation thereof both from that which the wordes of themselues naturally yeeld also from the common sense and vnderstanding either of al or the most learned and almost of the vnlearned also of the whole Christian world or els he shal be forced to confesse that which not I but S. Paule hath saied ecclesia est columna firmamentum veritatis the Church is the pillar and ground of trueth Onely it may perchaunce seeme to some of those that doe at this day oppose themselues against the authoritie of the Church that this was true for S. Paules time and perhaps for some 3.4.5 or 6. hundred yeares after but not to be presumed vpon in latter times and namely when Luther began his reformation as they tearme it or now a dayes Against these men I set downe this assertion The true Church of Christ which the forenamed testimonies of Scripture do commend was and is to continew without interruption till the worldes end This I proue First out of the very wordes of those promises which I cited out of S. Mathew S. Iohn For how can Christ our Sauiour or his holy Spirit be with his Church in such sort as there is promised to witt till the worldes end and for euer and especially as is saied in S. Matthew omnibus diebus
praedicabunt nisi mittantur How shall they beleeue him whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a preacher how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent Therefore the true Church which only hath preachers truely sent of God must first be found out that by it we may heare and know which is the true faith Therefore of the two the true Church is rather a marke whereby we may know the true preaching and consequently the true doctrine of faith then contrary that as heretiques say the doctrine should be a marke whereby all men must know which is the true Church Thirdly true faith is included in the true Church and as it were enclosed in her belly as S. Austen saith vpon those words of the Psalme Errauerunt ab vtero â—â—quuâ—i sunt falsa In ventre ecclesiae saith he veritas manet quisquis ab hoc ventre separatus fuerit necesse est vt falsa loquatur Truth remaineth in the belly of the Church whosoeuer is seperated to wit by difference in doctrine froÌ„ this belly of the Church must needs speake false Therfore like as if a man had golde in his belly we must first find the man before we can come to see the golde it selfe so we must first by other markes find out the true Church which hath the gold of true faith hidden in her belly before we come to see the gold of true faith it selfe Sith especially we cannot see it vnlesse shee open her mouth and deliuer it vnto vs that we cannot being spiritually blind certainely know it to be true not counterfeite but by giuing credit to her testimony of it According as the same S. Austen saith Euangelio non crederem nisi me ecclesiae authoritas commoueret I should not beleeue the Gospell it selfe vnlesse I were moued by the authority of the Church For if we had not the testimony of the Church how should we haue bin infallibly sure that there were any Gospel at all or how should wee haue knowne that those bookes which beare title of the Gospell according to S. Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn Are true Canonicall Scripture rather then those bookes which are writen in the name of Nicodemus and S. Thomas bearing the same title or inscription of Gospell Fourthly if the true doctrine of faith in all particuler pointes must bee fore knowne as a marke whereby to know the true Church then contrary to that which hath bin proued the authority of the Church should not be a necessarie meanes whereby men must come to the knowledge of the true faith For if before wee come to know which is the true Church we must by other meanes haue knowne which is the true faith what neede then is there for getting true faith already had to seeke or bring in the authority of the same Church Fiftly If before we giue absolute and vndoubted credit to the true Church we must examine and iudge whether euery particuler point of doctrine which it holdeth be the truth with authority to accept that only which we like or which seemeth in our conceipt right and conformable to Scripture to reiect whatsoeuer wee mislike or which in our priuate iudgement seemeth not so right and coÌ„formable then we make our selues examiners and Iudges ouer the Church consequently we preferre our liking or disliking our iudgement and censure of the interpretation sense of Scripture before the iudgement and censure of the Church of God But it is absurd both in reason and religion to preferre the iudgment of any priuate man be he neuer so witty and learned or neuer so strongly perswaded in his owne mind that he is taught by the Spirit before the iudgement definitiue sentence of the Church of God the which is a company of men many of which both are alwaies haue bin vertuous wise and learned which is chiefe is such a company as according to the absolute and infallible promises of our Sauiour hath vndoubtedly the holy Spirit among them guiding them and teaching them all truth and not permitting them to erre as before hath beene proued But you may perhaps say that in Scripture we are willed not to beleeue euery spirit but to try spirits whether they bee of God or no and that therefore we must examine and try the spirit of the Church by looking into euery particuler point of doctrine which it teacheth I answere That in that place of Scripture it is not meant that it belongeth to euery particuler man to try all spirits but in generall the Scripture giueth the Church warning not to accept euery one that boasteth himselfe to haue the Spirit and willeth that they should trie those spirits not that euery simple or priuate man should take vpon him to trie them but that those of the Church to whom the office of trying spirits doth appertaine to wit the Doctors and Pastors which almighty God hath put in his Church of purpose Vt non circumferaâ—ur omni vento doctrinae that we may not be caried away with euery wind of doctrine and Vt non simus paruuli fluctuantes that we may not be litle ones wauering with euery blast of those that boast themselues to be singulerly taught by the Spirit So that this trying of spirits is only meant of those spirits of which men may well doubt whether they be of God or no theÌ„ also this trial beloÌ„geth to the Pastors of the Church But when it is certaine that the spirit is of God we neither need nor ought doubtfully to examine or presuÌ„ptuously to iudge of it but submitting obediently the iudgement of our owne sense and reason wee must beleeue the teaching of it in euery point Now it is most certaine that the Spirit of the true visible Church is of God as out of holie Scripture hath bin most euidently proued And therefore our only care should be to seeke out those markes by which all men may know which particuler coÌ„pany of meÌ„ is the true Church of Christ whose doctrine we neither need nor lawfully may examine and try in doubtfull manner but must obediently and vndoubtfully in all points beleeue as the only assured and infallible truth CHAP. XV. That these foure properties Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica that is to saie One Holy Catholique Apostolique are good markes by which men may know which is the true Church SITH our Sauiour Christ hath thought good to plant a visible Church vpon earth which he would haue to continue vntill the worlds end for this speciall inâ—ent and purpose that all men in all ages by meanes of it may learne the doctrine of the true faith the true worship of God the right vse of the Sacraments the holesome lawes of good life and generally all good thinges that appertaine to the glorie of God and the saluatioÌ„ of our soules wee haue not any reason to doubte but that the same our Sauiour for the exceeding loue which of his part
without exception or respect of persons he beareth to al maÌ„kind hath ordained some marks or notes by which all sortes and consequently euen simple men may sufficieÌ„tly discerne which company among many which challenge to themselues the title of the true Church is indeede the true Church For sith hee would haue euery one to heare and learne thinges necessary to saluation only of the true Church we must needes thinke his wisedome and goodnes to haue marked this his Church with such manifest signes properties that all men may easily know it and discerne it from others whome he knew would take vpoÌ„ them though falsly the title and profession of the true Church This seemeth to haue beene expressely foretold by the Prophete Isaias when he saieth Scietur in gentibus semen eorum germen eorum in medio populorum Omnes qui viderint â—os cognoscent illos quia isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus Their seed shall be knowen in the nations their ofspring in the middest of people all that shall see them shall know them because these are that seed which our Lord hath blessed Which is as much as if he should say that the Church shall haue such manifest markes that it shal be easy for euery one to know them to be the true Church Some of these markes are set downe by S. Austen who calleth them bandes or chaines which doe hold a faithfull man in the Catholique Church although for the slownes of his wit or for some other cause he doth not euidently see the truth of the doctrine in it selfe Of these markes diuers authours haue written at large I for breuitie sake haue chosen out onely these foure Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholique Apostolique because I hope these will be sufficient and because I finde these eâ—pecially set forth in Scriptures commeÌ„â—ed by Councels and generally admitâ—ed of all sortes both Catholiques and Protestantes as now I am to declare First for the generall admittance of these properties of the true Church I need no other proofe but that both Catholiques and Protestantes allow of the Nicene Constantinopolitane Creed whereâ—n we profes to beleeue the true Church â—he which Church is there described with these onely foure properties which before I named as though by those onely euery man might sufficiently know that Church which in euery pointe they are bound to beleeue Now if besides this proofe out of the generally receiued Councels some precise man would haue â—eproue these properties to agree to the true Church out of the Scripture it selfe this also I may easily doe The true Church is signified to be One by those wordes of the Canticle Vna est 〈◊〉 mea if we will beleeue the exposition of S. Cyprian and S. Austen Also we may gather the same out of those wordes of our Sauiour in which he calleth his Church vnum ouile one sheepfold Also by those places of S. Paul where he tearmeth the Church vnum corpus one body Moreouer Christ our Sauiour praying for his Church did specially intreate without doubt obtained vt omnes vnum sint that all the membres therof should be one thing to wit that at the least they should al professe one and the same faith all partake of one and the same baptisme and other Sacramentes all liue vnder one and the same Lord in due subordination subiection to that vniforme and orderly gouernement of lawfull pastours ordained appointed in the Church by him The true Church of Christ therefore is one Contrary the conuenticles of Heretiques are destitute of this marke of vnitie according as Tertullian affirmeth saying Denique penitus inspectae Haereses omnes in multis deprehenduntur cum auctoribus suis dissentientes Finally all Heresies if they be well looked into are found to differ in many thinges from their first founders And the reason of this disagreemeÌ„t amoÌ„g Heretiques the same Tertullian assigneth very well in the same place saying Variant inter se Haeretici dum vnusquisque pro suâ— arbitrio modulatur quod accepit quemadmodum 〈◊〉 pro arbitrio composuit ille qui tradidit Heretiques do differ in pointes of doctrine â—mong themselues while as euery one taâ—eth vpon him to fashion the faith which he receiued according to his owne liking 〈◊〉 fancie like as he that first deliuered it â—nto them did inuent it according to his owne will and pleasure The true Church is also proued to bee â—â—ly by that of S. Paule Templum Dei sanctum est quod estis vos The temple of God is holy which temple you are By which place notwithstanding S. Paule did not â—eane to signifie that euery one of this companie was holy For a litle after in the same Epistle hee saith to the same coÌ„panie Omnino auditur inter vos fornicatio â—â—lis fornicatio qualis nec inter gentes There is plainely heard fornication among you and such fornication as the like is not among the heathen He doth not therfore I say meane that euery one of the Church is holy but that the whole company is to be tearmed holy because the profession thereof doth of it selfe wholy tend to holines the doctrine being such as withdraweth from all vice and instructeth and moueth men to vertue the Sacraments also do not only signifie but in the vertue which they haue from Christ his Passion they also worke in vs as instrumentall causes true inward sanctitie Wherfore although euery one that is in the Church be not holy yet no doubt alwaies some are the which their holines it pleaseth almighty God to testifie and make knowne sometime by miracle and ordinarily he vseth to make it apparant enough by the light of their vertuous actions which at all times in many members of the true Church doe so shine before men that by it men are moued to glorify God and sometimes to imitate in their owne life that which in others they admire And whatsoeuer member of the Church faileth from this holines of life it is euident that the faulte is only in himselfe who liueth not according to the prescript of his profession nor vseth in due sort those meanes which it hath of the holy Sacraments which as I said before are effectual instruments of sanctification Contrariwise no sect of Heretiques is truely holy neither was there euer any person that did inuent or obstinately adhere vnto any sect of heresie which â—ad in him true saÌ„ctity And no merueile Because the very profession and doctrine it selfe of euery heresie is opposite to the very rootes of true sanctity the which rootes be true Christian faith and humilitie For how can he be truely holy and iust who being possessed with the spirit of heresy must needs be depriued of true faith without which the iust man cannot liue according to that saying of S. Paule Iustus ex fide viuit Or how can he be holy that doth
Churches afterward did borrow and do daily borrow the ofspring of faith and the seeds of doctrine that they may be made Churches and by this meanes these also shall be accouÌ„ted Apostolique as being the issue of the Apostolicall Churches Contrariwise no conuenticle of heretiques can be Apostolique by reason that heresie being an vpstart nouelty contrary to the former receiued faith of the Church cannot haue any Apostle or Apostolique man for auctor and founder but is forced to acknowledge some other of whom as it receaued the first being so most comonly either the doctrine or the men that follow it or both receiue also their name as of Arrians came Arrianisme and the Arrians of Montanus came the Montanists and Montanisme and there was neuer yet heretique which could deriue the pedegree of his congregation by vninterrupted succession from the Apostles which maketh Tertullian to vrge them so earnestly saying Edant haeretici origines ecclesiarum suarum euoluant ordinem Episcoporum ita per successiones decurrentes vt primus ille Episcopus aliquem ex Apostolicis viâ—is qui tamen cum Apostolis perseuerauerit authorem habuerit antecessorem Let the hetikes shew the beginning of their Churches or as they had rather say of their Congregations let them vnfold the order of their Bishops or superintendents so running downe by successions that the first of them shall haue for his auctor in doctrine and predecessors in place any Apostolique man who did perseuer and did not forsake the Apostles Thus did Tertullian vrge them because he knew well that they could neuer make this proper note of the true Church to agree to their company It appeareth therefore plaine enough that these foure properties One Holy Catholique and Apostolique agree only to the true Church and sith it is no hard matter for any to see or know which company of Christians hath these properties as in the next chapter I shall declare It is also plaine that these foure One Holie Catholique Apostolique being proper to the true Church and apparant enough are good notes or markes by which meÌ„ may discerne which company of those which haue the name of Christians and which professe as euery company professeth themselues to teach the true doctrine of Christ is indeed the true Church which doubtlesse teacheth in all points the true doctrine of Christ. CHAP. XVI That the Romane Church is One Holy Catholique Apostolique and therefore the true Church THVS farre my discourse hath gone along all in generalities in shewing the necessity of true faith and that this faith is to be learned of the true Church and that this Church continueth alwaies and is visible as being a visible company of men professing the true faith of Christ partaking his Sacraments and liuing vnder the gouernement of lawfull Pastors his substitutes that whereas diuers companies of men take vpon them the title of this Church whereby some do stand in doubt which company is the true Church there bee certain marks by which the true Church may be certainely knowen discerned from all other companies or congregations and finally that these markes bee those foure One Holy Catholique Apostolique which are certainely knowne to bee the properties of the true Church both by the Nicene Creed and also by plaine testimonies of Scriptures and Fathers Now it wil be good to see if we can by these generall grounds conclude which particuler company of men is the true Church of Christ. A conclusion of exceeding great consequence as touching all matters in controuersie concerning the doctrine of faith as may appeare by the drifte of all my former discourse For the framing of which conclusion we shal not need to bring in comparison all the companies or sectes of diuers religions that haue bin and are in the world because euery one can easily discerne of themselues and especially by the helpe of that which hath beene saide that neither Turkes nor Iewes nor whatsoeuer other Infidels can be the true Church of Christ because these neither haue the name of Christians neither do they professe to haue the name of Christ. Neither am I now to meddle with heretiques and schismatiques of former ages the which as they haue bin condemned by the generall consent of the Church so in continuance of time they haue beene worne out by the same Church in so much that euen the memory of them God be thanked seemeth to be perished with them My chiefe question and comparison therfore shal be betwixt the Romain Church that is to say that company which comâ—unicateth and agreeth in profession of faith with the Church of Rome liueth vnder the obedience as touching spirituall matters of the Bishop of Rome other Bishops and pastours vnder him and the Protestantes that is to say that companie which from Luther his time hitherward haue opposed themselues against the Romaine Church either all or any one sect of them my question I say or comparison shal bee to which of those two the foure forenamed markes agree and consequentely which of them is the true Church § SECT I. That the Romaine Church onely is one FIrst I finde that the Protestants Church is not perfitely One or vniforme in dogmaticall points of faith but variable according to the varietie of times persons now holding one thing then an other and that the learned men thereof are so much at Iarre among themselues in matters of faith that it is hard to finde three in all pointes of one opinion and which is chiefly to bee pondered as principally appertaining to the marke of Vnitie they haue no meanes to end their controuersies so to returne to vnitie and to continue therein For while as they admitt no rule of faith but onely Scripture which scriptures diuers men expound diuersely according to the diuers humours and affections opinions and phantasies of euery one neuer one admitting any one head or cheef ruler infallibly guided by the holy Ghost in his doctrine to whose censure in matters of faith euery one should of necessitie submit theÌ„selues vt capite constituto schismatis tollatur occasio that as S. Hierome speaketh a head or chiefe ruler being ordained occasion of schisme or diuision may bee taken away Whilst they do thus as they all doe thus al proclaiming to be ruled by only Scripture and yet almost in euery one in one point or other expounding Scripture diuersely and one contrarie to an other according to the diuers seeming of euery ones sense and neuer one admitting any one superiour infallibly guided by the â—oly Ghost to whose definitiue sentence â—e and the rest wil be bound to submitte â—â—eir doctrine expositioÌ„s whilst I say â—hey doe thus it is vnpossible that they â—hould in fidei occurrere vnitatem meete as S. Hierome consaileth in the vnity of faith The which vnitie in profession of faith notwithstanding is one principall thing â—ertaining to the vnitie of the Church and Vnitie of the Church is one
if it should please God to send any one in extraordinary maner it appertaineth to his prouidence to furnish him with the gift of miracles as he did his Sonne our Sauiour Christ or with a miraculous conception with strange extraordinary sanctity of life as was seene in S. Iohn Baptist or finally with some euidēt token that it may be plainely knowen that he is assuredly sent of God Otherwise the people should not be bound to belieue him but might without sin reiect his doctrin according as our Sauiour said of himself Si non facio opera patris mei nolite credere mihi If I do not the workes of my Father do not beleeue me And againe Si opera nō fecissem in eis quae nemo alius fecit peccatū non haberent If I had not done works among thē that no other hath done they should not haue sinned to witte in not beleeuing Nay the people should now an ordinary course being by our Sauiour set downe to continue till the worldes end as before hath bene proued the people I say should now sinne in beleeuing any one that shall come and tell them that he is extraordinarily sent of God if he teach contrary to that doctrine which by ordinary Doctours and pastours of the Catholique Church is vniuersally taught for although it should happen that the liues of these Pastours should not be so commendable or be somtimes euidently bad yet their doctrine must alwaies be regarded and obserued according to that saying of our Sauiour Super cathedrā Moysi sedorunt Scribae Pharisaei omnia ergo quaecunque dixerint vobis seruate facite secundum vero operae eorum nolite facere Vpon the chaire of Moyses the Scribes and Pharisees haue sitten all things therfore whatsoeuer they say to you obserue ye and doe but according to their workes do ye not By which saying we are assured that notwithstanding the Pastours of the Catholique Church should at any time in their liues bee like Scribes Pharisies yet we may alwaies safely yea wee must necessarily follow their doctrine and must not in any wise admit any that shall offer to teach vs to a contrary doctrine according as wee are willed by S. Paule who saith Si quis vobis euangelizauerit praeter id quod accepistis anathema sit If any shall euangelize or preach vnto you beside or contrary to that which you haue alreadie receiued be hee anathema So that sith the people did once receiue from the ordinary pastours that doctrine which hath descended from hand to hand from Christ and his Apostles themselues according to that of S. Austen Quod inuenerunt in Ecclesia tenuerunt quod didicerunt docuerunt quod à patribus acceperunt hoc filijs tradiderunt That which they found in the Church they held that which they learned they taught that which they receiued from their fathers that they deliuered to their children whosoeuer hee be that shall euangelize any thing opposite to this receiued doctrin whether he seeme to be an Apostle or an Angell and much more if he be an other to witte one of these new maisters who faile very much to say no more from Apostolicall perfection and Angelicall puritie of life according to S. Paule anathema sit be he anathema Yea such a one that doth not onely not bring this Catholique or generally receiued doctrine but bringeth in a new and contrary doctrine we should not according to S. Iohn salute him vnles vpon some need or for some good respect or say aue vnto him and much lesse should we giue credit to his words or vse him as a rule of our faith or preferre his teaching before the teaching of the Catholique Church And surely me thinkes though there were none of these euidēt proofes which I haue brought out of Scripture yet euen reason it selfe would teach that we ought to giue more credit to the vniuersal companie of Catholiques which haue beene at all times and are now spred ouer all the Christian world then to any particular priuate man or some few his fellowes followers It is a prouerb cōmon amongest all men Vox populi vox Dei the voice of the people or whole multitude is the voice of God that which all men say must needes be true And on the cōtrary part to that particular man or his priuate companie which will oppose themselues against this generall voice of all like Ismael of whome it is written manus eius contra omnes manus omnium cōtra eum his hands are against all men and the hands of all are against him it may well be obiected that which Luther who was the first in this our age which did so confesseth was obiected to himselfe by his owne conscience or rather principally by the mercy and grace of the almightie God seeking to reclaime him from his errour while there was any hope Num tu solum sapis Art thou onely wise Luthers words be these Quoties mihi palpitauit tremulum cor reprehendens obiecit fortissimum illud argumentum Tu solus sapis Totne errant vniuersi Tanta secula ignorauerunt Quid si tu erres tot tecum in errorem trahas damnandos aeternaliter How often did my trembling hart pant and reprehending me did obiect mee that most strong and forcible argumēt Art thou alone wise haue there so many vniuersally erred haue so many ages beene blinde and liued in ignorance What rather if thou thy selfe erre and drawest so many after thee into errour who therefore shal bee damned eternally This did almighty God obiect to Luther the which might doubtles haue done him good but that he presuming vpon his owne vnderstanding of Scripture and preferring his owne iudgement before the iudgment of the Church hardened his hart against such heauenly inspirations which he tearmed Papisticall arguments And this same may well bee obiected to any priuate man or any few who leauing the Kings broade street or beaten hye way of the Catholique Church will seeke out a by-path as being in their conceipt a better easier and more direct way to heauen To them I say well may be said Are you onely wise are all the rest in former ages fooles haue you only after so many hundred yeares after Christ found out the true faith the right way to heauen haue al the rest liued in blindnes darkenes and errour consequently are you onely they that please God and shall be saued for as I haue proued before without true and entire faith none can be saued and were then al the rest so many millions your owne forefathers auncestors many of which were most innocent men and vertuous liuers and some of which shedde their blood for Christ his sake were I say all these hated of God did al these perish were they all damned shall all these endure vnspeakeable paines in hell for euer O impious cruell and incredible assertion Nay surely I am rather to
A TREATISE OF FAITH WHERIN IS BRIEFELY AND PLANLY SHEWED A DIRECT WAY BY WHICH EVERY man may resolue and settle his minde in all doubtes questions or controuersies concerning matters of Faith Isa. 30. Haec est via ambulate in ea This is the way walke in it A. D. Permissu Superiorum 1605. A TABLE OR BRIEFE Summary of the whole Treatise Cap. 1. THat faith is absolutely necessary to saluation Cap. 2. That this faith is but one Cap. 3. That this one faith must be infallible Cap. 4. That this one infallible faith must be entire Cap. 5. That Almighty God hath prouided some sufficient meanes whereby all sorts of meÌ„ may at all times learne this one infallible and entire faith Cap. 6. What conditions or properties are requisite in this rule or meanes prouided by almighty God Cap. 7. That Scripture alone cannot bee this rule or meanes Cap. 8. That no naturall witte of man or humane learning either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise can bee this rule of faith Cap. 9. That priuate spirit cannot be this rule Cap. 10. That the doctrine or teaching of the true Church of Christ is the rule or meanes wherby al men must learne the true faith Cap. 11. That this true Church of Christ of which wee must learne the true faith is alwaies to continue without interruption vntill the worldes end Cap. 12. That this same Church must alwaies be visible Cap. 13. How we should discerne or know which company of men is this true visible Church of which wee must learne true faith Cap. 14. That those Notes or markes which heretikes assigne To wit true doctrine of faith and right vse of SacrameÌ„ts be not sufficient Cap. 15. That these foure Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholique Apostolique be good markes whereby men may discerne which is the true Church Cap. 16. That these foure markes agree only to the Romane Church That is to say 〈◊〉 that company of men which agreeâ—â— in professioÌ„ of faith with the Church of Rome § 1. That the Romane Church onelyâ— One § 2. That the Romane Church onely is Holy § 3. That the Romane Church is onely Catholique § 4. That the Romane Church is onelie Apostolique Cap. 17. The conclusion of the whole discourse Viz. That the Romane Church is the onely true Church of Christ of which all men must learne the one infallible entire faith which is necessary to saluation And that the Protestants Congregation cannot be this true Church THE PREFACE BEing moued by some friendes to conferre with one of indifferent good iudgement and of no ill disposition of nature though very earnest in that religioÌ„ which he did professe I was desirous to doe my best endeuours to let him plainly see that the Catholique Romaine faith was the onely right For which purpose I did chose to let passe disputes about particular pointes and in generall to shewe First that it is necessary to admitte an infallible authority in the true Catholique church by reason whereof euery one is to learne of it onely which is the true faith of Christ. Secondly that those onely which professe the Romaine faith are the true Catholique church The which hauinge proued I did consequently conclude that the faith beleife which the authoritie of the Romaine church doth commend vnto vs ought without doubt to be holden for the true faith Vpon which pointes when he had heard my discourse he desired me for his better remembrance to sette downe in writtinge what I had said The which I had first thought to haue done briefely and to haue imparted it onely to him but by some other frieÌ„des it was wished that I should haÌ„dle the matter more at large they inteÌ„dinge as it seemed that it might not onely doe good to him but to others also that should haue need of it aswell as he Of which sorte of men standinge in this need as I could not consideringe their miserable case but take great pittie so I was easily moued especially at my friendes request to be willinge to doe my endeuour which might be for their reliefe succour and to take any course which might turne to their helpe and profit Now of all other courses which haue beene and might be vndertaken that which in my speach I did choose as most expedient for him with whome I did conferre seemed best also for me to prosequute in this my writinge for the benefit of him and others and this for foure reasons First because it is very briefe compendious and consequeÌ„tly such as euery one might haue leisure and should not be much weary to reade it Secondly because it standinge onely vpon few but most certaine conclusions and groundes is free from many cauils of the captions which more ample discourses are subiect vnto Thirdly because the matter handled in it is not very high nor hard but common easy plaine and such as may be vnderstoode of any who hauing but a reasonable witte or vnderstanding will carefully reade it as the importance of the matter requireth with iudgment deliberation which is chiefe with praier to God and a resolute good will to follow that which he shall finde to be right Fourthly because these few plaine pointes which are here sett downe include all other and whosoeuer shall by the help of Gods grace and the force of these or other reasons yeeld assent to the pointes proued in this discourse must by coÌ„sequence without farther disputing or difficultie yeeld to all particular pointes which the aforesaid church commeÌ„deth for pointes of faith and wil be moued to settle himselfe in the stedfast belefe of all For if he once admitte that there 〈…〉 Church or company of meÌ„ on earth infallibly taught by the holy gost what is the true faith in all pointes and that this church is by Gods appointemeÌ„t to teach all men in al matters of faith which is the infallible trueth and further that this Church which is thus taught and must teach vs is no other but that visible company which professeth the Romaine faith then he shall not neede to straine his wittes in studying or to wast wordes in wrangling about particuler pointes of controuersies or to vse any such trouble some and vncertaine meanes to finde out the trueth but may easely and most certainely be instructed in all by onely enquiring and finding out which all sortes of men may easely doe what is generally holden by the Church for truth in all particuler pointes whereof they doubt Of which pointes also If they be desirous they may haue sufficient authoritie and reason yeelded by the learned of the same Church though they should not so desire reason to be yeelded that without reason be giuen they would not beleeue at all or as grounding their faith vppon the reason giuen sith Christian beleife ought onely to be grounded vpoÌ„ the authority of God speakinge by the mouth of the church who ought to be beleeued in all matters without giuing
is absolutely infallible so also the creditt giueÌ„ to this worde which is our faith must needes be also most certaine and infallible Fides saieth S. Basille est eorum quae dicta sunt assentiens approbatio sine vlla haesitatione cum animi persuasione de eorum veritate quae Dei munere praedicata sunt Faith is a consenting approbation of those thinges which are saide an vndoubted perswasion of minde of the trueth of those thinges which are preached by the guift of God Fides saieth S. Chrysostome dici non potest nisi circa â—a quae non videntur amplius quam circa ea quae videtur certitudinem quis habeat It can not be called faith vnles one be more certaine of those things which are not seen then of those thinges which are seene The reason whereof the same S. Chrysostome declareth in an other place saying Superet sensum rationem nostram sermo ipsius Dei nam verbis eius fraudari non possumus sensus vero noster deceptu facillimus est Let Gods worde saieth he surmount our sense and reason for wee can not be deceiued by his wordes but our sense is most easely deceiued Sith therefore our faith is grounded on the word of God reuealed to vs by Iesus Christ our Lord speaking by the mouth of the Church as he saieth himselfe Qui vos audit me audit he that heareth you heareth me we ought to receaue the word of faith preached by the true Church not as the worde of maÌ„ but as it is truely the worde of God and consequently we must account it a thing most certaine and absolutely infallible CHAP. IIII. That this one infallible faith necessary to saluation must also bee entire THis one infallible faith without which we can not please God must also be entire whole souÌ„d in al points it is not sufficient to beleeue stedfastly some points misbeleeuing or not beleeued obstinately other some or any one The reasoÌ„ of this is because euery point of doctrin yea euery word that almighty God hath reuealed and by his Church propounded vnâ—o vs to be belieued must vnder paine of damnation be belieued as we may gather out of S. Marke where when our Sauiour had giuen chardge to his Disciples to preache the gospell to euery creature the which chardge he also gaue in S. Mathew sayinge docete omnes gentes c. docentes eos seruare omnia quâ—cumque mandaui vobis teach all nations c. teachinge theÌ„ to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you he pronounceth indefinitely Qui non crediderit condemnabitur he that shall not beleeue shall be coÌ„demned not excepting or distinguishing any one pointe of doctrine as needles to be belieued or which a man might at his pleasure misbelieue or doubt of without danger and this not without reason for not to belieue any one pointe whatsoeuer which God by reuealing it doth restifie to bee true and which by his Church he hath commanded vs to belieue must needes be damnable as being a notable iniurie to Gods veritie a great disobedieÌ„ce to his will But all pointes of faith are thus testified by God commaunded to be belieued otherwise they be not pointes of faith but of opinion or some other kinde of knowledge Therefore all pointes of faith must vnder paine of damnation be belieued beleiued I say either expresly and actually as learned men may doe or implicite and virtually as vnlearned Catholikes commonly doe who beleeuing expresly those articles which euery one is bound particulerly to know doe not in the rest obstinately doubt or hold some errour against the Church but haue a minde prepared to submitte themselues in all thinges to the authority of the Church which they are sure is taught directed by the spirit of God and doe in general hold for vndoubted truth whatsoeuer the Catholike or vniuersall Church doth beleeue Secondly that man which beleeuing some points should deny others cannot while he doth thus haue one the same faith which other Christians haue Sith hee doth not as Erenaeus requireth to thâ— vnity of faith belieue the points of faith in a like but in a different manner from other Christians That iâ— to say Neither doth hee beleeue all the pointes which they doe neither doth hee beleeue those points wherin he doth agree with them for the same reason that they doe that is to say He doth not beleeue those pointâ— which hee seemeth to beleeue precisely for that God hath reuealed them and by his Church propounded them for if heâ— did sith this reason is coÌ„mon to al point of faith he should assoone beleeue all 〈◊〉 any one He hath not therfore I say one and the same faith which other Christians haue who notwithstaÌ„ding haue the true faith And sith as S. Leo said nisi 〈◊〉 est fides non est If it bee not one faith it iâ— no faith at all It followeth that he thaâ— beleeueth not entirely al points of faith hath no faith at all and consequentlie sith one that hath no faith can no way be saued It is euident that he that beleeuing some articles doth obstinately deny others cannot be saued Thirdly to beleeue some pointes oâ— faith and to deny others or any one is heresie as to deny all is absolute Infidelitie But it is sure euen out of Scripture that Heretiques shall not bee saued no more then Infidels For as it is saide Qui non credit iam iudicatus est he that beleeueth not is already iudged so the Apostle Saint Paule reckoneth heresies among the works of the flesh of all which hee doth pronounce Qui talia agunt regnum Dei non consequentur Those which doe such like thinges shall not attaine the kingdome of God Fourthly I may confirme the same with the testimony of the auncient Fathers First of S. Athanasius in his creede which is commonly knowne and approued of all Quicunque saith he vult salvus esse ante omnia opus est vt teneat Catholicam fidem quam nisi quisque integram inuiolatamque Seruauerit absque dubio in aeternum peribit VVhosoeuer will bee saued before all things it is needfull that he hold the Catholike faith which vnlesse euery one doe keepe entire and vnuiolate without doubt hee shall perish euerlastingly Qui sunt in Sacris Litteris eruditi saith S. Basill ne â—nam quidem sillabam diuinorum dogmatuÌ„ prodi sinunt sed pro istius defensione si opus est nullâ—â— non mortis genus libenter amplectuntur Those that are well instructed in holy Writte doe not suffer one sillable of diuine doctrine to be betrayed or yeelded vp but for the defence thereof if neede bee doe willingly embrace any kinde of death Nihil periculosius saith Nazianzen his haereticis esse potest qui cum integrè per omnia decurrant vno tamen verbo quasi venem guttâ— veram illam ac simplicem fidem
vsque ad consummationem seculi all the daies euen to the end of the world vnles the Church also be al the daies vntill the end of the world For if the Church for any time daies moneths or yeares doe cease to be Christ can not for those years moneths and daies be truely saied to be with his Church sith he can not be with that which is not and consequentely he can not be saied to haue fulfilled his promise wherein he saied he would be with his Church all the daies vntill the end of the world Secondly I proue the same out of an other promise or prophesie of our Sauior Christ to his Church wherein hee saith portae inferi non preualâ—bunt aduersus eam the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it For how was it true that the gates of hell shall not preuaile if they haue preuailed so much as vtterly to abolish the Church or at least to bannishe it quite out of the world for so long a time grauÌ„ting therefor which euery Christian must needes graunt that the prophesies and promises of our Sauiour are alwaies fullfilled and that they are vnfallibly true we may not doubte but that the Church hath euer beene since Christ his time shall neuer cease to be in the world Thirdly I may confirme the same out of other scriptures where the perpetuitie of the Church is either affirmed or promised of which kinde of testimonies being very many I will onely rehearse some few of the Church if we will beleue S. Austen his exposition it is saide Deuâ— fundauit eam in aeternum God hath established it for euer And of it signified by the name of the kingdome of Christ the prophet Daniel saieth Suscitabit Deus caeliregnum quod in aeternum non dissipabitur The God of heauen shall raise vp a kingdome which shal not be broken in peeces for euer As is also saide in S. Luke regni eius non erit sinis there shal be no ende of his kingedome Lastly I might coÌ„firme the same with the testimonie of the auncient Fathers Origen S. Chrysostome S. Bernard and especially of S. Austen who disputing against the Doâ—atistes saieth thus as rehearsing one of their speeches Sed illa Ecclesia quae fuit omnium gentium iam non est perijt That Church which was of all nations is not now it is perished Vnto which their speach he answereth O impudentem vocem Accounting it great impudencie to saye the Church is perished And in the same place he bringeth in the Church as speaking personally thus Quamdiu ero in hoc siculo annuncia mihi propter illos qui dicunt Fuit iam non est apostatauit perijt Ecclesia ad omnibus gentibus Et annunci auit nec vacua fuit vox ista Quis annunciauit mihi nisi ipsa via quando annunciauit ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus vsque ad consummationem seculi How long shall I be in this world tell me in regard of them who saye the Church indeede was but it is not now it is become apostata and is perished out of all nations And he tould me neither was this word in vaine who tould me but the way it selfe to witt Christ who faieth I am the way when did he tell Behold I am with you vntill the end of the world CHAP. XII That this Church which must be to vs the rule of faith as it must alwaies continue so it must also alwaies be visible NOVV hauing proued that the true Church of Christ must alwaies coÌ„tinue without interruptioÌ„ till the worlds end it remaineth that I shew also in what manner it is to continue to wit whether it shall alwaies be visible That is to say whether in all ages it was and shall be a company of men who may be seene and in some sort plainely knowne to be that company which men are to beleeue by faith to be the true Church of Christ or that it shal be sometime at least inuisible that no man can see those meÌ„ nor know them to be that company which we must beleeue to be the true Church of Christ. In which matter My Assertion is that the true Church of Christ of which the places of Scripture afore cited doe speake must alwaies bee visible This I proue First by that plaine Prophesie of Isaias in the 61. chapter Which chapter to be vnderstood of our Sauiour Christ his Church wee may gather out of S. Luke where our Sauiour himselfe citeth some words out of that chapter and expoundeth them to be fulfilled in himselfe the words of the Prophesie are these Faedus perpetuum feriam eis scietur in gentibus semen eorum Omnes qui viderint eos cognoscent illos quoniam isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus I will make a perpetuall couenant or league with them and their seede shall be knowne among nations all that shall see them shall know them that they are the seede which our Lord hath blessed How could he more plainely haue foretould the visiblenes of the Church Secondly our Sauiour hath ordained this his Church to bee the light of the world according as he saith vos estis lux mundi you are the light of the world and to be a rule or meanes by which all men at all times may come to the knowledge of that One infallible entire faith which is necessary to saluation as hath bin proued But how can it bee the light of the world if it selfe be inuisible nemo accendit lucernam ponit eam sub modio No man lighteth a candle when he hath done setteth it vnder a bushell where it cannot be seene And how can it bee a meanes by which at all times the infallible truth may bee made knowen to all sortes of men if it selfe at any time could not be knowne of men Or if you say that some times it could neither be knowne it selfe nor be a meanes by which the true faith might be made knowne then sith that I proued that it is a necessary meanes and so necessary that without it according to the ordinary course there is not sufficieÌ„t meanes prouided by almighty God to instruct all men infallibly in all points of faith Then I say men that liued at that time wanted necessary meanes wherby they might attaine to the knowledge of true faith and consequently whereby they might come to saluation which if it were so How is it vniuersally true which is vniuersally saide in Scripture Dâ—us vult omnes homines saluos fieri ad agnitionem veritatis venire God would haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth For how can he be saide to haue a true will to saue all men if he haue not at all times prouided meanes sufficient whereby all men may come to the knowledge of true faith and thereby by degrees to saluation Sith especially
he hath power to prouide these meanes and knoweth that without these meanes prouided it is vnpossible for men to attaine true faith and eternall saluation For knowing it vnpossible he cannot be saide to will it sith no wise man willeth that which he knoweth perfectly to be altogither vnpossible and much lesse may Almighty God be saide to will any thing which is absolutely vnpossible considering that his wisedome is infinit and that his will is alwaies ioyned with some worke or effecte by which that which he willeth at least is made possible to be done Wherefore to verifie that Almighty God would haue all men saued we must needes say that hee hath prouided for all men those meanes which bee necessary and without which it is vnpossible for them to come to the knowledge of true faith and therby to saluation One of which meanes is a visible Church of which they must heare learne the true faith which is the first and a necessarie steppe to saluation The Church therefore must needes be alwaies visible Thirdly if the vniuersall Churche of Christ should for any space of time be inuisible it should for that space cease to professe outwardly that faith which in hart it did beleeue For if it did outwardly professe how should it not by this profession be made visible and knowen But if the vniuersall Church should for such a time faile to professe the faith hell gates contrary to Christes promise did mightely preuaile against it For were it not a mightie preuailing that the whol church should faile in a thing so necessary to saluation as we know outward profession of faith to be necessary both by that of our Sauiour Qui negauerit me coram hominibus ego negabo illum coram Patre meo He that shall denie me before men I will denie him before my Father And Qui me erubuerit sermones meos hunc Filius hominis erubeseet He that shall be ashamed of me and of my wordes him the sonne of man wil be ashamed of And by that of Saint Paule Corde creditur ad iustitiam ore fit confessio ad salutem With hart we beleeue to iustice with mouth we confesse to saluation Which place learned men inteprete to signifie that profession of faith is somtimes necessary to saluatioÌ„ and they say further that this sometimes is so oft as either the glorie of God or the profit of our neighbour doth of necessitie require it the which cases of necessity do happen very often and great meruaile it were or rather vnpossible that they should neuer haue happened for so long a time as the Protestants would haue their Church to haue beene inuisible Fourthly if the Church were not visible wee could not fulfill that commaundement of our Sauiour wherein he said Dic Ecclesiae Tell the Church For how can we tell the Church any thing if wee can not tell where to seeke it neither if wee did by chaunce meete it could wee know it to be the Church Fiftly it is certaine that once the true Church of Christ was visible to wit when it first began in Hierusalem in the Apostles and Disciples of our Sauiour Christ and that companie which by their preaching was conuerted to the faith But there can no reason be shewed why it should be visible then and not now If it were needefull to be visible then because otherwise it could not bee a Church that is A Society of men lincked together in the profession of one faith in the vse of the same Sacramentes vnder the gouernement of lawfull Pastours For the same reason it must needes be viâ—â—ble now because as in the last chapter is proued there must be a Church now therefore it must be a society of meÌ„ professing the same faith vsing the same Sacramentes liuing vnder the gouernement of lawfull pastours For all this pertaineth to the very essence of the Church If also it were needefull to be visible theÌ„ that those offices functions which must bee done in the Church might bee well perfourmed to wit as there were in the Church some pastors some sheepe as S. Gregory Nazianzene saieth some to commaund some to obey some to teach some to be taught some to feede the flock of Christ some to be fedde so that euery one of these might doe what pertained properly to his duetie it was needfull that the pastours must know their sheepe and the sheep their pastours that those that should teach and rule and minister the Sacraments must see and knowe them whome they were to teach and rule and to whome they were to giue the Sacramentes And on the contrary syde the other had need to haue knoweÌ„ those of whome they must be taught whome they must obey and from whome they were to receiue the holesome food of the holy Sacramentes If I saye this reason proue that it was needefull then that the Church should be visible and knowen for the same reason it wil be also needefull to say that the Church must be visible now at all times For at all times there mâ—st be pastours and sheepe in the Church being the sheepefolde of Christ. And at all times these pastors must gouerne instruct and minister the holy Sacraments and the other must receiue gouernement instruction and the foode of the holy Sacraments at their hands And consequentely there had neede be some visible tokens at all times by which the pastours may knowe their sheepe least for want of this knowledge they may vnawares dare sanctum canibus prâ—iâ—cere margaritas ante porcos giue that which is holy to dogges cast margarites before hogges which our Sauiour commandeth them not to doe And on the other side there had neede be some visible markes by which the sheepe may know and discerne their lawfull pastours true preachers from false teachers and intruding vsurpers For otherwise they could not tell whome to heare obey whome to repaire to for the Sacramentes contrary whome to take heede of as of false prophetes whose voice to neglect as of strangers and whose poisoned foode of polluted Sacraments to reiect no lesse then a baite laide to kill them by theeues and robbers as it importeth greatly euery one to do If lastly it were needfull to be visible then that those which were out of it might ioyne themselues vnto it and become members of it thereby to participate the graces and benedictions which Christ our Lord communicated only to it and to escape the deluge of eternall damnation wherewith all was sure to be drowned that were found out of it as it were out of another Noë his arke This reason also requireth and vrgeth that the Church must be visible now and at al other times For if at any time it were not visible how could men that were out of it come vnto it or how could they attaine saluation if they did not enter into it sith at all times the merits and
fruites of Christs Passion are inclosed in it and the meanes of saluation and to escape eternall damnation are only found in it The Church therefore is visible at all times For at all times that Prophesie of Isaias must be true wherin our Lord speaketh thus to the Church Aperientur portae tuae iugiter die ac nocte non claudentur vt afferatur ad te fortitudo gentium reges earum adducantur Gens enim regnum quod non seruierit tibi peribit Thy gates shal be continually opened day and night they shall not be shut that the strength of nations and the kings therof may be brought vnto thee for the nation and kingdome which shall not serue thee shall perish Sixtly the only reason and ground by which heretiques hold the Church to be inuisible is because they imagine the Church to consist onely of the elect or onely of the good But this is a false ground as appeareth by the name of Church in Greeke Ecclesia which euen by the etymology of the word doth signifie the company of men called now sure it is that moe are called then elected as our Sauiour saith multi vocati pauci electi Againe this ground is shewed to be false by those parables in which the Church is compared to a floare wherein wheate and chaffe are mixed And to a mariage to which came good and bad And to a net wherin are gathered al sorts of fishes good and bad And to ten Virgins wherof fiue were foolish and excluded from the celestial marriage This ground is also shewed to be false out of S. Paule who commandeth the Corinthians to expell an incestuous person out of the Church Ergo before this expulsion there was such a person in the Church and therefore the Church doth not consist only of those that be good Lastly the ancient Fathers did teach that the Church is visible Origen saith Ecclesia plena est fulgore ab oriente vsque ad occidentem The Church is full of brightness from the East to the West Ecclesia saith S. Cyprian Domini luce perfusa radios suos per orbem spargit The Church being bright with the light of our Lord doth spreade her beames throughout the world Facilius est saith S. Chrysostome solem extingui quà m ecclesiam obscurari It is more easy that the Sunne should be extinguished then that the Church should be obscured that is to say darkened and quite without light S. Augustine also alluding to or rather expounding those words of our Sauiour Non potest ciuitas abscondi supra montem posita Saith Ecclesia supra montem constituta abscondi nō potest The Church being built vpon a mountaine cannot be hid And againe in another place he saith Quid amplius dicturus sum quà m caecos qui tam magnū montem non vident qui contra lucernam in cādelabro positam oculos claudunt What shall I say more but that they are blind who doe not see so great a mountaine who shut their eyes at the candle sette vpon the candle-sticke CHAP. XIII How we should discerne and know which is the true visible Church of Christ. HITHERTO I haue shewed that the rule of faith which all men ought to seeke that by it they may learne true faith is the doctrine of the Church of Christ and that this Church doth continue and is alwaies visible that is to say such as may be found out and knowne Now the greatest question is sith there are diuers companies of them that beleeue in Christ euery one of which challenge to themselues the title of the true Church how euery man may come to know assuredly and in particuler which company is indeed the true visible Church of Christ whose doctrine we must in all points beleeue and follow To this question I answere that euery company which hath the name of Christiās or which challeng to thēselues the name of the Church are not alwaies the true Church For of heretiques we may well say as S. Austen doth non quia ecclesia Christi videntur habere nomen idcirco pertinent ad eius consecrationem They doe not therefore pertaine to the consecration of the Church of Christ because they seeme to cary the name of the Church of Christ. For as the same S. Austen saith in another place heretiques are only whited ouer with the name of Christians When indeed Si haeretici sunt as Tertullian saith Christiani esse non possunt If they be heretiques they cannot be true Christians The reason whereof the same Tertullian insinuateth to be because they follow 〈◊〉 that faith which came from Christ to his Apostles and Disciples and which was deliuered by them from hand to hand to our forefathers and so to vs but they follow that faith which they chose to themselues of which election or choise the name of heretike heresie did arise The way therefore to discerne which is the true Church is first to set downe which be the certaine markes by which all men may easily know the Church then to examine to whom these markes do agree The which that I may the better performe in the chapters following here I thinke good first briefely to note what belongeth to the nature of a good and sufficient marke Note therefore that two things are required in euery sufficiēt marke The first is that it be not common to many but proper and only agreeing to the thing whereof it is a marke As for example it is no good marke whereby to know any particuler mā to say he hath two hands or two eares because this is common to many and therefore no sufficient note or marke wherby one may be distinguished or knowne from all other But a marke whereby we may discerne one speciall man from all other must be some one thing or moe which he hath and others haue not As if he were longer larger or fairer thē the rest or if some others were as long and other some as faire yet none were long faire both but only he The second thing required in a good marke is that it be more apparant and easie to be knowne then the thing For example If I were to describe and make knowne a certaine man who were otherwise vnknowne I must not thinke it sufficient to giue the definition of his essence or to assigne the secret disposition of his hart liuer and other inward partes which are commonly harder to be knowne thē the man himselfe But I must declare some apparant thing in his face hands or some outward part of his body or in his voice apparell behauiour or such like which agreeing onely to that man and being easie to be knowne may be a meanes to make vs know the man we seeke for Wherefore when we will assigne some good markes by which all sortes of men may in some sort discerne which particular cōpany of men
neglect all endeuour in the study and practise of vertue and to cast away care of auoiding sinne and vice consider whether this can bee a good tree which of it owne nature bringeth forth so bad fruite And see whether this company which teacheth and beleeueth such points of vnholy doctrine can possiblie be a Holy Church In the Romane Church I confesse there be some sinfull folke all in it are not good For the Church is called nigra formosa blacke and faire in it are mixed good and bad as out of diuers parables of our Sauiour I proued before But there are two differences betwixt the sinfull which are in the Romaine Church and those which are among Sectaries The first difference is that among heretiques there are none which wee may call truely holy of which as of the better or more worthy part their congregation may be tearmed holy as the Romane Church may It may bee perhaps that one may finde diuers of them who abstaine from grosse outward sinnes as stealing swearing c. And that some of them doe many workes morally good as to giue almes to the needie and that they liue at least in outward shew in vpright and moderate sort But alas these be not sufficient or certaine signes of sanctitie all this perhaps farre more we may reade of heathen Philosophers these outward actions may proceed of naturall sometime of sinnefull motiues and consequeÌ„tly they may be very farre from true holines which must be grouÌ„ded in true charitie for as S. Paule saith to distribute all that one hath to feed the poore or to giue ones bodie to burne doth nothing auaile without charity which charity must proceede de corde puro conscientia bona fide non ficta out of a pure harte a good conscience and an vnfained faith The which things being most inward and consequeÌ„tly hidden and secret cannot sufficiently be shewed to others by those outward actions which may come from other causes as soone as from these Nay they can not be knowen certainely of the party himselfe For nâ—sâ—it homo vtrum odio vel â—more dignus sit a man knoweth not whether he be worthy of hate or loue and quis potest dicere mundum est cor meum who can say my hart is cleane but these things are reserued to him onely qui scrutatur cordâ— who searcheth the harts to witte almightie God and it cannot be perfitely knowen of men who haue them truely and consequently who be truely saints vnles it please him to reueale it by miracle or some other certaine way vnto vs. But hitherto it was neuer heard that almightie God did by miracle or any such certaine way giue testimony that either Luther or Caluin or any of their fellowes or followers had in them this true holines or that they were Saints but rather while as they presumptuously attempted to worke miracles it hath pleased God by giuing either none or euill successe to testifie that they were not Saints Whereas on the contrary syde it hath pleased God to giue testimony by miracles of the faith and holines of life of diuers which professed the Romaine faith of which sort I might bring in many examples but I will at this time onely name S. Bernard S. Dominike S. Frauncis who on the one side were certainely knowen to haue bin professours of that religion which was then is now professed at Rome as may appeare both by that which is left written of their liues also by this that they were chiefe fathers and founders of certaine Religious orders of Monkes and Friers which yet continue there on the other side they are certainly knowen to be holy men partly by their sober chast vertuous life partly by the guift of miracles in so much that euen Luther himselfe and other of our aduersaries confesse them to haue beene Saints The which being confessed of these must needes inferre the like confession of the sanctitie of many other who were also professors of the same Romane faith whose names we may finde registred in the Calender euen in bookes sett out by Protestants and whose vertuous life holy death miraculous deedes we may find in good authours See Saint Athanas. in vita S. Antonij apud Surium S. Bernard in vita S. Malachiae S. Antoninus 3. parte hist. titulo 23. 24. Surius throughout his large volumes of the liues of Saints others Now this being coÌ„fessed that diuers whom we know to haue bene members of the Romane Church are saincts we may well inferre that at least some part of this Church is holy and that therfore of this part per synecdochen the whole may be tearmed holy especially considering that the faith of this part which was a principall roote out of which their holines did spring is all one in substance with the faith which we all professe and therefore we may say that our faith and profession enclineth and leadeth to the same holines of life that theirs did And therefore though many through their owne fault faile in the practise of vertue and holines yet our profession being all one with the professioÌ„ of these holy men is to be tearmed holy as theirs was Of which holy profession in some sort all our whole companie may be called holy as of the art of painting or any other art all that professe them are commoÌ„ly tearmed by a name proper to their professioÌ„ though it happen that diuers of them be not very skilfull nor doe not much exercise his art And from hence riseth the second difference betwixt Protestantes and vs to wit that the very doctrine it selfe which Protestantes teach doth as I shewed before induce men to libertie and consequently to lewde life whereas the Romane faith which wee professe both expressely forbiddeth all vice and prescribeth lawes contrary to liberty and loosenes of life containeth most soueraigne meanes to incite and moue a man to all perfite vertue and holines of life As for example It teacheth that notwithstanding the presence or predestination of Almighty God maÌ„ hath free-will wherwith being ayded by Gods grace which grace through the merit of Christs Passion is ready for all that with humble deuout and perseuerant prayer will aske by frequenting in due sort the holy Sacraments will seeke for it he may auoid sinne and embrace vertue the which taketh away despaire of shunning euill and doing well which easily followeth of the contrary opinion It teacheth also that Gods commaÌ„dements be not vnpossible to be obserued nay nor hard through helpe of grace which is alwaies at hand to be obserued of one which hath but a good will according as S. Iohn saith mandata eius grauia non sunt his commaÌ„demeÌ„ts be not heauy yea that they may by the same grace be easily obserued according to that of our Sauiour Iugum meum suaue onus meum leue my yoke is sweet my