of this case they would not conclude the cause specially before a Iudge not acquainted with the mystery of the Creation For he that hath a wife and a wife hath a wife and shee that hath a husband and a husband hath a husband But if that precept of our Sauiour Whosoeuer putteth away his wife vnlesse it bee for adulterie and marieth another committeth adultery and hee that marieth her being so put away committeth adultery were once produced any Heathen Ciuilian might giue this absolute and infallible sentence If yee Christians will admit this Law for true and iust or for a rule of conscience then Polygamy certainly is a naturall part of Adultery and hee that hath a wife and marieth another is to bee punished as an Adulterer For what is the reason why he that putteth away his wife though by legall diuorce and marieth another commits adultery with the second or why he that marieth the first being so put away is likewise an Adulterer Is not the reason because the bond of matrimonie betwixt the husband and the first wife according to this your Christian law is not dissolued by a legall sentence of diuorce extra casum adulterij vnlesse in case of adultery Yet as a sentence of diuorce gotten vpon suspicion of adultery or subornation or vpon other causes which humane Lawes and Gods Law vnto the Iew did permit cannot by the Evangelicall Law altogether dissolue the bond of matrimony so out of all question it doth rather loosen or weaken it than corroborate or knit it faster Wherefore if hee that hauing gotten a sentence of diuorce by formall course of Law against his wife become guilty of Adultery in the Court of conscience and by the Euangelicall Law if hee marry another then much more shall he be an Adulterer who hauing a wife whose chastity was neuer called in question against whom no sentence of Law hath beene obtained if he shall presume to marry another Thus farre an Heathen by light of naturall reason without the assistance of Gods Spirit may goe in this and many other controuersies amongst Christians 3 Were not most Recusants throughout this Kingdome worse affected I will not say towards vs and our Religion but towards truth it selfe euen towards the light of the Gospell than any ciuill Heathen either are or can be they might as clearly discerne the vsurped authority of the Romish Church ouer their faith and ouer Scriptures the rule of faith to be as true a branch of Apostasie from Christ as Polygamy is of Adultery and that it doth more euidently dissolue the bonds of matrimony betwixt Christ and his Spouse the Church than Polygamy or adulterie doth the bond of matrimonie betwixt man and wife First they make the Scriptures as was said before not onely an imperfect rule in respect of its quantity but this defect being in their opinion supplyed by associating vnwritten Traditions vnto it in the second place they make both Scriptures and vnwritten Traditions to bee an vnsufficient rule in respect of their quality For it is their doctrine that we cannot know which be Canonicall Scriptures which are not which be authenticke traditions which not but by relying vpon the authority of the visible Church Againe admitting the Church could determine which were Authenticke Traditions which were not and that no Traditions should hereafter be receiued besides those which shee had determined yet if any controuersie should arise concerning the meaning of those Scriptures which she hath determined to be Canonicall or concerning the meaning limitation or vse of these Traditions which shee hath acknowledged to be authentike no priuate man may take vpon him absolutely to beleeue this or that to be the meaning of either but with submission of his iudgment to the Churches sentence And this as I haue elswhere shewed at large is not onely to make the authority of the Church to bee aboue the authority of the Scriptures but vtterly to nullifie the authority of the Scriptures saue onely so farre as they may serue as a stale or footstoole to support or hold vp the authority of the Church or Pope So that the last resolution of the Romanists beliefe as out of their owne comparisons of the Scriptures to colours and the authority of the Church vnto the light by which colours become visible to vs as is elsewhere demonstrated must be this That he absolutely beleeues onely the infallible authority of the Church concerning the truth of Scriptures and their true meaning their truth or meaning he neither absolutely nor infallibly beleeues So that if he beleeue any diuine truth it is onely ex accidenti that is in as much as the Church doth not erre in that point of faith which she proposeth vnto him howbeit to beleeue that which is true vpon no better motiue or condition then this is much worse then the ignorance of truth or meer vnbeliefe of the same truth How many seuerall diuine truths or articles of faith soeuer he thus beleeueth hee can be no true Catholike because he beleeues no diuine truth but as it is mixt with hellish antichristian falshood If wee shall proue that this supposed infallibilitie of the Romish Church doth in diuers points induce not onely heresie but infidelity and that infidelity of a worse sort then can be incident to any Heathen I hope our intended conclusion will bee sufficiently euicted that whosoeuer holds this absolute infallibility of the present visible Romish Church whatsoeuer he holds besides can bee no Catholike To giue you an instance for proofe of this 4 If one being a Christian shall steale hee doth commit a grieuous sinne yet a sinne of one kinde or species that is theft he doth not thereby cease to be a Christian he doth not thereby become an Infidell or Antichristian The like wee may say of fornication adultery murder incest or the like all which are grieuous sinnes and without repentance exclude men from the Kingdome of Heauen Yet can wee not say that they make a man an Infidell though worthy to be cast out of the Church vntill hee giue full proofe of his humble submission and hearty repentance for his fact But if any man that hath beene baptized and made a partaker of the word which in many points hee beleeues shall by couetousnesse malice intemperancie or the like haue so farre corrupted the feeds of Christianity or Law of God written in his heart as he shall thinke that which indeed and truth is theft fornication adultery murder or incest to be no sinne he is by the generall verdict of the Schooles not onely an hereticke but an Infidell Now Infidelitie is of two sorts either infidelitas purae negationis priuatiue infidelity such as is in the Heathen which haue not knowne God or his Lawes as hauing no commerce with his people or infidelitas prauae dispositionis depraued infidelity of which there bee more degrees as first it may bee in the Heathen to whom the truth of the
A TREATISE OF THE HOLY CATHOLIKE FAITH and CHVRCH Diuided into three Bookes By THOMAS IACKSON Dr. in Diuinitie Chaplaine to his Maiestie in Ordinarie and Vicar of Saint Nicolas Church in the Towne of Newcastle vpon Tyne The first Booke LONDON Printed by M. F. for Iohn Clarke and are to be sold at his Shop vnder St. Peters Church in Cornehill 1627. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL and truly worthy Knight Sir RICHARD ANDERSON of Pendley in Hartfordshire the blessings of this life and of that to come bee multiplied RIGHT WORTHIE SIR YOur vnfaigned Loue to Learning and true Religion well knowne by reall testimonies to all true Louers of them which haue the happines as my selfe for long time haue had to be acquainted with you drew this short Treatise vpon its first returne vnto mee to whom it hath beene from its first birth a stranger to take you for its Foster-Father Could it speake for it selfe it would I am perswaded complaine of wrong if I should direct it to seeke another Patron being not acquainted with any Family which beares a more liuely image of a well-ordered Church than your Family doth Nor is there any other to whom I more heartily wish all furtherance in good beginnings and proceedings then I doe to yours and to that Honorable Family vnto which you are happily vnited Of this my desire of my best respect vnto your selfe and to your Noble Lady I haue no better token for the present then this Treatise of the holy Catholike Faith and Church Thus commending both of you with all yours and it vnto the blessing of him who is the sole Fountaine of Faith and Head of the Holy Catholike Church I take my leaue and rest Yours euer in the surest bonds of sincere loue and obseruance THOMAS IACKSON From my Vicarage in Newcastle vpon Tine this first of Ianuary 1626. Courteous and Christian Reader THe summe of this Treatise was deliuered in Catechisme Lectures for the benefit of yonger Students in Pembrook Colledge in Oxon at the request of the Master of that Societie my Reuerend and Worthy Friend and of some other good friends to whose religious desires my hope was to haue giuen better satisfaction if my continuance in that ancient and sweet Nurserie of Learning had been longer or my studies there lesse interrupted with other occasions But God be praysed that Colledge hath beene furnished since with one of their owne body of whose learned and polite Labours I hope one day to be with others a partaker This Treatise as now it is hath beene for the most part since in the hands of others being committed by me to the perusall of that great light of the Northerne parts my then Reuerend and dearest Friend Doctor Birkhead from whose iudicious censure I hoped then this and other of my Labours should haue receiued some perfection and I much comfort from his company But it pleased the Lord whose good pleasure we must obey not question to call him from vs no doubt to his greater good though to the great losse and sorrow of euery true member of the English Church which knew him before it was my hap being then absent from these parts to heare from him or speake with him Since his death it hath past through many hands but all as it seemes good friends in that it returnes vnto me intire And from it as it is I hope no orthodoxall Reader shall receiue any discontent nor any Aduersaries of the truth much aduantage Wherein it is for the matter deficient or not so fully exprest I shall haue opportunitie whether by the aduise of Friends or exceptions of the Aduersarie to amend or inlarge in other Treatises of the same Argument which by Gods assistance shall shortly be communicated to thee And for this reason in part I haue beene the more willing to haue it published at this time Thine in Christ Iesus THOMAS IACKSON ⧠The Contents of the seuerall Chapters handled in this Treatise SECTION I. Containing the description definition and properties of the Holy Catholike Church taken in the prime and principall sense in the sixe first Chapters Chapters Folio 1. That it is easier to oppose than to answer a Romanist in this Argument of the Church The Authors method for meeting with wrangling Sophismes 3 2. The definition of the Church in generall gathered from the diuers sorts of vnion betweene bodies naturall artificiall or ciuill 5 3. Of the nature and properties of the Church taken in its principall sense How it is differenced from other Bodies ciuill Of the peculiar vnity which it hath 13 4. Of the preeminences which the Church hath of other Bodies or Corporations in respect of the Gouernour of it and the Lawes by which it is gouerned Of the two Attributes Holy and Catholike 21 5. Containing the friuolous exceptions of Cardinall Bellarmine and some other Romanists against the former or like description of the true Church or that Church which is principally meant in the Apostles Creed 29 6. Containing the speciall points to bee beleeued concerning this Article of the One Holy Catholike Church How euery one is so to moderate his assent or beliefe concerning it that hee neither incline vnto presumption nor fall into despaire 35 SECTION II. Of the visible Church in generall Of its principall Attributes or Priuiledges vnto the sixteenth Chapter 7. Of the Church Militant and Triumphant In what sense it is said that the true Church is inuisible 43 8. What is required to the constitution of a visible Church Whence the vnitie or pluralitie of visible Churches ariseth What vnity may bee had or expected betweene visible Churches independent one of another for Iurisdiction The diuers acceptions or degrees of the visible Church 52 9. That albeit the true Church be alwaies visible yet it is a grosse sophisme hence to inferre that the visible Church is alwayes the true Church or that one visible Church is more priuiledged from erring than another The strange blasphemy by which the Author of the Antidote seekes to support the infallibilitie of the visible Romish Church 66 10. In what cases Arguments of proportion may bee drawne from Allegories A full explication of the Allegory vsed by S. Paul Gal. 4. and of the Argument or concludent proofe in the same Allegorie contained 75 11 Of the consonancie betweene the promulgation of the old Testament and the New Of the opposition betweene the Law and the Gospell or betweene the old Testament and the New The explication of the Apostles argument Heb. 9. ver 13 14. 86 12. The Allegorie or Argument of proportion drawn from Noahs Arke explicated according to the former rules and retorted vpon the Romanist 92 13. How farre and in what cases that Maxime vsed by the Fathers Extra Ecclesiam non est salus Out of the Church there is no saluation is true of the visible Church or Churches visible 97 14. Declaring by one speciall instance the particular manner and opportunities by which the
è contra Yet sometime it may fall out by the interposition of ciuill iuridicall sentence that a man may bee no member of the Common-weale and yet remaine a member of the Church therein contained As a man condemned to dye is disinabled to doe any ciuill act yet not prohibited to receiue the Sacraments Others againe cut off from the Church as persons excommunicated in some sort are may bee members of the Common-weale That which differenceth the Church properly so called from a societie or bodie meerely ciuill is the diuersitie of Lawes and ordinances and the different manner of vnion betwixt the members of it Howbeit a Church a Common-weale or body ciuill are not as the Romanists often dreame or presuppose in their arguments brought for the prerogatiue of the Romish Church two bodies contra-distinct or opposite but rather one body endowed with seuerall powers or perfections When a Kingdome or common-weale becomes a Church it loseth nothing of what it had but rather acquires a new perfection or accomplishment The growth or progresse is but such as the Philosopher notes in men which fiâ—st liue anima plantae like meere vegetables then the life of sense and lastly the life of reason or vnderstanding But of this elsewhere To finde out the nature and properties of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the principall Analogatum and prime subiect of this our discourse the branches of method are but two The former is to finde out the qualification or condition of the parties or members vnited The latter is to finde out the nature and manner of their vnion With the Church as it consists of men Angels we are not to meddle It suffices vs to know that wee are called as our Apostle teacheth vs Heb. 12. verse 22. vnto the citie of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels What manner of vnion is betweene holy men and Angels let it be defined by Angels themselues or at least by men that are their consorts in the blissefull vision of God and of his Christ The subiect of our inquirie was and must be That Church which consists onely of men and of men considered in that estate which they now haue by God being made man Now albeit such men and Angels may bee in some respect truely said one Societie and though both may be comprehended vnder some generall notion whether vniuocall or Analogicall yet without all question they doe not vniuocally agree in those attributes by which the Church in its prime and principall sense is vsually set forth in Scriptures Wee cannot say that the Angels are of Christs flesh and of his bones as euery one is that is a liue member of his true Church Yea though Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses and the Prophets and all such as had perfect vnion with them in holinesse of doctrine life or discipline were after death as well as liuing liue members of the holy Catholique Church yet had they not whilest they liued on earth no not alwaies since they liued in blisse such perfect vnion for the manner at least with Christ as the S t s haue which haue liued since Christs Incarnation Passion and Resurrection since which time the Patriarches and Prophets vnion with Christ hath beene perfected For it is a point not of opinion but of beliefe that the Sonne of God did take our nature vpon him not onely to the end that he might lay it downe for our ransome or suffer for vs in the flesh but to the end withall that hauing suffered for vs according to his humanitie he might by it vnite vs vnto himselfe as hee is God in a more peculiar manner then our humane nature without such vnion to his humane nature was capable of As we become righteous by the righteousnesse which was and is in him as he is man so must we expect the accomplishment of our future blisse and glory by participation of the fulnesse of that blisse and glory whereof his humanitie is now possest By this it is apparent that euery actuall member of a Christian common-wealth or visible Church therein contained is not a true actuall member of that Church whose nature and definition wee now seeke and whereof euery one of vs desires and must endeauour to be such a member For hee that would make the Church thus Catholique or vniuersall as to comprehend euery member of a Christian Common-weale seekes to make it not to be holy Now wee must beleeue it to be as truely holy as it is Catholique Some there be who define this Church to be coetus praedestinatorum to be the societie or companie of the predestinate but this definition is vnperfect for though it be most true that euery liue member of the one truely holy and Catholique Church is predestinated to this life of grace which he now liues and to the life of glory which he hopes for yet euery one which is already predestinated to the one or to the other life or rather to both is not as yet a liue member of the one holy and Catholique Church Saul was a person predestinated from the wombe but yet no ciuill member of the militant or visible Church much lesse any true member of the one holy Catholique Church whilest he remained a persecutor of it and a zealous member or furious instrument of the malignant Sinagogue Others define it to be Coetus euocatorum the societie or company of such as God hath called out of the world but because many are called and few are chosen some others define it to be coetus electorum the societie or company of the elect Against which definition or description this exception may bee taken that the Authors and Maintainers of it haue intangled this article or point of Beliefe necessary to all that hope to be saued with intricate and vnnecessary questions concerning Predestination or Election with which I doe not meane to trouble the Reader in the explication of this Article It shall suffice vs for the present to consider that such as God hath predestinated or elected before the foundations of the world must bee wrought and squared by the powerfull hand of God and the effectuall working of his spirit before they can bee fit materials for that aedifice or structure which wee call the Church There must be an alteration in euery particular member before it obtaine perfect vnion with the whole body or aedifice from which it receiueth the sweet influence and nutriment of neuer-fading life Now what manner of alteration this is or wherin this qualification of materials fitting for this aedifice which we call the Church doth consist is a Quaere not so necessary in this place 4 The second generall thing proposed to wit the manner or vnion of the members or parts of that societie which is the truly holy Catholique Church will sufficiently determine the former question concerning the qualification of them The questions concerning the vnion are in generall
reason in his owne words We must bee vtterly stript of the Image of the earthly man before wee can put on the compleat and glorious Image of the heavenly And as we haue borne the Image of the earthly we shall also beare the Image of the heauenly But when shall that be When this corruptible shall haue put on incorruption and this mortall shall haue put on immortalitie when the saying shall be brought to passe Death is swallowed vp in victory 1 Cor. 15. ver 49 54. 5 The title of Catholike to my best remembrance is not expressed in Scripture but often implyed in termes aequiualent The Church of Christ was first expresly enstyled Catholike by the Apostles theÌ„selues o◠〈◊〉 compoâ—ers of the Apostles Creed especially in opposition 〈…〉 visible Church of the Iewes or rather to this peoples factious conceit of the prerogatiues which God had bestowed vpon their Nation misweening that the whole family or house of God the full amplitude of the Messias his Kingdome should be comprized within the house or family of Abraham or at least that none should haue any title or claime to the Kingdom of God vnlesse he were first admitted to bee a member of that visible society which did meet at Ierusalem as at their Common Hall House or place of Parliament That the Church should bee thus Catholike or vniuersall or that the Gentiles should be fellow heires or ioynt members of the same body with Abrahams seed was a secret not imparted to many before the Revelation of the Gospell For this cause I Paul the prisoner of Iesus Christ for you Gentiles if yee haue heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is giuen me 〈…〉 How that by reuelation he made knowne vnto me the mystery as I wrote afore in few words whereby when ye read yee may 〈…〉 and my knowledge in the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made knowne vnto the sonnes of men as it is now revealed vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the spirit that the Gentiles should be fellow heires of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospell Ephes 3. ver 1 2 3 4 5 6. Saint Peter himselfe had not fully apprehended this mystery vntil the Lord awaked him out of this dream by interpreting the vision which he saw concerning this point Act. 10. ver 15. But seeing the euent answerable to Gods word or to the voice which hee heard in the vision he burst out into this confession ver 34. Of a truth I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons but in euery nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him accepted to bee a liue member of his holy and Catholike Church as Cornelius no question either at this time or afterwards was But the full importance of this terme Catholike is set downe Revelat. 5. vers 8 9. And the foure and twenty Elders sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation And hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on the earth The branches of this title Catholike are specially these three First Gods Church is said to bee Catholike or vniuersall in respect of all places Secondly in respect of all sorts and condiâ—â—â—â—â— of men nationall or personall Thirdly it is said Vniuersall in respect 〈…〉 Some of euery Nation Condition or state are admitted vnto it Some likewise are admitted in euery age or generation of men From the day wherein the Lord did lay the first foundation or corner stone in Sion there haue beene in one place or other daily additions vnto this Church without substraction continuall adgeneration without corruption and a continuall growth or augmentation without any the least diminution or decay of any true liue particle which it had before CHAP. V. Containing the friuolous exceptions of Cardinall Bellarmine and some other Romanists against the former or like description of the true Church or that Church which is principally meant in the Apostles Creede 1 THis notification or circumscription of the true Church by the true and liue-mysticall body of Christ is not lyable to that exception which Bellarmine and his followers haue taken against Caluines inuisible Church as they conceiue it Or in case the same exceptions bee taken against the Church described or notified in the former chapters one answer will suffice for both Their onely exception is this Primum igitur quòd vera Ecclesia sit visilibis probatur primò ex Scripturis omnibus vbicunque inuenitur nomen Ecclesiae Nam semper nomine Ecclesiae visibilis congregatio significatur Nec vnum saltem locum Caluinus proferre potuit nec protulit vbi hoc nomen tribueretur congregationi inuisibili Bellar. de Ecclesia militante lib. 3. cap. 12. That the true Church is visible may first be proued out of all those Scriptures in which the name of the Church is found For by this name a visible Congregation is alwaies signified Caluin neither did nor could produce so much as one place wherein the name Church is bestowed vpon any inuisible Congregation 2 If his meaning be that so much of the true Church and liue-mysticall body of Christ as is now extant on earth though altogether vnuisible to vs be either excluded or not principally meant in those places of Scriptures Creedes or Councels in which the true Church is notified vnto vs by these or the like attributes one holy Catholkie or Apostolique it is grosly and apparently false For all Gods promises to the Church principally belong to the principal members of it who are distinctly and indiuidually knowne to himselfe onely not so to vs. To whom notwithstanding their persons are visible the profession of their faith is likewise visible The sinceritie of their hearts or faith is to vs inuisible and therefore inuisible it is to vs whether they bee liue-members of the holy Catholike Church or no. If his meaning be that many Indiuiduals which are no true liue-members of the mysticall body of Christ be literally comprized vnder the name and title of the Church the allegation though most true is very idle and impertinent For thus the Iew is able to make proofe as direct and full as can bee required by any ingenuous and learned Christian that most of those types and prophesies which we alledge to euince Iesus the sonne of Mary to be the Christ and promised Messias are literally and historically meant and verified either of the sacrifice of the Law or of Gods people of Dauid of Salomon or of some other c. Al this notwithstanding being granted doth no way disproue but rather ratifie our application of the same prophesies or sacred passages vnto Christ of whom they are alwaies in the intention of the holy Spirit principally meant and
in whom alone they are exactly fulfilled not onely according to the mysticall but for the most part according to the most exquisite literall sense Not that either all or most passages of Scriptures which are first literally verified of some other and after exactly fulfilled in Christ haue as some great Diuines thinke two literall senses albeit this may sometimes happen though very seldome but that of one and the same litterall sense there may be and vsually are two or more obiects one more principall and proper the other either lesse principall or lesse proper Thus it alwaies not onely is but of necessitie must be wheresoeuer the tearmes wherein it pleaseth the Spirit of God to expresse himselfe containe in them a multiplicitie of significations or importances whether aequiuocal analogicall or ad vnum Now of all tearmes vsed in Scripture this word Church as was obserued before hath the greatest varietie of significations or importances And by consequence it must haue one principall obiect of which all the principall attributes or titles of the Church are punctually and accurately verified and other obiects lesse principall to which notwithstanding the same name or titles are in some measure often communicated 3 Hence it may to the obseruant Reader appeare that Bellarmines exception or argument against Caluine which being drawne into forme stands thus The word Church in Scripture doth alwaies import a visible companie of men Therfore it doth not belong to an inuisible Congregation is no better then this The holy ointment did bedeaw or besprinkle Aarons garments Ergo It was not powred vpon his head or it did not madifie or supple some other parts of his body whereas the truth is vnlesse the ointment had first beene plentifully poured vpon his head it could not haue run downe his necke vnto the skirts or rather the brimmes of his vesture Answerable to this representation we say that all the glorious prerogatiues titles or promises annexed to the Church in Scriptures are in th first place and principally meant of Christs liue-mysticall body But being in abundant measure bestowed on it they descend by analogie or participation vnto all and euery one that hath put on Christ by profession without respect of person place or dignitie All the difference in the measure of their participation or manner of their attribution ariseth from the diuers degrees of similitudes or proportion which they hold with the actuall live-members of Christs mysticall body in matter of faith or conuersation Such as haue the true modell or draught of that Catholique faith without which no man can be saued imprinted in their vnderstandings albeit not solidly ingrossed or transmitted into their hearts or affections are to bee reputed by vs who vnderstand their externall profession better then their inward disposition true Catholiques ttue members of Christs body and heires of promise Although in very deede and in his sight that knowes the secrets of mens hearts many of them be members of Christs body onely in such a sense as foetus conceptus non animatus As an humane body shaped or organized but yet not quickened with the spirit of life is tearmed a man 4 The conclusion touching this point which Bellarmine his followers are bound to proue if any thing they meane to proue to the purpose is this That vnder the name or titles of that Church wherunto the assistance of Gods spirit for its direction or other like prerogatiues are by Gods word assured the visible Church taken in that sense in which they alwaies take it is either literally and punctually meant or necessarily included The visible Church in their language is a Societie or Body Ecclesiastique notoriously knowne by the site or place of its residence or by their dignitie order and offices which are the perpetuall gouernours of it Ecclesia saith Bellarmine est tam visibilis quam est Regnum Galliae aut Respublica Venetorum And againe that Church whereof Christ is King is as visible in his absence by the presence of his Vicar generall as the Kingdome of Naples in the absence of the King is by the presence of his Viceroy Vnto the attributes or prerogatiues bestowed on the Church in the Apostles or Nicene Creede or vnto the promises annexed vnto it in the Scripture the visible Church as we say taken in the Romanists sense hath no claime or title saue onely in reuersion or by reflection that is The true mysticall body of Christ is onely instated in the blessings prerogatiues or promises made vnto the Church from this Body or rather from Christ which is the head of it the said blessings immediately and successiuely descend in different measure vnto the seuerall members of it or vnto such as are no solid members of Christ in practice or conuersation yet true Catholiques in opinion and loue vnfaigned vnto the Catholique faith And from indiuiduals thus habitually qualified the Church visible or representatiue deriues its right interest in the promises made vnto the Church generally or indefinitely taken Wheresoeuer two or three thus qualified are gathered together in Christs name that is not for any priuate ends or sinister respects but for meere loue of truth the presence of Christs spirit is by promise annexed vnto them Though a thousand Bishops Prelates or Clarkes not thus qualified be assembled for their own gaine or dignities or if their consultations be managed by superiour power or faction they haue no like interest in the former promise For any Church visible or representatiue whose indiuiduals are not thus farre qualified the greater part whereof for number or more principall for authority may be infideles aut haereti ci occulti that is Heretiques Infidels or Atheists in harts To vsurpe an absolute infallibilitie in iudgement of matters sacred is no better then blasphemie for any such Church to expect the extraordinary assistance of Gods spirit in their consultations is but the dregs and reliques of Simon Magus his sin But of the diuers acceptions of this word Church in what sense it is said visible or inuisible true or false wee are to speake hereafter Sect. 2. chap. 1. CHAP. VI. Containing the speciall points to be beleeued concerning this Article of the One Holy Catholique Church How euery one is so to moderate his assent or beliefe concerning it that he neither incline vnto presumption nor fall into despaire 1 THe speciall points which wee are in this article to beleeue are these First that as Christ whilest he liued on earth was a King albeit his Kingdome was not earthly nor of this world so he hath still a Kingdome or at least a great part of his Kingdome here on earth the members or Citizens of which Kingdome whilest liuing in this world are not of this world their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as our Apostle speakes is in heauen that is the Societie or Corporation whereof they are actuall and liue-members is translated from earth to heauen and their demeanour or conuersation here
on earth must be celestiall and such as becomes the sonnes of God The second that God or Christ in the choyce or admission of Citizens into this celestiall Corporation doth not tye himselfe to any one Kingdome Nation or Prouince to any visible Societie or Corporation here on earth But as heauen it selfe is alike distant from euery part of the earth so euery Nation or Kingdome of the earth are alike free to stand for or solicite their election or admission into this heauenly societie which wee tearme the holy Catholique Church Of these two branches of beliefe this third is a necessary consequent that God hath not bestowed such priuiledges vpon any visible Church or Ecclesiasticall Societie whatsoeuer vpon the face of the whole earth as diuers Founders of Colledges in our Vniuersities haue done vpon some Grammer Schooles founded likewise by them Many haue beene chosen and admitted for perpetuall Fellowes of the celestiall Academie which neuer were trained vp in the doctrine or discipline of the Grecian English or Romish Church God is the sole Founder of the vniuersall Church and of euery particular true Church As for particular visible Churches all are alike free all their sonnes alike capable of admission into the holy Catholique Church or if any ods there be it is in the different measure of their obseruance of the lawes prescribed to all especially the Law of louing God aboue all in Christ and of louing others as our selues for Christs sake 2 The last point is that of all such as are effectually called or authentiquely admitted into this Societie none euer reuolt againe to the Synagogue of Satan or to the world Their effectuall calling and solemne admission makes them such pillars in the house of their God that they cannot bee remoued Him that ouercommeth will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall goe no more out and I will write vpon him the name of my God and the name of the Citie of my God which is new Ierusalem which commeth downe out of heauen from my God And I will write vpon him my new Name Rev. 3.12 So he had said before vers 5. Hee that overcommeth the same shall be cloathed in white rayment and I will not blot out his name out of the booke of life but I will confesse his name before my Father and before his Angels Wherein this victorie consists and how in this life it may be obtained are points belonging to another Argument and haue beene elsewhere discussed at large That their names who thus ouercome are whilest they liue on earth written in the booke of life is euident out of the 20. chapter ver 12. the dead were iudged out of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes The difference betweene that part of Christs Church which is triumphant and that which is militant here on earth may be resembled by the estate of a visible Societie or Corporation of which the greater part or principall members liue at home in wealth in peace and quietnes whilest others of the same societie soiourn as Factors or Apprentices in forraigne lands yet certaine of their admission to the same priuiledges which the other enioy after they haue serued out their Apprentiship and performed all duties and services required by the lawes of their Corporations 3 Two questions or rather two branches of one and the same question yet remaine which euery one that sincerely mindeth matter of saluation will often make with himselfe First whether every one that sincerely professeth beleife of this article of the Holy Catholike Church be bound to beleeue that he himselfe is a true liue-member of the same Church The second whether euery one which professeth this article be bound to beleeue that there is a true possibilitie left him by the founder of this Church or Kingdome that hee may in good time become a true and liue-member of it Vnto the latter question my answer shall be out of the words of a woman to her husband distrusting Gods loue and fauor towards them whose words became Canonicall Scripture We shal surely die saith Manoah vnto his wife because wee haue seene God But his wife said vnto him If the Lord were pleased to kill vs he would not haue receiued a burnt offring and a meat offering at our hands neither would hee haue shewed vs all these things nor would at this time haue shewed vs such things as these Iudg. 13. vers 22 23. All and euery one ought to bee assured that if the Lord had any purpose to exclude them from being liue-members of this Holy and Catholike Church he would not so often so louingly inuite them by the preaching of the Word and exhibition of his holy Sacraments all which he mightily prophanes whosoeuer otherwise receiues them then as vndoubted pledges of Gods loue and fauour vnto him in particular 4 To the former question the answer is negatiue All are not bound to beleeue that they are actuall or reall members of the Catholike Church For none can truly beleeue thus much of himselfe but he that hath made his election sure and is certaine that his name is written in the booke of life Now though it be most true that whosoeuer is elect was elected frō al eternity whosoeuer is reprobated was reprobated from all eternity yet will it not hence follow that every man is at all times either in the absolute state of election and salvation or in the absolute state of reprobation and damnation This is too desperate a diuision to put Nouices in faith vpon it a cruell racke for tender consciences The best aduice which I can in this point giue is that no man especially no nouice in faith how strong a disputant soeuer he be seeke to winde himselfe into this Catholike Church by strength of syllogisme lest Sathan thence take occasion to wrest his hopes out of his hands by the same or like engine The iudicious Reader is to take further notice that many syllogismes which goe currant amongst some good Diuines haue many foule though secret flawes as hard to bee espied in this subiect of reprobation election and the like as in any other for these are hardly fashioned into syllogisticall forme Many propositions are often in vulgar matters taken for vniuersall when they are but indefinite First to instance in a subiect wherin the fallacie is more grosse and more easie to be discerned Quicunque dicit Alexandrum fuisse animal generosum is verum dicit At quicunque dicit Alexandrum fuisse Bucephalum dicit Alex 〈…〉 Ergo Quicunque dicit Alexandrum fuisse Bucephalum is verum dicit Whosoeuer saith Alexander the great was a generous creature saith true but he that saith Alexander was Bucephalus saih Alexander was a generous creature Therefore whosoever saith Alexander was Bucephalus saith true Others perhaps may answer otherwise but the onely flaw in this Syllogisme if wee examine it by the rules of Art is that the Major
better effects then good wishes or desires of amendment of life or good motions for the present And these may be paralleld by the stonie ground which receiued the seede bestowed vpon it and for a while gaue it nourishment and faire entertainement In others the internall vocation may produce some roote that is some temporarie resolution for amendment of life or practices conformable to rules beleeued but no setled habit no constancie in perseuerance And these may be paralleld by the thorny ground in which the seede sowne tooke better roote then in the stonie ground but was stifled in the growth This internall vocation is in others not onely effectuall for a time or for some purposes but produceth an habituall constant resolution of adhering to the truth knowne and a conuersation answerable to this vocation The infallible consequent of all which is the gift of perseuerance the terminus ad quem of this their constant motion or progresse perfected in victorie is indissoluble vnion with Christ 3 Of men indissolubly vnited to Christ that is of such as are though in a different measure perfect liue-members of the one holy and Catholike Church some are called not onely out of the dregs of their natiue corruption vnto the life of the Spirit but out of this world into a better and these are triumphant members of that one holy Catholike Church which is the liue-body of Christ They are tuti et se curi free not onely from all danger of Apostasie but from all possibilitie of any annoyance or incumbrances which the world the Deuill or the flesh can attempt against them These are they which came out of great tribulation and haue washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe Therefore are they before the throne of God and serue him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heate Reuel 7. verse 14 15 16. Such as are called out of the flesh vnto the life of the Spirit but not as yet out of the world are militant members of the holy Catholike Church and victoriously militant Tuti sunt at non securi They are exempted from ordinary danger or probable hazard of Apostasie but not vtterly secured from all danger of temptation no not from all impairement of their present estate 4 Such as are called vocatione internâ by an inward calling sed inefficaci not effectuall or men not indued with the gift of perseuerance are militant members of the Church indefinitely taken but not victoriously militant no perfect members of the One Holy Catholike Church so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by excellencie Such as are called vocatione externâ by externall vocation onely are no true members of the Church militant much lesse any militant members of that true holy and Catholike Church yet members in their kinde of the visible Church for so as Cardinal Bellarmine acknowledgeth occultihaeretici aut infideles dissembling Heritikes or Infidels in heart may be And this sort of men may bee best resembled by such as haue been prest for Souldiers and taken their pay but without any resolution or purpose to shew themselues in the day of battaile much lesse to aduenture themselues in any difficult seruice but ready vpon approach of danger to forsake the field or reuolt vnto the enemie So that the ordinary and vsuall diuision of the Church into triumphant and militant comprehendeth more then the liue-members of the holy and Catholike Church to wit such members of the visible Church or Churches as oppose themselues to the holy and Catholike Church or are not well affected towards it 5 The visible Church is a transcendent and doth neither exclude the members of the Holy Church triumphant or militant nor doth it consist onely of them or of men internally though ineffectually called but of them and of others called onely vocatione merè externâ by vocation meerely externall Euery member of the Church triumphant is visible to other members of the same Church though all inuisible to the Church militant here on earth as perhaps the true members of the Church militant are to them saue onely so farre as God hath reuealed to them the names of such as shall bee saued The Church militant likewise is visible to God and to the seuerall members of it But what members of this visible and militant Church be liue-members of the one holy and Catholike Church or who hereafter shall become liue-members of it is knowne onely to God or to mens priuate consciences after their effectuall calling Euery man perhaps may feele or perceiue his owne but he cannot discerne or see anothers effectuall calling 6 Though the Church bee sometimes by good Writers instiled as well inuisible as visible wee are not from this opposition of words or tearmes to conceit an opposition or distinction of Churches as if some were visible others altogether inuisible Such as most vse these tearmes meane no more by them then we haue said to wit what persons of the militant and visible Church bee true Denisons of the heauenly Ierusalem or Citie of God is to vs inuisible or vnknowne I cannot say whether it were ignorance or malice in the Romanists to construe these tearms of visible and inuisible whilest they found them in some of our Writers for diuisiue differences of the Church as if they had constituted two contra-distinct or opposite Churches when as it is plaine that they are for the most part subordinate coincident Ordinarily the liue-members of the Holy Catholike Church or of that part of it which is to vs inuisible are members of some visible Church but not é contra For neither all nor most part of any visible Church in latter ages are true and liue-members of the Holy and Catholike Church part of which wee beleeue to be here on earth though it be to vs inuisible Finally to be visible or inuisible are denominations meerely accidentall no true differences of the Church Betweene a visible Church and a Church inuisible there is a meane Many there bee or may be in most ages which are no members of the visible Church and yet better members of the true Church then the members of the Church visible for the present are For the true and orthodoxall Church might be truely visible in its members so dispersed and scattered as they cannot rightly be said to make one true visible Church 7 The inuisibilitie of the holy Catholike Church here militant on earth hath not beene in all ages the same The members of this diuision if so it please any man to conceit it were in the Apostles time in a manner coincident Few there were especially of the Iewish nation which did associate themselues vnto the then visible Church which were not euen in this life associated to the holy and Catholike Church militant made liuing stones in
seated in Kingdomes or Common-weales independent one of another is the vnitie of league or friendship And this may be as strict as it shall please such Common-weales or Churches to make it Thirdly to make the Church seated in one absolute State or Kingdome liue in subiection to another Church seated in another Kingdome or to any member of another Church or Kingdome head or branch is to erect a Babell or seat for Antichrist not to build vp one holy Church to Christ This practice or vsurpation of the Romish Church hath been the reason why the christian world for these many yeeres hath beene more confused and disordered then the Synagogue of Mahomet Nor is there any possibilitie that christian States or Kingdomes should euer be so vnited in faith and loue as that their ioynt prayers should be acceptable vnto God against the Turke or other professed enemie of Christ vntill they haue cast off this heauy yoke of Satanicall slauery But of these points hereafter 10 Lastly since the Church hath beene diffused throughout all and euery part of Kingdomes and Prouinces it is impossible that euery member should personally meete to make lawes and orders And yet all lawes are presumed to bee made by vniuersall consent and in this regard the Churches haue beene inforced to haue as well Churches as Bodies politike representatiue And inasmuch as the practice and custome hath beene to admit none but Cleargie or Church-men as members of the Body Ecclesiastike or Church representatiue the name of the Church hath beene in a manner appropriated to the Cleargie Church-men or Spiritualtie The Church or body Ecclesiastike representatiue that is the Church inabled to make lawes or canons Ecclesiastike of what members soeuer it doth may or ought to consist for their qualification as whether onely of Clarkes or whether it may admit some mixture of the Layetie is either permanently existent or existent onely by vicissitude or turnes The Church representatiue which is existent onely by vicissitude or at certaine times onely may bee comprehended vnder the names of Councels or Synods whether oecumenicall generall or prouinciall or of Conuocations ecclesiastike The Church representatiue permanently existent amongst the Romanists is the Consistorie of the Pope and his Cardinals Albeit in very deede the Iesuites the Canonists and later Papists of their instruction haue contracted the Church representatiue into the Popes brest alone He to vse their own dialect is the vertuall Church that is He eminently comprehends al the authoritie which is formally and ordinarily seated or inhaerent whether in the Church representatiue or in the whole militant and visible Church of God whereof He claimeth to bee the sole visible head He hath the same reference to the whole body of the Church visible besides as Plato his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the life or quintescence of the visible Church or in respect of that Church all in all So Cardinall Paleotus in his booke de sacro consistorio would perswade vs that as God Almighty sometimes gouernes the world by his ordinary power or by the ministerie or coagencie of second causes sometimes by his extraordinarie immediate or absolute power so the Pope sometimes determines controuersies in religion and orders the affaires of the Church by the consent and assistance of Councels or at least of his Consistorie somtimes by himselfe alone and by his sole plenarie and illimited power CHAP. IX That albeit the true Church be alwaies visible yet it is a grosse sophisme hence to inferre that the visible Church is alwaies the true Church or that one visible Church is more priuiledged from erring than another The strange blasphemie by which the Author of the Antidote seekes to support the infallibilitie of the visible Romish Church 1 THe subiect of our next inquirie shall bee so to share the titles or attributes giuen by the Scriptures orthodoxall antiquitie or other good authoritie to the Church indefinitely taken betweene that one Holy Catholike Church which wee beleeue in this Creede and the visible Church or Churches which we see or know so as that God and his Holy Church may haue their full dues and Gods deputies here on earth Caesars or other gouernours of his visible Church may haue no wrong The best and most generall rule for our direction in this search is that which will better appeare from a treatise concerning the exposition of prophesies For as one and the same prophesie touching Christ so one and the same promise made vnto the Church may be often literally verified and in different measure successiuely fulfilled of diuers parties Some promises may be literally verified of the visible Church or Synagogue of the Iewes before our Sauiours Incarnation and of the visible Churches planted by his Apostles and bee in part fulfilled throughout euery age of the liue-members of Christs body to vs inuisible but lastly to bee exactly fulfilled of the Church triumphant or Kingdome of glory 2 Most of the later Romanists arguments are meere Sophismes à dicto secundùm quid ad simpliciter that is they take all those glorious titles or promises made to the Church in its most ample or exquisite signification to be exactly and intirely fulfilled of the visible Church throughout all ages when as they are verified of it in part onely or at some speciall times or by way of type or shadow and vnto which she hath at no time any absolute title but conditionall In this mist of ignorance the Author of the blinde guide of faith in his second chapter doth strangely wander not onely from the truth but from the leuell which hee had taken not much amisse in the first chapter of his treatise and as his custome is when hee hath lost his way like a balling Hound not well entred fals a barking at Doctor Whitaker whose words or meaning how sincerely he quotes or recites I leaue it to the vnpartiall Readers examination In his third chapter hauing proposed this Thesis That the true visible Church is apparantly knowne and famous to the world he labours to proue in the fourth chapter that the true visible and apparantly knowne Church can neuer faile That the visible Church was in the Apostles time and after the true Church of God we neuer denyed nor will we contend with him whether the true Church of God on earth can euer faile no not whether euer it ceaseth to be visible Where then is the difference These two propositions the true Church of God is alwaies visible the visible Church is alwaies the true Church of God differ as much as a Mill-horse and a Horse-mill or as to stand with a man and to withstand a man The whole visible Church in the dayes of the Emperours Constantius and Valens did Arianize as the Romanist cannot deny The best answer that they can giue to this Instance is that these Emperours did not raigne long for Valens died within
three yeeres after the persecution by him begun Howeuer the Councell of Millain of Sirmium c. was the then visible Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I hope they wil not say that it was the true Church of God For though almost all the Bishops and most Christians throughout the Romane Empire did subscribe vnto these Councels yet was not the true Church of God during these three yeeres inuisible but more remarkably visible in some few which did contradict the then visible Church content to suffer exile or other martyrdome in maintenance of the Holy Catholike faith which is the life and soule of the Church of God In few ages after wherein worse beasts then Valens was were chiefe Gouernours of the visible Church that is after the succession of Romish Bishops was growne vp vnto a perfect beast according to the measure of Antichrist the true Church of God was remarkeably visible in such as that visible Church did condemne for heretikes Instances to this purpose are plentifull in vnpartiall Writers And when the doctrine of Antichrist was come to his full growth as in the Councell of Trent although the whole bodie of Germany besides Chemnitius and some few others although the whole visible Church of France besides Caluin and some such had subscribed vnto that Councell yet the true Church of God had beene visible in France and Germanie in these worthies Enough there was in their writings against that Councell to condemne all such as followed it that is the visible or representatiue Church of Rome of palpable Antichristian heresie Yet when we say that the true Church of God was visible in these men in their writings or in Iohn Hus c. wee doe not tye our selues to embrace what soeuer they wrote for truth Wee may say of the true visible Church or of the truth by which we become visible members of the true Catholike Church as one said of Truth philosophicall That it could not be sound intire in the writings of any one Sect of Philosophers in the writings of all of them it might This aduantage we haue of all the Philosophers that we haue a surer and more perfect rule for examining the writings or doctrines of seuerall visible Churches than they had any for examining truths philosophicall Absolutely to assent in each particular to any writers or teachers since the first constitution of the Apostolike Church or accomplishment of the written rule of faith were to dissent from them in the maine and fundamentall point of Catholicke Faith For vnlesse there bee an vnfayned and hearty desire a spirit of watchfulnesse and of willingnesse to limit our adherence vnto whatsoeeuer other writings according to the greater or lesse evidence of their consonancy with the written rule neither Scholar nor Master nor Church visible or representatiue can be any other then equiuocall or dead members of the true Church The Catholike faith it selfe could it possibly be planted in any mans heart without the spirit or Genius to direct or informe it would quickly either putrifie or grow crooked 3 Amongst other glorious titles wherwith the same Author seekes to adorne the Church of Rome this which is the title of his fift chapter is one that the true Church cannot erre A proposition I must confesse as hard for vs to disproue if hee take it in sensu composito as it is for him to proue in sensu diuiso That no Church as it is true and whilest it is true or in respect of those points with reference to which it is denominated true can possibly erre is a truth that cannot be denied But if by the true Church he mean a visible or the visible Romish Church there neither is nor hath been any visible Church though planted by the Apostles themselues which since their times hath not either ceased to bee a visible Church or else continued for a long time as palpably erroneous and false as truely visible Whatsoeuer this Author deeme or write his Fellowes and Masters with one mouth confesse that every priuate man in their Church may erre that the Bishops assembled in Councell without the Popes direction or confirmation of their sentence may erre that the Pope himselfe vnlesse he speake ex cathedra may erre And by this confession either the Romish church is no true Church saue onely whilest the Pope speakes è Cathedra or else the whole bodie of the true Church if the Romish church be the true Church may sometimes erre For at all times else both head and members of this Church may erre In this inference I take it as granted that the Pope doth not alwaies speake ex cathedra Now if in these interims of his cathedrall silence any Bishop Priest or Iesuit shal take vpon them to instruct their Auditors out of the Pulpit or otherwise in points of faith or controuersie their poore flocke by this mans collections against vs cannot be made partakers of that true and infallible faith without which no man can be saued because their Preachers or ministers are not infallible nor to vse his words vndoubtedly fenced from all danger of errour His collections against vs are these Finally to what end doe Protestants striue so much for the Churches erring but onely to depriue themselues thereby of Church Faith and Religion For wheras neither religiō nor Church can stād without supernaturall faith nor supernaturall faith be attained without infallible certainty of the things beleeued if their Preachers their Ministers their Church be not vndoubtedly fenced frō all danger of error the Articles they beleeue haue not that inerrable warrant which is necessarie to faith Did this man may wee thinke beleeue that hee himselfe was vndoubtedly fenced from all danger of errour If he did so beleeue the Cardinalls of Rome shall doe him much wrong if they chuse him not Pope the next Election or appoint him not as coadiutor to the present Pope If it be replyed that the Romish instructers bee they Bishops or Priests cannot erre because they neither beleeue nor teach others to beleeue any points of faith but with absolute submission of their instructions to what the Pope already hath spoken or shall hereafter speake ex cathedra concerning the same points the medicine will be a great deale worse then the disease For this perswasion or resolution is altother incompatible with the first grounds of faith and is flat Apostacie from Christ as hath beene discussed at large in the second booke vpon the Creed and shall be further manifested if occasion require in the second booke of this Treatise To the former obiection the answer on our part is easie For true faith receiues its infallibilitie not from any infallibilitie in our immediate and ordinary teachers but from the infallibility of the truths themselues which they propose vnto vs out of the rule of truth and from the infallibilitie of that internall and secret Teacher without whose impressions of truths infallible in mens hearts no true faith
can bee conceiued by the Church it selfe in what sense soever taken or by any member of it But this point likewise hath beene fully discussed throughout our second booke vpon the Creed Concerning this glorious title of not erring wherewith he seekes to invest the visible Church the case is easie and the issue short If the true Church which can neuer erre be the visible Church then that visible Church which often hath erred and doth still erre cannot be the true Church nor such a supreame Iudge of controversies as hee imagines the visible Romish Church to bee in his 6. chapter Now whether the visible church of Rome hath not of later yeeres grosly erred in many points most grieuously in this very opinion of their own absolute infallibilitie comes to bee disputed in the second book In which likewise it shall by Gods assistance appeare that this vanting Doctor hath really danced in that inextricable maze which hee termes but an Imaginarie circle cap. 7. 4. The speciall title or attribute which in this place requires larger discussion whether it belong meerly to the Holy Catholike Church so termed by Excellency or in some measure also vnto the visible Church is that Maxime vsuall amongst the Fathers Extra Ecclesiam non est salus that is as the forecited Author proposeth it cap. 8. that out of the true Church there can be no hope of salvation in any congregation or sect whatsoeuer As an additionall to this generall Testimonie they adde that of S. Hierom. tom 2. Ep. 57. ad Damas tom 4. l. 4. comment in cap. 11. Isa If any one were not in the Arke he was drowned in the time of the inundation If any one he not in the Church he perisheth in the day of destruction And againe Gaudentius a little more ancient then Hierom as this Author cites him It is manifest that all men of those times perished excepting onely such as deserued to bee found within the Arke bearing a type or figure of the Church For so in like manner they cannot be saved who are separated from the Apostolike faith and Catholike Church Guide of Faith cap. 8. 5 Pius Quartus affirmeth that that Creed which he hath patched vp out of the Nicene creed councel of Trent is the Faith extra quam non est salus out of which there is no saluation Vnto an empty discourse addressed to this purpose the said Author of the Antidote in his ninth chapter of the Guide of faith hath prefixed this swelling title No Sectarie so he termes vs can be saved by beleeuing generall heads The marke he aymes at is that we are bound vnder penaltie of damnation to beleeue whatsoeuer the visible Church commends vnto vs as a point of faith as firmely as we beleeue the generall articles of the Apostolike or Nicene Creed And to obtrude this conclusion vpon vs which would draw vs to a generall Apostasie hee hath shamelesly transferd that royall prerogatiue of Gods morall law auouched by S. Iames Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guiltie of all c. 2.10 vnto all the mandates of the visible Church And lastly to accumulate impudency hauing once transgressed the bounds of Christian modestie hee further addes That it is not enough to beleeue all the mandates of the visible Church vnlesse wee doe communicate with it in practice But in what points we may communicate with the Romish church in what we may not shall bee in particular discussed hereafter For a generall answer to his blasphemous allegations we can conceiue none better none so good as that which S. Iames hath framed for vs He that said Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt do no murder Thou shalt not commit adultery nor beare false witnesse against thy neighbour said also in more precise and cautelous termes Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image nor the similitude of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them c. Now if we shall communicate with the present Romish church in worshipping the Images of the Almighty Creator of the persons in Trinity and of euery liuing creature in heauen or in adoring the similitudes of bread and wine or rather bread or wine it selfe wee should daily draw the guilt of transgressing the whole Law of God vpon vs. Werâ— not these kind of men further transported with their blind zeale vnto their owne Traditions and malice towards the Gospell of Christ then the Iewes were we might referre this point vnto the Romanists as the Apostles did the like vnto the Iudgement of the Iewes Whether it be better to obey God forbidding or the visible Church commanding the adoration of Images or the consecrated Hoast Iudge ye CHAP. X. In what cases Arguments of proportion may bee drawne from Allegories A full explication of the Allegorie vsed by S. Paul Gal. 4. and of the Argument or concludent proofe in the same Allegorie contained 1 VNto the argument drawne from Noahs Arke I could vse the common exceptioÌ„ Sensus allegoricus aut Symbolicus non est sensus argumeÌ„tativus That points of Doctrine are not to be grounded vpon the allegoricall or Symbolicall sense of scriptures But exceptions are then vsefull when they are needfull they are then only needfull when the Testimonies against vs are not only true but concludenr And some good writers to my apprehension haue not in any point giuen greater advantâ—ge to their aduersaries then by denying Orthodoxall or plausible antecedents when they should haue examined the Argument or trauersed the vulgar Iudgement concerning the consequence We will not therfore deny that the argument may be rightly drawn from Noahs Arke vnto Christ his Church which in Thesi is as much as to say that sensus allegoricus seu mysticus est aliquando argumentativus The allegoricall or mystical sense is somtimes argumentatiue yea it is alwaies so when the Allegorie is rightly grounded vpon the literall sense and when the termes are distinct and rightly suited For such an allegorie is an argument from proportion which is the most vsuall kinde of argument amongst sacred Writers I will instance in two arguments of S. Paul in the one of which I must be somewhat longer because it is more difficult Yet to recompence this inconuenience the matter of it rightly explicated is very Homogeneall or suteable to the matter now in hand and may serue as a leading case to others which we are hereafter to handle Galat. cap. 4. ver 21 22 23 24 25 26. Tell me ye that desire to be vnder the Law doe ye not heare the Law For it is written that Abraham had two sons the one by a boÌ„dmaid the other by a free woman but he who was of the bondwoman was borne after the flesh but he of the free-woman was by promise which things are an allegory As euery Analogie or proportion so euery Allegorie
though God wot vpon most dislike occasions in as great execration as those whom the ancient Fathers excommunicated 2 A notable instance to iustifie this assertion wee haue in the seuenth Synod or second Nicene Councell The point in debate was whether such Prelates and other Ministers as had fauoured the Eiconaclastae and withstood the worshipping of Images were to be receiued againe into the Church and to be restored to their dignitie vpon their submission The bookes being produced by which it did appeare that Athanasius Cyrill and other ancient Pillars of the orthodoxall Church had receiued notorious heretikes into their fauour and communion againe a Bishop of the Prouince of Sicilia learnedly puts in this exception or caueat The Canons of the blessed Fathers which hitherto haue beene produced were enacted against the Nouatians the Encratists and Arians But as for the Masters of this present heresie in what ranke shall wee place them Vpon which a Deacon of the same Church and Prouince propounds this question Whether is this new sprung heresie greater or lesse then those heresies which haue beene before it To all which the great Herod of Constantinople Tharasius being reconciled quoad haec to the Romane Pilate Pope Adrian makes this learned answer Euill is alwaies the same alwaies equall This is true saith Epiphanius the venerable Deacon of the most holy Church of Catanes Vicar or Deputie for the most blessed Thomas Archbishop of Sardinia but especially true in causes ecclesiasticall or matters concerning the Church from whose decrees to swarue in matters great or small is all one seeing the diuine Law is violated in both cases And after him one Iohn a venerable Monke Vicegerent for the orientall thrones as if his part had beene to act the Parasite in the Comedie and to turne magnas into ingentes gaue this verdict This heresie is worse then all other heresies and of all euils the very worst c. But was this great Patriarch Tharasius so stoically senslesse as not to be offended with this illiterate rough-shod Asse that thus would claw him like a Spannell For if this heresie were worse then all other heresies or the worst of euils the most excellently illiterate Patriarch and the venerable Deacon were grosly ouerseene in their sentence That all errours or heresies in matters ecclesiastike were equall Or will any Christian be so senselesly partiall as to thinke that this illiterate factious Councell could be Prophets or Doctors infallible in their conclusions when they bewray themselues to be grosse heretikes or more then heathenish Stoicks in the premisses that Malum semper est idem aequale that euill is alwaies the same alwaies equall Thus by the selfe same stroke of Authority by which this Councell did de facto thrust all other out of the visible Church that would not worship Images they haue declared themselues to be excommunicated de iure from the holy Catholike Church 3 In this assertion the ancient Fathers vnanimously accord that defection or swaruing from the Catholike Faith doth exclude men from the Catholike Church and by consequence from saluation but about the extent or precise limits of holy Catholike faith or about the exact list of Articles to be beleeued their concord is not so generall What particular opinions did induce or argue a defection frō Catholike faith or diuorce from the Catholike Church was neuer consented vpon by the ancient Fathers nor could their ioynt authoritie in this case be so great as in the former The latter ages of such as in respect of vs are ancient are in this point various and superstitious But of the vse effects or iust causes of excōmunication we shall haue occasion to speak more particularly hereafter The rules most pertinēt to our present busines which serue as an entry to the main controuersie betwixt vs the Romanists are two 4 The former immediately concernes Prelates or Church Gouernours They are alwaies to remember that this power is giuen them not for destruction or to shew their owne greatnesse but for the edification of others and therefore neuer to be vsed but vpon speciall and weighty occasions Hee that strikes fiercely with his spirituall sword at feathers doth alwaies either wound himselfe or wrest his arme neither is it safe to measure the iustice of Prelates proceedings by the euent or to collect that God doth approue their sentence because the partie sentenced by them may often come to a wofull or feareful end They may dye in their sinnes and Gods iustice may be manifest in the manner of their death and yet for all this their blood may bee required at their hands which did thus rule them with a rod of iron or feede them as the Apostle sayes with the sword when they should haue nourished them with the milke of the Gospell or at least haue vsed salutari seueritate wholesome seueritie towards them The second caueat concernes priuate men and it is that they be more vnwilling to separate themselues from the visible Church then to be cut off from the common-wealth wherein they liue The occasions of voluntary separation ought to be more weighty and hainous in respect of the parties from whom they voluntarily separate themselues then are the causes of excommunication for which inferiours are violently yet iustly separated from the Church by their Gouernours Cato as one saith could not haue committed so hainous a murther by killing another man as by killing himselfe for I thinke it had scarce beene possible for him to haue killed any Romane that had lesse deserued death than himselfe did yet not in this respect onely but simply and absolutely it was a greater sinne in him and is more vnlawfull for any man to kill himselfe then to kill another The rule is as true in this point of spirituall murther that is of vnlawfull separation actiue or passiue from the visible Church Though it be a grieuous sinne in Gouernours to depriue their inferiours of all communion with the visible Church vpon light and vnnecessarie occasions yet it is a greater sinne in inferiours to depriue themselues of the same communion vpon the same or like occasions especially if they bee not certaine elsewhere to inioy the like or equiualent cōmunion without disturbance Such as intend a separation must alwaies respect as well terminum ad quem as terminum à quo whom they goe to as from whom they depart It is a motto better befitting Christians in violent persecutions by heathens then in voluntary separation from Christian Churches Quos fugiam habeo quo fugiam non habeo I know from whom I flye but whither to flye I know not To forsake the Church wherein wee haue beene baptized for the foule abuses that wee know by experience to bee committed in it before we be certaine in what other Church we may be admitted in which there is not in some kinde or other the like or worse abuses or more vnsufferable grieuances were as
desperate a madnesse as for a passenger to leape into the Sea because hee knew the ship wherein he sayled and the company with whom he must necessarily conuerse were deepely infected with a deadly pestilence And thus to doe were a desperate pranke vnlesse the partie aduenturing had very great skill in swimming and were withall within ken of some comfortable shore or harbour All this may seeme to make for our Aduersaries or at least against our forefathers which were sometimes members of the visible Romish Church but did either voluntarily separate themselues from it or suffer themselues to be thrust out of it when as they might haue retained communion with it so they would haue imbraced their doctrine Besides the danger of separation from it both they and we haue felt the seuerest strokes of the spirituall sword of excommunication which the Gouernours of the Romish Church could reach vs. 5 The branches of the maine controversie betwixt that Church and ours are two The first whether the reasons which moued our forefathers to depart from that Church or not to imbrace her doctrines were iust and necessary The second Whether our forefathers being howsoeuer separated from it had commission full power and iust authority from God to vnite themselues into a true visible Church whether they did rightly pursue such warrant or commission as they had and whether they and we haue beene and are a true visible Church The iust and necessary reasons for which men whether few or many may and ought to separate themselues from any visible Church are in generall two The first because they are vrged or constrained to professe or beleeue some points of doctrine or to aduenture vpon some practices which are contrary to the rule of faith or Law of God and are either ex specie or ex gradu cumulo either for their specificall quality or for their burthen or number so hereticall and deadly that they necessarily induce a separation from the holy and Catholike faith without which the Church can neither be holy nor Catholike The second in case they are vtterly depriued of freedome of conscience in professing what they inwardly beleeue or bee bereft of some other meanes either altogether necessarie or most expedient to saluation both which may be had in some other visible Church In this later case that rule of our Apostle giuen vnto seruants is true Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called Art thou called being a seruant Care not for it but if thou mayest be made free vse it rather For hee that is called in the Lord being a seruant is the Lords freeman Likewise also he that is called being free is Christs seruant Ye are bought with a price bee not ye the seruants of men 1 Cor. 7.20 21 22 23. Although we were perswaded that wee could communicate with such a Church without evident danger of damnation yet in as much as we cannot so communicate with it vpon any better termes then legall seruants or bondslaues doe with their Masters we are bound in conscience and religious discretion when lawfull occasions and opportunities are offred to vse our libertie and to seeke our freedome rather then to liue in bondage CHAP. XV. That our Forefathers separation from the Romish Church was most lawfull and iust both in respect of Prince and State and in respect of euery priuate person which feared God or sought to retaine the holy Catholike and Apostolike Faith 1 WHen we debate the lawfulnesse of our Forefathers separation from the Romish Church we meane the then Romish Church as visible Now vnto the constitution of an entire and compleat visible Church there is required First an vnity of faith and doctrine Secondly an vnitie of discipline or coactiue Lawes but especially an vnitie of subordination to one independent Iudicature Vnity in points of faith and doctrine is more essentiall to the Church as it is holy and Catholike that is as it is Orthodoxall Vnity of Lawes or discipline or of independent Iudicature is more essentiall and more necessary to the Church as visible Hence as wee said before there be as many distinct visible Churches as there be independent Iudicatures or supreame Tribunalls Ecclesiasticke Vnto a Catholike Church or vnto a Church visibly Catholike such as the Romanists beleeue their Church to be both kinds of vnity are necessary Whether this vnitie of discipline full power of Iurisdiction or independent Iudicature be seated in one person or more that is whether the forme of ecclesiasticall gouernment be Aristocraticall or Monarchicall is in our Diuinity all one The vnitie or conformitie may be as compleat and perfect the one way as the other But the Romanists the English Priests and Iesuits doe not onely hold this vnity of independent Iudicature to be necessary to the constitution of the visible Catholike Church but that it must of necessity be radically in one person to wit in the Pope on whom as vpon the head and fountaine the vnity of the Holy Catholike visible Church doth depend and for this reason they put his Holinesse in the definition of the Holy Catholike Church as you heard before out of Cardinall Bellarmine and the Author of the Antidote So that the Popes supremacie hath the same place in the whole visible Church as euery summum genus in his proper predicament As nothing can bee truly said to be in the predicament vnlesse it participate the nature or definition of the summum genus so none by this doctrine can be a true member of the holy Church vnlesse he be subordinate to the Pope Or as no man can come to the Father but by the Sonne so none can come vnto the sonne but by this Holy Father the Pope Euery one must be visibly vnited vnto him and to his Lawes before he can be mystically or spiritually vnited vnto Christ Howbeit by putting the Pope in the definition of the Holy Catholike Church with intention thereby to exclude vs from it who denie his authority they intangle and fetter themselues in another point of great consequence betwixt vs them of which aduantage we shall make some better vse hereafter The summe of our present dispute is this As professing of vnitie with the Romish Church in all points of faith which that Church teacheth doth necessarily induce a disunion or separation from the holy Catholike Faith and Church so the acknowledgment of such subordination as is required vnto the head of it in matters of discipline or iurisdiction induceth flat rebellion or high treason against all free States or Kingdomes Christian 2 The reasons which moued our forefathers to forsake the visible Romish church or to suffer themselues to be forsaken by it and withhold vs from returning to iâ— were and are in two respects most necessarie and iust Iust they were and are necessary First on the behalfe of euery priuate man that had or hath a care of conscience and Religion Secondly on behalfe of Prince and
Masse for which they can haue no true assurance or warrant from God or his Lawes but onely rely vpon the supposed infallibilitie of this Church which notwithstanding may be manifestly conuinced of grosse and stupid heresie in the doctrine of â—ransubstantiation But because the doctrine is ex specie hereticall and the practice deadly I shall reserue the refutation of both the explication of the ancient and orthodoxall opinions concerning the manner of Christs presence in the Sacrament or communication of his body and blood vnto a peculiar Treatise 13 Generally the more dangerous or deadly any practice doth seeme to bee whilest wee compare it with the ordinary common rule of mans actions the more euidently it ought to appeare vnto him that vndertakes it by what speciall rule or warrant it is exempted from the common rule or generall prohibition of other facts and practices in nature and appearance like it If a Iudge should charge the Sheriffe or other inferiour officer to see execution done vpon some malefactor it were no wisedome for the inferior Officer to aduenture vpon the Iudges command vnlesse hee knew that the Iudge had speciall commission and warrant from the King to sentence him to death and that hee had legally so sentenced him Yet would it be a point of ill manners and indiscretion for an inferior Iustice or officer to require the like speciall warrant or expresse rule of Law for whipping a vagrant person or putting some idle fellow in the stocks The Iudges word or command might in this case be a suffâ—cient warrant especially to one not skilfull in the Lawes nor too scrupulous in yeelding obedience to such as are skilfull in them It is nicitie ill manners and indiscretion to exact an expresse rule of scripture or faith for standing at the Creed for kneeling at the Lords board for vsing the Cap and Surplice In these cases consent of the Church or tradition will suffice so there be not any expresse Law or commandement to the contrary He that exacts in these points as expresse rules of faith or warrant of scripture for his obedieÌ„ce to ecclesiasticall authority as hee would or as euery man ought to doe for aduenturing vpon worshipping of Images inuocation of Saints or the like hath made his braine or fancy the chiefe seat or mansion of his Religion which should bee seated in the heart To runne thus farre in seeming opposition to the Romanist is not truly to oppose him but to meet with him in the point of disobedience to Gods Lawes The one by disobeying the Church in these cases wherein it hath authority to command obedience disobeyes those Lawes or mandates of God which giue the Church authority to make Lawes in things indifferent neither expresly forbidden nor commanded by the Law of God The other by vowing absolute blinde obedience to the Church disobey Gods particular and expresse Lawes euen the most fundamentall Lawes of pâ—ety and religion the lawes of nature and of Nations 14 To kill a priuate man without warrant of authority is a heynous and fearefull sinne but farre more hainous to kill a Prince or to raise tumults in a State or incense the multitude to take armes against their soueraigne Lord yet vpon these and worse practices will any well catechized Romanist aduenture without any further warrant then the Churches command or approbation which hee beleeues to bee infallible But that the Church hath absolute infallibility and full power to command his conscience or authorize his action in these cases what speciall warrant hath hee from God or his Lawes The best they bring is this Tu es Petrus super hanc petraÌ„ aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church But doth this place either proue Peter to be the Rocke on which the church is built or the Popes to be Peters perpetual successors in that confession which Peter then vttered which was the rocke indeed on which Christs Church is built and which did make Peter to be such a rocke or liuing stone as hee was in the house of God I could bee content to try this issue with any Iesuit whether he could by better probabilitie from this Text inferre that the Pope is Peters successor in the infallibility of holy doctrine then I shall inferre from another Text following in the same Chapter that the Pope is the first borne of Sathan perpetually obnoxious to the check which our Sauiour gaue vnto Peter Get thee behind me Sathan thou art an offence vnto me for thou sauourest not the things that bee of God but those that bee of men Matt. 16.23 This was but a friendly checke of Peter but will proue the iudiciall censure of the Pope and his Disciples vnlesse they recant this wicked doctrine Our Sauiour bestowed the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Rocke vpon the sonne of Iona as the Iesuits will haue it in the former place whilest hee vttered that worthy confession Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God By faithfull adherence to this confession hee became a liuing stone a part of the foundation of Christs Church the first in order of twelue But nominis omen habuit hee did best brooke this name after our Sauiours resurrection A little after the vttering of the former confession when out of his kind nature as wee would tearme it but certainly our of a carnall imagination as the Spirit would censure it he sought to disswade his master from suffering death and so to hinder him from dissoluing the works of Sathan and ouerthrowing his Kingdome our Sauiour calls him Sathan as if he had said Peter thou counsellest me to that very thing whereunto Satan himselfe so I would giue him audience would perswade me with more Rhetorick then thou hast What if I should say That all the Popes are Peters successors and that so much may bee proued out of this 16 chapter of S. Matthew will it therefore follow that none of them are Antichrists or Sonnes of Satan No distingue tempora concordabunt scripturae distinction of times is the reconciliation of scriptures The first and ancient Popes were Peters successors in the former confession all or most of them liuing stones in the house of God The later Popes are Peters successors in counselling Christs Church to vndertake those practices in Christs name wherunto the Deuill doth alwayes counsell men by internall suggestions of the flesh Peters temporary infirmity is become their hereditary heresie Certainly their succession in Peters chaire doth no more argue theÌ„ to be his successours in the stability of faith than succession in Moses chaire proues the Scribes and Pharises to haue beene Moses true Disciples or theÌ„ the Iewes lineall descent from Abraham proues then to be Abrahams childreÌ„ The Analogie of faith will warrant this doctrine for conclusion That these later Popes and their followers are of their father the Deuill for they goe about to murther Kings and Princes which
take vpon them to defend the truth This did not Peter this would not any Bishop of Rome haue done within fiue hundred yeeres after Christ SECT 3. That the present visible Church of England retaines the Holy Catholike Faith which the Romish Church hath defiled and by defiling it hath lost that true vnion with the primitiue and Apostolike Church which the visible Church retaineth CHAP. XVI That our Church was in the Romish Church before Luthers time and yet in it neither as a visible Church altogether distinct from it nor as any natiue member of it 1 IT is in the first place obiected that wee had no Church at all before Luthers time Secondly that neither Luther nor Christian Princes which imbraced his doctrine had any authority to erect or found a new Church If we say as we must say and beleeue that we had a true Church before Luther of a Monke became a Reformer it will bee demanded where our Church was and of what persons it did consist To the former part of this importunate demand Where was your Church before Luthers time the Reverend learned Doctor Field pithily answers Our Church was in the same place then wherein now it is His explication will iustifie his meaning against all gainesayers Howbeit I must frame my answer according to my former principles fit it to some captious questions or obiections made by some of our Aduersaries since this Worthy died 2 If our Church before Luthers time were in the same place wherein now it is it will further bee demanded Whether it were a Church distinct from the then Romish Church or a member of it That wee had a visible Church before Luthers time in this Kingdome altogether distinct from the Romish visible Church planted in this Kingdome before Luther was borne or so distinct as respublica Venetorum is à Regno Gallia as the State of Venice is from the kingdome of France seemes very improbable to the Romanists and somewhat hard for vs to proue vnlesse we will deriue our pedigree from the Albigenses the Picardi or the poore men of Lions which to doe I know not how safe it is or how well pleasing it would be to the present visible English Church vnlesse we had better records of their tenets then I haue seene or then the visible Romish Church that de facto condemnes them for heretiks was willing to propagate to posteritie On the other side if our Church before Luthers time was a member of the then Romish Church wee shall bee further questioned what authoritie our King and State had either to dismember their Church or to make a new intire distinct Church of an old dismembred part of their Church In these and like obiections they alwaies suppose two things as vnquestionable which we vtterly deny The first that the whole multitude of Christians throughout these Westerne parts as England France Germany Italy and Spaine c. excepting such as were by their Church disclaymed for heretikes or schismatikes were all members of the then visible Romish Church and that there was such an vnion betwixt all and euery one of this multitude as sufficeth to make all indiuiduals within these States or Kingdomes true members of one visible or of the then visible Romish Church The second They suppose that our vnion with some present visible Church is a natiue degree or part of our vnion with the Holy Catholike Church or that our vnion with some present visible Church is necessary or essentiall not accidentall to our being or not being members of the Holy Catholike Church For our more orderly and safe proceeding wee are in the first place to shake and hereafter by Gods helpe to raze these two rotten foundations wheron all their arguments either for annoying ours or for supporting their Church are grounded 3 Our first Counterfort shall be this All the particular Congregations recounted by reformed Writers which before Luthers time had either separated themselues from the visible Romish Church of their times or had beene disclaimed by it for schismatiques or heretikes being sequestred from this dispute our Church might bee and was in the visible Romish Church as Bellarmine and other professed sonnes of that Church define it and yet bee in it neither so as to make one intire visible Church distinct from it nor as any integrall part or naturall member of it If we take all which the Romish Church doth challenge for her sonnes before Luthers time there was in that multitude rather a Church truely visible than one true visible Church if wee measure the truth of the visible Church according to our former principles and as wee ought to measure it by the conformitie which it hath with the one truely holy and Apostolike Church Our meaning is the whole multitude of Christians in these Westerne parts before Luthers time all those being excluded which the Romish Church representatiue did condemne for heretikes or schismatiques had no such vnitie as truely answers to the vnitie of a body naturall but an vnitie onely answerable to the vnitie of an heap or congest of Heterogeneals Some had the number only others the very character of the Beast The heape or congest which wee suppose as an Embleme of the visible Romish Church taking that Church in that amplitude which they challenge before Luther by Gods appointment attempted reformation shal be an heap or congest of seueral mettals al or most part vnpurified In this one heape or congest a great part of heterogeneals though not all shal be supposed to haue had the vnion of continuation or concretion that is some pieces of vnpurified gold by the negligence or vnskilfulnes of the artificer were made vp or suffered to make vp themselues in some clod or cake with an huge quantitie of copper lead brasse iron or other baser metals all vnpurified from their drosse the other part of the same heape or congest consisting of seuerall or lesser pieces of richer metall all homogeneall in themselues though many vnpurified and wanting the vnion of contiguitie or concretion 4 The parts of a good Mineralist or Refiner in this case were first to dissolue the cake or clod and to seuer the richer metall from the baser Secondly to purifie homogeneals so seuered from their owne drosse Thirdly to make them vp so seuered or purified into plate wedges or Bullion or to put some other accidentall or artificiall forme vpon them All this being done we cannot say there was a true generation of any new body or substance or that the Refiner did make gold where there was none before as some Alchymists professe that they can turne iron or other metals specifically distinct into gold here was only a refining of metall praeexistent and an addition onely of an accidentall forme To parallel the Refiners worke by the reformation wrought by Luther and the Christian Princes that harkened to him First it cannot be denyed but that the visible Romish Church or if you will the faction
superstition and palpable darkenesse which had ouerspread the visible Romish Church there were within it though not of it many visible members of the Holy Catholike Church men by so much more true and liuely members of the Holy Catholike Church or Body of Christ by how much they were lesse true and actuall members of the visible Romish Church that is by how much their adherence vnto the Romish Church representatiue or to the authority of the Court of Rome was lesse firme or none as in a generall plague when euery city and towne throughout the whole Kingdome is infected they are most safe which haue solitarie dwellings in the country and haue least commerce with port townes or markets Such adherence to the visible or representatiue Church of Rome as the Iesuites and others now challenge doth as we haue often said induce a separation from the Holy Catholike Church and is more deadly to the soule then to be bed-fellow to one sicke of the pestilence is to the body CHAP. XVII That men may be visible members of the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church and yet no actuall members of any present visible Church 1 THe two principall points whereon we pitch may bee comprised in these two propositions the first A man may be a true liue-member of the holy Catholike Church albeit he hath no vnion or commerce with any member of the Churches visible And this proposition is cleere from that point formerly discussed how farre it was true of the visible Church extra ecclesiam non est salus Out of the Church there is no saluation The second A man may be a true and visible member of the Holy Catholike Church and yet be no actual member of any visible Church The truth of this later proposition may be proued by many instances of most ages since the Church whether vnder the Law or Gospell became visible For this present it shall suffice to explicate the meaning of it according to my former promise and to confirme the truth of it so explicated by one or two pregnant instances Albeit most of the termes in this proposition or distinction contained haue beene explicated before in two inquiries the one what was required to the constitution of the Holy Catholike Church The other what was required to the constitution of a visible Church To what was then said I will adde onely thus much That the Church may bee termed Catholike either in the prime sense or as we then sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in a secondary analogicall sense The Catholike Church in the prime sense consists only of such men as are actuall and indissoluble members of Christs mysticall body or of such as haue the Catholike Faith not onely sowne in their braines or vnderstanding but throughly rooted in their hearts In a secondary Analogicall sense Euery present visible Church which holdeth the Holy Catholike faith without which no man can bee saued pure and vndefiled with the traditions or inuentions of men may bee termed an Holy Catholike Church When we say a man may be a visible mēber of the holy Catholike Church and yet no actuall member of any present visible Church we take the catholike Church in the later or secondary sense that is for a Church wherein no point of faith or doctrine is maintained or allowed which is not consonant and homogeneall to the Catholike primitiue faith deliuered by Christ his Apostles Who are indissoluble members of Christs bodie is onely visible or known to him Many thousands are and haue been true mēbers of it which are haue been altogether inuisible to vs. But who they be which professe the vnity of that faith which the Apostles taught and without which no man can bee saued is visible and knowne to all such as either heare them professe it viua voce or can read and vnderstand their profession of it giuen in writing 2 The truth of the second proposition may easily be manifested hence in as much as the vnion betweene the members of any Church as visible consists in the vnity of discipline or iurisdictiō or of lawes iudiciall or ceremoniall whereas the vnion of the Church as holy and Catholike formally consists in the vnitie of faith or doctrine or of Lawes and Mysteries internally spirituall and morall It is cleare that the former vnion may be dissolued without the dissolution of the latter as the latter likewise in some cases may be dissolued without dissolution of the former As for example a man may be cut off by excōmunication or exile from all commerce with the present visible Church wherein hee was bred and borne and yet not thereby cut off from the Holy Catholike orthodoxall Church Againe a man by heresie or impious opinions whether voluntarily and secretly imbraced by him or thrust vpon him by the visible Church which hath authority of Iurisdiction ouer him may separate himselfe from the Holy Catholike Church and yet still remaine an actuall member a deare sonne of the visible Church in whose bosome he is willing to liue Euery visible Church whose Lawes are ratified by Soueraigne Authority and whose Gouernours are armed with power coactiue may cut off any particular member besides the head from which all power coactiue is deriued Suppose one or two or more be actually cut off by excommunication exile or the like censure not onely from publike communion in the Church but from all ciuill commerce with his neighbours yet if I know that hee was so cut off either vpon mis-information or mistake of his Iudges as if he had held some grieuous heresies which as appeares to mee hee did not or that the Church Gouernors out of ignorance spleene or faction or other sinister respects which I may not in particular examine did condemne these opinions held by him for hereticall or schismaticall which are in themselues and to my knowledge orthodoxall and truly Catholike hee is to mee and to others which know his meaning a visible member of the Holy Catholike Church though no more a member of the visible Church wherein he did and we yet remaine And albeit I haue no power to rescind the visible Churches decree or authoritatiuely to pronounce him a Catholike whom they to whom the cognizance of such causes belongs haue condemned for an hereticke and albeit I may not admit him to publike prayers or to communion at the Sacraments as being interdicted by authoritie yet I may and ought still to retaine that communion with him which in this Creed we beleeue to be betwixt all true members of Christs body or professors of the Holy Catholike faith that is the Communion of Saints such a Communion as is betwixt the members of the Church triumphant and the liuing members of Christs body militant or rather such as is betweene the orthodoxall professors of the English or other reformed Churches I am bound to pray for him and he for me that we may continue stedfast in the faith which we haue receiued
yet did hee thereby cease to bee a visible member of the Holy Catholike Church For albeit Bellarmine would in part excuse him as if that which he did did not continere in se manifestum haeresin containe any manifest heresie yet Baronius and others and amongst the rest Binnius confesse that for yeelding to the Emperour the Catholikes did eschew communion with him Now these Catholikes that did eschew communion with Pope Liberius for communicating with the Arian faction were neither the Catholike Church nor the visible Church but at the best visible members of the Holy catholike Church And the Church as catholike includes as well vniuersalitie of succession and of time as extension of place or multitude of persons professing the catholike faith After this defection of the Romish church in the Bishop Liberius the whole Romane Empire was ouerspread with Arianisme If there were any visible Church of note which in those dayes remained catholike it was in the East without the precinct of the Romane Empire or in this our Iland The chiefe pillar or ground of truth which the Romane Empire in those times had was Gregory of Nazianzene as may appeare out of that ancient Author that writes his life Though Constantinople had been held the chiefe watch-tower of the oecumenicall church visible yet when Nazianzen was sent for thither to support the catholike cause against the Arians so much of the catholike church as was extant in that great citie was contracted within the narrow walls of the Temple of Anastasia for that church onely was permitted them to meete in as is thought in contempt that the littlenesse of it might vpbraid them with their paucitie it being a fit receptacle rather for a priuate conuenticle then for a iust and lawfull congregation Nazianzen then was the Luther of ancient times to reforme the visible church being ouerspred with Arianisme Luther was the Nazianzen of later times to dispell the mists of Poperie and Romish Idolatrie by the light of the Gospell and to reduce the visible church vnto conformitie with the ancient church 7 As many as in our Sauiours time here on earth at the instigation of the high Priest of the Scribes and Pharisees or of the then visible church representatiue or otherwise out of their priuate choice did persecute him and his Apostles as deceiuers or authors of new sects or heresies did thereby dissociate themselues from the ancient and Primitiue Church of God established in Iewrie and yet remained true and obedient members of the then visible or representatiue church On the contrary such as before our Sauiours death or passion did acknowledge him for their Messias although for so doing they were excommunicated and cast out of their Synagogues that is vtterly cut off from being any longer members of the then visible church did by this their known sufferings or martyrdome become illustrious and visible members of the true Primitiue and catholike Church whereof Abraham Dauid Samuel with all the rest of the holy Patriarkes and Prophets were principall parts The Iewes had agreed saith S. Iohn chap. 9. verse 22. that if any man did confesse that he was Christ hee should bee put out of the Synagogue For feare of this heauy censure the Parents of that blinde man which our Sauiour had restored to sight put off the Pharisees with this dilatorie answer We know that this is our Sonne and that he was borne blinde but by what meanes hee now seeth we know not or who hath opened his eyes wee know not he is of age aske him hee shall speake for himselfe The Sonne being asked boldly replies If this man were not of God he could doe nothing And for this answer hee is cast out of the Synagogue or visible church and yet remaines a more conspicuous and visible member of that holy church which Moses had planted in Israel then his Parents were which continued as they had beene actuall or vnseparated members of the present Synagogue or visible church CHAP. XVIII In what sense it may be granted that the visible Romish Church at the time of our forefathers separation from it was a true Church and yet withall the Synagogue of Sathan the seate of Antichrist and common sinke of heresies 1 BVt here it will bee demanded whether these visible members of the holy catholike church which were as liuing stones or fit materials for erecting reformed visible churches as hauing not their consciences indelibly branded with the character of the Beast were before Luther began his reformation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or no that is whether they were the immediate sonnes of God begotten onely by his Spirit without the ministerie or trauaile of any visible church To affirme they were such sonnes of God we may not and if we say they were the sonnes and daughters of God and yet withall the sonnes and daughters of the visible church which was before Luthers time that visible church which by our positions can bee no other then the church of Rome was certainely a true church in that it brought forth sonnes and daughters vnto God All this may be granted that the Romish church before Luthers time was and at this day is a true church quoad hoc that it did and may bring forth sonnes and daughters vnto God that is there are these meanes of regeneration in it which are not in the Mahumetan or Iewish Synagogue In opposition to both which it may bee said a true church though in respect of the Primitiue catholike church or of reformed visible churches it may truely bee tearmed the Synagogue of Sathan or seate of Antichrist in many respects as much worse as it is in some respects better then the Iewish or Mahumetan Synagogue The Thesis was as discreetly proposed as learnedly prosecuted by Doctor Rainolds Romana Ecclesia nec est catholica Ecclesia nec sanum membrum Catholicae Ecclesiae The Roman Church neither is the Catholike Church nor any sound member of the Catholike Church In saying this hee did not deny it in some respects to be a true Church which is in expresse tearmes affirmed by Iunius in his book intituled Liber singularis de Ecclesia by Doctor Couell in his Apologie for Master Hooker and by Master Forbes vpon the 14. of the Reuelation whose testimonie is so much the more to bee esteemed because he expresly maintaines the papacie or representatiue Romish church to bee the Kingdome of the great Antichrist So that in the iudgement of these three which haue handled this point very discreetly as also in the iudgement of learned Doctor Rainolds the visible church of Rome might fitly bee compared vnto a Mother which brings forth sound and healthy children but when they come to sucke her milke she infects them with such loathsome diseases as accompany lewd and naughty Strumpets or if they chance to escape infection by the milke which they sucke from her in their infancie yet when she comes to feede them with stronger meats
had deliuered this sentence ex cathedra It is expedient for vs that one man die for the people and that the whole nation perish not Iohn 11. ver 49. And vpon his authority or warrant they aduentured to put the Lord of glory to death Had not this false Apostaticall Priest beene in vero sacerdotio a chiefe officer in the house of God neither could so cleer a truth as he vttered haue beene inuerted to such a pernitious end as it was spoken by him apprehended by others nor could hee haue conceiued or vttered so cleare a truth of himselfe as S. Iohn instructs vs he did This he spake not of himselfe but being high Priest that same yeer he prophesied that Iesus should die for the Nation Ioh. 11.51 Other Acts of his priesthood tooke their validity from his office not from his person this speculatiue truth tooke its poysonous operation from his person not from his office although he could not haue borne so bitter enmity vnto Christ vnlesse he had beene in that office Now albeit we grant that Caiaphas did prophesie by vertue of his place or Priestly office yet no Romanists as I hope will deny that Caiaphas in the preposterous application of his propheticall sentence might well brooke the name of Antichrist at the least that hee was a type or shadow of the Antichrist to come who was to sit as Caiaphas did in the Temple of God or if so they will haue it in S. Peters chaire that hee may wrest diuine truths authoritatiuely to as wicked ends as Caiaphas did 5 But may it not hence bee inferred that as the Sanedrin was the onely visible Church which God had here on earth so the Romish Church from which Luther did separate himselfe was the onely true visible Church of Christ at the time of his separation This may be granted de facto but not de iure For there was an expresse Law of God that there should be no more visible Churches then one before our Sauiours death and resurrection after which there were to bee as many visible Churches de iure as there were seuerall independent Soueraignties I haue heard indeed of some French Catholikes as they would bee accounted which vse this as an argument whether intended by them ad homines to delude the obiecter onely or ad rem to the matter it selfe I know not But this argument they vse to proue that their Church as opposed to Reformed Churches is the true Church because the Pope is Antichrist Antichrist as the Apostle teacheth is to sit in the Temple of God and the Temple of God no question is the true Church whence seeing hee sits in their Church they inferre that theirs is the true Church not ours But as in most other arguments concerning the Church so in this they cozen themselues with the fallacy à dicto secundùm quid ad dictum simpliciter First both letter of Scripture and analogie of faith doe teach that Antichrist is to sit as Caiaphas did in a true Church yea to be a chiefe Officer of some Church otherwise he could not be a principal Rebell or notorious Traitor against Christ But in that he was to be such a rebell and such a Traitor it is not conceiuable that the Church which wholly submits herselfe to him as to her head should bee the true Church much lesse the onely Church of Christ The former argument will hold thus farre The Pope is Antichrist ergo the Church of Rome is a true Church secundùm quid that is in opposition to the Synagogue of Iewes of Turkes or other professed Infidels But if we speake absolutely or compare it with Churches truly Christian it is no true Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Satan Or as he said of his sordid Hosts entertainment that there was so much fire as a man could not haue truly said in strict propriety of logicke phrase there was no fire that is there was so much as if hee had beene bound by couenant of Lease neuer to haue suffered the fire to goe out hee might haue saued his lease from forfeiture and yet there was no fire but a mocke-fire to the entertaining of a stranger so much as was a greater eyesore to him that had sought comfort or refreshing from it then if there had been none at all In like manner there is so much of the true Church in the present Romish visible Church as a man cannot say it is no Church at all so much true doctrine in it as sufficeth to support the title of Antichrist and to make it the very seat of all abominations or impieties more then natural For as the mingling of the Traditions of men with Moses doctrine did make the leuen of Pharises to be so malignant and distastfull to God and all good men so is it the mixture or making vp of the doctrine of Christ and of Deuills in one and the same Liturgy which makes Antichristianisme in graine And as elswhere is obserued the Idolatry of the Romish Church is so much worse then the Idolatry of the Heathens by how much that Churches generall beliefe of one God of the glorious Trinity and of the redemption of mankind is better then the Heathens beliefe or knowledge of the same points 6 But when it is said that Antichrist is to sit in the Temple of God it is not meant onely that hee should sit in the present visible Church but that he should be an vsurper of that chaire which sometimes had beene the seat of Gods Saints and bee an intruder into that Church which had beene Holy and Catholike before his intrusion and which still retaines the rootes and stemmes of Catholike faith into which it shall be his and his followers continual care to ingraffe the doctrine of Deuills and to exercise their spirituall whoredomes in the Oratories of God CHAP. XIX Whether our Forefathers in separating themselues or suffering themselues to be separated from the Romish Church did any otherwise then Gods Prophets or our Sauiours Disciples had their case and opportunity beene the same would haue done 1 BVt here againe the Author of the Antidote or the blinde Guide of faith will obiect That neither the Prophets of old nor our Sauiours Disciples before his death did separate themselues from the present visible Church If not to beleeue as the Church visible and representatiue for the time present did if not to communicate with her in matters of fact or practice were to bee separated from the present visible Church as this Authors words elsewhere imply the Prophets out of all question did either separate themselues or suffer themselues to be separated from the visible Church wherein they liued Ezekiel and Daniel would neuer haue consented to the Priests and Rulers in their persecutions of Ieremie as a false Prophet or Traytor Our Sauiours Disciples before his death stood excommunicated by the visible Church of the Iewes they were as farre from communicating with
which is the life and soule of the Holy Apostolike Church shall bee no part of our inquirie It sufficeth that the name Catholike it selfe is vniuocall in respect both of Church and faith True faith is therefore Catholike faith because it is the onely doore or way vnto saluation alike common vnto all without nationall or topicall respect Whosoeuer of any Nation haue beene saued haue beene saued by this one and the same faith and whosoeuer will be saued as Athanasius speakes must hold this Catholike faith and hee must hold it pure and vndefiled The maine question then is who they be that hold this Catholike faith and whether they hold it vndefiled or no. Were Vincentius his rules as artificiall as they are orthodoxall and honest the issue betwixt vs and the Romanist would be very easie and triable But let vs take them as they are Id catholicum est quod ab omnibus vbique et semper c. That is Catholike which is held by all in all places and at all times The three speciall notes of the catholike faith or Church by him required are vniuersalitie antiquity and consent Whether these three members be different or subordinate and ofttimes coincident I leaue it to be scanned by Logicians According to the Authors limitation all three markes agree to vs not to the Romanist 2 First concerning vniuersality the question is not Whether at this present houre or in any former age for these thousand yeeres past there are or haue been more which professe the present Romish Religion established in the Church of Rome then the Religion established in the reformed Churches since the separation was made If wee should come to calculate voyces after this manner Whether will you bee a Romane Catholike or a protestant They might perhaps haue three for one amongst such as professe themselues Christians ready to cry I am not for the protestants but for the Roman Catholikes will I bee But it was farre from Vincentius his meaning that vniuersality should bee measured after this fashion for hee very well knew that the Arian faction had preuailed especially by this tumultuary kind of canvase or calculation The multitude of voices thus taken for them may proue their faction to be stronger and greater than our Church it cannot proue their faith to be so vniuersall as our faith is The fallacie by which the Romanists deceiue poore simple people is in making them beleeue that our Religion and their Religion our faith and their faith are duo prima diuersa or so totally distinct that part of the one could not be included in the other But for the vniuersalitie of our faith wee haue euery member of the Romish Church a suffragant or witnesse for vs. First nothing is held as a point of faith in our Church but the present Romish Church doth hold the same and confesse the same to haue beene held by all orthodoxall Antiquity So that for the forme of faith established in our Church we haue the consent of the Primitiue Church of the foure first generall Councels of all succeding ages vnto this present day the consent likewise of the present Romish Church and of our selues Now as France is a great deale bigger than Normandy if we compare them as distinct and opposite and yet France and Normandy is bigger then France without Normandy so likewise though the present visible Romish Church be much greater then the Church of England yet seeing the Romish Church how great soeuer doth hold all the points of faith which our Church doth for Catholike and orthodoxall our consent and their consent our confession and their confession is more vniuersall then their consent without ours But if their consent vnto the points of faith beleeued by vs proue our faith to be vniuersall and our Church by consequence to bee Catholike why should not our consent vnto the points of faith beleeued by them proue their faith to bee vniuersall or their Church to be Catholike Because it is not enough to hold all points of Catholike faith vnlesse the same points bee kept holy and vndefiled The Romish Church we grant doth hold all points of Catholike faith and so farre as she holds these points wee dissent not from her yet dissent from her wee doe in that she hath defiled and polluted the catholike faith with new and poysonous doctrines for which shee neither hath the consent of Antiquity nor of reformed Churches And in respect of these doctrines she stands conuicted of schisme and heresie by Vencentius his rules For it is with him a fundamentall rule That no present visible Church hath any authority to commend any thing as a point of faith to posterity which hath not beene commended to the said Church by Antiquity deriued from the Apostles times A proficiency or growth in faith hee allowes and granteth modò sit in eodem genere so it be in the same kinde or proceed from the same root but for additions or new inuentions he takes them for the markes of schisme and heresie 3 So then we hold the Catholike faith and they hold the Catholike faith And seeing they hold the Catholike faith in the same measure that we doe is it not reason they should bee termed Catholikes as well as we though not so good Chatholikes as wee No reason they should be termed Catholikes at all Where is the difference In this Wee hold it pure and vndefiled they haue defiled and polluted it for many generations and doe still defile it with many loathsome additions and inuentions Now in this case the denomination followeth the worser part that is they are not so much to bee reputed Catholikes for that they hold the Catholike faith as to be adiudged Heretikes and Schismatiks because they haue defiled and polluted it with many new inuentions and being admonished hereof and reproued will not purifie their faith will not reforme their religion according to the rule of faith and the practice of Antiquity Their faith not purified from the additions of the second Nicene and Trent Councell can be no Catholike faith Their Religion not reformed can be no true Religion saue onely in reference to Paganisme Iudaisme or Mahumetisme For as Dionysius saith Bonum non est nisi ex integra causa malum ex quolibet defectu Nothing is good which is not intire and sound evill ariseth from euery defect Euery new addition or inuention in matters of faith or doctrine is enough to make that church schismaticall which before was Catholike and orthodoxall Catholike and orthodoxall no Church can be vnlesse it hold all points of faith without admixture of humane inuentions or of new articles The admixture of a great deale of mans meat with a little swines meat makes the whole dish to bee no mans meat but swines meat Our Church according to Vincentius his rule admits a growth or proficiencie in faith in that it holds not only those propositions which are expresly contained in Scripture but such as
may by necessary consequence bee deduced out of them for points of faith and this growth is still in eodem genere from the same root Other points of faith besides these our Church admitteth none but tyes euen her Prelates and Gouernours to obtrude no other doctrines as points of faith vpon their Auditors than such as are either expresly contained in Scriptures or may infallibly bee deduced from them And this is the fundamentall and radicall difference between our Church and the Romish Church which admitteth such an illimited increase or growth of faith as is in heapes or congests of Heterogenealls CHAP. 22. Of the adinuentions or new Articles added to the Creed by the Romish Church by which she hath defiled the Holy Catholike and Apostolike faith Of the difference betwixt the Church of Rome and the Church of England concerning the rule of faith What that ecclesiasticke tradition was which Vincentius Liâ—inensis so much commendeth to what vse it serued in the ancient Councels 1 THe paine-worthiest enquiry in this argument were first to make search what additions or adinuentions vnto the ancient or primitiue Canon of Catholike faith haue beene made receiued or authorized by the Romish Church since the Councel of Ephesus which was some 3. yeers before Vincentius Lirinensis wrote his admonitions concerning this point and in what age and vpon what occasions such additions haue beene made or receiued Secondly to make proofe or demonstration how farre and in what manner such additions do corrupt or contaminate the Holy Catholike faith and how farre each or all of them ioyntly or seuerally doe vndermine or overthrow the holy Catholike faith The first addition or adinuention of moment which comes into my memorie is the Inuocation of Saints and veneration of Images Both which points were added as articles of faith or parts of the creed which all were bound to beleeue and professe by Tharasius Patriarke of Constantinople and President of that illiterate parasiticall and factious Assembly which hath bin coÌ„monly enstyled the seuenth generall or second Nicene Councell In these the like abominable decrees the then Bishop of Rome was Tharasius his complice his instigator and abettor as may appeare from the speeches of his Legates in that Councell and by his owne Epistles although part of the Epistle may bee iustly suspected to haue beene framed since But by what spirit this Councell was managed or in whose name they met together I referre the Reader vnto that learned Treatise in the booke of Homilies whereunto wee haue all subscribed concerning the perill of Idolatry especially the third part What ingenuous minds of this Kingdome thought of that Councell before either the Author of these Homilies or Luther was borne may in part bee gathered from an ancient English Historiographer who saith the Church of God did hold this decree in execration 2 The selfe same points with a great many more of like or worse nature all whatsoeuer any Councell which the Romish Church accounteth generall or oecumenicall or any Canons which the same Church accounteth Catholike euen all the decrees whereto the Trent Councell hath affixt their Anathemaes haue beene annext by Pius Quartus to the Nicene Creed and are inserted as principall points of that oath which euery Roman Bishop at his consecration is to take one part of which oath or solemne vow it likewise is that euery Bishop shall exact the like confession of his inferiors to bee ratified by oath or solemne vow Caetera omnia à sacris oecumenicis concilijs ac praecipuè à sacrosancta Tridentina Synodo tradita definita declarata indubitanter recipio atque profiteor fimulque contraria omnia atque haereses quascunque ab ecclesia damnatas rejectas anathematizatas ego pariter damno reijcio anathematizo Hanc veram catholicam fidem extra quam nemo salvus esse potest quam in praesenti sponte profiteor veraciter teneo eandem integram inviolatam vsque ad extremum vitae spiritum constantissimè Deo adiuvante retinere confiteri atque à meis subditis vel illis quorum cura ad me in munere meo spectabit teneri doceri praedicari quantum in me erit curaturum Ego idem N. spondeo voveo ac iuro sic me Deus adiuuet haec sancta Dei Evangelia Onup de vita pont pag. 472. The particular decree concerning Inuocation of Saints and adoration of Images is much inlarged by the Trent Councell and by Pius Quartus But of the equivalency of Idolatry in Rome Heathen and Rome Christian elsewhere at large In this one point to omit others the present Romish Church farre exceeds the Easterne Church in the time of the second Nicene Councell in that it ratifies the worshipping of all such Saints as are canonized by the Pope 3 The second addition made by the Romane Church vnto the ancient canon of faith is a transcendent one and illimited and that is the making of Ecclesiasticall Tradition to be an integrall part of the canon of faith This doth not onely pollute but vndermine the whole fabricke of the holy primitiue and Catholike faith That there is a certaine rule or authentick canon of faith is a principle wherein the ancient primitiue Church the moderne Roman and all reformed Churches agree The first point of difference betwixt vs is about the extent of the written canon specially of the old Testament The maine points of difference are these First we affirme with antiquity and in particular with Vincentius Lirinensis that the canon of Scripture is a rule of faith perfect for quantity and sufficient for qualitie that is it containes all things in it that are necessary to saluation or requisite to be contained in any rule so containes them as they may be beleeued and vnderstood wthout relying on any other rule or authority equivalent to them in certainty or more authentick in respect of vs then the Scriptures are The moderne Romish Church denies the canon of Scripture to bee perfect and compleat in respect of its quantity or sufficient for its quality or efficacy To supply the defect of its quantity they adde Tradition as another part of the same rule homogeneall and equiualent to it for quality To supply the vnsufficiency aswell of canonicall Scriptures as of Tradition in respect of their quality or efficacy towards vs they adde the infallible authority of the present visible Church The former addition of vnwritten Traditions as part of the infallible rule doth vndermine this latter addition of the Churches infallible absolute authority aswell in determining the extent as in declaring the true sense and meaning of the whole rule vtterly puls downe the structure of faith yet when we reiect Ecclesiasticall Tradition from being any part of the rule of faith we doe not altogether deny the authority or vse of it Howbeit that Ecclesiasticall Tradition wherof there was such excellent vse in the Primitiue Church was not
Law or Gospell hath beene imparted but they haue impugned both or had them in derision or it may bee in the Iew which acknowledgeth the truth of Mosaicall and Propheticall writings and yet oppugnes the truth of the Gospell which is contayned in them with greater spight and violence then the Heathen which acknowledge neither Briefly as the contrarietie is greatest which is betwixt opposite qualities of neerest alliance in predicamentall line such as haue the same immediate or proximum genus so is their infidelity or enmity vnto the Catholike faith most deadly which communicate with true Catholikes in most principles and yet swarue grosly from them and from the truth in some particular principles or practices thereon grounded As for an Heathen to hold murther or incest to be no sinne is not a crime so haynous as the like in a Iew For a Iew to licence or authorize incestuous mariages to allow or reward the murther of Christians for whom Christ shed his blood includes not so great an enmitie vnto Christ and his Lawes it argues not so high a degree of infidelity as the like practice or opinions doe in him that professeth himselfe to bee a Christian to bee a successour of Christs Apostles to bee Christs Vicar here on earth 5 To proue our intended conclusion by full induction first let inquirie be made what pillage and spoiles of ecclesiastical Benefices the Pope or which is all one the Church of Rome hath made by Bulls of prouision throughout this and other Kingdomes whereby many Christians haue beene induced to account sacriledge no sinne Secondly what oaths whether of allegiance from Subiects to their Soueraignes or of solemne leagues betwixt Prince and Prince or free Soueraignties or of solemne contracts betwixt man and wife haue beene dispensed withall and vtterly nullified by the Pope by which meanes a great part of the Christian world haue beene seduced to esteeme breach of lawfull vowes or periurie ioyned with disloyaltie to bee no sinne Thirdly what mariages the Pope hath licenced betweene parties forbidden to marry not onely by the Law of God but by the ciuill Law of the Ancient Romanes and other Nations by which means many great Families and whole Christian Kingdomes haue beene induced to account such incest or fornication as was loathsome to the Gentiles to be no sinne Fourthly what massacres or cruell butcheries of men neuer conuicted or condemned by course of Law haue beene either licenced before hand or commanded or else allowed approued and commended after the fact done by the Pope whereby many Christians haue beene seduced to account cruell murther no sinne but a meritorious act yea an act of mercy and pitty towards Christs Church If all such particulars as belong to euery branch here specified and haue beene related by vnpartiall Historians were duely collected and examined with the circumstances we might referre it to any Heathen Ciuilian to any whom God hath not giuen ouer to a reprobate sense to beleeue lyes whether the supposed infallibility of the Romish Church or the prerogatiue giuen to the Pope by his followers bee not according to the Euangelicall Law and their owne tenents worse then heresie and worse then any branch of Infidelitie whereof any Iew or Heathen is capable yea the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or period of Antichristianisme Why should wee looke for a greater Antichrist in Rome or elsewhere then hath beene already reuealed when as the Pope hath herein manifested himselfe to be the first borne of Sathan in that hee takes authority vpon him to execute the prerogatiue wherein Sathan and his Angels most delight that is of turning Gods affirmatiue precepts into negatiues and Gods negatiue precepts into affirmatiues 6 Amongst other explicite Articles of the Romane Creede which euery Bishop at his consecration is bound by oath to maintaine this is one that in the Masse there is sacrificium verum proprium et propitiatorium pro viuis et defunctis A propitiatorie sacrifice as well for the dead as for the liuing How farre this heresie doth contaminate or ouerthrow the Canon of Catholike faith into which it is inserted by Pius Quartus as it were a toade or spider put into the Chalice or wine of the sacred Eucharist I am not now to meddle My onely purpose for this present is to giue the Reader to vnderstand that failing in other points about consecration of Bishops in England their principall exceptions against our Church and Ministerie is that our Priests in their ordination doe not receiue the power of sacrificing Christs body and blood in the Sacrament But their inserting this clause into the forme of ordination doth proue their Priesthood to be antichristian And as many as receiued ordination in this forme had the number though not the character of the Beast And although this clause did not nullifie their Priesthood which had beene thus ordained before the doctrine of the present Masse was fully discouered to be a part of Antichrists Liturgie yet doth it now make all communion with them either in ordination or in the Romish Sacrament of the Eucharist to bee a desperate heresie and for this cause the controuersie about the Masse must bee reserued to the second Booke of this TREATISE FINIS * Pro concione is as much as Pro rostris (a) for this word Church whether we doe according to the most vsuall and otherwise most refined Dialect of this Kingdome pronounce it or as some other Dialects would haue it Kurk or as the most ancient Dialect sounds it Kyrke all deriue their pedigree from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the first signification is in value the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Lords house or palace All the difference in the diuers pronunciation of it in our English ariseth from the different manner of pronouncing or expressing the Greek K or Î¥ in the Latine English or moderne tongues Some expressing χ by the English K others by the Latine C. which in English is vsually expressed by Ch as Carolus in English Charles and Cista a chest so likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by liâ—e corruption of speech comes to be Church Such as expresse the Greek χ by the English K and the Greeke Î¥ by the Latine or English V. pronounce it Kurke such as retaining the true pronunciation of the Greeke χ found the Greek Î¥ like vnto the latine or English Î¥ haue propagated the name of Kyrke * Aliud enim materia est aliud species Cui materia legata est species ex eâ facta non debetur vt sâ—lana legata est deinde vestis fiat aut ex tabulis navis aut armarium Similiter traditur si navis legata dissoluta sit nequè materiam nequè navem refectam deberi Hottoman Quaest il lust Quaest octaâ— * See Col. 1.18 and Ephes 4. vers 11.12.15.16 Cap. 4. Cap. 5. See chap. 17. parag 1. Cap. 6. Cap. 7. Ecclesia duplex est militans et