the one shal bee the great Doctor of the church S. Augustin who as I haue once before shewed doth teach in formall tearmes that person to bee no member of the Catholike church who doth beleeue obstinatly anie falshood in matter of faith knowing it to bee such And the second shal bee Martin Luther whom albeit wee take for an Apostate Augustine frier yet the protestants esteeme him as a great man of God Hee for want of one article of beliefe condemneth all the Sacramentaries to the pitt of hell these bee his words It shall nothing profit the Sacramentaries to speake of spirituall eating nor to beleeue in the father the sonne Luther lib. quod verba Christi Stent and the holy Ghost so long as with blasphemous mouth they denie this article of faith which Christ hath proposed to vs by his owne holy mouth This is my bodie that shal bee giuen for you Behold no saluation to be possible if you deny but that one article of faith Among manie other causes why such misbeleeuers are esteemed worthy of so grievous punishments there bee two principall the first is that they will not beleeue God himself revealing his diuine misteries vnto vs The second because they will not giue credit to the church proposing vnto them the same truth All Divines hold that there is no matter of faith which is not reuealed vnto vs by God himself whether the same veritie had need to bee put downe in writing as the protestantes seeme to require or that it sufficeth to bee deliuered by word of mouth as we hold is a question betweene vs But wee all consent that what soeuer is propounded vnto vs to bee beleeued must needs bee first reuealed by God whence it followeth evidentlie that hee who denieth to beleeue any one article of faith is conuinced not to beleeue God himselfe in that point for hee it is principally that tendreth it vnto vs to bee beleeued wherfore he that refuseth to beleeue it is forced to this exigent that hee must needes confesse himself to bee perswaded either that God teacheth not the truth alwaies or els that wee are not bound to beleeue him in all things either of which is most irreligious and a very blasphemous crime For as S. Iames disputeth Hee that hath kept the whole law besides and doth offend but in one point therof is made guiltie of the whole Euen so hee that beleeueth God in all other articles yet in some one refuseth to beleeue him is made guiltie of the whole That is as S. Iames expoundeth it offendeth against the Maiesty and veritie of the law giuer not reputing him worthy of credit in all matters what soeuer But to thinke God not worthie to bee credited in anie one word or title that shall proceed out of his diuine mouth is in truth to make him no God at all For hee is no God that either will or can bee vntrue of his word Here the poore Christian trembling at this consequeÌ„ce will crye out that hee doth beleeue God in all things and God forbid that hee should once imagine him not worthy to bee credited in whatsoeuer it shall please his diuine maiesty to reueale But hee will say that hee knowes not that God hath reuealed this vnto him or at least is not well assured that he would haue him to beleeue it This I grant is the lesser faut of the two yet not in any sort tollerable For if it hath pleased his diuine bounty to reueale vnto vs for his owne honor and our instructioÌ„ such heauenly verities and misteries how can hee take it well at our hands that wee either will not vouchsafe to take notice of them or which is worse will not beleeue them to bee true They that will not beleeue are in the holie scriptures worthely called rebells because they band themselues against Gods truth according to that of Iob Rebelles fuerunt Lumini Iob. 24. v 13. they were rebells against the Light and therfore as Rebels and traitors must looke to bee punished The others that will not take the paines to learne according vnto the small measure of their capacity all such matters as appertaine to their owne estate calling must needs acknowledg their extreme vndutifull carelesnes in the highest matter that can bee and that which doth also most concerne them to wit in the onely necessary busines of their owne euerlasting either saluation or damnation And withall confesse that they are vnworthy to bee knowne of God their Soueraigne Lord and maker at the latter daie for that they neglected to know their dutie towards him whiles they liued here on earth Of them the Apostle hâ—th alreadie pronounced this sentence 1. Cor. 14 38 If any man know not to wit the things belonging to his dutie towards God hee shall not bee knowne of God but shal bee shut out of the gate of heauen And if they stand knocking there thinking to get in by their ouerlate importunity they shal bee answered as the foolish virgins were Math. 25 12. with a Nesciovos I know you not the force of this discourse in brief is whosoeuer refuseth to beleeue God in any one article by him reuealed shall not be saued but they that think to be saued in any religion refuse to beleeue some articles of faith reuealed by God ergo they caÌ„not be saued The secoÌ„d cause why wilfull refusers to beleeue any one arttcle of faith do incurre that heauie iudgment is for that they do offer great wrong vnto the true church of God his deerly beloued spouse and our spirituall mistresse and mother It is agreed on by men of all sides that the holie Catholike church is the temple of the holie Ghost the mysticall bodie of Christ and the piller fortresse of truth wherfore to offer her that affront and disgrace as not to giue credit to her testimony speaking specially vnto vs in the behalf of Christ 2. Cor. 5.20 pro Christo legatione fungimur for Christ wee are legates and in the name of the holy Ghost visum spiritui sancto nobis It hath seemed good to the holie Ghost and vs it not onlie to contemne her Actor 15. but to despise Iesus Christ also that hath ordained her to bee our instructer and directer to set naught by the holie ghost that speaketh vnto vs by her wee caÌ„not bee ignoraÌ„t what our Saviour hath said of the governors principall rulers of the church you shal bee witnesses to mee in IerusaleÌ„ in all Iury Samaria Act 1.8 vnto the vttermost coasts of the earth If Christ hath made choice of theÌ„ as of substaÌ„tiall honest meÌ„ sit to bee his witnesses do not wee offer him a great indignity if wee refuse to beleeue them namelie when wee know him to haue said of them Luc. 10.16 Hee that heareth you heareth mee and hee that despiseth you despiseth mee and hee that despiseth mee despiseth him that sent mee Yea
and to bee handled after another manner for I doe in one chapter ioyne Issue with M. Abbot therin and doubt not to make it good against anie protestant that the Catholike Roman faith is much more sutable even vnto the verie true text of tke Bible then the Protestants and that by conference of our doctrine word by word and sentence by sentence with the verie words and sentences of holy writt But to prove our faith to bee Catholike wee take another course and do demonstrate that the chief prelates and Doctors of the Catholike church who have florished in most Christian countries since the Apostles time have taught the verie same doctrine which wee teach and maintained the same faith and served God with the same Religion that we do which M. Abbot must performe for their faith and religion if hee will haue any wise men beleeue them to bee Catholiks even by his owne explication of the name Catholike in his answer to my Epistle and by his owne confession heere when hee faith that wee cannot find out the Catholike faith before wee have found out the Catholike church of which the faith is named Catholike Now no man can find out the Catholike church but by tracing out that companie of the faithfull who have peopled all Christian nations which M. Abbot not being able to do for the protestaÌ„tes faith doth returne the same questioÌ„ to mee and would haue mee to do the same for our doctrine and namely for that point of the popes power to depose Princes which as hee saies Cardinal Bellarmine doth hold to be one of the chief points of our faith Bell. Epistola ad Aâ—b apud â—ath Toâ—um and the verie foundation of Catholike religion Albeit M. Abbot would not at my request do that honor to his own religion and right to himself as to satisfie my iust demaund hee having before also vndertaken it yet I will not refuse at his instance to demonstrate that article of faith which Cardinall Bellarmin there mentioneth to have been beleeved taught and practised in most christian countries in the most florishing time of the Catholike church And that by the testimonie of the best renowmed fathers of the verie same age I will bring him in more authentik evidence for this issue then would be the hands and seales of the moderne churches of Grecia Armenia Ethiopia Russia and such like schismaticall and erring congregations which M. Abbot here demaundeth as the reader shall see in the next paragraffe or division where that question of the supremacy shal be treated of But honest sir why do you by the way so wound your credit in misalleadging that most learned Cardinals wordes doth he in the place by you quoted saie that the supremacly of the pope for the deposing of kings is one of the chief points of the Catholike faith will no warning serve the turne to make you cite your authors sincerely if this bee the shuffling wherin your best skill consisteth the reader in deed hath great need to looke well to your fingers Card. Bellarmine both there and elswhere doth teach that the popes supremacy is one of the principalle heads of our religion But hee doth not affirme there that the popes power to depose princes is any chief article of our faith though hee taught that to bee a most probable opinion and in some sort to appertaine to the supremacie as a dependant thervpon Now to that which followeth out of an other place of Card. Bellarmin hee you saie shall free vs from need to travell for this proofe to wit that our English faith hath been spred all the world over who saith that though one only province did retaine the true faith yet the same might properly bee called the Catholike church and therfore their faith the Catholike faith so long as it could bee cleerly shewed that the same is one and the same with that which at anie time was spred over the whole world whervpon M. Abbot infers that to prove their faith to bee the Catholike faith it wil bee sufficient to prove that is was that which once was spred over all the world Now with the proofe therof M. Bishop saith hee is chooked already Behold the babling of this vaine man first the Cardinall doth not ease him anie whitt at all from proving their faith to have been spred over all the world but only saith vpon supposition Si sola vna provincia retineret veram fidem if one onlie province kept the true faith that then it might bee called Catholike yet so that it could bee cleerlie shewed to haue been spred in times past over all the world where you see that hee requires of necessitie that it must bee cleerly shewed that the same faith which wil bee accounted Catholike hath been before at lest spredd over all the world so that M. Abbot is as farr to seeke as hee was before and that hee must needes come to this stake how vnwilling soever hee bee and either shew that their faith hath been receiued all Christendome over or els confesse that it cannot bee called Catholike Come of then gentle Sir flie not from the point seek not to hide your head in a corner but performe that peece of service bravely and then hardlie talke of chooking M. Bishop but to avouch that M. Bishop is chooked already long before anie proof thereof be brought with onlie hearing you to speake of it is too too childish and full of doting vanitie I found fault with M. Abbot for shuffling and flitting from the faith and religion of the Romanes vnto the particular persons that inhabit the cittie of Rome bicause their faith maie bee Catholike and spredd over all the world albeit their persons bee confined within the bounds of one countrie or cittie hee answereth that hee hath shuffled amisse for vs for that hee hath shuffled vs from bâ—ing Catholikes and the Roman church from being the Catholike church which is not to the purpose And how true it is shal bee tried in the next chapter In the meane season it must needs bee taken for a foule fault in arguing to change the tearmes and to flitt from one thing to another and for the faith of the Romans to take the persons that inhabit Rome there being no lesse difference betweene the person of a man and his faith then there is between a fox and a fearnebrake finally M. Abbot saieth that his shuffling will yeeld vs but a bad game if I cut not wisely And if wee haue no better Cards saieth hee wee shall sâ—rely leâ—se all well gentle sir seing you confesse your selfe to bee such a cunning shuffler and giue mee so faire warning of it before hand I wil take the paine to shuffle your Cards after you or els will cutt them in such sort that your skill in packing shall stand you in litle steed If there bee no remedy but that you will needs haue about with the church of Rome bee it by
order or bee it by disorder look you handle your weapons more handsomely then you haue done hitherto or els you are like enough to receiue the foile An answer vnto the second section of the first chapter MR Abbot to make a smoother waie to his doutie arguments by which hee striueth to proue the Roman church not to bee the Catholike church saith that hee entreth vnto them to note the absurdity implied in this comon stile of Catholiks the Catholike Roman church How now good sir have you so soone forgotten the errand wherabout you went did not you vndertake to demonstrate that his maiestie had alreadie imbraced the Catholike faith And if you will needs leave that which you professed to pursue in the suddes for a season and fall vpon the church of Rome do not stand triffling vpon tearmes and titles like an idle Caviller but as it beseemes a Doctor of the chaire prove soundly if you can that the now church of Rome doth not beleeve and professe all points of the Catholike faith whether the church of Rome may bee called absolutlie the Catholike church or no or in what sence it is so called are other by questions scarse incident at least nothing necessarie to that wee have now in hand for whether the church of Rome bee stiled the Catholike church or no so that it hold entirely the true Catholike faith then maie his maiestie lawfully and laudably receiue and defend the whole doctrine of the said church and to obtaine saluation must make himself a member therof which was all that I humblie craved of his most excellent Maiestie The issue then of this present question and the marke that M. Abbot should levell att is to shew that his maiestie embracing the faith of the church of Rome should not embrace the true Catholike faith if hee do not effect this hee doth nothing if leaving his issue hee fall to plucking of vizards as hee to excuse his vnseasonable digression doth write from I know not whose faces as though he going about this matter had mett by the waie with some maske or mummery may he not well bee resembled to a boy that sent on an errant falleth to blowing of feathers whither the wind will carrie them and lets his Masters busines alone till hee hath ended his owne sport but such is the mans humour hee must bee dispenced withall for observing anie good order well seing there is no remedy let him range at his pleasure let vs winke att the method so the matter bee tolerable thus then doth hee goe about to prove the Roman church not to bee Catholike No particuler church can bee the Catholike church but the Roman church is a particular church Ergo the Roman church is not the Catholike church Againe to the same effect No part can bee the whole but the Roman church is a part of the Catholike church therfore it cannot bee the whole Catholike church These be his arguments reviewed and put into the best frame that maie bee to avoide all disputes about the forme As I do verie willinglie also let passe his most idle bables of Balaams and Anianus Asses and his scarse sweet poem of horse balles singing in the poole Nos poma natamus bicause such scurrility becomes not divines yea is scarse tollerable in any sort of ciuil men to the Arguments then thus I answere If the conclusion were granted to M. Abbot he were no whitt the nearer to obtaine his intended purpose for what is there concluded aganist the church of Rome maie in the verie same forme bee concluded against the church of England for example no particular church can bee the Catholike church but the church of England is a particular church therfore it cannot bee the Catholike church which is soe apparant that M. Abbot cannot denie it whervpon it followeth most cleerly that this argument can serve no more for disswading his maiesty from admitting the doctrine of the church of Rome Page 13. then from entertayning the doctrine of the church of England therfore it is to be reiected as wholy impertinent to this purpose But M. Abbot saith that atleast it will serve to convince the absurditie of the papists stile who vse to coople together these two tearmes Catholike Roman which hangeth no better together saith hee here then vniuersall particular though afterward better aduised hee within the compasse of two leaves doth confesse that both these tearmes maie in good sence bee ioyned together these be his words Particular churches are called Catholike and particuler persons are Called Catholikes as a man would saie vniuersalists for maintayning communion and fellowship of the Catholike faith with the church of the whole world so that even after M. Abbots owne declaratioÌ„ a Roman Catholike is not as much to saie as a particular vniversall but a particuler man or church that holdeth coÌ„munion of faith with the vniversall church was it not then a great oversight in a man reputed to â—ee of some Iudgment to insist so vehementâ—â—e vpon trifling tearmes that were both besides the purpose and withall true in themselues as you shall heare afterwardes if they be evenlie and fairely taken Notwithstanding bicause the foresaid arguments bee as it were the coÌ„mon hackneys of protestants ever and anone in their mouthes and writings and haue not been formerly answered by any that I haue seen and for that the solution of them will serve to answere all that M. Abbot hath raked together against the church of Rome in fower paragraffes of this chapter I will more particularly and fully dissolue them I say then first the argument is mistaken and doth not conclude that which is in question the question is not whether the Roman church bee the Catholike church in vniuersall but whether the Roman church maie bee called the Catholike church or rather whether it maie bee couched togither in stile with the Catholike church M. Abbot saith no these bee his words For the pulling of this vizard from their faces I noted the absurditie that is emploied in that stile of the Catholike Roman church for the Catholike church I saie is the vniversall church the Roman church is a particular church therfore to saie the Catholike Roman church is all one as to saie the vniuersall particuler church This was M. Abbots first argument and the drift of it was to disprove that stile of ours the Catholike Roman church Now in his latter reformed argument hee is come to change the tearmes and in stead of that the particular Roman church cannot bee said called or stiled the Catholike church doth bring in his conclusion the Roman church is not the Catholike church wherin lieth a great fallacy for as the learned do well know tranfire a rebus ad voces vâ—lè contra à vocibus adres est agere sophistam hee plaies the part of a sophister that passeth either from thinges to words or from words to things which all protestants doe when they vse this kind of
argument for the question is about tearmes and a stile of speach wherfore the conclusion must bee so it may not bee tearmed or so it cannot bee stiled and not passing from the tearme or stile to conclude so it is not here one may well demaund how things can bee so tearmed if they bee not so in themselves I answere that it often falleth out that one thing is called by the name of another thing though it bee not fully out the same for example some part maie bee called by the name of whole though it bee not the whole as a part of the aire is called the aire anie part of the water is called water Against which if a man should reason as M. Abbot doth no part is the whole but this is a part of water therfore it is not the whole the conclusion might bee graunted him and yet had hee gotten nothing therby but the imputation of misarguing and not concluding that which was in question the question being whether a part might bee called by the name of the whole which hee toucheth not and not whether it were the whole or noe which only hee disputeth it fareth even so in the former argument for the questioÌ„ being whether with the Catholike church might bee linked in the same stile the church of Rome hee concludes onlie that the church of Rome is not the Catholike church which if wee grant him he were never the nearer for albeit the church of Rome were not the Catholike church taken in vniuerso or absolutely yet may it be called by the name of the whole and much more be in stile linked with the whole first bicause everie particular church that keepeth coÌ„munion of faith and religion with the vniuersall Catholike church may bee called and tearmed the Catholike church which M. Abbot himself confesseth Page 17. and citeth divers good auctours to prooue it as a Leo Epistola 12. Leo pope of the Catholike church of Rome b Collat. cuÌ„ donat cognitione 1. c. 16. Aurelius Bishop of the Catholike church of Carthage c August coÌ„â—rescon l. 3. c. 13. All the Africane Catholike churches and so forth where you see by the ancient stile of approved prelates and Doctors Catholike Roman and Catholike African and such like may verie well in stile bee ioyned togither without any feare of being scorned by the vnskilfull for a particular vniuersall The second reason why wee rather ioyne Roman to Catholike then the name of anie other church is for that the RomaÌ„ church in faith and religioÌ„ never hath been nor never shal bee separated from the vniversall Catholike church as shal bee here after declared whervpon as they shall ever hold togither in soundnes of faith so maie they bee alwaies linked togither in veritie of stile Thirdly for that wee beleeve as euery good Christian ought to do which in this sectioÌ„ shal beproued the Roman church to bee the chief and as it were the head of the vniuersall church and therfore the Roman maie rather in stile bee coopled with the vniversall Catholike then anie other This then is the first fault and that a very foule one which M. Abbot doth committ in this argument he doth not conclude that which is in question but flitteth away from it and quite changeth the tearmes wherefore having altered it he doth say vntruly that hee hath reduced it into moode and figure which if he would haue done rightly thus hee should have framed his argument No particuler church can bee ioyned in stile with the Catholike church or can bee called the Catholike church but the Roman church is a particuler church Ergo it cannot bee ioyned in stile or called the Catholike church If it had been thus reduced into moode and figure as true scholasticall and plaine dealing required it had not had in it anie one good proposition I haue proved already that the maior is false because anie particuler church sound in faith and religion may bee called the Catholike church and ioyned in stile with the Catholike even as well and as truly as any part of the aire may bee called the aire And more specially the churh of Rome for the priviledges it hath of continuing alwaies in the true faith and for her superiority in governement The minor also or second proposition is not vniversally true for albeit that church of Rome that is conteyned within the walls and Diocesse of Rome bee a particuler church yet the church of Rome in a larger signification maie bee taken for the whole Catholike church and designe aswell the true church of fraunce of England or anie other nation as that of Italy which I will demonstrate in the next paragraff wherfore the minor proposition which is but the church of Rome is a particuler church is not absolutely true bicause it may aswell bee taken for the vniversall as for a particuler church both the premisses then and former propositions being subiect to reprehension the conclusion must needes bee starke naught Briefly in that argument wherof the Protestants do make such account there bee three foule faults Two bee in it as they frame it the first in that it mistaketh or changeth the tearmes and in steed of coÌ„cluding the Roman church not to bee called or stiled the Catholike church they conclude that it is not the Catholike The second in that they take for granted that the Roman church is onlie a particuler church when as it may and is often taken for the vniversall The third fault will shew it self in the first proposition when the argument comes to bee rightly framed thus No particuler church can be called or stiled the Catholike church which is most false bicause every true particuler church may bee called the Catholike church or stiled with the Catholike M. Abbots secoÌ„d argument being not much vnlike the first may in like manner bee defeated yet more shal bee said of it in the fourth paragraff Nowe to make good the reasons that I have given why the church of Rome may bee more speciallie linked with the Catholike in stile namely for her superiority in governement this present paragraff must bee employed where M. Abbot doth what hee can to infringe the same in the next section it shal bee proued that the Roman church may well signifie the whole Catholike church in the last sectioÌ„ of this chapter wee shall speake a word or two of M. Abbots later argument Concerning the supremacie of the church of Rome M. Abbot acknowledgeth to beloÌ„g vnto that church as it then was eminency of place precedeÌ„ce of honour authoritie of estimation but no authoritie of power or superiority in government over any of the rest which to make good hee instituteth a long disorderly discourse now carping at that which I said before in defence of that superioritie of government then powring forth many arguments confusedly some heere some there to disprove the same so that I can scarse devise how to range them in
but M. Abbot saīth ouer lauishly and as it were dotingly that I do report them falsly for he himself as you shall presently see cannot denie but that I alleage them truly Let vs examin the particulers Ambros in oratione de obitu satyri fratris S. Ambrose say I tooke it to bee all one to saie the Catholike or the Roman church yea he putteth the Romā church as an explication of the Catholike church His good brother satyrus after a shipwrack arrived in Sardinia which was infected with the Luciferiā heresie being carefull not to cōmunicate with any heretikes demāded of that Bishop whom he had sent for to baptise him Aduocauit ad se Episcopum nec vllam veram putauit nisi vera fidei gratiam percontatusque ex eo est vtrumnam cum Episcopis Catholicis hoc est cum Romana Ecclesia conueniret sorte ad id locorum in schismate regionis illius ecclesiae erat whether he did accord with the Catholike Bishops that is with the church of Rome He feared lest the name Catholike was not sufficient to describe true beleevers in an hereticall countrie bicause heretikes do oftentimes call themselues Catholikes and therfore asked whether they were such Catholikes as accorded with the church of Rome that is whether he was a Roman Catholike or no giving vs to vnderstand that they onlie were true Catholikes and onlie to be communicated withall in holie rites who accorded with the church of Rome in faith and religion All this is so true and evident that M. Abbot cannot denie any one word of it Did he not then spitefully over-reach when hee said that I reported my authors falsly He hath no other shift then to saie that in those daies the church of Rome as the most famous and chief church was most fit to bee named in such a case But now the case is altered bicause the church of Rome is fallen from that eminent perfection and is it self now called into question This answere is nothing els then in plaine tearmes petere principium that is to giue that for the solution as a confessed truth which is the maine question is he so destitute of cōmon sence as to thinke that we will or ought to take that for currant coyne and good paiment which we hold for very refuse and drosse All the world knowes that we beleeve the church of Rome not to be changed in any one article of faith wherfore he ought not to returne to vs for a knowen truth that the church of Rome is changed yet the poore mans feeble forces being quite spent he is constrayned to giue the same vnreasonable answere againe againe for he maketh the same answer vnto the like testimony taken out of S. Hierom who demādeth of Ruffinus speaking of his faith which he calleth his faith Hieron Apol. 1. c. Ruff. Fidem suam quam vocat eamne qua Romana pollet Ecclesia an illam quae in Originis voluminibus continetur si Romanam responderit ergo Catholici sumus qui nihil de Originis errore transtulimus either that which the church of Rome professeth or that which is contayned in the books of Origen If he answere the Roman faith then are wee Catholikes c. which doth implie that it was all one with S. Hierom to saie the Roman faith and the true Catholike faith All which M. Abbot confesseth to be true and therby cleereth mee from that imputation of misreporting my authors Afterward he asketh what is here said of the Roman church that might not likewise haue bene said of any other church professing the true faith well let vs admitt that the same might haue been said of any other church vnder that conditiō that they had professed the true faith yet because the ancient Fathers were not so well assured of the perpetuall infallibilitie of any other church as they were of the church of Rome therfore they preferred the communion of the Roman Church before all other and therin ordinarilie made their instances And for that M. Abbot doth euer and anone come in with this answer that the church of Rome was then the true Church but now it is cleane changed and takes this to be as sharpe as the sword at Delphos and as fit to cut all knotts asonder that can not otherwise be loosed I will here set downe some reasons which did induce these holy Doctors and much more ought to persuade vs to beleeue that the church of Rome shall euer continue firme in the faith The ancients made no doubte but that Christes Church should continue to the worlds ende and retaine the same forme of government which he him self had established in it which most Protestants now are also come to confesse but as I haue before prooued the same most learned and blessed fathers both beleeued and taught the Bishops and Church of Rome to be as it were the rock and foundation of Christs church wherfore like as the house must needes fall to the grounde whose foundation faileth so the catholick church could not stand inuiolable to the later day if the Roman church which is the chiefest member support therof should perish It were needelesse to repeate here those sentences of the ancient Doctors once before produced in confirmation of this argument I wil be cōtent with one text of S. Austin that doth both directly crosse M. Abbots supposition and manifestly prooue this my assertion These be his wordes If the Pedegree of Bishops succeding one another be to be considered August epistola 165. Si enim ordo episcoporum sibi inuicem succedentium considerandus est quanto rectius vere salubriterab ipso Petro numeramus cui totius Ecclesiae figuram gerenti Dominus ait super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam how much more rightly and assuredly do we recken frō S. Peter him self vnto whom bearing the figure of the whole church our Lord said vpon this Rock I will build my church To Peter succeeded Linus c. Behold how fully S. Austin had 1200. yeares before hand confuted M. Abbots proposition M. Abbot saith that the fathers might as well haue alleaged their communion with any other church as with the church of Rome Not so saith S. Austin but if the successiō of Bishops be to be regarded as it is very highly to be esteemed and the cōmunion in faith and Religion with thē then that of the Bishops and church of Rome is more right and better assured then any other Obserue also the same reason giuē by that most renowmed Doctor which I before deliuered because vpon S. Peter who was the roote and stock of the Roman Pedegree as vpon a Rock Christ built his church against which the gates of Hell shall not preuaile wherfore in another place he is bold to tell the donatistes that the see or church of Rome is that rock against which the proud gates of hell shall not preuaile Againe doth not our
Sauiour comparing it to a Rock intimate that it should neuer decay Besides had not the gates of Hell mightely preuayled against the church of Christ if it had ouercome the church of Rome therby ouerthrowne as it were the foundation of it finally August ibid. Vt certa sit spes fidelibus qui faciunt ea quae Romani Pontifices cis facienda praecipiunt quae non in homine sed in Domino quidixit qua dicunt facite collocata nūquam tempestate sacrilegi schismatu dissipetur S. Austin in the same place holdeth him self so well assured of the perpetuall stabilitie of the Bishops of Rome in the true faith that he doubteth not euen frō our sauiours owne mouth to assure all them that cleaue fast vnto it and do beleue and do that which the Bishops of Rome teach them that they shall neuer be carried away into any sacrilegious schisme if they shall never fall into schisme that stik fast vnto the Roman church then without all doubt the Roman faith should neuer after be changed The second text of holie scripture out of which it may be prooued that the Bishop and church of Rome shall neuer erre in matter of faith is this I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy fayth faile not and thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren Our blessed Sauiour by the vertue of his holy and effectuall praier obtained that S. Peters faith should not at any tyme faile that he might be alwaies able to confirme all Christians that staggered in any point of faith And because our soueraign Lord did not establish a church that should endure no longer then S. Peter Liued but would haue it continue for euer in like manner he would haue one sure pillar at the least in the same to vphold all in the true faith that should become members of it at any time after This to haue been S. Peters successor the Bishop of Rome I haue before prooued by the consent of the aunciēt holy fathers I will heere repeate one sentence of S. Ciprian because it seemes to bee grounded vpon these very wordes of our Saviour The Romans faith is such Cip. epist 55. that perfidy or misbeliefe can haue no accesse vnto them which is the very same in effect that S. Peter and the Bishops of Rome his successors faith cannot faile for if misbeliefe could seize or take anie hold vpon their faith it should suerly faile because beliefe and misbeliefe cannot dwell together but the Roman faith being by the efficacie of our Sauiours praier warranted from failing it remaineth most assured that misbeliefe can haue no accesse vnto it which could not bee true if M. Abbots exception might take place that forsooth for three or fower hundreth yeares it should not faile but for a 1000. yeeres after it should mightely bee corrupted which if it were admitted it had been truer to haue said that their faith should faile then that it should not faile because for longer time according to their fantasicit had failed then cōtinued without faile wherfore that their new glose being directlie opposite to our blessed Sauiours owne words which are without anie limitatiō of time is to bee abhorred as that which doth corrupt the text and the old doctors most literall interpretation to bee imbraced vnto S. Ciprian I will here onely ioyne the Zealous and most holie Father S. Bernard who writing vnto Pope Innocentius the third doth take for most certen out of this text of holie scripture that the faith of the Romane Bishops had not failed for a thousand yeares after Christs daies nor should euer afterwardes faile These be his words we must referr vnto your Apostleship the dangers and scandales that arise in the kingdome of God but especiallie those that appertaine to the faith Bernardus epist 190. Oportet ad vestrum referri Apostolatum pericula quaeque scandala emergentia in regno Dei ea praesertim quae de fide contingunt Dignum namque arbitror ibi potissimum resarciri damna fides vbi non possit fides sentire defectum Hac quippe huius praerogatiua sedis Cui enim alteri aliquando dictum est Ego pro te rogaui Petre vt non deficiat fides tua Ergo quod sequitur de Petri successore exigitur tu aliquando conuersus confirma fratres tuos Id quidem modo necessarium est Tempus est vt vestrum agnoscatis principatum probetis Zelum Ministerium honoretis in eo plane Petri impletis vicem cuius tenetis sedem si vestra admonitione corda in fide fluctantia confirmetis si vestra auctoritate cōteritis fidei corruptores for I esteeme it fitt that the defect◠of faith should bee there principallie repaired where faith cannot faile which is the prerogatiue of this seate For to what other was it euer said I haue praied for thee Peter that thy faith maie not faile therfore that which followeth is to bee exacted of S. Peters successor And thou once conuerted confirme thy brethren which truly is at this present needfull for it is high time most beloued Father that you acknowledg your principalitie shew your zeale and honor your Ministerie you shall therin rightlie supplie the office of S. Peter in whose seate you sit if you do by our admonition confirme their harts that wauer in the faith and by your authoritie do suppresse the corrupters of the same Cā anie thing be more perspicuous thē that the holie learned religious Abbot S. Bernard whose testimonie the Protestants do often vse did acknowledg that which our Saviour said to S. Peter to belong vnto the Bishops of Rome and that they had and should euer haue by vertue of our said Redeemers praier power and grace to strengthen good Christians in the right faith and to beate downe all enemies of the same If M. Abbot were not an Abbot in name only but had in deed some of that holie Abbots heauenlie light in him he would soone see and confesse the same Albeit those two texts of holie scriptures be more then sufficient to cōfound M. Abbots bare supposition nakedly put downe and verie often repeated without any kind of proofe yet for more complet cōfirmation therof I will cite a third sentence out of S. Paul which rightly vnderstood doth greatly fortifie the same Rom. 16. These be the Apostles words The God of peace crush satan vnder your feet quickly Chris in illum locū Or as it is in the Protestants translation out of the Greeke The God of peace shall bruise Satan vnder your feete shortly These words of the Apostle are as Saint Chrysostom witnesseth both a praier and a prophecie a praier as they stand in our text a prophecy as they are in Greek which Caluin vpon the same text doth graunt the true purport thereof is that God should in short space so bruise and crush Satan in the head and as it were beate him into powder vnder the feate of the
Romans that he should neuer afterward be able to lift vp his head against them in any matter of faith wherin S. Hierom seemes to bee so confident that he doubts not to write to Ruffinus that which M. Abbot may take as spoken to himself Notwithstanding know you that the Romane faith by the Apostles mouth praised S. Hieron Apol. 3. con Ruffinum Attamen scito Romanam fidem Apostolico ore laudatam eiusmodi praestigias non recipere Etiam si Angelus aliter annunciet quam semel praedicatum est Pauli auctoritate munitam non posse mâ—tari doth not admit anie such deceites and tromperies yea if an Angel should preach anie other thing besids that which hath been alreadie preached yet that faith being by the Apostles authoritie fortified could neuer bee changed will M. Abbot yet be so shameles as to stand vp and to giue this graue holie doctor the lie as he must needs do if hee will yet sing his old song and saie that the Roman faith notwithstanding all the Apostles praier and prophecie is foulie changed and that in verie manie great points with the forsaid testimonies may be linked for the antiquitie of it this that standeth on record in the third generall councell holden at Ephesus S. Peter the head of the Apostles and pillar of faith c. did receiue from Christ the keies of the kingdome of heauen c. and doth vnto this daie liue in his successors and determine causes And shall alwaies liue Behold S. Peter alwaies liueth in the Bishops of Rome his successors to determin causes and gouerne the church what then shall become of M. Abbots change will he make S. Peter also a changeling This point I will close vp with this memorable sentence of S. Leo. The soundnes of that faith praised in the prince of the Apostles is euerlasting Leo in serm 2. Assumptionis suae ad sumum Pontificem Soliditas enim illius fidei quae in Apostolorum Principe est laudata perpetua est Et sicut permanet quod in Christo Petrus credidit ita permanet quod in Petro Christus instituit c. Manet ergo dispositio veritatis beatus Petrus in accepta fortitudine petra perseuerans suscepta ecclesiae gâ—bernacula non reliquit and like as that which Peter beleeued of Christ continueth for euer so doth that which Christ did institute in Peter c. Therfore the ordinance of the truth standeth fast and blessed Peter perseuering by his successors in that strength of a rocke hath not forsaken the gouernment of the church Seing the faith and fortitude of Saint Peter shall continue for euer in his successors the bishops of Rome that cuckoes song of M. Abbots that the now church of Rome is in matter of faith degenerated from the old must needs be false And what more manifest signe can one demaund therof then that all the wits of the protestants hauing travailed after nothing more for this fiftie yeeres cannot yet find out any one errour in matter in faith wherin the church of Rome hath at any time dissented from her self in former ages I know right well that they avouch boldlie that it hath changed manie articles of faith but let him that will haue credit given to him so saying name the error it self in particuler and the time when it was first receiued and by what pope it was approued which if no learned Protestant be able to performe let them be well assured that repeat it neuer so often over and ouer that the church of Rome is not the same now as it was in S. Austins time they deserue not to be beleeued Neither am I ignorant that some more hardy then their fellowes haue gone about to designe the time when the church of Rome began her Apostacy But therin they agree no better then the false Elders that accused Susanna of adulterie did of the tree vnder which the fained fact was pretended to bee done And therfore be no more worthy of credit then they were 30 M. Abbot goeth on to proue that I racked and wronged my authors and saith that Tertullian whoÌ„ I alleaged as sending to the church of Rome to learne the true doctrine doth send also to other churches as well as to the church of Rome Be it so but if he appealed vnto the church of Rome as well as to others did I him any wrong in saying that he appealed vnto the church of Rome I did not saie that he excluded all or ane ony other Doth not M. Abbot rather rack my words and wrong himself in imposing that vpon mee which I said not Besids M. Abbot doth offer great wrong to Tertullian not so much by racking his words as by chopping them quite of in the middest for where Tertullian saith If thou border on Italy thou hast the church of Rome vnde nobis authoritas presto est whence authority comes to vs. M. Abbot cuts of the latter part of the sentence which imports that men in Africk for that was Tertullians countrie did acknowledg the church of Rome to haue authority ouer them M. Abbot then hauing so cunningly conueyed the matter by cutting of that which made for vs doth afterward aske mee what was there left to serve my turne if his conueiance be no cleanlier then so it were better for him to leaue those trickes ro them that haue more nimbles fingers The Cathalogue of the Bishops of Rome set downe by Epiphanius doth serue to shew that the Bishops of Rome are S. Peters true successors which M. Abbot and the protestants sometimes when they are at a stand do not stick to deny Optatus Bishop of Milevitane S. Austins auncient did proue as M. Abbot cannot deny his part to be Catholike in that it comunicated with the church of Rome yet M. Abbot to detract some what from the see of Rome addeth that Optatus did not proue his part Catholike by communicating simply with the church of Rome but for that communicating with the church of Rome it communicated with the church of the whole world which words of Optatus are so farr of from detracting any thing from the church of Rome that they do much magnifie the comodity of her communion for he saith not that he communicated with the church of Rome and with all other churches making them seuerall parts but that in communicating with the church of Rome he communicated with the churches of the whole world thereby declaring the comunion with the church of Rome to be the meanes of communicating with all others which is the very same that we do now go about to proove His words which containe manie memorable instructions are these spoken vnto Parmenianus a Donatist Thou canst not deny but that thou knowest an Episcopall chaire to haue been placed in the city of Rome Optatus mileuit l. 2. co parmenianum Igitur negare non potes scire te in vrbe Roma Petro primo Cathedram Episcopalem esse
it be not the whole yet may very well denominate the whole And so it hath done by the consent of both friends and foes for as we tearme all of our religion Roman Catholikes so the protestantes do nickname them Papists or Romanistes both taking the name from Rome or the bishop of Rome wherfore it is manifest that that common hackney of the protestants doth not conclude the point that was in question which no man doubteth to be one of the fowlest faults that cā be in arguing I laid in a second exception against the second proposition of that argument which is But the Roman church is a particular church For that the Roman church may bee either taken precisely for the Diocese of Rome or more largly for the faithfull dispersed through the whole world that do imbrace the same faith which they of Rome do professe The Roman church so taken say I is no particular church but extends it self vnto the vtmost bounds of the whole Catholike church to which M. Abbot doth make answere in this section And in the begining confesseth verie strangley that hee is one of those Doctors that do not vnderstand this new found distinction Hee might perhaps haue said truly that hee liked it not but for a Doctor to say that hee could not reach to that which a meanewitted scholler would make no difficultie to conceiue cannot bee but a great disparagement either to his witt or to his will or to both About the first acception of the Roman church there is no manner of doubt And touching the 2. what difficutie is it to vnderstand all those to bee members of the Roman church who take the Bishop of Rome to bee their chief pastor and besides are in all articles of faith and forme of government vnited with the Roman Do not the protestāts themselues in euery countrie by nicknaming vs Romanists and Papists giue all men to vnderstand that they take all such to be members of the Roman church If then both in England France Germany and other countries by the testimonie aswell of protestants as Catholikes all they that in faith and religion agree with the church of Rome bee taken for members of the same church would any man master of his owne wits make any difficultie to grant that all such may be said to bee of the church of Rome And that therfore the church of Rome may bee taken to cōprehend all them of what nation soeuer they bee what warrant I can bring for this out of the ancient writers shal bee shorrly after shewed though this matter be in it self so sensible and almost palpable that hee must needs confesse himself to be little better then a verie blockhead that cannot vnderstand it yea M. Abbot presently after shewes himself to perceiue that well enough for better aduised he admits it for true and disputs against it in this manner Be it so that the church of Rome is vsually taken to signifie other churches submitting themselues to the church of Rome yet it doth not comprehend other churches that do not submit themselues to the same nor acknowledg her chiefty As the protestant churches in Europe and some schismaticall churches in Asia Ah sir you shew cleerly enough that you vnderstood before that distinction of mine why then did you that wrong to your owne reputation as to confesse your self to be one of those Doctors that could not conceiue it You meant then belike to make some simple foole beleeue that I to vphold my part was forced to coyne a new found distinctiō neuer heard of before but the wind being presently changed it is but an ordinary and vsuall distinstion and may bee answered in the manner that you haue endeuored to answere it To which I replie briefly and roundly that those churches which acknowledg not the chiefty of the church of Rome or do obstinatlie denie any other article of the christian faith professed by the same church be no Orthodox nor true churches at all but either hereticall or schismaticall congregations members onlie of the malignant church And therfore though the church of Rome do not comprehend them yet it doth neuertheles comprehend all Orthodox and Catholike churches That all those malignant churches and euerie member of them that either err in matter of faith defined or are by schisme deuided from the church of Rome be no true churches at all To omit diuerse other arguments because this is not a place to handle at large that question let these few testimonies suffice Saint Austin saith He that beleeueth any false thing of God or of anie part of the doctrine that appertains vnto the edification of faith Aug. l. quest in Math. q. 11. Si enim falsa de deo credit vel de aliqua parte doctrinae quae ad fidei pertinet aedificationem ita vt non quaerentis cunctatione tentatus sit sed inconcusse credentis nec omnino scientis opinione atque errore discordans Haereticus est foris est animo quamuis corporaliter intus videatur that not doubtingly with a mind to bee better enstructed but resolutely obstinately hee is an heretike and in soule out of the church though in body hee seeme to liue in it which elswhere he repeats coupling schismatiks and heretiks together and declaring both their congregations to bee no part of the Catholik church in these words we beleeue the holie church that surelie which is Catholike Idem de fide Simbolo ca 10. Credimus sanctam Ecclesiam vtique Catholicam nam haeretici schismatici congregationes suas Ecclesias vocant Sed Haeretici de deo falsa sentiendo ipsam fidem violant schismatici autem discissionibus iniqùis a fraterna Charitate dissiliunt quamuis ea credunt quae credimus Quapropter nec haereticus pertinet ad ecclesiam Catholicam quae diligit deum nec schismatitus quoniam diligit proximum for heretikes and schismatikes do call their congregations churches but heretikes beleeuing false things of God do breake their faith and schismatiks by wilfull diuisions do leape from brotherly charitie wherfore neither doth the heretike belong to the Catholike church bicause shee loues god nor the schismatike for that shee loues heir neighbor which doctrine he might haue drawen out of Saint Ciprian who vnder the name of the Novatians doth teach That heretikes be like vnto Apes who though they bee no men Ciprian epistola 73. ad Iubaianum Nouatianus simiarum more quae cum homines non sint homines tamen imitantur vult ecclesiae Catholicae auctoritatem sibi veritatem vindicare quando ipse in Ecclesia non sit imo c. yet do counterfeit men so heretikes albeit they bee out of the church yet do chalenge to themselues the truth and authority of the church with them accordeth Saint Hierom saying when you shall heare of any Christians that take not their name from Iesus Christ Hieron co lucif in fine
Sicubi audieru eos qui dicuntur Christi non a Iesu Christo sed a quoquam alio nuncupari vtputa Marcionistas valentinianos montenses scito non Ecclesiam Christi sed Antichristi esse synagogam but froÌ„ other men as Marcionists valentinians or such like as are now a daies Lutherans Zuinglians c. be you well assured that they belong not to the church of Christ but to the Sinagogue of Antichrist Out of this sound doctrine of the ancient fathers and approued doctors M. Abbots obiection is easily solued For albeit there be many erring congregations which would gladlie bee called churches and do chaleÌ„ge to theÌ„selues the name and authoritie of the church which the church of Rome doth not comprehend yet those congregations being no more true churches then Apes be men the church of Rome maie bee truly said to compreheÌ„d all the Catholike church though it do not containe any of theÌ„ they being for their ertors in faith and disvnioÌ„ in matter of religion by the verdict of the auncieÌ„t fathers esteemed rather schismatikes parts of sathaÌ„s sinagogue then any members of Christs Catholike church I am not ignoraÌ„t that there be certain good fellowe Libertins who more willing to please men with plausible doctrine then to acquaint them with Gods iust iudgments And to make some shew that theire church hath been alwaies a member of the visible Catholike church do teach that even schismatikes and heretikes so they erre not in some fundamentall points of religion be notwithstanding reall and true members of the Catholike church Against whose error I meane god willing to make a chapter in this booke wherfore I will not here stand to confute it But admitting it here for passable I do not see any reason why in the waie of that opinion the Roman church may not comprehend even those vnpure churches too For albeit they do not acknowledg the chiefty of the Roman church nor agree with it in all articles of faith yet they acknowledging the Roman to hold all those fundamentall articles of faith must needs grant that they do agree with it in all points that are of necessitie to bee beleeued On the other side they cannot deny but that they are all descended out of the same Roman church not being able to shew any other stocke or pedegree out of which their church is issued and sprung why then should they not yeeld that honor vnto the same as to acknowledg themselues members of her from whom they deriue their descent and pedigree and with whom they do agree in all fundameÌ„tall points of doctrine though in some other not necessarie in their opinion to be beleeued they do dissent from her Neither is that example of the Roman Empire well applied by M. Abbot For albeit there were and bee many kingdomes in the world besids the Roman Empire not subiect therto nor any meÌ„bers therof yet there be not nor cannot bee many christian churches wherof the one is not a member of the other For all Christian creeds do teach vs to beleeue that there is but one only church not many Ephes 4. Cant. 6.8 One spouse of Christ one body of Christ vna est columba mea c. which is the common doctrine of the auncient fathers after S. Ciprian and Saint Austin who haue made whole treatises of the vnitie of the church So that though there be many distinct kingdomes independent one of the other yet there cannot bee many such churches but all and euerie particuler true church is a true member of the one only Catholike church All of them perfectly agreeing togither in society of faith in vnity of sacraments and in forme of government Consequently the head mother church such as before I haue proued the Roman church to bee may convenientlie bee vsed to signifie all the rest No man denies the more proper signification of the church of Rome to bee the city or Diocese of Rome it self in which sense Albertus Pighius doth truly say of it That it is a particular church and not to be taken for the vniuersall church Notwithstanding it is in more large signification often taken for the whole Catholike church not only of moderne writers but also of the most ancient and holy fathers to witnes wherof I take these few following Saint Ciprian sent the copie of Antonianus letter to Cornelius bishop of Rome Cipr. epistola 52. to assure him that the said Antonian did comunicate with him that is with the Catholike church vt scires illum tecum hoc est cum Catholica ecclesia comunicare where that most learned prelate and glorious Martir put as a thing by it self well knowen that to comunicate with the pope of Rome is to communicate with the Catholike church with him accordeth Saint Ambrose Ambros oratione defratic Satyro relating how his brother Satyrus was cast on shore in Sardinia or therabout where Catholiks and heretiks were blended and mixt together and being desirous to bee baptised by a Catholike Bishop when one was presented to him to do that good office he to trie whâ—ther he were Catholike or no demaunded of him Si cum Catholicis hoc est cum Romanis consentiret If he did agree with the Catholikes that is to say with the Romanes Putting as we do now Roman for a certaine marke and as it were an explication of a true Catholike The like doth Saint Hierom when he asked of Ruffinus what faith hee professed Hic oni Apol 〈◊〉 câ—â— Ruffinum whether that that florished in the church of Rome or that which was contayned in the bookes of Origine Si Romanam responderit ergo Catholici sumus If hee answere the Roman faith then bewe Catholiks and free from the errors of Origen where he setteth the Roman faith to signifie the Catholike faith yea sheweth that of the Roman faith Christians are denominated Catholikes The same doth the auncient christian poet Prudentius chaunt in these verses Fugite o miseri execranda Nouati Schismata Catholicis vos reddite populis Prudent in hymno de Hipolito Vnasedes vigeat prisco quae condita seclo est Quam Paulus tenuit quaÌ„que cathedra Petri. O poore soules from Nouatus cursed schisme do you flie And with speede yeeld your selues vnto the Catholike party That only seate florish which in auncient time founded S. Paul vpheld and where the chaire of Peter was grounded This godly and holy man esteemed it all one to yeeld your self to the Catholike partie and to vnite your self to the sea of Rome So did that puissant Christian Emperor Theodosius the younger when hee exhorted the Bishop of Berca and his followers to declare themselues approued priests of the Roman religion imploing the Roman for the Catholike religion which was with all persons so vsuall and current in those better times Concil Ephesin Tom. 1. c. 10. that even the old rotten Arrian heretikes did by the same name of Roman designe all true
sunne as it is in the revelation drawing after him a great number of the starres and pulling them downe headlong with himself into the pit of hell Of Beza thus writeth Conradus Sclusselburg a famous superintendent of the Lutheran church Conrad de Theolog Calviniana lib. 2. arb 1. Theodore Beza in his sacramentary Basiliske against Heshusius which hee entituleth Chrâ—ophagia doth not onlie in the treatise it self take his leaue of all godlines and modestie letting loose all the reynes of railing but in the very title doth vomite vp his blasphemie and diuelish scoffes c in the first six pages and a half hee hath powred out such horrible filthy and beastlie taunts that euen souldiers of his owne band haue wished them to bee suppressed with his bawdy and most vnpure verses made in praise of his harlot Candida Beza hath with his rotten rayling and beastly belching assaulted the most holy testament of the sonne of God He revileth that worthy superintendent Heshusius most spitefully calling him a Buskin or tragicall Polypheme an ape an huge great capped Asse a dog in a bath a most doltish Sophister an impure sicophant a most impudent knaue Finally hee likeneth him to a deuil incarnate that hath belched vp such Satanicall blasphemies that hee trembleth to relate them This may suffice for a scantling to shew how the names of Luther Calvin Beza the great Rabbins of the protestant Gospell be already by no meane men of their owne coate so canuased disgraced and vilified that the iudicious reader may see how litle need we haue to trouble our selues to search after matter against them to make knowen to the world what odious companions they were seing their owne brotherhood do so fully paint them out to the life that any true Christian hart must needs abhorre them And they that will not vpon so faire warning take heed of them fly from them can haue no lawfull excuse of their wilfull and doting folly R. AB PEtilian the Donatist being offended that they were called Donatists retorted vpon the godly Bishops the names of Mensurists and Cecilianists deriued from two principall Bishops of their party Mensurius and Cecilianus Collat. Carth. 3. ca. 30. So the Papists being vexed at that name Papists giuen to them for being wholy at the devotion of the Pope seeke to disgrace vs with the names of Lutherans Zuinglians and Calvinists as though wee were in like sort devoted to Luther Zuinglius and Calvin W. B. HEere M. Abbot being at a low ebbe in steed of the body of the Donatists is fayne to lay hold vpon one of the companie named Petilian to patch vp a paltrie peece of a triviall resemblance where M. Abbots gentle spirit is to be obserued for before hee would touch vs for calling them by their right names either Lutherans Zuinglians or Calvinists because they left the communion of the whole church to imbrace those Arch heretiks doctrine and felowship Hee confesseth ingenuously that the ProtestaÌ„ts before hand had plaid with vs the part of that Donatist Petilian by nicknaming vs Papists For hee saith that wee being angrie with them for giving vs the name Papists did for a revenge call them Lutherans c Ergo hee granteth that they began with vs but were it before or after M. Abbots resemblance may bee most iustly returned vpon themselues For as the Catholiks of those times called those Sectaries Donatists for leaving the communion of the church spred ouer all to follow one Schismaticall fellow called Donate so the protestants that were so sottish as to forsake the faith of the Catholike church to cleave vnto the peevish opinion of some lewd or loose renegate are most worthy to bee called after their blind guids names either Lutherans Zuinglians Calvinists or such like And they to wreake their teene on vs nickname vs Papists wherin albeit they imitate the Donatists yet their inuention is not so proper as was the Donatists who of some one eminent person christened the Catholikes after their names but the protestants cannot tell vs of what one pope or other wee tooke our name If it bee of all the ranke of Popes then haue wee no need to bee ashamed of it for the protestants themselues are not yet become so impudent as to deny thirtie or fortie of the first of them to haue been right beleeuers yea very holy Martyrs or confessors And good reason it is that of the first and best of them the rest should take their names R. AB 8. Aug. co literas Petil l. 2. ca. 43. co Gaudent l 2. c. 28. THe Donatists complained that the revenues bestowed by their ancestors on the churches were taken a way from them and given to the Catholike Pastors The same complaint M. Bishop and his fellowes vse that Bishopricks Deaneries and other benefices founded by men of their religion and to the vse therof are now as they pretend wrongfully taken from them and given to vs. W. B. I Do not find in S. Austin alledged by M. Abbot that the Donatists were founders of Bishopricks or any such like church livings And heretiks bee seldome any such founders but as latter commers do rather intrude wroÌ„gfully into them that were before founded by the Catholiks They complayned without iust cause when they were worthely expelled out of them they pretended in deed that they were lawfully discended of the former Catholike Bishops and that therfore those livings were due to them which would bee iust the protestants case if it should please God to inspire into our Soveraigne Lord king Iames his hart to dispossesse them of their benefices as vsurpers and to restore the dignities and livings founded by Catholiks for the exercise of Catholike religion into the hands of Catholike Bishops and Priests who seeth not therfore how fairly the Donatists did in most things pourtraict their white sons the protestants R. AB 9. THe Rogatists being one part of the Donatists affirmed themselues only to bee Christians even as the Donatists did chaleng to themselues only to bee the church of Christ and so now the Papists esteeme themselues only to bee Christians W. B. THis hath been in effect both obtruded by M. Abbot and by me answered some foure or five times ouer already wherfore is to be now loathed as ouer stale what so me maÌ„ may say in some sense we do not much esteeme but the body of the Catholike church doth not deny heretikes to bee Christians because they bee christened and do hold some points of the Christian faith though such Christians as shall never vnles they amend haue any part with Christ in his kingdome For that they refuse to beleeue many articles of the Christian faith haue seperated themselues from the vnion and communion of Christ his true church R. AB 10. Aug co literas Petilian l. 2. c. 83 l. 2. cap. 71. Epist 106 THe Donatist provoking Emperors by their vntolerable outrages to make lawes against
addeth in another place whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor heare your wordes Math. 10 15. going forth out of the house and citie shake of the dust from your feet Amen I say to you it shal bee more tolerable for the land of the Sodomits and Gomorrheans in the daie of iudgment then for that city Behold how straightly wee are charged to heare and beleeue Christs witnesses the pastors and Doctors of the Catholike church If wee do otherwise wee shal bee taken to despise Christ and to despise his heavenly father and shall find no lesse intollerable iudgment then did the stinking and abhominable Sodomites Moreouer the pastors of the Catholike church are not only Christs bare witnesses and Ambassadors but they bee also our spirituall governors Act. 20.28 Posuit vos Spiritus sanctus regere ecclesiam Dei The holie Ghost hath appointed you to gouerne the church of God If they bee our governors wee must obey them Hebr. 13.17 Obedite prepositis vestris subiacete eis Obey your Prelats and bee subiect vnto them hee that resisteth power Rom. 13.2 resisteth the ordinance of God And of all governors the spirituall that do represent our Saviour in a higher degree are most to bee respected Therfore more hainous is the offence of euerie one that doth obstinatlie withstand them then of others that withstande their temporall prince Math. 18.17 Qui ecclesiam non audiverit sit tibi tanquam Ethnicus Publicanus Hee that will not heare the church let him bee taken for a heathen and a publican whervpon there is commonly in all generall councels Anathema an excommunication and curse vpon all them that shall not beleeue all and euerie article of faith in the same generall couÌ„cell declared and determined which doth most manifestly demonstrate that any man who shall refuse to beleeue any one article of faith by the church declared to bee such is worthie to bee excommunicated that is to bee depriued of the societie of Christians in this world and consequentlie of the fruition of Christ in the world to come if they do not in time repent whence I gather this short argument hee that refuseth to beleeue Gods witnesses the pastors of his church and our spirituall governours in any one article of faith deserueth to bee condemned but they that hope to bee saued in their owne religion of whom wee now speake do refuse to bâ—leeue Gods church in some article or other of the Catholike faith therfore they deserue to bee condemned For the further explication of the great conveniencie and necessitie wee haue to beleeue and obey the Catholike church in matters of faith let is bee well weighed that it doth in manner as much import vs vpon whose credit wee beleeue anie thing as what wee do beleeue for such is the weaknes and vncertaintie of our owne Iudgment that wee neede nothing more then to haue an assured guid to coÌ„duct vs safelie in the high matters of divinitie which do farr surmount our naturall vnderstanding and capacitie Because as the Apostle discourseth divinelie faith is of hearing How shall wee then beleeue Rom. 10. without a preacher and how shall any man preach vnto vs without hee bee sent which is as much to say that without the helpe of some bodie sent from God to teach vs what wee haue to beleeue wee cannot beleeue aright wherfore it doth wonderfully much import vs to make right choice of this instructer for such as our guid and director is such is our faith If our guide bee blind wee following him shall blindly fall into the ditch with him If hee see cleare if he bee well aduised staid and certaine following him wee shall be assured to walke in the streight path For example The Turks beleeue in one God maker of heauen earth as wee do yet haue they not the true faith therof as wee haue because they haue not the same guid and instructer for that article that wee haue They be led to beleeue that by the credit which they giue to the ministers of Mahomet who out of his Alcaron teach them so to beleeue in God wee beleeue the same for that the Catholike church doth so teach vs in the first article of our Creed Ours is the act of true faith because wee are directed by the true church that cannot deceiue vs. The Turkes perswasion is no act of true faith for that hee taketh it on the credit of them that may deceiue him And do without doubt in manie other points deceiue him wherfore whether they do in this or no hee is vncertaine and consequently his persuasion being vncertaine hee cannot haue anie true faith which is certaine and without all peradventure In like manner the Iewes albeit they haue the old testament for their foundation yet being destitute of an vndoubtable directer and taking for their blind guides their Talmud and Rabbins are cleane voide of all true faith because their perswasion also relieth vpon them that may and do verie often misleade and beguile them For come to some other question of faith yea to the principall and ground of all the rest that is to beleeue Iesus Christ to bee the sonne of God and the true Messias and redeemer of the world The Turke not finding that in his Alcaron nor the Iew in the old testament according to the exposition of their Sinagogue do most blindly and obstinatlie refuse to beleeue it See then of what importance the direction of a true sincere guide is in all matters of faith wherfore it hath pleased the vnsearchable wisdome of our blessed Saviour to giue vnto all his faithfull servants for a most assured guide his best beloued spouse the Catholike church 1. Tim 3. the piller and ground of truth to whom hee being to depart out of this world bequeathed the holie Ghost to teach her all truth Ioh. 14.16 and that at all times vnto the worlds end I will aske my father and hee will giue you another Paraclete that hee may abide with you for euer Ioh. 16. when the Spirit of truth cometh hee shall teach you all truth Therfore it is great reason that wee should both acknowledge our blessed maisters carefull providence over vs in providing vs such a guide and also take our selues fast bound to obey the same holie church in all her declarations made to that purpose It is not then without exceeding great cause that all good Christians even from their infancy are taught to beleeue this that they neuer afterward faile therin And that they may the better remenber the same good lesson which doth so much import all men to learne perfectly they do from thence forth make dailie profession therof when they saie in their creed I beleeue the holie Catholike church That is I do not onlie beleeue that there is one holie Catholike church but I professe to beleeue what the same church doth teach mee to beleeue all and everie article of faith
without exception against any one of them for if I do beleeue her in one and not in another I am become such a chooser as the Latines following the Grecians call hereticus an heretike and do indeed shew that I do not assuredlie beleeue the church as Gods interpreter that cānot erre but onlie so farre forth as I thinke good And then it may bee asked mee why I do beleeue her at all if she do but now and then tell the truth for it may bee that then shee doth not say true when I do beleeue her To put vs out of all these doubts and difficulties the selected gouernours of the church the maisters of the world Christes hoy Apostles before they did depart to preach the Gospell to all nations set downe this for a most assured principle of the Christian faith I beleeue the holie Catholike church to teach all Christians that in those supernaturall misteries of the kingdome of heauen wee must not leane to the light of nature or trust to our owne Iudgments or follow the advise of everie one that will take vpon him to bee a maister but hold our selues preciselie to that which the holie Catholike church doth teach vs obeie her fullie and wholie in all things Out of the premises this argument may bee framed directly to our purpose No man can bee saued vnles hee follow the direction of the one holie Catholike church in all matters of faith but they that bee of opinion that euerie man may bee saued in his religion do not follow the direction of the Catholike church which doth teach all men to imbrace and follow one only faith and religion wherfore they that will not imbrace the said one only faith which the Catholike church teacheth cannot bee saued To make this more plaine and probable let vs in a word or two examine the speciall meanes that the protestants vse to attaine vnto the true vnderstanding of Gods word and therby vnto saluation where wee must obserue by the way that wee all agree in this that there is nothing to bee beleeued which is not by God reuealed vnto vs. The Protestants do hold all that to bee written either in the old or new Testament wherin wee dissent from them teaching all revealed verities not to bee written in the Bible but some of them to passe from father to sonne by word of mouth and by tradition Of which difference here I doe not dispute but wee all taking for our ground Gods owne and onely word revealed written or vnwritten do inquire how wee come to the true vnderstanding of it wee say by the explication and declaration of the Catholike church The Protestants approue not that meanes but vnder the colour of mans inuentions reiecting of it do either leane to their owne iudgment learning or follow the authoritie of their chiefe preachers or els runne to the revelation of the Spirit speaking inwardlie to their spirits Now if none of all these bee assured meanes to attaine vnto the true vnderstanding of Gods word then their faith that relieth principally theron cannot bee assured Some of them in great zeale simplicitie will say that they relie only on the word of God but good poore soules they know not well what they saie for the question being about the vnderstanding of the same word of God wee affirming the word to bee for vs they denying that and chalenging it to bee for them who shall iudge whether of our pretentions to the same word bee true they will conferre one texte with another so will wee and consider all circūstances too wee will repaire also to the originals haue respect vnto the Analogie of faith briefly wee will vse all humane diligēce pray also to God to assist vs supernaturally yet whē wee haue all done wee come to no agreemēt who shall thē agree vs If they would come with vs to the Catholike churches determination in some generall councell wee should quickly haue an end but they vpon one vaine pretext or other fly of and will finally follow no other then one of those three guids before named wherof the first which is their owne learning and Iudgment bee it neuer so great yet they maie mistake and fall into error Omnis enim homo mendax Rom. 3. For every man is subiect to bee deceiued specially when they bee in passion and striue to vphold and make good their owne conceites against others for then they do oftentimes run astray verie strangelie Secondly the Protestants that relie vpon the reputation and credit of their preachers how can they set vp their rest vpon them assuredlie for that first their masters being men may bee deceiued aswell as other men maie be and that they are in deed deceiued not only the Catholiks who are the farre greater and founder part of Christians do affirme but those also that they themselues hold for men of God do testify the same For example Martin Luther with his disciples repute Zuinglius Calvin and all the troupe of Sacramentaries to bee deceiuing masters and to erre damnablie in the matter of the blessed Sacrament On thother side the Sacramentarie protestants do all teach that Luther with all his followers erred as in many other points so principally in that matter of the reall presence which of these two to omit diuerse other their contradictions shall a poore protestant beleeue and follow both hee cannot because what the one affirmeth thother denieth and each of them saith that the other is deceiued Hee thē taking them both for true of their words must needs beleeue neither of them for that the one avoucheth the other to bee in error Hee maie leaning to his owne Iudgment and liking rather follow one of them then the other yet hee cannot do that without some feare of being deceiued himself because hee hath so many euen of his owne side to bee against him wherfore he can haue no faith at all in these points For faith is an assured perswasion of that to bee true which you do beleeue without anie doubt or feare of the contrarie Let vs now come to their last refuge and surest hold as some take it of the spirit which is indeed the most wauering and vncertaine guide of all the rest For doth not the Lutherans grosser spirit buzze into their braines that they haue found out the light of the Gospell yes I warrant you saies euery good Lutheran Not so saith the purer and nimblet spirit of the Calvinists it was but the dawning of the daie that appeared to M. Luther the light of the Gospell began then only to peepe vp but the bright beames therof brake not out till M Caluins doctrine glittered The more brisk spirite of the Brownists doth assure thē that the nooneday light of the same Gospell shineth onlie in their Horizon And what shall wee say to the Anabaptists who as they bee the most frantike of all other so they brag most of all of verie familiar
acquaintance with the same whispering spirit with which they are so haunted that they haue almost hourely new illuminations and strange revelations See I pray you into what endles dissentions this doctrine of the spirit doth lead her folowers It being then most manifest that there is such variety and so great contradiction in the way of the private spirit everie man that hath a care of his salvation will I hope take heed therof and not suffer himself to bee abused therby Hee was inspired by the true spirit of God that gaue vs this faire warning 1. Iob. 4.1 My deerest beleeue not euerie spirit but prove the spirits if they hee of God because manie falâ—e prophets are gone into the world which deceiue many And Satan that trudgeth about so busily seeking whom hee maie deuoure finding so many readie to listen to the cursed councell of his wicked spirit transformeth himself often into an Angell of light that hee may the better beguile them that giue eare to such secret whisperings wherfore they that desire not to bee misled must follow Saint Iohns counsell try the spirits whether they bee of God or no. Ibidem If the priuate spirit do not agree with the publike spirit that conducteth the Catholike church in all trueth bee well assured that it is an erring spirit sent by Satan to deceiue you and to leade you into errour To recollect this point in briefe If no man may relie either vpon his owne learning or spirit not may safely trust anie priuate teacher or preacher then the protestants best meanes to obtaine salvation be very vncertaine and consequentlie they that wil bee assured never to erre in anie one article of faith must not relie vpon them but imbrace wholie and fully the doctrine of the Catholike Roman church and hold themselues close and fast thervnto Math. 16 That church is built vpon a rocke that alwaies hath and euer shall stand firme without flitting or tottering too and fro and Christ praied Luc. 22. for her governors faith that it should never faile Ioh. 16. The holie Ghost is alwaies with her to teach her all truth And in verie common sense when a controuersie riseth about any point in faith is it not much more probable that all the learned assembling together out of all coasts and countries of Christendome to conferre thervpon should boult out the truth of that question better then some few passionate and discontented men that oppose themselues against all the rest Thus verily stands the case betweene the Protestants and vs. for when Martin Luther Iohn Calvin and others discontented men and none of the best marke ranne out of our church and cried out that therein were manie errors taught and many foule abuses maintained a generall councell was called the best learned of all Christian countries were assembled to heare and determine those controuersies The ringleaders of the new Gospell were most courteously invited thither to shew what moved them to make that alteration but their consciences telling them that they were not able to iustifie their bad cause before so many learned men they durst not appeare in the councell wee then haue very great reason to follow the iudgment of the whole corps of Christendome but small probability haue the protestants to preferre the passionate opinions of a few malecontents flying from true triall before the calme and mature acts and definitions of all the rest that were ready to haue performed it God send them grace to see it in tyme least as they haue wilfully followed them in their errors so they bee not here after against their wills forced to folow them to eternall punishment I haue staid the longer to declare the commoditie and necessitie of submitting our vnderstaÌ„ding vnto the censure of the Catholike church because without that bee ioyned to Gods word to certifie vs both which is the word of God and what is the true sense and meaning thereof wee can haue no true faith at all for the declaration of the church is necessarilie required as a condition without which our faith cannot ordinarilie bee assured of that which it is to beleeue whervpon that great light of the world S. Austin was not ashamed to saie Evangelio non crederem August co Episâ— fundameÌ„tre 5. nisi me moveret Ecclâ—siae Catholicae authoritas I for my part would not beleeue the Gospell vnles the authoritie of the Catholike church did moue mee thervnto whence it is easie to gather that they who do not take their direction from the said church as all they do not who think euery Christian may be saued in his own religion haue no assurance in their faith and coÌ„sequently no true faith at all wherfore they cannot bee saued which I do thus confirme for the Apostle teacheth that Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo Hebr. 11.6 It is impossible to please God without faith which must needs bee vnderstood of the true faith because God is the God of truth and hateth all that is false but the true faith is but one onlie and of the same nature in all men which the said Apostle doth confirme when hee writeth that there is but one Lord one faith Ephes 4.5 one Baptisme but they that make account to bee saued in their owne religion bee not ordinarilie nor cannot bee all of one faith for one faith cannot teach vs to beleeue two coÌ„tradictory propositions to bee true by the same faith one may beleeue more and another lesse according to the measure of faith that it hath pleased God to bestow vpon them but one cannot beleeue cleane contrary to the other As for example That Saints are to bee praied vnto and that they are not to bee praied vnto That wee may praie for the dead and that wee may not praïe for the dead For one of those propositions must needs bee false wherfore they that beleeue men may bee saued in both these opinions haue no true faith at all because true faith cannot beleeue that which is false and one of these two must needs bee false This may bee yet further confirmed for that those men who thinke one may bee saued in any religion do want the aforesaid true and onlie meanes of vnitie and agreement in one faith for they rely not vpon the explication of the Catholike church which is the only way to hold all men in one faith no more then if they had neuer heard of that article of our Creede I beleeue the holâ—e Catholike church but take as it hath been before declared for their guides in matter of faith either their owne Iudgment skill or spirit or the advise of some of their friends which are much more like to leade them into a hundreth diverse opinions then to reduce them to vnity in faith and religion wherfore it is evident that the vniforme faith of the bodie of Christendome which alone is the true saving faith cannot dwell in one house with that
libertie of beleeuing what they like Moreouer all men seeke after the true Catholike church that they maie find out the true doctrine of the Christian faith and enioy the right vse and administration of the holie Sacraments This is so cleere and agreable vnto the Protestants markes of the true church that it cannot bee denied but if in the same church there may be errors maintained in matters of faith and the Sacraments maie bee corruptlie administred men should in vaine take so great paines to find out the true church and obey it because in the way of that opinion it is needles to salvation to bee free from error in faith or to haue the Sacraments sincerelie administred for one may bee saued say they in that religion where there bee errors in faith defended and the Sacraments vnpurelie handled This argument maie bee thus enlarged and inforced They that with the true beleefe of the fundamentall points of faith do mingle some errors in other articles for those their errors to what Maister do they belong Not to God who is the Author only of truth and light and in whom as Saint Iohn witnesseth there is no darknes Deus lux est 1. Ioh. 1.5 tenebrae in eo non sunt vllae He must needs therfore bee one of the devils retayners Ioh. 8.44 who is father of all liars and maister of them that do imbrace errors to say that hee is Gods for the truth which hee holds will not availe for God will not part stakes with the Devill but either hee will haue vs wholie his to wit if wee will loue him with all our harts and wholy beleeue in him or els he will wholy reiect vs if wee thinke to haue any other maister with him or beleeue in any other contrary to him God is so Soveraigne and Iealous a Lord that hee will not dwell in the same house with Dagon 1. Reâ— â—â— either wee must cast out Dagon or hee will cast vs of wee must not halt as the zealous prophet Elias warneth vs Betweene God and Baal but either wholie follow God 3. Reg 18 22. or els assure our selues that hee will wholy reiect vs. For as the Apostle argueth what societie is there betweene light and darknes â— Cor. 6 1â— what agreement betweene Christ and Belial none at all For our Saviour himself hath defined Math. 12 3â— Hee that is not with mee is against mee Luke warme fellowes that bee part of the one and part of the other hee will vomit out of his mouth as raw and vndigested humors that his stomacke cannot abide Because saith he thou art Lukewarme Apocal. 3.16 and neither hote nor cold I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth The foundation of this is drawne out of this maxime of morall philosophie and divinity recorded by S. Dennis the Areopagite c 4. diuinâ— 1. 2. 18 4. and seconded by S. Thomas of Aquine Bonum ex integra causa Malum ex quolibet defectu This is the difference betweene good and evill that to make a thing good there must concurre all things requisite both for substance and necessary circumstance but if one thing requisite bee wanting it maketh the whole action evill One bad hearbe marreth a whole pot of pottage and one spoonefull of gall a butt of Maulmesey even so if there bee one known error in matter of faith it corrupteth the whole substance of faith as if there raigne one sinnfull vice in a man it destroieth the whole frame of vertue and doth absolutely make him vicious and casteth him cleane out of Gods favour so long as hee continueth therin according to this sentence of the kingly prophet Odisti omnes qui operantur iniquitatem Psal 5. pordes omnes qui loquuntur mendacium Thou O god hatest all and euerie one without exception that worke iniquity and wilt destroy all them that speake lies mark attentiuely how our soueraigne lord doth hate and will destroy as all them that worke wickedly so all them that defend lyes which all they doe who vphold any falshood in matter of faith against Gods truth finally this positioÌ„ that euery Christian may bee saued in his owne religion is very pernitious and damnable were it for nothing els then for the manifold mischieuous sequeles therof for it cannot but breed in men a wretched carlesnes of what religion they be of which draweth after it a nuÌ„ber of sins and is the verie roote of Atheisme For if a man maie bee saued in any religion it maketh no matter of what religion hee bee wherof it will ensue that most men following the bad inclination of our corrupt nature will prefer before all other the worste loosest religioÌ„ that may be because that hath most ease libertie and carnall pleasure in it which wicked persuasion hauing once seised the hart farewell all painfull endevour to performe vertuous actions and welcome slouth case and fleshly libertie which cannot but in short space engender a lothsomnes and contempt of all religion and paue a faire broad high way vnto Atheisme wherefore this opinion is vtterlie misliked euen of many of the more discreet and better minded Protestants And in verie truth if wee would but lift vp our minds a little towards heauen and consider attentiuely either the infinite maiestie of Almightie God or his inestimable bounty towards vs how can a Christian let any such sinnefull thought sinke into our hart as though wee need not greatlie care how wee serue God whether wee beleeue in him fully yea or no O very evill aduised and base minded creature yea vnworthie the name of any of Gods Creatures that sets so little by so soueraigne a Lord and Creator Haue wee not at his bountifull hands receiued freely our soules and bodies our health wealth or whatsoeuer els in this world wee either haue or bee And is there any hope without his fauour and grace to attaine eternall blisse and all that our hart can desire in the kingdome of heauen yet so vnkind and vngratefull vnto such a diuine benefactor bee too too many so dull and senseles in matter of their own eternall either weale or woe that they seeme to stand at habberdupoise whether they should serue God or no or at most they wil bee sure not to ouershoote themselues in his seruice but to hold backe and afford him as litle as possible may bee Bee not these animales homines earthly minded men degenerated from the noble condition of reasonable creatures and made like vnto pecora campi cattle of the field who perswade themselues that it doth not belong to men of their calling to conuerse with spirituall persons or to spend much time in reading of spirituall bookes and learning their dutie to the Almightie but leaving those melancholy meditations to monkes do esteeme men of their quality rather borne and bred some to keepe dogs and to follow hawkes and hounds others to grase beasts and to
ouerlooke their shepheards pastures I speake not this to condemne the moderate exercise or pleasure that such wordly men may lawfullie take in their worldly busines and much lesse in reprehension of good husbandrie but I desire to leaue some impression in the harts of all Christians of tendring and attending with all the seruice of God and would gladlie perswade all sortes of men women and children that incomparably much more care diligence labor and study is to bee bestowed in procuring the saluation of their soules then in all other affaires whatsoeuer And that they are wonderfullie ouerseene exceedingly much to blame that make so small accompt to know their bounden dutie vnto the most glorious and blessed Trinity And because such men like not to bee troubled with much musing vpon long lessons I would counsell thē and all others to read often ouer ouer this one text of holy scripture to giue diligēt eare vnto it being indited by the holy ghost for our perpetuall profit Harkon O Israël thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thy hart and with all thy soule Deut. 6.5 with all thy strength And these words which I cōmaūd thee this daie shal bee in thy heart and thou shalt teach thē to thy childrē thou shalt talke of thē whē thou sittest in thy house whē thou walkest by the waie and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp where is much more to the same effect If Almightie God required of euerie poore Israëlite a complete knowledg of his law and commaundements and a most carefull diligence both to obserue them himself and to teach them also to his children and family will hee require lesse of vs Christians whom hee hath called to greater perfection and to whom hee hath also made greater promises specially cōsidering that hee gaue vs his only begotten sōne our blessed Lord and saviour to bee our maister and instructor who refused no paines day nor night to walke vp and downe on foote in a rugged hillie countrie for thirty three yeares to teach vs those heauenly misteries and to make vs partakers of his inestimable graces what shame then shall they bee put to what punishment do they deserue that will not vouch fafe to harken after those heauenly lessons nor yet so much as receiue them willinglie of his seruants when they bee as it were put into their mouthes are they not sure to be with the slouthfull vnprofitable seruant cast into vtter darknes where shal be continuall lamētation weeping and gnashing of teeth This by the waie to awake those drowsy sleepers and to strike a due reuerent feare into the harts of such negligent and careles creatures that make so small reckening of learning their dutie vnto Almightie God Now I come to close vp my former principall question with some of the ancient fathers most learned doctors sentences who with full consent do teach that they shall not bee saued that do hold obstinately any one error in matter of faith Naie that everie good Christian ought rather to loose his life then suffer one word or sillable of his faith to bee blotted out peruerted or betrayed I will begin with that of S. Athanasius in his creede Athanasius creed because it is solēnely read in the church seruice as most sound and approued doctrine whosoeuer wil bee saued it is necessary that hee hold the catholike faith which vnles he do obserue wholie and inuiolably without doubt he shall perishe euerlastingly Greg. Naz. de fide S. Gregorie Nazianzen teacheth that nothing is more dangerous then those heretikes who holding all the rest soundly do in one word as it were with one drop of poison infect that true and approued faith of our Lord which the Apostles deliuered vnto vs. see how ane error in one word of faith Apud Theodoret lib 4. bist ecclesia ca. 17. doth poison all the rest S. Basil his best beloued and holy companion was of the same mind when hee said that they who bee skilfull in holy scriptures will not endure so much as one sillable of the diuine decrees to bee betraied but rather in defence therof if need bee will not refuse any kind of death Ambros de filij diuinitater 1. S. Ambrose consorts with them forewarning all Christians to stand vpon their gard most vigilantly and in no case to suffer such pestiferous and venemous errors to bee poured into their soules one drop wherof is sufficient to infect and poison the pure doctrine of Christ S. Hierom declareth Hieron co Ruffin Apolog. ◠vltra med that for one word or two that were contrary to faith many heretikes haue been accursed and cast out of the church S. Augustine more particularly fully then any of the rest August de here Hee that beleeueth anie one heresie that either hath been or shal bee deuised cannot bee a Catholike Christian Againe They that in the church do sauour of any thing that is attainted and ill if admonished to tast of that which is sound and right they do resist obstinatlie they become heretikes Idem de ciuit l. 18 c. 51. and going forth are to bee reckened for enemies thus much of the second question Now I come to that third part which I promised to touch in a word or two before I finished this chapter because it is not sufficient for a good Christian to beleeue all that is to bee beleeued and to haue a full resolute purpose to keepe all Gods cōmaundements vnles hee do also cary a willing mind to make open professiō of his faith whē time place do require it what soeuer losse of goods liberty or life hee is therby like to incurre I do not saie that euerie vertuous soule is bound to lay himself open at all times and to all sorts of men though hee may not at anie time deny anie article of faith or make profession of any false religiō but whē either the honour of God or the edification of our neighbor do exact the same at our hands then not to professe our faith openly is both shamefull before men and in the sight of God damnable The fundamentall reason hereof maie bee gathered out of this that as it hath pleased the soveraigne diuine maiesty to reueale many high misteries vnto vs seely mortall creatures to our exceeding great comfort and instruction so it is his blessed will and pleasure that the same bee divulged and proclaimed all the world ouer that all sorts of men maie if they looke well to it reape the manifold rich benefits that do ensue therof And contrariwise that they who will not giue care and credit thervnto and make the right vse of such a pretious and inestimable offer tendered vnto them from the Almightie maker of heauen and earth their most loving Lord and maister may for that their most sottish ingratitude be worthily for euer reiected and cast of whervpon it hath pleased our
Math 25 21. well fare thy hart good and faithfull seruant because thou hast been faithfull to mee in tyme of triall temptatioÌ„ I will be as faithfull to keepe promise with thee in this day of iust retribution Thou was put to shame and confusion before men thou shalt now haue honour and glory in the presence of Angels thou was content for my sake to leese the good countenance of thy Prince but therby thou hast purchased the favour of my father king of heauen Earth they for thy noble confessioÌ„ haue thrust thee out of thy lands and liuings enter therfore into possession of the most Ample rich and glorious kingdome of heauen supra multa te constituam I will place thee ouer manie things and giue the a recompence that shall a hundreth fold surmoÌ„t thy losses for the short and light paines that thou didst then suffer for mee receiue from this time forth for evermore no lesse then the very self same ioy though not in the same degree of thy said Souereigne Lord and Maister Intra in gaudium domini tui Enter into the ioye of thy Lord. which are so great so delitious so pretious and perpetuall that neither eye hath seen nor care heard nor hart of man is able to conceiue whâ—t good Christian had not leifer to incurr the danger of an open confession of his faith here on earth then to forgoe so high and inestimable a recompence therof here after specially if he lay ther vnto the other part of our Saviours sentence Math. 10.33 Luc 9.20 He that shall denie mee before men I will deny him before my father which is in heauen Or as S. Luke relateth He that shal be ashamed of mee or of my words him the sonne of man shal be ashamed of when he shall come in his maiesty Observe that it is all one to be ashamed of Christs word that is of his faith and religion as to be ashamed of his owne person and that he who shall not for feare of the world make open confession of them in time and place Christ at the last daie when he comes to iudg the quicke and the dead wil be ashamed of that person that is look heauely vpon him reiect him and condemne him for euer and euer This is so evident and playne out of Christs owne mouth that it requireth not anie confirmation or testimony of man And if need were I could shew that it was in the primitiue church holden for an accursed heresie and condemned in the name of the Helcesaites to thinke it lawfull for them that in hart beleeue in Christ to deny him with their mouthes when they stand in danger of losing their goods therfore See Eusebius in the 31. chapter of the 6. booke of his Ecclesiasticall history To close vp this chapter euerie good Christian must take for most assured that it is not sufficient to saluation to beleeue in Christ and to hold the fundamentall points onlie of our Christian Religion but rest perswaded that the wilfull refusall of beleeuing any one Article of faith declared by the Catholike church to bee such and to vs well notified wil be at the last daie euidence enough to cast anie Christian otherwise manie of the old reproued heretikes were in the state of saluation and very vniustlie by the most holie and learned Prelates of Gods church excommunicated and condemned which once to imagine cannot be but great impietie And if anie subiect how great and noble so euer he be for one fact of treason or felonie doth iustly deserue death by the censure of all lawmakers and a man making the law of Moises frustrate Hebr. 10.28 without anie mercie died as the Apostle witnesseth how much more worthie is he to die the death that shal be convinced not to beleeue the fountaine of all truth Almighty God himself in some thing not to giue perfect credit to his chosen messengers and infallible witnesses and to disobey them whom he hath appointed to be our spirituall pastors and gouernors And when our blessed Saviour who loued the eternall saluation of our soules so deerelie that to make a full purchase therof for vs was content to giue his most pretious bloud when he I say to whoÌ„ we are so exceedingly much beholding and bound hath out of his incomprehensible wisdome prouided the best and most assured meanes that may be to hold all Christians in vnitie of faith and religion by tying them to beleeue and obey his one holie Catholike church those libertines will not hold themselues to his assigned ordinance but out of their owne presumption beleeue whom and what they list and so by litle and litle grow at lenght to beleeue nothing at all wherfore to auoid all these most dangerous inconveniences and to escape Gods iust indignation let vs submit our vnderstanding wholie vnto his diuine reuelations and be most vigilant and carefull to learne out what his blessed will and pleasure is that we should beleeue and be as forward and readie to beleeue it without anie resistance or staggering for the soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth is a iealous God and will not part stakes with anie or be serued to the halues His high and inviolable decree is that we both loue him with all our heart and also beleeue in him fully and wholie yea ouer and besides when we be called to it he will haue vs not be abashed to coÌ„fesse his holie name but to stand valiantlie to the publike profession of his sacred faith and religion whatsoeuer it cost vs. and then will he without all doubt in time most conuenient call vs to the possession of his heaueÌ„ly and euerlasting kingdome to liue for euer and euer in all ioy honour and glorie with his most holie Angels and all blessed Saints To which most hâ—ppy resting place Almighty God of his infinite mercy through the inestimable merits of our most glorious Redeemer bring vs all in the end AMEN I desire thee courteous reader to beare with the faultes in printing which be very many through the composers ignorance in our language the grosser are to be amended thus For page read wo 10. who Pselues 31. themsel Ther est 64. the rest wr 69. warning wr ibid writ boo 70. book desirer 75. desire wn 76. own thee 77. the. Gods ir 76. good sir 851. 78. 85. donasti 88. donatist chook 92. choking construct 118. consumat de 119. fide 51. 123. 1. hom 1. ibid. 9. disco 132. dioscorus And 138. to be put out mise 144. 155. ipse cap 99. 158. 9. flock 164. flock Alhi ibid. Alchimist tost and 172. to stand courto 171. court lest 172. lost ditous 173. ditious others 180 other dipro ibid. dispr boh ibid. both these ibid. the. Innocentin 16. tius iustly 189. iustly nous ibid. house or 214. of ane ony 226. any one no 250. yea yea ibid. no. by th 241. both popes the 273. the popes both in 284. in both in 287. l. 2. to be put out ferneut ibid. feruent suto 288. into biet his ibid. bie this word 300. world seetes 301. sectes haue 307. hanc qui 328. to be put out qua ibid. quae do 336. doth do 342. do not church a 350. a church wholy 367. whot ofo 308. of dat 320. orat cem 225. catum ibidem in his successors tobe put out
for whether the church of Rome bee the Catholike church or no the faith which his Majestie embraceth cannot bee Catholike vnles it bee that which either hath been or now is spred ouer all the world therfore no man can deny but that it had been a more direct and speedie course to have proved their owne church to bee Catholike then to goe about to disprove the church of Rome to bee Catholike for let vs suppose that which M. Abbot would have though it bee most vntrue that the church of Rome were not the Catholike church Doth it thervpoÌ„ follow that the church of England is Catholike nothing lesse for there have been and are manie erring no Catholike congregations by the consent of all men different and dissenting from the church of Rome as for example were of old the Arrians the Donatists Macedonians and att this time bee the Trinitarians Anabaptists and such like supposing then the church of Rome not to bee Catholike and that the English church doth not agree with the said church may it not neverthelesse bee some other erronious congregation that is faâ—r enough of froÌ„ being Catholike there being in the world so manie other of that bad marke and stampe It must needes then follow that M. Abbot beginning with the church of Rome neither tooke a speedie and direct nor yet a sure course to prove his maiesties faith to bee Catholike M. Abbot in his owne excuse saith that to prove his maiesties faith to bee Catholike he must needes declare what the Catholike church was bicause of the Catholike church it is that the faith is called the Catholike faith This I admitt for good doctrine and do desire the Reader to beare it well in mind that the Catholike faith must needes bee sought for in the Catholike church and cannot be found out before wee haue the Catholike church to teach it vs. because as M. Abbot affirmeth heere of the Catholike church it is that the faith is called the Catholike faith well go on good Sir I grant that you did well to declare what was the Catholike faith and what was the Catholike church too But having declared what was the Catholike church and faith why did you not go in haÌ„d to proue your English faith that his maiestie maintaineth or your English church which hee vpholdeth to bee that same true Catholick church To saie that that stumbling blocke to witt that the church of Rome was the Catholike church was first to be removed out of the way will not serve the turne for that was not necessary when as the other if it had been true might haue been performed by it self without any mention made of the church of Rome And if your fingers itched to haue a fling at the church of Rome would it not haue been more seemly and decent first to haue confirmed your owne faith to bee Catholike which you tooke in hand then having layed that fouÌ„dation to haue declared that the faith of Rome was not Catholike wherfore I did neither idly nor preposterously as you write require so much att your hands but verie preposterously do you proceede and beyond all measure extravagantly that having spoken somewhat to declare what the Catholike church was and that the church of Rome was not that Catholike church do afterwards run through seaven or eight questions more and make an end of your booke too before you come to take one chapter to prove that your English church is the Catholike church or that your English faith is the Catholike faith Is not this to forgett your self in the highest degree that is possible to institute a treatise to prove his maiesties faith to bee Catholike and to professe in the beginning of it that to find out the Catholike faith wee must first find out the Catholike church which being soone found out and agreed vpon to bee that which is spredd over all the world after wardes in all the ensuing discourse not to haue one chapter to prove the English church or faith to bee spred all the world over was not this vtterly to leese himself and to leave his reader as it were in the middle of a maze Pervse gentle reader the contents of all the chapters of M. Abbots booke which bee fowreteene in number thou shalt not find one of them so much as pretend to prove directly the faith of England to have been dilated into all countries the first is that the church of Rome doth vainely pretend to bee the Catholike church the second consisteth of a comparison betweene the Papists and the Donatists the third is about the Papists abuse of the name Catholike the fourth that the church before Christ was a part of the Catholike church and that the old and new testament do not differ in substance of faith The fift that religion cannot satly bee grounded vpon the example of fathers and forefathers the sixth that the reasons of popery are not vrgent and forcible The seventh of the florishing and best state of the church of Rome and of the fulnes of doctrine contayned in Saint Pauls Epistle to the Romanes of Idolatry in worstipping of Saints The eighth of iustification before God The ninth of iustification before man The tenth that eternall life cannot bee purchased by meritt The eleaventh the first motion of concupiscence is sinne The twelfth that the spirit giues witnes to the faithfull that they bee the sonnes of God The 13. that good workes are not meritorious of life to come The 14. that the Epistles of Saint Paul are loosely alleaged by the papists lo here is the end of the booke and as a man may well saie finis ante principium a conclusion of the worke before he begin to handle the principall point in question to witt whether that faith which his Maiestie embraceth bee the Catholike faith that is whether at any time it hath been receiued in all Christian countries so that in one word this booke of M. Abbots may bee answered with a nihil dicit as our comÌ„on lawiers tearme it that is hee hath said iust nothing to that which hee vndertooke to performe therin for having taken in hand to prove that the faith of the English congregation is Catholike and consequently that it hath been vniversally planted in all nations now to let that stand a cooling and to argue that the church of Rome is not the Catholike church but rather Donasticall and that it abuseth the name Catholike that the church in old father Abrahams daies was a part of the Catholike church and such other impertinent questions was it not rather as one maie say to lead a wild Goose chase and to wander vp and downe very strangelie then to speake to the point of the question propounded And albeit it draw some what neerer the matter to go about to proue the Protestants doctrine to be more conformable vnto the old and new Testament then the doctrine of the Catholiks yet that is a severall distinct question
others as hath been before declared To imagine Saint Peter to bee called a rocke because hee is a patterne of imitation is as dull and blockish as to call a duske darke stone a cleere looking glasse Abraham was more properly by the prophet called though in another sense a rocke out of which the Iewes were hewen and a pitt out of which they were digged bicause all the Israëlites descended out of his loynes as stones are hewen or digged out of a rock 10 M. Abbot not being able to disprove S. Peter to bee the rocke bicause our Saviour Christ alone is the rocke turnes himself on the other side and will needes prove that all the Apostles were rockes and Peter therin not to haue beeÌ„ alone but that as hee spake in the person of all the Apostles so Christes wordes returned in answere to Peter should appertaine to them all for saies hee Saint Austin affirmeth that Peter answeâ—ed for all a Aug. in psal 8â— one for vnitie And Hierome by the words here spoken to Peter concludeth b Hieron in Amos l 3 c. 6. that Chrâ—st the rocke gave not to one only Apostle but to his Apostles that they also should bee called rockes And in like sort Origen conceiueth when he saith c Orig in Math. c. 16. If thou thinke that the church was built vpon Peter only what wilt thou saie to Iohâ— the sonne of thunder and to every of the Apostles c. wee must rather say that in all and evâ—rie one of thâ—m is verified vpon this rocke I will build my church and in a word hee reasoneth thus bicause that which followeth after I will giue to thâ—e the Keies of the knigdome of hâ—aven is coâ—â—on to them all therfore that going before is also coÌ„mon to them all and this the scripture confirmeth in that it saith d Ephes 2.20 the houshold of God are builded not vpon the foundatioÌ„ of Peter only but vpon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets e Reuelâ—t 21.14 And not Peter onlie but the lambes twelve Apostles haue their names written in the twelue foundations of the Citie of God hitherto M. Abbot Doth not this great inconstancie in answering argue plainly that there is no setled soundnesse in the protestants doctrine but that they are caried about with the wind Before you heard that no other bodie saving Christ alone could bee that rock and to make that good M. Abbot was verie earnest there now the wind blowing in an other dore not only Peter is the rocke but all the Apostles aswell as hee yea and euerie Christian man too is a rock as you shall heare heereafter And all this to make men beleeve that it is but an ordinary matter to bee that rocke vpon which Christ built his Church wee that hold it to bee one of the greatest priviledges that could bee graÌ„ted to a mortall man do notwithstanding graunt that the Apostles may be called rockes as they are called foundations after a certaine proportion that is as S. Peter was the fundamentall rock placed next vnto our Saviour over the whole Church So the Apostles were constituted principall pillers or rockes of certaine countries laying the foundation of Christian religion in them by preaching the Gospell and by ruling the severall flockes coÌ„mitted to their charges As Metropolitans primates may bee said to bee the rockes and foundations of Christian religion in their provinces bicause they do principally commaund over all Ecclesiasticall persons therin and do keepe all vnder them in vnitie of faith In like manner to preserve all Christian countries in the said vnitie of faith and vniformitie of religion there ought to bee one supreme pastor over all the world who first was S. Peter and ever since have been his lawfull Successors the Bishops of Rome All this is good doctrine but to saie that these words in S. Mathew were spoken aswell to the rest of the Apostles as to S. Peter which M. Abbot would faine haue his reader believe is flatt against the evidence of the verie text For S. Peter is there severed from the rest by all circumstances that can bee devised in so few words first by his owne proper name for our Saviour said to him happie art thou Simon then by the name of his father the sonne of Ionas thirdly by mention of a speciall revelation made to him for flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee fourthly by expresse direction of this speech to him I say to thee not to all the Apostles thou art Peter none of the rest were so called Out of which it doth ensue most cleerly that the words immediatly following and vpon this rocke I will build my church were particulerly spoken to S. Peter and not to any other of the Apostles To the others afterward was given the power of binding and loosing remitting of sins and retayning yet with out any mention made of the keies of the kingdome of heaven which albeit they do signify there a supreme coÌ„maunding power yet they maie in a certaine sence bee said to bee given vnto the other Apostles as is the title of a rock though they bee not that principall rocke vpon which Christ built his church so they had not the prime vse of the keies which was appropriated to S. Peter I do also further grantâ— that the name of a rock maie bee in a good morall sence applied vnto everie constant Christian that doth confesse the true faith with S. Peter and is constant and vnmoveable in the same confession like vnto a rocke And this is all which Origen and S. Ambrose cited by M. Abbot do saie as may bee seene by him that pleaseth to read the circumstances of those places for Origen discourseth how all may bee called rockes that have this effect of a rocke And that the gates of hell cannot prevaile against them that is all that do perseuere constantly to the end in the true faith S. Ambrose exhorteth all men to endevour to bee roâ—kes that is to haue soundnes in constancie and stedfastnes of faith Origen addeth that which I before said that the Apostles and Prophets maie bee called rockes in a higher degree bicause they are the foundations of others that are builded vpon them but these expositions as M. Abbot saith bee Allegoricall or rather morall explications of these our Saviours wordes that do not destroie the prime litterall sence therof which according vnto the generall consent of the ancient fathers is that Christ built his church vpon S. Peter as the supreme governor therof as hath been alreadie proved Now to M. Abbots last evasion that the fathers in all this matter make Peter to beare the figure of the whole church and therfore that to bee applied to all and everie one in the church which was there spoken to Peter for these fathers hee alleageth only S. a August Epist 165 Idem de verb Domini ser 13. Austin and S. b Gregor expos in
giue mee leaue to imploy one probable presumption that in my poore opinion doth much fortifie the same It is collected out of those letters which in ancient time were called literae formatae and granted either vnto Bishops at their first creation or vnto priests that were dismissed by licence from their ordinary This kind of letters was in great vse in the primitiue church for no stranger was admitted into communion among the Catholiks without them The invention of these leters is referred to the first generall councell holden at Nice and the forme of them is recorded authentically in the end of the Chalcedon councell immediatlie before the letters of the Illustrious persons that wrote in or about that councell vnder this title Atticus Episcopus qualiter formata Epistola fiat In this epistle fower letters principally were set for an assured token that hee in whose favour they were granted was a sound Catholike The three former letters were the first letters of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost to testifie that hee believed aright in the blessed Trinitie and therfore was no Arrian Sabellian Macedonian or such like heretike the fourth letter in that formall Epistle was a the first letter of S. Peters name therby to signifie that the bearer was receiued into the vnitie of that church of which S. Peter as chief governor kept the keies the other letters of his name that graÌ„ted that Epistle Distinct 73. ca. 1. to whom it was granted I omitt as not necessary to this purpose hee that will may see a copiâ— of such an Epistle sett downe at large in Gratian where the misterie also of these letters is deciphered to bee such as I haue declared namely that the fourth letter was put for S. Peters name to make knowen that the bearer therof was a true member of that church in qua Petro datum est ius ligandi atque absoluendi in which to S. Peter was giuen the right of binding and loosing Out of which notable monument of antiquitie I draw this argument so well assured it was and a thing so notoriously knowne and approved in those purer daies of the primitiue church that S. Peter and the popes of Rome his successors were the chief governors of Christs church and the insoluble band of the vnitie therof that the first letter of S. Peters name was chosen for an vndoubted badge and token of being a sound member receiued into the vnity of the said Catholike church for why should the first letter of S. Peters name rather then any other of the Apostles bee taken for such an infallible marke of society with the catholike church had it not been a cleere overuled case that hee who like an even squared stone lay vpon that rocke and did adhere vnto the head of the church was vndoubtedly a true member therof This argument as it shall serue for a coÌ„clusion of that which goeth before so it will make a conuenient passage to that which followeth in M. Abbots text 15 There was saith hee a church when there was no Roman church at all how then could that church bee builded vpon the Roman church This is a verie poore obiection for speaking as wee now do of the church which was since our Saviours time if hee take that season next to Christs ascension S. Peter was head of that church during his owne life and after him the Bishops of Rome his lawfull successors No man ever said that the church or Bishop of Rome was head of the church before S. Peter had placed his seate there If M. Abbot will accord vs that ever since that time the church of Rome hath been head of the rest as in truth it hath been wee will easily grant him that before it had no such priviledg Another like slugg M. Abbot thrusteth forth thus If the church of Rome bee that rock and other churches bee builded thervpon then it would follow that the gates of hell should never haue prevailed against any other of those churches but it hath prevayled against them Ergo. True good Sir if those other churches had stuck close to the said rocke the gates of hell had never prevailed against them but they foolishly flitting from that firme rocke were sowsed in the surging seas and swallowed vp by the gulfe of hell M. Abbot saw this to bee so full an answere that hee could not tell what to saie to it but that wee haue no assurance that the church of Rome shall continue alwaies builded vpon Christ Iesus this is M. Abbots last refuge and to it as to a safe anchor he doth twenty times fly in this book wherfore it shall haue a full answer in its due place but let vs first see whether the Bishops of Rome be S. Peters lawfull successors because that comes next M. Abbot doth either graunt it to bee true or at least hee supposeth it for true for hee disproues it not wherfore I need not staÌ„d loÌ„g about it so much the rather because it is recorded by S. Iraeneus Iren. l. 3. v. 3. Tertull. de prescr 36. Euseb l. 2. hist c. 2. Epiphar heres 27. Optat. mi leuit l. 2. perm Hieron de viris ill 1. August Epistola 1â—5 Tertullian Eusebius Optatus mileuitanus S. Hierom S. Austin and briefly by the full consent of all that haue made anie Catalogue of S. Peters successors It is evident and confessed by both sides that our Saviour established such a forme of government in his church that hee would haue to continew as long as the same church continued that is alwaies to the worlds end which was according to our doctrine that one should bee head and supreme gouernor over all the rest to preserue vnity in faith and conformity in rites of religion And by name that one was S. Peter for his life time All which I haue before proved out of holy scriptures and the ancient fathers S. Peter finally making choise of Rome for the seat of his Bishoprick liued there many yeres and in the end died Bishop of Rome wherfore they that were choseÌ„ Bishops of Rome were to succede him as in that seate so in that supreme governmeÌ„t of Christs church which daily experience teacheth vs. for wee see that whosoever is chosen bishop of any place for example of Canterburie hee presentlie vpon his installing entreth vpon all the priuiledges of honour and government which the former Bishops his predecessors died possessed of so that no sooner any man is created Archbishop of Canterbury but that imÌ„ediatly hee is therby Metropolitane of England and hath comanding authority ouer all the Bishops of that prouince with law full Iurisdiction to heare and determyne all such causes that by appeale do come to his courts In like maÌ„ner Linus being chosen Bishop of Rome after the death of S. Peter entred into possession of full power authoritie not onlie ouer the Diocese of Rome but also over all the Bishops of Christs church
vniforme in holie rites and māners should establish some one at the least to resolue infallibly all the rest in all doubtfull questions that should arise amōg them which he forsaw would be almost innumerable And to endow him with sufficient power and authority to kepe all the rest in order and due obedience This is that which wee maintaine he did for S. Peter and his successors the Bishops of Rome having his owne expresse word for our warrant being vnderstood according vnto the learned exposition and prudent practise of the most ancient holy pastors and prelates of Christs church as hath been before declared Thus much to shew how vnsoundly M. Abbot interpreteth that text of holy scripture and how vnproperly and feebly hee seeketh to shift from the most literall and vniforme exposition of the ancient Doctors Now I come to examine the exceptions that hee taketh against some sentēces that I alleaged out of the said holy fathers to the same purpose My first and principall author was the most learned and holie Archbishop of Lions S. Ireneus who with his blood sealed his doctrine 1400 yeares agoe Hee teacheth plainly that the Roman church is the greatest and most autentike and that hee and others by alleaging the traditions which the Apostles had lest to that church and their faith by succession of Bishops descending downe to his daies did confound and put to shame all wranglers who either of ignorance vaine glorie or envy did teach otherwise then they should haue done And for an vpshott addeth this reason which I did before cite to prove that wee must all ioyne in matter of faith with the church of Rome to witt For it is necessarie that everie church that is all the faith full everie where do agree with the church of Rome Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 3. Sed quoniam valde longum est in hoc tali volumine omnium ecclesiarum enumerare successiones maximae antiquissima omnibus cognitae à gloriosissimis duobus Apostolis Petro Paulo Roma fundata constituta ecclesiae eam quam habet ab Apostolis traditionem annunciatam hominibus fidem per successiones Episcoporum pervenientem vsque ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes eos qui quoqu◠modo vel per sui placentiam malam vel vanam gloriam vel per caecitatem malam sententiam praeter quam oportet colligunt Ad hanc enim ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire ecclesiam hoc est eos qui sunt vndique fideles in qua semper ab his qui sunt vndique conservata est ea quae est ab Apostolis traditio for her more mightie principalitie Bicause in it the traditions which descended from the Apostles hath been alwaies preserved round about Note first a most cleere proofe of that for which I cited it to witt that everie church yea everie faithfull man must not of curtesie but of necessitie accord with the church of Rome in matter of faith and religion Bicause in it as in a rich treasurie that doctrine which the Apostles taught is kept whole and sound to which M. Abbot saith that if wee take the reason added by Irenaeus but concealed by mee it will plainly appeare why it was necessarie for the other churshes to accord with the church of Rome for this church saith he for the renowme of the place being then the seat of the Empire was the most eminent church of the world I answere that I concealed nothing And this reason added by M. Abbot is wholie mistaken for there is no mention in Irenaeus of either the Emperors power or seate for that mighty principality is proper to the church of Rome for her spirituall dignitie And it is most absurd to thinke that the church of Rome in those ancient daies of S. Irenaeus when the Emperours were most deadly ennemies of the Christian name gott any reputation with other churches by the worldly renowme of those persecuting Emperors who raigned there for that their wicked glorie was rather a whetstone to hatred and contempt then anie allurement to loue and estimation This great respect then being borne vnto the church of Rome before the Emperors of Rome were converted to be Christians is a most manifest argument that the principality of the church of Rome was not gotten by the renowme of that city nor by the glorie of these heathen peesecuting Emperors but for that the best learned and most holie prelats of all countries were taught by the Apostles and their schollers that it was our blessed Saviours pleasure and ordinance that such regard and obediēce should bee yeelded vnto the church of Rome were the Emperors therof heathens or Christians good or bad It was in deed verie convenient that the prince of the Apostles and head of Christs church should be there seated where the Monarch of the temporall estate held his court to the intent that impietie being there crushed as it were in the head might the sooner decaie all the bodie over And true godlines being happely planted in the cheif place might with more facility and speed bee spred in all other nations and also that mē might bee more easily induced to yeeld religious obedience to the Bishop of that place vnto whose tēporall magistrates the whole world before had obeied in temporall affaires But this is to bee attibuted to our Saviours devine wisdome order institution Not vnto the greatnes or worldlie pollicie of anie earthly Emperors M. Abbot seing little hold to bee taken vpon the renowme of that place as the state of things went then doth acknowledg that in those daies the church of Rome was pure sound therfore fitt to be propounded as a patterne for other churches to imitate But now the case is altered as he saith bicause the church of Rome it self is now questioned for swarving from the tradition of the Apostles which being soe that cannot be said to bee necessarie now which was necessarie then This answer hath as litle solidity in it as the other For the church of Rome it self was as well chalenged in those daies for swarving from the Apostles tradition by the Mōtanists Marcionists and such like Heretikes as now by the Lutherans Calvinists and Anabaptists And neuertheles the renowmed prelates of Christs church and most firme pillers of our Christian religion did then teach all Christians to make their recourse vnto the same church for resolution of the true faith wishing them to conforme themselues therto and by avouching boldlie that doctrine which they found there maintained to confound all them that taught the contrary as yee haue heard out of Irenaeus Let vs therfore as kind children treading in the right steps of those our most laudable forfathers seeke with them vnto that same church of Rome for the veritie of that doctrine which descended from the Apostles imbrace it most willingly and professe it as constantlie though we heare our holie mother to be
for imitation the knowen and confessed faults and blemishes of men otherwise good How much more sincerly deale wee who desire all men to follow S. Ciprian in all other matters saving in that one wherin hee failed and not to lay hold of words then spoken in passion by him to make good his errour specially when they be coÌ„trary even vnto himself when he was his owne man and out of that distemper whence also we do gather this Christian observation worthie to be deepely printed in everie Christian mans hart If such great learned personages as were S. Ciprian and Policrates when they would not harken vnto the sentence of the Popes of Rome did fall into errour what a warning is that vnto men of meaner wits and much lesser learning to take heed that they swarne not one haires bredth from the popes definitions in matter of doctrine lest withall they decline from the truth as their betters by many degrees haue done before them when they would not be ruled 25 Out of Africke M. Abbot sailes into Asia taking over great paines to search out some poore relief for his bad cause and saies they did not imagine any such principality to appertain vnto the church of Rome And for proofe therof brings in that which rather proveth the contrarie to witt that Leo the great for the loue of peace yeelded to them in a faultie definitioÌ„ of theirs about the observation of Easter If that worthy pope should haue condescended vnto those Asians rather then to haue contended with them doth not that rather argue that he was their superior and might haue dealt more severly with them if he had taken it for the better course Leo Epistola 93. n. 4. But I reading over all that Epistle cited by M. Abbot do not find it so as he reportes but that these Asians were rather Priscilian heretikes whom that holy pope much blameth and condemneth for their evill observation of Easter without anie yeelding vnto them wherfore I cannot see to what other purpose that can serue than to shew that the bishope of Rome had commanding power in Asia M. Abbot recuils back to Hierome affirming him not to haue believed any such matter of the popes principality who of purpose as hee faineth did write in the derogation of the church of Rome saying Hieron Epist ad EvagriuÌ„ that if authority be required the whole world is greater then one City why dost thou bring mee the custome of one Citty why dost thou vphold a few who being proud vsurpe vpon the lawes of the church Saint Hierom was alwaies a most valiant Champion of the church of Romes authority Epist 57. and of her infallible definitions in matter of faith as every one may plainly see in his epistle to Pope Damasus and elswhere Epist 57. yet for matter of fact neither he nor any other I thinke will go about to excuse the church or rather the court of Rome wholy In the place that M. Abbot doth alleage Hieron Epist 77. he findâ— fault with some Deacons of the court of Rome that did take place before priests which seemed in that humble Doctors eie a great moate growing out of the presumption of some few vsurping against â—he lawes and coÌ„mon custome of the church And in such a case as that the custome of all the world besids was no doubt to bee preferred before the custome of that citie onely or rather as Saint Hierom himself interpreteth it of some few proud deacons of that citie But heerhence to inferr that S. Hierom did not acknowledg the primacy of that sea is too too simple and rather to be laughed at theÌ„ otherwise answered That which followeth out of S. Ambrose is of the same soary sute for that most grave holy father saith I desire in all things to follow the church of Rome Ambros de Sacramentis lib. 3. ca. 10. Cupio inâ— omnibus sequi Romanamâ— Ecclesiamâ— sed tamen nos homines sensum habemus ideò quod alibi rectius seruatur nos recte custodimus but we also are men that haue vnderstanding and therfore what is more rightly obserued elswhere we iustly observe the same S. Ambrose speakes there of rites and ceremonies vsed in the administration of the sacraments in which it was lawfull then for so excellent a prelate as saint Ambrose was to make his choise of the best Yea S. Gregorie the great would not so strictly tie S. Austin our English Apostle brought vp at Rome vnto the ceremonies of the church of Rome but willed him if he saw any ceremonies in the church of France Ex Bedae Histo l. 10. c. 27. Mihi placet vt siue in Romana siue in Galliarum siue in qu ilibet ecclesia aliquid inuenisti quod plus omnipotenti Deo possit placere solicite eligas c. that might better please God or more moue those new converted Christians vnto greater devotioÌ„ to make his choice of them rather then to retaine the rites of Rome whervpon if any man should be so simple as to collect that S. Gregory did not aknowledg the pope or church of Romes principality were he not to be begged for an innocent In the like tearmes stands M. Abbot that would out of Saint Ambrose choise of some ceremonies different from the church of Rome Inferr that S. Ambrose did not acknowledg the pope of Romes supremacy Let it be noted by the way that S. Ambroâ—e who was so graue and iudicious a Doctour and S. Austins father in Christ desired in all things to follow the church of Rome That their spirit and disposition who desire in all things to depart from the same church may be discovered and taken to bee quite contrarie to the holy spirit of the most approved ancient fathers 26 M. Abbot like vnto a man that is shooting at Rovers observing no certain method returnes back to the councell of Chalcedon avouching that it did not acknowledg that principality of the church of Rome Concil Chalced. Act. 15. can 28. These be his words drawen out of that councell The priviledges of the church of Rome were gâ—ven to it by the fathers before because that citie was the seat of the Empire and vpon the same consideration doth give the church of Constantinople equall priviledg with the church of Rome it being then the seat of the Empire W. B. HEre are two or three grosse faults First wheras this councell is cited as not acknowledging the principality of the church of Rome It doth cleane contrarie in the first words cited by M. Abbot acknowledg that priviledg to belong vnto the same church of Rome whether it had that by the institution of Christ or for that it was the seat of the Empire is not now materiall of it I haue said somthing before and haue much more to say when occasion shall serue But to M. Abbots condemnation his owne witnes doth depose that the church of Rome had
comparison which likeneth the Roman Catholikes to the Rogatists in that they bee both of them priuate and confined within the compasse of some particular places M. Abbot therfore full wisely goeth about to vphold his former resemblance by the quite ouerthrow of it for herein said he before stands the resemblance betwene the Papists and Rogatists that both of them do restraine the vniuersality of the Catholike church to one particular place or country And now confessing the Papists coÌ„munion and fellowship to be farre larger theÌ„ the Rogatists he flies to this silly shift that the Rogatists desire to haue their church as largly extended as the Romanists that is both of them all the world ouer So that the wind being come round about and sitting now in the cleane contrary corner the resemblance is to be turned the other way to wit that as the Roman church desireth to be spred all the world ouer so did the Rogatists But good Sir tell me I pray you is it sufficient to make a church Catholike to desire to be dilated all the world ouer Then without doubt not only Rogatists but all other sectaries too were also Catholiks for none of them suerly wanted that desire yet being bastard slips and destitute of that vertue which proceedeth by the trunck of true succession from the right roote they could neuer be generally receiued all the world ouer and therfore could not bee called Catholikes wheras the Roman church ingraffed by the Apostles in to the true Oliue Christ Iesus through the force of his blessed passion and by power of the holy Ghost hath not only desired to spred her branches into all nations but hath actually performed that her holy desire for truth is strong and doth prevaile wherfore it alone hath worthily archieued the name of Catholike which all other congregations haue in vaine gaped after and desired Obserue by the way M. Abbots grosse ignorance in two points of our doctrine the former when he imagineth vs to hold that no man can be baptised to saluation without hee meet with one of our priests wheras we teach the Baptisme even of Protestants be they men be they women to bee availeable to saluation The latter in that he affirmeth vs to hold the same of reconciliatioÌ„ we teaching that any person of discretion may by true contrition and repentance obtaine saluation albeit they cannot meete with any priest Let therfore these his assertions be scored vp for an after reckening Now to the second exception albeit the Rogatists were a Cantell or fragment broken out of the Donatists yet they by their division from them forsooke the name of Donatists and tooke their owne proper name of Rogatists and in that question of the true church were at open warr with the Donatists so that it was a grosse ouersight in M. Abbot to say the Donatists held the Catholike church to bee at Cartenna Because they esteemed no better of that church at Cartennna then of a den of theeues In like manner they of Cartenna reputed the Donatists for damned creatures wherfore albeit the Rogatists in some other matter wherin they did agree with the Donatists might haue passed vnder that generall name yet they could not in that point wherin they were at so great square It is then cleere that M. Abbots error therin cannot bee excused well if he hath hitherto behaued himself like one that being half a sleepe knew not well what he said yet now being awaked by his aduersary hee will no doubt spitt on his fingers and take better hold secundae enim cogitationes sunt prudentiores To it then Iollie Sir touch the Papists home and if you cannot force the Rogatists vpon them yet driue them at the least to be Donatists and you shall do somewhat That saith M. Abbot I will easely performe by this new framed resemblance like as the Donatists held the Catholike church to haue perished in all other countries and to haue remayned only with their part in Africa and desired that from thence it might be spred into all other nations Even so the papists tell vs that the churches in all the farr parts of the world haue failed that the patriarchall seas are all fallen away and only the Roman remayneth whence the rest are to be reduced to the obedience of the pope This loe seemes to be something True it is that the Donatists did in many things things counterfeit the true Catholiks and among the rest pretended as all other heretiks coÌ„monly do that their congregation was the only true reformed church and that the readie way to saluation was to enter into their society But this is so triviall and common aswell to the true Catholike as to all maner of disseÌ„bling coÌ„gregatioÌ„s that hee who delights to enlarge himself therin shall but loose his time abuse his reader and purchase to himself the reputation of a trifler yet let vs desceÌ„d to the particulars of this new coyned comparison and see whether it will abide the touch ar noe The Roman church and the Donatists did not agree in the first point of that resemblance for wheras the Donatists held the church to haue perished all the world ouer saving in some part of Africk the Roman Catholike doth not hold the true church to haue perished all the world over saving in Italy or in some parts of Europe but teacheth that it hath alwayes continued and even in this last hundreth yeeres to haue gained more both in the East and west Indies then it hath lost in these parts of the world Secondly it is not long sithence all the patriarchall seas did opeÌ„ly agree with the church of Rome to wit in the yeare of our Lord god 1439. as may be seen in the councell of Florence and by the profession of faith which Ioseph patriarch of Constantinople Concil florent sess 25. then and there made in these words whatsoeuer the Catholike church of our Lord Iesus Christ which is of old Rome doth beleeve and worship Ioseph miseratione diuina Constan Patriarcha Quoniam ad extremum vitae mea perueni idcirco pro meo munere dilectis filijs benignitate dei meam sententiam his literis palam facio Nam quae Iesu Christi catholica Apostolica Ecclesia Roma veteris sentiat ac celebrec omnia me quoque sentire credereque profiteor at ipsis plurimum acquiâ—sco Beatissimum autem Patrum Patrem ac Summum Pontificem Romaque veteris Papam domini nostri Iesu Christi vicarium esse concedo c. datum Florentiae 8. Iulij anno 1439. all the same do I confesse my self to beleeue and thinke and thervnto do yeeld my perfect consent And I do further confesse the most blessed father of fathers the chief Bishop and pope of Rome to bee the vicar of our lord Iesus Christ To these points of doctrine and to all other of the church of Rome did at the same time subscribe the legats and deputies of the other
and Latin church but also by diuers plaine texts of holie scriptures rightly vnderstood according vnto the same most holie and learned Prelates interpretation whom all good Christians are bound to beleeue as the Pastors and Doctors to whom our Saviour Christ committed both the preaching of his word and government of his church in the purer times therof To repeate the same here againe is needles and would bee ouer tedious The reader may if hee please but turne backe to the second section of the first chapter where he shall find them there M. Abbot himself attributeth to the church of Rome eminencie of place precedence of honour authoritie of estimation and accompt and yet here would seeme to deny the same church to bee the chief member of the Catholike church as though eminencie of place and precedence of honor could belong to any other then to the chief church how simple is that which foloweth that albeit in humane estimation the church of Rome may bee more eminent then any other yet with God there is no more respect of the church of Rome then of anie other For those men of which hee himself is one should bee much to blame if they would account that more eminent and honorable which they know God to esteeme but as equall and of the same degree because we are bound to conforme our iudgments to the straight rule of Gods vpright censure wherfore for that wee are fully perswaded that it hath pleased god to graunt that preeminence and priuiledge vnto the church of Rome wee do attribute the same vnto it If wee did thinck that god did not alowe of it neither would we condescend thervnto And who in his right senses can imagine that God doth not esteeme better of them whom it hath pleased his diuine bounty to make better As for the church of Ierusalem it had no such promises that hellgates should not prevaile against it or that their governors faith should not faile Nay rather it was by the prophets fortold that they should faile both in a Ezechielis 7.26 Lex peribit à Sacerdote Consilium à Sapientibus knowledg by not beleeving in their Messias and in b Hierem. 11.19 Ego quasi agnus mansuetus qui portatur ad victimam non cognoui quia cogitauerunt super me consilia dicentes mittamus lignum in panem eius eradicemus eum de terra viuentium practise also by compassing of his death Thus much for the church of the Iewes Touching the Rulers of seuerall churches since Christ his time others not having the like good assurance from our Saviour as the pastors of the church of Rome had wee haue more reason to relie vpon the perpetuall stabilitie of the church of Rome then vpon any other This I say having been proued already not onlie by the testimony of all antiquitie but also by the expresse word of God M. Abbots demaund is fully satisfied and therwith I hope hee will rest content Now to his answere vnto that place of S. Hierom. first whilst hee would seeme an over subtle sifter of S. Ieroms words hee ouerthroweth himself horse and foote For wheras hee affirmeth that Ierom would not haue said the same of ioyning with Liberius that hee said of Damasus it is very cleere that hee would and might also very well haue so done according as M. Abbot himself expounds S. Hieroms words For if S. Hierom said no more of Damasus then that hee would ioyne with him so farre forth as he sate in S Peters chaire that is so long as hee taught the same doctrine that saint Peter taught might he not haue said boldly as much of Liberius though hee tooke him to halt in some things hee needed not doubt I hope to follow him so farr forth as he followed S. Peter was he not sure enough if hee followed him no further neuer to faile M. Abbots answere then destroying it self needs no other confutation Yet for the readers further satiffaction concerning pope Liberius I add that there be many c Ruffin l. 10. eccl hist 17. Theodor. 2. hist eccl 16. Sozom 4. hist 14. Niceph. 9 hist 35 ancient good Authors who write that Liberius was not faultie in any matter of faith though hee yeelded vnto the condemnation of S. Athanasius because hee was by the Arrians accused not of his faith but of many pretended haynous crimes And albeit Liberius subscribed to the councell of Smirna yet hee could not bee condemned therfore of heresy for therin was not couched any one word contrary to the true faith though the word Consubstantiall were left out yet d Athanas Apol. de fuga Hieron in Catal. in fortunat others who for their greater iudgment and knowledg are to be more respected do blame Liberius as favoring the Arrian heresy not that hee beleeued any point of it but for that hee through tediousnes of exile and feare of torments yeelded to do that which redounded vnto the countenancing of the Arrian heresie And in like manner though there were nothing in that confession of faith to which hee subscribed that was not true yet in that time when there was so much ado about the word cōsubstātiall to cōsent vnto them that reiected that word was interpreted and taken of many for litle lesse thā to reiect the Catholike faith Briefly although his faith was sound yet his fact was preiudiciall vnto the Catholike faith and verie aduantagious for the Arrian heresy wherfore not to bee excused nevertheles albeit of humane frailty hee therin failed yet afterwards hee made good satisfaction therfore carried himself so vprightly and vertuously that he died a Saint as testifieth besides other a Ambr. de virg l. 3. in initio Soles mecum Beatae memoriae Liberij praecepta reuolue re quo virsāctio◠eo sermo accedat gratiosior S. Ambrose who citeth his testimony as a mans of holy and happie memorie And b Basil epist 74. Quae illia beatissimo Liberio proposita sunt S. Basil who stileth him a most blessed man This by the waie of pope Liberius Now to the true meaning of S. Hieroms words which cannot be drawen to that sense that M. Abbot would rack out of them to wit That hee would ioyne with Damasus so farforth only as he followed S. Peter for so might hee haue been bold to saie of Liberius and of his owne prelate Paulinus or of any man els but his true intent was to declare that in all doubtfull questions of faith every good Christian ought to make his recourse vnto the Bishop of Rome who sitteth in S. Peters chaire as his lawfull successor And therfore by vertue of our Saviours praier made for S. Peter and his successors shall never faile in question of faith whosoever therfore cleaveth fast vnto the popes resolution is assured never to faile This to haue been the true meaning of that famous doctor may most easily bee perceiued by the occasion and
one of them held with him in that error saith M. Abbot yet hee seeing S. Austin to speake of them as of many more then one presumeth out of his owne audacity to expound S. Austin contrary to his owne expresse words what maruell then if the good fellow bee bold with mee But if those words bee not full enough If any of them haue said c. yet they haue not denied c. what cā M. Abbot say vnto these plaine words of the said most sound doctor Very manie of the Donatists do confesse the same of the sonne of God which wee do Aug. de verb. Apost ser 31. c. 5. Donatistae plurimi hoc confitentur de filio quod nos quod aequalis sit patri filius eiusdemque substantiae alij vero eorū eiusdē quidē substātiae confitentur sed aequalē negant to wit that hee is not only of the same substāce with the father but also equall vnto him Alij vero eorum c. note these words but others of them do graunt that hee is of the same substance but not equall to the father Now let the indifferent reader iudge whether of vs two bee the liar I that reported Saint Austin to saie that some of the Donatists held an vnsound opinion of the sacred Trinity or M. Abbot that saith it was but one of them only when as Saint Austin teacheth most plainly that not one only but diuers of them so taught And thus briefly I haue cleerly wiped away the imputation of belying both Sainct Austin and the Donatists leaving the shame of that slaunder to the rash censure and little iudgment of M. Abbot Touching the third bicause hee referreth the reader to another place I will also let it alone till wee come thither where hee shall see that I haue no more misreported their rabbins then I did here the Donatists yea that I dealt with them verie reservedly sparingly when I might haue charged them much deeper because many of their followers haue not onlie obserued what evill seeds they sowed against the sound doctrine of the most glorious Trinity but haue also watred and nourished them till they bee now growne vp vnto the most ranke and stinking weeds of the Arrian and Trinitarian heresie R. AB THE fourth branch wherin the protestants resemble the Donatists is as M. Bishop rehearseth that among the Donatists were certaine furious and frantike fellowes that set churches on fire cast the blessed Sacrament of Christs body to brute beasts threw downe Altars broke Chalices defiled holy oiles made havocke and sale of the rich ornaments of the church In all which points the protestants haue not been one inch behind them but rather in those irreligious and furious actions haue out stripped them and gone farr beyond them This I let passe as an other part of his idle babling only telling him that to fit the example of the Circumcellions hee should looke vnto the acts of the leaguers and Iesuists in France Germany Poland and other countries wherof histories might bee made if it were to the purpose W. B. THis fourthe resemblance hitting the protestants so right on the head makes M. Abbot so to stagger that hee hath not one wise word to answere in their defence Is it idle good S. or of small regard that the protestants do resemble the wicked Donatists in their irreligious and malicious carriage towards the consecrated houses of God yea towards his blessed body in the Sacrament of the altar towards holy oyles vestments and all ornaments of the church Doth it not argue verie apparantly that there lieth lurking in them a verie prophane and spitefull spirit that cannot abide the maiestie of Gods seruice but abhorreth all things thervnto belōging Herevnto may bee added that like as the Donatists did plucke of the veyles of virgins wherby they professed themselues to bee the spouses of Christ and to haue renounced all secular marriages and vaine worldly conuersation Even so did and do the protestants where any such professed virgins do fall into their hands robbing Christ of his spouses that professe chastity fasting praier and all holines of life and turning them out into the wild and wicked world there to liue at large like other worldlings for this loe is a speciall priuiledg of Luthers sweete Gospell Now for that hee fableth of leaguers and Iesuists in France and other countries hee speaking without booke must giue mee leaue to beleeve mine owne eies rather then his slaunders For I haue to my grief often seene the ruines of many goodly faire churches and religious houses blowne vp or beatē downe by men of their religion and haue read of extreme outrage offered by them to preists other religious people To omitt their robbing of churches pulling downe of religious houses deflouring of virgins with other their outragious and irreligious behauiour in France only to say nothing of our owne country and others wherof a large and lamentable historie might bee compiled R. AB THE last point of resemblance M. Bishop maketh to consist in this That like as the Donatists deuised a new kind of psalmes to stir vp their drunken and drowsie spirits to their seruice and sermons So the protestants haue framed a new kind of Geneua psalmes to bee song before their preachings A new kind of psalmes say you M. Bishop do not you know that they bee the psalmes of Dauid and of other prophets and holy men And do they seeme new bicause they are translated into English meeter and fitted with plaine and easy tunes to serue for the peoples vse Or is it not laudable to vse songs and psalmes in the church That the Donatists vsed such songs in their churches is M. Bishops lie For Saint Austin rather signifieth that they vsed them at their drunken bankets Saint Austin commendeth sober singing of psalmes and so doth Saint Leo. Leo de collec ser 4. But the Papists vse to ioyne filthy songs euen with the canon of their Masse as witnesseth Cornelius Agrippa Cornel. de vanit scientiarū c. 18. Thus you see that M. Bishop very vnfortunatelie entred into retorting of this comparison of the Donatists nothing fitting his turne c. W. B. LET that first bee remembred which all the world can witnes for our religion that wee both highlie esteeme and do daily practise the singing of king Dauids Psalmes therfore M. Abbot spendeth his mouth in wast when hee endeuoreth to recommend vnto vs the laudable vse of sober singing them in our churches which their church hath receiued of ours and hath somewhat to do to mainteyne the same singing against their yonger brethren the puritanes who like of no such Romish rites But how dares M. Abbot to auouch so peremptorily that all their Geneva psalmes bee nothing els but the psalms of Dauid How many peeces and broken sentences haue they deuised of their owne heads to patch the rest togither and to make them vp into broken meeter what will
they saie that all their additions ioyned and sowdered to the rest bee inspired by the holie Ghost Or can that trulie bee called a psalme of Dauid that hath one sentence in it not dictated by the holy Ghost But in their meeters manie such sentences bee added which are not assured to bee of the holie Ghost wherfore they may well marre but cannot make vp any psalmes of Dauid Besids they haue some very hereticall sentences interlarded among the rest As for example this in the inuocation of the holy Ghost before the Sermon Keepe vs from all papistry Finally there bee some whole psalmes made by by Robin woodcocke I trow or some of his fellowes no lesse Dunsticall then hereticall Take for a tast therof the first staffe of the last song in their psalter composed by R. W. which I thought good to record here that the reader may see how elegant and pleasant they bee both for meeter and matter Preserve vs Lord by thy deere word From Turke and Pope defend vs Lord Which both would thrust out of his throne Our Lord Iesus Christ thy deare sonne These must needes bee verie noble verses that haue thrice Lord in them And as for word and Lord Throne and sonne though the words do end in the like syllables yet they agree not in sound If M. Abbot would haue the simple reader beleeve that S. Austin and S. Leo when they speake in the praise of singing of Psalmes did meane Davids psalmes in meeter let him produce but one good Author to testify that they were so turned within 900. yeares of those Doctors deathes and then hardely beleeue him If hee cannot then every man may see what credit is to bee given to his allegations That S. Austins words which I alleaged are to bee vnderstood of Psalmes which the Donatists sung in their churches rather then of songs in their drunken bankets may bee gathered out of the comparison that hee makes betweene them and the psalmes that were sung in the Catholike church And S. Austin might well by a Metaphore vsuall in the holy scripture call the Donatists new mad devises against the ancient custome of grave singing in the quire their drunkennes As for the worshipfull testimony of Cornelius Agrippa of our mingling holie things with prophane it being recorded in a booke of condemned memorie I hold it not worth the answering Sure I am that M. Abbot by producing of such Authors cracketh his owne credit for hee promised in his Epistle to the reader that hee would only vse the testimonie either of some learned Bishops of Rome or of some other famously approued author and commended in that church And this booke of Agrippa de vanitate scientiarum is by name condemned by the same church in the Cataloge of forbidden books wherfore M. Abbot is no man of his word Finally like to a tatling tennis plaier that comes well beaten out of the tennis court yet to comfort himself and to saue his poore credit with his friends brags that those mates with whom he plaid were no matches for him yea that no man that daie was able to stand in his hands Even so M. Abbot having behaued himself as simply as a man of either wit or learning could doe either for defending of his owne or for offendīg his aduerse party yet cōcludeth as though hee had gotten the field and cleane foiled his adversary saying that I did vnfortunatly enter into retorting of that comparison nothing serving my turne but that hee like a nimble tēnis player had returned my owne bals vpon mee that with very great advantage well bragge is a Iolly dog and leesers must sometimes bee suffred to haue their words Let the iudicious and indifferent reader but weigh well first what kind of resemblance M. Abbot endevored to make betweene the Donatists and the Papists to wit to chalenge to themselues to bee the Catholike church To bee or rather to desire to bee dilated all the world over that out of their church there was no salvation To spred ill rumors of their adversaries To discourage men from ioyning with them with a Ragmans roll of such rotten riff raffe common to all sects and to none more vsuall then to the protestantes themselues So triviall I say that any man of ordinarie discretiō would haue been ashamed to haue put them downe in print to the view of the world Afterward on the other side let him but call to mind what resemblances I haue proposed betweene the Protestants and the Donatists and weigh how substantiall they bee in themselues and how properly they fitt the protestants The first was that the spirit and soule of Donatisme cōsisted in affirming the church of Christ not to appeare in any other part of the world visibly but to haue cleā perished saving in some few places where men of their religion liued Of the same mind were the chief protestants for many yeares Secondly the Donatists were the first among Christians that appealed from the iudgment of Bishops vnto temporall Princes though they afterwards repented themselues thereof when they saw that the said princes would not helpe them Is not this one of the chiefe heads of the protestants Gospell yea doth not the whole frame of their new religion hang vpon the supreme ecclesiasticall authority of kings Thirdly they beate downe Altars abused the blessed Sacramēt of Christs body defiled holy oiles confiscated sacred chalices and sold them togither with the vestments and other holie ornaments of the church All which are so proper to the Protestants that they blush not daily to practise it and make open profession of the same 4. The protestāts like vnto the Donatists by putting innocēt priests to death make martirs whom we may worship Finally they pulled of the veiles of religious women which were signes of their professed virginity exposing them to the hazard of the wild world In which vngodlie and irreligious practise the protestāts haue gone farre beyond the Donatists But that they maie not take too great pride therin let them heare the vpright censure of the holy prelate Optatus passed 1200. yeares agone against them in the name of their deere brethren the Donatists In this kind you haue done as great damage to god Optat. l. 6. co Parm. In hoc genere tanta damna fecistis Deo quanta lucra diabolo procurastu Conflastis impie calices crudeliter fregistis inconsulte rasistis altaria Nudastis denuo capita iam velata de quibus professionis detraxistis indicia qua contra raptores aut petitores videntur inuenta Spiritale hoc nubendi genus est in nuptias Sponsi iam venerant voluntate professione sua vt secularibus nuptiijs se renuntiasse monstrarent spiritali sponso soluerant crinem iam caelestes celebrauerant nuptias as you haue procured gaine to the devill you haue impiously melted Chalices you haue barbarously broken downe Altars c. and a litle before you haue vncouered the
not condeÌ„ne anie man for not beleeuing that which hee neuer heard of wherfore if in any coast of the world the Doctrine of Christ bee not sufficientlie published no man there shal bee condeÌ„ned for not beleeuing in him but for other mortall grieuous offeÌ„ces which they haue in their life time comitted against the light of reason law of nature If any amogst those infidels haue beeÌ„ so happie as not to haue committed any such mortall sinne Act. 10. which caÌ„not bee without the speciall aide of Gods grace if there bee any such I saie like the good Italian Captaine Cornelius meÌ„tioned in the acts of the Apostles hee shall find the like extraordinarie succour froÌ„ heaueÌ„ as to haue an Angell to teach him or at least to direct him to some Peter that maie throughly instruct him in the Christian faith Among Christians there can hardly bee found anie one I think so vngratiously bred that neuer heard of Christ because that is contained in the Creede that all Christians are taught even from their infancie and are bound to know so farr fourth as their capacitie and wit will giue them leaue which if they should neglect to learne after they come to yeares of discretion they are worthie to bee depriued of all benefits issuing and growing by Christ because they contemned somuch as to know him To that text of S. Paul that hee who cometh to God must know that hee is and that hee is a rewarder c. I answere first that the Apostle saith verie well that hee must know those two points but hee doth noth saie there that hee needs to know no more And elswhere in all his Epistles doth teach that ouer and besides that the faith in Iesus Christ is necessarie for all men wherfore this point must bee added to the rest I answere secondly that one cannot know particulary how God is a rewarder vnles hee know the incarnation of Iesus Christ because God will reward no man with life euerlasting but through the merits of Iesus Christ and for that hee is a member of Christ and for such good works which a man without faith in Christ and without aide of his grace caÌ„not performe Thus much of the first point Now to the second which is the principall question whether holding the right faith in Christ Iesus and beleeuing the other fundamentall articles which are conteyned in the Apostles creed one may bee condemned for not beleeuing any other article of the Christian faith For the plainer explication of the state of this question it is to bee vnderstood that many of the vnlearned and simpler sort maie bee ignorant of many matters appertaining to faith without daunger of damnation because by reason of their lacke of capacitie or for other necessarie occupatioÌ„s about getting of their poore livings they are not bound to know expresly much more then is deliuered in the Apostles Creed and what doth concerne the right vse of the sacraments which they themselues are obliged to receiue Nevertheles euerie Christian man and woman may verie well bee bound not to defend the misbeliefe of anie one article of faith after hee shal bee given to vnderstand that the Catholike church hath declared the same to be so There is a great difference betweene the dispositions of two such parties for it is one thing to bee ignorant what the church teacheth in such a case and another not to bee willing to beleeue it abeit hee knew well enough that the church commaundeth him so to beleeue In the former there is a ready good will to obey the truth assoone as due information shal bee given him and meere ignorance in the meane season hindreth his consent But in the other partie there is a loose libertie of believing what him listeth and an obstinate resolution not to beleeue and obey the church any further then they themselues shall thinke good These men I say albeit they beleeue aright in Iesus Christ touching his owne person and mediation and do not deny anie article of the Apostles Creede at least as they vnderstand it yet do they dwell in the state of damnation and shall not bee saued vnles they repent This proposition I know will seeme ouer rigorous and terrible vnto many but being a matter of eternall saluation or damnation at least as I take it they must giue mee leaue that preferre the honour of Gods truth before the phansies of men and the care of their salvation before currying of false favour with them to aduertise them of it whiles they haue time to take heed to it requesting them to consider well of the reasons that I shall now deliuer vnto them in proofe of the same and then I trust in God they will also come to bee of my opinion therin The first may bee thus propounded If it were sufficient to saluation to beleeue in Christ and in the other articles of the Creede as they take them this great absurdity would ensue therof that all heretikes anciently condemned were vniustlie condemned might well notwithstanding their heresies and condemnation haue liued and died in the state of saluation which to imagine were to condemne all the Orthodox churches and ancient fathers of great impiety and extreame want of Christian Charity I will proue that absurd sequele by the enumeration of the most notorious Heretikes The Arrians for example did professe to beleeue in Christ so farre forth as is deliuered in the said Creede To wit that hee was the only sonne of his father borne of the virgin Mary and our Lord. They did indeed denie him to bee consubstantiall that is of the same substance with his father and coeternall but thervpon discoursed much like as some Protestants do now about Transubstantiation who professe Christs bodie to bee really present in the blessed SacrameÌ„t because Christs words do teach that plainly but they will not admitt of Transubstantiation in any case for that they find not that word set downe in the scriptures So thes Arrians did professe to beleeue Christ to bee the Saviour of the world to bee also the sonne of God trulie and really yet because there was no meÌ„tioÌ„ of Consubstantiall in the scriptures therfore they were content to beleeue so much as was in the scriptures but their tender coÌ„sciences forsooth would not suffer theÌ„ to adueÌ„ture one pace beyoÌ„d the express word of God Notwithstanding their faire pretence they were roundly condemned by the church in the first generall councell for most damnable Heretikes if vnder that pretext they refused to bâ—leeue that Christ Iesus was consubstantiall vnto his father and coeternall The Nestorians beleeued all that the Orthodox church taught of our saviour Christ Iesus and of all the other articles of faith saving that they held him to haue two distinct persoÌ„s aswell as hee had two differeÌ„t natures To wit the nature of man to haue had his owne person of man euen as the nature of God had the person of God The
Apollinarists did not swarue from the Catholiks in any other point of faith except that they maintained our saviour Christ to haue had no soule of man but that his Godhead did supplie the place of the soule Eutiches and his fellowes agreeing in the rest auouched the flesh of Christ to bee turned into the divine nature All these did professe to beleeue in Christ and to hold all the articles of the Creede So did the MacedoniaÌ„s that imagined the holy Ghost to be lesse then the sonne And the latter Grecians also that deny the same holie Ghost to proceed aswell from the sonne as from the father The Pelagians did not denie Christ or anie article of the Creed no more did the Novatians nor the Donatists at lest as they vnderstood the creed For albeit the Nouatians denied priests to haue power to forgiue some certen of the most grieuous sort of sins as the Protestants do now denie them to haue power to forgive any at all yet they denied no more then the protestants do that article of the creed I beleeue remission of sinnes For they beleeued that God could at all times forgiue all sort of sinnes though they denied priests to haue power to remit some of the most enormious So the Donatists though they taught the church to haue been decayed all the world ouer saving in Africa yet did they professe to beleeue the Catholike church But they expounded it to bee Catholike not for that it was spred ouer all but for that it reteyned all the seven sacraments or for that it professed to keepe all Gods commaundements as you haue heard before Out of these examples I frame this argument If it were sufficient to saluation to beleeue in God our Creator and in Iesus Christ our Redeemer withall other articles set downe expresly in the Apostles Creed Then were the Arrians Macedonians Pelagians and all those other aboue rehearsed heretiks notwithstanding their obstinate cleaving to their condemned heresies in the state of saluation because they refused not to beleeve any of the foresaid points But to hold that anie of the aboue named heretikes dying in their said heresies died in the state of saluation is to gainsay and reproue all pure antiquity it is to condemne the holy prelats and most learned Doctors of the primitiue church of want of learning want of Iudgment and want of charity who cast those erring men as heretikes out of their churches condemned them to the pit of hell as the profest enemies of Christ and the Devils champions Besids the best informed Christians of those times chose rather to suffer all kind of torments then to professe any one point of their condemned opinions which had been great folly if with the profession of them they might holding the other fundamentall points haue enioyed Christ his fauour and been inheritors of the kingdome of heauen Moreouer what necessity had there been for the most learned and renowmed ancient prelats to haue taken such paines either in writing so many learned volumes or in disputing or preaching against those heretikes if they might haue been all saued euery one in his owne religion Might not also the huge charges and exceeding great paines of assembling of generall councels haue been well spared if those men for whose right information they were called might haue obtâ—ined saluation though they had been let alone in their owne errours It must needs therfore bee graunted that the best Clerks and holiest personages in the purest times of Antiquity thought it enough to damnation to deny anie one article of the Catholike faith Matth. 7.15 after it was in anie generall councell declared for such Doth not our blessed Saviour when hee stileth heretikes by the name of false prophets and resembleth them to rauening wolues that devoure Christian soules cleerlie demonstrate that they haue no part in his good grace and favour but bee in his sight odious and hatefull creatures Againe when hee doth in another place compare theÌ„ to theeues and robbers Ioan. 10.1 that do breake into his fold of their owne authority and take vpon them to bee his ministers when hee sent them not scattering killing his flocke Doth hee not I say plainly intimate them to bee guiltie of death and eternall Damnation Tit. 3 11. S. Paul chargeth vs to auoide the companie of an hereticall man knowing that such bee subuerted do sinne and bee even by their owne iudgment condemned And elswhere amoÌ„g the workes of the flesh rangeth heresies sects diuisions forewarninge vs expresly that whosoeuer doth committ anie of them shall never enter into the kingdome of heauen what hope then can there bee of their saluation wherfore heretiks being by our Saviour likened vnto wolues Gallat 5.15 theeues and robbers and by his Apostles declared damnable creatures vncapable to enter into the kingdome of heauen who were also in all ancient councels held for accursed can any bodie bee either so ill aduised or so foolish hardie as to perswade them that there is any hope of saluation for them vnles they forsake their errors in season But because worldlings neuer waÌ„t false prophets to lay pillowes vnder their elbowes to vphold them in their errors some such may heere step forth and in their excuse saie for theÌ„ that seing they beleeue in Christ hold all the articles of the Apostles Creede though they erre in other points they caÌ„not bee heretiks therfore whatsoeuer is said against heretikes doth not touch theÌ„ that be not of that nuÌ„ber This excuse will not serue the turne for as I haue before shewed neither Arrians NestoriaÌ„s PelagiaÌ„s nor any other most notorious heretikes did plainly denie either Christ to bee Saviour of the world nor anie other expresse point of any article of the creed neuerthelesse they were by the true verdict of the ancient Catholike church denounced and declared for heretikes In a word if to beleeue in Christ and to hold the rest of the Apostles Creede were sufficient to preserue any Christian from the Canker of heresie then hee that would denie both the old and new Testament to bee Canonicall scriptures and the true word of God might bee no heretike because the Canon of holy scripture is not expressed in the creed So hee that would ouerthrow the whole Hierarchie of the church and send all the sacraments into banishment might escape the brand of heresie because of those points there is no particular mention in the said Creed wherfore it is most certaine that men may bee most wicked and damnable heretikes albeit they professe to beleeue in Christ and do not deny anie one substantiall point expressed in the Apostles Creed if they shall wilfully defend any other erronious doctrine contrary vnto the truth reuealed by God and so declared vnto vs by the pastors and doctors of the Catholike church For witnes wherof I will now cite only two leaving the rest for the vpshot of this question Aug l. q. in Math. q. 11.