I would holde my self to those by whose commaundement I beleeued the gospell c. VVhose authority being infringed weakned I could not now There is no raâ—son we should beleeue the authority of the Roman Church in deliuering scripture and Protestants in expounding it contrary to her authority beleeue euen the gospell itself Imediatly before If thou say Beleeue not the Catholiques it is not the right way by the ghospell to driue me to the faith of Manichaens of Protestants because I beleeued the ghospell it self by the preaching of Catholiques 8. Yet if against all sense and reason if against both God and man you should perswade vs to beleeue your new constructions of Sâ—riptuee against theÌ„ who taught you both Christ and Scripture do we not belieue the authority of men the voyce as you account your selues of the faythfull so submit our iudgments to the exposition of the Church 9. Further more the Church is the treasury or store-house of God to which he committeth all his heauenly ministeryes All thinges which I haue heard of my Father I haue made knowne to you It is his mouth or oracle which openeth the same to others his trumpet or cryer which promulgateth The Church is the store-house of truth Ioan. 15. v. â—â— them to the world Go and teach all Nations c. teaching all thinges which I haue commaunded you It is the messenger which reuealeth his will The witnes which giueth testimony of his wordes and sayings The VicegereÌ„t which supplyeth the roome of his beloued You shal be witnesses to me in Hierusalem and in all lury c. As my Father hath sent me so I also do send you But Christ was sente from Matt. vlt. v. 19. Act. 1. v. 8. Ioan. 20. v. â—2 the throne of his Father with most ample power to decide all doubtes in matters of faith Therefore the Church succedeth him in this soueraigne authority she baptizeth now in his person sacrificeth in his person teacheth in his person gouerneth in his person excoÌ„municateth in his person so she determineth with infallible assistance and iudgeth all Controuersies in his person If we be commanded to heare her obey her belieue her be ruled by her If we must open our owne faults complayne of our brethren to her be bound or loosed The Church iudgeth of the writings of the Apostles she coÌ„poseth the Canon of Scripture she iudgeth of the true sense and interpretation of scripture of our sinns by her if she must cleare out doubts examine our causes redresse our scandals quiet our contentions she no doubt is the supreme iudge of all our spiritual affayres When any doubt is made of the writings of the Apostles whether they be theirs or no as whether the Epistle of S. Paul to the Laodiceans be his or not it belongeth to the Church to decide the matter to receaue or reiect it Therfore she iudgeth of the Apostolicall doctrin of the sacred Canon she iudgeth what is consonant to the diuine spirit of God and what is dissonant thereunto When any heresy springeth from the false interpreration of scripture she also censureth she condemneth it Therefore she is the iudge not only of the scriptures but also of the true sense and exposition of them And thus in all tymes and places whensoeuer occasion hath beene offered the Church hath exercised her iudiciall power CHAP. VII Wherein is manifested the conformable practise of the Church other authorityes alleadged the imagined circle obiected against vs auoyded IN the Apostles dayes a controuersy arose concerning the obseruation of the legall Ceremonyes it was diligently argued discussed and iudged by the Church with this diuine and Act. 15. v. 28. infallible resolutioÌ„ It hath seemed good to the holy Ghost and vs c. Some few yeares after a great debate fell out about the celebratioÌ„ of the feast of Easter whether it should be kept alwayes on the Sunday or on the 14. day of the first moneth the matter was referred examined iudged by the Church with such an vncontrolable sentence as they who resisted were absolutely censured and condemned for heretikes called Quartadecimani Witnes S. Augustine Epiphanius Tertullian others In all succeeding ages some such doubts questions or heresyes haue sprung vp and haue beene Aug. haer â—6 Epiphan haer 50. Tertul. in Praescrip alwayes sifted determined and iudged by the Church From her the Nouatians Arians Nestorians Eutichians Pelagians Monothelites and the rest haue still receaued their finall doome and irreuocable damnation in such iudiciall manner as no appeale no dispute no further examinations of their opinions hath beene after Hooker in the preface to his book of Eccles poli pag. 24. 25. 26. 27. Couel in his defence of M. Hooker permitted as not only M. Hooker and M. Doctour Couell two moderne Protestants but S. Athanasius also testifyeth of the Churches decrees in the Nicen Councell against the Arians Let no man thinke a matter discussed by so many Bishops confirmed with most cleare testimonyes may be called againe in question least if a thing so often iudged be reuised and knowne againe the curiosity of knowing vtterly want all end of knowing And Martian the Emperour He doth wronge to the iudgement of the most reuerend Synod who contendeth to rippe vp or publiquely argue and dispute of such thinges as be once iudged and rightly ordered Theodosius Athan. in decr Nice Syno Martian in rescript ad Pallad Praefect Preto C. desum Trin. l. 5. Cod. l. 1. tit leg damnat also and Valentinian those two Catholike Emperous who held the Imperiall Scepter in the yeare of our Lord 428. haue most catholikely enacted a law allowing the Churches definitiue sentence in sundry CouÌ„cels VVhosoeuer in this holy Citty or other where do follow the prophane peruersity of Eutiches condeÌ„ned in the late Councell gathered at ChalcedoÌ„ do not so beleeue in all points of fayth as the 318. holy Fathers of the Nicene Councell as the 150. venerable Bishops assembled togeather in the Councell of Constantinople or the other two CouÌ„cells following of Ephesus and Chalcedon let them know that they are heretiks But as thâ— Churches tribunall in condemning heresyes so in establishing true doctrine in all doubtfull cases hath beene esteemed infallible Hence that common saying of S. Augustine VVhosoeuer feareth to be ensnared Aug. l. 1. cont Cres c. 33. by the obscurity or hardnes of this question let him consult the Church thereof which the holy Scripture without all ambiguity doth demonstrate 2. Hence S. Paul immediatly instructed from the mouth of God when false seducers sought to caluminate Gal. 2. v. 2. Tertul. l. 4. contra Marc. c. 2. his heauenly doctrine had recourse vnto the Church for approbation of his Ghospell Least perhaps in vaine I should runne or had runne Whereupon Tertullian If he from whom S. Luke receaued his light desired to haue his fayth and preaching authorized by his predecessours how
of God deliuereth 2. Cor. 1â— v. â— Psal 8. â— Hier. l. â— comm in 6. â— ad Gal. Dâ—os eos esse manifestum est qui auteâ— Dij sunâ— tradunt Dei Euangelium non hominis In which respect S. Ierome doubteth not to call S. Peter S. Paul such as enioy their priuiledg after the phrase of scripture by the name of Gods thereupon maketh this illation But they that are Gods deliuer the Gospell of God not of man 10. Yet let vs view some other allegations which these erring and lying Ministers bring in to find the church guilty of errour Marry VVhitaker Reynoldes depose that which befalleth to one may befall to the whole but euery one in particuler may erre therefore the whole may erre which is a most false deposition plaine Sophisme arguing from each deuided member of the Church to the whole body ioyntly considered as if a cauiller should say This stone it self cannot be sufficient to raise a tower nor this nor that VVhitak contr 2 q. 4. c. 3. fol. 274. Reynoldes in his secoÌ„d conclusion fol. 628. as it is printed togeather with his conference nor any one a part Therefore a whole huge heap together cannot suffice It is a meere sophisticall kind of reasoning For we see that many do raise that which one or a few cannot Many forces of men vnited are able to draw that which no man in particuler can mooue A whole Army of souldiers vanquisheth a kingdom which on one the most valiaÌ„t captaine can annoy So the whole Church may preserue the truth vnspotted which no pâ—rticuler can doe Chiefly because the whole is guarded by Gods promise assisted by the holy Ghost the shield of her defence which deuided Churches want but the holy ghost saieth Whitaker and Fulke is also promised to euery one in particuler Christ prayed to sanctify euery one confirme him in D. VVhit contro 2. q. 4. c. 2. f. 168. Fulk in c. 16. Ioan. sect 5. in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 9. verity as he did for the whole for the laity aswell as for the Clergy for the people as much as for the Priestes It is true he prayed for all and each particuler promised the holy ghost to euery one but in a diuers manner according to euery ones seuerall state degree he praied for the Apostles and Bishops their Successours he assured theÌ„ the holy ghost as to parentes maisters shepheards of his fold to the laity euery one of the faithfull as to children schollers and sheep to be directed by them They haue the holy ghost 〈◊〉 their mouthes to teach preach instruct anâ— How the spirit of God in â—â—â—â—ised to the whole Church and how to 〈…〉 particular member VVhitak cont 2. q. â— c. ap 3. fol. â—8â— Seueruâ— l. 2. Theod. c. 19. Ream linguam non facis nisi rea mens VVitnes S. Athan. epist ad â—rancâ—s â—â—â—erne these in their hartes to obey beleeue keep vnity peace submission They his publique assistance for the publique function profit of the Church these his priuar direction for their owne priuate comfort particuler saluation Therefore as the Pastours Gouernours cannot erre in teaching defining or publiquely condemning false opinions so neither any one of the faithfull in beleeuing obeying or shunning those whom the Church hath censured Thus the whole and euery part securely trauayleth towardes the coast of heauen with the safe conduct of the holy ghost for the edificatioÌ„ complement and full perfection of the misticall body of Christ 11. Whitaker obiecteth againe that all Churches Arianized and consequently erred when the whole world aâ— S. Ierome reporteth groaned wondred to see â— selfe an Arian But S. Ierome by the figure Synecdoche vseth the whole for a great parte who were deceaued in the Councell of Arimine partly by the fraude of Valens the Arian Bishop partly by imbecillity of wit yet diuers of them materially only Wherefore seeing it is â—n Axiome in the law that the tongue it not made guilty but by the guilty mind they reteyning the true Catholique faith in their hartes formally also in open profession yeilded not properly to Arianisme but stil preserued the true state of the Church which was likewise at the same time inuiolably maynteyned in the West especially in those renowned Bishops and their flock S. Hilary S. Ambrose S. Eusebius of Verselles in Athanasius and others of Greece And that boysterous tempest continued but three yeares for then as S. Hierome relateth the beast dyed there succeeded Hier. dial aduer Lucifer a calme From the Church our aduersaryes flye to the Councells representing the Church and draw bills of enditement to conuict them of errour but their allegations are voyd and insufficient For such Councells as they meane were either vnlawfull conuenticles tumutuously assembled or if lawfully gathered not lawfully continued or not wholy approued or falsly accused or they erred only in some matter of fact not in any point of doctrine or article of beliefe 12. At least say they the old Church and Synagogue of the Iewes wholy erred when Aaron and the Two other obiections of aduersaries answered Exod. 3â— Mar. 14. whole multitude adored the golden Calfe and when Caiphaâ— the chiefe Bishop and whole Councell of Priestes adiuged Christ to death I answere that Aaron was not then inuested with the authority of high Priest but that office was imparted long after vnto him as appeareth out of the last of Exodus Then the Leuits neuer consented to that Idolatry nor Moyses in whome the supreme Priestly dignity still remayned To the second obiection I answere The infalibility of the Sinagogue when christ bad established his Church that the Councell of the Scribes Pharisces was tumultuously gathered not to interpret the law or teach the people but to pronounce sentence in a matter of fact against the Sonne of God or if they did erre in a chiefe point of faith it maketh nothing against vs for Christ had then planted his Church preached his doctrin Therfore the infallible assistance of the Holy Ghost was no longer tyed to the Synagogue Christ being present the head of his Church and hauing sufficiently promulgated his Ghospell 13. Therfore to draw to an end seeing the true Church neuer did or euer can stray from the truth as the Scriptures The Protestants Church cannot be the true Church of Iesus Christ by their own confessioÌ„ Fathers reasons conuince And seeing Protestants confesse that their Church may erre or goe astray for a tyme we must needs conclude that their Church is not the inerrable spouse of Iesus Christ but the harlot of Sathan the Temple of Baal the Stewes of an aduoutresse or if they now recant and yield vnto vs that the true Church cannot step awry in any one generally receaued point of beliefe it necessarily followeth that all their pretended reformations of her errours haue beene innouations
Nestorians Donatistes and diuers other sectaryes and haue they not beene euer since cassiered hated as arrant heretikes Are any of their Monumentes now extant Is there any memory left of them but only amongst the Catholike writers who confuted them For where I pray are the Psalmes of Valentinus and his Sophia The fundamentall Epistle What is become of all the eloquent works of former heretiks of the Manichees The Antithesis of Marcion Where is Arius Thalia Apollinaris great volume of 30. bookes Where are the Rules of Taconius the letters of Petilian the eloquent writings of other heretikes Are they not all trodden vnder feete and consumed by the Roman church So in short tyme the Protestants Harmony of consessions Caluins Institutions Bezas theologicall treaties Willets synopsis Spalatens Stan. Resc in Euang. sect Cent. Commonwealth and all such moderne writings with their professours wil be cleane worn out by that euer flourishing and abiding Sea For thus about a hundred eyghty and one furious raging and principall sects besides innumerable braunches springing from them before Luther and his Protestant broode was hatched haue beene vtterly vanquished and destroyed by her And what hope may these Gospellers haue to stand in battayle where so mighty aduersaryes are fallen to the ground Yf it be a treachery to God a disloyalty to his spouse to resist the Roman sea how tremble not they who storme agaynst it Yf all those whome she hath hitherto censured haue euer after beene adiudged for heretikes in what case are The RomaÌ„ Church neuer as yet condeÌ„ned any for heretikes but alwayes after they were held for such Protestants whome her highest and grauest Senate hath publikely condemned in the Councell of Nice 10. Yf others who had Emperours to support them Councells to fauour them Bishops Patriarches and a great part of the world to ayde them are notwithstanding quite abolished by the power of that Church haue not Protestants reason to feare the like destruction abolishment of their sect which by her owne often chaunges diuisions mutuall disagreements and endles brawles hasteâ—â—eth apace to ruine and decay whilest our Roman Religion perpetually vpholden by Gods protection standeth inuiolable and euer flourishing in the eye of the world from the Sea Apostolike by succession of Bishops heretikes vaine barking about it hath gotten sayth S. Augustine the height of authority hath assembled so many Councells condemned so many heresies wonne so many victories so often Aug. li. de vtilit cred vanquished the gates of hell Wherefore to conclude this marke Euen as when the Esquire of King Darius body had ended his discourse all the people cryed out Great is truth it preuayleth so all indifferent and iudicious readers will I doubt not giue sentence witâ— me and say Great is Esdras 3. c. 4. the Roman Church Great is the Sea of Peter Great is that rocke and highest throne it subdueth all her rebellious aduersaryes CHAP. XVIII In which the Name of Catholike is proued to a marke of the Church Agaynst D. Whitaker D. Fulke and D. Field NOvv I come to the great character of our glory and renowned title of our profession the name Catholique a name famous in the Primitiue Church famous in the Apostles dayes and inserted by them amonge the Articles of our Creed famous after in all succeeding ages and vsed comonly by the Fathers not so much to make a difference which some thinke betwixt the Iewish Sinagogue and the Christian Church as to CasauboÌ„ in his answ to the Ep. of Cardin. Peron fol. 6. in Eng. seuere and distinguish the false named Christians themselues from the true and vnfayned beleeuers Which Pacianus that eloquent Bishop of Barcelona giueth vs to vnderstand in these wordes VVhen after the Apostles heresies sprung vp and with diuers names endeuoured to rend the doue of God and teare his Queene in peeces did not the Apostolicall people engraue a surname Pacianus Epist 1. ad Simpro which might distinguish the vnity of the flocke incorrupted least the errour of some diuided into parts should rend and disseuer the vndefiled Virgin of God c. I entring sayth he a populous Citty where I find the Marcionists Apollinaristes Cataphrigians Nouatians who entitle themselues Christians how shall I know the congregation of my people vnles it were called Catholike And then he addeth Christian Ibidem stian is my name Catholike my surname that entitleth me this sheweth who I am Likewise S. Cyrill of Ierusalem If thou go into any Citty aske not where the Church is where the house of God is for Cyril cate 8. the very heretikes challenge them but aske where the Catholike Church is that is the proper name of our holy Church of vs all And Saint Augustines estimation hereof was such as he auoucheth The very name of Catholike keepeth we in the bosome of the Church The testimony of these three Fathers Whitaker obiecteth agaynst himselfe and to the former two he answereth Cyrill and Pacian in the name alone put no force Hath this man any conscience or regard what he sayth Peruse their Aug. con Ep. Fund cap. 4. wordes and passe your censure To S. Augustine he replyeth more bathfully but as friuolously altogeather Augustine sayth he attributeth something to the name but not so much as the Papistes And why not Because Bellarmine placeth that name VVhitak contro 2. q. 5 cap 2. in the first rancke Augustine in the last And is not the last place good Sir as respectfull and more honourable often then the first Is it not a precept also in Rhetorike to propose the most forcible arguments in the last place Therefore VVhitak Ibid. Saint Augustine recounting the motiues which held him in the bosome of the Church doth he make lesse account of the name Catholike because he placeth it last what childish stuffe is this You a diuine M. Whitaber and once Barl in his Answere pag. 269. Iren. l. 1. c. 10. Ierom. contra Lucifer ca. 7. Lactan. li. 7. diuin c. 30. Atha serm 2. coÌ„ Aria Field in his 2. booke of the Church ca. 9. publike Reader in Cambridge You he whose name though dead as M. Barlow braggeth is a terrour to Bellarmine yet dispute so idly 2. To proceed As the name Catholike hath been alwayes a peculiar note of the true beleeuers so to be stiled after the names of men as Lutherans of Luther Caluinistes of Caluin hath beene euer as Saint Irenaeus Saint Ierome Lactantius and Saint Athanasius teach a marke of heresy a token of schisme which M. Field likewise confesseth saying The name of a Cathelike was a note and distinctiue marke or character to knowe and discerne a Catholike from an heretike or schismatike by and the naming after the name of any man a note of particularity and hereticall or schismaticall faction The same he proueth a little after by the authority of S. Ierome Wherefore least he and his sectmates
such as Bonner was discharged and neuer called more in question about that matter But it was presently after ordeyned in Parlament That all actes heretofore made or 8. Eliz. 1. 39. Eliz. 8. done by any person about the consecration confirmation or inuesting of any person elected to the dignity of an Archbishop or Bishop by vertue of the Queenes letters patents or commission since the beginning of her raigne shal be adiudged good 18. Which lawes had beene superfluous and not beseeming the dignity of that place if the sayd Bishops had been sufficiently made before especially seeing it is prouided in the same parlament that all tenders of the sayd 8. Eliz. c. 1. circa fineÌ„ â—ath made by any Archbishop or Bishop aforesayd or before the last day of this present Session to be made c. all refusalls of the same oath so tendred or before the last day of this present Session to be tendred by any Archbishop or Bishop c. shal be voyde and of no effect or validity in the law What better proofes What more forcible arguments to conuince the nullity of their Bishops former ordination then these Acts of Parlament these decisions of the Iudges That acquittance of Bishop Bonner This disanuiling of the oath tendred and refusall Abridgement of Diars reports 7. Eliz. 23. 4. thereof vntill that present Session in which their Bishops were adiudged authorized and enacted to be lawfull Otherwise it had belonged to that high Court to haue defended and maynteyned their Bishops precedent inauguration their tendring of the oath according to Sand de schis Angli pa. 166 D. Harding in his coÌ„fut of the Apol. par 2. cap. â— the Statute of the first of Queene Elizabeth condemned others refusall contrary thereunto 19. Further if Protestant superintendents had that vndoubted ordination which Mayster Mason fancieth why did their Ministers after Queene Elizabeth had vniustly deposed her lawfull Pastours seeke to Antony Kitchen Bishop of Landasse to be consecrated by him who by reason of his pretended blindnes auoyded the taske Why did they repayre to the Irish Bishop in the Tower Fulk in his answ to a counter Cashol p. 50. VVhitak contr 1. q. 5. cap. 6. Sutcliffe answere to exceptions pag. 87. Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn d' Albinsc 1. p 20 23. 24. 26. who likewise refused to lay hands vpon them and therfore were constreyned to ordeyne one another at the Nagge 's head in Cheapeside in such ridiculous manner as they are now ashamed of it Or if they had receaued their consecration from our Catholik Bishops what iniury doth Doctour Fulke both to his owne Prelats ours in saying vnto vs You are much deceaued if you think we esteeme your offices of Bishops Priestes and Deacons any better then laymen and you presume too much to thinke that we receaue your ordering to be lawfull What wronge doth Doctour Whitaker to himselfe and his collegues when he affirmeth our Catholique Bishops not to be lawfull Bishops eyther by diuine ecclesiasticall or Ciuill law And Sutcliffe in like manner The Romish Church is not the true Church hauing no Bishops nor Priestes at all but only in name what disgrace did Doctour Sparke cast on the glory of their Clergy when writing agaynst vs he presumeth to auow that our Bishops and Priestes haue no ordinary calling but wholy vnlawfull That infinite haue had their coÌ„secrations and orders from such as were no true Popes or Bishops during the tyme of the Papall schismes and thereupon inferreth how can we count those right Bishops and Priestes 〈◊〉 were made by such as had no right to make any or how shall we 〈◊〉 them from such as fetch their pedigree from right Popes This 〈◊〉 will trouble the whole Church of Rome to cracke 20. But now M. Sparke not the Church of Rome alone but your reformed Church of England is put to the trouble of cracking that nut Now you your selfe must cracke it or els you are a wolfe an intruder who commeth to kill and destroy the sheepe of Christ For as Socrates in the like case pithyly reasoned By the Nicen Fathers Socrates in hist Eccl. l. c. 32. all later Bishops are ordeyned if they had not the holy Ghost who might descend by ordination into euery one neyther haue these receaued the function of Priesthood For how could they receaue it when it 〈…〉 giuen by them who had it not So I dispute with Mayster Mason if our Bishops and Priestes had no ordinary calling no right to ordeyne any Yf they were wholy vnlawfull and meere laymen as his fellowes weene what calling haue their superintendents What ordination What spirituall iurisdiction deriued from such as had no authority to ordeyne them Doctour Whitaker therefore VVhitak contr 2. q. 5. c. 6. folio 35â— more ancient and neerer the beginning of Protestant profession then Maister Mason flatly denyeth the ordination or calling of their Mynistery to proceed from the Catholique Clergy which went before them saying Our Bishops and ministers although they be not ordeyned by Papistical Nostri Episcopi ministri si non sunt a Papisticis Episcopis ordinati tamen rite legitime ordinaÌ„tur Ibidem folio 357. IbideÌ„ folio 36. Bishops yet they are orderly and lawfully ordeyned A little before Truly amongst them Catholiques only they are lawfull Pastours who are called and created according to their order But we say their Ministery was corrupted and therefore that we ought not to be made and created Bishops by them Immediatly after being vrged with a Canon of the first Nicen Councell That a Bishop ought to be created by two or three Bishops he answereth That law was enacted by the Bishops and it was pious if it may be commodiously done and if there be godly Bishops from whome ordination may be had otherwise not which constitution in the flourishing Church may be reteyned not in the lapsed Agayne Touching ordination by three Bishops that constitution is to be obserued as longe as thinges remayne whole and entire and as longe as the Bishops were good otherwise not 21. Besides Yf he Bellarmine graunt our vocation saith Whitaker to be lawfull which neuer any Catholique did Ibid. f. 361. for ordination we 〈◊〉 contend because they that haue authority to cal haue authority also to ordeyne of lawfull ordination cannot be â—â—tayned c. But touching the Bishops of those tymes they neuer could be drawn Ad Episcopos veròillorum â—emporuÌ„ quod attinet illinuÌ„ quam induci potuerunt vt quemquaÌ„ ordinareÌ„t nisi qui illis per oÌ„niafaueret to ordeyne any vnlesse it were such a one as in all thinges fauoured theÌ„ For this cause he flieth at the end to an extraordinary successioÌ„ agaynst the common fashion and vulgarly receaued custome c. This quoth he our Church had because the ordinary succession was corrupt Where I pray Mayster Mason where lay your Registers hid when this glorious light of your
he then Constantine the Emperour gaue to the sayd Pope Siluester the towne of Rome and gaue vnto him the triple Crowne to be crowned therewith in token that he made him supreme head ouer all the Churches in Asia Africa and Europe as his gift conteyned in the decrees distin 96. For the like challenge of supremacy Zosimus Leo Gregory and Boniface are accused as the destroyers of the Church and first vsurpers according to Protestants of that vniuersall and Antichristian dominion Howbeit I haue apparantly conuinced in the second booke of my Antidote That the Supremacy was neyther giuen by Emperours eyther by Constantine to Saint Siluester or Phocas the Emperour to Boniface the third nor yet vsurped by Zosimus Leo Gregory or any other but that it was imparted immediatly from God to S. Peter and made hereditary to his Successours Which Constantine the Great plainly coÌ„fesseth in the very deed of gift or Charter of donation which he madâ— when resigning to the Pope the Citty of Rome Italy the westerne Prouinces In ipso Edicto donationis quod habetur Tomo 1. Concil fo 296. apud Binium Quoniam vbi principatus sacerdotum Christianae religionis caput ab Imperatore caelesti iustum non est vt illic Imperator terrenus habeat potestatem he departed to Constantinople Because sayd he Where by the heauenly Emperour the principality of Priests head of Christian Religion is placed it is not meete the earthly Emperour should beare any sway Therefore not the spirituall dignity or supreme headship which Constantine a little before deduceth out of the wordes of our Sauiour spoken to Peter whome he there calleth the Vicar of Christ but the temporall territories landes and reuenues were the endowments of the Roman Sea which he bestowed vpon S. Siluester 7. And the very Centuristes testify that before CoÌ„stantine the great the supremacy of Peter consequently of his successours was acknowledged by Tertullian of whome they write Tertullian doth seeme not without errour to thinke that the keyes of the Church were only giuen to Peter and that the Church was built vpon him They blame also S. Cyprian for affirming that the Roman Church is the Chayre of Peter from which all the vnity of Priesthood proceedeth Likewise Cyprian say they hath diuers other perilous opinions about this matter as for example that he tieth the office of true Pastorship to ordinary succession A little before they accuse him and three other Fathers of his tyme saying Cyprianus Maximus Vrbanus and Salonius doe thinke that one Bishop must be in the Catholike Church to wit one chiefe as head of the rest All these flourished before the dayes of Constantine So did Origen and Hipolitus Matth. 16. versus 18. 19. Martyr who subscribed to the primacy of one supreme Pastour Agayne if S. Siluester were the first Prelate by whome beganne as M. Napper blattereth the horrible detestable Kingdom of Antichrist the first general CouÌ„cel Centur. 3. c. 4. col 84. of Nice authorized in England by Act of Parlament in which he presided by his legats Hosius Vitus Vincentius which he after ratifyed and confirmed did fauour and Ibidem col 84. 85. vphold his Antichristian tyrranny If Zozimus were the man S. Austine was a limne of Antichrist who notwithstanding he was Bishop of Africa obeyed his iniunction Origen ho. 5. in Exod. ho. 7. in Lucam Hiâ—ol in ora deconsum mundi Napper p. 67 Cedrenus in compend histo Photius libro de 7. concilijs Damasus in Pont August Epist 157. of necessity as comming from his superiour The African Bishops likewise ouer whome our aduersaryes accuse him of encroachment for challenging the right Prosper Con. collat cap. 41. of appellations euen they I say were abettours of Antichrist to whose decrees Pope Zozimus as Prosper writeth added the authority or strength of his sentence and to the cutting of the wicked with the sword of Peter armed the right handes of all other Prosper in chronicis Prelates A Councell held at Carthage of 217. Bishops and the whole worlde did partake with Antichrist for that Councell sent vnto Zozimus their synodicall decrees CoÌ„cil CalcedoÌ„ in relation ad Leonem quae habetur Tomo 2. Conci act 16. paâ— 139. apud Binium Leo Sermo 2. in anniassuÌ„p sâ—u which being approued sayth Prosper throughout the whole world the Pelagian heresy was condemned 8. Yf Leo were the first by whome the Church was ruined and throne of Antichrist aduaunced why doe Protestants allow of the Oecumenicall sacred Councell of Chalcedon Which three tymes gaue him the title of holy acknowledged him their head and themselues his members humbly supplicated vnto him to ratify and confirme their Canons How doth Leo write thus of himselfe VVhen our exhortations are sounded forth in the eares of your Sanctity imagine him to wit S. Peter whose person we represent to speake vnto you because with his loue and affection we admonish Libro 1. ep 1. libro 6. ep 19. libro 1. ep 76. l. 4. ep 33. libro 7. iud 2. ep 2. l. 7. ep 32. l. 1. ep 72. 75. l 11. ep 50. 53. l. 7. indic 2. ep 112. libro ep 15. libro 9. indict 4. ep 61 l. 4. ep 15. 50. 55. libro 1. ep 19. l. 4. epist 9. you and we preach no other thing vnto you then that which he taught With what face could he haue deliuered this in such a publike assembly if he had coyned any new Gospell or taught any other doctrin then that which was preached by S. Peter But if S. Gregory as most Protestants accord was the last good and first Antichristian Pope then in his dayes some monstrous innouation was brought not only into the Roman diocesses but into al the Prouinces and Churches of Christendome which communicated with him as appeareth out of his Epistles to the Bishops of all countryes of Sicily Corsira Sardinia Africa Numidia Hispania Gallia Anglia Hibernia Grecia Dalmatia ouer whome he exercised the soueraygnty of his supreme iurisdiction yet he innouated nothing therin nor deliuered any other new doctrine not taught before as I demonstrate 1. By all these and other Bishops of his age who neuer appeached S. Gregory of any vsurpation of right or nouelty in doctrine to which they would either haue opposed themselues or haue complayned of it or would haue mentioned it at least 2. By S. Gregory himselfe who findeth no fault with any of his Roman predecessors for want of challenging their due or for not agreeing with him in all pointes of fayth as Protestants euery where reprehend and taske their auncestours with variance from them in sundry assertions 3. By diuers learned Fathers of the precedent ages out of whose writings I haue already among my Thirty Controuersyes cleerly proued and out of Scriptures also deduced euery article of importance of which our Gospellers attach S. Gregory 4. By the Magdeburgian and other Protestants
The Guide of Faith OR A THIRD PART OF THE ANTIDOTE AGAINST THE PESTIFEROVS WRITINGS OF ALL ENGLISH SECTARIES And in particuler agaynst D. BILSON D. FVLKE D. REYNOLDES D. WHITAKER D. FIELD D. SPARKES D. WHITE and M. MASON the chiefe vpholders some of Protestancy and some of Puritanisme VVherein the Truth and perpetuall Visible Succession of the Catholique Roman Church is cleerly demonstrated By S. N. Doctour of Diuinity 1. Tim. 3. vers 15. The Church of the Liuing God the Pillar and Ground of Truth Permissu Superiorum M. DC XXI TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTY MOST DREAD AND GRACIOVS SOVERAIGNE I know not to whome I should more fitly present these Disputes in matters of Controuersy then to your Highnes who hath Learning to vnderstaÌ„d Wisedom to discerne and Authority to commaund that Faith and Religion be obserued in your Realme which is most conformable to the Scriptures and consonant to the doctrine of the Primitiue Church to which you haue beene pleased long since to submit your Royall Iudgment now of late most prudently forbidden those newfangled writers who spurning at the Testamentes of their Forefathers call the Beliefe of all Antiquity in question Therefore I haue heere laid open to your Princely View that vnspotted truth which the Lambe of God deliuered vpon earth which the Apostles preached and committed to writing which the Auncient Fathers in the first fiue hundred yeares sincerely taught and inuiolably manteyned as I proue not only by their owne irrefragable testimonies but by the confession also of the Aduerse Part which if your Gracious Clemency would giue vs leaue vnder your fauourable winges peaceably to enioy and freely to professe at least in secret without the offence of any it must needes oblige vs more fast to our dutifull Allegiance of which howsoeuer in our greatest extremities we shall neuer be wanting then all the lawes of Conformity Oathes of Fidelity or other Punishments can inforce For what more sure band then the tye of Conscience the obligatioÌ„ of Religion the seale of Fayth and promise we owe to God which being truly kept as our Catholike Profession strictly bindeth vs no daunger of Treason no fewell of Sedition no alienation of Minds from Prince or Countrey can be feared On the contrary side if those heauenly bandes be once violated by any in taking an Oath hurtfull to their conscience preiudiciall to their Religion what trust or security can be reposed in them what hope of fidelity in ciuill affayres who in matters diuine in the most weighty affayres of their Souls haue openly committed the deepest disloyalty Wisely was this obserued by Princes in former tymes When Hunnerike the King of the Vandalls had guilefully proposed an Victor Vticen lib. 3. de persec Vandal paulo post initium entrapping Oath to the Catholique Bishops of Africk those who refused to take it he presently banished from their Seas as enemyes to the Crowne Such as condescended to his will and bound themselues by oath to performe his desire he mistrusting their fidelity commaunded likewise to depart from their Churches and neuer to see them more because contrary to the law of God or commaundement of his Ghospell they presumed to sweare A subtile yet pernicious deuise More coÌ„mendable was the fact of Theodorike Nicepho l. 16. c. 35. Zonaras Cedrenus Theod. lect 2. collectan King of the Gothes Conquerour of Italy For when a fauourite of his very deare vnto him to be more endeared fell to Arianisme which the King imbraced he straight way commaunded him to be beheaded with this cause of condemnation pronounced agaynst him How should I look thou shouldest be true to me a man since thou hast not beene faythfull in thy promise to God Eusebius l. c. 12. de vi Const Zoâ—om l. 1. bist c. â— But most prudent and fittest for my purpose was that of Constantius Father to Constantine the Great Who to discouer the harts and affections of his Subiectes caused it to be promulgated to all of his Court at home Family abroad that free choice liberty was graunted theÌ„ either by sacrificing to the Idols to continue his Fauour enioy their woÌ„ted honours or spoyled of them to leaue his Pallace his friendship familiarity for euer HereupoÌ„ when his Nobles other of his retinue had parted theÌ„selues into two seuerall companies the one yielding the other renouÌ„cing to sacrifice the wise Prince sharply rebuked their timidity basenes who were ready to prostitute themselues tovile Idolatry for preseruing of their temporal dignityes exceedingly commended the Constancy noble Resolution of the others who rather chose to forsake their preferments theÌ„ their religioÌ„ The former he cassiered as Traitours to God and vnworthy his Imperial Seruice For how sayd A notable saying of of Constantius Father to Constantine the Great his fact ensuing as worthy he can they keep their fayth inuiolable to the Emperour of the earth who by so manifest a signe haue shewed theÌ„selues perfidious to the great Monarch of Heauen These therfore he reiected banished his Royal pallace Those who by such an apparent triall profession of Truth were fouÌ„d worthy of God he adopted into the number of his dearest most familiar friendes those he placed about him as GardiaÌ„s of his person those he more esteemed then Exchecquers ful of inestimable treasures affirming that they who had been so loyal vnto God would be most faythfull also and loyall vnto him O that your Princely WisdoÌ„ would imitate herin the Father whose soÌ„ne you worthily praise set before your Royall eyes as a president to behould in the supreme Gouernement of your Soueraigne Estate I would to God you would as you may securely make the like account of such coÌ„stant Recusants who vpon iust feare of offending God forbeare to yield in points of Faith to the lawes of meÌ„ I would their Dutifull Hearts were so well knowne vnto your Highnes as their cause deserueth Then with that famous Constantius you would might iustly esteeme theÌ„ as the true Friends of God Souldiers of Christ Treasures of your Kingdome Suppliants for safety surest Guards of your Crown and Scepter In whose persons I humbly prostrate my selfe at your Maiesties féete beseeching the diuine Maiesty so to prosper your earthly Raygne as after many happy yeares of peaceable gouernement you may passe from this Transitory to his Eternall Kingdome Your Maiesties most humble and deuoted Subiect S. N. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER I Haue often heard this principle recorded by Aristotle much celebrated amongst Deuines Quierrat ad pauca respicit He that erreth looketh into few thinges Which A principle of Aristotle notably verified in our moderne ProtestaÌ„ts learned axiome of so graue a Philosopher the temerity of Protestants teacheth to be true For they with partiall eye haue regard to few thinges when in matters of fayth abandoning al autenticall proofes and argumentes of credibility renouncing so many
Augustine to this purpose interpreteth that verse of the Psalme â—rue de manu canis vnicam meam deliuer my only one from the clawe of the * By the dogge Eusebius vnderstaÌ„deth the Diuell whome the Heathens feigned to be the three headed Cerberus Cypr. de vnit Eccle. dogge Where by his only one he vnderstandeth vnicam Ecclesiam his only Church S. Cyprian proueth it diuers wayes illustrateth it with many fine similitudes By the fountaine which is only one although deuided into many riuers By the root or tree which is one albeit it brauncheth into diuers bowes By the lighte of the sun which is one notwithstanding is casteth forth sundry beames so the Church is only one howbeit â—he stretcheth her dominions into innumerable Counteryes The same he confirmeth by the Coat of Christ without seame which figured his one and vndeuided Church But I will not depart from the oracle of the Apostle 3. When S. Paul calleth christ head of the body of the church Of what Church I pray is he head of the inuisible Coloss 1. v. 17. or of the visible If of the inuisible the visible is without a head if of this that is a headlesse monster or if of both one head you prodigiously ioyne to sundry bodyes Likewise the same Apostle sayth I haue despoused you to one man 2. Cor. 11. â— 2. to present you a chast virgin vnto Christ Where I aske which is that chast virgin spouse of our Lord your inuisible Church Then your visible is a harlot a concubin no virgin of Christ and yet it was a visible Church to which S. Paul wrote visible which he conuerted and preserued in chastity of truth which he vndefiled despoused vnto Christ Therefore if your visible also be made his spouse together with the inuisible two spouses As Christ cannot haue two spouses so neither two churches you betroth vnto him not one virgin as the Apostlâ— writeth pure incorrupted but two one which cannot be defiled with adulterous errour the other which may dishonour her husband play the harlot And arâ— we bound to beleeue the one conuerse with the other beleeue in the chast virgin follow her that may fall into aduoutry beleeue in her that cannot beguile vs imbrace her counsailes that may lead vs into pernicious damnable deceits O God what in iury were this to thee what abuse to men For to what end didst thou graunt such priuiledges vnto thy Church why didst thou build it vpon a rocke guard it with thy Angells endow it with thy spirit assiste and protect it with thy dayly presence but that we might securely conuerse coÌ„municate with it Did he afford these prerogatiues to one Church commaund vs to beleeue in it and after guid vs gouerne vs nay deceaue vs with another as Laban deceaued Iacob promising Rachel beguiling him with â—ia Gen. 29. v. 19. 23. 4. Is not the Apostolique Church is not the Catholique Church the true Church which yâ—â— beleeue 〈◊〉 what Church is Apostolique but that which the Apostles planted with their preaching edified with their liues watered with their bloud What Catholique but that which beginning at Ierusalem increased spread it selfe in the view of all men throughout the world And iâ— not the same the visible Church mother of vs all in whose wombe we were coÌ„ceaued in whose lap we haue been nourished and from whose dugges we haue sucked the sweetest milke of heauenly doctrine The Church which we beleue is as you confesse the house of God not built vpon the sand but vpon a rocke against which the windes Matt. 7. v. 29. blew the raine beat the floodes came but would not batter to the ground And yet the same in S. Pauls iudgment is the house in which we should liue conuerse These thinges I write to 1. Tim. 3. v. 14. Fulke in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 10. thee c. that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to conuerse in the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God Fulke auoucheth Whitaker will not deny but that their inuisible holy Catholike Church is the Church for which Christ â—yed that he might sanctify it cleanse it by the lauer of water in his worde Notwithstanding if it were not â—â—so the visible Church by which we are directed and â—ouerned how could S. Paul exhort the Priestes or Pastors Art 10. v. 28. thereof Take heed to your selues to the whole flocke wherein the holy ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud 5. Moreouer what Church do we beleeue but that which is the communion of Saintes of which it is said in the Creed I beleeue the holy Catholique Churche the communion of Saintes therefore the same we beleeue The Protestants euasion answered with which we communicate I know you will say there are two sortes of communion one visible in giuing receauing the outward seales sacramentes of the Church in preaching heaâ—â—ng the word in externall profession of fayth many mutuall offices of charity another inuisible which consisteth in the inward regeneraâ—ion fructification of the word in the inward saithfull beleefe â—hat you obserue honour in the visible church this you truly acknowâ—edg beleeue in the inuisible What Are the sacraments ministred 〈…〉 â—nother Is the outward lotion preaching in one ◠〈…〉 â—â—istred 〈◊〉 one Church and giue grace in another the inward regeneratioÌ„ beleefe in another And whâ— more absurd then to deuide the sacramentes from their effectes the instrumentes of grace from grace it selfe by diuersity of Churches what more absurde then to make the pastour pillers foundation in one Church the true fabricke of the Church in another Is it possible is should not be the same Church where baptisme incorporateth vs in Christ where the body of Christ is where Paul planteth Apollo watereth God giueth the 1. Cor. 3. v. 46. increase Although I yeald vnto you that the outward lotion preaching be visible the increase of grace and true beleefe inuisible yet may not the same Church consist As man consisteth of a visible body and inuisible soule so the same Church may haue some visible other inuisible partes of diuers partes some visible some inuisible some seene others beleeued Is not euery particuler man one the same composed of a visible body inuisible soule iâ— not Christ one the same whose humanity was seene diuinity beleeued Therefore as you do not make two men of one nor two Christes of the sonne of God although he comprehend partes visible inuisible onâ— thing that is seene another beleeued so neither twâ— Churches but one the same which compriseth some visible some inuisible partes 6. But to launce this sore a litle deeper The visible Church say you coÌ„sisteth of good bad
elect reprobat mingled together the inuisible only is composed of the elect iust holy See you not how this very distinction Many absurdities ensue of deuising two churches choaketh it selfe how one member fightetâ— diuers wayes against the other For first separate the elecâ— from the society of the reprobat to frame your inuisible you destroy the visible Church leaue them conioyne with the reprobat to make your visible the inuisiblâ— fayleth Secondly you grant I weene that the elect as thâ—â— liue vpon earth mingled with the reprobat raise the visible as they are seuered by imagination concurre to blinâ— the fabrick of the inuisible church Therefore your inuisible is meerely imaginary fained chimericall tâ—â— visible only the true and reall Church the true misticall body of Christ which is exercised heere in the warfare of this life Thirdly this you crosse againe and say the visible Church is no true Church but only as it contayneth the inuisible that is the sacred number of the elect who make no society and consequently no Church Fourthly the elect by this meanes are in two Churches in the visible and in the inuisible whereas the reprobate only are in the visible yet because their reprobation is as hidden as the others election why should not these make an inuisible assembly as well as they Fiftly when the elect are separated to mak your inuisible who remayneth in the visible but a rable of reprobate a rout of infidels and shall they compose your visible Church Shal Christs visible body on earth be wholy compacted of the reproued vessels members of Sathan O intricate confusioÌ„ which confoundeth also me in rehearsing it O monstruous paradoxes which implyeth so many contradictions â—â—â—any absurdityes against which if I should cite the â—â—thorityes of the Fathers I should neuer make an end They all iointly praise magnify and extoll one visible and Catholike Church one and the same whose prerogatiue we belieue and fellowship must imbrace the same by whose preaching we must be born by whose spirit we liue S. Cyprian the glorious Bishop and Martyr Cypr. de vnit Eccl. sayth One Mother there is by the fecundity of her issue copious and fertile by her increase we are borne with her milke we are nourithed we are animated with her spirit The spouse of Christ cannot play the aduoutresse she is immuculate and vndefiled she knoweth one house she keepeth with chast bashfulnes the sanctity of one bed This Church preserueth vs in God this aduanceth to the kingdome the children she hath brought forth whosoeuer diuided from the Church cleaueth to the aduoutresse is separated from the promises of the Church 7. S. Augustine also often auerreth That the true Catholique Church conteyneth in it good and bad reprobate elect That the kingdom of Christ is but one one great citty one mountain comprehending the whole world The authority sayth he of the Catholike Church c. iâ— establiâ—hed vntill this day by the line of Bishops succeeding one another Aug. cont Faust l. 11. c. 2. and by the consent of so many people By which succession consent and power of miracles he testifieth that he is held in Catholica Ecclesia in the Catholik Church Then that the whole multitude of belieuers gathered togeather by miracles is the Catholike August cont epist Funda c. 3. 4. Aug. de vtil credendi c. 16. Church Therefore the Catholike Church is the same whose succession is visible propagation visible consent visible miracles visible multitude visible and which it selfe is also visible the same is the Catholike Church which we belieue and visible multitude to which we ought to linke in fellowship communion which appeareth so cleare in M. Fields sight howsoeuer those his former Coronels VVhitaker and Fulke were blinded with the contrary as he writeth thus VVe say that all they are of Field in his first booke of the Church c. 2. fol. 23. the Church that outwardly hold the fayth of Christ and that that society wherein the sincere outward profession of the truth of God is preserued is that true Church of God whose communion we must imbrace that happy mother in whose womb we are conceaued with whose milke we are nourished and to whose censures we must submit our selues After assigning diuers considerations of the Church some different conditions of her members he addeth Notwithstanding all which differences for that they all concurre in the same holy profession and vse of the same happy meanes of saluation they make one holy Catholike Church in which only the light of heauenly truth is to be sought So he flying the noueltye of his first Reformers and varying from them in a Field dissentethfroÌ„ Whitaker in apoint fundamental point fundamentall for what more substantiall variance then to differ about the Church we ought to belieue as an article of fayth About the Catholike Church in which the happy meanes of saluation are only to be found Whether that be visible or inuisible 8. Peraduenture some will excuse M. Whitaker that he meaneth not that the true Church should be wholy inuisible not seene to any but so latent scattered and compounded of so few as they can hardly be discerned amongst them selues much lesse to strangers enemyes VVhitak contr 2 q. 2. c. 1. But this excuse will not couer his fault For VVhitaker auoucheth that indeed but of the visible not of the Catholike Church he flatly protesteth the whole Catholike VVhitak ibidem q. 3. c. 1. fol. 178. Fulke in c. 5. Matth. sect 3. iâ— 2. Thess 2. sect 5. Sparkes in his answer to M. Iohn D. Albins pag. 54. 126. Church to be inuisible both militant triumphant The visible also sayth he may sometyme consist of a fâ—w and they scattered obscure vnknowne who hide themselues in corners Which although M. Field stoutly gainesayth as shal be declared yet because Fulke Sparkes and others vphold the same to vnderproppe the paper walles of their new founded Synagogue it will not be labour lost to conuince the falsity thereof CHAP. III. In which is declared that the true visible Church is apparently knowne and famous to the world against D. Whitaker D. Fulke and D. Sparkes THE first authours and beginners of ProtestaÌ„cy departing from the known band and vnity of Gods people vpon earth and not finding any predecessours or mantayners of their new hatched fictions to whome they should lincke and conioyne themselues in profession not finding any Countrey Prouince Citty Village Temple or Oratory who communicateth with them infayth seruice publique sacraments wretchedly imagined besides their Catholike and wholy inuisible Church another visible assembly of faythfull belieuers who are some so hidden as they are not knowne to D. VVhit contro 2. q. 3. cap. 1. f. 178. 179. VVhitak aduâ— Duâ— p. 274. D. Sparks in his answer to M. Io. d'Albin p 54. 126. Fulke in c. 5. Matt. sect 3. 2. Thess
the euill are constrayned to deliuer true things for they aâ—â— Fox actes monuments pag. 999. 464. 1401. 1436. 1286. The Puritans in their discouery in a sermon preached 1588. by Bancroft pag. 34. The Protestants Apology tract 3. sect 7. n. 68. not their owne things which they deliuer but Gods who hath placâ—â— the doctrine of verity in the chayer of vnity We want not heerin the suffrages of Protestants of Foxe himselfe and sundry of his Martyrs of M. Bancroft late Bishop of Canterbury the Puritans not forbearing to carpe and reprehend him for it and of others mentioned in the Protestantâ— Apology for the Roman Church which in euery Chapter so victoriously triumpheth ouer our Reformers innouation by the irrefragable testimonyes of Reformers themselues as M. Morton astonished with the euidence brought against him was suddainly beaten backe from his rash attempt which he neuer since had the hart to prosecute or any other presumeth to take pen in hand to answere that excellent and euer vnanswerable worke 7. The reasons which perswade the infallibility of the Church are sundry and they most forcible For what could moue any Infidell or Atheist to forsake his errours and come vnto the Church if that might also beguile him with errour what meanes had we to condemne an Heretike or disproue his errours if the Church might erre Diuers reasons which coÌ„uince the infallibility of the Church in disprouing of them How should we know where to rest whome to consult in doubts of fayth if the highest Iudges might iudge amisse What assurance haue we of our beliefe religion scripture sacraments of Christ himselfe and all other articles of fayth if the Church which teacheth them might erre in teaching The same inconueniences the same confusion would ensue supposing it If the Church could erre fayth it selfe all things els were vncertayne were limited not to erre only in fundamentall points necessary to saluation For then the vnconstant and wauering Christian might still cast as many doubtes whether the thinges defined where fundamentall or not Whether necessary or not necessary to saluation Then the people might call their Pastours doctrine and definition in question they might examine whether the arâ—â—cles deliuered be substantiall and such wherein their â—â—eachers be freed from errour or no Then new schisms â—â—d contentions would dayly breake forth all things â—ill remaine vncertaine 8. To prosecute a little further one of these reasons For â—t were too much to enlarge them all The tradition or â—estimony of our Church in deliuering the whole canon of scripturs vpon whose authority also most Protestants receaue it of what account do you make it If fallible the An argument vnanswerable fayth you gather from thence the Religion you ground thereon must likewise be fallible vncertayne and no way autenticall For the truth gleaned from the scripturs cannot be more sure then the Scriptures themselues from which it is gathered If infallible You grant what we require For the promises of God the assistance of the holy Ghost which warranteth the testimony of our Church to be of inuiolable authority in this point being generall and without restriction must warrant it also in The same promises of God which assure the Churches infallibility in one thing assure it in all all other traditions interpretations doctrines whatsoeuer and so you that forsake her sentence renounce her definitions renounce the Oracles of truth and decrees vndeceiuable or els shew what exception what limitation the holy Ghost hath made where he restrayned her priuiledge of infalibility to that particuler more then to other articles of our beliefe This is a Gordian knot which breake you may vnty you cannot For suppose you should reply as a Protestant once answered me that it appertayned vnto the prouidence of God to keep safe his holy writ and challenge it from corruption I would further inquire of you whether God hath greater care of the letter or sense of the inward kernell or outward rine of the bone or marrow of his word Of the marrow no doubt Then he preserued that more safe in the harts of his faythfull then the other in the rolles of paper and so as you take the barke and outward letter from the tradition of our Church much more ought you to borrow from her the true sense and sap and heauenly iuyce Finally to what end do Protestants striue so much ProtestaÌ„ts according to their owne groundes haue neither any fayth or religion for the Churches erring but only to depriue themselues therby of Church faith religion For wheras neither religion nor Church can staÌ„d without supernatural faith nor supernaturall faith be atteyned without infallible certeinty of the thinges beleeued if their preachers their Ministers their Church be not vndoubtedly fenced from all daunger of errour the articles they beleeue haue not that inerrable warrant which is necessary to faith Faith saith S. Bernard hath nothing ambiguous or doubtfull if it hath any thing ambiguous it cannot be faith Whereupon it is defined Heb. 11. v. 1. Aug. l. 13. de Trinit c. 10. tract 79. in loan Chrysost in bunc locuÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in explicat psal 115. Chrysost in hunc locuÌ„ Dyonil c. 7. de diuin nom by the Apostle to be the substance c. the argument of thinges not appearing that is a demonstration or conuiction by which our vnderstanding is acerteyned conuineed of the truth or as the greek importeth it is the basis grounde or foundation firme sure stedfast imoueable either of the hoped reuealed verities as S. Basil with S. Iohn Chrysostome indgeth or of them that hope beleeue fastning them in the truth the truth in them according to S. Denis S. Augustine from whence the comon schoole of diuines gather this principle that faith cannot be subiect to falsity no nor to any feare or suspition therof This infallible ground of assurance Protestants haue not beleeuing only vpon the credit of their Church which may beguile them Therefore howsoeuer they bragge of their all-sauing faith not any faith haue they or Church or religion at all August tract 7â— in loan Fidei non potest subesse falsum 9. Heer my aduersaryes cauill with vs that they haue as much fayth as we who rely vpon the definitions of our Popes and Prelates for they are men and euery man is a lyer as the scripture reporteth I answere our supreme Bishops are by nature men by infirmity subiect to lyes deceits yet as they are by faith Christians by inward vnction heyres of heauen so they are by Pastorall authority gouernors of the church officers of God organs of the holy ghost by whose perpetual assistaÌ„ce they caÌ„not erre they cannot in their publique decrees or generall assemblyes deliuer vnto the faithfull what is subiect to vncerteinty because that which they speake Christ speaketh in them that which they deliuer the spirit
haue stretched a litle further the space of his dominions Could you not haue named afforded him the wildernes of Aegypt the Tartarian desertes or dens of Arabia some vnknowne Caesar in his Commentary ProtestaÌ„t forunners haue left no memory of their Church yet our Church hath been alwayes perspicuous coastes in the ayre or crookes in the sea Was the diuell so greedy and you so religious and carefull of his prey as to engrosse the right of the whole world vnto him Or you knew full well that the Hyrcinia wood which is nine dayes iourney in breadth and forty in length as Cesar reporteth was of too great exteÌ„t for your perfecuted coÌ„pany of elect Inded the least molehill or mouse hole there might comprise them all whome no authour nameth or chronicler recordeth who haue left no marke or memory behind them of their noble exploytes Our Church in her infancy through the storms of persecution hath been driuen to lurke insecret vaultes and caâ—es vnderground and yet her sheep and shepheard their oratories their sepulchers their assemblies their preachingea their deathes their bannishmentes were publiquely knowne the pedigre of her Bishops the names of her Priests the catologue of her Martyrs and innumerable monumentes are yet extant of her faith and profession And hath your predestinate flock beene so often rauished in spirit and rapt into the heauens as they haue left no earthly signe or token of their being not in those consecrated Alpes and Apennine hills hallowed no doubt with their presence and dayly perfumed with the spirituall incense of their deuoutest prayers 8. Note therfore a wily tricke of his double dealing he doth not resolutely auouch the meÌ„bers of his Church were chased into these desert places but they were often driuen into the monntaynes c. or els dispersed and kept close in all Fulke in the place aboue cited RegioÌ„s of Europe Why vse you this wauering vnconstant speach Were they kept so close as you know not in what corners they lurked what places they inhabited or who they were that hid themselues How shall we then beleeue there were any such if no mention be made of them How doe you know they taught your Protestant faith If both themselues their doctrine be wholy vnknown S. Augustine writeth If any man shall say there be perchance Aug. l. de ouibus c. 10. some sheep of God I know not where which God taketh care of and I know them not he is too too absurd to humane sense who thinketh or imagineth such thinges Yet Fulke is so absurd Sparke so absurd all protestantes so absurd who dreame of preachers of the word and administratours of the sacramentes of sheep and shepheards whose names they know not Againe were they kept close in al regions of Europe only Had you none in Africa none in Asia Brasilia India America c. When the Donatistes affirmed the like and confined the faithfull to the straites of Africa S. Augustine and Optatus rebuked them in this manner That with you saith Optatus in Optat. l. 2. cont Par. a particle of Africa in a corner of a litle region the Church may be with vs in another parte of Africa shall it not be In Spaine in Italy or Fraunce where you are not shall it not be If you will haue it 〈◊〉 with you in â—aâ—â—onia in Dacin Miâ—ia 〈…〉 in all Greece where you are not shall it not be that it may â— with you in Pontus Galatia Capadocia Pamphilia c. where 〈◊〉 are not shall it not be and innumerable other Ilandes and proâ—â—ces where you are not shall it not be VVhere then is the propriety of 〈◊〉 Catholique which is so tearmed because it is nationa all euery August in psal â—1 â—here diffused Saint Augustine reproueth them as sharply saying Saint Paul affirmeth that in euery place the faythfull are the â—â—eet odour of Christ is it contradicted Africa only yealdeth a good â—ent all the world stincketh c. A little after VVhat tellest thou â—e O heretike The whole world is not the price of Christes bloud if Ibidem Africa only be redeemed Thou darest not say the whole world was not â—â—deemed but that it hath perished And whoÌ„ did Christ suffer to inuade â—â—s dominions and depriue him of his right Thus they agaynst â—he Donatistes and yet the impudency of our aduersaries â—â— far more exorbitant They had in Africa 270. Biâ—hops Aug in coll Cart. of their faction as Saint Augustine reporteth their â—omplices called Montenses had a certeyne succession in â—he dens by Rome which Optatus reciteth And these our â—ectaries imprison the Church within the Regions of Optat. l. 1. 2. cont Parmen Europe where they name not any Priest or Bishop or â—ine of succession for the space of a thousand fiue hundred yeares as shal be manifestly shewed by discarding them which they iniuriously shuffle into the packe of their Professors CHAP. XII Wherin is disproued the Clayme which our Reformers make to certayne pretended Protestants and to men of our Church Agaynst Doctour Fulke and Doctour Sparke ALBEIT many Sectaries after a longe search and great confusion to satisfy our importunity beginne to draw â— Catalogue of their professors yet those very men they name cannot any one of them concurre to build their Synagogue for some whom they rehearse were manifest and knowne Catholikes wholly of our Sparke in his answer to M. Iohn d' Albins Chap. 1. 4. Illiricus in catal test Gifford in his sermon vpon the reuela SimoÌ„ de Voyon in his discourse vpoÌ„ the 〈…〉 â—â—ilâ— in his 3. book chap. 1â—â— Religion as Alcuinus Maister to Charles the great Gregory of Arimini an Augustine frier and Prior generall of their order Saint Catherine of Siena a canonized Saint and professed Nunne of the order of Saint Dominicke Ocham Iohn Gerson Saint Thomas of Aquine Picus Mirandula and S. Bernard 1. The rest were notorious heretikes as Aerius Iouinian the Albigenses VValdenses Picardi Petrus Abaylardus Berengarius Constantinâ—â— Copronimus VVickliffe Husse who could not contynuâ— the succession nor mayntayne the true preaching of the protestants Ghospell first because VVhitaker VVhitaker contr 2. q. 5. cap. 18. fol. 506. 507. confesseth with all Catholike Doctours that no heresy câ—n â—â—sist with the true sayth nor that the Church caÌ„ be any Church which â—â—achâ—th an heresy But these forenamed miscreants obstinaâ—ly â—aught sundry heresies condemned by Protestants theÌ„solues therfore they could not be professors or members Epiphan haeres 75. Aug. l. de heres 82. of their Church for Aerius denyed the consubstantiality of the sonne of God with his Father Iouinian held that maÌ„â—fter baptisme could sin no more 2. The Albigenses gallenged by Doctour Fulke and Doctour Sparke to be vpholders of Protestancy are notwithstanding By Fulke in cap 20. Apoc sect 6. in c. 12 sect 2. By Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn de Albins pa.
the building of their discorded Babell because the most of them liued at diuers tymes in diuers Countryes without any mutuall Society or lineall descent and with the interruption of many yeares one from the other For VVickliffe was furnished with no authority instruction or consecration to preach or administer Sacraments from the VValdenses nor the VValdenses from Berengarius nor Berengarius from Iouinian nor he from Aerius They all started vp of themselues maynteyned their seueuerall sects in seuerall ages without knowledge or agreements without deriuation of fayth and ecclesiasticall power from those their Predecessours which is necessary to vphould and continue the perpetuall and mediate succession of the Church Nay they were so farre froÌ„ composing an hereditary pedigrece or line of descent amongst themselues as they were all for the most part or Epiphan Prat. l. 1. Elenchi v. AeriaÌ„ Aug. haer â—2 Prat. in Eieae verbo Berengar Fox in his act monuments fol. 628. Stow in his Annalls pag. 464. M. Iacob in his defeÌ„ce of the Churches and Ministery of EnglaÌ„d pag. 13. Georg. Milius in explicatione Conf. August Art 7. pag. 137. 138. their chiefe beginners prime founders of our religion before they brake forth into schisme and heresy So Aerius was a Priest and disciple to Eustachius Bishop of Sebasta in Pontus Iouinian a Monke of the Citty of Rome in Italy Berengarius Archdeacon of Angiers in France VValdo a rich and Catholike Marchant of Lions VVickliffe a sacrifying Priest the Parson of Lutterworth in Leicester shire who sayd Masse if Maister Iacob an earnest Protestant may be credited eâ—eÌ„ to his dying day Therefore they had no Church in which they were borne none froÌ„ whence they were propagated but only ours the Protestants Church had no being wheÌ„ they beganne no being in England when wickliffe in Lyons when VValdo in any other Countrey when the former sectaryes peeped vp neyther of late had it any being in Scotland when Knox in France when Caluin in Suitzerland when Zuinglius in Germany when Luther first preached his ghospell For as Georgius Milius wisely obserueth graunt that Luther had any predecessours and Lutherans reformation wil be altogeather needles 6. Finally if Protestants had any complices or vpholders of their sect in Morauia Bohemia Calabria 〈◊〉 the largest tractes M. Fulke nameth for the openly Fulke in cap. 12. Apoc sect 2. â—nowne continuance of his Church they should haue gone and deriued from them the pedigree of their Pastors their power and commission to preach the gospell They as all other preachers in former tymes haue beene accustomed when their authority hath beene called in question should haue asked of them Litteras formatas dimissory or testimoniall letters to giue testimony of their calling which Our ghospellers had no testimoniall letters froÌ„ any church or Pastour before their dayes Iero. ep 89. we haue so often conuinced to be surreptitions and vsurped For if Saint Paul had not had as Saint Hierome sayth security of preaching the gospell if it had not beene approued by Peters sentence and the rest that were with him who were vndoubtedly imbraced as true Apostles how durst you without â—ny allowance and approbation of your auncestours â—eginne to preach your Ptotestant fayth Was it inough â—ou gathered it by your owne diligent yet deccauable interpretation out of the holy Scriptures And was â—t not inough for him to haue his Gospel by infallible reâ—elation immediatly from God Had he lost his labour runne in vaine without the attestation of the Pastours of the Church And do you thinke to reape any fruite by preaching without any euidence or approbation from Christes vicegerentes vpon earth Yf he who had his doctrine from heauen at least as Reynoldes graunteth to ad Galat. 2. v. 2. Reynoldes in his conference c. 4 diuis 2. fol. 134. Theophil l. 2. de paschat stop the mouthes of false seducers who disgraced him â—s lately crept into the Apostleship did conferre with â—â—ter and the rest of his predecessours why did not you â—â—stly accused by vs as wrongefull intruders as wolfes vsurpers put your doctrine to the like triall conference â—â—d examination of your forerunners Theophilus Bishop oâ— Alexandria anoucheth of Origen that he was possessed with the spirit of pride because he conferred not his faith with his auncestours as Saint Paul did and were you hinâ—ered with the like spirit from putting your doctrine to the approbation of the Church Or was it because you had not indeed any Church in the world any Bishop to impose handes vpon you any Temple Oratory Iudge or Tribunall to haue recourse vnto not any man liuing to approue your fayth or giue testimony of your calling but such as you had first seduced and bewitched with your follyes CHAP. XIII Wherein is ouerthrowne the like Clayme which Protestants make to the Professours of the Roman Church agaynst Doctour Fielde and Mayster White MAISTER Doctour Field and Maister White not finding sufficient stones amongst the forenamed heretikes to rayse the Temple of their Sectaryes not finding any publike assemblies in Morauia Bohemia Calabria c. nor any latent and hidden resortes in the Hyrcinian woods other parts of Europe proper to themselues they lay hold on the chiefest Rocks and pillers of our Church to stay vp thier ruinous sheep-cote And as the harlot before Salomon hauing killed her â— Reg. 3. owne pretended right to anothers child So they in behalfe of their barren and harlotry Conuenticles depriued of true parents and maynteyners of their beliefe entitle themselues to the noble issue of our fruitfull Mother to the right of her ordinary succession and lawfull â—aâ—ours For Field auerres of the Protestant Church that Before Luthers dayes it was the knowne and apparent Church in the Field in 3. booke of of the Church ca. 6. pag. 72. VVhitein his defence of the way to the true Church ca. 44. fol. 424. Fulke in c. 20. Apoc. sect 6 Field ibid. pag. 73. VVhite in his way to the true Church §. 45. fol 338. and. § 50. fol. 372. in his defence of the same way c. 44. fol. 420. VVhitak cont 2 pa. 165. world wherein allour Fathers liued and dyed wherin Luther and the rest were baptized receaued their Christianity ordination power of mynistery Which White acknowledgeth saying For the first 600. hundred we assigne the Church wherein the Fathers liued and for the rest to this day we will assigne no other catalogue then the Church of Rome it selfe Thus the Protestants Church which in the opinion of their greatest Clarkes was latent and inuisible or which continued in desert corners before Luthers appearing is now by their followers made at the same tyme famous and apparent euen the glorious renowned Church of Rome it selfe so ill do the schollers agree with their Maysters the children with their Fathers But when we oppose against theÌ„ that the Church of Rome is that superstitious and Antichristian Church
consent and agreement by which the members of the same Church though of diuers nations languages customes dispositions yet are all vnited in the same fayth lawes sacrifice religion They are all carefull as Saint Paul exhorteth to keep the vnity of the spirit in the band of peace To be of one accord and one iudgemet For which cause Christ earnestly prayed and vsed many other effectuall meanes he ordeyned vs all to one end and goale of felicity You are called in one hope of your vocation He taught vs to acknowledge as Saint Paul writeth in the â—ame place one Lord one fayth one Baptisme one God and Father of Eph. 4. v. 3. Phil. 2. v. 2. Ioan. 17. v. 11. Eph. 4. v. 4. v. 5. 1. Cor. 10. v. 17. 18. all He nourisheth vs with one bread his owne sacred flesh He incorporateth vs in one body He guideth vs with one and the same spirit and that all thinges might be orderly disposed he submitteth vs in his absence to the obedieâ—ce of one head his vice gereÌ„t vpon earth by which the pâ—erogatiue of vnity is principally maynteyned and â—â—â—refore Saint Augustine termeth the sea of his residence Câ—â—hedram vnitatis the Chayre of vnity And Saint Cyprian Aug. ep 166. CypriaÌ„ ep 73. Optat. l. 2. con Parm. Iero. con Iouin cont Lucif Leo ep 84. Bernard l. 3. ad Eug. Irae l. 1. c. 3. 〈◊〉 Peter vpon whome our Lord built his Church he instituted and â—â—wed the beginning of vnity The like hath Optatus rhe like S. â—â—rome and Saint Leo. 3. By the assistance of Gods holy spirit and â—y the subordination of the people Priestes Pastours Bishops to this supreme head the Pope of Rome which Saint Bernard resembleth to the subordination of the Angells Archangells Cherubims and Scraphims to Almighty God there is preserued in the vniuersall Church spread ouer all the world that admirable peace and perfect argrement as if it dwelled to vse Saint Irenaeus words â—â— one house enioyed one soule and one hart she preacheth teacheth and deliuereth the thinges shee belieueth so conformably as if she spake with one mouth For sayth he Although there be different languages yet the vertue of traditioÌ„ is one the same Neyther do those Churches which are founded in Germany belieue otherwise or otherwise deliuer Nor those that are amongst the Hiberians nor those that are in the East nor those that are in Aegypt nor such as are in Libya nor such as are planted in the midest of the earth But as the sunne that workemanship of God is one and the same in the vniuersall world so the light the preaching of truth euery where shineth and enlighteneth all who will come to the knowledge therof 4. This conformaty of doctrine which Irenaeus marked in the vniuersall Church of his tyme where can we now discouer but amongst the Professours of the Roman fayth Goe into Asia Goe into Africa sayle into India passe into Iaponia compasse the East and returne into Al Catho like professours are vnius Labij of the same speach or language the West and you shall behold all Countryes all prouinces all Cittyes euery professor of our Religion vnius Labij of one language of one hart and soule in Sacraments sacrifice and all Articles of fayth The reason is because they all as I â—outhed aboue submit themselues to the iudgement of one soueraygne and supreme head who guided by Gods spirit infallibly gouerneth and vnâ—â—â—th the whole body From whome if any dissent he is seuâ—red and cut of from the rest of the members 5. Amongst Protestants no such thinge nothing but schismes iarres and mutuall discordes such as Saâ—â—t Aug. l. 18. de ciuitat Dei ca. 41 Iraen l. 1. Tertull. de praes Hil. l. 7. de Tri. ChrysostoÌ„ Hom. 20. operis impersect in Matth. Parkes agaynst VVillets Limbomastix Augustine discouered amongst the heathen Philosophers â— such as Irenaeus Tertullian S. Hilary and S. Chrysostom amongst auncient heretikes For example trauayle into these ouâ— Sectaryes dominions one fayth shall you find in one Countrey another in another one in Saxony another in Germany another in England This at Geneua that at Zuricke c. What shall I speake of Citties and countries examine the fauorites of any particuler sect no agreemeÌ„â— amongst them no towne no village no man perseuereth long in the same beliefe But they often change and vary from themselues coyning as Saint Hilary reporteth of the Arians yearely and monethly faythes Euery man sayth M. Parkes maketh Religion the handmaid of his affections VVe may say now that there are so many faithes as willes and so many doctrines as manners of men whiles eyther we write them as we list or vnderstand Beza ep 1. and Andr. Dud. repeateth his wordes M VVilliam Reynolds in his preface before his refutation of M. VVhitaker reprehen Cauils them as we please in so much that many are brought to their wits ends not knowing what to do Which Duditius an emineÌ„t Protestant in the fight of Beza obiecteth agaynst his own brethren which Maister VVilliam Reynolds our Catholike writer notably declareth in the changes and alterations of our English gospellers in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth and I might further specify in many particulers since the raygne of our gracious King Iames. 6. For in her dayes the reall presence was * VVhitaker cont 2. q. 5. c. 7. pag. 89. Reynoldes in his fifth cont folio 657. Sparks in his answere to M. Iohn de Albins fol. 235. See these wordes of the Bishop of Ely allowed by Casaub in his aforesayd answ to Car. Peron â—â— 16. Causab pag. 33. In the conf at Hâ—mp court Reynolds in his 4. coâ—lus Field in his â— book c. 10. 11. Field in his third booke of the Church c. 22. fol. 118. Illiricus in clauo Scripturae de varia c. tract 6. dupl iustit instific Field in the place before cited impugned as implying contradiction and destroying the humane nature of Christ Now it is allowed as nothing impossible VVe agree with you sayth the Bishop of Ely concerning the obiect all the strife is aboue the manner c. we belieue the presence we belieue I say the true presence as well as you c. Then yearely shrift or auricular confession was an antichristian and popish bondage a butchery of mens consciences now the Fathers who ordeyned it had their reasons why they thought that such manner of confession would further the easier atteyning to saluâ—â—tion Then to pray for the dead that their soules might thereby be reliued was new fantasticall and superstitiâ—us popery Now to desire of God rest for their soules was an aunâ—â—ent custome and is referred by his Maiesty to the head of thinges proâ—â—able or lawfull Then when a woman was head a woman might lawfully baptize and Christen infants Now the midwifes christing is vnallowable and of no force at all Then the holy Catholike Church which we belieue
vnto death in this deadly schisme and vnreconciliable hatred the one agaynst the other To leaue forraine contentions and speake of domesticall VVhitak contro 2. quaest 6. c. 3. Fulke in cap. 11. Matt. sect 5. Hooker it s in his Eccl. poli lib. 2. pa 101. Co. in his def c. art 7. pag. 54. Perkins in his refor Catholikp 55. Abbot in his def c. c. 3. se 8. 9. 10 Sparke in his answer to M. Iohn d'Albins f. 281. 28â— 283. VVhitak vbi supra Field l. 3. cap. 22. fo 118. 119. Ouerall in the confer pa 41. 42. Fulke in c. 3. IoaÌ„ sect 2. in 2â— Actorum sect 10. VVhitakâ—r contro 1. quaest 6. c. 3. VVhit ibid. 57. Bils in his true difference c. p. 4. p. 586. 587 Casaub in his answere to Card. Per. p. 20. in eng M. Iacob in his def p. 88. Harm p. 80. 81. 82. VVhite in his way to the true Church §. 33. fol. 138. of our gospellers amongst themselues in such pointes of sayth as they confesse to be substantiall 4. Whitaker and Folke peremptorily define the coÌ„maundements of God impossible to be kept and the former of â—hem â—egâ—â—â—eth this as a fundamentall point M. Hooker and Doctour Concil eagerly gayne lay it and sincerely hold they may be kept Mayâ—â—er Perkins Doctour Abbot and Doctour Sparke maynteine that the faythfull once instifyed cannot fallout of the state of grace with whome Mayster Whitaker agreeth and setteth it downe as a fundamentall point And Sparke sayth the contrary is a most dangerous errour Doctour Field notwithstanding Doctour Oueral now Bishop of Couentry and Lichfield defend they may by grieuous sinns fall from grace into the present state of wrath and damnation whose opinion his Maiesty approued with his royall assent in the conference at Hampton Court Fulke sucketh from Caluin and Whitaker engrosseth it as a point fundamentall That the Sacramentes are not necessary to saluation That they signify only but they cause no grace And of Baptisme by name Whitaker sayth Our safety dependeth not of the outward lotion but on the meritts of Christ on the meere election and promise of God Mayster Hooker and Mayster Bilson contrary wise affirme the Sacraments necessary to saluation and that they do cause grace and that our safety so much dependeth on the outward lotion as infants quoth Bilson cannot enter the Kingdome of heauen nor be heyres with Christ before they be engrassed into Christ by Baptisme A little after The Church absolutely and slatly may not assure saluation to children vnbaptized Which Casaubon also in his Maiesties name alloweth as most true Mayster Iacob with the harmony of confessions which Mayster white honoureth as the touchstone of his beleefe approueth a disparity of sinns â—ome to be veniall not all to deserue eternall death Fuâ—â—â— â—ulke 〈…〉 Matth. sect 6. 〈…〉 in c. Rom. sect 11. VVhitak vbi su fol. 58. 58â— VVillet in his Synop. printed anno Domini 1600. contro 20. VVhitak in his ans to M. CaÌ„pians 8. reason l. 8. aduer Duraeum â— Bilson in his serm Of the full redemptioÌ„ c. Hugh Sanford l. 3. de desc Domini nostri ad inferoâ— sâ—â— 91. 92. 93. 94. c. Reynolds in his secoÌ„d conclusion annexed to his confer VVhitak cont 2. qu. â— cap. 3. f. 274. VVhite §. 14. fol. 79. Bancroft in his sermon preea had the 8. of â—â—br 1588. VVillet in finop p. 48 Field in his first book of the Church c. 20. Hook l. â— sect 8. p. 141. l. 2. p. 103. 12â— Couell in his defence art 8. p. 49. 50. 51. 52. Reyn. in his fift conclu VVill. in his medit vpon the 122. psalm Hook l. 5. p. 140. VVill. in sinop anno Domino 160. p. 789. 788. Bils in his suruey of Christ sufferings and of his des to hell Perkins in his treatise of that mattter San. l. 3. de des Domini nos â—nd Whitaker so bitterly inâ—eigh agaynst that Popish assertiâ—â— as Whitaker protesteth it doth not only ouerthrowe the true â—â—t establish a false foundation Willet and Whitaker blasphemously deny the full sufficâ—ency of our Redemption by Christs corâ—â—rall death without his feeling of eternall damnaation M. Bilson confuteth that diuâ—◠〈◊〉 errour and truly teacheth as we do out of the Scriptures Fathers That he fully redeemed vs with his death on the Crosse and neuer felt noâ—â—o much as dreaded any death of foule or â—orrour of damnation how beit Master Sanford laboureth to answere all his arguments raking the former heresy out of hell defendeth it with such impiety as I wonder so detestable a work is permitted in a Christian common wealth 5. It were an infinit labour to recount all their infinit differences For touching the Church Reynoldes Whitaker and White affirme the whole militant Church vpon earth may erre in manners in doctrine in points of fayth Mayster Bancroft holdeth it cannot erre in matters of fayth Willet sayth it is sometymes inuisible Field it is alwayes visible Touching Euangelicall Councells That a man may doe more then he is bound vnder precept is auouched by Mayster Hooker and Doctour Couell reiected by Doctour Reynolds and Mayster Willet as impious and presumptuous Concerning Christ Hooker defendeth he died for all Willet he died not for al but only for the elect Bilson sayth he descended into hell M. Perkins and Mayster Sanford he descended not into the locall place of hell but only into his graue or scpulcher Touching their Mission some wil haue it ordinary some â—xtraordinary one from the people another from the Prince or house of Parlament A third from the Catholike Clergy which they account false and Antichristian Field l. 3. c. 3â— fo 156. 158. c. Barlow in his Sermon preached September 21. 1606. In which kind Field auerreth endeauoureth to proue That Presbiters to wit Priests and not Bishops may in case of necessity ordeyne Presbiters and Deacons and he graunteth many of the reformed Churches namely those of France and others to haue had no other ordination But William Barlow late Bishop of Rochester in his Sermon concerning the antiquity and superiority of Bishops preached before the King at Hampton Court affirmeth and proueth That Neyther the Apostles nor Church of Christ succeeding would admit any other but Bishops to that busines as not iustifiable for Presbiters eyther by reason example or Scriptur Againe he addeth If any of the inferiour rancks vnder Bishops presumed to do it his act was reuersed by the Church for vnlawfull Lastly concerning the Regiment of their Church the consistory of Geneua in the confession of their fayth approued by Caluin and Beza detest the Papisticall hierarchy of the Church of England as vsurped and diabolicall All English Puritans abhorre the same accounting the Protestant Doctour VVhitgift against Cart. Hooker in his book of â—â—polâ—â—y Mason in his 4. bookes 1. King Iam. in his premonitioÌ„ pag. 44. The Auth. of the 12. Arguments
reasoneth well against the ProtestaÌ„ts Bishops titulary and antichristian Prelats Doctour Whitgift notwithstanding Mayster Hooker and Francis Mason strengthen confirme it as proceeding from God And the Royall Wisdome of King Iames deliuereth That Bishops ought to be in the Church I euer maynteyned it as an Apostolicall institution so the ordinance of God Which is so mighty a dissention as the one party must needs gainesay the other in a point fundameÌ„tal For eyther this ecclesiastical gouermeÌ„t vsed in England by Archbishops Bishops other inferiour ministers is de iure diuino ordained by God or not If it be Then as the Puritan authour of the twelue generall arguments reasoneth well The Churches of Scotland France low Countries and other places the precisians of England who account it Antichristian cannot be a true Church but the signagogue of Satan contradicting therein both Christ and his gospell If not Then according to the rule of Protestants who appeach all publike and ecclesiasticall administratioÌ„ as sacrilegious policy which is not warranted by the word of God the Puritans will conuince them of tyrannicall vsurpation who establish â—n their Church an ecclesiasticall hierarchy which God â—euer willed nor commaunded them to do These and many other such tragicall diuisions in matters essentiall â—aygne amongst them which the Protestant Relatour sayth tend mainely to the increase of Atheisme within of Mahomeâ—isme Relatour in his relat §. 45. printed at London anno 1605. D. Couell in his iust temper defence art 11. pag. 67. In their ChristiaÌ„ modest off c. p. 1â— published anno Domini 1606. Ibid. p. 16. VVillet in his medit vpon the 122. psal p. 91. ante medium abroad And Doctour Couell a Protestant more modest then Whitaker more sincere then Field plainly protesteth Least any man should thinke our contentions with puritaÌ„s â—â—ere in smaller points difference not great each side hath charged one the other with heresies if not infidelityes nay euen with such as quite ouerthrow the principall foundation of our Christian fayth 6. The Puritans iumpe with him affirming their disagreement from the Protestant Bishops to be of that nature in sundry propositions as if they shold not coÌ„staÌ„tly hold and maynteyne the same against all men they cannot see how possibly by the rules of diuinity the separation of their Churches from the Church of Rome from the Pope the supreme head thereof can be iustified c. A little after they add VVherein if they the Puritans be in errour the Prelats on the contrary haue the truth they protest to all the world that the Pope the Church of Rome in them God and Christ Iesus himselfe haue great wronge indignity offered vnto them in that they are reiected that all the Protestant Churches are schismaticall in forsaking vnity and communion with them Thus they Mayster Willets testimony rehearsing diuers of the forenamed variances adiudging theÌ„ blasphemous were too long to repeate the alleadged wil declare First what small trust is to be reposed in Whitaker Field White c. in other matters who in a thing so manifest are conuicted of falshood Secondly what hatfull quarrells cruell debats this new religion hath bread in England in so much as the poore ignorant people know not whome to follow or what to belieue when their greatest maisters and chiefest guides are at this deadly warre amongst themselues 7. Wherefore as Saint Augustine mourned the vnhappynes Aug. l. 18. de ciuitate Dei ca. 41. of the Athenians and vanity of their City who harboured and gaue countenance to sundry iarring Philosophers directly opposite and fiercely disagreeing one from the other Not sayth he about landes houses or money matters but about those things by which the life of maÌ„ is eyther miserably or happily leade In like sort I may coÌ„miserat and bewayle the dangerous estate of my countrymen and wofull calamity of our distressed Iland which now fostereth in her lappe and nourisheth in her bosome so many factious ministers diuided as you see farre worse then the Athenian Sophisters not in Ciuile brawles or politike diuisions not in morall precepts of life and manners but in the deepest affayres of conscience of fayth of religion which they cannot discusse without danger nor vp hold without infamy nor teach without infection nor long maynteyne without the viperous distraction of themselues and endlesse ruine of innumerable soules Yet So sâ— to seale vp my discourse with the same authours words it is necessary that rent diuided into small peeces they perish who Aug. con Parmen l. â— cap. 4. haue preferred the swelling pride of their haughty slomake before the most holy band of Catholike peace vnity CHAP. XVI Wherin is declared how SaÌ„ctity or Holines is a note of the true Church Agaynst Doctour Whitaker and Doctour Field MANYFOLD and various is the signification of this word Sanctum holy and so it diuersly entitleth and denominateth the Church of God First she is called holy because she is purchased and sanctified by the precious bloud of our innocent and vnspotted Lambe Christ Iesus which Saint Peter 1. Pet. 2. v. 9. insinuated when he stiled the faythfull A holy Nation a people of purchase Secondly it is holy because it is wholy dedicated and consecrated vnto God whereupon he sayd to his people You shal be holy because I am holy Thirdly it is Leuitic 11. 1. Pet. 1. holy for that it consisteth of holy lawes holy precepts holy ceremonyes holy Sacraments all thinges holy Fourthly it is holy by reason of her purity and holynes both in doctrine and manners and this all Catholique writers acknowledge as a proper badge and token of Christs chosen flocke yet not in that sort as purity of doctrine or syncere and true preaching of the word is challenged by the Protestants and refuted by vs a note more hidden then the thing it denoteth but in a farre different sense For Protestants take the vniuersall purity of A differet acception of sanctity of doctrin vsed amongst Catholiks and Protestants doctrine and true preaching of the word as it is opposite to all errours in euery dogmaticall and essentiall point to be a Marke of the true Church We a particuler purity or sanctity or sanctity only not as it excludeth all fundamentall errours contrary to truth but as it excludeth all grosse or palpable absurdityes repugnant to the principles of nature or rules of coÌ„mon reason known to all men this we assigne as an vndoubted recognizance of the immaculate and euer beloued spouse of Christ Wherein Mayster Whitaker hath inexcusably iniuried Cardinal Bellarmine in traducing him for challenging VVhitak contr â— q. 5. ca. 9. fol. 415. 416. Field in his 3. booke ca. 44. f. â—76 this not to haue forsaken his staÌ„ding to haue cowardly fled to their protestaÌ„t campe And Field more main part sawcie then he sayth A lier should haue a good memory c.
by the censure of S. Ierome by his owne deposition should be endited of heresy he trauerseth the inditement in this miserable Field Ibid. manner As sayth he the honourable title of Catholike sometime a note of the true and orthodoxall Church is now ceased to be so In like sort the naming after the names of mâ—n sometime a note of hersy is now ceased to be so which to most true the sundry manifold diuers names of Dominicans Franciscans Benedictins Augustinians Thomists Scotists the like do make it most apparant This later instance because it is the same with Whitaker and Fulke I shall refute hereafter Now if the name of Catholike which was once a note of the true Church is ceased so to be I demaund how or by what meanes it ceased You say Field in the place aboue cited pa. 56. M Field when the maine body of the Christian Church diuided it selfe c to wit the Grecian from the Latine then it began to be common to both the moyetyes To the false Church as well as to the true Because the Christians of the Greeke and orientall Church are and haue beene as generally named Catholikes as the frends and followers of the westerne Which if he vnderstaÌ„d of the true Christians in those parts who communicated with the Romans in all points of fayth it is true but altogeather impertinent yea repugnant to his purpose If of the seduced Christians who by schisme or heresy were separated from the rest it is more then ordinary it is intollerable falshood to say that they were generally named Catholikes whome all both prophane and ecclesiasticall writers who were not parties in their broyles commoÌ„ly record eyther by the generall name of schismatikes of Greece or by the particuler names of the authours who raysed these factions as Meletians Luciferians Macedonians Fields shamlesse deuise of the ceasing of the name Catholike to be a note of the Church refuted Nestorians and the like of Meletius of Lucifer of Macedonius of Nestorius 3. Againe suppose the glorious and triumphant name of Catholike ceased to be a note of the true Church by the Grecian schisme you should tell vs M. Field by what schisme or reuolt she first left that marke Who robbed her of it What complaints were made of the wrong offered to so chast a spouse These and many such points should be specified which you of a guilty and teacherous conscience willfully omit For will you auouch it ceased to be a note at that great diuision or open rebellion which See Baron ann Chri 306. the Meletians the Arians made about the 300. yeare of our Lord But sundry Canons of the Councell of Nice the writings of Saint Paicanus Saint Hilary Saint Cyrill and Saint Augustine The decrees of Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius three worthy Emperours beare witnes against Conc. Nic. can 8. 10. 19. S. Pacian ep 1. ad symp Hilar. l. ad Constan. Cyril cate 18. Aug. epist 107. â—piphan haer 68. you who liuing some at the same time some immediatly after do notwithstanding acknowledge it a marke of the true Church And chiefly Epiphanius who writing of the same schisme recordeth that the true Christistians who at that tyme cleaned to Peter Bishop of Alexandria fronted their Churches with this inscription Ecclesia Catholica the Catholike Church Those that did adhere to Meletius branded theirs with this note Ecclesia Martyrum The Church of Martyrs 4. Will you pretend it ceased at the tyme of that proud and presumptuous breach which Iohn the Patriarch of Constantinople caused when he did arrogate to be sole and vniuersall Patriarch But I find in the writings of S. Gregory the great in the abiuration of the schismaticall Greg. l. 4. indict 13. ep 2. l. 12. ep 7. l. 10. indict 5. ep 31. Beda histo l. 3. c. 29. Bishops pronounced agaynst heresy at the same tyme In venerable Bede and innumerable other moderne authours that it still continued a true note of the Church Moreouer that this rash assertion may manifestly appeare to be nothing else but a clowdy fiction of yours to hide the light of so faire a marke Reason teacheth and Doctour Whitaker often confesseth The markes and propertyes of the Church to be vnseparable from the Church whose marks they are Therfore that which once was must still coÌ„tinue a marke of the Church because the true Church albeit admit some accidentall change yet it is alwayes in VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. ca. 18. folio 505. nature vnuariable in essence vnchaungeable so that the propertyes which flow from the essence thereof as the name Catholike doth can no more be altered chaunged or cease then the power of laughing a property which proceedeth from the nature of man can euer cease to apperteyne to man 5. Secondly the name of Catholike was not as Saint Paicanus writeth ab homine mutuatum borrowed from a man to be subiect to chaunge but inspired by the holy Ghost to be a permanent and perpetuall marke to distinguish not for a tyme but for euer the people of God from hereticall assemblies Whereupon he sayth This name Paâ—iaÌ„ ep 1. ad Symp. Catholike neyther soundeth Marcion nor Apelles nor Montanus neyther doth it acknowledge any hereticall authours Lastly iâ— Field will haue the name Catholike now cease to be a note of Christs flocke because it denoteth not his heard of sectaries he must mak an article of our creed which is no lesse then blasphemy cease to be true he must cease to belieue the Church of the Apostles cease to belieue the holy Catholike Church and impiously translate the honourable title Field vbi supra folio 57. prope finem as himselfe tearmeth it of Christs immaculate spouse to the Satanicall synagogue and aduoutresse of the Diuell She must be also Catholike she the harlot must be graced with the stile trimmed with the ornaments set forth and knowne by the peculiar and celestiall badge of her Ministers To leaue M. Field and encounter with his fellowes 6. Fulke and Whitaker hauing not brewed that new deuise of Fields imitating the Nouatians and other Fulke in c. 11. art sect 4. VVhitaker cont 2. q. 5. heretikes apishly professe that they are the true Catholikes howsoeuer we seeme to boast of the name Of the truth of the thinge I shall speake in due tyme. Now the whole question is about the name who are commonly knowne thereby Protestants or we whome they terme Papists Aske first the opinion and iudgement of all nations in whatsoeuer bookes they reade that Catholikes are of this minde Lutherans Caluinists Anabaptists of that doe they euer stagger or doubt who are meant by the worde Catholike we or Protestants Inquire then of the Turks Iewes and Infidells when they speake write or heare of Catholikes whether they vnderstand not the professours of the Roman Church Consult the consciences of Protestantes themselues goe into Germany knocke at the gates of Geneua
appeare at the Assizes and Sessions in England professe your selfe a Catholike Will they not all iudge you a Roman Catholike And are they not also often forced for distinction sake to stile vs by that name Aug. de vera relig cap. 7. Aug. con ep fund c. 4. because they could not otherwise be vnderstood as S. Austine saith especially when they discourse with straungers who are vnaquainted with the nicknames they impose vpon vs and therefore the same Saint Augustine noteth it in another place as a secret and hidden iudgement of God That whereas all heretikes would haue themselues called Catholikes yet to Sleidan lib. 7. fo 96. Fox Acts and monu pag. 613. Iacob inhis reasons p. 5. 24. Fulke in act â—1 sect 4. Humf. in vita Iuelli pag. 102. a straunger demaunding where a man might repayre to the Catholike assembly none of the heretikes dare shew their owne conuenticles or meeting place Trauaile through the free state of Germany where our Religion and Protestants are publikly permitted propound this question to the Lutherans Zuinglians or Caluinists there aske where the Catholikes meete at seruice And they will point you to our Churches And not only in priuate talke but in publike writings discourses some of our sectaryes attribute vnto vs the priuiledge of this name as Sleidan M. Fox and M. Iacob often doe Doctour Fulke termeth it a vayne sound Doctour Humfery scornfully disgraceth it Others vtterly renouÌ„ce discard it as certayn Lutherans did at the Synode holden In col Altemberg in resp ad accus corr fol. 154. at Altemberge who wheÌ„ their aduersaries obiected a saying of Luther agaynst them in which the word Catholike was found they reiected it as counterfeit saying These wordes Catholikely vnderstood sauournot of Luthers stile 7. And M. Abbot now supposed Bishop of Sarisbury The name of Catholike was an honourable name and the Abbot in his answer to Doctour Bishopsep to the King fol. 16. and 17. peculiar title of the children of the Church but now by their abuse who haue vniustly taken that name vnto themselues it is become a name of course and shame with the people of God and the proper badge of Apostatas heretikes c. Then he denyeth it sectmates and attributeth vnto vs that literall name saying Let them haue the shell so that we haue the kernell Let them vaunt themselues of the empty letter so long as we haue the true vertue and signification of the name But of the signification hereafter in the insewing Chapter Here it appeareth by his renuntiation and flat deposition That we of the Roman profession and only we are commonly designed by the name Catholike We only enioy the liuely badge and are inuested with the liuery of the true professours of Christ Neyther can M. Abbot or M. Whitaker dismantle vs of that royalty by VVhitak contr â— q. 5. ca. 2 fol. 295. Abbot loco citato saying Names may be falsly imposed to things or vniustly vsurped For this name is not imposed by man not vsurped by abuse but imparted by God inspired by the holy Ghost as I haue proued aboue who cannot apparell vs with any faygned attire nor can the diuell take from Gods people their cognizance or nobilitate his vassalls with the colours of Christ But such hath beene the diuine prouidence in preseruing the honour of this title to his Beloued spouse as there was neuer any schismaticall or hereticall assembly commonly called or stiled Catholike neuer any people generally of all parties knowne by that name who were not indeed the true flocke of Christ Heretikes quoth Fulke could neuer obtayne to be so called by true Fulk in lo. citato Christians Wherefore seeing Protestants for the most part and all others Christians yea Iewes and infidells discerne vs by this marke we are the true followers beleeuers in Christ 8. Fulke Field and Whitaker obiect agayne that Fulke ibid. Field l. 2. c. 9. VVhitak contr 2. q. 5. cap. 2. Field ibid. folio 58. we are also called by seuerall names Some Benedictins Franciscans Dominicans c. some Thomists Scotists and the like I answere these names import not any difference in matters of fayth as Field testifyeth with me but in order of life in courses as he saith of monasticall profession or in questionable matters not defined by the Church in controuersies of religion to vse his wordes not yet determined by the consent of the whole vniuersall Church Yf the spirit of modesty if the spirit of truth guided his pen to answere this in our behalfe imagine with your selues what spirit of giddines what spirit of contradiction incensed his hart to controule his owne speach and calumniate vs without a cause For as in the old law some were called Rechabites Iare 35. 2. 5. 6. Num. 6. 2. 5. 13. some Nazarites so now we may haue diuers names as long as they argue not the least chaunge or innouation in any necessary point of beliefe which none of the former doe related by M. Field nor any other by which he and his associates scornfully miscall vs. For the name Papist designeth not any particuler man or new manner of beliefe but only our submission and adhereÌ„ce to the Pope our head The name Romanist so rife in the pen of M. Field declareth the chiefe Citty or seate of his residence and our communion with it Both which haue euer beene speciall tokens of faythfull Christians Whereupon Saint Augustine sayd of Cecilian that he needed Aug. ep 162. not seare the conspiring multitude of African Bishops as longe as he communicated with Melchiades the Pope And Optatus to omit Optatus l. 2. contra Parme. Saint Ierome whose wordes I recited in another place maynteyning league with Siricius the Pope with whom the whole world as he sayth was vnited cassiereth the Donatistes out of the number of Catholikes because they communicated not with the Roman Church Why our sectaries are called ProtestaÌ„ts 9. But as the very nicknames our enemyes deuise to disgrace vs plainly bewray both the equity of our cause and truth of our religion So all the titles we giue vnto them and such as they arrogate to themselues burne them in the forhead with the print of heresy For some we call Sacramentaryes for denying the truth of Christes presence in the Sacrament Others Caluinistes After what manner they may be fitly tearmed Ghopellers others Lutherans of the innouation and chaunge which Luther and Caluin first inuented in matters of fayth Protestants and Gospellers they all tearme themselues because they ioyned togeather to make open protestation agaynst the whole body of Christendome in the Councell of Trent Gospellers because they pretend though falsly as other heretikes are wont to follow the gospell and pure word of God Yet in a contrary sense they may enioy the outward splendour of that empty name in that they offer violence to the gospell in writhing it to their phansies
fratris to receaue the Sacramentes That he demaunded of a Bishop VVhether he agreed with the Catholique Bishops that is with the Roman Church Iocundus also the Arian as Victor reporteth sayd to Kinge Theodoricke Yf you put Armogastes to death the Romans will proclayme him a Victor Vti de pers Van. l. 1. Hier. in ap aduer Ruf. Martyr Where by the Romans he vnderstood Catholiques In like manner Ricemer the Goth and Arian wrote vnto the Genneses Yf he be a Catholique he is a Roman Hence the Roman fayth is tearmed the Catholique fayth the Romen Bishop Bishop of the Catholique Church Bishop of the vniuersall Church Pope of the vniuersall Cypr. l. 3. Ep. 11. Con. Calce act 3. in rela Sanctae Synodi ad Pap. Leonem Poss in vita Augustini ca. 17. Iustin in Epist Hormis papae Cypo epist 52. Leo ep 82. Cypr. l. 4. ep 2. Opt. l. 2. contra Parmen L. in vrbe Roma de statu hom Aug. de ci Deil. 5. c. 15. Art 22. 16. Church His sentence the iudgement of the Catholique Church His definitions Catholique instructions His Sea the roote or matrixe of the Catholique Church His solicitude the care of the vniuersall Church To communicate with him to communicate with the Catholique Church To enter league with him to keepe frendship or society of communion with the vniuersall world 16. In fine as in auncient tymes all people subiect to the Roman Empire were by a generall decree of the ciuill law graced with the name of Roman Cittizens After which sort Saint Augustine testifyeth of some enobled with the title of Roman Senatours who neuer entred the gates of Rome And Saint Paul being borne at Tharsis in Cilicia professed himselfe a Roman borne So in like manner All Churches that liue in communion with the Roman Church All that submit themselues to the obedience of that Sea Al that acknowledge her their head and mother Church borrow from her the denomination of Roman Churches Especially sith that generally denominations are deriued from the most eminent and principall part and neuer any Church neuer any people in any parte of the worlde hath beene taynted with heresy or touched with schisme which tooke the name of Roman Church or Roman people by reason of their communion with the Sea of Rome Therefore as the name Catholique and the thinge signifyed thereby So the name Roman or Romanist is a playne demonstration that our Church is the Gen. 13. 22. flocke of Christ and only seed which our Lord hath blessed and multiplyed like the starrs of heauen and duste of the earth The Kingdome of God whose dominion is extended from one sea to another and from the Riuer to the vttermost boundes of the worlde The Lady or Queene which sitteth one the right hand of her spouse enuironed with Psal 71. see S. Aug. vpon that psalme Pacian ep 3. ad Symp. Malach. c. v. 1. v. 11 the variety of all tribes and Countryes The chosen people which from the rising of the sunne euen to the setting euery where magnifyeth the name of our Lord. And the Protestantes Secte is that deuided faction which rebelleth agaynst him that segregated bunche or festered boyle That harlotry Synagogue which shrowded in corners lyeth in wayte to deceaue our soules to entangle them with fayre wordes and flattery of lippes c. VVhose howse the wayes of hell penetrating to the inward partes of death Prou. 7. CHAP. XX. In which Apostolicall succession is declared to be an apparant note of the true Church Agaynst Mayster Francis Mason AS the Church of Christ cannot possibly continue without the preaching of truth and administration of Sacraments the Sacramēts cannot be ministred nor truth preached without pastours teachers to deliuer the same The Pastours and teachers not still remayne without a perpetuall generation or propagation of them by succession mission and approued ordination Tertullian libro de praescrip Ther ore the ancient Fathers haue alwayes appealed to this lawfull successiō of Priests Bishops as to an illustrious note mark of the Church more plaine more cōspicuous more easily known thē the doctrin of truth to which notwithstanding it is inseparably linked Augustin psal contra partē Do. Tom. 7. libro contra Ep funda Iraeneus libro 3. c. 1. Therefore Tertullian thus prouoked the heretikes of his tyme Let them set forth the beginning of their Churches Let them thew the ranke or order of their Bishops c. Saint Augustine in like sort challenged the Donatistes Recount sayth he the Priestes euen from Peters seate and looke who haue succeeded one another in the ranke of those Fathers After the same manner Saint Iraeneus discomfiteth the Valentinians Saint Epiphanius Epiphan haer 17. Ieronymus dialog vlt. cōtra Lucif Optatus l 2. the Carpocratians Saint Ierome the Luciferians Optatus the heretique Parmenian And he particulerly nameth the Roman Bishops from Peter to Siricius Saint Augustine from Peter to Anastasius affirming that by that succession of Priests and Bishops he was held in the Church 2. Whereunto least some Cauiller should take exception that they speake only of the tyme past of the Augustine Ep. contra Faustum Manich. cap. 4. succession which was before their dayes but they prophecy not of the tyme to come nor do they auow that the like succession shal stil perseuere S. Austine to encoūter this obiection notably writeth in another place The true Church by most certayn successiō of Bishops doth perseuere frō the Apostles tyme vnto ours and to tymes after vs agayne Which is a Augustine libro cont aduers leg Proph. cap. 20. Ecclesia ab Apostolorum tēporibus per Episcoporum successiones certissimas vsque ad nostr ū deniceps tempora perseuerat thinge so cleerly defined in holy writ especially by Saint Paul to the Ephesians and so necessary for the instruction of the infidells edification of the faythfull consummation of the Saints and true essence or being of the Church as no Sacrament can be ministred word preached fayth imbraced or Church remayne where the true vocation or ordinary calling of Bishops and Priestes is at any tyme wanting Neyther doe the more learned of our Aduersaryes make doubt hereof But as the heretikes in Saint Augustines tyme so these now bragge of a certayne figure or similitude of beginning vnder the name of Christians but are indeed withered braunches cut of from the vine For some of them endeauour to steale a beginning or ordinary calling from the temporall Magistrates and suffrages of the people as Caluin and his brats of Geueua Others from the temporall Prince only without the peoples voyces as Brentius and Musculus Others from the Presbitery or meere Priestes that be not Bishops which Monsieur Caluin l. 4. instit c. 3. §. 1. c. 4 §. 11. Brent in prol Mus in locis comun Plessis in tract de Ecclesia cap. vlt. Field in his 3. booke of the
Church c. 39. pag. 156. 157. 158. 159. Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn d'Albins du Plessis and M Doctour Field in some causes eagerly defend Some fly to extraordinary vocation and calling immediatly from God or from the priuiledge of truth which they pretend to deliuer as M. Sparke D. Fulke and D. Whitaker with diuers of the Puritan sect Fulke against Stap. and Martial pag. 2. VVhitak contr 2. c. 6 fol. 368. 371. Some others to the letters Patentes of their Prince and general consent of the Parlament house as many English Protestants did in the dayes of King Edward and at the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raygne But now their new Attorneyes finding the plea of their predecessours cleane ouerthrown in al the former cases they lay clayme to the pedegree of our Bishops to the row of our auncestours So cleare resplendent is this shining marke of our Roman succession as it maketh the very children of darkenes to runne vnto it and seeke to sunne themselues in the beames of her light like forlorne traytours who rebelling agaynst their soueraygne challenge his title to dispoâ—sesse him of his throne So Mayster Francis Mason M. FraÌ„cis Mason l. 1. cap. 2. folio 10. hath set forth a booke in folio to authorize the ordinary calling of their Protestant Ministery by the Canonicall consecration of our Roman Prelates The Mynisters of of England sayth he receaue imposition of handes in lawfull manner from lawfull Bishops indewed with lawfull authority therefore their calling is ordinary Thus he We aske by whome He answereth by the hands of such Bishops as went before them whome he confesseth to be vndoubted Bishops of the Roman Church And therefore telleth vs Archbishop CraÌ„mer and other heroycall he should say diabolicall spirits whoÌ„ the Lord vsed as his instruments to reforme religion in England had the very selfe same ordination and succession whereof you so glory 3. A desperate case when heretikes fly to Catholiques tentes when meere oucrastes eyther degraded or titularyes only would begge nobility from the stocke of such as degraded them But what hope can they haue to draw their lineage from them from whome they deriue Protestant Bishops Priestes haue neyther true successioÌ„ election ordinatioÌ„ or missioÌ„ not as I shall declare any Apostolicall succession canonicall election true ordination lawfull mission or authenticall vocation All which are necessary to an orthodoxall and Catholique Clergy And yet neyther of these maugre M. Masons large bulke to the contrary can be found amongst Protestants For first to an Apostolicall succession besides Election and Ordination of which hereafter two thinges are requisite 1. A place A priuiledge in chartamagna by which Catholike Priests are exempted from all secular power voyde eyther by depriuation voluntary resignation or naturall death Secondly a conformity in fayth with him that went before But when Younge for example Grindall Horne Pilkinton Bullingham c were intruded in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth into the Bishopricks of Yorke London VVinchester Durham Lincolne the true Bishops of those Seas to wit Heath Bonner VVhite Tunstall VVatson were liuing not resigning their dignityes vnto theÌ„ nor yet lawfully depriued of them Therfore the former had no vacant piaces wherein to succeede but were wolues theefes and vsurpers of other mens chayres That Hebr. 13. vers 17. they were not lawfully depriued I proue because Queene Elizabeth her Peeres and other officers who concurred to their dispositioÌ„ were of the layty not coÌ„petent Iudges Matth. 18. v. 18. eyther of ecclesiasticall Prelates or of their causes For such persoÌ„s were euen in criminall matters by the lawes of the Realme by the immunityes of Charta magna not Luc. 10. v. 16. then repealed exempted from subiection to secular Tribunalls vntill they were adiudged and giuen ouer vnto them as none of the former were by the authority of the Matth. 23. v. 3. Ioan. 21. v. 18. Nazian in or at ad ciuestimore perculsos Church Then the Apostle commaundeth all secular people Princes also for his wordes be general without restriction to obey their Prelates and be subiect vnto them Christ chargeth vs to heare them vnder payne of damnation To heare them as himselfe To do what they shall prescribe To be fed and gouerned by them Whereupon Saint Gregory Nazianzen speaking of Emperours saith The Law of Christ hath subiected you to my iurisdiction and to my tribunall For we Athanasius Ep. ad soli vitam agentes Ambros Ep. 32. ad Imp. Val. iuniorem Hosius ap Atha loco citato haue also an Empire yea a greater and more perfect then that of yours vnlesse it be fit to prostrate the soule to the body and heauenly thinges to earthly Saint Athanasius Saint Ambrose and the learned Hosius of Corduba testify the same in such serious manner as Saint Athanasius calleth it the abhomination of desolation foretold by Daniel for an Emperour to preside in ecclesiasticall affayres 4. Yea many zealous and godly Emperours haue wholy disclaymed from all power of intermedlinge with the decision or iudgmeÌ„t of ecclesiasticall matters as Valentinian the first Theodosius the younger Constantine the great whose words are these related by Ruffinus Sozom. lib. 6. cap. 7. Theodorus Ep. ad syn Ephes Bar. Tom. 1. pag. 732. God hath made you Priestes and hath giuen you power to iudge vs and therefore are we rightly iudged by you But you cannot be iudged by men How cleere then is our case that the foresayd Catholike Bishops could not be iudged by Queene Elizabeth and her Councell much lesse haue sentence of deposition pronounced agaynst them without which the ProtestaÌ„t intruders could not be inuested in their rooms nor be lawfully installed in their Episcopall dignity 5. Secondly as those pretended Bishops had no vacant Seas to inherite so they wanted conformity of doctrine which is likewise necessary to true succession they swarued from the fayth of their Catholique predecessours in sundry essentiall pointes And the lineall descent of persons the possession of place if it were truly vacant or resigned is of no force vnlesse it be ioyned with continuance of doctrine which made Saint Irenaeus to Irenaeus l. 4. aduer haere c. 42. Tertullian l. de praes forewarne vs with this caueat You ought to obey those who togeather with the succession of their Bishoprike charge haue receaued the giftes or priuiledges of truth And Tertullian auoucheth the Church to be called Apostolicall not only by reason of her personall succession of Bishops but propter consanguinitatem doctrinae by reason of the consanguinity or conformity Ambrose l. 1. de poeni c. 6. Gregorius NazianzeÌ„ oratione 21. of doctrine Because as Saint Ambrose sayth They enioy not the inheritance of Peter who retayne not the fayth of Peter He sayth Saint Gregory Nazianzen who maynteyneth the same doctrine is also partaker of the same chayre But he who imbraceth a contrary or aduerse fayth is to
be reputed an aduersary while he sitteth in the throne And Saint Paul directly teacheth that the personall line and continuall propagation of Prophets Euangelistes Pastours and Doctours was instituted by God for the perpetuall succession and continuance Ephes 4. v. 11. 12. 13. Ibid. v. 14. of truth That now we be not children wauering and caryed about with euery winde of doctrine c. Therefore the true personall succession cannot be where the succession of doctrine wauereth much lesse where it fayleth which M. Reynolds M. Whitaker and sundry of our Protestant Reynolds in his conference ca. 7. diuis 9. VVhitak contr 1. q. 5. cap. 6. folio 271. aduersaries earnestly auowe and diligently demonstraty to our handes thereby to defeate if they could possible the prerogatiue of our succeeding Bishops But albeit it maketh nothing agaynst vs nay vpholdeth the right of our clayme who agree with our auncestours in al points of fayth yet it vtterly ouerthrowneth the vsurped title they newly challenge to the pedigree of our Bishops froÌ„ whome they dissent in the very many articles of our beliefe For by their owne arguments no participation can they haue with them in chayres no affinity or succession in Priestly thrones agaynst whome they bray forth defiance in doctrine 6. Now as touching Election the third thing which is defectiue in the Protestant ministery that is a priuiledge only due to ecclesiasticall persons For although secular ProtestaÌ„t Bishops want the electioÌ„ of Deane chapter of all clergy persoÌ„s Princes or such as haue auowsans might somtyme present and nominate their Prelates although the consent and approbation of people for greater vnion and peace hath beene also required yet the Election which interesseth the elected entitleth him to his dignity and giueth him a certayne right to his calling This is and euer was only proper to the Pope to the Deane and Chapter or some other of the Clergy and flatly forbidden to the laity vnder payne of excommunication in In Concil gener 8. can 22. ap Grat. distinc 63. c. Hadrian In Syno Niâ— 2. can 3. the eight generall Councell vnder Basil the Emperour and Adrian the Pope Likewise in the second Nicen Synod it is declared That euery Election of Bishop Priest Deacon made by secular powers let it be inualide and of no force And amongst the Canons of the Apostles the thirtith Canon hath these wordes The Bishop who by the fauour of the Princes and Potentates of the world hath gotten his Church let him be deposed But our English Protestant Bishops haue inuaded their Seas by the fauour of Princes by their letters patents without the canonicall election of Pope Deane and Inter can Aposto ca. 30. Chapter or any ecclesiasticall person Therefore they are to be deposed as wolfes vsurpers entring in at the window and not at the dore This defect is not fayned by coniectures as Barlowes consecration is by Mayster Mason nor proued by secret partiall and vnknowne Recordes MasoÌ„ l 3. c. 4. pag. 127. as he doth the ordination of others But it is publikely set downe in the common receaued lawes or Statutes of the Realme For in the first of King Edward the 1. Edward chapter 2. sixt an Act of Parlament was made for disanulling the election of Archbishops and Bishops by the Deane and Chap. taking away the writ of Conge-deslier grauÌ„ted to that purpose The wordes of the Statute are these The writ of Congedeslier was not to be graunted in King Edwards dais whose lawes Queene Elizabeth reestablished 8. Eliza. 1. 7. Be it enacted by the King with the assent of the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Commons in this present Parlament assembled by the authority of the same that from henceforth no such Conge-deslier be graunted nor election of any Archbishop or Bishop by the Deane and Chapter made but that the Kinge may by his letters Patentes at all tymes when any Archbishopricke or Bishopricke be voyde conferre the same to any persons to whome the Kinge shall think meete Can there be a more euident proofe that the Bishops of King Edwards dayes when this Statute was in force wanted their canonical electioÌ„ And after when his lawes repealed by Queene Mary were reestablished by Queene Elizabeth at least in the beginning how beit since they make shew of returning to the auncient custome Can there be likewise a more vehement suspition willfull forgery in M. Masons registers which testify the Writ of Conge-deslier to be graunted forth when by the tenour of that law it could not be graunted 8. Notwithstanding although their Bishops election Mason lib. 2. chap. 10. fol. 88. 89. The ordination of Protestant Priests Bishops vnlawfull inualide noneat all was inualide and succession of no account yet M. Mason stifly vrgeth that their ordination or consecration was good vnlesse we can name some defect eyther in the consecrated or consecratours I answere that the consecratours after their reuolte from the Catholique Church obstinat persisting in schisme heresy were excommunicated and suspended from the due execution and practise of their functions So that although they had beene before true lawfull Bishops as none excepting Cranmer were of the whole Protestant ranke yet then their authority being taken away by the Catholike Church which as she had power to giue had power also to restrayne and disanull their iurisdiction they could not lawfully communicate vnto others that which was suspended in themselues For this cause Saint Athanasius accouÌ„teth them not in the number of true Bâ—shops who are consecrated by heretikes saying By what right can they Athanasius in Concil Arimi Seleuc. § Quae auteÌ„ Seieâ—ciae be Bishops if they receaued their ordination from heretikes as they theÌ„selues accuse them to be Likewise writing in another place in the person of Pope Iulius It is impossible quoth he that the ordinations made by Secundus being an AriaÌ„ could haue any force in the Catholike Church 6. But M. Mason our Protestants Attorney will reply Apol. 2. that S. Athanasius is to be vnderstood of the legitimate and lawfull vse not of the validity of ordination For that euery Bishop communicateth not by reason of his inherent grace or out ward vnion with the Church but by vertue of his episcopall character which no schisme quoth he by deduction out of our writinges no sinne no Mason l. 2. c. 10. fo 88. heresy no censures of the Church no excommunication suspension interdiction degradation nothing nothing at all sauing only death if death can dissolue it Thus he I graunt that the character is indeleble and that alone is sufficient in the consecratour if his intention also be right and if he vse the true matter and forme essentially required thereunto But our English Superintendents after their fal from the Roman Church neyther intended to giue those holy orders which were instituted by Christ neyther did the ordeyned intend to receaue them
Christ who was to come in flesh Thou art a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech Of Saint Ambrose Christ is declared to offer in vs whose speach sanctifyeth the sacrifice which is offered Of Epiphanius The Priesthood of Melchisedech now florisheth in the Church Theophilact Christ is called a Priest for euer because there is dayly offered there is perpetually offered an oblation by the mynisters of God hauing Christ our Lord both the Priest and sacrifyce Of Saint Leo Eucherius Primasius and the rest whose testimonyes togeather with the Priestly function of Melchisedech which they mayntayne M. Fulke and his felow-protestants vtterly contemne Insomuch as Fulke sayeth this bringing forth of bread and wine was no part of Melchisedeches Priesthood therfore those Fathers were deceaued that iudged that act to pertayne to his Priesthood Marke the arrogancy of this yesterday-vpstart in censuring the Fathers for allowing a Priesthood which he with his adherentes flatly detest Well then seing they renounce both these orders I know not in what ranke to place them vnlesse it Tully in Philip. be in the order of Asinius the voluntary Senatour as Tully iesteth at him himselfe being made by himselfe Or of the order of Don-Quixote knighted in an Inne by the good fellow his host For so they are eyther voluntary Priestes arrogating that dignity without commission or created at the Nags-head in Cheape by them that had as much authority to make them as the Inkeeper to dub a knight Or at the most they can be no other then Parlamentall Priests ordayned by the new deuised forme of that temporall Court authorized by the letters patents first of a Child then of a woman which although it may giue more shew and countenance to the vsurpation of their titles yet it giueth no more right then the former to the dignity of their functions 13. Moreouer no secular Princes or temporall Magistrates No secularprinces haue power to coÌ„ferre ecclesiastical orders haue authority to confer Ecclesiasticall orders But the order of Mynistery which our ghospellers challenge was both in Kinge Edward and Queene Elizabeths dayes wholy deuised and primarily conferred by the is secular and temporall authority It was therefore no true Episcopall Priestly or Ecclesiasticall order The Maior or first Proposition is apparant in nature For no man can imparte vnto others that which he hath not himselfe Secular persons neyther a part nor assembled togeather in publike Parlament haue any ecclesiasticall order or iurisdiction much lesse can they communicat it vnto others Then Ciuill Magistrates haue only Ciuill power in Ciuill affayres ordeyned to Ciuill and naturall endes The Episcopall or Priestly order is a spirituall dignity touching spirituall functions directed to a spirituall and supernaturall end which can no more be deriued from a Ciuill Magistrate then white from blacke day from night The Minor or second Proposition I proue by the Parlament lawes other testimonyes vnanswerable In the first of King Edward a Statute was made That Archbishops Bishops should not send out their sommons citations other processes in their own names but in the name and stile of the Kinge Seeing as the law it selfe speaketh that all authority of iurisdiction spirituall Edward 1. chap. 2. and temporall is deriued and deducted from the Kinges Maiesty as supreme head of these Churches and Realmes of England and Ireland and so iustly acknowledged by the Clergy of the sayd Realmes Then you heard before how by the Kinges letters Patentes Archbishoprickes and Bishopprickes were conferred And Fox testifyeth that King Henry 8. imparted to the Fox in his Monu pag 522. 1. Eliz. 1. c. 1. Lord Cromwell the exercise of his supreme spirituall regimeÌ„t making him in the Church of England vicegerent for concerning all his iurisdiction ecclesiasticall In the first likewise of Queenâ— Elizabeths raygne a Statute was enacted whereby all spirituall or ecclesiasticall power or authority is vnited and annexed to the Imperiall crowne of her Realme c. all sorrayne vsurped power iurisdiction preheminence cleerly extinguished c. and by solemne oath renounced forsaken in so much as Doctour Whitgift placed in the Queene the fulnes of VVhitg tract 8. c. 3. d. 33. all ecclesiasticall gouernement from whome all ecclesiasticall power and authority is deriued to Bishops and mynisters she hauing in her as he writeth the supreme gouernment in al causes ouer all persons as she doth exercise the one apportayning to matters Ciuile and temporall by the Lord Chauncelour So doth she the other concerning the Church religion by the Archbishops 14. As this power was straunge and neuer heard of before in any Christian heathen or Turkish commonwealth So the maner of consecrating the mynisters of those dayes was new and before vnasuall For another Act was made in the third of King Edwards raign 3. Edward c. 12. fol. 15. wherein it is sayd Be it therefore enacted by the Kinges Highnes with the assent of the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Comâ—ons of this present Parlament assembled and by the authority of the same That such forme and manner of making and consecrating of Archbishops Bishops Priests Deacons and other Mynisters of the Church as by sixe Prelats and sixe other men of this Realme learned in Gods law by the Kinges Maiesty to be appointed and assigned or by the most number of them shal be deuised for that purpose and set forth vnder the great seale of England before the first day of Aprill next comming shall by vertue of this present Act be lawfully exercised and vsed and none other any Statute law or vsage to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding Further when this new deuised forme of consecrating Bishops Priests c. bred many doubtes of the inualidity of their consecration and ordering Queene Elizabeth in publique Parlament decreed that all persons that haue been or shal be made ordered or consecrated Archbishops Bishops Priestes after the forme and order prescribed by Kinge Edward in the same forme and order be in very deed 8. Elizab. 1. and also by authority hereof declared and enacted to be and shal be Archbishops Bishops Priests c. and rightly made ordered and consecrated Any Statute law canon or other thing to the contrary notwithstanding 15. What meaneth this Statute Were your Bishops lawfully ordeyned and consecrated before Why then are they not only declared as M. Mason would excuse the manner of speach but enacted to be and shal be Archbishops c In vayne was this Act if they needed it not and Mason lib. 3. c. 4. p. 122. if they needed it it auayled them nothing as I haue already proued Or to speake more clearely Eyther the Lordes of the Parlament with their Queene had authority to install their Bishops in Episcopall dignity and make their inauguration lawfull in case it had beene inualid or they had no power to doe it Which of these M. Mason will you graunt For
Church as a flatterer stileth him wrote directly agaynst them Where was that ordinary succession ordinary calling common consecration of Protestant superintendents of which M. Mason braggeth so much by three of our Bishops or such as were ordeyned by them when Whitaker denyed their Prelates and ministers to be ordeyned by Papisticall Bishops When he â—aught that they ought not to be created by them That the manner of consecrating by three Bishops Ibid. f. 308. did not take place in their lapsed Church That Catholique Bishops could not be induced to lay hands vpon Ricard Stock in dedicatory epist to my them That their succession was extraordinary not according to the receaued manner Were Masons ordinations then a foote His forged consecrations euery where practised when Whitaker so often and so aduisedly Lord Knowles protesteth the contrary But into such contradictions they are wont to fal who wrongfully lay claim to false pretended titles Mason lib. 1. 2. 3. 22. The chiefe reason which moued Mayster Whitaker Mayster Fulke and their consortes thus to disclaime froÌ„ the ordination of Catholike Bishops was because VVhitak contro 2. q. 3. cap 1. folio 184. Episcopi qui secuti GregoriuÌ„ magnum verifuerunt Antichristi Fulke in c. 20. Apo. sect 2. Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn d' Aâ—bins p. 23. they most iniuriously accounted them antichristian Prelates The Bishops sayth Whitaker which followed Gregory the great were true Antichrists They were as Fulke miscalleth them Prelates of the Antichristian Church Right Priests of Antichrist sayth D. Sparke yea nothing is more common among them then to cal our people the limmes of Antichrist our Church the congregation of Antichrist our Priests Fulke in c. 2. ad Thess sect 9. and in c. 17. Apo. sect 1. 4 in other of his works and Bishops the slaues and shauelinges of Antichrist our Popes euen Antichrists themselues Which although they be most malicious and spiâ—ifull calumniations howsoeuer Mayster Powell belieueth the letter as an article of faith Yet see the misery of English Superintendents when to the condemnation of all their neighbour brethren who want that calling they are fayne to begge their spirituall power from such as they misdeeme Antichristian Gabriel Powel in tract de Antichristo p. 2. Bishops when they cannot enter the folde of Christ but by the back-dore of Antichrist nor minister his Sacraments but by ordination from Antichrist nor feede his sheepe but by commission from Antichrist nor receaue holy orders and conferre them to others but by the authority ProtestaÌ„ts aredriuen to great extremityes wheÌ„ they beg from Antichrist all their christian rites of Antichrist Was the sonne of God so needy The Church his spouse become so bankrupt as not to haue any power or iurisdiction left but what it borrowed from Antichrist her deadly enemy Was Christ disrobed of all his inheritance and after so many ages did he repaire to you to restore him his right by the meanes of Antichrist By his slauish army by his Antichristian Idolatours O M. Mason how base are your thoughts how miserable your clergy when you are forced to run to this miserable refuge To go on Protestant mynisters want true mission or vocatioÌ„ to preach 23. The last defect of Protestant ministery is mission or vocation to preach which is so necessary to the function of a lawfull Pastour and duâ—y of the faythfull as Saint Paul sayth How shall they belieue him whome they haue not heard And how shall heare without a preacher But how shall they preach vnlesse they be sent In which words he chaineth together in a linke inseparably these fower thinges Fayth Hearing Rom. 10. v. 14. 15. Preacher and Mission and as Hearing is requisite in the belieuer that â—e may rightly belieue so Mission in the preacher that he may lawfully preach This mission or calling is of two sortes the one immediatly from God which is called an extraordinary Mission ought to be proued by apparant miracles the irreproueable seales conformations of Gods will The other mediatly only by authority communicated vnto them from Apostolicall men the vicegerents of Christ vpon earth which is tearmed an ordinary vocation the vsuall Mission now Matth. 28. Rom. 10. Eph. 4. Luther Tom. 5. â— VViteÌ„ in c. 1. ad Galat. folio 376. practised in the Church and which hath continued according to the promise of Christ and testimony of the Apostle confessed by Luther and shall continue euen to the end of the world without which whosoeuer arrogateth the name of a Preacher he is an vsurper an intruder that rusheth in at the window and entreth not at the dore he is a wolfe a theefe who cometh not but to steale kill destroy 24. Wherefore although we should bestow vpon Protestants the almes of ordination they so importunatly begge although they could deriue a true consecration Eavocatio durauit vsque ad nostra teÌ„pora durabit vsque ad finem muÌ„di which they shall neuer be able from Catholique Bishops yet their Commission and warrant to preach their Caluinisticall doctrine their vocation thereunto they can neuer shew For let them tell me who called them to that office Who gaue them authority to preach their Protestant fayth Temporall Princes and secular people whome Mayster Whitaker assigneth They cannot communicat that spirituall power they cannot preach themselues much lesse enable others to discharge that office VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. ca. 6. f. 36â— Agayne what Princes or people might they be No Catholike Princes would giue them commission to preach Protestant doctrine No Protestant Princes or people were heard of vntill Luther and his disciples had publiquely In vayne do ProtestaÌ„t mynisters pretend their calling from temporall Princes or secular magistrates preached their Protestant Ghospell In vayne then doe they seeke their calling from these Will they pleade it from some ecclesiasticall persons Priestes or Bishops But I haue often inculcated that there was not any Protestant Priest or Bishop in the world when these Sectaryes first beganne and as for Catholique Bishops they were so farre from giuing them any Commission to preach or power to mynister Sacraments after their manner as they excommunicated and forbad them all pulpits and oratoryes renounced all society and participation in Sacraments with them laboured by all meanes possible to hinder suppresse their false and new coyned Gospell Therefore M. Mason striueth to vnderprop their Mission not by letters of credit from any secular magistrates or orthodoxall Bishops but by the broad seale forsooth as he falsly supposeth of holy Scripture the common warrant to which euery heretique seemeth to lay clayme saying Cranmer the rest receaued Mason l. 2. c. 2. folio 11. from you the shell of succession without the kernell of doctrine For though our Church did giue men power to preach the truth yet being bewitched with Antichrist in many things it did not reueale the
vayne to be ready to obey him who reiect his Mynisters Therefore he commaundeth the word and doctrine to be required from the mouth of Prophets and Doctours who teach in his name and by his warrant least we foolishly hunt after new reuelations Yf this be so how durst your M. Caluin How durst our sectaryes deliuer a Gospell they neuer tooke from the mouth of any Prophet or Doctour Caluinus contra errores Serueti With what face doe they vaunt of obeying God when they disobey his Mynisters the interpreters of his will How shall we know that they who follow not the setled course prescribed by him doe not foolishly hunt after new reuelations Michael Seruetus forsooke that ordinary way he vsed the like pretense as M. Mason doth of reuelation froÌ„ Scripture the same Caluin inueighed agaynst him That like another Mahomet he rose a restorer of a new world with a new and vnknowne reuelation Is not this sayth he to make voyd the whole glory which Christ hath gotteÌ„ By thy own saying I coÌ„demne thee and thy fellowes o vngracious seruant For by the same argument thou o Caluin art like another Mahomet Caluin his followers come like Mahomet with new reuelations the English sectaryes progenitours like so many Mahomets who contrary to the publike truth receaued in the Church challenged another reuealed to them out of holy Scripture With whome I reason thus When Cranmer in England or any other beganne to vent their reformed Gospell eyther the same Gospell was preached by some lawfull Pastours in some partes of the world or not Yf it were not The Church of Protestants was no where extant the glory of Christs Church in their conceit was wholy extinguished If it were FroÌ„ those Pastours our sectaryes should haue deriued their succession To theÌ„ they ought to haue gone for their holy Orders 29. Or if the shell of ordinution from the Priestes of Tertullian in praes ca. 20. Antichrist was good inough for their Antichristian synagogue at least from them they ought to haue taken rraducem fidei semina doctrinae their letters patents and commission to preach From them they should haue gleaned the kernell of doctrine they should haue drawne from those pure Churches the line of fayth and seeds of doctrine as Tertullian anoucheth Aug. l. 5. de baps contra donatist cap. 26. which aduise S. Cyprian also giueth and S. Augustine much commendeth it saying That which he Cyprian admonisheth that we repayre to the conduite head that is to Apostolicall tradition and from thence direct the pipe to our tymes is an excellent The succession propagation of truth which heer we seeke cannot be learned out of Scripture 2. Pet. â— v. 16. thinge and without doubt to be obserued especially seeing in this mark of succession it is not the bare truth for which we inquire but the propagation traditioÌ„ reception coÌ„tinuance lineall descent of the truth how it hath been coÌ„ueyed by Pastour to Pastour in al succeeding ages how taught how belieued from the Apostles dayes euen vnto ours This cannot be learned out of Scripture because it followeth after the Scripture The succession of doctrine came after the Scriptures were written how shall it then be proued by the precedeÌ„t Scriptures which were in the Apostles time who endited them depraued and Athanasius ora 2. contra Arian peruerted by some to their owne perdition as S. Peter witnesseth and why may not such deprauatours much more be now How can the Scriptures beare witnes of the publication progresse true perseuerance of that Eos qui aliunde quaÌ„ a tota successione Cathedrae ecclesiastica originem fidei suae deducunt haereticos esse which fell out many yeares after their authours compilers were dead So that for the true doctrinal you must needs haue recourse to the true Pastoral succession which are inseparably chayned and linked togeather To leaue this way and endeauour eyther by Scriptures or by any other meanes to vphould the continuall descent propagation of fayth is an euident brand or note of heresy as S. Athanasius anoweth saying They are heretikes who de riue the origen of their fayth any where els then from the whole succession of the Ecclesiasticall chayre which he accounteth Aug tract 37. in Ioan there an excellent and an admirable way to fiâ—d out an hereticall sect And S. Augustine affirmeth That to be the Catholike fayth which comming from the doctrine of the Apostles is planted in vs by the line of succession S. Irenaeus also more auncient Irenaeus l. 4. cap. 45. then he sayth VVith whome the succession of Bishops from the Apostles tyme downeward remayned these are they who conserue our sayth doe expound the Scriptures vnto vs without danger 30. By this tyme thou perceauest courteous Reader the peruerse vnto ward course of Protestants who departed from the Pastours of the Church to the written word wheras they should haue repayred to her Pastours to haue learned without daunger the meaning of that word Thou perceauest the beggary or nullity rather of their prophane secular ministery which vndertaketh the care of sonles without any true election ordination succession or mission Thou perceauest how vainly they confide in their reuelations from Scripture who haue no certayne rule or publike warrant as Catholikes haue to knowe whether their reuelations proceed from God or no. Thou seest how they beare about them the earemarke of heretiks in deriuing their fayth from another Origene then the line of Apostolicall succession Thou seest how dangerously they vsurpe the functioÌ„ of Pastours who are wolfs robbers and soule-killers of the sheep so deadly bought with the bloud of Christ CHAP. XXI In which the Beginning Propagation Continuance of the true Fayth is proued to be a Note of the true Church and only to appertayne to the Roman Church which neuer altered the Faith it first receaued from the Apostles I SAY prophecying of the true Church and of the very place from whence Isay 2. v. 3. the preaching of the euangelical gospell should begin sayd The law shall come from Sion and the word of our Lord froÌ„ Act. 1. v. 8. IerusaleÌ„ Our Sauiour doth not only assigne the same beginning but foretelleth Luc. 24. v. 46. 47. the growth increase and continuance therof in these wordes You shal be witnesses vnto me in Ierusalem and in all Iury and Samaria and euen to the vtmost of the earth And Matth. 13. v. 37. 39. item 24. v. 14. It behooued pennance to be preached in his name and remission of sinns vnto all nations beginning at Ierusalem Then he auerreth that the seede of his word thus sowed in the field of the world shold increase and grow vntill the haruest That is vntill the last day vntill the consummation of all thinges Hence S Augustine Aug. de vnit Eccl. cap. 10. maketh this illation Let vs therefore holde the Church
designed by the mouth of our Lord from whence it is to beginne and how farre it is to be dilated it is to beginne at Ierusalem and to be dilated into all nations Where he often sayth it shal perseuere Ibidem c. 5. vntill the end of the world This marke is distinct from those which I haue explaned heretofore because I speake not here of the vniuersall being of the Church but of the manner how it came to be in all nations 〈◊〉 of the successiue line of pastorall doctrine but of the order how it also continued for euer 2. After which sort it is to be reduced to the precedent note of Apostolicall succession and such Churches as are thus deriued from those which the Apostles planted Tertull. in praes cont haer may be truly called as Tertullian affirmeth Apostolicall Churches But the Church of Rome only can shew how it beganne at Ierusalem how it grew and spread it selfe into all nations how it still perseuereth whole and entire in all the pointes of fayth she first sucked from the Apostles The Apostolicall fayth is to be knoweÌ„ not by the priuat expositions which now are deuised but by the generall interpretations of Scripture which haue been deliuered froÌ„ tyme to tyme. breastes Therefore she alone is the vndoubted spouse of Iesus Christ For we doe not here intrude our selues to the Apostles tymes and lay clayme as Protestants and other heretikes falsly doe to the Apostolicall faith but to the preaching propagatioÌ„ continuance of that fayth not to the new interpretatioÌ„s which now are made of the written word but to the receaued expositions which from tyme to tyme from country to country from Iury to Rome from Rome to all nations haue beene infallibly gathered and faythfully deliuered out of that sacred word Of this our sectaryes are so destitute as they had not any Priest or Bishop Clark of layman woman or childe in the whole world who preached vnto Luther their first beginner and deliuered vnto him or any other of his consorts their Protestant doctrin Therfore Mayster Mason retire to as you haue heard to the reuelation of Scripture made in England to Cranmer Latimer Ridley and their fellowes others to the like reuelations made to Luther at wittemberge to Caluin at Geneua Mason l. 1. chap. 2. fol. 11. to Oecolampadius at Basil from thence they deriue the propagation or reuiuall of their Gospell which lay dead before for many ages And that which Saint Augustine Aug. l. de vnit Eccl. cap. 17. condemned in the Donatists of no lesse then blasphemy to wit that the good seede of heauenly truth which was sowed by the Apostles and Apostolicall men in all the world and which was there to grow vntill the haruest should haue perished out of those places and be sowed a new out of Africa This I say which he accounted in them a most detestable blasphemy is reuiued again by our late Sectaries who as wretchedly dreame that the same seede was decayed in their dayes or couered at least froÌ„ the view of the world that it had not any publike Pastours to preserue it Doctours to water it preachers to sow it but it must be sowed a new by Cranmer out of England by Luther out of Wittemberge out of Geneua by Caluin whose folly I impugne with Saint Augustines wordes For as his enemyes furnish our Sectaryes with obiections so he armeth vs with irresistable answeres Let them sayth he search the Scriptures and agaynst so many testimonyes which proclayme the Church of Christ to be spread ouer all the world let them Aug. de vnit eccl c. 4. bring but one as certayne and manifest as those by which they demonstrate the Church of Christ to haue perished out of other nations and only to haue remayned in Africa as though it should haue another beginning not from Ierusaelem but from Carthage where first they set vp a Bishop agaynst a Bishop Or as we may apply it to our purpose VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. cap. 1. The Apology of the English Church pa. 4. chap. 4. Caluin libro 4. instit 1. c. 7. §. 24. Fox acts and mon. pag. 400. and pag. 402. Oecolampadius vpon his tomb at Basill is called Euangelicae doctrinae Author primus Buâ—er â—â— An. 36. ad Episco Hereford calleth Luther primum Apostolum purioris â—uangelij Ioachim Camera fratrum orthodoxae Eccles pag. 161. calleth â—uther 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from England from Wittemberge from Geneua where by Bishops of Priestes lately sprunge vp are scattered abroad new seedes of beliefe contrary to the sowinges of all other Bishops and Priestes In so much as their owne followers attribute vnto them The Restauration The Bringing to light The first Beginning or Rebudding of the Gospell The Reedification of the desolate ruines of Religion The Opening of a veyne longe hid before The Rising of aebeame of truth then vnknowne and vnheard They call them the first Authours first Maysters first restorers first Apostles of their euangelicall strange â—â—d new reformed doctrine For themselues also entitle it new â—â—d strange And another of their fauourites auerreth that â—uther receaued not his fayth eyther froÌ„ Husse or Wickâ—iffe but was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instructed of himselfe by the help no doubt aâ— he imâ—gâ—â—ed of holy Scripture A playne demonstration that the Protestant fayth is not that which beginning first at Ierusalem was diffused ouer the world and from Pastour to Pastour descended by the Apostles prescribed way of preaching vnto them Now let vs see whether this property belonge not to the Roman Church 3. Our aduersaries cannot deny but that the ChristiaÌ„ faith first preached at Rome came from Ierusalem eyther by Saint Peter as the whole clowd of Fathers and greatest torrent of Protestants beare witnes or at least by S. Paul who continued the same preaching and was there vnder Nero crowned with martyrdome Likewise that the same fayth was propagated into all Nations the Apostle also testifieth saying to the Romans Your fayth is renowned Rom. 1. v. 8. in the whole world and Saint Irenaeus calling it the greatest and most auncient Church of Rome knowne to all the world as founded by the two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul addeth Irenaeus l. 3. c. 3. adu haeres immediatly after that vnto this Church in respect of her more mighty principality it is necessary that all Churches agree and haue accesse that is to say all faythfull people wheresoeuer they liue In which Church the tradition that hath descended from the Apostles VVhitak in his ans to Doctor Sanders 2. demonst Fulke in c. 22. Thessa sect 7. Reynolds in his 5. conclus hath euer beene kept by those that liue in any place of the world Fot this cause our aduersaryes confesse that it was our mother Church a most pure excellent and flourishing Church And so continued for some few ages But since say they it is degenerated into a
bastard Church into an adulterous Church Wherefore the only thinge I am to proue is that the Roman church neuer ceased to be the true church of Iesus christ or which is all one that it neuer altered her religion neuer changed in any essentiall point from the purity of fayth which the Apostles togeather with their bloud to speak with Tertullian powred into it Which I first demonstrate TertulliaÌ„ in praes contra haer with this common argument often heretofore insinuated 4. The diuin prouideÌ„ce hath preserued inuiolably the truth of his Gospel in the persoÌ„ of succession inuisible descent of Bishops Priestes and preachers in some place or other for he hath appoynted a perpetuall generation of Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastours Doctours to continue in his Church vntill we meete all into the vnity Ephes 4. v. 13. of sayth and knowledge of the Sonne of God that is vntill the last day The finall end or cause was that now we be not children wauering and carryed about with euery winde of doctrine So that Ibidem v. 14. as an orderly ranke of Pastours and preachers was still to remayne euen so the linke of heauenly truth is perpetually chayned thereunto by the holy Ghost in so much as the gates of hell and all the might of Satan shall neuer separate them but no other row of succeeding Pastours can be named besides those of the Roman Church or such as descending from them in all partes of the world haue likewise agreed with them in fayth and doctrine therefore they are the Doctours and Pastours which our Lord hath appointed to abide in his Church vnto the worke of the ministery vnto the edifying of the body of Christ vntill Ephes 4. v. 12. we all meet in the vnity of fayth 5. Secondly that Church which once was the chast and vndefiled spouse of Christ can neuer cease to be his Three only wayes can a true Church fayle by Schisme heresy or apostacy Schisma est recessus vel diuisio ab vnitate ecclesiae spouse or loose the integrity of sauing fayth vnlesse it be diuorced from him by schisme heresy or apostacy Schisme commeth from the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is defined a departure or diuision from the vnity of the Church by which the band and communion held with a former Church is broken and cut off Heresy as it is now generally taken is a willfull election and firme adhesion to some priuate and singular opinion or rather errour coÌ„trary to the generall approued doctrine of the Church and it is deriued from the Greeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth to chuse or voluntarily to preferre one thinge before another Apostacy is a defection or reuolte A description of heresy from God in such manner as it renounceth his faith casteth of the very name and title of a Christian by imbracing Iudaisme Turcisme or Paganisme But the RomaÌ„ Church which once syncerely professed the faith Of Apostacy of Christ neuer deuided it selfe by Schisme from the body of other faythfull Christians It neuer brake the communion or went forth froÌ„ the society of any elder Church The Roman Church neuer failed any of thes waies Not by Schisme Or if it did tell vs whose company it left From whom it went forth And where was the true Church which the Roman forsooke The Grecians and other schismaticall Churches haue separated themselues from her but she neuer went out or reuolted from any Likewise the RomaÌ„ Church hath at no tyme by voluntary election made choyce of any singular or new opinion disagreable to the common receaued doctrine of the Christian world Nor by heresy It hath cleaned in no age to priuate articles or propositions of fayth which were not at the same tyme generally maynteyned in the Church of Christ For who did euer Nor yet by Apostacy taxe the Roman Church of nouelty or innouation in this kinde What true Church did euer disclayme from this singularity or hereticall pertinacy in the Roman Church Did it betwitch all nations in a moment with detestable heresy And was no man left to discouer the M. Nappâ—r vpoÌ„ the reuelation p. 66. and 68. item p. 43. 63. MelancthoÌ„ in locis postremo editis Beza confess general c. 7. sect 12. Humfrey Iesuitis 2. part pag. 6â—4 VVhitak contro 2. q. 4 fol. 144. Fulke in his answer to a counterfeit Catholik pag. 36. infection It can not be Much lesse did it depart from Christ by the crime of Apostacy which necessarily presupposeth a departure from the true Church and a reuolte from the openly professed fayth with the renouncing of Christianity and falling to infidelity Wherefore seeing by no other meanes a Church once true can possibly decay the Roman Church which by neyther of these wayes hath strayed from the truth perseuereth still the Church of Christ vnstained in her fayth 6. Thirdly if the Roman Church euer fayled I aske when By whome Vnder what Pope or Emperour it first beganne to play the aduoutresse Mayster Napper maynteyneth that it did first degenerate about 300. and thirteene yeares after Christ by the meanes of Pope Siluester Melancton about the foure hundred twenty by the vsurpation of Zosimus Beza about the foure hundred and forty by the arrogancy of Leo. Doctour Humfrey about the fiue hundred ninty seaueÌ„ by Gregory the great whom he tearmeth the first Pope and leader of the Popish daunce Why taker and Fulke about the sixe hundred and sixe by Boniface the third his successours For Whitaker affirmeth All that followed Gregory to be true Antichrists Many other dissentions there be amongst them Because the CeÌ„turistes sometymes say that it beganne to be corrupted in Cent. c. 4. col 71. 79. 80. 81. c. Cent. 2. c. 4. col 55. Cent. 1. cap. 10. col 571. c. 584. and. c. 4. col 54. Et conuenientia testimonia non erant Marc. 14. Daniel 13. the three hundred sometymes in the two hundred yeare after Christ Other while they ascend higher and find corruptions euen in the Apostles dayes But as the disagreement of the two wicked Iudges in accusing Susanna one affirming she committed adultery vnder one tree another vnder another was a most apparant testimony in the iudgement of all people of her vnstayned chastity their inueterate malice So if another Daniell would now determine our cause this variance of our aduersaryes in appeaching the Roman Church one auonching she reuolted from Christ and fell into her spiritual adultery vnder one Pope Another vnder another One in the tyme of Siluester Another of Leo A third of Gregory c. must needes be an euident token of her vnchanged fayth and their new forged slaunders For why doe you dreame Mayster Napper that in the dayes of Saint Napper vpon the reuelation p. 66. Siluester and by his default the Roman Church decayed Because sayth
who confesse the like pointes of doctrine to haue beene mayntayned in those former centuryes 5. By the communication he held with all nations to which he neyther prescribed any new fayth nor did they obiect any new thinge ordeyned or deliuered by him 6. By his reprehension of Iohn the Patriarch of Constantinople for challenging the title of Vniuersall Bishop which if himselfe had also vsurped he would neuer haue beene so bolde to controule in his competitor Or if he had beene so bolde some or other woulde In 6. synod act 4. haue blamed him for it 7. By the subsequent age in which the sixt generall synode was celebrated whereunto both the casterne and westerne Bishops assembled the legates The wordes of Pope Agatho his Epistle for the integrity of the RomaÌ„ sayth of Pope Agatho the Patriarches of Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch eyther by themselues or by their substitutes who vniformely condemned the new deuised opinion of Macharius concerning the vnity of Christes wills and operations In S. Gregory in the Roman Church no nouelty was reprehended but â—â— Epistle of Pope Agatho was publikely read in the presence of the Emperour the rest of the Bishops wherin he protested of the Roman Church that it hath neuer byn found through the grace of God to haue strayed from the path of Apostolicall tradition And no man neyther of the Greek or Latine Church no not so much as Macharius himselfe excepted agaynst it although it would haue weakned the authority of Pope Agatho and auayled him much if any such ranker of corruption had crept into the Apostolicall sea Nay that very Epistle was after approued by the whole CouÌ„cell Ibidem act 8. which they would neuer haue done if S. Gregory could haue been touched with any superstitious or new broached doctrine 9. The same argument with most of the former coÌ„uince the like in the behalfe of Boniface the third who liued many yeares before Pope Agatho and before this Epistle of his was generally allowed Lastly if S. Gregory or Boniface the third with the rest that followed be as Humfrey Fulke Whitaker all Protestants coÌ„moÌ„ly Humfrey Fulke and VVhitak in the place before cited depose meere Antichrists and such as depended of them Antichristian prelates what doe they thinke of the definitions made and men condemned by Agatho and his adherents in that 6. general synod of 289. Bishops which was celebrated in the age of our Redemption 681. aboue 20. yeares after Boniface his decease agaynst Macharius Sergius and the rest of the Monothelites who faygned one will and operation in Christ What I say doe Protestants thinke first of the men were they heretikes For disobeying the sentence of Antichrist and his impes Then of the contrary doctrine there defined to wit That as Christ hath two seuerall natures so two seuerall wills and operations I aske them whether they imbrace this as the orthodoxall Apostolicall fayth or renouÌ„ce it with the Monothelites as diabolicall and AntichristiaÌ„ doctrine Is it Antichristian Auaunt then and raunge your selues with those Hellish catyffes who by coÌ„founding the wills abolish the natures extinguish the merits destroy the incarnation and frustrate the redemption of the sonne of God Is it the orthodoxall Christian fayth How was it then decreed and maynteyned by the Prelates of Antichrist Euery Kingdome as our Sauiour in like case reasoned agaynst the Iewes deuided agaynst it Luc. 11. vs 17. selfe shal be made desolate and house vpon house shall fall and if Satan also be deuided agaynst himselfe how shall his Kingdome stand So if Antichrist and his whole army fight agaynst themselues if they vphold the truth of Christ and so maynly persecute and extirpate their owne errours how shall they stand How shall they be aduaunced and extolled agaynst God Was this a repugnant reason to shew that our blessed Redeemer did not in Beelsebub the Prince of diuells Ibidem v. 15. 28. cast forth diuells But in the fingar of God whose Kingdome he preached And is it not as forcible to proue that Antichrist by his owne mouth neuer condemned his Antichristian doctrine neuer defined the true Christian faith but that it was the fingar of God the voyce of the holy Ghost which spake in his Church was deliuered by his true Pastours in that sacred holy and diuine assembly What can Protestants answere to this inuincible argument Will they neyther ioyne with the Monothelites nor yet admit that Oecumenicall Councell to be the mysticall body true spouse of Christ They must then finde out some other Church in that age some other preachers besides those of whome both East and West Greekes and Latines the whole Christian world neuer had any inkling before 10. But although they haue nothing heere to reply yet let vs heare what they say to the former interrogatory of the Roman Churches decay when and by whome it fell out Whitaker answereth It belongeth not to vs to count the tymes and moments in what yeare or day that defection VVhitak contro 2. q 3. c. 1. folio 184. Ibidem contro 2. q. 5. c. 3. fo 312. Powell in his consideratioÌ„ of the Papists suplica pa. 43. beganne And then VVe cannot name any certeyne yeare in which their Church beganne to be chaunged Which Mayster Powell also confesseth with him Therefore we may well conclude that it neuer chaunged or altered her beliefe because it could not be that a Church vniuersally spread famously knowne which had the eyes of all men cast vpon her enemyes on euery side to pry into her all sortes of nations consorting with her innumerable authours writing of her should change her fayth her Religion her worship of God which are of all things most remarkeable and no man to perceaue that strange reuolution The tyme is knowne the persons are named the heresies recorded by which all other Patriarch aâ— seas haue beene 〈◊〉 in eleâ—â—be verbo Macedoniani corrupted with errour For example in the yeare of out Lord 359. Macedonius defiled the seâ— of Constantinople with impugning the diuinity of the holy Ghost About the same tyme Georgius Cappadox intruded into the sea of Athanasius prophaned with Arianisme and many Nicepho Calli. hist Eccle. l. 9. other sacrileges the Church of Alexandria In the yeare of our Redemption 273. Paulus Samosetanus stayned the sea of Antioch with the blasphemy of the Ebionites affirming our Sauiour to haue taken his beginning Aug. I 'de haer from the Virgins wombe and not to haue descended at all from heauen with the heresy also of Sabellius as Epiphanius Epiphanius baer 65. Euseb l. 7. c. 22. 24. leron ep 61. ad PaÌ„mach Ier. in chronic writeth Iohn the Patriach of Ierusalem second of that name infected his sea about the yeare of our Lord 386. with the errours of Origen which had been before about the yeare of our RedemptioÌ„ 351. inuaded polluted also by the Arians 11. Besides we
can tell who checked and controlled who opposed themselues agaynst these mighty heretikes For Damasus the Pope with the first Constantinople Councell condemned Macedonius Georgius Theodo l. c. 11. Tom. 1. Concil f. 10. apud Binium Athana ad solita Nazian orat in liudem Athana Lucifer pro Atha l. 1. 2. Vide Eusebium libro 7. c. 23. 24. Iero. ep 61. Pamma Ruffin in explic sim Nazian in carm de vita sua who liued about the yeare of our Lord 380. Geiasiâ—â— in decreto habito de Apochriphis Scripturis habetur apud BiniuÌ„ tom 2. eoÌ„cil folio 264. They made that decree the yeare 494. Cappadox was resisted and impugned by Athanasius by S. Gregory Nazianzen by Lucifer Calaritanus Paulus Somasatenus by a Councell held at Antioch in the yeare of our Lord 274. Iohn the Patriarch of Ierusalem by S Ierome and S. Epiphanius Thus vnlesse you set downe the tyme the Pope the heresy by which the Apostolicall sea was defiled with superstition who they were that opposed agaynst it it is euident which Ruffinus writeth that in the Church of the Roman Citty no heresy euer began and the auncient custome is there obserued Euident which S. Gregory NaziazeÌ„ testifyeth of his age That old Rome from auncieÌ„t tymes hath the right sayth always keepeth it as it becometh the Citty which oueruleth the whole world always to belieue rightly in God Which Gelasius with 70. Bishops witnes for theirs That the chiefe seat of Peter the Apostle is the RomaÌ„ Church not hauing any spot or wrincle or any such thinge Which Theodoret for his That this holy Sea holdeth the flerne of gouernement ouer all the Churches of the world as for other causes so for that it hath still remayned Theodoret epist ad Rena he wrote the yeare 450. â—oyde of the stench or ill sauour of heresy Which Iohn the Patriarch of Constantinople which Agatho which Regino which Rupertus affirme for theirs Iohn the Patriarch of Constantinople and second of that name saith In the Apostolicall Sea speaking of Peters the Catholike Religion Iohannes Constan 2. in epist ad Horm habetur ToÌ„ 2. concil about the yeare 517. is alwayes kept inuiolable Agatho you haue heard already Regino auerreth That the seate of Peter could neuer be entrapped by heresy or false doctrine Rupertus The Roman Church more strongly built vâ—on the rocke of Apostolicall sayth hath stood vnshaken and hath alwayes condemned the heresies both of the Greeke Church of all the world 12. Moreouer not only the ruines of these renowmed seas but the fall of euery particuler Church is registred Regino in 2. libro Chronico he wrote in the yeare 890. and diuulged by the watchmen of Gods house by the vigilancy of Catholike Pastours whose care and diligence to keepe the vnity of fayth inuiolable discouer the chaunges which might creep into all Cathedrall Seas hath beene such as besides the Sacrament of Ordination these cautions they vsed with euery new elected Bishop 1. He was wont to send coÌ„municatory letters conteyning Rupertus libro 2. de diui offic c. 22. â—e liued about the yeare 1100. the profession of his fayth to all prouinces abroad especially to Rome which was called SynodicaÌ„ dare as S. CypriaÌ„ mentioneth of himselfe of Sabinus a SpaÌ„nish Bishop S. Ambrose likwise of his election The second was if any broke the line of succession or altered the traditioÌ„ of fayth the like notice was giuen of him as of Cerdon of Eutiches of Paulus Samosatenus and of certayne Nouatian See this more largely in Stapleton contro 1. q 4 or â— de principijs fidei doctrin Cyprian libro 4. ep 9. and lib. 1. ep 4. Ambro ep 82. Irenaeus libro â— c. 4. Leo ep 9. Euseb Phamphil l. 7. c. 24. Cyprianus l. 1. ep 3. 4. Leo epist 68. Sozom. l 7. c. 8. Theo. l. 5. histo eccles cap. 9. in epis Synodo Bishops mentioned by Irenaeus Leo Eusebius S. Cyprian The third was the confirmation of the RomaÌ„ Bishop by whom the election of euery new Bishop was accustomed to be ratified and confirmed So Leo the great confirmed Proterius Patriarch of Alexandria Damasus confirmed Nectarius Patriarch of ConstaÌ„tinople Sopâ—o ad Honor. Honorius confirmed Sophronius Patriarch of Ierusalem The fourth was to matriculate as it were or enrole in the Church bookes or publike records the names of such as agreed with the rest in fayth profession thereby to commemorate or remember them in the tyme of the dreadfull sacrifice of the Masse which was in diptyro nomen habere and withall cancelling the memory or nams of such as disseÌ„ted from them in matters of fayth which Hormisda the Pope strictly commaunded to be put in Hormisdâ— in epist. decretal ad Episcopos Hispaniae And see Damasus in his epistle to the Easterne Bishops agaynst Apollinaris â— apud Theo. l. 5. c. 10. Greg. in Regist l. 4. ep 2. indic 2. Ibidem l. 4. ep 34. item libro 6. ep 64. Cyprian l. 1. ep 4. VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. c. 3. f. 312. Sparke in his ans to Mayster Iohn d'Albins an Epistle of his to the Bishops of Spayne All these cautions continued in the Church euen vntill the dayes of S. Gregory the great of which he in particuler maketh mention Therefore it was impossible that any one of vnknowne sayth as S. Cyprian teacheth should vsurpe an Episcopall Sea Impossible for any Bishop to stray from the auncient doctrine without publike notice taken of it Much more impossible for the Roman Bishop As impossible for the Roman Church which alwayes flourished in the view of the world And what can our Protestants deuise what colour haue they to imagine the contrary Whitaker Sparke and their sect-mates alleage that it decayed by little little by such flow and slily steps as it could hardly be perceaued 13. Well let it be that corruption stole thus secretly vpon some part or limme of the Church yet it could neuer grow ouer all the body without being marked by some or other at least when the chaunge or corruption came to be notorious When she first preached heresy supported idolatry When she first relinquished the communion of the true Church this must needs be noted chronicled And this is only that which we desire our aduersaryes to tell vs. We can tell them when all other scandalous and pernicious heresyes first beganne when Arianisme Nestorianisme Manichisme Pelagianisme Lutheranisme Caluinisme c. We can describe the places name the authours recount the vpholders supporters of those and the like blasphemous errours Theodoret reckoneth vp threescore and sixe Saint Augustine fourescore and eight which were before their dayes S. 〈…〉 haer fabu l. 3. Antoninus Guido Carmelita Alfonsus de Castro and Prateolus make mention of the rest euen to this present age Let Protestants performe the like of the superstitious Aug. l. de haeres ad Quod vult Deum
eloquent and learned Bishop sharply rebuked in a publike audience by the venerable and reuerend Spiridion only because he chaunged for elegancy and finenes of speach a word of the sacred writ of no great importance to wit Grabatum into Lectulum and could so many chaunges or prophanations rather as sectaryes conceaue not in words Nicepho l. 8. cap. 42. but in sense and substance in Sacraments sacrifice orders Priesthood worship of God and chiefe articles of fayth be generally made in all Countryes without â—hecke or controllement It is credible It is possible 20. The third Rule is mentioned by Tertullian That if these pointes of doctrine which Protestants condemne in the Roman Church were the inuentions of men they could neuer be so vniformely taught and constantly belieued among such diuersity of nations For Is it likely sayth he so many and so great Churches could combine together all in the same errour Had Churches erred they would haue differed TertulliaÌ„ in prescrip cap. 28. in their errours VVherefore what is one and the same amongst so many was not â—eygned but deliuered So the Pagans or heathenish Idolaters agreed all in acknowledging fealty by outward sacrifice to some high and supreme excellency Aug. ep 49. ad Deogra q. 3. which was God as S. Augustine insinuateth proceeded froÌ„ God yet they infinitely varied in the multiplicity of false Gods to whom diuersity of sacrifices which they offered for those thinges sprung from their own fancies or selfe liking of others But the Roman Church euery The conformity of the RomaÌ„ faith in al articles al ouer the world coÌ„uinceth it to be the true fayth of Christ where accordeth not only in the externall homage of sacrificing to some but in the three persons of Trinity to whome alone our sacrifice is offered In the thinge sacrificed which is bread and wine mingled with water both consecrated into the body bloud of Christ In the forme of wordes which our Sauiour himselfe vsed in offering of it In the circumstance of tyme and place in which he instituted it In all necessary conditions properties or other dispositions required in him that sacrificeth Which constant vniformity must needs flow froÌ„ the soueraygne springe authour of vnity That which I auouch of our sacrifice is verified of Purgatory prayer for the dead inuocation of Saints merit of workes and the rest which Protestants condemne of nouelty and superstition For neyther can these be drawne to any other head or of spring then Christ and his Apostles nor could they be so conformably taught by all sorts of people had they crept into the Church by the errours of men Therfore by al these rules it is manifest that the RomaÌ„ Church neuer altered her fayth or vented any new opinion not generally approued before Which rules M. Field also Field in his 4 booke of the Church chap. 18 fo 224. receaueth as infallible saying VVhatsoeuer the most famous haue constantly and vniformely deliuered as a matter of fayth no man contradicting though many other Ecclesiasticall writers be silent and say nothing of it Like wise that which the most famous in euery age constantly deliuered as matters of fayth and as receaued of them that went before them in such sort that the contradictours and gaynsayers were in their beginning noted for singularity nouelty and diâ—â—on and afterwards in processe of tyme if they persisted in such conâ—radiction All Protestants coÌ„uicted of innouatioÌ„ by Fields testimony Aug. tom 7. l. 1. coÌ„t Iulia. pela cap. 2. Aug. in psal coÌ„tra partem Donati CypriaÌ„ ep 55. Iero. Apo. aduer Ruff. l. 3. c. 4 Cito RomanaÌ„ fideÌ„ non posse mutari Bern. in c. 1â—0 ad Innocen Arbitror ibi potissimuÌ„ resarciri daÌ„na fidei vbi noÌ„possit fides sentire defectum Bilson in 2. part of the true differ c. pag. 386. print in 8. charged with heresy These thinges we admit sayth â—e as comming from those first authors and founders of our Chriâ—â—ian profession See what a verdict M. Field hath giuen in â—o acquite our sacrifice and other articles from superstitiâ—n which haue beene by the most famous in all ages vniformely belieued and to find his owne sectmates guilty of innouation who for gaynsaying of them were in their beginning noted for singularity nouelty and diuision as Aerius Vigilantius and other their forerunners at sundry tymes haue been for the like contradiction and afterwards for their willfull perseuerance arraygned condemned of heresy by the whole Senate of ChristendoÌ„ in the Councell of Trent 21. Finally many auncient Fathers and renowned writers testify not only that the RomaÌ„ sea bath not but that it cannot chaunge or alter her beliefe by reason of Gods special assistance alwayes guarding and protecting it and her supreme Pastour So S. Augustine writeth of Innocentius the Pope VVhat could that holy man answere to the African Councells but that which aunciently the Apostolicall sea the Roman Church held with other Churches And in another place he calleth Peters seate That Rocke which the proude gates of hell â—â—â—quith not S. Cyprian sayth To the chayre of Peter the prinâ—ipall Church c. infidelity or false fayth cannot haue accesse S. Ierome Know you that the Roman Fayth commended by the Apostles â—oyce receaueth no such delusions and that being armed with Paules â—uthority it cannot be chaunged c. S. Bernard writing to the Pope sayth All daungers scandalls of the Kingdome of God esâ—â—cially those which belonge to Fayth ought to be reserred to your Aâ—ostleship For I thinke it meeete that the decayes of fayth be there reâ—ayred where Fayth cannot suffer any detriment For to what other â—ea was it euer sayd I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy Fayth doe â—â—â— fayle M. Bilson obiecteth to himselfe by Philander his aduersary these three last authorityes and although he dippeth of the chiefest part of S. Bernards sentente disgraceth him with the scoffe of poore Bernard and requireth some grauer and eider Father Yet he graunteth that S. Bernard applyeth this priuilege of not erring to the Church of Rome But S. Cyprians saying he pittifully writheth vp and downe forcing it rather to be vnderstood of the people of Rome then of the Pastours of whome S. Cyprian directly speaketh writing to Cornelius the Pope of Felicissimus Cypria ep 55. and other seditious persons sent by Fortunatus the false Bishop out of Africa vnto him His wordes are After all this they dare sayle and carry letters from schismatikes prophane persons to the Chayre of Peter and the principall Church where Priestly vnity had her beginning do not remember those to be Ad quos perfidia non potest habere accessum Romans whose sayth was praysed by the Apostles mouth to whome infidelity or false beliefe cannot haue accesse Therefore to them infidelity could not come in S. Cyprians iudgement to whom Fortunatus sent his legates to them that presided in Peters chayre to
them that were gouernours of that principall Church And who were these but the supreme Bishops Bilson ibid. pag. 388. of the Roman sea 22. M. Bilson was not so dull but he perceaued the weaknes of this first cuasion which maketh him seeke another way to gloze both S. Cyprians and S. Ieromeâ— De regulis iuris 68 in Glossa wordes by turning non posse cannot to may not by right or lawfully because the law sayth id dicimur posse quod de iure possumus we can do that which by right we can As though infidelity could come by right to any other Church or the Ephesin the Constantinopolitan or other fayth might be lawfully chaunged which must needes follow of that construction or els that neyther S. Ierome giueth any prerogatiue to the Roman Fayth which by Saint Paules warrant they extoll so much aboue the fayth of euery towne and village man or woman pezant or Artisan that euer belieued For vnfaythfulnes cannot by right haue accesse to any nor can their fayth be possibly changed without incurring infidelity which is all the prayse that S. Ierome according to M. Bilson in thesame place pag. 394. Bilsons fond interpretation alloweth the Roman faith and yet indeed it is no singular prayse but a childish collection not sauouring of S. Ieromes Wisdome not fitting his purpose in that or sutable to his writing in other places For it is no singular prayse to appropriate that Ieron tom 2. Ep. 57. Dama CathedraÌ„ Patri fidem Apostolico ore laudatam censiuicoÌ„sulendaÌ„ to the fayth of the Roman Church which is common to the fayth of all Churches whatsoeuer It is no better a collection that Fayth cannot be changed without incurring infidelity then that temperance cannot be lost without falling to intemperance or a vertuous maÌ„ become vitious without some vice which is too childish an inference for the grauity of S. Ierome And how doth it sort with his discourse in that place the Roman fayth admitteth no such delusions because fayth cannot be chaunged without incurring infidelity O ridiculous glozes making the text ridiculous Tom 1. ep 26. adprinâ—ipium c. 1. Quasi ad tutissimuÌ„ communionis suae portum Romam confugerant which they peruert and corrupting the Authours mind in many other places in which he counsayleth vs in doubtfull cases to repayre to the Chayre of Peter fayth praysed with the Apostles mouth Calleth that sea a most safe hauen of communion Referreth his writings to be corrected by it Desireth to be resolued by her authority in matters of fayth in omitting or vsing the name of three Hypostases Sayth Let the chayre of Peter the Apostle confirme with her preaching the preaching of the chayre of Marke the Euangelist concludeth at length that whosoeuer gathereth not with Damasus Bishop the Roman Sea scattereth that is he belongeth In explica Symbo ad ama Tom. 2. ep 57. ad Dama Ep. 78. ad Pammaâ—h Marc. Ep. 57. ad Damas. CypriaÌ„ Ep. 55. not to Christ but to Antichrist And S. Cyprian auoucheth that heresies and schismes sprange from no other roote then that the Priest of God is not obeyed nor one Priest in the Church nor one Iudge for the tyme in liew of Christ is had in minde Therfore the Roman Bishop whome he accounteth that one Priest cannot be the authour of Schisme nor broacher of heresy He his Sea with the Church which obeyeth him is defended by God warded by the holy Ghost fenced by the prayer of Christ made for S. Peter and his successours That it neuer was nor euer can be circumuented with errour or be witched with the charmes of pernicious falshood FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OR PRINCIPALL HEADS conteyned in this Booke THE Epistle to the Reader pag. 1. CHAP. 1. VVherein is examined what the Church is and who are of it pag. 13 Chap. 2. VVherein is discussed whether the Church be one or many one visible which we ought to obey another inuisible which we ought to belieue agaynst D. Whitaker and Doctour Fulke pag. 20. Chap. 3. In which is declared that the true visible Church is apparently knowne and famous to the world agaynst D. Whitaker D. Fulke and D. Sparke pag. 27. Chap. 4. In which it is argued that the true visible and apparantly knowne Church can neuer fayle pag. 35. Chap. 5. VVherin is mayntayned that the true Church cannot erre agaynst D. Reynoldes D. Fulke and Doctour Whitaker pag. 45. Chap. 6. VVherein is demonstrated that the Church is the supreme Iudge of controuersies agaynst D. Whitaker D. Fulke and all Protestants pag. 58. Chap. 7. VVherin is manifested the conformable practise of the Church other authorityes alleadged the imagined circle obiected against vs auoyded pag. 65. Chap. 8. VVherein is discouered that out of the true Church there can be no hope of saluation in any Congregation or Sect whatsoeuer pag. 71. Chap. 9. In which is proued that no Sectary can be saued by beleeuing the chiefe heades of Religion pag. 76. Chap. 10. VVherein is disproued the false Markes which Protestants alleadge to find out the Church Agaynst D. Whitaker and M. White pag. 90 Chap. 11. VVherein is shewed That our Sectaryes had not any Preachers of the VVord nor administration of Sacraments nor any Church at all before Luther began Agaynst D. Fulke D. Sparke pag. 99. Chap. 12. VVherin is disproued the Clayme which our Reformers make to certayne pretended Protestants and to men of our Church Agaynst D. Fulke and D. Sparke pag. 106. Chap. 13 VVherein is ouerthrowne the like Clayme which Protestants make to the Professours of the Roman Church agaynst D. Field and M. White pag. 112. Chap. 14. In which Vnity is explayned and strongly proued to be a marke of the true Church Agaynst D. Whitaker and Doctor Field pag. 122. Chap. 15. In which sundry variances are reckoned vp wherein Protestants dissent amongst themselues in essentiall points of Religion pag. 129. Chap. 16. VVherin is declared how Sanctity or Holines is a note of the true Church Agaynst D. Whitaker and D. Field pag. 137. Chap. 17. In which Sanctity or Holines is another way explayned to be a badge of the true Church pag. 146. Chap. 18. In which the Name of Catholik is proued to be a marke of the â—rue Church Agaynst D. Whitaker D. Fulke and D. Field pag. 155. Chap. 19. In which the thinge signified by the Name Catholike to wit Vniuersality is shewed to be a marke of the true Church Agaynst D. Whitaker and D. Abbor pag. 164. Chap. 20. In which Apostolicall succession is declared to be an appaparent note of the true Church Agaynst M. Francis Mason pag. 177. Chap. 21. In which the Beginning Propagation Continuance of the true Fayth is proued to be a Note of the true Church and only to appertayne to the Roman Church which neuer altered the Faith it fiâ—st receaued from the Apostles pag. 205. Faults escaped in the Printing Page Line Fault Correction Pag. 4. 25. heriocall heroicall 6. 34. good God 7. 14. hild hidde Ibid. 24. some sonne 11. vlt. holynes holy ones 14. 31. Nouitians Nouatians 15. 27. preseuer perseuer 19. vlt. shee sheepe 23. 13. would could 24. 38. blynd build 25. 17. paradoxes paradoxe 27. 18 coÌ„municateth communicated 28. 1. some sometymes 29. 6. thorne throne 33. 16. breathed since he c. breathed since he defendeth it now c. Ibid. 26. dispute disputant 37. 22. visible flocke a visible flocke In the margent pag. 8. praesentiam lege potentiam If any other faults haue escaped it is desired of the learned Reader to correct them of his courtesy the Authour being far absent from the print and so forced to commit the same to strangers FINIS