spirit and I will pray and sing with the vnderstanding also And Origen e Cont. Cels l. 8 saith Let euery man make his prayer to God in his natiue mother tongue And many learned Papists confesse f Lyra. Tho. Caiet vpon 1. Cor. 14. Eras declar ad Cens pag. 153. that in the Primitiue Church and long after the prayers and seruice were done in the mother tongue and that it were better for the churches edification to haue it so stil Cassander a great Papist g Liturgic c. 28. penult sheweth this at large and addeth that diuers nations to this day retaine the auncient custome still and neuer vsed any strange language in their prayers See Iustinian Nouel 123. 3 Thirdly touching the forbidding of lay people to reade the Scriptures and to haue them in their mother tongue For h Ioh. 5.39 Christ bad the people search the Scriptures and i Act. 17.11 the Christians of Thessalonica searched them dayly and k Deut. 6.7 Moses commanded all housholders to rehearse them continually to their family and l 2. Tim. 3.15 Timothie of a child was trained vp in them And m Corn. Agrip. vanit c. 100. the Councel of Nice decreed that no Christian should be without a Bible And Chrysostome n Homil. 3 in Laz. biddeth the lay people take the Bible into their hand and reade it and o Homil. 2. in Mat. saith the reading thereof is more needfull to them then to the Monkes And Ierome p Epitaph Paul commendeth it in women of his time that it was not lawfull for them to be ignorant in the Psalmes or to passe ouer any day without learning something out of the holy Scriptures The which things the Church of Rome at this day will not follow 4 Fourthly touching the mariage of Ministers For in q Leuit. 21.7 2. Reg. 4.1 Ezek 24.18 Luc. 1.13 the old law Priests and Prophets had wiues and r Heb. 13.4 the doctrine of Saint Paule is that mariage is honorable among all Å¿ Paphnut apud Sozom. l. 1. c. 22. Theophyl in Heb. 13.4 men t 1. Tim. 3.2 Tit. 1.6 Chrys hom 1. in Tit. who also giueth order concerning the wiues and children of Bishops which were needlesse if they might haue none And that they were ordinarily maried in the Primitiue Church appeareth by many examples Mantuan u Fast l. 1. saith Hilarie a French Bishop was maried and that in his time it was lawfull Nazianzene x Monod reporteth of Basils father who was a Bishop that in the state of marriage he held the life and order of a Bishop And Synesius the Bishop of Ptolemais y Epist ad Euopt Niceph. l. 14. c. 55. writeth thus of himselfe The sacred hand of Theophylus hath giuen me a wife and hereupon I testifie to al men that I will neither forsake her nor yet priuily as an adulterer keepe her companie but I will pray God to send me by her many and good children Athanasius z Epist ad Dracont reporteth that Bishops and Monkes liued maried and had children And the Ecclesiasticall histories a Euseb l 4. c. 23 Socrat. l. 5. c. 22. Niceph. l. 12. c. 34. say expresâ—y that in the Easterne Churches it was counted a yoke too heauie to be layed on the Church-men to binde them from marriage and therefore they might if it pleased themselues auoide the companie of their wiues but no law constrained them And therefore many executing the place of Bishops euen in the houses where Bishops vsed to dwell begat many children of the wiues which before time they had lawfully married and at this present day no Bishop sleeping with his wife is counted vnchast Finally our aduersaries themselues confesse that b Scot. 4. d. 37. Polyd. inuent l. 5. c. 4. Antidid Colon. pag. 128. Coster Enchir. pag. 517. Greg. a Valen tom 4. disp 9. q. 5. puÌ„ct 5. § 1. in the most auncient times of the Church and after the Apostles death they had their wiues c 26. q. 2. Sors that they are forbidden mariage by no diuine law but onely by a humane constitution d Ouan 4. d 25. pro 9 Bellar. cleric c. 18. that this constitution may be dispensed with by releasing the vow e Caiet quod lib. 1. q. 12. pag. 236. in fine coÌ„ment in 3. part Thom. That excluding the Church lawes made by the Pope and standing only to that which we haue from Christ and his Apostles it cannot be proued by any reason or authoritie that speaking absolutely a Priest sinneth in marying but reason rather leadeth to the contrarie in that holy orders neither as they are orders nor as they are holy can hinder mariage f Pius 2. epist 321. That it is better for a Priest to marrie then to burne though he haue vowed not to marry g Pius 2. apud Platin. in eius vita Erasm declarat ad Censur Paris pag. 200. That there be many reasons to forbid Priests mariage but more to allow it 5 Fiftly touching Images For the Church of Rome h Conc. Nicen. 2. act 7. Concil Trid. sess 25. not onely worshippeth them but commaundeth also to do it i Conc. Trid. ib. Suar. to 1. d. 54. s 4. Tho 3. q. 25. art 3. 4. with diuine honour the verie same that is due to God himselfe contrarie to the commaundement which saith k Exod. 20.4 Thou shalt make to thy selfe no image nor the likenesse of any thing thou shalt not bow downe to it nor worship it And Saint Paul l Rom. 1.23 reproueth such as changed the glorie of God into the similitude of men and beasts and fowles And m Apoc. 19.10 22.8 the Apostle was rebuked for offering to haue worshipped the Angell The Councell of Eliberis n Can. 38. decreed that no picture should be made in the Church lest that were adored which is painted on walles o Ep. ad Ioan. And Epiphanius finding an Image painted on a cloth hanging in a Church rent it down and said it was against the authoritie of the Scripture that any image should be in the Church And Origen p Contra Cels l. 7. saith of his time We worship no Images q Clem. Alexand hort ad Gent pag. 14. graec Minut. Felix octou Athenag Legaâ— and the auncient Christians of the Primitiue Church had none Yea eight hundred yeares after Christ when r Zon. Cedren alij the second Nicene Councell had set vp Images Å¿ Ouand 4. d. 2. pro. 8. Baron ann 794. n. 1. a generall Councell holden at Frankford t Abb. Vrsperg ann 793. Rhegin ann 794. where the Popes Legates also were abrogated the decree thereof and by u Opus illust Caroli Mag. contra Synod a booke purposely written confuted it In that booke it is said * pag. 486. lib. 4. cap. 2. the
c. 9. pag 131. that the power Imperiall dependeth vpon the Popes authoritie and is subordinate to it and that the Pope hath power to remoue reuoke correct and punish Kings whose secular gouernment is not meerly necessary or expedient but when the Church cannot and this they say is to be holden with the right faith as the naturall morall and diuine law of God This is a peece of the present faith of the Church of Rome the execution and practise whereof affoordeth her such store of Martyrs in euery kingdome But that you may see how vainly they brag of their vncontrolled antiquitie marke what Waldensis hath left written almost three hundred yeares ago he b Tom. 1. p. 196. lib. 2. art 3. c. 78. saith The regall power of Princes is not by our mother the Church vsed to be set behind the priestly power as if it were nothing of it selfe but sprang from it and were the second after it They erre he saith that affirme the roote of earthly power hangeth so much on the Pope that by his commission the execution of the same is deriued to the Prince Thus he writeth in that booke which he calleth the DOCTRINE OF THE ANCIENT FAITH that we might see the Church of Rome holdeth some things which in the records of her owne Court are noted for Nouelties and late incrochments against the ancient faith 10 The first restraint that euer was made of Priests marriage was by Siritius the Bishop of Rome 380. yeares after Christ For before that time it was beleeued and practised that Priests might haue wiues as all other men and Siritius was the first that euer forbad it The first part of this which I say that before his time maried men exercised the ministerie is proued before Digress 49. num 4. and is further proued by the confession of our aduersaries themselues For Alphonsus c Aduers haeres verb. Sacerdot haeres 4. writeth that in the Primitiue Church it was obserued that he which was maried might be promoted to priesthood though it were not required of him that he should first be maried And he addeth that this custome preuailed till the times of the Nicene Councell The second part that Siritius was the first that forbad maried Priests appeareth first by the decree it selfe extant in d D. 82. plurim the Canon law next by the confession of our aduersaries For e Inuen l. 5. c. 4. Polydore affirmeth it and the Glosse vpon the f D. 84. Cum in praeterito Glos §. Qui sacrameÌ„ Canon law saith Siritius brought in the continencie of Priests and Deacons yea some affirme that of old before the time of Siritius Priests might contract mariage g Index Expur pag. 308. nu 26. This Glosse Pius Quintus the late Pope hath commanded to be wiped out because it is cleare against the Papacie but Nauclerus h Tom. 2. generat 13. pag. 537. saith in effect as much that Siritius commanded Deacons to be continent And Clictoueus i De continen sacerdot c. 4. Quem refertâ— Bellar. Greg. Valent. writeth that it is a commaundement of the Church first brought in by Siritius that maried men should not be ordained Priests vnlesse from that time forward they would containe Here he confesseth that Siritius brought in that k Greg. Valent. to 4. d. 9. q. 5. p. 5. § 1. p. 1571. a. which the Iesuites thinke to be the chiefest thing whereunto the law of single life bindeth Thus Siritius began the matter but yet l Inuen l. 5. c. 4. saith Polydore it could neuer be effected that their mariage should be taken away till Gregorie the seuenth came to be Pope in the yeare 1074. The which thing when he attempted in Germanie as m Sigeb anno 1074. Lambert pag. 201 207. Auentin annal l. 5 Naucler vol. 2. generat 36. Baron an 1074. n. 37. Sigon reg Ital. l. 9. anno 1074. the stories with one consent record he was resisted as one that brought in a new custome neuer receiued before Auentine writeth n Pag. 448. that in those dayes Priests had wiues openly as other men had and begat children their wiues being called by a seemly name Presbyterissae o Pag. 460. And when the Pope forbad them mariage this to many Bishops and other learned and good men seemed a new doctrine and a pestilent heresie as euer troubled any Christian kingdome And he saith the Bishops of Italy Germany and France met together and for this cause decreed that he had done against Christian pietie and deposed him for that among diuers other things he diuorced men and their wiues denying such as had their lawfull wiues to be Priests when yet in the meane time he admitted to the altars whoremongers adulterers and incestuous persons Let any man iudge if it had bene possible the Bishops and Cleargie of Italy France and Germanie should thus bitterly haue censured and withstood this doctrine of Hildebrand if the Church had receiued it alwayes before 11 The Images of the Trinitie p Posseâ—in biblioth l. 8. c. 16. Vasq adorat l. 2 disp 3. c. 3. Bellar c. 8. which the Church of Rome now vseth and adoreth came not in of seuen hundred yeares after Christ For q Can. 82. Carranz ibi the sixt generall Councell holden anno 687. forbiddeth the making of the holy Ghost in the likenesse of a Doue and r Apud Baron an 726. pag. 87. Gregorie the second liuing anno 726. in an Epistle to Leo Isauricus writeth that in his time they vsed not to paint or represent God the Father Vpon which words Baronius hath noted in the margent that AFTERWARDS the custome grew to paint God the Father and the holy Ghost in the Church If it grew afterwards then it was not vsed at the first 12 So likewise the beginning of all image worship was in the second Nicen Councell for Å¿ Act. 7. Zonar tom 3. pag. 95. Geo. Cedren Compen p. 387 that decreed it Whereas but a little before when Serenus a Bishop in France in detestation thereof had cast out of a Church and broken certaine images Gregory the Bishop of Rome t Lib 7. Ep. 109 wrote vnto him The zeale which you had that nothing made with hands should be worshipped we commend but we are of mind that you should not haue broken those images for painting is therefore vsed in Churches that they which are vnlearned might by sight reade vpon the wals that which in bookes they cannot Your brotherhood should therefore haue spared the breaking of them and yet withall haue kept the people from worshipping them that such as are simple might haue had meanes whereby to come to the knowledge of the story and yet the people not sinne in worshipping the picture Which words shew that howsoeuer he fauoured the historicall vse of images which we deny not to haue bene brought into the Church before his time
Bishops except the Apostles being wholly rapt out of himselfe In which words he mentioneth no more but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE BEHOLDING OF THE BODY WHICH THE AVTHOR OF LIFE WAS IN AND WHICH RECEIEVED GOD and the PRAISING OF CHRISTS GOODNES which speech is so obscure and vncertaine that Baronius b An. 48. n. 6. 3. obserueth some haue expounded it of the Sepulcher which receiued the body of Christ and some of Iohn the Euangelists house which entertained the holy Virgin and some of the flesh of Christ wherin the Diuinitie dwelt But supposing the body of the virgine Mary be meant which they came to see yet how followeth it that this was at her death and funerall and assumption all the rest that the Rhemists tell where is the learning that should proue this Moreouer we shew them how vaine and vncertaine all things touching this matter are The Authors are vnsufficient No man can tell either when she died or where the sepulcher should be or when she was assumed Touching her age when she died whereupon dependeth the credit of Dionysius c Suar. tom 2. p. 197. Baro. an 48. n. 24. they say it is vncertaine and vnknowne The time of her assumption is noted by d Suar. p. 200. some to haue bin the same day she died by e Rhem. act 1.14 others 3 daies by f Beleth explic diuin offic pag. 559. Durand rational p. 447. others 40. daies after Baron g Nu. 4. saith there is monstrous diuersity among writers touching these things And concerning the sepulcher you see the Rhemists say confidently it was in Gethsemani but the counterfet h Ep. ad Paul Eustoch Ierom saith in the vally of Iehosaphat Baronius thinks it is vnknowne But how is the matter then defended after they haue so grauely related it and so reuiled the Protestants for not beleeuing it as in many more questions so in this when they haue florished awhile and spent a few vaine brags their blood cooleth and the swelling swageth i Durand vbi supra One saith The truth is she was taken vp in soule but whether her body remained on the earth it is vncertaine And better it is piously to doubt then rashly to define any thing touching the matter Yet it is piously to be thought she was totally assumed k Suar. vbi supra Another saith the opinion is now so generally receiued that it cannot without rashnesse be denied yet there is neither Scripture nor sufficient tradition to make the faith hereof infallible Baronius saith l Nu. 9. the things pertaining to this historie are strengthened neither by the Scriptures nor the testimonies of the auncient fathers If their learning could haue iustified their fable they would not first raile at the Protestants for refusing it and then in the end themselues hâ—lfe mistrust it laying it vpon bare tradition and intreating the world to receiue it as a godly opinion though there be no testimonie in antiquitie to proue it 9 Another example to shew what little cause we haue to feare or regard their learning shall be this that followeth When the second Nicene Councel had brought in the worship of images the Emperour Charles assembled another Councell at Frankford and condemned it againe and reiected the Nicene whereby it appeareth that images were brought in at that time and that the Church of Rome in confirming the said Nicene Councel changed the ancient faith Our aduersaries haue had time enough to thinke vpon this and to frame their answer But they know not what to say the best learned among them confuting one another in the point First m Suar tom 1. p. 800. c. Vazq adorat p. 303. Bin. tom 3. concil p. 427. they endeuour to proue that this of Frankford was but a prouinciall Councell and faine they would haue it so that they might say it erred and must giue place to the Nicene which was generall But we shew this to be false for n Visperg pag. 187. Rhegin p. 30. the stories report it to haue bene a generall Councell of three hundred Bishops assembled out of all the prouinces of the Empire the Popes owne Legates also being present and therefore o Ouand breuiloq in 4 sent pag 52 Baron an 794. nu 1. other Papists let go this answer graunting it was a full Councell and cannot be reiected as a prouinciall and that it did condemne the Nicene Councell but this they say was erroneously being deceiued by those that penned the booke of Charles against Images and thinking it had decreed they should be worshipped with Latria diuine honor which was the reason why they reiected the Nicene Councell p Bozi de Sign eccl tom 2. pag 270. Genebrard chron an 794. Bellar. de imag c. 14 Baron an 794. n. 31. inde Many of the learnedest flie to this answer but we reply that besides that it is against q Concil Basil epist Synod Râ—spons de authorit Concil a principle of their owne that a generall Councell cannot erre it is manifestly against the truth For the mind of the Nicene Councell was well enough knowne and the same Popes Legats that were at the one were at the other and the contrary cannot be shewed out of Charles his booke whereupon other Papists perceiuing this answer cannot be defended giue it ouer and confute it and betake themselues to a worse r Alan Cope p. 570. Sand. visib monarc p. 480. Sur. comment p. 445. concil tom 3. p. 428. Alpâ—on contra haer p. 139. Catharin de sanct glor p. 67. Suar. tom 1. p. 802. Vazq adorat p. 302. Binn concil tom 3. pag. 429. They say that in the Synod of Frankford the Nicene Councel was not condemned not any thing attempted against it but the Councell of Constantinople vnder Constantinus Copronymus which had condemned Images yea it ratified and confirmed the Nicene Councell and decreed the worship of Images as it had done A strange assertion yet Baronius Å¿ An. 794 n. 26. saith It is the answer of very many good Catholickes as it is indeed but note what t De imag c 14. Bellarmine saith of it I wish this were true but I doubt it is false For marke into what desperate straits they haue brought themselues that hold it First they of the former opinion confute them Next we produce the vniuersall consent of the Church stories against them The booke of Charles the great u Praefat. circa med saith There was brought forth the question touching the late Synod of the Grecians which they made at Conâ—â—â—â—tinople concerning the adoring of Images wherein it was written that they should be cursed which did not giue the same seruice and adoration to the images of Saints which is giuen to the diuine Trinitie This our most holy Fathers of Frankford despised and with one consent condemned To this agree diuers other authors Hincmarus Ado
the particular Churches set down and name the articles of their faith the which confessions if the Iesuite can shew to iarre as he saith in dogmaticall points of faith I am content you beleeue him in all the rest Or if he can shew the Church of England since Papistry was first abolished hath altered one article of the present faith now professed 2 I will not deny but there are iarres among vs but this is that we say and for triall thereof we challenge all the Seminaries this day in England from whom the worst of our fallings out is not hid that these iarres are not in points of faith nor yet any contrarietie betweene Church and Church but onely they are quarels and dissentions betweene some particular men and me thinketh the Iesuite should not be so absurd as to hold the Church it selfe guiltie of euery fault committed by any priuate man therein no more then a ciuill state ordered by good lawes and wholesome gouernment can be discredited by some suites and quarels that now and then fall out betweene the subiects And yet it is false he saith that scarce three learned men among vs are in all points of one opinioÌ„ for that breach which is is not so great as these words imply but onely toucheth some particular men in matters not concerning faith the body of the Church in the meane time continuing in the vnitie of faith and vpholding her gouernment And for further proofe hereof our enemies haue taken infinit paines to collect and blaze abrode these our supposed dissentions but how haue they sped in the iourney what haue they performed the mountaine trauelled and was deliuered of a mouse For one part of these dissentions are falsly laid to our charge through the ignorance and fury of our aduersaries as drunken men in the pangs of their giddinesse speake of things not as they are indeed but as the impression is in their idle fancie Another part are not the iarres of the Church but the defects of some few therein whereof the Church is not guilty The rest are not dissentions in things of faith but strife about ceremonies kindled and nourished specially by the cunning of secret Papists lurking as the remnant of the Canaanites among vs wherein if any among vs haue exceeded yet f Ezek. 16.51 the Church of Rome iustifieth vs againe where neither three learned men nor three Popes can be giuen of one mind in all points but as Platina g In Steph. vi writeth This hath bin for the most part the maner that the later Popes haue either infringed or wholly taken away the decrees of the former And Papists h D. 40. Si Pap. edit GregoriaÌ„ in Annot. desiring to fetch religion rather from the Popes mouth then from holy writ cannot but change as they haue changed 3 Therefore the discord among vs being of no higher degree we say as Prudentius a Christian poet said of the vnitie of his time i Concordia laesa est Sed defensa fide quin concordia sospes Germanam comitata fidem sua vulnera ridet Psychom It hath receiued some hurt but is defended by faith her sister in whose company being safe come home she laugheth at her wounds And though we excuse not the oppositions of any who as k the twinnes of Rebecca shooke each others in their mothers wombe whereby she is made afraid and her burden becometh heauier and painefuller to her yet let not our enemies flatter themselues in this l Gen. 25.22 for Rebecca the Church among vs shall be safe God shall giue her Isaack the sonne of the promise and make her a fruitful mother after all her sorow Whose children though in some things they varie yea reproch one another yet so did Cyril and Theodoret Chrysostome and Theophilus Ierome and Ruffin and there is no impossibilitie why in the pursuite of their passion they may not be deceiued both For two brothers being in choler may one renounce the other yet still they remaine brothers for all that and their angry words proceeding not of iudgement but of choler l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aeschyl Sept. ad Theb. cannot make voide the band of nature Digression 21. Shewing that Gods true Church in all ages hath now and then bene troubled with contentions as great as are now among vs. 4 And because our enemies may hope by vrging these contentions such as they are to discredit our profession they must be put in mind that the vnitie of Gods Church was neuer so perfect or entire but sometime it hath bene blemished with dissention yea miserably rent in sunder with the inconsiderate strife of her owne children Saint Paul m Rom. 16.17 testifieth of the Church of Rome that there were therein which caused diuisions and offences contrarie to the doctrine And of the Corinths he n 1. Cor. 3.3 saith there was among them enuying strife and contention some holding of Paul some of Apollo some of Cephas and he o 1. Cor. 11.19 writeth to them that there must be heresies among them for the trial of such as were faithfull So p Act. 15.39 Paul and Barnabas yea q Gal. 2.11 Paul and Peter had their iarres so Polycrates and Victor Cyprian and Cornelius Cyril and Theodoret Chrysostome Theophilus and Epiphanius Hierome and Ruffin Paulinus and Meletius Leo and the Councell of Calcedon Nazianzen and the Councell of Constantinople all bishops of the Catholicke Church were at extreme contention one with another r Euseb hist l. 5 c. 23. inde Niceph. l. 4 c. 37. inde The strife betweene the East and West Churches about the keeping of Easter was such that they excommunicated each other Å¿ Euseb hist l. 7 c. 3. inde Cypr. ep 74. ad Pomp. Sabrat Concil Carth. apud Cypt. apud Cypr. ep 75 Hieron de script in Dionysio The question of rebaptization bred the like broiles betweene the Bishop of Rome and the Westerne Bishops on the one part and Cyprian Dionysius and Firmilianus three metropolitans with the most Bishops in Affricke Aegypt Cappadocia Galatia and Cilicia on the other part there was no Church or Catholicke Bishop therein which was not intangled in this opposition But the broiles stirred vp by Theophilus against Chrysostome were more then tragicall and rent in sunder all the Churches in the world yet were they the Bishops of the Catholicke Church that thus contended In this variance Theophilus the Patriarke of Alexandria and Epiphanius the Bishop of Cyprus were chiefe against Chrysostome and with them ioyned the other Bishops of the Prouinces as they fancied the euent was this t Socr. l. 6. c. 21. Chrysostome lost both his Bishopricke and life in banishment u Niâ—eph l. 13. c. 13 Epiphanius and he most grieuously cursed one another x Socr. l. 6. c. 17. Niceph. l. 13. cap. 17. 21. Many were slaine in the taking of parts y Sozo l.
8. c. 22 Zosim l. 5. Socr l. 6. c. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 262. The Cathedrall Church at Constantinople with the Senate house were set on fire burned to the ground in the pursuit of reuenge The people were robbed of their Pastors and the Pastors themselues persecuted each other and pursued their people most vnmercifully Caesar Baronius beginning to intreate of this contention z Annal tom 5 An. 400. nu 51. hath these words A shamefull contention in the Church the lamentable narration wherof I now take in hand wherein shall be described the bickering and cursed persecution not of Gentile against Christians or heretickes against Catholickes or wicked men against good and iust men but which is monstrous and prodigious of Saints and holy men one against another The which words make it plaine that this contention was among Gods owne children in the true Church The like is written of the Bishops in the Councell of Nice a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sozo l. 1 c. 17. accusing one another to the Emperour as soone as they were assembled of whose iarres that famous speech of Constantine made vnto them vpon that occasion giueth witnesse wherin among many other things b Soz. ibid. Niceph l 8. c. 16. idem in Conc. â—y â—apud Niceph l 8. c. 50. Euseb vit CoÌ„stant l. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he telleth them that he thinketh this worse then all the euils to be vttered that he seeth the Church of God dissenting by contentions and contrary opinions Yea Sozomen c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 1. c. 16. saith The contrarietie of opinions among the learned at that time was so scandalous that it turned many from embracing the Christian religion So likewise in a Councell holden at Constantinople for the deposing of Nazianzen he thus admonisheth the Bishops d Vita Nazian praefixa operibus eius Graecè editis Basil It is a shame ô my fellow Pastors of the sacred flocke of Christ and not befitting you if while you teach others peace your selues fall to warre and how shall you perswade others to vnitie your selues being at variance In the second Councell of Ephesus Flauianus the Bishop of Constantinople was deposed e Liberat. breu c. 12. Niceph. l. 14. c. 47. pitifully murthered f Euagr. l. 1. c. 10 Niceph. l. 14. c. 47. with him were also deposed Eusebius Dorilaeus Ibas Theodoret Domnus Daniel Aquilinus and Irenaeus all Catholicke Bishops and this was not done by the faction of Dioscorus alone g Baro. An. 449 nu 97. 98. 105. but by the Catholicke Bishops themselues all which saith Baronius Consented both to the restoring of Eutyches and deposing of Flauianus and the rest There was in this contentious Councell aboue 132. Bishops whereof the foure Patriarkes beside the Popes Deputie were part yea it was an Oecumenicall Councell lawfully assembled of Catholicke Bishops yet through the conueiance of cunning aduersaries they were set one against another For the godly men of those times had secret enemies grieuous wolues in sheeps clothing who tooke all occasions to abuse their simplicity and set them at variance among themselues For so do men vse h Sozo l. 6. c. 4. saith an old historie speaking of this matter as long as strangers wrong them to hold together but when they are deliuered frâ—m outward troubles then they fall out among themselues Thus the policie of the Arrians kindled those contentions that among the Catholickes brake out in the cause of Athanasius and by strange deuices nourished them wherby they drew godly Bishops into their faction against the truth as i Haer 68. Epiphanius noteth of the Meletians * Primas fereÌ„tes tum in pietate tuÌ„ in vita Meletiani qui summam iustitiam veritatis demonstrabaÌ„t Godly men that being mingled with the Arrians though they abode in the true faith yet were they not free from some contagion which they gathered in that societiâ— and one part hereof was k Atha orat 1. contr Arrian their standing with others against Athanasius This was it that bred the troubles among the Bishops in the Councels of Seleucia Syrmium Antioch Tirus Lampsacum Ariminum and many other wherin euermore something was practised euen by Bishops of the true faith against their fellow Bishops and the faith it selfe The Councell of Ariminum is famous for this wherein there were aboue 400. Bishops of the West all Catholicke l Athan. de Synod but 50. or therabouts that were Arrians and yet they relented from the faith of the Nicen Councel towards Arrianisme and gaue occasion of infinite broiles in the Church afterward by their inconstancie 5 And long before this Saint Cyprian lamented Church-contentions and m L. 4. Ep. 4. thinketh God sent the persecutions of his time for no other cause These euils saith he had not come vpon the brethren if they had bin linked together in brotherly concord And a little after the persecution of Iulian was ouer the stories n Sozo l. 6. c 4. Niceph. l. 10. c. 40. tell how the Church-gouernours againe moued questions and disputations about the dogmaticall points of faith And Eusebius beginning to intreate of the bloody persecution which the Church suffered vnder Diocletian saith the contentions of the learned therein was the cause o Lib. 8. hist c. 1 these are his words They also saith he which seemed to be our Pastors casting off the rule of piety inflamed themselues with mutuall contentions each against other they increased nothing but strife threats enuy and quarels euerie man with all tyranny pursuing his ambition Neither did the persecution ensuing stay this dissention but as soone as euer peace came to the Church they fell to it againe p Euseb vit Constan l. 3. Gela. CyzeceÌ„ Act conc Nic. l. 2 c. 7. 8. that the good Emperour which brought this peace had much ado with all his authoritie to appease them wherupon Basil the great maketh this sorowfull complaint In other arts and sciences q Aschet proae de iudic Dei p. â—89 Graec. The like complaint made by the Emperour Theodosius of the Catholicke Bishops in his time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Ephes pag. 235. saith he I haue seene much concord among the professors thereof onely in the Church of God I haue obserued so much diuision and so exceeding great dissention of many both among themselues and against the holy Scriptures and that which is most horrible the Bishops themselues haue stood in such difference among themselues both of mind and opinion and contrary to the commandements of Christ haue vsed such contrarietie that thereby the Church of God hath bene vnmercifully drawn in sunder and his flocke troubled without all care and pitie A heauy complaint and such as chargeth the Church with a foule blemish euen as foule euery way as that wherewith the Iesuite and the rest of our enemies this day vpbraid the Church
the qq of the Armenians Armachanus against the Friers Marsilius and Occham against the Popes supremacie the Iesuits and Secular priests of late among vs one against another Catharinus against Caietan of whom a Loc. l. 2. c. 11. Canus againe giueth this censure He was a little too busie in carping at others and marked not that himselfe while he reprehended Caietan did many times and fowlly erre This Caietan though he were b Reuerendiss Thomae de Vio Caie S. Ro. Eccl Card. Theol. doctoris absolu tissimi The title set before his comments vpon Tho. reputed the most absolute and profound Doctor of his time c As appeareth by his opusc ad diuersorum quaesita much sought vnto for resolution of difficult questions yet afterward d Andrad defens Trid. l. 2. they suspected him to haue bene a Lutheran e Suaâ— to 3. d. 60 s 1. And this appeareth by coÌ„paring the new print of his commentaries vpon Tho. with the old edition printed at Venice An. 1523. and Pius Quintus caused a number of things to be put out of his bookes in a new impression that a man may know they are not all of one opinion So Catharinus and Soto haue written vehemently against each other and there is not one of the elder Papists such as were Pighius Gropper Bayus Peresius Cassander Hosius Almaine and the rest who in their time some three or foure score yeares since were the best pillars in the Church of Rome and taught the doctrine thereof as it was then held but now the Iesuits scornfully cast them off and confute them Who knoweth not f De grat l. 1. c. 3. saith Bellarmine that Pighius in many points was miserably seduced by reading Caluins bookes And of Gropper and the other Diuines of Collen he g De iustif l. 3. cap. 3. saith Their bookes haue need of the Churches censure in the same manner do they that are yet liuing deale one by another For nothing is more common in the bookes of Stapleton Bellarmine Gregory of Valentia Suarez Vasquez Molina Baronius and other moderne writers then to confute one anothers opinion and to determine in the questions depending as variably as euer did the schoolemen 18 And if any thinke I wrong them by reporting these things vntruly of them I demand why haue they razed purged so many of their books which were their owne Doctors why haue they put out that which they writ and put in what they writ not and so printed their bookes new ouer that now you cannot find in the new print those things which themselues printed in the old Thus they haue serued Caietan Gratian with his glosse Ferus Polydore Ludouicus Vines h See index lib. prohib and the indices expurg of all sorts Iun. Hispan Louan Posseuin apparat sacer tomis 2. and whom not if he had written neuer so little against the streame of the present time The Diuines of the holy inquisition i Biblio l. 2. c. 8. saith Posseuinus a busie meddler in all mens writings haue commanded certaine things to be razed out of Andreas Mazius his comments which sauoured of heresie And of Iansenius his Harmonie vpon the Gospels he k Lib. 2. c. 18. saith Many things are in it not allowed by learned men which with little ado might be supplyed or taken away Therfore it is plaine that among the learned of that side there is some opposition or else they would neuer geld one anothers bookes thus 19 And it is no sufficient answer to say The difference is not in dogmaticall points of faith but onely in matters not defined by the Church for it is in all the points of their religion wherein they differ from vs and wherin Papistry properly consisteth the certaine truth wherof is determined in the Scriptures and therefore it is against vnitie to disagree therein whether the Pope and his Councels determine of them or no. Besides it is a point of Atheism to say l Dico hactenus nihil esse in hac controuersia ab Ecclesia definituÌ„ ideoque sententiam nostrum non esse de side â— Fr. Suar. to 2. d. 3. l. 6. they are not matters of faith vnlesse the Church of Rome haue defined theÌ„ m Occham tract 2. part 2. c. 10 inde Anâ—otâ—ers for what God reuealed in his word and may be knowne thereby bindeth vs of it owne nature and though the Church haue power to propound matter of faith out of the Scripture and for the ending of controuersies to giue testimony with the truth yet hath it no authoritie to change the nature of things or to put any more veritie into them then was before In which regard the contentions of our aduersaries touch the faith in that they striue about things determined by the word of God and agree in nothing wherein they dissent from vs for in the same things wherin they differ from vs they also dissent one from another This I will shew in some few examples such and so many onely as the present opportunitie will permit and is fit for this place 20 First they agree not about the Popes supremacie For Ferus n Sixt. Senens biblioth l. 6. annot 72. taught against his dominion and principality in temporall things o Comment in Mat. l. 3 in c. 16. preaching that Christ gaue him the keyes not of the kingdomes of the earth but of the kingdome of heauen not any earthly power to giue take away or alienate kingdomes but authoritie to bind and loose c. And Marsilius p Defens pac part 2. c. 18. saith That vniustly yea besides and contrary to the demonstration of Diuinitie humanitie he ascribeth to himselfe fulnesse of power ouer Prince community or any singular person And Durand q De modo celeb concil queÌ„ refert Catolog test idem Gerson quem ita refert Fr. Victo relect 4. de pot Pap. Concil pag. 138. holdeth the Supremacie of the Romane Church should be declared and distinguished by the Ecclesiasticall and secular lawes neither ought the Pope to be called the Bishop of the vniuersall Church because Gregory hath forbidden it And it is a common opinion that a Councell is aboue him And Almayn r Qu. in Vesp pag. 133. saith It is not necessary we beleeue things determined by him And Cusanus Å¿ Concord l. 2. c. 12. saith that through vse and custome of his subiects obeying him he hath at this day gotten a great deale beyond the ancient sacred Canons Secondly touching prayer in an vnknowne tongue t Christ instruct pag 212. Contarenus a Cardinall saith The prayers that men vnderstand not want the fruite which they should reape if they vnderstood them for they might both specially intend their mind to God for the obtaining euen in speciall of that which with their mouth they begge and also through the pious sence of their prayer vttered they should
faith The Answer 1 The Iesuite hauing immediatly before propounded the vnitie of his Romane Church affirming that therein onely the vnitie of faith and concord of the learned is to be found now proceedeth to proue it by shewing the meanes which they haue for the preuenting of discord which he thinketh so all-sufficient that it were impossible there should be any dissention among them The summe of that which he saith is briefly this They which acknowledge one chiefe Pastor to wit the Pope to whose definitiue sentence in all matters they submit themselues cannot possibly dissent But all Catholickes acknowledge this chiefe Pastor and submit themselues to his definitiue sentence Therefore how is it possible they should dissent The second proposition he assumeth as granted though indeed it be vntrue as I will shew the first he proueth thus They cannot dissent who submit themselues to him that hath authoritie and infallibilitie of iudgement But the Pope hath this authoritie and infallibilitie Therefore they which submit themselues to the Pope cannot dissent The second proposition he confirmeth thus We know that to S. Peter and his successors Christ promised the keyes and sayd vpon them as vpon a rocke he would build his Church praying for them that their faith should not faile and bidding them strengthen their brethren and feede his sheepe which importeth this authoritie in ruling and infallibilit it in iudging But the Pope is S. Peters successor The Pope therefore hath this authoritie and infallibilitie This being the summe of his discourse I answer first to that which he assumeth so confidently that all Catholicke men submit themselues to the Popes definitions acknowledging the same to be of infallible truth For whatsoeuer his authoritie and iudgement be yet the Catholickes do not so vniformly as the Iesuite pretendeth submit their opinions to him but contrariwise when occasion is offered they vtterly refuse both him and his definitions and this is so true that he which will denie it must be reputed ignorant of all sense and experience the which manifestly shew that not onely the Christian Catholicks of the Primitiue Church but the Popish Catholickes of the Romish Church this day themselues haue reiected his determinations and held opinion against him Digression 25. Wherein it is shewed that in the Primitiue Church the Popes determination was not thought an infallible truth neither did the Christians for the maintenance of vnitie submit themselues thereunto 2 For many Catholicke Bishops in those dayes dissenting from the Bishop of Rome and refusing his decrees were not thought therefore to breake any vnitie in the Church For Aeneas Syluius who was himselfe a Pope about seuen score yeares since a Epist 301. writeth that before the Councell of Nice euery man liued to himselfe and small respect was had to the Church of Rome b Sozom. l. 3. c. 8. The Bishops of the East withstood Iulius in the cause of Athanasius and charged him that he had done against the lawes of the Church c Theod l. 5. c. 23. Sozom l. 7. c. 11. Flauianus the Patriark of Antioch about his succeeding Meletius in that sea against Paulinus resisted foure Popes one after another when they would haue had him giue roome to Paulinus d Epi. ad Vrsac Valent. Germin apud Baron annal to 3. ann 357. nu 44. Liberius who was Pope in the yeare 360. confessed that Athanasius was separated from the communion of the Church of Rome Yea e Baron ibid. nu 43. 46. the Papists themselues acknowledge this Liberius condemned Athanasius and entred communion with the Arrians which sheweth against all exception that in those dayes the godly Christians did not thinke either that the Pope was the head of vnitie or that all were of the true Church that held communion with him for then the Arrians had bene good Catholickes and Athanasius with all that tooke part with him had bene hereticks which no man dareth say About the yeare 450. f Act. 16. the Councel of Chalcedon wherein were 630. Bishops withstood Leo then Pope of Rome in the question of his supremacie Concerning which matter g Concor Cathol l. 2. c. 20. pag 748. Cusanus a Cardinall beareth witnesse It is manifest saith he that Pope Leo would not in certaine points receiue the constitutions of the Chalcedon Councell specially that the Church of Constantinople should go before the Church of Alexandria but alwayes gainsaid them as some other Popes did after him and yet the decree of the Councell alwayes preuailed Which experience proueth that in those times the Bishops ouer all the world would as occasion serued refuse the Popes iudgement and yet they were counted good Catholickes for all that So likewise in the yeare 418. h Cap. 105. the sixt Councell of Carthage hauing in it 217. Bishops resisted three Popes one after another decreeing things contrary to the authoritie of the Church of Rome as i Contaré sum Concil magis illustr pag. 263. the Papists themselues expound the Councell whereof Cusanus k Vbi supra writeth thus The Councell of Affricke withstood Celestin in that he would do against the Councell of Nice and Celestin replied not that he might do it but alledged for himselfe the Councell though corrupted Which opposition made against the Pope is so apparent that many Papists indeed labour to excuse it but none denie it and l Sic vndique CarthagineÌ„ses patres constringuntur vt elabi nullo modo possint quis iam ferat crassissimae ignoâ—antiae illam vocem in tot tantis patribus vbi illa Augustini reliquorum prudentia Alan Cope dial pag 76. 77. the despitefull speeches of some Papists against S. Austine and the Bishops bewray that they discouer the same resistance made by the Councell against the Pope that I mention 3 Againe in the yeare 167. m Euseb hist l. 5. c. 23. inde Niceph. l. 4. c. 37. inde there arose a contention in the Church about the keeping of Easter whereby the Bishops of the East and West were deuided in which contention the Popes definitiue sentence was not receiued but refused without any offence against the vnitie of the Church For first Polycarpe coming to Anicetus that was Bishop of Rome in his time would not yeeld to him neither could Anicetus perswade Polycarpe to lay by his maner of obseruation n Euseb li. 5. c. 26. saith the story and yet both sides retained vnitie About thirtie yeares after the question was renewed o Cap. 25. and Victor the Bishop of Rome being earnest against the Easterne Bishops excommunicated them But this saith Eusebius pleased them not for they wrote vnto him reprouing him sharply and bitterly as namely Polycrates the bishop of Ephesus and Irenaeus the bishop of Lyons here in the West These had many on their side that stood against the Bishop of Rome and that which afterwards tooke vp the controuersie was not his
authoritie but the Councell of Nice Now it is very probable that if these Bishops had thought the subiection mentioned by the Iesuit to the Bishop of Rome were necessarily required to the essence of vnitie they would haue yeelded wheras by their resistance it is plaine they thought themselues bound to his determination no more then he might thinke himselfe bound to theirs 4 About the yeare 258. there arose a question whether they whom heretickes had baptized if they returned to the Catholicke Church should be baptized againe Here no doubt the Popes iudgement was to be followed if it were true that the authoritie and certaintie of iudgement were his and all true Catholicks should yeeld vnto him But mark what fell out p Euseb l. 7. c. 5. Cypr. ep 74. ad Pomp. August de vnic bapt c. 14. Stephen the Bishop of Rome forbad rebaptization and thought them worthy excommunication that vsed it but Cyprian the Bishop of Carthage and a Martyr of the Church withstood him and would neuer accept his decree With him tooke part Firmilianus the Metropolitan of Caesarea confuting the decree that Stephen had made whom q Apud Cypr. ep 75. in a certaine epistle he thus reproueth What can be more base or vaine then to hold contention with so many Bishops throughout the world breaking peace with euery one through diuers kinds of discord sometime with the Easterne people sometime with you of the South not suffering the Bishops sent from them so much as to come to his speech but forbidding the brethren to giue them roome and lodging Is this to hold the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace to cut himselfe from the vnitie of loue and in all things to make himself strange vnto his brethren yea and through the fury of contention to rebell against faith and Sacrament See how this man r Menolog Graec. in Octobr 28. whom the Church so honored that they put his name into the Kalender taketh vp the Pope and setteth at nought his definitiue sentence With these tooke part also a Å¿ Concil Carth. apud Cyprian Councell of 87. Bishops yea many great Synodes t Euseb l. 7. c. 5. saith Dionysius Alexandrinus and whole countries who yet were not therefore reputed to liue out of the vnitie of the Church And Dionysius himselfe the Patriark of Alexandria consented herein with Cyprian and the Synods of Affrik as Ierom u De Script eccle in Dionysio testifieth Here theÌ„ we see the Pope at one time resisted by 3. Metropolitans many Councels and by the most Bishops in Affricke Cappadocia Egypt Cilicia Galatia and other countries and yet the Iesuite will needs perswade that all Catholicke men haue acknowledged one chiefe Pastor the Pope and yeelded themselues euermore to his censure when these examples shew the contrary and make it more then plaine that till now of late subiection to the Romish Church was neuer esteemed appertaining to the essence of vnitie nor put into the definition thereof Digression 26. Shewing that the Papists themselues do not so constantly and vniformly submit themselues to the Popes iudgement nor beleeue his infallible authoritie as is pretended 5 Indeed the Iesuite reporteth it of the Church of Rome this day that all the learned men and people thereof submit their opinions and iudgement in all things to the Pope and this is generally boasted among them and obiected as a matter fully prouing their vnitie but they onely say it for we know the contrary * A memorable example hereof is the moderne conclusions published by the Venetians against the present Pope Paâ—lus Quintus and his supremacie and discouer dayly as much headinesse among them against their Popes and Councels as euer was in any gouernment Marke else their owne words It were a great matter indeed saith x De certitud gratiae assert 13. Catharinus an Archbishop among them and in verie truth too hard a case to binde the vnderstanding of the wise with euery answer of the Popes that may be produced for the holy Ghost doth not alway and in euery word assist them And y Q. in Vesper pag. 133. printed at the end of his Morals in 8â— Almaine a great Doctor in their schooles It is not necessarie that men beleeue things determined by the Pope although the contrary be not publickly to be taught And Bellarmine though vnaduisedly possible yet saith plainly touching Cyprians withstanding of Pope Stephen that z De Ro. Pont. l. 4 c. 7. after the Popes definition yet it was free to thinke otherwise yea he holdeth that a De Ro. Pont. l. 2. c. 29. arg 7. as it is lawfull to resist the Pope assaulting our bodie so may we resist him when he inuadeth our soule or troubleth the commonweale and much more if he practise the destruction of the Church in this case I say it is lawfull to resist him by not doing what he commaundeth and hindring that his will be not executed Caietan b De authorit Pap. Concil c. 26. holdeth that in case of heresie he may be deposed c Cap. 27. ad 2. and when he rendeth the Church in sunder he may be resisted to his face And Franciscus Victoria d Relect. 4. de potest Pap. Concil pag. 133 saith If a Councell declare a thing to be matter of faith or belonging to diuine right the Pope herein cannot declare otherwise or change any thing specially if such a matter pertaine to faith or the manners of the vniuersall Church See how these men all resolued Papists and the learnedst of that sort yet assume it as out of question that the Popes iudgement is not alwayes of vndoubted truth but he may erre yea be an heretick and make hauocke of the Church and therefore may be resisted And in very deed the conceit of his infallible iudgement being the beginning and foundation of his authoritie it cannot be denied but they which call the former in question must needs doubt of the later 6 And let the most resolute Papist that is but thinke seriously of this point and answer how it is possible they should so willingly obey his decrees and yeeld their opinions to his iudgement when it is a ruled case among them all that the Pope may erre yea as e De sign eccl to 2. l. 18. c. 6. Bozius affirmeth be an hereticke writing teaching and preaching heresie For will they obey him in error and scandall or do they thinke his decree can alter the nature of that which is false and make it true that they might with securitie of conscience entertaine it They dare not say so Franciscus Victoria f Relect. 4. de potest Pap. Concil disputeth at large against his dispensations affirming that a Councell should do well to bridle him and that they which vse such immoderate dispensations as he giueth are not thereby secured in conscience that they may vse them lawfully No doubt they which
where the accusers and witnesses be vnlesse peraduenture a few desperate and gracelesse persons thinke the authoritie of the Bishops in Affricke that haue iudged theÌ„ to be lesse This which Cyprian saith was afterward decreed in Councels both general and prouincial which could not haue bene if the Pope had bene supreme iudge of all the Church and head of the vnity thereof nay Cyprian saith * Oportet vtique eos quibus prae sumus non circuÌ„cursare nec Episcoporum concordiaÌ„ cohaerentem sua temeritate col lidere The vnitie of Bishops is broken when men runne from their owne to the Bishop of Rome The eight generall Councell holden at Constantinople hath this n Can. 26. decree The order of appealing shall be this that he which thinketh himselfe wronged by his owne Bishop may appeale to his Metropolitan who shall call the matter before him But if Bishops thinke they are wronged by their Metropolitan be it lawfull for them to appeale to the Patriarke who shall end the strife that in no case a Metropolitan haue any power ouer his neighbour Metropolitan or a Bishop ouer his neighbour Bishop The like was decreed long before by the Councell of Chalcedon o Cap. 9. which expresly maketh the Patriarke of Constantinople the last and highest iudge vnder the Councell for all matters falling out in Greece And p C 22. the Councell of Mileuâ— excommunicateth all that would appeale to places out of Affricke Where then was the Popes supreme authoritie in these daies when the Councels and discipline thus hemmed men in that they should not come at him This some Papists see well enough and confesse Cusanus q Concord l. 2. c. 13. saith The Pope hath it not from the Church-rule that he may hurt the iurisdiction of other Bishops because this were to disturbe order Therfore we do not reade that the ancient Popes euer put themselues into such matters and peraduenture it would not haue bene suffered For the Councell of Affricke whereto S. Austin subscribed allowed no appeale from the Synode to the Pope because it was not found allowed in the Church canons but contrariwise the Nicen Councell decreed that a Synode should end euery cause where it was begun 28 The third experience is that he had no authoritie ouer generall Councels either of his owne power to call them or being called to be sole president or hauing decreed any thing to iudge or rule or countermand them all which he now vseth but then did none of theÌ„ For first the power of assembling Councels was in temporall magistrates so r L. 5. hist prâ—oem saith Socrates When once the Emperours begâ—n to be Chrstians from that time forward the Church affaires depended vpon theÌ„ and the greatest Councels were assembled and so still are at their appointment And this appeareth to be true by going through the particulars For let all the ancient Councels be read and there is not one of them but the very Actes and Titles thereof will shew the Prince called it which is so true that Pighius a learned Papist Å¿ Hier. l 6. c. 1. writeth The assembling of generall Councels was the inuention of Constantine The first general Councell was that of Nice t Gelas Cyzic pag. 67. Euseb vit Const l. 3. c. 6. Theod. l. 1. c. 7. Sozom. l. 1. c. 17. Nicet thesau l. 5. c. 5. assembled by the authoritie of Constantine the great The second was at Constantinople u Sozo l. 7. c. 7. Theod. l. 5. c. 7. Zon. to 3. p. 30. called by Theodosius the elder The third was at Ephesus x Concil Eph. graec Euagr. l. 1. c. 3. called by Theodosius the yonger The fourth was at Chalcedon y Concil Cale act 1. Zon. tom 3. pag. 39. called by Valentinian and Martian The fift was at Constantinople z Niceph. l. 17. c. 27. called by Iustinian The sixt was againe at Constantinople a Conc. gen 6. Act. 1. called by Constantinus Pogonatus The seuenth as the Papists reckon it was at Nice b Zon. tom 3. p. 95. Sigon de regn Ital. l. 4. called by the Empresse Irene The eight was againe at Constantinople c Zon. tom 3. pag. 134. Sigon ibid. l. 5. called by Basilius Macedo The Councell of Sardica was d Theod. l. 4. c. 4 called by Constantius the Councell of Syrmium against Photinus e Socr. l. 2 c. 29. Sozo l. 4. c. 6. by Constantine the great The CouÌ„cels of f Socr l 2 c. 36. Millan g Socr. l. 2. c. 37 Ariminum and h Carol. de imag Sigon de Reg. Ital. an 794. Frankford all assembled by the Emperours More particulars may be giuen but these are enow and i Ep. 9.23.24.26 the earnest suite that Leo maketh to the Emperor and Empresse both in his time for a Councell to be holden in Italy which yet he could not obtain maketh it out of question that al power of assembling councels was in the Emperor Yea the point is so cleare that k Aen. Sylu. de Gest conc Bas l. 1. Cusan conc l. 2 c 2. Marsil def part 2 c. 21. many Papists deny it not and l Fr. Victo relect 4. p. 162. some hold that at this day in certaine cases a generall Councell may be called against the Popes mind whether he will or no. 29 Next he was president in no Councell of a long time and when he was yet others were presidents as well as he the said office importing no such command ouer the Councell as now the Pope vsurpeth the which Duarenus a learned Papist confesseth m De sacris eccl benef minist p. 39. saying The office was no more but to call the rest together and to speake vnto them concerning the matters to be handled as the speaker in the Parliament calleth the assembly c. but hath no power ouer them yea the power of determining is in the court it selfe which may also command him Thus was it in times past saith he but now I know not how it cometh to passe that the chiefest gouernment ouer all Christians is giuen to him alone that he becometh free after the manner of Emperours from all Lawes and Councell decrees The which speech of this our aduersary is to be noted because the Iesuit would make you beleeue all Catholike men haue euermore receiued him from Christs own hands as the supreme iudge of all and the refusing of his will were the violating of the Churches vnitie But that which I haue said is easily confirmed for in the Nicen Councell Hosius the Bishop of Corduba Macarius the Patriarke of Ierusalem and Eustathius the Patriark of Antioch n Athan. Ep. ad Solit. Nicet the saur l. 5. c. 6. were presidents if not the Emperor himself also with theÌ„ for o Gelas Cyzic Act. conc Nic. c. 8 Socrat. l. 1. p. 174 gr the story saith That out of his chaire
haue done it This argument fowly troubleth our aduersaries and therefore they would faine out-face it by saluing such Popes as are touched from heresie But all in vaine for what saith g 4. d. 18. pro. 25 coâ—ol 2. Ouandus The which Popes though some Catholikes would faine cleare yet should they not denie as they do that they were heretickes seeing the Pope may erre at least as a priuate man Thus h Conc. Sinues apud Baron an 303. nu 89. Carranz in Marcellin Marcellinus committed idolatry and offered sacrifice to Iupiter Saturn Hercules the Pagan gods and was thereupon examined iudged and condemned by a Councell of 300. Bishops The which storie i Tom. 2. an 302 nu 102. Baronius confesseth was from the beginning beleeued with a generall consent and kept in the auncient martyrologues and breuiaries of the Romane Church k Athan. ep ad Solita Fascic temp an 353. Baron tom 3. an 357. n. 43.44 Liberius that was Pope about the yeare 350. fell into Arianisme subscribing to the vniust condemnation of Athanasius whereupon Athanasius fell from his communitie and himselfe as an obstinate hereticke was deposed and cast out of the Church l Anast Bibliot in Leone 2. Nilus de priâ—at pag. 23. Honorius the first that was Pope in the yeare 626. was a Monothelite hereticke holding that Christ had but one will and so withall but one nature for the which the Church condemned him in m Synod 6. act 4.12.13 Synod 7. act vlt. Synod 8. act 7. three generall Councels n See D Reyn. apolog thes nu 39 inde It is a world to see how the Papists striue to cleare this matter and cannot though they blush not in his defence to discredite all antiquitie yea to flie one in the face of another As Pighius o Hier. l. 4. c. 8. hauing taken great paines to discredite the storie p Pigh diatrib in ep ad lect a certaine learned man wished him to recant q Diatrib de act 6. Syn. whereupon he setteth afresh vpon the matter but Canus r Loc. lib. 6. c. vlt. asketh How can Pighius cleare him whom Psellus Tharasius Theodorus with his Councel at Ierusalem Epiphanius and Pope Adrian affirme to haue bene an hereticke But Å¿ An. 681. nu 31. Baronius turneth vpon Canus againe and t Quem voluissem sensibus potiùs Canum quà m nomine totus praeceps in ferenda de re tanta sententia descanting vpon his name shaketh him off as if he had bene a Protestant that I might a little by the way note the vnitie of Papists euen there where it were most conuenient they should agree 35 And of late dayes when they began first to broach this conceit of the Popes infallible iudgement it pleased God to check that fond opinion by sensible exaÌ„ples of some present Popes to teach them the vanitie thereof that if reason could not perswade them yet experience should conuince them or if they would beleeue none that had written he might be an hereticke yet they should see it with their owne eyes and then let them hold him the rule of faith at their perill u Theod. Nicmens de schism l. 3 c. 44. pag. 91. Antonin sum hist part 3. tit 22. c 5. § 3. For in the yeare 1408. in the Councell of Pisa consisting of a thousand Diuines and Lawyers they were faine to depose two Popes at once Gregory the 12. and Bennet the 13 the tenour of which depriuation calleth them notorious schismaticks obstinate maintainers of schisme heretickes departed from the faith scandalizing the whole Church vnworthy the Papacie cut off from the Church And whereas Bennet continued Pope still for all this x Conci Const sess 37. Anton. vbi supra c. 6. § 2. a second Councel holden at Constance deposed him againe and declared that he had no right to the Papacie commaunding all men to esteeme him as an hereticke and schismaticke y Sess 11. 12. The same Councell deposed also another Pope Iohn 23 where it was proued against him that he held and defended as his iudgement that there is no eternall life nor immortalitie of the soule nor resurrection of the dead z Sess 34. A while after the Councell of Basill deposed Eugenius the fourth declaring him to be a rebell against the sacred Canons a notorious disturber and scandalizer of the peace and vnitie of the Church a simonist a periured wretch incorrigible a schismaticke an obstinate hereticke Thus we see their owne selues in expresse termes lay to the Popes charge schisme heresie scandall breach of the Churches vnitie and for that cause depose him refuse to obey him and yet another while they will defend he cannot erre Christ hath giuen him infalliblenesse of iudgement and supremacy ouer all men all that wil be counted true Catholickes must submit themselues to him and the Protestants can haue no vnitie because they acknowledge not his authoritie Digression 29. Declaring that the Pope is not Saint Peters successor 36 This point is properly proued by shewing the difference between the Pope and Saint Peters faith For if the Pope be departed from that which Saint Peter taught then it will plainly appeare he is not his successor because true succession standeth in holding the same faith But I will not go this way to worke now because I haue touched it particularly in a Digr 22.23 other places and handle it generally throughout this booke and all our writings and doctrine and disputations tend to nothing else but to shew it 37 Next it is proued by this that as Ierome b Ad Euagr. saith and c D. 21. in Nouo the Popes owne canons graunt All Bishops succeed the Apostles For if all the Apostles were equall and all Bishops succeed them then what singular matter is there in the Bishop of Romes succession more then in the succession of others Or why should he be called Saint Peters successor more then others For as Marsilius d Defen part 2. c. 16. noteth They are all successors which in life and conuersation resemble them as e Mat. 12. vlt. Christ said They are my mother and my brethren which do the will of my father Besides if he were Saint Peters successor all the priuiledges giuen by Christ to Peter must be deriued to him as to preach the Gospell which some Popes haue not bene able to do and few of late will take the paines to do to worke miracles to be free from heresie to hold perfect the loue of Christ to indite Scripture which I thinke the Iesuite himselfe will not attribute to the Pope 38 But omitting these and such like reasons the principal thing I now desire to shew is that as loud as the Papists are with the Popes succession and although the triall of all papistrie depend vpon it yet is it but a humane constitution not onely because there is
stood not disputing the matter as the Iesuite doth here with quo tempore quo Pontifice qua via qua vi quibus incrementis Were the workmen all asleepe were they all so cold and negligent For by this argument the tares might haue bin proued to be good corne but it was sufficient for him to espie them when he came into the field and to discerne them from the wheate and to giue charge to his seruants that they should not bind them vp therwith And thus came the change of religion into the church of Rome as these tares were sowne in the husbandmans field 7 Thus I haue sufficiently shewed that forsomuch as we finde the Romish faith to be against the Scriptures we haue iustly condemned it as heresie against the Catholicke faith though we were not able to note any time when it began or person that first deliuered it or people that resisted it But we haue another issue with our aduersaries about the second proposition wherein the Iesuite you see with much confidence assumeth it that there can be no proofe made of any time or persons wherein his Church altered the ancient faith He biddeth vs shew who brought in the profession of a new faith and when the old failed He asketh at what time vnder what Pope what rumors what lamentations did it breed what resistance was made against it what historiographer writ it did none oppose themselues and so concludeth that no mention being made in any storie that such an alteration was it is sure there was no such at all In which words containing the summe of all that remaineth in this section he requireth vs to shew two points first when the Church of Rome changed her religion and who they were therein that brought in a new faith Next what resistance was made against her when she did so Wherein I am resolued the Iesuite speaketh against his owne knowledge onely to set a good face on the matter For is it possible he should be so ignorant as to imagine these demaunds cannot be satisfied Such as he is may speake boldly and peremptorily but they that trust them wil be deceiued as I wil plainly shew in the two next digressions wherein I will out of sufficient records make direct proofe first that the beginning of many principall points of the Romish faith may be shewed both concerning the time and the persons that began them Secondly that in all ages the corruptions of that Church haue bene resisted as they came in The shewing of which two points will fully answer all that is contained in this section Digression 51. Naming seuen points of the Popish religion with the time when and maner how they gate into the Church thereby to shew that there is sufficient record to detect the noueltie of the present Romane faith 8 This point in the matter of PARDONS is so cleare that it cannot be denied for the most learned Papists that are acknowledge the vse of them to be come very lately into the Church Which being so it must necessarily be granted there is some thing altered and begun among them since the Apostles time Durand l 4. d. 20. q. 3. saith There are few things to be affirmed for certaintie concerning Pardons because the Scripture speaketh not expresly of them and the Saints Ambrose Hilary Austin Ierome speake not of them at all Caietan m Tract de Indulg c. 1. saith there can no certaintie be found touching the beginning of Pardons there is no authoritie of the Scripture or ancient fathers Greek or Latin that bringeth it to our knowledge Alphonsus n Haeres verbo Indulgen saith Their vse seemeth to haue come but lately into the Church And Henriquez the Iesuite o Sum. moral l. 7. c. 3. Scol saith There be certaine late Diuines which affirme it is no rashnesse if a man say the vse and practise of Indulgences is not from the Apostles times If there be no mention of them in the Scriptures nor Fathers nor in the ancient Church how can it be shifted off but they had a late beginning and so are not Catholicke 9 The beginning of THE POPES SVPREMACIE vsurped ouer other Bishops was in Boniface the third For Fr. Duarenus a Papist p De sacris eccl benefic l. 1. c. 10. writeth that with great ado he obtained of Phocas that he might be made the vniuersall and oecumenical Bishop which authoritie saith he his successors haue wonderfully enlarged whereas in the beginning as q Respons de priuileg patriar charum in iure Graecoroman tom 1. Balsamon a Greeke writer witnesseth the fiue Patriarks were of equall honor and stood all in steed of one head ouer the whole bodie of the vniuersall Church The beginning of his supremacie ouer Councels was of late since the Councels of r Sess 4. 5. Constance and ſ Sess 2 18. Basil decreed within these hundred yeares in the Councell of t Sess 11. Lateran by a few Italian Bishops whereas in the ancient Church it was otherwise For Cedrenus a Greeke historiographer u Annal. p. 361. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 writeth that the oecumenicall or generall Councels were so called for that by the commaund of the Emperour the chiefe Bishops throughout the Romane Empire were assembled And x Concord l. 2. c. 25. Cusanus a late Cardinall of the Church of Rome saith how all the eight generall Councels were gathered by the Emperour The beginning of his supremacie claimed ouer Princes was but of late For Sigebert mentioning the Popes proceeding against Henry the Emperour about 300. yeares since y Chron. ann 1088. pag. 129. Idem Auentin annal Boio l. 5. pag. 470. saith Be it spoken with the leaue of all good men this noueltie that I say not heresie had not as yet sprung vp in the world that Gods Priests should teach the people that they owe no subiection to euil Princes and though they haue sworne alleageance to him yet they owe him no fidelitie neither shall be counted periured which thinke against the King yea he that obeyeth him shall be counted for excommunicate and he that doth against the King shall be absolued from the guilt of iniustice and periury In which words we see how a Frier of their owne 300. yeares since calleth that noueltie and heresie that now is cherished among our aduersaries and maintained for a peece of the Catholick faith and the Iesuite possible calleth Campian a glorious Martyr because he was tied vp for the practise thereof For it is well enough knowne that neither he nor any other Priest were euer executed in the Queenes time but onely for publishing and practising that which here you see Sigebert calleth Noueltie Besides the Popes clawbacks is it because they are beggerly both in wealth and learning as Fr. Victoria z Relect. 1. de potest eccles pag. 39. noteth of them now adayes publish in print a Carer potest Rom. Pont. l 2.
yet he condemned all worship of them as sinne which he could not haue done if the Church had beleeued the contrary And the proceeding of the Councell of Frankford against the Nicen immediatly after it was done with the mislike that most men then liuing had thereof and the generall grudge of all the Christian world against it sheweth this to be true that I say u Opus illustriss Caroli magni c. An. 1549. The booke of Charles the great x Bell. de imag c. 14. Baron an 794. nu 31. containing the acts of the Councell of Frankford and confuting that of Nice is extant And as soone as the decree of the Nicen Councell came abroade and was knowne the faithfull refused it and spake against it as against a new conceit neuer heard of before y Houeden coÌ„tinuat Bedae ann 792. a good Historiographer writeth that Charles the king of France sent ouer into England a booke containing the acts of a Synode he meaneth the second Nicen Councell directed to him from CoÌ„stantinople wherein out alas for griefe many things are found inconuenient and contrary to the true faith Specially because by the vniforme consent almost of all the Easterne Bishops no lesse then three hunndred or more it is confirmed that images should be adored Which thing Gods Church altogether detesteth Against which booke Albinus wrote an Epistle maruellously confirmed by the authority of the Scriptures and together with the booke offered it to the king of France in the name of our Bishops and Nobles The Bishop of Rhemes liuing at the same time z Refert Alan Cope dial 4. c. 18. p. 564. writeth thus In the time of the Emperour Charles by the commandement of the Apostolicke sea there was a generall Councell celebrated the said Emperour calling it wherein according to the path way of the Scriptures and tradition of our ancestors that false Synode of the Greeks was destroid and wholly abrogated And the Bishop of Orleance at the same time likewise a Ionas de cult imag lib. 1. writeth that the images of Saints and stories of diuine things may be painted in the Church not to be worshipped but to be an ornament and to bring into the minds of simple people things done and past But saith he to adore the creature or to giue it any portion of diuine honour we count a vile wickednesse and detest the doer of such a wickednesse and with open mouth we proclaime him worthy to be accursed Would so great Peers of the Church and that so vniuersally haue thus bitterly taxed the Nicen Councell if it had not brought in and begunne a new doctrine Did the Christian world thus exclaime when nothing was altered Wey their words well and you will not thinke it 13 The doctrine touching the merit of workes was begun lately by the Schoolemen for Waldensis b Sacramental tit 1. cap. 7. p. 30 saith it is Pelagianisme and chargeth them to haue inuented the termes of condignitie and congruitie thereby to vtter it And it may easily be knowne to be to by this that the said Schoolemen agree no better in it For it were not possible they should be so contrary one to another therein if it had bene a Catholicke truth receiued from the beginning without alteration 14 The Masse began not all at once but by degrees For the Latin language came not in where the people vnderstood it not till the time of Gregory six hundred yeares after Christ as c Declarat ad censur theol Paris p. 153. Erasmus affirmeth the Church in former times vsing the Seruice in the vulgar tong The transubstantiation now beleeued to be therin is acknowledged by Scotus and Biel to be no elder then the Councell of Lateran For so d Tom. 3. d 50 sâ—ct 1. p. 628. c. Suarez the Iesuite reporteth of theÌ„ which report our aduersaries are bouÌ„d to credit coming from the mouth of so great a man of their own side The sacrifice conceited to be made therin in the iudgement of diuers learned Papists was not done by Christ For e Instit moral l. 1â— c. 8. Azorius the Iesuite writeth that some Catholickes deny that Christ offered vp himselfe vnder the forme of bread and wine in his last Supper The which is true indeed and thence it followeth that the opinion of such a sacrifice is not founded on Christs deed but vpon some later inuention since him And it is very plaine that Thomas of Aquin three hundred yeares since knew it not For f Qu. 83. art 1. disputing how Christ is sacrificed in the Eucharist he answereth that he is said so to be in two respects First because the ministration of the sacrament is an image representing the passion of Christ which is his true immolation and images vse to be called by the names of those things wherof they are images SecoÌ„dly in respect of the effect of his passion because by the sacrament we are made partakers of the fruit of his passion and saith he as concerning this secoÌ„d maner it is proper to this sacrameÌ„t that Christ is immolated or sacrificed therein These reasons of his shew that he knew no such kind of sacrifice as the Church of Rome now defendeth because the celebration of the Eucharist being in his opinion but an image of the true sacrifice of Christ he could think it to be no true sacrifice vniuocally so called but onely by externall relatioÌ„ And saying again that Christ is sacrificed therin by reason we are made partakers of the fruit of his passion he sheweth clearly he knew no reall sacrifice because we are made partakers of that euen in Baptisme also where no maÌ„ imagins Christ to be sacrificed They that are acquainted with Thomas maner of writing wil soon perceiue that had he know nor beleeued such a sacrifice in the Masse as is now conceited he would haue vttered it in other more effectuall termes and expressed it as fully as the Iesuites haue done since him And touching the outward forme of the Masse I need say no more then Cusanus the Cardinall hath confessed g Ep 7. p. 857. He saith The Apostles made the sacrament of the Eucharist by saying the Pater noster as Saint Gregory affirmeth and that diuers formes were vsed before one Scolasticus came who composed that which at this day our Church vseth The which also is diuers according to the diuersitie of places But we which liue vnder the Church of Rome haue receiued the order of the Masse from the Bishops of Rome themselues who successiuely haue added thereunto one after another and so it commeth to be a perfect Seruice or liturgie This confession is enough to shew when many substantiall points were brought against former antiquitie into the Masse For at this day the Liturgie and rites thereof containe many substantiall errors inuocation of the dead commemoration and intercession for soules in Purgatorie adoration crossing c. all which by
the Apostles time increased by the heresie and ignorance and superstition of some that dayly corrupted e Euseb hist l. 3. c. 32. l. 4. c. 22. Niceph. l. 4. c. 7. the truth For the stories remember vs of a saying of Hegesippus that the Church continued a virgin vndefiled as long as the Apostles liued but when that generation was passed the conspiracie of wicked heresie through the seducement of those which taught other doctrine tooke beginning But hereof f Act. 20.28 Phil. 3.18 the Apostles gaue warning euen with teares and g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil ep 70. the ancient Fathers complained that we may see the Papacie to haue bene resisted when it was yet in the Cockatrice egge 21 After 600. yeares were expired that the seuerall points of the true faith began one after another to be more grosly corrupted and changed by the Church of Rome in the first fiftie I name h Alphons v. imago Serenus the bishop of Marsils in France who brake the Images that began to be set vp in his Diocesse And Gregory the Bishop of Rome i L. 4. ep 32.34.38.39 resisting the supremacie and k Plat. Bonif. 3. the whole Greeke Church complaining when Phocas had first conferred it on Boniface 22 After 650. to 700 I name the sixt generall Councell l Sext. Syn. Can. 13. decreeing the mariage of Priests against the Church of Rome labouring to restraine it m Carranz in Can. 82. and forbidding to make the holy Ghost in the likenesse of a Doue n Concil Bracar 3. c. 1. The Councell holden in Portugall where the cup is appointed to be ministred to the people in the Sacrament against the practise of some that vsed to dip the bread and so giue it which was one beginning of the halfe Communion 23 After 700. to 750 I name o Synod c. 138. Zon. tom 3. pag. 84. the generall Councell of Constantinople vnder Leo Isaurus against Images p Illyric catal test tom 1. pag. 633. and Clemens Scotus and Adelbartus who preached against the supremacie traditions images in the defence of Priests mariage also against Purgatory and Masses for the dead and were therfore persecuted by Zachary the Pope which is the reason why in some histories they are so hardly censured 24 After 750. to 800 I name q Zon. tom 3. pag. 88. Synod c. 141. the Councell of Constantinople vnder Constantinus Copronymus and r Rhegino chro l. 2. of Franckford vnder Charles the great against images and the booke yet extant that he caused to be made against the second Nicene Councell with another set forth by Ludouicus his sonne to the same effect both which are to be seene at this day 25 After 800. to 850 I name Ioannes Scotus a great learned man Å¿ Danae resp de Euchar. l. 1. c. 1. who resisting the reall presence which in that time some priuate men began to set on foote was therefore murdered The same time Bertram also writ against it whose booke is extant Trâ—heinius t Catal. script saith of him that he was a man very skilfull in the Scriptures exceedingly learned and of a holy life u Ionas Aurel. de cult imag Claudius the Bishop of Towers in France resisted Images worship of Saints and pilgrimage x Anast vit Pont. in Serg. 2. Lotharius the Emperour reduced the Pope to the obedience of the Empire for which cause he sent three Archbishops twentie Bishops and diuers noble men to Rome who disputed against him and confuted him 26 After 850. to 900 I name Volutianus a Bishop that wrote to Nicolas the first in the defence of Priests mariage y Ep. Nicol ad Michael Michael the Emperour and Phorius the Patriarke of Constantinople resisting the Popes supremacie z Anast in Nicol 1. as also did the Bishop of Rauenna 27 After 900. to 950 and so forward such abuses were noted in the Church of Rome that a Fascic temp pag. 68. an ancient historie mentioning the same complaineth Alas alas Lord God how is gold obscured and the colour changed What offences do we reade to haue happened about these times euen in the holy Apostolicke seate which hitherto with such zeale thou preseruedst What contentions emulations sects enuies ambitions intrusions persecutions O the worst time that euer was wherein the holy failed and truths are diminished from the sonnes of men To the same effect b An. 912. nu 8. writeth Baronius What was then the face of the holy Romane Church how filthy was it when potent and withall base whores bare all the sway at Rome at whose lust seas were changed Bishops were bestowed and that which is horrible to heare and not to be vttered their louers were thrust into Saint Peters chaire In such times as these were the Reader may easily thinke there was matter enough in the Romane Church that deserued resistance As c Osbern vit S. Odonis quem refert Fox in Martyrol pag. 1039. certaine of the English Clergie maintained the Sacrament to be onely a figure of the bodie and bloud of Christ against the reall presence then increasing 28 After 950. to 1000 we haue d Sigon Reg. Ital. l. 7. an 963. Otho the great that deposed Iohn the Pope and assumed into his hands the nominating and making of Popes hereafter which was a manifest resistance made against the growth of the Primacie e Homil. Saxon Aelfr Aelfricus the Archbishop of Canterbury that preached and published his homilies against the reall presence coming in And I name f Refert Baron an 992. nu 22. Arnulphus who in a Synode holden at Rhemes noted the Pope to be Antichrist O Rome saith he to be lamented which to our ancestors yeeldedst shining lights of Fathers in our time sendest monstrous darknes which in the age to come shall be infamous What ô ye reuerend fathers what I say thinke ye him to be which sitteth thus in a loftie throne in purple robes and glittering gold Certainly if he be voide of charitie lifted and puffed vp onely with knowledge he is Antichrist sitting in the temple of God and shewing himselfe as if he were God but if he want both charitie and knowledge then is he an idol and to seeke to him for answer is to enquire of the marble stones 29 After 1000. to 1050 I name Rodulfus Ardeus preaching against g Homil. Dominic in Sept. 18. Dominic post Trin. ho. 1. merits and h 18. Dom Trin. hom 2. abilitie to keepe the law i His l. 2. c. 4. queÌ„ refert Baron Glaber Rodulphus that wrote how the Bishop of Rome should haue nothing to do in another mans Diocesse the which he also saith was the opinion of all the Prelates in France k Baron an 100 4. nu 5. Leuthericus an Archbishop in France denying the reall presence 30 After 1050. to 1100 I name l D.
flesh of Christ § 52. Fourthly the Protestants Church is not Apostolike because they cannot deriue their pedegree lineally without interruption from the Apostles as the Romane Church can from S. Peter but are enforced to acknowledge some other as Luther or Caluin or some such from whom mediatly or immediatly they haue receiued by succession the Preachers of their faith Luther and Caluin themselues being not sent of anie to teach this new faith nor succeeding lawfully to anie Apostolike Bishop or Pastor but being as Optatus Mileuitanus said lib. 2. contra Parmen Victor the Donatist an hereticke was Filij sine patre discipuli sine magistro Children without a father scholers without a maister Or as S. Cyprian lib. 1. Epist writeth of Nouatus Nemini succâ—dentes à seipsis Episcopi ordinati sunt Succeeding to none were ordained Bishops of themselues The Answer 1 Our answer is that the succession required to make a Church Apostolicke must be defined by the doctrine and not by the place or persons that is to say they must be reputed the Apostles successors which beleeue the Apostles doctrine although they haue not this outward succession of Pastors visibly following one another in one place throughout all ages as the Iesuite saith it is in the Romane Church For Saint Paul a Ephes 2.20 telleth the Ephesians they are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets in respect of their calling to the knowledge of the Gospel and yet they had not lineally as the Iesuite meaneth it descended from the Prophets And Nazianzene saith b Laud. Athan. Succession in godlinesse is properly to be accounted succession For he that holdeth the same doctrine is also partaker of the same succession as he that is against the doctrine must be reputed to be also out of the succession Which being granted the Iesuites discourse about succession is soone answered To the same effect speaketh his owne c D. 4. Non est facile Canon They are not the children of the Saints that sit in their places but which do their workes Yea the Iesuites confesse this For Posseuine d Not. verbi Dei pag. 328. ad interrog 11. writeth that the true Church is called Apostolicke not onely for the succession of Bishops from the Apostles but also for the consanguinitie of doctrine And Gregory of Valenza e Tom. 3. pag. 141. proprietas 4. telling why the Church is called Apostolicke in the Nicene Creed giueth onely three reasons First because it began in the Apostles next because by them it was spred all ouer the world thirdly because it still followeth their faith and authoritie Waldensis f Tom. 1. doctrinal l. 2. art 2. cap. 18. saith The Apostles filled the whole Church with wholsome doctrine and in that respect the whole Catholicke Church is also called Apostolicke By all which it is plaine that for the being of an Apostolicke Church it is sufficient if it hold the Apostles faith though it want the Iesuites succession mentioned 2 Whence it followeth that although it were granted the Romane Church could shew a perpetual succession of Prelates without interruption from S. Peter which the Iesuit saith may be shewed but g See digress I deny yet were it not thereby proued Apostolike vnlesse these Prelates had also retained S. Peters doctrine that the reader may see all other marks of the Church must be tried by the doctrine and that the Iesuits succession and vnitie and vniuersality proue nothing vnlesse the true faith concurre therewith 3 Whence it followeth again that it is no disaduantage to the Protestant Churches if holding the Apostles doctrine they want externall succession of place persons such as the Iesuite boasteth of because the Apostolicknesse of the Church is not to be defined by it but wheresoeuer the true faith contained in the Scriptures is professed and embraced there is the whole and full nature of an Apostolicke Church 4 And so I answer the Iesuites discourse in particular that we can deriue our faith from the Apostles and that without interruption in that to this day it was neuer interrupted though such as succeeded visibly in bishops thrones did not alway professe it it is sufficient that their malice could neuer extinguish it and the professors and teachers thereof liued in the Romane Church it selfe which beside all other testimonies we know by this that it is the faith of the Scriptures which cannot be extinguished but groweth in the middest of all her enemies 5 And touching Luther and Caluin I answer Touching the calling of Luther that whatsoeuer is said against them dependeth vpon another point which is the faith that they taught For if that were the truth theÌ„ no doubt they were sent of God to teach it we hearing them receiued it of them no otherwise then Gods faithful people are bound to receiue the Gospell of their Pastors And whereas he saith they succeeded no Apostolick Bishop neither had any calling to preach that new faith I answer that for the externall succession whereof I haue spoken we care not it is sufficient that in doctrine they succeeded the Apostles and Primitiue Churches and those faithfull witnesses which in all ages since embraced the same in persecution though they succeeded not in that open manner that was vsed afore heresie and persecution grew And albeit the Romane Church would not heare them yet had they a lawfull calling First inwardly from God who stirred them vp gaue them gifts directed them by his spirit and blessed their labor then outwardly in the Church of Rome it selfe where they were created Doctors of Diuinity and Pastors to teach the people as they were baptized by vertue whereof they might lawfully preach afterward that which by the Scriptures they found to be the truth and did lineally succeed the true Pastors of the Church that liued before them If it be obiected that hauing their calling in the Church of Rome it will follow thereupon that only the Church of Rome is the true Church this is easily answered by denying the consequence For the Church of God and the Papacie were mingled together and were both called by one name the church of Rome by reason that in diuers things that were good and indifferent they communicated So that euen in the Papacie many of the things of Gods Church remained as the Scripture Baptisme and these callings which the Pope and his Clergie occupying did as pirates that occupie another mans ship and his goods therein and therefore conferring baptisme and callings to diuers persons that afterwards forsooke the Pope the said persons notwithstanding rightly inherited them as the true Churches goods which the Papacie vsurped And whereas the Iesuite saith they were not sent to preach this new faith I answer him that this new faith as he styleth it is the true faith therfore euen that sending which they had bound them to preach it though at the first it reuealed it not
thereof but suffereth it selfe to fall into opinions and with the conceits thereof as it were with irons and fetters like a prisoner to be shut vp in the bottome of a lothsome dungeon where they can find nothing but the crawling of blind error and vnsetled opinions and irksome vncertainties as vermine creeping round about them If euer any thing deserued k Agathias hist lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pitie it is to see ignorant men and women that know nothing themselues thus to be imprisoned in the iayle of opinions by the deceit of cunning seducers l The Quodlibets make ful demonstraâ—â—â— of all this besides that which we see with our eyes that seeke nothing hereby but to rob and spoile them possessing the wiues leading the children vsing the goods to swagger and serue their owne luxuriousnesse that since the Harpyes were chased away and Bel was ouerthrowne neuer was there such a greedy and rauenous idoll as the Seminary with his backe and belly sinking and drowning all that entertaine him I neuer thinke hereof but Moloch the idoll of the Ammonites cometh into my mind m Paul Pagius paraphr Chaldaic in Leuit. 18.21 It was an Image hollow and had seuen chambers or ambries in it they opened the first and offered meale into it in the second they put pigeons the third receiued a sheepe the fourth a ramme the fift a calfe the sixt an oxe and if any man would offer his sonne or daughter the seuenth was ready for him his face was like a calfe and his hands altogether framed to receiue gifts of the standers by the liuely portraiture of these seducers if we please but a little to compare the shape and conditions of the one with the other 5 And would to God they had made our land their natiue country but a stage for these fooleries and not turned it into a theater of their tragedies and n Vide pater si tunica filij tui sit an noÌ„ apud Math. Westm pag. 71. vnpriestly practises or had planted their superstition in the heart of the subiect so as a little more roome had bin left for loyaltie to the magistrate For what conclusions are these to be brought into a kingdome o Posseuin Biblioth select pag 17. It is iudged that no Christian monarch hath his crowne wholly giuen him from heauen vnlesse it receiue firmnesse and strength also from Christs Vicar the Pope And p Roderic Sancius Episco Zamorensis alledged and followed by Cárerius de potest Rom. Pont. pag. 131. againe It is to be holden according to the Natural Moral and Diuine law with the right faith that the Lordship of the Roman Bishop is the true and only immediat Lordship of al the world not as concerning spirituall things onely but also as concerning temporall things and that the imperiall Lordship of Kings dependeth vpon it and oweth seruice and attendance thereunto as a meanes minister and instrument and that by him it receiueth institution and ordination and at the commaundement of the Papall Lordship it may be remoued reuoked corrected punished In the gouernment of the world the secular Lordship is not necessary either of pure or meere or expedient necessitie but when the Church cannot Resoluing this article therefore we say that in all the world there is but one Lordship and therefore there must be but one vniuersall and supreame Prince and Monarch who is Christs Vicar according to that of q Dan. 7.14 Daniel He gaue him dominion and honor and kingdome and all people and languages shall serue him In him therefore is the fountaine and originall of all Lordship and from him the other powers flow All their religion is full of this doctrine and hence proceed the monsters of conspiracies against our State Whereby it appeareth IT IS NOT RELIGION THEY STRIVE FOR BVT SOVERAIGNTIE and not the consciences of men yeelding to their ceremonies and superstitions will satisfie them vnlesse they may also haue their willes in ouerruling all and the Crownes of Princes and the Scepters and subiects of the Kings of the world be at their deuotion Whereby they haue branded themselues for euer with the indeleble character of the Ministers of Antichrist that being but Priests and confined to their bookes and hauing r Mat. 16.19 ibi Ferus § Tertiò obseruandum illud quòd signanter dicit no other commission but TO PREACH AND TEACH yet thus they creepe into thrones filling the world with Anarchy and confusion and whose soules they should winne to God by ministring the word and sacraments their bloud they sacrifice to the diuell by stirring them vp to treason and rebellion and canonize them for MARTYRS when they haue done We thinke it lamentable that is Å¿ Anton. Magin geograph pag. 168. written of the great Turk how at Constantinople in the place that sometime was the pallace of Constantine now he keepeth fierce Elephants and a thousand other cruel beasts and in a stately Church neer to adioyning where God was wont to be honored he feedeth sauage monsters and to euery pillar therof tieth Lions Beares Wolues Tygers * Witnesse the murders of the infant of Spaine the Prince of Orenge the French King King Iohn of England the Irish warres the English rebellion in the North the FreÌ„ch massacres the infinite treasons against Qu. Elizabeth and his Maiestie and aboue all other the Powder treason in Nouemb. 1605. This is the practise of the Man of Rome in the pallace of Constantine where formerly of old godly Bishops had wont to be entertained he stalleth vp purpled Machiavellians and vnreasonable beasts to prey vpon Constantines successors and deuoure the Princes of the earth and to euery pillar of our Churches welnigh in Europe he chaineth Wolues and Libards to flie at our throates whensoeuer we come within their reach And those heards that we see of Friers Seminaries Masse-priests Iesuites pretending to be the Pastors of our soules be nothing else but so many Beares and bloudie Tygers chained to the pillars of our Churches the fatall enemies of Princes and their people to suck their bloud saue that the Turks lions at Constantinople with feeding and familiaritie of their keepers become tame and gentle but the Popes sauages of Rome by no forbearance or mercie shewed them can be mollified no gentle vsage can tame their nature no clemencie will reconcile them no diet will swage their thirst of bloud no benefits no patience no endurance can alter their hearts from practising against their mercifullest Prince and dearest countrey Alas for our people that haue made choise of such maisters I remember t Q. Curt. l. 6. Sequidem gratulari quòd in numerum deorum receptus esset Alexander caeterùm misereri eorum quibus viuendum esset sub eo qui modum hominis excederet the speech of Philotas touching Alexander what time he would be made a god That he was glad Alexander was receiued into the number of the
bungling workmen that were not their crafts masters till the Smith the Carpenter and the painter came euery one in his place and shewed his skill First the Canonists like blacksmiths blew with the bellowes of their Decrees and hammered and heat it in the coles of the Popes Constitutions these smithes were Gratian Pope Iohn Gregory and Boniface with their prentises that serued them Hostiensis Innocent Panormitane and the rest of that profession Next the Carpenters that tooke it in hand were the Friers and Schoolmen which stretched their line ouer it and brought it into better shape Thomas and Scot and Alexander fashioned it with line and leuel they stretched out the line of Method ouer it and with the thred of a Distinction they plained it where it was rough and with the compasses of their Logick and Philosophy made it in the fashion of a man After that the great Lateran Councell about the yeare 1215. had polished it and giuen it strong ioynts to stand vpon not long after the Councels of Constance Basil and another Lateran hewed it ouer again and altered the fashion in certain points touching the Popes authoritie There some Cardinals Senensis and Cusanus thought the head stood too high aboue the shoulders and would haue had it bowed downe a little lower At last they brought it to Trent into the hands of their best workmen as y Absolutissima Trident. Synod Posseuin biblioth select pag. 18. A. they say who mended it from top to toe and set it vp againe when the wormes had welnigh consumed it since which time the third sort of workmen the Painters haue taken it in hand the Iesuits and their fellowes who neuer cease to paint it day and night There is no colour but they haue tried it to make it beautifull Some with varnish and plaister stop vp the crackes which the Sunne shining vpon it hath made that they might not be seene Bellarmine and his associates in that kind stirre all colours together and varnish ouer the smokie and dustie places so skilfully that a man can scarce tell what the colour is Surius and Baronius with other colours ground by Legendaries cast a shadow ouer it for seeming too youthfull but they haue painted a gray beard to a greene head the rest stand by such as are Sixtus Senensis Lindan Staphylus Posseuine like Censors commending the workmanship and flattering the workmen and extolling the idoll against them they call Lutherans and Caluinists Thus at the last haue they polished their Dagon and set it vp before the Lords Arke saue that it may not be forgotten that with some of it they warme themselues and rost their meate as Pardons the Masse and Purgatorie and laugh in their sleeues at such as turne the spit Ah I am warme I haue bin at the fire 6 This is the labor and workmanship that our aduersaries haue bestowed on their religion to set it forth whereby they haue made their Church so seeming Catholicke And indeed we haue alwayes obserued that there be two principall things which draw mens conceits to Papistrie The first is the Name and report that goeth of the Church of Rome while men perswade themselues that a Church so ancient and renowmed in all ages cannot but be the true Church of God The second is the rumour and opinion of our aduersaries learning as if it were vnpossible so learned men should be deceiued and their writings could be answered Neuerthelesse it is easie enough to see the truth through all this if men will consider of things attentiuely For touching the name and shew of the ROMANE CHVRCH it is but an empty sound of words and titles this present Romane being wholly departed in the questions controuerted from the ancient and retaining nothing but the title This should deceiue no man For the true ancient and Apostolicke Church of Rome so much commended by the Fathers and sought to by the world professed another kind of faith then this doth and the same that now we defend against them whereas this is fallen from it and yet skilfully retaining still the same Seate and Title imposeth maruellously vpon the world hereby Isidorus Pelusiota b L. 3. Epist 408. hath a saying that sheweth the likelihood of this In the daies of the Apostles and afterward when the Church florished and laboured as yet of no disease the diuine graces of God went as it were in a ring round about it the holy Ghost administring all things and all the Bishops thereof inciting and turning it towards heauen afterwards it grew diseased and was troubled with faction and then all those things flew away Thus the Church is like a woman fallen from her ancient happinesse and retaining onely some signes thereof She hath the sheathes and caskets where her ornaments lay but the goods themselues she is spoiled of Not through his carelesnesse and negligence that first enriched her but through their naughtinesse that gouerned not things as they should haue done This Doctor well perceiued that a Church may lose the faith and yet retaine her name still and he saw that in his time things fell to decay and the faith of Christ began to be altered To what purpose then should any man respect the name of the Romane Church when the true faith is changed or what do the prerogatiues and royalties of the ancient Church concerne this that is turned to another religion or who regardeth a house of stately building and honorable title or anticke memory since Iohn of Gaunt when the plague hath infected it and theeues possesse it Besides when it was at the best in the Apostles time and after yet other Churches were commended as well and counted as good as it c Meditat. Respons in iute Graecoroman tom 1. p. 449. These are the words of Balsamon The fiue Patriarkes of Rome Alexandria Constantinople Ierusalem and Antioch had identitie of honour d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and obtained the roome of one head ouer the body that is the holy Churches of God And Nicephorus the Patriarke of Constantinople e Concil Ephesin pag. 307. in an Epistle to Leo the Bishop of Rome saith And we also who haue obtained the name of new Rome being built vpon one and the same foundation of faith the Prophets and Apostles where Christ our Sauiour and God is the corner stone f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the matter of faith are nothing behinde the elder Romanes For in the Church of God there is nothing to be reckoned before the rest Wherefore let Saint Paul glory and reioyce in vs also and ioyning new things with old and comparing vs in doctrines and preaching let him glory in vs both alike For we as well as they following his doctrines and institutions wherein we are rooted are confirmed in the confession of our faith wherein we stand and reioice c. So that the Greeke Churches in the East thought themselues equall with Rome and the commendations of the
there is why they should disdaine vs supposing we had lesse learning then we haue Irenaeus f L. 2. c. 45. hath a saying which I commend vnto them when they thinke they haue so much vantage of learning against vs It is better and more profitable to be simple and of small knowledge and by loue to approach neare God then to thinke themselues to know much and to be of high experience and in the meane while to be found blasphemers against God 11 We know no cause therefore why we should not constantly and cheerfully go forward with our profession and confirme our selues daily more and more therin against all the premises and oppositions of the Romane Church whatsoeuer First we haue the Scripture in manifest places free from all ambiguitie on our side secondly we haue the principles of religion contained in the Lords praiers the Creed and the ten Commandements that directly leadeth to euery point of our faith Which is the true reason why the Church of Rome forbiddeth the reading and exercise of these things to the people lest they should see so much Thirdly we haue the ancient fathers in expresse termes in all things that they held constantly certainly with one consent I do not deny but our aduersaries in some smaller points as Purgatory praier for the dead may make shew of some particular opinions in the fathers but vpon triall it will fall out they held theÌ„ waueringly doubtfully that no certainty can be set downe touching their resolute iudgement Whereas in the principall points touching the Scriptures iustification merit of workes images and all the rest they write most clearely with vs. Fourthly and which may perswade any man not drunken with his owne preiudice we haue the mercies of God to pleade for vs whereby our Church hath bene miraculously vpholden when they threatned God defended vs when they practised and expected our vtter ruine God disappointed them when they wrought all maner of treasons yet God deliuered vs. Fiftly and this is our further assurance that we haue done nothing against the Church of Rome but innumerable people in all ages wished it long ago What ceremony what doctrine what custome what one parcell of their superstition haue we refused but the world long since complained of it yea the learnedst men that were groned vnder the very burthens that we haue haue shaken off g Evetusto quoâ—am libro refert Illyric catolog test tom 2. p. 805. It is written of Gerson the Chauncellor of Paris who liued about one hundred yeares before Luther that the Sorbonists expulsed him the Vniuersitie and in his old age depriued him of all his d gnitiesâ— because as it is like he misliked diuers errors in the Church of Rome What time he betooke himselfe to teaching of schoole wherein his manner was daily to cause all his schollers the little children to ioyne with him in this short praier My God my maker haue mercy vpon thy miserable seruant Gerson It should seeme by this that he tooke small comfort in those times when forsaking all confidence in the glory of his Church he would call for mercy at the hands of God rather in the company of a few poore childreÌ„ then in the societie of such as were reputed the Doctors of the world And it may easily be thought Gerson saw more then he either loued or liked because the moderne Papists reiect his iudgement h Resp Card. Bellar. ad resolut Io. Gerson confute his writings and i Fra. Victoria relect 4. p. 138. say This Doctor in all things was an enemie to the Popes authoritie and with his heresie infected many others His opinion touching this matter little different from schisme Yea at this day they see more errors then they will reforme O God saith k Naucler pag. 499. one of their Historiographers what will become of our age when our vices are grown to that that they haue scarce left vs any place with God for mercy What couetousnesse is therein Priests what lust what ambition what idlenes what pompe what ignorance both of theÌ„selues and of Christian doctrine how little religion and fained rather then true God haue mercy on vs. 12 And hâ—â—â— omitting the way that is by triall of arguments I offer certaine externall markes and sensible tokens whereby the falshood of the Romane Church may be discouered the most resolute Papist that liueth moued to misdoubt his owne religion for it is vnpossible that these things following should be found in the true Church or practised by men of the right faith The first is their enmitie with the sacred Scriptures the word of God whereof I haue spoken in the 22. Digression of this booke For the words l Esa 8.20 of the Prophet are cleare To the Law to the Testimony if they speake not according to that word it is because there is no light in them And one of their practises against it whereby they haue depriued it froÌ„ being the totall rule hath left theÌ„ vtterly voide of all meanes to secure their faith by and to find the truth For the Church the fathers the Councels the Pope which is all they can pretend are yeelded by themselues to be subiect to error And how can that giue them assurance of their faith which it selfe is not assured from error The second is the very face and outward state and gouernment of their Church cleane contrary to the first antiquitie How vnlike is their Pope to Peter their Cardinals to the Apostles their Prelates to the ancient Bishops in state in ambition in intermedling This is noted at large by many among themselues Zabarella Cusanus Marsilius Occham Duarenus How vnlike is their priuate Masse halfe Communion Latin Seruice Image worship to the ancient Seruice of the Church of God If it were the true Church no continuance of time could thus haue altered it age changeth the colour of a mans haire and the sound of his voice but not his complexion or the shape of his bodie The third is that THERE IS NO POINT OF OVR FAITH BVT MANY LEARNED IN THEIR OWNE CHVRCH HOLD IT WITH VS AND NO POINT OF PAPISTRIE THAT WE HAVE REIECTED BVT SOME OF THEMSELVES HAVE MISLIKED IT AS WELL AS WE And this may be demonstrated in all the questions that are betweene vs and they know it and for that cause haue purged and razed the principall bookes of the elder Papists and some of them they haue vtterly forbidden In the bookes of latter Catholickes also m Index librorum prohib p. 25. §. 3. saith the Index which were written since the yeare 1515. if that which needeth correcting can be amended by taking away or adding of a few things let the correctors see it be done but otherwise let it be wholly razed out The fourth is that the most points of Papistrie are directly and at the first sight absurd and against common sence and the law of nature For who can conceiue
that it should be the Popes right to Lord it thus ouer the Scriptures Fathers Councels Church and all the world What possibility is there that the kingdomes of the world should be subiect to him What likelyhood is there that Images should be worshipped our workes should merit heauen the cup should not be allowed to the people the Seruice should be in a language vnknowne the Body of Christ should be in ten thousand places at once the Priest should haue iudiciall power to forgiue sinnes the Saints in heauen should be made mediators for vs to God He that will indifferently compare these and many points more shall finde them manifestly against the principles of religion and the light of nature What man can thinke it to be the true Church that teacheth to equiuocate to murther the King to pay no debts to BLOW VP THE PARLIAMENT to dispense with murther and whoredome The fift is their intemperate and vnchristian proceeding against vs. For if they were of the truth they would not defend themselues and confute vs with grosse lying vncharitable railing and irreconcileable malice which are the weapons of darkenesse but with grauitie and sinceritie as becometh Christs Gospell Who will beleeue that any can be so impious that holdeth there is a God as to make him the author of sinne and yet n Posseuin bibl select p. 533. they shame not to say we do it Who can thinke that any man is so absurd as to deny the necessitie of good workes and a godly life and yet they say our Church doth it There is very little of our doctrine but maliciously they traduce and misreport it That we haue neede to put them in minde of Philoxenus the Poet o Hesych Illust vit philosoph in Arcesilao who hearing certaine Potters singing his verses vndecently brake their pots For saith he I breake your pots and you marre my verses What truth or sinceritie is it to publish abrode to the world that in England Catholickes so they call themselues vntruly are so cruelly persecuted p Nonnullae de castissimis virginib vestris in Lupanaria aliaque loca inhonesta praeclarissima in hoc Agnetis Luciaeque virginum exempla secutae protrusae sunt Alan consolat pag. 159. That young women which are found to be of that religion are put into the stewes and such like vntruthes mentioned thicke and threefold in their q Concert eccl Cathol writings r Aquiponta de Antichristo p. 110. post Sander visib monarch l. 7. p. 664 That ten thousand Churches and aboue are ouerthrowne more then two hundred Martyrs slaine an infinite multitude of all sorts and sexes imprisoned banished and bereaued of their goods One Cardinall three Archbishops eighteene Bishops one Abbot foure Priours foure whose Couents thirteene Deanes foureteene Archdeacons six hundred Priests seuentie seuen Doctors one Queene eight Earles ten Barons sixe and twentie Knights foure hundred Gentlemen What could they haue said more if Queene Elizabeth had bene as cruell as Queene Marie was against vs in her time Yea their hatred against vs is such that they hold vs to be ſ See Lindan de suga idol possesse◠not simply seduced but euen possessed by the diuell and thereupon when any of vs reuolteth to the Papacie and is reconciled to them they haue an order to exorcize the party t Pontifical Rom. pag. 206. who kneeling vpon his knees the Bishop saith I coniure thee vncleane spirit by the name of God that thou depart out of this seruant of God whō he hath vouchsafed to deliuer frō thy errors and to bring backe to his holy Church he cōmandeth thee thou cursed and damned spirit who suffered for the saluation of man c. Besides their malicious u Staplet promptuar moral aestiu pag. 493. Answer to the libel of Engl. Iust pag. 170. inde threatning of the peace of our Land euen then when it had the happiest time and vnnaturall treasons against vs shew the true sanctification of Gods spirit not to be among them which teacheth meekenesse and forbearance not rankor and impatience and rebellion Saue that hauing said x Id. They were but thriftlesse yonkers vulgar readers common persons that would not be perswaded our countrey and state to be in the greatest and most daungerous termes in the Queenes time that euer it was since or before the conquest and in far worse then any countrey in Christendome it pleased God by the coming of his Maiestie to deride these their Prophecies and in scorne thereof at this day we enjoy the very same peace and libertie that we then had 13 The sixt is the prodigious ignorance whereinto they fall that liue in Papistry For as their Church commendeth it so their people follow it most desperatly euen in the chiefest things touching their saluation I will not speake how vnable they are to render account of the faith to vnderstand the points of the Catechisme to iudge of things lawfull and vnlawfull and such like I will only mention what I saw and learned dwelling among them concerning the saying of their prayers for what man is he whose heart trembleth not to see simple people so farre seduced that they know not how to pronounce or say their daily prayers or so to pray as all that heare them shall be filled with laughter And while superstitiously they refuse to pray in their owne language with vnderstanding they speake that which their leaders may blush to heare These examples I haue obserued from the common people * The maner how the vulgar sort of people addicted to Papistry say their praiers the which I haue obserued by liuing and conuersing with them and set downe for no other purpose but to note the pitiful ignorance and confusion whereinto the Church of Rome plungeth her children Non verenda reteg◠sed inuerecūda resuto vtinam nobis reliquerint moderni Noc vnde à nobis possent aliquaten operiti Bern. ep 42. The Creed Creezum zuum patrum onitentem creatorum eius anicum Dominum nostrum qui cum sops virigini Mariae crixus fixus Ponchi Pilati audubitiers morti by sonday father a fernes sclerest vn iudicarum finis a mortibus Creezum spirituum santum ecli Cathóli remissurum peccaturum communiorum obliutorum hitam turnam again The little Creed Little Creed can I need Kneele before our Ladies knee Candle light candles burne Our Ladie prayed to her deare Sonne That we might all to heauen come Little Creed Amen This that followeth they call the White Pater noster White Pater noster Saint Peters brother What hast i' th t 'one hand white booke leaues What hast i' th t'other hand heauen yate keyes Open heauen yates and * Shut steike hell yates And let euery crysom child creepe to it owne mother White Pater noster Amen Another Prayer I blesse me with God and the rood With his sweet flesh and precious blood With his Crosse and his
decree how reconciled together 40. 45. Touching Freewil and the determination thâ—reof by Gods prouidence 40. 46 Predestination not for works foreseene 40. 49. God is not the author of sinne The Papists in this point go as far as the Protestants 40. 50. Againe touching Freewil at large shewing all the questions in that point 40. 52. inde Wherein true holinesse standeth 41. 1. How good works become an infallible signe of true holinesse 41. Touching the certaintie of grace and saluation the point explicated 41. 5. The miracles of the ancient Church do the Papists at this day no good 42. 1. The ancient Monks were not like the moderne 42. 3. Touching miracles obiected by the Papists an answer 42. 4. inde Incredible miracles and ridiculous reported 42. 8. The abuses of Monks and Monasteries detected 42. 10. A proofe that the Protestants doctrine excludeth libertie of the flesh 43. 2. The Roman doctrine is an occasion of their sinfull liues 43. 3. Some points of Papistry named that inuite men to libertie 43. 5. inde The Roman faith a meere deuice inuented to maintaine ambition and couetousnesse 43. 7. The vniuersalitie of the Protestants Church is shewed and expounded 44. 1. inde Touching the ancient Fathers their authoritie and vsage with vs and the Papists compared 44. 4. inde Who are Fathers with the Papists and who All the Fathers 44. 9. The Pope vshers the Fathers 44. 11. The Papists are notorious for contemning all the ancient writers exemplified 44. 12. inde The Protestants answer to them that bid them shew their Church in all ages 45. 1. inde The Papists haue not the Church Catholicke either in time or place 46. The Romane Church hath forsaken her ancient faith 47. inde Transubstantiation a late deuice 47. 8. 9. The present Romane Church hath conuerted no countries to the true faith 48. 1. inde The Indies knew the true faith afore the Papists came there 48. 3. Touching the conuersion of England by Austin the Monke 49. How the Roman Church hath conuerted the Indies Spanish massacres 49. 5. inde The question When did the faith faile in the Roman Church answered and disputed 50. 4. inde The time maner of the coming in of some points in Papistry 50. 8. inde The resistance made in former times against the Papacy with a catalogue 50 18. inde An answer to some things obiected against the former catalogue 50. 40. Papistry came in secretly and by little and little expounded 51. 2. 3. Images notoriously resisted when they came in 51. 5. The Papists worship stocks and stones as well as the Gentiles 51. 6. inde Touching adoration of the Sacrament 51. 9. The maner of Christs presence in the Sacrament explicated as we hold it 51. 10. The Papists haue written most spitefully against the honour of the blessed Sacrament 51. 11. Succession is in our Church and of what kind it is 52. 1. The callings of Luther and our Bishops iustified and declared 52. 5. The Fathers commending the succession of the Roman church in their time doth not helpe it now 53. The places produced out of them are answered 53. 5. Ephes 4.11 alledged to proue outward succession answered 54. 2. 3. Externall succession of persons in one place is neither onely in the Romane Church nor there at all 55. 2. Seuen things obiected against the succession of Popes to shew it hath bene grosly interrupted 55. 4. inde Touching the credit of Anastasius booke of the Popes liues 55. 7. It is not knowne who succeeded Peter 55. 5. The sea of Rome hath bene long voide 55. 6. A woman was Pope 55. 7. Hereticks haue bene Popes and intruders and boyes 55. 8. 9. Popes haue bin made and cast out again at the willl of famous whores 55. 9. Popes for wickednesse more then monstrous 55. 9. Many Popes at one time and the right Pope not knowne 55. 10. The Fathers commendation of the Romane Church expounded 56. Imputations layd vpon the Protestants as if they had forsaken the Church answered 57. 1 2. Luther defended touching his departure from the Pope his writings his life his mariage and his death 57. 3. inde Monsters of lies deuised against Luther 57. 7. Luther an honester man then any Pope in his time and many more 57. 9. Againe the calling of our Ministers is defended 58. Touching the power of a Priest in remitting sinne and the sacrament of Penance 58. 4. inde Miracles not concurring with all extraordinary calling 59. 1. Extraordinary callings distinguished 59. 2. Luther needed no miracles and why 59. 3. All men haue not bene in loue with Papistry 60. The obiection that Luther made to himselfe when he departed from the Pope 61. 1. The Protestants haue not forsaken the high-beaten-way of the Catholicke Church 61. 2. Touching the saluation of our ancestors vnder the Papacie 61. 4. The Scriptuies are surer tokens of the truth then the Popish miracles 62. A briefe exhortation of the Author to his countrimen 63. A Table of the Digressions contained in this Booke with their Titles The number set before signifieth the number of the Digression The number following signifieth the §. vnder which it standeth 1. PRouing that the Papists grounding the doctrine of faith on traditions make them equall to the written word 1. 2. Shewing the infolded faith of the Papists and confuting the same as not entire 2. 3. Wherein by the Scriptures Fathers and reason and the Papists owne confession it is shewed that the Scripture is the rule of faith 5. 4. Containing the very cause why the Papists disable the Scripture so from being the rule 5. 5. Wherein against the Iesuits conceit secretly implied in his first conclusion it is shewed that the Scriptures ought to be translated into the mother tong and so read indifferently by the lay people of all sorts 5. 6. Declaring how the assurance of our faith is not built on the Churches authoritie but on the illumination of Gods Spirit shining in the Scripture it selfe 6. 7. Wherein the Trent-vulgar-Latine and our English translation are briefly compared together 6. 8. Shewing that the Scriptures are not so obscure but that they plainly determine all appoints of faith 7. 9. Declaring that the Papists haue reason to hold the Scriptures be obscure because the articles of their religion be hardly or not at all to be found therein 7. 10. Assigning the true cause of mens errors in expounding the Scriptures 8. 11. Prouing that the Scripture it selfe hath that outward authoritie wherupon our faith is built and not the Church 8. 12. Wherein it is shewed that the Scripture proueth it self to be the very word of God and receiueth not authoritie from the Church 9. 13. Shewing against the Iesuits assumption that all substantiall points of our faith are sufficiently determined in the Scriptures and the reason why the Papist call so fast for the authoritie of the Church 9. 14.
bookes among them that examine their religion h Annot. on Act. 17. v. 11. The Rhemists say the hearers must not trie and iudge whether their teachers doctrine be true or no neither may they reiect that which they find not in the Scripture And this is also commonly defended by i Hosius de express Dei verb. Andrad defens Trident. l. 2. others And whereas k Prolegom cont Petrum à Sot Et Confess Wittenber cap. de sacr scriptur Brentius had written no lesse godly then truly that in the matters of our saluation we might not so cleaue to another mans opinion that we should embrace it without the approofe of our owne iudgement and it belongs to euery priuate man to iudge of the doctrine of religion and to discerne the truth from falshood l Bellarm. de verb. Dei lib. 3. c. 3. the Iesuites very scornefully reiect his saying 5 Thirdly they extoll ignorance to the skies and encourage their people to it m Rhem. annot â—n 1. Cor. 14. on Luk. 12. v. 11. They require no knowledge of the things we pray for but preferre ignorance nor yet abilitie to professe the particulars of our faith when possible we are to die in the defence of the same farre contrary to that which n 1. Pet. 3.15 the scripture so plainly teacheth And the rather to hearten the people in this blindnesse o Rhem. vpon 1. Ioh. 2. v. 20. they promise them a part in other mens gifts graces which haue knowledge p Conf. Petrie cap. 14. pag. 18. Hosius saith To know nothing is to know all things and ignorance in most things is best of all 6 This is the whole entire faith mentioned here in the Iesuites discourse whereby nothing is meant but the Colliars faith whereof q Apologie transtated by Staplet part 1. pag. 53. I spake and Staphylus writeth thus The Colliar being at the point of death and tempted of the diuell what his faith was answered I beleeue and die in the faith of Christs Church being againe demaunded what the faith of Christs Church was that faith said he that I beleeue in Thus the diuell getting no other answer was ouercome and put to flight By this faith of the Colliar euery vnlearned man may trie the spirits of men whether they be of God or no by this faith he may resist the diuell and iudge the true interpretation from the false and discerne the Catholicke from the hereticall minister the true doctrine from the forged I could scarce beleeue this to be their doctrine of entire faith vpon the report of so base a companion as Staphylus but when I saw the same conceit as grauely set foorth by r Hosius contra proleg Brentij lib. 3. pag. 146. Pigh hierarch lib. 1. cap. 5. Iacob de Graffijs decision part 1. lib. 1. cap. 26. nu 34. Antonin part 1. tit 5. c. 2. §. 1. skilfuller clearkes then he then I perceiued the Colliars faith was canonized for the Papists creed and the prouerb true that Like to like were the diuell and the colliar saue that it hath brought such a flood of ignorance vpon their people that Å¿ Imman Sa. aphor verbo Parochus pag. 298. a Doctor of their owne cries out vpon all the clergie for it Wo to our Parish Priests wo to our Bishops wo to our Prelates 7 And wo to them indeed from him that so plentifully in t Es 53.11 Ioh. 17.3 Ro. 10.14.17 Col. 3.16 Heb. 5.11 the Scriptures hath condemned this ignorance and in vaine did Christ u Ioh 5.39 commaund the people to search the Scriptures and x Rom. 15.4 Ioh 20.31 Paul and Iohn teach that whatsoeuer things are written were written for our learning and that we might beleeue if to assent to the Church without any knowledge thereof were a sound whole and an entire faith y Enarrat in Psalm 118. Hilary saith Many thinke the simplicitie of their faith shall suffice to accomplish their hope of eternall life as if the studie of innocencie according to the iudgement of the world needed not the precepts of heauenly doctrine It is written of z 2 Tim. 3.15 Timothy and a Basil Aschet prolog de iudic Dei Et epis 75. ad Neocaesar Basil that of children they were trained vp in the knowledge of the mysteries of religion And in the Primitiue Church b Iust Martyr apolog 2. Euse demonstrat euang l. 1. c. 6. Theod. de curand GraecoruÌ„ affect l. 5. the doctrines and seuerall points of religion were knowne and discoursed by the meanest of the people and c Chrysos hom 3. in Lazarum Orig in Num. hom 27. the Bishops exhorted them thereunto which practise declareth manifestly enough that in those dayes knowledge of the things beleeued was thought necessary to an entire faith though now the case be altered in the Church of Rome and the Iesuites owne reasons proue as much for d Thom. 22. qu. 1. art 10. 3. Athanasius creed is a rule of faith and therefore sheweth we are bound both to beleeue and know the things contained in it else he might as well haue pointed downe the Colliars creed Againe to what purpose should God propound all the points of our faith one as well as another vnlesse his will were that we should learne them all according to e Deut. 29.29 that of Moses Secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things reuealed belong to vs and to our children that we may do all the words of the law f In Ioh. tract 21. Austins saying is to be noted Some may obiect we do rashly in discussing and searching out the words of God but why are they vttered if they may not be knowne why haue they sounded if they may not be heard and why are they heard but that we should vnderstand them § 3. Fourthly as this one infallible entire faith is necessarie to the saluation of euery one as well the vnlearned as the learned so we must say that Almightie God Qui vult omnes homines saluos fieri ad cognitionem veritatis venire 1. Tim. 2. hath for proofe that this for his part is a true will prouided some certaine and infallible rule and meanes whereby euery man learned and vnlearned may sufficiently in all points questions or doubts of faith be infallibly instructed what is to be holden for true faith and that the onely cause why a man misseth of the true faith is that he doth not seeke and finde this infallible rule or hauing found it will not with an obedient mind captiuate his vnderstanding selfe-iudgement and contrarie opinion in obsequium Christi for the seruice of Christ and in all points yeeld infallible assent vnto it as euery Christian ought Credamus Deo saith S. Chrysostome hom 83. in Matth. nec repugnemus etiamsi sensui cogitationi nostrae absurdum videatur quod dicit Let vs beleeue God without
Romish multitude and though their persons were not the rule yet when they followed that which is the rule we beleeued them § 13. The fourth and last conclusion of this question is that this infallible rule which we ought obediently to follow in all points of faith is the doctrine and teaching faith and beliefe of the true Church This I proue Because to this agree all the conditions which I said to be requisite in the rule of faith First this is a thing infallible as shal be proued Secondly it is a thing easie to be knowne Thirdly it is such a thing as may vniuersally resolue and determine vs in all questions and doubts and instruct all sorts of men in all points of faith And consequently whosoeuer will obediently yeeld assent to this rule in all points as we all professe in our Creed saying Credo Ecclesiam catholicam shall not erre in anie point That these three conditions of the rule of faith agree to the doctrine and teaching of the vniuersall or catholike Church I proue The Answer 1 We would not stand with the Iesuite about this conclusion but freely grant it if no more were meant thereby then the words make shew of that the doctrine and faith of the vniuersall Church is the rule of faith For that doctrine is onely the contents of the Scripture which we yeeld to be the rule For a In 1. Ep. Ioh. tract 3. Austin saith Our mother the Church giueth her children milk out of her two brests the old and new Testament But he hath a further reach and meaneth a higher matter First that the Churches word and authoritie is the rule without referring the same to the Scripture Secondly that the Church of Rome is this true and vniuersall Church Thirdly that all the authoritie and efficacy therof is in the Pope alone This is the plaine English of the conclusion howsoeuer the words be faire and cleanely and the Iesuite defending it must shew all the properties of the rule to appertaine to the present Church and Pope of Rome or else he doth but trifle and spend time Digression 16. Shewing how the Papists pretending at euerie word the Catholicke Church meane nothing thereby but the Popes determination 2 First howsoeuer these words be tollerable the doctrine teaching faith and beliefe of the true Church is the infallible rule in all points to be followed yet the Popish meaning is absurd that whatsoeuer the Church teacheth though it be not contained in the Bible must be accepted as matter of faith and that vpon her owne authoritie Yet thus they hold as I haue b Digress 1. c. 6.9 shewed and may further be perceiued by the Iesuites words in this section Whosoeuer will yeeld assent to the Church in all points as we professe in our Creed saying I beleeue the Catholicke Church shall not erre in any point Which words of the Creed meaning no more but c Ruffin expos Symbo that we beleeue there is one holy Catholicke Church whereof our selues are members he expoundeth of yeelding assent in all points to it which exposition may be further vnderstood by that which d Staplet def eccles potest adu Whitak l. 1. cap 9. Rhem. annot 1. Tim. 3.15 Bristo dem 44. other Papists say more fully I beleeue the Catholicke Church the literall sence whereof is that thou beleeuest whatsoeuer the Catholicke Church holdeth and teacheth are to be beleeued Which exposition is a glosse beside the text And yet this is tollerable in comparison of the next 3 For hauing deuolued all power ouer to the Church in the next place they define this Church to be the Romane company For e Mot. 12. in marg Bristo saith The Romane Church is the Catholicke Church and f Annot. Rom. 1 8. idem B. roÌ„ Annal. tom 1. an 58. nu 49. See Posseu bibl select lib. 4. c. 13. â— Interdum quoqueâ—aud sâ—â—iâ— the Rhemists The Catholicke and Romane faith is all one Wherein their meaning is to win authoritie to the Romish faction perswading men there is no saluation but in that religion and making roome for themselues in all those places of Scripture which commend vnto vs the Catholicke Church of Christ Which is a iest so grosse that it deserueth to be smiled at rather then confuted And yet it stayeth not here neither but goeth a degree further which me thinketh is a note aboue éla 4 For as they take all authoritie and sufficiency from the Scripture and giue it the Church so all the Churches authoritie they giue to the Pope So saith Gregory of Valence g Dispuâ— theo tom 3 â—isp 1. â—u 1. punct 1. p. 24. Item Cater 22 q. 1. art 9. 10. Dom. Ban ibid. apud D. Tho nam Pro eodem omnino reputatur authoritas Ecclesiae vniuersalis authoritas concilij authoritas sum mi pontificis By the Church we meane her head that is to say the Romane Bishop h Analys fidei pag. 136. In whom resideth that full authoritie of the Church when he pleaseth to determine matters of faith whether he do it with a Councell or without Thomas saith i 22. q 1. art 10. The making of a new Creed belongeth to the Pope as all other things do which belong to the whole Church k 22. qu 1 â— art 2.3 Yea the whole authoritie of the vniuersall Church abideth in him l Defens fid Triâ—ent lib. 2. Andradius saith All power to interpret the Scripture and reueale the hidden mysteries of our religioÌ„ is giuen from heauen to the Popes and their Councels Yea m Decis aur cas part 2 l. 2. c 7 nu 40 saith Graffius The common opinion is he may do it without them And so n De Christ l. 2 c. 28. saith Bellarmine Himselfe without any Councell may decree matters of faith And o Sum Syluest verbo fides nu 2. Syluester The power of the Catholicke Church remaineth all in him And p De Planctu Eccl. lib. 1. artic 6. Aluarus Pelagius We are bound to stand to his iudgement alone rather then to the iudgement of all the world beside And the canon Law saith q In Sext. extt. Ioh. 22 tit 14 c. cum inter in gloss It were heresie to thinke our Lord God the Pope might not decree as he doth r Dist 19. in Canonicis glos ibid. Yea his rescripts and decretall Epistles are canonicall Scripture Stapleton Å¿ Praefat. Princip fidei doctrinal saith The foundation of our religion is of necessitie placed vpon the authoritie of this mans teaching in which we heare God himselfe speaking And finally the Iesuite himselfe t §. hereafter saith All Catholicke men must necessarily submit their iudgement and opinions either in expounding the Scripture or otherwise to the censure of the Apostolicke seate and God hath bound his Church to heare the chiefe Pastor in all points By all which we see what is
meant by those importunate bragges of the Catholicke Church and why the Papists rely so much vpon it x Audito Ecclesiae nominâ— hostis expalluit Campian tat 3. apud Posseu bibl select lib. 7. c. 19. they make their vaunts that the very name of the Church appalleth vs and good reason if the Pope be it Gods enemie and ours But in the meane time themselues might blush thus to tell the ignorant a tale of the Church and will the foolish Protestants be wiser then the Catholicke Church y Nomen callide retinuit tem ipsam funditus desiniâ—ndo fustulit Camp vbi supra and yet this Church when things come to the reckoning is nothing else but the Pope § 14. And first that the doctrine of the vniuersall Church in all points is infallible thus I reason If our Sauiour Christ haue promised to any company of men the assistance of himselfe and of his holy Spirit for this speciall purpose to teach and instruct them in euery truth giuing withall peculiar commission to them to teach all nations and warrant and commandement to all to heare them and to do in all things according to their saying and further threatning that he that will not heare them and do in all things according to their saying should be accounted as an Ethnicke and Publican then certainly the doctrine and the teaching of this companie of men is in all points infallible and most true For looke what he promiseth must needs be performed and whatsoeuer he warranteth or commandeth to be done may safely and without danger of error be done nay must of necessitie be done especially when he threateneth those that will not do it and consequently if he promise to send his holy Spirit to teach anie companie of men all truth it is not to be doubted but that he sendeth this his Spirit and by him teacheth them all truth And since the teaching of this Spirit is infallible we haue not to doubt but that this companie to which this promise should be made should in all points be infallibly taught the truth If also the same our Sauior gaue warrant and commandement that we should heare and do in all points according to the saying of this companie of men being thus infallibly taught and hauing commission to teach we may not likewise doubt but that they shall infallibly teach vs the truth in all points For otherwise by this his commandement we should sometimes be bound to heare and beleeue that which were not true and to do that which were not right and good which without blasphemie to Christs veritie and goodnesse can no way be taught But so it is that Christ our Sauiour hath in holy Scripture promised giuen commission warranted commanded and threatened in maner aforesaid therefore we haue not to doubt but that a certaine companie of men there be to wit that companie which is called the true catholike Church which both is in all points taught infallibly by the holy Spirit and is in like maner to teach vs all truth The promise we haue Mat. vltim Ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus vsque ad consummationem seculi I am with you all the dayes vnto the end of the world In which words is promised the continuall presence of Christ himselfe the maister of truth with his holy Church not for a while then nor for a while now but all the dayes vnto the end of the world Also we haue another promise Ioh. 14. Ego rogabo Patrem meum alium paracletum dabit vobis Spiritum veritatis vt maneat vobiscum in aeternum I will aske my Father and he will giue you another paraclete that he may remaine with you not onely for sixe hundred yeares but for euer And to shew vs for what purpose he would haue his holy Spirit to remaine with vs for euer he saith againe Cum autem venerit ille Spiritus veritatis docebit vos omnem veritatem Iob. 16. And when the Spirit of truth shall come he shall teach you all truth The commission we haue Mat. vltim Euntes docete omnes gentes The warrant also we haue Luc. 10. Qui vos audit me audit By which words appeareth plainely that our Sauiour Christ would haue vs to heare and giue credit to his Church no lesse then to himselfe The commandement we haue Mat. 23. Super cathedram Mosis sedent Scribae Pharisaei omnia ergo quaecunque dixerint vobis seruate facite Out of which words we may gather that we are commanded in all points to do according to the doctrine of the Prelates of the catholike Church though it should happen that their liues should not be coÌ„mendable or good For though in this place our Sauiour do onely speake of the chaire of Moses in which the priests of the old law did sit yet it must be vnderstood à fortiori of the chaire of S. Peter in which the Priests of the new law do succeed So did the ancient Fathers vnderstand and especially S Austin Epist 165. who saith thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum qui ducitur ab ipso Petro ad Anastasium qui nunc in eadem cathedra sedet etiamsi quisquam traditor per illa tempora subrepsisset nihil praeiudicaret Ecclesiae innocentibus Christianis quibus Dominus prouidens ait de praepositis malis quae dicunt facite quae faciunt facere nolite Into the order of Bishops which is deriued from S. Peter himself vnto Anastasius who now sitteth vpon the same chaire although some traitor had crept in for the time he should nothing hurt or preiudice the Church of the innocent Christians vnto whom our Lord prouiding saith of euill Prelates what they say do what they do do not The threats we may gather out of Luc. 10. where our Sauiour saith Qui vos spernit me spernit He that despiseth you despiseth me signifying what sinne it were not to heare but to despise the preaching of our Sauiour Christ himselfe that we should account it the same sinne to despise and not to giue heed and credite to his catholike Church insinuating thereby a threat of like punishment for the said contempt Also Mat. 18. the same our Sauiour saith Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi sicut Ethnicus Publicanus Thus you see our Sauiour Christ hath promised vnto his Church the continuall assistance of himselfe and of his holy Spirit to teach vs all truth Moreouer that he hath giuen commission to it to teach vs yea and hath warranted and commanded vs in all points to heare and to do according to the saying of his Church and hath threatened greatly those that will not heare the Church which proueth that it pertaineth to this Church to instruct vs in all points of faith that we ought to learne of it in all matters of religion the infallible truth The Answer 1 The drift of all this section is to proue that the doctrine of the vniuersal Church in
Apostles if it reach to the Church so that if that be the sence which the Iesuite setteth downe then all the Apostles had equall priuiledges from error with Peter and particular Churches and men should be as infallible as the whole Church it selfe which I am sure the Iesuite will not grant Thirdly Saint Austine i Tract 96. in Ioh. tom 9. expoundeth the words as I do He shall teach or leade you into all truth this I think cannot be fulfilled in any mans mind in this life for who is he liuing in this bodie so corrupt and loading the soule that can know all truth when the Apostle saith we know but in part But forasmuch as by the holy Ghost it cometh to passe whose earnest we haue receiued that hereafter we may come to the fulnesse it self whereof the same Apostle saith then shall we see him face to face and now I know but in part but then I shall know as I am knowne not that which shall be in this lâ—fe onely but all that which shall befall vs till the perfection come the Lord by the loue of his spirit hath promised saying He shall teach you all truth As for the Iesuites exposition that he may remaine with you for euer not onely for sixe hundred yeares it smelleth either of his malice or ignorance For which of vs euer yet said the holy Ghost departed from the Church after sixe hundred yeares Let the Papists deale sincerely and leaue their coyning 6 The fourth place is Math. 28.19 Go teach all nations Whereto I answer first these words were spoken to the Apostles onely and not to that which the Iesuite calleth the Catholike Church Now I grant their teaching was infallible and all men were bound to heare it for they taught that which afterward they writ in the Scripture yet so they taught and with such commission that k Act 17.11 the people are commended which examined their teaching by the Scriptures Secondly we grant the Pastors of the Church in all ages haue commission to teach likewise but that proueth not all their teaching to be alway infallible because naturall corruption hanging on them they may faile in that which is committed to them Neither is this any inconuenience binding vs sometime to beleeue that which is false for the bond hath a limitatioÌ„ that we heare them so farre as they teach agreeable with the scriptures and no further and by those scriptures we may relieue our selues if they chance to teach falsly 7 The fift place is Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me Which words were spoken to the Apostles all whose teaching and writing was true infallibly and therefore were sufficient warrant to the hearers to accept it But being applied to the Church and ordinary Pastors therein l Ferus lib. 3 in Math. cap. 23. they must be vnderstood with this caution if they hold them to the instructions that Christ giueth them if they come in the name of Christ deliuering his words truly and consonant to the scripture for such are to be heard as Christ himselfe else m 1. Ioh. 4.1 1. Cor. 14.32 we must trie the spirits and iudge of the Prophets This place therefore being to be vnderstood conditionally proueth not that which the Iesuite concludeth absolutely and vniuersally 8 The sixt place is Math. 23.2 The Scribes and Pharises sit in Moses chaire all therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do Which words I grant must be vnderstood of the Ministers of the Gospel that succeed the Apostles as wel as of the Pharises that sate in Moses chaire therefore I answer three things 1. I mislike it not that he compareth the Priests and Bishops of his Church to the Scribes and Pharises 2. By Moses chaire is meant neither outward succession nor iudiciall authoritie but the profession of Moses law 3. n Si quae cuÌ„que dixerint nobis ea facere iubemur cur alio loco Christus cauere voluit à feâ—mento Pharisaeorum cur rursum eorum traditiones exemplo etiam proprio coÌ„temnere docuit aliquid ergo doctrinae propriae puritati euangelij admiscere possunt in quo non solùm non sunt audiendi sed sunt etiam refutandi Id ergo prae cauit Christus ne plebs malis docentium exemplis ad contemptionem verae doctrinae inducatur Nunc ergo quae dixetint nobis Pharisaei eadem facere iubet Christus cum super Cathediam Mosis federint hoc est legem enarrauerint docucrint proposuerint Can. loc l. 5. c. 4. Our Sauior doth not simply commaund the people to obey the Pharisees in all points of their doctrine or teach them that their locall succession did priuiledge them from error but onely that they should not for their euill life be offended at that which they might at any time teach well because though their life were wicked yet that which they taught out of Moses chaire that is to say according to Moses law must be followed Now this was far from enioyning them in all points to do according to the doctrine of the Scribes and Pharises as I proue by foure reasons first o Iansen concord euang cap. 120. Em. Sa. notat in Math. 23. v. 3. the Popish expositors say this place bindeth vs not to obey them if they teach that which is euill for that is to teach against the chaire Which exposition granteth we are not bound to heare them in all points without limitation as p Ecce sine limitatione aliqua Martin Peres de tradit part 3. pag. 328. a Popish Bishop speaketh with the Iesuite and supposeth they may teach vntruly in some points Secondly if I may refuse them in some points then hence it followeth vnanswerably that there is another rule whereby I may be directed in hearing for else how should a man be able to distinguish those points wherein he must follow his teachers from those wherein he must not Thirdly the Pharisees taught many errors and blasphemies both q Math. 5.20 25.3 23.13 against the law of Moses and r Marc. 14.64 Ioh 7.48 8 13. 9.22.24 19.7.15 against the diuinitie of Christ in which regard our Sauiour bad his disciples Å¿ Mat. 26.6.12 to beware of the leauen of the Pharises which was their doctrine Wherein he had gainsaid himselfe if by Moses chaire he had meant any thing but the prescript of the law or by those words had commaunded vs in all points to do according to the Prelates doctrine for then the Iewes must not haue honored parents nor loued their enemies nor beleeued in Christ because the Pharises taught against these things Lastly t Gloss in Mat. 23.2 Nicol. Gorr ibid. Arias Mâ—ntâ—n elucid ibid. the Papists themselues expounding the place write that to sit in Moses chaire is to teach according to the doctrine and rule of Moses law and to commaund things agreeable thereunto that is to say true doctrine and the same
that Moses taught wherein onely they might be followed and no further u Lib. 3 in Mat. cap. 23. Ferus saith that Christs commandement Obserue and do whatsoeuer they bid you bound them not to obserue all the decrees of the Pharises but so farre forth as they agreed with the law in like sort he said to the Apostles and their successors He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me but Matthew had set downe before that he charged them to preach the Gospell whereby it appeareth that the Apostles must be heard but so farre forth as they be Apostles that is as they do Christs message and teach the things which Christ commandeth but if they teach other things or contrary to Christ then are they no more Apostles but seducers and not to be heard Which exposition of Ferus a Papist excludeth you see the Iesuites collection for the infalliblenesse of all the Prelates doctrine and giueth the people libertie to examine it by the Gospell 9 Neither did any of the auncient Fathers vnderstand the place otherwise for Austine in x Ep. 165. ad Generos the place alledged onely affirmeth two things first that in the Church of Rome there had bene a continuall succession of Bishops from Peter to Anastasius who then liued which he saith because the Donatist in his epistle to Generosus had pretended a certaine succession of Bishops from Donatus the beginner of that sect and to satisfie him that if succession were to be stood vpon then there might a succession of better likelihood be brought against him Secondly he affirmeth that in all this Romane succession there had bene neuer a Donatist and though there had yet should the people of God incurre no danger thereby because Christ hath forewarned them of euill ouerseers that they follow their teaching and not their doing In all which discourse what one word is there whereby it may be gathered that Austine thought as the Iesuite doth that in all points we must do according to the doctrine of the Prelates or that the Church and Bishops of Rome can erre in nothing for the succession mentioned implieth no such matter for any thing that Austine saith And the other words Our Lord hath prouided for his Church by saying of euill Prelates Do what they say but not what they do can shew no other meaning in him then was in Christ and how Christ meant them I haue alreadie set downe the summe whereof is that no Christian man forsake the vnitie of the Church for the Pastors euill life but that still they heare them and follow them as long as they teach out of the chaire that is according to the doctrine of Moses and Peter from which the Romish Church is departed long ago So that those words Do what they teach being referred to the former they sit in Moses chaire must be expounded ioyntly with them Do what they teach out of the chaire which being granted how followeth it from hence that therefore the teachers can erre in nothing 10 The last place is Math. 18.17 If he refuse to heare the Church let him be vnto thee as a heathen and a publican Which words the Iesuite saith containe a threatning against such as do not in all things follow the Church y Bellarm. de verbo Dei l. 3. c. 5. Eman. Sa. Not. Mat. 18.17 meaning the Pastors of the Church Whereunto I answer two things first it followeth not that the Church cannot erre because we are bidden to heare it for so we are commaunded to z Rom. 13.1 obey magistrates and yet they may commaund things vnlawfull and a Act. 4.19 Dan. 3.18 6.10 in such a case they must not be obeyed It was a law to the Iewes that b Deut. 17.8 in matters of weight they should repaire to the Priest and do according to that which he should iudge without declining from it yet Vriah and Annas and Caiaphas were not of infallible iudgement Therefore the meaning is that we must obediently heare the Church and yeeld vnto it not simply in all things but conditionally as long as it speaketh things agreeable to the word of God as was answered to the former places Secondly the things properly which Christ here mentioneth and wherein he biddeth vs heare the Church are not determinations of faith but Church-censures and admonitions wherein it is cleare the true Church of Christ may sometime misse it and be admonished by her children notwithstanding this threatning of Christ as when c Ioh. 9.3 4. the Iewes excommunicated him that was borne blind and d Niceph. l. 12. c. 33. the East and West Churches censured one another about the keeping of Easter For e Hieron comment in Math. c. 16. ignorant Bishops and Elders sometimes take vp the seueritie of Pharises condemning the innocent and acquiting the guiltie Pope Innocent saith in f Decretal Greg. lib. 5. de sententia excom cap. 28. A nobis est saepe the Canon law Gods iudgement alway leaneth vpon the truth which neither deceiueth vs nor is deceiued it selfe But the Churches iudgement oftentimes followeth opinion which many times falleth out both to deceiue vs and to be deceiued it selfe Whereby it cometh to passe sometime that he is loosed in the Church who is bound with God and he loosed with God who is wrapt in the Churches censure Vpon which words g Super 5. de sententia excom à Nobis 2. Panormitane writing saith A generall Councell representing the whole Church may very well erre in excommunicating him that should not be excommunicate Whereby we see the Church may erre in her censures notwithstāding these words of Christ And if in censures then let the Iesuit yeeld a sound reason why not as wel in points of faith or else confesse the words of Christ to be meant as I haue said § 15. Worthily therefore doth S. Paul call this Church Columna firmamentum veritatis 1. Tim. 3. the pillar and ground of truth Also S. Austin in lib. contra Cresc giueth this generall aduice Quisquis falli metuit huius obscuritate quaestionis Ecclesiam de illa consulat quam sine vlla ambiguitate Scriptura sancta demonstrat Whosoeuer is afraid to be deceiued with the obscuritie of this question let him require the iudgement of the Church which without ambiguitie the holy Scripture doth demonstrate By which words he sheweth vs that the way not to be deceiued in an obscure question is to aske and follow the iudgement of the Church The Answer 1 There is no man denieth but it is a good way not to be deceiued in an obscure question to aske and follow the iudgement of the Church so it be the true Church which the Romane companie is not But yet neither is it the onely way as I haue touched alreadie nor if it be doth it hence follow that therefore it selfe is the rule and free from all blemish of error because the
from going and enquiring to her Nay rather we aduise all people desirous of the truth to follow Austins counsell howsoeuer such as the Iesuite is to make vs odious giue out the contrary For Austin first attributeth the perfection of truth to the Scripture onely Secondly then he alloweth vs to go to no Church but that which from the Scripture is demonstrated to be a true Church Thirdly he saith neuer a word that the Church should be the rule or free from all error but onely that they should enquire her iudgement which in that questioÌ„ at that time he knew to be sound though possible he were not ignorant that x Euseb hist l. 7. c. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. many famous Churches formerly had not bene so but had decreed the very error that he now confuted Lastly y Aduer Cresc l. 2. c. 21. within fiue leaues of the place alledged he hath these words The Church is subiect to Christ and therefore may not preferre her selfe before him for he alway iudgeth rightly but Ecclesiasticall iudges being but men for the most part are deceiued Let the Iesuit yeeld vs thus much and he shall find himselfe a great deale short of that he reckoneth for the certaintie of his Churches teaching and that Austin maketh not the Church the rule as he would haue it but a meanes to direct vs in things obscure by the Scriptures whose iudgement is to be followed vpon their authoritie and onely so long as she determineth according to them Which point I feare the Iesuite will mislike 6 Yet thus the Church it selfe teacheth vs. For what Bishops what Pastors what Councels what men what Churches haue not erred though z Mal. 2.7 Eph. 4 11. Heb. 13.17 God haue bidden vs enquire their iudgement and seek vnto them The Papists will say particular Churches may erre but how did the Councels of Ephesus Seleucia and Remino misse it a The Bishops at Ephesus were 132. at Selculeucia 16â— at Ariminum 400 whereof aboue 300. were Catholicke Bishops where the flower of all the Christian Pastours of the world were assembled whereof b Dial. aduer Lucifer Ierome complained The whole world groned and wondred to see it selfe Arrian Which imperfection hath hung so fast vpon all Councels and Churches that c Ep. ad Proco Nazianzen writing to a friend of his saith He neuer saw any councel haue a good end And d Adu profanâ— nou c. 4. Vincentius confesseth that not onely some portion of the Church but the whole Church it selfe is blotted with some new contagion So that the very Papists themselues some of them conuinced by experience and the Churches owne confession are driuen in the point to come home vnto vs. For thus writeth e Turrecrem sum de Eccl l. 2 c. 91. l. 3. c. 60 a learned Cardinall That which we say the Church cannot erre in faith or manners must thus be taken according to the doctrine of the fathers that God doth so assist his Church to the end of the world that the true faith shall neuer faile out of the same For to the worlds end there shall be no time wherein some though not all shall not haue true faith working by loue Doth not the Iesuite see here that though all of them lay downe the conclusion that the Church cannot erre yet some of them expound it so that they come roundly home to vs and do as good as deny it againe Therefore let the Iesuite iarre no more about this matter but submit himselfe to the Cardinals exposition and so we will both sit down friendly together at his feete awaiting till either he or some other speake Protestant againe and so agree vs in the rest of the questions that are depending § 16. The first condition therefore of the rule of faith to wit to be infallible agreeth to the teaching of the Church Now that the doctrine and teaching of the Church hath the other conditions to wit that it is such as may be easily knowne to all sorts of men and such as may vniuersally teach them in all points will easily be seene after I shall set downe and proue that this Church is alway visible and further what particular companie of men be those which be this true Church For hauing by this meanes assigned a particular companie of men who according as I haue proued are in all points taught by the holy Ghost and are by God his appointment in stead of Christ in all points to teach vs the infallible truth there will no doubt remaine but that their teaching is such as may be vnderstood of all since they are liuing men that can conforme their teaching to the capacitie of all sorts and such as may sufficiently in all points instruct vs in the right faith that the appointment and ordinance of God by which as I haue proued they are ordained to teach vs in all points may not be in vaine and frustrate of the effect intended by him Let vs therefore first see whether the Church or companie of faithfull men of which I haue alreadie spoken be alway visible or not The Answer 1 The first condition of the rule of faith to be infallible agreeeth not to the teaching of the Church because the Iesuite by the Church meaneth a See Digress 16. nu 4 onely the Pope and all Papists hold b Propterea enim sedes Apostolica seu Romana Ecclesia infallibilis dicitur quia is qui prae est illi authoritateÌ„ habet per se infallibilem Gr. de Val. comment Theol tom 3. p. 247. D. the infalliblnes therof consists in his authority that caÌ„not erre and nothing else Neither can he assigne any company or state of men whereby she may be supposed to manifest her teaching but the same may be subiect to error and in experience hath erred as we see in Councels and Doctors and all other meanes which she hath vsed in teaching vs except that of the Scriptures onely as I haue shewed 2 Next though it were granted to be infallible and the next also yeelded which the Iesuite now beginneth to take so much paines to proue that it were both easie to be knowne and could teach vs vniuersally in all points yet were it not proued thereby to be the rule because there is more required to the rule then this as I haue shewed and this it borroweth from the Scripture as the Moone doth her light from the Sun which sheweth against all exception that the Scripture it selfe is the rule and of greater authoritie then the Church in that these things are originally in the Scripture from whence the Church but borroweth whatsoeuer she partaketh thereof though c Igitur quicquid habet boni aâ— perficit Scriptura quicquid pleni ac solidi id habet ab Ecclesia quae implet eum qui implet omnia pag. 434. Ecclesia aâ—unt coÌ„stituta est vt tertimonium exhibeat diuinis libris quis
Conc. Trid. Sicid commen Innocen Gentil pag. 132. 135 158. c. the safe conduct that was giuen out for them as it was long afore it could be obtained so it had a clause that it should appertaine to none but such as would repent and returne to the bosome of the Romane Church which sheweth that it was a very ieast to mocke the world withall and the libertie granted by the same would haue proued no better to the Protestants then that which the Councell of Constance gaue Hus and Hierome o Vide Paralip ad hist Abb. Vrsperg pag. 396. Pogh Floren. ep ad Aretin who neuer went home againe but contrary to all truth and right were vnmercifully murthered by the Councell Now p Panorm extra de iureiurando Ego N. the law saith that he which hath securitie granted him to come hath also security to returne for he cometh not securely that may not safely returne againe 6 Secondly all the Bishops were sworne to vphold the Papacie that it may appeare they came prepared to do that they did The oath is set downe in the q Ego N. de iureiurand in decret Greg. 9. Decretals I N. Bishop from this day forward wil be faithful to S. Peter and to the holy Church of Rome and to my Lord the Pope and his successors The Papacie of the Romane Church and the rules of the holy fathers will I help defend and hold against all men so helpe me God and his holy Gospels Now r Papatâ—â— id est principatum taÌ„ in spiritualibus quam in teÌ„poralibus Dic regulas id est canones summorum Pontificum c. Panorm vbi supra this Papacie is a principalitie in things both temporall and spirituall and these rules are the Canons of the Pope and other Doctors allowed by the Church of Rome So that this Councell iudged before it heard nay they would not heare but came euery man prepared to condemne and therefore Å¿ Such as were Catharinus Dom. à Soto Cornelius Mus Salapusius Ciconia Fontidonius Baptista Fornerius and others whereof reade Innocent Gentill exameÌ„ at euery Sessions they had certaine sermons preached by Friers tending to nothing but railing against the Protestants and inciting the Councell against them Whereunto they added another policie by spreading t Innocen Gentill pag. 32. Boz de sign eccles lib. 18. cap. 3. reports of one Abdisu that should be Patriarke of the Assyrians and was come to Rome to acknowledge the Popes supremacie and religion with many admirable particulars all which newes was spred for the nonce to fill mens minds with a conceit and liking of that which they meant in the Councell to decree The which partialitie and cunning when the Princes of Europe saw u See Illyr Protest cont coÌ„cil Innocent Gentill pag. 28 31. 96. 98. 110. they sent their protestations against the Councell as vnsufficient to reforme religion namely the Emperor Charles the French King the Kings of England and Denmark the States of Heluetia and others 7 Thirdly in trying the controuersies they examined not by the Scriptures onely but by traditions x Sess 4. also which afore that time no man was bound to beleeue and that which was worse there did nothing passe till the Pope with his Consistory at home had scene it and whatsoeuer he fancied that was decreed for which purpose there went continuall posts betweene Trent and Rome and while the Doctors pro forma tantùm were disputing at Trent the Pope was ingrossing the Canons at Rome which being returned in packets were solemnly published in the Councel And thus they measured sometime with a wrong rule and sometime with no rule at all And though they had measured with the right rule yet they did it not rightly for that they applied not the doctrine to the rule but bent the rule to their owne doctrine turning the Scripture violently to serue their opinions For in the fourth Session they decreed that no man should giue any other exposition of Scripture then such as might agree with the doctrine of the Church of Rome Now that doctrine was the thing that should be examined and the Scripture was the rule that it should be examined by and therefore they wrested the rule to their opinions 8 So that if it were not lawfull to examine the teaching of the Church as the Iesuite holdeth yet this example of the Trent Councell may teach him that at least it is lawfull to trie whether the Church proceed aright in teaching as many Papists vpon experience of these dealings no doubt haue not bin afraid to examine things pretended to be already concluded by Councels else that Church is in a miserable plight that will yeeld vs no reason of her faith but her owne bare word and much doubteth her selfe that will suffer none to trie her teaching by so euen a rule as is the Scripture and all Papists her children are in worse case then y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vita Aristoph praefixa Scholiis he that was iudged to be the son of Philip of Aegina only because his mother said so for they must not onely beleeue God is their father because she telleth them so but they must take her word too that Christ is her husband contrary to a notorious suspition that hath long gone of her and would be better cleared then by her bare word z Nos iustitiam nostram ecclesiae sponsae nostrae nolentes negligere saith Boniface 8. de immunit eccle c. quoniam in sexto ibid. de elect c. vbi periculum § caeterumque condemned by Bernard epist 237. that she is the Popes concubine and hath had many children by him out of lawfull wedlocke § 32. The markes be especially those foure which are gathered out of Scripture and expresly set downe as properties of the Church in the Constantinopolitane Creed which is receiued commonly of all and inserted euen in the Protestants Communion booke Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholike Apostolike By all which if I had leisure I might shew at large how that the Romane Church that is to say that companie which communicateth and agreeth in profession of faith with the Church of Rome is the onely true Church and that the Protestants that is to say that company which from Luthers time hitherward haue opposed themselues against the Romane Church neither all nor anie particular sect of them can be the true Church for the Romane Church onely is truly One Holy Catholike and Apostolike whereas the Protestants either want all or at the least some of these properties The Answer 1 The Constantinopolitane Creed and the sacred Scripture teach these foure to be qualities abiding in the Church and certaine adiuncts belonging thereunto but not that they are the markes whereby to find it For we call that a Marke whereby the thing questioned is vndoubtedly brought to our knowledge which these foure in the question of the
Church performe not For first themselues are declared and proued by another thing as the Iesuit himselfe vnawares granteth in that he saith they are gathered out of the Scripture and articles of our faith which is all one as if he freely confessed the word of God when all is done is the thing whereby the Church must be found and the true faith contained therein is knowne sooner and better then the Church which is not assured to vs till those things be found therein which agree with the Scripture and articles of faith This must be noted because hauing in the eight former sections wearied himselfe with striuing against vs and vsed much diligence to perswade that the true faith is no competent marke to discerne the Church by yet now of his owne accord he cometh home to vs and in his first words submitteth himself to that which before he gainsaid and so freely reuoketh all his former arguments 2 Next they are not so much as properties of the Church neither and therefore the vnlikeliest of a thousand to be marks thereof For a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phauoâ—in leâ—ic they are not alwayes inseparably and incommunicably found therein that is such as at all times remaine in the Church alone and in euery part thereof For in the beginning it wanted antiquitie and succession and in the progresse it hath sometime bene without vnitie and vniuersalitie and at all times the false Church hath made so faire shew of all foure that no man could distinguish them but by retiring to the doctrine For Chrysostome b Hom. 49. in Math. op imperf writeth thus All those things which belong to the Church of Christ in truth the heresies may also haue in schisme they haue Churches and the * The booke not the doctrine sacred Scriptures yea Bishops and other degrees of Clergie baptisme the Eucharist and all other things yea * A pretence of Christ as Math. 24.5.23 Christ himself So that if any one will know which is Christs true Church he shal not be able in such a confusion to do it but onely by the Scriptures And of vnitie S. Basil c Aschet prooem de iudicio Dei saith He found much vnitie among all other professions onely in the Church of God he obserued great strife and vehemâ—nt dissention and the Pastors themselues distracted with all contrarietie of mindes and opinions Of succession Nazianzen d De laude Athan saith This is properly succession to succeed in godlinesse for he that professeth the same faith is also partaker of the same succession and he that holdeth a contrary faith must be reputed contrary to the successioÌ„ And e D. 40. Non est facile the Canon law They are not the children of the Saints which occupie their roomes but which do their works Of holinesse f Vbi supra Chrysostome saith In former times one might haue knowne Christs Church by her manners when the conuersation of the Christians either all or many was holy but now Christians are either as bad or worse then hereticks or Gentiles and there is more continency found among them though it be in schisme then among Christians And againe g Hom. 4. in Math. Whatsoeuer kind of holinesse the seruants of God haue in truth the seruants of Satan may haue in likenes for the diuel hath his that be meeke and huÌ„ble that be chast and giue almes that fast and do euery good deed which God hath appointed for the saluation of mankind and these formes of godlines hath the diuell brought in to seduce vs that a confusion being made betweene good and counterfet simple men which know not the difference betweene goodnes in deed and goodnes in shew while they seeke the goods seruants of God might light vpon the diuels seducements 3 And therefore allowing the Iesuite what leisure he will though otherwise any reader may perceiue he tooke himself leisure enough that penned this discourse and though briefly in shew yet in summe and effect hath couched whatsoeuer is extant in any Papist written concerning the matters questioned but yet giuing him a longer day he cannot by these markes make it infallibly sure that his Romane Catholicke is the Church of God and this himselfe knoweth in his owne conscience For Bellarmine h De not Eccl. cap. 3. speaking of these very markes confesseth They make it not euidently true that it is the Church but euidently probable whereby it appeareth that the Iesuite for all his set countenance yet knoweth well enough these his markes bring probabilitie but no certaintie And I am sure all Papists of learning will grant they are no markes at all but when they concurre with true faith whereas they say expresly i Greg. de Valent comment Theol. tom 3. disp 1. qu. 1. punct 7. §. 18. that among whomsoeuer the truth of doctrine and Sacraments are holden * Ex ijs constare veram Ecclesiam thereby it is knowne the Church is there And therefore the Iesuite may shew his skill in fitting his fowre markes to his Romane Church and remouing them from ours but he shall neuer come directly to the point vntill he try vs by the Scriptures and thereby sufficiently proue that which is easilie said we are not the Church of God but a company standing in oppositioÌ„ since Luthers time diuided into particular sects § 33. First the Protestants Church is not perfectly one or vniforme in dogmaticall points of faith but varieth according to the varietie of times and persons now holding one thing then another the learned men thereof are so much at iarre in matters of faith that it is hard to find three in all points of one opinion The Answer 1 The Papists themselues acknowledge a Luc. Pinel Thes Vademont Thes 83. that the vnity of the Church consisteth in this that the members thereof beleeue the same things vse the same worship of God and retaine the same sacraments but the Scriptures more fully teach vs how it is one First because b Ephes 4.4 it is from one beginning which is the holy Ghost who as one soule quickeneth and moueth all the members Next c Eph. 4.15 it hath but one head which is Christ And thirdly d Eph. 4.5 Rom. 12.5 it is but one body and one societie partaking the same doctrine sacraments worship of God The which vnitie if the Iesuit can shew to be waÌ„ting among vs good reason the game be his but for the doing herof it is not enough to say we varie vnlesse he can make true demonstration that the variance is in faith and this faith is changed with times and persons the which according to the custome of his sect he saith confidently but sheweth not whereas we for our purgation name e A booke so called to be bought in euery shop and containing the confessions of all the seuerall Protestant Churches in Europe the Harmony of confessions wherin
of England Yet did not Basil therefore thinke it was not the true Church as the Iesuite disputeth against vs much lesse did he separate himselfe from it but acknowledgeth the enuy of Satan who can set brethren at oddes in their fathers owne house who are to be aduised to reconcile themselues and at length to embrace vnitie when they see Papists their enemies scorning them and clapping their hands at the bickering lest all to late when Gods iudgements fall vpon them as they did vpon the primitiue Church for that same sinne they learne by their owne calamitie to professe the faith in vnitie r Philostrat heroic in Protesilao One saith the communion of good things often times begetteth enuy but when men communicate in miseries they begin to loue one another recompencing compassion for compassion § 34. And which chiefly is to be pondered as principally appertaining to this marke of vnitie they haue no meanes to end their controuersies and so to returne to vnitie and to continue therin For while as they admit no rule of faith but onely Scripture which Scripture diuerse men expound diuersly according to the diuerse humours and opinions or fancies of euery one not admitting anie head or chiefe rule infallibly guided by the holy Ghost to whose censure in matters of faith all the rest should submit themselues vt capite constituto schismatis tollatur occasio an head or chiele ruler being ordained occasion of schisme may be taken away whiles they do thus as they all do alwayes thus all proclaiming to be ruled by onely Scripture and yet almost euery one expounding Scripture diuersly and one contrary to another according to the seeming of euery ones sense and neuer a one admitting one superiour infallibly guided by the holy Spirit of God to whose iudgement all the rest should submit themselues whiles I say they do thus it is impossible they should haue the vnitie of faith which is required as a marke whereby to know Christs true Church The Answer 1 The Iesuit hauing obiected that there is no vnity among vs now giueth his reason why there can be none because we make the holy Scripture the rule of our faith and indeed it is true that all Protestants professe the Scriptures to be the rule of faith which the Iesuite may repeate as often as be pleaseth coming ouer with it againe and againe but no Papist can confute it yea many Papists seem in expresse termes themselues to grant it as I haue shewed Digression 3. where the point is handled at large and whither the reader must betake himselfe for the triall Onely I will adde the words of Acosta a Biblio select l. 2 c. 15. reported and allowed by Posseuinus the Iesuite that the diligent attentiue and frequent reading as also the meditation and conference of the Scriptures hath alwayes seemed to them the chiefest rule of all to vnderstand by And I will repeate b De verb. Dei l. 1. c. 2. the words of Bellarmine The sacred Scripture is the rule of faith most certaine and most secure yea God hath taught vs by corporall letters which we might see and reade what his will is we should beleeue concerning him Here are three of our principall aduersaries say as much as we do and yet the Iesuite alloweth it not This his vanitie common with him in euery issue betweene vs must be chastised with those words of Austin c Epist 6. See how they grow worse and worse whose runagate babling restrained neither with feare nor shame wandereth vp and downe without any punishment 2 And though we graunt that diuers men expound the Scripture diuersly according to their fancies yea contrary one to another not submitting the exposition to one chiefe head yet cannot this disable it from being a sufficient rule to keepe vs in vnitie because the men that thus diuersly expound are not as he speaketh All and euery one that professeth our religion but some priuate men erring through ignorance or affection the open ministery of our Church in the meane time cleauing vniformly to one and the same exposition which from the beginning it neuer altered and the points wherein some among vs vary are not the articles of saluation wherein alone the reason of vnitie doth consist but some difficult places the ignorance whereof remoueth not the vnitie of faith all which I haue d § 7. nu 2. § ◠nu 7. inde § 12 nu 2. inde Digress 8. 10. already handled in that which goeth before and therefore referre my selfe to the places if any more be to be said to this matter And whereas he thinketh we should admit one head or chiefe rule to whom we should submit all our faith that a head being ordained the occasion of schisme might be taken away herein he talketh absurdly For first we acknowledge one head and chiefe ruler such as he mentioneth euen the Spirit of God whose office it is to expound the Scripture and this exposition he vttereth in the Scripture it selfe e Digr 11.12 as I haue shewed Next if we would also according to his fancie betake our selues to the externall authoritie of some man or companie of men relying vpon them in matters of faith and exposition yet this would not please him neither vnlesse the Pope were he that you may see the vaine importunitie of the Iesuite Thirdly when such a head as himself meaneth admitting it also to be the Pope were agreed vpon and all power to expound the Scripture put into his hands yet still the same difficulties would remaine that he obiecteth against vs. First that his determination though neuer so plainly published would not satisfie such as are contentious f See Dig◠24. for in the Church of Rome notwithstanding the Popes supremacie there are contentions Next that whatsoeuer he determined if it were the truth he must fetch it and shew it out of the Scripture And so still we haue as competent a iudge for the maintenance of vnitie as the Iesuite can name any and when he hath trauerst ground and fetched a compasse how he can to auoide this iudgement yet the violence of the truth and his owne experience shall tumble him headlong into it againe 3 The phrase borowed out of Ierom vt capite constituto c. meaneth not the Pope or any man else that should be iudge of the Scripture but the Pastors and Bishops ordained in euery Church for preaching and gouernement which we haue and vse according to Ieroms meaning in a course more godly and profitable then that which the Church of Rome vsurpeth § 35. Contrarie the Romane Church is alway one and vniforme in faith neuer varying or holding any dogmaticall points contrarie to that which in former times from the beginning it did hold all the learned men thereof though sometimes differing in matters not defined by the Church yet in matters of faith all conspire in one The Answer 1 That which the
Iesuite now beginneth to auouch concerning the vnitie of his Romane Church is all vntrue as I will sufficiently shew in the three next Digressions and shall haue occasion further to manifest a Digress when I come to handle the note of Vniuersalitie This is the truth and all that can be said for it b Isid Pelus ep 408 lib. 3. which Pelusiota noteth in all heretickes that the name of peace is indeed euery where but the thing it selfe no where and as c Aug. epist 162 contra pertin Donatist it was among the Donatists They sacrifice in schisme and dissention and greet the world with the name of peace whom they driue from the peace of their saluation This their vnitie is of seuen sorts d Illyric de sect Whitak controu 2. de eccle q. 5. c. 8. as some learned men among vs haue sent them word and we thinke our iarres such as they be are better then it 2 The first is the vnitie of darknesse in that they are prouident to maintaine outward peace lest their kingdom should come to nought e Mat. 12.16 such an vnitie there is in hell and one Beare they say will lie with another f Petr. Martyr decad l. 3. c. 5. and the very Cannibals vse not to eate them of their owne countrey The second is a heathenish vnitie when men for their credite wiâ—l not seeme contentious as it is very certaine they see innumerable abuses in their Church and doctrine and yet may be content to agree in all lest the world should despise them The third is brutish vnitie when their people consent because they are beastly ignorant and know not their ownâ— abominations so g Staphyl apol part 1. the Colliar said he was of the same beleefe the Church is and yet he knew neither the Churches nor hâ—s owne beleefe The fourth is Iudas his vnitie who kept companie with the other Apostles because he gained by it as many cleaue to the Romane Church and agree thereiâ— because it enricheth them and now then as a sanctuary freeth them from the danger of their sensualitie The fift is tyrannicall vnitie when men by feare are constrained to agree the Popes Consistory and Spanish Inquisition preuaile more with their people then the conscience of religion as would soone appeare if they were taken away The sixt is Herods vnitie for as he and Pilate which were secretly foes yet agreed together to crucifie Christ so these men consent in one against the truth and conspire together more to suppresse vs then to establish any sinceritie among themselues The last is the vnitie of h Iudg. 15.4 Sampsons foxes which were tied together by the tailes but all their heads were loose and euery one looked a sundry way so these men sticke together by the tailes in their religion all embracing one conceit of Poperie but in the maintenance and exposition of the same looking and thinking as many wayes as there be heads among them onely the Pope and his gouernement they all professe because it is their vantage and in him all their tailes meete together This is the vnitie of the Iesuites Church and the true genealogie thereof which we are content to acknowledge vnto them Digression 22. Obiecting the behauiour of the Papists toward the diuine Scriptures thereby to proue their varying from that which in former times the Primitiue Church of Rome beleeued 3 But whereas he saith the Romane Church hath not swarued from any point which formerly it held this is vntrue because it is declined from the doctrine of the Scriptures which the old Romane Church till Antichrist brake into it held inuiolably and for proofe hereof I will not now stand to compare the present Romane faith with the Scriptures but onely touch certaine practises of the Papists about the Scriptures which are euident signes and cleare demonstrations of that I say And first their canonizing now after 1500. years of the vulgar Latine against the Hebrew and Greeke originals for i Sess 4. the Trent Councell chargeth all men to vse it as the authenticall text in all their readings disputations sermons and expositions and that they do not reiect it vnder any pretence whatsoeuer Yea k Galatin de Arcun l. 1. c. 8. Leo Castrens apologet lib. 2. and others the learned men among them accuse the Hebrew and Greeke of corruptions manifold and their generall opinion thereof may be discouered by the Bishop of â—oledoes conceit l F. Simen bibl Complut in prolog who putting forth the Bible in diuers languages and therein printing his Latine in the middest betweene the Hebrew and Greek saith he hath placed them as the two theeues on either side but the Romane or Latin Church he hath put in the middest betweene them as Iesus Christ And yet this their Latine so swarmeth with monstrous corruptions that m Lin la. de opt gen interp l. 3. ca. 4. Reg. bibl tom 6. in var. lect lat bibl edit vulg themselues complaine of it as well as we and n Molina in 1. Tho. pag. 399. Andrad defens Trid. lib. 4. Alph. Mendoz. controu theol q. 7 pag. 514. diuers of them iustifie with vs against their fellowes the Hebrew and Greek and some that mislike it yet confesse o Posseuin bibl select l. 2. c. 6. Sixt. Sen. bibl sanct l 8. pag. 318. b. the errors supposed to be therein are not of such weight as that they touch the perfection of the Scripture in things pertaining to faith and good manners Now it is vnlikely they would striue thus about an edition against all antiquitie and probabilitie but that they see some euidence in the originals which by their Latin they hope they can auoide 4 Next p See Digr 1.9 they complaine against the Scriptures that they containe not all things needfull to saluation but the best part of true religion is made knowne to vs by vnwritten tradition which if you take away many points of the faith will reele and totter which they might neuer say for shame if they were not declined from the Scripture and had not deuised this shift of tradition to flie vnto when the Scripture is pressed against them 5 Thirdly q See Digr 2. 3. they forbid the people to reade the Scripture and will not haue it translated into the mother tongue which is a signe they mistrust their faith and doubt lest the people by reading should find it departed from the Scripture 6 Fourthly r See Digr 16. they make the Pope iudge ouer the sence of the Scripture Å¿ Concil Trid. sess 4. forbidding all other sences then such as agree with the Church of Rome and that which is prodigious they blush not to say t Cusan ep 2.3.7 The Scripture is fitted to the time and variably vnderstood the sence thereof being one while this and againe another while that according as it pleaseth the Church to change her iudgement
the rocke of Christ and his faith c In Mat. 16. Lyra of whom d L. 4. Biblioth sanct they say that for expounding the Scriptures he had not his match and e In Mat. 16. the interlineary Glosse and f Ibid. Burgensis do all thus g Concord l. 2. c. 18. 13. Cusanus followeth Saint Austins exposition set downe immediatly before h In d. 19 ita Dom. § â—t super hanc petram The Glosse vpon Gratian saith He cannot thinke that by the rocke our Lord pointed at any other thing then the words which Peter answered him when he said Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God because vpon that article of faith the Church is built therfore God founded the Church vpon himselfe Marsilius i Defens pacis part 2. ca. 28. saith Vpon this rocke that is vpon Christ in whom thou beleeuest for Peter as long as he liued might erre and sinne by the libertie of his will and such a one could not be the foundation of the Church Petrus de Alliaco Chancellour of Paris and a Cardinall k RecoÌ„mendat sacrâ—â— Scripturae pag 269. writeth thus We must enquire what is the rocke whereupon the Church of Christ was to be built notwithstanding it seemeth not that by the rocke Peter should be vnderstood but Christ for who may establish the firmitie of the Church in Peters infirmitie whereof aske the maide that kept the doore and let her answer at whose speech as Gregorie saith while he feared death he denied the life Therefore seeing Peter had wauered and his Vicar is not firmely grounded l Cumque iam discrepent de summo Petri sacerdotio Pontifices litigeÌ„t de summo Pontificio sacerdotes seeing the Popes differ about Peters high priesthood and the Priests agree not about the Popes high bishopricke who dareth presume to say that any man of what holinesse or worthinesse soeuer whether Priest or high Bishop whether Peter or Peters Vicar or any other but Christ himselfe is the foundation of the Christian Church Christ therefore vpon himselfe as vpon a most steadie foundation established his Church against the Church of the diuell and vpon this firme rock he steadily confirmed Peter himselfe saying of him the sentence premised Vpon this rocke will I build 17 Thus it appeareth that our Sauiour saying Vpon this rock I will build my Church meant thereby no more but that he would ground it vpon the true faith of Christ that whosoeuer would desire to be ioyned to this Church should beleeue the same things that Peter then professed or else perish for euer And the words are thus to be expounded Thou art Peter thy name is Stone and thou hast professed a profession like thy name answering the nature of that whereby thou art called and therefore thy name is stone or rocke and the profession thou hast made is like it for thereupon I will build my Church and they which hold it shall neuer be moued This is farre from giuing Peter and the Pope any primacie and yet this is all the fathers obserued and as much we see as the discreeter sort of Papists haue collected And it is no matter though in the language that Christ spake the same word be vsed for Peter and the Rocke thus Thou art Cephah and vpon this Cephah I will build or if in the Greeke vsed by the Euangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie one thing to wit a rocke or stone as if Christ should say thou art rocke and vpon this rocke I will build for in the first place the word is vsed properly to signifie Peters name in the second appellatiuely to lay downe the nature of his profession which the Papists might haue obserued from m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phauor Lexic Phauorinus Camers their owne Bishop out of whose Lexicon they borrowed their speculation concerning the synonymie of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 18 To the other part of the text concerning the keyes I answer that neither do they proue Saint Peter or the Pope to be chiefe Pastor to whose definitiue sentence all the Church must be subiect but that he had the ministery of the Gospell committed to him with the other Apostles which ministery is signified by the keyes in this respect because mankind through the fall of our first parents lay plunged in the miserable bondage of sinne and Satan vtterly shut out of heauen vntill it pleased our merciful God to reueale the Gospel by preaching whereof the mind of man being enlightned the fetters of spiritual darknesse begin to fall from him and he riseth into the knowledge of Gods will so that by beleeuing in Christ he is set at libertie from the prison of sinne and condemnation and the doore of grace and life is opened to him This is done by the ministerie of the Gospell n Esa 49.9 whose nature is to say to the prisoners go forth and to them that sit in darknesse shew your selues and as o Esa 61.1 a key to open the prison doore to them that are bound and to bring liberty to captiues or if men loue darknesse better then light then hath God put p Ioh. 15.22 2. Cor. 2.16 Apoc. 11.6 an effectuall power into it to shut vp against them the kingdome of heauen and to straine them harder q Pro. 5.22 with the cords of their sinnes that they might perish This ministery being executed partly by preaching and sacraments partly by Church censures is called the keyes by reason of the likenesse thereunto and described by binding and loosing in regard of the effect 19 This exposition must needs be granted first because it sufficiently expresseth the vse and effect of keyes which is onely to let in and out or at the least that is the proper vse thereof Next r Shewed before nu 12. this is all that is meant by binding and loosing and binding and loosing containeth whatsoeuer is signified by the keyes Thirdly the Papists that most stifly defend the primacie yet confesse that all the Apostles receiued the keyes equally with Peter The promise of Christ concerning the keyes appertained not onely to Peter but was transmitted to all the Apostles Å¿ Concil ColoÌ„ sub Adulph an 1549. § Sextum medium saith Adolfus the Archbishop of Colen and his Councell t Surius comment an 1547. a man so addicted to the popish religion and carefull to restore it that he was thought meet to succeed Hermannus whom the Pope thrust out Cusanus u Concord li. 2. c. 13. saith Nothing was spoken to Peter but that which was said to the rest for as it was said to Peter whatsouer thou shalt bind so was it said to the rest whatsoeuer ye shall bind and though it were said to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build yet by the rocke we vnderstand Christ whom he confessed Thus they
that time with the Patriarke of Rome in all things touching iurisdiction and he restrained within certaine bounds beyond the which he might not go And so others had allowed theÌ„ as ample authotie in their circuits as he had in his This appeareth by the expresse decrees of sixe Councels the first is the first generall Councell of Nice holden ann 325. wherin were 318. Bishops z Can. 6. The words are these Let the ancient customes continue in force that are in Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis that the Bishop of Alexandria haue the gouernment of all these forsomuch as the Bishop of Rome also hath the like custome and so likewise throughout Antioch and in the other Prouinces let the Churches haue their prerogatiues vpholden them Where we see the Councell intending to confirme the preeminence of Alexandria against the Arrians that began to vexe it maketh the Popes gouernment in his Prouince a Ex cius forma quod Alexandrinae Ecclesiae tribuerit particulariter sumpsit exemplum Epist Nicol. ad Michael the forme of that gouernment which should be in the Prouince of Alexandria Which sheweth that the Popes gouernment reached but to his owne Prouince For had it stretched it selfe all ouer the world then would it haue bene no forme for Alexandria which was to abide in one Prouince and no more Besides the Councel saying the Bishop of Rome hath the like custome sheweth plainly he of Alâ—xandria was to be equall with him else it could not be the like For there is no b Parilis mos est paritie betweene an vniuersall Bishop and a prouinciall The second and third are the first generall Councels of c Can. 2. 3. Constantinople ann 381. of 150. Bishops and of d Cap 8. sentent super petit Cyprio Ephesus ann 431. of 200. Bishops in both which the prouinces of the world are distinguished and Patriarks restrained to their own circuits and he of Constantinople by name is made equall with the Pope in all Ecclesiasticall matters whatsoeuer All the difference was that he of Rome had the chiefe honour e Consistebat hic honor in hoc videlicet quod ad locum in sedendo primo post Rom. pontificem in responsionibus hâ—beâ—et secundam voceÌ„ in subscriptionibus Turrecrem d. 22. Constantinopolita which consisted not in iurisdiction but sitting in the first place and such like titles The fourth is the Councell of Chalcedon an 451 wherin were 630. Bishops the words wherof are these f Act. 16. Following the decrees and rules of the holy fathers and of those 150. Bishops assembled vnder Theodosius the elder of blessed memorie in the royal citie of Constantinople and acknowledging the same we also decree and ordaine the same things concerning the priueledges of the said Church of Constantinople which is new Rome For our fathers gaue the priuiledges to the seat of elder Rome because that citie had the Empire and the 150. Bishops moued with the same intent gaue the same priueledges to the most sacred throne of new Rome thinking it reason the citie which is honoured with the Empire and Senate should also haue equall priuiledges with elder Rome and in ecclesiasticall matters be aduanced alike with her being the next vnto her The fift is another Councell of Constantinople ann 686. where were 280. Bishops g Sext. Syn. in Trull Can. 36. who renewed and confirmed the former decree of Chalcedon repeating it in a manner verbatim as that had renewed and explaned the former Councels of Nice and Constantinople Whereby it expresly appeareth that Constantinople had as much authoritie in Church matters as Rome and that Rome first obtained the primacy of honour by reason it was the Imperiall Citie and this was the meaning of the first Nicen and Constantinopolitan Councels this the fathers would not haue said and done if they had thought Christ himselfe had giuen the Pope the Supremacy questioned Whereupon h Concord l. l. c. 13. Cusanus thinketh that what of right belongeth to him was giuen him by the Church and Marsilius i Defens part 2. c. 18. writeth That he hath no power ouer other Bishops and Churches either by God or mans law but such as was giuen him either absolutely or for a time by the Nicen Councell The Sixt is the Councell of Carthage ann 418. of 217. Bishops k c. 92. 105. In this Councell when Sozimus the Bishop of Rome had claimed a right to receiue appeales from all parts of the world and pretended a certaine canon of the Nicen Councell that should giue it him the Bishops thereof by the space of foure yeares debated the matter against him and Boniface and Celestin his successours and hauing searched the originall copyes of the Nicen Councell whereby the vntruth of his claime was discouered they wrote sharply to him that he should not meddle with the people of their prouinces nor admit into his fellowship such as they had excommunicated telling him that he had nothing to do in their causes either to bring them to Rome or to send Legates to heare them at home for this were against the Nicen Councell The euidence of this Councell is such against the Supremacy that no art of our aduersaries can auoid it and therefore they are driuen to vse such shifts for the answering thereof as it is pitie to see and I dare say griefe to themselues to be forced to them 27 The second experience to be obserued is touching appeales for the Church did alway constantly forbid the Bishops of Rome medling with meÌ„ or their appeals to him that were not of the Romane Patriarchy This is cleare by the practise of the sixt Councell of Carthage before mentioned the fathers whereof among many other things l C. 105. Ep. conc ad Celest write thus to Celestine The fathers of Nice did wisely see that all businesse should be determined in the places where they began and that the holy Ghost wonted not to be wanting to assist the Priests of Christ both in seeing and holding the right specially seeing it was free for euery man if he misliked the iudgement of the arbitratours to appeale to a CouÌ„cell either prouinciall or generall Where this is to be marked that by the Church-gouernment of that time a Councell was the last and highest iudge of all controuersies arising And before this when certaine persons being iudged in Affricke had fled to the Pope for reliefe marke what Cyprian m Lib. 1 Ep. 3. writeth to him Seeing it is rightly and iustly decreed vnto vs al that euery mans cause should be heard where the fault was committed and euery Pastor hath a portion of the flocke committed to him which he must gouern as he wil giue account of his deed to the Lord it behooueth truly such as are vnder our gouernment not to runne vp and downe and by their cunning rashnesse to breake the concord of Bishops but there to follow the cause
him Secondly Christ saith Simon louest thou me more then these Why doth he examine him of his loue more then the rest but that he intended him more authoritie I answer to make him see his fault who hauing lately vndertooke more then all euen to die with him though all should forsake him yet when it came to triall performed lesse then any denying him thrise which none else did And possible also to let him know his sinne was pardoned x Luc. 7.47 because more is forgiuen to him that loueth more Thirdly he not onely examineth him of his loue but also thereby draweth out of him a feruent confession of it I answer this he did also in regard of his former sinne y Isid Pelusiot l. 1. Ep. 103. by a threefold confession to heale his threefold deniall and to assure his fellow disciples of his repentance and to shew by his example how deare the loue of Christ should be to them that meddle with feeding Christs flocke Fourthly he biddeth him Feed and feeding is Ruling with fulnesse of power I answer he biddeth him feed his sheepe and lambes which are the people and not the Apostles properly which proueth that feeding hath no such meaning Besides feeding signifieth ruling not euery way but in such maner as appertaineth to the persons that do feed And therefore in kings it is to rule with fulnesse of power but in Pastors with the word and discipline onely as appeareth by this that all Bishops and teachers are called z Eph 4.11 Pastors and bidden a Ier. 3.15 Ezec 34 Act. 20.28 1. Pet. 5.1 feede the flocke of Christ and yet no man thinketh they are made Popes thereby Lastly Peter is bidden Feed the sheepe the Apostles are a part of Christs sheep therefore he must feed them I answer this is granted but then feeding signifieth no more but edifying by word and example and so as Peter must feed the Apostles the Apostles must feed him againe by the same commandement of Christ b Marc. 16. that bade them preach the Gospell to euery creature as c Gal. 2. Paul fed him at Antioch by reproofe And whereas some vrge that the sheepe signifie the vniuersall Church because Christ saith not these are those sheepe in particular but my sheeepe in generall and so Peter is set ouer the vniuersall Church this is but a speculation for if the Church be strained into so wide a signification he could not feed it because he could feed no more then that part which was in his time or followed after him wherein the other Apostles fed in community with him and feeding was not Poping Thus we see that vnlesse the Papists may be allowed to racke the words of Scripture beyond all compasse of ordinary vnderstanding and bring to them the sence which they should fetch from them there is nothing in all the Bible sufficient to vphold any part of that wherein they are so confident § 37. So that this difference may be assigned betweene any sort of heretickes and the Romane Church that they are a companie not vnited among themselues by anie linke which is able to containe and continue them in the vnitie of faith whereas the Romane Church is as S. Cyprian speaketh Plebs sacerdoti adunata grex pastori suo adhaerens A people conioyned to their priest and a flocke cleauing to their chiefe Pastor Whom whilest it heareth as it is bound to do it is vnpossible but it should retaine vnitie of faith Like contrarie according to the saying of the same S. Cyprian lib. 1. epist 5. ad Cornel. contra Haeret. Non aliunde haereses obortae sunt aut nata schismata quà m inde quòd Sacerdoti non obtemperatur nec vnus in Ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos vnus iudex vice Christi cogitatur Nor from any other roote haue heresies and schismes sprong vp but from this that men do not obey the priest of God neither do they consider how that in the Church there is one Priest and one iudge for the time in stead of Christ The Answer 1 How well the Romane Church is linked together I haue said in the former section and therefore if the Iesuit will assigne a difference betweene it and heretickes which will be the same that is betweene fish and herrings he must do it by somthing else then by their vnitie wherunto Saint Cyprian giueth no testimony in the words alledged but that it pleased the Iesuite thereby to impose vpon his ignorant reader For first he speaketh not in any of both places concerning the Church of Rome but of euery part of the Church whersoeuer saith It is a company adhering to their Pastour c. Next by this one Pastor and iudge whereto the Church adhereth he meaneth not the Bishop of Rome ouer all the world for himselfe dissented from him in the cause of appeales and rebaptization but euery Bishop in his owne circuit Thirdly supposing he had conceited the Pope and by these words immediatly meant him yet what is that to the Pope now who is degenerate into another creature then at that time he was whereby it cometh to passe that many good things might be said of him then that cannot now and of his Church then which since that time are perished 2 But the truth is that saying the Church is a people cleauing to their Priest he meaneth it not of al Gods Church cleauing to the Pope but of euery particular Church obeying their Pastour according to Saint Pauls admonition a Heb. 13.17 Obey and submit your selues to such as haue the ouersight of you And the want hereof he saith is the roote of schisme not the dissenting from the Pope And this is proued to be his meaning because in b Lib. 4. Ep. 9. ad Florent another Epistle he hath the same words applying them to himselfe and complaining thereby that some had vnderhand refused him and communicated with others For the Nouatians at Carthage in a schisme had made them a Bishop of their owne and written to the Church of Rome falsly that he was lawfully elected the which being against the custome and peace of the Church moued him to vrge as you see the vnitie of one Bishop and to defend the Church-gouernment of that time c Hiero. comment in Tit c. 1. Chrysost hom 1 ad Philipp which was to haue but one Bishop in one citie Hence proceed his words touching euery Bishop in his owne place as the Iesuite hath alledged them Whereby you see how wel he proueth the vnitie of his Church and authoritie of his Pope euen as well as if a man should make that proper to the Bishop of Rome and his Church which appertaineth to euery Bishop and euery Church and expound that of the supremacie which importeth no more but ordinary gouernment vsed by Pastors in their owne charge This kinde of disputing is called inclosing of commons § 38. Secondly the Protestants Church is
the Iesuite holdeth you occupied with an argument that himselfe knoweth is nothing worth D. Harding g Confut. apol part 6. pag. 291. saith You know it is no good argument à moribus ad doctrinam who would not hisse and trample you out of schooles if ye make this argument The Papists liues be faultie ergo their teaching is false The Iesuite therefore must be hist at by Hardings censure Staphylus h Apolo part 1. saith Our faith must not be pinned to the life of the Clergie or preachers c. Bellarmine i De grat lib. arbit l. 5. c. 10. §. Hoc posito saith It is certaine the doctrine which men teach vs cannot be knowne by their works because their inward workes are not seene and their outward workes are common to both sides k Annal. tom 7. 2 n. 526. n. 58. Baronius calleth them an ignorant companie that measure Catholicke faith not by the sacred Scriptures which they know not but by the example of life Thus we see the Papists are vnwilling we should iudge of their faith by their liues and yet how peremptorie they are with vs about ours and how busie in smattering of our faults that will admit no disaduantage by their owne Besides they haue a position among them l Bellar. de Eccles mil. l. 3. c. 2. that no inward vertue is required to make one a part of the true Church but only the external profession of faith The which being so then what necessitie is there of holinesse either inward or outward to proue that a people are the true Church for they may be so without it if they do but professe it which a wicked person can do Digression 31. Containing many complaints made by the Papists themselues against their owne Church and people whereby it appeareth their liues are worse then can be said of the Protestants 4 But because they are m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Callistrat diuis in stat Narcissi Narcissus like so besotted with their owne beautie and the Iesuite will needs haue it tryed whether Papists or Protestants be of better life I am content it be a match and the comparison be made vpon condition that what I produce be alway remembred to be their owne confession not my report and therefore remaine with the Reader for a cooling card to still the Pharisee next time he cometh into the temple with n Luc. 18.11 God I thanke thee I am not like other men and ruffleth among his poore brethren o Esa 65.5 with stand apart come not nie me for I am holier then thou And out of question vpon what part of their Church soeuer we looke there is no cause why they should boast themselues against vs. Of their Popes and what Saints they haue bene I shall haue fiâ—ter occasion to speake p Digr 54. below Touching their Monkes and religious persons I referre my selfe likewise to q Digr 45. another place Concerning the people Ferus r In 1. Ioh. c. 2. saith that in their Church abuses of all sorts haue preuailed with diuers superstitions and euill manners euen to the highest degree And saith he the God of this world Mammon and Ambition hath so blinded our eyes that we cannot so much as see so great euils in our Church Not denying as the Iesuite doth the same vnholinesse to be among themselues that we are charged with but lamenting that such as he is haue no eyes to see it Niemensis a man in his time attending on the Pope Å¿ Per vim stulta parens quasi vipera deperis omnes Tu portentorum locus es conformis eorum Cum Nilo pottenta pari nutris crocodilos Iam cum portentis reor exterminia sentis Si quid in his possem facereÌ„ sterilescere matreÌ„ Theod. à Niem de schismat l. 3. c. 41. saith Rome was a place of monsters yea like Nilus breeding monsters and nourishing Crocodiles that it were to be wished it were more barren in yeelding such fruite of Vipers And because the Iesuite alledged somewhat against vs out of Luthers sermons I will quit him againe with another sermon for Cornelius Mus the Bishop of Bitonto thus preached some threescore yeares since in Saint Laurence Church in Rome t Concio euaÌ„g de Domin fest tom 1. fer 4 cinerum part 3. pag. 242. O my best beloued Rome if euer it stood any citie in hand to hasten her conuersion to God thou hast need to giue example to all other cities of this conuersion Thou which art wholly turned away ouerthrowne and peruerted Turned away by thine owne negligence ouerthrowne by the deceit of Satan and peruerted by thine old custome of sinning Seest thou not wretched citie how thou art become a stewes of lechery a fornace of couetousnes a hell of all other mortall sins Seest thou not how euery state and degree of men and euery order this feast time of Bacchus is departed from God and made a prey to the diuell They haue striuen among theÌ„selues who of all men shal be the worst in superfluous expences in dishonest attire in filthy words and mischieuous deeds Alas also religious men are become dissolute children are set to schoole to a thousand vices yong men are vnbridled virgins haue cast offshame Priests their gownes and Monkes their cowles wise men are become fooles and old men children To the same effect he also preached u Orat in Conc. Trid. in 3. Dom. Aduent Conci tom 3. at the Councell of Trent With what monsters of filthinesse with what sinks of vncleannesse with what pestiferous contagion is not both Priest and people defiled I make your selues iudges and begin at the sanctuary of God and see if there be any shamefastnesse any chastitie any hope or helpe for honest life if there be not vnbridled lust notorious boldnesse incredible wickednesse Edification is turned into destruction examples into offences custome to corruption regard of lawes to contempt thereof seueritie to slacknesse mercie to impunitie pietie to hypocrisie preaching to contention solemne dayes to filthy marts and that which is most vnhappie the sauour of life to the sauor of death Would God they were not fallen with one consent from religion to superstition from faith to infidelitie from Christ to Antichrist from God to Epicurisme saying with a wicked heart and shamelesse face There is no God The sacred name of Iesus Christ is made a iest and fable among the Iewes and Pagans by reason of vs whose wickednes with a shamefull report is bruted ouer all the world Thus we see how easie a matter it is to charge our aduersaries with sinne if we would walke that course and that euery iot of that we say of their peoples brutishnes is confirmed by their owne words 5 And touching their Clergie there is as much to be said to better purpose because being the best part of the Church the holinesse must be in them or no
where x Mat. 6.22 The light of the body is the eye and if this light be darke how great shall the darknesse it selfe be Yet marke what Bernard saith of his time y Serm. 33. in Cant. in concil Rhem. Brethren so doth Iesus at this day he chuseth many diuels to be Bishops the archpriest visiteth his charge to fill his purse he betrayeth innocent blood selleth murders taketh money for adulteries incest fornication sacriledge periury and filleth his bag to the brim A stinking contagion creepeth this day throughout the whole bodie of the Church All friends and all enemies all familiar and none to make peace yea all seeke their owne they are the ministers of Christ but do seruice to Antichrist they go honored with the goods of their Master but him their Master they honor not Hence it is that we dayly see them decked like whores attired like players serued like Princes They weare gold in their bridles and gold in their saddles and spurs their spurs shining brighter then the altars their tables gorgeous with meates and cups and abounding with surfetting and drunkennesse their musicke and minstrelsie their wine-presses running ouer and store-houses crammed with all varieties their barrels of ointment their budgets full These are the men and yet needs they will be Church-gouernors Deanes Bishops and Archbishops And how do these men keepe their chastitie who being giuen vp into a reprobate sence do things not meet For it is a shame to vtter what they do in the dark yet why should I shame to speake that which they are not ashamed to do To the same effect z Defens part 2 c. 11. writeth Marsilius We draw Christ to witnesse saith he and let his iudgements fall on vs if we lie that our Bishops and almost all others this day do flat coÌ„trary in all things which they teach others according to the doctrine of the Gospell to obserue a Anal. l. 6. in iniâ—io Auentine confesseth the Pope setteth ouer the flocke of Christ goates wolues lust full persons adulterers rauishers of virgins and Nunnes cookes muletors theeues bankers vsurers drones gain-hunters lecherous perfidious periured ignorant asses He committeth the sheepe to wolues and hypocrites which only prouide for their bellies nay he setteth boyes and wantons to rule the lambes I am ashamed to say what maner of Bishops we haue with the reuenues of the poore they feede their hounds horses whores they quaffe they loue they flie learning as infection Such is the miserie of our times that we may not vtter what we thinke nor thinke that we speake As for the sheepe committed to their charge they clip and strip and kill them euery man at his owne pleasure b In. Marcellin Platina complaineth thus What may we think wil become of our age wherein our sinnes are growne to the height that they haue scarce left vs any roome with God to obtaine mercie How great the couetousnesse of Priests is and specially of such as rule among them how great their lust of all sorts what ambition what pompe what pride what ignorance both of themselues and Christian doctrine what little religion what corrupt manners to be detested euen in lay people I need not say when they sinne so openly as if they sought for commendations thereby c In euang Ioh c. 10. Albertus magnus confesseth Those which rule in the Church be for the most part theeues and murderers oppressors rather then Pastors spoilers rather then tutors rather murderers then keepers rather peruerters then teachers rather seducers then guides These be the messengers of Antichrist and such as supplant the flocke of Christ This voluntarie confession of our aduersaries must be noted the rather because the Papists ordinarily not onely calumniate our liues but also tell such wonders of their Clergies learning hospitality continencie c. yea the moderne Papists let slip the same complaints d Apol. part 1. Staphylus writeth how it is much to be lamented that the life and behauior of the reuerend priesthood answereth not their godly and high profession but is very scandalous to the world For many of them can tell a trim tale in the pulpit and exhort the people very demurely to a sober life but will not once moue the foote to liue well themselues Can this be denied It is alas too true Iansenius the bishop of Gaunt telleth likewise the same tale out of the schoole or a worse We find by experience e Concor c. 39. saith he at this day it is too true that our Lord foretelleth concerning vnsauory salt For truly the greater part of Bishops and Pastors and such as are Ecclesiasticall degrees be so infatuated that they bewray themselues to haue no corne of salt in their life or doctrine Hence it cometh about that the Ecclesiasticall state is so troden vnder foote and despised And by reason of their vnsauorinesse there is no hope neither that the vnsauory life of Christians should be reformed and their corruptions taken away when they themselues are irrecouerably corrupted by whose health others should be holpen So f Paralip rerum memor annexa histo Abbat Vrsperg p. 482. an 1523. the Pope himself at an assembly of the Empire sent his Legat and gaue him in charge freely to confesse before the States met together We know that for certaine yeares there haue bin many abhominations in this holy seate of Rome many abuses in diuine things and superfluitie of traditions and that all things haue growne worse and worse the corruption being deriued from the head into the members from the Popes into the lower Prelates All we therefore Prelates and clergy men are declined out of the way neither of long time hath there bene any that hath done any good 6 These foule reports blabbed abroade by our aduersaries themselues touching their owne Church containe worse matter then Luther or Smidelin speake of and serue to admonish such as haue heard many sweete tales of the Romane holinesse that all is not gold that glisters to forewarne al Papists that in disputing with vs it helpeth theÌ„ nothing to be rayling at our liues for they shall alway finde that either the truth is not to be tryed this way or if it be they will lose it at the first sight And let them remember g Balt. Castil lib. de aulico their owne iest of the Duke of Vrbins Painter A Cardinall hired him to draw the images of Peter and Paul vpon a table which hauing done the Cardinall thought they were made somwhat too ruddy and hie coloured in the face but the Painter replyed that when they were aliue they looked pale with preaching and fasting but now they were become red in the face with blushing at the wickednesse of their successors whereat they were ashamed and that shame had altered their colour 7 And the reader must obserue yet further that they are not so carelesse and dissolute in their liues but they
Thirdly they haue collations which they hold by prescription that are equall to set feasts For in Spaine on the euen of the Natiuitie for example they haue a bountiful supper exceeding the measure of fasting made of fruites conserues marchpanes and such like x Llam vbi sup pag. 393. which they thinke is lawfull though it hold not the nature of fasting Fourthly they haue customes allowing them on fasting dayes to do as much as we do y Llam vbi sup pag. 369. Ouan 4. d. 16. pro. 52. For in diuers places of Spaine and Castile they vse egges cheese butter yea the lard of swines flesh And generally on saterdayes they eate the inwards of any beast with the head and feete yea any part of a swine the buttock excepted Might it please the Papists now either to giue vs leaue to do what they do themselues or else to inuite vs to their table on fasting dayes that we may haue part with them seeing their hospitalitie is so good when we are bound out from feasting at home This is that which z Ioan. Sarisb Policrat l. 7. c. â—â— a Bishop noted in them long ago and is worth the marking They vndertake strict professions and shew vs difficult things and being more familiarly fauorable to themselues when it cometh to performance they do things gentle and possible Digression 33. Concerning Auricular confession or shrift to a Priest shewing that it is not necessary for the remission of sinne and how it is an occasion rather then a remedie of sinne oftentimes 6 Touching the casting away of necessary shrift we are not to be condemned vnlesse our accusers can name some place of Scripture where Christ or his Apostles hath bound vs to it which they cannot do For their owne Canon law a De Poenit. d. 5 in poenitentia Gloss saith it was taken vp onely by a certaine tradition of the Church and not by any authoritie of the old or new Testament And though the new Iesuites and other Papists begin of late with great passion to denie this affirming that Christ ordained it in the 20. of Iohn yet that is no matter for necessitie and shame hath driuen them to say so and their predecessors as learned as they haue writ the contrary For Panormitan b Super 5. de poenit remis c. omnes vtriusque saith That opinion of the Canon law greatly pleaseth him because he findeth no manifest authoritie that euer God or Christ commaunded vs to confesse our sinnes to a Priest And Peresius a Bishop of the Trent Councell c De tradit par 3. consid 3. saith The cleare and plaine maner of this ordinance both in respect of the substance and circumstance appeareth onely by a tradition And about six score yeares since d Carranz in Sixto 4. Ouand 4. d. 16. pro. 2. Petrus Oxoniensis the Diuinitie reader at Salmanca publickly taught as I say that it had the beginning from a positiue law of the Church and not from the law of God Who though he was made to recant this yet e Ouand ibid. Bonauenture whom the Church of Rome honoreth for a Saint was of his mind long before and f Refert Henri sum pag 206. edit Salamant Medina with others at this day hold it Wherby g Rhem annot Ioh. 20.23 Hopk memor of Christian 225. § 2. their rashnes appeareth that say our Sauiour appointed it so euidently in the Gospell and their miserie that are perswaded by such sayings to beleeue it Yea h Annot. ad Tertul de poenit Rhenanus and i Annot. ad Hiero. de obitu Fabiol Erasmus as learned Papists as euer were affirme that neither Christ ordained it nor the auncient Church vsed it which is the truth For when it began in some sort to creepe in k Socr. l 5. c. 19. Sâ—zo l. 7. c. 16. Tripart histo l. 9. c. 35. Niceph. lib. 12. c. 28 Nectarius the Bishop of Constantinople put it downe in his Church and all the Bishops of the East did the like in theirs which the Papists know well enough and l WaldeÌ„ tom 2. de Sacr c 141. Dom. a Soto 4. d 18 q. 1. Henri sum pag. 325. acknowledge m Impudentissimuâ— illud Nectarij factum Andrâ—d orth expl pag 663. Nectariâ—â— a Noâ—aâ—anis seâ—uctuÌ„ fuisse oportet alâ—imare Nec endaemonem illum qui Nectario â—â—asit quin potiùs cacodaemonem credendum est Baron tom 1. an 56 nu 28. Henriq vbi supra railing vpon Nectarius for so doing which is a signe that the Protestants reiecting shrift breake no commandement of God but follow the example of the Primitiue Church that refused it The which is further proued by the preaching of Chrysostome n Hom. 22 ad pop Antioch saying This is wonderfull in God that he not onely forgiueth vs our sinnes but neither doth he disclose them or make them knowne neither doth he inforce vs to come forth and tell them he requireth no more but that we speake to him alone and to him alone confesse our faults This the godly Bishops would not haue done and taught if the confession had bene receiued in theâ—r time as necessary or if Christ had commanded it or if it had bene so soueraigne a remedie against sinne 7 And touching the necessitie of confession in Lent afore they receiue the SacrameÌ„t o Sum. Armill verbo communio § vlt. Caiet super 1. Cor 11. Paâ—orm dâ—â—clebracâ—missat si 〈◊〉 De homine the learnedst Papists that euer were acknowledge it is a custom but newly brought vp though p Hoâ—â— memor tract of confess pag 255 we be called leud preachers most wickedly deceiuing the people because we say so But marke what Caietan q In 3 â—ho q. 80. art 4. writeth and then iudge what such cause there is why we should thus be censured There appeareth no positiue law enioyning shrift before the receipt of the Communion the law of God hath no such precâ— pt but the contrary is insinuated where the Apostle saith Let a man try himself Wherfore out of this document of the Apostle it seemeth vnto me that he which is contrite for his sinne and receiueth the Communion without shrift sinneth not mortally though he haue a confessor at hand The reason mouing me thus to thinke is because it is plaine that a man hauing contrition for his mortall sinne not confessed and so receiuing doth that which is not sinne of it owne kind Yea to receiue the other Sacraments also with contrition onely seemeth no where to be forbidden And that which is not confirmed by the authoritie of the Fathers must not by a superstitious noueltie be commanded The Papists therefore extolling shrift so fast talke out of their ignorance not thinking that we know how basely they thinke of it themselues 8 For they not onely know it to be as I haue said a later tradition and custome
Catholicke Church professeth that mortall men are to worship God not by images and Angels but by Christ the Lord. Epiphanius x L. 3. aduerâ—us haeret saith the virgin Mary was a virgin and honorable but not giuen for vs to worship but her selfe worshipped him that tooke flesh of her Finally many learned Papists are of our side in this point For y Peres de trad part 3. some condemne all diuine adoration giuen vnto them z Gers compend Theol. praecep 1. Holk in Sap. lect 157. b. Some condemne all worship whatsoeuer euen the bowing before them a Polyd. inuent l 6. c. 13. Some acknowledge that all the ancient fathers condeÌ„ned theÌ„ b Duran ration l. 1. c. 3. n. 4. Cathar tract de cult imag Polyd ibid. Some thinke their vse to be dangerous And they which haue gone furthest in defending them yet confesse d Can. 6. Nilus primat that they which teach they may be worshipped with diuine honour are constrained to vse such nice distinctions as neither themselues nor the people vnderstand and if they conceiue them yet they cannot but erre in doing it c Peres vbi supra Bell de imag c. 22. 6 Sixtly touching the supremacy For d Can. 6. Nilus primat the Councell of Nice appointed bounds and limits as well for the Popes iurisdiction as for other Bishops and the Councels e Act. 16. of Chalcedon and f Sext. Synod iâ— Tâ—ull can 36. Constantinople make the B. of Constantinople equall in all things that concerne authoritie and iurisdiction with the Bishop of Rome And g Cusan conce l. 2 c 12. Maâ—sil defen pac part 2. c. 18. Duaren de benefic l. 3. c. 2. some Papists do not deny but the Popes Primacy is much larger then it was in the Primitiue Church wherein they say the truth For the Councels of h Cap. 9. Chalcedon i Cap. 105. Affricke k Can. 22 Mileui and l Synod 8. can 26. Constantinople forbid all appeales to him from forren places yea that of Affricke reiected his claime and writ vnto him that he should forbeare the taking vpon him any such preheminence Lest say they the smokie pompe of the world be brought into Christs Church and Gregory who himselfe was Pope of Rome m Regist l. 6. ep 194. writeth that he dares confidently say he is the forerunner of Antichrist in his pride whosoeuer he be that calleth himselfe the vniuersall Bishop or desireth so to be called because he putteth himself before others For at that time n Harmenop epit sacr cano tit 7. de Synod the name of vniuersall was forbidden all the Patriarkes as it signified the chiefe aboue the rest And 1000. yeares after Christ it was thought o Glab Rodolf quem refert taxat Baro. an 996. n. 24. that although the Bishop of the Romane Church for the dignitie of the Apostolicke sea were more reuerenced then the rest yet it was not lawfull for him in any thing to go beyond the tenour of the Canons For as euery Bishop in his owne sea vniformly beareth the image of our Sauiour so generally it befitteth none busily to do any thing in anothers diocesse And when the Pope but 500. yeares since practised against the Emperour as now he doth against kings p Sigeb chron pag. 129. ann 1088. the stories noted it as nouelty and heresie that Priests should teach the people to yeeld no subiection to euill Princes and should absolue them from sinne and periury that practised against them whereas now q Decretal Greg. 9. de Maior obed c. Solitae Extrauag Commun c. Vnam sanctaÌ„ de maior obed the authoritie to depose and molest Princes and absolue subiects from their obedience is made one of the principall parts of the supremacy And touching his temporalties which he now possesseth the stories haue obserued how by fraud and treason he cousened secular Princes of them from time to time as occasion serued And so his whole Primacy gat in by steps into the Church and yet r Turrecrem tract 73. qu. è Tho. q. 5. they would make vs beleeue the deniall thereof were heresie 7 In the seuenth place I name the communion in one kind For the Church of Rome vseth and defendeth it contrary to Å¿ Cyrill catech mystag 5. Liturg Marc pag. 62. Constitur Clement pag. 145. graec ordo Rom. pag. 23. all antiquitie and the very forme of their owne Lyturgies For the most ancient Liturgies that they haue shew how the people receiued the wine as well as bread And Caietan t 3. part Thom. qu 80. art 12. q. 3. faith This custome indured long in the Church and that they had ministring cups for the nonce to serue the people with wine And I thinke no Papist will deny this And some u Ouand 4 p. 221. say It were better if this custome were renewed againe 8 Lastly I name transubstantiation For x Censur Colo. pag. 267. our aduersaries say The true Church hath alway taught that as soone as the Priest hath pronounced the words of consecration the former substance of bread wine is changed into the body blood of Christ so that no other substance remaines but only Christs body and blood the accidents by a supernaturall power abiding without a subiect The which how false it is appeareth by the word of God y Luc. 22.18 1. Cor. 10.16 11.26 calling it bread the fruit of the vine after the blessing and z Luc. â—2 20 saying of the cup in the same forme of words that is vsed of the bread This cup is the new Testament in my blood and teaching that without bread there can be no sacrament and that Christ had a body of the same nature that ours is which cannot be without his dimensions in many places at once And it is plaine that herein they haue altered the faith of the ancient fathers For Saint Austin a De Doctr. Christ l. 3. c. 16. saith These words vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the son of man and drinke his blood are a figure coÌ„manding vs to partake the passion of Christ and profitably to remember that his flesh was crucified for vs. Chrysostom b Ad Caesar Monach. saith The bread before it be sanctified we call bread but when the diuine grace sanctifieth it it is deliuered from the name of bread and is thought worthy the name of the Lords body though the nature of bread remaine still Gelasius a Bishop of Rome c De duabus nat Christi saith The bread and wine passe into the substance of the body and blood of Christ yet so as the nature of bread wine ceasseth not they are turned into the diuine substance yet the bread wine remain still in the property of their nature Theodoret saith d Dial. immuta Our Sauior in deliuering the sacrament called his body bread and
things first that if religion were among the Brittans and extinguished no where but in Kent where Austine arriued then he conuerted not the land but one poore countrey in it and must be called no longer the Apostle of England but the Apostle of Kent which compasse I thinke our ambitious aduersaries wil not be content with because it is too narrow for their turnes Next m Three conuers part 1. c. 11 n. 4 the busiest aduersaries that we haue in this matter say all the land was conuerted about that time For Austine conuerted the kingdomes of Kent the East Saxons and all the rest were conuerted within lesse then threescore yeares after being seuen States in all The which narration ascribeth the same want of the true faith to all the land that in the obiection is layd to Kent alone Whence it followeth that the faith was not extinct in Kent because it was remaining still in the other six kingdoms The which to be true appeareth by Bede who n L. 1. c. 8.17.21 writeth that afore Austins coming the Brittans were troubled with Arrianisme and Pelagianisme but Germanus Lupus and Seuerus three French Bishops deliuered them Whereby it is plainly proued that the whole land was not conuerted by Austine but had the faith long before he came Thirdly touching Kent it selfe where Austine arriued ouer and besides that it cannot be proued to haue wanted the faith any more then the rest of the land did Bede o L. 1. c. 25.26 saith that the Queene thereof was a French woman called Bertha a good Christian and had a Christian Bishop euen at that time when Austine came p L. 2. c. 2. And he addeth further that when he arriued he found diuers Brittan Bishops and learned men with a Monasterie at Bangor all which were Christians and refused Austine for his pride which they found in him contrarie to Christs humilitie And touching the Brittans our aduersaries q Three conuers par 1. c. 9. n. 1. write that from king Lucius time vntil the comming of Austine which was foure hundred yeares and more they did not alter their faith but it remained among them when he entred for r Lib. 1. c. 17. Bede saith that when a certaine Bishops sonne broached the heresie of Pelagius in the land yet the people would not receiue it Which constraineth vs to thinke that Austine brought not the faith into the land with him but found it there whē he came His errand as it may probably be thought was about the planting of certaine ceremonies and the dealing with our countreymen about the obseruation of Easter and ſ Cassand ordo Rom. praefat Gregory that sent him about that time was busie in changing the Liturgies vsed in these Western parts and did change them and thrust his new ones vpon all the places he could It may be this was a part of the Monkes businesse into Kent 3 And as the Iesuite vntruly ascribeth the conuersion of England to the Monke so hath he as absurdly written that the Protestants religion was vnhatched for I know not how many hundred yeares after Which he would not haue said but that Papists are famous for their aduentures For before the conquest t Homil. Saxonic A Elfrici Aelfricus an Archbishop of Canterburie caused the people of the land to be taught the same doctrine touching the sacrament that we hold and u H. Huntingd. l. 7. Fab. chron the Priests were maried as now they be and x Bed l. 1. c. 1. the Scriptures were vsed in the mother tongue And after the conquest liued Iohn Wickliffe and the Lollards who held the same faith that we do and suffered persecution for it 4 That which he saith of other countries conuerted by meanes of such as were members of the Romane Church proueth not Papistrie to be either auncient or vniuersall For the three first authors in the places alledged speake of the time within the first fiue hundred yeares when the Church of Rome was of our religion and that which they report is not of any whom the Bishop of Rome sent or procured to conuert the countries but this y Socr. l. 1. c. 19.20 Soz. l. 2 c. 24 that Frumentius being sent by Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria conuerted the Indians z Niceph. l. 14. c. 40. and a captiue woman conuerted the Iberians and a sort of Iewes in Creet were conuerted by the inhabitants and the Burgundians instructed by a French Bishop In all which there is neither mention of the Church of Rome nor of the present faith now professed therein but our aduersaries thinke that whatsoeuer is found in antiquitie concerning the auncient Church of Rome should belong to them wherein they finde themselues deceiued as often as the matter is put to triall and this one example may shew it for allowing all these countries to haue bin conuerted by such as were members of the Church of Rome yet this was a thousand years ago when that Church was the same that ours is and so the conuersions were wrought by persons adhering to the Protestants faith The three last authors Platina Eneas and Baronius are Papists liuing one of them at this day the other within the memory of our fathers and therefore I regard not what they writ touching this question because we haue more auncient records against them And yet whatsoeuer they haue written the present Romane faith is not iustified thereby For hereticks may conuert nations to heresie as a Oros hist l. 7. c. 19. the Arrians and b Cedren compend pag. 347. Mahomet haue done Therefore it is necessary that first they proue their faith to be agreeable with the word of God by comparing them together afore they boast of their conuersions Digression 50. Of the conuersion of the Indies to the Romane faith by the Iesuites 5 But that which he vrgeth concerning the Indies must be a little further looked into For c Epist Indic Bellar. not eccl c. 12. Hard. confut apol p. 18. our aduersaries make much ado and tell wonders of their miracles and conuersions there But marke the words of Franciscus Victoria their owne writer It doth not d Relect. 5. pag. 200. saith he sufficiently appeare to me that the Christian faith hath hitherto bene so offered and preached to the Indies that they should vnder the pain of sinne be bound to beleeue it This I say because they are not bound to beleeue vnlesse the faith be propounded to them with probable perswasion But miracles or signes I heare of none nor examples of life so religious nay the contrary I heare of many scandals and villanies and many impieties Whence it appeareth that the Christian religion hath not bene preached to them conueniently nor godlily The which how true it is you may perceiue by that which followeth concerning the prodigious crueltie of the Spaniards and impious behauiour of the Priests in those countries euer since their first
of Christs continuall presence no assurance of his holy Spirits infallible assistance yet it is not possible that such a grosse heresie could arise and ouerwhelme the whole world without some resistance The Bishops and Pastors could not be so simple or so vnmindfull of their dutie but they would first note such an euident contrarietie to the ancient and vniuersally receiued faith and noting it would with common consent resist contradict and finally according to S. Paules rule Gal. 1. accurse it If therefore this could not happen nor neuer did at anie time in like case that any such grosse error or heresie did or could arise without noting and resisting what reason can anie one haue to say that this hath happened at Rome and yet can bring no writer that did note the thing the time and person and what opposition was made against it as in all heresies that haue truly sprong vp of new we can do If there could not a little ceremonie be added to the Masse but that it was set downe in historie when and by whom how could the whole substance of the Masse which consisteth in consecration oblation consumption of the sacred hoast be newly inuented and no mention made when where or by whom or that there was such an inuention at all If also historiographers were not afraid to note personall and priuate vices of Popes which they might well thinke those Popes would not willingly haue had published why should they haue feared to haue recorded anie alteration in religion which if it had bin had bene a thing done by themselues publikely in the view of the whole world So that we may well conclude that if Christian religion had since the Apostles time altered in Rome it would haue bene recorded in histories as other such alterations are and if they should now happen would be But no mention being made in anie storie that such an alteration was it is sure no such was at all no such change of religion being at all it is euident that the same faith and religion which was in S Pauls time hath alway continued and is there now that which was there then was the true faith as appeareth by that high commendation which S. Paul hath left written of it therefore that which is there now must needs be the true Catholicke faith and that company which professeth it must needs be the true Catholicke Church The Answer 1 It must be remembred that the point which the Iesuit in this place driueth at is to proue his Romish Church Catholicke that is denying no point of doctrine which in former times was vniuersally receiued of the Catholike Church but holding the very same without any change To proue this he hath here furnished a popular speech well conceited it seemeth by himself and much reported I perceiue by the vulgar of his side and because it fully expresseth the conceit of our countrie Papists touching the antiquitie of their religion and containeth many speeches vsed by them in maintenance of their heresie and omitteth nothing of that which can be said against vs in this point therefore I will answer it from point to point plainly and directly desiring the reader to marke me diligently and intreating my aduersary whosoeuer he be in the cause not to shut his eyes against reason when it is ready to conuince him nor to mistake any thing that I shall say but to apply it and compare it to that which is obiected as all Christian and moderate minded men in pursuite of the truth and peace ought to do 2 The whole is thus contracted There neuer was in times past nor neuer shall be in times present or to come any alteration from the true faith to grosse heresie such as the Roman religion is supposed to be but foure things fall out withall 1. Some space of time may be shewed in which the said heresie was not visibly known 2. The time may be assigned when it began to rise and the truth to faile 3. The persons are recorded that brought it in 4. The Bishops and people are knowne that note it resist lament and curse it But there is no record extant that any of these things happened to the faith of the present Church of Rome Ergo It is the ancient Catholicke faith without any change I answer that both the Propositions are false The first because many times the truth hath bene changed into error where the circumstances mentioned cannot be giuen The second because in many things holden by the Church of Rome at this day we can out of good records assigne the time of the alteration with the circumstances This my answer I will apply particularly to all that the Iesuite saith as it lieth in order and so confirme it reducing euery thing to one of the Propositions whereto it belongeth 3 First he requireth vs to shew some space of time wherein the Romane Church was not visibly knowne euer since Christ as he can shew many hundred yeares wherein our Church was not This demand is satisfied already in the 47. sect and shall be further answered in that which followeth where that which he saith to proue it is disproued And though the Protestants confesse their Church to haue bene inuisible as I haue expounded Digression 17. yet that will do the Iesuite no good because we obiect more against his Church then so which obiection he may easily assaile with bragges and confidence but can neuer answer with truth and good diuinitie as shall appeare 4 Next he biddeth vs shew when the Romane Church failed in the profession of the ancient faith which once it had Rom. 1.8 and who began the new wherto I answer that these two circumstances when and by whom may be shewed in diuers points which is sufficient to disproue all the rest See below nu 8. inde where I name both the time and persons that changed some points which being so there is no reason why the remainder of that religion the authors whereof are vnknowne should be iustified vnder pretence that we shew not the precise circumstances of the alteration for we giue sound and sufficient reason why we need not do it and to prepare the Iesuite and his partakers to the hearing thereof I propound a Plutarch that famous probleme which in times past the Greekes debated so curiously The ship Argos wherein Iason sailed for the golden fleece at his returne the voiage being ended was laid vp in the road for a monument where decaying by little and little they alwaies peeced it anew where it wore away till in the end the whole substance of the old vessell was gone and nothing remained thereof but onely the reparations successiuely made in the roome of the old Now the question was this whether this ship say it were Saint Peters to gratifie the Iesuite were the same that he sailed in when he liued or another new one diuers from it And whether my wise Athenian could precisely tell when
and by what workman euery peece was supplied til the old was wholy gone for if that could not be shewed then by the Iesuites reason it must be reputed for the very Argosme wherein Iason made his voyage without any alteration 5 But he saith it is not possible that so grosse heresie as we account Papistrie to be could arise and ouerwhelme the world without some resistance the Bishops and Pastors of the Church could not be so carelesse but they would note and resist it as the bringing in of any heathen or Iewish rite this day into the Church would be Whereto I answer that the Iesuite mistaketh himselfe grosly if he thinke his faith came in without resistance or imagine that we grant so much For it was gainsaid in the rising with Campians owne circumstances the Pastors of Gods Church opposed themselues the people lamented the writers mentioned it as I plainly shew in that which followeth And although the particular circumstances of Time Place and Persons appertaining to this resistance do not so euidently appeare to vs that now liue so far off from the change yet that is by reason the said change was not made in an instant all at once but came slily and slowly in and we that now liue haue not records of all that fell out so long ago We haue sufficient records of many things but not of all particulars the want whereof arising either from the scarsitie of writers in some ages or the changers tyrannie suppressing all that was written is the cause why the Iesuite may the boldlier insult Was there no historiographer that would mention such a matter It is one thing therefore to thinke there was no resistance at all and another to say the particular circumstances of the resistances made against euery seueral point are not now extant The former we vtterly denie the latter may be granted and of necessity must for these considerations namely that a change may haue bene in many points of the Romish faith though we be not able to yeeld the historie or record of euery particular circumstance that accompanied it for first we haue no meanes to know what hath bene done formerly but by histories and writings which we want or haue in that scarsitie that we may safely resolue our selues many things are wanting that were done Secondly we haue pregnant testimonie of the change of some things and as sufficient as we desire which is an vndoubted reason that all the rest was changed also forasmuch as it standeth all vpon one ground and one part thereof draweth another with it by necessarie consequence Thirdly it is agreed that all error whatsoeuer consisteth in changing frō the truth yet some there be the particular circumstances whereof are vnknowne As for example The Scribes and Pharises caught many things against the law and Christ reproued them yet the time when those corruptions first came in and the persons that deuised them are vnknowne to vs. b Alphons haer l. 4. verb. Christ haeres 4. In the Primitiue Church there were a kind of hereticks called Acephali because no man was found to be their head and maister Our aduersaries suppose the reiecting of Images to be a great heresie yet can they not tell when it began nor who first brought it in c Alphons haer l. 8. verb. imag Some thinke Felix Orgelitanus about the yeare 794. d Sand. de imag l. 1. c. vlt. Vazq adorat l. 2. disp 2. c. 1. Some say the Marcionites and Manichees long before e Niceph. l. 16. c. 27. Some Xenaias a Persian f Bell. de Imag. c. 6. Some thinke the Iewes in their Talmud were the first And our aduersaries cannot deny but themselues practise some things in their Church which were not vsed in ancient times and yet they cannot tell when they began nor who brought them in Touching pardons the case is cleare For Caietan g Tract de Indulg c. 1. saith There is no certaintie when they began And concerning the vse of Organs in Churches h Baron an 60. nu 37. Bella de Missa l. 2. c. 15. it is vnknowne when and by whom it came in saue that i Caiet 22. q 91. Greg. Val to 3. pa. 1427. Nauar. de hotis canon c. 16. the most iudicious Papists thinke that in the dayes of Thomas Aquinas which was 1300. yeares after Christ the Church had them not The which instances make plaine demonstration of that which I haue answered that there maybe a change when the circumstances of time place and persons are vnknowne to vs that liue after 6 The reason of this is yet further to be expounded For the Romish faith came into the Church as sicknesse doth into the body and ruine to a house which appeareth not by and by at the first but then when it is ripened for the children of God abiding still in the communion of the Romane Church which they did not by allowing the materiall corruptions in faith whereinto she fell but by embracing that truth and good which she yet retained and wanting meanes to reforme what was amisse the chāges which successiuely she made in the faith were not so easily discouered by reason there was yet no notable separation which is the onely and most visible resistance that can be made I say Gods children in all ages preserued themselues from consenting to the changes that fell out in the substance of faith but they did not alwayes abandon the communion of the Romane Church which made the change first because she changed not in an instant but by degrees and so consequently still held many good things wherewith they communicated Next because the tyranny of Rome suppressed them so that they could not manifest abroade to the world their mislike whereby it might come to vs but by force and violence were constrained to deuoure their owne sorow in the society of their aduersaries The want of which departure from the Church of Rome giueth great colour to her innouations When Arius and Nestorius and such like hereticks arose they violently and suddenly brake out of the Church and forsooke all communion and when Mahomet came from without he visibly assaulted the whole Church this their sudden violence and separation made them easily knowne to all the world but the Papacie breeding as a gangrene in the Church within and corrupting the pure doctrine but by little and little was not so easily marked and discerned that it could so solemnly be resisted and registred till it were ripened and Gods true Church mingled therewith had meanes to discouer it So we reade in k Mat. 13.25 the parable of our Sauiour how the tares were sowne among the wheate but who the man was that sew them and when did not appeare The partie whosoeuer he were did it when the labourers were asleepe and so went his way the tares he left behind him but himself was not seene and when the husbandman was told of it he
to them but God did it by meanes of the Scriptures and faithfull professors that lay secretly hidden in the middest of the Papacie and when they saw the truth they needed no other outward allowance to preach then that which they had to preach the Gospell as the Iesuite will thinke that himselfe being baptized in the Church of England after the order thereof with intent that he should also professe that faith yet afterward falling to Papistry needeth no other baptisme but by vertue of it may vse the libertie of other Christians The very same we say of Luther and Caluins callings whereby they are freed from the imputations that Cyprian and Optatus lay vpon the Donatists For such as haue no lawfull admission are children indeed without a father and scholers without a maister and Bishops without succession or what the Iesuite will but these men had a calling else let vs see what will be said to that I haue answered § 53. This succession of Priests and Bishops continually from the Apostles which we haue and the Protestants want the ancient Fathers did much esteeme and vse as an argument partly to confound the heretickes of those dayes partly to confirme themselues to continue in the Catholicke Church prouing by the succession of Pastors succession of Apostolicall doctrine still to haue continued in the Church Hereupon S. Irenaeus lib. 3. ca. 3. saith Traditionem ab Apostolis annuntiatam hominibus fidem per successionem Episcoporum peruenientem vsque ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes eos qui quoquo modo vel per sui placentiam malam vel vanam gloriam vel per coecitatem colligunt praeterquam oportet Shewing the tradition from the Apostles and the faith preached vnto men coming vnto vs by succession of Bishops we confound all them who any way either through euill complacence of themselues or through vaine-glorie or through blindnesse and euill opinion do collect and conclude otherwise then they ought Hereupon also saith Tertullian writing against heretickes Edant origines suarum Ecclesiarum euoluant ordinem Episcoporū ista per successionem ab initio decurrentes vt primus ille Episcopus aliquem ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis viris qui tamen cum Apostolis perseuerauerit authorem habuerit vel antecessorem Lib. de praescript Let them set forth the beginning of their Church let them vnfold or declare the order of Bishops so running from the beginning by succession that the first Bishop of their sect had some of the Apostles or Apostolicke men who perseuered with the Apostles for his author or predecessor Also S. Austine contra Epist Fundam c. 4. saith Tenet me in Ecclesia Catholica ab ipsa sede Petri Apostoli cui pascendas oues suas Dominus commendauit vsque ad praesentem Episcopum successio Sacerdotum The succession of Priests from the seate of S. Peter the Apostle to whom our Lord commended his sheepe to be fed vntill this present Bishop doth hold me in the Catholicke Church The same S. Austin Epist 105. doth dispute in the same maner In which Epistle he reckoneth vp all the Bishops of Rome vntill Anastasius who was in his time Bishop in S. Peters seate Cypr. lib. 1. Epist 6. Optat. lib. 2. cont Parmen The which argument those Fathers would neuer so much haue vrged if they had not thought that this succession was a sure marke of the true Church and that with this outward succession of Doctors and Pastors was alway infallibly conioyned the true doctrine of the Catholicke faith The Answer 1 How much soeuer the within named Fathers or any other stood vpō the outward succession of Bishops in their days yet that will do the Romane Church no good at this day The reason is because then none had succeeded but such as kept the Apostles faith which now is otherwise For many Popes since that time haue succeeded which haue bene hereticks as I haue shewed Digress 28. This difference betweene their times and ours must be diligently obserued that the fathers speeches concerning succession may be rightly vnderstood and the Papists arguments grounded on them may directly be answered For Irenaeus in the place quoted saith the Apostolicke tradition or doctrine and faith which they preached to men was come to them by succession of Bishops Whereby it appeareth they had not yet discouered that apostasie in Bishops thrones which afterward ensued but the true faith remained still which now in the Church of Rome it doth not Let our aduersaries therfore bring those times back againe and restore vs the Bishops that then succeeded and we will allow them the same argument of succession that the fathers made or else not For Hegesippus speaking of that time a Euseb hist l. 4. c. 22. saith that as the law and the Prophets and the Lord himselfe had taught so was it in euery succession and euery citie Now it is contrary as the Friers and Iesuites and the Pope himselfe haue deuised so is it in euery succession and euery citie of the Church of Rome Which is a manifest reason why the Fathers argument drawne fom succession cannot benefite the externall succession of Popes in that Church at this day 2 Againe they vsed succession as an argument to proue their Church but not in that manner that our aduersaries vse it to proue theirs For first the Iesuit would make vs beleeue that by the succession of Pastors the succession of Apostolicall doctrine is proued to continue yea he saith that with outward succession of doctors and Pastors was alway infallibly conioyned the true doctrine This the Fathers neuer said as shall appeare in my speciall answer to their words Neither would the Iesuite haue said it him self if he had remembred the Greek Churches which haue as lineall succession from Saint Mark and Saint Andrew as Rome hath from Saint Peter and yet b Can. loc l. 4. c. vlt. pag. 143. they are counted heretical Yea Bellarmine c Not. eccl c. 8. saith It is not necessarily gathered that the Church is alway there where there is succession which sheweth the Iesuits rashnes in his assertion For if the true faith were infallibly conioyned with the outward succession then it would necessarily follow that the true Church is alway there where succession is which Bellarmine denieth 3 But with succession of persons the Fathers alway ioyned succession of doctrine and by them both together confuted schismaticks Thus doth Irenaeus in the very words alledged and d L. 4. c. 43. in another place more fully We must saith he obey those elders which haue succession from the Apostles which with the succession of their Bishopricks haue receiued the certaine gift of truth as for the rest which want this principall succession we must suspect them Marke how he directeth you to embrace that succession which holdeth the doctrine also and refuse that which hath it not which had bin idle if the doctrine had bin so vnited to succession that it
could not haue bin without it Now our aduersaries say otherwise 4 Secondly the Fathers insisted on the succession of other Churches as well as the Church of Rome which proueth manifestly that the succession which they assumed proueth not the Church of Rome to be the Church of God because it proueth not other Churches so to be Our aduersaries haue e Posseuin noc verbi Dei pag. 329. written that the ancient Fathers reckoned not vp the successors of other Bishops alike as they did the successors of the Romane chaire but this is an vntruth proceeding of desperation for Irenaeus in the chapter alledged mentioneth the Churches of Smyrna Ephesus Asia and in f L. 1. c. 3. another place the Churches of Germany Spaine France Egypt Lybia and others And Tertullian g Praescript referreth vs to Corinth Philippi Thessalonica Ephesus Rome Whereby it is plaine that if Rome be now the true Church because the Fathers mention the succession thereof then the Churches of Greece must be granted to be the true Church also because the Fathers mention their succession also which in Constantinople and Alexandria is preserued to this day But in that they reckon vp the succession of other Churches as well as of Rome it appeareth that they thought it was tied no more to Rome then to others 5 Out of all this that I haue said I answer to the places alledged And first to Irenaeus that he saith not simply he conuinced heretiks by shewing succession but by shewing the faith which successiuely had continued to his time and we are contented the Iesuite conuince vs so too if he can Tertullian biddeth hereticks if they can deduce the succession of their Churches and sectmasters which he might wel do although it would not follow thereupon that wheresoeuer outward succession were there should be also true doctrine And he had reason to make them this challenge for though euery company be not the true Church that hath outward succession yet they pretend themselues so to be therefore he prouoketh them to put the succession in triall and shew if they can that the first author of their sect was an Apostles successor This was a good trial then but now it is not when not onely new seas are erected but the successors in ancient thrones are corrupted Austine saith the succession of Bishops retained him in the Church of Rome And good reason when they succeded in faith as well as in sea If he were now aliue he would say otherwise when the succession such as it is remaineth without the faith it was not the succession alone that retained him but other motiues ioyned with it and mentioned in the same place which now are wanting So likewise h Ep. 165. in his epistle to Generosus he reckoneth vp the Bishops of Rome that had bin till his time not vsing their succession as an argument to proue it the true Church but naming those that had succeeded therein and perseuered in the truth which he then well might do but the Iesuit now cannot in as much as the Popes following declined from the faith of their ancestors Optatus mentioneth the Romane succession as Austin doth reckoning vp a catalogue of the Bishops that had bin in that sea till Siritius time to shew the Donatists that the Church was in other places as well as in Affrick and to admonish them that their Churches wanted succession also and not the true faith onely This is no aduantage to the Iesuites cause For as some hereticks want succession so all that haue it are not proued thereby to be true Catholicks for any thing that Austin or Optatus say That which Cyprian saith receiueth the same answer that I haue giuen to the rest § 54. The which to be conioyned may euidently be proued out of S. Paul himselfe Ephes 4. who saith that our Sauiour Dedit pastores doctores ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerij in edificationem corporis Christi donec occurramus omnes in vnitatem fidei agnitionis filij Dei in virum perfectum in mensuram aetatis plenitudinis Christi c. Signifying that Christ appointed these outward functions of Pastors in the Church to continue for the edification and perfection thereof vntill the worlds end especially for this purpose as is said in the same place vt non simus paruidi fluctuantes non circumferamur omni vento doctrinae that we may not be little ones wauering and caried away with euery wind of doctrine Therefore that this ordinance and intention of our Sauiour might haue the purposed effect he must prouide so to assist and direct these Pastours in teaching the true faith that the people their flocke may alwayes by hearing them be preserued from wauering in the ancient faith and from error of new doctrine the which cannot be vnlesse with succession of the Pastors lawfully succeeding be conioyned true doctrine in such sort that all true Pastors shall neuer vniuersally erre or faile to teach the ancient and Apostolicke doctrine For if they should thus vniuersally erre then all the people who do and ought like sheepe follow the voyce of their Pastors should also generally wauer and erre from true faith and be caried about with the wind of new doctrine contrarie to this purpose of almightie God expressed in this place by S. Paule Yea the whole Church which according to S. Gregorie Nazianzene orat de moderat in disput habend consisteth of sheepe and Pastors should vniuersally erre contrarie to diuerse expresse promises of our Sauiour Christ of which I haue spoken somewhat before Since therefore these promises cannot be false nor the purpose of almightie God faile it followeth that the people hearing their Pastors may also infallibly alway learne and continue in the true Apostolike faith consequently that these ordinary Pastors appointed by almightie God of purpose to instruct and confirme the people in true faith shall neuer at least vniuersally faile to teach the true faith And therefore the succession of this externall function of ordinarie Pastors must needs be conioyned with the succession of one and the same true holy Catholike and Apostolike faith The Answer 1 The Iesuite hauing said immediatly before that with the outward successiō was alway infallibly conioyned the true faith now proceedeth to proue it wherin you may easily conceiue he taketh a hard taske in hand because his owne Bellarmine confesseth the contrary a Not. eccl c. ◠It is not necessarily gathered that there is alway the Church where there is succession and the Greek Church at this day proueth it inuincibly against our aduersaries For they haue the succession as entire as Rome it selfe and yet b Bell. ib. §. Dico secundo argum Can. loc l. 4. c. vlt. the Papists thinke them not the Church of God because among diuerse errors they will not submit themselues to the Popes authoritie The Iesuit therefore hath vndertaken to proue that which the learnedst
of his owne side know and confesse to be false But that is ordinary 2 And as his assertion is insolent so he proueth it as weakly though I must confesse he hath verbatim borrowed his discourse from c Greg. Valent. tom 3 d. 1. q. 1. punct 7. §. 25. as learned a Iesuite as euer Iesuited But I answer two things First that no man denieth but the succession of true doctrine and communication which the true Church of God is vnseparably annexed with the succession of Pastors lawfully succeeding I say not the outward succession of Pastors but the true succession of Pastors lawfully succeeding the which are the Iesuites owne words whereto if our aduersaries will hold them and require no more they shall be yeelded vnto and I wil grant the same to be sufficiently proued by the text of Eph. 4. But this neither confuteth vs nor iustifieth the Church of Rome It confuteth not vs because d §. 52. per totam I haue shewed the teachers of our faith do lawfully succeed so alway haue done though not outwardly and visibly to the world And it iustifieth not the Church of Rome forasmuch as the ordinarie Pastors therein succeed not lawfully They succeed in a sort externally sitting in the seats where sometime the Apostles and their successors did but they succeed not lawfully as I will shew in the next section or any other way then the Greecians now do or then the Pharises high Priests did in our Sauiors time when they refused him denying him to be the Sonne of God requiring a murtherer to be giuen vnto thē the which they could not haue done if the Iesuites assertion were true that the faith of Gods Church is infallibly conioyned with the outward succession For they had the outward succession from Aaron lineally without interruption and yet if the people had obeyed them in all things they had led them into an vniuersall error no lesse then the reiecting of the Sonne of God Now if onely lawfull succession haue the truth abiding with it and that is lawfull which succeedeth principally in doctrine retaining the ancient faith as well as the place and externall shew which our aduersaries dare not deny and Tertullian affirmeth e Praescrip c 32 where he saith the Churches that conspire with the Apostles in the same faith are reputed no lesse Apostolicall for the consanguinitie of the doctrine if I say this lawfull succession onely haue the true faith going with it let them say freely and without collusion to what purpose should they pleade their externall succession to iustifie their faith before they haue pleaded their faith to iustifie their succession which when they haue done and they can do it no way but by the Scripture the Protestants will neuer except against their succession but imbrace it And what vanitie is it to obiect against vs that we want outward succession when that succession which is to be stood vpon consisteth not in the circumstances of place and shew but in the retaining of the true faith which may be done without interruption when the outward shew of places and persons is interrupted 3 Secondly I answer further to the text alledged and to all his discourse thereupon granting first that the ministerie of Pastors is the ordinance of God Secondly to continue in his Church for euer Thirdly for the teaching of his people Fourthly in such sort that they shall neuer vniuersally erre or faile to teach the ancient and Apostolicke doctrine Fiftly whereupon the people are bound to heare them And hence it followeth that sixtly where such Pastors succeede the true faith is alway conioyned This is granted But then our aduerries should consider that such Pastors furnished with these promises do not alway succeed openly or in one place without interruption of the externall succession but they may arise and successiuely continue when the world seeth them not or seeing them driueth them from the Episcopall seas that they shal be constrained to teach the Church in secret S. Paul saith Pastors and Doctors shall succeed and succeeding teach the true faith but he saith not all that haue outward succession hold the true faith neither is there any thing in his words that proueth this succession to be of that nature which our aduersaries require Now the question betweene vs is not whether there be a perpetuall succession of Pastors in the Church of Christ that infallibly teach his truth for we deny not that but whether these Pastors be onely they that continue in one place one after another outwardly and visibly at all times to all the world whether Pastors succeeding in this maner be so priuiledged that they cannot erre which we deny and in al Saint Pauls discourse there is not a word against vs because whatsoeuer he saith may be vpholden in that kind of succession that I haue described Againe our English Bishops this day succeed lineally in their places from the first Apostles of our land will the Iesuit therefore grant we are the true Church he will not though indeed we be because they haue changed that which the precedent Bishops held for the true faith the which being thus obiected ouerthroweth himself for now you see that with Pastors succeeding the true faith is not alway ioyned for one may succeed that will change the ancient doctrine which the Iesuite thinketh our English Bishops haue done though they haue not that which is most ancient but we proue against all exception their Italian Popes haue as I haue shewed Digress 49. 51. 52. § 55. But as I haue said before and by many Catholicke writers hath bene proued at large in the Romane Church onely is this lawfull vninterrupted succession of ordinarie Pastors found therfore the Romane Church and those that communicate agree with it is the true Apostolike Church and hath in it alway taught the true Apostolike faith The Answer 1 Lawfull succession is when the persons succeed in doctrine as well as in place which in the Romane Church at this day they do not inasmuch as they are departed from the ancient faith to their owne heresies And this is the principall cause why we deny that which the Iesuite saith here touching the Romane succession 2 We do not deny but they haue a ranke of Bishops whether interrupted or no I will shew in the Digression following externally sitting in Rome one after another but we deny lawfull succession to stand in this And we deny againe that this is found onely there and no where else for it is found in the Greeke Church also at this day as appeareth by e Legat. eccl Alexand. apud Baron annal tom 6. in fine the letters which the Patriarke of Alexandria sent to the Pope about 15. yeares since wherin he stiles himselfe thus Gabriel by the grace of God the seruant of the seat of Saint Marke in the citie of Alexandria in Aegypt and all other places ioyning to him and bordering
on the South or the sea and Aethiopia the ninetie seuenth of the Patriarkes the successor of Saint Marke the Euangelist Wherein we see the outward succession to remaine in that Church as entire as it doth in Rome and yet the Iesuite will not grant the same and such as communicate with it to be the true Apostolike Church that hath the true faith 3 And touching this outward succession because it is so much stood vpon I say it is not so entire as is pretended but certaine things may be obiected against it which are sufficient to take it way and plainly proue it to haue bene interrupted The which for the satisfaction of such as are desirous to looke into this matter I will briefly set downe in the digression ensuing Digression 53. Obiecting seuen things against the succession of Popes in the Sea of Rome whereby the same is clearely demonstrated to haue bene interrupted and not to be any certaine or infallible succession 4 First I haue shewed Digression 29. nu 38. that our aduersaries themselues haue no diuine authoritie but onely such as resteth vpon vncertaine proofs to conuince that the Bishop of Rome rather then of Antioch for example is Saint Peters successor For allow them that Peter himselfe was Bishop of Rome and appointed his successor to be the head of his Church after his death which he neuer did yet is there no infallible certaintie that this successor is the Pope Canus f Loc. l. 6. c. 8. saith it is proued but either by history or tradition and g Alphons haeres l. 1. c. 9. another learned Papist coÌ„cludeth that no man is bound to beleeue this or that Pope to be Saint Peters successor The which vncertaintie sheweth the succession of the Present Pope or any other before him to be indemonstrable 5 Secondly supposing Peter were Bishop of Rome yet there is no certaintie who succeeded him and one another a good while after h Euseb châ—on an 70. Opt. l. 2. Some say Linus succeeded Peter i Hier. script eccl in Clem. c. 52. in Esa Marian Scot an 71 Some Clemens k Refert Baro. an 69. Some that neither but Cletus l 8. q. 1. Si Petr. Maria Scot. an 71. Luit prand vit Pont. in Clem. Others say Linus and Cletus were Bishops vnder Peter in his life time but had no power of binding and loosing m Disputat hoc mundus quartus fucritne secundus Gab. lect 32. Touching Clemens all things are vncertaine n Fra. Agricol de primat Some lay the succession thus Linus Clemens Cletus Anacletus o Baro. ann 69. n. 42. Some thus Linus Cletus Clemens Anacletus p Tertull. carm l. 3. Some thus Linus Cletus Anacletus Clemens q Onuph annot ad Clem. Some thus Clemens Cletus Anacletus leauing out Linus r Optat. l. 2. Aug. ep 165. Some thus Linus Clemens Anacletus Euaristus leauing out Cletus Some thus Linus Cletus Clemens Euaristus leauing out Anacletus Here we see all things are intricate and no certaintie can be had The like may be obserued in the lower parts of the succession following 6 Thirdly the Sea hath bene voide a good space together without any Pope at all Å¿ Baro. an 53. n. 28. Ann. 253. vpon the death of Fabian it was voide one yeare and some moneths t Anastas in Honor. Anno 638. when Honorius died it was void one yeare seuen moneths and seuenteene daies Ann. 682. u Anastas in Agatho vpon the death of Agatho it was void one yeare seuen moneths and fiue daies Ann. 767. x Anastas in Paul vpon the death of Paul it was void one yeare and a moneth Baronius y An. 853. n. 63. saith It hath fallen out that it hath bene void above two yeares and fiue moneths the election hauing bene delaied through contention z Suppur ann 296. And in Martinus Polonus it is noted in the margent that the Papacy ceassed seuen yeares six moneths and fifteene daies These vacations cannot be denied and therefore the succession hath bene interrupted because at that time the supposed Head that should succeed was wanting 7 Fourthly about the yeare 850 a woman succeeded that in the habit of a man continued Pope two yeares and fiue moneths vntill being gotten with child she died in trauell in the open streets as she went on procession This is recorded by so many a Marian Scot. an 854. Martin Polo an 855. Palmer Floren. an 854. Sigeb an 854. Laoâ—ic Chalcocondyl reb Tuâ—c l 6 p. 411. Anton. hist part 2. tiâ— 16 c. 1. §. 7. Coel. Rho digni lect antiqu l. 8. c. 1. Historiographers and all Papists them selues some few excepted that receiued it froÌ„ them that now it is too late for the Iesuites to controll it And I care not though Anastasius that liued in Rome the same time wheÌ„ this was and writ the Popes liues mentioneth it not in his booke b Onuph annot Ioan. 8. Bell. Ro. Pont. l. 3 c. vlt. Baron ann 85â— n. 64. which is the best argument our aduersaries haue against it For Anastasius his booke is of small credit with themselues c Praefat. ad lecto He that put it foorth saith himselfe that it is a question among the learned whether this Anastasius be the true author of all the liues contained in the booke For Platina Trithemius and Onuphrius and others thinke Damasus writ their liues that were from S. Peter to himselfe Which being true then it is not certaine that Anastasius liuing in Rome when Ioan should be Pope wrote euery thing in that booke He saith that by reason of the often contradictions contained in the booke Baronius suspecteth it was coÌ„piled by more writers then one by two at least He saith many things are affirmed contrary to the truth which can be proued by the testimony of no graue or ancient author many slips in Chronagraphy are therin and many things repugnant and not agreeing together in many places other men haue added or detracted He saith it may not be denied that in the copy there are places so intricate that there is no hope to get out And he confesseth that after the life of Hadrian the second the liues of three Popes are omitted that went betweene him and Stephen the sixth as the life of Ioan is omitted that should haue gone betweene the liues of Leo the fourth and Bennet the third Yea d an 739. n. 6. Baronius in his owne fauour can espy that many things are fouÌ„d in others which Anastasius hath omitted but we are whooped at for saying so thogh we bring the testimony of e Martin Polo Sigeb Palmer Florent Fascic temp Anton. Volateran diuers authors that say she was put not in the catologue of Popes for the turpitude of the thing which might be the reason why Anastasius or others mention not the story For what should the Popes Library keeper do writing her
examples r Puer fermè decēnis Baron an 1033. nu 6. Glab Rodulf Bennet the ninth was a child about ten yeares old ſ Baro. an 955 nu a. 3. Iohn the twelft a mad lad eighteen yeares old at the most t Plat. Baro an 908. 1. Sergius the third entred violently casting out his predecessor Christopher imprisoning him with bands vntill he draue him to turne Frier and so end his dayes u Baro. an 912. nu 7. Iohn the eleuenth was created Pope by Theodora and violently intruded for his filthy loue x Baro. an 928 nu 2. Afterward her daughter Marozia by force of armes expelled him and caused him to be imprisoned where he was smothered to death Leo the sixt succeeded him y Baro. an 929 1. and he also was imprisoned and died The next but one was Iohn the twelft z Baro. an 931 nu 1. he was bastard to Sergius by Madam Marozia and being yet but a stripling was violently put into the Popedome by his mother and her husband Wido the Marquesse a Baro. an 940 nu 1. The next Pope but one was Stephen chosen by the Romanes without the Cardinals consent b Baro. an 955. nu 4. Iohn the twelfth was made Pope by the faction of Albericus his father when for his age he was not yet capable of the order of a Deacon c Luitpr l. 6. ◠11. In the end his Bishops forsooke him and one night as he was in bed with a mans wife he diuel strooke him and he died About ten yeares after d Baro. an 974. nu 1. Bennet the sixt was imprisoned and murdered by Boniface that succeeded him who got the Popedome by violence e An. 975. nu 1 and was againe himselfe as violently deposed and Iohn the 15. put in his roome f An. 985. nu 1 but he returned againe and apprehending Iohn imprisoned and murdered him This companion is one of the succession and yet Baronius saith of him he was a villaine and a theefe the murderer of two Popes the inuader of Peters chaire who had not so much as one haire of a Romane Bishop whether ye consider his entrance or going forward but deserueth to be reckoned among famous theeues and ransackers of their countrey such as were Sylla and Catiline all who might cast their cap at this theefe These are a few examples among many of such as haue succeeded in the Church of Rome taken out of our aduersaries owne writings May it please them to looke backe and make a stand a while and when they haue viewed the maner of their coming in and well beheld their order to say what they thinke of the Romane succession in their dayes and where it was And to remember that it is not the badnesse of their liues that I now vrge against them but the maner of their entrance which by all lawes of God and men maketh them apostaticall and as Baronius confesseth not fit to be put into the catalogue and yet they were aboue fiftie Popes together that thus entred and this order continued 200. yeares at that time beside all other times wherein the succession may be shewed to haue bin no better 10 Lastly g Onupht cro Ro. pont Bozi sign eccl l. 19 c. 1. there haue bin thirtie schismes wherein there were two or three Popes at once As for example about the yeare 1044. h Baro. an 1044 nu 1.2.5 Naucler vol. 2. gen 35. Onuph in Grego 6. ad Plat. Bennet the ninth Syluester the third and Iohn were all Popes at once and made their abode in three seuerall places of the citie diuiding among them the reuenues of the Patriarchies vntil Gregory the sixt hiring them with mony to giue ouer himselfe was created the fourth Pope and was presently expelled againe and Clement ordained Againe i Theod Niem l. 1. c. 7. about the yeare 1379. began the schisme betweene Vrbane and Clement which ended not till 70. yeares after At the first there were two Popes together the one in Italy the other in France k Naucler vol. 2. gener 46. Ioan Marian. de reb Hisp l. 18. c. 1. what time the most learned men aliue could not tell which was the true Pope but it was doubted throughout the Christian world l Naucler gen 47. Hereupon some thirtie yeares after the schisme began the Cardinals meeting at the Councell of Pisa elected a third Pope and so there were three Popes whereof Bellarmine m Rom. pont l. 4. c. 14. saith it could not easily be iudged which of them was the true and lawfull Pope euery one of them hauing most learned patrons n Naucler gen 48. Shortly after the Councell of Constance deposed them all three and created Martin which yet did not so extinguish the schisme but that in the Councel of Basil it brake out again where the Duke of Sauoy was made Pope against Eugenius and was called Felix o Clement elected an 1379. Felix resigned an 1449. betwene whose resignation and the election of Clement against Vrban was 70. yeares Here let any man bethinke himselfe what succession this was wherein so many Popes succeeded all at once and no man can tell which was the true Pope For if the Iesuite will haue me to beleeue the Romane faith because of the succession of Popes in that Church then it is needfull that he shew me who they were that thus succeeded and proue their entrance lawfull which he cannot do forasmuch as euery one of them will maintaine his owne right and as I haue noted had the most learned and conscionable men in the world on their side that no man could tel who succeeded § 56. And this conclusion I may also confirme with the authoritie of the ancient Fathers who in expresse words do affirme the Romane Church which was then gouerned by Popes as now it is to be the lawfull and Apostolicke Church Iren. l 3. c. 3.5 August contra Ep. fundam c 4. and in diuerse other places S. Ambros serm 47. de fide Petri. S. Hierome Epist ad Damas de verbo hypost S. Cyprian l. 1. Ep. 1. ad Cornel. l. 4. Ep ad Papianum and others The which since they did affirme for no other reason but because that companie of men which were Christians in Rome and which in their dayes communicated with the Romane Church had a lineall succession of people and priests deriued without interruption from the Primitiue Church which was planted by the Apostles themselues with which succession of Priests must needs be inseparably ioyned succession of doctrine since I say for this reason no other they did call the Romane the Apostolike Church this reason alway holding as well since the dayes of these Fathers as before we may say that in effect they affirmed the Romane Church at this day to be the true Apostolike Church See especially Irenaeus and S. Austin in the place alreadie cited
And Tertullian lib. de praescript And Optatus lib. 2. contra Parmen The Answer 1 The ancient Fathers affirme not one word of all this First they affirme not that the Romane Church was then gouerned by Popes as now it is For they saw not how it is gouerned now and therefore could not affirme it And that it was not in their time thus gouerned I haue shewed Digression 27. and 49. num 6. and 51. num 9. The Bishops of Rome in their time I graunt were called Popes and Occumenicall as a Ep. Arsen apud Athan. apol 2. Basil ep 52. Iustin Nouell 3. 5. in tit Balsam respons in iure Graecorsi Ioan. Aquipont de Antichr p. 107. other Bishops also were but they had no such authoritie as now they vsurpe Their owne b Concord l. 2. c. 12. Cusanus may teach them that he is gotten beyond the ancient obseruations not hauing that power belonging to him which certaine flatterers giue him And Duarenus a Papist likewise yet c De sacris eccles benef l. 1. c. 16. confesseth as much as I say that Phocas made him the vniuersall Bishop which authority his successors haue maruellously increased 2 Next albeit they affirme the Church of Rome to be the lawfull and Apostolike Church yet they affirmed not the present Romane Church which they neuer saw so to be He that affirmed Lais to be a virgine when she was ten yeares old did not say she was so at tweÌ„tie Rome since their death hath plaied the whore and lost that name and reputation which the fathers had of her Which answereth all the places cited out of Irenaeus Austine Ambrose Hierome and Cyprian For calling Rome the Apostolike Church they spake of their owne time and not of ours 3 Thirdly they do not affirme the Romane Church in their dayes to be lawfull and Apostolike for no other reason but because it had a lineall succession from the primitiue Church but as I haue answered d Sect. 53. n. 2. inde before because it had withall the succession of doctrine which the present Papacie hath not Neither did they thinke that therefore it had succession of doctrine because it had succession of Priests as if the former must needs be inseparably ioyned with the later For their words expresse no such thing as I haue shewed They reuoke schismatickes to the succession indeed of the Romane Church as they did likewise of others and obiect it against them but not it alone nor so as they would assume all succession for euer to be ioyned with the true faith though then in the Churches named it was Neither did they beleeue the Priests whom they so called to be sacrificers or Massing Priests They vsed the name but they gaue it not the definition which the Church of Rome now vseth Vpon all which it followeth that the ancient fathers affirmed not the Romane Church at this day to be the true Apostolicke Church though you see into the places cited an hundred times the which are answered Sect. 53. principally for this cause that the reasons whereupon they so commended it then hold not now in our dayes as they did in theirs If our aduersaries will take benefite by that which the fathers say in commendation of the Romane Church in their dayes they must proue their succession as inuiolated and their doctrine as sound as then it was which they can neuer do § 57. Now to make an end considering all this which I haue said and proued to wit that there is but one infallible and entire faith the which is necessarie to saluation to all sorts of men the which faith euerie one must learne by some knowne infallible and vniueâ—sall rule accommodate to the capacitie of euerie one the which rule can be no other but the doctrine and teaching of the true Church which Church is alway to continue visible to the worlds end and is to be knowne by these foure markes aforesaid agreeing onely to the Romane Church whereupon it followeth that it only is the true Church of which euery one must learne that faith which is necessarie to saluation considering I say all this I would demaund of the Protestants who will not admit the authoritie or doctrine of the Church how they can perswade themselues to haue that faith whereby they may be saued or by what right they can chalenge vnto themselues the title of the true Church since as I now haue proued they haue neuer a one of these foure markes which by the common consent of all are the true markes of Christs true Church How can theirs be the true Church which neither is one because it hath no meanes to keepe it in vnitie nor holy because neither was there euer man of it which by miracle or by some other vndoubted testimonie can be proued to be truly holy Neither is their doctrine such as those that most purely obserue it do without faile become holy nor catholike because it teacheth not all true things which haue bin held in former times but denieth many of them Neither is it spread ouer all the Christian world but euery particular sect is contained in some few corners therof neither hath it bene euer since Christ but sprong vp of late the first founder being Martin Luther an apostata Frier a man after his apostasie knowne both by his writings words and deeds and maner of his death to haue bene a notable euill liuer nor Apostolike because the preachers thereof cannot deriue their pedegree lineally without interruption from anie Apostle but are forced to begin their line if they will haue anie from Luther or Caluin or some later How can they then bragge that they only haue the true holy Catholike and Apostolike faith Since this is not found but only in the true holy Catholike Apostolike Church and remaining alwayes as S Augustine said in ventre Ecclesiae in the bellie of the Church It is vnpossible that they which are not of this Church should haue the true faith according to the saying of the same Augustin afore cited Quisquis ab hoc ventre separatus est necesse est vt falsa loquatur whosoeuer is separated from this bellie of the Church he must needs speake false For who can once haue true faith vnlesse he first heare it because fides est ex auditu Rom. 10. Faith cometh of hearing But how can one heare it sine praedicante without one to preach it truly vnto him The Answer 1 That which the Iesuite hath said and proued is granted him to wit that there is indeed but one true faith which is necessarie to saluation to all sorts of men the which as it must so it may be learned by that rule which God hath left infallible vniuersall and accommodate to the capacitie of euery one the which rule is the Scriptures contained in the bookes of the old and new Testament and not that which the Iesuit meaneth by the doctrine and teaching of the
Paule in the foresaid place that those that come to it must not take the honor to themselues but must be called vnto it as Aaron was to wit visibly and by peculiar consecration and must come to it in this ordinarie maner which our Sauiour termed to enter in by the doore Ioh. 10. to wit by Christ who visibly sent his Apostles saying Euntes docete omnes gentes baptizantes eos c. Matth. vlt. and Ioh. 20. vsing a peculiar ceremonie Qui sufflauit in eos he breathed vpon them saying Accipite Spiritum sanctum quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis quorum retinueritis retenta sunt and are not forgiuen them By which words visibly was giuen to the Apostles both power to absolue from sinnes and a vertuall commandement to the people to make confession to them of all their mortall sinne since without this confession they could not tell what to remit and when to retaine sinnes The which Apostles being thus visibly by our Sauiour called consecrated and sent did visibly by imposition of hands ordeine others their successors and these others from time to time without interruption vntill this present men who now are Priests and Pastors in the Catholicke Romane Church These therefore I say enter in by Christ the doore and therefore are true Pastors and whosoeuer entreth in anie other way our Sauiour in the same place hath told vs how to account of them where he saith Qui non intrat per ostium in ouile ouium sed ascendit aliunde fur est latro who cometh not to feed the sheepe but to steale kil and destroy them So that we haue not to expect any to be sent of God to teach and instruct vs in faith but such as come in this ordinary maner as it is certain Luther and Caluin did not come The Answer 1 In this place the Iesuite to shew we haue not the Church excepteth against our Pastors and particularly against Luther and Caluin as if they had no lawfull calling to preach as they did And indeed it is a certaine truth that all true Pastors in the Church of God taking vpon them to instruct his people must haue a calling thereunto and be sent of God as the texts alledged do well proue Heb. 5.4 2. Chron. 26.18 Mat. 28.19 Ioh. 10.1 and 20.22 And if anie man leape out of the Church forsaking that company wherein lawful succession vndoubtedly is and with the succession lawfull sending froÌ„ God he must be reputed a hireling that cometh to destroy For this is the touchstone whereby true teachers are discerned and the contrarie discouered And by this we know the Pastors of our Church against whom the Iesuite excepteth to be legitimate For the God of heauen sent them and when they came they leaped not out of the Church otherwise then the wheate doth out of the chaffe when it is winnowed neither did they teach anie thing that was new or contrarie to the Church but continued and reformed the ancient doctrine which the Papacie in the Church had corrupted And let the reader remember which I haue often answered in this booke that the Popish religion and abuses of all sorts in processe of time grew as a leprosie vpon the Church and as I may say incorporated themselues therewith by reason whereof things good euill were mingled together Gods word with mans traditions the true Sacraments with mans errors and the externall calling of Ministers with foule corruptions in which case Luther and our teachers renouncing the said errors traditions and corruptions and retaining the rest cannot be said to haue gone out of the Church but to remaine perfectly in it still because that which they left was not vniuocally of the church but only in conceit was reputed so In the Church of Rome knowne by that name and in no other in these Westerne parts were the true Scriptures Sacraments Callings and Successions euery part of true faith and necessarie doctrine but these things were not the Papacie against which we go the Papacie was and is that which ouer and besides was by degrees added to them And therefore our Pastors leapt not out of the Church which alwayes goeth with the truth but out of the Papacie and preaching by vertue of that externall mission which they receiued in the Papacie they had the vndoubted commission of Christ whereto they had right And euen as when a faire poole of water becometh in time corrupted weedes grow the mudde increaseth and frogs creepe into it the owner thereof cutteth a channell and leauing the corruption drawes the water to another place and so occupieth it without danger and the frogs remaining must not complaine the water is theirs because the pit wherein they remaine is it that first ingendred it no more may the Papacy accuse vs for going out of the church of Rome as long as we left nothing behind vs but the frogs and weedes and that which was the ancient water before they came we are whose growing vpon vs was the cause that we separated although they succeeded in the Church as the weeds and frogs did in the poole 2 The Iesuite obiecteth that God hath planted a Church to endure in all ages wherein he will haue a visible succession of teachers preserued from failing in the true faith therefore none are sent of God but such as come in this ordinarie maner called and succeeding visibly and with peculiar consecration which Christ termeth entring in by the doore The Antecedent whereof is false For though Gods ordinance be that he haue a Church and teachers therein in all ages succeeding one another and standing in the truth yet he hath made no law that this succession shall be visible or with peculiar consecration as the Iesuite meaneth them For by visible he vnderstandeth conspicuous at al times to all the world which is a foolish assertioÌ„ a § 17. And so forward to the 24. confuted in it owne place where he disputed it It is sufficient that the succession of the Pastors in the Church be visible to the children of the Church And by peculiar consecration b Dom. Bann he meaneth the Popish ceremonie of Orders which is a priuate inuention of the later times and the proper corruption that grew to the outward ordination and calling of Ministers which God appointed Let these false definitioâ—s be remoued and the succession and calling and consecration be expounded as God meant them when he said they should alway be in the Church and our Pastors haue them as I haue answered c §. 52. n. 5. §. 53. and so forward before Yea our verie aduersaries denie not but a man may be a lawfull Minister though a Bishop neuer consecrated him and whereas the common opinion in the Church of Rome is that a Bishop differeth not from a Priest in order but in iurisdiction onely hence it followeth vnauoidably that iure diuino a simple priest in some cases may ordaine because
LENITY TO REDVCE AGAINE THEIR SEDVCED NEIGHBOVRS bearing with their frowardnesse and praying instantly for their conuersion if at any time it may please God to release them of their errors and to giue them the knowledge of his truth by deliuering them from the Romane Emissaries which haue made them their wards that they might possesse them and prey vpon them And let them finally with faithfulnesse and instance pray God for the state wherein we liue so pitifully vexed with the discontent and fury of those that call themselues Catholickes who if they had any dram of religioÌ„ or conscience in them would not thus practise to make their owne deare countrey a theater of such tragedies as the world neuer saw before But our sinnes are the cause of these things and therefore let euery man eschuing his owne euill seeke that way to confirme himselfe and the Church wherein he liueth in the fauour of God that he may shew mercy and peace in our daies Amen FINIS An Alphabeticall Table of the seuerall matters and questions handled and disputed in this Booke The first number signifieth the section the second the number of the section Where the number is but one there the whole Section is meant A. ABbeyes See Monkes and Monasteries Accidents in the Sacrament where they inhere 35 21. how they haue power to nourish breed corrupt c. ibid. Adoration of the blessed Sacrament when it was brought in 51.9 absurdities about it ibid Alteration The Church of Rome is altered from that which it held in ancient times Digress 23. See Romane Church Anastasius his booke de Vitis Rom. Pontificum censured 55.7 Antiquitie of the Protestants doctrine demonstrated 44.1 Apocrypha not canonicall Scripture by the Papists owne confession 35 20. Appeales to Rome forbidden 36.27 Apostolicke How the Church is Apostolicke 52.1 Arnulfus his speech of the Pope 50.28 Auricular confession iustly reiected by the Protestants 40.6 The primitiue Church vsed it not ibid. It was the occasion and meanes of contriuing the horriblest sins that were 40.9 The saying of Chaucer touching it ibid Not agreed vpon by the Papists touching the time when it was instituted 35.20 and 40.6 and 58.7 whether it be simplie needfull 40.7.8 Austine the monke conuerted not England 49. Author of sinne God is not the Author of sinne 40.50 How God willeth sinne ibid. Touching this point the Papists haue belyed vs and say themselues as much as we do ibid. B. BErengatius 50.30 Bishops Lay men somtime made Bishops 5.11 The Bishops oath made to the Pope 31.6 Titular Bishops at the Councell of Trent 31.5 Bookes The practise of Papists in purging of bookes 35.18 Boy Pope of Rome 55.7 C. CAlling of the Protestant Ministers how demonstrated 52.5 It is necessarie that Pastors haue a calling 58.1 What calling the Protestants Pastors had ib. They need no miracles to confirme it and why 59. Canonizing See Saints Catholicke The Romish Church not Catholicke in place 46.2 nor in doctrine and time 46.3 Centuries how they haue taken exception against the Fathers 44.3 Certaintie of saluation See Saluation Church Our faith is not lastly resolued into the authoritie of the Church 6.9 How the teaching of the Church is called the rule 13.1 By the Church the Papists meane the Pope Digress 16. Why the Papists deuolue all power so to the Church Digress 16. How the Church is said to erre 14.2 and 15.6 25.2 The Church militant may erre 14.2 inde 15.6 The Church is the subordinate meanes to teach men and how 18.5 27.1 Church visible The true state of the question betweene the Papists and vs touching the visiblenesse of the Church 17.1 and Digress 17. 22. The Papists confesse in effect as much touching the Churches being sometime inuisible as we do Digress 17. The Church is not alway visible 18. The Arguments against this answered from § 18. to 24. The Papists say the Church when Christ suffered was in the virgine Marie alone 17.3 The Protestants Church hath alway beene Digress 48. Markes of the Church the Sacraments and doctrine of the Scripture are the right markes of the Church 24.1 and Digress 18. The Arguments against this are answered from 26. to 32. How the teaching and doctrine of the Church may be examined 30. The markes of the Church assigned by the Papists are not sufficient 32. How the Church mooued Saint Austin to beleeue the Gospell Digress 19. Change of the ancient Romane faith See Alteration and Romane Church Clergie The vilenesse of the Popish Clergie noted 38.5 How the Papists excuse it 38.7 Communion See Sacrament Commandements of God See Law Congruitie See Merit of congruity Conception of the virgin Mary without sinne a new doctrine 47.2 Consultation not debarred though man haue no freewill 40.48 Conuersion of countries by the Romane Church how it was 49.4 Contention What the contentions are wherewith our Churches can truly be charged 33.2 The Church was neuer free from al coÌ„tention Digress 21. Grieuous contentions in the Primitiue Church ibid. Discourse touching the contentions in the Romane Church Digress 24. They say they contend not in dogmaticall points answered 35.19 Councels aboue the Pope 36.28.30 the Pope not president in the ancient Councels 36.29 They may erre 15.6 44 6. They were called in ancient times by the Emperour or ciuill Magistrate 36.28 D. DEcree of God inclineth and ordereth mans will 40.47 Descention of Christs soule into hell denied by Papists 35. â—0 Doctrine of the Romane Church See Papistrie E. EAster Contention in the primitiue Church about the keeping of it 33.4 36.3 Election is not for works foreseene 40.49 how a man may know if he be elected 41.7 England not first conuerted by Austin the monke 49 nor by the Church of Rome ibid. Erre The Church may erre how 14.2 15.6 25.2 the Pope may erre euen judicially and be an hereticke 55.8 and Digress 28. Councels may erre 15.6 44.6 and so haue the Fathers 44.5 Eucharist How Christ is present therein explicated 51.10 Vile speeches of the Papists touching it 51.11 Euerard the Bishop of Salisborow his speech of the Pope 50.33 Examin The teaching of the Church and all men to be examined â—0 F FAith must be builded on the scripture 1.1 Papists build their faith on Tradition 1.3 It must be explicite 2.1 What infolded faith is 2.2 in marg x. pag. 6. num 6. Disputing in matters of faith forbidden by the Papists 2.4 The Colliars faith what 2.6 The last resolution of our faith is into the authoritie of the Scriptures 5.5 And not of the Church Digress 6. 11. Faith how a marke of the Church 25 1. See Church Faith onely iustifieth expounded and defended Digress 40. Iustifying faith described 40.39 A man may know if he haue faith 41.3 Faith of the ancient Roman Church how it began to faile 50 4. How the moderne Romane faith grew in the Church 58.1 Fasting Digress 32. The Protestants maintaine fasting ibid. The
Papists as deepe in breaking fasting daies as the Protestants ibid Fasting was an indifferent ceremonie in the Primitiue Church ibid. Lent fast was holden diuersly ibid. Fathers and Doctors are not the rule of faith 23.1 They may erre ibid. The Papists boast that the Fathers are on their side 44.4 They had their errors 44.5 We are not bound to euerie thing that they haue said but may sometime lawfully dissent from them 44.7 The Papists themselues do it ibid. The state of the question touching the authoritie of the Fathers 44.8 Who the Papists meane by the Fathers nu 9. What they meane by all the Fathers consenting in one nu 10. The Pope vshers the Fathers nu 11. The practise of the Papists in reiecting the Fathers nu 11. 12. Forefathers how farre forth to be followed 61.2 What is to be thought touching our forefathers that liued and died in the times of Papistrie 6â— 4 Freewill denied by Papists 35.20 All the questions touching freewil laid downe in order as they rise with their true states Digress 42. The want of freewill debarreth not consultation 40.48 How it is reconciled with Gods praedestination nu 45. What freewill is and wherein it standeth nu 54. Free-will in naturall and ciuil things expounded nu 55. No freewill in spirituall things till grace come nu 56. The Papists doctrine to the contrarie nu 57. Some learned men in the Church of Rome thinke freewil to be Pelagianisme nu 61. The will of man concurreth not with Gods grace in vprising from sinne nu 64. The Papists doctrine to the contrarie nu 64. The efficacie of grace dependeth not on our will ibid. What freewill man hath when he is regenerate nu 65. Frier how defined by Lincolniensis 50.32 G. GOd not the author of sinne 40.50 See Author of sinne Good works necessarie to saluation Digress 34. They are to be excluded out of our justification but not out of our sanctification ibid. They merit not Digress 35. The Protestants do not say Good works are sinne Digress 37. Grace The Papists meaning expounded when they say Mans wil without grace can do nothing 40.57 The Papists teach that a man of himselfe can do good before any grace come ibid. Man cannot dispose himselfe it is grace that doth it 40.63 What that is that maketh grace effectuall 40.64 A man may infallibly know if he be in grace Digress 43. Greeks They haue as good outward succession as the Romish Church hath 55.2 Gropper the Cardinall A storie of him 55.7 H. HIerome of Prague a good man Holinesse no note of the Church 43.1 The holinesse of the Romane Church disproued 38.1 The places of Luther and Smidelin answered that are obiected against the holinesse of the Protestant Churches 38.2 The holinesse of the Protestants doctrine is iustified 40. ad 49. What holinesse the Protestants lay they haue 41.1 Complaints made by Papists against the vnholinesse of their own Church Digress 31. A man may infallibly know if he be truly holy 41.3 and Digress 43. Honorius a Pope that was an heretick 36.34 In that cause of Honorius you haue an example how the Papists denie all authorities 44.15 I IGnorance in matters of faith is commended by the Papists 2.5 Images not allowed of in ancient times and their worship forbidden 47.5 They are a new deuice 35.13 The Papists are not at one among themselues touching the first that rejected Images 50.5 Images of the Trinitie when brought in 50.11 Image worship when it was first brought in 50 1â— 51.5 The Papists are deuided among themselues touching the adoration of Images 50. 16. They worship stocks stones as the Pagans did 51.6 Imputation of Christs righteousnesse for our iustification is acknowledged by Papists 35.20 What this imputation importeth 40.41 Indies not conuerted by the Iesuites 48.2 but vtterly rooted out by cruelties vnspeakable which are touched at large Digress 50. The Protestants religion was in India afore the Papists knew them 48.3 Iudge of controuersies is the Scripture Digress 3. Papists will be iudges in their owne cause 5.7 The Pope is made iudge who is a partie 5.8 The iudge of controuersies assigned by the Papists falleth into the â—ame difficulties that are layed against the scripture 34.2 The Papists will not stand to their owne iudges 30.4 35.15 Iustification is by faith and not by works 35.14 20. Digress 40. What iustification is and how it is distinguished from sanctification 40.38 K. KEeping the commaundements See Law of God Keies giuen to the rest of the Apostles as wel as to Peter 36.12 They import not the supremacie euinced by disputation 36.16 inde Digress 30. What the keyes of the Church meane 36.18 Knowledge very commendable in the people 2.7 Great among them of the Primitiue Church ibid By what meanes the elect know and are assured of their owne saluatioÌ„ 40.39 L. LAtin prayers and seruice misliked by some Papists 35.20 against antiquitie 47.2 Law of God No mans righteousnesse can satisfie it Digr 34. No man can keepe it Digress 36. Why giuen when no man can keepe it 40.21 The Papists say absurdly that the coÌ„mandements are easie to keepe and a man may liue without sin 40.19 Lay people ought to reade the Scriptures and to haue them translated See Scriptures and Translations Lay men haue bin made Bishops 5.11 LegeÌ„d The miracles recorded therin are of no credit 42.2 Nor the Legends themselues 42.7 Lent fast not holden in the Primitiue Church as now it is 40.4 Libertie Our faith is falsly charged to be a doctrine of libertie 43.2 Luther His calling is iustified 52.5 59.2 And his writings 57.3 And his life and death against the malicious reports of the Papists Digr 57. Those reports are touched ib. M. MAriage no sacrameÌ„t 35.20 The mariage of Priests not restrained in ancient times 47.4 When the restraint began 50.10 Marks of the Church See Church Virgine Mary The Papists say the Church was in her alone when Christ died 17.3 Masse not offered by Christ at his last supper 35.20 When it began 50.14 Merits renounced by Papists 35.20 and 40.15 Merit of workes none 40.12 and 14. When that opinion began 50.13 The Papists hold it and what they meane by it 40.13 The diuers opinions that are among the Papists touching merits 40.16 Merits of Christ how farre they go by the Papists doctrine 40.13.29 Merit of congruitie what and how holden in the Church of Rome 40 62. Miracles not now needfull 12.6 Their proper vse 42.4 The time when the Church had them and the end why 41.4 The miracles that the Papists stand vpon are of no certaine credit 42.5 inde The Gentiles had as good miracles as the Church of Rome hath 42.6 The Legendaries tainted for whetstone liers 42.7 Incredible reports in the Legends and some also in the ancient fathers 42.8 Morall works what 40.59 Touching naturall freewill in things morall ibid. Monkes of ancient time not like ours of this time 41.3 and
in the sence of the Scripture nu 4 7. Digress 10. How a man may be certaine which is the right sence n. 7 8 12. Why many vnderstand not the Scripture Digress 10. and 14. and § 10.1 How the easinesse of the Scripture is proued 8.16 They haue the outward authoritie wherupon our faith is built Digress 11. how we know them to be Gods word Digress 11. and 12. They coÌ„taine all things needfull 9.1 The Papists say the sence of the Scripture altereth with the time 9.11 Horrible behauiour of the Papists gainst the Scriptures Digress 22. Shrift See Auricular confession Sinne. How God willeth it 40.50 Our vprising from sin is by grace our owne will not disposing thereunto 40.63 The Papists haue no certainty what power the Priest hath in remitting sinne Digress 55. We do not say all that we do is sin Digress 37. Our doctrine touching the sinfulnes cleauing to our good workes maketh not men carelesse 40.25 Sinne mortall and venial an vntrue distinction Digress 38. How the Papists hold it ib. They agree not in it ibid. Succession Wherein true succession standeth 52.1 3. How the Protestants doctrine hath succeeded 52.4 How the father 's insisted vpon succession 53. and 56. It is no note of the Church 54.1 True faith how ioyned with succession and how not 54.2 The Succession of the Romane Church proueth it not the true Church 55 2. The Greekes haue as good succession as the Romanes ibid. The Romish Church hath no true outward succession Digress 53. Such succession as the Papists meane is not needfull 58 2. Supremacy of the Pope against the first antiquitie 35.10 47.6 The Papists agree not in it 35.20 The Popes Supremacy dependeth on a point that can neuer be proued 36.24 The Primitiue Church acknowledged it not Digress 27. Phocas gaue it to Boniface 36.31 When it began ouer Bishops and kings 50.9 T TEmptation may be ouercome without Gods grace as the Papists vntruly say 40.58 Traditions made equall to Scripture 1.3 Yea preferred before it 1.2 In marg k. and 5.8 Translation of the Scripture forbidden by the Church of Rome 1.3 How translations are Gods word it selfe and the rule of faith 5.2 and how our faith relieth on them ibid The Scripture ought to be translated and read of all Digress 5. The Papists disdaine this 5.11 How our English translations may be called erronious and how not 6.2 How we know our English translation to be the infallible word of God 6.3 8. The amending or changing of our translation is no discredit to it 6.6 The Hebrew and Greeke originals are free from error 6.11 Transubstantiation a new doctrine 35.12 and 47.8 The Papists haue no certaintie of it 47.9 Treasury of the Church whence pardon arise not agreed vpon what it should be 40 34. Trent Councell what kind of Councell and the proceeding thereof Digress 20. V VAcancies of the Roman Sea 55.6 Veniall sinne what 40 â—6 Some Papists deny any sinne to be venial num 27. How done away ibid. Visiblenes of the Church See Church Vnitie of the Church wherein it properly consisteth 33.1 The true Church may be without outward vnitie n. 2. It is soÌ„time grieuously violated in the Church Digress 21. No vnitie in the Romane Church 35.1 Digress 24. What kind of vnitie the Papists haue in their Church 35.2 Vniuersalitie of the Church how to be expounded 44.2 Vniuersalitie of the Romish Church disproued 46.2 Our faith is vniuerâ—â—â—l in Time Place and Doctrine 44. Vprising from sinne is by Grace without the disposing of the will thereto 40.63 Vulgar translation of the Bible which the Papists vse canonized by the Trent Councell 6.11 Exceedingly corrupt Digress 7. W WAfers when brought into the Sacrament 50.31 Waldenses and their opinions 50.32 Woman Pope 55.7 Word of God See Scriptures The Papists by Gods word meane Traditions as wel as the writteÌ„ word 1.3 Workes See Good works and Merit and Satisfaction The Church of Rome ioyneth our workes with Christs merits iointly to satisfie therewith 40.29 GOod Reader it may fall out that in the margent of this booke specially some faults are escaped in the printing by mistaking or misplacing the figures other parts of the quotation Which is no maruel in quotations of this nature where many figures go together And I my selfe being aboue 100. miles from the presse that I could not helpe it Neuerthelesse I will maintaine the quotation for substance to be true though the Printer may haue mistaken it and learned men that will take so much pains may find that which I intend I doubt not by their owne knowledge of the place if the numbers of the quotation deceiue them I know not whether there be any such defects yet or noâ— but this I admonish because the Papists if they find an error in the printing of one of our bookes vse to exclame as if an article of our faith were razed out neuer remembring the like casualties of their own It is one thing if I haue wilfully forged or falsified a place and another thing if the Printer onely haue mistaken the quotation The latter may be but the former is not as I will be ready to satisfie any that will charge me with it FINIS