continued against it as in all heresies that haue spronge vp of new we can doe If there could not a little ceremonie be added to the Masse but that it was set downe in history when and by whom how could the whole substance of the Masse which consisteth in consecration oblation and consumption of the sacred Hoast be newly inuented and no mention made when or by whom or that euer there was any such new inuention at all If also historiographers were not afraide to note personall and priuate vices of the Popes themselues which they might well think Popes would not willingly haue made open to the world why should they haue feared to haue recorded any alteration in religion Which if it had beene had beene a thing done publikely in the view of the whole world or if there were any feare or flattery which might tye the tongues and pennes of those that liued neare hand that they durst not or would not mention such a matter yet doubtlesse others which liued in places further off should not haue had those causes and consequently would not haue kept secret such an open and important a thing as this If lastly the histories which make mention of these priuate vices of Popes and other Christian Princes could not onely first come out but also continue without touch till these latter times what reason can any haue to doubte or dreame but that the like would haue beene set out about the alteration of religion if it had happened and that if any such history reporting any true accident of alteration or change of religion had come out it should partly by Gods prouidence partly by humane diligence haue bin preserued till these our daies especially cōsidering that such records had beene so requisite for discerning the ancient vnchanged true Christian religion from vpstart nouelty which must needes bee false So that we may well conclude that if Christian religion had since the Apostles time altered in Rome it would haue bin recorded in histories as other things and especially such notable alterations are recorded and those histories would haue beene preserued till this day as other Christian monuments haue beene preserued euen in time of persecution yea euen then when the persecutors made particuler enquiry for Christian bookes to burne or consume them But in those auncient histories there is no mention made of any such alteration of religion in Rome Wherefore it followeth that there was no such alteration or change at all No such alteration being made it is euident that the same faith and religion which was in Saint Paules time hath alwaies continued is there now That which was there then was the true faith and religion as appeareth by that high commendation which Saint Paule hath left written of it Therefore that which is there now must needes bee the onely true holy and Catholique faith and that company which professeth it must needes bee the Onely true Holy and Catholique Church Neither can I see what answere can with any probability be forged against this reason For to say that the errours of the Church of Rome crept in by little and little and so for the littlenes of the thing or for the negligence of the Pastors were not espied is an Idle fiction already refuted For first those matters which the Protestantes call errours in the Romane Church be not so little matters but that lesse euen in the like kinde are ordinarily recorded in stories Nay some of them are in the Protestants conceipts consequently if men of olde time had beene Protestants they would haue beene also in their conceipts as grosse superstition as Paganisme it selfe namely to adore Christ our Sauiour as being really and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament the which Sacrament Protestants hold to be really and substantially but a bare peece of bread Also the Protestants account the vse of the Images to be Idolatry and say very ignorantly or maliciously that wee adore stockes and stones as the Panims did The which thinges could not so haue crept in by little and little but they must needes be espied Neither could the Pastours of the Church at any time be so simple and ignorant so sleepy and negligent but they must needes haue seene and seeing must needes in some sort haue resisted as before I haue said For to imagine all the Pastours of any one age to haue beene in such a deepe Lethargicall and deadlie sleepe that they could not onely not perceiue when the enemy should ouer sow Cockle in the harts of some but also when this Cockle of false beliefe should grow to outward action and especially to publike practise the which could not be but most apparant to imagine I say all the Pastors to be so simple and sleepy not then to marke or not to resist is rather the dreame of a proud man in his sleepe who is apte to thinke all men fooles beside himselfe then a iudiciall conceipte of a waking man of any vnderstanding who ought to thinke of things past either according to the verity recorded in stories or when this faileth by comparing the likelihood of that which hee thinketh was done by men of that time with that which most men of their quality would do in like case Finally if these were so and that the Church did by this meanes for so long space in such important matters vniuersally erre neglexerit Officium Spiritus Sanctus as Tertullian speaketh refuting the like cauill of heretiques the holy Ghost should haue neglected his office which is as I haue proued before out of Scripture not to permit the vniuersall Church to fall into errour but to suggest vnto it all things that Christ said vnto it and to teach it all truth §. IIII. That the Romane Church onely is Apostolique FOurthly I finde that the Protestants Church is not Apostolique Because they can not deriue the Pedegree of their preachers lineally without interruption from the Apostles but are forced to acknowledge some other as Luther or Caluin or some such for their first founders in this their new faith from whome they may perhaps shew some succession of the preachers of their faith but they can neuer shew that Luther or Caluin themselues wsto liued within this hundred yeares did either lawfully succeede or was lawfully sent to teach this new faith by any Apostolique Bishop or Pastour Nay Luther himselfe doth not onely confesse but also bragge that he was the first preacher of this new found faith Christum à nobis primo vulgatum audemns gloriari saieth hee we darre boast that Christ was first published by vs. For which his glorious boasting me thinkes hee deserueth well that title which Optatus giueth vnto Victor the first Bishop of the Donatists to wit to be called filius sine patre Discipulus sine magistro a sonne without a father a disciple without a maister On the cōtrary side the Romane Church can shew a lineall succession of their Bishops
Churches afterward did borrow and do daily borrow the ofspring of faith and the seeds of doctrine that they may be made Churches and by this meanes these also shall be accouÌ„ted Apostolique as being the issue of the Apostolicall Churches Contrariwise no conuenticle of heretiques can be Apostolique by reason that heresie being an vpstart nouelty contrary to the former receiued faith of the Church cannot haue any Apostle or Apostolique man for auctor and founder but is forced to acknowledge some other of whom as it receaued the first being so most comonly either the doctrine or the men that follow it or both receiue also their name as of Arrians came Arrianisme and the Arrians of Montanus came the Montanists and Montanisme and there was neuer yet heretique which could deriue the pedegree of his congregation by vninterrupted succession from the Apostles which maketh Tertullian to vrge them so earnestly saying Edant haeretici origines ecclesiarum suarum euoluant ordinem Episcoporum ita per successiones decurrentes vt primus ille Episcopus aliquem ex Apostolicis viâ—is qui tamen cum Apostolis perseuerauerit authorem habuerit antecessorem Let the hetikes shew the beginning of their Churches or as they had rather say of their Congregations let them vnfold the order of their Bishops or superintendents so running downe by successions that the first of them shall haue for his auctor in doctrine and predecessors in place any Apostolique man who did perseuer and did not forsake the Apostles Thus did Tertullian vrge them because he knew well that they could neuer make this proper note of the true Church to agree to their company It appeareth therefore plaine enough that these foure properties One Holy Catholique and Apostolique agree only to the true Church and sith it is no hard matter for any to see or know which company of Christians hath these properties as in the next chapter I shall declare It is also plaine that these foure One Holie Catholique Apostolique being proper to the true Church and apparant enough are good notes or markes by which meÌ„ may discerne which company of those which haue the name of Christians and which professe as euery company professeth themselues to teach the true doctrine of Christ is indeed the true Church which doubtlesse teacheth in all points the true doctrine of Christ. CHAP. XVI That the Romane Church is One Holy Catholique Apostolique and therefore the true Church THVS farre my discourse hath gone along all in generalities in shewing the necessity of true faith and that this faith is to be learned of the true Church and that this Church continueth alwaies and is visible as being a visible company of men professing the true faith of Christ partaking his Sacraments and liuing vnder the gouernement of lawfull Pastors his substitutes that whereas diuers companies of men take vpon them the title of this Church whereby some do stand in doubt which company is the true Church there bee certain marks by which the true Church may be certainely knowen discerned from all other companies or congregations and finally that these markes bee those foure One Holy Catholique Apostolique which are certainely knowne to bee the properties of the true Church both by the Nicene Creed and also by plaine testimonies of Scriptures and Fathers Now it wil be good to see if we can by these generall grounds conclude which particuler company of men is the true Church of Christ. A conclusion of exceeding great consequence as touching all matters in controuersie concerning the doctrine of faith as may appeare by the drifte of all my former discourse For the framing of which conclusion we shal not need to bring in comparison all the companies or sectes of diuers religions that haue bin and are in the world because euery one can easily discerne of themselues and especially by the helpe of that which hath beene saide that neither Turkes nor Iewes nor whatsoeuer other Infidels can be the true Church of Christ because these neither haue the name of Christians neither do they professe to haue the name of Christ. Neither am I now to meddle with heretiques and schismatiques of former ages the which as they haue bin condemned by the generall consent of the Church so in continuance of time they haue beene worne out by the same Church in so much that euen the memory of them God be thanked seemeth to be perished with them My chiefe question and comparison therfore shal be betwixt the Romain Church that is to say that company which comâ—unicateth and agreeth in profession of faith with the Church of Rome liueth vnder the obedience as touching spirituall matters of the Bishop of Rome other Bishops and pastours vnder him and the Protestantes that is to say that companie which from Luther his time hitherward haue opposed themselues against the Romaine Church either all or any one sect of them my question I say or comparison shal bee to which of those two the foure forenamed markes agree and consequentely which of them is the true Church § SECT I. That the Romaine Church onely is one FIrst I finde that the Protestants Church is not perfitely One or vniforme in dogmaticall points of faith but variable according to the varietie of times persons now holding one thing then an other and that the learned men thereof are so much at Iarre among themselues in matters of faith that it is hard to finde three in all pointes of one opinion and which is chiefly to bee pondered as principally appertaining to the marke of Vnitie they haue no meanes to end their controuersies so to returne to vnitie and to continue therein For while as they admitt no rule of faith but onely Scripture which scriptures diuers men expound diuersely according to the diuers humours and affections opinions and phantasies of euery one neuer one admitting any one head or cheef ruler infallibly guided by the holy Ghost in his doctrine to whose censure in matters of faith euery one should of necessitie submit theÌ„selues vt capite constituto schismatis tollatur occasio that as S. Hierome speaketh a head or chiefe ruler being ordained occasion of schisme or diuision may bee taken away Whilst they do thus as they all doe thus al proclaiming to be ruled by only Scripture and yet almost in euery one in one point or other expounding Scripture diuersely and one contrarie to an other according to the diuers seeming of euery ones sense and neuer one admitting any one superiour infallibly guided by the â—oly Ghost to whose definitiue sentence â—e and the rest wil be bound to submitte â—â—eir doctrine expositioÌ„s whilst I say â—hey doe thus it is vnpossible that they â—hould in fidei occurrere vnitatem meete as S. Hierome consaileth in the vnity of faith The which vnitie in profession of faith notwithstanding is one principall thing â—ertaining to the vnitie of the Church and Vnitie of the Church is one
was vniuersally receiued for a veritie of the Catholique Church The which if any man will take vpon him to gainesaye let him shew and proue if he can what pointe of doctrine the Romaine Church doth denie or holde contrarie to that which by the Church was vniuersally held before As we can shew diuers pointes that the Protestants so hold or denie Let him I say shew and proue by setting downe the point of doctrine the authour the time the place what companie did oppose themselues against it and who they were that did continew as the true Church must still continew in the profession of the former faith lineally without interruption till these our daies as we caÌ„ shew and proue against them Let him also shewe what countrie there is or hath beene where Christian faith either was first planted or afterwards continued where some at least haue not holden the Romaine faith As we can shew euen at this day diuers places where there religioÌ„ is scarse heard of especially in the Indian Iaponian and China countries which were not long since first coÌ„uerted to the Christian faith onely by those who were membres oâ— the Romaine Church chiefly by Iesuiteâ— sent thither by the auctoritie of the Pope And to goe no further then our dearâ— countrie England Wee shall finde in thâ— Cronicles that it was conuerted by Auâ—ustine a Monke sent by S. Gregory the Pope and that it continued in that faith without knowledge of the Protestants religion which then and for diuers huÌ„dred yeares after was neuer heard of as being then â—nhatched The like record of other countries conuerted by meanes of those onely who either were directely sent by â—he Pope or Bishop of Rome or at least communicated and agreed in profession of â—aith with him we may finde in other hiâ—tories Lastly let him shew some space of time in which the Romaine Church was â—ot since Christ and his Apostles time or 〈◊〉 which it was not visible and knowen As wee can shew them many hundred â—eares in which theirs was not at all Let â—im I say therfore shew proue which â—euer any yet did or can proue that euer â—he Romaine Church did either faile to be 〈◊〉 to be visible or being still visible when â—he profession of the ancient faith which 〈◊〉 receiued from the Apostles did faile in 〈◊〉 and when and by whom the profession â—f a new faith began in it As we can shew â—hen where by whome this new no â—ith of theirs began Certaine it is that once the Romaine Church had the true faith was a true Church to wit when S. Paule writ to the Romanes saying vestra fides annunciatur in vniuerso orbe your faith is renowmed in the whole world When therefore I pray you as the learned and renowned M. Campian vrgeth when I saye did Rome chaunge the beleefe and profession of faith which once it had Quo tempore quo Pontifice qua via qua vi quibus incrementis vrbem orbem religio peruasit aliena Quas voces quas turbas quae lamenta ea res progenuit Omnes orbe reliquo sopiti sunt dum Roma Roma inquam noua Sacramenta nouum sacrificium nouum religionis dogma procuderet Nullus extitit Historicus neque Latinus neque Graecus neque remotus neque citimus qui rem tantam vel obscure iaceret in commentarios At what time vnder what Pope what way with what violence or force with what augmentation or encrease did a strainge religion ouerflow the cittie and the whole world What speaches or rumours what tumults or troubles what lamentations at least did it breed was all the rest of the world a sleepe when Rome the Imperial and mother cittie whose matters for the most part are open to the view of the whole world when Rome I say did coine new Sacraments a new sacrifice a new doctrine of faith and religion Was there neuer one Historiographer neither Latin nor Greeke neither farre off nor neere who would at least obscurely cast into his commentaries such a notable matter as this is Certainely it is not possible if such a thing as this had happened but that it should haue beene resisted or at least recorded by some For suppose it were true which Protestants imagine that some points of the faith and religion which Rome professeth at this day were as contrary to that which was in it when Saint Paule commended â—he Romane faith as blacke to white darkenesse to light or so absurde as were now Iudaisme or Paganisme as one of their Historiographers accounteth it worse saying that indeede Augustine the Monke conuerted the Saxons from Paganisme but as the prouerbe saith saith hee bringing them out of Gods blessing into the warme Sunne Suppose I say this were true Then I would demaund if it were possible that any Prince in any Christian cittie and much more that the Pope in Rome the mother cittie could at this day bring in any notable obsurde rite of Iewish or Paganish religion for example to offer vp an Oxe in sacrifice or to worship a Cow as God and not only to practise it priuately in his owne Chappell but to get it publiquely practised and preached in all Churches not onely of that cittie but also in all the rest of the Christian world and that none should in Christian zeale continually oppose themselues that no Bishop should preach no Doctor write against this horrible innouation of faith and the author thereof that none should haue constancy to suffer martyrdome which Christians haue bin alwaies most ready to endure rather then to yeelde to a profession and practise so contrary to their ancient faith that there should be no true harted Christians who would speake of it or at least lament it nor no Historiographer that would so much as make obscure mention of it Could all be so a sleepe that they could not note or so cold and negligent in matters concerning their soules good as generally without any care to yeeld vnto it Noe certainely though there were no promise of Christ his owne continuall presence no assurance of the infallible assistance of his holy Spirit Yet it is not possible that such a grosse errour should arise among Christians and ouerwhelme the whole world without some resistance The Bishops and Pastors could not bee so simple or so vnmindfull of their duty but they would first note such an euident contrariety to the ancient and vniuersally receiued faith and noting it they would doubtlesse with common coÌ„sent resist contradict and finally according to Saint Paule his rule accurse it If therefore this could not happen now nor euer heretofore was heard that any such absurd errour or heresie did or could arise without noting or resisting what reason can any man haue to say that this hath happened at Rome not being able to alledge any writter that did note the thing the person the time and what oppositioÌ„ was made and
without interruption euen from the Apostle Saint Peter vnto Clement the eight the Bishop of Rome which liueth at this daie The which succession from the Apostles which we haue and the Protestants want the ancient fathers did much esteeme and vsed it as an argument partly co confound the Heretiques partly to confirme themselues in the vnitie of the Catholique Church So doth Irenaeus who saith Traditionem ab Apostolis annunciatam hominibus fidem per successiones episcoporum peruenientem vsque ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes illos qui quoquo modo vel per sui placentiam malam vel per vanam gloriam vel per caecitatem malam sententiam praeterquà m oportet colligunt Shewing the tradition from the Apostles and the faith coÌ„ming vnto vs by succession of Bishops we confounde all them who any way through euill coÌ„placence of themselues or vaine glorie or through peruerse opinion doe collect and coÌ„clude otherwise then they ought So also doth Saint Austen who saith Tenet me in Ecclesia Catholica â—b ipsa Sede Petri Apostoli cui pascendas oues suas Dominus commendauit vsque ad praesenâ—â—â— Episcopum successio Sacerdotum The succession of Priests from the very seate of Peter the Apostle to whome our Lord commended his sheepe to be fedde vntill this present Bishop doth hold me in the Catholique Church See the same Saint Austen Epist. 150. Optatus l. 2. cont Parmen Saint Epiphan Haer. 275. Saint Cyprian l. 1. epist. 6. S. Athanas. Orat. 2. contra Arrianos who pronounceth them to be Heretiques qui â—â—unde quà m à tota successione Cathedrae Ecclesiasticae origineÌ„ fidei suae deducunt who deriue the beginning of their faith from any other ground then from the whole succession of Ecclesiasticall chaire And this saith he is eximium admirabile argumentum ad haereticam sectam explorandam an excellent and admirable argument wherby we may espie out and discerne an hereticall sect The which argument these Fathers would neuer haue vrged and extolled so much if they had not thought that this succession was an vndoubted good marke of the Church and that with this lawfull vninterrupted Apostolicall succession of Doctors and Pastors the true Apostolique faith and doctrine was alwaies conioyned The which to be conioyned we may easily proue out of Saint Paule himselfe who saith Dedit Pastores Doctores ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerij in aedificationem Corporis Christi donec occurramus omnes in vnitatem fidei agnitionis Filij Dei in virum perfectum in mensuram aetatis plenitudinis Christi Signifying that Christ our Sauiour hath appointed these outward functions of Pastors and Doctors in the Church to continue vntill the worlds end for the edification and perfection thereof and especially for this purpose vt non simus paruuli fluctuantes circumferamur omni vento doctrinae that we may not be little ones wauering and carried about with euery winde of doctrine Wherefore that this ordinance and appointment of Pastours and Doctors in the Church made by our Sauiour Christ may not bee frustrate of the effect intended by him wee must needes say that he hath decreed so to assist and direct these Pastours in teaching the doctrine of faith that the people their flocke may alwaies by their meanes bee preserued from wauering in the ancient faith and from being carried about with euery wind of new doctrine The which cannot be vnlesse with succession of Pastors be alwaies conioyned succession in true doctrine at least in such sort that all the Pastors cannot at any time vniuersally erre or faile to teach the ancient Apostolique faith For if they should thus vniuersally erre then all the people who doe and ought like sheepe follow the voice of their Pastour should also generally erre so the whole Church which according to Saint Gregorie Nazianzene consisteth of sheepe and Pastors should contrary to diuers promises of our Sauiour vniuersally erre So that we may be sure that the Ordinary Pastors shall neuer be so forsaken of the promised Spirit of truth that all shall generally erre and teach errors in faith or that there shall not be at all times some sufficient company of lawfull succeeding Pastors adhering to the succession of S. Peter who was by our Sauiour appointed chiefe Pastor of whom we may learne the truth and by whom we may alwaies be confirmed and continued in the true ancient faith and preserued from being carried about with the winde of vpstart errour The which being so it followeth that the true Apostolique doctrine is inseperably conioyned with the succession of lawfull Pastors especically of the Apostolique sea of Rome Wherefore we may against all Heretiques of our time as the auncient Fathers did against Heretikes of their time vrge this argument of succession especially of the Apostolicall succession of the Bishoppes of Rome We may say to them as Saint Augustine saith to the Donatistes Numerare Sacerdotes ab ipsa sede Petri in illâ— ordine Patrum quis cui successit videte Number the Priestes from the seate it selfe of Peter and in that Order or rowe of Fathers see which succeeded which Wee may say with Irenaeus Hac ordinatione et successione Episcoporum traditio Apostolorum ad nos peruenit est plenissima ostensio vnam eandem fidem esse quae ab Apostolis vsque nunc confirmata est By this orderly succession of Bishoppes the tradition of the Apostles hath come vnto vs and it is a most full demonstration that the faith which from the Apostles is confirmed euen vntill now is one and the same We may tell them with Tertullian Nos communicaâ—us cum ecclesijs Apostolicis quod nulla aduersa doctrina facit hoc est testimonium veritatis We doe communicate with the Apostolique Churches which no contrarie doctrine doth and this is a testimony of the truth CHAP. XVII The Conclusion of the whole discourse NOVV to make an end considering all this which I haue said and proued to wit that there is but one infallible entire faith the which is necessary to saluation to all sorts of men the which faith euery one must learne by some knowen infallible and vniuersall rule accomodate to the capacity of euery one the which rule cannot be any other but the doctrine and teaching of the true Church the which Church is alwaies to continue visible vntill the worlds end and is to bee knowen by these foure markes Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholique Apostolique the which markes agree only to the Roman Church that is to say to that company which doth communicate and agree in profession of faith with the Church of Rome whereupon followeth that this Church or company is the onely true Church of which euery one must learne that faith which is necessary to saluatioÌ„ CoÌ„sidering I say al this I would demand of the ProtestaÌ„ts how
to do according to the doctrine of the Prelates of the Catholike Church yea although it should happen that their liues were not laudable but bad For although our Sauiour in this place doth only in expresse wordes make mention of the chaire of Moses in which the Priests of the old Law did sit yet he is to be vnderstood to speake also of the chaire of S. Peter his owne Vicegerent in which the Priestes of the new Law doe succeed And this à fâ—rtiori because we haue greater reason to thinke that our Sauiour inteÌ„ded in his doctrine to giue rules to the Priests and people of his new Law which was presently to begin and to continue till the worldes end then only to giue documents to those of the old Law considering he knew that it should so shortly cease Wherefore the ancient fathers do vnderstand that place to bee meant of the Priestes of the new Law and namely S. Augustine who saith thus In illum ordinem Episcoporum qui ducitur ab ipso petro ad Anastasium qui nunc in eadem Cathedra sedet etiamsi quisquam traditor per illatempora subrepsâ—sset nihil praeiudicaret Ecclesie innocentibus Christianis quibus prouidens Dominus ait de praepositis malis quae dicunt facite quae faciunt facere nolite Into that order of Bishoppes which is deriued from S. Peter himself vnto Anastasius who now sitteth vpoÌ„ the same chair although some traytor had crept in in those times he should nothing hurt the Church and the innocent Christians for whome our Lord prouiding saith of euill Prelates what they say do what they do do not The threates we may gather First out of S. Luke when our Sauiour faith Qui vos spernit me spernit Hee that despiseth you despiseth me Signifying that look what sinne it were not to heare but to despise our Sauiour Christ himselfe that wee should account it the same to despise not to giue eare and credit to the Catholike Church Insinuating therby that the like punishment is to be expected for the saide contempte Secondly in S. Mathew the same our Sauiour expressely saith Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi sicut Ethnicus publicanus If he wil not heare the Church let him be to thee like an Ethnicke and a Publican Finally in S. Marke after hee had giuen charge coÌ„mission to preach the Gospell to euery creature hee pronounceth this threate to those that will not beleeue saying Qui non crediderit condemnabitur hee that will not beleeue shall be condemned Thus you see our Sauiour Christ hath promised to his Church the continuall presence of himselfe and of his holy Spirit to teach that coÌ„pany all truth Wherof followeth that it is infallibly taught al truth Moreouer hee hath giuen charge and commission to that Church to teach vs and hath warranted and commanded vs in all pointes to heare and do according to the saying of this Church which proueth that it appertaineth to this Church to instruct vs in all pointes of faith and that we ought to learne of it in all matters of religion what is the fallible truth consequently that the doctrine of this Church is the rule of faith Worthily therefore doth S. Paule call this Church columnam firmamentum veritatis The pillar and ground of truth Worthily also saith S Austen Scripturarum à nobis tenetur veritas cum id facimus quod vniuersae placet Ecclesiae quam earundem scripturarum commendat authoritas vt quoniam scriptura sancta fallere non potest quisquis falli â—etuit huius obscuritate questionis ecclesiam de illa consulat quam sine vlla ambiguitate scriptura sancta demonstrat The truth of the Scriptures is holden of vs when wee doe that which pleaseth the vniuersall or whole Church the which is commended by the authority of the Scriptures themselues that because the holy Scripture cannot deceiue whosoeuer feareth to bee deceiued with the obscurity of this question let him require the iudgement of the church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate by which wordes hee sheweth plainely that the sentence of the Church is of infallible and vndoubted truth that the way not to bee deceiued in an obscure question is to aske and follow the iudgement of the Church Wherefore worthily also do we all say Credo Ecclesiam CatholicaÌ„ I beleeue the Catholike Church worthily also may I conclude that neither Scripture alone nor naturall witte and learning nor priuate spirit nor any other thing but onely the teaching of the true Church of Christ is that ordinarie meanes which Almighty God hath prouided whereby all men may learne that one infallible entire faith which I proued to be necessary to saluation CHAP. XI That the Church whose doctrine must bee to vs the rule of faith must alwaies continue without interruption from Christ his time till the worldes end COnsidering what had bene proued in the former Chapter about the infallible authorite of the doctrine of the true Church I hope no Christian will denie but that so longe as this Church doth continew we haue of it a sure pillar and a firme foundation whereupon we may safely build our beleefe For either a maÌ„ must denie that euer our Sauior did make any such promise gaue such charge and commission left any such warrant sett forth such a commaundement or thundred out any such threates as before is rehearsed which were to denie the scriptures which scriptures are generally receiued by all Christians no otherwise theÌ„ as they are the vndoubted worde of God or els he must wrest the interpretation thereof both from that which the wordes of themselues naturally yeeld also from the common sense and vnderstanding either of al or the most learned and almost of the vnlearned also of the whole Christian world or els he shal be forced to confesse that which not I but S. Paule hath saied ecclesia est columna firmamentum veritatis the Church is the pillar and ground of trueth Onely it may perchaunce seeme to some of those that doe at this day oppose themselues against the authoritie of the Church that this was true for S. Paules time and perhaps for some 3.4.5 or 6. hundred yeares after but not to be presumed vpon in latter times and namely when Luther began his reformation as they tearme it or now a dayes Against these men I set downe this assertion The true Church of Christ which the forenamed testimonies of Scripture do commend was and is to continew without interruption till the worldes end This I proue First out of the very wordes of those promises which I cited out of S. Mathew S. Iohn For how can Christ our Sauiour or his holy Spirit be with his Church in such sort as there is promised to witt till the worldes end and for euer and especially as is saied in S. Matthew omnibus diebus
not only not humble himselfe like a litle one submitting himselfe to euery humane creature for Gods sake but doth proudly oppose himselfe against the vniuersall Church it self whom God hath willed and commanded vs to heare no otherwise then himselfe For wanting this humility consequently the grace of God which is denied to the proud giuen to the humble there is no doubt but that howsoeuer such a man seemeth in his outward behauiour hee can haue no true sanctity within him the which true sanctity failing inwardly it is hard for him to beare himselfe so but that sometime or other by one occasion or other he shall euen outwardly manifest this his inward waÌ„t as in these our daies heretiques commonly do in such apparant manner that it is no hard matter to discerne that they be not as some of theÌ„ would haue the Church defined a company of Saints The true Church is proued also to be Catholique that is to say vniuersall first in time by most plaine prophesies promises of scripture as I haue already shewed in the eleauenth chapter vnto which here I will only adde those words of Isaias Hoc faedus meum cum eis dicit Dominus spiritus meus qui est in te verba mea quae posui in ore tuo non recedent de ore tuo de ore seminis tui de ore seminis seminis tui dicit Dominus amodo vsque in sempiternum This is my couenant with them saith our Lord my Spirit which is in thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth and from the mouth of thy seede and from the mouth of the seede of thy seede saith our Lord from hence forth for euer It may also be easily proued to be vniuersal in respect of place by these plaine testimonies of holy Scripture Conuertenâ—â—r ad Dominum vniuersi fines terrae all the â—ounds of the earth shall be conuerted to 〈◊〉 Lord. Dominabitur à mari vsque admare 〈◊〉 à flumine vsque ad terminos orbis terrarum He to wit Christ shall rule and haue dominion from sea to sea from the flood â—ntill the furthermost limits of the earth Omnes gentes seruient ei All nations shall serue him Vpon all which places and some other see S. Austen in his exposition of the Psalmes and among other things which he speaketh to the purpose note his interpretation of those words à slumiâ—â— vsque ad terminos orbis terrarum VVhich words saith he doth signifie that the dominion of Christ began à slumine Iordano from the flood of Iordan where he being baptized was made manifest by the descending of the holy Ghost and the sound of his Fathers voice from whence hee began to choose his Disciples and from hence saith he Doctrina oius incipiâ—â—s dilatatur vsque ad terminos orbis terrae cum praedicatur Euangelium regni in vniuerso orbe in testimonium omnibus gentibus tunc veniâ—â— finis His doctrine beginning is dilated or spread abroad vnto the furthest parts of the earth when the Gospell of the kingdome is preached ouer the whole world for a testimony to all nations after which done the end of the world shall come See also the same S. Austen in his booke de vnitate Ecclesiae especially in the ninth and tenth chapter where he citeth and vrgeth that place of Saint Luke where our Sauiour saith Necesse est impleri omnia quae scripta sunt in lege Prophetis Psalmis de me c. quoniam sic scriptum est sic oportebit Christum pati resurgere à mortuis predicari in nomine eius poenitentiam remissionem peccatorum in omnes gentes incipientibus ab Ierosolima It is needfull that all things should be fulfilled which are writen of me in the Law the Prophets and Psalmes c. for so it is written and so it was needfull that Christ should suffer rise againe from the dead the third day and that penance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name throughout all nations beginning from Hierusalem By which place and diuers others he sheweth plainely that the true Church of Christ cannot be contained in a corner of the world but must be vniuersall that is diffused and spread throughout the whole world as the same S. Austen beside his other proofes gathered out of the very name Catholica the which name saith he was imposed on the Church by our forefathers vt ex ipso nomine ostenderent â—â—ia per totum est secunduÌ„ totum enim Catholon â—race dicitur That by the very name â—hey might shew that the Church is throughout the whole world For saith he the word Catholon in Greeke wherevpon Catholique is deriued signifyeth a thing which is generall or agreeing to the whole But we must note here that when we â—aye the true Church is Catholique or â—â—ffused throughout the whole world it is ment that at least by succession of time it hath beene or shal be dilated more and more in euery natioÌ„ till it haue gone throughout the whole world Moreouer it is tearmed Catholique not onely because it shal be spred ouer the whol world in processe of time but also because euen in euery age it hath beene and shal be alwaies in very many nations and indeede in euery nation where any Christian religion is which is in a sort to be spred ouer the whole world This doth S. Austen in his booke de vnitate Ecclesiae most diligently proue out of the Scriptures themselues The effect of his argument is this The Church must be such as it is described in Scripture But in Scripture it is described to beginne at Ierusalem and to procede into al Iewrie to goe forward into Samaria and to streatch it selfe further further vsque ad vltimum terrae euen vnto the vttermost of the earth And saieth hee the seede of the Gospell once sowen in the fielde of the world fructificat crescit doth not vniuersally or for the most part perish but fructifie and grow or encrease in omni mundo in the whole world doth coÌ„tinue to grow or encrease vsque ad messem vntill the haruest of the consummation of the world as our Sauiour signifieth the which consummation wil be when this seede is come to the full grouth praedicabitur Euangelium in vniuerso mundo in testimonium omnibus gentibus saieth our Sauiour tunc veniet consummatio the Gospell shal be preached in the whole world for a testimonie to all nations and then the consummation shall come This is Saint Austens discourse by which he proueth that the true Church of Christ is not contained in a corner of 〈◊〉 world but must be dilated and spred 〈◊〉 a sort ouer the whole world On the contrary side the congregatioÌ„ 〈◊〉 Heretiques is not Catholique neither in
they can perswade thēselues to haue that faith which is necessarie to saluation sith they will not admitt the authoritie and doctrine of this Church of which onely they ought to learne this faith or how they can as some of them doe challenge to themselues the title of the true Church sith their companie hath neuer one of the foure markes which by common consent of all must needes be acknowledged for the true markes of the Church how can their congregation be the true Church which neither is One because it hath no meanes to keepe vnitie nor Holy because neither was there euer any man of it which by miracle or any other euident testimony can be proued to haue beene truely holy neither is their doctrine such as those that must purely obserue it do without faile thereby become holy nor Catholique because it teacheth not all truths that haue beene held by the vniuersal Church in former times but denieth many of them neither is it spred ouer all the Christian world but being deuided into diuers sectes euery particular secte is contained in some corner of the world neither hath it beene in all times euer since Christ but sproung vp of late the first founder being Martin Luther an Apostata a man after his Apostasie from his professed religious order knowen both by his writings wordes deedes manner of death to haue beene a notable ill liuer nor Apostolique because the preachers thereof can not deriue their Pedegree lineally without interruption from any Apostle but are forced to beginne their line if they will haue any from Luther Caluin or some latter How can they then bragge that they haue the true holy Catholique and Aphstolique faith sith this is not found in any companie that differeth in doctrine from the onely true holy Catholique and Apostolique Church For if it be true which Saint Austen faith that in ventre Ecclesiae veritas manet the truth remaineth in the bellie of the Church it is impossible that those who are disioined by difference of beleefe from that companie which is knowen to bee the true Church should haue the true faith For true faith as before hath bene proued is but one wherefore hee that differreth in beleefe from them which haue the true faith either he must haue a false faith or no faith at all Againe one can not haue true faith vnles he first heare it according to the ordinarie rule of Saint Paule saying Fides ex auditu faith cōmeth of hearing but how can one heare true doctrine of faith sine praedicante without one to preach truely vnto him how shold one preach truely at least in all points nisi mittatur vnles he be sent and consequently assisted by the Spiritt of God now how should wee know that Luther or Caluin or any other that will leape out of the Church and leaue that company wherein is vndoubted succession and by succession lawfull missiō or sending from God how should we I say know that these men teaching a new and contrary doctrine were indeede sent of God Nay certainely wee may be most sure that they were not sent of God For sith Almightie God hath by his Sonne planted a Church vpon earth which Church hee would haue alwaies continue vntill the worldes end hath placed in it a visible succession of lawful ordinary pastours whom hee will with the assistance of himselfe and his holy Spirit so guide that they shall neuer vniuersally faile to teach the true faith and to preserue the people from errours wee are not now to expect any to bee sent from God to instruct the people but such onely as come in this ordinary manner by lawfull succession order and calling according as Saint Paule saith Nec quisquā sumit sibi honorem sed qui vocatur à Deo tanquam Aaron Neither doth any man take to himselfe the honour but hee that is called of God as Aaron was to wit visibly and with peculiar consecration as we read in Leuiticus cap. 8. to which accordeth that which wee read 2. Paralipp cap. 26. where Azarias said to king Ozias Non est tui officij Ozia vt adoleas incensum Domino sed Sacerdotum hoc est filiorum Aaron qui consecrati sunt ad huiusmodi ministerium egredere de Sanctuario c. It is not thy office O Ozias to offer incense to our Lord but it is the office of Priests to witte of the sonnes of Aaron who are consecrated to this function or ministerie goe out of the Sanctuarie Which bidding when Ozias contēned would not obey he was presently stricken with a leprosie and then being terrified feeling the punishment inflicted by our Lord he hastened away as in the same place is declared By which places we may learne that it doth not belong to any one to doe priestly functions as to offer incēse or sacrifice to God or take vpon thē the auctoritie to preach and instruct the people but onely to Priests called visibly and cōsecrated for this peculiar purpose as Aaron and his children were For though the Priesthood of the Pastors of the new law be not Aaronicall yet it agreeth with the Priesthood of Aaron according to Saint Paule his saying in the foresaid place in this that those that come to it must not take the honour of themselues but must be called vnto it of God as Aaron was to wit visibly by peculiar cōsecration In which ordinary manner whosoeuer commeth he may be truely called Pastor ovium a Pastor of Christs flocke because intrat per ostium he entereth in by the doore to wit by Christ himselfe who first visibly called consecrated and sent immediatelie the Apostles and the Apostles by authority receaued from him did visiblie by imposition of handes call consecrate and send others and those in like manner others from time to time without interruption vntill these present men who now are Priestes of the Catholique Romane Church These therefore enter in by Christ who is the doore and therefore these be true Pastours and whosoeuer entereth not thus in at the doore but cōmeth in another way our Sauiour telleth vs how we should account of him when he saith Qui non intrat per ostium in ouile ouium sed ascendit aliunde ille fur est latro he that entreth not in by the doore into the sheep-fold but ascēdeth by some other way he is a theefe a robber who commeth not to feede the sheepe but to steale kill and destroy them So that we haue not I say to expect any to be sent of God to feed vs with the food of true doctrine of faith but such only as come in this ordinary maner as it is certaine that Luther Caluin when they left their former profession and tooke vpon them to preach this new faith did not come visibly called cōsecrated sent for this purpose by any lawful authority according to the ordinary manner or