therof iustifieth not à Christian Catholiques haue expresly worke out your salvation with feare and trembling Phillp 2. Protestants haue noewher eyther that à man can worke nothing towards his owne salvation beinge helped by the grace of God or that à man should make it is beleiffe to be saved without feare or doubt Catholiques haue expresly Vow yee and render your vowes psal. 75. Protestants haue noewher vow yee not or break your vowes as beinge vnlawfull to vow Catholiques haue expressly Doe ye the worthie fruits of pennance Luke 3. Protestants haue noewhere that fayth onely is sufficient without all satisfaction and other works of pēnance on our partes Catholiques haue expresly That every man shal be saved accordinge to his works Revela 20. Protestants haue noewhere that men shal be Iudged accordinge to their fayth Catho haue expresly That the Angell of our Lorde sayd Oh Lorde of host how longe wilt thou not haue mercy on Ierusalem and on the Citiyes of Iuda with which thou hast been angrie Za. 1. 10. Protestants haue noewhere that Angells or Saints Make not intercession for men in this miserable life and therfore that it is idle to craue their prayers Catho haue alsoe expresly that Another Angell came and stood by the Alter of gould which is before the throne of God and the smoke of the incenses of the prayers of Saints ascended from the hand of the Angell before God Revel. 8. Protestants haue noewher that Angells and heavenly Saints doe not offer the prayers of the Saints of the Militant Church on earth and that they cannot know them to present thē vnto God Catholiques haue expresly Grace to yow and peace from him that is and that was and that shall come and from the seaven spiritts which are in the sight of his Throne and from Iesus Christ Revel. 1. 4. Protestants haue noewhere that S. Iohn the Evangelist did not invocate the seaven Spiritts or Angells wherof in the first Chap he maketh mention for the obtayninge of grace and peace for the Churches of Asia and that only wee must pray to God alone and not to Christ as man and the Angelicall Spiritts and heavenly Saints Liuing with Christ Catholiques haue expresly that God is wonderfull in his Saints psalm 67. Protestants haue noe where that he is dishonnored in them Catholiques haue expresly without any limite of time And these signes shall follow them that beleive In my name shall they cast out Divells they shall speake with new tongues they shall take vp Serpents and if they drinke any deadly thinge it shall not hurt them they shall laye handes on the sick and they shall recover Mar. 16. And againe verily verily I saye vnto yow he that beleiveth in me the works that I doe he shall doe allsoe and greater workes then these shall he doe Io. 14. Protest haue noe where that none which are of Christ Church or fayth and Congregation shall doe any Miracles lyke vnto his and that it is à signe of an Antichristian Church to worke such profitable Miracles Catholiques haue expresly that From Pauls bodie were brought vnto the sick handkircheeffes or napkins and the diseases departed from them and evill Spiritts went out of them Act. 19. 12. Protestants haue noewhere that by the Reliques of Saints Miracles may not be wrought and that they are not to be esteemed or regarded Catholiques haue expresly Concerninge Virgins I haue not à Commaundement from our Lorde but Counsell I give 1. Cor. 7. And againe the vnmarried shal be more blessed if she remaine soe accordinge to my Counsell Ioan. 40. Protestants haue noe where that it is not lawfull to doe anie thinge except it can be warranted by an expresse Commaund from God Catholiques haue expresly And the Apostles Elders came together for to consider of this matter Act. 15. 6. Allsoe wee haue sent therfore Iudas and Silas who shall allsoe tell yow the same things by mouth for it seemeth good to the holy Ghost and to vs c. Ibide ve 27. 28. Protestāts haue noewhere that when important Controversies of Religion doe arise men must be sent onely to Scriptures and to every ones private Spiritt or that it is needles to assemble Counsells of the Pastors of the Church for the determination of them and that their decrees be not infallible and proceeds not from the holy Ghost Catholiques haue expresly that He that hath determined in his hart beinge settled not havinge necessity but havinge power in his owne will and hath iudged this in his hart to keep his virgine doth well therfore he that ioyneth his virgine in Matrimony doth well but he that ioyneth it not doth better 1. Cor. 7. 37. Againe tho Lust therof shal be vnder thee and thou shalt haue dominion ouer it Gen. 4. 7. Protestants haue noewhere that mā hath not free will or power to choose good and to eschw that which is badd througe the assistance of Gods grace Catholiques haue expresly This is my body this is my blood Mat. 26. Alsoe the bread which I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world Alsoe my flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed Io. 6. Protestants haue noewhere that vnder the externall accidents of bread and wyne that really the body and blood of Iesus Christ is not there and that it is not in substance flesh and blood indeed but only à figure or signe of it Catholiques haue From the risinge of the Sonne even to the goeinge downe great is my name amongst the Gentiles and in every place ther is sacrificinge and there is offered to my name à Cleane oblation because my name is great amonge the Gentils sayth the Lord of hoste Mall 1. 11. Protestants haue noe wher that ther is noe sacrificeing or publique oblation since Christ offerred himselfe at Ierusalem vpon the Crosse Catholiques haue expresly Hould the traditions which yee haue learned whether it be by worde or by our Epistle 2. Thess. 2. Allsoe my words which I haue put in thy mouth Shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of the seed of thy seed sayth our Lorde from this present and forever Esay 59. and 21. Protestants haue noewhere that Apostolicall vnwritten conditions are not to be observed and that none of Gods word by divine assistance shall be cōtinnallie deliuered by word of mouth and not openly be still professed nor that there is noe infallible deliverie of true doctrine by word of mouth Catholiques haue expresly I will giue yow another Paraclet that he may abyde whith yow forever the Spiritt of truth he shall teach yow all truth 10. 14. 16. and 16. 13. Protest haue noewhere that the Church is not ever assisted by the holie Ghost and that at some tymes she may teach some errors Catholiques haue expresly Thou art Peter and vpon this rock will I build my Church Mat. 16. 18. and that I haue prayed
Controversies of Religion are on the Catholiques side for which reason they Censure them For example to begin with S. Peters primatie M. Fulk when the consent of auncient Fathers were alleeged against them to that purpose vpon the words of Christ Then art Peter and vpon thee will I build my Church Answereth it Cannot be denyed but divers of the auncient Fater otherwise goodly and learned were deceived in opinion of Peters prerogatiue And Zantius another great Protestant sayth the Fathers exposition vpon this Rock that is vpon Peter is not admitted And Luther the great Apostle of Protestancie sayth Heare all eyther Fathers or Doctors as manie as hitherto haue interpreted Scriptures haue stumbled as when that of Math 16. Then art Peter c. they interpret of the Pope Kemtius CoÌ„c Tr. p. 3 sayth hat most of the Fathers as NazianzeÌ„ NisseÌ„ Basill Theodorett Ambroi Ierome Augustine did not dispute but avouch the soules of Saints and Martyrs to heare the petitions of those that prayed vnto them they went often to the monuments of Martyrs and invocated Martyrs by name Whitgifte defen. p. 473. All the Bishopps and learned wrighters of the Greek Church and Latins allsoe for the most part wree spotted with doctrines of frewil of merit of invocation of Saints and such lyke Doctor Whitakers de Sac Script p. 655. 678. 68. besyde that he sayth of Dionisius S. Paules disciple that he was a great patron of traditions and of S. Basill that he beleived Limbus Patrum and vnwritten traditions he confesseth generallie of all the auncient Fathers that they held Limbus Patrum free will merrits of good workes invocation of Saints Single life of Bishopps c. And that the Popish Religion is patched out of the Fathers errors D. Homph in his Iesuitis part 2. p. 930. teacheth that it may not bé denyed but that Ireneus Clement and others called Apostolicall haue in their wrightings the opinions of free will and merrite of workes Lascitius à Protestant of noe meane ranke would haue vs to beleive in his defen. pa. 146. that the Fathers devised Purgatorie that they were of opinion that prayers and Sacrifice of the Masse was to be offered vp for the dead that they bereaved the lay people of the Cupp called vpon dead Saints and brought in such lyke errors Calvin allsoe sayth it was à custome one thowsand three himdred yeares agoe to pray for the dead but all of that tyme I confesse were carried away into errors Those things which occurre here and ther abont satisfaction in the writings of all those in ould tyme moved me little I see indeed some of them I will speake playenly allmost all whose bookes are extant haue eyther slipped in this point or spoken too rigorouslie and too harshly But will yow see how Luther betramples the Fathers in his Colloq. Mensal Cap. de Patribus Eccles. Note In the wrightings of Ierome ther is not à worde of true fayth in Christ and sounde Religion Tertullian is veri superstitious Of Chrysostome I make noe accoumpt Basill is of noe worth he is wholie à Monke I weigh him not à hayre Ciprian is but à weake divine c. Thus your grande Apostle Luther who therfore readeth this lesson to all his followers Lay aside all such weapons as the auncient Orthodoxall Fathers Schooles and Divines authorities of Councells and Popes the consent of soe many ages and of all Christian people doth afforde Note Wee receive nothinge but Scriptures but soe that wee alone may haue the approued authoritie of interpretinge them Note as wee expownd them soe was the meaninge of the holie Ghost what others bringe be they never soe great be they never soe maine it proceedeth from the spiritt of Satan and from à madd and alienated mynde Peter Marter one of the principall of the reformed Church li de votis sayth soe longe as wee doe insist vpon Councâ—lls and Fathers wee shale allwayes be conversant in the same Errors Duditius sayth If that be the truth that the Fathers haue professed with mutuall consent it is altogether on the Papists side Alas what ment M. Iewell then with such deep dissimulation to the preiudice of his owne and others soules by solemne acclamation in à publique Sermon at Paules Crosse to vtter these words Oh Gregoire Oh Augustin Oh Hierome Oh Chrisostome o Leo o Dionisius o Anacletus o Calixtus o Paule o Christ If we be deceived ye haue deceived this yow taught vs had not M. D. Humphrey in the life of Iewell good reason to reprehend his bould appeale affirmeing therin that he granted over much and yelded more then of right vnto the Papists and iniured himselfe over much c. And in à manner spoyled himselfe and the Church c. what haue wee to doe whith the Fathers with fleshe or blood had not D. Steephens his intimate freind better reason to abandon the Protestant Religion when vpon M. Iewells intreatie he had revewed his booke and admonished M. Iewell of his Manifould falsifications of the Fathers he obtained nothinge at his handes but diabolicallie persistinge tould him they would disgrace soe the Papists that they should not be beleived against him though they discovered never soe many of his falsifications Had not allsoe M. Wallsingham iust reason to leaue the Church of England when he fownd soe many corruptions and falsehoods in this their greatest ChaÌ„pion of their Church Soe heighly honored by Protestants as that he hath been kept in diverse Churches as à pullpitt booke Alas what ment M. Doctor Whitaker allsoe with the lyke damnable hipocrisie soe confidently to saie The speech of M. Iewell was most true and Constant when provokinge yow to the Antiquity of the first sixe hundred yeares he offerred That if yow could shew but any one cleare and playne sayinge out of any Father or Councell he would graunt yow the victorie T is the offer of vs all the same doe wee all promise and wee will performe it what ment he I saye seinge he himselfe contrary to himselfe in another place de S. Scrip avoucheth that the Popishe Religion is à patcht coverlett of the Fathers Erros Note For I will demaund of him whether the Popishe Religion be à patcht coverlett of the Fathers Errors in these points of Religion where both Catholiques and Protestats agree or in the other controverted points If he saye the first then is his Religion lykewise the Errors of the Fathers If the second then accordinge to himselfe the Fathers be of the Catholiques syde in the points of Controversie What ment likewise M. Willett in his Antol. pa. 263. diabollicallie against his owne Conscience with such impudence to protest in this manner I take God to witnes before whom I must render an accoumpt that the same fayth and Religion which I defend is taught and Confirmed in the most substantiall points by those histories Councells and Fathers that lived within five or sixe hundred yeares after Christ When as he himselfe in his
the Romane Church which is only remarkable with the cognisance and markes of Christ vnspotted Spouse whose infallible rules and prescriptions I will followe as à secure guide of my fayth to procure the peace of reconciliation and mercy of God And whosoever shall follow this Rule to speake with the Apostle peace be vpon them and mercie This is the way soe direct as that fooles cannot erre in it This is the Church whose Fayth as testifieth the Apostle was published through the world that is which had the Communion of the Christian World which truely makes it Catholick that is the Church with whom all the renowned Saints and Martyrs haue had vnion And of this they vtter such honorable testimonies as are agreeable to noe other thē Christ his Church S. Lucius B. and Martyr Epist. 1. thus speaketh of her The Romane Church is Apostollicall ād mother of all Churches which is never proued to haue erred from the path of Apostolicall traditiō nor depraued with hereticall novelties to haue fayled accordinge to the promise of the Lorde himselfe saying I haue prayed for thee that thy fayth fayle not S. Cyprian the glorious Martyr avoucheth in his 52. Epist. that to haue Communion with the B of Rome to be all one and the same as to Cōmunicate with the Catholick Church And in another place That to this Sea trecherie can haue uoe accesse beinge the Chayre of Peter S. Hierome alsoe that renowned Scripturist and Doctor of the Church thus writeth to Pope Damassus I beinge à sheep doe require from the Preist the host of salvation and from the Pastor fasafegard c. I speake with the Successor of the Fysher c. I follow none first but Christ and ioyned with Communion to thy Holynes that is to the Chayre of Peter vpon that rock I know the Church to be builded whosoever out of this howse eateth the Lambe is Prophane whosoever shal not be in the Arke of Noah shall perishe in the deluge S. Augustin in his 162. Epist. puttinge à Catalogue of the Bishopps of Rome beginnes first with S. Peter and sayth that the principallity of the Apostolicall Chayre hath ever florished in the Church of Rome And in another place aboue prementioned affirmes the succession of these Pastors from Peter amongst other motiues to haue kept him in the bosome of the Catholick Church S. Ambrose calleth the Bishopp of this Sea governor of the whole Church That holy Seate sayth Theodorett houlds the sterne of governinge the Churches of all the worlds S. Ireneus that great hamerer of Hereticks sayth That for the more powerfull principallity it is necessary that all Churches haue recourse vnto it S. Prosper avoncheth that the Apostles Peter and Paul founded the Church of the gentiles in the Cittie of Rome where they taught the doctrine of Christ our Lorde they deliuered vnto their Successors peacable and vnited together they consecrated it with their blood and memories accordinge to the passion of our Lorde à Christian communicatinge with this generall Church is Catholick but if he be seperated from it he is an Heretick Antichrist Soe this glorious Doctor in his Treatise de Promis Predict dei part 4. E. 5. finally both East and Westerne Fathers assembled together in the Councell of Florenee thus decreed wee define that the holy Catholick Sea And Bishopp of Rome haue the primacie over the whole world And that the Romane Bishopp is the Successor of blessed Peter Prince of the Apostles and the true viccar of Christ and head of the whole Church and Father and master of all Christians And that vnto him in S. Peter is given by our Lorde Iesus Christ full power to feed rule and governe the vniuersall Church Note If then the Romane Church bearinge the inseperable marke of Christ his Church be accordinge to the Fathers the Apostolicall Chayre of S. Peter Christes Vicar never depraved with hereticall novelties with whom à Christian communicatinge is Catholick from whome beinge seperated is an hereticke what shall I regard more the impious raylings and fictions of an ignominious Apostata Martin Luther and his adherent Sectaries against the Romane Church then the vncontroulable testimonialles of the venerable Auncient Fathers whose sanctitie and learnige the whole Christian world hath ever reverenced Or shall I adhere rather to à new reformed Congregation The Pastors and teachers wherof are never able more to make good their vocation of the Ministry of the worde and Sacraments then any other hereticall Intrudors clymeinge lyke theeves by an vndirect way Or shall I follow à Congregation of such teachers which confesseth her selfe lyable to Error in Fayth or rather cleaue to that Church which is founded vpon à Rock against which the gates of Hell shall never prevayle as beinge directed accordinge to the infallible promise of Christ by the ever assisting Spiritt teachinge all truth and noe falsehood Note Certainly to this Rock will I adhere otherwise shall I change à Certainty into an vncertainety an infallibilitie into à fallibilitie A securitie into à Ieoperdie yea otherwise in à matter that concernes my soules greatest good or ill I should effectually demonstrate that I make noe reckoninge of the dreadfull generall accountinge day nor haue any feelinge thougts of the hideous horror of the infernall Lake of the rauenige Devills wher it is true that tenn hundred millions of millions of yeares in vnsuportable torments is but the beginnige as it were of inexplicable dolors o Eternitie o Eternitie wher it is true that all the greuous paines that from the begnimge of the world all men vpon earth ever endured or could excogitate is but the greatest ease or consolation O extreame torments in the vnquenshable scorchinge flames of Hell fier O God what an Abisle is thy iust Iudgment in punishinge Scismatickes and Hereticks who for wordly endes willfull ignorance obstinate adheringe to their owne private spiritts will rather feele them then before hand prevent them by seekinge to incorporate themselues into the true Church of Christ which is the vyne out of which if any branch be it shall vndoubtedlie be eternall fuell for Hell fier But some will peradventure saye that feinge the Moderne Lawes of the realme inflicts such great penalties vpon Catholickes It had bin better for me to haue deferred my conversion vntill my death and then to haue repented me and then with harty sorow to haue confessed my sinnes bin reconcilid to the Catholike Church To these I answere that though true it be At what time soever à sinner hartely repents For soe longe communicatinge with Schismaticall and hereticall new Congregations he may finde favour yet consideringe the innumerable daingers which often vnespectedly depriues man of this liffe who is he that can promise himselfe Gods grace without which he cannot repent and be reconciled yea must he not rather thinke that he shall be debarred thereof when he shall refuse to come to the banquet of the holy Lambe in the Catholike Church beinge
then generall defection of all ProtestaÌ„t Pastors was immediate and extraordinary and againe sayth the same Author had Luther had any Orthodox predecessor ther had needed noe reformation Doctor Whitackres Con. 4. qu. 5. C. 3. In tymes past noe Religion sayth he had place in Churches but Papisticall And therfore in another place he thus write h wee acknowledg Luther to be our father Brocarde in the 2. C. Apocal. sayth thus when the preachinge of the Gospell was allowed in Luther and his first onsett against the Papasie the knowledg of Christ was fownd missinge in all and every of his members D. Bancrofte in his Survay c. 4 hath these words both the Preists of all sorts and lykewise the people began in tyme to be drowned in the puddles of Poperie all of them together from the topp to the toe Calvin who in his Epistles affirmes that they weere inforced to departe from the whole world in his booke of the necessity of reformation thus writeth It is manifest that the whole world was bewitched with these wicked opinions before Luther appeared Morgastren in his Treatise of the Church avouâ—heth that it is ridiculous to thimke that in the tyme before Luther any had the puritie of doctrine and that Luther should receive it from them and not they from Luther Consideringe it is manifest to the whole Christian world that before Luthers tyme all Churches weere overwhelmed with more then Chimerian darknes and that Luther was divinely raysed vp to discover the some and to restore the light of true doctrine And Luther himselfe in the preface of his 1. Tom. Here see even by my case how hard it is to get out of errors which are confirmed by the example of the whole world and by longe custome as it were changed into nature And To 2. This is written his Epitaph Oh Christ he shewed thee when all the world was overwhelmed with darknes And li. 1. de captiu Babil beinge to wright against the Masse he sayth neyther lett it move thee that the whole world hath the Contrary opinion and custome And fo. 68. Ther is allmost this day nothinge more received or more settled in the Church then that Masse is à sacrifice Againe I sett vpon à thinge which beinge approud by the custome of soe many ages and consent of all is soo ingrafted as it is needfull to change almost the whole face of the Church But by the way will yow knowe by whose instigation and what spiritt moved him ther vnto Let Hospinian à learned Protestant speake Hist. Sacram. part ult. Luther Confesseth sayth he that he was taught by the Divell that Masse and cheifly private Masse is nought and that beinge overcome by the Divells reasons he abolished it And therfore noe marvaill if Luther li de Abrog Miss. fo. 244. thus writeth How often did my tremblinge hart quake and reprehendinge me obiected that their strongest and onely Argument Art thou onely wise what did all erre were soe many ages ignorant Behould how Luthers hart and conscience did tell him that he aloue knew Protestancie and was the first Pastor and Preacher therof Hence in his Epist. ad Argent Anno 1525. he maintaynes this point against Zwinglius sayeinge wee dare boast that Christ was first published by vs Soe playnlie doe the Protestants and Luther himselfe frely confesse an vtter defection and want of their Churches Pastors and preaches for administration of the word and Sacraments before Luther And indeed this manifestly appeareth out of the name of reformed Church For it is impossible the Church should be reformed except it first had perished and been deformed soe that Protestants teach and professe à Fayth formerly decaied and deformed afterward restored and reformed But the Catholique fayth of Christ Church foe firmely built on à rock that Hell gates shall never prevayle against it is an incorruptible Fayth of all tymes and consequently cannot be deformed or decay at any tyme and especialy in such essentiall matters which the reformers pretend the Catholique Church to haue been deformed Note Wherfore Protestants that doe teach à fayth which heretofore was deformed and decayed doe not professe nor teach Catholique fayth but à novitiall innovated Religion Seeinge then Luther was the first Pastor and teacher which reformed it it is evident that imediately before Luther they had noe Pastors nor Doctors of their Church But peradventure yow will saye that the Apostles Evangelists and all the auÌ„cyent Fathers pillars and lights of Gods Church of the first sixe hundred yeares were all Protestant Pastors and teachers of the reformed doctrine but afterward for the space of nine hundred yeares ther were none extant till Luther But this answere satisfieth not my argument but rather Confirmeth it to witt that the Protestant Church hath not in all ages ever enioyed Pastors and Doctors for the administration of the word and Sacraments Which is an insepable Marke of Christ true Church for were Protestants Christ true Church then should they haue had in all ages Pastors and Doctors to haue taught their fayth and not decline the Iudgment of the Pastors and Doctors of the Church which lived in the nyne hundred yeares before Luther and coÌ„municated realy with those of the 600. Secondly the answere is false if they will either be tryed by expresse Scripture or Fathers as it will appeare by the revnnige through of the principall points which are now controverted betwixt Catholiques and Protestants First then by Scripture Catholiques doctrine is there playnly confirmed and the reformers condemned for example Catholiques haue expresly If thou wilt enter into life keep the CoÌ„maundements Mathew 19 17. And that his Commaundements are not heavie 1 10. 5. 31. And againe In this wee know that wee haue knowne him if wee observe his Commaundements He that sayth he knoweth him and keepeth not his Commaundements is a lyer and the truth is not in him But he that Keepeth his word in him in very deed the Charity of God is perfected in this wee know that wee be in him 1. 10. 2. v. 3 4. 5. and 10. 17. 6. Protestants who brage they know God better and that they are Dearer to the spiritt then other men haue noewher any playne Scripture that they are either intollerable or impossible to be kept or that they may haue life everlastinge without keepinge of them Catholiques haue expresly whose sinns ye forgiue are forgiven whose sinnes ye retaine they are retayned Iohn 20. Protestants haue noewhere that Preists on earth caÌ„not forgiue sinns or retayne sinnes Catholiques haue expresly That à man is Iustified by workes and not by fayth only I am 2. and that the doers of the lawe shal be Iustified Ro. 2. Protestants haue noewher that man is Iustified by fayth alone noe nor that he is Iustified by fayth without works speakinge of workes that followe and presupposeih fayth of which the Controversie only is nor that the Law required at Christians handes is impossible and that the performance
reason as ever auy Sect for if these plaintiffes that accuse the Roman Church of Error superstition Noveltye and Idolatrie be vrged to produce any playne place of holy writt to proue their accusation for example sake wher in holy writt it is syad That Gods Commaundements are impossible to be kept or where in holy writt ther is any prohibition to craue the assistance of the heavenly Saints to ioyne their prayers with ours to our Lorde Iesus Christ that wee may be made worthie of this promises c. the whole pack of them are not able to produce not soe much as one expresse text to that purpose but givinge slipp to the demaund in question they fly to bye difficultyes fabulous or impertinent narrations relatinge many tales of Cockes and Bulles of this Pope and that Pope of this Bissopp or that Fryer Soe destitute are they of the ayde of holy writt which vaynely and frequently they pretend soe that the sayeinge of the holy Prophet is well verifyed in them The vngodly haue tould me their fables but not as thy Lawe Ps. 118. But wheter haue these frivolous impertinences of Protestants wrested my discourse To retorne then to the Byble on which solye they pretend to build all their fayth although it be not controuerted betuene Catholiques and Protestants or any other nomynated Christians whether God hath any worde written which is infallable vsually called the holy Scripture As it is one thinge to question whether ther be à Kinge of Spayne and another thing wether Phillip or Ferdinando be the Kinge therof For that though the first to witt that ther is à Kinge of Spayne be most Certayne yet the latter may be debated which is the Lawfull true Kinge vzt Ferdinando or Phillip Soe though it be most Certayne that there is à written worde of God infallable yet iustly may it be questioned whether that booke which Protestants haue and call the Byble be the holy Scripture or noe For as the Learned doe obserue in the Scriptures three thinges are to be consydered First the Cannon or Catologue of divyne bookes Secondly the translation And thirdly the sence which is the soule of the Letter Now then I demaund of Protestants what Infallible assurance they haue that the bookes which be in their Cannon be onely divyne And those which they reiect as Apocripha be really such Will yow saye with Luther and with other Protestants as Whitakre and Doue that yow received them from the Roman Catholique Church Then it followeth if her authoritye who yow Credit therin be infallible yow are allsoe bound to stande to her worde in other poynts of Religion For if she be infallible as she must if yow haue any infallible assurance that the Scriptures yow received from her be really divyne in à matter soe fundamentell much more is she to be Credited in other poynts as namely concerninge the true interpretation therof c. Secondly out of this answer it followeth that the Roman Church cannot be Antichristian as some Protestants vaynly pretend For it cannot stand that they should preserue the Scriptures for soe many ages wherin yow pretend your Church was vnknowne and latent For then may Israell be fownd in Babilon and participation bebetwene Christ and Belial And she who is falsehood it selfe be by your owne inference the pillar and foundation of truth To be shorte then must the whore of the Apochalips Thus is Antichrist become Christ Servante and best supporter Keep safe those Recordes wherby those many hundred Thowsonds of Christ virgins make their Clayme to the inestimable reward alloted for their vowe of Chastitye As easily wee may beleiue that the Arke and the Idoll Dagon may be placed together But indeed though yow haue the Roman Churches warrant that those bookes that yow admitt as Canonicall to be divyne yet never did the Roman Church warrant or assure yow that onely those bookes placed in your Cannon be divyne and the rest which yow reiect to be Apochripha It resteth then that the greatest assurance yow haue is the authority of your owne Church which Confessedly is lyable to Error what infallible assurance haue Protestants of the purity and incorruption of their translation especially seeinge many of their brethren hardly Censure it How shall I approue sayth M. Burges vnder my hand à translation which hath many omissions many additions which sometymes obscureth sometymes perverteth the sence beinge sometymes senceles sometymes Contrarye M. Bronghton the great Hebritian thus sayth The publique translation of the Scripture in English is such as it perverteth the Text of the old Testament in eight hundred forty and eight places and it causeth Millions of Millions to reiect the new Testament and to runne into eternall flames And to omitt how Bishopp Tunstall noated two thowsand Corruptions of the Bible in Tindalls translation And allsoe how the Remists noated two hundred and tenn corruptions of the new Testament out of Greeke which Protestants pretended to translate not Chardginge them with an infynite number of their Corruptiōs repugnant to the auncyent authenticke Lattin To omitt I saye these and many other Catholique observations for which they Iustly except against the English Bybles I add this Cōfessiō of the famous Protestant D. Whitakre who though favouringe the Englishe trāslation of the Bible as much as possible he might yet thus he confesseth I haue not sayd otherwise but that somethings in the Englishe translation might be amended Now what infallible assurance I saye haue they to warrant their translation as incorrupt seeinge the greatest warrant they haue for it is the authority of their Church which by their confession may erre And with what Conscience can they Commend vnto the people their English Byble thus Corrupted for the pure word of God Note Againe what infallible assurance haue they of the sence which is the life of the Letter to witt that their expositions be the true meaninge of the holy Ghost but the authority of their Church which by their owne Confession is subiect to Erre On the contrarye what infallible assurance haue they that the Catholiques Cannon translation and exposition of the Byble are not Orthodoxe but the authority of their errable Church Note Now thē if fayth be an infallible Knowledge for by falliable and errable doctrine it is impossible to be saued can anye one with à safe Conscience build all his fayth vpon such à Byble whose Cannon translation and interpretation hath noe infallible assurance And in this I was infinitely confirmed when afterward I read in M. r Shillinghworths booke approued by three Oxford Doctors as conformable to the Doctrine of the Church of England vzt that ther was noe infallible Certaynety to be assured That the Scriptures were really Gods worde Which in effect is to suye That Protestants who pretend to beleiue nothinge but that which is contayned in Scriptures haue noe infallible assurance whether their Congregation be truely faythfull Christiains or no Moreover I demaund what certayne warrant
for thee that thy fayth may not faile Allsoe Iesus sayd to Simon ' Peter Simon of Iona lovest thou me more then these he sayd vnto him yea Lorde thou knowest that I loue the c. Hee sayd vnto him feed my sheep 10. 11. 15. To thee will I give the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven Mat. 18. Prostest haue noewhere that vpon S. Peter by grace made à rock the Church was not built nor that he was instituted Pastor to feed the Christian flock and that to him were not given the Keyes of principallitie and that he had not the priviledge after that he was Pastor of not erring in matters of sayth But can ther be à more evidēt argument that the holy Scriptures cōfirme not Protestāt Religion how impudētly soever they pretēd Scriptures then their impious detraction from the authoritie of Moses the Evangelists the Apostles and their writings Wheras Mose was the first that writt any parte of Scriptures and he who writt the Lawe of God or tenne Commaundements Luther thus reiecteth him and his tenn Commaundements Tom. 3. Serm. fo. 40. 41. and in Colloq. Mensal Ser. fol. 152. 153. Wee will neyther he are nor soe Moses for he is given only to the Iewes neyther doth he belonge to vs In Colloq. Menfal C. de lege Evangel I will not receive Moses whith his Lawe for he is the enemy of Christ And ibid. fol. 118. Moyses is the master of all hangmen and in Serm. de Moyse The tenne Cōmaundements belonge not to Christians and in Convin Coloq cyted by Ourifal Cap. de lege let the Commaundements be altogether reiected and all heresies will presently cease for the tenne Commaundements are as it were from whence all heresies springe Islebius Luthers Scholler taught that the decalogue was not to be taught in the Church And from him came the Secte of Antinomans who publikly taught that the Law of God is not worthie to be called the worde of God If thou beest à whoremonger if an adulterer or otherwise à sinner beleive and thou walkest in the way of salvation when thou art drowned in sinne even to the bottome if thou belivest thou art in the middest of happines All that busie themselues about Moses that is the tenne Commaundements belonge to the Divell to the gallowes with Moses Luther doth not belive all things related in the booke of Iob. And with him it is as it were the argument of à fable He sayth of Ecclesiasticus this booke is not prefect manie things are taken away it wanteth bootes and spurres that is it hath noe prefect sentence And in his preface vpon S. Iames Epistle he styles it contentious tumide strawie and vnworthie of an Apostoticall spiritt and againe Luther preposterously comparinge the fower Evangelists among themselues preferreth the Epistles of S. Paul farre before the three former to witt before S. Mat. S. Marke and S. Luke and iudgeth that the onely Gospell of S. Iohn is excelent and true Castalio commaunded the Canticles of Solomon to be thurst out of the Cannon As an impure and obsceane songe Calvin feared not to affirme that S. Iames approved superstitious vowes and brought Paul to consent with him in the same faults in Ca. 21. Act. and vpon the 2. of S. Math. wrights that Mathew did improperly and often cyte the sentences of the ould Prophetts against their true and proper sence See him alsoe vpon the 4. Chap. 13. ve and in 8. C. v. 17. and n. 27. C. v. 9. And in his institutions li. 2. C. 16. 8. 10. doubt whether the Apostles Creed were made by the Apostles and in the 15. C. Act. affirmes that S. Marke Was à forsaker of his vocation and an Apostata c. and that he had filthilie through his owne fault fallen from his Chardge Elebitius opposeth the Evangelists one against another for in his victorie of truth and ruine of Poperie he hath these worde Marke and Mathew deliver the Contrarie therfore to Mathew and Marke beinge twoe Witnesses more credit is to be given then to one Luke Swinglius Tom. 2. cont. Anabapt. chardgeth the Anabaptists with ignorance for that they thinke the Commentaries of Evangelists the Epistles of the Apostles to haue been then in authoritie when Paul did wright these things as though Paul did attribute soe much to his Epistles that what soever was contained in them wus sacred c. which thinge sayth Swinglius were to attribute immoderate arrogancie to the Apostle Others as Witakres cont. Bell. Controu. 2. 9. 4. p. Fulk 32. Fulke against the Rem Test in Gal. 2. fo. 322. Condemne S. Peter to haue erred in matters of fayth even after the holie Ghosts descendinge vpon the Apostles Note But these things once admitted how then were the Evangelists and Apostles Scribes of the Holie Ghost and Erred not in their preachings M. Rogers vpon the 6. Article confesseth and nameth sundry of his brethren Protestants reiecting for Apocriphall S. Paules Epistle to the Hobrewes the epist. of S. Iames the 1. 2. and S. Io. of Iude and the revelation of S. Iohn wher by the way yow may observe the Concorde or Communion which Protestants haue even touchinge the Scripture and pretended principales of their fayth finallie doe not our Englishe Protestants discarde as Apocriphall and rase out of the auncient Cannon of the Church Tobie Iudith Esther Baruch the booke of Wisdome the 1. 2. of the Machabees c. here I saye nothinge of the manifould corruptions and erronious interpretations made by Protestants even in these Scriptures which themselues admitt to be Canonicall and how their Apostle Martin Luther whom they soe much magnifie sayth in his 1. Tom. witt fo. 155. In regarde that Christ is the treasure I care not for all the sayings of the scripture Planè nihil curo omnia Scripturae dicta And to omitt allsoe how in his Colloq ad Mensall fo. 286. he calles the Apostles great Knaues these be his wordes Apostoli etiam fuerunt peccatores crassi magni nebulones C. 2. p. 18 Note Here I appeale to the indifferent Iudgment of an impartiall reader whether any men livinge wold ever like vnto the Protestants and reformers soe reiect deride and Censure eyther the Prophetts Apostles Evangelists and the sacred Scriptures if they did favour their cause as they vaynly pretend Now to come to the tryall of the auncient Fathers who interpreted the Scriptures with great fame and prayse in the Church of God and lived within the first sixe hundred yeares which tymes they acknowledg to be pure and therfore appeale vnto them as best able to wittnes the profession of fayth of the primitiue Church as beinge the Pastors and Doctors therof For brevity sake I will forbeare to alledge the Fathers testimonies in prooffe of Catholiques doctrine which I haue reade But I will make evident by the playne Confessions of the best Champions of the reformed Church and greatest aduersaries of Catholiques that the auncient Fathers in
grosse survay of Poperie is soe bould to nickname antiquitie the alleagtion of the holie Councell vnder S. Silvester aboue thirtene hundred yeares agoe hestilles Thevaine shew of Moath worme Antiquitie and wheras Bellarmin thinketh it à probable opinion that Antichrist shal be of the Tribe of Dan For that manie of the Auncient Fathers probablie soe held namely S. Ireneus Hippolitus Ambrus Augustine Prosper Theodorett S. Gregory c. M. Willett without ever strayninge of Curtesie calleth them playne Hereticks It is à verie fable and Couseninge device of Heretickes quoth he to make men beleive that Antichrist shall come of the Tribe of Dan. Surly D. Parkes in his rejoinder pa. 7. pa. 365. had good reason to tell him lyke à brother of his yow haue committed such faults even in that great worke wherof yow bragg soe much as yow can neyther defend with honestie nor with modestie excuse yea the same D. Parkes his fellow Minister as Willett himselfe recounts in his Lodoromast Chardgeth him with folly Hipocrisie falshood lyeinge Infidelitie Impudencie Machivilisme Athisme c. And iudeed who but à Machauilian Athist if really he had thought that there had been à God after this life to haue punished durst haue made such à protestation And to omitt the lyke vaine cracks of M. Vsher copiously discouered by Mallone in his replie to his answere It is most true that which Zantius à great Protestant ingeniously confesseth of Protestant writers viz Scriptures at our pleasures wee detorte to our dreames wee boast of Fathers when wee will followe nothinge lesse then their doctrine soe he in his Epist. 10. to Sturmius But is not Luther then the author of the Protestant reformation with his brethren to be esteemed for havinge endeavoured to reforme the Church in diverse manie points of Fayth wherin they affirme for manie ages she hath erred Surlie noe except wee should honnor and esteeme those who renew Auncient condemned heresies and hereticall manners wherof Luther and his sectaries are in à heigh degree guiltie But as for reformation in matters of fayth wherin they pretend the Church hath erred They are rather to be avoyded who glories in any such title Note Seinge that herein they destroy the Godhead of Christ and make him an imposture for if the Church of Christ which he promised soe firmely to build on à Rocke as that Hell gates should never prevaile against her and vnto the Pastors wherof he promised that he would assist to the Consummation of the world and give them the spiritt of Truth to abyde with them forever for the teachinge of them all truth If I saye the Church of Christ could or had erred in matters of fayth as the pretended reformers affirme Then doth it follow that they make Christ not ominipotent able to vphold his Church against her enemies and soe destroy his Godhead or an imposteur in not fullfillinge what he promised because the Church for Errors of fayth and want of truth is as much destroyed as à man if he wanteth or is deficient in any one of his essentiall parts to witt if he be not à livinge or à reasonable Creture The defect of any of these destroyes him Soe in lyke manner if the true Church of Christ could Erre in fayth or fayle in truth which is essentiall to the Church it could not subsist possiblie For accordinge to themselues the Church essentiallie is à Congregation of faythfull where truely the worde of God and the Sacraments are administred wherfore if the worde and Sacraments haue erroniously been administred for soe many ages as they pretend then Consequentlie of necessitie hath the Church of Christ perisht and Hell gates prevayled against her And soe by this doctrine it followeth that Christ is not God and that the Iewes may well reiect him and the Gospells anounceinge and speakinge of him as à grande impostour which is most blasphemous And this doctrine of the Churches error in fayth by which Protestants pretend to iustifie their revolte and speration of there reformed congregation from the Catholique Church is the maine motive why I ame averted from their societie and relinquish their Communion And soe much in proffe that the Protestant Congregation wants the insepable marke of Christ his true Church and in confutation of there shufling evasions Secondly the Iewes haue not inioyed in all ages Pastors and Doctors to administer truely the word and Sacraments for their Church at this present is not Christian nor the Arians Pelagians Manicheans Donatists Wicklifians c. for they haue all perished and that in such serte as had not Catholique Doctors impugned them in their wrightings and that these present reformers haue here and there renewed some of their heresies ther had scarcely remained any memory of them Neither also the Graecians for they were in Communion with the Roman Church of and on about one thowsand yeares Soe that for such à space since the Apostles tyme they cannot be sayd to haue bin à distinct Church from the Roman Church from whom the Patriarke of Constantinople was Confirmed and the Bishopp of Rome by himselfe or his legate presided in all lawfull generall Councells Celebrated formerly in Greece although now vnfortunatelie as all knowes they be sepated by reason of the heresie touchinge the Holie Ghost c. Mereouer their successiō hath bin interrupted by the intrusion of maine hereticall and not lawfully ordayned Bishopps as confessedlie is auerred by all Catholiques and cannot be denied by Protestants Neyther the Turkishe Mahometans for they haue not had existance in the world ever since Christ his tyme and soe cannot glorie of their Antiquitie professinge Christian fayth as indeed also not beinge Christians and soe consequentlie comes not into question For here wee treat of the perpetuall existence and Antiquitie of à Church professinge Christian Doctrine accordinge to the Markes which insepablie accōpaine Christ his Church as in the begininge was established Finally the lyke may be demonstrated of any other Christian Church that may be assigned to witt that they want the insepable Marke of Christ his Church that is the enioyinge of à continuall succession of Pastors in all ages to administer the worde and Sacraments On the contrarie by the confession of the Protestants the Romaine Church many hundred yeares was the true Church of Christ and noe Protestant is able by evidence of any Authenticke Ecclesiasticall historie to shew any Christian Companie or Church In rerum natura more Auncient of different fayth from whence the Romane Church departed Therfore as yet she is and ought to be esteemed and consequentlie must enioye in all ages Pastors and Teachers for the administration of the worde and Sacraments beinge the true Church cannot fubsist without them Heer then I vrge that if the Romane Church whose fayth as testifieth the Apostle Ep. ad Rom. c. 1. was published and renowned throughout all the world that is with whom all the Christian world had Communion of fayth here I
wee must be vnited if wee will be saued she onely beinge infallable and secure in her doctrine For if she onely beareth the cognissance and inseperable marke of Christ his Church as hath bin demōstrated then necessarily to her only are agreable those prerogatiues which by holy writt are conferred and confirmed on Christ his Church to witt that she is the foundation and pillar of Truth 2. ad Tim. 3. That she hath the spirit of truth ever to abyde with her Pastors to teach her all truth Io. 14. c. and 16. c. That she is the spowse of Christ without wrinkle or blemish which he hath espoused to himselfe by à continuall assistance vnto the consummation of the world Eph. 5. And finally that she is the Church to whose Iugment in Controversies of Religion wee are to referre our selues and to whose determination without further appeale wee ought to obey vnder the penalty of beinge reputed Heathers and publicans Math. 28. Math. 18. Wherfore I thus resolue that seeinge the Romane Church is Christ his true Church if he hath any on earth as most certainly he hath and that in no age or season Christ his true Church can erre in matters of fayth I ame resolued I saye to receive for à verity of fayth that which the Romane Church hath or shall declare to be such and on the contrary reiect and disclayme from whatsoever doctrine she hath or shall disapproue or condemne as repugnant to Gods worde written or vnwritten Let then her Athistical aduersaries presse never soe much to receive nothinge but that which by their naturall reason they can be convinced of I ame prepared accordinge to the advice of the Apostle to Captiuite my vnderstandinge obsequiously to the mysteries of fayth as beinge supernaturall and transeendinge naturall reason And therfore will I rest in the Iudgment of the Church which is ever directed by à supernaturall Agent that teacheth her all Truth Hee that seeketh fayth seeketh not reasō Sayth Tertullian and Chrisologus Athens hath nothing to intermeddle with Hierusalem nor the Academy with the Church our schoole is the porch of Solomon which teacheth vs that wee must search for God with simplicity of Hart and not with frivolous curiositie of naturall reason what wronge doth the Creator to vs if he would haue vs beleiue more then wee are able to comprehend It is not for the iron to aske of the Adamant from whence those charmes and secret influences come wherwith he attracteth and captiuats him It is enough that he followe when God proposeth à verity to vs by the voyce and generall consent of the Church wee are not to appeale to humaine reason and to sence which haue winges tooshort to vndertake such à flight while one proceedeth in this Manner fayth wil be noe true fayth but à fantesy or opinion If S. Peter would not haue beleiued Christ to haue bin the sonne of God except naturall reason and carnall sence had convinced him therof Our Saviour had not pronounced Blessed art thou Simon Bariona for that fleshe and blood hath not revealed it vnto yow c. vpon this Rock will I build my Church For in the comprehension of the verities and the misteries of fayth It is the spirit that quickeneth and the fleshe profitteth nothinge as our blessed Saviour avoucheth against those which were incredulous that the bread which he would giue to eate was his fleshe for the liffe of the world For according to S. Gregoire Fides non habet meritum vbi ratio praebet experimentum and therefore blessed ore those who beleeue and doe not see viz by the evidence of natural reason or sense Lett also Heretickes obiect against any Article of our fayth any Texte of Scriptures perversly or malitiously interpretted and to theire owne perdition misvnderstood according to the dictamen of their owne private vnwarranted spiritt Lett them I saye with noe lesse pryde then madmes proclayme the Churches authority lyable to Error in declaringe what is truly Cōformable or repugnant to the worde I value not their erronious Iudgments knowinge full well that she is ever assisted by the spirit of all teachinge truth accordinge to the infallible promise of Christ and cānot teach any thinge repugnant to the worde of God noe more then God can teach contrary to himselfe who is her director And therfore whosoever harkenneth vnto her voyce that is to the generall Iudgment of the Pastors and teachers heareth the voyce and word of Christ soe that the worde of the Church is the worde of Christ Whence S. Augustin who dilligently observed this rule sayeth The truth of Scripture is holden by vs when wee doe that which know hath pleased the vniversall Church which the authority of the same Scripture doth commend that seeinge the Holy Scripture cannot deceive whosoever feareth to be deceived by the obscurity of this question lett him take Counsell therof from the Church which without any ambiguitie the Scriptures doth demonstrate And in another place he sayth it is most insolent madnes what she professes and practices to call in question Epist. 118. ad Ianuarium cap. 5. And why I pray is this most insolent madnesse to question what the Church professes and practiseth but because this in effect is to denie or dispute against the Canonicall Scriptures aknowledged on both sides For if in the aknowledged worde of God by most cleare testimonies the authority of Christ his Church is soe highly magnified as that she is styled the pillar and foundation of Truth the vnspotted Spouse without wrinkle his body his Lott his Inheritance and kingdome given him in this world in which he hath placed Apostles Doctors and Pastors to the Consummation of the Electe which Doctors are ever assisted by the spirit that teacheth them all truth and accompanied by our Saviour to the Consummation of the world who Comaunds vs to harken to his Spouse the Church Sub poena of beinge reputed Heathens or Publicans Tell me then is not this most insolent madnesse to call her profession and practice in question Note To be soe Antichristianly proud as to preferr our owne Iudgments and expositions of the worde before the Church which is directed by the Spirit of Truth Is not this in words to boast much of Scriptures and indeed not to follow them for if yow search the Scriptures that is profoundly and not superficiasly or malitiously consider them yow shall finde that the same are they that give testimony of her and how she is to be obeyed and as eagerly followed Wherfore to draw to à Conclusion seeinge the true Church of Christ which is but one cannot Erre in matters of Fayth and onely the Romane Church beareth the vnseperable marke of it To vse the Apostle S. Paules words From hence foward lett noe man trouble me for I beare the markes of my Lorde Iesus in my bodie ad Gal. 5. from hence forth let noe man goe about to molest my conscience for being incorporated in the bodie of