haeretici c. De fide Symb cap. 10. both Heretickes Schismatickes are wont to call their congregations by the name of Churches Heretickes violate Fayth by belieuing false things of God and Schismatickes though they belieue the same things with vs doe yet fly from fraternall Charity by their wicked diuisions And therefore neither doth the Hereticke belong to the Catholicke Church because he loueth not God nor the Schismaticke because he loueth not his neighbour For how saith these Sainte elwhere shall the Schismaticke be esteemed to be in Charity with his neighbour who is out of Charity or Communion with the whole body of Christ which is his Church Epist ad Dam. Saint Hierome writing to Pope Damasus saith not only of the Catholicke Church indifinitely but denoting that to be the Romane that that Church is the Arke out of which whosoeuer liueth shal be drowned in the deluge and that that Church is the house out of which whosoeuer should eate the lambe were a prophane person Lactantius also sayth thus Lib. 4. cap. 30. Sola Ecclesia Catholica est c. It is the Catholicke Church alone which preserues the true worship of God this is the fountaine of truth this the house of faith this the Temple of God if any man either enter not into it or depart out of it Ibid. he shall be depriued of the hope of saluation and eternall life No man must flatter himselfe with an obstinate kind of contention for the questions here about saluation and life which if it be not watchfully and diligently prouided for it will be extinct and lost Saint Fulgentius hath this dreadfull saying wherewith I will conclude this point Firmissimè tene c. be most firmely persuaded and haue not doubt at all but that euery Hereticke or Schismaticke baptised in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost if withall he be not a member of the Catholicke Church can by no meanes be saued how great Almes soeuer he shall giue yea and though he should shed his bloode for the name of Christ For so long as the sinne either of Heresie or Schisme which drawes men downe to death shall remaine in any man neither Baptisme nor Almes nor death endured for the name of Christ can be of any benefit towards his saluation who houlds not fast the vnity of the Catholicke Church And now by this we see what the holy Scriptures and what the Fathers of the most primitiue time affirme concerning the vnsaueablenesse of any man who is not a member of that Church which formerly hath beene so cleerely proued to be but One Nor will I so much distrust either the attentiō or discretiō of my reader as to thinke that I neede presse this point any further Soe that now in the next place it will only remaine to be considered and resolued whether or no both the Catholickes the Protestāts cā be truly said to be parts mēbers of this One and the selfe same Church for if they can not the case in question is already iudged and there will be no colour of reason why either of vs should hereafter be charged with want of Charity for affirming that the other is not saueable without repentance of his Religion CHAPTER VI. That both Catholickes and Protestants can not possibly be accounted to be of one and the same Religion Fayth and Church HItherto I haue insisted vpō the former part of this maine discourse wherein I vndertooke to shew and doe conceaue my selfe to haue cōplyed with my word that there is but one true Religion one true Church out of which there is no saluation It will now remaine that I prooue the second part of my vndertaking which is that both the Catholickes Protestāts can by noe meanes account themselues to be professours of that one true Religion and obedient Children to that one true Church whichsoeuer be that true Church by the addresse cōduct wherof men may hope to saue their soules For cleare demonstration whereof it will be fit in the first place to shew what that is which makes a diuersity in Religion and without which men may still be of the same Religlon though there be difference of opinion betweene them The very name of a Christian Religiō whereby Almighty God is to be worshiped implyes a doctrine which must be beleiued Sacraments which must be receaued discipline which must be embraced Prelates or Gouernours which must be obeyed therefore that which make a Religiō to be entire is the beliefe of the same doctrine and the participating of the same Sacraments and obedience to the same discipline and Prelates or Gouernours so farre as men doe not obstinately reiect any part thereof or refuse to submit thereunto Whosoeuer doth this and cōformes his interiour by way of beliefe to the same doctrine and Sacramēts and his exteriour by way of obedience to the sayd Prelates and discipline may iustly be held to be one of the same Religion and whosoeuer refuseth to do this fayles of that But so also on the other side whensoeuer the Church hath not decided propounded and commaunded a doctrine to be belieued by her children and hath not enioyned such a part of discipline to be embraced a man so that he commit no scandall in the manner of it may varie both in the one and in the other from other men and may thinke and do as he sees cause without offending the vnity of Church or incurring thereby the crime either of heresie or schisme as I shall shew more at large afterwards vpon an other occasion It must therefore be considered whether Catholicks and Protestants be of one Church or not or rather it is to be seene for indeed in this case men haue not so much neede of their wits as of their eyes for the resoluing of the question But yet still to the end that euen the weakest stomackes may be made strong inough to digest that morsell which is coming toward it I will shew by seuerall arguments that we are farre from all possibility of passing for professours of the same Religion for members of the same Church so longe as we continue as we are For who perceaues not at the first sight that we resolutely differ from one another in the prime and maine points of Christian Religion We embrace not all the same Scriptures we differ about no fewer then fiue Sacraments of seauen which Catholickes belieue with all reuerence and they reiect withall contēpt Yea and euen concerning those two in the receiuing whereof we both agree namely the Sacrament Baptisme of the Cōmunion there are so many differences and debates amongst vs about the necessity of of the one and the reall presence of our Lord in the other that vpon the matter we can be thought but to agree in words We differ about the authority of all traditiōs vnwrittē which is the very foūdation of our
naturally prooued that this Church is enriched with those very qualities and markes which are auowed by vs her children contested by the aduersaries thereof as namely with a perpetuall visibility or els he had giuen vs a commaunde which it were not possible for vs to obey For how should we at all times find out and consulte our difficulties and manifest our cōplaints to that Church which at all times could not be seene by the eyes of men with a most certaine infallibility For otherwise a man might perish for beleeuing and professing false doctrines through his obedience to the cōmaundant of Christ our Lord in submitting to an erring Church But especially which makes most to our purpose the entire vnity of the Church is prooued here by the exact obedience which we are obliged to exhibite to the same Church For els if there might be two seuerall true Churches dissenting from one another they might holde me for a Publican and Pagan if I did not obey them both which were impossible for me to doe they cōmaunding contrary things And if one of thē dissented from the other I must be tossed betwixt two damnations For if I should obey that true Church erring I should incurre damnation by obeying her and by embracing and persisting in her errours yet if I should not obey her I should incurre damnation by the expresse sētēce of Christ our Lord himselfe who appoints me to be held a Pagan if I obey her not And this shall suffice for this Chapter wherein we may haue seen what holy Scripture saith to this question and in the next we shall find that the Fathers of the Primitiue Church who follow it as their guide will not fayle to vtter the same voice The expresse vnity of the Church is prooued by the authority of the Fathers of the most primitiue times CHAPTER IIII. THe holy Fathers in the most primitiue times who are iustly called Fathers and reuerenced as such by vs were yet withall most obedient and humble children to the holy Catholicke Church of their time and so treading in those very steps which had beene traced out for them by the holy Ghost in holy Scripture they haue shewed many wayes how they beleeued and knewe that there was but one true Church and that the perfect vnity thereof was to be so very carefully maintained as that whosoeuer broke it must euerlastingly perish I say they haue shewed many wayes what their dictamen was herein for some of thē haue writtē whole books expresly and to no other end at all but to prooue the necessity of vnity in the Church of Christ our Lord as namely S. Cyprian and S. Augustine Others haue written framed expresse Catalogues of all the heresyes which had risen in the Church of Christ our Lord from his Ascensiō to heauē til their own time expresly shewing hereby that both the vnity of the Church was directly broken by the obstinate beliefe of any one doctrine which was held in disobedience to the same Church and withall that whosoeuer did so breake it must forfet the saluatiō of his soule thereby And this was doone by S. Epiphanius Bishop of Cyprus by Philastrius Bishop of Brescia both who are cited to this purpose by the incomparable S. Augustine in his treatise de heresibus ad Quod vult Deū Where himself also maks an exact Catalogue of all the heresies which had sprung vntill his time and where by the way I must needs obserue in a word that he recoūts diuers heresies which are held by the Protestāt Church at this day and particularly that of denying prayers and sacrifices for the dead and then he concludes in the end that whosoeuer should hold any one of them were not Christian Catholick Besides this way of proofe concerning the vnity of the Church I will also cite the Fathers who are full of expresse and positiue texts whereby vpon occasion they proue the vnity of the Church and I will begin with S. Ireneus who discourses thus Lib. 1. cap. 3. Hac praedicatione c. The Church hauing receiued this word preached and this faith as was shewed before and hauing spred the same ouer the whole world doth diligently preserue it as inhabiting one house and doth likewise beleeue those thinges which are taught thereby as hauing one soule one heart in the same conformity she preaches and teaches deliuers it as indeed possessing but one mouth For though there be in the world different expressions tongues yet the vertue and power of Tradition is but one and the same And neither those Churches which are found in Germany nor those others in Spaine nor those in France nor they which are in the Easterne parts nor they which are in Egypt nor they which are in Libya nor they which ar setled in the middle parts of the world doe beleeue or make traditiō of doctrine any otherwise in one place thē in another But as that creature of God the Sunne is one and the same in the whole world so is the preaching of the truth a light which shews euery wheare and illuminates all men who will come to the knowledge of the truth And those Prelates of Churches who haue most power and grace of speache will deliuer no other things but these For noe man is aboue his maister neither will such an one as hath meaner talents in speach make this doctrine and Tradition lesse but since Faith is but one and the same neither doth he inlarge it who is able to speake much of it nor that other diminish it whoe speakes lesse De praescrip aduer Haeret Valentinus c. Tertullian shewes plainly that whosoeuer denyes any one doctrine of the Church reiecteth all for thus he sayeth vpon occasion Valentinus approueth some things of the law and the Prophets some things be disavowes that is be disallowes all whilest he approues some And the same Tertullian De praescrip c. 8. Caeterū multos c. doth also elswhere in the same booke inferre the truth of Catholicke doctrine by the exacte vnity thereof whilest he sayth after this manner Quod apud multos c. That which is found to be one amongst soe many is not to be thought to haue crept in by errour but to haue beene recommended by Tradition S. Cirill Patriarche of Ierusalem Catech. 18. assigning reasons why the Church of Christ our Lord is called Catholicke doth excellently giue this one amongst the rest Quia docet Catholicè id est vniuersaliter c Because she teacheth Catholickely that is to say vniuersally and without any defect or difference all those doctrines which ought to be knowne concerning things either visible or inuisible celestiall or terrestriall S. Cyprian in his booke de vnitate Ecclesiae sayeth thus Ecclesia Domini luce perfusa c. of the vnity of the Church The Church being stroken through by the light of our Lord doth sende her beams throughout the whole
world but yet that light which is cast so far abroad is but one and the same she spreads her brannches ouer the whole earth after a plentifull manner she extendes her flowing streames with greate abundance to a great distance but yet is she one head and one roote and one mother who is fruitfull by such store of issue Lib. 1. Epist 6. The same Saint also speaking of the sin of Core Dathan and Abiron implies that the one Church must not only be entirely belieued but followed also in all her doctrines and directions For he saieth that though Core Dathan and Abiron did belieue and worship one God and liued in the same law and religion with Moyses and Aaron yet because they deuided thēselues from the rest by Schisme resisting their gouernours and Priests they were swallowed vp quick into hell S. Basile puts such a value vpon the absolute integrity of all the whole Christian Doctrine which declares what he belieued concerning the necessity of vnity in the Church as to expresse himselfe after this manner S. Basil apud Theodoret l. 4. hist c. 17. Qui in sacris litteris c. They who are well instructed in holy writ permit not one syllable of diuine doctrine to be betrayed or yeelded vp but are willing to embrace any kind of death for the defence thereof if neede require That man of God had beene solicited by some to relent for a time and to yeeld though it were but to a litle he refused in such sort as you haue seene he did it much disdaine to be attēted in that kind S. Gregory Nanzianzene speaking of Hereticks who doe all breake the vnity of the Church seemes yet to apprehend them to be worste of all who whilest indeed they breake it Greg. Nazian Tract de fide Nihil periculosius c Lib. Apo cont Ruff. Propter vnū c. doe yet seeme to doe it least because so they will hardliest be perceaued And he deliuers himselfe in these words Nothing can be more dangerous then those Heretikes who whē they runne streight through all the rest doe yet with one word as with some drop of poison infect the true and sincere faith of our Lord. S. Hierome shewes that the vnity of the Church and faith thereof must be so perfect as that for some one word or two contrary to the same many heresies haue been caste out of the Church And S. Leo saith that out of the Catholicke Church there is nothing pure according to that of the Apostle whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and els where he saith also If it be not one it is no faith at all Cōcerning this one Church S. Augustine is also most expresse cleere For when the Donatists saith he calumniated the Catholickes In Breui collat collat dici tertiae as affirming that there were two Churches one vpon earth which contained both the good and bad and the other in heauen which contained none but good the Catholicks made them this answere That they did not make two Churches but did only distinguish the two times of the Church saying that the same One only Church was in one state now and was hereafter to be in an other that now it had a mixture of euill men but that hereafter it should haue none iust so as there are not therefore two Christs because once he could dye and now he can dye no more And thus the Catholickes refuted that slaunder which the Donatists had layed vpō thē expresly shewing what they had formerly sayed namely that there was but One and the same holy Catholicke Church And to shewe more ouer by the iudgmēt of S. Augustine In explicatione Psal 54. that the Church in her doctrine was to be truly One he spake thus of the Donatists who called vpon the same God preached the same ghospell sunge the same Psalmes had the same Baptisme obserued the same Easter and the like In those things they were with me yet not wholy with me in Schisme not with me in Heresie not with me in many things with me in a few not with me but in regard they were not with me in a few their being not with me in many could not helpe them Nay S. Ireneus whom I named before implies Lib. 2. cap. 3. not only That it is necessary for a true Christian Catholicke to differ in no one point of the doctrine or faith from other Christans but he must withall not beleeue any thing after a different manner that is to say vpon a different motiue from that for which it is beleeued by other Christians But this point I shall touch hereafter And for the present it may suffice to haue proued the necessitie of most perfect vnity in the Church and that indeede no reasō can be giuē why if there be allowed any more true Churches then One there should not be admitted as well two thousand as two So that now it remaynes for me to shewe also by the iudgment of holy Scriptures and Fathers that out of this One Church there is no saluation It is prooued both by holy scriptures and Fathers that out of One true Church of Christ our Lord no saluation is to be found CHAPTER V. SInce the Church of Christ our Lord is so truely One and but only One it followes easily inough that no saluation can be had out of this Church and that euery heresy or schisme is sufficient to depriue any soule thereof But yet neuerthelesse to the end that men may be wholy left without excuse or rather that they may be the better warned to take heede in time of those miseries which otherwise they are to feele for all eternity I will strengthen also this trueth by the authority of some few Scriptures and Fathers of the primitiue Church For so by degrees it will easily and of it felfe appeare that we Catholickes are not faulty in that wherewith we are so much charged The Prophet Esay thus foretelles the quality and condicion of the then future Church of Christ our Lord and what shall become of them who serue it not Cap. 60. Gens enim regnum quod non seruierit tibi peribit That nation and kingdome which will not serue thee shall perish And now if a whole nation and kingdome shall perish for not seruing what shall become of those priuate miserable people who blaspheme and rent it The same Prophet sayth else where to the same purpose Cap. 54. Omne vas c. Euery vessell or pot which is framed against the shall not succeede or proue well and thou shalt iudge euery tongue resisting thee in iudgment We haue seene already in the new Testament vpon another occasion to prooue the vnity of the Church that whosoeuer obeyes not this One Church is by the order of our blessed Lord himselfe to be held for no other then a Pagan or Publican that is to say for no better then a meere Idolater
in his Religion and for a most infamous and base person in his conuersation And we may see now further that S. Paule that vessell of election that man who had beene rapt to the third heauen add who had in his heart such a flaming fornace of Charity as to desire to be made Anathema for the saluation of his brethren doth most aboundantly declare the wofull state or all heretickes and schismatickes He requires men to auoid an heretick if he reform not himselfe after one or two reproofes and he names Haereticum hominem indefinitely without specifying in particular what his heresie may be more or lesse He sayth also that an Hereticke is condemned euen by his owne iudgment ad Tit. 3 That their speech is like a Cancer whiche creepes and kills That they attend to the spirit of errour and the Doctrine of diuells That they are hyppocrites and lyers couetous arrogant and blasphemous That they take the apparance of piety vpon them but yet renounce the vertue and substance hereof That they are euer learning but without attayning to the knowledge of truth That as Iannes and Mambres resisted Moyses so doe these also resist the truth being corrupt in minde and reprobates concerning the faith but that they shall not preuaile but their folly shal be made manifest to al as that of Iannes and Mambres was That they haue itching eares which they turne away from hearing the truth S. Iude. And S. Iude saith they ar dūbe Beasts vnfruitful trees twise dead rooted vp cloudes without water waues of a tempestuous sea which beate themselues into the some of their owne confusion for whom the storme of of eternall darknes is reserued and that they are men who walke the way of Cain and Baalam and who perish in the contradiction of Core By all which kind of language a man may easily perceaue how farre both the Apostle S. Paule S. Iude also accounted them to be from saluation whoe haue deuided themselues from the Catholicke Church by heresie or schisme And S. Paule sayth in cleere termes That the workes of the flesh are manifest Galat. cap. 5. which whosoeuer cōmits shall not possesse the kingdome of God Amongst which he reckons expresly contentions emnities dissentions and Sects c. which word Sects in Latin is Heresie in Greeke Now if any one heresie be damnable what shall they be when they come in clusters And if their soules be to be lost who fall into emnity and contentions without repenting themselues hereof what shall become of those miserble creatures who violate maligne and wound the whole mystical body of Christ our Lord which is his Church As for the Fathers De praes aduersus haeret they are as bright as day in this point Tertullian saith that if they be heretikes they cannot be accounted Christians S. Cyprian is expresse and large in this argument and sayth thus Lib. 4. Epist 2. de vnit Eccles Adulterari non potest Sponsa Christi c. The Spouse of Christ cannot be adulterated she is incorrup and chaste she knowes one house purely consernes the Chastity of one bed-chamber It is she who keeps vs for God she sets them forth for his kingdome whome she hath begotten Whosoeuer is separated from the Church and is ioyned to an adultres is separated also from those promises which belonge to the Church nor shall he arriue to the rewards of Christ who forsake the Church of Christ He is an alien he is a prophane person and he is an enemy He can no longer haue God for his Father who hath not the Church for his Mother If a man might haue escapte drowning without being in the Arck of Noe he shall also be able to escape who is out of the Church Ibid. He also saith thus afterwards They cannot remaine with God because they would not continue of one minde in the Church of God Though their bodies should be deliuered to be burnt in the fier or that they should be deuoured by wild beasts such a death would not be a Crown of faith but a punishment of perfidiousnes in them nor would it be a glorious end of their vertue but a destructiō following vpon despaire Such a man may be killed but cannot be crowned Iust so doth he professe himselfe to be a Christian as the diuell doth often falsely affirme himselfe to be Christ according to what our Lord him selfe did forewarme and tell vs thus Many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and they shall deceaue many But as he is not Christ though he shall deceaue many vnder the colour of that name so neither can that man be accompted a Christian who remaines not in his doctrine and faith And in another place he also saith Quisquis 〈◊〉 est lib. 4. Epist 2. whosoeuer he be and what kinde of man soeuer he be he is no Christian who is not in the Church of Christ The like or rather the very same words are vsed by S. Augustine Serm. 181. de tēp else where also he saith thus to certaine heretickes How can you brag Symb. ad Catecum c. 10. Quomodo vos cam c. Lib. 2. contra Gaudon cap. 12. that you hold fast the Faith which our Lord left to his Apostles would you haue men so blind and deafe as not to heare or read the ghospell where they may know what faith our Lord left to his Apostles concerning his Church from which since you are deuided and separated you doe no other thing then rebell against the words both of the body and of the head and yet the while you bragge that you endure persecution for the Sonne of man and for the faith which he recōmended to his Apostles And thē doth the Saint put himselfe to shew our of Scripture That this is that Church of Christ which is spread ouer the whole world De vnit Eccl. Ad ipsam c. The same holy Father saith also No man cōmeth to saluation or life euerlasting who hath not Christ for his head and no man can haue Christ for his head who is not in his bodie which is the Church And els where hee discourseth thus Epi. 152. quisquis ab hac c. whosoeuer is separated from the Catholicke Church how laudably soeuer he may conceaue himselfe to liue yet he shall not haue life but the wrath of God remainesh vpon him for this only crime of being seuered from the Society of Christ And to conclude for asmuch as concernes S. Augustines authority touching this point let this following speech of his be well pondered whereby it will appeare that Cardinall Petron said well when he taught that the name Catholicke was not only a name of beliefe and faith but of Charity also and Communion which whosoeuer should want would also want saluation though he were not wanting in points of faith let vs hearken to S. Augustine who deliuers himselfe thus Et
seriously censure the Zuinglians and all the Sacramentaries for hereticks and as alienated from the Church of God And I protest before God and the world that I agree not with them nor euer will but will haue my haÌ„d cleare from the blood of those sheepe which these hereticks driue from Christ deceaue and kill And againe in the same place Cursed be the Charity and concord of Sacramentaries for euer and euer to all eternity And a litle before his death he protesteth saying I hauing now one of my feete in the graue will carry this testimony and glory to the tribunall of God That I will with all my heart condemne and eschew Carolostadius Zuinglius Oecolampadius their disciples nor will haue familiarity with any of them neither by letter writing words nor deedes accordingly as the Lord hath commaunded Thus he sayth with very much more to the same effect And to make this yet more euident by the like testimonyes of the Zuinglians Caluinists the Tigurine Diuines say thus Nos condemnatam execrabilem vocat sectam c. Luther calls vs a damnable and execrable sect but let him looke that he declare not himselfe an Archheretick since he will not nor cannot haue any society with those that confesse Christ. But how marueilously doth Luther here bewray himselfe with his diuells what filthy words doth he vses such as are replenished with all the diuells in helle For he sayth that the diuell dwelleth both now and euer in the Zuinglians and that they haue a blasphemous brest insathanized persathanized and supersathanized and that they haue besides a most vaine mouth ouer which Sathan beareth rule being infused perfused and transfused into the same Did euer man heare such speeches passe froÌ„ a furious diuell himselfe In so much as Zuinglius sayth of him Behould how SathaÌ„ doth endeauour wholly to possesse this man And Oecolampadius also forewarnes Luther least being puffed vp by arrogaÌ„cy pride he be seduced by SathaÌ„ Wherunto might be added suÌ„dry other like testimonies This contention betweene Luther and his followers on the one party and the Zuinglians or Caluinists on the other is yet further testified not only by the almost infinite writings of on against an other yet dayly encreasing but also by the knowne mutuall proscription or banishment of ech other from their seuerall territories or dominions So farre were they from reputing one another for members of one and the same Church Thus farre goe the words of the sayd Apoligie where you shall finde the places both of Luther and Zuinglius and Oecolampadius and the Tigurine diuines exactly cited Heare also further what Nicolaus Gallus saith who was an eminent Minister at Ratisbone of the difference amongst the Protestants themselues Non sunt leues c In The sib Hypothes The dissentions which are amongst vs be not light nor coÌ„cerning light matters but about the greatest Articles of of Christian Doctrine of the law and the ghospell of iustification and good workes of the Sacraments and vse of ceremonies Heare also what Conradus Schlussenburgus another famous Lutheran Protestant sayth in the very Title of his booke against the Caluinists Theologiae Caluinisticae libri tres c. Three bookes concerning CaluiniaÌ„ diuinity wherein it is shewed as in a Table to the eye out of two hundred thre and twenty publicke writers of the Sacramentaries with particular setting downe the pages the words the names of the authours that the said Sacramentaries haue no true belief of almost any Article of Christian Faith This booke was printed at Franckford in the yeare 1594. Reade also but the very Title of two of Grauerus his bookes who was a famous professour of Lutheranisme the one is this Absurda absurdoruÌ„ absurdissima Caluinistica absurda The absourd most absourd doctrines Caluin c. and the other Bellum Ioannis Caluini Iesu Christi printed 1598. The warre of Iohn Caluin against Iesus Christ. And lastly doe but read this Title of book writteÌ„ by Aegidius Hunnius who was a most famous Lutheran and succeeded next to Luther himselfe in possessing his Chaire at Wittenberge The Title is this Aegidij Hunnij Caluinus Iudai â—ans id est c. Caluin playing the Iew that is to say A discouery made by Aegidius Hunnius of the Iewish Interpretations and corruptions whereby Iohn Caluin â—ath not bene afrayde to corrupt after a detestable maÌ„ner most illustrious places and testimonies of holy Scripture concerning the glorious Trinity the Deity of Christ of the holy Ghost and especially of predictioÌ„s of the Prophets touching the coming of the Messias his Natiuity Passion Resurrection Ascension sitting at the right haÌ„d of God Printed at Wittenberge in the yeare 1592. I forbeare both to presse this euideÌ„ce I will no further seeke to prooue by way of Authority that both Catholicks and Protestants are not sauable as not being to be accounted to be of one and the same Church and Religion no not yet euen the Lutherans and Caluinists For in a word that reason strikes euen at the roote which is drawen from the nature propriety of faith it selfe And euen that alone if it be well considered will vnanswerably conuince not only that they are of differeÌ„t faith Church who differ in so many Articles of so great moment as these wherein we professe one selues to disagree but that they also who differ in any one single point which is propounded and commanded by the Catholicke Church yea and more ouer that they who differ not in any points at all if yet they assent not vpon the only true infallible ground which is as hath bene said the reuelation of Almighty God and the Proposition and Direction of the said Catholicke Churh not only haue the selfe same faith with that Church but that they haue no supernaturall and true faith at all euen of those other doctrines which they most earnestly thinke themselues to imbrace and coÌ„sequently that it is wholly impossible for them to be saued if they dye impenitent The reason whereof is excellently deliuered by S. Thomas and many other diuines who vnaunswerably prooue that whosoeuer belieues not the whole corps of Christian Doctrine hath no true supernaturall faith at all and doth not righly belieue any one Article thereof He may haue a kinde of materiall fayth concerning those articles to which he giues assent but not a certaine and true and supernaturall faith vnles he belieue them vpon the right grounde thereof which is The speech or reuelation of Almighty God propounded and commaunded to belieued by the Catholicke Church For example if I should belieue that Christ our Lord dyed for the sins of the world either because I had only read it in some learned booke or in regard that I had ben told so by some friend whom I much esteemed and loued or else because I thought it likely in respect of some coÌ„gruity thereof to other things or finally vpoÌ„ any other
humane and fallible motiue whatsoeuer it is cleare that I could haue no supernaturall faith at all euen concerning that one single article of Catholicke doctrine And the same is to be said of the rest whether they be many or few great or smalle And the vndoubted reason hereof is because I giue not my firme assent to it vpon the only true infallible motiue which is the reuelatioÌ„ of God the propositioÌ„ of his Church For whatsoeuer is lesse then this cannot erect and qualifie an act of supernaturall faith with must be absolutely vndoubted and certaine and otherwise it is noe true faith at all but opinion and persuasion or humane beliefe He therfore with belieues not euery particular Article of Catholicke Doctrine which is reuealed and propounded by Almightie God and his Church doth no assent eueÌ„ to any one of them which he belieues vpon the sayd only true and infallible motiue For if he did he would as certainely or rather indeede could not choose but as willingly belieue all the rest since they all come recomended to him by the same Authority And now if there be truth in this which indeed cannot be called into any question the Catholikes and Protestants are farre inough from being of one faith and Church since it is demonstrated that besides the maine differeÌ„ces which runne betweene vs either they or we haue not really any true and supernaturall faith at all of any one doctrine of the Church wherein yet we seeme to consent together For as Turkes and Mores who belieue in God the Father haue yet no true supernaturall faith euen of that one single Article nor the Iewes of any thing contained euen in the old Testament so neither hath any heticke of any thing contained either in the old or new since they all resemble one another in this that whatsoeuer they belieue it is not done vpon that motiue which only can make an act of true and supernaturall faith And thus it shall suffice me to haue proued according to the maine proiect of this discourse that there is but one true faith which is the foundation of the only one true Religion which is exercised in one only true Church wherewith Christians are bound to communicate and that out of this Church there is no saluation to be found and lastly that both Catholicks and Protestants can by no meanes be accounted for members of one and the same true Church of Christ our Lord. But Protestants Qui nolunt intelligere vt bene agant though their reason tell them that al this is true do yet find their Religion to be so vnsoundly built that they can hardly be drawne to an acknowledgment thereof And therefore they are wont to say that such vnity of faith as this whereof we haue spoken is a kind of impracticable thing in this life that the holy Scripture speaking thereof is not to be vnderstood in such a rigid sense that the Fathers of the primitiue Church were too precise that way that their discourse of this kind was metaphysicall and that saluation is no so hard to be obtained but that there is roome inough in heauen for both Religions And finally they obiect that there is no such exact vnity as I haue her described euen amongst vs Catholickes and that theÌ„selues maintaine a sufficiency of vnity in faith both with the Fathers of the primitiue Church and with their owne fellow brethren the Lutheranes yea some moreouer will be so courteous as to professe that they agree euen with vs moderne Papists in all Fundamentall points of faith But I will consider in the next chapter both how litle reason they haue in what they obiect herein against vs and in what also they alleadge for themselues The auoiding of three obiections which they make against vs to disproue our vnitie in faith amongst our selues and of a fourth allegation whereby they would shew that they hold as much vnity both with the Lutherans and euen with vs Catholickes at this day as they are bouÌ„d to maintaine CHAPTER VII THey first striue to impeach our vnity in faith by obiecting that variety of opinioÌ„s in some points which they find by our books to be amongst vs whereby they would inferre that there is also amongst vs a diuersity of beliefe and faith and there is nothing more vsuall with them then this discourse But the answere is shortly and clerely this That wheresoeuer they find our Doctours to be of a contrary opinioÌ„ they shall also find those points in question not be haue bene defined by the Church but left at liberty to be debated and disputed as men see cause Such are a world of difficultyes betweene the Thomists and Scotists de auxilijs betwene the Dominicans and the Iesuites wherein either side defendes that which they take to be the truth opposing the contrary opinion by all the argumeÌ„ts that occure And both sides the while are resolued ready to submit to the iudgmeÌ„t definitioÌ„ of the Church whensoeuer it shall be declared so captiuating their vnderstanding to the obedieÌ„ce of faith as the Apostle exhorts And in the meane time they preserue the spirit of charitie in the bond of peace If our aduersaries could shâ—w that they erected Altare contra altare or that they were resolued not to obey to the definition of the Church when it were declared they should haue reason on their side but otherwise they are either very ignorant or els full of malice who make this obiection And let them either shew what Iesuite and Dominican breakes communion with on another or els betake theÌ„selues to some better prooffes The next obiection is yet more stupide then the former and I wonder how Caluins rage against the Church could put him so farre out of his wits as that he would euer take it into his mouth For it is he who being pricked by our noting their want of vnity towards their fellow brethren thinkes to reâ—ort it backe vpon vs by saying that we are not in case to obiect any such thing against them forasmuch as that forsooth we haue as many sects amongst vs as we haue seuerall Orders of Religious men and then he rekons vp Benedictans Carmelites Dominicans Franciscans whom els he will Wicked man who well knewe that no one of those holy Orders doth differ in any one point of doctrine from any of the rest are so farre from breaking communion with them as that still they preuent one another in all honour and good respects according to the aduice of the Blessed Apostle and much more do they exhibite all possible reuerence and obedience to the same Church and the Prelates thereof The difference which indeede raignes amongst them is who shal strip themselues soonest of all earthly incombrance and so fly the faster to heauen They haue seuerall Rules indeed which were framed by their seuerall Founders those men of God whereby they might the better direct their course to this iourneyes end according
making euery toy to be Fūdamentall Where by the way he takes his pleasure vpon vs sayes that we Papists will not let Protestants be saued though they belieue the same Creede and the same faith with vs vnles withall they will belieue the same Mathematicks and gouerne thēselues by the same Kalēders which to omit other poornesses of his was soe weake and meane a iest so misbecoming of that Audience and of the place he helde as being fitter indeed for some Ordinary thē for a Chappel or Church and withall so very vntrue if he were in earnest that vnles the pride of his owne conceit had raised vp a dust to put out his eyes he could not but haue seene the senselesnes of what he said euen whilest he was speaking since we the Romane Catholickes in this kingdome do rather gouerne our selues at this day by the lesse perfect Kalender which now is vsed in this place then by the other which is both the better euen by the iudgment of learned Protestants is authorized by the Catholicke Church abroade Letting he world see thereby how willingly we can accommodate to them in all things which belong not meerely to Religion But Maister Doctour forgot himselfe worse shortly after For hauing grauely admonished mē before not to account things arbitrary to be necessary nor to call superstructions foundations nor to esteeme that euery little thing in Religion should be able to depriue a man of saluation he takes the paynes to wipe out with a wet finger the whole substance and drifte of all his owne discourse by saying to his effect That differēce in beliefe in points which are not very important is not to preiudice a mans saluation vnles by not belieuing them he commit a disobedience with all for saith he Obedience indeede is of the Essence of Religion Which vpon the whole matter is the very thing we say and the very thing whereby he crosses the whole scope of his owne sermon For if a mans disobediēce to the proposition and direction of the Church concerning an inferiour point of Doctrine do impugne the very essense of Religion it will follow that their distinctiō of points Fundamentall or not Fundamentall wherby they would inferre that a man can not loose his saluation but for misbelief in some few mayne points of Religion and not in the rest is absurd and vaine and detractiue both of Doctour Dunnes Doctrine last mentioned and of their owne obiection of vncharitablenes against vs for saying that men dying in different Religions cannot be saued And withall that this distinction will not secure them from committing the crime of separation from the Church of Christ our Lord and in swaruing from the directions thereof in which case all the Doctrines of the Church are found to be Fundamentall towards saluation And this shall serue for a dischardge both of what they obiect against our vnitie in faith and of what they alleadge in the behalfe of theirs And in the meane time I conceaue that I haue also sufficiently secured and settled those two mayne groundes vpon which this whole discourse is turned Namely first that there is but one true faith and one true Religion and Church out of which there is no saluation and secondly that both Catholickes and Protestants can not possible be accounted to be of that one Religion Church Faith And now for the finall proofe of this last point according euen to their practise as well as ours let my Reader but looke vpon the body of their lawes made against vs and especially vpon the Preambles thereof wherein they plentifully shew how hatefull an opinion they haue of our Church Let him looke vpon the seuerall Acts of State which haue issued from my Lords of the Counsell Let him looke vpō the proclamatiōs which haue beene made and published from time to time Let him looke vpon the large cōmissions which haue beene granted to Pursiuants whereby that scume of the world hath been and is enabled both to ransome ransacke vs at their pleasure Let him looke vpon those speeches which haue been vttered in both houses of Parliament not only against the professours but euen the profession it selfe of our Religion and how his most excellent Maiesty hath been importuned by their Petitions to add more weight to our miseries for thus it will easily be seene how false how rotten how superstitions how Idolatrous how detestable how damnable and euen destructiue of all truth and goodnes they professe themselues to esteeme our Religiō and in fine that we carry such a marke of the Beast in our foreheads as must needs in their opinion shut vp the gates of Heauen against vs and set open the iawes of Hell to deuoure and swallowe vs vp So that certainely we are no more of one Church with them in their opinion then they are of one with vs in ours And now there will remaine noe more but a short Recapitulation of what hath been deliuered more at large for the finishing of this discourse to which I will now betake my selfe A recapitulatiō of the whole discourse wherin it followes vpon the confession of both parties that the Catholickes and the Protestants are not both of them saueable in their seuerall Religions without repentance thereof before they dy and that Catholickes must therefore be no longer held vncharitable for saying so but those Protestants are shewed to be Libertines who say the contrary CHAPTER X. SInce the Faith Religion Church hath beene prooued both by Scriptures and Fathers as also by vnanswearable reasons which haue beene drawne both from the very groundes of true Faith and from the nature and spirit of Heresy and Schisme and finally by the Confession of both parties to be but only one and that out of that one there is noe saluation to be obtayned Since the difference concerning the Doctrine of faith betweene Catholickes Protestants are so many so important and so resolutely maintained cōcerning both the Canon of Scriptures the number nature of Sacraments the authority of traditions the supreme Iudge of Cōtrouersies the visible heade of the Church the iustification of ouer soules the valewe of our good workes the liberty of our will the possibility of keeping the Commandements the relations which runne betweene the men of this life on the one side and both the soules in Purgatory and the Saints in Heauen on the other Since besides our differences in points of Doctrine we swarue also from one an other in points of discipline and haue separated our selues haue mutually excōmunicated one another Since we hold them to liue in heresie and schisme and they vs in affected ignorance grosse superstition and Idolatry and are dayly making Sermons and bookes and edicts and lawes against one another it is certaine that either both they and we must not be saued if we dy vnrepētant of our seuerall Religions or else that the whole world hath beene in a dreame of three thousand yeares old euer
for heresie which is a most grieuous kind of infidelity and which includes in it selfe so many other most horrible sinnes as namely blasphemies contempt of Sacraments scoffes and scornes a prophanation of holy things a hatred and persecution of true Religion disobedience to the Church and her Prelates sacriledge pride obstinacy schisme and rebellion against the supreme Ecclesiasticall Magistrats How great torment therefore I say shall any man eternally endure for the sinne of Heresie which is more grieuous then thousands of fornications and thefts It will not therefore serue a mans turne towards eternall life if being out of the Communion of Gods Church he carry himselfe otherwise as sweetly as ciuilly as can be deuised and that men praise him for a worthy person an honest man the best neighbour in a whole kingdome one who owes no man a penny one who is curteous to all the world who neuer sweares an oath nor giues offence to any in any kind These are all goods things but these are not all those good things which are required of him who will be saued For whilest such an one is so kind and ciuill to man he is both vnkind cruell towards Almighty God if he be rebellious to that Church which was purchassed by the death of his only sonne But it seemes we are still made of that mould whereof S. Hierom speaks after this manner Nos in Dei iniurijs benigni sumus In c. 16. Matt. in propriâ—s contumelijs odia exercemus We are easy remisse towards such as ar iniuriours to God but we are reuinge full when there is question of righting those wronges which are done to our selues But withall he alleages the example of Hely in the booke of kings against this ill custome saying Si peccauerit vir in virum 1 Reg. 2. placari ei potest Deus si autem in Deum quis peccauerit quis orabit pro eo If one man offend an other God may yet be appeased towards him but if any man sin against God who shall pray for that man A very different dictamen from that which raignes now in the world where a man who giues men no offence shall be celebrated by men for a kind of Saint though withall his whole life be consumed in sinning against God by infidelity by secret blasphemy by heresie and by all that pride and malignity which it involues against God and his Church together with contempt scorne as hath been sayd of all those deuout Ceremonies and almost all those holy Sacraments which his diuine Maiesty hath ordained for our eternal good with so much cost to him selfe But Saints and men of God who see with clearer eyes then others make a contrary iudgment of these things and so also are they very remisse wheÌ„ wroÌ„ge is done but to themselues but rigorous when peruerse men will needs be putting affronts vpon Almighty God The Ecclesiasticall story is full of examples in this kind See but how S. Iohn carryed himselfe towards Cerinthus Polycarpe to Marcion and S. Antony to the Arrians and a thousand others And least it should be thought that Saints fall not foule but only vpon such Hereticks as deny the very prime Articles of ChristiaÌ„ ReligioÌ„ which concerne either God the Father or the immediat person of Christ our Lord himselfe cast but an eye vpon S. Bernard that milde mercifull man of God see how he treates the hereticks of his time who had too much affinity with those of ours as you will perceaue by his censure of them but yet it was for certaine points which seemed not to trench so deepe into the Christian Faith But howsoeuer he speakes of them in no gentler a still then this Serm. in Cantic 66. Videte detractores videte canes irrident nos quia baptizamus infantes quòd oramus pro mortuis quòd Sanctorum suffragia postulamus Behold these detractours behâ—ld these dogs they scoffe as vs because we baptise infants because we pray for the dead and because we beg the prayers of the Saincts So that still we see into this truth more and more That how smooth soeuer the face and how sweete soeuer the words and how ciuill soeuer the cariage be yet if heresie be in the heart it is of all others the most odious and offensiue thing both to Almighty God and to all good men who haue his honour in high account Yea and euen how kind and ciuill soeuer they seeme to their neighbours and friends in morall things such especially as they see often and salute and conuerse with yet you may obserue by that saying of S. Bernard that they are cruell inough to such as they see not And with all their ciuillity and curtesy and suauity in ordinary conuersation they can find in their hereticall hearts at a clap to rob all dead men of the helpe comfort of the prayers of the liuing al liuing meÌ„ of the prayers of the Saints who are in heaueÌ„ the same Saintes of all the honour which Catholickes pay to theÌ„ here on earth to omit in this place their infinite innumerable detractioÌ„s slaunders reproaches of the whole Church of God Al which I haue not sayd either by way of aggrauating their sins or of alienating men from their persons which I esteeme and loue and desire to serue with my whole heart but only to the end that they may know their owne case and consider well what kind of thing heresie is and how hatefull in it selfe to God and man that so by the diuine goodnes they may grow to change both their names and natures passe from being enemies to become children of that one true Church out of which ther is no saluation In the meane time it is more them clear that the chardge which Protestants lay vpon vs as wanting Charity for saying that their Religion vnrepented destroyes saluation must needs be now transferred from vs and imputed with as much reason to him who hath layed as hath been seene an obligation euen vpon all Christians and much more vpoÌ„ the Church and the Pastours thereof to declare the dauÌ„gers which they incurre who are departed from the Communion of the holy Catholicke Church And as truly yea much more probablely may they affirme that the holy Fathers of the Primitiue Church wanted Charity for the strictnes which they vsed in condeÌ„ning men to Hell as heretickes for their obstinancy in holding some one single Doctrine of it selfe which yet was not somtimes so very importaÌ„t Gal. 5. That S. Paule wanted charity when he excluded men from heauen for those sins of frailty to which we are daily sollicited euen by the very nature and condicion of our owne flesh and blood and in particular also for dissentions and sects which signify heresy in that place That the holy Ghost wanted charity being the hand which guided the Apostles finger to write so seuerely as he did That Christ our Lord waÌ„ted
the honour and pleasure of this world carryes noe proportion at all with that of the next any more then idle dreames doe with strong truthes or vaine shadowes with substance which is substance indeede For in this life whatsoeuer delight is felt the minde of man is still too hard for the body and ouer works it doth secretly either giue or take a kind of lye and insatisfaction euen in the topp of all the greatest pleasure which it feeles though dull people vnderstand not or obserue not this But if for any one instaÌ„t a soule could haue any one glimpse of celestiall blisse and be ingulfed with all the facultyes thereof vpon an obiect of such infinite perfection as God is and that this were done without the interposition or interpretation of any creature but that the whole soule might touch and mingle and vnite it selfe for that instant with that soueraigne obiecte O how fully would the soule be satisfied O how base how beastiall would all the delight and glory of this world both appeare and be in respect of that We may see some traces of this truth by a consideration of those supernatural visitations and spirituall illustrations eleuations whereby our Lord hath been pleased to descend into the soules of innumerable seruants and Spouses of his euen in this life that so they might be enabled to take in as it were some little sent and ayre of that eternall blisse which is prepared for them in the next Yea how many haue there beene who formerly being all immersed in the pursuite of terrene honour and delight haue by the meanes of some one celestiall visitation been instantly and for euer estranged and that with extreme contempt from the care of all the carnal ioye and greatnes which this world was able to afford them ane haue been fixed with a perpetuall eye vpon the most ardent loue and most loyall faithfull seruice of our Lord God The storyes of our Saints liues and our owne experience in conuersation with spirituall persons which through the goodnes of God are neuer wanting in his holy Catholicke Church hath made vs not only see this truth but euen as it were to touch it with our fingers ends And yet there can be no doubt but that all the spirituall visitations and consolations and extasies and rapts which euer shall be or haue bene felt and suffered in this life by all the seruants of God and yet in some one of them we know that S. Paule was taken vp into the third heauen and that he was possessed with the vnderstanding and feeling of so high mysteries as it was neither lawfull not possible for man to expresse are most poore and meane thinges in comparison of any one moment of ioy in Heauen And the reason hereof is cleare For whatsoeuer spirituall gift is imparted in this life is but by image and representation but in the next it is in substance and face to face with God himselfe where he is seene as he is indeede If then one instant of celestiall glory be not only so farre exceeding all carnall ioy and pleasure which is but dust and trash being compared with that other but that also euen the highest spirituall gust and ioy which is experimeÌ„ted in this life be not able once to subsist in sight of one moment of that glorious ioye which is felt in heaueÌ„ though it be but for one instant how infinitely must we find our selues obliged to this immortal God of ours who hath vouchsafed not to ty vs to instants of time in the fruition of that glory but to enlarge and extend it I say not to yeares or ages or worlds of time but as farre as perfect eternity it selfe In comparison whereof the time of all this world from Adam to this day and a million of millions as much time as that and as many more millions as all the hearts of all men can comprehend and count are not so much in durance as one minute is being compared with all those millioÌ„s of time And yet all this eternity of such glory as I haue described is vouchsafed to vs by the inexhausted goodnes of our Lord God for hauing produced any one single acte of Faith and Loue which yet we see may be innumerably multiplied with so much case For any one single thought which is directed to the glory of our Lord God doth increase the same grace in our soules and consequently layes vp a distinct degree of that eternall glory wherof we haue spoken So that it is a cleare and constant truth that for euery other good thought which may be conceaued in any one moment of time we shall haue an increase of eternall glory in a distinct degree beyond that which otherwise we should haue had and we shall for euer see more perfectly the immortall Essence of Almighty God and loue it more and enioy it more then we should haue done if we had not produced that one single act of minde which yet as I sayd may be done by any ignorant or silly creature in the world in any one moment of his time And yet withall we are so miserable as not to lameÌ„t that this time should be lost not only vpon toyes and consequently vpon not increasing this stocke of immortall treasure but euen vpon committing of sinnes which doe no thing but horde vp an eternity of immense torments for vs insteede thereof We Catholickes must be thankefull and beg grace withall that we may coÌ„tinue where we are and we must beg it also for such others as are not and will not be so happy yet to the end that contemning all the vaine delights and honours of this world which may intice them and all the disaduantages troubles which may threaten them they may giue themselues vp now at last to be receaued into the bosome of the holy Catholicke Apostolicke Romane Church and so to be embraced by those strong armes of that diuine protection and coÌ„fort which Christ our Lord her Spouse hath endewed her with for the sauing of those soules for which he died Our Lord God make them so happy as to receaue this blessing and let all his Saints and Angels euer glofiry his holy name for hauing imparted it to vs. FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS CHAPTER 1. THAT Catholickes are both improbably and vniustly charged with lacke of Charity for affirming that Protestancy vnrepented destroyes saluation Chapter 2. Of the intention of Catholickes when they say that Protestancy vnrepented destroies saluation how that speech is to be vnderstood Chapter 3. That our saying that Protestancy vnrepented destroies saluation proceedes froÌ„ want of Charity in vs is no lesse vntrue because there is but one true Church then already I haue shewed it to be improbable and first this is proued by holy Scripture Chapter 4. The expresse vnity of the Church is also proued by the authority of the Fathers of the most primitiue times Chapter 5. It is proued both by holy Scriptures Fathers that out of this one true Church of Christ our Lord no saluation is to be found Chapter 6. That both Catholickes ProtestaÌ„ts cannot possibly be accompted to be of one the same Religion Faith and Church Chapter 7. Three obiections ar auoided which they make against vs to disproue our vnity in faith amongst our selues and so also is an allegation about FundameÌ„tal points of faith wherby they would shewe that they hold as much vnity both with the Fathers and with the Lutherans yea and euen with vs Catholickes at this day as they are bound to maintaine Chapter 8. That Protestants haue no reason in alledging the distinction of fundamentall and not fundamentall points of faith as intending to proue thereby that they are in vnity with the Fathers of the Primitiue Church or of their fellow brethren the Lutherans yea and some times with Catholickes at this day Chapter 9. That Protestants neither do nor dare declare what are their fundamentall points of faith wherby yet they would pretend that they liue in the communion of the only one true Church of our Lord. Chapter 10. A recapitulation of the whole discourse wherein followes vpon the confession of both parties that the Catholickes and Protestants be not both of them sauable in their seueral Religions without repentance thereof before they dye and Catholickes must therefore be no longer held vncharitable for saying so but those ProtestaÌ„ts are shewed to be Libertines who say the contrary The Conclusion FAVLTES ESCAPED in the printing Faultes Corrected Pag. 8 l. 1 as man as a man 17 l. 2 we owne we owe 21 l. 29 haduÌ„ commaded had commauÌ„ded 24 l. 26 persisting persisting 30 l. 24 did it much did it with much 32 l. 28 doctrine or doctrine of 36 l. 16 of of eternall of eternall 38 l. 1. who forsake who forsakes 41 l. 2 these Saint elwhere the Saint else where 51 l. 10 to condemned to be condemned 55 l. 28 title of booke title of a booke 68 l. 9 particular studied particularly studied 70 l. 22 or argumt or argument 93 l. 9 execrable of execrable assertioÌ„ of 101 l. 4. of ouâ—â— soules of our soules 110 l 6 and Polycarpe and S. Polycarpe l. 28 scoffe as vs scoffe at vs 117 l. 17 first cleare first cleared 119 l. 28 case chat case that 124 l. 29 And yet meanes of high euen by this And yet euen by this meanes of high