sufficient to salvation and giue direction sufficient to every good Christian both for his knowledge and for his practise teaching him what to beleeue and how to liue so as he may be saued For Knowledge first it is confessed a very small measure of explicite knowledge is of absolute necessity Some a Apud Greg. de Val. Tom. 3. in Aqu. disp 1. qu. 2. punct 4. v. 10. Bergomens Concordant Contrad dub 419 Schoolemen thinke it needfull to beleeue only so much of the Creed concerning Christ as the Church solemnizeth in her Holidaies his Incarnation Passion Resurrection c. Some require an explicite beliefe of the whole Apostles Creed And some which goe highest adde to that the Nicen and Athanasian to make a compleat belieuer The Iesuite b Vbi supr◠Valentia mislikes this last imposition as too rigorous and seemes most to encline to the first most moderate opinion And c De verb. Dei lib. 4. cap. 11. initio Bellarmine is confident that the Apostles never vsed to preach openly to the people other things then the Articles of the Apostles Creed the ten commandements and some of the Sacraments because saith he these are simply necessary and profitable for all men the rest besides such as that a man may bee saved without them Thus for matter of beliefe Now secondly for matter of practise they cannot except against any part of the publique service of God in our Leiturgy They will grant I suppose that God may be worshipped without an image nay that the interior and spirituall worship is most acceptable to him that a Christian may comfortably and with successe call vpon God alone by the only mediation of Christ seeing the d Sancti caeperunt coli in Ecclesià Vniversali non tam lege aliquâ quam consuetudine Bellarm. de SS Beat. lib. 1. cap. 8. §. vlt. worship and invocation of Saints was brought into the Church rather by custome then any precept that inward repentance and confession of sinnes to God is of absolute necessity not so their auricular * Secret confession abstracting from the abuses of it our Church allowes and inioynes in some cases as very convenient for the comfort of afflicted consciences confession and penall workes of satisfaction that it is necessary to bee really vnited to Christ by his spirit and our faith and very comfortable to receiue both parts of the Eucharist but no way necessary to eat the flesh of Christ carnally in the Sacrament or to want the Sacrament of his bloud that those praiers must needs be most fruitfull and effectuall which are done with vnderstanding and in a knowne language that when a man hath constantly endeavoured with all his forces to obey God in all the duties of Piety and Charity yet it is not amisse for him after all this to confesse himselfe Gods vnprofitable servant and his e Bellar. de Iustif lib. 5. c. 7. §. sit 3. Propositio-Tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sold Dei misericordia benignitate reponere safest course not to trust to his owne merits but wholly and solely to cast himselfe on the mercy of God in Iesus Christ So then by the precepts and conduct of our Religion a Christian is fully instructed in all necessary points of faith and manners and directed how to liue religiously how to dy comfortably and all this without any addition of Popery and all this by the confession of Papists Hence it followes that by their owne Confession the doctrines debated are vnnecessary 3. They are also confessed Nouelties Themselues yeeld that for aboue a thousand yeares after Christ a Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 4. cap 2. §. Secunda opinio the Popes judgement was not esteemed infallible nor his authority b Bellarm. de Conc. lib. 2. cap. 13. aboue that of a generall Councell the contrary being decreed in the late Councels of Constance and Basil constantly defended by the ancient Sorbon and at this day by the c Reuision du Concile de Trent liur 4. best learned in the Gailicane Church d Bellar. de Indulg lib. 2. cap. 17. That Eugenius the 3. who began his Papacy 1145. was the first that granted Indulgences e Bellar. de Sanctorum Beat. lib. 1. cap. 8. §. Dices plur Leo the 3. who liued 800. yeares after Christ the first that euer canonized any Saint That not any f Greg. de Valent. in Thom. Tom. 4. disp 6. p 2. §. Tertio prob one ancient writer reckons precisely seuen Sacraments the first g Bellar. de Sacarm lib. 2. cap. 25. Author that mentions that number being Peter Lombard and the first Councell that of Florence That transubstantiation h Scotus apud Bellarm. lib. 3. de Euchar cap. 23. was neither named nor made an Article of faith before the Councell of Laterane That Antiquity euen till these i Lombard Sent. lib. 4. c. 12. Aqu. 3. p. qu 83. art 1. in corp latter times beleeued the sacrifice in the Eucharist to bee no other but the image or commemoration of our Sauiours sacrifice on the Crosse That in k Lindan Panopl lib. 4. cap. 25. Albaspin Obseru lib 1. cap. 4. former ages for 1300. yeares the holy Cup was administred to the Lairy And diuine seruice celebrated l Nic. de Lyra. in 1. ad Cor. cap. 14. Cassand in Liturgicis cap. 28. for many ages in a knowne and vulgar Language vnderstood by the people That m Polyd. Virgil. de Inuent lib. 6. cap. 13. the Fathers generally condemned the worship of Images for feare of Idolatrie and n Azor. Moral lib. 8. cap. 26. part 1. §. Respondeo allowed yea exhorted the People with diligence to read the Scriptures Many more confessions of this kinde might be produced If now the Mistaker will suppose his Romane Church and Religion purged from these and the like confessed excesses and nouelties hee shall finde in that which remaines little difference of importance betweene vs. But by this discourse the Mistaker happily may beleeue his cause to be aduantaged and may reply If Rome want nothing essentiall to Religion or to a Church how then can the Reformers justifie their separation from that Church or free themselues from damnable Schisme For surely to separate from the communion of the Church without just and necessary cause is a Schisme very damnable All this in effect is formerly answered Yet to satisfie our Mistaker if it may be we will here further say somewhat to the point more plainly and distinctly There neither was nor can be any just cause to depart from the Church of Christ no more then from Christ himselfe But to depart from a Particular Church and namely from the Church of Rome in some doctrines and practises there might be just and necessary cause though the Church of Rome wanted nothing necessary to saluation I said signantèr in some doctrines and practises For there is great
disturbed her vnion dissolued Schisme is no lesse damnable then Heresy The old n Vide Optat August passim Donatists did not only vniustly separate from the Catholike Church diffused through the World but most vn reasonably arrogantly esteemed their owne faction to be the only Christians hated and censured all of the Catholique Communion as no better then Pagans and appropriated to themselues alone all the benefits of Christ and all the priviledges of his Church And accordingly in effect they renounced the society of all other Christians vanting that life and salvation was no where to be had but in their assemblies And are not the Iesuiters of our times formally guilty of this Donatisme Doe not the Zelotes of Rome thus speake and thinke of themselues and of all other Christians Witnes our Mistaker and his Pamphlet wherein his designe is to shew that Rome compasseth and containeth all Christendome and that Christ hath no servants the Church no members but only those that liue vnder the Popes obedience Briefly the Vnity of the Church Catholique is not hindred by any diversity of opinions or observations in her severall members so long as the substance of faith and the bond of Charity is conserued among them The Mistaker goes on Out of this one true Church no salvation Ch. Mist â— 5. can be had Every terme is ambiguous and therefore the whole proposition true or false as it may be limited Salvation may be had either by the ordinary meanes or extraordinarily The Church notes either the Catholique or Particulars Hee may be in the one who is outed by the others and an interiour Communion may be without the externall A Church may teach many truths and so farre bee true yet by the addition of many errours and abuses become in regard of them a false Church And it may be one in the faith which is not at one either with it selfe or other particulars in opinions Lastly a man may be out of a particular Church either actiuely by a voluntary separation which is iust or vnjust according to the grounds or passiuely by exclusion or ejection being casâ— out by the Church And that may bee done either vniustly by ignorance malice faction c. or justly and this either by suspension for a time from the society of the faithfull or by vtter and finall abdication from the body of Christ This may better appeare in particular instances Infidels are without the Church They haue no distinct knowledge of Christ or explicite faith in him Yet some a Iustin M. in Apol. vtraque Clem. Alex Strom. lib. 5. 6. 7. Chrysost hom 37. in Matth. c. auncient Doctors and many late b Ludov. Vives in Aug. de C. D. l. 18. c. 47. Andrad Orthod Explic lib. 3. ad axiom 6. Genes à Sepulveda lib. 7. Epist 1. ad Petr. 1. ad Petr. Serramum Franc. à victoria Relect 13. Aquinas Lyra Abulensis Bruno Dionysius Carth. Arboreus Durandus c. apud Casal de quadr iustit lib. 1. cap. 12. Cornelius Mus Claudius Seysellus Ambrosius Catharinus Ioan. Viguerius Bened. Pererius Dom. Soto Alph. Salmeron aoud Franc. Collium de Animabus Paganoium lib. 1. cap. 24. vide eum lib. 5. cap. 7. 8. 22. Sotus Canus Vega Thom. Richardus apud Greg. Val. T. 3. disp 1. qu. 2. punct 4. § secunda vero Romane writers are of opinion concerning Pagans before and since Christ that if their life be morally honest by Gods extraordinary mercy and the merit of Christ they may be saued For say they though God in his wisdome hath tied vs to the ordinary meanes he hath not tied himselfe Let the Mistaker here compare â—heir Charity with his They hope well of honest Pagans He rashly damnes the â—est part of Christians Againe a beleeuer may be in no visible Church and yet in a state of saluation For first the ancient Church whilest shee wanted the assistance of the Civill word vsed a very severe discipline to containe her children in obedience and to prevent scandals Lapsed sinners were not restored to her peace nor admitted into the communion of the faithfull but with great difficulty and after the sharpe penance of many yeares But if any were guilty of crimes such as Tertullian calls non delicta sed monstra monstrous impieties as Apostasy Idolatry Fornication Murther and the like c Vide Canones Concilis Eliberitani Arelatensis 1. Albaspin Obser lib. 2. shee vtterly refused to absolue such persons euen at the last houre of their life notwithstanding their repentance Yet for their comfort though they might not haue her mercy she doubted not but that they were capable of d Concil Valent. 1. Canone 3. Gods and vpon their true contrition might by him bee pardoned and saued Secondly the e Concil Nicen. Can. 5. Churches of those happy times so fairely corresponded in their amitie and justice that whosoeuer was excommunicated by one was not receiued or absolued by any other And hence it followeth that f Potest quis esse in Ecclesia animo desiderio quod sufficit illi ad salutem non tamen esse corpore siue externá communicatione quae propriè facit hominem esse de Ecclesiâ visibili que est in terris Bell. lib. 3. de Eccl. milit cap. 6. § Respondeo cap. 3. § Denique externall communion euen with the truest noblest Churches is not of absolute necessity to saluation When one and so all visible Churches denied their peace in that age to some Sinners yet they denied them not Gods pardon Besides that a man may bee g Saepe sinit diuina prouidentia per nimiuÌ„ turbulentas carnalium hominum seditiones expelli de congregatione Christianá etiam bonoâ— viros August de ver relig cap. 6. In foro contentioso exterion multi sunt Excommunicati quoad Deum qui non sunt quoad Ecclesiam è contrà multi Excommunicats quoad Ecclesiam qui non sunt quoad Deum quia Ecclesia non judicat de occultis Cosm Philiarch de offic Sacerd. Tom. 1. lib. 3. c. 4. p. 89. Frequenter fit n qui per Ecclesiam militantem foras emittitur intus habetur in Ecclefiâ triumphante contrà Gloss in Extra Ioan. 22. Tit. 14. cap. 5. solutum in â—â—â—liâ— a true visible member of the holy Catholique Church who is not actually otherwise then in vow a member of any true visible Church appeareth by these instances The poore man in the Gospell adhered the more closely to Christ when he was cast out of the Synagogue which was then the onely true Church the Heathens being excluded and the Christian Church being not yet founded And with whom of his owne ranke could Athanasius communicate in that generall Apostacy of Christendome when that noble Champion stood single in defence of diuine truth h Vidâ— Baron An. 357. Num. 44. all his Brethren the other Patriarches not He of Rome excepted hauing subscribed
to Arrianisme and cast him out of their communion Voluntary and vngrounded separation from the Catholique communion is without doubt a damnable Schisme yet may it bee much mollified or malignified by circumstances Tertullian was a man passionately zealous euen to superstition It appeares in part by his Treatise de Coronâ militis where he justifies the vanity and peeuishnesse of a common souldier who made scruple to weare on his head a Crowne of Lawrell as if the Christian religion had forbidden it And accordingly when the Church thought fit to remit a little of her ancient rigor in the manner and time of her fasts in the receiuing of penitents after publique satisfaction in allowing second marriages and the like Tertullian ill expounding this just relaxation to be a meere dissolution of good discipline hence tooke occasion being also prouoked by some claumnies and contumelies of the Romane Clergy to fall off from the Catholiques to the party of Montanus great pretenders to mortification and in that separation as it is likely he died Yet why may wee not hope that God pardoned the errours of his honest zeale i Nicol. Rigaltius in prefat Obseruat ad 9. libros Tertulliani Quae Tertulliani dicuntur haereses eae vix aliud praecipiebát quà m martyria fortiora jejunia sicciora castimoniam sanctiorem nuptias scilicet vnas aut nullas In quibus quicquid peccauit id omne virtutis amore vehementiore peccâsse videatur Id. mox ibid. Verosimile est Montani dogma quale extitit primordio quidem sui Christianis austerioribus probabili Tertullianum tenuisse non quale posteà quum sequacium quorundam imposturis fraudibus acu Phrygiâ interpolatum ab Ecclesiis passim Catholicis despui caepit his greatest fault being an excesse of indiscreet piety And if separatiō such as hath been said from all visible Churches doe not exclude from heauen much lesse doth a separation from the Church of Rome worke such an exclusion Whilest the Church of Rome stood in her puritie her amity and communion was very much esteemed deseruedly by other Churches yet neuer esteemed by any to be of absolute necessity for saluation Nor did Antiquity beleeue that a separation from the Romane communion in some regards whether actiue or passiue did induce or implie a disunion with the Catholique Church or a rejection from Gods fauor and Kingdome Many proofes here of might be alleaged but these few which follow may suffice When Pope Victor withdrew his communion from the Churches of Asia for their Easter day and Pope Stephen from those of Africa Cappadocia c. for rebaptizing their censures were much slighted and their pride and Schisme in troubling the peace of the Church much condemned by k Euseb lib. 5. cap. 23. z. p. Sec. Lation Cyprian Epist 74. 75. men of the greatest note for learning and piety in those ages S. Austin himselfe and with him 217. Bishops of Africa and their Successors for a hundred yeares together if their owne l Bonif. 2. Epist ad Eulal Alexandi Lindan Panopl Eu. lib. 4. cap. 89. in fine Salmeron Tom. 12. Tract 68. § Ad Canon Sander de visib Mon. lib. 7. num 411. records be true were all seuered from the Romane communion for maintaining the liberties of their Churches against the pretensions and forgeries of the Sea of Rome in the matter of appeales Yet during that separation many holy Soules were sent vp vnto God by Martyrdome vnder the persecution of the Vandales The fifth generall Councell condemned three Chapters casually omitted in the Councell of Chalcedon the Bishop of Rome at length consenting Many Bishops of Liguria and Istria mistaking the Councels meaning imagined the Councell of Chalcedon to be thereby dishonoured m Sigon de Occid Imper. lib. 20. Therefore in a full Synod of their owne they renounce the communion of their owne Patriarch of Rome and erect a new Patriarch at Aquileia which was after translated to Venice and there in name at least continues till this day And the Bishops of Ireland on the same occasion as n Baron Tom. 7. an 566. num 21. Baronius reports when they perceiued that the Church of Rome did both receiue the condemnation of the three Chapters strengthen the fifth Synod with her consent they did all joyntly depart from that Church and cleaue to the Bishops of Italie Africk in that cause Whereby it appeares that they did not take all the resolutions of the Church of Rome for vndoubted oracles but when they thought that they had better reason on their sides they preferred the judgement communion of other Churches before it The most ancient Brittish Irish Bishops did so stiffly adhere to the Churches of Asia in their celebration of Easter that the o Baron ad an 604. num 65. D. Vsher Treat of the Relig. of the ancient Irish Ch. 9. 10. Pope did therefore cut them off from his communion yet they persisted and neglected his anger as vaine and without danger Like Instances might be numberlesse By all which it is cleare that of old a totall Communion with the Church of Rome euen in her good dayes was not accounted so precious and necessary as is now pretended On the contrary men generally beleeued that Christians might liue and dye in the peace of God though they were at warre with the Pope and keepe the vnity of the Church Catholique though they fell off or were cut off from that of Rome The degrees of communion with particular Churches may be many and different The ancient Catechumeni and Penitents by degrees attained the spirituall fauours of the Church being in some respects within her communion without it in others So in the punishment of sinners the Church was wont to temper her censures according to the quality of offences Her censure for the most part was onely medicinall for the sinners benefit to reclaime him from euill by suspending him from her society the comfort of her publique prayers and Sacrament not denying him her inwar◠communion and Charity Sometime was a mortall censure by Anathema against malicious incorrigible wicked nesse In the former shee intended to purge the sinner by depriuing him 〈◊〉 while of her society in the latter to purge her selfe by cutting him off from the body of Christ And this Tertullia◠truly calls p Apologet. cap. 39. maximum futuri judic◠praeiudicium a Sentence which will bee verified in the last judgement according to that of our Lord q Matt. 18. 18. Whatsoeuer yo◠shall binde on earth shall be bound in heauen Whosoeuer is thus cursed justly by the Church shall neuer haue the benediction of God vnlesse hee make his peace by true and timely repentance Particular Churches owe each to other the mutuall offices of loue and communion so farre as may be but they owe onely to the Catholique Mother of all Christians the duty of obedience If then any Particular will deny to her
Art 3. Vix vllum peccatum cogitati potest solà Haeresi exceptâ quo illa Sedes Romana turpâ—ter maculata non fuerit maximè ab anno 800. He need not except Haeresy into which Biel In Can. Mass Lect. 23. grants it possible the Bishops of that Sea may fall And Stella in Luc. cap. 22. Almain L. 3. D. 24. q. 1. and Gabr. a Porta a Iesuite now professor at Burdeaux in 2. 2. q. 1. a. 10. dub 1. cited by Aurelius the Sorhonist In octo causas Spongiae praeambulas pag. 560 grants if freely that some of them did fall confessed them to be just but resolved to neglect theÌ„ This forced Luther and his associats to cry out more vehemently not against the Church but her corruptions Yet calmely and without any thought or designe of separation at the first When loe the i Leo. 10. Pope answeres all their iust complaints with vnjust and violent censures Because Luther and his favourers tell him modestly of his faults wishing him to correct foule disorders Hee therefore in a rage beates them out of doores excommunicates and chases them all out of his Romanc communion And his Successors take care to continue the Schisme For yeerly each Maundy Thursday in the Bull called Caenoe Domini all Heretiques are with great solemnity cursed into hell By Heretiques they meane all them that are not of the Romane obedience and such as cannot beleeue the vices of Rome to be good manners or her new inventions to be Catholique and as our Mistaker will say fundamentall doctrines k Cum carpuntur vitia inde scandalum oritur ipse sibi scandali causa est qui fecit quod argui debet non ille qui arguit Bern. ad Hugon de S. Vict. Ep. 78. Heere is the true cause of this miserable Schisme in Christendome the just grievance of all Christians in the world besides their owne zelotes Rome cast vs out before we left her l Non. fugimus sed fugamur Rex Iac. in Epist Is Casaubon ad Perrhon Cardin. Anathematibus diris nos expulerunt Quod satis superque nos absolvit Calv. Inst l. 4. c. 2. § 6. as our late most learned Soveraigne truly obserued It is true when the first Reformers were driven out they were not vnwilling to be gone And when they saw the Church of Rome in loue with her diseases so as shee would not bee cured m Though Israel transgresse yet let not Iudah sinne Hos 4. 15. vide in cum loc S. Hieron other Churches who owed her amity but not obedience vsed their just power and liberty and reformed themselues n Gerson de Concil generali vnius obedientiae part 1. pag. 222. vlt. edit Paris Nolo dicere quin in multis partibus possit Ecclesia per suas partes reformari imo hoc necesse esset ad hoc agendum sufficerent concilia provincialia But the good man complaines this was neglected Heu desolatione desolata est omnis terra quia nemo est qui recogitet corde omnes quaerunt quae sua sunt Concil Tolet. 4. can 3. Si causa fidei est aut quaelibet alia Ecclesiae communis generalis totius Hispaniae Galliciae Synodus convocetur Alb. M. in 1. D. 11. A. 9. vnicuique etiam particulari Ecclesiae licet id quod Catholicum est promulgare Rome her selfe added Filioque to the Creed of a Generall Councell not only without the consent of the Greeke Church but they vehemently opposing it in provinciall or Nationall Synods confirmed by publique Authority Yet with such a temperament of wisdome and Charity especially in the Church of England whereof I especially speake that they left the Church of Rome in nothing which makes her a Church in nothing which she holds of Christ or of Apostolique tradition Not in any part of the Catholique faith or Gods service such as is acceptable to him not in a charitable affection to their erring and seduced brethren of that Church For whilest they hate and curse vs we loue and pitty and pray for them We returne not curses againe our o Luc. 6. 28. Lord hath taught vs otherwise All damnatory and capitall Censures wee leaue to him p Iam. 4. 12 who alone is able to saue and destroy Only wee cannot wee dare not communicate with Rome either in her publique Leiturgy which is manifestly polluted with grosse superstition as themselues in effect confesse by their severall pretended reformations of it or in those corrupt vngrounded opinions which shee hath added to the faith of Catholiques These abuses and errors deface the beauty and taint the purity of divine truth they make vp the Popery of Rome not the Church In them our Communion is dissolued but wee haue still a true and reall Vnion with that and all other members of the Church Vniversall in Faith and Charity The state of the Church vnder the Roman obedience and that part which is Reformed is very fitly q Mr Bedel ag Wadsw cap. 4. resembled to a field overgrowne all with weeds thistles tares cockle Some part whereof is weeded and cleansed some part remaines as it was before which makes such a difference to the eye as if it were not the same corne But being better considered it will be found all the difference is from the weeds which remaine there and here are taken away Yet neither here perfectly nor euery where alike but according to the industry of our weeders or conveniency of the worke with care of the safety of the good corne Those worthy Husbandmen that in these last 600 yeares haue takeÌ„ paines in plucking vp those pernicious weeds out of the Lords field and severing the chaffe from his graine cannot be rightly said in doing this either to haue brought in another field or to haue changed the auncient graine The field is the same but weeded now vnweeded then the graine the same but winnowed now vnwinnowed then Such tares are all those Romane additions which wee haue rejected which the best learned of their owne confesse in effect to bee 1. doubtfull and perplexed opinions 2 doctrines vnnecessary and forraigne to the faith and 3. novelties vnknowne to Antiquity 1 Doubtfull The Romane Doctors doe not fully and absolutely agree in any one point among themselues but only in such points wherein they agree with vs In the other disputed betweene vs they differ one froÌ„ another as much almost as they differ from vs. In each Controversy there is not only variety but contrariety of judgements amongst them and in conclusion nothing but perplexity and vncertainty I appeale for proofe of this to the famous Tomes of Card. Bellarmine where in the front and stateing of every question he hath with great diligence noted the contentions contradictions of his Fellowes 2. They are confessedly Vnnecessary and Superfluous For they confesse that setting aside all matters controverted the maine positiue truths wherein all agree are abundantly
Catholiques in France beleeue it not where the f Voiez â—e Mercure Iesuite 1. part Vniversitie of Paris in the name of all the others in that kingdome hath not long since challenged aboue 30 Iesuites to haue published execrable doctrines touching the killing of Kings and absoluing subjects from their allegiance tending to the ruine of mankind and confusion of all gouernment and many of their bookes of this argument by publique arrest of the Parliament of Paris haue beene condemned to the fire And for this reason the whole g Hist Interd lib. 3. Senate of Venice not one man of that great Body dissenting did by decree chase these men out of their Dominions into perpetuall banishment because the Iesuites haue beene the Authors and Instruments of all tumults seditions confusions and miseries hapning in these times in all Kingdomes and States of the world And for vs Protestants the innumerable massacres of our Brethren in France the Netherlands and elsewhere the barbarous treasons plotted against our late Soveraignes and this state of England are demonstrations sufficient of their burning Charity towards vs. But all their other cruelties are but milde in comparison of this doctrine which pursues our soules after death into the neathermost pit Yet the Mistaker thinkes this may bee affirmed with Charitie For it is improbable the Catholique Church should want Charity Most true not improbable only but meerely impossible the Catholique Church should bee without Charity Far be it from vs to lay this vnjust and vnworthy charge vpon our deere Mother the Catholique Church Charity is the ligament which connects both that whole mysticall Body vnto Christ her glorious Head and each seuerall member one to another The good spirit of truth and loue ever assists and animates that great Body This Mother of all Christians we honour as her dutifull Children and are well assured of her blessing We accuse not Her for want of Charity shee giues no cause but that proud and curst Dame of Rome who takes vpon her to revell in the House of God to let in and cast out at her pleasure pretending that shee alone is the Mother and Mistris in that House vsurping and confining all the priviledges of the Catholique Church to her selfe alone A pretension void of colour and against the principles of reason which forbids to confound a part with the â—hole Though shee haue many waies â—aid the Harlot and in that regard deâ—erved a bill of divorce from Christ â—he detestation of Christians yet for â—hose Catholique verities which she reâ—aines wee yeeld her a member of the Catholique though one of the most vnsound and corrupt members In this sense the Romanists may bee called Catholiques But that the Roman Church â—nd the Catholique are all one is a very vaine and absurd imagination vnknowne h That the Roman Church was anciently esteemed a Topicall or particular Church distinct from others and in and vnder the Vniversall may appeare by Ignatius in tit epist ad Rom. Eccles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ambros. Epist 83. ad med Post Aegyptorum supputationes Alexandrinae Ecclesiae definitionem Episcopi quoque Romanae Ecclesiae meam adhuc expectant sententiam quid existimem de die Paschae Innoc. ad Victricium Epis Rothomag â—initio Quia Romanae Ecclesiae normam magnoperè postulâsti advertant Ecclesiarum regionis vestrae populi qualis servetur in vrbis Romae Ecclesijs disciplina Caelestinus Episc Rom. Epist ad Ioan. Antioc ap Binn in Concil Ephes Gr. lat par 1. § 20 pag. 143. Asserat se Nestorius fidem tenere quam secundum Apostolicam doctrinam Romana Alexandrina Catholica Vniversalis Ecclesia tenet Nicolaus PP 1. Epist 8. ad Michael August ad fin Imperatores Nero Diocletiaâ—us persequuti sunt Ecclesiam Dei maximè Ecclesiam Romanam Idem Epist 70 ad Hincmarum caeteros Galliae Episcopos Conantur Graeci tam nostram specialiter Romanam quam omnem quae linguâ latinâ vtitur Ecclesiam reprehendere quòd jejunamus in Sabbatis c. Et paulo post Opprobria haec vniversali Ecclesiae in eâ duntaxat parte quae latinâ vti dignoscitur linguâ ingeruntur Innocent 3. lib. 2. Epist 200. ad Ioan. Patriarch Constantinopol Dicitur Vniversalis Ecclesia quae de vniversis constat Ecclesiis quae Graeco vocabulo Catholica nominatur Ecclesia Romana sic non est Vniversalis Ecclesâ—â—â— sed parâ— Vniversalis Ecclesiae to Antiquity still loosly miserably begged by the Mistaker his fellowes without offer of proofe Catholique-Roman is in true interpretation vniversallparticular which are tearmes repugnant that cannot be equalled The latter restraines cuts off from the former and therefore to conclude the Catholique Church within that of Rome is to alter the name and nature of it hee that will be only a Roman must cease to be a Catholique It is not then the Catholique Church that we charge or that charges vs but the Roman And therefore all the discourse of our Mistaker touching the great charities of the Catholique Church to her children is very roving and impertinent winde and words without substance All confesse that she diffuses her selfe in all acts of charity after all imaginable sorts So doe her severall members the particular Churches They of the Reformation and especially this of England as amply and bountifully as any in the World and much more effectually and to better purpose then that of Rome It hath beene publikely avowed by some and cannot bee deni'd by a modest Adversary that hardâ—y any age in former times may compare with this of ours since this Church was happily purged from Popery for publique expressions of charity In so few yeares hardly ever so many Churches or Chappell 's built and beautified for Gods service so many Colledges Schooles Libraries Hospitals erected and endowed for the honour of learning and reliefe of the necessitous And for the other part of charity which is spirituall regarding the worship of God and the conduct of soules to their eternall happinesse never did any Church afford more plentifully the meanes of grace nor more abound with all helpes and advantages of piety then this of ours The word of God is diligently preached amongst vs the Sacraments of Christ reverently administred abuses in both are remoued the two extreames of Religion Superstition and Prophanenesse are avoided The ignorant are instructed the disorderly admonished comforts are applied to the afflicted terrours to the impenitent censures and punishments to the obstinate In our Leiturgy policy ceremonies in the government of our Prelates in the dilâ—gence of inferiour Pastors in the whoâ—â— face of our doctrine and discipline weâ— haue a most neere and faire resemblanâ—â— of reverend Antiquity all tending to thâ— gaining of soules to Christ and to guidâ— them in the way of peace In the Church of Rome appeares buâ— little of this true Charity even toward her owne Children Indeed shee bringâ— forth children vnto
haec dâ—co haec dicis sed audiamus haec dicit Dominus Auferantur illa de medio quae adversus noâ— invicem non ex divinis Canonicis libris sed aliundè recitamus Let vs heare no more Thus I say or Thus thou saist but let vs heare Thus saith the Lord. Away with those arguments on both sides which are not taken out of the Divine and Canonicall Scriptures i Ibid. cap. 2. Inter nos quaestio eist vbi sit Corpus Christi id est vbi sit Ecclesia Quid ergo facturi sumus in verbis nostris eam quaesituri an in verbis Capitis sui Domini nostri Iesu Christi Puto quòd in illius verbis potius eam quaerere debemus qui veritas est optimè novit Corpus suum It is questioned between vs where the body of Christ is that is where his Church is what then must be done shall we seeke it in our owne words or in the words of Christ the head of the Church I trow rather in his word who is Truth and best knowes his one body k Ibid. cap. 4. Ipsum Caput de quo consentimus ostendat nobis corpus suum de quo dissentimus vt per ejus verba jam dissentire desinamus Let this head of which we agree shew vs his Body of which we disagree that our dissentions may by his word be ended l Cap. 19. vid. etiam cap. 7. 18. passim That wee are in the true Church of Christ and that this Church is universally scattered over the earth we proue not by our Doctors or Councells or Miracles but by the divine Scriptures The Scriptures are the only documents and foundations of our cause Hither is his refuge and appeale from all other sentences The Mistaker was ill advised to send vs to this Treatise which both in the generall ayme in the quality of the arguments and proofes is so contrary to his pretensions If the present Roman Church could with S. Austine and all Antiquity submit to this Iudge or rather Rule of controversies both this in hand of the Church and all the rest of our contestations might bee quickly ended Before I leaue this piece of S. Austine I will leaue this passage out of it to the Mistaker to ruminate vpon m Ibid. cap. 4. Whosoever beleeue aright in Christ the Head but yet doe so dissent from his Body the Church that their communion is not with the whole wheresoeuer diffused but with themselues seuerally in some part it is manifest that such are not in the Catholique Church The Protestants communicate with the Catholique Church in what part or place of the world soever They of Rome say the Church is no where to be found but in their faction none can bee saued but Romanists What will follow from hence He hath so much Logick that he cannot mistake The Herefies recounted by Epiphanius Philastrius and S. Austin in their Catalogues were many of them wild wandring conceits of heads crazed in the Principles of vnderstanding rather frenzies and dotages against reason then false opinions in faith tending to breake the vnity of the Church And iustly said S. Austine No Christian Catholique hee might haue said no rationall creature beleeues them It is true divers of those Heretiques as the Arrians Photinians Macedonians Nestorians Eutychians c did disturbe that vnity by maintaining obstinately their errours against the common rule of faith But they were convicted not by their disobedience to the Church as the Mistaker beleeues but principally by the evidence and authority of Scripture and then after that by the attestation of the Catholique Church which is the faithfull keeper of all Scripture and divine verities as appeares clearely in those Councells and Fathers which haue opposed those Heretiques Epiphanius alone of the three aboue named disputes the matter with the Heretiques and profesfes to fetch his arguments from Scripture n Haeresi 65. Pauli Samosateni num 6. edit Petau 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide cund Haer. 76. pag. 989. Haer. 78. pag. 1047. The divine goodnesse saith hee hath fore-warned and fore-armed vs against Heresies by his Truth For God fore-seeing the madnesse impietie and fraud of the Samosatenians Arrians Manichees and the other Heretiques hath secured vs by his divine word against all their subtleties And elsewhere to the same purpose Where by the way the Mistaker must needs obserue as hee saies that the Protestants hold divers ancient heresies and particularly that of denying Prayers for the dead He is very much mistaken in his observation The commemoration of the deceased in the ancient Church which o Ap. Epiphan Haer. 75. Aerius without reason disallowed was a thing much differing from those Prayers for the dead which are now in vse in the Church of Rome Our Roman Catholiques beleeue at least they say so that some soules of the faithfull after their departure hence are detained in a certaine fire bordering vpon Hell till they bee throughly purged and their prayers for them are that they may bee released or eased of those torments On the contrary the generall opinion of the ancient Doctors Greeke and Latine downe almost till these last ages was and is the opinion of the p Graeci in Concil Flor. ante Sess 1. in Quaest de Igne purgat apud Bin. Tom. 4. part 1. pag. 421. edit vlt. Greek Churches at this day that all the spirits of the righteous deceased are in Abrahams bosome or some outer Courts of heauen where though they liue in a blessed condition of peace and ioy and refreshing being secured of glory and the beatificall vision yet they expect the full perfection and consummation of their happinesse till the last day Some of their Testimonies to this purpose are collected by q Spalat de Rep. Eccl. lib. 5. cap. 8. num 98. Sixtus Senens Bibl. S. lib. 6. annot 345. Antonius de Dominis and Sixtus of Siena wherevnto many more might easily be added This opinion seemes directly to overthrowe two new doctrines of Popery Purgatory and invocation of Saints Such Invocation I meane as is intended to the Saints as a worship due vnto them and when they are invocated as Commissioners vnder God to whom he hath delegated the power of conferring sundry benefits deposited in their hands and to bee bestowed at their pleasure which is properly new and Popish Invocation Which r De Beatitud Sanct. lib. 1. cap. 4. 5. Bellarmine well perceiuing passionately labours to overthrowe it and to proue that the Ancients were not of this minde But his proofes are feeble and fall short of the thing in question and being a man of so great reading it may be thought hee spake against his knowledge and conscience Now conformably to this opinion the Ancient s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liturg. Basil Chrysost vide Clem. Const lib. 8. cap. 12. Chrysost Liturg Gr. Epiphan Her 75. Cyril Hier. Catech. 5.
any of our Teachers whom we censure as well as follow and freely dissent from their judgement or approue it when we haue weighed it with reason Wee loue and honour them as our Friends yet so that we honour Truth and loue it aboue all Arist Eth. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Friendship Wherefore the jarres and diuisions betweene the Lutherans and Caluinists doe little concerne the Church of England which followeth none but Christ Yet to speake somewhat in fauour of them and of the truth k See D. Field of the Ch. l. 3. cap. 42. the Append. pag. 819. seqq vlt. edit their dissensions are neither many nor so materiall as to shake or touch the foundation easily reconcileable if men of any moderation had them in handling The bitter speeches of Luther none can excuse and much lesse the virulent Pamphlets and Proscriptions of some of his Disciples who in a preposterous imitation of his zeale are little lesse then furious But the consequence of opinions must not bee measured by the passions or outrages of opinionate men Two Brothers in their choler may renounce each other and disclaime their amitie yet that heat cannot dissolue their inward and essentiall relation There are some doubts and questions saith l August de pecc Orig. contr Pelag. Caelest cap. 23. Sunt quaestiones in quibus saluâ fide quâ Christiani sumus c. Vide eum contr Iulian. Pelag. lib. 1. cap. 2. Enchirid. cap. 59. S. Austine wherein without any damage to that Faith whereby we are Christians a man may be ignorant or suspend his opinion or coniecture amisse through humane frailty In such what wonder if learned men varie in their judgements especially seeing the best of men are here below but men at the best obnoxious to numberlesse passions and infirmities and as the same m Aug. de Ciu. D. lib. 15. cap. 5. Proficientes nondumque Perfecti inter se pugnare possent S. Austine sayes Not perfect but proficient If Charity might still moderate in disputations of this nature if truth were ever aimed at more then victory if men contended for their opinions in a faire and manly fashion that is as n Orat. 3. de Pace p. 220. edit Paris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Gregory Nazianzen advises with reasons without revilings then might they bee an exercise of great vse and fruit for the discovery of truth But this temper of wisdome and charity is rarely to bee found it hath beene the miserable calamity of the Church in all ages that the pride and confidence of Some either too to learned in their owne opinion or too to ignorant in other mens hath caused these debates to degenerate into vnworthy scandalous contentions The contentions of Catholiques in the ancient Church vpon very trifling occasions were so very bitter and intemperate that they were with scorne obiected by o Cels apud Orig. lib. 3. Euseb de vit Const lib. 2. cap. 60. Chrysost in 1. ad Gal. Pagans and derided in their open Theaters much p Cypr. Epist 8. Basil Ascet lib. de Iudic. Dei Nazianz Orat. 1. 14. Pelus l. 4. ep 55. Vide Baron an 400. n. 51. lamented by men of modesty though excused q Pelus ib. Themist apud Socr. l. 4. c. 27. by some as well as they could Many times the ground of a violent quarrell was not reall but imaginary vpon a meere mistake of one anothers meaning Chrysostome and Epiphanius agreed against the errours of Origen but so passionately contended about the condemnation of his writings r Sozom. Lib. 8. c. 15. Phot. cod 96. that they proceeded to mutuall imprecations one against the other and God heard the rash desires of them both the former dying out of his Bishopricke and the other out of his Country In like manner Cyrill of Alexandria anathematized Theodoret as favouring the Nestorian Heresy yet quickly after s Concil Caleed act ◠in the Councell of Cbalcedon vpon examination of the cause Theodoret was absolued and declared Orthodox t Nazianz. orat 21. in laud. Athan. Hieron epist ad Damas. numero 57. Tom. 3. The Churches of the East and West on a vaine suspition charged each other with Heresy and had beene schismatically divided if Athanasius had not cleared the seeming difficulty The Orientalls professing to beleeue three Hypostases in the glorious Trinity would not admit three Persons and were therefore thought to be Arrians On the contrary the Westerne beleeuing three Persons could not bee induced to confesse three Hypostases therevpō were taken to be Sabellians Here was a great jealousy grounded vpon a great errour which Athanasius easily discovered and restored againe their good amity intelligence shewing that they differed not in judgement all meaning the same thing and that Hypostasis on the one side was the very same in effect with Person on the other This last example much resembles the divisions of the Lutherans and Calvinists as they are called who especially the moderate of either side differ rather informes and phrases of speech u See D. Field Append. to the 5. book pag 819. 869. then in substance of doctrine The first and maine Controversy betweene them is that about Consubstantiation which after occasioned that other of Vbiquity I omit the questions of Predestination being no lesse debated in the Romane Schooles then in the Reformed In both these Controversies the maine truth on both sides is out of Controversy that Christ is really and truly exhibited to each faithfull communicant and that in his whole Person he is every where The doubt is only in the manner how he is in the Symboles and how in heaven earth Which being no part of faith but a curious nicity inscrutable to the witt of man wee should all here beleeue where wee cannot vnderstand and not fall a quarrelling about that which wee cannot conceiue a Just M. in Expos Fid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How or why are sawey questions in divine mysteries Their other differences in ceremony or discipline are diversities without discord b Vide Tertul de Virg. vel cap. 1. Firmil apud Cypr. epist 75. August Epist 86. Socrat hist lib. 5. cap. 21. c. All wise men in the world haue ever thought that in such things each severall Church is left to her own judgment and liberty so as shee keepe her selfe to the generall Apostolique rules of Order and Edification and to the generall judgement and practise of the Church vniversall Though the body of Religion in diverse Churches Countries be cloathed in diuerse suits and fashions yet for substance it may bee one in all In all these Contestations as it commonly falls out blessed be God! they that are for truth haue ever beene for Charity and mutuall toleration as appeares by their c Vide Iunij Parei scripta Irenica published writings all tending to pacification Luther himselfe though of a rough
praesumunt Hoâ—â—â— Dei apud nos est sed illi hoc arbitrantur honorem diuinitatis esse quod credunt Inofficiosi sunt sed illis hoc est summum Religionis officum Impij sunt sed hoc putant veram esse pretatem Errant ergo sed boâ—â— animo errant non odio sed affectu Dei honorare se Dominum atqâ—â— aâ—are credentes Quanmuis non habeant rectam fidem illi tamen 〈◊〉 perfectam aestimant Dei Charitatem Qualiter pro hoc ipso falsae opnionis errore in die judicij puniendi sunt nullus potest scire nisi Index Saluian an ancient Bishop of Marseilles are very remarkeable concerning some Arrian Heretiques of whom he speakes thus The tradition of their Teachers and the doctrine which they haue learned is to them as it were a Law they beleeue as they haue beene instructed They are Heretiques then but not wittingly Briefly they are Heretiques in our judgement but not in their owne For they esteeme themselues so good Catholiques that they defame vs with the title of Heresie Such therefore as They are to vs such are Wee to them We know assuredly that they are iniurious to the Diuine Generation of the Sonne of God because they say He is inferiour to his Father They contrarily thinke vs iniurious to the Father because we beleeue the Sonne to be equall to Him The truth is on our side but they presume it is on theirs Our opinion truly honours God but they suppose their opinion to be more honourable to Him They are indeed vndutifull to God but this they esteeme a great dutie of Religion They are impious but this they thinke to be true piety They erre then but they erre with a good minde not out of any hatred to God but with affection to him thinking to honour hereby and loue the Lord. Although they haue not the right Faith yet they imagine their opinion to be perfect Charitie towards God How they shall bee punished in the last day of judgement for this error of their false opinion the Iudge alone knowes 3. In the Society of such Professors there is at least there may be true Baptisme administred and rightly for the substance of it And where true Baptisme may be rightly administred there is the Couenant of Saluation in Christ setled and established because the Seale of the Couenant is there allowed And euery Society in which is the Couenant of Grace is a Church of Christ Againe where true Baptisme is there by the Confession of the Romanists euery one by Vertue of that Baptisme if himselfe doe not ponere obieem is made a member of the Church and of Christ an Heyre of heauen And hence it followeth that Children baptized in that Church are regenerated because they doe not ponere obicem And hence againe that that Societie is a Church of Christ and his Spouse which bringeth forth Children vnto God 4. The people of the ten Tribes after their defection notwithstanding their grosse corruptions and Idolatrie yet because they professed by Circumcision and otherwise to honour the true Iehouah they remained still a true Church though a very imperfect and impure Church and were therefore called the i Rom. 9. 25 26. 1 King 16. 2. people of God the beloued of God the Children of the liuing God and God was called the k 1 Kin. 18. 36. c. 20. 28. God of Israel and said to be among them being also euer readie to direct and counsell them by his true l 2 Kin. 5. 8. 1. 16. 1 Kin. 22. 5 7. Prophets and lastly the Kings of Israel are often said to doe euill in the eyes of God that is as it may bee probably expounded in that place whereupon God did as yet looke with the eyes of his mercy as vpon his Church Though in regard of their halting betweene God and Baal they were said to be without m 2 Chron 15. 3. the true God without Priests and Law that is without that pure and comfortable worship of God which his Priests according to his Law ought to haue performed And it seemes by S. Paul that a Christian seruing the true God after a false and deuised manner may be at once both 1 Cor. 5. 11. a Brother and an Idolater And forignorances yea or errours of the vnderstanding though very grosse and perhaps by some thought to be fundamentall it seemes true Faith may be lodged in the same minde together with them The Faith of Rahab in o Heb. 11. 31. commended who surely had no great knowledge of the Messiah to commend her After our Lord had long conuersed with his Disciples and instructed them yet did they not beleeue p Matth. 20. 21. Act. 1. 6. his Kingdome to be spirituall nor q Matth. 16. 22. S. Peter the necessitie of his Passion though immediately before he had made that goodly Confession on which the Church is founded The Christians of Ephesus knew not r Act. 19. 2. whether then were an Holy Ghost or no and many thousand Christian Iewes s Act. 21. 20. did both beleeue the Gospell yet were zealous for the old legall Ceremonies which were by Christ fulfilled and abolished A learned t Synesius apud Phot. Myriobibl cod 26. man anciently was made a Bishop of the Catholique Church though he did professedly doubt of the last Resurrection of our Bodies The Authors of this opinion are oâ— age and abilitie enough to speake for it and themselues The Reader may be pleased to approue or reiect it as he shall finde cause No doubt the errors of Poperie and those other of Vbiquitie Consubstantiation and the like are errours grosse and palpable yet not such as presently and absolutely cut off all that professe and beleeue them from the Catholique Church and all hope of Saluation especially if withall they professe resolutely and heartily to beleeue in Iesus Christ and to obey him according to his word so farre as they can vnderstand it or can be taught it For howsoeuer some skilfull Disputant by Logicall deduction may from those opinions inferre some consequences damnable and destructiue to the Faith yet the erring persons many times doe not see or beleeue that any such consequences follow clearly from their opinions nay they doe happily so farre abhorre them and are so well disposed towards truth that rather then admit any such dangerous consequents they would readily renounce and rectifie their opinions But I finde my selfe digressing I returne and proceed By all this it is manifest that S. Cyprian agreed with the Donatists onely in a part of their errour but not wholly nor in their chiefest errours nor in their faction and obstinacy which made them guiltie of Schisme and Heresie S. Cyprian was a peaceable and modest man dissented from others in his judgement but without any breach of Charity condemned no man much lesse any Church for the contrary Opinion He beleeued his owne Opinion to be true
Catholique Church is spread and diffused over the Earth among all Nations and may not be inclosed within any one or other society or communion of men whatsoever Wherein he doth as clearely oppose our Romanists who inclose all Catholiques and Christians within the Popes communion as he did the ancient Donatists It is not then resisting the voice or definitue sentence of the Church which makes an Heretique but an obstinate standing out against evident Scripture sufficiently cleared vnto him And the Scripture may then be said to be sufficiently cleared when it is so opened that a good and teachable minde louing and seeking truth cannot gainsay it For some froward and obstinate persons will not bee convicted by any evidence of truth whatsoever And if the authority of a Councell or of some Church doe interpose in this conviction the obstinacy of Gainsayers is the greater because there is the greater reason to perswade them And if any Church doe vpon such conviction excommunicate or condemne any refractary Gainsayer hee standeth guilty of obstinacy and so of Heresy in foro exteriori and for such is to be reputed by the members of the same Church But it is possible such a sentence may bee erronious either because the opinion condemned is no Heresy or error against the Faith in it selfe considered or because the party so condemned is not sufficiently convinced in his vnderstanding not clouded with prejudice ambition vaineglory or the like passion that it is an errour As these Donatists so the Novatians also were Schismatiques for disobeying the publique determination of the Catholique Church in the same Generall Councell of Nice In the first Ages before that Councell the Church was very rigorous in her Discipline Shee vtterly refused as wee haue before observed to admit vnto her Peace and communion f Vide Canones Concil Eliberini Tertull. de pudic Cypr. Epist ad Antonian passim some kindes of sinnners as Idolaters Apostates Murtherers Adulrers and the like though they had done many yeares penance and though they were in their last extremity thinking fit to leaue them to the mercy of God alone and to make their peace with him by inward repentance Afterwards Shee saw it convenient to bee more mild and mercifull in her censures and accordingly declared her selfe in the Great g Nic. Concil Can. 11. 12. 13. 14. Councell allowing to all sinners the hope and comfort of her absolution when they had made her satisfaction by their humility and penance according to her Canons The h Albaspin Sacr. Observ lib. 2. cap. 21. Novatians stubbornely opposed this publike resolution pretending that the judgement and practise of former Agesought not to be altered that this releasing of severe Discipline would open a gap to vice and licentiousnesse that the Church had no power to reconcile or receiue into her society such enormious Sinners though penitent that if she did she was polluted by their communion And vpon these pretences they breake out into a formall Schisme and separation Before the Nicene Councell many good Catholique Bishops were of the same opinion with the Donatists that the Baptisme of Heretiques was ineffectuall and with the Novatians that the Church ought not to absolue some grievous Sinners These errours therefore if they had gone no farther were not in themselues Hereticall especially in the proper and most heavy or bitter sense of that word neither was it in the Churches intention or in her power to make them such by her Declaration Her intention was to silence all disputes and to settle peace and vnity in her governement to which all wise and peaceable men submitted whatsoever their opinion was And those factious people for their vnreasonable and vncharitable opposition were very justly branded for Schismatiques Now for vs the Mistaker nor his Masters will never proue that wee oppose either any Declaration of the Catholique Church or any fundamentall or other truth of Scripture and therefore he doth vniustly charge vs either with Schisme or Heresy Charity mistaken Chap. 6. AGaine the onely right ground and true infallible motiue of faith by which it is produced and on which it relyes is the revelation of God and the proposition of his Church He therefore who beleeues not every particular Article of Catholique doctrine which is revealed and propounded by Almighty God and his Church which Church is absolutely infallible in all her proposalls doth not assent to any one even of those which he beleeues by true faith because he assents not upon the onely true and infallible motiue An assent not grounded on this is no supernaturall divine faith but an humane persuasion or suspicion or opinion And such is the beleefe or faith of Turkes Iewes Moores and all Heretiques and particularly of the Protestants Answer Sect. 5. DIvine revelation the principall motiue last object into which faith supernaturall is resolved The testimony ministery of the Church is of great use for the begetting of faith But the Church hath not an authority unlimited and absolutely infallible in all her doctrines as some Romanists pretend Others of them reasonably and fairely limit the Churches infallibility The Church Vniversall infallible in fundamentall doctrines Not so in points of lesser moment The Mistaker cannot say what he meanes by the Church where of he sayes so much Of the Church represented in generall Councells of which we speak and thinke more honorably then doe our Adversaries Yet we thinke them not absolutely infallible Of the Pope whom they call the Church virtuall How his flatterers speak of his authoritie No Roman Catholique can be assured of his infallibilitie which is at the most and best but problematicall by their owne principles Answer FAith is said to be divine and supernaturall I in regard of the author or efficient cause of the habit and act of divine infused faith which is the speciall grace of God preparing inabling and assisting the soule to beleive For a 1 Cor. 12. 3. 4. faith is the gift of God alone 2. In regard of the object or things beleeved which are b Phil. 1. 29. c. aboue the reach and comprehension of meere nature or reason 3. In regard of the formall reason or principall ground on which faith chiefly relies into which it is finally resolved which is divine revelation or the authority of God who is the first truth If it faile in any of these it is no divine or supernaturall faith Of the two first respects there is no controversie For the 3d that the formall object or reason of faith the chiefe motiue the first and farthest principle into which it resolues is onely divine revelation is a truth denied by some of the c Scotus Durand Gabriel apud Can. loc lib. 2. cap. 8. Schoole indeed some other d Vide passim apud Eckium Pighium Hosium Turrianum Costerum nequiter contumeliosè dicta in S. Scripturas unwise and unwary writers against Luther but yet
principles of her faith or the fundamentalls of it wherein she hath sufficiently declared her selfe both in a Aro 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 8. most particulars and in summe by b Art 8. avowing the Catholique Creeds and then a rejection of such errors especially Popish as She judged to be without ground of Scripture reason or Antiquity Now Popery is not any univocall part or member in the body of Divinity it is onely an Aposteme gathered of corrupt and heterogeneous matter All the Logick in the world cannot possibly range such a confused lumpe of falsities into any certaine or distinct method And therefore if the Declaration of our Church against these errors be extremely confused as our Mistaker pretends the cause is in the errors thēselves wherein there is nothing but extreme confusion By the other part of his charge that our Church in divers points speaks obscurely and not home to the question it is evident that he doth not well understand himselfe or those points wherein he gives instance That particular Churches and particularly his have erred our Church beleives and c Art 19. professes and we beleive further that if any particular Church presume She cannot fall by error She is fallen already by pride That the Catholique Church can erre in the foundation our Church beleives not and therefore 1. Cor. 1. 2. professes not But by the infallible Church I doubt not the man meanes that which they call the Romane Catholique for it is the perpetuall and palpable paralogisme of the Faction to confound the Romane and the Catholique and to argue from this to that as if all the priviledges of the Catholique Church belonged onely to the Roman quarter Likewise it is not denyed that the true Catholique Church is alwaies visible and cannot be hid And wheresoever there is a Congregation of men that professe and desire to honour the true God Calling upon the name of Iesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours and beleiving the Scriptures of the old and new Testament there as very * Vide supra pag. 111. Learned men are of opinion is a true Christian Church wherein salvation may be had and a visible member of the holy Catholique Church Innumerable such there ever have been since Christ and ever shall be scattered over the face of earth For d Joh. Serranus Appar ad fid Cathol Paris 1607. pag. 172. Quicquid vel molitus est vei moliturus mendacii Pater non tamen vel effecit hactenus vel effectures est posthac ut doctrina Catholica omnium Christianorum consensu semper ubique rata aboleatur Quin potius ' illa in densissimâ maximè involutarum perturbationum caligine victrix extitit in animis in apertâ confessione Christianorum omnium in suis fundamentis nullo modo labefactata In illa quoque veritate una illa Ecclesia fuit conservata in mediis saevissimae hyemis tempeftatibus vel densissimis tenebris suorum interluniorum Hanc successionis perpetuae vim esse illius usum omnes sobrii animadvertunt whatsoever the Father of lies either hath attempted or shall attempt yet neither hath he hither to effected nor shall ever bring it to passe hereafter that the true Catholique doctrine ratified by the Common consent of Christians alwaies every where should be abolished but that in the thickest mist rather of the most perplexed troubles it still obtained Victorie both in the minds and in the open confession of all Christians no waies overturned in the Foundations thereof And in this verity that One Church of Christ was preserved in the midst of the tempests of the most cruell winter or in the thickest darknes of her waynings Which true succession of the Faith Church all sober men observe acknowledg And as a most learned e Bp. Vsher Serm. of the unity of faith Prelate hath observed further if at this day we should take a survey of the severall professions of Christianity that have any large spread in any part of the world should put by the points wherein they differ one from another and gather into one body the rest of the Articles wherein they do all generally agree we should finde that in those Propositions which without all Controversie are universally received in the whole Christian world so much Truth is contained as being joyned with holy obedience may be sufficient to bring a man unto everlasting salvation Neither have we cause to doubt but that as many as walke according Gal 6. 16. to this rule neither overthrowing that which they have builded by superinducing any damnable heresies thereupon nor otherwise vitiating their holy Faith with a leud and wicked conversation peace shall be upon them and mercie and upon the Israel of God In the point of Freewill our Church professes withall Catholique Antiquity Greeke and Latine before and after Pelagius that though the Will be naturally and essentially free from all constraint and necessiity yet it is not spiritually free from sinne or to any good untill it be freed by inward supernaturall and undeserved Grace which both prevets prepares excites the Will to every good act that it may be helped then helpes it when it is prepared That the Will of it selfe hath no power to any good act till it be thus quickned inabled and assisted by Grace which in all good workes and desires is the principall agent to which the Will is subordinate But that this grace corrects and perfects nature doth not abolish it Wherefore the Will being mooved by grace as aforesaid is not idle but freely moves it selfe to consent having still a naturall and corrupt liberty to sinne So as all the good we doe or have or hope for must be ascribed to God and his free grace and all the sinne we doe onely and wholly to our own will and freedome And by this doctrine we fully avoide and contradict the two contrary errors of the Manichees on the one side who deny the naturall liberty of the Will and of the Pelagians and their Reliques on the other side who give the will a spirituall liberty of it selfe and so deny the necessity of preventing grace If some Protestant Writers goe farther Piscator c. in this point so farre as to affirme that God determines and necessitates the Wills of men to every act good or bad naturall morall or spirituall so as the motion of Providence or grace leaves no power or possibility in the Will actually to dissent in sensu composito Answ 1. this is nothing to the Church of England which approves not this dangerous doctrine 2. The Mistaker cannot with reason or modesty upbraid them much lesse others with this opinion or the ill consequents of it since no Calvinist as he calls them herein speaks more harshly or rigorously then his own Dominicans Bannes Alvarez Zumel Ledesma Herrera Nugnus Navarrete many others for proofe whereof I referre him to a late