vnit Ecclesiae c. 12. Ista inquiunt credimus copleta esse cofitemur sed postea oâ—bis terrarum apostatauit sola remaâ—sit Donati communio 〈…〉 postea cap. 15 Postea câ—terâ—s deâ—icientibus solam Christo Asâ—icam remansisse the Church afterward fell away by Apostasie and there remained only the communion of Donatus that the rest failing there remained to Christ Africa only Whereupon it was vrged vpon them as consequent of this opinion that either f Ibid cap. 16. Ostendat Ecclesiam vel in sola Africa perditis tot gentibus retinendam vel ex Africa in omnibus gentibus reparadam atque adimplâ—dam â—t ibid. Declaretur Africa vel in reliquis sola derelâ—cta vel ad priacip 〈…〉 â—â—nouandi atque implendi orbis solâ—â—â—ruata the Church was to be retained thenceforth in Africa only or else that from thence as the beginning the Churches of the whole world were to be repaired and restored againe The former they disauowed because they had their partakers till there fell out distraction amongst them not only in Africa but also in g Ibid. cap. 3. Epist 48. Mauritania Caesariensis in Tripolis Byzacium amongst the Auzuges in h Idem cont lit Petil. lib. 2. cap. 108. Spaine yea and at Rome also as followeth to bee said hereafter Yea by the wordes of the Catholike Bishops to Marcellinus the Lieutenant i Collat. cum Donatist 1. c. 16. Neque enim desperare debemus multò digniùs sacilius â—os velle vt parâ— Donati vniuerso â—rbi Christiano reconcilietur quà m vniuersus orbis Christianuâ— Ã parte Donati rebaptizetur hoping that the Donatists would thinke it more meete and more easie that their part should be reconciled to the whole world then that the whole world should be rebaptized by them it appeareth plainly that their opinion did not exclude the hauing of their communion throughout the whole world It remained therefore that Africa was to be as it were the head and foundation of their Catholike Church and from thence the Church through the world was to bee renued and restored againe by holding communion and fellowship with that Church Euen in the same sort standeth the matter with the Papists who tell vs that the Church in all the farre parts of the world hath failed that k Rhem. Testam Annotat. 2. Thess 2. 3. the Patriarchall and Apostolike Seas are all either extinguished or by Schisme and Heresie fallen away and only the Roman Church hath remained wherein only is the communion of the Catholike faith and whence the Church through the whole world is to be reedified and reduced to the obedience of the Pope And to that purpose they tell vs of strange wonders that they haue done and make as if they had conuerted whole worlds of nations to their Roman faith when as indeede they doe but mocke the world with lies and tales talking liberally of Countries whither they know it vnlikely for vs to come to search out whether they speake truth or not and the nations which they pretend to haue conuerted being either colonies of their owne people transported thither or some Insidels forced to accept baptisme without religion or such as by wiles they haue surprised to make profit of by trafficke and merchandise as in Iaponia the Iesuits most lewdly and trecherously haue done Thus then M. Bishop auoiding to be like the Donatists by putting the matter spoken of ouer to the Rogatists is in this point become like both to Rogatists and Donatists by tying the seate of the Catholike Church to one only particular place W. BISHOP §. 2. THe second is not vnlike The Donatists would haue the Church to be called Catholike not by reason of the communion and society therof through the whole world but by reason of the perfection of doctrine and Sacraments which they falsly challenged to themselues the same perfection the Church of Rome now arrogateth to her selfe Here are many faults the first is a grosse lie in the chiefe branch for the Donatists did not call the Church Catholike for the perfection of doctrine and Sacraments see S. Augustine in both places who expresly deliuereth that it was for the fulnesse of Sacraments Ex plenitudine Sacramentorum Breui collat cap. 2. dici 3. Epist 48. or for the obseruation of all Gods Commandements Ex obseruatione omnium diuinorum praeceptorum of perfection of doctrine they said not one word they were more sharpe-witted as S. Augustine obserueth then to goe about to proue vniuersality by perfection which is not vniuersall But seeing well that they could not defend their congregation to be Catholike that is vniuersall but by some kinde of vniuersality they defended it to be so called for the vniuersality and fulnesse of Sacraments and Commandements that is because their Church retained all the Sacraments that the Catholikes did and professed to keepe all Gods Commandements as fully as they M. Abbots former fault then in this second point of resemblance and that a foule one is in that he belieth the Donatists And more palpably should he haue belyed the Roman Church if hee had iustly brought in the resemblance to wit if he had said as due proportion required that we hold our Church to be Catholike as the Donatists did theirs for the perfection of doctrine and Sacraments which is so manifestly vntrue and so clearly against the doctrine of all Catholike writers that he that was wont to blush at nothing seemeth yet ashamed to auouch it openly and yet doth at last traile it in deceitfully As for perfection of doctrine and Sacraments though it be only in the Catholike Church yet it is so farre wide from the signification and vse of the word Catholike that none except such wise-men as M. Abbot is doe thinke any thing to be Catholike because it is perfect R. ABBOT THe second branch of this comparison betwixt the Papists and the Donatists I set downe thus The Donatists would haue the Church to be called Catholike not by reason of the communion and society thereof through the whole world but by reason of the perfection of doctrine and Sacraments which they falsly chalenged to themselues and the same perfection the Church of Rome now arrogateth to it selfe and will therefore be called the Catholike Church M. Bishop saith that there are many faults here yet he reckoneth but only two belike he would haue me thinke that he doth me a fauour to let passe the rest As touching the first he very grosly telleth me that in the chiefe branch there is a grosse lye for the Donatists saith he did not call the Church Catholike for perfection of doctrine and Sacraments For what then Marry for the fulnesse of Sacraments and for the obseruation of all Gods Commandements Well it is true indeede that Saint Austin challengeth Vincentius a Aug Epist 48. Acutum aliquid videris dicere cum Catholicâ—e nomen non ex totius orbis communione
child that hee cannot wrastle which notwithstanding beeing growen hee can Secondly it signifieth that such a thing commonly or for the most part cannot bee as when it is said A Citty that is set vpon a hill cannot bee hidde which notwithstanding by interposing somewhat may bee hidden and not seene Thirdly that wee say cannot bee which is not conuenient or agreeable to reason as when it is said The children of the Bride-chamber so long as the Bridegroome is with them cannot fast meaning that so long it is not reasonable or fitting so to doe Fourthly it is said cannot bee which the will admitteth not or liketh not to doe as when the Euangelist saith of our Sauiour He could doe no great miracles there because of their vnbeliefe wherein is a relation to the former meaning the will not admitting that which is not fitting or conuenient to be done Fiftly we say that can not be which by naturall course cannot be though by the power of God it may be done And lastly we say so of that which in no sort can be and is wholly and altogether vnpossible It was farre from Cyprians meaning that it was a thing wholly vnpossible for the Romans to admit the hearing of such persons for if he had so thought what needed he so much to labour Cornelius the Bishop in that behalfe but he would note it as a thing vnfitting to that testimony which the Apostle had giuen of them and which being so vniust he assured himselfe they would by no meanes yeeld vnto Euen in the same manner as Gregory saith that o Greg. Mor. l. 33. c. 22. Iniqui si apâ—rtè malâ— essent à bonis omninò recipi non possent men openly euill cannot be receiued or entertained of them that be good and as Marcellinus saith of a Bishop that p Collat. cum Donat. 1. c. 62. Falsi crimen nec obijcere condecet sacerdotem nec committere potuisse credendum est it beseemeth him not to obiect falshood to another nor is it to be beleeued that he could commit the same himselfe and as Leo saith q Leo. Epist 52. Priuilegia EcclesiaruÌ„ Sanctorum patrum Canonibus instituta Nicena Synodi fixa decretis nulla possunt improbitate conuellâ— nulla noâ—itate mutari The priuiledges of Churches established by the Canons of the Fathers and by the decrees of the Nicene Councell cannot by any sinister practise be impeached on by any nouelty changed and as we commonly say out of the law Id tantùm possumus quod iure possumus r Aug. cont Gaudent lib. 2. c. 22. Quod non potest iustè non potest iustus We can doe that only which we can lawfully doe or as St. Austin saith to the same effect The iust man cannot doe what he cannot iustly doe agreeable to the wordes of the Apostle Å¿ 2. Cor. 13. 8. Wee can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth Where as in infinite places more wee may not vnderstand a meere deniall of possibility but a signification of improbability of vndecency or breach of duty if the thing bee done that is spoken of euen as St. Austin expoundeth the wordes of the Angel to Lot t Genes 19. 22. I can doe nothing till thou be come thither u Aug. cont Gaudent lib. 2. c. 22. Non posse se dixit quod sine dubiâ— poterat per potentiam sed non poterat per iustitiam He saith he could not which doubtlesse by power he could but by iustice he could not doe Now if M. Bishop be pecuishly wilfull against common sense to vnderstand perfidiousnesse of falshood or errour in matters of faith yet that Cyprian can be vnderstood no otherwise but according to the same meaning it is infallibly proued for that in a matter of faith he with his Councell of African Bishops as I said before determineth contrary to the Church of Rome and of Stephanus the Bishop of Rome saith expresly that hee x Cyprian ad Pompei Haereticorum causam contra Christianos coÌ„tra Ecclesiam Dei assâ—rere conatur c. Imperitè atque improuidè scripsit c. Quae ista obstinatio quaeuâ— prâ—sumptio humanam traditionem diuina dispositioni anteponere c. vnitatem veritati de diuina lege venientem noÌ„ tenens hâ—resâ—m contra Ecclesiam vindicat endeauoured to mainteine the cause of Heretikes against Christians and against the Church of God that he wrote ignorantly and vnwarily that obstinately and presumptuously he preferred the Tradition of man before the ordinance of God that not holding the vnity and truth that proceeded from the law of God he defended heresie against the Church Wherein although it be true that Cyprian did erre yet we cannot doubt but that vpon aduertisement giuen him by the Bishop of Rome he would haue reformed his errour and submitted himselfe to the iudgement of that Church if he had knowen that priuiledge of immunity from errour which M. Bishop now by his testimony challengeth thereunto In a word to shew the weaknesse of the foundation whereupon M. Bishop buildeth all this fable Cyprian where he saith as the other Fathers sometimes doe y Cypr. Epist ad Iubaian alt ad Quirin Petrus super queÌ„ Dominus aedisâ—cauit Ecclesiam suam that Christ builded his Church vpon Peter in the very same place disputeth against the sentence of the Bishop of Rome thereby plainly declaring that from Peter to the Bishop of Rome there is by his iudgement no such priuiledge deriued as these men so infinitely babble of Now though his proofes hitherto be vaine yet those that follow are more vaine beside that hee is faine to report them falsly to giue them that little colour that they seeme to haue Ambrose saith he taketh it to be all one to say the Catholike and the Roman Church Forsooth Ambrose reporteth that his brother Satyrus hauing escaped the danger of shipwracke and being come to land was destrous in token of thanks-giuing to receiue the Sacrament So it was that the heresie or schisme of the Luciferians at that time preuailed in those parts and hee was carefull by no meanes to communicate with them Therefore z Ambros de obitu Fratris Percontatus ex â—o est vtruâ—â—am cum Episcopâ—s Catholicis hoc est cum Romana Ecclesia conâ—eniret he questioned with the Bishop whom hee had sent for vnto him whether hee accorded with the Catholike Bishops that is with the Roman Church Hee held it not enough to name Catholike Bishops because Heretikes and Schismatikes doe take vpon them to be called Catholikes but because he knew the Church of Rome then retayned the Catholike faith he would take knowledge of them to be Catholike Bishops by this that they ioyned themselues in fellowship of faith with the Roman Church And is not here thinke you a goodly reason They were then Catholike Bishops that did communicate with the Church of Rome therefore
testimony of Pighius one of his owne fellowes should be sufficient to choake him a Pigh Eccles Hierarch l. 6. cap. 3. Quis per Râ—manaÌ„ Ecclesiam vnquam intellexit aut vniuersalem Ecclesiam aut generale Concilium Who did euer by the Roman church vnderstand the vniuersall Church A generall Councell is holden to be by representation the vniuersal or Catholike church and who was there euer so far out of his wits as to cal a generall Councell the Roman Church The seuen Churches of Asia haue been taken to betoken the vniuersall Church as we haue seene before but who euer said or thought that they did betoken the Roman church Now whereas he telleth vs that it may be so taken I answer him that so some man may take M. Bishop to signifie a ioined-stoole For if men will take names words to signifie what they list why may not some man be as wilfull in the one as he seeth them witlesse in the other What authority haue they to impose significations vppon words and phrases contrary to the first original thereof and to the alwaies continued custome and vse of the whole Church The Church of Christ absolutely is but one dispersed and scattered ouer the whole world Of this one Church there are notwithstanding diuers parts which all being in nature alike are by the name of the whole called by the name of b Act. 15. 41. Rom. 16. 16. Churches For distinction of these Churches they haue euery of them their denomination of the places where they are The church of Antioch is called c Act. 13. 1. the Church which is at Antioch the Church of Corinth is d 1. Cor. 1. 2. the Church of God which is at Corinth the Church of Ephesus are e Ephes 1. 1. the Saints which are at Ephesus And thus when the Apostle meant to write to the Church of Rome he writeth f Rom. 1. 7. to all that be at Rome beloued of God c. For as the Church of Thessalonica is g 1. Thess 1. 1. the Church of the Thessaelonians that is of them that inhabite Thessalonica so the Church of Rome is the Church of the Romans that is of them that inhabite Rome And thus we see that in the inscriptions of the Epistles of the ancient Bishops of Rome accordingly as we haue them albeit sometimes they wrote themselues Bishops of the Catholike Church yet doe shew that they meant it no otherwise then as all Bishops wrote themselues Bishops of the Catholike Church as I haue before shewed namely with limitation thereof to the Citty of Rome whereof they were Bishops without euer dreaming of M. Bishops vniuersall Roman Church Thus we finde h Calixt Epist 1. Calixtus Archiepiscopus Ecclesiae Catholicae vrbis Romae Calixtus Archbishop of the Catholike Church of the Citty of Rome i Marcellin Epist 1. Marceilinus Episcopus Sanctae Ecclesiae Catholicae vrbis Romanae Marcellinus Bishop of the holy Catholike Church of the Citty of Rome k Marcell Epist 2. Marcellus Episcopus Sanctae Apostolicae Catholicae vrbis Romae Marcellus Bishop of the holy and Apostolike and Catholike Citty of Rome And so Leo onewhere writing himselfe l Leo. Epist 13. Leo Catholicae Romanae Ecclesiae Episcopus Leo Bishop of the Catholike Roman Church doth otherwhere plainly expresse the meaning thereof m Epist 1 2. 3. Leo vrbis Romae Epi copios Et Epist 12. Leo Papa Ecclesiae Catholicae vrbis Romae Leo Bishop of the City of Rome Leo Bishop of the Catholike Church of the Citty of Rome To bee short it is not to bee found that euer the Church of Rome was otherwise vnderstood but only for the Church of the Citty of Rome and shall wee hearken to these new vpstart Minters that thus coyne vs a Church of Rome that was neuer heard of before And therefore it is nothing to vs what they by abuse of speech teach their followers to say let their French Disciples say they are of the Catholike Roman Church we vnderstand them thereby to take part with the Church of Rome but the Church of Rome is that of Rome only whereto they addict themselues Albeit by that addition what doe they but shew themselues Sectaries and Schismatikes diuiding themselues factiously apart from the whole the Catholike Roman Church absurdly so named by themselues from that which is absolutely and therefore truly called the Catholike Church For the Catholike Church is the whole Church as hath beene said but Roman put to it is a terme of diminution and abridgeth the whole to a part the vniuersall to a particular because the whole is not Roman Therefore to say Catholike Roman is to say Catholike not Catholike and Roman Catholikes are Catholikes which are no Catholikes and of them it may be truly said which Optatus said of the Donatists n Optat lib. 2. Vultis vos solos esse totum qui in omni toto non estis You would haue your selues only to be the whole who are not in all the whole Now here we may aske them with what face they can talke of antiquity who haue brought into the Church so strange a nouelty as this is The name of Catholikes and of the Catholike Church which pleased antiquity is not enough for them Pacianus said of old o Pacian ad Simpron epist 1. Christianus mihi nomen est Catholicus verò cognomen Christian is my name and Catholike my surname but that is changed now into Roman Catholike is my surname disclaiming thereby the communion and fellowship of the Catholike Church and banding themselues in a partiall and factious confederacy with the Roman Church Thus hauing departed from the ancient faith and discipline of the Catholike Church they doe notwithstanding for colouring of their Apostasie retaine certaine names and formalities thereof but they doe it so as that by their additions and constructions they make no other but mungrels and bastards of them And this appeareth by the reason that M. Bishop giueth of their adding Roman to Catholike namely to separate them that ioyne in faith with the Church of Rome from other sectaries because Catholikes were of old so called not for ioyning in faith with this or that Church but for being members of the vniuersall Church And if that reason were sufficient it should haue waighed of old as well as now when there were so many Sects and Heresies in the Church when Schismatikes and Heretikes vsurped to themselues the name of Catholikes and yet the Catholike saw no reason to draw the whole to the name of any part or to call themselues otherwise then by the name of Catholikes as resoluing to professe no other communion or fellowship but vniuersally with the Church of the whole world Neither was it otherwise till Antichrist had exalted himselfe in the Roman Sea who challenging to himselfe and his only to bee the Church of God tooke vpon him to
I will take it here in his due place making it to appeare that this mistaking in a circumstance altereth nothing of the substance of that comparison which I had there in hand The first branch then of the comparison shall bee this The Donatists did set vp a particular Church to be the Catholike Church all of them first in the south of Africa some of them afterwards namely the Rogatists at Cartenna in Mauritania and so haue the Papists done at Rome in Italie Against this branch as it was before set downe hee giueth two exceptions First that they doe not hold it so to be at Rome aâ— the Rogatists did at Cartenna And what is the difference Marry they hold it to be so at Rome as that it is dispersed also all the world ouer but the Rogatists held it to be wholly included in the bounds of Cartenna and confines thereof The first part of which answere on their owne behalfe is false and the second part thereof concerning the Rogatists is vaine For it is false that hee saith that their Romish Church is dispersed all the world ouer and hee knoweth well that the Churches of Greece and all the Easterne Churches are holden by them to be Schismatikes because they disclaime subiection to the Church of Rome True it is they would haue it all the world ouer and they make simple fooles beleeue that it is so but they themselues know that the skirts of it are too short to reach so farre and that a huge part of the Church there is that will haue nothing to doe with them And this drew from Bellarmine that caution that I before mentioned in the first Chapter that a Supra cap. 1. §. 1. though one only Prouince did imbrace the true faith yet the same should truly and properly be called the Catholike Church so long as it could bee plainly shewed that it is one and the same with that which at any time or times was ouer the whole world Now hereof it followeth that the other part of his exception concerning the Rogatists is vaine For although the communion of the Church of Rome be farre larger then that was of the Rogatists at Cartenna yet doth neither of them containe any more but a part and their doctrine as touching their communion sorteth all to one For whereas M. Bishop saith that the Rogatists included the Church within the bounds of Cartenna and the Countrey thereabout it was not by position of doctrine that they so included it as if it could not be any where else but because they pretended that the Church was only in their communion and there were none in any other part of the world that tooke part with them it followeth of this defect that they so included it But though there were now not aboue b Aug. Epist 48. Tu cum decem Rogatistis quâ— remansistis c. ten or eleuen Bishops of them remayning as Saint Austin obiecteth to them yet by that hee vpbraideth them with this number remayning it appeareth that they had beene of greater number and extent and wee cannot doubt but that they would as willingly haue had the whole world to ioyne with them as the Church of Rome would Now inasmuch as they held themselues only to bee the Catholike Church And there were none of them otherwhere to bee found to Baptise and reconcile peâ—itents but only within the confines of Cartenna Saint Austin rightly obiecteth it as an absurdity ensuing thereof that c Ibid. Quisquis fâ—â—rit hac praedicatione commotus in qualibâ—t paâ—te orbis terâ—arum nisi quaesierit inuenerit latentâ—m in Mauritania Caesariensi Cartennensem Vincentium aut aliquem ex cius nouâ—m aut decem conâ—ortibus dimitti ei peccata non posâ—int c. Nisi Cartennas venerit aut in viâ—â—iam Cartennensium mundari omninâ—â— delictis suis non potâ—rit then whosoeuer there were in any part of the world that were moued with the preaching of the Gospell vnlesse he did seeke and finde out Vincentius Bishop of Cartenna lurking in Mauritania Caesariensis or some one of his nine or ten consorts he could not haue remission of sinnes or as otherwise hee expresseth it except hee came to Cartenna or into the Countrey neare adioyning hee could not bee clensed from his sinnes Now although the Roman Church as M. Bishop vnderstandeth it is of much larger extent and stretcheth it selfe into sundry Countries and Nations yet being but of small compasse in comparison of the whole world the exprobration of the same madde fancy lyeth vpon it that whosoeuer in the further parts of the world shall be moued with the preaching of the Gospell and conuerted thereby vnlesse hee come to Rome or into some part of the world where he may meete with a Popish Priest hee cannot bee baptised or reconciled to God hee cannot obtayne the remission of his sinnes it being by them resolued of themselues as by the Rogatists of themselues that out of their particular communion there is no saluation Therefore both Rogatists and Papists let them goe together and the truth is that in this behalfe there is no difference betwixt them As touching his second exception although it bee not generally true of the Donatists that they placed the Catholike Church at Cartenna yet it is not altogether vntrue because the Rogatists were Donatists d August vt supra Vos qui non solum cum illis communiter Donatistae a Donato verumetiam propriè Rogatisâ—â— a Rogatâ— appâ—llâ—nuâ— being in common with the rest called Donatists of Donatus as Saâ—nt Austin noteth and by a more proper name Rogatists of Rogatus For although they had in some spleene and vpon some peâ—uish quarrell diuided themselues from the rest yet the substance of their doctrine was still the same as before as appeareth by St. Austin who disputing against Vincentius the Rogatist chargeth him in effect with nothing else but the common positions of the Donatists and therefore they were all at once coÌ„monly comprehended vnder the name of Donatists The Donatists then though not all the Donatists but of them the Rogatists only placed the Catholike church at Cartenna and to the Rogatists then being a part of the Donatists the Papists are like who doe in the same sort place the Catholike Church at Rome Yea and although the Donatists in generall did not seate the Church at Cartenna yet M. Bishop is not ignorant that they in generall before some quarrelling fell amongst them did in effect the same thing by designing the place thereof in Africa properly so called so as that none should be called Catholikes in any part of the world but such as did communicate with that African Church of theirs For although they acknowledged that the Church by the preaching of the Apostles had beene dispersed ouer the world according to the manifold testimonies and prophecies of holy Scripture in that behalfe which they professed to beleeue â—et they said that c Aug. de
authorised to all other Churches I am not so copious as to afford to euery leasing of M. Abbot a new phrase wherefore the Reader I hope will beare with my rudâ—nesse if I call sometimes a lye by the name of a lye It is an vntrue tale that the Donatists ordayned Bishops from Cartenna for they could not abide that place but esteemed it to be Schismaticall as you haue heard before He doth misreport S. Augustine who saith Quò ex Africa ordinare paucis Lib. 2. cont Câ—â—scon c. 37. vestris soletis Episcopum You Donatists are wont to order and send a Bishop thither to your few companions out of Africa not from Cartenna in Mauritania Neither doth the Catholike Church appoint that euery Bishop should goe to Rome to take holy Orders and from thence to be sent to other Catholike Countries but in euery other region where be three Catholike Bishops they may be lawfully consecrated albeit for vnities sake and to prâ—serue due order they bee confirmed by the Bishop of Rome the supreme head vnder Christ of the Catholike Church R. ABBOT PVt Africa here in steede of Cartenna and M. Bishop hath no shift to auoid this point of resemblance betwixt the Romanists and Donatists The Donatists designed the fundamentall place of the Catholike Church in Africa as the Papists doe at Rome The Donatists laboured the extent of their communion into all other Countries as also the Papists doe a Optat. lib. 2. Sed habere vos in vrbe Roma partem aliquam dicitis In the Citty of Rome it selfe as Optatus witnesseth the Donatists bragged that they had a part that ioyned with them They had there a Bishop of their owne to assemble and gouerne that part of theirs insomuch that Optatus in the same place reckoneth sixe Bishops of that faction Victor Bonifacius Encolpius Macrobius Lucianus Claudianus who had there succeeded one another Of the manner of the appointing of these Bishops St. Austin saith in the place by me cited to M. Bishop b Aug. cont Crescon lib. 2. cap. 37. Romanorum Ecclesia quò ex Africa paucis vestris ordinare soletis Episcopum To Rome for those few followers that you haue there you are wont to order and direct a Bishop out of Africa Out of Africa saith M. Bishop not out of Cartenna in Mauritania True it is if Africa be in speciall vnderstood but I not waighing the matter so strictly vnderstood Africa more largely as the third part of the world and in that signification Mauritania and therefore Cartenna in Mauritania is a part of Africa Well let Cartenna be put out and take Africa as indeed it was meant for c Theo lâ—ret haeret fabul l. 4. de Donatist Regio quae olim Lybia nunc autem Africa appellatur that Countrey which of old was called Lybia and in which meaning St. Austin noteth that Mauritania Caesariensis where Cartenna was d Aug. Epist 48. Mauritania Caesariensis quaÌ„do nec Africam se vult dici c. refused to be called by the name of Africa from this Africa the Donatists ordered and established Bishops ouer that part which they had at Rome and so said I from Rome by the Papists order must Bishops now be authorised to all other Churches Now M. Bishop seeing that Africa being thus put in steede of Cartenna the resemblance would somwhat touch their Church of Rome bringeth a very poore and silly shift for the auerting of it The Catholike Church saith he he meaneth the Roman Church doth not appoint that euery Bishop should goe to Rome to take holy Orders and from thence to be sent to other Catholike Countries No more say I did the Catholike Church of the Donatists binde men to come into Africa to be ordered Bishops there but it was enough if by Bishops of their communion he were ordered otherwhere For whether it were by sending some to order Bishops where none were or by sending Bishops already ordered it may either way stand which St. Austin noteth as a matter of their conceipt that e August de vnit Eccles c. 13. Ostendant esse praedictum solam Africam remansuram quocunque Episcopi ex Africa â—â—tierer tur out of Africa Bishops should be sent into all places And thus the same St. Austin although in the place alleaged he mention no more but the ordering of a Bishop to be sent to Rome out of Africa yet in another place declareth it to haue beene indifferent with them either f August ad Quodvult hâ—rel 69. In vrbe Roma Montâ—nses vocantur qu bus 〈◊〉 ex Africa solâ—nt Episcoâ—um mittere aut â—inc illuc Afri Epicopi corum pergere si fortè ibi cum ordinare placuisset to send a Bishop to Rome out of Africa or that the African Bishops should goe to Rome if they thought good to order a Bishop there namely because there were no other Bishops there of their communion by whom otherwise he might be ordered Whereas therefore M. Bishop saith that Bishops may lawfully be consecrated in any region where be three Catholike Bishops he saith no more for their Popish Bishops then the Donatists acknowledged of theirs and therefore in this point of the resemblance there is no difference at all betwixt the Donatists and the Papists Albeit by reason of that which M. Bishop confesseth that all Bishops must be confumed by the Bishop of Rome it may bee truly said that Bishops are made at Rome only because they are not taken to be fully and absolutely Bishops till they be confirmed there Which confirmation is not for vnity and order as M. Bishop pretendeth but for extortion and couetousnesse the Pope being wont to make infinite aduantage and profit to himselfe thereby neither is it giuen by the supreme head vnder Christ as he stileth the Pope but by a Nimrod and proud vsurper ouer the Church of Christ W. BISHOP §. 4. THe fourth point of the comparison is most absurd for the Donatists were so farre from thinking them Catholikes that kept communion with the Church of Cartenna that they detested and abhorred their company as Schismatikes Neither doe we call any men Catholikes for keeping communion with the Church of Rome if it be taken for that particular Church which is contayned within the walles of Rome but because that communicating with that Church in faith and religion they doe communicate with all other of the same faith which are spred all the world ouer R. ABBOT I Said the Donatists I should haue said the Rogatists who were but one part of the Donatisls as I haue before obserued the Rogatists I say would be taken to be Catholikes for keeping communion with the Church of Cartenna and euen so will the Papists be accounted Catholikes for keeping communion with the Church of Rome For the Rogatists expounding the word Catholike of integrity and perfection of faith as before we haue seene and affirming a Aug. Epist 48. Persuadere
Catholike Church from the errour of perfidiousnesse the obseruance or obedience almost of the whole world ioyned to his name and honour in which manner â—armenian also though he held the Church d Optat. lib. 2. Eam tu apud â—os solos esse dixisti to be with them only yet pretended e Ibid. post Offerre vos dicitis pro vna Ecclesia quae sit in totâ— terrarum orbe dissusa to offer or pray for one Church which is dispersed ouer the whole world Euen so the Papists also albeit they know that it is but a small part of the world wherein the communion of the Bishop and Church of Rome is accepted or acknowledged yet take pleasure to babble and prate as if the Popes triple crowne were so wide as to compasse the whole earth and his scepter so long as to reach to the worlds end Thus much then M. Bishop hath gained by being angry at my comparing the Papists to the Donatists that whereas I mentioned but fiue resemblances before I haue now added twelue more and so like are they in all these that I doubt not but by obseruation they may be found like in many moe As for the retortion of this comparison which he hath vsed in his answere to my Epistle Dedicatory as it is wholly forced and violent in it selfe so it argueth only malice and folly in him I will set downe the branches of the Donatists heresie as he hath noted them and adde the application that he hath made of euery of them First he f Reproofe pag. 42. saith they held that the true Church of Christ was perished all the world ouer sauing in some coastes of Africa where their doctrine was currant Well and what is that to vs The Protestants saith he teach euen as they did that Christs visible Church was perished for nine hundred yeares at the least all the world ouer and is now wholly decayed in all other parts of the world sauing where their doctrine is embraced and this he saith was the maine point of the Donatists heresie To shew why he nameth the visible Church he putteth in a parenthesis thus for the inuisible Church the Donatists held could not perish as St. Austin witnesseth in Psal 101. Which is a very lie neither is there any thing to be found in St. Austin to that effect But as touching the visible Church where doe the Protestants hold or affirme that it was or is perished in that sort as he saith Why doth he not cite vs some authour of this assertion Well whether we say so or not it skilleth not g Bellarm. de notis Eccles c. 9. Ecclesiam visibilem a multis seculis perijsse nunc solum esse in septentrionalibus partibus vbi ipsi sunt doceâ—t omnes Bellarmine hath told him that we all say so and that is enough for him Yet that we doe not all say so M. Bishop may sufficiently vnderstand by that that hath beene before handled at large as touching this point in the answere h Sect. 17. to the Preface to his second part whither I referre the Reader for further satisfaction hereof Here I briefly answere him that we hold in all that time wherof he speaketh one only Catholike church whereof the Church of England was a part and the Church of Rome another part and the Greeke Church another part and so the rest throughout the whole world The Church in these parts was in that time blemished with many corruptions and errours whilest first the Teachers in steede of i 1. Cor. 3. 18. siluer and gold and pearle built hay and straw and stubble vpon the foundation and secondly the Pastors more and more k Ierem. 10. 21. became beasts as the Prophet saith and sought not the Lord nor had any vnderstanding to teach Gods law by meanes whereof ignorance encreased and of ignorance grew superstition and one idolatry begat another till the whole face of the Church was berayed with the filth thereof l Mat. 24. 15. the abhomination of desolation standing in the holy place and the man of sinne tyraÌ„nizing ouer the Church and giuing strength to all abuse and corruption for his owne gaine So grosse were the enormities and superstitions which in this time had growen into the Church as that the great Rabbines of the Church of Rome could not for shame but in some part acknowledge the same and tooke vpon them to correct sundry things m Trident. CoÌ„cil sess 22. de Missa celebr Quae siue temporum vitio siue hominum incuria improbitate irrepserunt in Missam ipsam which either by the corruption of times or by the carelesnesse and naughtinesse of men were crept into the very Masse And thus the Pope himselfe confessed concerning their Offices and Primers that n Offic. Beatae Mariae per Pium V. in Summar constitut indulgent c. Vanis superstitionum erroribus alia ferè omnia huiusmodi officia etiam Latino sermone referta esse deprehensum fuit c. Credant ijsdeâ— alijs â—fficijs multas sub falsis confictis sanctorum nominiê° confictâ—â— orationes fuisse insertas they were found to be stuffed with vaine errours of superstitions and that many counterfaite praiers were inserted into them vnder false and counterfaite names of Saints Of these errours and superstitions they reformed what they list and purged their bookes and Seruice of many things that were amisse and what will any man say hereupon that they became another Church We proceeded further and voided the Church of the rest of those abhominations which ignorance and errour had brought in which they were not willing to haue medled with because the same were gainfull to them and shall we be said hereupon to deny that there was any visible Church before and to beginne a new Church No we say that the Church hath continued still from the time that it was first planted we affirme it to haue been the house of God the garden and vineyard of the Lord but we say that the husbandmen had long dealt wickedly and vnfaithfully in the vsage of it they drest not the Lords vine but suffered it to grow wild they let this garden be ouergrowen with briars and weedes and Foxes and Swine had liberty to tread it downe and to destroy it All that we haue done hath beene but to loppe and prune the vine to dresse and water the garden that lay wast to plucke vp the weedes and thornes to driue out the noysome beasts and to repaire the fence that they may be kept out Therefore we doe not take vpon vs to be another Church but the same Church reformed neither haue we gone about to bring in a new religion but only to reforme that which they call the old retaining still the same Scriptures which they acknowledged the same articles of faith the same Sacraments of Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord the same forme of diuine Seruice saue
vaine collections meere mockeries of simple and credulous persons very vnfit to stablish and resolue the conscience of any sober or aduised man CHAP. III. That the name of Catholikes is abused by the Papists and is in their abuse a Donatisticall and hatefull name of faction and schisme ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE THere was reason why Austin should be moued with the name of Catholike c. to Now as of this Catholike Church c. W. BISHOP §. 1. SAint Augustine indeede was so much moued with the name of Catholike that he alleageth Cont. Epist Fund c. 4. De vera Relig. c. 7. it to haue beene one principall cause which kept him in the lappe of the Church And elsewhere very often exhorteth all Christians To hold the communion of that Church which both is Catholike and knowne also by that very name not only to her owne followers but also to others And the selfe same reason alleaged by M. Abbot himselfe which caused that most holy wise and learned Father to esteeme so highly of that title Catholike is now of great force to perswade all reasonable men to make themselues members of the Roman Church for by ioyning in society of faith with the Church of Rome they shall communicate with the Church spred ouer the whole world because the faith and religion of the Church of Rome hath beene generally receiued all the world ouer as our aduersaries themselues doe confesse The name Catholike is by the Protestants Donatistically applied to their schismaticall congregation that neither are nor euer were scattered all the world ouer but be inclosed and confined within certaine Countries of Europe is the Donatists were within the bounds of Afrike Most sottishly then to vse his owne wordes doth M. Abbot affirme the name Catholike to be applyed by vs of the Roman religion vnto the particular Church of Rome when as we call all other Churches of what Countrey soeuer that with the Church of Rome keepe intirely the same faith Catholike And men of all other nations doe we call Catholikes as well as those who are Romans borne because they all beleeue and confesse the same one Catholike faith that is extended ouer all the world R. ABBOT THe name of the Catholike Church might iustly moue St. Austin to continue in the society thereof when vnder that name a August coÌ„t Epist Fundam cap. 4. Tenet ipsum Catholica nomen quod non sine causa inter tam multas hâ—rescs ista Ecclesia sola obtinuâ—t Catholike he saw the communion of a Church successiuely continued from the time of the Apostles throughout the world and that only communion euery where termed by that name There was reason for him to exhort men b Idem de vera relig cap. 7. Tenenda est eius Ecclesiae communicatio quae Catholica est Catholica nominatur non solum à suis verumetiam ab omnibus inimicis to hold communion with that Church which was thus Catholike or Vniuersall and so called both of the friends and of all the enimies thereof and thereby to be fortified against all hereticall distractions and separations as knowing that to draw them away from this communion should bee to draw them away from the Church of Christ The appellation of Catholikes according to the originall of it as I haue c Chap. 2. § 4. before noted importeth an interest holden by them that are so called in this vniuersall communion without renting themselues by heresie or schisme from the common society and fellowship of the Church In this only meaning is it rightly vsed and they are meere vsurpers of it who take it to themselues without this or in any other sense Now whereas M. Bishop according to that sense as he pretendeth telleth vs that that name is of great force to perswade all reasonable men to make themselues members of the Roman Church he is greatly deceiued himselfe and doth but seeke to deceiue others therein because they wholly faile in the ground of it the Church of Rome being neither Catholike indeede as St. Austin requireth nor so called by any other but only by it selfe Who is there in the world so madde as to call the Roman Church the Catholike Church but only they that are drunke by drinking of the same cup He saith that we confesse that the faith and religion of the Church of Rome hath beene receiued all the world ouer but that is both waies a lye because neither doe we confesse so much neither was it euer so And therefore whereas he saith that by ioyning in society of faith with the Church of Rome we shall communicate with the Church spred ouer the whole world hee againe abuseth his Reader there being at this day no Church in Asia or Africa that holdeth communion with the Church of Rome to say nothing of the Greeke Church and sundry other in Europe that doe detest the fellowship thereof I am not ignorant how they seeke to gull the world in this behalfe and what goodgeons they giue men by telling and writing tales from Rome of d Gentillâ—t in Exam. Concil Trident. Patriarches and Metropolitans of the Aegyptians the Assyrians the Armenians the Aethiopians and such other like comming to Rome to submit themselues and to be reconciled to the Pope these iests are now growen stale these suborned and counterfait Patriarkes haue beene discryed and were they not men absurdly impudent they would neuer practise the like cosenage againe And yet my friend e And. Eudoem adu R. Abbat Respon lib. 3. sect 6. Aegyptius Câ—phtorum Patriarcha à quâ— Aethiopia petit pracepta fidei ad communionem Catholicam nuper Clemente octauâ— Pontifice redijt Cacâ—daemon telleth vs in sadnesse of the Aegyptian Patriarch vpon whom all the Churches of Aethiopia depend his name is neither knowen to him nor me that now very lately in the time of Clement the eight he returned to the communion of their Catholike Church the wise man not considering that thereby he doth intimate vnto vs contrary to other fables and tales which they haue giuen out before that therefore before that time he was a stranger to them Thus by reason that these submissions and reconciliations are still to seeke and the world seeth no appearance nor effect of them they are euery while put to their shifts to deuise new rumours hereof and to stuffe the old coate of some Gibeonite with straw setting him vp vpon a poles end vnder the name of the Patriarch of some farre Countrey so to feede the humours and fancies of them that doe yeeld themselues content to be gulled and deluded by them But against this foolery the Catholike Bishops truly noted against the Donatists that f Collat. Carthag 1. cap. 55. Non in vnum aliquem terra locum ex alijs locis ad Deum gentes venturas esse praedictum est sed in ocis suis â—um adoraturas it was not foretold by the Prophets that the nations should
from other places come to God into any one place of the earth but that in their owne places they should worship him This they held to be enough and knew no needâ— of hunting or seeking to this place or that place either to Rome or to Africa as vnder the ouerture whereof they might haue readier accesse to God because all places were alike to him Where if M. Bishop will say that they doe not require that euery one shall come to Rome to worship God there I answer him that when the Donatists did require g August coÌ„t Crescon GraÌ„ mat lib. 3 c. 34. Tot populi quid fecerunt quicùm ista nescirent tamen à vâ—bis rebaptizandi censentur all nations to be rebaptized by them they were not so madde as to thinke that it should concerne all men personally to come into Africa but would haue thought it sufficient that though not immediately by themselues yet mediately by their rebaptizers though not in person yet in deuotion and affection they had beene there that in the meane time they did respect it as the rocke from whence in their conuerters they were digged as the roote of their Christianity the oracle of their doubts the place of their appeales the sanctuary of piety from whence by communicating with it all their Seruices and Sacrifices should ascend to be acceptable vnto God Such as would haue yeelded them this regard they would neuer haue doubted though they had neuer come into Africa to adiudge them true members of their Church and therefore the Fathers in denying any one place to which the nations should need to come that they might come to God either spake idlely against the Donatists or else must be vnderstood to deny any such one place as I haue said But the Papists not content to attribute that to their Rome which the Donatists did to Africa haue further made it a matter of so great merit and moment with God to come to Rome to doe deuotion there as that to them that doe so or doe by money redeeme the necessity of going thither thereby to be esteemed as if they did goe they haue proclaimed the full pardon and remission of all their sinnes Sith then the Catholike Church importeth the vniuersall communion of h 1. Cor. 1. 2. all that call vpon the name of our Lord Iesus Christ in euery place through the world and the communion of the Roman Church is extremely short of being extended ouer the whole world being limited to one place and being particular and priuate only to one sect and sort of men out of the number and company whereof are innumerable Christians and Christian Churches which as the case standeth neither haue nor desire to haue any portion therein yea vndoubtedly a number that neuer haue heard either of the Pope or of the Roman Church it must needes follow that as they deale absurdly who call the Roman Church the Catholike Church so they deale as absurdly who appropriate the name of Catholikes to the communion of the Roman Church which cannot arise but from the communion and fellowship indifferently of the vniuersall Church And hereby it appeareth that though some of them had dispersed themselues into all nations yet they could no more take vpon them thereby to be Catholikes then the Donatists in the like case could haue done For as the Donatists though they had set foote into all other Countries as they did into Italie and Spaine and out of Africa particularly so called into many parts and Prouinces of Africa at large yet could not for that haue beene called Catholikes because through the whole world they should haue beene but a part of the whole Church i Aug. Epist 161. Pars vestra quae Donati dicitur c. Pars Donati Donatus his part depending vpon one man and diuided vnder his name from the common society of the Church euen so the Papists also though they should spread themselues in the same sort yet should not thereby obtayne the right of the name of Catholikes because they should be but a part of the whole the Popes part depending vpon him and vnder his name diuided from an innumerable multitude of all nations who though they disclaime the Pope yet doubt not to haue interest in the Church as well as they and therefore where they are are no other but a faction and schisme renting the vnion and communion of the Church of Christ Surely if anciently there had beene any such dependence of the Church vpon the Bishop of Rome as the Papists pretend now the Donatists being offended as St. Austin witnesseth k August coÌ„t lit Petil. l. 2. c. 39. Quia vos de parte Donati essedicimus quâ—ritis hominem de cuius parte 〈◊〉 esse dicatis that they were called Donatists or Donatus his part and seeking to entitle their aduersaries vnder the name of another part would neuer haue beene to seeke herein but being at so great square with the Church of Rome as M. Bishop hath alleaged would haue giuen them a name from the Bishop of Rome to whom as their Prince and chiefe they were as fast tyed as they themselues were to l Collat. Carthag 3. cap. 32. Petil. Nâ—c nunc abnuo esse mihi principem ac fâ—isse beatissâ—mâ— santaeque memoris Donatum their Prince Donatus But because there wâ—nted ground and occasion of so doing the Church then standing in the liberty whereunto Christ had called it and neither addicting it selfe to any one place nor yeelding it selfe seruant to any moâ—â—all man therefore they diuised otherwise as occasion and stomacke led them sundry names which they applied vnto them m Aug. Epist 164. Nos Macarianos appellatis Macarians n Collat. Carthag â— cap. 30. Petil. Palam aperteque designo Mensuris 〈…〉 cos Ceci 〈…〉 istas esse Mensurists Cecilianists of Macarius Mensurius Ceciltanus euen in the like manner as the Papists being offended that we call them Papists for tying their deuoâ—â—on wholly to the Pope seeke to returne the same obiection of partiality vpon vs by calling vs Zwinglians Lutherans Caluinists whereas we yeeld no more either to Zwinglius or Luther or Calum then we doe to all other learned men so farre only to regard them as their proofes goe yea and doe determine that whosoeuer in adhering to any one place or any one man doe affirme themselues only in that communion to be the Church of Christ they are no other but Donatists they are no other but Schismatikes meere breakers and disturbers of Christian peace Whence it followeth as I haue said that the Papists are no other who limit the name of Catholikes and of the Catholike Church only to the communion of the Pope and of the Roman Church Which M. Bishop here doth who though he say that all other Churches of what Countrey so 〈…〉 r may be called Catholike maketh restrâ—int of his â—ll in this sort that with the Church of
Rome keepâ— entirely the same faith In which sort the Donatists also would not haue denyed all other Churches to be called Catholike that with their Church of Africa kept entirely the same faith and therefore I said rightly before that the name is now by the Papists Donatistically applyed not only to one particular Church of Rome as M. Bishop falsly repeateth to put the sot if he could from himselfe to me but also as I added to men bearing the name of Catholikes only for communicating with that Church As for vs we apply the name Catholike no more to the congregations of the Protestants then we doe to all that professe in truth the communion of one vniuersall Church The name of Protestants being casuall and arising by occasion in these Northerne parts may haply be inclosed and confined within the bounds of Europe but the Church of Christ cannot be so inclosed and o Aug. Epist 48. Erit Anathema quisquis annunciauerit Ecclesiam praeter communionem omnium gentium cursed is he saith St. Austin that preacheth the Church otherwise then in the communion of all nations No otherwise doe wee preach the Church wee limit it not to our selues wee say the Papists ought not to limit it to themselues There are questions betwixt them and vs but how many Christian Churches are there in the world which neither know them nor vs nor haue euer heard any thing of the quarrels that are betwixt vs How many Churches are there in the East which haue heard of the Pope and his proceedings and will by no meanes endure to hold communion with him He will say that those Churches doe not accord with vs in iudgement of all points of faith Be it so no more did Cyprian and p Aug. cont Gaudent lib. 3 art 10. Quando rebaptizabat Cyprianus ab hâ—reticis venientes Ecclesia CarthagineÌ„sis Episcopus tunc Ecclesiâ— Romanae Stephanus Episcopus in â—odem baptismâ— quem foris accepâ—raÌ„t suscipiebat â—aereticos ambo haec diuersa facienâ—es in vnitate Catholica permanebant Stephanus Bishop of Rome agree in all points and yet they were both members of one Catholike Church How many differences of opinions are there found amongst the Fathers and yet we doe not therefore diuide them into many Churches They may erre and we may â—rre but we beleeue that wheresoeuer the Gospell of Christ is read and published there Christ hath a people to whom hee reuealeth all truth that shall be necessary vnto eternall life In a word they professe the same Christ they reade the same Gospell and Scriptures that we doe and therein our faith both hath beene from the beginning and doth now continue dispersed and spread ouer the whole world W. BISHOP §. 2. SEcondly M. Abbot is much mistaken in his comparison of the name of Iew with the name Catholike for â—o omit first that such examples proue nothing but doe only serue for shew or explication and moreouer that it can hardly be shewed that the name of Iew was a name of such honour at any time for that peoples honourable name was Israelites and were not called Iewes till towards the declination and wane of their estate Neither was it euer any peculiar and proper title of the people of God for God had many good seruants that were neuer called Iewes as may be gathered by Iob the Husitâ— Naaman the Syrian the widdow of Sarepta a Sydonian and by a great number Luc. 4. vers 16. of Prosilites and finally by that which the Apostle teacheth Many Gentiles were saued without the law Rom. â— vers 14. Lastly most vncertaine it is of what name the Prophet Isay speaketh when he saith It shall be left for a name cap. 65. vers 13. of curse All these impertinencies of his example being too too many I doe remit him but cannot pardon his grosse fault in the maine point of the comparison for the name Iew according to the vsuall signification of the word being the name of a certayne people of one race and kindred and hauing a law giuen them by Moyses which should continue only for a prescript time and end at the coÌ„ming of Christ is not like the name of Catholike which is no speciall name of the people of any one Countrâ—y but is attributed and doth agree to all sorts of men of what Countrey or nation soeuer that do embrace the true Christian faith And is inseparably linked and so fast ioyned and riueted with the Christian profession and religion that it shall neuer faile fall or be separated from it so long as Christs faith standeth nor euer be contemned of the faithfull whiles Christs true religion flourisheth which is proued inuincibly out of the very Etymologie of the name Catholike and that according to M. Abbots owne interpretation in the same place who doth expound it to signifie that Church which is through the whole world and shall be to the worlds end If the name Catholike shall continue to the worlds end the true title of the Church who then but miscreants and Heretikes can take it for a name of curse reproch and shame Is it not vntill this day set downe in the Apostles Creede as the honourable title and epithite of the true Church I beleeue the holy Catholike Church Must he then not be rather an Apostata then a Scholler of the Apostles that blusheth not to anouch the very name Catholike to be the proper badge of Apostataes and Heretikes which the Apostles ascribe and appropriate vnto true Christianity If any proude and false fellowes doe vsurpe that name and challenge it to themselues wrongfully as many did euen in S. Augustines time when M. Abbot confesseth it to haue beene in greatest estimation let such vsurping companions be rebuked sharply and conuicted of their insolent and audatious folly but the name Catholike which the Apostles thought worthy and fit to be placed in the articles of our Creede and principles of our religion must alwaies remaine and be among true Christians a name very glorious and desireable We therefore say with S. Augustine We receiue Tract 32. â—â— Iohannem Lib. 1. coâ—t Gaudent c. 33. the holy Ghost if we loue the Church if we be ioyned togither by charity if we reioyce in the Catholike name and faith And they that doe not ioy in that name but mocke at it doc blaspheme as the same most holy Authour intimateth The name Iew being taken in the Apostles sense for one of what nation soeuer that fulfilleth the iustice of the law neuer was nor neuer shall be a name of reproch so that M. Abbot is driuen to hop from one sense of that name to another to make it applyable to his purpose R. ABBOT SVch examples saith he proue nothing but serue only for explication And what of that As though it were vnlawfull for me to vse explication and I were bound to proofe only His first exception then is wholly idle and of no effect
Resurrection of our Lord Iesus This is our religion and herein their example iustifieth vs but their doctrines of transubstantiation and reall presence and concomitancy and sacrifice propitiatory for quicke and dead with the rest of that kinde are additions of theirs whereof the institution of Christ which togither with vs they recite maketh no shew at all If they should haue disclaimed redemption and remission of sinnes by the bloud-shed and death of Christ Christian people would haue defied them therefore they left the name thereof in the Church which is our religion but they defeated the power of it by briâ—ging in a thousand other deuices wherby men should redeeme themselues and purchase the remission of their owne sinnes It is our religion to acknowledge Christ to be the Mediator betwixt God and Man and this they would neuer disauow but to Christ they haue ioyned the Saints also to be our Mediators It is our religion to teach that God is to be worshipped and all spirituall deuotion is to be done vnto him and this they cannot deny but they haue added hereto the worshipping of Saints and Saints Images and thereby haue defiled the worship of the immortall God They deny not grace which our religion teacheth but they put to it the power of nature and free will They dare not but confesse Christ to be the head of the Church which our religion teacheth but they haue added the Pope to be another head and so haue made the Church a Monster with two heads Thus in euery point of doctrine take away those patcheries and additions of theirs which are things not taught vs by the word of God and euen in their religion that which remaineth is our religion the very truth of the Gospell of Iesus Christ For these and such other propositions of true faith the Diuell could neuer abolish out of the Church only by Antichrist he suppressed the knowledge and vse of them and to this wholsome wine put such abundance of his corrupt and poisoned waters as might frustrate the power and effect thereof Wherein notwithstanding he could not so farre preuaile but that the light here and there brake forth by such chinks and lattises as were remaining which many of our forefathers in the time of that Aegyptian darkenesse did discerne and see to their euerlasting comfort and soules health Yea M. Bishop knoweth well that there were in those times both Pastors and Flocks not in one only Countrey but in many who detested those blendings and mixtures of theirs and kept themselues either wholly or for the most part to the entire truth of our religion the light whereof euen then shined vnto them out of the very darkenesse of the Church Which notwithstanding we wonder not that he pretendeth not to know who will seeme not to know that our religion hath spred it selfe into Italie and Spaine when as all the world knoweth that the Inquisition hath shed the bloud of many thousands there only for the profession of our religion Yea the principles of our religion are so residing will they nill they in the very bowels of Popery as that they are forced to vse many sinister courses to drowne and stifle them and to keepe the people from taking knowledge thereof because they see that if there be but winde to blow away the ashes our fire will straightwaies burne amongst them and the flame presently ascend to the consuming of their roofe they see that if men be but stirred a 〈…〉 awaked out of their sleepe they will be forthwith ready out of the very common instinct of Christianity to beeleeue as we doe In Greece in Africa in Asia wheresoeuer the Gospell is there is no other but our Gospell because there is no Gospell but that which the Euangelists and Apostles haue recorded in the writings of the Gospell neither is Christ any where knowen but where he is knowen by that Gospell Therein hath our Gospell beene spred ouer the whole world therein we communicate with the Church of the whole world wheresoeuer this Gospell is free there our religion is not bound but thereby euen amidst errour and apostasie b wisedome is iustified of her children and God Mat. 11. 19. according to the purpose of his grace giueth light vnto euerlasting life As for the Indians lamentable experience haue they had of the Popish Gospell Neuer any Apostle or Euangelist carryed their religion abroade as the Papists haue done thither and they haue cause to wish that the Roman Church had neuer beene so Catholike as to extend to them Vpon some few of the remainder of them they haue forced baptisme some of their ceremonies but they haue taught them nothing of religion nothing of the Gospell of Iesus Christ How otherwise their religion hath beene spred ouer the whole world enough hath beene said already in briefe I say here that they can alleage no age nor time wherein they can make good that it hath so beene We know they can talke at will but farre are they from proofe that their doctrines of the Popes Supremacy his Pardons and Iubilees of Purgatory of Transubstantiation of their priuate Masse and halfe Communion with a number of such other were euer or at any time receiued throughout the whole world CHAP. IIII. That the Church before Christ euen from the beginning was a part of the Catholike Church and that the faith and religion of the new Testament differeth not in substance from the old A BRIEFE DEFENCE OF THE KINGS SVPREMACY ECCLESIASTICALL ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE NOw as of this Catholike Church from the beginning to the end there is c. to Now whereas he alleageth c. W. BISHOP §. 1. WE agree in this that there is but one faith one baptisme one spirituall foode and one religion in the Catholike Church but M. Abbot is fouly ouer-seen about the time when the true Church beganne first to be called Catholike which was not before Christs time but afterwards according to that alleaged out of Pacianus an ancient Author who writeth of the name Catholike saying Pacian Epist ad Simphor de nomine Catholico Christian is my name Catholike is my surname For when among Christians some beganne to teach false doctrine and to draw others after them into sects they that remained sound and did cleaue fast vnto the whole body of the Church were intituled Catholikes to distinguish them from Heretikes that did not ioyne with the vniuersall corps of Christians in faith and religion which M. Abbot before did in plaine words confesse see his text afore where he beginneth to argue of the word Catholike And the reason is most perspicuous why the Iewes and their religion could not be called Catholike though it were right and according to the will of God for that time because Catholike signifieth that which is spred all the world ouer and receiued of all nations so was not the law of Moyses and the manner of seruing God therein prescribed but was peculiar
the Catholike Church as well as we what tergiuersation doe I vse or how doe I leape backe from the point in question when by affirming our communion with them I affirme consequently our communion with the Catholike Church Forsooth the Church was not then Catholike Bee it so but it was then the same Church which was afterward to become Catholike a part of the Catholike Church and in com 〈…〉 nicating with a part of the Catholike Church we communicate with the whole because of the whole there is but one and the same saith Secondly if they were Christians by the same faith whereby we are so what absurdity do I commit in saying that they beleeued all the articles of faith that we beleeue so clearly I doe not say because they beleeued them not in those particular circumstances which by the story of the Gospell are knowen to vs but yet all the same and as clearly as wee beleeue those points of faith which are of those things that are yet to come And if they did so what hindereth but that we rightly conclude that those branches of the Roman faith which were not then sprung vp are only Romish additions and not any parts of the true Catholike faith Against this M. Bishop excepteth But good Sir did they beleeue that all their children were to be baptized and that all persons of riper yeares among them were to receiue the holy Sacrament of Christs body I haue answered him before that as touching outward signes and Sacraments there is difference betwixt them and vs and I now answere him further that as touching the power and effect of Sacraments they were in their Sacraments spiritually baptized as well as we and spiritually partakers of Christs body and bloud as well as we For u Leo in Natiu Christi ser 3. Verbi incaâ—natio haec contulit facienda quae facta c. Hoc magna pietatis Sacramentum quo totus iam mundus impletus est tam potens etiam in suis significationibus fuit vt non minùs adepti sine qui in illud credidere promissum quà m qui suscepere donatum the incarnation of Christ being yet to come saith Leo yeelded the same that it doth now being done and the great mysterie of godlinesse whereof now the whole world is full was so powerfull in the significations of it as that they attamed no lesse who beleeued therein being promised then they did who haue receiued it now giuen and performed And againe x IdeÌ„ de Pass Dom. ser 13. Sanguis vnius iusâ—â— quem nobis pater donauitqui â—um pro reconciliatione mundi credimus fusum hoc contulit patribus qui similitèr credidere fundâ—â—dum The bloud of one iust one which the father hath giuen vnto vs who beleeue the same to haue beene shed for the reconciliation of the world yeelded the same benefit to the Fathers who did beleeue that it should be shed Therefore we see that the Apostle as on the one side he saith of vs that we are y Col. 2. 11. circumcised because the effect of circumcision is with vs so saith of them also that they were z 1. Cor. 10. â— baptised because the grace and effect of baptisme was with them And thus Gregory saith that a Greg. Mor. l 4. c. 3. Quod apud nos valet aqua baptâ—matis hoc eâ—â—t apud veteres vel pro paruulis sola fides vel pro maioribus virtus sacrificij vel pro his qâ—i ex Abrahae stiâ—pe prodierant mysterium circumcisionis what the water of baptisme auaileth with vs the same with 〈◊〉 old Fathers did either faith only for infants or for them of elâ—â—â— yeares the power of Sacrifice or for them that came of the stocke of Abraham the Sacrament of circumcision And thus of their Sacraments whereto now answereth our Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ the Apostle saith that therein b 1 Cor. 10. 4. they did eate the same spirituall meate and drinke the same spirituall drinke For their Sacraments and ours c August in Ioan. tract 26. Sacramenta illa fuâ—runt in signis diuersa sunt sed in re quae significatur pariâ— sunt in signes are diuers faith St. Austin but in the thing signified they are both alike They that did eate Manna aright d Idem de vtil poâ—â—it cap. 1. Quicunque in Manna ChristuÌ„ intellexerunt â—undem quem nos cibum spirituilem manducauerunt did vnderstand Christ therein and thereby did eate the same spirituall meate that we doe euen the flesh of Christ and they that did drinke of the Rocke aright did therein also drinke of Christ euen the bloud of Christ for the Rocke was Christ that is e IdeÌ„ de TeÌ„p sor 108. Petra illa typum habuit corporis Christi c. Quod vtique non ad dâ—uinâ—tatem 〈◊〉 sed ad caraâ—m relatum est quae siticntium corda populorum perenni riuâ— sangâ—â—nis sui inundauit was the type or figure of the body of Christ saith Austin againe the same not being referred to his Deity but to the flesh which watered the hearts of the thirsty people by the euer-flowing riuer of his bloud f Idem de vtilit Poenit. cap. 1. Eundem â—rgò cibum eundem pâ—tum sed intelligentibus credentibus Non intelligentibus autem illud solum Manna illa sola aqua ille cibus esurienti potus iste sitienti nec ille net iste credenti credenti autem â—dem qui â—â—â—c There was saith he the same meat and the same drinke to them that had vnderstanding and faith but to them that vnderstood not the one was only Manna the other was only Water the one foode for the hungry the other drinke for the thirsty neither the one nor the other meate or drinke for the beleeuer but he that beleeued had the same that we haue now And if they had so if by Manna they did eate the body of Christ and by the Water of the Rocke they did drinke the bloud of Christ what hindereth then but that wee may say that though not by outward signe yet as touching inward grace and effect they were partakers of the Lords Supper Whereas he further asketh Can M. Abbot demonstrate that they had perfect faith of the Trinity beleeuing distinctly in three persons and one God I answere him that it may bee to him in â—ade of a demonstration that they did so because sundry Heathen Philosophers as g Cyril cont lulian lib. 1. Ex Hermete Orpâ—â—â— Porphyrio c. Vide Phil. Morn Plessi de verit Christ relig cap. 6. Cyril at large sheweth were not ignorant of this secret of the diuine nature who had no otherwise knowledge thereof but by some kinde of Tradition from the Fathers who had beene so instructed from God himselfe For can we thinke that it could be knowen to Philosophers and Pagans and that it was vnknowen to the Patriarchs
mouth full of blasphemic a Syluest Prier cot Luther conclus 56. Indulgentiae non innotuêre nobiâ— authorâ—tate Scripturae sed authoritate Ecclesiae Romanae Romanorumque Pontificum quae maior est Indulgences or Pardons haue not beene knowen to vs by the authority of the Scriptures but by the authority of the Church of Rome and Bishops of Rome which is greater then the Scriptures b Alphons de Cast adu haer lib. 8. tit Indulgentiae Inter omnes res de quibus in hoc opere disputamus nulla est quam minùs apertè sacrae literae prodiderint de qua minùs vetusti scriptores dixerint Et post pro indulgentiarum approbatione sacrae Scripturae testimoniâ— apertum deest There is nothing saith Alphonsus de Castro which the Scriptures haue declared lesse plainly or whereof the old writers haue said lesse There is no plaine testimony of Scripture for the approuing of them And yet M. Bishop no skimmer ouer the Scriptures I warrant you but a man of great obseruation and insight into them will take vpon him to haue found where S. Paul teacheth of Pardons not obscurely or darkely but in very formall termes He citeth to this purpose the wordes of S. Paul concerning the incestuous excommunicated Corinthian now much humbled by repentance and hauing giuen thereof great satisfaction and testimony to the Church c 2. Cor. 2. 10. Whom you haue pardoned any thing I so doe also for my selfe also what I haue pardoned for your sakes I haue done it in the sight of Christ that we be not circumuented of Satan Here he saith that the Corinthians and S. Paul himselfe did giue a pardon he did release some part of the penance of that incestuous Corinthian which is properly to giue pardon or indulgence Iust as well fitted as if he had put a Goose quill to a Wood-cocks taile Hee might euen as well haue alleaged our Bishops as giuers of Popish Pardons because they doe release to men vpon occasion some parts of penance inioyned them for criminall demeanours and had he not made a great speake if he had so done What are we come to vnderstand by the Popes Pardons the releasing of Penitents from the bond of excommunication for the restoring of them againe to the communion of the Church It is true which he saith of this that if S. Paul could so doe S. Peter could doe as much and other principall Pastours of Christs Church haue the same power and authority who doubteth hereof But we speake of a power which the Pope challengeth as proper to himselfe to giue Pardons and Libels of Indulgence or to giue authority to others to giue the same out of the Church treasury of the supererogations of Saints not for absoluing Penitents in foro Ecclesiae but in foro Coeli for releasing of soules from Purgatory and for giuing of them remission for so many dayes or yeares or hundreds or thousands of yeares not only to men for themselues liuing but also for their friends dead and that for doing such and such deuotions or paying so much money for such or such vse or aiding him in his wars against Christian Princes or doing any other worke and seruice that he requireth A lewd and wicked deuise and practise of the Popes of some latter ages and as lewdly coloured by M. Bishop by pretense of that that doth in no sort appertaine vnto it For all that the Apostle intendeth in the words alleaged is that which St. Ambrose briefly expresseth thus d Ambros in 2. Cor. 2. Orat ne adhuc exulcerato aduersum illum animo durum esset illis habere cum illo coÌ„munionem Ecclesiae Hee prayeth them that they would not any longer by a minde exasperated against him bee hard to haue with him the communion of the Church This is the forgiuenesse this is the pardon that he desireth in his behalfe that inasmuch as he hath sufficiently shewed himselfe penitent for his fault they will no longer forbeare to haue Christian society and fellowship with him M. Bishop therefore would neuer haue brought vs this place for Popes Pardons but that by a resolute course of impudency he maketh choise to say any thing rather then to say the truth W. BISHOP §. 8. THe last of M. Abbots instances is That S. Paul saith nothing of traditions wherein hee sheweth himselfe not the least impudent for the Apostle speaketh of them very often Hee desireth the Romans to marke them that make dissentions and scandals Rom. 16. ver 17. contrary to the doctrine which you haue learned and to auoide them but the doctrine that they had then learned before S. Paul sent them this Epistle was by word of mouth and tradition for little or none of the new Testament was then written wherefore the Apostle teacheth all men to be auoided that dissent from doctrine deliuered by Tradition And in the Acts of the Apostles it is of record how S. Paul walking through Syria and Silicia confirming the Churches Commanded Act. 15. vers 41. them to keepe the precepts of the Apostles and of the Ancients Item when they passed through the Citties they deliuered vnto them to keepe the decrees Act. 16. vers 4. that were decreed by the Apostles and Ancients which were at Hierusalem and the Churches were confirmed in faith c. Where it also appeareth that those decrees were made matter of faith and necessary to be beleeued to saluation before they were written Hee doth also charge his best beloued Disciple Timothy To 1. Tim. 6. ver 20 keepe the Depositum that is the whole Christian doctrine deliuered vnto him by word of mouth as the best Authours take it auoiding the prophane nouelty of voices and oppositions of falsly called knowledge Againe he commandeth him to commend to faithfull 2. Tim. 2. vers 2. men the things which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses Was not this to preach such doctrine as he had receiued by Apostolike tradition without writing And further which suppresseth all the vaine cauils of the sectaries he saith Therefore Brethren stand and 2. Thess 2. v. 15. hold the Traditions which you haue learned whether it be by word or by our Epistle where you see that some Traditions went by word of mouth from hand to hand as well as some others were written and were as well to be holden and stood too as the written proceeding from the same fountaine of truth Gods spirit Thus much in answere vnto the instances proposed by M. Abbot which he very ignorantly and insolently auoucheth to haue no proofe or sound of proofe out of S. Paul R. ABBOT HEre M. Bishop playeth the Iugler againe and casteth a mist before his Readers eyes by altering the state of the question betwixt vs and them For the question is not whether the doctrine of truth haue beene at any time deliuered by Tradition that is by word of mouth without writing but whether
the world for it is totum integrale to vse the schoole termes and not totum vniuersale quod dicitur de multis Secondly the Catholike Church â—oth also designe and note very properly euery particular Church that embraceth the same true Christian faith which hath continued euer since Christs time and beene receiued in all Countries not only because it is totum similare as Mr. Abbot speaketh wherefore euery true member of the Catholike Church mâ—y be called Catholike but also because each of the said particular Churches hath the same Faith the same Sacraments and the same order of gouernement all which are as it were the soule and forme of the Catholike Church which Mr. Abbot acknowledgeth and further also confesseth out of S. Augustine that Christians were called Catholikes Ex communicatione totius orbis By hauing Epistola 48. communion of faith with the whole world If then by his owne confession euery particular Church yea euery particular Christian that imbraceth and professeth that faith which is dilated all the world ouer be truly called Catholike how fondly then did he goe about to proue the Church of Rome not to be Catholike and Papists not to be Catholikes because forsooth they were particulars Yet that he may be thought not to dote outright but rather to dreame he addeth That at least the Church of Rome hath no reason to assume to her selfe the prerogatiue of that title because that euery Church where the true faith is taught is truly called Catholike and no one more then another I note first that this man is as constant and stable as the weather-cocke on the toppe of a steeple before he proued stoutly as you haue heard that no particular Church could be called Catholike now he will haue euery particular Church that receiueth the true faith to be called Catholike Neither doe we say that any one Oxthodoxe Church is more Catholike then another if the word Catholike be taken precisely though we hold that among all the particular Catholikes the Roman holdeth the greatest priuiledges both of superiority in gouernement and of continuance and stability in the same true Catholike faith which is deduced out of the word of God because that Church is the Rocke according to the Math. 16. v. 18. exposition of the ancient Fathers vpon which the whole Church was built and against which the gates of hell should neuer preuaile Againe the Bishop of Rome succeedeth lineally vnto S. Peter Whose faith Luc. 22. v. 23. through the vertue of Christs prayer shall neuer faile Wherefore S. Ireneus a most learned Archbishop of Lyons in France and a glorious Martyr of great antiquity saith That all Churches ought to agree with the Lib. 3. cap. 3. Church of Rome for her more mighty principality S. Cyprian Archbishop of Carthage in Africke affirmeth That perfidiousnesse and falshood in matters Lib. 1. Epist 3. of faith can haue no accesse vnto the See of Rome S. Ambrose taketh it to be all one to say the Catholike and the Roman Church in these wordes If he shall agree De ob Satyri with the Catholike that is with the Roman Church So doth S. Hierome when he saith of Ruffinus What Hieron in Apol. 1 cont Russi c. 1. faith doth he say his to be if the Roman faith we are then Catholikes affirming men to become Catholikes by holding the Roman faith Tertullian Epiphanius De Prascript Epiph. hares 27. Lib. 2. cont Parmeni August Epist 165 Optatus S. Augustine dâ—e proue their Churches to be Catholike and themselues to be Catholikes by declaring that they doe communicate with the Church of Rome in society of faith and doe condemne their aduersaries to be Schismatikes and Heretikes because they did not communicate with the same Roman Church And which is greatly to be noted no generall Councell of sound authority wherein the Christian truth hath beene expounded and determined but is confirmed by the Bishop of Rome And on the other side no heresie or error in faith hath sprong vp since the Apostles dayes that did not oppose it selfe against the Roman See and was not by the same finally ouerthrowne Whereupon S. Augustine had good reason to say De vtil cred cap. 17. That that chaire obtayned the top of authority Heretikes in vaine barking round about it This little I hope will suffice for this place to declare that there is great cause why we should attribute much more to the Roman Church then to any other particular Church what soeuer and yeeld to it the prerogatiue of all singular titles in a more excellent manner R. ABBOT VVHereas M. Bishop made motion to his Maiesty to accept of the Catholike faith I tooke occasion to note that the Catholike faith is so called of the Catholike Church and consequently to shew that the Catholike Church by the very signification of the word importeth the vniuersal Church so called as I noted out of Austin and Athanasius a Aug. de vnit Eccles cap. 2. Qâ—am maiores nostri Catholicam nominarâ—t vt ex ipso nomine ostenderent quiâ— per totum est Athanas quest 71. Catholica propterea quòd per totum mundum diffusa sit Quia per totum est because it is ouer all or through all the world and is not tyed to any Countrey place person or condition of men b Aug. in Psal 56. Corput eius est Ecclesâ—â— non hâ—c aut illa â—ed toto orbe diffusa nec ea quae nunc est in hominibus qui prâ—sentem vitam agunt sed ad â—am pertinentibus â—â—iam his qui fuerunt ante nos his qui futâ—ri sunt post nos vsque in sinem seculi Not this Church or that Church as S. Austin further saith but the Church dispersed through the whole world and not that which consisteth in men now presently liuing but so as that there belong to it both those that haue been before vs and shall be after vs to the worlds end Now before I could conueniently make vse and application hereof I was to remoue the stumbling blocke that lay in the way by the absurd presumption of the Church of Rome which like c Anian fabul the Asse in the fable of Antanus that to make himselfe terrible put on him a Lions skin so being become the Asse to carry Balaam the false Prophet who for d 2. Pet. 2. 15. Apoc. 2. 13. the wages of vnrighteousnesse hath set his heart to curse and scandalize the people of God to take away the reproch hereof and to gaine to it selfe a soueraigne authority ouer other Churches hath laboured by all meanes to entitle it selfe to a propriety of the name of the Catholike Church so as none should be taken to be a member of the Catholike Church but only as he is subiect to the church of Rome Duraeus the Iesuit out of the abundance of his Catholike wit hath told vs a tale which the old Catholike
proprietas Ecclesia ea est vt Catholica nempe vniuersalis vocetur The third property of the Church is that it is called Catholike that is vniuersall or might the Catechisme say without absurdity that Catholike is Vniuersall and must I be absurd because I say The Catholike Church is the Vniuersall Church Surely when words of one language are borrowed to speciall vse in another the reddition of them in the tongue to which they are borrowed is taken with the learned as supplying the place of a definition and it is thereby made to appeare whether they be properly and rightly vsed or vnproperly abused M. Bishop and his fellowes abuse the name of Catholikes and of the Catholike Church which English men doe not so readily vnderstand Let them giue the signification of the word and call themselues vniuersals their Church the vniuersall Church and then all that haue will to vnderstand can easily see their foolery and are ready to deride them But this they hide vnder the veile and couer of a Greeke word and wee that the truth may be the better seene are necessarily to discouer and therefore iust cause had I to say The Catholike Church is the vniuersall Church and he is an absurd man to taxe it as a thing absurd Yet notwithstanding I wish the Reader duly to obserue how that taxation stand 〈…〉 with the other that the same proposition of mine is captious For why is it captious Marry because the Catholike Church doth signifiâ— both the whole body of the Church compacted of all the particular members in which sense no one pâ—rticular Church can be called the Catholike Church because it is not the whole body and secondly the Catholike Church doth also designe and note very properly euery particular Church that embraceth the true Christian faith Where we may wonder that within the compasse of so few lines the mans wits should so extremely faile him For if the Catholike Church and the vniuersall Church be one and the same thing as he hath already told vs and vniuersall be no distinct thing but the very signification of the word Catholike then how can it be which here he telleth vs that the Catholike Church signifieth both the whole body of the Church which is the vniuersall Church and doth also very properly designe and note euery particular true Christian Church If the Catholike Church be no distinct thing from the vniuersall Church then it cannot properly note or designe euery particular Church or if it doe properly designe euery particular Church then it is distinct from the vniuersall Church Tell vs M. Bishop how these things hang togither for if the vniuersall Church be the very signification of the Catholike Church then we cannot see how a particular Church can bee properly called the Catholike Church because no particular Church can properly be called the vniuersall Church As for the exception that here lyeth against vs that the Fathers in pointing to a particular assembly doubt not sometimes to vse the name of the Catholike Church I shewed it before to be no whit preiudiciall to that that wee say because they minded not in so doing to limit themselues to that particular assembly but in a particular assembly to demonstrate the vniuersall Church For to say in any Citty for distinction sake this is the Catholike Church what was it else but to say this is that Church which is vniuersally dispersed through the whole world euen as when a man to demonstrate the elements saith This is the aire this is the earth pointing to the aire or earth whereat he is present but therein intending to demonstrate the whole body of the aire or earth hauing continuation with that whereto he pointeth For as the Apostle directing his speech to the Church of Ephesus nameth l Act. 20. 28. The Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud and againe m 1. Tim. 3. 15. the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God the pillar and ground of truth so speaking of a part as to conioyne it with the whole euen so no otherwise was it that in noting any particular Church it was said This is the Catholike Church the whole Church being totum similare as I said before and the whole being subiect to be designed in any part But M. Bishop here saith that this was not only because the Church is totum similare but because each of the said particular Churches hath the same faith the same Sacraments and order of gouernment Which is as wisely and discreetly spoken as if he had said that this was not only because the Church in all parts thereof hath the same faith and sacraments but because the said particular Churches haue all the same faith and Sacraments For why is the Church said to be totum homogeneum or similare a body whose parts are all of the same nature kinde and being but because in all parts thereof there are the same faith and Sacraments or to vse the wordes of the Apostle n Ephes 4. 4. One body one spirit one hope of calling one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all who is aboue all and through all and in vs all Surely either M. Bishop was sleepy or else his wits were a wooll-gathering when he put in this exception Now then it was not said that the word Catholike is not or may not bee directed to any particular M. Bishop doth therein but meerely calumniate but I said and shewed that it is neuer rightly applied any way or to any particular but with implication of the vniuersall Church The faith is called Catholike because it is the faith of the vniuersall Church propagated and spred by the Apostles ouer the whole world Particular Churches are called Catholike and particular persons are called Catholikes as a man would say Vniuersalists for maintayning communion and fellowship of this faith with the Church of the whole world And as the name of the aire or the earth being absolutely vsed importeth that whole element whereof we speake but yet according to distinction of places we say The aire of London the aire of Oxford the aire of Winchester c. without restraining the name of the aire to any one place more then other and only meaning that part of the aire that is in such or such a place euen so whereas the name of the Catholike Church simply and absolutely vsed importeth the whole vniuersall Church the same notwithstanding is found to be distinguished by diuersity of places the Catholike Church of such a place or the Catholike Church of such a place not limiting the name of the Catholike Church to any one place more then other and in true propriety of speech meaning nothing else but that part of the Catholike Church that is in this or that place And therefore I formerly noted and thinke not vnfit here to be repeated that as Leo wrote himselfe o Leo. epist 12. Leo
it is all one now to say the Catholike and to say the Roman Church The Church of Rome as the most famous and chiefe Church was most fit to bee named in this case but otherwise it may euen as well be said They were Catholike Bishops that coÌ„municated with the Church of Millan where Ambrose was Bishop therefore to say the Church of Millan is all one as to say the Catholike Church As little discretion is there in his next allegation out of Hierome who mentioning the words of Ruffinus concerning some workes of Origen by him translated The Latin Reader shall finde nothing in them different from our faith demandeth thus a Hieron Apolog aduers Ruffin lib. 1. Fide suam quam vocat Eamnè qua Romana pollet Ecclesia an illam quâ— Origenis voluminibus continâ—tur si Romanam respondeâ—it ergo Catholâ—ci sumus qui nihil de Origenis errore transtulimus c. Which calleth hee his faith that which the Church of Rome professeth or that which is contained in the bookes of Origen If he answere the Roman faith then are we Catholikes who haue translated nothing of the errour of Origen For what is there here said of the Roman Church but what might likewise bee saâ—d of any other Church professing the true faith The argument followeth because the Roman Church did then maintayne the true Catholike faith so should it follow of the rest If he professe the faith of the Church of Constantinople of Antioch of Alexandria yea of the poore Church of Eugubium then is he a Catholike because al these did then professe the Catholike faith But what is this to M. Bishops purpose to proue in the Church of Rome a priuiledge of continuance and stability in the same true Catholike faith to proue that the Roman faith should bee alwaies the certayne and vndoubted patterne of the true Catholike faith In which conclusion his other Authours also doe all faile him who though it be graunted him that they did as he saith proue themselues then to be Catholikes and their Churches Catholike by declaring themselues to communicate with the Church of Rome and their aduersaries to bee Heretikes because they did not so for that the Church of Rome was then famously knowen to haue continued the same from the beginning in the points of faith then impugned by the Heretikes yet very idlely and childishly are they alleaged to proue that which M. Bishop intendeth that it should alwayes thenceforth continue so But indeede hee racketh his Authours and wrongeth them neither doe they say that which hee would haue them taken to say Tertullian appealeth to other Churches as well as to the Church of Rome and referreth his Reader to the most famous of them accordingly as they are nearest at hand b Tertul. de praescript Percurre Ecclesiaâ— Apostolicas apud quas ipse adhuc Cathedrae Apostolorum suis locis praesidentur c. Proxima est tibi Achaiai habes Corinthum Si non longè es a Macedonia habes Philippos habes Thessalonicenses Si potes in Asiam tenderâ— habes Ephesum Si autem Italâ—ae adiaces habes Romanam Runne through the Apostolike Churches in which there are Bishops still sitting in the seates of the Apostles in their places Is Achaia next vnto thee thou hast Corinthus If thou be not farre from Macedonia thou hast Philippos and the Thessalonians If thou canst goe into Asia thou hast Ephesus If thou border vpon Italie thou hast the Church of Rome What is there here for M. Bishops turne c Epiph. haeres 27. Epiphanius setteth downe a Catalogue of the Bishops of Rome but saith not a word to that effect as M. Bishop citeth him Optatus approueth his part to be Catholike not simply by communicating with the Church of Rome but for that togâ—ther with the Church of Rome d Optat. lib. 2. Siâ—icius hodie noster est socius cum quo nobis totus orbis coÌ„mercio formatarum in vna communionis societate concordant they communicated with thâ—â—hurch of the whole world Yea in the same booke hee attributeth as much in this behalfe to the seuen Churches of Asia as to the Church of Rome therby as strongly reproueth the Donatists e Ibid. Cum quibus Ecclesijs nullum communionis probamini habere consâ—rtiâ— c. Extra septem Ecclesias quicquid soris est alienum est You are proued to haue no fellowship of coÌ„munion with the seuen Churches Whatsoeuer is without the seuen Churches is stranger to the Church Austin setteth downe the succession of the Bishops of Rome and vpbraideth the Donatists that f Aug. Epist 165. In hoc ordine successionis nullus Donatista Episcopiâ— inuenitur no Donatist was found amongst them but as well doth he obiect to them that whereas g Ibid. Quile gunt in codicibus sanctis Ecclesias quibus Apostoli scripseruÌ„t nullum in eis habeÌ„t Episcopum Quid autem peruersius insaniê° quà m lectoribê° easdem Epistolas legentibus dicere pax tecum ab earum EcclesiaruÌ„ pace separare quibus ipsa Epistolae scriplae suÌ„t they read the Epistles of the Apostles they diuided themselues from the peace and fellowship of those Churches to which the Apostles wrote the same Epistles So then in all these Authors which he alleageth he doth but meerely abuse his reader which is the cause why he thus set downe their names without their wordes for that he presumed that only alleaging their names men would imagine that vndoubtedly they said somewhat for him whereas if he had set downe their wordes euery man might see that they said nothing Yea but it is greatly to be noted saith M. Bishop that there is no generall Councell of sound authority wherein the Christian truth hath beene expounded and determined but is confirmed by the Bishop of Rome Well and it is as greatly to be noted that the sentence of no Bishop of Rome was anciently holden sufficient for the deciding of a question of faith except the same were confirmed by a generall Councell Therefore doth Leo Bishop of Rome mention h Leo epist 61. Apostolicae sedis Epistola vniuersali sancta Synodi assensâ— firmata Et Epist 70. Scripta mea adiecta vniuersalis Synodi coÌ„firmatione c. his Epistle against the heresie of Eutyches confirmed by the vniuersall assent of the sacred Synode and his writings hauing the confirmation of the generall Councell added thereto And what his authority was in the Councell it may be conceiued by that he wrote to the Councell of Ephesus i Idem Epist 14. Misi qui vice mea sancto conueÌ„tui vestrae fraternitatis intersint communi vobiscum sententia qua Domino sint placitura constituant I haue sent my deputies to be present with you in your assembly and by sentence in common to decree those things which may be pleasing to the Lord where wee see that he challengeth no more but a voice in common with the
set his owne marke vpon the Church to call it the Catholike Roman Church and the members thereof Roman Catholikes that none should thenceforth bee called Catholikes but such as would bee called Roman Catholikes And hereof M. Bishop very rightly saith that hereby they separate those Catholikes that ioyne in faith with the Church of Rome from other sectaries as importing them also to bee Sectaries that ioyne in faith with the Church of Rome and that by this marke they are to bee knowen from other Sectaries For certaine it is that the name of Roman Catholike is a name of Sect and Schisme and an open proclaiming of a rent and diuision of the Catholike Church of Christ Now for conclusion of this passage hee telleth vs that out of the premises may bee gathered that the Roman Church may well signifie any Church holding the same faith which the Roman doth But what premises may wee thinke hee meaneth here Surely if this bee his conclusion wee finde here nothing but conclusion premises to proue it wee finde none Hee hath told vs before that it may bee so and here full wisely hee repeateth the same againe but neither before nor here doth hee say any thing whereof it should bee gathered that it may bee so And though it may be so yet it auaileth him nothing as hath beene said because it is but a part of the Church that ioyneth in faith with the Church of Rome and therefore the Roman Church cannot bee said to bee the whole Catholike Church so that my proposition still standeth good the Church of Rome is a particular Church and Master Bishop though hee bee a Doctor that sometimes vnderstandeth what hee speaketh yet is not so great a Doctor in this point as that hee can giue vs any reason why hee ought otherwise to vnderstand W. BISHOP §. 4. NOw to this his second sophistication The Roman Church by our rule is the head and all other Churches are members to it but the Catholike comprehendeth all ergo to say the Roman Church is the Catholike is to say the head is the whole body Here is first a mishâ—pen argument by which one may proue or disproue any thing for example I will proue by the like that the Church of England is not Catholike thus The Church of England by their crooked rule is a member of the Catholike Church but the Catholike church comprehendeth all wherefore to say the English Church is the Catholike Church is to say a member is the whole body Besides the counterfaite fashion of the argument there is a great fallacy in it for to omit Fellacia accidentis that wee say not the Church of Rome but the Bishop of Rome to be the head of the Church it is a soule fault in arguing as all Logitians doe vnderstand when one thing is said to be another by a metaphore to attribute all the properties of the metaphore to the other thing For example Christ our Sauiour is metaphorically said to bee a Lyon Vicit Leo de tribu Iuda now if therehence Apocal. 5. v. 5. any man would inferre that a Lyon hath foure legges and is no reasonable creature ergo Christ hath as many or is not indued with reason he might himselfe therefore bee well taken for an vnreasonable and blasphemous creature Euen so must M. Abbot bee who shifteth from that propriety of the metaphore Head which was to purpose vnto others that are cleane besides the purpose For as Christ was called a Lyon for his inuincible fortitude so the Bishop of Rome is called the head of the Church for his authority to direct gouerne the same but to take any other propriety of either Lyon or Head when they be vsed metaphorically and to argue out of that is plainly to play the Sophister Wherefore to conclude this passage M. Abbot hath greatly discouered his insufficiency in arguing by propounding arguments that offend and be very vitious both in matter and for me and that so palpably that if young Logitians should stand vpon such in the paruies they would be hissed oâ—t of the Schooles it must needs be then an exceeding great shame for a Diuine to vse them to deceiue good Christian people in matter of saluation And if after so great vaunts of giuing full satisfaction to the Reader and of stopping his aduersaries mouth that he should not haue a word to reply he be not ashamed to put such bables as these into print he cannot choose but make himselfe a mocking-stocke to the world surely his writings are more meete to stop mustard-pots if I mistake not much then like to stop any meane Schollars mouth R. ABBOT HEre it may well be doubted whether M. Bishop were such a Doctor as to vnderstand himselfe because it should not seeme likely if hee had so done that hee would haue giuen such a brainlesse and stupide answere The first part thereof serueth to shew that when hee hath plaid the wise-man once he cannot be quiet vntill he haue done the like againe Of the shape of the argument I neede say no more then hath beene said of the former being of the same kinde and let him propound as he should that by the like it may be proued that the Church of England is not the Catholike Church and we acknowledge so much and doe take his argument as he hath set it downe The Church of England is only a member of the Catholike church but the Catholike church comprehendeth all wherâ—â—â—re to sâ—y the English Church is the Catholike Church is to say a member is the whole body Wee confesse it to be true and therefore we are not so absurd as to say that the Church of England is the Catholike Church wee affirme it to bee only a member and part thereof and may we not then thinke that this man hath made a doughty fray But beside the counterfait fashion of the argument there is saith he a great fallacy in it And how Marry first wee say not saith he that the Church of Rome but the Bishop of Rome is the head of the Church True it is M. Bishop that when yee compare togither the Church and the Bishop of Rome yee say that the Bishop of Rome is the head of the Church but is it not true also that when yee compare Church with Church yee say the Church of Rome is the head of all Churches Your Master a Bellarm. dâ— Rom. Pont. lib. 2. cap. 13. câ— Synod Nicen. 2. Act. 2. Capuâ— omâ—â—ium Ecclesâ— arum Deâ— Bellarmine hath cited this title as a matter of great moment out of the second Nicene Councel approuing the Epistle of Adrian where it is so called b Ibid. cap. 14. out of Sâ—ricius Innocentius Iohn the second Pelagius the second Gregory the Great Bishops of Rome out of c Ibid. cap 16. Prosper and Victor Vticensis and doe you come now with your slecuâ—lesâ—c tale and tell vs that you say not so The truth is that
conaris solos remansisse Rogatistas qui Catholici rectè appellandi sant c. Et vos esse solos in quibus fidem inuâ—niat filius hominis cum venerat themselues only to be Catholikes and that with them only Christ at his comming should finde faith left it as consequent that none could bee called Catholikes but by communicating and ioyning with them Now they did but apply to their Schisme at Cartenna those thinges which the Donatists in common held concerning their Church in Africa who said of themselues that b Collat. Carthag 3. cap. 22. Apud nos est vera Catholica with them only was the true Catholike Church c August de vnit â—ccles c. 13. Velut pro se commemorant quod ait Dominus Filius hominis veniens putas inueniet fidem in terra that with them only Christ should finde faith whence it should remaine that in their communion only men were to beare the name of Catholikes Now whether we looke to the Rogatists for Cartenna or to the Donatists for Africa the Papists are like them both who pleade the same for their Roman Church that they did for the other two that men are Catholikes for keeping vnity of faith and agreement therewith But M. Bishop telleth vs that they doe not call men Catholikes for keeping communion with the Church of Rome if it be taken for that particular Church which is contayned within the walls of Rome Where we see how true it is which Optatus saith that d Optat. lib. 2. Memoriam custodem oportet habere mendacem a lyar needeth to haue a good holding memory for he himselfe a little before speaking of that particular Roman Church to which he attributeth the priuiledges of stability in faith and superiority in gouernement aboue all other Churches hath told vs that St. Hierome e Part. 1. § 2. affirmeth men to become Catholikes by holding the Roman faith and that Tertullian Epiphanius Optatus and Austin doe proue their Churches to be Catholike and themselues to be Catholikes by declaring that they doe communicate with the Church of Rome and did condemne their aduersaries to be Schismatikes and Heretikes because they did not communicate with that Church If it bee true which hee hath told vs thus before that men become Catholikes by communicating with that particular Roman Church why doth he here tell vs the contrary that they doe not call men Catholikes for that cause The reason is because he speaketh no otherwise then as Optatus obiecteth to Parmenian the Donatist f Optat. lib. 1. Omnis pro tempore nihil pro veritate All for the time and present shift and nothing for the truth Well let vs heare what it is for which men with them are called Catholikes Because that communicating with that Church the particular Roman Church in faith and religion they doe communicate with all other of the same faith which are spred all the world ouer So then men are not g Aug. Breuic Collat. cum Donat l. 3. c. 2. Quia communicant Ecclesiae toto orbe di 〈…〉 Catholâ—ci meritò sunt vocantur Catholikes now as of old because they communicate with the Church dispersed ouer the whole world but because in the communion of the Church of Rome they coÌ„municate with the Church of the whole world But what if the Church of the whole world doe not hold communion with the Church of Rome as when the East and West Churches haue beene diuided and when Arianisme had ouerflowed in a manner the whole world whence was the name of Catholikes to be taken then Yea to speake of later times before the Portugals and Spaniards had gotten the Indies or discouered the new world and before Ignatius Loâ—ola had hatched his cockatrices broode which braggeth of so great conuersions there attayned vnto when neither the Greeke Churches in Europe receiued the Roman faith and out of Europe scant any Church at all how could it then be said that men were called Catholikes for that in communicating with the Church of Rome they communicated with the Church spred ouer all the world And sith they say that all other Churches may erre and only the Church of Rome hath the priuiledge of perpetuall truth put case that all other Churches doe erre how shall the name of Catholikes be continued but only for holding correspondence with the particular Church of Rome Yea how is it that he seeth not that he meerely circumuenteth and ouerthroweth himselfe For if a man be a Catholike for coÌ„municating with the Church of the whole world and it be by communicating with the particular Church of Rome that he communicate with the Church of the whole world then it is by communicating with the particular Church of Rome that the name of a Catholike doth belong vnto him To be short M. Bishops former acknowledgement iustifieth the resemblance as I haue set it downe and yet the Donatists if they could haue had their way would neuer haue doubted to say of their Church as M. Bishop doth here of his that men should be called Catholikes not for communicating with their African Church as it was contayned only within the bounds of Africa but for that in communicating with that Church they communicated with all other of the same faith spred wheresoeuer in the world Neither could the one nor can the other assume to themselues that they were or are spred ouer the whole world and therefore neither could the one nor can the other take vpon them to be Catholikes but only each for communion with their owne Church W. BISHOP §. 5. FInally the fift is as false as the fourth and in the same sort to be confuted True it is that the Donatists thought that none could be saued out of their congregation which is almost a common position of euery sect and heresie but most sure it is that there is no saluation out of the true Church of Christ no more then was out of the Arke of Noe in the generall deluge wherefore whosoeuer doth not communicate with the Church of Rome which is the chiefe member thereof in society of Faith and Sacraments is out of the state of grace and saluation according to that of S. Hierome to Pope Damasus I following no chiefe but Christ ioyne my selfe to Epistola 7. tit 2. the communion of Peters chaire vpon that Rocke I know the Church to be built whosoeuer doth eate the Paschal Lambe out of this house he is prophane he that is not found within the Arke of Noe shall perish c. where there is much more to this purpose R. ABBOT THe Rogatists as touching their Church of Cartenna and the Donatists as touching their Church of Africa were of minde that howsoeuer a man beleeued he could not be saued vnlesse he did communicate with their Church This M. Bishop acknowledgeth to be true and if this be true what hindereth but that the resemblance standeth good The Papists
likewise hold that there is no saluation but in communicating with the Church of Rome Forsooth we must vnderstand that the Rogatists and Donatists spake falsly concerning their Church but most sure it is saith he that there is no saluation out of the true Church of Christ. It is sure indeede and will not both Rogatists and Donatists and all manner Heretiks say the some as well as he They all confesse that out of the true Church of Christ there is no saluation and therefore doe euery sort of them take vpon them to be the true Church of Christ that so they may perswade men that there is no saluation but with them But M. Bishop inferreth Wherefore whosoeuer doth not communicate with the Church of Rome which is the chiefe member thereof is out of the state of grace and saluation And would not a Donatist as well inferre Wherefore whosoeuer doth not communicate with the Church of Africa which is the chiefe member thereof is out of the state of grace and saluation Indeed he should haue said somewhat to the purpose if he had made it good that out of the communion of the Church of Rome there is no communion of the Church of Christ but if he cannot make this good then full simply doth he conclude There is no saluation out of the true Church of Christ therefore there is no saluation out of the Church of Rome But he telleth vs that the Church of Rome is the chiefe member of Christs Church Be it so and so was the Church of Ierusalem the chiefe member of the Church of the Iewes and yet the Church of Ierusalem put to death the Prophets and Christ himselfe and in that communion there could be no saluation Is not a chiefe member of the same substance as is the rest of the body and what hindereth then but as the other members so the chiefe member may be wounded and corrupted and cause annoyance to other members that adioyne vnto it Albeit we desire him to proue to vs that the Church of Rome is the chiefe member of the Church of Christ I regard not what humane estimation hath attributed vnto it for the renowme and eminency of the place but I require some diuine institution whereby it hath beene founded the chiefe member of the Church We say that with God there is no more respect of the Church of Rome then of any other Church if they will haue vs to beleeue more we put them to that for their Roman Church which St. Austin required of the Donatists for proofe of that which they said for their African Church a August de vnit Eccles c. 6 Legite nobis hoc de Lege de Prophetis de Psalmis de Euangelio de Apostolicis literis legite credimus Reade vs this out of the law out of the Prophets out of the Psalmes out of the Gospell or Writings of the Apostles reade it to vs and we beleeue it namely that Christ abideth no where heire vpon the earth but where he can haue the Pope to be b Ibid. Quare superordinatis dicendo in nullis terris haeredem permanere Christum vbi non pâ—tuerit cohâ—redem habere Donatli his fellow heire as the Donatists said of their Pope Donatus or that the Roman Church is such a chiefe member of the Church as that no man can liue but by the breath that he draweth from thence or obtayne forgiuenesse of sinnes but in the society and fellowship thereof I know I trouble M. Bishop now he loueth not to be called vpon for Scripture for the proofe of this matter for hee knoweth well that the Scripture hath nothing at all to giue testimony thereof Well though hee bring nothing out of Scripture yet he hath that out of Hierome that will serue his turne c Hieron ad Damas Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens beatitudini tuae id est Cathedrâ— Petri communione consocior super illam petram aedificatam Ecclesiam scio quicunque extra hanc domum agnum comedcrit prophanus est siquis in Arca Noe non fuerit peribit regnante diluâ—iâ— I following no chiefe but Christ saith he to Damasus Bishop of Rome ioyne my selfe to your blessednesse that is to the communion of Peters chaire vpon that Rocke I know the Church to be built whosoeuer eateth the Paschall Lambe out of this house he is prophane whosoeuer is not in the Arke of Noe shall perish by the floode By these wordes M. Bishop would beare vs in hand that Hierome beleeued a perpetuall necessity of hauing communion of faith with the Bishop and Church of Rome But tell vs M. Bishop in good sooth doe you thinke that Hierome not long before would haue said the same to Liberius that here he saith to Damasus He saith of Liberius that d Idem in Catalog Liberium Romanae vrbis Episcopum pro fide ad exilium pergentem primus solicitauit fregit ad subscriptionem haereseos compulit by the perswasion of Fortunatianus he was ouercome and brought to subscribe the heresie of Arius and would he then haue ioyned in communion with him If he would in this case haue disclaimed Liberius then certainly he could not meane to Damasus that it standeth for a perpetuall rule in the Church that who so will be saued must ioyne in communion with the Bishop of Rome But Hierome dealt aduisedly by expounding himselfe in his first wordes though M. Bishop list not to take knowledge of it He professeth to giue primacy to none but to Christ himselfe to make none the Authour or Lord of his faith but only Christ Notwithstanding in communion and fellowship of faith he professeth to ioyne with Damasus But how farre or in what sort I ioyne in communion with your blessednesse that is with Peters chaire Not simply then with Damasus Bishop of Rome but with Damasus sitting in Peters chaire Now as e Mat. 23. 2. the sitting in Moses chaire importeth the teaching of the doctrine of Moses so the sitting in Peters chaire importeth the teaching of the doctrine of Peter Damasus at that time did so and maintayned against the Arians the confession of Peter f Mat. 16. 16. Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God This Hierome well knew and therefore what hee would not haue yeelded to Liberius though Bishop of Rome because hee sate not in Peters chaire that hee yeeldeth to Damasus because he did so and desireth by him to be instructed whether the vse of the word hypostasis might stand with the truth of the confession of Peter It is therefore communion with Peters chaire which Hierome commendeth that is with the faith and doctrine which therein Peter taught but he doth not tell vs that the Bishop of Rome doth alwaies and infallibly sit in Peters chaire For of Peters chaire at Rome we deeme the same as of Peters chaire at Antioch and Alexandria both which Gregory Bishop of Rome maketh
g Gregor lib. 6. Epist 37. Sedes Apostolorum Principis in tribus locis vnius est vnius atque vna est sedes cui tres nunc Episcopi praesident Idem lib. 4. Epist 37. Apostolicam sede regis Idem lib. 6. vt supra Petri Cathedram tenet one with Peters chaire at Rome and saith of the Patriarchs there to the one that he gouerned the Sea Apostolike and to the other that he possessed Peters chaire But Hierome in the place alleaged disclaimeth Paulinus the Patriarch of Antioch that he might ioyne himself to Peters chaire signifying that Paulinus though succeeding Peter at Antioch yet sate not in Peters chaire because he taught not the faith of Peter Now if to be Bishop of Rome where is the place of Peters chaire be infallibly to sit in Peters chaire then to be Bishop of Antioch should be so also because there also is the place of Peters chaire Which appearing by Hierome to be vntrue it followeth that to be Bishop of Rome likewise is not necessarily to sit in Peters chaire because a man may be Bishop as of Antioch so of Rome and not teach the same as Peter did Of Peters faith and confession then it is that he saith Vpon that Rocke I know the Church to be built Erasmus very well noteth thereat h Erasm in Schol. Epist ad Damas Non super Romam vt arbitror nam fieri potest vt Roma quoque degeneret sed super cam fidem quam Petrus professus est Not vpon Rome as I suppose for it may be that Rome also may degenerate but vpon that faith which Peter professed euen as Gregory himselfe Bishop of Rome expoundeth i Greg. lib. 3. Epist 33. In petra Ecclesiae hoc est in consessione beati Petri. The Rocke of the Church to be the confession of St. Peter The communion of this faith is the house wherein Christ our Paschall Lambe must be eaten the Arke of Noc wherein who so is not shall be drowned If the Bishop of Rome shall thus sit in the seate of Peter wee are ready to accord with him and so farre as he doth so we still hold communion with him but that hee shall alwaies sit there we haue no warrant and we are sure that now hee doth not sit where Peter sate Now sith M. Bishop can giue vs no warrant that the Pope and Church of Rome shall alwaies continue in the faith of Peter his conclusion is but a fond and vaine presumption that out of the communion of the Church of Rome there is no saluation and no otherwise chalenged to the Church of Rome then by the Donatists to their Church Now albeit I see that I much offend M. Bishop in making this comparison betwixt the Papists and the Donatists yet that it may more fully appeare that there was some cause why I did so I will to those resemblances that I haue already set downe adde some few more whereby it may be discerned how directly they walke in the same steps And first of Donatus the Pope of the Donatists Op tatus recordeth that k Optat. lib. 3. â—ùm super Imperatorem non sit nisi solus Dâ— qui fecit Imperatorem dum se Dâ—natus super Imperatorem extollit iam quasi bâ—minum excesserat metas vt se vt Deum non vt hominem â—stimaret c. Quamuis non sit vsus hac voce Ego sum Deus tamen aut fecit aut pasâ— siâ— est quod defectum huitu vocis impleret c. tantum sibi ipsuâ— exegit vt eum noÌ„ minori metu omnes venerarentur quà m DeuÌ„ c. Primus Episcoporum quasi plus esset ipse quà m caeteri exaltauit cor suum c. vt nullum hominem sibi comparanduÌ„ arbitraretur he exalted himselfe about the Emperour and thereby made himselfe more then man and euen as it were a God because aboue the Emperour there is none but God that made the Emperour and although he vsed not those wordes I am God yet hee either did or suffered to bee done to him that which might supply the want of those wordes requiring so much to himselfe as that all stoode in no lesse awe of him then they did of God himselfe being the first Bishop that aduanced himselfe as if he were more then the rest and did thinke no man comparable to himselfe Now is there not in this Pope of Africa a very iust and liuely description of the Roman Pope Hee hath made himselfe more then all other Bishops and no man comparable to himselfe He hath lifted vp himselfe aboue the Emperour and thereby as Optatus concludeth made a God of himselfe Hee hath not only done and suffered to be said and done to him such things as whereby in effect he hath taken vpon him to be God as namely in dispensing against the law of God and disannulling the institution of Christ but in very wordes hath yeelded to be so called and in the Glosse of his Canon law where he professeth to haue corrected such things as were amisse yet hee hath suffered this title giuen to him to stand still l Extrauag Ioan 22. Cum interim in Glossa Credere Dominum Deum nostrum Papam non potuisse c. haereticum censeretur Paris anno 1601. cum priuileg Gregor 13. c. Our Lord God the Pope He bath made men to stand in no lesse awe of him yea more then of God himselfe whilest hee hath made shew to haue Gods anger at his command to inflict it where he will Secondly the Donatists tooke vpon them that m Collat. Carthag 3. c. 165. Cum pacis Ecclesia Dei possessores semper fuerimus ac simus they had alwaies beene possessors and owners of vnity and of the Church of God in so much that they reckoned n Aug. câ—t lit Petil. l. 2. c. 92. In vestriâ— exemplis aduer 〈…〉 Imperatâ—â—es quaÌ„ plures ac Iudices vestros persecutioneÌ„ nobis facieÌ„do perijsse vt relinquam N 〈…〉 Domitianâ— TraianuÌ„ Variâ— c. Nero Domitian Traian Varius Decius Dioclesian and the rest to haue beene persecutors of their Church whereas their beginning whereby they were Donatists was after the time of those persecutions and had they beene then o Ibid. August Isti omnes vniuersalitèr Christianum nomen pro suis idolis persecuti sunt c. Vnitatem ipsam vel vnde nos sicut vos putatis vel vnde vos sicut Christus docet exijstis totam persequebantur had not suffered any thing for being partakers with Donatus but for professing the name of Christ No otherwise doe the Papists take vpon them to haue beene alwaies the Church of God and that it was their Church that was persecuted that they were their Martyrs that were slaine by the same Tyrants whereas their beginning whereby they are Papists which properly they are for worshipping their Lord God the Pope yea and that whole forme of doctrine almost which
only that we haue cut off what their superstition had brought in contrary to the word of God and practise of the first Church Many goodly stones and pillars of Christian doctrine there were remayning amongst them which we continue and acknowledge according to the word of Christ and whereby we cannot doubt but that in those times of darkenesse many found meanes to see the light of God and were thereby directed vnto eternall life Farre therefore are we from Donatisme who neither affirme the perishing of the Church in any part of the world no not in Rome it selfe nor tie it to any one place as the Papists doe to Rome nor hang it vpon the necke of any one man as they doe vppon the Popes necke but acknowledge all nations and all men indifferently accepted with God accordingly as in spirit and truth they faithfully worship him The second point of the Donatists heresie he nameth this that they rebaptized Catholikes that fell into their sect His application is Though all the Protestants doe not rebaptize yet one part of them to wit the Anabaptists doe vse it But his foolery in that deserueth no answere it being knowen to himselfe that the Anabaptists are exploded and detested vniuersally of all Protestant Churches The Anabaptists shall be rather theirs then ours And whereas he diuideth the Protestants into Lutherans Sacramentaries and Anabaptists as answerable to the Donatists Rogatists and Maximianists he should rather haue made the like diuision of Papists into Anabaptists Secularists and Iesuitists the Anabaptists answering the Rogatists in challenging the Church from the rest of the body of their Schisme only to themselues the Secularists and Iesuitists fully resembling the Donatists and Maximianists each diuided for a time by mortall quarrell amongst themselues but content after a while as men of one Church and religion to bee reconciled againe The third point that he mentioneth is this They held not the faith of the blessed Trinity entire and whole but some of them taught like Arians the sonne to be lesse then the father though as St. Austin noteth this was not marked of their followers This he applyeth to vs in this sort Thirdly diuers of their principall teachers as Melanchton Caluin and many others doe corrupt the sound doctrine of the most sacred Trinity as I haue shewed saith he in the Preface of the Reformation of a deformed Catholike though the common sort of them doe not greatly obserue it In which third point he very wilfully belyeth both St. Austin and the Donatists and vs. For St. Austin doth not say of the Donatists but only of a second Donatus who was a follower of the former that o August ad Quodvult haeres 69. Apparet cum etiam non Catholicam de Trinitate babuisse sententiam c. Verùm in hunc quem de Trinitate habuit â—ius errorem Donatistarum multitudo intenta noÌ„ fuit nec facilè in eis quisquam qui hoc illâ— sensisse nouerit inuenitur he had an vncatholike opinion of the Trinity which the Donatists were so farre from approuing as that he saith there was scant any one found amongst them that knew that hee thought so so that to him only it is referred which St. Austin saith in his Epistle p Idem Epist 50. Si aliqui ipsorum â—â—â—orem filium dixerunt esse quà m pater est â—iusdem tamen substantiâ— non negarunt If any of them haue said that the sonne is lesse then the Father yet they haue not denyed him to be of the same substance And indeede St. Austin though liuing amongst them and hauing perfect knowledge of them yet neuer vpbraideth them with this heresie and therefore M. Bishop doth wrong both to them in laying this heresie to them and to St. Austin in making him the witnesse thereof Neither shall it helpe him that Theodoret chargeth them therewith who as it plainly appeareth by his relation neuer knew what their heresie was and being deceiued perhaps by the writings of that Donatus reporteth that as common to them all which St. Austin of his knowledge noteth to haue beene proper to him only As for that he chargeth Melancthon Caluin and other our principall teachers with corrupting the doctrine of the holy Trinity how lewdly and falsly he dealeth therein q Answere to the Preface of the second part of Doct. Bishops Reformation sect 6. 7. I haue fully declared in answere of the Preface where he saith he hath shewed the same The fourth matter of the Donatists by him noted is their being soone diuided into three sects whereof he saith nothing but what is before touched Only he addeth There were also amongst them many frantike furious fellowes called Circumcellions who rouing vp and downe committed many outrages c But what is this to the Protestants Forsooth for plucking downe of Churches abusing the most blessed Sacrament holy Oiles and all holy ornaments that belonged to Catholikes Churches the Protestants are not behinde but goe farre beyond the Donatists But this I let passe as another part of his idle babling only telling him that to fit the example of the Circumcellions he should rather haue looked to those memorable acts that haue beene done by the Leaguers and Iesuits and other madde-braines of their imployment in France Germanie Poland and in all places almost of Christendome where they haue gotten any strength whereof goodly stories might be here set downe if it were pertineÌ„t to the maine point that we haue now in hand In the last thing which he noteth of the Donatists he specially sheweth his great abundance of little wit the matter whereto he alludeth being such as whence I might most iustly haue taken yet a further resemblance betwixt the Donatists and them Finally saith he the Donatists deuised a new kinde of Psalmes to be sung before their diuine Seruice and Sermons And what the Protestants Forsooth they haue also compounded and framed a new kinde of Psalmes saith he called Geneua Psalmes to be sung before their Sermons A new kinde of Psalmes say you M. Bishop What doe not you know that those Geneua psalmes as you call them are only the Psalmes of Dauid and other Prophets and holy Men translated into English Meter and doe they seeme to you a new kinde of Psalmes They were turned into Meter and Verse and fitted with plaine and easie notes and tunes to serue for popular and common vse of Christian exercise and edification both in our Churches and priuate houses that we may answere the exhortation of the Apostle r Col. 3. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell plentifully in you in all wisedome teaching and admonishing your selues or one another in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs singing with a grace in your hearts vnto the Lord. Now marke I pray thee gentle Reader what St. Austin faith hereof in the place whence M. Bishop would fetch a resemblance betwixt the Donatists and vs. Of Å¿ Aug. Epist 119. cap. 18. De
Hymnis Psalmis canendis ipsius Domini Apostolorum habemus documenta praecepta exeÌ„pla De hac re tam vtili ad mouendum piè animuÌ„ accendendum diuinae lectionis affectum varia consuetudo est c. Donatista nos reprehenduÌ„t quòd sobriè psallamus in Ecclâ—sia diuina cantica ProphetaruÌ„ cum ipsi ebrietates suas ad canticum PsalmoruÌ„ humano ingenio compositorum quasi tubas exhortation is inslaÌ„ment Quando autem non est tempus cum in Ecclesia fratres congregantur Sancta cantandi nisi cum legitur aut disputatur aut antiâ—â—ites clara voce deprecantur aut communis oratio voce Diaconi indicitur singing Hymnes and Psalmes we haue lessons and examples and precepts of the Lord himselfe and his Apostles It is a thing profitable to stirre vp the minde to piety and to kindle deuotion and affection towards the lessons that are read from God Of the Donatists contrarywise he saith The Donatists reprehend vs for that we soberly sing in the Church the holy songs of the Prophets whereas they by singing of songs deuised by men as it were by trumpets of encouragement doe inflame and prouoke themselues to drinking vntill they be drunke Against this he saith When is it out of time when the brethren are gathered together in the Church to sing Psalmes but when there is reading or preaching of when the Ministers doe pray with loud voice or when by the voice of the Deacon warning is giuen of common prayer That the Donatists vsed those songs in the Church or before their Seruice and Sermons St. Austin saith not that is M. Bishops lye his wordes import that as their t August coÌ„t lit Petil. l. 1. c. 24. Mitto prophanas bacchationâ—s â—briâ—tâ—tuÌ„ drunken meetings and feastings which elsewhere he obiecteth to them they vsed such songs as the manner is of carnall prophane men at their meetings and merry-makings by vaine and wanton and lewd songs to cheare and sport themselues But out of St. Austins words it is easie to be gathered whether of vs in this behalfe are more like the Donatists either we that retaine the same religious custome of singing Psalmes which St. Austin commendeth and not he only but also Leo Bishop of Rome witnesseth that u Leo de collect ser 4. Psalmi Dauidici per vniuersalem Ecclesiam cum omni pietate cantantur the whole Catholike Church with all deuotion then vsed or the Papists who reproue vs for the same and haue wholly abandoned it both out of their Churches and houses and can better brooke to solace themselues with secular and prophane rimes and sonnets yea with filthy and vncleane ribawdries insomuch that some of their owne as touching their Seruice haue complained that x Cornel. Agrip de vanit scient cap. 18. Hodie cum Missa ipsius Canone obscâ—nâ— cantiunculae pares vices habènt obscene and filthy songs had their course and turne therein as well as the Canon of the Masse Very vnfortunately therefore hath M. Bishop entred into the retorting of this comparison nothing fitteth nothing serueth his turne his ball reboundeth vpon himselfe but neither in doctrine nor in manners can hee truly alleage any thing reproueable in the Donatists that can be fastened vppon vs. W. BISHOP §. 6. TO conclude this passage seing that M. Abbot went about to proue the Church of Rome to be like that of the Donatists by no one sound argument but by meere fabling and lying he must looke vnlesse he repent to haue his part with all lyars in the poole burning with Apocal. 21. v. 8. fire and brimstone And if it please the Reader to heare at what great square the Donatists were with the Church of Rome to which M. Abbot doth so often resemble them I will briefly shew it out of the best records of that time S. Augustine speaketh thus to the Donatist Petilian What hath the Church or Sea of Rome Lib. 2. cont Peâ—il cap. 51. done to thee in which Peter did sit and now sitteth Anastasius why doest thou cal the Apostolical chaire the chaire of pestilence See how friendly the Donatists saluted the Church of Rome stiling it the chaire of pestilence Optatus Bishop of Mileuitan saith thus Whence Lib. 2. cont Parmeni is it that you Donatists contend to vsurpe vnto you the keyes of the Kingdome and that you wage battaile against the chaire of Peter presumptuously and with sacrilegious audacity If they waged battaile against the Church of Rome so cruelly surely there was no agreement betweene them Wherefore as the Catholikes of Africa then so they that were taken into the communion of the Church of Rome cared little for the Donatists as witnesseth S. Augustine saying of Cecilianus Bishop of Carthage He neede not to care for the multitude August Epistola 162. of his conspiring enimies the Donatists when he saw himselfe by communicatory letters ioyned with the Roman Church in which alwaies the principality of the Apostolicall chaire flourished c. So we at this time neede as little to care for the bitter reproches and deceitfull arguments of the Protestants so we stand stable and firme in the like society of faith and religion with the same Church of Rome R. ABBOT I Wish M. Bishop to take heede lest the doome which he pronounceth vpon me be returned vpon himselfe by the sentence of the Gospell a Luke 19. 22. Out of thine owne mouth will I iudge thee thou euill seruant Mistake I did in a circumstance but lye I did not because b Mentiri est contra mentem ire to lye is to goe against a mans owne minde and knowledge which it is plaine I did not for that my errour was disaduantage to my selfe in that I alleaged the Papists to be like the Donatists only whereas by more perfect relation they are found to be like both Rogatists and Donatists But now to make the matter the more goodly for himselfe he for conclusion notably playeth the Skoggin and most grosly deludeth the simple Reader that hath not discretion to espie his fraude Forsooth he will shew at what great square the Donatists were with the Church of Rome But trouble not your selfe M. Bishop about that matter wee know it and will acknowledge it alwaies as farre as you only we desire to know what that maketh to the matter here in hand What because the Donatists in the time of Optatus and Austin were at great square with the Church of Rome doth it follow that there can be no cause now to compare the Papists to the Donatists When M. Bishop was clapt vp in prison at Rome there was great enmity betwixt the Seculars and Iesuits and doth it therefore follow that they are not friends now What is it M. Bishop but your legerdemaine to pretend a comparison made by me betwixt the Donatists and the Church of Rome that was of old when as my comparison concerneth only Romanists
and Papists that now are who are farre departed from that way wherein that Church of old did walke Why doe you in this case alleage to vs Optatus and Austin to disproue this resemblance as if they were able so long before hand to tell vs that the Papists now in the points alleaged are not like the Donatists The Donatists of old were at square with the Church of Rome for resisting their claime of the propriety of the Church neither doe we doubt but that if they were now in being the Church of Rome would be at square with them for challenging that to Africa which they hold properly to belong to Rome but this squaring on the one side or the other hindereth not but that Papists now in their kinde are like to Donatists in their kinde each tying the Catholike Church respectiuely to their owne place and faction wherein the condemning of the Donatists of old by the Church of Rome for so tying it to Africa is an instruction to vs to condemne the Papists now for doing the like to Rome But M. Bishops purpose of cosenage doth more liuely appeare in the first citation which he here bringeth out of Austin where purposely he omitteth a part of the sentence whereby the Reader should perceiue that it maketh nothing for his purpose To Pâ—tilian the Donatist condemning all Churches saue their owne he saith c Aug. cont lit Petil. l. â— c. 51. Cathedra tibi quid fecit Ecclesiae Romana in qua Petrus sedit in qua â—odiâ— Anastasius sedet vel Ecclesiae Hierâ—sâ—lymitana in qua Iacobus sedit in qua bodie Joannes sidet quibus nos in Catholica vnitate connectimur à quibus vâ—s nefariâ— furâ—re separastis Quare appellas Cathedram pestilentia Cathedram Apostolicam What hath the chaire of the Church of Rome done to thee wherein Peter sate and wherein at this day Anastasius sitteth or the chaire of the Church of Ierusalem wherein Iames sate and in which Iohn at this day sitteth to which we are ioyned in Catholike vnity and from which you haue seuered your selues by wicked fury Why doe you call the Apostolike chaire the chaire of pestilence Now what doe these wordes make more for the Church of Rome then for the Church of Ierusalem The Donatists were then at square with the Church of Ierusalem and yet that hindereth not M. Bishop will confesse but that the Church of Ierusalem may be now Schismaticall and the Donatists were then at square with the Church of Rome what is there here to hinder but that the Church of Rome may be now Schismaticall as the Donatists were then The Church of Ierusalem is by St. Austin termed an Apostolike chaire or Sea as all the Churches planted by the Apostles are by him stiled d Aug. Epist 162. Possent Apostolicarum Ecclesiarum iudiciâ— causam suam integraÌ„ reseruare Apostolike Churches as well as the Church of Rome The Church of Ierusalem M. Bishop will not deny both might be and hath beene since St. Austins time a chaire of pestilence And doth St. Austin say any thing there to let but that the Church of Rome also may be since become the chaire of pestilence though it were then the chaire of vnity and peace Yea what he saith here concerning the Churches of Rome and Ierusalem the same he saith elsewhere of other Churches also e Ibid. Quid tibi fecit 6 pars Donati quid tibi fecit Ecclesia Corinthiorum Quod autem de ista dicâ— de omnibus â—aâ—â—bus tam longè positiâ— intelligi vâ—lâ— quid vobis fecerunt c. O yee Donatists what what I say hath the Church of the Corinthians done to you What I say of it I would haue to be vnderstood of all such and as farre distant Churches what haue they done vnto you c. with all which the Donatists were at as great square as they were with the Church of Rome and yet M. Bishop will not yeeld to any of them any prorogatiue thereby But all mention of the Church of Ierusalem and the rest he thought it behouefull for him to suppresse because if he had set it downe he knew well that the Reader would easily see that in all this great shew hee had said nothing And by the premises it appeareth that he hath said as little in producing the wordes of Optatus for be it that the Donatists did then cruelly wage battell against the Church of Rome and there were no agreement betwixt them what is that to that that I say concerning the Church of Rome now what hindereth that I say still but that there may be now a iust resemblance betwixt the Papists and the Donatists His conclusion therefore is ridiculous that because Austin saith that Cecilianus needed not to care for the Donatists so long as he saw himselfe ioyned with the church of Rome therefore they neede not to care so long as they stand in the like society of faith and religion with the same Church of Rome For seeing the Church of Rome is not the same now that it was then as in the processe of this booke God willing shall plainly appeare there may be iust cause in many things now to forsake the communion of the church of Rome though it were piety and religion to hold it then But it is not to be omitted how falsly he dealeth here againe in alleaging the wordes of Austin as if he spake of being ioyned with the Church of Rome only whereas he nameth other Churches as well as the Church of Rome f Aug. Epist 162. Qui posset non curare conspirantem multitudinem inimicorum cùm se â—ideret Romanâ— Ecclesiae in qua semper Apostolicâ— Cathedâ—â— viguit principatus câ—teris terris vnde Euangelium ad ipsam Africam venit per communicateâ—â— as literas esse coniunctum He needed not care saith he for the conspiring multitude of his enemies when he saw himselfe ioyned by communicatory letters both to the Church of Rome where the principality or chiefty of the Apostolike chaire hath alwaies flourished and to other nations whence the Gospell came into Africa What is here more for the communion of the Church of Rome then for the communion of other Churches Why doth M. Bishop thus deceiptfully appropriate to one that which St. Austin maketh to concerne many Doe we finde it in St. Austins words which he pretendeth that it shall be alwaies an infallible rule of safety to hold communion with the Church of Rome He will say that there is there attributed a principality to the Church of Rome Be it so a principality of honour not of power as I haue g Chap. 1. §. 2. before made plaine by Austin himselfe but doth it follow that because the principality of the Apostolike chaire had flourished there till that time therefore it should be necessary or safe to communicate with that church for euer vntill the worlds end These are loose and
appertayneth be not according to the letter and in common speech called by that name Let him then vnderstand proportionably that the truth of the name of Catholikes belongeth not to the Romish faction who challenge to themselues as the Iewes did to haue gotten by succession the possession of the name and will be commonly so called but it belongeth to vs who though we vse not the word being growen to ill meaning by their abuse yet do maintayne one and the same truth with them who first were called by that name In a word as there is a double sense in the one so is there also in the other and I doe not so hoppe from one sense to another in the one but that I shew a iust â—orrespondence betwixt them both W. BISHOP §. 3. BVt and it please you the Protestants haue the kernell of the name Catholike and we but the shell Why doe they then so bitterly inueigh against it why are they not more willing to extoll and magnifie that renowmed title being of such ancient Nobility Twenty pound to a peny that what face soeuer he set on it yet in his heart he meruailously feareth the contrary himselfe If that faith and religion only be Catholike and Vniuersall as he acknowledgeth that hath euer beene and is also spread ouer all the world and shall continue to the worlds end then surely their religion cannot be Catholike euen by the vniforme confession of themselues who generally acknowledge that for nine hundred yeares togither the Papacy did so domineer all the world ouer that not a man of their religion was to be found in any corner of the world that durst peepe out his head to contradict it Could there be any Church of theirs then when there was not one Pastor and flocke of their religion though neuer so small in any one Countrey And euen now when their Gospell is at the hottest hath it spread it selfe all the world ouer is it receiued in Italie Spaine Greece Afrike or Asia or carried into the Indians nothing lesse They cannot then call themselues Catholikes after the sincere and ancient acceptation of that name which is as himselfe hath often repeated out of S. Augustine Quia communicant Ecclesiae to to or be diffusae Because they communicate in fellowship of faith with the Church spread ouer all the world They must therefore notwithstanding M. Abbots vaine bragges be content with the shell and leaue the kernell to vs who doe embrace the same faith that is dilated all Countries ouer yea they must be contented to walke in the foote-steps of their fore-fathers the Donatists euen according to M. Abbots explication and flie from the vniuersality of faith and communion of the Church spread all the world ouer vnto the perfection of their doctrine which is neuerthelesse more absurd and further from the true signification of the word Catholike then the Donatists shift was of fulnesse of Sacraments and obseruation of all Gods Commandements as hath beene already declared But let vs heare how clearely and substantially he will at length proue their Church to be Catholike R. ABBOT IT pleaseth vs very well M. Bishop that we haue the kernell of the name of Catholikes and in the meane time because your importunity so requireth we are content to leaue the shell to you The kernell serueth vs to feede vpon and it is very tastfull to vs but you haue berayed the shell and therefore we haue no care to meddle with it Our inueighing against it is no otherwise but in respect of your abuse let it be restored to his true vse and we shall be ready to extoll it and where it is so we doe so As for your wager M. Bishop of twenty pound to a peny you haue lost it and you know that you haue lost it because you see that I haue set no other face vpon the matter then by sufficient proofs I haue made good But here he taketh in hand to bereaue vs of the kernell because our faith and religion was neuer Catholike that is was neuer spred ouer the whole world Whereas I on the other side doe tell him that it is only our religion which appeareth to haue beene absolutely spred ouer all the word and none but ours For our religion is no more nor other then is contained in the Gospels and Epistles of the Apostles and because we know that the religion there set downe was spred ouer all the world therefore we cannot doubt but that our religion is that that was spred ouer all the world and though Apostasie hath ouershadowed it yet hath euer since continued in the world As for that which he alleageth to the contrary it is no vniforme confession of ours but a deformed lye of his owne We doe not acknowledge that for nine hundred yeares togither there was not a man of our religion to be found in the world The Papacy indeede did mightily domineer accordingly as it was foretold but yet it could neuer so preuaile to the extirpation of our religion but that euen in the middest of the Papacy it hath continued still yea thousands and hundred thousands as by their owne stories appeareth haue beene murthered and slaine for the profession thereof Yea in the very religion of Popery our religion hath continued for what is Popery but a doctrine compounded of our religion and their owne deuice Our religion hath serued them for a foundation whereupon to build not only their wood and hay and stubble but also the wild-fire and poison of their idolatries and damnable heresies which without the pretence and colour of our religion Christian eares would haue detested and abhorred but therefore dreaded them not because they saw them cloaked with shew of still retaining that which we professe They durst not deny those Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament which our religion receiueth but to serue their turne they added other bookes not inspired of God to be notwithstanding of like authority with those They acknowledged the Lords praier the articles of the Creede the ten Commandements which we receiue as principles of our religion but they frustrated them by a superstitious custome brought in of reciting them like a charme in an vnknowen tongue They haue neuer denyed the two Sacraments which we teach which were fast rooted in Christian profession but they haue added to them other fiue and made them vp seuen They vsed no other substantiall forme of Baptisme then we doe only they prophaned it with sundry polluted and corrupt ceremonies of humane deuice In their Masse and Sacrament of the Altar the ground of all is that that we doe according to the institution of Christ and example of the primitiue Church They bring bread and wine to the Lords table they sanctifie or consecrate the same with the words of Christ when and where they list they administer the same to the people and all this they take vpon them to doe in remembrance of the Passion Death and
which he seldome vseth But hee saw that to bee a worke too hard for Hercules and therefore to delude his Reader and to leade him from the matter he flieth vp to the old farne-daies of Abel Noe Abraham c. as though they had reuealed vnto them all those particular points of faith which Christ taught his Apostles and the same religion and manner of worshipping God that wee Christians haue which is flatly opposite to the doctrine of S. Paul who testifieth That the mistery of Christ vnto Ephes 3. vers 4. other generations was not knowne vnto the sonnes of men as now it is reuealed vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets in the spirit Those ancient Patriarkes as men looking a farre off at the dayes of Hebr. 11. v. 13. Christ the light of the world did not discouer so distinctly the mysteries of the Christian faith as the Apostles who were * Ioh. 6. v. 45. taught by his owne mouth and made to know a Ioh 15. v. 15. all his Fathers secrets and had b Rom. 8. v 23. the first fruits of the spirit in best sort to vnderstand them and carry them away To be short our Sauiour hath decided this question and saith in expresse words Many Prophets and iust men haue Math. 13. v. 17. desired to see the things that you see and haue not seene them and to heare the things that you heare and haue not heard them Obserue then how absurdly M. Abbot behaueth himselfe in this matter First he vseth tergiuersation in leaping so farre backe from the point of the question seeking communion with the Catholike Church some thousands of yeares before there was any Church Catholike Secondly in auouching the ancient founders of the first world to haue beleeued clearly and particularly all the articles of faith that we beleeue or else why doth he conclude that the Roman faith is not Catholike because in that old and hoare-headed world some branches of their faith were not sprong vp and of full growth They did not saith he worship Idols and Images they did not pray to Saints c. But good Sir did they beleeue that all their children were to be baptised and that all persons of riper yeares among them were to receiue the holy Sacrament of Christs body yea can M. Abbot demonstrate that they had perfect faith of the most holy and blessed Trinity beleeuing distinctly in three Persons and one God or that the Redeemer of the world Christ Iesus was to be perfect God and perfect Man the nature of man in him subsisting without the proper person of man in the second person of the Trinity which are the most high misteries of our Christian faith I am not ignorant that albeit those ancient Patriarkes and Prophets had not cleare and distinct knowledge of many articles which we are bound to beleeue yet they beleeued some few of them in particular and had a certaine confuse and darke conceit by figures and tipes of most of the rest R. ABBOT I Was neither deceiued my selfe M. Bishop neither did I goe about to deceiue others the case being so plaine as that a man of vnderstanding cannot easily be deceiued therein If the Catholike Church be but one from the beginning to the end and of this Church from the beginning to the end there be but one faith as hath beene shewed who is so blind as that he seeth not that the Catholike faith now must be the same with the faith of all the Patriarchs and Fathers since the world beganne It was not Catholike then because it was peculiar only to some few whom God enlightened or to one only nation which he specially selected but it was the very same which afterwards became Catholike by being preached and spred ouer the whole world Now then most cleare it is that if our faith be the same with the faith of Abel of Enoch of Abraham and the rest of those times then our faith is the Catholike faith euen the faith which the Apostles preached through the world and if the faith of Popery be not the same then is Popery falsly termed the Catholike faith M. Bishop blameth me for recoiling to the beginning of the world and telleth me what it is that I should haue proued when by recoiling if I must so call it to the beginning of the world I proue that which he requireth howsoeuer he vnder pretence of calling for proofe would make his Reader beleeue that he seeth no proofe But he well enough seeth the worke too hard for Hercules as he calleth it by this proofe very readily dispatched for if there be but one faith of the Church from the beginning to the end and our faith be that which was in the beginning then is our faith that which was spred ouer the world and shall continue to the end As though saith he they had reuealed vnto them all those particular points of faith which Christ taught his Apostles and the same religion and manner of worshipping God that wee Christians haue I answere him that all particular points of faith were reuealed vnto them but not all circumstances of all particular points nor so clearly as to vs and the same religion and manner of worshipping God in substance was deliuered vnto them though in outward rites and ceremonies we differ from them Christ was a Apoc. 13. 8. the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world b Aug. Epist â— ChristuÌ„ DeuÌ„ in carne venturum morituruÌ„ resurrecturum in coelum ascensuruÌ„ c. inque illo remissionem peccatorum salutemque aeternam credentibus futuram esse omnia gentis illius promissa omnes prophetiae Sacerdotia Sacrisicia templâ— cuncâ—a omninò Sacramenta sonuerunt All the promises of that time saith St. Austin all the Prophecies the Priest-hood the Sacrifices the Temple and all the Sacraments did tell them that Christ should come God in the flesh that he should die that he should rise againe and ascend into heauen and that all that beleeue should haue remission of sinnes in him These are particular points of faith and these they beleeued albeit the manner and circumstances of the Birth the Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ were not reueiled vnto them as they are in the Gospell liuely described and set forth to vs. For as in the first draught of the painter there is to be discerned the whole feature proportion and parts of the body which he hath in hand to paint which remaine afterwards by filling and garnishing to bee brought to full and perfect forme so the whole frame of Christian faith was in the beginning made knowen to the Patriarchs and Fathers of the first world though the same remained more and more clearly to be reueiled vntill by the comming of Christ it should receiue full and perfect light It skilleth not therefore which he saith that those ancient Patriarchs did not so distinctly discouer the mysteries of Christian faith as the Apostles