better effects then good wishes or desires of amendment of life or good motions for the present And these may be paralleld by the stonie ground which receiued the seede bestowed vpon it and for a while gaue it nourishment and faire entertainement In others the internall vocation may produce some roote that is some temporarie resolution for amendment of life or practices conformable to rules beleeued but no setled habit no constancie in perseuerance And these may be paralleld by the thorny ground in which the seede sowne tooke better roote then in the stonie ground but was stifled in the growth This internall vocation is in others not onely effectuall for a time or for some purposes but produceth an habituall constant resolution of adhering to the truth knowne and a conuersation answerable to this vocation The infallible consequent of all which is the gift of perseuerance the terminus ad quem of this their constant motion or progresse perfected in victorie is indissoluble vnion with Christ 3 Of men indissolubly vnited to Christ that is of such as are though in a different measure perfect liue-members of the one holy and Catholike Church some are called not onely out of the dregs of their natiue corruption vnto the life of the Spirit but out of this world into a better and these are triumphant members of that one holy Catholike Church which is the liue-body of Christ They are tuti et se curi free not onely from all danger of Apostasie but from all possibilitie of any annoyance or incumbrances which the world the Deuill or the flesh can attempt against them These are they which came out of great tribulation and haue washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe Therefore are they before the throne of God and serue him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heate Reuel 7. verse 14 15 16. Such as are called out of the flesh vnto the life of the Spirit but not as yet out of the world are militant members of the holy Catholike Church and victoriously militant Tuti sunt at non securi They are exempted from ordinary danger or probable hazard of Apostasie but not vtterly secured from all danger of temptation no not from all impairement of their present estate 4 Such as are called vocatione internâ by an inward calling sed inefficaci not effectuall or men not indued with the gift of perseuerance are militant members of the Church indefinitely taken but not victoriously militant no perfect members of the One Holy Catholike Church so called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by excellencie Such as are called vocatione externâ by externall vocation onely are no true members of the Church militant much lesse any militant members of that true holy and Catholike Church yet members in their kinde of the visible Church for so as Cardinal Bellarmine acknowledgeth occultihaeretici aut infideles dissembling Heritikes or Infidels in heart may be And this sort of men may bee best resembled by such as haue been prest for Souldiers and taken their pay but without any resolution or purpose to shew themselues in the day of battaile much lesse to aduenture themselues in any difficult seruice but ready vpon approach of danger to forsake the field or reuolt vnto the enemie So that the ordinary and vsuall diuision of the Church into triumphant and militant comprehendeth more then the liue-members of the holy and Catholike Church to wit such members of the visible Church or Churches as oppose themselues to the holy and Catholike Church or are not well affected towards it 5 The visible Church is a transcendent and doth neither exclude the members of the Holy Church triumphant or militant nor doth it consist onely of them or of men internally though ineffectually called but of them and of others called onely vocatione merè externâ by vocation meerely externall Euery member of the Church triumphant is visible to other members of the same Church though all inuisible to the Church militant here on earth as perhaps the true members of the Church militant are to them saue onely so farre as God hath reuealed to them the names of such as shall bee saued The Church militant likewise is visible to God and to the seuerall members of it But what members of this visible and militant Church be liue-members of the one holy and Catholike Church or who hereafter shall become liue-members of it is knowne onely to God or to mens priuate consciences after their effectuall calling Euery man perhaps may feele or perceiue his owne but he cannot discerne or see anothers effectuall calling 6 Though the Church bee sometimes by good Writers instiled as well inuisible as visible wee are not from this opposition of words or tearmes to conceit an opposition or distinction of Churches as if some were visible others altogether inuisible Such as most vse these tearmes meane no more by them then we haue said to wit what persons of the militant and visible Church bee true Denisons of the heauenly Ierusalem or Citie of God is to vs inuisible or vnknowne I cannot say whether it were ignorance or malice in the Romanists to construe these tearms of visible and inuisible whilest they found them in some of our Writers for diuisiue differences of the Church as if they had constituted two contra-distinct or opposite Churches when as it is plaine that they are for the most part subordinate coincident Ordinarily the liue-members of the Holy Catholike Church or of that part of it which is to vs inuisible are members of some visible Church but not é contra For neither all nor most part of any visible Church in latter ages are true and liue-members of the Holy and Catholike Church part of which wee beleeue to be here on earth though it be to vs inuisible Finally to be visible or inuisible are denominations meerely accidentall no true differences of the Church Betweene a visible Church and a Church inuisible there is a meane Many there bee or may be in most ages which are no members of the visible Church and yet better members of the true Church then the members of the Church visible for the present are For the true and orthodoxall Church might be truely visible in its members so dispersed and scattered as they cannot rightly be said to make one true visible Church 7 The inuisibilitie of the holy Catholike Church here militant on earth hath not beene in all ages the same The members of this diuision if so it please any man to conceit it were in the Apostles time in a manner coincident Few there were especially of the Iewish nation which did associate themselues vnto the then visible Church which were not euen in this life associated to the holy and Catholike Church militant made liuing stones in
whosoeuer entred into the Arke were saued from the deluge This is so expresly and determinately set downe in the Scripture that no Atheist can question the meaning or extent of the propositions wherein it is set downe In the selfe same day saith the Scripture Gen. 7. verse 11. entred Noah and Sem and Ham and Iapheth the sonnes of Noah and Noahs wife and the three wiues of his sonnes with them into the Arke And in the 8. chap. and the 18. verse Noah went forth and his sonnes and his wife and his sonnes wiues with him So that eight soules came into the Arke and eight went forth 3 So then for conclusion Noahs Arke was a type of that Church into which whosoeuer enters shall be saued but such a Church is not the visible Romish Church in what sense soeuer it be taken First it is not true of the vniuersall Church consisting of the Layetie and Cleargie nor of the Church representatiue to wit their generall or prouinciall Councels For none will affirme that all and euery one of their Bishops or such as giue suffrage in their Councels shall haue the suffrage of Christ or their names written in the booke of life They will not astipulate that whosoeuer is graced with a red hat in Rome shall bee sure to weare a Saints or Martyrs crowne in heauen Euen the Pope himselfe whom they make their vertuall Church may bee a notorious vicious man and dye the death of the wicked and therefore neither liuing was the head nor at his death any member of that Church which was prefigured by Noahs Arke because hee can neither saue himself nor such as haue committed their soules to bee wafted ouer to the new Ierusalem by this presumed Pilot of Peters pretended ship So that either Peters ship was not such a type of Christs Church as Noahs Arke was or else the Pope is no Pilot of it 4 Doe wee speake this as men doth not the Scripture say the same doe wee make these collections as sectaries or hath not S. Peter made them vnto our hands For speaking of the Arke wherein few that is eight soules were saued by water he saith The like figure whereunto euen baptisme doth also now saue vs not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 3. cap. verse 20 21. His meaning is that as Noahs Arke was the type of that Church extra quam nulla salus intra quam salus certissima out of which there is no saluation in which saluation abounds so the waters by which the Arke was consecrated or hallowed to be the receptacle of safetie to mankinde was a type or figure of that sacred Lauer by which the Church is consecrated or hallowed to bee as the wombe or breast of saluation to the faithfull Baptisme it selfe answereth in proportion to the doore or window of Noahs Arke But of what baptisme was the water by which such as entred into the Arke were saued a type A type of externall Baptisme No externall Baptisme and the waters of Noah were types of the same ranke both were types or shadowes of that internall Baptisme which is wrought by the Holy Ghost by which we are incorporated into the body of Christ and become more vndoubtedly safe from the euerlasting fire then such as entred into Noahs Arke were from the deluge of water 5 The Apostles argument Heb. 9. holds as truely of Christs Church as of his Sacrifice If the Arke which Noah built did saue all such from the deluge as entred into it how much more shall that holy and Catholike Church which Christ hath built and sanctified by his most precious blood giue life eternall to all such as in this world become liue-members of it Such members they are made not by externall Baptisme or by becomming members of the visible Church but by internall grace or sanctification But neuer did the Iew doat halfe so much on externall circumcision and legall sacrifices or the Aaronicall Priesthood as the moderne Romanist doth on the Sacraments of the Gospell and on his imaginarie Priesthood after the order of Melchisedeck or other like notes or sensible cognizances of the visible Church Now it were more then wonder if the excesse of this his blinde zeale vnto these externals did not draw him to much greater more direct diametrall opposition vnto Christ vnto an higher pitch of inueterate malice against the members of his Holy Catholike Church or Kingdome spirituall then the high Priest or Elders exercised against his person whilest he was present in the flesh Thus much for this time of the allegorie or argument of proportion drawne from Noahs Arke As for the generall Maxime extra Ecclesiam non est salus There is no saluation out of the Church although it be absolutely and punctually true onely of that one Holy Catholike Church which was exactly typified by Noahs Arke yet the same Maxime is literally applyable vnto and in certaine cases vndoubtedly true of some visible Church or other All true visible Churches haue some right or interest in it CHAP. XIII How farre and in what cases that Maxime vsed by the Fathers Extra Ecclesiam non est salus Out of the Church there is no saluation is true of the visible Church or Churches visible 1 THe persons that are extra Ecclesiam are of two sorts First such as neuer were members of any visible Church as all Infidels moderne Iewes and Mahumetans c. Secondly such as haue beene members of some visible Church but haue beene either cut off from it by Ecclesiasticall censure or haue separated themselues from the visible Church or Churches wherein they liued In respect of the first sort that is of all such as neuer were members of any visible Church the Maxime extra Ecclesiam non est salus there is no saluation out of the Church is not vniuersally true yea taken vniuersally it is vniuersally false in respect of time that is it could neuer be verified of all and euery one that was extra Ecclesiam visibilem out of the visible Church in any age There was a time wherin Gods visible Church was confined to one people or nation to the ofspring of Abraham Now it were an heresie to say that no sonnes of men besides the sonnes of Abraham or such as did associate themselues vnto the visible Church then resident onely in Abrahams family were saued during the time of the Law or before the Law was giuen righteous Iob was no sonne of Iacob yet the sonne of God And it were vncharitablenesse though no heresie to say that Iethro Rechah or Ionadab were all sonnes of perdition or were sonnes as our Sauiour said of the Iewes of their father the Deuill because they were not the sonnes of Abraham or had not the visible Church of Israel for their mother In respect of this present time to say Wee know no meanes by which any
Inhabitant of China or of Terra incognita can be saued is a great deale more safe then to thinke God hath no meanes vnknowne vnto vs by which he may and doth saue some euen in those countries wherin there is no visible Church or Christian Congregation or whose Inhabitants haue no commerce with any Christians Wee see by experience that God teacheth such as are borne deafe and dumb many things by the eye or other external suggestion which such as haue the vse benefit of eares tongue could not learn either by sight or other externall sense Now albeit the Apostles rule faith commeth by bearing be most vndoubtedly true and true likewise that without faith it is impossible to please God yet were it an hard censure hence to conclude that none such as are born deafe and dumbe can be saued The Apostles saying then that faith commeth by hearing must bee limited by its proper subiect that is men to whom God hath giuen the gift of hearing So must the Maxime now in question extra Ecclesiam non est salus out of the Church there is no saluation bee limited or restrained to its proper subiect Howbeit the exact limitation of it might best bee made or taken by such as haue occasion to dispute with the Iewes or Heathens It is onely or especially true in respect of such Iewes Turkes or heathens and their seuerall progenies as haue commerce with Christians The former Maxime with reference to such men is vniuersally true if we take the visible Church vniuersally or indefinitely vnlesse such men associate themselues to some visible Church or other they cannot be saued And in some cases it may be vndoubtedly true in respect of some particular visible Church but so true onely ex accidenti or hypothesi by accident or vpon supposition As if a Iew or Mahumetan by profession and birth should liue in this kingdome hauing no possible meanes of associating himselfe to any other congregation of Christians than such as conforme themselues to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England it were both safe and orthodoxe to lay the former Law or Gospell as hard vnto him as the Papists doe vnto vs to tell him in plaine and peremptory tearmes that there were no meanes for him to escape the horrors of hell and miseries of the world to come vnlesse hee would become a member of Christs Church planted here amongst vs. Or in case he and other more such as he is were to leaue vs and to reside in some other State or Kingdome we were bound in conscience to apply the like medicine vnto him or them and to tell them there were no hope for them to escape the wrath of God but by becomming the sonnes of God no hope to become the sonnes of God but by becomming the children of some visible Church indued with power and authoritie to baptize them into Christs death and resurrection Of heathens then or infidels or of whosoeuer not as yet professing Christianitie yet hauing commerce with Christians and liuing within the call of the visible Church that of Cyprian is vniuersally true Hee that hath not the Church for his Mother cannot haue God for his Father Albeit by the Church in this saying we meane a visible Church 2 Of such as haue beene actuall members of some visible Church but haue either separated themselues from it or haue beene cast out of it by Ecclesiastike censure or coactiue power neither of the former Maximes extra Ecclesiam non est salus Et qui non habet Ecclesiam Matrem non habet Deum Patrem out of the Church there is no saluation And he that hath not the Church for his Mother hath not God for his Father is vniuersally true if we speake of the Church visible whether particular indefinite or vniuersall Both must be limited by the reasons or occasions which did moue the parties to forsake the Church wherein they were baptized or by the causes for which they were excluded or cast out of it It is here supposed that if the causes why they are excluded from one visible Church bee iust and good and the exclusion it selfe legall and formall the parties thus iustly excluded from one cannot lawfully be admitted into another visible Church 3 Swarez in his treatise to my remembrance de causa formali and in that question An dentur plures formae in vno composito whether there bee more formes than one in one body mentions a Synod which anathematizeth all such as dogmatically doe hold tres animas in vno viuente three soules in one liuing body And had the spirituall sword been put into Lactantius his hands it is very likely he would haue put all such Philosophers Geographers or Astronomers as had held the Antipodes to haue sought out a visible Church in that region At the least if his arme had beene so long as the Iesuits make the Popes hee would haue cut them off from all Communion with any visible Church or congregation of Christians within the Hemisphere wherein he liued And no question but euery visible Church hath such power and authority that it may so it will tyrannically abuse the power which God hath giuen it cut off euery inferiour member de facto But being cut off though from the vniuersall Church visible vpon no greater occasions or iuster causes then these late mentioned they do not thereby cease to be members of the Church which is to vs inuisible that is of the Church which is Holy and Catholike 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no not to be visible members of the Holy Catholike Church taken in a secondary sense that is of the Catholike Church which is visible to vs. Of which and of the ground of this distinction betweene an actuall member of the present visible Church and a visible member of the Holy Catholike Church we shall speake hereafter But to hold tres animas in vno viuente three soules in one liuing bodie is not so great an error in Diuinity or so meritorious of excommunication as either to affirme that there be two persons or to deny that there be two natures in our Sauiour Christ He that should dogmatically hold the affirmatiue or negatiue specified deserueth to bee vtterly cut off from euery visible Church And one and the same stroke of the spirituall sword which cuts him off from being a member of the visible Church doth incontinently cut him off from being a member of the Holy Catholike Church in what sense soeuer taken or to speake more properly hee doth depriue himselfe ipso facto of all communion with Christ or his body the Church by denying the vnity of his person or by confounding his natures And hauing thus apparantly excommunicated himselfe from that holy Church which is only knowne vnto God to vs invisible the visible Church stands bound in dutie of conscience and allegiance to Christ to depriue him of all communion with her or any member of hers either in the
desperate a madnesse as for a passenger to leape into the Sea because hee knew the ship wherein he sayled and the company with whom he must necessarily conuerse were deepely infected with a deadly pestilence And thus to doe were a desperate pranke vnlesse the partie aduenturing had very great skill in swimming and were withall within ken of some comfortable shore or harbour All this may seeme to make for our Aduersaries or at least against our forefathers which were sometimes members of the visible Romish Church but did either voluntarily separate themselues from it or suffer themselues to be thrust out of it when as they might haue retained communion with it so they would haue imbraced their doctrine Besides the danger of separation from it both they and we haue felt the seuerest strokes of the spirituall sword of excommunication which the Gouernours of the Romish Church could reach vs. 5 The branches of the maine controversie betwixt that Church and ours are two The first whether the reasons which moued our forefathers to depart from that Church or not to imbrace her doctrines were iust and necessary The second Whether our forefathers being howsoeuer separated from it had commission full power and iust authority from God to vnite themselues into a true visible Church whether they did rightly pursue such warrant or commission as they had and whether they and we haue beene and are a true visible Church The iust and necessary reasons for which men whether few or many may and ought to separate themselues from any visible Church are in generall two The first because they are vrged or constrained to professe or beleeue some points of doctrine or to aduenture vpon some practices which are contrary to the rule of faith or Law of God and are either ex specie or ex gradu cumulo either for their specificall quality or for their burthen or number so hereticall and deadly that they necessarily induce a separation from the holy and Catholike faith without which the Church can neither be holy nor Catholike The second in case they are vtterly depriued of freedome of conscience in professing what they inwardly beleeue or bee bereft of some other meanes either altogether necessarie or most expedient to saluation both which may be had in some other visible Church In this later case that rule of our Apostle giuen vnto seruants is true Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called Art thou called being a seruant Care not for it but if thou mayest be made free vse it rather For hee that is called in the Lord being a seruant is the Lords freeman Likewise also he that is called being free is Christs seruant Ye are bought with a price bee not ye the seruants of men 1 Cor. 7.20 21 22 23. Although we were perswaded that wee could communicate with such a Church without evident danger of damnation yet in as much as we cannot so communicate with it vpon any better termes then legall seruants or bondslaues doe with their Masters we are bound in conscience and religious discretion when lawfull occasions and opportunities are offred to vse our libertie and to seeke our freedome rather then to liue in bondage CHAP. XV. That our Forefathers separation from the Romish Church was most lawfull and iust both in respect of Prince and State and in respect of euery priuate person which feared God or sought to retaine the holy Catholike and Apostolike Faith 1 WHen we debate the lawfulnesse of our Forefathers separation from the Romish Church we meane the then Romish Church as visible Now vnto the constitution of an entire and compleat visible Church there is required First an vnity of faith and doctrine Secondly an vnitie of discipline or coactiue Lawes but especially an vnitie of subordination to one independent Iudicature Vnity in points of faith and doctrine is more essentiall to the Church as it is holy and Catholike that is as it is Orthodoxall Vnity of Lawes or discipline or of independent Iudicature is more essentiall and more necessary to the Church as visible Hence as wee said before there be as many distinct visible Churches as there be independent Iudicatures or supreame Tribunalls Ecclesiasticke Vnto a Catholike Church or vnto a Church visibly Catholike such as the Romanists beleeue their Church to be both kinds of vnity are necessary Whether this vnitie of discipline full power of Iurisdiction or independent Iudicature be seated in one person or more that is whether the forme of ecclesiasticall gouernment be Aristocraticall or Monarchicall is in our Diuinity all one The vnitie or conformitie may be as compleat and perfect the one way as the other But the Romanists the English Priests and Iesuits doe not onely hold this vnity of independent Iudicature to be necessary to the constitution of the visible Catholike Church but that it must of necessity be radically in one person to wit in the Pope on whom as vpon the head and fountaine the vnity of the Holy Catholike visible Church doth depend and for this reason they put his Holinesse in the definition of the Holy Catholike Church as you heard before out of Cardinall Bellarmine and the Author of the Antidote So that the Popes supremacie hath the same place in the whole visible Church as euery summum genus in his proper predicament As nothing can bee truly said to be in the predicament vnlesse it participate the nature or definition of the summum genus so none by this doctrine can be a true member of the holy Church vnlesse he be subordinate to the Pope Or as no man can come to the Father but by the Sonne so none can come vnto the sonne but by this Holy Father the Pope Euery one must be visibly vnited vnto him and to his Lawes before he can be mystically or spiritually vnited vnto Christ Howbeit by putting the Pope in the definition of the Holy Catholike Church with intention thereby to exclude vs from it who denie his authority they intangle and fetter themselues in another point of great consequence betwixt vs them of which aduantage we shall make some better vse hereafter The summe of our present dispute is this As professing of vnitie with the Romish Church in all points of faith which that Church teacheth doth necessarily induce a disunion or separation from the holy Catholike Faith and Church so the acknowledgment of such subordination as is required vnto the head of it in matters of discipline or iurisdiction induceth flat rebellion or high treason against all free States or Kingdomes Christian 2 The reasons which moued our forefathers to forsake the visible Romish church or to suffer themselues to be forsaken by it and withhold vs from returning to iâ— were and are in two respects most necessarie and iust Iust they were and are necessary First on the behalfe of euery priuate man that had or hath a care of conscience and Religion Secondly on behalfe of Prince and
A TREATISE OF THE HOLY CATHOLIKE FAITH and CHVRCH Diuided into three Bookes By THOMAS IACKSON Dr. in Diuinitie Chaplaine to his Maiestie in Ordinarie and Vicar of Saint Nicolas Church in the Towne of Newcastle vpon Tyne The first Booke LONDON Printed by M. F. for Iohn Clarke and are to be sold at his Shop vnder St. Peters Church in Cornehill 1627. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL and truly worthy Knight Sir RICHARD ANDERSON of Pendley in Hartfordshire the blessings of this life and of that to come bee multiplied RIGHT WORTHIE SIR YOur vnfaigned Loue to Learning and true Religion well knowne by reall testimonies to all true Louers of them which haue the happines as my selfe for long time haue had to be acquainted with you drew this short Treatise vpon its first returne vnto mee to whom it hath beene from its first birth a stranger to take you for its Foster-Father Could it speake for it selfe it would I am perswaded complaine of wrong if I should direct it to seeke another Patron being not acquainted with any Family which beares a more liuely image of a well-ordered Church than your Family doth Nor is there any other to whom I more heartily wish all furtherance in good beginnings and proceedings then I doe to yours and to that Honorable Family vnto which you are happily vnited Of this my desire of my best respect vnto your selfe and to your Noble Lady I haue no better token for the present then this Treatise of the holy Catholike Faith and Church Thus commending both of you with all yours and it vnto the blessing of him who is the sole Fountaine of Faith and Head of the Holy Catholike Church I take my leaue and rest Yours euer in the surest bonds of sincere loue and obseruance THOMAS IACKSON From my Vicarage in Newcastle vpon Tine this first of Ianuary 1626. Courteous and Christian Reader THe summe of this Treatise was deliuered in Catechisme Lectures for the benefit of yonger Students in Pembrook Colledge in Oxon at the request of the Master of that Societie my Reuerend and Worthy Friend and of some other good friends to whose religious desires my hope was to haue giuen better satisfaction if my continuance in that ancient and sweet Nurserie of Learning had been longer or my studies there lesse interrupted with other occasions But God be praysed that Colledge hath beene furnished since with one of their owne body of whose learned and polite Labours I hope one day to be with others a partaker This Treatise as now it is hath beene for the most part since in the hands of others being committed by me to the perusall of that great light of the Northerne parts my then Reuerend and dearest Friend Doctor Birkhead from whose iudicious censure I hoped then this and other of my Labours should haue receiued some perfection and I much comfort from his company But it pleased the Lord whose good pleasure we must obey not question to call him from vs no doubt to his greater good though to the great losse and sorrow of euery true member of the English Church which knew him before it was my hap being then absent from these parts to heare from him or speake with him Since his death it hath past through many hands but all as it seemes good friends in that it returnes vnto me intire And from it as it is I hope no orthodoxall Reader shall receiue any discontent nor any Aduersaries of the truth much aduantage Wherein it is for the matter deficient or not so fully exprest I shall haue opportunitie whether by the aduise of Friends or exceptions of the Aduersarie to amend or inlarge in other Treatises of the same Argument which by Gods assistance shall shortly be communicated to thee And for this reason in part I haue beene the more willing to haue it published at this time Thine in Christ Iesus THOMAS IACKSON ⧠The Contents of the seuerall Chapters handled in this Treatise SECTION I. Containing the description definition and properties of the Holy Catholike Church taken in the prime and principall sense in the sixe first Chapters Chapters Folio 1. That it is easier to oppose than to answer a Romanist in this Argument of the Church The Authors method for meeting with wrangling Sophismes 3 2. The definition of the Church in generall gathered from the diuers sorts of vnion betweene bodies naturall artificiall or ciuill 5 3. Of the nature and properties of the Church taken in its principall sense How it is differenced from other Bodies ciuill Of the peculiar vnity which it hath 13 4. Of the preeminences which the Church hath of other Bodies or Corporations in respect of the Gouernour of it and the Lawes by which it is gouerned Of the two Attributes Holy and Catholike 21 5. Containing the friuolous exceptions of Cardinall Bellarmine and some other Romanists against the former or like description of the true Church or that Church which is principally meant in the Apostles Creed 29 6. Containing the speciall points to bee beleeued concerning this Article of the One Holy Catholike Church How euery one is so to moderate his assent or beliefe concerning it that hee neither incline vnto presumption nor fall into despaire 35 SECTION II. Of the visible Church in generall Of its principall Attributes or Priuiledges vnto the sixteenth Chapter 7. Of the Church Militant and Triumphant In what sense it is said that the true Church is inuisible 43 8. What is required to the constitution of a visible Church Whence the vnitie or pluralitie of visible Churches ariseth What vnity may bee had or expected betweene visible Churches independent one of another for Iurisdiction The diuers acceptions or degrees of the visible Church 52 9. That albeit the true Church be alwaies visible yet it is a grosse sophisme hence to inferre that the visible Church is alwayes the true Church or that one visible Church is more priuiledged from erring than another The strange blasphemy by which the Author of the Antidote seekes to support the infallibilitie of the visible Romish Church 66 10. In what cases Arguments of proportion may bee drawne from Allegories A full explication of the Allegory vsed by S. Paul Gal. 4. and of the Argument or concludent proofe in the same Allegorie contained 75 11 Of the consonancie betweene the promulgation of the old Testament and the New Of the opposition betweene the Law and the Gospell or betweene the old Testament and the New The explication of the Apostles argument Heb. 9. ver 13 14. 86 12. The Allegorie or Argument of proportion drawn from Noahs Arke explicated according to the former rules and retorted vpon the Romanist 92 13. How farre and in what cases that Maxime vsed by the Fathers Extra Ecclesiam non est salus Out of the Church there is no saluation is true of the visible Church or Churches visible 97 14. Declaring by one speciall instance the particular manner and opportunities by which the
Church visible or representatiue did first incroach vpon the royall Attributes of the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church For what causes Christians may separate thewselues or suffer themselues to be separated from any visible Church whereof they were sometimes members 111 15. That our Forefathers separation from the Romish Church was most lawfull and iust both in respect of Prince and State and in respect of euery priuate person which feared God or sought to retaine the holy Catholike and Apostolike Faith 118 SECTION III. The visible Church of England retaines the holy Catholike faith which the Romish Church hath defiled 16. That our Chvrch was in the Romish Church before Luthers time and yet in it neither as a visible Church altogether distinct from it nor as any natiue member of it 139 17. That men may be visible members of the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church and yet no actuall members of any present visible Church 149 18. In what sense it may bee granted that the visible Romish Church at the time of our forefathers separation from it was a true Church and yet withall the Synagogue of Sathan the seate of Antichrist and common sinke of heresies 160 19 Whether our Forefathers in separating themselues or suffering themselues to be separated from the Romish Church did any otherwise then Gods Prophets or our Sauiours Disciples had their case and opportunity beene the same would haue done 170 20. Whether the name Catholike can in good earnest bee pleaded or pretended for an vnseparable marke of the true visible Church 21. That the title of Catholike is proper and essentiall vnto the faith professed by the present visible Church of England but cannot truely be attributed to the Faith or Creede of the moderne visible Romish Church 180 22. Of the adinuentions or new Articles added to the Creede by the Romish Church by which shee hath defiled the Holy Catholike and Apostolike faith Of the difference betwixt the Church of Rome and the Church of England concerning the rule of faith What that ecclesiasticke tradition was which Vincentius Lirâ—nensis so much commendeth to what vse it serued in the ancient Councels 185 23. Of the agreement betweene the Enthusiast or some non-conformitants to the Church of England and the Romish Church concerning the manner how the Spirit of truth as they suppose doth lead men into all truth That the true sense of scripture is as determinable by light of reason and rules of art as the conclusions of any other sciences or faculties are A generall suruey of the depraued or more then hereticall or heathenish infidelity of the moderne Romish Church 195 Errata Page 80 lin penult for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A TREATISE of the Holy Catholique Faith and CHVRCH IN the Exposition of the Apostles Creed a worke vndertaken by me long agoe I did sequester foure points from the body of that intended worke now almost finished The first was the doctrine of the holy blessed Trinitie which I reserued for the last part of my labours to be set downe by way of prayer or Soliloquies as being an argument in my iudgement both then and now more fit for meditation then for controuersie or Scholasticke discourse The second point was the Article of the holy Catholike Church The Third the Communion of Saints The fourth the Forgiuenesse of sinnes Points which I knew not how to handle in that ranke and order as they are propounded vnto vs in the Creede without manifest interruption of my intended method which I indeauoured should be continuate each latter part immediately issuing out of the former Nor could I finde a commodious entrance into the Article of Christs comming to iudge as well the dead as the liuing before I had treated of the resurrection of the dead Nor could I finish what I had to say or what was to bee said concerning the last Iudgement it selfe without some explication of the sentence to be awarded and that is life euerlasting to all true beleeuers and euerlasting death to the disobedient and vnbeleeuers So then the articles of the holy Catholique Church of the Communion of Saints of the forgiuenesse of sinnes haue beene out of choice and intended method left altogether vntouched reserued for peculiar Treatises CHAP. I. That it is easier to oppose than to answer a Romanist in this Argument of the Church The Authors method for meeting with wrangling Sophismes FIrst then of the Holy Catholique Church An Argument fitting for these times being specially insisted vpon and inlarged by Priests and Iesuites to our preiudice they well perceiuing their intricate disputes and sophisticall discourses in this point to bee the only net which Peters pretended successors haue left them for catching silly vncatechized soules or for intangling men of deepe vnderstanding but of deeper discontent or dislike with their present Gouernours or Dispensers of preferment For vnto men either not misled by discontented passion or otherwise not vncapable of sound reason it might easily appear that there is no heresie at this day maintained in Christendome at least so generally which doth either so highly offend God and his Christ or so grieuousty disturb the publike peace of Christs Church or so desperately indaÌ„ger the soul of euery one that subscribes vnto it as this heresie concerning the transcendent Authoritie of the visible Romish Church Howbeit I must confesse it is a great deale easier to discouer their blasphemies refute their heresies to pittie the stupiditie of some or to deride the petulancie or rashnesse of others then to auoide the contrary errors into which some reformed Writers of good note haue fallen some through meere eagernesse of opposition others through weakenesse and want of Arts. And no maruell for there is nothing which sooner or faster leades Artists themselues into errour than identitie of names or words including in them diuersitie of significations or importances The diuers significations of one and the same word may be either equiuocall or analogicall or a medly of both Be the diuersitie of this or that kinde or of what kinde it may bee vntill the difference betwixt them be exactly notified or vnfolded by some commodious distinction or artificiall explication they are apt to bring forth seeds of such endlesse quarrels betwixt controuersie-writers as grounds and tenements not well bounded or suruaide alwaies breede betwixt greedy and wrangling neighbours As in the one case each man is prone to trespasse vpon his neighbours possession so in the other each seuerall signification or importance is alwaies incroaching vpon the attributes or prerogatiues which most properly appertaine to some other more prime and principall Now there is no word or terme vsed either in any scientificall morall or popular discourse which hath so many so much different significations or importances as the word Church hath whether we take it in the Greeke Latine or English For preuenting the inconueniences whereunto the multiplicity and diuersitie of its significations or
è contra Yet sometime it may fall out by the interposition of ciuill iuridicall sentence that a man may bee no member of the Common-weale and yet remaine a member of the Church therein contained As a man condemned to dye is disinabled to doe any ciuill act yet not prohibited to receiue the Sacraments Others againe cut off from the Church as persons excommunicated in some sort are may bee members of the Common-weale That which differenceth the Church properly so called from a societie or bodie meerely ciuill is the diuersitie of Lawes and ordinances and the different manner of vnion betwixt the members of it Howbeit a Church a Common-weale or body ciuill are not as the Romanists often dreame or presuppose in their arguments brought for the prerogatiue of the Romish Church two bodies contra-distinct or opposite but rather one body endowed with seuerall powers or perfections When a Kingdome or common-weale becomes a Church it loseth nothing of what it had but rather acquires a new perfection or accomplishment The growth or progresse is but such as the Philosopher notes in men which fiâ—st liue anima plantae like meere vegetables then the life of sense and lastly the life of reason or vnderstanding But of this elsewhere To finde out the nature and properties of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the principall Analogatum and prime subiect of this our discourse the branches of method are but two The former is to finde out the qualification or condition of the parties or members vnited The latter is to finde out the nature and manner of their vnion With the Church as it consists of men Angels we are not to meddle It suffices vs to know that wee are called as our Apostle teacheth vs Heb. 12. verse 22. vnto the citie of the liuing God the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels What manner of vnion is betweene holy men and Angels let it be defined by Angels themselues or at least by men that are their consorts in the blissefull vision of God and of his Christ The subiect of our inquirie was and must be That Church which consists onely of men and of men considered in that estate which they now haue by God being made man Now albeit such men and Angels may bee in some respect truely said one Societie and though both may be comprehended vnder some generall notion whether vniuocall or Analogicall yet without all question they doe not vniuocally agree in those attributes by which the Church in its prime and principall sense is vsually set forth in Scriptures Wee cannot say that the Angels are of Christs flesh and of his bones as euery one is that is a liue member of his true Church Yea though Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses and the Prophets and all such as had perfect vnion with them in holinesse of doctrine life or discipline were after death as well as liuing liue members of the holy Catholique Church yet had they not whilest they liued on earth no not alwaies since they liued in blisse such perfect vnion for the manner at least with Christ as the S t s haue which haue liued since Christs Incarnation Passion and Resurrection since which time the Patriarches and Prophets vnion with Christ hath beene perfected For it is a point not of opinion but of beliefe that the Sonne of God did take our nature vpon him not onely to the end that he might lay it downe for our ransome or suffer for vs in the flesh but to the end withall that hauing suffered for vs according to his humanitie he might by it vnite vs vnto himselfe as hee is God in a more peculiar manner then our humane nature without such vnion to his humane nature was capable of As we become righteous by the righteousnesse which was and is in him as he is man so must we expect the accomplishment of our future blisse and glory by participation of the fulnesse of that blisse and glory whereof his humanitie is now possest By this it is apparent that euery actuall member of a Christian common-wealth or visible Church therein contained is not a true actuall member of that Church whose nature and definition wee now seeke and whereof euery one of vs desires and must endeauour to be such a member For hee that would make the Church thus Catholique or vniuersall as to comprehend euery member of a Christian Common-weale seekes to make it not to be holy Now wee must beleeue it to be as truely holy as it is Catholique Some there be who define this Church to be coetus praedestinatorum to be the societie or companie of the predestinate but this definition is vnperfect for though it be most true that euery liue member of the one truely holy and Catholique Church is predestinated to this life of grace which he now liues and to the life of glory which he hopes for yet euery one which is already predestinated to the one or to the other life or rather to both is not as yet a liue member of the one holy and Catholique Church Saul was a person predestinated from the wombe but yet no ciuill member of the militant or visible Church much lesse any true member of the one holy Catholique Church whilest he remained a persecutor of it and a zealous member or furious instrument of the malignant Sinagogue Others define it to be Coetus euocatorum the societie or company of such as God hath called out of the world but because many are called and few are chosen some others define it to be coetus electorum the societie or company of the elect Against which definition or description this exception may bee taken that the Authors and Maintainers of it haue intangled this article or point of Beliefe necessary to all that hope to be saued with intricate and vnnecessary questions concerning Predestination or Election with which I doe not meane to trouble the Reader in the explication of this Article It shall suffice vs for the present to consider that such as God hath predestinated or elected before the foundations of the world must bee wrought and squared by the powerfull hand of God and the effectuall working of his spirit before they can bee fit materials for that aedifice or structure which wee call the Church There must be an alteration in euery particular member before it obtaine perfect vnion with the whole body or aedifice from which it receiueth the sweet influence and nutriment of neuer-fading life Now what manner of alteration this is or wherin this qualification of materials fitting for this aedifice which we call the Church doth consist is a Quaere not so necessary in this place 4 The second generall thing proposed to wit the manner or vnion of the members or parts of that societie which is the truly holy Catholique Church will sufficiently determine the former question concerning the qualification of them The questions concerning the vnion are in generall
reason in his owne words We must bee vtterly stript of the Image of the earthly man before wee can put on the compleat and glorious Image of the heavenly And as we haue borne the Image of the earthly we shall also beare the Image of the heauenly But when shall that be When this corruptible shall haue put on incorruption and this mortall shall haue put on immortalitie when the saying shall be brought to passe Death is swallowed vp in victory 1 Cor. 15. ver 49 54. 5 The title of Catholike to my best remembrance is not expressed in Scripture but often implyed in termes aequiualent The Church of Christ was first expresly enstyled Catholike by the Apostles theÌ„selues o◠〈◊〉 compoâ—ers of the Apostles Creed especially in opposition 〈…〉 visible Church of the Iewes or rather to this peoples factious conceit of the prerogatiues which God had bestowed vpon their Nation misweening that the whole family or house of God the full amplitude of the Messias his Kingdome should be comprized within the house or family of Abraham or at least that none should haue any title or claime to the Kingdom of God vnlesse he were first admitted to bee a member of that visible society which did meet at Ierusalem as at their Common Hall House or place of Parliament That the Church should bee thus Catholike or vniuersall or that the Gentiles should be fellow heires or ioynt members of the same body with Abrahams seed was a secret not imparted to many before the Revelation of the Gospell For this cause I Paul the prisoner of Iesus Christ for you Gentiles if yee haue heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is giuen me 〈…〉 How that by reuelation he made knowne vnto me the mystery as I wrote afore in few words whereby when ye read yee may 〈…〉 and my knowledge in the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made knowne vnto the sonnes of men as it is now revealed vnto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the spirit that the Gentiles should be fellow heires of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospell Ephes 3. ver 1 2 3 4 5 6. Saint Peter himselfe had not fully apprehended this mystery vntil the Lord awaked him out of this dream by interpreting the vision which he saw concerning this point Act. 10. ver 15. But seeing the euent answerable to Gods word or to the voice which hee heard in the vision he burst out into this confession ver 34. Of a truth I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons but in euery nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him accepted to bee a liue member of his holy and Catholike Church as Cornelius no question either at this time or afterwards was But the full importance of this terme Catholike is set downe Revelat. 5. vers 8 9. And the foure and twenty Elders sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation And hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on the earth The branches of this title Catholike are specially these three First Gods Church is said to bee Catholike or vniuersall in respect of all places Secondly in respect of all sorts and condiâ—â—â—â—â— of men nationall or personall Thirdly it is said Vniuersall in respect 〈…〉 Some of euery Nation Condition or state are admitted vnto it Some likewise are admitted in euery age or generation of men From the day wherein the Lord did lay the first foundation or corner stone in Sion there haue beene in one place or other daily additions vnto this Church without substraction continuall adgeneration without corruption and a continuall growth or augmentation without any the least diminution or decay of any true liue particle which it had before CHAP. V. Containing the friuolous exceptions of Cardinall Bellarmine and some other Romanists against the former or like description of the true Church or that Church which is principally meant in the Apostles Creede 1 THis notification or circumscription of the true Church by the true and liue-mysticall body of Christ is not lyable to that exception which Bellarmine and his followers haue taken against Caluines inuisible Church as they conceiue it Or in case the same exceptions bee taken against the Church described or notified in the former chapters one answer will suffice for both Their onely exception is this Primum igitur quòd vera Ecclesia sit visilibis probatur primò ex Scripturis omnibus vbicunque inuenitur nomen Ecclesiae Nam semper nomine Ecclesiae visibilis congregatio significatur Nec vnum saltem locum Caluinus proferre potuit nec protulit vbi hoc nomen tribueretur congregationi inuisibili Bellar. de Ecclesia militante lib. 3. cap. 12. That the true Church is visible may first be proued out of all those Scriptures in which the name of the Church is found For by this name a visible Congregation is alwaies signified Caluin neither did nor could produce so much as one place wherein the name Church is bestowed vpon any inuisible Congregation 2 If his meaning be that so much of the true Church and liue-mysticall body of Christ as is now extant on earth though altogether vnuisible to vs be either excluded or not principally meant in those places of Scriptures Creedes or Councels in which the true Church is notified vnto vs by these or the like attributes one holy Catholkie or Apostolique it is grosly and apparently false For all Gods promises to the Church principally belong to the principal members of it who are distinctly and indiuidually knowne to himselfe onely not so to vs. To whom notwithstanding their persons are visible the profession of their faith is likewise visible The sinceritie of their hearts or faith is to vs inuisible and therefore inuisible it is to vs whether they bee liue-members of the holy Catholike Church or no. If his meaning be that many Indiuiduals which are no true liue-members of the mysticall body of Christ be literally comprized vnder the name and title of the Church the allegation though most true is very idle and impertinent For thus the Iew is able to make proofe as direct and full as can bee required by any ingenuous and learned Christian that most of those types and prophesies which we alledge to euince Iesus the sonne of Mary to be the Christ and promised Messias are literally and historically meant and verified either of the sacrifice of the Law or of Gods people of Dauid of Salomon or of some other c. Al this notwithstanding being granted doth no way disproue but rather ratifie our application of the same prophesies or sacred passages vnto Christ of whom they are alwaies in the intention of the holy Spirit principally meant and
in whom alone they are exactly fulfilled not onely according to the mysticall but for the most part according to the most exquisite literall sense Not that either all or most passages of Scriptures which are first literally verified of some other and after exactly fulfilled in Christ haue as some great Diuines thinke two literall senses albeit this may sometimes happen though very seldome but that of one and the same litterall sense there may be and vsually are two or more obiects one more principall and proper the other either lesse principall or lesse proper Thus it alwaies not onely is but of necessitie must be wheresoeuer the tearmes wherein it pleaseth the Spirit of God to expresse himselfe containe in them a multiplicitie of significations or importances whether aequiuocal analogicall or ad vnum Now of all tearmes vsed in Scripture this word Church as was obserued before hath the greatest varietie of significations or importances And by consequence it must haue one principall obiect of which all the principall attributes or titles of the Church are punctually and accurately verified and other obiects lesse principall to which notwithstanding the same name or titles are in some measure often communicated 3 Hence it may to the obseruant Reader appeare that Bellarmines exception or argument against Caluine which being drawne into forme stands thus The word Church in Scripture doth alwaies import a visible companie of men Therfore it doth not belong to an inuisible Congregation is no better then this The holy ointment did bedeaw or besprinkle Aarons garments Ergo It was not powred vpon his head or it did not madifie or supple some other parts of his body whereas the truth is vnlesse the ointment had first beene plentifully poured vpon his head it could not haue run downe his necke vnto the skirts or rather the brimmes of his vesture Answerable to this representation we say that all the glorious prerogatiues titles or promises annexed to the Church in Scriptures are in th first place and principally meant of Christs liue-mysticall body But being in abundant measure bestowed on it they descend by analogie or participation vnto all and euery one that hath put on Christ by profession without respect of person place or dignitie All the difference in the measure of their participation or manner of their attribution ariseth from the diuers degrees of similitudes or proportion which they hold with the actuall live-members of Christs mysticall body in matter of faith or conuersation Such as haue the true modell or draught of that Catholique faith without which no man can be saued imprinted in their vnderstandings albeit not solidly ingrossed or transmitted into their hearts or affections are to bee reputed by vs who vnderstand their externall profession better then their inward disposition true Catholiques ttue members of Christs body and heires of promise Although in very deede and in his sight that knowes the secrets of mens hearts many of them be members of Christs body onely in such a sense as foetus conceptus non animatus As an humane body shaped or organized but yet not quickened with the spirit of life is tearmed a man 4 The conclusion touching this point which Bellarmine his followers are bound to proue if any thing they meane to proue to the purpose is this That vnder the name or titles of that Church wherunto the assistance of Gods spirit for its direction or other like prerogatiues are by Gods word assured the visible Church taken in that sense in which they alwaies take it is either literally and punctually meant or necessarily included The visible Church in their language is a Societie or Body Ecclesiastique notoriously knowne by the site or place of its residence or by their dignitie order and offices which are the perpetuall gouernours of it Ecclesia saith Bellarmine est tam visibilis quam est Regnum Galliae aut Respublica Venetorum And againe that Church whereof Christ is King is as visible in his absence by the presence of his Vicar generall as the Kingdome of Naples in the absence of the King is by the presence of his Viceroy Vnto the attributes or prerogatiues bestowed on the Church in the Apostles or Nicene Creede or vnto the promises annexed vnto it in the Scripture the visible Church as we say taken in the Romanists sense hath no claime or title saue onely in reuersion or by reflection that is The true mysticall body of Christ is onely instated in the blessings prerogatiues or promises made vnto the Church from this Body or rather from Christ which is the head of it the said blessings immediately and successiuely descend in different measure vnto the seuerall members of it or vnto such as are no solid members of Christ in practice or conuersation yet true Catholiques in opinion and loue vnfaigned vnto the Catholique faith And from indiuiduals thus habitually qualified the Church visible or representatiue deriues its right interest in the promises made vnto the Church generally or indefinitely taken Wheresoeuer two or three thus qualified are gathered together in Christs name that is not for any priuate ends or sinister respects but for meere loue of truth the presence of Christs spirit is by promise annexed vnto them Though a thousand Bishops Prelates or Clarkes not thus qualified be assembled for their own gaine or dignities or if their consultations be managed by superiour power or faction they haue no like interest in the former promise For any Church visible or representatiue whose indiuiduals are not thus farre qualified the greater part whereof for number or more principall for authority may be infideles aut haereti ci occulti that is Heretiques Infidels or Atheists in harts To vsurpe an absolute infallibilitie in iudgement of matters sacred is no better then blasphemie for any such Church to expect the extraordinary assistance of Gods spirit in their consultations is but the dregs and reliques of Simon Magus his sin But of the diuers acceptions of this word Church in what sense it is said visible or inuisible true or false wee are to speake hereafter Sect. 2. chap. 1. CHAP. VI. Containing the speciall points to be beleeued concerning this Article of the One Holy Catholique Church How euery one is so to moderate his assent or beliefe concerning it that he neither incline vnto presumption nor fall into despaire 1 THe speciall points which wee are in this article to beleeue are these First that as Christ whilest he liued on earth was a King albeit his Kingdome was not earthly nor of this world so he hath still a Kingdome or at least a great part of his Kingdome here on earth the members or Citizens of which Kingdome whilest liuing in this world are not of this world their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as our Apostle speakes is in heauen that is the Societie or Corporation whereof they are actuall and liue-members is translated from earth to heauen and their demeanour or conuersation here
on earth must be celestiall and such as becomes the sonnes of God The second that God or Christ in the choyce or admission of Citizens into this celestiall Corporation doth not tye himselfe to any one Kingdome Nation or Prouince to any visible Societie or Corporation here on earth But as heauen it selfe is alike distant from euery part of the earth so euery Nation or Kingdome of the earth are alike free to stand for or solicite their election or admission into this heauenly societie which wee tearme the holy Catholique Church Of these two branches of beliefe this third is a necessary consequent that God hath not bestowed such priuiledges vpon any visible Church or Ecclesiasticall Societie whatsoeuer vpon the face of the whole earth as diuers Founders of Colledges in our Vniuersities haue done vpon some Grammer Schooles founded likewise by them Many haue beene chosen and admitted for perpetuall Fellowes of the celestiall Academie which neuer were trained vp in the doctrine or discipline of the Grecian English or Romish Church God is the sole Founder of the vniuersall Church and of euery particular true Church As for particular visible Churches all are alike free all their sonnes alike capable of admission into the holy Catholique Church or if any ods there be it is in the different measure of their obseruance of the lawes prescribed to all especially the Law of louing God aboue all in Christ and of louing others as our selues for Christs sake 2 The last point is that of all such as are effectually called or authentiquely admitted into this Societie none euer reuolt againe to the Synagogue of Satan or to the world Their effectuall calling and solemne admission makes them such pillars in the house of their God that they cannot bee remoued Him that ouercommeth will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall goe no more out and I will write vpon him the name of my God and the name of the Citie of my God which is new Ierusalem which commeth downe out of heauen from my God And I will write vpon him my new Name Rev. 3.12 So he had said before vers 5. Hee that overcommeth the same shall be cloathed in white rayment and I will not blot out his name out of the booke of life but I will confesse his name before my Father and before his Angels Wherein this victorie consists and how in this life it may be obtained are points belonging to another Argument and haue beene elsewhere discussed at large That their names who thus ouercome are whilest they liue on earth written in the booke of life is euident out of the 20. chapter ver 12. the dead were iudged out of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes The difference betweene that part of Christs Church which is triumphant and that which is militant here on earth may be resembled by the estate of a visible Societie or Corporation of which the greater part or principall members liue at home in wealth in peace and quietnes whilest others of the same societie soiourn as Factors or Apprentices in forraigne lands yet certaine of their admission to the same priuiledges which the other enioy after they haue serued out their Apprentiship and performed all duties and services required by the lawes of their Corporations 3 Two questions or rather two branches of one and the same question yet remaine which euery one that sincerely mindeth matter of saluation will often make with himselfe First whether every one that sincerely professeth beleife of this article of the Holy Catholike Church be bound to beleeue that he himselfe is a true liue-member of the same Church The second whether euery one which professeth this article be bound to beleeue that there is a true possibilitie left him by the founder of this Church or Kingdome that hee may in good time become a true and liue-member of it Vnto the latter question my answer shall be out of the words of a woman to her husband distrusting Gods loue and fauor towards them whose words became Canonicall Scripture We shal surely die saith Manoah vnto his wife because wee haue seene God But his wife said vnto him If the Lord were pleased to kill vs he would not haue receiued a burnt offring and a meat offering at our hands neither would hee haue shewed vs all these things nor would at this time haue shewed vs such things as these Iudg. 13. vers 22 23. All and euery one ought to bee assured that if the Lord had any purpose to exclude them from being liue-members of this Holy and Catholike Church he would not so often so louingly inuite them by the preaching of the Word and exhibition of his holy Sacraments all which he mightily prophanes whosoeuer otherwise receiues them then as vndoubted pledges of Gods loue and fauour vnto him in particular 4 To the former question the answer is negatiue All are not bound to beleeue that they are actuall or reall members of the Catholike Church For none can truly beleeue thus much of himselfe but he that hath made his election sure and is certaine that his name is written in the booke of life Now though it be most true that whosoeuer is elect was elected frō al eternity whosoeuer is reprobated was reprobated from all eternity yet will it not hence follow that every man is at all times either in the absolute state of election and salvation or in the absolute state of reprobation and damnation This is too desperate a diuision to put Nouices in faith vpon it a cruell racke for tender consciences The best aduice which I can in this point giue is that no man especially no nouice in faith how strong a disputant soeuer he be seeke to winde himselfe into this Catholike Church by strength of syllogisme lest Sathan thence take occasion to wrest his hopes out of his hands by the same or like engine The iudicious Reader is to take further notice that many syllogismes which goe currant amongst some good Diuines haue many foule though secret flawes as hard to bee espied in this subiect of reprobation election and the like as in any other for these are hardly fashioned into syllogisticall forme Many propositions are often in vulgar matters taken for vniuersall when they are but indefinite First to instance in a subiect wherin the fallacie is more grosse and more easie to be discerned Quicunque dicit Alexandrum fuisse animal generosum is verum dicit At quicunque dicit Alexandrum fuisse Bucephalum dicit Alex 〈…〉 Ergo Quicunque dicit Alexandrum fuisse Bucephalum is verum dicit Whosoeuer saith Alexander the great was a generous creature saith true but he that saith Alexander was Bucephalus saih Alexander was a generous creature Therefore whosoever saith Alexander was Bucephalus saith true Others perhaps may answer otherwise but the onely flaw in this Syllogisme if wee examine it by the rules of Art is that the Major
proposition is indefinite although it beare in front a goodly show of an vniuersall note But how large soeuer the note of vniuersality be vnlesse it do plene afficere medium terminum it leaues the proposition as indefinite as it found it Now the medius terminus in the former syllogisme is animal generosum And to make the former proposition vniuersall the note of vniuersality should haue beene added to animal generosum as thus Quicunque dicit Alexandrum fuisse animal quoduis generosum is verum dicit At qui dicit Alexandrum fuisse Bucephalum dicit Alexandrum fuisse animal quoddam generosum Here had beene dictum de omni quodvis animal de quodam animali the Syllogisme for its forme had been true but the major proposition had beene apparantly false for Alexander was not euery generous creature or a generous creature of euery kind The fallacie is the same though not so easily discerned in these two syllogismes following Whosoeuer mortifies the deedes of the body by the spirit is certaine of life But I mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit Therefore I am an actuall and liue-member of the holy Catholike Church assured of salvation The vniuersall note whosoeuer doth not plene afficere medium terminum which is mortification which is in it selfe a terme indifinite and hath many degrees or parts To make the proposition vniuersall or concludent we should say thus Whosoeuer doth in any sort mortifie the deeds of the bodie is a liue member of the Catholike Church But I doe in some sort mortifie the deeds of the bodie Ergo I am a liue-member of the Catholike Church The forme of this syllogisme is true but now the Major is apparantly false otherwise hee that would admit of this proposition or conclusion in time of prosperitie or in speculations abstracted from cogitation of sins past or presēt the same party in consciousnes of actuall sin or grieuous temptations would yeeld to the premisses and conclusion following Whosoeuer liues after the flesh shall dye and is vtterly excluded from being a liue-member of the holy and Catholike Church But I haue liued and doe liue after the flesh Ergo I am but dead and lost I shall neuer be a liue-member of the holy and Catholike Church These two propositions Whosoeuer lines after the flesh shall dye whosoeuer doth mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit shall liue if we resolue them rightly are in value thus much 1 There is a degree or measure of mortification whervnto whosoever doth attaine is forthwith translated from death to life and becomes a liue-member of the holy Catholike Church a perpetuall Citizen of the Ierusalem which is aboue without all danger of disinfranchisement 2 There is a degree or measure of fleshly or carnall liuing which who so doth in this life reach vnto doth thereby without Gods extraordinarie mercy exclude himselfe from the Communion of Saints or society of the holy Church So that both propositions are vniuersall in respect of the persons both indefinite in respect of the thing it selfe to wit mortification or carnall liuing This degree or measure of mortification may be accomplished in this life But who they bee that haue attained to this perfect mortification or when they attaine thereunto must bee left to the iudgement of God and information of their owne consciences The safest rule for rectification of our consciences in this point is that of Saint Peter Brethren giue diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. chap. 1. vers 10. The meanes to make our election sure are there at large prescribed by him The briefe or abstract of it is this to follow those practices which our conscience enlightned by the light of Gods Word shall approue For a good conscience is the mouth of the Spirit and will one time or other speake words of comfort to euery one that hath it and seekes to keepe it And one voluntarie testimonie of it grounded vpon experience or constancie of good thoughts good deeds or resolutions is worth a thousand testimonies or confessions rackt from the speculatiue vnderstanding by force of Syllogisme SECT 2. Of the visible Church in generall Of its principall Attributes or priuiledges CHAP. VII Of the Church militant and Triumphant In what sense it is said that the true Church is inuisible SEeing our purpose in the former treatise was onely to find out the formall difference by which the One Holy Catholike and Apostolike Church is essentially constituted and distinguished from all other Congregations or Corporations there was no difference at all to be obserued betweene the significations of the Latine Concio and the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer formall difference fits the one doth as properly fit the other If wee looke vpon them as they lye in predicamentall line they haue the selfe same aspect or situation Their formall significations are as Synonymall as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke and Homo in Latine But being now to search out not the formall differences whereby the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or principally so named is distinguished from all other Societies but the secondarie acceptions or seuerall branches of analogie contained vnder the word Church or Ecclesia We are in the first place to note that the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a connotatiue signification or importance which the latine concio or English Church hath not It is as much in effect as euocata concio a societie selected or called out This evocation or selection is of diuers sorts and each sort admits diuers degrees The whole latitude aswell of the diuers sorts as of their degrees may best be taken partly by surueying the terminum à quo terminum ad quem that is the estate or condition of life whence men are called and the estate or condition of life vnto which such men are called as make the Church and partly from the nature qualitie or degrees of the evocation or motion it selfe Some are called from profession of Paganisme or from Infidelitie vnto the profession of Christianitie vocatione merâ externâ by externall vocation onely as by preaching of the word by exhibition of the Sacraments or other like visible or sensible invitations to become members of Christ And if they admit of the invitation profession of Christianity they become visible members of the Church indefinitely taken But proceeding no further the former calling through their owne default not in respect of Gods intention or purpose in calling them takes no reall effect We may say of them as our Sauiour saith in the parable Matth. 22. vers 8. The wedding is ready but they which were bidden were not worthy And men thus far called onely are meere grammaticall passiues and may be paralleld by the high way vpon which good seed was bestowed though not receiued 2 Others are called from Paganisme or Infidelitie vocatione internâ by internall touches or attractions which in some produceth no
the house of God That saying of the holy Spirit Act. 2. v. 47. was more peculiarly verified of those times and of that people then of any other times or people The Lord added to the Church daily such as should bee saued This saying includes thus much That all or most of those that professed themselues members of the then visible Church became liue-members of the holy Catholike Church And no wonder for the temptations or dangers which then hindred the Iewes or Gentiles but especially the Iewes from consociating themselues to the then visible Church were more and greater then such as hinder the members of later visible Churches from entring into the Kingdome of heauen or from resolute profession of that doctrine without which no member of any visible Church this day extant vpon earth can enter or be admitted into that one holy and Catholike Church Vntill Bellarmine Valentia Stapleton and some others did trouble the streame or current of Gods Word as much as we haue here said was cleerely represented to the aduersaries of our Church Witnesse that Enchiridion of Christian Institutions set forth by the prouinciall Councell of Colon vpon this Article of the Creede The Author of which Enchiridion were he one or more hauing diuided the Church into triumphant and militant ingenuously grants that the Church militant taken in its proper and strict sense is inuisible saue onely to God He grants withall that some members of the Church militant ita sunt in domo Dei vt ipsi sint Domus Dei they are so in the Church of God as they themselues are the Churches of God that is as we said before they are homogeneall and liue-members of the one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church or pillars and liuing stones so layed by the hand of God that they can neuer be remoued All hee had to say against Lutherans was verùm ad eum modum non oportet accipere Ecclesia vocabulum c. That when Christ commands vs to heare the Church or when the Fathers dispute about the authority of the Church we are not to take the Church militant so strictly as Luther Caluine and their followers somtimes doe to wit for the liue-members of Christs mysticall body All this may be granted we are not the men which they mistake vs for We neuer denied obedience to the visible Church which consists of good and bad which containes in it as well the reprobate as the elect All the difference betwixt vs is about the bounds or the limits of the obedience which wee owe vnto the visible Church Wee say first the present Romish visible Church doth exact greater and more absolute obedience then either Moses or such as sate in Moses chayre then either Christ or his Apostles did exact of their followers whilest hee liued here on earth Secondly wee say that we doe not owe the same measure of obedience to any visible Church now on earth as the primitiue professors and beleeuers did to our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles CHAP. VIII What is required to the constitution of a visible Church Whence the vnitie or pluralitie of visible Churches ariseth What vnitie may be had or expected betweene visible Churches independent one of another for Iurisdiction The diuers acceptions or degrees of the visible Church 1 TO the constitution of a visible Church there is required first externall profession of one and and the same faith Whether the parties making this profession be many or few it skils not Sometimes the father of the family with his sonnes and men-seruants were professors of the Christian faith taught by the Apostles whilest the mothers and the daughters with others of the same family remained in Paganisme and infidelity et é contra Now though the house so diuided were not the Church of God yet was there a visible Church of God or part of such a Church in that house A visible Church distinct from others in place of habitation onely not by diuersitie of faith or discipline For seuerall families of the faithfull were called Churches as being partes similares Homogeneall parts of some more intire or ample visible Church Secondly to the constitution of an intire visible Church there is required besides vnitie of profession or the vnitie of faith professed or of morall Lawes acknowledged an vnitie of Lawes or ordinances iudiciall or an vnity of discipline of astipulation or obligement vnto a peculiar kind of power or authority before vnusuall in other Societies or Corporations 2 Before the Pastors or gouernors of the Church had any commission or coactiue power deriued frō Princes States or Common weales to make Lawes for the Church or for punishing offenders euery member of the visible Church in what Realme or Kingdome soeuer seated did renounce or abiure all vse of such libertie as euery other member of the same Kingdome or common-weale which was no member of the Church did enioy It was not lawfull for one member of the visible Church to implead another in matter of controuersie or wrong before a forraigne Iudge And although this astipulation was not legall that is not authorised by any humane Law or custome yet did it bind them faster then any legall or ciuill bond Dare any of you saith S. Paul having a matter against another goe to Law before the vniust and not before the Saints Doe ye not know that the Saints shall iudge the world and if the world shall be iudged by you are ye vnworthy to iudge the smallest matters 1 Cor. cap. 6. vers 1 2. But if some member of this visible church had opposed this spirituall authority or reiected this discipline or astipulation what remedie had the Apostles against them In primitiue times euery one that was partaker of the Word of the Sacraments or of spirituall blessings did thereby subiect or oblige himselfe vnto a peculiar kinde of Iudicature or tribunall vnto which no other member of the Common weale or Kingdome which was no participant of the Word or Sacraments was either subiect or obliged And this was the sentence of Excommunication an extraordinarie and peculiar kind of Iudicature which the Apostles exercised by authoritie immediately deriued from Christ not by commission or warrant from Princes or Estates not by the positiue Lawes or ordinances of any Body ciuill or ecclesiasticke I verily as absent in body but present in spirit haue iudged alreadie as though I were present concerning him that hath so done this deed In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ when yee are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ To deliuer such a one vnto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. cap. 5. v. 3 4 5. That this Apostolicall Iudicature did extend onely to the visible church planted by him that it did extend to all and might be exercised vpon euery actuall member of the same Church is apparant from the
9 10 11. ver I wrote vnto you in an Epistle not to companie with Fornicators The Corinthians had extended this precept too farre so farre as it was not possible for them exactly to obserue it And vpon this occasion it seemes they did as it vsually fals out in like cases vtterly neglect to practise it within its proper bounds or limits The Apostle therefore expresseth his meaning not to be that they should not keepe company with the Fornicators of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or with Idolaters for then must ye needs goe out of the world But now I haue written vnto you not to keepe company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an Idolater or a railer or a Drunkard or an extortioner with such a one no not to eate For what haue I to doe to iudge them also that are without doe not yee iudge them that are within But them that are without God iudgeth 3 Thus it is true in blessings or priuiledges ecclesiasticall as well as ciuill Omnis commoditas sua fert incommoda secum Euery commodity or conveniēce is charged with some or other incommodious conditions Such of the Corinthians as were foris extra matriculam Ecclesiae visibilis out of the visible Church in Corinth were not subiect vnto this extraordinarie Iudicature or the inconveniences that did accompanie it Vnto all which euery visible member of the Chuch there planted was subiect But this subiection was like the seruice of God a great part of their perfect freedome and a chastisement not sweet for the present but grieuous yet yeelding the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse to them that were exercised by it All the Corinthians that were foris that is out of the visible Church there planted were more then lyable and more then obnoxious to a more dreadfull iudgement from God which one time or other must ineuitably fall vpon euery one that is not found in Christ or that is not a liue-member of the holy Catholike Church The onely meanes at least the ordinarie meanes then possible to be exempted from this fearefull iudgement was by associating themselues vnto the present visible Church and by submission of their soules to this peculiar Iudicature of Gods Apostles Christs Embassadours For this power as the Apostle elsewhere speakes was not giuen them for destruction but for edification The members of the Church that were thus iudged by them were chastened by the Lord that they should not bee condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. vers 32. Every Apostle of Christ had the same authoritie which S. Paul here practised namely full authoritie to set downe orders for governing the Chruches planted by them and for excommunicating all such persons as either contemptuously violated their orders or did otherwise scandalously trespasse against the morall Law of God 4 Was it then lawfull for any visible member of the Church planted by Saint Paul at Corinth in case of controuersies which were to be arbitrated according to the tenor of his prescript before rehearsed to appeale from the sentence of Saint Paul or other domesticke arbitrators vnto S. Peter or vnto any forraine Church or See planted or gouerned by him Or contrariwise was it lawfull for the Churches planted by Saint Peter to appeale vnto S. Paul If thus to doe it were not lawfull then questionlesse the Churches visible of Saint Pauls planting were as truely distinct from the Chruches planted or governed by Saint Peter as one free State or Common weale is from another vnto which it is not in iurisdiction or matter of appeale subordinate Now it is not the vnitie or identitie of lawes or customes that makes a Common weale or Kingdome to be one and the same vnlesse the persons which are subiect vnto the same Lawes be likewise subiect to the same Supreame Tribunall For albeit aswell the temporall Lawes as the Ecclesiasticall constitutions of Sweden or Russia were as like to our English Lawes Ecclesiasticall or temporall as one apple is like to another yet could not Russia Sweden and England bee so properly termed one Kingdome and Common weale as England and Scotland are although the Lawes by which those Kingdomes are gouerned be much different 5 In like manner admitting the Lawes discipline of all the Churches planted by Saint Peter by Saint Paul and other Apostles had beene the selfe same yet could they not in this respect bee so truly and properly said one visible Church as the particular Churches planted by Saint Paul especially in one and the same prouince were one Church albeit their Lawes or ordinances had been more different It is probable then that there were as many seuerall distinct visible Churches as there were Apostles or other Ambassadors of Christ immediately indued with this extraordinary iudicature which is immediately deriued from Christ and independent vpon any earthly power or any power whatsoever on earth whether spirituall or temporall Their opinion is very probable who thinke that euery Apostle had his peculiar circuit allotted him by Christ and that they did disperse themselues into twelue seuerall parts of the world According to this tradition of the Ancients a learned Criticke of our times in matters sacred doth point and interpret the 25. v. of the first of the Acts after another manner then any known Interpreter to my remembrance doth And they prayed saying Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen that he may take the roome of this ministration Apostleship frō which Iudas by transgression fell that he to wit Iudas might goe vnto his owne place Forso this place is ordinarily expounded but the Greek may bear another sense to wit that he that tooke part of the ministration and Apostleship from which Iudas had falne might bee sent that circuit which Iudas had he not falne should haue gone I It is then profession of the same faith participation of the Sacraments and subiection to the same Lawes and Ordinances ecclesiasticke which makes the visible Chruch to be one II It is the diuersitie of independent Iudicature or supreame tribunalls ecclesiasticke which makes pluralitie of visible Churches or distinguisheth one from the other III That which makes euery visible Church to be more or lesse the true Church of God is the greater or lesse efficacie or conformity of its publike doctrine and discipline for enapting or fashioning the visible members of it that they may become liue-members of the Holy Catholike Church or living stones of the new Ierusalem Euery true visible Church is as an inferiour Free-Schoole or Nurserie for trayning vp Scholars that they may be fit to be admitted into the celestiall Academie 6 There be two questions yet remaining of very good vse which if God permit shall bee more particularly discussed hereafter First Whether there be any Iudicature ecclesiasticke for independencie or otherwise altogether the same with that which the Apostles in
the first planting of Churches had and practised Secondly Whether independent Iudicatures ecclesiasticke did or may decrease or multiply in succeeding ages or so decrease for number that there shall be but one left on earth vnto which all ought to bee subiect so farre that there shall or can bee but one true visible Church Concerning the first point Whether there bee any Iudicature Ecclesiasticke altogether the same with that which the Apostles had I am not of opinion with Erastus that great Physition and good Diuine that the exercise of Excommunication was then onely needfull when no visible Church had any legall or ciuill remedie to preserue its vnitie or purge it selfe of grosse offenders Or that the right or power of Excommunication which the Apostles and their immediate successors had did vtterly expire and vanish after once whole Cities or Common weales became Christian and the Churches which before had onely soiourned amongst them were incorporated into them as liue principall members enabled by full authority deriued from the supreame Maiestie or soueraigntie of States or Kingdomes to inflict corporall punishment vpon offenders to enact coerciue or penall Lawes or other meanes necessary for diffusing the doctrine of life throughout the whole body politike without lett or incumbrance of any particular part or member But though I be not thus farre of Erastus his mind that the power of Excommunication did at that time specified by him vtterly expire or determine yet hath experience made it more then probable that after the Churches and Common weales were so mutually interwrapt and lincked together that euery member of the Common weale was inforced to become a member of the Church and to bee so admitted by Church Gouernours the edge of the spirituall sword was much abated the force of former spirituall ordinances became stifeled with the multitude of persons against whom they were directed Whether the defect bee in the power it selfe or in such as haue it but doe not vse it certaine it is that this branch of discipline is not in our dayes so effectuall as sometimes it hath beene either for framing visible Churches vnto the rules prescribed by their great Founders or first Planters or for conforming the members of the visible Church vnto the true Holy and Catholike Church The meere spirituall power with which alone the Apostles and their immediate Successors were indued was of greater efficacie then both the remainder of the like spirituall power in later Bishops and Pastors and all the strength of secular or ciuill power wherewith Princes States or Kingdomes since the mutuall incorporation of Common weales and Churches haue as they were in conscience and de iure divino bound assisted Prelates and Church-gouernors 7 To the second question Whether there be one or more independent tribunals the later Romanists vnanimously answer that there is but one onely Iudicature or supreame tribunall here on earth the Iudge whereof they make the onely head of all the Churches or as they would say of the whole militant Church here on earth Nostra sententia est saith Bellarmine Ecclesiam vnam tantum esse non duas et illam vnam et veram esse coetum bominum eiusdem christianae fidei professione et eorundem sacramentorum communione colligatum sub regimine legitimorum pastorum ac praecipue vnius Christi in terris vicarij Romani Pontificis Ex qua definitione facile colligi potest qui homines ad Ecclesiam pertineant qui vero ad eam non pertineant Tres enim sunt partes huius definitionis Professio verae fidei Sacramentorum communio et subiectio ad legitimum pastorem Romanum Pontificem The Church in our opinion saith Cardinall Bellarmine is one not two and this one true Church is a Company of men linked together by profession of the same christian Faith by communion of the same Sacraments vnder the gouernement of lawfull Pastors and chiefly of the Bishop of Rome Christs sole Vicegerent here on earth Out of this definition hee further addes it may easily bee gathered what men pertaine vnto the Church who pertaine not vnto it For the parts of this definition are three Profession of Faith Sacramentall Communion and subiection to the lawfull Pastor viz. the Bishop of Rome The conclusion which he aymes at is this that whosoeuer either doth not hold the same Faith in all points which the Romish Church doth or doth not communicate with that Church in the vse of Sacraments or doing both these doth not withall acknowledge the Bishop of Rome for his supreame Gouernour ecclesiastike hee no way belongs to the true Church Whosoeuer holds all the three parts of the former definition he is the true sonne of the same Church The militant Church saith the Author of the Antidote is a society or company of men linked and combined together in the same profession of the Christian Faith and vse of Sacraments vnder lawfull Pastors chiefly vnder one Head and Vicar of Christ the Pope of Rome the 3. part of the Antidote cap. 1. p. 17. § 5. 8 The Church triumphant is more beholding to or rather lesse iniured by this Cardinall and his followers then it was by some former Popes or Councels which as the Doctor of famous and blessed memorie long since obserued haue made the Pope head of the Church triumphant Cardinall Bellarmine and his Epitomists in making the Pope such an head of the vniuersall Church militant make him an essentiall head of all Christs actuall liue and indeficient members here on earth And thus to doe is an indignitie to Christ not literally or fully expressable by any tearmes which the tongue or pen of men can inuent It may notwithstanding be thus typically represented or shadowed Suppose a man should put a Gorgon or Saracens head made of straw or clouts taken out of a sinke or some other place not fit to be named vpon the Kings statue or image made by publike authority of pure gold hauing first stricken off or stollen away the true head which the Artificer had framed of matter homogeneall and correspondent for forme or proportion to the rest of the body 9 Contradictorie to Cardinall Bellarmine and the Author of the Antidotes definition wee may for the present conclude and the rules as well of nature and reason as of lawes supernaturall and diuine will ratifie our conclusion viz. First that since the Churches and Common-weales absolutely distinct each from other and independent one of another haue beene thus wedded together as soule and body as man and wife there haue beene as many seuerall visible Churches independent each on other for matter of iurisdiction or subiection to one visible Head as there be seuerall free States or Christian Kingdomes independent one of another Secondly that the subordination of Church to Church is in proportion the same with the subordination of the seuerall states wherein the Churches are planted The best vnion that can be expected betweene visible Chuches
seated in Kingdomes or Common-weales independent one of another is the vnitie of league or friendship And this may be as strict as it shall please such Common-weales or Churches to make it Thirdly to make the Church seated in one absolute State or Kingdome liue in subiection to another Church seated in another Kingdome or to any member of another Church or Kingdome head or branch is to erect a Babell or seat for Antichrist not to build vp one holy Church to Christ This practice or vsurpation of the Romish Church hath been the reason why the christian world for these many yeeres hath beene more confused and disordered then the Synagogue of Mahomet Nor is there any possibilitie that christian States or Kingdomes should euer be so vnited in faith and loue as that their ioynt prayers should be acceptable vnto God against the Turke or other professed enemie of Christ vntill they haue cast off this heauy yoke of Satanicall slauery But of these points hereafter 10 Lastly since the Church hath beene diffused throughout all and euery part of Kingdomes and Prouinces it is impossible that euery member should personally meete to make lawes and orders And yet all lawes are presumed to bee made by vniuersall consent and in this regard the Churches haue beene inforced to haue as well Churches as Bodies politike representatiue And inasmuch as the practice and custome hath beene to admit none but Cleargie or Church-men as members of the Body Ecclesiastike or Church representatiue the name of the Church hath beene in a manner appropriated to the Cleargie Church-men or Spiritualtie The Church or body Ecclesiastike representatiue that is the Church inabled to make lawes or canons Ecclesiastike of what members soeuer it doth may or ought to consist for their qualification as whether onely of Clarkes or whether it may admit some mixture of the Layetie is either permanently existent or existent onely by vicissitude or turnes The Church representatiue which is existent onely by vicissitude or at certaine times onely may bee comprehended vnder the names of Councels or Synods whether oecumenicall generall or prouinciall or of Conuocations ecclesiastike The Church representatiue permanently existent amongst the Romanists is the Consistorie of the Pope and his Cardinals Albeit in very deede the Iesuites the Canonists and later Papists of their instruction haue contracted the Church representatiue into the Popes brest alone He to vse their own dialect is the vertuall Church that is He eminently comprehends al the authoritie which is formally and ordinarily seated or inhaerent whether in the Church representatiue or in the whole militant and visible Church of God whereof He claimeth to bee the sole visible head He hath the same reference to the whole body of the Church visible besides as Plato his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the life or quintescence of the visible Church or in respect of that Church all in all So Cardinall Paleotus in his booke de sacro consistorio would perswade vs that as God Almighty sometimes gouernes the world by his ordinary power or by the ministerie or coagencie of second causes sometimes by his extraordinarie immediate or absolute power so the Pope sometimes determines controuersies in religion and orders the affaires of the Church by the consent and assistance of Councels or at least of his Consistorie somtimes by himselfe alone and by his sole plenarie and illimited power CHAP. IX That albeit the true Church be alwaies visible yet it is a grosse sophisme hence to inferre that the visible Church is alwaies the true Church or that one visible Church is more priuiledged from erring than another The strange blasphemie by which the Author of the Antidote seekes to support the infallibilitie of the visible Romish Church 1 THe subiect of our next inquirie shall bee so to share the titles or attributes giuen by the Scriptures orthodoxall antiquitie or other good authoritie to the Church indefinitely taken betweene that one Holy Catholike Church which wee beleeue in this Creede and the visible Church or Churches which we see or know so as that God and his Holy Church may haue their full dues and Gods deputies here on earth Caesars or other gouernours of his visible Church may haue no wrong The best and most generall rule for our direction in this search is that which will better appeare from a treatise concerning the exposition of prophesies For as one and the same prophesie touching Christ so one and the same promise made vnto the Church may be often literally verified and in different measure successiuely fulfilled of diuers parties Some promises may be literally verified of the visible Church or Synagogue of the Iewes before our Sauiours Incarnation and of the visible Churches planted by his Apostles and bee in part fulfilled throughout euery age of the liue-members of Christs body to vs inuisible but lastly to bee exactly fulfilled of the Church triumphant or Kingdome of glory 2 Most of the later Romanists arguments are meere Sophismes à dicto secundùm quid ad simpliciter that is they take all those glorious titles or promises made to the Church in its most ample or exquisite signification to be exactly and intirely fulfilled of the visible Church throughout all ages when as they are verified of it in part onely or at some speciall times or by way of type or shadow and vnto which she hath at no time any absolute title but conditionall In this mist of ignorance the Author of the blinde guide of faith in his second chapter doth strangely wander not onely from the truth but from the leuell which hee had taken not much amisse in the first chapter of his treatise and as his custome is when hee hath lost his way like a balling Hound not well entred fals a barking at Doctor Whitaker whose words or meaning how sincerely he quotes or recites I leaue it to the vnpartiall Readers examination In his third chapter hauing proposed this Thesis That the true visible Church is apparantly knowne and famous to the world he labours to proue in the fourth chapter that the true visible and apparantly knowne Church can neuer faile That the visible Church was in the Apostles time and after the true Church of God we neuer denyed nor will we contend with him whether the true Church of God on earth can euer faile no not whether euer it ceaseth to be visible Where then is the difference These two propositions the true Church of God is alwaies visible the visible Church is alwaies the true Church of God differ as much as a Mill-horse and a Horse-mill or as to stand with a man and to withstand a man The whole visible Church in the dayes of the Emperours Constantius and Valens did Arianize as the Romanist cannot deny The best answer that they can giue to this Instance is that these Emperours did not raigne long for Valens died within
three yeeres after the persecution by him begun Howeuer the Councell of Millain of Sirmium c. was the then visible Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I hope they wil not say that it was the true Church of God For though almost all the Bishops and most Christians throughout the Romane Empire did subscribe vnto these Councels yet was not the true Church of God during these three yeeres inuisible but more remarkably visible in some few which did contradict the then visible Church content to suffer exile or other martyrdome in maintenance of the Holy Catholike faith which is the life and soule of the Church of God In few ages after wherein worse beasts then Valens was were chiefe Gouernours of the visible Church that is after the succession of Romish Bishops was growne vp vnto a perfect beast according to the measure of Antichrist the true Church of God was remarkeably visible in such as that visible Church did condemne for heretikes Instances to this purpose are plentifull in vnpartiall Writers And when the doctrine of Antichrist was come to his full growth as in the Councell of Trent although the whole bodie of Germany besides Chemnitius and some few others although the whole visible Church of France besides Caluin and some such had subscribed vnto that Councell yet the true Church of God had beene visible in France and Germanie in these worthies Enough there was in their writings against that Councell to condemne all such as followed it that is the visible or representatiue Church of Rome of palpable Antichristian heresie Yet when we say that the true Church of God was visible in these men in their writings or in Iohn Hus c. wee doe not tye our selues to embrace what soeuer they wrote for truth Wee may say of the true visible Church or of the truth by which we become visible members of the true Catholike Church as one said of Truth philosophicall That it could not be sound intire in the writings of any one Sect of Philosophers in the writings of all of them it might This aduantage we haue of all the Philosophers that we haue a surer and more perfect rule for examining the writings or doctrines of seuerall visible Churches than they had any for examining truths philosophicall Absolutely to assent in each particular to any writers or teachers since the first constitution of the Apostolike Church or accomplishment of the written rule of faith were to dissent from them in the maine and fundamentall point of Catholicke Faith For vnlesse there bee an vnfayned and hearty desire a spirit of watchfulnesse and of willingnesse to limit our adherence vnto whatsoeeuer other writings according to the greater or lesse evidence of their consonancy with the written rule neither Scholar nor Master nor Church visible or representatiue can be any other then equiuocall or dead members of the true Church The Catholike faith it selfe could it possibly be planted in any mans heart without the spirit or Genius to direct or informe it would quickly either putrifie or grow crooked 3 Amongst other glorious titles wherwith the same Author seekes to adorne the Church of Rome this which is the title of his fift chapter is one that the true Church cannot erre A proposition I must confesse as hard for vs to disproue if hee take it in sensu composito as it is for him to proue in sensu diuiso That no Church as it is true and whilest it is true or in respect of those points with reference to which it is denominated true can possibly erre is a truth that cannot be denied But if by the true Church he mean a visible or the visible Romish Church there neither is nor hath been any visible Church though planted by the Apostles themselues which since their times hath not either ceased to bee a visible Church or else continued for a long time as palpably erroneous and false as truely visible Whatsoeuer this Author deeme or write his Fellowes and Masters with one mouth confesse that every priuate man in their Church may erre that the Bishops assembled in Councell without the Popes direction or confirmation of their sentence may erre that the Pope himselfe vnlesse he speake ex cathedra may erre And by this confession either the Romish church is no true Church saue onely whilest the Pope speakes è Cathedra or else the whole bodie of the true Church if the Romish church be the true Church may sometimes erre For at all times else both head and members of this Church may erre In this inference I take it as granted that the Pope doth not alwaies speake ex cathedra Now if in these interims of his cathedrall silence any Bishop Priest or Iesuit shal take vpon them to instruct their Auditors out of the Pulpit or otherwise in points of faith or controuersie their poore flocke by this mans collections against vs cannot be made partakers of that true and infallible faith without which no man can be saued because their Preachers or ministers are not infallible nor to vse his words vndoubtedly fenced from all danger of errour His collections against vs are these Finally to what end doe Protestants striue so much for the Churches erring but onely to depriue themselues thereby of Church Faith and Religion For wheras neither religiō nor Church can stād without supernaturall faith nor supernaturall faith be attained without infallible certainty of the things beleeued if their Preachers their Ministers their Church be not vndoubtedly fenced frō all danger of error the Articles they beleeue haue not that inerrable warrant which is necessarie to faith Did this man may wee thinke beleeue that hee himselfe was vndoubtedly fenced from all danger of errour If he did so beleeue the Cardinalls of Rome shall doe him much wrong if they chuse him not Pope the next Election or appoint him not as coadiutor to the present Pope If it be replyed that the Romish instructers bee they Bishops or Priests cannot erre because they neither beleeue nor teach others to beleeue any points of faith but with absolute submission of their instructions to what the Pope already hath spoken or shall hereafter speake ex cathedra concerning the same points the medicine will be a great deale worse then the disease For this perswasion or resolution is altother incompatible with the first grounds of faith and is flat Apostacie from Christ as hath beene discussed at large in the second booke vpon the Creed and shall be further manifested if occasion require in the second booke of this Treatise To the former obiection the answer on our part is easie For true faith receiues its infallibilitie not from any infallibilitie in our immediate and ordinary teachers but from the infallibility of the truths themselues which they propose vnto vs out of the rule of truth and from the infallibilitie of that internall and secret Teacher without whose impressions of truths infallible in mens hearts no true faith
can bee conceiued by the Church it selfe in what sense soever taken or by any member of it But this point likewise hath beene fully discussed throughout our second booke vpon the Creed Concerning this glorious title of not erring wherewith he seekes to invest the visible Church the case is easie and the issue short If the true Church which can neuer erre be the visible Church then that visible Church which often hath erred and doth still erre cannot be the true Church nor such a supreame Iudge of controversies as hee imagines the visible Romish Church to bee in his 6. chapter Now whether the visible church of Rome hath not of later yeeres grosly erred in many points most grieuously in this very opinion of their own absolute infallibilitie comes to bee disputed in the second book In which likewise it shall by Gods assistance appeare that this vanting Doctor hath really danced in that inextricable maze which hee termes but an Imaginarie circle cap. 7. 4. The speciall title or attribute which in this place requires larger discussion whether it belong meerly to the Holy Catholike Church so termed by Excellency or in some measure also vnto the visible Church is that Maxime vsuall amongst the Fathers Extra Ecclesiam non est salus that is as the forecited Author proposeth it cap. 8. that out of the true Church there can be no hope of salvation in any congregation or sect whatsoeuer As an additionall to this generall Testimonie they adde that of S. Hierom. tom 2. Ep. 57. ad Damas tom 4. l. 4. comment in cap. 11. Isa If any one were not in the Arke he was drowned in the time of the inundation If any one he not in the Church he perisheth in the day of destruction And againe Gaudentius a little more ancient then Hierom as this Author cites him It is manifest that all men of those times perished excepting onely such as deserued to bee found within the Arke bearing a type or figure of the Church For so in like manner they cannot be saved who are separated from the Apostolike faith and Catholike Church Guide of Faith cap. 8. 5 Pius Quartus affirmeth that that Creed which he hath patched vp out of the Nicene creed councel of Trent is the Faith extra quam non est salus out of which there is no saluation Vnto an empty discourse addressed to this purpose the said Author of the Antidote in his ninth chapter of the Guide of faith hath prefixed this swelling title No Sectarie so he termes vs can be saved by beleeuing generall heads The marke he aymes at is that we are bound vnder penaltie of damnation to beleeue whatsoeuer the visible Church commends vnto vs as a point of faith as firmely as we beleeue the generall articles of the Apostolike or Nicene Creed And to obtrude this conclusion vpon vs which would draw vs to a generall Apostasie hee hath shamelesly transferd that royall prerogatiue of Gods morall law auouched by S. Iames Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guiltie of all c. 2.10 vnto all the mandates of the visible Church And lastly to accumulate impudency hauing once transgressed the bounds of Christian modestie hee further addes That it is not enough to beleeue all the mandates of the visible Church vnlesse wee doe communicate with it in practice But in what points we may communicate with the Romish church in what we may not shall bee in particular discussed hereafter For a generall answer to his blasphemous allegations we can conceiue none better none so good as that which S. Iames hath framed for vs He that said Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt do no murder Thou shalt not commit adultery nor beare false witnesse against thy neighbour said also in more precise and cautelous termes Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image nor the similitude of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them c. Now if we shall communicate with the present Romish church in worshipping the Images of the Almighty Creator of the persons in Trinity and of euery liuing creature in heauen or in adoring the similitudes of bread and wine or rather bread or wine it selfe wee should daily draw the guilt of transgressing the whole Law of God vpon vs. Werâ— not these kind of men further transported with their blind zeale vnto their owne Traditions and malice towards the Gospell of Christ then the Iewes were we might referre this point vnto the Romanists as the Apostles did the like vnto the Iudgement of the Iewes Whether it be better to obey God forbidding or the visible Church commanding the adoration of Images or the consecrated Hoast Iudge ye CHAP. X. In what cases Arguments of proportion may bee drawne from Allegories A full explication of the Allegorie vsed by S. Paul Gal. 4. and of the Argument or concludent proofe in the same Allegorie contained 1 VNto the argument drawne from Noahs Arke I could vse the common exceptioÌ„ Sensus allegoricus aut Symbolicus non est sensus argumeÌ„tativus That points of Doctrine are not to be grounded vpon the allegoricall or Symbolicall sense of scriptures But exceptions are then vsefull when they are needfull they are then only needfull when the Testimonies against vs are not only true but concludenr And some good writers to my apprehension haue not in any point giuen greater advantâ—ge to their aduersaries then by denying Orthodoxall or plausible antecedents when they should haue examined the Argument or trauersed the vulgar Iudgement concerning the consequence We will not therfore deny that the argument may be rightly drawn from Noahs Arke vnto Christ his Church which in Thesi is as much as to say that sensus allegoricus seu mysticus est aliquando argumentativus The allegoricall or mystical sense is somtimes argumentatiue yea it is alwaies so when the Allegorie is rightly grounded vpon the literall sense and when the termes are distinct and rightly suited For such an allegorie is an argument from proportion which is the most vsuall kinde of argument amongst sacred Writers I will instance in two arguments of S. Paul in the one of which I must be somewhat longer because it is more difficult Yet to recompence this inconuenience the matter of it rightly explicated is very Homogeneall or suteable to the matter now in hand and may serue as a leading case to others which we are hereafter to handle Galat. cap. 4. ver 21 22 23 24 25 26. Tell me ye that desire to be vnder the Law doe ye not heare the Law For it is written that Abraham had two sons the one by a boÌ„dmaid the other by a free woman but he who was of the bondwoman was borne after the flesh but he of the free-woman was by promise which things are an allegory As euery Analogie or proportion so euery Allegorie
sprinkling of the ashes of an Heifer The third terme typified by the Ceremoniall sinne is mans naturall corruption sinnes originall or actuall or sinne of what kind soeuer committed against the morall Law of God The fourth terme is the sacrifice by God appointed to purifie and clense vs from such sinnes and that was the bloody sacrifice of our Lord and Sauiour Christ whereof the legall sacrifices were types or shadowes So that the legall sacrifices had two vses or references the one expiatory for their offring did expiate sins meerly ceremoniall the other sacramentall or prefiguratiue for they did picture out or represent the eternall sacrifice whereby our redemption was fully wrought as the Apostle proues at large in the 10. chapter to the Hebrewes His argument in this place is in effect thus The same efficacie which sacrifices meerly legall offred by the Priest had in cleansing men from sinnes meerly ceremoniall as from touching of the dead or some creeping thing c. the same but much greater efficacy hath the blood of Christ being offred by the eternall Spirit that is by the Godhead personally dwelling in him to cleanse vs from all sinnes against the morall Law of God and to purifie vs from such dead workes as not expiated by his blood would bring forth euerlasting death Now the Apostle takes it as granted that the legall sacrifices did not onely sufficiently cleanse men from such sinnes but withall did legally sanctifie them and so in like manner Christs blood was not onely the full price of our redemption but is withall the fountaine of our sanctification by which we are qualified for admission into the heauenly Sanctuary 4 The first originall of the Iewes hypocrifie and malice was their ignorance in the law of Moses for they thought these legall sacrifices were sufficient to clense them from all sins whatsoeuer And if such sacrifices could haue freed from sinne the Iew had beene most free from sin of any people liuing Most of those that presecured our Sauiour Christ might be as S. Paul was whilest he was a persecutor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without staine or blot in respect of the righteousnesse which is of the Law Phil. 3.6 In presumption of this their integrity with reference to the Law of Ceremonies of their being Abrahams sons not by Agar but by Sarah the better sort of the worser Iewes scorned to heare of being set free by the truth it selfe which they in part beleeued If ye continue in my word then are you my disciples indeed And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free They answered him We be Abrahams seed and were neuer in bondage to any man how saiest thou Ye shall be made free But our Sauiour tells them In as much as they committed sinne they were the seruants of sin being servants they were in the same case with Agar and her son for the seruant abideth not in the house for euer If the son therefore shall make you free yee shall be free indeed Iohn 8. vers 31 32 33 34 35 36. Thus you see that the Apostle Gal. 4. v. 18. c. did teach no other thing thā our Sauiour here doth These Iewes by relying vpon the prerogatiues of the Law became as sons of the bondwoman remaining still slaues to sin Others by adhering to the new Testament which the Son of God ratified by his blood became sons of the freewomā or as this Euangelist elsewhere speaks the sons of God How exactly the present visible Romish Church doth parallel Agar and the Ierusalem which thē was when our Sauiour and S. Paul thus wrote and spake shall by Gods assistance be declared hereafter Let vs now see how ill that Church doth parallel Noahs Arke CHAP. XII The Allegorie or Argument of proportion drawne from Noahs Arke explicated according to the former rules and retorted vpon the Romanist 1 FRom these and the like Arguments drawne from the types to their antitypes we are for conclusion to frame the Argument drawn from Noahs Arke after another fashion and to a better end then the Romanist doth The termes of proportion in this argument are conspicuous First Noah secondly his Arke thirdly the meanes of safety from the flood by his Arke Termes to these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are first Christ 2. his Church and 3. the saluation of such as enter into his Church First to parallel Noah and Christ in some few points The Lord said vnto Noah Gen. 7. ver 1. Thee haue I found righteous before mee in this generation that is as the Apostle saith of Abraham hee had whereof to boast with men but not with God He was righteous not only coram hominibus but prae hominibus coram Deo more righteous than any other man liuing euen in the sight iudgmēt of God yet not perfectly righteous in the sight of God This was Christs peculiar in whō that which was in some measure or cōparatiuely verified in Noah was exactly fulfilled for he onely amongst all the Generations of men was altogether pure and righteous before God Againe Noah was a Preacher of righteousnesse and extraordinarily qualified for this function by the spirit of Christ So much that place of S. Peter proueth in his 1. Epistle 3. chapter verse 18 19 20. For Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust that hee might bring vs to God being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit By which also he went and preached vnto the spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient when once the long-suffring of God waited in the dayes of Noah while the Arke was a preparing Yet Noah had but his portion though a large one of the Spirit sed Christo Deus non admetitur spiritum God giueth not the Spirit by measure to Christ Ioh. 3. verse 34. He spake but the word and great was the number of Preachers and from his inexhaustible fulnesse wee all receiued grace for grace 2 Againe Noah built an Arke by Gods appointment for the safetie of all such as were obedient to his preaching into which whosoeuer would not enter was destroyed by the Floud for disobedience to his preaching All this was fulfilled of the Church which Christ builded for whosoeuer doth not enter into it shall be deuoured by the euerlasting flames for disobedience to this authentique Preacher of righteousnesse The issue then betweene vs and the Romanists is vnto what Church Noahs Arke answers as a figure to the visible Romish Church or onely to the Church before defined which is one Holy and Catholike Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee say of this later onely not of any visible Church saue onely so farre as it is an introduction to this Church Our reason is this Although it be true that none of the sonnes of men besides such as entred into Noahs Arke were saued from the deluge yet is not this negatiue more vnquestionably true then the affirmatiue That
hearing of the word of Christ or in the administration of the Sacraments bound she is to withdraw from him all benefits or comfort of Christs death and passion which are committed to her dispensation vntill he repent and bee reconciled againe vnto Christ 4 From this truth some excellent writers against the vsurped power of the Romish Church in the vse or exercise of Peters keyes some I say aswell before Luthers time as since haue gathered this generall doctrine That the visible Church hath only power to declare who are separated or excommunicated ipso facto from the holy Catholike Church she hath no power so to separate or excommunicate any excommunicatione majori by the greater excommunication vnlesse they haue first excommunicated themselues or voided their hopes or interests in the holy Catholike Church by hereticall positions or opinions or by lewd and scandalous misdemeanours Of this opinion was that famous Weselius which was intituled lux mundi before Luther arose or the light of the Gospell which we now enioy did break forth But though the doctrine be true yet he and such as follow him extend the truth of it a little too farre and beyond its proper subiect There is a meane betweene this opinion and the contrary extreame of the Romanist which cannot be found out without some diuision of such errours or other causes as either iustly deserue or at least may be pretended to deserue excommunication or vtter separation from the visible Church Some errors in Diuinitie as we say are heresies ex specie of so deadly a nature that they induce a separation from the Holy Catholike Faith euen in their very first degree Of this ranke are all such errours in Religion as are directly opposite or contrary to those fundamentall points whose positiue beliefe is necessary to saluation which he that beleeues not is infidelis secundùm infidelitatem purae negationis that is such an Infidell as they are which cannot say the Lords Prayer the Creed or ten Commandements by heart or know not the generall contēts of them and which peremptorily to deny or contradict doth argue infidelitatem prauae dispositionis an infidelitie of contradiction We say in Logicke Euery contrarietie if it be direct and full doth necessarily include a contradiction as he that saith nix est alba Snow is white doth as fully contradict him that saith nix est nigra Snow is blacke as hee that should say nix non est nigra Snow is not blacke For album esse to be white is somewhat more then non esse nigrum not to be blacke The rule is applyable in Diuinity and of good vse in this present argument If not to beleeue there is one God if not to beleeue that this one God is the Author of goodnesse and the rewarder of such as seeke him be infidelitas purae negationis a priuatiue infidelitie and argue an absolute priuation of life spirituall then to beleeue there bee more Gods then one or that God is not the Author of goodnesse but it is all one whether we serue him or serue him not is an errour ex specie in its kind hereticall and deadly If it be infidelitas purae negationis an infidelitie priuatiue not to beleeue the incarnation of Christ as certainly it is for all such as doe not beleeue it are Infidells then to bee but positiuely perswaded that Christ is not truly man is an errour ex specie hereticall a deadly heresie infidelitas prauae dispositionis an infidelity of cōtradiction or contrariety Againe if not to beleeue the Sonne of God is truly God or if not to beleeue that this true Son of God was incarnate for vs necessarily argue a priuation of life spirituall and be as we say infidelitas purae negationis a priuatiue infidelity then if any man which acknowledgeth Christ bee of opinion that he is not as truly God as he is man this man by entertaining such an opinion doth vndoubtedly separate and disunite himselfe from the holy bond of Catholike faith and by consequence stands excommunicated ipso facto from the Holy Catholike Church and depriued of the communion of Saints whether the visible Church doth her duty or no in depriuing him of all communion with her selfe or with her members yea though the Pastors or Gouernors of the visible Church could by bribery or other sinister respects be mis-swayed if not to abett or maintaine him in it yet to vse conniuence towards him Now of all such errours as are ex specie hereticall and necessarily induce a separation or disunion from the holy Catholike Faith or Church the former assertion of Weselius is true to wit That the visible Church doth not by her authoritie cut them off from being members of the holy catholike Church but onely declare them to be no members of that Church And of all persons excommunicated by the visible Church or that separate themselues from the visible Church for feare of being censured vpon these causes or occasions the former Maximes are vniuersally true There is no hope of saluation for them vntill they returne againe into the bosome of the visible Church by vnfaigned sorrow and by true submission and repentance Yet suppose they neuer returne againe to the visible Church they are not therefore depriued of saluation because they are extra Ecclesiam visibilem out of the visible Church but because they were cast or went out of it vpon such causes or occasions as did first make them to be extra Ecclesiam sanctam catholicam out of the Holy and Catholike Church Or in case by repentance they returne againe into the visible Church whence they were cast out and obtaine saluation yet are they not therefore saued because they are in the visible Church saue onely as it is the meane or an instrument of reuniting them vnto the Holy Catholike Church or of ingraffing them into Christ Other opinions or errors in religion there be that be ex specie very dangerous yet not deadly vnlesse they be in a high degree or perhaps in the highest degree not deadly in themselues vnlesse they be mingled with some spice of some other pertinacie or disobedient humor more then ariseth meerly from the strength or habit of the errour or from the nature of the obiect about which the errour is To be perswaded that the blessed Virgin did not continue so pure a virgin all her life time after our Sauiours birth as she was before is certainly an errour ex specie very dangerous yet nothing so deadly as the errour of Eutyches which held that our Sauiour Christ did not after his resurrection and glorification continue as truly man as he was before So long as a man holds errours of this second ranke onely to himselfe being not sufficiently enlightned by the messengers of truth to discern their danger nor admonished by pastorall authority to abandon them as it cannot bee denyed that hee is soule-sicke so it is not safe to affirme that hee is
sicke of them vnto death no not after the second or third monition vnlesse his monitions be seasoned or tempered with a large measure of fatherly and louing instructions grounded vpon perspicuitie of truth Frequent contempt or neglect of such admonitions though it be in matters not altogether deadly may induce a separation from the holy Catholike faith vnto which nothing is more opposite then disobedience in cases wherein obedience by the Law of God is due 5 Euery one that is not rooted in faith and not truly ingraffed in Christ although for speculatiue opinions he be an Orthodoxe yet is he in respect of saluation but as an Embryon or as the seed or homogeneall Element from which vegetables or liuing bodies spring Now among such seeds or modells of vegetables or sensitiue bodies as are not yet organized or being organized are not truly informed or quickned some may bee so inwardly or deepely tainted that no benignity of natiue soile no comfort of Sunne no refreshing of wholsome winds or dew of Heauen can quicken or giue them specificall perfection Oâ—her seedes there are of the same kinde which though tainted yet they are not so deeply tainted but that they might bee organized or quickned by such comforts or cherishments as could not reuiue the former albeit euen the latter also are certaine shortly to perish if they be transplanted from a good soile to a bad or be exposed to noisome winds or other vncomfortable occurrences or contagious adherents Now every errour as was intimated before in matters of Religion is a tainting or an infection or sicknesse of the soule and of errors some are so deadly that neither the bosome of the Church nor all the benefits of Christs death committed to her custodies though imparted in as ample manner as she can distribute can reuiue or quicken the parties tainted with them Other errors againe there be not so dangerous in their kind or not so ful grown but that the parties tainted with them may retaine or recouer life so they may continue in the visible Church and enioy the communion of Saints and participate with them in the word of life in deuout prayers and in the ordinary vse of Sacraments Howbeit even these errours also become deadly if the parties in whom they settle bee with Hagar and Ismael cast out of Abrahams family into the wildernesse or be constrained to dwell in Mesech or to haue their habitation amongst the Tents of Kedar Now in respect of such as are cast out of the visible Church because they will not abandon or cast out such naughty though not deadly opinions out of their soules the former rule of Weselius concerning excommunication failes if it bee extended as farre as some haue done it For some haue taught or by their speeches giuen others iust occasion to conceiue their meaning to bee That the visible Church hath onely a declaratiue sentence in all excommunications whereas this rule is to be restrained vnto excommunications onely of the former ranke that is such as are directed against manifest heresies ex specie hereticall and deadly To kill a man already dead in heresie the Church cannot but onely declare him to be dead The visible Church notwithstanding hath power simply and absolutely to excommunicate some of her members albeit it doth not fully appeare vnto her whether the opinions wherewith their soules are tainted doe either necessarily induce or argue a schisme or separation from the holy Catholike faith Yea though this point be doubtfull or though it be more probable that the opinions as held by them doe not induce a separation from the holy Catholike Church or Faith yet may the visible Church vse her authoritie of binding them before they haue bound themselues and depriue them of all communion with the sound and orthodoxe members of the Church lest happily they might by their vicinitie infect others It would argue more folly then pitty or at least more pitty then discretion or wholesome discipline if the Church should be indulgent to such as are ouer indulgent to their naughty opinions or lewd affections especially if they hurt others either by misperswasion or ill example 6 Now of all and euery party that is cast out of the Church vpon these occasions the former Maxime extra Ecclesiam non est salus out of the Church is no saluation is most true The most wholesome and most effectuall medicine that can bee applyed vnto soules sicke of this sicknesse is to bee instant in denouncing vnto them that albeit they be not as yet spiritually dead yet there is small hope of life vnlesse they seeke re-admission with sighes and teares into the bosome of the visible Church And though it be true that such as doe not in time seeke their re-admission by repentance doe therefore perish because rhey are separated from the visible Church yet doe they not perish quatenus separantur à visibili Ecclesia sed quatenus separantur ab Ecclesia sancta Catholica that is their separation from the visible Church is a praeuiall disposition to the spiritual death or such a cause of it as the Pilots absence is to the passengers whose company hee hath for their misdemeanours abandoned yet doth not their spirituall death properly consist in this separation nor immediately and instantly result from it but it consists in or immediately results from their separation from the Holy Catholike Faith and Church vnto both which the visible Church wherein they liued so they had still remained in the bosome of it might haue vnited or wedded their soules or yet may reunite them so they will with submissiue or heartie repentance returne vnto it CHAP. XIV Declaring by one speciall instance the particular manner and opportunities by which the Church visible or representatiue did first incroach vpon the royall Attributes of the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church For what causes Christians may separate themselues or suffer themselues to bee separated from any visible Church whereof they were sometimes members 1 FRom this distinction of errours in Religion which either deserue or may bee pretended to deserue the sentence of excommunication wee may discouer the manner how the great monster with seuen heads and tenne hornes the grand mysterie of iniquitie was brought forth out of the wombe of the visible and as the Romanists call it the Catholike Church The manner was thus seeing the ancient and orthodoxe Fathers had in the name and power of the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church as they were in dutie bound excommunicated the Encratists Eutychians Arians Nestorians c. which had manifestly excommunicated or diuorced themselues from the holy Catholike Faith by adherence to their wicked opinions the Successors of these holy Bishops in place of authority but not in holinesse and vnderstanding in matters spirituall tooke vpon them to pronounce the like censure vpon euery opinion which they disliked and expected the whole visible Church should hold the persons of men whom they excommunicated
though God wot vpon most dislike occasions in as great execration as those whom the ancient Fathers excommunicated 2 A notable instance to iustifie this assertion wee haue in the seuenth Synod or second Nicene Councell The point in debate was whether such Prelates and other Ministers as had fauoured the Eiconaclastae and withstood the worshipping of Images were to be receiued againe into the Church and to be restored to their dignitie vpon their submission The bookes being produced by which it did appeare that Athanasius Cyrill and other ancient Pillars of the orthodoxall Church had receiued notorious heretikes into their fauour and communion againe a Bishop of the Prouince of Sicilia learnedly puts in this exception or caueat The Canons of the blessed Fathers which hitherto haue beene produced were enacted against the Nouatians the Encratists and Arians But as for the Masters of this present heresie in what ranke shall wee place them Vpon which a Deacon of the same Church and Prouince propounds this question Whether is this new sprung heresie greater or lesse then those heresies which haue beene before it To all which the great Herod of Constantinople Tharasius being reconciled quoad haec to the Romane Pilate Pope Adrian makes this learned answer Euill is alwaies the same alwaies equall This is true saith Epiphanius the venerable Deacon of the most holy Church of Catanes Vicar or Deputie for the most blessed Thomas Archbishop of Sardinia but especially true in causes ecclesiasticall or matters concerning the Church from whose decrees to swarue in matters great or small is all one seeing the diuine Law is violated in both cases And after him one Iohn a venerable Monke Vicegerent for the orientall thrones as if his part had beene to act the Parasite in the Comedie and to turne magnas into ingentes gaue this verdict This heresie is worse then all other heresies and of all euils the very worst c. But was this great Patriarch Tharasius so stoically senslesse as not to be offended with this illiterate rough-shod Asse that thus would claw him like a Spannell For if this heresie were worse then all other heresies or the worst of euils the most excellently illiterate Patriarch and the venerable Deacon were grosly ouerseene in their sentence That all errours or heresies in matters ecclesiastike were equall Or will any Christian be so senselesly partiall as to thinke that this illiterate factious Councell could be Prophets or Doctors infallible in their conclusions when they bewray themselues to be grosse heretikes or more then heathenish Stoicks in the premisses that Malum semper est idem aequale that euill is alwaies the same alwaies equall Thus by the selfe same stroke of Authority by which this Councell did de facto thrust all other out of the visible Church that would not worship Images they haue declared themselues to be excommunicated de iure from the holy Catholike Church 3 In this assertion the ancient Fathers vnanimously accord that defection or swaruing from the Catholike Faith doth exclude men from the Catholike Church and by consequence from saluation but about the extent or precise limits of holy Catholike faith or about the exact list of Articles to be beleeued their concord is not so generall What particular opinions did induce or argue a defection frō Catholike faith or diuorce from the Catholike Church was neuer consented vpon by the ancient Fathers nor could their ioynt authoritie in this case be so great as in the former The latter ages of such as in respect of vs are ancient are in this point various and superstitious But of the vse effects or iust causes of excōmunication we shall haue occasion to speak more particularly hereafter The rules most pertinēt to our present busines which serue as an entry to the main controuersie betwixt vs the Romanists are two 4 The former immediately concernes Prelates or Church Gouernours They are alwaies to remember that this power is giuen them not for destruction or to shew their owne greatnesse but for the edification of others and therefore neuer to be vsed but vpon speciall and weighty occasions Hee that strikes fiercely with his spirituall sword at feathers doth alwaies either wound himselfe or wrest his arme neither is it safe to measure the iustice of Prelates proceedings by the euent or to collect that God doth approue their sentence because the partie sentenced by them may often come to a wofull or feareful end They may dye in their sinnes and Gods iustice may be manifest in the manner of their death and yet for all this their blood may bee required at their hands which did thus rule them with a rod of iron or feede them as the Apostle sayes with the sword when they should haue nourished them with the milke of the Gospell or at least haue vsed salutari seueritate wholesome seueritie towards them The second caueat concernes priuate men and it is that they be more vnwilling to separate themselues from the visible Church then to be cut off from the common-wealth wherein they liue The occasions of voluntary separation ought to be more weighty and hainous in respect of the parties from whom they voluntarily separate themselues then are the causes of excommunication for which inferiours are violently yet iustly separated from the Church by their Gouernours Cato as one saith could not haue committed so hainous a murther by killing another man as by killing himselfe for I thinke it had scarce beene possible for him to haue killed any Romane that had lesse deserued death than himselfe did yet not in this respect onely but simply and absolutely it was a greater sinne in him and is more vnlawfull for any man to kill himselfe then to kill another The rule is as true in this point of spirituall murther that is of vnlawfull separation actiue or passiue from the visible Church Though it be a grieuous sinne in Gouernours to depriue their inferiours of all communion with the visible Church vpon light and vnnecessarie occasions yet it is a greater sinne in inferiours to depriue themselues of the same communion vpon the same or like occasions especially if they bee not certaine elsewhere to inioy the like or equiualent cōmunion without disturbance Such as intend a separation must alwaies respect as well terminum ad quem as terminum à quo whom they goe to as from whom they depart It is a motto better befitting Christians in violent persecutions by heathens then in voluntary separation from Christian Churches Quos fugiam habeo quo fugiam non habeo I know from whom I flye but whither to flye I know not To forsake the Church wherein wee haue beene baptized for the foule abuses that wee know by experience to bee committed in it before we be certaine in what other Church we may be admitted in which there is not in some kinde or other the like or worse abuses or more vnsufferable grieuances were as
State in respect of Christian and religious policie And first of the reasons in behalfe of King and State Their positions which induce rebellion against free States Kingdomes and which were they ioyntly admitted would leaue supereminent or royall Maiestie onely a naked title without any realtie of soueraignty or iurisdiction are two First That the spirituall power is aboue all secular or ciuill power And this assertion were it rightly limited is in it selfe orthodoxall But the more orthodoxall it is in it selfe the more deadly it makes the second position vnto which they seeke to wed it The second position is That this supreame and spirituall power is totally seated in the Clergie as in a body distinct from the body politike Yea the most of them hold the plenitude of this power to bee in the Pope from whom all spirituall power of iurisdiction is deriued to the rest of the Clergie after the same manner as iurisdiction in causes temporall is deriued to inferiour Magistrates from the Monarch or supreame Maiestie in euery Kingdome The Regiment of the Church as they say is Regimen monarchicum a visible Monarchy of which the Pope is the visible Monarch As the spirituall power which the Church of Rome or Pope vsurpeth is intensiuely most absolute independent so is the obiect of it for extension most transcendent and illimited Pope Innocent the third by vertue of this supposed plenary power did challenge to bee supreme Iudge in censuring or punishing mortall sins Intendimus decernere de peccato cuius ad nos pertinet sine dubitatione censura or vt nullus qui sit sanae mentis ignorat quin ad officium nostrum spectet de quocunque peccato mortali corripere quemlibet Christianū cap. nouit de Iudicijs We intend faith he to determine concerning Sinne the censure whereof so vnquestionably appertaines to vs that no man well in his wits can be ignorant that it is a part of our power or office to chastise or correct euery Christian man for any mortall sinne of what kind soeuer But if in this Cathedrall constitution hee did not erre the Christian world might haue as infallible a perpetual rule for guiding Millers hands and Taylors sheeres and for preuenting or punishing all cozenage in Trades or Crafts as it hath for ending controuersies in matters of faith or diuinity 3 It is an idle and friuolous distinction which some Canonists haue framed to solue the truth of this Popes sentence Aliud est de re actione aut contractu iudicare aliud iudicare de peccato It is one thing to determine of the action or cōtract another to determine or iudge of the sin committed For as Father Paul excellently obserues quod inseparabile est distinguunt they put a diuersity without a differēce For if the pope may iudge of euery matter or contract as it is a sin I hope he would prohibit it if it were a sin and compell men to obserue his Edicts or prohibitions And doing thus what remaines to bee done by any temporall power whether supreame or subordinate but onely to looke on or to be as Sheriffes to see his Decrees put in execution or to be his hangman or executioner No Magistrate doth punish but vpon supposall of some fault or sinne committed Lex non est iust is posita saith the Apostle sed iniustis The Law punitiue is not giuen against the iust but against the vniust And if the Pope might be supreame Iudge of euery mortall sinne euery malefactor might haue the benefit of appeale vnto him in all matters criminall He might punish Princes for making vniust Lawes or for not executing such Lawes as they themselues haue made or haue found made vnto their hands by their Predecessors or as hee shall make or appoint them to make 4 Againe all of them agree in this that the Pope hath a supreame independent power to make coactiue Ecclesiasticke Lawes for the welfare of the Church in as much as all temporall power is subordinate to the power spiritual which as his subiects say is originally and plenarie in himselfe hee may by vertue of this supreame spirituall power disanull all such Lawes as any temporall State or Kingdome shall make if these to his Holinesse vnerring spirit shall seeme contrary to the Lawes of God or to the Lawes Ecclesiasticke made by himselfe or by his predecessors Now in case any Temporall Princes or States shall after some monitions refuse to repeale such Lawes as they haue enacted but hee dislikes they stand obnoxious ipso facto to the sentence of excommunication The exercise of this terrible power hath beene within these 400. yeeres frequent in many Kingdomes and famous of late against the Venetians That ancient and renowned State for wisedome and grauity and of all States professing Romish faith alwaies most venerable for deuotion had made such a Law as the Law of Mortmaine here in England for repressing the excesse of Leuies portion which was become like a huge deformed wen in a faire and comely body and being admonished by the Pope to repeale this Law and another edict necessary for the preseruation of peace whereby the vnruly Cleargie within their territories were subiected to the censure of the State because the Venetians would not obey his monitions and betray their ancient liberties the Duke and Senate were excommunicated by his Holinesse I doe not well remember whether that State had made a decree that no prouision should be carried out of their territories to Ancona but put the case they had made such a Law in as much as Ancona is a Citie which belongs to Peters patrimony a segniorie or Lordship of the Church of Rome this Law must be controleable by the Pope because it is preiudiciall to the Church And the temporall Soueraignty of Venice must submit themselues vnto the spirituall Iurisdiction of the Romish Church or feele the stroke of Peters sword 5 The like dreadfull consequences of these dangerous principles about the supremacie or Iurisdiction spirituall did cause diuers Kings of this land before Henry the eight to separate themselues and their people from the visible Romish Church in matters of Iurisdiction though not of doctrine For an English man to haue receiued any title of Iurisdiction from the Pope or any forraigne Prelate subiect vnto him was by the ancient Lawes of this land a praemunire I will onely touch so much of the Romish Churches practice in this State as forraigne Writers haue taken notice of which was enough to giue our Kings iust occasion to make such Lawes of praemunire as the forecited Author produceth Pope Innocent the third presuming vpon his former rule that it belonged vnto him de quocunque peccato mortali corripere quemlibet christianum to censure or punish euery man for any mortall sinne charged Iohn King of England and the French King to keepe the Churches peace vnder paine of his curse And in the processe excommunicates the French King
take vpon them to defend the truth This did not Peter this would not any Bishop of Rome haue done within fiue hundred yeeres after Christ SECT 3. That the present visible Church of England retaines the Holy Catholike Faith which the Romish Church hath defiled and by defiling it hath lost that true vnion with the primitiue and Apostolike Church which the visible Church retaineth CHAP. XVI That our Church was in the Romish Church before Luthers time and yet in it neither as a visible Church altogether distinct from it nor as any natiue member of it 1 IT is in the first place obiected that wee had no Church at all before Luthers time Secondly that neither Luther nor Christian Princes which imbraced his doctrine had any authority to erect or found a new Church If we say as we must say and beleeue that we had a true Church before Luther of a Monke became a Reformer it will bee demanded where our Church was and of what persons it did consist To the former part of this importunate demand Where was your Church before Luthers time the Reverend learned Doctor Field pithily answers Our Church was in the same place then wherein now it is His explication will iustifie his meaning against all gainesayers Howbeit I must frame my answer according to my former principles fit it to some captious questions or obiections made by some of our Aduersaries since this Worthy died 2 If our Church before Luthers time were in the same place wherein now it is it will further bee demanded Whether it were a Church distinct from the then Romish Church or a member of it That wee had a visible Church before Luthers time in this Kingdome altogether distinct from the Romish visible Church planted in this Kingdome before Luther was borne or so distinct as respublica Venetorum is à Regno Gallia as the State of Venice is from the kingdome of France seemes very improbable to the Romanists and somewhat hard for vs to proue vnlesse we will deriue our pedigree from the Albigenses the Picardi or the poore men of Lions which to doe I know not how safe it is or how well pleasing it would be to the present visible English Church vnlesse we had better records of their tenets then I haue seene or then the visible Romish Church that de facto condemnes them for heretiks was willing to propagate to posteritie On the other side if our Church before Luthers time was a member of the then Romish Church wee shall bee further questioned what authoritie our King and State had either to dismember their Church or to make a new intire distinct Church of an old dismembred part of their Church In these and like obiections they alwaies suppose two things as vnquestionable which we vtterly deny The first that the whole multitude of Christians throughout these Westerne parts as England France Germany Italy and Spaine c. excepting such as were by their Church disclaymed for heretikes or schismatikes were all members of the then visible Romish Church and that there was such an vnion betwixt all and euery one of this multitude as sufficeth to make all indiuiduals within these States or Kingdomes true members of one visible or of the then visible Romish Church The second They suppose that our vnion with some present visible Church is a natiue degree or part of our vnion with the Holy Catholike Church or that our vnion with some present visible Church is necessary or essentiall not accidentall to our being or not being members of the Holy Catholike Church For our more orderly and safe proceeding wee are in the first place to shake and hereafter by Gods helpe to raze these two rotten foundations wheron all their arguments either for annoying ours or for supporting their Church are grounded 3 Our first Counterfort shall be this All the particular Congregations recounted by reformed Writers which before Luthers time had either separated themselues from the visible Romish Church of their times or had beene disclaimed by it for schismatiques or heretikes being sequestred from this dispute our Church might bee and was in the visible Romish Church as Bellarmine and other professed sonnes of that Church define it and yet bee in it neither so as to make one intire visible Church distinct from it nor as any integrall part or naturall member of it If we take all which the Romish Church doth challenge for her sonnes before Luthers time there was in that multitude rather a Church truely visible than one true visible Church if wee measure the truth of the visible Church according to our former principles and as wee ought to measure it by the conformitie which it hath with the one truely holy and Apostolike Church Our meaning is the whole multitude of Christians in these Westerne parts before Luthers time all those being excluded which the Romish Church representatiue did condemne for heretikes or schismatiques had no such vnitie as truely answers to the vnitie of a body naturall but an vnitie onely answerable to the vnitie of an heap or congest of Heterogeneals Some had the number only others the very character of the Beast The heape or congest which wee suppose as an Embleme of the visible Romish Church taking that Church in that amplitude which they challenge before Luther by Gods appointment attempted reformation shal be an heap or congest of seueral mettals al or most part vnpurified In this one heape or congest a great part of heterogeneals though not all shal be supposed to haue had the vnion of continuation or concretion that is some pieces of vnpurified gold by the negligence or vnskilfulnes of the artificer were made vp or suffered to make vp themselues in some clod or cake with an huge quantitie of copper lead brasse iron or other baser metals all vnpurified from their drosse the other part of the same heape or congest consisting of seuerall or lesser pieces of richer metall all homogeneall in themselues though many vnpurified and wanting the vnion of contiguitie or concretion 4 The parts of a good Mineralist or Refiner in this case were first to dissolue the cake or clod and to seuer the richer metall from the baser Secondly to purifie homogeneals so seuered from their owne drosse Thirdly to make them vp so seuered or purified into plate wedges or Bullion or to put some other accidentall or artificiall forme vpon them All this being done we cannot say there was a true generation of any new body or substance or that the Refiner did make gold where there was none before as some Alchymists professe that they can turne iron or other metals specifically distinct into gold here was only a refining of metall praeexistent and an addition onely of an accidentall forme To parallel the Refiners worke by the reformation wrought by Luther and the Christian Princes that harkened to him First it cannot be denyed but that the visible Romish Church or if you will the faction
of the Romish Court did beare a great sway throughout most Realmes in Christendome before Luthers time Besides the Body of the Cleargie or Church representatiue many Potentates some through ignorance others for hope of gaine or aduantage against their aduersaries did adhere vnto it This faction or combination doth in proportion answer to the clod or concrescence of Heterogeneals in the emblematicall congest before mentioned For there was no true vnion betwixt them in matters of faith On the other side againe it cannot be denyed but that many in euery Kingdome before Luther did vtterly detest the tyranny of the Court of Rome many as well of their Cleargie as of their Layetie did in heart and affection wish a reformation as well of the Ecclesiasticall Gouernment as of the doctrine professed and practised in their Church The States Princes or priuate men thus affected answer in proportion to the seuerall pieces of homogeneall and richer metall in the former heape or congest All that Luther all that the Christian Princes which followed him did intend or vndertake was first to dissolue the clod or breake the faction of the Romish Church or Court spread through their Kingdomes Secondly to refine and purifie themselues and their adherents from the drosse and soile which they had taken by their adherence vnto or vicinitie with the Romish Church Lastly to vnite themselues thus refined and purified in matters of faith and doctrine into a new forme of gouernment Ecclesiastike independent on the tribunall or Court of Rome 5 So then it is false which our Aduersaries obiect that Luther did take vpon him to make a new Church For this supposeth a plantation of new faith or doctrine neuer planted before in which the life and soule of the true Church consists Whereas they say we had no Church before his time it is true onely secundùm quid Their meaning can be no other but this Wee had no visible Church altogether seuered and distinct from theirs and this againe is true onely in respect of those times wherein the Kings of England or Emperours of Germanie did submit themselues and their Subiects vnto the Iurisdiction of the Court of Rome Albeit this submission being wrought for the most part through violence or deuillish policie doth not argue our fore-Elders to haue been parts or members of the Church of Rome from which they were seuered in heart and affection and seuered in forme of gouernment de iure though not de facto In the times of diuers Kings the Church of England was seuered de iure et de facto from the visible Romish Church So likewise were diuers Churches in Germany But for Chronologie or matter of historie I must referre them to another place The question is much what the same as if they should aske vs Where was King Henry the seuenths Kingdome where were his Subiects where was your Common-weale whilest Richard the third did call Parliaments and sway the Scepter of this Kingdome The Kingdome of Henry the seuenth and of his Successors or the English Common-weale was in the same place then as now it is The deposition of the Tyrant the dissolution of the tyranny and the reducing of English Subiects to their true allegeance did worke no essentiall alteration in the Common-weale or Kingdome but onely a reformation of the gouernment and reducement of it to the fundamentall lawes of this Land No more did the reiection of the Romish Churches vsurped authority in matters spirituall induce any substantiall alteration in the English Church but a reformation or reduction of it vnto the fundamental constitutions of the Primitiue Church But to returne to our former illustration This argument You had no visible Church before Luthers time ergo you had no true Church is no better than this There was no Plate or Bullion in the forementioned heape or congest before the Refiner did his part ergo there was no true gold or siluer For as euery part of gold is gold and euery part of siluer is siluer but euery part of a wedge or plate is not a wedge or plate so euery member of the true Church of God is himself a true Church and Temple of God yet is not euery part or member of the true visible or Catholike Church a true visible or Catholike Church Or as 8. or 10. pieces of gold into which an Angell may be broken though they remain for waight for value for substance the same they were yet can they not be said to be the same Angel because they want the vnity of that artificial form into which they were made so likewise although there were ten thousand in this Kingdome before Luthers time all true members of Gods Holy and Catholike Church yet could they not be properly said one visible Church so long as they wanted that vnitie of discipline or independent gouernment which we haue for the most part since inioyed 6 Now as any kinde of metall made vp into a wedge or other artificiall forme is lesse subiect to putrifaction soile or canker then it was whilest it lay scattered in seuerall fragments or pieces so the vnion of Christian Professors into one visible Church is a good meanes for preseruing euery particular member specially nouices in faith from such errours heresies or other temptations as if they had beene left alone or scattered would indanger their faith And yet againe as the perfection or puritie of gold aboue other metals is best proued in that it doth not so easily take soile or rust though it lye scattered in little pieces amongst other baser metals or other bodies apt to taint or putrifie so the true members of Christs Church or Body are best discerned best approued by liuing vpright in points of faith in the midst of a peruerse or crooked generation or by continuing vndefiled in the bosome of a polluted visible Church out of which they may not they cannot at their pleasure depart but are to exspect the call or summons of Gods speciall prouidence 7 So then whether we had for these sixe hundred yeeres a visible Church distinct from the visible Romish Church or no is not pertinent to the maine point in question for they fasly assume wee iustly deny that men are saued by being actuall or professed members of the visible Church or that our vnion with the present visible Church is a natiue degree or part of our vnion with the Holy Catholike Church whereof Noahs Arke was the type We say the former vnion is auaileable to the latter onely ex accidente in as much as the present visible Church doth by doctrine and discipline draw vs to a conformitie in points of faith and other meanes necessary vnto saluation with the ancient Catholike and Primitiue Church This did not the visible Romish Church for diuers hundred yeeres before Luthers time but on the contrary she did discompose or misfashion them from all true conformitie with the ancient Catholike Church Howbeit euen in the midnight of
superstition and palpable darkenesse which had ouerspread the visible Romish Church there were within it though not of it many visible members of the Holy Catholike Church men by so much more true and liuely members of the Holy Catholike Church or Body of Christ by how much they were lesse true and actuall members of the visible Romish Church that is by how much their adherence vnto the Romish Church representatiue or to the authority of the Court of Rome was lesse firme or none as in a generall plague when euery city and towne throughout the whole Kingdome is infected they are most safe which haue solitarie dwellings in the country and haue least commerce with port townes or markets Such adherence to the visible or representatiue Church of Rome as the Iesuites and others now challenge doth as we haue often said induce a separation from the Holy Catholike Church and is more deadly to the soule then to be bed-fellow to one sicke of the pestilence is to the body CHAP. XVII That men may be visible members of the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church and yet no actuall members of any present visible Church 1 THe two principall points whereon we pitch may bee comprised in these two propositions the first A man may be a true liue-member of the holy Catholike Church albeit he hath no vnion or commerce with any member of the Churches visible And this proposition is cleere from that point formerly discussed how farre it was true of the visible Church extra ecclesiam non est salus Out of the Church there is no saluation The second A man may be a true and visible member of the Holy Catholike Church and yet be no actual member of any visible Church The truth of this later proposition may be proued by many instances of most ages since the Church whether vnder the Law or Gospell became visible For this present it shall suffice to explicate the meaning of it according to my former promise and to confirme the truth of it so explicated by one or two pregnant instances Albeit most of the termes in this proposition or distinction contained haue beene explicated before in two inquiries the one what was required to the constitution of the Holy Catholike Church The other what was required to the constitution of a visible Church To what was then said I will adde onely thus much That the Church may bee termed Catholike either in the prime sense or as we then sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in a secondary analogicall sense The Catholike Church in the prime sense consists only of such men as are actuall and indissoluble members of Christs mysticall body or of such as haue the Catholike Faith not onely sowne in their braines or vnderstanding but throughly rooted in their hearts In a secondary Analogicall sense Euery present visible Church which holdeth the Holy Catholike faith without which no man can bee saued pure and vndefiled with the traditions or inuentions of men may bee termed an Holy Catholike Church When we say a man may be a visible mēber of the holy Catholike Church and yet no actuall member of any present visible Church we take the catholike Church in the later or secondary sense that is for a Church wherein no point of faith or doctrine is maintained or allowed which is not consonant and homogeneall to the Catholike primitiue faith deliuered by Christ his Apostles Who are indissoluble members of Christs bodie is onely visible or known to him Many thousands are and haue been true mēbers of it which are haue been altogether inuisible to vs. But who they be which professe the vnity of that faith which the Apostles taught and without which no man can bee saued is visible and knowne to all such as either heare them professe it viua voce or can read and vnderstand their profession of it giuen in writing 2 The truth of the second proposition may easily be manifested hence in as much as the vnion betweene the members of any Church as visible consists in the vnity of discipline or iurisdictiō or of lawes iudiciall or ceremoniall whereas the vnion of the Church as holy and Catholike formally consists in the vnitie of faith or doctrine or of Lawes and Mysteries internally spirituall and morall It is cleare that the former vnion may be dissolued without the dissolution of the latter as the latter likewise in some cases may be dissolued without dissolution of the former As for example a man may be cut off by excōmunication or exile from all commerce with the present visible Church wherein hee was bred and borne and yet not thereby cut off from the Holy Catholike orthodoxall Church Againe a man by heresie or impious opinions whether voluntarily and secretly imbraced by him or thrust vpon him by the visible Church which hath authority of Iurisdiction ouer him may separate himselfe from the Holy Catholike Church and yet still remaine an actuall member a deare sonne of the visible Church in whose bosome he is willing to liue Euery visible Church whose Lawes are ratified by Soueraigne Authority and whose Gouernours are armed with power coactiue may cut off any particular member besides the head from which all power coactiue is deriued Suppose one or two or more be actually cut off by excommunication exile or the like censure not onely from publike communion in the Church but from all ciuill commerce with his neighbours yet if I know that hee was so cut off either vpon mis-information or mistake of his Iudges as if he had held some grieuous heresies which as appeares to mee hee did not or that the Church Gouernors out of ignorance spleene or faction or other sinister respects which I may not in particular examine did condemne these opinions held by him for hereticall or schismaticall which are in themselues and to my knowledge orthodoxall and truly Catholike hee is to mee and to others which know his meaning a visible member of the Holy Catholike Church though no more a member of the visible Church wherein he did and we yet remaine And albeit I haue no power to rescind the visible Churches decree or authoritatiuely to pronounce him a Catholike whom they to whom the cognizance of such causes belongs haue condemned for an hereticke and albeit I may not admit him to publike prayers or to communion at the Sacraments as being interdicted by authoritie yet I may and ought still to retaine that communion with him which in this Creed we beleeue to be betwixt all true members of Christs body or professors of the Holy Catholike faith that is the Communion of Saints such a Communion as is betwixt the members of the Church triumphant and the liuing members of Christs body militant or rather such as is betweene the orthodoxall professors of the English or other reformed Churches I am bound to pray for him and he for me that we may continue stedfast in the faith which we haue receiued
from the Holy Catholike Church of former times from which the Gouernors of the present visible Church haue swearued in this particular Of this case thus propounded in Thesi Athanasius his case was the Hypothesis The then Church representatiue or visible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had condemned him in one or two generall Councells for an hereticke and being so condemned he was vtterly excluded and perpetually cut off from all communion in things sacred with the visible Church or its members so long as he maintained that doctrine which it condemned Which doctrine it is certaine hee neither did nor would recant whatsoeuer the then visible Church did or might determine to the contrary 3 If either the name Catholike or the thing signified by it be to be valued for the time present by the multitude of suffragants or number of suffrages giuen ex cathedra Athanasius and his followers were no more Catholiks then Wickliffe and Hus with their followers in their times were For one Bishop that did maintaine or fauour Athanasius doctrine there were more then forty did oppugne it And yet he boldly pronounceth that the faith professed by him was the onely true Catholike faith without which no man could be saued which whosoeuer did not keepe holy and vndefiled was to perish euerlastingly Suppose not ten in all the Christian world besides had resolutely imbraced the same faith which Athanasius did so much magnifie or suppose all were they more or few which did imbrace or professe it had beene with him condemned for heretikes and vtterly cut off from all communion with the visible Church all either banished into seuerall Hands or shut vp into seuerall prisons all this notwithstanding they had still remained the onely true visible members of the Holy catholike Church which these times afforded And for this reason were they to bee accounted the onely true visible members of the Holy Catholike Church because they onely were contented rather to be cut off from the present visible church then to communicate with it in such doctrines or opinions as either contradict or defile the chatholike primitiue faith 4 That which some Romanists in this point reply to wit that Iulius then Bishop of Rome did not consent to Athanasius his condemnation but entertained him in his exile may for ought I know or at this present haue to say against it bee as true in part as it is impertinent Sure I am that the Bishop of Rome did not so resolutely and manfully oppose the Arian faction or the then erring visible Church as Athanasius did That confession of the catholike faith which the Church of Rome her selfe retaineth in her Lyturgy as a Trophie of the victory which the catholike faith in the issue obtained ouer the potent Arian heresie was neither conceiued published nor commended to the Christian world by the Bishop of Rome but by the exiled Athanasius This worthy Bishop saw almost all the Prelates in the world besides for the present to bee set against him How these or their successors or such as liued after him would be affected he knew not in respect of the truth of his doctrine hee cared not as being confident that his doctrine was truly catholike and authenticke without the ratification or proposall of the then Bishop of Rome or his successors or of any visible church succeeding he knew Christs Apostles and their immediate successors had imbraced it For such as liued with him or were to come after him at their perills be it if they imbrace it not Though not ten of that age or any age after him were to be saued yet of these few not one as he protests could otherwise bee saued then by beleeuing as he did and as former Saints of God had done If the then Bishop of Rome did receiue Athanasius in the name of an Orthodox or Catholike and bid God speed vnto his labours all that can hence be inferred is this That Athanasius was to the Bishop of Rome a visible member of the holy catholike Church and the Bishop of Rome a visible member of the same church to Athanasius But neither of them not both of them the then visible church nor any members of it As many as after this time became true members of the holy catholike Church became not such by holding vnion with the then visible Church but by adherence to that catholike faith which Athanasius and other visible members of the holy catholike Church then taught The holy catholike militant Church hath continued one and the same since its Foundation not by continuation of one and the same visible Church but by continuation of one and the same catholike Apostolike faith throughout al ages which faith hath been sometimes maintained but oftē oppugned by churches visible or represētatiue 5 It is one thing to say the Holy catholike Church hath beene in all ages visible another thing to say the visible Church hath beene in all ages catholike We may and ought to grant that in euery age since the Apostles time there haue beene many not onely true but visible members of the one holy catholike Church that is such as were able out of Scriptures to make demonstration vnto the observant that their doctrine was orthodoxall consonant to the orthodoxall faith doctrine of the primitiue Church howsoeuer contradicted ecclipsed by the present visible churches wherin they liued till Luther Christian Princes by Gods appointment vnited the visible members of the Holy catholike Church into visible Churches A pregnant instance of the former distinction wee haue gathered to our hands in that famous Dialogue between Constantius the Emperor and Liberius then Bishop of Rome The Emperor hauing as the Romanists since haue done mispictured the regiment of Christs body or Church by the regiment of common weales wherin Lawes are made by the whole consent or by the consent of the greater part of the body politike presseth Liberius with this argument Doth so great a part of the world reside in thee Liberius that thou alone darest vndertake the defence of this impious man Athanasius to the disturbance of the peace of the Empire and of the world Hereto Liberius answers Be it so as you say that I alone defend Athanasius yet the cause of faith shall hereby suffer no detriment for the times heretofore haue beene wherein three onely were found that durst resist the Kings command To this reply Eusebius the Eunuch reioynes Do you Liberius make the Emperor another Nebucodonozer I do not so but thou Eusebius deales no lesse vniustly than Nebucodonozer did in thus condemning a man who hath not had a iudiciall tryall 6 So long as Liberius stood to this confession he was a visible member of the Catholike Church But when he sought to purchase the Emperours sauour by subscription to Athanasius his condemnation and communion with the Arians although hee might by this dealing regaine his former dignities and become a principall member of the then visible Church
yet did hee thereby cease to bee a visible member of the Holy Catholike Church For albeit Bellarmine would in part excuse him as if that which he did did not continere in se manifestum haeresin containe any manifest heresie yet Baronius and others and amongst the rest Binnius confesse that for yeelding to the Emperour the Catholikes did eschew communion with him Now these Catholikes that did eschew communion with Pope Liberius for communicating with the Arian faction were neither the Catholike Church nor the visible Church but at the best visible members of the Holy catholike Church And the Church as catholike includes as well vniuersalitie of succession and of time as extension of place or multitude of persons professing the catholike faith After this defection of the Romish church in the Bishop Liberius the whole Romane Empire was ouerspread with Arianisme If there were any visible Church of note which in those dayes remained catholike it was in the East without the precinct of the Romane Empire or in this our Iland The chiefe pillar or ground of truth which the Romane Empire in those times had was Gregory of Nazianzene as may appeare out of that ancient Author that writes his life Though Constantinople had been held the chiefe watch-tower of the oecumenicall church visible yet when Nazianzen was sent for thither to support the catholike cause against the Arians so much of the catholike church as was extant in that great citie was contracted within the narrow walls of the Temple of Anastasia for that church onely was permitted them to meete in as is thought in contempt that the littlenesse of it might vpbraid them with their paucitie it being a fit receptacle rather for a priuate conuenticle then for a iust and lawfull congregation Nazianzen then was the Luther of ancient times to reforme the visible church being ouerspred with Arianisme Luther was the Nazianzen of later times to dispell the mists of Poperie and Romish Idolatrie by the light of the Gospell and to reduce the visible church vnto conformitie with the ancient church 7 As many as in our Sauiours time here on earth at the instigation of the high Priest of the Scribes and Pharisees or of the then visible church representatiue or otherwise out of their priuate choice did persecute him and his Apostles as deceiuers or authors of new sects or heresies did thereby dissociate themselues from the ancient and Primitiue Church of God established in Iewrie and yet remained true and obedient members of the then visible or representatiue church On the contrary such as before our Sauiours death or passion did acknowledge him for their Messias although for so doing they were excommunicated and cast out of their Synagogues that is vtterly cut off from being any longer members of the then visible church did by this their known sufferings or martyrdome become illustrious and visible members of the true Primitiue and catholike Church whereof Abraham Dauid Samuel with all the rest of the holy Patriarkes and Prophets were principall parts The Iewes had agreed saith S. Iohn chap. 9. verse 22. that if any man did confesse that he was Christ hee should bee put out of the Synagogue For feare of this heauy censure the Parents of that blinde man which our Sauiour had restored to sight put off the Pharisees with this dilatorie answer We know that this is our Sonne and that he was borne blinde but by what meanes hee now seeth we know not or who hath opened his eyes wee know not he is of age aske him hee shall speake for himselfe The Sonne being asked boldly replies If this man were not of God he could doe nothing And for this answer hee is cast out of the Synagogue or visible church and yet remaines a more conspicuous and visible member of that holy church which Moses had planted in Israel then his Parents were which continued as they had beene actuall or vnseparated members of the present Synagogue or visible church CHAP. XVIII In what sense it may be granted that the visible Romish Church at the time of our forefathers separation from it was a true Church and yet withall the Synagogue of Sathan the seate of Antichrist and common sinke of heresies 1 BVt here it will bee demanded whether these visible members of the holy catholike church which were as liuing stones or fit materials for erecting reformed visible churches as hauing not their consciences indelibly branded with the character of the Beast were before Luther began his reformation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or no that is whether they were the immediate sonnes of God begotten onely by his Spirit without the ministerie or trauaile of any visible church To affirme they were such sonnes of God we may not and if we say they were the sonnes and daughters of God and yet withall the sonnes and daughters of the visible church which was before Luthers time that visible church which by our positions can bee no other then the church of Rome was certainely a true church in that it brought forth sonnes and daughters vnto God All this may be granted that the Romish church before Luthers time was and at this day is a true church quoad hoc that it did and may bring forth sonnes and daughters vnto God that is there are these meanes of regeneration in it which are not in the Mahumetan or Iewish Synagogue In opposition to both which it may bee said a true church though in respect of the Primitiue catholike church or of reformed visible churches it may truely bee tearmed the Synagogue of Sathan or seate of Antichrist in many respects as much worse as it is in some respects better then the Iewish or Mahumetan Synagogue The Thesis was as discreetly proposed as learnedly prosecuted by Doctor Rainolds Romana Ecclesia nec est catholica Ecclesia nec sanum membrum Catholicae Ecclesiae The Roman Church neither is the Catholike Church nor any sound member of the Catholike Church In saying this hee did not deny it in some respects to be a true Church which is in expresse tearmes affirmed by Iunius in his book intituled Liber singularis de Ecclesia by Doctor Couell in his Apologie for Master Hooker and by Master Forbes vpon the 14. of the Reuelation whose testimonie is so much the more to bee esteemed because he expresly maintaines the papacie or representatiue Romish church to bee the Kingdome of the great Antichrist So that in the iudgement of these three which haue handled this point very discreetly as also in the iudgement of learned Doctor Rainolds the visible church of Rome might fitly bee compared vnto a Mother which brings forth sound and healthy children but when they come to sucke her milke she infects them with such loathsome diseases as accompany lewd and naughty Strumpets or if they chance to escape infection by the milke which they sucke from her in their infancie yet when she comes to feede them with stronger meats
if they be content to bee fed by her and seeke not their food from the ancient Primitiue and catholike Church like an abhominable nastie slut shee poysons all the food which is of her owne dressing Some there may be in this Church or as yet vnder her gouernement which are more cleanly Cookes and doe not so pollute the foode of life but that such as are continually fed by them as by ordinarie Pastors may escape the danger of their mothers infection and die members of the Holy catholike Church though not actually separated from the present visible Romish church nor externally vnited to any visible reformed Church 2 All this I take to be a true branch of the forecited Authors meaning but in what sense the visible Church of Rome before Luthers time might be said a true Church and yet withall the Synagogue of Sathan or in what manner their Cardinals Bishops and Priests may bee said to exercise the ministerie and seruice of Christ and yet they themselues bee bondslaues of Sathan Priests of Baal and natiue members of Antichrist may in my iudgement bee most punctually expressed by that excellent distinction of the ciuill Law Aliud est Magistratum esse aliud est in Magistratu esse It is one thing to be a true Magistrate another thing to bee in the Magistracie or to execute a Magistrates office From this distinction was gathered this generall ruled case or sentence That the Acts of him that was a false and vnlawfull Magistrate might be lawfull and iust This resolution or ruled case did grow vpon this occasion One Barbarius was by a common errour chosen Praetor and continued in the place wherof he was altogether vncapable as being a bond-man Some there were which did not onely consent to remoue him after the truth was knowne as hee was indeed by law remoued because he was neuer lawfull Praetor but withall did question whether the Acts that he had done whilest hee vniustly vsurped that office were of any validitie or rather voyd in Law It was determined according to the tenor of the former distinction that though hee was falsus Praetor a false Praetor yet he was in verapraetura in a true Praetorship and the Acts which he did did receiue their validitie from the Praetorship not from the Praetor One part of the Praetors office was to set men free which were bondslaues and in this respect it was requisite that none should be Praetor but hee which was a Free-man and that no bond-slaue though chosen Praetor by a common errour should euer prescribe by long continuance in the place but was instantly to bee amoued so soone as the truth was knowne and declared So that in respect of his person or of right vnto his place that Maxime of Law was still in force Quod non valuit ab initio non potest tempore valescere that which was of no value from its first beginning cannot acquire any validity by continuance of time yet in respect of the persons which were made free Denisons by him that other Maxime much oft times mistaken or misapplyed by some moderne Lawyers was true Communis error facit ius A common errour makes a Law In as much as he was chosen Praetor by a common and full consent of lawfull suffragants though so chosen by a common errour yet the Acts done by him till the errour was knowne and declared were iust and lawfull such as had beene set at libertie by him were as true Freemen as those that had beene set free by true and lawfull Praetors For their manumissions or enfranchisements tooke validity not from the condition or person of the Officer but from the vertue of his office into which he was an intruder In like manner though Richard the third were a Tyran no true King yet the Lawes made by him were true and good Lawes and the Earles or Barons created by him were true Earles and true Barons for though he were not legitimus Rex a lawfull King yet he was in legitimo regno constitutus he did manage a lawfull Kingdome Nor were they Traitors that did yeeld obedience to the Lawes made by him or submit themselues vnto the Magistrates of his appointmēt saue only in cases wherin the Lawes made by him might preiudice the fundamentall lawes of this Kingdome or cut off the right of Succession to the Crowne But in case the Magistrates Earles or Barons created by him should haue commanded their inferiours to take Armes against the knowne and lawfull heire to the Crowne to haue yeelded obedience vnto them in this case had beene treason as Richard himselfe during all the time of his Raigne was no better then a Traitor 3 Either from the Analogie of the former ruled case in matters ciuill or from the generall or fundamentall rule of equity whereof that was a branch did the Church ordaine that Baptisme administred by heretikes should not bee reiterated For though no heretike be a true member of the Church and therefore no true Priest yet so long as he is in sacerdotio in the Priests place the acts of his ministery or Priesthood be good Now though the Pope or Bishop of Rome be more then an hereticke euen the Antichrist or man of sin the supreame head though not of all Christs enemies for Iewes and Turkes are such yet of all Rebels or vsurpers of his throne on earth neuerthelesse seeing as the Apostle saith He sits in the Temple of God euen the acts of his ministration or Priesthood are good nor are the Bishops consecrated by him so polluted by communion with him in their consecration but that their Episcopall Acts as the ordination of Ministers the administration of Sacraments and the like be lawfull and good so long as they obserue the forme of ordination or administratiō of sacraments prescribed by Christ and his Apostles The word preached by them likewise hath the force and efficacie of begetting faith in their Hearers hearts so long as they teach nothing but what Christ hath taught the people or laity owe the like obedience vnto them that the people of the Iewes in our Sauiours time owed to the Scribes and Pharisees For though perhaps they haue in many points degenerated much further from S. Peters doctrine and manner of life then the Scribes and Pharisees had done from Moses yet so long as they sit in Peters or other catholike Bishops chaires that precept of our Sauiour Illos audite heare ye them binds them as much as it did the Iewes How farre it bound the Iewes I leaue it to the Expositors of the 23. of S. Mathew and amongst the rest to Maldonat 4 It is certaine the people were not by vertue of this precept bound to doe all that their high Priest with his confederates would ex cathedra command them to doe though intended by them in ordine ad Deum salutem Ecclesiae with reference to God and to the welfare of his Church For Caiaphas
had deliuered this sentence ex cathedra It is expedient for vs that one man die for the people and that the whole nation perish not Iohn 11. ver 49. And vpon his authority or warrant they aduentured to put the Lord of glory to death Had not this false Apostaticall Priest beene in vero sacerdotio a chiefe officer in the house of God neither could so cleer a truth as he vttered haue beene inuerted to such a pernitious end as it was spoken by him apprehended by others nor could hee haue conceiued or vttered so cleare a truth of himselfe as S. Iohn instructs vs he did This he spake not of himselfe but being high Priest that same yeer he prophesied that Iesus should die for the Nation Ioh. 11.51 Other Acts of his priesthood tooke their validity from his office not from his person this speculatiue truth tooke its poysonous operation from his person not from his office although he could not haue borne so bitter enmity vnto Christ vnlesse he had beene in that office Now albeit we grant that Caiaphas did prophesie by vertue of his place or Priestly office yet no Romanists as I hope will deny that Caiaphas in the preposterous application of his propheticall sentence might well brooke the name of Antichrist at the least that hee was a type or shadow of the Antichrist to come who was to sit as Caiaphas did in the Temple of God or if so they will haue it in S. Peters chaire that hee may wrest diuine truths authoritatiuely to as wicked ends as Caiaphas did 5 But may it not hence bee inferred that as the Sanedrin was the onely visible Church which God had here on earth so the Romish Church from which Luther did separate himselfe was the onely true visible Church of Christ at the time of his separation This may be granted de facto but not de iure For there was an expresse Law of God that there should be no more visible Churches then one before our Sauiours death and resurrection after which there were to bee as many visible Churches de iure as there were seuerall independent Soueraignties I haue heard indeed of some French Catholikes as they would bee accounted which vse this as an argument whether intended by them ad homines to delude the obiecter onely or ad rem to the matter it selfe I know not But this argument they vse to proue that their Church as opposed to Reformed Churches is the true Church because the Pope is Antichrist Antichrist as the Apostle teacheth is to sit in the Temple of God and the Temple of God no question is the true Church whence seeing hee sits in their Church they inferre that theirs is the true Church not ours But as in most other arguments concerning the Church so in this they cozen themselues with the fallacy à dicto secundùm quid ad dictum simpliciter First both letter of Scripture and analogie of faith doe teach that Antichrist is to sit as Caiaphas did in a true Church yea to be a chiefe Officer of some Church otherwise he could not be a principal Rebell or notorious Traitor against Christ But in that he was to be such a rebell and such a Traitor it is not conceiuable that the Church which wholly submits herselfe to him as to her head should bee the true Church much lesse the onely Church of Christ The former argument will hold thus farre The Pope is Antichrist ergo the Church of Rome is a true Church secundùm quid that is in opposition to the Synagogue of Iewes of Turkes or other professed Infidels But if we speake absolutely or compare it with Churches truly Christian it is no true Church of Christ but the Synagogue of Satan Or as he said of his sordid Hosts entertainment that there was so much fire as a man could not haue truly said in strict propriety of logicke phrase there was no fire that is there was so much as if hee had beene bound by couenant of Lease neuer to haue suffered the fire to goe out hee might haue saued his lease from forfeiture and yet there was no fire but a mocke-fire to the entertaining of a stranger so much as was a greater eyesore to him that had sought comfort or refreshing from it then if there had been none at all In like manner there is so much of the true Church in the present Romish visible Church as a man cannot say it is no Church at all so much true doctrine in it as sufficeth to support the title of Antichrist and to make it the very seat of all abominations or impieties more then natural For as the mingling of the Traditions of men with Moses doctrine did make the leuen of Pharises to be so malignant and distastfull to God and all good men so is it the mixture or making vp of the doctrine of Christ and of Deuills in one and the same Liturgy which makes Antichristianisme in graine And as elswhere is obserued the Idolatry of the Romish Church is so much worse then the Idolatry of the Heathens by how much that Churches generall beliefe of one God of the glorious Trinity and of the redemption of mankind is better then the Heathens beliefe or knowledge of the same points 6 But when it is said that Antichrist is to sit in the Temple of God it is not meant onely that hee should sit in the present visible Church but that he should be an vsurper of that chaire which sometimes had beene the seat of Gods Saints and bee an intruder into that Church which had beene Holy and Catholike before his intrusion and which still retaines the rootes and stemmes of Catholike faith into which it shall be his and his followers continual care to ingraffe the doctrine of Deuills and to exercise their spirituall whoredomes in the Oratories of God CHAP. XIX Whether our Forefathers in separating themselues or suffering themselues to be separated from the Romish Church did any otherwise then Gods Prophets or our Sauiours Disciples had their case and opportunity beene the same would haue done 1 BVt here againe the Author of the Antidote or the blinde Guide of faith will obiect That neither the Prophets of old nor our Sauiours Disciples before his death did separate themselues from the present visible Church If not to beleeue as the Church visible and representatiue for the time present did if not to communicate with her in matters of fact or practice were to bee separated from the present visible Church as this Authors words elsewhere imply the Prophets out of all question did either separate themselues or suffer themselues to be separated from the visible Church wherein they liued Ezekiel and Daniel would neuer haue consented to the Priests and Rulers in their persecutions of Ieremie as a false Prophet or Traytor Our Sauiours Disciples before his death stood excommunicated by the visible Church of the Iewes they were as farre from communicating with
the chiefe Priests and Elders in matters of faith and practice as wee are from communicating with the Romish Church or members of the Trent Councell But if this mans meaning be that neither the Prophets nor our Sauiours Disciples before his death did take vpon them to erect a new visible Church altogether distinct from the erring Synagogue the obiection is true but no way preiudiciall to vs. For they liued in that Church or common weale as our forefathers before Luthers time which feared God did in the Romish Church or common weale which had not by publike consent abandoned the Romish Religion that is neither as absolute members of the Synagogue nor yet a visible Church distinct from it but as visible members of that primitiue Church from which the Synagogue had degenerated As for the Prophets and other godly men which liued before our Sauiours death they wanted rather power than willing minds to reforme the corruptions of the visible Church in which they liued And the true reason why that Church continued so corrupt from Iosias his death vntill the destruction of the Temple and grew so wicked againe in the age before our Sauiours time was because during these times there were either naughty Kings or no Kings at all in Israel Had Iehosophat Ezekiah Iosiah or any like vnto them of Dauids line beene Kings of Iudah in Herods stead there is no question but they would haue brought the Scribes and Pharisees to better order or haue deposed them either haue reduced the then visible Church to its primitiue purity or haue erected a new visible Church according to the paterne prescribed by Moses That the Priests and Prophets did so ouerbeare the true Prophets of God Ieremiah Ezekiel c. to the ruine of the City and Kingdome was the fault of Iehoiakim and Zedekiah As at this day againe it is the fault and folly of Christian Kings that the Church of Rome is not either reduced to better conformity with the holy Catholike and Apostolike Church or else demolished as the Iewish Synagogue was But what should moue this man I meane the Author of the blind Guide of Faith to make the former obiection against vs I cannot conceiue vnlesse it were to giue vs and the Christian world to vnderstand That the visible Romish Church his mother could bee very well content to continue till Christs second comming as erroneous and antichristian as the Iewish Synagogue was before his first comming in the flesh vpon condition she may retaine her wonted power and authority to tyrannize ouer vs and other Saints of God as the visible Iewish Church or Synagogue did oft-times ouer the true Prophets and Christs disciples 2 For conclusion of this point In as much as Christian Princes and free States did second Luther in his intended reformation of so much of the visible Romish-Church as was seated in their Soueraignties or Dominions this warrants our separation to haue beene iust and lawfull and free from all suspition of rebellion or schisme whereunto the like attempts in Iury though vndertaken by Gods Prophets had beene obnoxious vnlesse the Princes or chiefe Magistrates had giuen them countenance and authority Howbeit neither Prince nor people ioyntly or seuerally either now haue or at any time had power to make a new church altogether distinct from the Catholike Church militant on earth which hath beene one by continuation of the same faith since the Apostles time But in case any part of the Church militant or visible be infected with heresie or ouerswaid by faction to approue such impious and vngodly practices as are incompatible with the Holy Catholike faith which hath beene professed in pure and vncorrupt times euery free Prince or State haue in this case power and authority sufficient to dislinke themselues from the factious combination of the visible Church or Churches seated in forraigne States or Kingdomes and to vnite themselues into renewed formes of visible Churches distinct from others Yet thus to doe so they doe no more is not to make a new Church neuer heard of before but rather to recollect the scattered members of the Holy Catholike Church in whom the life and substance of the true Church of God consists and to put a new accidentall forme vpon them 3 The case is altogether the same as if an Army consisting of threescore thousand English French and Italians appointed by ioynt consent of these Nations to inuade the Turke should bee misled by the Italian Generall to reuenge his priuate quarrels vpon the Christians If the English vpon discouery of their Generals trecherie should abandon him and adioyne themselues vnto the Hungarians or other Christians oppressed by the Turke they could not iustly be blamed either for defection or reuolt or for leuying an Armie or vndertaking a warre altogether new without any warrant or commission Well might they presume their Prince would approue their proceedings specially if their seruice had successe answerable to the godly intentions of their first Commission 4 As many of our forefathers as did submit themselues vnto the Iurisdiction of the church of Rome and vndertook such seruices as the Pope or Romane Prelacie did appoint them vnto they did thus onely vpon presumption that the Pope did faithfully execute his Commission as the Apostles successor or that he did command in chiefe for Christ But when the contrary was notoriously knowne vnto this people that hee did but counterfeit the visage of the Lambe that he might the more plausibly effect the designes of the Dragon Our Prince and people in abandoning his yoke and breaking off their confederacie with the church of Rome did well And this being done they remaine the same church they were for life and substance but the same Church better purified and purged from rebellious Antichristian humours the same Church so much more homogeneall to the ancient Primitiue catholike Church by how much they remained the freer from seruitude to Romish tyranny whose vsurped authority ouer other Churches is but Antichristianisme or Apostasie from Christ CHAP. XX. Whether the name Catholike can in good earnest be pleaded or pretended for an vnseparable marke of the true visible Church 1 BVt in all these Illustrations it will be excepted that wee take something for granted which the Romish Church will vtterly disclaime This for one That our forefathers at the time of their departure from the Romish Church were true Catholikes or in the interim betweene the abandoning of the Prelacie of Rome and the establishing a Prelacie or forme of Gouernment of their owne more refined were visible members of the holy Catholike Church For so destitute is the Romane Church of all true solid properties of the true Church of God that she is faine to plead the name and title of Catholike to be her proper note or Ensigne which no other Church may more presume to challenge then a Seruingman may presume to weare his Masters coate or cognizance after hee be discharged of his
seruice In this waking dreame the Author of the Guide of saith was brought to raue as followeth Now I come saith he to the great Character of our glory and renowned title of our profession the name Catholike a name famous in the Primitiue Church famous in the Apostles dayes and inserted by them among the Articles of our Creede famous after in all succeeding ages and vsed commonly by the Fathers not so much to make a difference which some thinke betwixt the Iewish Synagogue and the Christian Church as to seuer and distinguish the false named Christians themselues from the true and vnfaigned beleeuers And Reason teacheth D. Whitaker often confesseth the markes and properties of the Church to be vnseparable from the Church whose markes they are Therefore that which once was must still continue a marke of the Church because the true Church although it admit some accidentall change yet it is alwaies in nature vnuariable in essence vnchangeable so that the properties which flow from the essence thereof as the name Catholike doth can no more be altered changed or cease then the power of laughing a propertie which proceedeth from the nature of man can euer cease to appertain to man c. 18. sect 1. 4. p. 155. 138 Auditum admissi risum teneatis amici 2 If the power of laughing proceede from the nature of man and the nature of man consist in reason it will bee very hard for any man to refraine laughing that hath but so much reason as to consider the vanitie of this assertion that a name should be an vnseparable propertie proceeding from the nature of any realitie God gaue names to the first Man and to the first Woman and the first man gaue names befitting other creatures but the names proceeded not from the nature of the creatures named but from the Imposers otherwise their names should haue beene the same in all nations and languages And if the name Catholike were an vnchangeable marke or naturall propertie of any reall Church it should be of the Greeke Church or nation vnto which the name or title of Catholike is prime and naturall If the reall propertie answering to this name had belonged to the Romish Church the holy Ghost would haue exprest it by a Romane name and haue called the Romane Church the vniversall Church at least the Romanists should haue called themselues vniuersals not Catholikes But let vs listen againe vnto this Rauer Wee onely inioy the liuely badge and are inuested with the Liuerie of the true professors of Christ Neither can Mr. Abbot or Mr. Whitaker dismantle vs of that royaltie by saying Names may be falsly imposed to things or vniustly vsurped For this name is not imposed by man nor vsurped by abuse but imparted by God inspired by the Holy Ghost as I haue proued aboue who cannot apparell vs with any faigned attire nor can the Deuill take from Gods people their cognizance or nobilitate his vassailes with the colours of Christ 3 Was the name of Catholike more immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost then the name of Angels or Apostles was or was this title more appropriated to the Church than the other two titles of Holy and Apostolike Now S. Paul tels vs 2 Cor. cap. 11. verse 14 15. that Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light and it is no maruaile if his Ministers transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ Is it then impossible for the ministers of Sathan to vsurpe the name of Christs Apostles or Catholikes though both names were imposed by God and inspired by the Holy Ghost Certainely seeing this transformation is not in substance but onely in colour or shew it must needes include the colour or vsurpation of the name whether of Apostles or of Catholikes But he further addes That no heretike could euer obtaine to be called Catholikes by true Christians For this very reason we Protestants of reformed Churches who are if not the onely true Christians on earth yet the truest Christians and the most conspicuous members of the Holy Catholike Church as militant here on earth dare not vouchsafe to bestow the name of Catholike vpon any Papist but with such an addition or item as wee giue the name of Angels to infernall fiends which we tearme Satans Angels or collapsed Angels Now the same analogie which Gods Angels or a holy Angell hath to Sathans Angell or to a collapsed Angell a true and holy Catholike hath to a moderne Romane Catholike For by this tearme we meane such a one as being a seruant of Sathan doth seeke to transforme himselfe into a true and holy Catholike The point which this blinde-guide was to proue was this That no heretikes could vsurpe the name or title of Catholike We say it is the propertie of the moderne Romish Church to counterfeit the fairest titles giuen to the Church by orthodoxall Antiquitie more plausibly then the ancient heretiâ—es could And by this propertie we discerne her to bee that mother of Harlots which can imitate the Lambs voice whilest she acts the Wolfes part Hee further obiects that the Iewes and Mahumetans when they heare a man named a Catholike thereby conceiue some member of the present moderne Romane Church not any of Luthers or Caluines followers So we likewise when we heare a people brag and instile themselues a holy nation wee presently conceiue the parties that thus instile themselues to be Iewes Yet doe we not for all this beleeue that the Iewish Nation is the Holiest of Nations or the onely chosen people of God now on earth As for both Iewes and Turkes it is likely they could bee well content to suffer the Romanist to inioy the name Catholike as a preheminence aboue Christians For they might well hope to proue their owne Religion to bee better then the best professed amongst Christians if once it were granted that the Romane Catholike Religion is the best But to giue the Christian Reader some reall solace after his pleasant recreation at this ridiculous Discoursers folly in that he and his fellowes can thus seriously pleade for the name Catholike which they seeke by faction to ingrosse vnto themselues this is an argument to vs that the floods already approach the sandie foundations whereon this spirituall Babylon is built and that her downefall is at hand For vnlesse her professed Champions and Pilots were likely to be drowned they would not so earnestly catch at such shadowes or floating bul-rushes as this Guide of Faith hath done But leauing the shadow let vs in the next place see whether haue better interest in the body or substance whether wee or they doe better deserue the reall titles of Catholikes CHAP. XXI That the title of Catholike is proper and essentiall vnto the faith professed by the present visible Church of England but cannot truely be attributed to the Faith or Creede of the moderne visible Romish Church 1 WHether the name Catholike were first bestowed vpon the Church or vpon that faith
which is the life and soule of the Holy Apostolike Church shall bee no part of our inquirie It sufficeth that the name Catholike it selfe is vniuocall in respect both of Church and faith True faith is therefore Catholike faith because it is the onely doore or way vnto saluation alike common vnto all without nationall or topicall respect Whosoeuer of any Nation haue beene saued haue beene saued by this one and the same faith and whosoeuer will be saued as Athanasius speakes must hold this Catholike faith and hee must hold it pure and vndefiled The maine question then is who they be that hold this Catholike faith and whether they hold it vndefiled or no. Were Vincentius his rules as artificiall as they are orthodoxall and honest the issue betwixt vs and the Romanist would be very easie and triable But let vs take them as they are Id catholicum est quod ab omnibus vbique et semper c. That is Catholike which is held by all in all places and at all times The three speciall notes of the catholike faith or Church by him required are vniuersalitie antiquity and consent Whether these three members be different or subordinate and ofttimes coincident I leaue it to be scanned by Logicians According to the Authors limitation all three markes agree to vs not to the Romanist 2 First concerning vniuersality the question is not Whether at this present houre or in any former age for these thousand yeeres past there are or haue been more which professe the present Romish Religion established in the Church of Rome then the Religion established in the reformed Churches since the separation was made If wee should come to calculate voyces after this manner Whether will you bee a Romane Catholike or a protestant They might perhaps haue three for one amongst such as professe themselues Christians ready to cry I am not for the protestants but for the Roman Catholikes will I bee But it was farre from Vincentius his meaning that vniuersality should bee measured after this fashion for hee very well knew that the Arian faction had preuailed especially by this tumultuary kind of canvase or calculation The multitude of voices thus taken for them may proue their faction to be stronger and greater than our Church it cannot proue their faith to be so vniuersall as our faith is The fallacie by which the Romanists deceiue poore simple people is in making them beleeue that our Religion and their Religion our faith and their faith are duo prima diuersa or so totally distinct that part of the one could not be included in the other But for the vniuersalitie of our faith wee haue euery member of the Romish Church a suffragant or witnesse for vs. First nothing is held as a point of faith in our Church but the present Romish Church doth hold the same and confesse the same to haue beene held by all orthodoxall Antiquity So that for the forme of faith established in our Church we haue the consent of the Primitiue Church of the foure first generall Councels of all succeding ages vnto this present day the consent likewise of the present Romish Church and of our selues Now as France is a great deale bigger than Normandy if we compare them as distinct and opposite and yet France and Normandy is bigger then France without Normandy so likewise though the present visible Romish Church be much greater then the Church of England yet seeing the Romish Church how great soeuer doth hold all the points of faith which our Church doth for Catholike and orthodoxall our consent and their consent our confession and their confession is more vniuersall then their consent without ours But if their consent vnto the points of faith beleeued by vs proue our faith to be vniuersall and our Church by consequence to bee Catholike why should not our consent vnto the points of faith beleeued by them proue their faith to bee vniuersall or their Church to be Catholike Because it is not enough to hold all points of Catholike faith vnlesse the same points bee kept holy and vndefiled The Romish Church we grant doth hold all points of Catholike faith and so farre as she holds these points wee dissent not from her yet dissent from her wee doe in that she hath defiled and polluted the catholike faith with new and poysonous doctrines for which shee neither hath the consent of Antiquity nor of reformed Churches And in respect of these doctrines she stands conuicted of schisme and heresie by Vencentius his rules For it is with him a fundamentall rule That no present visible Church hath any authority to commend any thing as a point of faith to posterity which hath not beene commended to the said Church by Antiquity deriued from the Apostles times A proficiency or growth in faith hee allowes and granteth modò sit in eodem genere so it be in the same kinde or proceed from the same root but for additions or new inuentions he takes them for the markes of schisme and heresie 3 So then we hold the Catholike faith and they hold the Catholike faith And seeing they hold the Catholike faith in the same measure that we doe is it not reason they should bee termed Catholikes as well as we though not so good Chatholikes as wee No reason they should be termed Catholikes at all Where is the difference In this Wee hold it pure and vndefiled they haue defiled and polluted it for many generations and doe still defile it with many loathsome additions and inuentions Now in this case the denomination followeth the worser part that is they are not so much to bee reputed Catholikes for that they hold the Catholike faith as to be adiudged Heretikes and Schismatiks because they haue defiled and polluted it with many new inuentions and being admonished hereof and reproued will not purifie their faith will not reforme their religion according to the rule of faith and the practice of Antiquity Their faith not purified from the additions of the second Nicene and Trent Councell can be no Catholike faith Their Religion not reformed can be no true Religion saue onely in reference to Paganisme Iudaisme or Mahumetisme For as Dionysius saith Bonum non est nisi ex integra causa malum ex quolibet defectu Nothing is good which is not intire and sound evill ariseth from euery defect Euery new addition or inuention in matters of faith or doctrine is enough to make that church schismaticall which before was Catholike and orthodoxall Catholike and orthodoxall no Church can be vnlesse it hold all points of faith without admixture of humane inuentions or of new articles The admixture of a great deale of mans meat with a little swines meat makes the whole dish to bee no mans meat but swines meat Our Church according to Vincentius his rule admits a growth or proficiencie in faith in that it holds not only those propositions which are expresly contained in Scripture but such as
vnwritten tradition or customes commended or ratified by the supposed infallibility of any visible Church That Ecclesiastical Tradition which Vincentius Lirinensis so much commends did especially consist in the Confessions or registers of particular Churches Now the vnanimous consent of so many seuerall Churches as exhibited their Confessions to the Nicene Councell being not dependent one of another not ouerswayed by authority nor misled by faction to frame the Confessions of their faith by imitation or according to some patterne set them but voluntarily and freely exhibiting such Confessions as had beene framed and taught before these controuersies arose was a pregnant argument to any vnpartiall vnderstanding man that this faith wherein they all agreed had beene deliuered vnto them by the Apostles and their followers by the first planters of the Churches thus agreeing a pregnant argument likewise that these first planters had beene inspired and taught by one and the same Spirit Each particular Church was a competent or authentike witnesse of euery other Churches integrity and fidelity in seruando depositum in carefull preseruing the truth committed to their speciall trust On the contrary in that Arius Eutyches Nestorius and other heretikes did obtrude such constructions of scriptures vpon their Auditors as had no where beene heard of before but sprung vp with themselues or from the places wherein they liued this was an argument more then probable that if the Apostles had deliuered the whole forme of wholesome doctrine vnto posteritie a point questioned by no Church in those times these men or the particular Churches which abetted them had not kept the doctrine deliuered vnto them by our Sauiour and his Apostles but had corrupted or defiled it with the idle fancies of their owne braines or with the muddy conceit of their discontented passions To speake more briefly though perhaps more fully The vnanimous consent of so many distinct visible Churches as exhibited their seuerall Confessions Catechismes or Testimonies of their owne and their forefathers faith vnto the foure first oecumenicall Councels was an argument of the same force and efficacie against Arius and other heretikes for whose conuiction these Councels were called as the generall consent and practice of all Nations in worshipping some Diuine power or other hath beene in all ages against the Atheists Nothing besides the ingraffed notion of a Deitie or diuine power could haue inclined so many seuerall Nations so much different in naturall disposition in ciuill discipline and education to affect or practice the dutie of adoration Nothing besides the euidence of truth deliuered vnto the Christian world by Christ and his Apostles could haue kept so many seueral Churches as communicated their Confessions vnto the Councell of Nice and Ephesus c. in the vnitie of the same faith 4 Howbeit this vnanimous Tradition Ecclesiasticke was not in these times held for any proper part of the Rule of faith but alleadged onely as an inducement to incline the hearts of such as before acknowledged the written word for the onely Rule of faith to beleeue that the interpretations or decisions of those Councels did containe the true sense and meaning of the Rule acknowledged by all So that the written Tradition which Vincentius so much commends was not by the Nicene Councell vsed to any such purpose as the Romanist now vse vnwritten Traditions The onely vse of it was to direct the present Church in her examination of the Catholike truth or points of faith The chiefe authority which the visible Church then challenged did consist in the vnanimous consent of Ecclesiasticke Tradition and that as was said before but an inducement to imbrace the interpretations of the present Church and reiect the interpretations of vpstart heretikes 5 But was it a receiued truth in these Primitiue times or a truth acknowledged by Vicentius the pretended patron of Roman Catholike Tradition that the ioynt consent of so many Bishops as were assembled in the first Councell of Nice or the ioynt Confessions of so many seuerall Diocesses as were then deliuered to that Councell should vnto the worlds end continue an argument or inducement of like force or validitie as it then was either for establishment of the Canons which succeeding Councels should make or for condemning such opinions as with the consent of as many or more Bishops as were there assembled should be condemned for heresies No the same Vincentius hath giuen posteritie a Caueat as full of wisedome as of religion in some cases not to admit of his former admonition concerning the triall of Catholike faith either for refelling heresies or for establishing of the truth The limitation of his former admonition is in his owne words thus As for ancient and inueterate heresies they are not in any wise to bee refuted by the former method because continuance of time after heresies be once set on foot may afford Heretikes many opportunities of stealing Truth out of the writings of the Ancient or for exchanging orthodoxall antiquity with prophane nouelties Now what opportunities of falsification did these 800. yeeres last past affoord which the Romane church was not alwaies ready to take The opportunities afforded by dissolution of the Romane Empire and variance of christian Kings first made the Romane Cleargie such sacrilegious Thieues as Vincentius supposeth any opportunitie may make heretikes to be And the Romane church being flesht with the spoile of Christs flocke and christian churches through the West haue not beene wanting vnto themselues in deuising new opportunities in coyning a new art of falsifying Antiquitie of stealing the consent and suffrages of the christian world from orthodoxall and primitiue truth So that if this controuersie may be examined and discussed by Vincentius his rules since the first acknowledgment of the Popes supremacie since the making of Edicts for the acknowledging of it since the exemption of Clarkes from royall or ciuill iurisdiction all the written testimonies or vnwritten traditions which the children of the Romish church doe or can rake together are voyd in law and voyd in conscience there is not so much as one legall single Testimony but all are as a multitude of false and illegall witnesses of parties or conspirators in their owne cause 6 But although heresies of long standing continuance cannot be refuted nor may not be assaulted in Vincentius his iudgement by the former method that is by multitude of suffragants or ioynt consent of seuerall Prouinces is there therefore no other meanes left to conuince them no way left to eschew them yes we may eschew them saith he as already condemned by ancient and orthodoxall Councels or we may conuince them so it be needfull or expedient by the sole authority of Scriptures Now if the Scriptures be sufficient to conuince heresies of long continuance or long standing and to confute such heretikes as want neither wit will nor opportunitie to falsifie ancient records and imprint traditions of their owne coyning with inscriptions of Antiquity I hope the same Scripture was
of this case they would not conclude the cause specially before a Iudge not acquainted with the mystery of the Creation For he that hath a wife and a wife hath a wife and shee that hath a husband and a husband hath a husband But if that precept of our Sauiour Whosoeuer putteth away his wife vnlesse it bee for adulterie and marieth another committeth adultery and hee that marieth her being so put away committeth adultery were once produced any Heathen Ciuilian might giue this absolute and infallible sentence If yee Christians will admit this Law for true and iust or for a rule of conscience then Polygamy certainly is a naturall part of Adultery and hee that hath a wife and marieth another is to bee punished as an Adulterer For what is the reason why he that putteth away his wife though by legall diuorce and marieth another commits adultery with the second or why he that marieth the first being so put away is likewise an Adulterer Is not the reason because the bond of matrimonie betwixt the husband and the first wife according to this your Christian law is not dissolued by a legall sentence of diuorce extra casum adulterij vnlesse in case of adultery Yet as a sentence of diuorce gotten vpon suspicion of adultery or subornation or vpon other causes which humane Lawes and Gods Law vnto the Iew did permit cannot by the Evangelicall Law altogether dissolue the bond of matrimony so out of all question it doth rather loosen or weaken it than corroborate or knit it faster Wherefore if hee that hauing gotten a sentence of diuorce by formall course of Law against his wife become guilty of Adultery in the Court of conscience and by the Euangelicall Law if hee marry another then much more shall he be an Adulterer who hauing a wife whose chastity was neuer called in question against whom no sentence of Law hath beene obtained if he shall presume to marry another Thus farre an Heathen by light of naturall reason without the assistance of Gods Spirit may goe in this and many other controuersies amongst Christians 3 Were not most Recusants throughout this Kingdome worse affected I will not say towards vs and our Religion but towards truth it selfe euen towards the light of the Gospell than any ciuill Heathen either are or can be they might as clearly discerne the vsurped authority of the Romish Church ouer their faith and ouer Scriptures the rule of faith to be as true a branch of Apostasie from Christ as Polygamy is of Adultery and that it doth more euidently dissolue the bonds of matrimony betwixt Christ and his Spouse the Church than Polygamy or adulterie doth the bond of matrimonie betwixt man and wife First they make the Scriptures as was said before not onely an imperfect rule in respect of its quantity but this defect being in their opinion supplyed by associating vnwritten Traditions vnto it in the second place they make both Scriptures and vnwritten Traditions to bee an vnsufficient rule in respect of their quality For it is their doctrine that we cannot know which be Canonicall Scriptures which are not which be authenticke traditions which not but by relying vpon the authority of the visible Church Againe admitting the Church could determine which were Authenticke Traditions which were not and that no Traditions should hereafter be receiued besides those which shee had determined yet if any controuersie should arise concerning the meaning of those Scriptures which she hath determined to be Canonicall or concerning the meaning limitation or vse of these Traditions which shee hath acknowledged to be authentike no priuate man may take vpon him absolutely to beleeue this or that to be the meaning of either but with submission of his iudgment to the Churches sentence And this as I haue elswhere shewed at large is not onely to make the authority of the Church to bee aboue the authority of the Scriptures but vtterly to nullifie the authority of the Scriptures saue onely so farre as they may serue as a stale or footstoole to support or hold vp the authority of the Church or Pope So that the last resolution of the Romanists beliefe as out of their owne comparisons of the Scriptures to colours and the authority of the Church vnto the light by which colours become visible to vs as is elsewhere demonstrated must be this That he absolutely beleeues onely the infallible authority of the Church concerning the truth of Scriptures and their true meaning their truth or meaning he neither absolutely nor infallibly beleeues So that if he beleeue any diuine truth it is onely ex accidenti that is in as much as the Church doth not erre in that point of faith which she proposeth vnto him howbeit to beleeue that which is true vpon no better motiue or condition then this is much worse then the ignorance of truth or meer vnbeliefe of the same truth How many seuerall diuine truths or articles of faith soeuer he thus beleeueth hee can be no true Catholike because he beleeues no diuine truth but as it is mixt with hellish antichristian falshood If wee shall proue that this supposed infallibilitie of the Romish Church doth in diuers points induce not onely heresie but infidelity and that infidelity of a worse sort then can be incident to any Heathen I hope our intended conclusion will bee sufficiently euicted that whosoeuer holds this absolute infallibility of the present visible Romish Church whatsoeuer he holds besides can bee no Catholike To giue you an instance for proofe of this 4 If one being a Christian shall steale hee doth commit a grieuous sinne yet a sinne of one kinde or species that is theft he doth not thereby cease to be a Christian he doth not thereby become an Infidell or Antichristian The like wee may say of fornication adultery murder incest or the like all which are grieuous sinnes and without repentance exclude men from the Kingdome of Heauen Yet can wee not say that they make a man an Infidell though worthy to be cast out of the Church vntill hee giue full proofe of his humble submission and hearty repentance for his fact But if any man that hath beene baptized and made a partaker of the word which in many points hee beleeues shall by couetousnesse malice intemperancie or the like haue so farre corrupted the feeds of Christianity or Law of God written in his heart as he shall thinke that which indeed and truth is theft fornication adultery murder or incest to be no sinne he is by the generall verdict of the Schooles not onely an hereticke but an Infidell Now Infidelitie is of two sorts either infidelitas purae negationis priuatiue infidelity such as is in the Heathen which haue not knowne God or his Lawes as hauing no commerce with his people or infidelitas prauae dispositionis depraued infidelity of which there bee more degrees as first it may bee in the Heathen to whom the truth of the
may by necessary consequence bee deduced out of them for points of faith and this growth is still in eodem genere from the same root Other points of faith besides these our Church admitteth none but tyes euen her Prelates and Gouernours to obtrude no other doctrines as points of faith vpon their Auditors than such as are either expresly contained in Scriptures or may infallibly bee deduced from them And this is the fundamentall and radicall difference between our Church and the Romish Church which admitteth such an illimited increase or growth of faith as is in heapes or congests of Heterogenealls CHAP. 22. Of the adinuentions or new Articles added to the Creed by the Romish Church by which she hath defiled the Holy Catholike and Apostolike faith Of the difference betwixt the Church of Rome and the Church of England concerning the rule of faith What that ecclesiasticke tradition was which Vincentius Liâ—inensis so much commendeth to what vse it serued in the ancient Councels 1 THe paine-worthiest enquiry in this argument were first to make search what additions or adinuentions vnto the ancient or primitiue Canon of Catholike faith haue beene made receiued or authorized by the Romish Church since the Councel of Ephesus which was some 3. yeers before Vincentius Lirinensis wrote his admonitions concerning this point and in what age and vpon what occasions such additions haue beene made or receiued Secondly to make proofe or demonstration how farre and in what manner such additions do corrupt or contaminate the Holy Catholike faith and how farre each or all of them ioyntly or seuerally doe vndermine or overthrow the holy Catholike faith The first addition or adinuention of moment which comes into my memorie is the Inuocation of Saints and veneration of Images Both which points were added as articles of faith or parts of the creed which all were bound to beleeue and professe by Tharasius Patriarke of Constantinople and President of that illiterate parasiticall and factious Assembly which hath bin coÌ„monly enstyled the seuenth generall or second Nicene Councell In these the like abominable decrees the then Bishop of Rome was Tharasius his complice his instigator and abettor as may appeare from the speeches of his Legates in that Councell and by his owne Epistles although part of the Epistle may bee iustly suspected to haue beene framed since But by what spirit this Councell was managed or in whose name they met together I referre the Reader vnto that learned Treatise in the booke of Homilies whereunto wee haue all subscribed concerning the perill of Idolatry especially the third part What ingenuous minds of this Kingdome thought of that Councell before either the Author of these Homilies or Luther was borne may in part bee gathered from an ancient English Historiographer who saith the Church of God did hold this decree in execration 2 The selfe same points with a great many more of like or worse nature all whatsoeuer any Councell which the Romish Church accounteth generall or oecumenicall or any Canons which the same Church accounteth Catholike euen all the decrees whereto the Trent Councell hath affixt their Anathemaes haue beene annext by Pius Quartus to the Nicene Creed and are inserted as principall points of that oath which euery Roman Bishop at his consecration is to take one part of which oath or solemne vow it likewise is that euery Bishop shall exact the like confession of his inferiors to bee ratified by oath or solemne vow Caetera omnia à sacris oecumenicis concilijs ac praecipuè à sacrosancta Tridentina Synodo tradita definita declarata indubitanter recipio atque profiteor fimulque contraria omnia atque haereses quascunque ab ecclesia damnatas rejectas anathematizatas ego pariter damno reijcio anathematizo Hanc veram catholicam fidem extra quam nemo salvus esse potest quam in praesenti sponte profiteor veraciter teneo eandem integram inviolatam vsque ad extremum vitae spiritum constantissimè Deo adiuvante retinere confiteri atque à meis subditis vel illis quorum cura ad me in munere meo spectabit teneri doceri praedicari quantum in me erit curaturum Ego idem N. spondeo voveo ac iuro sic me Deus adiuuet haec sancta Dei Evangelia Onup de vita pont pag. 472. The particular decree concerning Inuocation of Saints and adoration of Images is much inlarged by the Trent Councell and by Pius Quartus But of the equivalency of Idolatry in Rome Heathen and Rome Christian elsewhere at large In this one point to omit others the present Romish Church farre exceeds the Easterne Church in the time of the second Nicene Councell in that it ratifies the worshipping of all such Saints as are canonized by the Pope 3 The second addition made by the Romane Church vnto the ancient canon of faith is a transcendent one and illimited and that is the making of Ecclesiasticall Tradition to be an integrall part of the canon of faith This doth not onely pollute but vndermine the whole fabricke of the holy primitiue and Catholike faith That there is a certaine rule or authentick canon of faith is a principle wherein the ancient primitiue Church the moderne Roman and all reformed Churches agree The first point of difference betwixt vs is about the extent of the written canon specially of the old Testament The maine points of difference are these First we affirme with antiquity and in particular with Vincentius Lirinensis that the canon of Scripture is a rule of faith perfect for quantity and sufficient for qualitie that is it containes all things in it that are necessary to saluation or requisite to be contained in any rule so containes them as they may be beleeued and vnderstood wthout relying on any other rule or authority equivalent to them in certainty or more authentick in respect of vs then the Scriptures are The moderne Romish Church denies the canon of Scripture to bee perfect and compleat in respect of its quantity or sufficient for its quality or efficacy To supply the defect of its quantity they adde Tradition as another part of the same rule homogeneall and equiualent to it for quality To supply the vnsufficiency aswell of canonicall Scriptures as of Tradition in respect of their quality or efficacy towards vs they adde the infallible authority of the present visible Church The former addition of vnwritten Traditions as part of the infallible rule doth vndermine this latter addition of the Churches infallible absolute authority aswell in determining the extent as in declaring the true sense and meaning of the whole rule vtterly puls downe the structure of faith yet when we reiect Ecclesiasticall Tradition from being any part of the rule of faith we doe not altogether deny the authority or vse of it Howbeit that Ecclesiasticall Tradition wherof there was such excellent vse in the Primitiue Church was not