addeth in another place whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor heare your wordes Math. 10 15. going forth out of the house and citie shake of the dust from your feet Amen I say to you it shal bee more tolerable for the land of the Sodomits and Gomorrheans in the daie of iudgment then for that city Behold how straightly wee are charged to heare and beleeue Christs witnesses the pastors and Doctors of the Catholike church If wee do otherwise wee shal bee taken to despise Christ and to despise his heavenly father and shall find no lesse intollerable iudgment then did the stinking and abhominable Sodomites Moreouer the pastors of the Catholike church are not only Christs bare witnesses and Ambassadors but they bee also our spirituall governors Act. 20.28 Posuit vos Spiritus sanctus regere ecclesiam Dei The holie Ghost hath appointed you to gouerne the church of God If they bee our governors wee must obey them Hebr. 13.17 Obedite prepositis vestris subiacete eis Obey your Prelats and bee subiect vnto them hee that resisteth power Rom. 13.2 resisteth the ordinance of God And of all governors the spirituall that do represent our Saviour in a higher degree are most to bee respected Therfore more hainous is the offence of euerie one that doth obstinatlie withstand them then of others that withstande their temporall prince Math. 18.17 Qui ecclesiam non audiverit sit tibi tanquam Ethnicus Publicanus Hee that will not heare the church let him bee taken for a heathen and a publican whervpon there is commonly in all generall councels Anathema an excommunication and curse vpon all them that shall not beleeue all and euerie article of faith in the same generall couÌ„cell declared and determined which doth most manifestly demonstrate that any man who shall refuse to beleeue any one article of faith by the church declared to bee such is worthie to bee excommunicated that is to bee depriued of the societie of Christians in this world and consequentlie of the fruition of Christ in the world to come if they do not in time repent whence I gather this short argument hee that refuseth to beleeue Gods witnesses the pastors of his church and our spirituall governours in any one article of faith deserueth to bee condemned but they that hope to bee saued in their owne religion of whom wee now speake do refuse to bâ—leeue Gods church in some article or other of the Catholike faith therfore they deserue to bee condemned For the further explication of the great conveniencie and necessitie wee haue to beleeue and obey the Catholike church in matters of faith let is bee well weighed that it doth in manner as much import vs vpon whose credit wee beleeue anie thing as what wee do beleeue for such is the weaknes and vncertaintie of our owne Iudgment that wee neede nothing more then to haue an assured guid to coÌ„duct vs safelie in the high matters of divinitie which do farr surmount our naturall vnderstanding and capacitie Because as the Apostle discourseth divinelie faith is of hearing How shall wee then beleeue Rom. 10. without a preacher and how shall any man preach vnto vs without hee bee sent which is as much to say that without the helpe of some bodie sent from God to teach vs what wee haue to beleeue wee cannot beleeue aright wherfore it doth wonderfully much import vs to make right choice of this instructer for such as our guid and director is such is our faith If our guide bee blind wee following him shall blindly fall into the ditch with him If hee see cleare if he bee well aduised staid and certaine following him wee shall be assured to walke in the streight path For example The Turks beleeue in one God maker of heauen earth as wee do yet haue they not the true faith therof as wee haue because they haue not the same guid and instructer for that article that wee haue They be led to beleeue that by the credit which they giue to the ministers of Mahomet who out of his Alcaron teach them so to beleeue in God wee beleeue the same for that the Catholike church doth so teach vs in the first article of our Creed Ours is the act of true faith because wee are directed by the true church that cannot deceiue vs. The Turkes perswasion is no act of true faith for that hee taketh it on the credit of them that may deceiue him And do without doubt in manie other points deceiue him wherfore whether they do in this or no hee is vncertaine and consequently his persuasion being vncertaine hee cannot haue anie true faith which is certaine and without all peradventure In like manner the Iewes albeit they haue the old testament for their foundation yet being destitute of an vndoubtable directer and taking for their blind guides their Talmud and Rabbins are cleane voide of all true faith because their perswasion also relieth vpon them that may and do verie often misleade and beguile them For come to some other question of faith yea to the principall and ground of all the rest that is to beleeue Iesus Christ to bee the sonne of God and the true Messias and redeemer of the world The Turke not finding that in his Alcaron nor the Iew in the old testament according to the exposition of their Sinagogue do most blindly and obstinatlie refuse to beleeue it See then of what importance the direction of a true sincere guide is in all matters of faith wherfore it hath pleased the vnsearchable wisdome of our blessed Saviour to giue vnto all his faithfull servants for a most assured guide his best beloued spouse the Catholike church 1. Tim 3. the piller and ground of truth to whom hee being to depart out of this world bequeathed the holie Ghost to teach her all truth Ioh. 14.16 and that at all times vnto the worlds end I will aske my father and hee will giue you another Paraclete that hee may abide with you for euer Ioh. 16. when the Spirit of truth cometh hee shall teach you all truth Therfore it is great reason that wee should both acknowledge our blessed maisters carefull providence over vs in providing vs such a guide and also take our selues fast bound to obey the same holie church in all her declarations made to that purpose It is not then without exceeding great cause that all good Christians even from their infancy are taught to beleeue this that they neuer afterward faile therin And that they may the better remenber the same good lesson which doth so much import all men to learne perfectly they do from thence forth make dailie profession therof when they saie in their creed I beleeue the holie Catholike church That is I do not onlie beleeue that there is one holie Catholike church but I professe to beleeue what the same church doth teach mee to beleeue all and everie article of faith
vniforme in holie rites and māners should establish some one at the least to resolue infallibly all the rest in all doubtfull questions that should arise amōg them which he forsaw would be almost innumerable And to endow him with sufficient power and authority to kepe all the rest in order and due obedience This is that which wee maintaine he did for S. Peter and his successors the Bishops of Rome having his owne expresse word for our warrant being vnderstood according vnto the learned exposition and prudent practise of the most ancient holy pastors and prelates of Christs church as hath been before declared Thus much to shew how vnsoundly M. Abbot interpreteth that text of holy scripture and how vnproperly and feebly hee seeketh to shift from the most literall and vniforme exposition of the ancient Doctors Now I come to examine the exceptions that hee taketh against some sentēces that I alleaged out of the said holy fathers to the same purpose My first and principall author was the most learned and holie Archbishop of Lions S. Ireneus who with his blood sealed his doctrine 1400 yeares agoe Hee teacheth plainly that the Roman church is the greatest and most autentike and that hee and others by alleaging the traditions which the Apostles had lest to that church and their faith by succession of Bishops descending downe to his daies did confound and put to shame all wranglers who either of ignorance vaine glorie or envy did teach otherwise then they should haue done And for an vpshott addeth this reason which I did before cite to prove that wee must all ioyne in matter of faith with the church of Rome to witt For it is necessarie that everie church that is all the faith full everie where do agree with the church of Rome Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 3. Sed quoniam valde longum est in hoc tali volumine omnium ecclesiarum enumerare successiones maximae antiquissima omnibus cognitae à gloriosissimis duobus Apostolis Petro Paulo Roma fundata constituta ecclesiae eam quam habet ab Apostolis traditionem annunciatam hominibus fidem per successiones Episcoporum pervenientem vsque ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes eos qui quoqu◠modo vel per sui placentiam malam vel vanam gloriam vel per caecitatem malam sententiam praeter quam oportet colligunt Ad hanc enim ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire ecclesiam hoc est eos qui sunt vndique fideles in qua semper ab his qui sunt vndique conservata est ea quae est ab Apostolis traditio for her more mightie principalitie Bicause in it the traditions which descended from the Apostles hath been alwaies preserved round about Note first a most cleere proofe of that for which I cited it to witt that everie church yea everie faithfull man must not of curtesie but of necessitie accord with the church of Rome in matter of faith and religion Bicause in it as in a rich treasurie that doctrine which the Apostles taught is kept whole and sound to which M. Abbot saith that if wee take the reason added by Irenaeus but concealed by mee it will plainly appeare why it was necessarie for the other churshes to accord with the church of Rome for this church saith he for the renowme of the place being then the seat of the Empire was the most eminent church of the world I answere that I concealed nothing And this reason added by M. Abbot is wholie mistaken for there is no mention in Irenaeus of either the Emperors power or seate for that mighty principality is proper to the church of Rome for her spirituall dignitie And it is most absurd to thinke that the church of Rome in those ancient daies of S. Irenaeus when the Emperours were most deadly ennemies of the Christian name gott any reputation with other churches by the worldly renowme of those persecuting Emperors who raigned there for that their wicked glorie was rather a whetstone to hatred and contempt then anie allurement to loue and estimation This great respect then being borne vnto the church of Rome before the Emperors of Rome were converted to be Christians is a most manifest argument that the principality of the church of Rome was not gotten by the renowme of that city nor by the glorie of these heathen peesecuting Emperors but for that the best learned and most holie prelats of all countries were taught by the Apostles and their schollers that it was our blessed Saviours pleasure and ordinance that such regard and obediēce should bee yeelded vnto the church of Rome were the Emperors therof heathens or Christians good or bad It was in deed verie convenient that the prince of the Apostles and head of Christs church should be there seated where the Monarch of the temporall estate held his court to the intent that impietie being there crushed as it were in the head might the sooner decaie all the bodie over And true godlines being happely planted in the cheif place might with more facility and speed bee spred in all other nations and also that mē might bee more easily induced to yeeld religious obedience to the Bishop of that place vnto whose tēporall magistrates the whole world before had obeied in temporall affaires But this is to bee attibuted to our Saviours devine wisdome order institution Not vnto the greatnes or worldlie pollicie of anie earthly Emperors M. Abbot seing little hold to bee taken vpon the renowme of that place as the state of things went then doth acknowledg that in those daies the church of Rome was pure sound therfore fitt to be propounded as a patterne for other churches to imitate But now the case is altered as he saith bicause the church of Rome it self is now questioned for swarving from the tradition of the Apostles which being soe that cannot be said to bee necessarie now which was necessarie then This answer hath as litle solidity in it as the other For the church of Rome it self was as well chalenged in those daies for swarving from the Apostles tradition by the Mōtanists Marcionists and such like Heretikes as now by the Lutherans Calvinists and Anabaptists And neuertheles the renowmed prelates of Christs church and most firme pillers of our Christian religion did then teach all Christians to make their recourse vnto the same church for resolution of the true faith wishing them to conforme themselues therto and by avouching boldlie that doctrine which they found there maintained to confound all them that taught the contrary as yee haue heard out of Irenaeus Let vs therfore as kind children treading in the right steps of those our most laudable forfathers seeke with them vnto that same church of Rome for the veritie of that doctrine which descended from the Apostles imbrace it most willingly and professe it as constantlie though we heare our holie mother to be
of law if they looked not the better about them well to come to the answer there we haue first the ancient custome of appealing out of Africk to Rome confirmed by saint Ciprians authority and that by M. Abbots own confession Secondlie that the word perfidia is to be taken rather for error in faith then for perfidious reports appeareth for that it is there by S. Ciprian opposed as the contrarie to the true faith of the Romans which was by saint Paul commended and in the same Epistle saint Ciprian saith nulla societas fidei perfidiae potest esse still opposiing persidiousnes to faith So is it in the 57. Epistle where he affirmeth that if a novatian heretike should be put to death by the heathen persecutor for the Christian faith that death to him that dieth out of the church should bee non corona fidei sed paena perfidiae not a crowne of faith but a punishment of his misbelief and heresie Againe that you may perceiue there to haue been good cause for S. Ciprian to cōmend the faith of the Romanes you must obserue that there is mention made in the same sentence of false Bishops chosen by heretikes who sailed towards Rome were not they fitt instruments to prepare the way to heresie and misbelief and towardes the end of the same Epistle he plainly intimateth that they were to be assaulted by heretikes when he saith albeit I knew you could not be taken with the venime of haeretikes c. It was then not besides the purpose to intimate that such fellowes should find cold entertainment of the Romans vnto whom misbelief could haue no accesse besids in the next period going before speaking of the same sailers to Rome he cast this imputation vpon them quibus satis non fuit ab Evangelio recedere who thought it not enough for them to depart from the gospell And was it then from the purpose to giue them that caveat that they were like to lose their labour in sailing to Rome for relief Bicause misbelief could not bee welcome to the Romanes whose faith the Apostle had commended In a word was it not iust as much to S. Cipriās purpose to saie that falshood in faith could haue no accesse to the Romans as to speake of the Romans faith commended by the Apostle where faith being as everie man seeth to bee taken properly it must needs argue that that perfidiousnes in the next line lincked with the other must be taken for the flatr contrarie Seing then that the nature of the word doth allow that signification which I gaue it and saint Ciprian did so vse it often in that sence namely when he opposeth it against faith the circumstances also of the place and Authors intention better agreing with the same it is evident that M. Abbot doth but cauill against the true sence of the word which I gaue And would very absurdly haue it so taken that you must either plainly saie that S. Ciprian spake glosingly and vntruly or els did strāgely mistake his words putting could for should Ad quos perfidia non potest habere accessum for non debuit habere accessum vnto whom saith S. Cyprian perfidiousnes can haue no accesse vnto whom saith his corrector or rather corruptor M. Abbot perfidiousnes ought to haue no accesse Betwixt which two propositions there is verie broad difference as each man knoweth Now that in some rare case non potest is taken for non debet it cannot for it ought not doth not enforce that it must be so taken when it pleaseth M. Abbot but hee must giue men leaue to prefer and to follow the naturall and vsuall signification of the word before such a strange interpretation and wresting therof To that which in the end of his needles discourse of it cannot for it ought not Hee addeth that S. Ciprian with a councell of African Bishops did teach the rebaptising of them that were before baptised of heretikes against the knowne sentence of pope Stephen whence it followeth saith M. Abbot that they thought they might in matter of doctrine dissent from the Bishop of Rome or els they would haue submitted their opinion vnto his verdict To which I answere That either they tooke that doctrine which the pope of Rome deliuered vnto them in his letters to be deliuered as his owne priuat opinion to which they were not bound to conforme themselues Or els that in the heat of vpholding their errors as they declined from the true doctrine so they forgot their dutie to the sea of Rome Because the obstinate maintaining of one error doth oftentimes push on hoat disputers into another But when S. Ciprian was out of that humain passion a Cypriā Epist 55. he wrote as plainly as any mā could That schismes and heresies do not spring from any other fountaine then for that the sentence of one priest and Iudge in Christs steed is not harkened vnto That b Epistola 45. the church of Rome is to bee stuck vnto as to the roote of vnity and as the mother church to be observed and obeied And elswhere De vnitate Ecclesiae Qui Ecclesiae renititur resistit qui cathedram Petri super quam fundata est ecclesia deserit in ecclesia se esse confidit Can hee that forsaketh the chaire of Peter vpō which the church was built haue any confidence that he is himself in the church This and much more wrote Saint Ciprian to the verie high commendation of the church of Rome when he was out of that humor of rebaptization which fault of his was afterward by his constant martirdome purged As S. Austin testifieth who also saith Aug. epist 48. item l. 1. de baptis co donatistas ca. 18. that there wanted not some who held those writings which M. Abbot citeth for S. Ciprians either to be none of his or that he repented himself or them before he died And therfore should not now be cited for his But such ouersights of the fathers are the fittest foode for heretikes to feede vpon in them they find the best relish and therfore this taint of S. Ciprian is twise or thrice serued in as a dainty dish and drosse though it be yet is it often set vp as a bright starr to giue light and lustre to their goodly cause Now to that which followeth in his text he saith that my proofes hitherto were vayne yet those which follow are more vaine But god be thanked that the bare word of a vaine mā is but meere vanity 28 You haue alreadie heard how friuolous and idle his exceptions were against the sentences that I tooke out of those golden paire of most ancient Doctors and very glorious Martirs S. Irenaeus and S. Ciprian Now attend how simplie he behaueth himself in answering to that which I cited out of S. Ambrose S. Austen and S. Hierome No man can deny but that these holy learned fathers are for their persons without all exceptions