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church_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	unwritten_a	5,821	5	12.7929	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04528	The Catholique iudge: or A moderator of the Catholique moderator Where in forme or manner of a plea or suite at law, the differences betweene those of the Reformed Church, and them of the Romish Church are decided; and without partialitie is shewed which is the true religion and catholique Church, for the instruction of either partie. Together with eight strong arguments or reasons, why the Popes cannot be competent iudges in these controversies. Written in the Dutch and French tongue, by Iohn of the Crosse, a Catholique gentleman. Translated out of French into English, by the right worshipfull and learned Knight Sir A.A.	John of the Crosse, a Catholique gentleman.; A. A., Sir.	1623 (1623)	STC 14651; ESTC S107831	50,836	96

and I will here mention nothing that may not be found in their owne bookes litterally in expresse tearmes Afterwards I will propound the arguments and reasons for which they of the reformed religion refuse to acknowledge and accept for their Iudges the Popes the Councels the Fathers Traditions Miracles or other such like witnesses but doe instantly require that all such differences of Religion may be decided and determined by the written Word of God And after you shall haue apprehended and considered all these things in the feare of God and without any preiudicate conceit or partiality then I will willingly permit you to chuse the better of those two parties pretending right or contending one against the other The differences of the reformed Christians and the Catholike Romanes touching the principall points of Religion Concerning the first point which wee haue at this present to entreate of Behold heare the principall and most important controversies in the doctrine of these two parties First the reformed Church beleeveth ● Of the holy Scripture Io. 5. Io. 10. 1 Tim. 3. that there is nothing necessary to salvation which is not fully comprised or contained in the holy Canonicall Scriptures of the old and new Testament But the Church of Rome saith Aug. 49. cap. 11. in Iohan. Petr. Sot in Schol. de Scrip. Pig de Ecles hierar lib. 1. cap. 14. Cens col pa. 19. that the holy Scripture is vnperfect and vncertaine or doubtfull compareth the same holy Scripture to a nose of wax to a leaden rule It affirmeth also that without the authority of the Church it is but as a fable of Esops that the Scriptures is the cause of al heresies that it is accommodated and applyed to the time and that therefore the reading thereof must bee forbidden to Lay-people that is to say to the simple and common sort The reformed Church beleeveth that credit must not be given neither to the Councels 2. Of Tradidions Gal. 1. Esay 8. nor to the Fathers no nor to an Angell descending from heauen if so be he should teach contrary to the written word and doctrine of Iesus Christ Chrysost 49. in Mat. Aug. lib. 3. de Trin. Trident Concil Sess 4. Linden lib. 1. cap. 4. Hosius de verbo in Sol. in Con. Late enlo pag. 133. 3. Of the Law of God Rom. 7. Mat. 5.1 Io. 1. The Church of Rome teacheth that vnwritten traditions must bee held in as great estimation and reverence as the holy Scripture as being the foundation of Faith without which foundation the authority and waight of the Scripture vanisheth away or loseth the reputation The Reformed Church beleeveth that the Law of God cannot perfectly bee fulfilled or performed by man and that whatsoever is committed against the same Law is sinne Aug. lib. 2. con Iuli. hom 48. in Ioan. Lindu lib. 3 cap. 19. Andrad lib. 5. Ruord Tap. The Church of Rome teacheth that the Law of God may be so perfectly kept and performed that one may doe workes of Supererrogation or surplussage also that all which is committed against the law of God is not sinne as amongst other things concupiscence 4. Of Sinne. 1 Io. 3. Rom. 5 Aug. lib. 2. con Iul. in hom 41. in Iron The Reformed Church beleeueth that the want of originall iustice or originall corruption concupiscence or coveting and whatsoever is repugnant to Gods law is sinne and maketh men culpable of the wrath of God Counl Col pag. 49. Ruor Tap. de per. orig Conc. Bes. Sess 36. The Church of Rome teacheth that concupiscence and originall sinne is not properly sinne neither is subiect to the wrath of God nor lyable to punishment 5. Of free-will 1 Cor. 2. Rom. 7. Ephes 2. Aug. de Sp. lit cap. 30. The Reformed Church beleeveth that since the fall no free-will is left in man touching things belonging to salvation vnlesse God change and moue the will of man by his holy Spirit The Church of Rome teacheth that man can loue God Ex puris naturalibus that is to say only by his owne power and naturall facultie Also that man euen being in mortall sinne de congruo that is to say according as is meete proper or agreeable may deserue the ordinance or disposition of grace The reformed Church beleeueth that the elect of God are Iustified only by faith in Iesus Christ 6 Of Iustification Rom. 3.4.5 Io. 3. Act 10. Aug. de Trin. Ser. 114. Barn sup cont Ser. 6. Con. Trid. Ses cap. 11. Audred lib. 6. pag. 447. Sot in Schol. de purga Concil Col. pag. 156. 7 Of the mediator Iesus Christ Io. 3. 1 Tim 1. 1 Iohn 2. Math. 20. Esa 53. Aug. lib. 1. c. 42 in Iran hom 85. Ambros de Isa without any good workes of the Law in such sort notwithstanding as the said faith must not be vnfruitfull or dead but a true and liuely faith working by good deedes of Charity The Romish Church teacheth that men are not Iustified by grace and by the imputation of Christs Iustice but by obedience of the law as our owne inherent righteousnesse The reformed Church beleeueth that there is but one onely mediator betweene God and man that is to say Iesus Christ very God and very man who by his death and passion hath canceled and done away the sinnes of the faithfull and by his resurrection hath for them purchased and merited life eternall The Church of Rome teacheth that Christ died for originall sinne onely And that Iesus Christ is not our only Mediatour but together with him all the he-Saints and shee-Saints of Paradice The Reformed Church beleeueth 8. Of the Sacrifice of Iesus Christ Heb. 10. 1 Ioh. 2. Heb. 9. 43. Esa 53. Act. 24. that the faithfull are reconciled to God the father by the onely sacrifice of Iesus Christ once offered and performed or finished on the Crosse The Church of Rome teacheth that the death of Iesus Christ Con Trid. Sess 6. con 2. Cat. Rom. pag. 11. Gab. Bel. 11.12 Linda lib. 4. pag. 375. not the onely expiatorie and purging sacrifice but that the Masse is also such an expiatorie or satisfying oblation as abolisheth the sinnes of the liuing and of the dead it is also availeable to obtaine all good things both spirituall and temporall 9 Of Repentance Eph 4. Rom. 3. Io. 1. c. 19. Esa 19. c. 5. The reformed Church beleeueth that such a repentance is acceptable and pleasing to God wherein appeareth a true mortification of the old Adam and a true viuification or quickning of the new man proceeding from a true faith Lom lib. 4. Dist 16. Cat Rom. pag. 421. Com. Tho. 6 cap. 241. Con. Trid. Ses 4. And. lib. 9. cap. 18. 10 Of the Church Io. 10. Eph. 2. 1. Cor. 3. Math. 18. The Church of Rome teacheth that such a repentance is requisite in which there is a perfect contrition of heart confession of mouth and satisfaction of workes by

some others auerred and acknowledged it The Councell of Gelase decreed against Transubstantiation contrariwise that of Florence in the time of Victor the second and that of Lateran in the time of Innocent the third maintained ratified it Consider now well say the Reformed of what force and authoritie Councels can be and how litle they consent and agree together So that for those and such like reasons the Reformed will not accept or acknowledge the Councels for Iudges of the differences in Religion but they wil admit them for witnesses deposed in this action or sute so far forth as their testimonies agree with the publike Letters Patents or words of the testament and with the words and meaning and intention of God our Soueraigne testator As also S. Austine aduiseth vs verie well that is to say that in differences of the Church we must neither follow the authoritie of the Councell of Ephesus nor the Councell of Arminium seeing we are not therevnto obliged but rather that by the authoritie and force of the holy Scripture we should set and weigh cause against cause reason against reasō Also that we ought to giue more credite to a Lay-man who speaketh the truth accoring to that which is cōtained in holy Scripture then to a general Councel alledging falshoods cōtrary to the Scripture Here now further followeth the third kinde of Iudges that is to say the ancient Fathers The ancient Fathers cannot be Iudges in Religion which are also produced as Iudges of religion by them of the Church of Rome but they of the Reformed Church will not admit them absolutely for their Iudges For first of all say they that there are very false doctors that are very ancient and which is more ancient Fathers haue also confessed of themselues that they might all erre and bee deceived On the other side because that in the ages ensuing the false opinion and peruerse perswasion touching the invocation of Saints deceased the too great veneration or reuerencing of Martyres the allegoricall and too curious exposition of holy Scripture single life or abstinence from marriage Monkerie and Monasticall or retyred kind of life and the great number of ceremonies haue bin long since so deeply rooted that euen some learned Doctors haue not onely endeavoured to suppresse the aforesayd errors but contrariwise haue rather vpheld them partly thorow couetousnesse partly of ambition The faults errors of the Fathers partly also of set subtle purpose The which the Reformed say they can plainely proue by diuerse and sundry examples but they suppose that those ensuing will satisfie for this purpose All Christians acknowledge in the first place Tertullian for a good ancient Father and an vncorrupt and Orthodoxe Doctor Tertullian so farre forth that he confuted by the written word of God the Heretiques Marcion and Praxias both which denied the divine and humane nature of Iesus Christ but for so much that he maintaineth the error of the Chilliasts and disalloweth of second mariages all Christians must confesse he erred Cipryan Cyprian held very true opinions of the holy Trinity of the Baptisme of little children and of the right vsage of the holy Supper yet herein also hath he failed that is to say That hee holdeth that such should bee baptized againe as were formerly baptized with Heretiques that hee too excessiuely praiseth single life and abstaining from marriage Ambrose Saint Ambrose hath written diverse godly bookes of the holy Trinity and of the doctrine of Iustification but the subborned or supposed books in our time published vnder his name are refused by the Reformed Hierome Hierome hath greatly edified the Christian Church by his writings wherein hee teacheth that the true regeneration or renewing of man proceedeth not from the power and naturall faculties of free-will but hee greatly over-shoots denies himselfe when he so much disesteemes and disgraceth the state of marriage as to pronounce her a whore that after her first marriage marrieth againe Augustine Saint Augustine being the most vncorrupt Doctor of all the ancient Fathers hath in truth done great service to the Church of Iesus Christ when hee fundamentally by the Word of God confuted the Arrians the Manicheans the Donatists and the Pelagians but for so much as manet hoc that children should receiue the Lords Supper herein hee did not sufficiently consult with the Word of God Saint Gregorie held a good opinion Gregorie in saying that hee was Antichrist who caused himselfe to be called supreame and vniversall Bishop yet did hee greatly erre in forbidding and infringing the lawfull marriage of Pastors and Ministers of Gods Word when he thus writeth That it is by no meanes lawfull to renounce or giue ouer a monasticall life and when hee is so carried away with apparitions spirits and visions that hee is absolutely repugnant to the Word of God Furthermore how say the Reformed can we simply accept of the ancient Fathers fully and wholly for our Iudges Sentences and testimonies of the Fathers contrary to the doctrine of the Church of Rome Ambrosius considering that our accusers the Popes themselues doe not allow and admit all the sentences testimonies of the ancient Fathers S. Ambrose saith that for honesty sake and for seemly respect vnto the dead they should be suffred to remain at rest in their graues Gelasius l. 1. de Aba in Con. Re. Gelasius saith that the substance or essence of Bread Wine in the holy Supper remaineth inseparable even as in our Saviour Christ the humane nature abideth vnited with his owne nature Aug. l. 2. per. morit cap. vlt. Saint Augustine saith that it is presumption to conclude or determine any thing on any side in divine things which are obscure without cleere and manifest testimonies of holy Scripture Calix dist 6. de Con. Calixtus distributed the Sacrament of the holy Supper to all the Church and debarred from it dissolute persons and excommunicated all them which being present in the assemblie received not for all that the supper of the Lord. Cyp. l. 1 epist 2. Saint Cyprian sayd that the blood of the Lord ought not to bee denyed to Christians for the confession whereof they are bound to shead their blood Apollon●us taxed Mintāus with this heresie among others Apol eccl hist lib. 5 cap. 22. to haue beene the first that had instituted certaine lawes and ordinances concerning fasting Paph hist lib. 2. cap 14. Paphnutius maintained that marriage should not bee forbidden to Priests or Pastors of the Church declaring that the company with a mans owne wife is chastitie Cyp. l. 1 epist 3. Saint Cyprian affirmeth that the Lord Iesus alone is to be hearkened vnto concerning whom it is pronounced or commanded heare him Also that we must not regard what they which haue beene before vs haue said or done but what Christ who is before all hath commanded S. Augustine saith that the Christian Church

attribute and giue this honour and reuerence firmely to beleeue that none of their authors haue tripped or erred in their writings But concerning other writers and authors we reade them in such manner that although they haue beene verie holy and Godly and of much knowledge yet so it is that wee hold not what they haue written for true only because they taught this or that but because they haue beene able to perswade and to make vs vnderstand it so to be either by those Canonicall writings or by some other reasons which in substance agree with the truth and word of God So that wee owe this onely to the Canonicall Bookes as Saint Austine saith elswhere that is to submit our selues to them without any contradiction Lib. de na gra cap. 6. Con. Faust lib. cap. 5. ad Oros cap. 11. ad Pan. ad Fortu. lib. 2. Con. Moreouer it may be lawfull to refuse any other writtings and to varie from them in opinion but all persons must yeeld consent to the Canonicall writings be he Laicke be he Priest be he King be he Emperour let him giue heede and attention to the holy Scripture for in the whole world nothing can be found so holy and so necessarie as the holy Scripture Crescon gram cap. 32. Ad Vnam Don Epst 4.8 What I pray you can be found or met with all more cleare and euident then all those excellent testimonies and sentences of Saint Austine And in truth say the Reformed if we could once come to this point that God himselfe might be acknowledged to be Iudge of all differences in Religion and that by his voice which clearely soundeth and vttereth it selfe in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles we would not refuse likewise to accept and allow the Councells Fathers and Miracles and such like for deposed witnesses in this cause or action Prouided alwaies that first of all distinction be discreetly and considerately made between the true Church which is the assembly of Iesus Christ and the Sinagogue and assembly of Sathan betweene the auncient fathers and Orthodoxe doctors worthy of creedit and Heretikes betweene the lawfull Councels and Synods and Tirannicall Councels Sinods betweene the true writings of Orthodoxe men and bastard bookes or suborned writings betweene true miracles and and counterfeit ones betweene rightfull succession of true Doctrine and the disguised succession of persons betweene true consent and holy Vnion and peruerse and obstinate complotting and agreement in opinion Briefly betweene the true Traditions of the Apostles and the false glosses or expositions of men Herevnto replie they of the Romish Church and demand how all this can be effected by the written word of God seeing that in like manner all Heretikes defend arme or strengthen themselues with this written word of God The Reformed answere How the Scripture may be iudge albeit all Heritekes abuse it that Heretikes cannot more conueniently and fitly be confuted and conuinced which abuse this holy Scripture then by the same written word of God the which only and alone can suppresse and determine all controuersies in religion Ad Cresum lib. 2. cap. 31. for as Saint Austine verie well saith we must by no meanes Iudge or controule the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles but we ought rather according to those bookes to Iudge of all other bookes of Religious professors or of Infidels Euen so we see that our Sauiour Iesus Christ confuted and confounded by the holy Scripture Mat. 12. 4. the Scribes Pharises and Sadduces yea Sathan himselfe all which abused the Scriptures So likewise Saint Stephen conuinced the Iewes and Philip conuerted the Eunuch of Queene Candace by the holy Scriptures Act. 6.7 In like manner did the Apostles confirme the doctrine of the Gospell by the writings of the Prophets And the Iewes of Beraea compared the Preaching and doctrine of the Apostle S. Paul with the doctrine of the Prophets by this meanes trying whether it agreed with the writings of the Prophets In summe after the same manner the Councell of Nice condemned the Heretike Arrius that of Constantinople the Heretike Macedonius that of Ephesus Nestorius that of Chalcedon Eutiches that is to say by the onely word of God Even as Saint Augustine also convinced the Heretique Pelagius Aug. de con sen Epist 163. lib 3. Con ca. 6. Sozom. l. 1. c. 3. and Tertullian the Heretique Drapeas Briefly all the other faithfull Doctors haue so resisted that is by the holy Scripture all Heretiques These are the very words of Saint Austen lib 2 cap 32. contr Cresc Wherefore as Saint Augustine very well saith Let no man in disputations presumptuously obiect or oppose against vs the writings of the ancient Fathers or Councels for we hold them not in themselues Canonicall but doe examine them by the Canonicall writings and whatsoever agreeth with the authority and excellency of the holy Scripture wee accept of with commendation but that which accordeth not therewith wee reiect it with their leaue and consent That the Scripture is neither hard nor obscure If they of the Romane Church reply that the holy Scripture is obscure and hard to be vnderstood Saint Augustine answereth them that wee more certainely wade or passe through the holy Scripture then through Traditions For when we will diligently search into it being darkened with some obscure words nothing wil ensue that can breed any difficulty or if there doe arise any difference or doubtfulnesse it must be at length cleared and decided by sundry more plaine testimonies of the same Scripture And indeed as the same ancient Father saith the holy Ghost hath so tempered and composed the Scripture that whatsoever seemeth obscure in one passage is more cleerly expounded in some other Wherefore the Reformed conclude for all the reasons afore-saide that this is the only meanes powerfull to satisfie and appease those two pretending or contending parties that is to say if endeavour be vsed to suppresse and decide by the pure Word of God the controversies aboue mentioned adiudging that alone to bee the true religion and Catholike Church which agreeth fully and wholy with the Word of God rightly expounded and vnderstood according to the same Word of God and the Analogie of the Articles of the Christian Faith The exception of the Church of Rome They of the Romane Church pondering these reasons of the Reformed Christians doe protest that albeit indeed they well perceiue the religion of the Reformed not much to decline from the written Word of God and if it wholly accord with the the same that yet they would not hold and pronounce the same Reformed religion to be good because say they the sayd Reformed religion was first set on foot and published by Heretikes and Doctors that were not sent by God nor had a lawfull calling and who were innovators and new devisors in religion The answer of the Reformed The Reformed Christians doe earnestly entreat