hic populus decipi vult decipiatur in nomine diaboli that is Seeing this people will needes be deceiued let them be deceiued in the name of the deuill and so gaue them the Popes blessing Thus doe the Popish teachers come to saue soules making the people blind keeping them in blindnesse and then profanely scoffing at that blindnesse which themselues procured But S. Chrysostome and the ancient godly Fathers dealt farre otherwise with the people alwayes exhorting them to reade the Scriptures And Chrysostome in the same place doeth with great reason and eloquence both pull off this vaile of ignorance which the Papists labour to cast ouer the eyes of the people and doeth very effectually descry the fraude and imposture of such teachers as these Popish teachers are For sayth Chrysostome would it not be thought a very absurd thing if in borrowing and lending of money a man should trust him that brought him money and not tell it after him how is it then that this is thought so absurd not to tell money after another and shall we in things o◠the greatest weight simply follow the sentence of othe◠men without examination seeing we haue such an exac◠rule of holy Scripture Chrysostome prooueth that the learned Papists are couseners an◠the simple Papists sottish lik◠them that will not see their money tolde This is the reason that in stead of golde and siluer they receiue copper and brasse The damage redoundeth to the destruction of their soules and therefore they ought to haue a greater care and foresight lest in the matters concerning their soules they bee abused by such as dare change the rule of Faith delighting in the ignorance of the simple and profanely scoffing the ignorance which themselues haue caused This thing the simple people ought more carefully to looke to more exactly to preuent then any damage that can grow in their worldly estate Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria Lib. de recta fide ad regni saith It is necessary for vs to follow the holy Scriptures and from their prescript in no manner of thing must we depart Tertullian saith The rule of Faith Lib. de velandis virgini is instituted by Christ and it is one and the same which none may change which none may reforme Then whether the Papists wil call it an Alteration or a Reformation of the rule of faith which in Trent they haue done it is vtterly denied that the Church may either alter or reforme that rule S. Hillarie saith The presumption or Lib. ad Constan August frailtie or errour of some hee speaketh there against the Arrians but his wordes doe no lesse touch the Papistes hath either fraudulently confessed or impudently transgressed the vnchāgeable cōstitution of Apostolike doctrine So he calleth the rule of faith Indemutabilem Constitutionem Apostolicae doctrinae S. Hierome saith The Church Lib. 1. in Mich. c. ◠of Christ which dwelleth well possessing the Churches spread ouer the whole world is ioyned together in the vnitie of the spirit and hath cities of the Lawe and Prophets of the Gospel and Apostles and goeth not out of her boundes that is out of the holy Scriptures Thus he calleth the holy Scriptures the bounds and limits of the Church out of which limits the Church of Christ neuer goeth but the Church of Rome is gone out of these bounds S. Augustine Libr. de bon vidutat cap. 1. saith The holy Scripture hath fixed a rule for our doctrine lest we might dare to be wiser thē we ought I omit many for breuity S. Gregory saith In the volume of the Scriptures are conteined In Ezek. all things which doe teach vs all things that edifie And again All our munitiō is cōtained in the holy Writ To these Ancients agree the writers of the Church of Rome Peter Lombard saith Lib. 1. dist 1. Matters of faith must be demonstrated according to the authorities of holy Scriptures T. Aquinas In 1. ad sim c. 6. saith The doctrine of the prophets and Apostles is called Canonicall because it is the rule of our vnderstanding and therefore no man ought to teach otherwise The same might be proued out of others but this may suffice From all which I conclude that the doctrine of the Scriptures hath euer bin held to be the rule of faith which must rule the Church in teaching For these men presume that they deale with simple men that may not examine their doctrines and therefore they bid the people take doctrines at their hands and seeke no further And they tell vs that the rule of faith is that which the Church teacheth These be mad fellowes that presume so much vpō the simplicity of others for the rule of faith is a rule that ruleth the Church for deceiuers may come into the Church The Scripture hath warned vs of deceiuers that such shall come Antichrist with his deceiuing Priests shall come Now lest these deceiuers should abuse vs with false doctrines which they may call the doctrines of the Church the rule of faith is fixed to rule them and all other The ancient Fathers were all ruled by this rule we are ruled by the same rule onely these that haue changed the rule refuse to be ruled by this rule They tell vs that their doctrine must bee the rule to vs but they tell vs not what should rule their doctrine Now here is the point which we entreat learned and vnlearned to consider who seeke out the true Church and are desirous to find it and therein to rest The Church is knowen by the careful keeping of the true faith that is the true Church which from the Apostles in all successions hath held the true faith the true faith is knowen by the rule of faith the rule is the same in all ages This rule hath beene helde inuiolable from the Apostles times downeward in the Greeke Church in the Latine Church euen in the Church of Rome vntill the Councill of Trent And in the Councill of Trent we find this rule changed For whereas before the Church helde this rule alwayes to bee the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine conteined in the holy Scriptures now they haue made the rule to bee Scriptures and vnwritten Traditions These vnwritten Traditions they call the word of God as well as Scriptures and thus haue they made a word of God of their owne inuention By this meanes they magnifie the Popes authoritie and haue turned the Supremacie into a Godhead and will not vnderstand that they worship Antichrist in the Church For these Traditions are the Popes word as the Scripture is Gods word And they blush not to teach that the word of the Pope is the word of God And thus haue they set vp in the church another God and another word of God And what can Antichrist doe more then this Then in seeking the true Church wee must follow the rule we follow the same rule that all the fathers followed and because
of ancient writers in this poynt I will take a few of both S. Paul saith Whatsoeuer Rom. 15. 4. things are written before are written for our doctrine that by patience and consolation of the Scripture wee might haue hope Whereby the Apostle teacheth plainely that the Scriptures are the rule of our doctrine so that nothing may bee taught nothing may bee learned concerning our faith but according to this rule deliuered in the Scriptures And againe All Scripture is giuen 2. Tim. 3. 16. by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may bee perfect throughly furnished vnto all good workes The Apostle declareth how the Scripture is profitable and perfect The Papists confesse that the Scripture is profitable but not perfect They denie the perfection the Apostle prooueth both It is profitable to perfect the man of God that profitablenesse that is able to make men perfect is both profitablenesse and perfection If the Scripture can make the man of God perfect then there is no neede of any traditions of men to make vp this perfection This hath bene the common doctrine of the Church that the Scriptures are so perfect in themselues that they containe the whole rule of faith In this confession agree the Greeke Church the Latine Church the Church of Rome and all Writers in the Church of Rome haue helde vp this common faith vntill the Council of Trent which Councill ended some fiftie yeres agoe And then began these men whom now we call Papists to change this rule of faith in the Council of Trent For whereas before the rule of faith was euer confessed to be in the doctrine of the Scriptures in that Council vnwritten Traditions were taken into the rule of faith and so they teach now that the Scripture is but one part of the rule of faith and vnwritten Traditions of the Church of Rome another part So that the whole rule is in the Scriptures and in Traditions Whereby it appeareth that the rule of faith is by them changed For I say that they are not able to prooue by any writer of the Church of Rome much lesse by ancients that the vnwritten Traditions of the Church of Rome were helde to be a part of the rule of faith before the Counciâ— of Trent And because the Church is certainely knowen by preseruing the rule oâ— faith for that is the true Church which through alâ— successions holdeth the same faith deliuered by the Apostles and Prophets and that is no true Church which holdeth not the same faith anâ— the same faith is knowen by the same rule therefore thâ— Church of Rome that now is hauing changed the rule oâ— faith hath assuredly changeâ— the faith and hauing changed the faith ceaseth to be â— true Church of Christ because the Church is knoweâ— by the faith which the Apostles left to the Church Anâ— that Church such as it is following now a new rule of faith can prooue their antiquitie no ancienter then the rule That rule being then deuised some 50. yeeres agoe it followeth that when they seeke out their antiquity they will finde their Church to be according to the antiquitie of the rule of their faith of some 50. yeres standing and no ancienter In the meane time they cousen the simple people that cannot iudge with great boasting of their antiquitie and of the coÌ„tinuance of their faith from the Apostles But these be but vaine brags as it will further appeare in the processe thereof But first that we may know how faithful and peremptory the ancient Fathers and Writers of the Church of Rome haue beene in this point to prooue that nothing may be receiued into the rule of faith sauing only the Scriptures of many testimonies I will cite some Clemens Alexandrinus saith Strom. lib. 6. The Ecclesiasticall rule is the consent and conspiration of the olde and new Testament By the Ecclesiasticall rule hee declareth what is that rule which ruleth the Church And speaking of the holy Scriptures he saith There is no other worke but this onely that can bring saluation to men Athanasius saith Contra gentes The holy Scriptures inspired by God are sufficient to instruct men in the trueth Basill sayth Ascet de fide It is a manifest sliding away from faith and an euident signe of pride either to reiect any thing of that which is written or to bring in any thing that is not written Where he prooueth this both by Scriptures and reasons For Christ his sheepe heare his voice therfore it must be the known voice of Christ in the Scriptures that must rule our faith And the Apostle saith That though it be a Gal. 1. 15. mans testament yet if it be confirmed and ratified no man may disanull it or adde any thing to it Whereby Basill most powerfully proueth that the Testament of Christ being confirmed by his death may not be disanulled or haue any thing added vnto it For this were euident forgerie in a mans Testament And what then shall wee call this adding of vnwritten Traditions to the Testament of Iesus Christ Constantine the great had learned this of the orthodox Bishops and therefore hee sayth as Theodoret deliuereth Theodor. lib. 1. ca. 7 his saying in the first Nicene Council The Euangelicall and Apostolicall bookes and the oracles of the olde Prophets doe fully Plene nos instruunt instruct vs what we must vnderstand of the will of God therefore laying aside all contentions let vs seeke out the solution of those doubts that are proposed out of the holy Scriptures S. Chrysostome In 2. Cor. Hom. 13. sayth Seeing wee haue a most exact rule balance and gnomon that is the doctrine of holy Scriptures I beseech you â—hat you will not regard what this â—r that man sayth but seeke all â—hese things out of the Scripâ—ures Where S. Chrysostome â—reacheth to the people and â—rayeth them to read and search â—he Scriptures A cleane conâ—rary course take these Popish doctors who debarre the peoâ—le from reading the Scripâ—ures in a known tongue and â—o keepe them in ignorance â—elling them that they must beleeue nothing but that which the Church teacheth by the Church they meane themselues who are their teachers And they neuer declare to the people how by the rule of faith deliuered in the Scriptures they should examine their doctrines but the blind people must take all at their handes who are resolued to holde them blinde still As Cardinall Caietan comming into Paris and finding the people blinde was not desirous to remooue their blindnesse by instruction but content to abuse their blindnesse and to leaue them as blinde as he found them For when the people were desirous to haue the Cardinals blessing and therein the Popes the Cardinall at the first refused but finding the people earnestly set vpon that motion hee turned to them and sayde these words Quandoquidem
DIRECTIONS TO KNOW THE TRVE CHVRCH Written by GEORGE CARLETON Doctor of Diuinitie Imprinted at LONDON by IOHN BILL 1615. TO THE HIGH NOBLE AND most vertuous CHARLES PRINCE OF GREAT BRITAINE Duke of CORNWAL and of YORKE c. The spirit of Wisedome and Power to know and execute the Actions of a PRINCE WHen the Queene of SHEBA most noble PRINCE had heard the wisedome of SALOMON and obserued the order of his house shee pronounced his seruants Happy that did attend vpon him and heard his Wisedome It is true that not onely the houshold seruants find an happines in a wise Prince that feareth God for in the feare of God consisteth all wisedome but this fruit of happinesse is also spread and powreth it selfe as blood frō the heart through all the veines to all the Subiects that are to bee gouerned by such a Head Behold then how your happinesse draweth with it the happinesse of all other vnder you Of this my selfe haue had some experience which I thinke my selfe bound with my humble duety and thankefulnesse to remember For not many yeeres since I published a Booke of the consent of the Catholicke Church against the Tridentines wherein I was desirous to offer my seruice to God for the manifesting of his truth But your Royall Father our gracious Soueraigne and your Highnes were pleased so effectually to declare your gracious acceptance thereof as if it had beene a seruice done to your selues May wee not then say with the Queene of SHEBA Happy are the seruants of such a King and of such a Prince the Kings sonne And herein wee finde great difference betweene the case of your seruants and the case of them that serue the Pope who is found to be the trobler not only of yours but of all the Kingdomes in Christendom For your seruants cannot doe any true seruice to God but it pleaseth you and is accepted as a seruice done to you But his seruants cannot please him by seeking to please God but if they will haue his fauour they must loose the fauour and seruice of God by venturing vpon some bloody seruice acceptable to him for what other are now acceptable to him but such This thing must needes giue your seruants vnder your gracious Fauour and Protection a greater encouragement then our aduersaries can finde So that if wee should be slacke in promoting GODS cause vnder such gracious Protectours a great condemnation might iustly bee laide vpon vs. And this maketh me the bolder in this present seruice Since the time of the publishing of that Booke being written in Latine for I referred it to the iudgement of the learned and thought the vulgar sort were not to be troubled with such things wherof they could not iudge diuers bookes haue come to my handes that are written in English to seduce the simple that cannot iudge insinuating to them faire pretences of a shewe of the Church Which shewe of the Church is the thing that carrieth away many that cannot iudge between trueths and shewes These bookes being written with great confidence and little knowledge doe worke much harme among many of his Maiesties Subiects that are led with appearances and shadows Now for the helpe and information of these I haue drawen out of the greater worke some short Directions to know the Church the want of which directions seemeth to trouble many of the weaker sort which may giue some light to those that are so seduced and may helpe to dispell that darkenesse which their blinde Teachers haue brought vpon them and would therein hold them still blinded This I present to your Highnesse and am bolde herein to seeke your gracious protection both because my seruice and whatsoeuer I can doe is a due debt to your Highnesse and also that by your fauourable countenance it may finde more fauour abroad that the imperfections of the Writer may bee couered and excused by the worthinesse of the Patrone And thus with my daily prayers to God for an increase of these graces in your Highnesse that may leade you both to temporall and eternall happinesse I humbly take my leaue and rest Your Highnesse most humble seruant and Chaplaine George Carleton A PREFACE Containing an Aduertisement to the Readers who call themselues CATHOLIKES GEntle Readers for your sake was this vndertaken Your instruction is my desire and prayer Moses did wish that all the people of Num. 11. 21. God might prophesie and that God would giue them his Spirit and so do wee wish But there bee many false teachers that keepe the people in ignorance and are desirous that they may neither heare nor vnderstand any thing but as they receiue from their lippes Hence is it that so many Bookes are written and secretly conueyed into your hands of purpose to seduce you The care of your good hath mooued mee to take this paines to lay downe these directions that haue euer bene the directions of the Church and must euer bee that you may better vnderstand your owne estate and the ostentation of them that call themselues Catholikes but are not that leade you with vaine shewes and appearances of things that are not as iugglers vse to doe If any shall addresse an answere to me I will informe you before hand how you may easily iudge of the answere For wee know what they can doe we know their best and their worst but for your satisfaction which is all my care I will heere warne you of the maner of their writing that your selues may bee able to iudge of the answere if any shall be returned For whereas I haue proued that the rule of faith is onely the doctrine written in the holy Scriptures They happily may shew you out of the ancient writers that there be some other things admitted in the Church which are not written So doeth Cardinall Bellarmine bring ancient testimonies for some things vnwritten But these things wee confesse and acknowledge that some things vnwritten must bee admitted into the Church but these are things in the discipline of the Church And therefore wee holde things of discipline still vnwritten But if you haue a care to saue your soules from these sleights bid them prooue that things vnwritten must bee receiued as doctrines of faith For the controuersie betweene vs and them is not of vnwritten traditions in externall ceremonies but of vnwritten Traditions in the rule of Faith We say with Tertullian Regula Lib. de virgin velandis fidei vna omnino est sola immobilis irreformabilis hac lege fidei manente caetera iam disciplinae conuersationis admittunt nouitatem correctionis That is the rule of Faith is one altogether onely vnchangeable and vnreformable this law of Faith remaining the same other things pertaining to discipline and conuersation may be changed and corrected Euer since this controuersie begun between vs and them of Rome our writers haue confessed this that I say and haue challenged their aduersaries to produce some plaine testimonies that
rule of faith which prooued that our fathers liuing and dying in Popery before the Councill of Trent had the meanes to be saued which meanes are now taken away by these that are now in the Church of Rome because they haue altered the rule of faith which conteineth the meanes to saluation Now where they come with their declamations and tell vs of the diuisions that we haue among our selues some Lutherans some Zwinglians c. and that we can haue no Church because we haue not vnitie in the faith and these diuisions shew the breach of vnitie I answere that there may be some disagreement in some points of Religion and the sides disagreeing may â—oth holde the true Church so long as these disagreements be not in matters fundamentall and that they who so disagree notwithstanding â—ll their disagreement holde one and the same rule of faith We say that betweene Lutheâ—ans and Zwinglians as these â—all them the same rule of â—aith is helde and acknowledged without alteration And therfore both these sides may belong to one and the same Church because they holde one and the fame rule of faith with the Catholike Church with the Fathers and with the Church of Rome before the Trent Councill But if they can proue that there are some sects which doe not fully and entirely holde this rule of faith then will wee disclaime coÌ„munion with them as wee doe with Anabaptists with Zwinkfeldians with Papists for the same causeâ— And therefore when our aduersaries speake or write oâ— the Church they must leauâ— boyes play in making idle declamations let them speakâ— plainely and soundly to these points and declare the vnitiâ— of the Church and open thâ— rule of faith wherein the truâ— Church hath alwayes had â—nitie and will alwayes holdâ— to the end of the world The should make conscience of their writings not to deceiue the simple with idle discourses of by-points They discourse of antiquitie vniuersalitie and consent wordes in shew making for them as they suppose in truth against them They tell vs that the Religion which now is professed in Rome is that Religion which conuerted ENGLAND first to the true Faith They tell vs that wee can haue no true Church because we haue so many diuisions among vs and many such like discourses as these and very proper declamations which when wee reade we haue reason to suspect that they who write thus either are men of no learning and vnderstanding or else write things against their owne consciences to holde simple soules still in errour whom they haue once bewitched with these silly sleights and shewes They presume of ignorant soules and seeke to maintaine ignorance in the people for without grosse and in a maner wilfull ignorance none can bee deceiued in these things That which I haue spoken of the Catholicke Church is agreeable to that Article of our Faith I beleeue the holy Catholicke Church the communion of Saints Which words doe prooue that the Church of Rome as now it stands cannot bee the Catholique Church nor haue communion with it The Papists in deliuering the notes or markes of the Church make long discourses of other markes and are afraid to speake of these true markes conteined in our Creede First the Church is holy When these men speake of the holinesse of the Church they tell vs of a holines which is in the Sacraments which thing wee denie not but wee deny that the Sacraments make men holy without faith They tell vs also of the holy Martyrs that haue beene in the Church before that the Church is made holy by them This indeede prooueth the holinesse of them that haue liued and died in the faith and for the faith but this wil not make the Church after them to be holy The present Church is holy not by the holinesse of them that haue liued before but by the holinesse of them that liue in it The Church is holy because it consists of Saints of members who are holy these members are holy both by imputed sanctification from Christ the head who for their sakes did sanctifie himselfe as hee saith For their sakes I sanctifie Ioh. 17. 19 my selfe that they also might be sanctified through the trueth and also by inherent holinesse for the Apostle teacheth that the whole Church and euery member thereof receiueth increase of the body from the head So that men may not so grossely flatter themselues as the Papists doe thinking that they may be the Church and yet liue without holinesse They who haue no part in holinesse haue no part in the Church for the Church is holy Saint Iohn saith Euery man that hath 1. Ioh. 3. 3 this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure And againe If wee say that wee haue 1. Ioh. 1. 6 fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we lie and doe not the trueth And therefore the Church of Rome seeking a title of holinesse without holinesse of life so falling away from true holinesse is assuredly fallen away also from being a Church It is called CATHOLIKE because it hath beene spread in all places and hath beene and shall be at all times In which respect it is distinguished froÌ„ the Church of the Iewes which was but in one nation and for a certaine time The Church of Rome was alwayes helde by the Ancients to differ froÌ„ the Catholicke Church though it was euer helde to be a part of the Catholike Church but that it differed from the Catholike as a particular from the vniuersall the ancient writers neuer made doubt S. Hierome writing of one that confounded the orders of the Church preferring a Deacon before a Priest which confusion was practised then in the Church of Rome prooueth that this was but a particular disorder suffred in the Church of Rome against the order of the Catholike Church spread ouer the world And therefore he declareth that though in respect of particular assemblies there was one Church of Rome another of France another of Britaine c. yet all agree in one Church and the authoritie of the Catholicke Church is greater then the authoritie of any part though it be Rome it selfe And therefore he sayth Si authoritas quaeritur orbis maior est vrbe meaning the authoritie of the Catholicke Church spred ouer the world is greater then the authoritie of the Church of Rome being as then it was reputed but the Church of one Citie Wherby he prooueth plainely that the Church of Rome was not the Catholike Church Saint Augustine writing to the same purpose obserueth that in his time one Vrbicus a Romane beganne to spread newe doctrines concerning fasting namely that fasting did wash away errors and sinnes that in fasting there was merit that men were compelled to sinne who tooke a breakefast that the kingdome of heauen was not in meat and drinke but in fasting and such like nouelties which Saint Austin August Epist 86. refuteth and sayth that this Vrbicus did
blaspheme the Church dispersed ouer the whole world except the Church of Rome and some few of the West Then it followeth that in his iudgement the Church of Rome was not the Catholicke Church because Vrbicus who blasphemed the Catholike Church commended and followed the Church of Rome Many things might be brought for this purpose but I striue for breuitie This may suffice to prooue that the ancient Fathers did not hold the Church of Rome to be the Catholike Church In this Church there is a communion of Saints which Communion the Papistes deuise to bee betwene the Saints in heauen and the Saints on earth and them that bee in purgatorie These bee vaine conceits without any ground For the Church hath this Communion with GOD the Father and with IESVS CHRIST and among themselues as Saint Iohn teacheth 1. Ioh. 1. 3. Our Communion is with the Father and his Sonne Iesus Christ And declaring this Communion which the members of the Church haue one with another hee saith If wee walke in the light as hee 1 Ioh. 1. 3 7. is in the light wee haue Communion one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ doeth cleanse vs from all sinne In which wordes hee declareth who are partakers of this Communion and consequently who are members of this Church For wee haue Communion one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Then they haue this Communion who by the blood of Christ are cleansed from all sinne And therefore they who are in Purgatorie can haue no part of this Communion because they are not cleansed from all their sinne by the blood of Christ This Communion then is a Communion which the Church of the redeemed haue among themselues These bee they who sing that new Song Thou art worthie Apoc. 5. 9 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 euery kinred and tongue and people and nation This is the Communion that the Church of the redeemed haue and therefore it is called The Communion of Saints that is of such as are sanctified by the blood of Iesus Christ But this Communion is not in the Church of Rome For the Communion which is in the Church of Rome is such a Communion which by their owne confession is held among such men as haue no inward grace but onely the externall profession of Religion This being their owne confession it must needs follow that the Communion of Saints is not among them For Saints haue no Communion with wicked who haue no inward grace who are the members of the deuill and not of Christ The reason is because betweene the members of Christ and the members of the Deuill there can bee no Communion as S Paul prooueth For what fellowship 2. Cor. 6. hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse or what Communion hath light with darkenesse or what concord hath Christ with Beliall or what part haue beleeuers with vnbeleeuers c. Thus haue wee prooued that there is no agreement betweene the Church of Rome and the Catholike Church because the Church of Rome is neither holy nor Catholike neither in it is found the Communion of Saints Then they who boast so much of the Catholique Church the Catholique Church suffer themselues to be blinded by cosening companions who know not the trueth For they thinke to hold the Catholike Church before they will bee acquainted with a particular Church Let them bee intreated to vnderstand that if they desire to be in the Catholike Church without which there is no saluation they must betake themselues to some particular Church heere on earth which holdeth Vnitie with the Catholike Church And then shall they be sure to bee in the Catholike Church when they are found in such a Church which holdeth Vnitie with the Catholique Church that is by the ministery of the Church wherein you liue and are taught you must vnderstand that you are collected as members into one bodie that from the Head you may receiue an increase of this Body to the edifying of your selues in loue and so bee truely knit to the Head of the Church Iesus Christ that by one and the same Spirit you may be iustified and sanctified so holde the vnitie of the Spirit that by one rule of faith you may be taught and ruled and that you may be sure that the same rule which hath been the rule of faith from the Apostles times and continued euer in the Church be the rule of your faith When thus by the ministerie of a particular Church in whatsoeuer place of the world that Church be you are gathered into one Body vnder one Head gouerned by one Spirit holding one and the same rule of Faith then may you be assured that you are in the Catholike Church for the Catholike Church being vniuersall and not particular cannot be fixed to any one particular place but the men that must be gathered into the Church are particular men and holde particular places and therefore must vse the helpe of particular Churches to bring them to the Catholicke Church or else they shall neuer find it If thus men would seek the Church they should be sure to finde it there is but one way they that receiue not the loue of the trueth are iustly deceiued and perish that all might be damned who beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse So that when deceiuers come with their strong illusions yet shall they be able to preuaile against none but onely such as loue not the trueth But they who loue the trueth and seeke it with care and diligence as they would seeke siluer and golde or things that are esteemed more precious shall by the great mercy of God vndoubtedly bee saued from errour and damnation And all such by the free mercy of God shall be brought into the true Church that therein as in the Arke of Noah they may be saued For vnto the ende of the world must that alwayes be verified which is written The Lord added to the Church Acts 2. 47. from day to day such as should be saued FOrasmuch as I haue taken this as a thing granted by the Papists That they haue added their vnwritten Traditions which they call Apostolicall vnto the Scriptures to make vp the totall rule of â—aith the Scriptures making â—ut one part thereof and â—heir Traditions another by which alteration of the rule of faith they haue forsaken coÌ„munion with the Church which till that time alwayes held this rule which to the end of the world must holde â—t I haue here set downe the words of the Trent Council and of Car. Bellar. expounding the same for their sakes who being ignorant may doubt whether this be true or not CONCIL TRIDENT Sess 4. Decret 1. Omnes Libros veteris noui Testamenti nec non Traditiones ipsas tum ad fidem tum ad mores pertinentes tanquam vel ore tenus à Christo vel a Spiritus sancto dictat as continua successione in Ecclesia Catholica conseruat as pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratuâ— Tridentina Synodus That is All the books of the old and new Testament as also the Traditions themselues pertaining both to faith and maners as being either pronounced from the mouth of Christ or deliuered by the holy Ghost and by continuall successioÌ„ preserued in the Catholicke Church the Councill of Trent receiueth and honoureth with like and equall affection of piety and reuerence Card. Bellarm. lib. de verbo Dei non script cap. 3. Asserimus in Scripturis non contineri expressè totam doctrinam necessariam siue de fide siue de moribus proinde preter verbum Deâ— scriptum requiri etiam verbum Dei non scriptum id est diuinas Apostolicas Traditiones That is Wee affirme that in the Scriptures is not conteined expressely all necessarie doctrine whether of faith or maners and therfore besides the written word of God is required also the vnwritten word of God namely Diuine and Apostolicall Traditions Card. Bellar. ibid. cap. 4. Scripturae sine Traditionius nec fuerunt simpliciter neâ—essariae nec sufficientes That is The Scriptures without Traditions were neither simply necessary nor yet sufficient Card. Bellar. ibid. cap. 12. Dico Scripturam etsi non â—it facta praecipuè vt sit regula fidei esse tamen regulam fidei non totalem sed partialem Totalis enim regula fidei est verbum Dei siue reuelatio Dei Ecclesiae facta quae diuiditur in duas regulas partiales Scripturam Traditiones That is I say that the Scripture though it was not made especially to be the rule of faith yet is the rule of faith not in whole but in part for the whole rule of faith is the word of God or the reuelation of God made to the Church which is diuided into two partie-rules Scripture and Traditions These things the learned Papists make no doubt of and â—herfore I take them as things granted by them because all â—heir learned men grant the â—ame For the vnlearned I â—aue set them down that they may vnderstand that the rule of faith which the Church held before which holdeth â—he Church in vnitie is by â—hem forsakeÌ„ And therfore if they will seeke a true Church they must seek such a Church which holdeth still the same rule of faith with the true Church of Christ which was before the Trent Council and must stand till the end of the world FINIS