his heauenly Angels to witnes that notwithstanding you obtrude the invisibility of our church as a stumbling blocke to the ignorant notwithstaÌ„ding your great brags of an outward face of an eminent and glorious Romane Church yet your Trent faith and doctrine vvas far froÌ„ the knovvledge of Christ his Apostles nay more if any Iesuite or all the Iesuites aliue can proue your Roman Faith had Antiquity Vniuersalitie and Succession in al ages and that your Trent Articles were plainly commonly and continually taught receiued de Fide as Articles of Faith before Luther let all the Anathema's in your Trent Councel fall vpon my head And as touching the great noise and rumors of your Catholike Church if you wil consider and vveigh it vvith wisdom and moderation you shall find it wholly depends vpon tvvo doubtfull and vncertain coÌ„clusions viz. The Infallibilitie of the Pope and the Intention of the Priest These are but tvvo slender threds to vphold the Vniuersall faith of all Christians and therfore blame not vs if such things seeme harsh and vntunable in our eares that many millions of soules shold depend vpon the Infallibility of one man that man by your own supposall may draw vvith him innumerable soules to hell That man vvho hath the name and nature of Antichrist in his person in the one as he is against Christ and his doctrine in the other as he claimes to be Christs Vicar sit in his stead for the very name of Antichrist imports both Anti-Christ signifies Against Christ and to be in the place of Christ That man vpon vvhose forehead by the testimonies of learned Authors the vvord Mysterie Dr. Iames in his Epist Dedicatory of the Corruption of the Fathers c. the very mark of the Beast was sometimes writteÌ„ That man who is pointed at by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be that Antichrist by his habitation seated vpon seuen hills Reuel 17. That man who hath the character of the man of sin 2. Thess 2.4 which aduaÌ„ceth himselfe aboue all that are called Gods I haue said you are Gods Psal 82.6 viz the Kings and Princes of the earth That man who hath published the doctrine of Deuils 1. Tim 4. by forbidding of meats and Marriage vnto Priestes Lastly that man whose Infallibility Conc. Flor. in Decret Eugenij whose Succession whose Orders whose Baptisme and Christianitie it selfe depends vpon the Intention of a silly Priest Bell de Iustif li 3. â— 8 of whose Intention none can be assured by your owne confessions It is not the great souÌ„d of a visible Church that must outface the truth for the emptiest vessels make the greatest souÌ„d neither is it the name of Catholike which you wholly appropriate to your selues sufficient to proue your Church Catholike nay more your pretences of Scriptures of Traditions of Fathers of Councels of an Infallible Church are but figge-leaues to couer the nakednesse of your nevv borne faith for it shall appeare by this small Treatise that your chiefest scriptures on which you build your Trent doctrine are Apocryphal your Traditions which you haue equalled to the Scriptures are Apostaticall your Fathers which you assume for Interpreters of the Scriptures are spurious and counterfet your Councels which depend vpoÌ„ the Infallibilitie of the Popes iudgment are erronious doubtful and your preteÌ„ded Catholike Church which is made the onely rule of Faith is neither a whole nor yet a sound member of the Catholike and Vniuersall Body This way therefore which you take is a cloke colour to darken truth by outward shewes and specious pretences and therefore Via Deuia a vvandring and By-way Neither is it your bitternesse and inuectiues against a Lay man shall make me silent in Gods cause for I say with Moses Num. 12.29 Would God al the Lords people could prophecie and I hope there will neuer be wanting a Mildab a Medab to assist Moses and Aaron that may bee able to vindicate Gods Honor and Truth ease our painful Pastors and Ministers which most laboriously performe the work of an Euangelist and conuert soules by preaching which yours peruert by Controuersies of Disputations I hope I say there wil be alwaies some who wil publish to the shame of your Romish Pastors the palpable ignorance of the Laitie who with an implicite faith inuolued obedience resigne vp their sight and senses to blind guides Let the Trueth of God and his Church flourish no rayling accusation of an Aduersary shall deterre mee from my seruice to his cause In the meane time I will appeale to your own consciences whether it bee Catholike doctrine or sauour of Christian Charitie which your Iesuites teach viz. Haereticos non magis audiendos esse etiamsi vera et sacris literis coÌ„sentanea dicant aut doceant quaÌ„ Diobolum Mald. in Math. 16.6 That the Reformed Churches are no more to be heard then the deuill himselfe although they speake trueth and agreeable to the Scriptures nay more I speak it with shame and griefe Discept Tâ—â—ol Sect. 2. the Pope at this day allowes the Talmud of the Iewes and yet prohibites the Books of Protestants Giue mee leaue therefore to speake to you as somtime S. Austen spake to the Donatists Aug. contr Petâ—l lib. 3. cap. 59. If you will be wise vnderstand the trueth it is well if otherwise it shall not grieue mee that I haue taken this paines for you for though your hearts returne not to the peace of the Church yet my peace shall returne to mee in the Church The cause is Gods the labour is mine if you wil reade it impartially and can shew me any error clearely faithfully and moderately I wil make a work of Retractations and professe openly with righteous Iob Iob 31.35 36. O that mine aduersary would write a Booke against mee I would take it vpon my shoulder and bind it as a Crowne vnto me H. L. The Contents Sect. 1. THe safest and onely infallible way to finde out the true Church is by the Scriptures Pag. 1. Sect. 2. Our Aduersaries pretences from the obscuritie of Scriptures and inconueniences of the Lay peoples reading them answered p. 16. Sect. 3. The Scripture according to the Iudgement of the ancient Fathers is the sole Iudge of Controuersies and Interpreter of it selfe p. 43. Sect. 4. Our Aduersaries howsoeuer they pretend by taking an oath to make the Fathers Interpreters of the Scriptures yet indeed they make themselues sole Interpreters of Scriptures and Fathers p. 58 Sect. 5. The intire Canon of Scriptures which wee professe without the Apocryphall additions is confirmed by pregnant testimonies in all ages and most of them acknowledged by the Romanists themselues p. 86 Sect. 6. Our Aduersaries pretences from the Authorities of Fathers and Councels to proue the Apocryphall Bookes Canonicall answered p. 122 Sect. 7. The Romanists in poynt of Traditions contradict the truth and themselues grounding
most of their erronious Doctrine vpon vnwritten Traditions and yet frequently alledge the written Word for them p. 144 Sect. 8. The most generall pretended Traditions of the Romane Church were vtterly vnknown to the Greeke Church and want Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession the proper markes of true Traditions in the Roman Church p. 167 Sect. 9. The Scriptures are a certaine safe and euident direction to the right way of Saluation and consequently to ground Faith vpon vnwritten Traditions is an obscure vncertaine and dangerous By way p. 245 Sect. 10. Our Aduersaries make great boast of the Testimonies of the ancient Fathers in generall yet when they come to fifting particular poynts either by secret evasion they decline them or openly reiect them p. 280 Sect. 11. The most substantiall poynts of Romaine Faith and Doctrine as they are now taught and receiued in the Church of Rome were neuer taught by the Primitiue Church nor receiued by the ancient Fathers p. 307 Sect. 12. Saint Augustine in particular is much disparaged by the Romanists and for instance in many seuerall poynts of moment wherein hee professedly concurreth with vs is expressely reiected by them p. 335 Sect. 13. Saint Gregorie pretended to be the Founder of the Romane Religion in England by sending Austen the Monke for conversion of this nation in his vndoubted writings directly opposeth the Romish Faith in the maine poynts thereof p. 347 Sect. 14. Councels which are so highly extold and opposed against vs were neither called by lawfull authoritie or to the right ends as is confessed by the ingenuous Romanists p. 370 Sect. 15. Councells which our Aduersaries pretend as a chiefe Bulwark of their faith giue no support at all to the Romish Religion as it is proued by particular obiections made against seuerall Councels in all ages by the Romanists themselues p. 386 Sect. 16. The Councell of Trent which is the maine Pillar and last resolution of the Roman faith is of small or no credit at all because it was neither lawfully called nor free nor generall nor generally receiued by the Romanists themselues p. 420 Sect. 17. In the Roman Church which our aduersaries so highly extoll aboue the Scriptures there is neither safetie nor certaintie whether they vnderstand the Essentiall or Representatiue or the Virtuall or the Consistoriall Church p. 452 Sect. 18. The most common Plea of the Romanists drawne from the Infallibilitie Authoritie and Title of the Catholike Church is proued to bee false vaine and friuolous p. 468 Sect. 19. The Church which our Aduersaries so much magnifie among themselues is finally resolued into the Pope whom they make both the Husband and the Spouse the Head and the Body of the Church p. 496 Sect. 20. The Church is finally resolued into the Pope who wants both Personall and Doctrinall succession as appeares by seuerall instances and exceptions both in matters of Fact and matters of Faith p. 513 Sect. 21. The infallibilitie of the Popes Iudgement which is made the Rule of Faith to determine all Controuersies is not yet determined by the learned Romanistes amongst themselues p. 545 Sect. 22. The Church vpon which the learned Romanists ground their Faith is no other then the Pope and the Church vpon which the vnlearned Romanists doe relie is no other then their Parish Priest p. 572 Sect. 23. Eminent and perpetuall Visibilitie is no certaine Note of the true Church but the contrary rather as it is prooued by instances from Adam to Christ p. 592 Sect 24. The Latencie and obscuritie of the true Church is pâ—ooued by pregnant testimonies of such who complained of corruptions and abuses and withall decreed a Reformation in all ages from the time of Christ and his Apostles to the dayes of Luther p. 610 Sect. 25. The aforenamed corruptions and most remarkable declination of the Church of Rome in the later ages was foretold by Christ and his Apostles in the first Age. p. 666 Sect. 26. The Conclusion of this Treatise shewing in sundrie particulars the certaintie and safetie of the Protestant and the vncertaintie and danger of the Romish Way p. 675 VIA DEVIA THE BY-VVAY SECT I. The safest and onely infallible way to finde out the true Church is by the Scripture WHen the Donatists in the most flourishing times of Christian Religion arrogantly and presumptuously appropriated the Catholique and Vniuersall Church to their haereticall and particular faction St. Austen encountring them Quaestio est vbi sit Ecclesia quid ergo facturi sumus an inverbis nostris eaÌ„ qua situri an in verbis capitis sui Dom. nostri Iesu Christi Puto quod in illius potius verbis eam quaerere debemus quia veritas est nouit corpus suuÌ„ Aug. de vnit Eccles cap. 2. states the poynt of Controuersie in this maner The question is where the Church should bee what then shall we doe shall wee seeke it in our owne wordes or in the words of our Lord Iesus In my iudgement we ought rather to seeke the Church in his owne words for that he is the truth and knoweth his owne body You haue heard the question propounded and answered by the Oracle of that age Such is the difference at this day betwixt the Church of Rome and vs and I heartily wish wee might ioine issue with them vpon the like tearmes and both agree with one vnanimous consent to seeke the Church of God in the word of God then should wee be gathered as sheep to one sheep-fold and the weake in faith should be receiued not to doubtfull disputations but to the reading of the Scriptures and they that now question the Visibilitie of our Church before Luther would first examine the infallibilitie of their owne by the Touchstone of the Gospell and the rather because it is agreed on both sides that whatsoeuer Church professeth that faith and doctrine which Christ and his Apostles taught in the first age the same Church and doctrine hath continued more or lesse visible in all ages But to returne to the Donatists Cant. 1.7 When Christ in the Canticles demanded of his Spouse where she rested Meridie at Noone-day the Donatists concluded Christs question with their owne answere that the Church did rest Meridie and that was in the South from this ground excluded all other Churches but their owne in the South of Africk The Donatists claime was seemingly deriued from the authoritie of the Scriptures for Donatus and Austen heretique and Catholique both vrge the Scriptures but obserue the difference Saint Austen puts the whole issue of his cause vpon the Scripture the Donatists claimed their doctrine by the publique voyces of the Africans they assumed to themselues the title of the Catholike Church they magnified the Councels of their Bishops they gloried in their frequent though fained miracles these were the principall grounds of their Church Remotis ergo omnibus talibus Ecclesiam suaÌ„ demonstrant si possunt non in sermonibus rumoribus Afrorum
we haue the Councell of Laodicca in the Primitiue Church generally receiued and aftewards confirmed by a general Councel since wee haue the consent of the ancient Fathers and the ample testimonies of Bishops and Cardinals and learned Writers in the bosome of the Roman Church who witnesse with vs the Antiquity and Vniuersality of our Canon in all ages I hope wee may with good reason reiect the Apocryphall Scriptures as often as they are produced against vs for Freewill for Purgatory for Prayer for the dead for Invocation of Saints for Worshipping of Angells and the like these things I say rightly considered and patiently heard on both sides I shall appeale to their owne learned Cardinall Cajetans confession who concludes for the antiquitie of our doctrine and the Vniuersalitie of the Iewes Canon Duas maximas vtilitates ex IudaeoruÌ„ obstinacia percipimê° altera est fides libroruÌ„ sacrorum Si enim omnes conuersi essent ad ChristuÌ„ putaret iam mundus Iudaeorum ad inuentioneÌ„ fuisse quod fuerit promissâ—s Messiis sed vbi inimici Christi Iudai perseuerant et testantur nullos alios apud Patres fuisse libros canonicè sacroâ—nisi istos Cajet CoÌ„ment in Rom c 11. Bell. de verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 2. with one and the same reason All Christians receiue a double benefit by the Apostacie and obstinacie of the Iewes one is to know which are the true bookes of the Olde Testament for if all the Iewes had beene converted to the faith of Christ then would the world haue suspected that the Iewes had invented those promises which are of Christ the Messias but now for as much as the Iewes are enemies vnto Christ they beare witnesse vnto vs that there are no bookes Canonicall but those onely which the Iewes themselues acknowledged to bee Canonicall To conclude therefore this first poynt since the Scripture is the most certaine and safest rule of Faith by our aduersaries owne confession since the Canonicall bookes of Scripture which are the onely rule of Faith are conteined in the Law in the Prophets and the Psalmes vnder all or any of which the Apocryphall bookes are not conteined I say to leaue this certaine and safe way and receiue Apocryphall additions to that Word Deut. 4.2 c. 12.32 Prou. 30.6 Reuel 22.18 when it is strictly forbidden by God himselfe Thou shalt not adde to this Word this is Via dubia a doubtfull and vncertaine way this is Via Deuia a wandring and By-way But because our aduersaries insist vpon an other ground viz. NoÌ„ aliundè nos habere Scripturam esse diuinaÌ„ et qui sunt libri sacri quaÌ„ ex Traditioniê° noÌ„ scriptis Bel. de verb. Dei lib. 4. c. 4. That by no other meanes wee can know the Scriptures to be diuine nor the bookes to bee holy and Canonicall but onely from vnwritten Tradition I will leaue them to their Apocryphall Scriptures and pursue them in their vnwritten traditions in the next place SECT VII The Romanists in poynt of Traditions contradict the truth and themselues grounding most of their erronious Doctrine vpon vnwritten Traditions and yet frequently alledge the written Word for them IT is the first Article of the Romane Creed to which all Bishops and Priests are sworne Bulla Pij 4. Art 1. I admit and embrace the Apostolicall and Ecclesiasticall Traditions and the other obseruations and constitutions of the Church What are meant by those Obseruations and Constitutions of the Church and how the Priests are bound to imbrace them The Councell of Trent declareth in this manner Necnon Traditiones ipsas tum ad fidem tum ad mo res pertineÌ„tes pari pietutis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit veneratur Conc. Trid Sess 4. Decret 1. Traditions appertaining to faith and manners as if they were dictated by Christ himselfe with his owne mouth or by the holy spirit and preserued by a continuall succession in the Catholique Church the Councell receiueth with equall reuerence and religious affection as shee receiues the holy Striptures themselues Heere was the first alteration made touching the rule of Faith and from the Decree of this Councell Bellarmines doctrine began to take place Regula partialis noÌ„ totalis Bell. The Scripture is but a partiall not a totall rule of Faith for certainly till this time Traditions concerning faith and manners were neuer reputed of equall authoritie with the Scriptures nor a part of the Rule of Faith It was the Tenet of Aquinas and the later Schoolemen knew no other doctrine till the Councell of Trent Aquin. in 1. ad Tim. cap. 6. 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 But you shall obserue from and after this time the Romanists performed their oath Ex abundanti I may say more then enough Cardinall Baronius tells vs Tradition is the foundation of Scriptures Baron An. 58. n. 11. and excels them in this that the Scriptures cannot subsist vnlesse they bee strengthened by Traditions but Tradition hath strength enough without the Scriptures And that the world may know it is vsuall with our aduersaries not onely to equall their vnwritten Traditions but also to aduance them aboue the Scriptures let their sayings bee weighed by any indifferent man and it will appeare the Scriptures are of so little vse or esteeme with them as if they were not worthy to be named in poynts of controuersie betwixt vs. Lindan Panopl l. 1. c. 22. l. 5. c. 4. l. 1. c. 6. c. Traditions saith Lindan are the most certaine foundations of Faith the most sure ground of the sacred Scriptures the impenetrable buckler of Ajax the suppresser of all heresies On the other side the Scripture saith hee is a nose of waxe a dead and killing letter without life a meere shell without a kernell a leaden rule a wood of thieues a shop of heretiques and the like Costerus the Iesuite tels vs for certain It was neuer the minde of Christ either to commit his mysteries to parchment or that his Church should depend on paper writings but say the Rhemists Rhem. Test in 2. Thess 2. v. 19. Wee haue plaine Scriptures all the Fathers most euident reasons that wee must either beleeue Traditions or nothing at all nay more saith Costerus The excellencie of the vnwritten word doth far surpasse the Scriptures which the Apostles left vs in parchments Coster Euchrist cap. 1 pag. 44. the one is written by the finger of God the other by the penne of the Apostles the Scripture is a dead letter written in paper or parchment which may be razed or wrested at pleasure but Tradition is written in mens hearts which cannot be altered the Scripture is like a scabberd which will receiue any sword either leaden or woodden or brazen and suffereth it selfe to be drawen by any interpretation Tradition retaines the true
sword in the scabberd that is the true sense of the Scripture in the sheath of the letter The Scriptures doe not containe clearely all the mysteries of Religion for they were not giuen to that end to prescribe an absolute forme of faith but Tradition containes in it all truth it comprehends all the mysteries of faith and all the estate of Christian Religion and resolues all doubts which may arise concerning faith and from hence it will follow that Tradition is the Interpreter of all Scriptures the Iudge of all Controuersies the Remouer of all errors and from whose judgment we ought not to appeale to an other Iudge yea rather all Iudges are bound both to regard and follow her judgement Now if we looke backe and consider those blasphemous speeches vsed against the Scriptures and compare those passages with the reuerend regard they giue vnto Traditions wee cannot but conceiue there were some speciall reasons that induced the Pope Trent Councell to set Traditions in the first place Quam TraditionuÌ„ authoritateÌ„ si tollas nutare iam vacillare videbuntur Andrad de Orth. expli lib. 2. Andradius who well vnderstood the state of the Church of Rome being present at the making of that decree giues this generall lesson in their behalfe Many poynts of Romane doctrine would reele and totter if they were not supported by the helpe of Traditions But it may not bee forgotten Sutor de Translat Bibl. c. 22. their owne Monke Petrus de Sutor more particularly shewes one speciall cause why the Scriptures were denied vnto the lay people viz. Because many things being taught by the Romane Church and not contained in the Scriptures would more easily drawe the people from the traditions and obseruances of their Church And another reason why Traditions are in that speciall request aboue the Scriptures is rendred by their owne Bishop Canus Canus loc Theol lib. 3. cap. 3. Because Tradition is not onely of greater force against heretiques then the Scripture but almost all disputation with heretiques is to bee referred to Traditions Thus you see by the confessions of two learned Romanists there was great cause why traditions should haue the first place amongst the Articles of the Creed for the one saith they preuent the reading of the Scriptures which otherwise would discouer the doctrine of their Church the other saith they are more availeable then the Scriptures to confute the doctrine of heretiques These testimonies premised for the honour and authoritie of Papall Traditions let vs examine what are meant by Traditions and next which are those Traditions that are of that high esteeme in the Romane Church for if their Traditions bee of equall authoritie with the Scriptures and yet are not contained in the Scriptures there is great reason they should bee approoued by testimonies and witnesses aequiualent to the Scriptures Kellis Suruey l. 8. c. 3. Doctor Kellison tells vs that Tradition is nothing else but an opinion or custome of the Church not written in holy Scriptures but yet deliuered by the hands of the Church from time to time from Christians to Christians euen to the last age And Saint Austen declareth more properly VVhatsoeuer the Vniuersall Church doth hold Aug. lib 4. contra Donat c. 24. not being ordained by Councells but hath beene euer held that is beleeued most rightly to be an Apostolicall Tradition It appeares therefore that Papall Traditions which are of equall authority with the Scriptures must haue Vniuersalitie of Churches and consent of ages or to vse the wordes of their Trent Councell Such as are preserued by a continuall succession in the Catholike Church All doctrinall Traditions of this nature are receiued by the Reformed Churches for wee all professe with the same Father Conc. Trid. Sess 4. Whatsoeuer is vsed by the Church throughout all the world is to bee obserued and it would bee most insolent madnesse to dispute against the same Let vs heare therefore out of their owne mouthes what are those Traditions which are not written in any Apostolique Authour and yet haue those requisite conditions and speciall characters of the Roman Church viz. Antiquity Vniuersality and Succession Pet. à Soto in lib. cont Brentium Petrus à Soto giues vs to vnderstand that the sacrifice of the Altar the vnction of Chrysme Inuocation of Saints Prayers for the dead the Popes Supremacie Consecration of water in Baptisme the whole Sacrament of Confirmation Orders Matrimony Penance Extreame vnction Merit of workes Necessitie of satisfaction and confession to a Priest are all Traditions of the Romane Church Canis in Catech. c. 5. de precept Eccles Coster in refut script Wallesij antith 6. Canus loc Theol. li 3. ca. 3. Canisius and Costerus referre to Traditions the worship of Images set times of fasting all the Ceremonies of the Masse Melchior Canus tells vs the imploring helpe of holy Martyrs and celebrating their memories the worshipping of Images the consecrating and receiuing of the body and blood of Christ by the Priest the Sacraments of Confirmation and Orders not to bee reiterated are no where happily to bee found in Scriptures but amongst all the Romanists as it is obserued by reuerend Whitakers there is none doth so fully and punctually set downe the Traditions of the Romane Church as their Bishop Lindan who amongst other Traditions Whit. coÌ„tr 1. c. 5. quest 6. mentions the Reall presence the Communion vnder one kinde priuate Masse Indulgences Purgatory Peters liuing and dying at Rome All or most of these Traditions are substantiall and fundamentall poynts and the denyall of them makes a man an heretike in their Church Now it is very obseruable in the first place that no vnwritten Tradition hath any ground or foundation in the Scripture Peres de Tradit p 4. for Tradition is so taken saith Peresius that it is distinguished against the doctrine which is found in the Canonicall bookes of Scripture and consequently touching all or any of the Papall Traditions there is no vse at all of Scriptures Herein then stands the difference betwixt the Church of Rome and vs Multa pertinere ad Christianorum doctrinam et fideÌ„ quae nec apertè nec obscuâ—è in sacris literis coÌ„tinentur Canus loc Theol. ca. 3. fund 3. There are many things saith Canus belonging to the doctrine faith of Christians which are neyther contained in the sacred Scriptures manifestly or obscurely and this he vnderstands by the Traditions of his owne Church There is no point of Faith taught in our Church which is not expressely contained in the Scriptures or by necessarie consequence deduced from thence and if we receiue the witnesse of men yet the witnesse of God is greater 1. Ioh. 5.9 But that which is incongruous to common sense and altogether different from the Romish doctrine those men which generally professe that vnwritten Traditions are so called because they are distinguished from the word written as Bellarmine confesseth
Bell de verbo Dei lib. 4. c 2. do signifie that doctrine which is not written by the first Author in any Apostolique Booke either for want of a continued succession in their Traditions or to make the ignorant beleeue the Scripture makes in all poynts for them I say for those very points which they terme Traditions vnwritten they produce the Word written See the Gag of the Gospell as for instance Purgatory is termed an vnwritten Tradition and therefore by Bellarmines testimony is not to bee found in any Apostolike Author yet the Cardinall Bel. de Purgatorio for this very poynt cites twentie seuerall places in the written Word to prooue it Invocation of Saints is a Tradition vnwritten and therefore not to bee found in Scripture yet the Cardinall prooues it out of the Word written Bell. de sancta Bâ—at l. 1. c. 20. Goe to my seruant Iob and he will pray for thee The Communion in one kind is a Tradition vnwritten and therefore not to be found in any Apostolique Author yet Fisher Bishop of Rochester proues it out of the Word written Roffen advers Luth. Aâ—t 16. Giue vs this day our daily bread Prayer and Seruice in an vnknowne tongue is a Tradition vnwritten and therefore not to bee found in Scripture Ledes de diuin scrip quauis linâ—uâ non legendâ c. 22. yet Ledesma the Iesuite prooues it strongly out of the Word written Our Sauiour opened the booke of the Prophet Esay and afterwards closed it How poore and weake are these and the like authorities deduced from the Scriptures I leaue to euery mans iudgement but sure I am the number of their Traditions is vncertaine and the nature of them is destroyed by their owne Tenets when they confound the written word with their vnwritten Doctrines It was the ancient rule of Vincentius Lyrinensis In ipsâ Catholicâ Ecclesia magnopere curandum est vt id teneamus qd vbique qd semper quod ab omnibê° credituÌ„ hóc est enim verè proprieque Catholicum qd ipsa vis nominis raticque declarat VinceÌ„t Lyrin c. 3. In the Catholique Church we ought to bee carefull to hold that which hath been beleeued in all places at all times and of all persons for that is truely and properly Catholique which the force and reason of the name doth declare Those men therefore which assume the name of Catholique and accurse all those who receiue not Traditions with equall reuerence and authoritie with the Scriptures let them proue that their doctrinall Traditions before named haue been euer held and beleeued at all times in all places and of all persons let them proue they were receiued with the vniforme consent of Fathers let them proue they were decreed in a constant succession from age to age from Christians to Christians throughout the whol vniuersal Church These are requisite conditions and ancient characters of Apostolique Traditions But that there are any such or euer were in the Chuch of Rome excepting those onely which are expressely or by necessary consequence deduced from the word of God although they are daily pretended by them yet to this day were neuer proued And hence it is that for want of sure footing and foundation in the Scriptures many Rituall Traditions and Obseruations of the ancient Church are changed and many doctrinall Traditions and Constitutions of the Roman Church are newly brought in which are pretended to be ancient Touching Rituall Traditions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bass de Spirit sanct ca. 27. Saint Basil tels vs It was not lawfull for any man to kneele in the Church vpon the Sunday and this Traditionn saith he was giuen vnto vs in secret charge by the Apostles of Christ Yet this Tradition is altered St. Austen saith Betweene Easter and Whitsuntide it was not lawfull for any man to fast Aug. ad Casulanum by the Tradition of the Apostles yet this Tradition is abrogated Sententiae haec infantibê° Eucharistiam esse necessariam cercitèr sexentos annos viguit in Ecclesia Mald. Com. in Iohn 6. The giuing of the Eucharist to Infants was an ancient Tradition continued in the Church six hundred yeeres after Christ saith Maldonat yet this Tradition is abolished And as touching the doctrinall Traditions and Constitutions of their Church which are made of equall authoritie with the Scripture you shall scarcely find any of them I say confidently you shall finde none of them to haue been receiued de Fide as Articles of faith with the Vniuersalitie of Churches the consent of Fathers and continued succession of the now receiued doctrine in all ages That this may the more plainely apeare I will examine the Tenets of the Papall Traditions ab Initio and see what the Romane Church in generall and the Greeke Church in particular which for many hundred yeeres communicated in the same Faith with the Romane hath taught and beleeued concerning their doctrine SECT VIII The most generall pretended Traditions of the Romane Church were vtterly vnknown to the Greeke Church and want Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession the proper markes of true Traditions in the Roman Church TO examin the foundation of the Greek Church let vs look vp to the time of the Apostles where wee shall finde S. Iohn writing to the seuen Churches in Asia Reuel 1 11 and Saint Paul sending his Epistles to the Corinthians to the Ephesians to the Thessalonians all principall members of the Greeke Church In these Churches according to the doctrine of the Apostles there is nothing that makes for the now Romane Faith and Doctrine but rather against it and that the Romanists may not vainely arrogate to themselues the title of Catholike and Vniuersall Church as if the whole Christian Faith were confined to the Bishop of Rome and his Diocesse it is plaine and euident that Saint Peter taught the word at Antioch Saint Andrew in Greece and Muscouie Saint Iames in Iudea Saint Iohn in Asia Saint Philip in Assyria Saint Thomas in India Saint Matthew in Aethiopia Saint Thaddeus in Armenia Saint Paul in all the countreyes from Arabia to Slauonia St. Bartholomew in Scythia Saint Simon in Persia Ioseph of Arimathea in Great Britaine and all these published the same Faith for substance which wee at this day professe in the Church of England Looke vpon the Greeke Church in generall Terra Graecorum vndique destinata est fides Aug. Ep. 178. Ep. 170. Saint Austen tells vs From the land of Grecia the faith into all places was spread abroad and in particular Saint Chrysostome tells vs The name of Christians beginning first from the citie of Antioch as from a spring hath flowed ouer the whole world And without doubt that famous Citie in Greece gaue the first name and title to the Christians and therefore was called Theopolis Antioch the Citie of God It cannot bee denyed that the Easterne Church is before Rome in time shee hath larger bounds and multitudes
natura panis vini the substance or nature of bread ceaseth not or perisheth not Thus briefly I haue giuen you a taste of the generall doctrine of the Fathers in the first ages who publikely professed the Protestant Faith that the Eucharist was altogether a spirituall food and that the nature of bread and the very substance of bread did remaine after consecration Touching Succession To let passe many Writers of eminent note in the Romane Church who in the later ages opposed Transubstantiation as namely Bertram Aelfrick Rupertus Rabanus Maurus and diuers others who were neuer condemned by their owne Church Looke vpon the doctrine of the Greeke Church and you shall find they haue kept the ancient faith of the Sacrament successiuely from their Predecessors Pope Eugenius after hee had answered the Grecians at the Councell of Florence that hee was well satisfied by them touching the Procession of the holy Ghost Operae pretium est vt de Purgatorio igne de summo Pontificis principatu et de Azimo et fermeÌ„tato pane agamus vt omni ex parte coniunctio nostra sit absoluta Con. Florent Sess 25. tells them further it was well worth the labour to treat of other points in difference as namely of Purgatorie of the Supremacie of Leauened bread and of Transubstantiation that their agreement might stand absolute in all respects If Transubstantiation and the other poynts of doctrine had bin successiuely receiued with the vniforme consent of the Greeke Church there had needed no reconciliation at that time betweene the Easterne and Westerne Churches for those Tenets and that wee might yet farther vnderstand the difference betwixt them was great in this very question Marcus the Archbishop of Ephesus speaking of the Romane Masse Casaub answ to the Ep. of C. Peron p. 42. affirmes It is manifestly repugnant to the Expositions and interpretations which wee haue receiued by Tradition and to the words of our Lord and to the meaning of those words And those which defend the Romane Rites concerning this matter the same Marcus pronounceth that they deserue to bee pitied both in regard of their double ignorance and their profound sottishnes It is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greeke Church doth hold there is a mysticall transmutation in the Sacrament but withall they deny a Transubstantiation they deny that any alteration is made by the wordes of consecration which is the generall Tenet of the Roman Church nay more they call it bread after the words of Consecration are vttered Touching the first Salmeron the Iesuite speaking in the person of the Grecians deliuers their opinion in this maner Dan. ChaÌ„ Panstr lib. 6 de Euch. c. 7 Forasmuch as the Benediction is not superfluous or vaine neither gaue Christ simply bread it followeth that when he gaue it the transmutation was already made and those words This is my body did demonstrate what was conteined in the bread not what was made by them De diuino denique sacrificio quaesitum est â latinis quomodò prolatuÌ„ Christi verbù accipite et comedite hoc est enim corpê° meuÌ„ vos haÌ„c posteà orationem additis dicentes Et fac quidem hunc panem pretiosum corpus Christi tui sancto tuo spiritu transmutans Concil Florent Sess 25. p. 595. Binius This confession is agreeable to that question the Romanists put to the Grecians at the Councell of Florence viz. Why they vsed to pray after the words of Consecration in this manner Make this bread the precious Bodie of Christ and so call it bread after Consecration To which the Grecians made answere Wee confesse by these words This is my body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bread is consecrated which Binius most falsely hath translated Transubstantiated and becomes the body of Christ and wee pray that the holy Ghost may descend vpon vs and change the bread and make it the body of Christ to vs to the spirituall food of our soules Transubstantiari And that wee may know what is meant by that change or transmutation in the Sacrament Binius in Conc. Flor. Sess 25. p. 695. the Patriarch tells vs The body and blood of Christ are truely mysteries Patr Resp 1 ca. 10. 13. not that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are changed into humane flesh but we into them And for further confirmation of our doctrine that it is not the reall and substantiall flesh of Christ which is offered but the Sacrament of his flesh Nec data est tâ—c â—aro Domini quaÌ„ gestebat Apostolis comedenda neque sanguis bibeÌ„dus nec etiam nunc in sacro hoc ritu descendit Dominicum corpus de coelo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blasphemia enim hoc esset patr Resp 1 cap. 10. de Coenâ Domini hee tells vs The flesh of Christ which hee carried about him was not giuen to his Apostles to bee eaten nor his blood to bee drunke neither doth the body of our Lord at this day descend from heauen in the Sacrament for this saith hee were blasphemy And certainely if neither Christs Bodie in which hee suffered nor his body glorified be present in the Sacrament as this Patriarch professeth there can bee no corporall no reall and substantiall presence of that or any other body and consequently no Transubstantiation no Article of Faith no Apostolique Tradition as is pretended in the fift place Prayer in an vnknowne tongue PRayer and Seruice in an vnknown tongue is a Tradition of the Romane Church and reputed of equall authoritie with the Scripture yet this doctrine wants Antiquitie Vniuersality and Succession Touching Antiquitie Cassander tells vs Cassan Liturg c. 28. The Canonicall prayers especially the words of Consecration of the body and blood of Christ the ancient Fathers did so reade it that all the people might vnderstand it and say Amen And it is the confession of Mr. Harding to Bishop Iewel Iewel in 3. Aâ—t Diuâ—s 28. Verily in the primitiue Church prayer and seruice in a knowne tongue was necessary when faith was a learning and therefore the prayers were made then in a common tongue knowne to the people for cause of their instruction And Card. Bellarmine professeth Bell. de ver Dei l. 2. c. 16 that all the people in the first ages in the time of diuine Seruice did answere one Amen as vnderstanding the Priest and ioyning with him in prayer Touching Vniuersalitie It was the custome of the ancient Church as appeareth by the Popes Decretals whereby it was publiquely proclaimed Decr. Greg. lib. tit 31. de offic Iud. Ord. ca. 14. Wee command that the Bishops of such cities and Diocesses where nations are mingled together prouide meet men to minister the holy Seruice according to the diuersitie of their maners and languages Touching Succession Bellarmine confesseth Bell. de ver Dei l. 2. c. 16. that the custome of celebrating diuine Seruice in a knowne tongue
whereby the people answered the Priest continued long in the East and West Churches And it plainely appeares by the ancient Liturgies ascribed to Chrysostome and Basil which are in vse at this day the diuine Seruice in the Greeke Church was publiquely deliuered in a known tongue And agreeably to this custome the Armenians Egyptians Acthiopians Muscouites and generally all the Easterne Churches doe consecrate the Sacrament in the language of their owne countrey This doctrine therefore wants the requisite conditions of Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession and therefore can bee no Apostolique Tradition no Catholique doctrine as is pretended in the sixt place Single life in the Clergie Single life in the Clergie is reputed a Tradition in the Roman Church and made of equall authoritie with the Scripture yet this doctrine wants Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and succession Touching Antiquitie Their owne Doctors tell vs Dist 84. § Cum in praeterito Nichol. Cusan ad Boem Ep. 2. post aliquot tempora visum fuit c. Nec ratione nec authoritate probatur quòd absolutè loqueÌ„do Ordo Sacerdotalis vel in quantuÌ„ est Ordo vel in quantuÌ„ sacer est impeditivus est matrimonii siuè antè siuè post seclusis omnibus legibus stando tantuÌ„ his quae à Christo Apostolis haebentur Caiet Tom 1. tract 27. that vntill the time of Pope Syricius that is to say for the space welneere of foure hundred yeeres after Christ it was lawfull for all Priests to marrie without exception neither vow nor promise nor Law nor ordinance nor other restraint being then to the contrary And their learned Cardinan Cajetan professeth If we stand onely to the Tradition of Christ and his Apostles it cannot appeare by any authority or reason that holy Order can bee any hindrance to marriage either as it is an order or as it is holy Touching Vniuersalitie It is the confession of Pope Stephen the second The Tradition of the Easterne Churches is one the Tradition of the holy Church of Rome is an other for the Priests Deacons and Sub-deacons of the Easterne Churches are ioyned in Matrimony Dist 31. Aliter This confession is agreeable to the Decree of the ancient Councell holden at Ancyra where it was ordained Hii si post moduÌ„ vxoores duxerint in Ministerio maneant Concil Ancyr Can. 9. That Deacons as many as be ordered if at the time of receiuing their Orders they made protestation and said that they would marry for that they finde not themselues able so to continue without Marriage if they afterwards marry let them continue in the Ministerie Touching Succession This doctrine was not generally receiued no not in the Westerne Churches a thousand yeeres after Christ for in the time of King Rufus Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury in a Dialogue between the Master and the Scholler makes this Quaere Desideramê° certificari tuâ solutio ne super vul gari in toto orbe quaestine quae ab omnibê° quotidie ventilatur scil An liceat Presbyteris post acceptuÌ„ OrdineÌ„ vx ores ducere Anselm Di al. Inquisitione primâ Wee are desirous by your answere to bee certified about this common question that is now tossed through the world and yet lyeth vndiscussed I mean Whether a Priest being within Orders may marry a wife Whereby it appeares that the Law of Single life was a poynt questionable and not resolued for an Apostolique Tradition in the Roman Church for many ages About 400 yeeres after Bell. de scri Eccles ab An. 1400. to 1500. p. 288. Panormitan an Archbishop a Cardinall and a principall Proctor for the Pope resolues the question about marriage in this manner Si clare coÌ„stet de matrimonio Papa tunc aut vxor inducetur ad coÌ„tinentiaÌ„ aut si noluerit reddaet debitum nihilo minùs stet in Papatù quià non repugnat substantiae Papatus seu Clericatus naÌ„ et Petrê° habebat vxoreÌ„ cuÌ„ promoueretur in Papam vnde videmê° qd Presbyteri Graeci sine peccato contrahunt matrimoni um Extr. ce Elect. C. licet de vitaÌ„d Abb. Patriarch resp 1. c. 21. If it may clearely appeare saith hee that the Pope hath a wife as hauing married her before hee was Pope then either his wife must bee perswaded to liue single or if shee will not let the Pope yeeld her mariage duties and yet neuerthelesse remaine in the Popedome still For marriage dutie is not contrary to the substance and Office neither of Popedome nor of Priesthood for Peter had a wife when hee was promoted to bee Pope As for the rule of single life it was brought in by the Ordinance of the Church Hence is it that we see the Priests of Graecia being within Orders doe marrie wiues and wee see they doe it sine peccato without sinne or breach of Law either of God or man Looke vpon the confession of the Greeke Patriarch since Luthers time We allow saith hee marriage to Priests before Ordination Looke vpon the confession of their owne Cardinall Caietan Caiet tract 27. test Greg. de Val. disp 9. q 5. It was held lawfull in the Easterne Church to marrie after Ordination Adde to these the Traditions of other Countreys as namely the Priests in India in Armenia in Syria in Russia in Cyprus in Muscouia daily marry and execute their offices of Priesthood being married persons The Lawe therefore of single life wants the requisite conditions of Antiquity vniuersalitie and Succession and consequently can bee no Apostolicall Tradition no Catholique Doctrine as is pretended in the seuenth place Invocation and worship of Saints Invocation and Worship of Saints Is reputed a Tradition Apostolicall and is receiued for an Article of faith in the Roman Church yet this faith notwithstanding their great braggs of Catholike doctrine wants Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession Apostoli scribere hoc in sacris literis noluerunt ne ambitiosi viderentur honorem istum sibi ipsis ambire ne sub cultu illo defuÌ„ctoruÌ„ GeÌ„tilium cultum inferre viderentur Ecch. Ench. cap. de vener Sanct. Touching Antiquitie I appeale to their owne Ecchius The Apostles saith he would not insert this doctrine into the written word lest they should seeme ambitiously to assume that honour to themselues and vnder pretence of worshipping the dead might bring in the worship of the Gentiles This doctrine then as it wants a foundation in scripture which a point of faith ought to haue so likewise it is most certaine for the same reason the Apostles would not deliuer it by Tradition for without doubt they would neuer teach that doctrine of faith by word of mouth which they refused to publish by their writings This is not onely probable but certain true and therefore Ignatius the Apostle St. Iohns Scholler who could not bee ignorant of a poynt of Faith teacheth the virgins of that time another lesson he doth not teach them to direct their prayers and supplications to Saints and Angels
doctrina cum nostra consonat Ecclesia Patr. resp 2. in init resp 1. p. 148. We giue thankes to God the Authour of all grace and wee reioyce with many others but especially in this that in many things your doctrine is agreeable to our Church And certainly we likewise haue great cause to reioyce in our owne behalfe and theirs that the Greeke Church hath continued the truth of our doctrine in all ages which plainely shewes the Antiquitie and Visibilitie of our Church in the affirmatiue poynts which we maintaine and the Noueltie of the Romane in those Negatiue opinions which we condemne If we looke beyond Luther we shall easily discerne that the Muscouites Armenians Egyptians Aethiopians and diuers other countreys and Nations all members of the Greeke Church taught our Doctrine from the Apostles time to ours This is so true an Euidence in our behalfe that Bellarmine as it were in disdaine of the Churches Bell. de ver Dei l 2. ca. vlt. in fine makes this answere We are no more moued with the examples of Muscouites Armenians Egyptians and Aethiopians then with the examples of Lutherans or Anabaptists and Caluinists for they are either heretiques or Schismatiques So that all Churches be they neuer so Catholique and ancient if they subscribe not to the now Romane Faith are eyther schismaticall or hereticall But let these men obserue what Rules they list let them brag of Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession let them reiect the confessions of all Christian Churches but their owne yet shal they neuer be able to proue those vnwritten Traditions Apostolique and of equall authority with the Scriptures which contrary the doctrine of the Apostles or by consequence ouerthrowe the foundation of the written Word If the Apostle teach vs to pray with the spirit 1. Cor. 14. and to pray with the vnderstanding also how can prayer in an vnknowne tongue without vnderstanding be prooued a Tradition Apostolicall If the Apostle teach vs by the written Word that the Communion in both kinds extend to all beleeuers by the general words of Christ Drinke yee all of this How can the Communion in one kinde bee tearmed a Tradition Apostolical which imposeth the contrary on the Non Conficient Priest and the lay people Drinke ye none of this If the holy Spirit dictate by the mouth of an Apostle Search the Scriptures how can that doctrine be said to bee Apostolicall which inioynes the contrary to the lay people Search not the Scriptures If the written Word proclaime it for an Apostolike doctrine Vtrumque est maluÌ„ et nubere et vri imò â—eius est nubere quic quid reclameÌ„t aduersarii c. Bell. de Monach l. 2. c. 30. It is better marrie then burne how can that vnwritten Word bee tearmed a Tradition Apostolicall which teacheth the contrary It is better for a Priest to burne then marry If an Angel from heauen proclaime of the reall presence of Christs body He is risen he is not heere and the Apostle declares it for an Article of beliefe The Heauens containe him till his second comming How can the corporall and reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament be a Tradition Apostolicall which affirmeth that Christs body is conteined in the heauens and in a Pix at one and the same time If the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ be a common vnion of Priest and people and by the Apostles written Word Wee are all partakers of one Bread and one Cup how can Priuate Masse bee tearmed a Tradition Apostolicall wherein the Priest receiues the Bread and Cup alone without the people If God himselfe forbid by his Morall Law the worshipping of Images and the same Lawe stood in force with Christ and his Apostles how can that doctrine be made a poynt of Faith and termed a Tradition Apostolicall which on the contrary giues adoration to Images Lastly if an Angel from heauen forbids the worshipping of Angels by a particular instance in himselfe Worship not mee for I am thy fellow seruant How can it be reputed a Tradition Apostolicall and an Article of Faith Art 8. that the Saints reigning with Christ are to bee worshipped and prayed vnto These Papal Traditions vnwritten are different if not flatly opposite to the Word written and therefore I will say with Tertullian who answered the heretiques in his dayes Tert. praesc advers haeres c. 32. Their very doctrine it selfe being compared with the Apostolike by the diuersity and contrarietie thereof will pronounce that it had neither any Apostle for an Authour nor any man Apostolique Now if any Romanist shall take that poore exception and say their Tenets are not flat contrary to the Scriptures let him take his answere from Saint Chrysostome Non dixit si contraria annutiauerint aut si totuÌ„ Euangelium sub verterint sed si vel pauluÌ„ EuaÌ„gelizauerint prarer EuangeliuÌ„ qd accepistis etiaÌ„si quidvis labefactauerint Anathema sint Chrys in Galat. c. 1 Aug. in Ioh. Tra. 98 Saint Paul teacheth not saith hee if any man preach contrary to the Gospell or ouerthrow the whole Gospell but if they preach any little thing besides the Gospell hee hath receiued if hee ouerthrow any thing whatsoeuer it be let him be accursed I say therefore if this or the like vnwritten Traditions bee found praeterquà m or contraquà m either besides or contrary to the Scriptures as certainly most of their Traditions are I say it is impossible to reconcile them for Apostolike Traditions and consequently more absurd to equall them with the Scriptures and make them a partiall rule of faith for Although saith Tertullian Tertul. de praescâ— c. 26. the Apostles did deliuer some things vnto their domesticall friends as I may call them yet wee must not beleeue that they deliuered any such things as should bring in another rule of Faith different and repugnant to that which they generally propounded in publique as though they had preached one Lord in the Church another in their lodging To leaue therefore a certainty for an vncertaintie to forsake the written Word which is the safest and surest rule of beliefe for vnwritten Traditions which haue neither Antiquitie for their leader nor Vniuersality for their assurance nor Succession for their euidence this I say is Via dubia a doubtfull and vncertaine way this is Via Deuia a wandring and By-way SECT IX The Scriptures are a certaine safe and euident direction to the right way of Saluation and consequently to ground Faith vpon vnwritten Traditions is an obscure vncertaine and dangerous By-way I Confesse it for a trueth that in the first ages of the world the Ancients had the knowledge of God without writing and their memories by reason of their long liues were Registers instead of Bookes but afterwards when God had taken the posteritie of Iacob to bee his peculiar people the liues of men were shortned and therefore hee gaue them their lawes in writing which
by the application of Saints merits and that priuate satisfactions which were left to the discretion of euery Bishop were transferred wholly to the power of the Pope and so receiued de Fide as an article of faith as it is now vsed in the Romane Church and I will subscribe He that will proue out of the ancient Fathers that Confirmation Penance Orders Matrimonie are oftentimes called by the name of Sacraments let him spare the labour I will confesse it But let him proue the poynt in question that al those Sacraments were instituted by Christ in the new Testament and that there are neither more nor lesse then seuen termed by the name of Sacraments and those onely were properly so called and that number of seuen was receiued de fide as an Article of faith and I will subscribe He that will proue out of the ancient Fathers that St. Peter had a primacie of Order amongst the Apostles and that the Bishop of Rome had the first place amongst other Bishops let him spare the labour I will confesse it but let him proue that Peter had iurisdiction ouer the Apostles and that the Bishop of Rome was helde Christs Vicar generall and Head of the Vniuersall Church and that such his power and Supremacie was receiued de fide as an article of faith as it is now taught in the Roman Church and I will subscribe Lastly he that will proue out of the ancient Fathers that out of the Cath. church there is no saluation let him spare the labor I will cōfesse it but let him proue that the present Roman Church is that Catholike Church as it is decreed de fide by their last Article of their Creed and I will subscribe Thus briefly I haue giuen you my poore opinion how to examine the Trent Faith and doctrine whereby you may easily discouer the vanitie of those men who challenge an interest in all the Fathers in behalfe of their Religion and certainly if this rule bee rightly obserued and pursued by any indifferent Iudge he shal finde there is not greater distance in the times then difference in their doctrine This is so well knowne to the best learned on their side that when wee charge them that they haue created new Articles of Faith vnknowne to the first and best ages by way of preuention they giue this solution that true it is many poynts of doctrine were not explicitè reuealed and publikely declared as Articles of faith in the dayes of the ancient Fathers because no heretikes did then oppose them but say they they were implicitè obscurely secretly reseruedly knowne and receiued of the Ancients with an implicit faith by which confession their later errour will bee greater then the first for as one way they would seemingly auoyd the creating of new Articles of faith so by acknowledgement of an implicit faith they ouerthrow by consequence the Visibilitie of their Church for if the Church of Rome had but an implicite beliefe in those things which are now publikely declared without doubt the Church at that time was not visible in the faith it was not like a Citie vpon a hill knowne and conspicuous to all persons and thereupon the grand poynt of Visibilitie which they so much magnifie among themselues will easily be called in question For a conclusion of this poynt I will giue you but one instance whereby you may the better iudge of the rest Looke vpon the learned Treatise of the right Reuerend Bishop of Meath now Primate of Armach wherein the iudgement of the ancient Fathers An Answer to a challenge made by a Iesuite in Ireland 1624. touching seuerall poynts of controuersie is faithfully deliuered in our behalfe what Reply might wee thinke could bee made by our aduersaries to those Authorities so rightly produced Behold a Iesuite by Order W. Malone by name A Reply to Mr. Vshers answere hath made a Reply wherein hee hath produced in number many more authorities of Fathers in behalfe of the Roman Church and Trent Doctrine The encounter being made the end of the victory may seeme doubtfull for the Fathers are produced by both contending parties and seemingly they adhere to both sides as if they made both for Papist and Protestant in one and the same substantiall poynts of doctrine The reason being examined it will appeare the Fathers do not vary from themselues nor from vs in poynts of faith but the Iesuite produceth Authorities impertinent to the poynt in question As for instance in the first Article of Traditions Our Reuerend Bishop tels the Iesuite by way of preuention B Vsher cap. Traditions p. 35. that Traditions of all sorts are not promiscuously strucke at by vs but such vnwritten traditions which are obtruded for Articles of Religion As for example It is the first part of the Article of the Roman Creed I admit and imbrace the Apostolicall and Ecclesiesticall Traditions To this first part of the article the reformed Churches doe subscribe but the other Obseruances and Constitutions of the Church which is the latter part of the Article we thinke it great reason to gainesay for vnder the pretence of other Obseruances the Church of Rome doeth vphold her priuate Masse her Latine Seruice her halfe Communion her Inuocation of Saints her worship of Images the like all which are admitted for part of Gods worship and accepted by them for Apostolike Traditions when as in truth they are flat contrary to the doctrine of the written Word The question then is not whether the doctrine deliuered by Christ or his Apostles by word of mouth were of equall authoritie with the Word written for this neuer any Protestant denied but whether the vnwritten Doctrine now taught in the Romane Church were deliuered by Christ and his Apostles whether their Ecclesiastical Obseruations and Constitutions now vsed bee of equall authoritie with the written Word whether their Papal Traditions were alwayes or euer admitted into the rule of faith and lastly whether the Scriptures are not sufficient for the saluation of the beleeuer without the helpe of those Traditions Let these questions bee rightly propounded in our behalfe and the multitude of the Iesuites authorities will fall to ground of themselues for what Father hath hee produced to proue that the Papall Traditions now receiued de fide in the Church of Rome were deliuered by word of mouth by the Apostles what Father hath hee cited to prooue that the Constitutions of their Church had a constant and continuall succession from the time of the Apostles as Articles of faith ought to haue what Fa her hath he vrged that admitted doctrinall Traditions vnwritten into the Rule of faith Lastly what ancient Father hath hee truely alleadged that denies the Scriptures to bee sufficient for all beleeuers without the helpe of Romish Traditions It were no difficult matter as I conceiue to giue a full answer to the Iesuits replie in the right stating of the Questions wherby it might easily appeare that hee
noÌ„ in Conciliis EpiscoporuÌ„ noÌ„ in literis quorum libet disputatorum non in signis prodigiis fallacibus quia etiam contra ista verbo Dom. praeparati et cautired diti sumus sed in praescripto Legis in Prophetarum praedictis in Psalmorum cantibus in ipsius Pastoris vocibus in EuangelistaruÌ„ praedicationibus et laboribus hoc est in omnibus Canonicis SanctoruÌ„ librorum authoritatibus Aug. de vnit Eccles cap. 16. and vpon these they challenged that great Champion but heare what answere hee makes them Let the Donatists if they can shew their Church not in rumors and speeches of the men of Africa not in the Councels of their Bishops not in discourses of any Writers whatsoeuer not in signes and miracles that may bee forged for we are forewarned by Gods word and therefore fore-armed against those things but in the prescript of the Law in the prediction of the Prophets in the verses of the Psalmes in the voices of the Shepheard himselfe in the preaching and workes of the Euangelistes that is in all the Canonicall authorities of the sacred Scriptures If Saint Austen had been liuing in these dayes either he must haue retracted this Protestant doctrine or hee would haue beene reputed for an heretique for all these marks which were anciently maintained by the Donatists are proclaimed by our aduersaries to be visible characters of the true Church neither did this learned father require more of the Donatist then the Catholiques of those times were willing to performe on their parts and therfore hee bindes himselfe to the same conditions which hee required of his aduersaries and withall renders the reason of his demand Nec nos proptareà dicimus nobis credere oportere ad in Ecclesia Christi sumê° quia ipsam quaÌ„ tenemê° commendauit Mileuitanus Optatus vel Mediolanensis Ambrosius vel alii innumerabilis nostra communionis Episcopi aut quia nostrorum Collegarum Conciliis praedicata est aut quia per totum orbem in locis sanctis qua frequentat nostra communiâ—tantâ— mirabilia fiunt Aug. de vnit Eccles cap. 16. Quia nec nos propterea dicimus c. Because wee our selues doe not say wee must therefore be beleeued for that wee are in the Church of Christ or else for that Optatus and Ambrose and infinite other Bishops of our Communion haue commended the Church which wee hold or because our Church hath bin published in the Councells of our Colleagues or because in all places of the world where our Communion is frequented there are so many miracles wrought This was the doctrine of Saint Austen and the ancient Fathers and this is ours they required no more of the Donatists but to lay apart all pretended titles and relie onely vpon the word of God we offer to the Romanists no lesse then to accept the same conditions vpon triall of that title and relie only vpon that word I must confesse I thinke a more speedy way might haue been found to haue giuen an answere to the Controuersies of that age for Saint Austen might haue poynted at the Church in the West which was then as conspicuous as the Sun at Noone day hee might haue answered them it was a Citie vpon a hill which was visible to all He might haue produced the Apostle for a witnesse that her faith was published throughout the whole world he might haue confuted them with sacred Councells and Doctrine of the ancient Fathers and confirmed his trueth with the death of constant Martyrs which sealed their doctrine with their blood in the testimonie of the true faith Certainely all these proofes were pregnant in his time and he might easily haue produced them in behalfe of his Church as our aduersaries in these dayes doe for theirs but hee left these brags to these latter times and sends them to the Law to the Testimonies to the word of Christ that speaketh better things then was possible for man to vtter Ne in Ecclesia errares ne quis tibi diceret Christus est qui non est Christê° aut Ecclesia est quae non est Ecclesia audi vocem Pastoris ostendit Ecclesiam ne quis te fallat in nomine Ecclesiae Aug. Psal 69. and to that end saith hee thou mightest not erre in the Church and lest any man should say this is Christ who is not Christ or this is the Church which is not the Church heare the voyce of the Shepheard hee hath shewed thee the Church that the name of the Church may not deceiue thee The summe and substance therefore of St. Austens doctrine was this that neither Bishops nor Councels nor Miracles nor rumors of the Catholique name doe demonstrate the Church of God to be Catholique for all these are common to heretiques as well as Catholiques but the holy Scriptures which beare the testimony of Iesus they onely carry the infallible markes of his trueth In Scripturis didicimê° Christum in Scripturis didicimus ecclesiam Aug. ep 166 and in them faith hee wee haue knowen Christ in them we haue knowen the Church Neither was this the opinion of Saint Austen only for Saint Hierom tels vs that in his dayes the Church was not gone out of her limits of the holy Scriptures Non est egressa de finibus suis id est de Scripturis sanctis Hier. lib. 1. c. 1. in Mich. and from thence the timber and materialls must bee taken with which the house of wisedome is to bee built And Saint Chrysostome as a wise Master-Builder in this house gaue this Caueat to the worke-men in after ages Chrys in opere imperfecto Hom. 49. It can no way be knowen which is the true Church nisi tantummodó per Scripturas but onely by the Scriptures Non enim per alios dispositionem salutis nostra cognouimê° quam per ees per quos euangelium peruenit ad nos quod quideÌ„ tuÌ„c praeconiauerunt posteà verò per Dei voluntateÌ„ in scripturis nobis tradiderunt fundamentum et ColumnaÌ„ fidei nostrae futurum Iâ—en advers haeres l. 3. c. 1. otherwise if they had regard to other things they should bee offended and perish and not vnderstand which is the true Church And lastly the learned Father Irenaeus assures vs Non per alios c. by no other haue wee knowne the way of our saluation but by them by whom the Gospel came to vs which verily they then preached and afterwards by the will of God deliuered the same to vs in the Scriptures to bee the Foundation and Pillar of our Faith Tell me then in this latter age and time of Controuersie wherein it is commonly voyced in our eares Loe heere is Christ and there is Christ this is the true Church and that is the true Church how shall the religious man which loueth trueth and seeketh comfort resolue himselfe to which Church shal he safely ioine himselfe when perhaps he wants the learning perhaps the leasure to looke
attentiue that the words of the dead may bee read and heard He lyeth voyd of life and feeling in his graue and his words preuaile Christ doth sit in heauen and is his Testament gainsaid Open it let vs reade we are brethren why doe we striue Let our mindes be pacified our Father hath not left vs without a Testament he that made the Testament is liuing for euer Hee doeth heare our words he doth know his owne words let vs reade why doe we striue SECT III. The Scripture according to the Iudgment of the ancient Fathers is the sole Iudge of Controuersies and Interpreter of it selfe BVsaeus the Iesuite knowing that the Scriptures were not such euident testimonies of the Roman faith Si non potes effugere vel disputationeÌ„ vel collationeÌ„ de rebus fidei cuÌ„ haeretico cui tameÌ„ de doctrinâ inferiorem non esse existimas primuÌ„ ab eo percuÌ„ctare vnde argumenta suav lit depromere coÌ„trà fideÌ„ Catholicam si respondeat vt solent ex scripturis diuinis oppone illi nul laÌ„vel incertaÌ„ ex Scripturis sperari victoria nisi prius constet veri sint possessores scripturae illi an nos vbi sit vera fides et potestas exponeÌ„di scripturas Busaeus in Panatio Tit. Haeres as his fellowes pretended by way of preuention giues this caueat to his disciples If you cannot auoyd disputation with an heretique touching poynts of faith although you finde you are able to match him yet first demand of him from whence hee will deriue his arguments against the Catholique faith if he answere as commonly they doe Out of the sacred Scriptures tell him there is no victory at least but vncertaine to be hoped for from them vnlesse it may appeare who hath best right to the Scriptures and to whom belongs authoritie to expound them By this Iesuites confession the poynts in controuersie are sub judice in question to which side the right of Scriptures doe belong and to whom authoritie to expound them and sooth to say the controuersies of this age are now brought to this narrow issue that our aduersaries are well content to trie their cause by Scriptures if the Reformed Churches would graunt them but this one poore request That they may be sole Iudges and Interpreters of the Scripture A request no doubt which in most mens vnderstanding will seeme vnreasonable that Christ and his Apostles should bee iudged by man or that a man should bee Plaintiffe and Iudge in his owne cause It was the constant profession of Saint Austen August lib. Confess 13. c. 23. Men spirituall whether they rule or bee ruled iudge according to the Spirit but they iudge not of the spirituall knowledge which shineth in the firmament of the Scriptures for it is not lawfull for any man to judge ouer so high authoritie for bee the man neuer so spirituall yet must hee be a doer not a Iudge of the Law And in the conclusion of the Chapter hee giues his speciall reason for it There a man is said to bee Iudge where he hath power and authority to correct He therefore who shall first dare to correct the scripture let that man by S Austens rule assume authoritie to iudge them and as touching that Tenet that a man should be Plaintiffe and Iudge in his owne cause it was a doctrine so different from the Primitiue Church that in the midst of heresies I say in the first and best ages wherin Saint Austen and Epiphanius mention aboue fourescore heresies euen then when the Fathers had greatest reason to stand vpon the priuiledge of their Church they neuer made answere like the Romanists You must heare the Church and our Church is that Catholique Church that is the sole Iudge of controuersies and according to our Interpretation whose right it is to iudge of the Scriptures it is so and so but on the contrary they made the Scriptures sole Iudges of their cause and withall professed the Text of Scripture was the truest Glosse in expounding of it selfe I speake not this as if our reueren'd Diuines did make the Scriptures sole Iudges of our cause excluding the testimonie of the Church for we haue a church as wel as they we haue churchmen as well versd in Scriptures and Fathers as themselues neither doe wee denie the authoritie of the Fathers which ioyntly agree in poynts of faith for the right expounding of the Scriptures onely wee say the Authour of the Word who best knew his owne meaning was best able to expound himselfe and in this manner the ancient Fathers as they grounded their Church vpon the Scriptures so likewise they referred backe the meaning of the Scriptures vnto the Authour of them as if hee that was Iudge of all men should bee iudged of none and such wee know is the wisdome and goodnesse of God Eaverò quae in mysteriis occultat nec ipsa eloquio superbo erigit quo non audeat accedere mens cardiuscula et in erudita quasi pauper ad diuitem sed inuitat omnes humili sermone quos noÌ„ soluÌ„ manifestâ pascat sed etiaÌ„ secretâ exerceat veritate hoc in promptis qd â—â—reconditis habens Aug. Ep. 3. that hee hath oftentimes hidde these things from the wise and learned which he hath reuealed vnto babes and sucklings and as for those things which it hideth in miseries saith Austen it lifteth them vp not with stately speech whereby an vnlearned minde should not presume to approach as a poore man to a rich but with a lowly speech inuiteth all men that it might not only feed them with manifest but also exercise with obscure trueth hauing that in manifest that it hath in obscure places and as concerning obscure places the same holy Father tells vs Illi verò qui ea quae in diuinislibris obscura sunt intueri nequiuerint arbitrentur se digitum quideÌ„ meuÌ„ ineuers posse sydera verò quibê° demoÌ„strandis intenditur videre no posse et illi ergo et isto me reproheÌ„dere desinant et lumen oculorum diuinitùs sibi praeberi depreceantur Aug. de doct Chris l. 1. Prolog that if they cannot see the things which are obscure and dark in the Scriptures the fault is in themselues not in the precepts as if I should poynt with my finger at a starre which they would gladly see and their eye-sight were so weake that although they did see my finger yet they could not see the starre at which I poynt let them cease to blame me and let them pray to God that hee will giue them eye-sight And in his foure Books of Christian Doctrine where he purposely treateth of expounding the Scriptures he plainely prooueth that the meaning of the Word is learned out of the Word and the obscure places are expounded by the manifest and heerein hee toucheth the freehold of the Romane Church Magnificè et salubritèr spiritê° sanctê° ita Scripturas sanctas modisi auit vt
Iudith et Tobiae MacabaeoruÌ„ libros legit Ecclesia sed eos inter Canonicas scripturas non recipit sic et haec duo volumina sapientia Solomonis et Syrach legit ad adificationeÌ„ plebis non authoritateÌ„ dogmatum coÌ„firmandum In Praefat. lib Solom Admitto HieronymuÌ„ ea fuisse opinione quia nonduÌ„ generale CoÌ„ciliuÌ„ de his libris aliquid statuerat c. Bell de verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 10. Ipso ergo sacra Codicis 〈◊〉 pandam tibi Omnes libellos c. vltimuÌ„ nomen duplex cui est Angelum Malachiam Greg. Naz. Car. Iamb ad SeleucuÌ„ Iamb 3. De quibê° tamen nunc dubitare nefaâ— est antequam auteÌ„ ab Ecclesiâ coÌ„muni coÌ„sensu recepti essent nihil piaculi fuit eos in CanonicoruÌ„ numeruÌ„ ac sedeÌ„ minimè admittere Iacob Bill in Iam. 3. Nazian Non oportet libros qui sunt extrà Canonem legere nisi solos Canonicos Noui et Veteris Testamenti Concil Laod Can. 59. Ruffinus as some say Cyprian in reciting the Canon of the Scripture testifies the like in this age These be the bookes which our Fathers haue included within the Canon out of which they would haue the assertions of our faith to appeare but yet wee must know that there bee also other bookes which are not Canonicall but are called of our Ancestors Ecclesiasticall as is the Wisedome of Solomon Ecclesiasticus Tobias Iudith and the bookes of Maccabees all which they will indeed haue to bee read in the Church but not to bee alledged for confirmation of faith Bellarmine confesseth with vs that Ruffinus did follow the Hebrewe Canon but his fellow Canus is not contented with such a moderate confession but returnes this answere Although Ruffinus did affirme that the bookes of Maccabees were to bee rejected by the tradition of the Fathers yet by the Readers leaue hee was ignorant of that Tradition Saint Hierome is our witnesse As the Church readeth Iudith Tobias and the Maccabees but receiueth them not for Canonicall Scriptures so these two bookes namely the Wisedome of Solomon and Iesus the sonne of Syrach doth the Church reade for the edification of the people not to confirme thereby the authoritie of any doctrine in the Church This is likewise confessed by Bellarmine I admit saith hee that Hierome was of that opinion because as yet in those dayes a generall Councell had decreed nothing touching those bookes except the booke of Iudith which Hierom afterwards receiued Gregory Nazianzen writing to Seleucus promiseth him that he will shew him a catalogue of the Canonicall bookes and accordingly beginning from Genesis cites the bookes in order to Malachie the last of the Prophets This authoritie in our behalfe is likewise confessed by Iacobus Billius a Romanist in his Commentary vpon those verses but hee excuseth him in this manner That hee omitted other bookes as namely Iudith the Maccabees c. of which notwithstanding to make a doubt in these dayes would bee accounted a wicked thing but before they were generally receiued of the Church it was no sinne not to admit them amongst the number of Canonicall Scriptures The Councell of Laodicea Wee ought to reade onely the bookes of the Old and New Testament and in that 59. Canon the Councell recites onely those Canonicall Bookes of Scripture which we allowe and the Canons of this Councell are confirmed by the sixt Generall Councell in Trullo and Binius himselfe confesseth that the booke of Iudith by the authoritie of this Councell is rejected amongst the Apocrypha And this was the constant opinion of the Primitiue Church Can. 2. Liber Iudith authoritate huius Prouincialis Concilii inter Apocrhyphos reiicitur Binius in Concil Rom. sub Syluest Not. touching the intire rule of Scripture in the fourth Age. In the fifth Age An. 400. to 500. Epiphanius after he had reckoned vp the Canon of two and twentie Bookes Vtiles quidem sunt et coÌ„modi sed in numeruÌ„ receptorum non referuÌ„tur quare neque in Aaron neque in Testamenti Arcam repositi sunt Epiph. li. de Mens Ponder censureth the Bookes of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus in these words They are fit and profitable but not reckoned amongst those bookes which are receiued by our Church and therefore were neither layd vp with Aaron nor in the Arke of the new Testament In MachabaeoruÌ„ libris etsi aliquid Mirabilium numero inserenduÌ„ conveniens fuisse ordini inueniatur de hâc tameÌ„ nullá curâ fatigabimur quiae tantuÌ„ agere proposuimus vt de Diuini Canonis Mirabilibus exiguaÌ„ expositionem taÌ„geremus Aug. de Mirab sacrae Scrip. l. 2. c. 34. Has supputatio non in Scripturis sanctis quae appellantur Canonica sed in aliis inuenitur in quibê° sunt et MachabaeoruÌ„ libri De civ Dei l. 18. c. 36. Saint Austen Although there may something bee found in the books of Maccabees meet for this order of writing and worthy to bee ioyned with the number of Miracles yet we will not weâ—ry our selues with any care thereof for that we haue intended onely to touch a short rehearsall of the miracles conteined in the diuine Canon And for a further explanation of the true Canon different from the Apocryphall Scriptures he tells vs This reckoning is not found in the holy Scriptures that are called Canonicall but in certaine other bookes amongst which are the bookes of the Maccabees And as concerning the authoritie of these bookes when it was obiected against him that Razis killed himselfe and therefore it was lawfull by the Scripture for a man to kill himselfe amongst other answeres hee returnes this for one The Iewes doe not esteeme this Scripture called the Maccabees in such sort Scriptura quae appellâ— tur Machabaorum recepta est ab Ecclesia non inâ—tilitè◠si sobrie legatur vel audiatur maximè propter illos Machabaeos qui pro Dei lege indigna perpess sunt Aug. contra SecunduÌ„ Ep. Gaud. li. 2. c. 23. as the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes to which Christ giueth testimony as to them that beare that witnesse of him saying It behoued that all these things should be fulfilled that are written of mee in the Law the Prophets and the Psalmes but it is receiued of the Church not vnprofitably so that it bee read and heard with sobrietie especially because of these Maccabees which indured grieuous persecutions for the Lawe of God In the sixth Age An. 500. to 600. Quarehi libri noÌ„ inter Canonicas Scripturas currunt M. Quoniam apud Haebreos quoque super hac differentia recipiebantur sicut Hier. caterique testaÌ„tur Iun. de part diuinae legis lib. 1. cap. 3. SuÌ„tpratereà alii quidem libri vt Sapientia Solo monis liber Iesu filii Syrach et lib. Iudith et Tobiae et libri Machabaeorqui leguÌ„tur quideÌ„ sed noÌ„ scribuÌ„tur in canone Isid Praenot Elucid de script Scripturis sac c. 6 7. Iunilius Bishop of
if that thou hast any vnderstanding of these things And in his funerall Oration which hee made vpon his sister Gorgonia hee speaketh vnto her in this manner Greg. Naz. Orat. 11 in Gorgon If thou hast any care of the things done by vs if holy soules receiue this honour from God that they haue any feeling of such things as these receiue this Oration of ours instead of many and before many funerall obsequies The first Invocations then were but Apostrophes at the Tombes of Saints and those also deliuered doubtingly with this supposition If thou hearest if thou doest vnderstand Besides Invocations at first were but wishes and no prayers But if any saieth Cassander would haue such compellations to bee taken also for a direct speaking to them Cass Ep. 19 ad Ioh. Molinaeum p. 1109. IdeÌ„ Schol. in Hymn Eccles operuÌ„ pag. 242. I doe not gainesay it notwithstanding I would thinke that a tacit condition ought to bee vnderstood in such an intimation as was vsed by Gregorie Nazianzene that is if they doe heare if they doe vnderstand or otherwise that is to say All yee Saints pray vnto God for me should import as much as if it were said Would to God that all the Saints should pray to God for me But that which is remarkable and as I conceiue is worthy of all mens obserseruation Our aduersaries confesse there was no Invocation of Saints before the comming of Christ because they were in Lymbo and did not see God and therefore it is to bee noted Bellar. de Sanct. Beat. lib. 1. c. 19. saith Bellarmine Because the Saints which dyed before the comming of Christ did not enter into heauen neither did see God nor could ordinarily take knowledge of the prayers of such as should petition vnto them therefore it was not the vse in the Old Testament to say Saint Abraham pray for mee If this were the onely reason why Invocation was not vsed in the old Law for the same reason wee may confidently auer they ought not to produce the testimonies of ancient Fathers since the New for most of the Greeke and Latine Fathers did hold that the faithfull after death remained till the day of Resurrection in certaine receptacles of Rest without attaining the blessed vision of God Iren. lib. 5. Aug. Euchi c. 108. Hyll in Psál 120. Ambr. de Cain Abel l. 2. c. 2. Bet n. Ser. 3. de omnibus Sanctis Iraeneus termes them Inuisible holds Saint Austen Hidden Receptacles Saint Hyllarie The bosom of Rest Ambrose Places of suspence Bernard Atria Outward Porches or Courts And for a further testimonie of these and other particulars their learned Stapleton professeth Tot illi et taÌ„ celebres antiqui patres Tertullianus c. huic sententiae quae nuÌ„c in Concilio Florentino magnâ de muÌ„ conquisitione factà vt dogma fidei definita est quod iustorum animae antè dieÌ„ iudicii Dei visione fruuntur non sunt assensi sed sententiam contrariam tradideruÌ„t Stapl defâ—s Ecclesiast authorit cont Whitak l. 1. c. 2. That many famous ancient Fathers as namely Tertullian Irenaeus Origen Chrysostome Theodoret Oecumenius Theophylact Ambrose Clemens Romanus and Bernard did not assent vnto this Sentence which now in the Councell of Florence was at length after much disputing defined as doctrine of faith that the soules of the righteous enioy the sight of God before the day of Iudgement but did deliuer the contrary sentence thereunto From hence therfore I may infallibly conclude that such as held that the Saints were not admitted to the sight of God could not well hold that men should pray vnto them in such manner as the Romanists vse now to doe because the Saints not enioying the sight of God are not able ordinarily to take notice of the prayers that are put vp vnto them Saint Austen tells vs that in his time it was a great question Respondeo magnaÌ„ quideÌ„ esse quaestionum verum vel quatenùs vel quomodò ea quaecircà nos aguntur nouerint spiritus mortuoruÌ„ Aug. in Psal 108. Enarrat 1. and not easily to bee determined Whether at all or how farre or after what manner the spirits of the dead did know the things that concerned vs heere And Anselmus Laudunensis in his interlineal glosse vpon that text Abraham is ignorant of vs and Israel knoweth vs not Esa 63. noteth that Saint Austen saith that the dead euen the Saints doe not know what the liuing doe no not their owne sonnes Non propriè inuocamus Sanctos sed DeuÌ„ non enim aut Petrus aut Paulus audit InuocaÌ„tes sed gratiae quam habent viz. apud Deum Resp Patr ad Ger. c. 21 Adde to these testimonies the confession of the Greeke Church Wee doe not properly inuocate Saints but God for neither Peter nor Paul heare any of those that inuocate them but the grace and gift that they haue according to the promise I am with you vntill the end of the world meaning as it may be conceiued that the Saints heare not them that invocate them but Christ the Son of God who was giuen vnto them and promised to bee with them vnto the worlds end Adde to these opinions the sayings of their owne Schoolemen Scotus in 4. dist 45. quaest 4. Pet. Lomb. Sentent lib. 4 dist 45. Scotus saith it is probable Peter Lumbard saith It is not incredible that the Saints should heare our prayers Adde to the vncertaintie of the Fathers opinions some did vse wishes and compellations not Invocations others denyed the Saints could take notice of their prayers by reason they did not as yet see God others doubted whether they did heare when they were called vpon Altissid in SuÌ„m part 4. l 3. tract 7. c. de orat quaest 6. Biel. in CaÌ„ Missa Sect. 30. others as namely Guilielmus Altisidorensis and Gabriel Biel resolued that neither the Saints doe pray for vs neither are wee to pray to them These I say and the like reasons considered I may safely conclude that Invocation of Saints wants Antiquitie Vniuersality and Succession and that opinions doubtfull and vncertaine reasons probable and not incredible are no sure grounds for the saluation of a Christian and therefore it is no Article of faith no Catholique doctrine no Apostolique Tradition as is pretended in the eighth place Thus briefly I haue shewed you that the Trent Traditions which are receiued with the same reuerence as the Scriptures themselues want the proper markes of their owne Church I haue shewed you likewise that the Greeke Church in the principall poynts of controuersie is altogether different from the Romane and in the chiefest of those points agreeth wholly with the Protestants And for this cause the Greeke Patriarch congratulates with the Reformed Churches in this manner Nunc Deo omnis gratia authori gratias agimus et latamur cum multis aliis tum noÌ„ minimum in hoc quod in multis vestra
Vers 16.17 All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to all good workes So that if you regard the authoritie of the written word it came from God by inspiration if the vse of it it teacheth correcteth improueth if the end and perfection of it that the man of God might bee throughly furnished to euery good work Now whatsoeuer is so profitable vnto all these ends to make a man wise vnto saluation must needs bee sufficient of it selfe and the rather because there is nothing can bee wished for either to soundnesse and sinceritie of Faith or to integritie and godlinesse of life that is to mans perfection the way of saluation which the Scripture giuen by inspiration of God doeth not teach the faithfull seruants of Christ nay more if that which is written bee not sufficient by the beliefe whereof we may attaine to eternall life without doubt Saint Iohn the beloued Disciple of Christ would neuer haue told vs Iohn 20 31. These things are written that wee may beleeue and beleeuing we may haue eternall life I proceed to the examination of the ancient Fathers that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. orat cont Gen. in init Sufficiebat quideÌ„ credentibê° Dei sermo qui in aures nostras Euangelistae testimonie-traÌ„sfusus est quid enim in eodem SacrameÌ„to salutis humanae non continetur aut quid fit qd reliquuÌ„ est aut obseurum Plena sunt omnia vt à pleno et perfecto facta Hil. de Trin. l. 2 Tert. contr Hermo c. 22 that written Word may be established Athanasius the holy Father tells vs The holy Scriptures giuen by inspiration of God are of themselues sufficient to the discouery of the truth And as concerning the fulnesse of all truth which is reuealed in the Scriptures Saint Hillary assures vs that in his dayes The word of God did suffice the beleeuers yea saith he what is there concerning mans saluation that is not conteined in the Word of the Evangelist What doth it want What is there obscure in it All things there are full and perfect And Tertullian himselfe professeth that hee honoureth the fulnes of the Scriptures and denounceth a woe to Hermogenes the heretike if hee take ought from those things which are written or addeth to them And Saint Cyrill more expressely Non omnia qua Dominus fecit conscriptâ— sunt sed qua scribentes sufficere puturunt tam ad mores quam ad dogmata vt rectâ fide et operibus et virtute rutilantes ad regnum coeloruÌ„ perveniamus Cyr. in Ioh. li. 12 c. 68. In iis quae apertè in Scripturâ posita sunt inueniuntur illa omnia quae coÌ„ueninient fidem moresque viuendi Aug. de doct Christ lib. 2. cap. 9. All things saith he which Christ did are not written but those things are written which the Writers thought sufficient as well touching conuersation as Doctrine that shining with right faith and vertuous workes wee may attaine to the Kingdome of Heauen And Saint Austen giues his consent with the rest of the holy and ancient Fathers that In those things which are layd downe plainely in the Scriptures all those things are found which appertaine to Faith and direction of life And thus by the testimonies of the blessed Apostles and the consent of holy Fathers we haue certaintie we haue safetie wee haue assurance wee haue all sufficiencie in the Scriptures Surely the ancient Fathers did little dreame that the precious stones and timber on which the Church of Rome was first built should bee repayred in her decaying age with strawe and stubble of vnwritten doctrines and vnknowne Traditions Saint Cyprian that blessed Martyr was so farre from allowing Ecclesiasticall Traditions for a poynt of Faith that hee makes this Quaere Whence is this Tradition Vnde ista Traditio vtrumne de Dominica c ea enim facienda esse qua scripta sunt Deus testatur Cypr Epist 74. ad PoÌ„p is it deriued from the Lords authoritie or from the precepts of the Apostles for God willeth vs to doe those things which are written But this quaere is so distasted by Bellarmine that to this short demand hee returnes this sharpe answere Respondâ—o Cyprianum haec scripsisse euÌ„ errorem suum tuerâ— veilet ideò si more errantium tunc ratiocinaretur c. Bâ—◠〈◊〉 vet Dei li 4. ca. 11. Cyprian spake this when hee thought to defend his owne errour and therefore it is no maruell if hee erred in so reasoning yet wee may see what time and errours haue brought to passe those authorities of Scripture which the heretiques pretended for their vnwritten Traditions in the ancient Church are the very same which the Romanists at this day assume in behalfe of their Traditions Irenaeus tels vs that in his time the heretiques complained Iren. l. 3. c. 2 that they who were ignorant of Traditions could not find the trueth in the Scriptures for the truth was not deliuered by writing but by word of mouth And for proofe of their assertion they cite the words of Saint Paul We speake wisedome amongst them that be perfect 1. Cor. 2. Bellarmine alledgeth in this very Text Bell. de ver Dei l. 4. c. 8. to proue that many mysteries require silence that it is vnmeet they should be explained by the Scriptures and therefore are onely learned by Traditions Tertullian tells vs that the heretiques confessed indeed Tertul. de praescip advers haeres cap. 25. that the Apostles were ignorant of nothing but they say the Apostles reuealed not all things vnto all men And for proofe they cite the Word written O Timothy keepe that which is committed to thy trust In like manner Saint Austen tels vs that All foolish heretiques doe seeke to colour their deuices by the pretext of this Gospell Aug. in Ioh. Tract 97. 96. I haue yet many things to say vnto you but ye cannot beare them now But saith hee seeing Christ himselfe hath been silent of those things who of vs can say they are these and these or if hee dare say it how doth hee prooue it These and the like places are cited by Bellarmine and the Romanists Bell de vervo Dei li. 4. cap. 5. for the honour and authoritie of their vnwritten Traditions nay more they are vrged with such eagernesse in defence of their doctrine that some of them publikely professed Si Paulus ille Tharsensis c. Fauour Antiq pag. 275 If that same Paul of Tharsus the chiefe instrument of diuine Philosophie should condemne any Traditions of the Catholike Roman Church I would confidently prescribe him abandon him pronounce Anathema with direfull execrations against this Saul Waltram Bishop of Naumburg a principall member of the Romane Church and conuersant amongst the
1. Kings 21. the greatest number were Idolaters In Ieremies time the Priests and Prophets Ierem. 7.4 which were the chiefe in authoritie were false teachers yet like the Romanists in these dayes they cryed out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord. 1 Kings 19.14 In the time of Elias there was a generall Apostacie in the Church of Israel insomuch that hee being a Prophet could not discerne it so that a visible and illustrious Church may appeare to bee the true Church when shee beareth but the visor and title of a true Church the Church of God may so lie hid that the principall members yea and eminent Pastors themselues may bee ignorant where to finde it for God hath not tied his Church to a visible company that are known to all to be true professors at all times neither hath hee commanded a Register to bee kept of their names that hee might call the Church after their names for if any should call for the names of professors in all ages nay if any one should demand but the name of any one of those seuen thousand which neuer bowed to Baal and were vnknowne to the Prophet himselfe it would seeme a mysterie vnsearchable and a man past finding out Neither was this backesliding or falling away in the Church caused for want of Gods promises for they were gracious far exceeding those promises to the Church of Rome The Prophet tells vs that the glorie of God did sit between the Cherubins in the Sanctuarie and God had promised that there should be his seat and yet the Priests did corrupt it with superstition God left the place without any Holinesse Hee extends his promises further I will walke saith he in the midst of you I will haue my Tabernacle amongst you for euer my name shall bee in Hierusalem I haue sanctified it that my name may be there for euer yet of this Church to which so many promises were annexed the Prophet complaines Esay 56.10 11. The watchmen are become blinde they do no good they are dumbe dogs they are shopheards that cannot vnderstand Now as you see the Extent and promises of his Church were large so you must know they were all alwayes annexed to a condition If you be my people if you serue mee if you walk in my commandements if you aske counsell at my mouth agreeable to the answer of the Prophet Osea Osea 4.6 Because thou hast reiected knowledge I will reiect thee that thou shalt be no Priest to mee seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God I will also forget thy children Now as you haue heard the Law was perished from the Priests and Counsell frō the Ancients as if there had been a second deluge of People and Pastors so now the earth shall bring foorth her increase that is as Hierom expounds it the blessed Virgin which comes of the earth shall bring foorth the blessed fruit of her sanctified wombe that what was lost by the first Adam might bee repaired by the second and surely it was high time to rectifie the ancient Doctrine for the leauen of the Pharises had almost sowred the whole lumpe neither doth Christ deferre the time by reason of his minoritie for at 12 yeeres old hee disputeth with the great Rabbies in their Synagogues but obserue what entertainment they gaue him Hee calleth for a reformation of life and doctrine they replyed he would destroy the Temple he vrgeth and layeth open to them the Scriptures they plead their owne Traditions he discouers shewes vnto them their false glosses they answer he had a Deuill hee preached to them of the kingdome of heauen they accuse him for speaking against the Maiestie of Caesar yet this Church of Hierusalem if you regard Antiquitie they were descended from Abraham if Calling they were Priests and Scribes if Place their Temple was the LORDS House if Councels they had solemne Assemblies and meetings but if I should demand where or in whom was the true Church before Christs comming as our aduersaries question ours before Luthers they may answere the Iewes had a visible Church in regard of Gods promises Simeon Anna. Ioseph and Mary Zachary Elizabeth but I dare promise for them they can giue vs the names of a very small number Compare then the church of Hierusalem the Church of Rome together the Church of Hierusalem had her Priests and Caiphas the High Priest and Sacrifices and Councells and a Temple and Traditions and Moses Chaire and the Oracles of God The Church of Rome hath her Priests her Sacrifice of the Masse her Caiphas the Pope that is guided by the Spirit of prophecie shee hath her Temple Traditions and Peters Chaire and last of all because it is least with her in request she hath the Gospel of Christ Now when we cal vpon the Church for a reformation of doctrine they answer Their Church is Catholike cannot erre wee lay before them the word of God for a Rule to examine their Doctrine they answere the Word is not sufficient without the helpe of their Traditions wee shew them their false glosses in Exposition of the Scriptures they answere that it is the right of their Church to iudge of the true sense of the Scriptures But if we shall demand of them where or by whom all their twelue new Articles published within the memorie of man by Pope Pius the 4 were receiued and beleeued as Articles of Faith before the Councell of Trent I am more then confident they shall not find so many professors of that Faith and doctrine at Luthers comming as there were true beleeuers in the Church of Hierusalem at Christs comming And for the better manifestation of this Tenet I will beginne from the time of Christ and his Apostles and briefly relate the courses and changes the Visibilitie and obscurity the alteration and long wished for Reformation of the Roman Faith and Doctrine in all ages till the dayes of Luther SECT XXIIII The latencie and obscuritie of the true Church is prooued by pregnant testimonies of such who complained of corruptions and abuses and withall desired a Reformation in all ages from the time of Christ and his Apostles to the dayes of Luther 2 Thess 2.7 IN the First age the Apostle St. Paul giues vs to vnderstand that the Mysterie of iniquitie began to worke And St. Iohn tells vs of dangerous Heretiques in his time 1 Iob. 2.19 saying They went out from vs but they were not of vs. Now as Iniquitie did closely worke so likewise Errour began to spread it selfe insomuch as both those who were called and those also who were chosen by Christ did erre grieuously both in manners and doctrine and through their fall followed a latencie and obscuritie in the true Church Iudas erred in Manners being called when through couetounes hee betraied Christ The Apostles erred in Manners being chosen whē they forsooke Christ Nay more the Elect Apostles
there In the ages following for 300 yeeres more the Arrian heresie so infected the Church that the ship of the Church was almost sunke Hieron ad Lucif saith Hierome If therfore in the first and best ages the Church was much darkned and obscured what splendor and visibility should we expect in these latter dayes wherein the deuill is let loose seeking to deceiue if it were possible the very Elect themselues Let it suffice as God himselfe first planted his church in Eden with two so he hath watred it in the Garden of his Spouse with the increase of many best knowne vnto himselfe and hath promised a continuall preseruation of it where two or three are gathered together in his Name and according to this Rule which our aduersaries cannot deny vve haue at this day a Church in Spaine in Italie in the East and West Indies in euery place where the Inquisition reigneth although the outward face of the Church doe not visibly appeare Your Church of Rome is too too visible in this Kingdome although you haue not toleration of publike Exercise nor is your Idol of the Masse set vp in the Temple which our good God and gracious King forbid I speake not this in any sort to decline the visibility of our Church for the Church is like the Moone which hath often waxings waynings and vvee know the Moone at full and and the Moone at the waine is one and the same Moone although not alike conspicuous It was a Quaere in the dayes of Salomon Who can finde a vertuous woman August de Tempore Serm 217. but saith Austen in that hee said who can find her shewed the difficultie not the impossibitie of finding her and this woman was the Church He that made that question was the wisest among men and he that expoūded his meaning knew well how to distinguish the right woman from the counterfet yet both agree in this that the true Church was not easie to be discerned Saint Iohn tels vs this woman tooke her flight into the wildernesse and there shee was fed If the Apostle had foretold the place as well as her flight happily shee had beene pursued and found of many but the place vvas a desart obscure and vnfrequented and therfore known to few and for certain she was found of some for otherwise shee had not bin fed In vaine I must confesse had Christ cōmaunded vs to tell the Church if there had been no Church to heare and his precept had bin needlesse to bid vs heare the Church if there had been no Church to speak yet hee that warned vs to heare the Church forwarned vs that after his departure Grieuous wolues would enter into the church and speak peruerse things Acts 20.29 He that taught his Disciples to obserue to doe according to all the Scribes and Pharisies should teach thē enters this caue at against their false glosses Math. 23.3 Beware of the leauen of the Pharisies He that said Blindnes in part was hapned to Israel told vs also that the Church of Rome if she did not continue in her goodnes Rom. 11.22 shee should also be cut off And it is observable the same Church of Ierusalem which the Prophet Dauid called the Citie of God Psal 48.19 was termed an Harlot by the Prophet Isay in his time and that Temple which Solomon termed a House of Prayer in his dayes 1 Kin. 8.20 was afterward by Christ called a den of theeues Math. 21.14 the one shewed what the Church was the other how it was altered yet both agree they were one the same church The Christian church was neuer brought to a lower ebbe then was the Iewish Synagogue at the coming of Christ yet a man at that time might haue seen Simeon and Zachary Ioseph and Mary Anna Elizabeth the true seruāts of Christ standing together with the Sadduces in the same Temple which might wel be accounted as the house of Saints in regard of the one so a den of theeues in respect of the other If therefore wee haue corrected the errours of the Romane church as Christ whipt the theeues and money changers out of the Tēple we doe not hereby make a new Church but renew that house of Prayer and restore it to the ancient and true seruice of Christ If we had left our Mother when we first found her sick shee might haue iustly taxed vs of disobediēce and want of dutie towards her but when the Priest saw her and passed by when the Leuite looked on her and forsook her Luther and Caluin perform'd the office of the good Samaritan they came neere vnto her and saw her and tooke care to cure her wounded soule and frō that time her children became Physicians to heale not parents to beget a new Church To heale a sore to purge a sick and diseased body is not to make a new body but to renew it and restore it to his former health let me giue you but one familiar example of your owne in this latter age Saint Francis established the Order of Frāciscans and they according to the meaning of their first Founders did for a long time follow the Institution of their first Orders afterwards when certaine errors and corruptions had crept in amōg them they separated themselues frō the rest and were called the Recollects Vpon this occasion a suit was cōmenced to decide whether the Recollects or the other Franciscans did adhere to the true orders of S. Frācis After examination deliberation had the Recollects were found to adhere to the ancient Institutions of their Order and therevpon Iudgement was published on their behalfe and they were afterwards called the Reformed Franciscans Such is the state of the Reformed Churches at this day the true Church was first planted and established by Christ and his Apostles continued sound in Head members for many ages afterwards whē error and superstition had crept in and gotten the vpper hand there were certain Recollects which complained of the corruptions and errours which had sprūg vp in the Roman church wherupon after mature deliberation had of the true doctrine of Christ and his Apostles publication was made in the behalf of the Recollects that they were found to adhere to the ancient Institutions of Christ and his Apostles and from and after that time they were called the Reformed Churches Will you bring a Quo Warranto and examine for what cause and by what authority the Protestants haue reformed the errours of your Church I will tell you in briefe If for no other cause yet for this alone because you are taught to eate your God Mariana and kill your King they might iustly seeke a reformation in doctrine and maners but the trueth is 1. Iohn 4.1 there were false Prophets gone out into the world and for that cause Christ gaue his commission to try the spirits whether they were of God and accordingly they proceeded to examination of
Africa excludeth from the Canonicall bookes Iudith the Maccabees and the booke of Wisedome and concerning them he puts this question and resolues it Why are not these books inserted amongst the Canonicall Scriptures Because saith he the Iewes did make a difference of them as S. Hierom and others doe testifie Isidore is a witnes that our doctrine was professed in the church in his daies there are other bookes as namely the Wisdom of Solomon the book of Iesus the son of Syrach the books of Iudith and Tobias and the Maccabees which are read but not written in the Canon In the seuenth Age An. 600. to 700. Gregory the Great did account the bookes of Maccabees Apocryphall De qua re non inordinate agimus si ex libris licet noÌ„ Canonicis sed tameÌ„ ad aedificationeÌ„ ecclesiae editis testimonium proferimus In Iob. lib. 19. cap. 13. B. Gregoriê° authoritate vt opinor Hier motuâ— videtur coÌ„cedere illos non esse Canonicos cum tamen de tis producat testimonia Cathat opusc de lib. Canonicis Secundum Greg. in Moralibus liber Iudith Tob. et MachabeoruÌ„ Ecclas atque lib. Sapientiae non suÌ„t recipieÌ„di ad coÌ„firmaÌ„duÌ„ aliquid de fide Occ. Dial. part 3 tract 1. l. 3. c. 16. Wee doe not amisse saith hee if wee produce a testimony out of the bookes of Maccabees though not Canonicall yet published for the instruction of the Church This is witnessed also by Catharinus their own Scholeman Gregory saith hee led as I conceiue by the authoritie of Saint Hierome did seeme to graunt that those bookes were not Canonicall although hee produced testimonies out of them But learned Occham more plainely declares his opinion touching Gregorie According to Gregories doctrine saith hee the booke of Iudith Tobias the Maccabees Ecclesiasticus and the booke of Wisedome are not to bee receiued for the confirmation of any doctrine of faith In the eighth Age An. 700. to 800. Damascene who was canonized a Saint for his seruice at the 2.d. Councell of Nice tells vs it is operae pretiâ—m c worth our paines to search and know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc Orth. fid l. 4. c. 18. that there are two and twentie bookes of Canonicall Scripture and as touching the Apocryphall hee termes them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are full of vertuous instructions but are not numbred amongst the Prophets neither were they layd vp in the Arke Nec ab hâc sententia alienus fuit Damascenê° quos Theologi multi secuti sunt Canus loc Theol. lib. 2. cap. 10. This Author is confessed to bee ours in this poynt insomuch as Canus professeth that Damascene and Athanasius were of his opinion and were followed in this by many Diuines In the ninth Age An. 800 to 900. Nicephorus Patriarch of Constantinople giues vs to vnderstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niceph. Patr C.P. Canon Script in operibus Pithei In libro Iesu filii Syrach hac praefata senteÌ„tia legitur queÌ„ libruÌ„ B. Hier. atque Isidorê° inter Apochry id est dubias scripturas deputatuÌ„ esse abque dubita tione testaÌ„tur Qui etiaÌ„ liber non teÌ„pore ProphetaruÌ„ sed sacerdotum sub Simone Pont. Max. regnaÌ„te Pto lemao Euergete coÌ„scriptus est Alâ— aduers Elip l. 1. col 941 that the bookes of the Old Testament were twenty and two And in treating of the Apocryphall bookes hee mentioneth in particular the books of Maccabees the Wisdome of Solomon Ester Iudith Susanna Tobit Alcuinus Abbot of Saint Martins at Tours in France writing against Elipantus Bishop of Tolledo tells him that hee vrged authorities out of the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach but saith hee Saint Hierome did testifie that without question it was to bee reputed amongst the Apocryphall and doubtfull bookes and withall addeth This booke was not written in the time of the Prophets but vnder the â—â—igne of Ptolomey and Simon the high Priest In the tenth Age An 900. to 1000. Aelfrick Abbâ—t of Malmsbury in his Saxon treatie of the old Testament Aelfrick of the old Testament pa. 17. 22. 23. tells vs There are two bookes more placed with Solomons workes as if he had made them which for likenesse of stile and profitable vse haue gone for his but Iesus the sonne of Syrach composed them one is called Liber Sapientiae the booke of Wisedome and the other Ecclesiasticus very large bookes and read in the Church of long custome for much good instruction amongst these bookes the Church hath accustomed to place two other tending to the glory of God and intituled Maccabeorum I haue turned them into English and so reade them you may if you please for your owne instruction In the eleuenth Age An. 1000. to 1100. Petrus Cluniacensis after the recitall of the Canonicall bookes saith There are besides the authenticall bookes sixe others not to be rejected as namely Iudith Tobias Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the two bookes of Maccabees which though they attaine not to the high dignitie of the former yet they are receiued of the Church De author veter Test Epist contr Petro Busâ—â—nos as containing necessary and profitable doctrine In the twelfth Age Omnes ergo fiunt numero 22 sunt praterea alit quideÌ„ libri vt Sapientia Soloâ—monis liber Iesu filis Syrach et liber Iudith et Tob. et libri Machab qui leguÌ„turqui dem sed non scribuntur in Canone Hugo de S. Vict. Praeno Elucid de scrip et scrip sacris ca. 6. cap 7. Omnes sunt numero 22 suÌ„t pratereà et alii libri vt sapientia c. Rich. Except li. 2. cap. 9. An. 1100. to 1200. Hugo de Sancto Victore All the Canonicall bookes of the Olde Testament are twentie two there are other bookes also as namely the Wisedome of Solomon the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach the bookes of Iudith Tobias and the Maccabees which are read but not written in the Canon Richardus de S. Victore was liuing at this time and hath the same words All the bookes are twenty two there are other bookes also as namely the booke of Wisedome and Maccabees and which are read in the Church but not written in the Canon In the thirteenth Age An. 1200. to 1300. Hugo Cardinalis speaking of the bookes reiected by vs Hugo in Prologum Galeatum saith These bookes are not receiued by the Church for proofe of doctrine but for information of manners And in his Preface to Tobias hee saith they are not accounted amongst the Canonicall Scriptures Prolog in Tobiam Bonauenture in his Preface before the Exposition of the Psalter sheweth which are the Canonicall bookes of Scripture and passing by the bookes of the New Testament hee reckoneth all those and those onely that Hierome doth sorting them into their seuerall rankes and orders as the Hebrewes doe In the fourteenth Age An. 1300. to 1400. Gul. Occham saith According to Hierome in his
of people almost all the Apostolique Seas most of the Patriarchs seuen Vniuersall Councells the Syrian language wherein Christ spake the Greeke wherein the Scripture of the New Testament was written and withall a personall Succession euen from the Apostles themselues without interruption and that which is knowne to the meanest Grecian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of Church of Bishop of Priest of Deacon of Baptisme of Eucharist of Christian are al deriued from the Greekes and proue that Religion came from them from whom those termes were borrowed This doctrine is so true that it inforced the Bishop of Bitonto to professe openly in the Councell of Trent Eia igitur Graecia Mater nostra cui id totuÌ„ debet quod habet Latina Ecclesia Conc. Trid. orat Episc Bitont It is our Mother Grecia vnto whom the Latine Church or the Church of Rome is beholding for all that euer she hath And thus much touching the foundation of the Greeke Church Now that we may the better discerne the Antiquitie of our Religion and the Noueltie of the Romane let vs examine the Tenets of the Greeke Church and by them wee shall discerne whether the Roman church hath continued visible in that doctrine which shee now teacheth and consequently whether their pretended Apostolike Traditions haue Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession in all ages Matthias Illiricus being borne in Dalmatia not farre from the confines of Graecia and therefore may bee thought to be well acquainted with their orders tells vs The Churches of Grecia the Churches of Asia Macedonia Misia Valachia Russia Muscouia and Africa ioyned thereunto that is to say in a manner the whole world or at least the greater part thereof neuer granted the Popes Supremacie neuer allowed either Purgatorie or Priuate Masses or the Communion vnder one kind wee may adde to these Transubstantiation Prayer in an vnknowne tongue Forbidding of marriage to Priests and Popish Inuocation of Saints as it is now beleeued were vtterly vnknown to the Greeke Church and consequently want Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession the proper markes of true Traditions in the Roman Church To examine them in order The Popes Supremacie is a Tradition Apostolicall and declared for an Article of Faith in the Romane Church yet this Tradition wants Antiquitie Vniuersality and Succession Nemo decessoruÌ„ meoruÌ„ hoc tam prophano vocabulo vti coÌ„sueuit-Nullus Romanorum Pontificum hoc singula ritatis nomeÌ„ assumpsit Greg. lib. 4. ep 76. 80 Touching Antiquitie Pope Gregorie 600 yeeres after Christ professeth publiquely That none of his predecessors did euer assume that profane Vniuersall title Touching Vniuersalitie Aluarez tells vs that Prester Iohn sent vnto him to know why the Pope diuided the Churches of Antioch and Rome seeing the Church of Antioch was in a manner the chiefe and head of all Churches Cathol Trad. pag. wherein St. Peter gouerned dwelt 5 yeres Whereunto when hee answered they were obliged by an Article of their faith hee replied If the Pope would vsurpe so great a prerogatiue as to command things vnlawfull they would make no reckoning of it and if by such meanes their Abuna their Primate would presume so far they would burne the copie of such a command In like maner Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica tells vs Nilus lib. 1. de Primat Papae The Greeke Church though it neuer denyed the primacy of Order to the Pope of Rome yet their assumed predominance of authoritie it alwayes resisted Touching Succession Bellarmine himselfe confesseth Bell. in Praefat de Rom. Pontif. The first who most earnestly withstood the Supremacy of the Bishops of Rome seeme to bee the Grecian Fathers for since the yeere 381 they laboured to preferre the Bishop of Constantinople the three Patriarkes of the East in the second place next to the Bishop of Rome and this saith he may bee vnderstood by the second Generall Councell And as in this Councell of Constantinople there was a resistance made against the power and iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome so likewise hee telleth vs further that in the yeere 451 Bell. ibideÌ„ the Greeke Fathers not being content with their determination laboured to make the Bishop of Constantinople equall with the Bishop of Rome for in the Councell of Chalcedon the Greeke Fathers decreed it but deceitfully in the absence of the Popes Legat that the Bishop of Constantinople should haue the second place after the Bishop of Rome notwithstanding hee should haue equall priuiledges with the other Thus two generall Councells the one consisting of 150 Bishops the other of 630 by the testimonies of the Popes Cardinall opposed the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome the which Supremacie if in those dayes it had been receiued for an Article of faith or a Tradition Apostolique without doubt those two famous Councels would haue subscribed to it without any resistance or opposition to the vniuersall Head of the Church And that you may yet further know the Churches of Asia and Grecia continued their Resolution in this poynt Conc. Florentinum An. 1436. looke vpon the late Councell of Florence and there you shall obserue Paulus Aemilius Pantalcon that Michael Palaeologus by reason hee submitted himselfe to the Pope in that Councell was hated of all the people while hee liued and being dead was forbidden Christian buriall And Isidorus the Archbishop of Kiouia in Russia Math à Michonia in Nouo Orbe Iewel p. 411 for that he began for Vnities sake to mooue the people to the like submission was therefore deposed of his Bishoprick and put to death Thus the Popes Supremacie wants Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession the proper markes of Romane Traditions and consequently can bee no Article of Faith no Apostolique Tradition as is pretended in this first poynt Purgatorie is reputed a Tradition Apostolicall and receiued in the Romane Church for an Article of Faith yet this doctrine wants Antiquitie Vniuersality and Succession Touching Antiquitie Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica professeth in the name of the Greeke Church that it could bee no Tradition Apostolicall for saith hee Wee haue not receiued by Tradition from our Fathers Nil de Purgat igne Câ—th Trad. q. 16. that there is any fire of Purgatory or any temporall punishment and we know that the Easterne Church doth not beleeue it And amongst other reasons why Purgatory was not receiued by them Marcus Ephes in Graecorum Apolog. de igne Purgatorio ad Concil Florentinum they render this for one that whereas their Fathers had deliuered vnto them many visions and dreames and other wonders concerning the euerlasting punishment in hell yet none of them had declared any thing concerning the temporary fire of Purgatory Legat qui velit GraecoruÌ„ veteruÌ„ CoÌ„mentarios et nullum quantum opinor aut quaÌ„ rarissimè de Purgatorio sermoneÌ„ inueniet Sed neque Latini simul omnes at sensim huius rei veritatem conceperunt neque taÌ„ necessaria fuit
siue Purgatorii fiue IndulgentiaruÌ„ fides in Primitiuâ Ecclesia at que nunc est Roffen Aâ—t 18 p. 496. Touching Vniuersalitie It is the confession of Fisher their owne Bishop of Rochester Whosoeuer will reade the Commentaries of the ancient Greekes so farre as I see he shall finde very seldome mention of Purgatory or none at all and the Latins in the Westerne Church did not receiue the truth of this matter altogether but by little and little neither indeed was the faith either of Purgatorie or Indulgences so needfull in the Primitiue Church as now it is A strange confession of a learned Bishop that two principall Articles of Faith viz. Purgatorie and Indulgences were scarce knowne in the ancient Church nor yet very necessary to bee receiued at all times and of all persons Let it suffice many poynts of the now Romane Religion were vtterly vnknowne to the Greeke Church which in the first ages did wholly communicate with the ancient Romane Faith and therefore their Alphonsus à Castro thinkes it the best way to solue the poynt in question with this answere Vnus ex notissimis erroribus GraecoruÌ„ et ArmenoruÌ„ est quo docent nullum esse purgatoriuÌ„ locum quo animae ab hac luce migrantes purgentur à sordibus Alph. à Cas aduers haeres lib. 12. It is one of the most knowne errours of the Grecians and Armenians whereby they teach there is no place for Purgatorie where soules after this life are purged from their offences Touching Succession St. Chrysostome Gregorie Neocaesaria Olympiodorus and diuers ancient Fathers were vtterly ignorant of it and Saint Austen a Latine Father was so farre from receiuing it as a poynt of Faith that doubtingly hee professeth Tale aliquid etiam post haÌ„c vitaÌ„ fieri incredibile noÌ„ est et vtrù ita sâ— quaerâ— potest aut â—â—enâ—â—â—uâ—latere Aug. in Enchirid. ad Laurent cap. 69. It is not incredible that some such thing should bee after this life and whether it bee so or no it may beâ— a question and it may bee either found or bee hidden 〈◊〉 we all know and confesse that if Saint Austen and the Romane Church had receiued the doctrine of Purgatory in his dayes as it is now taught for an Article of Faith certainely hee would neuer haue told vs perhaps it is so it may be or it may not bee and it is a doubt whether there be any such place or no. And howsoeuer it is pretended that the Greeke Church at the Councell of Florence for peace sake was content to yeeld that the middle sort of soules were in a place of punishment but whether that were fire or darknesse and tempest or something else they would not contend yet I say if they had assented to this or the like doctrine it was 1400 yeeres after Christ and therefore most vnfit to be receiued for an Article of Faith but the truth is Marcus Bishop of Ephesus who was one of the Legats of the Patriarchs of Antioch Hierusalem would neuer consent to this Doctrine neither could the Greeke Church afterwards by any meanes bee drawne to yeeld to it Besides within two yeeres after Cardinall Cusanus and the Deputies of the Councell of Basil in the yeere 1438 doe sufficiently manifest the opinion of the Greek Church wherein the Grecians begin their disputation in this maner Mart. Crus in Turc Graec. p. 186 A Purgatory fire and a punishment by fire which is temporall and shall at last haue an end neither haue wee receiued from our Doctors neither doe wee know that the Church of the East dâ—eth maintaine it And from these and the like propositions they make this peremptory conclusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. Sacran c. 2. For these reasons therefore neither haue wee hitherto affirmed any such thing neither will wee at all affirme it I may adde to these Testimonies the opinions of the Muscouites who affirme that there is no Purgatory but onely two receptacles for soules Heauen and Hell Againe the Cophites and the Abissines the Georgians and Armenians together with the Syrians and Caldeans that are subiect to the Patriarkes of Antioch and Babylon from Cyprus and Palestina vnto the East Indies neuer made discouery of the new found land of Purgatory This doctrine therefore wants the proper markes of the Romane Church viz. Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession and therefore can bee no Article of faith no Apostolique Tradition as is pretended in the second poynt Priuate Masse wherein the Priest alone doth communicate without the people hath neither Antiquity Vniuersalitie nor Consent and consequently hath not the true markes of Romish Traditions Touching Antiquitie it is the confession of their owne Cochleus Coch. de sacrif Missae contra Musculum Anciently all the Priests and people did communicate together as appeareth by the Canons of the Apostles and writings of ancient Fathers Odo in Exposit Canonis And Odo Cameracensis professeth that in the Primitiue Church they neuer had Masses without the conuention of the people to communicate together Touching Vniuersalitie it is the confession of Iohannes Hoffmeistenus Cassand Consult de solit Miss pag. 906. The thing it selfe doeth speake and crie aloud both in the Greeke and Latin Church that not onely the sacrificing Priest but the other Priests and Deacons and the rest of the people or at least some part of the people did communicate together and how this custome ceased it is to bee wondred and it is to be endeauoured that this good custome may bee restored to the Church Touching Succession St. Chrysostome speaking to the lay people of his time Chrys in 2. Thessal Hom. 4. saith Neither doe we receiue more and you lesse of the holy table but we taste therof equally both together And St. Basil an other Greeke Father witnesseth the common vnion of Priests and people expressely in these words Liturg. Basilii All wee receiuing of one bread and one cup c. the Quire singeth the Communion and so they communicate together I will adde to these the confessions of their owne learned Authors Cardinall Bessarion a Greeke borne declareth the maner of the Communion in his time PrimuÌ„ consecrare deinde fraÌ„gere postea distribuere quod nos in praesenti facimê° Bessar de sacr Euch. An 1450. The very order of the things required first that we should consecrate or blesse bread next that we should breake it last of all that wee should diuide or deliuer it to the people which thing we Grecians doe at this present day And for a conclusion of this poynt Iustinian and Durand publikely declare and professe that in ancient times Iustin in 1. Cor 10. Durand Rat. 4 c. 53. diuers parts of one consecrated loafe were distributed to all the which the Greeke Church vseth at this day that by their Communion their vnion with Christ might bee more plainely expressed Thus Priuate Masse wants the requisite conditions of the Romane
Church viz. Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession and therefore can bee no Catholike doctrine no Apostolique Tradition as is pretended in the third place The Communion in one kind is reputed a Tradition Apostolicall and receiued in the Roman Church for an Article of Faith yet this doctrine wants Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession Touching Antiquitie It is the confession of the Councell of Constance where the Cup was taken from the people that Christ did institute in both kinds Concil Const 1414. and the Primitiue Church did continue it to the faithfull in both kinds And Alphonsus à Castro tells vs Alphons à Castr cont â—aeres li. 6. that anciently for many ages the Communion in both kindes was vsed among all Catholiques Touching Vniuersalitie Cassander witnesseth Satis compertum est vniuersaleÌ„ Christi EcclesiaÌ„ mille ampliùs Cassand Consult de vtraque specie that the vniuersall Church at this day and the Romane Church for more then a thousand yeeres after Christ did exhibite the Sacrament in both kinds as it is most euident by innumerable testimonies both of Greeke and Latine Fathers Touching Succession In later ages Salmeron the Iesuite professeth Salmer Tract 35. It was the generall custome for lay people to communicate vnder both kinds as at this day it is vsed among the Grecians and was vsed in times past among the Corinthians and in Africa And Ieremie the Oecumenicall Patriarch returnes this answere to the defenders of the Faith in both kindes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patr. resp 1. c. 21. Dicitis you say that all ought to communicate vnder both kinds and you say well for we do so when we participate of the venerable mysteries Cassand Liturg. c. 11 p. 28. Franciscus Aluarez tells vs that in the kingdome of Prester Iohn they vse in their Church to make a cake of honey meale and oyle and powre wine into the cup and all that communicate of the body of Christ communicate also of the Cup. The Christians in Armenia Idem Liturg c. 14. p 32. after they haue communicated with bread in lieu of the cup by reason there is no wine in India they take dried grapes and put them into water and before the time they are to communicate they presse them and straine them and vse that liquor instead of wine This doctrine therefore wants the requisite conditions of Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession and therefore can be no Article of Faith no Apostolique Tradition as is presented in the fourth place Transubstantiation TRansubstantiation is reputed a Tradition Apostolicall and receiued in the Romane Church for an Article of Faith yet this doctrine if you respect the name or nature of it wants Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession In Primitiuâ Ecclesiâ de substaÌ„tia fidei erat corpus Christi sub speciebê° coÌ„tineri tamen non erat de fide substantiam panisin corpus Christi coÌ„uerti c. Io. Yribarne in 4. d. 11. q. 3. disp 42. Vnum addit Scotus quod minimeprobandum qd ante Lateranense CoÌ„cilium non fuisset dogma fidei Bell. li. 3. de Euch. c. 23. Touching Antiquitie It is the confession of learned Yribarne In the Primitiue Church it was beleeued for a poynt of faith that the body of Christ was contained vnder the formes of bread and wine but it was not beleeued as a matter of faith that after consecratition the substance of the bread was conuerted into the body of Christ And their learned Scotus professeth that before the Councell of Lateran which was twelue hundred yeeres after Christ Transubstantiation was not beleeued as a poynt of faith Touching Vniuersalitie Eusebius a Greek Father paraphrasing vpon the words of Christ The words which I speake vnto you are spirit and life deliuers this doctrine flat contrary to Transubstantiation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb l. 3. Eccl. Theol. cont Marcel Ancyr M ss in Oxon. Bibli publicâ Doe not thinke that I speake of that flesh wherewith I am compassed as if you must eat of that neither imagine that I command you to drinke my sensible and bodily blood but vnderstand well the words which I haue spoken vnto you are spirit and life And Saint Chrisostom a principall member of the Greeke Church in his Epistle written to Caesarius hath these wordes Etiamsi natura panis in ipso permansit Chrys ad Caesarium Monachum As before the bread be sanctified we call it bread but when Gods grace hath sanctified it by the meanes of the Priest it is deliuered from the name of bread and is reputed worthy the name of the Lords body although the nature of the bread remaine still in it And to preuent that grosse opinion that after consecration there remaine onely the shewes and accidents of bread and wine Theodoret concludeth against the heretique with this Catholique doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theod in Dial. 2. Inconf The mysticall signes after the consecration depart not from their owne nature for they remaine in their former substance Euphraemius Patriarch of Antioch giues his ioynt assent with vs flatly against the doctrine of Transubstantiation hee tells vs Ephrae de sacr Antio legibus lib. 1. in Phocij Biblioâ—hecâ Cod. 229. The Sacrament of the body of Christ doeth neither depart from his sensible substance and yet remaineth vndiuided from intelligible grace and Baptisme being wholly made spirituall and remaining one doth retaine the propertie of his sensible substance of water I meane and yet loseth not that which it is made This holy Father by comparing the Sacraments together doth demonstrate the faith of both and as hee prooues that in the Sacrament of Baptisme the substance of water still remaineth after consecration which both Papists and Protestants acknowledge in like maner saith he the substance of bread remaines in the Sacrament of the Eucharist after consecration which the Protestants confesse and the Papists deny To omit many other proofes touching the vniversalitie of our doctrine let Pope Gelasius bee heard for the Catholike doctrine of the Romane Church in his time Gelas cont Eutich An Image or similitude saith hee of the body and blood of Christ is celebrated in the action of the mysteries It is therefore apparant and euident enough that wee must hold the same opinion of Christ the Lord which we professe celebrate and receiue in his image that as those signes by the working of the holy Ghost passe into the diuine substance and yet remaine in the proprietie of their owne nature euen so that very principall mysterie it selfe whose force and trueth that Image assuredly representeth doeth demonstrate one whole and true Christ to continue the two natures of which he consisteth properly remaining And that wee might the bettter vnderstand what he meant by those wordes viz. The signes still abide in the proprietie of their owne nature hee expoundeth himselfe in these words which vtterly ouerthrow the doctrine of Transubstantiation Non desinit esse substantia vel
Monks of former ages giues the reason which occasioned the Romanists of these later times to stand vpon iustification of their Traditions About the time the Deuill was let loose that is to say a thousand yeeres after Christ certaine Monkes saith he for the vpholding of Pope Hildebrands faction desired other doctrines Alienas doctrinas appetunt magisteria humana institutionis inducunt Lib. de vnit Eccles p. 233. and brought in masteries of humane Institution and to preuent the knowledge of the truth they permitted not yong men in their Monasteries to studie the sauing knowledge of the Scriptures to the end Vt inde ingenium nutriatur siliquis daemoniorum qua sunt consuetudines humanarū Traditionū Ibid. p. 228. that their rude wit might bee nourished with the huskes of deuils which are the customs of humane Traditions that being accustomed to such filth they might not taste how sweet the Lord was This learned Author giues vs to vnderstand that the vnwritten doctrines in the Roman Church were but filth and huskes of Deuils which without doubt the heretiques of former ages had scattered and left behind them And thus the Priests and Fryars haue receiued the doctrine of Traditions from the Monks the Monkes from the heretikes and both ioyntly sympathize with the heretike Eutyches in the generall Councell of Chalcedon and make one and the same generall acclamation Concil Cha. Act. 1 Thus I haue receiued of my forefathers thus I haue beleeued in this faith I was baptized and signed in the same haue I liued till this day and in the same I wish to die I speake not this to decline the authoritie of Apostolique Traditions for I know well the same Apostle who tels the Scriptures are able to make vs wise vnto saluation giues also this warning to the Church of Thessalonica stand fast 2. Thess 2.15 and hold the Traditions which yee haue been taught whether by word or our Epistle Here the Apostle calls his owne written Epistle a Tradition and for ought can appeare that which hee taught by word of mouth was but the word written for a man may teach one and the same doctrine diuers waies but what Protestant I pray did euer refuse to hold the traditions which Saint Paul and the rest of the Apostles taught by word of mouth Wee generally confesse that they were of equall authoritie with the Word written but who can tell vs what Traditions those were if they were not written We may grant without preiudice to our cause that Saint Paul deliuered more to the Thessalonians by word of mouth then was conteined in that Epistle although the words alleadged inforce no such thing for wee take not vpon vs to maintaine that the first Epistle to the Thessalonians contained all the doctrine to saluation but doth it therefore follow that he deliuered more vnto them then was contained in the whole Scriptures When Paul came to Thessalonica three Sabbath dayes saith the Text hee reasoned with them out of the Scriptures He taught them Acts 17.2 that it behooued Christ to suffer and rise againe from the dead and that Iesus was Christ and after that Acts 26.22 hee witnesseth both to small and great saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come Therfore whatsoeuer hee deliuered to the Thessalonians although it be not found in his written Epistle yet it must needs be contained in the holy Scriptures Againe if the Thessalonians had insisted onely vpon vnwritten Traditions yet the Apostle would by no meanes approoue of it for hee professeth that the Iewes of Beraea were more noble then those of Thessalonica and there he giues the reason for it Acts 17.11 In that they receiued the Word with all readinesse of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so And hence we haue an example of the vndoubted Traditions of the Apostles themselues which were examined by the touchstone of the Scriptures but no man can shew me that euer the Scriptures were examined by vnwritten Traditions We say therefore that all vnwritten Traditions which concerne the saluation of the beleeuer are either immediately or at least by sound inference deriued from the Scriptures and those also haue a manifest and perpetuall testimony of the Primitiue Church and the vniforme consent of succeeding Christians in all ages And whereas our adversaries charge vs that we likewise holde doctrinall Traditions which haue no foūdation in the Scriptures as namely the Canon of the Scriptures the keeping of the Sabbath the baptizing of Infants and the perpetuall Virginitie of the blessed Virgin it is sufficiently apparant that these things are also deriued from the Scriptures for as wee deny not that the Canon of the Scripture may bee tearmed a Tradition in a large sense yet wee say euen that Tradition is deriued also from the testimony of the Apostle Saint Paul yea and of Christ himselfe who witnesseth that whatsoeuer he spake was written in the Law in the Prophets the Psalmes vnder which none of the Apocryphall Books are contained Touching the Sabbath day wee hold the obseruation of it to bee perpetuall Acts 20.7 1. Cor. 16.2 Reue. 1.10 and vnchangeable because we find it noted in the Scriptures Touching baptisme of Infants Bellarmine himselfe prooues it first from the proportion betweene Baptisme and Circumcision secondly from two places of Scripture Iohn 3.5 Math. 19.14 Lastly concerning the perpetuall Virginitie of Marie although for the honour and sanctitie of that blessed Virgin wee beleeue it Index Biblicus in Regiis Biblus vocabulo Maria multis scripturae locis significari perpetuam virginitatem Maria ostendit yet this doctrine is not de necessitate but de pietate fidei it is more for pious credulitie then for necessitie and yet if we require Scripture for it the Fathers proue it out of the 44 of Ezech. 2. as Hierome sheweth in his Commentaries vpon that place Now if any man list to be contentious and demand of vs where it is written that the Sonne of God is of the same substance with the Father Where is it written that Christ is God and man subsisting in one person Where is it written that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne as well as from the Father or where is the word Trinitie to bee found written in the whole body of the Scripture If any man shall deny the truth of these things because they are not plainly in the same words deliuered in the Scriptures what can his question argue lesse then a plaine cauilling and shifting of a knowne truth for as Athanasius in the like case answered the Arrians touching the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the substance with the Father Athan. Ep. quod decreta Synodi Nicaenae cōgruis verbis sunt exposita Albeit the word bee not found in the Scriptures yet it hath the same meaning that the Scriptures intend and import the same with them
whose eares are intirely affected towards Religion And in like manner Saint Austen made the like answere Quia etsi fortassè nomen ipsum non inueniret res tamē ipsa inveniretur quid est enim contentiosius quá vbi de re cōstat certare de nomine Aug. Epist 174. Albeit the word perhaps be not found there yet the thing it selfe is found and what more friuolous quarrell is it then to contend about the word when there is a certaintie of the thing I will not require of our aduersaries to shew mee in the Scriptures the word of Transubstantiation of Masse of Supremacie and the like because they receiue them as Traditions which are not conteined in the Scriptures but on the other side if any Romanist will deny that the Articles of the Apostles Creed are not contained in the Scriptures and yet will shew me in expresse words I beleeue in God the Father Almightie maker of heauen and earth or that the holy Catholike Church and Communion of Saints are the expresse wordes contained in the Scriptures I will subscribe to the Articles of the newe Romane Creed and allow all Papall Traditions for Apostolical For we doe not say that nothing is to bee beleeued de fide but what is written in the Scriptures in expresse termes but wee professe it must be directly or by necessary consequence deduced from the Scriptures It was the answere of Epiphanius to the disciples of Arius in the Primitiue Church Wee all of vs doe confesse the Father to be vnbegotten Epiphan haeres 69. nu 71. increate and it is surely an admirable saying but shew mee if you can where this saying is written for neither doeth the Law of Moses nor the Prophets nor yet the Apostles make any mention thereof If then we do piously acknowledge this saying though it were not written any where Idem haeres 75. who can find fault with vs though the word Coessentiall or Consubstantiall be not written As therefore we confesse the words Vnbegotten Increate Consubstantiall the word Trinitie and the like are not found in Scriptures so I thinke no Romanists will or can deny but that all those words are implyed in the Scripture or by necessary inference deduced from them To conclude therefore this second poynt and first Article of the Romane Creed since Papall Traditions haue no foundation in the Scripture nor are contained in any Apostolike author by our aduersaries confession since they want a continued succession from the Apostles time with vniuersalitie of Churches consent of Fathers since they are not resolued of a certaine and definite number of doctrinall Traditions which ought to be resolued in poynts of Faith Lastly since the Scriptures by the testimonies of both sides is the safest and furest rule for all beleeuers and since many Papall Traditions are different if not contrary to the Scriptures To follow vnknowne and vnwritten doctrines for knowne and written verities is Via dubia a doubtfull and vncertaine way it is Via deuia a wandring and By-way I proceed in the next place to the examination of the ancient Fathers whereby it shall appeare the Romish faith and doctrine as it wants Antiquitie and Vniuersalitie of Churches so likewise it is vtterly destitute of the consent of ancient Fathers SECT X. Our Aduersaries make great boast of the testimonies of the ancient Fathers in generall yet when they come to sifting particular poynts either by secret evasion they decline them or openly reiect them Cant. 1.7 and 6.1 TEll mee then O thou whom my soule loueth where thou feedest whither is thy beloued turned side that wee may seeke him with thee Shall wee seeke him in the Fathers Oh saith Campian If wee once name the Fathers Camp Rat. 5. the field is fought the wager is won on our side for they are all ours Yea saith Bristow In most matters of Controuersie they are so plain on our side Brist Mot. 14. that it cannot with any colour bee denied or called in question Yea Duraeus the Iesuit claimes a peculiar interest in the behalfe of the Roman Church Nos Patrū veri filii sumus Dur. coutr Whitak p. 125. 140. Wee onely are the true sonnes of the Fathers wee doe not cite them by the halues sometimes allowing one part of their doctrine sometimes reiecting another but we embrace them all And for confirmation of this assertion the Romanists in their Apologie or Petition of Lay Catholikes make this generall acclamation Apolog. or Pet. of Lay Cath. 1604. cap. 4. For one place of a Father sometimes ill cited sometimes falsified sometimes mutilated and sometimes wholly corrupted by Protestants we can produce a thousand not by patches and mammockes as they doe but whole pages whole chapters whole bookes and the vniforme consent of all the ancient Fathers and Catholique Church Thus the wicked Iewes claimed Abraham for their Father and thus the frantike Grecian claimed all the ships in Athens to bee his Thrasilaus when the poore man had least interest in them If Campian and his fellow Iesuites had been liuing in the dayes of the ancient Fathers surely they had been branded with the markes of heretikes for their false alarums for Carosus the Eutychian heretike although his claime reach not to all the Fathers Ego secundum expositionem trecentū octodecem Patrum sic credo c. Concil Chalc. Act. 4 p. 877. yet saith he according to the Exposition of three hundred and eighteene Fathers so I beleeue and in this faith was I baptized what should ye say more to mee I cannot tell And Dioscorus the heretike much like the Iesuit makes an open outcry in the Councell of Chalcedon Ego cum Patribus eiicior ego defendo Patrum dogmata ego horum habeo testimonia non simpliciter aut transitoriè sed in ipsorum libris expressum Concil Chalc. Act. 1. I haue the testimonies of the holy Fathers Athanasius Gregorie Cyril I varie not from them in any poynt I am throwne foorth and banished with the Fathers I defend the Fathers doctrine I haue their iudgement vttered not by chance or vnaduisedly but remaining expressed in their books Thus Paynims heretikes Iewes and Iesuits claime Antiquitie and Vniuersalitie in Traditions and Fathers yea the heretikes did glory and vaunt of the Fathers in the two famous Councels of Nice and Chalcedon in the very presence of the Fathers themselues yea Pelagius the heretike when he disagreed from the doctrine of the Fathers like a true Romanist thought to aduance his owne heresie by magnifying the Faith of Ambrose an ancient Father Blessed St. Ambrose saith he that Bishop Pelag. lib. 3. de lib. Arbitrio q. in whose bookes the Roman faith especially appeareth who like a beautifull flower shined amongst the Latine Writers whose faith and most pure vnderstāding of the scriptures the enemy himselfe dares not reprehend This is the very practise of the Romane church in these daies They glory
scrip Eccles. ann 290. Gregorie Nyssen his eight Bookes De Philosophia are cited by Bellarmine for Free-will yet in his Catalogue aforesaid he confesseth they seeme not to be the bookes of Gregory Nyssen Lactantius Verses are cited by Bellarmine for Adoration of the Crosse and yet he confesseth elsewhere that it is doubted whether Lactantius were the Author Bell. li 1. de ver Dei ca. 14. Nec librum illum esse Augustini vt erudit fatentur Bell. de Mis lib. 2. c. 12. Ad locum Saint Austen is cited ad Orosium by Bellarmine to prooue Ecclesiasticus Canonicall Scripture but elsewhere when he is obiected in our behalfe in that Tract hee answeres it is not Saint Austens worke as learned men confesse Iustin Martyr Bell lib de Bap c. 25. Idem lib. de Confir c. 5. Idem lib. de Euch. c. 2. Idem lib. 1. de Sanct. 1. 4 § 3. his Questions are alleadged by Bellarmine for Vnction in baptisme for the Sacrament of Confirmation for Transubstantiation but elsewhere hee declareth them to be the work of some new Authour and not the workes of Iustin Martyr Origen in his Homilies on the Gospels Lib. 2. de Euch. c. 8. lib 3. de paenit ca 7. is cited by Bellarmine for the Reall presence and his Homilies on the Psalmes he cites for Auricular confession In lib. de Script Eccles yet the one he disclaimeth as none of Origens the other he freely confesseth it is doubted of who is the Author Cassianus is cited by Bellarmine for an ancient Author Bell de Iustif l. 1. c. 13 for the poynt of Iustification Idē de bon oper cap. 2. lib. 2. and set times of fasting yet elsewhere hee acknowledgeth the booke for Apocryphall and counterfet Bell li. 6. de lib. arb ca. 4 § accedat and condemned in a Roman Councell vnder Pope Gelasius Bell li. 2. de Pont. c. 14. Eusebius his third Epistle is cited by Bellarmine for the Supremacie yet he professeth elsewhere Idem de Confirm lib. 2. c. 7. it is not certaine who is the Author thereof Hee that shall reade these and many such like authorities of pretended Fathers in behalfe of the Roman Religion might at first sight happily bee induced to beleeue that all or most of the ancient Doctors of the Church belong to them when as in truth our aduersaries vse them but as Merchants vse their Counters sometimes they stand with them for pence sometimes for pounds as they bee next and readiest at hand to make vp their account Thus one while they muster vp their forces by multitudes of authorities as if they would make that good by number which they want in weight Sometimes they condemne them as counterfet sometimes they purge them as if they were full of corruptions according to seuerall occasions they haue their seuerall deuices to produce them or auoyd them at their pleasure Si conficta historia non est vllius authoritatis Bell. lib. 2. de Pont. cap. 9. whereas if they bee counterfeit as they are confessed to bee they are of no authoritie if Catholique and Orthodoxe they make nothing for the points in Controuersie as shall bee presented in the next place SECT XI The most substantiall poynts of Roman Faith and Doctrine as they are now taught and receiued in the Church of Rome were neuer taught by the Primitiue Church nor receiued by the ancient Fathers NEither are these men content to challenge a right to all the Fathers although they confesse they are not all orthodox and true Fathers but they likewise charge vs that Sebast Flash in profess Cath. we make no more account of them then wee doe of the Turkes Alcaron or Aesops Fables Nay saith Bristow it is well known to such as heare the Protestants Sermons Bristow Mot. 14. or bee in place to heare them talke boldly and familiarly among themselues are not afrayd to confesse plainely that the Fathers are all Papists A strange and senselesse fiction deuised by these men when not onely our learned Diuines but the vulgar people are all eye-witnesses that the Booke written by the Iewel of our age is published in all the Churches of our kingdom whose challenge for the principall points of our Religion is made good and will euer remaine vnanswerable out of the Writings and Authorities of the ancient Fathers But admit some Protestants were so ignorant or senselesse as to say priuately All the Fathers were Papists what stupiditie then may we think it in the chiefe Pastors of the Romane Church which by their publike writings and open confession acknowledge the principall poynts of Controuersie yea their chiefe Articles of Faith were vnknowne to the ancient Fathers We confesse it for a truth that the ancient Fathers St. Austen S. Ambrose St. Hierome and the rest were learned men they were Instruments of Grace and Mercy we read them we reuerence them we giue God thankes for them but withall wee learne this lesson frō them Wee weigh not the writings of men August ad Fortunat. Epist 111. bee they neuer so worthy and Catholique as wee weigh the Canonicall Scriptures but yeelding that reuerence that is due vnto them Wee may mislike and refuse something in their writings if we find they haue thought otherwise then the trueth may beare and such saith Austen am I in the writings of others and such I would wish others to be in mine Saint Austen thought it no preiudice to the Romane Church nor disparagement to his own learning to haue his writings examined by the rule of Scripture Nay more saith he that which in my bookes thou thinkest to bee vndoubtedly true Quod certū non habebis nisi certum intellexeris noli firmè retinere Aug in Proae lib 3. de Trinit vnlesse thou perceiue it to bee true indeed hold it not resolutely St. Ambrose was so farre from wishing Prince or people to rely vpon his doctrine that by way of preuention hee writes to Gratian the Emperour Nolo argumento eredas sancte Imperator nostrae disputationi Scripturas interrogemus c. Ambros de Fide ad Grat l 1 c. 4 Beleeue not O Emperour our Arguments and our Disputations let vs aske the Apostles let vs aske the Prophets let vs aske Christ. Now admit a doubtfull Recusant at this day repaire for instruction to a Romish Priest or Bishop will he answer him with Austen Examine my doctrine by the rule of Scripture and if you find it not agreeable to that Word hold it not resolutely or will he answer him with Ambrose Heare not my arguments beleeue not vs that are the professed Priests and Pastors of the Church but read the Scriptures consult with the Oracles of God let Christ the Head of the Church resolue the doubts and controuersies of Religion Surely nothing is more to bee wished for by vs nothing is lesse to be hoped for from them True it is that St.
is confessed by ingenious Romanists ECckius the Romanist tells vs the authoritie of Councells is of that consequence Tollatur Cōciliorum authoritas et omnia in Ecclesia erunt ambigua dubia pendentia incert◠nā omnes mox redibūt haereses Ecck. Ench. Art de Concil that if they should be taken away All things would become ambiguous doubtfull wauering vncertaine and all heresies would reuiue againe And that the Romish proselyts might knowe what obedience ought to be giuen to Councels Gregory de Valentia giues them this caueat Si Synodus Episcopalis aut cōmunis cōsensus plurium Theologorū statueret aliquam propositionem esse propositā ab Ecclesia vt de fide tunc talis teneretur c. Valent. in Tom. 3. disp 1. q. 2. punct 5. If you finde but an Episcopall Synod or consent of diuers Diuines onely affirming such a doctrine to bee the sentence of the Church you are bound to beleeue it though it be a lie Pardon me if I beleeue them not for our aduersaries giue iust cause of suspition when their chiefest respect tends to the honour of Traditions of Fathers of Councels and the sacred Word is made a by-word of Obscuritie and Insufficiencie I speake not this as if our Church did decline the authoritie of Councells for wee professe that Generall Councels are the representatiue Body and as it were a little Modell of the whole Church We approoue the first foure Generall Councells confirmed by our Church Eliz. 1. Whitak Rat. 4. vers Camp and Acts of Parliament wee acknowledge with reuerend Whitakers The name of Councels is honorable their credit singular and their authority of great esteeme nay more wee testifie with learned Bellarmine Bell de Eccles Cōcil li. 1. c. 10 in Initio that Generall Councells are very profitable and in some sort necessary for the suppressing of heresies yet saith hee they are not absolutely and simply necessary and of this I am easily perswaded for this reason First because the Primitiue Church for the first three hundred yeres had no Generall Councells and yet perished not Againe as the Church during those three hundred yeeres continued safe without generall Councells so without doubt it might haue continued three hundred yeres more and againe six hundred yeeres after that and so likewise a thousand yeeres more for in those first times there were many heresies many schismes many vices abuses all which notwithstanding they wanted the assistance of generall Councells could not indanger the Catholike Church But admit that Councels were simply necessarie which Bellarmine denies yet their calling must be answerable to their beginning and therefore let vs first inquire by what authoritie they were first called and obserue how the Commission hath beene executed from time to time by warrantie of the first Author We reade in the booke of Numbers Num. 10.1 2. that the Lord commanded Moses to make two Trumpets of siluer that hee might vse them for calling of the Assembly Moses according to Gods Law did assemble the people and saith the Text Deut. 33.5 Moses was king in Iesurum when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel gathered together Moses then had Ius Regale a Regall power although in proprietie of speech hee were no King and by this Regall power hee assembled the people and this authoritie was executed by him as by a King This right was assumed after him by King Dauid by king Solomon by king Iosiah by king Iehoshaphat and so from Moses to the Maccabees they all practised the same power of calling assemblies as Kings Princes and there was none of Gods Prophets I say not any one that either opposed or prohibited these assemblies At the comming of Christ this commission was renewed but not altered there was no new order for calling them other then had bin taken in the old Law assoon as kings receiued the Christian faith they executed the same power of the Trumpets which was first granted to Moses The first Councel of Nice it was the first and best Generall Assembly that was summoned in the Christian world after the Apostles time and this was called by the Emperor Constantine the Great The 2d. generall Councell at Constantinople was called by the Emperor Theodosius the elder The third at Ephesus by the Emperor Theodosius the younger The fourth at Chalcedon by the Emperor Valentinian and Martian These foure generall Councels are likened by Gregorie to the foure Euangelists and these had their right calling by Kings and Emperours and not by the Bishop of Rome If wee looke vpon particular Councels it will appeare they were likewise called by Kings and Princes in their seuerall dominions for many ages The first Councell of Arles was called by Constantine the Great The Councell of Aquileia was called by the Emperors Valentinian and Theodosius The first of Orleance by king Clodoueus the second of Orleance by Chidelbert the French King and this maner of calling assemblies by Kings and Emperors continued from Moses to Constantine and from Constantine to Arnulphus aboue 2400. yeeres for otherwise if this new assertion must take place The Pope must call Councels the first foure Generall Councells which all Christians had in such reuerence not one of them is a lawfull Councell nay saith our Reuerend and learned B. Andrewes D. Andrews in his Sermon of calling Assemblies The Church of Christ hath to this day neuer a General Councell Vnâ liturâ with one wipe wee dash them out all wee haue neuer a one no not one And that you may know it is not the testimonie of the Protestants alone Cardinall Cusanus doth witnesse with vs Cusan Cōcord Cath. lib. 3. ca. 13. 16. that all the Generall Councels to the eight inclusiuely were all called by the Emperours and that wee may iustly charge the Pope of Vsurpation both in calling and assuming a preheminence of place and dignitie in Councels Semper inuenio Imperatores et Iudices suos cum Senatu Primatum habuisse officiū Praesidentia per interloquutiones et ex consēnsu Synod◠sine mandato conclusiones et iudicia fecisse Cusan de Con. lib. 3. c. 16. the Cardinall makes this confession I euermore finde that the Emperors and their Iudges with the Senate had the gouernement and Office of Presidence by hearing and conferring of matters and that they made Conclusions and Iudgements with the consent of the Councel and without any further Commission Those men therefore that are so earnest in calling vpon vs for Councells should first shew vs the lawfull calling of their assemblies If Demetrius and his fellowe craftsmen will assemble together of their owne heads and keepe a shouting and crying for the great Diana of their Religion this rowt will prooue a ryot and is punishable by the Lawes of God and man away therefore with this confusion away with Demetrius assemblies If Pope Innocent the Third will assemble in his owne name contrary
lusts hasten to Trent hyred and procured by the Pope to speake as hee would haue them vnlearned men they were and simple but for their impudencie and audacitie of much vse assoone as these had accesse to the Popes flatterers then did iniquitie reioyce to haue the vpper hand neither might any thing bee decreed but what made for them who made it their onely Religion to maintaine their Popes power and ryot One graue and learned man there was Bishop of Granado which could not away with such basenesse he as no sound Catholike what with feare and threatnings and what with intreatie was brought by the Councel to allow that which in heart hee disavowed In briefe it came to that issue by the dishonestie of them that were made and ordained for that purpose that the Councell seemed to consist not of Bishops but of shadowes not of men but of Images which like the statues of Daedalus had no motion from themselues but were carried vpon other mens shoulders The Bishops for the most part were hyrelings who like a paire of countrey bag-pipes vnlesse they were still blowne could make no musicke The holy Ghost had not to doe with that Councell wherein was nothing but worldly wisedome and that was wholly spent in propagating the Popes immoderate and shamefull Lordlinesse from whom as from an other Delphos they did wait for Oracles and from him in a Carriers clokebag was the holy Ghost sent of which they so much brag to sit at the sterne of their Councells and quod admodum ridiculum est which is most ridiculous when there fell good store of raine the holy Ghost could not come vnto theÌ„ before the floods were abated so it fell out that the spirit was not carried vpon the waters as wee reade in Genesis but besides them O strange and monstrous madnesse the Bishop like the people No act or Decree of theirs could be established vnles the Pope were made the first Author of that Decree How truely this learned Bishop hath deciphered the state and condition of that Councell I leaue to euery mans iudgement sure I am whilest many there carried the businesse with craft and ambition in those things which appertaine to Gods glory there was more attributed to the Councell of man then to the grace of God Adde to these testimonies the protestation of Francis the French King who was so farre from approuing the Decrees of the Councell Rex pubicè in co conueÌ„tu protestatus se illud neque pro â—ecumenico neque pro legitimo habere sed pro priuato coÌ„uentu c. Innoc Gent Trid. Sess 12. Hist of Trent lib. 4. p 319. Engl. that hee openly proclaimed that for his part he neither held it for a Generall nor yet for a lawfull Councell but for a priuate Conuenticle assembled for the ends of some priuate men and that neither hee nor his subiects were bound to obey it and that hee would haue this his Protestation inrolled amongst the Decrees of that Councell Adde to this the Protestation of all the Reformed Churches and diuers Christian Nations who at this day vtterly disavow the Trent doctrine Adde to this the protestation of the Ambassador to Charles the fifth Illyr in Protest cont Conc. Trident. who made his declaration in like manner I Iames Hurtado Mendoza in the name of the most mighty prince my lord Charles the Romane Emperour by his especiall commission and in the name of the Empire all other his Realmes and Dominions doe protest that the Legats and Bishops which are at Bonenia for the most part bound to your Holinesse wholly hanging vpon your beck haue no authoritie to make Lawes in cause of Reformation of Religion and maners I forbeare to speake more largely of the politike proceedings and the doctrine of Faith created and declared in this Councell The History of Trent published An. 1629. the former is accurately handled by the Historie of Trent and the later is fully confuted by our learned Chemnitius Chemnitij examen Conc. Trid. and as touching CouÌ„cels in generall let it suffice wee haue the testimonie of Cardinal Cusanus Multu Concilia ritè conuocatu errasse legimus Cusan Concord Cath. lib. 2 c. 3. In fidei definitionibus errasse etiaÌ„ vniuersalia sanctouÌ„ Patrum Concilia comperimus Pig Hier. Eccle. lib. 6. c. 13. Many plenarie Councells rightly called haue erred as we know by experience Let it suffice their own Albertus Pigghius giues his assent with vs that In matters of Faith Generall Councels haue erred as namely the Councell of Ariminum the second Councell of Ephesus both were generall and both doe witnesse that Generall Councells lawfully called may erre Let it suffice Panormitan their chiefest Canonist and Proctor for Pope Eugenius affirmeth plainly A Councell may erre as otherwise a Councell hath erred Panorm de Elect Electi potestate §. significasti about marriage to be contracted betwixt the rauisher and the rauished and the saying of Hierom as being of the sounder opinion was afterwards preferred before the Decree of the Councell And to preuent that common obiection of the Romanists that the Church would faile in faith if Councels should erre hee giues this full solution to the question Non obstat Idem Ibid. It hindreth vs little if it bee said a Councell cannot erre because Christ prayed for his Church that it should not faile For though a Generall Councell represent the whole vniuersall Church yet to speake trueth the vniuersall is not there precisely but by representation because the vniuersall Church consisteth of all the faithfull and this is the Church which cannot erre whereby it is not impossible but the true faith of Christ may continue in onely one person Therefore the Church is not said to faile nor to erre if the true faith remaine in any one And that no man might presume to relie in matters of faith either vpon Fathers or Councels St. Austen deliuers it for a safe and sure rule Aug lib. 2. de Baptist contr Donat c. 3. Whatsoeuer is found written in Scriptures may neither be doubted nor disputed whether it be true or right but the writings of Bishops may not onely bee disputed but corrected by Bishops that are more learned then themselues or by Councels and Nationall Councels by Plenary or Generall and euen Generall Councels may bee amended by the later My conclusion therefore shall be this Since the true Acts and Canons of Councels which make against the Supremacie against Inuocation of Saint against Images and the like are adiudged spurious and counterfet On the contrary since diuers Canons and Decrees are deuised for aduantage of their cause and namely to prooue their Reall Presence their Sacrament of Confirmation their Sacrament of Extreame Vnction the Popes Supremacie and the like which authorities are meerely forged and counterfet since the Bookes of Councells being negligently kept doe abound with many errours by the testimonies of our learned
all Antiquitie from the Text it selfe if there bee brought no peruerse or preiudicate opinion against it to conclude whether thou wilt or no thou shalt beleeue it from the Popes owne Sentence and determination To this Church then lyeth an appeale from Scriptures from Councels from the Essentiall Church and for that cause Cardinall Bellarmine proclaimes it as the Popes Champion Bellar. de Concil author lib. 2. cap. 17. Nos defendimus Wee maintaine that the Pope is simply and absolutely aboue the vniuersall Church and aboue Generall Councells and as great men sometimes loue to bee soothed vp in their greatnesse and are led with opinion of their Parasites to beleeue that for a trueth which is but a suggestion of falsehood so it came to passe touching the Popes power in these latter dayes they did so much atatribute to his Authoritie and Infallibilitie deriued from Peter that Cardinall Zabarella rightly obserued and ingenuously confessed They haue made the Popes beleeue Persuaserunt Pontificibus quod omnia possunt sic qd facerent quicquid liberet etiam illicitet sint plusquaÌ„ Deus Zabarella that they might doe all things whatsoeuer they listed yea notwithstanding they were things vnlawfull and thus saith he they haue made him more then God Bishop Begnius in the last Councell of Lateran speaking to Pope Leo cryes out in admiration of his Holinesse Ecce venit Leo Behold heere commeth a Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda the Root of Dauid Te Leo beatissime saluatoreÌ„ expectauimus apprehende scutum c Concil Later 5. Sess 6. in orat Begn ad Leon. 10. behold hee hath raised vp a Sauiour which shall deliuer the people of God from the hand of the destroyer Thou art hee O most blessed Leo whom we haue expected as a Sauiour take vp thy sword and buckler and arise in our defence And thus by degrees first Vox populi the common people by admiring his greatnesse then Bishops Cardinals by their flattering suggestions haue at last ascribed infallibilitie of Iudgement to his Authoritie which I am verily perswaded neuer Pope did beleeue in himselfe and hereby they haue aduanced him aboue Fathers aboue CouÌ„cels aboue the Church and now at last made him the whole Church in so much that some of his own side are not ashamed to professe Beard Mot. 6. vide in Iewel p. 49. that the Pope may dispense against the Apostles yea against the new Testament vpon good cause and also against all the precepts of the Old Syluester Prierias Master of the Popes palace goeth further hee giues vs to vnderstand that the authoritie of the Roman Church QuicuÌ„que noÌ„ innititur doctrinae Romanae ecclesiae ac Romani Pontificis tanquaÌ„ Regulae Dei infallibili à quâ etiam sacra Scriptura robur trahit et authoritatem hereticê° est Sylu. Prier contra Luther and of the Bishop of Rome is greater then the authoritie of Gods Word and therupon he concludes Whosoeuer leaneth not to the doctrine of the Roman Church and of the Bishop of Rome as vnto the infallible Rule of God of which Doctrine the holy Scripture taketh force and authoritie he is an heretike And for a further confirmation of this beliefe Gretzerus the Iesuite makes this conclusion Id solum pro verbo Dei veneramur ac suscipimus qd nobis Pontifex ex Cathedra Petri c. Def c. 1. l. 1. de Verbo Dei p. 16. Wee doe receiue and reuerence that onely for the Word of God which the Pope as supreame Master of the Christians and Iudge of all controversies doth determine in the Chaire of Peter Now if it happen that some Proselyte of a tender conscience should make some scruple whether the Pope ought to be heard and obeyed when hee is a murderer a Sorcerer and a wilfull subuerter of the truth as some Popes haue been Hosius their Doctour wisheth them not to trouble theÌ„selues with such idle curiosities Iudas ne sit an Petrus au Paulus Deus atteÌ„di non vult sed soluÌ„ hoc qd sedet in Cathedrâ Petri de cuius ore legem requirere iussus est Hoc soluÌ„ spectari vult Hos in Confess Petricouien ca. 29. God will neuer haue thee consider saith he whether the Pope bee a Iudas or a Peter or a Paul it is sufficient onely that he sitteth in Peters chaire that hee is an Apostle that he is Christs Ambassadour that he is the Angell of the Lord of Hostes from whose mouth thou art commanded to require the Law This thing onely Christ would haue thee to consider Againe admit a Councel a whole congregation of men should make a doubt whether the Pope may erre and by reason of that scruple would not readily obey him Cardinall Bellarmine by way of preuention Si autem Papa erraret praecipiendo vitia vel prohibendo virtutes teneretur Ecclesia credere vitia esse bona et virtutes malas nisi vellet contra conscientiaÌ„ peccare Bell de Pont. li. 4. c. 5. giues them this lesson If the Pope should so farre foorth erre as to command vices and forbid vertues the Church were bound to beleeue that vices are good and vertues are euill vnlesse shee will sinne against her owne conscience Heere is an implicite faith commanded let the Popes doctrine bee true or false if the Romanists will resigne vp their senses and vnderstanding to this Vertuall Church which is the Pope they shall haue a Priest Cardinall for their Tutors but by their leaue they may make shipwracke of their faith by being their Disciples I proceed from an implicite faith to a blinâ— obedience and therein I will giue you a remarkeable example from another Schooleman who aboue all things doeth honour and commend a blinde obedience to the Church that is to the Pope Gregorie de Valentia tells vs of an Italian Merchant of Placentia who reasoned and resolued with himselfe in this manner I hold it is better to professe the Romane Religion Laurent disceptatio Theolog. pag. 5. then the Lutheran First because I can briefly learne the Roman faith for if I say what the Pope sayes and deny what the Pope denies and if he speake and I hearken vnto him this alone is sufficient for mee but if I should bee a Lutheran I must learne a Catechisme I must search the Scriptures which in trueth I cannot intend when I must look after the Ships of Italy and my Merchandise beyond the Seas You haue heard the reason why this Layman did dislike the Protestants Religion and what was the rule of his Roman faith now heare what iudgement this learned Schooleman giues concerning this Merchant DeuÌ„ nihil habiturum God saieth he will haue nothing to lay to the charge of this man at the dreadfull day of Iudgement To say nothing of this presumption I pray God that Pagans Infidels who knew not Christ arise not vp in Iudgment against them that teach such doctrine for whereas
and that the substance of bread did remaine after consecration contrary to the Faith of Transubstantiation they commanded the cup to bee giuen to the lay people which the later Popes forbid at this day They condemned the Worship of Images Merit of works and the Popes Supremacie all which doctrines are receiued by the later Popes and councels and declared with Anathema's to bee beleeued as Articles of faith Thus wee see the house diuided against it selfe Heu Domus antiqua quaÌ„ dispari dominaris Domino the later Popes repealing the Acts of the former and both contradicting each other Now how the house should stand which is diuided against it selfe how the Pope should be the Rule of faith and yet dissent from the faith of his Predecessours how the Pope should bee the Pillar and ground of Trueth and yet his Trueth opposed and contradicted by his Successors I may well conceiue it may be A mystery of Babylon Reuel 17.5 but I professe I cannot vnderstand it Briefly and truly I may say of the Popes in these later ages They haue succeeded their predecessors as Caiphas succeeded Aaron or as sickenesse succeedeth health or as darknesse succeedeth light from these few examples in Faith and Doctrine I will conclude with the saying of St. Ambrose Non habent Petri hareditutem qui Petri fidem non habent Ambros de Paenit l. 1. c. 6 They haue not the succession of Peter that want the faith of Peter I proceed to the Popes Succession in person which although it be of no force and authoritie by the testimonies of our aduersaries vnlesse there be also a right succession of doctrine in the same Church yet I wil giue you some few instances and obseruations of their owne Writers that the vncertaintie of their Succession may more easily bee discouered by their owne confessions Gratian the Compiler of the Popes Decrees well vnderstood that the Popes succession would bee interrupted if his faith and doctrine should bee compared with Peters and therfore for more certaintie by transposing the word Faith into Scate hath appropriated the right Succession to the Sea of Rome Petri haereditatem non habent que non habent Petri sedeÌ„ Grat. de Poenit dist 1. c. Potest in these words They haue not the Succession of Peter that want the Seat of Peter To let passe these forgeries it is strange to see what shifts the Romanists doe vse to make good the lineal descent of their Popes Rather then they will want authoritie of Scriptures to proue Peters being at Rome they wil confesse that Rome is meant by that Babylon Annot. vpon the Rhemish Testament 1. Pet. c. 5. v. 13. which is spoken of in the 16 and 17 of the Reuelation which without doubt is the Seat of Antichrist Besides they are not agreed among themselues whether Linus or Clemens or Cletus QuidaÌ„ post PetruÌ„ immediatè ponunt Clementem vt Tertullianê° et Hieronymê° alii post Petrum ponunt LinuÌ„ posteà Clemente in c. Bell. de Rom. Pont. l. 2. c. 5 or Anacletus succeeded Peter if he were at Rome Neither can they well resolue whether the Pope should succeed St. Peter or St. Iohnâ— for St. Iohn liued 33 yeeres after St. Peter saith Baronius so that the succession must bee either deriued from St. Iohn the suruiuour or else the Pope who immediately succeeded St. Peter must bee greater then an Apostle during the time of Saint Iohns suruiuourship Quae tuÌ„ facies sanctae Rom. Ecclesiae quaÌ„ foedissima cum Romae dominareÌ„tur potentissimae aeque ac sordidissimae meretrices quoruÌ„ arbitrio mutareÌ„tur sedes darentur Episcopi et qd horrenduÌ„ et nefanduÌ„ est intruderentur in sedeÌ„ Petri earuÌ„ Amasii Pseudopontifices qui non sint nisi ad consignaÌ„da tempora in Catalogo Pontificum scripti Baron Annal. in ann 912. But admit that St. Peter was at Rome admit the ancient Bishops of Rome did rightly succeed Saint Peter yet What was the face of the Roman Church saith Baronius and how most filthie did it appeare when the most impotent and base Queanes bare all the sway at Rome changed Sees and gaue Bishoprickes aâ— at their pleasure and which is most abominable and not to be named intruded their Paramours into Peters Chaire false Bishops whose names are written in the Catalogue of Popes onely to note and designe the times To passe by the two and twenty Schismes in the Papacie wherein it was questionable betwixt the Popeâ— and Anti-Popes who were the true Successors of Peter To let passe the vacancie in the Papall Sea for many moneths and yeeres during which time the Pope fare at Auinium left the Sea of Rome Their owne Genebrard confesseth there were fiftie Popes irregular Apostatici Apotactici Genebr Chron l 4. disordered and Apostaticall And Bellarmine tells vs at the Councell of Constance Bell de RoÌ„ Pont. li. 4. c. 14. there were three Popes neither could it easily bee resolued which of them was the true and legitimate Pope Dubius Papa habetur pro non Papa Bell. de Concil l. 2. cap. 19. And saith he A doubtfull Pope stands for no Pope If then there were false Popes by Baronius confession if Apostaticall Popes by Genebrards confession if doubtfull and consequently no Popes by Bellarmins confession what certainty what assurance can these men haue of the Popes personall Succession It was a pertinent and full answer made to a Iesuite by an acute learned Doctor of our Church touching the personall succession of D. Featly in his answere to a Iesuit touching personall Succession the Pope If by Bishops you vnderstand rightly consecrated and canonically elected inuested Pope Pelagius the first was not so for he was not ordained by three Bishops Pope Hildebrand was not so who held the Papacie by an Imposture nor Syluester who aspired to it by Magicke nor Eugenius who was first promoted by faction and afterwards held it in despight of the Councell of Basil Again If by true Bishops you meane Orthodoxall Bishops preachers of the the truth Pope Liberius was not such for he was branded with the note of Arianisme by St. Hierome and Pope Damasus Pope Honorius was not such for he was condemned for the heresie of the Monothelites in three Generall Councells confirmed by three Popes Iohn the 23. was not such who was charged in the Councell of Constance with the denyall of the immortality of the Soule the life to come and for that and other blasphemous crimes was deposed by the Councell Alphonsus a Castro was an obedient seruant to the Pope QuaÌ„uis credere teneamur ex fide veruÌ„ Petri successorem esse supremum totius Ecclesiae pastorem non tamen tenemur eadeÌ„ fide credere LeoneÌ„ aut Clementem esse veruÌ„ Petri successoreÌ„ quoniam noÌ„ tenemur ex fide Catholicâ credere eorum queÌ„libet ritè et canonicè fuisse electum Alph. lib. 1.
of the holy Ghost were wholly at the Popes command to breath onely where hee will haue him It is confessed on both sides that Christ is the Way and Trueth and by his word he hath prescribed a sure an infallible rule to find out the truth If the Scripture were but a partiall rule yet by Bellarmines owne confession it is the most certaine Scriptura â—egula credendi cerrissima tutissimaque est Bell. de Verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 2. and most safe rule of faith Now â—et vs see what is the most certaine rule of the Roman â—aith and on what assured meanes their proselytes may â—est satisfied and infallibly â—nstructed for the saluation â—f their soules Suarez the â—esuite tells vs It is the Catholike truth Veritas Catholica est Pontificem definientem ex Cathedrâ esse RegulaÌ„ Fidei quae errare non potest quaÌ„do aliquid authenticè proponit vniuersa Ecclesia tanquaÌ„ de fide c. Suarez de Tripl virt Theol. Sect. 8. disp 5. de reg pag. 214. Censeo esse rem de fide ceâ—taÌ„ Suar. ibid p. 214. that the Pope defining in his Chaire is the rule of Faith which cannot erre that is wheÌ„ he doth propose any thing authentically to the vniuersall Church to be beleeued 〈◊〉 a diuine faith and thus saith he all Catholike Doctors teach in these dayes and I thinke it 〈◊〉 be a thing certainly to be beleeued This Iesuit maintainâ—â— the Infallibility of the Pope yet speakes but as he thinks and withall tells vs It is thâ— Catholike doctrine of these times when as hee should haue prooued it by ancient Records that it was the Catholike doctrine of all ages For there is no man liuing let him be Papist oâ— Protestant if hee be a man of â—nderstanding but will holâ— it most requisite and absolutely necessary that the rule of faith should be declared by Christ and his Apostles by Catholike Traditions by Generall Councels by the consent of Fathers and the whole Christian world and certainly if the Popes Decrees conclusions be that rule of faith they ought to be confirmed by al those testimonies since on his judgment both Councels Bishops do depend but especially since the error of the Pope is adiudged to be the error of the Vniversall Church Againe he that deliuered what hee thought was the Catholike doctrine of these times touching the Popes Infallibility in generall tels vs of an other point at that time questionable viz. Whether it was to bee beleeued as an Article of faith Idem ibid. pag. 218. that the or that particular Pope were 〈◊〉 true Pope This doctrine saith he I taught at Rome affirmatiuely in the yeere 1585 but withall professeth that many at that time thought otherwise He that proclaimed it to the world that the Popes definitiue sentence in his chaire was the rule of Faith withall professeth that within these few yeeres it was not resolued whether this or that particular Pope might erre or no. And as it was obserued by a judicious and religious Gentleman M Noy of L. Inne for I shall gladly acknowledge any thing that I receiued froÌ„ any man this later question produced a new Quaere viz If the Pope were not a true Pope and Canonically elected then that person which worshipped a Saint canonized by that Pope commits flat Idolatry by reason the Saint wants his right Canonization for want of the Popes true and Canonicall election Many such doubts said he were mooued touching this Rule of Faith which neither the Iesuite was able to resolue nor the Church had as yet determined Hee that can but spell and put these things together would feare and tremble to think he hath no better assurance of his saluation then a doubtfull vncertaine questionable and vrresolued way to guide him into the paths of sauing knowledge And that the world may know the Rule of Faith which ought generally to bee receiued De Fide of all the faithfull is altogether doubtfull in the Roman church I haue summoned 12 of the Popes disciples to deliuer their seuerall opinions concerning the Popes Infallibilitie but how they concurre in witnessing the trueth of this Doctrine I leaue it to bee iudged Bellar. de Rom. Pont. l. 4. c. 6. 1. Bellarmine It is probable that the Pope not onely as Pope cannot erre but as a priuate man cannot fall into Heresie or hold any obstinate opinion contrary to the Faith 2. Albertus Pigghius Piggh. de Eccle. Hier. lib. 6. c. 13. The Iudgement of the Pope is more certaine then the Iudgement of a Generall Councell or else the whole world 3. Hosius Hos lib. 2. cont Brent Bee the wickednesse of Popes neuer so great it can neuer hinder but that this promise of God shall euer be true The Popes shall shew thee the truth of Iudgement 4. Iohannes de Turrecremata Ioh. sum de Eccles lib. 2. cap. 112. It is better to rest vpon the sentence of the Pope which hee deliuers out of Iudgement then the opinions of whatsoeuer wise men in matters of Scripture for euen Caiphas was a High Priest and although hee was wicked yet hee prophecied truely 5. Siluester Prierias Whosoeuer leaneth not to the Doctrine of the Romane Church I'tier contr Lutherum and Bishop of Rome as vnto he Infallible rule of God of which doctrine the holy Scripture hath taken force and authoritie hee is an heretike Episc Bitont Conc. ex Rom. 1. cap 14. Romae habit 6. Cornelius Mus I must ingenuously confesse I would giue more credit to one Pope in matters of faith then to a thousand Augustines Hieromes or Gregories c. For I beleeue and know the chiefe Bishop in matters of faith cannot erre because the authoritie of the Church in determination of things belonging to faith is resident in that Bishop and so the errour of that Bishop should come to be the errour of the vniuersall Church Thus the great Mountaines were in labour and at last appeares Ridiculus Mus This man cares neither for Fathers nor Councells he knowes the Pope cannot erre and he is a man of experience You may beleeue him for hee was a Preacher at twelue yeeres old saith Sixtus Senensis but there are six more of the Popes sworne seruants they are Legales homines and craue audience hauing the said power and iurisdiction with the rest onely they say they cannot flatter they must and will speake the trueth in this howsoeuer the rest bee diuided from them and first concerning the first of the second ranke 7. Alphonsus de Castro We doubt not Non dubitamus an hareticum esse et Papam esse coire in vnuÌ„ possint Non enim credo esse aliquem adeò impudentem Papae assertatoreÌ„ vt ei tribuere hac velit vt nec errare nec interpretatione sacraruÌ„ literarum hallucinari possit cum constet plures Papas adeò illiteratos esse vt Grammaticam penitus ignorent qui fit vt
reforme the corrupt state of the Church which if hee did not performe he should returne home againe with dishonour and God would reserue the honour of his worke to some other and so saith he it fell out This holy man thirsted for a Reformation Hee complained against their Communion in one kinde against Iustification by Works against the manifold Traditions and Constitutions of their Church against the Popes Supremacie and withall proclaimed that the Roman Church taught not the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and this was counted to him for Heresie and for this hee was first hanged and then burnt About this time there was likewise written by Doctor Vicelius a Booke called Methodus Concordiae Ecclesiasticae Vicelius Wherein hee complaines also of Traditions contrary to the word of God hee calls for the translation of the Bible and wished the Seruice were deliuered in a knowne tongue hee complained of the worship of Images of Prayers to Saints of Purgatory as a doubtfull opinion he wished that Priests and people should rather marry then liue loosely as they doe and for these and the like Articles wherin he desired a Reformation Index libr. prohib de Sandoual Madril 1612. his Booke is condemned inter libros Prohibitos among the Books prohibited certainly the errors both in Doctrine and Discipline were grown to that height insomuch as Erasmus professeth it was commonly argued in the Schooles Whether the Pope might not abrogate that which was decreed in the Apostles Writings Eras Annot in 1. Tim. 1. Whether hee might ordaine any thing contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel Whether he might create a new Article of the Creed Whether hee had greater power then Peter or equall Whether hee might command Angels and take away Purgatory altogether Whether hee were a meere man or God or participat of both natures with Christ Whether hee were more mercifull then Christ was seeing it is not read that Christ called any man out of the paines of Purgatorie Sixe hundred things saith hee of that sort were disputed and published in great volumes by great Diuines especially famous for profession of Religion and these things in the Schooles of Diuinitie were seriously handled And without doubt abuses were growne so exorbitant in the Church that Machiauell Protested The Kingdom of the Clergie had beene long since at an end if the reputation and reuerence towards the pouertie of Fryars had not borne out the scandall of the Bishops and Prelates Amidst these manifold errors and corruptions in the Church arose Martin Luther and desired a Reformation as his predecessors had done and at that time things were in so bad estate saith Guicciardine that the blood of Christ was profaned Guicciard hist lib. 13. the power of the keyes was made contemptible and the redemption of soules out of Purgatory was set at a stake at dice by the Pardon sellers to be played for This was so notorious and visible to the world that by the testimony of their own Historian there were that yeere many meetings at Rome to consult what was best to be done The more wise and moderate sort wished the Pope to reforme things apparantly amisse and not to prosecute Luther This reformation was long before wished for as wee see by the complainants in their own Church neither did Luther as some pretend oppose the errours of the Roman Church out of any prepensed malice Tem. 7. Wittemb 22. for Wee plainly and expressedly professe saith hee as our Bookes doe witnesse that if they would not constraine vs to Articles openly impious and blasphemous wee would defend them in other things Nec prodiit solus Lutherê° c. Alp. à Castre ep Nuncup ad Phil 2 Hisp Regem Neither came Luther alone saith Alphonsus such is the vnhappinesse of this age but garded with a great troope of Heretikes who seemed to looke for him that afterwards they might fight vnder his banner for presently Philip Melancthon Faber Capeto Lambertus Conradus Pellican Andreas Osiander Martin Bucer entred their names in his Booke and many other in processe of time in great numbers inserted themselues into his family And as it is obserued by their learned Cassander the Church Doctrine and discipline was so farre out of order at his coÌ„ming and before that many learned Writers published and declared their long wished for Reformation of the Church Thus briefly in the Apostles times you haue seene the glorious rising of the Sunne in the ages following the Sunne at highest from after 600 yeeres you haue seene the Sun towards setting In the first age shee was like the Moone in the first quarter and daily increasing in the ages following shee was in the full in succeeding ages shee was in the wane In the first age shee was like the Starre that appeared in the East and guided the Wisemen in the ages following the Fathers were the fixed stars and gaue light in the midst of Heresies in the latter ages there were Stellae erraticae wandring starres that fell from heauen such as St. Iohn speakes of Priests and professors that left their faith their first habitation And thus we see there is one glory of the Sunne another of the Moone another of the Starres and to all these the Church is rightly compared by Saint Austen Ecclesia est Sol Luna et Stellae quaÌ„do Sol ob scurabitur et Luna noÌ„ dabit luceÌ„ et Stellae cadent de coelo Ecclesia non apparebit impiis vltra moduÌ„ saevientibê° Aug. Ep. 80. The Church is the Sunne and the Moone and the Starres and as the Sunne shal be darkened and the Moone not giue her light and the starres shall fall from heauen so the Church shall not appeare by reason of persecution and worldly securitie then the power of heauen shal be moued and they that seeme to shine in grace shall fall and those that are most strong in faith shall be troubled These things premised wee may rightly inferre for a conclusion of this poynt that there was alwayes a remnant of true beleeuers in the bosome of the Romane Church who resisted the Papacie and noted the abuses neither were they ignorant lay men or an illitterate sort of Priests but they were Bishops Cardinals and learned Pastors that complained of the latencie and obscuritie of the true Church they longed for a Reformation in Doctrine and Discipline they wished that the true Religion might be restored to her first Integritie the Church to her ancient libertie her Faith and Doctrine to the Primitiue sinceritie and for this cause a continuall voice and lamentation was made by many of her children and shee would not be comforted because they were not such as shee first bred them From these and the like testimonies who constantly and continually wished a Reformation in Faith and Manners we may certainly conclude that eminent and perpetuall Visibilitie is no certaine Note of the true Church I proceed in the next place