I would holde my self to those by whose commaundement I beleeued the gospell c. VVhose authority being infringed weakned I could not now There is no raâ—son we should beleeue the authority of the Roman Church in deliuering scripture and Protestants in expounding it contrary to her authority beleeue euen the gospell itself Imediatly before If thou say Beleeue not the Catholiques it is not the right way by the ghospell to driue me to the faith of Manichaens of Protestants because I beleeued the ghospell it self by the preaching of Catholiques 8. Yet if against all sense and reason if against both God and man you should perswade vs to beleeue your new constructions of Sâ—riptuee against theÌ„ who taught you both Christ and Scripture do we not belieue the authority of men the voyce as you account your selues of the faythfull so submit our iudgments to the exposition of the Church 9. Further more the Church is the treasury or store-house of God to which he committeth all his heauenly ministeryes All thinges which I haue heard of my Father I haue made knowne to you It is his mouth or oracle which openeth the same to others his trumpet or cryer which promulgateth The Church is the store-house of truth Ioan. 15. v. â—â— them to the world Go and teach all Nations c. teaching all thinges which I haue commaunded you It is the messenger which reuealeth his will The witnes which giueth testimony of his wordes and sayings The VicegereÌ„t which supplyeth the roome of his beloued You shal be witnesses to me in Hierusalem and in all lury c. As my Father hath sent me so I also do send you But Christ was sente from Matt. vlt. v. 19. Act. 1. v. 8. Ioan. 20. v. â—2 the throne of his Father with most ample power to decide all doubtes in matters of faith Therefore the Church succedeth him in this soueraigne authority she baptizeth now in his person sacrificeth in his person teacheth in his person gouerneth in his person excoÌ„municateth in his person so she determineth with infallible assistance and iudgeth all Controuersies in his person If we be commanded to heare her obey her belieue her be ruled by her If we must open our owne faults complayne of our brethren to her be bound or loosed The Church iudgeth of the writings of the Apostles she coÌ„poseth the Canon of Scripture she iudgeth of the true sense and interpretation of scripture of our sinns by her if she must cleare out doubts examine our causes redresse our scandals quiet our contentions she no doubt is the supreme iudge of all our spiritual affayres When any doubt is made of the writings of the Apostles whether they be theirs or no as whether the Epistle of S. Paul to the Laodiceans be his or not it belongeth to the Church to decide the matter to receaue or reiect it Therfore she iudgeth of the Apostolicall doctrin of the sacred Canon she iudgeth what is consonant to the diuine spirit of God and what is dissonant thereunto When any heresy springeth from the false interpreration of scripture she also censureth she condemneth it Therefore she is the iudge not only of the scriptures but also of the true sense and exposition of them And thus in all tymes and places whensoeuer occasion hath beene offered the Church hath exercised her iudiciall power CHAP. VII Wherein is manifested the conformable practise of the Church other authorityes alleadged the imagined circle obiected against vs auoyded IN the Apostles dayes a controuersy arose concerning the obseruation of the legall Ceremonyes it was diligently argued discussed and iudged by the Church with this diuine and Act. 15. v. 28. infallible resolutioÌ„ It hath seemed good to the holy Ghost and vs c. Some few yeares after a great debate fell out about the celebratioÌ„ of the feast of Easter whether it should be kept alwayes on the Sunday or on the 14. day of the first moneth the matter was referred examined iudged by the Church with such an vncontrolable sentence as they who resisted were absolutely censured and condemned for heretikes called Quartadecimani Witnes S. Augustine Epiphanius Tertullian others In all succeeding ages some such doubts questions or heresyes haue sprung vp and haue beene Aug. haer â—6 Epiphan haer 50. Tertul. in Praescrip alwayes sifted determined and iudged by the Church From her the Nouatians Arians Nestorians Eutichians Pelagians Monothelites and the rest haue still receaued their finall doome and irreuocable damnation in such iudiciall manner as no appeale no dispute no further examinations of their opinions hath beene after Hooker in the preface to his book of Eccles poli pag. 24. 25. 26. 27. Couel in his defence of M. Hooker permitted as not only M. Hooker and M. Doctour Couell two moderne Protestants but S. Athanasius also testifyeth of the Churches decrees in the Nicen Councell against the Arians Let no man thinke a matter discussed by so many Bishops confirmed with most cleare testimonyes may be called againe in question least if a thing so often iudged be reuised and knowne againe the curiosity of knowing vtterly want all end of knowing And Martian the Emperour He doth wronge to the iudgement of the most reuerend Synod who contendeth to rippe vp or publiquely argue and dispute of such thinges as be once iudged and rightly ordered Theodosius Athan. in decr Nice Syno Martian in rescript ad Pallad Praefect Preto C. desum Trin. l. 5. Cod. l. 1. tit leg damnat also and Valentinian those two Catholike Emperous who held the Imperiall Scepter in the yeare of our Lord 428. haue most catholikely enacted a law allowing the Churches definitiue sentence in sundry CouÌ„cels VVhosoeuer in this holy Citty or other where do follow the prophane peruersity of Eutiches condeÌ„ned in the late Councell gathered at ChalcedoÌ„ do not so beleeue in all points of fayth as the 318. holy Fathers of the Nicene Councell as the 150. venerable Bishops assembled togeather in the Councell of Constantinople or the other two CouÌ„cells following of Ephesus and Chalcedon let them know that they are heretiks But as thâ— Churches tribunall in condemning heresyes so in establishing true doctrine in all doubtfull cases hath beene esteemed infallible Hence that common saying of S. Augustine VVhosoeuer feareth to be ensnared Aug. l. 1. cont Cres c. 33. by the obscurity or hardnes of this question let him consult the Church thereof which the holy Scripture without all ambiguity doth demonstrate 2. Hence S. Paul immediatly instructed from the mouth of God when false seducers sought to caluminate Gal. 2. v. 2. Tertul. l. 4. contra Marc. c. 2. his heauenly doctrine had recourse vnto the Church for approbation of his Ghospell Least perhaps in vaine I should runne or had runne Whereupon Tertullian If he from whom S. Luke receaued his light desired to haue his fayth and preaching authorized by his predecessours how
carry to the tribunall seate of Christ And then most agreable to the matter now in hand They beleeue in God the Father and in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost in vaine All these thinges sayd I auayle them nothing for asmuch as they deny this article of the reall presence and attach him of falsity who sayd of the Sacrament this is my body So Luther flatly acknowledgeth that the deniall of that one article the disagreement in the interpretation of that one place in such aâ— accept the other heades of religion is sufficient to plung them into the pit of hell Zanchius and many learned Protestants Zanchius in his epistle before his confession pag. 12 13. are of the same mind agreeing therin with the ancient Fathers with S. Athanasius who hath defined in his Creed that whosoeuer doth not hold the Catholike fayth who and inuiolate he shall perish for euer With S. Hierome who witnesseth that for one word or two contrary to the sayth many heresyes haue been cast out of the Church With S. Gregory Nazianzen saying Nothing can be more dangerous then thâ—se heretikes Hier. l. 3. Apolo cont Ruf. Nazian tract de fide who when as they runne through all thinges vprightly yet with one word as with a drop of poyson corrupt and stayne the true and sincere fayth of our Lord and of Apostolicall tradition With Saint Basil who being solicited by the persecutours to relent a little to the tyme stoutly answered as Theodoret reporteth that such as are instructect in the diuine doctrine do not suffer Theod. l. 4. hist c. 17. any syllable of the diuine decrees to be depraued but for the defence of it if need require willingly imbrace any kind of death 9. And not to stay longer in reciting the testimonies of 〈…〉 when the Sonne of God auouched he 〈…〉 Marc. 1â— v. 16. not shal be condâ—mned Of what beliefe did he speake 〈◊〉 of belieuing the whole Ghospell the whole corpes of Christian doctrine whereof he there sayd preach the Ibid. v. 15. â—hospâ—lâ— to all creatures which Ghospell comprehendeth many other articles besides the Trinity Incarnation Passion of Christ Therefore he that belieueth them not all shal be condemned Likewise when Christ auouched He that despiseth you despiseth me he that heareth not the Church c. Luc. 10. v. 16. Matt. 18. v. 17. he doth not add in this or that point but absolutely in whatsoeuer Let him be to thee as the Heathen and Publican And for this cause the custome of the Church hath beene in her publike definitions and generall Councells to strike with the thunderbolt of Gods heauy curse to threaten with anathema all such as refuse to belieue any one decree or definition of hers concerning any point of fayth whatsoeuer it be which the Church could not do without erroneous faultines in her selfe and wrong to her children if euery Canon she maketh and fenceth with that Anathema were not necessary to be belieued vnder paine of damnation Besides not only the Church but sundry zealous and forward sectaryes of all sorts are ready to yield their liues in behalf of any one article of their beliefe wherein although they erre concerning the particuler obiect yet this generall agreement in such seuerall sectes is an apparant token that Nature it selfe teacheth euery speciall point of true religion and not the principall only to be necessary to saluation wherein the Athenians were so precise as they punished without remission Teste Iosepho cont Appion any little word lesse warily vttered against the receaued opinion of their Gods The Iewes also were seuerely chastised for the transgression of any one of the ceremoniall lawes giuen vnto them by the disposition of Angels And God himselfe threatneth that he shall take Apo. 22. v. 19. â—â—ay his part out of the booke of life who shall diminish any word of S. Iohns reuelation What wonder then though â—e be blotted out of the register of heauen though he be eternally punished who eitheâ— gainesayth altereth or not beleeueth expresly or infoldedly euery point of doctrine the Sonne of God himselfe or the holy Ghost whome he after sent publiquely teacheth or inspireth to his Church 10. The chiefest reason why fayth must be whole entire is the infallible authority or veracity of God vpon One principall reason why fayth must be entire in al points whose testimony we belieue which being once suspected or doubted of in any one point of neuer so small importance the like doubt or suspition may creep into others and shake the whole foundation of Christian Religion Therfore S. Thomas and many other learned Deuines profoundly teach That he hath no supernaturall fayth he beleeueth not any thing moued by diuine authority S. Thomas 2. 2. q. 5. art 3. He that belieueth not euery article of fayth belieueth none at all Tertul. l. de praescri who beleeueth not euery thing little or great fundamentall or not fundamentall proposed vnto him to be credited by the same authority Whereupon they inferre That no sectary who maketh choyce vpon his owne liking or vpon the iudgment of his Ministers to belieue some articles and not the rest doth truly beleeue any one article at all After which manner Tertullian long since disputed against Valentine the heretike saying Some thinges of the law and Prophets he approueth some things he disalloweth that is he disalloweth all whilest he disproueth some In like sort I may argue of our Protestants and other Sectaryes that they make choyce to beleeue some things not to belieue other and so whilest they belieue not all thinges they belieue nothing nothing vpon the authority of God but vpon their owne election as humane motiues incline and perswade them which is humane only not diuine or supernaturall beliefe For fayth being an assent of our vnderstanding to thinges not euidently seene or conuinced by reason but only credited for the testimony of another it cannot be more certaine then he that testifyeth and deliuereth them vnto vs who if he be subiect to errour as all men are in Protestants conceipt they that belieue the reuealed mysteries or interpretation of Scripture either vpon their owne or such mens credit cannot attaine to the certainty of fayth no more then the Turke who although he belieue in God Creatour of heauen and earth yet he belieueth not in him with diuine fayth because he relyeth vpon the authority of his Alcaron or Turkish Muphtyes who as in other things do so might deceaue in Muphty is the name of the chiefe Interpreter of the Tuâ—kish law Cuspin in descript Magistrat Turcici that And whereas without true and diuine fayth it is impossible to please God they cannot hope for his fauour who do not belieue euery article as the inerrable testimony of his true Church proposeth them to be belieued 11. Hence it is that euen as we are bound to obserue and fullfill the whole law of iustice euery
by reason of the iust and vertuous who are the principall portion of the Church albeit she abound with too many Hypocrites and therfore vseth these words of her selfe Cant. 1. I am blacke but fayre Blacke through the multitude of sinners faire through the beauty of the iust She did not say as S Augustine noteth I haue beene blacke like the tabernacles Augu de doct Chri. l. 3 c. 3â— of Cedar I haue beene faire like the skins of Salomon but both â—he auoucheth her selfe to be by reason of the temporall vnity and coniunction of good and euill fishes within the same net 7. How can they say the aduersaryes againe be The 2. obiection members of Christ who are slaues of sinne and seruants of the Diuell I answere they may be slaues of sinne in one respect and dead members of Christ in another they may outwardly belong to him and inwardly to Sathan August in psal 47. witnes S. Augustine who sayth They who participate of the sacraments and want good manners are sayd to be Gods not to be Gods They are sayd to be his and to be as strangers his for the forme and shew of prety not his for the losse of vertue or his nâ—merâ— non meritâ— that is his by tale and account not his by worth or merit In another place the same S. Augustine Of the holy Church euery De vnitat Eccless c. 1â— Christian acknowledgeth it to be spoken as the lilly amongst thornes so my beloued amongst daughters VVherefore doth he call them thornes But for the malignity of their manners VVherefore daughters but for the communion and participation of sacraments Therfore wheÌ„ S. Augustine or others deny the wicked to be members of Christs Church they meane they are not liuely but dead and withered members like ill humours superfluous excrements putrified and decaied parts which so long cleane vnto the body of man vntill they be separated oâ— câ—t away who although they partake not the benefit of life although they reape no fruit themselues by reason of their society communication with the iust yet the holy Ghost may vse their office and iurisdiction if they enioy any to the profit and commodity of his seruants 8. Other obiections they make some out of scripture some out of S. Augustine where the predestinate are The third obiection Ioan. 10. 11. 2. Tim. out of Augu. l. 5. c. 27. de bapt cont Donat. l. de correp gra c. 9. called the sheep of Christ sonnes of God before they be called and whilest they remayne blinded with errour I answere one may be the sonne of God either formally according to present grace or finally according to the prescience and predestination of God The scriptures S. Augustine call them sheep and sonnes not after the formâ— but after the later manner After which sort S. Augustine often denyeth the iust not predestinate to be either members sonnes or sheep of Christ but rather goats or wolfes because God foreseeth that for want of perseuerance to such finall misery they will precipitate themselues His wordes are these According to prescience and predestination Augu. tract 45. in Ioan. how many sheep without how many wolfs within c. VVhat is that I haue sayd how many sheep without How many liue wantonly how who will becom ChristiaÌ„s how many blaspheme Christ who shall belieue in Christ c. And how many prayse God within who will blaspheme him are chast and will play the wantons are sober and will be heereafter ouercharged with wine stand and will fall they 2. Tim. 2â— v. 18. are not shee For I speake of the predestinate of them I speake whom our Lord knoweth who be his So he Auouching plainely that many reprobate be with in the precinctes of the Church by profession of fayth although they be without in forefight of God and diuers of the predestinate without by conuersation peruersity of manners who are notwithstanding within in the hidden prescience and decree of his election and will in due tyme by reall admission retire themselues to the campe of his chosen flocke CHAP. II. VVherein is discussed whether the Church be one or many one visible which we ought to obey another inuisible which we ought to bâ—lieue against D. Whitaker and D. Fulke ALBEIT M. Field distasting the doctrin of his maisters who faign two distinct seuerall Churches laboureth with all art to gloze their sayings writh them to some right construction yet the words of VVhitaker no art can delude Field in his first booke chap. 10. VVhitak cont 2. q. â— cap. 14. fol. 125. no dawbing hide no cunning ouercast Heare him speake VVe say quoth Whitaker ther are two societyes of men in the world that is two Churches c. To the one the predestinate belong To the other the reprobate The same he prosecuteth in diuers places both before and after affirming one of these Churches to be wholy inuisiâ—â—â— the Cont. 2. q. 2. c. 1. q. 1. c. 3. 7. 8. 19. q. 4. c. 1. 3. â—ther visible The one comprising the sole company of elect the other consisting of good and bad mingled togeather the one against which no tentation no persecution no not the gates of hell can preuaile the other which may perish decay be drowned with errours and â—uerwhelmed with tempests That only he supposeth to be holy and Catholike this not so that knowne to God alone this also to men that the true Church mentioned in the Creed which Ibid q. 1. c. 13. q 2. c. 1. Quaest 4. c. 3. Fulke in c. 3. Matth. sect 3. in c. 22. Matt. sect 2. Cant. 6. Ioan. 10. 1. Cor 12. 1. Cor. 10. Ephes 5. Ibid. Aug. in illud psal 21. we are taught to belieue this the outward assembly whose communion we ought to obserue whose commandments to follow To be briefe the former he seuereth into two parts into the triâ—mphant and militant c. In the triumphant sayth he are only good no reprobate so likewise in the militant the triumphant is inuisible the militant also inuisible The later he deuideth into sundry particuler Churches as into the Church of England Geneua Zurike c. of which he composeth one â—â—iuersall visible Church This is VVhitakers confused Church â—hich Fulk his collegue following Caluin in many points â—tifly maintayneth against the whole current of holy Scriptures 2. For they euery where inculate one Church one spouse one campe one heauenly city house of God The holy ghost in the Canticles sayth vna est columba mea me is my done Christ maketh it one fould S Paul VVe are all baptized into one body And when he speaketh of the Church he vseth alwayes the singular number Be with out offence to the Churche of God This is a great sacrament I say in Christ in his Church Againe Husbandes loue your wiues as Christ also loueth his Church S.
Augustine to this purpose interpreteth that verse of the Psalme â—rue de manu canis vnicam meam deliuer my only one from the clawe of the * By the dogge Eusebius vnderstaÌ„deth the Diuell whome the Heathens feigned to be the three headed Cerberus Cypr. de vnit Eccle. dogge Where by his only one he vnderstandeth vnicam Ecclesiam his only Church S. Cyprian proueth it diuers wayes illustrateth it with many fine similitudes By the fountaine which is only one although deuided into many riuers By the root or tree which is one albeit it brauncheth into diuers bowes By the lighte of the sun which is one notwithstanding is casteth forth sundry beames so the Church is only one howbeit â—he stretcheth her dominions into innumerable Counteryes The same he confirmeth by the Coat of Christ without seame which figured his one and vndeuided Church But I will not depart from the oracle of the Apostle 3. When S. Paul calleth christ head of the body of the church Of what Church I pray is he head of the inuisible Coloss 1. v. 17. or of the visible If of the inuisible the visible is without a head if of this that is a headlesse monster or if of both one head you prodigiously ioyne to sundry bodyes Likewise the same Apostle sayth I haue despoused you to one man 2. Cor. 11. â— 2. to present you a chast virgin vnto Christ Where I aske which is that chast virgin spouse of our Lord your inuisible Church Then your visible is a harlot a concubin no virgin of Christ and yet it was a visible Church to which S. Paul wrote visible which he conuerted and preserued in chastity of truth which he vndefiled despoused vnto Christ Therefore if your visible also be made his spouse together with the inuisible two spouses As Christ cannot haue two spouses so neither two churches you betroth vnto him not one virgin as the Apostlâ— writeth pure incorrupted but two one which cannot be defiled with adulterous errour the other which may dishonour her husband play the harlot And arâ— we bound to beleeue the one conuerse with the other beleeue in the chast virgin follow her that may fall into aduoutry beleeue in her that cannot beguile vs imbrace her counsailes that may lead vs into pernicious damnable deceits O God what in iury were this to thee what abuse to men For to what end didst thou graunt such priuiledges vnto thy Church why didst thou build it vpon a rocke guard it with thy Angells endow it with thy spirit assiste and protect it with thy dayly presence but that we might securely conuerse coÌ„municate with it Did he afford these prerogatiues to one Church commaund vs to beleeue in it and after guid vs gouerne vs nay deceaue vs with another as Laban deceaued Iacob promising Rachel beguiling him with â—ia Gen. 29. v. 19. 23. 4. Is not the Apostolique Church is not the Catholique Church the true Church which yâ—â— beleeue 〈◊〉 what Church is Apostolique but that which the Apostles planted with their preaching edified with their liues watered with their bloud What Catholique but that which beginning at Ierusalem increased spread it selfe in the view of all men throughout the world And iâ— not the same the visible Church mother of vs all in whose wombe we were coÌ„ceaued in whose lap we haue been nourished and from whose dugges we haue sucked the sweetest milke of heauenly doctrine The Church which we beleue is as you confesse the house of God not built vpon the sand but vpon a rocke against which the windes Matt. 7. v. 29. blew the raine beat the floodes came but would not batter to the ground And yet the same in S. Pauls iudgment is the house in which we should liue conuerse These thinges I write to 1. Tim. 3. v. 14. Fulke in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 10. thee c. that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to conuerse in the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God Fulke auoucheth Whitaker will not deny but that their inuisible holy Catholike Church is the Church for which Christ â—yed that he might sanctify it cleanse it by the lauer of water in his worde Notwithstanding if it were not â—â—so the visible Church by which we are directed and â—ouerned how could S. Paul exhort the Priestes or Pastors Art 10. v. 28. thereof Take heed to your selues to the whole flocke wherein the holy ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud 5. Moreouer what Church do we beleeue but that which is the communion of Saintes of which it is said in the Creed I beleeue the holy Catholique Churche the communion of Saintes therefore the same we beleeue The Protestants euasion answered with which we communicate I know you will say there are two sortes of communion one visible in giuing receauing the outward seales sacramentes of the Church in preaching heaâ—â—ng the word in externall profession of fayth many mutuall offices of charity another inuisible which consisteth in the inward regeneraâ—ion fructification of the word in the inward saithfull beleefe â—hat you obserue honour in the visible church this you truly acknowâ—edg beleeue in the inuisible What Are the sacraments ministred 〈…〉 â—nother Is the outward lotion preaching in one ◠〈…〉 â—â—istred 〈◊〉 one Church and giue grace in another the inward regeneratioÌ„ beleefe in another And whâ— more absurd then to deuide the sacramentes from their effectes the instrumentes of grace from grace it selfe by diuersity of Churches what more absurde then to make the pastour pillers foundation in one Church the true fabricke of the Church in another Is it possible is should not be the same Church where baptisme incorporateth vs in Christ where the body of Christ is where Paul planteth Apollo watereth God giueth the 1. Cor. 3. v. 46. increase Although I yeald vnto you that the outward lotion preaching be visible the increase of grace and true beleefe inuisible yet may not the same Church consist As man consisteth of a visible body and inuisible soule so the same Church may haue some visible other inuisible partes of diuers partes some visible some inuisible some seene others beleeued Is not euery particuler man one the same composed of a visible body inuisible soule iâ— not Christ one the same whose humanity was seene diuinity beleeued Therefore as you do not make two men of one nor two Christes of the sonne of God although he comprehend partes visible inuisible onâ— thing that is seene another beleeued so neither twâ— Churches but one the same which compriseth some visible some inuisible partes 6. But to launce this sore a litle deeper The visible Church say you coÌ„sisteth of good bad
of God deliuereth 2. Cor. 1â— v. â— Psal 8. â— Hier. l. â— comm in 6. â— ad Gal. Dâ—os eos esse manifestum est qui auteâ— Dij sunâ— tradunt Dei Euangelium non hominis In which respect S. Ierome doubteth not to call S. Peter S. Paul such as enioy their priuiledg after the phrase of scripture by the name of Gods thereupon maketh this illation But they that are Gods deliuer the Gospell of God not of man 10. Yet let vs view some other allegations which these erring and lying Ministers bring in to find the church guilty of errour Marry VVhitaker Reynoldes depose that which befalleth to one may befall to the whole but euery one in particuler may erre therefore the whole may erre which is a most false deposition plaine Sophisme arguing from each deuided member of the Church to the whole body ioyntly considered as if a cauiller should say This stone it self cannot be sufficient to raise a tower nor this nor that VVhitak contr 2 q. 4. c. 3. fol. 274. Reynoldes in his secoÌ„d conclusion fol. 628. as it is printed togeather with his conference nor any one a part Therefore a whole huge heap together cannot suffice It is a meere sophisticall kind of reasoning For we see that many do raise that which one or a few cannot Many forces of men vnited are able to draw that which no man in particuler can mooue A whole Army of souldiers vanquisheth a kingdom which on one the most valiaÌ„t captaine can annoy So the whole Church may preserue the truth vnspotted which no pâ—rticuler can doe Chiefly because the whole is guarded by Gods promise assisted by the holy Ghost the shield of her defence which deuided Churches want but the holy ghost saieth Whitaker and Fulke is also promised to euery one in particuler Christ prayed to sanctify euery one confirme him in D. VVhit contro 2. q. 4. c. 2. f. 168. Fulk in c. 16. Ioan. sect 5. in c. 3. 1. Tim. sect 9. verity as he did for the whole for the laity aswell as for the Clergy for the people as much as for the Priestes It is true he prayed for all and each particuler promised the holy ghost to euery one but in a diuers manner according to euery ones seuerall state degree he praied for the Apostles and Bishops their Successours he assured theÌ„ the holy ghost as to parentes maisters shepheards of his fold to the laity euery one of the faithfull as to children schollers and sheep to be directed by them They haue the holy ghost 〈◊〉 their mouthes to teach preach instruct anâ— How the spirit of God in â—â—â—â—ised to the whole Church and how to 〈…〉 particular member VVhitak cont 2. q. â— c. ap 3. fol. â—8â— Seueruâ— l. 2. Theod. c. 19. Ream linguam non facis nisi rea mens VVitnes S. Athan. epist ad â—rancâ—s â—â—â—erne these in their hartes to obey beleeue keep vnity peace submission They his publique assistance for the publique function profit of the Church these his priuar direction for their owne priuate comfort particuler saluation Therefore as the Pastours Gouernours cannot erre in teaching defining or publiquely condemning false opinions so neither any one of the faithfull in beleeuing obeying or shunning those whom the Church hath censured Thus the whole and euery part securely trauayleth towardes the coast of heauen with the safe conduct of the holy ghost for the edificatioÌ„ complement and full perfection of the misticall body of Christ 11. Whitaker obiecteth againe that all Churches Arianized and consequently erred when the whole world aâ— S. Ierome reporteth groaned wondred to see â— selfe an Arian But S. Ierome by the figure Synecdoche vseth the whole for a great parte who were deceaued in the Councell of Arimine partly by the fraude of Valens the Arian Bishop partly by imbecillity of wit yet diuers of them materially only Wherefore seeing it is â—n Axiome in the law that the tongue it not made guilty but by the guilty mind they reteyning the true Catholique faith in their hartes formally also in open profession yeilded not properly to Arianisme but stil preserued the true state of the Church which was likewise at the same time inuiolably maynteyned in the West especially in those renowned Bishops and their flock S. Hilary S. Ambrose S. Eusebius of Verselles in Athanasius and others of Greece And that boysterous tempest continued but three yeares for then as S. Hierome relateth the beast dyed there succeeded Hier. dial aduer Lucifer a calme From the Church our aduersaryes flye to the Councells representing the Church and draw bills of enditement to conuict them of errour but their allegations are voyd and insufficient For such Councells as they meane were either vnlawfull conuenticles tumutuously assembled or if lawfully gathered not lawfully continued or not wholy approued or falsly accused or they erred only in some matter of fact not in any point of doctrine or article of beliefe 12. At least say they the old Church and Synagogue of the Iewes wholy erred when Aaron and the Two other obiections of aduersaries answered Exod. 3â— Mar. 14. whole multitude adored the golden Calfe and when Caiphaâ— the chiefe Bishop and whole Councell of Priestes adiuged Christ to death I answere that Aaron was not then inuested with the authority of high Priest but that office was imparted long after vnto him as appeareth out of the last of Exodus Then the Leuits neuer consented to that Idolatry nor Moyses in whome the supreme Priestly dignity still remayned To the second obiection I answere The infalibility of the Sinagogue when christ bad established his Church that the Councell of the Scribes Pharisces was tumultuously gathered not to interpret the law or teach the people but to pronounce sentence in a matter of fact against the Sonne of God or if they did erre in a chiefe point of faith it maketh nothing against vs for Christ had then planted his Church preached his doctrin Therfore the infallible assistance of the Holy Ghost was no longer tyed to the Synagogue Christ being present the head of his Church and hauing sufficiently promulgated his Ghospell 13. Therfore to draw to an end seeing the true Church neuer did or euer can stray from the truth as the Scriptures The Protestants Church cannot be the true Church of Iesus Christ by their own confessioÌ„ Fathers reasons conuince And seeing Protestants confesse that their Church may erre or goe astray for a tyme we must needs conclude that their Church is not the inerrable spouse of Iesus Christ but the harlot of Sathan the Temple of Baal the Stewes of an aduoutresse or if they now recant and yield vnto vs that the true Church cannot step awry in any one generally receaued point of beliefe it necessarily followeth that all their pretended reformations of her errours haue beene innouations
of their owne heads their accusations forgeryes their separation horrible schisme and open rebellion against the kingdome of Christ It followeth also that the Roman Church vniuersally spread ouer the face of the earth which once was must needs continue the true Catholike Church free from Apostacy free from heresy free from superstition or any other false doctrine of which she is accused CHAP. VI. Wherein is demonstrated that the Church is the supreme Iudge of Contrâ—uersyes against D. Whitaker D. Fulke and all Protestants THAT the holy Scriptures can neither by themselues nor by any rules our Sectaryes assigne determine the strifes which fall out in matters of Religion In the first part and first Controuersy hath in the first part of this treatise bin proued at large now that the Church is the only infallible and suprem Iudge which decideth those debates our Sauiour himself fully testifyeth when he referreth all matters controuerted to her sole and high tribunall saying Dic Ecclesiae Tell the Matth. 18. v. 17. Church if he will not heare the Church Where he teacheth after that priuate correction and publique admonition wil not serue the guilty party is to be summoned before the Prelates * So Saint Chrysostom heer taketh the Church for her Prelates or chiefe Pastours of the Church without further examination despute or appeale to stand to their sentence or els to be cast off as an Heathen or Publican VVhitaker seeketh to auoyd this place two wâ—â—es first by VVhitak cont 2. q. 4. c. ap 2. 3. â—xpounding it of Ecclesiasticall censures not of doctrine Secondly that the Church is to be heard but in those thinges only in which she heareth and obeyeth Christ Very friuolous and idle for in such thinges euen the Iewish Synagogue the Turkish Alcaron and the Diuell himselfe is to be heard as hath beene vrged before this were not to end Controuersyes without further appeale but to enter a new court of strifes to commence new examinations to call the Church in question whether she heareth and obeyeth Christ in the thinges she commandeth or no. 2. Besides if we ought to obey the Church in her Ecclesiasticall censures of excommunication suspension or the like much more in her condemnation of heresies If the Church caÌ„not erre in censuring much lesse in defining or publique definitions what we ought to beleeue If in sentences of fact much more in explications of fayth determinations of doctrine if God hath appointed her our supreme iudge in chastising and correcting vs with her spirituall punishments much more without doubt in curing our soules and preseruing them from all spots of errours And therefore our Sauiour restreyned not this precept of obeying his Church to any particuler matter but enlarged it to all and straight way giueth her that vniuersall commission Amen I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall Matt. 18. v. 18. Ibid. v. 19. bind vpon earth shall be bound also in heauen and whatsoeuer you shal loose vpon earth shall be loosed also in heauen And Concerning euerything whatsoeuer they shall aske it shall be done to them Away then with M. Whitakers restrictions away with mens abridgementes where the Sonne of God imparteth so ample illimited and vniuersall a priuiledge In like maÌ„ner he did not vse any limitation but absolutely sayd Luc. 10. v. 16. Matth. 23. v. 3. VVhitak contro 2. q. 4. c. 2. fol. 267. 268. He that heareth you heareth me and all thinges whatsoeuer they shal say to you obserue ye and do ye Which two places Whitaker againe after his ridiculous fashion with this caution vnderstandeth He that heareth you teaching true prescribing iust thinges and whatsoeuer they shall teach according to the law dee yee As though the Sonne of God dallyed with vs sayd the same thing which was nothing but heare the truth wheresoeuer the truth is spoken yet S. Augustine by these later words attributeth a great prerogatiue to the chayer of Moyses In which verily sayth he he figured his owne for he Aug. con litt Petil. l. 2. c. 61. warneth the people to do that which they say and not to do that which they do and that the holynes of the chayer be in no wise forsaken noâ— the vnity of the flocke diuided for the naughty persons Howbeit if our Sectaryes cautioÌ„ may take place he figured the chayer of pestilence as much as his owne we might follow their doings which Christ forbiddeth as well as their sayings to wit whatsoeuer they doe conformable to the Law Moreouer S. Paul after a long dispute and many alleadged reasons referreth the last resolution of the matter debated 1. Cor. 11. v. 16. to the practise of the Church If any man seeme to be contentious we haue no such custome nor the Church of God 3. In the old testament God also appointed that in case inferiour Officers dissented in their opinions we should haue recourse to the consistory of Priests as to the chiefe and infallible Tribunall If you see that the wordes of Deut. 17. v. 8. â— the Iudges within thy gates do vary arise and go vp to the place which our Lord thy God shall choose and thou shalt come to the Priests of the Leuiticall flocke c. and thou shalt do whatsoeuer they that are Presidents of the place which our Lord shall choose shall say and teach thee according to the Law Which later words do not inuolue At one tyme ther was but one chief President called the high priest diuers successiâ—ely as Protestants wrangle any condition if they shall teach but an absolute warrant that they shall teach according to his Law els then their iudgment and determination were fruitles and the matter remayned as doubtfull as before for exceptions might be taken that sentence is not giuen according to the law of which some other must be coÌ„stituted Iudge whose decision is infallible or els the same doubt ariseth of him and so without end Then our aduersaryes answere againe that this place is vnderstood of ciuill and politique affayres not of doubtes of religion But if Gods wisedome so carefully prouided for the composing of ciuill matters much more for ecclesiastical where the doubtes are more intricate and contentions more dangerous Therefore God sayd of his Priests by Ezech. 44. v. 24. Ezechiel VVhen there shall be a controuersy they shall stand in my iudgments and shall iudge my lawes and my Preceâ—tes By Malachy Mala. 2. v. 7. The Protestants false translation of such places as make against theÌ„ The lippes of the Priest shall keep knowledge and the law they shall require of his mouth because he is the Angell of the Lord of hostes A Text so forcible as Protestants not enduring the pregnancy thereof for shall keep knowledge corruptly read should keep contrary to all Originalls In Hebrew it is â—ismeru In Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Latin custodient shall keep fortelling not what they
of the world Since retired to some few particuler and vnknown coastes Since perished out of view of all nations is heretofore resuted at large in the fourth chapter of this treatise And Saint Augustine detesteth it as a rash temerarious false and abhominable deuise He thinketh it strange to be spoken of and asketh what inuader Christ suffered to robbe him of his goods Of the whole world the price of his bloud Besides the places of Scripture by which S. Aug. tomo 8 in psal 101. conci 2. Augustine demonstrateth the Kingdome of Christ to be euery where extended to replenish the whole face of the earth to possesse all the endes of the world are not prophesies only of S. Augustines of Optatus of Saint Ieromes age they specify not their dayes any more then ours but they are indeterminably Aug. Exp. 2. in psal 21. written by the holy Ghost for all times ages Therefore they are as truly verified now as then as iustly vrged by vs agaynst Protestants as by them agaynst Luciferians or Donatistes And the exceptions taken by their aduersaries are the same which are now pursued by ours 12. Let me pose you M. Whitaker Doth he not deserue as great a curse who shall now deny the Passion and Resurrection of Christ as any heretike should doe in gaynsaying it in Saint Augustines tymes And yet S. Augustine maketh a like comparison between those mysteryes Aug. Ep. 48. and this of the Churches vniuersality As sayth he he shal be anathema which preacheth that Christ neyther suffered nor rose agayne because we learne by the Ghospell that it behoued Christ to suffer and to rise againe the third day So he shall also be anathema whosoeuer preacheth the Church to be elswhere then in the communion of all nations because by the selfe same gospell we learne in the words next following And pennance to be preached in his name and remission of sinnes thoughout all nations Wherfore as the former textes of Scripturre touching his death and resurrection so these concerning the amplitude of his Church are generally verifyed of all times and ages 13. But Doctour Whitaker obiecteth that there VVhitak cont 2. q. 5. c. 6. was a tyme at the beginning when the Church was not vniuersal I answere that as there is a tyme when a child new borne cannot actually laugh or exercise the function of man yet is then a true man and hath the power or faculty of laughing So the Church in her infancy was not actually dilated and propagated ouer all countryes yet it was then planted to be vniuersall and had the property of vniuersality belonging to it Because Christ at the first erecting of it sayd Teach ye all nations Going Matt. viti v. 19. Marc. 56. vers 15. Act. 1. v. 8. into the whole world preach the gospell to all creatures You shal be witnesses vnto one in Ierusalem and in all Iury and Samaria and euen to the vtmost of the earth Therefore although not the actuall extension yet the prerogatiue of Vniuersality apperteyned to the Church from the beginning and after that she should once obteyne her vniuersall and actuall propagation the diuine oracles often witnesse it should so continue vnto the end of the world As hath beene shewed both here in the fourth chapter of this third part Howbeit Mayster Whitaker ceaseth not to wrangle For because he cannot challenge the right of the thinge he picketh a quarrell at the etimology of the name Catholike he will not haue it to signify vniuersality of place but only of the truth saying That Church is VVhitak contro 2. q. 5. c. 2. q. 6. c. 2. Eulke in c. 24. Luc. sect 4. in name and deed Catholike which Catholikely and truly teacheth all the points of religion whatsoeuer ought to be learned and belieued of a Christian man The same is also auerred by Doctour Fulke 14. But how can it thus be a note of the true Church The true doctrine in all dogmaticall poyntes as I haue heretofore declared is more obscure and hidden then the Church It is the inward substance or dowry of the Church It cannot possibly be discerned especially by the vnlearned nor consequently guide them to the knowledge of the Church It is constantly challenged by all heretikes whatsoeuer Aske the Arian the Pelagian the Gnosticke the Anabaptist c. Euery one of them whosoeuer else will tell you that he alone hath the vniuersall truth and it would be a bootlesse labour to goe about by that marke taken in that sense to perswade him the contrary Yet into this labyrinth other heretikes of former tymes haue craftily retired For Vincentius the Rogatian would haue the word Catholike to Aug. Ep. 48. ad Vincentium Rogatian import the like integrity of fayth and vniuersall keeping of the commandements whome S. Augustine refelleth in this manner Thou seemest to haue found out a witty deuise when thou doest interprete the name Catholike not of the communion of all the world but of the obseruation of all the diuine precepts al the Sacramēts which deuise of his new burnished now Aug. de vt credendi c. 7. by our aduersaries he vtterly reiecteth immediatly after alleadgeth the sentence before cited with this preamble whatsoeuer crooked trains any mā weaueth against the simplicity of whatsoeuer he casteth of wily falshood euen as he shal be ana thema who preacheth that Christ hath not suffered nor risen So he that shall Aug. in ps 18. expo 2. deny the Church to be in the communion of the world Because both are learned out of the same Ghospell Besides Saint Augustine flatly distinguisheth this not of vniuersality or amplitude Fulke in c. 24. Lu. sect 2. in 2. ad Thess 2. sectione 5. VVhitak contro 2. from the verity of the Church in all mysteries of faith saying The Church is one as algraunt if you regard the whole worlde more stored with multitude and as they that know affirme more syncere in truth then all the rest but of the truth it is another question Loe M. Whitaker how you confound questions affect obscurities lurke in holes that you maynteyne a part in faction who might hold all in peace concord Abbot in his answere to M. D. Bishop Ep. to the King pag 15. 15. The last obiection repeated by M. Fulke Mayster Whitaker and Rhetorically dilated by M. Robert Abbot against our restraining the Citty of God vnto the Sea of Rome hath beene often answered by our men That we take not the Roman Church for the particuler diocesse which belonges to Rome but for the latitude of all people and countryes who consort with the Pope in Sacramentes fayth and communion acknowledging him for Christes vicar vpon earth And thus the Roman Church hath beene euer accounted all one with the Catholike and vniuersall Church For Saint Ambrose writeth of his Brother Satyrus desyring in pilgrimage Ambrosius in serm de ob
haue stretched a litle further the space of his dominions Could you not haue named afforded him the wildernes of Aegypt the Tartarian desertes or dens of Arabia some vnknowne Caesar in his Commentary ProtestaÌ„t forunners haue left no memory of their Church yet our Church hath been alwayes perspicuous coastes in the ayre or crookes in the sea Was the diuell so greedy and you so religious and carefull of his prey as to engrosse the right of the whole world vnto him Or you knew full well that the Hyrcinia wood which is nine dayes iourney in breadth and forty in length as Cesar reporteth was of too great exteÌ„t for your perfecuted coÌ„pany of elect Inded the least molehill or mouse hole there might comprise them all whome no authour nameth or chronicler recordeth who haue left no marke or memory behind them of their noble exploytes Our Church in her infancy through the storms of persecution hath been driuen to lurke insecret vaultes and caâ—es vnderground and yet her sheep and shepheard their oratories their sepulchers their assemblies their preachingea their deathes their bannishmentes were publiquely knowne the pedigre of her Bishops the names of her Priests the catologue of her Martyrs and innumerable monumentes are yet extant of her faith and profession And hath your predestinate flock beene so often rauished in spirit and rapt into the heauens as they haue left no earthly signe or token of their being not in those consecrated Alpes and Apennine hills hallowed no doubt with their presence and dayly perfumed with the spirituall incense of their deuoutest prayers 8. Note therfore a wily tricke of his double dealing he doth not resolutely auouch the meÌ„bers of his Church were chased into these desert places but they were often driuen into the monntaynes c. or els dispersed and kept close in all Fulke in the place aboue cited RegioÌ„s of Europe Why vse you this wauering vnconstant speach Were they kept so close as you know not in what corners they lurked what places they inhabited or who they were that hid themselues How shall we then beleeue there were any such if no mention be made of them How doe you know they taught your Protestant faith If both themselues their doctrine be wholy vnknown S. Augustine writeth If any man shall say there be perchance Aug. l. de ouibus c. 10. some sheep of God I know not where which God taketh care of and I know them not he is too too absurd to humane sense who thinketh or imagineth such thinges Yet Fulke is so absurd Sparke so absurd all protestantes so absurd who dreame of preachers of the word and administratours of the sacramentes of sheep and shepheards whose names they know not Againe were they kept close in al regions of Europe only Had you none in Africa none in Asia Brasilia India America c. When the Donatistes affirmed the like and confined the faithfull to the straites of Africa S. Augustine and Optatus rebuked them in this manner That with you saith Optatus in Optat. l. 2. cont Par. a particle of Africa in a corner of a litle region the Church may be with vs in another parte of Africa shall it not be In Spaine in Italy or Fraunce where you are not shall it not be If you will haue it 〈◊〉 with you in â—aâ—â—onia in Dacin Miâ—ia 〈…〉 in all Greece where you are not shall it not be that it may â— with you in Pontus Galatia Capadocia Pamphilia c. where 〈◊〉 are not shall it not be and innumerable other Ilandes and proâ—â—ces where you are not shall it not be VVhere then is the propriety of 〈◊〉 Catholique which is so tearmed because it is nationa all euery August in psal â—1 â—here diffused Saint Augustine reproueth them as sharply saying Saint Paul affirmeth that in euery place the faythfull are the â—â—eet odour of Christ is it contradicted Africa only yealdeth a good â—ent all the world stincketh c. A little after VVhat tellest thou â—e O heretike The whole world is not the price of Christes bloud if Ibidem Africa only be redeemed Thou darest not say the whole world was not â—â—deemed but that it hath perished And whoÌ„ did Christ suffer to inuade â—â—s dominions and depriue him of his right Thus they agaynst â—he Donatistes and yet the impudency of our aduersaries â—â— far more exorbitant They had in Africa 270. Biâ—hops Aug in coll Cart. of their faction as Saint Augustine reporteth their â—omplices called Montenses had a certeyne succession in â—he dens by Rome which Optatus reciteth And these our â—ectaries imprison the Church within the Regions of Optat. l. 1. 2. cont Parmen Europe where they name not any Priest or Bishop or â—ine of succession for the space of a thousand fiue hundred yeares as shal be manifestly shewed by discarding them which they iniuriously shuffle into the packe of their Professors CHAP. XII Wherin is disproued the Clayme which our Reformers make to certayne pretended Protestants and to men of our Church Agaynst Doctour Fulke and Doctour Sparke ALBEIT many Sectaries after a longe search and great confusion to satisfy our importunity beginne to draw â— Catalogue of their professors yet those very men they name cannot any one of them concurre to build their Synagogue for some whom they rehearse were manifest and knowne Catholikes wholly of our Sparke in his answer to M. Iohn d' Albins Chap. 1. 4. Illiricus in catal test Gifford in his sermon vpon the reuela SimoÌ„ de Voyon in his discourse vpoÌ„ the 〈…〉 â—â—ilâ— in his 3. book chap. 1â—â— Religion as Alcuinus Maister to Charles the great Gregory of Arimini an Augustine frier and Prior generall of their order Saint Catherine of Siena a canonized Saint and professed Nunne of the order of Saint Dominicke Ocham Iohn Gerson Saint Thomas of Aquine Picus Mirandula and S. Bernard 1. The rest were notorious heretikes as Aerius Iouinian the Albigenses VValdenses Picardi Petrus Abaylardus Berengarius Constantinâ—â— Copronimus VVickliffe Husse who could not contynuâ— the succession nor mayntayne the true preaching of the protestants Ghospell first because VVhitaker VVhitaker contr 2. q. 5. cap. 18. fol. 506. 507. confesseth with all Catholike Doctours that no heresy câ—n â—â—sist with the true sayth nor that the Church caÌ„ be any Church which â—â—achâ—th an heresy But these forenamed miscreants obstinaâ—ly â—aught sundry heresies condemned by Protestants theÌ„solues therfore they could not be professors or members Epiphan haeres 75. Aug. l. de heres 82. of their Church for Aerius denyed the consubstantiality of the sonne of God with his Father Iouinian held that maÌ„â—fter baptisme could sin no more 2. The Albigenses gallenged by Doctour Fulke and Doctour Sparke to be vpholders of Protestancy are notwithstanding By Fulke in cap 20. Apoc sect 6. in c. 12 sect 2. By Sparke in his answere to M. Iohn de Albins pa.
Truth But when God by the Scriptures reuealed it vnto them they both preached it themselues commended it to posterity So that the thinges reuealed vnto them in Scripture was all the Our Ghospellers haue no certayne rule to know their reuelation froÌ„ Scripture to be true warrant they had to preach such Protestant articles as they now maynteyne contrary to the approued doctrin of the Church 25. But I inquire of M. Mason what reuelation it was they had from Scripture Was it the priuate interpretation they made thereof That is fallible and subiect to errour That reuelation euery heretique challengeth and with as much reason maynteyneth it as any Protestant doth his Was it as others pretend the publique voyce of God which spake in Scripture But this In the first part of the Antidote in the first second chapter is a meere collusion of words to beguile the simple For the voyce of God speaking in Scripture is nothing els but the very text of Scripture the wordes and sentences vttered in Scripture as I haue elsewhere often declared Was it their industry labour in conferring reading finding out the true sense of Scripture But this industry was also deceauable as I haue inuincibly demonstrated Our Ghospellers haue not the true Christian fayth concerning any article whatsoeuer in the first controuersy of my Antidote Therefore Protestantes could haue no reuelation from Scripture wherreby they might be infallibly certayn which is necessary to sayth of the truth they deliuered Yea although they should haue lighted vpon the true meaning of some essentiall article of beliefe yet that article so taught and belieued because they so interprete that place of Scripture was not any article of Christian fayth not that diuine fayth which we are commanded to imbrace but a meere humane verity a humane fayth The reason is In the 9. chapter of this third part because the thing belieued causeth not fayth but the infallible motiue for which we belieue it that motiue in Protestants is altogeather fallible as hath been elswhere more largely conuinced Therefore the reuealed truth Luther in expo Ep. ad Galat. cap. 1. folio 215. printed ad VVittemberge by Ioan. Luâ—â— 1954. which they belieue is also fallible 26. Besides Truth reuealed to Protestants in holy Scripture is not sufficient for their Legantine power vnles the legacy also or charge of preaching be coÌ„mitted vnto them It is not inough sayth Luther their chiefe Patriarch for a man to haue the word and purity of doctrine but also he must be assured of his calling not of his calling oÌ„ly to Prieststood by the shell as you tearme it of succession or ceremony of ordination but of his calling and commission giuen to preach and recommend vnto posterity the kernell of Luther ibidem folio 276. doctrine This Mission this vocation he must also haue and that from men or els although thou wert as Luther sayth wiser then Salomon wiser then Daniell if thou be not called more then hell beware thou cast not out a word And many leaues Ierom. 23. v. 21. after he protesteth of himselfe that although he could deliuer soules from errour and damnation by his holesome doctrine yet he ought to commit the matter to God and not to preach Ezech. 13. v. 6. vnlesse he be called by men For such as do otherwise he tearmeth them impostors miscarryed not with a good but a wicked spirit They are those of whome Ieremy and Ezechiell fore warned vs I sent not the Prophets and they ranne I spake not vnto them they prophesied They see vayne thinges and they diuine lyes saying our Lord sayth whereas our Lord sent them not 27. Therefore albeit we should suppose that these new Gospellers had as Mayster Mason insinuateth power from vs to preach truth which notwithstanding is most false yet when they beganne to preach other doctrine then was deliuered vnto them other then was put into their mouthes by their predecessours therein they lost their calling ranne of themselues preached of themselues not sent from God with extraordinary miracles nor yet from men with ordinary commission to publish that fayth For as he who hath authority Aâ— Ambassadourâ— who alter the legacy of their Prince are not therein to be tearmed his Ambassadours no more can ProtestaÌ„ts be sayd to be sent to alter the coÌ„mission of those that sent them Optatus l. 2. contra Parmen from his Kinge to deliuer an Embassage if he alter or change the Massage of his Prince he cannot therein be truly sayd to be his legate or Ambassadour especially if the King recall or countermaunde whatsoeuer he proposeth contrary to his minde No more can Protestant Ministers though rightly ordered and lawfully called maynteyne their calling or vocation to preach any other truth then such as was commended vnto them much lesse if our Bishops reuerse their commission contradict their doctrine labour by al meanes vtterly to suppresse it For who doubteth but that such as haue power to communicate haue power also to reuoke moderate and restreyne the authority which they giue And whosoeuer persisteth after the reuocation or whosoeuer altereth the tenour of his commission he runneth not sent he prophesieth that which our Lord neuer sayd nor any of his seruants deliuered vnto him he is therein as Optatus wittily iesteth at Victor the Donaeist A sonne without a Father a Nouice without an instructour disciple without a mayster follower without a predecessour prodigiously borne a preacher of himselfe teaching a lesson which he neuer learned of any before For to go backe and say with M. Mason that God by Scriptures reuealed it vnto him is no authenticall or sufficient calling because generally all heretiques boast of the like reuelation all pretend their Mission and calling by Scripture That the Donatistes the Circumcellians the Arians arrogated and had as good warrant God leaueth not Scripture to euery ones priuat exposition but to the interpretation only of his Church for the true meaning of Scripture as any Protestant hath for his exposition Wherefore to auoyd the confusion occasions of errour which might ensue of leauing the Scripture to the particuler interpretations of priuat men it pleaseth God to vnfold the true sense meaning of his will to the publike Pastours preachers of his Church to them he infallibly deliuereth the inheritance of truth of them only we must seeke it to them we are bound to repayre to haue it opened vnto vs from them alone we can haue our vocation to preach it Otherwise euery mad and fanaticall spirit might fondly deuise as Protestants doe what constructions what reuelations he list 28. This reason Iohn Caluin the chiefe Architect of M. Masons religion assigneth why God teacheth not eyther by himselfe or by Angells but by the voyce and Caluin in c. 59. Isa speach of men This order quoth he God hath setled in his Church that they may vaunt themselues in
vayne to be ready to obey him who reiect his Mynisters Therefore he commaundeth the word and doctrine to be required from the mouth of Prophets and Doctours who teach in his name and by his warrant least we foolishly hunt after new reuelations Yf this be so how durst your M. Caluin How durst our sectaryes deliuer a Gospell they neuer tooke from the mouth of any Prophet or Doctour Caluinus contra errores Serueti With what face doe they vaunt of obeying God when they disobey his Mynisters the interpreters of his will How shall we know that they who follow not the setled course prescribed by him doe not foolishly hunt after new reuelations Michael Seruetus forsooke that ordinary way he vsed the like pretense as M. Mason doth of reuelation froÌ„ Scripture the same Caluin inueighed agaynst him That like another Mahomet he rose a restorer of a new world with a new and vnknowne reuelation Is not this sayth he to make voyd the whole glory which Christ hath gotteÌ„ By thy own saying I coÌ„demne thee and thy fellowes o vngracious seruant For by the same argument thou o Caluin art like another Mahomet Caluin his followers come like Mahomet with new reuelations the English sectaryes progenitours like so many Mahomets who contrary to the publike truth receaued in the Church challenged another reuealed to them out of holy Scripture With whome I reason thus When Cranmer in England or any other beganne to vent their reformed Gospell eyther the same Gospell was preached by some lawfull Pastours in some partes of the world or not Yf it were not The Church of Protestants was no where extant the glory of Christs Church in their conceit was wholy extinguished If it were FroÌ„ those Pastours our sectaryes should haue deriued their succession To theÌ„ they ought to haue gone for their holy Orders 29. Or if the shell of ordinution from the Priestes of Tertullian in praes ca. 20. Antichrist was good inough for their Antichristian synagogue at least from them they ought to haue taken rraducem fidei semina doctrinae their letters patents and commission to preach From them they should haue gleaned the kernell of doctrine they should haue drawne from those pure Churches the line of fayth and seeds of doctrine as Tertullian anoucheth Aug. l. 5. de baps contra donatist cap. 26. which aduise S. Cyprian also giueth and S. Augustine much commendeth it saying That which he Cyprian admonisheth that we repayre to the conduite head that is to Apostolicall tradition and from thence direct the pipe to our tymes is an excellent The succession propagation of truth which heer we seeke cannot be learned out of Scripture 2. Pet. â— v. 16. thinge and without doubt to be obserued especially seeing in this mark of succession it is not the bare truth for which we inquire but the propagation traditioÌ„ reception coÌ„tinuance lineall descent of the truth how it hath been coÌ„ueyed by Pastour to Pastour in al succeeding ages how taught how belieued from the Apostles dayes euen vnto ours This cannot be learned out of Scripture because it followeth after the Scripture The succession of doctrine came after the Scriptures were written how shall it then be proued by the precedeÌ„t Scriptures which were in the Apostles time who endited them depraued and Athanasius ora 2. contra Arian peruerted by some to their owne perdition as S. Peter witnesseth and why may not such deprauatours much more be now How can the Scriptures beare witnes of the publication progresse true perseuerance of that Eos qui aliunde quaÌ„ a tota successione Cathedrae ecclesiastica originem fidei suae deducunt haereticos esse which fell out many yeares after their authours compilers were dead So that for the true doctrinal you must needs haue recourse to the true Pastoral succession which are inseparably chayned and linked togeather To leaue this way and endeauour eyther by Scriptures or by any other meanes to vphould the continuall descent propagation of fayth is an euident brand or note of heresy as S. Athanasius anoweth saying They are heretikes who de riue the origen of their fayth any where els then from the whole succession of the Ecclesiasticall chayre which he accounteth Aug tract 37. in Ioan there an excellent and an admirable way to fiâ—d out an hereticall sect And S. Augustine affirmeth That to be the Catholike fayth which comming from the doctrine of the Apostles is planted in vs by the line of succession S. Irenaeus also more auncient Irenaeus l. 4. cap. 45. then he sayth VVith whome the succession of Bishops from the Apostles tyme downeward remayned these are they who conserue our sayth doe expound the Scriptures vnto vs without danger 30. By this tyme thou perceauest courteous Reader the peruerse vnto ward course of Protestants who departed from the Pastours of the Church to the written word wheras they should haue repayred to her Pastours to haue learned without daunger the meaning of that word Thou perceauest the beggary or nullity rather of their prophane secular ministery which vndertaketh the care of sonles without any true election ordination succession or mission Thou perceauest how vainly they confide in their reuelations from Scripture who haue no certayne rule or publike warrant as Catholikes haue to knowe whether their reuelations proceed from God or no. Thou seest how they beare about them the earemarke of heretiks in deriuing their fayth from another Origene then the line of Apostolicall succession Thou seest how dangerously they vsurpe the functioÌ„ of Pastours who are wolfs robbers and soule-killers of the sheep so deadly bought with the bloud of Christ CHAP. XXI In which the Beginning Propagation Continuance of the true Fayth is proued to be a Note of the true Church and only to appertayne to the Roman Church which neuer altered the Faith it first receaued from the Apostles I SAY prophecying of the true Church and of the very place from whence Isay 2. v. 3. the preaching of the euangelical gospell should begin sayd The law shall come from Sion and the word of our Lord froÌ„ Act. 1. v. 8. IerusaleÌ„ Our Sauiour doth not only assigne the same beginning but foretelleth Luc. 24. v. 46. 47. the growth increase and continuance therof in these wordes You shal be witnesses vnto me in Ierusalem and in all Iury and Samaria and euen to the vtmost of the earth And Matth. 13. v. 37. 39. item 24. v. 14. It behooued pennance to be preached in his name and remission of sinns vnto all nations beginning at Ierusalem Then he auerreth that the seede of his word thus sowed in the field of the world shold increase and grow vntill the haruest That is vntill the last day vntill the consummation of all thinges Hence S Augustine Aug. de vnit Eccl. cap. 10. maketh this illation Let vs therefore holde the Church