thought this a fit course Dionysius Alexandrinus h Niceph. l. 6. c. 8. said of himselfe that he vsed somtime to be occupied in reading the writings and treatises of heretickes though it something polluted his mind with touching their vncleane opinions because he reaped this profit therby that he might the easilier refell them and the more execrate detest them If any will take vpon him to confute me the lawes of Christian conference specially in the points of faith bind him 1. to do it temperately abstaining from railing and reproaching 2. perspicuously that I may certainly know his meaning 3. honestly that what I say be faithfully set downe and what I proue my sayings by be not dissembled For I affirm nothing that concerneth the cause but I proue it either in the text by reason or in the margent by authoritie which I would not haue dissembled or according to an vsuall trade taken vp of late among them traduced with taunts and outcries as if it were false alledged vntill it appeare to be so indeed Which if he performe I shall thinke my lot the better to haue met with so profitable an aduersarie And so wishing the good Reader that with loue to all men and reuerence to Gods truth and care to leade a sanctified life he would pursue the cause of religion I take my leaue beseeching our Lord Christ by the power of his spirit to make way for the truth in all our hearts Amen A Table of the seuerall matters and questions handled and disputed in this Booke The first number signifieth the Section noted with this marke §. The other following the first signifieth the numbers of that Section VVhere the number is but one there the whole Section is meant THe true faith is absolutely necessarie to saluation 1. 1. No part of our faith stands vpon tradition 1. 2. Infolded faith is not sufficient without knowledge 2. 1. 7. There is a Rule whereby the true faith may be knowne 3. 1. This Rule is not visible and knowne to all men without exception 3. 2. The properties belonging to the rule of faith 4. The Scriptures translated into English are the rule of faith and how 5. The true reason why Papists deny the Scriptures to be the rule 5. 7. 8. The Scripture ought to be translated into the mother tongue that the people may reade it 5. 9. Touching the certaintie and truth of our translations and how we know it 6. The last resolution of our faith is into the authoritie of the Scripture 6. 9. 10. Our English translation is purer then that which the Papists vse 6. 11. The obscuritie of the Scripture disableth it not from being the rule 7. 1. All matters needfull are plainly laid downe in the Scripture 7. 3. Why the Papists pretend the obscuritie of the Scripture 7. 7. Whence it is that the Scripture is obscure 8. 1. The Scripture is vnderstood by it selfe and how 8. 1 2 3. How we are assured of the true sence of the Scripture which is it among many sences 8. 7 8. The true cause why men erre in expounding the Scripture 8. 13. Our faith is built on the Scripture not on the Church 8. 17. The Scripture is perfect containing all things 9. How I know this Scripture to be the very word of God 9. 5. All things needfull are fully comprehended in the Scripture 9. 9. The Papists hold that the sence of the Scripture varieth with the time 9. 11. Againe touching the errors of men in expounding the Scripture 10. The place of 2. Tim. 3.16 proueth the all-sufficiencie of the Scripture 11. How priuat men priuat cōpanies may see the truth against a multitude 12. By the Church the Papists meane nothing but the Pope 13. 2. Whether and how the Church of God may erre 14. 1. Tim. 3.15 expounded how the Church is the pillar of truth 15. The Protestants do not say that the true Church at any time failed was not 17. 1. The state of the question touching the visiblenesse of the Church 17. 2. The Protestants say no more touching the inuisiblenesse of the Church then the Papists themselues in effect do 17. 3. The arguments are answered whereby the Church is proued to be alway visible 18. inde The true faith is a sufficient marke of the Church 24. 2. The arguments against this are answered 26. to 31. 1. Ioh. 4.1 proueth that it is lawfull to examine the teaching of the Church 31. One Holy Catholicke and Apostolicke are not the marks of the Church 32. What the vnitie of the Church properly is 33. 1. The Protestant Churches want not true vnitie 33. 2. Gods true Church in all ages hath had some contentions 33. 4. inde The Protestant Churches haue the true meanes of vnitie 34. 1. What kind of vnitie the Papists haue 34. 1. 2. The Church of Rome vseth the Scriptures most despitefully fiue wayes 35. 3. The present Roman Church is departed frō the ancient primitiue faith 35. 9. The Church of Rome wanteth vnitie and liueth in manifest contention demonstrated 35. 16. The Popes authority was not receiued of old as the foundation of vnity 36. 2. The very Papists themselues do not yeeld to the Popes determinations 36. 5. The Popes supremacie is no sufficient meanes to preserue vnitie 36. 10. The places of Mat. 16.18 Luk. 22.32 Ioh. 21.15 handled at large shewed to make nothing toward the Popes authoritie ouer the Church 36. 11. inde The Primitiue Church acknowledged not the Popes supremacy foure experiences 36. 26. The Pope may erre euen iudicially and be an hereticke 36. 32. It is vnpossible to proue that the hope is S. Peters true successor 36. 36. No certainty among the Papists how the Popes supremacy is proued 36. 39. A place of Cyprian alledged for the supremacie answered 37. 1 2. The Protestants Church is truly holy and how 38. 1. Certaine words of M. Luther expounded 38. 2. Outward holinesse no proper and essentiall marke of the Church 38. 3. The vnholines wickednes of the Roman Church demōstrated 38. 4. inde What Saints the Protestants haue in their Church 39. 1. Canonization of Saints by the Pope a ridiculous conceit 39. 2. 3. The doctrine of the Protestants induceth not to libertie 40. 1. inde Fasting how the Protestants and how the Papists vse it 40. 2. Auricular confession or shrift iustly reiected 40. 6. Necessitie of good workes taught and defended by the Protestants 40. 11. Touching the merit of workes 40. 12. Touching mans power in keeping the commandements 40. 18. Whether all the good workes we do be sinne 40. 22. The distinction of sinne into mortall and veniall 40. 26. Satisfaction how taught by the Protestants and how by the Papists 40. 28. A short view of long Pardons 40. 35. The doctrine of Iustification by Faith only expounded and defended 40. 37. Predestination how holden by the Protestants 40. 43. What is the roote of Contingencie 40. 44. Freewill and Gods
Containing a discourse of Saint Austins about mens errors against the Scriptures 10. 15. Shewing that priuate and particular companies may sometime be assured of the truth against a pretended Catholick company 12. 16. Shewing how the Papists pretending at euery word the Catholick Church yet meane nothing thereby but the Popes determination 13. 17. Wherein it is shewed is what maner the Church is said to be inuisible and that the Papists say no lesse concerning this matter then we do 17. 18. Prouing the true faith or doctrine contained in the Scripture to be a good marke to know the Church by 24. 19. Touching the place of Saint Austin contra Epist Fundam cap. 5. and the matter which the Papists gather from it 28. 20. Concerning the proceeding of the Trent Councell in determining the matters of faith 31. 21. Shewing that Gods true Church in all ages hath now and then bin troubled with contentions as great as are now among vs. 33. 22. Obiecting the behauiour of Papists toward the diuine Scriptures thereby to shew their varying frō that which in former times the primitiue Church of Rome beleeued 35. 23. Wherein by fiue examples it is shewed that the moderne Church of Rome is varied in points of faith from that which it beleeued formerly and since the time also that it began to be the seate of Antichrist 35. 24. Touching the contentions among the learned Papists of the Church of Rome and how the Papists liue not in that vnitie that is pretended 35. 25. Whererein it is shewed that in the Primitiue Church the Popes determination was not thought an infallible truth neither did the Christians for the maintenance of vnitie submit themselues thereunto 36. 26. Shewing that the Papists themselues do not so constantly and vniformly submit themselues to the Popes iudgement nor beleeue his infallible authoritie as is pretended 36. 27. Shewing that the Primitiue Church acknowledged not the Popes supremacy 36. 28. Shewing that the Pope is not of infallible iudgement but may erre and fall into heresie as any other man may 36. 29. Declaring the Pope not to be Saint Peters successor 36. 30. Wherein it is shewed that the Papists are not agreed among themselues to this day how Peters supposed primacie is proued or what it containeth but they are altogether vncertaine in expounding the maine texts of Scripture whereupon they build it 36. 31. Containing many complaints made by the Papists themselues against their owne Church and people whereby it appeareth their liues are worse then can be said of the Protestants 38. 32. Touching fasting and how we differ from the Papists therein and whether the doctrine of our Church be against it as the Papists charge vs. 40. 33. Concerning Auricular confession or Shrift to a Priest shewing the needlesnesse thereof and how it is an occasion rather then a remedy of sin 40. 34. Concerning the necessitie or requisite condition of good works for our saluation shewing that the Protestants hold it 40. 35. Touching the merit of our works and what is to be holden thereof 40. 36. Answering those that accuse the Protestants for holding that no man can keepe Gods commaundements and shewing what is to be holden concerning that matter 40. 37. Whether the Protestants thinke whatsoeuer we do is sinne 40. 38. Against the distinction of sinne into Mortall and Veniall 40. 39. Touching the satisfaction that men are bound vnto for their sinnes 40. 40. Wherein the doctrine of Iustification by faith onely is expounded and defended 40. 41 Intreating of Predestination and Freewill as the Protestants hold them and shewing that their doctrine concerning these points doth neither make God the author of sinne nor leade men to be carelesse of there liues nor inferre any absolute necessity constraining vs that we cannot do otherwise then we do 40. 42. Againe touching Freewill wherein the doctrine of our Church is methodically propounded and in euery point compared with that which the Papists hold that the seuerall questions betweene them and vs and the maner how and where they rise may be seene distinctly set downe 40. 43. Prouing that Gods children without miracles or extraordinary reuelation may be and are infallibly assured that they haue grace and shall be saued 41. 44. Answering that which the Papists obiect touching the miracles of their Church and Saints therein 42. 45. Touching Monkes and religious orders holden among the Papists which they say we haue reiected and forsaken 42. 46. Naming certaine points of the Papists faith which directly tend to the maintenance of open sinne and liberty of life 43. 47. Of the authoritie of the ancient Fathers in matters of our faith and religion wherein it is shewed what we ascribe vnto them and how farforth we depend vpon them and the practise of our aduersaries in contemning cluding and refusing both them and their owne writers is plainely discouered 44. 48 Containing a briefe and direct answer to our aduersaries when they say we cannot assigne a visible company professing the same faith in euery point that we do euer since Christ till now without intterruption 45. 49. Obiecting eight points for example wherein the Church of Rome holdeth contrary to that which formerly was holden The conception of the virgine Mary Latin Seruice Reading the Scriptures Priests mariage Images Supremacy Communion in one kind Transubstantion 47. 50. Of the conuersion of the Indies to the Romane faith by the Iesuites 49. 51. Naming seuen points of the Popish religion with the time when and maner how they gate into the Church thereby to shew that there is sufficient record to detect the nouelty of the present Romane faith 50. 52. Shewing that the present religion of the Romane Church was obserued and resisted in all ages as it came in and increased naming withall the persons that made the resistance and the points wherein and the time when from fiftie yeares to fiftie throughout all ages since Christ compendiously obserued out of history for the satisfying of their error that so much conceit the antiquitie of Papistry and thinke it was neuer controlled til Luthers time 50. 53. Obiecting seuen things against the outward succession of Popes in the Sea of Rome Whereby the same is clearely demonstrated to haue bene interrupted and not to be any certaine or infallible succession 55. 54. Containing a briefe narration touching the life and death of Martin Luther with the incredible reports therof made by his aduersaries shewing how sundry Popes in the Church of Rome haue liued and died worse then he though it were granted all reports made of him were true 57 55. Shewing how vncertaine and contrary the Papists are among themselues touching the power of their Priesthood in remitting sins and concerning the first institution of Shrift where it began De Iudice fidei admonitio Catholica ad Lectorem PVrus ab impuro num differt sanguine sanguis Differt iudicium laudo Galene tuum Ritibus in sacris secernitur hoedus ab agno Vox tua
bookes among them that examine their religion h Annot. on Act. 17. v. 11. The Rhemists say the hearers must not trie and iudge whether their teachers doctrine be true or no neither may they reiect that which they find not in the Scripture And this is also commonly defended by i Hosius de express Dei verb. Andrad defens Trident. l. 2. others And whereas k Prolegom cont Petrum à Sot Et Confess Wittenber cap. de sacr scriptur Brentius had written no lesse godly then truly that in the matters of our saluation we might not so cleaue to another mans opinion that we should embrace it without the approofe of our owne iudgement and it belongs to euery priuate man to iudge of the doctrine of religion and to discerne the truth from falshood l Bellarm. de verb. Dei lib. 3. c. 3. the Iesuites very scornefully reiect his saying 5 Thirdly they extoll ignorance to the skies and encourage their people to it m Rhem. annot â—n 1. Cor. 14. on Luk. 12. v. 11. They require no knowledge of the things we pray for but preferre ignorance nor yet abilitie to professe the particulars of our faith when possible we are to die in the defence of the same farre contrary to that which n 1. Pet. 3.15 the scripture so plainly teacheth And the rather to hearten the people in this blindnesse o Rhem. vpon 1. Ioh. 2. v. 20. they promise them a part in other mens gifts graces which haue knowledge p Conf. Petrie cap. 14. pag. 18. Hosius saith To know nothing is to know all things and ignorance in most things is best of all 6 This is the whole entire faith mentioned here in the Iesuites discourse whereby nothing is meant but the Colliars faith whereof q Apologie transtated by Staplet part 1. pag. 53. I spake and Staphylus writeth thus The Colliar being at the point of death and tempted of the diuell what his faith was answered I beleeue and die in the faith of Christs Church being againe demaunded what the faith of Christs Church was that faith said he that I beleeue in Thus the diuell getting no other answer was ouercome and put to flight By this faith of the Colliar euery vnlearned man may trie the spirits of men whether they be of God or no by this faith he may resist the diuell and iudge the true interpretation from the false and discerne the Catholicke from the hereticall minister the true doctrine from the forged I could scarce beleeue this to be their doctrine of entire faith vpon the report of so base a companion as Staphylus but when I saw the same conceit as grauely set foorth by r Hosius contra proleg Brentij lib. 3. pag. 146. Pigh hierarch lib. 1. cap. 5. Iacob de Graffijs decision part 1. lib. 1. cap. 26. nu 34. Antonin part 1. tit 5. c. 2. §. 1. skilfuller clearkes then he then I perceiued the Colliars faith was canonized for the Papists creed and the prouerb true that Like to like were the diuell and the colliar saue that it hath brought such a flood of ignorance vpon their people that Å¿ Imman Sa. aphor verbo Parochus pag. 298. a Doctor of their owne cries out vpon all the clergie for it Wo to our Parish Priests wo to our Bishops wo to our Prelates 7 And wo to them indeed from him that so plentifully in t Es 53.11 Ioh. 17.3 Ro. 10.14.17 Col. 3.16 Heb. 5.11 the Scriptures hath condemned this ignorance and in vaine did Christ u Ioh 5.39 commaund the people to search the Scriptures and x Rom. 15.4 Ioh 20.31 Paul and Iohn teach that whatsoeuer things are written were written for our learning and that we might beleeue if to assent to the Church without any knowledge thereof were a sound whole and an entire faith y Enarrat in Psalm 118. Hilary saith Many thinke the simplicitie of their faith shall suffice to accomplish their hope of eternall life as if the studie of innocencie according to the iudgement of the world needed not the precepts of heauenly doctrine It is written of z 2 Tim. 3.15 Timothy and a Basil Aschet prolog de iudic Dei Et epis 75. ad Neocaesar Basil that of children they were trained vp in the knowledge of the mysteries of religion And in the Primitiue Church b Iust Martyr apolog 2. Euse demonstrat euang l. 1. c. 6. Theod. de curand GraecoruÌ„ affect l. 5. the doctrines and seuerall points of religion were knowne and discoursed by the meanest of the people and c Chrysos hom 3. in Lazarum Orig in Num. hom 27. the Bishops exhorted them thereunto which practise declareth manifestly enough that in those dayes knowledge of the things beleeued was thought necessary to an entire faith though now the case be altered in the Church of Rome and the Iesuites owne reasons proue as much for d Thom. 22. qu. 1. art 10. 3. Athanasius creed is a rule of faith and therefore sheweth we are bound both to beleeue and know the things contained in it else he might as well haue pointed downe the Colliars creed Againe to what purpose should God propound all the points of our faith one as well as another vnlesse his will were that we should learne them all according to e Deut. 29.29 that of Moses Secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things reuealed belong to vs and to our children that we may do all the words of the law f In Ioh. tract 21. Austins saying is to be noted Some may obiect we do rashly in discussing and searching out the words of God but why are they vttered if they may not be knowne why haue they sounded if they may not be heard and why are they heard but that we should vnderstand them § 3. Fourthly as this one infallible entire faith is necessarie to the saluation of euery one as well the vnlearned as the learned so we must say that Almightie God Qui vult omnes homines saluos fieri ad cognitionem veritatis venire 1. Tim. 2. hath for proofe that this for his part is a true will prouided some certaine and infallible rule and meanes whereby euery man learned and vnlearned may sufficiently in all points questions or doubts of faith be infallibly instructed what is to be holden for true faith and that the onely cause why a man misseth of the true faith is that he doth not seeke and finde this infallible rule or hauing found it will not with an obedient mind captiuate his vnderstanding selfe-iudgement and contrarie opinion in obsequium Christi for the seruice of Christ and in all points yeeld infallible assent vnto it as euery Christian ought Credamus Deo saith S. Chrysostome hom 83. in Matth. nec repugnemus etiamsi sensui cogitationi nostrae absurdum videatur quod dicit Let vs beleeue God without
cap. 4. Cyril that euen those things which are very easie yet to heretickes be hard to vnderstand And r In Anchor Epiphanius If a man be not taught of God to beleeue the truth all things to him are vneuen crooked which yet are straite and not to be excepted against to such as haue obteyned learning vnderstanding Austin hauing in his books of Christan doctrine propounded the rule of faith whereby all matters of faith must be determined yet notwithstanding thus concludes Å¿ Prolog in lib. de doctrin Christ To such as vnderstand not what I write I answer they must not blame me if they conceiue not these things as if I shewed them with my finger the moone or a star which they would see being not very cleare and they haue not eyes to see my finger much lesse a star they must not be offended at me if they see it not so they who vnderstanding these my precepts cannot yet see the things which in the Scripture be darke let them cease to blame me and rather pray God to giue them eye sight For I may point with my finger but I cannot giue them eyes to see the things I point to § 5. All these being set downe for certaine grounds the question is what in particular may be assigned as an infallible rule sufficient in it selfe to instruct all sorts of men in all points of faith This question I resolue by putting downe and prouing these foure conclusions * Diligens attenta frequensque lectio tum meditatio collatio â—cripturarum omnium summa regula ad intelligendum mihi semper est visa Acosta apud Possen l. 2. c. 15. The first conclusion is that the Scriptures alone especially as translated into the English tongue cannot be this rule This I proue The Answer 1 This conclusion hath two parts First that the Scripture is not the rule which God hath left to instruct vs in the points of faith Next that if possible it were yet as we haue it traÌ„slated into English it cannot Whereto I answer that the doctrine of our Church is t Artic. 6. cap. The doctrine of holy Scripture Iewel apol part 2. cap 9. diuis 1. that the Scriptures comprehended in the canonical books of the old and new Testament is the rule of faith so far that whatsoeuer is not read therein or cannot be proued thereby is not to be accepted as any point of faith or needfull to be followed but by it all doctrines taught and the Churches practise must be examined and that reiected which is contrary to it vnder what title or pretence soeuer it come vnto vs. 2 And as for translations we say that the diuine truth which is the infallible word of God is alike conteined in all translations as the meanes to shew it vs and the vessels wherein it is presented to vs yet with this difference that the same is perfectly immediatly most absolutely in the originall Hebrew and Greeke all other translations being to be tryed by them And therefore * Sacrae Scripturae infallibilis per omnia authoritas integerrima in omnibus veritas non pendet ex omnimoda incorruptibilitate alicuius editionis sed eius incorruptibilitas omnimoda in corde Ecclesiae ita conseruatur vt cum opus suerit opportunè prouideat ipsosque codices corrigat emendet Dom. Bann in 1. part Tho. pag 72. we relie vpon translations but in a certaine manner and degree namely with this caution that we trie them by the originall and finding them to agree in the matter we hold the translation to be the same canonicall Scripture that the Greek and Hebrew is Thus we say that euery translation consenting with the originall is canonicall Scripture because the matter of it is the pure doctrine of the holy Ghost and this doctrine conteined in it is the rule we seeke for Otherwise in the rigor of speech we cannot call the English translation the rule no not yet the Greeke and Hebrew because all language and writing is but a symbole or declaration of the rule and a certaine forme or manner or meanes whereby it cometh to vs as things are conteyned in their words And so to conclude because the doctrine matter of the text is not made knowne to me but by the words language therefore I say the scripture translated into English is the rule of faith whereupon I relying haue not a humane but a diuine authoritie For euen as I beleeue a diuine truth although by humane voice in preaching it be conueyed to me so I enioy the infallible doctrine of the Scriptures immediatly inspired by the holy Ghost though by a humane translation it be manifested to me And this is our meaning when we call the Scriptures translated into English the rule Which being explaned I will put the Reader in mind of three points to be noted about this conclusion which I will handle in the three next Digressions one after another Digression 3. Wherein by the Scriptures Fathers Reason and the Papists owne confessions it is shewed that the Scripture is the rule of faith 3 And first let any man iudge by that which followeth if this conclusion be not contrary to the cleare euidence of truth and Diuinitie For the text in plaine words free from ambiguitie saith u 2. Tim. 3.15 The Scriptures are able to make vs wise to saluation through the faith that is in Christ Iesus and are profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute and perfect to euery good worke or as Salomon x Pro. 2.1.9 speaketh They will make a man vnderstand righteousnesse and iudgement and equity and euery good path y Esa 8.20 We must repaire to the law to the testimonie if any speak not according to that word there is no light in them z Mal. 4.4 Lu. 16.29 Remember the law of Moses my seruant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes and iudgements a 2. Pet 1.19 We haue a more sure word of the Prophets whereunto we must take heede as to a light that shineth in a darke place till the day starre arise in our hearts b Luc. 1.4 Ioh. 5.39 20.31 These things are written that we might haue the certaintie of that whereof we are instructed and that we might beleeue in Iesus and in beleeuing haue life eternall c 1. Cor. 4 6. We may not presume aboue that which is written d Luc. 10.26 And when one asked Christ what he might do to be saued he referred him to the Scripture for his direction And so e Luc. 16 29. did Abraham answer the rich glutton They haue Moses and the Prophets And f Deut. 12.8.32 Pro. 30.5 Mat. 22.29 Gal. 1.8 Eph 2.20 Heb. 4.12 Ap. 22.18 infinite more testimonies be there to the same effect Now shall the Scripture be able to
to enlighten the people so blind and ignorant are their minds But that which Andrew said There is a boy here which hath fiue loaues two fishes must be vnderstood of the rank of Saint Peters successors that which is added make the people sit down signifieth that saluation must be offered them by teaching them the seuen sacraments 16 And whereas the Iesuite vrgeth so diligently that somethings are hard to be vnderstood yet this proueth not that the truth therefore cannot be tryed by onely Scripture because one place thereof expoundeth another which if the Iesuite will deny he must be disputed with as he that holdeth the fire hath no heate in it for against such an absurd assertion we vse no reasons but onely bid the man that holdeth it put his finger into the fire and he shall presently see whether his opinion be true or no. So let triall be made and the Iesuite shall soone see whether the Scripture be so obscure that one place thereof cannot interpret another m De Doctrin Christian lib. 2. c. 6. Austin saith There is almost nothing amoÌ„g these obscurities but in other places one may find it most plainly deliuered n Hom. 9. in 2. Cor. Chrysostom saith The Scripture euery where when it speaketh any thing obscurely interpreteth it selfe againe in another place o Comment in Esa c. 19. Hierome saith It is the manner of the Scripture after things obscure to set down things manifest that which they haue first spoken in parables to deliuer afterwards in plaine terms p Regul contract qu. 267. Basil saith The things which are doubtfull and in some places of Scripture seeme to be spoken obscurely are made plaine by those things which are euident in other places And finally q In Gen. ca. 2. Steuchius a Popish Bishop confesseth God was neuer so inhumane as to suffer the world in all ages to be tormented with the ignorance of this matter the sence of the Scripture seeing he hath not suffered one place to be in al the Scripture but if we consider it well we may interpret it For as Theodoret saith the Scripture vseth when it teacheth vs any such high matter to expound it selfe and not suffer vs to run into error Digression 11. Prouing that the Scripture it selfe hath that outward authoritie whereupon our faith is built and not the Church 17 The Canon law r Dist 37. c Relatum saith expresly The diuine Scriptures containe the whole and firme rule of the truth and out of themselues the meaning thereof must be taken So that wel may the Church by her ministery commend the rule to vs and instruct vs how to secure our consciences out of the Scripture but by it authoritie it cannot assure vs. Our faith must resolue it selfe into the authoritie of the Scripture For the authoritie of the Church in respect of vs dependeth on the authoritie of the Scriptures and is examined thereby The Church by her authoritie cannot perswade all men which heare it but the spirit of God in the Scriptures alwayes doth The Scriptures alwaies had their authoritie euen before the Churches came to them the words of the Scripture are Å¿ Luc. 8.11 1. Pet. 1.23 an immortall seed t 1. Cor. 2.4 the demonstration of the spirit and power u Heb. 4.12 that which is liuely and powerfull x Luc. 24.32 making our hearts to burne within vs y Ioh. 5.36.39 it giueth greater testimony to Christ then Iohn Baptist could z 2. Pet. 1.18 19 a voice from heauen is not so sure as it a 1. Ioh. 5.6 it is the spirit that beareth witnesse to the truth thereof b 1. Ioh. 5 9. and if we receiue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater Finally our Sauiour c Ioh. 5.47 saith They which beleeue not Moses writings will not beleeue him and is the Churches authoritie greater then Christs d Ioh. 5.39 The Scriptures testifie of Christ e Ioh. 20.31 being written that we might beleeue in him f 1. Ioh. 5.10 and he that beleeueth in him hath a witnesse in himselfe g 2. Cor. 1.22 The earnest of the spirit is in his owne heart wherwith God hath sealed him h Ephes 2.20 We are all built vpoÌ„ the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ himselfe being the head corner stone in whom all the building is coupled together by the spirit i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in psa 1â—5 In all humane arts there be certaine principles which are knowne of themselues and beleeued for themselues without any further demonstration The Scripture containeth the principles of our faith and shall not we beleeue them or cannot we know them infallibly of themselues without we let in the authoritie of the Church 18 Where then is the Iesuites credamus Deo in the captiuating of our iudgement in obsequium Christi Yea the very k Magist 3. dist 23. Scot. 3. dist 23. q vnica Ockâ—â— 3. q. 8. art 3. Gabr 3. d. 23. q 2. lit g. h. schoolemen say that faith is either Acquisita suasa gotten by discourse of reason and testimonie of the Church or Infusa inspirata immediatly put into our hearts by the holy Ghost inforcing the mind without further testimonie to yeeld obedience Now l Deut. 29 4. Mat. 16 17. the faith we haue of the points in Scripture is of the latter kind and so consequently not relying on the testimonie of the Church whose authority is but a created thing distinct from the first veritie m Princip fid doctrin lib. 8. cap. 20. saith D. Stapleton Alexander Hales n Part. 1. q. 1. memb 1. fides suasa inspirata saith Faith perswaded ariseth from the probabilitie of reason and faith inspired beleeueth the first truth for it selfe and this faith is aboue all knowledge * Et ad hanc disponit acceptâ—o doctrinae sacrae and the acceptation of the holy doctrine disposeth vs to it So that our conscience stayeth it selfe o Sed vt verè plenè credat necesse habet soli veritati primae purae nudae penitus inhaerere nullaÌ„ certitudinem extrinsecam requirendo Altisiod Sum. li. 2. pag 71. quem vide latiùs l. 1. praef onely vpon this diuine authoritie being of greater efficacie to perswade and hold vs then either the Church p Gal. 1.8 or an Angell from heauen 19 Let God himselfe q Lib. 5. ep 31. saith Ambrose teach me the mystery of heauen which made it not man who knoweth not himselfe whom may I beleue in the things of God better then God himselfe So also saith Saluianus r De prouid l. 3. All that men say needs reasons and witnesses but Gods word is witnesse to it selfe because it followeth necessarily that whatsoeuer the incorrupt truth speaketh must needs be an incorrupt witnes of it self Finally let these words of Å¿ Confess
teach him the faith of Christ and this the Apostle saith the Scriptures are able to do By which word Able the other word Profitable must be expounded For the Apostle to manifest their abilitie produceth their profitablenesse which were no good argument if their profitablenesse were not complete Besides it cannot be denyed but all sufficient things are profitable and therefore hence it followeth by the rule of conuersion that therefore some profitable things are sufficient And so may the scripture be sufficient 3 Secondly he answereth They be profitable and sufficient because they commend vnto vs the Churches authoritie which is sufficient But this is a shift For 1. then they are not sâ—fficient in that they coÌ„mend no such authoritie to vs. 2. If this be a good answer theÌ„ so many books of the Bible be superfluous For this one place or b Hold the traditions the fifteenth verse of the second chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians for example were sufficient because according to the Iesuites exposition it commendeth to vs the authoritie of the Church which is able to instruct vs. 3. The text is euident that the profitablenesse thereof standeth in teaching reprouing correcting and instructing now if it stand in this wholly then the Iesuits conceit is excluded if but in part then let him shew what we need more for our saluation then doctrine reproofe correction and instruction 4. There was neuer any Papist in the world that durst alledge this text for the authoritie of the Church and yet granting the Iesuites exposition it should proue it inuincibly 5. The Church it selfe whereunto he saith the Scripture sendeth vs for our sufficient instruction receiueth her doctrine out of the Scriptures The Church saith c Tract 3. in 1. epist Ioh. Austin is our mother her brests are the two testaments of the Scripture whence she giueth her children milke Therfore they containe a sufficient doctrine because the Church giueth her children no other 6. Yea the Apostle saith they are able to make the man of God perfect that is the Pastor himselfe the Pope and Councell and all Now the Iesuite will not say they make these perfect by sending them to the Church because themselues are the Church yea the head and mouth of it 7. Finally it were intollerable folly to say that man teacheth me all good learning that I might be absolute and perfect yea maketh me wise to knowledge which onely as I go sheweth me the schoole where I learne these things yet the speech were as proper as the Apostles in this place supposing the Iesuites exposition to be true 4 The fathers and certaine Papists also the truth constraining them expound the place otherwise and say as we do d Hom. 9. Chrysostome writing on this place saith If any thing be needfull for vs to learne or to be ignorant of there in the Scripture we may haue it and he addeth that in these words Paul telleth Timothy Thou hast the Scriptures to teach thee in steed of me if thou desire to know any thing there thou maist learne it Which he could not haue said if he had not thought Timothy might learne as much out of the Scripture as Paul could teach him e De ration stud theolog lib. 1. cap. 3. Villavincentius a Papist confesseth The Scriptures and they alone are able to teach vs to saluation as the Apostle in the third chapter of his second Epistle to Timothy affirmeth saying all Scripture is inspired of God c. In which words the Apostle comprehendeth all things that are needfull to the saluation of man f Sum part 3. tit 18. c. 3. §. 3. Antoninus the Archbishop of Florence saith God hath spoken but once and that in the holy Scripture so fully to all doubts and cases and to all good workes that he needeth speake no more g Comment in 2. Tim. c. 3 in v. 15.16 Espencaeus writeth That if any thing be needfull either to be knowne or done the Scriptures teach the truth reproue the false reclaime from euill perswade to good Neither yet do they make a man good in some sort but perfect yea they can teach a man to saluation and h Sufficienter doctum reddere make him learned sufficiently § 12. The second conclusion is that no mans naturall wit and learning neither any companie of men neuer so learned onely as they are learned men not infallibly assisted by the holy Spirit can either by interpreting Scripture or otherwise be this infallible rule of Faith and consequently thoâ—e that for matters of faith rely either vpon their owne interpretation of Scripture or vpon the interpretation of other learned not assisted infallibly by the holy Ghost cannot haue an infallible faith This I proue Because all this wit and learning is humane naturall and fallible and therefore cannot be a rule or foundation whereupon to build a diuine supernaturall and infallible faith The third conclusion that no priuate man who perswadeth him selfe to be especially instructed by the Spirit can be this infallible rule of faith at least so farre forth as he teacheth or beleeueth contrarie to the receiued doctrine of the catholike Church this I proue first because S. Paul Gal. 1. saith Si quis vobis euangelizauerit praeter id quod accepistis anathema sit Pronouncing generally that whosoeuer teacheth contrarie to the receiued doctrine of the catholike Church should be held anathematized or accursed Secondly I proue the same because the rule of faith must be infallible plainly knowne and vniuersall as before hath bene proued But this priuate spirit is not such For neither the partie himselfe and much lesse any other can be infallibly sure that he in particular is taught by the holy Ghost For neither is there anie promise in Scripture to assure that he in particular is thus taught by the holy Ghost neither is his particular perswasion be it neuer so seeming strong able to giue infallible assurance thereof since diuerse now adayes perswade theÌ„selues to be thus taught by the Spirit and yet one of them teaching contrary to another and therefore some in these their perswasions must needs be deceiued And therefore who without testimonie of true miracle or some other infallible proofe dare arrogantly affirme that he onely is not deceiued since others that perswade themselues in the same maner that he doth are in this their perswasion sometime deceiued Moreouer suppose one assure himselfe to be taught by Gods Spirit immediatly in all things what is the true faith as it is not the maner of Almightie God to teach men immediatly by himselfe but rather as the Scripture telleth vs Fides ex auditu Rom. 10. and it is to be required ex ore sacerdotis and must be learned of Pastors and Doctors whom God hath put in his Church vt non circumferamur omni vento doctrinae But suppose I say one in priuate thinke himselfe to be immediatly taught of God how should he
Romish multitude and though their persons were not the rule yet when they followed that which is the rule we beleeued them § 13. The fourth and last conclusion of this question is that this infallible rule which we ought obediently to follow in all points of faith is the doctrine and teaching faith and beliefe of the true Church This I proue Because to this agree all the conditions which I said to be requisite in the rule of faith First this is a thing infallible as shal be proued Secondly it is a thing easie to be knowne Thirdly it is such a thing as may vniuersally resolue and determine vs in all questions and doubts and instruct all sorts of men in all points of faith And consequently whosoeuer will obediently yeeld assent to this rule in all points as we all professe in our Creed saying Credo Ecclesiam catholicam shall not erre in anie point That these three conditions of the rule of faith agree to the doctrine and teaching of the vniuersall or catholike Church I proue The Answer 1 We would not stand with the Iesuite about this conclusion but freely grant it if no more were meant thereby then the words make shew of that the doctrine and faith of the vniuersall Church is the rule of faith For that doctrine is onely the contents of the Scripture which we yeeld to be the rule For a In 1. Ep. Ioh. tract 3. Austin saith Our mother the Church giueth her children milk out of her two brests the old and new Testament But he hath a further reach and meaneth a higher matter First that the Churches word and authoritie is the rule without referring the same to the Scripture Secondly that the Church of Rome is this true and vniuersall Church Thirdly that all the authoritie and efficacy therof is in the Pope alone This is the plaine English of the conclusion howsoeuer the words be faire and cleanely and the Iesuite defending it must shew all the properties of the rule to appertaine to the present Church and Pope of Rome or else he doth but trifle and spend time Digression 16. Shewing how the Papists pretending at euerie word the Catholicke Church meane nothing thereby but the Popes determination 2 First howsoeuer these words be tollerable the doctrine teaching faith and beliefe of the true Church is the infallible rule in all points to be followed yet the Popish meaning is absurd that whatsoeuer the Church teacheth though it be not contained in the Bible must be accepted as matter of faith and that vpon her owne authoritie Yet thus they hold as I haue b Digress 1. c. 6.9 shewed and may further be perceiued by the Iesuites words in this section Whosoeuer will yeeld assent to the Church in all points as we professe in our Creed saying I beleeue the Catholicke Church shall not erre in any point Which words of the Creed meaning no more but c Ruffin expos Symbo that we beleeue there is one holy Catholicke Church whereof our selues are members he expoundeth of yeelding assent in all points to it which exposition may be further vnderstood by that which d Staplet def eccles potest adu Whitak l. 1. cap 9. Rhem. annot 1. Tim. 3.15 Bristo dem 44. other Papists say more fully I beleeue the Catholicke Church the literall sence whereof is that thou beleeuest whatsoeuer the Catholicke Church holdeth and teacheth are to be beleeued Which exposition is a glosse beside the text And yet this is tollerable in comparison of the next 3 For hauing deuolued all power ouer to the Church in the next place they define this Church to be the Romane company For e Mot. 12. in marg Bristo saith The Romane Church is the Catholicke Church and f Annot. Rom. 1 8. idem B. roÌ„ Annal. tom 1. an 58. nu 49. See Posseu bibl select lib. 4. c. 13. â— Interdum quoqueâ—aud sâ—â—iâ— the Rhemists The Catholicke and Romane faith is all one Wherein their meaning is to win authoritie to the Romish faction perswading men there is no saluation but in that religion and making roome for themselues in all those places of Scripture which commend vnto vs the Catholicke Church of Christ Which is a iest so grosse that it deserueth to be smiled at rather then confuted And yet it stayeth not here neither but goeth a degree further which me thinketh is a note aboue éla 4 For as they take all authoritie and sufficiency from the Scripture and giue it the Church so all the Churches authoritie they giue to the Pope So saith Gregory of Valence g Dispuâ— theo tom 3 â—isp 1. â—u 1. punct 1. p. 24. Item Cater 22 q. 1. art 9. 10. Dom. Ban ibid. apud D. Tho nam Pro eodem omnino reputatur authoritas Ecclesiae vniuersalis authoritas concilij authoritas sum mi pontificis By the Church we meane her head that is to say the Romane Bishop h Analys fidei pag. 136. In whom resideth that full authoritie of the Church when he pleaseth to determine matters of faith whether he do it with a Councell or without Thomas saith i 22. q 1. art 10. The making of a new Creed belongeth to the Pope as all other things do which belong to the whole Church k 22. qu 1 â— art 2.3 Yea the whole authoritie of the vniuersall Church abideth in him l Defens fid Triâ—ent lib. 2. Andradius saith All power to interpret the Scripture and reueale the hidden mysteries of our religioÌ„ is giuen from heauen to the Popes and their Councels Yea m Decis aur cas part 2 l. 2. c 7 nu 40 saith Graffius The common opinion is he may do it without them And so n De Christ l. 2 c. 28. saith Bellarmine Himselfe without any Councell may decree matters of faith And o Sum Syluest verbo fides nu 2. Syluester The power of the Catholicke Church remaineth all in him And p De Planctu Eccl. lib. 1. artic 6. Aluarus Pelagius We are bound to stand to his iudgement alone rather then to the iudgement of all the world beside And the canon Law saith q In Sext. extt. Ioh. 22 tit 14 c. cum inter in gloss It were heresie to thinke our Lord God the Pope might not decree as he doth r Dist 19. in Canonicis glos ibid. Yea his rescripts and decretall Epistles are canonicall Scripture Stapleton Å¿ Praefat. Princip fidei doctrinal saith The foundation of our religion is of necessitie placed vpon the authoritie of this mans teaching in which we heare God himselfe speaking And finally the Iesuite himselfe t §. hereafter saith All Catholicke men must necessarily submit their iudgement and opinions either in expounding the Scripture or otherwise to the censure of the Apostolicke seate and God hath bound his Church to heare the chiefe Pastor in all points By all which we see what is
what say you to forty thousand yeares of pardon Pope Sixtus the fourth granted it to whosoeuer will say a prayer of his making not fiue aboue fortie words long that his Catholickes might not complaine the Protestants satisfaction was easier then theirs And there is another prayer somewhat longer which Saint Bernard vpon a time saying before the Rood so pleased the said Rood that bowing it selfe it embraced him in his armes being belike of the same good nature that the Rood of Naples was f Anton. Chro. part 3. tit 23. c. 7. § 11. p. 206. which spake so kindly to Thomas Aquin or of the same mettal that the crucifixe was of g Sibi or anti crucifixi imaginem inclinare caput aspexit Baron annal to 11. an 1051. nu 1. which nodded his head to the monke Gualbertus Now such a praier as this that like h Dictus Amphion Thebanae conditor vrbis Saxa mouere sono testudinio prece blanda Ducere quò vellet Horat. art Poet. Amphions harpe could make stones moue by all likelihood would pierce further then the straightest satisfaction that could be taught Or if the Protestants haue an easier way yet at last they must giue place to one peculiar kinde of deuotion throughly plied in our country which is to haue the armes of Christs passion the crosse nailes whip lance heart and hands of Christ for example painted and them deuoutly to worship For this kind of satisfaction hath wonderfull priuiledges granted it by one and thirtie Popes and an hundred twentie eight Bishops The first Pope granting three yeares pardon to them that vse it the other thirty adding euery one a hundred dayes more and each Bishop fortie 36 And so I conclude that the premises considered our aduersaries haue no cause to disgrace the Protestants with their penance or any longer to raile vpon them for putting it away for as much as their owne doctors haue spoken so coldly and vncertainly thereof and contrary one to another and allowed such qualifications by contrition pardons as make it a thousand times easier then an hypocrites repentance Which they would neuer haue done being warie and wise but that they thought in their conscience the repentance taught in our Church to be the truth and their penance a discipline of their owne inuentioÌ„ And so froÌ„ henceforward we wil take their angrie words about this matter as spoken in zeale of their cause and iealousie of their pardons but neuer thinke they meane in good earnest to condemne vs thereby though they speake somewhat rigorously for feare of the worst lest their people should suspect them and buy no more pardons Digression 40. Wherein the doctrine of iustification by faith onely is expounded and defended 37 The ninth point whereof he accuseth vs is for teaching that by onely faith our sinnes be not imputed to vs the which we teach indeed or rather haue learned of him that teacheth all truth the Spirit of God who i Psal 32.1 Rom. 4.6 saith Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinne is couered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Now I neuer knew but k Sixt. Senens biblioth l. 6. annot 216. it was alwayes lawfull for Catholick men to vse the Catholicke phrase of the Scripture and speake as it doth For to say they are not imputed and by faith onely they are not imputed is all one because the not imputing of sinne is a mercie of God l Nazian orat in sanct bapt whereby he ascribeth it not to vs nor deputeth it to condemnation but as if we had neuer done it he forgiueth it and esteemeth vs no sinners The which mercy being in God alone supposeth somewhat on our behalfe that may receiue it which can be nothing but faith alone the Scripture saying m Gal 3.14 We receiue the promise of the spirit by faith and n Rom. 4.11 righteousnesse is imputed to all them that beleeue as o V. 3. Gen. 15.6 Abraham beleeued and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse The which our exposition making faith alone the instrument and not penance or workes if our aduersaries mislike then let them hearken what some of the learnedst among themselues haue written Forsomuch p 4. d. 15. q. 1. saith Bonauenture as man was not able to satisfie for so great offence therefore God gaue him a mediator who should satisfie for it whence it cometh to passe that by onely faith in his pâ—ssion all the fault is remitted and without his faith no man is iustified And q In Ioh. 19. â— 30 Ferus Our saluation is consummate not fully but in hope by reason maÌ„ beginneth to be iustified healed so that whilest he is iustified the rest of his sin remaining in his flesh through Christ is not imputed to him And r Antididagm Colonienf tit de Iustif hom pag. 29. Gropper By faith we are iustified as by the apprehensiue cause that faith whereby without doubting we firmly beleeue that hauing true repentance our sins are forgiuen vs for Christ whereof notwithstanding it behoueth vs by faith to haue the inward testimonie of the holy Ghost Whereby we see that iustification or not imputation of sin by faith onely is good diuinitie among our aduersaries themselues 38 But because either through ignorance or malice it is misreported to the people who are made beleeue that thereby we exclude the necessitie of a godly life therefore I will briefly expound the meaning of this proposition By faith onely we are iustified Wherein there are three termes the first is iustification and thereby we meane Gods acceptation of a sinner to grace and glorie For man being guiltie of the breach of Gods law and so subiect to the penaltie thereof which is condemnation cannot be restored againe vnlesse he bring a righteousnesse to satisfie this law againe that is to say which may answer both the obedience that it requireth and the punishment that it inflicteth The reason hereof is because the law being part of Gods will and being giuen to man out of the iustice of God must take his effect else God should leaue his iustice vnsatisfied and depart from his nature Å¿ Mat. 5 18. which is vnpossible This righteousnesse we affirme to be not our owne inherent iustice but the obedience of Christ alone whereby he fulfilled the whole law most perfectly for vs. We denie not but euery seruant of God hath in him true sanctification and holinesse enabling him to repentance satisfaction faith hope and charitie but we denie these or any of them to be the iustice whereby the bond of Gods law is answered and we appeare righteous before Gods iudgement seate partly because they are vnperfect and partly for that we do them not by our owne strength But the very thing that maketh vs accepted as iust is the obedience of Christ whereby he fulfilled the law and satisfied the punishment in his life and
according to the spirit Neither when we say faith onely do we thinke that the faith whereby we are iustified is alone and without loue and works any more then he that saith the heate onely of the fire burneth meaneth thereby that the heate is without light but we hold that iustifying faith is alway accompanied with workes as the Sunne is with his light and trees with their fruite and causes with their effects though the workes themselues iustifie not but being the effects of iustification haue their proper vse to sanctifie vs which is a condition in his due time and order necessarily required to saue vs as well as iustification because as I said God bringeth no man to glory by iustifying him alone but by sanctifying him also for whom he electeth them he calleth and iustifieth and sanctifieth both 41 And this is it we meane by saying our sinnes are not imputed or we are iustified by faith onely whereat as often as our aduersaries wonder they should be put in mind of that which Erasmus told them long since This word Only which now adayes they shout at so in Luther is reuerently heard and read in the writings of the Fathers For Saint Ambrose t Comment 1. Cor. 1. saith This is the worke of God that he which beleeueth in Christ should be saued WITHOVT WORKES FREELY BY GRACE ONELY receiuing the pardon of his sinnes Chrysostome u Hom. 7. Rom. 3. saith But what is the law of faith Euen to be saued by grace here the Apostle sheweth the goodnesse of God who not onely saueth vs but also iustifieth and glorifieth vs vsing no workes hereunto but requiring FAITH ONELY Basil x Hom. de humil saith This is true and perfect reioycing in God when a man is not lifted vp with his owne righteousnesse but knoweth himselfe to be void of true righteousnesse and to be iustified by FAITH ONELY in Christ Comment 2. Eph. Theodoret y saith We haue not beleeued of our owne accord but being called we came and being come he exacteth not puritie and innocencie of life at our hands but by FAITH ONELY he forgaue our sinnes Bernard z Cant. ser 22. saith Whosoeuer is touched with his sinnes and hungreth after righteousnesse let him beleeue in God that iustifieth sinners and being iustified by FAITH ONELY he shall haue peace with God Thus the Fathers in their time spake according to a Rom. 3.28 4 5. Gal. 2.16 the Scriptures whereupon we ground our selues whose words can no way be so wrested but they will yeeld our very opinion and plainly shew that in this point they held the same thing that we do 42 And out of all question our aduersaries themselues in times past haue thought it the truth For Aquinas hath left b Rom. 3. lect 4. Gal. 3. lect 4. written that workes be not the cause why a man is iust before God but rather they are the execution and manifestation of his iustice for no man is iustified by workes but by the HABIT OF FAITH infused yea IVSTIFICATION IS DONE BY FAITH ONLY And c Iac. 2. the ordinary Glosse Abraham was not iustified by the workes he did but by FAITH ONELY his oblation being a worke of his faith and a testimonie of his righteousnesse But Gropper with the Diuines of Colen d Antididagm pag. 29. speake more fully that By the faith of Gods word working in vs contrition and repentance and other workes of preuenting grace we are iustified as by a certaine preparatiue and disposing cause but by faith whereby without doubt we firmly beleeue our sins to be forgiuen for Christ we are IVSTIFIED AS BY THE APPREHENDING CAVSE So God iustifieth vs by a double righteousnesse as by formall and essentiall causes whereof one and the chiefe is the perfect righteousnes of Christ not as it is out of vs in him but as and when the same being apprehended by faith is imputed to vs for righteousnesse And this imputed iustice of Christ is the chiefe and speciall cause of our iustification whereunto we are principally to rely and trust 43 And thus we see the Protestants doctrine of onely faith and the not imputing our sinnes vnto vs was thought sound diuinitie among our aduersaries themselues till within these threescore yeares that the Trent Councell began to looke asquint at it which was no maruel for it is an ordinary thing that a man marrying a latter wife looketh strangely on his owne children had by a former yea giueth his land from them to their yonger brethren though once the time were when he was of another mind And so no wonder if the Church of Rome now begin to turne away her louing countenance from her former faith when she hath about her so many brats of latter opinions begotten by the Friers and Iesuites her new louers that would haue no nay Otherwise faith onely is a doctrine that might haue inherited her mothers lands euen this day in Rome had she not in her widowhood played the wanton And yet seeing in auncient times it was holden in the dayes of the Church of Romes first husband our aduersaries for reuerence of their schooles and credit of the Doctors should handle the matter as gently as might be and not so intemperatly reuile their mothers elder sonne calling it as this Iesuit doth a doctrine drawing men to leudnesse or as e Rom. 3.22 the Rhemists do a new no-iustice a fantasticall apprehension nor as f Whright art 9. another doth a Solifidian portion nor as g Apolog. ep sect 8. another doth a desolation of order a doctrine against a common wealth because such foule words as these will touch the Scripture it selfe and all the ancient Fathers and many Romane Catholickes as well as vs and they that are so lauish of their tongue in vsing them if they take not good heed may chance to haue his hap that threw a stone at a dog and vnawares hit his step-mother Digression 41. Intreating of Predestination and Free-will as the Protestants hold them and shewing that their doctrine concerning these points doth neither make God the author of sinne nor leade men to be carelesse of their liues nor inferre any absolute necessitie constraining vs that we cannot do otherwise then we do 43 In the last place he mentioneth our doctrine touching Predestination and Freewill as if thereby we led men to be carelesse in their actions because as this Iesuit vrgeth it God hauing predestinate all things mans free will is lost thereby that he cannot do otherwise then he doth but God himselfe is the author of sinne Wherein he sheweth his vnsatiable desire of contention and that besides h Pâ—â— 30.15 the graue the barren wombe the earth and the fire which neuer say I haue enough there is a fifth thing as vnsatiable as they the contentious spirit of an aduersarie neuer satisfied with lying and contradiction For let them say directly what is the point they mislike
praying and shriuing as the Church of Rome teacheth them are so many heresies and directly leade men to sinne inspiring them with pride of their owne works and filling them with hypocrisie idolatrie and sensualitie as I haue shewed particularly in them all in the digressions vnder the 40. section whereas being rightly vnderstood and practised they are the doctrine of our Church also as I haue shewed before And for confession we thinke it lawfull for any man excluding the opinion of necessitie to reueale his secret sinne to his Pastor that so he may receiue particular instruction when his conscience is troubled therewith so the same be done wisely and discreetly And that which he addeth touching the saying of Protestants when they see a Papist do amisse You should not do thus is a weake proofe that we think Popery directeth them to no euill For we speake to them either as to hypocrites going against their proud profession or as to ignorant persons transgressing Gods law And our words with this relation are so far from shewing that we thinke they do against their religion that they proue we thinke the contrary For saying You should not do thus we shew them their hypocrisie in taking vpon them a profession that hath no power in it to reforme their liues and therefore aduise them to imbrace the truth that may direct them better I would not haue mentioned this obiectiō it is so contemptible but that I perceiue they are inamoured of it For Campian in g Concertat Eccl. cathol in Angl. pag 24. an epistle to the General of the Iesuits sendeth it with other newes out of England to giue hope of good successe to the Catholicke religion 4 The conclusion therefore that the Romane Church is the holy Church because the doctrine thereof is holy and leadeth to holinesse and the holy Saints are in it c. is denied because the reasons whereupon it is grounded are false and haue failed in the triall Yet it soundeth you see sweet in his eare like his sacring bell for he repeateth it often Digress 46. Naming certain points of the Popish religiō which directly tend to the maintenance of open sin and libertie of life 5 But yet in this I commend this Iesuites wit that declaring the holinesse of his doctrine he mentioneth onely certaine of the plausiblest points thereof freewill keeping the law merit fasting praying shriuing and concealeth the rest For they which commend Moyles neuer mention the Asse that begat them who yet is the one halfe of their pedigree but talk all of the Mares that beare thē So play our aduersaries in this point for some parts of their doctrine are so fowle and profane euen at the first sight without any discourse that they may not I thinke for shame offer them as patterns of their holy doctrine I name these for example that follow The h Azor. Instit mor. tom 1. p. 663. Aquipontan de Antich pag. 72. depriuing of kings and i Turrecr Sum. de eccles l. 2. c. 114. prop. 5. absoluing subiects from their obedience yea k Baron ann 1089 11. the murthering of them whensoeuer it shall be the Popes pleasure Which doctrine hath filled all parts of the world with treason and allowed any man to be a traitor against his soueraigne in case he be a Protestant Prince The worship of images whereby the people may easily be drawne to idolatry as l Durand ratio p. 13. Polyd. Inuent l 6. c. 13. some of themselues deny not and m Concil Mogūt tom 3. con pag. 938. their owne experience hath shewed thē The doctrine of pardōs n Tho. supplem q. 25. art 1. wherby they hold any sinne may be forgiuen without satisfaction This imboldened certaine o Chemnit exam de poenit Germans to rob the Popes pardoner because he had giuen them a pardon to remit the next sinne they should commit though it were a great sinne And it is not likely but in the abundance of pardons some will take courage to sinne if it be but to tast their bountie p Staphyl p. 53. The Colliars faith to beleeue as the Church beleeueth induceth the world to brutish ignorance Their doctrine touching the sacrament q Suar. tom 3. pag. 783. that a dog or a swine eating a consecrated hoast eateth the very flesh of our Sauiour of it selfe is blaspemy and atheisme r Altisiod l. 1. p. 27. Worril 1. d. 43. 4. d. 21. 26. Durand 4. p. 462. c. Some teach that soules damned long since in hell may be deliuered and returne into the body againe and do penance and be saued as diuers haue bene This giueth hope to the worst liuers that be and in part confirmeth the error of Origen ſ Hard. confut apol d. 161. Graff part 1. l. 2. c. 75. nu 3. Tho. Bergom rab v. meretrix They say the stewes are for a commonwealth This maintaineth open whoredome Yea the Pope alloweth the Curtesans in Rome and other places vpon a rent to professe bawdry They forbid the mariage of Priests that directly leadeth many of them to hell For Panormitan t part 3. cum olim de clericis coniugat saith It were for the good and saluation of their soules who cannot containe if they were suffered to marrie For experience sheweth that the law of continency hath produced contrary effects in that men liue not therein chastly but grieuously sinne by whoredome whereas it were chastity if they had to do with their owne wiues u Fr. Ouand 4. d. 13 p. 347. They hold that all hereticks stand depriued of the right of dominion both natural oeconomical and ciuill This teacheth all inhumanitie and ouerthroweth all societie For first x Ouand ib. no father hath any longer command ouer his child nor master ouer his seruant if once the Church of Rome repute him for an hereticke Secondly Princes lose their kingdoms as I said before Thirdly all Catholickes as Papists call themselues are discharged of all bond toward them y Concil Constant pag. 528. edit Crab. so that no promise or oath bindeth them any longer neither are they boūd to pay them any debts z Ouand ibid. Sum. Angel p. 101. n. 15. For he that is bound by oath or otherwise to make paiment at a certaine day if he faile yet he sinneth not because the other mans heresie hath discharged him Debtors may excuse themselues by excepting against their creditors that they are heretickes This is cosenage Fourthly a Tolet. Sum. pag. 700. it is lawfull to equiuocate by reseruing another meaning to himselfe of his words then he that heareth him shall conceiue b Rhem. art 23. 12. Yea to speake contrary to his oath if it be to detect a Papist This is lying and periury 6 Againe their doctrine not onely inferreth but expresly alloweth most palpable wickednesse directly tending to the desolation of publicke gouernment and priuate honesty
an 400. n. 42. Ruffin runneth ouer all things idly and in many things he saith not truly He putteth on the guise of heretiks he persisteth ioyning sottishnes with his fury which is peculiar to all heretickes k Bell. cleric c. 20 Socrates to omit the rest in the 21. chapter of his 5. booke maketh three notable lies Both he and Sozomen were heretickes l Bell. ib. de poenit l. 3. c. 14. Sozomens story is full of lies therefore S. Gregory reiecteth it m Baron an 56 n. 26. There is as much credit to be giuen Socrates reporting the fact of Nectarius putting downe penance as all other heretickes deserue when they handle their owne opinions And because it is certaine that Sozomen also maintained the same matter with the Nouatians it is easie to shew how manifestly both of them doted n Baron ann 325. n. 6. Nicephorus heapeth greater lies then these together o Baron ann 774. n. 10. 12. 13 Sigebert is to be called to account as touching a point of great weight and reader when thou hearest it it will constraine thee tragically to cry out ô villany ô fraud ô cousenage he lieth too shamefully The things he writeth are forgeries deseruing to be blowen away and execrated with their author p Bell. de Pont. Rom l. 2. c. 5. We contemne Fasciculus temporum and the Passionall two of their owne stories specially seeing Fasciculus followeth Marianus who manifestly contradicteth both himselfe and the truth q Baron ann 996. nu 54. Auentine a beast infected with the scab of heresie whom Onuphrius a Catholicke most vnworthily claweth with an iuory combe when he calleth him an eloquent man r Index expurgator Toletan pag. 121. Let this commendation of Auentine Iohn Auentine a man famous in the knowledge of things and a diligent writer c. be wiped out of Cuspinian Å¿ Posseuin bibl l. 12. c. 16. Photius and Balsamon and the imperiall Constitutions must be read warily t Baro. an 853. n. 61. Turpin is a shop of fables u Bellar. Pont. Rom. l. 4. c. 7. Benno the Cardinals booke is full of most impudent lies there is no credit to be giueÌ„ to him x Baron ann 1048. n. 1. His lies are more then his words He is not a Historiographer but a Satyrist weauing falsehoods and patching fables together He taketh libertie to himselfe to lie carpe detract and faine monstrous things of godly men y Baron ann 774. n. 13. Gratian by his leaue was too credulous and improuidently writ out in so many words Sigeberts imposture and as if it had bene some firme decree or canon writ it into his booke of Decrees when it deserued rather with the author haue to bene execrated z Erro artic Parrhis p. 140. Gratians worke in some part therof is erronious and so is the Master of the Sentences and Anselme and Hugo a Aquipontan de antich p. 72. Would ye well knew we make no more account of the Glosse vpon the canon Law then the Caluinists of Heidelberg do of Brentius Catechisme b Victo relect 4. p. 138. Gerson was an enemy to the Popes authoritie and infected many with his poison His opinioÌ„ differeth but litle froÌ„ schisme I will easily grant that somtime these authors whoÌ„ you see they cast off so coÌ„tumeliously giue cause indeed to be refused but why do not our aduersaries deal plainly then and beare with vs if we do the like and why do c Camp rat 5. 7. they muster vp the catologues of al the authors they can find and yet when they haue done fall out with them about some thing or other that they haue written and giue them this entertainment For they should boast of no more then they haue to stand vpon neither should they vse that as an argument against vs that they are guiltie of themselues 14 And as they vse the fathers and the ancient histories and their owne elder authors so you shal see they vse one another to this day I said before how greatly in words they magnifie their Thomas and Posseuine the Iesuit d Biblio select l. 1. c. 10. saith His doctrine is embraced in all their vniuersities yet when he fitteth not their turne they cast him off as lightly as any other e Erro articul vbi prius c. 3. The vniuersitie of Paris saith It cannot be proued that Thomas his doctrine is allowed in all things the Church hath not allowed it so that we are bound to beleeue there is no erronious or hereticall matter in it For there is some doctrine more approued then his which yet is erronious and hereticall in points of faith It must not be thought strange or any rashnesse if yonger doctors reprehend him when they shew he erreth in matter of faith Peter Lombard Gratian Anselm Hugo and others are more authenticall then he And therefore thus the Doctors of Paris conclude it is presumption to extoll his doctrine so as if we might not auerre that he erred in faith as well as others did And his canonization which some pretend for a great colour hindereth not this c. Haue ye seene a Saint of their own making thus entertained but it is ordinary with all the learned men they haue Turrecremata d De consecrat d. 4. Firmissime nu 11. p. 101. saith that almost all the Schoolmen hold the virgin Mary had originall sinne yea that it is the common opinion among the famousest of them and he hath collected a 100. of that minde and yet now the Iesuites hold the contrary who censure all that liued before them and * Confutatur opinio Bellar. Saith Carer pot Pon. l. 2. c. 5 are daily censured themselues by others Scot. Durand and Gabriel e De grat lib. arb l. 5. c 4. saith Bellarmine three of the chiefest Schoolemen dispute more freely for mans will then were fit and Ariminensis Capreolus and Marsilius three more ascribe too little to it f Posseuin bibl l. 2. c 8. the Diuines of the inquisition commanded somethings to be wiped out of Andreas Masius his commentaries vpon Iosua that sauored of heresie g Posse ib. c. 18. Some things in Iansenius vpon the Gospels are not approued of by learned men h Bell. â—c imag l. 2 c. 8. It is to be noted that Carranza erred i Baron ann 432. n. 36. Valla was but a GraÌ„marian altogether vnskilful in matters of the Church a dead flie that must be blowne away Thus contemptibly they speake one of another to quit that which they obiect against vs touching the dissention betweene the Lutherans and Caluinists and some hasty words that haue passed betweene them Alas k Relect. 1. p. 39 saith Victoria the Glosers of the Canon Law flattered the Pope because they were poore both in learning and substance And the haire of our head is scarse growne since Baronius and
LENITY TO REDVCE AGAINE THEIR SEDVCED NEIGHBOVRS bearing with their frowardnesse and praying instantly for their conuersion if at any time it may please God to release them of their errors and to giue them the knowledge of his truth by deliuering them from the Romane Emissaries which haue made them their wards that they might possesse them and prey vpon them And let them finally with faithfulnesse and instance pray God for the state wherein we liue so pitifully vexed with the discontent and fury of those that call themselues Catholickes who if they had any dram of religioÌ„ or conscience in them would not thus practise to make their owne deare countrey a theater of such tragedies as the world neuer saw before But our sinnes are the cause of these things and therefore let euery man eschuing his owne euill seeke that way to confirme himselfe and the Church wherein he liueth in the fauour of God that he may shew mercy and peace in our daies Amen FINIS An Alphabeticall Table of the seuerall matters and questions handled and disputed in this Booke The first number signifieth the section the second the number of the section Where the number is but one there the whole Section is meant A. ABbeyes See Monkes and Monasteries Accidents in the Sacrament where they inhere 35 21. how they haue power to nourish breed corrupt c. ibid. Adoration of the blessed Sacrament when it was brought in 51.9 absurdities about it ibid Alteration The Church of Rome is altered from that which it held in ancient times Digress 23. See Romane Church Anastasius his booke de Vitis Rom. Pontificum censured 55.7 Antiquitie of the Protestants doctrine demonstrated 44.1 Apocrypha not canonicall Scripture by the Papists owne confession 35 20. Appeales to Rome forbidden 36.27 Apostolicke How the Church is Apostolicke 52.1 Arnulfus his speech of the Pope 50.28 Auricular confession iustly reiected by the Protestants 40.6 The primitiue Church vsed it not ibid. It was the occasion and meanes of contriuing the horriblest sins that were 40.9 The saying of Chaucer touching it ibid Not agreed vpon by the Papists touching the time when it was instituted 35.20 and 40.6 and 58.7 whether it be simplie needfull 40.7.8 Austine the monke conuerted not England 49. Author of sinne God is not the Author of sinne 40.50 How God willeth sinne ibid. Touching this point the Papists haue belyed vs and say themselues as much as we do ibid. B. BErengatius 50.30 Bishops Lay men somtime made Bishops 5.11 The Bishops oath made to the Pope 31.6 Titular Bishops at the Councell of Trent 31.5 Bookes The practise of Papists in purging of bookes 35.18 Boy Pope of Rome 55.7 C. CAlling of the Protestant Ministers how demonstrated 52.5 It is necessarie that Pastors haue a calling 58.1 What calling the Protestants Pastors had ib. They need no miracles to confirme it and why 59. Canonizing See Saints Catholicke The Romish Church not Catholicke in place 46.2 nor in doctrine and time 46.3 Centuries how they haue taken exception against the Fathers 44.3 Certaintie of saluation See Saluation Church Our faith is not lastly resolued into the authoritie of the Church 6.9 How the teaching of the Church is called the rule 13.1 By the Church the Papists meane the Pope Digress 16. Why the Papists deuolue all power so to the Church Digress 16. How the Church is said to erre 14.2 and 15.6 25.2 The Church militant may erre 14.2 inde 15.6 The Church is the subordinate meanes to teach men and how 18.5 27.1 Church visible The true state of the question betweene the Papists and vs touching the visiblenesse of the Church 17.1 and Digress 17. 22. The Papists confesse in effect as much touching the Churches being sometime inuisible as we do Digress 17. The Church is not alway visible 18. The Arguments against this answered from § 18. to 24. The Papists say the Church when Christ suffered was in the virgine Marie alone 17.3 The Protestants Church hath alway beene Digress 48. Markes of the Church the Sacraments and doctrine of the Scripture are the right markes of the Church 24.1 and Digress 18. The Arguments against this are answered from 26. to 32. How the teaching and doctrine of the Church may be examined 30. The markes of the Church assigned by the Papists are not sufficient 32. How the Church mooued Saint Austin to beleeue the Gospell Digress 19. Change of the ancient Romane faith See Alteration and Romane Church Clergie The vilenesse of the Popish Clergie noted 38.5 How the Papists excuse it 38.7 Communion See Sacrament Commandements of God See Law Congruitie See Merit of congruity Conception of the virgin Mary without sinne a new doctrine 47.2 Consultation not debarred though man haue no freewill 40.48 Conuersion of countries by the Romane Church how it was 49.4 Contention What the contentions are wherewith our Churches can truly be charged 33.2 The Church was neuer free from al coÌ„tention Digress 21. Grieuous contentions in the Primitiue Church ibid. Discourse touching the contentions in the Romane Church Digress 24. They say they contend not in dogmaticall points answered 35.19 Councels aboue the Pope 36.28.30 the Pope not president in the ancient Councels 36.29 They may erre 15.6 44 6. They were called in ancient times by the Emperour or ciuill Magistrate 36.28 D. DEcree of God inclineth and ordereth mans will 40.47 Descention of Christs soule into hell denied by Papists 35. â—0 Doctrine of the Romane Church See Papistrie E. EAster Contention in the primitiue Church about the keeping of it 33.4 36.3 Election is not for works foreseene 40.49 how a man may know if he be elected 41.7 England not first conuerted by Austin the monke 49 nor by the Church of Rome ibid. Erre The Church may erre how 14.2 15.6 25.2 the Pope may erre euen judicially and be an hereticke 55.8 and Digress 28. Councels may erre 15.6 44.6 and so haue the Fathers 44.5 Eucharist How Christ is present therein explicated 51.10 Vile speeches of the Papists touching it 51.11 Euerard the Bishop of Salisborow his speech of the Pope 50.33 Examin The teaching of the Church and all men to be examined â—0 F FAith must be builded on the scripture 1.1 Papists build their faith on Tradition 1.3 It must be explicite 2.1 What infolded faith is 2.2 in marg x. pag. 6. num 6. Disputing in matters of faith forbidden by the Papists 2.4 The Colliars faith what 2.6 The last resolution of our faith is into the authoritie of the Scriptures 5.5 And not of the Church Digress 6. 11. Faith how a marke of the Church 25 1. See Church Faith onely iustifieth expounded and defended Digress 40. Iustifying faith described 40.39 A man may know if he haue faith 41.3 Faith of the ancient Roman Church how it began to faile 50 4. How the moderne Romane faith grew in the Church 58.1 Fasting Digress 32. The Protestants maintaine fasting ibid. The
brake touching the proceeding of the holy Ghost depeÌ„ded but vpon two prepositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The monstrous heresie of Nestoâ—â—â—s lay but in the change of e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one poore letter and f Concil Ephesin Graec. p. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril would haue him euen in that to gratifie the Church and when he would not g Dalmat apolog in Concil Ephesin six thousand Bishops rose vp against him for it so religious were they that had religion that THEY VVOVLD NOT EXCHANGE h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil apud Theodorit l. 4. c. 19. A LETTER OR A SYLLABLE OF THE FAITH VVHEREVVITH OVR SAVIOVR HAD â—VT THEM IN TRVST Which is our iust defence that write in the controuersies against all our censurers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i Epist ad Cleric Constantinopol in Concil Ephes p. 72. saith Cyril 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Are we enemies to peace no we rather wil pul it to vs with violence so that the true faith withal may be confessed But when it cannot be obtained we cleare the truth and by expelling their errors labour to plucke the seduced out of the fire and bring them to knowledge that their soules may be saued and their life reformed and the State secured wherein they liue 9 And this my poore endeuour in this kind I humbly present to your Lordships vnder whose iurisdiction I exercise my ministery not in affiance of any thing therein worthy your reading whom our Church hath long since knowne to be the same that Eunapius saith of two other in his time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor in hope to escape the disgracefull censures of intermedlers but in zeale to my countrey and assurance that it may do good therein going vnder so HONORABLE protection I am so meane a man and obscure euery way that I feared the truth would sustaine losse and be contemned for my obscuritie if some extraordinary fauor did not leade it forth And let it go forward indeed and shew it selfe abroad hauing THE TRVTH to support it and so acceptable an inscription to go before and the name of so VVORTHY PATRONS to leade it forth And so desiring pardon for this my boldnesse I humbly commit your Lordships to the mercifull protection of Almightie God who long continue your prosperous estate and make you happie instruments of much good vnto his CHVRCH Octob. 29. 1608. Your Lordships in all dutie IOHN WHITE THE PREFACE TO THE READER TOVCHING THE present controuersies betweene vs and the Romish Church IT is not as some thinke touching the questions between the Church of Rome and vs that there is no reall difference Would to God it were so But they that examine the points shall find it farre otherwise 1. Concerning the Scriptures the Church of Rome teacheth that a Can. loc pag. 251. Manie things appertaine to faith and Christian doctrine which neither openly nor obscurely are contained in holy writ b Totalis enim adaequata regula est Scriptura Traditio simul Deinde Traditio parem authoritatem habet cum Scriptura Becan circul Caluin p. 278. For the totall and full rule of our faith is Scripture and Tradition both together Tradition being of equall authoritie with the Scripture This assertion is directly against the doctrine of our Church and leadeth men into pernicious errors pretended to be deliuered by Tradition and withdraweth them from the obedience of onely Scripture to the following of vncertaine authoritie 2. Concerning the iustification of a sinner c Viguer Institut theol p. 286 whereby of a wicked vniust and vncleane person he is made cleane holy and simply iust it teacheth that this is done by the habite of our owne inherent righteousnesse and not by Christs Bellarmine expounding the Councell of Trent saith d De Iustif l. 2. p. 1032. c. Our owne inherent iustice is the formall cause of absolute iustification not the iustice of Christ imputed to vs and e Pag. 1071. d. besides the merits of Christ imputed to vs for our satisfaction there is in vs an inherent iustice which is the true and absolute righteousnesse whereunto by the iust iudgement of God not punishment but glorie is due This opinion containeth so reall a difference from the truth that S. Paule f Gal. 5.4 saith of it Ye are abolished from Christ ye are fallen from grace whosoeuer are iustified by the Law 3. Concerning the merite of our workes it holdeth g Mich. Bai. de merit oper p. 12 that when men hauing conuersed godlily and righteously in this mortall life to the end obtaine eternall life this is not to be deputed to the purpose of Gods grace but to the ordinance of nature appointed presently in the beginning when man was created Neither in this retribution of good things is it looked to the merite of Christ but onely to the first institution of mankind wherein by a naturall law it was set downe that by the iust iudgement of God the keeping of the commandements should be rewarded with life as the breaking of them is punished with eternall death Whereby we see that there is a plaine difference betweene the Church of Rome and vs in the principall article of our faith touching the saluation of our soules we beleeuing stedfastly that it is to be ascribed to the merits of Christ they expecting it for the merite also of their owne works 4. Concerning Images h Concil Trid. sess 25 it practiseth the hauing and worshipping of them yea i Azor. Instit tom 1. p. 737. the Diuines of that Church hold that euery Image is to be honoured with the same honour wherewith they worship the samplar No man can be so simple but he may see a substantiall difference in these points and the like may be shewed in aboue two hundred questions controuerted betweene vs though I will not denie that in many things the heate of the contenders hath deuised differences where there are none and to discredit one another they haue wrested that which might be well vnderstood 2 Besides the Church of Rome not onely requireth vs to professe her faith but also to do it k Bell. de laic c 19. p. 19 9 c. with subiection to the Pope and teacheth l Turrecr quaest ex S. Tho. q. 13. that this is absolutely necessarie to saluation A point so fully opposite to the gouernment of our Church that it can no way be reconciled forsomuch as we know the same to be a meere pretence to hide their tyrannie 3 And as the difference is reall and of long continuance so is there no hope to reconcile it The Papacie that standeth in opposition against vs was brought in by Satan at the first and is still continued onely to seduce the world and m 2. Cor. 6.14 what fellowship hath righteousnesse with
point of the sence For we know the diuine doctrine to be one and the same in all translations immediatly in the originall and more obscurely in the translations and therefore we so vse them as that we examine all by the originall approuing the best and not hindering the mending of it if need require But this change implies no such error in the matter For one true sence may be vttered diuersly and though things be alwayes one and the same yet words be diuers In which sence our translations are of differeÌ„t sort and yet no materiall error As for example some playner or in phrase liker the original then othersome One translation is in verse another in prose one word for word another sence for sence one hath a higher obscurer phrase another a lower and playner yet how can it be inferred hereupon that therfore they be erronious when they all yeeld the same diuine sence Therefore Austins iudgement is more to be preferred who saith i De doctrin Christ lib. 2. c. 12. 14. the variety and multitude of translations doth not hinder vs from vnderstanding the text but very much helpe vs specially if we shall diligently compare them one with another And what shal become of the popish Authenticall vulgar if change and varietie be a signe of error which so often was changed before it came to that it is and since the Trent approbation hath so many different copies Yea what shall become of their Missals Portesses and Seruice bookes that so many times haue bin reformed and more should be but that the Seruice of the Church would be altered so farre that scarce any shew of the ancient Religion would be remaining in it k Loc. lib. 11. cap. 5. saith Canus a Popish Doctor 8 But the Iesuite obiecteth further that seeing the translatour being but a man may erre how shall an vnlearned man be infallibly sure that this or that translation erreth not or if it erre in on point that it doth not in another vnlesse the Churches authoritie be admitted to assure vs Whereto I answer l Psal 119 105. Prou. 6.23 2. Pet. 1.19 that the doctrine conteyned in the Scripture is a light and so abideth into what language soeuer it be translated and therefore the children of light know it and discerne it For m Ioh. 10.4 1. Cor. 2.15 1. Ioh. 2 20. Ioh. 7.17 14.16.17 God directeth them by the holy Ghost who openeth their hearts that they know his voice from all others and that the light of his truth may shine vnto theÌ„ Which light is of this nature that it giueth testimonie to it selfe and receiueth authoritie from no other as the Sunne is not seene by any light but his owne and we discerne sweet from sowre by it owne tast And for the opening of our eyes to see this light whereby our conscience may be assured we haue diuers meanes some priuate as skill in the tongues learning labour prayer conference c. Some publicke as the ministery of the word which is the ordinance of God to beget this assurance which act of the Church is not authoritie to secure me but ministery to shew me that which shall secure me which ministery is founded on the Scripture it selfe in that from thence it fetcheth the reasons that may perswade me and sheweth the light that doth infallibly assure me And thus we know our translations to be true Digression 6. Declaring how the assurance of our faith is not built on the Churches authoritie but on the illumination of Gods spirit shining in the Scripture it selfe 9 So then the vnlearned man is secured not vpon the Churches credit and authoritie but by her ministery which teacheth him he is directed to the light it selfe and this ministery we haue and vse for our translations but they that obey it know the translation and so proportionably all other articles of faith to be infallible because the matter therof appeares vnto them as a candle in a lanterne shewing it selfe in it owne light And that you may see the difference betweene these two the Churches teaching and the illumination of the spirit in assuring vs the spirit of God is an inward meanes the teaching of the Church an outward the spirit secureth vs by his owne authoritie the Church directeth vs by her ministery the spirit hath light in it selfe the Church borroweth hers from the Scriptures the spirit can secure vs alone the Church neuer can without the spirit But nothing can be playner to this purpose then the saying of Constantine the great in his epistle to the Persian n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theod. hist lib. 1. cap. 25. Marking the diuine faith I obtaine the light of truth and following the light of truth I acknowledge the diuine faith We need then a more certain authoritie then the voyce of the Church that may prostrate our mind with a lightning froÌ„ heauen and stand vpon his owne ground not drawing his resolution from any thing out of it selfe 10 This is not far from that which the learnedst of the Papists be driuen to acknowledge through the necessitie of the truth For thus writeth o Princip doctrinal lib. 8. cap. 22. Stapleton in that booke where he most defends the Churches authoritie The godly are brought to faith by the voyce of the Church but being once brought and enlightened with the light of diuine inspiration then they beleeue no more for the Churches voyce but because of the heauenly light And yet more plainely in p Triplicat inchoata aduers Gulielm Whittak in admonit ad Whitak the last booke that euer he wrote that one would wonder the Iesuite should see no authoritie to secure vs but the Churches The inward perswasioÌ„ of the holy Ghost is so necessary and effectuall for the beleeuing of euery obiect of faith q Nec absque illa quicquam à quoquam credi possit etsi millies Ecclesia attestetur per illam solam persuasiâ—nem quodlibet credenduÌ„ credi queat tâ—cente prorsus vel noÌ„ audita Ecclesia that without it neither can any thing by any man be beleeued though the Church testified with it a thousand times and by it alone any matter may be beleeued though the Church held her peace or neuer were heard Where is he then that saith we cannot be infallibly sure that this or that is doctrine of faith free from error vnlesse we admit an infallible authoritie in the Church to assure vs Digression 7. Wherein the Trent vulgar Latin and our English translation are briefly compared together 11 Which authoritie if we did admit supposing the Church were like theirs might we not speed possible as the Papists haue done in their authenticall vulgar and be assured of that which were starke naught For I thinke the Sun neuer saw any thing more defectiue maimed then the vulgar Latin yet r Concil Trid. sess 4. their Church hath canonized it for good
though he alledged the words thereof absurdly wrested The sheepe therefore casteth not away her fleece though the wolfe sometime put it on else the Iesuite must renounce the authoritie of his Church also because sectmasters sometime alledge it But euen as he will say they alledge it indeed but yet either not the true Church or the true Church not truly so I say sectmasters alledge the scripture indeed but either not the true Scripture or the Scripture not truly And let the Iesuite remember that h Defence of the censure against Chark pag. 166. a good friend of his excuseth the blasphemous comparison of those that liken the Scripture to i CeÌ„sur Colon. pag. 112. Pigh hierarch l. 3. c. 3 p. 103. and others a nose of waxe by this that heretickes wrest and detort it as a nose of waxe is bowed into many formes Digression 15. Against the two former conclusions shewing that priuate and particular companies may sometime be assured of the truth against a pretended Catholicke companie 8 Because the Iesuite pleadeth so for his Catholicke multitude let him consider the Scripture k 1. Thes 5.21 1. Ioh. 4.1 biddeth all men trie what they are taught l Act. 17.11 commending them that examined euen the Apostles teaching and m Math. 7.15 24.4 Esa 8.20 Ier. 23.16 Rom. 16.17 commaunding to beware of false Prophets and n Ios 1.18 Ioh. 5.39 to search the Scriptures o Heb. 5.14 that we might haue our wits exercised to discerne good and euill all which were to no purpose if when we had done we neither could by reading attaine to any certaintie or hauing attained might not hold it against a multitude but were still bound to referre the matter to them which are suspected and whose iudgement is the very thing to be examined Againe p 1. Reg. 22.15 one Michaiah defended the truth against 400. Prophets q Niceph. lib. 8. cap. 19. one Paphnutius directed the whole Councell of Nice Christ and his Apostles withstood the whole Iewish synagogue and r Iob 32.6 Elihu one yong man rebuked the ancients 9 Saint Chrysostome hath a discourse about this point which I thought fit to be propounded A Gentile Å¿ Homil. 33. in Act. saith he cometh and saith I would be a Christian but I know not which side to cleaue vnto many dissentions are among you and I cannot tell which opinion to hold euery one saith I speake the truth and the Scriptures on both sides are pretended so that I know not whom to beleeue to this Chrysostome replieth Truly saith he this maketh much for vs for well might you be troubled if we should say we rely vpoÌ„ reasoÌ„ but seeing we take the Scriptures which are so true and plaine it will be an easie matter for you to iudge and tell me hast thou any wit or iudgement for it is not the part of a man barely to receiue whatsoeuer he heareth but if thou mark the meaning thou maist throughly know that which is good When thou buyest a garment though thou haue no skill in weauing yet thou satst not I cannot buy it they deceiue me but thou doest all things that thou maist learn how to know it say not then I am a scholler and wilbâ— no iudge I can condemne no opinion for this is but a shift and a cauill and let vs not vse it for all these things are easie To the same effect saith t Comment in Nah. c. 2. in fine Hierome It is alway the diuels endeuour to bring the waking soule asleepe therefore at the comming of Christ and his word and the Churches doctrine and when Nineueh that sometime was so beautifull a whore shall haue her end the people which before was lulled asleepe vnder their teachers shal be lifted vp and hasten towards the mountaines of the Scriptures the mountaines Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles and the Euangelists which are the mountaines of the new Testament and when they come to these mountaines and shall be occupied in the reading thereof if they finde none to teach them then their endeuours shal be approued because they flew to the mountaines and the slothfulnesse of their teachers shall be detested Did Hierome in these words expound a Prophet or Prophecy himselfe concerning these later times wherin the whore of Babilon drew toward her end and the profound sleepe of the Romish teachers was such that men were faine to flie to the Scriptures wherby they directed both the slothfulnesse of their labor and the coruption of their doctrine And why not when in many cases the peoples eares are holyer then the Priests heart as the same Hierome saith in u Ad PaÌ„mach adâ—e erro Ioh. Hierosolym another place 10 Moreouer let the Iesuite consider that the learned of his owne side haue left written as much as we say in defence of priuate men that so it may appeare what truth there is in his conclusion when his owne Doctors confute it For thus writeth x Part. 1. de Elect elect potest cap. significasti In concernentibus fidem etiam dictum vnius priuati esset praeferendum dicto Papae si ille moue retur melioribus c. Panormitan One faithfull man though priuate is more to be beleeued then the Pope or a whole Councell if he haue better reason on his side and authoritie of the old and new Testament y De exam doctrin part 1. consid 5. And Gerson more fully The examination and triall of doctrines concerning faith belongeth not onely to the Pope and Councell but to euery one also that is sufficiently seene in the holy Scripture because euery one is a fit iudge of that he knoweth And again some lay man not authorised may yet be so excellently learned in the Scripture that his assertion shall be more to be credited then the Popes definitiue sentence For the Gospell is more to be credited theÌ„ the Pope Therefore if such a lay man though he be priuate teach a truth contained in the Gospell and the Pope either know it not or will not know it yet it is euident that his iudgement is to be preferred z And yet if the Pope neuer so little anger theÌ„ they write asmuch at this day Non saluat Christian quod pontifex constaÌ„ter affirmat praeceptum suuÌ„ esse iustum sed oportet illud examinare se iuxta regulaÌ„ superius datam dirigere tract de interdict composit à Theolog. Venet prop. 13. I know not what these men would haue writ if they had now liued in the Popes Seminaries but this you see they writ before Luther was borne or Seminaries were erected that the Scriptures be the rule to try al things by and the priuatest man that is may by them iudge yea conuince and refuse the Pope and his Councels Which is all that we say for priuate men that hauing the Scripture for their foundation they taught and beleeued against the
Apostles if it reach to the Church so that if that be the sence which the Iesuite setteth downe then all the Apostles had equall priuiledges from error with Peter and particular Churches and men should be as infallible as the whole Church it selfe which I am sure the Iesuite will not grant Thirdly Saint Austine i Tract 96. in Ioh. tom 9. expoundeth the words as I do He shall teach or leade you into all truth this I think cannot be fulfilled in any mans mind in this life for who is he liuing in this bodie so corrupt and loading the soule that can know all truth when the Apostle saith we know but in part But forasmuch as by the holy Ghost it cometh to passe whose earnest we haue receiued that hereafter we may come to the fulnesse it self whereof the same Apostle saith then shall we see him face to face and now I know but in part but then I shall know as I am knowne not that which shall be in this lâ—fe onely but all that which shall befall vs till the perfection come the Lord by the loue of his spirit hath promised saying He shall teach you all truth As for the Iesuites exposition that he may remaine with you for euer not onely for sixe hundred yeares it smelleth either of his malice or ignorance For which of vs euer yet said the holy Ghost departed from the Church after sixe hundred yeares Let the Papists deale sincerely and leaue their coyning 6 The fourth place is Math. 28.19 Go teach all nations Whereto I answer first these words were spoken to the Apostles onely and not to that which the Iesuite calleth the Catholike Church Now I grant their teaching was infallible and all men were bound to heare it for they taught that which afterward they writ in the Scripture yet so they taught and with such commission that k Act 17.11 the people are commended which examined their teaching by the Scriptures Secondly we grant the Pastors of the Church in all ages haue commission to teach likewise but that proueth not all their teaching to be alway infallible because naturall corruption hanging on them they may faile in that which is committed to them Neither is this any inconuenience binding vs sometime to beleeue that which is false for the bond hath a limitatioÌ„ that we heare them so farre as they teach agreeable with the scriptures and no further and by those scriptures we may relieue our selues if they chance to teach falsly 7 The fift place is Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me Which words were spoken to the Apostles all whose teaching and writing was true infallibly and therefore were sufficient warrant to the hearers to accept it But being applied to the Church and ordinary Pastors therein l Ferus lib. 3 in Math. cap. 23. they must be vnderstood with this caution if they hold them to the instructions that Christ giueth them if they come in the name of Christ deliuering his words truly and consonant to the scripture for such are to be heard as Christ himselfe else m 1. Ioh. 4.1 1. Cor. 14.32 we must trie the spirits and iudge of the Prophets This place therefore being to be vnderstood conditionally proueth not that which the Iesuite concludeth absolutely and vniuersally 8 The sixt place is Math. 23.2 The Scribes and Pharises sit in Moses chaire all therefore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and do Which words I grant must be vnderstood of the Ministers of the Gospel that succeed the Apostles as wel as of the Pharises that sate in Moses chaire therefore I answer three things 1. I mislike it not that he compareth the Priests and Bishops of his Church to the Scribes and Pharises 2. By Moses chaire is meant neither outward succession nor iudiciall authoritie but the profession of Moses law 3. n Si quae cuÌ„que dixerint nobis ea facere iubemur cur alio loco Christus cauere voluit à feâ—mento Pharisaeorum cur rursum eorum traditiones exemplo etiam proprio coÌ„temnere docuit aliquid ergo doctrinae propriae puritati euangelij admiscere possunt in quo non solùm non sunt audiendi sed sunt etiam refutandi Id ergo prae cauit Christus ne plebs malis docentium exemplis ad contemptionem verae doctrinae inducatur Nunc ergo quae dixetint nobis Pharisaei eadem facere iubet Christus cum super Cathediam Mosis federint hoc est legem enarrauerint docucrint proposuerint Can. loc l. 5. c. 4. Our Sauior doth not simply commaund the people to obey the Pharisees in all points of their doctrine or teach them that their locall succession did priuiledge them from error but onely that they should not for their euill life be offended at that which they might at any time teach well because though their life were wicked yet that which they taught out of Moses chaire that is to say according to Moses law must be followed Now this was far from enioyning them in all points to do according to the doctrine of the Scribes and Pharises as I proue by foure reasons first o Iansen concord euang cap. 120. Em. Sa. notat in Math. 23. v. 3. the Popish expositors say this place bindeth vs not to obey them if they teach that which is euill for that is to teach against the chaire Which exposition granteth we are not bound to heare them in all points without limitation as p Ecce sine limitatione aliqua Martin Peres de tradit part 3. pag. 328. a Popish Bishop speaketh with the Iesuite and supposeth they may teach vntruly in some points Secondly if I may refuse them in some points then hence it followeth vnanswerably that there is another rule whereby I may be directed in hearing for else how should a man be able to distinguish those points wherein he must follow his teachers from those wherein he must not Thirdly the Pharisees taught many errors and blasphemies both q Math. 5.20 25.3 23.13 against the law of Moses and r Marc. 14.64 Ioh 7.48 8 13. 9.22.24 19.7.15 against the diuinitie of Christ in which regard our Sauiour bad his disciples Å¿ Mat. 26.6.12 to beware of the leauen of the Pharises which was their doctrine Wherein he had gainsaid himselfe if by Moses chaire he had meant any thing but the prescript of the law or by those words had commaunded vs in all points to do according to the Prelates doctrine for then the Iewes must not haue honored parents nor loued their enemies nor beleeued in Christ because the Pharises taught against these things Lastly t Gloss in Mat. 23.2 Nicol. Gorr ibid. Arias Mâ—ntâ—n elucid ibid. the Papists themselues expounding the place write that to sit in Moses chaire is to teach according to the doctrine and rule of Moses law and to commaund things agreeable thereunto that is to say true doctrine and the same
haue him say so For t Ioh. 5.39 our Sauiour himselfe refused not to haue his doctrine tried though he were better then the Church neither is it vnpossible for a priuate man to espy an error in the teaching of the best Church that is in which case he may iudge the Church and his iudgement is to be preferred as u Panormit Gerson whose words you haue Digress 15. nu 10. some Papists themselues deny not And out of question I thinke the most learned and discreet Papists to be wholly of this mind in that many of them haue called in question againe things already determined by their Church thinking the same that we do that it is not sufficient to make an end of questiōs vnlesse we be also sure the end is good For it is an ordinarie thing with the Iesuites and schoolemen of these dayes to expound the decrees of their Councels cleane against the originall meaning thereof which sheweth they mislike that which was decreed and helpe themselues with the fauour of the glosse against the text So the Councels of Lateran and Trent haue determined against the communion in both kinds forbidding the cup yet Ouandus a late Frier x Breuiloqu in 4. d. 9. prop. 6. pag. 221. writeth that all things duely considered that may fall out it were better to permit the cup then deny it and more grace is giuen in both kinds then in one And y Refert Bel de iustifica l. 3. c. 3. Catharinus the Bishop of Compsa maintaineth against the Trent Councell that a man by faith may be assured of the pardon of his sinnes whereas that Councell z Sess 6. cap. 9. determined the contrary And Sixtus Senensis a great clearke a Bibl. l. 1. p. 33. hath reiected as Apocrypha the seuen last chapters of Hester b Sess 4. which the Councell of Trent approued for canonicall Which these men would neuer haue done if they had thought it any iniurie to their Church to examine her teaching 5 And whereas he obiecteth further that the Church is a company of men wise learned vertuous and guided by the spirit of God and therefore it is rashnesse to iudge of their teaching I answer that this ill befits him and his cause for c Digress 16. nu 4. I haue shewed that his Church consisteth rather in the Popes sole person thē in any great company and the definitions thereof follow not the learning or vertue of any company but the Popes bare will who by the confession of all learned Papists may both erre and be as vitious foolish and vnlearned as any other And therefore the Church with her prerogatiues can do a Papist no good vntill they be taken from the Pope and giuen the Church againe Next though the company which is the Church be wise and learned c. yet are they no wiser then Christ and his Apostles whose teaching was examined neither can we know them for such till we haue tryed their teaching For d Iob 32 6.9 wise men see not all things at all times and the child with reuerence may admonish euen his father And though our Sauiour haue promised the assistance of his spirit to his Church to leade it into all truth yet in what sence that is e §. 14. nu 4. 5. I haue declared alreadie and the Iesuite may know it is not in his sence by this signe that the very persons and particular Churches to whom Christ meant those words had their errors for all that But supposing the Churches doctrine by vertue of some such promise be indeed absolutely exempted from all error yet may the same be examined and iudged of because till that be done it cannot of vs be knowne to be so For no man saith we must proue things already certaine but that we must not beleeue them to be certaine till we haue proued them And if the true Church cannot erre in any point then it standeth all men in hand to examine which is the true Church that so they may betake themselues vnto it and let him giue you a sound distinction and say directly what presumption it is against the Church and why an iniury to examine her doctrine more then it is to trie her vnitie sanctitie antiquity and succession Or if it be no wrong to make triall of these things which yet she hath by vertue of Christs promises why should it be amisse to make triall of the former which he dareth not for his life say is hers any properlier or fullier then they § 31. But you may perhaps obiect that in Scripture we are willed not to beleeue euery spirit but to examine and trie the spirits whether they be of God or no and that therefore we must examine and trie the spirit of the Church I answer that S. Iohn doth not meane that it appertaineth to euerie man to trie all spirits but in generall would not haue the Church to accept of euery one that boasteth himselfe to haue the Spirit but willeth that they should trie those spirits not that euery simple man should take vpon him thus to trie them but that those of the Church should trie them to whom the office of trying the spirits doth appertaine to wit the Doctors and Pastors of the Church which almightie God hath put of purpose in the Church Vt non circumferamur omni vent◠doctrinae Ephes 4. and that we may not like little ones wauer with euery blast of those that boast they haue the Spirit So that this trying of spirits is onely meant of those spirits which men may doubt whether they be of God or no and then also this triall belongeth to the Pastors of the Church But when it is once certaine that the spirit is of God we neither neede nor ought doubtfully to examine nor presumptuously iudge or it any more but obediently submitting the iudgement of our owne sense and reason we must beleeue the teaching of it in euery point Now it is most certaine that the spirit of the true Church is of God as out of holy Scripture hath bene most euidently declared and therefore our onely care should be to seeke out those markes and properties by which all men may easily know which particular companie of men is the true Church which we ought not to examine and trie but in all points obediently beleeue The Answer 1 The words of the Apostle are Dearly beloued beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God 1. Ioh. 4.1 Whence we gather that it is the dutie of euery man to examine the doctrine that is taught him But the Iesuite answereth two things first that Saint Iohn biddeth not euery man do this but onely the Pastors Whereto I answer the words are plaine enough that he speaketh indifferently to all men that euery man for himselfe though not by himselfe but by the rule of Gods word should try the spirits For he directeth his Epistle
Iesuite now beginneth to auouch concerning the vnitie of his Romane Church is all vntrue as I will sufficiently shew in the three next Digressions and shall haue occasion further to manifest a Digress when I come to handle the note of Vniuersalitie This is the truth and all that can be said for it b Isid Pelus ep 408 lib. 3. which Pelusiota noteth in all heretickes that the name of peace is indeed euery where but the thing it selfe no where and as c Aug. epist 162 contra pertin Donatist it was among the Donatists They sacrifice in schisme and dissention and greet the world with the name of peace whom they driue from the peace of their saluation This their vnitie is of seuen sorts d Illyric de sect Whitak controu 2. de eccle q. 5. c. 8. as some learned men among vs haue sent them word and we thinke our iarres such as they be are better then it 2 The first is the vnitie of darknesse in that they are prouident to maintaine outward peace lest their kingdom should come to nought e Mat. 12.16 such an vnitie there is in hell and one Beare they say will lie with another f Petr. Martyr decad l. 3. c. 5. and the very Cannibals vse not to eate them of their owne countrey The second is a heathenish vnitie when men for their credite wiâ—l not seeme contentious as it is very certaine they see innumerable abuses in their Church and doctrine and yet may be content to agree in all lest the world should despise them The third is brutish vnitie when their people consent because they are beastly ignorant and know not their ownâ— abominations so g Staphyl apol part 1. the Colliar said he was of the same beleefe the Church is and yet he knew neither the Churches nor hâ—s owne beleefe The fourth is Iudas his vnitie who kept companie with the other Apostles because he gained by it as many cleaue to the Romane Church and agree thereiâ— because it enricheth them and now then as a sanctuary freeth them from the danger of their sensualitie The fift is tyrannicall vnitie when men by feare are constrained to agree the Popes Consistory and Spanish Inquisition preuaile more with their people then the conscience of religion as would soone appeare if they were taken away The sixt is Herods vnitie for as he and Pilate which were secretly foes yet agreed together to crucifie Christ so these men consent in one against the truth and conspire together more to suppresse vs then to establish any sinceritie among themselues The last is the vnitie of h Iudg. 15.4 Sampsons foxes which were tied together by the tailes but all their heads were loose and euery one looked a sundry way so these men sticke together by the tailes in their religion all embracing one conceit of Poperie but in the maintenance and exposition of the same looking and thinking as many wayes as there be heads among them onely the Pope and his gouernement they all professe because it is their vantage and in him all their tailes meete together This is the vnitie of the Iesuites Church and the true genealogie thereof which we are content to acknowledge vnto them Digression 22. Obiecting the behauiour of the Papists toward the diuine Scriptures thereby to proue their varying from that which in former times the Primitiue Church of Rome beleeued 3 But whereas he saith the Romane Church hath not swarued from any point which formerly it held this is vntrue because it is declined from the doctrine of the Scriptures which the old Romane Church till Antichrist brake into it held inuiolably and for proofe hereof I will not now stand to compare the present Romane faith with the Scriptures but onely touch certaine practises of the Papists about the Scriptures which are euident signes and cleare demonstrations of that I say And first their canonizing now after 1500. years of the vulgar Latine against the Hebrew and Greeke originals for i Sess 4. the Trent Councell chargeth all men to vse it as the authenticall text in all their readings disputations sermons and expositions and that they do not reiect it vnder any pretence whatsoeuer Yea k Galatin de Arcun l. 1. c. 8. Leo Castrens apologet lib. 2. and others the learned men among them accuse the Hebrew and Greeke of corruptions manifold and their generall opinion thereof may be discouered by the Bishop of â—oledoes conceit l F. Simen bibl Complut in prolog who putting forth the Bible in diuers languages and therein printing his Latine in the middest betweene the Hebrew and Greek saith he hath placed them as the two theeues on either side but the Romane or Latin Church he hath put in the middest betweene them as Iesus Christ And yet this their Latine so swarmeth with monstrous corruptions that m Lin la. de opt gen interp l. 3. ca. 4. Reg. bibl tom 6. in var. lect lat bibl edit vulg themselues complaine of it as well as we and n Molina in 1. Tho. pag. 399. Andrad defens Trid. lib. 4. Alph. Mendoz. controu theol q. 7 pag. 514. diuers of them iustifie with vs against their fellowes the Hebrew and Greek and some that mislike it yet confesse o Posseuin bibl select l. 2. c. 6. Sixt. Sen. bibl sanct l 8. pag. 318. b. the errors supposed to be therein are not of such weight as that they touch the perfection of the Scripture in things pertaining to faith and good manners Now it is vnlikely they would striue thus about an edition against all antiquitie and probabilitie but that they see some euidence in the originals which by their Latin they hope they can auoide 4 Next p See Digr 1.9 they complaine against the Scriptures that they containe not all things needfull to saluation but the best part of true religion is made knowne to vs by vnwritten tradition which if you take away many points of the faith will reele and totter which they might neuer say for shame if they were not declined from the Scripture and had not deuised this shift of tradition to flie vnto when the Scripture is pressed against them 5 Thirdly q See Digr 2. 3. they forbid the people to reade the Scripture and will not haue it translated into the mother tongue which is a signe they mistrust their faith and doubt lest the people by reading should find it departed from the Scripture 6 Fourthly r See Digr 16. they make the Pope iudge ouer the sence of the Scripture Å¿ Concil Trid. sess 4. forbidding all other sences then such as agree with the Church of Rome and that which is prodigious they blush not to say t Cusan ep 2.3.7 The Scripture is fitted to the time and variably vnderstood the sence thereof being one while this and againe another while that according as it pleaseth the Church to change her iudgement
wist to haue a good pittance For vnto a poore order for to giue Is signe that a man is well yshriue For many a man is so hard of hart That he may not weepe though him smart Therefore in steed of weeping and of praiers Men more giue siluer to the poore Friers Now this answer being made to popish shrift for the remouing of the generall absolute and perpetuall necessitie thereof which the Papists vrge we are to adde concerning this point the doctrine of our Church which doth not denie or take away the free and godly vse of confession but teacheth that it is very profitable when it is discreetly done vpon iust occasion and a godly learned and trusty minister may be had for the searching of the wounds of sinfull soules and applying of fit counsell and comfort to distressed consciences and therfore our Church exhorteth when any cannot so wel by himselfe apply the means prescribed in the word to himselfe for the quieting of his conscience but requireth further counsell or comfort therein then to resort to some discreet and learned Minister of Gods word and to open his griefe that he may receiue such ghostly counsell aduice and comfort as his conscience may be relieued and that by the ministery of Gods word he may receiue comfort and the benefite of absolution to the quieting of his conscience and auoiding of all scruple and doubtfulnesse as it is in the second exhortation before the Communion For which purpose also a forme of absolution is prescribed in the visitation of the sicke to be vsed after speciall confession in sicknesse as well of mind as of bodie Our Lord Iesus Christ who hath left power to his Church to absolue all sinners which truly repent and beleeue in him c. Digression 34. Concerning the necessitie or requisite condition of good workes for our saluation shewing that the Protestants hold it 11 The third point of our doctrine charged as tending to libertie is the article of good works wherein the Iesuite accuseth vs two wayes first that we hold they are not necessarie to saluation next that we denie their merit This latter accusation we confesse but denie the former and say themselues know it to be a lie not onely by our preaching and writings wherein the learned of our Church vrge men to a godly life m Melancth corp doctrin Chr. in repetit cōfess Kemnit loc c. de operibus renat q. 6. Caluin Inst l. 3. c 16. §. 1. Polād thes de bonis operibus nu 14. defending the veritie of this proposition that good workes are necessarie to saluatiō but also by the cleare confessiō of their own side n Bellar. de iustificat l. 4. c. 1. who going about to fasten it vpō vs that we should hold against the necessitie of good works yet acknowledge it is rather a consequence of our doctrine and our secret meaning then our maner of speech or teaching Wherein they shew their desire of contention and vnconscionable misleading the people when they wil not suffer vs to expoūd our own doctrine nor giue vs leaue to declare our owne faith but o Math. 5.17 Rom. 3 31. as the Iewes did Christ and his Gospel slander our doctrine with that which themselues know is farre from it For how can they say we hold good workes not necessary when they see well enough and acknowledge our doctrine is that p Bell de Iustif l. 1. c. 12. § Itaque man is iustified by the grace of God not imputing our sinnes vnto vs which grace faith apprehendeth by beleeuing q Idem l. 3. c. 6. Stapl. de Iustif l. 9. c. 7. and this faith is liuing and worketh by charitie without which faith and true repentance no man can be saued so excluding not the necessitie but onely the merit of our workes Yea Bellarmine r Bellar. de Iustif l. 4. c. 1. § Ac primum Stapl de Iustif pag 334. Protestantes ipsi quamuis à formali nostra iustitia sanctificationē nouā obedientiam distinguant vt non sit pars eius essentialis adesse tamen cam certo infallibiliter volunt omnibus Dei filijs tanquam indiuidnam fidei iustificantis comitem propriam sinorum Dei notam saith expresly that Melancthon Brentius Kemnitius Caluin and Luther teach that good workes must be done and shew them to be necessary in some sort in that they affirme it is no true faith vnlesse it bring forth good workes and be accompanied with charity Wherein he hath truly reported that we teach and by reporting it shewed the wilfulnesse of his owne side in giuing it out against their owne knowledge that we denie the necessitie of a good life The point we denie is this that our owne righteousnesse is the thing that must answer the law of God or by way of merite procure acceptation with God to eternall life or make vs righteous in his presence For God of his iustice requireth that euery man afore he be saued or admitted into the state of his children to enioy his fauour and friendship bring a full satisfaction and righteousnesse or iustice of workes answerable to the law the which iustice say we is not the righteousnesse that we do but the perfect obedience of Christ imputed to vs and made ours by faith our owne workes being only the fruite of this faith and a requisite condition of our saluation as the way to walke in and no otherwise which way whosoeuer findeth not or hauing found it walketh not shall neuer be saued because God saueth none but by iustification and sanctification both the former is to acquit them from the condemnation of the law and it is by the bloud and obedience of Christ the latter is to conforme them to the Gospel and to go the way that leadeth to God and it is by our owne inherent holinesse Both these must therefore of necessitie be done the obedience of Christ to iustifie vs and our owne works to go the way whither our iustification calleth vs whereupon it followeth they neither iustifie nor satisfie nor merite before God nor answer the righteousnesse of his law and yet are absolutely necessary as the fruites of faith and markes of the way that leadeth to heauen And euen as the king freely bestowing a place in the Court vpon his subiect this his free gift bindeth him ouer to come to the Court and receiue it and hauing so done to discharge the place with all diligence and attendance and yet the subiect cannot say that either his going the way or attendance procured him the place but onely the kings free gift put him into it and if this mans friend sometime tell him you must go to the Court and do your attendance though when you haue done all you can your so doing is not worthy the kings fauour he hath shewed you he doth not thereby perswade him to neglect his iourney seruice but rather the contrarie that the
next point containeth neuer a true word For not one of the persons named professed the Roman faith as it is now holdē a Trithem For Thaumaturgus liued in the yeare 240. Anthonie in the yeare 330. and Benet in the yeare 500. All which time the present religiō of the Romane Church was vnborne except a verie few points of small moment brought in by the superstition of a few and controlled by the generall doctrine of the Church as I shall clearely proue in the sections following Bernard liued later by 500. yeares but he knew not the present Romane faith He was indeed a Monke in many things superstitious what maruell liuing aboue a thousand yeares after Christ but he was a Papist in none of the principall points of the religion For he held the sufficiencie of the Scripture without traditions iustification by faith alone that our workes merite not that no man can keepe the Law that a man by the testimony of Gods Spirit within him may be certaine of grace that there is no such freewill as the Popish Schoolemen teach he stood against the pride of the Pope and the opinion touching the conception of the blessed Virgine without originall sinne as I will make good against the Iesuite or anie that will take his part Who if he would deale faithfully and to the point should not say Bernard professed the Romane faith and was a Monke but he should haue shewed that he professed the present Romane faith as the Councell of Trent and the Iesuits haue set it downe at least in the fundamentall points thereof which he can neuer do As for Francis of Assise who liued about the same time neither was he of the present Romane faith because it was not holden then as now it is though I cōfesse the matter be not great what that b Ecquis credat D. Franciscum pediculos semel excussos in seipsum solitum esse immittere Can. loc l. 11. c. 7. Lowsie Saint were 2 And as concerning the miracles whereby this Iesuite saith it pleased God to giue testimony of these mens holinesse I answer that what is reported of Bernard and Francis and Dominicke and others of that ranke are lyes and deuices Which I demōstrate by this that they are found no where but in the Legends and liues of Saints written by the Friers whose authoritie our aduersaries themselues despise as I will shew in the next Digression The things written of Gregorie Benet and Anthonie and some others of that time haue more antiquitie but no more certentie as I will likewise demonstrate in the same Digression though allowing much thereof to be true yet the Romane faith is not iustified thereby because as I said before they were done when yet it was vnhatched and Rome professed another religion 3 And whereas he saith diuerse of these were religious men and founded religious orders which Protestants reiect this is easily answered by telling him againe first that if they were religious men founded orders yet their so doing conuinceth not that they were of the same faith for there might be orders and professions erected in a contrary religion as the Essens for example had their peculiar order of religion and yet were I thinke no Papists who would be loath to be tyed to the rigor which they professed A solitarie nation c Plin. l. 5. c. 17. Solin Polyhist c. 38. saith the storie of them and admirable beyond all others in the world No woman among them nor venerie without money dwelling among the trees it is incredible to speake it the nation is eternall through thousands of ages wherein no man is borne so fruitfull vnto them is other mens repentance of their liues Next it followeth not because they founded orders of Monkes that therefore they were the same which the Church of Rome now retaineth for they may be altered as indeed they are by the confession of our aduersaries themselues Thirdly such as Anthonie and Benet and Eustathius were erecting professions and orders of life without warrant from the word or at least not by commandement thereof it was lawfull for vs to vse our libertie in putting them away againe without incurring the censure layed vpon vs by the Iesuite And yet he might haue remembred that a Cardinall of his owne Church was the first that put downe Abbeyes in England Digression 44. Answering that which the Papists obiect touching the miracles of their Church and the Saints therein 4 We denie not but the gift of miracles was in the Church at the first reuealing of the Gospell and long after verie commonly whose proper end was to reuoke the minds of men to the marking of the doctrine that accompanied them that by marking it which they would not so easily haue done had not the same of the preachers miraculous workes allured thē the efficacie thereof might lay hold vpon them and conuert them which it did Wherby it appeareth that all their strength arose from the doctrine confirmed by them in as much as it distinguished them from delusions and such like wonders as may be done by naturall causes and the conveiance of Sathan and assured the beholders that their concurrence with so pure and holy teaching shewed them to be of God For d Bell. de not eccl c. 14. de grat lib. arb l. 6. c. 1. our aduersaries confesse that No miracle can certainly be knowen to be so afore the Church approue it vnlesse the wil by some meane be inclined to beleeue it Whereby it appeareth concerning the purest miracles that euer were that although as a signe they inuited men to come and see yet the men being come were assured by the efficacie of the doctrine that what they saw was a true miracle and when God withheld this efficacie that it inclined not the mind then e As appeareth in the vnbeleeuing Iewes the men beleeued not but said they were delusions 5 This I say to shew our aduersaries that that they must not be offended if we examine the miracles offred by the doctrine of the Scriptures For if they confirme any other doctrine we may safely reiect them as lying wonders But we haue an other issue with them easier to be tried then this touching the credit and certaintie of their miracles such I meane as they haue to stand vpon For all that they can alledge for themselues are either the miracles of Christ and his Apostles or of the Saints in the Primitiue Church or of their Legends Touching the two first we answer in a word that they do but trifle away the time in talking of them till they haue proued their religion the same that those men taught for the miracles must be adiudged to that side that retains the same doctrine Whence it followeth that the Iesuit hath no portion in the miracles of the Primitiue Church because he is not of that faith the which if he will denie then the triall must be made by the
mot 45. saith The truth is that some there haue bene in many ages in some points of the Protestants opinion in so much that scarce any peece or article there is of our whole faith but by one or other first or last it hath bene called in question and that with such liking for the time that they haue all in a manner drawne after them great heards of followers I know Bristo meaneth they were hereticks that in all ages did this but that can he neuer proue yet in the meane time belike he saw some that were of the Protestants faith before of late The second is Reynerius that liued three hundred yeares ago who discoursing of the Waldenses a people for substance of the Protestants religion e Refert Illyric catal tom 2. p. 543. saith They are in all the cities of Lombardy and Prouince and other countries and kingdomes They haue many followers and dispute publickely we haue numbred fortie Churches of theirs and ten schooles in Parish No sect hath continued so long some say it hath bene since the time of Syluester some since the Apostles and there is almost no country wherein it spreadeth not They haue great shew of pietie liuing vprightly before men and beleeuing all things aright concerning God and all the articles in the Creed onely they hate and blaspheme the Church of Rome c. In this testimonie of Reynerius you may see our Church was Catholicke both in place and persons and time and doctrine and that the Church of Rome was resisted and the religion thereof refused afore Luther The true cause why it was not so frequent and publicke as now it is either in place or persons was the persecution of the Pope and the generall corruption of the Papacie which as a leprosie infected and as a mist obscured welnigh all places and persons that sometimes not the true beleeuers themselues such I meane as are come to our knowledge were void of error in euery point though they firmly held the foundatiō as these Waldenses did And if it pleased God in processe of time to giue more libertie to the persons and more puritie to the doctrine what iust occasion is this to say we are not all one Church when the true faith of Christ is not alwayes alike visibly and purely professed Minutius Felix f Octau pa. 401. saith Why are we vnthankfull and why enuie we if the truth of God hath grown ripe in our age let vs enioy our good and let superstition be bridled and wickednes expiated and true religion maintained 2 The next point that our Church is but in few places of Christendome is both false and impertinent First impertinent for if it were so yet were it no hindrance to the note of vniuersalitie For Gods Church vnder the law was shut vp within the narrow bounds of Iudaea and g Digr 17. nu 31 the Papists say theirs in the dayes of their supposed Antichrist shall be openly seene but in few places and h Dried dogm eccl l. 4. c. 2 par 2. Bellar. not eccl c. 7. confesse it is not required to the vniuersalitie of the Church that of necessitie there be at all times in euery countrey some beleeuers it sufficeth if there be successiuely Whence it followeth that if only one prouince did retaine the true faith yet should it truly and properly be called the Catholicke Church as long as it might be shewed that it were the same which it was at other times in other places of the world the which we can shew of our Church how small soeuer the compasse thereof may fall out to be at some time Next it is false for there is no place in Christendome but there are some of our religion therein as not onely experience but our aduersaries owne reports beare witnesse wherein they i Boz sign eccl l. 19. c. 1. Bell. de Rom. Pont. praefat li. 3. c. 21. item de verb. Dei praefat habit in Gymn Rom. complaine how our heresie so heretickes style it possesseth many and large prouinces England Scotland Denmark Norwey Sweden Germanie Pole Boheme Hungary Prussia Lituania Liuonia whereto they may adde France and the Low countries yea Italy and Spaine it selfe where the barbarous Inquisition dayly findeth the profession of our religion euen at their doores 3 The third point that our Church is not Catholick in doctrine neither is as ill proued as the former For negatiue doctrine so farre as it is euil standeth not in denying some points which the fathers held but in denying that which they held according to the Scriptures and which they taught and maintained to be certain and necessary matter of faith deliuered in the Scriptures wherein neither we nor the Centuries euer refused them Neither haue we denied any one point which they held in all ages for the truth as our aduersaries haue For though the Centuries reiect this and that which the Father 's held yet they deny neither this nor that which was holden for the truth in all ages as appeareth by their historie wherein they shew the succession of our faith in all ages and note how it was many times corrupted and mistaken euen by some of the ancient Fathers which is all for substance that the Magdeburgenses can be charged with wherein they haue neither denied the doctrine of the Catholicke Church nor offered the Fathers any wrong to say they had some errors as all men haue and themselues confesse which gaue occasion to others to erre likewise which errors the Centuries sometimes more then was cause noting they did not thereby notwithstanding accuse the whole Church of error because euery thing was not the Churches doctrine that some particular men therein held and what they noted of some particular Fathers must not be stretched to be meant against them all as their censuring somtimes ouermuch of many together for some things written against the truth must not be expounded to be the deniall of all they held beside for if it be and the Centuries be thus censured let this Iesuite say directly without shrinking why doth k Cathar tract de concep virg Suar. to 2. disp 3 sect 6. the Church of Rome hold the virgin Marie was conceiued without sinne l Capreol 3. d. 3. Ban. par 1. p. 75. Paul Cortes in sent which all the Fathers with one consent deny Let them looke my demaund in the face that thinke it heresie to deny the Fathers yea all the fathers consenting in one Digression 47. Of the authoritie of the ancient Fathers in matters of our faith and religion Wherein it is shewed what we ascribe to them and how farre forth we depend vpon them And the practise of our aduersaries in contemning eluding and refusing both them and their owne writers is plainly discouered 4 But this is a point that must be further looked into and not suffered to passe away thus Our aduersaries neuer make an end of boasting of the Fathers and by
l 1. art 6. One saith We are to stand to the Popes iudgement alone rather then to the iudgement of all the world besides a Greg. à Val. to 3. pag. 293. Another that when the question cannot be fitly decided by the opinion of the Doctors then it is free for the Pope to interpose his authoritie Another b Turrecrem Sum. l 3. c 44. Bell. de conc l. 2 c. 17. that the Pope is aboue all Councels and the vniuersall Church and acknowledgeth no iudge vpon earth ouer him c Quanto de translat Episc in Gloss Another that he hath a heauenly iudgement and maketh that to be the meaning that is not d Caiet 27. q. 1. art 9. Another that the authoritie of the vniuersall Church and of a Councell and of the Pope is reputed to be all one Whereby you may see that whatsoeuer the fathers say or howsoeuer they consent yet it is in the Popes power to assigne the meaning And as if all this were too little e Index expuâ—gat Belg. p. 12. they openly professe that in the ancient Catholicke writers they tollerate many errors they extenuate and excuse them and oftentimes deny them by deuising a shift and faining some handsome sense to giue them when in disputations they are opposed against them and in conflicts with their aduersaries What needed all this if they followed the fathers as they pretend and why vse they this excusing shifting denying eluding them and why are they faine to call in the Pope to charm them if they think they haue their vniuersall consent as they preteÌ„d Nay let them say bona fide why haue they purged and razed and changed the writings of their owne Schoolemen and later Diuines and in later impressions changed them in infinite places from that which the authors writ but that their conscience telleth them they are shrunk from that which the Church of Rome held euen in their daies 12 But all this will not serue their turne neither though men not acquainted with the practise of hereticks would haue little looked for it at their hands that so insolently bragge of the fathers You shall now see in that which followeth that they openly reiect them also and deny their doctrine as ordinarily as euer any did And iudge thereby if it were possible the Centuries should be more negatiue then themselues In the question touching the cause of Predestination f Sixt. Sen. bib l. 6. annot 251. one of them hauing reckoned vp eleuen fathers chargeth them that they held the prescience of merits The which opinion saith he was condemned in Palagius g Mich. Medin Orig. sacr hom l. 1. c. 5. Another saith that Hierome Austin Ambrose Sedulius Primasius Chrysostome Theodoret Oecumenius Theophylact which are the chiefest of the fathers in the question concerning the difference betweene a Priest and a Bishop held the same opinion that Aërius the Waldenses and Wickliffe did whom he counteth for heretickes and chargeth those fathers with the same heresie In the matter touching the baptisme of Constantine the great h Baron an 324 n. 43. 50. inde they reiect Eusebius Ambrose Hierom Theodoret Socrates Sozomen and the whole Councell of Ariminum and say They deserue no credit because they haue written the truth that he was baptized by Eusebius the Bishop of Nicomedia In the question about the conception of the virgin Mary i Almain potest Eccl. c. 16. Clictou super Damascen l. 3. c. 2. Fra. Titl Ioh. 2. they hold she had no originall sinne and that it is a point of our faith so to beleeue and that it is impietie to think otherwise and yet k Bann part 1. pag 75. they acknowledg all the fathers with one consent held the contrary l An. 395. n. 42. Baronius censureth all the Historiographers of the fourth age both humane diuine He saith Though there were abundance of them yet some were too obscure some too short some wanted order some diligence some pietie and truth and some for priuate affection writ lies Thus they encounter whole troopes of fathers together 13 Now you shall see how they entertaine them at single hand one by one or a few together as they meet them m Stapl. iustif lib. 2. c. vlt. Austin went beyond all good measure in this dispute with the Pelagians n Sixt. Sen. bibl lib. 5. pref he attributeth sometime too little to mans will o Alphons adu haer verb. Episcopus I will beleeue Anacletus a notable counterfet better then either Ierome or Austin No maruell if Ierome were deceiued when good Homer sometime is taken napping p Turrian scol Graec. in const p. 172. Though Chrysostome and Austin and some other fathers say Iudas receiued the sacrament yet the constitution of Clement q Balsam resp apud ius Graecorum tom 1. p. 363. another egregious counterfet is rather to be beleeued r Ban. 22. p. 630 Certaine moderne Diuines haue forsaken Saint Austin and Thomas in a matter of great weight and haue followed their owne false imaginations Å¿ Tolet. Rom. 9 p. 421. I do not in this point allow the doctrine of Austin Ambrose Chrysostome Theodoret and Photius t Maldonat Ioh. 6. Let the reader beware that when he readeth Chrysostome vpon this place he fall not into Pelagianisme u Baro. an 216. n. 16. An euill spirit so caried Tertullian that of euill being made worse and most filthy he spued out most horrible blasphemies x Bellar. Rom. Pont. l. 4. c. 8. Little credit is to be giuen Tertullian in this matter for he was a Montanist And yet y Baron ann 201. n. 7. I would not deny Saint Ieromes authoritie but that Tertullian saith otherwise z Errores articulat à Parrhisiens p 139. Cyprian and Ierome writ erronious and hereticall opinions which we do not reade they euer retracted a Ibid. It is plaine that Ieromes doctrine was erronious in some part and that in things pertaining to the faith and teaching of the Apostles b Can. loc l. 11. c 6. Pope Gregory and Bede the one in his dialogues the other in his English history misse it now and then c Baron ann 433. n. 30. They are deceiued which thinke Cassian was in euerie part a Catholicke And Gennadius was a Pelagian as well as he d Bellar. purg l. 2. c 8. Origen was seene in hell burning with Arrius and Nestorius e Baron ann 256. n. 40. I wonder certaine new writers dare still put forth apologies for him f Posseuin bibl sel l. 1. c 25. Eusebius was an ArriaÌ„ in al his works a man of a double mind g Baron annal tom 1. prefat He lied in many things he was full of Arianisme h Baron ann 324. n. 48. No remedy but we must needes say Eusebius lied falsely i Baron ann 395. n. 41.
vniuersall doctrine of God of Angels of all other creatures specially of man of his first framing of his finall end and of all things pertaining to his nature of his fall by sinne of his reparation by grace of lawes prescribed vnto him of vertues which he ought to imbrace of vices which he ought to eschue of Christ our redeemer his incarnation life and passion and his coming to iudgement of the Sacraments and all other points that anie way pertaine to Christian religion The Answer 1 That the Iesuites Romane Church hath continually held the present faith it now professeth is false and confuted a Sect. 35. Digr 22. 23. alreadie And I wonder he might for shame say it For is any so mad as to beleeue his Popes supremacie his Latine seruice his reall presence hath alway bene visible from the beginning when there is not so much as any mention of them in antiquitie All that religion therfore which the Romane Church maintaineth against vs came in by peece-meale through the faction conueyance of certaine persons which in all ages corrupted the truth and increased the corruptions by degrees till at length they obtained the name of the Romane faith 2 Next whereas he saith it is proued Catholicke in place by this that it hath and alway had some in euery coast that communicate in profession with it we must distinguish the times For in the Primitiue Church and long after the Christian world indeed communicated with the faith professed in the Romane Church but then it was not the same it is now and so the present Church of Rome is not iustified by this communion but condemned rather Afterward the nations of the world ioyned in profession with it likewise as it degenerated and grew vp in corruption but marke how One part being the smaller and obscurer liued in the middest thereof and communicated with no more then was the truth excepting some small errors like b 1 Cor. 3.12 hay or stubble builded on the foundation and this is not properly any communion with the Papacie but with the true Church whereto the Papacie in the Church of Rome grew as a scab or as a disease Another part communicated with it in the errors also as they grew and embraced the Papacie c Apo. 17.2.4.15 13.14 18.9 2. Thess 2.11 but this was the seduced world which the whore of Babylon made drunke with the wine of her fornication and deceiued with strong delusions And yet this communion was not so great but that many famous Churches in the world refused it and departed from it as soone as the alteration into the faith it now holdeth began visibly to appeare as the Churches of Greece and Armenia for example which to this day would neuer communicate with it Maginus d Geogr. descr pag. 166. saith The Greekes long since departed from the Church of Rome and appointed themselues Patriarkes whom they acknowledge to be their heads and not onely the Greekes obey them but all the Prouinces also that follow the Greekes religion Circassia Walachia Bulgaria Moscouia Russia the more part of Pole Mingrelia Brosina Albania Illyricum part of Tartarie Seruia Croatia and all the Prouinces lying vpon the Euxin sea Whereby it is plaine that many famous countries and infinite people neuer allowed of the Romane faith but haue kept possession against it to this day though many reâ—eiued it as in times past many communicated with Arius and Mahomet and yet they are not proued Catholicke thereby 3 To the last point concerning the vniuersall doctrine taught in the Romane Church I answer that it is not the holding of certaine heads and articles of religion which maketh a Church Catholicke but the holding them truly according to the Scripture Which truth being remoued the more is holden the worse and lesse Catholick is the Church that holdeth them For as much therefore as the Romane Church by adding and detracting hath corrupted the vniuersall doctrine of Christian religion and especially the points mentioned by the Iesuite and patched thereunto innumerable abuses errors and superstitions to the certaine damnation of all that beleeue them it is not proued Catholicke by teaching all the doctrine of religion but manifestly Antichristian because it teacheth euery point vntruly § 47. Neither doth it at this day denie any one point of doctrine which in former times was vniuersally receiued for verity or the Catholicke Church The which if anie will take vpon him to denie let him shew and proue first what point of doctrine the Catholicke Romane Church doth deny or hold contrarie to that which by the Church hath bene vniuersally held as we can shew the Protestants do The Answer 1 The Iesuit needed not to haue bidden vs shew the points holden in his Church against that which the Church of Christ vniuersally held in former ages for we name and shew euery point of his faith wherein he dissenteth from vs and proue that it came in contrary to the doctrine of the Church through the conueyance of some therein being neuer vniuersally receiued of all but maintained and aduanced by the power and contention of some against the rest which either resisted it or receiued it doubtfully And I VNDERTAKE TO SHEW THIS IN ANIE QVESTION OF HIS RELIGION THAT HE WILL NAME VNTO ME BY PROVING THE SAME TO BE AGAINST THE SCRIPTVRE FIRST AND THEN CONTRARIE TO THE PRIMITIVE CHVRCH AND FINALLY TAVGHT BY THE SHOOL-MEN AND OTHERS IN THE ROMANE CHVRCH IT SELFE OTHERWISE THEN NOW THE IESVITES AND TRENT COVNCELL DELIVER IT This is enough to answer the present chalenge and I haue performed it in euery question handled in this booke and namely Digress 32. to 42. Digression 49. Obiecting eight points for example wherein the Church of Rome holdeth contrary to that which formerly was holden The conception of the virgin Marie Latine seruice Reading the Scriptures Priests mariage Images Supremacie Communion in one kind Transubstantiation 1 First touching the conception of the virgin Marie which all the ancient fathers beleeued to be in original sin and the elder Schoolmen vniuersally as I shewed vpon another occasion out of Dominicus a Part. 1. in Tho. q. 1. art 8. dub 5. Bannes and b De consecr d. 4 Firmissime nu 11. Turrecremata contrarie to c Sixt. 4. c. Cum prae excelsa Graue nimis in Extrau commun Concil Trid. sess 5. § Declarat tameÌ„ haec Galatin Arcan l. 3 pag. 490. the present beliefe of the Church of Rome 2 Next touching Latin seruice which is vsed in the Church of Rome against all antiquitie and the iudgement of many d 1. Cor. 14. The Apostle saith If an instrument of musicke make no distinction in the sound how shall it be knowne what is piped So likewise you except by the language you vtter words that haue signification how shall it be vnderstood what is spoken For you shall speake in the ayre I will pray and sing with the
that which is in the cup he called his blood He changed the names gaue his body that name which belōged to the sign and to the signe that name which belonged to his body The reason why he thus changed the names was because he would haue such as partake the diuine sacraments not to heed the nature of those things which are seene but for the change sake of the names to beleeue the change that is made by grace For he called it wheat and bread which by nature is his body and againe on the other side he called himselfe a vine thus honoring the Symbols and signes which are seene with the name of his body and blood not by changing their nature but by adding grace to nature e Dial. inconfusus For the mysticall signes after consecration do not depart from their nature but they abide still in their former substance and figure and forme and may be seene and touched as before These testimonies are so plaine that they cannot be shifted For they containe the very speeches vsed by the Protestants he changed but the name he honoured the signes with the name of his body not changing their nature they depart not from their nature but abide still in their former substance their former kinde their former forme the substance or nature of bread and wine ceasseth not They are a figure c. And the fathers hereby confuted Eutyches the hereticke holding that Christ had but one nature and that by reason of the vnion the humanity was turned into the deitie against which error they opposed the doctrine of the Eucharist shewing that as therein bread and wine after consecration were honoured with the name of his body and blood and receiued grace vnto their nature to be a holy sacrament though still they remained in their former substance and property so the humanitie of Christ receiued grace by the hypostaticall vniting it to the Godhead and yet still retained the former property to be humane flesh And had they beleeued as our aduersaries do touching the sacrament they not onely could not thereby haue thus confuted Eutyches but Eutyches might by that very doctrine most probably haue confuted them For thus he might haue reasoned You Theodoret and Gelasius and the rest of your Church thinke the sacrament is a resemblance of the incarnation of Christ and the vnion of his two natures But in the sacrament the bread and wine after cōsecration remaine no more but are turned into the flesh and blood of Christ and so there is but one substance Therefore likewise in the incarnation after the vnion the humanitie remaineth no more but is turned into the diuinitie and the nature is but one as I say What could they haue answered to this reason if they had held transubstantiation Yea Eutyches made this argument in part against them For from the sacramental change of the signes whereby of common bread and wine they were changed to be holy signes and instruments of Gods grace vnto vs which change is it that the fathers mention and no other he could proue a change in Christs humane nature but Theodoret answereth him thus Now are you catcht in your owne net for the mysticall signes depart not from their nature but abide still in their former substance c. Which sheweth apparently that he beleeued not the transubstantiation 9 Neither had it bene possible the elder sort of Papists should haue spoken so waueringly and vncertainly touching the point if it had bene alway so vniuersally receiued in the church Concerning things alway beleeued indeed they speak resolutely they are certain and sticke not as when they speake of the Trinitie of the mysteries of the incarnation but when they come to intreat of this transubstantiation it is strange to see how they interfere in their words that they are able to make the resolutest Papist aliue doubt whether euer they beleeued it in good earnest or no. I will set downe the words of some of them because they deserue noting and I had their bookes ready at my hand to alledge them First there is no certaintie among them whether the bread remaine or no. For Petrus de Alliaco the Cardinall f 4. q. 6. art 2. f. saith That manner which supposeth the substance of bread to remain stil is possible Neither is it cōtrary to reason or to the authoritie of the Scripture nay it is easier to conceiue and more reasonable then that which saith the substance doth leaue the accidents And of this opinion no inconuenience doth seeme to ensue if it could be accorded with the Churches determinatiō And he addeh that the opinion which holdeth the substance of bread not to remaine doth not euidently follow of the Scripture nor in his seeming of the Churches determination And g Occh. centil q. 39 c. Cum Marthae de celeb miss gl §. Sanguinis Panor ibid. it appeareth euidently that it was a common opiniō in the Church of Rome euen of late that the bread in the sacrament remaineth still and that transubstantiation is no article of faith Next among such as held the reall presence there was no certaintie For h Tom. 3. d. 47. sect 3 d. 49. sect 2. Suarez relateth the opinion of some which held the change in the sacrament to consist in this that the bread and wine were assumed and vnited to the person of Christ And i Occh. 4. q. 6. k. Gabr. 4. d. 11 q. 1 Sum. Angel verbo Eucharistia 1. n. 31. diuers of the chiefest Schoolemen hold the bread is not conuerted substance into substance but annihilated by ceassing to be And this matter was so vncertaine in Peter Lombards time that it seemeth he knew not what to hold If k L. 4. d. 11. ◠saith he it be demanded what manner of conuersion it is whether formall or substantiall or of another kind I am not able to define Which is a signe that transubstantiation was not vniuersally beleeued in his daies And generally it is confessed that before the Councell of Lateran not yet foure hundred yeares since no man was bound to beleeue it Tonstal l De verit corp fang p. 46. saith It was free for all men till that time to follow their owne coniecture as concerning the maner of the presence They were not therfore bound to beleeue transubstātiation And Scotus and Biel are reported by m Soto 4. d. 9. q. 2. art 2. 4. Suar. tom 3. d. ◠s 1. the later Schoolemen to haue bene of minde that the opinion is very new and lately brought into the Church and beleeued onely vpon the authoritie of the Lateran Councell and indeed their words sound no lesse From the beginning n Script Oxon. 4. d. 10. q. 1. §. Quantum ergo ad istum saith Scotus since the matter of this sacrament was beleeued it hath euer bene beleeued that Christs body is not moued out of his place into heauen that it
erre he sitteth in the temple of God and beareth rule farre and neare 34 After 1250. to 1300 I name Å¿ Magd. Cent. 13. c. 5. Gulielmus de S. Amore. withstanding the Friers and their abuses t Crantz Metrop l. 8. c. 16. Refert Illyr Catal. The Preachers in Sweden that publickly taught the Pope and his Bishops to be heretickes u Panor de Iudicijs c. Nouit ille Naucler vol. 2. gen 45. Dante 's the Florentine wrote in a booke that the Empire descended not from the Pope for the which cause after his death they condemned him of heresie About the same time also liued Gulielmus Altisiodorensis an auncient schoolman in whose Summes are found many things confuted that then were coming in and maintained by others the which because I haue partly obserued throughout this my answer by alledging him against the Iesuite I will not now stand to produce 35 After 1300. to 1350 I name Marsilius Patauinus that writ against the Popes supremacie x Defensor pacis in which booke is to be seene the confutation of all such reasons as were made to proue him the head of the Church I name Occham the school-man y Beside his owne workes see Sleid. comment l. 2. Auent annal l. 7. p. 628 Naucl. vol. 2. gen 45. p. 1003. who exceeding vehemently writ against the Popes authoritie ouer Kings a great article of the Romane faith this day in England and Councels z Trithem de Scriptor he told the Emperour that if he would defend him with the sword he again would defend him with the word And as he resisted the Primacie so did he confute many errors now holden by the Church of Rome and confirmeth that which is our faith in not a few points as may be seene in his booke vpon the Sentences I name Gregorius Ariminensis who in his booke vpon the Sentences hath diligently confuted that which is now holden by the church of Rome touching Predestination Originall sinne Freewill the merit of workes and other matters a Illyr catal tom 2. pag. 797. The same time the Vniuersitie of Paris condemned the Popes pardons 36 After 1350. to 1400 I name Aluarus Pelagius who wrote a booke b De Planctu ecclesiae of the lamentation of the Church wherein he reproueth diuers abuses of his time c Fox acts and mon. pag. 38â— And Mountziger who in the Vniuersitie of Vlms openly disputed against Transubstantiation and adoration of the Sacrament I name Michael Cesenas d Illyr catal tom 2. who said the Pope was Antichrist and Rome Babylon and held there were two Churches one of the wicked wherein the Pope raigned which was a florishing Church the other of the godly an afflicted Church and he complained that the truth was almost extinguished The same time also liued Iohn Wickliffe and infinite more with him in England whom in that time they called Lolards resisting Papistry to the shedding of their bloud 37 After 1400. to 1450 I name againe the Lolards in England as Puruey Badby Thorp Browne Beuerly and the rest that were persecuted at that time I name Chaucer who expresly e Plowmans tale writ the Pope and his Clergie to be Antichrist The same time Nilus wrote his booke against Purgatory and the Popes supremacie and Iohn Hus Ierome of Prage and the Churches in Bohemia notoriously resisted the Papacie f Naucler vol. 2 gen 47. p. 1033. Their doctrine was the same with that of the Waldenses 38 After 1450. to 1500 I name Sauonarola the Florentine g Bucholch chronol Naucler vol. 2. gen 51. Illyr catal tom 2. p. 890. who preached that the time was come wherein God would renew his Church that the Church needed reformation he affirmed that the Pope taught not the doctrine of Christ he maintained the communion vnder both kinds and held against traditions iustification by workes and the Popes supremacie The same time Wesselus Groningensis and Ioannes de Vesalia were famous for holding against merits freewill traditions pardons shrift fasting dayes pilgrimages extreme vnction confirmation and the primacie In England also and Bohemia liued those which followed the doctrine of Wickliffe and Hus continuing the same till Luther 39 And when 1500. yeares were expired arose Luther Zuinglius Tindall and diuers others whom God raised vp to call his people out of Babylon who you see were not the first that misliked the Papacie many in all ages grudging at it before them and the reformation which they brought in was wished for and desired long before 40 And touching the catalogue that I haue set downe I warne the Reader of two things Note first that I haue not set downe all either that liued or are recorded in the seuerall ages nominated but onely some few for example to answer the Iesuites demaund by which few you may easily gather there were many more when so learned men neuer vse to want partakers howsoeuer the tyrannie and oppression of their aduerse part may keepe them vnder Next my meaning is not to iustifie euery one that I haue named to haue bene free from error and a ful Protestant in euery point though many were so in euery point fundamentall but onely to shew that the Papacie in all ages was resisted as it came forward which the Iesuite denieth If it be replied that these persons were hereticks condemned by the Church I answer first the Iesuite biddeth vs name who resisted Rome were all asleepe none to obserue the change c. and I name these whereunto it is no sufficient answer to say they were heretickes because it vpholdeth not the question and one hereticke may be able to detect another and the Iesuite should not make his chalenge so broade as to say No mention is made in any story of such an alteration Next it cannot be proued that these were heretickes For one part of them is the Greeke Church another part is some ancient Diuines of their owne Church a third part is such as the Romane Church persecuted The second are sound and lawfull witnesses being the true Church of God to this day though polluted with some errors The second though Papists in many points yet shew against al exception those points wherein they were no Papists to haue bene no part of the Catholicke faith so called in their time for then they would not haue resisted them but embrace them as they do all the rest The third part I grant the Church of Rome then persecuted and now calleth hereticks but that is the question whether they or their persecutors were the essentiall parts of the Church this must be decided by the Scriptures onely For our aduersaries say they are the true Church and proue it by their antiquitie without resistance both which we deny shewing the contrary in the precedent catologue which catologue when they will disproue againe by replying the men contained therein were condemned for heretickes by the Romane
flesh of Christ § 52. Fourthly the Protestants Church is not Apostolike because they cannot deriue their pedegree lineally without interruption from the Apostles as the Romane Church can from S. Peter but are enforced to acknowledge some other as Luther or Caluin or some such from whom mediatly or immediatly they haue receiued by succession the Preachers of their faith Luther and Caluin themselues being not sent of anie to teach this new faith nor succeeding lawfully to anie Apostolike Bishop or Pastor but being as Optatus Mileuitanus said lib. 2. contra Parmen Victor the Donatist an hereticke was Filij sine patre discipuli sine magistro Children without a father scholers without a maister Or as S. Cyprian lib. 1. Epist writeth of Nouatus Nemini succâ—dentes à seipsis Episcopi ordinati sunt Succeeding to none were ordained Bishops of themselues The Answer 1 Our answer is that the succession required to make a Church Apostolicke must be defined by the doctrine and not by the place or persons that is to say they must be reputed the Apostles successors which beleeue the Apostles doctrine although they haue not this outward succession of Pastors visibly following one another in one place throughout all ages as the Iesuite saith it is in the Romane Church For Saint Paul a Ephes 2.20 telleth the Ephesians they are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets in respect of their calling to the knowledge of the Gospel and yet they had not lineally as the Iesuite meaneth it descended from the Prophets And Nazianzene saith b Laud. Athan. Succession in godlinesse is properly to be accounted succession For he that holdeth the same doctrine is also partaker of the same succession as he that is against the doctrine must be reputed to be also out of the succession Which being granted the Iesuites discourse about succession is soone answered To the same effect speaketh his owne c D. 4. Non est facile Canon They are not the children of the Saints that sit in their places but which do their workes Yea the Iesuites confesse this For Posseuine d Not. verbi Dei pag. 328. ad interrog 11. writeth that the true Church is called Apostolicke not onely for the succession of Bishops from the Apostles but also for the consanguinitie of doctrine And Gregory of Valenza e Tom. 3. pag. 141. proprietas 4. telling why the Church is called Apostolicke in the Nicene Creed giueth onely three reasons First because it began in the Apostles next because by them it was spred all ouer the world thirdly because it still followeth their faith and authoritie Waldensis f Tom. 1. doctrinal l. 2. art 2. cap. 18. saith The Apostles filled the whole Church with wholsome doctrine and in that respect the whole Catholicke Church is also called Apostolicke By all which it is plaine that for the being of an Apostolicke Church it is sufficient if it hold the Apostles faith though it want the Iesuites succession mentioned 2 Whence it followeth that although it were granted the Romane Church could shew a perpetual succession of Prelates without interruption from S. Peter which the Iesuit saith may be shewed but g See digress I deny yet were it not thereby proued Apostolike vnlesse these Prelates had also retained S. Peters doctrine that the reader may see all other marks of the Church must be tried by the doctrine and that the Iesuits succession and vnitie and vniuersality proue nothing vnlesse the true faith concurre therewith 3 Whence it followeth again that it is no disaduantage to the Protestant Churches if holding the Apostles doctrine they want externall succession of place persons such as the Iesuite boasteth of because the Apostolicknesse of the Church is not to be defined by it but wheresoeuer the true faith contained in the Scriptures is professed and embraced there is the whole and full nature of an Apostolicke Church 4 And so I answer the Iesuites discourse in particular that we can deriue our faith from the Apostles and that without interruption in that to this day it was neuer interrupted though such as succeeded visibly in bishops thrones did not alway professe it it is sufficient that their malice could neuer extinguish it and the professors and teachers thereof liued in the Romane Church it selfe which beside all other testimonies we know by this that it is the faith of the Scriptures which cannot be extinguished but groweth in the middest of all her enemies 5 And touching Luther and Caluin I answer Touching the calling of Luther that whatsoeuer is said against them dependeth vpon another point which is the faith that they taught For if that were the truth theÌ„ no doubt they were sent of God to teach it we hearing them receiued it of them no otherwise then Gods faithful people are bound to receiue the Gospell of their Pastors And whereas he saith they succeeded no Apostolick Bishop neither had any calling to preach that new faith I answer that for the externall succession whereof I haue spoken we care not it is sufficient that in doctrine they succeeded the Apostles and Primitiue Churches and those faithfull witnesses which in all ages since embraced the same in persecution though they succeeded not in that open manner that was vsed afore heresie and persecution grew And albeit the Romane Church would not heare them yet had they a lawfull calling First inwardly from God who stirred them vp gaue them gifts directed them by his spirit and blessed their labor then outwardly in the Church of Rome it selfe where they were created Doctors of Diuinity and Pastors to teach the people as they were baptized by vertue whereof they might lawfully preach afterward that which by the Scriptures they found to be the truth and did lineally succeed the true Pastors of the Church that liued before them If it be obiected that hauing their calling in the Church of Rome it will follow thereupon that only the Church of Rome is the true Church this is easily answered by denying the consequence For the Church of God and the Papacie were mingled together and were both called by one name the church of Rome by reason that in diuers things that were good and indifferent they communicated So that euen in the Papacie many of the things of Gods Church remained as the Scripture Baptisme and these callings which the Pope and his Clergie occupying did as pirates that occupie another mans ship and his goods therein and therefore conferring baptisme and callings to diuers persons that afterwards forsooke the Pope the said persons notwithstanding rightly inherited them as the true Churches goods which the Papacie vsurped And whereas the Iesuite saith they were not sent to preach this new faith I answer him that this new faith as he styleth it is the true faith therfore euen that sending which they had bound them to preach it though at the first it reuealed it not
to them but God did it by meanes of the Scriptures and faithfull professors that lay secretly hidden in the middest of the Papacie and when they saw the truth they needed no other outward allowance to preach then that which they had to preach the Gospell as the Iesuite will thinke that himselfe being baptized in the Church of England after the order thereof with intent that he should also professe that faith yet afterward falling to Papistry needeth no other baptisme but by vertue of it may vse the libertie of other Christians The very same we say of Luther and Caluins callings whereby they are freed from the imputations that Cyprian and Optatus lay vpon the Donatists For such as haue no lawfull admission are children indeed without a father and scholers without a maister and Bishops without succession or what the Iesuite will but these men had a calling else let vs see what will be said to that I haue answered § 53. This succession of Priests and Bishops continually from the Apostles which we haue and the Protestants want the ancient Fathers did much esteeme and vse as an argument partly to confound the heretickes of those dayes partly to confirme themselues to continue in the Catholicke Church prouing by the succession of Pastors succession of Apostolicall doctrine still to haue continued in the Church Hereupon S. Irenaeus lib. 3. ca. 3. saith Traditionem ab Apostolis annuntiatam hominibus fidem per successionem Episcoporum peruenientem vsque ad nos indicantes confundimus omnes eos qui quoquo modo vel per sui placentiam malam vel vanam gloriam vel per coecitatem colligunt praeterquam oportet Shewing the tradition from the Apostles and the faith preached vnto men coming vnto vs by succession of Bishops we confound all them who any way either through euill complacence of themselues or through vaine-glorie or through blindnesse and euill opinion do collect and conclude otherwise then they ought Hereupon also saith Tertullian writing against heretickes Edant origines suarum Ecclesiarum euoluant ordinem Episcoporū ista per successionem ab initio decurrentes vt primus ille Episcopus aliquem ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis viris qui tamen cum Apostolis perseuerauerit authorem habuerit vel antecessorem Lib. de praescript Let them set forth the beginning of their Church let them vnfold or declare the order of Bishops so running from the beginning by succession that the first Bishop of their sect had some of the Apostles or Apostolicke men who perseuered with the Apostles for his author or predecessor Also S. Austine contra Epist Fundam c. 4. saith Tenet me in Ecclesia Catholica ab ipsa sede Petri Apostoli cui pascendas oues suas Dominus commendauit vsque ad praesentem Episcopum successio Sacerdotum The succession of Priests from the seate of S. Peter the Apostle to whom our Lord commended his sheepe to be fed vntill this present Bishop doth hold me in the Catholicke Church The same S. Austin Epist 105. doth dispute in the same maner In which Epistle he reckoneth vp all the Bishops of Rome vntill Anastasius who was in his time Bishop in S. Peters seate Cypr. lib. 1. Epist 6. Optat. lib. 2. cont Parmen The which argument those Fathers would neuer so much haue vrged if they had not thought that this succession was a sure marke of the true Church and that with this outward succession of Doctors and Pastors was alway infallibly conioyned the true doctrine of the Catholicke faith The Answer 1 How much soeuer the within named Fathers or any other stood vpō the outward succession of Bishops in their days yet that will do the Romane Church no good at this day The reason is because then none had succeeded but such as kept the Apostles faith which now is otherwise For many Popes since that time haue succeeded which haue bene hereticks as I haue shewed Digress 28. This difference betweene their times and ours must be diligently obserued that the fathers speeches concerning succession may be rightly vnderstood and the Papists arguments grounded on them may directly be answered For Irenaeus in the place quoted saith the Apostolicke tradition or doctrine and faith which they preached to men was come to them by succession of Bishops Whereby it appeareth they had not yet discouered that apostasie in Bishops thrones which afterward ensued but the true faith remained still which now in the Church of Rome it doth not Let our aduersaries therfore bring those times back againe and restore vs the Bishops that then succeeded and we will allow them the same argument of succession that the fathers made or else not For Hegesippus speaking of that time a Euseb hist l. 4. c. 22. saith that as the law and the Prophets and the Lord himselfe had taught so was it in euery succession and euery citie Now it is contrary as the Friers and Iesuites and the Pope himselfe haue deuised so is it in euery succession and euery citie of the Church of Rome Which is a manifest reason why the Fathers argument drawne fom succession cannot benefite the externall succession of Popes in that Church at this day 2 Againe they vsed succession as an argument to proue their Church but not in that manner that our aduersaries vse it to proue theirs For first the Iesuit would make vs beleeue that by the succession of Pastors the succession of Apostolicall doctrine is proued to continue yea he saith that with outward succession of doctors and Pastors was alway infallibly conioyned the true doctrine This the Fathers neuer said as shall appeare in my speciall answer to their words Neither would the Iesuite haue said it him self if he had remembred the Greek Churches which haue as lineall succession from Saint Mark and Saint Andrew as Rome hath from Saint Peter and yet b Can. loc l. 4. c. vlt. pag. 143. they are counted heretical Yea Bellarmine c Not. eccl c. 8. saith It is not necessarily gathered that the Church is alway there where there is succession which sheweth the Iesuits rashnes in his assertion For if the true faith were infallibly conioyned with the outward succession then it would necessarily follow that the true Church is alway there where succession is which Bellarmine denieth 3 But with succession of persons the Fathers alway ioyned succession of doctrine and by them both together confuted schismaticks Thus doth Irenaeus in the very words alledged and d L. 4. c. 43. in another place more fully We must saith he obey those elders which haue succession from the Apostles which with the succession of their Bishopricks haue receiued the certaine gift of truth as for the rest which want this principall succession we must suspect them Marke how he directeth you to embrace that succession which holdeth the doctrine also and refuse that which hath it not which had bin idle if the doctrine had bin so vnited to succession that it
text He saith Now since the Tridentine Councell this is the sence but before no such matter was beleeued Nay contrary for l Verb. Confessio 2. n. 1. saith Angelus Clauasinus a truer way then by Iohn 20. whereby it is proued that confession is de iure diuino is this that it must not be thought the Church and the Apostles would haue layed so dangerous a burden vpon men if Christ had not giuen this precept to them as he did concerning the other sacraments baptisme excepted whereof it appeareth not when or how they were expresly ordained Marke how he saith the 20. of Iohn is not the best way to proue penance by because the ordination thereof is no where expressed in the Scripture that the Iesuites haue good reason m Bellar. de effect sacram c. 25. to be contented with the testimonie of the Tridentine Councell albeit they haue no other and to feare lest if the authoritie thereof be taken away their whole Christian faith he called in question For I assure the Reader that afore this Councell which was but fiftie yeares since the sacrament of penance was neuer knowne where it was ordained though as learned Papists had the matter in hammering as any were at Trent as I will precisely make demonstration 8 For one sort of them n Glo. de poenit d. 5. in poenitentia Panor omnes vtriusque de poenit remiss the Canonists especially thinke it was taken vp by a custome or tradition of the Church and not by any authoritie of the Scripture And those Schoole-men also incline to this opinion o Alexan. 4. q. 8. m 2 art 1. q. 17. m. 3. art 2. Bonauent quē refert Fr. Ouād 4. d. 16. pro. 2. that haue written how Christ ordained it not The second opinion is that it was ordained by God and so is de iure diuino But by what authoritie was it made knowne and propounded to vs p Rosell verb. confessio 2. n 1. Orbell 4. d. 17. q 1. Some say by tradition without any Scripture Scotus q 4. d. 17. qu. 1. Idem Iansen concord c. 147. writeth that either we must hold it to haue bene published by the Gospell or if that be not sufficient it must be said that it is a positiue law published by Christ to his Apostles by thē to the Church without any Scripture as the Church holdeth many other things reuealed vnto her by word of mouth without all Scripture And Peresius r De tradit part 3. consid 3 saith the naked and cleare maner of this sacramentall institution touching the substance and circumstances thereof standeth onely vpon diuine tradition which the holy martyr Clemens reuealed from the minde of Saint Peter whom he dayly heard But others say it is contained in the Scripture written but they are not agreed where and therefore let it be enquired where it is written Some say in the old and new Testament both For Galatinus ſ De Arcan l. 10 c. 3 saith the Iewes had confession And Waldensis t Tom. 2. c. 140. writeth that Christ commanded it not but confirmed and supplied the ancient custome thereof vsed in the old law Neuerthelesse others denie this and say Christ appointed it in the new Testament But in what place I maruell The Iesuite following u Sess 6. c. 14. 14. c 1. the Tridentine Councell and x Bell. Suarez Greg. Valent. Baron in places where they handle this question the Iesuites saith In the 20. of Iohn y Antididagm Colon. p. 108. Others say the 16. and 18. of Matthew when Christ gaue the keyes z Dom. Soto quem refert Ouand 4. d. 16. pro. 15. Others say at his last supper when he ordained the Eucharist a Armachan q. Armen l 11. c. 14 Others Luk. 6. and Mark 3. when he created his Apostles b Tho. 3. part q. 84. part 7. Sent. 4. d. 22. q. 2 art 3. ad 3. §. Ad 3. quaestion Others thinke it was not ordained all at once but by parts and at seuerall times the which opinion Victoria c Relect. 1. sect 5. n. 10. thinketh the most probable for he saith the Doctors agree not touching the time when Christ gaue the keys there is no certaintie but onely that they had them All this excludeth the 20. of Iohn 9 By all which the Reader may see what an vncertaine deuice the sacrament of Popish Penance is whose institution cannot be found and he may iudge to what small purpose the Iesuite alledgeth Scripture when his owne side is so variable and vncertaine touching the same and can agree vpon no Scripture in the present controuersie that should infallibly decide it among themselues § 59. Or if it should please God to send any one in an extraordinary manner it appertaineth to his prouidence to furnish him with the gift of miracles as he did our Sauiour Christ or some such euident token that it may be plainly knowne he is assuredly sent of God otherwise the people should not be bound to beleeue him but might without sinne reiect his doctrine and teaching according as our Sauiour said of himselfe Ioh. 10. Si non facio opera Patris mei nolite credere mihi And Ioh. 15. Si non fecissem opera in eis quae nemo alius fecit peccatum non haberent If I had not done workes among them that no other hath done they should not haue sinned to wit in not beleeuing Nay vnlesse there were some euident token of this extraordinary mission as there is none such in these new men the people should now an ordinary course being set downe by our Sauiour as I haue proued sinne in beleeuing any that shall come and tell them that he is extraordinarily sent of God if hee teach contrary to the doctrine that by ordinary Doctors and Pastors is vniuersally taught though it should happen the liues of those Pastors should at any time not be so commendable or be euidently bad still remembring that saying of our Sauiour Super Cathedram Mosis sederunt Scribae Pharisaei omnia ergo quaecunque dixerint vobis seruate facite secundum verò opera eorum nolite facere Mat. 23.1 Considering that also of Saint Paul Gal. 1. Si quis vobis euangelizauerit praeter id quod accepistis anathema sit Let him be accursed So that since the people hath receiued from their ordinary Pastors that doctrine which hath descended by tradition from hand to hand from Christ and his Apostles themselues according to that of Saint Austin lib. 2. contra Iulian Quod inuenerunt in Ecclesia tenuerunt quod didicerunt docuerunt quod à patribus acceperunt hoc filijs tradiderunt That which they found in the Church they held c. whosoeuer he is that shall Euangelize any thing opposite to this whether he seeme to be an Apostle or an Angell and much more if he be another to wit one of these new men
who faile to say no more very much from Apostolike perfection and Angelical puritie of life according to Saint Paul anathema sit yea such a one as not onely bringeth not this Catholicke or generall receiued doctrine but bringeth in a new and contrary doctrine we should not according to Saint Iohn Epist 2. salute or say once Aue to him and much lesse should we giue credite to his words or vse him as a rule of our faith or preferre his teaching before the teaching of the Catholicke Church The Answer 1 And is it true that if God send any one in an extraordinary maner it appertaineth to his prouidence to furnish him with miracles or the people should not be bound to beleeue him How is it then said of Iohn Baptist a Ioh. 10 41. that was thus sent that he did no miracle yet all things that he spake of Christ were true And what will the Iesuite say to his b Boz sign eccl l. 18. c. 1. Baro an 34. n. 274. masters that so ridiculously haue put it in print that albeit in the Acts of the Apostles it be said that signes and wonders were done by the Apostles yet there is no signe reported that was done by any but by Peter the rest of the Apostles therefore either did none at all or almost none and very slender in comparison of those which Peter did And as the fathers say Iohn Baptist did no miracles lest any thing should be diminished from Christs authoritie so may it be said of Christs vicar Peter A grosse and a greasie conceit and swimming with blasphemie yet the Iesuite must sup it off because so skilfull clearks haue giuen it him but when he hath done good reason he recant his present assertion and bind not the Protestants to that which the Apostles themselues wanted in a manner all but Peter It is incredible how scurrilously the Papists behaue themselues in this point of miracles c Staph. apol part 1. Hosius confess Polon c. 92. Not one of these new Gospellers was euer able so much as to cure a lame colt or a halting bitch and yet when they will flatter the Pope they shame not to write that all the Apostles did as little 2 But I will answer the Iesuite directly to the point that ordinarily it appertaineth to Gods prouidence to furnish with miracles such as rise vp in an extraordinarie maner whether it be to abrogate or alter the ancient doctrine of his Church as our Sauiour and his Apostles were furnished And I grant that if Luthers calling were answered by vs to be meerely extraordinarie or if he had preached against the Catholicke Church or ancient doctrine continued in all ages the Iesuite had made a good passage against vs but he did none of these things His calling was not extraordinary in that kind which reuealeth new doctrine not knowne before as Christs and the Apostles was onely the externall gouernment of the Church being corrupted and oppressed by the Papacie declining from the ancient integritie that was in the beginning he vsed that calling which he had and extraordinarily bent it to the preaching of reformation I say extraordinarily first because it was not so visibly done in those ages Next the corruptions against which he dealt were ordinarily embraced in the outward practise of the world Thirdly he vsed his calling giuen him in the Papacie to another end then they meant that gaue it him Lastly considering those times his eyes in an extraordinarie measure and maner were opened to discerne the truth and God enabled him with extraordinarie gifts In all other things which are properly extraordinarie he differed from the Apostles For neither did he reueale new doctrine nor want all vocation of men nor was taught immediatly by reuelation In which case he needed no miracles but it was sufficient for him to proue his doctrine by the Scriptures 3 Whereupon the people were bound to credite him as farre as he taught according to the Scriptures for they are a token sufficient And though our Sauiour required no man to beleeue him but vpon the euidence of his workes yet that was because his place was meerely extraordinarie which Luthers was not whom our Pastors succeeding they haue the same libertie to proue their calling by the doctrine they teach and not by miracle The ordinarie course set downe by Christ was not that which the Papacie practised but the same for substance wherein Luther came the practise of the Papacie being a corruption that incroched vpon that course against which if Luther preached he taught nothing contrarie to the ordinary doctrine of the true Church but contrarie to the Papacie that oppressed the Church Which Papacie if it could be proued to be the true Church then according to S. Paule Gal. 1 Let him be accursed that speaketh against it and as S. Iohn speaketh Epist 2 Let no man salute such a preacher or giue credit to him 4 Let our aduersaries therefore take notice of their errors in this point and diligently marke where they lye First they assume their Papacie to be the ancient Church and the doctrine thereof to be the faith holden taught and alway deliuered in the same which is false confuted Then they assume againe that all mē preaching against this their Papacie preach against the Church and so consequently are not to be credited vnlesse they haue the gift of miracles Thirdly they inferre vpon this that therefore all our Pastors are vnlawfull The which conclusion standing vpon so weake grounds can be of no more credit then the grounds are whereupon it standeth all which I haue shewed to be false in their owne places where they were to be handled Let them proue theirs to be the Church and shew that what Luther taught against them he taught against the Church and then it will be true that no man should preferre his teaching before them and not before Beside we make not our Pastors the rule of our faith but ground our selues them on the Scripture which is the rule § 60. And surely me thinkes though there were none of these euident proofes which I haue brought out of Scripture yet euen reason it selfe would teach that we ought to giue more credit to the vniuersall company of Catholickes which haue bene in all times and are spread ouer the Christian world in all places then to any one priuate man or some few his fellowes It is a prouerbe common among all men Vex populi est vox Dei that which all men say must needes be true And contrariwise to a particular man or his priuate company that will oppose themselues against this generall voice of all men like Ismael of whom it is said Manus eius contra omnes manus omnium contra eum Gen. 16. it may well be obiected which Luther confesseth was obiected to himselfe by his owne conscience or rather principally by the mercy and grace of God almighty seeking to reclaime him while