baptized can come to the remission of originall sinne And of this kinde of necessitie the examples are in small number I call that conditionall necessitie which obligeth not but in case of possibilitie and receiues exception of place time and persons and that againe hath diuers branches For first in regard of Faith there are manie points that are necessarie to be beleeued if a man be in place where he may be instructed in them or who hath time to be informed of them which are not necessary for a man that liues in a wildernesse or so pressed with the instant of death as he hath noe leasure to receiue instruction as that Christ was borne of a virgin that he was Crucified vnder Pontius Pilate that hee rose againe the third daie And manie thinges are necessary to be beleeued and holden for pointes of Faith either by the bodie of the Church in generall or by the order of the ministers and pastors which are the eyes of the Church which are not necessary for euery particular person to knowe and hold to be points of Faith as that the persons of the Trinitie are the same in essence and distinct in subsistence that the Father hath begotten the sonn necessarily and not freely that they are the diuine persōs which produce and are produced and not the essence which doth neither produce nor is produced that the workes of the trinitie without are vndiuided that the only persō of the sonn hath been incarnate and not anie of the others that in Christ there are two substances and one subsistence that the diuinitie was not to him in the steede of a soule but that besides his Bodie and his diuinitie he had a Soule sensible and reasonable that what he once tooke in hypostaticall vnion hee hath not abandoned that the diuell was created good and made hinself euill by the freedome of his will and other such like And in regard of action there are manie things necessarie in case of possibilitie and according to the oportunity of places times and persons which are not absolutely necessarie when the commoditie to accomplish them is wanting as the assistance at Church Seruice the actuall participation of the Eucharist And manie are necessarie to some as mission and imposition of handes to the Pastors of the Church and marriage to those that will haue issue which are not necessary to others And in breefe some thinges are necessary to obtaine Saluation others some to obtaine it more easilie for ones-selfe and others to procure and mediate it for other men some for the constitution of the Church and others for the edification and more ample propagation of the Church some for the simple being of Christian Religion others for the better being that is to saie for the comlynesse dignitie and splendour of Christian Religion I call necessitie of meanes that that is in behalfe of the thinges them selues as that of Sacraments to which god hath graunted power to Conferr some grace and reall operation to saluation that of the Commandementes of the morall lawe whose necessitie is imposed vpon vs by the law of nature that of repenting sins which is a meanes necessarie to obtaine their remission I call necessitie of precept that which is only obligatorie in regard of the Commaundement as the celebration of the first daie of the weeke in memorie of that wherein our lord did rise againe which wee for that cause call our Lords daie and other such like obseruations the omission whereof could be noe hindrance to Saluation but in respect of disobedience and breach of the Commaundement I call necessitie of speciall beleefe that of thoses pointes which all Faithfull if they be not preuented by death are obliged to beleeue with faith expresse distinct and determinate which the Schoolemen call explicit faith as the twelue articles of the Creede I call necessitie of generall beleefe that of those thinges which euery particular man is not obliged to beleeue with a distinct ad explicite faith as the doctrine of originall sin the article or the two wills in Christ the article that the holy Ghost proceedes frō the Father and from the Sonne the beleefe that Baptisme giuē forth of the Church prouided it be in the forme of the Church is true Baptisme and that heretickes which haue receiued Baptisme must not be rebaptised when they returne to the Church and other such like when the simple sort of faithfull people are not obliged to beleeue with a distinct and explicit faith but it sufficeth that they beleeue them generallie in the Faith of the Church that is to saie that they adhere to the Church that beleeues them by whose faith they liue whiles they remaine in her Communion as Children liue by their mothers nourishmēt whilst they are in her bowells I call necessitie of act that of those thinges which euerie particular person is obliged to execute actuallie as to Confesse the name of Christ to forgiue offences done to them to restore the Goods of an other man I call necessitie of approbation that of those thinges which euerie particular man is not bound to execute actuallie but onlie not to contradict them and not to condemne those that doe them nor the church that approoues thē ad not to separate thēselues frō her vpō this occasiō vpō paine of separating themselues frō their owne saluation as the choice to liue in virginitie and single life and other the like Of all which kindes of necessitie the Fathers haue hold 〈◊〉 manie thinges euerie one according to it is degree diuerslie necessarie to saluation as wee shall make manifest in those occasions that will offer themselues wherein to examine them it is not to be conformable to the ancient beleefe and practise of the catholicke church to hold the pointes of doctrine or actiō that the Fathers haue holden to be necessary to saluation according to some of these kindes of necessitie and to reiect the others but to conforme our selues to the ancient beleefe and catholick practise we must hold for necessary to saluation all those things that the Fathers haue holden to be necessarie to saluation in that degree and according to those kindes of necessitie as they haue holden them The fowrth obseruation is vpon the word FATHERS which some when it comes to the effect of their promise to submit themselues to the iudgment of antiquitie would restraine to the first or second age after the Apostles not that they hope to finde in that space of time anie thing in their behalfe but because the Church being then oppressed with persecutions there remaines to vs so fewe writinges of that date and those against persons and about points for the most part so differing from the disputations of this present age as the face of the ancient doctrine and practise of the Church cannot euidentlie appeare to be therein represented Now equitie would that being to compare the state of the Societies of this age wich pretend to the title of
Church the priuiledge to conquer Hell and to deliuer mankinde from the tyrannie and oppression of the deuill that name is become consecrate and affected to her alone and it hath bene forbidden to communicate it anie more to anie other Societie either Paga hereticall or Schismaticall Let not the Conuenticles of hereticks saith the fowrth Councell of Carthage be called Churches but Mock-Councells And the verie lawe of the Emperors That the Donations made to hereticall Conuenticles which they presume rashlie to call Churches be applied to the reuerend Catholick Church THE second that S. PAVLE writing to the Galatians and to the Corinthians calls their Societies Churches and neuerthelesse the Galatians erred in faith imbracing the circumcision with the Ghospell and the Corinthians in not beleeuing the Resurrectiō but the snare here is manifest For there is great difference betweene the doctrine of a Church and the doctrine of anie particular person which is deuided from the doctrine of the same Church The doctrine of a church is that which is held by the bodie of that Church vnder the codition whereof either expresse or tacite she receiues men into her comunion not the doctrine which euery particular mā straying fro the commo doctrine of the same church holdes against the opinions of the Bodie Now it cannot be found that the Societie of the church of the Corinthians did euer hold that the dead did not rise againe nor that she had exacted that beleefe from those that entred into her communion but onelie that amongst the Corinthians there were some that did not beleeue the resurrection of the dead If Christ saith S. PAVLE be preached to haue risen againe from the dead how is it that there are some amongst you that saie there is no resurrection of the dead And that S. PAVLE made his remonstrance in common it was to hinder them from being seduced by them which spake this language Suffer not your selues said hee to bee seduced euill words corrupt good manners But not that he supposed they beleeued it contrarywise hee exhorts them to remaine firme in that which they beleeued And therefore my Bretheren said hee be stedfast and vnmoueable And for the Galatians soe farr off was it that that error which sainct PAVL cryed out against was the doctrine of the Church of the Galatians as it was the doctrine of those which rebelled against the faith of the Church of the Galatians which doctrine sainct PAVL disputes as if all the Galatians had imbraced it not that they did doe soe but to hinder them from doeing soe as he testifies to them in these wordes I haue this confidence of you in our Lord that you will haue noe other beleefe but that he that troubles you shall beare his iudgement whosoeuer hee be And againe If a man be found in anie crime doe you which are spirituall instruct him in the spiritt of mildness And that this is the true intent of sainct PAVL sainct AVGVSTINE teacheth vs when hee writes to Vincentius Rogatist Thou might'st saie euen as well that manie of the Churches of Galatia were not when the Apostle cryed out O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you And a while after The Canonicall scriptures haue bene wont to make their reprehcnsion in such sort as it may seeme the word is addressed to all and neuerthelesse it concernes but some fewe THE third is that sainct AVGVSTINE disputing against the Donatistes writes That the Church begetts all Christians by Baptisme from whence they would inferr that all those then that are baptized as well Catholiks as hereticks are in the Church but he bringes with it expressely this distinction either in her selfe or without her selfe to shewe that the Church begetts none but Catholicks onely in her selfe as Sara begate but Isaack onely in herselfe and that the rest the Church begets without her selfe For although Ismael were not begotten in the Bodie of Sara but in the bodie of Agar yet he was in a sort begotten by Sara for as much as he was begotten by her that belonged to Sara and was Saras nuptiall right to witt by the seede of Abraham Soe then the hereticks be begotten by Baptisme out of the Church neuerthelesse it is the Church that begetts them euen out of the Church for as much as the baptisme whereby they are begotten and which those that baptise them haue carryed out of the Church belonges to the Church and is of the coniugall rightes of the church and not heresie By which meanes when they returne to the church there is noe neede that the church should baptise them againe The Church saith hee begetts all Christians by baptisme be it in her-selfe that is to saie in her bowells or without her selfe that is to is to saie of her husbands seede be it in her selfe or in the bond-woeman Whereby soe farr is hee from teaching that heretickes are in the church as contrarywise he plainelie affirmes heereby that they are out of the church For the thing wherein catholicks and the Donatists were at agreement was that hereticks were out of the church and the thing where about they disagreed was that the Donatists held that Baptisme could not be out of the church and consequently that heretickes could not haue it And catholicks contrariwise maintained that Baptisme might to be out of the church and consequently that hereticks though they were out of the church left not to haue it The Church saith sainct AVGVSTINE compared to Paradise teacheth vs that Baptisme may be had without her but the Saluation of the beatitude none can receaue or haue out of her for the floods of the fountaine of Paradise rann abouudantlie forth of it And in the Booke following What is saith hee this doctrine that an heretick is pretended to haue noe baptisme because he hath noe Church And againe It is a wonder that there are some that saie that baptisme and the Church cannot be separated and deuided the one from the other And elsewhere But of the Church and against the Church they haue holden the sacraments of Christ and as in a ciuill warr they haue fought bearing our owne Banners against vs. From whence we may discouer the impertinencie of those that conclude that because hereticall Sects haue baptisme therefore they are Churches THE fowrth 〈◊〉 is that sainct HIEROME speaking in the person of the Church saith to Hilarie a Luciferian Deacon I am a harlott but yet I am thy mother I committ adultrie with Arius and I did soe before with Praxeas 〈◊〉 Cerinthus But it shal be heereafter manifested that this is a ridiculous equiuocation by which they attribute that to S. HIEROME as spoken in his owne sence which he spake according to the sence of his aduersary that is to saie according to the sence of the hereticke against whom he disputeth For to this that some add that a lying man leaues to be trulie a man although he be not a true
expresse wee must haue recourse thereto But wee said that he neuer thought neither in generall that all things belonging to Religion were treated off in scripture nor in particular that the contention betweene the Catholickes and the Donatists concerning Baptisme was of that quality And wee maintaine that for soe manie yeares wherein hee combated with them about this article when there was quēstion of Searching the cause to the bottome hee neuer produced one proofe out of Canonicall scripture Indeede he hath often alleadged places of Scripture to make some approaches to it and to beate downe certaine defences to solue by scripture the arguments that the Donatists brought out of Scripture to maintaine that the custome of the Church in the point contested was according to Scripture in as much as According signifies not against the Scripture to establie generall theses and preparatiues to proue the propositions that had some simpathy and affinitie with that which hee disputed As for example he doth indeede proue by scripture that what is sound and intire amongst heretickes must not be repeated againe when they returne to the Church but that Baptisme is sound and intire amongst them he doth noe were proue by Scripture He proues indeede by Scripture that there may be ecclesiasticall thinges out of the Church but that Baptisme is of that number he nether doth nor can proue by Scripture He proues indeede by scripture that it is against the commaun dement of God if heretickes haue receaued the Baptisme of Christ in their owne partie to rebaptise them for wee also reade that our Lord answered Sainct PETER Hee that is wholie washt neede washe but his feete But that heretickes receiue the Baptisme of Christ in their Sects and not 〈◊〉 polluted and prophane washing which is all the knott of the question he noe were proues by scripture For as hee notes elsewhere Peter of whom this is written had not bene baptised by heretickes he prooues indeede by scripture that they who are out of the interior and Spirituall vnitie of the Church as Judas and wicked Catholickes doe not for that leaue to conferr true Baptisme but that they who are neither inwardlie nor outwardlie in the Church who are out of the vnitie of the profession of Faith and of the communion of the Sacraments of the ecclesiasticall bodie can conferr it he proues noe where by scripture And in Summe the thinges which belong to the Solutions of arguments to probable and coniecturall preparatiues to shewes of possibilitie and non repugnancie to soften and dispose the spiritt of the Readers he doth indeede prooue by scripture but the impression of the last forme the assumption and hypothesis of the sillogisme the proofe of this precise and speciall point that Baptisme whereof Sainct IOHN cryes None may receaue anie thinge except it be giuen him from heauen That Sainct PETER saith to be administred into remission of Sinnes That Sainct PAVL calls the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the holie Ghost and whereof hee writes One faith and one Baptisme And againe All they that are baptized haue put on Christ That this Sacrament I saie may be conferred out of the Church which is the fullnes of Christ which is the sealed Fountaine which is the only dwelling of the holie Ghost which is shee alone that hath receiued the keyes and the authoritie to remitt sinnes that this can subsist amongst hereticks who haue neither faith nor guift from heauen nor the holie Ghost you can neuer finde that in soe maine yeares as saint AVGVSTINE the principall opposite and ouerthrowe of this heresie hath contested her he hath neuer manifested nor could hee nor he hath not pretended to proue by anie passage of Scripture but by the only vnwritten traditions of the Apostles and the generall practise and vniuersall attestation of the Church Wee must saith hee obserue in these thinges what the Church of God obserues The question now betweene you and vs is which of yours or ours is the Church of God And againe Wherefore although in truth there be noe example to be produced of this out of the 〈◊〉 Scripture yet we leaue not to maintaine euen in this case the truth of the Scriptures when we obserue what hath bene approued by all that Church that the authoritie of the canonicall Scripture recommendeth And in an other place This is neither openlie nor euidentlie read neither by you nor by me c. But if anie one indued with wisdome and recommended by the testimonie of our Lord Iesus Christ were to be found in the world and that hee had bene consulted by vs vpon this question wee ought noe waie to doubt to doe what he should tell vs for feare of being iudged repugnant not so much to him as to our Lord Jesus Christ by whose testimonie hee had bene recommended Now he giues testimonie to his Church And in the worke of Baptisme against the same Donatists The Apostles saith hee haue prescribed nothing in this matter but this custome ought to be beleeued to haue taken the originall there of from their tradition as there are manie thinges which the vniuersall Church obserues and which are therefore not without cause beleeued to haue bene commaunded by the Apostles although they be not written From whence the contrarie appeares to what his maiestie pretends to inferr from this passage to witt that the scripture only destitute of the vnwritten Apostolicke tradition cannot decidè all pointes of Faith nor refute all heresies For the point in agitation betweene the Catholicks and the Donatists concerning the truth realitie of the baptisme giuen by hereticks was a point of faith and wherein obstinate error would make an heresie The proofe of this is first that the doctrine of Baptisme importes so much to the faith as where there is noe true baptisme there is noe true Church S PAVL teaching vs that God clenseth his Church through the washing of water in the word Now there where the Church is destroyed there is destroyed this article of the Faith of the Creede I beleeue the bolie Catholick Church And secondlie that the vnitie of Baptisme belonges so to faith as S. PAVL saith there is one faith and one Baptisme And that the creede of Cōstātinople setts amōgst the Articles of the Confession of the Faith We 〈◊〉 one baptisme in the remission of sinns in such sort as if the Donatists erred in disanulling the baptisme of heretickes and rebaptizing them they destroyed the faith of the vnitie of baptisme and anathematised the character of Christ which had alreadie bene imprinted in the baptized by baptisme And if the Catholicks erre in approuing the baptisme of heretickes and in not rebaptisinge them when they came to them they sinned against the Faith of the necessitie of Baptisme for the constitution of the Church and consequently had noe Church And neuerthelesse neither could this point of Faith be proued nor
of Catholique to the Donatists because of the separation of Communion and yet graunted it to those from whom the Donatists had taken their doctrine because of the vnitie of Communion Cyprians people saith S. Pacian hath neuer bene called otherwise then Catholicke And Sainct Vincentius Lerinensis O admirable change the authors of one selfe same opinion are adiudged Catholickes and the Sectaries heretickes And S. Augustin Dissention and diuision saith hee makes you heretickes and peace and vnitìe makes Catholiques And that in the fowrth Coūcell of Carthage this article was inserted into the triall of the promotion of Bishops whither they beleeue that out of the Catholicke Church none cā be saued And that in the Epistle of the Councell of Cyrtha it was repeated by S. Augustin who was Secretarie thereto in theses wordes Whosoeuer is separated from this Catholicke Church how praise-worthie soeuer he conceaue his life to bee by this onlie crime that he is separated from the vnitie of Christ he shall not haue life but the wrath of God shall remaine vpon him And after by Fulgentius in these wordes Beleeue firmelie and doubt it not at all that no hereticke or Schismaticke baptized in the name of the Father of the sonne and of the only Ghost if he be not reconciled to the Catholicke Church what almes soeuer he may giue yea though he should shedde his blood for the name of Christ can in any sort be saued That I say was against or principallie against the Donatists And neuerthelesse the Donatists agreed in all the doctrine of the Creede and of the Scripture with the Catholicks Your are with vs saith S. Augustine in Baptisme in the Creede and in all the other Sacraments of our Lord but in the spirit of vnitie and in the bond of peace and finallie in the Catholicke Church you are not with vs And yet they differed only in one pointe of vnwritten tradition which as S. Augustin himself who principallie triumphes ouer this heresie confessed could not be demonstrated by Scripture This saith hee in the Booke of the vnitie of the Church neither thou nor I doe euidentlie reade And in the first Booke against Cresconius though for this there be noe example in the scriptures yet euen in this wee follow the truth of the Scriptures when wee doe that which hath pleased the vniuersall Church which the authoritie of the same scriptures doth recommend And in the secōd Booke of Baptisme against the Donatists And ourselues saith hee durst affirme no such thing but that we are upheld by the vnanimous authoritie of the Church And in the fift The Apostles haue in this prescribed vs nothing but this custome which was opposite to Cyprian ought to be beleeued to haue taken it's originall from their tradition as manie other things which the vniuersall Church obserues and for this cause are with good right beleeued to haue bene commaunded by the Apostles although they haue not bene vvritten From whence it appeares that to obtaine the name of Catholicke it sufficeth not to hold or rather to suppose to hold the same beleefe that the Fathers held vnlesse they communicate with the same Catholicke Church wherewith the Fathers did communicate and which by succession of persons and as wee pretend of doctrine is deriued downe to vs and if she haue lost anie thing of her extent in our hemisphere she recouers as much and more daily in the other hemisphere that these prophecies may be fulfilled In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed In the last daies the mountaine of the howse of our Lord shall bee vpon the topp of mountaines and shall be exalted aboue all the highe hills and all nations shall come vp to her This Ghospell of the Kingdome must be preached ouer all the world and then the end shall come and such like in right whereof the Church as saith S. Augustin hath obtained the title and the marke of Catholicke The SECOND obseruation is vpon the restriction in Cases necessarie to saluation For besides pointes necessarie to saluation there are two other degrees of thinges the one sort profitable to saluation as it is according to the opinion of your owne ministers to sell all our goods and giue it to the poore to fast in affliction to appease the wrath of God to pray our Bretheren in the faith to praie to God for vs and the other sort lawfull and not repugnant to saluation as to fly from persecution to liue by the Altar since we serue at the Altar to putt awaie our wiues for adulterie and other the like for I alleadge these for examples and not for instances Now it is needefull to be cōformable to the integritie of the beleefe of the Fathers to beleeue all thinges that they haue beleeued according to that degree wherein they haue beleeued them to witt to beleeue for thinges necessarie to saluation those thinges that they haue esteemed to be necessarie for saluation and for thinges profitable to saluation those things that they haue esteemed to be profitable to saluation and for things lawfull and not repugnant to saluation those thinges that they haue holden to be lawfull and not repugnant to saluation and not vnder colour that the two last kindes are not things necessarie to saluation but only profitable or lawfull to condemne them and to separate ourselues for their occasion from the Church which then had thē in practise and still practiseth thē to this day The third obseruation is vpon the ambiguitie of the word necessarie to saluation which because of the diuers kindes of necessitie which haue place in matters of religion is capable of diuers sences for there is an absolute necessitie and a conditionall necessitie a necessitie of meanes and a necessitie of precept a necessitie of speciall beleefe and a necessitie of generall beleefe a necessitie of act and a necessitie of approbatio I call an absolute necessitie not simplie but by vertue of Gods institution that which receiues no excuse of impossibilitie nor anie exception of place time or persons as in regard of those that are of age capable of knowledge the beleefe in Christ mediator betweene God and man for neither the circumstance of being in a place where wee cannot be instructed in that article nor the preuention of time in dying before wee are informed thereof nor the condition of being an ignorant person vnlearned dull not apt to comprehend a sheepe and not a shepheard can warrant those from damnation that beleeue it not actually for as much as who beleeues not in the onlie Sonn of Gods is alreadie iudged And in regard of little Children baptisme only according to our doctrine may supplie the defect of Faith in Christ in their behalfe agreeing with that sentence of S. Augustin Doe not beleeue doe not saie doe not teache if thou wilt be a Catholick that little children which are 〈◊〉 by death from being
the Catholick Church with the state of the ancient Church wee should looke to take such a time wherein not only our competitors might agree with vs that the Church of the Fathers was still the true Church the true Spouse of Christ she in whom resided the lawfull authoritie to iudge questions in Religion but also those monuments doe sufficiently remaine to vs to manifest throughly all her doctrines and all her obseruations Which can neuer be better chosen for both partes then in the time wherein the fower first Councells were holden that is to saie from the Emperour Constantine who was the first Emperour that was publicklie a Christian to the Emperour Marcian And it seemes to me that his Maiestie hath yielded to this and also more liberallie in some of his writinges hauing extended this space to the first fiue ages For besides that the deliuerie from the yoake and subiection of the Pagans then gaue the Church meanes to speake lowder and to haue more communication with all her partes situated in so manie different regions of the earth and to flourish in a greater multitude of learned and excellent writers which is the cause that there remaine to vs without comparison more monuments of those ages wherein to view the entire forme of the ancient Christian Religion then of the former ages Besides this I saie our aduersaries cannot denie but that church which nursed vp the first Christian Emperours which rooted out the Temples and seruices of the false Gods which exercised the Soue raigne Tribunall of Spirituall authoritie vpon earth by the condemnation which she denounced vpon the fowre most famous heresies in the fowre first generall Councells which were the fowre first Parliaments and Estates generall of Christs Kingdome must bee she of whom it hath bene foretold that Kinges should be her nursing Fathers that the nations should walke in her light and Kings in the brightnes of her rising that euery engine sett vp against her should be destroyed that she should iudge euery tongue that should resist her in iudgment that God had sett watchmen vpon her walles which neuer should be silent by daie or night that the gates of hell should not preuaile against her that whosoeuer should not obey her should be holden for a heathen and a publican and in breefe that she was the Pillar and foundation of truth Shall we loubt Sayth S. Augustin who liued in the betweene-times of these first fowre Councells to sett our-selnes in the lapp of that Church which by succession of Bishops from the seate of the Apostles euen to the confession of all mankinde the hereticks in vaine barking about her and being condemned partlie by the iudgment of the people themselues part lie by the grauitie of Councells and partlie by the maiestie of Miracles hath obtained full authoritie to whom not to giue the preheminence must be an act of extreame impietie or of a headie arrogancie And againe The Catholick Church fighting against all heresies may be opposed but she cannot be ouerthrowne all heresies are come forth from her as vnprofitable branches cutt From their vine but she remains in her roote in her vine in her charitie Let that then bee holden for trulie anciēt and marked with the character of the primitiue Church which shall be found to haue bene beleeued and practised vniuersallie by the Fathers which liued in the time of the first fowre Councells and principallie when it shall appeare to vs that the things testified to vs by the authors of those ages were not holden by them for doctrines or obseruations sprung vp in their time but for doctrines or obseruations which had bene perpetuallie practised in the Church from the age of the Apostles although perchance there can not be found for euerie of them in particular so expresse testimonies in the former ages as in those of the first fowre Councells because of the fewe writinges which the persecution of those times haue suffered to come to our handes For it sufficeth to assure vs of the perpetuall vse of such thinges that the Fathers of the first fower Councells who had more knowledge of the ages before them then wee can haue doe testifie to vs to haue beleeued and practised them not as thinges instituted in their age but as thinges that haue alwaies had place in the Church and had come to them by a succession of obseruation from the Apostles downe to their time and that there is not to be found in former authors anie testimony against them but contrariwise in all places where there is occasion to mention them agreable and fauorable testimonies that is to saie in breefe that is to be holden ancient by vs which those whom we account ancient haue themselues holden to be ancient The fifth obseruation is vpon the consent of the beleefe of the Fathers which some contentious spirits would haue to be when one selfesame thing is actuallie found in the writings of all the Fathers which is an vniust and impertinent pretence For to haue a doctrine or obseruation to bee trulie holden by the Fathers for vniuersall and Catholicke it is not necessarie it should be in the writinges of all the Fathers who haue not all written of the same matters and of whose writinges all haue not come to our handes but there are two other lawfull waies to secure our selues of them The one is when the most eminent Fathers of euery country agree in the affirmation of the same doctrine or practise and that none of the others that haue bene without note of dissention from the Church haue opposed it As when S. Augustin hath cited against the Pelagians the testimonie of eleuen eminent Fathers all consenting in one and the same doctrine he supposeth hee hath sufficientlie produced against them the Common beleefe of the Catholicke Church and when the Councell of Ephesus had produced tenn Fathers of former ages they conceiued they had sufficiently expressed the consent of the former Church against Nestorius his doctrine Because none saith Vincentius Lerinensis doubtetb but that those tenn did trulie hold the same with al their other bretheren The other is when the Fathers speake not as Doctors but as witnesses of the Customes and practise of the Curch of their times and doe not saie I beleeue this should be soe holden or so vnderstood or so obserued but that the Church from one end of the earth to the other beleeues it so or obserues it soe For then we noe longer hold what they saie for a thing said by them but as a thing said by the whole Church and principallie when it is in pointes whereof they could not be ignorant either because of the Condition of the thinges as in matters of fact or because of the sufficiencie of the persons and in this case wee argue noe more vpon their wordes probablie as wee doe when they speake in the qualitie of particular Doctors but we argue therevpon demonstratiuelie That then
reuerence to the Apostolicke sea it shall turne you to great honor And a while after But what neede was there to exact from me the deposition of Timothy since hee was longe since deposed here with his Master Apollinarius by the iudgement of the Apostolicke sea and in the presence of Peter Bishop of Alexandria For whereas the demaund of this confirmation is not to be found in the Epistle of the councell of Constantinople reported by THEODORET it is because that Epistle is not the letter of the coūcell of the one hundred and fiftie Fathers but of an other councell celebrated the yeare following at Constantinople by some of the same Fathers either called backe againe as THEODORET pretends or remayning of the former councell as it appeares by the tenor of that letter And why then when the same councell had confirmed the election that the Syrians had made of Flauianus insteede of Miletius competitor of Paulinus to the Patriarkshipp of Antioch and had reunited in Flauianus person both their Rightes did the Pope call the cause to Rome before a councel that hee assembled there and by his letters accompained with those of the Emperor GRATIAN sent for the councell of Constantinople which had confirmed this election to cause them to come and put it againe to triall at Rome and gaue assignation to both parties to appeare there whereof one to witt Paulinus appeared but Flauianus distrusting the equitie of his cause had recourse to excuses and delaies The Ecclestasticall necessitie saith saint IEROM drew me to Rome with the holie Bishops PAVLINVS and EPIPHANIVS whereof the one gouerned the Church of Antioch in Syria and the other the Church of Salamina in Cypres And againe When the Emperiall letters had drawne to Rome the Bishops of the East and west Paul sawe there the admirable men and Bishops of Christ Paulinus Bishop of Antioch and Epiphanius Bishop of Salamina in Cypres And Sozomene the Bishop of Rome said he and all the westerne Praelates bare the ordination of Flauianus verie impatiently And a little after And therefore because it should be 〈◊〉 they together with the Emperor 〈◊〉 writt and called the Bishops of the East into the west And the same Fathers of the councell of Constantinople excusing themselues to the Pope and the councell of Rome that they could not come to Rome moued said they with brotherly charitie you haue called vs as your members by the letters of the most religious Emperor c. But besides that our Churches but a while before beginning to be restored if we should haue done this had bene 〈◊〉 abandoned it was a thing which many of vs could noe way put in execution for asmuch as we trauelled to Constantinople vpon the letters of your Reuerence sent the last yeare after the councell of Aquilea to the most religious Emperor Theodosius hauing prepared vs for none but that onely yourney of Constantinople and hauing gotten the consent of the Bishops remayning in the Prouinces for none but that And towardes the end of the Epistle speaking of PAVLINVS whom they belieued Pope DAMASVS fauored as hauing bene created Patriarcke of Antioch by Lucifer Legate to the Pope LIBERIVS his predecessor we 〈◊〉 you not to preferr the fauour or friendship to one particular man before the edification of the Churches that by this meanes the Doctrine of saith and Christian Charitie being confirmed amongst vs that is to saie of those of the East amongst themselues we may ceasse to haue in our mouthes these wordes condemned by the Apostle I am of Paule and I of Apollo and I of 〈◊〉 that is to saie we should cease from saying I am a Miletian I am a Paulinist I am an Appolinarist For that it is which those signifie I am of Paul I am of Apollo I am of Cephas which doe not designe as our aduersaries pretend the Pope and the Bishops of the Empire of the hast but the three factions whereinto the Churches of the Easterne Asia had bene deuided and rent vnder Paulinus Miletius and Appollinarius And indeede how could those of the East meane by those wordes amongst 〈◊〉 the Pope and themselues they that were soe tied in communion to the Pope as they had not bene restored to their seates as Theodoret said but euen nowe but vnder condition to communicate with the pope but that is so cleere as it needes noe proofe let vs goe on And why then when the euasions of Flauianus who withdrew himselfe because he knew he had bene ordered against the oath made betweene Miletius his predecessor and Paulinus that the longest liuer of them two should remaine the sole Patriarck had bene discouered and that the complaintes thereof were arriued to the Emperor THEODOSIVS then only Emperor who resided at Constantinople did the Emperor make him come from Antioch to Constantinople and pressed him to goe to Rome euen after the departure of the councell of Rome The Emperor said THEODORET often called vpon made Flauianus come to Constantinople and commaunded him to trauaile to Rome but Flauianus answering it was winter and promisinge to performe his commaund in the returne of the Spring returned into his countrie And a while after the Emperor hauing againe made him come to him againe commaunded him to transport himselfe to Rome For that THEODORET Suffragan of the Patriarkship of Antioch and creature to one of Flauianus successors adds that the Emperor touched with the second answere of Flauianus sent him backe to his prouince and tooke vpon him protection of his cause is a testimonie that hath more relation to fauour then to truth as it appeares by these wordes of saint AMBROSE written after the councell of Capua which was holden vnder Pope SIRICIVS Successor to DAMASVS Flauianus hath cause to feare and therefore he flies a triall And againe one onely Flauianus not subiect to lawes as it seemes to him appeares not when we are all assembled And a while after Flauianus only is exempted as he pretendes from the conditions of the Sacerdotall Colledge who will neither exhibite his presence to the Sacerdotall assemblie nor to the imperiall decrees And why then when Paulinus was dead and that Euagrius was substituted in his steed did the same councell of Capua which the third Councell of Carthage calls an vniuersall councell and that S. AMBROSE describes as assembled from an infinite mumber of Prouinces continue the first proceeding of the Pope and seeing that Euagrius had appeared and that Flauianus perseuered in his contempt delegated THEOPHILVS Bishop of Alexandria whose Patriarkship bordered vpon that of Antioch to examin it The sacred Synod saith saint AMBROSE in his Epistle to Theophilus hauing committed the right of examining this affaire to your vnanimitie and to our other colleagues of Egipt it is necessarie that you cite againe our brother Flauianus And why then when the councell of Capua had giuen this commission to THEOPHILVS Patriarke
the validity or inualidity of the appeale and in case of validity to annull the first iudgement and restore by prouision the Appellant to his former Estate The other after he had annulled the first sentence to ordaine to proceede to a second iudgement and in case that the Pope would not take the paines to examin it himselfe then not to vexe parties to giue them iudges either sent from Rome or taken by commission from Rome out of those partes or in case of danger of schisme betwene the two Empires to decree that the cause should be iudged his legates being present in an oecumenicall councell Now did not Pope Leo doe this in the cause of Flauianus for first did he not declare the appeale to be lawfull abrogating and annulling the iudgement of Dioscorus and the false councell of Ephesus against Flauianus and setting things in the same estate they where before that is to saie restoring Flauianus euen after his title of Bishop of Constantinople and excommunicating all those that did not communicate to his memory and that without staying till the Councell of Chalcedon was holden And secondly did he not ordaine that to passe to a newe iudgement where all the proceedings of Dioscorus and of the false councell of Ephesus against Flauianus might againe be put to the triall and when Dioscorus if he persisted in his contumacy might be vsed according to his deserte the holding a generall councell should be procured that the matter might be iudged vnder the eye of the Legates with the knowledge and satisfaction of all the world for that the Pope and the Councell of Rome prayed the Emperor of the East to commaund that all things might be sett in the same state wherein they were before iudgement till a greater number of Bishops might be called together from all partes of the world was in regard of the temporall lawes for as much as a little while before the Emperor of the East a Prince that signed as shall appeare heereafter Dispatches without reading them and whose fauour Chrisaphius the Eutychian abused had made a lawe in his Empire by which he confirmed the false councell of Ephesus which he belieued to be oecumenicke and the deposition of Flauianus and ordained that all those that in the Easte should holde the doctrine of Flauianus that is to say doctrine contrary to Eutyches heresie should be either excluded or dispossessed from their Bishoprickes and their bookes publickly burnt and their adherents punisht with confiscation of goods and perpetuall banishment For these causes then the Pope and the councell of Rome prayed the Emperor of the East to reuoke this lawe and to commaund that all things in regard of temporall iurisdiction might be set in the same state as they were before but not that in regarde of spirituall and Ecclesiasticall authority the false councell of Ephesus was alreadie disannulled by the decree of the Councell of Rome and soe disannulled as Anatolius that had bene made Bishop of Constantinople in the false Councell of Ephesus was faine to renounce the Doctrine of Eutyches and of the same Councell of Ephesus and the communion of Dioscorus and to restore the memory of Flauiannus into the recordes of his Church and the rest of the East that would returne to the communion of the Pope were faine to doe the same and this before the Councell of Chalcedon Anatolius saith the Emperesse Pulcheria writing to Pope Leo longe before the Councell of Chalcedon hath embraced the Apostolicke confession of your letters reiecting the error that was lately aduanced by some as your Holynesse may see by his answere And Pope LEO himselfe in the first Epistle to Anatholius Bishop of Constantinople written six monthes before the Councell of Chalcedon Your charitie must said he obserue in regard of silencing the names of Dioscorus Iuuenall and â—â—â—â—athius at the holie altar that which our Legates in those places tould you ought to be done and which shall not be repugnant to the honorable memorie of saint Flauianus And in the second Epistle to the same Anatolius written fower monthes before the Councell of Chalcedon Remember said he to keepe this rule that all those that in the Synod of Ephesus which neither could obtaine nor deserue the name of a Synod and wherein Dioscorus shewed his corrupted will and Iuuâ—nall his ignorance c are grieued for hauing bene ouercome with feare and for suffering themselues to be forced to consent to that most abhominable iudgement and desire to be receiued to the Catholique communion let brotherly peace be restored to them after competent satisfaction prouided that they condemne and anathematize by an vndoubted able Eutiches with his doctrine and his Sect. But as for those that haue more grieuously offended in this case c. he meanes Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria and Juuenall Bishop of Jerusalem and their complices if they perchance come to an acknowledgment and abandonning their owne defence conuert themselues to condemne theire owne error and that their satisfaction shal be such as it shall not seeme fitt to be reiected let that be reserued to the more mature deliberation of the 〈◊〉 Apostolicke And indeed that it was not by vertue of any appeale of Flauianus to the Councell that the Councell of Chalcedon which likewise had neuer bene held but for the Pope iudged of Flauianus cause but in vertue of Flauianus appeale to the Pope and the Popes commission to the councell for the compleate reuiew of the cause three things shewe it First the Canon vpon which Pope Leo grounded his procuring a Councell after an appeale was a Canon of the Councell of Sardica concerning appeales to the Pope The decrees said he writing to the Emperor Theodosius of the canons made at Nicea which haue bene decreed by the Prolates of the vniuersall world and whose copies are heereunto annexed witnesse that after the putting in of an appeale the seeking a Synod is necessarie For the Canon annexed to that letter in the greeke actes of the Councell of Chalcedon is a Canon of the Councell of Sardica though incorrectly transcribed by those that copied it which Canon Pope Leo calls a Canon of the CouÌ„cell of Nicea for asmuch as the Councell of Sardica had bene as a Seale and an Appendix to the Councell of Nicea The second that when the Popes legates in the Councell of Chalcedon pronounced their iudgement vpon the punishement that Dioscorus should incurr they pronounced it in these wordes And therefore the most holy and blessed Archbishop of the great and ancient Rome Leo hath by vs and by this present synod together with the thrice blessed and worthie of all praise the Apostle Peter who is the rocke and pillar of the Catholicke Church and the foundation of the right faith deposed Dioscorus from all dignitie as well Episcopall as Sacerdotall And the third that when the Emperors confirmed in the secular tribunall the same Councell of Chalcedon to make
others haue gone forth and is gone forth from none which is also the marke that S. AVGVSTINE 〈◊〉 it when he saith The Catholicke Church combating against all heresies may be opposed but she cannot be ouerthrowne all 〈◊〉 are come forth from her as vnprofitable branches cutt off from their Vine but she remaines in her vine in her roote in her Charitie And S. PACIAN Bishop of Barcelona before him when he writes Now to knowe whether she hath bene principallie built vpon the foundation of the prophetts and of the Apostles in Iesus Christ the corner stone Consider whether she began before thee whither she hath growne before thee if she be not withdrawne from her first foundation whether in separating herselfe from the rest of the Bodie she haue not constituted to herselfe her Masters and her particular instructions if she haue argued anie thing vnaccustomedlie if she haue formed anie point of new right if she haue declared to her Bodie the diuorce of peace then lett her be esteemed to be departed from Christ and to be constituted forth of the prophetts and Apostles And therefore although the point of the assentiall deitie of Christ deserue to be more cleerelie exprest in Scripture then anie other as the qualitie of the Testator ought to bee more cleerelie exprest in the Testament then anie other neuerthelesse for as much as the heretickes by their malice and subtletie shift off the places of Scripture alleadged to this purpose the Fathers after they had tried all their strength to bring them backe to reason by Scripture were constrained seeing they could not make them yeeld vp their weapons by that waie to chāgetheir battery haue recourse to the authoritie of the Church Behold saith saint ATHANASVS wee haue shewed the succession of our doctrine from father to sonn you new Cayphas what Progenitors of your phrases and your termes will you bringe vs And saint HILARIE Lett vs consider soe manie holie fathers what will become of vs if wee anathematize them for we bringe thinges to this point that if they haue not 〈◊〉 Bishops we are none since we haue bene ordained by them And the same saint ATHANASIVS It is sufficient that these things are not of the Catholicke Church and that the Fathers were not of that beleefe From whence it appeareth that if the point of Christs diuinitie had neuer bene exprest in Scripture they held the light of the perpetuall testimonie of the Church for a sufficient proofe of this article For whereas saint CHRISOSTOME compares the Scripture to a Rule according whereto all things should be squared besides this that according signifies there not against he intéds that Scriptures rule all thinges either mediately or immediately that is to saie either by it selfe or by the meanes whereto it remitts vs as hee testifies himselfe in these wordes From whence it appeares that the Apostles deliuered not all thinges in vriting but also manie thinges vnwritten Now either of these are worthie of equall credit Of the Rules to iudge admitted by sainct Chrysostome and S. Augustine CHAP. XX. The continuance of the Kings answere THese two Rules to iudge the King with the English Church embracing them with an earnest desire pronounceth that hee acknowledgeth that doctrine finall ie both to be true and also necessarie to saluation that running from the Springe of the holie Scripture by the consent of the ancient Church as by a channell hath bene deriued downe to this time THE REPLIE NEither doe saint CHRISOSTOME and saint AVGVSTINE restraine the meanes to iudge of all the doctrine of the Church to these two onelie meanes by exclusion of the third to witt of Apostolicke Tradition since saint AVGVSTINE saith this is plainelie read neither by thee nor by me And againe The Apostles haue prescribed nothing in this yet the custome opposit to Cyprian ought to bee beleeued to haue taken originall out of their tradition as it is in manie thinges that the vniuersall Church doth obserue And for this cause indeede well beleeued to haue bene commaunded by the Apostles though they haue not bene written And that saint CHRYSOSTOME saith that from thence it appeares that the 〈◊〉 haue not giuen all thinges in writinge but some also without writinge whereof both sortes are in like manner worthie of creditt And elsewhere It is not in vaine that the Apostles haue giuen it by tradition to offer sacrifice for the dead they know how much aduantage and profitt encreaseth to them thereby Neither is the question in the disputation which is now handled betweene his maiestie and vs of the examination of the right but of the examination of the fact that is to saie wee are not to inquire by conferring the conclusions of Faith with their principles which of the English doctrine or ours is the truth which is a question of right whose triall besides that it must be long goes out of the listes frō the state of the questiō that we treate of But to inquire by the continuāce cōformitie with the aunciēt Catholicke Church whether our Church be the same Church as was in the time of S. AVGVSTINE and of the fowre first Councells which is a question of fact in which must be handled not what ought to be beleeued but what hath bene beleeued For his maiestie being of agreement that there was an obligation of communicatiō with the antient Catholicke Church which flourisht in the time of the foure first Councells and that whosoeuer was separate from the communion of that Church was an hereticke or a Schismaticke And the question is whether I might except from the praises of his maiestie the title of Catholicke which is the first cause of this comparison consisting in the knowing not whether the Church of those ages had beleeued well or euill which is a question of right but whether the Church of the last ages from which his maiestie or those that haue bene before him haue separated themselues be the same Church by an vninterrupted succession both of persons and of doctrine as that was in the time of S. AVGVSTINE which is a question of fact and capable of being proued by historie alone soe as the subtletie of spiritts can finde noe shift for it now to leapefrom the question of fact to the question of right And in steede of examining whether the Catholicke Church of this time had the same beleefe in the pointes controuerted betweene vs and our aduersaries as the Church in the time of the foure first Councells had to dispute whether the Church of those ages hath beleeued well and with what reseruations and mollifications her beleefe must 〈◊〉 receiued it is to goe forth from the state of the question and to change the order and meanes of the disputation Of the application of the Thesis of this obseruation to his Hipothesis CHAP. XXI The continuance of the Kinges answere THen to make an end of this discourse the
without him in Coūcells And then when the conditiōs requisit for the libertie of a Councell shall be resolued vpō what fruite cā be drawne from it if it be not agreed before it be assembled that all that is decreed there must be holdē for infallible For if after such a Councell shall haue bene celebrated it rest still in the choyce of euery particular person to iudge whether the Councell shall haue iudged conformablie to the word of God who knowes not that this is not to submitt their iudgment to a Councell but to submitt a Councell to their iudgement and so to 〈◊〉 things noe further aduanced after the celebration of a Councell then before Now how is it that those who hold that the vniuersall Church may erre should hold that the authoritie of a generall Councell should be infallible which hath noe authoritie of infallibillitie but in as much as it represents the vniuersall Societie of the visible Church where of it is the voice and organ and of all the pastors where of it beares with it the tacit deputation And how can those hold that the vniuersall Church should be infallible cannot erre that hold that indeede she hath erred and that after soe manie ages there was noe visible part of the Church which hath not bene plunged in a pitt of errors repugnant to saluation and contrarie to faith But whether his maiesties offers ought to be examined in a formall Councell or in a verball conference wee are readie to assist at it and to shew that the English Church in pointes contested betweene vs and her hath neither Succession nor Similitude of doctrine with the Church of the time of the first Councells Of the reduction of the Disputation to the State of the Question CHAP. XXV The continuance of the Kinges answere THe English Church is readie to yeeld an accompt of her Faith and to proue by effect that the designe of the Authors of the Reformation vndertaken in this Prouince hath not bene to build anie new Church as the ignorant and malicious haue slandered her but to re-establish her that was fallen in the best manner that might bee THE REPLIE IT is not the question in the proceeding that wee haue framed to knowe whether the ayme of the Authors of the Reformatiō of England hath bene to make a new Church or to restore that which was fallen and to sett it vp againe in a better forme although the subsequent words of his maiestie where he saith that the action of the English Church hath bene a returne to the ancient Catholick Faith and a conuerfion to Christ the onlie master of the Church testifie that it hath bene a new refection and re-edification of the Church For noe it hath bene a new refection and re-edification of the Church For noe Societie in whose faith there is an auersion from Christ and from the ancient Catholicke beleefe can possesse the beeing and the name of a Church But in Summe howsoeuer it be it is not that that is the question in the proceeding that we haue framed but only to knowe whether the Catholicke Church when the English portion separated it selfe from her had so degenerated from the ancient Carholicke Church which was in the tyme of the first fower Councells in thinges importing the ruine of Saluation and the destruction of the being of the Church as she was noe more the same Church as she had bene in the time of those ages And consequently that it was noe more necessarie to obtaine the title of Catholicke and the participation of Saluation to communicate with her but contrariwise was necessarie to be seperated from her and not to commnnicate with her It is that that is the question it is that whereabout we must combat and to shewe some condition some doctrine or custome holden in the Catholicke Church at this daie that may be pretended to be repugnant to saluation and which destroyes the being of the true Church that hath not bene in the Catholicke Church in the time of the fower first Councells Of the inuention of order in the iustification of the reformation before the proofe of the Deformation CHAP. XXVI The continuance of the Kings answere NOw they haue iudged amongst the best that which had bane giuen by the Apostles to the breeding Church and which had bene in practise in the age neerest them THE REPLIE NEither is it the question of what they haue iudged but of the change that is happened betweene the ancient Catholicke Church and the morderne and of the importance of this change that is to saie whether there be happened anie change betweene the estate of the ancient Church the estate of the Church of the last ages of such importance as for that people might be permitted to separate themselues from her communion Which cannot be if some thinge haue not bene taken awaie from the forme of the antient Church which was necessarie to saluation or added thereto which was rèpugnant to saluation For if the moderne Catholicke Church were yet the same Church in matters of Faith and saluation as it was in the time of the fowre first Councells whatsoeuer reformation they haue pretended to make hauing separated themselues from her they cannot possesse the title of Catholicke whereof the question is nor obtaine saluation for as much as saith S. IRENEVS No reformation can be made that is of such importance as the crime of schisme is 〈◊〉 Besides It must bee first determined whether the Catholick Church were deformed in matters of faith and saluation before the English Church can be thought to be reformed in being seperated from her For the English Church could not seperate herselfe from the Catholick Church whereunto before she was ioyned in communion if first it did not appeare to her by proofes necessatie and demōstratiue that saluation could not be obtained in the Catholicke Church that is to saie she coulde not proceede to reforme her selfe in separating herselfe from her whole till it must first appeare to her that the whole from whence she separated her selfe were deformed and with a deformation incompatible with saluatiō Now that could not appeare that betweene the antient Catholicke Church of the time of the first fowre councells which wee on both sides graunt to be the true Church and whereof there remaines to vs monuments sufficient to instruct vs of the integritie of her doctrine and of her Sacraments and ceremonies and the Catholicke Church of this time there had happened opposition in matters importing gaine or losse of Saluation And therefore it is to that time that we must cōfront the state of the Church of this time and not leaue the ages of the fowre first Councells of whose estate wee haue more light and monuments then of the preceding ages to goe vp to those of whose estate we 〈◊〉 recourse not to finde therein more conformitie but to finde therein lesse instruction For as for the Church in the time of the Apostles
in as high fame As was the first inuentour of the same Nor can your worke bee any whit disgrac't By those who think it done with too much 〈◊〉 For had it beene in Michaell Angells power To perfect his great iudgment in one hower Hee who for that should valew it the lesse His owne weake iudgment would therein expresse And though wee in a common Prouerb fay That Rome was not built all vp in one day Yet could wee see a Citty great as Rome In all her 〈◊〉 in one minute come To such perfection wee might more expresse Our wonders and not make the glory lesse So I conclude with modest truth and dare All their free Censures who can but compare And whosoere shall try may spend his Age Ere in your whole work hee shall mend one Page A TABLE OF THE TITLES AND SVMMARIES OF THE CHAPTERS CONTAYNED IN THESE FOWER FIRST BOOKES OF THE REPLIE TO THE MOST EXCELLENT KING OF GREAT BRITAINE THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. I. OF the vse of the word Cathòlicke fol. 13. II. Of the conditions of the Catholicke Church 17 III. Of the proceeding of the fathers for the preseruation of the vnitie of the Church 21 IV. Of the necessitie of communicating with the Catholicke Church 23 V. Of the markes of the Church 25 VI From what places of the voyce of the Shepheard the markes of the Church ought to be taken 32 VII Of the examples which we haue from the practise of the Apostles 35 VIII Of the definition of the Church and in what vnion it consists 36 IX Of the vnion of the predestinate and by way of adiunction of the visibilitie or inuisibilitie of the Church 39 X. Of the vnitie of eternall faith 48 XI Of other inuisible vnions 51 XII Of the knowledge that the Predestinate haue of their predestination 52 XIII Of the inequalitie of these two phrases to communicate with the Catholick Church and to communicate with some member of the Church departing from the rule of faith 55 XIV How to vnderstand the words of S. Gregory NazianZene there is a sacred warre 57 XV. Of the pretended precepts to goe forth from the visible communion of the Church 58 XVI Of the consequence of the places alledged by the Fathers for the authoritie of the Catholick Church 68 XUII. Of the distinction of the heretickes and schismatickes 69 XVIII Of the agreement of the auncient Catholicke Church with the moderne 70 XIX Of the conformitie or inconformitie of the sence wherein the word Catholick hath been common to the auncient Catholick Church and to the moderne 74 XX Of the comparison of the Church with the citie built vpon a mountaine 76 XXI Of the conformitie or inconformitie of the Donatists and Protestants in the question of the Church 77 XXII Of the extent of the ancient Catholick Church and the moderne 78 78 XXIII Of the communion that the Bishops of the East had by letters with those of the west 79 XXIV Of these words of the constitution of S. Clement the vniuersall Episcopate is committed to Bishops 80 XXV Of the comparison of the Pope with other Bishops 81 XXVI Of formed letters 113 XXVII Of pretended excommunications attempted against the Pope 116 THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. OF Councells 125 II. Of the effect of Councells for the visibilitie of the Church 127 III. Of the comparison of the Pope with the other Patriarkes 128 IV. Of the difficulties of Scripture concerning the time of S. Peters 〈◊〉 at Antioch and at Rome 137 V. Of the Canon of the Councell of Nicea touching the gouernment of the Patriarches 147 VI. Of the addition of the word Churches suburbicarie made by Ruffinus in the Latine translation of the Councell of Nicea 161 VII Of the claime of the Bishops of Constantinople 178 VIII Of the order of sitting in the Councell of Nicea 204 IX Of the order of the sittings in the first Councell of Ephesus 217 X. Of the order of the sittings in the second Councell of Ephesus 219 XI Of the order of sittings in the Councell of Calcedon 220 XII Of the order of the sittings of the fifth Councell of Constantinople 222 XIII Of the order of sitting in the sixt Councell of Carthage 229 XIV Of the order of the sittings in the Councell of Aquilea 231 XV. Of the calling of Councells 232 THE THIRD BOOKE CHAP. I. OF Appeales 244 II. Of the opposition of sainct Ireneus to Pope Uictor 249 III. Of the opposition of S. Cyprian 251 IV. Of the commission of the Emperor Constantine the great for the iudgment of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage 264 V. Of the decree of the Mileuitan Councell concerning the beyond-sea Appeales 273 VI. Of the order and distinction of the Councell of Carthage 281 VII Of the African Councell 309 VIII Whether the Latine edition of the African Canons be more faithfull then the Greeke rapsodie 315 IX Of the difficultie touching the Epistles that are at the end of the African Councell 326 X. Of the question of Appeales treated off in the sixt Councell of Carthage 329 XI Of the Councell of Sardica 348 THE FOVRTH BOOKE CHAP. I. THE Estate of the Easterne Church 376 II. What the deuision of the Empire hath wrought to the diuision of the Church 378 III. Of the interpretation of those words Thou art Peter and vppon this Rock I will build my Church 379 IV. Of the indiuisibilitie of the Church 398 U. Of the effect that diuision brings to the Church 399 VI. Of the pretended corruption of the Church 400 VII Of the exclusiō of hereticks frō the bodie of the Catholick Church 402 VIII Of the qualitie wherein the Catholicke Church attributes to herself the name of whole 410 IX Of the sence where in the Roman Church is called Catholick 411 X. Of the causes wherefore the Roman Church hath cutt off the rest from her communion 413 XI Of the sence wherein the Hereticks belong not to the Catholick Church ibid. XII Of the proceeding of other sects 414 XIII Of the perswasion that other sects pretend to haue of the truth of their Church by scriptures ibid. XIV Of the sence wherein Hereticks haue disputed the word Catholicke 415 XV. Of the cases wherein the communion in vow with the Catholick Church may be imputed as actuall 417 XVI Of the equiuocation of termes diminutiues imployed for negatiues 419 XVII Of the authoritie of the worke iutituled imperfect 422 XVIII Of the vnderstanding of these words of sainct Augustine To seeke the Church in the words of Christ. 423 XIX Of the vnderstanding of the words of sainct Chrisostome in the thirtie third Homelie vpon the Acts. 427 XX. Of the rules to iudge admitted by sainct Chrysostome and sainct Augustine 429 XXI Of the application of the Thesis of this obseruation to his Hipothesis 430 XXII Of the personall succession of the Bishops 431 XXIII Of the succession of doctrine 434 XXIV Of the holding of a Councell 436 XXV Of the reduction of the disputation to
the state of the Question 437 XXVI Of the inuention of order in the iustification of the reformation before the proofe of the deformation 438 XXVII Of the indefectibilitie of the Church 439 XXVIII Of the sense wherein the Fathers haue intended that their doctrine had bene holden from the beginning 441 XXIX Of the exceptions that the Kinge produceth to shewe that he hath not separated himselfe from the Church 442 XXX Of the demannds made for Reformations since the fiue last ages 443 XXXI Of the agreement of the English reformers with the Donatists 444 XXXII Of the authoritie of the rest of the Christian people which denied to the Church the title of Catholick 446 XXXIII Of the testimonies of our writers 447 XXXIV Of the begging of the principle contained in this hypothesis ibid. XXXU Of the temporall causes of the separation of England 448 XXXVI Of the comparison of the English Church with the Iudaicall ibid. XXXVII Of the comparison of the Charitie of the antient African Church and the moderne Roman Church 462 XXXVIII Of the innocencie of the Church in the matter of conspiracies against his maiestie ibid XXXIX Of the writings of the illustrious Cardinall Bellarmin 463 An admonition to the Reader COurteous reader for so I will esteeme of thee whosoeuer out of a true desire of vnderstāding the truth takest this learned work into thy hands to peruse it with iudgment and yet without preiudice vouchsafe before thou begin the perusall thereof to take these few obseruations from me First whereas the most eminent authour thereof had proiected to diuide it into twelue seuerall bookes or partiall treatises and died before he could make a compleat end thereof being often diuerted from it by manifold employments which his high estate calling was subiect vnto by some more necessary dispute writings which the cōdition of France did then affoord his frinds either not marking this his proiect or because all the work was not ended neglecting that diuision set is foorth reparted into six bookes only and those so vnequally sorted that the first book alone is in the French edition farre bigger then all the other ensuing fiue bookes taken together This vnproportionable partition we haue amended in this English translation as we might easily do by the citations or quotations with which the authour himself bordered his margent for in them he sometimes referres him self to such a chapter of the second seuenth eleuenth twelft booke whereby he sufficiently insinuates into how many bookes he intended to diuide this his excellent worke at what matter euery booke should take its beginning which his intention we haue obserued in this that now we present to thy view that the fit diuision of matters therein handled may make it more intelligible and lesse tedious Secondly the humour of the French demanded for their satisfaction that the many places which are cited out of learned holy and classicall autours hould not only be faithfully translated in the text but also placed at large in their originall languages in the margen that the learned reader might without recourse to the seuerall volumes which required a copious library whereof few are furnished out of hand examin the faithfullnes of the trāslatiō cōsequētly how fitly the alleged authority made for the purpose But this humour not yet for ought I haue seen much raigning in our country we haue thought it sufficient to cite the places only in the margen which are fully expressed in the text the rather because the excellent translatresse copy which we haue faithfully expressed contayned no more and more beseemed not her translation as not desiring to make shew of skill in greek and other such learned languages but only of that which was sufficient for her assumpt that it is of a faithfull translation according to the significant expressement of the French Thirdly we haue not presumed to alter or change any one word of her translation but in some few places where the French allusions could not be so well vnderstood if they were expressed in English properly corresponding thereunto for euery tongue hath some peculiar graces and elegancies which be lost in the translation yf they be put word for word And yet this haue we done as we sayde very seldome and that especially in the word Church wich we English men vse deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the house dedicated to our Lords seruice which tropically we vse also to signify the congregation of the faithfull most solemnly and vsually made in the Church The French expresse it by the name of Eglise from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocatus ad professionem fidei the company of the faithfull called by Christ to professe his lawe by which word they secundarily or tropically vnderstand and call the Church or house of prayer So in the name of S. Peter in Frenche S. Pierre which word also signifies a rock or stone in French as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greek and Cephas in Syriak do but in our English we haue no such allusion No other change but in these few and such like haue we made neither was it needfull the translatresse hauing so fittly and significantly expressed the autours meaning that it would haue been lost labour to striue to do it better and rather marring then mending so perfect an expression Lastly I desire thee gentle reader to beare with the faults of the presse The printers being Wallons and our English strange vnto them it was incredible to see how may faults they committed in setting so that in ouerlooking the proofes for the print the margins had not roome enough to hold our corrections and do what we could yet the number of our corrections being so many a great many of them remayned vncorrected by the fastidious fantasy of our workman Yet we iudge there is no fault that may hinder or change the sence but is amended and for the rest we desire thee to pardon vs considering how hard it is to make a stranger here to expresse our ortography Farewell in our Lord and he of his goodnes giue thee grace to take profit by reading these learned discourses Thy Wellwisher in Christ Iesus F. L. D. S. M. APPROBATIO TRanslatio haec operis excellentissimi quod eminentissimus Cardinalis Perronius pro fides catholicae doctrina ad potentissimum Regem ac Dominum nostrum Jacobum totius Britanniae Franciae Hiberniae Monarcham summa cum cruditione pariter modestia conscripsit facta a nobilissima quadam Heroina prouinciae nostrae serenissimae Reginae Dominae nostrae Mariae 〈◊〉 Borboniae dicata per omnia fideliter concordat cum ipsa autoris mente verbis sententiis Qua propter dignā eam 〈◊〉 quae typis tradatur vtex tanti Praeceptoris accuratissimis cloquentiaque incomparabili vestitis disputationihus fructum copiosum capiatur Anglia nostra qualem vniuersa Gallia cum perpetua Magni autoris veneratione se percepisse protestatur