would to God the forme of beleeuing were fetched from the Primitiue Church Thus saith Staâ—pulensis By which rule iustified by our Aduersaries we conclude that the holy Church of God need not receiue or beleeue any of those things following to wit Purgatory Inuocation of Saints departed worshipping of Images Auricular confession the Popes pardons Transubstantiation the Masse to be truely and properly a propitiatory sacrifice to be offered both for the quicke and the dead the Sacrament without Communicants and Communion vnder one kinde without the Cup to be sufficient for Lay people reseruation of the Sacrament and eleuation thereof to be worshipped and circumgestation in Procession for pompe and adoration Matrimony and extreme Vnction to be properly Sacraments of the New Testament and to conferre grace single life necessary to be imposed vpon the Clergy All which and more your Iesuite Azorius reckons for Traditions vnwritten p Azorius Institutionum lib 8. cap. 4. §. 3. seq Also that the Church of Rome is head of all â—hurches and that all Christians must fetch their Faith their Orders and iurisdiction from it that the Bishop thereof cannot erre in matters of faith or interpreting the Scriptures See more of this point Rainold Hart confer chap. 5. diuision 1. pag. 184 c. And chap. 8. divis 1. pag. 462. c. The Scriptures teach no such thing and therefore we need not beleeue it 5 We being constant to the former rule for the sufficiency of the Scriptures in matters of faith and good life further admit of some kind of Trad tions to wit first Doctrinall traditions agreeing with the Scriptures or thence truly deducted q Many Fathers call the whole Word of God which by some holy men guided by Gods Spirit was let downe in writing and by them also others deliuered to the people by liuely voyce A tradition which the Church must preseruâ— and also the forme of wholesome words Creeds Catechismes c. thence deducted 2 Tim. 1.13 Rom. 6 17. See Rain Hart. c. 8. d. 1. p 466 467. So the baptisme of Infants if not coÌ„manded in plaine words yet plainly deducted from Scripture Gen. 17.12 13. Col. 2.11 1â— Act. 2.38 39. Luke 18.16 Mar. 10.16 Mat. 19.14 18 14. 1 Cor. 7.14 Mat. 28.19 The doctrine of the Trinity the equality of three Diuine persons in one substance and the distinction by incommunicable proprieties Gen. 1.1 26. Mat. 3.16 Iob. 1.32 Mat. 17 5 28.29 2. Cor. 13.13 1 Iâ—b 5.7 Psal 2.7 Heb. â— 3 5. 7.3 Col. 1.15 The proceeding of the holy Gâ—ost from the Father and the Son as from one beginning and one spiration from all eternity Ioh. 14.26 15.26 16.13 14. Rom. 8.9 Secondly rituall traditions for order and decency left to the disposition of the Church being not of Diuine but of positiue and humane right r 1 Cor. 14.40 11.2 Acts 15 â—0 So they be not childish or trifling nor accounted parts of Gods worship nor with opinion of merit nor burthensome for their mâ—ltitude Å¿ Of the multitude S. Augustine complained in his time Epist 119. ad â—anuar c. 19. See D. Ram. Hart c. 8. div 4. p. 599. seq The first of these no man allowes and commends more then we and the second kind wee retaine and vse with reuerence such as are profitable and comely in our times and countries without condemning other Churches differing from ours in such matters as we find Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine did Aug. Epist 188. But a third kind of Traditions obtruded for Articles of Religion grounds of Faith and part of Gods worship neither contained expresly in Gods word nor thence deducted by any sound inference and yet receiued by the Councell of Trent Sess 4. with the same authority and reuerence that the holy Scriptures are receiued those we gainesay as things derogating to the verity sufficiency and perfection of the Scriptures And herein your Romish Writers deale fraudulenly against vs and deceiue the world for they alleadge the Fathers speaking of the first kind of Traditions as if they spake of all whereas indeed they write very strongly and sharply against this third kind which wee refuse Bishop Vsher in his booke against the Jrish Iesuite pag. 36. seq alleadgeth a whole Iury of ancient Fathers testifying the sufficiency of the Scriptures for matters of Faith Tertullian Origen Hippolitus the Martyr Athanasius Ambrose Hilary Basil Gregory Nissen Jerom Augustine Cyril Theodoret. So that the Traditions which they vrge we alow and those that we deny they write sharpely against The Fathers say your Rom sh are not of the Protestants Church because they vrge Traditions but wee say more truely The Fathers are not of the Romish Church because they teach the Scripture is sufficient and needs no Traditions to supply their defect as the Romish teach When Bellarmine and your other Doctors are pressed with the authority of the Fathers they are compelled to yeelâ— vnto vs the sufficiency of the Scriptures as I alleadged artic 4. but obserue their vnconstancy lest they should ouerthrow thereby the manifold doctrines held by their Church that haue no ground in the Scriptures they are faine to maintaine also vnwritten Traditions to bee the grounds of those Doctrines See more of this point in Mr. Perkins Reformed Catholicke the 7 point B. Morton Apol. Cathol part 2. lib. 1. cap. 32. seq And Protestants Appeal lib. 2. cap. 25. D. Field of the Church Booke B. Vsher in his answer to the Irish Iesuite Rainolds and Hart confer chap. 5. diuision 1. pag. 190. 6 We receiue and beleeue also the three Creeds The Apostles the Nicene and that of Athanasius t These are in our Bookes of publicke prayer and booke of Articles of anno 1562 art 8 and subscribed vnto by all Ministers and the foure generall Councels of the Primitiue Church as good formes of true Christian Doctrine deductions and explications of Scripture u Acknowleeged by King Iames in his Praemonitiâ—n to all Christian Monarâ—s p. 35. and by our Acts of Parliament You receiue the same also but you adde a thirteenth article decreed to be an article of Faith thirteene hundred yeares after Christ by a thirteenth Apostle Pope Boniface the eight x Boniface 8. liued an 13â—â— his Decree runs thus Subesse Romano Pontâ—fici omni humanae creaturae declaramus dicimus desinimus pronunciamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis Thus Boniface 8 in extrauag de majoritate obedientia cap. vnam santaâ— That it is necessary to saluation to be subiect to the Bishop of Rome which is neither in the Scriptures ancient Creeds nor ancient Fathers nor can be thence deducted And you haue further also dately added 12 new Articles by the authority of Pope Pius 4. anno 1564 raised out of the Councell of Trent and added to the Nicene Creed to be receiued with oath as the true Catholicke Faith to bee
carrying away of the whole forme of the discourse The Stile in Treatises of this nature is not required to be Rhetoricall to please the eare or as Sweet-meates to delight the Taste but Scholasticall Logicall or Theological that is intelligible and significant to informe the vnderstanding and conuict the conscience Which if it performe It is all that I affect or thou maiest in reason expect in such a worke And now I leaue it to thy diligent reading and serious consideration wishing thee often to commend both the Writer and Readers to God in thy prayers Thine for Christ Iesus ANTHONY CADE A Table of the chiefe heads and matters according to the seuerall Chapters Sections and Pages The first Booke The first Chapter The first ordinary and great obiection of the Romish Churches Antiquity and our English Churches Nouelty Paragraph § 1ALleadged odiously against the Protestants and gloriously for the Romans Page 1 Paragraph § 2 Sincerely answered as vaine for that the Protestants firmely retaine the true ancient sauing faith Page 2 Paragraph § 3 And onely weed out the errours and corruptions crept into the Church as superseminated tares in Gods field Page 3 Paragraph § 4 As Hezekias and other good Princes did very religiously in their times Page 4 Paragraph § 5 So that the English Church differs no otherwise from the Romish then as a field well weeded and gouerned from a field still ouergrowen with weeds or as Naaman cleansed from the same Naaman formerly leprous Page 4 Paragraph § 6 And the Protestants are not separated from the good sound things found in the Roman Church but from the Papacy which is not to be accounted the Church but a domineering faction or disease in the Church Page 5 Paragraph § 7 The ancient Martyrs suffered not for the Doctrines of this Papacy but for the Doctrines which the Protestants bold Page 6 Hereunto the Reader may adde that which is written chap. 3. § 8. pag. 27. that This newnesse of Religion is retorted vpon the Romish Church which now holds many points new neuer held by any Church in former times some of them not in 600 yeeres some not in 1000 some not in 12 hundred yeeres and more after Christ CHAP. 2. Of errors creeping into the Church Paragraph § 1 Any particular Church may in time receiue errors and corruptions Page 9 Paragraph § 2 As did those of the Old Testament Page 10 Paragraph § 3 And of the New Testament Page 11 Paragraph § 4 For which we find many reasons in the Scriptures Page 12 Paragraph § 5 The Roman Church is not excepted Page 14 Paragraph § 6 Yea the Roman Church is warned in Scripture to take heed lest is be cut off for its corruptions Page 14 Paragraph § 7 And it hath been corrupted De facto Page 15 Paragraph § 8 Yea Rome is confessed by the very Romish Doctors to be meant by the damnable mysticall Babylon Page 16 Paragraph § 9 And that Rome must be the sent of Antichrist and that towards the end of the world Page 17 Paragraph § 10 And Rome is that City that must bee tainted with foule impieties as well foregoing as following Antichrist All which their owne Romish Doctors confirme Page 19 CHAP. 3 Of the time when corruptions came into the Romish Church Paragraph § 1 A designation of the time when corruptions began in the Roman Church required Page 20 Paragraph § 2 Often required heretofore and often answered Page 20 21 Paragraph § 3 Many corruptions crept in secretly and insensibly as in humane societies diseases in the body tares and weedes in the fields Page 21 Paragraph § 4 The Romanists acknowledge many changes whereof they cannot shew the beginnings Page 23 24 Paragraph § 5 Such things are best discerned by their difference from the first pure doctrine Page 25 26 Paragraph § 6 The Romans cannot find the beginnings of our Doctrines on this side the Scriptures Page 26 Paragraph § 7 We can do shew the beginnings of many of theirs Page 27 Paragraph § 8 No Church in the world held the now Romish Doctrines but onely that Church it selfe in those latter times Page 27 CHAP. 4. Of Corruptions in the Church of Rome long before Luthers time seene written against and Reformation wished for them Page 30 Paragraph § 1 An historicall narration of the first age of the Church golden Page 31 Paragraph § 2 But afterwards peeped vp some seeds of corruption misliked of many in the East South and West Churches Page 32 Paragraph § 3 A foule matter of three popes alleadging a Counterfeit Canon of the Councell of Nice for their iurisdiction which the whole Church of Africa withstood Page 34 Paragraph § 4 Gregory the great wrote sharpely against the Titles which now the popes vse Page 35 Paragraph § 5 Bishops of the East Church and of France Germany and Britany opposed the pope about Jmages Councels against Councels Page 36 Paragraph § 6 Many thought Antichrist was then borne Constantines donation the decretall Epistles then first seen Page 37 Paragraph § 7 A deluge of wickednesse in the ninth and tenth Ages as Bellarmine Baronius Genebrard c. record Page 38 Paragraph § 8 After a thousand yeares greater innudations of euils The wicked pope Silvester 2 and Benedict 9. a childe of about 10 yeeres old Then Cardinals arose Page 40 Paragraph § 9 The Sultan subdueth many countries in the East the Clergie are most wicked in the West Letters from Hell to the Clergy Anti-popes and Anti-Caesars Rebellion made Piety Hildebrands Dictates foundations of a new earthly-Church-Kingdome Page 42 Paragraph § 10 The testimony of Fryer Onuphrius that Hildebrand that is Gregory 7. was the first raiser of the popes princedome about eleuen hundred yeeres after Christ Many historians speake of his diuellishnesse Page 45 Paragraph § 11 Campians historians reiected by his owne fellowes Page 47 Paragraph § 12 Graue Diuines against Romish corruptions Bernard Sarisburiensis Grosthead Occam Cesenas Clemangis Gerson Cameracensis Valla c. Page 49 Paragraph § 13 These and many others wrote not onely against Corruptions of manners but of doctrine also Schoolmens philosophicall diuinity corrupted pure doctrine Doctrine framed to maintaine wealth and greatnesse Page 53 Paragraph § 14 Particular doctrines wherein learned men differed from the popes faction Page 55 Paragraph § 15 Oxford alone afforded many learned men opposing Romish corruptions Page 58 Paragraph § 16 Reformation was sought for and promised by some popes as very needfull but could not finally be attained The Scriptures disgraced Traditions vphold Romish doctrine Page 65 CHAP. 5. A note of the chiefe points of Christian doctrine wherein the Protestants and Romanists fully agree shewing also the Romish additions whereunto the Protestants cannot agree as being not ancient not true or not needfull but very corrupt Page 70 Paragraph § 1 Of one God in substance and three persons 2 Canonicall Scriptures Page 70 71 Paragraph § 3 Of the originall Hebrew and Greeke
nor grounded vpon the Scriptures we haue no reason to receiue as points necessary to saluation And the points tending to superstitâ—on corruption or deprauation of Gods honour Christs merits our owne saluation the disturbance of the peace or safety of Kingdomes States or Common-wealthes we worthily abrogate as intollerable and vnchristian And in these respects as you assume the title of Antiquus so doe I of Antiquissimus And let you know that e See D. Mortons Appeal lib. 4. cap. 16. sect 4. §. 10. our Church is no new Church deuised by Luther and other learned men and receiued by Princes affecting mutations neither euer was it their purpose to doe any such thing but faithfully and religiously to purge out new corruptions and to continue and maintaine the substance and whole essence of the old Church of God and all the sound Catholick Doctrines thereof comming along thorow so many ages from the first planting of the Church to their times §. 4. Read 2 Kings 1â— 4 5.6 and chap. 22. 23. No otherwise then the most religious Kings Hezekiah and Iosiah and other godly Rulers did in their dominions being moued by their learned Priests and by their knowledge of Gods Law who remoued the high places and brake the Images and cut downe the Groues spoyled the vessels made for Baal and for the Groues and for the hoste of heauen and put downe the Idolatrous Priests and the brazen Serpent also though at first it was made by Gods owne appointment erected to good purpose and was a figure of Christ because it was now growen to be an instrument and occasion of Idolatry but they preserued still the old Religion and seruice of God entire and whole and that much more pure then they found it This when they did can any man haue the forehead to say They erected a new Church when they onely purged and retained the old or shall we be reuiled and blamed for imitating Hezekias Josias and Iehoshaphat and in that for which they were much praised and honoured in the Scriptures §. 5. Obserue then here first the vanity and deceit of your Romish teachers that against their owne knowledge bewitch the simple people with this conceit that our Church forsooth is a new Church begun in Luthers time little aboue an hundred yeeres agone and was neuer seene nor heard of in the world before Whereas indeed there is no other difference betwixt the Roman Church and ours then betwixt a corrupt Church still maintaining her owne corruptions for worldly respects and a Church well reformed according to the Scriptures and the purest Primitiue Churches or betwixt the corrupt Idolatrous Church before Hezekiahs time 2 King 18. and the same Church reformed in and after his time I may compare the whole Church of CHRIST in all her ages to Naaman the Syrian 2 King 5. who was honourable for bringing safety to his Nation He was first pure and sound and did many honourable acts and thereby represented the Primitiue Church pure and cleane without spot or disease appearing howbeit there might be some secret seedes of diseases vnperceiued which in continuance of time grew into a visible leprosie In his middle time he became leprous diseased and deformed fowly infected in himselfe and infecting others and thereby represented the later Church of Rome Afterwards by the Prophets direction he was washed and cleansed from his leprosie and his flesh restored to become pure and perfect like the flesh of a yong childe and thereby represented our Reformed Churches And as Naaman in all these three estates was the same person and not a new diuerse or seuerall man for Elisha made not a new man but clensed the old of diseases and restored him to his first soundnesse so our Church is not a new Church but the old Church reformed from errours and corruptions and restored to her ancient purity and soundnesse Let the Church of Rome still glory in her leprosie and brag of the antiquity of some of her diseases we thanke God for our Churches clensing and the new restoring of it to the Primitiue purity §. 6. Secondly obserue that we haue not departed froÌ„ the sound parts of the Church of Rome it self for the leprosie thereof was not vniuersall nor spred ouer all there were many euen in the corruptest ages of that Church which taught the same sauing doctrine that we doe See Chap. following and misliked and wrote against the errours and abuses that wee refuse but our departure or separation is onely from the Papacy or Court of Rome which much oppressed the best members of the Church of Rome and instead of Christs heauenly Kingdome set vp and maintained an earthly ouertopping and abusing all other Christian Kingdomes or our departure is from that domineering faction in the Church which like an ill disease and botch in the body intolerably oppressed the Church by imposing vpon it errours in doctrine and tyranny in gouernment But to the sound members of that Church both of ancient and moderne times we are still conioyned and vnited and herein their and our Church continued alwayes sufficiently visible §. 7. Thirdly obserue as a consequent of the former that our Church is so farre from being new that it is most ancient the very same Church that our Sauiour Christ and his blessed Apostles first founded We succeed them both in succession of persons as well as the Church men of Rome and in succession of doctrine much better So that we iustly challenge our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles to be ours all the learned holy Fathers to be ours the ancient Councels the blessed Saints Martyrs and Confessors to bee ours For they taught professed liued and dyed in and for those points of sauing Religion which we soundly hold and for none other The Martyrs dyed for the profession of their faith and seruice to the true God for beleeuing in Iesus Christ crucified whom their persecutors scornefully called the crucified God and for their hope to bee saued by his merits and passion for their trust comfort and constancy in the Holy Ghost and worshipping the holy blessed glorious and indiuiduall Trinity and for cleauing truly and constantly to the holy Scriptures and the doctrines grounded thereupon onely as the true rule of their faith and on the other side for refusing to sacrifice offer incense or doe worship to Idols and Heathen gods They suffered not death for standing in defence of Image-worship or for holding the doctrine of Purgatory so like to the Heathen Poets Homer and Virgil or for praying for the dead or to the dead or for accusing the holy Scriptures of insufficiency and ambiguity and forbidding Christian people to reade them vnder great penalties for feare of Heresie For such points would haue pleased their Heathen persecutors well enough Neither suffered they for crossing Christs institution in denying the Communion cup to Gods people or for worshipping a God made of a piece of bread or for maintaining
anno 1074. as Sigebertus Gemblacensis and Lambertus Schasuaburgensis beside many other report at large and with much detestation See the story of this Hildibrand hereafter This Hildebrand laid the foundation of Papisme or the Popes greatnesse and was exceedingly opposed by the Bishops of Germany and France and the greatest number of Jtalians condemning his wicked doctrine and courses as did also the common people calling the Pope Antichrist that trode vnder foot all Lawes Vsher ib. §. 18 2â— c. Avent lib. 5. Annal. aedit â—ngolst anno â—â—54 pag. 573. 574. humane and diuine and vnder the title of Christ d d the businesse of Antichrist absoluing men not from sinne but from the Lawes of God filling the world with warres seditions rauishments periuries murders fire and robberies corrupting Histories to couer and maintaine his ambition yea adulterating the holy Scriptures with false interpretations to serue his lusts This inexpiable wickednesse this mischiefe neuer before heard of in the world ought to be cut off by the Emperours sword the Wolfe raging in the Sheeps skinne ought to be taken out of the world c. This and much more as Aventine reporteth Plerique tum priuatim publice clamitant At that time therefore the greatest part of the world Princes Bishops and people cryed out for reformation of intollerable corruptions crept into the Church §. 11. Antiquus You and your Authors reckon vp obscure Historians but the most approued writers of Church-Histories are wholly for vs such as our Martyr Campian reckoneth vp in his seuenth Reason Eusebius Damasus Hieronymus Ruffinus Orosius Socrates Sozomenus Theodoretus Cassiodorus Gregorius Turonensis Vsuordus Regino Marianus Sigeberius Zonaras Cedrenus Nicephorus These are wholly in the praise of our Church Antiquissimus I answer you manifoldly First I haue cited many of these speaking against the manifold corruptions of your Church in their owne times Secondly the more ancient of these which Campian reckons could not speake against the corruptions which were not brought into the Church vntill after their times Thirdly the latest of these might well be parties with you as maintained by you to like the things vsuall in their times and yet many of them could not hold but grauely reproued the nouell corruptions of their times See B. Mortons Apologia Cathol part 2. l. 2 c. 9. And lastly I say Campian wrote vntruely and vnsoundly making a glorious flourish that all these Historians were wholly for your praises when as yet your owne Writers do ordinarily reiect them as writing against you As for example Eusebius in reiecting and refelling of whose History Gelasius hath vsed great wisedome saith our Bishop Canus a Canus loc theol lib. 11. cap. 6. pag 659. And your Cardinall Bellarmine saith To Irenaeus Tertullian Eusebius and Luther I answer Omnes manifesti haeretici sunt They are all manifest Hereticks b Bâ—lâ—aâ— de Christo l. 1. cap 9. pag. 104. Hieronymus He is not the rule of the Church a bold and a bald scoffe in iudging of the Canonicall Scriptures saith your Canus c Canus loc com lib. 2. p. 7◠§. secundum quoque Ruffinus He knew not the traditions of the Fathers saith Canus d Canus ibid. §. nam ad primum Damasus Sophrnoius Simeon Metaphrastes when they crosse the now Romish tenets they little moue me saith Bellarmine e Bellar. de Rom. pontif lib. 2 cap. 5. §. neque multum me movet Marianus Scotus secum ipse cum veritate pugnat saith Bellarmine f Bellar. ibid. §. quocirca sasciculum temporum passionale merito contemnimus he plainly crosseth himselfe and the truth and therefore we iustly contemne his Fasciculus temporum and his Passionale Sigebert he was a follower or fauourer of Henry the fourth and therefore tooke things wrong saith Bellarmine g Bellar. ib. lib. 4. cap. 13. §. Respondeo Sigebertum Sigebert and Marianus Scotus we know well enough they are corrupt Authors saith Bellarmine h Bellar. ib. lib. 3. cap. 24. § quod autem Socrates He was a Nouatian Hereticke his testimony in dogmaticall points is of no moment saith Bellarmine i Bellar. de cultu Sanctorum lib. 3. cap. 10. § adde vltimò Sozomenus multa mentitur he lies in many things saith your Iesuite Valentinianus k Valent. de caelibatu cap. 6. § primo quia Sozomenus also Socrates and Sozomenus are not worthy of credit In the story of Paphnutius Valent ib. l Valent. ib. And Sozomens History is Reprobata a Gregorio quia multa mentitur saith Bellarmine m Bellar. lib. 1. de clericis cap. 20. § at quod concil Thus the Historians of greatest note which your Campian alledgeth are by Campians Fellowes and Masters reiected refelled or refuted condemned for Heretickes scoffed at not regarded counted lyers mistaken and erronious corrupted Hereticks vnworthy of credit c. Antiquus Indeed I cannot but wonder at it that they should be thus in generall applauded and in particulars reiected Antiquissimus And so the world both in generall and particular deluded For obserue here by the way First If these Histories be true which haue recorded many grieuous corruptions crept into your Church with the worlds wonder and detestation of them how haue you been deluded and perswaded of the vnity sincerity and glory of that Church neuer spoken against by any before Luthers time but that all Writers and Histories spake in high commendation thereof which you see they doe not Secondly If the Histories be false or doubtfull how can you appeale to them for a true description of the succession propagation doctrine traditions or customes of the Church to shew the sincerity and truth thereof which you more vrge and more leane vpon then vpon the Scriptures §. 12. Antiquus Well then to let these histories passe See these things more at large in B. vsher ib. cap. 7. §. 5. shew me some learned Iudicious Diuines that haue written against the errours and corruptions by you ascribed to the Church of Rome Antiquissimus Take good Saint Bernard for one who liued about the yere 1130. Bernard in Cantio serâ—â— 33. wo be vnto this generation saith he for the leauen of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie if yet that may be called hypocrisie which for the abundance cannot and for the Impudence desires not to be hid Omnes amici omnes inimici omnes necessarij omnes adversarij omnes domestici nulli pacifici omnes proximi omnes quae sua sunt quaerunt Ministri Christi sunt seruiunt Antichristo All friends and yet all are enemies all necessaries and yet all aduersaries all of an houshold yet none peaceable all neighbours yet euery one seekes his owne the Ministers of Christ but they serue Antichrist And afterwards Superest vt de medio fiat daemonium meridianum c. It remaineth that the Meridian Deuill the bold deuill that walkes at noone or at
mid-day in the open light come to deceiue the residue that still are in Christ persisting in their simplicity For he hath supped vp the riuers of wise men and torrents of powerfull men Iob 40.23 and hath hope that Jordan will run in his mouth that is The humble and simple that are in the Church For he is Antechrist which counterfetteth himselfe to be not onely the day 2 Thess 2.4 8. but the midday and extols himselfe aboue all that is worshipped as God whom the Lord Iesus will slay with the breath of his mouth and destroy in the appearing of his comming Bern. in Psal 90. vel 91. ser 6. This conclusion also he repeats writing vpon the Psalme Qui habitat Superest vt reueletur homo peccati c. It remaineth that the Man of sinne be reuealed the sonne of perdition Daemonium non modo diurnum sed meridianum quod non solum transfiguratur in Angelum lucis sed extollitur super omne quod dictur Deus aut quod colitur c. Bern. serm 1. in convers Pauli And elsewhere Saint Bernard makes his complaint to God O God thy neere friends come neere to stand against thee The whole Vniueâ—sity of Christian people from the least to the greatest seeme to haue conspired against thee From the sole of the feet to the crowne of the head there is no soundnesse Iniquity is gone out from the elder Iudges thy Vicars Of Bernard see more in D. â—â—eld Appendix to the fift booke of the Church part 1. pag. 88 89. which seem to rule thy people and now we cannot say such people such Priest for the people are not so as the Priest Alas alas O Lord God those are the first chiefe in persecution who seeme to loue and beare the first and chiefe place in thy Church c. Johannes Sarisburiensis told Hadrian the fourth Joh Sarisbur in Policratic lib. 6. cap. 24. plainly what the world thought of him and his Prelats that the Roman Church shewed her selfe not a mother but a step mother to all other Churches For in it sit the Scribes and Pharises laying importable burdens vpon mens shoulders which themselues will not touch with one finger They hurt very oft and herein they follow the Deuils which then are thought to doe good when they cease to doe harme except a very few who performe the name and office of Pastors Sed ipse Romanus Pontifex omnibus grauis fere intolerabilis est that is euen the Bishop of Rome himselfe is grieuous to all and almost intollerable Aliacus de Reformatione Ecclesiae Caesarius Heisterbach hist lib. 2. cap. 29. These times were euill the succeeding much worse Of which Petrus de Aliaco Cardinall of Cambray said It was a prouerbe in his time Ad hunc statum venit Romana ecclesia vt non esset digna regi nisi per reprobos The Church of Rome was come to that state that it was not worthy to be gouerned but onely by Reprobates Robert Grosthead Matth. Paris in Henric. 3. See this History abridged in D. Field church appendix part 1. pag. 97. B. Carlton Iurisd cap. 8. §. 111. a very learned and holy Bishop of Lincolne liuing anno 1140. wrote sharpely to the Pope for the euils he did specially in England that he was opposite to Christ a murderer of soules and an Hereticke in these his courses c. Vpon receit of which letters the Pope was exceedingly moued threatning to cast downe this Bishop into the pit of all confusion but was pâ—câ—fied by the more moderate Cardinals telling him of this Bishops holinesse learning reputation and since there must be a departure from their Church the medling with such an excellent man might occasion it the things which he proued being full and manifest Archb. Abboâ— contra Hill reason 1. §. 28. William Ockam an Englishman a great Schooleman liuing anno 1320. for his large reproofe of the Papacy in many points in his bookes he was excommunicated by the pope and dyed willingly vnder that sentence Catalog testium verit lib 18. D. Field ch l. 3. c. 11. He cryed out of peruerting Scriptures Fathers and Canons of the Church with shamelesse and Harlots foreheads and that many that should be pillars of the Church did cast themselues headlong into the pit of Heresies See B. Carlton Iurisdiction cap. 1. §. 11. Michael Cesenas liued anno 1320. he was generall of the Order of the Minorites he wrote against three constitutions of Pope Iohn 22. and was by Iohn depriued and disabled from taking any other dignity but Cesena appealed from the Pope as from the head of faction in the Church to the Roman Catholicke and Apostolicke Church and was fauoured therein by Ockam and many famous learned men and by the two Vniuersities of Oxford and Paris Nicholas Clemangis Archidiaconus Baiocensis liuing anno 1417. in his booke De corupto Ecclesiae statu writes very sharpely against the Popes ambition and couetousnesse preying vpon all Churches and bringing them into miserable slauery and against the stately Cardinals and other vices of the Clergy Gerson lib. de concil o vnius obedientiae and in many other bookes John Gerson Chancellor of Paris anno 1429. writes the like wishing that all things should be reformed and brought backe to their ancient state in or neere the Apostles times Of Gersons doctrine see D. Field Appendix to the fifth booke of the Church part 2. p. 73. seq Petrus de Aliaco Cardinalis Cameracensis liuing about the same time wrote to the Councell of Constance a booke wherin he reprooueth many notable abuses of the Romanists and giueth aduice how to redresse them Arch. Abbot ibid. §. 13. Laurentius Valla a Patricias of Rome and Canon of Saint Iohns of Lateran liuing about the same time wrote against the forged Donation of Constantine and many abuses of the Pope and was by the Pope driuen into exile I might here speake of Leonardus Aretinus Antonius Cornelius Lynnichanus and diuers other writers reprouing the same things §. 13. Antiquus Let them alone for these whom you haue alledged speake not of any false doctrines of the Church of Rome but onely against the wicked liues of the Professors Antiquissimus Yes against both and especially because they laboured by false doctrine to iustifie their doings and therefore they write not onely against the Pope but against the Papacy the very office that challenged a right to doe such things as the Pope and his Clergy did The two Cardinals Cameracensis and Cusanus Camer in his booke to the Councell of Constance Cusanus Concord Cathol lib. 2. wholly condemned the Papacy as we do denying the Popes vniuersality of Iurisdiction vncontroulable power infallible iudgement and right to meddle with Princes states making him nothing but the first Bishop in order and honour amongst the Bishops of the Christian Church And this claimed power of the Pope dissolving the whole frame of Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy and forme of gouernment settled by Christ was thought no lesse hurtfull then the bringing in of heresie and false doctrine by
is the man that deliuers it If a Priest therefore teach it be it true be it false take it as Gods Oracle 2 Thess 2.4 What can Antichrist doe more wheÌ„ he sits in the Temple of God as God exalts himselfe aboue God but disgrace Gods Word set vp his owne make Gods Word speake what he list both it and the sense of it shall receiue authority from him His Lawes his Iudgement his Agents shall be receiued without examination And the holy Word of God which should be the rule of all true faith and good actions shall lose his place of leading and follow the Popes fancy By these grounds meanes and shifts all the seeking for reformation at the Popes and Romish Prelates hands was vtterly auoyded And the Roman Church as now it stands is the multitude of such onely as magnifie admire and adore the plenitude of Papall power and infallibility of iudgement and are so farre from Reformation of errours and corruptions formerly cryed against and by many of themselues confessed that they decree them now to be good impose them now as De fide points of faith and doctrines of the Church yea and persecute with curses fire and sword the discouerers reprouers and reformers thereof So that there was no possibility left to good and godly Princes and States and to true-hearted godly learned men but either against their knowledge and conscience to liue slaues to the vnsupportable tyranny and corruptions of the Pope or else to reforme these abuses euery one in their owne Countries and if the whole field of the Church could not be purged and dressed yet euery one to weed out of their owne Lanâ—s and Furlongs the Tares and filth that choked the good Corne. Thus I haue shewed you that errours and corruptions had crept into the once pure and famous Church of Rome and that they were noted and cryed out vpon by many Historians Learned men Bishops Doctors Princes and People and Reformation sought for many Ages before it could he performed And that neither Luther nor any other learned men nor Princes euer intended to erect a new Church but by reforming of the Abuses crept in to reduce the Church to her ancient purity Whereupon the Protestant Churches are truly called The Reformed Churches Antiquus Well sir shew me now the true difference betwixt your new reformed Churches and the Church of Rome as now it is How farre they agree and wherein they differ in some principall points Antiquissimus I will and the rather because some rayling Rabsaches of your side impudently say and print that The Protestants haue no Faith no Hope A namelesse Author be like ashamed to set to his name beginning his booke with these words The Protestants haue no Faith c. no Charitie no Repentance no Iustification no Church no Altar no Sacrifice no Priest no Religion no Christ I hope to make it apparant that we hold all the points of Faith necessary and sufficient to good life on earth and saluation in heauen and that you confesse wee hold them truely because you hold the same and we onely refuse your later needlesse and vnsound additions there unto CHAP. 5. The principall points of Doctrine wherin the Romish and the Reformed Churches agree and wherein they differ Protestants refuse the popes earthly Kingdome and maintaine Christs heauenly 1 A note of the chief-points of Christian Doctrine wherin the Protestants and Romanists fully agree shewing also the Romish additions therevnto 2 The Protestants doctrine in generall iustified by Cardinall Contarene Cardinall Campeggio and our Liturgy by Pope Pius 4. 3 But the Popes reach further at an earthly Church-kingdome and fourthly challenge a supremacy ouer all Christians and Churches in the world 5 More specially ouer the Cleargy exempting them from being subiects to Princes 6 Yea ouer all Christian princes and their states to depose dispose and transpose them and to absolue subiects from their alleageance to rebell c. 7 To dissolue Oathes Bonds and Leagues 8 To giue dispensations to contract or dissolue Matrimony 9 And other dispensations and exemptions from Lawes §. 1. Antiquissimus 1 WEe beleeue a Articles of the yeare 1562 art 1. one true God inuisible incorporeall immortall infinite in wisedome power goodnesse maker preseruer and gouernour of all things and that in the vnity of this God-head there be 3 persons of one substance coequall in wisedome goodnesse power eternity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost You beleeue the same But your exalting and adoring the Blessed Virgin whom we honour and reuerence so farre as we may any the most excellent creature in such sort as you entitle her a Goddesse b Lâ—…siâ—…s oftâ—…n â—…alâ—…er D am a 〈◊〉 siâ— in his 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 where the 〈…〉 and â—…tice Queene of Heauen c So Hortul aâ—i ae 117. b such wa tâ—e hâ—resie oâ— the Câ—llâ— dâ—â—â—s Vpip â—an â—er 79. and of the world d â—o Hort anime 154 b and make the like prayers to her as you doe to God e You call her soâ—ne Loâ—d her Lady him Sauiour her saluatrix him Mediator her Mediatresse him King hâ—r Quâ—enâ— him God her Goddesse As appeares in many of your prayers as saâ—â—â— Râ—gâ—â—â— â—â—ter misericordiae vita dulcedo salue And consolatio desolatorâ—m via eâ—â—antium sâ—â—as oâ—â—â—m in te sperantium In Offiâ—io B. Mariae Reformato iussu Fij 5. edito And in the Ladies Psalter wherin the words of honour and prayers are turned from God to hâ—r in places innumerable Psal 50. misâ—rere mei domina mundaâ—e ab â—â—â—ibus iniquitatibus meâ—s essâ—nde gratiam tuam super me Psal 89. Domina resugium faâ—ta es noâ—â—s in cuncâ—â— nâ—cessitatibus nostris Psal 2. protegat nos dextra tua mater dei euen with authority and command ouer her Sonne f As their owne Cassander confesseth consult art 21. they make Christ raigning in heauen yet subiect to his Motâ—er Monstra te esse Matrem In Bâ—eviâ—r Rom. officio B. Mariae reformat And Matris iâ—â—e impeâ—a Redemptori Missal Parisiens Dâ—reus to Whitaker fol. 352. saith This is not against Religion and as a partaker of the gouernment of his Kingdome g They assigne Iustice to Christ and Mercy to the Virgin As Gabriâ—â—l Bâ—eâ— in exposit Canoâ— Missae lect 80. saith Confuâ—imus primò ad b atissimam Virginâ—m caelorum reginam cui Rex Regum Pater caelestis dimidium â—egni sui dedit post Pater caelâ—stis cum hâ—beat institiam misericordiam tanqâ—am potioâ—a regni sui bona iustitiâ— sibâ— retenta misericordiam Matri Virgini concessit The like is written by many other of their learned men viri celebrâ—s saith Cassander consult art 21. The great learnâ—d â—esuite Gregorius de Valentia often sets Christ after his mother thus Gloriâ— deo B Virgâ—nâ— Mariâ— Doâ—inae nostiae Item Iesu Christo At the end of his Treatises De satisfact De Jdo olat De
among other writers of Bohemian matters Hannov. anno 1602. see there pag 222. 223. and by Grets Iesuita Ingolstad anno 1603. see there Rainer contra haeret c. 4. pag. 54. And his testimony is often cited by Protestants as Morney Mysterium iniquitatis pag 731. aedit Salmuriâ—n 8. 1612. Vsher grav quaest c. 6. §. 11. Archb. Abbot contra Hill Reason 1. §. 29 c. Rainerius saith That of all Sects which either are or haue beene none hath beene more pernicious to the Church he meaneth of Rome then that of the Leonists For three causes marke them well first for the long continuance for some say it hath continued from the time of Sylvester he sate anno Christi 314. others say from the time of the Apostles Secondly for the generality for there is almost no countrey into which this Sect hath not entred Thirdly that whereas all other haue wrought a horrour through their outragious blasphemies against God this of the Leonists hath a great shew of piety because that before men they liue iustly and of God they beleeue all things well and all the Articles which are contained in the Creed onely they blaspheme and hate the Roman Church wherein the multitude is prone to hearken vnto them Note you the antiquity and the generality in all Nations arguing a visibility sutable to the Church Now heare your Poplinerius b Genebrard Chronol lib. 4. an 1581. pag. 782. edit Paris 1600. whom Genebrard calls an vpright and right learned man and one who hath written all things purely and simply according to the truth of the History not for fauour of the cause Hee c Palinerius hist Franc. lib. 1. edit an 1581. fol. 7. b. saith The Roman Church was neuer more sharpely oppugned then by the Waldenses and their successors in Aquitania and the Regions adioyning c. For these saith he against the wils of all Christian Princes about the yeere 1100 and in the succeeding times spread abroad their doctrine little differing from that which at this day the Protestants embrace not onely through all France but almost through all the Countries of Europe also For the French Spanish English Scots Italians Germans Bohemians Saxons Polonians Lithuanians and other Nations haue obstinately defended it to this day Gretserus the Iesuite saith d Gretserus prolegom in script edit contra Wald. cap. 2. The Waldenses multiplied so that vix aliqua regio ab hac peste immunis intacta mansit adeo se diffuderat vt cum plurimorum exitio in varias provincias infuderat c. Scarse any Region remained free and vntouched of it so greatly it spred it selfe into all Prouinces The Albigenses errour so increased saith Cesarius e Caesarius Heisterbach hist lib. 6. cap. 21. that in a short time it infected Vsque ad mille ciuitates a thousand Cities and if it had not been repressed by the sword I thinke saith he it would haue corrupted all Europe This also your Iesuite f Parsons three conuersions part 2. cap. 10. §. 28. Robert Parsons acknowledgeth and saith they had an army of 70000. men to fight for them Obserue here their multitude and obserue how it was repressed not by soul-convicting disputation but by body-killing-persecution We reade indeed of some disputations and conferences with them wherein the Popes learned Doctors and Bishops sought to conuince and winne them but all without fruit a Altissiodorensis Chronloog an 1207. Vsher cap. 10 §. 20 20. Diuers Abbots of the Cistercian order by appointment of the Pope and one Bishop Episcopus Oximensis with their assistants to the number of 30 went by two or three together thorow their Cities Villages and Townes preaching for three moneths space but saith the Author Paucâ—s revecant they converted but few b Ibid. At other times the like preachers assayed to perswade them but profited little or nothing c Bertrand de gest Tholossanor fol. 46 col 4. One among all other disputations is most famous * Montreal apud montem Regalem in the Diocesse of Carcasson betwixt Fulco B. of Tolous Didacus B. of Exon. Saint Dominicke Peter de Castro nouo and Ranulphus on the one side and Pontanus Iordanus Arnoldus Aurisanus Arnoldus Ottonus Philebertus Castrensis and Benedictus Thermus Pastors of the Albigenses on the other side d Iacobus de Riberia in collectaneu de vrbe Tâ—lcsa before foure Moderators or Arbiters two of them Noble men Bernardus de villa noua and Bernardus Arrensis and two Plebeians Raimundus Godius and Arnoldus Riberia The herosies or questions were these That the Church of Rome is not the holy Church nor Spouse of Christ but a Church defiled with the doctrine of the Deuill and is that Babylon which Saint John describes in the Reuelation the Mother of fornications and abhominations made drunke with the blood of the Saints and that those things are not approued of God which are approued of the Church of Rome And that the Masse was not ordained by Christ nor his Apostles but is an inuention of men This disputation held them many dayes without fruit sauing that diuers histories giue the victory to the Albigenses e Histor Albig booke 1. cap. 2. See Vsher ib. §. 22. And it is certaine that f Chronolog Altisiod an 1208. fol. 103. b Albigenses saepiùs attentati nullatenus gladio verbi Dei poterant expugnari Odo B. of Paris finally informed the Pope that The Albigenses being often set vpon could by no meanes be conquered by the sword of Gods Word and therefore it was fit to beat them downe by warres g Hilagarus hist of Foix pag. 126. And some say It was the Popes policy to entertaine them with conference and disputations that in the mean season he might prepare great Armies to root out them and their Religion These oft and great trauailes in preaching conferring disputing needed not to men invisible obscure of small numbers or contemptible §. 3. much lesse needed those great Armies which were gathered to put them downe if they were few and obscure a Vsher ib. cap. 8. § 31 32 37. Pope Alexander 3. had cursed them anno 1163. persecuted them with warre 1170. and with Inquisition 1176. And after this spoyled a great number of them anno 1181 exercitu militum peditumque infinite with an Army in number of horse and foot infinite saith Nangiacus b Gulielmus Nangiacus chron M S. and yet saith the Monke c Altissiodorens chrono an 1181. Altissiodorensis they recouered returned to their former opinions and multiplied d Antonin hist part 3. tit 23. cap. 1. prope mitium which Innocent 3 seeing and foreseeing the great danger of the Popes downefall by their spreading doctrine thought best to arme both heauen and earth against them Authorizing the e Fryers original about 12 hundred yeerâ— after Christ new-sprung Friers Dominicans and Franciscans to preach in all places whether the
Tridentine faith is not so old as Luther neuer seene in the world of many yeares after his death CHAP. 2. Answering the vaine alleadging of some words and customes and corrupt alleadging of the Fathers words against Protestants § 1. Obiection None alleadged in the former chapter agree with Protestants in all things ergo are not of their Church or Religion 2 Answered It is no consequent For so also euery one of them differed from the present Romish Religion and yet are accounted theirs Protestants haue iustly abstained from some words and phrases of some Fathers 3 And also haue left off some ceremonies and customes 4 As the Church of Rome hath left many knowne to be ancient and thought to be Apostolicall 5 Which confutes the vanity of W.G. his booke and shewes his owne alleadged authors by his owne argument to bee none of his Church and Religion 6 By the same argument many Fathers for example Athanasius Ierom Gelasius Gregory Chrysostome Augustine are plentifully proued to be against the present Church and Religion of Rome 7 Foure seuerall wayes at the least the Romish make shew of the Fathers to be for them The first by alleadging counterfeit books falsely bearing the Fathers names Many examples hereof 8 The second by corrupting the bookes which the Fathers wrote putting words in or out and altering the text to speake contrary to their meaning 9 The third by blinding or perverting the sense of the Fathers sentences by glozes and interpretations 10 The fourth by citing the Fathers to proue that which is not in question §. 1. Antiquus NOw that you haue said what you can or will to shew that Protestants had a sufficient visible Church in all Ages since Christ I reply you neuer had any For neither the Fathers nor Greeke Church nor Waldenses nor the Church of Rome before Luthers time were of your Religion Campian Ratio 5. For the Fathers it was Mr. Campians fifth reason why he challenged combate with the Protestants because all the Fathers backed him Ad Patres si quando licebet accedere confectum est praelium If we may try it by the Fathers the fight is at an end For they are as sure ours as Pope Gregory the 13. These and the other three sorts euery one of them either in many points or at least in one or other differed from you As the Rhemists say in their Annotation vpon Rom. 11. ver 4. We will not put the Protestants to proue that there were 7000 of their sect when their new Elias Luther began but let them proue that there were seuen or any one his either then or in all Ages before him that was in all points of his beleefe Thus the Rhemists §. 2. Adrationes Campians G. Whitakeri responsio ad rationem 5. Antiquissimus The vanity of Campian you may see by D. Whitakers answer who shewes that euery one of the Fathers whom Campian picked out and named held points directly against him and for vs. Euen Dionysius Cyprian Athanasius Basil Nazianzin Ambrose Ierom Chrysostome Austen Gregory The vanity of your Rhomists and other lipellers following them is palpable in that they thinke euery smal point of doctrine or practice yea euery small rite or ceremony vsed by some and not vsed by others makes a difference of their Religion We doe not deny but that we haue left off and disused diuers traditions ceremonies and phrases which were vsed in the ancient Church but we constantly affirme we carefully and entirely hold all the substance of doctrine and all things necessary for saluation not onely for the essence but for the perfection beauty and ornament of the Church so that notwithstanding the things left off wee are wholy and fully of the Primitiue and ancient Religion Aâ—tiquus Why haue you left off any words and phrases of the ancient Fathers if you hold their doctrine why forsake you their words Antiquissimus Bellar. De cultu Sanctorum lib. 3 cap. 4. Ad testim patrum dico De Romano Pontif. lib. 3. cap. 13. §. Ratio autem cur Apostoli in Scripturis nunquam vocant sacerdotes Christianos sacerdotes sed solum episcopos presbyteros c. See Here. cap. 5 sect 9. See this matter handled aâ— large by B. Morton Appeal lib 2. cap. 7. B. Andreâ—es Ad Bellarmini Apologiam Responsio cap 8. pag. 184. Because those words are now taken to signifie such doctrines as then they intended not Their doctrine we hold though some of their words we doe not so frequently vse you vsurpe those words but refuse their doctrine Your Bellarmine tels vs truly that the Apostles and first Christians abstained from the words Temple and Priests vsing the words Ecclesiae Episcopi Presbyteri And thus Iustinus Ignatius and the other most ancient Fathers vsed to speake The reason was lest people might vnderstand them as if they meant that the Iewish ceremonies continued with the Temple of Salomon and the sacrificing Priests But afterwards in Tertulliâ—ns time when the danger of that misconceit was worne out Christians began to call Presbyters and Bishops by the name of Priests c. So that the words which the Apostles and first Fathers neuer vsed for feare of mistaking the following Fathers ordinarily vsed hoping after that long disusing they should not be mistaken they vsed the words Priests or Sacerdotes altars sacrifices oblations and such like not properly but by allusion to the Priests altars and sacrifices of the Iewes which were types figures and as it were foretokens or foreprophesies of Christs sacrifice offred once by himselfe for the sinnes of the whole world which was the Antitype verity of those of the Jewes and was continually to be remembred againe as oft as the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood was celebrated â—useb demonstr Evang. lib. 1. c. 10. Chrysost hom 17. in Hebr. Ambr. in Epist ad Hebr. 10. 〈◊〉 August in Psal 75. Jdem lib. 20. aduers Faustum Manichaeum cap. 21. tom 6. Thus the Fathers haue expressed their owne meanings Eusebius Christ hath offered a marvailous sacrifice for the saluation of vs all commanding vs to offer vnto God a memoriall instead of the sacrifice of his Body and Blood Chrysostome wee offer vp the same sacrifice which Christ offered or rather a remembrance thereof the like hath Ambrose Augustine saith when we doe not forget our Sauiours gift is not Christ daily offered for vs Christ was once offered for vs and by that memory he is so daily sacrificed for vs as if he daily renued vs. And more fully Sacrificij nostri vera caro caro Christi olim in veteri lege per victimas pollicebatur in passione vero Christi in cruce per veritatem reddebatur at hodie in nostre sacrificio per sacramentum memoriae celebratur Sententiarum lib. 4. distinctio 12. lit g. The Master of the Sentences asketh whether that which the Priest holdeth may be called properly a sacrifice or
de Bapt. contra Donatum lib. 1. l. 2. Saint Augustine wrote strongly against his errour but reuerently of his person calling him Beatissimum corona Martyrij gloriosissimum 3 But was Saint Augustine free from all error himselfe No for he held opinion that Infants dying vnbaptized were damned to the eternall torments of hell fire Which none either Protestants or Papists doe hold at this day Also he held that the holy Eucharist ought of necessity to be administred to Infants Aug. epist 106. 28. Maldonat in Ioan. 6. ver 53. pag 719. Vsher Answ to Irish Iesuite pag. 23. D. Field lib. 3. cap. 9. who sheweth that Cyprian and Tert. were of Aug. opinion Bellar. de Christo lib. 2. cap. 3. Maldonate saith also this was the opinion of pope Innocent the first and that it was the vse of the ancient Church and that it preuailed in the Church about 600 yeares Bishop Vsher sheweth that the Christians in Aegypt and Aethiopia hold that vse still The Church of Rome now doing otherwise yet will not yeeld that she hath forsaken the Religion of Saint Augustine Pope Innocent or the ancient Church but glorieth that she is of the same Church with them 4 Eusebius Casariensis fauoured the Arrians and Eusebius Nicomediensis was an Arrian hereticke saith Bellarmine 5 Tertullian held some errours of the Montanists Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 4. cap. 8 § Sexto Respondeo Bellar. de Christo lib. 2. cap. 23. §. Sed objicies Bellar. de verbo dei non scripto lib. 4. cap. 12. § arg tert we grant but Bellarmine saith plainly he was a Montanist and so reported Pope Zepherinus to be 6 Damascen did plainly deny the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Sonne saith Bellarmine 7 Bellarmine also saith that Irenaeus taught by tradition that Christ suffered about the fiftieth yeare of his age and contrarily Tertullian and Clemens Alexandrinus taught that Christ suffered in his thirtieth yeere both which doctrines by traditions are false saith Bellar. ib. 8 Many Fathers held that the soules of the Iust enioy not the vision of God in heauen neither are blessed Sixtus Senens Bibl lib. 6. annot 345. D. Field church lib. 3. cap. 17. lib. 5. Append. 1. p. 54. but onely in hope and kept in some secret receptacles vntill the generall Resurrection Sixtus Senensis reckons many of them and cites their words namely Justin Martyr Tertullian Clemens Alexandrinus See D. Whites Defence pag. 57. in fine D. Morton Appeal lib. 1. cap. 2. sect 15. Bellar. de Sanctor beat lib. 1. cap. 4. 5. Lactantius Victorinus Martyr Pope John 22. Ambros Irenaeus Theophylact Bernard Bartholomeus Medina addeth many more to wit Saint Iames his Leiturgie Origen Prudentius Chrysostome Augustine Theodoret Areâ—as Oecumenius Bellarmine laboureth to cleare some of these whom his fellowes condemne vpon this errour we find in some of the Fathers prayers for the faithfull departed as for them that were not yet iudged nor in heauen which all Papists grant to be an errour and yet alleadge the prayers grounded thereon to confirme their purgatory out of which they say soules may be fetched and sent to heauen long before the generall Iudgement contrary to these Fathers tenets Bellar. de Sanctor beat lib. 1. cap. 6. §. Sunt tamen Sanctus Aâ—ton 9 Many Fathers also thought The very Diuels should not be tormented with the paines of Hell before the Iudgement day Bellarmine reckons these Iustin Martyr Irenaeus Oecumenius Epiphanius Antonius apud Athanasium Ambrose Ierom Chrysostom Augustine Gregory Theodoret Bernard and some of them hee excuseth fauourably but of Iustin Martyr Irenaeus Oecumenius and Epiphanius he saith Non video quo pacto corum sententiam ab errore possimus defendere I know not how to excuse their opinion from errour Bellar. de Baptis lib. 1. cap. 3. § Praeter hos errores Ierom. contra Vigilantium Greg. dialog 4. cap. 33. Aug. de cura pro mortuis Hugo de sacram fidei lib. 2. part 16. cap. 11. See D. Field church lib. 3. cap. 9. Gloss in Esay â—3 1 Aug. de civ dei lib. 21. cap. 18. 24. 2 Jb. cap. 1â— 25. 3 Ib. cap. 20. 25. 10 Bellarmine also saith that many Catholicks held a wrong opinion that it is sufficient to baptize in the name of one of the three persons contrary to the custome of the Church Yet of this errour hee reckons Saint Ambrose Beda Bernard Hugo de Sancto victore Magister Sententiarum and Pope Nicholas 11 Saint Jerom and Saint Gregory beside many others doe confidently affirme that Saints departed are present in all places know all things and worke wonderfully where their memories are solemnized All which is modestly doubted of and denyed by Saint Augustine Hugo de sancto victore the author of the glosse and others and not so held by the Papists at this day 12 Origen held that all the wicked euen the Diuels also should finally be saued 1 Others held that not the Diuels but yet all men should finally bee saued 2 Others that onely Christians whether Hereticks or Catholickes 3 Others that onely Catholickes All which Saint Augustine refutes lib. 21. de civitate Dei and in his Enchiridion ad Laurentium cap. 67. Bellar. de Purg. lib. 2. cap. 1. D. Field lib. 3. cap. 9. and saith they are deceiued as men led by a humane kind of pitty towards sinners 13 Many Fathers seeing the Maniches and Stoicall Christians teach a fatall necessity of mens actions which takes away mans guilt of sinne in their heat of opposition gaue too much to freewill and taught that a man before he was drawen to grace by grace Maldon in Ioan. 6.44 pag. 701. Perer. in Rom. 9. nu 33. pa. 1001. might merit grace Foure great learned Iesuites Senensis Tolet Maldonate and Pererius find this errour and reprooue it in Chrysostome Cyril Theophilact Euthymius Ammonius Photius Ambrosius Theodoret Oecumenius and Hieronymus Maldonate and Pererius say plainely See D. Morton Appeal lib. 2. cap. 10. sect 1 2. §. 4. sect 3. §. 7. lit n. These Fathers opinion is affinis Pelagianorum errori nere of kin to the Pelagian errour and contrary to the Apostles doctrine Yet many Roman Doctors in this point obiect these Fathers against vs. But we may well interpret their heat by more coole places of their owne writings wherein they speake more soundly of the point and we oppose many other learned Fathers that are fully Protestants in the point as Gregory Nyssen Anselme Bernard Gregory Cyprian Fulgentius and Saint Augustine Erasmus epist dedic ante libros Hilarij citâ—a Mortono ib. who is counted the mouth of the Fathers to deliuer the iudgement of the Church who stood so much for grace that the Schoolemen say he yeelded too little to freewill Moderate Master Hooker saith well Hooker discours of Iustification § 26. The heresie of freewill was a milstone about the Pelagians
Pope cannot possibly be grounded neither doe the Fathers come neere to proue it which are alledged for it as he sheweth Antiq. For the places of Saint Matthew 16. and St. Iohn 21. Vpon this Rocke and Feed my sheepe since you haue proued by the Fathers iudgement e Before chap. 6 section 6 7. that they belong as well to the other Apostles as to Saint Peter I relye not vpon them nor vpon the Fathers who by f ib. sect 12. refusing the Popes supreme gouernment seeme thereby also to deny his infallibility But there is another thing vrged by g Bellar. de pont lib. 4. cap. 3. §. quarto probatur many and seemes to be of great force to proue this questioned infallibility That the high Priest of the old Testament had in his brest-place the Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28. 30. that is Doctrine and Verity which is expounded in the 17. 9. of Deuteronomy where the Lord commands them that doubt of the sence of the diuine Law to repayre to the Chiefe Priest and enquire of him adding That he shall tell them the truth of iudgement Therefore both by signes and by words the Lord hath promised that in the brest of the Chiefe Priest shall reside Doctrine and Verity and therefore that he cannot erre when he teacheth the people And if this was fit for the Aaronicall chiefe Priest much more for the Christian Conformable whereunto h Ioh. 11.51 Rhemists thervpon Caiphas the Iewes high Priest in a Councell prophesied truly that Christ should dye for the Nation Vpon which Text the Rhemists do note That the gifts of the holy Ghost follow the Order and Office not the merits and persons of men as Caiphas a man many wayes wicked and in part an vsurper in the time when the Priesthood began to decline and giue place to the new ordinance of Christ had yet some assistance of God for vtterance of truth which Caiphas himselfe meant not therefore we should not maruell that Christ deliuereth his truth by Prelats his officers though wicked and vnworthy of their office as also i Canus loc theol lib. 5. cap. vlt. §. Ad id Canus saith alleadging the same text and Bishop Fisher also k Roffensis contra Assert Lutheri veritat 3. pag. 12. Antiquis The high Priests by their education office reading study and conference must in all reason haue knowledge farre beyond ordinary people for signe whereof they might weare the Vrim and Thummim and the people were to repayre to them for direction in their doubts as now to their learned Ministers whose lips must preserue knowledge But the people were not to take all for infallible which they said l B Morton Appeal l. 3 c. 15 sect 3. D. Field Church booke 5. c. 42. The Iewes had a glosse vpon that text If the Iudge shall tell thee that the right hand is the left and affirme â—he left to be the right thou must beleeue him But this is absurd saith their Lyranus for no iudgement that is manifestly false must be beleeued from any man of what authority soeuer he be But the people are appointed onely to doe all things which the high Priests shall teach according to the Law Deut. 17.11 Whereupon Christ saith m Mat. 23.2 The Scribes and Pharisees sit vpon Moses Chayre and therefore are to be harkened vnto not in all things generally whatsoeuer they say but onely when they vtter and deliuer pertinentia ad Cathedram things agreeable to Moses doctrine as the author of the ordinary glosse noteth n Glossa in â—undem locum See Raynolds Hert. This therefore proues no infallibility in the high Priest nor in the Pope no more doth that of o Ioh. 11.49 c. Caiphas to whom wee wonder that you in earnest parallell your Pope For he spake once in the Councell truely and prophetically God directing him and the euent confirming it but he spake also in the Councell most vntruely and blasphemously when he said that Christ blasphemed p Mat 26.65 as Bellarmine saith well q Bellar. lib. 2. de conciliis cap. 8. § alii dicunt Therefore to establish an opinion of an infallible Iudge by an example of a Iudge blasphemously erroneous in iudgement is little better then to erect a Roman Caiphas §. 2. You see therefore by the insufficiency of your proofes first that you haue no probability of your Popes infallibility Now I tell you secondly there is no necessity of any such thing in any one man in the Church of God because a Bellar. de Verbo Dei li. 4. c. 11. §. hic notatis Costerus Enchir ca. 1. §. caetorum we haue all the points of Christian doctrine necessary to saluation b Coster ib. Aug. Doctr. Christiana l 2. c. 9. Bellar de iustif lib 3. cap. 8. § primara plainely and infallibly deliuered in the Scriptures Saint Peter was c Mat. 16.17 infallibly guided by the holy Ghost and freed from all error in doctrine either by teaching then presently or deliuered by writing to posterity so were all the other Apostles And e Bellar. de verbo Dei l. 4. c. 11. § his notatis what they taught necessary for all men to beleeue vnto saluation d 2 Tim. 3.16 Gal. 1.12 2 Pet. 1.21 1 Thes 1.13 what they wrote and left for the instruction of the Church in succeeding ages to the end of the world whereupon all true Christians may and must stay themselues for all points touching the foundation of Religion necessary to saluation If it were possible f Gal. 1.8 9. for an Angell from heauen to come and teach otherwise St. Paul doth confidently and doubly pronounce him Anathema As long as any men or Churches hold fast what the Apostles haue deliuered they doe g Bellar de verbo Dei lib. 1. c. 2. § quare caÌ„ Faber Stapulensis praefatione in Euangeistas vnfallibly hold the truth when they swarue from that they swarue from the Rule of truth and may quickly lose themselues in inextricable errors The latitude of this vnfallible necessary sauing knowledge I haue described before h In the 6. chapter next before and it is that wee must earnestly contend for as Saint Iude saith Earnestly contend for the Faith which was once deliuered to the Saints i Iude vers 3. once deliuered that is first and once for all deliuered by the Apostles to the first Church and neuer after to be altered for that contend earnestly and for other profitable doctrines that are thence deducted by manifest consequence of Reason contend also but more moderately For things obscurely thence deducted and not profitable at all contend not Let euery mans iudgement submit to the rule of the absolutely necessary points sufficient for saluation once and first giuen and we shall need no more nor further infallibility in any man §. 3. But if this so much spoken of
Gods he called Antichrists Satans priests theeues murderers of soules spirits of darknesse and their exemptions by the Pope he said were the nets of the Diuell Matth. Paris cals him Magnus Ecclesiae Doctor skilfull in the Hebrew Greeke and Latin Triuetus cals him A man of excellent wisedome most pure life and incomparable patterne of all vertues 1253. Bale cent 4. cap. 18. 12 Sevaldus Sebald Archbishop of Yorke wrastled constantly against the tyranny of the Romish Court He thought the Pope was permitted of God for the great hurt of many He wrote to the Pope in great griefe to abstaine from his accustomed tyranny and to follow the humility of his holy Predecessors and after Peters examples to feed not to clip flea bowel deuour consume Christs sheepe but the Pope contemned his admonition he dyed 1258. Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. anno 1258. Bale cent 4. cap. 23. 13 William Stengham Doctor wrote for the sufficiency of the New Testament onely for saluation against the Evangelium eternum He flourished anno 1260. Bale cent 4 c. 17. 14 Roger Bacon Fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford a great Philosopher and Diuine without Necromancy saith Bale spake so much against the Antichristian errours of his time that Pope Nicholas the 4. condemned his doctrine and imprisoned him Antonius in Chron. he flourished an 1270. Bale cent 4. cap. 55. 15 Ioannes Dominicus Scotus an English man of Merton Colledge a great Schoolman and called Doctor subtilis he taught against the abuse of the Keyes and that Transubstantiation could not be proued neither by Scriptures or true Reasons as Bellarmine confesseth he flourished 1290. Scotus 4 cent dist 18. 16 John Baronthorp Doctor and publicke Reader of Diuinity in Oxford called Doctor resolutus He taught that the Pope was to be vnder the Emperour and Kings He reuiled the deceits and impostures of Antichrist flourished 1320. as appeares in his booke De Christi dominio Jac. Papiens l. de H. 8. diuortio Bale c. 5. 17 Nicolaus Lyranus an English man of the Iewes linage a Diuine of Oxford amongst other things hee wrote a Booke De visione Dei against the Pope anno 1326. Iean Wolphius tomo 1. lect memorab in anno 1326. 18 William Ockam Fellow of Merton Colledge in Oxford called Doctor singularis and after Doctor invincibilis wrote against Pope Ioh. 23 and against Pope Clement charging him with heresie and calling him Antichrist hater of Christian pouerty and enemy to the Common-wealth he taught that the Pope had no power in Ciuill dominion flourished 1330. Occam oper 90. dierum cap 93. Wolphius lect memorab tom 1. 19 Thomas Bradwardine of Merton Colledge Archbishop of Canterbury wrote for Gods grace against free will three bookes flourished 1340. Catal. test ver tom 2. 20 Nicolaus Orum Doctor in Oxford preached at Rome before pope VrbaÌ„ 5. the Cardinals painting out and condemning the Papacy and foretelling destruction to hang ouer the Pope and Clergies head He wrote the Epistle from Lucifer to the Clergy thanking them for sending so many soules to hell He placed his daughters to them as to their proper husbands Pride Auarice Fraud Luxury and specially Simony See the whole Epistle in Powel de Antichristo in calce libri he flourished 1351. Catalogus test ver tom 2. 21 Richard Role de Hampole Doctor in Oxford inveighed against the vnchastity auarice and filthinesse of priests and their Idolatry anno 1340. Wolphius tom 1 lect memorab 22 Giles Hay a Diuine in Oxford wrote a sharpe booke Contra Flagellatores which is to be seene in Baliol Colledge in Oxford about the same time Bale append ad cent scrip Britan. 23 Richardus Radulphi Richard Fitz-ralph an Irish man Chancellour of Oxford Archbishop of Armagh Archiepiscopus Armachanus Hibernia Primaâ— wrote against begging Friers and dedicated his booke to pope Innocent 4. and in his publike Lectures displayed their follies frauds luxuries wantonnesse pride pomps and other fryerly vertues and held it vnchristian to be a wilfull begger condemned Deut. 15. Wiclif and Walden say he was set on by the Bishops and prelates of England flourished 1355. Wiclif in Trialogo Walden in fascicul zizanorum Wiclif 24 Richard Killington Doctor in Oxford Deane of Saint Pauls in London defended the said Richards Doctrine and wrote many learned bookes against the Monkes and Fryers 1360. Bale cent 4. cap 96. 25 Iohn Wiclife Doctor in Oxford wrote great Volumes against Romish corruptions 1360. of Wiclife read more Booke 2. chap. 1. sect 3. subsect 4 § 2. c. 26 Robert Langland a Diuine of Oxford wrote against Papists corruptions in English especially the vision of Pierce Plowman which is extant about Anno 1369. 27 Sir Iohn Mandevil Doctor of physicke in Oxford Knight after his trauels said in our times it was more true then in ancient Virtus cessat ecclesia calcatur clerus errat damon regnat Sodoma dominatur 1370. Bale cent 6. cap. 46. 28 William Wickam Bishop of Winchester building two Colledges one at Oxford one at Winchester so hated Sects and Monkes that he ordained by statute vnder paine of expulsion present none of the Fellowes should enter the Religion of a Monke And though hee did many good workes yet he professed he trusted to Iesus Christs merits alone for saluation 1379. Out of the statutes of Wickams Colledge in Oxford rubrick 38. and his life written by Tho. Martin lib. 3. cap. 2. 29 Philip Repington of Merton Colledge afterwards Bishop of Lincolne boldly declaimed against the liues and vopure doctrine of the Romish Clergy the Roman Pharaoh mens traditions Fryars beggings Masses Pilgrimages Auricular confession and other things at Oxford the Vice-Chancellor Robert Rigges and the Proctors ioyning with him anno 1382. Bale cent 6. cap. 90. 30 Geffrey Chawter Knight Student in Oxford Chawcer in his Plowmans Tale passim wrote many things very wittily reprouing and scoffing at the idlenesse foolery and knauery of the Monks and other Clergy at their ignorance counterfeâ—t Reliques pilgrimages and Ceremonies yea the pope himselfe he sticked not to call an idle Lawrell a Marshall of Hell a proud enuious couetous Lucifer and Antichrist he flourished anno 1402. 31 Alexander Carpenter an Oxford man of Baliol Colledge wrote a booke entituled Destructorium vitiorum wherein he reproued the carelesse and godlesse liues of Prelats and priests calling them Traitors to Christ deceiuers theeues lyers raueners oppressors louers of pleasures fleshly hypocrites cursed tyrants and execrable Antichrists 1429. Ex destructorio vitiorum part 6. cap. 30. alibi saepius 32 Iohn Felton Fellow of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford taught the Gospell purely and much against the popes pride and tyranny 1440. Leland in Catalogo virorum illustrium Bale cent 8. cap. 3. 33 Reginold Paine or Peacocke of Oriel Colledge in Oxford made B. first of Asaph then of Cicester taught at Pauls Crosse many things against the Church-abuses of the time and that the vse of the Sacraments such as was then
glasse darkely Aug. epist 57. Regula Fidei pufillis magnisque communis And therefore beside that larger measure of knowledge whereof all are not capable there must be a rule of Faith common to great and small as Saint Augustine calls it And as there is a common saluation a Iude v. 3. whereof the meanest beleeuer is capable as well as the greatest Apostles b 2 Pet. 1.1 so there must be a common faith c Tit. 1.4 sufficient to conduct vs all vnto it §. 4. This Saint Paul calls The fourme of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 hold fast the forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and loue which is in Christ Iesus 1 It must be a forme frame or fashion body method Rule of Faith or of sound and sauing Doctrine fit for all Preachers to frame their Sermons by and all Christians to frame their faith and life by Timothy in preaching and the Ephesians in hearing and practizing 2 It must be not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as rom 6.17 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here a short forme or briefe method There must perspicuity for the vnderstanding and breuity for the memory of simple men 3 To these must be added certainty which thou hast heard of me learned of men inspired by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. Bellar. De verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 2. § quare cum Sacra Scriptura est regula credendi certissima tutissimaque saith Bellarmine 4 Adde also sufficiency both for Credenda all things to be beleeued in Faith and for Facienda all things to be performed in Loue which is the fulfilling of the Law For true Faith and good life containe all things belonging to a Christian And all things appertaining to these that are necessary for all men to know are contained in the Scriptures saith Bell also * Idem ib. l. 4. c 11.9 His notatu Duo omnia illa scripta esse ab Apostolis qua sunt omnibus necessaria quae ipsi palam omnibus pradicaverant Costerus in Enchiridio c. 1. de sacra scriptura §. Caeterum Caeterum non insiciamur praecipna illa capita qua omnibus Christianis ad salutem necessaria perspicue satis essè Apostolicis scriptu comprehensa As Augustine also de doctr Christiana l. 2. c. 9 â—ellar de Iustif l. 3. c. 8. § prima ratio B. Vsher serm Wansted p. 42. Vincent Lirinen siâ— contra haeres c. 3. Jn ipsa catholica ecclesia magnopere curandum est vt id teneamus quod vbique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum est hoc est enim verè proprinque catholicum Ioan. Serran in Apparat. ad fidem call â—l edit Paris 1607. pag. 172. Vsher ib. pag. 59. See S. August libr. de fi de operibus cap. 9. Yea and that plainly enough saith the Iesuite Costerus 5 And to these belong also that Antiquity Vniuersality and Vnity which are so much spoken of and are vsually but most falsly applyed to the new additioÌ„s of the Roman Church as well as to these fundameÌ„tall principles to which onely they belong Vincentius Lirinensis saith well That is truely and properly Catholicke and to be held in the Catholicke Church whâ—ch in all places in all times and of all Christians hath beene and is beleeued And this saith Serranus a late learned man who hath written a full discourse of this argument is that doctrine against which the gates of Hell shall neuer preuaile and which the Father of lies by all his deuises and attempts could neuer yet nor euer shall abolish or foote out of the hearts of men This Antiquity Vniuersality or Catholicisme and this Vnity or Generall consent of Christian doctrine will neuer be found any where but in the essentiall substantiall and fundamentall points thereof 6 Saint Paul yet addeth these words Which is in Christ Iesus because he is the deepest Foundation root Author and finisher of our Faith and Loue of our future saluation and of our present gracious conuersation Other Foundation can no man lay saith the same Saint Paul 1. cor 3.11 Not that there need no other principles of Faith then those that concerne his person onely and directly for the Articles concerning God the Father the Holy Ghost the forgiuenesse of sinnes resurrection of the dead the last Iudgement c. haue their place in the Foundation Hebr. 6.1 â— but because Christ is the most especiall obiect of our Faith and the primary Foundation of all the other for they haue all reference vnto him being such as concerne either His Father or His spirit or His incarnation or His office of mediation or His Church or the speciall benefits which he hath purchased for it And also all the Articles as they build vs vpon the Foundation and as they incorporate vs into the mysticall Body or as they are meanes of our Iustification and life they looke vpon the sonne of God and him onely Also we must not onely know the originall cause of our saluation but also our need therof by knowledge of our originall and actuall sinnes which deserue damnation and the meanes to communicate this saluation vnto vs the Church the Ministery preaching sacraments and the dueties which we must do For rom 10.14 how can we know God or pray to him without beleeuing or beleeue without hearing or heare without preaching or haue preaching except Preachers be sent from God by meanes of the Church or know our duties without Gods comandments Mat. 15.9 Faith is necessary Rom. 4.14 gal 2.21 hebr 11.6 so is new birth Joh. 3.5 2. cor 5.17 Ioh. 13.8 Repentance luc 13.3 Deniall of our selues luc 9.23.24 c. §. 5. But how farre these Fundamentall principles which are absolutely necessare to saluation must extend is a Question of some difficulty The Apostles contented themselues in conuerting the Jewes to Christian Religion to teach them that Christ Iesus was the Sauiour of the world and that Saluation was to be had onely by Repentance from Dead works and Faith in him For that he was the very Messias foretold by the Patriarks and Prophets had died for our sinnes and rose againe for our Iustification They mentioned not God the Father Creator and Preseruer of the world nor the doctrine of the Trinity and other things which the hearers knew before without any new teaching being Jewes and well acquainted with the Olde Testament but presupposing they were grounded in these points before they layd the foundation of the New Testament to wit Saluation by Iesus Christ onely B. Vsher in his Sermon at Wansted 1624 And Bellarmin also lib. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 11. alleadge these examples to this purpose which when the people receiued and beleeued they presently baptized them and receiued them into the Congregation of Christs flocke Thus did Sant Peter Acts 2. and Acts 3. and Acts. 4.10 11 12. The like course was vsed by Phillip to
admitted Acts 2 after one sermon of Saint Peter wherin he had taught the principall heads of faith in Christ in one day 3000 men were baptized who whithout doubt knew nothing else but those necessary things And therefore it is added that after baptisme they perseuered in the Doctrine of the Apostles that is they learned what yet they had not heard of Christian Misteries c. B. Vsher Sermon at Wanstâ—d pag. 32. See also his booke De Christianarum eccles successu statu cap. 1. § 15. This our Bishop Vsher agreeth vnto alledging the Apostles sermons to that purpose which treated onely of the first principles of the Doctrine of Christ vpon the receiuing whereof as of sufficient doctrine to make them Christians men were baptized And this he further confirmeth by the writings of Irenaeus and Tertullian and the Creeds receiued by the Church the Apostles Creed the Creed of Athanasius The Creed of the East Church See before cap. 1. sect 2. subject 1. §. 2. recited and confirmed for the beleefe of the whole Church in the Councells of Nice and Constantinople and the late Councell of Trent Whereof I haue spoken already § 5. D. Field of the Church booke 3. chap 4. Our Doctor Field doth more fully and perfectly describe those things that so neerely touch the very life and being of Christian Faith and Religion that euery one is bound particulaâ—ly and expresly to know and beleeue them vpon paine of eternall damnation He reduceth them to sixe principall heades First concerning God whom to know is eternall life we must beleeue and acknowledge the vnity of an infinite incomprehensible and eternall essence full of righteousnesse goodnesse mercy and trueth The Trinity of persons subsisting in the same essence the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost coessentiall coeternall and coequall the Father not created nor begotten the Sonne not created but begotten the holy Ghost not created nor begotten but proceeding Secondly we must know and beleeue that God made all things of nothing that in them he might manifest his wisdome power and goodnesse that he made men and Angels capable of supernaturall blessednesse consisting in the vision and enioying of himselfe that he gaue them abilities to attaine thereunto and lawes to guide them in the wayes that lead vnto it that nothing was made euill in the beginning that all euill entred into the world by the voluntary aversion of men and Angels from God their Creator that the sinne of Angels was not generall but that some fell and other continued in their first estate that the sinne of those Angels that fell is irremissible and their fall irrevocable that these are become deuils and spirits of errour seeking the destruction of the sonnes of men that by the misperswasion of these lying spirits the first man that euer was in the world fell from God by sinnefull disobedience and apostacy that the sinne of the first man is deriued to all his posterity not by imitation onely but by propagation and descent subiecting all to curse and malediction yet not without possibility and hope of mercifull deliuerance Thirdly we must beleeue that for the working of this deliuerance the Sonne of God assumed the nature of man into the vnity of his Diuine person so that he subsisteth in the nature of God and Man without all corruption confusion or conuersion of one of them into another that in the nature of man thus assumed he suffered death but being God could not be holden of it but rose againe and triumphantly ascended into heauen that he satisfied the wrath of his Father obtained for vs remission of sinnes past the grace of repentant conuersion and a new conuersation ioyned with assured hope desire and expectation of eternall happinesse Fourthly we must constantly beleeue that God doth call and gather to himselfe out of the manifold confusions of erring ignorant and wretched men whom hee pleaseth to be partakers of these precious benefits of eternall saluation the happy number and ioyfull society of whom we name the Church of God whether they were before or since the manifestation of Christ the Sonne of God in our flesh For both had the same faith hope and spirit of adoption whereby they were sealed vnto eternall life though there be a great difference in the degree and measure of knowledge and the excellency of the meanes which God hath vouchsafed the one more then the other Fiftly we must know and beleeue that for the publishing of this ioyfull deliuerance and the communicating of the benefits of the same the Sonne of God committed to those his followers whom he chose to bee witnesses of all things he did or suffered not onely the word of Reconciliation but also the dispensation of sacred and sacramentall assurances of his loue set meanes of his gracious working that those first messengeâ—s whom he sent with immediate commission were infallibly led into all truth and left vnto posterities that summe of Christian Doctrine that must for euer be the rule of our faith that these blessed messengers of so good and happy tidings departing hence left the Ministery of Reconciliation to those whom they appointed to succeed them in the worke so happily began by them Lastly we must know and be assuredly perswaded that seeing the renouation of our spirits and mindes is not perfect and the redemption of our bodies still remaining corruptible is not yet therefore God hath appointed a time when Christ shall returne againe raise vp the dead and giue eternall life to all that with repentant sorrow turne from their euill and wicked wayes while it is yet the accepted time and day of saluation and contrary wayes cast out into vtter darkenesse and into the fire that neuer shall be quenched all those that neglect despise so great saluation All these things and these onely doe directly concerne the matter of eternall saluation saith Doctor Field These things saith he make the rule of faith whereof a man cannot be ignorant and bee saued By these all the holy Fathers Bishops and Pastors of the Church measured and made their Sermons Commentaries and interpretations of Scripture This rule is deliuered by Tertullian Irenaeus Tertull. de praescriptionibus adversus hareticos adversus Praxcam Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 3. See here before cap. 1. sect 2. subsect 1. §. 2. and other of the Fathers and with addition of conclusions most easily clearely and vnavoydably deduced hence by Theodoret in his Epitome Dogmatum For a second sort of things there are that attend on these first as consequents deduced from them or some way appertaining to them such as a man being perswaded of these will see the necessary consequence and deduction of them from these if they be propounded vnto him As that there are two wills in Christ that there is no saluation remission of sinnes or hope of eternall life out of the Church c. In such second things clearely deduced from the first principles if a man
hee shall appoint open or secret enemies to the State against their King and to take armes against him and by warres insurrections or treasoâ—s to throw the Land on heapes and bring in a Chaos of miserable confusion Or suppose the Bull goeth so farre as Pius V. his Bull against our right gracious and famous Queene Elizabeth to pronounce the King to bee no King to discharge the subiects from their allegiance to him to command them to take armes against him and by any meanes to depose or bring him to ruine Now the Kings life and the spoyle of the Kingdome and the damnable sinne of the people must depend vpon this Breefe or Bull for it must be executed whether it come from the Pope as a man or as Pope Poore blinded people must be ledde with a Piè credendum and neither haue the meanes or any minde to know whether this Bull came from the Pope canonically entring or maturely deliberating or wisely and orderly proceeding if any such thing can be imagined in such mischieuous practises or whether it come from a Non-Pope or misinformed or vniust Bellar. de Rom. pent l. 4. c. 2 §. Deinde Catholici conueniunt Pontificem siue errare possit siue non esse omnibus fidelibus obedienter audiendum rash or ill aduised howsoeuer it is No man must iudge Christs Vicar but for conscience sake and vnder paine of damnation all must obey Alas that Christs pretended Vicar should doe the workes of Antichrist Alas that men piously minded should be so impiously bewitched to become the instruments of Antichrist thinking to doe seruice to Christ himselfe Alas that learned men should abuse Gods gifts of wit learning and other talents bending all their forces to maintaine such doctrine Antiq. Sir keepe your passion for other company Reason shall preuaile with mee more than passion Antiquis Deare friend it is not passion but compassion to poore deceiued soules brought into such damnable courses by such efficacy of delusion though I know not how in such causes a good man should not be passionate §. 6. §. I. But to returne to Reason from which your Reasonlesse distinctions drew me In our former examples of Popes errings doe you not see that although the Papists of this age excuse Honorius of all heresie and count him a Saint yet the Catholikes of former ages accounted him an heretike for the sixt generall Councell condemned him Bellar. de Rom. Pontif. l. 4. c. 11. and if that Councell were misinformed or corrupted as Bellarmine imagineth and thereby induced also the seuenth Councell and Pope Leo also to curse and condemne him yet it appeareth thereby that they thought it possible for a Pope to be an heretike and surely neither Liberius nor Honorius nor any other Pope had euer beene taxed of heresie if the world had then thought the Popes to bee infallible §. II. This also giues vs another argument against the assertion of the now-Church of Rome that none of the Ancients euer knew or acknowledged any infallible Iudge in the Church Mr Bedels letters to Wadsworth p. 53. 59 â—0 though wee may imagine such an one would haue beene a wonderfull benefit in securing all men fâ—om error with great tranquility of the Church in easing leatned men of much vnnecessary contention and of great labour and study and choaking all heresies both easily and quickly and thereby Diuinity should haue had the honour aboue all other professions to reduce all doubts to certaineties If any such thing had beene it were most strange that the Ancients writing of all other points of Christian doctrine should neuer speake word of it being a thing of such excellent and necessary vse as is imagined therefore their very silence thereof proueth there was no such thing But their contentions with the Pope shew it more fully For no man that beleeueth the Pope to be the infallible Iudge of the Church and so appointed by God §. III will refuse his opinion or gouernment But we find the ancient wise and holy Bishops made no bones ordinarily to reiect them both In the very infancy of this affected Supremacy a See this story in Euseb hist l. 5. c. 24 25 26. when Pope Victor tooke vpon him to excommunicate the East Church for not concurring with him in the Celebration of Easter day not onely Polycrates and the Easterne Bishops reiected his decision but most of the Westerne as Irenaeus with his French Clergy grauely reproued him of too much presumption b See Cyprians Epistles Afterwards when the Pope tooke vpon him to heare Appeales of men pretending to be wronged by their owne country officers which is the smallest portion of Supremacy yet Cyprian an holy Martyr resisted him c Bellar. de pontif Rom l. 4 cap 7. and the whole Nation of Africa refused his iudgement and gouernment yea Saint Cyprian with a Councell of fourescore Bishops decreed directly against the Pope d Concil â—arthag de Haeret. bâ—ptiz inter opera Cypriani And when Cornelius Bishop of Rome with a Nationall Councell of the Bishops of Italy had decreed Non debere Haereticos rebaptizari that heretikes should not be rebaptized yet Cyprian thought and taught the contrary Constat Cyprianâ—m contrariuÌ„ sensisse mordicus defendisse saith Bellarmine e Bellar. l. 2. dâ— concilijs c. 5. See Euseb hist li 7 cap. 2 3 4. See these and many more the like histories in B. â—ilson True â—iffâ—â—eÌ„ce part 1. p. 96. c The Fathers of the Councell of Africa and Saint Augustine among them resisted three Popes in succession Sosimus Bonifacius and Celestine about Appeals to Rome These things are notorious and histories haue many more the like and though some of these were in the wrong yet they alwayes thought the Pope in the wrong and would neuer haue opposed him had they thought him their infallible Iudge By their doings therefore and writings they shewed the generall opinion of men in their times that the Pope was not generall gouernour ouer them and that he was as fallible in iudgement as other Bishops Bedel letters pag 61. Consider also If the Pope were the infallible interpreter of Scripture and could not erre in his interpretations why did Pope Damasus consult with Ierom about the sence of many places of the Scripture and not rather set down the sence thereof himselfe and declare with his owne pen what the whole world should hold without danger or possibility of error Or why haue our fond Fathers macerated their bodies and beaten their braines to write Commentaries vpon the Scripture and not rather registred the Popes Expositions which had beene a worke worth all the Fathers books and indeed equall to the Canonicall Scriptures or better and more vsefull for the Church whereas now many condemne that of the Canon Law for blasphemy where it saith by a shamefull corruption of Saint Augustine that the Decretals of Popes are inrolled amongst the