as the articles which are belieued and the reuelation why they are belieued both which are of eternal verity and certainty or Internal as the pious disposition of the will by grace preuenient and the actuall assent to fayth in the Vnderstanding by the infused guift of Fayth both which grace and guift do operate and cooperate to the act of diuine supernaturall and catholike fayth That these I say all and euery one of these meanes are wanting in Protestants to their fayth beliefe I proue And first that they want all testimonies of credibility which may perswade any man prudently to accept of their fayth we may suppose and note that these testimonies or motiues are of three sortes 1. such as may perswade Iewes and Gentils to become Christians 2. such as may confirme Catholikes to continue Christians 3. such as may induce Heretikes to returne to be Catholikes Of the first sort are many alleaged by ancient Fathers Dionysius Areopagita Iustinus Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian Cyprian Lactantius Chrysostome Augustine against the Gentils all cited proued by Valentia As for exāple in respect of Christ the dignity of his person the efficacy of his preaching the verity of his predictions and the vertue of his miracles In respect of Christian doctrine the manner of the propagation of it not by power eloquence nobility or liberty but by the simplicity of simple poore and vnlearned mens preaching and that to a faith aboue reason contrary to the inclination of flesh and bloud The confirmation of it by miracles martyrdome prophecies sanctity of doctrine and order of discipline the opposition of it by the violence and persecution of Iewes and Pagans and by the eloquence reasons of Rethoricians and Philosophers all in vaine In respect of the Scripture the antiquity of it as extant before any writings of any Philosophers the consonancy of it in the agreement of the old testament with the new and of both in themselues In respect of the Professours their excellent wit eloquence learning and vertue in it their conuersions from infidelity to it their wonderfull constancy and fortitude in defending and dying for it All which haue beene vrged as strong motiues against Gentils to conuert them to it Of the second sort which may confirme Catholikes or such as confirmed S. Augustine in his catholike beliefe against the Maniches which he recites to haue beene 1. the consent of people and Nations 2. Authority begun by miracles nourished by hope increased by charity and confirmed by antiquity 3. The succession of Priests from the seate of Peter to the then present Bishop of Rome 4. The name of Catholike neuer vsurped by Heretikes speaking to strangers but vsually attributed by them to Catholikes all which did iustly keep me sayth he in the bosome of the Catholike Church Of the third sort which may reduce Heretiks are such as the Nicen Councell in the Creed S. Augustine and others did alledge to conuince the Heretikes of their tyme that is 1. Vnity of the present Church with the ancient in doctrine and vnity of the partes with the head by fayth vnity among themselues by charity and to their Pastour by obedience 2. Sanctity of doctrine which induceth sinners to holinesse and conuerts Infidells to christianity and sanctity of persons who exercise good workes of piety confirme their doctrine and holinesse by miracles and prophecies 3. Vniuersality in name by which it is called Catholike In place by being or hauing been extended in preaching or professing to all or most Nations at the least successiuely In tyme by being ancient in beginning from the Apostles and constant in continuing from them vntill this present against al persecution of Gentils Iewes or Pagans 4. Succession of Pastours and Prelats who by lawfull succession from some Apostolicall sea or from some who haue authority from it and by lawfull ordination from them who are lawfully ordeined can deriue their succession and ordination from the Apostles These are markes and testimonies which distinguish the true Church of Christ from al conuenticles of Heretikes do conuince euidently that to be the true church where they are to be found and that to be false where they are wanting Which supposed it is to be proued First that the Protestants want all these testimonies of credibility which should make euident the credibility of their fayth and religion either to Pagans to conuert them or to Heretikes to reduce them or to their owne followers to confirme them And first because it will be to tedious to touch euery one in particuler we will select the most principall and for the first sort which may conuert Pagās it is certaine that whatsoeuer of the former motiues the Protestants can alleadge either concerning Christ his doctrine his Scripture or his Professours to proue Christian Religion credible to a Pagā they receaued them all from vs and our Church from which they haue receaued what they haue either of Christ of Scripture of Sacraments of Christian religion in generall therefore what these proue or confirme they proue confirme our Church and doctrine not theirs For the first of the rest if we seeke Vnity of doctrine among them it is not to be found They haue not Vnity either with the Primitiue Church and Fathers whose doctrine they reiect in free Will Merit Iustification Prayer to Saints and most points now in controuersy as in the first part is at large proued nor with any head or supreme Gouernour of which sort they admit none on earth but disclaime all supremacy in any person whatsoeuer for matter ecclesiasticall nor yet among themselues who are diuided into many diuisions and subdiuisions of Sects and Heresies that long agoe the number exceeded a hundreth now are so many that they cannot be numbred In all which as they want all Vnity so they want all meanes to settle any vnity in that they admit no iudge to decide any controuersy and to silence any persons contentious If we seeke for Sanctity either of doctrine or of persons by holynesse of life or miracles it is not to be expected among them for their doctrine which is for example that euery motion though naturall of concupiscence is sinne as well without as with consent that all workes though the best are sinne that no good Workes doe merit that no Iustice is inherent but imputatiue that only Fayth iustifies that the Commandements are impossible that Man hath not Free-will that God ordaines and creates Men to saluation or damnation without respect to their endeauour or workes This doctrine I say is a speciall retractiue to detaine any man from attaining to any sanctity and perfection of life as impossible and not in his power For any kind of Miracles they are so destitute of them to confirme their new doctrine that they disclaime
expounded by their priuate spirit containes all the articles of their fayth We Catholiks do professe to belieue first al that which haue been wrot by the Apostles or Prophets in holy Scripture that in the whole bookes of Scripture as anciently they were by a Councell of Carthage S. Augustine others receaued all in that sense as it was by ancient Church expounded 2. all that which hath been by the same Apostls deliuered to posterity by word of mouth and tradition 3. all that which hath beene declared to vs out of Scripture or Tradition by definition of generall Councells 4. all that which by continuance of practise hath beene by holy Church euer reuealed 5. all that which by vnanimous consent of holy and learned Doctours Fathers and Saints hath beene belieued in this we differ and haue the aduantage for the articles we belieue Secondly for the formall obiect of finall resolution of Fayth they belieue what they belieue eyther for that their sense doth so perceaue it or for that their reason doth so persuade it or for that their priuate spirit doth so suggest it and so they make their sense or their reason or their owne priuate spirit and phantasie the formall motiue and finall resolution of their Fayth We belieue what we do belieue for that God hath reuealed it and that not a new and to some one in particuler but anciently to the Apostles and by them generally to all their successours and by successiō to vs so that our doctrine and our beliefe of it is grounded not vpon any our owne sense our owne reason our owne priuate conceit all most fallible and most subiect to illusion and deceit but vpon Gods diuine reuelation as he is the prime verity and verity it selfe and that not newly but of ancient euer since Christ reuealed that not personal made to me or one alone but Apostolical first reuealed to the Apostles themselues that not priuate to euery one seuerally but generall to all faithfull vniuersally that not interrupted at certaine tymes by fits and to certaine persons made knowne but continued by succession at all times by all faithfull and in all places receaued that not fallible without ground subiect to priuate illusion but most infallibly grounded vpon diuine reuelation and Church proposition subiect neither to be deceaued nor yet do deceaue and in this we differ and haue the aduantage for the meanes of Fayth eternall Thirdly for the inward assistance of Gods grace and the cooperation of it they challenge only certayne motions or flashes of a fickle spirit which whether it be by illumination or illusion whether of grace or nature whether supernaturall of God sensuall of nature or diabolicall of Sathan they haue no meanes to discerne or ground to be certaine and by it as dust by a whirle wind they are carryed vp and downe in a round without freedome reason or operation of their owne to what fancy and conceit it violently wheels and forces them We are assisted and enabled by the diuine guift of an internall and permanent spirit or habit of faith which infused into vs and alwayes remayning in vs is at any instant ready with vs and the cooperation of grace in vs to worke both a pious inclination of the will to dispose it without obstinacy obediently to consent and also an actuall assent of the vnderstanding illuminating and enabling it firmely to assent to what is reuealed and proposed Also we admit and receaue besides this habituall Grace other actuall and diuers motions of grace and of it some either excitant first to excite moue vs or adiuuant to assist vs being moued some either operant which workes in vs without vs and our cooperation or cooperant which workes in vs togeather with vs and our cooperation with it some either sufficient by which we are enabled to be conuerted or efficient by which we are actually conuerted And in this we differ from them and haue the aduantage for the meanes of faith internall both for the will and vnderstanding Fourthly for the credible testimonies and motiues of persuasion which may in reason persuade any man prudently to accept any religion as worthy of credit They haue not any which may either induce any which was neuer of it nor reduce any which are fallen from it or establish any who are entred into it that their faith doctrine and religion is credible as is before proued We haue many those forcible reasons perswasions and credibilities which may in prudence persuade any Pagan neuer admitted to it or Heretike reuolted from it or Catholike setled in it that our faith doctrine religion and Church may and ought prudently to be accepted is credible and worthy of beliefe We haue Vnity with the ancient and primitiue Church with the learned and holy Doctours and Fathers with the holy Saints and Martyrs whose faith and life we professe to imbrace imitate We haue Vnity with one head our chiefe Bishop and Pastour whose definitiue sentence doth resolue our doubts doth decide our controuersies doth end our contentions in faith and manners We haue Vnity of faith among our selues all of vs though distant in place though different in manners though contending for temporall state or dominion yet liuing and agreeing in obedience to one spirituall Superiour in vnity of one faith in conformity of one seruice sacraments and ceremonies We haue Sanctity and Holynesse both of doctrine which giues holy precepts and rules to auoid sinne for the loue of God feare of hel to seeke perfection by mortification internall supressing our selfe-will selfe-loue and selfe-conceit and externall taming our passions affections with pennance of fasting watching discipline and the like And also of Good life by frequent exercise of prayer meditation contemplation by dayly practise of pennance of patience in persecution by perfect resignation to holy Obedience Pouerty Chastity We haue Miracles those frequent apparent of prophesying curing of all diseases raising dead dispossessing of Diuels the like all wrought in confirmation either of our faith or sanctity all for the conuersion of Pagans and Heretikes of which in all ages tymes we haue many memorable of most nations now Christian conuerted to our Religion We haue Vniuersality not only of Name by retayning the title of Catholikes by which we are vsually distinguished from al sects no sect doth vsurpe it to distinguish them one from another but also of Place as being generally dispersed in all the parts of the world Europe Asia Africa America and also of Tyme as being reputed the old Religion and being indeed so old as haue byn yeares since Christ his Apostles who institued and imbraced it We haue continued Succession and Ordination of Prelates and Bishops manifestly orderly deduced
not only of Infants but also of Nations that they should teach all Nations As he was light of men so they should be the light of the world As he gaue testimony to the truth so they should giue testimony and be witnesses of him to the end of the earth That as the Father did sanctify him so he prayed to his Father to sanctify them As he was sent by his Father into the world so he sent them As by a voice from heauen it was sayd of him heare him so by his owne mouth he sayd of them he that heareth you heareth me The Apostles therefore were appointed for Maisters specially sanctifyed made the light of the world ordained witnesses of his truth sent with authority and commission as himselfe was for that end that they should be heard and obeyed as himselfe was and the same power they receaued from him not only themselues challenged and practised after him and with him but also their Successours after them and with them For as Christ was giuen a light of the Nations so they sayth S. Luke were also the light of the nations As the spirit of God was on him to euangelize to the poore so God chose them sayth S. Luke that the Gentils by their mouth should heare the word of the Ghospell and belieue As he did reconcile the world to himselfe so he sayth S. Paul placed in them the word of reconciliation As he came an Embassadour from his Father to be a messenger of iudgment to the world so sayth S. Paul we are Legates for Christ. As our Sauiour sayd of himselfe He that is God doth heare the wordes of God therefore you heare not because you are not of God so doth S. Iohn say of them He that knoweth God heareth vs and he that is not of God heareth vs not Therefore as Christ thought it no robbery to be equal to his Father in diuinity so they thought it no iniury to him to be in some sort participant with him in his power and authority And that Christ gaue this authority to the Apostles not only for themselues and their owne time but also for their successors and for all ages so that it is to reside and remaine in the Pastours and prelates of holy Church their successors continually till the end of the world is euident for if he haue this authority as necessary for the peace and gouernement of his Church and if the Church stand as great need of it in all ages as in that time of the Apostles as it is certaine it doth then without doubt it was as well giuen to the Pastours of the future tymes of the Church as to them of the present for which end Christ sayth S. Paul gaue some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastours and Doctours and for what end For the consummation or perfection of Saints that is of all faythfull for the worke of the ministery to teach his truth for the edification and propagation of his body to conserue and increase his Church for the vnity of fayth vntill all concurre in one least men be wauering and vncertaine in faith like little ones least they be carryed with euery wind of doctrine least they be circumuented by craftines in errour All which dangers as they remaine in all tymes so the remedy prepared against them must remaine for all tymes Whereupon S. Peter did not only himselfe exercise this authority but at his departure gaue the same to the Pastours of Pontus Galatia and Bythinia to whome he writ his Epistles willing them to feed the flocke of God which is among them S. Paul did not only practise it himselfe but also left it to the Pastors of Ephesus to rule the Church of God To Titus to ordaine Priests through all Citties in Creet as he had disposed To Timothy to commend to faithfull men what he had heard of him and willed the conuerted Iewes to obey their Gouernours and be subiect to them because they watch as being to giue an account of their soules Whereupon not of the Apostles only but of all Pastours and only of Pastours it is sayd My spirit which is in thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed frō this present for euer What is this word my spirit which is in thee but to compare the prophesy and the performance the Paraclete the spirit of truth which the Father will giue to you What are the wordes in thy mouth but the wordes and vnderstanding which thou Father gauest to me I gaue to them and they receaued of me What is thy seed and seeds seed but those who are to belieue by their word in me What is from this tyme for euer but that I will be with you euen to the consummation of the world And so doth the prediction of the Prophet concurre with the performance of our Sauiour To all Pastours and only of Pastours it is sayd Sonnes are borne to thee for thy fathers and thou shalt make them Princes ouer all the earth that is according to S. Augustine for Apostles thou shalt haue Prelates To al Pastours and only to Pastours it is sayd He that heares you heares me And He that knowes God heares vs and he that is not of God heares vs not That is sayth S. Cyprian all Gouernours who by subordination succeed the Apostles Because sayth S. Augustin In the chaire of vnity he hath placed the doctrine of verity Of al and to all Pastours it is sayd How shall they preach except they be sent No man assumes to himself honour but he that is called of God as Aaron To all and only of Pastours it is sayd If he heare not the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and Publican that is sayth Chrysostome and Theophilact if he heare not the Pastours of the Church And if he be worthy to be esteemed so who despises them that admonish him of his fault much more worthy is he to be deemed so who despises him who instructs him in fayth To all and only Pastours it is sayd That the gates of hell shall not preuaile against the Church In so much that all the promises of Church-stability and perpetuity in fayth cōsists chiefly in this infallible authority of the Pastours who are to instruct in fayth direct in fayth and to iudge of fayth and what promises are made to the Church are made chiefly to the Pastours as the principall partes of it and by thē to the rest as inferiour To them therefore is giuen the word of reconciliation the dispensation of the mysteries the function of Embassages the
this preaching is deriued frō Mission according to that of S. Paul How shal they belieue him whom they haue not heard how shall they heare without a preacher how shall they preach except they be sent So that faith it by hearing hearing is by preaching of Pastours and preaching is by mission from the authority of Superiours Of which the reason is because faith is an argumēt or proofe of things that do not appeare either to our sense or reason but are aboue our vnderstanding and capacity therfore we cannot attaine to it by euidence of reason but by credit of authority To this authority that we may giue credit we must conceaue and heare it this hearing that we may be obliged to accept it must by Church-Pastors be proposed and preached to vs and this preaching that it may the better secure vs of it must be from lawfull mission by ordinary succession deriued and so lawfull mission from apostolical authority infallible preaching or proposition of Pastours and a pious disposition in vs to heare and belieue what is thus proposed are the meanes by which according to S. Paul true faith is attained But this priuat spirit quite ouerthrowes all this excellēt order and subordination ordayned by Christ Iesus proposed to vs by the holy Ghost For first it alone without any disposition of hearing without any proposition or preaching of Church Pastours without any authority of apostolicall mission and ordination teaches and directs in particuler euery one man woman or child which is true Scripture which is true sense of it and which is true doctrine collected out of it therfore euery one thus made faithfull by this spirit stands need neither of disposition to heare what is to be belieued nor of preaching to belieue what they heare nor of mission and ordination to secure them of what is preached because this spirit supplies the effect of all both ordination proposition and disposition of hearing therfore all order and discipline all subordination and subiection all sacraments or preaching are needlesse yea fruitlesse in Gods Church As this spirit secures alone so without Sacraments it sanctifies alone As it instructs all in faith so it corrects all in errours against faith And as it is directed by none but God so it is subordinate to none but God alone obliged to none obedient to none it is immediate as they which haue it imagine from God it wil be subiect only to God it will be directed only by God it alone inspires all what they are to belieue alone works all what they are to do and alone secures all that they cannot faile of their end and saluation and so alone to all is all in all that is the beginning progresse and end of all grace and goodnesse Thus is the spirit to them if you will credit them Secondly It alone hath warrant and commission power and authority in whomsoeuer it is whether he be yonge or old simple or wise vnlearned or learned secular or spirituall to examine censure to giue sentence and iudgment in any cause or Controuersy ouer any Pastour or Prelate vpon any Councell or Church particuler or generall present or past late or auncient For as Caluin and Kemnitius for example by the prerogatiue of this their spirit tooke vpon them to censure and correct by their Examine and Antidote not only the late generall Councel of Trent but also the auncient generall Councels of Nice Constantinople Chalcedon and Ephesus yea the whole Church of God and all Doctours in it for many ages togeather as is before shewed so euery bible-bearing Ghospeller who hath got but a tast of this spirit and can but read the Scripture in English will by the same prerogatiue of this spirit assume to himselfe the same authority to examine the same examiners to censure the same censurers and to iudge the spirit of the former iudges yea to examine censure and iudge all Pastours Doctours Fathers Councells and Churches and to determine which of them haue erred what sense of Scripture is to be preferred and what Fayth and Religion is to be imbraced All which as these new Protestant Maisters first practised vpon the ancient Fathers so these their new discipls haue learned to practise the same vpon them their maisters and do as well censure them as they did their Predecessours and that worthily for what they taught and practised against their Fathers is a iust punishment that their children should learne and practise the same against them That it cannot be a meanes of fayth which requirs credible testimonies SECT VI. FIFTHLY this fayth as it is obtained by piously hearing the infallible preaching of Pastours lawfully ordained and sent so also it requires besides diuine reuelation reasons and motiues of credibility forcible to moue the Vnderstanding to accept as probable this doctrine of Fayth thus by preaching proposed and by God reuealed for as before He that giueth credit quickly is light of hart And reasons of credibility such as are miracles sanctity vnity conuersions of Nations and such like before mentioned doe make a true fayth more credible according to that of Dauid Thy testimonies are made too credible But that this priuate spirit cannot giue any such credible testimonies or produce any probable motiue to conuince any one that it is a true spirit of God or a certaine meanes of faith is proued Because it cannot alledge any consent of people and nations nor any authority of miracles to vse S. Augustines words nourished by hope increased by charity and confirmed by antiquity such as confirmed S. Augustine in his faith it cannot alleadge any vnity which it causeth either with the head Christ or with his body the Church not any sanctity which it worketh by works memorable for piety or miraculous for power and vertue not any consent of vniuersality by which it hath been imbraced in all places at all times by all nations and persons no not in ancient time by any persons renowned for holinesse and learning not any succession of Pastours prelates doctours or saints who haue relied themselues their faith saluation vpon it it cannot produce any one euident either authority of holy scripture or any one tradition of apostolicall time or any one practise of auncient Church or any one decree of generall Councels or any one testimony of learned Doctours or any one probable much lesse conuincing argument of reason that either all or any one man must or may settle his beliefe in it interprete the Scripture by it rely his saluation vpon it deduce all resolutions of fayth all questions of Controuersies all doubts of Religion from it and giue peremptory iudgment and sentence of all Pastours and Prelates of all Saints and Doctours of all Churches and Councells of all doctrine and religion according to the suggestion of it which yet the precise Protestāts do both in doctrine professe and in practise performe That it cannot be a
heare him alwayes loue him alwayes assist him alwayes comfort him that no feare doubt wauering or perturbation did or could euer enter into his will or vnderstanding yea that all that time of his passion his soule had the perfect vision and fruition of God and only his sensible partes endured those paines and torments of the crosse Tenthly As for his descending into hell they derogate from it and dishonour him in that they affirme he descended either only to the graue in body or also to the lower hell in soule to suffer the paines of it either before his death on the crosse or after it in hell but not to haue freed the Patriarchs from Limbus by the presence of his soule there We honour it in belieuing that he descended in soule further then to the graue to which he only descended in body but not so far as to suffer the paines of hell in soule but only to the Limbus patrum where he gaue the Patriarches there detained present liberty fruition of eternall hapinesse afterwards carried them with him to the place of glory and so triumphed ouer hell led aptiuity Ccaptiue Eleuenthly From his resurrection and ascension they derogate and dishonour him both by denying him the subtility or penetration of his body wherby he was able to passe through either the stone of the sepulcher at his resurrection or the dores of the house at his entrance to his disciples or the hardnesse of the heauens at his ascension all which they wil haue either dissolued or opened or diuided We honour attribut more dignity to the same belieuing that by the gift of subtility or penetratioÌ„ his body did pierce passe through the stone the dores and the heauens at his resurrection and ascension as it did also his Mothers wombe at his natiuity with out any diuision dissolution or detriment to the nature of either the one or the other in which also he shewed his subtility and consequently his impassibility or immortality Twefthly From his adoration and inuocation by vs as he is now in heauen they derogate and dishonour him in affirming that as man he is not to be adored or inuocated by vs. We honour him as man so far that we bow downe at the name of Iesus praying to him with the blind man the Cananean saying Sonne of Dauid haue mercy on vs And fall down with the Sages the womeÌ„ adore him In al which and many more as they by their priuate spirit the doctrine of it do derogate take from Christ his honour his power his goodnesse his beatitude his knowledge his sanctity his certainty of saluation his adoration and the vertue and power of his passion redemption resurrection ascension so do we in our Catholike doctrine attribute to same due honour and dignity so both in our doctrine practise giue more honour praise power and glory to God and to Iesus Christ then they do either in doctrine or practise Thirdly For the Saints and blessed soules in heauen they dishonour them and take from them 1. Their state of beatitude affirming as Luther and Caluin do that they yet sleepe and neither know what we do nor yet enioy any present glory and beatitude till the day of Iudgment 2. Their perfection of Sanctity in affirming as Caluin doth both of Angels and Saints that their obedience is imperfect that their iustice is defectiue and doth not satisfy God that their works require pardon and that in them is folly vanity and frailty 3. Their power of doing miracles by the gift of God which Beza Piscator Vrsinus and Perkins â—hould to be a vertue proper only to God not communicated to any creature man or Saint 4. Their difference and degree or honour affirming that all are equall in glory beatitude and reward and that no lawrels or crownes of accidentall beatitude are due to Martyrs Confessours or Virgins 5. Their respect and esteeme with God denying that God doth either apply in any sort their merits to vs or doth help and respect vs for their prayers 6. Their knowledge of vs and our affaires on earth denying that they heare vnderstand or know vs or any thing we do heere on earth 7. Their charity towardes vs affirming they neither at our intercessious sollicite or pray to God for vs nor offer vp any petitions and miseries of ours to God 8. Their honour and inuocation by vs denying it to be lawfull to worship them to honour theÌ„ to inuocate them or so much as saith Luther to imitate and follow their example 9. The custody and â—uition of Angels ouer vs and their hierarchies and orders in heauen denying or at least doubting of the custody of our Angell guardian the difference of al Hierarchies and orders among Angels In al which we and our doctrine on the contrary do attribute to them perfect and present beatitude in their soules complete obedience in their performing the will of God vpright Sanctity in all their actions extraordinary power in working miracles notable difference of degrees of glory eminent knowledge in vnderstanding our prayers excellent charity in making intercession for vs and due honour and veneration in giuing them adoration inuocation and imitation befitting both the Saints for their prayers for vs and the Angels for their custody of vs. Fourthly For the word of God they abuse it take 1. From iâ— one first and principall part of it to wit all the vnwritten word or which is diuine vnwritten tradition 2. From the written word they chop and cut off from the old Testament fourteene peeces or partes and some of them from the new Testament seauen whole bookes from the Canon of scripture 3. For the translation of scripture they reiect the ancient and follow euery nation euery congregation and euery person a new translation which best pleases them therby leaue no certainty of the verity of any 4. For the sense of scripture they contemne that which the spirit of God did inspire to the ancient Fathers Councels Church and follow that which euery mans priuate spirit suggests and therby follow not the meaning of the spirit of God but that of their owne spirit 5. For their faith grounded vpon scripture they belieue only those points which their spirit finds in that part translation and sense which they chose and therby make an vncertaine imperfect mained kind of faith and religion 6. For their Iudge and meanes to try which is scripture and which is true sense of it they admit not any infallible Iudgment either of Church or of CouÌ„cels or of Pastours but leaue to euery man to choose himself what he will belieue to iudge and follow whom he pleases in his beliefe wherby they can haue neither any vnity in faith not any certainty of scripture of scripture sense We in our doctrine do admit for the word of
according to the order and proportion of the whole that as the necessity and conueniency of the whole body doth require so the operation and function of the part is accommodated and applied and so all the parts and members of the Church being by one spirit combined and vnited togeather as members of one body and in vnity of one hody do euery one belieue as they are directed by the head and do proceed in all with subordination to the head and worke in all for the vse and benefit of the whole suffer for the defence of the whole and so by a communion both with themselues and with the whole do all labour for the whole conserue the whole and keep still an vnion and communion with the whole and are directed according to the faith the rule the reason and the Iudgment or direction of the whole body or Church of Christ As long therfore as euery member and his spirit hath this direction subordination and vnion with the whole body of the Church and the spirit of it so long doth it prooced in order and vnity and so farre it is agreable to the spirit of God directing his holy spouse the Church but when this spirit doth beginne to be singular of it selfe to deuise a new doctrine to teach otherwise then the rule of faith hath prescribed or to assume the authority of a new maister When it deuides it selfe from the spirit of Gods Church and doth oppose it selfe against it or extoll it selfe aboue it when it will not be subiect and subordinate to it but doth erect a Cathedra of authority of its own or an opinion of doctrine of its owne against it then it is an euident signe that it is not a spirit of vnity and concord but of dissention and diuision so not an inspiration of God to be imbraced but a suggestion of sathan to be reiected Out of which rule may be obserued the difference betweene a Catholicke and a Protestant spirit in expounding of scripture and withall the weaknesse or rather impertinency of the Protestant obiections for their manner of interpretation of scripture by this their spirit For first we distinguish betweene them who without offence lawfully may expound and who by authority haue warrant infallibly to expound holy scripture Of the former sorts are all faythfull Christians who hauing vnderstanding sufficient and a pious intention do with humility beginne and according to the rule of fayth proceed in seeking out the right sense of Scripture and so none who are thus able and thus proceed are barred from either reading or expounding to their own coÌ„fort the Holy Scripture as our aduersaries do falsely calumniate vs. Of the later sort are the Pastours and Prelates of the Church who hauing lawfull ordination and succession and continuing in vnity and subordination do either deliuer the sense of Scripture as it is taught by holy Church or els confirme and explicate any doctrine of fayth when they are collected in a generall Councell And these thus vsing the lawfull meanes and obseruing the vsuall rule of fayth haue authenticall warrant by the infallible assistance of the holy Ghost that they cannot erre in deliuering any sense of scripture as a ground of fayth and beliefe The Protestants doe giue not only liberty but also authority to all not only Pastours and Prelates but also Artificers and common people as well vnlearned as learned to frame to themselues such a firme assent to this or that seeming to them infallibly true sense of holy Scripture euery one according to his owne preiudicate conceit or priuate spirit that thereupon they dare aduenture the certainty of their Fayth and the hope of their saluation Secondly we make a difference betweene a sense of scripture produced in the Schooles to proue or confirme a schoole question a sense declared ex Cathedra to ground an article of faith or betweene a preachers conceit deliuered in the pulpit to exhort to good life and manners and a doctrine proposed by the Church as reuealed by God necessary to be belieued In which for the former we giue a liberty to any preacher to frame out of his own coÌ„ceit any sense which not being opposit to true fayth may moue the auditory to piety good life but for the later we confine the ranging liberty of the wit and inuention euen of the Doctours Pastours in Gods Church prescribe as fayth Vincentius Lyrin that They teach that which is deliuered to them not which is inuented by them that which they receaued not that which they deuised that which is of publike tradition not of priuate vsurpation that of which they are not authours but keepers not beginners but followers not leaders but lead In which cunningly caruing faythfully placing wisely adorning like another Beezeler the pretious pearles of diuine fayth by adding splendour grace and beauty they are to illustrate more clearely that which was belieued more obscurely and to deliuer to posterity more fully explicated that which by their forefathers being not vnderstood was with reuerence belieued Alwayes so teaching that which they learned that they teach after a new maÌ„ner but not a new doctrine That is as afterward he sayth That they interprete the diuine Canon according to the tradition of the whole Church and the rules of Catholike fayth that is Vniuersality Antiquity and Consent and if any part do rebell against the whole or nouelty oppose antiquity or if dissent of a few controule the consent of all or the most then mâ—st they preferre the integrity of the whole before the corruption of a part the veneration of antiquity before prophanation of nouelty and the generality of a Councell before the temerity of a few The Protestants giue a liberty by the priuiledge of their spirit to euery not only Preacher but priuate person to expound the most difficult and important places of Scripture namely of the Apocalyps S. Pauls Epistles not only for the schooles in scholasticall questions or in pulpit for exhortations to good life but in deepest articles greatest controuersies of Fayth euery one as his spirit shall suggest and thereupon they direct them to ground their fayth the saluation of their owne soule and of many others who rely vpon them Whereby as sayth Vincentius Lyrinensis They make it a solemne practise to delight in prophane nouelties and to loath all decrees of antiquity and by making ostentation of a false opinion of knowledge do make shipwracke of all fayth Thirdly the Spirit of a Catholike will not presume to expound any text of scripture contrary to that sense which either the rule of fayth or the practise of the Church or the decree of a Councell or the consent of Fathers hath receaued as true and authenticall but in al will receaue follow that which is determined and decreed in theÌ„ The ProtestaÌ„t spirit will censure reiect and condemne any sense though neuer
the truth and not to make himselfe and his priuate spirit iudge of the grounds of truth or of the truth which is to be found in theÌ„ And this is all that can be inferred out of these places this may suffice for the solution of all such argumnets or obiections as are made out of Scripture by the Protestants for the establishing of this priuate spirits power and authority to interprete Scripture and to iudge of al controuersies of Fayth FINIS A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATTERS handled in this Booke A S. Ambrose his commendations pag. 58. His authority against the priuate Spirit pag. 59. Angells apparitions pag. 74. Difficulties about them pag. 81. Apostles their authority to iudge of Fayth pag. 166. Their power deriued from Christ pag. 167. Their successors power to iudge of Faith pag. 168. The foundation of Fayth pag. 390. Apparitions of God or Angells in what places to what persons pag. 75. ApparitioÌ„s of Diuels in diuers shaps of beastes of men of Angells of Christ of the B. Trinity ibid. 140. Of soules in Limbo Purgatory Hell and Heauen pag. 77.78 Difficulties to know which be apparitions of God Angells Diuells soules pag. 79. ApparitioÌ„s of SathaÌ„ inward by suggestions pag. 98. By imaginary illusions pag. 102. By exteriour visions pag. 104. S. Augustine commeÌ„ded against the priuate spirit pag. 61. For the profundity of holy Scripture and authority of Fathers pag. 64. For necessity of Fayth pag. 182. agaynst Circles pag. 210. B BIshops and Priests their office pag. 153. Their authority to iudge of Religion pag. 162. Their Tribunal power in the old Law the beginning progres end pag. 162. In the law of Christ pag. 165. What their authority is pag. 166. Their authority proued by scripture pag. 168. How for it extends ibid. Their authority for euer pag. 168. In all Councells pag. 170. C CAluin his saying against the priuate spirit pag. 36.64 His Circle between the spirit of euery man a Councell pag. 215. His doctrine of the doctrine of saluation pag. 234.239 Of saluation of Infants without Baptisme pag. 235. Of Christs sinne and despaire on the Crosse pag. 257. Of the B. Trinity pag. 304 Of Christs Diuinity pag. 305. Of Christs descent into Hell pag. 308. Of his AscensioÌ„ pag. 3â—0 Of beatitude before the day of Iudgment pag. 311. Cases of Conscience for feare of sinne in vaine according to Protestant doctrine pag. 26â— Catholikes aduaÌ„tage aboue Protestants pag. 24. In the habit of faith p. 15. In the credible testimonies of Vnity Sanctity Vniuersality Succession Miracles Examples pag. 27. In the infallible Church-authority pag. 28. Catholikes belieue all Reuelations ancient generall infallible pag. 25. Catholikes may challenge all which the Protestants may pag. 28. Yea the priuate spirit pag 29. DiffereÌ„ce between iust Catholikes Protestants pag. 266. Good life-confessed in the auncient and late Catholikes in the people and the Clergy pag. 347. Catholike and Protestant doctrine compared in giuing more honour to God to Christ to Saints Angells Scripture Sacraments to Church Fayth Good workes c. pag. 350. Christ by Protestant doctrine no generall Redeemer pag. 248. No perfect Redeemer from sin his suffering of Hell paynes due to sin pag. 249. No Sauiour from sinne Sathan sensuality the curse of the Law or from Hell pag. 250. No perfect Phisitian pag. 251. No law giuer 252. An vniust iudge 253. No Priest or offerer of Sacrifice 254. Made ignorant 256. Sinfull suffering hell paines pag 257. Christian AsseÌ„blies in the Primitiue Church in what manner they were for that tyme. pag. 382. Church-authority necessary to fayth pag. 10. infallible 11. proued by Scripture pag. 16. Church selected priuiledged armed established c. obligeth p. 12. It consists of Pastors Ibid. Is proued by Fathers reason Ibid. Necessary to expound Scripture pag. 125. Church-practice A rule to confute heretikes pag. 125. Church-prâ—position and scripture-authority no circle pag. â—02 Vpon Church falling failing froÌ„ faith what absurdities do follow vz. That all ancieÌ„t Concels Doctors were AntichristiaÌ„ That Prophesies are false pag. 231. That Turkes Iewes Gentils haue a more credible Church then Christians pag. 230. Church-practice a meanes to interpret Scripture iudge of Doctrine pag. 125. Church of Christ a Congregation of great sinners pag. 26â— Circle what it is pag. 198. Difference betweene a lawfull vnlawfull Circle pag. 199. And betweene a Circle as obiected against Catholikes and Protestants pag. 200 Catholikes Circle cleared as being partiall in diuers kinds of causes and to diuers sorts of persons pag. 202. Protestants Circle between the Scripture and the Spirit pag. 206. Betweene the Spirit Fayth 210. Betweene Election and Scripture 212. Betweene the Spirit of euery person and of a Councell pag. 215. ProtestaÌ„ts Circle vnto the same kind of cause and that totally pag. 208. Absurdities that follow vpon it pag. 212. Councells 3. of the Iewes in Christs tyme. pag. 164. How the holy Ghost assisted or fayled in them pag. 164. Councells a meanes to interpret Scripture 128. Councells haue byn a meanes to iudge of Fayth pag. 171. Concupiscence made originall sinne and what followes thereon pag. 227. D DIuells Apparitions of them pag. 75. Difficulties to know them pag. 80. Signes to know the motions of them 83. Their subtility 95.97 Their deluding of Heretickes auncient moderne pag. 95. Their tempting to sin to vertue 99. Examples of their apparitions to Heretickes pag. 100. By imagination visibility pag. 10â— F FAyth Six meanes to Fayth pag. 3. Materiall formall obiect proposition Ibid. Credible Testimonies pious disposition habit pag. 4. Reuelation to the Apostles Ibid. Necessity of a proponent cause Ibid. Credible Testimonies pag 4.7 192. Fayth requires a pious disposition supernaturall frees an infused habit permanent not perpetuall pag. 6 The order of these helpes vz. credible Testimony Church-proposition grace actuall infused habit reuelation pag. 7.8 The Resolution of Faith dispositiuè deriuatiué effâ—ctiuè formaliter pag. 8. Shewed by the Samaritan womaÌ„ and Christ pag. 9. The helpes to Fayth external eternall internall pa. 14. Wanting in Protestants 15. Fayth depends vpon authority pag. 117. Faith required to know scripture the sense of it p. 118.120 The rule of Fayth pag. 146. Fayth one pag. 183. Certaine 187. By preachinâ— and hearing 190. By credible testimonies 192. Obligeth to acceptance 194. Speciall Fayth how certaine in Protestants 185. Fayth is of eternall verity and presupposeth the obiect pag. 228. Cannot staÌ„d with certainty of saluatioÌ„ 233.240 vide Sole fayth Fayth by hearing preaching and mission pag. 190. Sole Fayth a Protestant Principle the effect of it pag. 227. Sequells of Iustification by sole Fayth p. 222. makes Protestants more certaine of their saluation then was Christ 233 Makes Protestants as iust as Christ 234. makes all men to be saued 235. Is not grounded vpon Gods word 233. Is false contradictory sinnfull rash presumptuous preiudicious to Hope Charity and Good
pag. 100. line 31. Stow Annals pag. 64 printed an 1592. Godw. in the life of Austine pag. 117. c. Fox Acts MoÌ„ pag. 117. an 1576. Tind Reuelation of Antichrist MelaÌ„ Apolog. Confess Aug. VVittomb an 1573 f. 221. Pant. Chron. pag. 95. Fox act Mon. p. 70. next after an 1216. Hackl in his booke of nauigations 2. par 2. volum p. 81. (a) Comment rerum in Oriente gestaruÌ„ fol. 2. (b) Pag. 36. (c) Fol 9. (d) Fol. 14. Abraham Hartwell his discouery of Congo printed ann 1597. l. 2. cap. 3. Godw. Catalogue of Bishâ—ps Stubs his motiues to good workes p. 44.45 Syr Edward Sands in his Relation of the Religion vsed in the VVest partes of the world sect 48. paulo post initium (a) Sect. 6. (b) Sect. 27. (c) Sect. 42. Stubbs his motiues to good workes printed 1596 pag. 43. Deut. 32.31 The Protest priuate spirits doctrin compared with the Catholike doctrine shewed 1. That theirs derogateth from the blessed Trinity 2. FroÌ„ Gods mercy 3. From Gods goodnesse 4. FroÌ„ Gods Iustice 5. FroÌ„ Gods omnipotency That the Protestant doctrine doth derogate from Christ 1. From his beatitude 2. From his knowledge 3 From his supremacy and power 4. From his authority in making lawes 4. From his sanctity 6. From his redemption of mankind 7. From his merit and satisfactioÌ„ 8. From his corporall passion 9. From the certainty of his saluatioÌ„ 10. From his descending to hell 11. From his ResurrectioÌ„ and ascension 12. From his adoration and intercession (a) Marc. 10 47. Mat. 15.22 20.31 (b) Mat. 2.11 (c) Mat. 28.9 That the priuate spirits doctrin doth derogate from Saints and Angells 1. Their Beatitude (a) â—uth Postiâ— Dominiâ— 2. post Trin fol. 286. tom 6. in 25. Gen f. 322. tom 4. in 9. Eccl. c. 36. 37. in 2. Ioan. Calu. in 2. Pet. 2.4 in Math. 22.23 in Math. 27.43 in Luc. 16.12 3. Inst. 25.6 Buâ—an loc 39 p. 44â— Dan. contro 7. p. 1265. 2. Their sanctity (b) Calu. in Coloss 1.10 3. Iâ—st 14.16 17.9 Conc. 16. in Iob. pag. 68. 3. Their power (c) Beza in 1. Cor. 16. Vrsin Catech. q. 99 p 944. Piscat thesâ—l 2. pag. 373. Perk. in 3. Gal. 3. 4. Their difference of glory 5. Their esteeme with God 6. Their knowledge of vs. 7. Their charity to vs. 8. Their honour by vs. Luth Postil in festo S. Ioan f. 378. Ferijs eiusdeÌ„ f. 9. die Epip fol. 138. Calu. in 4. Ioan. 10. 9. Their custody and help of vs. That the priuate spirit doth tak from the word of God 1. All the vnwritten word 2 21 parts of the written word 3. The true translation 4. The certainty of the sense 5. The integrity of faith 6. The authority to iudge of it The priuate spirit derogates from the Church of God 1. The authority 2. The visibility 3. The markes 4. The continuance 5. The beauty magnificence 6. The purity incorruption of doctrine The priuate spirit derogates from the Sacraments 1 The number 2 The effect of Baptism 3. The substance of the Eucharist The priuate spirit doth derogate from Fayth 1 The vnity of it 2. The antiquity of it 3. The grounds of it 4. The meanes of it 5. The purity of it The priuate spirit derogates from man 1. A freewil 2. All infused habits 3. All inherent iustice 4 Alinward purity 5. All necessity or possibility of good works 6. All benefit of prayer 7. All care and labour for his saluation The priuate spirit takes from sinne 1. All difference of mortall and veniall 2. All possibility to be auoided 3 All imputation to punishmeÌ„t in some persons The priuate spirit doth derogate from good workes in generall 1. Their merit The priuate spirit doth derogate from heaueÌ„ 1. The reward of glory 2. The difference of glory They take away from hell 1. The difference of place (a) Calu. in Matth. 3.12 Danaeus controu 4 §. 11. pag. 210. Vorst in Anti-bellar pag. 269. Perk. vpon 2 Apoc. pag. 9. Lobec disp 6. pag. 133. 3. The suffering of the soules 4. The local place of hell 5. All feare of sinne for hell 2. The fire of hell (b) Luth. ser de diuit paup tom 7. fol. 267. in cap. 9. Eccles tom 4. fol. 38. Postil â—â— Domin 4. post Triâ—it fol. 286. Bucer Catheis Hedalb apud Schusselb theol Calu art 27. fol. 145. Brent apud Hosp part 2. anno 1562. fol. 308. 230. apud Bullinger Lobec disp 6 p. 133. Perk. in c. 2. Apoc. col 90. Tylenus â—yntag c. 6. p. 69. Cal. Inst. 16.6 (c) Luth. in 15. Gen. tom 6. f. 321. serm de diuit Lazarâ— tom 7. f. 268. Postil in Domin 2. post Trin f. 268. in 2. c. Ioan. f. 418. Calu. 4. Inst. 25.6 in 2. Pet. 2.4 Scultâ—t 1. part medul in Tertul. cap. 42. pag. 305. The true efffect of the working of the spirit of God declared By the similitude of a naturall body 1. Cor. 12.12 Rom. 12.4 The spirit giues to euery one his proper operation Rom. 12.5 Ephes 4.7 Rom. 12.3 Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 7.20 Ephes 4.11 1. Cor 12.21 â— Cor. 12.21 The differeÌ„t manner of the spirits operations in catholiks from Protestants In the persons who haue authority In the articles of faith of which exposition is giuen Vincent Lyr. cap. 27. Cap. 28. In the points of faith expouÌ„ded Vincent Lyr. In the meanes or directions by which it is expounded In the infallibility or certainty of their exposition In the grouÌ„ding ones fayth vpon this exposition Protestants obiections for their priuate spirits authority answered (a) Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 12.11.1.14.14 (b) 1. Cor. 14 24. Vers 26. Vers 29. Vers 31. Guifts extraordinary and gratis giuen Not giuen euery one to all persoÌ„s Rom. 12.3 Rom. 12.6 Ephes 4.11 1. Cor. 12.28 Giuen only with subordâ—nation to the spirit of the Church and Superiours 1. Cor. 14.32 1. Cor. 14.23 Marc. 3.26 1. Cor. 12.11 â—uifts exâ—raordinary giuen not generally to all Guifts alike are not giuen to all but are to be vsed by all as they are giuen Rom. 12.3 Ephes 4.7 By Episcopall Diaconical function Rom. 12.7.8 1. Cor. 7.20 Hier. contra Vigilan Non est cuiusuis hominis aureos nuÌ„mos scripturas probare vina gustarâ— Prophetas Apostolos intelligere 1. Cor. 12.28 Ephes 4.11 S. Paul 1. Cor. 14. is vnderstood not of ordinary guifts to expound Scripture Nor of the publike seruice of the Church But of extraordinary guifts gratis giuen for languages c. Vers 40. Vers 23. Iustin Apol. 2. ad Anton. in fine Tertul. Apologet cap. 39. The manner of the ChristiaÌ„s assemblies in the first age of the Church (a) Vers 22. (b) Vers 3. (c) Vers 24. 25. (d) Vers 29. (e) Vers 33. (f) Isa 54.13 (g) Ioan. 6 45. (i) 1. Thes 4 (k) Hier. 31.33 (l) Idem v. 34. (m) Ioan. 7.17 (n) Ioan. 10 27. (o) 1. Ioan. 2.27 Grace to be saued not to interpret scripture Not all who haue Fayth haue the guift of interpreting scripture (a) Heb. 5.12 1. Cor. 3.2 (b) 1. Cor. 3.1 (c) 1. Cor. 14 38. (d) 1. Thes 3.10 (e) Epes 1.13.14 (f) 1. Cor. 3.16 (g) 1. Cor. 14 37. (h) Hebr. 5.14 (i) 1. Cor. 12 10. (k) 1. Cor. 14 (l) Act. 20.28 (m) 1. Pet. 5.1 (n) â— Tit. 2.15 (o) Tit. 1.12 (p) 1. Tim. 1.3 (q) 2. Cor. 10. v. 5.6.8 (a) 1. Ioan. â— â— (b) 1. Thes 5 20. Pastours not the coÌ„mon people are to try spirits How spirituall men iudge of spiritual things (a) Hebr. â—5 23 14. Only spirituall men iudge of spiritual things and some of one some of another spiritual affaire (b) 1. Cor. 12. vers 8.9.10.11 (c) Vers 27. (d) Vers 21. 22. Calu. 4. Inst. 17.25 Nos vt in tota scriptura sanam huius loci Hoc est corpus meum intelligentiam non minori obedientia quà m cura consequi studeamus neque praepostero feruore temeâ—è artipimus sine delectu quod temerè se mentibus ingerit sed sedula meditatione adhibitâ sen sum amplectimur quam spiritus Dei suggerit quo freti despicimus quidquid terrenae sapientiae ex alto opponitur Psal 118.474 (a) 2. Tim. 3.15 (b) 2. Pet. 1.19 (c) Ephes 2.20 (d) Act. 17.11 (e) Ioan. 5.39 Meanes necessary but not sufficieÌ„t to expound scripture Are by persons proper and fit to be applyed Aug. epist 3. Tanta est Christianarumpro funditas literarum vt in eis quotidie pro ficerem si eas solas ab ineunte pueritia vsque ad decrepitam senectuâ—em maximo ocio summo studio meliori ingenio conarer addiscere Non quod ad ea quae necessaria sunt saluti tantâ in eis perueniatur difficultate sed cum quisque ibi fidem tenuerit sine qua pie recteque non viuitur tam multa tamque multiplicibus mysteriorum vmbraculis opaca intelligenda proficientibus restant tantaqueue non solùm in verbis quibus ista dicta sunt sed etiam in rebus quae intelli gendae sunt latet altitudo sapientiae vt annosissimis acutissimis flagrantissimis cupiditate discen di hoc contâ—ngat quod eadem scriptura dicit Cùm consummauerit homo tunc incipiÌ„t Epist. 119. cap. vlt. Plura se in scripturis nescire quà m scire See Staples princip doctrinalibus controu 6. l. 9 c. 9.10 c. How Dauid and Timothy studyed scripture How S. Peter exhorts to interpret scripture (a) 2. Pet. 1.20 (b) Ephes 2.20 How our faith is built vpon the Prophets Apostles (a) Act. 17.11 How they of Berâ—ea the Iews searched Scripture (b) Eccl. 19.4 Act. 17.11 Iâ— 5.39
interpretation 3. What meanes are to be vsed by these interpreters to make this interpretation and of 4. rules of infallible interpreting of Scripture Sect. 2. That the priuate Spirit cannot haue this infallible authority and be this infallible meanes is proued Subd 1. By reasons drawne from the nature of the Holy Scripture which is to be expounded 2. By reasons drawne from the priuate spirit which should expound it CHAP. VI. THE Priuate Spirits authority to iudge of Controuersies of fayth confuted by reasons drawne from the nature of a Iudge of Fayth Sect. 1. The properties of a Iudge of Fayth Sect. 2. The whole body of the Church cannot be this Iudge Sect. 3. Secular Princes cannot be this Iudge Sect. 4. Lay-people cannot be this Iudge Sect. 5. The Scripture cannot be this Iudge Sect. 6. Bishops and Prelates of the true Church are this Iudge Sect. 7. The priuate spirit cannot be this Iudge CHAP. VII THE priuate spirits authority to iudge of Controuersies of faith confuted by reasons drawne from the nature and certainty of Fayth Sect. 1. The properties of Fayth with the priuate spirits māner of proceeding Sect. 2. The priuate Spirit cannot be a meanes of Vnity in fayth Sect. 3. Nor a meanes of the certainty of Fayth Sect. 4. Nor a meanes of the integrity and perfection of faith Sect. 5. Nor a meanes of fayth which is got by hearing Sect. 6. Nor a meanes of Fayth which requires credible testimonies Sect. 7. Nor a meanes of Fayth which obligeth all to belieue accept of it CHAP. VIII THE priuate spirits authority to iudge of Fayth confuted by circular absurdities following vpō it against Fayth Sect. 1. Of the nature of a Circle the difference of Circles Sect. 2. The Catholikes cleared from the obiected Circle agaynst their doctrine Sect. 3. The Protestants diuers manners of Circles Subd 1. Their Circle betweene the scripture the spirit 2. Between the spirit and Fayth 3. Between election vnderstanding of scripture 4. Between the Spirit of euery priuate man of a generall Councell CHAP. IX THE priuate Spirits Authority to iudge of Controuersies of Fayth confuted by doctrinall absurdities following vpon it against Fayth Sect. 1. Idolatry and heresy compared and of 4. heads and origens of all late Heresies proceeding of the priuate Spirit Sect. 2. Of absurdities which follow vpon the 1. head Of contempt of all Church-authority and relying vpon the priuate Spirit Sect. 3. Of absurdities which follow vpon the 2. head Of sole Fayth Subdiu 1. Agaynst man making him as iust and more certaine of saluation then Christ. 2. Agaynst Fayth making it false contradictory sinnefull rash presumptuous and preiudicious to charity c. 3. Against Christ to whome it is iniurious as a Redeemer Phisitian Lawgiuer Iudge Priest and makes him ignorant sinnefull damned for the tyme. Sect. 4. Of absurdities which follow vpon the 3. head that is Of Concupiscence being originall sinne Subdiu 1. Eight diuers absurdities which follow vpon it 2. The difference between a iust Catholicke and Protestant Sect. 5. Of absurdities which follow vpon the 4. head that is Of absolute predestination to damnation Subdiu 1. Absurdities against man leading to carelesnesse despayre of saluation and inability to be saued 2. Absurdities against God making him the Authour of sinne 3. A Sinner 4. The only Sinner 5. A Lyer and dissembler 6. A Tyrant most cruell 7. A Deuill 8. Obseruations vpon the former doctrine Sect. 6. Of absurdities which follow against Fayth and the Creed Subdiu 1. In generall destroying all Fayth 2. In particular against all the 12. articles of the Creed Sect. 7. Of absurdities agaynst Prayer and the Pater Noster Subdiu 1. In generall making all prayer needlesse or hopelesse 2. In particular opposing all the 7. petitions of the Pater Noster Sect. 8. Of absurdities against the obseruation of all lawes and chiefly the Ten Commaundements Subdiu 1 In generall how all lawes are made impossible and not obliging 2. In particular how many wayes the Protestant dostrine encourageth to the breach of all lawes and to all lewdenesse of life 3. To what vices in particular the same leads chiefly to Slouth Lust Cruelty and Pride 4. Bad life 1. In the common people 2. In the Ministers 3. In the first reformers of protestāt Religiō confessed to be an effect of this doctrine Sect. 9. The conclusion comparing the priuate spirits doctrine with the Catholike Churches doctrine whether leads to the greater honour of God CHAP. X. THE Protestants Obiections and proofes taken out of Scripture for the defence of their priuate Spirits authority to interprete Scripture and iudge of Controuersie are proposed and answered Sect. 1. Of certaine obseruations profitable for the solution of obiections Sect. 2. The obiections for the priuate Spirits authority answered Sect. 3. More obiections proposed and answered CERTAINE CONSIDERATIONS OF SIX MEANES NECESSARY TO ATTAINE FAITH All wanting in the Protestants and suppressed by their doctrine of the Priuate Spirit CHAP. I. Of these six meanes which they be SECT 1. THOVGH according to S. Hierome Haereses ad originem reuocare refut are est To reduce heresies to their origen is to refute them that is to shew not only the tyme when they did begin but also the head or foūtaine from whence they did spring is a sufficient proofe both of their nouelty and falsity so to haue shewed the Priuate Spirit to haue beene the origen Mother which hath begot all late heresyes which as a brood of such a Damme haue descended from her which in the first Part is fully performed is a sufficient proofe that the same heresyes are degenerate from all diuine Verity and are as so many poisoned streames descended from an infected fountaine And though all Sect-maisters who disclaime delude the vsual receaued grounds of Christian religiō such as are Scripture Tradition Church Councels Sea Apostolike and Fathers and appeale euery man to his owne Priuate Spirit do make this their Spirit the origē of their fayth which also in the former part is I hope sufficiently and copiously conuinced that the chiefe and prime Protestants before cited haue done might suffice to conuince their doctrine of falsity for that it is descended frō a Mother of such impiety Though I say this that hath beene thus proued might be a sufficient motiue to breed a dislike of this Priuate Spirit and of the doctrine springing from it yet because that out of it all sorts and sects of heresyes especially lately engendred haue issued as so many vipers out of a dunghill and because the confutation of it is the confutation of all heresies in their origen and as it were a brusing of all late nouell opinions in the head or a strangling of them togeather wiih their Mother in her wombe for to proue the fountaine to be poisoned is to proue the streame to be infected and to conuince the Mother of adultery is to proue the child liable
of beliefe And the Formall motiue or meanes that is reuelation of God is the formall finall and last resolution why we belieue infallibly such verityes to be true So that if one aske by what we are before prepared and disposed to belieue the truth it is by the credible testimonies if by what we are directed guided to know the truth it is by the Churches propositiō if by what we are assisted and enabled to assent infallibly to this truth it is by the habit of Faith if for what and why we doe actually formally and finally assent belieue the same truth it is for the reuelation of God As therefore the Samaritans at the first were prepared by the womans relation who told them that surely it was the Messias who had told her all that she had done to thinke it probable that he might be the Messias and the woman was as it were a proponent or propounding cause to them of him Many of the Samaritans belieued in him for the word of the woman giuing testimony that he told me all thinges whatsoeuer I haue done But afterwards hauing heard and conuersed with our Sauiour himselfe for two dayes they now sayd Not for thy saying O woman do we belieue for our selues haue heard and do know that this is the Sauiour of the world indeed So all Christians are first prepared by credible testimonies directed by Church authority to the knowledge and certainty of that truth but afterwards when the diuine reuelation it selfe as the word of our Sauiour is made knowne to them then do they now formally and finally not for the testimonies of credibility or Church proposition but for the diuine reuelation it self giue firme and infallible assent and beliefe to the verityes or articles of fayth And thus Catholike fayth is that which is for probable testimonies accepted as credible by Church proposed as infallible by an infused habit effected as supernaturall by diuine verity reuealed as truth infallible and necessary to be belieued This fayth is that which is the beginning and ground of iustification the way and gate to saluation vpō which the Church of Christ is founded and is as the life and soule of it which maketh vs members and partes of Christs Church we being by it and Baptisme inserted into his mystical body which maketh vs certainly infallibly belieue either expresly or implicitè all whatsoeuer articles of sayth God hath reuealed to his Church by his Apostles which is a necessary meane instrument or dispositiō to our iustification and saluation without which none are iustified and by which informed with charity all are iustifyed which is one entire fayth in all faithfull who for one motiue and by one proponent cause do belieue all one doctrine which being one and entire belieue as they ought eyther all articles of fayth explicitè or implicitè or none at all which by refusing to assent to any one article in which is questioned the ground of all is by infidelity lost to all and to conclude which distinguisheth a Catholike from an Heretike in that whosoeuer hath this fayth is a Catholike and whosoeuer wants it or looses it is an Infidell or Heretike and so out of state of grace and saluation And thus much for the order and manner of Gods working of fayth by these meanes in vs. Secondly for the necessity and efficacy of these meanes though all and euery one in particuler be ordinarily necessary to true and diuine supernaturall faith the credible testimonies as exteriour motiues to conuince our Vnderstanding that it may prudently accept of this faith as credible and worthy of beliefe the motion of grace and habit of fayth as interiour assistants that the Will may not resist but piously incline to consent determine the Vnderstāding to assent and that the Vnderstanding may obediently yeild assent to the misteries of fayth the materiall obiects as those which we are to belieue and the formall as that why we are to belieue all which are absolutly necessary to make fayth credible free and supernaturall and without them all faith is but humane false or fained yet in respect of vs and of our certainty of beliefe a proponent cause and that infallible which can be no other but the Churches authority is most important and necessary And first that a proponent cause is needfull all grant because faith being by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ some preacher or teacher is necessary to propose and teach vs what is to be belieued by vs for as fayth depends not vpon reason but vpon authority that of God affirming this or that to be true and commanding it to be belieued so this authority thus affirming this verity must be made knowne to vs by some directing or proponent meanes or els we cannot come to the knowledge of it 2. That this directing and proponent cause must be infallible so that it cannot erre it selfe nor propose to vs an errour or falshood to be belieued for a truth is proued for since God requires of vs a certainty infallibility of fayth and this our certainty must be had by some direction and proposition by which it is proposed made knowne to vs what we are certainly to belieue it must needes follow that this Proponent cause must be certaine and infallible or els our fayth directed and guided by it cannot be certaine Thence it followes that they who admit a proponent cause as the Protestants do their church and yet do admit it to be fallible and subiect to errour as all of them do their Church cannot haue any certaine and infallible fayth at all as wanting a necessary certaine and infallible meanes to propose and teach them this certaine and infallible fayth which is confirmed by S. Augustine who sayth That if Gods prouidence rule and gouerne humane matters we may not despaire but that there is a certaine authority appointed by the same God vpon which staying our selues as vpon a sure step we may be lifted vp to God Thirdly this certaine infallible proponent or directing cause is Church-authority which Church that it may infallibly direct vs we securely rely vpon it first Iesus Christ selected and made it not only his inheritance Which he hath chosen Or his house which he builded and gouerned Or his Temple of which himselfe is Priest but also his dearest spouse VVhich he espoused to himselfe alone in fayth and truth As a Virgin pure and vnspotted without corruption Yea as his owne body And one body with him VVhich as head he nourisheth cherisheth and sanctifieth making her glorious without spot And which he hath purchased with his pretious bloud Secondly he priuiledged it first with his owne presence promising to be with it all dayes euen to the consūmation of the world Next with the presence of the Holy Ghost The spirit of truth
that he may abide with you for euer And shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed and out of the mouth of thy seeds seed for euer And for what end That he may teach you all thinges That spirit of truth shall teach you all truth Thirdly he armed it with all power and authority To remit or retaine all sinnes to bind or loose whatsoeuer is to be bound or loosed in earth or in heauen to correct punish with the rod of correction To excommunicate and deliuer vp to Sathā And to determine all questions or controuersies as it should seeme good to the Holy Ghost and it Fourthly he established and cōfirmed it As the pillar and foundation of truth that being in it selfe grounded in truth and also grounding others in the same it should stand so firmely that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Fifthly he gaue to it commission and charge to teach all nations and to preach the Ghospell to all creatures Sixtly he gaue vs warrant and security that we might safely heare and obey it He that heareth you heareth me Seauenthly he gaue vs charge and command by precept of obligation that whatsoeuer they shal say to you speaking of the Scribes and Pharisies in Moyses chaire but à fortiori of the Pastours and Prelats in Peters Chaire that doe you Eightly he threats and terrifyes vnder great punishment first of danger and of contempt of himselfe by contemning it He that despiseth you despiseth me Secondly of infidelity and losse of his fauour and grace He that will not heare the Church let him be to thee as the Heathen and the Publican Thirdly of hell and damnation for euer He that belieueth not shal be condemned All which doe proue not only an authority and that infallible in the Church to direct and teach vs but also an obligation in vs to obey submit our selues for fayth to the direction and instruction of it And least any should doubt of this Church what it is the holy Ghost explicates the meaning of our Sauiour tells vs that it is Some Apostles some Prophets and other some Euangelists and other some Pastours and Doctours to the consumation of the Saints vnto the worke of the ministery vnto the edifying of the body of Christ vntill we meet all into the vnity of Fayth Which Pastours he will giue vs according to his owne hart who shall feed vs with knowledge doctrine And how shall they feed vs by preaching and proposing to vs the doctrine of fayth for as hearing is a necessary meanes to belieuing How shall they belieue him whome they haue not heard so preaching and proposing what is to be belieued by Church-pastours is necessary to hearing so to belieuing How shall they heare without a Preacher By which is apparently proued the necessity and infallibility of Church authority for a propounding and directing cause in matters of fayth and Religion All which may be confirmed First by authority of holy Fathers among whome I will cyte S. Irenaeus and S. Augustine for the rest Irenaeus that learned Doctour and holy Martyr sayth VVe ought not to seeke among others the truth which we may easily take and receaue from the Church seeing that the Apostles haue most fully layd vp in her all thinges which are of truth that euery man that will may take out of her the drinke of life For which those thinges that are of the Church are with diligence to be loued and the tradition of truth is to be receaued S. Augustine sayth The truth of the Scripture is holden of vs when we do that which pleaseth the vniuersall or whole Church the which is commended by the authority of the Scriptures themselues that because the Holy Scriptures cannot deceaue whosoeuer feareth to be deceaued with the obscurity of this question let him require the iudgement of the Church which without any ambiguity the holy Scripture doth demonstrate In which is affirmed First that all truth is left by the Apostles in the Church not in Scripture only Secondly that the same truth is to be learned and receaued of all by the sayd Church Thirdly that the truth thus receaued is most true and is to be loued and followed of all See more of the Fathers aboue in the first part to whome I add a confirmation out of Luther against himselfe and his followers who sayth that The Church neither can nor ought to teach errours no not in the least thinges since God is the mouth of the Church and as God cannot lye so neither can the Church Secondly by Reason for since of all the rest of the means and rules also of fayth there may be and often is question doubt as for example of the articles which be true which not of reuelation which is reuelation of God which an illusion of the enemy of the motion of the spirit which is of God which of nature which of Sathan of the inclination of the Will which is a pious disposition and which an illuding affectation of tradition which is diuine Apostolicall or Ecclesiasticall which not of Scripture which is true which false of true which is the incorrupted translation which corrupted of the incorrupted trāslation which is the true sense which is false and of the true sense which is to be belieued as fundamentall and necessary which is not to be belieued as fundamentall but only voluntary Of all which since I say there euer hath beene and now is great question contentiō some infallible directing iudge propounding cause is a necessary meane to end these all like controuersies and to settle and resolue vs in the assured certainty of the one or other or els will the contention be euer endlesse and we in our opinions restlesse Among which seeing no other can be assigned but the Church and that God hath giuen so large commission and priuiledge for that end to it as we haue produced it remaines that the Church and Church authority is of all necessary meanes of fayth the most necessary for vs to settle and satisfy vs in the certainty of our diuine fayth And thus much of the order necessity of these six meanes and chiefly of Church-proposition or the Proponent cause How the Protestants want all these six meanes of Fayth SECT III. THE third Consideration is to reflect how that of all these six meanes necessary to diuine fayth the Protestants haue not any one but are defectiue in all These meanes are either External as the credible testimonies which by euidence of reason conuinceth that such a faith is credible and may prudently be belieued and Church proposition which by the credit of authotity assures that the same is true and is to be belieued both which are externall to the person belieuing or Eternall
all and because they haue none they affirme that none are now wrought or if any be wrought that they are false feygned or diabolicall For Holinesse of life they confesse it to be so far from them that as Luther confesseth Men are dayly worse being possessed now with seauen Diuells more then before yea with whole troupes of Diuells and are more couetous crafty cruell and wicked then when they were Papists And the like is confessed by Caluin Musculus and others cyted by Becanus and the Protestants Apology If we seeke for Vniuersality they are ashamed to stile themselues by the name Catholike which is vniuersall but by the name of Protestant or for distinction of Protestants by the name Lutheran Caluinist or the like Vniuersality of place they cannot challenge because their doctrine neuer extended out of the limits of a few Northern countryes in Europe nor euer entred Africa Asia or America Vniuersality of tyme they cannot chalenge because their Church had its first being but about an hundred yeares agoe and this so apparently that we can nominate the yeare when the authour who the place where the opinions what the mantainers and abetters by whome this doctrine had first being in the world and the opposers who at first did yet continue to gainsay it so as they disclaime expresly from this marke not only denying it to be any marke of the Church but also confessing that their Church was according to some of them seauen hundred to others a thousand to others twelue hundred to others foureteene hundred yeares euer from Christ as before is proued either not at all or altogether latent and inuisible If we seeke for Succession of Ordination from the Apostles they either beg it from the Romā Church which they account Antichristian or els take vp a new one at their owne handes and are Prelates and Pastours of their owne creation and for want of ordinary vocation from Christ are content with an extraordniary of their owne inuention By which and much more for breuity omitted is euident that all testimonyes of credibility sufficient to make their doctrine seeme probable and worthy of credit are wanting to them and their Church 2. That the Protestants want the two externalll meanes of fayth which is Church-infallible proposition by which they should be assured confirmed in the certainty of their diuine reuelation mysteries reuealed in the certainty of their spirit and motions by it and in the certainty of their Scripture and meaning of it is proued because whether we take the Church Authoritatiue for the chiefe Pastours and Prelates by whose authority it is gouerned or Representatiue for the general Councels in which the whole body in the assembly of Bishops is represented or Collectiue for the whole multitude of all faythfull belieuers through the whole world dispersed Take it I say in which of these senses you will in all which it is the true Church of God and of infallible authority yet in none of these doe the Protestants receaue any infallible direction or confirmation frō it For if we respect their Pastours and Prelates they are not directed by them or obedient in fayth to them but by the liberty and priuiledge of their spirit euery priuate person hath authority to censure and iudge them If we respect generall Councells they disclaime all as before is proued or if they approue any it is so farre as their Decrees do agree with the fancy of their spirit to which they subiect them and so longe as they are pleased to obserue what is commāded by them in which they will be free without obligation to obey them If we respect the whole body of the Church they in their generall Tenents doe generally hould that it may erre and faile in doctrine and fayth and for practise do boldly affirme that for many ages it hath fallen and failed not only in doctrine of Idolatry superstition and heresy but also in very extancy and being of a Church as hauing beene inuisible not extant but dead buried and corrupted for so many ages togeather as in the first part is proued and thus they cut off al infallible authority of Church proposition which more then the other meanes they do in plaine tearmes expresly reiect and condemne 3. That the Protestants want the first internall means of Faith that is a pious disposition or inclination to belieue what is proposed by the Church as reuealed by God is proued because as a pious inclination of the will moued by the grace of God doth apply and determine the Vnderstanding of a willing and well disposed person either to labour and seeke out such motiues testimonies as do make the truth of Religion seeme probable or to assent to such as are already proposed vnto it so the obstinate disposition of a willful Protestant doth refuse to giue any credit or beliefe to any reasons though neuer so euident or to any definition of the Church though euery way most certaine but resolues with out amendement to persist in his preiudicate opinion notwithstanding any reason or authority to the contrary By which his obstinacy 1. He fals into heresy by willfully following his owne opinion which he chooses and carelesly contēning the authority of the Church in that it defines 2. He looseth his fayth which he receaued in Baptisme fals into infidelity partaking with Heretikes 3. He belieues no articles of fayth to which he assentes though truly firmly and for the testimony of God by any diuine and Catholike fayth which depends vpon an infallible meane that is Church proposing authority but by humane fayth wholy relying and lastly resoluing his beliefe eyther vpon the authority of some deceauing maister or vpon the testimony of some wrested Scripture or vpon the euidency of some deluding notes and markes or vpon the seeming apparency of his owne spirit and conceit 4. He separates himselfe from the vnion of the body of Christ from the benefit of the merits of his passion from the communion of his Saints both in earth and heauen and from all participation of hope of glory in Gods Kingdome to come so remaines as a dead member cut from the body as a dry bough deuided from the tree as a darke glimse of light separated from the Sunne as a small streame stopped from the current of the fountaine all which as they do presently decay and dry or come to nothing so he 4. That the Protestants want the two internall meanes and help of Fayth that is the infused and permanent guift of fayth inherent in the Vnderstanding and both enabling and illuminating it to the producing of the act of diuine supernaturall fayth is proued Because Protestants who hold that Fayth doth iustify and that Iustification is not by any inherent guif and quality but by the extrinsecall fauour of God not imputing our sinnes vnto vs
must needs by consequence hould so for the most part do hould that there are no infused and permanent guiftes or habits of fayth which concurre or help to our Iustification but that all is wrought by the motion of a transeunt spirit which motiō as it worketh according to them in them by it selfe only wholy all internall good workes without any cooperatiō of man or mans freewill so it is only a motion which worketh in whome it will when it will and how it will al and whatsoeuer it wil in man to his iustification and saluation by which it is euident that as in all their opinions they are neyther constant nor permanent but are wafted with euery wind of new doctrine and so fly from the beliefe of one thing to another so they are not guided by any permanent guift or quality but by certaine flashes motions of an vncertaine spirit which leads them from one vncertainty to another and so leaues them in al vncertaine 5. That the Protestants want the first of the eternall meanes or helps of Fayth that is the materiall obiects or articles of beliefe which are to be belieued as reuealed by Christ vnto the Apostles and by the Apostles left to their Successours and by them to vs and posterity is proued 1. Because they belieue many thinges as obiects of Fayth which are not reuealed eyther in Scripture or Traditions of which are many instances giuen in the former parte so do they not belieue many articles which are reuealed both in Scripture and Tradition for which cause they reiect all tradition and in it many mysteries of fayth which the Apostles left only by Tradition and refuse many partes of Scripture and that chiefly because they containe many points of doctrine which they will not belieue 2. Because as they admit many points of doctrine into the number of their articles of fayth which the ancient Church condemned for heresies as contrary to Apostolicall doctrine witnesse the ancient condemned heresies of Heluidius Vigilantius Arius Iouinian and others by them reuiued so they cōdemne many pointes of doctrine as erroneous superstitious or idolatrous which the ancient Church receaued for articles of Fayth as agreable to Apostolicall tradition witnesse all the poyntes of doctrine which the Magdeburgenses and others before cyted condemne as errours and staines in the ancient Fathers in euery age since Christ in both which they erre in the materiall obiects of Fayth as well in receauing condemned heresies for Apostolicall verities as in cōdemning receaued Apostolicall verities reuealed by Christ for erroneous heresyes 3. Because as they admit speciall Fayth only whose obiect is only their remission of sinnes and iustification for diuine Fayth by which they are iustified so all other fayth by which they belieue for example the B. Trinity Incarnation Passion and Resurrection and Ascension of Christ with the rest of the articles of faith vsually belieued they acknowledge for no other but for a general Faith common as well to the damned and Diuells as to them which faith in the Diuel and damned as it is no voluntary and free act proceeding from a pious disposition of the Will nor a diuine and supernaturall worke depending vpon any authority of God reuealing but a meere naturall and necessary act of knowledge◠conuincing their vnderstāding eyther by force of experience or by euidence of reason or by apparent and euident notes of credibility or by some manifestly knowne testimonies of God of the verity of that which they belieue and tremble at so in the same manner their Faith of the same articles by their owne confession is not diuine but a meere humane fayth grounded vpon some generall receaued opinion or vpon some meere human authority and so what they conceaue of the generall articles of faith they do not receaue them as any articles of doctrine and supernaturall fayth but as generall receaued positions humane coniectures and their owne selfe-seeming and chosen opinions 6. That the Protestants want all diuine Reuelation for which as the formall cause and the finall resolution they should belieue al which is by God reuealed is proued 1. Because what they belieue they belieue not for that it was reuealed to the Apostles by the Holy Ghost eyther at Pentecost when it did visibly teach and confirme them or in successe of tyme when vpon occasion as at the conuersion of Gentils it did reueale to them all the mysteries euer after to be belieued which Reuelation made to the Apostles is the formall cause of fayth nor yet for that it is proposed to them by Church infallible authority as a condition necessary to know what is reuealed but for that it is reuealed to them a new by their owne priuate spirit from which they receaue all their directions and certainty both what is reuealed why it is reuealed and also by what meanes it is reuealed 2. Because the meanes by which Christ doth manifest and declare vnto vs his diuine reuelations they eyther plainely reiect or wholy subiect to their priuate spirit for the authority of traditions by which part of the diuine reuelations are deliuered to vs and the Proposition of the Church by which we are secured of the certainty of them they reiect and deny The authority of the Scripture which is an other meane by which God hath reuealed his truth and which they chalenge as the only means both of knowledge certainty of diuine reuelations they wholy subiect to their priuate spirit by which they are assured which is true Canon which is true edition which true trāslation which true sense of it And so for diuine reuelation they haue neyther any at all nor yet any meanes to know or attaine vnto it And thus much of the Protestants want of all the necessary helps meanes by which true and diuine supernaturall Catholike fayth is produced conserued and increased in the soule of euery faithfull belieuer and member of Christs holy body and Church How the Catholikes and Protestants differ in these six meanes and how the Protestants make their priuate spirit the only meanes of all SECT IIII. THE fourth consideration is to reflect vpon the aduantage which we Catholiks haue against the Protestāts and the difference that is betweene vs and them in these meanes of Fayth and how that the Protestants do substitute one only deluding and deceitfull meanes that is this their priuate Spirit in place of all the six former meanes of fayth And first for the materiall obiect they professe to belieue 1. only the doctrine which is reuealed in scripture 2. that only which is reuealed in that one parte of Scripture which they are pleased to accept as Scripture by their spirit 3. that only in that part of Scripture which is according to their precōceaued opinion so interpreted by their spirit so that Scripture alone and that not in whole but in part and that part of Scripture as it is
apparitions so great similitude in their motions and apparitions so many rules and differences vpon long experience haue beene giuen to discerne them and so great skill cunning is requisite to apply them Sith there be so many and so dangerous wayes to take as of Pagans Iewes Turks Heretikes all differing condemning one another all depending vpon the motions of these spirits Sith such and so high is the excellency of the nature of these spirits to be discerned such and so weake the infirmity of man to discerne them such and so subtile malicious and powerfull is mans enemy the Diuell to deceaue in them by counterfeit dissimulation of piety or by forged illusions insteed of reuelations or by outward apparitions in forme of Saints Angels or God all by verity of examples confirmed Sith so speciall extraordinary so rare and vnvsuall is this gift of discerning these spirits Sith I say all this is so as is proued with what reason and iudgment can any man make this priuat spirit or rather selfe-seeming conceit of his owne braine a competent sufficient and infallible iudge to discerne and decide al these questions and difficulties arising vpon them What braine-sicke madnesse senslesse presumption is it for euery silly simple and vnlearned person man or woman all of which challēg this spirit to assume so much to themselues and presume so farre vpon their owne conceit as to discerne and declare which of euery one of these spirits is of God the deuill or nature which is good or bad which true or false either in thēselues or others and vpon this presumption to ground the certainty of their religion faith and saluation What greater temerity and rashnes can there be then to build a worke so great and important as is the eternity of saluation or damnation vpon no more solid and certaine a ground then is the proper conceit of euery priuate motion of an vncertaine spirit Surely if men were not blind or bewitched and that either willfully or foolishly blinded or bewitched and both so deeply that they eyther will not or cannot see what both sense reason doth dictate to their owne conscience what both authority and testimony of God and holy men doth lay before them what both examples experience of so many ages doth confirme vnto thē surely they could not but often doubt and distruct many tymes stagger and relent their owne iudgment conscience doubtlesse pricking them in this their ostentation of the certainty of their spirit they could not but sometyms enter into consideration yea and feele a sensible touch of trepidation in soule and stand in a wonder and amazemēt at themselues how they dare venture so far and stand so confidently in so weighty a matter vpon the judgement of so vncertaine vnconstant vnwarranted yea corrupted deceitfull and partiall a Iudge as is this their priuate spirit conceit imagination What man of reason and discretion or of care conscience will not hould it farre more secure and safe in these points of eternity with euery good Catholike to ioyne his spirit with the spirit of the Saints and seruants of God now reigning in heauen to subiect his spirit to the spirit of Gods holy Church heere on earth guided infallibly by an infallible spirit of God and by conforming themselues to this spirit to imbrace and follow that Fayth and religion that doctrine and discipline that sacrifice and sacraments which so many Saints and holy men so many Confessours and learned Doctours so many Churches and Councells in all ages throughout all Countryes belieued in their harts professed by their liues defended by their writinges and sealed and confirmed with their liues bloud And thus much for the first reason against the priuate spirit drawne from the difficulty to discerne spirits THE PRIVATE SPIRITS AVTHORITY To interprete Scripture and iudge of Fayth confuted by reasons drawne from the true and infallible authority and meanes of interpreting holy Scripture CHAP. V. VVhat Interpretation Authority and meanes are necessary infallible for the sense of Scripture SECT I. SVBDIV. 1. What Interpretation of Scripture is necessary THE better to vnderstand the reasons drawne from the infallible authority and meanes of interpreting of Holy Scripture by which the priuate spirits authority is confuted we may consider 1. What interpretatiō that is which is required as necessary 2. What authority as infallible is required to this intetpretation and in whome it is resident 3. What meanes are to be vsed and followed as certaine by these Interpreters to this interpretation Out of all which may be inferred and proued the insufficiency of the priuate spirit to be eyther authour or meanes of this interpretation of Scripture First therefore when we speake of the sense and interpretation of scripture we speake not of that sense and interpretation which is only probable and credible but of that which is certaine and infallible Not of that which is only for the pulpit and documents of manners or which is for the schooles and subtiltyes of diuinity but of that which is for doctrine of Fayth and articles of beliefe Not of that which is only to confirme and increase vs in that fayth which we already belieue but of that which is to persuade and produce fayth a new eyther in our selues when and why we first belieue or in others whome we persuade first to belieue And this is that sense of Scripture which as it is being rightly vnderstood in the sense which the holy Ghost intended a firme and solide foundation of true fayth so being falsly vnderstood and wikedly peruerted by false teachers it is the Mother or nurse of al heresies For as nothing is persuaded as worthy of beliefe but which is true or vnder the shew of truth and as the scripture is by all granted to be most true so all vse the text of Scripture as a meane to persuade that which they would haue to be belieued as true the true teachers in the true sense the false in the false sense both cyting the wordes and text but the one in that sense and meaning which the holy Ghost intended the other in that which they themselues inuented Which course of false sense as the Diuell first beganne when he would haue by Scripture persuaded Christ to cast himselfe downe headlong saying It is written he hath giuen his Angels charge ouer thee So the members of Sathan follow the same way and labour by the same Scripture to seduce the members of Christ as the faythlesse the faythfull the sacrilegious the religious the Heretikes the Catholikes For the Iewes would by Scripture haue proued that Christ was not only not Messias saying Search the Scriptures and see that from Gallilee a Prophet ryseth not but also that he was a malefactour and such a one as ought to dye saying VVe haue a law and according to our law he ought to dye And the same is continued both by Turkes
who receaue both the old and new Testament but interpreted according to Mahomets Alcaron and also by all Heretiks who seek to fill their books not oÌ„ly with words of Scripture but sayth Vincent Lyrin with thousands of testimonies thousands of examples thousands of authorityes out of the Law the Psalmes the Prophets the Apostles which expounded after a new and ill manner would thereby throw downe soules from the tower of Catholike fayth to the pit of wicked heresy being as our Sauiour sayth of them false Prophets or teachers who vnder the garments of sheep that is sayth Vincent Lyrin the wordes of the Prophets and Apostles are rauenous VVolues infesting the fold of the Church and deuouring the flocke of Christ and saying Christ is heere or there that is as Origen expounded it in this or that text of Scripture who thus transfiguring themselues into the shew of Apostles or preachers of Christ do labour to transfer the people into another Ghospell who depraue the Scripture to their owne and others destruction And by the wordes of the Law sayth S. Ambrose impugne the Law and do frame a false sense of the wordes of the Law that they may confirme their owne peruerse opinions by the authority of the Law Against al whome we may note the wordes of S. Hilary saying That Heresy is about the vnderstanding not the text of Scripture the sense not the words is the sinne And of S. Hierome That the Ghospell is not in the wordes but the sense of scripture not in the outward rine but in the inward marrow not in the leaues of wordes but in the root of the sense SVBDIV. 2. Who haue authority to make the Interpretation of Scripture SEcondly this sense and meaning of scripture because it is not facil and easy to be knowne to all by reason of the great obscurity in the wordes the great fecundity in the sense and the great profundity in the mysteries or articles belieued which cannot by euery one nor by any one without the assistance of the same spirit which penned it be vnderstood therfore is necessary some authentical certain and infallible authority for the true vnderstanding of this authenticall certaine and infallible sense of scripture This authority because it is in the Catholike Church chiefly in the Pastours and Prelates of the same for the better gouernement of it in true doctrine vpon whom God hath bestowed the infallible assistance of his holy spirit as is afterward proued therfore their authority is necessary for the finding out the true and certaine sense of scripture Whensoeuer therfore the chiefe Pastour or Pastours of the Church vsing the meanes for it appointed of which in the next proposition do either ex Cathedra or in a Councell confirmed approued or by a generall consent propose deliuer and declare any sense or exposition of scripture as true and to be belieued as an article of faith in any controuersy against heretikes then is that sense to be receaued for their authority as authenticall certaine and infallible From whence ensues that though in matters of Philosophy and reason we must rather attend what is said theÌ„ by whome it is said and respect rather the force then the authority of the person who sayes it yet in matters of faith we must first respect them who preach and the authority and commission of their person and by it iudge of their doctrine preached For if the person be lawfully sent if he haue lawfull commission if he be a lawfull pastour not deuided by heresy or schisme from the whole body then the people are to attend to him and for his commission to receaue his doctrine but if he want mission commissioÌ„ if he teach of himselfe and his owne authority if he produce the doctrine not of the Church-proposition but of his owne inuention let him teach what he wil proue it how he wil he is not to be heard nor belieued by the common and vulgar people to whom it belonges to be obedient subiect to the authority of their Pastour not to iudge of the verity of his doctrine more then in generall whether it be consonant or dissonant from the vniuersally receaued doctrine of the Church for they are to obey their Pastours to remaine in the same rule in the faith first deliuered in that which they heard from the beginning to auoid profane nouelties of words not to receiue any other Ghospel or doctrine but that which they learned and receaued from the beginning leauing the particulars to the testimony of others either equal to their pastour in function or superiour to him in authority Which point is to be noted against the Manichees of old and the Protestants of late who respect not the authority of the Preacher but the force of his reason attend not to the commission of the Pastour who he is that teacheth but to the plausibility of his doctrine what it is and how far it is pleasing to their priuat spirit disposition or iudgment SVBDIV. 3. What meanes are to be vsed to make this Interpretation and of foure Rules of infallible interpreting of scripture Thirdly The meanes which are to be obserued vsed and followed by these Pastours or Prelats for the securing vs of this true sense of scripture are these 1. The rule of faith that is the Catholike and vniuersally receiued doctrine of faith and piety which was deliuered by the Apostles receiued by posterity 2. The generall practise or obseruatioÌ„ custome or tradition of the whole Church in pointes where the doctrine is not certaine 3. The auncient exposition or consent of the holy fathers and doctours of the primitiue Church where the former do not appeare 4. The decrees and definitions of the Councels either generall or prouincial approued by generall and the conformity to them in all expositions doubtfull Thâ—se are as so many rules or conducts according to which the certaine and authenticall sense of scripture is by the Pastours of gods Church to be squared and guided First that the rule of fayth is to be presupposed obserued and followed in the finding out the true sense of scripture is proued 1. This rule of Fayth is by S. Paul who often doth mention it called sometymes a rule which bringeth peace VVho haue followed this rule peace be on them Sometimes a rule in which they are to remaine to auoid dissentions Let vs remaine in the same rule that we may iudge the same Sometymes his rule which he deliuered to them and by which they are to increase in fayth Your fayth increasing according to our rule Sometymes a reason of Fayth according to which is giuen the guift of prophesy or interpretation of scripture Donations or prophesy according to the rule of Fayth And in effect it is no other but the doctrine they receaued the fayth preached through the whole world the disposition
or forme of true doctrine which they had learned and is committed to them The doctrine which they receaued froÌ„ the beginning VVhich was first euangelized to them Or the precepts of the Apostles and ancients Or rather of our Sauiour deliuered by the holy Prophets and Apostles And the word of God which remaines for euer That the knowledge of this rule or doctrine of fayth is presupposed to the true knowledge and vnderstanding of scripture is proued both by scripture and reason By scripture the Prophet Isay sayth as S. Cyprian and S. Augustine do both of them read and vnderstand it Except you belieue you cannot vnderstand that is sayth S. Cyprian the Iewes cannot vnderstand the scripture except they first belieue in Christ S. Augustine sayth There be some of you who vnderstand not and therefore they vnderstand not because they belieue not let vs first adhere by Fayth that we may be reuiued by vnderstanding And in another place Fayth must go before Vnderstanding that the vnderstanding may be the reward of Fayth Therefore Fayth and the rule of fayth is necessary before the vnderstanding of Scripture Secondly the Scripture for the sense is a Booke sealed with seauen seales these seales none can open but he who hath the key of Dauid This key of Dauid is giuen only to them who are faythfull with Dauid therfore the key of faith is requisit to the opening the sense of the booke of scripture which is confirmed by S. Hierome who alleadging the same words sayth The Law is spirituall and requires reuelation that it be vnderstood For proofe of which he produceth the example of the Eunuch who read but vnderstood not the scripture till Philip did expound it to him made him faythfull and so became of a scholler a Maister Thirdly Euery learned Scribe in the Kingdome of Heauen is like to a man the maister of a family who bringeth out of his treasure new and old The Scribes were the Maisters and Interpreters of scripture but they were in the kingdome of heauen that is in the Church by Fayth and so did interprete the new and old Testament which S. Augustine alleadging to the same purpose against the Manichees sayth You vnderstand not because you belieue not as sayth I say for you are not instructed in the kingdome of heauen that is in the true Catholike Church of Christ for if you were you would produce old and new out of the scriptures Therfore one must be a scholler in the Church by fayth before he can come to vnderstand the scripture as a Maister Fourthly S. Paul sayth to Timothy Thou hast learned holy scriptures from thy infancy which are able to instruct thee to saluation by fayth which is in Christ. If the scriptures instruct by Fayth then Fayth is prerequired before we can be instructed by them or vnderstand them Fifthly the holy Fathers and Doctours of the Church haue by the breach of this rule as a signe discerned Heretikes and by the authority of it as a strong argument confuted the same Thus were discerned Marcion Valentinus Câ—rinthus and Basilides by their deprauing the rule of truth witnesse Irenaeus Thus Paulus Samosatenus by his forsaking the Canon of the Church and flying to strange and adulterous doctrine Thus Montanus by his vttering strange words contrary to the custome of the Church deriued by tradition and succession from the Apostles witnes of both Eusebius Thus Nestorius by forsaking the ancient doctrine and introducing of new witnes Socrates And thus all Heretikes by their forsaking the rule of Christianity witnesse S. Augustine They being all esteemed to haue truth on their side who walke according to the rule which the Church receaued from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ witnes Tertullian Thus did S. Hierome confute and confound the heresy of the Luciferians by the light of the Sunne of the Church Gregorius Nazianzen the same by the doctrine abhorring the same S. Basil the Eunomians by the vnwritteÌ„ tradition of the Church Athanasius the Arians by the authority of the Orthodoxe Church and his ancestors opposite to them and abhorring their doctrine S. Epiphanius the Melchisidechians by the tradition of the Apostles and succession of doctrine The Millenarians by their transgressing the limits of the holy Church of God and the hope of Propheticall and Apostolicall tradition in fayth and doctrine And the Demerâ—s and other Heretikes by the style of Christianisme and the phrase of the Apostles receaued from the Fathers S. Augustine the Pelagians by the grounded custome of the Church hastening to baptisme infants By the most ancient knowne and vndoubted rule of Fayth truth And by the authority of the Church so commended in scrâ—pture The Donatists by the authority of the Church and by apostolicall Tradition And both Irenaeus Origen and S. Augustine did confute all Heretikes by the tradition of the Apostles manifest to the whole world in the Church sayth Irenaeus By the Ecclesiasticall tradition dissented off by none sayth Origen By the Catholike Church whose not receauing any opinion is sufficient sayth S. Augustine to confound any heresy Therfore the doctrine and practise of the ancient Fathers was to discerne and confute all Heretikes by this rule of Fayth Sixthly the same is proued by Reason because the scripture is the booke of the faythfull not the faithlesse therefore as it was writ to the faythfull as the conuerted Iewes Romans Corinthians c. so it is vnderstood truely only by the faythfull as the Christians not by the Infidels as the Iewes Turkes and Heretikes who haue and read the wordes but vnderstand not the sense meaning because the veile is yet ouer their eyes in the reading of it for want of fayth therefore the letter that is the words and reading of it doth kill them and is to them a ministration of death and only the spirit that is the vnderstanding of it doth giue life to them who haue fayth Of which necessity of Fayth prerequired to the vnderstanding of Scripture see Stapleton de principijs Doctrinalibus where the same is further proued out of the ancient Fathers testimonyes to wit S. Augustine Irenaeus Origen Athanasius Cyrill of Alexandria Theodoret and Vincentius Lyrin who sayth that the holy and learned men did interprete the holy Scripture according to the traditions of the Catholike Church and the rule of Catholike fayth And againe That the line of propheticall and Apostolicall interpretation must be directed according to the rule of the Catholike and Ecclesiasticall sense Which and much more he alleadges against the custome of Heretikes who haue alwayes the Scripture in their mouth and out of it do confirme their errours Out of which may be inferred how vntruly and fraudulently the Protestants do generally auerre that in the scripture the spirit of God is and is to be sought
miserable That it cannot be meanes of the integrity and perfection of Faith SECT IIII. THIRDLY Faith as it is one and certaine so it must be entire and Catholicke that is the doctrine of it must both in all points be wholy and entirely belieued also by all persons be vniuersally and Catholikly professed It must be in all and euery point completely belieued because euery point by God reuealed and by the Church proposed to vs is of equall verity certainty and necessity of beliefe Therefore as the keeping of all the Commandmēts doth oblige all and the breaking of any one is a transgression of the Law so the belieuing of all articles of faith either actually and expresly as the learned doe or virtually and implicite as the vnlearned do who expresly belieuing the principall and most necessary to be expresly knowne do in not doubting or oppugning the rest virtually belieue al the rest in that they belieue them as the Church doth teach them doth in like manner oblige all and the voluntary doubting or misbelieuing of any one is an heresy against fayth and doth violate the integrity which should be in Fayth of which the fundamentall reason is because all articles of fayth are belieued for one and the same infallible motiue and reason that is for the reuelation of God made knowne by infallible proposition of the Church of which whosoeuer denies the authority in one point infringes the infallibility of the same in all points for if the reuelation of God or proposition of Church may faile in one it may faile in all so can giue no certainty of any Out of which followes that an Heretikes who obstinatly misbelieues one article reuealed and proposed is intensiuè no lesse an Infidell that is as destitute of any diuine fayth as is ◠Pagan who belieues not any one Christian article at all because what he belieues in any he belieues not vpon a right true and solid motiue of beliefe that is the reuelation of God and proposition by Church which if he did he would for the same belieue also the rest It must likewise be Catholikly and vniuersally belieued that is what was by the first faythfull the Apostles others in the first ages belieued must also be by the succeeding faythfull in the next ages likewise belieued and what is in most places and Countryes and hath been by the most faythfull in most Countryes generally belieued the same must also by others likewise faythfull in other Countryes be generally belieued By which Catholik beliefe of the same doctrine in all or the most places persons and tymes is made one Catholike Church among all persons in all places and all tymes But that this Protestant priuate spirit cannot produce any such one and the same fayth either entire and whole in euery point or Catholicke and generall in all persons places and tymes that it cannot incline all persons in all tymes and places to belieue all points of one entire Catholike fayth is proued First because it is neither one in all persons neither hath any lincke or combination of any vnity to combine in one all persons as neither proposing to all persons all articles of fayth by one the same motiue nor combining all persons dispersed in tyme and place in one lincke of one Fayth for it is singular seuerall priuate and proper in euery one without any subordination or connexion among any as is apparent by the former instāces of Luther Zuinglius Caluin Rotman Osiander Illyricus Quintinus Seruetus Blandrata and others who all as so many ruptures out of one Riuer hauing broke the bankes of Catholike vnity did at seuerall tymes and places diuide themselues into seuerall currents of opposition and runne al a course contrary one to another without meanes or hope of euer meeting or reuniting againe Secondly because it is a spirit of separation diuision and disunion in that whomesoeuer it possesses it doth separate them as disioynted members from the vnion of Gods holy Church the spouse and body of Christ and doth diuide and cut them into seuerall peeces and mammocks of sects schismes and heresyes For as euery one receaues a new part or portion of this new spirit he chooses to himselfe a new opinion of doctrine labours to erect and set vp a new Conuenticle of new belieuers and makes himselfe the head or follower of a new sect or heresy and so all sect-maisters or Heretikes who in all ages from Christ downewardes haue separated themselues from his Church and erected a new fayth and Synagogue haue had their origen and beginning from this spirit haue made their progresse and proceeding by this spirit and haue ended themselues and their dolefull and desperate presumption in the obstinacy of this spirit In all which the scope and marke they aymed at was thereby to free themselues from all order and subiection thereby to arrogate to themselues all authority and dominion thereby to exercise what liberty they best affected and to belieue and teach what doctrine they most fancied and best fitted their conceit humour Thirdly because this spirit is inuisible insensible inperceptible and vnable to be knowne or vnderstood as they graunt by others or any saue only they who imagine they are possessed with it And as it is inuisible and vnknowne so it is composed of an inuisible and vnknowne company meeting in inuisible and vnknowne congregations ministring inuisible and vnknowne Sacraments making an inuisible and vnknowne Church consisting of inuisible and vnknowne both Pastors who preached and people who heard the doctrine of it for many ages togeather of which they can assigne neither tyme when nor place where nor people who were taught by them can produce no acts or monuments no recordes or registers either of people who belieued professed this their faith or of Princes who did honour and defend it or of persecutours who did oppose and persecute it or of any men women or children who were baptized and liued or dyed in it They can nominate no Citty or Country no Priest or Prelate no Prince or Potentate no Confessour or Martyr who belieued professed honoured and defended in paper or pulpit by word or sword the fayth of this spirit and why Because the directour is a spirit inuisible which compasseth a Church of persons insensible who preach a doctrine incredible and performe actions not memorable All which is nothing els but an inuinsible argument of an impossible fiction inuented in the idle braines of braine-sicke spirits to disguise the nouelty of a new new deuised Religion And this is all the integrity or vniuersality of Fayth that this priuate spirit can effect or affoard That it cannot be a meanes of Fayth which is got by hearing SECT V. FOVRTLY This Faith which is thus one and certaine thus entire and Catholicke is also ordinarily by one and the same way and meanes imparted vnto vs that is by Hearing this hearing proceeds from Preaching
of Christs Church it begat in the braine of Manes Marcion Sabellius Arius Macedonius Nestorius Eutiches and others the wicked errours against the B. Trinity of one God three Persons in the Deity against the sacred IncarnatioÌ„ of one person and two natures in the person of our B. Sauiour Christ by which as by so many bastardes of impiety such an infinit brood of heresyes haue since that tyme beene ingeÌ„dred in the Christian world that the increase of theÌ„ hath filled or rather defiled a great part of the East Church both in Asia Africke and left behind them the stincke of no fewer then 300. rotten heresies and hereticall opinions So also in this last age of Christ it begat in the braines of an Apostata Frier Martin Luther which it coupled with a like Apostata Nunne and of other Apostataes Bucer Martyr Bale Knox c. whome it wiâ—ed in like incestuous bed of double Apostacy and of all sort of impurity such a number of brats or rather vipers of hereticall opinions and errours as neither the number of them can be recounted of which some haue found out 300. and more nor can the mischiefe of dissention and cruelty be conceaued with which they haue pestered the most florishing Kingdomes of Europe and brought in an horrible confusion and desolation in place of former piety and religion In which we may obserue that as Idolatry made Chaos or confusion the mother of all so hath Heresy made the priuate spirit which is nothing but a Chaos or confused conceit which euery one hath of his owne opinion the mother and conceauer of all hereticall opinions As Idolatry diuised that out of Planeta the Man-woman or fruit of Chaos issued HeaueÌ„ and Earth and of them so many Gods Goddesses so hath Heresy caused that out of the commixtion of a Friars and Nuns concupiscence such a number of hereticall opinions and wicked practises should receaue their origen and progresse As the Pagans made Iupiter a man of life most wicked and exercised in all practise of cruelty and incestuous carnality a God and the chiefest among the Gods so do the Protestants canonize Luther a man of a most carnall proud and enuious both disposition course of life as an Apostle an Euangelist a Prophet and a man of God As Saturne the false God by Idolatry was made the Father of many Gods chiefly of three Iupiter Neptune and Pluto who also begat many petty Gods and filled the world with many innumerable false Gods whereby adoration was giuen euen first to men then to the basest and meanest creatures so Luther the false Apostle and Prophet by the instigation of his priuate spirit did beget and deuise foure most monstruous imps of hereticall doctrine and impiety out of which as so many vipers such a number of erroneous and wicked opinions haue flowed that the light of true fayth and Religion hath beene obscured and the beauty and splendor thereof hath beene attributed to most false errours fond heresyes And thus hath Heresy succeeded and imitated her elder sister Idolatry Now these foure heades or principall heresies which the priuate spirit the eldest daughter of Heresy did beget in Luther and his followers braines and out of which as sequels issued such a number of falsities and heresies are these The first is that the Church and Bishop of Rome is fallen from being the spouse of Christ to be the very Antichrist himselfe as wholy opposite to Christ and corrupted with all abominable errours of idolatry and superstition out of which haue issued these and such like brats of heresy that therefore the visible and knowne Church was latent inuisible and not extant for many ages and that true fayth and doctrine was banished from the same visible Church which was only the Roman Church and that for many ages some of them say six some ten some twelue some fourteen ages euen since the Apostles tyme all which tyme truth lay smothered ouerwhelmed and buried in the dregges of Antichristian errour superstition and idolatry That all the Councels Prouinciall or Generall were the assemblies of Antichrist All the Fathers and Doctours were deceaued and subiected to Antichrist All the Christian people Princes or Prelates liued in the externall obedience of Antichrist That no lawfull mission or vocation no right ordination or consecration no continuall succession or deriuation of Pastours was for all this tyme to be found in the Church That no preaching of the word of God no administration of Sacraments no offering of sacrifice no saying of seruice no discipline of Church orders and gouernment was holy and lawfull for so many ages till God extraordinarily raysed vp Martin Luther and by his spirit reformed all Whereupon since that tyme hath ensued as the fruits of the wombe of this priuate spirit and new doctrine all neglect and contempt of Church orders lawes or obseruances as of Masse and Mattins of fasting and festiuall dayes of single life and chastity of obedience and pouerty of pennance and mortification of confession and satisfaction of benedictions and peregrinations and of all Workes of austerity piety and deuotion Hence hath ensued all rapine robing of Churches Church-goods and Church-ornaments all destruction of Monasteries and Religious houses all prophanation of holy thinges all cruelty against Priests Religious men all incestuous and sacrilegious lewdnesse against vowed persons all rebellion against Princes for Religion all contempt of them and their lawes as not obliging in conscience and all liberty of life and manners to practise whatsoeuer profit or pleasure proposed as most plausible to euery mans humour and disposition The second and next ofspring of this spirit was Iustification by only fayth in which as they all agree in generall so it hath beene the mother of many notorious new impietyes from whence as out of a Troian-horse issued these and such like prophane paradoxes as that this fayth is a sole fayth not informed with charity or good workes a speciall fayth assuring certainty of saluation a perpetuall faith neuer lost a rare fayth giuen only to the Elect a fayth couering not curing sinnes imputing not making vs iust apprehending not possessing the iustice of Christ A faith that admits no good workes no merit no profit no necessity yea no possibility either of being iustifyed by any or of hauing power to do any good workes at all because all works euen the best workes of the best men are sinnes and that mortall deseruing eternall damnation though by fayth not imputed to the elect Hence it is that the keeping of the law is impossible that no lawes oblige in conscience that grace is not sufficient that man hath no free-will and cannot but sinne and offend that Sacraments are not instrumeÌ„ts and meanes but seales and signes of this iustice and iustification by fayth that Baptisme is to be giueÌ„ only to the faithfull and children of the faythful that the Eucharist is a signe or figure
their decrees no Emperour with his sword no people or Pastour in any parish should haue publikly professed maintayned and confirmed the true fayth of Christ and true doctrine of saluation but all of Antichrist and damnation Thirdly it follows that all the predictions and prophecies of the prophets before Christ all the promises and assurances made by Christ himselfe or by his Apostles to his Church either of the extension and amplitude of Christes Church from sea to sea from North to South to the vttermost end of the world to all people and nations to all Iles and Kingdomes to all Kinges and Princes or of continuance succession of the same as long as the Sunne Moon shall endure from Sabaoth to Sabaoth from age to age frō generation to generation without interruption or discontinuance from that tyme till the worlds end or of the Holy Ghosts assistance and continuance with it as the Pillar and ground of truth against all the waues and stormes of the sea of this world against all the swordes and violence of persecutors and Tyrants and against all principalities and powers the gouernours of this darknesse and the very gates of hell it selfe It followes I say that all these predictions haue beene false and not verifyed as Castalion and Dauid George both Protestants conuinced by experience of the not being of a Protestant Church haue confessed it followes that the Prophets of the old Testament who foretould them were false not true Prophets that the Apostles of the new Testament who confirmed them were vnlawfull and faythlesse messengers and that Iesus Christ who planted watered promised to giue increase to this his Church was not the only true omnipotent God but either a false deceauer who promised that he knew should not be performed or els a weake worker who could not performe that which he had promised to wit this amplitude succession and firmity of his Church thus wholy frustrated and made void according to the former principle and doctrine All which is wikedly confessed vpon the former groundes by Dauid George Ochinus and others Fourthly it followes that Turkes Iewes and Gentils haue had a more flourishing state of a Church Kingdome and Professours as hauing beene more visible potent and dilated for many continued ages in many distant partes of the world then the christians who haue had neither Prince Prelate people or scarce any publike Professours of true Christianity for one age together vnder any one King in any one prouince of the world That Mahomet and Antichrist or the diuel by them did with more prudence and power with more piety and policy establish enlarge protect their faith and common wealth which so long continued then Iesus Christ who is true God and man did or could do his faith and Church which so soone after his departure erred failed and decayed Where is the greater glory of the second temple then of the first Where is the ends of the earth giuen to it for a possession Where are the Kings and Queenes who as nursing fathers are to haue protected it Where are the people and nations who with the gold of Arabia and Saba were to haue inriched it Where are the Iles and kingdomes who from the vttermost ends of the world were to haue waited vpon this Church of Christ more then any other of Iews Turks or Pagans What was Christ lesse true lesse good lesse faythfull lesse able and potent in the establishing and preseruing his kindgome then were Moyses or Mahomet Cyrus or Romulus in setling and enlarging their Synagogue Sect or Common-wealth Surely it followes O horrour and blasphemy if these positions and points of the Protestants priuate spirits doctrine were true and warrantable Of absurdities which follow vpon the second head of sole Fayth SECT III. SECONDLY Out of the second principle and doctrine depending on it which is that a man is iustified by only faith which is a faith speciall of euery one 's owne predestination iustification and glorification so certaine and so sure as that there is a God or that Christ is saued so perpetuall that it can neuer be lost and peculiar only to the elect depending vpon their priuat spirit and the rest before mentioned it followes First That a man is not only without all doubt or so much as any feare certaine of his predestination past iustification present and glorification to come but also that he is more certaine of it then he is of the B. Trinity of the Incarnation Passion Resurrection ascension and coming of Christ which he belieues only by a faith not supernaturall and diuine but historicall generall and common as they say to the reprobate and diuels yea more certaine then Iesus-Christ was of his saluation whom they affirme to haue feared doubted distrusted and despaired before his death of his saluation as is afterward shewed Yea as certaine must they be as certaine they are that God is one God or that Iesus Christ is in heauen or as if Iesus Christ were present and so told them which are their owne words and comparisons which is both absurd and impious absurd because they haue scripture to auouch the being of one God and the saluation of Christ but which auouches to euery mā this his saluatiō in particular they haue neither scripture nor reason Impious because what greater impiety and blasphemy can be conceaued then to make Christ God and man doubtfull of his saluation and themselues sinfull and wicked wretches certaine of theirs Secondly it followes that euery Protestant may and must by faith belieue as certaine that of which neither authority of scripture testimony of Church or euidence of reason doth yield any argument of certainty but only his owne priuate spirit and conceit doth suggest and perswade this certainty of euery one his owne iustification and saluation and yet that the same Protestants may doubt yea refuse to assent and belieue such articles of faith as both expresse authority of Scripture euident proposition of Church and confessed testimony of auncient tradition Fathers and Councels doth fully and frequently deliuer and approue such are many articles now in controuersy as Freewill merit good works reall presence prayer to saints for the dead and such like All which for example Caluin and euery Protestant do as firmly notwithstanding all the former confessed testimonies reiect and condemne as they belieue the certainty of their owne saluation which notwithstanding that it be not mentioned or motioned in particular in any such or the former testimonyes they do most vndoubtedly and firmely apprehend and belieue In which among all absurdities what can be more absurd then without any other reason or testimony but ones owne conceit so firmely to adhere to a thing of importance so vncertaine both in it selfe and in experience and yet not belieue many thinges in themselues so probable and so mainly by so many testimonies confirmed and approued Which what is it els
it is Iudas damnation as the hauing of it is Iames his sauation Iudas therfore and that which I say of Iudas I say of all the reprobate is as much obliged vnder paine of his damnation to belieue as an article of his faith that he shal be saued as Iames or any elect is But whatsoeuer Iudas and all the reprobate or infidels are bound to belieue as an article of faith necessary to their saluation as wel as Iames and the elect must needs be true and that certainly and infallibly true whethersoeuer they do belieue it or no Therefore it must needs be true that as well Iudas and all the reprobate shal be saued as Iames and the elect The fundamental reason of which is this All diuine Faith of which kind and that the most chiefe the Protestants will haue this their Speciall Faith to be depends vpon diuine reuelation frō God this reuelation supposeth truth in the obiect or thing reuealed the obiect of truth or thing reuealed is aeterna veritatis and true in it selfe before it be belieued and so true whether it be belieued or no. The obiect therefore of this speciall faith which euery one as well reprobate as elect is bound vnder paine of his damnation to belieue and which is the remission of his owne sinnes his Iustification and saluation is and must be aeternae veritatis is and must be true before it be belieued is and must be true whether it be belieued or no and so it is and must be true that euery man as well reprobate as elect hath remission of sins iustification and saluation it is was eternally true before it was belieued and so is true whether it be belieued or no and so that his sinnes are remitted he iustified and saued whether he belieue or no. And as there cannot be giuen an instance in any other article of faith necessary to saluation in which this reason which indeed is the ground of all faith doth not conuince that the article is true whethersoeuer it be belieued or no so no reason nor answer in any reason according to the same ground of true faith can be giuen why it should not hold good also in this act and obiect of this Special Faith which if it be diuine faith must participat of the nature essence of all diuine faith Therefore it must follow that either this speciall faith is no diuine faith but an illusion and phantasy or if it be diuine that this absurd absurdity must follow vpon it that man may be saued without any faith and that all shal be saued whether they haue any faith or none Which is yet confirmed further by these two parities the one diuine the other humane the former thus As the Resurrection of euery man being an article of faith which euery one is bound to belieue is true that is euery man shall ryse againe whethersoeuer he do beleeue it or no so the Iustification and saluation of euery man being likewise an article which euery one is bound to belieue or else is damned is likewise true that is he is iustified or saued whethersoeuer he do belieue or no. The reason of both is because remission of sins iustification or saluation of euery one being as well an obiect article of ones faith as the Resurrection of euery one is they are both presuposed as true to faith not composed and made true by faith so both alike eternally true both alike true antecedent and before the act of faith and so both true whether they be belieued or no. The later thus As King Charles for example whome God preserue is right and lawfull King of England whether he be by all subiects for such belieued and receaued or no and the obligation that al subiects haue so to acknowledge receaue him vnder paine of treason doth suppose him to be their true King for else it were not truly treason to refuse him so all articles of faith and amongst the rest this of proper saluation are true whether they be belieued or no and the obligation that euery one hath to belieue them and so this vnder paine of damnation doth suppose them and this to be true for else could none vnder paine of damnation be bound to belieue either them or this of his Saluation Therefore as King Charles his title and right of being King supposing that all are bound vnder paine of treason to receaue him is good whethersoeuer euery one of his subiects do belieue it and so receaue him or no so the truth of euery mans saluation supposing euery one is bound vnder paine of damnation to belieue it as true is certaine and infallibly true whethersoeuer euery one do so belieue it or no and so shall be iustifyed and saued whether they belieue or no. Which absurdity as it is most absurd so the Protestant principle of sole and speciall fayth out of which it necessarily followes must needes be absurd and false The same absurdity may be inferred and is seconded by other like absurd positions of some particuler Protestants as by that position of Zuinglius who maintained that Theseus Hercules Socrates and Aristides all Pagans are equally with Peter and Paul in heauen by that of some of M. Fox his martyrs who as himselfe recordes of them taught that euen a Mahometan Turke or Sarazen may be saued if he trust in God liue well by that of Puccius in Germany of Syr William Hickman and some of his fellowes in Lincolnshire heere in in England which is also too common in the simple peoples mouths that all men at the last shal be saued and that God will suffer none to be damned whome he created All which as absurd do inferre and second the former absurdity Fifthly it followeth that a man is iustified by a fayth which is in it selfe 1. False 2. Contradictory 3. Sinnefull 4. Rash 5. Presumptuous 6. Preiudicious to all Hope Charity and good life and 7. Iniurious to Christ as he is a Redeemer a Law-giuer a Iudge a Priest and also doth make him ignorant sinnefull damned as shal be proued by euery one of these heades in particuler And first that this Speciall Fayth is a fayth not true but false is proued thus First because a true fayth is of thinges reuealed by God in scripture or tradition and proposed by the Church in practise or definition but that either so many of so contrary religions as Lutherans Caluinists Anabaptists Familists Arians or that any one in any one of these professions is predestinated iustified glorified as they all belieue is neither reuealed in any Scripture or Tradition from God nor confirmed in any practise or declaration of holy Church therefore not a true but a false fayth 2. A true Fayth cannot perswade and propose beliefes doctrines which are contrary and condemne one another but this speciall fayth persuades a beliefe doctrine and certainty of saluation which is contrary and
to the glory of God shall it be concealed and not committed to memory because it was performed by Popish Priests and Popish meanes God forbid Let the Germans shew any such in the peruersion of Germany to Protestancy Of the Catholike people of ancient tyme it is confessed by the Centurists that although in this age they speake of the seauen hundred yeares after Christ the worship of God was darkened with mans traditions and superstition yet the study to serue God and liue godly and iustly was not wanting to the miserable common people c. they were so attentiue to their prayers as they bestowed almost the whole day therein c. they did exhibit to the Magistrate due obedience they were most studious of amity concord and society so as they would easily remit iniuries all of them were careful to spend their tyme in honest vocation and labour to the poore and to strangers they were curteous and liberall and in their iudgements and contracts most true Of the Catholike Prelates of ancient tyme in England he that desires to see their vertues commended let him read M. Godwin then Chaplain to the Lord Treasurer now one of their new Bishops and he shall find giuen by him rare and extraordinary comendations to the Bishops of England as S. Dunstan Elphege Lanfranke Anselme Rodulph Baldwine Hubert VValter S. Edmund Iohn Peckam Robert Winchelsey Iohn Stratford Thomas Bradwardine Simon Sudbury S. Hugh Hugh Pateshall Paulinus Geffrey Plantagenet Richard Scroope Richard Poore Richard Fox Iohn Morton Reginald Poole Cuthbert Tonstall and others Whereas of our late Protestant Bishops he shall find little or no prayse and yet the writer one of their own Bishops Of the ancient common Catholike people of England it is confessed by M Stubs a great enemy to Papists that for good workes who seeth not that heerin they are far beyond vs and we far behind them for example what memorable famous buildings and what ancient Monuments haue they left to the world behind theÌ„ VVhat Churches Chapels and other houses of prayer did they erect to the end the Religion and seruice of God might be continued Yea what Monasteries Abbeyes Priories and other religious houses VVhat number of good Bridges did they make How many Almes houses Hospitalls and spittles did they found What high wayes VVhat pauements and causies In summe VVhat famous Colledges Halles and Vniuersities VVhat Schooles and free schooles c. Also Is it not a shame vnto vs that our fore-Fathers liuing in the tymes of superstitions c. should notwithstanding so farre passe vs in good workes that we may not be compared with theÌ„ in any small measure Of the late and present Catholiks generally of all CouÌ„tryes Syr Edwin Sandes that great Parlament-man sayth that there are in great multitude on both sides Protestants and Catholikes for so there are vndoubtedly men vertuous and learned fraught with the loue of God and the truth aboue all thinges men of memorable integrity of hart and affection whose liues are not deare to them much lesse their labours to be spent for the good of Gods Church And some side of a leafe afterwards he further fayth Let the Protestants looke with the eye of Charity vpon them of the Papacy as well as of seuerity and they shall find some excellent orders of gouernement some singular helpes for increase of godlines and deuotion for the conquering of sinne for the profiâ—ing in vertue and contrarywise in themselues looking with a more single and lesse indulgent eye they shall find there is no such absolute perfection in their doctrine and reformation c. And he further sayth of the Catholike Clergy That in their sermons much matter both of Fayth and piety is eloquently deliuered by men surely of wonderfull zeale and spirit And that all Countryes are full of the Iesuites bookes of prayer and piety in their owne language and wonderfull is the reputation which redoundes thereby to their order In so much as he sayth of the late Pope Clement the eight He is reputed to be a man of good calme disposition c. deuout in his wayes and thinkes without doubt that he is in the right he will weep very often some conceaue vpon a weaknesse and tendernes of mind habitued therein by custome others say vpon piety and godly compassion at his Masses at his prâ—cessions at his fixing vp of his Iubilies his eyes are still watering sometymes streaming with teares c. He is an enemy to the licentious liues of the Fryars to the pompe secular brauery of Cardinals c. He is magnificall and cerimoniall in his outward comportment in his priuate austere and humble And concludeth there that he was a good man a good Prince and a good Prelate Likewise M. Stubbes confesseth that certainely to speake the truth there is many tymes found conscionabler and playner dealing among most of the Papists then among many Protestants and if we looke narrowly into the ages past we shall find more godlinesse deuotion and zeale though blind more loue one towardes another more fidelity faythfullnesse euery way in them then is now to be found in vs. Now coÌ„paring as the fruit of their doctrine the life and manners of the forecyted Protestants with the life and manners of the Catholikes the ancient of the one with the ancient of the other the moderne of the one with the moderne of the other the founders of religion of the one with the founders of the other the preachers and teachers of the one with the teachers of the other the commoÌ„ sort of the one with the common sort of the other and discerning both by their fruites whether are in their life more Christian and are to ChristiaÌ„ doctrine more conformable Inimici nostri sint Iudices Our enemies whose authority as before is confessed by themselues to be a most strong argument against themselues as they are witnesses of both so let them be Iudges of both The Conclusion comparing the priuate spirits doctrine with the Catholike Churches doctrine whether leads to the greater honour of God SECT IX ONE thing remaines for the accomplishing of this Chapter which is for satisfying of an vsuall triuial ostentation of the Protestants that they forsooth do more in their religion then we in ours honour God Iesus Christ to compare pararell them and their priuate spirit with vs and our Catholicke Churches spirit in the principal points of their and our doctrine and therby to propose to the indifferent reader a generall view of both wherby he may discerne how far they with their priuate spirit and doctrine do dishonour and derogate 1. From God 2. From Christ 3. From Saints and Angels in heauen 4. From holy Scripture 5. FroÌ„ holy Church 6. From Sacraments 7. From man and his meanes to saluation which are faith grace iustification good works freewill and the rest In all which their doctrine is negatiue and
and rely vpon them all as grounds foundations wheron we ground and build our beliefe They admit none of the necessary meanes of faith neither any common reuelation of God but priuate of their owne spirit nor any proposition of Church but their owne fancies nor any credible testimony and motiues of perswasion to make their beliefe probable nor any habit of faith to assist the vnderstanding in belieuing nor any pious affection to incline their will to assent nor any assent by a diuine supernaturall and Christian faith but by a general and as they call it a fained and diabolicall faith by which they belieue the articles of their faith We do settle and rely by our faith in respect of the obiect reuealed vpon the reuelation of God the proposition of Church the motiues of credibility and in respect of persons belieuing vpon the infused gift of faith the pious inclination of the will by grace and the infallible assent caused by the former diuine helpes and grounded vpon the former infallible foundations as before is at large proued They admit into the vnity of their faith all hereticks and schismaticks collecting and scraping from them all raggs and scraps of broken and condemned opinions and heresies and yet will not admit into the vnity of their inuisible Church any sinners wicked or reprobate persons but all and only the elect and predestinate We reiect from communion of all faith with vs all condemned hereticks and Schismaticks and condemne with the ancient Church them and all their condemned opinions and admit into the externall communion of our Church all those who not cut off by excommunication agree with vs in vnity of Fayth that therein their life and manners may be reformed and amended by the example of others by vertue of Sacraments preaching of the Church and Pastours of the same In all which they and their spirit take from fayth all vnity in it all groundes of it all meanes to it all supernaturall vertue in it all dignity all certainty all necessity and all vertue and efficacy following vpon it and so leaue no more but an human faigned and diabolicall fayth or a shadow of fayth and no theologicall diuine fayth at all All which is contrary in our doctrine of fayth Eightly for Man they by their priuate spirit derogate and take away from him 1. All freedome liberty of wil naturall to him as following vpon his being a reasonable soule and distinguishing him from brute beastes We attribute that freedome by which he concurs with Gods grace and his motions to his owne good and is the authour of his owne euill 2. They take from him all infusion and habits of grace which do giue life beauty and ability to the soule All which we admit both of fayth hope charity and all morall vertues to enable and assist vs in the exercise of all piety 3. They take from him all inward iustification adoption and perfection and leaue him only an exteriour imputation of the same supposing God to account impute him iust but to leaue him sinnefull and vniust We admit in man an inward reall and true iustification sanctification or adoption by grace which inwardly infused and remayning doth expell tâ—ke away sinne renue and reuiue our soule and adopt vs heires to the kingdome of heauen by which God making vs pure and iust doth therefore account and repute vs such 4. They leaue a man after his iustification impure vniust sinnefull and vncleane in all the workes of his soule and in euery action of the same making all the best workes proceeding from him to be sinnefull and hatefull to God and deseruing eternall damnation and so leaue him destitute of any merit or reward We make him pure iust and cleane by grace which doth giue life to the soule as the soule doth giue life to the body and therewith doth impart to it motion vertue beauty and power to do good to please God and to merit a reward at his handes by which man increasing in grace and merit doth also increase in perfection and glory 5. They take from man all benefit all necessity all possibility of doing good workes of keeping Gods law of abstayning from sinne and thereby make him sinnefull as well in doing good as euill as well in refraining as committing euill We attribute to him ability to auoid all sinnes possibility by grace to keep Gods lawes as easy and sweet and to do not only workes of precepts which are commanded but also workes of counsell and supeâ—erogation more then are commanded They take from man all benefit of prayer as of thinges either needlesse which otherwise are certaine and sure to be obtayned or hopelesse as impossible to be done or obtayned by vs and thereby derogate from all vertue and feruour of prayer and deuotion We encourage men to prayer by affirming that God hath made our prayer a meane by which he will and without which he will not dispose many of his benefits to vs and that therefore he will haue vs pray that by our prayer we may obtaine 7. They take from man all feare care and labour for his saluation by their assurance that only fayth iustifyeth and saueth that sayth once had cannot be lost and make him idle carelesse and presumptuous of himselfe by their securing him by speciall fayth of his iustification saluation We do teach him by our doctrine with holy Scripture not to be secure of the propitiation of his sinne but with feare and trembling to worke his saluation by good workes to make his vocation sure and therfore to liue piously to walke warily to watch diligently and to preuent carefully Sathan and his craft In all which they robbe man and leaue him so bare of all benefits either of nature or grace that they leaue him neither liberty of will nor ability or concurrence to do good nor infused grace and guifts to assist him in good to arme him against sinne to giue due honour to God to deserue reward with God to adopt him the child of God or to giue him any encouragement in walking the way of God in treading the path of vertue auoiding the allurements to sinne and the snare of Sathan All which are contrary in vs and in our Catholike doctrine Ninthly For Sinne they and their priuate spirit make not only all actions sinnes but all sinnes mortall and so all actions mortall sinnes and all as well good as bad deseruing damnation and therby in a sort disswade as much from good as from bad actions and make men desperate of doing good and prone to doe all bad Wee make of works some good and some bad and of bad some mortall sins depriuing of grace and glory some veniall not depriuing of grace and yet diminishing the feruour of grace and thereby doe perswade men in due sort to auoid all sinne chiefly mortall sinne and encourage them to do good and
for the faithfull dying before Christ and Purgatory for faithful dying without full satisfaction 2. The locall place and the materiall fier and the reall suffering of the present paines of hell by the soules of the damned and withall that it is a worke good though not the best to auoid sinne for feare of hell In all which we extoll the iustice of God mixt with mercy in punishing al sorts according to their deserts and deterre men from liberty of sinne for feare of punishment in hell And thus we haue in this second part confuted this priuat spirit which in the former part we proued to be the sole and whole ground of the Protestant faith and saluation 1. By authorities of holy Scripture 2. By testimony of auncient Fathers 3. By reasons drawne from the difficulty of discerning spirits 4. By reasons drawne from a right interpreter of Holy Scripture 5. By reasons drawne from an infallible iudge of controuersies of fayth 6. By reasons drawne from the nature and certainty of fayth 7. By Circular absurdities to which this spirit leadeth 8. By Doctrinall absurdities which follow vpon it and the doctrine of it against Fayth and the Creed against Hope and the Pater noster and against good life morall vertues the ten Commandements and all laws of God Church or CoÌ„mon-wealth In which also we haue made plaine how this their doctrine grouÌ„ded vpon this their priuate spirit doth derogate from God and the Blessed Trinity whome it makes the authour of all sinne a sinner lyer dissembler and tyrant the only sinner and a greater sinner then either the Diuell or man doth derogate from Iesus Christ and his birth life passion and resurrection whome it dishonours in making him neither PhisitiaÌ„ Lawyer Iudge Priest or perfect Redeemer or Sauiour but one ignorant impotent sinnefull and damned doth derogate from the Church of God triumphant in heauen which it dishonours in taking from it knowledge charity in Saints and Angels and honour and reuerence to them and from the Church militant on earth which it dishonours in taking from it all authority visibility vniuersality perpetuity or extancy and being vpon earth so many ages How it derogates from fayth which it dishonours in taking from it all groundes whereon it is to be builded all meanes wherby it is to be attained and in making it contradictory rash presumptuous sinnefull and preiudicious to all Hope and Charity How it derogates from man whome it disables depriues of all Free-will of all inherent grace of all good life and workes of all possibility to obey Gods Commandements to abstaine from sinne to merit any reward How it derogates from all morall vertues and good life from which by many principles it doth withdraw withall doth draw to all vice and wickednesse doth giue the reines to all Epicurean liberty and loosenesse In all which the spirit of our Catholike Church and the doctrine of it is shewed to be contrary and to giue duâ— honour to God to Christ to his Saints Angels Church to Fayth Sacraments and the rest And to be a meanes to encourage all Christians to the practise of all vertue and perfection and to auoid all sinne and wickednes All this we haue carefully painefully laboured to performe in this second Part of the treatise of that pri-Spirit THE PROTESTANTS OBIECTIONS and proofes taken out of Scripture for the defence of their priuate Spirits authority to inrerpret Scripture and iudge of Controuersies proposed and answered CHAP. X. Of certaine obseruations profitable for the solution of Obiections SECT 1. HITHERTO we haue battered that I hope sufficiently the maine fabricke of this imaginary edifice of the Protestant priuate spirit It remaines only for this second Part that we raze demolish the foundation vpon which this their conceit of their priuate spirits authority is built and erected that is that we solue the reasons or rather obiections taken out of holy Scripture vpon which they ground their conceit for which we may note that as our Catholike doctrine doth not deny either the being or permanency of the Spirit of God in euery faythfull both person and Doctour for all faythfull by the spirit of God haue faith or the effect and operation of the same in assisting theÌ„ in the finding out of the true sense of holy scripture for neither are the faithful prohibited from all reading nor the learned debarred from all interpreting of holy scripture so there is a great difference betweene the effect and operation of this spirit in the Protestant and Catholicke as well simple as learned as both do chalenge it and rely vpon it For as for better illustration we may obserue in a naturall body and the spirit or soule of man in which comparison we imitate S. Paul the soule or spirit doth giue information or operation to the whole body and euery part thereof yet so that euery member hath not euery operation all members haue not one action but the head one as to iudge the handes another as to worke the feet another as to walke and the mouth is to receaue the belly to containe the stomake to disgest the meat and so it is proper to the eye to see to the eare to heare and to neither to discourse and reason which belongs only to the braine so in the spirituall body of the Church and the faythfull members of it the spirit of God doth assist all and euery one in particuler as well the meanest as the greatest as well the most simple as the most learned VVho are many but one body in Christ yet so that as euery member is different one from another so the operation of euery one is different and not the same but as some are Lay some Ecclesiasticall persons some secular some Religious some simple some learned some common people some Pastours and Prelates so to euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the donation of Christ according to the measure of fayth and to euery one for his profit that hauing all gifts according to the grace which is giuen to vs euery one may remaine in the vocation in which he is called wherupon all are not Prophets all are not Doctours all are not Euangelists All are not Iudges of faith and interpreters of holy Scripture though all haue the spirit but God diuiding to euery one as he will giues to some the spirit to heare and obey to others to direct and command to some the spirit to labour and worke by practicall offices to others to contemplate and study by speculatiue functions yet to all so and in that manner that as euery member hath need of another for the eye cannot say to the hand I stand in no need of thy helpe so euery one member hath his gift and the vse and operation of it for the benefite of the whole body with dâ—pendance and subordination to the whole and
profundity of holy scriptures that though his wit was better his leasure more and his diligence greater yet he might from his child-hood tiâ—l his old age profit in the vnderstanding of them not for that so much of them as is necessary to saluation is so hardly to be atteined but for that when once ones faith is grounded vpon them so many and manifold misteries remaine for the more intelligent proficients inuolued in the words and the maâ—ter that the moâ—t aged witty and industrious may say when he is become perfect then he begins For which elswhere he professes that he is ignorant of more things in scripture then he knowes Therfore only prayer meditation and study will not surfice for euery one to find out the true and certaine sense of euery place of Scripture which for euery one to assume to himselfe would not be a certainty of faith but presumption of pride And the same which is sayd of Prayer Meditation and study may be sayd of skill of tongues conference of originall texts and other places and of consideration of antecedents and consequents of phrases and the like Of which see Stapleton Which supposed the answere to all the former obiections is facile First Dauid did read and study the Scripture but he did it for his priuate consolation and meditation not for his foundation in fayth in which he was before grounded 2. Timothy did read and study them from his childhood but to learne the sense and meaning of them of his Maisters and teachers not to be iudge and censurer of them and that for his instruction in manners not for his doctrine of fayth which he receaued from his Ancestours not from his owne reading of Scripture 3. S. Peter did will them to attend to the propheticall doctrine but not to interprete it according to euery ones priuate spirit and proper interpretation which he forbids saying No prophesy of Scripture is made by priuate interpretation much lesse with a neglect of the rules and grounds of fayth or with a contempt of the Pastours and Superiours of the Church of God preferring its owne before their exposition 4. S. Paul affirmes that we must be built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles that is not only vpon the written word of the Apostles or Prophets for many had fayth and were Cittizens of Saints and Domesticals of God before any scripture or writing of the Apostles was extant and many built their fayth vpon the Apostles who writ nothing at all but vpon the doctrine and fayth reueiled to the Apostles and by them left by preaching or writing to posterity and as such by the Church proposed to vs. Out of which nothing can be inferred for making the scripture much lesse the priuate spirit interpreting it the sole or sufficient ground of Fayth Againe taking the foundation either for the doctrine or writinges of the Apostles and they who are built vpon it or for principall partes or for the body of the Church we may consider first the foundation of doctrine either in it selfe and so as being the truth reuealed it is the ground of fayth or in respect of vs as by vs it is accepted and so it relyes vpon the Pastours and Prelates of the Church by whome it is proposed to vs as reuealed and for whose authority we receaue it as reuealed Secondly we may consider the Church either as it is the whole body of all faythfull in all tymes especially after the Apostles and so it is built vpon the doctrine preached and written or as it signifies the first heads and directours of it to wit the Apostles and so it is built immediatly vpon Christ and the holy Ghost reuealing to them that doctrin and scripture which they haue left to posterity and which they preach and propose to vs and in this sense the Church that is the Apostles and first Pastours were before the doctrine was either preached or written by them so were the foundation of their doctrine and preaching of it to vs though to the rest of the faythfull the doctrine preached and written by them is the foundation vpoÌ„ which their fayth is built Which answere doth not only cleare the Scripture for hauing any priuate spirit as Iudge ouer it but also declares how the Church is built vpon the doctrine of the Apostles or Prophets taking the Prophets eyther for the writings of the Prophets in the old Testament or for the Interpreters of the Apostles writing in the new and also how the Church in the sense before declared is the ground of the Apostolical and propheticall doctrine reuealed to the Church and the first Pastours of it and by them left to vs who receaue it from them and their authority and so from the Church 5. They of Beörea did search the scriptures whether those thinges were so as Paul declared that is not so that by searching the scripture they did make themselues and their spirit iudge of the Apostolicall doctrine preached out of scripture but so that either being nor yet fully conuerted and satisfyed they would with diligence and in humility enquire further of the doctrine preached which is alwayes permitted and aduised to all for otherwise he that giueth credit quickly is light of hart or that being satisfyed they would as Catholicke Doctours do search out conferre and vnderstand those places of scripture which Paul did alleadge and thereby the more strongly confirme themselues and better satisfy others in Fayth In which as they did proceed prudently and piously and we permit and aduise euery learned Catholike to do the like so they did no more make either their spirit or the Scripture interpreted by their spirit iudge of the Apostles doctrine then if one for searching the testimonyes of S. Augustine which are cyted by Bellarmine should therby be sayd to make himselfe iudge of Bellarmine his doctrine or as one searching the places cited by Caluin to see if they be as they are by him cited should thereby make himselfe iudge of Caluin and his doctrine Which to inferre out of their actions as it is absurd so is it to inferre that the Beröeans made themselues iudges of S. Pauls doctrine out of the Beröeans seeking out the places which S. Paul alleadged 6. Our Sauiour willed the Iewes to search the Scripture it is true but which Iewes to wit those who were learned and how Not so that he would make them and their priuate spirits iudges of Scriptures or the truth found in them but that he would haue them being yet incredulous studiously to informe themselues of him being the true Messias out of those Scriptures which they belieued already to be true and to beare true witnesse of the true Messias which is no more then to persuade any Protestant to read Scriptures Fathers and Catholike authours and out of them to informe himselfe of the verity of Catholike Religion which is to search out
(a) Mat. 13.34 (b) Math. 13.11 Matth. 20. Ioan. 14. (a) Act. 10.6 (b) Act. 10.42 (c) Act. 10.43 (d) Heb. 13.17 (e) Act. 20.28 (f) Math. 13 30. (g) 1. Cor. 5.13 (h) Math. 23 3. (i) Luc. 10.16 (k) 1. Ioan. 4.6 (l) Rom. 10.19 The scripture is not a Iudge of fayth Aug serm 7. de temp lib. 3. de doctrina Christ. cap. 5. 2. Cor. 3.6 The letter of scripture is not iudge as hauing deceaued Iewes 2. Cor. 3.15 Heretikes Sabellians Ioan. 10.30 Arians Ioan. 14.28 MacedoniaÌ„s 1. Cor. 2.10 Manichees (a) Gen. 1.31 (b) Gen. 2.2 (c) Gen. 1.27 (d) Ioan. 1.3 (e) Ioan. 5.17 (f) Ioan. 8.44 (g) Ezech. 18 20. Pelagians (h) Rom. 5.12.16.19 Protestants and others The sense of scripture caÌ„not be iudg The sense is the thing in question Is obscure and hard Matth. 28.19 Ioan. 3.5 (a) Ioan. 13 14. Matt. 26 26. A Iudge is necessary as well in spiritual as teÌ„porall causes Bishops Prelates are Iudges of controuersies of faith Deut. 17.8 Priests and the high Priest were Iudges in the old law The beginning of this tribunall (a) Paral. 19. â—0 (b) Num. 11 16. (c) Exod. 18.13 The continuance of it (d) 2. Paral. 19.11 (e) Mal. 2.7 (f) Agge 2.12 (g) Eccle. 12.11.12 The end of it Three CouÌ„cels of the Iewes in Christs tym about Christ Matth. 24. (a) Ioan. 11.49 (b) Math. 26 57. Prelates authority to iudge of coÌ„trouersies proued out of the new Testament Authority to iudge giuen to S. Peter Matt. 16.19 Matt. 16.19 Luc. 22.32 Bellar. lib. 3. c. 5. de verb. Dei scripto Ioan. 21.16.17 Ezech. 34.2 Ezech. 34.5 Vers 16. (a) 2. Reg. 5.2 (b) Psal 2.9 (c) Ezech. 34 17. (d) Vers 20. The same giuen to the Apostles (e) Mat. 16.18 (f) Luc. 22.27 (g) Mat. 23.10 (h) Rom. 2.20 (i) 1. Tim. 1 11. (k) Math. 28 (l) Ioan. 1.4 (m) Math. 5.14 (n) Ioan. 1.17.18 (o) Act. 1.8 (p) Ioan. 10.36 (q) Ioan. 17.17 (r) Ioan. 20.21 (s) Math. 17 5. (t) Luc. 10.16 (u) Act. 13.47 (w) Luc. 4.18 (x) Act. 15.7 (y) 2. Cor. 5.19 (z) 2. Cor. 5.19 (a) Mat. 12.18 (b) 2. Cor. 5.20 Ephes 6 20. (c) Ioan. 8.47 (d) 1. Ioan. The same giuen to the successours of the Apostles (e) Ephes 4.11 (f) Ibid. v. 12. (g) Ephes 4.13 (h) Ibid. v. 14. (i) 1. Pet. 5.2 (k) Act. 20.28 (l) Tit. 1.5 (m) 2. Tim. 2.2 (n) Heb. 13.17 (o) Isa 59.21 (p) Ioan. 14.16 (q) Ioan. 17.8 (r) Ioan. 17.20 (s) Mat. 28.20 (t) Aug. enar in Psal lib. 4. epist. 9. (u) Luc. 10.16 (x) Ioan. 4.6 (y) Cyp. epist 166. (z) Aug. lib. 4. cont Don. cap. 43. (a) Rom. 10.15 (b) Heb. 5.4 (c) Mat. 18.17 (d) Chrys Theophil in hunc locum (e) Mat. 16.18 (f) 2. Cor. 4 19. (g) 1. Cor. 4.1 (h) Math. 2â— (i) Act. 1. Matt. 24.14 (k) Isa 22.22 (l) Mat. 16.19 (m) 1. Pet. 2.9 (n) Luc. 17.35 The same euer practised in the Church In councells prouinciall Act. 19. Ann. 255 Ann. â—19 Ann. â—66 In councels generall Ann. 317. Ann. 383. Ann. 430. Ann. 454. Ann. 553. Ann. 681. Ann. 781. Ann. 870. Ann. 1121. Ann. 1139. Ann. 1180. Ann. 1228. Ann. 1265. Ann. 1274. Ann. 1311. Ann. 1439. Ann. 1512. Ann. 1563. That the priuate spirit cannot be a Iudge of controuersies of faith The priuate spirit wants ability to know be knowne 2. It wants authority to iudge (a) Rom. 8.11 (b) Gal 4.6 (c) 2. Cor. 5.5 (d) Rom. 8.15 (e) Rom. 8.16 (f) 1. Cor. 2.10 (g) 1. Thes 1 6. (h) 1. Ioan. 4.1 (i) 1. Cor. 2.15.16 3. It wants infallibility to iudge certainely 4. It wants the properties of a rule of Fayth 1. Certainty (a) 1. Tim. 3 15. (b) Math. 12 46. (c) Math. 13 44. (d) Luc. 10.16 (e) Mat. 18.17 (f) Ioan. 14.16.26 2. Duration Isa 34.10 Isa 66.23 Psalm 71.8 Eph. 4. 3. Immutability Duditius apud Bezam ep theol pag. 13. (a) Math. 16.18 (b) 1. Tim. 3.15 (c) Psal 88.38 (d) Isa 33. (e) Isa 21.4 4. Visibility (a) Psal 18. â— (b) Psalm 8â— 38. (c) Math. 5.16 (d) Apoc. 2. (e) Math. 5 1â— (f) Isa 2.2 5. Vanity (a) Os 10.2 (b) Isa 19.2 (c) Luc. 11.17 (d) Eph. 4.2 (e) Phil. 1.27 (f) Aâ—t 4.32 (g) Ierem. 32 Ezech. 11. (h) Ioan. 14.10 6. Vniuersality (a) Isa 54.2 (b) Isa 60.16 (c) Isa 6â— 21 (d) 60.6 (e) Isa 2.2 (f) Psal 88. (g) Luc. 24.47 7. Warrant commission (h) Isa 66.23 (i) Act. 1.8 (a) Mat. 13.44 (b) Matth. 5.15 (c) Psal 22.12 (d) 1. Tim. 3.15 (e) 1. Cor. 3.17 (f) Cant. 4.8 (g) Rom. 12.5 (h) Mat. 16.18 (i) Ioan. 16.13 (k) 1. Cor. â— 21. (l) Math. 23.2 (m) Luc. 16.16 (n) Math. 18 19. (o) Marc. 1â— 16. The priuate spirit is the Protestants ground of Scripture sense fayth and saluation Faith necessary to saluation (a) Heb. 11·6 Aug. serm 8. de tempore Faith is one Ephes 4.5 Leo serm 4. de natiuit Iren. lib. 1. cap. 3. The priuate spirits many and coÌ„trary Gâ—alt Cronolog saecul 16. 17. Claud. Sanct. repetit 1. de Eucharistia GordoÌ„ controu 1. cap. 28. pag. 202. de Ecclesia Caluin Comment in 1. Ioan. 4·1 Hoc nostruÌ„ saeculuÌ„ horrendasectarum potteÌ„ta protulit qua occasione multi attoniti haereÌ„t quorsum vertere debent nescientes om neÌ„ pietatis curamâ—biecerunt neque enim melius inuenerunt coÌ„pendium sese extricandi ab errorum periculo Faith is certaine Chrisost hoâ— 12. in epist. ad Rom. Luth. tom 5. enar in 1. Pet. 1. Calu. 3. inst 1.16 Zuing. tom 1 in actus despu Tigur sayes Deum Patrem tantuÌ„ fauere sidelibus ac ipsi Christo tamen certum essenos damnaâ—i noÌ„ posse quam Christum non posse The priuate spirit most vncertaine Fayth is entire in all points Catholike in all persoÌ„s The priuate spirit caÌ„not cause an entire Catholik fayth Fayth is by hearing preaching Rom. 10.15 The priuate spirit ouerthrowes all hearing preaching Fayth by credible testimonies made probable Eccles 19.4 Cap. 1. sect 3 Psal 92.5 The priuate spirit destitute of any credible testimonyes Aug. lib. cont epist. Fund Fayth obligeth to hear and accept the meanes of Fayth (a) 2. Cor. 10 5. (b) 1. Pet. 1.14 (c) Rom. 1.5 (d) Marc. 16 16. The priuate spirit caÌ„not oblige to accept it Iud. v. 12. What a Circle is Arist. lib. 1. posteriorum resolut cap. 3. Arist. 2. lib. priorum resol cap. 5. 18. Difference betweene a Circle lawfull and vnlawfull The Catholikes fal not into a circle between the proofe of scripture by the Church and of Church by Scripture What is required to Fayth The mutual proofe of the scripture Church 1. In a diuerse kind of cause 2. Is partial and not wholy and solely of the same The ProtastaÌ„ts diuers Circles Their gradation and conexion of doctrine of saluation The first Protestant Circle betweene the scripture spirit Ioan. 10.27 Psal 11. In circuitu im pij
punishment it brings with it is woe to the foolish Prophets v. 3. woe to them that sow cushions and make pillowes I will destroy the wall and accomplish my indignation in it my hand shall be vpon the Prophets in the councell of my people shall they not be and in the Scripture of the house of Israell they shall not be written neither shall they enter into the land of Israell v. 9. They shall diuine no more and I will deliuer my people out of their hands v. 21.23 Loe heere is described the nature the authour the effect and the punishment of this spirit In all which if we compare spirit with spirit person with person effect with effect and punishment with punishement we shall find the priuate spirit of the Protestants properly described in this false spirit of the false Prophets This false spirit of the false Prophets was a spirit of their owne a spirit of their owne hart that is of their owne inuention according to their fancy because as sayth the Prophet Hieremy They did falsely prophecy to you in my name and I sent them not sayth our Lord. The priuate spirit of the Protestants is a spirit of euery mans owne and his owne hart euery one hath his owne spirit and that priuate and singular to himselfe Euery one sayth his spirit is of the Lord whereas our Lord hath not sent either them or their spirit These false Prophets were some men some women all Prophetes of Israell v. 1. Daughters of my people v. 17. all reputed among the faythfull children of God and yet false Prophetes and false Prophetesses were they both The Protestants who chalenge this spirit are all Prophets that is interpreters of the word of God they are in their opinion all faithfull elect children of God all endued with this spirit which is giuen to all common to al men women by it euery one of them doth prophecy and interprete Scripture The fruits and effects of this spirit were Blindenesse Vanity Lying and Deceit by which they in hypocrisy made faire shew of piety but within wanted temper of good morter of true piety to daw be their wall and with flattery layd soft cushiōs of hopefull promisses vnder the elbowes of euery mans humour to please their fancy and all to catch soules and deceaue Gods people v. 10.18 The Protestants spirit which vaunts so much of knowledge verity sincerity and piety what is it but a trappe baited with so many faire baites to catch so many soules Their Church what is it but a wall without temper or morter of the true spirit or word of God to vphould it from falling and erring Their doctrine what is it but cushions and pillowes of faire promises of certainty of truth and saluation deceauing all who belieue it Killing or denouncing damnation to them who dye not and Viuificating or assuring saluation to them who liue not Their Preachers or Prophetes what are they but as their blind vaine lying and deceitfull spirit by which they are guided that is men most blind in errours of doctrine most vaine in ostētation of truth most lying in falsely accusing others and most deceitfull in shifts euasions against manifest truth Lastly as the punishment which fell vpon these Prophets their blind lying vaine deceitfull spirit was not only a woe and a curse of Gods indignation against them a diuision dissolution of the wall among themselues but also a separation of them from the councell of Gods people from the house of Israel and from entrance into the land of promise so the punishment which fals vpon this spirit them who are deluded by it is no lesse then a dissolution of all vnity in Religion a separation from the Church of God from the body of Christ from the society of Saints from the vnity of whose spirit by the singularity of this their priuate spirit as they are separated in this life so by incurring the woe indignation of God against them as well as the former Prophets they must needs be diuided from him and his kingdome in the next life And this is the fruit of this spirit in all Prophets and professours of it and the end and punishment of them who are conducted by it Out of which it followes 1. That as this priuate spirit was in the old Prophets so it is in these new Preachers interpreters of the word of God as in them it inuented new and false prophecies and predictions so in these it deuiseth new and false errours in fayth and vaine and deceitfull expositions of scripture 2. That as in them it was a spirit of blindenesse lyes vanity and deceit by which many were lead into dangerous and damnable errours fell into great and grieuous punishments so in these Preachers and interpreters it hath the same effect and brings vpon them the like punishments 3. That as then before Christ this spirit possessed and seduced both men and women prophets prophetesses so now euer since Christ it hath done the same as S. Hierome notes of the tymes before him Simon Magus had his Helene Nicolaus his troupes of women Marcion his Minion sent before him to Rome Montanus his Prisca Priscilla Ptolomeus his Flora Apelles his Philomela Arius the Emperours sister Donatus his rich Sucilla Elpidus his Agape and Priscilianus his Galla all prophetesses of like spirit with the prophets all hands and helpers to diuulge their heresies So in these our later dayes euery new maister had his mistris and euery Preacher his partner all participant of the same spirit thus had Dulcinus his Margaret Luther his Catherine Caluin his Ideletta Buraea Beza his Candida and euery new Doctour as Carolostadius Oecolampadius Bucerus Martyr Sanctius and who not euery one his sister and yoake-fellow in the spirit of the Lord. Out of all which I conclude argue thus That spirit cannot be a fit interpreter of scripture nor a sufficient iudge of controuersyes which is a spirit of euery one 's owne hart a spirit blind lying vaine and deceitfull a spirit seducing men women a spirit which separates from the society of the faythfull and infers a woe and indignation of God But such is the priuate spirit which in the old Law seduced false Prophets and in the new Law deludeth the false Preachers as holy Scripture of the former experience of the later doe both testify Therfore this priuate spirit cannot be a sufficient iudge of Fayth a fit interpreter of holy Scripture Out of Iob 32. declaring in Eliu his friends spirit the manner of proceeding of this priuate spirit SECT V. A Fifth proofe is out of Iob 32. The patience of Iob hauing beene tryed in the losse of his cattle his family his children and in the vexation of his body vpbraiding by his wife was after all this assaulted by his friends These sayth the Glosse represent the fashions of Heretikes
who vnder the shew of aduising vse the arte of seducing for which Iob before he began to dispute with them sayd he would shew them to be Fabricatores mendacij cultores falsorum dogmatum 13.4 Framers of lies and worshipers of false opinions Of these three of them being conuinced by the speaches of Iob and made silent therby the fourth Eliu the Busite a young man of a more feruent spirit the sonne of Ram that is Excelsus or Proud a new maister riseth vp angry against Iob because he sayd he was iust before God v. 2. against his friends because they could not answere Iob with reason v. 3.5 And beginning first to commend himselfe and his silence Because I was young I was affraid to speake and then to condemne his elders saying That the ouldest are not the wisest neither doe the old wen vnderstand iudgment And lastly to shew of what race he is come and to our purpose he sayes As I see the spirit is in man and the inspiration of the omnipotent doth giue vnderstanding v. 8. and I also will answere my part and will shew my knowledge for I am full of wordes and the spirit of my belly streyneth me behould my belly is as new wine without a vent which breaketh new vessels I will speake and take breath a little I will open my lippes and will answere v. 18.19.20 God hath made me as he hath made thee chap. 33. v. 6. Heare yee wise mē my words and yee learned harken to me cap. 34. v. 2. Heere is a description of a new spirit and of one full of it a Caluinist or Puritan in the highest degree he hath the spirit of God the inspiration of the Omnipotent vnderstanding aboue others his belly is full of the spirit and words seeking vent as wine out of a new vessell he will speake talke and answere that which his Auncestours and wise men could not he hath reason which they had not he is inspired by the Omnipotent which they are not he is inspired that Iob is vniust because he sayd He was iust before God v. 2. that the ancients are destitute of wisedome and iudgment of the spirit of God of all truth verity that he hath the spirit of truth and that all truth is to be learned of him this spirit in a hoat Puritan sayth as Sedechias the false Prophet who had a lying spirit in his mouth sayd to Micheas the true Prophet Hath the spirit of the Lord left me and hath it spoken to thee No sure for the spirit of God hath forsaken the whole Church to which yet it was promised by Christ so that it hath erred is fallen and become Antichristian but the spirit is certainly in me it infallibly teaches me truth tels me the meaning of scripture assures me of saluation it cannot depart from me and my mouth the mouth of my seed for euer thus sayth the Caluinist out of his spirit as this Eliu and Sedechias sayd out of theirs Out of which I argue thus That spirit which is the same with the spirit of these false Prophets who were so seduced and armed by it against the Saintes and Prophets of God cannot be a fit spirit to interprete Scripture iudge of doctrin and to make a sole ground of beliefe but such is the priuate spirit now and alwayes hath beene in all former Heretiks and false Prophets therefore it cannot be a fit iudge of controuersies and an infallible interpreter of Scriptures Out of Tit. 3.10 shewing the spirit of an Hereticke SECT VI. THE sixth proofe is taken out of an admonition giuen by S. Paul against Heretikes Tit. 3.10 in these wordes A man that is an Heretike after the first and second admonition auoid knowing that he that is such an one is subuerted sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgement In which wordes we are to note First who is an Heretike that is to be auoided 2. The reason why he is to be auoided First therfore as Heresy is a voluntary errour in the vnderstanding against some verity of Fayth obstinatly defended by him who hath once belieued so an Heretike is he who hauing once professed the Christian fayth doth erre in some article of it doth with obstinacy defend his errour for which is requisite 1. That he haue receaued the Christian fayth at least in Baptisme by professing it 2. That he erre in some point or points of fayth not in al for then he is an Apostata 3. That he be obstinate in his opinion or errour of which sort are not they who according to S. Augustine defend their opinions though false and peruerse with no stubborne stomack or obstinate hart especially if it be such as themselues by bold presumption broached not but receaued it of their deceaued parents and doe seeke the truth warily and carefully being ready to be reformed if they find it such These are not to be reputed among obstinate Heretikes But those according to the same S. Augustine Who in the Church of God haue any crazed and peruerse opinion if being admonished to be of a sound and right opinion they resist obstinatly and will not amend their pestiferous opinions but persist in the defence of them are thereby become Heretikes going forth out of the Church and are counted for enemies that exercise vs. Againe He i◠an Heretike that when the doctrine of the Catholike fayth is made plaine and manifest to him had rather resist it and chose that which himselfe held According to whome and the Doctours of our tyme he is sayd to be obstinate in heresy who willing witting doth maintaine any thing against the Catholike Church or which is all one who knowes and reflectes that his opinion is contrary to the sentence of the Catholike Church and yet neglecting the authority of the Church which proposeth it for true doth persist in his opinion And this is an Heretike who after admonition being growne thus obstinate is to be auoyded reiected and refuted Secondly the reason why we are to auoyd an Heretike is because that such an one sinneth in obstinacy and is subuerted without hope of amendement being condemned by his owne iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is sayth Tertullian Because he chose that for which he is damned by willfully adherring to his owne opinion and conceit where the origen of his sinne subuersion and condemnation is his prefering his owne selfe-seeming conceit before the determination of the whole Church of God which is proper to those who rely vpon their owne spirit and prefer it before all euen the whole Church of God Out of which it followes first that the origen of all heresies is a mans owne proper and priuate conceit which he preferring before the iudgement of the whole Church chooseth to follow his owne opinion rather then the determination of the Church And out of this I argue thus All who rely and build vpon
seriously discussed may suffice to satisfy the Reader that in their iudgement this priuate spirit is an vnfit Interpreter of holy Scripture and an vnable iudge to decide matters of Fayth Secondly we may note that though none of the ancient Fathers did in particuler write of this subiect nor yet on set purpose confute it yet these sayinges and sentences of theirs sought and picked out as so many dispersed flowers of their seuerall gardens and coupled togeather as into one nose-gay may serue for a taste of their generall opinions iudgement in this matter especially since their assertions were neuer contradicted nor their persons euer censured by any for them Thirdly we may note that those Fathers who doe either attribute this prerogatiue of interpreting Scripture to the Church or Pastours of it as the most cyted by Bellarmine before quoted doe or derogate the same from all humane and proper wit and iudgement as some of these heere cyted in their words do do both of them as much as if in expresse tearmes they had done it condemne this priuate spirit and power of it as incompetent for a Iudge of Fayth 1. because they who interprete Scripture and assigne the Fathers Councells or Church for approued and authorized Iudges in this case must needs condemne those who forsake them and oppose themselues and their iudgement against them which all they doe who rely vpon their priuate spirit and prefer their iudgement of it before the iudgement of the Church and Fathers 2. Because all who are guided by this priuate spirit and rely vpon it doe in effect rely vpon their owne iudgement and opinion and so either erroneously mistaking themselues or abusing the spirit do insteed of the spirit of God make their owne conceit fancy or imagination the iudge and vmpire of all These being supposed we will descend to particulers and cyte some of these Fathers and their testimonies in thei◠seuerall ages First therefore to begin◠〈◊〉 the first age of the Apostles to descend downe 〈◊〉 S Clement the scholer of S. Paul and coetaneall with the Apostles sayth It is to be obserued that when the law of God is read it ought not to be read or vnderstood according to the meaning of euery mans owne wit for there are many thinges in holy Scripture which may be wrested to that meaning which euery one volūtarily presumes to frame to himselfe but this cannot be Loe the sense which euery ones wit and iudgement which they call their spirit presumes to frame cannot be a true and infallible sense of Scripture In the second age Irenaeus a Doctour and Martyr whō S. Hierome calles Virum Apostolicum an Apostolicall man speaking of the Heretiks of his tyme sayth Euery one sayth that his owne fiction which he hath deuised of himselfe is wisedome that he vndoubtedly vnspottedly and sincerely doth know the hiddē mysteries These Heretikes made the inuention of their own braine the vndoubted spirit of wisedome to vnderstand the hidden mysteries of Fayth Tertullian speaking of Heretikes who differ among themselues sayth Euery one doth tune what he receaues according to his owne liking in the same manner as he who taught them made it according to his owne liking Againe shewing that diuersity of doctrine brings corruption of scripture he sayth They who are resolued to teach otherwise then the Church must change the meanes of doctrine that is scripture since how came the heretikes to be strangers and enemies to the Apostles but by the diuersity of doctrine which euery one according to his owne liking either made or receaued Againe VVho are rauenous wolues but subtill senses and spirits that lye close to molest the flocke of Christ VVho are false Prophets but false Preachers VVho are false Apostles but adulterous Ghospellers Againe He is to be counted an Heretike who forsaking that which was first doth choose to himselfe that which was not before Againe Heresy is called in Greek of Election by which one chooseth to beginne or follow it therefore S. Paul sayd that therefore an Heretike was damned because he chose to himselfe that for which he is damned It is not lawfull for vs to introduce any thing vpon our owne opiniō nor to follow that which others introduced vpon their owne opinion And he calles Adams sin an Heresy because he chose it rather vpon his owne then Gods election Heere are deceitful spirits euery one 's owne spirit liking will purpose resolution opinion and election described to be that which makes men Heretikes and strangers from God rauenous Wolues false Prophets and adulterous Ghospellers and damned Heretikes and changes the sense of Scripture Out of which the same Tertullian affirmes That heresy is a matter of humanae temerity not diuine authority which alwayes so amends the Ghospell vntill it corrupt it That all doctrine is true not which came from a priuate spirit but which agrees with the Apostolicall mother and originall Churches and that is without doubt to be held which the Church receaued from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ Christ from God all other doctrine is preiudicated as that which sauoureth against the verity of the Church of Christ. Againe That to deale with Heretikes by Scriptures is but to turne ones stomacke or breake his braine to loose his speach by contending to rayse choler by hearing their blasphemy since what the most expert Scripturist can alleadge they will deny and what he denies they will defend eyther by denying Scripture or by adding or detracting from it Valentinus sayth he receaued that which was most for his purpose and formed the Scriptures to his owne opinions but not his opinions to Scripture And so as S. Augustine saies They contend not for the true meaning of Scripture but for their owne opinions making that which is the opinion of their owne to be the meaning of Scripture In the third age Clemens Alexand. in his learned bookes Stromatum which he wrote according to Baron anno 204. shewing not only that Heretikes alleadge Scripture but also how they vse it sayth Though they who follow heresies presume to vse the propheticall Scriptures yet they neither vse all of them nor these they vse entirely but choosing those sayings which are doubtfull they draw them to their owne priuate opinions This is one of the chiefest sleightes of this their priuate spirit to wrest doubtfull sentences to their owne aduantage make that which is vncertaine in it selfe certaine and a point of Fayth In the same age S. Cyprian that Doctor suauissimus Martyr beatissimus as S. August calles him speaking of some whome the Diuell leades from one blindnes of the world to another darkenesse of errour sayth They call themselues Christians and while they walke in darknes they thinke they are in light the Diuell flattering and deceauing them who transfigures himselfe into an Angell of light
and subornes his owne Ministers as Ministers of iustice affirming night to be day damnation to be saluation and shadowing desperation vnder pretence of hope perfidiousnes vnder pretence of Faith Antichrist vnder the name of Christ Againe shewing how heresies and schismes arise out of disobedience of the people to one Pastour and Iudge in place of Christ he sayth No man should make any stirre against the colledge of Priests no man after diuine iudgement after the suffrage of the people after the consent of fellow-Bishops should make himselfe iudge not now of the Bishop but of God No man should deuide the vnity of Christs Church by discord being proud should by himselfe coyne and set abroad a new heresy Againe The beginning and endeauour of Heretikes and Schismatikes is to please themselues and to contemne their Superiour with swelling pride they goe out of the Church and set vp a new Altar breake peace and vnity Againe In doctrine as well diuine as philosophicall it is neyther safe nor fit that persons vnlearned and ignorant of that which belonges to those sciences should venture to discusse that they know not and to be maisters of what they are ignorant In all which the effect of the priuate spirit is described to be to question examine that which is determined by Bishops and Councels to make it selfe iudge of all to diuide the vnity of the Church to broach new heresies and in conceit and respect of it selfe to contemne all superiority to teach that they know not and to be maisters of what they vnderstand not In the fourth age S. Ambrose a man so worthy that S. Augustine reuerenced him as his Father who begot him in Christ so praysed him that he not only calles him happy the flower of latin writers but all the Roman world sayth he with me admire him his grace constancy labours perils both in workes and wordes Yea sayth he Pelagius the Heretike so extolled him that he durst not reprehend him his exposition of Scripture but acknowledged that in his bookes aboue others did shine the brightnesse of the Roman fayth This holy Saint and Doctour sayth Those are Heretikes who by the wordes of the law impugne the law for they set a proper sense vpon the wordes that they may commend the wickednesse of their owne opinion by the authority of the law Againe It is a very dangerous thing if after so many prophesies of the Prophets after the testimonies of the Apostles after the bloud of Martyrs thou darest presume to discusse the ancient faith as new after so many guides dost remaine in errour and after the toiles of so many departed this life darest contend in idle disputation let vs reuerence therefore our owne Fayth in the glory of Martyrs Heere is this priuate spirit and two effects of it the one to interprete Scripture according to euery mans owne liking the other to examine and question againe that which hath beene iudged by the Pastours of Gods Church and to censure them and their iudgement both condemned by S. Ambrose S. Hierome one whome Prosper calles Vitae exemplum mundi magistrum An example of life and the maister of the world whome S. Augustine calles One most learned skillfull in three tongues desires to conferre with him to adhere to him and to be instructed by him sent his books to be censured of him and commended others as Orosius who trauelled for that end from Spaine to Palestine to learn of him And whome Damasus the Pope and many from all the partes of the world consulted with about obscure places of Scripture This great lampe of Gods Church sayth Heretikes whatsoeuer they speake they thinke it to be the word or the law neither doe they vouchsafe to know what the Apostles or Prophets thought but doe apply certaine incongruous testimonies to their owne sense and meaning as though it were not a great most wicked manner of teaching to depraue the sentences of Scripture and to draw them contrary to their sense vnto their owne will A deuise proper to this spirit to thinke all it sayes to be Scripture and to wrest all scripture to its owne liking Againe he sayth That Heretikes of the guifts of Nature haue made to themselues Idols not which they receaued of God but which they made out of their owne braine That they haue turned the holy speaches and senses of Scripture into Idols which they haue framed out of their owne heart That hauing lost their iudgement they worship the Idols which they haue framed of their owne hart and are possessed with the spirit of spirituall fornication That of the sense of Scripture they haue made Idols of diuers opinions and abominations of offences That they vse the diuine wordes and testimonies to their owne sense and do giue them to drinke to those whome they deceaue and with whome they haue fornicated That in all questions they follow not the authority of Scripture but the opinion of human reason That they snatch certaine sentences out of Scripture and sowing them togeather doe set them to that matter to which they cannot agree and so do set them as pillowes vnder euery ones elbow to delude them Thus doe sayth he all heresies deceaue and draw to death by faire promises all sortes of ages and sexes giuing them not solid bread of Scripture but broken and cut peeces of crummes Thus did the Manichees Gnostikes Marcion take testimonyes out of the pure fountaine of Scripture but did not interpret them as they were written but cōuerted the simple meaning of Gods word to signify that which themselues would haue All this they did bragging of their receauing the spirit of God which yet they had not but the spirit of the Diuell by which they were carryed into diuers factions Such an Angell and diabolicall spirit did possesse and fill Philomela Apelles his virgin Cōcerning which spirit he concludes that It is called Heresy ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of election by choosing euery one that doctrine which seemes to him better vnderstanding the Scripture otherwise then the Holy Ghost meant it by which he is an Heretike The sūme of which gathered out of these dispersed places is that all Heretikes being deceaued by the spirit by their owne opinion and their owne selfe seeming conceit do choose to themselues what sense of Scripture seemes most pleasing to them and therby make it an Idoll of their owne inuention by which they deceaue themselues and delude others Eusebius confirmes the same saying of the Seuerians That they interpret the sense of Scripture according to their owne liking In the fifth age S. Augustine one so highly commended both by ancient Fathers and late Protestants that as before is at full cyted they both count him as a maister of all learning as
necessity of grace against Iulian the Pelagian he speaketh of the Fathers in this manner These Fathers I haue cyted no more least it should be too tedious to read them yet such as are not so light that you may scorne to weigh thē yea so great that you may groane vnder the burthen of them These are they whose so great consent ought to moue you and who are not a conspiracy as you call them of ill tongued men but who flourished in the Catholike Church are sound in doctrine and armed with spirituall weapons who fought stoutly against heretickes and haue passed ouer their labours and slept in the bosome of peace VVho hauing liued holily and ouercome the errours of their tyme and departed gloriously out of this world before you came into it These though they were not then present when this Controuersie began and is now on foot so could not by word of mouth giue a definitiue sentence yet when they wrote and sayd these thinges they were then such as had not any either friendship or falling out with you or vs. They were angry neither at you nor vs had compassion of neither What they found in the Church they kept what they learned they teached what they receaued from their Fathers they deliuered to their children You and we did not plead before these Iudges and yet they decyded our cause neither you nor we were knowne to them and yet we do produce their verdict for vs against you we did not about this matter contend with you and yet they pronounce vs victors That which they belieue we belieue what they teach we teach what they preach we preach yield to them and yield to vs consent with them and consent with vs if you will not by them be a friend to vs yet be not for vs an enemy to them which yet you must be if you remaine in this errour therfore leaue it and leane to them Can Pelagius and Celestius Luther and Caluin so farre preuaile with you that for them you dare forsake so many and so great ancient Doctours and defenders of the Catholike fayth ouer all the world Hath tyme made such a confusion of great and small matters Is darkenes so become light and light darkenes that Pelagius Celestius Iulianus c. do see and Hilary Gregory Nazianzen Ambrose c. are blind VVere it not better to yield to them who are better and stronger and to maister your owne presumption then to insist vpon your owne animosity and conceit which you desire should preuaile because it is your owne VVere it not better to yield to these Christian Doctours or rather to Christ in them and to restore your selfe to them from whome you are departed How gratefull would these be to you if you did belieue the Catholike fayth and how terrible must they needes be against you when you oppugne the same Catholike Fayth which they sucked from the teat which they eate with their meate which for milke and meate they gaue to little ones and great ones which they plainely and stoutly defended against their enemies euen you not then borne By such planters waterers builders Pastours nurses the Holy Church increased therefore stood amazed at the prophane termes of your nouelty and as the head of a serpent abhorred troad vnder foot bruised and kickt away your new opinions which did lurke and crawle to deceaue the virginity of the Catholike Church and corrupt the chastity of it which it hath in Christ as did the Serpent seduce Eue. The Fayth of these is to be defended against you as is the Ghospell against wicked and professed enemies of Christ euen that Catholike and Christian fayth which as it was first deliuered in Scriptures so by these Fathers it hath beene hitherto kept and defended and shall by Gods grace euer be kept and defended Thus S. Augustine against the Pelagians their new doctrine for the Fathers and thus we against the Protestantes and their priuate spirit and new doctrine for the same And this may suffice for the testimonies of Fathers THE PRIVATE SPIRITS INTERPRETATION OF HOLY SCRIPTVRE Deciding of Controuersies and iudging of matters of Fayth Confuted by Reasons drawne from the difficulty of discerning of Spirits CHAP. IIII. Of the diuersity of Spirits SECT I. IN the former Chapters we haue confuted the Protestāt priuate spirit by authorityes of holy Scripture and by testimonies of ancient Fathers it remaines that we doe the like by euidence of reason and in this Chapter by reasons drawne frō the difficulty of discerning of spirits of which if the priuate spirit be not able to discerne and iudge which be good or bad which true or false much lesse is it able to discerne iudge the motions and effects of them that is which Scripture the sense of it is true or false which fayth and doctrine is good or bad For the better vnderstanding of which difficulty of discerning of Spirits we may note first how many sortes of varieties and distinctions of spirits there be 1. According to the nature and property of spirits S. Gregory distinguishes them thus Some are without mixture of body some with mixture Spirits without mixture are either increate as God the Father a spirit God the Sonne a spirit God the Holy Ghost a spirit all one God al one spirit good without quality great without quantity euery where without place alwayes without tyme doing all without action mouing al without motion containing all and contained in nothing and present in all by his essence power and presence and yet aboue all or els create which are either happy in glory as the Angells in heauen which are as administring spirits for vs or els damned in hell as the Diuels who as roaring Lyons seeke to deuoure vs both which doe differ either in specie or kind or at the least in degrees of power and greatnes some being in the highest some in the midle some in the lowest Hierarchy euery Hierarchy hauing his order and euery order his particuler Angels and Diuels belonging to it Spirits mixt with bodies flesh are either such as are mixed with flesh and dye with it as the sensuall soule of birds and beastes or such as are mixt with flesh but dye not with it as the reasonable soule of man which is a meane betweene Angells to whome he is inferiour and beastes to whome he is superiour communicating with the one in the immortality of soule with the other in mortality of flesh 2. According to their estate and condition these spirits are some good as God Angels Saints others bad as Diuels men wicked aliue or damned in hell others indifferēt as the natural spirit of man and sensuall of beastes some are blessed in heauen as Angells and Saints others damned in hell as Diuels and the damned soules others in the way and out of danger as
and found and that by industry and reading of the words and text the spirit is to be found Whereupon they make the words of scripture as they are heard or read not only the organ or instrument of faith as much as wee make the Sacrament instrument of grace but also the sole instrument which with diligence read or heard they prescribe as the only meanes to receiue faith and saluation For first as a man consists of body and soule and the body of it selfe being senslesse dead is the inferiour â—â—rt the soule being life and giuing life is the principal part without which he is not man So the Scripture consists of the words or text which is read or heard and is only the body barke or couering of Gods word and of the sense and meaning which is vnderstood belieued and is the life soule and substance of the scripture Now the words as they are written or spoken consisting of letters syllables words are dead without life and common to Gentils Iewes and hereticks with the faithfull yea in the same manner as the law is called a law of sinne so are they by S. Paul said to Kill to be ministration of death Because according to S. August the letter read and not truly vnderstood or not performed is occasion of heresy and sinne some gathering out of it as out of the flower poison of heresy like the spider others hony of faith like the bee The sense and meaning as it is truly vnderstood belieued which is properly the word of God is an effectuall meanes more piercing theÌ„ any two-edged sword an operatiue vertue to saluation but to whome to all that belieue And to whom it is so proper that it is by faith only conceaued and attained and by faith only belieued vnderstood Secondly As the bare letter words and text of scripture without true sense are not the word of God so they do not containe the spirit of God or the holy ghost in them neither is the holy ghost thus inherent resident or to be sought found in the scripture but in the hart and soule of the writers of scripture that is the Prophets or Apostles in whom as it did remaine and dictate to them what they writ so did it reueale and manifest to them the true sense meaning of the same though perhaps not alwayes the whole complete meaning and all senses of the scripture for by reason of the fecundity of senses in Gods word many or al of them were not according to S. Augustine alwayes reuealed to the same Apostles or prophets but some reserued to the authour of it the holy ghost it selfe And as the spirit of God is not inherent or resident in the bare words sillables or text of scripture so the spirit or spiritual true sense of scripture is not to be sought or found only in or out of the bare words and their grammaticall signification but out of the rule of faith expounded according to the Ecclesiasticall and Catholike doctrine of beliefe Not by humane labour and industry of study but by the meane of faith and diuine reuelation For the words are translated into other languages different from that in which they were originally written and haue diuers and various significations and senses as litterall moral allegoricall and anagogicall and are by seuerall expositions drawne to suport diuers seuerall yea contrary faithes and religions Also great labour diligence and study haue beene vsed by many men of great wit learning and knowledge in the expounding seeking out the true sense of scripture who yet haue beene so far from finding it as that they haue inuented many false and heretical meanings and therupon grounded many wicked and damned heresies Out of al which it doth follow that the words of scripture and the diligent and frequent reading or hearing of it are so far from being a necessary meanes of faith much lesse the sole whole meanes to it that faith is a meanes necessary presupposed to the vnderstanding of scripture For if the scripture consist not in the words and letter only but in the sense vnderstanding principally and if the sense depend not vpon the bare words but vpoÌ„ the Ecclesiastical catholicke rule tradition of faith as is proued then must faith be prerequired as a help and meanes to find out the true sense of scripture And they who will read scripture must bring faith with them as a help and meanes to vnderstand the scripture and not ground their faith vpon their reading of scripture which being diligently read though it may serue to coÌ„firme and nourish faith in ones selfe or to illustrate and defend it to others and in both being according to the rule of faith interpreted a light to direct them in the way of piety and to enflame them with the heat of Charity yet it can neither be a first and firme ground to cause and produce first and certaine faith in any for a man must bring faith to belieue it nor a sufficient meanes to resolue all points of faith necessary to saluation as besids other reasons the practise of so many heresies diuided pretended to be grounded all vpon it doth conuince and the experience made for example of three persons Iews Turks or Pagans all ignorant of Christian religion all turned to a bare text of the bible all willed to seeke out and resolue in particular articles formerly or presently controuerted in Christian religion will no doubt by their seuerall contrary resolutions confirme the same And thus much of the rule of faith as a necessary meanes of expounding scripture The second meanes of expounding the holy scriprure is the generall practise or obseruation the publike Custome or tradition of the whole Church in the exercise of any religious seruice or worship or in the practise of any sacrifice sacrament or ceremony in which as the Church it selfe cannot erre so it may be a guide in expounding the scripture to keep others from errour that where the doctrine of the Church is not euident there the practise and obseruation of the same may serue This practise we will proue by the practise of the chiefe Doctours in Gods Church for by this did the ancient Fathers expound many places and conuince many Heretikes By this practise admitting the lapsed to pennaÌ„ce did Epiphanius conuince the Nouatians who reiected them By this practise of saying Glory be to the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost did S. Basil conuince Origen about the deity of the holy Ghost vrging his owne practise with the rest against Origens owne doctrine against the rest By this practise of baptizing in the name of the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost did Theodoret conuince Arius who denyed the equality of the Sonne with the Father By this practise of exorcising breathing vpon Infants in the SacrameÌ„t of Baptisme did
oecumenicall Councels all of impartiall and authenticall authority which they do not And by this Catholiques are more secure of the true sense of scripture then they haue their faith better grounded vpon the scripture then they and haue their spirit better warranted by God more secured that it is from God and surer combined with the spirit of the auncient Catholicke and Apostolicke Church with the spirit of the holy and learned Doctours and Saintes of God with the spirit of the generall and receiued Councels of Gods Church none of which they haue And by this we haue our beliefe grounded vpon a certaine infallible authenticall sense of scripture which they haue not And thus much of this priuate spirit that it cannot be a fit and certaine Rule or meanes truly and infallibly to interprete the holy scripture THE PRIVATE SPIRITS AVTHORITY To iudge Controuersies of Fayth confuted by Reasons drawne from the nature of a Iudge of Fayth CHAP. VI. The properties of a Iudge of Fayth SECT I. THOVGH the Iudge of the sense of Scripture and of controuersies of faith be all one and therfore that which hath beene spoken of the one might also suffice for the other yet because faith extends it selfe larger then the scripture because the true Iudge of faith from the false may be the more clearly discerned the functiōs of this priuate spirit may be also more plainly confuted therfore I adde in this Chaprer these reasons drawne from the office of a Iudge of Controuersies to shew the insufficiency of this spirit to be a iudge of thē In which we may note for this iudiciary power and authority 1. What it is and what properties and conditions it requires 2. In whome it is and who are to exercise this authority 3. How it is to be ordered and what rules are to be followed in the exercise of it which being distinctly and fully considered the inability and insufficiency of this spirit to make a Iudge of faith will more clearly appeare First therfore we may note that as in a temporall Common-wealth where contentions arise offences are committed and tittles are questionable that besides the lawes established there are necessary also Iudges to determine causes to decide titles and to punish offences so also in the spirituall Common-wealth of the Church where controuersies are of a higher nature questions no fewer in number and the offences more grieuous in quality some personall Iudge or iudges are no lesse yea more necessary to discerne verity in all doubts to establish vnity in all contentions and to punish obstinacy in persons who offend Some Iudge therfore is necessary as well in spirituall causes as in temporall as well for matters of doctrine as of iustice and as well in pointes of faith as of manners This Iudge because all faithfull belieuers are obliged to belieue and obey his sentence as true and iust though not in consequences appendixes of faith yet in materiall and substantiall foundatitions of faith though not in schoole questions pulpit conceites which infringe not the solidity of faith yet in maine articles and principall mysteries of faith vpon which is cōposed a complet edifice of true religion though not in probations and allegations for the proofe of pointes of faith yet in the determinations and conclusions of the points or articles themselues though not in case when is intended only to confirme the weake to satisfy the curious or to confound the proud yet in case when is intended to condemne any doctrine as heresy vnder anathema and to declare and define expresly for the common and publicke good of the whole Church any verity of doctrine formerly by the practise of the Church receaued or by the assent of the faithfull at the least virtually belieued Because I say all faithfull are obliged to belieue and obey this Iudge and his sentence in pointes and articles substantiall defined and concluded by sentence definitiue against heresy for the good of the whole Church therfore it is necessary that this Iudge vpon whome depends the verity of beliefe and the saluation or damnation of so many who by a true or false faith are saued or damned haue these properties or conditions in him in his authority 1. That he be visible and manifest in person so that he may know and be knowne heare and be heard speake and be spoken vnto and therby haue a publicke Court giue publick audience examine publicke causes pronounce publicke sentence betweene parties who contend and in contentions which are debated 2. That he haue power and authority warrant and commission to giue Iudgment pronounce sentence and to compell parties to obedience and performance 3. That he haue warrant of infallibility in this his sentence that he cannot erre or determine errour deceaue or be deceaued in this his verdit corrupt or be corrupted by partiality in his iudgment All which are as it were essentially necessary for this iudge for if he be not publicke knowne in person others cannot haue accesse to him nor he vnderstand the causes of others if he be not certaine and infallible in his sentence he cannot determine matters of certainty nor can others be secured by him if he want authority and power to oblige and compell he cannot end the controuersy and establish peace and vnity in the Church which is the end of his iudgment Further because this Iudge is to haue this infallible authority and that all are obliged to rely vpon him and his iudgment that he may the more securly proceed in his iudgment and others more confidently rely vpon it therfore he must haue some Rule likwise infallible and certaine by which he may be directed in his iudgment and some solid foundation vpon which he may build his definitiue sentence This rule or foundation because it is to be a rule ground of iudgment and that for persons in number so infinit and for causes in substance so important therfore it can require no lesse then these and such like properties for the solidity of it and the security of iudgment by it In respect of it selfe 1. That it be so certaine infallible that it can neither deceaue or be deceaued 2. That it be so continued and not interrupted that it cannot decay or perish 3. That it be so firme and immutable that it cannot be changed or corrupted In respect of the persons whom it is to direct 4. That it be so knowne and visible that it may be discerned by all sortes who haue need of it 5. So markable notable that it may be a signe distinctiue to distinguish true from false beleeuers 6. So necessary and important that without it no certainty can be had 7. So vniuersal general that it may satisfy all sortes of people Iewes or Infidels Heretikes or Catholikes yong or old vnlearned or learned In respect of the matter or mysteries which are to be determined 8. That it be so fundamentall that
it be contained among the chief articles of the Creed or plainly expressed in scripture 9. So sufficient that it be able to explicate determine all articles and doubtes in religion 10. So complet that it containe virtually be able to resolue plainly all questions and conclusions of Faith which may at any time vpon any occasion arise All which are necessary for such a rule and foundation vpon which so important a matter as faith and religion is grounded And this is the first thing to be obserued for the properties and conditions both of the Iudge and his rule of faith The whole body of the Church cannot be this Iudge SECT II. SECONDLY We may note that this infallible authority to iudge of controuersies of faith is giuen neither to the whole body and congregation of the Church of God as the rigid Lutherans with Brentius do hould nor to the secular Princes and Parlamentes as all the Lutherans at first and the State-Protestants of England do yet defend nor to the lay-people and priuate persons as Caluin and the Caluinists do maintaine nor yet is it residing in the wordes and text or scripture as the ordinary preachers pretend but only is giuen to the Pastours and Prelates of the Church of Christ who are lawfully by authority from Apostolicall succession ordained and Catholickly continue without diuision of heresy or schisme in the same and among them principally to the chiefe head and Pastour the successor of Peter and Bishop of Rome All which concerning euery one shall be briefly proued First therefore although the whole body of the Church collected haue the infallible assistance of the holy Ghost that it cannot erre or be deceaued in faith yet hath it not the same assistance that it may ought to be iudge determiner of faith For as in a naturall body the soule doth informe and giue life to the whole body and euery member of it but doth not discourse and giue vse of reason to the whole or euery part but only to the head so the spirit of God assistes the whole Church with the priuiledge of freedome from errour in faith but doth not likewise giue to it the priuiledg◠of authority to teach and iudge of faith and direct others in the same for which cause God hath giuen a measure of donation diuisions of graces and ministrations and made some not al Apostles Doctours Prophets that some may rule others be ruled some teach and others be taught some be superiours to iudge and direct others be inferiours to be iudged and directed and so an order and subordination a peace and vnity may be obserued and kept in the whole body among the members of Christs Church Whereof see more in the next fourth Section Secular Princes cannot be this Iudge SECT III. THIRDLY That this infallible authority is not in secular Princes or their Assemblies and Parlaments either as particuler members of the Church against Melancthon or as Princes and Superiours among the rest against Brentius so that they can and may lawfully and infallibly iudge of Controuersies make ecclesiasticall lawes giue authority to preach and prescribe a forme of doctrine a manner of seruice and an order of Sacraments and sacrifice though it be largely by many proued against the supremacy of Princes in causes Ecclesiasticall and requires a treatise more large yet in briefe it shall by these reasons be proued First because Kinges and Princes are in the Church of God and spirituall affaires as sheep to be ruled and ordered not as sheepheardes to rule and gouerne they are Lambes to be fed by Peter Sheep of the fold of Christ Members of the Church of God and seruants of the family of Christ Thus did the ancient and holy Fathers freely tell and admonish them and the Christian and good Emperours themselues acknowledged it S. Gregory Nazianzen told Valentinian That the law of Christ did subiect them Emperours to his power and Tribunall and that they were holy sheep of his holy fold S. Ambrose told Theodosius the Great that he was a sonne of the Church and that a good Emperour is within not aboue the Church Theodoret sayes of Constantine the Great that as a louing sonne he did propose busines to the Bishops and Priests as Fathers Constantine himselfe cōfesses that God gaue Priests power to iudge of Emperours witnesse Ruffinus that they were bishops within the Church he without it witnes Eusebius Valentinian the elder confesses that he as a laye man might not interpose himselfe in Church affaires but the Bishops and Priestes had care of such affaires witnes Sozom. And that himselfe was to submit himselfe to them witnes Paulus Diaconus And Theodosius the Great obeyed S. Ambrose his excommunication departed out of the Chancell at his command and cōfessed that thereby he had learned to know what difference there was betweene an Emperour and a Bishop witnes Theodoret and Nicephorus Secondly because the offices of the Bishops and Emperours are diuers and distinct the one of bodyes and goods the other of soules and fayth the one of life and death for offences against the King and common-wealth the other of sinnes and sacraments belonging to Gods lawes mans conscience the one is temporall of the kingdome and common-wealth the other is spirituall of the Church flocke of Christ which the hereticall Emperours forgetting were stoutly and zealously admonished and reprehended by the holy Bishops vnder them for the same As for example Cōstantius the Arian 1. by Hosius of Corduba willing him not to medle with Ecclesiasticall affaires nor to commaund them but to learne of them because to him God had committed the Empire but to them the Church 2. By Leontius of Tripolis because being ruler of military and politicke affaires he should not rule in thinges that belong only to Bishops 3. By S. Hilary of Arles wishing him to writ to Iudges of Prouincies that they should not presume or vsurpe to intermedle with the causes of Clergy men 4. By S. Athanasius of Alexandria that he and such who will be Presidents in ecclesiasticall iudgments who will make the Tribunals of the Court the seales of deciding ecclesiasticall causes themselues Princes and Authours of Church affaires are the abomination of desolation yea euen Antichrist himselfe Valentinian the yonger seduced by his wife was told by S. Ambrose of Milane That he had no Imperiall right in thinges that are diuine for the Court doth belong to the Emperour but the Church to the Priest And being called by the Emperour to reason with Auxentius the Arian he answered That if a conference was to be made of fayth it was to be made by the Priestes as it was vnder Constantine who prescribed no lawes but gaue free iudgement to Priests That it was neuer heard that in a cause of fayth Lay
continuance and duration for as it is a priuate spirit in euery one and can continue no longer then the person in whome it is and with whome it begins and ends liues and dyes so it hath no promise of Scripture to endure from age to age from generation to generation from Saboth to Saboth as long as the Sunne and Moone shall endure till the end of the world to the seed and seeds seed for all generations All which are yet promised to holy Church and the spirit of God in it Thirdly it wants immutability and freedome from alteration or change for as we see it changes in euery place tyme and person yea as often as the Moone breeding as S. Hilary sayd of the Arians a monthly yearly fayth and as one of them confesses What to day they hould you know but what to morrow neither you nor they can know in what head of religion do they agree who oppugne the Bishop of Rome if you examine all from the head to the foot you shall almost find nothing affirmed by one which another will not auerre to be wicked the Deuines do dayly differ from themselues coyning a monthly fayth Thus it changes in all doctrines and in opinions of Scripture some affirming this part to be scripture which others deny some inuenting one sense and others a contrary and it so alters from sect to sect from heresy to heresy from Catholike to Lutheran from this to Caluinisme from that to Anabaptisme from thence to Arianisme and so on to Iudaisme Turcisme and Atheisme And as this alteration de facto workes in Protestants so also it hath no promise of constancy that it is a Rocke a pillar a foundation as the Sunne before God as sure as the day and the night that it hath an euerlasting couenant which shall stand for euer and for an eternall glory and not be giuen ouer All which is yet promised to the Church and the spirit of God in it Fourthly it wants Visibility and publike manifestation to vs not only that it is the spirit of God of which before but much more in whom it remaines for as that which is in one cannot manifest it selfe to another so others cannot manifestly know that it is in any one Aske for example the Lutherans who follow Luther and his spirit the Caluinists who follow Caluin and his spirit the Anabaptistes who follow Rotman and his spirit the Aâ—ians who follow Seruetus and his spirit the Libertines who follow Quintinus and his spirit or any Precisian who follow a precise preacher and his spirit how they know that Luther doth enioy this spirit more then Caluin or Caluin more then Rotman or Rotman more then Seruetus or Seruetus more then Quintinus or any one of them more then the Pope and Catholike Church vnder him They can giue no reason more for one then for another shew no cause why they follow one spirit more then another or why they should be persuaded confirmed directed to the fayth of any one more then another This spirit therefore hath not the conspicuity and visibility of being as a tabernacle in the Sunne the Sunne in my light a candle vpon a candlesticke or seauen candlestickes in the Temple a citty vpon a hill a mountaine in the top of mountaines eleuated aboue the little hills that it may be seene and knowne of all the world All which yet are agreable to the Catholike Church and the spirit of God in it Fifthly this spirit wants combination or connexion by which it may combine all faithfull in one bond of Vnity and Concord and so distinguish a true Church from a false a right belieuing Catholike from a deceitfull heretike and a right way to heauen from an erroneous path to perdition It is priuate and particuler in euery man diuerse and contrary in most men It did suggest of old one beliefe for example in Sabellius another in Marcion another in Nestorius another in Apollinaris and Eutiches and it hath suggested of late one in Luther another in Zuinglius a third in Caluin a fourth in Munzer a fifth in Seruetus and aboue 220. in this last age in so many new Maisters and founders of new sects all whose hartes are diuided and like the Aegyptians run togeather against the Aegyptians and by diuision make the kingdome of Christ desolate And yet all of them call this their spirit of the Lord all build their beliefe vpon it all are directed by it in their contrary doctrine and beliefe Aske any one or all of them how they are instructed who they follow by what they are directed all answere by this spirit all appeale to this priuate spirit and yet all want that spirit which keepeth vnity of the spirit in the body of peace which should continue them in one minde in one agreement and iudgement in one hart and soule in one way and path and make them all one as Christ was one in his Father Which spirit notwithstanding resides and dwels in the Catholike Church Sixthly this spirit wants Vniuersality as vnable to resolue all doubts and questions which arise either about Scripture in the obscurity profundity and multiplicity of senses or in the seeming contradictions figuratiue locutions and seuerall interpretations of the wordes the various Texts and reading the many dissonanceâ— of yeares in numbring the different translation of words from the originall or which arise about the mysteries belieued as the vnity of the God-head the Trinity of persons in the Blessed Trinity the person the natures the wills the body the soule of Christ the nature of grace free-will sinne iustification sacraments Church prayer to Saints for the dead Purgatory and thousands such like which this spirit could neuer decide and end either in tymes ancient or of late but with contention it begunne all these differences in contention it proceeded in them and neuer ceased till by contention it consumed it selfe and ended them It cannot sufficiently conuince any one either Pagan or Infidell either Turke or Iew either Heretike or obstinate Person that they are in errour and haue not the spirit of God as well as true Christians It cannot conuert reduce or confirme any to the verity of true fayth who is either ignorant of Fayth or staggering in his fayth or obstinate against faith It can giue no probable reasons of persuasion propose no credible testimonies of inducement deliuer no conuincing arguments of certainty of fayth and doctrine and in effect can shew no grounds sufficient in prudence to persuade any iudicious man to accept as credible the religion of ChristiaÌ„s more then of Iewes Turkes or Pagans therefore it cannot extend it selfe to all Nations enlarge the place of his Tents stretch out the skins of his Tabernacles increase the sea with knowledge sucke the milke of Gentils and be nursed with the
reuelation thus proposed we settle our last resolution of fayth and the certainty of it as vpon the former credible motiues or humane fayth we setled our preparation or acceptation of fayth and the credibility of it Now if we compare or apply these togeather it will euidently appeare that in neither is committed any Circle because the former that is the acceptation depends vpon credible motiues which are as the Samaritan womans word making it seeme probable that Christ was the Messias and the later that is the assent to Fayth dependes â—pon diuine reuelation which is as our Sauiours word reuealing to them that he is the true Messias and so both haue seuerall grounds and principles on which they depend the one credible testimonies the other diuine reuelation wherby comparing them togeather no appearance of any circular proofe can be found betweene them For the actuall assent and beliefe it selfe whereby we infallibly belieue the mysteries reuealed though we belieue the verity of Scripture reuelations by the authority of Church proposition and Church proposition for the authority of Scripture reuelation whereby Scripture reuelation doth giue vs testimony of Church proposition and againe Church proposition of Scripture reuelation Yet that this reciprocall testimony and proofe is not any proper and vitious Circle is proued First because it is in diuerso genere causa in diuers kinds of causes which before out of Aristotle is admitted for good and lawfull for the testimonyes of Scripture reuelation to the infallibility of Church proposition is causall as a cause and that formall why we belieue and assent to Church proposition But Church proposition is only conditionall as conditio sine quae non to know Scripture reuelation and so they are reciprocall in a different manner of proofe the one that is Scripture à priori as including diuine reuelation the other that is Church à posteriori required only as a condition The former as a formall precedent cause the latter as a subsequent annexed condition Both of them not much vnlike to our Sauiours testimony of S. Iohn Baptist and to S. Iohns testimony of our Sauiour the one as of God and infallible the other as of an holy man credible or to the testimony of our B. Sauiour the woman to the Samaritans the one as giuing certainty the other as proposing credibility of his being the Messias Or to the former example of rationale and risibile of the Sun-shine and the Day of the Vapours and Raine of the opening the Window and the entring of the Wind. All which reciprocally proue one another as the cause and the effect or as seuerall causes And all which doe much resemble the testimony of Scripture to the Church and of the Church to the Scripture which is likewise in a seuerall kind of causality and a different manner of probation Secondly because this reciprocall proofe is not ad omnino idem as Aristotle requires to a proper Circle that is the one is not the totall and sole cause of knowing the other For Church proposition is not knowne only by Scripture reuelation and no other way but also by other proofes signes and credible testimonies conuincing that Church authority is necessary and infallible to distinguish true sense of Scripture from false and to end Controuersies about Scripture And therefore as Aristotle admits that though the premises haue proued the conclusion yet the conclusion may againe proue the premises that in eodem genere causae so that the conclusion be proued by another medium then by the premises So though the Scripture reuelation proue Church proposition yet Church proposition may againe reciprocally proue Scripture reuelation so it be knowne by another meanes as we see it is then only by Scripture reuelation for this according to Aristotle is only an improper Circle and not a bad and vnlawfull Circle Thirdly because this reciprocall proofe is not to one the same person who is ignorant or doubtful of both but to diuers persons and such as suppose the one For to a Catholike who admits as belieued Church propositioÌ„ we proue by it Scripture-sense or reuelation and so an vnknowne thing to him by another thing supposed and knowne to him but to a Protestant who admits as by him belieued Scripture reuelation we proue by it Church proposition so to him a thing vnknowne by another more knowne But to a Pagan who admits neither Scripture reuelation nor Church proposition we proue neither of them one by another but both the one and the other by other probable motiues and credible testimonies more agreeable to his natural capacity and by them persuade him first to accept as credible Church proposition and by it Scripture reuelation by which Scripture and Church or scripture expounded by Church we persuade him to assent and belieue the articles reuealed In all which we proue ignotum per notius the vnknowne by the more knowne to him and so preparing him to giue credit to one do by that induce him to belieue the other By which meanes we still proceed from a thing knowne to an vnknowne to that person and so auoyd the Circle and begging of the question into which the Protestants runne and there sticke fast In which note the difference betweene them and vs for they proue reciprocally and circularly the Scripture by the spirit and the spirit againe by scripture in the same kind of proofe to wit formally as shal be shewed We proue scripture by Church and Church by scripture in diuers kindes of cause to wit the one causall and the other conditionall as is shewed 2. They proue the one by the other no otherwise knowne then by the other as the scripture by the spirit which spirit is only and by no other meanes knowne then by scripture and é contra as shal be shewed But we haue more means to know the Church then by scripture as is shewed 3. They proue one by the other to the same person to wit the Protestant doubtfull of both we to diuers persons who suppose belieue the one so ad hominem by that we proue the other Al which as it is true as presently shal be shewed so it shewes an apparent difference between the Protestant circular maÌ„ner of proofe of scripture by spirit and of spirit by scripture and of our Catholike improper Circle and lawfull manner of proofe of scripture by Church and of Church by scripture And thus much to cleare the imputation layd vpon Catholikes for their circular manner of proceeding in their proofe of scripture by the Church and of Church by scripture The Protestants diuers manners of Circles SECT III. SVBDIV. â— The Circle betweene the Scripture and the Spirit IT remaynes to shew that the Protestants doe seuerall wayes fall into this vnlawfull Circular manner of probation for which we may note how the Protestants for their doctrine of fayth iustification and saluation do make this gradation concatenation
where the one is there the other must be 2. That Melchisedech was a Priest and his sacrifice was in bread and wine 3. That Christ is compared to Melchisedech not only in his kingly authority as King of iustice and peace as Melchisedech was nor only in his genealogy as being without Father as man and without mother as God or without predecessor before him or successor after him in the office of redeemer as Melchisedech is said to be without Father mother but also in priestly function concealed on purpose by S. Paul for the incapacity of the Iews as a thing of which he hath a speech great and inexplicable to vtter and in his priestly sacrifice by offering bread wine as Melchisedech did and that not for one time but for euer Sith I say all this is euident it followes 1. That Christ is a priest not according to Aaron in offering bloud but according to Melchisedech in offering bread and wine and that not once by himselfe but for euer by his Apostles and Priests to whom he gaue commission to offer the same sacrifice which himselfe had done 2. It followes that to verify Christs being priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech there must be a succession of priests and sacrifice in Gods Church to offer the same sacrifice for euer so to make his priesthood continue for euer But by this former Protestant doctrine is excluded all sacrifice for sinne all priesthood to offer sacrifice and all holy orders to consecrat priests and so this perpetuall priesthood and sacrifice of Christ according to Melchisedech is reiected First in Christ himselfe and his owne person whome they deny to haue offered any sacrifice at his last supper Secondly in his Priests and deputies to whome they deny all authority of Priesthood and all power to offer sacrifice and so admit no sacrifice at all according to the order of Melchisedech either by Christ or his Church and why Because only Fayth doth iustify satisfy and apply the merit of Christ only Fayth doth couer all sinnes by the apprehension of the iustice of Christ only Fayth doth assure all that they are iust shall continue and that they need no other worke Sacrament or sacrifice to make or keep them iust but only Fayth and so this Fayth destroyes all sacrifice therby the Priesthood of Christ Lastly that this doctrine bereaues Christ of his knowledge both beatificall by which from the first instance of his conception he did clearely see God and also infused and that not out of thinges naturall and by accidents infused which by nature and industry may be obtained but also of thinges supernaturall and per se infused of things which are by fayth reuealed to vs such as are the mysteries we belieue and the secrets of harts all which by ancient Deuines is admitted to haue beene in Christ from the first instant of his conception That I say they depriue Christ of all this excellency and knowledge and make him ignorant and more ignorant then Adam who was created as in perfection of stature and strength of body so also in perfection of all philosophicall and theologicall knowledge in soule by which he gaue names to all beasts and more ignorant then Salomon who was the wisest of men before or after him is proued Because they affirme that he assumed our ignorance that he was ignorant like other children was instructed as boyes are increased in knowledge not only experimentall but also habituall as others do learned and profited in artes and sciences humane and diuine as children do that he was iignorant of the place of Lazarus his burâ—all of the Iewes fayth who offered the man sicke of the palsy of the Figge-tree both of what kind it was and what fruit it bore and of the day of iudgment not only to reueale it to others but to know it himselfe that he made farre-fetcht-similitudes and needlesse illations nothing to purpose wrested the wordes and sense of the Prophets weakly confuted his aduersaries failed in memory and made prayers and petitions vnaduised and not premeditated forced with the vehemency of sorrow in the garden all which are by Caluin imputed to him But if Christ was thus ignorant and blind in his vnderstanding then might he be deceaued in his iudgement and so deceaue others and faile in truth of that he sayd or reuealed in Scripture then may the scripture be false his fayth and doctrine be false all Christians be lead into errour and blindnes then may he be infirme in his operations and sinfull also in his actions For if the vnderstanding which is the light to lighten and the guide to direct the other faculties of the soule may be blind ignorant inconsiderate and erroneous then may the will which doth follow the light and direction of the vnderstanding and wils nothing but that the vnderstanding knowes also faile in the election of good and so will that is ill and commit sinne and so may Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life fall into errour falshood and sinne and so erre deceaue and commit sinne To all which if we adde the detestable and blasphemous assertions boldly auerred by prime Protestants Luther Caluin and their fellowes against Christ to wit that God made him a sinner vniust guilty and hatefull to himselfe that he was culpable a sinner true and most truly a sinner as other men a sinner most great most vile and obnoxius to the anger of God that he carried himselfe vncurteously and not like a sonne to his mother that he made a prayer vnpremeditated a vow abrupte inconsiderate contrary to his vocation to be corrected retracted and renounced that he renounced his office of mediatour was forgetfull of our saluation and the charge committed to him that he confessed his effeminate nicenesse esteemed himselfe not to be sent of God did wauer betweene praising and blaspheming of God did stagger among the waues of tentations vttered words of desperation was ouercome with desperatioÌ„ did renounce his saluation knew God was angry at him that he stood in need of Baptisme was cursed and execrable as commonly the damned are that he suffered the horrour of a conscience feeling Gods eternall wrath did feare and highly despaire in his soule in the same manner aâ— the damned did wauer betweene hell and life struggle with the horrour of eternall paines had an horrour of eternall punishment was tormented with the feare of horrible damnation was horribly afraid of the profound abisse of death was in feare to be absorpt by death was stroken with the horrour of the diuine malediction was tortured with anxiety as if he had God his enemy feared his saluation was perswaded that he was vndonne and was striken with the horrour of Gods iudgment more then euer any man was or could be in which his horrour consisted the summe of our consolation that he suffered the same paines of hell
and which was so imbraced in the Primitiue Church that in some places a thousand in other two thousands in others 3000. in others 5000. men and in others as at Ancyra 10000. women professed it in one place and preferred it before the riches and pleasures of the world This precious vertue and pearle is debauched Luxury which is as one cals it the gate to hell the way to iniquity the biting of a scorpion the birdlime of wickednesse and the fountaine of perdition is fomented and increased by this doctrine For who will labour to liue chastly who belieues as they teach that Chastity is impossible and no more in mans power then it is not to be a man that a woman is as necessary as to eat drinke sleepe or sneese that marriage is as gold virginity as dung that all are to be condemned as guilty of murther who do not giue themselues to beget children Who will abstaine from any sensuall lust and brutish concupiscence to which his affection leads him who perswades himselfe that a man or womaÌ„ sins as much in hauing a suggestion or motion of concupiscence though resisted as in consenting delighting or acting the sinne it selfe that it is no more sinne to yield then to resist lust that the sinne is pardoned before hand by vertue of the seale of Baptisme and no more imputed by the meanes of faith then though it had neuer beene committed He surely that is taught this and belieues this and withall that neither this nor any sinne can expell or take away his faith or damne him Infidelity only excepted is foolish if he feare sinne and is senselesse and labours in vaine if he seeke and labour to bridle his concupiscence to mortify his affections to resist his temptations or to restraine or not giue himselfe to all sensuality his heart can desire which freely and fully he may do as by this doctrine he is warranted and secured Surely he that belieues thus as thus he is taught needs not feare any detriment to his soule or any punishment of his sinne or any offence of God what therefore can or at least will restraine him from following his fleshly appetites specially in secret Thirdly Cruelty which how odious it is is by diuers examples before declared with all rage ire and reuenge and the practise of them is by vertue of this doctrine dangerously perswaded for who will not be encouraged to inflict any seuere punishment and cruell tortures for any little offence committed against him who belieues that God ordaines soules to such horrible punishments in hell for no offence committed or forseene to be committed against his Maiesty Who desirous to imitate God will not rather exercise then detest actions of all cruelty and tyranny when he belieues that God is a iudge so seuere cruell and tyrannous that he ordaines and creates men to damnation and sinne and for the same sinne which himselfe commands works in them doth himselfe torment them with those horrible torments of eternall fire in hell Who may not be incited to lay vpon subiects and seruants any command though neuer so heauy and intollerable when they read belieue that God laies vpon al men precepts which are impossible to be performed Who will bridle his rage and fury of passion when he perswades himselfe that he offends Gods as much in resisting as in yielding to it and that neither Gods particular fauour nor his speciall faith and â—ustice is lost nor any sinne shal be imputed or punishment inflicted vpon him for the sinne though in his rage he should kill murder and vse all reuenge vpon his enemies What needs therefore any man to feare or care in conscience what secret murder or villany he contriues or works so he can but auoid the shame or the world or the punishment of the lawes Fourthly Pride which is the sinne which God hates is abomination to God and the begining of all sinne apostacy from God Which is according to S. Gregory the root of all euill and the queene of all vices Yea according to S. Augustine the begining the end and the cause of all sinnes and which makes vs like to the diuels as humility doth to the Angels This pride is by this their doctrine kindled and as by bellowes blowne and set on fire For what a strong motiue to pride and rebellion against all superiours is it for one to perswade himselfe that he is by his priuate spirit immediatly taught of God vnderstands all doctrine reueiled by God needs no instruction or direction from his Pastour but may iudge and censure him yea with him all the ancient Pastours Doctours Bishops and Saints of Gods Church and may preferre his owne priuate iudgment and opinion before the generall Iudgment and doctrine of Gods Church How forcible a perswasion to pride and presumption is it for one to assure himselfe that he is sure of Gods fauour and of keeping it of remission of his sinnes and of perseuerance in grace to the end and that no sinne or offence can separate him from the fauour of God and from heauen yea that he is as iust and perfect as Peter Paul and the mother of God that God fauours him as much as he did Christ and will as assuredly free him from hell and bring him to heauen aâ— he hath done Christ and that without any his labour that he hath as much right to heauen as Christ hath and can be no more damned then Christ can be Which are Luthers and Zuinglius words The assurance of all which cannot but be a vehemeÌ„t perswasion to cause any man highly to esteeme of himselfe and to neglect all humility and feare of himselfe and all care with feare and trembling to worke his saluation By all which is euident that this ProtestaÌ„t doctrine is a great motiue and incentiue to all idlenesse lust cruelty and pride and so to all other vices and a strong impediment to the practise exercise of all contrary vertues and perfection SVBDIV. 4. Bad life 1. In the Common people 2. In the Ministers 3 In the first Reformers of Protestant religion confessed to be an effect of this doctrine WHICH yet that it may more plainly appeare and the more fully by example and practise be conuinced I will produce the open confession of many prime Protestants by whom this fruit and effect of this priuate spirit and the doctrine of it is confessed in their practise 1. In generall of all the common people 2. More particularly of their Ministers and maisters 3. Most specially of the chief founders pillars of their religion By all whose confâ—ssion is made apparent that lewd life wicked works and all licentious Epicurean liberty among Protestants is neither a corruption of the time nor an infirmity of mans nature nor a Nationall vice only nor yet an abuse of doctrine or a defect of good order and discipline but only and truly
God not only that which was written in paper but also that which was deliuered in preaching by the Apostles We receiue without any addition or diminution that Canon which the auncient Church twelue hundred yeares ago receiued that translation which for as many ages hath been approued that sense which the auncient Fathers Councells and Church euer since Christ allowed that Iudge which hath an infallible warrant from God to iudge truly and impartially of the Canon the text the translation the sense all whatsoeuer is doubtfull And all our practise is to follow the spirit of God speaking in the auncient Fathers Councels Church by which we are secure from errour or falshood about the scripture and sense of it Fifthly For the Church of God they with their priuate spirit dishonor it and derogate from it 1. From the power and authority of it as not hauing according to them any visible head and gouernour assisted with the holy Ghost to direct and gouerne it and to iudge of all causes and controuersies in it and so make it headlesse and vngouerned We honour it in acknowledging it to be a visible and perpetuall Monarchy with a setled and spirituall both Gouernour and gouernement hauing in it an infallible authority to iudge and decide all causes and controuersies 2. They derogate from the visibility perpetuity and infallibility of the same making it not only subiect to errour and corruption but to haue erred and perished or at least become inuisible for many ages We honour it in belieuing that it cannot erre faile perish become inuisible or be corrupted in fayth but that it is the piller of truth against which assisted by the holy Ghost the gates and power of hell and heresy cannot preuaile 3. They derogate from the vnity sanctity vniuersality and succession of the same as notes and markes to distinguish it from all other congregations which they reiect and admit not We reuerence and respect it as one holy Catholike and Apostlike Church which no other congregation is or can be 4. They derogate from the vncontrollable authority stability of the decrees of Councells and from the infallible testimony of the vnanime consent of the Fathers Doctors of the Church both which they at their pleasure censure condemne We receaue imbrace and follow them as guids and directours to truth and as witnesses and testimonies of truth belieuing that which they belieue and reiecting that which they before reiected 5. They derogate from the splendour and beauty of the Church in the state of Prelates in the single life of the Clergy in the retirednesse of the Religious persons in the ornaments of the Churches and in the variety of so many orders and professions all which they reiect condemne as needlesse or superstitious We reuerence and honour the same as tending to the externall honour of God and the magnificence of his Church thereby making the Church beautifull as the Moone elect as the Sunne wel ordered as an Army of men And to cōclude they make the Church the mystery of iniquity a whore a harlot and a strumpet the whore of Babylon drunken with al abominable filth of superstition and abomination of idolatry and antichristianity with which she hath made all the Christian world all Kinges and Emperours and that not for one or two ages but for seauen on ten or twelue or fourteene ages according to diuers opinions drunke with the same cup of superstition abomination idolatry and antichristianity and make it a body consisting of persons whoeuen the best and purest are in all partes and in euery action stayned impure sinnefull vniust and wicked We doe belieue confesse it to be the kingdome the citty the house of God the spouse of Christ the temple of the holy Ghost the pillar of truth which Christ hath purchased washed with his precious bloud made immaculate incontaminate and vnspotted pure holy and perfect before him which no errour of superstition or idolatry can possesse no power of Pagans or Heretikes or Schismatikes or other wicked Christians can suppresse no subtilty of heresy infidelity or Sathan himselfe can supplant destroy or extinguish Sixhtly For the sacraments they from the number of seauen do curtaile fiue and leaue only two and from these two they take away from the one that is baptisme 1. The effect and vertue making it only a signe or seale no cause or instrument of grace and of no more vertue then the baptisme of S. Iohn Baptist 2. They take away all necessity of it making it not needfull for infants whom they will haue saued by the parents faith without it From the other that is the Eucharist they take away both the fruit and the substance of it making it not the reall body and bloud of Christ but only a bare signe and remembrance of it Not any sacrifice offered to God but only a Sacrament signing or sealing grace and therby robbe Christ of all adoration by it as a Sacramēt and of all subiection or acknowledgment of dominion by it as a sacrifice and they robbe the Church of all benifit comfort both by the Sacrament and sacrifice We do admit for seuerall states of persons seuerall sorts of benefits by seauen seuerall kindes of Sacraments all as instruments of Gods power causing grace which assists all sorts of persons in their seuerall states and functions and all excell the Sacraments of the old law For the Sacrament of baptisme we belieue it to be a meanes of regeneration from originall sinne by which all sinne and punishment due to sinne both original actual is fully remitted and by which all persons are admitted into the mysticall body of Iesus Christ in his holy Church and made capable of the benefit of the rest of the Sacraments And for the Sacrament of the Eucharist we belieue that not only i◠conteines the fountaine of Grace but also is offered to God as a sacrifice to apply the vertue of his sacrifice on the crosse for the remission of our sinnes by which is giuen much honour to God and receiued great benefit by Gods Church much comfort to the faithfull both liuing and dead Seauenthly for Faith they and their priuate spirit admit many sorts of faith and in that none at all and make as many faiths as there are priuate spirits in particuler persons and in that destroy all vnity of faith We admit one holy Catholicall and Apostolicall faith one in al and generall to all who in all are directed by one spirit of Gods Church They admit a new and new-deuised faith neuer receiued by any but in some one or other point by condemned hereticks in whom it was condemned We receiue an auncient and euer belieued faith euer receiued and approued by general Coūcells ancient Fathers holy Saints in Gods Church They reiect the grounds of faith as Scripture Traditions Church Councells and Fathers We admit belieue
interpreted by Prophecy was not doctrine or mysteries of faith but either exhortation to piety for edification and consolation or of things secret as future euents or vnknowne faults or facts done by which the secrets of the heart of the infidell or idiot was made knowne and he conuinced and iudged of all therfore it makes nothing for doctrine of faith and interpretation of scripture 4. This manner of Prophecy howsoeuer and of whatsoeuer it was it was not independent and of it selfe free to interprete what and how it will but so that the rest doe iudge that the spirits of Prophets be subiect to the Prophets And so euery priuate spirit must be subiect to the iudgment of the Church and the Churches spirit Fourthly they obiect those places where it is said that All thy Childrē are taught of our Lord Al shal be docible of God Your selues haue learned of God I will giue my law in their bowels and I will write it in their heart All shall know me from the least to the greatest If any will do his will who sent me he shall vnderstand of the doctrine whether it be of God My sheepe do heare my voice do follow me Yow haue no need that any do teach you but as his vnction teacheth you of all things All these places I say do not either ioyntly altogether or particularly any one mention any priuiledge that euery one hath by the instinct of his owne priuate spirit to interprete holy scripture to decide deep mysteries of faith and to iudge of all controuersies of diuinity which is the point auerred by the Protestants denied by vs and in controuersy betweene both 2. In them is affirmed only that God will giue his inward guift of grace to all sort of persons so sufficiently that they may know him his truth and the true way to saluation and by the same may obserue his Commandements and come to be saued In which yet is neither excluded but rather supposed as precedent and an exteriour proponent cause the ordinary meanes of preaching by Pastours and of instruction by them and subordination to them But yet is not giuen to any one any power or priuiledge to preferre his owne spirit before the spirit of the whole Church or to censure the doctrine which is once adiudged by the same which among the rest this Protestant priuate spirit doth assume to it selfe For which we may note that it is one thing to haue faith sufficient for saluation another to haue the guift of infallible interpretatiō of scripture The former is a guift general to all the faythful though they be as yet little ones who only sucke milke though they be as yet carnal not spiritual thogh they be ignorant of many things and haue many thinges wanting to the perfection of their faith Yet they be sealed with the spirit of the promise the pledge of our inheritance haue the spirit of God dwelling in them and so haue the literall verity of all the former places verifyed in them The later is a guift peculiar and proper only to them who by place and function are spirituall and perfect haue their senses exercised to the discerning of good and euill And haue the guift of discerning of spirits and interpreting of speaches And these are they who as tryers and discerners of fayth interpreters of Scripture and haue the guift and power infallible to direct others in the doctrine of fayth who are ex officio the Pastours and Prelates of Gods Church and are as Bishops to rule to feed the flocke of Christ to exhort and reproue with all authority to controule rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the fayth and to denounce to certaine not to teach otherwise And all by that power which God hath giuen them to edification and to reuenge all disobedience and to bring into captiuity al vnderstanding to the obedience of Christ This is the office of the Prelates and Bishops of Gods Church 3. This inward guift of grace or vnction of the Holy Ghost is only an efficient internall and cooperant cause and so necessary to mooue the vnderstanding and will to assent to that which as certaine is proposed but this iudge or interpreter must be an exteriour proponent cause which must deliuer to vs this sense as certaine which being proposed grace doth enable vs to belieue Now all these and such like places are meant of the interiour guift of grace which is necessary but not ordinarily sufficient without a precedent exteriour and proponent cause which is this infallible Interpreter of holy Scripture in Pastours of the Church Fifthly to those places where it is commanded not to belieue euery spirit but to proue the spirits if they be of God and to proue all thinges and hould that which is good is answered 1. That all and euery person of the body of the holy Church is not directed to make this tryall but only the chiefe that is the Pastours and Prelates as when a man is willed to discerne and see not euery member and part of the body is directed so to do but the chiefe members as the head which is to iudge and the eye to see to whose function it is proper and belonges or as when an Vniuersity is directed to examine and iudge of such a booke and doctrine not euery student but the chiefe Doctours of that faculty are so directed and willed so that not euery person and vnlearned party in the Church is to make this tryall of spirits but only Pastours and Prelates to whose function it is peculiar and proper to iudge and decide all such like questions and doubts 2. This tryall and iudgment is to be made not of questions doctrine already decided and determined by the authority of the Church but of such as are yet doubtfull and vndecided For that which is once determined by the generall consent of the Church or Councell is not againe to be examined and iudged by any priuate mans spirit for so the Decrees of Coūcells were both vaine endlesse that therfore is to be tryed which is not before both tryed and iudged and that by those who haue both ability and authority to do it which makes nothing for this priuate spirit which will both try what is before by any Councell iudged and will by euery simple vnlearned person try and iudge it Sixthly to that of 1. Cor. 2.15 The spirituall man iudgeth all thinges and himselfe is iudged of none It is answered that S. Paul to confound the Corinthians who standing vpon their humane worldly wisedome contemned his vnlearned manner of instruction affirmes that they being men sensuall can iudge only of sensuall thinges but he being spirituall and perfect in diuine wisedome can iudge both of things sensuall and spirituall and
these six meanes of Faith Of credible testimonies Of the pious disposition of the habit of Fayth Of the materiall obiect Of the formal obiect Of the proponeÌ„t cause (y) Rom. 10 17. Infallibility Aug. de vtil credendi Which is church proposition (a) Psal 32 12 (b) Matt. 28 1.20.20 (c) 1. Cor. 13.16.17.19 (d) Cant. 4.8 Ioan. 3.19 (e) Ose 2. (f) 2. Cor. 11.2 (g) Rom. 12.5 Eph. 4.4 (i) Ephes 5.25.29 (k) Act. 20.28 (l) Mat. 28.20 (m) Ioan. 14.16 (n) Esa 59.21 (o) Ioan. 14.16 (p) Ioan. 16 13. (q) Matt. 16 18. (r) 1. Cor. 4.21 (s) 1. Cor. 5.3 (t) Act. 15.28 (u) 1. Tim. 3 15. (w) Matt. 16.18 (x) Matt. 15 15. (y) Luc. 10.16 (z) Matt. 13 2. (a) Luc. 10.16 (b) Matt. 18 17. (c) Mar. 16.16 The church that is the pastours of it (d) Ephe. 4.11 (e) Ier. 3.15 (f) Rom. 10. (g) Rom. 10.14 Church propositioÌ„ coÌ„firmed by Fathers Iren. lib. 3. cap. 4. Aug. lib. 1. cont CrescoÌ„ cap. 33. Luth. de anti Eccl. tom 7. fol. 562. Ger. 2. part 10.40 The Protestants want all the meanes of faith Externall Eternall Internall Protestants want credible testimonies which are such as either may 1. Confirme Pagans these are (h) Valentia tom 3. dis 1 q. 1. art 4. pag. 87. c. In respect of Christ Of ChristiaÌ„ doctrine Of holy Scripture Of ChristiaÌ„ Professours 2. Or may confirme Catholikes such as are Aug. lib. cont epist Funda cap. 4. Consent Authority Succession Name Catholike (*) Aug. de vnit Eccl. c. 7. tom 7. Concione 2. in Psalm 30.12 3. Or may reduce Heretiks such as are Vnity Sanctity vniuersality Succession Protestants want testimonies of credibility 1. To conuert Pagans 2. To conuince Heretikes As vnity with the primitiue Church Or among themselues Sanctity of doctrine Of miracle (n) Luth. conc 2. Domin 1. Aduentus (o) Becan de fide cap. 6. num 4. Vniuersality Of name Catholike Of place Of tyme. Succession of Ordination And Vocation Protestants want Church-infallible proposition in that they Disobey their Pastours Disclaime generall Councels And condemn their whole Church of errour Protestants want a pious disposition of the Will By obstinacy by which They fal into heresy Loose their fayth Belieue no truth by any diuine Fayth Separate themselues froÌ„ Christ Protestants want an infused guift of Fayth Protestants want the material obiects or articles of Fayth because they belieue not Traditions nor many partes of Scripture in which they are reuealed Nor many articles belieued by ancient Church and Fathers Not any article by diuine fayth Protestants want the formall obiect of faith or diuine reuelation As not depending vpon the reuelations made to the Apostles but to them selues by their priuat spirit Catholikes aduantage of the Protestants â— In the materiall obiect belieued as belieuing not only what is reuealed in scripture interpreted by their owne spirit But what is reuealed or declared in Scripture Tradition Councells Church-practise Fathers 2. In the formall obiect which we make not sense reasoÌ„ or the priuate spirit But reuelation Ancient General Continued Infallible 3. In the internall assistance of grace Protestants depend only vpon a motion of priuate spirit We vpon a permanent guift seuerall helps of Grace 4. In the credible testimonies they haue none We haue Vnity with the ancient Church With one head VVith our selues Sanctity of doctrine Sanctity of life Of miracleâ— Vniuersaliry of name Of place Of tyme. Succession of Ordination and Doctrine Exampls of Martyrs CoÌ„fessours Doctours Virgins 5. In the infallible proponeÌ„t cause they haue none at all We haue infallible Church authority The priuate spirit might as well be chalenged by Catholikes as Protestants 2. Cor. 11. â—â— About the necessity of the spirit Catholikes Protestants agree Differ 1. in the name 2. In the vniuersality of it 3. In the maÌ„ner of operation of it 4. In the permanency of it 5. In the effect of it what Catholiks assigne What Protestants assigne In respect of the obiect In respect of the subiect â—alu 4. Inst. 17.2 in the French editioÌ„ The priuate spirit not to be belieued The reason The effect of it (a) Act. 20.29.3 (b) 2. Pet. 2.1 (c) v. 2. (d) v. 10. (e) v. 14. (f) v. 19. (g) v. 18. (h) v. 20. (i) v. 21. (k) 2. Pet. 3 16. ReasoÌ„s why it cannot be belieued (a) 1. Cor. 2 12. (b) 1. Cor. 2.11 (c) 7. Cor. â—·12 (d) 1. Reg. 16.14 (e) Ioan. 15.16 (f) 2. Paral. 18.22 1. Tim. 4.1 (g) Es 11.2 (h) Es 19.14 How by what rule spirits are to be tryed Catholikes rule (1) 1. Cor. 12 4.11.13 (2) Ioan. 14 16.26 (3) 1. Cor. 12 2. Protestants rule Cal. in 1. Ioa. 4. v. 1. Who are to try spirits according to Catholikes According to Protestants ConclusioÌ„ (a) Matt. 24 4.5 (b) 2. Pet. 2.1 (c) Ib. v. 2. (d) 2. Pet. 2.10 (e) Ib. v. 14. (f) Ib. v. 19. (g) 2. Pet. 3.16 (h) Ibid. (i) Act. 20.30 The second proof out of S. Peter The scripture is to be interpreted by the same spirit by which it was penned (4) Ephes 4. Chrys hom de spir sanct adorando Clem. ep 5. Cal. in CoÌ„m in hunc locum Bellar. l. 3. c. 6. de interpr verbi Dei Inference ConclusioÌ„ The third proofe out of S. Paul The guift of interpreting scripture is gratia gratis data It is not coÌ„mon to all faythfull Inferences Matth. 7.22 ConclusioÌ„ 4. Proofe out of Ezechiel By whom is described The spirit The persoÌ„s The effects The punishmeÌ„t of it The spirit of false Prophets and Protestants compared Hierem. 29.8 The persoÌ„s The effects Inferences Women seducers Hier. epitom 1. epist. ad Câ—esiph ConclusioÌ„ The fifth proof out of Iob. Eliu the Busite his priuate spirit Eliu the Protestants spirit alike 3. Reg. 22.23 The sixth proofe out of S. Paul admonishing Who is an Heretike Sanct. lib. 2. mor. c. 7. n. 1. Aug. ep 162. Qui sententiam suam quaÌ„uis falsaÌ„ peruersaÌ„ nulla pertinaci animo sitate defeÌ„dunt praeser tim inquam non audaciâ presumptionis pepererunt sed à seductis in errorem lapsis parentibus acceperunt quaerunt auteÌ„ cauta solicitudine veritatem corrigi parati cum inuenerint nequaquaÌ„ sunt inter haereticos deputandi Aug. l. 18. de ciuit Dei c. 51. Qui in ecclesia Dei morbiduÌ„ aliquod prauumque sapiunt si correpti vt sanum rectuÌ„que sapiaÌ„t resistunt coÌ„tumaciter suaque pestifera mortifera dogmata emeÌ„dare noluÌ„t sed defensare persistuÌ„t haeretici fiuÌ„t foras exeuntes habentur in exerceÌ„tibus inimicis Aug. l. 4. de Bapt. cont Donat. c. 16. Why an heretike is to be auoided Tert. de prescript cap. 6. quia in quo damnatur sibi clegit Conclusion The 7. and last proofe out of diuers places of Script (a) Prou. 3.5 7. (b) Iob. 12.15 (c) Prou. 14.12 (d) Is 5.21 (e) Deut. 12.9 (f) Rom. 1.22 (g) Rom. 2.8 (h) Thes 1.8