Traditions Both false depositions both wrongfully imposed crimes A wrongfull crime it is that we traduce the Scriptures as vnperfect We graunt with Vincentius Lyrinensis Vincen. Lyâ—â—nen cap. 2. that the Canon of Scripture is perfect a perfect light and lanterne to our feet a perfect rule and direction of sayth if as he noteth the line of Propheticall and Apostolical interpretation be leuelled according to the square of the Ecclesiastical and Catholike sense As great a wrong that we cleaue to humane and vncertaine Traditions We anker on such as are diuine certaine and infallible authentically warranted by the rules himselfe approueth to descend from Christ or the Church his holy and vndoubted Spouse 17. A like wrongfull crime M. Sparkes fastneth vpon Sparks p. 82. 83. vs when he sayth That we preferre the authority of the Church the wife before Christ the husband that we make the written word of God inferiour in authority to the Church and to haue his Canonicall credit from thence Sure you are as Salomon censureth a guilfull witnesse who furnish your cause Prouerb cap. 14. Testis fidelis non mentitur Profert mendaciâ—â— dolosus testis Io. 4 3. Reg. 3. with such shamefull lyes When many belieued in Christ induced by the speach of the Samaritan woman was her authority prefeâ—â—ed before Christ When King Salomon decreed the infant for which the two harlots contended to belong to her whose bowells were moued at the sentence of his death did he make her therby the mother of the child or declare her to be the mother who was the mother indeed So when we imbrace Gods written word by the externall approbation and testimony of the Church answerable to that of S. Augustine Ego Euangelio non crederem c. I would not belieue the Ghospell vnles the authority of the Church moued me thereunto we extoll not the Aug con ep Fund cap. 5. voice of the Spouse before the voyce of Christ. Nor the Church when it defyneth any booke to be Canonicall Scripture doth giue it thereby diuine and Canonicall credit Bils part 4. pag â—81 Rem cont 1. pag. 619 6â—9 Field l. 4 Stapleton cont 5. de poâ— Eccles quaest â— but commaundeth that to be receaued by others as Canonicall which hath in itselfe Canonicall authority 18. Lastly our Aduersaryes arme themselues with the weapons of the Fathers and M. Bilson marshalleth six togeather in a rancke S. Athanasius S. Chrysostome S. Cyrill S. Ambrose S. Augustine and Vincentius who conformably mantaine the sufficiency of Scripture in all necessary points of fayth Many other to the like purpose are alleadged by M. Reynolds and M. Field To all which I answere First that the Scripture is taught to containe all things necessary to saluation as the vniuersal ground Cyril l. 12. c. vltimo Chrys ho. 3. in 2. Thes 2. Vincent aduersus prophan hae nouit c. 2. Bafil ep 80 Cyril de rect fide ad Regi Hieron in Psal 86. Aug. l 3. con lit Petil Tert. lib. cont haer Athan. l. cont Gent. Aug. l. 2. cap. 9. Rein in his conf c. 2. diuis 2. Aug. l. 10. de Gen. ad lit c. 23. Bils 4. par p. 582. 583. Field in appen 2. p. §. 8. Aug. l. 4. c. 24. Dio. l. Eâ—c bier c. vlt. Orig. in 12. Leuit. bom 8. in cap. 6. epist ad Rom. seed or roote from which whatsoeuer we belieue may either mediately or immediatly be gatheted as S. Cyril and S. Chrysostome auouch Secondly as it teacheth and directeth vs to the authority of the Church and doctrine of her Pastours by which euery point is of may be particulerly and clearely explained Thus Vincentius and others are to be interpreted Thirdly it is affirmed to containe all thinges and that nothing besides the Scripture is to be admitted to wit no priuate customes or particuler Traditions not agreeable or repugnant to the writen word as S. Basil S. Cyrill S. Hierome S. Augustines meaning is in his booke against Petilian Fourthly the Fathers often acknowledge the sufficiency of Scripture to conclude euen in plaine and expresse wordes certaine maine principles of our fayth as that God created all thinges of nothing of which Tertullian against Hermogenes That Christ is the true God That Idolls are not God of which Athanasius writeth Or they teach it clearely comprehends the chiefe articles of our Creed and ten Commandments of which S. Augustine only speaketh in his booke of Christian doctrine so often quoted by M. Reynolds 19. Besides which many other things are necessary to be imbraced as by Fathers Reason and Scripture I haue already conuinced and therfore will close vp my whole discourse with one or two sentences of S. Augustine and Origen S. Augustine sayth The custome of the Church in baptizing Infants is not at all to be belieued vnles it were an Apostolicall Tradition M. Bilson and M. Field haue no other shift to trauerse the euidence of this place then by accusing it of some secret corruption But what was he corrupted also in his booke of Baptisme against the Donatists where he repeateth it againe Was Dionysius was Origen corrupted too who sayth The Church receaued a Tradition from the Apostles to minister Baptisme also to Infants Was this other passage of S. Augustine corrupted likewise Aug. de Bap. con Donat. l. 5â— c. 23. It is an article of faith to belieue this Baptisme to be valide Orig. in c. 3. ad Tit. teste Pamphilo in Apol. prâ— Orig. of the validity of Baptisme ministred by Heretikes The Apostles commanded nothing hereof yet the custome which was opposed herein against Cyprian is to bebelieued to proceed from their Tradition euen as many things be which the whole Church holdeth and are therfore well belieued to be commanded of the Apostles although they be not written I may then conclude with Origen He is an Heretike who professeth himself to beleiue in Christ yet belieueth otherwise of the truth of Christian fayth then the definition of Ecclesiastic all Tradition containeth 20. Notwithstanding to reproue our Aduersaries and satisfy all indifferent Readers that we fly not to the succour of Traditions for want of proofes out of holy writ I will vphold the right of our cause in euery ensuing Controuersy as I promised in my Preface by the irreprouable testimonies of Gods written word THE THIRD CONTROVERSY WHEREIN The Reall Presence is maintayned against D. Bilson and D. Sparkes CHAP. I. AS the vnspeakable riches of Gods infinite loue in no mystery of our fayth appeareth more bountâ—full then in the true and reall Fresence of Christs sacred Body conteyned in the holy Eucharist so the vnsatiable malice of our deadly enemy no where more hatefully bewrayeth it selfe then in seeking to abolish this most blessed dreadfull and admirable Sacrament For besids the Armenians Messalians Grecians and Aquarians Althons de Cast l. 9. adu haer v Eucharist Aug. de haer Epiph haer 26. whose errours
his seruants from Adam euen vntyll Moyses for the space of 2000. yeares without recording any one precept or instruction he gaue And when Iesus Christ his only Sonne came into this world he called his Apostles planted his Church Mar. 16. v. 15. Luc. 10. 16. Math. 18 v. 7. Matth. 23. v. 3. see S. Aug. ep 165. preached his heauenly doctrine yet neuer penned or so much as commaunded any one mystery to be written He gaue his Apostles commisson to preach the Ghospell to euery creature He charged vs to heare them as himself to giue eare to whatsoeuer they should teach or say But to giue credit only to what they should write he neuer gaue charge And therfore they preached many yeares conuerted thousands and deliuered vnto them the food of life before they compiled the bookes of Scripture as all our Aduersaries will confesse Yet sayth D. Reynolds after these bookes were once penned and published abroad all Reyn in his first Conclusion p. 616. things requisite to saluation are there conteyned which thus he laboureth to proue The Prophets taught the old Church the way of Saluation the Apostles with the Prophets togeather teach the new more plenteously fully The Doctrine of the Prophets Apostles is comprized in the holy Scripture the Scripture therfore teacheth the Church whatsoeuer is behoofull to Saluation Oh deceiptfull disputant who in so weighty a matter vseth such Sophistry How creepeth the Pronoune whatsoeuer into your conclusion not auouched in the premisses But if you will haue it vnderstood I denie your Minor I denie that the whole doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles is comprized in holy Scripture 2. To begin with the doctrine of the Prophets Moyses the first Scribe and chiefe Secretary of the holy Ghost was so farre from setting downe all thinges he receaued Orig ho. 5. in Num. Hilar. in Ps 2. from the mouth of God that whereas he was taught by him the law and true sense which is the life soule of the law the law he engrossed in writing but the sense and exposition thereof as Origen and S. Hilary affirme he secretly deliuered by inuiolable tradition to his Successours euen by the expresse will commandment of God as he seemed by Esdras whose testimony Esd â— 4. c. 14. v. 5. 6. as a most holy and learned man must needes beare sway in these plaine tearms to declare I haue disclosed vnto Moyses many meruailous things c. And I haue charged him saying These words shalt thou lay open and these shalt thou conceale Among which he concealed what meanes God prouided for the sauing and purging of women from originall infection what for children before the eight day of circumcision thinges not mentioned in Scripture as D. Field with Andradius willingly confesseth and proueth by Field l. 4. pag. 236. Andrad defen l. 2. the authority of S. Gregory That children then were saued by the faith of their parents Yet when Andradius inferreth that this at least could not be knowne but by Tradition D. Field reiecteth his inference as friuolous and sayth most fondly and contrary to himselfe That it was knowne and concluded out of the generall and common rules of reason and equity Field pag. 237. Most fondly For what necessary sequele haue the incomprehensible secrets of Gods hidden election in things supernatural with the common rules of naturall reason Are his wayes and meanes of saluation any way tyed to the discourse of man S. Paul who was rapt into the third heauen amiddest all his reuelations thought them farre aboue the reach of humane wit when he cryed out O alt tudo c. O the depth of the riches of Gods wisedome and knowledge how inscrutable are his iudgments and his wayes vnsearchable And were they made plaine before to Rom. 11. v. 33. the Iewes by the common rules of reason and equity Most contrary to himselfe because if the soueraigne and necessary meanes of sauing the aforesaid partyes not specifyed in holy writ be deduced from these general grouÌ„ds some behoofull thing necessary to saluation against Bilson against Reynoldes against himselfe is not conteined in Scripture 3. To these and such like close and hidden Traditions Eccles 8. v. 11. 12. King Salomon referred the Children of Israël when he sayd Let not passe the narration of thy elders for they haue beene taught by their fathers and of them thou shalt learne vnderstanding Of these King Dauid spake How many things hath Psal 77. â— he commanded our Fathers to make knowne to their children Of these the whole Scripture is so full as M. Reynolds and M. Bilson languishing in this Controuersy for want of proofs are faine to alleadge such texts to warrant their assertion as their aduersaryes might produce to diswarrant Rein. Con. â— p. 616. Bils 2. p. pag. 267. the same M. Reynolds obiecteth that saying of Moyses Giue eare O Israël to the ordinances which I teach Bilson that of Deutronomy Whatsoeuer I command that shall yee do Do not these places make for me What Rein pag. 616. 617. I teach what I command sayth God not what I write Reynoldes vrgeth out of Ieremy How Idolators are condemned for doing in their Sacrifices things which our Lord commanded Bils 2. paâ—â— pag. 206. Mala. 2. Bils 2. par p. 289. peruâ—â—ts this place translating the Priests lips should preserue wheras it is expresly in Hâ—brew jjâ—hmeru in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine custodieÌ„t shall preserue Ioan. ep 2. v 12. 1. Cor. cap. 11. â—4 not Which he commanded not I grant neither by word nor writing D. Bilson alleadgeth King Dauid How the word of God is a lanterne to our feete Reynolds cyteth Malachy Willing the people to remember the law of Moyses The word the law I confesse as well recorded in harts as printed in bookes which Malachy himselfe witnesseth The lipes of the Priests not the leaues of paper only shall keep or preserue knowledge and thou shalt require the law from his mouth Could they haue chosen better weapons for my aduantage then these they bring forth in their owne defence Perchance they reserue their forces to mantaine at least that after the Apostles and Euangelists penned their preaching nothing auailable to saluation is left vnwritten But their weaknes also heerein shall openly appeare as soon as I haue proued that the Apostles thought it not expedient to set downe all things in writing that they often referre vs to vnwritten Traditions that reason conuinceth the necessity of them and the Fathers mention many which we must needs imbrace 5. S. Iohn sayth Hauing more things to write vnto you I would not impart them by paper and inke S. Paul left some holy decrees and ordinances vnpenned of which he spake to the Corinthians The rest I will dispose when I come some deep points of Christs Priesthood insinuated to the Hebrewes Of whome I haue great speach and inexplicable to
AN ANTIDOTE OR TREATISE OF THIRTY CONTROVERSIES VVith a large Discourse of the Church IN WHICH The soueraigne truth of Catholike doctrine is faythfully deliuered against the pestiferous writinges of all English Sectaryes AND In particuler against D. WHITAKER D. FVLKE D. RIYNOLDS D. BILSON D. ROBERT ABBOT D. SPARKES and D. FIELD the chiefe vpholders some of Protestancy some of Puritanisme some of both Deuided into three Partes By S. N. Doctour of Diuinity THE FIRST PART Deut. 32. vers 30. How should one be able to pursue a thousand and two put tenthousand to flight Is it not therefore because their God hath sold them and our Lord hath inclosed and made them thrall Permissu Superiorum M. DC XXII THE principall maintainers of Protestancy of whome I spake in the former page are D. BILSON and D. FIELD THE pillars of Puritanisme are D. REYNOLDS and D. SPARKES who were chosen Proctours for the Preâ—isian faction in the Conference before his Maiesty at Hampton-Court THE abbettours of both are D. WHITAKER D. FVLKE and D. ROBERT ABBOT who sometimes defend the articles of the one sometymes of the other TO THE RIGHT WORTHY STVDENTS OF THE TWO FAMOVS VNIVERSITIES OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE ARISTOTLE in penning his Morall Instructions of Arist. l. r. Eth. cap. 1. Philosophy thought all his endeauours well bestowed if he might profit as he saith any one thereby much more if Townes and Citties How happy then may I thinke my labours imployed if by these small paines I may rightly instruct some few of You not in Morall Vertues but in Diuine and Heauenly Verities not in Precepts of Manners only but in Articles of Faith in Mysteries of true Beliefe on which I will not say the ciuil Nurture or gay Deportment of the outward man but the inward Carriage Grace of the Holy Ghost the life of your Soules the loue of God and hope of all eternity dependeth By instructing You I shall cleere the beames which giue light to thousands I shall purifie the Waters and purge the Fountaine of which many must drinke You are the Seedes you are the Lights of the Kingdome you are the Mines whose treasures are to be dispensed riches of learning hereafter deriued to the whole body of the Realme Wherfore least you should both beguile others and be your selues deceiued with counterfeite drosse in lieu of true and perfect mettall I haue opened vnto you these veines of Gold with which if you couet to enrich your soules two things I request at your hands The one is not to frame an ouerweening conceit or beare too partiall Affection to the men of your own side the other to peruse this Treatise with an indifferent and single eye and with a greedy zeale of imbracing Truth from whose mouth soeuer 2. You are not I hope of Agesicles the Lacedemonian his mind who taking great pleasure to heare smooth eloqueÌ„t discourses would not intertaine Philophanes Plutarch in his Laconike Apophtheg the famous RhetoriciaÌ„ being a straÌ„ger vnto him because as Plutarch reporteth he would be Scholler only to them whose sonne he was that is he would learne of them alone amongst whom he was borne Much lesse can I thinke you bewitched with Philostorgius the Eunomian his folly who was so besotted of his Maister Eunomius as he admired his very naturall defects set the glosse of vertue on them For his faltering tongue as Nicephorus writeth he vainely Niceph. l. 12. c. 29. commended as the Key of Eloquence his flow words he prized as precious Margarites the spots and blemishes of his leaprous face what did he account them but the rarest markes and ornaments of beauty If any of you shold be infected with these bastardly humors if you would heare none but those in whose bosomes ye haue beene bred or be so farre enamoured of your first Teachers wits as to loue their errours applaud their forgeries praise the beauty of their deformed writings little hope should I haue to gaine your soules But if yee be as I trust ye are louers of truth enemies of falshood desirous of your owne saluatioÌ„ then here you may discouer that Euangelical Pearle which Maâ—â— 13. vers 4â— he that findeth selleth all that he hath to buy so rare a Iewell 3. I know the subtilty of Sathan and snare of Heretikes hath euer beene as the Rom. 16. v. 18. 2. Petr. 2. v. 3. Apostle saith By sweet speaches and benedictions to seduce the hearts of Innocents By faigned words to make merchandize of You. Their chiefest proiect and principall study is with meretricious and painted eloquence to intertaine their followers and whilest they fill their eares with delight to instill into their soules most poysoned doctrine But a great * The saying of Demosthenes mentioned by S. Aug. con Crescon Gram. l. 2. cap. 1. 1. Cor. 2. v. 1. 4. 5. ver 13. Oratour can tell you That the riches of Greece consist not in words And the Apostle pronounceth Not in loftinesse sublimity of speach not in the perswasible words of humaine wisedome are the Mysteries of Christ but in the power of God and Doctrine of the spirit Be not therefore be not I beseech you inueagled with the smooth tongue or filed stile of your flourishing Sect-maisters but coÌ„sider the matter weigh the reasons examine the proofes they alledge and you shall find such silly arguments Aug. l. 5. confes c. 2. such slender stuffe as S. Augustine espied in the eloquent and lofty discourses of Faustus Manichaeus and the rest of his crew when not regarding as he saith what gallant dish or vessell of speach but what food of knowledge he propounded vnto him not harkening to the sound of words but to the pith of matter Albeit they bragged much and promised nothing more then Truth Truth yet he discouered as he witnesseth No truth amongst Ibid. l. 3. c. 9. them nothing but Lies Vanities and vile Superstitions 4. The like shall you discerne in the Ghospellers of our time For although they vaunt of the word of God vaunt of Scriptures and Scriptures only seeme to follow Ambr. in c. 3. ep ad Titum yet because as S. Ambrose teacheth By the word of the law they impugne the law framing their priuate sense and construction to couÌ„tenance the peruersity of their minds by the authority of the law it is more then euident they follow not the Oracles of God but rather the Fancies of their owne braine the suggestion of Sathan For by peruerse interpretation as S. Hierome testifieth of â—â—ier l. â— in â— 1. ep ad Galat. the Ghospell of Christ is made the Ghospel of man or which is worse the Ghospell of the Diuell And Martiall the Poët speaketh to this purpose Quem recitas meus est â— Fidentine libellus Sed malè cùm recitas incipit esse tuus The Booke thou doest recite o Fidentine is mine Reciting it amisse it groweth to be thine 5. Secondly they
boast of the pure preaching of the Word whereas you shall discouer in my third Part that they haue no authority to preach no mission no vocation at all They are Theeues who enter Ioan. 10. v. 2. 10. not by the doore but climbe another way to steale kill and destroy your soules They are the Ezech. 13 v. 3. 6 7. false Prophets who crie Thus saith our Lord when our Lord said it not nor sent them nor gaue them commission to speake And the purity of which they crake is as Hieremy Hierem. 14. 1 v. 4. declareth A lying Vision and Diuination Deceit and Beguiling of their heart which they prophesie vnto you Thirdly they glory to haue purged and reformed the Church of many errours which by little and little haue crept into her and restored her againe to the ancient integritie of the Apostolike Faith But you shall see their Reformations haue beene al corruptions abuses innouations they haue broken the peace departed from the vnity of the flocke of Christ are indeed no Church at all but a Rebellious Faction an Hereticall Assembly You shall finde their Ancient Faith a new Beliefe as S. Gregory Nazianzen said of the Arians their refined Greg. Nazian orat in Ariaâ—os Doctrines meere nouelties new broached Heresies which I pray God both you and all others may haue grace to discerne in time least you open your eyes and begin to lament these things to late as Constantius the Emperour did of whom the same S. Gregory Nazianzen writeth That lying on his death-bed he repented him of three things Greg. Nazian in Laudem Athanas First that he had commanded his Sonne in law to be slaine The other that he had nominated Iulian the Apostata to succeed him in his Imperiall Throne The third that he had giuen eare to new deuised Doctrines And with these words he yielded vp his ghost 9. O yee flourishing Academians But what should I restraine my speach to you O England my dearest Country I would to God this fearefull president might so mooue thy Heart as to make Thee now whilest time serueth and grace is offered more fruitfully bewaile the like or more grieuous crimes committed by Thee Thou perchance hast not murdered thy carnall Kinsfolkes or Allies but thy spirituall Pastours Guides and Curates of thy soule Some thou hast spoyled vexed imprisoned and pined away with extreamest misery some thou hast arraigned executed and barbarously massacred as Rebels to thy Prince and Traytours to thy Crowne their bloud like water thou Psal 78. v. 3. hast powred forth round about Hierusalem their quarters thou hast set vp as preyes to be deuoured by birds and foules of the aire Thou hast vniustly nominated and entitled others to inherite their roomes possesse their benefices discharge their functions many of them reuolted Apostata's many mercinary Hirelings all tyrannicall Vsurpers who seeke not so much to oppresse the bodies as exercise their tyrannie ouer the soules of thy subiects and pittifully enthral them to euerlasting seruitude Lastly thou hast dammed vp the passage by which the cleere waters of Antiquity should flow into thy Kingdome thou hast opened the sluse to the puddles of nouelty to new flouds of Doctrine new fayned Sacraments new Articles of Faith new worship of God which I beseech his Diuine Piety thou maist haue grace to detest learne of the Lacedemonians who would not permit any strang merchandise or vnusual wares to be transported into their Citty to banish and abandon these vnwonted Doctrines and imbrace againe that ancient Faith which once thy whole Realme then happie Iland daughter of God and Dowry of the B. Virgin deuoutly sucked from the breast of Rome which all thy former Kings and Princes vntill now of late supported thy Lawes established thy People honoured thy Vniuersities defended To this end I present you Noble Students with these first fruits of my labours and will not cease to sacrifice vnto God my continuall praiers THE EPISTLE TO THE READER TWO of the first stoutest Champions of the Primitiue Church Tertullian and Arnobius writing against the Pagans auouch Tertul. Arno. coÌ„tra Gent. that many of them impugned at the beginning our Christian fayth not so much of inueterate hatred as either of ignorance not knowing what we maintainde or of weaknes transported by the streame of Idolatry which euery where disgraced and opposed it selfe against it S. Augustine likewise writeth of himselfe Aug. l. 7â— Confess c. 19. and his friend Alipius how slowly they imbraced or rather refrained from the Catholike Church by reason of some erroneous conceits they framed of our beliefe the one that we were infected with the heresy of Apollinaris the other not discerning the purity of our doctrine from the dregges of Photinus 2. The same opinion I haue of sundry Protestants who renounce our Religion not of any malicious mind but for that they ignorantly mistake the true grounds of faith or easily giue eare to the pernitious obloquies of their fayth-lesse Ministers who without feare of God or regarde of conscience perfidiously appeach vs of innumerable Sacriledges of such worship of Images as was vsed by Reyn. de ido Rom. Eccles lib. 1. c. 2. c. Fulke in c. 2. ad Col. sect 3. Fulke in 1. ad Tim. c. 4. sect 4. 5. Sutclif in his suruey of Popery cap. 8. Sparks in his answer to M. Iohn D'Albines p. 219. 120. VVhitak contro 1. quaest 5. Rich. Stoch in his ep Dedica to the Lord Knowles prefixed before M. VVhitak answere to M. Camp 10. reasons Bils in his booke of Christian subiection c 4. par part 1. Reyn. in his conference with M. Hart. the Carpocratians of such inuocation of Angels as the Apostolikes practised of deniall of Marriage with the Tatians and Encratites of selling the guifts of the holy Ghost with Simon Magus of honouring our Blessed Lady in offering her a wafer cake with the Collyridians of many such execrable blasphemies which our harts detest farre more then theirs Wherefore after the excellent and worthy labours of diuers memorable men both forraine and domesticall who with large volumes and inuincible reasons haue purged vs of these slaunders manifestly defended the vnconquerable truth of our ancient beliefe I haue endeauoured to make a short abridgment of all our most weighty and important proofes that heere the Reader may see as in a mappe described or pourtraited in a table what in the spacious feild of sundry mens workes is in diuers things more amply enlarged 3. My purpose is not seuerally to encounter any one particulâ—r aduersary but to trace the steppes and ioyntly to desâ—ry the errours of many according as the proiect of my intended discourse or force of their opposition shall minister occasion for my intention is to wade by Gods help into the maine Ocean of all the greatest and most difficult questions controuerted at this day betweene our English
senteÌ„ce is or ought to be guided therfore not the Iudge himselfe that pronounceth sentence For in all Courts Common-wealths or publique Tribunals besides the written Law or outward euidence by which verdict is giuen some speaking-Iudge or other Magistrate is requisite who as the liuely rule or square of Iustice to vse Aristotles words ought to expound and deliuer the true meaning of the law so much more in the Church of God which is a Kingdom a Citty a Campe well ordred Arist l. 5. Etb. l. 4. Polit. Plat. l. de repub de lege Read Philo Iud. l. de legat ad CaiuÌ„ prope finem the like must needs be graunted especially seeing Plato writeth That good Gouernours are more to be regarded accounted of then good lawes because a good law without a good Iudge which may execute it is a dead law but a good Iudge without a written law is both to himselfe and others a liuely law The reason heereof is manifest because it belongeth to the Iudge who may decide and end debates 1. To heare vnderstand and compare togeather the arguments of the parties in strife 2. By explayning the true sense and meaning of the law to deliuer a definitiue sentence agreable therunto 3. To compell and inforce the contentious to accept and obey his censure But this neyther Scripture nor any written law can performe Therefore some other intelligent authenticall publike Arbiter is likewise necessary 5. M. Whitaker our Protestant-writer and Hunnius a Lutheran Doctor both agree That the holy Ghost as speaking VVhitak cont 1. q. 5. cap. 8. Hunnius in act Col. Ratis sâ—sâ— 9. in Scripture or the voice of God as vttered therin is this publike and soueraygne Iudge Very vainely very idly The voyce of God as speaking in Scripture is no way distinguished from the Scripture no more then the commaundement of the King promulgated in his law is any way different from the law Therfore as besides the King speaking in his law eyther himselfe speaking in a more liuely manner or some other Iudge is requisite to satisfy the doubts which arise of the law so besids the holy Ghost speaking precisely by Scripture eyther himselfe speaking in a more distinct and publicke fashion or some other infallible Iudge is necessary to end the controuersies which arise Hunnius ibidem Reyn. c. 2. diuis 2. p. 63. 64. out of Scripture Hunnius addeth That the Scripture it selfe or the voyce of God deliuered by learned Ministers and expounders of the word By them sayth Reynoldes who haue in vnder Christ committed vnto them is at least a sufficient and competent Iudge As vainely as idly as before 6. For who are they to whom Christ hath giuen this commissioÌ„ of Iudgmet They are as M Reynolds subnecteth Reyn. loâ—o citato of two sorts The one priuate the other publike Priuate all the faythfull and Spirituall Publike the assemblies of Pastours and Elders Of these I reason thus Eyther he alloweth both or one of these sortes supreme soueraigne infallible authority to decide debates and expound the word without further appeale and so admitteth another Iudge besids Scripture or he assigneth them not the Soueraignty of Iudgment as himselfe and all other Protestants define but the ministery of interpreting the written will and sentence of the Iudge And so maketh the Church a maymed wauoring imperfect Common-wealth without any iudiciall visible and publike Tribunall without any profitable meanes of setling peace in tyme of discord For seeing these Ministers neyther in priuate nor publike are as they confesse so assisted alwayes by the holy Ghost but that they may being men subiect to errour sometymes propound their owne dreames insteed of Gods vndoubted truthes who shall determine whether the voyce of Christ or sentence of our Iudge be truly deliuered by them or no a Rein. c. 2. diuis â— pag. 64. The written will or letter of Scripture It cannot speake or declare her Iudgment b VVhitaker cont 5. q. 5. c. 9. 13. The diligent Reader and conferrer of places He may both read conferre amisse c Hunn in act Col. Ratis ses 9 The pious Magistrate and executioner of Iustice May not he both execute and commaund an errour d Sutclif in his answere to the sixth c. of his Suruey A Generall Councell proceding according to Gods word And who shall iudge when it proceedeth according to his word The parties who contend and stand in debate Then they must be plaintiffs and Iudges both And whilest ech of them swayeth on his owne side what end of strife What decision of truth Such as Lawyers such as Attournyes make in behalf of their clients who would neuer end their Plea vnlesse some vmpire were appointed to arbitrate the cause Now to go forward 7. The Iudge of Controuersyes ought to be infallible because it must breed a certaine and infallible assurance as M. Whitaker agreeth with vs in doubts of VVhitak cont 1 q. 5. cap. 8. â— 3. c. 11. fayth but albeit the Scriptures be so in themselues yet in respect of vs they are fallible they may be erroneously printed corruptly translated falsly suborned not well expounded not rightly vnderstood And although the voice and doctrine of the Church may be somety me fallible in respect of vs as one obiected against this argument An obiectioÌ„ made against the Church solued because a particular pastour may deliuer vnto the people his own phantasies for the Churches decrees he may perswade them and they may giue credit vnto him that his priuat assertions are the generall and Catholike doctrines that they were taught by the auncient church and that many miracles haue bin wrought in confirmatioÌ„ of them yet here is a notable disparity between this and that fallibility for this proceedeth not from the repaire to our iudge either true or so taken but from a falsifier and wrong relatour of the iudges sentence that immediatly commeth from appealing to their true reputed iudge This happeneth to the ignorant only or Catecumens who begin to belieue to others the Catholike tenent in necessary poynts is so generally known as they cannot be deluded That to the learned also and most expect in matters of religion for such they are who often misconster wrongfully expound the holy scriptures This may easily be discouered and auoided by conference with other pastours by perusing the Churches decrees or hearing the oracle of her voice which can manifestly explaine herself and disproue those forged relations That can hardly be espied more hardly be auoyded because priuat interpreters by conferring reasoning and disputing the case without submission to the Church are often tymes more confirmed strengthned in their erroneous expositions neither can the Scripture open her own meaning and condemne their false constructions Our danger therfore of being deceaned is litle or nothing to be feared their 's very pernicious and irremediable 8. The Iudge of Controuersies
and approaching receiue it with pure lips S. Augustine That Christ carried his owne body in his owne hands when he said This is my body and that secundum literam according to the letter and so as King Dauid could not carrie himselfe Which two points are worthilie noted because the Apostles eat with their corporall mouthes what Christ held in his corporall hands In fine S. Cyril saith We doe not deny our selues with assured faith and sincere charity to be spiritually conioyned to Christ but that we haue no manner of coniunction with him according vnto the flesh this truely we deny 15. Is it not strange M. Sparkes should vaunt of all these learned Writers within eight hundred years when all disclaime his false imputation when all confesse the Reall Presence not only to fayth but also to the mouth Bils 4. par pag. 754. 755. c. to the tongue to the lips to the hands to the flesh to the bowells of all Communicants Is it not as strange M. Bilson should goe about to defeate these and the former authotityes with his accustomed sleight of Seales Sacraments bearing the names of the things themselues For if the outward seales onely were receaued into the mouth the outward seales only were eaten by fayth bare figures and seales nourish the soule seeing the same flesh the same bloud the same body the same Mediatour of God and Man Christ Iesus which is belieued by fayth is auouched as you see to be receaued into the hands mouths harts bowels of the faythfull Deny then M. Bilson the true reall flesh to the mouth of the body deny it also to the mouth of the soule and so become a Manichee a Marcionist a denyer of Christ Or giue leaue at least to them and other Heretikes to subuert by like sophistry the chief principles of our beliefe LiceÌ„ce them to expound by sound of names without sense of wordes whatsoeuer is written of the true flesh bloud and body of our Lord of his Incarnation Passion and glorious Resurrection 16. What pretense then can any Protestant make vnlesse he open the gate to a floud of blasphemyes why he should delude such ineuitable proofes Why he should discredit so many lights Lampes and Ornaments of the Church and preferre the hard wrested construction of some new fangled teachers before such vndeniable texts of Fathers and testimonyes of Scripture Perchance he may pretend with D. Bilson and D. Sparkes the impossibilty inconueniency and contradictions our doctrine Bils 4. par pag. 790. 794. 795. 796. Sparks p. 180. sequentibus implyeth To which I might answere Philosophers Infidells obiected such stuffe against the true IncarnatioÌ„ and Passion of our Lord I might say that he yieldeth assent to diuers articles of our fayth more contrary and repugnant to the reach of our naturall reason as to the mistery of the holy Trinity to the fecundity of our B. Lady remayning a Virgin to the Resurrection of putrifyed and decaied flesh c. I might also reply that we should not measure the works of the Almighty by the weakenes of our feeble vnderstanding as S. Basil singulerly teacheth against Eunomius by the example of the Emmet Basil Epist â—68 But what if I demonstrate the Reall Presence to be possible conuenient and without any repugnance or contradiction at all 17. To begin with the possibility of our conuersion or Transubstantiation We do not as M. Bilson iniuriously fathereth vpon vs make the creature the Creatour or the dead Bils 4. par pag. 729. element of bread the Sonne of God We only teach the bread and wine to be changed into the flesh bloud of Christ And that one substance may be turned into another yea and bread into flesh experience it selfe aboundantly teacheth For the bread which we eate and wine which we drinke by the naturall heat and concoction of our stomacke is conuerted into the flesh and bloud of man the same effect had the food which Christ receaued Likewise the graine of seed sowed in the ground altereth in nature buddeth vp into a faire eare of Corne. Wax cast Niss orat cate ca. 37. Damas l. 4 defi c. 14. Irenaus l. 5. cap. 2. Chryshom de Euâ—h Centurywrit c. 4. col 4â—6 Ambro de init myst cap. 9. Cyr. Iero. cate 4. mystag into fire is melted consumed and turned into fire Which similitudes the Fathers of former ages haue vsed to illustrate this mistery S. Gregory Nissen and S. Iohn Damascen the first S. Irenaeus the second S. Chrysostome the third who annexeth thereunto that as Nothing of the substance of Wax remaineth so heere the Misteryes are consumed by the substance of the body By which passage if the Century-writers may be credited S. Chrysostome doth seeme to confirm TransubstaÌ„tiation S. Ambrose whome they likewise reproue for not writing well of the same matter sometime coÌ„pareth the substantiall mutatioÌ„ of bread in the Eucharist to the creation of heauen and earth of nothing Otherwhile to the conuersion of the Rod of Moyses into a serpent of bloud into water water into bloud and the like S. Cyrill of Hierusalem conuinceth it by the miraculous change our Sauiour made of water into wine disputing thus Christ confirming and saying this is my bloud who Gauden tract 2. de Exo. will euer doubt and say it is not his bloud He once conuerted water into wine in Cana of Galily and is he not worthy to be belieued that he hath changed wine into bloud S. Gaudentius hath the like who flourished within the 400 yeares after Christ He that produceth bread out of the earth of bread againe maketh Greg. Nyssen oracate cap. 37. his owne body for he is both able and promised it and he that made of water wine maketh of wine his owne bloud S. Gregory Nissen We rightly belieue the sanctifyed bread to be changed by the word of God into the body of the Sonne of God S. Ambrose Thou sayest perhaps to me I see another manner of thing How Ambro. lib. de â—js qui iniâ— myst cap. â— then tellest thou me that I receaue Christs body Then this is yet to be established by vs. And how many exampls may we vse to proue 〈…〉 is not that which nature framed but that which the blessing consecrated and that the power of blessing ouer commeth nature because by blessing euen the very nature it selfe is changed Behould that is not sayth S. Ambrose which nature made but what did nature make The substance of bread what becommeth of it It is changed quoth he how by blessing into what Into that which the blessing consecrateth What it that The body of Christ for he tooke Ciryl ep ad Colas bread blessed and sayd This is my body S. Cyrill of Alexandria who succeeded them in the next age God condescending to our frailtyes instilleth into the thinges offered the power of life Conuertens ea in veritatem propriae carnis onuerting
by which they hoped demanded and often obtayned the fruits of their requests Listen to S. Hierome listen to S. Gregory Nazianzen both which you produce to bewray their doubtfulnes S. Hieromes words are these Farewell O Paula and support with the help of thy prayers the feeble old age of thy worshiper These S. Gregory Nazianzens calling vpon S. Basil O Diuine and sacred head behold vs from aboue and the instigation of my flesh giuen me as an instruction from God eyther aswage with thy prayers or moue me to beare coragiously Did these men doubt Or S. Bernard who often assureth vs of Bern. serm 3. in vigil Nat. ser de B. Virg. quae incipit Signum magnum Bafil in 40. Mart. Cyp. lib. de habit Virg. Ruffin l. â— hist c. 33. the help of our B. Lady Or S. Basil exhorting vs to inuok the 40. Martyrs Whosoeuer is oppressed with any misery let him repayre to these and who soeuer reioyceth let him pray tothese the one that he may be freed from euill the other that he may perseuere in his prosperous courses Or S. Cyprian who requested the Virgins or Nuns of his time in whose coÌ„mendation he wrote to remember him after their departure when their Virginity should begin to be honoured Or Theodosius the Emperour who as Ruffinus witnesseth clad in sacke-cloath lay prostrate at the Tombes of the holy Apostles and Martyrs and craued help by the assured intercession of Saints Or any of those whome I recited before whose speaches cannot be eluded by any doubtfull florish or figure of Rethorike much lesse the suites they make vnto the Saints in heauen a PrudeÌ„ in hym 4. 8. 10. Casar-August August quaest 108. ser 18. de Sanct. to obtaine pardon for their sinnes b Noz or at in Athâ—n To be directed in the warfare and combate of this life c Bern. in vigil Petr. Paul To incline the hart of our Iudge in their behalfe d Prud. hym 2. in D. Lauren. To be sooner released the bonds of our mortality e Amb. or at â— in morte fratris Nazi ora in Basil To be receaued by them into the Tabernacles of blisse f August lib. medit cap. 24. Nazian in S. Cypri Ambros exhor ad virg Paul Nola. in Car ad Cytherium August lib. 22. de Ciuit. Dei cap. â— To bewafted by their prayers and merits to the hauen of perpetuall peace Such and many such like requestes they made which were no. wholy frustrate as the miracles wrought in accomplishing their desires giue testimony vnto vs. 7. S. Gregory Nazianzen writeth of a Virgin bewitched with diuelish charmes to be deflowred by her Louer who prayed to our Blessed Lady and was deliuered from his wicked inchantements S. Ambrose of S. Iulian who obtayned a sonne by the intercession of S. Laurence Paulinus of Martinian who escaped imminent danger of death by the help of Saint Felix Saint Augustine of Palladia who praying to S. Stephen was healed of a grieuous disease Of a blind woman who receiued her sight Of the daughter of one Bassus a Syrian restord to life And sundry other miracles wrought by the Reliques memory and inuocation of selfe-same happy and glorious Protomartyr 8. Which argueth M. Field of more then vnshamfastnes Field l. 3. c. 20. fol. 109. 110. Kemnitius exam p. 3. p. 211. of insolent malepartnes in slandering S. Augustine That he dareth not pronounce but inclineth to that opinion that the Saints doe not particulerly see know and intermeddle with humane thinges If Saint Augustines owne words here quoted cannot free him from so vile a reproach let Kemnitius M. Fieldes fellow Protestant be heard he alleadgeth S. Field loco citato Augustine inuocating S. Cyprian and blusheth not to adde These thinges Augustine without the warrant of Scripture yielding to tymes and custome Yet D. Field once downe the banke Whitgift in his defence against the reply of Cartwright of modesty slideth to the bottome of audacious impudency and immediatly writeth The Church of God neuer desined otherwise how soeuer Hierome in his passion agaynst Vigilantius seeme to say the contrary Not Hierome M. Field in his passion but your owne Sect-mates in their sober writinges shall conuince you of falshood and testify the same vvith him D. Couel in his exam pag. 120. Fulk in his Reioynder p. 5. 6. agaynst the Rhem. Test in 2. Petr. c. 1. sect 3. Kemn in exam p. 3. pag. 200. Sparkes p. 33. Cent. Cen. 3. Col. 83. c. 9. M. Whitgift late Archbishop of Canterbury Almost all the Bishops sayth he and writers of the Greeke Church and Latin also for the most part were spotted with Doctrines of Free-will of merit of inuocation of Saints and such like The same is auouched by D. Couell M. Fulke sayth I confesse that Ambrose Augustine and Hierome held Inuocation of Saintes to be lawfull And in another place In Nazianzen Basill and Chrysostom is mention of Inuocation of Saints Kemnitius the Lutheran before named Inuocation of Saintes quoth he at length about the yeare of our Lord 370. by Basil Nissen and Nazianzen began to be brought into the publike asseÌ„blyes of the Church D. Sparkes chargeth Origen or some other vnder his name With a grosse Popish prayer to Iob. The Centurists doe the like acknowledging moreouer this vniforme doctrine in many other who liued about the 300. yeares after Christ saying There are manifest steps of Inuocation of Saints in the Doctours of that auncient age And in the Centuries following they accuse Athanasius Basil Nazianzen Ambrose Prudentius Cent. Cen. 4. c. 4. Col. 296. 297. VVhitaker in his ans to the 4. reason of Comp. Ibid. in his ans to the 5. reason Epiphanius and Ephrem of the same errour Finally when blessed Campian vrged this approued custome of the ancient Fathers Whitaker answered The old and inueterate practise of inuocating Saints in prayers we little regard although this were an ancient custom yet it flowed from humane superstition not from Diuine authority And a little after speaking of Prudentius who florished within the 400. yeare after Christ he sayth Prudentius I graunt as a poet sometymes called vpon the Martyrs whose Acts he describeth in verse and the superstitious custome of praying to Saints had now taken deepe roote in the Church which as a Tyrant haled sometymes the holy Fathers into the same error 10. What thinke you now M. Field was S. Augustine was S. Ambrose were all these learned Fathers here cited and the whole Church which they guided of this beliefe or no that the Saints in heauen see and intermeddle with humane affayres Or were all these mirrours of wit learning and sanctity not only superstitiously as your Ghospellers tax them but foolishly sottish also as you would make them to call vpon such as they thought had no sense or feeling of their necessities Dare you auouch That Inuocation of Saints preuayled not in
who dyed in the peace of the Church few Field in the places cited aboue Casaubon in the page fornamed are ignorant c. This custome although the Church of England condemneth not in the first ages yet she thinketh not good to retaine it now c. Marke this opposition betwixt the Prince and his subiects writing M. Field denyeth that The Church generally intended to relieue soules c. King Iames auoucheth The Church did desire of God rest for the departed M. Field with his Sinagogue imbraceth all the common and lawful kinds of commemorating the dead the Ancients obserued excepting only two priuate and particuler errours K. Iames with his English Congregation Retaineth not an ancient custome the Church vsed in her publike prayers a custome which spronge from a vehement affect of Charity c. whereby she gaue testimony of the Resurrection to come a custome which he reserreth to the head of thinges profitable or lawfull c. So cleerely is M. Field condemned by the sentence of his Soueraigne who Bucer in his Script a Auglican pag. 450. Vrba Regius in par 1. operum in formula cauâ—â— loquendi f. 8. Ibidem in loc commu c. 8. de Purgat Idem part 1. de missae negotio f. 71. Idem in 1. par oper in loc commun c. 19. vbi supra Aug. ep 1â— Field in ap pend 1. p. pag. 2. was cast before by the iudgment of his Peeres 25. Next after K. Iames I must needes giue praise to some other of his sect who flatly coÌ„fesse with vs the same manner of Prayer for the dead which we require As Bucer once a Cambrigian Professour and Vrbanus Regius Luthers scholler who affirmeth the like of his Maister and proueth it by the testimony of al the most learned Fathers of credit and authority in the Church of God whose names I rehearsed aboue Who appointed also in his reformed Churches of Sueuia a prescript Prayer for the departed brother To the end that God of his mercy would pardon the faults and infirmity of his flesh Who concludeth at length To be sollicitous and carefull for the dead is both a worke of Charity fruit of fayth testifying our beliefe of the glorious Resurrection which no man contemneth but Epicureans and Sadduceans They because they deny the immortality of the soule these because they belieue not the resurrection of the flesh Wherefore if our English Protestants had any regard I will not say to the plaine texts of Scripture whose squire they preteÌ„d in all thinges to follow nor to the prescription of the Church whose vniuersall practise S. Augustine counteth Most insolent madnesse to call in question nor to the ancient Fathers whose generall doctrine M. Field iudgeth no lesse theÌ„ Barbarisme to attach of errour but if they had respect to their owne illuminated Ghospellers to the Scriptures they interprete to the reasons they alleadge they would neuer reiect as superstitious trumpery that which Bucer A man by the censure of the * See this in the letter of the Vniuersity extant in Bucers scipt Ang. p. 944. Fox in his Act. c. pag. 416. English Apolog par 4. c. 4. 2. Cor. 2. Fulke vpoÌ„ that chap. sect 1. 1. Cor. 3. Gal. 6. Rom. â— Apoc. 14. Fulke in enÌ„ loc ser 5 Eccl. 9. 5. 6 Eccl. c. 9. 10 Hier. in c. 6 ad Galat. Fulke obiecteth this place against prayer for the Dead in his confut of Parg. and prayer for soules departed pag 44â— Vniuersity of Cambridge most holy and plainly diuine which Luther Their Elias sent from God to lighten the world which Vrbanus Regius his faythfull and royall scholler constantly maintaine for Euangelical doctrine Nay which King Iames their supreme head and chiefest gouernour in causes Ecclesiasticall placeth in the ranke of thinges lawfull and profitable 26. Now let vs see what coulour they haue to contradict so cleare and manifest a truth M. Fulke and his confederates assemble many sentences out of Scripture which seeme to carry against it som shew of repugnance Out of S. Paul We must all be conuented before the tribunall seat of Christ that euery one may receaue the proper thinges of his body according as he hath done good or euill Then Euery one of vs shall giue an account for himselfe to God The thinges which euery one hath sowed those shall he reape Thou restorest to euery one according to his workes And not according to the works of others Againe Their workes follow them And not the workes of their friends who remaine behind Therefore they cannot be relieued by them Which is confirmed by King Salomon The dead know no more nor haue any further reward they haue no part in this world nor in the worke that is achieued vnder the heauens For which cause he counselleth vs heere Diligently to performe whatsoeuer our hand can worke Likewise by the authority of S. Hierome saying In this present world we know we may help one another either by our prayers or counsells but when we shall come before the tribunall of Christ neither Iob nor Daniel nor Noë can make suite for any but euery one must beare his owne burden These be the skarcrowes which terrify our Reformers from exercising their charity towardes the dead which notwithstanding we easily auoid three seuerall wayes 27. First I say most of the former places may be expounded of the Iudgment in which no help can be expected either from the workes or suffrages of others of this S. Hierome expresly meaneth But King Salomon in the first place seemeth to speake only of the temporall goods left behind them in this world of the benefits of this life in which the Dead haue no society with vs and not of the spirituall workes of Charity of Prayer Almes-deeds c. whereby their soules are benefitted Secondly they may be all interpreted as S. Augustine doth the first testimony cited out of the Apostle which he obiecteth 2. Cor. 5. vers 10. to himselfe That euery one may receaue according to his deserts in the body c. that is according as he merited heere he shall truly enioy in the next life both comfort to himselfe and profit by the charity of others For as S. Augustin profouÌ„dly Aug. in Enchir. c. 110. answereth heerunto In this life and before death he deserued this that these workes after his death might be profitable vnto him Thus his workes are sayd to follow him Or the workes of the liuing may be tearmed his that is dead because he deserued in this life the benefite of them and because they are applyed vnto him eyther by the intention of the worker or by the mercifull dispensation of the Treasurer of Gods Church Thirdly all these places may be vnderstood of the workes of merit not of satisfaction that is euery one shall giue an account for himselfe in the way of merit not in the way of satisfaction The works of one cannot auaile another in the way
day of generall resurrection after which tyme no Purgatory remayneth but all the elect shall presently raigne in peace Thirdly that saying is specially directed to those rare and constant persons that shall endure the brunt and withstand the fury of Antichrists persecutions who though they be not all crowned with Martyrdome yet they departe this life as Ribera like himselfe iudiciously noteth with most singular and eminent sanctity consequently with freedom immunity from all the mulcts and penaltyes of sinne Or if any sinnefull drosse remaine from which they must be purged after death they are sayd notwithstanding to cease from their labours and rest in peace because they are discharged from the troubles calamityes and persecutions of this life are ranged amongst the number of them who shall partake of eternall rest are secure from the danger of sinne and feare of damnation and are infallibly certain of the fauour of God and their future felicity which affoardeth vnspeakable ioy peace and comfort to their mindes The words of S. Cyprian obiected by M. Fulke Fulke against Purgat pag. 140. Cyp. trct 1. cont a Demetr ianum Ambros l. debono mortis e. 2 Chrys bo 2. de Lazaro Fulke in his confut of Purg. in c. 2. 2. ad Cor. sect 1. After our departure hence there is no place of Pennance no effect of Satisfaction The wordes of S. Ambrose No remission of sinnes can there be made which hath not beene heere procured The like of S. Chrysostome are all vnderstood of no remission or satisfaction to be made in the next life of mortall deadly sinnes of which we haue not had in this detestation and sorrow 33. The iniury to Christ the euacuation of his Passion which M. Fulke often inculcateth to ensue of Purgatory is largely refuted in the Treatise of Satisfaction to which I referre the Reader for his full satisfaction heer conclude in a word That as the prayers we make vnto God do not lessen or extenuate the feruent prayers of Christ once offered earnest intercessioÌ„ he now maketh in our behalfe so neither the dolorous griefes which in this life we suffer or Purgatory-paines we indure in the next do anyway euacuate but rather enrich the treasure of his manifold sufferings sith they depend and borrow their whole fruit vertue and efficacy from the inexhausted Mine of his incomparable merits Sith they are enhaunced by his Passion and dipped in the liquour of his pretious bloud in which I humbly beseech the diuine piety to soake these my labours and steep the paines of all such as peruse them that it may so fully auaile to wash away the lees and cleanse forth the staines of our soules as we may neuer need heerafter either the scouring soape or raging fire of Purgatory flames The end of the third Booke An aduertisement GENTIL Reader wheras M. D. Bilson hath printed his booke Of Christian Subiection both in quarto and in octauo these are to aduertise thee that most commonly I doe cite that in quarto as also the other of M. Whitaker de Scriptura Ecclesia as they were printed before they were last compiled togeather in one volume for that the quotations of page leafe do otherwise disagree FINIS Faultes escaped in the printing to be corrected In the first Part. IN the Epist to the Reader pag. 3. line 3. ferrret euery one out reade ferret them out of euery c. Ibid. Epist pag. 4. l. 14. occosion reade occasion Pag. 7. l. 24. on reade of pag 34. l. 5. Canon the Canon pag. 40 l. 29. one another to one another pag. 49. l. 25. which with pag. 50 l. 17. out the. reade out of the. pag. 51. l. 13. their other Ibid. l. 28. is it pag. 74. l 6. depth the depth pag 80. l. 1. waiteth writeth pag. 82. l. 30. in the. pag. 84. l. 6. same substance same in substance pag. 91. l. 9. corruption incorruption pag. 95 l. 11. euen euer pag. 104. l. penult glorifieth glorieth pag. 110. l. 18 purchased purchase pag. 11o l. 18. cruell a â—â—â—ell pag 15. l. 15. of to Ibid. line 28 clamous clamorous pag 136. l. 1. refragable irrefragable pag. 115. 11. glorifieth glorify pag. 188. l. 5. Not. Nor. pag. 190. l. 1. out these out of these pag. 201. l. 25. others other pag 207. l. 19. Carninall Cardinall pag. 221. l. 14. But. By. pag. 227. 9. Leo. of Leo. pag. 229. l. 5. makes markes Ibid. l. 29. Paul not bad Paul had not had pag. 233. l. 9. stying styrring Ibid. l. vlt. Crinthus Cerinthus pag. 237. l. 29. sinne signe pag. 238. l. 1. partes are partes pag. 239. l. 3. far and far pag. 240 l. 15. worships worship Ibid. l. 24. Abias Abdias pag. 241. l 15. lawfull awfull pag. 242. l. 4. as curteous as a courteous Ibid. l. 20. nuture nurture pag. 245. l. 16. sonne sonnes Ibid l 29. no. not pag 246. l. 27 honour I honour pag 252. Image Christ Image of Christ pag. 263. l. 20. expect from expect it from pag. 277. l. 3. and. of pag. 278. l. 19. a as as a. pag. 275. l. 15. deleatur the. pag. 285. l. 8. some solemne pag. 331 l. 3. of the Iudgement of the day of Iudgement pag. 333. l. 26. prayers prayers pag. 335. l. 21. deleatur of Other lesse faultes by reason of the obsoure Copy in many places absence of the Authour the Reader himselfe will easily obserue and courleously correct as he readeth AN ANTIDOTE OR TREATISE OF THIRTY CONTROVERSIES VVith a large Discourse of the Church IN WHICH The soueraigne truth of Catholike doctrine is faythfully deliuered against the pestiferous writinges of all English Sectaryes AND In particuler against D. WHITAKER D. FVLKE D. REYNOLDS D. BILSON D. ROBERT ABBOT D. SPARKES and D. FIELD the chiefe vpholders some of Protestancy some of Puritanisme some of both Deuided into three Partes By S. N. Doctour of Diuinity THE SECOND PART Deut. 32. vers 30. How should one be able to pursue a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight Is it not therefore because their God hath sold them and our Lord hath inclosed and made them thrall Permissu Superiorum M. DC XXII THE principall maintainers of Protestancy of whome I spake in the former page are D. BILSON and D. FIELD THE pillars of Puritanisme are D. REYNOLDS and D. SPARKE who where chosen Proctours for the Precisian Faction in the Conference before his Maiesty at Hampton-Court THE Abbettours of both are D. WHITAKER D. FVLKE and D. ROBERT ABBOT who sometimes defend the articles of the one sometimes of the other THE TABLE Shevving all the Controuersies discussed and maintayned in this Second Part. THE FOVRTH BOOKE The Sixteenth Controuersy MAintayneth Originall sinne to be abolished by Baptisme and Concupiscence remaining to be no â—nne against D. Whitaker D. Field D. Abbot pag. 1. The second Chapter of this Controuersy IN which Concupiscence is more particularly proued to be no sinne Other
4. Gen marked with g doe well shalt thou not receaue againe And if thou doest ill shall not thy sinne forthwith be present at the Dore But the lust or appetite thereof shall be vnder thee and thou shalt haue dominion ouer it 10. Heer M. Whitaker heere M. Fulke heere you see that neither man since his fall nor Cain fretting with malice is enchained in the fetters or Necessarily subiect to the Captiuity of Sinne but sinne is rather subiect to him he might if he would raigne ouer it as S. Ambrose S. Bernard and Rupertus gather out of the former speech And will M. Whitaker now will his Rebellions faction beleeue the Apostles beleeue Christ will they beleeue this Oracle of God No They rather venture to peruert and falsifie the same forcing it to be spoken of Cains dominiō ouer Abell not ouer sinne And in liew of those words The lust thereof shall be vnder thee c. they guilefully trāslate Also vnto thee his desire shall be subiect and thou shalt raigne oūer him with this Gloze in the Margent The dignity of the first borne is giuen to Cain ouer Abell 11. O pernicious O sacrilegious Adulterers of holy Writ What connexion is here Thy sinne shall be present at the Dore c. And thou shalt rule ouer Abel What Texts What Pererius l. 4. in Gen. c. 4. ver 6. 7. Aben Ezra in Haebr comment in hunc lo. Aug. l. 15. c. 7. de Ciu. Dei Hier. quest haebraic in Genesim Manuscripts What Copyes What Originalls What Comments What Scholies haue you for this Translation The Latine deliuereth a quite contrary sense as you haue heard The Greeke of the seauenty Interpreters cited by Peterius and allowed by S. Ambrose S. Chrysostome S. Augustine conformably readeth To thee is the conuersion thereof and thou shalt rule and master it The Hebrew hath thus vnto thee is the appetite therof and thou shalt beare rule ouer it that is ouer sin as Aben Ezra a great Rabin commenteth vpon this Text affirming it to be a meere forgery to expound it otherwise And S. Augustine reprehending in the old this vile corruption of our new Manichees saith Thou shalt beare sway ouer it What Ouer thy Brother God forbid Ouer what then but sinne With whom S. Hierome Because thou hast Freewil I warne thee that sinne haue not the Soueraignty or Maistership ouer Iustin in Apolog. ad Imperat. Antoniu p. 31. Orig. bom 12. in Nū thee but thou ouer sinne 12. To these two excellent Lights I might ioyne many other both of the Greeke and Latine Church who although they allude not particulerly to this place yet strongly defend the liberty of Free-will I haue now in hand S. Iustin Martyr Vnlesse man by Free-will were able both to eschew dishonest things and follow good and vertuous he were without fault as not being cause of those things which are Hilar. in Psal 2. done after what sort and manner soeuer But we teach that mankind by free arbitrement and free choice doth both well and ill Origen handling that passage And now Israël what doth our Lord require at thy hands but only to feare him c. Let them be ashamed saith he at these words who deny Free-will How should God require vnlesse man had in his power what he ought to offer to God requiring S. Hilary To euery one of vs God hath permitted liberty of life and iudgment not tying vs to necessity on my side S. Augustine of whom Caluin aboue all other chiefly vaunteth The Diuine precepts themselues should not profit Aug. de gra l. Arb. c. 2. Idem l. 2. contra Faustum c. 5. Man vnlesse he had free liberty of will c. And against Faustus the Manichee We put no mans Natiuity vnder the destiny of Starres that we may exempt the free liberty of the will by which we lead a good or bad life according to the iust iudgement of God from all bond of necessity The same freedome also from the seruitude of sinne he proueth by innumerable places both of the Old and New Testament as Be thou not vanquished Rom. 12. Psal 31. Prouer. 1◠Psal 35. Psal 77. of euill Doe thou not become like vnto a Horse or Mule c. Refuse not the Counsels of thy Mother He would not vnderstand that he might do well They would not receaue discipline And infinite such what do they shew quoth he but the free liberty of humaine will 13. M. Fulke replyeth that S. Augustine doth defend Fulke in c. 12. Mat. sect 1 in cap. 25. sect 5. the liberty of Free-will against the enforcement of Nature the Manichees fayned not against the Seruitude of sin which he and his Mates vphold But he cannot thus escape For S. Augustine disputeth not against the ground but against the deniall itselfe of Free-will vpon what ground soeuer it be denied Therefore although the Protestants dissent from the Manichees in the cause of Mans captiuity the Manichees Fulke vbi supra affirming it to proceed from Nature by creation of the euill God the Protestants according to M. Fulke not from Nature but from the free and sinfull fall of Adam yet in the effect it selfe and captiuity of our will they fully agree and S. Augustine fiersly impugning fighting against that wherein they accord with the same forces battereth the Protestants with which he beateth downe the wals of the Manichean Aug. l degrat l. arbit heresie Let the Reader peruse that one booke Of Grace Free-will S. Augustine dedicateth to Valentine and he shall perceiue all Protestants as sore annoyed with his shot as the Manichees themselues and that his maine Discourse driueth as mightily against them as the whole power and strength of the other Fathers whose writings many principall Sectaries indeauour to disgrace for being too fauourable in defence of Free-will 14. Caluin saith All the ancient writers except Augustine Calu. l. 2. Instit c. 2. §. 4. Melanct. lib. de loc com Cent. 2. c. 4. Col. 55. Ibid. Col. 58 Cent. 2. c. 10. Col. 227. or 221. according to another edit c. 4. Col. 59. Cent. 3. c. 4. Col. 77. Tertul. l. 2. aduers Marc. l. de exhort castitat de Monog Orig bo 9. innum hom 12. in eosd Cypr. l. 3. ep 3. l 3 ad Quirinū c. 52. Methōd in ser de Resurrect Cent. 4. c. 4. Col. 291. printed at Basil 1562. D. Hūfrey Iesuitis part 530. who notwithstanding is as opposite to him as any of the rest either exceeded wauered or spake intricately of this matter Melancthon Presently after the Infancy of the Church by Platonicall Philosophy so he tearmeth the liberty of Free-will Christian Doctrine was defaced And a little after Whatsoeuer is extant in Commentaries altogether sauoureth of this Philosophy The Magdeburgian Centurists writing of the two hundred yeare after Christ Although this age say they was neere to the Apostles yet the doctrine
of Christ and his Apostles began not a little to be darkened for many monstrous opinions are commonly found vttered by the Doctours Amongst which they reckon the liberty of Free-will saying there is almost no point of Doctrine which so soone began to be obscured as this of Free-will But by whom by the ancient Author who goeth vnder the name of Iustinus by S. Irenaeus to which end they censure him to wrest many sayings of the Prophets of Christ and S. Paul grosly deducing from thence Free-will not in workes only but also in fayth Likewise he admitteth Free-will in spirituall matters By S. Clement of Alexandria Of whom they testifie he doth euery where auouch Free-will that it may appeare not only all the Doctors of that age to haue beene couered with those mists but that they also were augmented in the succeeding ages Therefore in the third hundred yeare they adiudge Tertullian Origen S. Cyprian and Methodius guilty of the same errour taking the paines to quote the places and recite the words where they defend this Doctrine 15. After they goe foreward and set downe the agreeable consent of the Fathers of the foure huÌ„dred yeare condemning by name Lactantius Athanasius Basilius Nazianzenus Epiphanius Hieronymus and Gregorius Nissenus for maintayning with vs the liberty of Free will Citing as before their very words and pointing to the places where they affirme it Now that our English Protestants may not be thought to dissent from these forreners Doctour Humfrey sayth It cannot be denyed but that Irenaeus Clement and others containe in their writinges the opinion of Free-will D. Whitgift Almost all the Bishops of the Greek Church Latine also for the most part were spotted with the Doctrine VVhitgifâ— in his defeÌ„câ— against Cartwright pag. 453. D. Couelâ—iâ—â— exam p. â—â—0 Rabby Moyses Hardar in c. 4. Genes Rab. Akiba c. patrum according as Paulus Fabius iutepreteth his words Rab. Selomo cited by Petrus Galatinus li. 6. cap. 6â— de arcaniâ— Catho ver Fulke in his defence of the English translation pag. 320. of Free-will With the errour of Free-will saith Doctour Couell reiecting that as an errour which was generally maintayned in the flower of the Church 16. Furthermore when we conuince the same doctrine to haue flourished not only amongst Christians but also amongst the learned Iewes by the vncontrolable testimonies of the ancient Rabbins who liued either before or immediatly after the natiuity of Christ by Rabby Moyses Hardarsan Rabby Akyba Rabby Selomo cited by Petrus Galatinus and by many other M. Fulke will not sticke to discard them as the Centurists doe the Fathers saying The Iewish Rabbins Patrons of Free-will doe erre Finally when the like is vrged out of Plato Aristotle and the generall consent of all Philosophers Caluin and Melancthon distaste it the rather as springing from the rootes of Philosophicall Superstition Alas good Syrs what course should we take What proofes will serue your turne The Scriptures we produce Some you deny some you falsifie The Fathers They were couered you say with the mists of darknesse The Iewish Rabbins you professe they erred The learned Philosophers They sauour of superstition whom shall we bring What shall we vrge May experience may reasons take place Many are gathered out of the Fathers writings which I referre vnto the next Chapter there they shall be more commodiously rehearsed In the meane time I am to grapple a little with M. Field who finding not how to auoid the shame or hide the fault of this his Progenitors Luthers and Caluins heresie denieth them to teach any Field in his 3. Booke of the Church c. 17 f. 135 136. such absolute Necessity of things whereof we here accuse them and appeacheth Bellarmine of iniuring them both in laying it to their charge 17. But they who haue perused my former Treatises haue discouered I hope such fraudulent dealing detestable Sycophancie in this mans writings as they will little regard his desperate and headdy asseuerations For he that hath borrowed the Harlots face to excuse his Sectmats in things inexcusable he that will protest no variance after due examination betwixt the Lutherans Caluinists touching the matter of the Sacrament in which themselues and all the world doth witnesse A most Essentiall as Peter Field in his 3. Booke of the Church c. 42. f. 170. Pet. Mart in praeâ—at l. cont Step. Vinton Luthâ—in asser art 36. Caluin l. â— Inst. c. 2. 3. 5. Martyr accounteth it and Fundament alivariance what will he not auouch in matters more intricate and lesse palpable dissensions And yet this of which we now attach and he laboureth to free his chiefest Protestants is no small priuate or hidden fault It is so manifest in Luther as he saith Free-will is a faigned thing A vaine title c. Because all things fall out as the Article of Wicliffe condemned at Constance rightly teacheth of Absolute Necessity As manifest in Caluin For he hauing distinguished these two sorts of Liberty the one from Coaction the other from Necessity that he granteth this he resolutly denieth He disliketh also the word Liberum arbitrium in Latin and much more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke and disswadeth all men from the vse thereof He maruelleth this speach of his should seeme harsh to any man The will by Necessity is drawne or led to euill His reason is Because the will ordinance and decree of God is a Necessity of things Thus he 18. His schollers M. Fulke M. White and others conning of him their lesson repeate the same word by Fulke locis citatis VVhite in the way to the true Church §. 40. digr 42. p. 275. 276. word M. Fulke you haue heard in part already M. White handling this mater of purpose deliuereth it thus The nature of free-will stands not in freedome from all Necessity but from all externall Constraint c. but from Coaction only Immediatly after he mentioneth and reiecteth our opinion saying Others contrariwise dispute our will to befree not in this respect but because it is subordinate to no Necessity c. But such an absolute freedome there seemes not to be Then he confirmeth it by the authority of other Deuines misconstruing them to teach The will to be no otherwise free but from compulsion twice in one Page he giueth the same reason hereof as Caluin did Because Gods will saith he orders and determines all wills from which determination no Creature is free Againe Gods will is aboue ours and flowes into it and moues it and determines it Whereupon it followes that our will of infallible Necessity must needes â—e moued and determined for Gods will cannot be in Ibid. §. 40. pag. 275. vaine 19. Marke these words Our will of infallible Necessity must needs be moued and forget not that he taketh necessity for that which is free but from coaction only Wheron it ensueth that we are so Necessarily moued and determined by God as it is not in
Ignatius that men euen then in the next age after Christ began too studiously to loue and reuerence the state of Virginity 3. Concerning the preheminence and merit of Martyrdome they record the like howbeit M. Doctour Field with his wonted procacity outfacingly deposeth The Century writers reproue not the Fathers for any such errour as the Papistes do maynteyne touching the force of martyrdome c. Touching the merite satisfaction and expiation of sinnes which they fancy to be in the bloud of martyrs of which impiety the Father Ignatius in ep ad Antioch ad Herâ— ad Tarsen Field in his 3. book c. 21. fol. 1. â— Cent. 2. c. 4. Col. 64. Clem. in stroÌ„ Igna. in ep ad Smir. ad Antioch Polycar neuer thought Deale once sincerely M. Field I pray belie vs not gaynesay not that which is euident in the Centuristes We allow not any merit satisfaction or expiation of sinnes in the bloud of Martyrs but in the noble resolution of their mind and in the heroicall act of sheeding their blood And of this the Century-writers so vndoubtedly controule the auncient Fathers as he is past all shame who goeth about to deny it I will produce their sayinges and referre them to the iudgement of any not ouerpartiall sectary First chronicling the vnfitting speaches as they terme them because they fit not their errours with which the doctours of the first two hundred yeares garnish the resplendent crowne of Martyrdome thus they write They the Fathers of the next age after Christ beganne to thinke too honourably of Martyrdome in so much as they attribute vnto it a certaine expiation of sinnes For Clemens expresly sayth Martyrdome is a cleansing or expurgation of ossences with glory and Ignatius in diuers of his Epistles speaketh very daungerously of the merit of Martyrdome Then proceeding Cent. 3. c. 4. col 85. Tertul in Scorpiaco in Apologia in lib. de anima Origen Homil. 7. in lud Cypr. l. 2. epist. 6. to the Fathers of the third hundred yeares to Tertullian Origen and S. Cyprian All the Doctours say they of this age extoll Martyrdome beyond measure For Tertullian doth almost equall it with Baptisme Filth or dregs sayth he are washed away by Baptisme but spots are made white with Martyrdome And iÌ„n his Apology Who when it cometh to passe doth not long to suffer that he may purchase the grace of God that he may obteine all pardon from him by the satisfaction or recompense of his bloud for to this worke all sinnes are forgiuen And in his booke of the soule Yf thou diest for God thy bloud is the whole key of Paradise But Origen much more insolently then Tertullian preferreth Martyrdome before Baptisme and holdeth vs to be made more pure by that then by Baptisme Likewise that by Baptisme sinnes passed are scowred forth but by Martyrdome future are killed he sayth that Diuells cannot appeach the soules of Martyrs for so much as they are rinsed in their owne liquour clarified in their death washed in their bloud Cyprian also affirmeth immortality to be gayned by the bloud of Martyrs And in his booke of exhortation to Martyrdome he aduenturously teacheth Martyrdome to be a Baptisme greater in fauour more subly me in power in honour more precious then the Baptisme of regeneration In the Baptisme of water the remission of sinnes is receaued in that of bloud the Lawrell of vertues Hitherto the Centurists word by word who if they reprooue not the Fathers for the same errour which we maintaine if they assigne not to the excellency of martyrdome out of the Fathers writinges Merit Recompence Satisfaction Expiation Purging Cleansing forgiuenes of sinnes clarity whitenes immortality glory the laurell of vertues the key of Paradise which openeth the gates of heauen then let M. Feildes shameles wantones in denying be accounted hereafter well aduised sobernes in excusing these thinges 4. Other Protestant writers although they treate not of Martyrdome in particular yet of merit in particular they accuse the auncient Church Bullinger auoucheth Bulling vpon the Apoca. ser 87. fol. 270. Humfrey Ies part 2. pag. 530. Bell in his downe fall pag. 61. The doctrine of merit satisfaction and iustification of workes did incontinently after the Apostles time lay their first foundation Doctour Humfrey It may not be denied but that Irenaeus Clement and others haue in their writings the opinions of freewill and merit of workes Doctour Whitgift Almost all the Bishops of the Greke Church Latin also for the most part were spotted with doctrins of freewil of merit of inuocation of Saintes c. Some wraÌ„gler may cauill as Bell the Apostata doth that the merit which the primitiue Church allowed is not the same which we defend but the merit of impetration only as though merit were not a thing quite different from impetration 1. The begger doth impetrate he doth not merit his almes The hired seruant meriteth he doth not impetrate his wages 2. Merit ariseth from the worthines of desert impetration from the earnestnes only of request 3. That is grounded in some title of iustice or clayme of right this in meere prayers and supplications directly excluding the right of clayme 4. That hath intrinsecall reference to a due reward or payment presupposing a dignity in the worke this to a liberall gift without any respect to the value of the worke wherefore seeing S. Gregory Naziazen sayth that for good workes we may exact reward not as grace but as a plaine debt seeing the rest auow with Nazian ora 3. in hap him that we deserue heauen as the stipend or crowne of our workes they cannot be wrested to be vnderstood of impetration but of true and proper merit or else the Magdeburgian Protestants with their english Collegues were to blame in reprehending the Fathers for that kind of merite which for impetration no doubt they would neuer haue done 5. Neuertheles it is obiected that eternall life is the free ad Rom. 6. v. 23. 1. Io. 5. v. â—1 Abbot in his defence c. 5. very often gift of God imparted by grace bestowed vpon vs of mercy That it is proposed in scripture vnder the condition of an inheritance which befalleth to children without their desertes I graunt all this yet I find that as it is affirmed to be giuen by grace so also to be gotten by violence as it is called a free gift so a price or reward as a goale of mercy so a crowne of iustice as an inheritance belonging to children so a payment hire or wages purchased by workmen deserued of labourers Aug. ep 105. de correp gra c. 13. in enâ—h c. 107. lib. arb c. 8. 9. Therefore we ought not so to adhere to one text or manner of speach that we defeate the force of the others as Protestants are accustomed but we must allot to euery one the life and vigour of their natiue signification We allow therefore that our happy life is a