Religion Which though it be such an ignoble and an vngodly deriuation of the Church as tendeth vnto the great contempt and ignominy of Religion yea the pure subuersion and annihilation thereof yet necessity hath inforced vs Protestants vnto theis paradoxicall fancies for thus no otherwise can we sustayn the essence and existency of our Church 8. The conclusion which yealded it self vnto me out of the former consideration was this Whereas there hath bene no visible Church nor member thereof for many hundred yeares which was not HERETICALL in an high degree as our doctrines do clearely import it followeth either that the PROVIDENCE of God hath fayled or that the true Church was inuisible or els that the true visible Church may err damnably in faith None but Atheists will affirme the first the learnedst Protestants deny the second Scriptures and Fathers conuince the third Wherefore reflecting vpon our accusation of this doctrine I saw that it was vniust and thus I resolued by a powerfull demonstration issuing from the premisses that Purgatory is no heresy nor Antichristianisme as we pretend with greater violence then reason but a parcell of the true ancient Catholick and Apostolick faith as the Papists do confidently belieue CHAP. II. The WISEDOME of God in designing fitt Instruments to be the Messengers of his will and Reformers of his Church doth confirme the aforesayd doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead §. 1. VVho were the first enimies of this doctrine what was their condition 1. IT is a graue waighty testimony which S. Iohn Damascen deliuereth in his Oration concerning them who are departed in the faith Our mercifull Lord doth appoynt saith he and gratefully accept our duty in that mutual relief which we exhibit one to an other both in our life and after our decease For otherwise he would neuer haue ministred this occasion vnto vs to remember the departed in the time of the holy Sacrifice vnlesse this seruice were approoueable in his sight Neither is there any doubt if this were a ridiculous and fruictlesse act but that whereas there haue bene many holy men Fathers Patriarchs and Doctours inspired with the holy Ghost he would haue putt it into some of their minds to represse such an errour But there is none of them all no not one that euer intertayned a conceipt to subuert or impugne the same 2. As this laudable custome of prayer for the dead was thus perpetuated without any interruption opposition or dislike of the best men in the best age euen of Constantine himself so the first enimy thereof AERIVS was an insolent and gracelesse wretch Anno Dō 354. a disciple of the Arrian heresy and such perfidious doctrines as x Contra Campian pag. 261. D. Humfrey himself doth liberally confesse though otherwise there are some things in Aërius which were not distastfull vnto his palate 3. But this rare illuminate did not contayn himself within theis limits Wherefore pretending a farther accesse of heauenly light as the nature of heresy did incline him for it is full of vanity * Idē licuit Martionitis quod Martioni Lutheranis quod Luthero de suo ingenio fidē innouare c. Tertul. praescrip cap 42. innouatiō making poore seduced people to hunt counter in their owne fancies and prescribing no certayn rule vnto the instability of their hearts he vented three peculiar heresies deuised and fabricated in the shopp of his owne brayn The FIRST that there is no disparity betwixt a Bishopp and a Priest The SECOND that it is a folly to pray or offer sacrifice for the dead The THIRD that it is against Christian liberty to haue any generall and appoynted dayes of fasting for then we should seeme to be vnder the Law c. 4. Theis heresies are no small part of the Geneuian Ghospell and therefore I haue obserued it diligently in our Authours as a very remarqueable poynt that howsoeuer they corrade and heape vp sondry heresies fiercely obiecting the same vnto the Papists yet they are silent in three Vigilantianisme Iouinianisme and * The true Caluinists admitt the 3. heresies of Aërius as we foe in France Scotland c. this Aërianisme whereof I now intreat For theis are goodly starres in our firmament and shine most brightly in our Sphere Notwithstanding my learned Authours do exceede Aërius also forasmuch as he did not wholly impugne the dreadfull Sacrifice but esteemed it vnprofitable for the the dead whereas they reiect the thing it self and this vse of it with like contempt 5. This Aërian heresy was extinct and buried some few scattering fellowes excepted vntill the yeare of our Lord 1156 when it was raised See afterward chap. 3. §. 4. and enliuened agayn by Henricus a Frenchman in whom our Protestanticall Religion did more spectably reare vp it self then before furbishing vp some old ragges of S. * Sainted by D. Fullees authority in his answ to the Rhem. Testam in 1. Timoth. 3. Annotat. 7. Vigilantius and others for the resplendency and completenesse of his ghospell 6. Nunc audi quis ille sit saieih y Ep. 240. S. Bernard vnto Hildefonse the Earle of S. Giles now it may please you to vnderstand what was the quality and condition of this Apostle First a Monk and then an Apostata from his order So was our S. Luther Secondly a pretendent of Apostolicall life Such sheepebiters were our freese-gowne Preachers whose doctrines enkindled the furious people See the statutes of King Rich. 2. c. and seasoned them with the principles of rebellion Thirdly a violatour of Chastity So was S. Luther euen * M. Powell de Antichr pag. 324. Magnus ille Reformator he our Great Reformer An example vnknowen to reuerend Antiquity and reserued vnto our ghospell that a vowed Monk should conioyne himself in mariadge with a professed Nunne which though it be not adultery yet peius est adulterio it is tarr worse in S. * De bono Viduit c 11. Augustines censure howsoeuer D. Field minceth it and saieth Pag. 153. Augustine MISLIKETH them that vow and performe not 7. Finally I saw a cōnfluence of impieties in our French Apostle whether I respected his Religion or Conuersation And therefore I could not withstand this iust sentence pronounced by S Bernard Ibid. saying Non est hic homo à Deo qui sic contraria Deo facit loquitur this man is not sent from God who acteth and speaketh things so repugnant vnto his will §. 2. God vseth no such instruments to reforme his Church 1 HEre inlardging my meditations I considered more exactly that the supreame Maiesty of heauen earth is respectiue of his honour the incolumity of his Church and as it is against his gratious Prouidence that the Spouse of his Sonne and the Mother of the faithfull should suffer a generall and diuturnall eclipse in hir profession so now it is farther against his high WISEDOME that when she wanteth
howres he lay in the graue c. we may conjecture we cannot determine we haue semblable reasons but no inuincible proofes 6. Wherefore D. Field hath not propounded vnto vs the difference betwixt the Protestants and Catholicks but that difference alone which is meerely betwixt the Catholicks themselues who teach most consonantly vniformely and perpetually that there is a Purgatory and that there is a temporall payn inflicted in the future life Thus they grant the thing it self and presuppose it as * Poster Analytic Aristotle sayth that Subiectum must be praecognitum the subiect must be foreknowen and admitted before we will demonstrate any thing vpon the same and then afterward they dispute concerning other accidentall points such as are here remembred by D. Field And what is this but the liberty of Schooles which may well consist with the purity of Religion It is an exercise of witt without destruction of faith The Sunne delighteth to runne his course as a Giant Psal 18.6 and yet he neuer exceedeth his annuall or diurnall confines for he knoweth his rising Psal 103.19 and his going downe Likewise the Catholicks may liberally expatiate in theis poynts prouided alwayes that they contayne themselues within the obedience of the Church and the compasse of approoued truth Otherwise 2. Reg. 2.37 as it was death for Shemei to transgresse the precinct assigned vnto him by Salomon so it is at their perill if they go beyond the limitts which the spouse of the wisest Salomon hath prescribed in this case 7. But we Protestants for whom D. Field hath aduocated in this businesse deale herein after an other manner for we first deny that there is any Purgatory or temporall payn in a future estate we damne it as blasphemous hereticall and Antichristian doctrine then consequently and necessarily we deny the place the time the instrument c. Which are certain accidentall secondary and subsequent respects For in our disputes with the Catholicks we propose not the question thus VVhether some soules suffer in corporall fire tormented there by Diuells an hundred yeares c. for this is the difference amongst themselues onely but VVhether there be any Purgatory or temporall payn of soules or not As for example if any man should demand VVhether in the contrey of VTOPIA the soyle be fertile the situation pleasant and the ayre healthfull I would preuent him and say Sir there is no such contrey and therefore your demands of the fertility pleasure and healthfulnesse are superfiuous and to no purpose 8. Thus I was now sufficiently instructed to perceiue that though D. Field doth glory in theis positions viz. The things wherevpon the difference groweth betwixt vs and the Romish faction were neuer receiued generally by the Church and * See his ep dedicat the things which Papists now publish as articles of faith PVRGATORY is in that number were not the Doctrines of that Church wherein they and WE viz. VValdensians Albigensians Lutherans c. who were sometime actuall and true members of the Romane Church liued together in one * That is to say whē our Fathers Wickliff Luther c. were Papists not separated from the visible cōmunion of the Romane Church communion yet he doth miserably collude herein against his owne conscience which in so principall an Authour throwing downe his gauntlet of defiance in such manner is a very lamentable case 9. For where is that man in the time of the aforesaid communion who denied Purgatory or shewed any doubtfulnesse therein against the essentiall doctrine in which the true difference betwxit the Papists and Protestants doth stand most eminently at this day I did employ much time I searched into the volumes of antiquity I neglected no meanes to gayn all possible satisfaction in this thing and yet I could not find so much as the shaddow of any one man See before pag. 54. c. how Purgatory hath bene denied and by whom by whom this particular was impugned vnlesse he were in the number of such as departed from the visible society of the Church 10 Thus necessity compelled me to inferr that D. Field hath disabled his owne booke and ouerthrowen his Church Papists may triumph in the victory which their chiefest enimies haue wrought in their behalf yea they may joyfully applaud the excellency of their cause which inforceth hir greatest aduersaries to prostitute themselues vnto such base and dishonest courses Confess l. 5. c. 7. 11. Finally therefore as S. Augustine was in despayre to receiue contentment from any Manichee when Faustus the most renowned in that sect yealded no sufficient answere vnto his doubts so now I could not expect a fayr Magis desperab am de cateris corū doctoribus quando in multis quae me mouebant it a ille nomitus apparuit and just resolution from any professour of our ghospell when D. FIELD himself inferiour to no Diuine in England for which cause he was selected by the Archbishopp to treatise of that * Of the CHVRCH subject which is the very center and circumference in all religious disputes appeared so vntrue and so meane in this particular of Purgatory and prayer for the dead which we deride and contemne as a foolish detestable impious opinion and voyd of any reasonable defence To conclude here I tooke an argument first à Personis and sayd if D. FIELD deale thus what conceipt shall I intertayn of all other Professours Secondly à Rebus and considered if D. Field deale thus in THIS MATTER what shall I conceiue of his deportment in all other things Truly I haue necessary reasons to perswade me that the cause being very bad will discredit all hir Patrones but the Patrones being neuer so good can not by any meanes support their cause The end of the first Part. THE SECOND PART CONCERNING SOME FALSEHOODS AND CORRVPTIONS OF M. ROGERS AND D. HVMFREY in the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. of M. ROGERS I Had iust reasons to esteeme highly of this mans work FIRST the Subiect of it to witt the Articles of Religion approoued by the Bishopps 1162. Clergy of our kingdome in which respect the booke is adorned with this resplendent title The faith doctrine and religion professed and protected in the realme of England and in the dominions of the same SECONDLY the quality of the Authour who is a Chaplayn vnto the Archbishop and conuersant in our Ecclesiasticall affayres For so he testifieth of himself in his * num 37. epistle dedicatory vnto his Lord and Maister saying Yeares haue made mine haires gray much reading and experience in theologicall conflicts and combats haue bettered my judgement c THIRDLY the speciall approbation of this booke viz. Perused and by lawfull authority of the Church of England allowed to be publick §. 1. Dionysius Carthusianus abused by M. Rogers Pag. 121. 1. PApists agree not amongst themselues sayth M. Rogers about the time which
* See S. August epist. 48. and say Nesciebamus hîc esse veritatem nec eam discere volebamus c. We knew not that the truth was here neither would we learne it But thankes be vnto God who hath taken away our feare and taught vs by experience how vayn and empty those suggestions are which lying fame hath cast out against his Church c. The end of the first Part. THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING A MORALL REASON which perswaded me to intertayn the Catholick doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. The PROVIDENCE of God in preseruing a visible Church free from any damnable errour doth confirme the doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead §. 1. The FIRST Consideration touching a visible Church I Considered First that God hath promised vnto vs a perpetuity of his Church both by his Sonne and Seruants For thus saieth his onely begotten Matth. 2◠20 I am with you alwayes vnto the end of the world 2. A comfortable saying ô Sauiour Iesus I not in body but in Spirit AM yea I will be also but * Before Abraham I am Ioh. 8.58 thus I expresse my self because I am eternall and immutable WITH YOV not in your persons onely but in your succession for euer and not inuisibly by grace alone but visibly also in a syncere profession of the truth ALWAYES VNTO THE END OF THE WORLD my Church shall endure throughout all generations Thus the promise of God made vnto Dauid historically concerning his seed Psal 88. c. is referred mystically vnto Christ in whose seed to witt his Church it is must be absolutely performed 3. I had yet a farther assurance from God by his Seruants Ephes 4.11 For thus saieth S. Paule He Christ hath giuen vs Apostles Prophets Euangelists men of extraordinary vocation in the beginning Pastours and Doctours men of ordinary vocation to the end for the consummation of the Saints for the worke of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ VNTILL we all meete in the vnity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God into a perfect man into the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ 4. This Text of holy Scripture I knew to be diuersly and preposterously sensed as well by the * M. Cartwright against D. Whitgift Presbyterians against the Formalists as by the * D. Soteliffe against D. Kellisō Protestants against Cath. The first exclude Archbish. the second by the same reasō exclude the Pope But I secured my self in the true and genuine interpretation thereof which did infallibly and clearely demonstrate vnto me theis two poynts First that the Church of Christ must perpetually subsist without decay Secondly that it must be visibly extant without obscurity and concealement For how can Pastours preach the ghospell and administer the holy Sacraments where people are not assembled to that purpose and gathered into a society of faith 5. As for the example of Eliah I alwayes esteemed it a lamentable suggestion in this case For his complaint * 3. Reg. 19. I am left alone extendeth onely vnto the kingdome of ISRAELL wherein he then conuersed and wherein he with many others was persecuted by Iezabell vnder Ahab hir infortunate husband But at the same time the law was read the Sacrifice was offered pure Religion was professed and protected in the kingdome of IVDAH vnder Iosaphat a blessed Prince * 3. Reg. 22.43 walking in the good wayes of Asa his father This Iosaphat suruiued vnto the * 4. Reg. 3.2 coronation of Ioram the yonger sonne of Ahab and so the example of Eliah can not be of any force to defend the opinion of many Protestants concerning the inuisibility of the Church 6. Wherefore seing how D. Apolog. Cathol part 1. lib. 1. c. 14. Morton doth still reinforce this poynt though cleared sufficiently by sondry Catholicks euen in the confession of a learned Protestant in England from whose mouth I receiued this instruction many yeares ago as though the aforesaid complaint of Eliah pertayned likewise vnto the kingdome of Iudah I did often and greatly wonder that such a man against his owne conscience should deale so fraudulently in this behalf For first he saieth that Lombard doth giue this exposition viz. When the daughter of Ahab was married vnto * The sonne of Iosaphat The yōger sonne of Ahab was called lord likewise Ioram the king of Iudah then all the Iewes seemed to be Idolaters so that Eliah thought himself to be left alone and vpon this authority of Lombard the Doctour buildeth his exception against the former answere Now is this I beseech you an ingenious and honest deportment in the Doctour thus to presse the authority of Lombard whom he knew to be singularly mistaken herein and to err most playnely against the historical euidence of sacred Scripture Secondly the Doctour is pleased to colour and cloake the said exposition of Lombard with the name of S. Ambrose and for this purpose he frameth his quotation in the margent thus Lombard in Rom. cap. 11. EX AMBROSIO But I found that as S. Ambrose hath not one syllable to iustify this exposition in the least degree so Peter Lombard himself doth not assume it frō him nor once vse his name therein howbeit both before and after he gleaneth vp some sentences from that excellent Father Is this a faithfull course in a Minister of simple truth 7. Renouncing the opinion of our Inuisibilists as an impious and contemptible fancy I embraced a position of h pag. 19. c. D. Field which though it be mingled with some corruptions and vntruths in his discourse yet in it self it is very effectuall syncere The Church can not be inuisible in respect of Profession and this Profession is knowen euen vnto the profane and wicked of the world Agayn It can not be but that they Apply this rule to the Protestanticall Churches who are of the TRVE Church must by profession of the TRVTH make themselues knowen in such sort that by their profession and practise they may be discerned from other men 8. For this cause S. Augustine saieth in a playn and familiar kind of speach See the 3. Conuersiōs of Englād Part. 2. chap. 1. throughout digito ostendimus Ecclesiam we shew forth the Church with our fingers in this place and in that here she is conspicuous and thus she hath descended vnto vs by a fayr and spectable succession 9. Non sic Protestantes non sic as for the Protestants it is not so with them their Church was hatched in corners and inclosed long in Cymmerian darcknesse Wherefore as the good sinfull woman complayned mournfully saying Ioh. 20.13 They haue taken away my Lord and I know not where they haue layed him so I was inforced to take vp a iust complaynt against all nouelizing hereticks and say They haue taken away the Church of my Lord
and I know not where they haue placed hir They can not assigne vnto me any persons time or place wherein their Synagogue had a resplendent face and a laudable dilatation §. 2. The SECOND Consideration touching a visible Church free from any damnable errour The Protestants loosenesse and confusion in their description of the Church 1. I Considered Secondly that this VISIBLE Church can neuer be taynted vniuersally with any errour and specially if it be such as either expressly or implicitely indangereth the principles of saluation for in matters of the necessity of saith she is freed from the possibility of errour 2. Hence it is that i Part. 4. de Vnit. Grac. Considerat 6. Iohn Gerson a man highly * See afterward c. 3. § 3. num 4. c. aduanced by D. Field prescribeth this ensuing obseruation as an infallible rule VVhatsoeuer is determined by the Pope of Rome together with his generall Councell of the Church in matters appertayning vnto faith that is vndoubtedly true and to be receiued of all the world For this consideration is founded in the articles of our faith VVe belieue that there is an HOLY CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH which is exempted from errour in hir faith c. 3. As this position was credible with me for the Authours sake and he vpon D. Fields singular commendation so I was induced farther and more strongly perswaded to intertayn it by the certayn warrant of him who is TRVTH it self and promised his Spirit vnto the holy Apostles with assurance Io. 16.13 that he should lead them into all Truth 4. In quality it is Truth without errour In quantity it is All truth necessary and expedient for them or vs in this peregrinant estate For as this promise belonged then particularly vnto each Apostle so it belongeth now generally vnto the whole Church which being taken either in hir latitude as she is diffused ouer the world or in hir representation as she is collected into a lawfull Synod is priuiledged from errour in hir doctrinall determinations 5. And this was clearely imported vnto me in a sentence of S. 1. Timoth. 3.15 Paull vnto his beloued Timothy whom he instructed how he should behaue himself in the house of God which is the ground and PILLAR OF TRVTH 6. For howsoeuer it pleaseth D. k Pag. 199. The church of Ephesus hath erred damnably in faith Field to elude the grauity and power of this Scripture by restrayning the Apostles sense therein particularly vnto the Church of Ephesus which was committed vnto the Episcopall care of Timothy yet as many reasons did preuayle with me to reiect his exposition so I preferred the authority of S. l Commentâ—r ibid Ambrose saying that VVhereas the whole world is Gods the Church is sayd to be his howse of which vniuersall Church Damasus the Pope is Rectour at this day This Vniuersall Church is the Pillar of truth sustayning the edifice of faith 7. Herevpon l Prascripe cap. 28. Tertullian deriding the hereticks of his time esteemeth it a base and grosse conceipt in any man to suppose that the holy Ghost who was asked of the Father and sent by the Sonne to be the Teacher of TRVTH should neglect that office vnto which he was designed and that he should permitt the Church to vnderstand the Scriptures otherwise then he spake by the mouth of the Apostles And farther Is it probable saieth he that so many and so great Churches if they did erre should erre thus conformably into the same faith VARIASSE debuerat ERROR doctrinae Ecclesiarum Caeterùm quod apud multos VNVM inuenitur non est erratum sed TRADITVM Errour bringeth variety but where vnity is there is the truth Thus the Churches are many in number but one in faith diuided in place but ioyned in opinion 8. Mine earnest meditation in this point taught me to lament the confusion of our Protestants admitting innumerable sectaries into our vast and incongruous Church Fox in Act. Mon. See the 3. Conuers of EnglaÌ„d which is a very Chimaera thrust together and fashioned in specificall disproportions But this was our necessity hard necessity and not our choyce to make such a pitifull delineation of our Church For whereas we had not any certayn succession to deriue hir descent and petigree from the Ancients we were compelled in this respect to deale liberally like good fellowes and take sondry hereticks with incompatible factions into our society least by the same reason for which we exclude others we should exclude our selues also from the communion of the Church pag. 137. 9. Hence it is that D. Field laying the fundation of his Babell feareth not to say that the Churches of Russia Armenia Syria AEthiopia Greece c. are and continue parts of the TRVE CATHOLICK CHVRCH A position manifestly repugnant vnto Reason and Authority Vnto reason for if truth of doctrine be a Note of the Church as we defend how is that a true Catholick Church which impugneth the truth and how is that one Church which is distracted into many faiths Vnto authority for S. * de haeres in perorat See the 3. conuers of England Part. 2. chap. 10. num 10.15.16.17 c. Augustine doth constantly affirme that whosoeuer maintayneth any heresy registred or omitted by him in his Treatise he is not a CATHOLIQVE Christian and consequently no member of that Church wherein alone we haue the promise of saluation For as our * Fides in Christum faith in Christ must be TRVSTFVLL liuely and actiue by a speciall application of his merits vnto our selues so our * Fides de Christo faith of Christ must be TRVE syncere and absolute by a iust conformity vnto the will of God reuealed by him and propounded by his Church And therefore D. Fields * Part. 4. de vnit Graecorum considerat 4. Gerson intreating of peace and VNITY in the Church laboureth to draw all men into a communion of faith and iudgeth it a great folly in any man to conceiue that we may be saued in our particular sects and errours 10. When I had discouered by an earnest prosecution of this point how naturally and powerfully our ProtestaÌ„ticall * The Church may erre Diuers Churches though erring grosly in faith make vp one Catholick Church c. doctrines conuaigh men into Laodiceanisme and a carelesse neglect of vndefiled Religion whence Atheisme must necessarily ensue I resolued with hearty affection to vnite my self vnto that Church which is pure and single in Religion wheresoeuer I should deprehend the same For though I saw that the Protestants religion was false in some things yet I had great hesitation and doubt whether the Papists were true in all as S. * Confess lib. 6. cap. 1. Augustine spake sometime vnto his louing Mother I am now no Manichee nor yet a Catholick Christian And so mine estate as well as his might be resembled vnto the case of that patient * S.
suspition of their integrity because S. Cyrill Archbishopp of Hierusalem gaue me this infallible prescription t Cateches 4. Hereticks hide the venime of their opinions grato nomine Christi vnder the acceptable name of Christ And as the dignity the glory the exaltation of Christ is the marke whereat they all preteÌ„d to shoote so they will take their ayme from holy Scripture alone Cap. 37. and as Lirinensis doth well obserue they spice and sprinkle their heresies with innumerable sentences of the word §. 4. The FOVRTH consideration touching the lardge diffusion of this doctrine receiued by the vniuersall Church VVhence it followeth that either Gods PROVIDENCE hath fayled and that he hath not performed his promise or that this doctrine of Purgatory is not erroneous 1. I Considered Fourthly that this doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead things of mutuall dependency hath bene spread ouer the face of the * See before pag. 16. 17. vniuersall Church both Greek and Latin 2. For though I was informed by our u D Field pag. 99. D. Abbot against D. Bishopp Part. 1. M. Rogers Cath. doctr pag. 120. c. principall Authours that the Greekes neuer intertayned this doctrine yet I found that their suggestion was vntrue inasmuch as the writings of the * See afterward Booke 2. Chap. 1. §. â—2 num 6. Ancient Greeks and the practise of the whole Church including them in that generallity did testify the contrary vnto me in most abundant manner And if any prejudice could accrew vnto this doctrine because it is denied by some men in the Greek Church a greater inconuenience by the Force of the same reason must ensue vnto the doctrine of the Procession of the holy Ghost from the FATHER and the SONNE because this is more generally and earnestly impugned their heresy also herein being such if we belieue the Creed of Athanasius which is accepted by our * English Church Artic. Relig 8. though sometimes ill expounded as excludeth men from the possibility of saluation 3. But whereas my learned Authours do extend the deniall of Purgatory generally vnto the Greeks they erre not knowing See the CeÌ„sure of the Orientall Church or els dissembling the truth For Ieremiah the Patriarch of Constantinople in his rescript vnto the Lutherans deliuereth clearely that the Greek Church prayeth for the dead with intention to relieue some soules afflicted with temporall payn and for a more copious explication of his mind he remitteth them vnto an w De fidel desunct oration of S. Iohn DamasceÌ„ wherein this matter is lardgely handled For he testifieth that in the vnbloudy Sacrifice the Catholick and Apostolick Church maketh a memoriall of the dead Why to relieue their soules Agayn God grant me so to fashion my life that I may not stand in exigence of theis helpes after death But if my lyfe be intercepted and cutt of before I can fulfill my duty God grant that my friends may intreat his mercy on my behalf And thus S. Chrysostome the diuine Preacher speaketh in theis golden words If in thy life-time thou hast not so exactly composed thy soule as thou oughtest giue commandement vnto thy friends to transmitt their helpe vnto thee by almes and oblations 4. Wherefore I conceiued that howsoeuer some Greekes did not or do not admitt the doctrine of Purgatory precisely vnder this * Quis nid haereticus negare audehit TransubstaÌ„t Pracess Sp. SaÌ„cti a P. F. Purgator quia apud priscos sub talibus NOMINIBVS non commemorantur Alfons à castro contra beres l. 8. titde Indulgent name with some other circumstances yet the Church of Greece generally doth retayn the thing it self And this was farther illustrated vnto me by the confession of the Greekes themselues in the Florentine Councell for it appeareth by their publick protestation that they agreed fully with the Romane Church in the essentiall doctrine hereof howbeit they dissented from hir in some points which are not absolutely pertayning vnto the necessity of faith 5. Now concerning such as haue denied this doctrine as well in nature as in name in substance as in circumstance I noted a great difference in the manner and course and reason of their deniall For some denied it Secondarily and by way of inference that is to say by reason of a precedent errour Thus the Armenians certayn Greekes haue bene devolued into a foolish imagination to conceiue that the soule hath no sense of ioy nor payn vntill hir reunion with the body and hence it followeth necessarily that there is no Purgatory after death Some haue denied it Primarily and simply that is to say not in regard of any precedent errour inferring this deniall but directly and precisely in regard of the thing it self Thus onely our Aërians Henricians VValdensians and finally we Protestants issuing from such Progenitours haue reiected this doctrine by a violent separation of our selues from the visible society of the Church 6. But forasmuch as theis Henricians and VValdensians in whom we glory and Catholicks do not enuy vs this honour were sometimes members as truly and really connexed vnto the Papists as any other men and fell away afterward from their communion as VVickliff also did I intertayned my self a while in this consideration viz. Since there was a time yea many hundred yeares when no VVickleuian no VValdensian or Henrician did appeare who did then deny Purgatory who did then oppose himself against this heresy this damnable and blasphemous doctrine as we call it for many generations Wherefore as Tertullian doth excellently say There was a time when such Praescript cap 30. and such heresies were not knowen Vbi tunc Marcion vbi tunc Valentinianus c. where was Marcion and where was Valentinian then It is manifest that they themselues were sometime no hereticks but that they obserued the Catholick Religion c. So I spake in my secrete thoughts and sayd there was a time when our opinions were not knowen where was Henricus or VValdo then It is manifest that they themselues were sometime no impugners of this doctrine but that they did meekely and dutifully obserue it as a part of the true and Catholick Religion 7. I proceeded yet a little farther and considered that we Protestants could not possibly assigne so much as the shaddow of any one man our Henricians and VValdensians excepted denying or doubting of Purgatory who was not hereticall in some other doctrine euen such as we our selues confesse to bring very great and eminent danger vnto saluation And what aduantadge or defence could I take from any heretick to secure my self in such a case For if any man did please me in denying Purgatory yet he did displease me also by some odious and hatefull opinion wherewith he was infected and then I could not find out any true and Catholick Church vnlesse I would distill it mystically out of sondry persons and compound their simples into one body of
the festinities of the ancient Chuch Witnesse Scotland France c. where the zealous professours imitate their Forefather Aërius of vnholy memory and renounce the Christian feasts as p Epiphans de Aërdo haeres 75. Iudaicall fables c. 7. The SEVENTH hath bene ridiculous vnto vs all and yet some blessing perhapps was powred forth vpon that oyle wherewith his MAIESTY receiued his first vnction to be the King anoynted of our Land 8. The EIGHT article is despised by such pure Caluins and seuere Luthers as measure the truth of all things by the yard of their owne fancy Hence it is that Luther reduceth the definitions of holy Concells vnto a popular approbation and consent of the vnlettered people for saith q Tom. 2. l. 2. de rat Iud. Eccles he they are the sheepe of whom our Sauiour testifieth that they heare his voyce Hence it is that his Apostolicall self feareth not to pronounce r Contra Henric. 8. VVhen Bishopps arrogated power to enact Canons c. without doubt theis were the cogitations of Satan yea the first Councell of Nice saith he committed sacriledge and impiety against the most euident and inuincible scriptures of God Hence followeth the contempt of sacred Synods and neglect of their decrees 9. The NINTH is a damnable poynt in our eyes and Å¿ M. Powel de Antichristo pag. 254. one of those deadly heresies which was deuised by Antichrist himself The TENTH and last article hath speciall refereÌ„ce vnto the Anabaptists who repudiate the * S. Aug. de Genes l. 10. c. 23. tradition of the Apostles therein as t See M. Rogers Catlâ— doctr pag. 169. the inuention of a Pope yea of the very Diuell So zealous are they against all things not literally expressed in the word 10. But when I searched into the fountayn of this errour I saw that a singular disgrace ensueth thereby vnto the ghospell of our reformed Churches For whereas S. Luther doth often couple the Anabaptists and Sacramentaries in one string protesting that they u DefeceruÌ„t â— nobis primò Sacramentarij pòst Anabaptistae c. See Luth. in 5. ad Galat. fell away from him therefore he often defieth them both as hatefull and execrable hereticks I w Staphyl in lib. de Concord Luther alij found that he ministred iust occasion vnto the formers vanity by his vniust position inasmuch as he taught that Children haue ACTVALL Faith and that otherwise they should not be baptized Wherevpon some of his disciples assuming that ChildreÌ„ haue no such faith inferred necessarily therefore they are not to be baptized 11. Thus the Anabaptisme of * See the Examen of Fox his Calendar-Saints cap. 3. num 43. Pacimontanus a chick of Martins egges was an infallible conclusion by a true negatiue of that which Luther did falsely affirme This poynt x Cathol doctr pag. 170. M. Rogers aymeth at very fayrely saying Some are of opinion that none are to be baptized which belieue not first and hence the ANABAPTISTS teach Infants belieue not therefore they are not to be baptized Hence also the LVTHERANS teach so it pleaseth M. Rogers to speak and yet D. Field is driuen into a great passion against the Pope because Bellarmine vseth theis * LutheraÌ„s Caluinist c. pag. 179. names of faction and diuision Infants do belieue and therefore they are to be baptized 12. As for the principall SACRAMENTARIES for thus the Zuinglians Oecolampadians Carolostadians c. are commonly phrased by S. Luther howbeit it pleaseth y Pag. 170. D. Field to say that Some mens MALICE called them so I saw that great ignominy doth attend them also in this behalf For z Tom. 2. de baptisme Zuinglius our renowned military Patriarch inuaighing against this doctrine Baptisme confirmeth faith c. sentenceth it to be a rash and inconsiderate opinion Yea saith he for this cause it was to be expected that some men should deny baptisme vnto Infants And I do ingenuously confesse that being sometimes deceyued with this errour I thought it more safe that they should be baptized when they are come vnto a iust age 13. Which Anabaptisme though he disclaymed afterward yet this heresy festered so deepely in his heart that he alwayes esteemed the baptisme of children to be an externall or ceremoniall thing dispensable by the law of Charity which the Church may well and honestly vse or omitt as it shall seeme good for the edification of our neighbour The same opinion was taken vp by * Inter â—p Zuingl Oecol l. 2. fol. 80. Oecolampadius the * See Bellarm de Notis Eccles cap. 8. first pretensed Bishopp of Basill Truly a fitt doctrine for a Bishopp of such a stamp 14. This was the summe and effect of my first and generall consideration viz. that all the innouations which Henricus propounded vnto the Church were such as make vp a goodly messe to furnish our euangelicall table and thus I saw no reason why the Miracle of S. Bernard should not be as sufficient a proofe of all as of some and why not as specially of Purgatory as of any other point 15. Wherefore I proceeded vnto a SECOND consideration which is more peculiar and which did more forcibly procure my firme resolution and indubious assent 16. For since our Lord did giue his owne testimony from heauen and we know that his testimony is true in defence of S. Bernard against Henricus without all question this doctrine of Purgatory was so included in the whole number that it was no lesse clearely fortified by this miracle then any other poynt And my reason to conceiue thus was because as S. Bernard deliuered it and the people accepted it no lesse freely then any other so likewise God himself did concurr in the operation of this miracle for a noble end viz. the confusion of heresy the manifestation of the truth the honour of his name the safety of his Church the satisfaction of men present and the instruction of succeeding ages 17. Yea forasmuch as he that wrought this illustrious Miracle did then and there in the voyce and authority of the Catholique Church publiquely teach and earnestly perswade and constantly defend this doctrine how shall the witt of an Archangell distinguish what was what was not confirmed by this Miracle in case the glorious Saint and the visible Church were erroneous in the * See before num 1. said opinions as farr as the substance thereof extendeth itself principally in the FIRST it being a chief article in that catalogue 18. I concluded As God will not nay he can not and this is a powerfull impotency in him beare witnesse vnto any falsehood so he doth neuer implicate and obscure the truth in such manner that we should be necessarily intangled with errour for want of possibility to discerne it and specially when the thing is such as is hereticall in nature and damnable in effect § 5. An
willingnesse to belieue meeting with other mens facility to deceiue did captiuate my blind thoughts into the society of their errour For as Iudah committed folly with Thamar Genes 38. because hir habit was chandged and hir face couered so I was intangled with their conceipts because they maske their intolerable falsehood disguise it vnder the shape of great syncerity and truth Thus D. MORTON protesteth In Cathol Apol. Part. 1. Epist. ad Lector that he may call God to be a witnesse and reuendger against his soule if he deceiue any mā * Si sciens fallo vvith his knovvledge Nay God forbid that for defence of truth vvhich is life he should procure the assistance of a ly vvhich slayeth the soule But * Ipse legēdo reperiet c. See S. Aug Conf. l. 3. c. 12. discouering their vanities at the appoynted time and seing how pitifully I had bene * Vsque ad annūaetatis 28. c. See S. August Confess l. 4. c. 1. Ierem. 17.11 See S. Hierom. in hūc locum Also S. August contra Faustum l. 13. c. 12. seduced by them whose words seemed vnto me diuine Oracles I could not be any longer led by them vvho do so grossly abuse their ovvne knovvledge to deceiue poore ignorant credulous soules And thus as Nature teacheth the yong Partridge to forsake the false damme to receiue more sweet protection vnder hir wings by whom she was brought forth so Grace teacheth me to disclayme hereticall Congregatiōs and to submitt my self vnto the direction of that Mother-Church which brought me forth vnto God by baptisme and therefore doth challendge right in me as in hir owne child THE FIRST PART CONCERNING THE VNTRVTHS AND CORRVPT DEALING OF D. FIELD IN THE question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead CHAP. I. How the 4. Doctors of the Church viz. S. Gregory S. Augustine S. Hierome and S. Ambrose are traduced by D. Field in this particular §. 1. S. GREGORY abused by D. Field A note concerning S. BERNARD THE substance of D. Fields discourse concerning the CHVRCH the greatest and most ponderous subiect in all religious disputes as he affirmeth * In his epist to the Archb. saying that men desirous of satisfaction in things of such consequence as the matters now controuersed are must diligently search out the true Church that so they may embrace hir communion follow hir directions and * Nota. rest in hir iudgement consisteth principally in this issue to witt that the opinions wherein the Papists dissent from the Protestants at this day were not the doctrines of the Church See his third booke chap. 6. 7. but of a faction onely predominating in the same 2. Now forasmuch as the copious declaratiō of this poynt would exceede the conuenient quantity Chap. 7. or compasse of that chapter wherein the seuerall differences betwixt the Papists and Protestants are briefly and * See one example afterward chap. 4. falsely also in some part sett downe it pleased him to frame a certayn Appendix which he annexeth vnto his third booke and therein he vndertaketh to iustify the aforesayd position by the testimonies of sondry Fathers Schoole-authours whom he there calleth worthy and learned men For so he is accustomed to speake honourably of his enimies for his owne aduantadge 3. Descending vnto the controuersy * Chap. 20. VVhether any sinnes be remitted after this life or not he vseth this pretense viz. Whereas Lombard and others do say that some veniall sinnes are remitted after this life we must so vnderstand their sayings that therefore they are sayd to be remitted after this life because they are taken away in the very moment of dissolution and the last instant of life is the first after life c. This is the summe of that exposition which he maketh of Lombards and other mens opinion concerning the remission of sinnes after this life wherein how syncerely and exactly he dealeth I will not now dispute 4. I come vnto his proof brought forth by him to corroborate the aforesaid exposition which I will here relate word by word as it standeth in his booke Hereunto seemeth * Dialog l. 4. cap. 46. GREGORY to agree saying that the very feare that is found in men dying doth purdge their soules going out of the body from the lesser sinnes Seeing therefore as * In Psalm Qui habitat ser 10. BERNARD sayth if all sinne be perfectly taken away which is the cause the effect must needs cease which is punishment it followeth that seeing after death there is no sinne found in men dying in state of grace there remayneth no punishment and consequently no Purgatory So he 5. But when I viewed the Author himself I found that the sentence of S. Gregory doth beare much otherwise then it is here deliuered by M. Doctors pen for thus it soundeth in a true and faithfull translation FOR THE MOST PART very feare alone doth purdge the soules of IVST men going out of their bodies from their LEAST sinnes Wherefore I noted three poynts of fraudulency committed by the Doctour in a few words First by an Omission for whereas S. Gregory sayth PLERVMQVE for the most part it is so he cashiereth this particular and vouchsafeth it no mention at all Secondly by his Reddition for whereas S. Gregory saieth MINIMIS the smallest sinnes he chandgeth the degree and translateth lesser sinnes which was no little deceipt in him that had a purpose to collude Thirdly by an Extension for whereas S. Gregory saieth IVSTORVM the soules of iust men he rendreth the speach in a more generall and vnconfined manner viz. the soules of men dying and thus he mangleth a cleare sentence to deriue a conclusion from it Many such tricks were discouered by the B. of Eureux in the writings of the L. Plessis See the defence of the Relation of a triall concerning Religion in France It is annexed to the Examen of Fox his Calendar-Saints Part. 1. a Cathol doctr pag. 121. contrary to the purpose of the author there and his doctrine in other places 6. For if not all light sinnes but the LEAST in the soules of IVST men to witt such as are of singular sanctity and not generally of men dying in state of grace are FOR THE MOST PART and not alwayes purdged out by feare at the time of their death then it followeth by ineuitable deduction that some sinnes are purdged in an other world and consequently there is a Purgatory for this vse This is the intendment of S. Gregory and therefore a M. Rogers that Catholick Authour dissembleth not this matter in S. Gregory but sayth plainely as the truth is which fault he is not much subiect vnto Some Papists viz. Gregor dialog l. 4. c. 39. do think that onely veniall sinnes are purdged in Purgatory 7. In which passadge three things offered themselues vnto my consideration First the limitation of his speach SOME a particle meerely superfluous
THE FIRST MOTIVE OF T. H. MAISTER OF ARTS AND LATELY MINISTER TO SVSPECT THE INTEGRITY OF HIS Religion Which was DETECTION OF FALSEHOOD in D. Humfrey D. Field other learned Protestants touching the question of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead VVith his PARTICVLAR CONSIDERATIONS perswading him to embrace the Catholick doctrine in theis and other points * ⎠* An Appendix intituled TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST Wherein Some notable vntruths of D. Field and D. Morton are discouered Printed 1609. S. AVGVSTIN de vtilit credendi contra Manichaeos cap. 14. NVllis me video credidisse nisi populorum atque gentium confirmatae opinioni ac famae admodum celeberrimae hos autem populos Ecclesiae CATHOLICAE mysteria vsquequaque occupásse Cur non igitur apud cos potissimum diligentissimè requiram quid Christus praeceperit quorum authoritate commotus Christum aliquid vtile praecepisse iam credidi Túne mihi melius expositurus es quid ille dixerit Quem suisse aut esse non putarem si abs te mihi hoc commendaretur esse credendum Hoc ergo credidi vt dixi famae celebritate consensione vetustate roboratae Vos autem tam pauci tam turbulenti tam noui nemini dubium est quám nihil dignum authoritate praeferatis Quae igitur ista tantae dementia est Illis crede Christo esse credendum à no bis disce quid dixerit Cur obsecrote Nam si illi Catholici deficerent nec me quicquam docere possent multò faciliùs mihi persuaderem Christo non esse credendum quà m de illo cuiquam nisi ab jis per quos ei credidissem discendum TO THE PROTESTANT READER IT was my purpose to be silent vntill I was inforced to speake for the publick proceedinge against me hath drawen me vnto this publick defence and specially because it was by those persons whom I haue reuerenced from my heart and in that place which must alwayes challendge an interest in my poore vnworthy self Wherefore being inuited and compelled vnto this coursey I present vnto thee louing contreyman one MOTIVE of my chandge the first in order and with me very effectuall in waight Expect not any curious or ample discourse for I do here intend to deliuer onely such peculiar things as preuayled with me in the beginning rowsing me out of my lethargy in schisme and heresy prouoked me vnto a diligent inuestigation of the truth My other * Tâ—â— motiues shall remayn prisoners in my custody vnlesse the importunity of friends or malignity of aduersaries may perhapps extort their enlardgement from me against the proper inclination of my will Meane while accept this little schedule is it not a little one and thy soule shall liue Gen. 19 20 with kind affection And though I may require it as justice yet I will desire it as a fauour let not prejudice forestall thy judgement nor passion supplant thy reason Peruse diligently compare exactly and giue thy verdict vprightly in presence of the all-seing eye Then I doubt not but seeking thou shalt find and finding wilt confesse God was here Gen. 28.16 and I knew it not Thy deuoted contreyman Theophilus Hyggons THE GENERALL CONTENTS OF THIS TREATISE DIVIDED INTO 2. BOOKES 1. In the First booke are expressed tvvo Reasons the one DOCTRINALL the other MORALL vvhich svvayed my vnderstanding povverfully to yeald firme assent vnto the Catholick faith touching Purgatory and Prayer for the dead 2. In the Second booke are layed forth certayn egregious falsehoods of D. Field D. Humfrey M. Rogers and others in their exceptions against the same THE PARTICVLAR CONTENTS IN EACH BOOKE IN THE FIRST BOOKE AND FIRST PART CONTAYNING THE DOCTRINALL REASON CHAP. 1. § 1. Purgatory prooued by the cleare authority of Scripture Matth. 12.32 § 2. The Fathers iudgements touching the sayd parcell of holy Scripture § 3. Three reasons which mooued me to follow the doctrinall expositions of the Fathers rather then of Caluin Luth. c. CHAP. 2. § 1. Of a triall by the Fathers Protestants in England condescend thereunto § 2. Prayer for the dead is an Apostolicall TraditioÌ„ by the testimony of the Fathers The same appeareth by the rules assigned by Protestants to know what is an Apostolicall Tradition § 3. Prayer for the dead Purgatory do mutually prooue each other § 4. The ancient Catholick Church vnto which the Protestants in England appeale did intend in hir Prayers and Oblations to relieue some soules departed and afflicted with temporall payn § 5. The collusion of D. Field in deliuering the purpose of the ancient Catholick Church in hir Prayers and Oblations for the dead § 6. Reasons perswading me rather to follow S. August the ancient Church then D. Field and his reformed Congregations IN THE SECOND PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING THE MORALL REASON CHAP. 1. § 1. The PROVIDENCE of God preseruing a visible Church in all ages § 2. This visible Church is free from damnable errour The Protestants loosenesse and confusion in their delineation of the Church § 3. Protestants condemne Purgatory and Prayer for the dead as hereticall and blasphemous § 4. This doctrine was embraced by the vniuersall Church consequently is approoued by the singular PROVIDENCE of almighty God CHAP. 2. § 1. The base and impious condition of Aërius and Henricus who first impugned this doctrine § 2. The VVISEDOME of God appoynting fitt messengers to be Reformers of his Church doth excellently confirme this doctrine CHAP. 3. § 1. The nature and vse of Miracles by which God doth beare witnesse vnto some TRVTH A triple consideration of Miracles according to the triple distinction of the Church § 2. A miracle wrought by S. Bernard to the confusion of Henricus and his doctrines § 3. There is no exception against the sayd Miracle § 4. The sayd Miracle doth euidently conuince the Protestants in this and other poynts § 5 An exception of D. Field pretending that no particular defended by the Papists against Protestants vvas euer confirmed by Miracle is refelled by our Conuersion from Paganisme to Popery as it is termed and by the authority of Gerson whom D. Field hath magnified as one that desired the same Reformation long since which Protestants haue lately effected CHAP. 4. § 1. The grounds which I followed in the precedents are invincible § 2. The particulars therein are very cleare A direction for the Reader to iudge orderly substantially concerning the same A conclusion of the first Part with a Protestation vnto the Reader IN THE SECOND BOOKE AND FIRST PART CONTAYNING THE VNTRVTHS OF D. FIELD CHAP. 1. § 1. S. Gregory the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 2. S. Augustin the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 3. S. Hierome the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine
Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead § 4. S. Ambrose the 4. glorious Doctours of the Latine Church abused by D. Field in this doctrine of Purgatory Prayer for the dead CHAP. 2. D. Field doth vniustly accuse CARD BELLARMINE of trifling and senselesse foolery in this matter Caluin doth truly confesse that the Protestats are opposite vnto Antiquity therein CHAP. 3. § 1. D. Field himself doth trifle and if it be iustice to repay him with his owne he committeth senselesse foolery in describing the heresy of Aërius whereof all Protestants are guilty consequētly are not Catholicks § 2. The contradiction vanity falsehood of Protestants some accusing some defending Aërius in his impugnation of Prayer and Oblation for the dead § 3. D. Field maketh a lamentable apology for the Protestants diuersity in their censures touching the aforesayd heresy The true and proper reason of their diuersity therein is assigned Their strandge and variable deportment toward the ancient Fathers CHAP. 4. A notable vntruth of D. Field in proposing the difference betwixt the Protestants and Papists in the question of Purgatory By which dealing he hath vtterly overthrowen his highly respected booke and brought eternall confusion vnto his Church IN THE SECOND PART OF THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. 1. § 1. M. Rogers abuseth Dionys Carthusian § 2. He brandeth S. Gregory with the name of a Papist and traduceth Eckius Temporall punishment inflicted after remission of the guilt of sinne CHAP. 2. sect 1. D. Humfrey doth singularly abuse a certayn testimony of S. Augustine The detectiō of which falsehood ministred the first occasion of my chandge § 2. An other of his vnfaithfull practises against the same Father c. AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER TOVCHING THE ORDER AND METHOD OF THIS TREATISE COurteous Reader though the beginning of my alienation from the Protestants did arise from the detection of some egregious falsehoods in D. Humfrey peruerting S. Augustine in D. Field traducing S. Ambrose vvhence I vvas excited to spend much time in searching out the doctrine of the ancient Church concerning PVRGATORY and PRAYER FOR THE DEAD yet I haue not alvvayes follovved that order precisely in this ensuing Treatise but for thy better direction and instruction I haue thought it expedient FIRST to lay forth the truth of this doctrine and SECONDLY to acquaynt thee vvith their falsehoods against the same THE FIRST BOOKE Wherein THE CATHOLICK DOCTRINE OF PVRGATORY AND PRAYER FOR THE DEAD IS CLEARELY prooued THE FIRST PART OF THE FIRST BOOKE CONTAYNING A DOCTRINALL REASON which perswaded me to intertayn the aforesayd doctrine CHAPTER I. The Reason taken from HOLY SCRIPTVRE to prooue PVRGATORY §. 1. The sense of the Euangelist S. Matthew Chap. 12. v. 32. 1. AMONGEST sondry testimonies of holy writt this one seemed in mine opinion to be of singular force viz. VVhosoeuer shall speake a word against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiuen him in this world nor in the world to come For as this Text doth imply in the immediate sense thereof that the Sinne against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen so it doth imply farther a distinction of sinnes some whereof are remissible and some irremissible some are pardoned in this world and some in the world to come 2. This interpretation is founded vpon a speciall reason because S. a 3 2◠Marke intreating of the same matter saieth that blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall neuer be forgiuen non in aeternum and S. Matthew diuideth this space of eternity into seculum praesens seculum futurum the world present and the world to come as being two seuerall and distinct parts thereof so that the same thing is noted by each Euangelist but coniunctiuely in the one and distributiuely in the other 3. The Protestants deriue this text after an other manner and say that S. Matthew is to be expounded by S. Marke and so the intendment of this Scripture is precisely and meerely to shew that the great sinne being irremissible in an eminent degree shall neuer be forgiuen 4. But this simple glosse could yeald me no satisfaction For though it were the purpose of our Lord to declare that one sinne shall neuer be forgiuen yet he expresseth himself by such a distinction as doth manifestly inforce the remission of some sinnes in the future life And forasmuchas S. Matthew dealeth more copiously herein then S. Marke there is no reason why the first should be contracted by the second but rather it is necessary to enlardge the second by the first 5. Neither did it seeme a probable conceit vnto me though it be intertayned by many that our Sauiour did not make a partition of sinnes some to be remitted in this world and some in the next but vsed an exaggeration to shew the irremissibillity of one sinne as if I should say A barren woman shall not beare a child neither in this world nor in the world to come For though the WORD did speake b Io. 7.46 as neuer man spake in respect of Maiesty grauity and power yet he doth not so decline the accustomed manner of speach as that he would speake against the rules of prudency and morall vnderstanding as this speach is if it be sensed in this manner And who would not esteeme him to be a ridiculous and absurd Oratour that should say This woman shall not beare a child in this world neither in the world to come 6. Wherefore seing that the Protestants exposition is formed against discretion and that it is not warrantable by any other parcell of Scripture which is to be interpreted in this manner I was fearefull to be intangled by their collusions and because I would deale vnpartially in a matter of such consequence as this is I held a very indifferent course whereby I might not attribute any thing vnto mine owne iudgement nor yet detract from their estimation and therefore I remitted this point vnto the decision of the blessed Fathers knowing well that it is a precept of the Highest c Deut. 32.7 Aske the Fathers and they shall tell thee the Ancients and they shall shew thee and thus did D. Toby Matthew apply this Text d See D. Humfrey in resp ad 5. rat Edm. Campiani when he flourished in his concionall answere to remooue that disgrace which e Rat. 5. Edm. Campian had fastened vpon him and not vniustly as many men conceiue 7. Besides since it is the monition of S. f 1. Cor. 14.32 Paule that the Spiritts of Prophetts are subiect vnto the Prophetts the rule of equity doth prescribe that in the interpretation of holy writt the fewest should yeald vnto the most and the later vnto the former they also being more competent Iudges to determine a strife who neuer were Actours personally in the contention §. 2. The Fathers iudgement of this Scripture 1. I Was assured by D. g Of the Church pag. 170. Field that S.
thou hast receiued and not deuised that which is brought downe vnto thee and not brought forth by thee that wherein thou art a scholler and not a maister a follower and not a guide c. 7. SECONDLY because the rule of S. Å¿ Contra Donatist de Baptismâ— l. 4 c. 24. Augustine which D. t pag. 242. Field himself doth accept was so cleare and waighty that I could not resist the power thereof viz. VVhatsoeuer is frequented by the Vniuersall Church and was not instituted by Councells but was alwayes held that is belieued most rightly to be an Apostolicall Tradition Such is the custome of Prayer for the dead For first It was practised in all ages and in all places as the most venerable Authours do constantly and vniformely teach Supplications for the soules of the dead were powred foorth by the Vniuersall Church in u de curâ prâ— mort cap. 1. S. Augustines time and the like testimonies were affoorded vnto me by the Fathers of the Primitiue Church namely S. x Epist 1. It is mentioned by Concil Vasens 1. c. 6. Clemens the Martyr in the yeare of our Lord 110 y de Coron Milit. Tertullian in yeare of our Lord 210 who z de Monogam prescribeth according to the doctrine of the Catholick Church vnto the wife that she should pray for the soule of hir husband to procure his rest and ease Secondly I could not possibly designe any Councell Oecumenicall Nationall or Prouinciall any Bishop Supreame or Subordinate by whom this custome was brought into the Church And here I considered that heresy doth alwayes spring from some certayn Person Time and Place VinceÌ„t Lir. and so it is discouerable by theis circumstances But if the Authour cannot be specially named which is a rare accident yet this was sufficient vnto me to conceiue that as Catholick Religion implieth three things viz. Antiquity Vniuersality and Consent so Heresy being opposite thereunto implieth necessarily the three contraries viz. Nouelty Particularity and Distraction 8. My THIRD reason to belieue that this is an Apostolicall Tradition was deriued from the liberallity of D. a pag. 242. Field himself VVhatsoeuer all or the most famous and renowned in all ages or at the least in diuers ages haue constantly deliuered as receiued from them that went before them no man doubting or contradicting it may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition This rule was very appliable vnto my purpose For first I had many pregnant demonstrations and conformable testimonies of the most famous and renowned in all ages constantly deliuering this thing as receiued from them that went before See the 2. Part chap. 2. And secondly I found that no man did contradict or doubt herein but such onely as were damned hereticks and are so recognized by the publick voyce of the Church Wherefore I concluded ineuitably by D. Fields allowance that Prayer for the dead may be thought to be an Apostolicall Tradition and b Decad. 4. serm 10. Bullinger himself feareth not to say that this is the iudgement of the Fathers WheÌ„ce I was compelled to inferre that D. c against D. Bishopp part 1. pag. 80. Abbott doth willingly deceiue himself saying that Prayer for the dead is a Tradition and an ordinance of the Church to which purpose he misinforceth the testimony of d Hares 75. Epiphanius whereby he would exempt Aërius from the crime of heresy iustly layed vnto his chardge by S. e Hares 53. Augustine and many others Lastly I was compelled to disallow the groundlesse opinion of f de Naturâ Dei lib. 4. c. 4. Zanchius and some others who referr the origin of prayer for the dead vnto humane affection and imitation of the Gentiles § 3. The mutuall dependency of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead 1. VVHen I had thus ascended vnto the fountayn of Prayer for the dead I reflected vpon my self and demanded of mine own heart saying but what is this vnto PVRGATORY For that was the issue vnto which my thoughts did finally incline 2. Wherefore for better illustration of this matter information of the Reader I will here lay downe a necessary point deriued out of the testimonies which ensue in the next section of this chapter and so you shall clearely perceiue the connexion and dependency of theis things 3. Though Purgatory and Prayer for the dead are things seuerally distinguished in their nature yet they are so inseparably tied in their bond that each doth mutually prooue the other Prayer for the dead prooueth Purgatory per modum signi by the way of a signe or declaration for it doth presuppose a penall estate wherein some soules are afflicted temporally after this life Purgatory prooueth the necessity of prayer for the dead per modum causae by the way of a cause for we are obliged by the law of Charity to make supplication vnto God in behalf of our brethren of the Church Patient in Purgatory Qui securi estis de vobis soliciti estâ—te de nobis S. August meditat cap. 24. as they being translated into the Church Triumphant in Heauen are led by the abundance of their charity to make intercession for vs of the Church Militant in Earth Which triple distinction of the Church I did embrace willingly forasmuch as it was confessed solemnely by Sir Iohn Oldcastle himself howbeit M. Fox seing that this was no small disreputation vnto the faith of our trayterous Martyr mingleth a * if any such place as Purgatory be found in the Scripture few wordes to abate the force of his confession This poore subtility of Fox is dismasked in the g Part. 2. chap. 9. num 18. three Conuersions of England 4. Thus I considered that not the Name but Thing and that things not accidentall but essentiall were to be inquired by me in this dispute I obserued farther that men are not the Authours to make but Expositours to declare their faith And as we do penetrate more excelleÌ„tly into the knowledge of any thing so we are inabled accordingly to expresse the same in proper and significant words For as the imposition of words ariseth from the freenesse of our will so the aptnesse of their imposition floweth from the clearnesse of our vnderstanding 5. Finally I called vnto remembrance that the Church of God hath drawen many lardge doctrines into compendious names as Trinity Sacrament and the like Thus the doctrine of Homousia or the coÌ„substantiality of the Father the Sonne Io. 10.30 is really contayned in the holy Scripture I and my Father are one See before Chap. 1. §. 3. num 3. a playn Text howsoeuer it be Arrianically violated by Caluin but the word it self was established by the first sacred Councell of Nice Thus also I saw that in the opinion of the Papists the doctrine of Metousia or TransubstantiatioÌ„ in the SacrameÌ„t is implied in the Scripture This is my body which little sentence is distracted by vs
Protestants into * 9. are noted by Bellarm de Euchar. l. 1. c. 8. You shall find 84. noted by Claud. de Sainct in lib. de Euchar. Repetit 1. cap. 10. many interpretations but the word it self was confirmed by a * 3. LateraÌ„ generall Councell not inuenting a new faith for the whole Church past and present consented therein by an audacious decree but expressing the old by a significant name For it is iudiciously obserued by h Part. 1. Serm. pro viago Regis Rom. secuÌ„da parte principali direct 3. Gerson against the innouatioÌ„s of VVickliffe and Husse that in the Church we must keepe a certayn forme of speach and that it is an euill liberty to speake erroneously and amisse Wherefore as the holy Councell of Nice did wisely restrayn all men to acknowledge the word Homousia so the Catholiks in the Ariminian Councell saw too late the great inconuenience in leauing men vnto a liberty of speach in this behalf For the world did sigh as S. i contra Lucifer Hierome saith and wondered to see it self become an Arrian not by any hereticall decree as M. k Cathol doctrine of the Church of England pag. 114. Roger's doth vntruly insinuate but by permitting such a freedome as we Protestants affect viz. to define as we see cause in matters of faith according vnto the Scriptures whence they we gayn aduantadge to erect our owne fancies §. 4. The Ancient Catholick Church in hir Prayers for the dead in hir Oblations c. did intend precisely to relieue soules afflicted temporally in a penall estate 1. VVHen I had thus deriued prayer for the dead by a perpetual line froÌ„ the holy Apostles I proceeded farther to examine the purpose inteÌ„dmeÌ„t of the Catholick Church in this religious act for I could not coÌ„tent my self with this simple glosse of l Tom. 1. Epicher de Canouâ— Missa Zuinglius viz If it be so as Augustine and Chrysostome affirme that prayer for the dead is referred vnto the Apostles I think that the Apostles did onely permitt it vnto the infirmity of some Christians c. 2. This seemed vnto me an heathenish euasion and iniurious vnto the syncerity of the Apostles Besides was Aërius the onely man filled with the spirit to impugne this thing which suffered no contradiction vnto his time Wherefore hauing many reasons to amandate Zuinglius with his black admonitour I repayred vnto them who were of more candid and honourable disposition And here I singled foorth two Fathers the one of the Greek Church the other of the Latin esteeming this a sure and conuenable meanes to leade me into a solid apprehension of the truth 3. The FIRST was S. m Cateches mystagog 5. Cyrill Arch-bishopp of Hierusalem who in his instructions of the people whom he was carefull to informe herein according to the simplicity of the Catholick faith hath this ponderous and effectuall senteÌ„ce When we offer vp the Sacrifice commonly knowen by the name of Masse a thing which should not be ingrate vnto vs Englishmen See Beda in his Eccles histor lib. 1. c. 26. forasmuch as it was a part of that Christian faith which we receiued in our first conuersion we make mention of all them who are fallen asleepe before vs. First of the Patriarchs Apostles and Martyrs that God by their intercession may receiue our prayers Then we pray for our deceased Fathers and Bishoppes and finally for all men departed amongst vs viz. in the * See S. August de cura pro mort c. 4. Catholick communioÌ„ For we belieue that this is a very great helpe for the soules of them in whose behalf we offer that holy and fearefull Sacrifice which is layed vpon the Altar 4. A powerable testimony But he goeth yet farther and saieth VVe offer vp Christ once slayn for our sinnes that so we may make him who is most kind to be * A propitiatory Sacrifice propitious and mercifull vnto the quick and dead This is one of those deadly heresies as M. n de Antichristo pag. 254. Powell is pleased to affirme which was deuised by the Pope himself and a parcell of his Anti-christian doctrine 5. But as Vincentius Lirinensis testifieth of himself Contra haeres in praefâ—t that he came forth noÌ„ tam Authoris praesumptione quà m Relatoris fide rather by the fidelity of a relatour then by the presumption of an authour so this Catholick Archbishopp a professed and zealous enimy of all hereticks as his owne * Catech. 6. circa med c. sayings may witnesse vnto vs propounded this doctrine vnto his owne flock whose saluation was deare vnto him not by his peculiar authority as being a father of his children but by the warrant of hir whose sonne he was and which is pia mater communis as S. o de curaÌ„ pro mort cap. 4. Augustine speaketh the pious common Mother of vs all and prayeth for all the departed by a generall commemoration 6. For this cause he saieth WE offer WE pray c. intending hereby to expresse the custome of the Vniuersall Church whose doctrine was famous renowned in this behalf And though we Protestants do often venditate the priuate conceipts of some vayle them vnder the preteÌ„se of a general coÌ„sent viz. WE say thus WE think thus So D. Morâ—on in Cathol Apol. Part. 1. lib. 1. in quaest ac descensu Christi ad inferos pretendeth thus WE coÌ„fesse that Christ weÌ„t truly into hell viz. in soule as Bellarmine himself doth teach c. Many such false protestatioÌ„s are vsed by him by D. Field and others As for the vanity of D. Morton herein it is abundantly refuted by that which M. Rogers himself deliuereth in his Cathol doct pa. 16. WE do thus c. which is a meere toy for the very nature and fundation of our Religion is such that as euery one conceiueth by his spirit so he is in trauayle to bring forth his owne Church yet S. Cyrill and the religious Fathers were more respectiue in their words waighing them in the ballance of a good conscience and a sober heart 7. Wherefore addressing my thoughts vnto a serious meditation of theis things I beganne more sensibly to discouer how vainely and foolishly I had bene terrified by the spectrical names of Popery Papists and the like the late inuentioÌ„s of an apostatical Friar inasmuch as the best the wisest the most learned Fathers did speake and write and practise directly herein as the Papists Catholicks for popery being translated out of S. * Sainted by M. Powell de Antich pa. 68. Luthers language signifieth the Catholick religion do speake and write and practise at this day 8. The SECOND Father was S. Augustine I was desirous to seeke after no more because I was assured that I could find no better vnto whom I did appeale as vnto the best and most faithfull witnesse of antiquity For so he is approoued by Iohn
Caluin himself and this opened the way vnto the conuersion of * Apol. p. 5. Iustus Caluinus as he hath testified vnto the world how beit as * Suet. â—o Ner. c. 56. Nero had little respect vnto his Gods saue onely vnto his Goddesse Syria and yet he defiled hir idoll with his vrine so Ioh. Caluin doth frequently make his repayr vnto S. Augustine with neglect of other Fathers and yet * Instit l. 3. c. 5. § 10. c. 11 §. 15. l. 2. c. 3. §. 7. c. he asperseth his name also with no small disgrace But resting my self vpon that commendation which it pleaseth Iohn Caluin in his liberallity to affoord vnto S. Augustine I referred the matter vnto his exact decision knowing well that his ability to conceiue and fidelity to relate the truth were sufficient to put an end vnto my laborious disquisition thereof and specially because that wise counsaile which he gaue vnto his seduced friend seemed to appertayn also vnto me viz. De vtilit credendi cap. 8. Yf thou art now sufficiently tossed in thine owne opinion wouldest finish this trauayle follow the way of the Catholick doctrine which euen from Christ by his Apostles is descended vnto vs from vs shall descend vnto our posterity for euer Which sentence did prepare my heart vnto a serious deliberation in this particular forasmuch as I saw that Prayer for the dead hath descended lineally vnto the Papists howsoeuer it is abandonned by our EuaÌ„gelicall Churches whence it followeth clearely either that the Catholick doctrine did not descend vnto S. Augustines Church or els certainly our Church is not Catholick which hath renounced that poynt of ancient faith many more 9. Amongest an OceaÌ„ of testimonies which preseÌ„ted themselues vnto me in S. Augustines workes I selected two which I will here teÌ„der vnto your wise considerations The FIRST was in his p Cap. 110. manuel directed vnto Laurentius and it is repeated in his resolutions which he maketh vnto the q Quaest. 2. questions of Dulcitius where he randgeth the dead into three orders Some liue so well as that they need not theis helpes Sacrifice Prayers Almes Some liue not so well as that they need them not neither yet so ill as that they can receiue no benefit thereby Some liue so ill as that they are made incapable of any such relief 10. Now since there is this triple estate of men deceased I was driuen perforce to conclude that the First are in Heauen the Second in Hell the Third in some temporall payn For though S. Augustine doth professe r Hypognost l. 5. this place is cited by D. Abbot against D. Bishopp p. 1. pag. 89. To the same effect is a sentence in S. Aug. de peccat merit remiss lib. 1. c. 28. cited there also by D. Abbot elswere that there is no third place besides heauen and hell yet I conceiued that there are 5. differences in this case First because the Pelagian hereticks against whom S. Augustine doth purposely dispute assigned a third place vnto children dying without baptisme but as S. Å¿ De Ciuit Dei lib. 21. c. 16. Augustine teacheth that baptized Infants suffer not the paynes of Purgatory at all so he affirmeth likewise that t De Genes ad lit l. 10. c. 15. Infants vnbaptized are excluded out of the heauenly kingdome c. and so they suffer the payn of losse for euer Secondly because the Pelagians place is perpetuall but Purgatory is teÌ„porall for though the same space shall alwayes remayn in nature yet not in the same vse Thirdly because the Pelagians supposed place is full of delights but Purgatory is ful of payn outwardly howsoeuer there may be great coÌ„fort inwardly in the security of saluation Fourthly because the Pelagians place is on earth but Purgatory is subterranean according to the most common and receiued opinion Yet I rather followed the iudgement of u Dialog de particulari iudicio animae cap. 30. See Gerion Parte 4. serm 2. de defunct Dionysius the Carthusian saying that by ordinary designation there is one generall place of Purgatory but by speciall dispensation of the Iudge there are many places And this may be testified by sondry examples in the dialogues of S. Gregory and other venerable authours Fiftly because the Pelagians imagined place is to be after the generall Iudgement and not before but Purgatory is before and not after as S. x De Ciuit. Dei l. 21. c. 13. Augustine witnesseth saying Some men suffer temporall punishments onely in this life Some after death Some both now and then but yet before the last and most seuere Iudgement 11. I proceed vnto the rest of S. Augustines former discourse which hath bene interrupted as you see by a pertinent and necessary digression As the Offices for the dead are three in number Sacrifice Prayer and Almes so in reference vnto the estate of men deceased S. Augustine distinguisheth them into three kindes Propitiations Consolations Thanskgiuings 12. The application is this First he saieth for men very good theis things are THANKSGIVINGS vnto God to witt for their felicity and ioy And here I remembred the testimony of y Haeres 75. Epiphanius whom S. z Epist. ad Quod. vult D. praefix Tract de haeref Augustine reuerenceth as an holy man and famous in the Catholick faith howsoeuer it seemeth good vnto D. a Against D. Bishopp part 1. pag. 86. D. Abbot pag 8â— peruerteth the sense of Epiphan as though the Church had prayer for the Saints c. Abbott to iustify Aërius a damnable heretick against him reporting that when wee make a memoriall of Patriarchs Prophets Apostles c. VVe separate Christ from the order of men by the honour and adoration which we performe vnto him that is to say we do not offer thankes for him as we do for some other men but vnto him as being God of equall maiesty with his Father And thus it is a great honour for the Martyrs saieth S. b Homil. 21. in Act. Chrysostome to be named in the presence of their Lord. For now in the holy Sacrifice Angels stand before him and tremble in his sight Yea they adore him there like true Popish I dolaters as S. c De Sacerdot l. 6. c. 4â— Chrysostome doth elswhere very excellently declare A poynt which conuinced me to the full for I was compelled to renounce all my former Protestanticall expositions * As namely his hyperbolizing c. of S. Chrysostome when I was strongly pressed with this testimony in England by a learned virtuous Priest 13. Secondly he saieth that for men very euill theis things are not helpes but yet they may be some CONSOLATION vnto their suruiuing friends This particular I found exactly treatised by him in sondry places namely in his incomparable work d Lib. 21. cap. 24. de Ciuitate Dei where he maketh this demand If any men haue an
who saieth that to call any thing in question which is frequented by the vniuersall Church insolentissimae est insaniae it is the part of most insolent madnesse Which sentence applying it self clearely vnto my purpose inforced me to conclude that either S. Augustine was a prodigious asse in his cariadge of this matter or els that we Protestants are insolently mad who partly in the violēt streame of passion renounce the instruction of the vniuersall Church herein and partly by sinister interpretatiōs deriue it against hir knowen intention expressed so abundantly by hir chiefest Doctours Consuetudo est optima legis interpres and perpetuated so eminently by a continuall succession 5. Wherefore retiring my thoughts a little and drawing them from their former meditations I beganne to speake thus feelingly vnto my soule Canst thou desire testimonies more graue then theis in respect of the Authours more perspicuous in words or more effectuall in waight Where doth S. Augustine contradict this relation or who did euer contradict him therein Is Doctour Field a better witnesse and more to be respected in this decision then S. AVGVSTINE who being greatly experienced in the customes of the Vniuersall Church hath in his maturity of iudgement left vnto thee a fayre and euident prescriptiō in this behalf neuer reuersed by himself nor impugned by others hauing also the voyce of all ages both in doctrine and practise for its corroboration and strength Truly if it were so that in his ignorance or malice or some other obliquity and defect he had exceeded the purpose of the Catholick Church herein it is very probable that this errour could not escape him vnespied in all his diligent Retractations And if he were so vnhappy that he had no friēd to informe him for his amendment yet he could not be so happy as that no enimy should note it for his disgrace 6. Now therefore dearely beloued contreyman tell me I pray thee tell me in the vprightnesse of thy conscience and in the presence of him who searcheth the heart and reynes to whose direction guydance and instruction could I in this case committ a poore afflicted soule which I should endeauour to saue with care since Christ died for it in loue and whom could I follow herein with more alacrity and confidence S. AVGVSTINE or D. FIELD with all the troupe of Lutherans Caluinists Protestants Puritans or others howsoeuer they are distinguished in name or diuided in opinion 7. I saw antiquity in the first nouelty in the second I saw fidelity in the first * See the second Booke Part. 1. vnfaithfulnesse in the second I saw profound learning in the first very commendable also but yet much inferiour in the second And though I perceyued that his owne booke doth iustly afford that censure against him which is deliuered against Nestorius by a worthy q Vincent Lirinens cap. 16. Authour viz. Plussēper admirationis in illo quà m vtilitatis plus famae quam experientia fuit yet I will rather say that the * Bellarmine is no wayes matchable with Caluin and others in piety or learning though he weare a Cardinalls hart cōparisō which r pag. 149. he is pleased to make betwixt C. Bellarm. M. Caluin hath a more due proportion betwixt S. August and himself 8. Finally I considered that none of the Fathers resisted the first herein but who doth assist the secōd The doctrin of the first is now cōfirmed by the practise of that Church which we phrase a Popish Antichristian Synagogue c. but the reformed Congregation of D. Field hath no resemblance of theis things For though ſ Contra Campian pag. 262. D. Humfrey in his rhetoricall flourishes doth pretend that in our Colledges we retayn the ancient cōmendation of the dead yet I noted that the differences are many and chiefly theis three First in respect of the PLACE for the ancient commendation of the dead was at the * In precibus Sacerdotis quae Domino Deo ad eius ALTARE funduntur locū suum habet commendatio mortuorum S. Aug. de cura pro mort cap. 1. Altar but we haue none Secōdly in respect of the ACTION for it was in the holy Sacrifice but we contemne it Thirdly in respect of the INTENTION for it was to relieue the soules of the dead but we disclayme this doctrine Besides since our Zuinglian Communion is such a naked and contemptible feast as t See his Confess Luther himself abhorred and his disciple Conradus did tremble to behold for they had a more religious estimation of our Lords Supper then the Sacramentaries who deride the LVTHERANS because they absurdly and superstitiously attribute a sanctifying virtue vnto the * Hoc est Corpus meum words of Christ as it pleaseth u Decad. 5. Serm. 6. H. Bullinger to speake I was desirous to vnderstand how a piece of bread and a draught of wine may haue any power validity for theis purposes vnto which the holy * See S. Au. de Ciuit. Dei l. 22. c. 8. how one of his Priests offering the sacrifice of our Lords Body in the house of a lay person deliuered his family from the vexation of vncleane Spirits Fathers did often referr the sacred Oblation in the diuine Sacrifice of the MASSE or how our Zuinglian Communion can be a reuerend and dreadfull mystery such as wherein the holy Angels humble themselues vnto our common Lord by the offering whereof the mercy of God is intreated for the Soules of some men deceased in Charity and in the Catholick faith For I must professe that a serious consideration of theis things wrought a deepe impression in my heart 9. This was the summe of my DOCTRINALL REASON branched as you haue seene into two Parts that is to say deriued partly from Scripture and partly from Tradition in both which I followed the impeachable resolution of Antiquity and with it I must either stand or fall It is my comfort though it were sometimes my grief to see that as Dagon fell on his face before the Arke 1. Reg. 5. so Protestancy suffereth vtter confusion when it is presented before the Tribunall of the ancient Church I deliuer this assertion faithfully and iustly I speake the truth in Christ I ly not my conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost I haue tasted the wines of Caluin and Augustine I haue digested both I haue iudged of both and out of some experience which I haue had of both I am bold to assure you louing contreymen who spend your pretious time and exercise your noble witts in many froathy volumes that if you will repayr discreetely and conscionably vnto the blessed Fathers you shall draw better wine at the latter end then at the beginning Then you will clearely discerne See before § 1. num 3. whether Doctour Humfrey had any reason to impute Phrensy vnto his Romanists or not then you will ingenuously confesse with the penitent Donatists
Mark 8.24 who saw men walking like trees vntill he had a perfect restitution of his sight 11. Wherefore resting my self a while vpon a profitable and sound instruction of m Lib. imperfect in Gen. cap. 1. S. Augustine viz. God hath constituted a mother Church and she is called CATHOLIQVE because she is vniuersally perfect and halteth in * Therefore not in this particular of prayer for the dead nothing I referred the successe vnto a future triall hauing a constant and vnchandgeable purpose neuer to decline nor vary from this ground which I haue here presented vnto your Christian examination §. 3. The THIRD Consideration touching the Protestants zeale in condemning this doctrine of Purgatory and prayer for the dead as hereticall blasphemous c. 1. I Considered Thirdly that this doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead as it is generally renounced by our Euangelicall congregations so it is seuerely censured by many of our writers 2. Hence it is that n Pag. 79. D. Field himself chardgeth Purgatory with the disgracefull imputation of HERESY and yet he graceth it so farr as to affirme that Augustine gaue occasion vnto this heresy in the beginning 3. Hence it is that M. Rogers in the o Pag. 121.122 Catholick Faith of our English Church spending his tempestuous phrases against the doctrine of Purgatory saieth that hereby the Papists nourish most cursed and damnable errours and that * Pag. 123. it teacheth vs to be our owne Sauiours 4. Hence it is that M. Powell in his inconsiderate violence assigning many goodly reasons why p De Antichr pag. 453 NVLLVS NVLLVS inquā PAPICOLA SALVARI POTEST no Papist can be saued includeth * Pag. 123. the figment of Purgatory in that number Likewise in the same kind of precipitation setting downe 23. q De Antichr l. 2. c. 19. blasphemous opinions deliuered by the Church of Rome against the doctrine contayned in our LORDS PRAYER he inserteth this particular viz. * Pag. 457. She teacheth that VVE MVST PRAY FOR THE DEAD 5. But forasmuch as the glorious Emperour CONSTANTINE Great in birth Greater in victory and Greatest in Christian Religion which till his time was planted in the continuall effusion of bloud buylding a magnificent * At Constantinople See Euseb in vita Constant l. ◠c. 60. Church in honour of the 12. Apostles did foresee in his religious prouidence that the people mooued with the celebrity of that place would flow thither and there pray for him after his decease whereby he should be partaker of their deuotions for the benefit of his soule I was desirous to vnderstand here briefly by the way whether this imcomparable Prince following the instruction of the Catholick Church herein and whether the Priests together with the people supplicating vnto God pro anima Imperatoris for the * D. Field talketh of naming names c. see before pag. 31 But it is euidēt that the Catholick Church in hir best age prayed for the SOVLES of the dead And this exāple it self is an inuincible demonstration thereof SOVLE of the Emperour after his death as * Ibid. cap. 71. Eusebius relateth who was a reuerend Bishopp and in speciall grace with Constantine were guilty of a blasphemous opinion against our LORDS PRAYER or not 6. And my desire to receiue full satisfaction vnto this point was the rather enkindled within me because our Soueraigne Lord the King to whom all good Catholicks wish the happinesse of Constantine in faith imitating his blessed Mother a true Helena in hir virtues though not in hir fortunes made this just demand according to the sublimity of his excellēt apprehension r See the booke of the Conferēce at Hamptō Court pag. 69. What is it now come to passe that we shall appeach * Omnes nôrunt Cōstantinum fuisse admirandum in Christianismo c. Epiphan hares 69. CONSTANTINE of Popery superstition If the Crosse in baptisme were then vsed I see no reason but that we may still continue it Which royall sentence I applied duly vnto this particular of prayer for the dead and how effectuall it was with me the ingenious Reader may well perceiue if he will vouchsafe to make a little experience therof in his owne respectiue meditations 7. I returned speedily vnto my purpose for I was not willing to eclipse the light of my discourse with the interposition of M. Powells darke conceipts Finally therefore remembring that M. CALVIN is the Ipse dixit in the purest Ghospell in which respect it pleased * In a sermon at S. Maries Church in Oxon. 4. yeares since D. Airay to exhort his Auditours perswading them very earnestly and intreating them that they would by all meanes defend the estimation of M. Caluin and the rather because he is the man against whom the * And what think you of the Lutheransi doth not D. Hunnius himself beseech God to preserue his Church mercifully from th◠infection of Caluin See Caluin Iudaiz in fine Papists do principally bend their forces I contented my self with his s Eldershippes censure viz. PVRGATORY is a pernitious fiction of Satan disgracefull vnto the great mercy of God euacuating the Crosse of Christ dissipating and subuerting our faith pure and horrible blasphemy against the bloud of Iesus Christ c. 8. Hence it is that we Protestants haue sentenced Purgatory to be an Antichristian Doctrine For * And what think you of the Lutheransi doth not D. Hunnius himself beseech God to preserue his Church mercifully from th◠infection of Caluin See Caluin Iudaiz in fine he is Antichrist that denieth Christ to be come in the flesh And we pretend that howsoeuer this doctrine doth not positiuely deny that Christ is come in the flesh in regard of his Incarnation and Nature as he is a MAN ſ Institut lib. 3. cap. 5. §. 6. yet it denieth the same consequently in regard of his Satisfaction and Office as he is a REDEEMER 9. In which our specious venditation of reseruing inuiolated honour vnto Christ * Epist Ioh. 2. vers 7. I saw that we insist directly in the steppes of Nouatians Nestorians and the like The first pretended that they forsooth did exhibit * See S. Ambros de Poenitent cap. 2. in initio reuerence vnto God by their doctrine inasmuch as they teach that he onely and no man can forgiue sinnes The second could not endure that a woman should be stiled the Mother of their God Thus also the infatuated Presbyterians glory in their excellent cause saying * See M. Rogers in the Preface of his Cathol doctr num 16. Our controuersy is whether Iesus Christ shall be King or no. The end of all our trauayle is to sett vp the throne of Iesus Christ our heauenly King c. Which colourable piety and popular zeale in ancient or later Hereticks aduancing their opinions as Mountibancks extoll their wares did mooue me vnto a just
Gods owne hand bearing his image and superscription 2. I considered secondly that though Hereticks and Pagans do often counterfait this broad Seale yet their falsehood is discouerable by men of iudgement waighing the Circumstances with due examination Nay farther though it please God that a true miracle shall be performed by them as sometimes it hath come to passe yet there is alwayes a certayn limitation therein precisely vnto this of that * As the maintenaÌ„ce of Iustice or some other such moral and ciuill respect 1. Cor. 10.13 peculiar end so that it serueth by no meanes to giue assistance and validity vnto their hereticall or paganicall conceipts For the end and vse of Gods workes is alwayes good besides he is faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power 3. I considered thirdly that Miracles may haue a triple respect according to the triple distinction of the Church For the Church hath three estates viz. of PLANTATION of PROPAGATION of REFORMATION De Ciuit. Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. 4. In the first estate there was a necessity of Miracles as S. Augustine doth well insinuate to this end that men might belieue For whereas our Lord did intend that his Ghospell should be the ordinary meanes of saluation for euer he thought fitt to gayn sufficient authority vnto it by an extraordinary meanes in the beginning 5. In the second estate there was no such necessity of Miracles and therefore S. Augustine saieth very excellently Ibid. * The Protestants do frequently earnestly alleadge this senteÌ„ce but they cunningly sâ—ppresse that which followeth I heartily request you to reade the whole chapter in S. Aug. whosoeuer requireth miracles now to this end that he may belieue he is a miracle himself forasmuch as he will not belieue when the whole world belieueth Notwithstanding in this estate also there is an vtility of Miracles for the glory and splendour and exaltation of the Church Wherefore S. Augustine proceedeth farther and speaketh to this effect My former answere may be sufficient for the conuiction of infidells but I stay not here Nunc quoque fiunt miracula for now also euen in this lardge propagation of the Church miracles are done in sondry places Fiunt nunc multa miracula Many miracles are done in theis dayes Some he reporteth vpon his owne experience others vpon certayn information and they are generally such as wound our Protestanticall Religion to the death And S. Augustine as it were foreseing the iudgement of Infidells and Protestants and what exceptions they would take against his report is very earnest in the deliuery of theis things adding in conclusion of one miracle Some men will not belieue that this was so but who are they euen they that belieue not how our Lord Iesus was borne of a Virgin and yet hir womb remayned entire or that he came into the roome where his Apostles were assembled and yet the doores were shutt 6. In the third estate Miracles are more * If Luthers reformatioÌ„ were good why was it not graced with so me euident miracles specially since so great a mutation hath followed ic as was neuer seene in the Church of God Nay why are many miracles now done in that church which he renounced Beda hist. Eccles l. 1. c. 21. Beda l. 2. c. 2. necessary then in the second though not so necessary as in the first For whereas it hath seemed good vnto the singular wisedome of God to adorne his Church with some miracles alwayes in the second estate euen when no heresy assaulted hir it was very conuenable that he should much rather affoord this power in the third for the extirpation of heresies and for redresse of great disorders Examples whereof were frequent in the dayes of our fore-fathers Britanny it self hath copious testimonies in this kind For thus the holy Bishopp S. German confounded the Pelagians and thus S. Augustine our Apostle reprooued the schismaticall Bishopps of Britanny in the publick conspect of the people §. 2. A miracle wrought by S. Bernard to the confusion of Henricus and his doctrine 1. THeis considerations being premised I tooke a serious reuiew of an history which though I had read long before yet it did not preuayle with me so farr as the dignity thereof did iustly require For partly the vayle was so closely drawen ouer mine eyes that I could not see the truth and partly I passed ouer it with a negligent leuity and carelesnesse as many Protestants do not willing to intertayn the knowledge of any doctrine which sorteth not with the publick State or their priuate fortunes Genes 11.7 Howbeit I know that as the tongues of the Babylonians were diuided and one conceyued not what an other spake so the tongues of many principall Schollers in England are diuided from their hearts they speake not what themselues conceiue 2. I come vnto my history S. Bernard hearing of the spoyles which * Huius rei gratiâ licet in multa corporis infirmitate iter arripui in has partes c. Bernar. ep 240. S. Bernard ibid. Henricus made in the vineyard of our Lord repayred into the parts of Tholouse which were greatly infected with his contagion for now the Churches were left without people people without Pastours and Pastours without honour and there in a frequent assembly he countermanded the fancies of this Apostata with learning and grauity and in the playn euidence of the Spirit 3. At the end of his sermon many of the auditors presented vnto him certayn quantities of bread and requested his fatherly benediction The deuout Abbot performed their desire with gladnesse assuring them that they should discerne the truth of his doctrine and the falsehood of Henricus if their sick and languishing friends should immediatly recouer their strength vpon the tast thereof 4. A venerable Bishopp being there present and fearing the successe added this clause by way of caution si bona fide sumpserint if they receiue it with a good faith But S. Bernard being secure in the power of almighty God answered publiquely non ego hoc dixerim no I sayd not so onely this I sayd and this I proclayme vnto you Let your sick people eate of this hallowed bread and they shall be made whole for hereby you shall know vs to be * Viz. in the doctrines which he defended against Henricus in the name of the Catholick Church TRVE Seruants of God His word was fulfilled the fame of this miracle was so dispersed in all the contrey that the blessed man declining the intolerable concourse of the people returned home an other way §. 3. There is no euasion against the clearenesse of this Miracle 1. THe exceptions which my heart could apprehend in this case were three but when I had waighed them all in the ballance of my reason I dismissed each of them successiuely with a part of Balthazar 's iudgement * Thekel Dan. 5.27 thou art waighed in
Berengarius in a Synod at Rome o Admonit vltaâ—d We stphilum yet Iohn Caluin protesteth that he doth and will follow Berengarius in his opinion and it is cleare that our English Church concurreth with them both which brought many FRIVOLOVS reasons the very same which we now produce and alleadge at this day against the blessed Sacrament of the Altar deliuereth his mind herein fully and saieth that VVe ought to belieue this truth Transubstantiation and to giue creditt vnto Gods word without any pledges or depositions as Miracles are But if any man will desire theis things for his assurance he may haue a thousand and a thousand persons of most holy life and profound knowledge who haue testified this truth vnto death by a thousand and a thousand * Some are remeÌ„bred by Claud. de Sainct de Euchar. Also by Bellarm. de Euchar. l. 3. cap. â— MIRACLES 10. Wherefore being thus incompassed on euery side and hauing no possibility to escape the pressure of this difficulty nor to withstand the singular and effectuall power of this euidence for one of the greatest mysteries of popish Religion is now confirmed by many Miracles euen in Gersons testimony which I was bound to admitt because as his Person deserueth high respect so it deserueth farr greater with them that will so graciously applaud him I was forced either to disclayme D. Fields booke or to renounce my Protestanticall belief but yet the later seemed a more reasonable course because that Religion can not be good which is so falsely and absurdly defended by him and all the chiefest Authours that euer applied their paynes vnto this seruice 11. What remayned now but that I should conclude with S. AVGVSTINE the * D. Field greatest Diuine which euer liued since the Apostles time and the * Caluin best witnesse of Antiquity and say with p De vtilit credones cap. 17. him Since we behold such a speciall assistance of God such progresse and such fruict shall we doubt to hide ourselues within the lapp of * Not of Donatists Aërians Berengarians Lutherans c. that Church which hath obtayned the height of authority partly by the iudgement of the people partly by the grauity of Councells partly by the Maiesty of MIRACLES and is descended by the succession of Bishoppes in the APOSTOLIQVE Seate of S. Peter at Rome a poynt which * Velenus Funccius c. See Bellarm de Pontifice Rom. l. 2. c. 2. 4. c. some men filled with a spiritt of contradiction deny without honesty witt or learning frustrà circumlatrantibus haereticis the hereticks barking round about in vayn 12. Let your owne consciences kind Readers make a secret application of theis things in the closett of your hearts Which that you may more easily and effectually do I shall intreat you to cast back your eyes of consideration with me and to reflect vpon the premisses ingenious Academicks as it becommeth men that rather haue a care to see the truth then a desire to impugne the same CHAP. IIII. A Reflexion vpon the premisses contayned in this booke §. 1. Of the grounds which I followed in this discourse 1. FIRST I considered that the grounds and authorities vpon which I buylded my discourse were so cleare and solid that no witt could dissolue or impeach their strength For if I accepted the Fathers they did conuince me if I reiected them my folly would be great and my dispute vncertayn And thus I saw that the iudgement of q Ret. 5. Edm Campian must necessarily take place viz. AEternam causae maculam coguntur Protestantes inurere siue recusent patres siue deposcant nam in altero fugam adornant in altero suffocantur Which points I prosecuted yet farther though briefly in this manner 2. If I ACCEPT the Fathers to be be my Iudges as they are Churches VVitnesses I haue the face of all Antiquity confronting me and speciallly S. Augustine whom for some iust respects I do specially esteeme Was he a Protestant and a Papist then two different Religions are compatible in one soule whence must ensue as great a strife Genes 25.22.23 and colluctation as Rebecca felt in hir womb when two Nations contended in hir body Or was he a Protestant and not a Papist why then is he so perspicuous against me in this matter Or was he a Papist and not a Protestant why then do we so triumph and glory in his name Or finally was he neither Papist nor Protestant Then both theis Religions in all probability are false and then perhapps none is true Thus from an vncertainty men runne into a nullity of faith and so the end of heresy is Atheisme because there can be no other issue vnto which it doth finally propend And verily who doth not conceiue vpon due ponderation that if the CATHOLICK Religion being so spectable in dignity so continued in succession so enlardged in diffusion and so eminent in all respects should notwithstanding seeme false or dubious by reason of some cauillations framed against it by hir enimies it will rather come to passe that no Religion should be true then that the Protestants faith which hath such a late entrance such base founders such vncertayn grounds such infinite diuisions should be more credible and probable then the said CATHOLICK belief 3. I proceed Since I was so powerfully expugned by the Fathers as you haue seene how could I elude the grauity of their testimonies which pressed and oppressed me on euery side Should I Alexander-like cutt the knott insunder with violence which I could neuer vntye with skill 4. There remayned one principall shift for me but yet it was of no value or substance For though later ages speake more copiously in this particular and in many others then the former yet I saw that it was by way of explication not innouation of declaration not alteration of exposition not addition c. For it is an excelleÌ„t prescription which Lirinensis deliuereth in this case viz. Fides habet profectum 1 Cap. 29.30 non permutationem faith hath a progresse or increase but without any chandge Matters of Ceremony are in their nature indifferent and in their vse dispensable and herein no priuate man may prescribe vnto the wisedome of the Church or limit hir power Matters of Doctrine haue their inlardgement and amplification but yet so as that no other fundation be layed then the same which we receiued in the beginning Thus Pelagians may not complayn if the doctrine of Grace were more clearely illustrated by S. Augustine then euer it was discussed before Thus the Arrians may not complayn if the doctrine of Homousia were more fully explicated by the Fathers of Nice then euer it was vnfolded vntill that time Thus also we Protestants cannot iustly complayn if the Catholick doctrine in this particular were more abundantly expressed by S. Augustine and by succeding ages then euer it was resolued vnto his dayes Lirinens Intelligatur
te exponente clariùs quod anteà obscuriùs credebatur c. 5. In REIECTING the Fathers and recurrring vnto the Scripture alone I saw that I should striue without successe not because the truth wanteth defence in this kind but because I feared least I might sweare fealty vnto mine owne sense and dwell therein as a snayle taketh impotent sanctuary in the shell which hir naturall art hath fashioned out of hir proper stuffe 6. Thus Iouinian a worthy Progenitour of Luthers ghospell did so wrest and peruert the sacred writt to establish his sottish heresy concerning the equallity of Ioyes in Heauen and Paynes in Hell that ſ Contra Iouinian lib. 2. paulò post med S. Hierome himself is forced to confesse Quis electorum Dei non tentetur c. who euen of Gods elect childrē may not be tempted with theis Scriptures which this subtile disputer hath artificially and cunningly inflected vnto his purpose In which scriptures Iouinian did so exult and triumph that being construed by his owne spirit they seemed inuincible in his conceipt 7. But the desperate folly of such as renounce the iudgement of the Fathers and dwell in their owne sense of holy Scripture discouereth it self most playnely in the late Founders of our Ghospell For thought t Tom. 1. in explanat Art 64. Zwinglius declining the triall of Antiquity saieth whereas Papists cry out Fathers Fathers I answere that neither Fathers nor Mothers shall cary it away but the word of God alone we will endure no other Iudge yet euery simple fellow doth know that Zwinglius erred notoriously and damnably in his exposition of the scriptures whence Luther protesteth that he was insathanized persathanized See the Tigurin Confess See Luth. Confess c. and supersathanized and in sondry places of his workes he challendgeth him for intolerable corruption of the Scripture 8. Howbeit Luther himself was not inferiour vnto Zwinglius in this kind And hence it is that u In respon ad Luth. Confess Zuinglius biddeth all men to behold consider how Sathan endeauored to possesse this whole man For whereas he doth erre very often and is miserably deceyued in the sense of Scripture he will compell God to excuse him to satisfy for him deuising this refuge and shift viz. If I be seduced Quà m certum est Deum esse Deum tam certus diabolicus mendax est Lutherus saith Campanus a renouned Zuinglian in colloq lat Luth. tom 2. fol. 351. or mistaken God hath seduced deceaued me c. 9. Werefore seing and estimating vprightly what immortall contentions and intestine conflicts passed betwixt our Founders and how this hereditary warr is descended vnto vs with farther addition and increase how could I belieue them or why should I not distrust my self hereafter in buylding my faith vpon that peculiar sense which a new and late Spiritt suggesteth contrary vnto the resolution of Fathers and Councells and the cleare consent of the Christian world O how iustly and fittly doth w Prascript c. 17. Tertullian insinuate vnto vs the condition of wrangling Hereticks He that is most exercised in holy Scriptures saith he may loose his voyce by contention with them purchase choler by their blasphemies For if we affirme any thing they will deny it yf we deny it they will affirme it and thus the victory will be none or very dubious or not certayn by this course 10. For theis and many more waighty considerations I setled my thoughts in this infallible position not doubting to find the concurrency of all wise discreete and learned Protestants with me in this behalf viz. See S. Aug. ep 118. This epistle is often cited against the Puritas namely by D. Whitgift against T. C. No exposition of Scripture is sound and perfect which is formed against the doctrine or practise of the knowen visible professing Church Whereunto I may add in remembrance of M. Iewells challendge this clause viz. for the space of 600. yeares after Christ §. 2. Some chief points in the former discourse to be obserued SECONDLY I considered the particulars of this discourse and waighed euery syllable as vprightly as I could ballance it in my vnpartiall reason For I did not favour the poore thing for the Authors sake nay I was more seuere vnto it in that respect 2. The conclusion of all was briefly this that the said discourse is TRVE or FALSE and so consequently either I must refute it or it must conuince me 3. If it be TRVE then my faith is conquered absolutely in this point and probably at the least if not necessarily in all the rest and specially wherein I haue dissented from the Romane Church 4. For Charity and Faith resemble each other in the nature of their processe Charity is the common bond of the Decalogue and tyeth all the precepts together Whence x Rom. 13.10 S. Paull sayeth that Loue is the fulfilling of the law and y 2. 10. S. Iames testifieth that VVhosoeuer breaketh one commandement he is guilty of all 5. Likewise Faith is * Ephes 4.4 one not in the matters belieued but in the manner of belieuing not in the object but in the habit All the Articles of our Creed all the doctrines of Christian Religion haue a iust connexion in the order course assurance of our belief whence morall reason doth dictate this rule vnto all mens vnderstandings that the certainty of errour in one point of faith doth prooue the vncertainty of truth in all euen as an errour in any one parcell of the Kings Patent maketh a nullity in his whole grant 6. I noted farther that as this Rule is infallible in all points of my faith a negative faith buylt for the most part ex destructione veritatis as z Praescript cap. 42. Tertullian speaketh of the heresies in his time so principally in this which consisteth in the impugnation of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead because I conceiued Nota. that the Papists doctrine herein was no lesse weake in fundation then it seemed dangerous in consequence 7. For which respect I promised a certayn victory vnto my self when first I singled forth this matter to be the subiect of my * With a Catholick in England dispute relying more vpon the weakenesse of mine aduersaries cause then vpon the confidence of mine owne strength 8. If it be FALSE then the contrary vnto it must needs be true For as there is a Truth in all things though more difficill and obscure in some then in others so it is but one and simple Yea truth and falsehood are so diametrically opposed the one affirmative the other negatiue that where all due circumstances are obserued there a Contradiction must necessarily ensue 9. Here I attempted as fairely and substantially as I could deuise to oppose a CONTRARY assertion vnto each particular going before For I conceiued that as this was a syncere and perfect way for me to discouer falsehood
See afterward Part. 2. chap. 1. §. 2. For all Papists are of this opinion viz. that no sinnes but veniall onely shall be expiated in Purgatory fire Secondly the imputation of POPERY fastened vpon him from whom we English-men receiued our first instruction in the faith This was a good motiue vnto me to embrace Popery as passionate Sir Martin Luther phraseth the Catholick Religion whom I might more justly call a foule mouthed dogg then b Against D. Bishopp Part. 1. D. Abbott bestoweth this homely courtesy vpon a very learned * T. W. Priest since we were translated immediately from Paganisme vnto this belief by the wonderfull and gracious operation of almighty God Thirdly his confession of S. Gregories judgement concerning the remission of some sinnes after this life which D. Field would infrindge as you see by misinforcing his testimony against his euident purpose in that * Lib. 4. dial 39. place and his resolution elswhere 8. For in his exposition of the penitentiall Psalmes he deliuereth in * Psal 1. 3. in the beginning of each two seuerall places and strengtheneth himself in the first with the authority of S. AVGVSTINE whom he there expressly nameth that some men passe into heauen by the fire of purgation and are expiated thereby in the future life Could I desire a more copious satisfaction in the truth of this matter Or could I wish a more abundant redargution of D. Fields falsehood in traducing the Testaments of the dead for so their works are to establish that doctrine which they did wholly disclayme 9. Now a word or two concerning S. Bernard whom he coupleth very plausibly with S. Gregory as you may see to inferr a conclusion against that faith which they both professed I turned vnto the place in S. Bernard which truly can by no meanes admitt such an interpretation as M. Doctor doth colourably pretend For it is not the meaning of S. Bernard to deny that God doth at any time inflict a temporall payn after the remission of the guilt of sinne because this position were extreamely repugnant vnto Scriptures and Fathers and Reason as I shall briefly declare * Part. 2. chap. 1. §. 2. afterward and vnto the very condition of the Sacrament of Pennance it self wherein S. Bernard knew right well that sinne is remitted and yet all future punishment is not thereby taken away This was the conforme doctrine of the Catholicks in his time and who is so meanely skilled in S. Bernards faith as to conceiue that he would oppugne a matter of such sublimity and so correspondently intertayned by the Church 10. But the truth is this S. Bernard perswadeth men to flye from the contagion of sinne the effect whereof is such that as by naturall death it seuereth the soule from the body so by spirituall death it sundreth God from the soule And as sinne brought forth punishment so the cessation from sinne preuenteth punishment because no punishment doth follow where no sinne is gone before What then doth no effect of sinne remayn where the guylt of sinne is remitted S. Bernard * He esteemeth death it self to be a punishment of sinne as you may see by the sequele denieth it and therefore shewing in what sense he there intendeth that VVhen ALL sinne shall be * Prorsus D. Field himself coÌ„fesseth pag. 98. that Death tyrannizeth ouer the body c. Serm. in â—bitu Huberti VVHOLLY taken out of the way then shall no effect of it remayn he subnecteth this sentence in his sweet and diuine manner viz. Happy is our expectation and blessed is our hope whose Resurrection shall be much more glorious then our first estate of creation before our fall forasmuch as neither sinne nor punishment neither euill nor scourdge shall raigne or dwell or haue possibility to raigne or dwell either in our bodies or soules 11. To conclude it may please you to read and to ponderate this one little saying of S. Bernard by which you may take an estimate of his iudgement in theis matters My brethren while you think to auoyd a very small punishment in this world you incurr a greater in the next For you must vnderstand that you shall pay an hundred fold in * In purgabilibus locis Purgatory for those things which you neglect in this life 12. I know most kind Readers that you meruayle no lesse now then I did by what art D. Field can distill his Church out of the writings of theis worthy and learned men or how their authorities may be honestly alleadged to prooue that Papists are nothing els but a faction in the Church forasmuch as those Authors generally whom he produceth in his glorious Appendix are really interessed in that faction and enimies of our Protestanticall Church Wherefore I did now sufficiently vnderstand that we Protestants assuming the name of Israell vnto our selues and imputing the name of Philistims vnto the Papists could not iustify our affectation therein by any better resemblance then this viz. As the poore 1. Sam. 13.19.20 distressed Israelites were constrayned to repayr vnto the Philistims for the sharpening of their dulled tooles so we miserable Protestants hauing no better meanes are inforced to go vnto the Papists to procure some weapons for our defence from them which we turne vngratefully and vniustly against their owne bowells §. 2. S. AVGVSTINE abused by D. Field 1. YOu haue * Pag. 13. seene the goodly pretense of D. Field assuring you that the Protestants honour and reuerence the Fathers much more then the Papists do Which venditation if it did proceede from a syncere heart then D. Field should not stand in need of his inflexions and corruptions to sustayn his cause with their disgrace and much lesse with infaming the greatest of them all in this manner which I will here represent vnto your Christian view 2. The Romish manner of praying for the dead saith c Pag. 99. he hath no certayn testimony of Antiquity for NO MAN euer thought of Purgatory TILL Augustine to auoyd a worse errour did DOVBTINGLY runne into it d And none before that is false after whom e And not all that is false many in the Latin Church embraced the same opinion but the * See befor pag. 54. Greek Church neuer receiued it to this day 3. He is yet more seuere vnto S. Augustine vnto the Papists and vnto this doctrine saying that f Pag. 79. Augustine doubtfully broached that opinion which gaue occasion to the Papists of their HERESY touching Purgatory This imputation of heresy doth cleaue as strongly vnto the Fathers whom he pretendeth to honour and reuerence as vnto any Papist at this day for what should I speake of g Part. 4. Serm. de defunct in Querelâ defunct GERSONS heresy in this point whom he honoureth and reuerenceth so farr as to intitle him a * Pag. 85. worthy guide of Gods Church c. 4. Now though I obserued many
bene abated whereas now it is doubled yea tripled by this vnfaithfull dealing and so the last errour will be worse then the first 8. For though Senensis doth presently answere in behalf of S. Ambrose and some * August Chrysost others that he and they speake of the perfect and consummate felicity which the soules expect to enioy after the resurrection of their bodyes thus sayth he we haue interpreted the sentences of AMBROSE Aug. Chrysost annotat 64. 169. lib. 1. annot 264. in this booke and elswhere yet D. Field suppresseth that resolution and so exposeth this good Father vnto the mercy of all enimyes that will calumniate his name This is the faithfullnesse and such is the exactnesse of D. Field to conduct his Readers into the true apprehension of the ancient Churches purpose in the religious duty of prayer and oblation for the dead 9. With theis other deuices parallelable thereunto he hath replenished that whole * 17. in the third book chapter wherein he treatiseth of this matter concludeth it with this reproachfull derision of BELLARMINE Truly I am weary in following of him in theis SENSE LESSE FOOLERIES But the Reuerend Cardinall hath now gayned a just defence for him self from D. Fields vnjust accusation of other men and may take comfort in this plea am I better then my FATHERS I am well content to beare my part in their fortune and to participate in their disgrace Yea considering the dignity of their persons the excellency of our common cause and the disposition of him who standeth out in defiance of me and it and them I regard not the folly of his malice but I compassionate the misery of his case CHAP. II. D. Field accuseth BELLARMINE vnjustly of trifling and senselesse foolery in the question of prayer for the dead CALVIN doth truly confesse that the Protestants repugne Antiquity in this matter 1. LEt the Reader obserue saith ſ Pag. 97. D. Field what it is that t De Notis Eccles c. 9. Bellarmine is to prooue and he shall find that he doth nothing but trifle For he is to prooue that u Instit l. 3. c. 5. §. 10. Caluin confesseth that more then 1300. yeares since the Popish doctrine and custome of PAYER FOR THE DEAD did preuayle and was generally receiued in the whole Church of God throughout the world This if he will prooue he must argue thus The custome of praying to deliuer the soules of men out of the paynes of PVRGATORY is the custome and practise which the Romane Church defendeth and Caluin impugneth But this custome Caluin confesseth to haue bene in vse more then 1300. yeares since Therefore Caluin acknowledgeth the doctrine and practise of the Romane Church to be most ancient and to haue bene receiued 1300. yeares ago The Minor proposition of this reason is false and Caluin in the place cited by Bellarmine protesteth against it most constantly affirming that the Fathers knew nothing of PVRGATORY and therefore much lesse of prayer to deliuer men from thence So he 2. I turned vnto the disputations of Bellarmine where he prooueth by the confession of Caluin and some others that many doctrines now impugned by the Protestants and defended by the Catholiques are the doctrines of the ancient Church Amongst other particularities in his discourse the Cardinall alleadgeth this sentence of Iohn Caluin viz. It was receiued into vse aboue 1300. yeares ago to make prayers for the dead But those ancients I confesse were * Abrepti in errorem c. caried away into an errour Whence it followeth in my poore capacity that Caluin doth confesse that he and his reformed Churches are opposite vnto Antiquity in this doctrine For doth he not impute it vnto the Fathers as an errour and doth he not censure them most indignely in this behalf saying that they yealded herein vnto their naturall affection and vnto * thus the Puritans peruert the testimonies of Epiph. c. say they wrote according to the custome manner of their age c. See D. Bancroft in his Suruay pag. 337. custome but were destitute of precept and example in the Scripture 3. Nay he goeth yet farther and in the sublimity of his pride he sayth Whereas Augustine reporteth that Monica desired to haue a commemoration made of hir at the w Confess l. 9. c. 13. Altar after hir decease this was an old wiues request which the sonne neuer examined by the rule of the Scripture but according to his naturall affection would haue it allowed of others But did not the gentle Mōsieur vnderstand or did he not regard that neither the old wife as his Eldershipp speaketh in his Lucianicall vayne nor hir sonne did performe any thing herein but what the Catholick Church did warrant and prescribe vnto them Did he not conceiue that it was Aërian heresy to impugne this duty And could the Mother or the Sonne neglect the same without a singular offence and iust suspition of that crime 4. Wherefore though Caluin hauing confessed his dislike of Antiquity in this doctrine doth afterward frame his cunning exception against the Papists and deriueth it in such sort that they forsooth can not glory in the ancient Church as partaking with their errour forasmuch as she affirmed nothing of Purgatory whereof they dreame c. yet I saw that this was a piece of his cogging art and dicing skill as x Caluinus Iud viz. pag 59. D. Hunnius writeth whereby he eludeth the grauest and most perspicuous Scriptures to the great aduantadge of Iews Arrians and such like pestiferous enimies of our Lord Iesus Christ Agayn as sondry testimonies in the Ancients did assure me that the generall custome of Prayer for the dead was referred vnto the benefitt and comfort of their soules so for the conuiction of Protestants and for demonstration of their repugnancy vnto the Catholick Church in hir most venerable times it was sufficient for me to know that Caluin doth abundantly declare his improbation thereof that therefore Bellarmine doth not trifle in this issue 5. For we must distinguish here betwixt this ACTION which was performed by the Church and hir INTENTION therein Caluin confesseth the first and litigateth about the second Now it was euident vnto me that the Cardinall in the aforesaid place doth alleadge him precisely in the first respect but as for the second it is a matter of farther dispute 6. That this was the purpose of the Cardinall I was induced to conceiue not onely in regard of his excellent vnderstanding but also by a playn and substantiall ouerture in his owne workes For y De Purgators l. 1. c 6. discussing the question of Prayer for the dead he reprooueth Caluin in 4. poynts FIRST because he condemneth himself by his owne mouth inasmuch as he freely agnizeth the great antiquity and lardge propagation thereof and yet feareth not to say that the Fathers were caried away into an errour in this matter SECONDLY because
their verdict the Church of God seemed to deserue more blame then this heretick who is branded with just infamy and perpetuall disgrace 3. Though Bullinger was fiery and boysterous against our brethren of the house of Saxony the ancienter family of the yong ghospell yet he doubteth not to hold some good correspondency with them in this particular and therefore whereas he had made a lardge confession to his euerlasting shame saying e Decad. 4. Serm. 10. I know that the Ancients prayed for the dead I know what Augustine the noble Doctour and what Chrysostome the eloquent Preacher haue written of this matter I know that the Fathers say it is a Tradition of the Apostles and how Augustine affirmeth that it is a custome of the vniuersall Church to pray for the dead I know also that Aërius was condemned because he did oppose himself against it c. he taketh vpon him in his liberty to reprooue the Fathers and to debilitate the soueraigne authority of the Church But as the leuity of this man doth justly deserue that the seuere * Quanta vanitas qâ—aÌ„ ta impudeÌ„tia Bulliâ—geri c. See BreÌ„â—ius contra Bâ—â—ling pag. 105. c. reprehension of Brentius should be duely applied vnto him in this case so the pretense of * Against D. Kellison booke 2. chap. 4. D. Sutcliffe saying that Aërius was reputed an heretik for Arrianisme and not for finding fault with * Such superstition as the whole Church embraced See before pag. 60. superstitious oblations for the dead is such a folly as wise men would contemne or such an ignorance as a meane Scholler would commiserate and pity in a Doctour of so great celebrity and renowne For though it be true that Aërius was infected with Arrianisme yet forasmuch as he deuised new opinions repugnant vnto the Catholick faith he hath a peculiar and distinct place in the * Made by S. Aug and Epiphan catalogue of hereticks which were a superfluity and an absurdity also if Arrianisme had bene the proper cause for which he was condemned by the Church 5. I will leaue theis forayn Authours and repayr vnto our domesticks to witt D. Humfrey D. Abbot M. Cartwright and D. Morton who being of greater value then many others may stand forth and speake in the name of all the rest 6. The foreman is f Contra Campian pag. 261. D. HVMFREY whose resolution seemeth to be the publick confession of our Church NOS non improbaemus c. VVE disallow not any thing wherein Aërius did think * Quod rectè sensit Aërius truly c. Truly The Papists themselues will joyne issue with vs in this assertion But the question is whether Aërius did think truly in this particular or not Here the learned Doctour sheweth the perplexity of his heart See afterward Part. 2. c. 2. § 1. and yet adorning a fowle matter with fayr words he slideth forward and discouereth in plentifull sort that our Church doth propend wholly vnto the doctrine of Aërius in this point 7. The second is D. ABBOT whose authority must componderate with D. Fields and will discountenance his exposition of this matter g Against D. Bishopp Part. 1 pag. â—6 In the time of Epiphanius saith he there was an alteration made of the custome of Prayer for the dead Other deuotions were added vnto it with opinion to mitigate if need so required the very paynes of hell This AERIVS spake against and indeed spake against it with greater reason then Epiphanius hath defended it c. Here Maister D. Abbot dealeth iniuriously with Epiphanius in whose behalf S. Augustine shall witnesse that * See before pag. 27. he was a man very renowned in the Catholick faith But in the meane time do not theis men agree like harp and harrow One sayth h See before §. 1. num 1.2 SVRELY it appeareth c. The other sayth THIS Aërius spake against c. Thus they differ in their expositions as you see betwixt themselues and yet neither agreeth with the truth And no meruaile for i Lactant. haec est mendaciorum natura vt probè cohaerere non possint May I not say of theis men as k Offic. 1. Cicero sayeth of pedling merchants nihil proficiunt nisi admodùm mentiantur 8. The third is M. CARTWRIGHT who being an l See the opinions of Aërius before pag. 60. Aërian heretick in a farther degree then they are who principally obtayn the name of Protestants in our contrey howbeit that is the proper inheritance of Luthers more naturall children in his faith and reintegrating the heresy of Aërius * Pag. 403. touching the equallity of a Bishopp and a Priest is iustly noted by * So where D. W. obiecteth the CouÌ„cell of Nice vnto him he turneth it off affirming that it is spotted with infamy by decreing that single men admitted to holy orders shall not marry afterward Which point is fitt to be considered by M. Rogers saying p. 115. that if Paphnutius had not byn at Nice that Councell had erred D. VVhitgift iustly in respect of the thing vniustly in respect of their profession vpon the conformity which he embraced with Aërius in this matter And truly the pure or rigid Caluinists are guilty thereof without all possibility of defence But how doth the Presbyterian remooue this disgrace from himself and from the consorts of his folly I am not to regard sayth he what Epiphanius deliuereth in this matter for he was a man obnoxious vnto errour and if his authority could inconuenience me herein it might likewise confirme the popish errour of prayer and oblation for the dead which things are in no wise retayned by our Church 9. This is the summe and substance of his answere whereby I was excited to consider that as the * Aristot de histor animal irchin in hir naturall prouidence maketh a double prospect in hir nest that she may by this meanes defend hir self from the injury of all weather so the Protestants furnish themselues with a double principle viz. Scripture and Fathers In their conflict with Papists they limitt and confine all things vnto the Scripture sensed by themselues conueniently for their owne security and aduantage If they incounter the Puritans they reduce them vnto the judgement of Antiquity and suffer them not to randge vp and downe in their vast and vnsetled imaginations In theis principles they are very inconstant and runne into a circular absurdity without any certayn and indubious resolution of their faith 10. The fourth and last is o Cathol Apolog. Part. 1. l. 1. c. 33. D. MORTON who seing our reformed Churches deepely touched with Aërianisme seeketh by all meanes to decline the point and seemeth fearfull in handling his owne wounds or as Luther obserued in Zuinglius he paseth it so gingerly as if he trode vpon eggs and like a sheepe in the briers the more he struggleth the more he is intangled Behold therefore
Scriptures yet there is no small authority of the VNIVERSALL CHVRCH which shineth in this custome for in the prayers of the Priest which he powreth forth to God at his Altar the COMMENDATION of the dead hath its place 4. Heere three things occurred vnto my ponderation FIRST that S. Augustine doth iustify prayer for the dead by the Canonicall Scripture for so the bookes of the Machabees are recognized by a †3. Carthag ca. 47. Councell wherein S. Augustine himself was present and * ca. 50. subscribed thereunto VVherefore in his ceÌ„sure the Sacrifice for the dead was firmely established by the testimony of sacred writ and this being so how can it be true that Augustine could not plead this authority in defence therof And if he did plead it why doth D. Humfrey pretend the contrary in this place 5. SECONDLY S. Augustine maketh mention here of the OLD Scripture wherby he intimateth that in the NEVV Testament some reliefe for the dead is either plainly expressed or sufficiently †see before pag. â— c. deduced from thence THIRDLY S. Augustine adioyneth the Church vnto the Scripture because there is impeachable soueraignty in the VNIVERSALL Church therfore he saith that if other proofes were wanting in this matter yet this alone may satisfie giue contentment vnto her obsequious Children Which plea seemed vnto me so full of equity that without insolency and madnesse both which must ineuitably fall vpon D. Humfrey and his Church I saw no possibility to decline the same §. 2. An other of his vnfaithfull practises against S. Augustine SAint Augustine maketh mention in the former sentence of a COMMENDATION of the dead from which word the Doctour taketh an aduantage to shew Pag. 262. See before pag 38. that in your Colledges you now retayn this pious custome of the ancient Church But he deludeth you with ambguity of speach For the commendation whereof S. Augustine speaketh is referred vnto the SOVLES of the dead which in the sacred Mysteries were specially recommended vnto our Lord but the commendation of your Founders in your Colledges is a memory of their names which you celebrate with commemoration of their liberality whereby your studies are maintayned And this is not to conforme your selues vnto antiquity nor to execute the testaments of your honourable Founders 2. This noble figment in the Doctour is presently attended with a more eminent deprauation For though Paulinus firmely belieuing according to the instruction of the Catholick Church that great vtility ensueth vnto the dead by the prayers of the liuing desireth an explication of that scripture which sayeth 2. Cor. 5.10 VVe shall all stand before the Tribunall of Christ and euery man shall receiue according to that which he hath done in this life whether it be good or euill and though S. Augustine yealdeth this resolution viz. Ibid. according to the quality of this life men receiue helpe after their decease c. yet D. Humfrey supressing both theis poynts flourisheth in his vnprofitable rhetorick and handleth the matter artificially to make a credulous Reader belieue that S. Augustine himself doth conuell the vse of Prayer for the dead by the testimony of this Scripture 3. The detection of theis vnfaithfull courses which till this time mine ey saw not neither did my heart once suspect did conduct me occasionally vnto the truth Ita ille qui multis laqueus mortis extitit meum quo captus eram relaxare jam ceperat nec volens S. Aug. CoÌ„f. l. 5. c. 7. de FAVSTO nec sciens sayeth S. Augustine of a man happy in name but vnhappy in deed and the like I may justly pronounce in my successe thus he that was the snare of death vnto many beganne to lose the snare wherewith I was intangled and this he did though neither by his will nor knowledge FINIS The correction of the principall faults passed onely in some copies P signifieth the page L the line M the margent P. 5. l. 15. reade Beda p. 8. l. 19. leaue out scio and reade Veteres abusi sunt c. p. 10. l. 32. reade witt p. 17. 19. 21. 23. 25-27 in the title Chap. 2. p. 21. m. 116. in stead of 114. p. 26. l. 4. elswhere p. 32. l. 7. vnto p. 34. l. vlt. extended p. 45. m. § 5. num 8. in stead of § 3. n. 4. p. 51. l. 17 incomparable p. 52. m. from the infection c. p. 61. l. 20. sayeth p. â—5 m. Rainolds p. 72. l. 12. conuent p. 75. l. 27. after censure add theis words as a thing not to be exercised against any professour of the ghospell p. 76. l. 2. from l. 28. vnmatchable l. 32. Church p. 78. l. 9 taught that p. 82. l. 3. retreat p. 87. l. 26. are the Churches p. 90. l. 5. without l. 12. ghospell p. 91. 14. Wherefore p. 112. l. vlt. Church p. 120. l. 15. with p. 121. m. ad literam p. 122. l. 4. place the parenthesis after him p. 123. l. 16. exempt him from p. 125. l. 16. dishonourable p. 130. l. vlt. PRAYER p. 134. l. 21. construction p. 149. l. 21 Diuines p. 151. l. 10. testimonies l. 28. intercourse A BRIEF PLAYN AND effectuall instruction concerning Purgatory and Prayer for the dead COurteous Reader the intended breuity of my discourse did not permitt me so to inforce Booke 1. Part. 1. Cha. 2. §. 4. nuÌ„ 16. and to illustrate the testimony of S. AVGVSTINE in this matter as I had conceiued nor as the dignity thereof doth justly require and especially for their sake who either in regard of their weaknesse cannot or in regard of their negligence care not or in regard of their peruersenesse will not see the cleare and irrefragable truth VVherefore hauing a little remnant of vacant paper I haue thought good to employ it vnto this profitable end assuring my self that euery Reader may informe his vnderstanding and settle his conscience herein by the waight and euidence of theis THREE ensuing propositions The FIRST proposition 1 THere was alwayes and now is and euer shall be a CATHOLICK Church which is free from any The Protestants accompt this doctrine of Purgatory c. to be damnable damnable errour This assertion is very often deliuered by S. Augustine and the very same though not precisely in theis words is yealded by Pag. 203. D. Field in the name of his Church The SECOND proposition 2. THe instruction of this Church is the last and finall judgement wherein all men may and must rely as in the PROPOVNDER of truth This assertion is strengthened by sondry testimonies of the Fathers and In his ep dedic D. Field approoueth it saying that men desirous of satisfaction must diligently search out the true Church and Therefore it must be knowen therefore it must be visible rest in hir judgement c. In which respect he sayeth that Pag. 193. if the reprehension of Aërius touching PRAYER FOR THE DEAD be vnderstood to
extend vnto the generall practise iudgement of the Church it is not nor may not be iustified Whereas he sayeth it is not iustified by Protestants that is not true whereas he sayeth it may not be iustified that is very certayn Wherefore I desire you to stand constantly vnto this position and not to flye your ground The THIRD proposition 3. THe iudgement and purpose of the ancient CATHOLICK Church is discouerable vnto us by two meaenes viz. the perpetuall succession of PRACTISE and the conforme testimony of the FATHERS For where we find no substantiall mutation of PRACTISE All men know that the practise of praying for the dead is the same now sustaÌ„tially as in S. August time and I hope it was not begunne then but continued See before pag. 25. but see it perpetuated in all descents and deriued vnto vs by the long hand of time we may infallibly conclude that the later ages of the Church conspiring with the former are free from just reproof Agayn the testimony of the FATHERS conuaigheth vs vnto the knowledge of the Churches judgement so that we require fidelity in them authority in it they are the witnesses she the judge they relate hir voyce she pronounceth the sentence Theis propositions as they are very perspicuous ponderous so they will excellently and forcibly apply themselues in decision of this controuersy touching PVRGATORY and PRAYER FOR THE DEAD The testimony of S. AVGVSTINE The faithfull do know according to the instruction of the Church that when MARTYRS are recited at the Altar of God this is not done with intention to pray for them it being an injury to pray for a Martyr vnto whose prayers we ought to be recommended but we pray for other deceased men whose commemoration is there made Now for your full satisfaction in this poynt you must here obserue three things viz. the quality of the WITNESSE the competency of the IVDGE the resolution of the MATTER 1. Concerning the FIRST it importeth the witnesse onely to expresse what was the intentioÌ„ of the Church in this practise And as S. Augustine is a most faithfull witnesse of Antiquity in M. Inst l. 3. c. 3. §. 10. c. Caluins opinion so it goeth hard if for a MATTER OF HISTORY the Fathers can not find creditt at your hands they should know as well as you what was then in FACT Which sentence being very justly deliuered against the Presbyterians by the Suruay pag. 338. L. of Cant in the question of BISHOPPS c. ought to be considered exactly in this issue 2. Concerning the SECOND you see that the Churches instruction touching this matter was knowen familiarly vnto all the faithfull so that you must either vnnaturally and impiously as Aërian hereticks reiect your Mothers instruction or els as dutifull and obsequious children you must submitt your selues vnto hir doctrine Which least you should intemperately renounce I pray you to remember that famous sentence of S. Augustine viz. Ep. â—18 to call any thing in question which is frequented by the VNIVERSALL CHVRCH it is the part of most INSOLENT MADNESSE 3. Concerning the THIRD you can not but perceiue the clearnesse thereof expressed in this distinction VVe do not pray for Martyrs and VVe do pray for other men By which manifest difference S. Augustine doth sufficiently declare that the memory of Martyrs was celebrated at the Altar by way of THANSKGIVING and gladnesse but the names of other men were remembred by way of PETITION and desire The reason whereof ariseth out of their estate VVe pray not for a Martyr and it were an iniury to pray for him Why Because we know that he is in heauen and to haue any diffidence of his beatitude it were injurious vnto his cause and derogatory from his passion therefore we pray not FOR him as though he wanted our relief but VNTO him rather that he may assist vs with his charitable intercession But we pray for others that is to say for all them of whose actuall felicity the Church hath not yet attayned a secure and infallible perswasion otherwise if she knew that they were in present possession of ioy it were as great as injury to pray for them also as for the Martyrs themselues since the reason why she prayeth not for Martyrs is because she is confidently resolued that they being in heauen stand not in any exigence of hir deuotion Wherefore since the CATHOLICK Church prayed for other meÌ„ as not being in heauen or not certainly knowen to be there she did conceiue that they were or might be for ought she knew to the contrary in some third place and consequently in some temporall payn and so necessarily she did belieue that there is a PVRGATORY after this life To contend about WORDS and NAMES it is a vanity for it is sufficient to haue a sure apprehension of the THING it self To litigate about things ACCIDENTALL it is a folly for it is inough to be certayn of the SVBSTANTIALL point the rest haue their probability in their seuerall degrees and are permitted vnto free dispute Finally later ages may amplify not alter the doctrine of the former fayth hath an augmentation to perfitt hir progresse not innouation to chandge hir purenesse IESVS proficiebat sapientiâ Luca. 2.53 aetate c. Now since he that is WISEDOME it self did profitt in sapience and he that is ETERNITY did increase in age it may well become the Church to shew a conformity vnto hir head and Lord. The petition of S. AVGVSTINE Confess l. â— c. 13. Inspire o Lord my God inspire thy servants my brethren that at thy Altar they may remeÌ„ber Monica thy handmayd with Patricius sometimes hir husband FINIS TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST OR AN ADMONITION Vnto the credulous and seduced Protestants to examine the fidelity of their VVriters and particularly of tvvo principall Doctours viz. D. FIELD D. MORTON A Detection of their falsehood in some matters of great importaÌ„ce and a discovery of sondry vanities in the new Gospell according to LVTHER ZVINGL and others BY T. H. Maister of Arts and lately Minister Added by way of APPENDIX vnto his FIRST MOTIVE 1609. TO THE WORTHY GENTLEMAN Maister S. E. SIR though the propriety of this little Treatise be yours it being first addressed for your priuate information yet the vse thereof may be deriued vnto others vnder your honourable name buried here and intombed in a parcell of it self For as my hearty affection did single you forth to be the principall obiect of my thoughts so my compassion enlardgeth it self toward all my louing contreymen wholy insnared with you in the same danger and are held captiue therein by the same credulity and facility of belief Popidum qui sibi credat habet S. Bernard de Henrico haeretico ep 240. which hath preuayled with your noble heart to admitt the assertions of your guides without a triall of their exactnesse In which course though I may commend the goodnesse of your
base silly and childish reasons into this testilent and sacrilegious * of Zwing c. heresy For what argument I beseech you is this Christ is at the right hand of his Father therefore he is not in the Sacrament The flesh profiteth nothing therefore the body of Christ is not there And theis are their principall †the same they bring against the Catholicks also arguments But it is a madnesse to be mooued by theis toyes from the simple and playn words of Christ THIS IS MY BODY Which cleare sentence the Sacramentaries depraue by their interpretation viz. this is a signe of my body An exposition no lesse absurd * Tom. 7. contra fanaticos Sacramentariorum Spiritus sayeth Luther then if a man should make this glosse vpon the Scripture In the beginning God made heauen and earth that is to say the cuckow did eate vp the titling bones and all or The VVord was made flesh that is to say a crooked staff was made a kyte 13. But I will leaue Sir Martin in his facetious vayne and come vnto a farther poynt which toucheth your religion to the quick For in his commentaries vpon the epistle to the Galathians a work which I know to be singularly magnified by your Ghospellers and it is translated into our mother-tongue for the publick vtility of your Church he maketh sondry digressions against the Sacramentaries but I suspect your translation to be vnfaithfull in this behalf and namely in his exposition of this sentence * Chap. 5. vers 9. a little leauen corrupteth the whole lump he sayeth VVe must highly esteeme of this cautele in our age The SACRAMENTARIES who deny the corporall presence of Christ in the Lords supper obiect vnto vs that we are intractable and contentious c. Theis are the collusions of the Diuell whereby he laboureth to subuert not that article alone but all Christian doctrine A true saying of M. Luther To deny God in one article is do deny him in all for he is not diuided into many but he is all in eueryone and one in all Charity in this case is not to be exercised neither is errour to be approoued For here viz. in the Sacramentaries heresy the word faith Christ eternall life are all lost Wherefore we continually returne vnto them this prouerb of the Apostle a little leauē corrupteth the whole lūp 14. This is such a waighty and seuere reprehension of your Sacramentarisme as would mooue any heart amongst you tenderly affected in matters of so great consequence and sublimity to be fearfull and suspicious of his soules estate But I will proceed vnto an other consideration of greater importance and farr more effectuall then the rest For what can be more horrible and dreadfull vnto you then that the Diuell himself should vrdge Luther your great Reformer and presse him with the argumēts of Zwinglius his cōfederates See the places cited by Iustus Caluinus in his annotat vpon Tertull praescript cap. 43. to draw him vnto your Sacramentary opinion And though the Diuell disputed earnestly with Luther to this effect as he confesseth yet he solued the Diuells obiections and vanquished him and therefore all your English professours in him by the power and maiesty of the word 15. By this euidence you may well coniecture what admonitour he was that instructed your Patriarch Zwinglius in his fanaticall interpretation of theis wordes hoc * est pro significāt see before booke 1. part 1. chap. 1. §. 3. num 8. est corpus meum and by it also you may know that the spirit of truth doth not teach you though †pag. 183. D. Field hath confidently affirmed it where he speaketh of the inward testification and of the great happy and heauenly alteration which you find in your hearts vpon the receyuing of your doctrine Which internall perswasion the Brownists the Anabaptists and other sectaries do boast of as well as any Sacramentary euer did or can But what verdict M Luther hath passed concerning the Spirit and truth of Sacramentaries you can not but tremble to vnderstand * Brent in Recognit pag. 277. Vos habetis alium Spiritum quà m nos sayd Luther vnto Zwinglius you and we haue not the same SPIRIT And as for your TRVTH he giueth this terrible censure vpon the perfidiousnes for so he speaketh of Bucer in this Sacramentary doctrine †Fabric in loc com Luth. part 5. pag. 50. 2. He that taketh pleasure in his owne damnation let him belieue that the TRVTH is taught by theis SPIRITS since they beganne and defend their opiniō by lyes 16. I leaue the due ponderation of theis things vnto your best thoughts and so I proceed vnto my SECOND reason which is deriued from the Magdeburgian Centuriatours who in their * Cētur 4. epistle vnto Q. Elizabeth complayn that some men viz. the Caluinists euacuate the testament of our Lord by their philosophicall reasons when against the most cleare most euident most true and most powerfull words of Christ This is my body they remooue the presence of his body and bloud out of the Sacrament and deceiue men with their wonderfull perplexity of speach c. Likewise †Cētur 11. cap. 10. col 527. they do expressely commend Pope Leo 9. because he damned the Berengarian heresy which now is a piece of your Caluinian ghospell with the authour as soone as it peeped forth In the same * ibid. cap. 11. col 656. history they place Berengarius in the catalogue of Hereticks saying that he transmitted his poyson by wicked schollers and impious writings into sondry regions Howbeit †in resp ad Campian rat 3. M. Doctour Humfrey feareth not to affirme that Vigilantius Berengarius Caluinus homines profectò singularibus diuinae gratiae muneribus prastabiles c. And no doubt but D. Field hath taken order to draw all theis men with Gerson himself into the communion of his true visible Catholick Church Which is a deuice to turne religion into a fable 17. My THIRD and last reason is deriued from an authority which with you is free from all exception For your Church deliuereth this assertion See M. Rogers in his Cathol doctr pag. 178. 179. as hir CATHOLICK DOCTRINE in this matter The wicked and such as be voyd of liuely saith do not eate the body nor drink the bloud of Iesus Christ in the vse of the Lords supper Which assertion being explicated by M. Rogers he proceedeth according vnto the accustomed manner of his discourse to note the errours and aduersaries vnto this truth and sayeth The aduersaries of this doctrine are the VBIQVITARIES both Lutheran and Popish For the Lutherans teach that the very body of Christ at the Lords supper is eaten aswell of the wicked as of the godly and that the true and reall body of Christ In VVith Vnder the bread and wine may be eaten chewed and digested euen of Turks which were
neuer of the true Church 18. Here it importeth you very much to intreate your Doctours resolution vnto their three particular demands FIRST since it is infallibly euident by the testimony of your owne Church for by hir approbation the booke of M. Rogers hath a singular warrant as you may see * pag. 160. before that your Catholick doctrine in this poynt is impugned substantially by the Lutherans why doth he preteÌ„d that the differeÌ„ce betweene the reformed Churches is meerely verball in this issue SECONDLY since your doctrine herein is graced with the name of Catholick is not theirs hereticall and consequently are not they hereticks and excluded thereupon from the society of your Church THIRDLY since M. Rogers by the lawfull authority of your Church brandeth the truest disciples of your great Reformer with the name of LVTHERANS pag. 179. why doth D. Field disclayme it with contempt of Card. Bellarmine and why doth he say that it pleaseth the Antichristian sectaries odiously to name them so It is not possible for any man to conceiue or to expresse your Euangelicks without theis distinctiue * LutheraÌ„s Caluinists appellations or some others equiualent thereunto §. 2. Three false and empty pretenses of D. Field to mitigate the scandall of the dissensions which rend and teare his Euangelicall Churches 1. AS your learned Doctour hath a speciall talent in the reconciliation of your differences so he hath an excellent art to extenuate the scandall thereof saying that whereas the Tigurines Gesnerus others disliked the distempered passions of LVTHER it is not to be meruayled at pag. 192. or that some differences were amongst them seeing the like were in former times betweene Epiphanius and Chrysostome Hierome Ruffinus Augustine and others 2. Nothing but fraud and falsehood For though your Doctour telleth you that the Tigurines and Gesnerus did forsooth DISLIKE the distempered passions of Luther yet you must know that they did execrate this great Reformer and detest him with a deadly and immortall hatred Peruse the orthodox confession of the Tigurines and you shall find that Luther was possessed with a legion of Diuells See the writings of Gesnerus and you may perceiue that Luther was a man of an impudent mouth and theis are moderate censures in comparison of the rest which are affoorded in their virulent and fiery discourses Wherefore though D. Field sayeth farther that it is not to be meruayled at c. yet how iust occasion there is for you to tremble at theis things I remitt me vnto the secret testimony of your inward iudge 3. I proceed vnto the brief discussion of his other false-hoods which are transparent vnto euery eye For what can be more vntruely suggested ibid. then that the LIKE differences were sometimes betwixt the ancient Fathers as passed betwixt Luther Zwinglius and others of the reformed Church S. Augustine dissented from S. Hierome See S. Aug. epist 8. 9. c. but whether you respect the * matter or manner their difference was farr vnlike vnto your capitall * concerning S. Paulls reprehension of S. Peter and immortall belligerations S. Augustine speaketh †See S. Aug. contra Iulian. Pelag l. 1. 2. honourably of S. Hierome and calleth him that holy Priest that holy man c. Yea in his epistles he saluteth him by the name of fellow-Priest and much desired BROTHER c. Which kind and familiar nuncupation †See Brentius contra Bullinger in Recognit pag. 276. Luther would not vouchsafe your deare Patriarch Zwinglius though he sought it with many teares Likewise S. Hierome speaketh respectiuely of S. Augustine and calleth him true Father and Lord c. But how obsequiously * See Fabric in loc com Luth. parte 5. pag. 49.50 Zwinglius demeaned himself toward Luther and what acerbity of stile he exercised against him Luther shall deliuer vnto you Zwinglius sent a most vayn booke vnto me and an epistle written with his owne hand well befitting that most proud spiritt of his he rageth and fumeth and threateneth and raueth so modestly that he seemeth vnto me past all recouery being conâ—inced by the manifest truth Now whether the difference betwixt Augustine and Hierome were LIKE vnto the furious and implacable assault of theis men I leaue it vnto your wise and religious determination 4. The mutuall contention of Ruffinus and S. Hierome was sharpe but farr vnlike vnto the garboyles of Luther and Zwinglius which surpasse the conflicts of S. Chrysost and Epiphanius themselues Wherefore it may please you to consider the dissimilitude of theis things which I will briefly tender vnto your carefull examination 5. FIRST if you respect the quality of the persons you shall find that S. Hierome Chrysost Epiphan and Ruffinus though they were men indued with excellent gifts yet they had an ordinary function onely and continued in the faith of the vniuersall Church See Zanch. de RedeÌ„pt in explicat 4. praecepti quaest de vocat ad minister c. But you pretend that Luther and Zwinglius were extraordinarily stirred vp by God to reforme his Church and to replant the decayed faith of Christ Yea Zanchius feareth not to say that they principally are the * Apocal. 11. two VVitnesses that should contend against Antichrist the Man of sinne for which cause as we are bound to require a speciall signe of their vocation vnto that excellent office so aboue all things we must expect Vnity and consent both in their words and deeds 6. SECONDLY if you obserue the cause of their dissensions you may note that the quarrell as well betwixt Epiph. and Chrysost as betwixt Hierome and Ruffinus concerned the writings of Origen and the inprobation thereof But the terrible fulminations of Luther and Zuinglius each against the other were founded originally in matters of faith pertayning vnto the necessity of saluation Hence it is that Luther saieth Luth. tom 2. de Caenâ Dom. I reckon not Zwinglius any more to be in the number of Christians He saieth farther I haue damned Zwinglius Oecolompaduis and all Sacramentaries to the vttermost of my power and this glory I shall carry with me vnto the tribunall of Crist 7. THIRDLY if you consider the extent and duration of their hostility you shall see that it was soone extinguished and not deriued as an hereditary warr vnto posterity and vnto entire Churches But it is otherwise in the case of Luther and Zwieglius for their personall strife is generall vnto whole Churches propagated in succession increased with continuall addition so that we may sooner expecta ruine of their ghospell then a reconciliation of their differences the measure whereof is vnmeasurable and consequently the end is endlesse And this euent agreeth with the prophecy of Luther the man of God as * in loc coÌ„ Luth. part 5. pag. 43. See also pag. 41. lin 2. 3. c. Fabricius sayeth who foresaw this misery and dissipation of the Church by SACRAMENTARIES
and other hereticks 8. And here you may perceiue the singular falsehood of M. †in apolog Iewell pretending that they whom Papists do contumeliously call Lutherans and Zwinglians are truly FRIENDS and BRETHREN For as S. Luther himself would by no meanes permitt the name of BRETHREN vnto the Zwinglian but repelled them for hereticks as he testifieth in a certain * cited by Brentius in Recognit c. pag. 276. epistle so †ibid. pag. 282. Brentius and Melancthon resolued that they could not acknowledge them to be their brethren in regard of their impious and vayn opinions And though the judgement of Melancthon chandged as the moone whence his name is * See the examen of Fox his calendar chap. 16. num 72. 7â— c. odious vnto the truest disciples of Luther yet the Lutheran part of the Synod holden at Maulbrune 1564. make this declaration Whereas the Zwinglians haue deliuered abroad that we agnize them to be our BRETHREN this is fayned by them so impudently that we cannot sufficiently admire their impudency herein For as we grant them no place in the Church so we do not take them to be our brethren whom we haue found to be caried with the spiritt of lies and to be contumelious against the Sonne of man 9. Theis things are very playn and therefore I referr the decision of this whole matter vnto your self let your owne heart be the oracle whence you may assume a faithfull resolution And if your conscience shall assure you that the LIKE differences were not betwixt the ancients as are and were betwixt the primitiue fathers and brethren of your ghospell then iudge of your Doctours fidelity wherein you haue formerly had such a firme repose 10. I come vnto a SECOND pretense of your learned Doctour saying that the Papists themselues haue diuisions and differences pag. 168. c. and that therefore nothing can be concluded against the Protestants or for the Papists from the note of Vnity or from diuision which is opposite thereunto 11. But this poore recrimination can yeald you no defence For if the ey may be a iudge in this case we see a comfortable harmony in the Catholick Church the same doctrine preached the same Sacraments administred the same gouernment established But as your Ecclesiasticall gouerment in England in Scotland in Heluetia in Saxony is distinct so the doctrines betwixt your sayd Churches conspire not in some essentiall poynts In a word The Catholicks in Asia Africk Europe America haue a iust correspondency in faith but the Protestants in Europe for in it and some part of it alone are they confined haue great diuersity in faith and one faction doth prosecute the other with Vatinian hatred 12. Wherefore a THIRD pretense which your learned Doctour doth affect against the certainty of our experience will easily refute itself VVe want not a most certayn rule sayth * D. Field pag. 169. he whereby to iudge of all matters of controuersy and difference to witt the Scripture or written word of God expounded according to the rule of faith practise of the Saints and the due †Ad alium scripturae locum recurrendum est non expectanda hominis sententia ad liteÌ„ dirimendam sayth Zwingl tom 2. in responsâ—ad epist Eckij comparing of one part of it with an other in the publick confessions of faith published by the Churches of our confession In all which there is a full consent whatsoeuer our malicious aduersaries clamorously pretend to the contrary c. 13. If this rule be most certayn how commeth it to passe that the difference betwixt Lutherans and Caluinists standeth vncoÌ„posed at this day Why did * See loc coÌ„ Luth. part 5. pag. 52. Luther pronounce so seuerely that the Anabaptists and Sacramentaries contemne the WORD howsoeuer they make a shew of religion Why did Zwinglius so peremptorily affirme that Luther oppressed the Euangelicall truth Why did M. Cartwright so constantly protest that the Church of England is destitute of one moity of the word Finally why do all your sects as well the supreame of Lutherans and Caluinists as the subordinate factious in each cry out continually the word the word and yet no rule hath drawen them vnto a conformity of sense therein 14. Giue me leaue therefore to except against the pretended rule of D. Field for three respects FIRST because the Principle of your religion excludeth the meanes of reconciliation viz. the grauity of Councells the dignity of Fathers the authority of the Church For though D. Field in his epistle vnto the Archb. of Cant. doth iudiciously aduise all men to rest in the iudgement of the Church and sayth elswhere that you admitt a triall by the Fathers yet your ghospellers haue not accepted nor practised this direction It is not accepted by you for Clebitius to name one amongst many setting downe the lawes of a Synod betwixt the Lutherans and Zwinglians sayth precisely Solum Dei verbum sit iudex let the word of God be the onely iudge Likewise Zwinglius deliuereth this assertion against the Catholicks we will endure no other iudge but the word alone Now where is the meanes to define the questions of religion See F. Camâ— piaÌ„s fourth reason and compare it with the assertion of D. Field pag. 168. viz. the authority of a Councell is not the if the Church of God represented in a lawfull Councell hath not authority to iudge of the sense of Scripture and to oblige men to rest in hir decision But this prescription is not practised by you for you receiue the ancient Oecumenicall Councells with this restriction as farr as they agree with the scripture and so euery man is left vnto his owne choyce to determine whether this or that particular in the Councell be agreable vnto the scripture or not Notwithstanding this liberty is not permitted by your Bishopps vnto their owne inferiours for they know what inconuenience would follow by leauing the * Ministers vnto that vncertayn limitation and so they presume to require more duty of their children then they dare yeald vnto their Fathers but with what equity and indifferency your wisedome may easily conceiue as also how the vnity such as it is in your Church proceedeth onely from the vigour of law and not from the principles of Religion 15. My SECOND exception against D. Fields pretended rule is taken from a consideration of your persons which haue not that subordination which is requisite in this behalf For lib. 1. ep 3. whereas S. Cyprian doth excellently obserue that heresies arise from no other cause then that the Priest of God is not obayed and that men think not of one Priest and Iuge in stead of Christ it is most euident that heresies will increase daily in your Churches and no conclusion of peace can possibly ensue because there is not submission of judgement nor subjection of spirit nor vnion of members vnto their head Lutherans seeke
witt V. Beda a Rabbine of the Romish Synagogue who liued in the same age and may be parallele with Damascen for his singular piety and admirable science 12. As for the rest either expressed or concealed we will find their matches also yea their superiours by many degrees as namely S. Anselme Lanfranck S. Bernard Hugo de S. Victore P. Lombard Alexander of Hales S. Thomas of Aquine S. Bonauenture Scotus Lyranus GERSON a worthy guide of the Church and a Rabbine of the Romish Synagogue for both theis termes are afforded by your Doctour Tostatus and to vse his owne wordes innumerable others with whom theis Greeks generally are no wayes matchable but much inferiour in all respects 13. The THIRD crimination is fashioned on this wise Bellarmine sayth that they viz. NONE of the Churches separated from Rome could euer hold any councell since their separation If Bellarmine meane Generall Councells it is not to be maruayled at seing they are but a part of the Christian Church If Nationall or Prouinciall it is most childish and by sondry instances to be refuted 14. The Cardinall speaketh of Nationall and as I take it of Prouinciall Councells howbeit your Doctours Eldershipp doth wrongfully impute Childishnesse vnto a reuerend person whose yeares and dignity and other ornaments deserued more vrbanity at his hands For the Cardinall attributeth this infelicity vnto the Churches of Asia and Africk but not of Greece and if your Doctour can reprooue him by any instance in the former there is some equity in his accusation which otherwise will prooue as indeed it is to be meerely calumnious and vniust If Bellarmine had enlardged his stile sayd that the ORIENTALL Church hath bene thus vnfortunate since the time of hir separation from the Church of Rome the Doctours exception might seeme very reasonable and the Cardinalls fault inexcusable in this behalf because Greece is a part thereof no lesse then Asia it self 15. But as the Cardinall doth plainely disioyne the Church of Greece which is placed in the table of Europe from the Churches of Asia and of Africk so D. Field doth often pag. 167. 173. c. and truly distinguish the Church of Greece from the Churches of Syria Armenia Aethiopia Russia and the like being seuerall parts of the Orientall Church And though custome founded vpon iust reasons doth warrant vs to comprehend Churches of Asia vnder the name of GREEK Churches yet there is no reason why the Church of Greece being parcell of Europe should be comprehended vnder the names of the ASIAN or AFRICAN Churches in which the Cardinall doth particularly instance saying that THEY celebrated no Councells and that THEY brought forth no men knowen vnto the whole world that is to say men of publick renowne either for learning or sanctity since the time of their segregation from the Church of Rome 16. Thus you may clearely discerne the conscience and integrity of your principall Doctours in their deportment toward the Catholick religion and the greatest lights that shine most gloriously in the Church whose names will be transmitted with honour vnto posterity when their aduersaries shall be forgotten and ly buried in silence or be remembred to their infamy and disgrace §. 2. The inciuility of D. Field toward the Cardinall 1 IT will not be impertinent and specially because I write vnto a Gentleman whose generous and noble disposition can not approoue calumnious and opprobrious insultations to add a word or two concerning your Doctours discourteous and vnciuill intreaty of the Cardinall whom he traduceth not onely by imputation of false crimes but by aggeration of base odious and vnworthy names 2. As for example he phraseth him * pag. 154. Cardinall heretick †148. hereticall Romanist * 152. impious Idolater †128. shamelesse Iesuite * 135. shamelesse companion with †180. his idle brayne * 100. his senselesse fooleries c. Which vsadge of a most learned and honourable person whether it be tolerable or not I remitt me vnto your owne discretion who being learned aboue many of your rank and honourably descended are able to iudge more competently in this case then others ether meaner in knowledge or inferiour in birth 3. And though I need not informe you either of the profound learning of the CARDINALL which expresseth it self in his owne workes for they do testify of him or of his virtues a greater commendation then the former ô hominem bonum is preferred by Seneca before ô hominem literatum yet I will make a brief recapitulation of both that you may perceiue how much it doth concerne your Professours to deale ingenuously with a man of his quality and desert secondly whether D. Field hath any iust reasō to postpose him so farr vnto Caluin and others in LEARNING and PIETY that he is NO WAYES MATCHABLE forsooth with him or them in theis respects 4. FIRST therefore for his intellectuall parts his excellency therein is so celebrious and renowned that the prayse which common fame did attribute vnto S. Hierome viz. Nemo omnium sciuit quod Hieronymus ignorauit may truly belong vnto the Cardinall in whom Nature being the guide and Industry hir companion haue wrought an admirable perfectiō For NATVRE hath prodigally bestowed hir greatest riches vpon him as namely sharpenesse of witt solidity of iudgement tenaciousnesse of memory facility of deliuerance grace of elocution 5. And here by the may whereas it pleaseth †pag. 176. D. Field to lay a crime vnto Bellarmines chardge and then to * let vs pardon him c. pardon it also in his courteous malice forasmuch as Bellarmine shewing himself to be in their number who are lyers of the worst MEMORIES sayth in †de notis Eccles c. 2. one place that Sanctity of doctrine is no note of the Church and in an * ibid. cap. 11. This vntruth of D. Field is accompanied with more which I referr vnto your perusall other that Sanctity of doctrine is a note of the Church I must assure you that Bellarmine is neither iniudicious nor obliuious but D. Field traduceth his authour and abuseth his reader For Bellarmine in the former place maketh no mention of the Sanctity of doctrine and in the later place his whole discourse is to prooue that the assertions of pagans and hereticks contayn absurdity in reason and impiety in manners from both which the doctrine of the Catholick Church doth vtterly abhorte See the particulars and iudge wisely what cause D. Field hath to impute a fault vnto Bellarmine or what need Bellarmine hath to desire the pardon of D. Field I proceed 6. His INDVSTRY is famous in those Churches Louayn Rome and Schooles which haue acknowledged him a Chrysostome in sermons and an Augustine in disputes Whatsoeuer is most commēdable in Humanity for tongues or arts whatsoeuer is most respected in Theology for scholasticall or positiue he hath attayned the flower therein by his long study and much
an HERETICK and no member of hir communion For which consideration I am as tenderly affected in this article as in any other of my Creed esteeming my self obliged thereunto for two respects FIRST because the essentiall truth thereof is clearely reuealed vnto me by God both in his word written and by Apostolicall Tradition In his word written for what can be more perspicuous then this saying * Act. 2.27 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell c. By Apostolicall Tradition for what can be more playn then this article He descended into hell That the common Creed is an Apostolicall Tradition your chiefest writer H. †de PedeÌ„pt Zanch us doth confesse and as I conceiue * pag. 238. D. Field dissenteth not from his iudgement therein What †de Antichr pag. 48. M. Powell or his proud Peacock or some precipitate Spiritts imagine to the contrary I am not to regard But if this Creed be an Apostolicall Tradition then it is * See D. Fields rule which I haue cited before Booke 1. part 1. c. 2. §. 2. num 3. equall vnto the written word of God euen for that cause For it proceedeth from diuine inspiration and so it hath sufficient authority of it self Wherefore it was not respectiuely decreed by your †Artic. Relig 8. Bishopps that this Creed ought throughly to be receiued BECAVSE it may be prooued by most certayn warrants of holy Scripture 3. SECONDLY I am mooued by the authority of the Church For who sayth * epist 99. S. Augustine denieth that Christ descended into hell vnlesse he be an INFIDELL And for the sense of this article †Tract 78. in Ioh. he hath this cleare resolution Who is he that was not left in hell Christ Iesus but in his SOVLE onely Who is he that lay in the graue Christ Iesus but in his FLESH onely For the NATVRALL vnion of his body and soule was dissolued but not the HYPOSTATICALL vnion of either with his Person 4. This truth being so potent and perspicuous I aske you now what reason haue you for any part of your faith if you haue not assurance in this And if you fall from this See Luthers saying before pag. 40. what certainty haue you in any other poynt Therefore it importeth your Church to shew a due conformity in this article of the Creed Finally you may remember that S. Athanasius in his Creed which your †Artic. Relig 8. Church pretendeth to admitt throughly c. hauing premised this denunciatioÌ„ Whosoeuer keepeth not the Catholick faith entire and inuiolate without doubt he shall perish euerlastingly doth afterward subnect this article of Christ his descent into hell as parcell of that CATHOLICK faith §. 2. D. Mortons pretense of his Churches vnity in this poynt is clearely refuted 1. NOw see your Doctours syncerity who may call God to reuendge it vpon his soule if he deceyue any man with his knowledge First he citeth the opinion of * l. 4. de Christo cap. 15. Bellarmine in theis wordes Opinio Catholica haec est CHRISTVM VERE SECVNDVM ESSENTIAM FVISSE IN INFERNO As much as to say Christ in his soule substaÌ„tially did descend into hell Then he addeth Hanc vestram sententiam NOS quoque iuxià cum Augustana confessione libentissimè profitemur non tamen quatenus vestram sed quatenus veram WE also together with the Augustane confession do most willingly professe this opinion c. 2. It is well that he left out the Scottish French Belgian and Heluetian confessions for he knoweth that the true Caluinists are hereticks in this behalf And this is an incuitable conclusion because they do obstinately and wilfully reiect the true and Catholick opinion and so defending an opinion CONTRARY vnto CATHOLICK verity they can not be exempted from the crime of heresy which casteth them into a damnable estate But I beseech you do YOV that is to say your Church of England most willingly professe this Catholick opinion Alas that your Apologist hath so iustly called God to reuendge this falsehood vpon his soule let him intreate our Lord to pardon that prouocation of his iudgement and in the meane time I will demonstrate his falsehood by foure euidences FIRST if YOV be of this opinion as he pretendeth why are your Bibles infected with this absurd Translation Act. 2.27 some say life or person some body or carrasse Thou wilt not leaue my soule in graue Is this to submitt your sense vnto the Scripture or is it not rather to draw it vnto your preiudicate opinion This is to measure the yard by the cloth and thus while you should be faithfull Translatours you become corrupt Interpreters of the Scripture SECONDLY why was your Church so distracted in this matter vpon the Sermon and Treatise of D. Bilson How came it to passe that D. Rainolds his Caluinian resolution in this matter was confuted by M Perks and why did M. VVillet the Synopticall Theologue as he is phrased by †in his epist prefixed before the booke of ConfereÌ„ce at Hampton Court D. Barlow oppose himself against M. Perks his answere Why do your Ministers publiquely in Sermons and in print impugne this true and Catholick opinion THIRDLY Why is no Minister punished for his repugnancy vnto this truth which is of greater consequence then crosse cap surplice or any ceremonious thing or whatsoeuer institution of your Church for which many haue suffered depriuation of their liuings FOVRTHLY the testimony of M. Rogers whose booke hath a speciall approbation as you may see * pag. 160. before will conuince D. Morton of notorious falsehood For though his purpose was to deliuer the †that is the title of all his pages Catholick doctrine of YOVR Church yet when * pag. 16. he commeth vnto this article he sayth that in the interpretation of it there is not that consent which were to be wished some holding one opinion thereof and some an other Wherefore yealding no certayn doctrine but leauing men vnto their choyce he addeth TILL we know the natiue and vndoubted * Faith coÌ„sisteth not in the words but in the sense sense of this article c. 3. If this be not a sensible conuiction of M. Doctours singular vntruth I must confesse that I haue done him iniury and will be ready to make any satisfaction that he can reasonably demand Meane while he must giue me leaue to detect an other of his excellent sleights and then I will referr him vnto his best thoughts As it was a notable vanity in him to affirme that YOV do willingly embrace the Catholick opinion in this article so that is a delicate collusion which ensueth within the compasse of three lines viz. à VOBIS c. WE in England differ from YOV Papists concerning the place vnto which Christ descended For WE say that he descended vnto the hell of the damned but YOV say that he descended onely ad limbum Patrum the region of the Fathers 4. The authour cited by him is * Theomach l. 7. c. 1. Feuardentius whose opinion he imputeth here as generally vnto the Papists as he applied the other vnto your English Church But forasmuch as M. Doctour doth continually deale with BELLARMINE and in the words immediately precedent alleadged him particularly also in this matter as you †num 1. see why did he now pretermitt him and select an other I will shew you the reason for Bellarmine himself in the very next chapter is of a contrary opinion vnto that which M. Doctour deriueth generally vpon the Papists What piety then or humanity was in this preposterous deuise 5. Know you therefore FIRST that the opinion which he here imputeth vnto VS without exception is as falsely attributed vnto all Catholicks as the other vnto YOVR English Church SECONDLY that your difference is in the substantiall sense and meaning of this article but our difference is a scholasticall disceptation in a matter of greater or lesser probability which being a doubt not resolued by the Church may be indifferently accepted by hir children without breach of charity or violation of faith 6. Thus I haue giuen you a little signification of those many vntruths which I haue obserued in this Doctour If it consist not with his credit or profitt to yeald yet it concerneth you to beware of his Sirenicall incantations Your benefitt shall be my reward if not so yet this schedule may be a token of my loue and be you well assured that either by following my counsayle TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST you shall preuent an heauy doome or by neglecting it you shall increase your iudgement FINIS A TABLE OF THE GENERALL CONTENTS IN THE FIRST PART CHAP. 1. § 1. GERSONS testimony alleadged by D. Field to iustify the pretensed REFORMATION § 2. It is impossible that GERSON could wish or tolerate this REFORMATION § 3. A detection of D. Fields vntruths in citing the testimonyes of GERSON § 4. The name and authority of GROSTHEAD abused by D. Field to the same effect CHAP. 2. § 1. D. Fields vntrue suggestion concerning the vnity of Lutherans and Caluinists is refuted Their difference touching Vbiquity the Sacrament § 2. D. Fields excuse of their litigation is refelled They neither haue nor can haue any conclusion of peace CHAP. 3. § 1. D. Field deuiseth criminations against Bellarmine § 2. His inciuility toward the CARDINALL whose excellent parts are briefly noted IN THE SECOND PART CHAP. 1. § 1. D. Mortons vntruth in defence of Luther § 2. His vntruth in protection of Caluin CHAP. 2. § 1. Of the article concerning Christ his descent into hell § 2. D. Morton doth vntruly pretend the vnity of his English Church in the sense thereof The PARTICVLAR contents are many which I referr vnto the diligence of the courteous Reader THE CORRECTION OF FAVLTES PASSED IN SOME COPIES P. signifieth page I line M. mâ—â—gent p. 10. l. 40. reade the same p. 12. â—â— num 15. p. 22. l â— proceed p. 26. l. 6. brimtione p. 60. l. 27 â—â—dery p. 44 l. 15. 〈◊〉 p. â—5 l 4. improbation 12. l. â—â—ist 17. 〈◊〉 p. 48. l. 1â— Iudes p. 5â—â—â— with any p. â—â— l. 8. his stile and sayd pag. 58. l. 15 what 〈◊〉 p. 59. l. 22. your p. 64. l. 26. â—â—clâ—sastiâ—