of it more in a generall Councel than in the Pope who hath authority to call and confirm it is an extravagant opinion of some divines and hath little colour of truth in it especially considering that sundry great and general Councels not following the Popes sentence and directions given either by their Letters or Legats in them have perniciously in their Decrees and scandalously erred Whereas it cannot be proved that Popes alone have in their doctrines so failed Neither hath it in former times been held necessary for resolving doubts in matters of faith or for condemning Heresies risen against them to have a generall Councel presently called but Popes alone have commonly performed that Office acknowledged by chief Fathers in all ages to belong unto them so as amongst many others which might here to that purpose be instanced by me St. Hierom writing to Pope Damasus about admiting 3 hypostasies in the deity or not because that word then was of a doubtfull signification tell me saith he whether I shall admit them or not as a sheep I ask help of my Sheapherd I know not Vitalis I refuse to believe Mâ—lesius I am joyned to your beatitude alone c. And in this kinde of language have other antient fathers written to severâ—l Pâ—pâ—s to have quâ—stions and doubts of faiâ—h resolved by them which they would not have done had they not believed our Saviours prayer that their faith should not fail to hâ—ve been heard for them by his eternal Father and that a peculiar assistance of the Holy Ghost was promised unto them The fourth Controversie Of Traditions needfully added into the Canon of Scripture OUr Adversaries under a specious pretence of following in the Doctrine and practice of Faith Gods word alone contained in Scripture seek to overthrow amongst Christians all true belief and Religion for admitting what scriptures they list themselves and interpreting them as they please is in effect to have a Religion of their own making no lesse absurd than if in Kingdomes and Common-wealths Subjects were permitted to interpret laws of themselves without admitting Judges to determine of them or any authentical Declaration of them so as every man may to his own advantage in suits and controversies expound them and defend any cause how bad and unjust soever it be by them And that pretence of Protestants to believe nothing which is not either expressed in Scripture or by a clear immediate consequence gatherable from it is a false brag and purposely devised to exclude the Churches teaching and deceive ignorant people unable to note how ungroundedly and without sence many times texts of Scripture are cited by them to prove their own and impugn our doctrines insomuch as the Catholick and learned Pastor of Chaventon a place alotted unto the Hugonits neer Paris hath in sundry Volumes discovered the fraudulent proceedings of Protestants about maintaining points of their Religion and particularly shewed that no point thereof can be without false Glosses of their own convinced out of Scripture For example when S. Paul affirmeth all scripture divinely inspired to be profitable to teach to correct to instruct in justice that the man of God may be perfect He doth not say as our Adversaires falsly gather from this place that scripture alone can make him perfect in the knowledge of heavenly truth for that revealed and unwritten doctrines may serve likewise to increase this knowledge in him as when S. Paul willed the Galatians to stick firmly to cap. 1. his doctrine by writing or preaching delivered unto them and exhorted the Thessalonians to keep those traditions which either by his Epistles or by 2 Thess 2. speech they had received from him praâ—sing the Corinthians for observing such precepts as he had given unto them When also against Apostolical and certain tradition they urged those texts wherein our Saviour reprehended Pharisaical and wicked doctrines teaching plainly observances against the Law of God sometimes also vain things and of no moment their arguments are meer fopperies and prove nothing against unwritten doctrines such as are the Creed of the Apostlâ—s the translation of the Jewish Sabbath into our Sunday the Feasts of Easter and Pentecost antiently observed not for the celebration of Jewish but Christian mysteries and many other Feasts and Fastâ— kept in the Church from Apostolical tradition the Baptism of Children the matters and forms of Sacraments and many other doctrines and practices of faith not expressed in Scripture Where in the mean time I will ask those mâ—n is it either plainly expressâ—d or by clear consequencies gatheâ—ablâ— from Scripture that the Commandements of God are impossible to be observed that men have no free will to do good or evill that the justâ—st men do mortally offend in their best actions that there is no inherent justice or sanctification in us by heavenly graces communicated unto soules cleansed from sin but that all are holy by Christs justice alone apprehended by faith and imputed only unto them that each faithfull man is by an Act of faith to believe that he shall be saved no lesse surely than Christ himself that Christ dyed for none but the Elect and that others were to have no share in the fruit of his death and passion for us that Christs body and blood are not really and corporally present in the Sacrament but by saith onely that Sacraments of the new law are signes and seals of faith onely no graces are communicated at all to such as receive them and many such Protestants Tenents bâ—sides which have no true ground at all in Scripture for them And in this pretence of gathering and proving the faith out of scriptures onely they imitate many anciâ—nt Hereticks before them So Maximus the Arian as S. Austin in his first In principio book against him recounteth rejecteth the word Homousion because it was not expressed in Scripture and so did Epist 174. Pascentius as the same father recounteth and as S. Gregory Naziâ—nzen relateth of Eunomius he was wont to ask his Christian Adversaries why they did name a God meaning the Holy Ghost not mentioned for such in scripture making so saith he the sacred Act. 3. writings of God a cloak of their impiety Acasius the Arian in the Councel of Selevica used the same words and so did Eutiches in the Councel of Constantinople under Flavianus asking the Fathers therein assembled in what scripture they found expressed that cap. 6. Christ had two Natures conjoyned in his Person neither could he be drawn from those words commonly used by Protestants I follow onely the scriptures and regard not the Fathers Exposition Lib. de natura de gratia cap. 39. of them The Pelagians also as S. Austin citâ—th their words made profession to believe no more than Anathetisma 7. what they read in Scripture So did the Iconomachi or Image-breakers in the second Councel of Nice and the Albigenses said the same to S. Bernard Hom. 66. in Cant. as
earthly inheritance and kingdome they will make him a King without any Dominion a Head without a body a Father without a family and a Pastor without a flock for many ages together Yâ—a if we will believe some of them Christs Church was no sooner settled in the truth of heavenly Doctrine but it dâ—clined superstitiously and wickedly from it The Centurists for example in their second â—â—p 4. Century after a deniall of Saint Denis Areopagita his known Works becauâ—e they contain many points and practices of Doctrine against them have accusâ—d St. Ignatius who lived with our Saviour himself and waâ— both for his life and death gloriously renowned for speaking of Priests Altars Sacrifice and severall Orders of Church Ministers not admitted by them of Colledges of Virgins and Widdows vowing to live chastly concerning the merit of good works and other declinings from the first purity of Christian Doctrine They accuse St. Irenaeuâ— for mentioning a Sacrifice according to the Order of Melchisedeck instituted under the forms of Bread and Wine by our Saviour himself in his last Supper taught by him to the Apostles and offered since in all parts of the World according to Cap. 1. Malachies prediction thereof and figured long before by Melchisedeck's oblation c. Others say Christs Church failed in Constantines time when it first began as a bright Sun to break out of the â—ark clouds of ten horrible Persecutions and spread its beams clearly throughout the world to the excessive joy of Christians as if at that very time Antichrist had begun his raign when Christs Church most flourished because then Pope Silvester a most glorious Confessor of Christ had the City of Rome for his residence assigned unto him by that glorious Emperour and they are inforced to this Blasphemy or else to allow of our present Church and Religion undoubtedly professed in Constantines time by the Sacrifice of the Mass solemnly celebrated with lights on the Altar with Prayer for the Dead Honour done unto Saints adoration of the sacred Host and kneeling before it images used in Churches c. as is in the Protestants Apologie for Catholicks plainly proved in a whole Chapter together Others affirm the utter overthrow of Christs Church to have happened in the time of Pope Boniface the third so as it hath been no where since vouchable and visible in any part of the world but wholly râ—tired to the hearts of some faithfull Persons knowing but not daring to professe true Religion members indeed of a Church framed onely by imagination and fancy and living perchance in the land of Faries or â—ome inchantâ—d Ilands or in Concaves of the Moon out of this world where there is no memory to be found of them whereas our Catholick Church even in the horriblest times of persecution was by the glorious Martyrdoms of innumerable Saints men and women children also amongst them Apologies written in defence of our Christian Religion meetings of Bishops learned expositions of Scriptures and in many other manners maintained as is now testified unto us Wherefore other Protestant Doctors not to trouble themselves with such fopperies of an invisible Church remaining still in ours for so many ages together affirm our Catholick Church at all times to have been the only Catholick and known Church of Christ but not to have been altogether free from erroneous Tenents and practices of doctrine reformed forsooth by them since Luthers and Calvins departure from it Yet so as the Authors of this opinion differ about the imagined errours of our Church some affirm them to have been fundamentall damnable idolaâ—rous and Antichristian which is the same as to say that during so many ages Christ had no true Church at all whilest others make a milder judgement of them and say that the being of a true Church was not hindred by the belief and practice of them so as they agree not in the very being before Luther of their Church and Religion The second part AND because they pretend our Church and Religion to have been resormed by them they shall give me leave here to declare what manner of men these Reformers were how they were first called to make this Reformation How they began it And to what antient Faith and Form of Church government they sought to reduce it And to discuss these points Comment in cap. 1. ad Galatas orderly my Reader must know that the first father of these Reformers was Martin Luther an Apostate Friar of St. Austins order who as he writeth himself lived chastely and well in his Monastery for fifteen years together but after his departure from it he became Sâ—â—m de Matrim by his own confession a very monster of Lust no more able to live without a woman than he could leave to be a man or forbear natural necessities of eating drinking spitting c. and luxury at one time so raged in him as for eight dayes together he could neither pray nor study and shortly after to asswage the heat thereof one night after Supper he married forsooth and took for his Bed-fellow Katheriue Bore a lusty Nun after eight years of her religious profession which troubled so much his friends and Melancthon chiefly that in an Epistle to Camerinus You know saith he the manner of Luthers life wherefore I had rather you should conjecture the rest then I write thereof onely I may say Luther is not a man made to live without a woman which surely was no great commendation for an apostolicall man as he by his discipâ—es is pretended to have been Carolastadius Luthers first Schollar Priest and Dean of Witâ—enberg Church and Father of modern Sacramentarian Hereâ—icks fierce unlearned and void almost of common judgement as Melanctâ—on described him prevented his Master in a like marriage and was quickly followed therein by Peter Martyr a Priest and Canon Regular by Martyr Bucer a Dominican Friar who both took Nuns for their B dfellows and soon after Oecolampidius a Brigitan Monk did the same and Bernardius Ochinus a Capuchin with him drawing others like themselves to follow their example insomuch as Zuinglius Priests and Canon of Constance Operum ejus tom 2. sol 110. with the rest of his fâ—llows in Swizzerland so much longed to have this Evangelical liberty of wiving also granted unto them as they humbly petitioned the Mâ—gistrates of that country for the same as having already not without scandal of others experienced their own infirmity and unablenesse to live without women Calvin in like manner an under-Pastor of Noion after he became Luthers disciple had his Idoletta a Widdow of Strasburg and Beza his Candida truly called Claudia de Nossa with whom he lived four years before he married her enjoying her and Audibert his boy at the same time as himself in a wanton Poem expressed his lustfull delights wherein he seemed to have had most pleasure in his Boy to be much troubled that he could not enjoy them both together
your calling is naught and pernitious to Christs Church The like is written by Amandus Polanus Andreas Musculus and other chief Protestant Writers And therefore the holy Fathers St. Athanasius St. Hilary St. Hierom St. Austin and Tertullian doubted not to call such as took upon them ecclesiastical ministeries without being lawfully called unto them false Prophets Wolves in sheeps garments theeves entring not by the doore to kill and destroy the flock of Christ Children without fathers c. Those Lib. 4. c. 43. saith St. Irenaeus being onely true Doctors and securely in Christs Church to be followed who with the truth of heavenly Doctrine have had their Succession from the Apostles The Ordination likewise of these men was and is still suitable to their Vocation in all Sects and Assemblies Lib. de doctrina moribus Secta of them of which George Wicelius a learned man who lived in Luthers time and saw the beginnings of them writeth thus They reject the Roman Rite of Ordination and without more ado he whom the Visitors like is sufficiently called to the ministery elected and ordered amongst them Neither is their manner of Ordination yet fully agreed upon so as since that time several Sects therein observe different fashions and particularly amongst the Calvinists the Elders are to choose and approve such as are to be ordered and together with their Ministâ—r Impose their hands on them wherâ—in their Oâ—dination chiefly consistâ—th neither holy nor much to be regarded according to Lutherâ— Doctrine who to vilifiâ— the Sacrament of Oâ—der and take away all use thereof in Christs Church expresly affirmeth all sorts of Persons men women and children to be in their very Baptisme mâ—dePriests and Bishops admitting no Tom. 2. Witâ—enbâ—rgensâ— sol 90. l. de capt Babiloniâ—a distinction at all between Clergie men and Lay persons as Tertullian in his Prescriptions said of Hereticks in his time One is a Bishop this day and none to morrow another a Priest now that was none yesterday for that all amongst them are admitted to Priestly Functions Neither doth Luther stay his madnesse here but saith that the Devil himself in humane shape may conescrate the holy Eucharist and administer other Sacraments if he will have a right intention therein and do what Christ commanded neither saith he would I lay a wager to the contrary but that he hath at one time or other plaid so the part of a Pastor perchance in their Churches who have scarcely any thing but Baptism sacred amongst them Lastly Concerning Church-government and particularly that of Geneva craftily devised by Calvin to gain therby to himself and his Ministers the government of that City as Hooker in his Preface of his Ecclesiastical Policy modestly declareth it and Bancrost more roundly relateth the manner thereof I may after many learned mens judgements written of the same rightly affirm it to be a politick confusion of Civil and Ecclefiastical power together A diabolical invention of establishing Christ in his Throne as they term it but indeed of disturbing the peace of States and subverting the government of Christian Kingdomes under a colour of propagating the Gospel insomuch as Bullenger who had somewhat holpen Calvin in his erection thereof seeing the inconveniences ensuing from the same and writing to the Bishops of England compared these Consistorial Lords not in title but in power to the seditious Tribunes of Rome wont to gain power and honour unto themselves by moving tumults amongst the people Gualterus likewise his successor in Zuirick admonished in one letter the Bishop of London and in another the Bishop of Eli to look in time to that Genevian Hydra rising then with new heads amongst them in whose Consistories each Minister hath Pretorial and Episcopal power enjoyned together as able with his ignorant Elders to examine and punish with Excommunication first and greater penalties after wards if he be not obeyed all sorts of Delinquents And these Elders are in Cities Towns and Vilages for the most part ignorant Tradsmen chosen and put in authority for a year onely and then returned to their shops again without any manner at all of consecration yet able that year whilest they are in Office to determine with their Ministers and conclude seditious Councels of War against Princes and States which they live in of which France Flaunders Scotland Poland and other places are able to affoâ—d dreadfull examples And in setting up this Destruction as I may rightly â—erm it of all antient Church government Calvin hath misappliâ—d the word Presbyter and givâ—n it to his Elders For albeiâ— according to the Greâ—k and Grammâ—tical signification thereof it may signifie any Eâ—dâ—â— in agâ— or authority yet according to thâ— Ecclesiastical and sacred use thereof even in scripture it self it signifiâ—th a Priest consecrated and ordâ—inâ—d to offer the sacrifice of our Lâ—rd bodâ— and bloud at the Altar administer Sâ—craments and preach I ad Tim. 5. to the peoâ—le according to St. Pauls words affirming such Priests to be worthy of double honour as labour in the word and doctrine dâ—stinguish d from the Laity and â—xâ—rcisâ—â—g their hiâ—â—â— Office of governing under Bishops Christian People commited in several Churches to the government of them having under them foâ— the ministry of the Altar Deacons Subdeacons and other inferiour Church Officers as glorious St. Ignaâ—ius in his Epistles particularly mâ—ntioneth them What saith he Epist ad Trallianâ—s is the Bishop but Father Prince and Head of the Clergie What is Priesthood but a holy institution of being Counsellour and assistent to the Bishop What are Deacons c. but helpers of Bishops and Priests in performing a clean immaculate work as most blessed Stephen did to James Timothy and Linus to Paul Anacletus and Clement to Peter in serving them at Masse distributing the Chalice to the people keeping and dispensing the Treasures of the Church as St. Laurence told Sixtus his Bishop desirous to be Martyred with him Priests are good and Preachers of Gods Word Epist. ad Smiâ—nenses but the Bishop is better than they honour him as the Father of Priests and chiefest of them resembling God himself and like unto Christ amongst his Disciples c. And writing to his own Church at Antioch I salute saith he the Priests and Deacons Subdeacons Lectors Acolathists Cantors Doorkeepers c. your Colledge of Virgins c. having then particularly written unto Hero his Deacon and told him how our Saviour had revealed unto him that he should next in that See succeed him So as the whole order and form of Ecclesiasticall government used in the Apostles time is there according to all degrees thereof declared by him Calvin therefore and his Companions in changing the same have done as if a few Rebels invading some part of a greaâ— and well sâ—tled kingdome should change the old laws and government thereof to be new in that as in other points of their Doctrine and refusing to follow those
like Authority from Christ yet that Peter was ordained chief of them and that all faith was from his Chair chiefly to be received saying That no Heresiâ—s would rise in the Church if this one Priests Authority were duly acknowledged and obeyed as it ought to be S. Hilary having praised S. Peter for Can. in Mat. 16. his Confession of Christ cryeth out Oh happy foundation of the Church designed by that new name Cephaâ— a rock imposed on him worthy of that building which shall stand firmly against Hell gates c. Saint Chrysostome in more than ten several Hom. 87 in Jâ— ad populum Antioch 39 42 49. 80. 87. places plainly acknowledgeth the preâ—minency of the Roman Church and Bishop above other Churches and Bishops by the dignity of Peters Chaire therein continued S. Hierome professed himself albeit he lived in the East under other Patriarcks to be a sheep of Peters flock and to be conjoyned Epist. 2. ad Damasum with his Chair and succession of Roman Pastors therein as knowing Lib. 2. c. 51. Christs Church on this Rock to have been raised And S. Austine demanded of Petelian a chief Donatist why dost thou call this Apostolical Chaire the Chair of Pestilence as now our Adversaries do the Seat of Antichrist the Beast of seven heads whereon the Whore of Babylon is said to have ridden not distinguishing between that City and Church therein ever most holy and renowned whilest that City Mistresse of the world when S. John wrote his Apocalips persecuted the same for 300. years together purpled her self with the bloud of Martyrs making all Nations of the earth drunk with the poysonous cup of her Superstitions so as Rome was to the Church of Christ in that City and other places as Babylon was anâ—iâ—ntly to the Jewish Temple a powerfull and hatefull Enemy and is called therefore Babylon by S. Peter in the end of his Epistle when he wrote The Church which is in Babylon saluteth you Which is so clearly acknowledged in her supream and Universal Authority by S. Austine S. Optatus S. Ambrose and a multitude of other Fathers as I could produce here a double Jury of them Wherefore Calvin dissembled and lied notably when in his Epistle to Cardinal Sodalet he pretended to ayme at no other reformation of our Church but to reduce it to that belief and practice of Religion which was in the Greek Church whilest Basil Chrysostome and the Fathers of that time lived and used in the Latine Church whilest Ambrose Austine and Hierome were in it Whereas he rejecteth in innumerable places the coÌ„fessed doctrine both of these and more ancient Fathers and many times with plain conâ—umelies and reproaches vented against them as will appear afâ—erwards in each Controversie When also he professed no lesse fraudulently and falsely to believe and admit of all doctrines and practices embraced in the Church of Rome during the first 500 years after Christ he meant nothing lesse for that when the Belief and practice of the Church in the three first Ages is objected against him and new points of his Doctrine his answer is that even then the Church of Rome was not so pure as it might in all doctrines and practices of Religion be securely followed With the same fraud also he maketh Lib. 4. instit c. 9. num 8. profession to embrace the first four generall Councels as teaching and decreeing nothing but conformable to Scripture Yet wherâ— it is urged against him even in this very Controversie that in all these four Councels the Popes supream and universal authority is plainly acknowledged Chastity injoyned to Priests Vows taught to binde in Conscience and the like points of Catholick doctrine proved out of them he rejecteth their authority farther than it is by Gods word warranted unto him and not onely deniâ—th what they teach of the Popes authority but most impudently averreth many notorious falshoods For example he denith Saint Peters having been at Rome no lesse testified by antient Authors and monuments than that Augustus once raigned in that City and despairing to make good such an impudent assertion he denieth him at least to have been Bishop of that City for 25 years together against the clear testimony of S. Hierom following Eusebius writing In Cronic Anno 44. thus long before him Peter a Galilean by his country the chief Bishop of Christians after he had founded the Church of Anâ—ioch went to Rome where having preached the Gospel as Bishop of that City for twenty five years was crucified there under Nero with his head downwards because himself desired to die so Serm. de SS Petro Paulo And S. Leo of S. Peters first coming to Rome mâ—keth this speech unto him Thou hadst already most blessed Apostle established the Church of Antâ—och and by thy evangelical pâ—eaching converted unto Christs law Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithania when thou broughtest the Trophy of Christs crosse into the Roman arches whether by divine ordination the honour of power and glory of thy passion went before thee that the faith of Christ might there chiefly flourish where the Devils Tyranny had chiefly raged extending from thence thy spirituall Power into more kingdomes and Countries than formerly the Roman Captains by their many conquests had Ser. 3. de assâ—m ejâ—s ad Pontific obtained Christ having especially chosen thee to govern all Nations converted unto him and preferred thee before the other Apostles and governours of his Church when he thrice committed the feeding and government of his flock unto thee and promised to build his Church firmly upon thee Which high Office and Power was no doubt to be extended to all true and lawfull Successors of him For as Christs Church and Flock was still to continue as hath been already proved to the worlds end so were the Governours and government thereof to be in the same manner still continued and not during S. Peters time onely whose authority given by Christ differed in this from that which his fellow Apostles received likewise from him that theirs was delegated onely and to end with their Persons whereas his was ordinary and to be derived so farre as the government of the Church required to his Successors after him which whosoever denieth proudly unto them saith S. Leo he damneth himself but lesseneth not that authority which is given by Christ unto them And that which was uttered by our Savior and understood chiefly of himself may be truly applied unto S. Peter and all lawful Successors of him Vicarial heads and secondary foundations of his Church established on them wherefore he that falleth on this Rock shall be bruised and on whom it falleth it shall crush him For that all such as have at any time heretofore forsaken the unity of this Church and refused obedience to S. Peters Successors in that Chair departing from the faith thereof have dashed themselves against this Rock and onely foamed out their own confusions
as may be instanced in all â—â—â—â—ticks of former times whereby the other three Patriarchical Seats of Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem have been first corrupted and afterwards with Mahumetiâ—m overwhelmed as now likewise hath almost happened unto the Churches of Greece after they had been ten severall times unitâ—d to the Church of Rome and faln again from it who yet never arrived unto that fraâ—â—tick and witlesse folly of Protestants affirming the Succession of Popes in S. Peters Chair even almost since the Apostles time for 1000. years at lâ—ast past to have been Antichrist that single man and professed enemy of Christ mentioned by S. Paul who is certainly to be received by the Jews to raign in Hierusalem and tread the holy City under his feet to sit as a God in the Temple reedified by him to kill Enoch and Elias there the two faithful witnesses of Christ lying afterwards three dayes together naked in the Streets of that City the glory of whose raign is to continue but three years and a half called by Daniel and S. John a time two times and half a time numbred by forty two months or which is all one by 1260. dayes when Christ shall shorten the rage of his persecution for the good of his elect and kill this wicked man with the breath of his own mouth All which particulars contained in Scripture one by one can no more agree to the whole Succession of Roman Bishops than to the Turkish Emperours for these thousand years past nor indeed so much because these have had the possession of Hierusalem for many ages together and ever have been enemies to Christ and Christians whereas Popes have ever been his faithfull Servants his Vicars here on earth and chief Pastors of his flock by his own Ordination So as â—othing could have been devised more injuriously to Christ or more derogating from his glory in redeeming us than to affirm as in effect they do that the Devill timely prevailed against him for the overthrow of his Church and that also by the Roman Bishop and Chaire of Peter whereon as a Rock he promised to build so firmly as hell gates to wit no power of men or Devils should prevail against it In the mean time if ad Thess 2. we will with holy Fathers and all antient or modern Interpreters examine that obscure place of S. Paul concerning the mystery of iniquity working in his time it was not understood of Popes but of Hereticks beginning then to rise and preparing a way for Antichrists coming for which cause they are called by S. John Antichrists as by corrupting the true faith forerunners of him And never any Sect or sort of Hereticks did perform this wicked Office against Christ his Church more than modern Hereticks have done in their pretended reformation of our Church and Religion Whose malice against the Bishop of Rome is so far extended as even that blessed Apostle himself whose Chair they succeed in is so undervalued by them that they seek to deny many especial privileges of our Saviours love towards him magnified by all ancient Fathers and Interpreters of Scripture before them as his having been from his first calling by the imposall of a new name designed by Christ to be the head foundation of his Church and under the title of his Flock thrice commended the same to his government prayed for him that his faith might not faile willing him to confirm his Brethren He prayed not In quaest Novi testamenti q. 75. saith S. Austin for James or John or any of the rest but for Peter alone that his faith might not faile because on him as a sure foundation next to himself the firmity of his Church chiefly depended So as from this Text the unâ—rring judgment of him and his Successors in points of Faith hath been as well by ancienâ— Fathers as later Divines rightly gathered Neither can it be convinced that any Bishop of Rome hath as a private Doctor erred in any point of Faith much lesse guided the Church amisse by falsly declaring any point or practice of Christian Doctrine And if amongst such a multitude of most Learned Holy and eminent Persons which in the See of Rome have from age to age succeeded each other some few have been blamefull in their lives as one amongst the twelve Apostles was a Judas and another amongst the first seven Deacons is commonly held to have been horribly vicious in his life and doctrine yet prejudiced not the sanctity of the rest nor the holinesse of their Function for why should the glory of other good Popes come to be obscured or the high authority of that See be lessened by them Such scandals being some of those gates of Hell which were permitted by Christ to be opened against his Church but never to overthrow it Yet I may truly say here that in numbring and naming such Popes Protestants have notably erred and with great malice made Boniface the eighth and other Popes black and abominable in their lives who by the certain testimonies of most holy and learned persons living in the same age and time with them were very good holy and zeaâ—ous Bishops and wrongfully defamed by unconscionable wicked men professed adversaries unto them And should any Pope swarve in any point from the professed and known faith of Christs Church and in any publick manner profâ—sse his error there would not as our Adversariâ—s teach be wanting in the Church authority or means enough to â—eâ—ose or rather declare him to be no true member of the same and so no more hâ—ad thereof which is spoken of a thing in the ayre and that will never hâ—ppen Nâ—ither is it to be marvelled at that we Christians should bâ—lieve that the cheif Pastor and Head of Christs Church for whom himself prayed that his faith might not faile for the confirmation of his Brethren in their Christian and Catholick profession should be inâ—allible in his publick teaching sithence the High Priest of the Jews a type onely and figure of ours was to be so strictly followed and obeyed in his doctrine as the refusers of his sentence were by death and no lesse penalty to be punished and such as sate in the Chair of Moses and exercised that power which was provided by God for the instruction of his People were by our Saviours command notwithstanding their bad lives to be followed in their doctrine and can we think that he would leave his Church void of such an external and infallible means in all points and practices of faith to rely on For should the Churches teaching be held fallible and uncertain even scriptures themselves might be questioned in their authority approved as I have said before by her testimony and tradition as other declared points of doctrine And to say that this infallible authority should be more in the flock than in the chief Pastor thereof more in the body than in the head more in the family than in the father and governour
himself recounteth So did the Wiclifests as Waldensis citeth their words and proveth it still to have been the custome of Hereticks to cloak their Novelties under a specious and fraudulent pretence of imbracing onely the Lib. 2. de doctrina fidei cap. 9. Scriptures by themselves falsly expounded which is as there he saith to follow their own judgments and not Scripture consisting as S. Hierome told the Luciferans not in the words but in the true meaning of them an adulterated sense being no lesse harmfull than a forged letter to be imbraced So as this learned Author demanded well of Wicklif Why said he should we believe your lately devised Interpretations of Scripture to prove your Heresies more than you believe all the ancient Fathers and Doctors of Christs Church in all places of the world and ages before you for if you tell us that they were men and might erre I may answer that you are not Angels or Doctors sent from heaven that Christians now after 1300 years should learn a new Faith and Exposition of scripture from you wherein also you differ no lesse among your selves than you have done from all antiquity before you as having no certain rule of Faith to determine differences between you And those very Scriptures out of which you pretend to gather your Faith wholy neither are nor can be but by the Churches testimony certainly notified unto you for as they cannot give testimony unto themselves nor any one part to the rest so as Calvins inward light pretended to be given unto all faithfull persons for the knowledge of them is a meer fancy as elswhere I have proved And whereas Protestants affirm that we have in our Church many vain and unprofitable traditions yea repugnant unto Scripture yet in their authority equalled by us unto them they do herein affirm many untruths together for that with us all Traditions are not equal in their authority and such as are truly Apostolical and have had their origine from the Apostles are we say of no lesse authority as the Church retaineth a memory still of them than if they had been by their first Authors written and we have certain rules whereby they come to be known infallibly by us The first is taught by S. Austin in these words that point or practice Lib. 4. contra Donat. of faith not taught in Scripture nor decreed in Councels yet ever retained by the Church is rightly believed to have from Apostolical authority descended to us such is the Baptism of Children c. The second Rule is this if any point of faith hath been unanimously taught by the holy Fathers and yet not mentioned in Scripture it may be securely imbraced as an Apostolical tradition such is the perpetual Virginity of the mother of God the number of the Gospels c. The third Rule is if any thing hath been practiced and believed still in the Church which could not be at first by humane authority introduced and established it is to be thought to have come from the Apostles such are the matters and formâ— of Sacraments their number and the proper effects of them prayer for the dead c. The signe of the Crosse used in Baptisme and other such religious customs which if as things of light moment they should come to be neglected saith S. Basil and not regarded the Lib. de Spiritu Sancto belief and practice of the Church in points of greater moment would totter also and become weakened in their authority sithence the Gospels themselves are not more certainly than by the Churches tradition and authority confirmed unto us Tertullian with S. Basil teacheth such traditions and Lib. de pudicitia de coronam clitis so doth S. Ambrose S. Austin and many other chief Fathers even such as lived with or neer the Apostles themselves as S. Dennis S. Ignatius S. Irenaeus S. Justin Martyr Origen and S. Cyprian blamed therefore by the Calvinists 2. cent cap. 4. 3. cent c. 4. for this doctrine Eusebius also affirmeth Hegesippus a disciple of the Apostles themselves to have wrote five Books in a simple stile but with great sincerity of such traditions as had been left to the Church by them against Calvins impiety peremptorily after his manner and proudly condemning for sacrilegious and superstitious all external rites used in the Service of God and not expressed in Scripture Yet we finde that himself in the order of his Genevian Congregation hath many new rites and ordinations of his own appointment no where mentioned in Scripture presuming so of a power in himself above the Apostles themselves to ordain them for that his must be imbraced and theirs condemned and deemed sacrilegious albeit Lib. 3. â—4 never so authentically testified unto us Perchance he had never read or little regarded that important question which antient Irenaeus proposed about Traditions and verities of faith believed by all good Christians yet not expressed in Scripture What saith he if the Apostles had left no Scriptures at all behinde them ought we not to have followed the order of Tradition which they left unto those Bishops unto whom they recommended those Churches which had been founded by them and to speak no more hereof even now in our time we know many barbarous Nations to have received by their preaching the faith of Christ and to persevere holily therein flying and detesting all Heresies contrary in any sort unto the same who as wholy unlearned never had any Scriptures at all but onely stick unto the Traditions which were at first by the Apostles themselves delivered unto them And if such Traditions as are now in our Churches retained and observed for the order of divine Service and decency therein to be used should be accounted sacrilegious and abominably superstitious as Calvin would have them The use for example of sâ—cred Vestments the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme Prayers said at the burial of the dead bowing at the name of Jesus and other like Ceremonies that admonition of S. Pauls would come to be neglected charging the Corinthians to do all things honestly or in a seemly 1 Cor. 14. manner and according to order in the Church as we can prove from assured testimonies the Primitive Christians did during the fiâ—st hundred years after Christ in their publick sinaxes or meeings at divine Service and Sacraments together recounted by S. Dennis of Areopagita in his Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy in the 2 or 3 chapters together by S. Justin Martyr in his second Apology for Christians to Antonius Pius the Emperour and by S. Ignatius insinuated plainly enough in many places of his Epistles by Tertullian also in his book â—â— pudicitia and other fathers living in or near unto the age of the Apostles And such Ceremonies as are by Calvin so rejected and condemned in the publick order of divine Service are thus by S. Austin approved in such things as are not determined in Scripture the customs of Gods Church
latter a sacrifice of Religion for that thereby the divine persons are highly honoured and religiously served By that our Saviour merited all graces for us and by this other they are applied unto us in a most liberall and loving manner not without a most gratefull acknowledgement of his effused love and bounty exhibited in the other unto uâ— So as such a Sacrifice dignifying above measure Christs new Law and the Priesthood thereof well became the infinite wisdome power and goodnesse of him that ordained it ending by his painfull death on the crosse the Priesthood of the old Law and all Sacrifices thereof and establishing a new Law and a new Priesthood therein according to the order of Melchisedech whose sacrifice of Bread and Wine was a Type of this wherein Christs Body and Bloud consecrated under the forms of Bread and Wine were first offered by himself when he instituted this Sacrifice and are now still and shall be to the worlds end offered by the Ministry of his Priestly servants authorised in the oblation thereof to do as he had done before them hoc facite in meam commemorationem do this in remembrance of me And whereas Protestants admit this mysterious King of Salem to have been a lively type of our Saviour in his person but not in his sacrifice they contradict Davids plain testimomony instanced by the Apostle Thou art a Priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech not of his Person onely bâ—cause a new order of Priesthood supposeth a new Sacrifice no lesse than a new sacrifice proveth a new Priesthood and by both together a change of the old Law is by St. Paul necessarily inferred For saith Ad Heb. 7. he the Priesthood being transferred or changed the Leviticall into that of Christ according to the order of Melchisedech it was needfull also that the Law should be translated and changed And those who deny this new sacrifice deny Christs Priesthood also both by David and St. Paul expresly averred and lessen thereby the force of his argument used thereby to prove the old Lib. de missa Aâ—gulari Law altered and changed dreadfully making that a negative Article of their faith which the Devil taught Luther when the Sacrifice of the Masse was by him first denied and impugned as himself hath particularly related the disputation then passed between them who indeed was a fit Master for such a Schollar and the Lesson which he learned of him was a blasphemy left by a Devil delivered unto him albâ—it the arguments whereby hâ— sought to prove it as Luther recounteth them were indeâ—d far from concluding what the Devill sought to prove by them How much more happily then had Luther blessed himself from such a teacher and retained his ancient faith of this hâ—ly Sacrifice the greatest and gratefullest to God that by him who was wisdom it self could have been devised never offered saith St. Chrysostome by the Priest at the Lib. de Sacerdotio Altar but Troops of Angels are invisibly about him ready to adore their heavenly Lord God and man offered unto his eternall Father by him Hom. 5. in Epiph. himself having had the Grace to see them as Nilus his Disciple recounteth of him ordained saith St. Eucherius by the Son of God that as he offered himself once for our Redemption he might in a mysterious sacrifice be daily offered for us jugiterquâ— coleretur per mysterium quod semel offerebatur in pretium perennisque illa victimâ—viveret in memoria uniâ—a perfecta hostia fide aestimâ—â—â—â— non specie corpus effecta sanguis Sacerdotis nostri as a perpetuall sacrifice to make Christs bloudy and painfull sacrifice whereby we were redeemed daily to be remembred by us and represented unto us by Saint Dennis Areopagita in his Ecclesiasticall Cap. 3. Hierarchy and particularly declared in the whole order thereof called by Calvin therefore to deny the authority of so great a Father a counterfeit Hom. 34. in Evangelia babling Author albeit St. Gregory the Great more than a thousand years since citing a Testimony out of him called him ancient and venerable Father Hom. 2. in diversos Origen also long before that cited him by the name of great Dionysius Areopagita and Dionysius Alexandrimus his Schollar is affirmed by Saint Quaest 4 cad Antiohum Epist ad Carâ—lum calvum Maximus Abbot and Martyr to have written Annotations on his works St. Athanasius likewise produceth his authority to prove nine orders of angels called by St. Chrysostom as Anastatius Bibliothecarius testifieth the bird of heauen And St. John Damascene often citeth him under the title of Dionysius amongst Divines the greatest and holiest to omit innumerable Lib. 2. de fide cap. 12. lib. 2. Titulo de Synaxi c. like testimonies of both ancient and latter authors This great Father then in his Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy mentioneth the Bishops coming unto the Altar calling it aram divinam his incensing likewise thereof his intoning the Psalms sung by the Clergy attending him in the celebration of the sacrifice and then causing the Catechumes to be put out of the Quire he maketh an Oblation of the bread and Wine then to be blessed and consecrated by him washeth his fingers at the midst of the Altar with the Priests kneeling by him and after the praising of God in his works ea quaesunt divinissima rite perficit c. He performeth to wit in consecrating the Bread and Wine most divine things under the Signes then adored by him crying out unto Christ tu dixisti hoc facite in meam commemorationem thou hast bidden us to do this in remembrance of thee humbly acknowledging himself unworthy to celebrate so great a Sacrifice beseeching him to open those sacred coverings and signs unto him and spiritually clear his eyes for the better understanding of himself present under them which testimony alone of so great a Father cap. 3. Apologia 2. ad Antoninum Imperatorem confirmed by Saint Justin Martyr and repeated in all other Apostolicall Liturgies would be abundantly â—ufficient to prove our whole Doctrine and belief of the holy Sacrifice of the Masse were not our Adversaries obstinately bent to reject all such proofs though never so convincing The seventh Controversie Of honouring Saints and praying to them THe Honour which we Catholicks yield unto Saints is not that high Honour called Latria due unto God only but such an inferiour honour Genesis 18. Numeri 20 as Abraham and Joshua yielded to angels appearing unto them which Honour being infinitely inferiour to the other given unto God himself cannot but falsly and foolishly be called Idolatry such as Painims yielded to their Idols by ascribing Divinity unto them Whereas Saints are as friends onely and Servants of God inferiourly respected and reverenced by us according to Davids words Thy friends O Lord are much honoured This kind of honour was in the purest times of Christs Church yielded to
lesse sure unto him than that Christ himselfe enjoyeth it is a most desperate fancy overthrowing all true Faith and Religion For whereas St. Paul willeth us ad Phil. 2. with feare and trembling to worke out our Salvation and S. Peter willeth Epist 2. c. 1. us to strive by good workes to make sure our vocation and he that standeth iâ— bidden to looke that he fall not these and other like exhortations about fearing Gods Judgements keeping his Commandements walking as Children of Light and the like have no place at all where Calvin's faith is admitted Yea which is more absurd such as have it cannot pray to obtaine of God perseverance in his love and service without being shaken in their most certaine assurance of eternall life prepared for them no lesse surely than for Christ himselfe and why then should they pray for it or any thing belonging to the attaining thereof But from what place of Scripture this particular faith may be gathered by each party conceiving himselfe to have it revealed by the holy Ghost and signed in his heart I could never learne nor any man of Judgement For albeit Christs promises are sweet able to afford great help and comfort unto such as by a true faith and good life doe seek to deserve such eternall blessings as are promised in them yet is there no one of them made unto any man in particular nor as they are made in generall doe they want conditions needfully to be performed for the attaining of them as when Christ said to the young man if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandementss And when he told his Mat. 5. 19. disciplâ—s you are my friends if you doe these things which I command yeu telling them elswhere that if their justice did not abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees they should not enter into the kingdome of heaven requiring so not faith alone but deeds also Because the beginning of eternall life saith S. Ignatius is faith and the Ep. ad Eph. perfect attaining thereof is Charity Tract 3. in Mat. and those saith Origen who have faith without good workes have Lampes without Oyle like those foolish Virgins Faith teacheth us our duties to God but Charity C. in Mat. performeth them St. Hilary affirmeth all men to be saved by rightly believing what God hath revealed and doing what he commandes m. cap. 2. Epist 8. Jac. St. Gregory Nazianzen shew thy faith by workes to be alive and the soyle of your Soul to be fruitfull that you may hope to gather from it a plentitull haryest Remember oÌ„ Christian Catech. 4. 15. saith St. Cyril that in thy judgement thou shalt not by thy faith but by thy workes be saved or condemned They are the oyle which will keepe thy Lamp flaming when the heavenly spouse shall come to call thee But by faith saith St. Chrysostome â—om 9. in we are invited to the wedding feast but Charity is the wedding garment with which we must come cloathed unto it when Calvins particular faith shall prove a fancy The fifteenth Controversie Concerning the Merit of good Workes CAlvin is so great an enemy to the Lib. 3. inst c. 15. n. 5. very name of merit as he wisheth that the ancient Fathers had never troubled the Church and corrupted the true doctrine of Faith by it and he is so farre from granting any power of meriting unto us as he denyâ—th the same unto Christ himself if we simply oppose him to the Judgement of his father his reason is quia non reperitur in homine dignitas qua posset promereri Deum Because there can be Lib. 2. c. â—7 n. 1. found no worth in man to merit of God any thing Using so a Nestorian manner of speaking as if Christ had been man onely and not God also according to St. Paul's words saying that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe so that by the subsisting of humane nature in a divine person the actions and passions were Theandricall and of an infinite value because an infinit majesty was humbled in humane nature by doing and suffering them for us And that Christ merited by his obedience unto Death and the death of the Crosse the glory of his body and exaltation of his name above all names so as at the name of Jesus all knees in heaven and earth below it likewise should be bowed is by St. Paul expresly affirmed And that question which Calvin propoundeth quibus meritis assequi posset ibid. n. 5. homo ut judex esset mundi caput Angelorum c. Argueth him guilty of folly and blasphemy together as unwilling to have any honour how due soever granted unto God and Man our heavenly Redeemer And I can answer his question in our Saviour's owne Mat. 28. words saying all power in heaven and earth is given unto me thus explicated by Calvin himselfe he speaketh not here of his eternall power but of that which he had newly received when hee was ordained Judge of the world a little before denyed absolutely unto him albeit the continuall cry of Angels and Saints in heaven sheweth this dignity both to have been given unto him and merited by him The Lamb which was slaine is worthy to receive all honour and glory c. But it is no novelty for Calvin to c. 5. n. 3. c. 11. n. 18. cap. 15. n. 3. contradict himselfe by affirming and denying the same thing in a hundred places of his Institutions onely For example in the third book he expresly affirmeth that there can be no justice of faith but where good works and the opinion of merit gained by by them are excluded Albeit before c. 17. n. 1. in his second book he had blamed the overmuch niceness of some who albeit they acknowledge us by Christs merits to be redeemed yet love they not to hear the name of merit pronounced as coÌ„ceiving his grace to be obscured by it But saith he Christs merits lib. 3. cap. 15. n. 3. are foolishly opposed to Gods mercy for betweene subalternated things there is no opposition Gods mercy to wit in freely justifying us and his Sons meriting such mercy for us God in mean time calleth those works done by his help ours and promiseth both to accept and reward them c. good works therefore please God and are not unprofitable unto such as perform them which is Catholick doctrine denied in other places frequently and expressely by him Are there no merits saith S. Augustine of just persons Epist 105. ad Sixtum Yes assuredly because they are just but that they are just proceeded not of their own merits for where grace precedeth not merits cannot follow or be gained by any man so as when God rewardeth our works Epist. 46. he crowneth his own mereies in us and he maketh himself indebted to us not by receiving any thing from us in psal 83.