THE FIRST PART OF PROTESTANTS PROOFES FOR CATHOLIKES RELIGION AND RECVSANCY Taken only from the vvritings of such Protestant Doctors and Diuines of England as haue beene published in the raigne of his Majesty ouer this Kingdome PSAL. 1. vers 1. Blessed is the man that hath not gone in the counsaile of the vngodly ANNO DOMINI 1607. TO THE MOST HONOVRABLE LORDES AND OTHERS OF HIS MAIESTIES PRIVIE COVNCELL MOST HONOVRABLE As nothing can be lesse concealed then the long manifold and knowne miseries of English Catholikes for their ancient faith So if we consider by what plots and practizes the aduancement of Presbiterall discipline hath beene and daylie is more and more affected and only or chiefly as the defendors thereof professe a Iacob p. 73. of his reasons Protestāt letters in the end of the conference 1603. Purit offer of confer c. receiuing obstacle in course of learning by the groundes of Catholike religion The pennes and pulpits of Puritans and their Printers will sufficiently write preach and publish to the world by whome and to what purpose no smal part of these afflictions haue beene vrged and incited against vs not only by those fewe which refuse your externall conformity but such as for a fashion followe it to retayne themselues in authority For proofe whereof the greatest number of the present Protestant writers D. Sutcliffe b Sutcliffe against D. Kellison pag. 42. D. Doue c Doue perswasion p. 31. D. Field d Field p. 170. M. Willet e Willet Antilog pa. 275. Wotton f Wotton defence of Perkins pag. 28. Middleton g Middleton papistomastix p. 201. c. doe teach there is no matter of faith no substantiall essentiall or materiall point or difference in religion betweene Protestants and Puritans But they are of one Church Faith and Religion Then either they be Puritans or of no religion and it is not materiall with them whether men be of a true or false religion of any or none at all For his Majesty h K. speach in Parl. 1603 conference at Hampton p. 36. 80. 81. 82. the Bishop of Winchester i B. of Winchest Suruey pag. 466. 467. 474. 486. c. D. Couell k Couell defence of Hooker p. 68. against Burges in Prefat pag. 33. two of your best writers M. Parkes l Parkes against lymbomastix pag. 92. 93. Prefat Apolog. Epistol dedicat M. Ormerod m Ormerod Epist. dedicat pict Purit c. and others conclude from their doctrine and their owne bookes extant tell vs Their religion is to beleeue that euery Prince King or Emperor disanulling the Presbitery is enemy to God vnworthy to raigne to be resisted by force of armes not to be prayed for No King no Monarchy no Bishop no true Church in England or wheresoeuer their Presbitery wanteth The article of Christes discent to hell is an jdle and vaine fansie a meere dreame an intruded fable a pernitious heresie Christ was a sinner suffered the torments of the damned his diuinity humanity and saluation heauen and hell are questioned the foundation it selfe is shaken And such Professors haue professed and profited so farre that by outward signes communion profession protestation subscription no man can tell who is of what religion among them For men by this doctrine as his Highnes n Conference supr pag. 82. hath noted will denie their religion to make their party good against the Bishops A chiefe Professor may professe o Willet Antilog in prefat Latin to our Soueraigne Puritanus non sum I am no Puritan to haue better meanes to write p Willet lymbomastix Lymbomastix and q Parkes against lymbomastix p. 106 become the greatest promoter of pretended discipline Though a Minister subscribe-foure times r Burges Apol apud Couell against Burges He may defend both that and refusall lawfull c. Wherefore seing such teachers by such meanes as Protestants acknowledge ſ Parkes Apol. epist dedicat Couel against Barg in pref Make way for Atheisme and Infidelity and t Parkes supr epist dedicat men say they knowe whome to flie but whome to followe they cannot tell I hope it unto heynous sinne in Catholikes not to followe such conductors And for further excuse because they write they u Vniuersity of Oxfor against the Millinar petition p. 32 are more famous for learning then all the Ministers of Europe and yet doe not only refuse all equall triall offered by vs but either cal x Willet Eccles triumph pag. 40. apud Parkes against lymbomast p. 28. the rules and principles of religion which his Majesty approueth and we humbly accept a foolish conceit and imagination or y Wotton defence of Perkins p. 15. 16 vtterly reject them and will only be tryed by themselues A poore Catholike Student in most dutifull manner presenteth vnto your Honours these Protestant proofes for all chiefe points of Catholike religion only taken from their owne writings since the beginning of his Majesties raigne in England First to giue them all aduantage because in this time they haue written so much and so vncharitably against vs that one of their owne number z Omer pict pap in postscript epist adjudgeth many of their bookes to the fire and their authours worthy death Secondly because I cannot tell whether they wil allow what they wrote or taught in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth seing they defend they may often change doe * Doue perswasiō p. 31. at the least at the change of euery Prince And so with all submissiue respect I leaue this cause to your wisest consideration and your most Honourable persons to Gods protection THE FIRST PART OF PROTESTANTS PROOFES FOR CATHOLIKES RELIGION AND RECVSANCY Chapter the first Of the supreame and most preeminent authority of the true Church howe necessary it is to finde it followe the directions and rest in the judgement of it DOCTOR FIELD a late Protestant writer beginneth his dedicatory Epistle to the L. Archbishoppe of Canterbury before his bookes of the Church in this māner a D. Field of the Church epist dedicat There is no part of heauenly doctrine more necessary in these daies of so many intricate controuersies of religion then diligently to search out which among al the societies of men in the world is that blessed company of holy-ones that house-hold of faith that spouse of Christ and Church of the liuing God which is the piller and ground of truth that so they may embrace her communion followe her directions and rest in her judgement D. Couel writeth of the Church in these wordes b Couell defence of Hooker pag. 30. art 4. That which by her Ecclesiasticall authority shee shall probably thinke and define to be true or good must in congruity of reason ouer-rule all other inferior judgements whatsoeuer And to them that out of a singularity of their owne aske vs why we thus bang our
and dignity ouer all Churches in all parts of the world and neither by Councell Emperor or such Donation but by old custome and the institution of Christ And the same Church as before still continueth the true Church of Christ I hope it is no offence to agree with it in this as in other questions Chapter 4. All bookes receiued for Scripture by the Roman Church are Canonicall THus hauing by the directions sentence of Protestant writers of so late memory as this present is found out that the Roman Church is the spouse of Christ his true Church and piller of truth whose communion we must embrace followe her directions rest in her judgement liuing dying therein to haue eternal life the only and chiefest happynes which we can seeke or find And that the authority of the chiefe Bishops of that holy Apostolike See hath euer bin so soueraigne chiefe commanding and supreame as these men haue taught vs in the former Chapters we might here by D. Fields censure and aduise confine our selues and vvade no further in so many intricate controuersies of religion But to giue a finall contentment to all curiosities let vs briefly enter into a particuler-like examination of all principall Articles in question And first of Scriptures vvhose authority is either only or chiefest with Protestants D. Couell writeth in these wordes a Couell def of Hook p. 31 The Church of Rome teacheth no bad opinion to affirme that the Scriptures are holy diuine in themselues but so esteemed by vs for the authority of the Church And againe That the Scriptures are true we haue it from the Church And further thus b pag. 32. 33. supr The Church hath foure singuler offices towardes the Scripture First to be of them as it were a faithfull register Secondly to discerue and judge betweene false and adulterate and that which is true and perfect The third to publish and diuulge to proclayme as a cryer the true edict of our Lord him selfe The last is to be an Interpreter and in that following the safest rule to make an vndiuided vnity of the truth vncapable of contradiction to be a most faithfull expositor of his owne meaning And concludeth thus c page 34. supr We say that we are taught to receiue the word of God from the authority of the Church we see her judgement we heare her voice in humility subscribe vnto all this Hitherto be D. Couels wordes for the major proposition of my Syllogisme But the minor or second position that the Roman Church is the true Church of Christ is allowed and proued by Protestants before Therefore this Protestant argument must be thus concluded All bookes which the Church of Rome proposeth for Scriptures the expositions which shee deliuereth c. In humility we must subscribe vnto them receiue them as the word of God from her authority D. Doue referreth the question what bookes be Canonicall Scripture to the two Doctors S. Augustine and S. Hierome His vvordes be these d Doue perswas pag. 15. Catholikes proue them to be Canonicall out of S. Augustine We that they be Apocrypha out of S. Hierome both which Doctors are of no small authority with the Church of Rome and therefore in this we differ no more from them then S. Hierome did from S. Augustine Therefore I hope for many causes Protestants will giue place vnto vs in this question It is knowne S. Augustine in calling was aboue S. Hierome In learning D. Couell telleth you e Cou. against Burg. pag. 3. he was farre the most learned Doctor that euer was or shall be in all likely-hood Thirdly your publike Conference f Conference infr to be after cited hath answered S. Hieromes authority for Catholikes Fourthly S. Augustine speaketh in the name of the whole Church for these bookes his wordes be these g August tom 10. ser 191. We receiue the old and newe Testament in that number of bookes which the authority of the holy Catholike Church hath deliuered And in the place where he deliuereth the Canon of Scriptures as Catholikes nowe doe hee giueth these rules to him that vvould knowe vvhich bee true Scriptures his vvordes bee these h Tom. 3. lib. 2. doct Christ cap. 8. In Canonicall Scriptures let him followe the authority of the most Catholike Churches among which those be which haue deserued to haue Apostolike Sees and to receiue their Epistles And so proceeding too long to be cited concludeth by all his rules that all those bookes vvhich the Roman Church nowe receiueth there remembred by S. Augustine are Canonicall But to be briefe The Protestant Surueyor of the communion booke affirmeth plainely i Suruey of the booke of common prayer pag. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. that the Protestants of England must approue for Canonicall these bookes with the Roman Church So likewise doe the 22. Preachers of London in their Petition k Petit. of 22. preachers except against homilies and except 4. against the com booke And D. Field is of the same opinion or must be for thus he vvriteth l Field lib. 4. c. 23. pa. 245. The ancient and true beleeuing Iewes before the comming of Christ especially such as liued in Greece and nations out of Iury commonly called Hellenists receiued those bookes for Canonicall Scripture And to vse his vvordes Hence it came to passe that the Iewes deliuered a double Canon of Scripture to the Christian Churches And speaking againe of that volume of the Hellenists he addeth m page 246. These bookes joyned in one volume were translated out of Greeke into Latin and read by them of the Latin Church in that translation And entreating of S. Augustine and the Latin Fathers especially in Africke and the third Carthaginian Councell vvhere this Canon is receiued he vvriteth thus They reckon the bookes of Scripture according as they found them in vse in the Latin Church Then D. Field hath absolutely graunted that in the Latin Church vnder vvhich England is these Scriptures vvere euer esteemed for Canonicall And being translated as he acknowledgeth out of Greeke into Latin this Gretian vvill not easily persvvade but the Greeke Church also first embraced them for he saith thus n page 245. supr The Greeke Iewes or Hellenists deliuered this Canon to the Christian Churches then first to the Greeke Church being in Greece among them and best vnderstanding those Greeke Scriptures before they vvere translated into Latin The Protestant Conference at Hampton-Court entreating of the Protestant exceptions against these Scriptures vseth these wordes o Conference pag. 60. Most of the objections made against those bookes were the old cauils of the Iewes renewed by S. Hierome in his time who was the first that gaue them the name of Apocrypha which opinion vpon Ruffinus his challendge he after a sort disclaimed the rather because a generall offence was taken at his speaches in that kinde Hitherto the censure of that publike
corruptions as may partly appeare by the Abridgement of the Ministers of Lincolne Dyocesse The Protestant Authour of the Aduertisement testifieth h Aduertisemēt an 1604 The Bible is peruerted in 848. places in the old Testament The English Protestant Bible is inferior to the Turkes Alcaron And so Christianity is denyed in England by publike authority Therefore most justly might his Majesty say in the publike conference i Conference pag. 46. That he could neuer yet see a Bible well translated into English but the worst of all he thought the Geneua to be Chapter 6. The true lawfull and juridicall exposition of Scriptures is in the Roman Church and not with Protestants THE true and vvarranted exposition of Scriptures is absolutely proued before to belong to the true Church of Christ and the Roman Church For this place D. Field vvriteth thus a Field lib. 4. c. 19. pa. 134. We confesse that neither conference of places nor consideration of the Antecedentia and Consequentia nor looking into the originals are of any force vnlesse we finde the thinges which we conceiue to be vnderstood and meant in the places interpreted to be consonant to the rule of faith And this rule of faith as he further teacheth b page 242. must be tryed either by the generall practise of the Church the renowmed of all ages or the Pastors of an Apostolike Church vvhich as the vvorld can vvitnesse no Protestant can make clayme vnto Therefore as D. Couell vvriteth c Couell def of Hooker pag. 85. Doctrines deriued exhortations deducted interpretations agreeable are not the word of God And yet these be the groundes of Protestant religion and those vvhereupon their pretended faith and justification it selfe vvith them dependeth Although D. Field thus againe condemneth it d Field p. 226 Priuate interpretation is not so proposed and vrged as if they would binde all others to receiue it Therefore he assigneth e page 228. three kindes of interpretation and judgement One of discretion common to all the other of direction in the Pastours of the Church and a third of jurisdiction proper to them that haue supreame power in the Church And this third hee only acknowledgeth in the Bishops assembled in a generall Councell which as he teacheth may interpret the Scripture and by their authority suppresse all them that gaine-say such interpretation and subject euery man that shall disobey such determinations as they consent vpon to excommunication and censures of like nature Hitherto his vvordes Nowe that there neither hath beene nor possibly can bee any generall Councell among Protestants none clayming further jurisdiction then their owne temporall Terrytories it is both apparant to all and acknovvledged f Relation of relig cap. 47. in expresse vvordes by the Protestant Relator of religion And yet besides D. Field recited before D. Sutcliffe g Sutcl subuers pa. 119. D. Morton h Morton epist dedicat 2. part Apol. lib. 4. 2. part Apol. pa. 340 cap. 18. M. Willet i Willet Antilog and the rest acknowledge ordinarily that a generall Councell hath the highest and binding judgement And although M. Willet doth say k Willet prefat Engl. Antilog pag. 71. 120. That in England the temporall Prince is Gouernour ruler chiefe ouerseer and steward of the Church to whose judgement and redresse the reformation of religion belongeth Yet he addeth l Pag. 150. 43. supr Neither he nor their Church hath any priuiledge from errour But plainely protesteth m Willet prefa to the reader in Antilo They must take out a newe lesson and learne to reforme their erroneous conceits And more then this is generally taught and confessed among them of which hereafter For this time and place I will only make exemplification of D. Doue his graunt and confession vvhich followeth in these vvordes n D. Doue perswas pag. 31. When the Masse was first put downe King Henry had his English Lyturgie and that was judged absolute without exception but when King Edward came to the Crowne that was condemned and an other in the place which Peter Martir and Bucer did approue as very consonant to Gods word When Queene Elizabeth beganne her raigne the former was judged to be full of imperfections and a newe was deuised and allowed by the consent of the Clergie but about the middle of her raigne we grewe weary of that booke and great meanes haue beene wrought to abandon that and establish an other which although it was not obtayned yet we doe at the least at euery change of Prince change our booke of common prayers we be so wanton that we knowe not what we would haue Hitherto his wordes and he freely confesseth errours in all these states and changes Yet this flitting from errour to errour finding no center hath beene so grieuous euen to some Protestants that the Suruey of the booke of common prayer vseth these wordes o Suruey of the commun booke pag. 159. 160. The late Archbishop of Canterbury as is credibly reported tooke such a griefe when the communion booke should haue beene altered discouered by these or like wordes good Lord when shall we knowe what to trust vnto that he presently fell into his palsey was carryed from the Court and dyed shortly after But let any man enter into a serious consideration of Protestant doctrine in this point that vnder paine of damnation vve are bound to finde and followe the truth That generall Councels as before may subject euery man disobeying their determinations to excommunication and censures of like nature the most terrible and fearefull punishment of this world And Protestants in England so seuerely punish all Catholikes for not consenting to their religion which themselues thus loade with errours and all judgements Ecclesiasticall euen generall Councels p Articul 21. anno 1562. may erre and haue erred euen in thinges pertayning vnto God as is defined in their Articles and is commonly taught and beleeued with them to excuse their errours This consideration is able to putmen not regardlesse of saluation into more then a quaking palsey Chapter 7. Traditions are of equall authority with Scripture yet proue Catholike religion THE dignity and authority of vnwritten and Apostolicall Traditions being lawfully proued was euer esteemed such that M. Wotton affirmeth a Wotton def of Perkins pag. 405. Out of all question we are bound to keepe them And telleth b page 436. That M. Perkins was of the same opinion c Field p. 134 D. Field speaketh of such Traditions in these vvordes There is no reason but these should be equall with the Scriptures For it is not the writing that giueth these thinges their authority but the worth and credit of him that deliuereth them though by word and liuely voice only He addeth also d Field p. 240 that the perpetuall Virginity of our Lady was a Tradition and only receiued by such authority and so doe other Protestants And both they